BOOK I. leagues had appeared in arms, and that the rebels "amounted to 150,000 men; but the victories of CHAP. IX. Mortagne and Cholet had proved fatal to them, as their leader had acknowledged that the former battle cost them 20,000 combatants." He trusted that it would not be supposed the war had termi

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nated; for the country abounded in forests, and was covered with brush-wood, which afforded a secure retreat to the disaffected; as a proof of which he observed, that the republicans at one time had passed through 40,000, who had been concealed in this manner..

LORD Howe having sailed directly in quest of the enemy, who were expected to put to sea for the protection of a fleet, chiefly laden with provisions, from America, Rear-admiral Montague was ordered to cruize in such a latitude as to be enabled either to rejoin the channel squadron, or to intercept the French store-ships.

The commander-in-chief having, on the 29th of May, received sudden information from two of his frigates, the Phaeton and Latona, detached for that purpose, that the Brest fleet was at sea, thought proper to effect, as soon as possible, a junction with the squadron under Rear-admiral Montague; but having been told, two days after, by some of the Lisbon convoy which he re-captured, that the enemy had been seen a few leagues further to the westward, he immediately altered his course, and steered in that direction. On the 28th of May, the rival fleets descried each other exactly at the same time: the wind blew strong from the south-west, accompanied by a very rough sea, and the French possessed the weather-gage. Lord Howe, having received intimation of this event from the advanced frigates, continued his course, while Admiral Villaret-Joyeuse, to whom orders had been transmitted to protect the supplies from America, at the risk of an engagement, endeavoured, as much as possible, to assume a regular order of battle upon the starboard tack, by which means the approach of the English was considerably facilitated.

The British commander perceiving by the conduct of the enemy, who had hauled their wind, an intention to avoid a close fight, gave the signal for a general chase; and, to prevent their escape, Admiral Pasley, who commanded a flying squadron, consisting of the Bellerophon, Russel, Marlborough, and Thunderer, was instantly detached to make an impression on their rear. That officer, about two o'clock, came up with and attacked the Révolutionnaire, a three-decked ship of 110 guns, which happened to be the sternmost in the line;

but his top-mast being disabled during the action, Lord Hugh Seymour Conway, in the Leviathan, gallantly advanced and received her fire, which was exceedingly fierce; and by the time it was dark, Captain Parker, of the Audacious, having arrived close to the rear ship, (supposed to have been the Révolutionnaire, which had been previously engaged with the rear-admiral and Lord Hugh Seymour) fought her within the distance of half a cable's length. Captain Parker finding the mizen-mast gone by the board, and the lower yards and main-topsail yard shot away, first attempted to board his antagonist; but having failed, made sail before the wind, when it was imagined that the Audacious struck her colours. The situation of her antagonist was equally bad, having her rigging destroyed, her fore-top mast wounded, and the bowsprit crippled; and thus, with nine sail of the enemy to windward, followed by two of their ships, and occasionally fired at by a large frigate and two corvettes, the captain, after a chace of twenty-four leagues directly to leeward, thought proper to return to Plymouth Sound.

During the whole night the rival fleets, consisting of twenty-six sail of the line on one side, and twenty-five on the other, remained within sight of each other on the starboard tack, and in a parallel direction with the French, still to windward. Between seven and eight o'clock the next morning, (May 29,) the English tacked by signal, and with some degree of irregularity, with a view of making an impression on the enemy's rear. Admiral Villaret-Joyeuse imagining, by the retreat of the Audacious, which gave him the superiority of one line of battle ship, that the victory must be his, immediately wore from van to rear, and edged down in a line a-head to engage the rear of the British fleet, displaying a fixed resolution to come to action.

This favourable opportunity was immediately seized by Lord Howe, who renewed the signal for passing the enemy's line; but on finding that the

Cesar, (Captain Molloy,) which was the leading ship, had not kept the wind, he himself gave orders to attack the Queen Charlotte; and being seconded by the Bellerophon and the Leviathan, gallantly broke through the fifth and sixth ships in the rear, and then resumed the larboard tack; by which means, in consequence of having obtained the wind, he was better enabled to renew the action. While his lordship remained in this critical situation, and the rest of the British fleet was passing to leeward, the French wore again to the eastward, on purpose to succour their disabled ships on the rear, and which the English admiral, from the crippled state of his two consorts, was unable to prevent: the enemy, however, were repulsed by the Barfleur and two other three-deckers, in an attempt to cut off the Queen and Royal George. The French admiral tacked again by signal, and after a distant cannonade, stood away in order of battle on the larboard tack, followed by the whole of the British fleet, which still retained the weather-gage. Thus terminated the second day's action; and a thick fog that intervened during the night and the greater part of the succeeding day, prevented the renewal of the engagement.

In the mean time, Rear-admiral Neilly joined the commander-in-chief with a reinforcement of three sail of the line, which enabled him to detach his crippled ships; and the dawn of the succeeding day, May 31, exhibited the French line to leeward, drawn up in complete order of battle, and prepared for a renewal of hostilities.

As there was time sufficient for the various ships' companies to take refreshment, the British admiral made a signal for breakfast; an event which induced the French to believe, that he wished to decline the engagement. In about half an hour, however, Lord Howe, to their great disappointment, gave orders for steering the Royal Charlotte, on board of which was flying the signal for close action, alongside the French admiral. This was effected at nine o'clock in the morning; and by an extraordinary display of seamanship, on the part of Mr. Bowen, he was enabled to assume an excellent position, by which means he contended with advantage against a vessel far superior in point of size; and while some of the English commanders penetrated the line of battle, and engaged to leeward, others occupied such stations as allowed them to contend with their antagonists to windward. The contest was close and severe, and the muzzles of the guns of many ships belonging to the two hostile fleets almost touched each other; and while the shot of the enemy made but little havoc on decks where there were no useless men, such was the superiority of the English seamen, that every broadside spread death and desolation through the crowded vessels of the French. So tremendous was the fire, and

1794.

so decisive the advantage on the part of the Bri- BOOK I. tish, that about ten o'clock the French admiral determined to relinquish the contest. Several of CHAP. X. his ships were dismasted, and one of 74 guns about to sink; six also were captured, and a great slaughter had taken place on board his own vessel, in which his captain, Basile, and a multitude of the crew were killed, while the national commissioner and most of his officers were wounded. Hereupon Admiral Villaret-Joyeuse crowded off with all the canvas he could spread, and was immediately followed by most of the ships in his van that were not completely crippled; two or three also of these, although dismantled, got away soon after, under a temporary sail hoisted on the occasion; for the victors were rendered incapable of pursuing the enemy, who had, as usual, aimed at the rigging. Had it not been for an unlucky broadside from Le Jacobin, the Queen Charlotte, which at this time was rendered nearly unmanageable, having lost her fore-top mast in action, would have captured Le Montague. This misfortune was soon after followed by the loss of the main-top-mast, which fell over the side, while the Brunswick, which had lost her mizen-mast, and the Queen drifted to leeward, and were exposed to considerable danger from the retreating fleet. Lord Howe had still possession of two eighty-gun ships, Le Juste and Le Sanspareil, and five seventy-four gun ships, L'Amerique, L'Achille, Le Northumberland, L'Impetueux, and Le Vengeur; the last sunk between five and six o'clock at night, soon after she was taken. The slaughter on the part of the English was not very great. Captain Montagu, of the Montagu, was the only commander who fell during the engagement. Several officers of distinction, particularly Vice-admiral Graves, the Hon. G. Berkley, and Captain J. Harvey, were wounded; and the rearadmirals Pasley and Bowyer, and Captain Hutt of the Queen, lost a leg each. Captain J. Harvey died a few days after his return to Portsmouth of a fever accompanied by a delirium; and Captain Hutt also perished in a similar manner.

Admiral Montagu, who had repaired to England with an account of this brilliant victory, whence he was immediately dispatched to join Earl Howe, sailed for Brest; partly with a view to fall in with the commander-in-chief, and partly to pick up any crippled ships, which in case of an action might take shelter in that port. He accordingly encountered some of the retreating squadron, June 7, and chased them into the outer road. On the following day he espied the main body under Admiral Villaret-Joyeuse, who, notwithstanding his late fatal contest, formed an admirable line of battle, and gave chase; while the fleet from America, consisting of 160 sail of merchantmen, supposed to be worth several millions sterling, and particularly valuable on account of

BOOK I. the then distressed state of France, arrived in safety three days after the French squadron had CHAP. X. been obliged to abandon its protection. 1794.

The six ships captured from the French were conducted into port, and being unable to keep the sea, on account of the disabled state of the squadron, Lord Howe sailed for England, and arrived safe off Dunmore, in the Isle of Wight, June 13.

The French fleet had received positive orders to fight, provided the English should cross their cruising ground; and to the measures adopted on this occasion, Jean Bon St. André attributed the safety of the American fleet. Barrere having asserted that one of their line-of-battle ships went down with the republican colours flying; that the crew refused quarter; and that their last prayers were offered up for liberty and their country; concluded with proposing

1. That a model of Le Vengeur should be suspended from the roof, and the names of the brave republicans on board inscribed on the columns of the Pantheon.

2. That the three-decked ship then building in the covered bason of Brest should be named Le Vengeur.

3. That recompences should be decreed at a national festival, to the poets, painters, and sculptors, who undertook to transmit to posterity the sublime trait of republican heroism displayed on the occasion.

The grand fleet of England having been refitted, and increased by five sail of line-of-battle ships and a Portuguese squadron of five vessels, (the latter of which added to its number rather than to its strength,) again put to sea; and, notwithstanding Lord Howe was so ill with the gout that he was obliged to be hoisted on board in a chair, he still continued to superintend its movements. The Brest fleet never ventured out until the English commander returned to port, the enemy had been so completely humbled; and even then their commanders and crews reaped but little glory or advantage, for as they consisted chiefly of landsmen, unable to contend with so boisterous a season, instead of capturing any ships, they actually lost five sail of the line, and were incapable of performing any exploit whatever.

In the course of this year the success of the British navy was nearly uniform, both in respect to squadrons and single ships. Captain Sir John Borlase Warren having been ordered to cruize on the coast of France with four ships, the Arethusa, Melampus, La Nymphe, and Concorde, while proceeding to his station fell in, on the 23d of April, with four sail of the enemy, under a commodore, fresh from port, having left Cancalle Bay on the preceding evening. The two squadrons crossed each other on opposite tacks, and the action was begun by the enemy, as usual, at a

considerable distance. The English commander, by the wind having luckily changed two points in his favor, perceived that it was possible to weather the French, and therefore made a signal for the ships to engage as they came up, so as to insure a close action, and prevent them from gaining their own shore. After an engagement of two hours, in which Captain Sir Edward Pellew, of the Arethusa, who was the second astern, and the other commanders, behaved with great skill and gallantry, two of the ships struck, viz. La Pomone, forty-four 24-pounders and 400 men; and La Rabet, twenty-two 9-pounders and 200 men. As the Flora, which led the line into action, was rendered incapable of continuing the pursuit, a signal was made for the other English frigates to pursue the enemy. Sir R. Strachan, in the mean time, got up with and engaged two of the retreating squadron; one of which, Le Résolue, bore down, and laying herself across La Concorde's bows, obliged her to drop asteru. Sir Richard Strachan, however, made sail and attacked the other vessel, which proved to be L'Engageant, of thirty-four 18-pounders, 44 carronades, and 300 men. During two hours and a quarter, the crew defended themselves with great bravery; but her guns being silenced, and her sails unmanageable, she was at length taken.

About the latter end of the summer, the same commander was again successful on this station. Understanding that some of the enemy's frigates were cruising near Scilly, he sailed in pursuit with a small squadron, consisting of the Pomona, Artois, Santa Margaritta, Diana, and Arethusa; and having discovered a French ship of war, which proved to be La Felicité, of forty guns, he made a signal for a general chase; in consequence of which, some of his consorts engaged with and ran her ashore near Penmark rocks. At the same time the commander, in company with the Arethusa, pursued two corvettes; and having obliged them to take refuge under the cover of three batteries near the Gomelle rocks, fought them in that position until their masts fell overboard, by means of which the greater part of the crews escaped. Having manned and armed his boats, it was the commander's intention to burn these two vessels, which were called L'Alerte and L'Espion; but as the wounded must have inevitably perished, humanity forbad the execution of this design. During the action the Flora ran aground on this shore.

The Hon. Captain Paget, in the Romney, of fifty guns, brought La Sybille, of forty-four, to action in Miconi road; and, after an engagement of one hour and ten minutes, captured her on the 17th of June. What rendered this attack remarkable, was its being made on an enemy's ship

in a neutral harbour.

On the 21st of October, Captain Nagle, of the

Artois, belonging to and in sight of Sir Edward Pellew's squadron, took the national frigate called Révolutionnaire, when the breakers of the Saints were discovered right a-head.

The English, however, lost a line-of-battle ship, which became to the enemy a subject of great exultation. The Alexander and Canada, vessels of equal force, happened to be seen and chased at break of day, Nov. 11, by a squadron consisting of five seventy-fours, three large frigates, and an armed brig, under the command of Rear-admiral Neilly. The two English men of war at first separated, but Rear-admiral Bligh having made his consort's signal to form a-head for their mutual support, an attempt was made to obey. Hereupon two ships of the line and two frigates, which were in pursuit, hauled to starboard, and obliged her to pursue the former course. In the mean time the Alexander continued firing her own stern and receiving the bow chasers of the enemy; when three ships of the line advanced, and commenced a close action, which was gallantly sustained upwards of two hours, when she became a complete wreck,, the main yard, spanker-boom, and three top-gallant-masts being shot away, and the sails and rigging cut to pieces, while all the lower masts were expected every moment to go over the side. The ships which had chased the Canada, not being able to overtake her, made sail at this critical period for the British admiral; and the officers, who had been assembled on the quarter-deck, deeming all resistance fruitless, the commander reluctantly surrendered, and was carried into Brest.

The progress of the British arms in the Mediterranean, after the evacuation of Toulon, was exceedingly flattering. In the month of February, Lord Hood sailed for Corsica, at that time in a state of rebellion against the French convention, acting under Paschal Paoli; who, some years prior to this, had been honorably restored to his country by the constituent assembly. The popular society of Toulon had accused General Paoli to the convention as a supporter of despotism. They stated that the general, along with the administrators of the department, had inflicted every hardship upon the patriots, and favoured the emigrants and refractory priests. They demanded that he should fall under the avenging sword of the law. The convention decreed, that General Paoli and the attorney-general of Corsica should be ordered to the bar to give an account of their conduct. Soon after the convention received a letter from the commissioners sent to Corsica to arrest General Paoli, that they thought it not prudent to attempt it for the present, and in the same month a letter was read from the general, regretting that his extreme old age and bodily infirmities made it impossible for him to cross the sea, and travel 200 leagues by land, to appear at the

1794.

bar of the Convention, but offering to retire from BOOK I. his country, if it were thought necessary to the safety and peace of Corsica. Paoli, however, CHAP. X. sent to Lord Hood for a few ships, to co-operate with him against the French in the island. At length Commodore Linzee anchored in the bay, to the westward of Mortella Point; and the troops having landed the same evening, under Lieutenant-general Dundas, possession was taken of a height that overlooked the tower of Mortella. It being the opinion of both the commodore and general, that immediate possession should be taken of this important post, in order to secure the anchorage, the Fortitude and Juno were accordingly placed in their proper stations, and a combined attack took place both by sea and land. The garrison having made an obstinate defence, the ships were obliged to withdraw, after a severe and well-directed fire of two hours and a half, during which several hot shot were lodged in the side of the Fortitude. The walls of the tower were of prodigious thickness; and the parapet, where there were two 18-pounders, was lined with bass junk five feet from the walls, and filled up with sand; and although it was cannonaded from the height for two days, within 150 yards, and appeared in a very shattered condition, the enemy still held out; but a few shot setting fire to the bass, made them call for quarter. The besieged, consisting of only one officer and thirtytwo men, at length surrendered; only two were wounded, and those mortally. Thus what could not be effected by the navy was achieved by the land-forces, who occupied an eminence that commanded the place and established a battery, consisting of one eighteen, two nine-pounders, and a carronade.

In order to take possession of the town of Fornelli, Lieutenant-colonel Moore had been detached with two regiments, a small howitzer, and a six-pounder, which were dragged about eight miles through a desert and mountainous country. The information which had been received respecting this place having been false, it was found that no attack on it could be successful without heavy cannon could be carried thither; which arduous task was cheerfully undertaken, and after four days incessant labor, accomplished by the officers of the navy. One battery, consisting of three pieces of artillery, was then constructed so as to enfilade the redoubt of the convention, mounted with twenty-one pieces of heavy ordnance, and considered as the key to the whole; while a second took it in reverse. Another 18-pounder was brought up next day, Feb. 17, to prevent two French frigates in the bay from obstructing the attack. At the same time 1200 Corsicans, assembled by General Paoli, occupied the advanced posts, and covered the flanks. At 8 o'clock at night, Lieutenant-colonel Moore led one column

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BOOK I. against the advanced point of the redoubt: Lieutenant-colonel Wauchope marched with another CHAP. X. towards the centre, while Captain Stewart, with a third, entered on the left, and, carrying the works with the bayonet, drew the enemy down a steep hill in their rear; of whom ten officers and sixty men were made prisoners, and 100 killed and wounded, out of 550 who occupied the work. The success of this day was chiefly owing to the gallantry of the troops and men who gave the assault, and to the judicious fire of the batteries.

The neighbouring town having been evacuated, the English were masters of the gulf, fortress, and town of St. Fiorenzo; and it was the opinion of the admiral, that Bastia, whither the French had retreated, should be immediately attacked: Lord Hood, therefore, made the necessary dispositions, though Major-general Dundas declined to join in the undertaking. AcAccordingly, Lieutenant-colonel Villettes having landed with a body of men who had hitherto acted in the capacity of marines, and Captain Nelson, (the late celebrated Lord Nelson,) with a detachment of seamen, batteries were opened, and the place summoned; while the mouth to the harbour was so guarded, the ships being moored in form of a crescent, and the intervals occupied by gun-boats and armed launches, that the arrival of supplies to the besieged was intercepted. The assailants did not exceed 1,300 English and 800 Corsicans, and the garrison amounted to near 3,000 men. The commander, General Gentili, a Corsican, made a very gallant defence; but, after a siege of thirty-three days, during which the English distinguished themselves greatly; the town and citadel surrendered to a detachment of British troops, and the French were sent to Toulon.

While the British admiral was cruising to intercept a squadron of six sail of the line from Toulon, supposed to be destined for the relief of Calvi, the only town now in possession of the enemy, and which was soon after obliged to seek protection under the batteries of St. Honora, St. Margaretta, and Cape Garoupe, Captain Nelson proceeded, with the troops from Bastia, and effected a landing at port Agra, on the 19th of June. In the course of the same day, the army, now considerably reinforced, and commanded by the Honorable Lieutenant-general Stuart, encamped in a strong position upon the Serra del Cappucine, three miles distant from Calvi, the reduction of which had been determined upon. As the works were very strong, and the approaches difficult, rapid and forward movements were adopted instead of regular ones; the seamen and soldiers were therefore employed in making roads, dragging cannon to the top of precipices, and collecting military stores, in order to erect two mortar and four gun batteries against Mollino

chesco, situated on a steep rock, and the stone. star-fort Mozello; the walls of the latter it was determined should be suddenly attacked by batteries erected within 750 yards distance.

Admiral Hotham, having been left to blockade the French in the road of Gourjean, returned to Corsica, in order to assist in the reduction of Calvi; and not only kept close off that port to relieve the occasional wants of the besiegers, but, in order to make an impression on the enemy's works, landed seven of the lower-deck guns of the Victory. On the 18th of July, the French were obliged to evacuate Mollynochesco, and withdraw the shipping under the protection of the town; and a breach appearing practicable at this time on the west side of Mozello, Lieutenant-colonel Moore and Major Brereton advanced with unloaded arms, and, regardless of the firing of musketry and the bursting of shells, stormed the place; while Lieutenant-colonel Wemys, with the royal Irish regiment, and two pieces of cannon under the direction of Lieutenant Lemoine, of the royal artillery, without a shot carried the enemy's battery on the left, and forced the trenches.

A truce of twenty-five days was now proposed by Casa-Bianca, a general of division in the French service and a native of Corsica. This having been deemed inadmissible, the navy and army united their exertions, and, in the course of nine days more, additional batteries of thirteen heavy guns, four mortars, and three howitzers, were opened within 600 yards of the town; and after a cannonade and bombardment of eighteen hours, and a siege of fifty-one days, the enemy's fire being nearly silenced, the garrison surrendered, August 10; by which means the French were expelled from the island, and the English were complete masters of Corsica.

Soon after this, a general consulta was assembled at Corte, and General Paoli being elected president, the representatives of the nation voted the union of Corsica with the British crown. This act was accepted on the part of Sir Gilbert Elliot, the king's representative, who instantly assumed the title of viceroy. "Our minds," said he, "have been prepared by Providence for the fate which awaited us. The event of this happy day is only the completion of wishes we had previously formed. To-day our hands are joined, but our hearts have long been united, and our motto should be-Amici e non di ventura.” The constitution presented to the Corsicans contained the establishment of universal suffrage; the dissolution of the legislative body at the expiration of two years; municipalities chosen by the people in every district; and the unbounded right of toleration unfettered by any tests or penal laws.

We shall now briefly state the naval transactions in the West Indies; where, in consequence