Footnote 21:[ (return) ]
The Secretary of Lloyd's, for the purposes of this work, has been so good as to cause to be specially compiled a summary of the losses and captures during the period 1775-1783. This, so far as it deals with merchantmen and privateers, gives the following results.
British Vessels Enemy's Vessels Merchantmen Privateers Merchantmen Privateers Taken[22] Re-taken or Ransomed Taken[22] Re-taken or Ransomed Taken[22] Re-taken or Ransomed Taken[22] Re-taken or Ransomed 1775 — — — — — — — — 1776 229 51 — — 19 — 6 — 1777 331 52 — — 51 1 18 — 1778 359 87 5 — 232 5 16 — 1779 487 106 29 5 238 5 31 — 1780 581 260 15 2 203 3 34 1 1781 587 211 38 6 277 10 40 — 1782 415 99 1 — 104 1 68 — 1783 98 13 1 1 11 2 3 —
| British Vessels | Enemy's Vessels | |||||||
| Merchantmen | Privateers | Merchantmen | Privateers | |||||
| Taken[22] | Re-taken or Ransomed | Taken[22] | Re-taken or Ransomed | Taken[22] | Re-taken or Ransomed | Taken[22] | Re-taken or Ransomed | |
| 1775 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1776 | 229 | 51 | — | — | 19 | — | 6 | — |
| 1777 | 331 | 52 | — | — | 51 | 1 | 18 | — |
| 1778 | 359 | 87 | 5 | — | 232 | 5 | 16 | — |
| 1779 | 487 | 106 | 29 | 5 | 238 | 5 | 31 | — |
| 1780 | 581 | 260 | 15 | 2 | 203 | 3 | 34 | 1 |
| 1781 | 587 | 211 | 38 | 6 | 277 | 10 | 40 | — |
| 1782 | 415 | 99 | 1 | — | 104 | 1 | 68 | — |
| 1783 | 98 | 13 | 1 | 1 | 11 | 2 | 3 | — |
Footnote 22:[ (return) ]
Including those re-taken or ransomed. W.L.C.
Footnote 23:[ (return) ]
A spring is a rope taken usually from the quarter (one side of the stern) of a ship, to the anchor. By hauling upon it the battery is turned in the direction desired.
Footnote 24:[ (return) ]
The leader, the Leviathan, was excepted, evidently because she lay under the Hook, and her guns could not bear down channel. She was not a fighting ship of the squadron, but an armed storeship, although originally a ship of war, and therefore by her thickness of side better fitted for defence than an ordinary merchant vessel. Placing her seems to have been an afterthought, to close the gap in the line, and prevent even the possibility of the enemy's ships turning in there and doubling on the van. Thus Howe avoided the fatal oversight made by Brueys twenty years later, in Aboukir Bay.
Footnote 25:[ (return) ]
It may be recalled that a similar disposition was made by the Confederates at Mobile against Farragut's attack in 1864, and that it was from these small vessels that his flagship Hartford underwent her severest loss. To sailing ships the odds were greater, as injury to spars might involve stoppage. Moreover, Howe's arrangements brought into such fire all his heavier ships.
Footnote 26:[ (return) ]
A letter to the Admiralty, dated October 8th, 1779, from Vice-Admiral Marriot Arbuthnot, then commander-in-chief at New York, states that "at spring tides there is generally thirty feet of water on the bar at high water."
Footnote 27:[ (return) ]
These four ships were among the smallest of the fleet, being one 74, two 64's, and a 50. D'Estaing very properly reserved his heaviest ships to force the main channel.
Footnote 28:[ (return) ]
Flora, 32; Juno, 32; Lark, 32; Orpheus, 32; Falcon, 16.
Footnote 29:[ (return) ]
I have not been able to find an exact statement of the number; Beatson gives eight regiments, with a reinforcement of five battalions.