ernment buildings in the fort were destroyed. A militia officer by
the name of Van Horne, carried away by the belief that the fire was
purposely set by the Negroes, caused the beating of the drums and the
posting of the "night watch." And for his vigilance he was nicknamed
"Major Drum." The "Major's" apprehensions, however, were contagious.
The fact that the governor reported the true cause of the fire to the
Legislature had but little influence in dispossessing the people of
their fears of a Negro plot. The next week the chimney of Capt.
Warren's house near the fort took fire, but was saved with but slight
damage. A few days after this the storehouse of a Mr. Van Zandt was
found to be on fire, and it was said at the time to have been
occasioned by the carelessness of a smoker. In about three days after,
two fire alarms were sounded. One was found to be a fire in some hay
in a cow-stable near a Mr. Quick's house. It was soon extinguished.
The other alarm was on account of a fire in the kitchen loft of the
dwelling of a Mr. Thompson. On the next day coals were discovered
under the stables of a Mr. John Murray on Broadway. On the next
morning an alarm called the people to the residence of Sergeant Burns,
near the fort; and in a few hours the dwelling of a Mr. Hilton, near
Fly Market, was found to be on fire. But the flames in both places
were readily extinguished. It was thought that the fire was purposely
set at Mr. Hilton's, as a bundle of tow was found near the premises. A
short time before these strange fires broke out, a Spanish vessel,
partly manned by Spanish Catholic Negroes, had been brought into the
port of New York as a prize. All the crew that were Negroes were
hurried into the Admiralty Court; where they were promptly condemned
to slavery, and an order issued for their sale. The Negroes pleaded
their freedom in another country, but had no counsel to defend them. A
Capt. Sarly purchased one of these Negroes. Now, Capt. Sarly's house
adjoined that of Mr. Hilton's; and so, when the latter's house was
discovered to be on fire, a cry was raised, "The Spanish Negroes! The
Spanish! Take up the Spanish Negroes!" Some persons took it upon
themselves to question Capt. Sarly's Negro about the fires, and it is
said that he behaved in an insolent manner; whereupon he was sent to
jail. A magistrate gave orders to the constables to arrest and
incarcerate the rest of the Spanish Negroes. The magistrates held a
meeting the sam