A History of the City of Brooklyn and Kings County, Volume I.Ostrander, Stephen M.
History
A History of the City of Brooklyn and Kings County, Volume I.
Ostrander, Stephen M.
Brooklyn (New York, N.Y.) -- History; Kings County (N.Y.) -- History
Manning lacked courage, and did not possess any attribute fitting him to
properly defend the city. In his dilemma, and not having the aid and
assistance of the Governor, he found himself powerless to act as the
occasion demanded. He sent a messenger to the fleet to inquire their
object in disturbing the peace of the colony. In the morning, the
admirals dispatched an officer to demand the immediate surrender of the
fort. Manning, anxious to gain time, requested that he might have until
the following day to give his answer. This was refused, and he was
notified that unless the city was surrendered in half an hour the fort
would be bombarded. To this notification no reply was received. The
Dutch, true to their word, commenced a cannonade which resulted in
killing and wounding a number of men. The salute of hot shot was not
returned. Captain Colve, with a band of six hundred men, landed, and the
attacking force was ranged in line of battle in front of the fort, and
prepared to make a triumphal march through the city. Manning became
agitated and frightened. He commenced negotiations, but, as he had no
power to enter into any agreement, he was compelled to surrender.
The city, again in the possession of its original settlers, was called
New Orange, and the fort was named Fort Hendrick. Some of the English
soldiers taken as hostages of war were sent to Holland.
It may well be supposed that this successful capture produced a deep
sense of mortification to the English Government and the New England
colonies. Manning was subsequently court-martialed and tried for
cowardice and treachery. His defense was mainly that he had no time to
put the fort in a proper condition of defense--that the enemy were
eight hundred strong, while he had but eighty men in the fort, and that
he sought to delay capitulation, hoping that help might arrive. He was
found guilty by the court. Through the influence of friends his life was
spared, but he was compelled to suffer the ignominy of having his sword
broken over his head by the executioner in front of the City Hall, and
he was declared incapable of ever holding any office, either civil or
military, in the gift of the Crown. Governor Lovelace also was severely
reprimanded, and all his property was confiscated to the Duke of York.
It would appear that the conduct of the Governor was more reprehensible
than that of Manning. Manning was merely a subaltern, and Lovelace being
Governor, it was his duty to exercise proper care in defending the
territory committed to his control. He was twice notified by Manning of
the intended attack, and seemed by his actions either to manifest but
little interest, or not to realize the importance of defensive measures.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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