Editing Fourth Anglo-Dutch War (section)

====West Indies====
[[File:Île de Saint Eustache en 1781 (haute résolution).jpg|thumb|240px|left|The capture of [[St Eustatius]] by the British fleet in February 1781. The island is sacked by the British.]]
[[File:Prise de Saint Eustache par les troupes de Bouille sept 1781.jpg|thumb|240px|left|The same year, the island is issued by a French landing troops.]]

As far as the Dutch were concerned, the war in the [[West Indies]] was over almost before it had begun. Admiral [[George Brydges Rodney, 1st Baron Rodney|Rodney]], the commander of the [[Leeward Islands]] station of the Royal Navy, attacked the Dutch colonies in that part of the [[Caribbean]]: St. Eustatius, [[Saba (island)|Saba]], and [[Sint Maarten|Saint Martin]], as soon as he had received word of the declaration of war, in the process surprising a number of Dutch naval and merchant ships, which were still unaware of the start of hostilities. St. Eustatius ([[Capture of Sint Eustatius|captured on 3 February 1781]]), that had played such a large role in the supply of the American rebels with arms, was completely devastated by him. He proved himself especially vengeful against the Jewish merchants on the island.<ref>{{Harvnb|Edler|2001|p=184}}</ref> All goods on the island were confiscated and all merchants, Dutch, American, French, even British, deported. Part of the loot was auctioned off on the spot, but an appreciable amount was put on a convoy destined for Britain. However, much of the convoy was captured in the English Channel by a French squadron under Admiral [[Toussaint-Guillaume Picquet de la Motte|Picquet de la Motte]]. The French did not return the goods to the Dutch, however.<ref>{{Harvnb|Dirks|1871|p=293}}</ref>

Though an attempt was made to likewise capture the Dutch [[Leeward Antilles]], these remained in Dutch hands, as did [[Suriname]], though neighbouring [[Berbice]], [[Demerara]], and [[Essequibo (colony)|Essequibo]] were rapidly taken by the British early in 1781.<ref>{{Harvnb|Edler|2001|p=185}}</ref>  These were retaken by the French captain [[Armand de Kersaint]] in 1782, and restored to the Dutch after the war.