Abbildungen der Seite
PDF
EPUB

166

Certain advices were received of his having joined the 1779. Spanish fleet, upon the 24th of June. Before the junction, though not its apparent certainty, a manifefto was June presented by the marquis d'Almodovar, the Spanish ambaffador, accompanied with the notice of his immediate departure. The manifefto established this fact, that Spain had taken a decided part with France and America against Great Britain. It coft the court of Versailles great pains to goad the catholic king's minifters to a decided refolution in the councils of Madrid; and after all, it has been faid by a refpectable authority, "That there had been no declaration from Spain, if the English fleet had been at fea," in force and in feason to have prevented the junction, which was regarded as that on which the very falvation of France depended. The fpirits of the French were as drooping as can be well conceived, till they had heard of that event, and of the arrival of the two reinforcements forwarded to count d'Estaing *.

When the Spanish ambaffador once knew that d'Orvilliers failed on the 4th of June, and that the British grand fleet remained at Spithead on the 14th, he must affure himself, that the junction of the French and Spanish ones would take place, and could not be prevented by the other; and that therefore he might proceed without any demur to deliver the manifefto. This event will, moft probably, be more favorable in the iffue to the American states, than fuccefs in the Spanish mediation on the terms his catholic majefty proposed, which were-That the two crowns of Great Britain and France fhould difarm and agree to a univerfal fufpenfion

* Political Memoirs.

1779 of hoftilities;-That the plenipotentiaries of both should meet at an appointed place to fettle their refpective differences;-That a like fufpenfion fhould be granted by Great Britain to the American colonies [as they were ftiled] which should not be broken, without giving to his catholic majefty an anticipated notice of one year, that he might communicate it to the faid American provinces; and that there fhould be a reciprocal difarming and a regulation of the limits not to be paffed by either, as to the places they might refpectively occupy at the time of ratifying this adjustment ;-That there fhould come to Madrid one or more commiffioners of the colonies and of his Britannic majefty, to agree in fettling the preceding particulars and others relative to the firmness of the faid fufpenfion, and that, in the mean time, the colonies fhould be treated as independent in acting The contents of the manifefto were laid before both houses of parliament the day after its being presented, and were accompanied with a message from the king. They both concurred unanimously in refolving to fupport with spirit and vigor the war against the house of Bourbon. An anfwer was tranfmitted by his majesty's fecretary, lord Weymouth, to the marquis d'Almodovar, dated July 13th, ten days after the rifing of parliament. This anfwer was received when a ftate-paper was nearly printed off at Madrid, and which related the motives that induced the Spanish monarch to withdraw his ambaffador, and act hoftilely against Great Britain. This paper afferts, that the British miniftry, while they rejected the propofals made by Spain, were infinuating themselves at the court of France by means of fecret emiffaries, and making great offers to her to abandon the

July

13.

colonies, and to make a peace with Britain; and at the fame time were treating, by means of another emiffary with Dr. Franklin, to whom they made various propofals to difunite them from France, and to accommodate matters with Britain, not only holding out conditions fimilar to those which they had rejected, when coming through his catholic majefty, but including offers much more favorable to the Americans.

1779

Count d'Orvilliers having received inftruction, fteered with the combined fleets, amounting to 66 fhips of the line, for Plymouth. The coafts of Normandy and Brittany, being at the fame time crowded with troops, and the ports in the bay and channel with fhipping, exhibited the appearance of an intended invasion of England or Ireland. D'Orvilliers paffed Sir Charles Hardy, who was cruifing in the bay with near 40 fhips of the line, (having failed from Spithead the day on which the Spanish manifefto was prefented) without their having the least knowledge of each other. He appeared off Aug. Plymouth in the evening, and the greateft part of the 16. two following days; but without making any attempt, which had it taken place immediately, muft have fucceeded, as the town was altogether in a defenceless state, with "neither men, capable of standing to the guns, nor rammers, fponges, or other implements for loading them *." The inhabitants and the neighbouring country were in the greateft confufion and in the utmoft alarm. But on Wednesday the 18th, it providentially began to blow almost a storm at eaft, which continued till the 22d, and forced the fleet below Plymouth; and Mr. H-bt's declaration. Gentleman's Magazine for 1780,

P. 109.

1779.

Aug.

31.

the wind remaining strong in the fame point for fome days, prevented its return no less than Sir Charles Hardy's coming into the channel. The Ardent of 64 guns, on her way from Portsmouth to join Sir Charles, mistaking the combined for the British fleet, was taken in fight of Plymouth. D'Orvilliers ranged about the Lands End, the Scilly Islands, and the chops of the channel, till the end of the month, without feeking to return and make an attack upon Plymouth. He might conclude, that it would be now too late, the first opportunity having been loft; efpecially as a very great ficknefs prevailed among the failors and foldiers on board the fleet. Thus by a coincidence of circumftances, Plymouth, with the dock, the naval magazines, &c. were happily preserved, notwithstanding the criminal neglect of administration in not putting the place into a proper ftate of defence. It is a fact, that there was delivered to one of the miniftry, on the 28th of July, a letter from France, acquainting him with the deftination of the combined fleet, and the intention of attacking and deftroying Plymouth.

The wind favoring, Sir Charles Hardy gained the entrance of the channel in fight of the combined fleets, without their being able to prevent him. The enemy purfued him as high up as Plymouth, but did not venture much further. The ficknefs increafing on board the combined fleet to a moft extreme degree, and their fhips being otherwife much out of condition, and the equinox approaching, count d'Orvilliers thought it neceffary to abandon the British coafts, and repair to Brest early in September. The whole country round about Gentleman's Magazine for 1779, P. 421-423.

became an hofpital through the many thousands of fick 1779. that were landed. It was a moft happy circumstance for the British merchants, that a large Jamaica fleet escaped and got into the channel about ten days before he first entered it; and that eight homeward bound East Indiamen had timely notice of their danger, so as to have the opportunity of putting into Ireland.

July

In the beginning of September, adm. Barrington arrived with dispatches, giving an account of the taking of the ifles of St. Vincent and Grenada, and of an action between adm. Byron and count d'Eftaing. The count failed for Grenada, and arrived off the ifland with a fleet of five or fix and twenty ships of the line, about 12 frigates, and near 10,000 land forces, including marines. The defence of the place lay in about 150 foldiers and 350 militia, 200 volunteers, with fome feamen; and its ftrength confifted in a fortified and intrenched hill, which commanded the fort, harbour, and capital town of St. George. The French landed between 2 and 3000 regulars, under count Dillon, the fame evening; and the next day invefted the hill, and made the neceffary preparations for carrying it by storm the following night, as they would lofe no time, left adm. Byron's fleet might arrive. The defence was obftinate, confidering the force on each fide. Although d'Estaing headed a column of the affailants in perfon, they were repulfed in the firft onfet; but their fuperior numbers at length prevailed, and the lines were carried. after a conflict of about an hour and a half; the lofs of the French however in killed and wounded was confiderable. The cannon taken on the top of the hill, being turned at break of day against the fort, the governor,

2.

« ZurückWeiter »