commanded in them, and the excellent use they made 1781. of their artillery, the befiegers, who rushed on to take advantage of the confufion and to storm the place, were in their first onset repulsed. By this brave exertion, time was obtained to carry off the wounded, and fuch artillery as was not buried in the ruins. But the enemy bringing on their whole force to attack the flank works, they were neceffarily abandoned. In these circumstances, and without the most distant hope of relief, it would have been madness to contend longer. An honorable capitulation was obtained by Mr. Chester the governor, and gen. Campbell. The place was delivered up on the 9th of May. The British troops were allowed 9. to march out with the honors of war; were to be conducted to one of the ports belonging to Great Britain, the port of Auguftine and the island of Jamaica only excepted; and were not to ferve against Spain or her allies until properly exchanged. The Americans are not pleased that the exception was not extended; as it; left the British at liberty to fend them to New York, where a part of them arrived in a polacre on the 4th of July.

May

Sir George Rodney, in confequence of information concerning the French fleet under the count de Graffe, detached the admirals, Sir Samuel Hood and Drake, with 17 fail of the line, to cruife off Fort Royal for the April purpose of intercepting him. On the 28th of April, 28. fome of Sir Samuel's headmoft fhips returned haftily in fight, and with fignals announced the appearance of a fuperior fleet and a numerous convoy to the windward of Point Salines. The admiral made the fignal for a general chace to windward: and at night it was determined

K 2

1781. mined by the admirals to continue the line a-head (which

had been previously formed) fo that getting as much as poffible to windward, they might clofe in with Fort Royal at day light, and cut off the enemy from the harbour. In the morning the French appeared, their convoy keeping clofe in with the land, while count de Graffe drew up his fleet in a line of battle a-breast for their protection: notwithstanding the utmost exertions of the British, he was joined by four fhips of the line and a fifty from Fort Royal harbour. The British commanders used every manoeuvre to bring him to close action but he being to windward, and fo having the choice, preferred a long fhot diftance. A partial engagement commenced. The van and the nearest ships in the centre of the British, were exposed to a long and heavy weight of fire in their struggles to close the French and get to the windward: but suffered chiefly in their mafts, hulls and rigging. The action lafted about three hours; when Sir Samuel Hood, finding that not one shot in ten of the French reached, and that his attempts to gain the wind were fruitlefs, ceased firing. Five fhips were rendered unfit for immediate fervice; and the Ruffel received fo many fhots between wind and water, that fhe was obliged to bear away for Statia. The count de Graffe had now a decided fuperiority; and the following day would have brought on a close engagement, which was prevented by the unexpected manoeuvres of Sir Samuel. After various movements on the part of the two fleets through the day, the British bore away in the night for Antigua. The French purfued in the morning, came up with the Torbay (which received several shot and fome damage be

fore

fore fhe could be relieved) and continued the purfuit 781. through the rest of the day, but languidly.

The arrival of the Ruffel indicated to Sir George Rodney the danger of attending longer to the sale of the effects of Statia. She was repaired with the utmost expedition, and in three days after her arrival, adm. Rodney and gen. Vaughan, with the Sandwich, Triumph, Russel, and fome land forces, proceeded to join Sir Sam. Hood and to protect the iflands. After fome time the British fleet failed from Antigua to Barbadoes. Meanwhile the marquis de Bouille, with a body of troops May under the viscount Damas, landed in the night at St. 10. Lucie, whofe garrifon was weak. The accidental arrival of a frigate, and of two floops of war, who instantly landed their feamen and marines to man the batteries, contributed much to the prefervation of the Mland. The moft vigorous preparations were made by gen. St. Leger for the defence of the different pofts. The French fleet, of 25 fail of the line, bore down with a view of anchoring in Grofs Iflet Bay; but were received with so severe a fire, that they retired to leeward. The marquis reimbarked his troops in the night, and the whole fleet ftood over to Martinico the next morning.

On the day Sir George Rodney arrived at Barbadoes 23. with the fleet, a fmall French fquadron, with about 1200 land forces, appeared off Tobago, and the troops were landed the next day. Gov. Ferguson immediately dif patched the Rattlefnake with intelligence to the admiral; and the captain had the good fortune to deliver the dispatch at 12 o'clock on the night of the 26th. Rodney Bot conceiving aright either of the force of the invaders,

May

29.

1781. or the strength of the garrifon, contented himself with fending Drake with fix fail of the line, fome frigates, a regiment, and two additional companies to the relief of the island. Drake was inftructed, after landing the forces, and endeavouring to destroy the fquadron by which Tobago was invefted, to rejoin Rodney without a moment's lofs of time. On the day he left Barbadoes, Sir George received information that the French grand fleet was apparently standing toward Tobago. When Drake made it on the morning of the 30th, he discovered de Graffe with several ships to leeward, between him and the island. He explored the count's fituation and ftrength; and on obferving that it confifted of 27 fail of the line, fo that it was impoffible to afford any relief to the island, he hauled his wind and failed back; but was pursued to a confiderable distance, while two of his fwifteft frigates were dispatched to inform Rodney of his return. Drake arrived in fight of Carlisle-bay on the 2d of June, but the remainder of the British fleet did not come out till the following day. The French had landed on the 31st of May, another body of 1200 men; while the force employed for the defence of Tobago, including regulars, militia, and feamen, amounted only to 427 whites, beside a small party of 40 armed negroes. Thefe were encamped on mount Concordia; where they remained from the 25th of May to the 1ft of June, when they evacuated the poft at one in the morning, and retired to their last faftness, the way to which was extremely difficult. The marquis de Bouille purfued the garrifon with the utmoft eagernefs; but finding his troops overcome by the heat, while the fugitives were ftill four miles a-head of him, and that he

31.

could

could not even procure any perfon who would conduct 1781. his troops through the intricate ways they had to pass, he determined upon making terror unite with force in the shortening of a bufinefs, which might be not only tedious, but prove an hinderance to other great objects still in view. He accordingly ordered two capital plantations, which were nearest at hand, to be reduced to afhes; and perceiving that their deftruction did not produce the defired effect, he ordered that four more fhould meet with a fimilar fate at the commencement of every four hours, till a furrender fhould be made to the morning fummons he had fent to the garrifon. The militia now absolutely refused to hold out any longer. All the governor's remonftrances were in vain. The commanding officer of the regulars refufed to obey his orders, and the foldiers determined to capitulate. The

governor was at length prevailed on to confent to a capi- June

tulation, which took place on the 2d of June. The conditions were exceedingly favorable and advantageous to the island.

The British fleet, amounting to 20 or 21 fhips of the line, were foon informed on their arrival off Tobago of the lofs of the island. The next day they were in fight of the French fleet, confifting of 24 fail of the line. The Britifh fhips were cleared with the utmost alacrity for action. Count de Graffe was to leeward, and feemed more difpofed to feek than to fhun an engagement: the option was on the fide of Sir George Rodney, who in the prefent inftance declined fighting, and probably on very warrantable grounds. Soon after, the count failed for Martinico.

Certain acts of congrefs here deferve to be noticed.

2.