Printz and Papegoja sent earnest requests for more colonists and additional supplies with the _Fama_ in 1644. But events in northern Europe of far greater importance to the welfare of Sweden than the little colony on the South River were occupying the minds of the statesmen at Stockholm. Sweden was fighting one of her most successful wars with Denmark. Every ship that could be used was pressed into service. The _Swan_ and the _Charitas_ which had made journeys to New Sweden took part in the battle of Fehmern, and when the _Fama_ and _Kalmar Nyckel_ reached Gothenburg in the summer of 1645 they were fitted out for participation in the struggle. On August 7 the _Kalmar Nyckel_ engaged the Danish ship _St. Peer_ in a bitter fight between Copenhagen and Malmö. Only twelve men of the Swedish vessel survived the encounter, and M. Johansson, who had made several journeys to New Sweden and Virginia as secretary, was badly wounded. Under such conditions no ships could be spared for expeditions to America. The war not only hindered and delayed preparations for a new journey, however; it also removed the staunchest and warmest supporter of the colony,--Fleming was killed in July, 1644, by a stray bullet from a Danish battery. Chancellor Oxenstierna was now the unappointed director of the company, but he was too busy to think of the colony and its needs. He was appointed peace commissioner in 1644 to the lengthy conferences, which lasted about a year and a half. He wrote most of the documents with his own hand, and he “had to fight, not only against the enemies and the peace mediators, but also against the opposition peace party in the Swedish council.” In consequence the affairs of the company were “in great confusion.” Letters and reports from Printz were sent to the chancellor, who was too busy to look after them; and hence the other officers of the company in Sweden were ignorant of the conditions in the colony. The papers and documents of Printz were finally sent to Kramer and Beier, who made some efforts to comply with the requests of the governor. Since a cargo could not be safely sent from a Swedish port to America during the war, it was planned to ship supplies direct from Holland to New Sweden. But Spiring, who had been instructed to execute these plans, could not do so, as “the cargoes of the _Fama_ and _Kalmar Nyckel_ were seized and there were no other means on hand.” [Illustration: _Scepter_, the flagship of Admiral Klas Fleming on which he was killed. From G. Unger’s _Il. sv. sjökrigsh., I._]