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prize, or of overwhelming the British force by their great fuperiority. The good difpofition of the troops made by Gen. Vaughan, and of the fhips by Rear Admiral Parker, however, fruftrated their defign in both reípects.

This vifit was foon returned by Sir George Rodney, who with 20 fhips of the line, and the Centurion of 50 guns, for two days infulted M. de Guichen in Fort Royal harbour in Martinique, going fo close at times, as to be able to count all the enemy's guns, and being even within random fhot of their batteries. Nothing being able, notwithstanding his fupe riority, to draw the French commander out to an engagement, the British Admiral found it neceffary to depart with the bulk of the fleet to Grofs Inlet Bay in St. Lucia, leaving a fquadron of copper bottomed thips to watch the motions of the enemy, and to give him the earliest poffible notice of their attempting to fail.

quire the moft watchful attention on the other to prevent disadvantage. The French fleet were confiderably fuperior in force; amounting to 23 fail of the line, and a 50 gun fhip. The English fleet, as before, confifted of 20 of the line, and the Centurion. The

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was led by Rear Admiral Hyde Parker; the center, by the commander in chief; and the rear divifion, by Rear Admiral Rowley.

A little before one April 17th. o'clock, the French were brought to action by fome of the headmoft fhips; and about that hour, Sir G. Rodney, in the Sand wich of 90 guns, commenced the action in the center. After beating three French fhips out of the line, the Sandwich was at length encountered alone, by M. de Guichen, in the Couronne of the fame force, and fupported by his two feconds, the Fendant and Triumphant. It feems little less than wonderful, that the Sandwich not only fuftained this unequal combat for an hour and half, but at length obliged the French commander, with his two feconds, to bear away, whereby their line of battle was totally broken in the center. This happened at a quarter past four o'clock, when the enemy feemed to be completely beaten. great diftance of the British van and rear from the center, with the crippled condition of several of the fhips, and the particularly dangerous ftate of the Sandwich, which, for the fucceeding 24 hours, was with On the fucceeding morning, a difficulty kept above water, rendervery extraordinary degree of killed it impoffible to make the victory and judgment in feamanship feems to have been difplayed on both fides; the evolutions on each being fo rapid and various, as to re

Things hung in this ftate until the middle of April, when the French fleet put to fea in the night, and were fo fpeedily purfued by Sir George Rodney, that he came in fight of them on the following day. A general chace took place; and all the manœuvres of the enemy during the night, clearly indicating their full intention of avoiding an engagement, their motions were counteracted with great ability by the British commander.

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complete by an immediate purfait.

The circumstances of this action were never well explained or understood. The public letter

from the commander in chief, which was published in the Gazette, teems with implied cenfure against his officers in general, without the smallest praife or approbation of any one, excepting the captain of a frigate. It was faid, that his fignals were treated with contempt and difobeyed; and he feems himself to convey a charge against some, of not engaging clotely. It is certain, that a few of the thips fuffered none, or very little lofs; whilft feveral others were great fufferers. If we recollect rightly, one captain was broke, or at deaft put under arreft, and his thip given to another officer; nor are we fure, that more than one court martial was not held. On the other hand, Sir George Rodney paffes high encomiums on the French admiral, and is not more sparing in his commen. dations of the gallantry of his officers.

The affair feemed fo dark and myfterious at home, that it brought out a motion in the House of Peers on the 3d of the following June, from Lord St. John (whofe brother or near relation had been killed, gallantly fighting in the action) for papers, tending to an enquiry into the fubject. Upon that occafion, a noble military earl, read a letter in his place, which he faid he had received from an officer who was present in the action, and who flood high in point of character and honour. In that letter, it was faid, that the fpirit of a certain vice admiral (whofe name and conduct have fo long been objects of public difcuffion) had gone forth, and infected the British fleet; and that

the fervice felt all the evils ariting from thofe diffenfions which were fown by our great men at home. It held out, befides other matter, that the fhips were foul, and out of repair; that there was a great fcarcity of all kinds of naval ftores; and that the commander in chief was not only much diffatisfied with the conduct and failure in duty of feveral of his officers, but likewife with those who had deceived him, relative to the ftate and condition of the fquadron which he commanded. The noble reader, in his comments on the letter, faid, that the caufes of this public misfortune had originated at home; that befides the bad condition of the fhips, officers were put into command, more from their political attachments or principles, than from their reputation or service; and that faction had accordingly fpread itself through, and divided the whole fleet. As the firft Lord of the Admiralty declared himself equally in the dark with every other peer prefent, as to the particular tranfactions of the 17th of April, which were now the objets of enquiry, and affured the houfe, that he had not, by private communication or otherwise, received any explanation of the public Gazette letter, the motion was easily overruled upon a divifion, and the bufinefs continues in its original obfcurity.

The lofs in the British fleet, amounted to 120 killed, and to 353 wounded. Of thefe, it is remarkable, that the Hon. Capt. St. John of the Intrepid, and three of his lieutenants, were killed. Some other brave officers

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Such expedition was fed in ufed in repairing the damage done to the fhips, and the purfuit was renewed and continued with fo much fpirit, that on the 20th they again got fight of the enemy, and chaced them for three fucceflive

days without intermiflion. The object of the French commander, befides that of using all poffible means to avoid a fecond action, being to recover Fort Royal Bay, which he had fo lately quitted, but where only he could repair his fhattered fleet; and that of Sir George Rodney, befides the hope of bringing him again to action, to cut him off from that place of refuge and supply., M. de Guichen was obliged to give up his fecond object, and for the prefervation of his first, to take fhelter under Gaudaloupe. Nothing could afford a clearer acknowledgment of victory to 'the British commander; although unfortunately it was not attended with all those substantial advantages which were to be withed. Sir George Rodney returned to cruize off Fort Royal, hoping thereby to intercept that enemy whom he could

not overtake.

The enemy, however, not ap pearing, the admiral found it neceffary from the condition of the fleet, after feveral days cruize, and greatly alarming the island of Martinique, to put into Chocque Bay in St. Lucia, as well to land the fick and wounded, as to water and refit the fleet. Thefe purposes being fulfilled with great dispatch, and advice received of the motions of the enemy, he

again put to fea, and in four days had the fortune to gain fight of them, gain fight of them, May 10th. within a few leagues to windward. Both fleets continued in this state of wind and condition for several days; the French having it conftantly in their power to bring on an engagement, and, notwithftanding their fuperiority, as conftantly using effectual means for its prevention. Befides the fettled advantage of the wind, they foon perceived, that the cleannefs and condition of their fhips, afforded fuch a fuperiority in point of failing, that they feemed to grow playful with refpect to the British fleet; and accordingly used for feveral days to come down in a line of battle abreast, as if they meant seriously and di. rectly to hazard an engagement, until they were arrived within little more than random cannon fhot, when they fuddenly hauled their wind, and again departed out of all reach.

It is at all times bad jefting before an enemy; even fuppofing that enemy to be a much lefs determined and formidable foe than a British fleet. In the course of this manoeuvring, the bravade being encouraged by a fudden and matterly movement made by the British admiral for gaining the wind, and which was mistaken for a fymptom of flight, the whole French fleet were nearly entangled into that which of all things they moft wished to avoid. They were only faved from a clofe and general engagement by a critical fhift of wind; and even with that aid, and all the fails they could carry, were not able

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to preferve their rear entirely from conflict.

Rear Admiral Rowley's divifion now composed the van of the British fleet, and was moft gallantly led by Capt. Bowyer of the Albion, the headmoft thip. That brave officer arrefted the 15th. flight of the enemy about feven in the evening, and sustained for no fhort time the fire of feveral of their heavy fhips, before the rear admiral, in the Conqueror, and two or three more of his divifion, were able to come up to his affiftance. It was perceivable, from the latter flackness of the enemy's fire, that their rear had fuffered confiderably in this rencounter; the Albion and Conqueror were the fhips that fuffered most on our fide; only three more were able to come within reach of danger.

The enemy from this kept an awful diftance, and ventured no more to repeat the parade of coming down, as if they meant to engage. A vigorous effort made, however, by the British commander, a few days after, in order to weather them, although it failed of the intended effect, yet involved the fleets in fuch a manner, that the French, for the preservation of their rear, were 19th. under the neceffity of hazarding a partial engagement. They accordingly bore along the British line to windward, and maintained a heavy cannonde, at a distance which could not ad mit of any great effect, but which they endeavoured conftantly to preferve. The rear, however, and fome part of the center, could not escape being closely and fe verely attacked by the British van, and fuch other ships as could

get up. It was accordingly obferved that they fuffered very confiderably. As foon as their rear was extricated, the enemy's whole, fleet bore away, with all the fail they could poffibly prefs.

It appears that twelve fail of the British fleet, including the Prefton of 50 guns, were able to come up fo far with the enemy, as to fuftain fome lofs. Although the van was led on this day, by Commodore Hotham, in the Vengeance, with great reputation, yet it was the fortune, of the Albion, Capt. Bowyer, to ftand the brunt of this action, as well as of the preceding. She fuffered accordingly. The whole lofs of the fleet in both engagements, amounted to 68 flain, and 293 wounded; and of thefe 24 were killed, and 123 wounded, in the Albion only. Admiral Rowley fuffered confiderably in the former action, but much more deeply in this; in which his brave Captain, Watson, likewife fell. All the officers who could get into action in either, are entitled to the high, eft applaufe.

The British fleet continued the purfuit of the enemy for two days, when they totally loft fight of them; the chace had then led them 40 leagues directly to the windward of Martinique. The fate of the fleet rendered it now abfolutely neceffary for the commander in chief to proceed to Carlisle Bay, in the island of Barbadoes; which afforded, at length an opportunity to the French of attaining that object which they had fo long fought, and of repairing their thattered fleet in Fort Royal harbour,

Notwithstanding the tranquil ap[P] 3 pearances

pearances of things in South Carolina, at the time of Sir Henry Clinton's departure from thence, it foon became obvious, that many of the inhabitants were fo little fatisfied with the prefent government, that they endeavoured to difpofe of their property upon fach terms as they could obtain, and totally to abandon the province This conduct became fo frequent and glaring, that Lord Cornwallis found it neceffary towards the end of July to iffue a proclamation, ftrictly forbidding all fales and transfers of property, including even negroes, without a Ficence first obtained from the commandant of Charles Town; and likewife forbidding all masters of vesels, from carrying any perfons' whatever, whether black or white, out of the colony, without a written paffport from the fame officer.

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that government, or, as they faid, by its oppreffion and cruelty, rendered them incapable of profiting of fuch falutary counsel. infurrections accordingly took place, which being conducted without arder or caution, as well as premature, were easily fuppreffed. A Col. Bryan, however, with about 800 halt armed men, efcaped into South-Carolina, where they joined the royal forces.

During the neceffary continuance of the commander in chief at Charles Town, in regulating the government and affairs of the province, the part of the army deftined to active fervice, was advanced towards the frontiers, under the conduct of Lord Rawdon, who fixed his head quarters at the town of Camden. The advan tageous fituation of that place on the great river Santee, which àfforded an eafy communication with In the mean time, Lord Corn- feveraly and remote. parts of the wallis, who extended his views country, together with other into the reduction of North Caro viting and favourable circum lina, had kept up a conftant cor. ftances, induced Earl Cornwallis respondence with the loyalifts in to make it not only a place of that colony, who eagerly urged arms, but a general ftore-house kim to the prosecution of his de- or repofitory for the fupply of fign. But befdes that the heat the army in its intended opera of the fummer was fo exceffive, tions. He accordingly used the that it would have rendered ac- utmoft difpatch in conveying thition exceedingly deftructive to the ther from Charles Town, rum, troops, he likewife found, that falt, arms, ammunition, and va Ho army could be fubfifted in that rious ftores, which from the dif country, until the harvest was tance, and exceffive heat of the Over. Upon thefe accounts, he weather, proved a work of infi. earneftly preffed the friends of the nite labour and difficulty. That British government in North Ca- noble commander likwife fpared Jolina, to keep themfelves quiet, no pains in arming and embody. and free from all fufpicion, though ing the militia of the province, in readiness, until the proper feas and in raifing new military corps fon arrived But the usual im. under well-affected leaders. patience of thofe people, operated But during these transactions, a upon by the vigilant jealousy of great change took place in the

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