1782.
Situation of the Hostile Fleets.--Surrender of Brimstone
Hill.--Junction of the Fleets.--Antigua.--St. Lucia.--Sailing of
the French Fleet under Comte de Grasse.--Action of the 9th
April.--12th of April.--Gallant conduct of the Russell.--Captain
Saumarez returns to Jamaica.--Comes to England with Convoy.--Is
paid off at Chatham, and confirmed a Post-captain.
It has now become necessary to give a brief account of the situation
of the hostile fleets at the seat of war in the West Indies. While the
enemy's troops were prosecuting the siege of Brimstone Hill, the fleet
under the Comte de Grasse had been reinforced, and either continued at
sea, near to Basseterre, or anchored in the old road. On the 13th, a
practicable breach being made in the works, the general and governor
having given up all hopes of succour, and his brave garrison being
reduced to five hundred men, they embraced the proposals of a
capitulation made by the Marquis de Boullie, who on the same day
proclaimed the surrender of Brimstone Hill to the admiral by a flag of
truce, which had been previously agreed upon. The British fleet,
which had till this time continued at the anchorage in which it had so
bravely resisted the attacks of the Comte de Grasse, who on the 14th
anchored off Nevis with thirty-four sail of the line, was now in a
perilous situation, especially as the enemy were erecting mortar
batteries on the hill opposite to the shipping; and as it was no
longer necessary for him to continue there, Sir Samuel Hood issued
orders to slip or cut cables _without signal_ at eleven o'clock at
night, the sternmost and leeward-most ships first, and so on in
succession, and proceed under easy sail until directed otherwise by
signal. That this order might be punctually executed, the captains
were ordered to set their watches by the admiral's timepiece. The
movement was performed with the utmost order and regularity. Not one
ship was molested or pursued by the French fleet, which was lying
within five miles, and must have been astonished at this excellent
manoeuvre of the British admiral, wherein the Russell had a
distinguished share. Soon afterwards, Nevis and Montserrat fell into
the hands of the French.
On the 19th February, Sir Samuel Hood anchored in St. John's Road,
Antigua; and on the same day, Sir George Rodney arrived at Barbadoes
from England with several sail of the line. On the 25th, he joined Sir
Samuel Hood off Antigua; and, three days after, three more sail of the
line arrived from England. Thus fortunately united, the admiral
proceeded to St. Lucia, to refit and complete with water. On the 14th
of March he put to sea, with a view of intercepting a large French
convoy which was expected to arrive from Europe; but, notwithstanding
the vigilance of the frigates, the enemy, by keeping close to
Guadaloupe and Dominique, effected their escape into Fort Royal Bay,
on the 20th and 21st, unperceived by any of our ships. When this
unlucky event was made known to Sir George Rodney, he returned to St.
Lucia, to watch the motions of the enemy. In the mean time the
Russell, which had been damaged by striking on a rock, was repaired at
the Carenage.
The Comte de Grasse was equally active in the equipment of his fleet,
in order to proceed to leeward and form a junction with the Spaniards,
for the purpose of carrying into execution their grand object--the
reduction of Jamaica, with an overwhelming force of sixty sail of the
line and twenty thousand troops.
At daylight, on the 8th April, Captain Byron, of the Andromache,
communicated to the admiral by signal the anxiously-expected
intelligence that the enemy's fleet, with their large convoy, were
coming out of Fort Royal Bay, and standing to the north-west. Sir
George Rodney first made the signal for all boats, and persons who had
been necessarily employed in watering, &c. to repair on board, and
immediately after to weigh. Before noon the whole fleet were clear of
Gros Islet Bay: Sir George stretched first over to Fort Royal, and
then made the general signal to chase north-eastward.
The enemy's lights were distinctly visible during the night; and as
their ships-of-war, though better sailers than the English, were
delayed by the convoy of transports, there was little doubt of
overtaking them. Accordingly, at daylight on the morning of the 9th,
some of the advanced ships were close up with their convoy under
Dominique, while their men-of-war seemed much scattered: fourteen of
the latter were between Dominique and the Saints, with a breeze from
east-north-east; but the rest were becalmed under the land about St.
Rupert's Bay, and one ship was observed at some distance in the
north-west.
About half-past seven, the van division, commanded by Sir Samuel Hood,
got the breeze; while the centre and rear, in which was the Russell,
continued to be becalmed. This of course caused a separation, but did
not deter Sir Samuel Hood from advancing, although he had only eight
ships to fourteen of the enemy. In the mean time, the French ship seen
in the north-west, which had got the breeze, boldly stood on and
weathered the Alfred, the van-ship of Sir Samuel Hood's division,
which bore up to allow her to pass; and, no signal having been made to
engage, not a shot was fired.
At nine o'clock the action began, and was maintained with determined
bravery for upwards of an hour, the enemy's ships which had the breeze
having borne down upon and engaged this division; the Barfleur and
others had, at times, three to one opposed to them; and in this attack
there can be but one opinion, that the Comte de Grasse displayed great
professional ability. At length the leading ships of the centre got up
with the enemy's rear, and were followed by the Duke, Formidable, and
Namur; the Arrogant lost her main-top-mast, as well as the Royal Oak.
The rear squadron, commanded by Admiral Drake, now came up, and the
Comte de Grasse prudently hauled his wind; and as his ships sailed
better than the English, he succeeded in gradually drawing off, and by
half-past one his fleet were all out of the reach of shot.
Captain Bayne, of the Alfred, lost his life in this his sixth
encounter with the enemy; and it is said that he bled to death after
his leg was shot off, before he was carried to the cockpit.
In the action of this day the Russell had only a small share, as she
belonged to the rear division of the fleet, and, being becalmed, could
not get up until the enemy had hauled off. The Royal Oak, Montagu, and
Alfred were the ships which suffered most, but not so much as to
prevent their being repaired at sea; while two of the enemy's ships
were so materially disabled as to oblige them to bear up for
Guadaloupe. The necessary repairs of these ships were not completed
before the 11th, during which time the enemy, by carrying a great
press of sail, had gained so far to windward as to weather the Saints,
and were nearly hull down; and, as it was supposed that the Comte de
Grasse meant to abandon to their fate two of his ships of the line
that had been so much damaged in the late action as not to be able to
keep company, all hope of being able to come up with them seemed now
to vanish.
In the mean time the line had been inverted, which brought
Rear-admiral Drake's division in the van, and that of Rear-admiral
Hood, which had been engaged, in the rear. The signal having been made
for a general chase, the two ships above mentioned would have been cut
off, had not De Grasse been induced to bear down to their relief. This
brought the enemy so far to leeward, that the hope of forcing them to
engage was revived.
As soon as the commander-in-chief saw that the enemy's fleet was
sufficiently to leeward, he recalled the chasing ships, formed a close
line of battle, and carried sail to windward all night; during which
the French line-of-battle ship Le Zele, whether from injuries received
in action, or in running foul of another ship, lost her bowsprit and
fore-mast, and at daylight on the morning of the 12th was seen in tow
of a frigate, both carrying all the sail they could, and steering for
Basseterre. Sir Samuel Hood being in the rear, and consequently
nearest these ships, was directed to detach some of his division in
chase of them; and the Comte de Grasse, seeing that they must be
inevitably taken, bore up with his whole fleet for their protection.
It was now impossible to avoid an action.
The ships which had been recalled from chase resumed their stations,
and a close line ahead was formed on the starboard tack, the enemy
being on the larboard. Having hauled their wind after they had
perceived the chasing ships recalled, they thus endeavoured to avoid
an action; but the English fleet could now fetch near the body of the
French. At half-past seven, therefore, the engagement began by Admiral
Drake's division, led by the Marlborough and Arrogant, fetching the
fifth ship from the van, and bearing up in succession. The Honourable
Hugh Lindsay, who was a midshipman in the Arrogant, informed us that
in that part, and in the whole of the action, the enemy fired so high,
that the three _trucks_ of the Princessa's mast-heads were shot away,
and the consequence was that very few men were killed or wounded. The
Duke lost her main-top-mast, as she approached the centre of the
enemy's fleet.
At half-past nine the action became general: Admiral Drake's division,
in which was the Russell, had now passed the rear of the enemy on the
opposite tack; and Captain Thompson, of the America, seeing that he
could fetch to windward of the enemy's line, wore without waiting for
the anxiously-expected signal, as did also the Russell; and we have
reason to know that Captain Saumarez rejoiced at this circumstance.
Captain Thompson, being an experienced officer and second in command,
gave a sufficient authority to any other officer to follow his
motions, and they now stood to the southward. The America, however,
did not continue long on that tack, and the Russell was consequently
separated from her and the whole division; as the signals to tack, and
soon after to wear, were not made and put in execution for an hour
afterwards by Sir Francis Drake, who was then considerably to the
northward.
In the mean time the Russell continued, and got up with the rear ship
of the enemy's centre division about eleven o'clock, with which she
exchanged broadsides. At noon, the wind, which was very light, changed
to the south, throwing both fleets into confusion; but this gave Sir
George Rodney, and three of the centre division, an opportunity of
passing through an opening it occasioned in the enemy's line, and
doubling on its rear division: all their attempts to form again were
in vain; the enemy's van could never come into action. After this, the
remainder of the day was spent in desultory actions of single ships,
without regard to the motions of each other; the signals to chase and
for close action being visible only at intervals.
It is here unnecessary to give a particular account of the events
which took place on this memorable day, or to allude to those
circumstances which have been so fruitful in controversy; more
especially as Rodney's public letter, and other official records, will
be found in the Appendix to this volume. We shall, therefore, confine
our observations to the positions and conduct of the Russell,
commanded by Captain Saumarez.
The Russell was the only ship belonging to the van (Admiral Drake's)
division, which had wore and continued her course soon after she had
passed the rear of the enemy. By standing to the southward again,
Captain Saumarez brought his ship into action, but to _windward_ of
the enemy; and, at the time the wind shifted to the southward, Sir
George Rodney, in passing through the enemy's fleet, was surprised to
find an English ship to _windward_ of the French. Having ascertained
it was the Russell, he declared emphatically that the captain had
distinguished himself more than any officer in the fleet.[4] By this
favourable position, which he had thus gallantly obtained, after
receiving the more distant fire of several of the enemy's ships, about
three o'clock he was able to come up with and closely engage a French
seventy-four, and after exchanging broadsides with three others,
pushed up to the Ville de Paris, and after raking her, having
maintained a position on the lee quarter, poured in a most destructive
fire, until the Barfleur, Sir Samuel Hood's flag-ship, came up.
[4] Ralfe's Naval Biography, Vol. ii. p. 378.
Sir Gilbert Blane, in his account of this period of the battle, says:
"It was late in the day when the Ville de Paris struck her colours:
the ships immediately engaged with her at that moment were the
Barfleur, the flag-ship of Sir Samuel Hood, and the Russell, commanded
by Captain Saumarez. The Formidable (in which was Sir Gilbert) was
right astern, and, having come within shot, was yawing in order to
give the enemy a raking broadside, when Sir Charles Douglas and I
standing together on the quarter-deck, the position of our ship opened
a view of the enemy's stern between the foresail and the jib-boom,
through which we saw the French flag hauled down." This fact has not
been generally stated.
But the anecdote which we are now about to relate, must remove every
doubt on the subject. In the autumn of 1808, when the Baltic fleet,
under command of Vice-admiral Sir James Saumarez, returned from the
Gulf of Finland, in company with the Swedish fleet, to the harbour of
Carlscrona, the Swedish commander-in-chief, Admiral Palmquist,
Rear-admiral Nauckhoff, Commodore Blessing, Captain Tornquist, and
others, came on board the flag-ship, Victory, to pay their respects to
the admiral: they were of course asked to take some refreshment in the
cabin: on which, as on all other occasions where an interpreter was
wanted, we were of the party. The conversation naturally turned to the
actions wherein they each had served in early life, when it appeared
that the whole of the four officers mentioned had been brought up in
the French service, and had actually been in the battle of the 12th of
April 1782. When we acquainted them that Sir James Saumarez commanded
a ship in that action, they eagerly inquired the name; and being
informed it was the Russell, Captain Tornquist, who was in the
Northumberland, rising from his chair and seizing Sir James's hand,
exclaimed, "Mon Dieu! Monsieur l'Amiral, nous avons brule le poudre
ensemble; allons boire un coup."
It is impossible to do justice to the scene which followed. The old
Swedish officer's joy at this discovery knew no bounds; they
completely "fought the battle o'er again;" and we found it distinctly
proved that it was the Russell, commanded by Captain Saumarez, which
gallantly engaged several of the enemy's ships for two hours, and at
six, P.M. pushed on to the Ville de Paris. Baron Rosenstien, who was
on board that ship, and Baron Palmquist, who was on board La Couronne
stationed next to her, declared that the Compte de Grasse, who was
then attempting to escape to leeward, would have succeeded had it not
been for the Russell. During our sojourn among the Swedes in that and
another winter, we often heard the history of that memorable battle
repeated; and they never ceased to maintain the circumstance we have
stated, of which we made a memorandum at the time.[5]
[5] See Appendix for this memorandum, and for extracts from the
Russell, Canada, and Barfleur's logs; also Captain White's
reply, and extracts of letters from Sir Lawrence Halsted and
Admiral Gifford, who were in the Canada, and Captain Knight's
letter.
We took leave on that occasion to say to Sir James, that we believed
the credit had been given to another ship; to which he replied, "Yes,
it was; but what Admiral Palmquist and Captain Tornquist has told you,
is true: it _was_ the Russell that engaged the Ville de Paris until
the Barfleur came up." But such was the extreme sensibility of
Saumarez, that he could not persuade himself to correct the error,
from an idea that such an interference might argue a desire to sound
his own praise; and, but for the circumstance we have now related, the
truth might never have come to light.
In answer to a letter from Captain Thomas White, which he sent to Lord
de Saumarez with a copy of his publication, called "Naval
Researches," written in 1836, to defend the gallant Rodney from
certain attacks and allegations which had been published, _not_ to
give a "full and perfect account of the battle, but," says Captain
White, "more particularly that part where your lordship so ably
commanded the Russell, which portion of our fleet the tongue of
calumny has never ventured to assail," Lord de Saumarez wrote the
following letter:
Guernsey, 13th June 1836.
MY DEAR SIR,
I BEG to acknowledge the receipt of your letter, accompanying
your interesting publication, which you have done me the favour
to send for my acceptance, and which has been forwarded to me by
Lord Amelius Beauclerc.
I regret that you have (inadvertently, I am persuaded) fallen
into the same error as some of your predecessors, in detailing
the account of Lord Rodney's victory of the 12th of April, by
ascribing to the Canada what is alone due to the Russell, which
ship I commanded.
I shall for your information briefly state the circumstance to
which I allude. After passing the sternmost of the enemy's
ships, the America, the ship astern of the Russell, wore to
stand after them: I was glad to have the example of an old
experienced officer, and wore also; but Captain Thompson,
finding there was no signal, shortly after wore again, to join
Sir Samuel Drake's division. I stood on, till passing a division
of four of the enemy's ships, I exchanged broadsides with them,
and finally came up with the Ville de Paris, wore under her
stern and engaged her on the quarter for some time, when the
Barfleur came up, and the Comte de Grasse hauled down his
colours.
Even at this distant period, I have a perfect recollection of
the transactions of that day. I shall only add, that I am
convinced that no officer who was on board the Canada in the
victory of the 12th of April, will assert that she was engaged
with the Ville de Paris at the time stated. The present Admiral
Giffard was, I believe, one of the lieutenants, to whom I wish
to refer you.
I am, &c.
DE SAUMAREZ.
Captain White, as well as other officers, is of opinion that Admiral
Drake's division should have tacked sooner; and, as circumstances
happened, it would doubtless have been better if he had done so; but
probably the admiral, in continuing to stand on the same tack, had
calculated that the wind would continue in the same direction, or
alter to the northward; in either case he would have weathered the
whole of the enemy's fleet, besides giving time to his division to
repair damages. The wind veering to the southward immediately after
his division had wore, had unfortunately the effect of throwing them
to leeward; whereas the Russell, which wore as above stated, was by
the same change of wind far to windward of his division and nearer the
enemy.
No sooner had the Ville de Paris struck her colours, which "went down
with the setting sun," than the Russell made sail in chase of one of
the French ships which had deserted her chief, as also did Sir Samuel
Hood; but their noble efforts were arrested by the night signal to
bring to, which put an end to the battle in that quarter: and although
Commodore Affleck in the Bedford, and three others, who did not see
the signal, continued the chase, they were unable to come up with the
enemy, who escaped to leeward in small divisions and single ships,
leaving the Ville de Paris, the Glorieux, the Hector, and Caesar, in
possession of the English.
On the morning of the 13th no enemy was in sight, and the ships which
had been in chase returned to the fleet. Admiral Rodney, with his
prizes and the fleet, remained three days under Guadaloupe to repair
damages, which afforded the flying enemy an opportunity to escape;
but, on the 19th, the Caton and Jason, of sixty-four guns each, with
the Astree and Ceres, frigates, were added to the list of prizes by
the exertions of Sir Samuel Hood, Captains Goodall, and Linzee. On the
23rd of April, Sir Samuel Hood rejoined the fleet off Tiberoon;
whereupon Sir George Rodney proceeded to Jamaica with those ships most
disabled, among which was the Russell and the prizes, leaving Sir
Samuel Hood with a strong squadron to watch the enemy, should they
venture out and attempt to prosecute their attack on Jamaica.
Nothing could be more flattering than the reception that Sir George
Rodney met with at Jamaica from the inhabitants, whose anxiety was so
suddenly supplanted by unbounded joy; and who not only found
themselves freed from the danger of invasion, but beheld the principal
commander of that overwhelming force which had caused them so much
alarm a prisoner within their harbour, and six of his principal ships
having the English colours triumphantly waving over the fleur-de-lis
of France.
It is worthy of remark that, down to this period, the Ville de Paris
was the only _first-rate_ man-of-war that had ever been taken and
carried into port by any commander of any nation! The Ville de Paris,
in the capture of which Captain Saumarez had a distinguished share,
was the largest ship in the French navy: she had been a present from
the city of Paris to Louis XV. and no expense had been spared to
render the gift worthy of the city and of the monarch. Her length was
185 feet 7-1/2 inches, her breadth 53 feet 8-1/2, depth 22 feet 2, and
2347 tons' measurement; and the expense of building her and sending
her to sea is said to have been 156,000_l._ On board her at the time
of capture were found thirty-six chests of money intended for the pay
and subsistence of the men who were to be employed in the expedition
against Jamaica; and she had on board, at the commencement of the
action on the 9th, 1,300 men: in the other captured ships, the whole
train of artillery, the battering cannon and carriages meant for the
expedition, were found.
The loss of men in the British fleet in both actions was very small,
amounting to only two hundred and thirty-seven killed, and seven
hundred and seventy-six wounded; while the loss of the French was
computed to be three thousand slain, and double that number wounded.
In the Ville de Paris alone three hundred were killed.
In the engagement on the 9th of April, the French fleet consisted of
thirty-four sail of the line, and the British of thirty-six; but in
that engagement, two of the enemy's ships having been disabled, their
numerical force was reduced in the battle of the 12th to thirty-two
sail of the line: on the other hand, the French ships were much larger
than the British; and it was calculated by Sir Charles Douglas, that
the broadside of the French fleet exceeded that of the British in
weight by 4396 pounds, and their numerical superiority in men was much
greater.
On the 13th of April, the Comte de Grasse was removed to the
flag-ship; and, some days after, when Captain Saumarez went on board
the Formidable after the action, and several times after their arrival
at Jamaica, the Comte de Grasse acknowledged that the Ville de Paris
suffered very severely from the well-directed fire of the Russell.
Among the instances of heroic submission and perseverance under the
severest suffering, may be recorded the conduct of the captain of the
main-top of the Russell, who having received a shot that carried off
one of his arms, instead of requesting the assistance of his
companions to take him below, insisted that they should continue at
their stations, and let himself down by one of the backstays. After
suffering amputation, he persisted in going again on deck, where he
remained encouraging the men till the action terminated.
On the arrival of the fleet at Jamaica, the Russell was found to be in
so disabled a state, that Sir George Rodney intended to send her home
with the Ville de Paris and the other prizes, and arrangements were
made for that purpose accordingly. His old friend, Sir Peter Parker,
who had held the command at Jamaica, sailed in the Sandwich, on board
which ship was the Comte de Grasse, for England, with a convoy of
merchant-ships. After having been at sea three days, the Ajax, one of
the ships under his command, sprang a leak, returned to Bluefields
Bay, and the Russell was ordered to follow the fleet in her stead. The
exertions which Captain Saumarez used to refit his ship obtained the
commander-in-chief's highest approbation. In two days he was ready,
and immediately joined the Sandwich and Intrepid, which now sailed
with the trade under convoy, and preceded the prizes, which were not
yet ready to undertake the voyage to England; and it was owing to
this interposition of Providence, that the Russell escaped the
melancholy fate which afterwards befel the unfortunate fleet, in which
the ill-fated Ville de Paris was lost with all her crew. The Russell
had on board three hundred French prisoners and twenty-two officers,
and arrived at the Downs on the 29th July 1782. She was ordered to be
paid off at Chatham, to which port she proceeded. On her arrival
there, an order came from the Admiralty to draft her crew into a ship
which was under order to sail for the East Indies. This excited a
general murmur, and at length the men refused to obey. On Captain
Saumarez being informed of it, he went on board and remonstrated, when
they unanimously declared that, although they had but just returned
from a long voyage, they would follow him all the world over. Before
he left the ship, however, he prevailed on them to resume their duty;
and these orders were subsequently altered. After returning her
stores, the Russell was paid off on the 24th of September. Captain
Saumarez' acting commission as a post-captain, dated on the 8th of
February 1782, was confirmed by Earl Howe; and no officer in his
Majesty's service more richly deserved his promotion.