[Frederic Shonnard & W.W. Spooner (1900)] affecting the character of the English settlement as upon the desire to vindicate Dutch territorial rights. The director and council, by a resolution adopted March 6, 1656, declared that the English at Westchester were guilty of " encouraging and sheltering the fugi-tives from this province," and also of keeping up a constant corre-spondence with the savage enemies of the Dutch. On these grounds, and also to defend the rights of the Dutch against territorial usurpa-tions, an expedition, commanded by Captains De Koninck and New-ton and Attornev-General Van Tienhoven, was sent secretly to West-chester. On the 14th of March this party made its descent upon the village, and, finding the English drawn up under arms, prepared for resistance, overpowered them, and apprehended twenty-three of their number, some of whom were fugitives from New Amsterdam and the others bona fide English colonists. All the captives were con-veyed to Manhattan Island, where the Dutch runaways were con-fined in prison and the English settlers placed under civil arrest and lodged in the City Hall. The next day Attorney-General Van Tien-hoven formally presented his case against the prisoners.