d,

"is only desirous of reducing his colonies to uniformity in
Church and State. With this view he has dispatched some
commissioners with two or three frigates, to New England, to
introduce Episcopacy in that quarter."

It was supposed in Holland, that this intolerant policy would
strengthen the Dutch interests in America; that the religious freedom,
which the States-General insisted upon, would invite to New Netherland
from all the countries of Europe, those who were not willing to
conform to the doctrines and ritual of the Church of England.

Governor Stuyvesant, upon receiving these dispatches from the home
government, felt relieved of all anxiety. He had no doubt that the
previous rumor which had reached him was false. Neither he nor his
council anticipated any difficulty. The whole community indulged in
the sense of security. The work on the fortifications was stopped; the
vessels sailed to Curacoa, and the governor went up the river to fort
Orange. A desolating war had broken out between the Indian tribes
there, which raged with such ferocity that the colonists were full of
alarm for their own lives and property.

But the English fleet was rapidly approaching. It consisted of four
frigates, containing in all an armament of ninety-four guns. This was
a force to which defenceless New Amsterdam could present no
resistance.

The fleet put into Boston the latter part of July, and the
commissioners applied to both Massachusetts and Connecticut for aid in
their military expedition against the Dutch. But the Puritans of
Massachusetts found innumerable obstacles in the way of rendering any
assistance. They feared that the king of England, having reduced the
Dutch, would be induced to extend his arbitrary sway, both civil and
religious, over those colonists who were exiles from their native
land, simply that they might enjoy freedom to worship God.

Connecticut, however, hoped that the conquest of New Netherland might
annex the magnificent domain to their own region. Governor Winthrop,
of Hartford, manifested so much alacrity in the cause, that he was
invited to meet the British squadron, at the west end of Long Island,
to which point it would sail with the first fair wind.

Colonel Richard Nicholls was in command of the expedition. Three
commissioners were associated with him. They had received instructions
to visit the several New England colonies, and to require them, "to
join and assist vig