The Operations of the French Fleet Under the Count de Grasse in 1781-2 Volume 4; As Described in Two Contemporaneous Journals

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1864 Excerpt: ... joined vice admiral D'Estaing at Cadiz, and reached Brest only on the second of January. Our whole fleet was in the roads on the first of March, and I leave all to judge, in what state it must have been, to Louisburg. In June, 1759, he became rear admiral of the blue, and sailed with a squadron to bombard Havre, and remained off that coast the next year checking ihe French naval efforts. In October, 1761. he was sent to the West Indies, anJ with general Monckton, reduced Martinique, Granada, St. Lucia, and St. Vincent, and by his activity and vigilance, upheld the English power. He was made a baronet, January 21, 1764, governor of Greenwich Hospital in 17ti', vice admiral of the white and red in 1770, and rear admiral of Great Britain in 1771. He was several times in parliament, but the last time secured his election by such liberal use of money as to become a bankrupt, and an exile in France. He refused, however, all offers of preferment in the French service, and in 1778, he was enabled, by the kindness of the Duke de Biron, who furnished him a thousand guineas, to return to England. The next year he was appointed in command of the Leeward Island. Sailing with a fleet on the 8th of January, 1780, he captured a large Spanish squadron, and on the Hith of the same month, engaged the Spanish squadron under Don Juan dc Langara, whom he entirely defeated, taking the admiral's flagship, the I'henix, and four others. Having thus neu: ralized the efforts of the French and Spiniards agninsi Gibraltar, he landed reinforcements and supplies for the garr.s.ni of that post. Sailing then to the West Indies, he engaged de Guichen's fleet on the 13th of April, but without any decisive result; nfter pmceeding to New York to assist Admiral Arbuihnot. he return d to the Wes...