New York State History

New-Year's Day was devoted to the uni­versal interchange of visits. Every door was thrown wide open, and a warm wel­come extended to friend and stranger. It was a breach of etiquette to omit any acquaintance in these annual calls, when old friendships were renewed, and family differences amicably settled. And here came the famous New-Year cake. The Paas eggs were the feature of Easter. The Pinkster festivities commenced on the Monday after Whitsunday, and now be­gan the fun for the negroes, for Pinkster was the carnival of the African race. The venerable "King of the Blacks" was "Charley of Pinkster Hill," so called be­cause he was the principal actor in the festivities. Charles originally came from Africa, having in his infancy been brought from Angolo, in the Guinea Gulf; and when but a boy he became the purchased slave of one of the most ancient and respectable merchant princes of the olden time, Volckert P. Douw, of Wolvenhoeck. Charles's costume as king was that of a British brigadier—ample broadcloth scar­let coat, with wide flaps, almost reach­ing to his heels, and gayly ornamented everywhere with broad tracings of bright gold-lace. His small-clothes were of yellow buckskin, fresh and new, with stockings blue, and burnished silver buck­les to his well-blacked shoe. And when we add the three-cornered cocked hat, trimmed also with gold-lace, and which so gracefully sat upon his noble globular pate, we complete this rude sketch of the Pinkster king.

Both he and his followers were cov­ered with Pinkster blummies—the wild azalea, or swamp-apple. The procession started from “young massa's house” (82 State Street; where now stands the large seed store of Knickerbocker and Price), and went up State Street to Bleecker Hill, on the crown of which was the Bleecker Burying-ground. In front of the king always marched Dick Simpson and Pete Halenbeck, the latter the Beau Brummel of his time. The last parade was in 1822. The king died two years later. During Pinkster-day the negroes made merry with games and feasting, all pay­ing homage to the king, who was held in awe and reverence as an African prince. In the evening there was a grand dance, led by Charles and some sable beauty, to the music of Pete Halenbeck's fiddle.

Although King Charley often boasted of his bravery, his master and fellow-servants would twit him with coward­ice, and call out to him, “Saratoga”— a most sensitive point with him, which is thus explained: His master was en route to join the army at Saratoga, and Charles was following him on horseback as body-servant. It was moonlight, and he saw moving with the wind a quantity of Indian salt, commonly known as su­mac, which, when ripe, presents a red appearance. Charley, supposing it to be the red feathers of the enemy, cried out, "Heer, ik zag een vyand"* and put­ting spurs to his horse, he rode in hot-haste for home, proclaiming that his mas­ter had been captured, and he, after hard fighting, had escaped.

*Master, I saw the enemy.