308 HISTORY OF BROOKLYN.

the best beer that they ever tasted, and that the hospitals used at the rate of twenty barrels a day for their sick. These patients also had the best of medical attention, with abundant supplies of vegetables and excellent soups, and, when they became convalescent, were allowed to roam about the country, in order to breathe the fresh, pure air, and obtain exercise.

On the edge of the hill (or Heights) between the present Orange and Clark streets., was a half-moon fort, garrisoned by Hessian troops, and having a battery of cannon overlooking the harbor.1 There were then no houses on the Heights, between present Doughty and Clark streets. The first house, a two-story frame edifice south of Clark street, was the residence of Mr. Lodewyck Bamper,2 an elderly gentleman of fortune, who was supposed to

1 Ante, 247. On its site was subsequently placed a large hotel, brought from Flat bush. It stood about the junction of the present Clarke and Columbia streets, where Mr. Henry C. Bowen’s house now is; was chiefly patronized by Southerners, and was kept by Edward Macomber, from Providence, R. I., the father of Edward Macomber who built the block corner of Fulton and De Kalb avenues, known as “Macomber's Block.” The building was pulled down by David Leavitt, who sold the ground to Mr. Bowen.

2 The family records say that this Lodewyck Bamper, a son-in-law of the Governor of the Dutch colony of Surinam, came to America at some period between 1720 and ’30, in a vessel which was owned by himself, as was also the cargo, which consisted of drygoods and horses. The crew of this vessel were African slaves, belonging to Mr. B., who brought with him, as household servants, four females of the same race, named respectively Europe, Asia, Africa, and America. He seems to have been a man of great wealth, even for that day, as he brought with him 60,000 guineas, an immense amount of silver-plate for daily family use, including two complete tea-ervices, two large urns, one for coffee and the other for chocolate, tureens, mugs, tumblers, goblets, porringers, chafing-dish, ladles, forks and knives with solid silver handles; also, the richest dress fabrics, such as silks, satins, and costly laces, piles of finest Holland linen and jewelry of every sort. Among the elegant furniture which they owned was a house organ, which was always played when the family were at meals, by a person who acted as valet and musician. This organ (in 1842) was in use at the Lutheran church, corner of William and Frankfort streets, New York. Soon after his arrival here, Mr. Bamper purchased ground on the northwest corner of Beekman and Gold streets, upon which lie erected a dwelling, after the fashion of the day, fifty feet front and a story and a half high, and which remained, with its exterior unchanged, until 1834 or Õ85. A garden extended, in the rear of the house, to Perry street; and, under the care of an imported professional gardener, was cultivated and filled with all kinds of fruits and flowers to which the climate was congenial. In the large walks of this garden were placed, in the summer-time, painted wooden statues, life-size, representing grenadiers in full dress and equipments complete, also female figures representing soldiers’ wives and children. Mr. Bamper became a large purchaser in lands of the northern and western parts of New York State; and also on Brooklyn Heights, where he established