Expedition to West Africa (1664-1665)
This article relies largely or entirely on a single source. (July 2023) |
Expedition to West Africa (1664-1665) | |||||||
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Part of the Second Anglo-Dutch War | |||||||
Michiel de Ruyter hugging his (probably mythical) old friend Jan Kompany, by Johannes Hinderikus Egenberger | |||||||
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Belligerents | |||||||
Dutch Republic | |||||||
Commanders and leaders | |||||||
Michiel de Ruyter |
Sir George Abercromby Francis Selwyn †[a] | ||||||
Strength | |||||||
12 Great number of natives helped conquering forts | various strong coastal defences and well guarded forts |
After England launched an expedition to conquer Dutch forts in Africa Michiel de Ruyter was sent to recapture them all, he succeeded and even captured extra English forts.
Background
The
Expedition
On
An attempt to send a
The fort was temporarily garrisoned by fifty men. The next day, around 200 or 300 canoes sent by Governor Valkenburg from Elmina, the primary Dutch stronghold in the area, appeared. Two WIC officers brought a letter from Valkenburg advising the destruction of Fort Tacorary. With each of the twelve ships contributing a keg of gunpowder, they blew up the fort under De Ruyter's supervision. Meanwhile, the black auxiliary troops wreaked havoc on the tribes that had collaborated with the English. When the English prisoners were brought back to the ships, they had to be vigorously defended against the vengeful actions of the auxiliary troops. The fleet then set course for Elmina, the most crucial WIC establishment in West Africa, arriving on January 7, 1665, at the harbor of the trading settlement.[5] De Ruyter received information about an approaching English fleet under Prince Rupert, and the States-General's preparation of a fleet under Commander Jan van Campen. De Ruyter was ordered to capture or destroy English ships. The letters were dated October 21, 1664, taking ten weeks to reach him. Two seized ships, Victoria and St. Martha, were immediately converted into Dutch fire ships. The question arose: who would arrive first, Jan van Campen or Prince Rupert?
Governor Valkenburg suggested attacking Cormantijn,[c] a strong English fort and negotiated with the Fanti tribe to make them allies. A landing force of one thousand men, led by Count Jan van Hoorne and Captains Sweers, 't Hoen, Jan van Nes, and Swart, along with twelve hundred pro-Dutch natives, was formed. The attack began on February 6, with a fierce battle leading to victory for the Dutch.
Cormantijn was taken, and the pro-English blacks were attacked by the arriving Fantijn tribe. The English panicked and sought protection from the Dutch against the furious locals. Jan Kabesse, the pro-English leader, attempted to blow up the fort but was unsuccessful. The governor killed himself to avoid capture. The plundering, permitted by De Ruyter, followed. The Dutch discovered various valuables, including gold rings, during the looting.[6]
Aftermath
After the plundering, the crew indulged in drinking, as the English fort had an ample supply of Spanish wines, brandies, beers, and other spirits. Containing the rowdiness proved to be a challenge, but De Ruyter's strong personality quickly restored order when he personally went ashore. By February 11, everything was back to normal. De Ruyter left 52 crew members, 10 WIC personnel, and 10 blacks at Cormantijn, with plans for WIC personnel to replace the ship's crew soon.
The fleet sailed back to Elmina, bypassing the small Fort Asjan, located between Mauree and Cormantijn, assuming it would collapse being enclosed between Dutch forts. On February 12, the fleet anchored at Elmina.
New orders arrived on
Notes
- ^ He killed himself to avoid capture
- ^ Initially, the plan was to assemble a special fleet and send it to West Africa. However, this would have taken considerable time, so it was decided to redirect De Ruyter and his fleet from the Mediterranean Sea to Cape Verde and the Guinea coast instead.
- ^ While on the way there they captured multiple other English forts and trading posts as well
References
- ^ Barreveld, Dirk J. "DE REIS VAN DE RUYTER NAAR WEST AFRIKA EN DE WEST 1664-1665" (PDF) (in Dutch). Stichting Michiel de Ruyter. p. 2.
- ^ Barreveld, Dirk J. "DE REIS VAN DE RUYTER NAAR WEST AFRIKA EN DE WEST 1664-1665" (PDF) (in Dutch). Stichting Michiel de Ruyter. p. 3.
- ^ Barreveld, Dirk J. "DE REIS VAN DE RUYTER NAAR WEST AFRIKA EN DE WEST 1664-1665" (PDF) (in Dutch). Stichting Michiel de Ruyter. p. 5.
- ^ Barreveld, Dirk J. "DE REIS VAN DE RUYTER NAAR WEST AFRIKA EN DE WEST 1664-1665" (PDF) (in Dutch). Stichting Michiel de Ruyter. pp. 6–7.
- ^ Barreveld, Dirk J. "DE REIS VAN DE RUYTER NAAR WEST AFRIKA EN DE WEST 1664-1665" (PDF) (in Dutch). Stichting Michiel de Ruyter. p. 8.
- ^ Barreveld, Dirk J. "DE REIS VAN DE RUYTER NAAR WEST AFRIKA EN DE WEST 1664-1665" (PDF) (in Dutch). Stichting Michiel de Ruyter. pp. 9–10.
- ^ Barreveld, Dirk J. "DE REIS VAN DE RUYTER NAAR WEST AFRIKA EN DE WEST 1664-1665" (PDF) (in Dutch). Stichting Michiel de Ruyter. p. 11.