XLIII. 1782. anticipating the fuccefs of the enemy in their ultimate CHA P. object, oppofition lavished cenfures on adminiftration for permitting Sir George Rodney to fail directly for the West Indies with a reinforcement of twelve fail of the line, when he fhould have been employed conjointly with Kempenfelt, in preventing the arrival of fupplies to the enemy. Minifters, however, wifely judged that the important object of gaining a decided preponderance in the West Indies by the junction of Rodney and Hood, was not to be endangered by the precarious pursuit of inferior advantage. Rodney 19th Feb. hoped by his early arrival at Barbadoes to have pre- arrival. vented the fall of St. Christopher's; but while failing for the relief of that island, met Sir Samuel Hood, who imparted the tidings of its furrender, and the retreat of de Graffe to Martinique. Rodney's AFTER long watching the motions of the French His purfui fleet, in order to prevent their junction with the 9th April. Spaniards, the British admirals fucceeded in bringing on a partial action off Guadaloupe; but, fuch was the ftate of the wind, that only the van of the British fleet was engaged, and the enemy was enabled to withdraw his fhips, and baffle all endeavours for renewing the conflict. Two of the French fhips, in confequence of this tranfient encounter, were obliged to feek fhelter in Guadaloupe, and after a vigorous, though for fome time hopeless pursuit, the British commanders had the good fortune to perceive another far to windward of the main force, repairing her damages. On this fhip they bore down, and the 11th April. exertions of de Graffe for her protection placed the two fquadrons in a fituation which feemed to preclude the poffibility of again avoiding the conflict. The night, which prevented an immediate engagement, was paffed in anxious preparation on either fide, and at half past seven in the morning, the action was 12th. begun. The two fleets met on oppofite tacks, and and glorious there being little wind, the British fhips ranged de Graffe. flowly along, and close under the lee of the enemy's FF 2 line, victory over 1782. CHA P. line, delivering a tremendous fire, which the French XLIII. received, and returned with the utmost firmness. At noon Sir George Rodney, in the Formidable, having passed the Ville de Paris, the count de Graffe's fhip, and her fecond, fo clofe as to be almost in contact, and having made a visible impreffion on them, by a quick and well-directed fire, ftood athwart the enemy's line, between the second and third fhips, aftern of the Ville de Paris, followed and nobly fupported by the Duke, Namur, and Canada; the reft of his divifion coming up in fucceffion. The Formidable wore round; and a fignal being made for the van divifion under admiral Drake to tack, the British fleet thus gained the wind, and ftood upon the fame tack with the enemy. By this bold manoeuvre the French line was broken, feparated, and thrown into confufion it decided the fate of the day, although it did not end the conflict. The rear of the British fleet being becalmed, did not for fome time get into action, and at laft was favoured only by a flight breeze. The French fhips being crouded with men, the carnage was prodigious: ftill, however, they fought with obftinate bravery. Count de Graffe with his own, and the other fhips in the centre, withstood till evening all the efforts of the various fhips that attacked him. At length captain Cornwallis of the Canada, a feventyfour gun fhip, having compelled the Hector of equal force to ftrike, left her to be taken poffeffion of by a frigate; and affailed the Ville de Paris, which in two hours he reduced almost to a wreck. Still de Graffe refused to furrender, till towards fun-fet, Sir Samuel Hood in the Barfleur, who had hitherto been becalmed, arriving, and pouring in a destructive fire, the French admiral in ten minutes yielded, after continuing his exertions till only three men were left unhurt on the upper deck, of whom himself was one. Befide the Ville de Paris, the Hector, Cæfar, and Glorieux of feventy-four guns, and Ardent of fixtyfour, were taken, and the Diadem, another seventy four XLIII. 1782. four was funk by a fingle broadfide from the For- CHA P. midable. Night terminated the engagement, when the British admiral collected his fleet, and took meafures for lecuring the prizes. Unfortunately the Cæfar blew up in the night, owing to the licentious conduct of the French feamen; and a lieutenant and fifty British failors, with about four hundred prifoners, perished. The Ville de Paris was freighted with thirty-fix chefts of money, deftined for the pay and fubfiftence of the troops in the defigned attack on Jamaica; and it feems to have been fingularly provi dential, that the whole train of artillery, with the battering cannon and travelling carriages meant for that expedition, were on board the captured vessels *. THE lofs of men fuftained by the Britifh fleet, in the actions of the ninth and twelfth of April, amounted only to two hundred and thirty-feven killed, and feven hundred and fixty wounded; while that of the French was computed at three thousand flain, and more than fix thousand wounded. The French fhips that efcaped were almoft reduced to wrecks. The British line confifted of thirty-fix, and the French line of thirtytwo fhips: but fix veffels of Hood's divifion, from the fcantinefs of the wind, never could be brought into the general action. 1 FOUR of the fhips which escaped took refuge in the Dutch ifland of Curaçoa; but the remainder under Bougainville and Vaudreuil fteered for Cape François. Sir Samuel Hood afterward captured the Jafon and 19th April. the Caton of feventy-four guns, and two frigates, in the Mona paffage, between Hifpaniola and Porto Rico. Rodney, after an unfuccefsful fearch for the fugitive enemy, repaired to Jamaica, where he was hailed with the exultation and gratitude due to a deliverer. * The Ville de Paris was the largest ship in the French king's fervice; the was a prefent from the city of Paris to Louis XV; and no expence was fpared to render the gift worthy both of the city and the monarch. Her building and fitting for fea are faid to have coft a hundred and feventy-fix thousand pounda Sterling. СНАР. 1782. His recal. INTELLIGENCE of this important victory was received XLIII. in England with the utmost transport, and diminished the popularity of the new adminiftration. The public recollected with indignation their late invectives against the skill and courage of Rodney, and heard with deep diffatisfaction, that an order was already iffued for fuperfeding him, and placing in his ftead admiral Pigott., LORD KEPPEL moved in the house of lords three refolutions, thanking the commander in chief, Sir Samuel Hood, admiral Drake, commodore Affleck, Sir Charles Douglas, and the other officers and commanders of the fleet; and approving the conduct of the feamen, marines, and troops. An altercation arofe, not from oppofition to the motion, for in that all concurred, but from the eager defire of the late administration, to extort from their fucceffors higher encomiums and greater honours than they were willing to bestow. Rodney's victory was extolled above that of lord Hawke; the report of an intended peerage was confidered not fufficiently explicit; his fervices would be inadequately rewarded with a rank inferior to that of viscount or earl; and the ministry were reproached for his intended recal. On each of these points many fharp retorts were ufed on both fides; and lord Keppel evaded an avowal of the intention to remove the popular commander, by ftating that no evidence of the fact exifted; it was a vague report, and therefore improperly introduced in debate. IN the house of commons, Mr. Fox moved thanks to Sir George Rodney alone, but, on the fuggeftion of lord North, added the flag officers, acknowledging, with frank politenefs, his obligation to the ex-minifter for the correction, and for his moderation in leaving the amendment to the fervants of the crown. In anfwer to a question from Mr. Rolle, he avowed, without hesitation or circumlocution, that Rodney was fuperfeded. Mr. Rolle founded on this avowal two motions, affirming and cenfuring the change of the commanders, 1782. commanders. Mr. Fox faid, the refolution to recal CHA P. the admiral had been adopted before the intelligence XLIII, of the late glorious victory arrived; his conduct at St. Euftatia had excited prejudices, and made the planters his enemies; but his newly-acquired glory was fufficient to balance his former demerits, and he was willing to bury in oblivion all inquiries, unless provoked by the intemperate zeal of the admiral's friends. Mr. Burke adopted the fame fentiments, obferving, that if there was a bald fpot on the head of Rodney, he had no objection to cover it with laurels. These applaufes, mixed with threats, occafioned fevere animadverfions in the house, and were warmly refented by the public. Mr. Rolle's first motion was, however, evaded by the previous question, and his fecond withdrawn. A monument was voted 23d May. in commemoration of captains Bayne, Blair, and lord Robert Manners, who were flain in the late actions. Sir George Rodney obtained a penfion, and was created a baron of Great Britain; Sir Samuel Hood received the fame rank in the Irish peerage; and admiral Drake and commodore Affleck were made baronets. MEANWHILE the negotiation for peace proceeded May. with difcouraging tardiness. The French availed Slow pro grefs of themselves of the franknefs of the British adminiftra- negotiation. tion to injure their characters. Prince Kaunitz spoke with haughty indignation of the contempt fhewn to the mediating powers by commencing a direct negotiation; derided the British cabinet for begging peace at every door; refufed to admit that France was equally blameable for accepting as England for making fuch overtures, and expreffed no fatisfaction at the late glorious victory. IF jealoufy of the naval power of Great Britain oc- 4th June, cafioned this indifference, the ministry employed the most effectual means to remove it, by a prompt declaration that the event made no alteration in their defire for peace, or in the terms proposed as a basis. France. FF 4 |