The Connecticut courant, and the weekly intelligencer — Hartford [Conn.], 1781-09-18 00:00:00, page 1

As soon as the signal was made, and enforced
by the repeated firing of guns, and after a boat
had been dispatched to the shore, to give more ex
pedition and effect to the embarkation, a signal
was made to unmoor, and another to prepare for
battle.
I went on board the Isis, to make observations
on the Grange ships, as they could only be seen
from that flrip, on account of the east point of
land which intervened.
From the Isis I plainly difeovered 5 large ships
of the line, and several smaller vessels, standing
in for the land ; the large fliips bein,7 separated
from the convoy, and making signals by Superior
and inferior flags, which plainly denoted that
they were French.
Upon this I returned on board the Romney,
calling to the East-India flrips, as I passed and re
paffed, to prepare for battle ; for molt of them
were as yet heediefs of the signals which had
been made.
At a quarter before 11 o'clock theftrange ships
appeared, coming round the east point of land,
drawn up in a line, and leading into the bay.---
His Majesty's ships of war (excepting as to the
people who were absent on shore) were by this
time prepared to receive theenemy,if they should
offer any insult.
We plainly perceived they intended an attack
by the springs which were palled to their cables
along the outside of the flrips ; and we knew the
fraall regard which the French usually pay to the
law of nations, when they are poffefled of a lu
perior force,or find it convenient to dispense with
such obligations, and in this our expectations
were not disappointed ; for with much courage
and seeming determination the French Commo
dore led on within two cables length' of the
* Romney 50, Hero 74, Monmouin 64, Jupi^
ter so>5 o > so s°, Terror bomb veffl, Infernal fire
&fi Rattlefaa^e cutter.
LONDO N, June 9 .~•
From the London Gazette Extraordi
nary. Published this day atnoon.
St. James's, June 8, 1781.
Extract of a letter from Commodore George
Tohnftone to the Earl of Hillfborough, one of
his Majesty's principal Secretaries of State,
dated Romney, in Port Praya Road, in the
island ofSt. Jago, April 30, 1781, broughtby
Capt. Lindsey, of the Porto Hoop of war.
My Lord, '■ '
ON the 16th of April, at half past 9 o'clock
in the morning, being at anchor in Port
Praya, in the island of St. Jago, with the squa
dron of his majesty's ships under my command,
which are named in the margin ;* together with
the East-India ships, transports and victuallers,
who failed with us from England, the Isis, which
lay the fartheft to leeward, made the signal for
feeing 11 fail in the offing, towards the N. E.
I was then absent in a boat, giving directions
for moving some ships which had driven too near
each other.
As soon as I saw the signal for so many ftr^rrge
ships, I instantly returned on board the Romney;
and made the signal for all persons to c'ome from
the shore, and to repair on board their refpe&ive
ships, having at that time not less than 1500
persons absent from the fleet, who were employ
ed in watering, fishing and embarking live cat
tle, with other occupations necessary to the dis
patch in refitting so many fliips, betides a num-
Der of the officers and troops who were taking
the recreation of the shore.
WEEKLY INTELLIGENCER;
HARTFORD : Printed by H UDSON and G OODWI N, near the Great Bridge.
TUESDA Y, September 18, 1781.
After the two guns mentioned above hadbeen
discharged with shot, the fire from his majesty's
ships opened upon the enemy with great power
and effect.
The next French flrip which followed their
Commodore anchored a head ofhim ; the. third
endeavoured to pass through for the Romney,
but being unable to. weather the different fliips;
he anchored a stern of his Commodore, andcon
tinued there for a ihort space, driving about
with his fails Ipofe, until he boarded the Ilin
chinbrook East-India ship, and then went to sea.
The fourth flrip run on different lines, lulling
and bearing up.as he puffed among the ftirt of
our ships, and firing and receiving fire ashe fail
ed along, but seemingly in great confufion allo;
and at laH, with much difficulty; he wore clear
of the reef on the weft point without us.' —
The fifth fllip run among the merchant ships
also, firing at all, and attempting to board two
or three as he pafled along, without success.
In a quarter of an hour after the firft gun, se
veral of our Eaft-Iridia fliips had recovered the
alarm, and were firing at the enemy, and some
of them in well directed lines; two or three;
however, had struck their colours, and thrown
the Company's packets over board, and others
prudently put to sea.
The Romney could,6nly fire in two openings}
and this under a precision which was cautiously
observed; neither could she veer any cable to
open a larger space, as the Jason lay right a stern
of her. Sceingthe Romney was like to have
little fharerin the action, after the fourth ship
had passed her,! ordered the barge tobe maimed
to go on board the Hero. General Meadowsand
Capt. Saltern infixed they should accompany
me, with a degree of generofityand tfoodhumour
which I could not fefift. It is pleasant to beneaf
the General at all time, but on the day of bat
tle that fatisfaaion is felt in a peculiar degree.
We were received by Capt. Hawker with as
chearful and affable civility as if wehad come to
dinner, while the Hero kept up a conßant; aw
ful, heavy difeharge of artillery. „
The action bordered upon a furprize, and the
nature of the service in which we were engaged
rendered us liable to much confufion ; yet up
on the whole, until the enemy were beat oft, I
saw nothing on our part but steady, cool, deter
mined valour.
Capt. Aims, of the Monmouth, kept up a well
directed fire. , ~
Capt. Pafley had worked hard from the begin
ning of the business, an! had gota spring upon
his cable, by which effort every shot told from
the Jupiter.
The French Commodore now found hrs fitua
tientoehot, and he e«t his cable in three quar-
Monmouth, jupiterand Hero, paffingtheDiana;
Terror bomb, and Infernal nrefhip, who lay
without the rest ofthe ships! Here he Ifoifled
his broad pendant, and displayed the French
colours ; he then hauled up his courses, and fired
two shot at the Iris from his larboard bow as lie
lifted up, and immediately after permitting his
ffiip to shoot up in the wind, as far as the force
with which the flrip was failing enabled her ; he
dropt h'is anchor a bread of the Monmouth, and
began to fire away among the ships as sass as he
could difeba^ge and load ; his fails, however,
were still flying about in great confufion ; fothat
his spring on the cable did not hold when the
ship was checked to bring up, and he drove a
bread of the Hero.
ters of an hour, and went away through tbefhips
as his second a stern had done before him ; the
other a head was&ow left behind, an object to be
fired at by, all the fliips in our fleet, who could
get guns to bear upon him. Iri this Situation he
remained for 15 minutes, hardly firing a gun
during the whole time : such a fpedacle of difi
tress I never before beheld)
I am fyisfied myfelf he struck his colours, and
that they were not merely shot away, as some
alledge ; and this I believe, because different
fliips thought he struck at the fame time ; but it
was impossible so get all the fliips tq cease firing
at once; and one gun being afterwards dif^
charged from the eneiny's ship, the firing began
again, even from such of our fliips ds had left off)
Whether, his cable was (hot away, or he cut
the cable, I cannot fay, but off the ship went
round upon the heel, her stern falling close tothf
broad fide of the Iris; her masts were tottering,
her yards were Hanging, different ways ; her
fails were flying about in /ags ? and frill of holes,
First fell the mizen-maft, next Went the main-'
mast, and lastly the sore-mast and outer end of
the bo^fprit tumbled in the water.
I instantly returned to the Romney, and mad£
the signal for all captains, and after bearing the
condition of every ship, I directed the men of
war to cut and flip as fall as they could get to
sea, to follow up the victory, with orders to
make any India ships who lav in their way to cwt
their cables also, that theymight not be impeded.
I ordered the merchant flihos to he faft and re
pair their damages, until we joined them again.
As soon as the Jason was out of the way, the
Romney was daft by a firing on the cable; and
she went out to sea under the atclaraatiais of
the whole fleet.
The Jupiter instantly followed, and we run
between our fcattcred ships and the enemy.—
Perceiving neither rhe ffis, nor Diana making
any signs to follow, though both of them lay in
clear births for so doing, their several signals
Were made. The Diana anfwefed, and foot,
after followed ; but although gun after gun was
fired to enforce the signal to * call out the Isis, she
still remained without any signs of obedience to
my fignril then aboard.- ° At lift the Hero came
under our stern; wrth a message from Captain
Sutton, faying that his malls and yards andfaila
and rigging, were so wounded that he could not
come out without repair ing them, but that he
wouhi follow as faft as he could.
When the Isis joined us flie run tinder cur
stern, and repeated an account of her dinrefs and
her damages, particularly thew; nt of a mizei -
top-failyard,which I told the Captain was nothing.
The rignal Was now made to bear up in a line
of battle a breast. At that instant the Isis loft
My answer was, all this is no excuse for dife
obeying my positive oiders ; besides, I think his
damages immaterial to a man of any resources.
Capt. Sutton's signal was therefore again en
forced by another gun; he then hoisted his
answering flag, and came out, after three hours
delay.
All the ships beingnow come out, the signal
was made to form the line a head on the lar
board tack. The French ships had before thig
coileaed and taken the disabled flrip in tow, and
they had raffed a slump forward, and fixed afail
Upon it, with which tb< ~had wore the hulk,and
put before the wind in a line of battle a breast,
and sent off their convoy under all the fail they
could set..
(No. 86g.)