The New-Jersey gazette — Burlington [N.J.], 1781-08-15 00:00:00, page 1

NEW-JERSEY GAZETTE.
N E W-Y OR K, August 4 -
The Printer has been obliged by a particular friend
cuitb a genuine detail of the following splendid affair as
officially communicated to Admiral Sir George Brydges
Rodney, by the truly glorious commander Rear Admiral
Sir Samuel Hood ; bis correspondent eras present in the
action, and the Printer has indubitable proof of the
genuineness of the relation.
Barfleur, at sea, 40 leagues south
from St. Euftatius, May 4, 1781.
SI R,
AT 7 A. M. on Saturday the 28th of last
month his Majesty's ship Amazon being
to windward of Point Salines, difeovered
a very large fleet, and at nine her signal
of it was repeatedjo me by the Russel, which flrip
I had just ordered to St. Lucia, having one hundred
and thirty lick on board, and the came back again
to me.
I immediately made the signal for a general chace
to the S. E. in order to bring all the flrips well up
to windward, and at ten I formed the line a-head
at two cables length asunder; on opening Rock
Diamond saw nothing of the fleet but from the mast
head, which were then upon a wind to the South
ward. Capt. Finch properly, so soon as he saw his
signal repeated, Rood back to reconnoitre the fleet,
at twelve he returned near enough to let me fee his
signal was for an enemy of superior force, and upon
my desiring to know how many ships of the line
there were, he answered nineteen; a little before
two Capt. Finch came on board and informed me,
that he saw nineteen fail of the line very diftiu&ly,
and two others of two decks, that he thought were
armed enflute, the number of frigates he could not
afeertain, as three were only drawn out from the
convoy, that the convoy was very numerous, and
the whole landing to the northward, which was
the situation we saw part of them in at fun set from
the matt head, most of them being to the northward
of Point Salines.
1 sent Capt. Finch immediately to tell Rear Ad.
Drake I desired to fee him; upon his coming on
board, I told him I should continue the line a-head,
and get to windward as much as 1 could, by carry
ing all my plain fail, and be close in with Fort-Roy
al at day-light,' as it was uncertain which way the
enemy would come, which he was pleased to fay
was the best I could do; I ordered Capt. Finch to
windward again, to endeavour to get fight of the
enemy, and upon diftindly feeing them to make cer
tain signals I gave him, that I might know whether
they were upon the starboard or larboard tack, or
coming before the wind „ just after sun-set I tacked
the squadron all together, flood to the northward,
and kept close in with Fort-Royal all night.
Saw nothing of the enemy or Amazon at day-light,
a little before nine the Amazon joined me, the enemy
then in fight coming down between Point Salines
and the Diamond Rock, made the signal for a close
line, and to prepare for action, at nine the eriemy
appeared forming the line of battle, twenty minutes
past nine the Prince William joined me from Gross
Islet Bay, and as I sent for her but the night before,
Captain Douglas's exertion must have been great
and does him much credit, to be with me so soon ;
having the greatest part of his crew to colled in the
night ; twenty-seven minutes past nine hoisted our
colours, as did the French Admiral and his fleet, at
15 minutes past ten, made the Shrewfbury's signal
to alter her course to windward, the being the lead
ing ship, but soon perceived the wind had fhifted,
and that she was as close to the wind as she could
lay; at 35 minutes past ten tacked the squadron all
together, the van of the enemy being almost abreast
of our center, and at eleven began to fire, which I
took no notice of; at this time the ships in Fort-
Royal Bay, flipped their cables and got under fail ;
at 20 minutes past eleven, I tacked the squadron all
together, and repeated the signal for a close order
of battle; at 25 minutes past eleven, finding the
enemy's Ihot to go over us, hoisted the signal for
engaging, and in passing, our van and the enemy's
rear exchanged some broadsides ; at 40 minutes past
eleven, the enemy tacked ; at 45 minutes past ele
ven, made the signal for the rear to close the cen
ter; at 55 minutes past eleven finding it impossible
to get up to the enemy's fleet, I invited it to come
to me, by bringing the squadron to under their
top-fails ; at half past twelve, the French Admiral
in the Ville de Paris, began to fire at the Barfleur,
which was immediately returned, and the action
became general, but at too great a distance, and I
believe never was more powder and shot thrown
away in one day before ; but it was with Monsieur
de Graffe the option of distance lay, and he prefer-
[Vol. IV.]
WEDNESDAY, August 15, 1781.
red that of long shot. It was not possible for me to
go nearer; at one, I made the signal for the van to
fill, the French Admiral having filled and drawing a
head; at 17 minutes past one, made the Shrewf
bury's signal (the leading ship) to make more fail,
and set the top-gallant fails ; at 34 minutes past one,
repeated the signal for a close line of battle, and
finding not one in ten of the enemy's shot reached
us I ceased firing, the enemy did the fame soon
after, but their van and ours, being somewhat
nearer, continued to engage, and though the French
Admiral had ten fail a stern of him, and three others
to windward, he was backward in making a nearer
approach.—The Merchant ships at this time were
hauling in close under the land, attended by two ships
of two decks, supposed to be armed*e^ flute, and
two frigates. At 18 minutes past three the fir
ing ceased between our van and that of the enemy;
made the Shrewfbury's signal to make more fail, in
order to get to windward of the enemy; at 45 mi
nutes past four, sent Captain Finch to the Shrewfbury,
to order Captain Robinson to keep as near the wind,
and carry all the fail he could, so as to preserve the
line of battle, and to return back along the line to
acquaint every Captain of the fame ; at 57 minutes
pad live, the packet going to Antigua, which had
kept company with the squadron, came within hail,
to a 'quaint me by order of Rear-admiral Drake, that
the Russel was in great distress, having received se
veral shot between wind and water, that the water
was over the platform of the magazine, and gaining
upon the pumps, and three of their guns were dis
mounted; at eighteen minutes past fix made the
Russel's signal to come within hail which was an
swered ; the enemy's fleet consisting of 24 fail of the
line, at this time about four miles to windward ;
at half pad seven Captain Sutherland of the Russel
came on board, whom I ordered if he could possi
bly by exertion keep the flrip above water, to
proceed to St. Euftatius or any other port he could
make, and acquaint Sir George Rodney of all that
'had passed; at 45 minutes past nine, the Lizard
came within hail, to inform me by the desire of
Captain Sutherland that he had bore away.
On Monday April the 30th, at day-light, found
the van and center of the squadron separated at some
distance from the Barfleur and rear, owing to flat
tering winds and calms in the night, which would
not allow us to keep the Barfleur's head the right
way, and foe went round and, round two or three
times, while the other ships had light airs; and
finding the enemy's advanced flips fleering for our
van, made all the fail towards them, and threw
out the signal for a close line of battle, the enemy's
line a good deal extended and fcattercd.—At seven,
the squadron under my command being pretty well
formed, the enemy's advanced flips hauled off; at
56 minutes past seven, made the signal for the rear
to close the center, as the enemy seemed to shew a
disposition to attacle it: at 35 minutes past eight
having very light airs of wind, the squadron was
thrown nearly into a line a breast, made the signal
for continuing in that form, left by ,eadeavouriug to
regain the line a-head it might become extended ; at
eleven made a signal for a line a-head, and two cables
length asunder, the wind backing to the eastward fa
voured my forming in that order, the better to re
ceive the enemy, then about three miles to wind
ward: at 14 minutes past eleven made the signal for
the rear to close the center; at twelve falling little
wind again and all the flrips being thrown into a
line a breast, made the signal for a line a breast to keep
the squadron as close together as possible; at 25 mi
nutes past twelve, the wind blowing steady at S. E.
made the signal for a general chace to windward, with
a design of weathering the enemy, which I should cer
tainly have succeeded in had the breeze continued, but
the wind dfing away at four, I found it impracticable
to weather the enemy, and therefore made the signal for
a line a-head, and having been informed that the Intre
pid made so much water they could scarce keep her
free, and that the Centaur was in the fame state
owing to the number of shot between wind and
water, and that her lower masts were badly wounded ;
which added to the loss of the Russel from the line,
and from the knowledge ! had, of the state of the
ships in general, having upwards of fifteen hundred
men sick and short of compliment, I judged it im
proper to dare the enemy to battle any longer, not
having the least profpea of beating a fleet of 24 fail
of the line of capital ships, and knowing the conse
quence of my being beaten, wuuld probably be the
loss of all his Majesty's possessions in this country, I
thought it my indispensable duty to bear up, and
made the signal for it at eight o'clock ; at ten brought
too for the squadron too close; at 40 minutes past
T H E
ten made fail; at five A. M. the firft inflant, saw the
enemy's^eet a stern, about eight or nine mile, di
stant; at' 26 minutes past five brought to for the
Torbay and Paccahunta to come up, who were with
in reach of the enemy's guns, and the former receiv
ed a good deal of damage in her masts, and rigging:
at 45 minutes past seven the enemy ceased firing
•upon the Torbay, sent the Amazon to tow the Pac
cahunta up. At eight made the signal for a close
line bearing north and south of each other; at 29
minutes patt twelve made the signal and brought to
upon the larboard tack, and made the signal for the
state and condition of the squadron ; the enemy
bearing east, standing to the northward ; 33 minutes
past three made the signal for a close line north and
south, at four the enemy tacked to the southward
and were standing that way at sun-set. In the even
ing, although it was almost calm, the main-topmast
of the Intrepid fell to pieces over the fide; at seven
made fail to the northward, it being the opinion of
the officers of the squadron acquainted with this
country, that it was the only way of getting to
windward, as the currents run very fttong to lee
ward, to the southward of St. Vincents.
fam very much concerned to acquaint you that
Captain Nott, of his Majesty's flip Centaur, and her
firft Lieutenant were killed in the action: I put
Captain Smith of the Paccahunta to command the
Centaur, lieutenant John Duvall Burr, to com
mand the Paccahunta, and Mr. George Bowen to
be Lieutenant of the Centaur.
My present intentions are to fend the disabled
ships to St. Euftatius, and to proceed with those in
good condition to St. Lucia if the French should not
have made an attack upon it and succeeded ; if they
have I shall then go to Carlifle Bay, Barbadoes.
I fend the Honourable Captain Finch with this
letter, with orders if he should not find you at St.
Euftatius, to proceed windward of the islands to
Barbadoes, and to put the Captains of his Majesty's
frigates as are cruising, which may fall in his way,
upon their guard.
And if you should fee fit to flop me from proceed
ing to windward, Captain Finch will be able to
form a pretty clear judgment where I may be met
with, from the winds he may have.
I think it very much my duty to fay that the zeal
and exertion of Rear Admiral Drake, and the Cap
tains, officers and men I had the honour to com
mand, were such, that if Monsieur de Graffe had
thought fit to have brought his Majesty's squadron
to close action, and it should have pleased God to
have given him the victory, I trust he would not
have found it an easy one, sickly, and short of com
pliment by death as the ships in general are, and
great as the superiority of the enemy was against us.
Herewith I transmit an account of the state and
condition of the squadron under my command, a lift
of the killed and wounded, and the defects of the
ships materially damaged.
Bougainville and Chabert served under de Graffe,
all with their flags at the main-topmast. head, and
by feeing 24 fail of the line on the evening of the
29th, and only 23 at noon, the ships fappofed to be
armed en flute, are probably of the line.
I have the honour to be, &c.
(Copy) Samuel Hood.
To Sir George Brydges Rodney.
Lift of men killed and wounded in Admiral Hood's
fleet the 29th of April, 1781, off Martinique.
Killed. Wounded.
Shrewfbury 6 14
Intrepid 1 24
Torbay 3 29
Prince William 6
Russel 5 16
Centaur 3 30
Gibraltar, Rear Ad. Drake 6 11
Montague 4
Resolution 1 18
Ajax 3 5
Princeffa 1
Terrible
Barfleur, Rear Ad. Hood 5
Monarch
Invincible 2 4
Alcide 1 14
Belliqueux
Alfred.
STOCKHOL M, March 9.
The King of Prussia hath requeued of our Court,
the protection of the Swedish flag, for the security
of his commercial fubje&s: and we are assured that
his Prussian Majesty hath a)fo made the fame requisi
tion to the Court of Copenhagen.
[Numb. 190.]