In December 1666 the Dutch Zeeland Province's Expedition under Captain Abraham Cruyssen, comprising; 3 warships and several smaller craft, landed In Surinam 300 "elite" soldiers, of whom 120 with 15 to 20 guns stayed to man a fortress. In October 1667 the Colony was pillaged by the British and It's settlers kidnapped and brought to Jamaica. In February 1669 Zeelandian supremacy was reestablished.

Since 1670 the territory was under the Dutch States-General suzerainty with the Zeeland Province serving as Administrator. An Indian revolt broke out during the late 1670's, as the 150 troops that had been sent by the Zeeland Admiralty were found to be useless the inhabitants, which included Jews, formed their own militias.

On June 6th, 1682 the Dutch West Indies Company bought the Colony from the States-General, but resold it during the following year to the Amsterdam Municipality and to one Cornelia van Sammelsdyk, who formed together the so-called "Octroied Company of Surinam", this title being changed in 1778 to "Directors and Regents of the Colony" (Diracteuren en Regeerders der Colonie]. Cornells van Sommeisdyk with 300 of his own troops, took possession of the Colony in late November 1684, both he and his deputy, Commander Verhoom, were killed on July 19th 1688 during the mutiny of their garrison, which then counted about 700 men. In May 1609 during an attack by the French upon the Colony about 250 soldiers with 231 settlers formed into 3 groups; 84 (Jews] under Captain Nassi, 69 under Captain Lucas Coudrie and 78 under Captain Swart.

During the French conquest of the Colony in June 1712, no troops enlisted so that the Jewish Contingent under Ishaq Pinto had to garrison the Fort. Because of raids upon settlements by escaped Negro slaves during the first 60 years of the 18th century military units of unspecified strengths and planter columns of David C. Nassi [in 1718 it consisted of; 11 Jews, 50 natives, and some negro slaves, in 1743 it comprised of; 27 Jews, 12 soldiers, 15 natives, 165 negroes and 60 canots (?) ], van Vheelen, Beinet, Visser, van Gieske, Metschler, Knoffel, van Daalen, Brouwer, Captain Rynsdorp and Captain-Lieutenant Moshe Naar, (in 1749] were being repeatedly formed. A mixed regiment of foot composed of men from different units of the Dutch Regular Army and commanded by Baron H.E. de Sporcke, Mayor-general of infantry, was sent to the Colony in 1750 by an Order of the Stadhouder.

In 1753 this contingent was replaced by one of 300 men, of whom 175 had to be maintained at the expense of the Colony's owners, while the remaining 175 at that of the settlers. In 1761 a planter column of 9 whites and 48 "good" negroes is mentioned as chasing escaped slaves. Through these continual raids a 500 strong Dutch Regular Army Force under Commandant Fourgeoud was sent, for a time, to the Colony in 1772, and from 1774 a cordon of small forts under Lieutenant-Colonel Frideriei was being built at the borders of the town. Also since 1772 a 700 strong Corps of Free Negroes was raised through purchase, at exorbitant prices, of the best slaves to be found in the Colony.

Colony Defence Forces comprised in 1788; 3 Battalions of Infantry of the Line (one of these was posted to the Paramaribo Fortress], 2 Artillery Companies, a Corps of Engineers, a Corps [or Company] of Chasseurs [light Infantry] and the aforementioned Corps of Free Negroes used as light Infantry, all of these distributed among different forts of the Colony, and II Planter Companies [one of these was composed from Jews of Portuguese origin], each with it's own Captain, 2 Lieutenants and one Ensign.

SOURCE;

ESSAI HISTORIQUE SUR LA COLONIE DE SURINAM, published by the Jewish Community of Surinam in 2 parts at Paramaribo in 1788 and reprinted [in a single volume I by S. Emmering of Amsterdam in 1968].

The illustration is by Mr.P. Smith, of Hull and is based on a wood-cut showing a Negro Jager of the period 1772-75, the cap is light pink with a black number on the front, the breeches are white.