The Swedish Governor, Hans Henrik Anckarheim, sounded the alarm, and assembled a force of 53 men, taken from Gustavia, the countryside, and the island's garrison.

A Swedish council of war consisting of some officials and leading citizens of Gustavia agreed unanimously that the island should be surrendered, since it had no chance of resisting the British.

[2] Since the carriages holding the cannons were rotting, the 18 soldiers taken from the garrison were sick, along with widespread discontent and a lack of loyalists on the island, the Governor was compelled to surrender, as he hoped it would spare the population.

[3] On 21 March, the island formally surrendered to Lieutenant General Frigge and Rear-Admiral Dackworth, the commander of the English fleet.

All the Swedes on the island were forced to swear allegiance to the king of England but were not required to fight Sweden in any future wars.