PAGE

The Battle of Ushant

A Drawn Battle. The respective Losses

The Significance of the Battle in the fighting Development of the

84

91

93

The Disputes and Courts Martial in Great Britain arising from the
Battle of Ushant

Keppel Resigns his Command

CHAPTER VI

OPERATIONS IN THE WEST INDIES, 1778-1779. THE

BRITISH INVASION OF GEORGIA AND SOUTH

CAROLINA

Influence of Seasonal Conditions upon Naval Operations in America

Commercial Importance of the West Indies

The French seize Dominica

D'Estaing Sails with his Fleet from Boston for Martinique

A British Squadron under Hotham sails the same day for Barbados,

with Five Thousand Troops

98

98

99

100

100

Rapidity and Skill shown in Barrington's Movements and Dispo-

sitions

102

D'Estaing's attacks Foiled, both on Sea and on Shore

103

He Abandons the attempt and Returns to Martinique

104

Importance of Santa Lucia in Subsequent Operations

104

Byron Reaches Barbados, and takes over Command from Barrington 105

D'Estaing Captures the British Island Grenada

The Action between the two Fleets, of Byron and d'Estaing,

July 6, 1779

106

Criticism of the two Commanders-in-Chief

110

D'Estaing returns to Grenada, which remains French

112

Byron returns to England. British North American Station assigned
to Admiral Arbuthnot, Leeward Islands to Rodney

British Operations in Georgia and South Carolina. Capture of

Savannah

His appearance on the coast, however, causes the British to abandon

Narragansett Bay

115

D'Estaing succeeded by de Guichen in North America. Rodney

also arrives

CHAPTER VII

THE NAVAL WAR IN EUROPEAN WATERS, 1779.

ALLIED FLEETS INVADE THE ENGLISH CHAN-

NEL. RODNEY DESTROYS TWO SPANISH SQUAD-

RONS AND RELIEVES GIBRALTAR

Their Change and Failure. The Allied Fleets return to Brest

Criticism of the British Ministry

Prominence given to Gibraltar, and the resulting Effect upon the

general War

121

Exhaustion of Supplies at Gibraltar

121

Destination to Leeward Islands Command

Rodney with the Channel Fleet Sails for its Relief, with ultimate

He Captures a large Spanish Convoy

And Destroys a Second Spanish Squadron of Eleven Sail-of-the-Line 123

121

122

CHAPTER VIII

RODNEY AND DE GUICHEN'S NAVAL CAMPAIGN

IN WEST INDIES. DE GUICHEN RETURNS TO

EUROPE AND RODNEY GOES TO NEW YORK.

LORD CORNWALLIS IN THE CAROLINAS. TWO

NAVAL ACTIONS OF COMMODORE CORNWAL-

LIS. RODNEY RETURNS TO WEST INDIES

Action between British and French Squadrons prior to his arrival

Rodney and de Guichen put to sea

Action between them of April 17, 1780

Cause of Failure of Rodney's Attack

His Disappointment in his Subordinates

His Expression of his Feelings .

Discussion of the Incidents and Principles involved.

128

129

130

131

133

135

135

137

Contrary Personal Effect produced upon the two Admirals by the

De Guichen asks to be Relieved

Rodney's Chary Approval of his Subordinates in these two instances

Suspicion and Distrust rife in the British Navy at this period.

Twelve Spanish Sail-of-the-Line, with Ten Thousand Troops, Arrive

at Guadeloupe

.

147

145

145

146

They refuse Coöperation with de Guichen in the Windward Islands 147

De Guichen Accompanies them to Haïti with his Fleet

.

147

He declines to Coöperate on the Continent with the Americans, and

sails for Europe.

148

Rodney Arranges for the protection of the Homeward West India

Trade, and then proceeds to New York

149

The Year 1780 one of great Discouragement to Americans
Summary of the Operations in the Carolinas and Virginia, 1780,
which led to Lord Cornwallis's Surrender in 1781
Two Naval Actions sustained by Commodore Cornwallis against
superior French forces, 1780

The Year 1780 Uneventful in European seas

Capture of a great British Convoy

The Accession of Holland to this followed by a Declaration of War

by Great Britain

158

The French Government withdraws all its Ships of War from before

Gibraltar

158

CHAPTER IX

NAVAL CAMPAIGN IN WEST INDIES IN 1781. CAP-

TURE OF ST. EUSTATIUS BY RODNEY. DE

GRASSE ARRIVES IN PLACE OF DE GUICHEN.

TOBAGO SURRENDERS TO DE GRASSE

Effects of the Great Hurricanes of 1780 in West Indies

Rodney's Diminished Force. Arrival of Sir Samuel Hood with rein-

Rodney receives Orders to seize Dutch Possessions in Caribbean

Capture of St. Eustatius, St. Martin, and Saba

160

161

The large Booty and Defenceless state of St. Eustatius
Effect of these Conditions upon Rodney

Hood detached to cruise before Martinique

De Grasse arrives there with Twenty Ships-of-the-Line
Indecisive Action between de Grasse and Hood

Criticism of the two Commanders

Junction of Rodney and Hood .

De Grasse attempts Santa Lucia, and Fails

He decides to take his Fleet to the American Continent

CHAPTER X

NAVAL OPERATIONS PRECEDING AND DETER-

MINING THE FALL OF YORKTOWN.

WALLIS SURRENDERS

CORN-

1781

Arbuthnot enters the Chesapeake

A French Squadron from Newport, and a British from Gardiner's

Bay, proceed to the Scene.

Action between Arbuthnot and des Touches, March 16, 1781

The Advantage rests with the French, but they return to Newport.

Cornwallis reaches Petersburg, Virginia, May 20

169

170

170

171

171

174

175

Under the directions of Sir Henry Clinton he evacuates Portsmouth

and concentrates his forces at Yorktown, August 22.

British Naval Movements, in July and August, affecting conditions

in the Chesapeake

Admiral Graves, successor to Arbuthnot at New York, joined there

Washington and Rochambeau move upon Cornwallis

The British Fleet under Graves arrives off the Chesapeake
Action between de Grasse and Graves, September 5

Hood's Criticism of Graves's Conduct

The British, worsted, return to New York.

re-enters the Chesapeake, September 11

Cornwallis Surrenders, October 19 .

De Grasse and Hood Return to West Indies

The French Fleet under de Grasse Anchors in the Chesapeake,

August 30.

CHAPTER XI

NAVAL EVENTS OF 1781 IN EUROPE. DARBY'S

RELIEF OF GIBRALTAR, AND THE BATTLE OF

THE DOGGER BANK

PAGE

Leading Objects of the Belligerents in 1781

186

The Relief of Gibraltar by Admiral Darby

186

Capture of British Convoy with the spoils of St. Eustatius

188

The French and Spanish Fleet under Admiral de Cordova again

enters the English Channel

188

Darby in inferior Force shut up in Tor Bay

188

The Allies Decide not to attack him, but to turn their Efforts against

British Commerce

189

Minorca Lost by British

189

The Battle of the Dogger Bank, between British and Dutch Fleets. 190

THE FINAL

CHAPTER XII

NAVAL CAMPAIGN IN THE WEST

INDIES. HOOD AND DE GRASSE. RODNEY

AND DE GRASSE. THE GREAT BATTLE OF

APRIL 12, 1782

Capture and Destruction near Ushant of a great French Convoy for

the West Indies opens the Naval Campaign of 1782 .

Attack upon the Island of St. Kitts by de Grasse and de Bouillé

Hood sails for its Relief from Barbados

He Succeeds in dislodging de Grasse and taking the Anchorage left

by the French

199

200

Unsuccessful Attempt by de Grasse to shake Hood's position

St. Kitts nevertheless compelled to Surrender owing to having insuffi-

cient Land Force

Hood Extricates himself from de Grasse's Superior Force and Retires 205

Rodney arrives from England and joins Hood

.

Project of French and Spaniards against Jamaica

De Grasse sails from Martinique with his whole Fleet and a large

Convoy

It is favored by the Lagging of two Ships in the French Fleet, April 11 211