A party of soldiers was sent to escort the express a few miles down the river banks.  As these soldiers were returning, they fell into an ambuscade of the Indians, and thirteen of them were taken prisoners.  War, horrible war, was now declared.  The war-whoop resounded around the stockade at Esopus from five hundred savage throats.  Every house, barn and corn-stack within their reach was burned.  Cattle and horses were killed.  The fort was so closely invested day and night that not a colonist could step outside of the stockade.  The Indians, foiled in all their attempts to set fire to the fortress, and burnt ten of their prisoners at the stake.  For three weeks this fierce warfare continued without interruption.

When the tidings of this new war, caused by so dastardly an outrage, reached Manhattan, it created a terrible panic.  It could not be doubted that all the Indians would sympathize with their outraged brethren.  The farmers, apprehending immediate attack, fled from all directions, with their families, to the fort, abandoning their homes, grain and cattle.  Even many villages on Long Island were utterly deserted.

The administrative energies of Governor Stuyvesant were remarkably developed on this occasion.  In the following terms, Mr. O’Callaghan, in his admirable history of New Netherland, describes the difficulties he encountered and his mode of surmounting them: 

“Governor Stuyvesant, though laboring under severe indisposition, visited in person all the adjoining villages, encouraging the well-disposed, stimulating the timid and urging the farmers everywhere to fortify and defend their villages.  He summoned next the burgomasters, schepens,[10] and officers of the militia of New Amsterdam, and laid before them the distressing situation of Esopus.  They proposed to enlist by beat of drum, a sufficient number of men, and to encourage volunteers by resolving that whatever savages might be captured should be declared ‘good prizes.’

“Stuyvesant, however, was opposed to this mode of proceeding.  It would cause, in his opinion, too great a delay, as those at Esopus were already besieged some nine or ten days.  He was left, notwithstanding, in a minority.  Two more days were thus irretrievably lost; for at the end of that time only six or eight had enlisted, ’such a terrible horror had overpowered the citizens.’

“Captain Newton and Lieutenant Stillwell were now dispatched to all the English and Dutch villages, and letters were addressed to fort Orange and Rensselaerswyck, ordering out the Company’s servants, calling for volunteers and authorizing the raising of a troop of mounted rangers.  The half-dozen servants in fort Amsterdam, every person belonging to the artillery, all the clerks in the public offices, four of the Director-General’s servants, three of the hands belonging to his brewery and five or six new comers, were put under requisition.”