their neighbors,
the Pequods, reached this spot on the return journey, laden with
spoils and captives, among the latter a young chief who, after the
manner of most Indian tribes, was offered the choice of joining the
tribe of his foes or suffering death by torture. Being a Pequod
Patrick Henry he chose the latter, and preparations were made for his
demise, when a beautiful maiden interfered. She was also a captive
from the same tribe, and much in love with her doomed tribesman.
During the delay thus caused the party was unexpectedly attacked by a
band of Hurons, and the maiden fell prize to the latter. The chief
escaped, and disguising himself as a wizard, visited the Huron camp
where, strange to say, the maiden promptly fell ill upon the arrival
of the strange medicine man, who was employed to effect a cure. They
fled under cover of the dark, appropriating a handy canoe for the
purpose, and the Hurons followed in the next boat, but the Pequod,
landing his beloved at the mouth of the Minnakee Creek, turned on his
pursuers and, like the true hero of legend, drove them off single
handed. The lovers returned home, married, and lived happily ever
after.

Poughkeepsie, on account of its central position, was early chosen as
the county seat, and became the scene of many stirring incidents
during the stirring times of '76. But few mementoes of those days are
left, however. The Van Kleeck house, at one time a tavern, used by the
Dutchess County Committee as a meeting place in 1774 to elect
delegates to the first Continental Congress, has disappeared. The
Legislature in its migrations around the state met here in January,
1778, at the call of Governor Clinton. Clinton himself, during this
time, occupied the Clear Everett House, which is still standing on
Main Street, and is open to the public as a museum.

The great struggle which was to decide whether New York should join
the newly formed National Government was fought out in Poughkeepsie.
On June 17, 1788, the Convention of the People of the State met to
deliberate on the new Constitution. Alexander Hamilton, John Jay and
Chancellor Livingston, a magnificent trio of pleaders, were the
principal speakers in favor of the Union, while Governor George
Clinton and others, whose names are not familiar except to students of
history, headed the opposition. New York separated New England from
the South, and was necessary to the Union, but there was a powerful
party headed by Govern