▁the ▁English ▁and ▁French ▁during ▁the ▁Ang lo - Span ish ▁War ▁( 1 6 2 5 – 3 0 ). ▁ ▁Background ▁By ▁the ▁year ▁ 1 6 2 9 , ▁the ▁col ony ▁had ▁grown ▁sufficiently ▁to ▁be ▁regarded ▁as ▁a ▁threat ▁to ▁the ▁Spanish ▁West ▁Ind ies . ▁English ▁sett lers ▁had ▁been ▁rec ru ited ▁to ▁the ▁number ▁of ▁nearly ▁ 3 , 0 0 0 , ▁and ▁guns ▁and ▁am mun ition ▁had ▁been ▁sent ▁over . ▁Or ders ▁were ▁given ▁to ▁the ▁commander ▁of ▁the ▁out ward ▁bound ▁Spanish ▁fleet ▁Arm ada ▁de ▁S ot av ento ▁to ▁Mexico ▁to ▁clear ▁out ▁the ▁heavily ▁armed ▁English ▁and ▁French ▁colon ies . ▁ ▁Ra id ▁The ▁Spanish ▁expedition , ▁under ▁the ▁command ▁of ▁Admir al ▁F ad rique ▁Ál vare z ▁de ▁To led o ▁Os orio , ▁dropped ▁anchor ▁at ▁Ne vis ▁Island ▁and ▁captured ▁and ▁destroyed ▁several ▁English ▁ships ▁anch ored ▁there . ▁Spanish ▁soldiers ▁were ▁then ▁sent ▁ash ore ▁to ▁destroy ▁the ▁few ▁newly ▁built ▁structures ▁and ▁capture ▁the ▁sett lers . ▁ ▁When ▁Ne vis ▁was ▁seized ▁by ▁the ▁Spanish ▁forces , ▁the ▁plan ters ▁were ▁desert ed ▁by ▁their ▁servants , ▁who ▁sw am ▁out ▁to ▁the ▁Spanish ▁ships ▁to ▁c ries ▁of ▁" L iber ty , ▁joy full ▁Liber ty ," ▁prefer ring ▁collaboration ▁with ▁the ▁Spanish ▁than ▁to ▁the ▁sub jection ▁of ▁ty ran n ical ▁English ▁master s . ▁ ▁On ▁ 7 ▁September ▁ 1 6 2 9