mence

ment of

1805. doing their utmost to cripple the rearmost french Nov. ship. Com- Having announced to captains Gardner and Lee, by hailing, that he should attack the centre and rear action. of the enemy, sir Richard edged away for the french admiral; as did the two former, in like manner, for M. Dumanoir's two seconds astern. At about 15 minutes past noon the Cæsar opened her larboard guns upon the Formidable, then, as well as her three companions, carrying topsails and topgallantsails with courses clewed up, and having the wind, as before, about a point abaft the starboard beam. In a minute or two after the Cæsar had begun firing, the Hero and Courageux, in quick succession, discharged their broadsides into the Mont-Blanc and Scipion. The three french ships instantly returned the fire, and a spirited action ensued. At this time the Namur was about 10 miles astern, using every effort to get up.

Gallant

ma

nœuvre

At about 50 minutes past noon the Cæsar hoisted the signal for close action. At 0 h. 55 m. P. M. the of Du- Duguay-Trouin gallantly luffed up, with the intention of raking the Cæsar ahead; but the latter, luffing up also, avoided the salute. This period of the action we have endeavoured to illustrate by the following diagram.

Trouin.

Either by accident or design, the Duguay-Trouin went in stays, and, while rapidly passing, on the larboard tack, under the lee, successively, of the Cæsar and Hero, received from each of them, par

ticularly from the latter, which ship she almost 1805. touched, a heavy and destructive fire.

Nov.

The french admiral, in the mean time, having made a signal to that effect, tacked to support his gallant second ahead, and was followed in the manœuvre by the two ships in his wake; but, having had her rigging much disabled by the Cæsar's fire, and being at best a bad-working ship, the Formidable could French not get round quick enough to regain her station in dron the line. The latter thereupon became third in- on larstead of second, the french ships, when on the lar- tack. board tack, ranging as follows: Duguay-Trouin, Mont-Blanc, Formidable, Scipion; having the wind about half a point before the beam.

squa

board

dron

board

tack.

to Na

At about 1 h. 20 m. P. M. the Cæsar, being too British much disabled in her rigging to tack, wore; but qu the Hero and, we believe, the Courageux succeeded on larin tacking. Finding that the Cæsar, after she had got to round, was making but slow progress in the chase, sir Richard, at 1 h. 40 m. P. M., signalled the Namur, Signal then on the weather bow of the french ships, to attack the enemy's van, and at the same time made the Hero's signal to lead on the larboard tack. The Hero Hero, followed at some distance by the Courageux, on lar and at a much greater distance by the Cæsar, edged board away towards the french squadron.

66

mur.

leads

tack.

Namur.

for

About this time, observing that the Namur was Cæsar lying to, as it appeared, out of gun-shot of the fires at enemy, the Cæsar, by way of enforcing attention to the signal she had previously made, fired at the former ship two guns shotted."* Of this fact we were fully Our aware when drawing up the account for our first edi- reason tion; but, observing, among the official papers in omitthe gazette, a "General Memorandum," communi- ting cating sir Richard Strachan's thanks to his captains statefor their " zealous and gallant conduct," we con- first sidered that there might have been some mistake in edition, the log-entry, and refrained, upon a principle which we still feel to be just, from making the slightest

* Log of Hero,

that

ment in

1805. allusion to it. We have since learnt that the Namur Nov. was fired at in the manner stated; but that sir Richard, whose impatience, we believe, is not always of the most discriminative kind, subsequently acknowledged that he had been unnecessarily Reason harsh. Even in this view of the case we should for in- perhaps have withheld the statement, had not our previous omission been attributed to motives incompatible with the impartiality which gives to these pages their principal value.

serting

it in

this.

Re

of the

At a few minutes before 2 P. M., while running newal down to close the Formidable, the Hero recomaction. menced the action by firing her starboard guns at the Scipion; who, losing in consequence her main topmast, fell to-leeward. Here the Scipion was engaged by the Courageux to windward, and by the Phoenix and Révolutionnaire (which latter had just joined) to-leeward. The Hero, in the mean time, had got upon the weather beam of the Formid able, and kept gradually forereaching until she gained a station upon the latter ship's larboard bow. At about 2 h. 45 m. P. M. the Namur arrived up astern of the Hero, and began engaging the Formidable. The Hero then made sail to close the Mont-Blanc; which ship, as well as the Duguay-Trouin, had occasionally raked the former while engaging the Formidable.

Cap- At 3 h. 5 m P. M., having had her mizen topmast ture of shot away and her fore topmast and mainmast left dable. in a tottering state, and observing the Cæsar, who

Formi

had since refitted her damaged rigging, in the act of opening her fire, the Formidable hauled down her colours, and was taken possession of by the Namur; who, having had her‍ main yard cut in two by the french 80-gun ship's fire, was incapacitated from making sail. At 3h. 10 m. P. M., just as the Duguay-Trouin and Mont-Blanc had bore up, to form a fresh line ahead of the Scipion, the latter Cap- ship, having, by the united fire of the Courageux Scipion and frigates, had her fore topmast and main and

ture of

mizen masts shot away, struck her colours, and was

taken possession of by the Phoenix and Révolution- 1805. naire.

Nov.

Seeing the fate of the Scipion and Formidable, the Duguay-Trouin and Mont-Blanc endeavoured to make off; but they were soon overtaken by the Hero and Cæsar. After a close and well-maintained cannonade of about 20 minutes' duration, in which the british 80-gun ship's heavy broadsides were most sensibly felt, the two french 74s, being reduced to Capa shattered and defenceless state, and observing D the Courageux ready to open her fire, hauled down guaytheir colours, the Duguay-Trouin to the Hero, and and the Mont-Blanc to the Cæsar. This occurrence Monttook place at about 3 h. 35 m. P. M.; when the ships of both squadrons were nearly in the positions represented in the following diagram.

☆ Nama

ture of

Trouin

Blanc.

British.

The Cæsar lost four men killed and 25 wounded; Loss of the Hero, as a proof of the conspicuous part she took in the action, one second lieutenant of marines (Robert Morrison) and nine men killed, one lieutenant, (John Shekel,) one second lieutenant of marines, (Cornelius James Stevenson,) one purser, (Thomas Titterton,) and 48 men wounded; the Courageux, one man killed, her first lieutenant, (Robert Clephane,) one master's mate, (Thomas Daws,) one midshipman,(John Gibbs Bird,) her gunner, (John Austin,)

1805. and nine men wounded; the Namur, four men killed, Nov. one captain of marines, (William Clements,) one lieutenant, (Thomas Osborne,) one midshipman, (Frederick Beasley,) and five men wounded; the SantaMargarita, her boatswain, (Thomas Edwards,) killed, and one man wounded; the Révolutionnaire, two men killed and six wounded; the Phoenix, two killed and four wounded; and the Æolus, three wounded: making a total of 24 killed and 111 wounded. None of the british ships had any spars shot away, except the Cæsar her main topgallantmast, the Hero her foretopsail yard, and the Namur her main yard; but the Cæsar and Hero had received considerable damage in their masts generally, as well as in their rigging and sails.

French The loss sustained by the french ships was exloss. tremely severe. The Formidable had 200 killed and wounded, including among the latter rearadmiral Dumanoir in two places; the Scipion, the same number, including among the wounded her captain; the Mont-Blanc 180, and the DuguayTrouin 150, including among the latter's killed her captain: making a total of 730 in killed and wounded.* All four french ships had been so struck in their masts, that, soon after the action ended, the foremasts of the Formidable and Mont-Blanc were the only sticks left standing. This, coupled with the heavy loss just enumerated, affords a decisive proof that the french ships did not surrender until they were compelled to do so: it proves, also, that the british ships fired their guns, which is not invariably the case, with both quickness and precision.

The force of the four french ships has already appeared; (see p. 133;) but it must in justice be stated, that in this action the Formidable mounted 65 guns only, three having been dismounted in the battle of Trafalgar, (see p. 153,) and 12 of her quarterdeck 12-pounders having been thrown over

* Victoires et Conquêtes, tome xvi. p. 195.