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the inhabitants from plunder and ruin, entered into a capitulation, which was soon concluded. The terms were the most moderate that could be conceived; the marquis, out of his great humanity, having nearly agreed, without discussion or reserve, to every condition proposed in favor of the people, whose only change was that of sovereignty. The smallest disorder or pillage was not permitted; and the marquis, in lieu of plunder, rewarded the soldiers and volunteers with a considerable gratuity in ready money. His stay was short: he left a garrison of 1500 men behind him, who with the strength of the works, and the -powerful artillery in their hands, will be able to defend Dominica efectually. We are in expectation of hearing soon of count d'Estaing's operations..

An embargo having been laid in the southern states on the exportation of grain and flour to these eastern ones, occasioned a scarcity of bread at Boston. What from drought the last summer, a blight on the rye, the neglect oftillage by the husbandman's being called off to the army, and divers other causes, the inhabitants of the farming towns could not afford a sufficient supply to the sea-ports, these have fitted out a number of cruisers, which in some instances have procured a temporary relief: but “the trade and harbours upon the Massachusetts coast have been left in such an unguarded and defenceless situation, that where the Bay-men have taken one vessel from the enemy, their small privateers out of New-York have taken ten from them."*. The last month the Bostonians were in great distress for want of flour; but the other day [April 12.] a cargo of it happily arrived from -Baltimore. The Massachusetts nouse of assembly, judging it absolutely necessary that so the army might be kept together, have engaged to make good the wages of the officers and soldiers raised in this state, at the close of the contest, provided it is not done by congress.

The Malachulette council,

LETTER

LETTER

XV.

Rotterdam, May 14, 1779.

FRIEND G.

THE present letter shall begin with what was a chief subject in the former-our British admiral Keppel. When he returned to Plymouth, he experienced the benefit arising from temperate conduct. Unanimity prevailed among the officers, and every exertion was made in refitting the ships: so that he sailed on his second cruise the 24th of August, and kept the sea as long as the approaching winter would admit. The French fleet lest Brest a week before; but steered to the southward, and amused themselves about Cape Finisterre; thus their own coasts and the bay were abandoned to the British, who were in vain endeav ouring to obtain intelligence of them. The French commerce now became a prey to the British cruisers, in a degree which few former wars had equalled for the time, while the trade of Bri tain arrived in a state of security, scarcely exceeded by that of peace.

The reception which admiral Keppel met with on his return from sea, both at court and at the admiralty, equalled his most sanguine expectations. An attempt, however was made on his .character from an unexpected quarter. Sir Hugh Palliser, on the 9th of December, preferred to the lords of the admiralty articles of accusation against him, or offences supposed to have been committed on the 27th of the preceding July, after having withheld them near five months. A few hours after the charges were laid, the admiralty, without further inquiry, seat him notice to prepare for his trial. Sir Hugh mentioning in the house of commons, his having demanded a court-martial on admiral Keppel had the notification to hear his conduct in so doing, and also in publishing, a month before, in the newspapers, a vindication of his own behaviour on the 27th of July, openly and without reserve condemned by every gentleman, of whatever side or party, who spoke on the occasion. The admiral's trial commenced at Portsmouth on the 7th of January, 1779.-He gave notice to the admiralty, that he might find it useful to his defence to produce his instructions. The admiralty communicated to him his majesty's pleasure, and informed him, that they could not consent that the same should be laid before his counsel, or be produced at the court-martial. Being willing to run

every hazard for the benefit of the state, he neither produced them to his counsel, nor communicated their contents. His trial was not closed till the 11th of February; when the court acquitted him of every charge in the fullest, clearest and most honorable terms; further declaring that he had behaved as became a judicious, brave and experienced officer. They marked the conduct of his accuser, in the body of the sentence, by declaring" that the charge was malicious and ill-founded." The sentence was a matter of notoriety the next day at Westminster, when it was carried in the house of commons, with only one dissenting voice, "That the thanks of this house be given to admiral Augustus Keppel, &c. for his having gloriously upheld the honor of the British flag on the 27th and 28th of July.”The thanks of the lords in nearly the same terms, were agreed to, four days after. Public and unusual rejoicings, in various and remote parts of the kingdom, succeeded the sentence. The illuminations in London and Westminster, were such as have scarcely been exceeded upon any occasion. Sir Hugh Palliser having become the object of general odium, resigned his seat at the admiralty board, his lieutenant-generalship of the marines, and his government of Scarborough castle: he also vacated his seat in parliament, and only retained his vice-admitalship, as a qualification for his trial by a court-martial, which was ordered to be held upon him. The same began on the twelfth of April, and closed the 5th of May, the court having, after two days deliberation, agreed upon their sentence. They gave it as their opinion, that his conduct and behaviour, on the 27th and 28th of July, were, in many respects, highly exemplary and meritorious; at the same time they could not help thinking it was incumbent upon him to have made known to the commander in chief the disabled state of his ship the Formidable. Notwithstanding his omission in that particular, the court were of opinion, that he was not, in any other respect, chargeable with misconduct or misbehaviour on those days, and therefore acquitted him.

Lord Shuldam and commodore Rowley sailed from Spithead, last December the 25th, with their respective squadrons and a convoy of near 300 sail. His lordship returned after seeing the West-India and New-York fleets safe to the distance of 226 leagues from the Lizard; and the commodore proceeded on his voyage to reinforce admiral Byron. On the 8th of March, admiral Hughes, with six ships of the line under his command, having the East and West-India flects under convoy, sailed from St. Helen's for the East-Indies, accompained by several other

men.

men of war, some in different services, and others to return after attending the merchantmen to a certain latitude.

The following accounts have been received from the WestIndies.

[1778.] While the marquis de Bouille was engaged in re ducing Dominica, admiral Barrington, with two ships of the line and some fiigates, lay at Barbadoes, waiting merely for in structions which he had been ordered to expect at that place, and which were not yet arrived. It was the French declaration of war, published at Martinico, that first informed him of hostilities. The loss of two of Sir Peter Parker's frigates, taken by the French on the coast of Hispaniola, proved also the earliest mean of conveying intelligence to that admiral, as well as to the government of Jamaica, where he was stationed, that a war had actually commenced..

No sooner did admiral Barrington receive information of the invasion of Dominica, than he despensed with the violation of his orders, and proceeded to its intended relief. He was too. late, as the conquest was but the work of a day; his small squadron, however, removed the panic which had spead through the neighboring islands, and effectually curbed the further enterprises of the enemy.

Count d'Estaing sailed from Boston, and commodore Hotham with the troops under gen. Grant from Sandy Hook, each on the same day for the West-Indies. Both fleets were equally involved in a gale of wind while on their passage. The French. were greatly dispersed, which probably saved the British convoy from the danger of encountering an unequal force, steered unknown to the commodore the like course with himself. The relative situation of the fleets was a secret to both commanders; but they were so near on the 28th of November, that a British brigantine with four horses, fell into the hands of d'Estaing.The commodore's fleet was the most numerous; but he had the -skill and happiness of keeping them together during the gale, and of getting the start of the count, so as to arrive without any other loss than that of the brigs at Barbadoes, where he joined. admiral Barrington on the 10th of December..

An expedition for the reduction of St. Lucie, was immediate-ly undertaken without suffering the troops to land. Within two days they sailed for the island; and the reserve of the army, consisting of the 5th regiment, with the grenadiers and light-infantry of the whole, under gen. Meadows, landed at the grand Cul de Sac on the 13th in the evening. That officer immediately pushed forward with his detachment, to the heights on the north side of the bay, which were occupied by the French comman

dant

dant with the regular forces and militia. These posts he soon forced. While this was doing, gen. Prescot landed, with five regiments, with which he guarded the environs of the bay, and pushed on advanced posts, so as to preserve a communication during the night with the reserve. When morning appeared, the reserve, supported by Prescot, advanced and took possession of the small capital of Morne Fortune. The chevalier de Micaud made what defence he was able, but was compelled by the superiority of force, to retire from one post to another, as the British pressed forward. Prescot took possession of the batteries and posts in the rear of the reserve as they advanced. Meadows pushed forward under the heat of a burning sun, and possessed himself of the Viergie, which commanded the north side of the Careenage harbour; and Sir Henry Calder, with the four remaining battalions, guarded the landing place, kept up the communication with the fleet, and sent detachments to occupy scveral posts on the mountains, which looked down upon and commanded the south side of the grand Cul de Sac.

The last French flag on those posts which were in sight among the neighboring hills, was scarcely struck when count d'Estaing appeared in view of the fleet and army, with a prodi gious force. Beside his original squadron of twelve ships of the line, he was accompanied by a numerous fleet of frigates, privateers and transports, with a land force estimated at 9000 mens The count intended the reduction of Barbadoes, the Grenades and St. Vincents. In his way to the first, where he expected to have found Barrington with only two line of battle ships and a few frigates, he received intelligence of the attack on St. Lucie, which he might consider as a circumstance that seemed to throw the whole British force by sea and land, an easy prey into his hands. In all human probability, this must have been the inevitable event, had he arrived twenty-four hours sooner; but the day being far advanced, he deferred his operations till the ensuing morning. During the night adm. Barrington exerted all his power in getting the transports warped into the bottom of the bay, to be as remote from danger as possible, and the ships of war brought in their respective stations, so as to form a line effectually to cover its entrance, which was still further secured by a battery on the southern, and another on the northern opposite points of land. His force consisted of a 74, a 70, two 64, and two 50 gun ships, beside 3 frigates. In the morning [Dec. 15.] the count stood in with his whole fleet for the Careenage, apprehending that the British had not possession of that part of the island. A well directed fire which his own ship received from one of those batteries that had so lately changed masters, con

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