​Long-Island Star, April 6, 1814
NEW FERRY BOATS. On Sunday last the public were gratified by the performance of a new invented Ferry Boat, on the New-Ferry between this village and New-York. This boat was invented by Moses Rogers, Esq. of New-York. It is in some respects similar to the Paulus Hook ferry-boats, and calculated to receive waggons in the same commodious way; but the water-wheel in the center is moved by eight horses. It crossed the river twelve times during the day, in from 8 to 18 minutes each, and averaging 200 passengers each time. It makes good was against wind and tides and promises to be an important acquisition. Another boat to go by horses is now building for that ferry; and a Steam-Boat . . . is nearly ready for the ferry between Brooklyn and Beekman Slip. 

Columbian, May 18, 1814
Brooklyn Steam Ferry-Boat. "The Nassau", The new steam-boat . . . , which commenced running from Beekman-slip to the lower ferry at Brooklyn a few days ago, carried in one of her first trips, 549 (another counted 550) passengers, one waggon and pair of horses, two horses and chairs, and one single horse. She has made a trip in four minutes, and generally takes from four to eight; and has crossed the river (in width about three quarters of a mile) 40 times in one day. The convenience and utility of this line of boats to the inhabitants of Long-Island and this city, may be easily conceived. The boat impelled by horses from the New-slip to the upper Brooklyn ferry, carried at one time 545 passengers, besides some carriages and horses. And a horse-boat is to run soon from Grand-street dock to Williamsburgh. These astonishing improvements in domestic navigation are without equal in the known world. . . .

N-Y Evening Post, June 8, 1814
COMMUNICATION. On Saturday morning was launched, at the ship yard of Mr. Charles Browne, an elegant double boat, intended to ply as a ferry boat, from Corlaer's Hook to Williamsburgh, Long Island -- Bateau allant par Chevaux. This beautiful boat is called the Williamsburgh, and is to be propelled by horse-power. . . . She is by far the most spacious [such boat] . . . -- presenting to view an extensive deck of 80 feet by 42 feet wide. . . . ***

N-Y Evening Post, August 4, 1814
Team Boat Williamsburgh. -- Trial was made yesterday of the TEAM Boat Williamsburgh, intended to ply as a ferry boat between Corlaers Hook and Williamsburgh on the opposite shore of Long Island. This boat certainly far exceeds any other propelled by horse power. *** She proceeded with only eight horses from Williamsburgh against a strong ebb tide up the East River opposite the New Alms House, from thence to Delancey Slip, and from thence she proceeded down the River, passed the Navy Yard, Long Island and Brooklyn against a very rapid flood tide to the admiration of a numerous assemblage of spectators on the wharves. Thus in a few years we have witnessed the wonderful improvement from sails to steam, and from steam to animal power, which is calculated in a great measure to supercede the necessity and expense of steam, particularly for these short ferries.

 oulson's American D. Advertiser (Philadelphia, Pa.), November 11, 1811 
Newburgh, (N. Y.)  ROBBERY.
On Saturday afternoon last, a short time before Capt. Griswold sailed from New-York for this village, nine thousand six hundred dollars, in bills, was given him directed to the Bank of Newburgh, and by him put into his trunk in his state room; as soon as the vessel was got under way, the captain discovered the money had been stolen. Proper enquiries were immediately made of the passengers on board the sloop, from which it appeared that no cause of suspicion attached to them. It is supposed the money was taken previous to the vessels leaving the dock in New-York.

Evening Post March 4, 1812
Yesterday took place, at the Sessions, the trial of Charles Willard and William Sherwood, on suspicion of having robbed Edward [sic] Griswold of $9000, money entrusted to his care to be deposited in the Newburgh Bank. After a patient hearing of all the circumstances, the jury brought in a verdict of not guilty; and the accused were acquitted.

FOR THE EVENING POST.
Sessions -- The people vs. Charles Willard and Wm. Sherwood -- Indicted.
*** The important trial of C. Willard and William Sherwood, who were indicted the last term on suspicion of having robbed Capt. Edward [sic] Griswold of the sum of $9 or 10,000 entrusted to his care by the Directors of the Mechanic Bank in this City to be deposited in the Bank of Newburgh. *** Mr. Fisk on this occasion shewed more than ordinary talents, his solid mind was apparently set to the keenest edge to come at justice in the conviction of the said Sherwood and Willard, for nothing short of conviction would be justice, for so it seemed he had determined in his own mind. -- Permit me to digress: for this seems the proper place for remark. what value can be placed upon the invaluable privilege of trial by jury? *** Associated with me in the defence was Martin S. Wilkins, Esq. . . . . The Jury took their seats between ten and eleven in the morning, and retired to consider the case about the same hour at night. After 20 or 30 minutes absence, they returned, a verdict of acquittal. I owe it to Mr. Griswold, as a candid man to state, that his character was well supported as an honest man, though an interested witness in the cause, as were the characters of the accused, (with the exception) that they could not be witnesses. The money is lost, and the jury say on their oaths that the accused did not take it -- common has been the injury, and common be the redress.

From a prejudice existing against Messrs. Sherwood and Willard, while in confinement, it became necessary in my opinion as their Counsel and ally, on whom the business devolved to prepare the cause for trial, to request the public to suspend their opinion as to the guilt or innocence of the accused, until after their trial. . . . I admitted my clients were accused of a robbery of great magnitude, and I owed it to these gentlemen in
particular, who were respectable merchants, and to the public in general, to give this uninterested narrative, that after a full hearing by the court and jury, who merit the highest praise for their great patience and impartiality to declare that Messrs. Sherwood and Willard were acquitted of the charge alledged against them. For certain reasons I forbear making further comments on the trial at present.
WM. KETELTAS, Counsel first engaged. N. B. Published at the request of the late accused.

Evening Post, March 7, 1812
ADVERTISEMENT. HAVING volunteered in behalf of the president and directors of the back at Newburgh . . . , to assist the company to discover the felon or felons who robbed captain Edmund Griswold [sic], of the sum of $10,000, entrusted to his care, to be deposited in said bank, who made oath he had been robbed of the paper said to contain such sum; nothing would afford me greater pleasure than to detect the felon or felons, and recover said sum for said company, for which I offer a reward of one hundred dollars for the felon or felons to be placed in the hands of justice, and one hundred and fifty dollars to the discoverer of the said sum said to be stolen. *** If my clients Charles Willard and William Sherwood are guilty, they have abused the honesty of my heart, and escaped the discernment of the mind's eye, both of the jury and advocate, and the perseverance of the prosecuting counsel for the people, but the guilty, be they who they may be, cannot escape the all-seeing eye of the searcher of hearts, who was appealed to by both parties under oath, with whom, in the course of his divine providence I leave to punish the perjured, be they whom they may. -- "Let justice be done if the heavens fall." WM. KETELTAS.
Columbian, March 11, 1812

N-Y Evening Post, May 21, 1812
TO THE PUBLIC. [a card signed by the directors of the Bank of Newburgh acquitting Capt. Griswold of the "uncharitable" and "entirely unfounded" insinuation that he had been the thief who had stolen the bank's money last November]

N-Y Evening Post, July 31, 1817
Thief detected. -- Several years ago, a packet containing ten thousand dollars in bills and post notes of the Bank of Newburgh, and belonging to the band, was put on board captain Griswold's sloop, to be sent up the north river, and was stolen a few minutes after it was received. The bank made great exertions to detect the villain who had taken the money, but without success, till within a few days past. The cashier lately received a letter from Montreal, informing him that several post-notes of the Bank of Newburgh, to the amount of about twenty-five hundred dollars, indorsed by Griggs Knap, had been offered there under such circumstances as excited suspicion: the notes were described and the person who offered them. This information, together with the fact of the absence from Newburgh for several weeks of the person described, fixed the suspicion upon Briggs Belknap, who was mate of the sloop at the time of the theft. -- He was apprehended, and a package containing $200 of the very bills that were stolen, and which appeared to have lain untouched in the drawer since the time they were missing, were found in his desk: Upon examination, he was ordered to be committed to the jail at Goshen, where he is lodged for trial. He them made a full confession of his guilt, and acknowledged that he had been to Montreal, and offered the post-notes there, but being suspected, had said he destroyed them. His property, we understand, is sufficient to make good the amount, with interest.

It may be recollected, that suspicions were abroad at the time involving many innocent persons. Two men by the names of Sherwood and Willard were actually indicted for the theft, tried, and with difficulty acquitted; the jury declaring they believed them guilty. but could not feel justified in bringing a verdict to that effect on mere circumstantial testimony.

N-Y Herald, October 4, 1817
At a court of Oyer and Terminer, held in the county of Orange, last week, before his honor Judge Spencer, came on several trials for felony. Briggs Belknap, whose case was some time since stated in the papers, was the first. It may be remembered that this is the man that stole a large quantity of money put on board of a vessel of which he was mate, for the purpose of being sent to a Newburgh bank. After the most satisfactory evidence of his guilt, the jury brought him in not guilty; because it was more than six years since the theft was committed, and the statute limits the time of commencing a prosecution to three years and one day, but within which time it was impossible to commence this, for it was not found out till after that time had expired that he was the thief. And so the jury said he was not guilty.

From the Evening Post.
As an act of justice towards capt. Griswold, we republish the following from the Newburgh Gazette, which came to hand this morning.

N-Y D Advertiser, October 4, 1817
TO THE PUBLIC.
Whereas unfounded and unjust imputations have gone abroad, prejudicial to the
character of capt. Edmund [sic] Griswold and that of his family, relative to a sum of
money feloniously taken from on board of his sloop, at New York, in the month of
November, 1811, and belonging to the back of Newburgh; I, the undersigned, repenting
of the crime, and of the injury I have done capt. Griswold, do hereby declare, that I did
take the money from his possession, without his knowledge or consent, and that any
suspicions or imputations against his character or any of his family in relation thereto,
are entirely malicious, idle, and without the least foundation. Dated Newburgh, state of
New-York, Sept. 19, 1817. BRIGGS BELKNAP. Signed and acknowledged to have been done voluntarily in the presence of Leonard Maison.

Political Barometer (Poughkeepsie, New York), February 28, 1810
The EDWARD, John Foster, Jun. Master, WILL sail from the Landing of GEORGE B. EVERTSON, &Co. for the accommodation of Ladies and Gentlemen travelling on business and pleasure. As the Edward is designed entirely for the convenience of passengers, the proprietors hope that the extra accommodations will please every person that takes passage on board. Her births are furnished with sacking bottoms, new beds and bedding, and the owners pledge themselves that there shall be nothing wanting on their part to accommodate the public. Passengers will be set on shore or taken on board, if requested, at any place between Poughkeepsie and New-York.

The EDWARD will leave Poughkeepsie on Tuesday the 27th inst. at 4 o'clock P. M. and New-York, at Coentie's Slip, on Friday the 2d day of March, at 4 o'clock P. M. and continue to leave each place every Tuesday and Friday throughout the season. -- Passage 3 dollars -- children half price. Every person engaging a birth and not occupying the same, must expect to pay the usual price.

The subscriber acknowledges the favors of the public since the commencement of the Edward for passengers only, and begs leave to solicit a continuance the ensuing season. JOHN FOSTER, Jun.

New-York Evening Post, April 11, 1812, COMMUNICATION.
A passenger who lately came down from Albany in the Paragon [writes about] the superior accommodations of this extraordinary vessel. With more room than any steam boat on the river, being of the same length of keel with the frigate President, and considerably wider than the Car of Neptune, it may be added that in speed she excels all competitors. It is not too much to say that she unites in herself, convenience, neatness, elegance and dispatch beyond what has been yet seen in this country.


George Temple.  The American Tourist’s Pocket Companion; or, A Guide to the
Springs, and Trip to the Lakes.  New York, 1812.
The different steam-boats afford the easiest, most certain, and expeditious manner; they have, however, their inconveniences, as they leave Newyork of an evening, the opportunity is lost of viewing the romantic scenery of the highlands, the steam boats passing them during the night.  By proceeding in these vessels, little of the country is seen, the glance is transient, and as correct an idea of it might be formed by peeping into a raree-show, which exhibits the same views.  The crown and bustle on board of a steam-boat, is also disagreeable to the valitudinarian, the sedate, and all those who entertain an aversion to be jostled about like cattle in a pen.  The gay, and those in the hey-day of youthful spirits, may, however, find them agreeable, and have ample scope to indulge their exuberance of mirth.

Stages also pass alternately every day from Newyork to Albany, on each side of the river.
       
When a numerous, or a family party, are about proceeding on this tour, they will generally find it to their advantage to agree with the captain of one of the Albany sloops, for the exclusive right of his cabin, and by laying in a small supply for their voyage, will find themselves infinitely more at home, in every respect, than on board of a steam-boat.  They must, however, be possessed of patience to bear the occasional bad luck of contrary winds and calms.  However, to a party of pleasure, not pressed for time, and having no urgent cause for expedition, a day or two longer, passed on the water, especially in agreeable weather, and sailing on a fine river, the banks or which are constantly regaling the eye with a variety of interesting prospects, is no material objection, more especially if the party are happy among themselves, and carry with them books and other resources against tedium.
       
When the tourists form a duo, and are equally desirous of leisurely admiring the romantic beauties of nature, and a few days is of no consequence to them, I would advise the following manner of pursuing this tour.
       
To ferry over the Hudson to Hoboken, and proceed in the stage to Patterson; view the falls of the Passaic; proceed by a chance conveyance to Goshen; thence to the celebrated spot of West-Point, and the romantic scenery of the highlands; proceed to the agreeable village of Newburgh; thence by the steam-boat to Hudson, and wait there for the succeeding steam-boat to proceed to Albany.  Here a day may be passed in viewing the city, and visiting the mineral springs of Harrogate, or the opposite shore of Hudson river.  

. . . as a monitor, I would be careless of my duty, if I did not avail of the present opportunity . . . to caution in the strongest manner, the young, unwary, and unexperienced, against joining strangers on board of steam-boats, packets, and at boarding -houses, at cards, the smallest inconvenience, is their being involved in disputes, which are at all times disagreeable.  And sharpers are always prowling about, to take advantage of the heedless -- besides those, who are professionally sharpers, there are others who, unmindful of their situation in life, make a practice to avail of their dexterity, and boast of defraying their travelling expenses by this polite science -- of all such beware.
       
Where there is such a number confined together in a small space, as there is usually found on board of steam-boats, it is natural that some little intimacies should be formed and groups or little parties assemble, drawn together by some small similarity of taste and relish for conversation; influenced by these circumstances, we formed part of a circle composed of about a dozen ladies and gentlemen, and retiring to a corner of the deck after enjoying much cheerful and agreeable conversation, it growing rather languid, a song from the ladies was proposed; diffidence however, prevented the accomplishment of our wish, and one of the gentlemen favoured us with the appropriate song of the "Heaving of the lead," in a masterly stile.  The person whose turn it next was to regale us, declaring that nature had not favored him with any vocal powers, substituted an amusing anecdote; after which a compromise was arranged with the fair ones, by which they were prevailed on to  sing alternately with those gentlemen who could, and that those who could not, would relate a real story.  The moon rose clear, the night was charming, and the hour for dowsing the lights, and establishing tranquility in the cabins being ten o'clock, we preferred prolonging our agreeable recreation until a late hour, to descending to stew out the night in the regions below. 

Bob Williams, a Negro deckhand on the Hudson River Day Line steamer "Robert Fulton", put himself on the roll of heroes on Wednesday, September 13, when he was cheered by eighteen hundred passengers on that boat who witnessed his thrilling rescue of two students from Maryknoll Seminary, Ossining, who were clinging to a capsized canoe in the Hudson off from Ossining.

The students, Christian Fuss and Harold Dunn, had been canoeing, and when they started to change seats in the boat, the canoe shot from under them and they were precipitated into the water. They were in the water an hour and a half, when the "Robert Fulton" passed at full speed. the big steamer was a half mile beyond the struggling men before Captain Magee could stop and reverse engines.

In the meantime, Williams, with two other deckhands, had lowered the stern lifeboat and in the teeth of a strong tide Williams swiftly rowed back to the men. When the two students were pulled into the lifeboat, the eighteen hundred passengers made the highlands on both sides of the river echo with their cheers.

Dunn and Fuss were attended by a physician for ninety minutes before they were put ashore at Yonkers. Dunn paid a tribute to his rescuer by declaring that "I never thought a boat could be launched and rowed such a distance in such a short time. That man Williams is a wonderful oarsman."