LORD HOWE’S NAVAL VICTORY, ETC.
About the middle of April, the ships composing the Channel fleet, commanded by Lord Howe, assembled at St. Helen’s. It consisted of thirty-two sail of the line and nine frigates; but six of the ships of the line and four frigates were detached under Rear Admiral Montague, to escort some outward-bound convoys off Cape Finisterre. With the remainder of the fleet Lord Howe proceeded to Ushant, to look after the Brest fleet and a French convoy which were expected to arrive from America and the West Indian Islands. The French convoy escaped Howe’s vigilance, and arrived safely in the French ports; but he caught sight of the French fleet on the 28th of May, and on the evening of that day he attacked a part of their line. As it grew dark the firing ceased; but the two fleets kept within sight of each other until the 1st of June, when they came to a regular engagement. In the size of their vessels, in the aggregate number of their guns, and in the weight of metal, the French had a considerable superiority; and they had also twenty-six ships of the line, while, at the time of the engagement, Lord Howe had twenty-five—one, the “Audacious,” having separated, on the 28th, in a shattered condition. Lord Howe, however, having discovered the French early on the morning of the 1st of June, about three or four miles to leeward, in order of battle, immediately stood towards them. At about seven in the morning, he was abreast of them, and then he wore to the larboard tack, the French awaiting his approach in the same position. The signal for action was made about half-past eight o’clock, orders having previously been given for the fleet to close, to pass through the French line, and engage them to leeward, van to van, rear to roar, every ship engaging her opposite in the enemy’s line. Some of the ships, as the “Defence,” the “Marlborough,” the “Royal George,” the “Queen,” the “Brunswick,” and the “Nott,” were enabled thus to engage the enemy; but the far greater part of them engaged their adversaries to windward, thus enabling the French, when defeated, to get off before the wind. Howe’s own ship engaged that of Villaret Joyeuse, the French admiral; and these two opened their fire a little after nine o’clock, and at nearly the same time the action became general in the centre. Villaret Joyeuse’s ship mounted 120 guns, and it was so lofty that it frequently waved its ensign over the quarter-deck of the “Queen Charlotte.” But it was soon discovered that the French could not withstand that close fighting; after having manfully fought for about an hour, Villaret Joyeuse gave way, and stood off to the northward, followed by all his ships that could carry sail. Ten of them were left behind almost totally dismasted, and nearly surrounded by the English; and seven of these fell into the hands of the victors. One of them had received so many shots between wind and water, that she filled and went down almost as soon as the English flag was hoisted on her. After securing the other six, Lord Howe made the signal for his fleet to close round him, with the intention of again attacking Villaret Joyeuse, if he should attempt to retrieve the fortune of the day; but the French admiral thought of nothing but of securing his retreat. On the side of the English the number of killed was 279, and of wounded 877; while in the six captured ships alone the killed were 690, and the wounded 580. More than 300 were supposed to have gone clown in the ship which sunk, and the number of prisoners removed is stated at 2,300. On board the French fleet was Jean Bon Saint André, the friend and creature of Robespierre; and he was there on commission, to remind every officer and man of the guillotine, and of the duty he owed to the republic. Jean Bon Saint André wished himself ashore as soon as the battle commenced; and, in bold defiance of facts which had been witnessed by many thousands of individuals, he declared, in his report to the convention, that the English had thirty-six ships of the line; that the battle lasted from ten in the morning to three in the afternoon; and that the English, after having seen several of their ships sunk, finally sheered off with all the sail they could carry. Barrère, the reporter and oracle of the committee of public safety, even outstripped Bon Saint André in the strength of lying and power of invention: he amused the national convention with an account of the victory of the republican fleet, far more fabulous than the commissioner’s. Some of his statements, gross and unfounded as they were, have even been adopted by historians; especially by those who give credit to French writers. Thus Barrère asserted, that the republicans on board the ship which sunk soon after the English flag was hoisted on her, refused, to a man, to seek safety by surrendering, fought their lower-deck guns till the water reached them, and, having hoisted every flag, pennant, and streamer, went down with her, shouting Vive la Republique! Vive la France! and that the last thing which disappeared beneath the waves was the tri-coloured flag. This splendid fiction, or, more properly speaking, gross falsehood, was seized upon by poets and painters of every grade of genius; poems and pictures on it appearing in great abundance. But the very reverse of all this was the fact. Instead of challenging certain death and glorying in their fate, the crew of the ship in question, the “Vengeur,” who had fought bravely, substituted the British union-jack for the republican ensign, and spread themselves over the sides and rigging of the ship, stretching out their hands to their enemies, and imploring assistance. Some of them were saved; but the crowds which attempted to spring into each boat threatening those who came to their assistance, as well as themselves, with destruction, checked the compassionate zeal of their conquerors, and compelled them to leave the poor wretches to their fate. Yet there were two exceptions: two French officers betrayed no anxiety to avail themselves of any means of safety, but continued walking up and down the stern-gallery, apparently engaged in conversation, until the ship, having admitted the water into her ports, was engulfed.
Lord Howe’s fleet put to sea again on the 3rd of September. It then consisted of thirty-seven sail of the line and seven frigates; added to which were five ships of the line, and three frigates furnished by the king of Portugal. The French fleet was then in Brest harbour, out of which it did not venture to appear till Howe had returned to port; and then it commenced a cruise, which ended in the loss of five of their ships of line, by storms and accidents. During this year and the preceding there were numerous contests between small squadrons and frigates, and, in general, the superiority of the English, as sailors and combatants on their own element, was maintained. These engagements took place in the Channel, on the coast of France, in the Mediterranean and Archipelago, and in the East and West Indies. In the whole of this year the British lost only one ship of the line; and this ship, the “Alexander,” did not surrender, until she had sustained the assault of three French ships of the line for two hours. The spirit which the British seamen displayed, indeed, at the commencement of this momentous struggle, gave fair hopes of a successful issue.
GEORGE III. 1794-1795