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Late in the morning on June 7, 1663, soldiers of the Esopus Indians attacked the fortified Dutch settlements of New Village – now Hurley, New York – and Wildwyck, now Kingston. New Village was fundamentally destroyed. Wildwyck, more populous and better defended, fought off the attack but not before suffering grievous casualties. At New Village, three Dutch men were killed, and 34 women and children were taken captive and carried away. In Wildwyck, twelve men, including three of the garrison soldiers, died immediately, along with two children. Eight more men were injured, including one who died a few days later of his wounds, and the Esopus Indians took ten women and children prisoner.
So began the Second Esopus War.
Map of the Indian nations and language groups in the area, discussed in the opening minutes of the episode:
![](https://i0.wp.com/thehistoryoftheamericans.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Lenape_Languages.png?resize=718%2C843&ssl=1)
Selected references for this episode (Commission earned on Amazon links)
Martin Kregier, Journal of the Second Esopus War (Translation of the diary kept by the captain of the Dutch military response to the attacks at the New Village and Wildwyck)
Robert S. Grumet, The Munsee Indians: A History
Marc B. Fried, The Early History of Kingston & Ulster County, N.Y.