66 HISTORY OF DELAWARE COUNTY. [1655. 



and the Dutch having been driven from the Delaware, a favor- 

 able opportunity was presented to the New Englanders to renew 

 their claims on the river. These were pressed on the ground of 

 purchases made from the Indians, and gave rise to a correspon- 

 dence between Governor Rysingh and the Commissioners of the 

 United Colonies which it will not be necessary to notice. 



A Swedish vessel, called the " Golden Shark," by accident or 

 design, was piloted into the Raritan river. The vessel was im- 

 mediately seized by Governor Stuyvesant, who regarded this as 

 a fair opportunity to force the Swedes to restore Fort Casimir. 

 The event gave rise to considerable correspondence,^ which did 

 not result in a restoration either of the fort or the vessel. 



The affairs of the Swedes on the Delaware were now approach- 

 ing a crisis, but nothing had occurred to arouse the suspicions 

 of the home government. The triumph of Rysingh was regard- 

 ed as a reconquest of usurped territory, and no other means to 

 reclaim it by the Dutch were apprehended, beyond the usual 

 one of protest. This was a fatal delusion ; for at the close of 

 1654, while estimates were being made in Sweden for the sup- 

 port of their colony, during the ensuing year, on a peace basis,^ 

 an armament was being fitted out in Holland, not only sufficient 

 to replace "matters on the Delaware in their former position," 

 but to drive " the Swedes from every side of the river." 



In the spring of 1655, five armed vessels well equipped, were 

 forwarded to Stuyvesant, with a carte blanche, to charter others.'^ 

 The armament when completed at New Amsterdam, consisted of 

 seven vessels, and from six to seven hundred men. The greatest 

 caution was used in providing against every contingency, in fit- 

 ting it out, and a day of thanksgiving and prayer Avas observed 

 before the sailing of the expedition ; which happened on Sunday 

 the 4th of September, ^'- after sermon.'^ It was commanded by 

 Governor Stuyvesant in person, and arrived in the bay of South 

 river the next day about 3 o'clock in the afternoon. The de- 

 serted Swedish Fort Elsingborg was visited on the following 

 day, but it was not till Friday that the expedition reached Fort 

 Trinity or Casimir. This fortress was under the immediate 

 command of Swen Schute, while Governor Rysingh in person 

 had charge of Christina. To prevent a communication between 

 the two forts, Stuyvesant had landed fifty men. The demand 

 made by the Dutch was " a direct restitution of their own pro- 

 perty," to which Commander Schute, after having had an inter- 

 view with Stuyvesant, reluctantly yielded on the following day, 

 upon very favorable terms of capitulation. For the reduction 



1 For this correspondence, as well as that with the Commissioners of the United 

 Colonies, and proceedings connected therewith, the reader is referred to Haz. Ann. 

 155-172. 



2 Haz. Reg. v. 15. ^ Hist. New Netherland, ii. 284. 



