Recapture of Fort Zeelandia (1667) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Recapture of Fort Zeelandia (1667) |
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| Part of the Second Anglo-Dutch War | |||||||
 Fort Zeelandia in 1997 |
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| Belligerents | |||||||
 Dutch Republic |
 England |
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| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
 Maurits de Rame |
Rear Admiral John Harman |
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| Strength | |||||||
| 300 men | 9 ships 800 sailors and troops |
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| Casualties and losses | |||||||
| 50 casualties 250 captured All stores captured |
Light | ||||||
The Recapture of Fort Zeelandia was a small but important battle on October 13, 1667. It happened near the end of the Second Anglo-Dutch War. An English force, led by Rear Admiral Sir John Harman, attacked and captured a Dutch fort called Zeelandia. Today, this area is known as Paramaribo in Suriname.
The Dutch commander, Maurits de Rame, was in charge of the fort. The English held the fort only for a short time. News of the Peace of Breda treaty arrived soon after. This treaty officially ended the war. The Dutch had taken Fort Zeelandia earlier in 1667. The English taking it back was the very last battle between England and the Dutch Republic in this war.
Contents
Why Did the English Attack Fort Zeelandia?
Fort Zeelandia had a long history of changing hands. The English first captured it in 1651. This was during the start of the First Anglo-Dutch War. They held it for many years.
How the Dutch Took Fort Zeelandia Back
On May 6, 1667, Captain Abraham Crijnssen of the Dutch forces recaptured Fort Zeelandia. At this time, France and the Dutch had strong control in the Caribbean Sea.
How the English Gained Control of the Caribbean
The situation changed when Admiral Harman defeated the French navy. This happened in the Battle of Martinique. After this, Captain Crijnssen left the Caribbean. He went to raid the Virginia colony in North America. As a result, the English now had full control of the Caribbean waters.
Admiral Harman decided to use this advantage. He planned to capture French and Dutch settlements in South America. After his victory at Martinique, Harman restocked his ships at Barbados. Then, he sailed south and west along the coast of South America.
He first captured and attacked Cayenne in French territory. He held it for two weeks. Then, he continued west towards the Dutch settlement at Fort Zeelandia.
The Battle for Fort Zeelandia
Admiral Harman arrived at Fort Zeelandia on October 13. The fort was very strong and well-defended. Harman knew that a direct attack would be too risky.
English Strategy and Dutch Refusal
Instead, he landed his troops about half a mile away from the fort. The English soldiers then surrounded the fort. They demanded that the 250 Dutch soldiers inside surrender by nightfall. However, the Dutch, led by Maurits de Rame, refused. They believed their position was too strong and they had enough supplies.
The Final Assault
Harman waited for four days, but the Dutch still would not give up. On October 17, the English launched a big attack. They attacked both from land and sea. There was heavy cannon fire. During the intense fighting, Captain Thomas Willoughby of the ship Portsmouth was killed. Many other soldiers on both sides were also hurt. About fifty Dutch soldiers were injured or killed.
After this heavy fighting, Maurits de Rame asked Harman for surrender terms. While they were still discussing the terms, some English soldiers found a clever way in. They quietly swam around the fort's defenses. Then, they climbed over the walls, surprising the Dutch defenders.
The English quickly sent more soldiers into the fort using small boats. They secured the fort and turned the captured Dutch cannons on the remaining Dutch forces outside. Seeing that they could no longer win, Maurits de Rame had no choice. He surrendered the entire settlement to the English.
What Happened After the Battle?
Both sides had similar numbers of casualties, with about fifty killed or wounded. The captured Dutch soldiers were later sent to St Eustatius and set free.
The English took control of Zeelandia. They renamed it Fort Willoughby. This was in honor of the English governor of the Caribbean, Henry Willoughby. Governor Willoughby then officially took charge of the settlement.
News of Peace Arrives Late
The war had actually already ended by this time. However, the news of the capture of Fort Zeelandia arrived too late for the Peace of Breda treaty.
Two weeks later, news finally came from the Netherlands. It announced that the colony was to be given back to the Dutch Republic, as agreed in the treaty. Governor Willoughby did not want to follow this order. Instead, he decided to destroy the fort's defenses. He also allowed his soldiers to take valuable items from the settlement. Meanwhile, Admiral Harman returned to Barbados by November 20, getting ready to sail back to England.
