Talk:Mariot Arbuthnot

WikiProject Military history/Assessment/Tag & Assess 2008
Article reassessed and graded as start class. --dashiellx (talk) 18:05, 27 May 2008 (UTC)

Vice- Admiral Arbuthnot failed with his fquadron early on the ioth, and proceeded to the fouthward with a prefs of fail, in purfuit of the enemy. On the I3th, when in lat. 39 30' N., within a few leagues of the coaft, the Admiral fpoke a veflel from London to New York ; and was informed by her, that fhe had feen the French fquadron on the preceding day, about a degree to the fouthward, and that it then confided of eight fail of large fhips, three frigates, and a tender. This intelligence raifed the fpirits of the Britifh tars. The Admiral fleered the courfe, by which he thought it moft likely that he fliould fall in with them : and that fame evening the wind increafed to a gale from the N. W. ; this was extremely favourable to the purfuit, and made the Vice-Admiral entertain hopes, that he would be able to overtake the enemy's fquadron before they entered the Chefapeak ; or, if practicable, to attack them whilft at anchor there. On the i6th, the Iris frigate, at fix in the morning, made the fignal for difcovering five ftrange fail to the N. N. E. ; and foon after came within hail and informed the Vice-Admiral, that they were large (hips and fleering for the Capes of Virginia, and fuppofed them to be only about a league diftant : on which, the Vice-Admiral prepared his fquadron for battle, by making the fignal for a line of battle ahead a cable's length afunder, on a wind, which was then frefh ; and not doubting but the fhips feen were the French fquadron, he made towards them with a prefs of fail. At this time Cape Henry bore S. W. by W., diftant about fourteen leagues, the wind at weft, the enemy's fleet bearing E. N. E., the weather fo hazy that the line of the Britifh line could fcarcely be difcerned. About eight o'clock, the wind veered to N. W. by W., and foon after to N. by W., by which means the enemy obtained the weather-gage ; and about this time feveral of their fhips were difcovered to windward, manoeuvring to form their line. At half an hour after eight, the Guadaloupe frigate ranged under the Vice-Admiral's lee, and brought the fame intelligence that the Iris had given : he ordered her to make fail and to keep fight of the enemy. The haze appearing to thicken, the Vice-Admiral ordered the Iris by fignal to make fail ahead and keep fight of the enemy. The Britifh line was by this time completed, formed, and clofe hauled on the larboard tack. The headmoft fhips of the enemy's fquadron, at twenty minutes after nine, tacked ; as did the reft in fucceflion, and formed their line on the {larboard tack.f At thirty-five minutes after nine, the weather being very fqually, the Vice- Admiral made the fignal for his fquadron to form a line of battle ahead, at two cable.5 length afunder ; and at a quarter after ten, he made the fignal for the fquadron to tack, the headmoft and weathermoft fhip firft, and gain the wind of the enemy. A little before eleven o'clock, the headmoft fhip of the French line tacked ; but one of their (hips having miffed flays, the reft wore, and formed their line on the larboard tack. At forty minutes after eleven, Vice- Admiral Arbuthnot made the fignal for his fquadron to form the line at a cable's length afunder ; and at twelve o'clock, there being a profpect of the van of the Britifh line reaching the enemy, he made the fignal for the fquadron to tack, the van firft, and for the van fhip continuing to lead on the other tack. At one o'clock, the enemy's fquadron, confifting of eight two-decked fhips, having completed their line of battle ahead, but being apprehenfive of the danger and inconvenience of engaging to windward, from the high fea and the weather fqually, the French Admiral about half an hour after one o'clock, made the fignal for his fquadron to wear, and form their line to the leeward of the Britifh line. At two o'clock, the van of the Britifh fquadron wore in a line, and in a few minutes the Robuft, which was the leading fhip, bore down in the moil gallant manner and was warmly engaged with the enemy's van : the van and centre of the Britifk fquadron were all engaged by half paft two o'clock, and by three o'clock the French line was broke j their fhips began foo to wear and to form their line again, with their heads to the fouth-eaft. At twenty minutes after three, Vice-Admiral Arbuthnot made the fignal for his fquadron to wear and (land after them ; but by that time, the Robuft, Prudent, and Europe, which were the headmoft (hips, and had received the moft of the enemy's fire at their rigging as they bore down t engage, were fo entirely difabled, and the London's main-topfail- yard being carried away, (the two firft unmanageable, lying with their heads from the enemy,) fo as to be incapable of purfuit, and of following up the advantage gained, and obtaining a decifive victory. At half an hour after four o'clock, the haze came on fo very thick, as entirely to intercept the enemy's fleet from view. The Vice- Admiral fent frigates to obferve their motions, and proceeded with his fquadron to the Chefapeak, and anchored next day in Lynn-haven Bay, to get his crippled {hips repaired. This indecifive battle did not laft quite an hour, and the manner in which it was conducted on the part of the Britim Commander was very feverely cenfured ; for, inftead of making his {hips obferve a particular diftance from each other, and for keeping the fignal for the line abroad all the while the action Jafted, it was the general opinion, that if he had made the iignal for a clofe engagement, and for each {hip to bear down and engage the fhip oppofite to her in the enemy's line, little doubt was entertained that a mod complete victory would Jiave been obtained. The frigates, fent to look after the enemy's fquadron, could never obtain either fight or intelligence of them : and the French Admiral, deeming himfelf fortunate in the efcape he had made, gave up all thoughts of oppofing the Britifh arms in Virginia, and fteered to the northward with a prefs of fail, and regained his former moorings at Newport in Rhode Ifland. In the evening of the 1 8th, they anchored in Lynn-haven Bay. The lofs of men fuftained by the enemy muft have been very confiderable, as their fhips were crowded with troops, and as they directed their fire principally at the rigging of the Britifli fhips, while they, on the contrary, directed theirs at the hulls of their opponents. Soon after this action, the command of the French fleet was conferred on the Count de Barras, who was fent from France to replace M. de Ternay, who died at Newport in November, 1780.