Dutch ship of the line Mars in fight with British ship of the line Monarch on 4 February 1781

Wallpaper Noorder Scheepvaart Museum, Groningen, Netherlands

On 4 February 1781 was the Dutch ship of the line Mars commanded by captain Count van Bijland flagship of rear admiral Willem Krul attacked by the British ships of the line HMS Monarch and Panther and the frigate Sybil and after a fierce fight captured by the British. Afterwards she was commissioned in the Royal British Navy as the HMS Mars. The Dutch Mars left the island St. Eustatius escorting a convoy.

Built by L. van Zwijndrecht at the navy yard at Rotterdam, Netherlands in 1763, of the Admiralty of Rotterdam, dimensions 160 x 44 x 19 feet, an armament of 60 guns and a crew numbering 418 men. 

Dutch warships Zr. Ms. Cornelis Dirks, Leeuwarden and Prinses Maria in the West Indies according to the Dutch newspaper Vlissingse Courant dated 28 February 1875

An item reported that the Dutch division commanded by captain jhr. J.H. van Capellen arrived on 11th January 1875 at Martinique, departing day later to Guadeloupe, from there to St. Eustatius and St. Martin, visiting on the 21st St. Thomas with the intention to depart on the 24th towards Curaçao. The division consisted of the screw steamships Zr. Ms. Leeuwarden (1), flagship, Zr. Ms. Cornelis Dirks (2) captain lieutenant J.B.A. de Josselin de Jongh and Zr. Ms. Prinses Maria (3) captain lieutenant H. van Goens.

Notes
1. Screw steamship 1st class, call sign GQMN, on stocks at the navy yard at Vlissingen, Netherlands, Netherlands on 6 December 1859, launched on Saturday 13.30 o’clock 19 October 1861, condemned  1886, decommissioned on 20 September 1885 and sold at Surabaya, Dutch East Indies for ƒ 26.050 on 23 January 1886, dimensions 58,00-62,84 (over all) x 12,25 x 5,50 metres, 2.030 tons displacement, an armament of 10 guns (10 rifled 16cm guns, 1881: 6-12cm guns, 4 rifled 16cm guns), a crew numbering 212-225 men, 8,5 knots speed and 250 hp horsepower.
2. Screw steamship 3rd class, call sign GQFS, on stocks at the shipyard of K. Smit jr, Krimpen aan de Lek, Netherlands 1 May 1858, launched 11 January 1859, docked at the navy yard at Hellevoetsluis, Netherlands 23-26 July 1859, 23-27 August 1860, 23 October-8 November 1862, 30 October-4 November 1863, 17 July 1868-7 March 1871, 5-14 June 1872, 11-14 June 1873, 17-19 June 1874, 20-30 October 1874, condemned for service abroad in October 1880, stricken 1881, dimensions 43,00 x 9,20 x 4,30 metres, 759 tons displacement, 6 guns, 100 men, 119nph/250epk horsepower and a speed of 7 knots.
3. Screw steamship 3rd class, call sign GQRN, on stocks at the navy yard at Willemsoord, Netherlands on 17 June 1858, launched on 19 November 1862, commissioned on 1 April 1864, docked at the navy yard at Hellevoetsluis, Netherlands 7-21 April 1865, 1-14 August 1867, 28 January-19 March 1868, 27 August-1 September 1869, 10-21 July 1871, 12 March-3 May 1872 and 2-9 September 1874, condemned 1880 and sold, building costs ƒ 349.018,72

Dutch corvette Zr.Ms. Eendracht departed Wilelmstad, Curacao towards the islands Sint Maarten and Sint Eustatius according to the Dutch newspaper De Curacaosche courant dated 21 January 1826

An item reported the departure on the morning of the 20th of the Dutch corvette Zr.Ms. Eendragt captain lieutenant Schröder towards St. Martyn [Sint Maarten, Dutch West Indies] and St. Eustatius [Dutch West Indies] together with the Dutch merchant ship Anna Mara captain Rensis bound for Surinam. The corvette escorted the Anna Maria part of her voyage.(1)

Note
1. Eendracht of Eendragt, Ex-Bellona, ex-La Nyade, corvette, on stocks at the navy yard at Amsterdam, Netherlands December 1811, handed over by Treaty to the Netherlands 1814, launched April 1814, coppered 1814, serving in the Dutch West Indies 1824-1826, public auction at Willemsoord, Netherlands on Tuesday 15 September 1840, dimensions 120½ x 30 x 15½ feet with an armament of 20 guns.

French refusing delivery warships to Americans in 1799

In the Dutch magazine De Maandelykse Nederlandsche Mercurius, published by Bernardus Mourik at Amsterdam 1781 is a letter printed dated 1 March 1780, written by Henry Laurens at Amsterdam. The letter was part of articles dealing with a possible treaty of friendship and commerce to be signed between the Dutch Republic and the Americans. In an earlier letter dated 13 December 1799, written by J.G. Dircks to Witherspoon, the former referred to worthy friends of the American cause as Jan de Neufville en Zoon, merchants at Amsterdam and Baron Van der Capellen.

The letter written by Laurens to his Excellence (John Witherspoon?) is quite interesting as dealing with the naval affairs of the United States. In his earlier letter dated 31 December 1799, not printed in above mentioned magazine, Laurens wrote that due to the facts that a certain Mr. Izard didn't leave for his voyage and the ice prevented ships departing to sea, he wasn't able to inform his Excellence earlier about the latest developments. With his letter he enclosed a copy of the correspondence between Mr. Chamont and an anonymous second gentlemen. The subject of the enclosure was the new building of two ships (in France), but which made clear that the intention was never to sell him (Laurens) those ships. Mr. Franklin never answered Laurens, so he thought that the arrival of Adams at Paris was a good opportunity to give the subject new attention. He wrote letters to Adams, Izard and A. Lee. H was hoping that they would persuade the secretaries of state Sartine and Vergennes, to deliver the 10 warships, offering to pay the first costs or accept the ships after a valuation by 4 independent men. Laurens was allowed by high Dutch 'officials' to fit out the ships as if they were Dutch property and destined for St. Eustatius (Lesser Antilles), or as American property! However, he got bad news from the above mentioned gentlemen. Disappointed he wrote to his Excellency that he hadn't any hope to bring two of the most beautiful warships of the world with a keel length of 186' and armed with 28-36 pdr. Above all the gentlemen expected that even if the delivery were allowed, Laurens just would meet more problems. In French harbours were several suitable French ships available, but Laurens decided to stop further actions considered the French opposition to his actions. He spent a the money while buying nails, bolts, canvas, anchors, medicines, in fact all the stores needed to fitted out 3 frigates, except canons, power and so on. He expected to be able to buy half of the important stores and twice the needed smaller stores. When there was any money left, he intended to buy shoes, hats, stockings, sheets and linen-trade for your soldiers. As soon as possible he would send the stores with ships to Sint Eustatius. It was perhaps necessary to assure the stores destined for large ships like anchors, in case the British seized them. Two merchants at Amsterdam, Nicolaas and Jacob van Staphorst, offered him a credit of 3 million (perhaps he could extort a higher credit, he wrote!). Together with the loan from Mr. Streikeiser and the money from his Excellency it would become possible to become a 'good' navy as promised to the 'State'. He hoped that the 3 frigates would be built at Philadelphia, Boston or Portsmouth (New Hampshire). The French opposition convinced him that the French didn't want America to have a navy. Otherwise they would have sold the not used 10 ships. Ships they didn't needed while her navy was strong enough. Captain Yoyner had done all he could, without any success. As soon as possible he would return via Sint Eustatius to America, just like other officers intended to do. Laurens intended to follow him and asked his Excellency for more orders. He proposed to send 2 or 3 Continental frigates to Sint Eustatius to load the stores.