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1778, dition in which they were engaged. They urged d'Eftaing to return with his fleet into Newport harbour. He was apparently inclined to a compliance: but all the captains and principal officers on board were rather unfriendly to him. He being a land officer, they thought it an affront to their understandings, and a piece of injustice done to their merits and fervices to have him appointed to the command over their heads. They therefore croffed him in every measure, that looked like giving him any kind of reputation, in order if poffible to bring him into difgrace. His inftructions from the court of France were to go to Boston, if the fleet met with any misfortune, or if there appeared a fuperior British fleet upon the coaft. The count had met with a misfortune, the Cæfar which had steered for Boston was miffing, and a fuperior British fleet was expected. All the officers infifted upon his following the inftructions, and entered into a formal protest against profecuting the expedition any further. About twelve o'clock at night of the 21st, Greene and the marquis returned, and made a report of what had paffed. The next day letters went on board from gens. Sullivan and Hancock; as alfo a protest dated-Camp before Newport, Aug. 22, 1778-and figned by John Sullivan, N. Greene, John Hancock, J. Glover, Ezek. Cornell, Wm. Whipple, John Tyler, Solomon Lovell, Jon. Fitconel. They protefted in a folemn manner against the count's taking the fleet to Bofton, as derogatory to the honor of France, contrary to the intention of his moft Chriftian majefty and the intereft of his nation, and deftructive in the higheft degree to the welfare of the United States of America, and highly injurious to the alliance formed between the

two nations. One of the reafons affigned for the proteft 1778. was, that the army and ftores collected for the reduction of the island would be liable to be loft, by an op

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portunity's being given to the enemy to cut off the communication with the main, and totally to prevent the retreat of the army. The best apology that can be made for this proteft is, that it was defigned as a fineffe to induce the captains of the French fleet to confent to its returning into the harbour of Newport. But it had not this effect, and met with a fpirited answer from the count, who failed on the fame day for Bofton. Sullivan was fo chagrined at the departure of the fleet, that contrary to all found policy, he gave out in general orders on the 24th" The general cannot help lamenting the fudden and unexpected departure of the French fleet, as he finds it has a tendency to difcourage fome who placed great dependence upon the affiftance of it, though he can by no means fuppofe the army or any part of it endangered by this movement. He yet hopes the event will prove America able to procure that by her own arms, which her allies refuse to affift in obtaining." Two days after, in new orders, he endeavoured to fmooth off the reflection contained in it, by declaring he meant not to infinuate that the departure of the French fleet was owing to a fixt determination not to affift in the enterprise, and would not wish to give the leaft colour to ungenerous and illiberal minds to make fuch unfair interpretations. Count d'Eftaing, when arrived in Bofton port, wrote to congrefs on the 26th, and in his letter mentioned the embarrassments of the king's fquadron as well on account of water as provifions, how his hopes were deceived with regard to these two articles,

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1778. which increased to a violent tempeft, and continued for near 48 hours, put by the engagement. Two of the French fhips were difmafted, and others much damaged. The Languedoc of 90 guns, d'Eftaing's own ship, lost her rudder and all her mafts; and was met in that condition on the evening of the 13th, by the Renown of 50 guns. Capt. Dawfon bore down without hoifting colours. The count ordered capt. Caleb Gardner, who was on board as a pilot, to hail him, that he might know what ship it was. Dawson made no anfwer, but ran with a full fail and fair wind till he was under the stern of the Languedoc, then hoifted English colours, fired in great and small fhot, and musketry, and failed off. The Languedoc upon that fired two chace guns after him, when he never attempted to approach her The fame evening the Prefton of 50 guns, commodore Hotham, fell in with the Tonant of 80 guns, with only her main-mast standing, and attacked her with fpirit, but night put an end to the engagement. The junction of fix fail of the French fquadron, prevented Aug. all further attempts upon their two difabled fhips, by the 16. Renown and Prefton the next morning. On the 16th, the Ifis of 50 guns, capt. Raynor, was chaced by the Cæfar, capt. Bougainville, a French 74 gun. Neither had suffered in the tempeft. A close and defperate engagement was maintained on both fides, with the greatest obftinacy, for an hour and a half, within piftol fhot. The Cæfar at length put before the wind and failed off, the captain having loft his arm, the lieutenant his leg, a number of men being killed and wounded, and the ship confiderably damaged. The Ifis had fuffered fo in her

mafts and rigging, that fhe could not attempt a pur-1778.

fuit.

The troops under gen. Sullivan now demand our attention. When they had landed, they poffeffed themfelves of the heights near the north end of the island. They fuffered no less than the fhips by the tempeft. The wind blew most violently, attended with a flood of rain through the whole day of the 12th, and increased fo at night, that not a marquee or tent could stand: feveral of the foldiers perished by the feverity of the ftorm, many horses died, the greatest part of the ammunition delivered to the troops was damaged, and the condition of the army was deplorable. On the 14th, the ftorm was over, and the weather clear and fine. The garrison having enjoyed better accommodations and greater security than the Americans, Sir Robert Pigot had a fair opportunity of attacking the latter while difpirited and worn down by the painful fcenes from which they had just emerged. Gen. Greene and fome British officers are of opinion, that a bold and vigorous onfet under thefe circumstances would have been highly proper and fuccefsful. But as nothing of this kind happened, the day was spent by the Americans in drying their clothes, &c. and getting in order for an advance. The next morning they marched at fix o'clock, and took post about two miles from the British lines. By the 20th 20. they had opened two four gun batteries; but their approaches were flow. About two o'clock in the afternoon the French fleet was discovered standing for Newport. At feven gen. Greene and the marquis de la Fayette went on board the Languedoc, to confult upon meafures proper to be purfued for the fuccefs of the expe

1778, dition in which they were engaged. They urged d'Eftaing to return with his fleet into Newport harbour. He was apparently inclined to a compliance: but all the captains and principal officers on board were rather unfriendly to him. He being a land officer, they thought it an affront to their understandings, and a piece of injustice done to their merits and services to have him appointed to the command over their heads. They therefore croffed him in every measure, that looked like giving him any kind of reputation, in order if poffible to bring him into difgrace. His inftructions from the court of France were to go to Bofton, if the fleet met with any misfortune, or if there appeared a fuperior British fleet upon the coaft. The count had met with a misfortune, the Cæfar which had fteered for Bofton was miffing, and a fuperior British fleet was expected. All the officers infifted upon his following the inftructions, and entered into a formal proteft against profecuting the expedition any further. About twelve o'clock at night of the 21st,. Greene and the marquis returned, and made a report of what had paffed. The next day letters went on board from gens. Sullivan and Hancock; as alfo a proteft dated-Camp before Newport, Aug. 22, 1778-and figned by John Sullivan, N. Greene, John Hancock, J. Glover, Ezek. Cornell, Wm. Whipple, John Tyler, Solomon Lovell, Jon. Fitconel. They protefted in a folemn manner against the count's taking the fleet to Bofton, as derogatory to the honor of France, contrary to the intention of his moft Chriftian majefty and the intereft of his nation, and destructive in the higheft degree to the welfare of the United States of America, and highly injurious to the alliance formed between the

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