But when Stuyvesant’s letter telling how the Swedes had taken Fort
Casimir reached Holland, the people were aroused at last. The roll of
drums sounded in the streets of old Amsterdam. Volunteers were called
for. A ship, _The Balance_, was fitted out with men, arms, ammunition
and provisions, and set sail as quickly as possible for New Netherlands.
Great was the joy of Stuyvesant to receive such an answer as this. He
too had called for volunteers, and he had gathered together all the
vessels he could; he had even hired a French frigate, _L’Esperance_,
which happened to be lying in the harbor of New Amsterdam at that time.
About the middle of August, 1655, the little Dutch fleet sailed out
from the harbor of New Amsterdam-seven vessels in all and carrying
almost seven hundred men. Stuyvesant himself was in command.
They sailed down to the Delaware Bay, in between the capes, and up the
river to a short distance above the fort. Quietly as Styuvesant had
moved, the Indians had learned his plans some time before, and had
carried the news of them to Rysing.
Rysing had immediately sent what men and ammunition he could spare to
Fort Trinity, and had told Captain Sven Schute, its commander, to fire
on the Dutch if they attempted to sail past the fort. This, Sven Schute
did not do. He allowed the Dutch to pass by without firing a single
shot, and so all communication with Fort Christina was cut off.
Stuyvesant landed the Dutch soldiers on Sunday, September 5, 1655, and
sent Captain Smith with a drummer to the fort to demand that Captain
Schute should surrender it, as it was Dutch property.
Schute, however, asked time to consider, and also to be allowed to
write to Rysing.
This was refused; and Schute was again called upon to surrender, and so
spare the shedding of innocent blood.
A second time he refused, and a third time he was asked to surrender;
and the third time he agreed and opened his gates to the Dutch. So it
was that within a short time after leaving New Amsterdam, the Dutch
marched to the fort with music playing and banners flying; and so, a
second time, Fort Casimir (then Fort Trinity) was captured without a
blow having been struck or a drop of blood shed.
After capturing Fort Casimir, Stuyvesant sailed up the river to Fort
Christina and surrounded it. Rysing had only thirty men, and around him
camped almost seven hundred Dutchmen.
Stuyvesant sent him a message by an Indian, bidding him surrender the
fort.
Rysing, by the same Indian, returned a letter begging Stuyvesant to
meet him and talk the matter over.
This Stuyvesant agreed to; but he treated Rysing in such an insolent
way that it made matters harder than ever for the Swedish governor to
bear. Rysing laid before him all the Swedish claims to the river, and
begged him to withdraw his soldiers. This, Stuyvesant refused to do,
and again demanded the surrender of the fort.
Rysing would not agree to this and so returned.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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