When Stuyvesant was preparing to defend New Netherland from the English, he encountered another great annoyance.  It will be remembered that the Swedish government claimed the territory on the South, or Delaware river, upon which the Dutch governor had erected Fort Casimir.  Gerrit Bikker was in command of the fort, with a garrison of twelve men.  On the morning of the first of June, 1654, a strange sail was seen in the offing.  A small party was sent out in a boat, to reconnoitre.  They returned with the tidings that it was a Swedish ship full of people, with a new governor; and that they had come to take possession of the place, affirming that the fort was on land belonging to the Swedish government.

Bikker with his small garrison, and almost destitute of ammunition, could make no resistance.  Twenty or thirty soldiers landed from the Swedish ship, entered the open gate of the fort and took possession of the place.  John Rising the commander of the ship, stated that he was obeying the orders of his government; that the territory belonged to Sweden, and that neither the States-General of the Netherlands nor the West India Company had authorized Governor Stuyvesant to erect a fort upon that spot.

The garrison was disarmed, two shotted guns were fired over the works in token of their capture, and the name of the fort was changed to Trinity, as it was on Trinity Sunday that the fort was taken.  A skilful engineer immediately employed many hands in strengthening the ramparts.  The region was called New Sweden, and John Rising assumed his office as governor.  Courteously he sent word to Governor Stuyvesant of his arrival and of his capture of the forts.  He also summoned the chiefs of the neighboring tribes and entered into a treaty of friendship with them.  Within a month he announced to the home government that the population of New Sweden had risen to three hundred and sixty-eight.  “I hope,” he added,

“we may be able to preserve them in order and in duty, and to constrain them if necessary.  I will do in this respect, all that depends upon me.  We will also endeavor to shut up the river.”

Governor Stuyvesant was very indignant, in view of what he deemed the pusillanimous conduct of Bikker in “this dishonorable surrender of the fort.”  It was in vain for him to attempt its recovery.  But with an eagle eye and an agitated mind he watched for an opportunity to retaliate.

About the middle of September, a Swedish ship, the Golden Shark, bound for the Delaware river, under command of Captain Elswyck, entered Sandy Hook and anchored behind Staten Island.  The captain had made a mistake and supposed that he had entered the mouth of South river.  Discovering his error, he sent a boat up to Manhattan for a pilot.