After the Dutch fleet of 21 ships (including
prizes) arrived on the
roadstead of Staten Island, a number of small boats with Dutch colonists aboard soon approached Evertsen's flagship
Swaenenburgh. They brought him the latest news about the situation in New York, confirming the intelligence the Dutch commanders had previously received about the absence of governor Lovelace and the unreadiness of
Fort James. The fort was commanded by captain John Manning. It had a garrison of about 100 men, and it would take them around four days to rally an additional 300–400 men to defend it. The Dutch were now convinced that they could recapture it. A
council of war was held on how to attack it and when. The Dutch colonists were afraid that the rest of the Dutch population were neutral and would not support them. So the Council decided to draft a proclamation to the inhabitants of New York to assure them that they would be unharmed if they agreed to submit again to the
States General of the Netherlands This proclamation was issued in the evening of 8 August 1673 (N.S.). Meanwhile the Dutch ships had been discovered by the English and a strong guard was set at the fort and beacons were fired to warn those who still did not know. On the morning of 9 August (N.S.), everyone was prepared, and rumours were rampant. All of the soldiers were hoping for reinforcements from governor Lovelace. The Dutch fleet waited patiently for the flood. A force of 600
marines and sailors were selected for the assault on
Manhattan Island. But first the commanders sent a demand for surrender to Fort James. Captain Manning then sent three
parlimentaires, one, Thomas Lovelace, a brother of governor Lovelace, the other two by the names of John Carr and John Sharpe, to the
Swaenenburgh. When the English parlimentaires demanded to see his commission. Evertsen huffily replied that "his commission stuck in the muzzle of his guns, which they would soon discover if they did not surrender forthwith". Meanwhile the wind had risen and was blowing landward so the Dutch ships weighed anchor and sailed toward the fort, where they again anchored in the
Hudson River, under the ramparts of the fort, but outside the range of its guns. There was another exchange of messages with Manning by way of parlimentaire. It became clear that Manning was stalling, so the Dutch decided to break off the negotiations. They opened up on the fort with their ship's artillery, which fire was answered by the fort. The Dutch landing force was then sent ashore under the command of marine captain
Anthony Colve somewhat north of the town, where
Broadway Street (formerly Heerenstraat) began. The Dutch troops marched down that street toward the fort on the tip of the island while the Dutch colonists cheered them on, and several joined them. When they arrived before the fort captain Manning ran up a white flag and asked for honorable terms to surrender. He was granted the
honors of war. The English troops consequently marched out of the gate, flags flying and drums beating, and laid down their arms in front of the fort. The Dutch troops then entered the fort and locked up the rank and file English soldiers in the
Dutch Reformed Church within the fort; the English officers were left in possession of their own quarters. The next day all prisoners of war were transferred to the Dutch ships, as was governor Lovelace, after he asked for a
safe conduct to negotiate with the Dutch commanders. ==Aftermath==