which lafted with unremitting fury from feven in the morning till half past fix in the evening, when the fetting fun put an end to the contest. Both fleets have greatly fuffered; but it is with the highest fatisfaction I can affure their lordfhips, that though the mafts, fails,. rigging, and hulls of the British fleet are damaged, yet the lofs of men has been but finall, confidering the length of the battle and the clofe action they fo long fuftained, and in which both fleets looked upon the honour of their King and Country to be moft effentially concerned. The great fupply of naval ftores lately arrived in the West Indies, will, I flatter myfelf, foon repair all the damages his Majefty's fleet fuftained. The gallant behaviour of the officers and men of the fleet I had the honour to command, has been fuch as must for ever endear them to all lovers of their King and Country. The noble behaviour of my fecond in command, Sir Samuel Hood, who in both actions most confpicuously exerted himself, demands my warmest encomiums: my third in command, Rear Admiral Drake, who, with his divifion led the battle on the 12th inftant, deserves the highest praife; nor can lefs be given to Commodore Affleck, for his gallant behaviour in leading the centre divifion. My own captain, Sir Charles Douglas, merits every thing I can poffibly day; his unremitted dili. gence and activity, greatly eafed me in the unavoidable fatigue of the day. In fhort, I want words to exprefs how fenfible I am of the merito rious conduct of all the captains, officers, and men, who had a fare in this glorious victory, obtained by their gallant exertions. The enemy's whole army, confifting of 5,500 men, were on board their fhips of war: the deftruction among them must be prodigious, as for the greatest part of the action every gun told; and their lordfhips, may judge what havock muft have been made, when the Formidable fired near eighty broadfides. Inclofed, I have the honour to fend, for their lordships infpection, the British and French lines of battle, with an account of the killed and wounded, and damages fuftained by his Majefty's fleet. Lord Cranston, who acted as one of the captains of the Formidable during both actions, and to whofe gallant behaviour I am much indebted, will have the honour of delivering thefe difpatches. To him I must refer their lordfhips for every minute particular they may wish to know, he being perfectly matter of the whole tranfaction. That the British flag may for ever flourish in every quarter of the globe, is the most ardent with of him who has the honour of being, with great regard, Sir, LINE OF BATTLE. Royal Oak to lead on the Starboard Tack, and the Marlborough on Frigates. the Larboard. Rear Admiral Sir SAMUEL Hoop's Divifion. Alfred Montagu Yarmouth Valiant Barfluer S. G. Goodall Sir Sam. Hood, Bart. Alex. Sutherland Anthony Parry 64 500 14 33 47 74 650 10 28 Bedford Ajax St. Albans Formidable Com. Edm. Affleck Sir Ch. Douglas, Bt. John Symonds Lord Cranfon 90 750 13 60 4 35 64 500 525 74 600 7 19 Arrogant Marlborough Taylor Penny All accidental frigates to be oppofite the centre divifion. N. B. Thofe marked +, nor with the fleet during the actions. [The Gazette, by fome m.flake, makes only 230 killed and 759 wounded, though the total when fummed up is 1093 1 74 600 3 12 15 64 500 3 13 16 56 74 600 3216 19 Returns of officers killed and wounded, the 9th and 12th of April 1782, included in the above lift. Royal Oak.-Mr. Gwatkin, firft lieutenant, killed; captain of marines wounded. Alfred.-Capt. Bayne killed. Montagu. Mr. William Cade, mafter, killed; Lieutenants Breedon and Buchan of marines, wounded. Valiant.-M. Richard Wimbleton, fecond lieutenant, killed; Mr. William Brown, fifth lieutenant, and Mr. Blackhoufe, mafter, wounded. Warrior, Mr. Stone, master, wounded. Centaur.-No return, having a prize in tow, and not joined, Magnificent.-Capt. Bagg of the marines, wounded. Ajax.-Mr.John Elliot, firft lieutenant, Mr. Thomas Roffiter, pilot, wounded. Repulfe.-Captain of marines, and master, wounded. Formidable.-Lieutenant Hele killed; Capt. Bell and Lieut. Harris of marines, wounded. Duke.-Lieut. Cornish, Mr. Cooper, mafter, Mr. Scott, boatfwain, wounded. Agamemnon.-Lieut. Incledon and Brice wounded; the latter fince dead. Refolution.-Capt. Right Hon. Lord Robert Manners wounded, and fince dead. Prothee.-Mr. Thomas Love, mafter, wounded. Hercules. Lieut. Hobart killed; Capt. Savage wounded. America.-Lieut. Collowhill killed; Lieutenant Trelawney wounded. Anfon.-Captain Blair killed. Torbay.-Lieut. Muonier of marines, killed. Princefla.-Lieuts. Dundas and M'Douall, and Lieut. Laban of marines, wounded. Alcide.-No returns, having a prize in tow, and not joined. Lift of the French fleet in Fort Royal harbour, April 2, 1782. Ships. Guns) Ships Guns. La Ville de Paris 110* Deftin Le Duc de Bur gogne + La Couronne ant 80+ Le Dauphin Royal 74 74 80+ Le Magnifique 74 80 Le Reflechi 74 8 Le Bien Aime 74 8 Le Sceptre 74 80 Le Northumber land 74 80 Le Conquerant 74 74 Le Marfeillois 74 74 Le Palmier 74 74 L'Ardent 64 74 L'Eveille 64 74 Le Jafon 64 74 Le Caton 64 74 Le Fier, armee 74 Le Sagittaire 74 L'Experiment Total, 36 fail of the line, two 50 gun fhips, 13 frigates, feven armed brigs of the King's, 2 firefhips, 1 cutter. *Out of repair. SIR, Formidable at Sea, April 14, 1782. I muft defire you will please to acquaint their lordships, that notwithstanding the difpofition I had made of his Majefty's fleet under my command, which were ftationed to windward of the French iflands, in a line ftretching from the latitude of Defiada to the lati tude tude of St. Vincent, with a line of frigates to windward, which their lordships may perceive, by the difpofition of the fleet I have the honour to inclofe, and which difpofition was thought by every officer of the fleet to be fuch as to render it impoffible for any convoy bound to the French iflands to efcape; yet, notwithstanding the vigilance of every captain and officer, the enemy found means to efcape by making the island of Defiada, and creeping clofe in under Guadaloupe aud Dominique: they arrived fafe in the bay of Fort Roval on the 20th and 21ft of March. Information having been given me of this unlucky event,I thought it my duty to return to the bay of Gros Iflet, St. Lucia, where I had ordered the ftore-fhips, victuallers, and trade bound to Jamaica, to rendezvous. On my arrival in that bay, every difpatch pofiible was made in refitting the fleet, and taking in flores and provifions for five months of all fpecies for the whole fleet a watchful eye being kept the whole time on the French freet in the bay of Port Royal, as I knew that Count de Graffe would haften the refitting his fleet, and take the first opportunity of proceeding to the place of his deftination. On the 5th of April I received intelligence that the enemy were embarking their troops on board the fhips of war, and concluded they intended to fail in a very few days. Capt. Byron of the Andromache, an active, brik, and diligent officer, watched their motions with fuch attention, that on the 8th inftant at day-light, he made the fignal of the enemy's coming out, and ftanding to the northweft. I inftantly made the figral to weigh; and having looked into the bays of Fort Royal and St. Pierre, where no enemy's fhips remained, I made the fignal for a general chace, and before daylight of the 9th, came up with the enemy under Dominique, where both fleets were becalmed, and continued fo for fome time. The enemy first got the wind, and stood towards Guadaloupe; my van divifion under that gallant officer Sir Samuel Hood, received it next and flood after them. At nine the enemy began to cannonade my van; which was returned with. the greatest brifknefs. The baffling winds under Dominique did not permit part of the centre divifion to get into action with the enemy's rear till half paft eleven, and then only the hip next to me in the line of battle. Their lordships may eafily imagine the mortification it must have been to the fixteen gallant officers commanding the fhips of the rear, who could only be fpectators of an action in which it was not in their power to join, being detained by the calms under Dominique. The enemy's cannonade ceafed upon my rear's approach, but not before they had done confiderable damage to the fhips of the van, and difabled the Royal Oak and Montagu; and his Majefty had lost a gallant officer, viz. Capt. Bayne of the Alfred, and a number of officers and feamen, as mentioned in the account tranfmitted to their lordships; but fuch was the steady behaviour of Sir Samuel Hood and the fhips of the van, that the enemy received more damage than they occafioned. The ! The night of the 9th inftant the fleet lay to, to repair their damages; the 10th they continued to turn to windward, under an eafy fail, the enemy's fleet continuing to do the fame, and always had it in their power to come to action, which they moft cautioufly avoided; and rendered it impoffible for me to force them in the fituation they were in, between the Saints and the ifland of Dominique. On the 11th of April, the enemy having gained confiderably to windward, and the wind blowing a fresh and steady gale, I made. the figual for a general chace to windward, which continued the whole day. Towards fun-fet, fome of the headmost ships of the Яeet had approached near to one of the enemy's fhips that had re and had certainly taken her, if Count de Graffe had not bore down with his whole fleet for her protection; which brought him fo near, that I flattered myself he would give me an opportunity of engaging him the next day. With that view I threw out the fignal for the form of failing, and stood with the whole fleet to the fouthward till two o'clock in the morning; then tacked, and had the happiness at day-light to find my moft fanguine defire was near being accomplished, by my having it in my power to force the enemy to battle. Not one moment was loft in putting it into execution: the confequences have been fuch as I have had the honour to reprefent in my former letter of this day; and can fay no more, than that too much praife cannot be given to the gallant officers and men of VOL. XXV. had very little wind fince its depar ture from Cadiz, which, however, would not have retarded us much, had it not become quite contrary at the entrance of the bay. We were a little recompenfed afterwards by meeting with a fleet of the enemy's fhips, which we defcribed the 25th of June, in lat. 47. 36. N. and 15. 20. W. from the meridian of Paris.. This fleet, compofed of 18 fail, was escorted by the Portland, of 50 guns; the Oifeau, of 32; the Danaë, of 24; and the Merlin floop: it was deftined for Canada and Newfoundland. Our frigates have taken the 18 fhips, but could not come up with the ships that convoyed them. At the departure of the courier from Breft, the prizes appeared off Ushant. Lift of Ships taken. The Jenny, 250 tons, Captain [R] John |