The New Hampshire Gazette Newspaper, February 29, 1760, Page 3

- *SUPPLEMENT to the New-HaMPsHIREGAZETTE Feb. 29. 1760. From the London Gazette Extraordinary Publithed by Authority. Aowmirarty Orfrice, Nowember 30. 1750. Early this Morning, Capt. Campbell, Commander of bis Majefly's Ship the Rsyal George, arrived bere with a Letter from Sir EDV"ARD HAWKE, to Mr. CLEVLAND, of which the following is a Copy. Royal George, off Penris Point, November 24. 1759 L8 AR N my I:cttcr of the 17th, by Exprefs, I defired : I you would acquaint their Lordfhips with my hav- ing received lntelligence of Eighteen Sail of the Line and three Frigates of the Breft Squadron, being dilcavered abour Twenty four Leagues to the M. W. of Belleifle, fteering to the Eaftward ; sll the Prifoners however agree, that on the Day we chafed them, their Squadron confifted, according to their ac- companying Lift, of Four Ships of 80, Six of 74, Three of 70, Eight of 64, One Frigate of 36, One of 34, and One of 16 Guns, with a fmall Veflel to look out. They failed from Breft the 14th Inftant, the fame Day I failed from Torbay. Concluding thattheir fi:{t Rendez- vous would be at Queberon, the Inftant I received the - Intelligence, I direted my Courfe thither with a Preft Sail. At firft the Wind blowing hard, at S.by E. and S. drove us confiderably to the Weftward. But on the 18th and 19th, though variable; it proved more favourable. In the meantime, having been joined by the Maidftone and Coventry Frigates, I directed their Commanders to'keep a-head of the Squadron, eneon the Starboard and the other on the Larboard Bow. At half paft Eighto’Ciock in the Morning of the zoth, Belleifle by our Reckoning, bearing E. by N. 1 gr. N, the Maidftone made the Signal for fecing a Fleet. [ im- mediately [pread abroad the Signal for a line a breaft, - " . in order to draw all the Ships of the Squadron up with ine. I had before fent the Magnanime a head, to make the Land. At 3 grs. paft Nine the made the Signal for an Enemy. Oblerving, on my difcovering them, that they made off, [ threw out the Signal, for the {chcn Ships neareft them to chale, and araw intoa Line of Ba:tle a-head of me, and endeavour to {top them till the reft of the Squadron fhould come up, .who were n.ll'o to form as they chafed, that o Time might be loft in the Purfiiit. That Morning they were in Chace of the Ro- chefier,Chatham,Portland,Falkhnd,Minerva,Vcngeance and Venus; all which joined me about Eleven o’Clock; and in the Evening, the Saphire from Quiberon Bay. All the Day we had very frefh Gales, at N. W.and W. N. W. with heavy Squalls. M. Conflans kept going off wnder fuch Sailas all his Squadron could carry, and at the fame Time keep together, while we crowded after him with every Sail our Ships could bear. At half paft Two, P. M. the Fire beginning a head, [ made the Sig- nal for engaging. We were then to the Southward of Belleifle, and the French Admiral head mioft, foon after led round the Cardinals, while his Rear was in Action. About Four 0’Clock the Formidable ftruck, and a little after, the Thelee and Superbe. were funk. About Five the Heros ftruck, and came to an Anchor, bat " it blowing _hard, no Boat could be fent on board her. “ Night was now come, and being on a Part of the Coatt, among Iflands and Shoals, of which we were totally ignorant, without a Pilot, as was the greateit Part of the Squadron, and blowing hard on a Lee Shore, 1 male the Signal to anchor, and came too in 1§ Fathom Water, the liland of Dumect bearing E. by N. between two and three Miles, the Cardinals W. half S. and the Steeples of Croize S. E. as we found next Morning. In the Night we heard manv Guns of Diftrefs fired, but blowing hard, Want of Knowledge of the Coalt, and whether-they were fired by a Friend or an Encmy, prevented all Means of Relief. By Duy-break of the z1ft we difcovered one of our Ships difmafted afhore on the Four, the French Heros alfo, and the Soleil Royal, which under Cover of the Night had snchored among us, cut and run a-fhore to the Weftward of Croize. On the latter’s moving, I made the Effex’s Signal to {lip and purfue her, but fhe unfortunately got upon the Four, and both fhe and the Refolution are irrecoverably loft, notwithftanding we fent them all the Aflitance that the Weather would permit. About Fourfcore of the Refolution’s Compa- ny, in Spite of the ftrongeft Remonftrinces of their Captain, made Rafts, and with feveral French Prifoners belonging to the Formidable, put off, and I am afraid droveoutto Sea. All the Eflex’s are faved (with as many of the Stores as _poflible) except one Lieutenant and a Boat’s Crew, who were drove on the French Shore, and have not fince been heard of : The Remains of both Shipsare fet on Fire. . We found the Dorfet. thire, Revenge, and Defiance, in the Night of the 2oth put out to Sca ; as I hope the Swiftfure did, for fhe is {till mifing. The Dorletthire and Defiance returned next Day, and the latter faw the Revenge without. Thus, what Lofs we have {uftained has been owing to the Weather, and not the Enemy, Seven or Eight of whofe Line of Battle Ships got to Sea, I believe, the Night of the Action. ; T RN, As foon as it was broad Day-Light in the Morning of the zift, I difcavered Seven or Eight of the Enemy’s Line of Battle Ships at Anchor, between Point Penris and the River Villaine ; on which I made a fignal to weigh, in orderto work up and attack them ; but it blowed {o hird from the N. W. that inftead of daring to caft the Squadron loofe, [ was obliged to ftrike Top Galiant Mafts. Moft of thofe Ships appeared tobe a- ground at low Water ; but on the Fleod, by Lightning them, and the Advantage of the Wind under the Land, all except two got that Night into the River Villsine. The Weather being moderate on the 22d, I fent the Portland, Chatham,and Vengeance to deftroy the Soleil Royal, and Heros. The French, on the Approach of our Ships, fet the firft on Fire, and foon sfter the latter met the {ame Fate from our People. In the mean Time [ gotunder Way and work’d up within Penris Point, as well for the Sske of its being a fafer Road, as to deftroy, if poffible, the two Ships of the Enemy which lay without the Villaine ; but before the Ships I fent a head for that Purpofe could get near them, being quite light, and with the Tide of Flood, they got in. All the z3d we were employed in reconnoitriag the Entrance of that River, which is very narrow, and only twelve Foot Water on. the Bar, at Low Water. We difcovered at leaft Seven if not Eight Line of Battle Ships about half a Mile within, quite light, and two large Frigates moor’d acrofs to defend the Mouth of the River ; only the Frigates appear’d to have Guns in. By Evening I had Twelve Long Boats, fitted as Fire Ships, ready to attempt Burning them, under Co- ver of the Saphire and{Coventry ; but the Weather li:;-- & ~ sed the Engagement, Admiral Saunders ot, it is fuppofed, into irl Hawke betore It doth not appear that The 80 Men of the Refolution’s Crew, who put to Sza, with fome French, on a Raft, g the Loire. f the Oflicers had joined Adm ‘Capt. Dennis, had 11 Men BB3gC ¢ The French Rear Admiral is The Ba [SenSttve wounded, ed. The Dorfetthire, Admiral Hawhe's Fleet - killed and 55 Jed the Flight himfelf for the Gulph of Vannes ; but and all the Men were faved belonging to the Effex. harbour of Vannes, kill N. o (= §- rying o0 = -4 L g .2 -~ o & = el > (2] i [« L3 L o & o = s g o < 8l é o L £ - (=] <= L P - = (o o = = = 2 b o a = e e ] = g By o = L & on deg December 1. taken, had 400 Men killed. She ftruck to the Re- the folution, Capt. Pike. M, Conflans, is