I, Captain Richard Munden, who in the first days of January, sailed from England with a squadron to meet the homecoming fleet off James Valley and convoy it home, had the good fortune to fall in with a sloop carrying Governor Beale and learned from him that the Dutch were in posession of St. Helena, he, himself, having fled on the Humphery and Elizabeth which was lying in the harbour, and on reaching Brazil had hired a sloop for the purpose of cruising to windward of the island and warniing all English ships of their danger.
The English Company, well posted in the doings and reputed intentions of their Dutch rivals, had improved the sound defensive fortifications which Dutton, on his first arrival, built at James Valley, and in several other places where an enemy might attempt to come ashore, and two small forts, one square, and one triangular, the latter armed by eleven cannons now guarded the the anchorage at Jamestown The Dutch who, largely on the recommendation of van Riebeck, and his belittlement of our isle, permanently colonized the Cape, soon saw their mistake. The harbour at Table Bay, not always a safe one, and many homecoming Dutch East Indiamen being blown right past it, they searched the South Atlantic for a safer and more suitable base and finding none, began seriously to consider seizing St. Helena.
For two days they made unavailing attempts to land at James Valley or elsewhere until a traitor named Coxe, who was waiting for them, guided a party, said to have numbered five or six hundred men, up a steep valley to reach High Peak where they came upon a detachment, who being outnumbered, lost the short skirmish. The Dutch continued their march, without further opposition, until they reached Ladder Hill, overlooking Jamestown, and a party descended to storm the fort. The fort they renamed ‘’Good Fortune’’ and a misnomer this proved to be for misfortune was soon to follow.
News travelled slowly, and the returning Dutch East India fleet, many of her crew sick and nine of them dead, after two months at sea, sighting the towering Barn at the northerly point of the island, and anticipating the blessings of their new possession, was amazed to be met by a heavy cannonade for, on the same night as my meeting with Governor Beale, we immediately made plans for the re-taking of it. The fire-ship Castle, with 400 soldiers on board, under Captain Richard Keigwin, was sent to Prosperous Bay, on the other side of the island and along with them went Black Oliver, who intimately knew the terrain, My plan was to engage the fort from the sea, while Keigwin landed his troops and surprised the fort from the rear.
Prosperous Bay, as seen from the sea, appears to be unclimbable and though it is possible to land from a boat, on a calm day, the coast is precipitous. A sailor named Tom succeeded in climbing the cliff, nearly a thousand foot high. And on reaching the top, let down a ball of twine to which those waiting below tied a strong rope. This Tom pulled up, and made secure to a rock, and the soldiers climbed up, one by one. Thus, these places will henceforth be known as “Holdfast Tom” and “Keigwin’s Point” in the honour of a two brave seamen. In single file, along a perilous goat track, on through Longwood until they came to a farm house, The Hutts, where they breakfasted. and eventually to the summit of Ruperts Hill overlooking James Valley and the fort, but arrived too late to be of actual assistance - the Dutch having already capitulated.
The previous day I bombarded the fort and breastworks, then withdrew my squadron intending to resume the attack in the morning. While waiting, we sent in two of our ships, on whose approach the Dutch surrendered. Thus at sunset the English took possession of James Fort and a trumpeter was sent to inform Keigwin so preventing unnecessary damage to property or injury to inhabitants. The good fortune I had recently enjoyed did not desert me, for within a few days a ship flying the Dutch colours came in sight. We gave chase and captured her and found among her passengers none less than the new Dutch governor, who arrived at St. Helena a prisoner of war instead of with honours.
