The sun., 1890-06-08


France, leaving the Americans worse on thai
they were before an alliance with France wa
concluded, for the English now acquired
mastery OF Georgia and South Carolina ii
the next year t17S0) the command OF the Frenci
fleet in American waters was given to th'
Count de Guichen. and that OF the English nee
to the celebrated Rodney. After several In
decisive engagements between the two Ad
| mirals. De Guchen sailed for France. and the
| American colonists saw nothing OF the
French feet that year, II we except seven
ships OF the line under De Ternay, which
had conveyed the troops under Rocham-
beau. 1t will be noticed that during the first
! three years after the alliance was concluded
| the French naval officers attended almost ex-
| cluslvely to their country's interests in the
| West Indies, and rendered scarcely any service
to the Americans. 1t may, indeed. be ques-
toned whether the French and Spanish Gov
ernments wished to secure American inde-
pendenoe until they had turned the mbarrass-
ment OF England to their own advantage. In
the spring OF 1881, however. De GrAsse ap-
peared in the West Indies with twenty-five
ships Of the line, but missed an opportunity OF
beating the English Admiral Hood who had
but eighteen vessels. some OF which, moreover.
were badly damaged. Meanwhile. In March Of
tho same year. an engagement took place Off
the capes OF the Chesapeake between French
and English sduadrons. each OF which num-
bered eight ships though In this case the
English had the heavier armament. Never
theless. the latter got the worst OF
the battle; but, with bulldog tenaoity.
they managed to carry out the pur-
pose Of their expedition. which was to
save Benedict Arnold from capture in
Virginia. IL was In compliance with an
urgent letter from Rochambeau and Washing
tlot na
with every available vessel from the Caribbean,
and anchored in Lynnhaven Bay. Just within
the capes Of the Chesapeake, with twenty eight
shns Of the line, which, q few days later were
strengthened by the arrival OF a French squad
ron from Newport. comprising eight ships of
the line and four frigates. In the interval.
however, De Grasse had repulsed the at
tack OF Admiral Graves who had but
nineteen line-of- battle ships. The return
OF Graves to New York put an end to Corn
wallis's hope OF succor, and compelled the sur
render OF Yorktown. In the letter written by
Washington to De Grasse on the day after the
capitulation he did not hesitate to attribute
the honor OF the surrender to the French Ad-
miral. The latter would not stay. however. to
finish the work. although, as Washington told
in November Of the same year. the
British force In the Carolinas and Georgia
could have extended his cooperation two |
months longer.
The year l7S2 was marked by England's loss |
Of Port Mahon. and the successful defence Of |
Gibraltar against the combined fleets Of France |
and Spain. comprehendinR fifty line Of battle |
ships. besides forty Gunbosts and ten floating |
batteries. In February Of the same year De |
irasse, with thrty-three ships Of the line. al |
owed the English Admiral Hood, with twenty.
two ships, to escape him. but he executed his |
original plan OF taking the island of st. Chris
opher. How grave blunder had been COM
nitted in allowing Hood to evade an encounter
vas manifest two months later, when Rodney,
Irriving with resnforcements raised the Eng
ish fleet to thirty-seven ships OF the line In
he so-caed battle OF the Saints, which took
'Iace on April II. 1882. between Rodney and
)e Grasse, the latter who was slightly out
numbered. lost Ave ships. including his own.
This Is regarded by the author as the greatest
laval battle that had been fought in a century.
Is influence on the course of events was not
onlned to the prevention OF Franco
panish attack upon Jamaica, but mate
tally affected the terms OF peace subse-
ucntly agreed upon between England
nd the allies. We are also reminded
hat this battle was distinguished for ma
nuvre atterward practised by Nelson, but
hen looked upon as exceptionally daring-the
1anruvre known as breaking the line. Rod
ey struck and shattered the French line OF
attic In two places by columns OF his own
hips ranged in such close order as to force the
essels OF the enemy aside. According TO Capt
lahan. however this celebrated stroke was
ue. not to previous intention but to a shift OF
ind that threw the French ships out OF order
nd so widened the gaps between them The
uthor agrees Also with those critics who
linE that Rodney failed to follow up hie ad-
antaGe with adequate vigor Nor should 1t be
'rgotten that Rodney has been held primarily
for the surrender OF Cornwallis. be-
ause he sent only fourteen ships TO reinforce
raves at New York. Rodney himself how
7eri attributed the loss of the colonies to the
Of Rhode Island and the excessive
ktensionGof the English lines through the In
aston OF the Carolinas. On this point Capt
ahan seems to consider Rodney right
The maritime lighting In East Indian waters
as on relatively small scale. the largest
rec which Suffren at any time commanded
sinR the fifteen line Of battle ships which he
tttle in June, 1888. Although his opponent,
ughes. had eighteen ships. the French Ad-
lTst rTsti was rs ne assailans Indeed the oharee-
'iensiye tactics. which had been traditional
the french navy Tor half century. 1t seems
enSR seaen and one of the a6ee sea
anders known to history. He died suddenly
1855; had he lived he would have been but
lGar and but 70 when the battle Of the Nile
ls fought. Nelson would have found IN Suf-
"a very different antagonist from Brueys
mpain that the Captains and crews of his
ips were decidedly inferior to their English
ponents. N. W. H.