LetterBooksandOrderBookofGeorgeLordRodneyAdmiraloftheWhiteSquadron17801782 10291446

TH E J O H N WA TTS
. DE P E YSTE R
C O M M I TTEE PUB LI CA TI O N S
FRA N K WI E N E R
L E T TE R B O O K S A N D -
O RDE R BO O K -
OF
G E O RGE ,
L O R D RO D N E Y
A D M I RA L O F TH E W H I TE
1 7 8 0 1 7 8 2
I n Tw o Volu m es
VOL UME I
L E TTE R B O O K S -
JULY 6 , 1 780 —
FE B RUA RY 4 , 1 78 1
DE C E M B E R 10, 1781 —
SE P TE M B E R 21 , 1782
N EW Y O RK
P RIN TE D F O R TH E N E W Y O RK HISTORI CA L SO CIETY

1 1 !
19 3 2
P r in tdi e n the Uni t d St t
e a es o f A m e ric a by
L I TTL E A N D I VE S C O M P A N Y, N EW Y O RK
'
J . J .
O F F I C E R S O F TH E S O C I E TY
For T h re e Ye as r E nd ing 1 9 35
P R ES D E N T I
JO H N A B E E L W E E KE S
FIR ST VI C E -
I
P RE S DE N T
R O B E RT E . D O W L IN G
I
SE C O N D V C E - P R E S DE N T I
A R THU R H . M A S TE N
T H IR D V I C E P RE SIDE N T -
R . HO RA C E GA L L A TIN
F O U R TH V I C E ‘
I
P R E S DE N T
W IL L IA M D . M UR P H Y
F O R E IG N C O R R E S P O N D N G S E C R E TA R Y I
A R C HE R M IL TO N HUN TIN GTO N
D O M E ST C I C O R R E SP O N D I N G SE C R E TA RY
E R S KI N E H E W I TT
R E C O RD N G I SE C R E T A RY
B . W . B . BRO W N
T RE A SU R E R
GE O R G E A . Z A B R I S K IE
L I B RA R A N I
A L E X A N DE R J W A LL
.
E X E C U TI V E C O M M I TTE E
FI R ST C L A SS— FOR ON E I
YE A R , E N D N G 19 3 3
S A M UE L V . HO F F MA N R O B E RT E . D O W L IN G
J O H N H ILL M O R GA N
SE C N D C
O L A SS—
F O R TW O Y E A R S, E N D N GI 1 9 3 4c
A RC HE R M . HUN TIN GTO N H IR A M S M I T H

L E O N ID A S W E S TE R VE L T
T H I RD C L A SS— F OR T H RE E I
Y E A R S, E N D N G 19 3 5
A UGU S TU S C HO N E
. D E W I TT M . L O CKMA N
F RA N K W IE N E R
F O U R TH C L A S S—
FOR F O UR I
Y E A R S, E N D N G 1936
W . G E DN E Y B E A TTY E R S KIN E H E W I TT
JA M E S LE N O X BA N KS
S A M UE L H O F F M A N C h a ir m a n
V.
,
A L E X A N D E R J W A L L Se c r e t a ry .
,
[ Th e P r e s id e n t , Vic e -
P r e s id e n t s , Rec o rd in g Se c re t a ry ,
Tr e a s u r e r , an d L ib ra rian a re m e m b e rs O f t h e E x e c u t iv e
C o mm it t ee ] .
F O R E W O RD
Th e volum es added to the C ollections of Th e N e w

York Historical Society for the years 193 2 and 1933
are the sixty fi fth and sixty sixth in the John Watts
- —
De P e yste r Publication F und Series They m ake avail

.
able to students O fficial correspondence and orders O f

A dmiral Sir George Brydges Rodney ( first Baron Ro d
ney ) while he was co m mander in chief O f the British
,
- -
fleet in the West Indies 1780 1782 and during his visit
,
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,
to N e w York C ity in O ctober and N ovember 1780 Th e

, .
manuscript books containing the letters and orders were

purchased by the Society from the N aval History Society
F und and added to the excellent collection O f manu
,
scripts in the N aval History Society Library .
Th e N e w York Historical Society appreciates the

courtesy O f the Secretary o f the Public Record O ffi ce
O f Great Britain and the O fficers in charge O f the L iterary
Search Roo m in allowing an exam ination O f the many

,
Rodney papers there in connection with editing these

,
volumes .
A LEX AN D ER J WALL
.
,
Lib rarian .
IN TR O D U C TI O N
In 1780 1782 when A dmiral Sir George Brydges

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,
Rodney w as comm ander in chief O f His Britannic M aj - -
’
e s ty s fleet in the West Indies British F rench Spanish , , , ,
Dutch and A m e rican ships were at war there His O fficial

, .
letter books and order bo ok supply details of that con

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flic t details O f naval administration and discipline and

,
warfare details O f repairs and stores and provisions o f

, ,
sickness and prisoners O f war and weather and personali

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ties Their inte rest and value are not lessened because the
.
point O f view is naturally Rodney s an d British

, ,
’
, .
General accounts O f these important tw o years are

included in standard naval histories ; a specific study h as
been mad e recently by Rear A dmiral W M Jam es -
. .
,
C B R N in Th e B ri tis h N a vy in A d ve rsi ty A Stu dy

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,
. .
, ,
o f th e W ar o f A m e ric an I n d e p e n d e n c e L ondon 19 26 , ,
.
There is no det ailed modern biography O f Rodney , ,
although sketches O f him are included in most biograph

ical dictionaries A two—volume life by his son ih law
.
- -
,
General God frey B as il Mundy w as printed in 183 0 ; it ,
is uncritical and incomplete but it d o es include ( though ,
not always exactly transcribed ) many O f Rodney s let ’
ters A short biography by David Hannay first published

.
,
in 189 1 was reprinted in 1903 19 10 and 19 20 in the

, , , ,
“ ”
E nglish Men O f A ction series A ccounts o f Rodney may .
be found in the O lder lives O f British admirals such as ,
B alfe s N a va l B io grap h y o f Gre a t B ri tain ; more recent

’
sketches include one by A dmiral A T Mahan U S N . .

,
. . .
,
in Typ es of N a va l O ffic e rs ( B o ston John K nox ,
L augh to n s article in the D ic tio n ary o f N a tiona l B io g

’
rap h y ; the chapter by A dmiral Sir R Vesey Hamilton .

,
R N in F ro m H o w ard to N e lso n : Tw e lve Sailo rs ( e d

. .
,
ite d by John K nox L aughton Lo ndon and chap , ,
1X
x I NTRO D UC TI O N
ters in F rancis Russell Hart s A dm irals o f th e C arib b e a n ’
and Brian Tunstall s F ligh ts of N a va l Ge nius ’
When Sir George Brydges Rodney Baronet was ap , ,
pointed late in 1779 to co mm and the British fleet in the

West Indies he had reached the rank o f A dmiral of the
,
White Squadron Sinc e entering the N avy in 173 2 at the

.
,
age O f thirteen he had seen varied service in the E nglish

,
C hannel the N orth Sea the Mediterranean and at

, , ,
N ewfoundland ; had h ad a seat in the House of C o m

m ons ; and had been for five years governor of Green
wich Hospital He was specificall y prepared for the West
.
Indies and familiar with conditions there from having ,
served as a successful commander in chief of the L ee - -
ward Islands station during two war years 176 1 to 1763 , ,
and at Jamaica during three peaceful routine years , ,
1 771 to 1 774 Sailing towards the West Indies for the

.
third time Rodney captured a rich Spanish convoy o ff

, ,
the coast of Spain and defeated a Spanish fleet near ,
C ape St Vincent in the darkness O f January 16 1780

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, , ,
a spectacular V ictory which enabled him to relieve

Gibraltar and made h im a hero in Great Britain A fter
,
.
reaching St L ucia in March 1780 he engaged the

.
, ,
F rench fleet in an indecisive battle near Martinique on

A pril 17 1780 but was not able before the ending o f
, , ,
th e campaign to force another encounter except for two

, ,
skirmishes in May Th e belief that the French fleet under

.
Guichen was sailing to the coast of N orth Am erica to

aid the A merican cause coupled with the hazard of ,
keeping his ships o f the line in the West Indies during

— — -
the hurricane season influenced Rodney to take his fleet ,
to N e w York leaving C ommodore Hotham in command

,
at the L eeward Islands .
Th e first letter book begins with Rodney s two months

’
-
in N e w York from the middle O f September to the

,
middle of N ovember 1780 during which he conferred , ,
and cooperated with Sir Henry C li nton and antagonized ,
Vice A dmiral Marriot A rbuthnot who w as watching

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,
Te rnay s squadron at Rhode Island Upon his return to

’
.
I N TRO D UC TI O N xi
the Leeward Islands in Decem ber he undertook an un ,
successful expedition to the island o f S t Vincent A t the . .
end of January 178 1 Rodney was informed O f the war

, ,
against the States General of Holland and in obedience ,
to the A dmiralty s recommendation imm e diate ly began

’
,
swift and secret preparations to attack the Dutch island

of St E ustatius Th e letter book ends with that island s
. .
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’
capture on F ebruary 3 178 1 Th e subsequent gap b e ,

.
tween the two letter books is partially filled by the L e t -
te rs fro m
Sir Ge o rge B rydge s no w L ord Ro dn e y to H is
M aje s ty s M inis te rs & c ( 9 0 re lative to th e C ap ture of
’
, . .
S t E us ta tius and i ts D ep e n d e n c ie s , which was privately

.
printed about 1783 ( and published with additions in

1789 ) to vindicate Rodney and defend him against the
charges of British merchants , whose goods at St E usta .
tius had been summarily confiscated and whose lawsuits ,
arising therefrom worried his final years .
Ill health forced Rodney to leave the West Indies for

E ngland on A ugust 1 1 78 1 so he was absent fro m N orth , ,
A merican waters during the campaign preceding C orn

w allis s surrender to th e A merican and F rench forces at
’
Yorktown in O ctober 178 1 , ,

.
Th e second letter book and the order book cover the - '
-
important nine months of 1782 during which Rodney ,
did so much to restore the prestige of the British N avy .
Th e letters and orders of December 178 1 and the first , ,
half of January 1782 show the delays in preparing the

, ,
fleet in E ngland and the bad weather and adverse

, ,
winds which for alm ost a month prevented its leaving

, ,
the E nglish C hannel Th e delay was embittered for Ro d .
ney by the news that St E ustatius had been taken by .
the F rench and he reached Barbados only to learn that

,
the F rench had taken Demerara also and that he was ,
too late to save St C hristopher N evis and M ontserrat .

, ,
fro m capitulating Th e letters and orders immediately .
following his return to the West Indies are concerned

w ith Rodney s unsuccessful e fforts to intercept a large
’
F rench convoy before its safe arrival in F ort Royal Har

bor Martinique These volumes contain little about the
, .
xii I N TRO D UC TI O N
undecisive battle O f A pril 9 1782 in the lee of Dominica , , ,
and few details O f Rodney s defeat o f De Grasse s fleet ’ ’
o n A p ril 12 1782 near the Saints between Dominica

, , ,
and Gu ad eloupe but there are many lette rs and orders

,
from St L ucia for the days of preparation and watching

.
,
which preceded those battles Th e F r e nch ships had been .
transporting soldiers and ordnance fo r a F ranco Spanish -
attack o n Jamai ca and their defeat saved that island ,
fro m immediate danger Rodney as sured himself that .
the remnants o f the F rench fleet had left the Leeward

’
Islands ; then following Hood s squadron westward he ,
j oined the ships on the Jamaica station Th e letters and .
orders fro m A pril 28 to July 23 1782 were written at , ,
J am aica and are concerned with repairing the battle

,
shattered ships in reconnoitring the French and Spanish

,
strength at C ape F ran c ois in at te nding to the m any ,
F rench prisoners and in preparing to safeguard a large

,
convoy ho m e from Jamaica with the line o f battle Ships ,

- -
captured from the F rench .
Th e news O f Rodney s victo ry O f A pril twelfth reached

’
E ngland too late to prevent the appointment and de

parture of his successor A dmiral Hugh Pigot but when , ,
the victory became known it won him the thanks o f ,
Par liam ent elevation to the peerage as Baron Rodney

,
o f Stoke Rodney and a handsome annuity Shortly after

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,
.
Pigot s arrival at Jam aica Rodney left it on July 23

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, , ,
1782 and the last few letters and orders trace his return
,
across the A tlantic t o Ireland and striking his flag in ,
Bristol C hannel on September 21 1782 This was th e ,

.
end of Rodney s naval service and he lived only a decade

’
,
longer to defend the lawsuits arising from the St

,
.
E ustatius condemnations and to enj oy the honors O f ,
his victory of the Saints He died at his home in L ondon .
o n May 23 179 2 aged seventy three years

, ,
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.
Th e M anusc rip t Vo lum e s
Th e two manuscript letter books and the order book - -
of A dmiral L ord Rodney were purch ased in December ,

I NTRO D UC TI O N xiii
1 93 0, from the N aval History Society F und from ,
C harles F H e artm an of Metuchen N e w Jersey who

.
, , ,
O btained them from Maggs Brothers o f London They ,

.
are preserved in th e N aval History Soci e ty room at the

N e w York Historical Society s Library
’
.
Th e letters and orders have been exactly transcribed

and printed clerical e rrors included b ut they have been
, ,
rearranged in chronological order for greater eas e in ,
reference N otes written in the margins of the manu

.
script volumes are printed as fo o tnotes in the same size ,
type as the text and whenever those notes are in Ro d

,
ney s handwriting the fact is noted in brackets E d i

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, .
to rial footnotes are set in small er typ e Th e two printed .
volumes are paged continuously with an analytical ,
index at the end o f the second volu m e In the index a .

,
p age number in parenthesis indicates that a person or a

ship is referred to on that page but not by name F ig , .
ures o r ( 3 ) fo ll owing a page reference indicate
the number O f tim es an entry is mentioned on that page .
Th e manuscript letter book o f 1780 178 1 is a volume - -
s eventeen and three eighths inches high and eleven -
inches wide bound in a mottled smooth brown calf

, , ,
with a narrow fancy border along the edges of both

c overs tooled and fill ed in with golf leaf Th e shelf
,
-
.
back is smooth and undecorated O n th e cover is a red .
leather label with a matc hing gold border around it

, ,
“
and these words in gold letters : A dmiral Rodney s
,
’
Letters o f C orrespondence during his command in the

West Indies 1780 178 1 and Ther e are marbled
, ,
end pages Th e paper is water marked with the name

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“
I Taylor and an elab o rate design above the letters
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”
G R ( This sam e Taylor stock is used for th e end papers

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-
and for the few pages inserted by the binder at the front
and back o f both our other manuscript volumes ) Th e .
letter book o f 1780 178 1 contains one hundred and

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seventy one written pages with four blank leaves at the

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,
’
end It is a clearly and regularly written clerk s copy of
.
-
Rodney s correspondence dating from July 6 1780

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, , ,
through F ebruary 4 178 1 ,

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XiV I NTRO D UC TI O N
O ur letter book is evidently a copy
-
the first half of Of
a manuscript letter book in bundle 9 o f th e Rodney -
Papers in the Public Record O ffice O f Great Britain

,
( call number G D Th e notes which A dmiral

. .
L ord Rodney himself w rote in the margins o f the Public

Record O ffice volum e were c opied by the clerk int o our
volume as he transcribed the letters from the first one
,
hundred and six ty pages Th e rest of the Public Record .
O ffice volume pages 16 1 through 3 58 contains copies

, ,
o f letters to and from C ommodore William Hotham ,
Rear A dmiral F rancis S Drake Rear A dmiral Sir Sam

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,
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uel Hood Philip Stephens C ommissioner John L aforey

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A retas A kers C aptain M ark Robinson and others from

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F ebruary 4 through A pril 27 178 1 Many of these let

, , .
ters are printed in L e tte rs fro m Sir Ge o rge B rydges n o w

L o rd Ro dn e y to H is M aje s ty s M inis te rs ( ft c dt c re la
’ ’
. .
ti ve to th e C ap ture of S t E us ta tius ( privately printed .
about 1783 ; published with additions in L ondon in

L aid in at the end of Public Record O ffice volume
9 is a small booklet made o f a di fferent kind of paper
“ ”
( water marked R William s ) containing a name index
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.
o f the volume and copies o f seven l e tters from Rodney

, ,
May 1 29 178 1 This volume 9 is uniform in size brown

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,
“ ”
suede binding and Ville dary paper with our other
,
letter book and order bo ok hereinafter described and

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printed .
Th e L e tte r B oo k -
an d O rd e r- B oo k o f 1 78 1 - 1 782
O ur second manuscrip t letter book and the order book - -
cover the same nine months fro m December 10 178 1 , , ,
through September 2 1 1782 with a few ear lier orders , ,

.
Th e two are uniform in appearance being sixteen and ,
seven eighths inches high and eleven and one quarter

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inches wide bound in brown suede There are six

,
.
heavily sewn ridges o n the shelf back of each A narrow

-
.
scalloped design is tooled along the edges of the covers ,
inside and out with a broader band of fancier design

,
making an O blong o n each cover front and back Th e , .

I N TRO D UC TI O N XV
“ ”
p aper in both is water marked I Ville dary When they -
.
“
were bound end pages water marked ,
I Taylor were
—
”
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“ ”
added to each volume Th e outside Ville dary pages .
are browned along the edges from exposure to light and ,
handling before they received the protection o f the pres

ent binding .
Th e manuscrip t letter book contains two hundred and -
sixty four neatly written pages inscribed by several dif

-
,
fe re n t hands with marginal notes in the autograph o f

,
Rodney himself expressing his opinions in trenchant

,
“
language O n the cover is written in ink : L etter Book
.
,
“
on th e shelf back is written : Le tters N ov 178 1 r
Sep t
In the Public Record O ffi ce is a letter book number -
,
5 of the Rodney Papers ( call number G D . .
which is identical in contents in size and in brown suede , ,
binding with this letter book except that th e end pages -

,
-
“ ”
as well as the bulk o f the volume are o f Ville d ary
stock ; it contains only o ne marginal comment by Ro d
ney ; and the complimentary closes written out in o ur ,
letter book are abbreviated in the Public Record O ffice

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,
volume .
F ourteen of the letters found in o ur letter book of -
178 1 1782 and also in the Public Record O fli c e volume

-
5 were copied again into another volume in bundle 10

, ,
o f the Rodney Papers in the Public Record O fli c e It is .
“
a vellum bound folio marked o n the back in ink : Lord
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,
”
Rodney s Letters Relative to Jamaica
’
and contains ,
copies of thirteen letters from Rodney December 1 1 , ,
178 1 through May 4 1782 and o ne to him from E liph

, , ,
alet F itch dated May 4 1782 , ,

.
O ur manuscript order book contains three hundred -
and six pages of Oopies of orders written in di ff erent ,
hands and with no margin co m ments by Rodney O n the

,
.
“
front cover is writte n in ink : O rder Book for
“
and on the shelf back in ink : N ov 178 1 -
Sep t,
“
There is no volume among the Rodney manuscripts in

the Public Record O ffice which corresponds to this
order book
-
.
xv i I N TRO D UC TI O N
Ro dne y M anus c rip ts 1 780 1 78 2 in th e P u b lic

,
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,
Re c ord O fllc e
Th e Rodn e y manuscripts in the Public Record O ffice ,

on C hancery L an e , in L ondon , were presented by Har
ley Rodney , E sq , in May , 19 06, and in June , 19 16 Th e
. .
“
catalogue number of the co ll ection is G D 20 ( i e Gifts . . . .
and bundles 1 through 26 Th e nineteen .
bundles O f the earlier gif t are briefly calendared in

C harles M A ndrews , Guide to th e M a te ria ls fo r A m e ri
.
c an H is to ry to 1 783 in th e P u b lic Re c o rd O f ic e o f Gre a t
B ri tain ( C arnegie Institution , Washington , D C , . .
volume II , pages 348 3 51 Besides th e three letter books

-
.
-
alre ad y describ e d in comparing them with our letter

books , there are other manuscripts o f 1780 1782 in the -
Public Record O ffice collection that supplement these

printed volu m es .
Th e re is a j ournal ( G D from December 9 ,

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'
178 1, through September 2 1, 1 782, th e very period of —
the second letter book and of the o rder book in which

- - —
were recorded the be arings O f Rodney s fl ag ship , the

’
—
weather , and his more important orders and signals Th e .
entries were carefully inscribed in a large volume bound ,
in brown suede and signed at th e end : Rodney In the

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s am e bundle ( G D is a paper covered book con

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-
taining a rough draft o f the latter part of the above

j ournal fro m July 24 1782 through September 2 1 1782
, , , ,
.
In bundle 6 is a thin volume covered with marbled ,
paper with a vellum shelf back o n the cover of which

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,
is written : A dmiralty L etters Th e paper is water .
“ ”
marked I Ville dary O n the first fifty eight pages were
.
-
co p ied letters o f N ovember 23 178 1 through June 1 , , ,
1782 from the L ords C ommissioners of the A dmiralty

, ,
their secretary Philip Stephens and a few from the

, ,
N avy Board and the C ommissioners for Victualing the

N avy .
In bundle 10 besides the vellum volume mentioned

, ,
p xv relating to Jamaica there is a small red leather

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, ,
-
xviii I NTRO D UC TI O N
“ a”
E nt as having been copied into an offici al letter book -
.
They include the original letters to Rodney from C o m

m issioner John Laforey ; Hon A n thony Johnson o f St .
,
.
C hristopher ; Hon Thom as Jarvis O f An tigua ; A lexan

.
,
der Bowyer agent for prisoners o f war at A ntigua ; GO V

,
e rn or W M Burt ; Henry Davies agent victualer at

. .
,
N e w York ; the Marquis de B ouille ; C aptain George

Day ; C aptain F rancis Pender ; C aptain Robert Lin z e e ;
and others .
Bundle 15 contains miscellaneous papers 1758 178 1 ,

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,
relating to a variety o f subj ects connec ted with naval

administration in the West Indies in 1780 and 178 1 : con
dition o f ships lines o f battle orders signals prisoners
, , , ,
of war naval stores provisions care o f the sick Related

, , ,
.
to Rodney s visit to N e w York in the autumn o f 1780

’
“
are papers ab o ut the hospit al on L ong Island and A ,
L ist o f Prizes taken by the K ing s Ships an d libelled in ’
”
the court o f vice admiralty at N e w York from Septem
-
,
ber 13 1780 ,
.
In bundle 17 may b e found a C ommission and War

rant Preferment Book January 15 A ugust 3 1782 with ,
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, ,
the Rev William Pagett s nam e w ritten on the cover ;

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’
“ ”
thir teen copies of Private Signals for A rmed Ships ;
“ ”
Signals made and remarks May 13 2 1 [ 1780 ] a folio ,
-
sheet imperfect and undated listing prizes m ad e by

, , ,
A dmiral Rodney s squadron stationed at the Leeward

’
Islands ; a roll of arms O f seven generations of the Ro d

ney family ; a visit ors book 178 1 1784 O f L ord Rodney s ’
,
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’
house in Hertford Street Mayfair ; and a note book in ,

-
which were copied the following memorials : Memorial

( in reply to a Dutch memori al ) in j ustification of the
conduct o f Great Britain in th e seizure o f F oreign Ve s
sels and Warlike Stores designed for the service of the
Rebels in Am erica dated Doctors C ommons L ondon
’
, , ,
March 4 1778 ; and a translation from the French by

,
Richard F ahie St E ustatius A pril 21 178 1 o f a me

, .
, , ,
morial published in the Utre c h t Gaze tte o f July 8 1756

, , , ,
“
containing precautions to be O bserved by Dutch mer
chants in conformity to the Marine O rdinanc e and to
,
I NTRO D UC TI O N xix
the regulations o f France in order to avoid the c o nfisc a ,
tion o f their vessels should they be seized and c o nducted

,
into the Ports O f F rance by F rench privateers during ,

”
the present war .
In the eighteenth package are twenty six letters and -
documents A pril 2 1 O ctober 2 1 1780 relating to the

,
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, ,
court martial on C aptain N athaniel Bateman o f H M S . . .
Yarm ou th including the original letters from Bateman

,
to Rodney lists of the witnes ses members o f the c o urt

, , ,
and Bateman s defense In this bundle m ay be found als o

’
.
genealogical notes on the Rodney family ; a description ,
in F rench o f the fortifications of Dominica March 8

, , ,
1779 a copy of Rear A dmiral Barrington s c o ntract with

’
William Thomson and John Seed merchants O f Bar ,
bados concerning providing for hospital accommoda

,
tions ; two copies of the privately printed L e tte rs

re la ti ve to th e C ap tu re o f S t E us ta tius o n e with the .
,
bookplate of the Right Hon Thomas H arley ; tw o copies .
o f the printed Sai lin g an d F i gh tin g I ns tru c ti ons fo r H is
M aje s ty s F le e t [ 1780 8 1 ] and two copies o f printed

’
-
Signa ls an d I ns tru c tions in a ddi tio n to th e Ge n e ra l

p rin te d Sai lin g an d F igh tin g I ns truc ti on s .
A mong the Rodney manuscripts added to the Public

Record O ffice collection in 19 16 by Harley Rodney , E s q , .
are o fficial and family letters ; household and personal

accounts ; correspondence and accountings with his busi
ness agents Richard K ee and Paul Maylor relating to
, ,
prize money and personal affairs ; letters and accounts

-
of the C ompton f am ily the family of Lord Rodney s ,

’
first wife Jane C ompton Rodney ; genealogical data o f

,
the Harley family and letters and wills of the E arls of

O xford There are also some additional papers relating
.
to naval aff ai rs in the West Indies 1780 1782 ,

-
.
In bundle 2 1 are five letters fro m L ord S tormont ,
1779 1782 ; one sixtee n page holograph letter from Ro d

- -
ney to Robert U dny dated St L ucia March 3 1 1782,

.
, , ,
and a one page letter to U dny A pril 14 1782 anno unc

-
, , ,
ing the victory of A pril twelfth ; a packet of original let

ters of 1782 from C ommissioner John L aforey Rear A d ,
xx I NTRO D UC TI O N
miral Joshua Ro wley and from cap tains of the fleet and ,
army o fficers in the West Indies ; a packet of l e tters from

Rodney s second wife L ady Rodney 1779 1782 ; letters
’
-
, ,
written at or pertaining to St E ustatius 178 1 with three .

, ,
lists of vessels in S t E ustatius road 178 1 and two pack .

, ,
ages o f p apers 1787 88 relating to th e c ases before the

,
-
,
L ords C ommissioners of A ppeals in Prize C ases growing ,
out of the St E ustatius capture ; several letters from

.
L ord Sandwich 1771 1782 ; letters relating to C aptain ,

-
Markham of the Z e b ra and his firing on the F rench

cartel 1782 ; letters to Rodney from General Thomas
,
Shirley of A ntigua 1782 ; intelligence about the F rench

, ,
and Spanish fleets ; a j ournal of the siege o f Brimstone
Hill St C hristo pher January 9 F ebruary 12 1782

,
.
,
-
, ,
signed by Shirley ; the triplicate copy of a letter signed ,
by Shirley dated S t C hristoph er F ebruary 15 1782 to

,
.
, , ,
L ord George Germain reporting the capitulation of St ,

.
C hristopher to the F rench ; letters relating to the sur

render o f Demerara 1782 and the siege of Tortola , , ,
M arch 1782 ,
.
A mong the miscellaneous lette rs and accounts in

Bundle 22 are found : a large packet relating to St .
E ustatius 178 1 ; letters from Sir S am uel Hood to Ro d

,
ney A pril 178 1 about St E ustatius and copies of

, , ,
.
,
Hood s letters to Philip Stephens Secretary of the A d

’
,
m iralty in 1782 ; original letters to Rodney dated

, ,
December 178 1 from Vice A dmiral Mark Milbanke

, , ,
C ommissioner O urry and captains o f the fleet about , ,
preparing Rodney s fleet for its departure to the West ’
Indies ; letters to Rodney from Robert U dny W P ,

. .
G e orge and Sir C harles Douglas ; eleven letters from

,
George Jackson ( later Sir George Duckett ) second secre ,
tary of the A dmiralty 178 1 82 ; four letters fr o m A d ,

-
miral Hugh Pigot July 1782 ; nine letters from Paul , ,
Maylor 1780 8 1 about business and prize money ; corre

,
-
,
sp o nde nc e with R odney s agents for prizes C olonel Wil

’
,
liam Bayard and Thomas Blane 1780 82 ; copies of Ro d ,

-
ney s letters to Philip Stephens May September 178 1 ;

’
,
—
,
I N TRO D UC TI O N xxi
letters from Governor C unningham about Barbados ,
1782 .
In the small package numbered 23 are vouchers and

accounts o f rents taxes and wages O f servants in E ng
,
land ; and correspondence with Paul Maylor 1780 1790 ,

-
.
Bundle 24 contains only Harley fami ly papers : leas es ,
letters 175 1 1767 and copies of will s o f the E arls and

,
-
,
C ountesses o f O xf ord and other mem bers O f the fam ily .
In bundle 25 are letters and househ o ld accounts of the

C ompton fam ily ; two receipt books of Lo rd Rodney ,
1783 85 1788 90 ; newspaper accounts o f the victo ry of

-
,
-
A pril 12 1782 and po e m s in Rod ney s honor ; Rodney s

’ ’
, ,
o w n c o py of the printed L e tte rs re la ti ve to th e

Cap ture o f S t E us ta tius ; and his accounts with his so n
.
,
C olonel George Rodney 1782 1787 ,

-
.
Bundle 26 contains three packets O f letters of 178 1 82 -
from Sir C harles Middle ton ( Lord Barham ) the E arl o f ,
Pembr oke the E arl of Shelburne and Lord Westcote ;

, ,
one p ackage o f letters 178 1 82 from C aptain Sir C harles ,

-
,
Dougl as Vice A dmiral Sir Peter Parker and C aptai n

,
-
,
James Saumarez nineteen letters from General Sir John

Vaughan 1780 8 1 ; four from C olonel Joseph F erguson
,
-
,
1780 ; twenty nine from Rear A dmiral Sir Samuel Hood

- -
,
’
January June 1782 ; copies of Hood s signals and orders
-
, ,
January 1782 ; four letters from the C o mte de Gras se

, ,
1782 ; Copies of Hood s c o rre Sp o nde nc e with De Gras se

’
in F ebruary 1782 ; seven letters from Lord George

,
Germain 1780 8 1 ,
-
.
In addition to the Rodney pap ers the student of the ,
campaigns in the We st Indies may find in the Public

Record O ffice a mass o f A dmiralty records including let ,
ters of admirals and captains papers o f the N avy Board , ,
captains logs mas ters logs pay lists musters commis

’
,
’
, , ,
sion and warrant books These are calendared in the Lis t .
o f A d m ira lty Re c o rds P re se rve d in th e P u b li c Re c o rd
O fi c e ( London H M Stationery O fli c e , . and in .

,
C M A ndrews Gui d e to th e M a te ria ls fo r A m e ric an

’
. .
H is to ry to 1 783 in th e P u b lic Re c o rd O flic e of Gre a t

Xx ii I NTRO D UC TI O N
B ri tain ( 2 volumes C arnegie Institution of Was hington
, ,
So m e O th e r M anus c rip t an d P rin te d So urc es
F or the naval records in the British Museum the ,
searcher is aided by A ndrews and Davenport s Guid e to ’
th e M an us c rip t M a te ri a ls fo r th e H is tory of th e Uni te d

S ta te s to 1 788 in th e B ri tis h M us e u m ( C arnegie Insti
tutio n o f Washington ,
In the U nited States th e most important sources for ,
related and supplemental material about Rodney are

the manuscripts at th e William L C lements Library .
,
U niversity of Michigan A nn Arbor Michigan which , , ,
include the Vaughan Shelburne Germain and Sir Henry , , ,
C linton papers Dr Randolph G A dams in 19 26 briefly

. . .
, ,
described Th e H e ad q uarte rs P ap e rs of the B ri tis h A rm y

in N o rth A m e ric a during th e W ar o f th e A m e ri c an Re vo
la tio n in Bulletin 14 of th e William L C lements L i
, .
b rary Th e papers of L ord Georg e Germain were calen

.
dared as the Sto p fo rd Sackville Manuscripts by the -

,
Royal C ommission on Historical M anuscripts in 1884 ,
and mor e fully in 1904 and 19 10 ; a des criptive account

o f them after they had b e en brough t to the U nited
,
S tates by Mr Willi am L C lements was published in

. .
,
1 9 28 by Dr Randolph G A dams Th e nineteenth bulle

. . .
t in O f the C lements L ibrary ( A nn A rbor Michigan , ,
19 29 ) contains E dna Vo sp e r s Re p ort o n th e Sir Jo hn

’
Vau gh an P ap e rs in th e W illiam L C le m e n ts Li b rary .

,
summarizing th e importance of the collection in showing

the inte rrelation between th e cam paigns o n the N orth
A merican continent and in the West Indies and the ,
relations between army naval and civil o fli c e rs , ,

.
O f the sourc e material in print may b e mentioned the

Publications of the N avy Records Society of L ondon ,
particularly the Le tte rs of Lo rd H o o d 1 78 1 8 2 ; the L e t ,

-
te rs an d P ap e rs o f C h arle s L o rd B arh am ; F igh tin g I n ,
s tru c ti o ns 1 5 80 1 8 1 6 ; and Signa ls an d In s tru c tio n s

,
-
,
1 776 1 79 4 Th e Br ad ford C lub of N e w York printed in

-
.
I NTRO D UC TI O N xiii
X
1864, Th e O p e ra tio ns o f th e F re n c h F le e t unde r the

Co un t de Gras s e in 1 78 1 82 as de s c ri b e d in tw o c on te m
-
journa ls being translations of two anonymous

p o rane o us ,
F rench accounts Th e N aval History Society of N e w York

.
has published in its C ollections seven volumes relating

to naval aff air s during the Am erican Revolution Th e .
important period during which Rodney was in E ngland

is covered by Th e Gra ves P ap e rs an d O th e r O p e ra tions
of th e Yo rk to w n C am p aign Ju ly to O c to b e r 1 78 1
, , ,
edited with an excellent introduction by the late French

E nsor C had wick Rear A dmiral U S N avy
,
-
,
. . .
D O RO TH Y C BARC K
. .
LE TTE R B O O K O F
-
SIR GE O RG E B RYDG E S RO D N E Y ,
( A F TE RWA RDS F I RS T B A RO N RO D N E Y )
A DMI RA L O F TH E WHI TE
JULY 6 , 1 780 F E B RU A RY 4 , 178 1

F ro m Vic e A dm iral M arrio t A rb u thno t
E urope , N e w York July 6th 1780
C ommodore Drake must long ere this have informed

y o u of the diversion the F rench proposed to make in
favour of the R ebellion in this C ountry with a Squadron ,
O f Twelve Ships o f the L ine and Te n Thousand Men ,
under the C ommand of the Si e ur de Ro c h am b ault but

having altered their Plan only Seven with Six or E igh t
, ,
F rigates and Six Thousand M e n are now said to be in ,
t ended for that Service and early in May were in re adi

,
ness to sail from Brest .
I have the Honor to transmit herewith a duplicate o f

my Dispatch to you by the K itty Schooner which I am ,
informed has fallen into the hands o f the E nemy that ,
y o u may be assured I am and ever have been desirous to

promote by every possible and proper mean s the good ,
C orrespondence and understanding that should subsist

,
b etween the C ommanding O fficers on these Stations .
I send you C opies of the several L etters and Papers

which I have received from the Board o f A dmiralty upon
this Subj ect that you may desire [ sic ] your Information
,
from the same source as I do mine and act agreeable

thereto.
You may be certain that should their F orce be directed

to your Quarter being awed by the preparations which
, ,
have been made to defeat their designs in this I shall n o t ,
delay o ne moment to send you every possible A id from

this Squadron under Rear A dmiral Graves and should the
F rench detach from the West Indies I must expect the ,
like Service and A ttention from yo u .
Th e Robust is this day arrived from H allifax My .
C ounter O rders having been fortunate enough to reach

h e r in time I have honor to be Sir &c a
. .
M A RBUTH N O T .
Sir George B Rodney Bart : &c a

. .
3
4 L E TTE R B O O K
-
OF A D M I RAL L O RD RO D N E Y
F ro m Vi c e A dm ira l M arrio t A rb u th no t
N ew York July ,
8 th 1780
Sir
I hav e the honor to acquaint yo u in addition to the
several Dispatches which yo u will receive by this C o n
v e yan c e tha t the Trito n is this E vening returned from
a Cruize and reports that N ine Sail o f F rench L ine O f

Battle Ships are in the Delaware with F ive F rigates and
Transports making in the whole about F orty Sail .
I hesitate no t a moment in dispatching thi s Inte lli

gence to yo u as it is O f the last C onsequence I have the .
honor to be Sir &c a .
M A RB UTH N O T .
Sir Geo B Rodney Bart : &c a

e
. .
To P hi lip Step he ns Sec re tary

, o f th e A dm ira lty
1
[ Marginal note : ] Th e following Public L etters sent by

the F ortunée and Duplicates by the Packet .
Sandwich at Sea 12th A ugust 1780

Sir ,
Having received undoubted Intelligenc e that the

A merican Rebels carried on a most pernicious C ommerce
at the Island of S t E ustatius which was like w ise an
.
,
A sylum for their Cruiz e rs from whence they r e ceived ,
every Succour and were thereby enabled greatly to annoy

the Trade o f His Maj esty s Subj ects ; I thought it ab so
’
l ute ly necessary to station a Squadron O f Frigates in such

a manner as I was in hopes would intercept and destroy
the Ships and Vessels belonging to His Maj esty s Re ’
b e llio us Subj ec ts bound to that Island .
Some O f the Frigates employed on that service persued

1
Print e d in Mundy s ’
L ife and C o rresp o nde nc e o f th e La te A dm ira l
L o rd R o dn e y ( L o nd o n ,
I , 3 71-3 74 .
L E TTE R B O O K
- OF A D M I RAL L O RD RO D NE Y 5
F ive Sail of His Maj esty s P yratic al Rebellious Subj ects

’
‘
A rm d for War , o n the 6 th Inst , they took shelter in the
’
’
Road of St : Martin s , a small Island part belonging to
His Maj esty and part to the States General .
Th e P yratic al R ebels had the Insolence a fter they were

at an A nchor in the Road to Insult His Maj esty s F lag
,
’
in the grossest manner by darin g to hoist their Re

,
b e llio us C olours with a Broad Pendant bringing a Spring ,
upon their C ables and pointing all their Guns into His
Maj esty s Sloop the Rover
’
.
Th e Dutch Governor took no notice o f this Insult and

su ffered the A mericans to wear their P yratic al C olours .
N otic e o f thi s Insult being immediately given me at

’
St : C hristophers where I then was with His Maj esty s
,
F leet I instantly dispatched C aptain R obinson with a

,
Squadron of Frigates and His Maj esty s Ship the In ’
trepid to St : Martins to seize o r Destroy the A merican

,
P yratic al Vessels to acquaint the Dutch Gov e rnor that

,
every attention and Respect should be paid the Dutch

F lag while they K eep within the Rules of N eutrality but ,
that his su ffering so gross an Insult to the British F lag ,
and his permitting the A mericans to wear their Re

b e llio us and P yratic al C olours in his Road so directly ,
contrary was a convincing proof to me that he could

, ,
not or would not prevent it I had therefore sent a Squad

.
dron o f the K ing my Master s Ships to chastise the ’
Insult .
They seized all the A merican Vessels and I have the ,
pleasure to acquaint their L ordships that it has had so

good an E ffect and has brought the Dutch Governors so
,
much to their senses that they now pay attention to an

,
cient Treaties and acknowledge that they know no

,
A merican C olours nor su ffer any to be hoisted in their

,
Ports in the West Indies .
Th e A mericans taken in these Vessels e nd e av o ur d to ’
prevail upon my O fficers to take from the shore Three

Hundred Hogshead o f Tobacco which they had landed
upon the Beach which they declared to be their property
and not sold to the Dutch the answer given was this ,
6 L E TTE R B O O K -
’
His Maj esty s Ships were sent to chastise their Insolence
not to seize their Tobacco nor make War with the Dutch
, .
I have the Honor to be &c a , .
G B RO D N E Y . .
Philip Stephens E sq ”
To Vic e A d m ira l M arrio t A rb u thn o t
Sandwich at Sea 16 th A ugust 1780

Sir
This day I have been favoured with your Dispatches
by the F air Rhodian Brig L ieutenant Q uarn who I have
dispatched to acquaint you that you may exp ect every
assistance in my power more I cannot say as this Vessel
,
is liable to be intercepted and therefore must re fer yo u

to the L ieutenant to acquaint you with my Determina
tion .
A s I have certain Intelligence by a Virginia Schooner ,
That A dmiral Graves w as o ff the C apes of Virginia the

12th July I hope h e has long ere this j oined your
,
Squadron .
A Squadron of A merican Privateers having escaped

’
my C ruiz e rs and put into St Martin s they had the .
,
Insolence to Insult the British F lag for which aff ront I

ordered them to be severely chastised by a Squadron I
sent for that purpose who took them o ut of the Road
,
O f St Martin s the Govern or h av e ing been acquainted

’
.
,
that I did not send to molest the Dutch but to Seize ,
His Maj esty s P yratic al and Rebellious Subj ects w h o had

’
’
dar d to insult his F lag and that no N ation should pre
,
sume to protect them while I had the Honor to C o m mand

His F leet in these Seas .
L etters I have received from the first A uthority dated

July 8 th acquaint me that all was again quiet in E ng
land all mobs had sub site d [ sic ] and the Ministers hands
,
greatly Strengthened the Parliament was prorogu ed and

, ,
such is the c hange o f aff airs in favour o f A dminist [ r ] a

8 L E TTE R B O O K
-
F ro m A dm ira l R o dn e y s Se c re tary to Jo hn B u lle n , Sur

’
geo n o f th e Ge ne ra l N avy H o sp i ta l, N e w Yo rk
Sandwich Sept r
9 th 1780
Sir
I am directed by th e A dm 1ral to inform yo u that Six
Men belonging to th e A lcide at the Hospital under your
C are has been apprehended in endeavouring to enter o n
board a Privateer in th i s port which they have been ,
enabled to attempt in C onsequence o f a Ticket giving

the m by you whereby they are permitted to come from
,
L ong Island to N e w York .
Th e A dmiral insis ts that yo u do not in future grant

any such permission as the desertion of th e seamen will
,
be greatly facilitated thereby and the intention O f C are

defeated but that the Instant any Man is in any degree
,
fit to be sent on board you give immediate notice to the

,
ship h e belongs to ( if here ) that he may b e taken away

if such ship be here or else to the F lag Ship or any other
,
that they can be most conveniently sent to I am Sir &c a . .
WILL M
PAGE TT
Mr Ballen [ sic fo r Bullen ]
.
Surgeon N aval Hospital N e w York ,
To Vic e A d m ira l M arrio t A rb u thno t
Sandwich o ff Sandy Hook 15th Sept ”

1780
Sir
I tak e the earliest opportunity o f in forming yo u of my
A rrival o ff Sandy Hook with Te n Sail o f the Line o f
Battle Ships and that I momentarily expec t the Intrepid
and three C opp e r b o tto m d F rigates ’
.
My Health is such as to require my going some time

o n shore but have detached C ommodore Drake with five
,
S ail of the L ine to j oin yo u immediately and shall send ,
the r e mainder as fas t as they are fitted I am conscious .

L ETTE R B O O K - OF A D M I RAL L O RD RO D N E Y 9
you will employ them in such manner as may be most

conductive to His Maj esty s Services ; A n A ccount O f ’
whic h and any thing I may think necessary to suggest

to you may be constantly kept up between us by the
C ommunication o f Frigates I am Sir &c a . .
G B ROD N E Y
. .
Vice A dm A rbuthnot &c l

a .
To P hi lip S te p he ns Se c re tary , o f th e A dm ira lty 1
Sandwich o ff Sandy Hook 15th Sept r

1780
Sir
Since my L etter of the 3 l st o f July from Basse Terre
Road St : C hristopher s acquainting their L ordships with
’
the Retreat o f the F rench and Spanish F leets from Mar

tiniq ue and the C arib e e Islands without having dared to
make any attemp t whatever o n His Maj esty s Territories : ’
as likewise the arrival of C ommodore Walsingham with

the Ships Transports and Trade at St : L ucia with my
, ,
leaving that Island with th e greatest part o f the F leet ,
ordering every F rench Island to be reconnoitred with ,
my A rrival at St C hristophers and dispatching from

.
that Island Rear A dm Rowley and C ommodore Wals

1
ingham with Te n sail o f the Line the Transports with ,
th e Troops commanded by General Garth and the Trade ,
to Jamaica .
I must desire you will please to acquaint them that the

appearance of the weather was such that I thought it
extremely improper and too dangerous to risque the safety
O f so important a part o f His Maj esty s Ships all C opper
’
b o ttom d and ready for any E nterprize to remain longer

’
at such a Season o f the year in so dangerous a Road as

St : C hristophers in a Hurricane Month .
I therefore put to Sea without loss o f time and Cruiz e d ,
in such a manner to the N orthward of Barbuda as no t ,
1
P int e d w ith so m e va i a ti on s in Mundy s
r ,
r ,
’
Life , I , 3 74-3 79 .
10 L E TTE R B O O K
-
’
only to put His Maj esty s Ships o ut o f the danger o f b e
ing w re c k d should a Hurricane take place but likewise
’
,
to intercept the E nemy s C onvoy s having left F rigates

’ ’
with proper Rendezvous to j oin m e with any Intelligence

t hat might arrive either from Jamaica o r A meric a both o f
which I hourly expected .
Having received certain Intelligence by my secret

C o rrespondence o f th e arrival o f Mons Guichen at C ape r
F rancois with th e F rench F leet in very bad C ondition ,
with the departure of the Spanish Squadron extremely

Sickl y to the H av anah with a certainty O f a C onvoy o f
upwards o f Three Hundred Sail o f Ships being intended
to sail from St : Domingo to F rance under the Protection
o f the French F leet I had n o t a doubt but part of that
.
F leet was intended to reinforc e the Squadron o f Mons r
Ternay whose arrival and taking p ossession of Rhode

Island I had been assured O f by the C apture o f an A m eri
can Vessel .
A S it plainly ap p ears to m e th at His Maj esty s Terri

’
tories F leet and A rmy in A merica were in imminent

,
Danger o f being ov e rp o w e r d by the Superior force of the

’
public E nemy I though it a Duty incumbent o n me to

,
f orego any E moluments that mi ght have accrued to m y

s elf by the E nterprize intended by General Vaughan and
myself during the Hurricane Months on the Spanish

Main therefore without a moments hesitation ( knowing
, ,
Jam aica was in perfect sec urity ) I flew with all the dis
’
patch possible to prevent the E nemy s makin g any Im
pression upon the C ontinent before my A rrival there ,
having left under the C omm and of C ommodore Hotham ,

’
a su fficient force to secure His Maj esty s C arib e e Islands ,
and without any person whatever in the West Indies

( General Vaughan and Mr Hotham excepted ) having .
t h e least surmi se I had left that part of the World .
O n my A rrival O ff the C oast of C arolina I was made ,
h appy by the retaken a Ship from C harles Town with

the glorious and important N ews o f the Victory obtained
by the E arl o f C ornwallis a few days before over the
Rebel General Gates with the Destruction of his whole
,
L E TTE R B O O K
-
OF A D M I RAL L O RD RO D N E Y 11
A rmy A nd having swept the southern C oast O f A merica

.
I anc h or d yesterday o ff the Hook with the Squadron

’
under my C ommand a L ist o f which Squadron have the

honor to Inclose .
1
It is with the greatest Satisfaction I learn that I am

arrived before the E nemy s Squadron which are expected
’
to reinforce Mons Ternay who I am informed has landed

r
'
all his Troops and is fortifying Rhode Island .
I am likewise informed Vice A dmiral A rbuthnot is

C ruiz ing before that Island I have already dispatched .
C ommodore Drake with four Sail of the L ine to reinforce

him acquainting him with with my arrival in these parts
, ,
and that I shall has ten the other Ships of my Squadron

to C ompleat the Blockade of Mons Ternay ”
.
Th e sudden C hange o f C limate makes it necessary for

me to go on Shore for some short time Tomorrow I pro .
pose going up to N e w York to consult with S ir Henry

C linton and c o operate with him in whatever E nterprize
-
’
he may think most beneficial to His Maj e s ty s Service ,
and to propose to him to attack Rhode Island and the

F rench F leet in that Harbour if he thinks it practicable ,
.
Their Lordships may rest assured that my Illness is not

of such a natur e as shall C ause o n e Moments delay to
His Maj esty and the Public Service .
I hav e the honor to be &c a .
G : B RO D N E Y
P h fl ip Stephen E sq : .
To Vic e A dm ira l M arrio t A rb u thno t
Sandwich o ff Staten Island 16th Sept 1780

r
Sir ,
I have this moment received the inclosed Intelligence

which I imm ediately forward to yo u to show the ne c e s
sity of a Junction between th e two Squadrons as soon as
possible I am &c a . .
0“ B RO D N E Y
Vice A dmiral A rbuthnot &c a
:
1
Th e l ist of v esse l s wa s not Copie d into t h e L etter Boo k -
.
-
F ro m A dm ira l Ro dne y s Se c re tary

’
to C ap tain
Ge orge Gayton
Sandwich 16th Sep t ”

1780
Th e inclosed containing Intelligence which the A d

miral thinks is o f the utmost importance to convey to the
Vice A dmiral as expeditiously as possible therefore de
sires yo u will please imm ediately to dispatch a F rigate
with it to him by the way most likely for him to receive
it soonest I am Sir &c a
. .
W I L L PAGE TT
M
C ap n Gayton .
Romulus
To Vic e A dm ira l M arrio t A rb u thn o t
Sandwich 17th Sept ”

1780
Sir
As
I h ave received repeated Intelligence that the
’
E nemy expects to be speedily jo in d by 14 sail o f the L ine
from the West Indies I must desire you will appear O ff
,
the Bar of Sandy Hook as expeditiously as possible with

the Squadron at present under your C ommand by which ,
time I hope th e rest of the Ships will be ready to j oin you .
I am Sir &c a
G : B RO D N E Y .
P S . .
yo u will be best j udge whether the weather will
perm it yo u to come o ff the Bar with safety .
Vice A dm A rbuthnot &c a

l
.
LE TTE R B O O K
-
F ro m Jo h n B u lle n , Surge o n of th e Ge n e ra l N a vy H ospi ta l

a t N e w Yo rk , to C ap tain Ge o rge Gayto n
N aval Hospital 19 th Sept ”

1780
Sir ,
C onsistentwith my Duty I beg you will immediately

send me two assistant Surgeons as I have landed from ,
the di ff erent Ships belonging to Sir George Rodney s ’
F leet upwards of F ive Hundred Sick Therefore must ,
request they may be sent with all expedition I am Sir .
&c a .
0
JN B UL L E N
C aptain Gayton
Romulus
F ro m Vic e A dm ira l M arrio t A rb u thn o t
Royal O ak in Gardners Island Bay 20th Sept 1780 ”
Sir
I have received the L etter you have h o n o ur d me with ’
dated the 15th Instant informing me that yo u arrived

with a F leet of Te n Sail O f the L ine and th at one m ore ,
and three F rigates may be soon expected also C ommo .
dore Drake and his Division anc hored here the 18th the
only E mployment I can at present think of is to lose no
time in supplying them with Wood Water and per , ,
mitting them to put their Sick o n shore as the best ,
means to restore their health .
I pres um e you have been informed that R ear A dmiral

’
Graves in the L ondon anc h or d O H N e w York Bar on the
13 th July last with the Resolution C ommodore Sir C h a ”
O gle Bedford Royal O ak A merica Prudent and the

, , , ,
A mphitrite Frigate Three days after M Ternay did at

.
”
Rhode Island with seven sail of the L ine and the F an

tasque with only her upper Deck Guns since which this
Squadron has totally engaged my attention O n the 18th .
I sailed from N e w York with all the force under my

-
C ommand consisting O f N ine sail o f the L ine and a fifty

Gun Ship and A nchored on the 23 rd o ff Rhode Island
, ,
where and on its environs I have remained ever since

, ,
until the 13 th Inst t when not only the advanced season ,
but the circumstances o f the Ship s callin g o n me to re

turn to this Bay .
I have no t doubted but that the F renc h will leave this

C oast before the Winter I have therefore always deter
.
mined if I should be so unfortunate as to have them

escape me to dispatch immediately all the K ings Ships
late under m y C omm and to the West Indie s .
I shall obey any C ommands you may furnish m e with ,
but I must O bserve if your health obliges you Sir to corre

sp ond at this distance it cannot be done by F rigates at
,
this Season .
But whatever method you adopt I shall to the best of

m y abilities put your O rders in execution .
I h ave the honor to be with much E steem Sir &c a .
M A RB UTH N O T
.
Sir G B Rodney Bart &c a

. . . .
F ro m M ajor Wi lliam O de ll
N ew York 20th September 1780

Sir
Having been h o no r d with General Gallings [ sic for
’
D alling ] Dispatches to his E xcellency the C ommander in

C hief fo r the purpose o f raising a C orps to reinforce the
Service goin g o n fro m Jamaica .
I respectfully beg leave to be permitted to take such

L andsmen and Marines no w in th e Prison Ships as are
willing to take the O ath of A llegiance and serve o n this
O c c atio n .
This Indulgence I flatter m yself your E xcellency will

not c onceive improper m ore especially so as the very
, ,
great nu m ber o f N aval Prisoners due from the Rebels

16 LE TTE R B O O K
-
Sandwich 22nd Sept ”

1780
Sir
I am this moment fav o ur d with your L etter o f the
’
20th by C ap tain Graves ac quainting me that C ommo

,
’
dore Drake with his Division jo in d you on the 18th and
the news o f Rear A d m iral Graves having j oined you
which had before reached me and also with an A ccount,
o f your proceedings with His Maj esty s Ships under your

’
C ommand which I have no t the least doubt h ave been

,
and will be employed in the m anner most conductive to

’
the public service tho it will not b e at all surprizing if
,
the E nemy should elude the most diligent attention A s .
they will doubtless avail themselves o f the O pportunity

to Sail when the Gales o f Wind that may be exp ected
at this Season will necessarily render it impossible to keep
them closely blocked up .
I apprehend the Reports that have been spread by the

Rebels o f the F rench F leet being o n th e C oast must have
arisen from the Squadron under my C o mm and having ,
chased some Vessels to the Southward ( which escaped )

under F rench C olours .
A s I h ave already wrote yo u by your Secretary this

morning I h ave only to add this to the dispatc hes and
,
to assure yo u I have the honor to be Sir &c a

,
.
G B RO D N E Y
. .
1
Vice A dm A rbuthnot &c a .
F ro m C ap tain N a th anie l B a te m an to A dm ira l Ro dn e y s

’
Se c re tary
Yarmouth at Staten Island N e w York ,
22nd Sept 1780 ”
Sir
I am this moment informed the Master and Boatswain ,
’
o f His Maj esty s Ship Yarmouth are ord e r d to Sea in His
’
L E TTE R B O O K-
Maj esty s Ships Triumph and A lcide both their names

’
, ,
were given in the list o f Witnesses I sent you I am war

,
.
ranted to say this is done without their A pplication o r

,
wish till my trial is over I must therefore request you .
imm ediately to inform the A dmiral that I cannot help

considering this measure as highly unj ust to a person ,
under my C ircumstances I am Sir &c a . .
L
N A TH BATE M AN
William Paget E sq ”
F ro m C ap tain H o w e ll Llo yd
F owey at Sandy Hook 23 rd Sept ”

1780
Sir,
’
I beg to inform you that the Guardship statio n d here
was always supplied with a small Sloop o r Schooner for
the purpose o f Boarding Ships without the Barr when ,
the weather would not adm it of th e Ships Boats doing it ,
and C arryin g E xpress to the C ommanding O fli c e r and ,
Raising Men f or the F leet the Vessel formerly employed ,
o n the above service w as froze up last Winter in the
Ic e and burnt by th e Rebels

, .
A s I think the service cannot be carried o n well with

o ut such a Vessel am to request that you will be pleased
,
to give orders to the O fli c e rs of the Yard for my being

’
supp ly d with one and I am Sir with respect &c a
,
.
L
H ow L L O YD
A dmiral Rodney
F ro m A dm ira l Ro dn e y s Se c re tary to C ap tain N a th anie l

’
B a te m an
Sandwich O ff Staten Island 24th Sept 1 780

”
Sir
I have been fav o ur d with your L etter of the 22nd In
’
stant d esiring me to inform the A d m iral that you could

,
-
O F A D M I RAL L O RD RO D N E Y
not help considering the Master and Boatswain o f H is

Maj esty s Ship Yarmouth being ordered to Sea in th e
’
Triumph and A lcide which you w as warranted to say

[ was done without their ] A pplication or wish till your
trial is over as a measur e highly unfit to a person under
,
your C ircumstances .
I immediately c ommunicated it to the A d mi ral and

am by him directed to inform you that he imagined their
going o ut was with their own and your C onsent but at ,
the same time that he cannot Imagine you can conceive

that the O fficers and Men O f His Maj esty s Ship Yar ’
mouth are not to be e m ploy d when the necessity of His ’
’
Maj esty s Service requires it th o they should be in your,
’
list o f Witnesses I am &c a. .
W I L L PA GE T
M
C aptain Bateman
F ro m C ap tain N a th anie l B a te m an
Yarm outh 24th Sept ”

1 780, Staten Island
Sir
It is now upwards of five Months Since I was deprived
o f the C o m mand of His Maj esty s Ship Yarmouth many
’
,
O pportunities have O c c ur d to bring o n my trial without

’
any inconvenience o r interruption to the K ing s Service ’

,
and several other persons have been tried by C ourt Mar

tial in the F leet some of them committed since my
,
suspension I have repeatedly and urgently desired nay

.
intreated you to grant me a Speedy Trial yo u have fre ,
quently prom is d but always studiously avoided to c o m

’
,
ply with my request even when all th e E vidences o n

,
both Sides were assembled ( as pretended ) fo r that pur

pose Yo u h ave lately been pleased to force two of m y
.
principal Witnesses th e M as ter and Boatswain of the

,
Yarmouth into other Ships o rde r d to Sea at the very ,

’
critical time when your o w n Witnesses were hourly ex

p e c te d to arrive and in a situation when nothing could
,
prevent a Trial but your Will and Pleasure or the ab ,

L E TTE R B O O K
- O F A D M I RAL LO RD RO D N E Y 19
sence o f the Witnesses ! F ortunately for me your Wit

ness e s arrived before mi ne departed and both are now on
,
the spot I am there fore once more c onstrain d to make

.
’
an A pplication to your Justice and to request which I

, ,
now do that none o f my Witnesses may be sent away

,
before the trial which I also once more claim as m y right .
I hope a refusal o f these j ust and reasonable requisi

tions will not be added to the many C ruelties which
, ,
have been E xercised towards Sir

Your most O bedient and most humble servant
L
N ATE BATE M AN
Sir : Geo : B : Rodney Bart :
To C ap tain N a th anie l B a te m an
Sandwich 26th Septe m ber 1780

Sir
I have received your L etter setting forth the hardships
o f your situation which notwithstanding what you are
pleased to intimate are by no means chargeable on me .
I can only repeat what I have O ften before said that ,
the C ritical Situation and uncertainty o f the fleet under

m y C omm and has alone prevented your Trial coming on ,
which it shall do as soon as ever His Maj esty s Service

,
’
can possibly admit thereof I am &c a . .
G : B : RO D NE Y
C aptain Bateman
F ro m H e nry D avie s , N a vy Vic tu a le r, to A dm ira l

Ro dn e y s Se c re tary
’
Grand Duke Victualer O ff L ong Island

September 26th 1780
Sir ,
the A dmiral probably will for so m e days be taken

As
up with business too material to grant me A udience I ,
20 L E TTE R B O O K-
am to request the favour o f you to signify to him that ,
large Drafts h ave been made on me for a Quantity o f

fresh Beef purchased by order of Vice A d m iral A rb uth
no t for the use of the Squadron under his C ommand and ,
would be glad yo u will pleas e to get the A dmiral to ap

,
prove the inclosed Bills o n the C o mm issioners for Vic

tualing to A nswer those demands and defray the C o n
tingent Charges attending th e departm ent I have the .
honor to b e with much respect Sir : &c a .
H E N Y DAVIE S
m
Will Padget E sq ”
F ro m C ap tain P hilip A fll e c k
Triumph Sept 26th 1780 ”
Sir ,
I did hope by this time that I should have acquain ted

you that no ill C onsequence had attended th e unfortunate
A ccident that happen d to th e Terrible in coming down
’
this Morning but having an O pportunity to address you

,
’
by the Intre pid s sailing I cannot let it p as s to wait th e
,
E vent Th e Pilot o f the Terrible ran the Ship o n the

.
South Point O f the E astern Bank there is little doubt ,
o f her being afloat this tide but I have thought it m y ,
duty to direct C aptain F erguson to send h im c onfin d to ’
yo u in the Intrepid ; the Blunder appears so glaring that

I can scarce give it that name .
I hope to forward by some other conveyance an A c

count o f her perfect safety in a very short tim e : I have
’
s up p ly d the C yclops with some water but the In tre p ids ,
wants are b e yond my A bilities but I hope yo u will dis ,
patch C aptain Molloy to me when ready .
I have the honor to be &c a .
P : A F F LE C K
A dm Sir G B : Rodney Bart &c a
I
. . .
L E TTE R B O O K
- OF A D M I RAL L O RD RO D N E Y 21
F ro m C ap tain A n dre w B arkle y
Blonde o ff N ew York Sept 27th 1780

”
Sir :
I beg leave to inform you that in C ompany with His
Maj esty s Ship Raleigh o n the 19 th Inst : in L atitude 3 5
’ °
50 N and Longitud e 69 10 W after a C h ase o f fifty

’ 0 ’ t
four hours we took the Hannibal Rebel Private ship

, ,
o f War of 24 G uns and O n e hundred and forty Men b e ,
longing to N ewberry Port She is an entire N e w Ship .
being her first C ruize only o ut E ight Days from Salem

,
and taken nothing I am Sir &c a . .
A D BARK L E Y .
A dmiral Sir G B Rodney Bart &c a

. . . .
To C ap tain P hi lip A ffle c k
Sandwich 2nd O ctober 1780

Sir
I have orde r d the Intrepid and the Raleigh to put
’
themselves under your C ommand which ships you will ,
please to order to stand o n as far as C ape Henry o r so

far to the Southward only should they not j oin yo u in
,
time to do that as to be able to be back at the Hook by

,
th e 20th o f this month Th e Ships already under your

,
C o mm and to be back by the 15th at farthest I am sir : .
&c a .
G : B : RO D N E Y
C aptain A fflic k
Triumph
-
F ro m Willia m Gre e n Se c re tary of Vic e A dm ira l A rb u th

,
n o t to th e H on ora b le H u gh W a llac e of N e w York

,
G ardners Bay 2ud O c t 1 780

”
CIRC ULA R
Dear Sir
A s it is the intention o f Vice A dmiral A rbuthnot to
C laim as S tationary C omm ander in C hief in N orth
Am erica the Share o f all Prizes taken by his own Squad
ro n as C ommander in C hief accordingly I am directed to
require all the A gents for Prizes in N e w York to reserve

in their b ands such sh are and to p ay it to none until any
other pretences that may be made shall be legally de
cided o n .
In that L ine O f E m pl
mploy I take the liberty to acquaint
yo u therewith that yo u may not be drawn into a danger
o us p e nsib ility .
Inclosed is a listt o ff the K ings Ships under the Vice

A dmirals C ommand .
I beg you will communicate the foregoing to such O f

y o ur friends as it may concern .
I have the honor to be with real esteem

Your most O bed ient humble servant
W I LL : GREE N
”
A gent for the Vice A dm
Hugh Wallace E sq ”
Gardiners Bay 2nd O c t

”
1 780
L ist of His Maj esty s Ships under the C o mm and o f Vice

’
A dmiral A rbuthnot
L ondon D elaware
Royal O ak C harles Town
Russel Galatea
Rainbow Blond
Romulus Thames
Roebuck C amella
Iris Richmond
24 L ETTE R B O O K-
nearly as I can determine their Disposition upon this

Station .
Th e C ruiz ing L imits for the Ships no w with me is b e

tween the South E nd of N an tuc k e r Shoals and M o nto c k
p oint the Rende z vous is either o ff Block Island Marthas
,
Vineyard or in this Bay .
I shall put to Sea immediately and k eep a Vigilent look

out on the m ovements o f the C h av e lie r de Tern ay and
his Squadron which is yet at Rhode Island and ready for ,
Sea .
C onceiving m yself to b e strong enough to C ope with

him and th e Shrewsbury being very Sickly I have or
, ,
dered them to rej oin you her C ompany h as receive d ,
every possible Refreshment and they are Wooded and ,
W atered .
I shall send home the Raisonab le im mediately her

state being such as to render her longer stay in A m erica
highly dangerous .
I hav e th e honor to be with much Respect Sir

Your m ost O bedient hu m ble servant
M T
A RBU TH N OT
A d m iral Sir G B Rodney Bart : &c a
. . .
To Sir Ric h ard H u ghes C o mm issi one r , o f th e N a vy at
H a lifax, N o va Sc o tia
Sandwich O ctober 8th 1780

Sir
There being the greatest want L umber Spars for of ,
Topmasts both for L ine of Battle Ships and F rigates

,
at the L eeward Islands it will be o f the greatest c o nse

,
q ue nc e to His Maj esty s Service if yo u would supply that

’
,
deficiency from Halifax as I am inform [ ed ] the greatest

,
plenty are to be got there Th e Savage Sloop of War will

.
C onvoy them to St : L ucia .
If it was possible to send some small houses of o ne

LE TTE R B O O K
-
Storey ready fram d it will be o f the most essential Serv

’
,
’
ice for the preservation of the Sick who are now O b lig d
to lye under Tents at St : L ucia I am Sir &c a . .
G : B : RO D NE Y
Sir Richard Hughes Bart :
C omm issioner at H allifax
To Vi c e A dm ira l M arrio t A rb u thno t 1
Sandwich 8th O c t 1780”
Sir
Since my last which I sent by your Secretary Mr Green
I have the honor to acquaint you that I have had several
C onferences with Sir Henry C linton relative to the situa
tion o f Publi c A ff airs .
He comm unicated to me the C orrespondenc e that had

passed between himself and you relative to the attacking
Rhode Island and the French F leet .
It was with extreme concern that I learned that the

E nemy had availed themselves o f every m oment in
F ortifying it in such a manner as to make an A ttack upon
it impracticable .
Sir Henry likewise comm unicated to m e his Plan rela

tive to his supporting the E arl of C ornwallis which ap
p e are d to me to be o f such C onsequence that I have given
every as sistance towards carrying it into E xecution and ,
have the pleasure to acquaint yo u the Troops are all

embarked and ready to proceed o n that service .
A s the Season is so far advanced I believe there is but

little probability of a F rench Squadron o f any consider
able F orce arriving o n this C oast to support Mons Ter
”
nay w h o before the Winter sets in will himself and his

,
Squadron make a push and sail for the West Indies .
Should that E vent take place and he escape an E ngage

1
P inte d in Mundy s
r
’
Life, I , 384-388 .
-
ment in these Seas it w ill be highly necessary he should

,
be followed with all the dispatch possible .
I therefore have the honor to inclose you the C opy o f

an O rder which I have thought it necessary for His Ma
je sty s Service to give Rear A dmiral Grave s that no time
’
may be lost in the pe rsuit of Mons Ternay w hich order

”
,
I must des ire yo u will please to deliver him .
A nd whereas it appears to m e at this Critical Moment ,
that your presence as His Maj esty s C o mm issioner and ’
C omm ander in C hief O f His Maj esty s Ships in A m erica ’
( in the absence of any superior O fficer ) is highly ne c es

sary that we in C onj unction with Sir Henry C linton
,
m ay take such measures as m ay accelerate the success

O f His Maj esty s A rms and bring his Rebellious Subj ects
’
to a sense of their Duty .
I therefore Sir leave it to your consideration and

,
choice whether to remain with the Squadron employed

,
in watching the motions O f Mons Ternay or return to ”

,
N e w York for the reasons I have suggested and leave the

Blockade to Rear A dmiral Graves .
’
A S I am convinced no Man has His Maj esty s Service
m ore at heart than yourself I am sure yo u wi ll do that
which in your Judgment shall appear best and favour
m e with the Resolution you take .
A s I am totally a Stranger to the N avigation in the

N eighbourhood of Rhode Island I must leave it to you , ,
whether ( no w the E quinoctial Gales are past and the

Moon increasing ) the Squadron under your C ommand
should not put to Sea and C ruize ( if it can be done with
out imm inent dan ger ) o ff Rhode Island it appearing to
m e it will be more in the way o f intercepting Succours
intended for the E nemy o f being j oined ( Should there
,
be occasion ) by the Squadron now C ruiz ing o ff the D ela

ware O r o f intercepting Mons Ternay should he attempt
,
”
to put to Sea .
Should yo u retu rn to j oin me at N e w York yo u will

please to come in whatever Ship may be m ost a greeable
to yourself and bring with yo u C ommodore Sir C hal ”
O gle in the Resolution leaving what Ships you may

L E TTE R B O O K -
think necessary under the C o mm and o f Rear A dm iral

Graves and C ommodore Drake to watch the motions o f
the E nemy s Squadron at Rhode Island giving O rders
’
,
to Rear A dmiral Graves no t to lose o ne Moments time

in the pursuit O f Mons Ternay should he leave that Port
”
,
in that case he is to proceed agreeable to the inclosed

Secret O rders which are no t to be O pe n d till such an
,
’
E vent takes place .
Should you chuse to remain with the Squadron you ,
wi ll please to order C omm odore Sir C hal O gle in the ”
Resolution to j oin me in this Port .
I consulted Sir Henry C linton relative to a C orre

sp o nde nc e being kept between the Squadron and N e w
’
York by Post on L ong Island His A nswer was tis to o
,
.
—
dangerous .
I hope I shall very soon have the Honor o f hearing

from yo u and am with great Regard Sir &c a
, .
,
.
” G 3 RO D N E Y
. '
Sandwich o ff N e w York 8 th O c t 1 780 ”
Sir
Th e Savage Sloop C aptain Graves being in want of
Repair, I should be glad if you could Spare her , that you

will please to order her to Halifax , A nd there being the
greatest want of Top m asts , Spars and L umber at the
L eeward Islands which I am informed can be easily sup
plied from N ova Scotia I could wish yo u would order a
,
Supply fro m thence to sail under the C onvoy of C aptain

Graves w h o I should be glad to prom ote when proper
,
O pportunities o ffer .
A s in all probability the great scene o f War will again

take place on my Station you m ust be sensible how ,
necessary a large supply o f Masts must be .
” G : 13 RO D NE Y
'
.
28 L E TTE R B OO K
-
OF A D M I RA L L O RD RO D N E Y
To Vic e A dm ira l M arri o t A rb u thn o t
Sandwich off N ew York 8th O c t 1 780

”
Sir ,
In consequence of the very gallant Behaviour of L ieu

tenant Steel o f the K eppel Brig in an E ngage m ent with
the Saratoga Privateer and conceiving that bestowing
preferment for particular A cts o f bravery m ust tend
greatly to the public U tility I have appointed him Mas ,
ter and C omm ander in her instead of his C ommanding ,
her as L ieutenant and have left the vacancy occasioned

thereby for a L ieutenant for you to fill up in the Hussar
Galley having appointed Mr Thomas Sparke L ieutenant
, .
o f her to the K eppel .
I am Sir With great Regard &c a .
G B RO D N EY . .
”
To P hi lip S te p h e ns Sec re tary , o f th e A dm ira lty

”
Sandwich o ff N ew York l 0th O c t 1780

”
Sir ,
Since my L etter of the 15th O f Sept acquainting their ”
L ordships with my arrival O ff Sandy Hook and with m y

Intentions o f waiting upon Sir Henry C linton to consult ,
a nd c o operate with him in every measure that he m ight

-
’
think necessary for His Maj esty s Service more par
tic ularly upon the attack of Rhode Island and the F rench
F leet if such an A ttack was thought practicable
,
.
A nd having received Intelligence that the Rebel A rmy

under Washington which had greatly increased sin ce the
,
arrival o f the French Squadron meditated an A ttack

upon N e w York and Staten Island I preceded over the ,
Bar with his Maj esty s Ships Sandwich Triumph A I

,
’
, , ,
c ide Terrible Torbay Yarmouth and F ortunée Frigate

, , , ,
‘
P inte d in Mundy s
r
’
Life , I ,
405- 411 .
L E TTE R B OO K
- OF A D M IRAL L O RD RO D N E Y 29
and A nc h or d the Sandwich in the N orth River between

’
the C ity of N e w York and the F ort at Paulus Hook Th e ,
other part of the Squadron abreast o f the Watering place

at Staten Islan d with O rders to land the Sick which w ere
,
numerous and C ompleat their Water and Provisions with

the utmost Dispatch holding themselves in C onstant
re adyn ess to proceed to Sea at a moments warning .
It is with concern I must acquaint their Lordships ,

’
that having C o nfe r d with Sir Henry C linton and seen
the C orrespondence between him and A dmiral A rbuthnot
upon the subj ect o f attacking Rhode Island and destroy
ing the French Squadron in that port it was his opinion ,
that it was now to o late Th e E nemy having had sufficient

,
tim e to F ortify in such a manner as to render an A ttack

upon it Impracticable without a regular Seige which at ,
present he had not su fficient F orce to undertake m ore ,
especially as Washington with his Army lay ready to pour

down upon N e w York and Staten Island or j oin the
French Should he withdraw the Troops from those Im
portant Posts .
Such being the Situation of A ffairs I sent O rders to ,
Vice A dmiral A rbuthnot who had been j oined by four

Ships I sent under C omm odore Drake Viz : the Russel ,
C enta ur C ulloden and Shrewsbury to keep a Watchful

, ,
E ye over Mons Ternay and his Squadron to block it

”
,
up in the best manner he was able and as the Season ,
o f the Year was so far advanced as to render it im prac
tic ab le for Mons Ternay to undertake any E nterprize

”
towards Quebec o r to the N orthward should he escape ,
with His Squadron from Rhode Island and that he had in

m y O pinion but two choices either to return to E urope
, ,
o r to proceed to Martinique I therefore thought it ne c e s

,
sary for His Maj esty s Service to give O rders that in

’
,
C ase Mons Ternay escaped from Rhode Island unin

”
gaged that Rear A dmiral Graves with E ight or Te n

, ,
C opper Bo tto m d Ships of the L ine and tw o Frigates

’
,
without o ne moments loss of tim e push d for Martinique ,

’
and Station d himself in such a manner to Windward of

’
.
that Island so as to enable him to bring Mons Ternay

”
-
to A ction on his A p proach ; A nd to send notice to C om

m odore Hotham O f his A rrival that he m ight be jo in d
’
,
by the other C o pp er B o ttom d L ine of Battle Ships which

’
I had left under his C o mm and Their L ordships m ay be .
assured I shall follow with every Dispatch possible .
Th e Triumph A lcide Terrible Intrepid Boreas Grey

, , , , ,
hound and C yclo p s ( the four last having j oined me from

the West Indies ) having landed their Sick and com
pleated their Water and Provisions I ordered them un ,
der the C ommand o f C aptain A ffle c t to C ruize o ff the

mouth o f the Delaware at such a C onvenient distance
as no t to be discovered by the E nem y in order not only , ,
to intercept the Great C onvoy o f F rench Ships now ,
loaded and ready to sail from that River for the use O f
the F rench F leet and A rmy at Rhode Island but like
wise to keep a good look o ut for any French Squadron
that m ay come to the A ssistance O f Mons Ternay to ”
E ngage it if not too Superior to his own in that case to , ,
j oin Mr A rbuthnot with every possible Dispatch giving

.
,
him notice by his C opper Bo ttom d Frigates O f such an

’
E vent and likewise send a F rigate E xp ress to m e

, .
I acquainted Mr A rbuthnot with these O rders and

.
that I Should hasten the Torbay to reinforce C aptain

Affle c t
.
A s it was with concern I o b se rv d on m y approach to ’
Sandy Hook all the Southern C oast was left unguarded

for want o f F rigates and in particular that no C ruiz e rs
were s tatio n d O ff C harles Town Bar which sw arm d with
’ ’
A m erican Privateers which greatly distress d the Trade

’
of the Province nothing escaping them I lost no time

,
.
in dispatching a sufficient number O f Frigates to support

the C ommerce O f that I m portant C olony and Destroy ,
the Rebellious P yratic al Vessels which infested it .
I have likewise Station d a C hain o f F rigates along

’
the whole Southern C oast and have the pleasure to ao

,
quaint their L ordships Six o f the Rebel Privateers have

already been taken and have not a doubt but many m ore
,
will share the same fate .
I m ust beg you will acquaint their L ordships that there

-
O F A D M I RA L L O RD RO D N E Y
C ertain Intelligence
Rear A dm iral Rowley and C ommodore Walsingham ar

rived at Port Roy al Jamaica w ith the Troo p s and C o n
voy on the 2nd A ugust .
O n the 16 th A ugust Monsieur Guichen with the F rench

F leet of 24 Sail o f the L ine and upwards o f 300 Mer
chant Ships sailed from C ape Franc o is for E urope .
O n the 20th A ugust Mons de la Mothe Picquet re

”
turned to the C ape with 7 Sail of the L ine , 1 F rigate a

C utter and a Brig of 16 Guns each .
O n the 29 th A ugust the most severe H urric an ever

known in that part o f the W orld happened , in w hich ( tis
’
said but without certainty ) Mons L a Mothe Piquets ”
S quadron was it was most remarkably severe in the

,
Bahama Islands every Vessel in the Island O f N e w Pro

,
v ide nc e being drove ashore ; A nd I have Since been in
form ed every Vessel at S t : Christophers shared the sam e

fate .
Mons Guichen with 17 Sail of the L ine proceeded with

”
their C onvoy to F rance and was left in the L atitude o f

3 4 by two Vessels who sailed with him from the C a p e
°
( and since taken by two of my C ruiz e rs ) Steering with a .
fair Wind for E urope .
F rom C ap tain Sam ue l Th omp son
His Maj esty s Ship A merica at Se a

’
12th O c t 1 780
”
Sir ,
I yesterday took the Rebel Brig Ranger from Surinam

bound to N e w L ondon and o rd e r d her to N e w York
,
’
where hope before this reaches you she may have ar

, ,
rived Should wrote you by her but the Weather being

,
very bad I could no t do it ; There is o n board her a

Turtle which I have directed the A gents Messrs K emble .
L E TTE R B OO K
and Wallace to o ffer for your acceptance and ho p e may ,
prove agreeable .
I am no w o n a C ruize in C ompany with the Prudent ,
o f which I suppose you are acquainted ; I wrote you
some time past respecting my son he is now 4th L ieu ,
tenant O n board the Royal O ak with A dmiral A rbuthnot ,
but if yo u see a Suitable O ccasion by your K ind Patron

’
age and favour being c o nfe rr d upon him can only say , ,
that I have a happy confidence in his C onduct that he

will never disgrace your recommendation and further it ,
will by me be e ste e m d the greatest O bligation that can

’
be added to those already c o nfe rr d o n Sir &c a

’
.
SAM L
TH O M P SO N
Sir : G : B : Rodney Bart :
To P hilip Step h e ns Sec re tary

, of the A dm iralty
Sandwich O ff N ew York 12th O c t 1 780

”
Sir
Inclosed I send for the ir L ordships Inspection C opies
of O rders and L etters which I have thought it necessary
’
for His Maj esty s Service to send to Vice A dmiral Ar
b uth no t and Rear A dmiral Graves since my arrival and
taking upon me the C omm and o f His Maj esty s Ships ’
E mployed o n the C oast o f A merica .
I am with great regard Sir &c a .
G B RO D N E Y . .
To th e C o mmis sio ne rs for Sic k an d H urt Se am e n
Sandwich O c t ”
12th 1 780
Gentlemen .
I beg leave to represent to yo u that on my arrival

here I found a very great Inconveniency in the Man
34 LE TTE R-B O O K O F A D M I RAL L O RD RO D NE Y
age m e n t of the Departm ent of N aval Prisoners lik ely

to ensue from the C ommissary General Mr David Spre at .
who has managed it as I am m ost credibly informed

and from the E xactness o f His A ccounts I intirely b e
lieve with great Credit and Propriety during a twelve
,
Month having sent his resignation to Mr A rbuthnot .
on account o f some Disagreement then and still Cruiz ing
O ff Rhode Island .In that space it appears he has ex

changed 3 000 Prisoners and had notwithstanding a Bal
lance o f E ight hundred due a like number in three,
different Prison Ships Since m y being here the number

,
is increased to 1200 .
It was not without some difficulty which I m ade for

the sake o f the Public only ( as this Man is the only
Person I can fin d capable o f managing the Business prop
erly ) that I prevailed on h im to continue to A c t but by
O rder from me but whatever C ompetitorship there
,
m ight have been for the E mploy his C haracter as a

C itizen and loyal Subj ect and as one that has lost £2000
,
in this unnatural Rebellion would deservedly give him

the Preference and in all these j oint C onsiderations it
is that I recommend him t o your Board for the ap
,
pointment in a way that he m ay no t be subj ect to being

superceded .
A s this Aff air is o f a C o m plicated and E xtensive na

ture and Requires a C orrespondence to be kep t up and
A ccounts adje s te d with the different Rebel States a
Deputy is also necessary for him at H allifax and C harles
Town subj ect to his Inspection and settlement to which
C lerks will be likewise necessary I m ake no doubt yo u
, ,
w ill settle it o n such a plan as to recompense him in

some degree for his trouble and at least give him that
,
Bread to E at which he has been deprived O f by his a t

tac h m e n t to Government which I verily believe his
,
attention and assiduity and a particular knowledge of

this kind O f E mployment will intitle him to .
I am Gentlemen &c a .
G B ROD N E Y . .
C omm issioners for the Sick and Hurt

L E TTE R B O O K
-
To P hi lip S tep he ns Se c re tary of the Admira lty

,
Sandwich O ff N ew York 13 th O c t 1780

”
Inclosed I have the honor to transmi t for their Lord

ships Inspection the C opy O f a L etter this Instant re
’
c e iv e d from C aptain Montagu o f His Maj esty s Ship
Pearl yo u will lik ewise please to acquaint them that a

, ,
very severe Gale of Wind has happen d on the C oast ’
in which the Squadron Cruizing O ff the Delaware under

C aptain Affli c k h as received considerable dam age but no ,
tiIn e shall be lost in getting the m ready to proceed again

t o Sea .
Th e Squadron under Vice A dmiral A rbuthnot being at

that time at anchor in Gardiners Island Bay escaped
unhurt .
I am with great Regard Sir &c a .
G B RO D NE Y . .
Phil : Stephens E sq ”
Sandwich O ff N ew York 14th O c t 1780

”
I have been favoured with your letter O f the 4th

Instant containing the Disposition O f the Ships o n this
Station and infor m ing me o f your intention to put to
Sea imm ediately in order to watch the Movements o f
the Chevalier de Termay and that conceiving yourself
in force sufficient for that purpose you had ordered the ,
Shrewsbury round to this Port and also that you should

,
immediately send the R aiso nab le home her state being ,
such as to render her longer stay in A merica highly

dangerous .
I am With great Regard &c a .
G B RO D NE Y . .
”
36 LE TTE R B O O K
-
F ro m C ap tain Ge orge Gayton
Romulus , San d y Hook O c t 15th 1780 ”
Sir ,
I beg leave to acquaint yo u I arriv d with His Maj ’
e sty s Ship above m e n tio n d O ff this place but the Trans

’ ’
,
port came too at Staten Island .
Vice A dm iral A rbuthnot and a C omm odore are in

sight the C o mm odore I suppose is Sir C hal O gle in th e
,
”
Resolution .
Th e fleet fro m E ngland are in o ne o f them unfortu ,
nate ly got a Ground but I sent an A nchor and Boats

, ,
to her assistance which I hope will inable her to get

o f [ f ] this tide I am Sir &c a
. .
GE O GAYTO N
E
Sir Geo B : Rodney Bart :
e
To C ap tain Ge orge Gayto n
Sandwich 15th O ctober 1780

Sir
Should yo u receive any Intelligence o f any sort that
yo u think necessary to send an A ccount of to me either
o n your Passage where you are going at or after the ,
landing the Troops you will please to Dispatch C aptain

Barkley in the Blonde to me with it immediate ly .
I am &0 3
G B : RO D N E Y .
C aptain Gayton
F ro m C ap tain Ge orge M on tagu
Pearl O ff N ew York O ctober 15th 1780

Sir
I am prevented the honor o f waiting on yo u by a
Violent bruise I received o n Saturday last in a Gale o f
Wind .
L E TTE R B O O K
- OF AD M I RAL L O RD RO D NE Y 37
On theSeptember we fell in with a F rench

3 0th Of
Ship w h o engaged us close for two hours and m aintain d ,

’
a running fight for two hours and a half m ore when she ,
’
struck she proved to be the L E sp e ranc e from C ape
,
F rancois bound to Bourdeaux a F rigate belonging to ,
the K ing but loaded by the Merchants and having only ,
a L etter o f Marque mounting 26 twelve pounders o n

,
her Main Deck with a 173 Men she had 20 Men K illed .
and 24 Wounded I think it a Justice due to the C aptain

, ,
to say that he defended his Ship with great bravery

,
.
Th e Pearl had 6 Men K illed and 10 Wounded A mong .
the former was F irst L ieutenant F oulke o f Marines and ,
the latter Mr : Dunbar Master .
Th e very C ool and de te rm in d Behaviour o f the O ffi

’
cers and Ships C ompany merits my m ost sincere A c

k no w le dge m e nts .
O n the 7th O ctober we had a very heavy Gale O f

W ind , which O bliged us to throw overboard 6 C arro ,
nades 4 Six Pounders Pinnace and several spars to

, ,
E ase the Ship .
I have herewith sent yo u a Journal of my Proceedings

’
since I last sail d from the Hook also the State an d ,
C ondition o f the Ship and her Defects , .
I am with the greatest regard Sir &c a .
E
GE O M O NTAGU
A dmiral Sir Geo Bridges Rodney
e
F ro m Vic e Ad m ira l M arrio t A rb u thno t 1
Royal O ak at Sea 16th O c t 1780 ”
Sir ,
I am h ono ur d with your L etters o f the 8th by th e

’
Savage which j oined m e on the 14 th at Sea .
I received O n the 3 0th your L etters by my Secretary .
My orders fro m the Board o f A dm iralty are positive

1
Cf l e tt er
. in Mundy s ’
Life, I , 388 .
38 L E TTE R B OO K -
to attend in person the m ovem ents of the F rench

Squadron under the Ch av e lie r de Ternay w ithin and ,
the N o rth w ard without the L imi ts of m y C o mm and

should he exceed them Th e same O rders enj oin me to
.
detach Rear A dmiral Graves with what F orce I may be

able to spare from the Station should he proceed to ,
the Windward Islands o r J amaica .
Your O rders for Rear A dmiral Graves will in that Idea ,
and at a pro p er time be delivered to h im .
I have not lately heard from Sir Henry C linton of any

particular O bj ect to render my presence as C ommi ssioner
necessary at N e w York and therefore cannot have any
pretence for diverting from the E xecution o f these O r
ders ; My Resolution of C ourse is to continue with this
Squadron while the E nemy remain upon this C oast
,
.
Th e C opy o f your O rder to the Rear A dmiral was not

inclosed in any o f your L etters .
I left Guardine rs Bay o n the l 0th with the same Ideas

you entertain respecting the intercepting O f Succours
&c a : but o n the 13 th M o nto c k point N N W distance . . .
3 0 L eagues falling in with the Plymouth C onvoy of

,
Transports Victualers &c a : I j udged it necessary to see

,
it off Sandy Hook as the A damant had separated fro m

,
the Hyaena which only remained to guard them

,
.
Th e Raisonab le having proceeded o n her way to E ng

land and the A merica and Prudent being on a three
,
Weeks C ruize between the N orth E nd o f St Georges

,
.
Bank and C ape A nne leave with m e only N ine Ships

,
of the Line Th e Shrewsbury will have j oined you e re

.
’
this However I send C ommodore Sir C haloner O gle in

.
the Resolution agreeable to your wishes .
I shall conform to your desire respecting the Savage .
A s the C aptains o f the Hyaena and A damant are di

re c te d to put themselves under m y C ommand I have ,
ordered the m so to do .
A s one part o f your L etter points at m y Inducement

for remaining occasionally in Gardiners Bay I j udge it ,
necessary to explain m yself on that head It has Sir .

,
been my constant endeavour by that means to keep the

40 LE TTE R B O O K
-
Westward the property O f Mr : Jacob Watson of N e w

,
York .
TO repair the damages one h und and Sixty four C ords

d
of Wood and O ne thousand six hundred and E ighty seven

feet of Timber with Iron Work &c a will be required . .
If the Pier to the Westward was replaced it would be

a safe guard to the N aval Wharf in the Winter Season
and break of the Tide O f F lood SO that F rigates might
heave do wn with safety which cannot be so conveniently
,
done
W M F O W LE R
‘
P Rovo : WALL I S
J H O L M AN
N ew York 16th O c t 1780 ”
Sir
Inclosed we have the honor to send a State o f the
N aval Wharf at this Port whereby you will perceive
,
that it requires a C onsiderable repair we are at the same

,
time to observe that it is partly the property of the

K ing s rebellious Subj ects and partly of those attac h d
’ ’
to Government and within the lin es being divided into

sm all L ots .
We are Sir with the highest respect Your &c a .
WM : F O W L ER
P Rovo : WAL L I S
J : HO L M AN
Sir : Geo : B : Rodney : Bart :
A dmiral of the White and C ommander in C hief &c a .
F ro m William F o w le r N a vy O ffic e r
,
at N e w York
N aval Yard N e w York

,
16 th O c t 1780 ”
Sir
that the tem porary Sheds which have been
F inding
erected at the N aval Yard at this Port unfit fo r the
L E TTE R B O O K
reception of sails and it being necessary that a store

,
house suitable for receiving them should be h ired I beg ,
leave to o ffer the same for your A pprobation and at ,
the sam e time observe that a Store upon Watson s ’
Wharf adj oining the Yard appears to be best C alculated

for this purpose now in the possession o f the Quarter
,
’
Master General O f His Maj esty s L and F orces and which ,
if the C ommander in C hief is pleased to order to be given

up will be most C onvenient for this service I have the .
honor to be &c a .
W M F O W LE R
. . . .
To Sir H e nry C lin to n
Sandwich 1 7th O c t ”
1 780
Sir,
In consequence of a Representation from the O fficers

of the Yard that the Temporary Sheds where the Sails
are deposited are become unfit for that service and there ,
pointing out to m e that a Store o n Watson s Wh arf ’
contiguous thereto no w O ccupied by the Quarter Master

General would be very convenient could it be spared and
,
C onscious O f your Readiness to forward His Maj esty s ’
Service in every Departm ent ,
I take the L iberty to request if His Maj esty s L and ’
Service will not be prej udiced thereby ( and as other

Stores may be found answerable to its present use I
trust it will no t ) that yo u will please to give directions
that the same may be given up for the use o f His Maj
’
e s ty s Yard to which from its situation it is particularly
, ,
adap t d and to which it will be peculiarly serviceable

’
.
I have the honor to be with the sincerest E steem and

Regard &c a .
G : B : RO D NE Y
His E xcellency General C linton
-
F ro m C ap tain Ge o rge Gayton
Romulus O ff the Barr O c t ”

1 7th 1780
S ir
This is to acquaint yo u that I weighed this morn
ing at past 6 and hope to get all the ships o ut soon
when I shall proceed agreeable to your O rders and will
take the E arliest O pportunity of writing to you after
my arrival at the Place of my Destination ; or on the
Passage if I should receive any Intelligence worth your
notice ; I received your L etter yesterday respecting C ap
tain Barkley and have the honor to be with great respect
,
Sir &c a .
GE O RGE GAYTO N
Sir : G : B : Rodney Bart &c a . .
F ro m C ap tain Th o m as Tou k e n , A ge n t for Transp orts

a t N e w York
N ew York 18 th O c t ”
1780
Sir ,
On the Reduction o f C harles Town about E igh ty

Spanish Seamen were found there and Vice A dmiral A r ,
b uth no t directed me to appoint a Transport for that pur

pose But as Sh e was then Victualled by the C ommissary
,
and but little N aval Provisions left at C harles Town the ,

’
senior O fli c e r of His Maj esty s Ships there directed the ,
Master to Victual them with the A rmy Provisions telling ,
him that what he exp ended should be replaced by the

N avy ( as it has been O ften done on similar occasions )
But the A gent Victualler now refuses to return what has
been expended W ithout you r directions In consequence ,
of which the Master cannot settle his A ccounts with the

C ommissary I am therefore to hope that you will be
.
L E TTE R B O O K
pleased to give the A gent Victualler an O rder to re
place it .
I am with great respect Sir &c a .
TH O S : TO M R E N [ sic for TO N K E N ]
A gent for Transports
Sir G : B : Rodney Bart &c a . .
F ro m Cap tain H ugh Ro bins on
N ew York E ast River 18th O c t 1780 ”
Sir ,
His Maj esty s Ship Guadaloupe under my C o mm and

’
having been SO unfortunate as to throw overboard E ight

9 Pound Guns and the Storekeeper o f this place has ao
,
q uain te d me that there is none in Store nor any to be

purchased that will answer the purpose I therefore beg ,
you will be pleased to give him an O rder to supply m e

with E ight Guns from on board the Brilliant O rdnance
Store Ship now in this Harbour I am Sir &c a . .
H UG H RO BI N SO N
A dmiral Sir : G : B : Rodney Bart .
C o mm ander of His Maj esty s F leets

’
in A merica
To Vic e A dm ira l M arrio t A rb u thn o t 1
Sandwich o ff N ew York 19 th O c t 1780

”
Sir
I am h ono ur d with your L etter of the 16th Instant
’
,
and am sorry that my C onduct has given you O ff ence ,
none was intended o n my part E very respect due to .
yo u as an O fficer and a Gentleman my Inclination as

well as my Duty led me to pay you in the strictest sense .
If any designing men by their insinuations have led you

1
P inte d i n Mundy s
r
’
L ife , I , 3 9 1-396 .
to deviate from that good sense and politeness which

Mr A rbuthnot was always known to have I am sorry
.
,
for it and am convinced in your cooler moments when ,
you reflect upon some of the paragraphs in your letter ,
you will wish they had been c o uc h d in more friendly ’
terms .
It was not inclination or C hoice that brought me to

A merica it was the Duty I owed my King and C ountry
,
.
I had fl atter d myself it would have met with your A p

’
probation I am sorry it has not but I ow n I have the

.
,
Vanity to think it will meet with H is approbation whose , ,
it is the greatest honor a subj ect can receive .
Your A nger at my partial interfering ( as yo u term it )

with the A merican War not a little surprizes me I came .
to Interfere in the A merican War to C ommand by Sea ,
in it and to do my best E ndeavours towards the putting

,
an E nd thereto .
I knew the Dignity of my own Rank and the power ,
invested in me by the C ommission I bear intitled me to

take the supreme C ommand which I ever shall do o n ,
’
every Station where His Maj esty s and the Public Ser
vice may m ake it necessary for me to go unless I m eet ,
a Superior O fli c e r in which C ase it will be my Duty to

,
O bey his O rders .
O n my arrival o ff the Hook I instantly dispatched

four Ships o f the L ine to j oin yo u which made your ,
Squadron Thirteen Sail o f the Line a force fully suffi ,
cient to attack and defeat Mons Te rnay s Squadron of ” ’
E ight Sail of the L ine which I am convinced would ,
have been the C onsequence if h e had given you an

O pportunity I left it entirely to you Sir how to dispose
.
of that Squadron as to answer so desirable an E nd .
Your having detached the Raison ab le to E ngland with

o u t my K nowledge after you had received my O rders
to put yourself under my C ommand is I believe unpre c e ,
dented in the annals of the British N avy My Duty will .
oblige me to report it to the L ords C ommissioners of the

A dmiralty .
Your having de tac h d the A merica and Prudent on a

’
LE TTE R B O O K-
three Weeks Cruize between the N orth E nd o f St Georges .
Bank and C ape A nn convinces me that you thought the

remaining part o f your Squadron fully sufficient to defeat
any designs of Mons Ternay but I o w n as you have
”
,
given me no reasons for so doing I cannot approve o f the

se p e ration o f the Squadron while Mons Ternay lies while
”
his whole force at Rhode Island .
Yo u must excuse me Sir if I think myself in a great ,

’
measure responsible for the Disposition of His Maj esty s
Ships o n the C oast of A merica during my C ontinuance
thereon A nd as the Superior O fficer o f His Maj esty s
,
’
Ships o n this Station have taken upon m e to dispose of

them in such a manner as app e ar d to me most condu ’
cive to His Maj esty s and the Public Interest C opies o f

’
.
which disposition when I leave this Station will be de

, ,
livered to yo u .
In no one Instance have I had the least intention of

shewing disrespect to yo u or your O rders or deviating ,
from them but when I found it immediately necessary

,
for His Maj esty s Service So far from it that o n my

’
.
,
arrival o ff the Hook on the Guadaloupe and Triton

j o ining me from N e w York I directed them to follow ,
your O rders If by neglect of your Secretary o r any

.
other person they did not receive your O rders to repair

,
to C arolina till their return from their C ruize disabled , ,
in to this Port it is not their fault those O rders were not

put into E xecution .
A s His Maj esty s Squadron under my C ommand did

’
not meet on e single F rigate from C harles Town Bar to

Sandy Hook I had reason to conclude that the F rigates
,
yo u left at C harles Town had been detached from that

place to Great Britain and to you with the Glorious and
import ant N ews of the Victory obtained by the E arl of
C ornwallis over the Rebels and of C ourse that the C oast
,
of C arolina was left unguarded which by Intelligence

received from Prizes taken by the Squadron under my
C omm and sw arm d with Privateers therefore thought it
’
,
necessary for His M aj esty s Service instantly to detach

’
th e Iris and Galatea ( both C opper b o tto m d ) to C ruize

’
46 LE TTE R B O O K -
OF A D M I RAL L O RD RO D NE Y
O ff the Bar and the Tham [ e ] s with the C onvoy to re

,
turn at the request o f Sir Henry C linton with Provisions

for the use o f the A rmy th e n and n o w in the greatest
w ant thereof .
N o one Step w hatever that I have taken was with

any other View than the im mediate service o f His Maj
esty and without the Idea o f giving you o ff ence .
Most o f the Frigates are re turn d C rippled by the late ’
gale o f Wind several will be d isp atc h d to yo u when re

,
’
fitted .
’
I have the pleasure to acquaint you that L E sp e ranc e
taken by the Pearl is in all respects a m uch better
,
F rigate than the Pearl mounts 26 Twelve Pounders upon

,
the Main Deck and is only two years fro m her being
built I would reco m mend it to you Sir to purchase and
.
,
C om mi ssion her .
I have the honor to be with real regard

Your m ost O bedient and most humble servant
G B RO D N E Y
. .
V ice A dmiral A rbuthnot &c a .
To C ap tain N a th anie l B a te m an
Sandwich o ff N ew York O c t ”
19 th 1780
Sir
I have appointed C omm odore Sir C harles O gle to as
semble a C ourt Martial in order to enquire into your
,
C onduct in the A ction with the french fleet on the 17th

o f A pril last which C ourt Martial will C ommence on
,
Monday N ext You will please to inform me if you wish

.
a longer period o f time to prepare yourself for Trial .
I am &c a .
G : B : RO D N E Y
C aptain Bateman
-
OF A D M I RAL LO RD RO D N E Y
F ro m A dm ira l Ro dn e y s Se c re tary to C ap tain the

’
H o no ra b le Jo hn Ro dne y
Sandwich O ff N ew York 2 l st O c t 1780

”
Sir ,
I am directed by the A dmiral to acquaint yo u that ,
such Ships as have the ir C learances regularly signed and ,
are outward bound are to have the L iberty to proceed

,
accordingly in the same manner as if they were Signed

by the C ommanding O fficer as has heretofore been the
,
C usto m I am &c a
. .
W M PAGE TT
C aptain Rodney
o r the C o m manding O fficer of
the Guardship at the Hook
F ro m C ap tain the H o n ora b le Jo hn Ro dne y
F owey Sandy Hook l t Oc t

”
1780
Sir ,
L ate this E vening I boarded a Brig from L isbon bound

to N e w York laden with Wine for the use o f the A rmy
and N avy who gave us the following Intelligence .
That 52 sail o f Merchantmen under the C onvoy of

the Ram ilies and some F rigates were taken by the
F rench and Spanish F leets o ff Madeira that o n the 22n d
,
A ugust C aptain Thompson o f a L uggar and Go fling o f

a C utter Privateers belonging to Guernsey too k a Span
ish Packet with the A dmirals Dispatches on board to
C adiz and brought her into Lisbo n and the Rattle Snake
w as sent to E ngland with the said dispatches A t that .
tim e he says there were 3 2 sail on the L ine F rench and

Spanish .
O n the 7th A ugust A dmiral Geary app e ar d o ff L isbon ’

LE TTE R B OO K
with 23sail of the L ine and was in quest of the French

a nd Spanish F leets .
I have the honor to be with great respect Sir &c a .
J RO D N E Y
Sir G B Rodney Bart
. . .
N B : Th e Briggs N ame is the Speedwell ,

E ight Weeks
Passage
To Vic e A dmiral M arrio t A rb u thn o t
Sandwich OH N ew York 22nd O c t 1780

”
S ir
’
Mr Miller Hu m phries late Master o f His Maj esty s
Ship Sandwich but now L ieutenant in the Russel being
a material E vidence o n the trial o f C aptain Bateman
now going home .
I must desire yo u will give directions for his coming

down immediately by the same C onvoy which brings this
Letter to yo u Viz : the St : L ucia Bri g .
I have the honor to be with real regard &c a .
G B ROD N E Y
. .
Vice A dmiral A rbuthnot .
F ro m D a vid L aird, C o m mande r of the Je rse y P ris on Ship
N ew York O c t ”
22nd 1780
Sir
Y o u having been pleased to convert His Maj esty s ’
Ship Jersey under my C ommand from an Hospital Ship

to a Prison Ship and as I have long wished and expected
,
to get into a more A ctive line of L ife than that o f C o m

manding either the O ne or the O ther I was in great hopes ,
that when she was made a Prison Ship I should not have
rem ain d long in her as C aptain I am therefore to re
’
.
-
quest you will be pleased to grant me L iberty to return

to E ngland to solicit employment and preferment there ,
without you Should have occasion for m y Service here .
I am & c a .
D LAI RD
D
. . . .
F ro m M o rgan Wa te rs
O ctober 23rd 1780

Sir
I beg leave to represent to yo u that I have for some ,
time past been very much afflicted with the Rh um atism ,
which with other Infirm itie s incident to O ld A ge being ,
upwards of Sixty four renders me totally incapable o f

’
performing my Duty as Purser o f His Maj esty s Ship
Guadaloupe .
I am therefore to request the favour that you will

permit m e to resign m y Warrant as Purser in order to ,
try what my N ative C ountry will do towards my Re

c ov e ry I am &c a
. .
M O RGAN WATE RS
To C ap tain Gide o n Jo hns ton
Sandwich O c t
,
”
25th 1 780
Sir,
’
I am this moment favo ur d with your Letter of this
days date requesting your Ships C ompany may be sup
,
p ly d with fresh Beef I have no O bj ection thereto but

’
.
your stay will not admit o f it as it is absolutely ne c es ,
sary for His Maj esty s Service that your Ship should sail
’
in Twenty four hours and you will be amply s up ply d

,
’
therewith at Gardners Bay where you are bound in case ,
o f not falling in with A dmiral A rbuthnot agre e able to

L E TTE R B O O K
- OF A D M I RAL L O RD RO D NE Y 51
his Rendezvous or where you will probably at all events

,
be soon afterwards I am Sir &c a . .
G : B : RO D NE Y
’
C aptain Johnson of His Maj esty s Ship A damant
’
P S : You can t sail to o soon
F ro m C ap tain Gide o n Jo hns to n
A damant O c t 26 th 1780 ”
Sir
I have this moment received your L etter of yester
days date Be assured there has not been any time lost
.
in C omplying with yours or A dmiral A rb uth no ts O rders ,
it has been and will be my utmost wish to carry on the

’
Service with Spirit tis impossible for me to say that
,
the A damant will be able to sail exactly to your wish ,
but one thing you may rest assur d in that there shall ’
be nothing wanting in my power to forward the Service .
We have at present 180 ashore mostly refitted and will ,
be rafted o ff with all possible dispatch having none but ,
o ur O w n Boats to assist us therein and the rafting them
o ff depends on the Tides and Weather I beg leave to .
acquaint you we have no Pilot for Gardiners Bay or any

other part of the C oast the one sent on board from
,
the A lcide is gone on shore very ill in deed I must also .
acquaint you that here has no Gunner made his A ppear

ance as yet on board I am Sir &c a . .
Sir G B
: : odney Bart
: R
G I D E O N JO H N STO N
.
F ro m Vic e A d m ira l M arrio t A rb u th n o t
Royal O ak at Sea 26th O c t 1780 ”
Sir
I have received your L etter [ o f O ctober 22 ] acquaint
ing me that M r M iller Humphries is a material E vidence
,
52 L E TTE R B OO K
-
on the Trial o f Captain Batem an : I have up o n tha t

principal ordere d h im to p roceed t o N e w York .
I am Sir your m o st hum ble servant

M A RB UTH N OT
T
To A dm iral Sir G B Rodney . .
C o mm ander in C hief at the Le eward Islands
F ro m M ajo r O li ve r D e lanc e y D e pu ty
, A dju tan t Ge n e ra l
He ad Quarters O c t ,
”
26th 1780
Sir
Th e Store K eeper the O rdnance not having in his
of
p ossession any Pistols except such as belong to the N avy

and there being a N umber necessary to C o m pleat the
de fi c ie nc es o f the A rmy ,
His E xcellency the C o mm ander in C hief [ S ir Henry

C lin ton ] request you will be good enough to give per ,
m issio n that the number wanted m ay b e Issued up o n

proper ap plication being m ade .
I have the honor to be with great respect Sir &c a .
D E LAN CE Y
D ”A ”
. . . .
To C ap tain Gide on Jo hns ton
Sandwich 27th O c t ”
1780
Sir
A s I hear Vice A dmiral Arbuthnot is d to Gar
’
re turn
’
diners Bay it is necessary for His Maj esty s Service you
j oin h im without a m o m ent s loss o f tim e in that Bay I
’
.
am &c a ..
G B RO D N E Y
. .
C aptain Johnston
A damant
LE TTE R B O O K
-
F rom C o mmo dore Sir C ha loner O gle
Resolution , 27th O c t 1780 ”
Sir
L ieutenant L ey who has served with me as m y first
O ffi cer ever since I commanded the Resolution and who ,
has requested my A ssistance in his L etter o f the 23 rd

Inst : and which L etter I have the honor to inclose and
solicit in his behalf your attention I can aver the auth e n .
tic ity o f the greatest part O f this Letter ; and as I wish

to do him all the service in m y Power should re c om ,
mend his going to E ngland where he might hope to,
m eet that reward forty years service m erit or from his ,
friend A dmiral Geary that promotion he expects A s .
such I beg to becom e his advocate with you and solicit

leave for h im to go ho m e I have the honor to be Sir &c a
. .
L
C H A O G LE
A dmiral Sir G B Rodney Bart &c a
. . . .
To C o m m o do re Sir C h a lon e r O gle
Sandwich O ff N e w York ,
27th O c t 1780 ”
Sir
’
I am h o no ur d with your L etter o f this date inclosing ,
one from Lieutenant L ey of His Maj esty s Ship Reso ’
lution and cannot have the least O bj ection to his re

,
turning to Great Britain where I hope he will m eet

,
with that promotion from his Patron A dmiral Geary

which his long Services deserve .
I have the honor to be with great regard Sir &c a

, .
G B : RO D NE Y
.
C ommodore Sir C hal O gle”

-
F ro m th e O ffic e rs o f the N a val Yard at N e w York
N ew York 27th O c t ”
1780
Money being wanting for paying two Months Pay

which become due to the A rtific e rs &c a employed in .
H is Maj esty s Yard at this Port the 3 1s t Inst t the N aval

’
O flfic e r has drawn sett O f Bills of E xchange for F ive

,
Thousand Pounds Sterling for enabling him to pay the

s ame which we inclose for your A pprobation We are
, .
a t the same time to O bserve that the L ords of the Ad
m iral ty have been pleased to acquaint the C ommissi o n

ers o f the N avy that they have resolved not to send out
,
any Money to A merica the Board therefore directed ,
Mr : F owler to draw Bills for such Sums as may be

wanted at this port and as they are only Saleable o n
,
the E v e o f a Pacquet or other Vessels sailing for E ng

land it becomes necessary not only to draw fo r what
,
is due at that time but also to have a sufficient sum re

maining to answer such C ontingent C harges as may occur
during such intervals We have the honor to be with great
.
respect Sir &c a .
W M : F O W LE R
PRO VO : WAL L I S
J : H O L M AN
Sir : Geo : B : Rodney Bart &c a . .
To P hilip S tep h e ns Se c re tary , o f th e A dm ira lty 1
Sandwich o ff N ew York 28th O c t 1780 ”
Since my last of the 13 th Instant by His Maj esty s ’
Ship the F ortunée I must desire you will please to ao

,
q uaint their L ordships that the Squadron o f his Maj

,
1
P inte d in Mundy s
r
’
L ife o f A dmiral L o rd R o dne y, I , 4 14-417, under
da te O f O c t 20 1780
. . .
56 LE TTE R B O O K
-
have no principal w hatever they live by Piracy and , ,
the plunder of their fellow Subj ects ; when they have

been released out of humanity to return to their families
and live by honest Industry they forget the Mercy that ,
had been shown them and instantly return to renew

,
their A cts o f Piracy .
Since m y arrival here I have allowed none of them

to be released and have given notice that till the Seven
,
Hundred Prisoners their C ongress owes are liquidated

the Rebel Sailors will be de tain d in C onfinement ; A s ’
with pleasure I can assure their L ordships that very

few of the British Seamen are in the Possession o f the
R ebels .
Th e great increase o f Prisoners and the extreme bad

C ondition of the Prison Ships rendered it necessary to
convert the Jersey Hospital Ship into a Prison Ship
,
which I hope will meet with their L ordships A pprob a

tion more especially as a N aval Hospital Ship ( because
,
unfit for that Service ) totally useless and by converting ,
her into a Prison Ship has saved a considerable e xp e nc e

to Government .
A s the Season is now so far advance [ d ] there is little ,

’
probability of an E nemy s Squadron arriving on the
C oast I have undoubted A uthority to say that Mons
,
”
,
Monteil with 8 Sail o f the L ine ( being that part o f the

F rench Squadron left by Mons Guichen on his return ”
to E urope at C ape F rancois ) had O rders to j oin Mons ”
Ternay at Rhode Island and had certainly attempted it

, ,
if he had not re c e iv d Intelligence by a Bermudian

’
( spoke to by the C entaur ) who under the pretence o f

being bound to Turks Island for Salt the Traitor only ,
’
went to C ape F rancois and gave his Maj esty s E nemy s
,
’
information o f the Squadron under my C omm and Steer

ing for A merica .
My stay here will be very short the Season for A ction ,
in the West Indies approaches no t a Moments time shall ,
be lost by me in doing my Duty to His Maj esty and

the Public and I flatter myself I shall have their L ord
ships A pprobation o n my C onduct .
LE TTE R B O O K
-
OF A D M IRAL L O RD RO D NE Y 57
Inclosed I have the honor o f transmitting the State

’
and C ondition o f His Maj esty s Ships no w at N e w York ,
and am with great Regard Sir

Your most O bedient most humble Servant
G B RO D N E Y . .
List OfHis M aj esty s Squadron under the C ommand

’
of
Vice A dmiral A rbuthnot

watching the motions of Mons Ternay &c a ”
.
Royal O ak Shrewsbury F rigates

L ondon C entaur
Resolution A merica RO [ e ] buck
Russel Robust A mphitrite
Bedford E urope Richmond
Prudent Raiso n ab le Vulcan , F ire Ship
C ulloden
Ditto under C aptain Afflic k on a C ruize

F rigates
Triumph
Terrible C yclops
A lcide Boreas
Intrepid Greyhound
Guadaloupe
Triton
Raleigh
Ditto under C aptain Gayton with the Troops
proceeding on the E xpedition
R omulus Delight
Blond Swift
Beaumont O tter
H allifax Dependance
C ornwallis
Galatea O ff C harles Town c ruiz ing for the

Iris Protection of the Trade
Thames gone with a C onvoy to C harles Town
,
-
Sandwich arm d Ship at Charles Town to bring back

,
’
L oyalist Victualers for the A rmy

Rainbow gone to H allifax with a C onvoy
Bonetta at D [ itt ] o
A llegiance at D O
D elaware at D °
C harles Town at D °
Savage at D O
C amilla at D to C areen O
A lbany at Penobscot
F owey Guardship at the Hook
Sandwich between N e w York and Paulus Hook in the
N River .
Yarm outh between Staten Island and L ong Island

Torbay D preparing to proceed to Sea to Join
O
C aptain A fflick '
K eppel to protect the W o o ders

Polly Schooner F oragers between L ong Island
A venger and the Main
Vulture
N orth Rl v e r
C linton Galley
A rgo
gl figz
l d
th e Sound about Staten Isl and L ong
il
n
e l p h ia d
S
St : L uc 1a
Spit fire
Hope Brig
P ac h ah unta F itting for Sea
Hannibal
To P hilip Step he ns Se c re tary ,

o f th e A dm ira lty 1
[ Marginal note : ] By the Roebuck Pacquet ,
Sandwich o ff N e w York 28th O c t 1780

”
Sir
I feel the greatest concern whenever I am under the
N ecessity of giving their L ordships the pain of reading
1
P int e d w itho ut t h e encl osure i n Mundy s
r , ,
’
Life , I , 4 18- 422, und er
date O c t 3 0 1780
.
, .
L E TTE R B O O K-
a L etter which Indicates any disagreement between O ffi

cers O f high Rank in His Maj esty s N aval Department ’
,
and more especially when acting in His Re a l Service ,
but Vice A dmiral A rbuthnot having taken it into his

head to be highly o ffended at me fo r doing what I
thought my D u ty to His Maj esty and the Public and ,
acquainting me by letter dated the 1 6th O c t Instant ”
that he would remonstrate to their L ordships against

my C onduct I think it a Duty I o w e myself to trans
,
mit to the A dmiralty Board C opies of my O rders and

L etters to Mr A rbuthnot ( with his A nswers to me his
.
,
Superior O fli c e r) that their L ordships may j udge which

of us has most cause to trouble them with C omplaints .
In my C onduct as an A dmiral C o mm anding a Great

F leet I am responsible to none but their L ordships their
, ,
A pprobation is my A mbition their disapprobation it is ,
m y Duty with humility to submit to as I shall be con ,
v inc e d I have d e s e rv d reproof and if in the C ommand

’
o f the F leet they have done me the honor to trust to
my C harge I have C ommitted E rrors in Judgement

, ,
I have such C onfidence in their Justice that I am sure

they will not attribute them to E rrors of the Will .
E ver since I have had the honor o f being an O fficer

in the N avy I have made it an invariable rule to obey
,
'
and can not tax myself with ever once wilfully disobey
ing the O rders of a Superior O fficer when upon His
’
Maj esty s Service .
Th e Superior O fli c e r who gives the O rder is answer

able not the Inferior who O beys it
, .
That I have been extremely tender in issuing O rders

to Vice A dmiral A rbuthnot and been attentive towards ,
paying him every respect due to his rank the Inclosed ,
L etters I am sure will C onvince their L ordships

, ,
.
If in his A nswers to me his L etters have not been

p e n n d with that C ordiality that ought to pass between
’
O fficers acting in the Public Service I am sorry for it ! ,
they e ffect not me I am assh am d to mention what ap

.
’
pears to me the real cause and from whence Mr A rb uth .
not s C h agre ne proceeds but the Proofs are SO plain

’
, ,
60 L E TTE R B O O K —
that Prize Money is the O ccasion that I am under the ,
necessity to transmit them .
’
O n my arrival o ff Sandy Hook I de tac h d C ommodore
Drake with 4 Sail of the L ine to j oin Vice A dm iral
A rbuthnot with letter marked n u m b e r On e without any ,
other O rder O n m y arrival at N e w York where my Duty

.
,
called m e to consult with Sir Henry C linton I found it ,
necessary for His Maj esty s Service to give Mr A rb uth ’

.
not O rders to put himself under m y C ommand no t only

for the better C arrying o n the Public Service but li ke ,
wise to prevent any litigious Suits relative to Prize

Money which Mr A rbuthnot had given me too much .
reason to expect and which if their L ordships will give

,
themselves the trouble to peruse they may see by the ,
Inclosed papers it was fully intended .
I can solemnly assure their L ordships that I had no t

the least conceptio n O f any other Prize Money on the
C oast o f Am erica but that which would be most h o n
,
’
o urab ly o b tain d by the Destruction o f the E nemy s Ships
’
’
o f War and Privateers but when Prize Money app e ar d ,
predo mi nant in the mind o f my Brother O fficer I was

de te rm in d to have my share o f that Bounty m ost gra
’
’
c io usly b e sto w d by His Majesty and the Public .
Mr A rbuthnot taxes me in his letter o f the 16 th

.
Inst : with deviating from the O rders he had Issued to

the F rigates such deviation was absolutely necessary at
,
’
the time for His Maj esty s Service ; it was impossible
’
for him then statio n d in Gardiners Bay one Hundred
, ,
and Thirty miles distant from N e w York and liable every ,
moment to put to Sea to know the Situation o f aff airs ! ,
could he possibly immagine that I h is Superior O fficer ,
then upon the spot at N e w York and who came deter

mined to give every assistance in m y Power towards
bringing the Rebellion to a C onclusion could so far for ,
get m y Duty as to neglect Issuing O rders for so desirable

an E n d ; and wait five o r Six Days at least for his
A pprobation N O Sir I was convinced that the whole
.
, ,
Southern C oast was exposed not a Single F rigate o ff ,
C arolina no r not o ne to be seen from that C oast to

,
L E TTE R B O O K - OF A D M I RAL L O RD RO D N E Y 61
Sandy Hook I therefore without a Moments delay has

.
ten d the Ships out from this Port Stationed them o ff

’
,
every Province by which means 13 Sail o f Rebel Priva

,
teers have been already taken and the Trade o f His ,
Maj esty s Subj ects which was not safe even in Sight o f
’
Sand Hook has been most e ffectually protected I fl at .
te r d myself I should have had the Honor even o f Mr

’
.
A rb uth no t s A pprobation o f my C onduct ; I am sorry

’
I had not ! but if I am so happy as to meet with that

o f their Lo rdships it will m o re than fully C ompensate
,
.
Th e Rank I have the honor to bear in His Maj esty s

’
N avy the C ommand agreeable to that Ra nk I have

,
Publickly assum d according to the Invariable rule of

’
’
Service the O rders I had Issued for his Maj esty s Ser
,
vice the N otice and O rders I had given Vice A dm iral

,
A rbuthnot O bliges me to desire you will lay before their

L ordships the Inclosed O riginal O rders Given by Vice ,
’
A dmiral A rbuthnot that they may be c o nv inc d how ,
much he has forgot hims elf and how highly Disrespect ,
ful his Behaviour has been to Me his Superior O fficer

in issuing O rders to O fli c e rs both Military and C ivil in
the N aval Department then under the im mediate Dir c o
tion of my F lag without ever Signi fying to m e he had
,
so done .
Th o I had such j ust reason to C om plain o f the In

’
dignity O ffe r d me I would not suffer it to cause the

’
,
l east delay in the Public Service but directed the O fficers

who brought me Mr A rb uth no t s O rders to hasten the .
’
supplies demanded and appointed a C onvoy to C onduct

them to Gardiner s Bay ’
.
His Dispatching the Raiso n ab le to E ngland without ,
a cquainting me prior to her Sailing and after he had ,
received my O rders to put himself under my C ommand ,
is I believe unpre c ide n te d in the A nnals o f the N avy ;

A nd it is with the greatest concern my Duty O bliges me
t o make their L ordships acquainted therewith .
I have the honor to be Sir &c a .
G : B : RO D N E Y
P hil : Stephens E sq ”
-
Inclosed in the above L etter

O n my arrival at N e w York the A gent for Prizes
acquainted m e that he had a very considerable Sum of
Money in his hands belonging to m e which C aptain ,
R obinson of His Maj esty s Ship Guadaloupe had di

’
re c te d him to pay m e as my Share o f the Prizes he had

,
taken while under my O rders he was carrying C annon ,
from the West Indies in order to be E m p loy d in the

,
’
Reduction o f C harles Town Th e A gent for the said Prizes

.
came again the next day and informed me that Mr :

Green Secretary to Vice A dmiral A rbuthnot had that
, ,
m orning been with him and c laim d my Share as b e

’
longing to Mr A rbuthnot altho the Judge of the A d

.
’
m iralty had declared that Mr A rbuthnot could not have .
the least pretence to any Share in those Prizes they

having bee n taken by a Ship under my O rders which
Ship had been several Months in the West Indies had ,
been de tain d by Rear A dmiral Parker and her C aptain

’
received O rders from him to put himself under his C o m

mand he had likewise received O rders from C ommodore
,
Hotham and Mr : L aforey C o mm anding O fficer at

,
A ntigua and had been E mployed in Cruiz ing to Wind

,
ward o f Barbadoes for the protection o f that Island and

the Trade of His Maj esty s Subj ects I found her o n the
’
.
Station and of C ourse took her under my C ommand with

’
the rest of His Maj esty s Ships in those Seas General .
Vaughan pres [ s ] ing me for a C onvoy for a Transport

loaded with A mmunition in O rder to C arry on the Siege
of C harles Town I detached the Guadaloupe on that
,
service C aptain Robinso n o n his Passage took the Prizes

, ,
which he directed his A gent to pay me the A dmirals

share as he acknowledged himself under my O rders
, .
- OF A D M I RAL L O RD RO D N E Y
was o f no use as an Hospital Ship and that converting ,
her into a Prison Ship would be a great saving to the

Public as the Stores and Medicines would be better o n
,
shore in the Hospital on L on g Island .
My Duty obliges m e to point to your Board that I

think it would be a great advantage to the Public if you
would send your o w n proper O fi c e rs to preside over the
Hospital and Prisoners ; I have made it m y Business to
E nquire int o the Character o f Mr David Sproat who .
,
acts no w as C ommissary o f Prisoners he is reported to ,
m e to bear the best of C haracter s and by what I can

’
,
learn he is the most proper Person in this C ountry to

A c t as C om missary o f Prisoners .
Inclosed I send you his L etter and Mem orial to me ,
and I have directed h im to acquaint your Board with

every Step taken relative to the Prisoners o f War and ,
fo r him to A c t as C ommi ssary till further O rders .
I have likewise directed h im to send a C artel Ship to

F rance with F rench Prisoners in order to save the heavy
,
e xpe nc e they would be to Government if they continued
the E nsuing Winter in N e w York he is directed to send

,
to yo u the Ship and Masters N ames and the number of ,

’
Prisoners de liv e r d .
I have the honor to be with real regard Gentlemen &c a .
G : B : RO D NE Y
C o mm issioners of the Sick and Hurt
To C ap tain Gideon Jo hns ton
Sir Sandwich O c t ,
”
29 th 1 780
As it is o f the utmost C onsequence to his Maj esty s ’
Service that you j oin Vice A dmiral A rbuthnot imm e di

ately ; I m ust desire yo u will proceed without a moments
loss o f time to Gardiners Bay for that purp ose I am .
8 11 &c a
‘
G : B : RO D NE Y
o
C aptain Johnston
A da m ant
L E TTE R B O O K
F ro m H e nry D a vi e s , N a vy Vic tua le r at N e w Yo rk
Grand Duke Victualler ,

O ff N ew York
29 th O ctober 1780
Sir
I beg leave to acquaint you that I have received an
O rder from Vice A dmiral A rbuthnot dated o ff Block
Island the 26th Instant directing to send in Victualing
Transports under the E scort of His Maj esty s Ship
’
A damant three Months Provisions for the use o f the

,
S quadron under his C ommand which with your permis

,
sion I purpose sending o ff if possible o n Tuesday

,
.
I am Sir &c a .
H E NRY DAVI E S
Sir Geo : B : Rodney Bart : &c a .
To H e nry Da vies N a vy Vic tua ler

, at N e w York

Sir
d the A damant to j oin Vice A dmiral A r
’
I have ord e r
b uth no t, when the Victualing Transports are ready to

’
proceed to Gardiner s Bay I shall order a Vessel for their
protection .
I am Sir &c a .
G : B : RO D N E Y
Henry Davies E sq ”
F ro m C ap tain Ske fiin gton Lu twi dge
Triton , E ast River 30th O c t 1780 ”
Sir
Th e Surgeon His Maj esty s Ship Triton under my
of
’
C o mm and having represented to me that the Ship s

’
,
C ompany are very much afflicted with Scorbutic C om

-
plaints which a daily supply o f fresh Provisions would

be greatly conducive to remove I beg you will be pleased ,
to O rder the said Ship to be supplied therewith I am .
&c a .
S KE RE N
LU TW IDGE
A dmiral Sir G B Rodney Bart
. . .
To P hi lip S tep he ns Se c re tary of the A dm ira lty

,
[ Marginal note : ] By the Roebuck

Sandwich O ff N e w York 3 0th O c t 1780
”
Sir ,
C ommodore Sir C h a O gle having applied to m e by

”
L etter F or Permission for Mr : L ey to return to E ng

land upon the Supposition that he is appointed one o f
’
A dmiral Geary s L ieutenants I have C omplied with his ,
request and C harged L ieutenant K ey [ sic for L ey ] with

,
my Public Dispatches .
I have the honor to be Sir

Your most O bedient and very humble Servant
G : B : RO D NE Y
To C o m m od ore William H o th am
Sandwich ,
3 1st O ctober 1 780
Sir
I have been ho mor d with your L etter o f the 14th
’
A ugust inclosing the State and C ondition of His Maj

,
’
e sty s Ships under your C ommand and likewise Papers ,
relative to C aptain Walter o f His Maj esty s Ship C a ’
melion if his health is such as renders it necessary for

,
him to go to E ngland I am sure I have not the least,
O bj ection .
In all probability I shall have the pleasure O f seeing

L E TTE R B O O K
-
you in a few days after the Receipt o f this L etter and ,
am with real regard Sir &c a .
G B : RO D N E Y .
C o mm odore Hotham
F ro m H e nry D a vies, N avy Vi c tua le r at N e w Yo rk
Grand Duke Victualer O ff N e w York

O ctober 3 1st 1 780
Sir
I beg leave to acquaint you that in C ompliance with
your directions I have sent to the Provost a Quantity of
,
Provisions for the U se o f the Prisoners ordered there yes

te rday from the Jersey but as the Provost Martial will
,
not suffer any Person under him to take charge of the

K ing s Provisions and Stores allotted for the purpose of
’
Victualing those Prisoners I am to request you will please

,
to grant me your Instructions for securing to this depart

ment the necessary indemn ification .
Mr : Sproat the C ommissary General for N aval Pris

oners ( if you think proper ) will assist in regulating the
,
Victualing o f the Prisoners o f the Provost especially as ,
his O ffice is so far detached from the Town .
I have the honor to be Sir &c a .
HE NRY DAVI E S
Sir Geo B Rodney Bart &c a
”
. . .
F ro m H e nry D a vie s , N a vy Vi c tu a le r at N e w York
Grand Duke Victualer O ff N e w York

,
3 1 st O c t 1780
”
I beg leave to acquaint you that the two Victualing

Transports named in the Margin are ready to proceed
1
,
1
F irm , Lynx
-
with the proportion o f Prov isons &c a required to Victual .
”
the Squadron under the C omm and o f Vice A dm A rb uth
not in Gardiners Island Bay whenever yo u please to ,
appoint a ship to protect them I am Sir .
H E NRY DAVI E S
”
A dm Sir G : B : Rodney Bart .
F ro m C ap tain H ugh Ro b ins on
Guadaloupe E ast River N e w York

,
N ov ”
2nd 1780
Sir
His Maj esty s Ship Guadaloupe under m y C o m mand
’
,
having been in want o f a Watch Bell these several

Cruiz e s and as I find there is o ne to be purchased now
,
belonging to the O ld E ast Indiaman sold the other day ,
the Merchants being willing to sell it provided the

Builder chuses to purchase .
’
I therefore beg you will be p le as d to give him an
O rder to supply the Guadaloupe with that said Bell ,
there being no other in the Town I can hear o f I am .
Sir &c a .
H UG H RO BI N SO N
Sir G B Rodney Bart
. . .
F ro m Jo hn M e rvin N o o th Sup e rin te nde n t Ge ne ra l

, o f
A ll th e H osp i ta ls at N e w York
N ew York 3 rd N ovember 1780

Sir ,
A ltho I have not the honor of being acquainted with

’
your E xcellency , I havenotwithstanding taken the Lib

e rty of addressing you o n a subj ect that appears to be
’
o f C onsequence to His Maj esty s Service in the West
Indies .
LE TTE R B O O K-
By som e unaccountable accident an A ssortm ent o f

Medicines intended for the use o f the Troops at St .
L ucia was some time since brought to N e w York These

,
.
Medicines are still here no safe O pportunity having since

,
’
o ffe r d itself fo r sending them to the d e stin d Port Shall
’
.
I therefore request your E xcellency will be pleased to

allow them to be put o n board some ship under your
C ommand that will sail shortly for the West Indies
,
.
Your well known Z eal Sir for His Maj esty s Service
, ,
’
encouraged me to make this A pplication and I hope my ,
o w n wishes to forward the Service will apologize for this
freedom .
J : M E RVI N N 0 0 TH
Superintendant General of the
British and F oreign Hospitals
Sir G B : R odney Bart
. .
Sandwich o ff N ew York 4 th N o v 1 780

”
Sir
Inclosed I have the Honor to send yo u an O rder for
the C u ll oden and C entaur to j oin me off Sandy Hook ,
as soon as possible after the Prudent and Am erica have

re jo in d your Squadron
’
.
A s the C ourt Martials will be over tomorrow I shall ,
proceed with the Squadron under my C omm and to Sandy

Hook where I shall wait for the j unction of the C ulloden
,
and C entaur but in C ase you should choose to keep the

,
C ulloden yo u will please to substitute C ommodore Drake

in the Russel to j oin me in her room .
A s I have reason from my Intelligence to believe the

E nemy will soon be in full force at the C arib ee Islands ,
my return thither will be more necessary which nothing ,
will retard but my not being j oined by the two ships o f

my Squadron at P resent with you in Gardners Bay
, .
-
C aptain Johnson of His Maj esty s Ship A damant after

’
he had received my O rders to j oi n you agreeable to his

Rendezvous acquainted me that he had received O rders
,
from you to C onvoy Transports with Provisions to Gar

diners Bay his Junction with you appearing to me O f
,
more C onsequence to his Maj esty s Service than his wait

’
ing for the Transports who were not ready I ordered him ,
to j oin you immediately with the Generals and my Dis

patches the Transports will be C onducted to you thro ’
the sound ( if the wind permits ) by His Maj esty s Sloop ’
th e Swift who will sail tomorrow .
’
Inclosed I send yo u the Survey on His Maj esty s Ship
the Pearl by which you will perceive the C ondition o f
that Ship and must acquaint you that the Prize
( L E spe ranc e ) will in a few days be ready for a Sur
’
vey in case you chuse to have her taken into His Maj
’
esty s Service .
Th e Guadaloupe will soon be in a C ondition to j oin

yo u by her C o mm ander I shall send for your Informa
,
tion on the Disposition o f the Ships I have thought it

’
necessary to make for His Maj esty s Service .
Whichever of the Ships you chuse to detain it will

be proper that the C ompany o f L ord C h e w to n s R egi ’
m ent on board her Should be divided between the other

two ships in order that that R egiment should be c om
pleat and ready to be landed on their arrival in the
West Indies I must desire you will please to order my
.
L ieutenant and Tender to rej oin me .
I have the honor to be Sir with great regard

You most O bedient and most humble servant
” G B RO D N E Y
Vice A dm A rbuthnot
' '
Sandwich 8th N o v ”
1 780
Sir
Asthe Wind is fair for the Store Ship and Victualers
to j oin yo u I would not delay a moment in ordering
-
To Cap tain Th om as Tonke n A gen t for Transp orts

,
Sandwich o ff N e w York 8th N ov ”

1780
Sir
I m ust desire you will order all the Vessels and Trans
p orts under your Directions bound to E ngland im m e di ,
ately to proceed to Sandy Hook in order for their sailing

under the p rotection o f His Maj esty s Ship the Yar ’
m o uth .
Should any fro m N eglect be left behind you are to ,
Discharge them fro m His Maj esty s Service I am Sir ’

.
&c a .
G : B : RO D N E Y
C ap tain To m k e n [ sic for Tonk e n ]
A gent for Transports
To C ap tain H ugh Ro b ins on
Sandwich N ov ”
12th 1780
S ir
’
His Maj esty s Service requiring that there be no t a
m oments delay in putting your O rders into E xecution ,
I des ire yo u will proceed instantly with the Victualers

and Store Ships to Gard iners Bay through the Sound
if the Wind will permit if not by the other passage
,
.
You are to stay Sir for nothing Th e F leet lies in the .
greatest want o f the Stores and Provisions I m ust no t .
hear of your being at N e w York tomorrow I am &c a . .
G B RO D NE Y . .
C aptain Robinson o f H M S Guadaloupe

. . .
L E TTE R B O O K
To P hi lip S tep h e ns Se c re tary , o f the Admira lty
Sandwich 12th N ov ”
1780
Sir
Inclosed I send the O riginal Sentence passed by the
C ourt Martial on C aptain Bateman late o f His Ma
1
Ship Yar m outh A d have the honor to be Sir

’
j y
e s t s n ,
Your very hum ble Servant

G : B : RO D NE Y
To P hi lip S te p h e ns Se c re tary ,
o f th e A dm ira lty 2
By the Yarmouth
Sandwich off Sandy Hook 13 th N o v 1780”
Sir
Since my last of the 28th O c t by the Roebuck Pacquet ”
,
I m ust desire yo u will please to acquaint their L ordships

that all the C onvoys from Great Britain Ireland and ,
South C arolina with Provisions for the N avy and A rmy

are safe arrived at this Port Th e C haron and Hussar .
having left at C harles Town the Trade and Victualers

bound to that Port .
Mons Ternay with the F rench Squadron still remains

”
”
at Rhode Island and Vice A dm Arbuthnot with the
Squadron under his C ommand in Gardiner s Bay in order ’
to watch his Motions .
I directed the said Vice A dmiral to recall the Prudent

and A merica which he had detached from his Squadron
to C ruize in Boston Bay and o n their Junction with him ,
to O rder the Russel and C entaur to j oin the Squadron

under my C ommand O ff Sandy Hook i mm ediately in
1
Th e m in utesand se ntenc e o f the c o urt m arti al o n C a p t a in N a -
thani el B a tem an are p rinte d in th e P ub lic ations of th e N avy R e c o rds

So c ie ty v o l XXX II ( Th e L e t te rs and P ap e rs of C h arle s L ord B ar
, .
,
h am I ) pp 382 398
, , .
-
.
2 Printe d in Mundy s L ife I 423 428 ’

, ,
-
.
order for their proceeding with m e to the West Indies .
A nd altho those Ships have not j oined m e I shall pro

’
oe c d without a Moments loss o f time to Sea when Wind
and Weather permits .
By a Vessel who le ft St C hristopher s on the 1 1th O c t .

’ ”
( being blown out of the Road in a sort of Hurricane )

I learn that everything was Quiet in the C arib e e Islands ,
and that the E nemy had no Ships of War remaining

at Martinique and likewise that the Ramilies and
Southampton had passed St : C hristoper s in the ir way ’
to Jamaica .
SO m any Ships o f War at Jamaica and the Thunderer

and Berwick not having returned to St : L ucia ; as your
L etter dated [ blank ] informed me it was their L ordships
O rders they should so do wi ll leave the Windward Sta ,
tion ( which in all probability will again be the Scene o f

War ) very bare o f Ships ! I trust and hope and have no t
a doubt but their L ordships intention is that I shall be
fully supported as far as the nature of the Public Service
,
will admit in O rder to E nable Me to carry on the W ar

with A dvantage to His Maj esty and the State .
I left O rders with C ommodore Hotham to send home

with the other C onvoy the F ame Su ffolk and Vigilant , , ,
as likewise the Vengeance if her C ondition required it .
I hope those Ships are now on their Passage to Great

Britain should they no t be sailed before m y arrival at
,
St L ucia I shall hasten them home that they may be

.
, ,
re p air d before the E nsuing Summer

’
.
I likewise send with these Dispatches the Yar m outh

who is in great want o f repair and have left O rders for ,
the Thames and F owey ( who are in the same C ondition )

to proceed from N e w York with the Trade E mpty Trans ,
ports and Victualers on the 3 0th of this Month to Great

Britain which I hope will meet with their L ordships
,
A pprobation .
Inclosed I have the honor to send for their L ordships

Inspection the Le tter of C aptain Gayton o f His Ma
1
1
C a pt a in G eo ge r Gay to n s
’
l et t e wa s n ot c opie d into the L ette
r r
b oo k . ED .
-
Inclosed I send you the Min utes o f the different 1
C ourt Martials which have been held since my Arriv al

in the West Indies and have the h onor to be Sir &c a
, .
G 3 B 3 RO D N E Y
Phil : Stephens E sq ”
To th e N avy B oard
Sandwich Sandy Hook ,

13 th N O V ”
1 780
Gentle m en ,
By His Maj esty s Ship the Yarm outh whose C ondition

’
is such as to m ake it absolutely necessary for her to be

sent to E ngland to be refitted I take the O pportunity ,
o f acquaintin g you that o n my sailing from the West
Indies for N orth A merica I left O rders with C omm odore ,
Hotham for the F ame Vigile nt and Su ffolk as also the

, ,
Vengeance should he think it necessary to be sent to

, ,
E ngland with the O ctober C onvoy that they might ar

rive in tim e to be got ready for E mploym ent against
the ensuing Spring should any thing h ave prevented
,
the m or either o f them sailing agreeable thereto yo u

, ,
may depend o n the ir being disp atc h d im mediately o n ’
m y arrival in the West Indies which I expect to be by ,
the end of this m onth as I am now at the Hook and

, ,
ready to sail the m oment the wind becomes fair .
I am with great regard Gentlemen &c a .
G : B : RO D N E Y
C o m missioners o f His Maj esty s N avy ’
To the C o mm issione rs fo r Sic k an d H urt Se am e n

13 th N o v 1780
”
Gentlemen ,
Inclosed I have the honor to send you the C o mm is

sary General for Prisoners A ccount by which you will
perceive that a large sum o f Money is due to h im .
1
Th ese m i nu tes w ere n ot c opie d int o t h e L etter Boo k -
.
LE TTE R B O O K
I have approved his Bills O f E xchange for three hun

dred Pounds Sterli ng in order that he m ay be enabled
,
to carry o n the Public Business he is a Person o f uh ,
blemished C haracter and permit m e to add he is the

,
most proper Person that can be appointed to that O fli c e .
I am with Great Regard Gentlemen &c a .
G : B : RO D N E Y
C ommissioners for Sic k and H urt Seamen
To th e C o m m issioners for Vic tua ling th e N avy

13 th N O V ”
1780
Gentlemen
By His Maj esty s Ship the Yarmouth instantly about
’
to sail for E ngland I take the O pportunity to inform

,
yo u that the C ork F leet under the C onvoy of the C haron

but last from C harles Town where the part bound
thither was left arrived at this place very seasonably the
,
day before yesterday and als o that the Peace and Plenty
,
Victualer which came o ut under the C onvoy of the

Hyaena was stranded o n L ong Island no t far from th e
Hook where she is gone to pieces a part only of her
, ,
C argo consisting o f Wet Provisions being saved .
I am Gentlem en &c a .
G : B : RO D N E Y
C ommi ssioners for Victualing His Maj estys N avy
To C ap tain Ge o rge Gayton

13 th N ov ”
1780
Sir,
I have received your Dispatches by your L ieutenant ,
giving an A ccount o f your progress in the C h e sap e ak ,
and am sorry that it has not been thought adv ise ab le to

-
continue the Progress o f His Maj esty s A rms up James ’
River .
Th e Raleigh with Brig General 0 Hara on board will

”
Join you o ff C ape F ear her C aptain has O rders to put

,
him self under your C ommand .
Inclosed I send you the secret O rders given yo u by

Vice A dmiral A rbuthnot which yo u will please to follow
for your further Instruction A nd as I leave this C oast
.
the moment the wind permi ts your C orrespondence for ,
the future must be with the said Vice A dmiral .
I wish you Success in all your undertakings A nd am ,
SIP &0 3
G : B : RO D N E Y
C aptain Gayton
To C ap tain Ge orge Gayton
Sandwich 14 th N O V ”
1 780
Sir
I have received your L etter dated Hampton R iver 5th
N o v 1780 informing of the dispositions o f the Ships
”
and Vessels under your C ommand which I have no t the ,
least doubt is made in the m anner most advantageous

’
to His Maj esty s Service .
In regard to the payment o f the Pilots with certainly

’
ought not to be de lay d in the ir distre ss d situation I
’
,
see no method so likely to answer as for yo u to draw o n

the Storekeeper at N e w York writing to h im at the same
,
tim e that you have my O rders so to do I am S ir &c a . .
G 3 B : RO D N E Y
C aptain Gayton
To Vi c e A dm ira l M arrio t A rb u thn o t
Sandwich O ff Sandy Hook 15th N o v 1780

”
Sir
Inclosed I send you a list o f the Frigates to whom I
had given O rders and their Station as likewise a letter ,
F ro m C o m m o do re William H o tham
A j ax , C arenage , St : L ucia 3 0th N ov 1780

”
Sir
Since my L etter o f Yesterday which was intended to
be sent by the Greyhound there app ear d this m orning ,
’
and have been plying o ff and o n all day four L ine o f ,
Battle Ships o f the E nemy two F rigates a small er o ne , ,
resembling the F ortune and a Schooner I am under no .
apprehension o f Mischief to the Island from these Ships
as unless they were to come o ut in greater force the Vigie ,
I hope would be secure on O ne Side from that part of the

Squadron in the C arenage Viz : the A j ax Vigilant and , ,
Montagu as well as the Morne F ortunée by the A lfred

,
and Monarch that defend the C ul de Sac .
Was the A j ax in a fitter state for Sea than what she

is I should neither think m yself j ustified in C o m pliance
,
with the Sp irit O f m y O rders o r in point o f Prudence to ,
leave the Island O pen to an A ttack by quitting this Post

to o ffer them Battle being uncertain of what further
,
force they may have in F ort Royal added to the Prospect ,

’
o f being so soon jo in d by you until when I shall remain ,
where I am and I hope you will approve of my having

,
’
sto pp d any ship that may arrive singly or in small force
at Barbadoes .
Th e N umerous Public and Private Letters together

with the necessary papers intended to have been for
warded as m e ntion d in m y L etter yesterday are now
’
,
retained thinking this too uncertain a conveyance to

,
trust them by I have the honor to be &c a

. .
W M
H O THAM
P S : I am j ust inform d by the A ntigua Brig who ’
looked into F ort Royal Bay yesterday that he saw lying ,
there a Tw o De c k d Ship with a F lag at the Main To p

’
mast head and a F rigate by which I am in c lin d to think ’
these Ships may no t have yet been in Port as they were ,
at that time to L eeward o f him .

LE TTE R B OO K
-
F ro m C o m m odore Wi lliam H o tham
A j ax, C arenage St : L ucia 2nd D ec ”

1 780
Sir
I sent a Schooner two days ago to Barbadoes w ith the
O riginals of the Inclosed L etters and I have now thought
,
it p roper to send out the Greyhound with the Sylph

Sloop to make such O bservations as they can o f the m o
tions an d C ourse o f the E nemy which are now to Wind
ward o i St : L ucia ; Th e most accurate account made o f
this Squadron is O ne Ship o f 80 O ne o f 74 two of 60 , ,
and two Frigates o f 40 Guns each with the F ortune sloo p

and a Schooner and I refer you to C aptain F ooks for
,
farther Intelligence .
Th e Duplicates o f such o f the A dm iralty L etters as I

have the O riginals o f are herewith transmitted but I
, ,
do not think it safe to send the rest o r your Private ,
L etters conceiving them safe in my hands at this j unc

,
ture Th e C opies o f my C orrespondence with Mr : L a

.
for c y and the A dmiralty together with the A ccounts o f

the several O ccurrences that have happen d since your ’
departure are also kept here for the same reason .
W M
H O THAM
Sir : G : B : Rodney Bart : &c a .
To C ap tain Jo hn Lafo re y N avy C o m m issione r

, at th e
L ee ward I s lands
Sandwich at Sea 3 rd Dec 1780

”
Sir
Th e Boreas having sprung her Main Mast and other
’
damages in a Gale of Wind which happen d on the 17th
o f last Month imm ediately on our leaving the Hook I ,
have thought it necessary to send her directly to E nglish

-
Harbour in order to her having a new one got in and

,
her being properly refitted which you will please to

,
O rder to be e ffected as expeditiously as possible and fo r

her to remain there till further O rders from me .
You will likewise please to loose no ti m e in dispatching

a F rigate to m e at Barbadoes and to acquaint m e there
,
with the O ccurrences that have happen d since m y leav ’
ing A ntigua as also to have the F ire Ships and Bombs in

’
C onstant readiness to j oin me whenever His Maj esty s
Service may m ake it necessary so for me to send them ,
O rders for that purpose .
I am with real regard Sir &c a .
G : B : RO D NE Y
John L aforey E sq &c a
”
.
P S A s several o f the C apital Ships have suffe r d c o n

.
’
sid e rab ly in the above Gale in their Masts Yards and

, ,
Sails particularly the Triumph a F oretopsail yard th e ,
Torbay a F oretopmast gone ( besides another Ship her

Mizen Mast gone name unknown ) Yo u will be pleased
to get things as much in readiness as possible for their
refitting against their A rrival You will likewise please to
.
’ ’
order the Boreas s Men sent in with Prizes to be re turn d
to her fro m whatever ships they may be o n board .
To C o mm o dore Wi lliam H o tham
Sandwich C arlisle Bay Barbadoes

, ,
6th December 1780

Sir
Yesterday in the E vening I had the favour o f you r
L etters o f the 29 th and 30th of N ovember and of the
2nd December with the A d m iralty Dispatches inclosed
and send without loss o f tim e the A lcmene and Sylph
C utter to acquaint yo u o f my arrival with the Sandwich ,
Triu m ph Terrible Intrepid and C yclops and this morn

, , ,
ing C omm odore Sir C hal O gle and Drake are arrived
”
84 L E TTE R B OO K
- O F A D M I RA L L O RD RO D N E Y
To C o m m o dore Sir C ha lo ne r O gle
Sandwich 7th Dec ”

1780
Sir
I must desire you will no t loose a m om ents tim e in
j oining m e at Gross Islet Bay St : L ucia I am &c a . .
G : B : RO D N E Y
Sir : Chal O gle
”
A Letter dated 7th Dec 1780, to Sir Chal O gle ao

” ”
q ua in tin g him that the Rendezvous fo r ships arriving
fro m E ngland &c a is at Gross Islet Bay St : L ucia, and

.
to leave it at his departure with the C ollector o f the

C usto m s should there be no Ships o f War in the Bay
,
.
To M ajo r Ge n e ra l Jam es Cunningham , Go ve rnor of

B arb ados
Sandw ich C arlisle Bay Barbadoes

, ,
7th D ec 1780
”
Sir ,
I thin k it necessary the E mbargo at the Island of

As
Barbadoes should still continue I m ust desire the favour
,
o f your E xcellency not to take it O ff till I do myself the
honor of sending to you from St : L ucia .
I have the honor to be with regard &c a .
G : B : RO D N E Y
To His E xcellency General C unningham
C aptain General C ommander in C hief
Governor o f the Island o f Barbadoes
L E TTE R B O O K
To M ajo r Ge ne ra l Jam es C unningham Go ve rnor of ,
B arb ados
Sandwich C arlisle Bay Barbadoes 7th Dec

,
”
1780
Sir
Th e C ondition
’
of
His Maj esty s F leet under m y C om
m and be ing such as to requ ire a very considerable supply
o f Seamen and as I am well info rm d there are a great
’
,
number at present secreted in the Island of Barbadoes I ,
must request your E xcellency will be so obliging as to

C onsult your C ouncil in what manner the said seamen
m ay be procured for the Public Service A s I should be .
extremely unwilling to Impress them without the A s

sistanc e o f the C ivil Power which assistance has never
,
yet been refused m e ; I flatter m yself there is not a Man

in the Island o f Barbadoes who will not lend a helping
hand towards the manning o f that F leet which is E m
ployed not only for the Protectio n O f the ir Property but ,
likewise to put it out o f the Power of the Public E nemy

to annoy it .
G : B : RO D N E Y
His E xcellency General C unningham
P S Th e C ivil O fficer who m ay be e m ploy d on this
.
’
’
service will be allo w d 40 shillings for every seaman b e
sides the e xp e nc e of bringing them to Bridge Town .
F rom C ap tain C harle s Th o m p s on
A lcide , December 7th ,

1780
Sir,
My health has been such for this fortnight past o w e ing
to a violent sore throat which nearly deprived m e o f
speech that I am no t at present capable o f performi ng
m y Duty and the Surgeon o f the Ship informs me it will
~
-
be necessary for m e to go on shore for some tim e for

the recovery o f my health which it will be im possible
,
t o re establish if I rem ain o n board

-
.
I am therefore to request yo u will please to perm it

me to go o n shore for that purpose and as it will be
n ecessary to appoin t so m e Person to the A lcide in the
m ean tim e shall be m uch O bliged to yo u to name C ap
,
tain Pender for that service provided it does not inter

fere with any determination you may have made o n that
h ead as he is a particular F riend Th e C ondition o f the .
A lcide for want o f C aulking is very bad we cannot wash

the L ower Deck the seems are so open over the Bread
R oom Sail R oom and Store Rooms while we wash the
, ,
Main Deck the people cannot lay in their Hammocks

the sides and every other part in the same C ondition ,
under the C ounter when at sea it runs in streams into

the Bread room if yo u should think proper to su ffer
,
the Ship to remain at Barbadoes I imagine C aulkers ,
and Rigging for the F oretopmast m ay be procured which

is every thing we shall want to put the ship in a C o n
dition for Sea except a F ore Yard and I should im agine
, ,
in the present state o f A ffairs she may be sooner re

fitted a t Barbadoes than at any place Should I b e so .
fortunate to have m y O pini o n coincide with yours shall

b e very much obliged to you to C o m ply with m y re
quests I have the honor to be &c a
. .
C : TH O M P SO N
Sir : G B Rodney Bart :
. .
To C ap tain C h arle s Th omp son

,
7th Dec 1780 ”
I have received your L etter of this date requesting to

go on shore for the recovery o f your health which you
have my leave ! I am very sorry for the O ccasion .
-
for the Prisoners of W ar ; and who has from the bad

health and the inability of the C omm issary conducted
,
the Business and I m ay venture t o affirm that without

his assistance it could no t have gone o n I therefore .
must recommend h im to your E xcellency as a Man o f

business and m ost able to explain the m anner of C on
’
ducting that Business sin ce your E xcellency s departure
fro m this Island .
Since m y arrival a F lag o f Truce arrived here from the

Governor of Bayanne [ sic for C ayenne ] on board o f
w hich I put 76 Prisoners the Quarter Part of them sick ,
and sent them o n board that F lag o f Truce to Grenada .
Th e Marquis De Bo ullie sent a F lag o f Truce here

lately with few Prisoners and some Gentlemen of Gre
nada by the return o f that Vessel I sent all Sick and
Wounded since the late Hurricane to the amount o f 85 .
Th e F lag o f Truce n ow in the Harbour your E xcellency

will be pleased to determine how she is to be disposed of .
I must take this opportunity o f reco mm ending it to

your E xcellency when you ease this Island of the Pri
s o n e rs now here that you will consider that o ur Prisons
,
being open it will be impossible for us to Guard Prisoners

o f War in this Island I therefore hope that they be sent
,
to the other Islands .
Th e Governor o f Grenada was directed by the Marquis

de Bouille in a L etter inclosed to me to convey to him
b y a F lag of Truce to return the C rew o f the Savage
,
[ sic for Ro ve r C apt Henry Savage ] that Letter at pres

,
.
ent is mislaid but I shall search for it and send it to you

,
.
A s to any particulars yo u m ay wish to know upon the

Subj ect of Prisoners o f War I m ust refer y o u to Mr
,
.
Morris w h o I have furnished with the necessary papers

for your information .
Th e C aptain of a Ship from N ova Scotia of the N ame

o f Wilson has been pressed and is now on board the
A lcmene lately Brune Th e person in question being re

.
leased and this instant co m e to me it becomes unne c es

sary to trouble your E xcellency upon the subj ect
, .
Th e Spanish L aunch that has been C o nde m n d I pro ’

L E TTE R B O O K
pose fitting up as a Vessel for the K ing s use to send ’
expresses &c a I shall therefore beg the favour of your

.
E xcellency to give directions that we m ay be assisted

,
with some C arpenters from the N avy to fit her up .
S
JA C U N NI N G H A M
Sir G : B : Rodney Bart : &c a .
To M ajor Ge ne ra l Ja m e s C unningham Go ve rnor of ,
B arb a dos
Sandwich 7th Dec ”

1 780
Sir ,
’
I am this instant h o nor d with your E xcellency s L et
’
ter o f this date by Mr Morris and am perfectly O f your

.
,
E xcellency s O pinion that in the situation the Island is

’
in at present it is utterly unfit for the reception o f Pri

s on e rs o f War but as I have o rd e r d those belonging to
’
,
the French to be sent as exp e dite o usly as possible to O ld

France the Spanish to Port Rice [ s ic fo r Porto Rico ] and
,
the A mericans to be sent im mediately on board the Rus

sel to be carried to St : L ucia it will no t be necessary at
,
present for the C ommissary either to find or provide for

that purpose .
G : B : RO D N E Y
To His E xcellency General C unningham &c a .
F ro m P hilip S te p h e ns , Se c re tary of the A dm ira lty
A dm iralty O ffice 8th Dec ”

178 1
Sir
Th e C o mm itte [ e ] of
the West India Merchants hav
ing desired that the C onvoys from the L eeward Islands
-
for E ngland in the ensuing year m ay be appointed to ,
Sail o n the 3 0th of A pril 15th June and 1s t of A ugust , , ,
I am C ommanded by m y L ords C ommissioners of the

A dmiralty to signify their d irections to you to appoint
the C onvoys to sail at those periods accordingly I am .
&c a .
P H I L S TE P H E N S
To A dmiral S ir : G : B : Rodney Bart &c a . .
To P hi lip S tep h e ns Se c re tary , o f th e A dm ira lty

1
By the A nna Theresa Pacquet

Sand w ich Gros Ilet Bay St L ucia ,
.
l 0th December 1 780

Sir
I m ust des ire yo u will please to acquaint their L ord
ships that I sailed from Sandy Hook o n the 16th N o
v e m b e r ( with His Maj esty s Ships as m e ntio n d in the
’ ’
Margin ) for the West Indies

2
.
Th e Trade for Great Britain under C onvoy of the Yar

m outh and the detachment o f Troops and the Trade for
,
the C arolinas under the protection o f the Roebuck ,
Raleigh and Hyaena sailed the same time .
Th e next day a Violent Gale o f Wind which continued

fo r forty E ight hours dispersed the whole and I greatly , ,
’
fear has o c c asio n d very great damage to many o f His
Maj esty s Ships some of which particularly the Shark
’
, , ,
o f Twenty Guns C ommanded by C aptain L loyd late of

,
the F owey ( which ship was the Hannibal taken from

,
the Rebels ) I have reason to think fo unde r d at sea ’

.
E very Ship was seperated from the Sandwich till the

’
3 0th of N ovember when Sh e was j oined under the TrO p ic

,
1
P inte d in Mundy s Life I 447
r
’
, ,
Sand w Ic h Resoluti on Tr i umph Terr i ble A lc 1de

. o
2
, , , , ,
Torbay Shrewsbury Intrepid C yclops Boreas Triton

, , , , , ,
Shark P ac ah unta St L ucia Brig L izard Schooner

, ,
.
, , .
Such Sir is the C ondition o f the once flourishing

, ,
Island o f Barbadoes every thing in m y power towards

,
the Re le if o f the Inhabitants their L ordships may be

assured I shall assist them in and shall dispatch ex ,
presses to A merica to request that V essels loaded with

L u m ber may be sent in order to restore the Buildin gs o f
this unhappy Island and skreen the surviving In ,
habitants fro m the Inclemency o f the C limate .
N o t one single Battery in the whole Island but what

’
has been totally de stroy d and such e ffect had the Vio ,
lence of the Wind and Sea even upon the C annon that ,
if I was to report the Great Distance some O f them were

carried from the Batteries few People would give C redit ,
to the A ssertion .
I leave their L ordships to j udge how much m y C oncern

’
must h ave been h e igh te n d upon the report being made
to me o f the loss His Maj esty and the Public have sus
tain d in the loss o f the Ships o f War and the Gallant
’
O fficers and Men belonging to them A L ist o f which 1

,
I have the honor to Inclose but I hope some o f the m ,
have escaped and arrived at Jamaica to which Island I

, ,
shall dispatch an E xpress acquainting S ir Peter Parker ,

’
with the great disaster that has h appen d and request , ,
and demand his A ssistance in not only hastening such

Ships o f my Squadron as may have escaped the Hurri
cane and arrived at Jamaica to rej oin m e with all possi
ble dispatch but likewise he will reinforce me without
,
loss o f time with the Thunderer and Berwick in per

s uanc e o f the O rders he received by C omm odore W alsin g
ham and in p e rsuan c e of H is M aje s ty s P le asure sigui

’
, ,
fi e d to m y L o rd C o m m i ssi on e rs o f th e A d m ira lty b y his ,
P rinc ip a l Se c re tary of S ta te ; and such other ships as he

2
can possibly spare from the Jamaica Station which Island ,
1
Thi s l ist wa s n ot c opie d in to t h e l ette b oo k ; it m ay b e f o und in r-
W ill i am L C lo w s s Th e R o ya l N a vy III 479 n ote Th e l osses su s

e
’
, , , .
tain e d b y C o m m o d o re B oth a m s s q uadro n a e p nt e d n Mundy s

.
’ ’
r ri I
Life o f A dm i a l L o d R o dne y II 451 no te a s a foot n ote to th i s l etter

r r , , , ,
.
2
[ M arginal note : ] N B : E ven the .K ings C ommands
’
were d isob e y d .
LE TTE R B O O K -
cannot be in the least danger while I have the Honor to

C ommand His M aj esty s F leet o n the Windward Station
’
as I have already convinced the C ommander in C hief o f

His Maj esty s Ships at Jamaica o f my willingness ( agree
’
able to my Duty ) to support it when in danger .
I shall likewise acquaint Sir Peter Parker of the

C rippled C ondition not only o f great part o f the Squadron
I brought with m e from A merica but also o f those I left ,
under C ommodore Hotham who escaped the Hurricane ,
but remain unserviceable till Masts and Rigging can be

procured to refit them and that n o Stores for that pur
,
pose are procurable in the C arib ee Islands I shall point .
o ut to him the necessity o f his sending me a large R ein
forcement O f Ships and hope Sir Peter Parker will be

,
convinced from my representations of the Critical Situa

,
tion o f A ffairs in this part o f the World that it is his ,
d uty without a Moments delay to hasten the Rein force

ment I shall demand more especially as I Shall acquaint
,
h im o f the Great F orce the E nemy Daily expects from

Brest under Mons De la Touche the Squadron from
”
,
C ape F rancois under Mons M ontrial ( four of which are”
a lready arrived at Martinique ) exclusive of Mons Te r

”
nay s Squadron fro m A merica and a strong Reinforce

’
m ent o f L ine o f Battle Ships which the F rench expect ,
from C adiz as I am credibly inform d by L etters in a

,
’
F rench Merchant Ship from Spain taken by o ne of my ,
Squadron and by whom I learn that Mons De Guichen

,
”
with E ighteen Sail of the L ine was arriv d at C adiz from ’
C ape F rancois .
F rom all these C onsiderations I hope Sir Peter Parker ,
will not hesitate one Moment at the part he ough t to

take but from his not returning the F rigates I sent to
,
Jamaica particularly the A lert Brig by whom I earnestly ,
requested him to make me acquainted with the situation

o f A ff airs on His Station but I have never as yet received
,
any Information whatever from him during my C o n ,
tinuan c e on the C oast O f A merica or thro the hands of

’
,
C ommodore Hotham with whom I left the C ommand at

the Windward Islands during my absence which gives ,
m e reason to think that it m ay require their L ordships

strictest C o m mands to Sir Peter Parker or the C ommand
ing O fficer for the ti m e being at Jamaica , that m y request
for a R einforcement from that Station may be complied
with .
Y o u willp lease to acquaint their L o rdships that till

the arrival o f Sir Samuel Hood with the S tore Ships from
E ngland the Resolution Montagu A j ax Shrewsbury
, , , ,
and A lcide all o f 74 Guns cannot be refitted for want

, ,
of Masts and Stores Th e Torbay who has no t yet jo in d

.
’
me I am convinced will be in the same C ondition but

, ,
every thing in my Power shall be done towards so de

sirable an E nd .
’
I have o rde r d the Pacquet to sail without a moments
loss O f time that their L ordships m ay be acquainted as
,
soon as possible with the situation o f A fi airs in this part

of the World and shall send an E xpress in a few D ays
,
by o n e o f the Men o f War Sloops w h o have escaped the

Hurricane with every future Intelligence I may O btain .
Inclosed I send the State and C ondition of His Ma

je sty s Ships under my C o mm and and have the honor
’
to be with regard Sir &c a .
G : B : RO D N E Y
To C o m m o do re Willia m H o tham
Sandwich Gros Islet Bay St : Lucia

,
1l th Decem ber 1780

Sir
I m ust desire yo u will be so obliging as to acquaint
m e whether yo u received any dispatches fro m Sir Peter
’
Parker C o mm ander in Chief o f His Maj esty s Ships at
Jamaica during m y absence fro m this station .
G : B : RO D N E Y
C o m modore Hotham
-
C entaur under m y C o m m and left his duty at the Tent,
in L ong Island o n o r about the 28th of last Septe m ber

, ,
therefore I am to request yo u will p lease to order a C o urt

Martial o n the said John W illiams .
I have the honor to b e &c a .
0
JN N : P : N O TT
Sir : G B Rodney Bart &c a
. . . .
Letter fro m C aptai n Bayne A lfred requesting a

A , ,
survey on the remains o f C arpenters stores Dated 12th ,
December 1780
L etter from C aptain Bayne A lfred requesting

A , a
fresh Supply o f Medicines dated 12th December 1780 .
To P hilip S te p h e ns Se c re tary
By the A nna Theresa Pacquet

Sandwich Gros Islet Bay
,
12th Dec ”
1780
S ir ,
I have the honor to acquaint you that o n my arrival

at this Island I received all their L ordships O rders and
,
your L etters which have been transmitted to m e from

the 10th o f July to the 20th of O ctober and must desire
that you will please to inform their L ordships that [ not ]
withstanding the reduced state o f His Maj esty s Ships ’
and the Troops o n this Station General Vaughan and ,
myself are determined to undertake an E nterprize which

we flatter ourselves will be attended with success an A o
count O f which I hope I shall send to their L ordships in
’
a few days F our Sail o f the E nemy s L ine of Battle
.
Ships from the Squadron at S t : Do mi ngo are in these

,
L E TTE R B O O K -
Seas I shall do m y best endeavours to take or destroy

,
them before the very great F orce the E nemy hourly ex

pee ts arrives .
G : B : RO D NE Y
P hilip Stephens E sq ”
P S : I shall sail tomorrow morning on the E nterprize .
To th e N avy B o ard
Sandwich Gross Islet Bay S t L ucia .
12th December 1780

Gentlemen ,
In m y L etter of the 13 th of N ovember fro m Sandy

Hook by the Yarmouth I inform d you that I should ,
’
sail the moment the Wind would permit and I have to

a cquaint yo u that I left that place with His Maj esty s
’
Ships and Vessels named in the Margin the day follow

1
ing and that I arrived at Barbadoes o n the 5th of this

Month with the Triumph and Intrepid which Ships I
fell in again with ( together with the Boreas ) on the 3 0 th
of N ovember in the L atitude 23 after having had the
whole Squadron seperated from me in a Storm which
came on the E vening of the Day we left the Hook and
c ontinued with great Violence for 48 hours and in which
I am sorry to in form you many of the Ships have suf

fer d very severely in their Masts Yards Sails and Rig
’
,
ff j
’
g ing they
,
have since at di erent times all o in d me ex
cept the Torbay P ac h aun ta Shark and St : L ucia Brig
, , ,
f or the two last o f which I am under very serious A ppre

h e nsio ns indeed it is almost certain that the Shark has
f ounde r d She was a very fine 20 Gun Ship C ommanded
’
.
1
Sandwich Resolution Triumph Terrible A lcide
, , , , ,
Torbay Shrewsbury Intrepid C yclops Boreas Triton

, , , , , ,
Shark P ac h aunta St : Lucia Brig L izard Schooner

, , , , , .
-
by C aptain Lloyd late of the F owey and C ap tur d fro m ,

’
the Rebels in whose service she was c all d the Hannibal ’

.
I directed the Boreas o n o ur getting into the L atitude

o f A ntigua to E nglish Harbour to get a N e w Main Mast ,
and other considerable Damages she received re p air d ’

,
but from whence after the great Demands which the late
,
dreadful Hurricane has o c c asion d the Ships remaining on ’
this Station under C ommodore Hotham to m ake I am ,
apprehensive o ur supply will be very defective in the

m ost essential A rticles indeed in Stores o f all kinds e s ,
p e c ially as nothing is to be got from the desolated Island

of Barbadoes no m ore than this .
I am in daily expectations o f the Torbay arriving as

’
she was seen tho without her Main top Mast after the
,
height o f the Gale as was also the P ac h aunta Sloop .
I should inform yo u likewise that the Russel C o m m o

dore Drake and the C entaur C aptain N ott which Ships
I had O rde r d together with the C ull oden to assist
’
A dmiral A rbuthnot in the blockade o f Rhode Island

( from whence they were detached about the sam e time
I sailed ) arrived at B arbadoes the day follo w ing my
arrival the C ulloden being left there in th e place of the
,
Resolution .
Happy should I be were there resources in this C ountry

to be found for the thorough Re fi tm e nt o f the Ships
above m e n tion d in their Masts Sails yards and Rig
’
, ,
ging but as that is no t the case I am under the necessity

, ,
o f making a Representation how m uch these important
A rticles are wanted here which I am sure the Z eal and

,
’
A ctivity that A nimates the members of His Maj esty s
N avy Board will mak e them use every exertion to send
o ut as early and as adequate a supply of as possible till ,
the arrival o f w hich the Re fi tm e nt o f the Resolution ,
A lcide Shrewsbury ( and I fear the Torbay ) fro m

,
A m erica and the Montagu and A j ax dis m asted in the

,
Hurricane cannot be compleated Th o every exertion is ,

’
m y power they may depend o n being used fo r that pur

pose as well as that I shall give the most p ossitive Direc
-
I am to inform yo u that the Hospital there as well as

at this Island is totally dem olish [ ed ] by the late Hurri
cane I gave directions while I was at Barbadoes for such
.
Temporary Hutts to be erected as the deplorable state

o f the Patients that are or m ust be sent there renders
absolutely necessary o n the best term s the sam e can

possibly be effected and have likewise given O rders f o r
,
necessary Buildings for the sam e p urp ose being erected

at Pidgeon Island in this Bay where a proper place for
the reception o f the Sick and Wounded is become m or e
than ever immediately and absolutely necessary .
I am with great regard Gentlemen &c a .
G : B : RO D NE Y
C o mm iss “
fo r Sick and Wounded
F ro m C ap tain th e H o nora b le Jo hn Ro dn e y
A ntigua, December 14 th 1780

Sir,
I beg leave to acquaint you of my arrival the Day after

I parted C o m pany in E nglish Harbour the Mast is very ,
bad but as there is not a stick here fit to m ake a Mast for

the Ship shall be obliged to take the same in again th e ,
C o mm issioner says he will order us to be refitted for the

present we can do but little to her as there are ships
,
alongside the W harf C aptain Bowen can inform yo u

.
what hurry they are in at this Harbour I have the honor .
to be with the greatest Respect

, ,
Your most D evoted most O bedient and most hu m bl e

servant
JO H N RO D N E Y
Sir : G : B : R odney Bart &c a . .
LE TTE R B O O K
- OF A D M I RAL L O RD RO D N E Y 10 1
To M ajor Ge ne ra l the H o no ra b le Jo hn Vaugh an
Sandwich W arraw aro w Bay St : Vincents

17th December 1780
Th e A dmiral s C omplim ents to General Vaughan and

’
sends h im the enclosed information which he had fro m

an Inhabitant last N ight the E nem y are too well pre
,
pared for a C oup de Main having received Intelligenc e

,
fro m the traite ro us Inhabitants o f St : L ucia and a sup ,
ply o f Powder from Martini que .
E ver since they received the Intelligence from St :

L ucia they have had a great number o f N egroes at work
upon the fortifications upon the Mountain which fortifi
cation the A dmiral has been informed has a ditch round
it if the General is o f O pinion that an A ttack would not
.
answer the intended purpose all the Boats at Day ligh t

shall be ready to receive the Troops .
G : B : RO D N E Y
General Vaughan
To Vic e A dm ira l Sir P e te r P ark e r
By the Surprize
Sandwich ,
o ff St : L ucia 18th Dec ”
1780
Sir
O n m y arrival at Barbadoes on the 5th Inst you may .
easily Judge o f my surprize and A stonishment at finding

that once beautiful Island which was always thought to
be o ut of the reach o f Hurricanes to be one intire ruin
, ,
not one C hurch and scarce o ne House but what e xp e ri

,
’
e nc e d the dreadful e ffect o f the Hurricane that happen d
there o n the l 0th o f O ctober upwards of Six Thousand

Inhabitants perished .
But what added greatly to this C alamity was m y being

m ade acquainted with the loss His Maj esty and the
Public had sustain d in E ight Ships o f War with the

’
Gallant O fli e rs and Men belonging to them and the great ,
damage of the remainder o f the Squadro n I had left un

d e r the C ommand o f C omm odore Hotham in these Seas ,
’
all o f whom were dismasted and re nde r d useless as
neither Masts or Rigging are in the Stores or any to be ,
purchased .
I have not a doubt if any of the Ships should have

,
been so luc k y to have escaped the Hurricane and are

a rrived at Jamaica but you will refit them and hasten
,
them back to this station with all possible dispatch ,
where their service will be much wanted and where the ,
E nemy s Squadron which is hourly expected in these

’
Seas will be very superior to th at under m y C o mm and

, ,
that unless you reinforce it with the Thunderer and

1
Berwick agreeable to His Maj esty s C o m mands signified

,
’
by His Principal Secretary o f State to my Lo rds C o m

m issioners o f the A dmiralty and which C ommand the A d
m iralty acquainted me they had directed you to C omply
with by sending the said Ships to be put under my C om
,
mand and which I exp ected would have jo in d me on m y

,
’
return to this Station But must own I was greatly dis

, ,
appointed in not finding them here .
I have acquainted my L ords C ommissioners of the A d

m iralty with the situation o f A ff airs and the absolute ,
n ecessity of a strong Reinforcement being sent to support

the Honor o f His Maj esty s F lag and His Territories in ’
these Seas which will be in imminent Danger unless a

,
St [ r ] ong Reinforcement be speedily sent me from Ja

maica o r Great Britain .
I have likewise acquainted them that I should send an

E xpress to yo u to desire every assistance in your Power
,
and in particular the return o f the Thunderer and Ber

wick as likewise whatever L ine o f Battle Ships could
possibly be spared to j oin me as Jamaica could not be
in danger while I co mm anded a strong Squadron to
[ Marginal note : ] N B : N o t one Ship was ever sent

1
from Jamaica .
-
To C o m m o dore Sir C ha lo n e r O gle
Sandwich at Sea 18 th Dec ”

1780
I m ust inform yo u that we arrived with the Squadron

and the Troops in W arraw aro w Bay on the 16 th Inst .
the landing was made good and the General with the
Troops adv anc d to the Mountain on which the E nemy
’
had made their principal F ortification but so far fro m ,
finding it in a ruinous State as we were made to believe,
it was in perfect repair and so well supply d with Troops

,
’
,
C annon and A m unitio n that an attack upon it was im

,
practicable and if made must have ended in the destru o

,
tion o f the Troops We therefore re im b ark e d them

.
Yesterday morning and though the E nemy from their

Mountain diverted themselves by C annonading and
Bombardin g the Ships no damage ensued ,
.
I am now upon my way to Join you at Gros Islet Bay ,
and must desire you will order the Torbay o r any other
Ship that may be ready to j oin m e upon my A pproach
and when in sight of St : L ucia as I have infor m ation ,
the E nemy have a S quadron O f 10 Sail o f the L ine in

these Seas I am Sir &c a
G , B : RO D N E Y
. .
C o mm odore Sir C hal O gle ”
F ro m C ap tain Grifli ths , of th e M arin es , to C ap tain

Jo hn N P N o tt . .
C entaur December 18th 1 780

Sir
Whereas John Pugh private Marine has been guilty
, ,
of Drunk [ en ] ness N eglect of Duty and disobedience o f

, ,
O rders on the Troops immediately landing on the Island

,
o f St : Vincents I therefore request that you will do m e

,
the Honor o f applying to the C ommander in Chief for a ,
C ourt Martial to be held to try him for the same I am

,
.
&c a
GRI F F ITH S
J:
'
To C aptain N ott C aptain o f Marines

L E TTE R B O O K - OF A D M I RAL L O RD RO D NE Y 1 05
F ro m C ap tain Jo hn N ea le P le yde ll N o tt
C entaur at Sea Decem ber 18th 1780

Sir
C aptain Griffiths O f the Marines having sent me the ,
Inclosed L etter o f C omplaint against John Pugh Marine

for Drunk ne ss N eglect o f Duty and Disobedience o f
,
O rders o n the Troops immediately landing on the Island

o f St : Vincents and requesting a C ourt Martial to try
him for the same I am therefore to beg yo u will please

,
to order a C ourt Martial on the said John Pugh ao

c ordin gly .
O
JN N : P : N O TT
Sir B : Rodney Bart &c a . .
To Rear A dm ira l Sir Sam ue l H o od
Sandwich 22nd December 1780

Sir :
Th e Situation
’
His Maj esty s A fi airs in this Part of
of
the World requiring your speedy Ju [ n ] ction with me at

St : L ucia I have not a Doubt but upon the Receipt o f
,
this L etter you will j oi n me with all possible Dispatch

and bring with yo u all Store Ships and Victualers not ,
’
w ithstanding their having been o rde r d to any other part
o f the World Half of the Squadron at least under m y
,
C o mm and bein g rendered unserviceable for want of

Masts and Stores .
I must desire likewise yo u will bring the Jamaica Trade

( if any ) with you to St : L ucia as I w ill take care to send
,
-
a p roper C onvoy with them to that Island I . am with

regard Sir &c a .
G : B : RO D N E Y
” ”
Rear A dm Sir Sam Hood , Bart :
or other C ommander of His Maj esty s Ships
’
expected from Great Britain

[ Marginal note : ] This L etter sent to meet Sir : Samuel
Hood when arrived at Barbadoes .
F rom C ap tain P hilip A fllec k
Trium ph Gros Islet Bay S t : L ucia

22nd Dec ”
1780
Sir
I beg you wi ll please to order a survey o n the Main
’
Mast and F ore Yard of His Maj esty s Ship under my
C o m mand they being both so badly sprung as to render
,
them useless I am S ir &c a

. .
P : A F F LE C K
F ro m C ap tain P hilip A filec k
Triumph December 22nd 1780

Sir
Having taken a Schooner from Martinique in our Pass
age but from the C ondition O f the Triumphs Main Mast
and F ore Yard not having had an O pportunity to j oin
yo u thinking it my Duty to take every advantage o f the
,
Wind to get to Windward I send an O fli c e r with o ne o f

,
the Passengers to wait on yo u to give such Information

as m ay be collected .
I am getting a Description of the unhappy N egroes I

have o n board and shall be happy to have them out o f
the ship as soon as possible .
-
to survey the Botto m o f His Maj esty s Ship Russel and ’
Report to him from under their hands their O pinions

thereof .
I have the h onor to be w ith great regard Sir &c a .
W M
PAGE TT
C ommodore Drake &c a .
To C o m m o dore Sir C h a lon e r O gle
Sandwich St : L ucia 23 rd December 1780

Sir
I have been fav o ur d with your L etter of Yesterdays
’
date I must desire you will please to give im m ediate

.
O rders that all the seamen and Marines wh o were lent to

’
other Ships be re turn d to their respective Ships to which ,
they belon g .
Y o u will please to give Directions that such Ships O f

the Squadron that sailed with m e compleat their Water ,
and Provisions with all possible Dispatch .
I orde r d last N ight the A lfred and Triton to endeavour

’
to intercept the F rench F rigate that was Cruiz ing o ff the ,
N orth E nd of the Island .
Th e Man that belonged to Pidgeon Island and lies in

Gros Islet was the Person I contracted with to build the
Hutts for the Sick .
I must desire the Torbay m ay remain in Gros Islet

Bay till further O rders and that the Sylph Sloop and
, ,
L izard Schooner attend me the ships that want Water ,
should be o rde r d to C hoque Bay or C ul de Sac which

’
ever is m ost convenient I am Sir &c a . .
G : B : RO D N E Y
C ommodore Sir : C hal O gle &c a ”
.
PS Y o u will please to order such N egroes brought in

:
’
the Squadron from S t : Vincents to be re stor d to their
O wners o n Demand and the Residue to be sent to the
C ommanding O fli c e r at the C arenage for his Disposal .
LE TTE R B O O K
-
But Should there be any A rtific e rs among them that m ay

be usefully employed at Pidgeon Island unc laim d yo u ’
are to detain for that purpose .
F ro m Ro b e rt Sc o tt, A ge n t fo r P ris on e rs o f War at
B arb ados
A gents O ffice , Barbadoes 23 rd Dec ”

1780
Sir :
Having in obedience to your C ommands signified to
’
me by your Secretary s L etter o f the 7th Instant made ,
diligent enquiry for proper V essels to convey the F rench

and Spanish Prisoners from this Island I have found that ,
no other Person than Messrs : Thompson and Seed C ap ,

”
tain George Johnson and C aptain Sam De arsle y could
furnish Vessels to carry the Spaniards to Porto R ico :
”
A nd His E xcellency Gen C unningham preferring the
proposal o f C aptain Samuel De arsle y as the most reason
able I have therefore hired his Vessel which this Day
, ,
sailed fro m hence to Porto Rico with all the Spanish

Prisoners o n board .
With regard to the F rench Prisoners yo u will please

to O bserve by the proposals O f M essrs : Thompson and
Seed that they will undertake to carry them to St M aloe s .
and to Victual them during the passage o f F ive Guineas

Pr Man which I am convinced is a much more reason
.
,
able O ffer than any that will ever be made by other Per
sons in the Island I have not engaged with him for the
.
Vessel because I am directed by you not to send the

,
F rench away until I receive your further O rders which ,
I wish to have as soon as possible : Having promised

to give M essrs : Thompson and Seed a final A nswer with
in a F ortnight from this day I have the honor to be &c a
. .
RO BE RT S CO TT
A gent for Prisoners of War
Sir G B : Rodney Bart &c a
. . .
1 10 L E TTE R B O O K
-
To M ajor Ge ne ra l Jam e s Cunningham Go ve rno r ,

o f
B a rb ad o s
Sandwich o ff the C arenage 24th D ecem 1780

”
,
Sir
I am h ono ur d with your E xcellency s letter and am
’ ’
very glad that the F lag o f Truce with the Spaniards is

gone I m ust beg the other may not sail till I send a shi p
.
,
o f War to C onvey them to a proper Distance .
I believe your E xcellency will agree with m e that there

is no further O ccasion for an E mbargo at Barbadoes In .
a very few Days I shall have the honor o f w riting to you

m ore fully and flatter myself you will lend every A s
,
sistan c e in your power towards Manning the F leet which
is very short indeed .
I have the honor to be with great regard &c a .
G : B : RO D NE Y
General C unningham &c a .
To Re ar A dm ira l F ran c is S D ra ke .
Sandwich St : L ucia
,
24th December 1780
Sir :
I must desire yo u will please to order the C onvert and
every other ship to j oin me at Gros Islet Bay the mo ,
m ent they have compleated their Water I am &c a . .
G ” B : RO D NE Y
C ommodore Drake &c a .
To B ri gadie r Ge n e ra l A n th ony S t L e ge r .
Sandwich St : L ucia
,
24th December 1780
Sir
I cannot help acquainting yo u how m uch I am sur
prized to find the Party of Men sent to take post at
-
shall soon send you for the Protection o f the L eeward

Islands and t o intercept the E nemy s Ships o r Vessels
,
’
coming from Am erica or going fro m St : E ustatia to the

F rench Island A s likewise the raising all the Seamen
,
they can possibly procure General Vaughan having given

.
”
directions to Gen Prescott to assist with the Military in
apprehending the Stragglin g Seamen .
I am very glad o f your Intention o f sending the S tar

Brig as a F lag of Truce to Porto Rico it m ay have a very ,
good E ffect and be the means of procuring a number o f

Seamen as likewise o f clearing the Island o f the Spanish
Prisoners .
I have already sent a C artel from Barbadoes to Porto

Rico with all the Spanish Prisoners which were in that
Island .
A s the Season is now approached for A ction and as

the E nemy have already 7 sail of the L ine in F ort Royal
Bay and hourly expect a great F leet it will be absolutely ,
necessary for His Maj esty s Service and fo r the better ’
carrying on a C onstant and almost daily correspondence ,

’
that at least four additional Sch ooners be hir d exclusive
o f those already e m p lo y d
’
.
You may be assured that on the arrival of Sir Samuel

Hood with the Store Ships those Stores necessary for ,
c o m p le a tly fitting the ships at E nglish Harbour shall be
sent But the first and principal consideration must be

.
the refitting the L ine o f Battle Ships now at St : L ucia .
A s there will be an A bsolute necessity that a proper

C lerk belonging to the Storekeeper attends at St : L ucia
in order to deliver the Stores and take the proper
Vouchers I must desire you will please to give directions
,
to the Storekeeper to send a C lerk in the Suffolk o r

Boreas .
A s whereas I have j ust reason to suppose that Mr .
Tucker who is employed in procuring Stores for His Ma

je sty s Service at Barbadoes is a most dangerous and
’
disloyal Man and grossly imposes upon Government in

the Purchasing o f Stores and C ontracting for Vessels I ,
think it my Duty to repeat this to you and h O p e yo u will ,

L E TTE R B O O K
-
OF A D M I RAL L O RD RO D N E Y 1 13
please to give directions that some other person in that

Island be e m p loy d for the future instead o f Mr Tucker
’
.
,
but I am convinced it will be more advantageous for His

Maj esty s service if you send a proper person from
’
A ntigua who should be A uthorized by you to take charge

o f such Stores belonging to His Maj esty as may be de
posited in that Island or might be thought necessary to

,
be purchased there Such a Person as Mr Ragge t I

.
1
.
,
should think would be most proper as he is more to b e de

pended o n than any O f the Barbadoes Merchants settled
o n the Island .
Should you think any A ssistance from me is necessary

in the A ppointment you will please to point it o ut
,
.
I am sure you will think with me how necessary it is

that the C opper b o ttom d F rigates Should have the pref
’
erence of all other service particularly the Venus and ,
A mazon which when ready ought not to be d e lay d for

’
,
want of Men but should have Men lent from the Ve n

,
ge an c e till others can be procured from the L eeward

Islands.
I have nothing more material to say at present I shall .
send another E xpress to you very soon I have the honor .
to be with great regard Sir &c a

G : B , RO D N E Y
.
,
John Laforey E s q &c a ”

.
To C o m m o dore William H o th a m
Sandwich Gros Islet Bay St : L ucia

,
27th Dec 178 0 ”
Sir
I must desire you will be so obliging to inform me what
O fficer it was that deli vered your Dispatches to C aptain
M o utrie [ sic for Moutray ] o f His Maj esty s Ship the
2 ’
[ M arginal note : ] C ommissioner Lafo re y s C lerk

1 ’
.
2
[ Marginal note : ] C aptain M o u tri e after receiving
O rders to remain at Barbadoes presumed to disobey them

and went to Jamaica .
Ramil [ l ] ies I m ust li kewise desire yo u will favour m e

.
with a C opy o f your L etter o r O rder to him , that I m ay

transmit the sam e to my L ords C omm issioners of th e
A dmiralty to whom I have applied for a C ourt Mart ial
upon C aptain M o utrie I am Sir &c a . .
G B RO D N E Y . .
C o m modore Hotham &c a .
F ro m A dm ira l Ro dn e y s Se c re tary to A re tas A k ers , A ge n t

’
fo r P ris o n e rs o f W a r a t S t K i tts .
Sandwich 28th December 1780

Sir
I herewith transmit yo u by O rder o f the A dmiral the
C opy o f a L etter received by the last C o nveyance from
the C omm issioners o f Sick and Hurt Seamen relative to ,
your A ppointment as A gent for Prisoners of War by ,
which you will see that tho they have no t wrote to you
’
themselves as such you are considered by them as the

,
only person legally appointed to that O ffice : A nd as such

I am C ommanded by him to Signify to you his O rders
to A c t and in particular that you attend to the D ire c
,
tions given in said L etter relative to any agreement that

m ay be made with Prisoners hereafter sent home in Mer
chant Ships .
I am likewise to acquaint you that he is d e te rm in d to ’
prosecute Mr Pre die fo r the Male Practice set forth in

.
the said L etter as well as others that have come to his

K nowledge as far as such prosecutions are maintainable
, .
I am Sir &c a .
W PAGE TT
M
A retas A kers E sq ”
A gent for Pri soner of War

-
has applied to me upon Information that m any Seamen

are secreted in this island and fl atte rs himself that the
,
Inhabitants will exert themselves to the utm ost of their

Power in procuring Seamen for that F leet which is not
only e m p loy d in the protection o f their property but
’
,
likewise to prevent the E nemy from A nnoying it : I pub

lish this my Proclamation and do hereby invite the loyal
Inhabitants of this Island to exert themselves for the
above laudable Purpose and for their E ncouragement
the A dmiral directs a Bounty of 40 Shillings Sterling to
be given to every able Bodied Seaman and the E xp e nc e s
of bringing them to Bridge Town to be paid by the C om
manding O fli c e r o f His Maj esty s Ships in C arlisle Bay
’
.
A nd I do hereby call upon all Magistrates and other

C ivil O fficers to be A iding and A ssisting herein .
Given under m y Hand and Seal at A rm s at

Pilgrim this 28 th December 1780
( signed ) JA C U N N I N G H AM
S
’
By his E xcellency s C ommands
T : Workman
Secretary
God Save the K ing
F ro m Rear A dm ira l F ran c is S D rak e .
Russel 28th December 1780

Sir
I had not Day light sufficient yesterday to look into
F ort R oyal Bay : this morning I did ; and had a very
’
distinct and clear View of the E nemy s Ships consisting ,
o f F ive Sail of two D e c k d Ships

’
.
O ne with Yards and Topmast up and Top Gallant

Yards across which I think smaller than the other F our ,
O ne with the F ore Topmast quite stript and Main Top

mast down O ne with her Main Mast quite stript : Tw o
,
L E TTE R B O O K
with their Yards and Topmasts Struck : There are also

F ive Sail o f M erchant Ships I am o f O pinion F our o f
.
the Tw o D ec k d Ships are o f the L in e the other not un

’
,
likely to be the E xp eriment for their app e ar d to be no

,
’
break upon her Quarter like a Poop I saw their L ower .
’
Deck Ports very plain and e nde av o ur d to reckon them ,
but I could not d o it with that exactness I could have

wished as some of the Ports were down In St A nns Bay . .
there is a small Ship of War which I take to be a Frigate

,
lying close under a Battery : I have the honor to be &c a .
FRA : 8 ”D RA KE
Sir : G : B : R odney Bart :
To C ap tain Jo hn L afore y C o mm issio ne r of th e N avy

, at
th e L e e w ard I s lan ds

, 3 0th Dec ”
1780
Sir :
Th e implements in the inclosed list being wanted for
’
His Maj esty s Service I am to desire you will please to
,
order them to be sent to this Island by the first C onvey

ance ; A nd if they can be spared a few N e gro e Smiths : I
am SH : &c a
G : B : RO D NE Y
'
C ommissioner Laforey &c a .
2 Pair large Bellows 6 Pa ir Tongs

2 A nvils 2 Je w Irons
3 Hedges 24 F iles
3 Hand Hammers 2 Spike Tools
2 Vices
To C ap tain Jo h n H ou lto n
Sandwich 3 0th December 1780

Sir
I must desire you will not permit any F lag of Truce
to sail from the C arenage without having permission
-
from m e for that pu rp ose : N or any Vessel whatever to

sail from thence c le ar d for any o ther Port than those
’
O f Great Britain o r the British Islands I am &c a . .
G 3 B i RO D N E Y
C aptain Houlton
’
of His Maj esty s Ship Montagu
To th e M arq uis d e B o uille Go ve rn o r Ge n e ra l of th e

,
-
F re nc h Win dward Is lands
Gros Islet Bay St : L ucia 3 0th Dec ”

1780
Sir ,
O n my arrival at Barbadoes the K ing my Master s ’
Governor of that Island presented m e with a L etter

from your E xcellency o n the receipt o f which Mons
,
”
l e C ompte Durat the Governor o f Granada was directed

to deliver the C aptain O fficers and Seamen o f His Bri
, ,
tannic Maj esty s F rigate of War the Rover which F rigate

’
’
had been taken by his Most C hristian Maj esty s Ship
the Juno .
A s I had not the least doubt but your E xcellency s

’
’
C ommand would have been implicitly O bey d I dispatch ,
a C artel to Granada with your E xcellency s L etter but ’
having been since in form d that the C aptain and C rew

’
o f the Rover had left that Island by your E xcellency s

’
O rder and were lately carried to Martinique : I have

,
not a doubt but yo u will upon this m y A pplication and

a greeable to your L etter sent to Governor C unningham
a t Barbadoes permit C aptain Savage and his C rew to

,
be returned to this Island .
I have the honor to acquaint your E xcellency that dur

in g my short stay in A merica I released every F rench ,
O fficer and Prisoner o f War amounting to upwards o f ,
500 and sent them to F rance in good and well prepared

,
Ships that they m ight not experience the dreadful

,
C alamity attending Prisoners O f War in that C old in ,
hospitable C limate during the Winter Months .

-
C artel Six Week [ s ] returned it without any French Pris

’ ’
oners tho he had upwards o f 400 de tain d in that C olony
,
for more than a Year where they su ff ered every k ind ,
o f Ills and O utrages He has infor m ed m e it was c o n

.
form able to the O rders of your E xcellency .
A fter such a C onduct I revoked the O rders I had given

,
to the Governor o f Granada and I de te rm in d to K eep ,

’
here the E nglish Prisoners till an O pportunity should ’
O ffer to send them to F rance : I only thought myself
bound to deviate from this Rule in favou r o f O fli c e rs re ,
m itte d o n their Parole such as Mr : Savage and his O ffi

,
cers e ta t m ajor
,
.
If at present your E xcellency wishes to settle a C artel ,
I propose that agreed o n between our tw o C ourts o f

which I j oin a C opy ( o r s e t an E xam p le ) which m y
C ourt has o rde r d m e to propose to the E nglish A dmirals
’
and Governors If it is accepted and you return me the

.
F rench Prisoners I will fullfill the C onditions If o n the

,
.
C ontrary it is refused I must follow the mode practised

,
since your E xcellency arrived in these Seas to re c ipro ,
cally detain them : I beg yo u will communicate to m e

your positive A nswer .
A s to any thing further the approaching arrival O f ,
the C ount D E staing who is to C ommand the F orces by

’
Sea and L and will perhaps facilitate the Means to make

this Treaty of E xchange to which I cannot subscribe , ,
If it di ffers from that subsisting in E urope which he may ,
very likely be A uthorized to do .
Mr : Savage will acquaint yo u with the propositi o n for

his E xchange if you accept it be so good as to let m e
,
k now .
I shall be much astonished if your E xcellency did not

unite to your Military Qualities that o f Hu m anity which ,
ought to be inse p e rab le from one another .
I have the Honor to be with profound respect Sir

Your E xcellency s most humble and most O bedient
’
servant ,
( Signed ) TH E MA RO
S
DE B O U IL LE
His E xcellency A dmiral R odney &c a .
L E TTE R B O O K
Translation to a L etter
dated Martinique 3 1st Dec ”
1 780
We A uthorize Mr Savage ( formerly C aptain o f His

.
Britannic Maj esty s Sloop the Rover ) Prisoner o f War

’
who was sent on his Parole to treat with the C ommander

of the N aval F orce o f His N ation for his E xchange
against Mons F onteneau formerly C aptain of the K ing
”
’ ’
o f F rance s Sloop the L E llis Prisoner o f War sent o n
, ,
his Parole : at least Mr Savage is bound by this obliga

.
tion to send us an Instrument whereby the C ommander ,
of His Britannic Maj esty s N aval F orces shall remit to

’
Mr F onteneau the Parole which he has given not to

.
serve till he is exchanged : F or the present we give back

’
Mr Savage the Parole he has given us no t to serve till
.
he is E xchanged .
( Signed ) LE MARQU I S DE B O U I LL E
To Cap tain Jo hn L afo re y C o m m is sion e r of th e N avy

, at
th e L e e w ard I s lands
Sandwich 3 1s t December 1 780

Sir
As I have ordered Hospitals to be erected at Pidgeon
Island for the reception of the Sick : I must desire yo u
will please to order the Implements enumerated in the
Inclosed List to be purchased and sent for that service
,
to this Island by the first C onveyance I am Sir &c a . .
G : B : RO D N E Y
John L aforey E sq ”
Pick A xes
Shovels
T [ r ] o w e ls
Stone Hammers
Sledge D ”
-
To C o m m issio ne r Jo hn L afore y
Sandwich 3 l st December 1780

Sir
Th e S urf on the Beach at C hoque Bay [ A ns e da C h oc ]
particularly since the late Hurricane being so great as
to occasion considerable damage to the L ong Boats E m
ployed in watering and to threaten the ir total D e struc
tion if they should long continue to be employed to water
there and no materials bein g h ere f o r refitting them : It
is beco m e absolutely necessary that Vessels should be
procured for that purpose which I mean to employ in
watering the F leet fro m the C ul de Sac where the water
is much better : I must therefore desire yo u will please
to purchase a C ouple of Strong Vessels of a C onstru e
tion proper for the ab ove use from 50 to 70 Tun and
send them up here as soo n as the same can be e ffected .
I am sir with Great Regard &c a .
G : B : RO D N E Y
John L aforey E sq &c a ”
.
F ro m C ap tain Jo hn H ou lto n
Montagu in the C arenage St : L ucia

,
Decem 3 l st 1 780
”
Sir
I am h onor d by yours o f yesterday directing that I
’
d o not perm it any F lag o f Truce sailing hence without

your d irect O rders o r any Vessel whatever laden with
,
the produce o f this Island cleared for any other Port

than those o f Great Britain o r the British Islands which
,
shall be punctually complied with by Sir

t
Your very humble se rv
JO H N H O U L TO N
Sir : G : B : R odney Bart &c a . .
-
Bouille to com m and the Free Mulatt o es and N egroes

upon that Island and is supposed to have been the Per
,
son that transmitted Intelligence to St : Vincents .
To B rigadie r Ge ne ra l A n thony St L e ge r .
Sandwich 3 l st December 1780

Sir
’
I have been this Instant h o nor d with your Le tter o f
this D ate with the N ote inclosed : I m ake no Doubt but
you meet with very great Interruption and embarras
m ent in getting your O rders relative to the Governmen t
o f this Island carried into E xecution what assistance is ,
in my power I shall at all tim es readily aff ord yo u and

, ,
have given O rders to the C aptain o f the Sylph C utter

to repair immediately to the C arenage and take on board
such Troops as yo u may think necessary for the A ppre
h e n sion o f the Traitor mentioned in your L etter or any
others you m ay thin k necessary and have given him ,
directions accordingly : I shall be glad O f the pleasure of

seeing you on board the Sandwich and shall send one o f
the Sailing C utters to attend yo u at the time you men
tion on Tuesday Morning : I have the honor to be &c a .
G : B : RO D N E Y
”
Brig ”
Gen St : L eger &c a .
To B rigadie r Ge ne ra l A n th ony St L e ge r .
Sandwich January ,
1 st 178 1
Sir
As I observe in the St L ucia Gazette o f the 3 0th of
.
last Month published at the C arenage that the sailing

,
o f A dmiral Drake o n a C ruize from this Bay with F ive
M e n o f War is therein m e ntio n d which will o f C ourse

’
L E TTE R B O O K
-
O F A D M I RAL L O RD RO D N E Y 125
be conveyed over to Martinique I must beg the favo ur ,
o f yo u to order the Printer thereof not to take notice in

’
future of the arrival or sailing o f any o f His Maj esty s
Ships o r Vessels o f War whatever as it m ay be attended ,
’
with very great detriment to His Maj esty s service .
G : B : RO D NE Y
”
Brig : Gen S t L eger &c a. .
F ro m th e N a vy B o ard
N avy O ffice l st Jan y 1 78 1

Sir
We have received your L etter o f the 13 th N O V last
”
,
acquainting us that you had ordered C ommodore Hotham

to send the F ame Vigile nt and Su ffolk to E ngland as
,
also the Vengeance if he thought it necessary We are .
&c a .
C H AS M I DD L E TO N
.
D
E DM H U NT
GE ORGE M ARS H
”
A dm Sir G B Rodney Bart
. . .
To an d fro m M arquis d e B ouille Go ve rno r Ge n e ra l

th e ,
-
of th e F re n c h Win d w ard I s lan ds

,
3 rd Jan 1
1 78 1
Sir
I have received the Honour of your E xcellency s L et ’
ter which was delivered to me by C aptain Savage who

yo u permitted to come in the C artel I had the Honour
to send to your E xcellency and perfectly agree in O pinion
with your E xcellency as to the E xchange of Mons F o n ”
t e n e au for C aptain Savage .

-
In regard to the C orrespondence b e tte e n Your E xcel

len e y and Mr C unningham Governor o f Barbadoes and
.
,
the F lag o f Truce yo u sent to that Island it was before ,
m y arrival fro m A m erica : I found an E mbargo at that

Island on my A rrival which I suppose was the reason
,
the F lag o f truce had been detained .
I was surprized and A ngry that the C ommissary o f

Prisoners at that Island had no t agreeable to m y O rders
sent in good and proper Vessels as C artels the Prisoners
o f War to F rance in A ugust last and immediately gave ,
O rders to procure if possible proper Vessels fo r that pur

pose reserving a sufficient N umber to be returned to
,
your E xcellency in the Room o f those belonging to the

R over which Your E xcellency in Your L etter to GO V
e rn or C unningham had promised should be delivered ,
and in C onsequence o f which I had Dispatched a C artel

’
to Grenada with Your E xcellency s said L etter and ,
which C artel is not yet returned to Me .
I have the Honor to acquaint your E xcellency lik ewise ,
that the C ommissary of Prisoners at Barbadoes has ao

q u a in te d Me that he could procure but O n e Vessel at
Barbadoes su fficient only to take the Spanish Prisoners

,
o f War which has obliged m e to O rder Transports from

,
this Island to accommodate the F rench Prisoners o f War

,
either to your E xcellency if we agree o n the E xchange

,
o r to F rance .
I am obliged to You r E xcellency for the Honor you

have done me in communicating to Me the C artel as
,
settled between O ur C ourts o f which as yet I have no t

, ,
received N otice it proves to Me the Hu m anity o f both

,
C ourts and how willing they are to relieve the C alami

,
ties of those Brave Men who have done their Duty to

’
the ir K ing and C ountry and altho I have no particular
,
Instructions from m y C ourt Yet the Rank I bear as ,
C ommander in C hief o f the British F leet in these Seas ,
empowers me to agree with Your E xcellency in an E x

change Man for Man which I shall be always to accede
, ,
to and should the O rders which I hourly expect in the

,
-
Translation to the A nswer of

the above L etter
dated Martinique 1 1th January 178 1
Sir
I send your E xcellency the re m ainder O f the R over s ’
C rew making with 6 1 Men and three O fli c e rs already

s ent to Grenada the whole o f the m .
There rem ains still about 1 10 Sailors at St : Pierre

a nd near that number at Guadaloupe which I shall cause
to be returned in the C artel you have announced .
I likewise send back to your E xcellency three O fficers

m entioned in the account transmitted by Mr : Savage
( whom yo u have authorized to treat for the E xchange o f
Prisoners ) by which yo u will see what yo u have received .
I have always acted I am bold to say with C andour

, ,
in every A ffair I have had authority to treat o f with

the E nglish N ation and shall always act therein in the
s am e manner ; I am well persuaded your E xcellency has
the same principles from which some Governors have

deviated .
I have seen with Pain that the C ompany o f the A lc

mene taken in O ctober 1779 are at this Instant at Bar
b adoe s where a part of them has perished ! I cannot but
,
thank your E xcellency for the O rders you are about to

give o n that Subj ect and applaud a C onduct very b e
coming ( ana lo gu e ) to a Man o f your Rank C ondition ,
a n d C haracter and wholly d ifl e re n t from that you had

,
proposed to hold .
I am writing to the Gov e rn o ur of Guadaloupe to send

back the E nglish Prisoners at present there in number
about one Hundred .
I have the honor to be

( signed ) LE MARQ U I S DE B O U IL LE
His E xcellency A dmiral Rodney &c a .
P S I likewise send by Mr : Savage an A ccount o f

.
the Sea and L and O fli c e rs since your A rrival last Year

in these Seas from which time no E xchange has ex
is te d : Th e greater part of these O fficers are no longer
in these C olonies being gone to E urope but it is necessary ,
L E TTE R B O O K
to ascertain their C ondition that they m ay be enabled

to serve again without any F ear o f being Redemanded ,
this is not in the present Situation of A ff airs an A c t of

form but an E ssential Rule whereby at least the O fficers
made Prisoners in this part o f A merica up to this very
Day will find themselves E xchanged .
Martinique le 11th Janv ”

178 1
Mons ”
a votre E xcellence le reste de l E q uip age

’
Je re nv oye
d u Rover dont i1 at été remise a la Granada 6 1 Hommes

‘
e t trois O ffic ie rs, c c qui en c o m p le tte le N ombre .
Il reste encore environ 110 prisonniers matelots A St .
Pierre e t presque autant a la Guadaloupe , que je ferai

remettre au parlementaire que vous m annonc e s Je ’
.
renvoie aussi a votre E xcellence trois O fficers mentionné

dans l E tat que je l ai re m is a Mons Sauvage , autorisé
’ ’ ”
par vous a l E xc h ange des prisonniers , e t par lequel vous

’
verres que vous e n re c ev ré s .
M artinique le 12th Janv ”

1781
C ompte des Prisonniers entre Mons L A dm iral Ro d ” ’
ney , C ommandant Général des F orces Maritim es de Sa

M aj esté Britannique aux Isles du Vent de L A m eriq ue ,
’
Mons le Marquis de Bouille, C ommandant General

”
des dites Isles de sa Maj esté tres Ch re tie nne .
PRI SO NN I E RS A N GL O I S E N VOY E S P AR MON S R

LE M S
DE
B O UI LLE
Prison A nglois s
A Mons C unningham Go v e rne ur de la

”
Barb ade par le se n aut parlementaire

,
le largue C apitaine y C ard sous la

,
C onduite d u S M o n taudev e rt
” 1
133
[ Marginal note : ] C e s Prisonniers se sont revolte

1
o nt conduite le Sena nt a Montserrat ou 109 ont été,
remis au C o m m iss des prison 24 ont été conduit a la

“
”
Barb ad e o u L e Sieur M o n taud e v ert a remis 1e rec ie des

,
13 0 L E TTE R B OO K
-
A Mons L A dm iral Rodney par M o ns

” ’ ”
Le C ompte de D urat Gouverneur de la

Granade 1e 17 1780 Trois O ffi ,
ciers Sans Memoire

, 6 1 Bas O fli c ie rs
Mariniers d u Matelots 61
A Mons L A dm iral Rodney par Mr
” ’
.
Sauvage le 3 1 1780 Trois Memo

ries [ sic ] Sans M e m oire s e t quatre
,
Bas O fli c ie rs Mariniers 4
Idem le [ blank ] Janvier 178 1 par Mons ”
Sauvage autoriser a traité des

E c h ange s Trois O ffic ie rs Sans Me
,
mories e t Matelots 40
Total 23 8
Prisonniers A nglo is
PRI SO NN IE RS FRA N CO I S E N VO YES

, ,
P AR MO NS E
L A D M IRAL RO D N E Y
’
Prison “
F ran ”
Recu le 27 par le ret o ur d u de

1 780
P arlim e n taire F rancois l e C argue ; de
Mons C unningham Go v e rne ur de la
”
,
Barbada 6 Matelots 6
Janv ie r 178 1 de Mons L A dm iral
’
Le ”
Rodney par Mons Sauvage autorise

”
de traiter des E c h ange s 18 passag es ,
Sans Memories 18 Matelots 18

Total 24
Pris rs
F ran ”
I
Prisonniers A nglo is re nv oyes suivant L e

’
detail de l autre part 23 8
A u moyen de quoi Mons L A dm iral ” ’
Rodney se doit a Mons L e Marquis de ”
Bouille 2 14
"
Pr i son
( Signé ) M O N S LE MARO DE B O UI LLE
R S
109 d u C om miss de Montserrat a Mr C unningham

”
, .
Go uv e rn qui n a renvoyé en échange que 6 Prisonniers

” ’
portés ci apres dans cet E tat .

-
only say I Victual 120 Men and am Short of C o m ple

m ent 28 I am Sir :
.
W M
B E TT
To Jn L aforey , E sq &c a
” ”
.
F ro m Jo hn L afo re y C o m m issio n e r of th e N avy

, at
th e L ee w ard Is lan ds
C arcas ,
E nglish Harbour Jan 17
4 th 1 78 1
Sir
’
I had the honour of writing to you by His Maj esty s
Ship the Su ff olk on the 29 th U lt whose C ommander has .
O rders to proceed im mediately ( to Windward o f the

F rench Islands ) to j oin you at St : L ucia but I fear she ,
will m ake a long Passage having been seen for 4 days ,
after she sailed turning against a strong L ee C urrent b e

,
tween this Island and Guadaloupe .
I dispatched the Boreas to Barbadoes on the 2nd Inst :

a C opy o f whose O rders I now enclose as she called at ,
’
St : John s for her Provisions and stretched away to the
N orthward fro m thence I hope she will not feel so ma
te rially the E ffects of the C urrent .
I was preparing to send the Star Brig upon the ser

vice you proposed in your last when the L ieutenant o f
His Maj esty s late Sloop Rover arrived here from To r
’
tola whose business the C opies o f L etters I n o w enclose

,
will explain I have in consequence thereof upon con

, ,
sulting with his E xcellency General Burt and procuring
L etters from him to the Spanish Governor of Porto R ico ,
ordered the Star and Barbuda immediately to Tortola

giving Instructions to C aptain Ingram o f which I now
transmit a C opy .
A s I conclude S ir you will think it necessary that

, , ,
some E xamples should be m ade of the Ring leaders o f

this Mutiny I beg leave to submit to your Judg m ent
,
whether some o f them should not be tried at this Port ,

LE TTE R B O O K
in order that I may receive your Directions therein be

fore I send them all to you .
I have the pleasure to inform you that L ieutenant

Gerard acquaints Me the E gmont after laying for some
,
tim e in o ne o f the Bays at Porto Rico dismasted h as ,
proceeded down to Jamaica .
Th e Star is to take down from hence about 60 Spanish

Prisoners which General Burt and m yself think will ,
be a proper C ompliment to the Spanish Governor o f

Porto Rico fo r his Humanity and good Treatment to
the C rew of the Deal C astle which Lieutenant Gerard
has reported to us and as these Prisoners are very sensi
,
ble of our reciprocal C onduct towards them here it may

be the means o f establishing a good intercourse in o ur
future E xchanges which General Burt will propose to
him for the Prisoners now at St K itts . .
I received a L etter this Morning o f which I inclose

a C opy from the C omm ander o f the Sandwich Armed
Ship but as his L etter came by a hired Porter and no t
, ,
by his L ieutenant as he proposed I can at present give

,
no further account o f him than what it imports ; I have

sent him O rders to remain at St : Johns to raise men for
the Service whereas it is too soon for h im to return to
,
A merica ; I intend to continue him until I receive your

d irections o n that head .
I beg leave to represent to you Sir that if there are

, ,
at St : L ucia any empty A rm d Transports they might

’
be made very serviceable until they are wanted for other

p urposes ; if one was s tatio n d at S t : Johns Road another
’
,
at St K itts and a third at Montserrat with a L ieutenant

.
,
and a Midshipman o n board of each to raise and secure

Men for the F leet for the want of which we derive no
,
recruit from the two latter Islands and we su ffer here

from my being O bliged at times to send the Star Brig
upon their Services which Vessel might be made very
useful for more A ctive E mployment and whose C om
mander C aptain Ingram is better calculated to distin
guish himself in your F leet by his great A lertness and
-
diligence than in laying in Port where his Merit cannot

be shewn to fair advantage .
I request Sir you will appoint a Lie ut to the C arcas

t
Bomb the present one L ieutenant Thompson command

,
ing the A ntigua Brig the want O f one being an Impedi

,
ment to my carrying o n my Duty from that Vessel which

has not at this Time one Mate or Midshipman belong
ing to her I send this by one of the Pilot Boats hired
.
to attend upon your F leet and shall be very soon fol ,
lowed by others .
O ne o f them has been for some time past and is still

em ployed in bringing up C ordage and Stores from S t :
K itts .
I enclose some Intelligence transmitted to me fro m

Mr A kers at S t : K itts
. .
Th e Venus F rigate will be ready in a few days Th e .
P ac h ah unta having a C onsiderable L eak in her Maga

zine being 6 Months foul and her L ower Rigging so bad
,
we are obliged to shift it : I have ordered her to be hove

down but she will very soon be ready for Sea
, .
I have the honor to be with great Regard Sir : &c a .
O
JN LAF ORE Y
To Sir : G : B : Rodney Bart &c a . .
To M ajor Ge ne ra l th e H o no ra b le Jo hn Vaugh an
Sandwich 4 th January 178 1

Sir
’
I am h o nor d with your E xcellency s L etter o f the 29 th
’
o f December relative to the prevailing reports that a
Reinforcement of Troops will be sent out with Sir Sam l
Hood and desiring my O pinion should that event hap

,
pen in what manner o ur j oint forces can A c t with the

’
greatest A dvantage to His Maj esty s Service .
F or my part I am and always have been of O pinion

that an A ttack upon the French Islands ( provided there
is sufficient force to make the attempt ) will be o f the
greatest consequence and answer the E nds of Govern
,
-
To M ajor Ge ne ra l Jam e s C u nningham Go ve rno r of ,
B arb ados
Sandwich Gros Islet Bay

,
4 th Jany 178 1
Sir
I have the honor to inform your E xcellency that the
Marquis of Bouille seem to be playing some o f his F rench
Tricks his L etter o f the delivery o f the Men belonging
,
to His Maj esty s Sloop the Rover and which I sent to

’
,
Grenada has not been complied with : I have w rote to

him upon the subj ect however at all events the F rench
Prisoners m ust be still de tain d at Barbadoes till I can
’
send proper Transports for them : Th e gross Imposition

o f your Merchants at Bridgetown is what I cannot sub
mit to or su ffer Government to be so imposed o n I have .
wrote to Mr : Scott the A gent upon no A ccount to Hire

any Vessels as I shall send proper Transports for the
,
Prisoners In all probability it will not be long before I

.
may have the Honour o f seeing you : I am with great

Regard &c a .
G : B : RO D N E Y
Governor C unningham &c a .
To Ro b e rt Sc o tt A ge n t fo r P ris one rs
, f W ar a t
o
B arb ado s
Sandwich 4th January 178 1

Sir,
I received your L etter relative to the hiring o f Vessels
for the Prisoners of War the propositions appear to me
,
to be so gross as impositio n upon the Public that I can

by n o means approve o f them : I must therefore desire
you will h ire no Vessels whatever without further Di
rections from me as I shall send Transport Ships b e
longing to His Maj esty to carry the French Prisoners
,
to their de s tin d Port : you will hear further from me

’
L E TTE R B O O K
-
shortly and may assure the F rench Prisoners that they ,
shall soon be sent either to F rance or the F rench Islands .
I am &c a .
G : B : RO D NE Y
”
Mr : Rob Scott
A gent for Prisoners at Barbadoes
To C ap tain Jo hn L afore y C o m m issi one r of th e N avy

, at
th e L ee ward I s lands
Sandw ich St : L ucia 4th Jan 1

1781
Sir ,
As the Speedy arrival of a Great F rench F orce under

the C ommand o f C ount D E s taing ( which is hourly ex
’
p e c te d by the F rench in these Seas ) is likely to make

this again the Seat of War and small Vessels will be
absolutely necessary ,
I m ust therefore desire you will please either to hire

or Purchase ( as you shall j udge best for the Interest of
Government ) Tw o or Three of them to be co mm anded
by L ieutenants : I am with great regard &c a .
G : B : RO D N E Y
John L aforey E sq &c a ”
.
F ro m C ap tain Wi lliam F oo ks
Greyhound C arlisle Bay Barbadoes

, ,
4 th January 1 78 1
Sir
I take the opportunity o f the Packet to inform you
that I have j ust anc h or d in C arlisle Bay with our Main
’
Mast very badly Sprung in the head so much that it ,
was the O pinion of the C arpenter and other O fficers that

it could not be secured at Sea I this morning bore up
.
being about Te n or Twelve L eagues to Windward of

13 8 L E TTE R B O O K-
this Island the C urrent having run so strong to the

,
Westward as prevented my getting further to W indward .
I shall use every dispatch possible in getting the Main

Mast fished and put your O rder in execution I am S ir
, .
Your most O bedient servant

W F oox s
M
F ro m P hi lip S te p h e ns , Se c re tary o f th e A dm ira lty
A d mi ralty O ffice 4 th Jan y 178 1

Sir
I received on the 28th U lt : by the F irst L ieutenant o f
the Yarm outh your L etter o f the 12th of N ovember last ,
enclosing the sentence passed by the C ourt Martial o n

C aptain Batem an late o f His Maj esty s Shi p the Yar
,
’
m outh as also your two L etters O f the 13 th N ovem ber

, ,
the o ne enclosing the State and C ondition O f the Sq ua

dron under your C omm and the other giving an A ccount ,
of your Proceedings and enclosing the L etters you had

,
received fro m C aptain Gayton o f the Romulus contain ,
ing his A ccount o f the Success of the E nterprize which

Sir Henry C linton desired to have carried on in the
,
C h e sap e ak and enclosing also the Minutes o f the dif

,
fe re nt C ourts Martial held since your A rrival in the West

Indies ; A nd having laid your said L etters before m y
L ords C ommissioners o f the A dmiralty I have the Sat ,
i sfac tio n to acquaint yo u that they very well approve of

y our proceedings as also o f the C onduct o f C aptain
,
Gayton in the E nterprize abovementioned .
Th e F o x and Pegasus will sail in a few days t o C ork ,
to convoy from thence the Trade which are ready to

depart fo r the West Indies and a C onvoy will sail from ,
Spithead the first fair Wind after the 20th o f next

,
Month with the Trade bound from E ngland to those

,
Parts .
Th e Monarca which sailed with Sir Samuel Hood

, ,
-
at this Island I have it in Direction to make strict e n

,
quiry into the C ause thereof ; and if the Reports which

yo u have received o f him are founded upon F acts ; I am
in that C ontingency to deliver his warrant to Mr Wil .
liam B aggett establishing him Storekeeper to the Store

house I shall engage here .
I shall i mm ediately take Mr : Tuckers accounts under

m y E xamination for the purpose o f deducting all un
reasonable C harges which m ay appear in them and I ,
should be particularly O bliged and assisted in this busi

ness if you would d o Me the Honor to com municate any
p articular instances o f C omp l aint reported against Mr :
Tucker .
A s soon as these intended Regulations are a e co m

p lish e d I shall take the earliest opportunity o f paying
,
my personal Duty and for receiving such O rders from

y o u as in their E xecutio n m ay best tend to the expedi
’
tious E quipment o f His Maj esty s Ships at St L ucia . .
I have the Honor to Subscribe Myself with the utm ost

respect S1”
Your &c a &c a &c a . . .
A N T M U N TO N
Y
To Sir : G : B : Rodney Bart .
To C ap tain Jo hn L afo re y C o m m issi on e r of th e N avy

, at
th e L e e w ard I s lan ds
Sandwich 7th January 1781

Sir
I have been honoured with the receipt of your L etter
of the 4th Instant together with its Inclosures by the
,
Schooner which have instantly returned to you and shall

,
loose no time in answering your L etter by a Man o f

War which will probably be almost with you as soon as
you receive this I have the honor to be Sir &c a
. .
G 3 B : RO D N E Y
To John L aforey E s q ”
A ntigua
L E TTE R B O O K
-
OF A D M I RAL L O RD RO D NE Y 14 1
To C om m ission e r Jo h n L afore y
Sandwich ,
7th January 1781
Sir
As I find it absolutely necessary in order to prevent the
C onstant communication between this Island and Mar
tiniq ue to station Men o f War Sloops in two o f the Bays
from whence Intelli gence is constantly carried over and ,
think the A ntigua Brig under a proper Master and C o m

mander will answer very well for that purpose : I have
appointed Mr C harrington my F irst L ieutenant to suc
.
c e e d C aptain Pender in her and other O fli c ers those

, ,
gone with him into the Be rb ud a and must desire you

,
will please to cause her still to be continued o n the

E stablishment o f a Man o f War Sloop with a C omple
ment of Sixty Men O fficers Included I have the honor .
to be &c a .
G : B : RO D N E Y
To J ohn L aforey E sq ”
A ntigua
To E d ward B urk e o f To rto la
Sandwich 7th January 178 1

Sir :
C ommissioner L aforey has fav o ur d me with the C opy
’
o f the L etter you wrote him giving an account o f the

,
Steps you have taken o n occasio n of part o f the R over s ’
people having run away with the A tlantic C artel Ship

and I should be wanting in my Duty as C ommander in
C hief of His Maj esty s Ships on this Station if I did
’
not return yo u my A cknowledgements for the Z eal and

A ctivity yo u have exerted for His Maj esty s Service and
’
,
I must likewise beg o f you in my N ame to present m y

best Thanks to the President for the Measures he di
re c te d o n your A pplication to be taken e ffectually to ,
secure the Delin quents .

142 LE TTE R B O O K
-
I shall tak e another O pportunity to answer the Ob lig

ing L etter I received at N e w York from the L egisl ative
Body o f your Island being in haste to detach this ship
,
in order to e ffectually secure and bring back the Muti

nee rs to their Duty I am Sir
.
G : B : RO D N E Y &CA .
E dward Burke E sq ”
F ro m Wi llia m Ragge tt, N a va l S tore keep e r at B arb ados
Barbadoes 7th January 178 1

,
S ir
I have the Honor to w rite you that in consequence
o f your L etter to C ommissioner L aforey he has been
pleased to appoint me N aval Storekeeper here in the

r oo m of Mr John Tuck er
. .
Mr M unto n the N aval O fficer at A ntigua is co m e up

.
by the C o mm issioners Direction w ith m e in order that

W e m ay h ire Magazines proper to deposit N aval S tores
in and to arrange matters upon the best plan
, .
I beg leave to trespass on your time so far as to say ,
th at m y A bilities shall be exerted to the utm ost to prove

m yself no t unworthy your fav o ur and of the Trust re
,
posed in m e .
W ith Sentim ents of great Gratitude and w ith p r o

found respect : I have the honor t o be &c a .
W I LL IAM RA GGE TT
To Sir : G : B : Rodney Bart .

,
8 th January 1 78 1
Sir
I hope you have received the Dispatches I sent by His
Maj esty s Slo op the Surprize which sailed on the 18th of
’
,
that the Bowsprit m ust come o ut the Bad Wood be taken ,
a way and fished which shall be done as fast as possible,

.
E nclosed I trans m it yo u C aptain Houlton s reply to

’
my O rders and D irections .
Th e C aptains o f the Triumph and C entaur report to ,
me that their Ships will be ready for Sea the latter in

, ,
two days what retards the C entaur is her having sprung

, ,
o ne of the Main C ross trees in getting in the Triumph s

’
Mast and if the S m ith s do not deceive them she will be

,
’
,
ready by that time .
Th e Triumph s fore yard will not ( in the C arpenter s

’ ’
O pinion ) be ready for getting off till Saturday next b e ,
fore which tim e every other p art o f the Masts and ,
Rigging will be compleated .
Th e Provisions short o f three Months for the said

Ship are expected up from the C arenage im m ediately ;
,
upwards of Sixty Tons of her Water C asks are empty ,
and the Watering o f the Ship at a Stand owing to the

’
L ong Boat s being very leaky .
I have directed C aptains A fle c k and N ott to inspect ,
int o the State o f the Batteries o n Pidgeo n Island and ,
report to me their O pinions W hat further strength c an

, ,
’
b e added to the Island by His Maj esty s Ships in this ,
Bay .
I have given directions that every necessary A rticle o f

Powder &c a that is wanted and can be spared from the
.
,
Ships here be sent to the different Batteries o n Pidgeon

,
Island and this day O ne Hundred Men are on shore

, ,
there to get the F our Thirty two Pounders up o n the

, ,
N e w Battery .
Pursuant to your directions I this morning assembled , ,
a C ourt Martial fo r the tryal o f Patrick F itzsimons and

James A yrle y belonging to the Triumph the latter is to ,
receive Tw o Hundred L ashes the for m ers charge no t ,
being proved was acquitted ,

.
Th e A ntigua is come up here from the C arenage and ,
when I can get the Pilot I shall dispatch her agreeable , ,
to the O rders you left with me .
Th e Suff olk arrived here this afternoon and brought ,

L E TTE R B O O K
-
the Dispatches which accompany this from C omm issi

, ,
”
L aforey.
I have the honor to be with great Regard &c a .
F: S : D RAKE
To Sir : G : B : Rodney Bart :
Inclosed in the foregoing L etter
Montagu at C arenage
9 th January 178 1
Sir
’
I am this instant h onour d by yours o f this date with
O rders to put myself under your C omm and and to use ,
’
the utmost dispatch in refitting His Maj esty s Ship Mon
tagu under my C ommand and to proceed with her as
,
soon as possible to Gros Islet which I beg leave to ,
a ssure you shall be m ost c h e arfully co m plied with the ,
Weekly A ccount that I h ave the honor to enclose you ,
will shew the state of the Ships C omp y

’
His Maj esty s Sloops St : Vincent and A ntigua are ,
both here the former was dismasted in the Hurricane

, ,
is now refitting in order to proceed with the utmost ex

p e d i ti o n to Gros Islet : Th e A ntigua is come here to
c ompleat her Provisions when she is to proceed likewise
,
to Gros Islet ; at present it blows fresh and the Sea

runs high if it should moderate so as to admit o f an
,
O pen Boat passing with Provisions she will sail this ,
E vening .
I have sent to enquire after Mark Belford the Pilot ,
if he is to be met with he shall be sent immediately o n

b oard the Russel I am Sir.
,
Your most O bliged and O bedient humble servant

0
JN H O UL TO N
”
To Rear A dm Drake &c a .
-
F ro m C ap tain Jo hn Lafo re y, C o m m issione r o f the N a vy

a t th e L e e w ard I s la nds
A ntigua l 1th January 178 1

Sir
I had the honor o f your three L etters dated the 3 0th
and 3 1s t o f D ecember by His Maj esty s Ship Vigilant
’
,
and yesterday that o f the 7th Instant by the Good In

te nt Pilot Boat .
I will purchase the Tw o Vessels you desire o f the To n

nage as nearly as I can get them as soon as ever they
can be p rocure d .
I no w send by the Three Sisters Pilot Boat the Tools

yo u have required fo r erecting the Hospital but we can ,
no t procure here the Materials for a F orge We have for .
som e ti m e past been inconvenienced thro the want o f ’
tw o pair o f Bellows to encrease o ur Smiths Shop in the

Yard and I have been ob li ged to write to E ngland f o r
them .
It is impracticable to hire N egro c A rtific e rs to go o ff

this Island it is with no s m all difli c ulty W e can get
,
a sufficiency for the demand o f the Yard upon the spot .
Th e Vengeance has unfortunately carried away her

Main Mast in heaving down this will retard her re fi t ,
ment seve n or E ight days but the greatest E vil is the

,
loss o f her Mast it m ust be replaced by one of a Sixty

,
four Gun Ship s which however C ommodore Hotham

’
,
and his C aptain think from the Qualities o f the Ship she
w ill not b e a worse Man o f War for it .
Th e F oremast of the Vigilant has been foun d de fe c

tive I hope we w ill be able to patch it up as she is not
.
,
C o p p e r d and consequently her service in this C ountry of

’
no very long duration .
JO H N LAF O RE Y
To Sir : G : B : R odney Bart .
14 8 L E TTE R B O O K -
OF A D M I RAL L O RD RO DN E Y
Pidgeon Island ; no t one having a platform inclosed y o u .
have C aptain s Afflick and N ott s Re p ort w h o I directe d

’ ’
,
to inspect them should I have tim e bef o re I am V isited

, ,
and can get strength I intend to get so m e of the C orn ,
wall s D ecks for Platforms and have directed Mr Pat

’
,
.
e rson to purchase S tu ff o f a su ffi cient Scantling for
Joints but it will be a wor k o f time ; another Hospital

,
is nearly finished I have no t heard whether Mr Pater ,

.
son has closed the agreement about the C hurch .
Th e Montagu will com e up o n Monday next Th e Suf .
folk has sprung her Main Top m ast and getting another
up I expect the Triumphs F ore Yard will be finished o n
.
Saturday next .
Th e C yclops Bowsprit is sti ll out and the C onverts ,
F oremast not yet finished but no time shall be lost ,

.
I need not mention any N ews from Martinique as

C aptain Savage will be the Bearer o f this .
Th e St : Vincent and A ntigua Brigs are not yet gone, ,
to their stations Th e former which I de sign d fo r E sper

’
.
ance cannot go there as the Pilot you named tell s m e

, ,
a Pinnace can scarce get in Th e L atter waits fo r a four .
Inch tow L ine which none o f the Ships here can supply
,
her with Th e Pilot says it is impracticable for her to

.
get out from Port Dauphine without warping : I have

dispatched the L ittle John to Mr Paterson to purchase ,
.
one fo r her .
I intend should the E nemy s F leet appear to W indw ” ’ ‘
to send the Drake and L ittle John to you ( by different

routes ) with the Intelligence Th e L ittle John is best cal .
c ulate d to turn up close with the St : L ucia shore to pre ,

’
vent being in te rup te d by any o f the E nemy s small C ruiz
ers A nd the Drake to go up between this Island and St :
.
V incents ; whether it will be possible for yo u to receive

such Intelligence before the E nemy may endeavour to,
E ffect any design they may have o n this Island you are ,
the best Judge I h ave the honor to be &c a

. .
F : S : D RAKE
To Sir : G : B : Rodney Bart °
LE TTE R B O O K
-
OF A D M I RAL L O RD RO D NE Y 149
F ro m C h arle s H o ward
Resolution , C arlisle Bay, Barbadoes

13 th Jan y 178 1
Sir ,
Th e Departure of Rear A dmiral Sir C hal for ”

O gle
E urope to who m I am Secretary and whose Business I
have to transact ( added to my ow n ill state of health )
,
induces me to request you will favour me with Twelve

Months L eave o f A bsence from m y Duty in order to ,
attend the transactions of his Business and that you will

,
do me the favour to appoint Mr William O ld Deputy.

,
Purser of the Resolution in my A bsence ; I am e m b ol

de n e d to make this request as the like Indulgencies have
been granted to the secretaries o f other A dmirals o n
their leaving this C ountry I am with due Respect Sir :
.
&c a .
C HA S : H O W ARD
To A dmiral Sir : G : B : Rodney
To C harle s H o ward
Sandwich 14th January 1 78 1

Sir
I have received your L etter of the 13 th Instant desir
ing leave to be absent from your Ship as well for the
purpose of attending o n Sir C haloner O gle to whom you
are Secretary ( and whose Business requ ires your pres
ence with him ) as for the recovery o f your health and ,
requesting M r William O ld may be appointed Deputy

.
P urser o f the Resolution during your absence ; and in

answer thereto have to inform you that for the reasons
therein set forth ; you have leave o f absence accordingly ,
and that I shall agreeable to your request give O rder s ,

-
for Mr William O ld to be ap p ointed De p uty Purser

. of
the Resolution during your said A bsence I am &c a . .
G : B : RO D N E Y
Mr C harles Howard
.
F ro m Th o m as Shirle y, C o n trac tor for Vic tua ling the

B ri tis h F lee t
Bridge Town Barbad o es :

,
15th Jan 1
1 78 1
S ir ,
Th e alarm ing situation to w hich the C ontractors for

’
V ictualing His Maj esty s Ships in this C o untry are re
d uc e d fro m the Victualing Board sending out Provisions
,
w hich have been o f late uniformly pre ferr d lays m e

’
,
under the necessity of representing to your E xcellency ,
that while such a p ractice continues it will be im possible

for Mr : Blac kb ourn and m yself to p roceed further in
V ictualing the Squadron without exp osing ourselves to
inevitable ruin .
I will not trouble your E xcell ency with a detail of the

repeated Instances o f this p reference prior to the F leet s ’
d eparture for A merica and by which the C ontractors

,
loss in the late Hurricane w as encreased Tenfold having ,
all their Stores then filled with Provisions which w ould ,
have not been the C ase had the Squadron been Victualed
out o f them ; I will only beg leave to m ention later In
stances O f the same kind ; on your return here fro m A m e r
ica ; I expected to have been c all d upon for a supply ’
which by lightening my Stock in hand would have e u

abled m e to ascertain the deficiencies oc c asion d by the ’
Hurricane but to m y extreme C oncern the F leet de

,
parted without tak ing any thing fro m m e : Since that

period I sent to St : L ucia a large Ship with a C argo o f
new Provisions and persuaded myself she would have
,
been discharged immediately into the F leet but in p e rsu ,
ance of the same System she was ordered to the C arenage .
Part O f the Squadron is now returned to this Island

-
Sail of Victualers in the present F leet belonging to the

C ontractors and desiring to know whether the K ings
Ships are to be Victualed o ut o f the Ships loaded by
the Board or o ut of the C ontractors Stores at the di fferent
Islands that you m ay send the necessary directions to
,
E ngland as well as know how to regulate your E ngage

,
m ents in this C ountry .
In answer to which I have to inform yo u that I know

o f no O rders being given for Provisions to be Issued out
o f the Victualing Board Transports in preference to those
of the C ontractors and that has [ sic ] I have had no C o m

,
plaint o f the C ontractors failing in the Terms of their

C ontract shall not give any but on the C ontrary I shall
, ,
immediately O rder His Maj esty s Ships under my C o m

’
m and to be compleated with Rum and every other spe ,
cies o f Provisions they m ay be in want of from the C on

tractors S tores that you may K now h ow to take your
,
m easures accordingly : I am &c a .
G : B : RO D N E Y
Thos : Shirley E sq ”
A gent Victualer
F ro m Th o mas Shirle y, C o n trac tor fo r Vic tua ling the

B ri tis h F lee t
Barbadoes ,
16 th January 178 1
Sir,
Having been h o nor d with your C o mm ands to state

’
to you any C ircu ms tance which may obstruct the

Vic tual o f His Maj esty s Ships at this Island : I beg
g ’
leave to instance o ne respecting the A rticle o f Rum .
By several L aws o f Barbadoes all Rum imported from

the other British Islands must be exported within a
,
lim ited Time to some other Island under His Maj esty s ’
O bedience and Bond given by the I m porter to the Treas

,
ure r here to produce a C ertificate that such Rum has been

so landed O n receiving these L aws I found to m y great
.
,
surprize that Government contrary to its establi shed

L E TTE R B O O K -
practise with other C olonies had su ffered them to b e ,
come of force without a reservation e xc ep tin g for H is ,
M aje s ty s Se rvic e : F rom the uncertainty o f the Sq ua

’
’
dron s movements I have been obliged to lay in Stocks ,
o f Rum at the di ff erent Islands to be transported fro m ,
O ne to the other as the exigencies o f service m ight re

qu ir e Th e quantity o f Rum in my possession on the l st
.
Instant was O ne Hundred and N inety Thousand Gal

,
lons which would su ffi ce for the C onsumption o f Seven

,
teen Thousand Men one Hundred and Seventy seven ,
Days and I lost in the Hurricane Te n Thousand O ne

,
Hundred Gallons equal to N ine Days serving fo r the

,
same number of Men but then this stock as I have al ,
ready m e n tio n d lays at the different Islands

’
,
.
E xpecting that the L aw would not be enforced against

m e I imported some time since O ne Hun dred and Sev
,
e nty Puncheons o f R um from Tobago and A ntigua but ,

’
not having then the A dvantage of your E xcellency s
Protection I was O bliged to enter into Bond to export
,
it : F rom the E xtent o f the Demands now made for Spir

its I find I shall be unable to execute the m unless I
, ,
am permitted to issue part of the Imported Rum U nder .
these C ircumstances I entreat the favor o f Your E xcel

le nc y s Interposition to procure m e L iberty to use the
’
Tobago and A ntigua Rum as well as to import from ,
the British Islands such Quantities as the service may

require : I further beg leave to suggest to your E xcel
le nc y that unless the Treasurer of Barbadoes be pre
vailed upon the deliver up my Bond ; I shall be obli
gated to pay the enormous Duty o f O ne Shilling and
Sixpence Per Gallon a Charge that must eventually fall ,
upon Government .
O n my A rrival in the West Indies the same O bstacle ,
existed at A ntigua but the L aw o f that Island respect

, ,
ing imported Rum has been dispenced with in all in ,

’
stances that related to His Maj esty s Service .
I am with profound Respect Sir &c a .
TH os : S H IRL E Y
”
A dm Sir G : B : Rodney Bart &c a
. . .
F ro m C ap tain W a lte r S te rling
Gibralter C arlisle Bay Barbadoes

, , ,
Jan y 16 th 178 1
Sir
Th e Surgeon of
His Maj esty s Ship Gibralter under ’
my C omm and having represented to me by L etter of

,
this date that the N ecessaries for the Sick and Hurt
,
Sea m en are all exp ended you will be pleased to order

, ,
a supply for 6 Months for 650 Men ; he informs m e

the time is not expired for which the last supply was
meant to serve but owing to the N umber Sick on board
,
before and since we left E ngland the necessaries are all

expended I am &c a
. .
WALTE R S TE RL I N G
”
A dm Sir : G : B : Rodney Bart :
To C o m m o dore Wi lliam H o tham
Sandwich ,
1 6th January 178 1
Sir
As I find it will be necessary to O rder His Maj esty s ’
Ship A lcmene to E ngland with Sir Chaloner O gle and ,
my Dispatches I am to desire that yo u will please to

,
give directions for her being C aulked and E q [ u ] ipped

with all possible E xp edition in order to proceed on this
Service ; sending home in her as m any Invalids as she
can conveniently carry You may exp ect in a fe w Days
.
Sir C haloner O gle with the C onvoy from E ngland for

A ntigua S t : K itts N evis and Montserrat
, ,
.
Th e General having informed m e an A rmy Transport

called the Pensilvania Pacquet had arrived at St : K itts
with Rum and other Things they are m uch in want of ,
you will please to give directions to C aptain Douglas

as speedily as possible to take her under C onvoy and
,
-
C o rre sp ond e nc e o f Re ar A dm ira l F ranc is S D rak e .
Russel, Gros Islet Bay, St : L ucia

17th Janu ary , 178 1
Sir
Since I did myself the Honor o f writing yo u by C ap
tain Savage the 12th Instant I have received a L etter ,
from Brigadier General S t : L eger a C opy o f which I ,
now enclose together with m y A nswer and should have

, ,
thought it proper to transm it it to yo u earlier but had ,
no C onveyance until the C onvert or C yclops was ready

, , .
I thought it necessary you should be acquainted with

General St : L eger s L etter and it also o c c ur d to me
’
,
’
that the C yclops and C onvert were the Repeaters with

, ,
the C olours on board which might probably be required

,
by you ; I have therefore dispatched them both to you .
Th e A j ax returned here last Sunday and C aptain ,
Symons informs me that o n the 7th Instant the In

, ,
trepid sprung her Main Topmast so bad she could not ,
carry sail and having no other on board and being then

,
in Sight of A ntigua he directed her to go to E nglish

,
Harbour .
Th e Montagu came up to this Bay o n Monday last , .
I have directed Mr : Paterson to hire people to rip up ,

’
as much of the C ornwallis s Decks as will serve the pur ,
pose o f Platform s for the Batteries o n Pidgeon Island ,
with strict e n junc tio ns to suffer none to be taken away

, ,
by any Person whatsoever and I have desired C aptain ,
Wilkinson will superintend .
N o account has yet reached me from Mr Paterson .

,
respecting the purchase of the C hurch he writes me , ,
he h as agreed for a F rame 62 F eet long and 29 F eet ,
wide also a C onsiderable Quantity o f Boards Shingles

, ,
& c a at So uffrie as there is no C raft to bring it up but

.
, ,
what must be hired ; he is directed so to do .
A Dispatch Boat is j ust arrived from A ntigua I

, .
opened the L etters from C omm odore Hotham and L a

for c y on service not knowing but they migh t contain
, ,
LE TTE R B O O K-
Intelligence of the E nemy which might be useful for me

,
to know .
Inclosed are the Defects of the Montagu and E tna

Bomb .
F : S : D RAK E
To A dmiral Sir : G : B : Rodney : Bart .
( Inclosed in the foregoing )

Morne F ortunée
14 th January 1 78 1
Sir :
Having had the honor to receive a L etter from A dmiral
Sir George Rodney in consequence o f an application I
,
made to him for assistance to force the Windward Quar

ters o f this Island to send in N egroes in case they were ,
disobedient also to know if the former plan was to be

,
put in execution for the de fence of this Island ; He says

“
I must beg leave to refer you to C omm odore Drake who
will remain in this Bay ( dated Gros Islet ) for any Thing
relative to the Public Service who has O rders for that
.
,
”
Purpose In regard to A ssistance I am in hopes it may
.
,
be unnecessary but shall trouble you if a Small A rmed

, ,
Vessel is wanted .
A ll the Ships of War being ordered to Gros : Islet the ,
plan o f Defence upon the F leets going away in A utumn

, ,
drops to the Ground in a great measure ( for the par

tic ul ars of which I refer you to C aptain Houlton o f the
M ontagu ) and the C arenage with all the Provisions o f
th e A rmy and the Stores are totally unprotected in my ,
poor O pinion the possession of this Hill and C arenage ,
circumstanced as it is is of the greatest Importance to

,
the F leet : This Hill taken with it falls the Island .
I am sure our people will do their Duty but with the ,
4 6th now at Gros Islet I have only 93 0 Men fit for Duty

, .
If Sir it is not in your Power to Mann the Batteries the ,
only resource I can think of is to get what Men I can

o ut o f the M erchant Ships : to regulate that business
upon an alarm ; I submit it to you ; if it will not be proper

to have an O fficer of the N avy in the C arenage to assist
m e who may get the de strib utio n of the Quarters from
,
C aptain Houlton as settled between C ommodore Hotham

,
and m e and have the direction o f the landing o f the

,
Men when necessary

, .
I have w rote to C aptain May C omm anding the 46th

Regiment to wait upon you to fix upon a Signal in case
, ,
o f an A larm that he may im m ediately com e to the

,
C arenage in the Transports o r March by L and as you ,
shall Judge m ost proper for without that reinforce m ent

,
I should be very weak indeed .
A ST : LE GE R .
”
To Rear A dm Drak e &c a .
P S : I should observe Mr : Dru mm ond the Agent fo r

Transports is very Ill and C ap tain Wilkinson the late
A gent knows all the Batteries and the distribution of
the Quarters .
[ E nclosed in Rear A dmiral Drake s letter : ]

’
Russel Gros Islet Bay, St : L ucia

15th Jan y 178 1
Sir
I was h o nor d with your L etter this Morning o f Yes
’
te rdays date I wish I had it so me days sooner as two

.
,
opportunities have been lost of m y acquainting A dmi ral

Sir George Bridges Rodney Bart : C omm ander in C hief ,
with its C ontents when I m ight have received his full

,
and explicit Instructions for m y guide at present I have ,
no Vessel fit to send to h im saving two that I keep , ,
purposely to give him Intelli gence by diff erent Routs ,
should the E nemy appear in Sight .
I thought every Plan and m ode of Defence of this

Island had been settled and Determ ined on between yo u
and Sir George Rodney before his Departure from hence
, ,
as nothing o f that k ind was left with me .

wanted I suppose C aptain May has your directions

.
,
re
specting them .
To Brigadier General St : L eger &c a .
[ E nclosed in Rear A dmiral Drake s letter : ]

’
Russel , 17th January 1 78 1

S ir
It having been represented to me that L ieutenant ,
Drumm ond the A gent for Transports is very Ill and that
, ,
yo u are perfectly acquainted with all the Batteries and

Quarters in and about the C arenage .
I must desire yo u will undertake to collect the Seamen

from the Transports Victualers and Merchant Ships
, , ,
and regulate them for the purpose o f defending them ,
when an A larm is made on the approach O f an E nemy .
’
I have no doubt but the Z eal for their C ountry s good
, ,
will animate them and give them as much C redit to their

C ountry as was due to those belonging to the Transports
,
&c a : in A merica on the like O ccasion .
I have not time by this C onveyance to send you an

O rder in form but yo u shall soon receive o ne
,
.
You will please to wait o n His E xcellency Brigadier

General St : L eger and let him know you have received
,
these directions .
I wish you would send to Mr Paterson the C ontractor .

,
to hasten up the Schooner loaded with L ime as she is ,
not yet arrived and the W ork [ s ] are at a stand for want
,
o f it.
I am sorry that the Hospitals that are already erected

on Pidgeon Island will not admit of room to receive any
,
o f the St Vincents people there are a great m any Men

.
,
belonging to the Ships in this Bay that cannot be re

c e iv e d o n shore o n that account I am Sir &c a . .
F : S : D RAKE
To C aptain Wilkinson
L E TTE R B O O K -
F ro m Wi lliam A ugus tus M i le s , A ge n t Vic tua le r at
S t L u c ia
.
17th January 1 78 1
Sir
In O bedience to your C ommands I went o n board the
d ifferent Vessels charged with Provisions for the use of ,
His M aj esty s Ships and beg leave to inform you that

’
,
the A chilles David H anh ause C ommander appears to

, ,
m e to be the Ship best calculated to transact the Duty

to which you have been pleased to appoint me .
W : A : M ILE S
To A dmiral Sir G B : Rodney Bart &c a. . . .
F ro m C ap tain Jo hn Laf ore y, C o m m issio ne r o f the N avy

a t th e L e e w a rd I s la n ds
A ntigua 2 1st January 1 78 1

Sir
I had the honor o f writing to you on the instant by ,
a Pilot Boat which carried some building U tensils to St :
L ucia the receipt of which Rear A dmiral D rake has

,
acknowledged .
I have now to reply to your F avor o f the 4th 6 th , ,

”
a nd 7th inst which have since come to my hands by
the Ré nard .
I have made enquiry for the small Vessels you desire

to have procured to be commanded by L ieutenants at this
place but there are none at present here I shall write
,
.
to St : K itts and Barbadoes and likewise employ a Gen

tle m an I correspond with at St : E ustatia for that pur
pose to which places I must also have recourse for proper
,
Vessels to water the F leet at St : L ucia no such at present

being to be got here .
I conclude Mr M unto n will be by this time at St :

.
L ucia who has already m y directions fo r m aking th e

,
arrangement you wish to have done in your L etter of the

”
6th Inst I hop e he will b e able to fix every Thing soon
.
when I entreat the favor o f you Sir to send him to us ,
here as our Business is m uch retarded by his A bsence

and will be more so when the O perations of service
,
begin .
Th e A ntigua still rem ains u p on the E stablishm ent you

first required her to be put as a Man of W ar Sloop her , ,
C o m plement which was fixed at 40 Men and was full as ,
m any as she c o uld stow will I hu m bly conceive b e better

,
encreased at your pleasure by an O rder t o her C om

mander to bear so many Man in additi o n to it w hich ,
may be taken o ff again if found inconvenient : the Star

Brig is at present in that situation .
Yo u will doubtless be inform ed by C o mm odore Hot

h am o f the recapture of His Maj esty s Sloop Rover ; I
’
have caused proposals to be m ade to the O wners of the

Privateer which retoo k her to let her be brought up to ,
this Port fro m S t : Kitts in or d er to ascertain what is the

,
property o f His Maj esty on board her and where she ,
m ay be appraised and received again into His Service ,
if we can acco m plish this C omm odore Hotham will c on ,
triv e to have her C onvoyed up .
I have the honor to be with great respect Regard

Sir &c a .
JO H N LAF O RE Y
To A dmiral : Sir G B : Rodney Bart. . . &c a .
To Re ar A dm ira l F ran c is S D rak e .
Sandwich ,
22nd January 178 1
Sir
I have the honor o f receiving your L etter by the
C yclops and am very glad that Things have g o ne o n wi th
,
that briskness which I am sure will be always the C ase

,
when you C o mm and .

-
no tyou will have more L ine of Battle Ships in 48 hours

to enable you more e ffectually to Blockade F ort Royal .
Sir S amuel Hood with a large S quadron is no w C ruiz

ing to Windward o f Martinique .
I am with great regard Sir &c a .
G : B : RO D N E Y
P S : There is a Quantity o f Medicines and Hospital

Stores on board the Belliqueux which yo u will please
,
to direct to be removed into the Su ffolk in order to their ,
going to Jamaica .
To C om m o dore William H o tham

, ,
22nd Jan 1
1 78 1
Sir
I had the honor of receiving your L etter dated the 1 1th
January and am sorry for the A ccident which happen d
’
to the Intrepid and Vengeance but hope they will b e

,
soon refitted for Sea .
I must desire you will give directions for the A lcmen e

to be prepared with all the Dispatch possible to carry
m y Dispatches to Great Britain in which Ship Sir C h a
,
longer O gle is to return to E ngland .
I must likewise desire that you will order all the Ma

rines belonging to the A lcmene to be discharged into th e
Ships now fitting at E nglish Harbour taking care that ,
they are only those in Health and likewise to discharge

,
from the said Ship all the Seamen above 150 in which ,
number of 150 are to be included O fficers and Servants ,
and in their lieu put Invalids from the Hospital giving

C aptain Brine an O rder to land the Said Invalids at the
first K ings Port he arrives at agreeable to C ustom .
You will likewise give directions that the said ship ,
A lcmene be supplied with Stores j ust sufficient to carry

her to Great Britain and only three Months Provisions .
I m ust desire you will hasten the Boreas when Sh e has .

L E TTE R B O O K
-
landed the Money to j oin C aptain Thompson o f the

Hyaena at St : K itts whom I have give n O rders to cruize
,
for the Protection o f the L eeward Islands and the A n

noyance o f the Public E nemy Yo u will also hasten the
.
P ac h ah unta Renard and Berb uda on the same Service

, ,
giving their C aptains O rders to put themselves under

C aptain Thompson s C ommand I shall have the honor
’
.
o f writing to you in a few days I am &c a . .
G : B : RO D N E Y
P S When the Vigile nt is ready yo u will please to
.
,
give O rders for her C aptain to take the F ireships under

his C onvoy and proceed to Windward o f the Islands to
Gros Islet Bay St : L ucia he will probably find Sir
, ,
Samuel Hood c ruiz ing with a large Squadron to Wind

ward .
To C ommodore Hotham &c a .
F ro m C o m m o d ore William H o tham
Vengeance , E nglish Harbour A ntigua ,

22nd January 1 78 1
Sir
By the Renard which arrived here the 14th I was
favoured with your Le tters o f the 4 th and 7th inst : Th e
Sylph also brought me o n Saturday last yours o f the 16th
from Barbadoes .
Th e Venus with the Renard sailed the 18th for the

Station yo u allotted her and I mean to continue her and
,
the Sloops there until I receive your further O rders : A S

th e Pensylvania Pacquet with Rum for the A rmy which
yo u had d irected her to C onvoy is I understand arrived ,
at St : Johns with the A lcmene that is now o ff this Har

bour in which case that Vessel will proceed with the
,
Vigile n t who sails on Wednesday with the two F ireships :

Should I be misinformed with respect to the arrival of
-
the Pensylvania Pacquet the Venus shall be directed to

,
C onvoy her agreeable to your former Instructions .
I have the pleasure to acquaint yo u that the Rover is

retaken by the Regulator Privateer belonging to this
Island and carried into St : K itts C o mm odore L aforey .
has sent the necessary directions for claim ing her upon
her C ondem nation when I shall take m easures for h av
,
ing her brought up here to be appraised .
G eneral Burt has informed Mr L aforey that the C om .
mi ssioners o f the Sick and Hurt have put the d irection

o f the Prisoners in these Islands into his hands o f which ,
I think proper to acquaint you .
Your O rders are delivered to C aptain Bett o f the San d

wich I conclude C ommodore L aforey in for m ed you of
.
that Ship being a large N orth C ountry C at calculated ,
as floating Battery with heavy Metal drawing little

, ,
Water and intended to c o operate w ith L ord C ornwallis

,
-
.
W H O THAM
M
P S : Th e Vengeance will heave o ut the first side to

m orrow .
TO A dmiral Sir G : B : Rodney Bart &c a

. . .
To Jo hn L afo re y , C o m m is sion e r of th e N a vy at the

L e e w ard I s lands

,
22nd January 1 78 1
Sir ,
I had the honor o f your L etter o f the 11th Inst an d .
’
am sorry for the accident that has happen d t o the Ve n
ge anc e but have not a doubt but she will soon be repaire d
,
by putting the Masts you propose into her .
A s I intend to send the A lcmene to Great Britain with

m y Dispatches and in which Sir C haloner O gle will re
turn to E ngland I m ust desire you will hasten her re
,
-
OF AD M I RA L L O RD RO D N E Y
To Vic e A d mira l Sir P e te r P arke r

, , ,
23 rd Jan y 178 1
Sir
Inclosed I send you the C opy o f a L etter I received
”
fro m the A dm iralty together with Rear A dm R owley s ’
C o mm ission which yo u wi ll please to cause to be de

,
livered to him and your Secretary to account for the F ees

,
in the m anner mine is therein directed to do :

I am w ith great R egard &c a .
G : B : RO D N E Y
To Sir Peter Park er ,
Jamaica
To Vi c e A d m ira l Sir P e te r P arke r

, , ,
23 rd Jan ”
178 1
Sir
I have sent the S uffolk which has been lately hove
down at E ngli sh Harbour o n with the C onvoy fo r Ja
maica and as their L ordships are very pressing in their
,
’
O rders to me to have the Single Bo tto m d Ships home
, ,
have directed her after her present Service to proceed

there as fast as possible ; I flatter myself yo u will be
pleased to forward her Departure .
I must further desire you will be pleased to hasten the

Re fi tm e nt o f the E gmont and any other Ships o f my
,
Squadro n that may have reached yo u and detach them

to m e as I assure you they are much wanted o n this
Station .
I am with Great Regard &c a .
G : B : RO D NE Y
To Sir Peter Parker
J amaica
L E TTE R B O O K
To Rear A dm ira l F ranc is S Drake .

, , ,
23 rd Jan y 178 1
Sir
Inclosed I transmit you O rders fo r the Ships appro
p riate d to take C harge o f the C onvoy for Jamaica which
you will please to hasten as much as the N ature o f the
Service will admit o f Several o f the Trade have been
.
endeavouring to decoy o ur Men here tis probable they ,
will be playing the same Game with you should you de ,
te c t them therein pray punish them severely

, .
Y o u will please to order the N aval Storekeeper for

Jamaica no w in the Belliqueux to have a passage there
in the Su ffolk .
I am with Great Regard &c a .
G : B : RO D N E Y
P S : Th e C yclops will want a F oremast you will please ,
to order one o f the Sticks from the Thames to be pre

pared for that purpose .
To Rear A dmiral Drake &c a .
To h
t e M a q
r u is d e B o ui lle Go ve rn o
,
r-
Ge n e ra l o f th e
F re nc h Windw ard Is lands
Sandwich Barbadoes
,
25th Jan y 178 1
Sir
A long with C aptain Savage and the remaining O fficers
and Men of his Maj esty s Sloop the Rover I have had
’
,
’
the Honor of receiving your E xcellency s L etter of the
1 l th Inst .
In the present C artel I have sent 200 F rench Prisoners

being all the Vessel could contain giving the preference ,
to those formerly belonging to the A lcmene F rigate and ,
must desire you will please to O rder the E nglish Prisoners

-
’
still in S t : Pierre to be de liv e r d into the C harge o f my
L ieutenant Mr B o w ate r who will have the Honor o f
.
presenting you with this to be brought back in the same

C artel to St L ucia : Th e remainder o f the F rench
.
Prisoners now at Barbadoes shall soon be returned either

to Martinique or Guadaloupe .
I perfectly agree with Your E xcellency that the Ratifi

cation o f the E xchange o f O fficers who are gone Home
o n either side o n their Parole is essentially necessary and ,
herewith permit the Instrument as stated by you signed ,
by m e o n o ne Part and accompanying it with a Duplicate

,
which yo u will please to sign ( and send back by the

O fli c e r) o n the other .
But in regard to the acc o unt current o f Prisoners ,
already reciprocally E xchanged between the two N ations

since the C ommencement o f Hostilities in this part o f ,
the World as I have not the particulars of those already

,
E xchanged from the diff erent E nglish Islands and those ,
I have received do not agree in point of N umbers with

the account specified by your E xcellency I m ust beg ,
’
leave to defer subscribing that till I have regular re
,
turns from all the Islands or to propose what I thin k will

,
be m ore Methodical that the same be adj usted and

,
Signed by the respective C o mm issaries o r A gents f o r
Prisoners o n both sides .
’
I have the honor to be your E xcellency s &c a .
G : B : RO D N E Y
His E xcellency Th e Marquis de Bouille &c a .
-
E nglish O ffi
fficers
r F rench O fli c e rs
( continued
ued ) ( continued )
Robert A lex Montgo m ery

”
”
L ieut o f the 54th Reegi
g
ment
John Barn wel11l
E nsign of the L an d
F orces
Thos : Baynes
M ids o f thee C
”
n
C eeres
Geo K insey
”
M ids O f the C eres

n
Montagu C h olml e y
M ids D ” n
Ralph S m ith
Mids C eres
”
”
Sam Goold
M ids C eres
n
Re atsh o w
C lerk C eres
,
Jn F ac h lie
”
Purser C eres ,
Dav C arnil Young

d
Purser o f the W e azle

LE TTE R B O O K
-
E nglish Ofli c e rs F rench O fficers

ued )
( continued ( continued )
Rich C udlipp
1
”
Mid C eres.
c k e nb ury ]
Banbu ry [ Brackenbury
”
C apt n 54th R gm
'
B eegi
Jas : Robinson
Purser , F ortune
une
Jas : L oftus
”
A ct L ieut F o
g
ortune
r
Jas :
Boyle
Mid : F ortune
F itzgerald
Mid F ortune
.
”
Jn Gumb
”
Hughes
‘
Mid
James E loy
Mid .
Wm : C hambers
Mid .
Dav Wylli e
d
Mast Rover
”
E nglish O fli
fficers F rench O fficers
nue d )
( continued ( cont inued )
N icholas Beaker
er
Mid .
O liver D o ulin [ Dowling ]

”
Lie ute n o f 22nd Regi
ment
Thos Will
.
1
Mid o f the C eres

11
We the C o mm anders in C hief o f all His Maj esty s ’
E nglish Ships and Vessels employed and to be employed

at Barbadoes the L eeward Islands and o n the Seas A d
,
j acent and We the C o mm ander in C hief o f the F rench

,
Windward Islands do C ertify to have returned the Parole

,
g i ven by the O fi c e rs above named Whom we have ex ,
changed and who are hereby reciprocally permitted t o

,
Serve
Barbadoes 25th January 178 1
°
G : B : RO D N E Y
LE MARQ U I S DE B O U I L L IE
To th e A ge n t fo r P rison e rs o f War at B arb ad os

, , ,
25th Jan y 178 1

Si r
a
I desire you will give O rders that O ne Hund F rench
’
Prisoners are sent o n board His Maj esty s Shi p the
C yclops by day break tomorrow taking care that you ,
send none but those that are health [ y ] I am &c a . .
G : B : RO D N E Y
To A lex Scott, A gent for Prisoners
”
1
A dde d f o m t h e l ist in v o l
r . 9 of t h e R o dn e y M SS . in t h e Publ i c
R e c o rd O ffi c e L o nd o n
, .
-
S t : K itts and receive on board the Ship he C o m mands

such C annon and O rdnance Stores that General C ristie ,
may send o n board when he has so done he is to m ake

,
the best o f his way to Gros Islet Bay St : L ucia where , ,
he will receive further O rders .
I hope as the Storeships are arrived at A ntigua that ,
the A m a z on will soon be refitted and the F ore Mast o f

’
the C yclops either made serviceable or a new one tis
, .
necessary that Ship j oins m e as soon as the nature o f the

service will adm it as she is m y repeater
,
.
I am Sir with great Regard &c a .
G : B : RO D N E Y
To C om m o d : Hotham &c a .
F ro m C o m m and e r M ilh am P o nson b y
F ly, C utter Tobago

,
25th Jan 178 11
Sir
I beg leave to acquaint yo u th at I arrived at this Island
with the Ships under m y C onvoy o n Sunday last and ,
saw them all safe into their destined Ports Y o u m ay

,
.
depend upon it Sir George I shall do every thing in m y

,
power with the A dvice o f the Governor for the p rote o

, ,
tion o f this Islan d .
A s I have been un d er the disagreeable necessity o f

discharging the Surgeon for Mutiny and attempting to
persuade the People that they were not Subj ect to N aval
Discipline A nd as we have several Sick on board I must
,
beg leave Sir George yo u will be pleased to appoint a

Surgeon to the C utter who will be furnished with Medi
,
cines by the O wners I am &c a . .
M : P O N SO N B Y
To A dm iral Sir : G : B : Rodney Bart :
L E TTE R B O O K
-
To R ear A dm ira l F ranc is S Drake .

, ,
27th January 1 78 1
I had the honor o f receiving your Letter o f the 22md

Inst giving an A ccount of the In tre pids arrival and the
.
,
dangerous state of her F oremast .
If you cannot by taking o ff the C heek and putting

, ,
on a N e w O n e make the Mast serviceable you will find

, ,
the Main Mast for a 64 Gun Ship at the C arenage that ,
is faulty about 18 feet from the head and by reducin g ,
it to the length o f the Intre pids F oremast ( which will

take away 12 F eet from the head ) I apprehend it may
then make a Mast for by taking of the Hoops and re
,
d uc in g it in length the Defect will then be above the

,
L ower Rigging I am &c a

. .
G : B : RO D N E Y
To Rear A d mi ral Drake &c a .
To M ajo r Ge ne ra l Jam es Cunnin gham Go ve rn or of ,
B arb ados

, , ,
28th Jan 17
1 78 1
Sir
E nclosed I have the honor to send your E xcellency the
L etter found in the Dutch Boston Man that arrived this
Morning whose Vessel I have seized as it is an A merican
, ,
the Master being a Boston Man and o f C ourse a Traitor ,
the Vessel shall be delivered into the C harge o f the C us

toms to be disposed of as you may think fit .
G : B : RO D N E Y
To Go v e rno ur C unningham &c a .
-
To C o m m odore Sir C ha lone r O gle
Sand w ich Bar b adoes

,
28th Jan ”
178 1
Sir
Whereas I expect every Hour the arrival o f one of His
Maj esty s Frigates fro m E ngland with C olonel F erguson
’
adj utant General of the A rmy o n board : I m ust desire

yo u will p leas e to O rder her to p roceed w ith him t o Gros
Islet Bay St : L ucia without a Moments loss o f time ,
where he will either find m e or O rders for his further p ro

c e e dings : I am &c a .
G : B : RO D N E Y
To C o mm odore Sir : C h al O gle &c a
”
.
F ro m th e N a vy B oard
N avy O ffi ce 29 th January 1 78 1
Sir,
We have received your Le tter of the 12 th Decemb er
last and acquaint you that the G e o rge the Third and
,
Grand Du k e storeships are now loaded at W olw ic h and

, ,
w ill sail with the next C onvoy h aving 1600 or 1700 To ns

,
of Stores in for the Ships under your C o mm and am ongst ,
which is a large parcel o f m ade M asts and the U nion of ,
ab out 300 Tons will also sail with the C onvoy with Stores
that w ere intended to b e l o dged at B arbadoes for the
sam e use W e are &c a
. .
J : W I L L IA M S
GE O : MARS H
W M : PAL M E R
P S : More S tores are providing which will be sent by
the C onvoy that follows this .
”
To A dm Sir : G : B : Rodney Bart .
-
To C ap tain Jo hn L afore y C om m is sione r of the N a vy

, at
the L e e ward Is lan ds

, ,
3 0th Jan y 1 78 1
Sir
I am this m om en t favo ur d with yo urs o f the 2 l st ’
Inst : and am happy to find His Maj esty s Sloop R over

,
’
is retaken and that she was c omm anded by th at O fficer

,
who behaved so extremely Ill to C aptain Savage by de ,
manding his Purse o ut o f his Poc k et it is necessary such ,
behaviour should be known .
It is strange that the C o mm i ssioners o f the Sick and

Hurt should write to me so di fferently to Mr : Burt to ,
m e tis totally indi fferent more especially no w as the

’
,
C artel with F rance does no t extend to the West Indies ,
and no exchange shall be made in these Seas without

m y approbation Th e E xchange I lately m ade was Man
.
fo r Man and no m ore Th e F rench Ships are in the

.
greatest want o f Men therefore it will be necessary to

,
detain all French Prisoners except those which I sent

from Barbadoes to be exchanged in lieu o f an equal num
ber that was promised to be sent from Guadaloupe which
yo u will please to acquaint Mr Burt with as likewise .
,
with the great distress the E ne m y are in want for Men .
I shall be in your N eighbourhood in a few days where ,
you will hear more fully fro m m e .
I am with great regard &c a .
G : B : RO D N E Y
To C om m L aforey &c a
”
.
To C o mm o dore William H o tham
Sandwich Gros Islet Bay S t : L ucia

, ,
3 0th January 1781

Sir
I am this mo m ent favoured with yours of the 22nd
inst : by the Sylph Sloop I am very glad the Venus and
.
L E TTE R B O O K
-
Renard have sailed for their Station , should they be re
turned I must desire you will give directions ( as like to

,
all other Ships ) to hold themselves in momentary re ad i

ness to j oin me as yo u may expect in a few hours to
,
receive very particular O rders from m e .
General Burt having in formed Mr L aforey that the .
C ommissioners for the Sick and Hurt have put the dire c
tion o f the Prisoners in his hands is new to me they hav ,
ing taken no notice o f it to me however it is quite indii ,
fe re nt to me as no E xchange shall take place in these Seas

without my A pprobation or a F rench Squadron be put
,
again in a C ondition to Sail as was the C ase with the

French Squadron under Mons L e Mothe Picquet ”
.
G: B ” RO D N E Y
To B rigadie r Ge n e ra l A n th o n y St L e ger .
Sandwich Gros Islet Bay S t : L ucia

,
3 0th Jan 1
178 1
Dear Sir ,
I have been fav or d with your L etter late last N ight

’
.
General Vaughan is with me we are going instantly upon

,
an E xpedition o f some C onsequence Rear A dmiral Drake .
with his Squadron who will be left here will have O rders
not only to annoy the E nemy but to give you every as ,
sis tanc e in his power towards the defence of the Island ,
and to land the Troops when you desire it He will like .
wise have directions to take or destroy the Privateers you

mention and will give you notice when he sends any
,
Man of War to Barbadoes I hope I shall have the pleas

.
ure of finding you in perfect health o n my return to St :

L ucia and beg that you will be assured I am with real
,
truth and sincerity &c a .
G : B : RO D N E Y
To Brigadier Gen St : L eger &c a
”
.
-
To M ajo r Ge ne ra l Jam e s C unningham Go ve rn or o f ,
B arb ados

, ,
3 0th January 178 1

Sir
I embrace the earliest opportunity of informing your
E xcellency that we arrived yesterday Morning in this
Bay and that as the General and m yself purpose Sailin g
,
this afternoon on the intended E xp edition I think there ,
is no necessity for the same being any longer kept a

Secret and that the E mbargo may be taken O ff unless
, ,
your E xcellency has any other reasons fo r its C ontinu

a nce .
A nd having received Instructions from their Lordships

in consequence of a Petition from the C ommitte [ e ] o f
West India Merchants to send the first C onvoy to E u
rope the latter E n d o f A pril I think it necessary to ac
,
quaint your E xcellency therewith that yo u may at such

, ,
time as you shall think requisite communicate the same ,
to whom it m ay concern within your Government .
G : B : RO D N E Y
To His E xcellency General C unningham &c a .
To Wi lliam M a tth e w B urt Go ve rn o r ,

o f th e L e e w ard
I s lan ds
Sandwich ,
3 l st January 1781
Sir,
Inclosed I have the honor to send by His Maj esty s ’
Ship Terrible Dispatches which I received by E xpress

,
from His Maj esty s Secretary o f State I am now o n m y

’
.
w ay with His Maj esty s F leet under m y C ommand to

’
a ttack the Dutch Islands o f E ustatius and St : Martins .
I am sure I have no occasion to poin t o ut to your E x

Th e S tar and Be rb uda arrived Sund afternoon on

”
.
they have brought C aptain Hawk in s ( who I am sorry ,

’
to say is dangerously ill ) and 65 o f the D eal C astle s
Crew from St Thomas s such part of them as are in
.
’
health and fit for Service I shall embark o n board the

,
A lcmene in the place of those you directed to be taken

fro m her .
By the C yclops which came in the sam e day I am ,

’
fav o ur d with your L etter of the 25th and every possible
dispatch shall be used in fitting her Th e Vengeance has .
been hove down and her L eaks stopped .
Th e Intrepid also arrived the 29 th by order o f Rear

A dmiral Drak e her F oremast having been found de
,
fe c tiv e ; When she is ready for Sea I shall direct C aptain ,
Molloy the Vigilant being sailed before the receipt o f

,
your L etter to proceed in her room for St K itts for

,
.
,
the O rdnance Stores therein m e ntio n d part o f w hich ’

,
w ere brought from thence in the A lcm ene and are sent ,
in her to Barbadoes General C hristie j udging that to be

,
the place they were intended for .
Th e P ac h aun ta returned fro m her C ruize yesterday ,
having sprung a fresh L eak .
I am concerned to acquaint you that Gov e rno ur Burt ,
died of a Violent F ever on F riday last [ January 26 ] after

a few days illness .
WM : H O THAM
”
To Adm Sir : G : B : Rodney Bart : &c a .
To C o mm o dore Wi lliam H o tham
Sandwich 3 l st Jan y
,
1 78 1
Sir
I must desire you will please to order every Ship that
is ready particu larly the A rm d Ship Sandwich and the
,
’
A lcmene ( should they n o t be sailed ) im m ediately t o j oin

L E TTE R B O O K- OF A D M I RAL L O RD RO D N E Y 185
the Squadron under Sir Samuel Hood C ruiz ing between

Montserrat and N evis but in case o f not m eeting him
,
or me there to proceed to Basse Terre Road St : C hris

, ,
to ph e rs or at St : E ustatius
,
.
Yo u will please as much as possible to prevent all

Vessels and Boats whatsoever from standing to L eeward .
G : B : RO D N E Y
To R ear Ad m ira l Sir Sam u e l H o o d
Sandwich , 3 l st Jan 17
178 1
Sir ,
As it is of the greatest consequence that all Inter

courses should be imm ediately stopped with the Island
o f St : E ustatius at which place a Squadron of 5 Sail of
,
Dutch Ships is hourly expected I should be glad that ,
yo u will proceed with the fiv e Ships o f your Squadron

named in the Margin and station them between Mont
1
,
serrat and N evis in such a m anner as may appe ar to you

,
most conducive to the Public Service stopping and de ,
taining every Vessel O f what N ation soever that may at ,
tempt to pass towards E ustatia and agreeable to the e n ,
closed O rder make Prizes o i all Dutch Ships whatever ,
taking care to detain them with you till I j oin you with
the rest o f the Squadron which yo u may be assured will
,
be as soon as possible I have ordered the Terrible to

.
A ntigua with Dispatches to Gov e rno ur Burt and C o m ,
m o dore Hotham with directions in stantly to send down

,
every Ship that may be ready with as many Pilots ao

q uainte d with Statia as they can possible procure C ap .
tain F erguson has orders to acquaint Mr Hotham with .
your Station Wh en I would wish yo u to proceed with

.
[ Marginal note : ]
1
Barfl e ur, A lfred , A lcide , Invincib le ,
Monarch Sybil ,
.
-
your S quadron I will hoist a Re d F lag pierced with

,
White at the Mizen Peek C aptain Harvey of the Pan

.
ther has orders to cruize to L eeward o f Montserrat you ,
will please to take him under your C ommand and if you ,
think it necessary send a F rigate to Montserrat to desire

the President will order an E mbargo to be laid at that
’
Island for four days His Maj esty s Service requiring it
,
.
I have no occasion to say m ore o n this Subj ect as I am

confident yo u will do every thing in your Power towar d s
procuring proper Intelligence .
I am with great regard &c a .
G : B : RO D N E Y
” ” ”
To Rear A dm Sir Sam Hood B &c a .
F ro m Re ar A dm iral F ranc is S Drake .
Russel , 3 1st January 1781

Su ,
C aptain Haswell o f His Maj esty s Ship the Russel ’
,
fin ding his health so bad fro m the e ffect of this C lim ate
, ,
that he is under the necessity o f requestin g your leave

to go to E ngland to endeavour to rest o re it I shall be ,
O bliged to you to appoint C aptain Savage late o f His ,
Maj esty s Ship the Rover to succeed C aptain Haswell

’
.
F: S : D RAKE
”
To A dm Sir : G : B : Rodney Bart &c a . .
F ro m C ap tain R o b e rt H as w e ll to Re ar Adm ira l D rake
Russel o ff F ort R oyal Bay

3 1s t January 178 1
Si r
I find myself so much impaired by the e ff ect o f the
C limate that I am under the necessity o f requesting you
,
-
F ro m P hi lip S tep he ns, Se c re tary o f th e Adm ira lty
A dm iralty O ffi ce , l st F e b 1
178 1
Sir ,
Th e N avy Board having in the ir L etter o f the 3 0th

of last Month represented to m y L ords C o mm iss o f the
””
A dmiralty the great Inconvenience which arises from the

O ffi cers o f His Maj esty s Ships in F oreign Parts im press
’
ing Men fro m the A rmy Victualers Transports and that

it will be impossible for them to conduct the Transport
business unless some e ffectual m eans are used to prevent
such Interruption ; A nd they having therefore requested
that strict O rders be given to prevent such Irregularities
in future and also for discouraging the E ntry o f Men
,
fro m Transports in general the same appearing to them

,
to be the only effectual m ethod of K eeping the Trans

ports and Victualers fit and ready fo r service I am com .
m ande d by their L ordships to signify their direction to

yo u to give the necessary O rders to the several C om
manders o f His Maj esty s Ships and Vessels under your
’
C ommand not to impress in future any Men from such

Transports and Victualers and to discourage as m uch as
,
possible the E ntry o f any Men from Vessels so employed .
I am & c a .
P H I L : S TE P H E N S
”
To A dm Sir : G : B : R odney Bart &c a . .
To Re ar A d m ira l Sir Sam u e l H o o d
Six 0 C lock PM ,
. Sandwich at Sea
, ,
2nd F ebruary 178 1

Sir
I am this moment fav o ur d with your L etter by L ord
’
C harles F itzgerald yo u cannot j oin me to o soon as it

,
will be absolutely necessary that part o f the Squadron

should be in the road of E ustatia before day light to
L E TTE R B O O K
-
’
m orrow in order to prevent the E nemy s E scape from
that Island , and that some Ships should persue the C on
v oy that is supposed to have sailed last N ight o r this
Morning I shall stand im mediately to the N orthward

.
towards St : K itts and hope we shall j oin before Morn

,
mg .
I have the honor to b e with real truth and Sinc e re ty

D Sir
”
G : B : RO D N E Y
”
To Sir Sam Hood &c a .
F rom C o m m odore Wi lliam H o tham
Vengeance , E ngli sh Harbour , A ntigua

2nd F ebruary 178 1
Sir,
My L etter o f the 3 l st past which accompanies this ,
will give yo u information o f the occurrences here till that

period .
O n the 1st Inst by the Triton that sailed again the

.
same N ight I was h onor d with your two Letters dated

,
’
th e 29 th and o ne of the 3 0th January and have in c on ,
sequence given directions for such Ships and F rigates

as will soonest be compleated to have the preference in ,
their re fi tm e nt .
Th e F oremast O f the Intrepid with the F ore and ,
Mizen Mast of the Cyclops were taken o ut and con

d e m n d before the receipt o f your abovementioned L et
’
ters neither the Star Brig or P ac ah unta can proceed to

,
Sea before they are hove d own which will be soon ,
e ffected Th e Be rb uda sailed yesterday to j oin C aptn

.
Thompson o f the Hyaena at St : K itts and I appointed ,
William Brown C arpenters Mate o f the Intrepid to A c t

as C arpenter o f that Sloop till your pleasure be known .
Th e Sandwich at St : Johns is ordered not to permit any

Vessels or Boats whatever to depart from that Road .
Your Public L etter addressed to Governor Burt I ,

-
OF A D M IRAL L O RD RO D N E Y
thought proper upon his Decease to transmit to the Presi

’
dent o f His Maj esty s C ouncil but your private one I ,
have returned : It m ay not here be improper to acquain t

yo u Sir in order to prevent delay that fro m the Demise
, , ,
o f Mr Burt the C hief Government of all these Islands

.
,
is vested in the President of the C ouncil o f S t : K itts

until a new Gov e rno ur is made A nd I take the L iberty ,
to m ention this circumstance because I find that no Pub

lic Business of any C onsequence can be transacted here
w ithout his C oncurrence and A uthority as will appar by ,
the L etters I have the honor to enclose from the Presi

dent o f this Island .
Mr : L aforey and I have reason to think that the late

Go v e rno ur m ust have mistaken the Sense o f the Sic k
and Hurt O ffice in his Idea o f their having p ut the di
rection o f the Prisoners in his hands their A gent here ,
not having received any Instructions to that E ffect which ,
led me to apply to the President for a C opy o f such

C orrespondence as they might have held with Mr Burt .
upon the occasion .
N otwithstanding what is mentioned in m y L etter of

the 3 1st I have since the receipt o f yours by the Triton
thought prO p e r to leave the C o m plement o f the A lc m ene
entire in case you shall find it necessary to employ her
,
upon Service .
W M H O THAM
To A dmiral Sir G : B : Rodney Bart &c a
. . .
F ro m C o m m o do re Wi lliam H o tham
Vengeance , E nglish Harbour , A ntigua ,

3 rd F e b 1 78 1
”
Sir
Your two L etters o f the 3 1st past sent by C aptain
F erguson of the Terrible were brought m e late last ,
-
To C ap tain S tair D o uglas
Sandwich St : E ustatius
,
4 th F e b 17
178 1
Sir,
I have received your L etter relative to your Ships fir

ing Yesterday without m y O rders or Signal for that
purpose .
It migh t have been easily perceived by the whole F leet ,
that the R esolution was anchored in such a manner as ,
not only to force the said Frigate to surrender but like ,
wise if she was obliged by the obstinacy o f the Dutch

C aptain to fire the few shot she might be compelled to
,
’
exp end would not hurt any o f His Maj esty s Ships .
Your and the other Ships in shore were anchored to

, ,
batter the place had there been occasion and I had made
, ,
a Signal for that purpose .
Your Ship firing in the manner Sh e did no t only e n ,
dangered the L ives of the Men on board other o f His

Maj esty s Ships but was an Insult to all order and
’
,
Discipline however yo u may be assured that I have

,
great pleasure to hear you was not concerned in such a

breach o f Discipline but that it was owing to the dis
,
obedience O f your Men I must desire yo u will endeavour

.
to detect and punish the D elinquents and read a L ecture ,
to your O fficers and Ship s C ompany o f Silence and their

’
,
paying implicit O bedience to your O rders Tw o essential .
A rticles almost forgot by the Inferior O fficers and Men .
It must be restored o r the British N avy will be without

,
Discipline .
You may easily imagine Sir what I must have felt at

the time the firing commenced and how much it must ,
have hurt me to O bserve in the Sight of the F leet A rmy , ,
( and an Island which a few minutes before had sub

m itte d to his Maj esty s A rms ) such a wanton display
’
,
o f the Slackness o f Discipline in a British F leet Trust .
it will never happen again it is my Duty to prevent it , ,
and no C onsideration whatever shall induce me to over

L E TTE R B OO K
-
look a breach o f Discipli ne in the F leet I have the honor

to C omm and .
You are sensible the C aptain of every Ship is responsi

ble for the Discipline o f that Ship and I am convinced
,
fro m the long time I have had the honor o f your A c

quaintance as a Man of honor and the K nowledge I
,
have had of you as a good O fficer the firing must have

,
co mm enced without your O rders and owing to the in

attention o f your O flflc e rs .
I have the honor to be with real regard &c a .
G : B : RO D N E Y
To C aptain Douglas
’
of His Maj esty s Ship Prince William
To P hilip S te p h e ns Se c re tary
A rrogant December 10th , 178 1 .
I must desire you will Please to acquaint their L ord

ships that every dispatch possible is making to get the
Squadron under my C ommand to Sea but such has been
the Weather as to prevent all communication with Spit
head for some days past however they may be assured
that not one Moment shall be lost I have the honour .
to be Sir ,
Your most obedient and most humble Servant ,
G B RO D N E Y
. .
To A dm ira l Sir Th om as P ye
A rrogant Spithead Dec ”

l 0th , 1 781 .
Sir
’
Having this moment re c e iv d the inclosed L etter from
C apt n Balfour I instantly dispatched it to you as the
Subj ect is of the U tmost C onsequence to His Maj esty s ’
Service I flatter myself it will merit your immedia te A t

,
tentio n
I am with the greatest Respect
G B RO D N E Y
. .
”
A dm Sir Thos Pye
To C ap tain H e nry M artin C o m m ission e r

, o f th e N avy
at P orts m ou th
,
l 0th , 178 1 .
S 1r ,
Maj or General Mathews having requested that His

Baggage and Horses which are absolutely necessary
19 7
-
not to be had in the West Indies m ay be received o n ,
board His Maj esty s Ship he is going in w hich m ust at

’
all Times be very in convenient and at this Juncture im

possible to be co m plied with .
I m ust request yo u will be pleased to O rder a Trans

port to be fitted up with all the E xpidition possible to
receive the above Horses Baggage in O rder to her Sail
ing with the C onvoy Provided she cannot be got ready
’
to proceed with His Maj esty s S quadron under My C o m
mand I am .
G B RO D NE Y . .
Henry Martin E sq ”
C ommissioner of His M N avy .
Portsmouth
To P hilip Step he ns Se c re tary , o f th e A dm ira lty

1 1th 178 1
Sir,
Th e Weather this Day having p roved tolerably m oder
ate every dispatch possible is m aking to get the Squad
ron ready for Sea .
I have the Honour to be with great regard Sir ,
Your most obedient and m ost humble Servant ‘
G B RO D NE Y
. .
To th e E arl o f San dwic h ,

Firs t L ord of the A dm ira lty
Portsmouth Dec ”
1 1 th , 1 78 1
My Dear L ord ,
W hat I told you in L ondon has proved too true the ,
Squadron far from being ready and notwithstanding I ,
have not lost o ne single m oment twill be a few Days ’
before it will be ready to sail What might not have been .
done if the Squadron under K e m pe nfe lt had been ap

,
-
West Indies with all possible dispatch for those two

, ,
three decked ships may prove o f the utmost Importance

and may decide the fate o f the War in favour o f Great
Britain surely the best manned Ships belonging to the
,
western S quadron sh o u d have been sent with me indeed ’

,
if the whole had gone the Business m ight have been ,
most effectually performed and that Squadron have re ,
turned before the Season fo r acting in E urope tis very .
’
doubtful if Digby s Squadron can j oin me as orders are ,
but j ust sent for that purpose and at this Season tis ex ,
tre am ly difficult to get upon the C oast o f A merica This .
L etter my D Sir is in confidence to yo u I will do my

”
,
.
duty let m e have what Squadron I m ay hope to have ,
an opportunity O f bringing the E nemy to a general

Battle .
A dieu my D Sir excuse this hurry as I have scarce o ne

”
Moment to myself Beleive m e to be with real truth

.
sincerity
Your faithful most O bedient hu m ble Servant
G B RO D N E Y
. .
John Robinson E sq
”
To P hilip Ste p h e ns Se c re tary ,

o f th e A dm ira lty

12, 1 78 1
Sir ,
I have the Honour o f your L etter o f the l 0 th Inst in .
forming me it is their L ordships directions that as I h ad

, , ,
’
hoisted my F lag on board His Maj esty s Ship A rrogant ,
to order C aptn Savage to return his C ommi ssion for the

C onqueror that it might be cancelled I therefore inclose
,
.
it agreeable to their L ordships directions for that pur

pose I have the Honor to b e with great regard Sir
.
,
Your most obedient most hu m ble Servant

G B RO D NE Y
. .
L E TTE R B OO K - OF A D M I RAL L O RD RO D N E Y 20 1
To P hilip Step he ns Se c re tary , o f th e A dm iralty
Ar rogant Spithead Dec 13 178 1 ”

,
.
10 A M By E xp ress
Sir
I desire yo u will please to inform their L ordships that ,
’
I shall get under weigh with His Maj esty s Squadron un
der my C omm and o n the turn o f the Tide at 1 P M and ,
use every E xertion in my power to be as soon as possible

at my station I have the Honor to be Sir
.
,
Your most obedient and most humb le Servant ,
G B RO D N E Y
Phili p Stephens E sq
. .
.
To Vic e A dm ira l M ark M i lb ank e
A rrog ant in C ausand Bay Dec 17th , 178 1 ”
Sir [ C awsand Bay , C ornwall ]

If the Marlborough is ready for Sea I m ust desire yo u
will please to order her to j oin m e if possible to morrow ,
morning .
I am persuaded no E ff ort will be neglected t w ards her ’
j oining m e before I sail but if that sh ou d prove im

,
’
possible she m ust follow m e with the C onvoy I have the

, .
honor to be Sir ,
Your most O bedient and m ost humble Servant

” B RO D NE Y
Vice A dm Milbank
:
Plymouth
To Vic e A dm iral M ark M ilb anke
A rrogant in C ausand Bay Dec ”

17, 178 1
Sir
I am this Instant favoured with your L etter and its ,
inclosures I am m uch O b liged to you for the c omm unie a

.
,
-
”
tion of your intelligence relative to A dm K e m p e nfe lt ,
’
and the french fleet I am sorry you sh o u d give yourself
.
the trouble to make me any returns relative to the port , ,
as I shall by no means interfere therewith as I am per ,
fe c tly satisfied that every E xertion will be made in

, ,
getting the Ships ready for sea which are intended to ,
be under my C ommand with such o f which as may be , ,
ready I shall proceed to Sea to morrow morning or the

, , ,
moment the Wind and W eather will permit which being ,

’
the case though I sh ou d be glad of the Pleasure o f see
,
ing you on board the A rrogant I can by no means under ,
such uncertainty especially if the Weather Sh o u d be

,
’
bad expect you so far o ut at this Season I have the

, ,
.
Honor to be with great regard Sir , ,
Your most obedient and most humble Servant

G B RO D N E Y
. .
”
Vice A dm Milbank
Plymouth
To P hilip S te p he ns Se c re tary ,
A rrogant in C ausand Bay 17 Dec 178 1 ”

.
A t 6 P M Win d S W . .
Sir
,
I must desire yo u will please to acquaint their L ord

’
ships that I am this Moment anc h or d with the Squad ,
ron under my C ommand in this Bay the Wind being .
at S W the Weather looking very dirty and a whole

. ,
Tide of F lood coming o n I thought it more proper to ,
anchor for this N ight than run the risk o f being drove
,
again to the E astward which must have been the case

,
had I continued in the C hannel this N ight .
I shall immediately take the Repulse N onsuch un

’
der my C ommand and sh o u d the Marlborough be in a
C ondition to j oin me I shall leave the Repulse and F or
,
m id ab le to follow with the C onvoy I purpose putting .
to Sea to morrow morning at day L ight if the Weather

-
To C ap tain P au l H e nry O urry C o mm issione r , of th e

N avy at P lym ou th
A rrogant C ausand Bay 18 Dec ”

178 1
Sir,
C aptain Dum ere sq ue o f His Maj esty s Ship the Re ’
pulse having re p resented to me that the C ompany of the

said ship refuse sailing unless they are first paid I must ,
desire yo u will please to cause her to be i mm ediately

’
paid accordingly that His Maj esty s Service may no t at
this C ritical Juncture receive any Delay therefrom I .
have the Honor to be Sir ,
Your m ost obedient and most Humble Servant

G B RO D NE Y
. .
C omm issioner O urry

Plym outh
To Digory Tonkin A ge n t Vic tua le r

, at P lym ou th
A rrogant in C ausand Bay 18 Dec ”

178 1
Sir ,
As the E xpeditious victualling and watering His Ma

je sty s Ship F or mi dable in O rder to her being in a C on
’
dition to proceed to Sea as soon as possibly m ay be at ,
this critical Juncture of the utmost C onsequence to the

Publick Service .
I cannot do otherwise than in the m ost pressing Man

ner to urge her being compleated accordingly firml y
,
trusting that every E xertion in your Power will be used

fo r that Purpose .
I am Sir Your most O bedient and most humble

,
Servant
G B RO D N E Y . .
To Digory Tonkin E sq ”
A gent Victualler at Plymouth

LE TTE R B O O K
-

178 1
Sir ,
’
It being o f the utmost consequence to His Maj esty s
’
Service that the F ormidable sh o u d be compleated with
all Possible dispatch I have not a doubt but yo u will be
,
so obliging to order every assistance for so des irable a

purpose .
I have the Honor to be with real regard Sir ,
Your most obedient and most Humble Servant

G B RO D N E Y
. .
”
Vice A dm Milbank
To C ap tain P au l H e nry O urry, C o m m ission e r o f th e

N avy a t P lym ou th

1 78 1
Sir ,
As it is of the utmost consequence at this particular

Juncture that His Maj esty s Ship the F ormidable sh o u d
’ ’
be compleated with all the E xpedition Possible

I must desire you will be pleased to give directions for
her having the Preference therein to all other ships what
soever .
I have the honor to be with great Regard Sir ,

G B RO D N E Y
. .
Paul O urry E sq ”
To Digory To nkin A ge n t Vi c tu a le r
,
at P lym ou th

1781
Sir ,
Asit is o f the utmost C onsequence that the Crew o f

His Maj esty s Ships under my C ommand going o n a
’
foreign Service sh o u d be supp ly d with fresh Provisions’ ’
as long as possible I must desire you will send a proper

,
Quantity out to them regularly as long as the Westerly

W ind may detain them Here in the Sound and as it will ,
be highly improper to trust the men belonging to Ships

Boats on Shore I must further desire you will send it
,
o ff in your o w n Vessels with a C lerk to receive the Pur
ser s Receipts
’
settle with them fo r the same I am Sir .
Your most humble Servant

G B RO D N E Y
D Tonkin E sq r
p lym outh
. .
P S A s the F ormidable is wanted for immediate Ser

.
vice I must desire that the utmost dispatch may be used

in V ictualling her
[ Marginal note : ] CA N CE LL
’
D

178 1
Sir,
’
His Maj esty s Ship C onqueror under my C ommand b e
ing badly m anned and C aptain Balfour having re c e iv d
,
’
’
twelve Men from the Diligente j ust before we sail d from
Spithead who o n A ccount of their being under sized will ,
be o f little or no use o n board so large a ship but who ,
m ay be serviceable in smaller and whom o n that A o ,
count I sh o u d have app ly d to Sir Thos to have ex

’ ’
.
changed had time perm itted I must beg leave as that ,

’
cou d not be done I am to request you will please to ,
order the said twelve men to be exchanged for stouter

b o dy d Men with the usual proportion o f able Seamen
’
,
am ong them as I am convinced o f other C aptains that

,
the C onqueror is very weakly manned .
I have the Honor to be with great regard Sir ,

G 13 RO D N E Y
V ice A d miral Milbank
To P hi lip S te p h e ns Se c re tary of th e A dm iralty

,
A rrogant C ausand Bay 2 l st Dec ”

178 1
Sir, A !) 3 O c lock
’
P M
E arly this Morning I was H ono ur d with your E xpress
’
o f the 18 th Inst by the Messenger , and beg yo u will a o

.
quaint their L ordships that had there been any Wind

Yesterday I sh o u d certainly have put to Sea with His
’
Maj esty s Squadron under m y C omm and

’
.
Th e Wind is no w come again to the S S W blows too . .
hard to attempt it and had I been at Sea the Weather is

’
such as in all probability wou d have obliged me to have
sheltered the F leet in Torbay .
It is to me great satisfaction to know that the Wind

will prevent the E nemy getting to the Westward and ,
I have no t a doubt but we shall yet arrive before them in

the West Indies or intercep t them in their passage .
E very nerve shall be stretched for so desireable a pur

pose nor shall o ne moment h e lost when Wind and
,
W eather permits my putting to Sea While I am obliged .
to remain here I will hasten the E quipment of every ship

,
ordered to go with o r to follow me ,

.
I have already taken the C aptains o f the N amur and ,
Hercules under my C omm and as likewise the Marl

borough those ships are c om p le atly ready and will sail
.
with me .
Th e F orm idable sh o u d she no t be ready instantly to

’
follow .
I beg you will assure their L ordships that their A nx

ie ty cannot be greater than my own and that I shall be
,
m iserable till we get sight o f the E nemy s F leet

’ ’
.
Th e F orce I am now H o no ur d with is such when

’
j oined that I flatter myself it will restore the E mpire

of the O cean to Great Britain nothing shall be wanting
o n m y part towards a ffecting so desireable an E vent .
I have the Honour to be with great Regard Sir ,

To Philip Stephens E s G B RO D N E Y
”
q
L E TTE R B O O K
-
To Cap tain Jo h n B ris b ane
A rrogant December 2 1s t, 178 1 .
Sir
,
’
I have been fav o ur d with your Letter of this days date
and am sorry that your Health is so bad as to prevent
your proceeding with me to Sea .
I shall agreeable to your request appoint a proper per

son to take the Charge o f the Hercules and am with ,
real Regard Sir

, ,

G B RO D N E Y
. .
To C apt n Brisbane
C omm ander
’
of His Maj esty s Ship Hercules
To C ap tain P au l H e nry O urry C o m m is sion e r

, of the
N a vy a t P lym ou th
A rrogant C ausand Bay Dec ”

21, 178 1
Sir,
Th e C aptains of
’
His Maj esty s Ships N amur and Her
cules being ordered to put themselves under my C om
mand and to get their Ships fitted and stored for foreign
Service without a Moments loss o f time I am to request
yo u wi ll give directions that the utmost exertion be used
in your department for fitting the said Ships and com
pleating their Stores to a proper proportion for the said
service as they are imm ediately wanted .
I am with great regard Sir Yours &c , , ,

.
G B
. . RO D N E Y
Paul O urry E sq ”
-
To P hi lip S te p h e ns Se c re tary, o f th e A d m ira lty

2l s t 178 1
Sir ,
C aptain Brisbane of His Maj esty s Ship Hercules hav ’
Ing I nformed me that his ill state o f health is so much
relapsed that it will prevent his paying that close atten

’ ’
tion to his duty that he cou d wish and requested I wou d
allow him to go o n shore for the re establishment there
’
o f which being really the C ase and that His Maj esty s
ship sh o u d not su ff er thereby I have ordered C apt

’
,
u
Savage to take charge o f the C ommand o f the said ship

’
till their L ordships pleasure shall be known .
I have the Honor to be &c &c . .
G RO D N E Y
Stephens E s q r .
To D igory To nkin A ge n t Vic tua le r

, at P lym ou th

22d 178 1
Sir ,
His Maj esty s Ship N amur Hercules under my C o m

’
m and being ordered on F oreign Service I desire you will ,
cause the utmost dispatch to be used in C ompleating

their Victualling Stores and a proper proportion for the
said Service I am Sir .
,

G B RO D N E Y
To Digory Tonkin E sq ”
To Vic e A dm ira l M ark M i lb an k e
A rrogant C ausand Bay 23 Dec ”

1 78 1 .
Sir ,
’
C aptain
Brisbane of His Maj esty s Ship Hercules hav
ing represented to me that he has a number of Men on
-
To Wi llia m Re ds ton Store keep er of th e O rdnan c e

, at
P lym ou th

23 d, 178 1 .
Sir
His Maj esty s Ships N am ur and Hercules being or
’
dered [ on ] F oreign Service I am to desire yo u will ,
im m ediately cause the utmost exertion to be used in c om

pleating the O rdnance Stores [ of ] the said Ships to
proper proportions fo r the said service as they [ are ]
instantly wanted I am Yours &c &c. . .
G B RO D N E Y . .
To W Re dston E sq
m ”
Store k eeper o f the O rdnance Plym outh
To Wi lliam Re ds ton Store k e ep er, o f th e O rdnanc e at
P lym ou th
,
23 d 178 1 .
Sir .
’
His Maj esty s Ship F lora being ordered to proceed on
F oreign Service I am to desire yo u will cause the utmost
,
exertion to be used in co m pleating her O rdnance Stores

to a proper proportion for the said Service she being
I nstantly wanted I am Si r
Yours &c &c
.
, ,
. .
0“ B RO D N E Y
To W m
Re dsto n E sq ” ~
S torekeeper of the O rdnance Plymouth
To P hi lip Ste p h e ns Se c re tary ,


27th , 178 1
Sir
I re c e iv d by E xpress to C ommissioner O urry the
’
Honor of your L etter o f the 24th Instant inclosing In

L E TTE R B O O K-
te lli ge ncrespecting the F rench F leet as transmitted by

e
”
C ommo E lliot to R ear A dm K e m p e nfe l t
””
.
Th e Weather having been e xtre am ly bad and the Wind

very violent at S S W S W with a heavy Sea in the
. . . . .
C hannel has prevented the sailing o f the Squadron under

my C ommand but their L ordships may be assured that
, , ,
not a Moment will be lost and that the F leet I have the
Honor to C ommand shall put to Sea when Wind and ,
Weather will admit thereof .
Th e Hercules is in the Sound and the N amur F or

m idab le and Marlboro will be ready to go there when
’
the Weather will perm it .
Inclosed I transmit to their L ordships the State and

C ondition of the Ships under my C o m mand and am Sir , ,
with great Regard ,
Yours &0 &c . .
G B RO D N E Y
. .
[ Philip ] Stephens E sq
”
To Vic e A dm ira l M ark M ilb anke
A rrogant C ausand Bay Dec 28th , 178 1

”
Sir ,
As several of the Ships at this Port which there L ord

ships have been pleased to put under my C omm and are
very short of C omplement and it is o f the utmost C o nse ,
m
’
to His Majesty s service that they h d be
’
q u e nc e s o u c o
p le atly manned .
I must desire yo u will be pleased to order the same

to be E ffected as expeditiously as possible that the Sail ,
ing o f the above Ships and the Public Service may not
be d e trim e n te d or su ffer any delay therefrom I have .
the Honour to be &c &c . .
Yours &c &c . .
G B RO D N E Y
. .
”
Vice A dm Milbank
-
To Vic e A dm ira l M ark M i lb anke

29 th , 1781
Sir,
I am h o no ur d with your L etter o f the 28th Instant
’
informing me that the number of disposable Men at this

Port is very inadequate to compleating the C omple
,
ments o f the Ships o f the Squadron under my C ommand

and that there is no other method o f manning them but ,
from other Ships .
In answer to which I have the Honor to acquaint you

that as the fate of Britain may possibly depend on the
O p p e ra [ tio n ] of the fleet under my C ommand their
, ,
being properly manned [ is ] an obj ect o f the highest Im

portance and cannot too expeditiously be attended to
,
.
I must therefore desire that the number of Men the

,
Squadron are deficient in may be supplied from those

Ships named in the Margin who you have reported to
1
,
me are in want o f repair they may receive from the

Hospital those sick Men which the Ships of my Squadron
will be O bliged to leave behind .
Th e Hercules which was under sailing orders before

she was put under my C ommand and to whom you
d irected a considerable number o f Men to be lent from
the Royal George agreeable to your order has returned ,
those Men to their proper Ship I must therefore request ,
that you will please to give directions that the Hercules s ’
C omplement may be compleated as that Ship is now in

the Sound I have directed her C aptain as likewise the ,
’
C aptain of the F ormidable N amur Marlboro to wait
upon you with an account o f what Men will be wanted
to compleat those Ships and shall give them the strictest
,
orders not to permit any of their Ships C ompanies to

go on shore that you may not be again troubled in C o m
pleating their C omplements .
1
[ Du ] nkirk ,
Dublin ,
L ively ,
L ark ,
Squirrel ,
F airy ,
C ormorant .
-
m iralty that I had taken upon m e the directions o f all

such His M ajs ty s Ships at Plymouth as their L ordships
’
had put under my C ommand I certainly have done so .

,
and have obliged their C ommanders and the O fficers of

’
His Maj esty s Dock Yard here to use every dispatch ,
possible in refitting them for Service and have the pleas ,
ure to acquaint their L ordships that they are now all

c om p le atly ready for Sea when Wind and Weather will
permit them to proceed But at present it blows and

.
has continued for several Days to blow so very hard ,

,
at S W as not to admit o f the Squadron proceeding to

. .
Sea .
In regard to manning those Ships o f the Squadron

under my C ommand which were fitted from this port , ,
”
upon Vice A dm Milbank reporting to me that he had ,
no Men to compleat their C omplements without taking

them from other Ships Inclosed I send for their L ord
,
ships perusal my L etter to Vice A dmiral Milbank on

that occasion recommending it to him to take the Men
from those Ships which will take the longest tim e in re
pair which Ships in all probability may be mann d from
,
’
the Men now in the Hospital who may be re

covered before those Ships are ready to receive them
the manner of disposing o f them I have left intire ly to
Vice A dmiral Milbank .
O n considering the great number of Marines belonging

to the F leet their L ordships have put under my C o m
m and and the very im portant Service on which I am
,
’
ordered may render it necessary for His Maj esty s Serv
,
ice to land Bodies o f Marines to attack the public E nemy

’
and to co operate with His Maj esty s L and forces I must ,
beg leave to suggest to their L ordships the utility O f

F ield O fficers to command the di fferent Bodies o f Marines
that it may be necessary to land on the di fferent O p
p e rations on which I may be employed
E xperience has taught me that C aptains of Marines ,
are not proper O fficers to command large Bodies o f Men ,
o r is Discipline so well sustained as when F ield O fficers ,
o f Rank co mm and them .

L E TTE R B O O K
-
I therefore hope their L ordships will please to take

this m atter into consideration and that I shall have the
pleasure o f seeing F ield O fficers arrive in the West In
dies in the Squadron which their L ordships have ap
pointed to follow me .
I will venture to affirm that it m ay be attended with

’
great C onsequence to His Majesty s Service may pre
vent great C onfusion sh o u d it be necessary to land
’
Marines on any Important O ccasion

, .
G B RO D N E Y . .
To C ap tain Taylo r P e nny
A rrogant C ausand Bay 3 1s t December 178 1

Sir
,
In A nswer to your L etter I was Yesterday fav o ur d ’
with I must beg leave to acquaint you that as I have

,
several L ieutenants going o ut with me unappointed to

any Ship I shall shortly before the Sailing o f His Ma
,
jesty s Ship under your C ommand appoin t one of them

’
to act on board her unless previous thereto the Gentle ,
m an You apply d for or any other their L ordships m ay

’
,
please to appoint shall make appearance with a C om

mission for her .
I am Sir &c ,
.
G B RO D N E Y
TO c apt Penny Marlborough
” ' :
To C ap tain Ge orge B a lfour
A rrogant C ausand Bay 3 l st Dec ”

178 1
Sir
,
I have re c e iv d your L etter dated yesterday and am

’
, ,
very sorry you sh o u d have Reason to make such a

,
’
-
R epresentation , o f the C ompany of His Maj esty s Ship

’
under your C ommand , which I hoped after the applica

tion I made to Sir Thos Pye at Portsmouth , wou d have
.
’
,
been compleated at Spithead .
In an [ s ] wer I have to inform you that I have ordered

,
the Ships C ompany to be surveyed and if she is not

properly manned I shall direct that she b e so I have
, .
the Honor to be with great regard Sir ,
Yours &c the ,

.
G" 13 RO D N E Y
TO C aptain Balfour , C onqueror
'
To P h i lip Step h e ns Se c re tary

, f th e
o A dm ira lty
,
F ormidable Plymouth Sound 6 Jan y 1782
S Ir ,
I am honoured with your L etter of the 3 d Inst : b y E x

'
press containing C opies O f 2 L etters fro m C aptain Ingli s

with Intelligence relative to the F rench F leet at Mar
tinic o
Y o u will be pleased to acquaint the ir

L ordships that
no t a moment shall be lost in putting to Sea with the
Squadron under my C ommand ( the Ships being now
all in the Sound perfectly ready ) as soon as the Wind
will permit it being nearly C alm but I hope from the
, ,
present appearance it will spring up from the N orth

,
ward ; the Squadron being all unmoored .
G B RO D N E Y
To Philip Stephens E sq ” :
To P hi lip S te p h e ns Se c re tary
,
,
F ormidable in Plymouth Sound Jan 7th 1
,
1782 .
S Ir
Be
pleased to inform their L ordships that after the ,
L etter I did myself the honour to write Yesterday the ,

To th e C o m m issione rs o f th e Vic tua ling

A rrogant in C ausand Bay 8 th Jan y 1782 1
Gentlemen ,
I have been fav our d with your L etter o f the 5th Dec
’ ”
relative to Mr A kers of S t K itts having neglected to .
send Home the proper Vouchers for the Wine he pur

chased at that Island by m y O rder last A ugust twelve
month for the Squadron under my C ommand and yet ,
m ay depend on my directing him to Transmit them In

s tan tly as I arrive in the W est Indies .
In the mean Time I herewith inclose a L ist of the

2
Ships to which the said Wine was served that if their

Pursers have neglected to C harge themselves therewith ,
’
their A ccounts may not be closed till an exact L ist o f
’
the Quantity respectively supp ly d each ship together ,
with the regular Vouchers for the same can be remitted

to your Board .
I have the Honor to be with great regard Gentlemen ,
Your most O bedient and most humble Serv ant

G 13 RO D N E Y
C ommissioners for the Victualling
'
F ro m C ap tain Sir C h arles D ou glas to th e Vic tua ling C on

trac to r a t P aign ton D e vo n ,
F ormidable Torbay 10 Jan y 1782

Sir
Sir Geo B Rodney to whom I have the honor to be
”
first C aptain hereby requires directs You to supply

His Maj esty s F leet in this Bay under his C ommand
’
,
1
Th e da te is c osse d bu t n o ot h e sub stit u te d I n v o lu m e 5 of the
r ,
r .
R o dn e y M SS i n the Publ i c R e c o d O ffic e L o nd o n th e c op y of this

.
r , ,
l ette is da te d D e ce m b e 19 178 1
r r ,
.
2
[ Marginal note : ] Sandwich R ussel C ulloden
, , ,
Triumph Shrewsbury C entaur Montagu A lcide Terri

, , , , ,
ble Yarmouth E gmont Torbay

, , ,
L E TTE R B O O K
-
with fresh Beef two Days su ffi cient for 7200 and he

, ,
also desires Y o u to provide therewith and send O ff a usual

proportion of Greens for which the Pursers of the dif
,
fe re n t Ships will settle with you

A n d to avoid the inconveniences that attend sending
the Boats o f the Squadron on Shore Sir George further ,
requires Yo u to send off such Meat Greens in a Vessel

proper for that purpose to be anchored as near as possible
in the middle o f the Squadron with a F lag of any kind
,
flying at the Mast head and You are hereby authorised

-
to hire such Vessels charge the e xp e nc e thereof to

Government as also any other that may be inc urr d in
,
’
bringing down the Beef to the Shore .
I am Sir Yours &c

C H A s : D O UGLA S
To Th e C ontractor for Victualling His Maj estys N avy
Penton [ sic for Paignton ]
F ro m C ap tain Sir C h arle s D ou glas to Vi c e A dm ira l

M ark M i lb anke
F or mi dable Torbay 10 Jan 1

1 782
Sir
I am directed by A dm iral Sir Geo R odney to acquaint”
You that after having put to Sea on the 8th Instant

,
with His Maj esty s S quadron under his C ommand ; a

’
V iolent Gale came on at S W and continued till Yester

day N oon when the Weather cleared up and the A d
, ,
m iral bore away for Torbay Th e Squadron are all safe

.
arrived except the A rrogant which Ship the A dmiral

,
supposes may be in C ausand Bay or Plymouth if so he ,
begs You will be so obliging as to forward the inclosed

t o her C ommander with the utmost dispatch possible
, .
I have the honor to be &c .
C HAS : D O UGL AS
P : S : Since writing the above I find the F lora is not
arrived the Frigate we took for her proves to be the
-
A rethusa You will therefore be pleased to forward the

.
inclosed for C apt n Marshall, should the F lora be in C aus

and Bay ,
or the Sound .
To Vice A dmiral Milbank .
F ro m C ap tain Sir C h arles D ouglas to C ap tain Taylo r

P e n ny
F ormidable in Torbay the 10 Jan 1

1782
Sir,
I am C o mm anded by A dm iral Sir Geo B Rodney in . .
answer to your L etter which he received this Morning ,
to inform yo u that he is very m uch Surprised at your

not having any C arpenters o n board His Maj esty s Ship ’
under your C o m mand after having b een in C ommission

such a considerable length of time and m uch m ore so
”
at your not having ob tain d them from Vice A dm Mil
’
bank previous to your Sailing .
A nd at your expressing an exp ectation of being sup

plied with any A rtific e rs fro m h im a Master C arpenter
excepted .
Th e A dmiral entends appointing a C arp enter to the

Marlborough as also a first and second L ieutenant to
,
complete your established N u m ber .
I am &c .
C HAS : D O UGLAS
To C aptain Penny
Marlborough
To P hi lip Step h e ns Se c re tary

, f
o th e A dm ira lty
F ormi dable in Torbay 10 Jan 1

1782
Sir ,
Be pleased to acquaint their L ordships that the Wind ,
having come to the N W by N I sailed with His Ma ,

-
To P hilip S tep h e ns Se c re tary , o f th e A dm ira lty
F ormidable in Torbay 1 3 th Jan 1

1782
Sir,
I trouble you with the inclosed Petition which I have

, ,
this Instant re c e iv d in O rder to your laying it before

’
their L ordships hoping they will be pleased to O rder

, ,
the poor Su fferer to be admitted into Greenwich Hos

pital o r grant him such relief as they shall Judge his
, ,
unhappy C ase deserving of .
I am &c .
G B RO D N E Y
. .
To Philip Stephens E sq ”
N B the above L etter contained a Petition fro m

.
[ blank ] K esh L ate of the Sandwich no w in the fourth

, ,
West Ward at B aslar Hospital relative to his being in

, ,
v ale d e d sent home without a smart ticket

,
.
To P hi lip S tep h e ns Se c re tary, f th e

o A dm ira lty
””
F orm idable
at Sea L at
”
C ape F inister bearing S 15 W dist : 60 L e ag
Jan 19 th 1 78 1 [ sic for 1782 ]
1
Sir
,
I take the O pportunity by the Surprize Frigate which ,
I have this moment spoke to with her C onvoy from L is ,
bon to acquaint their L ordships that notwithstanding

, ,
’
a very severe Gale o f Wind His Maj esty s F leet under ,
my C ommand by carrying a press of Sail were enabled

to weather U shant on the 17th Instant Th e Wind tho .
’
Westerly is now moderate I have not a doubt but we

,
s hall m ake a quick passage the whole Squadron are with,

L E TTE R B O O K
-
me but from the severity of the Weather many of them

,
have lost Sails .
I have the Honor to be with great Regard &c , .
G : B : RO D N E Y
F ro m th e C o mm is sione rs o f th e Vic tua ling
Victualling O ffice 2 1s t January 1782

Sir,
Mr Jno Blackburn s C ontract for supplying His Ma
. .
’
je s ty s
’
Ships at St L ucia with Sea Provisions
. expiring
o n the l s t June and for Barbadoes the L eeward Islands
o n the 5th July next the Rt
’
the L ord s C ommis
,
.
sio n e rs o f the A dmi ralty have thought proper to direct

us to cause His M aj esty s Ships on the L eeward Islands
,
’
Station to be supplied from those times with Provision

from this O ffice and to cause such o f the Provisions as
,
Mr Blackburn may have deposited in those Islands for

.
the U se o f His Maj esty s Ships and be remaining there ’
at the expiration o f his C ontract to be received and paid ,
for as issued provided they are found o n Survey to be

,
’
sweet good and fit for His Maj esty s Service A nd their
, .
L ordships having also been pleased to direct us to ap

point M r John Marr to be our A gent for Victualling His
.
’
Maj esty s Ships on the before mentioned Station to re
side at St L ucia with two assistant C lerks and one Head
.
C lerk at Barbadoes and another at A ntigua the Places

, ,
o f R esidence of the A gent and his C lerks to be changed
at the discretion of the C ommander in C hief as circum

stances may require and part o f the Provisions to be kept
,
afloat and part to be lodged in Storehouses as the C om

mander in Chief may direct We think it necessary to ac .
quaint you thereof and that we have given Mr Marr

, .
proper Instructions for his government in the said em

ployment and desire you will please to give directions
for such O fli c e rs as yo u m ay think necessary to j oin with

’
Mr Marr and Mr Blackb urn s A gents in the Survey
. .
,
of the Provisions belongin g to the C ontractor that m ay

be rem aining in Store at the exp iration o f the C ontracts
and to attest the sam e with them as the Provisions are ,
not to be paid for until those Vouchers are produced

, .
We have only to add that Mr Marr and his C lerk s .

,
will go o ut by the first opportunity ; and that we are

now loading Provisions o n board a number o f Victuallers ,
to be in readiness to proceed as C onvoys may o ffer We .
are Sir &c .
J BATE S .
W M LAN D [ sic for L ance ] .
J KI RKE .
To Sir G B Rodney Bart &c

. . . .
F ro m Li e u te nan t Jo hn B rand
H M Schooner E xp edition
. .
E ngli sh Harbour A ntigua ,
Jan y 3 l st 1782 .
Sir
In the E xecution o f the orders that I had the honor
o f receiving from yo u o f the 26th Inst U nfortunately w e .
got o n shore in going into E nglish Harbour by a fl o w ,
o f Wind heading us and before A ssistance could be had

,
she bulged ; the U tmost attention hath been paid in sav

ing her stores : A s I am An xious to have it in m y power
to serve again I have to request you will be pleas d to
,
’
order an inquiry o n my conduct for the lost of His Ma

j y
e s t s Schooner
’
E xpedition I am Sir &c . .
JO H N B RAN D
To Sir G B Rodney Bart
. . .
F ro m M ajo r Ge n e ra l Th o m as Shirle y to C o m m is sion e r

J o h n L afo re y
S t K itts F e b
.
”
2oth 1 782
My Dear Sir
I hope to have the Pleasure o f seeing you so m e Time
next Week when I shall have an O pportunity o f being
,
’
able to talk over all Matters that have happen d since ,
my departure from A ntigua having had no O pportunity ,
of sending m y Dispatches to E ngland but thro France ’

,
’
and upon which I wou d put more Dependance than I
am O b lig d to do and General F raser having E m b ark d
’
,
’
with his Troops for E urope by the way o f S t Dom ingo,

.
,
It may be some tim e before Government can get any

p rO p e r O fficial Intelligence o f the Surrender o f this
Island I must earnestly Intreat the favour of yo u to
.
forward this to the C omm ander in C hief o f o ur N avy

, ,
in these Seas that a proper Vessel m ay be ready for me

,
upon my A rrival at A ntigua to go E xpress with m y Dis ,
patches fro m thence they shall be all pre par d and

,
’
,
Brought with m e and I mean to Dispatch my N ephew

, ,
Mr : Hutchinson immediately upon m y A rrival o r that

, ,
yo u will be so good as to take such Steps as that as little ,
D elay possible may attend m y being E nabled to send 0 3

these Dispatches .
I am with Great Regard Dear Sir &c &c . .
TH S H I RLE Y
‘
os .
C o m m i ss ”
L a forey
F ro m Rear A dm ira l Sir Sa m ue l H oo d
Barfl e ur in St John s R oad A ntigua

.
’
20th F ebruary 1 782

Sir,
I have the Honor to acquaint you that I anc h o r d in ,

’
this R oad last N ight with His Maj esty s Squadron un

,
’
LE TTE R B O O K- OF A D M I RAL L O RD RO D N E Y 229
der my C ommand having left the Road o f Basseterre

,
on the 14 th at N ight ; and as soon as I have taken o n
board Yams F lour as a succedaneum for Bread o f

which last A rticle the Ships have none I shall put to ,
sea I send C aptain Rodney with this L etter and hope

.
to be at Barbadoes in two or three days after him if I ,
do not j oin yo u on m y passage .
I am &c .
SA M : HOOD
To Sir G B Rodney &c
. . . &c . &c .
F ro m William B agge tt N ava l S tore keep e r

, at Barb ados
Barbadoes 2 1 Feb ”
1782
Sir
’
A Schooner has j ust now been offe r d to me for sale ,
and giving you her description within I hu mbly submit ,
the matter to your consideration only observing that ,

”
on the A rrival o f Rear A dmiral Sir Sam Hood Bart :
with the Squadron I was directed by C o mm iss L aforey

,
”
to look o ut for two Vessels o f about 60 or 70 Tons for

Watering the F leet when at St L ucia but could m eet
,
.
,
with none fit for that purpose Th e reason this is now to .
be sold is the C apture of Demarara to which Place she ,
traded her Price will be Six Hundred Pounds Sterling

, .
Should you be pleased to appropriate her to any other

purpose than a Watering Vessel she is capable of mount ,
ing 14 four Pounders .
I am &c &c . .
WI LL M
RA GGE TT
Sir Geo B Rodney Bart K B &c &c &c
. . . . . . . .
E ndeavour Schooner ,
A merica Built
L ength of K eel 60 F eet
Breadth o f Beam 20
Depth of Hold 9%
Draws w hen deep between 8 9
light 3%
will stow about 23 0 or 260 Puncheons
E stimated at about 1 18 Tons
F urnished with
Main Sails o ne new o ne Worn
,
F oresails O ne :1 Worn
,
Staysails O ne , Worn
Jibb O ne N e w
,
t q ”
lb
A nchors 6 : 0: 0 O ne
3: 0: 0 O ne
C ables 11 inch : O ne 31, Worn
6 O ne N e w
F ro m M ajor Ge ne ra l Jam e s Cunningham Go ve rn or of ,
B arb ad os
Barbadoes ,
22d F e b ”
1782
A mong the many L osses we sustained by the H uric ane

in O ctober 1 780, our Small A rms su ffered very much ; the
greatest Part o f the m being destroyed , and as those re
m aining are by no Means sufli c ie n t in C ase o f an A ttack
to arm the Island properly ; I think it my Duty to apply
to your E xcellency for a Supply of 500 to 1000 Stand ,
o r as m any as you can conveniently Spare Yo u may rely .
upon their being carefully preserved so that they may ,

’
be re turn d in that State whenever the Service may re
quire your calling for them .
I have the Honor to be with great Respect and Regard

Your E xcellency s m ost &c &c ’
. .
JA s . C U N NI N G HAM
Sir Geo B Rodney Bart K B
. . . . .
-
my own part I will beg leave to declare that from the

,
M o rtific atio ns I have suffered and the obstructions which

have and are likely happen to service from the ine fli c ac y
,
o f the Station I fill here in the Military L ine it will be ,
much more eligible to me that I should confine myself

to my civil D epartment and there is ample E mployment
,
for a C ommanding O fli c e r at this Island besides .
I am nevertheless Sir duly sensible o f the obedience I

owe to your O rders trusting that whatever military Serv
,
ice you may expect from me you will be o f O pinion that ,
a Power adequate thereto should be reposed in me as ,
otherwise your E xpectations and m y best E ndeavours

will be liable to be too often frustrated .
I have the Honor to be with great Respect Sir

Your most obedient humble Servant
O
JN LAF O RE Y
A dmiral Sir G B Rodney Bart K B &c a &c a &c a
. .
,
. . . .
F ro m C ap tain Th o m as B u rn e tt
R oyal O ak in E nglish Harbour

23 d F ebruary 1782
Sir,
I had the honor to receive your orders of the 20th In

stant for putting myself under your C o mmand I here .
’
with Inclose yo u the State C ondition o f His Maj esty s
”
Ship Royal O ak and likewise Sir Sam Hoods letter to m e
of the 22d Instant which Gives you the latest Informa
tion where he is I hope to be ready to Sail in three o r
.
” ’
four days having Sir Sam Hood s orders for my Joining
him at Barbadoes bringing two bowsprits with me o ne
,
for the Monarch and the other for the A lfred as also two ,
C ables and some other Stores the Robust and Janus ,
have put in here some time since in great distress being

on their passage for E ngland the Robust is to be repaired
,
and have Jury Masts to C arry her to E ngland the Janus

L E TTE R B O O K -
is to be C oppered ( it fitted for Service the N ymph hav .
ing met with an A ccident the A lfred having run o n board

of her is here repairing the Hornett is ready for Sea
only waiting for the return of her people who are on Duty
at St John s and O ld R oads the Germaine will be ready
.
’
in three or four Days and is ordered for Barbadoes by

”
Sir Sam Hood Th e Berbice Schooner L ieutenant
Thompson C ommanding her will be ready in four or five
Days but has no Men the Tickler Star and Renard
are here but without Men the Star is appointed to re .
le iv e the P ac ah un ta at St Johns the other two are in a

.
very bad C ondition not fit to go to Sea I have the honor .
to be Sir ,
Yours &c &c &c . . .
TH O S B URN E TT .
Sir Geo : B R odney Bart

. .
&c . &c . &c
To C ap tain Th om as B urne tt
F ormidable O ff E nglish Harbour

23 feb 1782
”
Sir
I am this m oment fav o ur d with your L etter by C ap’
tain Vashon and must desire you not to lose one M o

,
ments Time in j oining me with His M aj esty s Ship un

,
’
der your C ommand agre ab le to the inclosed Rendezvous

, ,
which you are to keep a profound Secret A n d as I have .
o rd e rd the Yarmouth into F reemans Bay for a Main
Yard you are to take her under your C omm and provided ,
His M aj estys ship under your C ommand is ready to pro

c ee d to Sea ; but upon no account to detain the Yar
mouth sh o ud she be ready before you as it is o f the ,
utmost consequence that His Maj estys F leet in these

Seas should be assembled with every dispatch possible .
I must desire you will please to give directions that

the N ymph j oins me with every dispatch possible and ,
-
that the Hornett m ay j oin m e if possible tom orr o w Morn

ing o ff this Island .
I shall be very Glad to See you and be assured I am

with great Regard Sir
Yours
G B RO D NE Y
. .
C aptain Burnett
Royal O ak
F rom C ap tain Jo hn L af ore y, C o m m is sioner f

o th e N a vy
a t th e L e e ward I s lan ds
A ntigua Yard 23 d F e b ”
1782
Dear Sir ,
I have the honor of your F avour dated the 2oth In

stant and beg leave to congratulate yo u upon your safe
A rrival in these Seas .
C aptain Burnett who co mm ands here at present will

doubtless inform you o f the F ate o f S t K itts and that
” ’
Sir Sam Hood sail d yesterday E vening for Barbadoes
to water his F leet and form a j unction with yo u .
It is with great concern I m ust acquaint yo u that we

have not in the Yard a Topmast o r a Topsail Yard for a
Ship of the L ine except a F ore topmast the only one left
to the R obust which with a Main Yard for the Yarmouth
shall be sent as soon as you appear o ff We have now in .
Hand a M ain topmast fo r a Seventy four the Head of

which we have been obliged to tongue in order to
lengthen it and will be finishe d to morrow morning .
Th e Masts and Spars which were wrecked at Barbuda

before you left this C ountry have been lately brought
’
to St John s some o f those may do when we can get them
,
round which I have no other Means o f doing but by

getting them towed by small Vessels when they come here
with Stores and Provisions for this Port .
I now enclose a L ist o f such lower Masts and Yards

as are in Store here at present .
His sailing yesterday to the N orthward has prevented ,
so pleasing a prospect fo r I came determined to attack

,
in conj unction with him the F rench F leet which his , ,
leaving A ntigua has for some time prevented But I fl at .
ter myself it will not be long before they will give me an

, ,
O pportunity .
I have dispatched my best sailing Ship to endeavour

1
,
”
to meet with Sir Sam before his arrival at Barbadoes
, ,
that the Juncture with me may speedily be made .
A s I observe there are several small F rigates which ,
may be of infinite consequence at this Juncture par

tic ularly in bringing me Intelligence from your Island ,
o r the motions of the E nemy I must desire that you or ,
the commanding O fficer ( for the Time being ) will order

Men to be lent from the Robust and Janus that the ,
F rigates may j oin me with your dispatches agreeable to

the inclosed Rendezvous which I must desire yo u will
’
k eep a profound Secret and sh o u d the F rench F leet
,
make an A ttack on A ntigua if the Inhabitants will but

defend the strong Posts they may depend on my re c e iv
ing Intelligence that the whole British F leet shall come
to their assistance .
’
I must desire upon Mr Burnet s leaving E nglish Har .
bour you will hoist your distinguishing Pendant again

take the C ommand upon you as usual .
I have the honour to be with the sincerest regard D ,

”
Sir,
Yours &c &c & c . . .
G B RO D N E Y
. .
To John L aforey E sq ”
&c . &c . &c . A ntigua
I must desire if you meet with any Ships Brigs o r ,
Vessels fit for His Maj esty s Service that you cause them
’
to be purchased as I have orders for that purpose .
[ Marginal note in A dmiral Rodney s handwriting : ]

’
1
'
Th e A nson
LE TTE R B O O K - OF A D M I RAL L O RD RO D N E Y 23 7
F ro m C ap tain Th om as B urn e tt
R oyal O ak in E nglish Harbour

24 th F ebr 1782
”
Sir ,
I had the Honor to receive your s of the 23 d Inst with ’

.
the Rendezvous Inclosed you may be assured I wont

loose one M oment s time in j oining you as soon as His
’
M aj esty s Ship under my C ommand is ready fo r Sea

’
which cannot be be fore next Tuesday I shall not de

tain the Yarmouth one M oment if she is ready be fore
m e and sh all give the L a N ymph proper O rders fo r j oin
ing you with all Dispatch I have desired C aptain
C rosby to Supply the Hornet with Water and she shall
Join you to day I Shall think myself very happy in Join
.
ing you .
I am the .
TH O S B URN E TT.
To Sir G B Rodney Bart &c . . . . &c . &c .
To B rigadie r Ge n e ra l A n th ony S t L e ge r .
F ormidable off E nglish Harbour

24 february 1782
D St L eger
”
.
O n my receiving Intelligence o f an attack being made

o n the Island o f S t C hristophers it prevented my j oining ,
you at St L ucia as I thought it my duty not to lose o ne

.
moments Time in supporting St C hristophers and hav .
ing an opportunity of bringing on a General A ction with

the E nemy s F leet ’
.
But to my utmost astonishment on my arrival of this

Island yesterday I was made acquainted that St C hristo
,
.
p h e rs had s urre nd e r d and that Sir S Hood with the

’
.
fleet under his command had left St Johns Road A n ,

.
tigua and was hastening to Barbadoes .

I have disp atc h d a Ship after him to O rder h im t o

’
Rendezvous at St L ucia that the j unction of the fleets

.
m ay be made and the first opportunity taken o f A ttack

’
ing the E nemy s fleet .
Y o u may expect to see me very shortly and beg you

will be assured that I have the Honor to be with great
re gard ; D SE
r
G B RO D N E Y
Brigadier General S t L eger
To th e M arq uis d e B o uille Go ve rn o r Ge n e ra l o f th e ,

-
F re nc h Windward I s lands
. A ntigua 24th F e b ”
1 782
Si r
I have the Honor to introduce to your E xcellency Th e ,
Wm Payne Georges E sq C hief Justice o f the

.
”
Island o f St C hristophers who came o ut with me fro m

.
,
Great Britain : and being a proprietor o f L and in the ,
said Island wishes to avail himself o f the Terms o f C api

,
tulatio n granted by your E xcellency to the Inhabitants

’
thereof I beg leave to add that your E xcellency s at
.
,
tention and C ivilities to this Gentleman will be great

, ,
fully acknowledged by m e .
I have the Honor to be with Real Respect and E steem ,

” ’
Your E xcellency s most O b &c &c &c . . .
G B RO D N E Y
. .
His E xcellency Th e Marquis De Bouille

&c . &c . &c .
To Re ar A d mira l Sir Sam ue l H o o d
F orm idable O ff
E nglish Harbor
24 th F ebruary 1 782
M y Dear Sir ,
You may easily imagine m y C oncern when on m y ar

rival O ff this Island Yesterday E vening I was made ao ,
L E TTE R B O O K
-
I most sincerely partake with you in the calamity that

has be fallen His M aj esty s A rms by the Surrender of
’
St C hristophers and am fully convinced that every thing

.
’
that cou d possibly be done by Man has been done by ,
you and have not a doubt but on our j unction we shall

,
have an opportunity o f making the E nemy feel the

Weight of the British A rms .
I must conclude with saying that I have not a doub t

but you will act in the best manner possible and as cir
c um s ta n c e s may require fo r the good of His M aj esty s
’
Service ; till the j unction between our F leets is made ;

and leave the manner of actin g entirely to your j udg
ment recommending it to your consideratio n whether
those L ine of Battle Ships that are in no condition to
cruize to Windward of Martinico sh o u d not be ordered ’
to St L ucia for the better protection of that very im

portant Island .
I have much to say to you when we meet and beg you

will be assured that I shall ever be with real truth and
Si ncer i ty Dear Sir ,
G B RO D N E Y
. .
”
To Sir Ham Hood Bart &c . . &c . &c .
P S I sh o u d have wrote with my

. .
’
o wn hand but the
,
Gout will not permit me .
F ro m C ap tain Jo hn L afo re y, C om m issio n e r o f th e N a vy

a t th e L e e w ard I s lan ds
E nglish Harbou r 24 th F ebruary 1 782

Sir ,
I have the honour of your L etter dated yesterday and ,
will take care to pay due obedience to the Directions you ,
have given therein .
I will cause to be purchased whatever Vessels come

L E TTE R B O O K
-
here that are proper for His M aj esty s Service agreeable

,
’
,
to your desire .
I think it most probable the Ship you have sent after

”
Sir Sam Hood will meet him as he crosses with his ,
F leet to the Southward

,
.
Th e Report which C apt n Vasho n tells me he com ,
m unic a te d to you that the E nemy were forty four Sail

,
”
o f the L ine has I believe no foundation when Sir Sam
, ,
Hood left St K itts there were then thirty two Sail o f

,
the L ine at A nchor under N evis and I beleive two Sail ,
more at O ld Road and Sandy Point but at that time

, , ,
the Triumphant Brave had j oined them from E urope ,
and possibly some others I beleive twenty seven Sail .
o f the L ine and two o f fi f ty Guns was their F orce at St

, ,
K itts before the j unction of those from E urope has

, ,
many of them are arrived we have not yet heard .
I will agreeable to your O rders hoist my distinguish ,
ing Pendant again and resume the C o mm and as soon as ,
C aptain Burnett leaves the Port and I beg leave to sub ,
m it to you C onsideration Sir a Letter now ac c o m , ,
pan [ y ] ing this which I had written upon the Subj ect as
, ,
soon as I heard o f your A rrival in these Seas and I wish ,
to know if it is your Pleasure that C ourt M artials ,
s h o u d be again held here occasionally because in that

’
C ase I will request you will be pleased to have an al

,
t e ra tio n made in the O rder you gave me for that pur ,
pose a C opy o f which I now inclose as through an In

, ,
ad v e rtan c e in the Person who drew it up my Power is ,
confined only to the A pplications made to me from

others and I am precluded thereby from ordering any
,
at my own instance if I find it necessary .
I have the honour to be with great Respect and Re

gard Sir
JO H N LAF O RE Y
”
A dm Sir G B Rodney Bart K B &c &c &c
. . . . . .
F ro m Rear A dm ira l Sir Sam ue l H ood
Barfl e ur at Sea F ebr ”

25th 1782
Sir
’
I beg leave to acquaint you that upon the A lfred s ,
running o n board the N ymph early in the Morning o f ,
the 24th o f last Month o ff the E ast E nd of the Island,
o f N evis I directed the L ieutenant of the Watch in

,
each Ship to be suspended in order that the ir C onduct ,
might be enquired into at a C ourt Martial so soon as ,
the K ings Service would permit I have the honor to be .
Sir &c
SA M HO O D
.
Sir Geo B Rodney

. . Bt . K B &c &c &c
. . . .
F ro m C ap tain Th om as B urne tt
Royal O ak in E nglish Harbor

25th F e b 1782
”
Sir,
I had the honour to receive your Signals and Instruc
tions this day als o your order to C ompleat the Vic tuall
,
ing o f His Maj esty s Ship Royal O ak to four Months

’
, .
I have the honour to be Sir , ,
TH O S B UR N E TT
.
”
A dm Sir G B R odney Bart &c &c &c
. . . . . .
F rom C om m o dore E dm un d A flle c k
Bedford at Sea F eb ”
26, 1782
Sir
I am sorry I could not have the Honor o f paying my
respects to yo u Yesterday by your filling before I could
-
am sorry your Indisposition should have deprived m e

o f the pleasure o f seeing you .
I herewith return you the above O rders but in the ,
present Situation of A ffairs it will be altogether needless

to observe that nothing can be said as to the Time when
the A merican Ships can be spared to return back from
this Station .
I heartily thank you for your kind C ongratulations on

my Return to this C ountry beg you will accept of my
,
best wishes for the Recovery o f your health and remain

with great regard and E steem
G B . . RO D N E Y
To C ommodore Afi le c k
F ro m C ap tain Sim o n M ille r to C ap tain Sir C h arles

D o uglas
[ Pigeon Island St L ucia March

, .
, ,
Sir
I have the honor to represent to you that the People ,
landed from the Deal C astle and C amelion in O ctober ,
1 780 under my C ommand for the defence of this Island

, ,
have since the Sailing o f the E tna from this country not ,
been borne on any Ships Books for Wages nor have they ,
since their first landing been but once supplied with

Slops and are now exceedingly distressed C ircumstanced
, .
under such difficulties they have expressed themselves

,
very d isatisfie d and are daily importuning me to intreat

, ,
for a redress to so great a hardship and as O pportunity ,
has not been so favourable as at this time to set forth ,
their misfortune I hope they will now be consider d

,
’
.
I have therefore to request that you will please to

solicit of the A dmiral to establish them o n some footing
,
if it becomes his pleasure to continue them here so as ,
securing them wages and fixing some method that they

may be supplied with C lothing or that they be allowed to
L E TTE R B O O K
-
j oin some Ship which acquiescence will be doing them

,
the greatest favor I have the honor to remain Sir &c

. .
M M I L LE R
.
Sir Chas Douglass

. Et z
F rom C ap tain H ugh C lo b e rry C hris tian
La F ortunée Barbadoes
o ff
March l s t 1782 .
Sir ,
I have the Honor to make known to you that in O bedi

”
ence to the O rders of Rear A dmiral Sir Sam Hood dated
the 22d of F ebruary last I proceeded with the Pegasus
’
to watch the motions o f the E nemy s F leet to a fford sup ,
port to the Garrison of St L ucia by leaving the Pegasus

.
in case that Island should be threatened with an A ttack

a n d then to j oin him with the F ortunée at Barbadoes .
’
Great Part o f the E nemy s F leet having been seen
going into Port Royal on the morning of the 26th and
many others to L eeward had determined me to dispatch
a Schooner to Barbadoes with the Intelligence and ,
( agreeable to the requisition o f M aj or Ge n St L eger ) to

”
.
_
remain with the Pegasus for the protection o f the Island

no other Ship of War being then at St L ucia except the .
St E ustatius and St Vincente I made the necessary

. . .
disposition for that purpose but o n the arrival o f C aptn

Savage with the Hercules I j udged it expedient to pro
c e e d with the F rigates to Barbadoes in hopes that I ,
should find you and the F leet at that A nchorage the ,
more particularly as C aptain Savage in formed me that

”
he saw Sir Sam Hood s Squadron to Windward o ff Bar
’
b ad oe s and that he supposed the F leet would be in C ar

,
lisle Bay by time o f our arrival I conceived it of much

consequence that you should know the E nemy had
reached M artinique and there fore did not wait at St .
L ucia for Water which the Pegasus and F o rtune e are

both in want of this E vening will I hope permit us to
.
-
OF AD M I RA L L O RD RO D N E Y
compleat and should I see nothing o f the F leet by Sun

,
day I will proceed to Windward o f Martinique in search

o f you looking first into St L ucia I am &c
, . . .
H UG H C H RI STI A N
To Sir G B Rodney B t &c
. . . . &c . &c .
To M ajor Ge ne ra l Ja m e s C unningh am Go ve rnor of ,
B arb ados
F ormi dable at Sea l st March 1782

Sir
Havin g received Inform ation that there are several
Danish Vessels now at Barbadoes loaded with Provi ,
sions ; I can not om it tak ing the L iberty to represent the

sa me to your E xcellency and to exp ress m y desire that
, ,
you will be ple as d not to allow any Provisions to be shipd

’
i n any neutral Vessels ; as the doing it can b e only with a .
design to supply the E nemy an d is directly contrary to

the A c t of N avigation that Paladium o f British Power
, ,
British Goods in British Bottoms and m ay be very pre ,

’
j udicial to His Maj esty s Service surely Danes should
, ,
not be permitted to come to Barbadoes o r at least not ,
to be allowed to stay .
I have the Honor to be with the greatest Regard and

E steem Sir ,
Your E xcellency s Most obedient an d m ost Humble

’
servant
G B RO D N E Y . .
His E xcellency General C unningham &c &c &c . . .
F ro m C ap tain Jo h n L afo re y, C o m m ission e r o f th e N a vy

a t th e L e e w ard I s lan ds
Tickler E nglish Harbour March 1st 1782

Sir
Th e L izard arrived this day with the Whitby Store
ship having been chased in to this Port by a ship of the
I m ust desire yo u will please to be particularly carefull

in shewing the inclosed orders to every Ship o f War that
m ay arrive at Barbadoes remaining yourself in C arlisle
,
Bay till further O rders and you will please to inform

,
m e as soon as possible if the Storekeeper has p urchased

the two Ships agre ab le to m y directions .
Yo u will please to put fifty o f the best Men brought

to Barbadoes fro m Demarara in the Stormont on board
the Sybil .
G B RO D N E Y . .
C aptain Day
Surpri z e
To Rear A dm ira l Sir Sam ue l H oo d
F or mi dable in Gross Islet Bay St L ucia .
2d March 1782
Dear Sir
I have received Intelligence that makes it absolutely
necessary that not o ne Moment should be lost in water
, ,
ing the F leet and taking s p eedily on board what Pro

, ,
visions can be pro c ur d ’

.
I have w rote to A d m iral Drake on the same head , ,
and d e sir d that N ight and Day may be e m ployed in

’
, ,
compleating his Squadron .
Th e Invincible is so extrem ely leaky that after order ,
ing her to be surv e y d the report to me is that she can

’
, ,
not possibly be put in a C ondition to cruize with the

, ,
F leet without being hove down I shall therefore send

,
.
her to Jamaica this N ight with my Dispatches and , ,
hope she may be put in a condition to serve should the

E nemy oblige us to go to the assistance of that Island .
Th e C entaur s fore Mast m ust come out I have sent

’
, ,
to the C areenage to know if there is a m ast fit fo r her

,
as I am told there is .
A s your Ships are w ate r d I m ust desire you will send

’
them to Gros Islet Bay and to anchor on the South side .

LE TTE R B O O K
-
You m ay depend if I hear any N ews o f consequence

that I will inform yo u the last A ccount o f the French
,
F leet says they were between Dom inique and Guadeloupe

the Ships are not returned from reconnoitring F ort Royal .
I have the honor to be with great Regard D Sir

”
Yours &c .
G B RO D N E Y
. .
”
Sir Sam Hood Bart .
To R e ar A dm ira l F ranc is S Drake .
F ormidable in Gross Islet Bay St L ucia .
2d March 1 782
Dear Sir
Th e Intelligence I have received makes it absolutely
necessary that not one Mom ent should be lost in c om
pleating the Water N ight and Day .
A s your Ships compleat the ir Water I could wish yo u ,
would order them up giving directions to the C aptains

,
to anchor at a proper distance from the Ships now here ,
and not to go within them .
I have the honor to be D Sir &c

”
.
G B RO D N E Y . .
”
Rear A dm Drake
F ro m C ap tain Ge o rge Day
Surprize C arlisle Bay Barbadoes

3 d March 1782
Sir
This mornin g I had the honor of
your L etter by C ap
tain K eppel of His Maj esty s Sloop Germaine and with
’
,
great respect beg leave to acquaint you that on the ,
Arrival o f His Maj esty s Ships Warrior St Monica and

’
.
, ,
Sybil the St Monica anc h or d first and I immediately

,
.
’
,
w aited on C aptain L inzey and sh e w d him what O rders

’
,
250 LE TTE R B O O K
-
and L etters yo u was pleased to intrust me with ; and

’
as soon as Sir James Wallace anc h or d I did the same
but the tw o L etters addressed to C aptain Shirley was
’
re turn d to me unop e n d ;
’
did not take notice that o ne
of them was to C aptain Shirley or the C o mm anding O i ,
fi c e r of His Maj Ships arriving at Barbadoes ; I ask p ar

”
don for my O mission for if I had would have taken the ,
L iberty o f mentioning o f it to them A t the arrival o f His .
Maj Ships F ortunée and Pegasus I immediately waited

”
’ ’
on C apt : C hristian which L etter he op e n d and I sh e w d
, ,
him every other Paper I had in my Possession O n His ,

’
Maj esty s Service w hich he has re turn d
’
.
I beg leave to acquaint y o u that nothing was done ,
b y the Storekeeper concerning the purchase o f the Tw o

Privateers for want o f proper O fficers till the A rrival ,
of C aptain C hristian who immediately gave Directions

to have them Surve y d which has been done ; A n d the
’
reports of the Survey are in his Possession .
You m ay depend upon my bein g Particularly carefull

in shewing the O rders I have received to every Ship of
W ar that may arrive at Barbadoes .
A s soon as the Sybil arrives th e Men m e n tio n d in your

’
O rder shall be immediately put o n board her .
I have the honor to be with great Respect Sir &c .
GE O DAY .
Sir G B Rodney Bart K B &c &c &c

. . . . . . . .
F ro m C ap tain Ro b e rt B arb or
F ame Gros Islet Bay St L ucia .
3 d March 1782
Sir
I am to desire You ll give orders for a C ourt Martial
’
being A ssembled to try the Six men named in the mar

gin for Mutinously assem bling Beating and otherwise
1
, ,
W m Heath Wm Jenkins Jas Morewood

1
.
,
.
,
.
,
Jno .
Mason Geo : Tillic k Th o E c c le sto ne

, ,
.
-
We are very m uch infested here by small Vessels under ,
the sanction of the Danish F lag ; so m e co m e as flags o f

Truce ; to m e an unaccountable Thing ; what Treatment
would your E xcellency wish I should give these People ?
m any I fear C ome here for no good Purpose .
I have the Honor to be w ith the highest Respect an d

Regard ,
Your E xcellency s Most obedient m ost faithful H um

’
ble Servant
JA S C U NN I N G H AM .
To Sir G eo B Rodney Bart &c &c &c

. . . . . .
F ro m M ajor Ge ne ra l Jam e s C unningham Go ve rnor of ,
B arb ados
B arbadoes 4 th March 1782
As I have thought pro p er to stop the sailing o f any

Vessels from this Port in order to prevent the Chance
,
o f Provisions being carried away which the F leet may ,
b e in Want o f and as the E mbargoes m ake the Merch

,
a nts very clam or o us I flatter m yself yo u will not delay

,
C om municating to m e your Wishes o n this Head .
A S I mentioned to Yo u in m y L etter of Yesterday I ,
shall detain all the neutral Vessels as well those that call ,
them selves flags o f Truce and others till I hear fro m

Yo u on the Subj ect .
I cannot conceive flags o f Truce necessary to N eutral

Vessels .
I have the Honor to be with the highest Respect and

Regard
’
Your E xcellency s &c &c . .
JA S C U NN I N G HAM
.
To Sir Ge o Rodney Bart K B

. . . . &c &c &c
. . .
L E TTE R B O O K - OF A D M I RAL L O RD RO D N E Y 253
F rom C ap tain Jo hn S tan hop e
Pegasus St L ucia . 4th March 1782

Sir
I beg leave to acquaint Yo u that Mr William Mack a .
rell Boatswain o f His Maj esty s Ship under my C om

,
’
mand has been for a length of time guilty of Drunkeness

,
a nd neglect o f Duty .
I am therefore to request that Yo u will be pleased

to Direct a C ourt Martial to be assembled in order to ,
His being trye d for the said O ffences He bein g in A rrest ,
for the same I am &c

J S TAN H O PE
N
. .
To S ir G B Rodney Bart . . .
F ro m Wi lliam Ragge tt N a val S to re k e ep er , at B arb ados
Barbadoes 4 th March 1782

Sir
In O bedience to your O rder o f the 19 th past the ,
Scourge and Roade Privateers lately captured have been ,
surveyed and herewith I inclose copies o f the Reports

,
with the valuation o f their Hulls Masts Rigging O rd , , ,
nance and F urniture and I humbly pray your further

d irections concerning them whether I am to supply ,
the m with such A rticles as may be necessary to equip ,
them for their proceeding to yo u ; and into whose C harge

I am to deliver the m .
I am with the greatest respect Sir

Your m ost O bedient &c &c . .
W ILL M
BAGGETT
S ir Geo G Rodney Bart. . .
&c . &c . &c .
Pursuant to an O rder from Sir G B Rodney Bart : . .
K : B : A dmiral O f the White and C ommander in Chief

&c . &c . &c .
We whose names are hereunto written Have b een on

board the Prize Ship Sc o urge lately C ap tur d fr om the ,
’
E nemy By His Maj esty s Ship P ro th é e and w e have

’
,
taken a strict and impartial Survey o n the Hull Rigging , ,
F urniture and Warlike Stores of the said Ship and find

them as follows .
Built in N e w E ngland A ge 12 Months appears to be ,
very w ell fitted and built of N e w E ngland

Hull burthen o f 240 Tons
Ma sts and Ya rd s C o m p l e a t
L e ngt h o n t h e G un D e ck f o m Rab b it 98 feet r
B re adth s E xt e am 23 feet 8 : r
D ep t h in th e Ho ld 10 fee t 6 :
Ma i n Yard Sp are O ne i n N o :
, ,
Tops a i l Y a rd D o : O ne ,
Ji bb Boo m O ne
Ma i n t o p Ma st Studd s a i l Boo m Tw o
,
g
To p G all Ma st Sp a re Tw o
,
”
To p G all Y a rd O ne
,
”
I o n Stantio ns F o urte e n
,
r ,
C ru t ch es Tw o
,
St a i r C a sse O ne
Pins C ha ins fo r C apst n ba s E ight
,
er r
P oo p L ath o n O ne
,
r ,
W oo d Sh ip Till ers O ne ,
C ap sto n B a s E i ght r
Hand Pum p fitte d wit h B ra ss C la m p s Tw o

,
L e ad Pum ps Tw o ,
D o : fo r t h e He ad O ne
P um p Sp e ars Six
,
rB e ak s Six
Boxes Up pe Six
,
r,
L o w er Six ,
Bell Wa t ch O ne ,
C ab i n O ne,
C opper C h i m n ey O ne ,
Hal f po ts E igh t
r ,
Ha t ch B arrs Th ree ,
C ab oose I ro n O ne
E n sig n St a ff O ne B i tt a c l e O n e He nc oo p O ne
,
, , ,
D e ad L ig hts Sett O ne ,
Boo m I o ns F o ur
r ,
360 0 0
B OATSW A IN S STORE S
Sail s
Ma in F o re t op G all Royal s V2 w o n ”
,
r
1 L o w e r St udding Sa i l w o n ,
r
2 Main TO p m St udd Sail s 1% w orn
” ”
,
1 Main C o a rse N e w ,
1 Main To p m St ay s a il N e w
”
,
1 M i z e n To p m St ay s a il
”
w orn ,
1 F o e t O p m St ay s a i l N e w 1A; w o rn
r
”
,
La dles p unges C o m pp
S o
”
3 d
St a es 6 p d
'
1 ”8
r
w v
R o p e Sp un ges w Ra m im n e h e a ds
h
r pd "
Wad Hoo k s C o m p l e at 6 p d ”
Ta m p i o n f G un s 6 p d
or
"
C o n P o wd e in wh o ll e
r e b a e ls
r rr
P o wd e i n fill e d C a tt iddges 6 P d
r
" r ri
1° 0
Ma t ch [ e ] s
P owd e Ho ns r r
A p o n s L e ad
r
H and C o w li e s o f 5 ffeett
r v r
w
C ro s o I ro f n
Bre e c h ins O f
Tac le s C o m l e p a t with B lo cks h ooks
Musk etoo n
B ightr
B lack
B ay o n ets C o m p l e at
Mu sk e to o ns
Pistols w ith Ribb s
C a to uch Bo xes with o ut B el ts
r or frogs
Stro ng Pik es
M usq ue t C art ridges Ball d ’
Iro n Bo und C a sk s
N u m b e of d iffer siz es Th irty To ns l
t
r
30 o 0
I ro n Hoops Six hund e d f
r
£2662 0 0
A llwhich we find as herein Specified and We DO De

c 1are that we have Taken this Survey with Such C are
and E quity That if Required We are ready to m ake
O ath to the i m partiality of O ur Proceedings and the
,
valuation of the Premises to the Best o f O ur Judg m ent .
Given under our hands on board the said Ship in C ar

lisle Bay Barbados 2d Mar : 1782
,
JO H N C O N GA L TO N F ortunée
W I LL S C O TT
M
Masters Pegasus
TH O S C LE M E N TS
. Surpri z e
JO H N M C P H A I L L Gun ”
F ortunée
C HAS SI M P I L L . Gun ”
Pegasus
W H I N TO N
. Gun ”
Surprize
W M YE LLAN D. C arp t F ortune e

”
W M G RAY . C arp t Pegasus

”
JO H N M E L I SO N C arp t Surprize
”
L E TTE R B O O K -
Pursuant to an O rder from Sir George Bridges Rodney

Bart K B A dmiral of the White and C ommander in
. . .
C hief &c &c &c . . .
We whose N ames are hereunto Written have been on ,
board the Prize Ship Roade lately C aptured fro m the ,

’
E nemy by His Maj esty s Ship P ro th é e and have taken ,
a strict impartial survey on the Hull Rigging and F ur ,
niture and find as ffollows

o
feet in 8 (1
L engt h o n th e G un D e ck f
m
Rabb it to Ra b ”
92 0
Bre adth E xt e am r 25 2
D ept h in the Hold 10 6
1300 0 0
Th e Ma i n Ma st Sp rung a b o v e the Riggin g and a ppea rs
to u s to b e Unse Vv iicc [ e ] abl e r
Th e F o rem a st Sp un g ab o v e t h e Riggin g and a p p e a rs

r
to u s to b e Unse v i cc eeaabl
b le r I
F ore Yard Sp are

F o e To p Ma st
r
Ji bb Boo m
To p G all Ma s t ”
He n C oops
Hand Pu m ps
I o n St n t ns
r a io
Upper Bo xes
L o w er
Spie s r
Hoo k s
D ead L igh ts
C ap te rn B a s
s r
Bitt acl e
Bell s Wa t ch
,
Ha t ch B a s rr
Boo m I o ns r
G ind Sto n es
r
Fi e h ea ths
r r
P um p B reak s
I ro n Stantio ns
Gla ss Stone G o und Pan es r
A rm C hests
Bo a ts C utc h e ttsr
Plank E lm 4 Inch
200 0 0
B OATSW AI N S STO RE S
F ore To p Sa il 1% W orn O ne
Ma in TO p m ast St ay Sa i l 1
/d
3 Wo n r O ne
C
a e 3
Ji bb % ds W o rn
’ ds
g
m}
w c rn O ne
O ne
Main Stay Sa il N ew O ne
OF A D M IRA L L O RD RO D N E Y
(1
Main Top Sa il % d W orn O ne
Main tO p m studin g Sa il N e w
”
O ne
D itt o 2 d W o rn
3
/ O ne
F ore To p M Stud s ail 243d W o rn ” g
O ne
Sa il s Be nt t o th e Y a rds
F ore C o urse L it tl e W o rn O ne
Main L ittle W o rn O ne
M izen Half W orn O ne
F o re To p : Sail half al f O ne
Miz en hazdl ff O ne
Main To pgall Sail half w orn
”
, O ne
O ne
F ore tO p m St ay Saaifll H alf W orn
”
. O ne
Miz e n St ay Sail IHIaalf H? W o rn O ne
Bo w er A nch o r Supp o s dd 1000 lb Wt ’
O ne
St and in g Riggi n g C o m p l e a t half W o rn E xc ep t Main
. .
To p m Shr and Ba c k stayes Main Topg

”“ ”
,
Shro u ds an d B a c k st ay s C ut an d Unfit ,
for Se rv ic e
Runn i n g Ri gg ing C o m p half W o rn
”
D ri v e r % d W”o rn
M i z e n To p m Stay Sa il W o rn
Shi p Sw ee p s
C o pp er Boil e r
Ma in To pgall Royal N ew
”
B ra ss Box C om p a ss
W o o d ditt o
H al f h o ur G la sses
Tw o h o ur G la ss
Half m in ut e d °
Q uart er d
°
B l o cks o f diff erent Sorts

A Pair o f Steel Ya rds P e a
350
I ro n b o un d C asks 72 24 Ton
Hoops F o ur Hund e d r
E i g ht O a r d P i nn ac e 24 ft : in L e n gt h 1
’
36
Sm all C utt e r 14 f ee t 4 O a rs f
O RDN AN CE STORE S
Iro n O rdnanc e 6 P o un d ers Twe nty tw o
Sh i p C a rria ges wi t h Be d s C o ins Tw e nty t w o
Truck s Sp a re F ore an d b ind ,
Th ree Thre e
Ro und Sh ot 6 Pd ”
Six h undre d & E ighty
Grap e d in ba gs Tw o hundre d
,
°
D o ubl e h e ad h am m e r d Sh o t 6 P d " ’ I
Tw o hundre d E ighty
Pa per C artri dges 6 P d "
Tw o hundre d
C a ses o f W oo d 6 E ig ht
L adl e s & S"p unges w Stav e s C om p
”” ” 1
Pd
6 Te n
C o n e d P o wd e wh o l e b a els
r r rr Nine
P o wd e h o ns
r r Th irt ee n
A p o ns L e ad
r
Hand C o w l i e s o f
r feet v r Tw e nty tw o
I o n C rows of 4 feet
r Fi v e
Bree ch ings 5 I nch es Tw enty sev e n
Inclosed I send yo u orders which I think absolutely

necessary in C ase your Island should be attacked
, .
I have the honor to be with great Regard Sir

Y o urs &c ,
.
G B RO D NE Y . .
John L aforey E sq &c &c

”
. .
P S Th e E ne m y s F leet arrived at Port Royal the

. .
’
”
day I j oined Sir Sam Hood to windward O f your Island ,
.
I am this day j oined by the Valiant fro m E ngland w h o ,
sailed with the D uke and is hourly expected .
To C ap tain Ge orge D ay
F or mi dable in Gros Islet Bay

5th Mar : 1 782
Sir
I have received your L etter o f the 3 d Instant fro m
Barbadoes inform ing m e of the A rrival o f several of
,
His Maj esty s Ships there and the Manner o f your Pro
’
,
c ee d ings relative to the shewing them the O rders I left
in your Charge I trust that in future Yo u will be more

.
,
attentive to the A ddress o f O rders left with Yo u for ,
Delivery an Inattention o f that k ind m ay be at ,

’
tended with fatal C onsequences t o His Maj esty s Service .
In the present Instance the Warrior n o t having yet ,
jo in d me m ust be attributed thereto as Sir James Wal

’
,
lace ( had he read the O rder left with yo u for C aptain

Shirley or the C o mm anding O fli c e r arriving at Barba
,
does ) would not have gone to A ntigua .
You are to compleat the number o f Men yo u are at

present short o f from those brought from D e m e rary I .
am &c .
G B RO D N E Y . .
To C apt Day .
Surprize
L E TTE R B OO K
-
To M ajor Ge ne ra l Jam es C unningham Governor of ,
B arb ados
F ormidable , Gros Islet Bay

h
5th Mar 1782
Sir
I am h onor d with your E xcellency s Letters o f the 3 d
’ ’
4 th of March and must intreat you that you will not

permit any Provisions to be ship e d from your Island ,
in neutral or British Bottoms and that you will please ,
to give D irections that the strictest attention be paid

towards the Danish F lags o f Truce who I am convinced ,
come to give the E nemy Intelligence and supply them

with Provisions .
I have sent C apt : M c Lawre n to your E xcellency who ,
will inform you o f a pernicious C orrespondence carry

ing o n between some of the Inhabitants o f Bridge Town
,
and the E nemy s Islands and yo u m ay depend that if

’
yo u allow Provisions to be sh ip e d even fo r the Island ,
o f St L ucia unless for the use o f the A rmy and N avy

.
, ,
that those Provisions are m eant for the E nemy s Island ’
and as the E nemy s F leet no w in Port Royal Bay are

’
,
in the greatest want of Provisions that yo u will coincide ,
w ith me in O pinion that it is o ur Duty to prevent as

, ,
far as lays in o ur Power their receiving any .
In regard to the A merican Prisoners o f War I have

directed C apt : M c Laurin to receive 50 on board and ,
every Ship shall receive in Proportion in order to their

, ,
being brought to St L ucia when proper O pportunity .

,
o ff ers those taken in Merchant Ships should be allowed

to go two at a time in the Trade bound to Great Britain ,
at present they would only M an the E nemys Privateers .
I have not as yet received your E xcellencys L etter ,
which yo u acquaint me you sent by Sir James Wallace ,
so that I cannot tell what N umber o f small A rms yo u

have demanded but your E xcellency may depend upon
my supplying you as far as lays in my Power
, .
In regard to the E mbargo at your Island I cannot ,

-
have the least obj ection to its being taken o ff but fl at ,
ter myself your E xcellency will agree with m e that the ,
Danish F lags o f Truce should be discouraged by all means

possible and the Shipping o f Provisions excep t for the
,
K ings Service prevented I have the honor to b e with

.
the highest regard Sir &c .
G B RO D N E Y . .
”
To His E xcellency Gen C unningham &c &c . .
To C ap tain Jo hn Lafo re y C o mm ission e r of th e N a vy

, at
th e L e e ward Is lan ds
F orm idable in Gros Islet Bay

5 March 1 782
S ir
Inclosed is a demand for S tores which as they are not
to be procured at St L ucia I must request you would
.
,
send to Pigeon Island so soon as possible .
You w ill please to send Mr Richard Dickeson late C ar

.
p e nte r o f the Reynard hither and as m any Ship Wrights

,
as can b e spared from the Yard at A ntigua as soon as

possible .
I have the honor to be with great regard Sir &c ,

.
G B RO D N E Y
. .
To J L aforey E sq &c
.
”
.
To M ajor Ge ne ra l Jo hn Da lling Go ve rnor of Jam aic a

,
March 5th 1782

Sir
O n the 19 th F ebruary after fiv e W eeks Passage with
the F leet under my C omm and , I arrived in C arlisle Bay
Barbadoes , and instantly sail d to j oin the F leet under
’
the C o m mand of Sir Samuel Hood in hopes o f brin [ g ] ing

-
A rms to act as Soldiers on Shore shoul d there be an ’
O ccasion fo r their L anding , these

with the Marines of
the F leet, with the Troops hourly exp ected fro m Great
Britain with your Troops and Militia already in your
Island who I am sure from my knowledge o f their Bra
very and L ove to their C ountry will do their Duty and
,
make the E nemy who may attempt to attack Jamaica

,
repent o f their Temerity .
I mention these things only to convince the Gentle

men o f your Island how much I have the Preservation
of their Island at Heart and how much my attention
,
has been taken up towards so a desirable purpose .
I beg you will be assured that I am with the highest

Regard
Yours &c .
G B RO D N E Y . .
To His E xcellency Governor Dallin g

Jamaica
To Vi c e A dm ira l Sir P e te r P ark e r
F ormidable in Gros Islet Bay St L ucia ,

.
5th March 1782

Sir
I am to inform yo u of my A rrival in these Seas with ,
twelve sail of the L ine and that two others have j oined
’
me since from E ngland and altho I came too late to
,
save the Islands of S t C hristophers N evis and Mount

.
,
serrat I flatter myself an end is no w put to the E nemy s

, ,
’
C onquests and that every opportunity shall be taken

, ,
to bring them to a General Battle If they will not give .
me an opportunity in these Seas I have no t a doubt ,
but a General Battle must ensue in the seas adj acent to

your Station as I am fully convinced they meditate an
,
A ttack upon Jamaica in conj unction with the Spaniards ,
which it shall be my Business as far as it lies in my

power to Prevent and you may be assured that the
,
whole force under my C ommand ( should the E nemy

L E TTE R B O O K
make a movement to L eeward ) shall hasten to the assis

tance o f Jamaica ; I m ust therefore reco mm end it to
you that the Squadron under your co mm and be kept in
readiness to j oin me either o ff the E ast E nd of Jamaica ,
or o ff the Islands of St Domingo . .
Yo u may be assured that I shall give you proper no

tice o f the approach of the F leet under my C ommand
and must desire you will please to acquaint the In
habitants that they may depend upon the A ssistance o f
the Great F leet now in these Seas and that as I daily
, ,
expect a large C onvoy from Great Britain bound to their

Island I shall hasten it to Jamaica under a strong
,
C onvoy .
A n d whereas I am directed by my L ords C omm iss

””
o f the A dm iralty to employ the fastest sailing Vessels
that can be procured in order to keep up a constant C or

respondence between this Station Jamaica and N orth , ,
A merica I must recom m end it to you in pursuance of

,
the said O rders to procure such Vessels at your Island

, ,
having given myself directions to C omm issioner L aforey

to purchase such Vessels for this Station and I m ust ,
reco mm end it to you in the strongest manner that you

will constantly acquaint me with the Situation of A f
fairs at Jamaica and the strength of the E nemy at St .
Domingo that I may have timely notice to send ne c e s

sary Reinforcements .
I have the honor to be with great R egard Sir &c ,

.
G 3 RO D N E Y
To Sir Peter Parker
o
or the C o mm ander in C hief of H M Ships

. .
Jamaica
P S O n m y arrival here I was in hopes o f meeting

. .
with the Sandwich agreeable to my request to you but ,

’
I suppose her condition is such as to have re nde r d it
impossible her A ssistance and the London s would have
.
1 ’
[ Marginal note in A dm iral Ro dney s hand writing : ]

1 ’
had these Ships been sent the Isle o f Saint C hristophers

,
had never been taken .

266 L E TTE R B OO K
-
b een of infinite c o nsequence t o his Maj Service in the ”
late action with the E nemy s F leet under Sir Sam Hood
’
, . .
F ro m A dm ira l Ro dn e y s Se c re tary to F e rgus P a te rson

’
F orm idable , Gros Islet Bay St L ucia

, .
h
6 Mar 1782
S ir
I am directed by the A dm iral to acquaint Yo u that ,
He is exceedingly displeased that the Ships which have

dem anded their Provisions are not yet Supply d as some ’
which are wanted for Sea cannot proceed on that account ,
and that if it is not more attentively p erformed in future ,
He shall break the C ontract .
I am Sir &c .
W IL L PAGE TT
M
P S I am directed further to Add that He expects all

. .
the C raft that can at any Rate be procured to be em

ployed by you o n this Service He expects likewise tha t
,
.
you purchase all the Bread that is to be had .
F e r Paterson E sq
” ”
A gent to Mr : Shirley
To Vic e A d m ira l C o m te d e Grass e
F ormidable in Gros Islet Bay

6 th March 1 782
Sir
O n my arrival in these Seas to take upon me the
’
C ommand of the K ing my Master s F leet I am informed
, ,
by Rear A dmiral Hood ( upon whom the C ommand di

volved during my absence ) that a C artel had been set
tle d between your E xcellency and him relative to Pris ,
-
of State to the L ords C ommissioners of the A dmiralty

, ,
that they should direct yo u forthwith to send all the L ine

o f Battle Ships now under your C ommand as also such
, ,
o f the F rigates as yo u think cannot be U sefully employed

,
in the Defence o f the said Island or procuring In te lli ,
gence o f the Motions o f the E nem y to j oin me with ,
all p ossible dispatch to St L ucia . .
If you have not already sent the L ine o f Battle Ships ,
I think it a D uty incumbent upo n me to acquaint you , ,
that I thin k it necessary for his Maj Service and for

”
,
the Protection o f Jam aica that yo u detain them under,
your C omm and as I think I h ave su fficient force in

,
these Seas to Defeat the designs o f the E nemy should ,
they give me an O pportunity of bringing them to Battle .
A nd as I have received Intelligence that Six Spanish

Ships of War carrying four Thousand Troops were sail d ’
from C adiz in O rder to m eet at the General Rendezvous

o f the C ombined F orce o f F rance and Spain ( which
wou d be at Guarico or C umberland Harbour ) opposite

’
Jamaica which Spanish Ships I shall attempt to stop

,
in these Seas but should they escape me it will be

, ,
N ecessary that I am inform ed with all the dispatch P o s

sible o f their A rrival and their Motions by your quick
, ,
est sailing F rigates agreeable to the last A rticle o f your

1
,
Secret O rders of the 1 1 o f January .
O ne Frigate may make her Passage to the N orthward ,
another to the south of St Domi ngo by which means .

, ,
I shall be sure o f receiving Intelligence and shall act

A ccordingly .
Inclosed I send a C opy o f the Secret O rders transmit

ted to me from the A dmiralty .
I have the honor to be with the greatest respect Sir &c .
G B RO D N E Y
. .
To Joshua Rowley E sq or ”
Th e C omm ander in C hief &c . &c . &c .
Jamaica
[ Marginal note in A dmiral R odney s handwriting : ]

1 ’
N B this advice totally neglected

.
L E TTE R B O O K
-
F ro m B rigadie r Ge n e ra l A rc hi b a ld C am p b e ll to M ajor
Ge ne ra l E dw ard M a th e w
Jamaica 8 th March 1782

Si r
I have the Honor to acquaint you that by Intelligence
from E urope the A rmaments fitted out at Brest and
,
C adiz are intended to form an A ttack o n this Island I

am likewise inform d their C ombin d force will consist o f
’ ’
Thirty two thousand Regular and E ight thousand Ir

regulars and that the beginning of next Month is ap
pointed for this im portant enterprize .
We have received A ccounts o f a part of the Spanish

F orce bein g arrived at C ape F rancois and Mole St N ich .
olas in Hispaniola which are said to be the places o f

Rendezvous so that it is probable Jamaica will be very
soon invaded It is therefore my inde sp e nsib le duty to
.
request that you will be pleased to forward such A ssis

tance for the protection of this Valuable Island as shall
’
be admissible with the State of His Maj esty s A ffairs
in your Quarter A nd I trust I shall be enabled by the
.
A dmiral C omm anding His Maj esty s Ships here in the

’
event of Invasion to have Vessels stationed so as to give

Intelligence to the Detachments which may be sent for
o ur Relief o f the safest mode of approaching the Island
and where to L and the Troops I am Sir &c . .
( Signed ) A RC H D
CAM PBE LL
To Gen Mathews
l
orthe O fficer C omm anding his Maj esty s Troops t o ’
Windward
To M ajor Ge n e ra l Jam es C unningh am Go ve rn or of ,
B arb ad o s
F ormidable in Gros Island Bay St L ucia .
8 March 1782
Sir
Having received undoubted Intelligence that the
F rench Islands are in the greatest distress for want o f
-
Provisions and that those in particular which they have

,
’
lately C on q ue r d are destitute o f almost every Species .
A nd whereas there has been several instances o f Ve s

’
sels sailing from His Maj esty s Islands with Provisions
f or the Publick E nem y and which ( if continued ) must
,
be attended with the m ost fatal consequence .
I m ust in the most pressing manner request yo u will

cause a very strict attention to be paid to such Vessels
as m ay be n ow laying at Barbadoes and on no account ,
w hatever permit any to Sail which may be loaded with

,
’
Provisions bound to any other o f His Maj esty s Islands ,
but under a strong C onvoy o f Ships o f War w hich I Shall ,
order for their protection .
I have the Honor to be with great regard Sir &c ,

.
G B RO D N E Y . .
To His E xcellency G eneral C unningham

Bar [ b a] does
A S im ilar L etter as the afore w ritten to His E xcellency

G eneral Sh irley at A ntigua .
F ro m M ajo r Ge n e ral Th o mas Shirle y Go ve rno r of th e

,
L ee w ard Is lan ds
A ntigua March 9 th 1 782

Sir ,
In compliance with the request of the C ouncil and

A ssembly o f the Island o f N evis signified by a L etter of
which the enclosed is a C opy I beg leave to inform yo u
,
that by the 16 th A rticle of their C apitulation provision

has been m ade for the safe C onduct o f all Vessels bound
fro m E urope with Supplies to that Island for the space
o f Six Months and as the A dvantages we are to gain
by the term s must depend very much on the Planters

receiving those Supplies and a large nu m ber O f Proprie
,
-
L ieutenant be found unfit to serve in this C lim ate I shall

esteem it a particular favor if Y o u will be soon good as
to appoint to the Duke in His room L ieut : Boyle who
I brot : out a Volunteer and who I am informed is
strongly recomm ended to Your favor and protection .
I have the honor to be Sir

Yours &c
A GARD N E R
.
Sir Ge o B Rodney B t &c &c

. . . . .
To C ap tain A lan Gardn e r
F orm idable in Gros Islet Bay S t L ucia .
9 th March 1 782
Sir
I am directed by the A dmiral to acknowledge the Re
c e ip t of your L etter o f this day inclosing o n e from L ieut :
,
M itchell to Yo u and to acquaint you that in C o nse

,
q ue nc e thereof he has given O rders for L ieut Boyle to .
be C om m ission d for the Duke in the Roo m of L ieu

’
tenant Mitchell w h o has his Perm ission to quit on A c

count o i his Health .
I am &c
W M PAGE TT
.
To C apt : Gardner o f H M S D uke . . .
To C o m m o dore E dm un d A ffle c k
F ormi d able 9 th March 1782

D ear Srr
A s the service yo u will soon be o n requires dispatch
1
, ,
I m ust beg you will compleat your Water and Provisions ,
R
’
1
[ Marginal note in A dm i ral odney s handwriting : ]
N B this service was to retake the Island o f Monserat
.
,
but was prevented by the E nemys F leet being ready to

sail which required all o ur F orce
,
L E TTE R B O O K -
as soon as possible and as General Mathews will pro

,
c ee d with yo u o n an E xpedition o f some C onsequence ,
I should be glad that yo u receive h im on board your

o w n Ship that the Publick Service m ay be carried o n
, ,
with greater dispatch than it can otherw ise possibly be .
I m ust desire you would please to acquaint the Gen

eral who is no w at the Morne and be so obliging to
, ,
send your Boats for what little Baggage he may think ,
it necessary to take with him

, .
I have the h onor to be with great Regard D Sir ,

”
Yours &c .
G B RO D N E Y . .
C ommodore Affleck .
P S Th e Stores which were demanded by your C ap

. .
tain when O E A ntigua are now all here ,

.
To th e N avy B oard
F ormi dable in Gros Islet Bay St L ucia .
10th March 1782

Gentlemen
I am sorry to acquaint you that on my A rrival in
these Seas I found several of the F leet under the C om
mand o f Rear A dm iral Sir Samuel Hood in very bad con
dition indeed and in want o f every Species o f Stores
,
particularly Sails Masts C ordage and A nchors this with

, , ,
the loss of Topmasts and Yards the Squadron under my

C o m mand from Great Britain exp erienced in the Violent
’
Gales of Wind they e nc o un te r d on their Passage lays me
under great difficulties in refitting the F leet all o f which ,
I hope will be removed o n the arrival of the C onvoy

,
from E ngland which I hourly exp ect

,
.
I am fully convinced every thing has been done by

your Board towards supplying the Demands of the Vast
A rm ament now employed in the West Indies but there ,
is no answering for the accidents that m ay happen in

Battle and from Winds and Weather ; which I will af

,
firm causes m ore W ear and Tear in this C lim ate than if
the F leet was em ployed in the Winter time even in the
British C hannel .
’
E nclosed I send a Survey I orde r d to be taken on the
Intrepid ( A former one having been taken o n the said
Ship by order O f Sir Sam uel Hood ) by which you will
perceive that ship is totall y unserviceable in this C limate ,
I shall therefore O rder her and the Robuste to E ngland

w ith the May C onvoy .
Th e Invincible was so e xtream ly Le aky and her L eak s

1
so low that it was im possible for her to k eep the Sea with
the F leet I therefore orde r d her to Jam aica with the
.
’
Trade o f that Island reco m mending it t o the C om m an

,
der in C hief there to refit h e r with all possible dispatch ,
that she with the other Ships o f his Squadron might be

ready to j oin m e o n my A ppearance to Windward of
that Island Th e Invincible took under her C onvoy the
.
Palliser Storeship o ut o f which no S tores whatever were

tak en in O rder that the Jamaica Squadron might be re
,
fitted with all the dispatch possible that some m ight ,
remain for the use o f the F leet under m y C o m mand :

should they be in want o f them on their arrival at
Jam aica .
”
So m e o f the A m erican Squadron sent by A d Digby
to j oin m e were in very bad C ondition in want of
every Store particularly the Royal O ak the A m erica
, ,
the Prudent the former has bee n hove down in E ng

.
lish Harbour her L eaks stopped ,

is now in a good C o n ,
dition Th e Re fi tting that Ship the Robuste and the

.
Janus has caused a very great e xp e nc e o f Stores at A n

,
tigua but notwithstanding these untow ard accidents

,
which could no t possibly be forseen I have the pleasure ,
to acquaint you that the F leet in a few days will be in

a C ondition to attack the E nemy when opportunity o f
1
[ Marginal note in A d m i ral Rodney s handwriting : ] ’
Th e refitting the Invincible was totally neglected by Sir

Peter Parker
-
What m akes m e m ore anx ious o n that head is my appre

h e n sio ns from a Ru m our that prevails that should Your ,
E xcellency be obliged to follow the E nem y s F leet that ’
they mean when their reinforcement arrives from E u

rope to m ake an attempt o n this Island
, .
I inclose to yo u a letter I have sent to be comm uni

c ate d to the co mm anding O fficer o f the N avy in C arlisle
Bay which will point o ut to your E xcellency my Z eal

to carry your intentions into execution .
Th e following extracts from the Secretary o f States

letter to me o f the 6th o f F ebruary I thin k proper to
co mm unicate to your E xcellency V iz .
“
Th e Squadr o n which sailed from Brest the beginning
“
ofDecember m e t with such tempestuous Weather in
“
the Bay of Biscay as obliged them to return m uch
,
“
sh atte r d to Brest and they have n o t been able as yet
’
,
“
to repair their damages should they persist in their
.
“ ’
purpose o f strengthening de Grasse s F leet Sir George
“ ”
Rodney will be further reinforced .
“
Your C orrespondence with the Marquiss de Bouillie
“
upon the subj ect o f the exchange of Prisoners is very
“
j udicious and I see no obj ection to the C artel he pro
“
poses ; I have therefore transmitted it to the L ords o f
“
the A dmi ralty that the proper orders for it s establish ’
“ ”
ment may pass through the proper C hannel .
I must remark that this proposition was made to m e

’
by the Marquis de B o uillée during your E xcellency s ah
sence in E ngland Th e Marquis inclosing to m e the E uro
,
pean C artel se tle d which he was impowered by his C ourt

to adopt here I answered him that as I was not fur
.
n ish e d with Instructions to that purpose by the K ings

Ministers I should transmit his propositions home fo r
approbation ; o f which the aforementioned extract is the
result .
A s I can now accomodate a Battalion at Barbadoes

with Barracks I flatter myself that your E xcellency
knowing our Stated disposition here will recommend it ,
L E TTE R B O O K -
to the C ommander in C hief of the L and F orces never to ,
su ffer when it is in his power this Island to be left

, ,
without one an E nge ne e r and an A rtillery O fficer

,
.
I have now go t the proper F lags &c for communicating .
w ith Your F leet from F ort George agreeably to what ,
was formerly settled I shall therefore direct the Signals

.
to be made agreeably to the inclosed plan therefore if

any alteration is necessary to be made let your Secretary ,
acquaint me o f it .
I have trespassed too long upon your patience which

I flatter myself you will excuse as I have honor to be ,
with the greatest respect

Yours &c .
JA S C U NN I N G HAM E .
To Sir G B Rodney Bart &c &c &c

. . . . . .
P S A Danish Vessell arrived in the Port Yesterday

. .
to Mr : Shirley she brings no papers but as he inform d ,

’
me that she is sent o ut by the C ontractors for the U se

o f the N avy I have directed that she should sail this
,
E vening for St L ucia under C onvoy o f the Triton

. .
Mr Shirley informs me that many more of that sort

.
are expected daily A nd as I have received no notice

.
or Instructions from E ngland possibly Your E xcellency

may have it in your power to furnish me with A dmiralty
Instructions o n that Subj ect .
F rom Go ve rno r C unnin gham
Barbadoes l 0th March 1782

Sir,
His E xcellency Sir G Rodney has represented to me .
that he is informed there are in C arlisle Bay several

Danish Vessels loaded with provisions which can have
b een shipped with no other design that that o f supply ,
ing the Publick E nemy who are in great want .
Th e A dmiral is of opinion that Vessels coming here

-
under Danish F lags o f Truce are sent for no other pur

pose than to gain Intelligence and to carry away Pro
,
visions if practicable and that they should therefore

,
be dise nc o urage d as much as possible .
Sir George has no obj ection to the E mbargo being

tak en O ff ; strict search being m ade o n all Vessels going
o ut by the O fficers of the C ustoms that no Provisions
are on board except a necessary Quantity for the U se
o f the C rew during the Voyage agreeable to L aw .
I think it proper to m ake these his E xcellency s C o m ’
m unic ations to m e known to the C om m anders o f His

Maj esty s Ships of W ar at this Port who m I doubt not
’
’
will be aiding and assisting in carrying the A dmiral s
Intentions and m ine into E xecution
, .
I h ave the Honor to be &c &c . .
( Signed ) JA S C U NN I N G HAM E .
To the C o m manding O fficers o f His Maj esty s Ships

’
in C arlisle Bay
F ro m Wi lliam Ragge tt N a va l S tore keep er

, at B arb ados,
to A dm ira l Ro dne y s Se c re tary
’
’
Barbado s March 1 1th 1782
Sir,
I have received your Letters of the 5th Instant and ,
I am to request that yo u will be pleased to inform the

A d m iral that in consequence thereof I have purchased
the E ndeavor Schooner and have de liv e r d her into the ’
Charge o f C aptain M c Law rin C om mander o f His Maj

e s ty s Ship Triton to proceed with him to j oin the F leet
’
.
I h ave also agreed with the A gent he having received

a letter from C aptn Buckner to accept the Sum of F ive
’
thousand two hundred seventy eight Pounds Barbado s
currency as se tle d between the A dmiral C aptain
Buckner .
Th e E ndeavor Schooner is quite new has excellent ,
goo d Beams and is well built the Mate put into her
,
—
To C ap tain John Lafore y, C o mm is sioner of the N avy at

th e L ee ward I s lands
F orm idable &c . 12th M arch 1782

.
S 1r
Several o f His Maj esty s Shi p s under my C o mm and
’
,
b eing entirely destitute o f Paint and as there is none to

,
b e p rocured at this place .
I am to request yo u will order a very c o nsiderable

quantity o f that A rticle to be sent as soon as possible to
the Island of St L ucia to the charge o f Mr Tho m as
.
, .
Turq uand who I have appointed to act as N aval S tore

k eeper .
I have the h o nor to be with great regard Sir

Yours &c .
G B RO D NE Y . .
John L aforey E sq ”
To C ap tain Jo hn Lafore y C o mm ission e r of th e N a vy

, at
the L ee ward I s lands
F or m idable in G ros Islet Bay St L ucia .
”
12 Mar 1782 1
Sir
I have this Instant received Intelligence that a Sq ua
dron o f A m erican Privateers are sail d from St Pierres ’
.
Martinique as supp o sed to attem pt the Island of Tor

tola I must desire you will i mm ediately dispatch the
.
N ymph ( which F rigate I flatter m yself is perfectly ready

for Service ) and the C onvert with such other Vessels
, ,
as yo u shall be able to encrease their F orce with ( man ,
ning the latter from the Ships in the Harbour ) fo r the

protection of that Island and the Trade o f His Maj esty s ’
Subj ects ; directing the N ymph after seein g the said

L E TTE R B O O K
-
Island in Safety to j oin m e in this Bay m aking the ,
Passage to Windward .
I have the honor to be with great Regard Sir ,
Yours &c
G 13 RO D N E Y
.
John L aforey E sq
“
” '
P S You m ay expect to see m e or a Squadron o f L ine

.
,
o f Battle Ships with you soon should it become prac ti ,
cable for it to turn to Windward which has no t been the ,
C ase for some time pase .
[ Inserted in the L etter Book beside the above letter : ]

-
O n Satturday last 12 Sail of A merican Privateer Saild

from Martinico on a cruise each mounting from 20 to
26 Guns .
Th e french fleet consists of 3 2 Sail o f the L ine the ,
greatest part of which are at present unfit fo r service ,
they are in the greatest want o f all kinds o f N aval

Stores also provisions Its currently reported at F ort
,
.
Royall that the fleet will Sail soon for S t Domi ngo ,
.
,
”
that the Marquis De Bo ulie goes along w them he hav ,
ing disp os d of his h oush old furniture plate slaves &c

’
.
”
A Mr Smile brings the above acco from Martinico who
.
was c ap tur d in a Vessel from N ewfoundland bound to

’
Barbadoes he was landed in this Island in a Bay to

L eeward of So uffrie r by a small vessel bound to St
, .
Vincent yesterday mornin g .
GE O RGE S HAN D
”
Wed noon
F ro m Go ve rn o r C unnin gham to C ap tain Jo h n M c Laurin
Pilgrim 12 March 1782

1 past 1 1 o C loc k A M
2 . .
Sir,
Being informed you mean to carry away the Prize

Brig l am ab le L ouise captured by two Packets at Sea
,
’
,
and by the m directed to be brought to this Island and ,
being advised that she was a Droit of A dmiralty I di ,
re c te d h er to be libelled for the use o f the K ing .
I therefore must acquaint you that the Proceeding

you m ean to adopt appears to be highly irregular and ,
yo u must exp ect after this N otice to abide the C o nse

q ue nc e s as it [ is ] m y D uty to preserve the Rights o f
the C rown I am Sir .
,
JA S C U NN I N G H AM E .
To C aptain M c Laurin
o f H M F rigate Triton
. .
Rep ort on th e D e fe n c es o f P ige on Is land, S t Lu c ia .
Particulars relative to the further Defences re

quired for Pidgeon Island submitted to the ,
C onsideration o f General Matthew .
Th e C asemates to be the N orth side o f the Saddle on ,
between the Batteries because they will be entirely Se ,
cure from any fire o n the South Side and it is o ur opin ,

’
ion that the F ire o i Ships cannot have the least E fl e c t
, ,
o n them If they are m ade F ifty F eet long

. Sixteen ,
F eet wide they will C ontain Sixty Men very c o nv e n

,
ie n tly the 13 Inch Mortar to b e placed under R odneys

.
,
Battery o n the South Side the 10 Inch Mortar on the

, , ,
Signal Hill the R ock that proj ects o n the N orth point
.
o f R odneys Battery to be toward 15 F eet in O rder to

, ,
place 3 or 4 E ighteen Pounders thereon Small C ase

,
.
mates for Twenty Men to be made between the N orth , ,
and South Points o f Rodneys Battery the Platform

,
.
under Rodneys Battery to be E nlarged so as to hold ,
three Guns to flank the Road and the Ground to the

, ,
Right and left o f it with Grape Shot the lower Bat ,

.
te ry on the Saddle should be C ompleated so that the ,
F ire of the F our Guns planted there may be thrown ,

-
To M ajor Ge n e ra l Jam es Cunningham Go ve rnor of ,
Barb ados
F orm idable &c . 13 th M arch 1 782

Sir,
I am h o nor d w ith Your E xcellency s L etter of th e

’ ’
l 0th Inst by the Triton requesting a supply o f sm all

.
,
A rms fo r the defence o f your Island w hich as soon as I

am info rm d w hat nu m ber can be s p ared shall be sent to
’
Barbadoes by the first O pportunity .
I shall always concur w ith your E xce ll ency when you

may think p roper to lay an E m bargo at your Island and
shall give the necessary orders to the C omm anding O fli
’
cer o f His Maj esty s Ships at B arbadoes to give you
every assistance in his po w er .
A s several Vessels loaded with p r o visions and Wine

’
for the use of His Maj esty s N avy are daily expected ,
to arrive at Barbadoes I m ust beg your E xcellency will

,
please to dispatch them as soon as possible for this Island

as their C argoes are m uch wanted by His Maj esty s F leet ’
under my C omm and .
Th e C ount de Grasse wh o is m uch m ore liberal than

the Marquis De Bouille has establi shed C artels much to
the advantage of both N ations K ing s Vessels are ( by ’
his Plan ) to be sent as such which will prevent a num

ber o f Inconveniences to which F lags of Truce were
f o rm erly subj ect .
I m ust intreat Yo u not to allow of any private F lags

o f Truce in future as their Intention can only be to
convey Intelligence to the E nem y .
I am &c .
G B RO D N E Y . .
To H is E xcellency Gov C uningham

”
L E TTE R B O O K -
F ro m Cap tain Jo hn Lafore y, C omm issione r of th e N a vy

a t th e L e e w a rd I s lan ds
Tickler E nglish Harbour

March 13 th 1782
Sir,
I had the Honor o f writing to yo u last o n the 4th

Inst by His Maj esty s Ship Sybil
.
’
.
I now by His Maj esty s Ship N ymph which luckily

’
is j ust ready to dispatch some Intelligence which arrived

Yesterday by a Ship that put into F alrno uth Bay near
this Port I do no t find that the destination o f the French
F leet m e t with by the A rethusa is more than conjecture ,
at least none were taken by the F rigate .
In m y L etter by the Sybil o f the 2d Instant I m e n

tio ne d that We had no Powder at this Port for the occa
s io nal supply o f Ships calling here n or is there any to
be purchased I have since heard that all the Powder

.
deposited at Barbadoes had been taken o n board your

F leet so that we must solicit Yo u Sir for what can be
spared from it .
Th e E spion C utter arrived here on the 6th Instant

h aving sprung her Main Mast and Bowsprit the former
we shall be able to patch up for a time not having a
Sti c k to make another for her the Diameter of it being
e qual to the Main Mast of a F ifty Gun Ship her Bo w ,
sprit being quite gone I am obliged to have one made

’
at St John s where the Storeship with Masts and Spars
.
lays and will send her to take it in as soon as she is in

other Respects ready she shall imm ediately then proceed
to j oin yo u and carry the Berbice Schooner with her we ,
s hall then have sent yo u every thing that is o r can be
got ready .
I do not thin k it right to detain any thing at this

t im e to cruise about the Island knowing how few small
Vessels you can have with you at present and j udging
t hat yo u will better approve of sending such as can be
best spared than to have those stopped which m ay be

wanted for other purp oses .
Having had an ofi e r o f the Masts Yards &c belong .
ing to the R aynham Hall O rdnance Storeship which bore

up for this Island o n her Passage from N e w York to
E ngland and has been condemned as unfit to prosecute
her Voyage I caused them to be examined and upon
’
their proving serviceable have o rd e r d them to be pur
chased to Mast the Robust they are o f the Dimensions
,
o f those fo r a F orty Gun Ship and will be much cheaper
and larger than anything I could supply her with in

our present circumstances besides the saving so much
labour in the Yard which can be applied to purposes
more essential to th e Serv ice o f Your F leet but havin g ,
no m eans of getting them round from S t John s to this .

’
Port I request Sir yo u will be so good to let me have

,
the Whitby Storeship whose C argo may easily be dis

posed o f to the F leet o r otherwise a F rigate for the pur
’
pose tho the Storeship will answer the end much best
, .
A n d no w I am upon the Subj ect o f the Raynham

Hall I beg leave to inclose a C opy o f the Report of a
Survey made upon her Hull by direction of the A gent
for the Prisoners and to ask if it is your pleasure she
should be purchased for a Prison Ship which is much
wanted here I do not think she can be s o ld at so lo w a
.
Rate as the Surveyor supposes at this Period but at a ,
m uch greater Price she will be a considerable saving to

Government and a m uch more e ffectual Security for the
Prisoners .
Th e Blast F ireship which came in here for some Re

pairs will be ready in a few days W hat would yo u please
.
to have done with her .
We shall now take in Hand the R obust and Janus

both must be hove down the latter Sir Samuel Hood
,
desired might be C oppered for Service in this C ountry ,
with all our exertion the fitting of the Robust will occupy
as much time as will bring round the usual Period for
the Sailing o f the first C onvoy I am Sir &c. .
O
JN LAF ORE Y
OF A D M I RA L L O RD RO D N E Y
’
that if not done the first o p portunity she will be ruin d
fo r want o f it and am therefore to request if I am n o t
,
going to Sea immediately you w ill be ple as d to order ’
some o f the C aulkers o f the F leet u p on her I ho p e

this will m eet your approbati o n and that you w ill be
lieve m e t o be
Yours &c .
E DM : A F FLE C K
To Sir G B Rodney &c
. . . &c . &c .
To C o m m o dore E dmund A file c k
F orm idable &c . 13 th March 1782

S ir
,
’ ’
I am h o nor d with your L etter of this day s date re pre ,
senting that His M : Ship Bedford w ants caulkin g so

m uch that it is absolutely necessary to be done the first
O pportunity .
In answer I am to inf orm you th at the Bedford is

wanted o n immediate Service but the m oment there is
’
an O pportunity to do it she shall be properly c aulk d
, .
I am e xtre e m ly sorry for your Indis p osition and have

the honor to be with great regard Sir
Yours &c .
G B RO D NE Y . .
To C o mm odore Afli e c k &c &c &c . . .
To Sir Samue l H o od Rear A dm ira l of th e B lue

,
F orm idable &c . 13 th March 1782

Sir,
’
I am fav or d with y o ur L etter of this day s [ date ]
’
with m y order for your assem bling a C ourt Martial and

C aptain Ge do in s [ sic ] Report upon the Delinquents
’
.
I can have no obj ection to your discharging the

L E TTE R B O O K
-
Schooner but beg leave to acquaint yo u the Germ aine

will sail directly .
I am &c .
G B RO D N E Y
. .
”
To Sir Sam Hood Bart &c . . &c . &c .
To P hilip S tep h e ns Sec re tary of th e A dm ira lty

,
F ormidable &c . 14 th March 1 782

Sir,
O n my A rrival at Barbadoes on the 19 th of last Month
C aptain Pender late O f His Maj esty s Sloop B erb uda
’
c ame on board and acquainted m e that a F rench Sq ua
d ron , consisting o f three F rigates , a C utter and four Brigs

with Troops on board from F rance , appe ar d o ff the ’
River De m e rary the 3 0th o f January last , and that the

C olony , the F ort , and Six of His Maj esty s F rigates had
’
s ubmitted to the E nemy , without making Resistance ,
the ir L ordships may easily imagine my surprize and

a stonishment at this E vent as I had taken care before ,
I was O bliged to leave these Seas ( o n account o f my

Health ) to order eight Sail of F rigates at least for the
protection of those C olonies a L ist o f which I have the
honor to inclose I shall forbear giving my Sentiments
.
o n this great national aff air as I Shall order it to be
s trictly enquired into at a C ourt Martial and shall send
3 F lag O f Truce to M artin q ue that those O fficers con

.
,
c e rn d in the C apitulation may be exchanged in order

’
to take their Trial so many Frigates being given up

t o the E nemy is o f great detriment to His Maj esty s Ser
’
vice as they are much wanted here and as His Majesty s

,
’
Ship P ro th ée took two large A m erican Privateers to

Windward o ff Barbadoes one called the Scourge o f
Twenty four Guns 120 Men the other the Rhode o f ,
22 Guns and a Hundred Men I thought it necessary for

,
’
His Majesty s Service and in obedience to their L ord
s hips most strict orders of the 6th o f Dec last relative
”
-
to my providing a sufficient number o f swift Sailing Ve s

sels to watch the motions o f the E nemy to give dire c
tions to the N aval Storekeeper at Barbadoes to purchase
the said two Privateers to fit them as Sloops o f War to ,
name o ne the Stormont the other the Barbadoes which

, ,
has been done accordingly and I hope will meet with

,
’
their L ordship s approbation .
What adds to my great concern on this unhappy oc ,
casion is from the report made to me by C aptn Th o m p

,
son o i the H yanae and several other O fli c e rs I concluded ,
thereby the F ort at the Mouth o f that River which

mounted twelve heavy C annon besides small ones was ,
placed in such a Situation as to Rake any Ship coming

,
into the River assisted by the F rigates I had stationed

there might have bid defiance to any attempt made upon
the C olony .
I cannot conclude this disagreeable account without ,
acquainting their Lordships that C aptn Tah o urdin who

seems to h ave taken the lead in this C apitulation was
o ne o f th e Youngest Masters and C ommanders I had
o rd e r d on that Station C apt Thompson of the H yanae

’ ”
.
thought proper to appoint him Post in the O ronoko his

reasons for so doing without any authority I must leave
’
for their L ordship s E nquiry .
Should the F rench A dmiral n o t agree to the E xchange

o f these C aptains and O fficers I shall take care that the
Inferior O fficers belonging to the C ap tur d F rigates w h o ’
are already exchanged shall be sent to E ngland that the

E nquiry into this unhappy A ff air may not be delayed .
Inc lo s d I send C apt n Tah o urdin s A ccount and the

’ ’
C apitulation as d e liv e r d by him to m e

’
.
I am &c .
G B RO D N E Y . .
A L ist of F rigates Sir George Rodney orde r d to be ’
Stationed for the Protection o f the C olonies Demerara

E siq uib o B esb ui [ sic fo r Berbice ]
-
To P hilip S tep h e ns Se c re tary , o f the A dm iralty
F ormidable the 15th March 1782

Sir ,
N otwithstanding the extre m e bad Weather contrary

Winds the Squadron under my C ommand encountered
,
for more than a F ortnight after they left the British

C hannel we m ade our Passage to Barbadoes in F ive
Weeks and arrived at that Island late in the E venin g
o n the 1 9 th O f F ebruary .
Th e moment we anchored Governor C uningham and

General Christie came on board the F ormi dable by them ,
I was informed that the F rench F leet under C ount de

Grasse and the ir A rmy under the Marquiss de Bouille
’
had invested and were besieging His Maj esty s Island
o f S t C hristopher s that Sir Sa m uel Hood with Twenty
’
.
,
two Sail o f the L ine under his C omm and was anchored
a little to Windward o f the Road of Basseterre that he ,
had had two re encounters with C ount de Grasse whil e

-
,
at an A nchor in the said Ro ad both to the disadvantag e ,
of the E nemy who could m ake no i m pressi o n o n the

British F leet but were obliged to return to the ir Station
,
o ff N evis that tho the Inhabitants o f Basseterre had

,
’
surrendered that Town with it s 3 Strong Batteries to ’
the Marquiss de Bouille with out firing O ne Single Gun ,
yet the C itadel on Brimstone Hill held out had made a ,
gallant defence and in all probab ili ty was in no dange r

o f being taken for a considerable time .
This last Intel ligence their L ordships may be assured

gave m e the highest satisfaction as I was in hopes that ,
I should arrive in time to save so important an Island

to His Maj esty and have an opportunity o f attacking H is
’
E nemy s F leet A nimated with these ideas the whole
.
N ight ( which was C alm ) was spent in receiving o n board

the F leet O ne hundred Tons of Water which o n th e
P ro th ée ( who had parted C ompany from m e in a Gale
of Wind O fi C ape F inisterre and had arrived at Barba
does the day before ) having acquainted the honest Mas

L E TTE R B O O K
-
ters o f the E nglish Merchant Ships then in the Road

that they might ho urly expect m y arrival ; they as true ,
L overs o f the ir K ing and C ountry had filled ; in order

to put on board His Maj esty s Ships the mom ent they ’
arrived .
I thought it a Duty incu m bent upon me and a j ustice

to them to make this report o f their L oyalty which was ,
’
of the utmost consequence to His Maj esty s and the Pub
li ck Service there being no probability o f getting Water
,
’
at St C hristopher s the E nemy being in possession of
.
,
the Watering Places .
When the Breeze set in o n the Morning of the 20th

I proceeded with the Squadron under my C ommand but ,
the Wind proving N e rly it was the 23 d before We ar

”
rived O ff E nglish Harbour A ntigua Th e A lert which .
Sloop I had disp atc h d before for Intelligence brough t

’
,
me word that Brim stone Hill and the whole Island of St .
C hristopher s had surrendered o n the 12th Instant to

’
”
the E nemy that Sir Sam Hood and the F leet under his
,
C omm and had left S t John s Road A ntigua 48 Hours

’
.
before my A rrival off that Island and had sailed to the

1 -
N w ard in their way to Barbadoes that he ordered Frig

°
’
ates to watch the motions of the E nemy s F leet on see
ing O ne to L eeward with a press of Sail and concluding ,
it to be a British Cruiz er with Intelli gence I lay too till , ,

’
she j oined me ; having d isp atc h d the A nson to Wind
”
ward with L etters for Rear A dmiral Sir Sam Hood who ,
I hoped he would fall in with on his crossing the L ati

tudes to Windward of the Islands Which L etters were .
to desire the said Rear A dmiral to make the j unction

of the F leets o fi Point Salines Martinique .
Th e F rigate proved to be His Maj esty s Ship the C on

’

1 ’
”
had Sir S Hood stationed F rigates to windward o f Bar
b ado e s which it was his Duty to have done I should
, ,
have joyne d him before he sailed from A ntigua and

brought the French F leet to Battle before they could ,
have reached Martinico

29 4 L ETTE R B O O K
-
vert with 230 E nglish Prisoners which C ount de Grasse

had agreed Should be exchanged by F rigates o f War ,
wearing a F lag of Truce C aptain Harvey her C omm an .
d e r acquainted me that the F rench F leet had left S t .
C hristophers and shaped their C ourse towards Marti

n ique having on their way obliged the Island o f Mont
serrat to Surrender .
Being convinced the E nemy had given up their inte n

tions o f attacking A ntigua on their having received In
te ll ige nc e from a Vessel belonging to Sp eigh ts To wn 1
Barbadoes o f the A rrival o f the P ro th é e and m y being

hourly expected I am convinced hastened their depar
,
ture fro m St C hristopher s that they mi gh t arrive at

.
’
Port R oyal before the j unctio n o f the British F leets .
While laying to o I issued the strictest O rders to the

C o mm anding O fficer of His Maj esty s Ships in E ngli sh ’
Harbour to be aiding and assisting to his Maj esty s Gov ’
e rn or in the Defence o f A ntigua to the utmost extrem ity ,
should it at any time be attacked and upon no account ,
at his peril to su ffer his Maj esty s Ships that m ight be ’
in E nglish Harbour to fall into their hands ; but if in

Real danger of that event to destroy the Ships L and , ,
the O fficers and Men and assist in the defence o f the

’
Island till it was relieved by His Maj esty s F leet in these
Seas .
A nd likewise having given directions to the C apta in

of the Royal O ak which Ship had never been able to j oin
”
Sir Sam Hood and to the Yarmouth who I had sent int o
E nglish Harbour being in want o f a Main Yard to take
o n board every Store they could possibly Stow fo r the
U se of the F leet and hasten to j oin m e in Gros Islet Bay

St L ucia
. .
[ Marginal n o te in A dmiral Rodney s handwriting : ]

1 ’
-
N B from this Town the E nemy were allways supply d

’
. .
,
with Intelligence from the L oya l In h a bi tan ts at Bridge

,
Town most of whom were inclined to the A merican in

,
te re st and kept up a constant correspondence with the

,
E nemy at Martinique
-
the whole will be compleat and ready for Service except ,
the Intrepid which has been found unserviceable and

must be sent to Great Britain with the May C onvoy .
I have directed Sir Samuel Hood with his Division to

tak e his Station to Windward o f Point Salines and shall
follow him with mine when we shall C ruize more to
W indward in order to intercept any Squadrons o r C on
vo ys of the E nemy w h o m ay be bound to Martinique .
I shall give directions to Rear A dmiral Drake with

his Division to C ruize between Point Salines St L ucia .
to keep a watchful E ye on the E nemy at F ort Royal ,
constantly acquainting me with their motions that ( if

there be occasion ) the whole F leet m ay j oin either to
attack or follow them .
I have Stationed the F ortunée Pegasus ,

Sybil to
Windward o f Barbadoes for the better protection o f the
Trade o f His Maj esty s Subj ects bound to the West
’
Indies and by stretching as far to the N orthward as

the L atitude of D o mi ni que to give me timely notice of
the A pproach of an E nemy F rigates will likewise be
.
’
stationed between them and his Maj esty s F leet .
Having received Intelligence that a Squadron o f

’
A merican Privateers were Sailed fr om St Pierre s with .
an intention to attack o f plunder the Island o f Tortola ,

’
I have dispatched His Maj esty s Frigates Santa Monica ,
N ymphe C onvert and Germaine to endeavor to destroy

,
the said Privateers and defend Tort o la and have given ,
directions to the C ommanding O fficer of the said Sq ua

dron after performing this Service to leave the C onvert
for the better protection o f that Island .
I lik ewise propose ( having consulted with General

Mathews ) to send a small Squadron to attempt the Re
capture o f the Island of Montserrat as it will not only
1
,
’
be the means o f supplying His Maj esty s Ships stationed
at A ntigua with Water but a great C hec k to the E nemy
’
at N evis and St C hristopher s
. .
[ Marginal note in A dmi ral Rodney s handwriting : ]

1 ’
this was prevented by the arrival of the French C onvoy

L E TTE R B O O K
-
O n my arrival off E nglish

Harbour and being informed
that Sir Samuel Hood was Sailed with the F leet to the
N w ard and that no real intelligence was known of the
”
motions o f the E nemy I had given directions to the

,
C aptains o f the A rrogant A nson and N onsuch ( who n o t

,
being able to A nchor in C arlisle Bay did not partake o f

the Water supplied by the Merchant Ships ) to repair
to Montserrat for Intelligence and Water to assist the
Inhabitants with A mmunition and whatever they might
stand in need of for their defence .
C ommissioner L aforey prevailed upon me no t to send

the said Ships as he was convinced the Island had sur
rendered this was confirmed by C aptain Harvey o f the
,
C onvert and it being of the utmost importance that His

Maj esty s F leets should j oin with all possible dispatch
’
,
I could not think O f delay at so important a moment .
But as the E nemy s F leet are now in F ort R oyal Bay

’
and His Maj esty s considerably superior to the m the ir

’
,
L ordships may depend upo n m y taking every opportu

nity of attacking the E nemy where Vulnerable Would .
to God that General Mathew had but a sufficient num

ber o f Troops to spare from the defence of St L ucia .
( which Island is o f more consequence than all the Brit

ish C aribbee Islands ) I would answer for it that St .
C hristophers and N evis should not be long under the

Do mi nion of F rance but the F rench Garrisons in those
,
Islands are more numerous than all the British F orces

at present under General Mathew .
His Maj esty s Ship the Invincible being so extremely

’
leaky as to render her incapable O f Cruiz ing or serving

’
with the F leet till her L eaks were stop d I thought it
necessary to send her on the 7th Instant to Jamaica with
m y L etters to the C ommander in Chief o f His Maj esty s
’
Ships on that Station and to the Governor o f the Island ,
C opies o f which L etters I have the honor to inclose for

’
their Lo rdship s perusal .
Th e Invincible with the Martin Sloop ( which had ar

rived the day before from Great Britain with the ir Lord
ships Dispatches to me ) took under their protection the
-
Palliser Storeship and the Trade bound to Jamaica I .
’
caused a good look o ut to be kept o n the E nemy s F leet
w hen they sailed which was late in the E vening and
after a very fe w H ours p re vious N o tic e 1
.
I hav e the pleasure to acquaint their L ordships that

’
His Maj esty s Ships the Warrior Valiant Duke have ,
j oined m e from Great Britain as likewise o ne of the

Danish Victuallers with Provisions by whom I learn that
the C onvoy fo r the W est Indies was to Sail the day after
he left Spithead .
E nclosed I send the State C ondition O f His Ma

je sty s Ships Ve sse lls under m y C o mm and I am &c
’
. .
To Re ar Adm ira l Sir Sam ue l H o o d
F ormidable &c 16th March 1 782

S ir
. .
As the Monarch is ready to p roceed with yo u I thin k

it necessary to acquaint you that the A rrogant is orde r d ’
under your C ommand in L ieu o f the A lfred I should be .
glad you would proceed to the S tation as I think it ,

’
necessary for His Maj esty s Service that your Division
’
should be to Windward o f Point Salines till I j oin yo u .
I am Sir &c .
” G : B ” RO D N E Y
To Sir Sam Hood &c &c &c . . .
To th e C o m m issione rs f
o th e Vic tua lin g
F orm idable &c 1 6th March 1782

Gentlem en
.
,
’
I think it necessary for His Maj esty s Service to in
”
form you that o u my Junction with Sir Sam Hood I
,
[ Marginal note in A dmiral Rodney s hand w riting : ]

’
1
N B to prevent the E nemy getting Intelligence o f my

. .
design
To C om m odore E dm und A file c k
F ormidabl e &c 1 7th March 1782

Sir
. .
N otwithstanding m y
’
order o f this day s date for your
P roceeding o n an important E xpedition I m ust desire
’
yo u w ill postpone putting the same into E xecution till ,
yo u receive further O rders from m e ; A s I propose putting
to Sea with the whole F leet tomorrow Morning at day

1”gh t I am &c
°
G D RO D NE Y
To C o mm odore Affleck &c
'
To Re ar A dm ira l F ranc is S D rake .
F ormidable &c 1 7th March 1782

Sir .
N otwithstanding the O rders you have received I m ust

desire you will postpone holding any C ourt Martial for
the present as I intend putting to Sea early to m orro w
Morning with the whole F leet and you will be pleased t o
give O rders to your Division fo r the L eewardmost Ships
to get under Way first and stand to Windward when I
m ake the Sign al to W eigh
I am & c
” G 13 RO D NE Y
To Rear A dm Drake &c &c &c
' '
. . .
Fro m C o m m an de r E d w ard H e rb e rt to C ap tain

Jo hn Linze e
E xperi m ent o ff E nglish Harbour A ntigua

1 7th March 1782
Sir
’
I have received your order of this day s date to put m y
self under your C ommand and proceed in C ompany with
His Maj esty s Ship Santa Monica
’
.
I beg leave to inform yo u that on Wednesday the 6th

L ETT ER BOO K O F A D M I RAL
—
L O RD RO D N EY 301
Instant at 9 A M ( having come to an A nchor o ff Spanish

. .
Town o f Virgin Gorda from a C ruize the N ight before

with the F oretopmast Sprung ) saw a Ship and Brig to
the Southward pass through the Passage called dead
C hest Passage and continued turnin g up between the
,
Islands with a press o f Sail at Te n made the private ,
Signal which they not answering was co nvinced were a

part o f an A merican Squadron and which ( by Informa
tion ) were in quest o f me the Ship appeared like a small
,
F rigate and the Brig a Vessel o f War not being near ,
enough the Shore to C o operate with a two Gun Battery

-
there thought it E xpedient for the preservation o f His

’
Maj esty s Ship to Sli p and put to Sea at half past 1 1 ,
Slip d o ur C able and m ade Sail to the N orthward through

’
the Islands which the E nemy unexpectedly Weathered

,
and gave me C hase at 3 P M ( Virgin Gorda E 12 S 6 o r 7

. .
L eagues ) the E nemy having came within random Shot

who hoisted E nglish C olours and seeing an A ction un
avoidable through the ir superiority in Sailing prepared
to short en Sail and give them Battle the Wind blowing
fresh at E N E : the Sea high and the E nemy o n the
. .
L ee Quarter at 2% past three sh orte n d Sail and bore away’
in order to the better fighting my Guns at the same time

both Vessels p lac d themselves the Brig on the Starboard
’
Bo w and the Ship o n the L arboard Quarter I spoke the ,
Ship who after a few of the usual Questions shifted her

C olours to those o f A merican and directed ours to be
struck I gave my Broad Side to the Ship and the A ction
.
comm enced at the distance of about Twenty Yards We .
continued o ur position for half an Hour the Brigg keep

ing up a constant and heavy fire o f M us q ue try Grape
and L angridge A t half past four the Ship having Slac k d
.
’
her fire and the Brig endeavouring to get on my Star

board Bow I haul d up and in so doing ran on board on
,
’
her Quarter by which she received much damage ; by

,
this time o ur Bowlines and Braces being cut away the

Topsails took a Back and we drop t astern of both A t
’
.
a Quarter before five the Brig put before the Wind and
our Topsails taking full we again stood for the Ship
302 L E TT ER BOO K OF A D M I RA L L O R D R O D N E Y
-
who i mm ediately wore gave a few Guns in return to

ours and made Sail after the Brig which lost her F ore ,
topmast and Boom soon after N o t being able to c o m .
m and the Ship in consequence o f the damage done to the

Masts Yards standing and Running Rigging &c which .
were in general Shot away and a Gun dismounted I ,
go t the C ourses set as soon as geer could be got rea d y

and stood to th e N orthward A t Six lost sight of the .
E nemy since that time have been e m p loy d mending

,
’
Sails getting up Rigging to support the Masts an d Yards

,
and turning up to A ntigua I must likewise o b serve that

.
w e m ake much Water and have received a num ber o f Shot

in o ur Hull Booms and Boats N otwithstanding which .
am h appy to inform yo u I had only o n e Man k ill d Mr

’
.
W alker the Lie ut Mr K ing the Boatswain and thirteen

t
.
others Wounde d most of which bein g with M usq ue t Shot

and Splinters are in a fair way of recovery .
I am with great respect Sir &c .
D
E DW H E RBERT
P S I am since informed the Ship was the Junius

. .
Brutus o f 18 N ine o n the Main D eck 6 Sixes on the

Quarter Deck and F orecastle and the Brig H ulk e r o f 18
,
Sixes .
To John Linz e e E sq r
To Vic e A d m ira l C o m te de Grasse
F ormidab le &c 18th M arch 1782

Sir
.
I am h o nor d with b oth your E xcellency s dispatches

’ ’
,
and am truly sensible b oth o f your Excellency s polite

’
ness and hu m anity and shall always be happy whenever

I can h ave an O pportunity o f shewing m y personal Re
spect and E steem for you .
I beg you will accept my thanks for restoring the

Boat Crew b elonging to L ord Robert Manners as like ,
’
w ise o f the Men belonging to the K ing my Master s
304 L E TT ER B OO K OF A D M IRA L L O R D R O D N E Y
-
F ro m C ap tain Ro b e rt B arb or
F ame [ March 18,

Sir
Mr M athew M oriaty C aptain o f Marines o n boar d His
.
’
M aj esty s Ship under m y C omm and hav i ng applied to ,
m e b y L etter o f 18 March requesting my A pplication for

a C ourt M artial on Philip N eal Private Marine for C o l
lering Striking and b eing Insolent to Mr : Tho m as
, ,
W heeler 2d L ieutenant o f M arines his O fficer when in,
th e E xecution of his D uty in attemptin g to settle a d i s

pute b etween sai d N eal and a C orporal of Marines he
had likewise b een beating : o n the evenin g of the 17th
o f M arch .
I am in C onsequence thereof to desire yo u will please

,
to A pply to the C ommander in C hief to give orders for

A ssembling a C ourt Martial for the Trial of Ph ilip N eal
Priv ate Marine accordingly I am Sir &c . .
R : B ARB O R
To Sir G B Ro d ney
. .
F ro m M ajor Ge ne ra l Jam es Cunningh am Go ve rnor of ,
B arb ados
Pilgrim 18 March 1782

M y D ear S ir
Th e Bearer o f this L etter to your E xcellency M ess “
N esbits , sent with L etters to me from the President o f

the C o unsil Speaker of the A ssembly o f N evis , stating
in the strongest term s the ir d istress fo r Provisions , and
also requesting that the Ships exp ected fro m E ngland b y
the C onvoy m ay b e perm i tte d to S ail im m e d iately on
their arrival here for that Islan d , I therefore in c o nse
q ue nc e o f the directions yo u gave me , have thought pro
per to send them with their F lag to Your E xcellency at
St L ucia , to receive Your C omman d s o n that subj ect
. .
L ETT ER BOO K O F A D M I RAL L O R D R O D N E Y
- 3 05
I take this opportunity of conveying t o Your E x

c e lle nc y some other L etters having had no opportunity
,
o f sending them N o t having heard from St L ucia since

, .
the 8 th Instant .
I have the honer to be My Dear Sir Yours &c a &c a . .
&c a .
JA S C U NN I N GH A M
.
To Sir G B Rodney Bart &c a &c a &c a

. . . . . .
F ro m C ap tain B e njam in C ald w e ll
A gam e nnon C arlisle Bay 18th March 1 782

Sir
I have the honor to infor m you with the arrival here
this E vening of His Maj esty s Ship A gam e nno n un d er ’
my C ommand with the Magnificent L ast night we spoke .
the L e F ortun é e C aptain C hristian informed me it was

your desire we should complete o ur Water with all possi
ble dispatch and j oin the F leet at Gros Islet Bay and
, ,
to m orrow or next day hope we shall be ready to Sail wi th

such Ships as are bound to St Lucia . .
I am Sir &c .
BE N J N
C ALD W E LL
To Sir G B Rodney Bt &c &c &c
. . . . . .
To M ajo r Ge nera l Th o m as Shirle y Go ve rnor of th e ,
L e e ward I s lan ds
F ormidable at Sea to Windward of

Martinique
1 9 th March 1782
Sir
.
I have had the honor o f receiving both Your E xcel

l e nc ys L etters and had answ e r d your first a considerab le
’
,
time since but the e xtre am bad Weather that we e xp eri

,
e nc e d during the F leet s continuance at St L ucia pre

’
.
,
vented the F rigates going to A ntigua with my Dispatches .

3 06 L E TT ER BOO K O F A D M I RA L L O R D R O D N E Y
-
I communicated the contents o f your E xcellency s Let ’
ters to General Mathew the General i s as eager as m y

,
self to undertake any E nterprize that m ay conduce to

the Benefit o f His Maj esty and his State He is now o n .
board the F ormidab le with m e to W i ndwar d o f Mar

tin iq ue We had P lan [ n ] d an E xpedition which was to
’
.
have been immediately put into E xecution had I not

receive d Intelligence that the E nem y hourly expected a
very large Reinforcement o f Men o f War and Troops
fro m E urope which it is my Business to en d eavor to In
te rc e p t however in all probability General Mathew will
,
b e soon at A ntigua I must leave i t to your E xcellency s

.
’
consideration whether the expectation o f General Mathew

at your Island shoul d not be kept as secret as p ossible
the Idea o f the C o mm ander in C hief of the K ing s Troops ’
being at A ntigua m ay give the alarm to the E nemy an d

, ,
should not be known even to the Inhab itants o f your

Island several o f who m have been to o apt to g ive Inte lli
,
gence to the E nemy supplying the m with Provisions un

der the pretence of going to M o untse rrat and unless You r
E xcellency is upon your Guar d they will do the same ,
F lags o f Truce that they m ay Induce you to Grant ; but

I m ust i ntreat you to be extremely cautious in granting
o f Private F lags o f Truce which only serve to g i ve th e
,
E nemy Inte lligence supply them w i th Provisions and are

e xtream ly detrimental to the State .
My C ruiz e rs have p ossitiv e O rders to seize all such an d

to su ffer none to pass but those that are charged with
,
Your E xcellency s D ispatches to the French Governors

’
or Generals .
You may depend upon every assistance i n m y power

towards the Preservation o f the Islan d of A ntigua an d
hope you have approved o f the O rders I have given to
the C ommanding O ffi cer o f His Maj esty s Ships station d’ ’
at A ntigua and that you ll b elieve me to be with great

,
’
Regar d Sir &c .
G B RO D N E Y . .
To H i s E xcellenc y Gen l Shirley .

308 L E TT ER BOO K OF A D M I RA L L O R D R O D N E Y
-
Islands with the produce of those Islan d s into S t L ucia .
and permi tted to loa d the sai d Produce i n Br i ti sh Ves

sels for Great Britai n .
Whether these N eutral Vessels m ay b e allowe d to ex

port in return from St L uc 1a U tensils an d Stores Pr o
.
,
v i s i ons excepte d fo r the use of the C o n q ue r d Islan d s

’
.
To C o m m o dore E dm und A flle c k
F orm idab le &c . 19 th March 1 782

S ir
,
I have receive d your L etter of the 15th Instant Inc lo s

i ng m e a C opy o f a C ouncil of War hel d at N e w York
the 1 1th D ece ‘
I am S ir &c .
G B R ODN E Y
. .
C om A fli e c k &c
r
. &c . &c .
To Cap tain Ge orge Day
F orm idab le &c . 19 th March 1 782

Sir,
d
I have rec your L etter o f the 9 th o f this Month in
closing L ists o f the d isposal o f Men which cam e from
D emarara an d m ust desire that the remain d er of them
m ay be equally divi d e d between the two new C omm is
sio n d Sloops Storm ont and Barbadoes which Sloops I
’
desire may have the Preference in being got ready for Sea
to every thing else whatsoever and You are to ha s ten
them with all the d i spatch possible and for which pur
pose I have sent O rders to the Storekeeper t o furnish
them with whatever Stores they m ay want an d he has i n
Store o n their being properly dem an d e d .
L ETT ER BOO K OF A D M I RAL L O R D R O D N E Y
- 309
You will be particularly careful that the enclosed

O rders be conveyed as soon as possible .
I am Sir &c .
G B R ODN E Y
. .
To C aptain Day
Surprize
To th e C ap tains o f Se ve n B ri tis h Ship s
F or mi dable &c . 20th March 1 782

Sir
,
’
A s it is o f the utmost consequence to His Maj esty s
Service that every Ship should pay the utmost A ttention
towards keeping the Station allotted her A nd Whereas ,
I have given directions that the O fficer o f the Watch in

each Ship should sign the Log Book at the end o f his
Watch and the distance then from the A dmi ral o f his
D ivision in order that might know who is to blame in
case the Ship under your C ommand should by the neglect
o f O fficers be out of her Station ,
A nd whereas in the night O f the 19 th by Lo g tho the ’
F ormidable made but a very m od erate Sail carryin g ,
neither Top gallant Sails nor Staysails during the whole

night yet such was the neglect of the O fficer o f the Watch
o f several Ships under my C ommand that instead o f
keeping in the ir Station and being ready at day light to

form the line O f Battle should there have been occasion
they were at so considerable a distance as mi ght have
’
been highly detrimental to His Maj esty s Service had
the E nemy then appeared in Sight ,
I must therefore desire you will make the strictest e n

qu iry into the C onduct of the O fficers of the Watch in
your Ship during that night and acquaint me with the
’
reasons and the occasion of His Maj esty s Ship under
your C o mm and being o ut of her Station in the Morning ,
A nd that you will give the stritc test inj unctions to your
O fficers that they pay the utmost attention to the O rders
3 10 L E TT ER BOOK OF A D M I RA L L O R D R O D N E Y
-
relative to their signing the Log Book an d k eeping the

Ship under y our C ommand in her proper Station agree
able to the O rders they wi ll receive from you .
I am Sir &c .
G B R ODN E Y
. .
To Th e respect ive C aptains O f H i s Maj esty s Ships i n ’
the M argin
[ L i st wri tten i n the m arg i n : ] M arlb orough Russell , ,
F a m e Prince George Torbay D uke Hercules

, , , , .
To th e C o m m an din g O flic e r of th e C o n vo y F ro m E ngland
F orm idab le &c . 20th March 1782

Sir ,
N otwithstan d ing any form er O rders I must d es ire you

w ill order the E ndym ion A larm Fr igates to compleat
the ir Water an d j oin me with all the E xp edition possible
agreeable to the enclosed R en d ezvous directing the Pr i n ,
cess C arolina together with the whole C onvoy an d what

other o f H : M aj esty s Ships ’
Vessels may h ave com e
o ut with it to rema i n in at C arlisle Bay Barb d o s till
,
’
further orders
I am Si r &c
.
C" 13 RO D N E Y
TO Th e C ommanding O fficer
'
o f the C onvoy from E ngland at Barba d oes
To M ajor Ge ne ra l Ja m es Cunningham Go ve rn or of ,
B a rb ado s
F ormidable &c . 20th March 1782

Sir,
I must desire you will be please d to give N otice to the
Planters and M erchants at Barbadoes that a C onvoy ,
3 12 L E TT ER BOO K OF A D M I RA L L O R D R O D N E Y
-
and forces no w Re nde v o uzing at C ape F rancois strike at

this Island bu t I am persuaded yo u w i ll find recourses
,
ready for every possible difficulty and however deep their

Plans o f A ttack they will find themselves severely dis
c o m fi te d b y yo u .
Inclosed I send y ou the latest Information fro m His

p anio la to which I beg leave to add that by other In
te llige nc e received their F leet at C ape F rancois has been
lately reinforced .
W ith every wish for your health and success I have

the Honor to be with great respect D ear Sir &c .
A RC H D
CA M P B E LL
To Sir G B R odney B t &c &c &c
. . . . . .
P S To m y great astonishment an d concern the Ship

. .
containing Provisions fo r His Maj esty s L and F orces has ’
been most unfortunately left at St L ucia . .
Th e K ing s Troops have b een oblige d to Purchase P ro

’
v i sions for many Months past as there was not a Morsel
i n Store .
( Signe d ) A C . .
F e b ruary 27th 1782
Intelligence re c e iv d from the Prisoners taken in the’
Schooner Maria L ouisa from C ape N ic h ola Mole to S t .
Iago de C uba F e b 22d Do n Galvez arrived at C ape F ran

y
,
r
cois in the St Juan o f 80 Guns and brought in with h im

.
an E nglish Merchant Ship of 22 Guns from Jamaica the

St Juan had 1500 Troops on board besides her C omple
.
m ent of 1400 Men the St Juan had a Passage o f 14 or 15 .
d ays from the H av an ah Do n Salano with 8 Sail o f the ,
L ine was to Sail fro m the H av anah 2 or 3 d ays after Don

Galvez 8000 Troops were embarked to come under hi s
C onvoy .
There arrived about 3 Weeks ago at C ape F rancois

5000 Troops under C onvoy o f 4 Sail of the L ine and three
Frigates the Ships are the
L E TT ER BOO K O F A D M I RAL L O RD R O D N E Y
- 3 13
St Domingo .
E 1 Guerrero
ue
St Juan Baptiste.
St Janeira .
St A ou .
E l C h airiq ue n
( C oppered ) L a C arv e tta
L a Tarrte re lli o f 40 Guns ( C oppered ) is the only
F rench Ship o f War in Hispaniola wanting her Main
,
M ast also the St Juan above m entioned

. .
Th e Re girne n ts from E urope are named St Mora E s

, .
tram adura E l L eon and Hibernia

Troops are saily expecte d at C ape Francois fro m
Brest .
Th e Mili tia are assembled

mb near St Iago to c o operate
.
-
with the above Troops against the Island o f Jam aica

which place they mean to A ttack in three diff erent parts
with Men .
A C aptain o f a Frigate has been sent to C umberland

Harbour to sound the D epth of Water &c &c &c . . .
Bullocks are C ollected in that N eighbourhood to trans

port to Jamaica .
N B D o n Galvez Ship is called the St Juan N e p om a

. .
seno
March 17th 1782
Secret Intelligence
L eft Te b e ro n the Morning of F riday the 15th Instant ,
That there are at C ape Francois as follows Viz t
N0
Spanish Ships o f the L ine
Troops from C adiz
from the Havana
F rench Troops Regulars ,
Militia O f C olour
That there are at St D oming o .
Spanish Troops to March over L and

Rendezvous at C ape F rancois 1500
3 14 L E TT ER BOO K OF A D M I RAL L O R D R O D N E Y
-
That the E nemy are Ballasting the ir Ships for the pur
pose o f taking Troops on B o ard
F ro m Vic e Adm ira l Sir P e te r P ark e r 1
San d wi ch Port Royal Harbour Jam aica

the 20th M arch 1782
S ir ,
I hav e the H o nor to tran sm i t to y o u b y H i s M aj e s ty s ’
Arm d Vessel the Spanish Packet a D uplicate of m y

’ 2
L etter o f the 7th Instant to Sir Saml H oo d an d a C op y ,
O f the Intelligence that was inclosed therein sent expres s
b y the Jac k all ar m d Vessel ’

.
Y o u will no w receive also some fresh Intelligence wh i ch

plainly Indicates that the present Intention of the E nemy
is to amuse our F leet to Windward ( which I am happy
to hear is much superior to theirs ) and to k eep them in
C heck till they have put their Scheme into E xecution
’
,
which General C ampbell and m yself apprehend is to ,
land the great Body O f Troops mentioned in the In te lli

’
gence o n different parts o f this Island c ov e r d by a N aval ,
force strong enough to effect their purpose ; and well

k nowing that Tw o Months would probably E lasp e [ sic ]
before you could have notice O f the A ttack and come to
o ur A ss i stance .
1‘
In o l um e 5 O f th e R o d ney M SS i n th e P ub l i c R e c o rd O fi c e L o n
v
d o n th e fo ll o w ing no t e in R o dney s h a n dwr it ing is writt en in th e m ar
.
,
’
gin b e s i d e a c o py o f th i s l e tt e r :
, , ,
“
N B T h i s a n d Ge n C a m pb e ll s l e tt e r [ of M arc h 20 1782] was not
’
re ei e d ti ll afte r th e d efe at
th e ene m y s fl ee t
. . .
,
’ ”
c v , of .
[ Marginal note in Admiral Rodney s hand w riting : ]

2 ’
P S instead o f sending the best and most powerful

.
Fri gate on this Important Service Sir P Parker thought .
proper to trust it to a little one mast Vessel which was ,
a Million to O ne she ever joyne d m e .

3 16 L E TT ER B OOK OF A D M I RA L L O R D R O D N E Y
-
F rom C ap tain C harle s I nglis
S t A lb ans at Sea
. 2 1 st March 1782
Sir
O n the 17th
i nstant i n the evenin g L ieut Miller of His .
Maj Ship S t A lbans under m y C o m mand then atten d

’s
.
,
ing the d uty o f the Ship upon the Quarter D eck calle d ,
me from the C ab b in complaining that C aptain Winter ,
of the Marines had rudely O bstructed him in the e xe c u

tion o f his D uty that there had been a distur b ance on
,
the Poop between the M idshipman there and a Marine

,
’
i n L iquor who he had o rde r d under the care of the C e n
,
try till he was sober O n m y coming o n Deck C aptain

, .
Winter was still in a passion saying that one of the ,
Mari nes had been struck I tol d h im his behav iour sur .
prized m e as He knew every im propriety was m i nutely

, ,
enquire d into as this would be in Due time persuasively

, ,
’
an d A uthoritatively e nde av or d to sooth h im wh i ch ha d
some e ffect and I retire d to m y C ab b in but in a li ttle
, ,
tim e was Drawn o ut b y a re p ititio n o f Riot an d D istur b ,
ance having then again and again ordered C apt Winter

, .
to be qui [ e ] t and retire he positively refused so to do

, ,
and was accordingly put in Arrest I am therefore to re .
quest you will order a C ourt Marti al to try him for the
sam e I am Sir &c
. .
C H A S I N GL I s
.
To S ir G B Rodney Bart
. . .
F ro m C ap tain B e njam in C a ldw e ll
A gam emnon Gros Islet Bay S t L ucia .
l t M arch 1782
Sir,
I had the honor of wr i ti ng to y ou last M on d ay evenin g

tw o L etters to inform yo u O f m y A rrival at Barbadoes
with the M agnifi c ie nt O n Tuesday E vening the E nglish .
L ETT ER BOO K O F A D M I RAL L O R D R O D N E Y
- 3 17
F leet was seen to Windward o f the Island , and was O ff

C arlisle Bay Yesterday N oon when in the E venin g I
proceeded here with all the Ships bound to this Island
and Jamaica bringing with me all the N avy Victuallers
and Store Ships ; d irecting the Trade only for A ntigua
N evis St C hristopher s and M o untse rat to remain at
’
.
,
Barbadoes until further O rders .
I beg leave to observe my C onduct proceeded from the

following Memorandum .
Mem :
It is Sir George Rodney s ve rb a l directions to me
’
that the Store Ships and Victuallers ( except such Vic

tualle rs as the A gent Victualler may find it convenient
to detain at this A nchorage shall proceed without loss
,
o f tim e together with the Store Ships under a strong
C onvoy to Gros Islet Bay St L ucia . .
a true C opy ( was signed ) Hugh C C hristian .
Geo : Day
To C aptain Day,
’
His Maj esty s Sloop Surprize
C aptain C otton o f the A larm which came from E ng

land with the C onvoy and inform you of the Ships that
cam e o ut, and deliver yo u a list O f them I hope my con .
duct will meet with your approbation I am Sir &c . .
A s the Ships are A nchored across the Bay

Intripe d
A gam e m non
P r C aroline
s
E ndymi on
M agnific ie nt
A ndromache
E ach Ship to have a Spring upon her C ables To

. ride
with half a C able .
BE N : CALD W E LL
To Sir G B Rodney Bt &c
. . . . &c . &c .
3 18 L E TT ER BOO K O F A D M I RAL L O R D R O D N E Y
-
F ro m C o m m odore E dm und A filec k

‘
Bedford at Sea 22d March 1782

Sir
Having received your Instructions respecting the dis
position and Station o f the d i fferent S quadrons of the
F leet under your C o mm an d for the m ore ready service ,
o f Intercep ting the E nemy i n which I am directed to ,
b e stationed to Windward o f Gua d aloupe with tw o 64

Gun Ships and not b eing able from m y Infirm ity to wait
,
upon yo u in person I beg your direct i ons by what Signal

,
I am to take upon me that Station and what Ships I am

to take under my C omman d not y et hav i ng had your
leave to part C ompany I am S ir &c . .
E DM D
AF F LE C K
To S ir G B Rodney Br &c &c &c
. . . . . .
To C ap tain B e njam in Ca ldw e ll
F ormidable &c 23 d March 1782

Sir
.
’
I am fav or d with y our s [ O f March 18 ] from Bar b a
’
d oes and am glad yo u proposed taking the Tra d e with

yo u to St L ucia
. .
Th e F leet h aving al te r d the ir Station I am induced

’
,
to b elieve is the reason you have no t j oined I must there .
fore desire yo u will please to hasten to make the j unction

agreeab le to the inclosed Ren d ezvous and am Sir &c ,
.
G B R ODN E Y
To C apt C aldwell
“
.
To Cap tain A n th ony Jam es P ye M o llo y
F ormi d able &c . 23 d March 1782

Sir
I am fav or d with your L etter of the 20th together
’
with the acco m panying Dispatches b rought b y the F lag

of Truce .
3 20 L E TTER BOO K OF A D M I RA L L O R D R O D N E Y
-
To M ajor Ge ne ra l Jam es C unningham Go vernor of ,
B arb ado s
F ormidable 23 March 1782

Sir
By the Gro s Islet Schooner which j oined the F leet Ye s
te rday fro m St L ucia I am h ono r d with your E xcel
’
.
,
le nc y s L etter o f the 18th Instant brought there in the

’
F lag o f Truce from Barbadoes inform ing m e of your h av ,
ing received L etters from the C o un sil and A ssembly o f

N ev is s tating the ir Distress for Provisions and request
, ,
i ng the Ships expected from E ngland b y the C onvo y

,
m ay be permitted to sail immediately o n their A rrival

fo r that Island conv eying also some other L etters to m e
, ,
for which you will please to accept my best thanks .
In answer to which I m ust b e g leave to inform your

E xcellency that I have no t the least o b j ection to the
,
Ships in the C onvoy b oun d to N ev i s to proceed there , ,
p rov id ed they have no Supplies o f Beef Pork or Brea d

o n board as the su ff ering Prov i s i ons to go for the U se
,
o f the Planters of N ev i s i s in other Words to feed the
E nem y therewith who I know are in the utmost want of

,
t hem I thin k i t m y D uty therefore as m uch as in me l i e s

.
to prevent their be i ng so supplied and that Your E x ,
c e lle nc y w i ll to Your utm ost c o operate w i th m e therein

-
a nd not su ff er any o f the Ships w i th Beef Por k or Brea d ,
o n boar d to Sail without the y are b ound to E ngl i sh
Islands nor even those Unless un d er C onv oy as Your

, ,
E xcellency m ust b e convinced as w ell as m yself the

E nem y has been b ut too often supplied b y s uch Pre
t e nc es .
I have the Honor to b e with the Highest Respect an d

R egar d
Yours &c a &c a &c a . . .
G B R ODN E Y
. .
To His E xcellency Gen l C unningham

L ETT ER BOO K O F A D M I RA L L O R D R O D N E Y
- 3 21
To M ajor Ge ne ra l Jam es C unnin gham Go ve rnor of ,
B arb ados
F o rmidable 23 March 1782

Sir
I have been h oner d with your L etter o f the 13 th In
’
stant containing a Representation of the Behaviour of

,
C aptain M c Law rin respecting the A miable L ouise a

, ,
French Merchant Vessel secured by the Packet and ,
claimed as a Droit of A dmiralty for the K ing by your ,
E xcellency .
In answer to which I can only at present say that as

, ,
C aptain M c Lawrin is now absent I shall imm ediately ,
o n his Return cause his C onduct therein to be strictly ,
inquired into .
I have the Honer to be with the Highest respect and

Regard
G B R ODN EY
. .
To His E xcellency Gen 1

C unningham
F ro m C ap tain B e nja m in C a ld w e ll
A gamemnon Gros Islet Bay St Lucia .
24th March 1 782

S ir
,
I am h onor d with your L etter o f the 23 d Instant

’
should have proceeded in stantly to j oin you upon o ur

arriv al here but having brought down the E nglish C o n
voy fro m Barbad oes I j udged it best to remain here for

their protection ; o f which no time was lost in sending
C aptain C otton o f the A larm ( a Thursday Morning ) to
give you information Inclosed is a C opy o f my letter and
.
a list o f the King s Ships ( the L izard fire Ships and

’
, ,
’
other small one s excepted ) as they are in a line across
3 22 L ETT ER BOO K OF A D M I RA L L O R D R O D N E Y
-
the Bay Some Victuallers all the Jam aica Ships with
.
,
the 14th R egim ent o n board are within us the N av y and ,
A rmy Store Ships with the other Victuallers are in the

C arenage and a disposition ma d e ( of the A rme d Ships )
,
for their protection against boats o r fire Vessels .
A s you did not know of the Arrival of the F leet from

E ngland when you wrote to me on the 23 d and looki n g
upon the protection o f them to be o f the utmost c onse
q ue nc e I shall venture to tak e upon me to remain here
,
until I have the hono r of receiving your further dire c

tions .
My anxiety Sir to hear from you is great and I wait

, ,
w ith i m patience fo r the A larms return If I have erred I .
shall think m yself unfortunate indeed .
With the assistance o f C aptain Molloy ( o f whose

ability and Z eal in Service there is no occasion to com
m ent upon ) ev ery thing goes on agreeable to your dire c
tions I am 850. .
BE N : C ALD W E LL
To Sir G B Ro d ney &c &c &c . . . . .
S This instant L ieutenant Jennings has come to me

P . .
—
left Martinique Yester d ay and brings an A ccount
he ,
o f a C onvoy having arrived there last We d nesday o f
Sixty one Sail under C onvoy o f three line of Battle Ships ,
two Frigates and a Sloop with Six thousand Troops o n

b oard an d he will have the honor o f waiting upon you .
TO Re ar A dm ira l F ranc is S Drake .
F ormidable 25 March 1 782

Sir
A s S ir Saml Hood ha s acquainted m e , that C apta in
W ilkinson in the Prince Willi am , when o n the look o ut,
to Windward , saw a F leet o f Ships , which he took t o b e
the E nemy ,
1
but at a very great distance to Win d war d ,
[ Marginal note in A dm iral R odney s hand w riting : ]

1 ’
‘
twas only an E nglish C onvoy b oun d to Barb ado es

-
I shall b e ready to lay o n an Em b argo when you

i nform me it i s necessary for the K ing s Serv i ce ’
.
I have not granted any F lag o f Truce since my arrival

in Barbado s ’
.
Th e A m erican Prisoners escape daily as we have no

proper Prison for them 12 C aptains o r Masters O f Ves,
sels went O ff at o ne t ime I understoo d from Your E x .
c e lle nc y that yo u m eant to lodge a general O rder here
for all K ings Ships touching at this Port b ound for S t .
L ucia to take a proportion each o f them away but I

, ,
do not find that executed possible I may have m i staken ,
your Mean i ng .
I h ave the Honor to b e S ir &c .
JA s C U N I N GH A M
.
To Sir G B Ro d ney &c &c &c

. . . . .
F ro m William Ragge tt N ava l Store ke ep e r

, at B arb ado s,
to A dm iral Ro dne y s Se c re tary
’
Barb ado s M arch

’
25th 1782
S ir ,
I have receive d your L etter o f the 19 th Instant with

’
it s inclosures .
I have been ab le to hire a v ery fast sailing C opper

b o ttom d Schooner o f the d escription an d found as p
’ r
Inventory herewith i nclosed but from the known good

qualities ( having several times looke d into Brest and
’
run thro the F rench F leet ) being c opp e r d and so well
’
e q uip d I am obliged to pay F ive Pounds Sterling E

’
9 Da
, y
which is m ore than the price g iven for the co mm on Pilo t
Boats I have agree d for her fro m the 27th instant when
.
she will be able to procee d to j oin the F leet should there

be any Ship o f War to take her under C onvoy as I pre ,
su m e I am not authorized to dispatch her alone without

the A dmirals direction I am Sir &c . .
W M RA GGE TT .
To Th e Re v Mr Pagett
6
.
L ETT ER BOO K OF A D M I RA L L O R D R O D N E Y
- 3 25
F rom William B agge tt, N a va l S to re keep e r at B arb ados
Barbadoes March 25th 1782

Sir,
I receive d your Letter o f the l gth Instant laid the ,
Petition before the A ttorney General o f this Island and

herewith transmi t yo u his opinion with the Petition .
It having been hinted to me that on these occasions

some C omplement is usuall y made to the A ttorney Gen
eral I humbly submit the matter to your consideration .
W M B AGGE TT .
To Sir G B Rodney &c &c &c

. . . . .
To M ajo r Ge ne ra l Jam es Cunningham , Go ve rnor of

B arb ado s
F orm idable &c . 26th March 1782

Sir,
I have been h on or d with Your Excellency s L etter O f

’ ’
the 25th Instant informing m e o f your having received

various Dispatches fro m me and o f your Readiness to
dispatch the Pr ovision and Wine Vessels when C onvoy
O ff ers as also O f the frequent E scape o f American Pri
sone rs from the Island of Barbadoes .
In answer to which I have the honor to inform Your

Excellency that I have orde r d C aptain C otton o f the ’
A larm w h o goes to Barbadoes for Gen l M atth e w s s ’
E quipage to receive 50 o f the said Prisoners o n board

and bring them to St L ucia and that I have also o r
.
,
der d His Maj esty s Ship the Prudent to proceed im

’ ’
m ediately with the Trade bound to the L eeward Islands

and see them safe to St John s Road A ntigua I am &c
.
’
. .
G B R ODN E Y
. .
TO His Excellency Ge n I
C uningham &c .
3 26 L E TT ER B OO K O F A D M I RA L L O R D R O D N E Y
-
To W i lliam Ragge tt N a va l S tore k e ep e r

, at Barb ados
F orm idab le &c . 27th March 1782

S ir
,
d
I have rec your L etter of the 25th Instant enclosing
the O pinion o f the A ttorney General o f Barbad oes on the
case I had sent yo u to lay before him informing me that ,
hin ts ha d been giv en yo u by him that a F e e was usually

paid the A ttorne y Gen l o n such O ccasions .
In answer to which I d esire You will take care to pay

M r Moore the A ttorney General of Barbadoes a reason
.
ab le Gratuity fo r his sai d O pinion the sam e b eing o n the

publick serv i ce I am 650 . .
G B R ODN E Y . .
To M r B aggett &c
. .
F rom C o m m o do re E dm und A flle c k

‘
Be d for d M arch 27th 1782

a
L att
Sir
I take leave to i nform y ou by the F lag that bears th i s ,
that of a certainty three Sail o f the L ine with 60 Sail

’
Merchant Ships under C onvoy are A rriv d at M artinique ,
from which m ay be conj ectured that the Remainder that

were seen with them O ff the Burlings the 24th F e b ruar y
may be gone down to the C ape but as it is still uncertain
,
b ut some o f the Stragle rs m ay be yet to pass I shall not ,
think m yself at L iberty t o leave the Station yo u have

p re sc rib d me till I have your further O rders I have the
’
.
,
Honer to be Sir
E DM D
A F F LE C K
To Sir G B Rodney &c a &c a &c a
. . . . .
3 28 L E TT ER B OO K OF A D M I RA L L O R D R O D N E Y
-
I slan d of Guadaloupe Do mi n i que b y that m eans e s

cape the notice O f m y Cruiz ers I hav e the Honer t o b e
.
with great Re gar d

G B R ODN E Y
. .
To C aptain C al d well
A gam em non
To C om m o dore E dm und Afflec k
F ormi d ab le 28 March 1782

S ir
I have rece ive d your L etter o f the 27 In s tant acqua i nt ,
ing m e with the Intelligence you ha d received of Three ,
Sail of the L ine with 60 Sail of Merchant Ships un d er

C on v oy b eing Arrived at M artin i que which Intelligence
, ,
proves too true ; and as i t is no longer necessary for y ou

to continue o n y our present Station I m ust desire y ou ,
will return with His Maj estys Ships under your C om

m an d j oin m e off Po i nt Salines I have the Honor to
, .
b e with Great Regar d ,
Your s &c a &c a &c a . . .
G B R ODN E Y
. .
C o mm o d ore Affle c k &c a &c a &c a . . .
F ro m Adm ira l Ro dne y s Se c re tary to Wi lliam Ragge tt,

’
N aval Store keep e r at B arb ados
F ormi d ab le &c . 28th March 1782

Sir ,
I have this Instant b een fav or d with your L etter o f

’
March 25th d esiring m e to inform the A dmiral that i n

consequence o f his d irections signifie d to you by m e Yo u ,
’
have b een able to hire a very fine fast Saili ng C opp er d
b o ttom d Sch o oner &c b ut that yo u hav e b een O b lig d
’ ’
,
L ETT ER BOO K OF A D M I RA L L O R D R O D N E Y
- 3 29
to give at the rate o f £5 Sterli ng to co mm ence from the

27th Instant when she would be able to proceed un d er
,
C onvoy O f any Man o f War without which you did not

think yourself authorized to send her .
In answer to which I am commanded by the A dm ir al

to inform you that he think s the Sum o f £5 Sterling a
day so extravagant that he does no t chuse to have any
thing to do with her A nd that Yo u will discharge her as
,
soon as possible and with as little E xp enc e as may b e to

the Publick I am Sir &c
. .
W M PAGE TT .
To Mr B aggett &c a
. .
To Re ar A dm ira l Sir Sam u e l H o o d
F ormidab le 29 March 1782

Sir
I am sorry to tell you notwithstanding all o ur Vigile nc e
that the E nemy s C onvoy consisting of 2 Lin e o f Battle
’
Ships 3 Frigates with 60 Transports with Troops

are arrived at Martinique F our Sail of the L ine parte d
.
C ompany with them and are gone to St D omingo and .

,
fi v e Sail of the L ine with Troops are gone to the

E ast Indies .
A s we have now not a Moments time to spare it b e ,
hoves us to compleat the Stores Provisions of the F leet

with all possible dispatch ; I must therefore desire that
yo u will proceed with your S quadron to Gros Islet Bay
A nchor them on the South Side of the Bay in such
a m anner as to leave room for my Squadron to A nchor
b etween them Pigeon Island .
You will please to give directions that the ships b e

completed to four Months Provisions o f all Species
Watered Stowed with every Dispatch possib le .
I have ordered the A gamemnon Magnificent E ndym , ,
ion An dromache
,
N ymphe to C ruize between St .
A nns Bay Pigeon I slan d d aily reconn oi tering the

-
E nem y s F leet in F ort Roy al Bay

’
hav e given the m no
,
tice that the y m ay ho urly expect y ou to pre v ent the ir ,
being alarmed I have the Honer to be with Great Regard

.
Yo urs &c a &c a &c a . . .
G B R ODN E Y
. .
Rear A d m iral S ir Sam l H ood &c a &c a &c a . . .
To C ap tain Ge orge Day
F orm id able &c . 29 th March 1782

S ir
,
d
I have rec y o ur L etter of the 25th Instant enclos ing
a L is t o f such Merchant Sh ips as rem ain in C arli sle Bay
after C aptn C ald well Sailed w i th the C onv o y for St .
L uc i a an d of your havi ng g iven C apt n C aldwell a C opy

,
o f m y order for L i ne of Battle Sh ips to proceed to S t .
L uc i a as well as a M em oran d um left y o u by C aptn Chris

t i an for the Storeship an d Victuallers to procee d w i thout
,
loss of time to Gros Islet Bay un d er a strong C onv o y all

which I v ery highly appro v e o f I am Sir &c . .
G B R ODN E Y
. .
To C aptain Day .
Surpriz e
To M ajor Ge ne ra l Th o m as Shirle y , Gove rnor o f the

L ee ward Is lan ds
F ormidable 29 th M arch 1782

S ir
,
I have b een h on or d with your L etter o f the 9 th In

’
stant ( enclos ing also a C op y o f one from the C o unc e ll

A ssembly o f N evis to Your E xce ll ency ) informing m e
that Provision having b een m ade by the 16 th Arti cle of
these C apitulation for the safe C onduct o f the Vessels
bound for that Island with Supplies and that the Benefit
33 2 L E TT ER BOO K O F A D M I RA L L O R D R O D N E Y
-
turn o ut equally a d vantageous and agreeab le to your

self I am S ir & c
. .
G B R ODN E Y . .
G Errington E sq
.
r
Post Master General

Barbadoes
To Rear A dm iral F ranc is S Drake .
F orm id ab le &c . 30th March 1782

S ir ,
A s I propose going into Port wi th m y Squadron this

d ay I m ust desire yo u will please to order the Prince
George an d Tor b ay to follow me in and remain with the ,
remain d er of your S quadron and the three Ships under

C o mm odore A ffle c k O ff Point Salines for F orty eight
hours ordering some O f your Ships to look into St A nn s
, .
’
Bay and F ort Royal daily that I may be acquainte d w i th

the situation o f the E nemy and their Motions I have .
already order d the A gamemnon and three F rigates o ff

’
,
St A nn s Bay Yo u will please to take them all under

.
’
.
your C ommand except the A gam emnon order her to ,
j oi n m e .
A s I hav e ob serv d that the Ships going into Port fre

’
quently crow d to o close to one another I have given di

rections that they keep half a m ile distance in going into
Port to give time for the Ship ahead to A nchor brin g
up and that they go in according to seniority Please to
,
.
give the same directions to your Squadron and that the

Prince George and Torbay anchor without my Squadron ,
.
When you come in please to leave C ommodore Affle c k

with five sail o f the line between Point Salines and ,
Pidgeon Island with orders to look daily into F ort Royal

and Saint A nns taking care to keep to Windward in the
N ight and at dayli ght his best sailing F rigates to look
into F ort Royal E very moment is now precious N o time
. .
will be allowed b ut to take in Stores Water and Pro ,
v isions those Ships O f your Division which did no t

L ETTER B OO K OF A D M I RAL L O R D R O D N E Y
- 33 3
come out o f E nglan d with m e to hav e the ir dem an d s,
ready and take them o n board with every dispatch poss i

b le after they A nchor Please t o send o ne o f y o ur Ship s
.
to C o m modore Affle c k he C ruiz es from D ominique to

Windward of Gaude lo up at the same distance w e w ere
from Martinique I have sent a Sloop but he may mi s s
.
him I am Sir &c

. .
G B R ODN EY
To Rear A dmiral Drake
. .
To Rear A dm iral F ranc is S D rake .
F orm idable
in Gros Islet Bay
St L ucia 3 l st March 1782
Sir
. .
Having received Information of two A merican Pr i

v ate e rs being Cruiz ing to Win dward O ff Dominique I ,
have O rder d C aptain F ord in the N ymph to proceed to

’
Quest of them .
Yo u will please to order C omm odore Afii e c k to retur n

directly into this Bay and remain yourself with five or
s ix o f the L in e of Battle which yo u j udge properest for
that purpose in your present Station till your Signal is ’
m ade to come in or till you hear further from Sir &c

’
.
0" 13 RO D N E Y
To Rear A dmiral Drake &c &c &c
'
. . .
To Rear Adm irals H oo d an d D rak e
F ormidable 3 1st March 1782

Sir
I must desire yo u will please to give orders to the
C aptains of your Squadron to compleat their Store s
Water and Provisions of all Species to four Months a s
expeditiously as possible and hold themselves in momen
tary readiness to put to Sea I am &c . .
G B R ODN EY
To Rear A dm Hood
l
Drake
. .
-
To F e rgus P a te rson
F ormidable 3 1st March 1782

Sir,
I d esire yo u will procure all the C raft that possibly

can b e go t and cause the P rovisions of such Ships as are
W atering at the C ul de Sac in C h o c q ue Bay to be sent o n
board them with all the D ispatch possible as it is the ,
D uty o f the C ontractor to send the same to them and

that not a moments time be lost in sending roun d the
Provision Vessels for the Rest o f the F lee t in this Bay
as it is of the utmost C onsequence that they are im
m ediately compleated I am Sir &c . .
G B R ODN E Y . .
To M r F ergus Paterson &c

. .
To th e M e rc h an ts of St C h ris top h e r N e vis

.
, ,
an d
M o n tserra t
F ormidable 3 1s t March 1782 .
Gentlemen ,
Having in consequence of your Petition to me of March

9 th 1782 requesting Permission to import the Produce of
the C ap tur d Islands in N eutral Bottoms to the Islan d
’
O f S t L ucia and to carry back in Return U tensils Goods

.
, , ,
Plantations and Stores the Produce o f Great Britain

,
taken the O pinion O f His Maj esty s A ttorney General of ’

-
Barbadoes and received his A nswer on the C ase I here

w ith inclose you a C opy thereof and to assure yo u that
I shall willingly act in C onformity thereto being de ,
siro us in every Respect in my power to encourage the
Trade Manufactures and C omm erce of Great Britain

,
and to accomodate you A t the sam e time I trust that

.
Yo u Gentlemen will be particularly careful to prevent

Provisions Arms A mmunition or any thing else that
sound Policy should prohibit being exported un d er the
C olour o f Permission as m ay be grante d to the Masters
336 L ETT ER B OO K OF A D M I RA L L O R D R O D N E Y
-
To Re ar A dmira l Joshua Ro w le y
F orm id ab le Gr o s Islet Bay &c .
3 d A pr i l 1 782 .
S ir
,
I sen d the D uke de E sseac k express to acquaint y o u

that the C onvoy from Great Britain are arrive d with the
14th Reg im ent b ound to Jam aica as the E nemy s F leet
’
consisting o f 3 6 Ships o f the L ine and ten Frigates are

no w at F ort Royal I shall h o ld m yself and the F leet un
.
der m y C o mm and in m o m entary re adyne ss to attack or

f o llow them should they m ove fr o m their Port I hav e
,
.
likewise the 69 th Regiment o n bo ard the F leet and hour ly

expect a C onvoy with Troops fro m Irelan d an d shall n o t
run the risque of the Jamaica C onv oy being intercepte d
b ut propose to protect the m i n the ir Passage with the
F leet under m y C o m mand and have not a doubt b ut
,
that the Ships under your C omman d will b e k ept in m o

m entary readiness to j oin m e upon your receiving not i ce
,
o f m y being o ff th e E ast en d o f Jamaica or upon the
E nem y s C oasts o f C uba or St D om ingo the Great F orce

’
. .
o f the E nemy will require a spee d y Junction of all H i s
Maj esty s Squadrons in these Sea s I am Sir &c

’
. .
G B . . R ODN E Y
To Rear A dm l Rowley
or C o mm ander in C hief
Jam aica
TO th e Go ve rnor o f Jam aic a

( M aj o r Ge n e ra l J o h n D a l ling )
F ormi d able &c . 3 d A pril 1782

Sir,
I take the earliest opportunity to acquaint your E x

c e lle nc y that the C onvoy from Great Br i tain are arriv e d
at this Island with the 14 th Regiment I have likewi s e

,
.
L ETT ER B OO K OF AD M IRAL L O R D R O D N E Y
- 3 37
the 69 th Regt on board the F leet both of which are des

.
,
tin ed for the Protection of your Island the C onvoy fro m ,
C ork are hourly expected in which I am informed some

,
Regiments are E mbarked .
Th e E nemy s F orce in these Seas are 3 6 Sail o f the

’
L ine 10 Frigates they keep themselves close in F ort

Royal Bay and seem to b e near ready Y o u may depend .
upon my watching them and if they give me an o pp or

tunity o f attacking them should they escape the attack
.
in these seas that Great E vent must be decided in those

,
near your Island Th e F orce O f His Maj esty s F leet in

.
’
these Seas are 3 8 Sail o f the L ine all o f which yo u may ,
b e sure shall come to the assistance o f Jamaica should

the E nemy delay sailing in order to deceive me while ,
( maybe ) Jamaica is attac k d I shall continue here but

’
.
a short time and proceed with all possible dispatch to

prevent their d esigns taking place I hav e the Honor to .
be &c .
G B R ODNE Y . .
P S I have wrote to A dml Rowley to have his Squad

. .
ron ready to j oin me on m y approach o ff Jamaica .
His E xcellency the Governor Of Jamaica .
To th e C o m m andin g Offic er a t B arb ado s
F ormidable Gros Islet Bay St L ucia .
4 th A pril 1 782
Sir,
I des ire you will please to direct the C aptains o f the

Barbadoes and Stormont to transmit me the state and
C ondition of their Sloops with the Progress they m ake
in C ompleating and that C aptn Douglass o f the former
to repair to this Bay with the first Man o f War that
comes down and C aptain C obb O f the latter to remain
33 8 L E TT ER B OOK OF A D M I RA L L O R D R O D N E Y
-
’
i n C arli sle Bay ti ll further or d ers b oth to b e M an d from
,
’
the Men who recover at the Hospital I am S ir &c . .
G B R ODN E Y
. .
To Th e C omm an din g O fli c er at Barb adoe s
To Jose p h K e e ling C o lle c tor of Cus toms

, at B arb ados
F orm id ab le 610 4th

. Apr i l 1782
Sir,
I am th i s d ay favore d w i th your L etter O f the 18th

M arch an d am m uch c o ncerne d to fin d y ou have b een
i ndisposed b ut I fl atter m yself y ou are perfectly Re
c ove r d Th e Dan i sh Vessels m ay b e perm itte d to Sa i l
’
.
for this Island as they are loaded w i th Provisions b e

lo nging to the C ontractor for the Use of His Maj e s ty s ’
Sh ips .
I am Sir &c .
G B R ODN E Y
. .
"
To Jo s eph K eel i n g E sq
C ollector of His Maj esty s C ustoms at Barb adoes
’
To Thom as Shirle y C on trac tor for the N avy a t B arb ados

,
F orm idab le &c . 4 th A pril 1 782

S ir
,
I cannot help c om plainin g o f the gross neglect of your

A gent at this Island in s upplying His M aj esty s F leet
’
under m y C o mm and with Provisions and especially at

his landing the C argoes o f 2 Vessels i n the C arenage ,
when the F leet were expecte d into Port an d perfectly

3 40 L ETT ER B OO K OF A D M I RA L L O R D R O D N E Y
-
To R ear A dm ira l F ranc is S Drake .
F orm id ab le &c 5th A pril 1782

Gentlemen
.
Herewith I inclose you a letter from C apt n Barbor in

form ing me that John M as o n one of the Six Men b e
longing to His Maj esty s Ship F am e o n whom he ha d
’
requested b y L etter of the 3 d March m ight be tryd at

a C ourt Martial for C rimes therein mentioned ha d d e ,
sired to be admitte d an E vidence and beg leave to ac

quaint Yo u that I have no manner of O b j ection prov i d ed
the C ourt consents thereto
I am &c
.
G RO D N E Y
To :Fra Sam l Drak e E sq &c &c &c
.
r
. . .
To Rear A dm ira l F ran c is S Drake .
F ormidab le &c 5th A pril 1782

Sir
.
Havin g receiv e d a L etter from C aptain Winter o f the

M arines on boar d H is Maj esty s Ship St A lbans request
’
.
ing that the O r d er fo r his b eing trye d by a C ourt Martial

( which O r d er has b een transmitte d to yo u) may b e with
drawn and C apt n Inglis having likewise b y L etter re
quested the same I have assented thereto an d am t o d e
sire you will please to cause the said O rder and C aptain
Inglis s L etter accompanying it to b e returne d to m e
’
.
I am Sir &c °
G B R ODN E Y . .
To Fra Sam l Drake E sq &c &c &c

E
1 r
. . .
F ro m Jo hn M arr A gen t Vic tua ler

,
at St Im c ia
.
P i geon Island St L ucia 5th A pril 1782

Sir
.
I presum e it b ecomes an indispens ib le Duty in m e t o

represent to you that the Brea d C a sk Stav es that are re ,
L E TT ER BOO K OF A D M I RA L L O RD R O D N E Y
- 34 1
turned from the Ships o f the F leet under your C ommand

are of no kind o f Use t o m e in the C ooperage an d of
li ttle Value to the C rown should they be sent home in
the em pty N avy Victuallers A nd as I have great Reason
.
to imagine that the said Staves would Yield a consider

able profit should they be sold at publick Vendue the ,
Sale of which be i ng first advertized in the Publick Papers ,
I am to request you will to take the same into your

C onsideration and give such D irections therein as you
shall j udge expedient for the good o f the K ing s Service ’
.
I am Sir &c .
J O H N M ARR
. . . . . .
To M ajor Ge ne ra l E dward M a th e w
-
F orm idable &c 6th A pril 1782

D Sir
.
r
,
By Intelligence I received last night from Port Royal

the E nemy have E mb ark d N ine thousand Troops and
’
fro m what I can learn are ready to proceed Yo u may de .
pend upon a watchful E ye being kept on them and that

the F leet under my C ommand are kept in a C ondition to
Sail at a Moment s Warning N ight or d ay
’
, ,
.
It is necessary that Genl Sk e e ne and all the O fficers

should repair o n board .
I have not had O ne Single Moment to m yself since I

had the Honor o f seeing you I am Sir &c . .
G 3 RO D N EY
To Gen Mathew
1 o
To J o hn M arr Vic tualing A ge n t

, at S t Lu c ia
.
F ormidable &c 6 th April 1782

Sir
.
Th e L ords C ommi ssioners of the A dmiralty hav in g

signified to me by L etter that Mr W m Ward who is . .
-
un d er C ontract for supply in g H is M aj e s ty s Sh ip s at ’
Jamaica with Provis i ons having foun d m any an d great

difficulties in Shipp ing Provisions for the U se of the
Ships at that Island and that if a F leet shoul d go down
to Jam aica i t will b e im possible for h im to ge t P ro v ision s
there in ti m e to supply them .
I am therefore to d e s ire y o u w ill tak e care that a

s ufii c ie nt nu m b er o f Victuallers be rea d y to go w i th or
,
follow the F leet to Jamaica an d i n case any Ships arr iv e

with Wine Yo u w ill also forward them under C onv oy o f
,
Ships O f War which I shall appoint for that purpose ; an d

o n no account to sen d Rum o r an y other Spirits to the
F leet i f Wine can be procure d I am Sir &c

. .
G B R ODN E Y
. .
TO John Marr E sq r
To Re ar A dm ira l th e H onora b le Ro b e rt Digb y
Sent b y the Hornett

F orm id ab le &c . 6 th A pr i l 1 782
S ir
,
I d ispatch His M aj esty s Sloop the Hornett to acquaint

’
yo u o f my arrival i n these Seas and altho w e cam e too

’
late to save the Islands o f S t C hristopher s N evis an d

.
’
,
Montserrat from falling into the hands o f the E nemy

yet we have prevented their further C onquests an d tis
with great pleasure I can acquaint you that His Maj esty s ’
F leet in these Seas are now superior to the E nemy s are

’
,
complete in every respect and wait in momentary re adi

ness to attack the E nemy whenever an opportunity o ff ers .
Th e enclosed L ist will shew yo u their force the ir ,
Troops are E mbarked and I suppose they inten d to take

the advantage O f the first dark N ight to push for the ir
place of destination which by every Intelligence I hav e
received is to attack the Island o f Jamaica .
You may be sure that I will not detain the F orce ne c e s

sary fo r the protection o f A merica longer than necessity
3 44 L E TT ER BOO K OF A D M I RAL L O R D R O D N E Y
-
or d er signe d by som e O fli c er very superior i n a stati on ,

’
q ualify d to give it I have the Honor to be S &c
”
. .
ROB T F A N S H AW E
.
To Sir G B Ro d ney Bt &c . . . . &c . &c .
To C o m m o do re E dmun d A jffle c k
F or mi dab le &c . 6th A pril 1782

S ir ,
It b e i ng necessary for His Maj esty s Service that the ’
Ships now watering and Victualling to L eeward im

m ediately rendezvous here I must des ire You will c o m e
away with them whether co m pleated or not the Instant
You receive this and anchor with them without all in
,
this Bay I am S &c ”

. .
G B R ODN E Y . .
To C o mm odore Afli e c k
F ro m C o mm o dore E dm und A flle c k
Be d ford Gro s Islet Bay A pril 6th 1782

Sir ,
Th e b eing confined to my C ab b in with a very painful

i nfl amm atory C omplaint in my face prevents m e fro m
the Honor O f waiting upon yo u I must therefore send
C aptain Graves in m y Stea d to who m I b eg to refer you
for any particulars relative to the Sh ips imm ediately
under my E ye at the C ul d e Sac to all who m I de live r d ’
your directions the m oment I received them this Morn

ing to j oin you without a m om ent s loss o f tim e I am S ir
’
.
&c .
E DM : A F F LE C K
To S G B Ro d ney B t &c &c &c
”
. . . . . .
L ETT ER BOO K O F AD M I RAL L O RD R O D N E Y
- 3 45
To C ap tain Jo hn L afo re y C o m m is sioner

, o f the N avy
a t th e L ee w ard I s lan ds
F ormidable &c . 7th April 1782

Sir,
I must desire you will please to deli ver the Inclose d

Orders to the respective C aptains at your Island I am .
Sir &c .
G B R ODN EY . .
To John L aforey E sq ”
To Jo hn M arr, A ge n t Vic tua le r at S t Lu c ia

.
F ormi dable &c . 7th A pril 1782

Sir,
A s the important Service of His Maj esty s F leet pre ’
vents my attending to setling the several A ccounts of

the E xp e nc e s inc ur d by erecting Hospitals F orts an d
’
,
other Publi ck Works on the Island o f Gros Islet e s ,

’
se n tially necessary for His Maj esty s Service and your
Residence on the said Island in a Publick E mploy will

put it in your Power with out Inconvenience to audit the
di fferent A ccounts among which the most considerable
,
is that of Mr Paterson who has paid the Disbursements

.
already made on that Head .
I must desire You will take to your A ssistance the

Master Builder and Storekeeper and with them audit
and settle the A ccounts of the said Mr Paterson or any .
other that may have j ust demands for such Works as are
already compleated or in Hand but nothing new is to be
,
undertaken without the approbation O f Rear A dmiral

Drake or the Senior O fficer left with the C omm and in
these Seas during my absence excepting such as you
,
shall j udge necessary for your own use and that of your
O fli c e or other E rections necessary to carry on the D uty
o f A gent Victualler and as a Storekeeper is now fix d ’
,
3 46 L E TT ER B OOK OF A D M I RAL L O R D R O D N E Y
-
there all fur ther Paym ent s are to b e m ade b y him Yo u

, .
an d the Builder having first attested the A ccount an d the

same b eing approved by Rear A dmiral D rake the A dmiral
or Senior O fficer o n the Station ( when there i s no A d
m iral ) during m y absence .
I am Sir &c .
G B R ODN E Y
. .
To Jn Marr °
E sq ”
To Re ar A dm ira l F ranc is S Drak e .
F orm i d ab le 8 A pr i l 1782 at d ay light

D ear S ir
Th e E nemy are comin g o ut I m ust d es ir e therefore
.
that you wi ll m ake the Signal and get under weigh with
your D ivision , and O rder all the other Ship s belonging
to the other Divisions that m ay be in the way to d o the
s ame , an d s tand with easy Sail to the N orthwar d to give
roo m for the whole F leet t o get o ut I am Sir &c . .
G B R ODN E Y
. .
To Rear A d miral Drake &c a &c a &c a . . .
F ro m C ap tain J o hn L afore y, C o m m is sio ner o f the N avy

a t th e L e e w ard Is lan ds
Robust in E nglish Harbour A pril 8th 1782

Sir,
I had the honor O f writing to you last on the 1st In

stant by His Maj esty s Ship Tr i ton
’
.
O n the 6th an E xpress Boat w ith D ispatches for yo u

from Jamaica came o ff the Harbour I hope they will .
reach yo u if not it is owing to the O fficer comm anding

-
To Re ar A dm ira l Sir P e te r P arke r or Rear A dm ira l

Jos hua Ro w le y
Sent by the Z e bra

F ormidab le o ff D ominique l 0th April 1782
Sir,
I am to acquaint you that the day b efore Yesterday

the 8th Instant the F rench F leet an d their Transports
,
with Troops put to Sea an d Steere d Seem ingly for Guada

loupe I followed them imm ediately and Yesterday
.
,
M orning at day light came up w ith the m under the L ee

o f D ominique When the Batfling W i n d s woul d perm it
.
,
m y Van an d part o f m y C enter b rought them to A ction ,
but the greatest part o f the tim e the E nem y who had
the Wind took the A dvantage there o f b y k eeping at a
considerable distance and expendin g a great deal O f
Powder and Shot unnecessary howev er they m ade sh i ft
,
to C r ipple the Royal O ak which has Obliged m e to send

her to Port Royal to b e Re fi tte d Where I make not the
1
.
least doubt but yo u will give the necessary or d ers that

the utmost dispatch b e use d not only in regar d to her ,
b ut o f every Ship of y our Squadron the whole of which

,
will be wanted at this i m portant C risis .
I am to acquaint you that I ordered the C onvoy bound

to Jam aica to Sail Yesterday at day light fro m St L ucia .
un d er the protection o f the Shrewsb ury Intrepid and , ,
Princess C aroline the 14th Reg iment comes w i th them .
Th e 69 th Regiment o n board the F leet as part o f their

C om plement to b e lan d e d at Jamaica shoul d there b e
o ccasion .
S ixteen Ship s O f my Rear coul d no t j oin i n the A cti on

w i th the E nemy s F leet Yesterday owing to the C ahn s
’
and b affl ing Winds under Dominique .
We are now endeavor i ng to b ring M ons d e Grasse to

”
a s econd action ; shoul d we fail in that wi sh and he e s ,

1 ’
d id not send her but refitted her at sea

L E TT ER BOO K OF A D M I RA L L O R D R O D N E Y
- 3 49
cape to L eewar d You m ay hourly expect m e w i th the

whole F leet O ff the E ast end o f Jam aica where I m ake
no doubt but yo u will j oin m e with all your F orce A s .
Frigates will be dispatche d to acquaint you with the

approach o f the F leet under my C ommand .
A s several Ships o f m y Van particularly the Royal O ak

and Montagu have su ffered in their Masts I beg leave
to Recommend it to your C onsideration whether the
1
great Storeship which I have sent under the C onvoy and

has a considerable quantity of Masts in her should not be
unloaded with dispatch that they may be ready for such
,
Ships o f the F leet under m y C omm and as may be dis

abled 2
I have the Honor to b e &c .
G B R ODN EY
. .
To Peter Park er or
Rear A dm Rowley &c
1
.
To Re ar A dm ira l Sir Sam ue l H oo d
F orm idable &c . 10th April 1782

Sir
,
I am fav or d w i th your L etter of this day and am v ery

’
m uch concerned the Service has lost so good an Ofi c er

as C apt n Bayne and at the situation the A lfred is in with
respect to her Masts and F ore Yar d s as well as the small
Quantity o f Powder remaining o n board I shall take care .
to order a further supply of that A rticle to be sent to

her fro m those Ships that can best spare it I am &c . .
G B R ODN EY
. .
To Sir Sam Hoo d Bart &c &c &c

1
. . . .
[ Marginal note in A dmiral Rodney s hand writing : ]

1 ’
totally neglected
[ Marginal note in A dmiral Rodney s hand writing : ]
2 ’
P S notwithstand ing this important C risis n o t the least

.
,
attention was paid to m y letter .

350 L E TT ER B OO K OF AD M I RA L L O R D R O D N E Y
-
To F i ve Cap tains
F ormidable o ff D ominique
10th A pril 1782
S ir
I m ust desire yo u will without o ne Moment s loss of ’
time j oin m e with His Maj esty s Ship un d er your C om ’
m and between D ominique and Guadaloupe to L eeward

o f those Islands where I am at present with the F leet
,
under m y C o mm and
Should you no t find me at this Station you are to pro ,
c e e d agreea b le t o the Inclose d Rendezvous I am S ir &c . .
G B R ODN EY
. .
To C aptain Barkley Prudent

Ro d ney Sybil
Lin z e e Santa Monica
H
C hristian F ortun é e
F ord N ymphe
To th e C o m m anding O flic e r at S t Dac ia

.
F orm idab le 620 l 0th A pr i l 1782

Sir
.
If the Pru d ent Syb il Santa Monica or F ortun é e are

, ,
arriv ed at S t L ucia they are to j oin m e w i th o ut loss of

.
,
tim e agreeable t o the Inclose d Rendezvous I am &c .
G B R ODN EY
. .
To Th e C om ma n d O fli c er, St L ucia
2
.
F ro m C ap tain E dm und D o d
L izard Gros Islet Bay St L ucia .
12th A pr il 1782
S ir
Tues d ay the 9 th Instant the Intrepi d Saile d wi th the
Jam aica C onvoy and at ,
9 A M H is
. . M aj esty
’
s Sh ip Sybil
3 52 L E TT ER B OO K OF A D M I RAL L O R D R O D N E Y
-
To C ap tain E dmund Dod
Sent b y the Tr i ton

F orm idab le &c . 13 th A pril 1 782
Sir,
His Maj esty s Ship the N ym ph join d m e Yester d ay
’ ’
w ith y our L etter of the 12th Instant informin g m e of the

Sailing of the Jam aica C onv oy under C apt Molloy on .
the 9 th and that the Sybil had followed him as also of

the Arrival of His Maj esty s A rme d Vessel the Spanish
’
Packet with Dispatches from Jam aica and o f the Step s

you have in C onsequence taken ; A ll which I very highly
a pprove .
C apt M c Laurin will i nform y ou of the P art i culars of

.
the important Victory ( w ith which His Maj esty s F leet ’
’
under my C o mm and has b een c row n d ) over the C ount
d e Grasse o n the 12th Instant I am Sir &c . .
G B R ODN E Y
. .
To C apt Do d .
To P hi lip Step he ns Se c re tary of the A dm iralty

,
O riginal sent b y L ord Cranstoun in the A n dromach e
F orm idab le at Sea 14th A pr il 1782

Sir,
I have j ust receive d the enclosed Intelli gence from
J am aica w hich I have the H o nor to send y ou for their
’
L ordship s inspection .
I have the Honor to S &c

”
.
G B R ODN E Y
. .
L E TT ER BOO K O F A D M I RAL L O R D R O D N E Y
- 3 53
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3 56 L ETTER B OOK O F A D MI RA L L OR D R O DN E Y
-
To Vic e A dm ira l Sir P e te r P arke r
Sent by the N ym p h
F ormidable between Guadaloupe Montserr at
the 14th of A pril 1782 .
Sir,
I am this moment fav or d with Your Le tter o f the 20th
’
o f March and have the pleasure to acquaint you that

after having a partial Engagement with the F rench F leet
on the 9 th in which Sixteen o f my Rear having been b e
calmed under D ominique could not j oin in the A ction ,
on the 12th I had the good fortune to b ring them to a

g eneral A ction which lasted from 7 o Cloc k in the Morn
,
’
ing till half past Si x in the A f ternoon without One mo

’
ments inter m ission C ount de Grasse with the Ville de

.
Paris and four other Ships of the Line are in our posses
sion Jamaica was certainly their Object I am hastening
. .
with my whol e F leet t o succour Jamaica and wish yo u

could join me with such Ships and F rigates as are ready
o ff the East end that we may keep the Enemy a t a dis
t ance and prevent their hostile A ttack .
I send a Lis t of the French Ships that ar e tak e n th e

remainder of their F leet are in so Sh atte r d a C ondition ’
that it must be a very considerable time before they can

possibly be repaired their loss in Men in inconceivable
.
as their whole A rmy consisting of Men were on

board the Ships of War with their whole Train o f Ar
,
tillery I am &c
. .
G B ROD N E Y . .
Sir P : Parker &c .
To B rigadie r Ge ne ra l A rc hi b a ld C am p b e ll
F ormidable &c . 14th A pril 1782

Sir,
’
I am this Moment fav or d with Your Excellency s Let
’
ter and have the happiness to acquaint you that a fter

L ETTER B OOK O F A DM I RA L LOR D R O DN E Y
- 3 57
having had a partial Engagement with the Enemy on the

9 th wherein Sixteen of my Rear were prevented by C alms
from joining in the A ction On the 12th I had the good
.
for tune to bring them to a general A ction which lasted

from Seven o C lo c k in the M orning till half past Six in
’ ’
the A fternoon without One M oments intermission .
C ount de Grasse with the Vi lle de Paris and four other

Ships of the Line graced the Victory the remainder of ,
their F leet were so miserably sh atte r d and their L oss in

’
Men so very great from their having their whole A rmy

consisting of M e n on board the Ships of War that I
am convinced it will be almost impossible to put them
in a condition for Service for some very considerable
time .
I am hastening with my whole F leet for the succour

of Jamaica and you may hourly expect me with such ,
Ships of my F leet as are in a condition to keep the Se a

o ff the East end of your I sland not a few will be obliged
,
to repair to Port Royal to be refitted .
I am &c .
G B ROD N E Y
. .
Ge n C ampbell
I
To P hilip S tep h ens Sec re tary

, o f the A dm ira lty
Originals sent by Lord Cranstoun in the A ndromache
F ormidable at Sea 14th A pril 1782 .
Sir,
I t has pleased God out of His D ivine Providence to

’
Grant to His M ajesty s A rms a most C omplete Victory

’
,
over the F leet of His Enemy C ommanded by the C ount

D e Grasse who is himself C ap tur d with the Ville de
,
’
Paris and four other Ships of his F leet besides o ne sunk

in the A ction .
This important Victory was ob tain d on the 12th In

’
stant after a B attle which lasted with unremittin g F ury

3 58 L ETTER B OOK O F A D M I RA L L O R D R O DN E Y
-
from Sev e n in the M ornin g till hal f pa st Six in the ’
Evening when the setting Sun put an end to the C ontest .
B oth F leets have greatly su ffered but it i s with the ,
highest satisfaction I can assure their L ordship s that tho ’ ’
the Masts Sails Rigging and Hulls of the B ritish F leet

,
are damaged yet the loss of Men has been but small con
,
side ring the length of the B attle and the C lose A ction ,
they so long sustained and in which both F leets looked

,
upon the Honor of their K ing and C ountry to be most

essentially concerned .
Th e great Supply of Naval Stores lately arrived in th e

W e st I ndies wil l I flatter myself soon repair all the dam
,
’
ages His Maj esty s F leet has sustained
Th e Gallan t B ehaviour o f the O fficers and Men of the
F leet I have the Honor to C omm and has been such as
must forever endear them to all L overs of their K in g
and C ountry .
Th e Noble B ehaviour o f my second in C ommand Sir ,
Sam Hood who in both A ctions most conspicuously ex

‘
,
e rte d himself demands my warmest encomiums my Third
in C ommand Rear A dmiral D r ake who with his D ivision

, ,
led the B attle on the 12th I nstant deserves the highest

praise nor less can be given to C ommodore Afflec k for
,
His Gallant behavior in leading the C enter D ivision My .
own C aptain Sir C has D ouglas merits every thing I can

.
possibly say his unremitted D iligence and activity greatly

,
eased me in the unavoidable fatigue of the day I n short .
I want words to express how sensible I am of the meri

torio us C onduct of all the C aptains Officers and M en , ,
who had a Share in this Glorious Victory obtained by ,
their Gallant Exertions .
Th e Enemy s whole A rmy consisting o f F ive thousand

’
F ive hundred Men were on board their Ships of War ;

the D estruction among them must have been prodigious
as for the greatest part of the A ction every Gun told and ,
their L ordships may j udge what Havock must have been

made when the F ormidable fired near Eighty B roadsides .
Enclosed I have the Honor to send for their inspection

the B ritish and French Lines of B attle with an A ccount ,
3 60 L ETTER B OOK O F A D MI RA L L O R D RO DN E Y
-
I n f ormation h avin g be en given m e of thi s unlucky

Event I thought it my D uty ins t antly to return to the
B ay o f Gros I sl e t at St L ucia where I had orde r d the
.
’
Storeship s Victualler s and Trade bound to Jamaica t o

,
R endezvous .
On my arrival in that B ay every disp atch possible was

m ade in refitting the F leet and taking in Stores and
Provisions to five Months o f all Species for the whole
F leet a Watch f ul Ey e bein g k ep t the whole time on the
F rench Fl eet in the B ay of F ort Royal as I knew that
C ount de Gr asse would has ten the Re fi tting of his F leet
and take the fir st opportunity of proce e din g t o the place
of his destination .
On the 5th A pril I r e ceiv e d I ntelligenc e that the En em y

were embarki n g their Tr oops on board the Ships of War
and concluded they int e nded to Sail in a very f ew days .
C apt ain B yron o f the A n dromache an A ctive B risk , ,
and D iligent O fficer Wa t ched their motions with such
attention that on the 8 th I nstant at day light he made
the Signal o f the Enemy s comi ng ou t and standing to

’
the North West I instantly made the Signal to Weigh

.
and having looked in t o th e B ays o f F or t Royal and St .
’ ’ ’
Pierre s where no Enemy s ships remain d I made the
Sig nal f o r a general Chace and before day light came up ,
with the Enemy under D ominique where both F leets were

b e c alrne d and continued so f or some time Th e Enemy .
fir s t got the Wind and stood towards Guadaloupe My .
Van D ivision under that Gallant Officer Rear A dm Sir 1
1
Sam Hood received it nex t and stood a f ter them at 9 .
the Enemy began to C ano nade my Van which was re

turned with the greatest briskness .
Th e baffli ng Winds under D ominique did no t p ermit

part of the C enter D ivision to get into A ction with the
En emy s Rear till past 1 1 and then o nly the Ship n ex t
’ ’
to me in the Line of B attle .
Their Lordship s may easily imagine the Mor tification

’
it must have been to the Sixteen Gallant Officers C om

manding the Ships o f the Rear who c o uld only b e Spec
L ETTER B OOK O F A DM I RA L LO RD RO DN E Y
- 3 61
tators of an A ction in which it was not in the ir p ower

to j oin being detained by the C alms under D ominiqu e .
Th e Enemy s C anonade C eased upon my Rear s ap

’ ’
proach but not before they had done considerable dam

age to the Ships of the Van and disabled the Royal Oak
and Montagu and His M ajesty had lost a Gallant O fficer ,
“
Viz C aptn B ayne of the A lfred and a number of Officers
as mentioned in the A ccount transmitted to their Lord
ships but such was the steady behaviour of Sir Saml
Hood and the Ships of the Van that the Enemy received
more damage than they occasioned .
Th e Night of the 9 th I nstant th e F leet lay too t o re

pair their damages the 10th they continued to turn to
,
’
Windward under an easy Sail the Enemy s F leet con
,
tinuing to do the same and always had it in their power

to come to A ction which they most cautiously avoided
and rendered it impossible for me to force them in the
situation they were in between the Saints and the I sland
of D omi nique On the 1 l th of A pril the Enemy having
.
gained considerably to Windward and the Wind blowing

a fresh and steady Gale I made the Signal for a General
Chace to Windward which continued the whole day to ,
wards sunset some of the Weathermost Ships o f the F leet

had approached near to one of the Enemy s Ships tha t ’
had received D amage in the late A ction and had certainly

taken her if C ount de Grasse had not borne down with
his whole F leet for her protection which brought him
so near that I fl atte r d myself he would give me an op
’
p ortunity of engaging him the next day with that View

,
I threw out the Signal for the F orm of Sailing and stood
with the whole F leet to the Southward till two o C loc k
’ ’
in the M orning then Tacked and had the happiness at

day light to find my most Sanguine des ire was near b e
ing accomplished by my having it in my power to force
the Enemy to B attle Not one M oment was lost in
.
putting it into Execution the consequence has been such

,
as I have had the honor to represent to their L ordships

in my former Letter of this day and can say no more than
that too much praise cannot be given to the G allant
3 62 L ETTER B OOK O F A D M I RA L L OR D RO DN E Y
-
Officers and the M e n of th e F lee t I had the Honor to

C o mmand .
I am Sir &c .
To Philip Stephens Esq A dmiralty r
F ro m Cap tain Taylo r P e nny
Marlborough at Sea 15th A pril 1782 .
Sir,
I beg leave to inclose y ou Lieut Tripps Letter to me .
complain ing that his C haracter h as been aspersed on

board the F ormidable b y L i e ut G ardn er 2d Li e ut o f Hi s
, . .
Majesty s Ship under my C ommand o f his behaving

’
,
cowardly when in A ction with the F rench F leet on the

12th I nstant and that I should h ave called h im at
, ,
several times a C owardly Scoundrel and desired him t o ,
come to his Quarters Therefore desires my application

.
to you for a C o urt Martial on his C onduct on that day ,
when the Opportunity shall o ffer I am Sir &c . .
TAYL OR P E N N Y
To Sir G B Rodney B t &c
. . . . &c . &c .
F ro m Lie u te nan t George Tripp to C ap tain Taylor P e nny
Marlborough at Sea 15th A pril 1782

Sir ,
’
Lieut Gardiner 2d Lieutenant of His Majesty s [ ship ]
.
under under your C ommand having Yesterday on the

Quarter dec k o f th e F ormidable aspersed my C haracter
as an O fficer accusing me of behaving in a C owardly
manner on the 12th of this Month when in A ction with
the F rench F leet I am therefore to request that you will
,
be pleased to apply to the C ommander in C hief for a

C ourt Martial to enquire into my C onduct on that day as ,
364 L ETTER B OOK O F A D M I RA L L OR D RO D N E Y
-
th ere f ore des ire you will hasten with the C onvo y a con
sid e rab le quantity O f ever y Species f or the use o f Hi s
’
Maj esty s F lee t under my C ommand I am Sir &c . .
G B R OD N E Y
. .
To Jn Marr Esq
° r
To C ap tain Jo hn L afore y C o m m is sione r of th e N avy at

,
the L ee ward Is lands
F ormidable a t Sea 17th A p ril 1782

S ir
,
Since Writin g to you by the Triton so lately I h av e

nothing further to inform you of at present but th at hav
ing lo ok d into B asse Terre and St Eustatius and findin g
’
.
none of the E ne m y d Ships there I am proceedin g to

’
wards Jamaica in Quest of them .
I shall shortly take the Opportunity o f writin g y o u

ag ain by Mr D rak e whom I sh all send back with a
.
s quadron of Hi s Majesty s Ships i f the Service perm i ts

’
and have the honour in the mean tim e t o remain wi th

g reat Regard Sir &c .
G B R ODN E Y . .
To Jn L aforey Esq
° r
To C ap tain Th o m as Shirle y
F ormidable &c . 18th A pril 1782

Sir,
A s tis necessary the C ommanding Officer should b e
’
a t S t L ucia I must desire you will repair to Gros I sl e t

.
B ay in that I sland and from thence issue such Orders as

’
you may think necessary for His Majesty s Service dur
ing the A bsence o f Rear A dmiral D rake or any Senior
Officer unless tis absolutely necessary for your absenc e
’
’
in order t o defend any other I sland attac k d .
You are to keep a good look out upon Martinique and

L ETTER B OOK O F A DM IRA L L ORD RO D NE Y
- 3 65
allthe Enemy s M otions and to take care that the C on

’
voy under the Robust Sails at a proper time for Great

Br1ta1n I am Si r &c
G B R ODN EY
. .
. .
To C aptain Sh irley
F ro m C ap tain William Trusc o tt

Nonsuch at Sea A pril 18th 1782
Sir
L ieut Thos Hitchcock second Lieutenant of His
. .
Majesty s Ship under my C ommand having at different

’
times behaved with C ontempt for me and my Orders ,
Neglecting his D uty in not keeping the Ship in her Sta

tion with the A dm iral when his Watch in the Night
, ,
particularly on the Nights O f the 15th l 6th I nstan t

Charging M r John Redhead the M ate with his comin g
.
in the Night to let me know he was asleep i n his W atch ,
and telling the Midshipmen he did so to raise a D is ,
turb anc e in the Ship and that I had told him Mr Re d

, .
head did so F o r which C harges I must beg you will be

.
pleased to Order a C ourt Martial I am Sir &c . .
W M TRU SCOTI
.
’ ‘
To Sir George B Rodney B t &c &c 650 . . . . .
F re nc h Ship s Cap ture d B y Sir Sam ue l H ood s Squadron

’
List of Ships of War C aptured on the 19 th A pril 1782

’
by a Squadron of His Majesty s Ships under the C om
mand of Rear Adm Sir Saml Hood B art
‘
.
Ships names Number o f Guns Number of Men

C aton 64
Jason 64 6 09
’
L A im ab le 32 29 0
12 Pounders
Ceres 18 160
SA M : H OOD
-
Return of K illed and Wounded on board His Maj es

ty s Ships Valiant and Magnificent on the 19 th A pril
’
1 782
K illed and
Sh l PS Names Kl ne d wounded
Wounded
Valiant 2 6 8
M agnific ie nt 4 8 12
S A M : H OOD
To P hilip Step h ens Se c re tary of the A dm ira lty

,
F ormi dable a t Sea 2oth A pril 1782

Sir ,
Sin ce my last D ispatches o f the 14th I nstant sent b y

Lord Cransto un in His Majesty s Ship A ndrom ache I ’
m ust desire you will be pleased to acquaint the ir L ord

’
ship s that the F leet under my C ommand in their way
to reconnoitre the B ays O f B asseterre St C hristo p her s .
’
’
and St Eustatius and Observe i f the Enemy s F leet had
.
attempted t o shelter themselves in those B ays we wer e ,
becalmed for three days under the I sland of Guadaloup e

in which time we were employed in repairin g the Shat
’
te r d C ondition of the Ship s under my C o mm and
’
.
Th e Moment we had a B reeze I dispatched F rigates t o

St Christopher s and St Eustatius ; in the latter Ro ad
.
’
.
in s tead o f the Vast C rowd o f Ships that used to be an

chored there was only two small Schooners A t St C hris . .
’
top h e r s none but Merchant Ships being by this C on
v in c e d that the Enemy s defeated F leet were gone to
’
,
Leeward I dispatched Rear A dmiral Sir Sam Hoo d

,
‘
( whose D ivision having been in the Rear on the day

o f B attle and received much less damage than the Van
and C enter ) to proceed with all the Sail they c o uld m ak e
to the West end of St D omingo in hopes that he mi gh t
.
pick up some of the Straggling disabled Ships of the ,
Enemy and am now following myself with the remainder

,
o f the F leet to j oin him O ff C ape Tib e roon .

3 68 L ETTER B OOK O F A D M I RA L L ORD R O DN E Y
-
Honor o f having y o u un d er m y C omm an d in all pr ob ,
ability the detachment will be frequent and a Thre e

D eck Ship improper and in the Grea t F le e t that w ill
,
shortly be under my C ommand there ar e besides myself

F our A dm ir als superior to y ou in Rank o f c o ur s e there .
can be no likelihood o f your C o m mandin g a D ivisi o n

in the B attle that may ensue .
F or these r e asons Sir I think it necessar y t o acquain t

,
you that however inclined I may be to shew my Reg ar d

for you i t would be highly improper at pr e sent f or m e
to C omply with your Reques t .
I n regard to my mak ing O fficer s an d p re ferring Sir ,
Sam Hood s first Lieutenant to be C aptain of a Fire

1 ’
Ship whose C om ma nder I thought proper to make a

Post C aptain you must ex cuse me i f I canno t help sayin g
that I looked upon it as a particular favor con ferred o n
y ou ; when I proposed making your first Lieutenant a
Master and C ommander when a proper Vessel could b e
p urchased or you returned to St Lucia and he appointe d
,
.
to the B rig I ordered to be purchased and called by th e

I slands Name to which B rig as y et no O flic e rs have b e en
,
‘
appointed .
I must lik ewise beg you will reflec t how very unusu al
it h as been for any O fli c e r whatever to have been pre
f erred but from the C ommander in C hie f s own ship fro m ,
which all prefermen t should flow .
I n all my long services I never k new a Rule to th e

contrary and I myself am the only C ommander in C hi ef
,
that has deviated from tha t Rule to which ( fo r the fu ,
ture ) I shall strictly adhere I am Sir &c . .
G 13 R OD N E Y
To Rear A dm ‘
D rake &c &c
' '
. .
To Vic e A dm iral Sir P e te r P ark er
F ormidable &c 22d A pril 1782

Sir
.
Asther e are upwar ds o f Seven hundr ed Wounded Men

in the F leet I must des ire you will ple as e to give d irec
L ETTER B OOK O F A D M IRAL L OR D R O DNE Y
- 369
tions to the A g ent o f the Hospital that th e neces sary

p reparations may be made to be re ady to receive them .
You will likewise please to give Notice to the A gent

f or Prisoners of War that he be ready to receive upwards
o f F our thousand Prisoners as their continuance on
,
’
board the F leet will be very de trimental to His Majesty s
Service 1
.
I am Sir &c .
G B R ODN EY
. .
To Sir P Parker &c . .
To C ap tain Thom as Dum aresq
F ormidable at S e a 22d A pril 1782

Sir ,
e xpect when the Signal is m ade f or your Ship to ge t

I
into her Station in the Line of B attle that you in f u t ure ,
m ake all the Sail you possibly can for that purp o s e ,
agreeable to the first Article of the A dditional F ighting

I nstructions I am Sir &c . .
G B R ODN E Y . .
To C ap t ain D umaresq
F ro m Co m m o do re E dm und A flle c k ‘
B edford at Sea A pril 24th 1782

Sir ,
I am this I nstant h onor d with your Orders to put m y

’
self under the command O f Rear A dmiral Sir Sam Hood

’
for my further proceedings .
I rest in hope Sir on your arrival at Jamaica and fi nd

ing from the Signal Victory you have gain d over th e ’
[ Marginal no te in A dmiral Rodney s handwritin g : ]

1 ’
P S totally neglected
. . .
3 70 L ETTER B OOK O F A DM I RA L L OR D RO D N E Y
-
Enemy that all their hostil e I ntentions ag ainst that

I sland are frustrated which I conclude you will find that
,
I shall as the B attle is over soon Receive your Orders

, ,
to return to the Security of New York where I shall be

refitting the B edford and whatever Ships you ar e ple as e d
t o send with me t o wait your C ommands on your arrival
and I must in form you that tho from the present spirit ’
o f service so urgent I have reported the B edford fit her

Mizen M as t is se c ur d with C apsto n B ars only havin g
’
nothing to fish it with and her F oremast a F ore Yard are

fit only f or a f air W e ather Season I am sorry I am so .
lame as t o be unfit to wait upon you myself and have

the Honor to be Sir Yours &c .
E DM : A F F LE OK
To Sir G B Rodney B ar t &c &c &c
. . . . . .
To C o m m o dore E dm und A file c k ‘
F ormidable a t Sea the 25th A pril 1782

Sir,
I am this moment fav or d with your Letter [ of A pril
’
24 ] and can only acquaint you that when the Publick

Service will admit You with part of the F leet under my
,
C ommand will return to North A merica at present there

can be not a thought of it by your having represented
.
your Ship fit for Service I concluded she was so at pres

, ,
ent she must wait till the Ships who are in a much wors e
’
C ondition return to the F leet .
A s I have ordered a Signal to be made f or all L ieu

tenants that I may be acquainted with what Masts ,
Yards and Sails are wanting to repair the F leet You wi ll ,
pleas e to give directions to your C aptain to send an A c

count on board the F ormidable that every thing may be
prepared agains t the A rrival of the B edford in Port Royal
Harbour .
I f there is an absolute necessity f or the B edford to go

immediately into Port Sir Samuel Hood will g ive orders
,
372 L ETTER B OOK O F A D M I RA L L O R D R O DN E Y
-
absolute necessi ty O f my bein g personally present in

order to enforce their speedy equipmen t t o consul t with
’
the Governor and Co uncil o f the I sland relativ e to i t s
defence should i t be attacked and to afford every assist
ance in my power .
Enclosed I send a D uplicates o f m y D ispatches by th e

A ndromache and Eurydice and have the Honor to b e
,
S &c
”
.
G B R ODN EY . .
TO Philip Stephens Esq ”
To Vic e A dm ira l Sir P e ter P arke r
F o rmidable o ff Por t Royal Jamaica

28th A p ril 1782
Sir,
I am this day h onor d with your Le tter by Li e ut e nan t

’
D awkins and have sent Orders for C ap tain Smith o f the

Endymion to proceed im mediately and j oin Rear A d
miral Sir Samuel Hood which I am to beg you will cause
,
to be put in execution by her Sailin g to Morrow Morn

mg .
As there is one first Tw o second Rates and other L ine

,
of B attle Ships much in want of Pilots to carry them

into Port Royal I must desire you will be pleased to
,
order the M aster A ttendant to send Pilots O ff imme

diate ly to take charge o f them .
I have the Honor to be &c .
G B R ODN EY
. .
To Sir P : Parker
or the Commanding Officer a t Por t R oyal
L ETTER B OOK O F A D M I RA L L OR D RO D N E Y
- 3 73
F ro m Sir Gi lb e rt B lane , P h ysic ian to the F le e t
F ormidable , Port Royal Harbour

29 th A pril 1 782
Sir ,
As a great number of M en have been wounded in the

late engagement with the Enemy and as the Scurvy
begins to prevail in the very great squadron under your
C omm and it is my duty to represent to you certain
,
means for the cure of these complaints for preventing

the farther encre as e of Sickness in the F leet .
A s many of the Ships of War have been long absent

from England and as the great e xpenditure of M edi
,
cines and necess aries in the C limate renders the Sur ,
geons Supplies altogether unequal to the present ne c e s

sity especially as the Service requires that many of the
,
Ships should keep the Sea with their Sick and Wounded
on board I beg leave to suggest that a Supply of Peru
,
vian B ark would be extremely conducive and even ab so

l ute ly necessary to the cure of the Wounded and as fresh ,
vegetable diet is no less necessary for the same pur

pose as well as to cure and prevent Scurvy a Supply of
Wine sugar rice and fruit as necessaries to the Sick and
’
Wounded and of fresh meat to the Ship s C ompanies
would be extremely salutary and seasonable at this time .
I beg leave to recommend these me asures the more

on this account that I have found from large and re
p e ate d experience that in this C limate M en recover much
sooner and at much less e xp e nc e to Government on board
of their Ships than on shore at Hospitals provided they
ar e supplied with proper medicines diet and Refresh
ments which are the more necessary at present that the
,
Hospital cannot contain all the Sick .
I have the Honor to be Sir &c .
Gil : B lane
Physician to the F leet
3 74 L ETTER B OOK O F A D M I RA L L ORD R O DN E Y
-
F ro m Cap tain Jam e s Wallac e
Warrior P or t R oyal 29 th Ap
,
‘
1782
Sir,
Lieu tenan t A u g ustus Market of His Maj esty s Ship ’
W arr ior under my C omm and no t car [ r] ying on his D u ty ,
with A l acrity as he ought but frequently di spu tin g with

,
His Superio r O fi c e r particular ly on th e 9 th I nstan t

, ,
when the F leet were getting under weigh to p ur s ue the ,
F rench when he refused to g o f orward to see the Head

,
’ ’
Sails trim d tho ordered ; that His Majesty s Service
,
’
may not suffer by such behaviour I am to desire h e may

be tried at a C ourt Martial for th e same I am S &c
”
. .
JA S . W AL LA CE
To Sir G . B R odney
. Bt &c. . &c . &c .
F ro m Cap tain Jo h n Linz ee
C o nver t En gli sh Har bour A pril 29 th 1782

Sir,
I take the first and only opportunity to acquaint You

that on the 1st I nstant at 6 A M I W e igh d A nchor at ’
Peters I sland near Tortola road with a Pilo t on board

and stood out to Sea with His M ajesty s Ship Santa ’
M onica under my C ommand in C ompany with the C on

vert Germaine and Experiment through the C ommon
,
and General C hannel from Tortola with an intention ,
to intercept the Enemy s Vessels that was daily passin g

’
Tortola as well as to B lock up the Passage of the round

,
Rock which leads to Tortola through which passage I ,
did suppose the two F rench F rigates would endeavour to

make their way that was said to be at St C hristopher s .
’
and intended for Tortola which I had the Honor to give

3 76 L ETTER B OOK O F A D M I RA L L OR D RO D N E Y
-
which he has given receipts f or and will be deliv er e d

when sent for and I have the Honor to be S &c ”
.
JO H N LI N ZE E
To Sir G : B : Rodney Bt &c . . &c . &c .
To B rigadie r Ge ne ra l A rc hi b a ld C am p b e ll
F ormidable in Port Royal Harbour

Jamaica 30th A pril 1782
Sir,
Th e Success of H is Majesty s arms having been
’
at
te nded by the C apture O f a great number of Prisoner s

whose detention on board may be of the most fatal c o nse
q ue n c e s to the Health of the Seamen a s well as prevent ,
ing other attacks upon the Enemy b y the detention o f

the Ships in Port ,
I must press your Excellenc y that proper places for

the Reception of the Prisoners may be appointed with
all the dispatch possible as so much depends upon the
,
speedy Sailing of the F leet under my C ommand I am .
Sir &c .
G B R ODN E Y
. .
To His Excellency Gen C ampbell ‘
Re ar A dm ira l Sir Sam u e l H oo d s O rder to Cap tain the

’
H onora b le Th o m as Cadogan
B y Sir Samuel Hood B art &c &c &c . . . .
You are hereby requ ired and directed to take the Ships
named in the M argin under your Command whose C ap
1
, ,
tains have my directions to follow your Orders ; and

proceed as fast [ as ] possible o ff C ape F rancois on the
I sland of St D omingo and use your utmost endeavour s
.
,
1
U lysses ,
A ct aeon and B elliqueux
L ETTER BOOK O F A D M IRA L L OR D RO D N E Y
- 377
to get intelligence of the Number and force of the

Enemy s Ships at that Port and having performed that
’
,
Service with some degree of certain ty ; You will imme

diate ly dispatch the U lysses to me whose C ommander ,
is to look for me N o rth W es t from C ape D onna Maria

from F ive to F ifteen Leagues from the L and and con ,
’
tinue with the other Ships to watch the Enemy s M o
,
tions at the C ape ; A nd upon receiving any I ntelligence

proper for me to know either by information or y our own ,
observations you will send the A ctaeon with it and con ,
tin ue to C ruize with the Licorne and B elliqueux ; sending

me word as often as you order a Ship to me where you ,
ar e with certainty to be j oined by other Ships I may

send to you .
You will be exceeding C autious how you delay a M O

ment in getting o ff the C ape b y C h ac ing and guard such ,
C aptains against it in the most pointed Terms you may

, ,
from Time to Time dispatch to me with I ntell igence .
You will continue upon this Service till further Order s .
Given under my Hand on B oard His Maje sty s ’
Ship B arfl e ur at Sea l st M ay 1782

S AM L H OOD
To Th e Honourable C aptn C adogan
C ommander of His M ajesty s Ship Licorne ’
B y C omm and of the Rear A dmiral

( for M r Hunt James Henderson )
.
,
F ro m Ro b e rt B e n ton, O rdnanc e S to re k e e p e r
Office of Ordnance Jamaica , ,
2d May 1782
Sir,
I beg leave to represent to you that from the great

,
number of His M ajesty s Ships in Port Royal Harbour

’
under your C ommand requires numerous supplies o f

,
Ordnance Stores to C omplete them for Sea ; for which

-
service several Craft will be wanted for expediting the ,
same ; I would therefore submit it to your C onsideration ,
whether I should hire all such Vessels as are necessary

f or performing those services so long as His M aj esty s ,
’
Service may require it .
I have the honour to be &c .
R O BT B E N TO N
Sir Geo B Rodney &c &c &c
'
. . . . .
F ro m B rigadie r Ge ne ra l A rc hi b a ld C am p b e ll
K ings House 2d M ay 1782

D ear Sir ,
M r Neville the C ommissary General for Prisoners in

.
th is I sland has provided no Lodgings or ac c om o datio ns

,
f or the F rench Officers who have been sent here ; and

who su ffer great inconveniences on that account I have .
repeatedly requested he would send a D eputy to Spanish

town for that purpose but at this hour there is no ap
,
p e aranc e of his D eputy and about 50 O flic e rs to be pro

‘
,
v ide d for in Quarters I should be obliged to you in giv

.
ing your orders with some e fl e c t on this business and that

you would d irect a D eputy C ommissary to remain con
s tan tly in Spanish [ town ] to adj ust all matters concern
ing these O fficers

I am D Sir &c
.
r
,
A RCH D
CAM PBE LL
To Sir G B Rodney B t &c &c &c
. . . . . .
To Th o m as N e vi lle A ge n t fo r P ri so ne rs
,
o f W ar in
Jam aic a
F ormidable Port Royal Harbour ,
3 d M ay 1782
Sir
B y a Letter I have been this I nstant honored with
from the L ieut Governor I am with astonishment in
.
,
380 L ETTER B OOK O F A D M I RA L L O R D RO D N E Y
-
To B rigadie r Ge nera l A rc hi b a ld Cam p b e ll
F ormidable &c . 3d May 1782

Sir ,
As the Marines belonging to the Ship s in this Harbour

are wanted o n board to their D uty
_ ,
I must desire You will please to Order them to be re

liev e d from the F orts they are doin g D uty at that the y ,
may return to their respective Ships and in case of their ,
being ag ain wanted they will be always ready to attend

,
your C ommands .
I am S &c
”
.
G B R ODN E Y
. .
To His Honour the Lieut Governor .
To P hi lip S te p he ns Se c re tary
F ormidable Port Royal Harbour

Jamaica, 3 d M ay 1782
Sir,
Since my Le tter o f the 26th A pril acquainting their
L ordship s of my being O ff C ape Tib e ro o n and that I
’
should leave a strong F leet under the C ommand of Rear

A dmiral Sir Samuel Hood to watch the M otions of the
C ombined F leets at C ape F rancois You will ple as e to ,
a cquaint them that I arrived in this B ay with such Ships
a s were in the most distressed C ondition on the 29 th of
l ast Month Since which every dispatch possible both day

.
an d night has been used towar ds refitting them as the
nature of a K ings D ock Yard su ffered to go to almost

Total Ruin will admit and now I was surprized to find
that no Repairs whatever had been done since I left it
i n the Year 1774 I was much more surprized to find that
.
the I nvincible had no t been hove down agreeable to my

request for that purpose that she might have been r e ady
,
L ETTER B OOK O F A DM I RA L L ORD RO DN E Y
- 3 81
to have rej oined the F leet which h ad certainly been the

case had she not been kept to guard the Port afl o at
when Her Guns on the Shore would have been much
more efficacious for that purpose I have ordered her to
.
be C areened with every dispatch possible and will take

c are it is speedily executed .
’
I have the pleas ure to acquaint their Lordship s that
the Ville de Paris of 104 Guns the Glory of 74 Th e ,
Hector of 74 the C ato of 64 the Jason of 64 the Ardent

, ,
of 64 the A miable of 3 2 and the C eres ( which I shall

,
s end with this Express ) are all safe arrived in this Har
bour and hope their Lordships will approve O f my having
put them all in C ommission and appointed proper O fli
c ers in order to their speedy equipment and propose send
ing home with the next C onvoy ( if possible ) the C ato

which h as received little or no damage the Jason and
,
the A rdent who have all Wooden B ottoms and might re

c e iv e considerable inj ury by their continuance in this
C limate Th e Jason is but 3 Years old and the C ato 4

.
,
both B uilt with Strong Timber at Toulon and are excel

lent Ships o f their Rate Th e Glory is C opper B o tto m d
.
-
’
I propose leaving her upon the Jamaica Station she hav

ing been reckoned the quickest Sailing Ship belongin g t o
F rance Th e Hector will take a longer time to Refit and
.
the Ville de Paris I flatter myself will be in a Condition

in a short time to proceed either with the F leet or with
the next C onvoy to Great B ritain .
Vice A dmiral Sir Peter Parker will proceed with th e

Trade bound to Great B ritain before the 20th I nstant
with the Sandwich the I ntrepid and A j ax the Shrews
, ,
buty having been found too bad to trust her across the
A tlantic till she has been hove down the Russel is like
,
wise in a very b ad C ondition and unfit for Service and

must be sent home the next C onvoy which I propose
shall Sail for Great B ritain the middle of June and an
other C onvoy the latter end o f July agreeable to their
Lordships C ommands and the Request of the Chairm an
of the C ommittee of West I ndia Merchants .
I cannot conclude this Letter without thinking it my

3 82 L ETTER B OOK O F A D M I RA L LOR D RO D N E Y
-
duty to acquaint their Lordship s that every thing b e

’
longing to the Naval department is in so ruinous a C on

dition and so extremely inconvenient that unless their
L ordship s will please to give directions to put things in
a proper Order H is M aj esty s and the P ublick Service
’
must be extremely retarded and that brisknes s and ac tiv

ity so necessary towards defeating the designs of the
Enemy greatly discouraged .
’
I must beg likewise to represent to their Lordship s
how necessary it will be for all O fli c e rs belonging to the
Naval department to reside at Port Royal Th e Store .
keeper residing at K ingston is extremely detr imental to

’
His M ajesty s Service and the occ as ion of a great loss
of time and all the Stores being deposited at Greenwich
,
greatly retards the Re fi tting His M ajesty s Ships and

’
extremely dangerous to the Health of the Seamen as well

as occasioning great desertions .
A M ast House erected at Port Royal where there is a

sufficiency of Room will much accelerate the Publick
Service and prevent much Sickness and D e sertion .
Tis with C oncern that I acquaint their L ordship s

’
that the Caesar o f 74 Guns and looked upon as one of the

best Ships belonging to the F rench F leet was burnt the
Night of the A ction and upwards of F our hundred
M en with a Lieut and 50 English Seamen perished with
.
her notwithstanding every assistance possible was given .
This fatal A ccident was owing to the extreme bad disci

pline of the F rench Seamen all of whom upon their Ships
striking were guilty of every enorm ity and disobedience
to their Officers .
B y what I can learn from the Prisoners it was sup

posed to be the D iadem that Sunk in the A ction and I ,
have reason to believe that in this great Success of His

Maj esty s A rms the Enemy have lost in K illed Wounded
’
, ,
and Prisoners at least F ifteen thousand M en in those ,
we have taken the number amounts to Seven thousand

nine hundred and Eighty .
Every attention has been paid to the C ount de Grasse

and his Officers all of whom have re ason to be satisfied
,
3 84 L ETTER B OOK O F A D M I RA L L OR D R O DN E Y
-
F ro m A dm iral Ro dne y s Se c re tary to M r Co verda le ,

’
.
A ge n t to th e Co n trac tor a t Jam aic a
F ormidable &c . 3d May 1782 .
Sir ,
I am C ommanded by the A dmiral to acquaint you tha t

he is very much surprized and equally displeased to hear
that the Endymion s D emand for Provision which he i s
’
informed has been made these two days is not yet com
ply d with and that he insists on her bein g immediately
’
compleated without a Moment s delay ’

.
I am Sir &c .
W M P AGE TT
.
To M r C overdale .
F ro m E lip hale t F i tc h , P re side n t o f th e C ham b e r o f

C o mm e rc e of Jam aic a
K ingston May 4 th 1782

F
Sir ,
A C hamber of C o m merce having been lately e s tab

lish e d in this Town , with a View to C ollect the Sense o f
the M erchants and others interested in the Tr ade O f the
I sland , Experience h as shewn that many A dvantages re
sult from this I nstitution ; and I hope Sir it will ther e , ,
fore be honoured with your Patronage .
I t h as been usual thro this C hannel to C onvey t o th e

’
,
’
C ommander in C hief O f His Majesty s Ships on this Sta
tion such Representations in this Respect as wer e ,
thought necessary to the Publick Welfare ; and I now

beg leave to submit to your C onsideration that there will
be near F orty Merchantmen ready to Sail on the 8th
I nstant from the North side Por ts wi th I ntention to ,
j oin the C onvoy at Port Royal .
A Report prevailing that a Spanish Privateer hath

lately taken Three Vessels off the West end i t may ,
L ETTE R B OOK O F A D M I RA L L ORD RO D N E Y
- 3 85
prevent those above mentioned from Sailin g with o ut the ,

’
Protection of a Man of War , and as the K ing s Vessels
lately orde r d on that Service are mostly returned I beg
’
, ,
leave with the utmost D eference and Respect to men

, ,
tion these Circumstances leaving them to be decided on

, ,
as you shall please to direct .
I have the Honor to be S &c

”
.
T
E LIP H F IT C H
President of the C hamber o f C ommerce
To Sir G B Rodney Bt &c
. . . . &c . &c .
To E lip h ale t F i tc h P re side n t of th e C h am b e r of

,
C o m m e rc e o f Jam aic a
F ormidable &c . 4 th May 1782
Sir
,
I am this I nstant favored with the Representation of

the Chamber of C omm erce of Jamaica through your
Hands and beg you will as President thereof please to
assure them I shall readily pay all the attention in my
power consistent with His M ajesty s Service to whatever ’
I nformation they may think necess ary to impart to me ,
and that I shall imm ediately make such a D isposition

of the Ships under my C ommand round the I sland as I
trust will secure the Trade of every part thereof from
I nsult or I nterruption .
I have the Honor to be S &c

”
.
”
To Eliph F itch Esq P C C ouncil Jamaica
”
. .
To P hilip Step h e ns Se c re tary , o f th e A dm ira lty

F ormidable &c . 5th May 1782
Sir,
C aptain B urnett the oldest and most experienced O th

cer of the F leet I have the honor to C ommand and whose ,
-
Exertion in both A ction s did honor to himself and his

C ountry being in a bad state of health and this C limate
, ,
never agreeing with him it will be cruel in me if I suf

,
fe re d him to remain longer in the West I ndies .
I therefore have charged him with my D ispatches to

their Lordship s and must beg leave in the strongest man
’
ner to recommend him to their consideration f or his long ,
Gallant faithful Services .
’
I transmit for their L ordship s perusal the enclosed
A ddresses with which I have been h o nor d and which I
’
am requested to transmi t to you I am Sir &c . .
G B R ODN EY
. .
To Philip Stephens Esq ”
To R e ar A d m ira l th e H o n ora b le Ro b e rt D igb y
F ormidable 8250 5th

. M ay 1782
Sir ,
Since my D ispatches to you by the Hornett Sloop I ,
have the ple as ure to acquaint you that on the 12th of

A pril I had the good fortune to brin g the F rench F leet
under the C ommand of the C ount de Grasse to a Gen
eral B attle which lasted with unremitting fury from 7
O C l o c k in the M orning till :7 past 6 in the Evening when
’ 3
the setting Sun put an end to the C ontest and in which

His M aj esty s Arms were Crowned with Success by the
’
C apture of the C ount de Grasse in the Ville de P aris and ,
the other Ship s named in the enclosed List Th e B attle .
was long and B loody but never doubtful in my opinion

,
.
B oth F leet s have suffered con siderably but the loss of

,
M en Providence h as ordained shall be small on the En g

lish side in comparison to that of the F rench ; whose
whole A rm y consisting of F ive thousand F ive hundred
Regular Troops were on board their Ships of War among
which must have been a dreadful C arnage A n d I may ,
venture to say that by this Victory the Enemy must

,
388 L ETTER B OOK O F A D M I RA L L OR D RO DN E Y
-
F ro m Jam es B allinghall
Th e A ddre ss of James B allingh all 1
Ship Shrewsbury
May 5th 1782
To Sir George B ridges Rodney B art K night of the B ath .
,
A dmiral of the White C omm ander in C hie f &c ,

.
Sir ,
Your Humble Petitioner h ad the Honour to serve un

der y our C o mm and last Warr in His Majesty s Ship s ’
D eptford and Marlborough C apt John H olw all Esq : in ,

.
both Ships I w as before the M as t B u t ev er s ince the .
Peace I have always been in the Station of Mate and

”
Master in the Merc Service till now the first O f Sept ’
,
.
Eighty one I had the misfortune to be taken then Mate

of a C arte e l transpo rting S ick and Wounded men from
James I sland Virginia to my Lo rd C ornwallis army at
York the F rench F leet then arriving of [ f ] C ape Henry
,
made a prize of us Sir I was in the Ville D e Paris Six

.
,
Month s and the C ount D e Gras or his inferior O fficer s

’
suffe r d us to be p l under d O f all but the Shirt on our
’
B acks m oney Watches &c I was Exchanged after the .
’
Saige of St C hristopher s by Sir Samuel Hood by His
.
Goodness I am D raughted on B oard the Shrewsbury and

made M ate of the Hold for which I am th ankf ull and
much O b lig d to the G entleman that gave i t me B ut
’
,
Sir if it please your Honour and Goodness my Present

,
D estress obliges me to apply to your Honour as I have

no other friend in the Nav y I am now 52 Years of A ge .
fail d in C onstitution my family depending w h oly

’
upon my hand L abour I would humbly be g my D ess

charge or a Station in the Navy that would procure me
B read for life A t your good time may it please your
Honour to f or g ive my B oldness you will greatly Obli g e
811 '
Your most O b e d Hul Se rV ant t
JA s . BA L L I N GA LL
1
Th is l etter i s cross e d o ut in th e L etter B ook -
i h o ut any e p l ana
w t x
t o ry n o t e E d
,
. .
L ETTER B OOK O F A DM I RA L L ORD R O DN E Y
- 389
F ro m Jo hn M arr A ge n t Vic tuale r

, at St L uc ia
.
Pigeon I sland St Lucia M ay ,

. 6 th 1782
Sir,
I re c e iv d the Honor of your Le tter of the 15th A pril

’
last directing me to forward as soon as possible a con

,
side rab le Quantity of Provisions of every Specie to
Jamaica in which I shall not lose a Moments time I had

,
previous to your C omm ands given D irections to take the

small remains out of three Navy Victuallers and to load
a fourth with the same for the purpose of sending to ,
your F leet by the first C onvoy that o ff ers and which

Ship the O ttre nton will be ready to sail in a few D ays
, ,
.
We are in daily Exp ectation of the Arrival of the Cork

C onvoy as two of them are arrived at the C arenage and
, ,
who report they left the Leander C aptn Shirley and a

F rigate in a Gale of Wind on the 16 th of last Month ,
but I am more inclined to think they seperated from the

C onvoy to run for a Market as I have no advice of any ,
Victuallers coming to me except what may be expected ,
on the C ontractors A ccount : I am afraid the Provisions

that I shall be enabled to forward to Jamaica will be ,
very inadequate to your F leets D emand but be assured ,
Sir sh o u d I find after the C ontract is exp ired which is

,
’
the 1st of June at this the 5th July at B arbadoes and ,
A ntigua that at all Events I will purchase and forward

,
all the Provisions I can lay my Hands on then apply

to the Senior Officer here for a C onvoy to protect them
down to you .
N O Wine Ships are yet arrived nor have I advice o f

any coming a C ircumstance to imagine that none may
, ,
be sent in the M anner intended nor perhaps in any other ,
way for the C ontract w as not closed with the House of

,
the Wine M erchants who te nde r d their O ffers for that

,
’
Purpose which the Victualling B oards Le tter informed

, ,
me of the D ay before I sailed from England and as I ,
had not a Gallon of Spirits in my Charge when your ,
Fleet sail d from hence I have Purchased Rum only in

’
, ,
-
small Quantities part of which I send to Jamaica and

, ,
a small part I keep here to answer such demands as

, ,
may be made by the K ings Ships

, .
I am busily employed in erecting a C ooperage and , ,
hope on your Return you will not disapprove of the ,
Steps I have taken for I shall inv arab ly pursue such

, , ,
Step s as appear to be for the essential good of the Serv

, ,
ice and at as little E xp e n c e to the C rown as possible

, ,
.
I have with the A ssistance of the B uilder Store , ,
keeper most strictly and carefully audited M r P ater

, ,
.
son s A ccoun ts relative to the Hospitals and B uildings

’
, , ,
of this I sland and from a M r B arclay s B ill a Man who

, .
’
,
was employed by Mr Paterson to carry on the said .

,
W orks we have cutt o ff near £ 1500 Sterling which B ill

,
appeared to me to be a gross I mposition .
C aptain B arkley of the Prudent is very attentive in , ,
every I nstance to forward the K ings Service

,
sh o u d ,
’
he leave us as he much wants to do to j oin your F leet , , ,
we shall lose an O fficer of Merit and one from whom ,
by his remaining here we might look for every help , ,
and assistance in all Exigencies that might present them ,
selves .
I have the Ho nor to be Sir Yours &c &c &c , ,

. . .
JO H N M ARR
To Sir Geo : B Rodney B art K B &c
. . . . . &c &c . .
To Vic e A dm ira l Sir P e te r P arke r
F ormidable &c . 7th M ay 1782 .
Sir,
Upon making enquiry agreeable to my D uty into the

’
State and C ondition O f His M ajesty s Ship s Vessels
in this Harbour I find that the D iamond is in such good
,
Repair in so good a C ondition for Service that it is

impossible for me to su ffer her to proceed to Great
B ritain with the C onvoy as her Service is so essentially
necessary in this part O f the World .
—
Sandwich and that no delay may b e m ade in this ne c e s

,
s ary piece of Service Your C aptain havin g already re

,
c e iv e d orders f or that p urpose I am S &c

”
. .
G" 13 ROD N E Y
To Sir P eter Park er &c &c &c
'
. . .
To Th om as F re nc h

Sir ,
I must desire y ou will ple as e t o give Notice th at the

C onvoy with the Trade f or Great B ritain will sail from
this Port on the 15th I nstan t Such Ships as may not be
.
then ready may tak e the A dvantage of another C onvoy

which will Sail about the middle of June .
You will likewise ple as e to signi fy that a Third C on

voy shall sail in July and that it is at the earnest and par
tic ul ar Request o f the C hairman o f the C ommitte e o f
W est I ndia Merchants that no delay be made in th e Sail
ing of the r e spective C onvoys .
I am S &c ”
.
0 13 ROD N E Y
To Th e H on Th os F rench Esq
b le ” " '
C ustos at K ingston &c &c &c . . .
To Re ar A dm ira l Tho m as Grave s
F ormidable &c . 8th M ay 1782

Sir ,
must acquaint you that I f ound it necessary f or Hi s

I
Maj esty s Service to put the Pomona under the C om
’
mand o f Vice A dmiral Sir Pe te r Parker

I am Sir &c .
G" B ROD N E Y
To Rear A dm Graves 1
L ETTER B OOK O F A DM I RA L L OR D RO D N E Y
- 3 93
F ro m Rear A dm ira l Sir Sam ue l H oo d
Barfle ur at Sea May 8th 1782

Sir
,
I have the Honor to transmit the Sentences of Tw o

C ourt Martials held by your Order and as the Nonsuch
, ,
had but one Lieutenant I have appointed Mr Samuel .
C odd and Mr John Somerville to act in that capacity in

,
.
’
her till your pleasure is known both have been at Sea a ,
D ozen Year s and are very deservin g Young Men

’
.
I have the Honor to be S &c ”

.
S AM : H OOD
TO Sir Geo B Rodney B t &c &c &c
. . . . . .
To Vi c e A dm iral Sir P e ter P ark e r
F ormidabl e &c . 8th May 1782

Sir
,
I nclosed I transmit you an Order for as sembling a

C ourt M artial on the Trial of Lieutenant A ugustus Mar
ket of His M ajesty s Ship Warrior and must d e sire you
’
will please to assemble the said Co urt as soon as possible

as the Warrior is under Sailing Orders .
I am Sir &c .
G B R ODN E Y
. .
Sir Peter Parker &c &c &c . . .
’
To Josep h H un t Sir Sam ue l H oo d s Se c re tary
,

Sir,
I have this moment received your Le tter Orders are .
given relative to the Powder in regard to removin g the

-
Provisions &c You will do in tha t what y ou think proper

.
.
I am Sir &c .
G B R ODN EY . .
To Joseph Hunt E s q ”
F ro m R ear A dm ira l Sir Sam u e l H o o d
Barfle ur at Sea May 8th 178 2

Sir
Having Received the I n tellig ence I have the Honour to
s e nd yo u by C aptain Vashon of His M aj esty s Ship ’
Prince Will iam last Ni g ht ; I j udged it expedient to

divide the F orce under m y C ommand for th e greater ,
chance o f intercepting the Enemy s Ships and in order ’

,
to enable the respective Squadrons to keep the Sea on

the Score of Water ti ll the 25th of this Month I have
,
’
,
been obliged to remove the Prisoners from the several

Ships to the Montagu and Y armouth ; which from the ir
, ,
de f ects are not in C ondition to continue Cruizing and , ,
to direct their C ommanders to make the best of their

way to Port Royal I have also the Honour to send for
.
your information the Orders I have given t o Rear A d

,
mir al D rake and C ommodore Afi lec k which I hope will

, ,
meet your approbation ; and t o acquaint you that I shall

take my stand with the remaining Ships N o rth fro m
C ap e N i c o la from F ive to Te n Le agues from the L and .
C aptain F ord of the Nymph j oined me Yesterday who ,
fell in with the D uke de B urgoyne the F rench 84 Gun ,
Ship with part of Her B owsprit gone on the 2d I nstant

, , ,
C ape D onna Maria then bearing S E 7 or 8 L eagues ;

” °
at which time he was Te n or Twelve Leagues to Wind

ward of my Squadron ; as I was several D ays becalm ed
o ff the Navasa on the 6th in the Evening he again saw
,
her of [ f ] C ape Nichola not above 4 Miles distant with

, ,
a Rear A dm iral s F lag F lying A t 6 A M / he spoke with

’
.
the B elliqueux L icorne U lysses and A c te o n all of

, , , ,
which gave Chace to the F rench Ship but as Sh e Ste er d ,

’
3 96 L E TTER B OOK O F AD MI R AL L ORD RO D NE Y
-
procee d with them with all the h as te you can off the I sle
of Vac he on the South Side of St D omin g o ; and Cr uize
, .
at such a di st an c e an d s ituation from the said I sland as

s h all appear to you best for interce pting any of the
Enemy s S hi ps ; You will co ntinue upon this Servic e

’
’
till the 25th of thi s Month and then rep air to Port Royal
Given &c &c &c at Sea 8th May . . . 1782
To F S . . Drak e &c . &c . 30

3
.
B y Co mmand of the Rear A dmiral

( for Mr Hun t ) Jas Henders on. .
R e ar A dmiral Sir Sam u e l H o o d s O rder to Com m o dore

’
E dm und A flle c k
B y Sir Samuel Hood B t &c &c &c . . . .
Wh ere as I hav e Received I ntelligen c e that F our Sail o f

th e Line of th e D efeate d F rench F leet put into C ur ac oa ,
in a C rippl e d state on the 2 l st of las t M onth and not

,
finding the means of refitting there Sail e d again on the ,
2d I n stant supposed f or C ape F ran c ois and as Inte lli

, ,
gence h as bee n Re ce iv e d by the same Ch annel that Tw o ,
D utch 64 Gun Ships and Tw o F rigate s with Six ty F our ,
M erchan t Ships were re ad y to Sail on the 2d I nstant ,
You are hereby req ui r ed and directed to take the Ships

named in the Mar gi n under your C o m mand whose
1
C ap t ains have my d ere c tions to fo ll ow y our Orders and ,
proce e d with them with all the has te you can through ,
th e M o gange P ass a e O ff the E ast end of the I sland of

g
,
St D omi ngo ; and Cruize at such di stance from any part

.
of the I sla nd as you m ay j udge most likel y for intercept

,
’
ing the Enemy s Ships .
B edford
1
,
A rrogant , C onqueror Repulse St A lbans
, , . .
A n son
Yo u are t o co n t in ue upo n th i Se rv i c e
s
’
t ill th e 25t h of
By Co mm an d o f th e A dm iral
3 11
‘
y ou r O rd er o f t h e sam e d at e to pr oc ee d w it h t h e Co nv oy
B ri t ai b e a u se y o u find h er on e n q uiry t o b e in a goo d

n
.
c
Co n di t i on f or Serv i c e b ut if I am d esiro us t h at C ap t ai n
P ark er sh o ul d at t e n d me t o Englan d Y ou sh ould b e glad .
I am ce rt ainl y d es ir o us t h at th e D i am ond sh o ul d be
h ad m ad e be f o re y o ur A rriv al B ut I c ou ld n or re c o n c il e
I am Sir &o .
P PARKER
.
T0 Sir G B Rod ne y B t &o &c

. . . . . &c .
39 8 L ETTER B OOK O F A D M I R A L L OR D R O DN E Y
-
To Re ar Adm ira l Sir Sam ue l H o o d
F ormidable &c . l 0th May 1782

Sir,
I have been fav or d with your Le tter of the 8th In

’
s tant by the Yarmouth Montague I nclosing me the

Sentences O f two Co urt M artials as likewise C opy s o f
,
the Orders you have given to Rear Adm D rake and

”
,
C ommodore Affle c k and the I ntelligence from C uraca o

,
which I have before received and intended to have sen t

y ou a Co py and flatter myself some of their Ships will
f all into our hands .
Th e Slow Progress we make here is ver y provoking ,
but I hurry them all I possibly can as Rear A dmiral ,
Graves sails with a small Squadron to protect the North

side O f this I sland and likewise to reconnoitre the South
,
s ide o f C uba from C umberland Harbour to Saint I ago .
I am in hopes in a few days af ter I shall be able to send

Rear A dmiral Rowley in the London with such Ship s
as can be g ot ready to take the C harge O f the Squadron
un der y our C o mmand in o rder that the Barfle ur Namur , ,
and such S hip s as wan t r e fittin g may com e into P or t

Royal for that purpose Th e P ro th é e shall join you as
.
s oon as possible and other Frigates as they can be got

ready ; but every thin g goes on slowly here altho I am ’
upon the Spot and have not as yet put m y foo t on the
Shore since I came int o this Port .
I am impatient till I hear what Ships of the Enemy

’
are at the C ape as the Sailing of the C onvoy for Grea t

B ritain depends on the I ntelligence I may receive from
thence .
I am Sir &c .
G B R ODN EY
. .
To Rear A dm Sir Sam Hood B t &c &c &c

1 ‘
. . . .
400 L ETTER B OOK O F A D M I RA L L ORD RO D N E Y
-
mand in not paying the least attention to the deman d s

,
made for Provisions will require my most serious inv e s

tigatio n and unless immediately re dre ss d will obli g e m e
’
,
t o inquire into the reason of such inattention to His

’
Majesty s Service .
I am Sir &c .
G B R ODN EY
. .
To Th e C ontractor f or Victualling
His Maj esty Navy Jamaica ,
To Vic e A dm ira l Sir P e ter P ark er
F ormidable in Port Royal &c .
1 1th May 1782

S ir ,
I am to inform you that in consequence o f the press

ing application of the C hamber o f C o mm erce an d th e
I sland in General I must des ire you will please to pos t
pone the Sailin g o f the C onvoy for Great B ritain till ,
’
Sunday the 19 th I nstant .
I am Sir &c .
G B R ODN EY
. .
To Sir P Parker &c &c &c

. . . .
F ro m Cap tain th e H o n orab le Wi lliam C orn wallis
C an ad a Port Ro y al Harbour Jamaica

1l th May 1782
Sir,
Wh ere the Shot have struck the Hull o f His Majesty s ’
Ship C anada under my C ommand she has in general ap ,

’
pe ar d to be rotten She has been built Seventeen Years
.
and by what I could learn before we left England h as ,
only had the outside of Her patched up abou t four Years

L ETTER B OOK -
OF A D M I RA L L OR D RO DN E Y 401
ago f or Channel Service F rom these circumstances there .
is every reason to believe the Ship is in very bad condi

tion altho she does not at present Leak I should there
’
.
fore wish that you would be pleased to order her to be in

sp e c te d into for I think it is a pity she should be
,
s uffe r d to go to total decay as I think she i s on e of th e

’
best constructed Seventy f our Gun Ships that ever w as

buil t in En g land .
I am Sir &c .
H [ sic for W ] C oRN W A L LI s

. .

. . . . . .
To Cap tain th e H onora b le Wi lliam Cornwa llis
F ormi dable &c . 11th May 1782

Sir ,
I have this moment received your L etter and am ex

c ee d ing sorry to hear the C anada is in so bad a C ondi
tion .
’
I have in consequence thereof o rde r d her to be Sur
d
’
v ey .
I am Sir &c .
G B R ODNE Y
. .
To C apt n C ornwallis
F ro m F our C ap tains
Port Royal May 12th 1782

Sir ,
Th e Liberty of this A ddress We flatter ourselves will

plead its Excuse from our present situation in C o nse
’
q ue n c of the Surrender of His M ajesty s Ships at
e
De m e rary and your protection in facilitating our E x

change ( that a C ourt M artial on us may take place ) i s
402 L ETTER B OOK O F A D M IRA L L OR D RO D N E Y
-
an Event m os t ardently w ish d in Expectation of an Hon

’
o urab le A cquital from a C onsciousness of having dis
charged our D uty as Officers and faithful Subjects .
May W e be permitted to observe that while We re

main in this uncertain State th e Publick is deprived o f
,
our future Services and ourselves of further A dvance

ment in the Service in which We have the Honor to serve
added to a great E xp e n c e more than our F ortunes will
,
admit of These C onsiderations We cherish the I dea will

.
,
act as a powerful A dvocate in our C ause on a generou s

mind like your s ’
.
We have the Honor to be With the highest Respec t

S &c
”
.
W M TA H O URDI N .
FRA N C I S P E ND ER
LA W : GRZE M E
C H RI STM AS PAU L
. . . . . .
To Fi ve C ap tains

Gentlemen ,
I must now acquaint you that I have received your

Le tter of Yesterday s date and my D uty obliges me to
’
’
give you notice that as His Maj esty s Service will now
,
admit of your C onduct being enquired into relative to the

giving up to the Enemy the C olonies of E sq ue b o and
D emarara as likewise of His M aj esty s Ships and Ve s
,
’
sels under your C ommand ,
I must now therefore acquaint you that the C har g e

against you is for not defending the C olonies and givin g
,
the Ships and Vessels under your respective Commands

to the Enem y without defending them That your Trials .
’
will come on when Rear A dmiral Sir Sam Hood arrives
in this Port which will be very shortly You will there .
fore prepare for your D efense and let me know if there ,

404 L ETTER B OOK O F A D MI RA L L OR D R O DN E Y
-
te c tio n
of the North side as likewise another Squ adron
,
for the protection of the South the C ommanders o f e ach,
have my Orders no t only to Protect the C ommerce and

the C o ast but to Co nvoy such Ships as may be loaded
to the g eneral place o f Rendezvous of which you will ,
please to give Notice to your different Correspondents

for that purpose I must Sir conclude wi th assuring you
.
I shall be always ready to shew every attention in my

power to watch the C ommerce of Great B ritain bu t it ,
behoves me to pay particular attenti o n to the C ommerce

in General by strictly adherin g to the time app o inted f o r
their C onvoy s Sailing which for th e future I shall strictly
’
adhere to but on consideration o f the situation the

,
I sland has lately been in I shall dir ect Vice A dmir al Sir
P P arker who was to have Sail d on Wednesday n ext t o
.
’
defer his Sailin g to Sunday the 19 th I n stant .
I am Sir &c .
G B R ODN EY
. .
‘
Eliph F itch Pres o f th e C hamber C om :
t
To Rear Adm ira l Sir Sam ue l H oo d
F or m i d abl e &c . 13 th May 1782

Sir ,
B y His Maj e sty s Ship Princess C aroline I have sen t

’
a Quantity o f Wine Sugar and C ofl ee for th e u se of th e

Sick and Wounded Men yet remaining on board the
Ships which His Maj esty s Service has not permitt e d to
’
come into Por t which you will please t o caus e to b e

distributed amon g them in such manner as from th e
particular exigency o f each you shall think pr oper .
I am Sir &c .
G B R ODN EY . .
To Sir Sam Hood Bt &c &c &c

1
. . . .
LETTER B OOK O F A D M I RA L L OR D RO D N E Y
- 40 5
F ro m Lieu te nan t Th o m as Wa lb eojff, A ge n t for Transp o rts

a t K ings to n, Jam aic a
K ingston May 13 th 1 782

Sir ,
I n a letter of the 9 th I nstant I stated to Sir C harles

D ouglass the C ondition of the Transports under my di
rection now fitting for their Voyage to Europe I must
, .
now beg leave to have the Honor of troubling Your

Excellency on the same Subject the A gent for the C on .
tractor for supplying His M aj esty s Ship on this Station ’
had Sir Peter Parker s order dated the 20th of last

’
’
A pril to supply Water C asks for the Ship de s tin d to
,
’
take Home invalids from His M ajesty s Naval Hospital
at this Port Yesterday She could only be supplied with
.
forty C asks the e fforts of the C ommissary for Prison

,
ers have been so unsuccess ful that he has not above

,
Tw o hundred Whereas there ough t to be at least Six

hundred C asks therefore Sir I much fear the Transports ,
will not be ready to Sail the time appointed for the

F leet .
I am Sir &c .
T : W A L L BE O F F
. . . . . .
F ro m C ap tain the H on ora b le William C ornwallis
C anada Port Royal Harbor Jamaica

, ,
May 16 1782 ,
Sir ,
As I believe the report of the State of the C anada

does not at all agree with her defects which I take the ,
liberty of enclosing and is very d ife re n t from the opin

,
ion M r Bic k e nson the C arpenter o f the Ville de Paris

.
406 L ETTER B OOK O F A DM I RA L L OR D R O DN E Y
-
( w h o was the only pers o n that constantly att e n d ed th e

ex amination ) gave me of her State after the Survey Mr . .
I nnis the B uilder told me before the Survey that h e

,
k new the Ship very well that she was seventeen Year s ,
old he was at Chatham when she was brought up ther e

,
f our or five Years ago to get a repa ir which however , ,
she did not get and that he knew her frame must be
,
bad but the Moment the Survey was ordered h e se e m d

, ,
’
determined to have her reported in the Manner she has

been the Survey has therefore satisfied me of what the
,
B uilder is capable of performing but not at all freed

m e of my doubts o f the C apacity of the Ship .
A n A ccount similar to the enclosed was taken by Mr .
Bic k e n so n shewed to the B uilder which he refused to

loo k at what methods he took to make him Sign the
,
report I do not k now .
I have the Honor to be Sir , ,
W C ORN WAL L I S .
’
A n A ccount of the defects of His Majesty s
1
Ship C anada as appeared b y Survey in B orin g

, ,
diff erent parts of the said ship on the 12th ,
13 th and 14th of May 1 782
Starboard Side
Th e F ashion piece ,
D efective and B ored rotten 8 I nche s
in from outside of Plank .
Th e Port Timbers of th e 13 th Port ( from fore ) ap ,
p ears by B oring rotten and D ecay ed 11 I nches in from

out side of the Plank .
Th e foot of the fore port Timber 9 th port upper dec k , ,
rotten and the whale decayed .
Th e foot of the port Timber aft side 7th port upper ,
deck decayed , .
Th e 4 th F uttock and top timber ( fore side 6th por t ,
lower deck ) and whale rotten .
1
T h is a cc o unt i s cr oss e d o ut w i tho ut a ny exp l anatory n o te E d
, . .
-
Th e Lower Gun deck C lamps work s much , and D r aw s

from their respective Scarphs at S e a th e to p riders , , ,
Standards Hanging K nees forsakes th e sid e when th e

Ship is at Sea to all appearance is a W eak Ship
, ,
sh o u d undergo a Repair
’
.
H E NRY A TW I L L C arp ”
C anada P ort Royal Harbour ,
1 6 May 1782
To Th om as N e vi lle A ge n t for P risone rs

, o f War in
Jam aic a

Sir ,
You mentioned s omething to me Ye s terday o f your

in tention of goin g to England .
I t is im possible f or me to consent th at a C ommissary

sh ould be abs ent at this impo rt an t momen t there bein g
so many Prison ers o n the I sland and yo ur Pres e nc e h er e
b ein g so very necessary .
I am Sir &c .
G B R ODN E Y . .
To Thos Neville E s q
.
”
To Cap tain the H onorab le William C orn wallis

S ir ,
I have received your L etter o f this da te relativ e t o

th e Survey on His Majesty s Ship C anada under y o ur
’
C o mm and and shall give Orders f or th e same being in

quired into .
I am Sir &c .
G B R ODNE Y . .
“
To Th e Hon C aptn C ornwallis
e
L ETTER B OOK O F A DM I RA L LOR D RO D N EY
- 409
F ro m L e wis Ro b e rt A lle n, N aval Store k e ep er at
Jama ic a
Greenwich Jamaica ,
16th May 1782
Sir,
Having been under the necessi ty from the very gr e at ,
encrease of business at this Port since the arrival o f

, ,
the F leet under your C ommand to employ four addi ,
tional C lerks to the Establishment directed by the Navy

, ,
B oard to attend to the receipts and I ssues of His Maj

,
esty s Stores in the di ff erent Storehouses at Greenwich :

’
, ,
and to k eep the Storekeepers A ccounts from falling in

A rrear ,
I have to entreat tha t you will be pleased t o gran t

, ,
me an Order to enter four A dditional C lerks to the

, ,
usual Establishment at the Rate of £ 70 Sterling ,
A nnum from the l st I nstant and to continue durin g

, ,
the time the Necessity for such A id shall exist .
I have the honour to be Sir , ,
L R A LLE N . .
To Sir Geo : B Rodney B art K B &c &c &c

. . . . . . .
To Rear A dm ira l F ranc is S D rake .
F ormi dable &c . 16th M ay 1 782

Sir,
I desire you wi ll please to Order C aptain Vashon in

the Prince William to join me without loss of time in
Port Royal B ay and as you will be wanted to return to
,
your Station to Windward that you will likewise hasten ,
to Join me in this B ay to compleat your Water and

Provision .
I am Sir &c .
G B R ODN E Y . .
To Rear A dmiral D rake

4 10 L ETTER B OOK O F A D MI RAL L ORD RO D N E Y
-
To L e wis Ro b e rt A llen, N a va l Store keep e r a t Jamaic a
F o rmi d abl e &c . 17th May 1 782

Sir ,
Havin g been j ust inform d that there is at the K in g s

’ ’
V ictualling Store at K in gston a number of re turn d Stav es

’
and I ron Hoop s o f which n o A ccount has been given me

,
and which are much wanted ,
I desire you will immediately send me an A ccoun t th a t

t he same may be appro priated to the Publick Servic e .
I am S ir &c .
G B RoD N E Y . .
To [ blank ] 1
To P hi lip S te p h e ns Sec re tary of th e A dm iralty

,
[ Mar g inal no te in Rodney s h an dwr itin g : ] Orig inal

’
”
went by the Pack the 19 th o f May D uplicat e s of
I
my L e t ters o f the 26th of A p 3 d o f May .
F ormidable &c . 18th May 1 782

Sir,
Since my last o f the 3 d I nstant by the Swallow Pack e t
I must des ir e you will please to acquain t the ir L ord
ship s th at every dispatch p o ssible has b e en m ade in
’
Re fi tting the F leet which have received much more

D amage in their Masts Hulls and Riggin g than was first
im agined
I t is impossible for me not to represent to their L ord
’
ship s that by the Gros Neglec t and I nattention of n ot
k eeping His Majesty s Yard in this Port in proper Re
’
pair it has proved the greatest detriment to His Maj

e s ty s Service and p revented that speedy Re q uipm e nt
’
s o very necessary at this C ritical moment and to which ,
my mind as well as my D uty will ever Stimulate me to

hasten .
1
In v o lum e 5 f th R o dne y M SS in th P ub l i c R ec o r d O ffic e L o n
o e e
don o p y f this l e tter i s a ddre sse d T o T he S to rek ee p er
.
,
“ ”
, t
he O o : .
412 L ETTE R B OOK O F A DM I RA L L OR D RO D N E Y
-
B uo y s had been placed upon all the Shoals coming in

and goin g out of this P ort as likewise upon the Shoals
,
in the Harbour leading to Rock F o rt to which place ,
a first Rate without dan g er might have approached and

compleated her W ater within Twenty f our hours On .
my leaving this Station I left particular Orders to k e e p

the said B uoys in repair notwithstanding which the whole
have been suffe r d to g o to Total decay without replacin g
’
them to the great detriment of His Majesty s Ships sev ’
eral of which have been run on shore f or the want of

those necessary marks and particularly the Princess
Royal Sandwich on their A rrival in this Port .
Th e Master A ttendant in this Port has neglected t o

secure a su fficient number of Pilots and it is with difli ,
’
culty by such Neglect that His Majesty s Ships can be
con ducted with Safety int o this Port or to the Water ,
ing place at Rock F ort which greatly delay s the Public k

Service .
I have given the Strictest Order s to the Master A tten

dant that he keeps for the future a sufficient number of
P ilots on board the Hulk f or this necessary Service I n .
short every thing relative to His Majesty s D ock Yard ’
here appears to me as if d e sign d to go to Ruin ; and

,
’
that they had not the least I dea that the Nation had
the Misfortune of being engaged in War
I have roused them to a sense o f their D uty and while
I remain here will take care that they perform it
Their L ordship s will do me justice and I am sure are
’
convinced that I have always been unwilling to make

C omplaints but such was the situation of His Majesty s
,
’
Naval aff airs in this I sland and the negligence of every

department belonging thereto that I should not have
,
done my D uty to His Maj esty and the Publick without

making this Report to them who I am s ure must have
,
been totally ignorant of the real situation of Aff airs here .
I have no view whatever in making this Report but

my Publick D uty and let His Majesty s Service carry
,
’
me to any part of the World where it is my D uty to

go their L ordship s shall always have from me a true
,
’
LE TTER B OOK O F A D M I RA L L O RD
-
RO D N E Y 413
and faithful report ralativ e to Naval Affairs reg ardles s ,
of the Resentment of any Person who may be concerned .
I cannot conclude this L etter without acquaintin g

their L ordships that by the great Success of His Maj
e s ty s A rms the greatest difficulty is found in securin g
’
,
the Prisoners of War the Place appointed for that Ser

,
vice being capable of holding only 700 Men the Pres er ,
vation of the Health of the Seamen under my C ommand

’
upon which the Success of His Majesty s F leet depends ,
obliged me to land without delay near F ive Thousand

Prisoners of War C omplaints have been made from th e
.
I nhabitants of their numbers my A nswer has been they

,
must find proper places for their reception till such time’
as prison Ships can be provided or an Exchange be made .
A s upwards of Tw o thousand Troops of the first Regi

ments belonging to France were taken in the Ships we
C aptured I have orde r d the Ships bound to Great B rit
’
ain to receive on board a proper proportion to each Ship ,
and shall send all their L and and Sea O fli c ers home in
the F irst C onvoy and a like proportion of the Soldiers
in the C onvoy that shall Sail the 18th of June next and ,
have likewise given directions that each Master of a

Merchant Ship bound to Great B ritain shall receive on
board as many as he can take without indange ring the ir
Ships by which means care will be taken that not one
,
Single French Soldier shall remain in the I sland of

Jamaica
Many of the French O fficers have been very pressing
with me for leave to go St D oming o or Martin ique I
. .
have given them the same answer the M arquiss de

B ouille gave upon taking the Troops at St Christophers
.
,
Viz Not one Officer or Soldier shall be exchanged in

t
the West I ndies neither would it be proper as these

, ,
very Officers were in the highest C onfidence with the

M arquis D e B ouill e and on whom He mostly depended
for Success in his Enterprizes
I will therefore take care that they twice Cross the
A tlantic before they again Exert themselves against His
4 14 L ETTER B OOK O F A D M IR AL L OR D R O DN E Y
-
Majes ty s D o m inions in thes e S e as wh ich d et ermi n ati o n

’
,
I hope will meet with their L ordshi p s A ppr o bati o n ’

.
Sir Peter P ark er in the Sandwich with the A j ax In ,
trepid L ow e sto ffe and Pomona proceed with the C o nvo y

,
to B ritain tomorrow C ount de Grasse with his Suit e are

e m b ark d in the Sandwich the other O fli c e rs b e longin g
’
,
to th eir F leet and A rmy are divided among the other

Ships of War and I hope by the next C onvoy the whol e
,
of th e French Ships lately C ap tur d wi ll b e in a C o nd i ’
tion to proceed for Great B ri t ain .
I h ave th e H o nor t o b e Sir &c .
G B R ODN E Y . .
To P hilip S tep he ns Se c re tary

, o f the A dmiralty

Sir,
Since m y L etters of this day s dat e the A j ax had p rove d

’
so extream ly leaky as not to admit o f her C rossing the

A tlantic without being Hove d o wn or in s ome measur e ,
i f possible Rep air d ’

.
I am Sir &c .
G B ROD N E Y . .
To Philip S t ep h en s Esq ”
To P hi lip Step hens Sec re tary of th e A dmira lty

,
[ M ar g inal n o te in R odney s handwri ting : ] D uplicates

’
of this of the two former went by the Sandwich as

also the s t ate C onditi o n o f the F leet .
F o rmidable &c . 18th May 1782

Sir ,
Since m y Le tt er of the 3 d I ns t ant by the P acket I

h ave r e ceived und o ub te d I ntelli g ence tha t fo ur Sail of
416 LE TTER B OOK O F A DM I R A L L OR D RO D N E Y
—
To P hi lip Step h e ns Se c re tary of the A dm ira lty

,
F ormidable &c 18th May 1782

Sir
.
’
His Majesty s Ship Santa Monica C aptain John Linz e e
having been lost o ff Tortola on the l st of A pril last an d
h e together with the Pilot havin g be e n Tri e d for the
s ame at A ntigua I h erewith transmit the Sen t ence and
,
Minutes o f the C o urt Marti al t o geth er with two C er

tifi c ate s relative thereto f or their L ordship s inspecti o n
’
.
I am Sir &c
G B ROD N E Y
‘
. .
To Phi lip Stephens Esq ”
To M ajor Ge ne ral Jo hn Da lling Go ve rnor , o f Jam aic a

S ir
.
I m ust des ire th at Yo ur E xcellency will p lease t o g iv e

Notice that another C onvoy will certainly sail f or Gre at
B ritain on M o nday the 24th June next I am Sir &c . .
0" 13 ROD N E Y
His Excellency G enl D alling
'
To Th om as F renc h

Sir
. .
I must desire that Your E x cellenc y will please to g iv e

Notice to the Merchants and others concerned that an
other C onvoy will certainly Sail fo r Great B ritain on
Monday th e 24th o f June next .
I am Sir &c
G B R OD N E Y
'
. .
To Th e H on Thos Fr ench C ustos

bl e
.
,
L ETTER B OOK O F A D M I RA L L ORD RO D N E Y
- 4 17
To P hi lip S tep h ens Se c re tary of the A dm ira lty

,

Sir ,
Lieutenant D avid M c Do w all a very promising youn g

Officer having had the Misfortune to loose his Hand in
the late A ction and Northern C limate being pr e sen te d
as essential to his Recovery I have charged him with
my D ispatches to their Lordship s and cann ot help on
’
the occasion recommending him to the ir Protection of

which I believe him highly deserving .
I am Sir &c .
G B R ODN E Y . .
F ormidable &c . 18th May 1 782

Sir,
Th e Endeavour being ordered on Service from whom
I depend on some very particular I ntelligence ; I have
therefore ordered the A lert B rig to attend you for th e
purpose of taking out the Pilots in His Maj esty s Ships ’
under your C ommand I t is impossible for me to spare

.
any Lin e of B attle Ships in addition to the C onvoy while

by the best I ntelligence I have been able to procure that
the C ombin d F leets are in great F orce at C ape Fr ancois
’
.
I am Sir &c .
G B R ODN E Y . .
To Sir Peter Park er &c &c &c . . .

4 18 L ETTER B OOK O F A D MIRAL L OR D R O DN E Y
-
To Vic e A dm iral Sir P e te r P arke r
F ormidabl e &c . 18th M ay 1782

Sir ,
Tis wi th conc ern I must acquain t y o u th at th e A j ax

h as
’
upon Examina tion prov d t o b e so e xtre am ly l e aky
as not admit of crossing the A tlantic .
I have there f ore orde r d the R us s el in her place wh ich

’
will be rea dy by t o morrow Nigh t when I shall imm e

diate ly order her t o foll ow you unless y o u may thin k
it necessary t o remain f or her I have lik e wis e order d .
’
the P ro th ee and the A ler t to atte nd you throu gh the

Gulph and then to f ollow the s ecr e t Orders with wh ich
they are charged .
I am Sir
G B ROD N E Y . .
To Sir P Par k er &c &c &c

. . . .
To Rear A dm ira l Jos hua Ro w ley
F ormi dable 61 0 . 18th May 1782 .
Sir,
Th e A j ax h avin g been fo un d so bad as no te xtre am ly
to permit o f her going to Great B ritain with the C onvo y ,
I m ust inform y o u th at I h av e orde r d the Pro th é e t o ’
atte nd Vice A dmir al Park er with the C o nvo y thr o u g h
th e G ulph af terwards to j o in th e S quadro n under yo ur

C o mmand .
I m ust lik ewise acquain t y ou th at the P r C ar o lin e

” s
has o n b o ar d a Quantity o f W in e Refreshmen t s fo r

the U se o f the Sic k Wound e d on boar d the Squadron
under th e C omm and of S ir S aml H oo d which I m u st
desire you will pleas e to or der to be distribute d f or th eir
Use I am Sir &c
. .
G B R OD N E Y . .
To Rear A dm Rowley &c

1
.
420 L ETTER B OOK O F A DM I RA L L OR D RO DN E Y
-
allthe other Ships the Pipes havin g been all fill d up ’
by my Order on the delivery and received o n b o ard

without any objection thereto I am &c . .
G B R OD N E Y
. .
To Th e C omm rs
for Victuallin g
To Vic e A dm iral Sir P e te r P arke r
F ormidable &c . 19 th May 1782

Sir ,
As the Russel ap p oin ted to s upply the Plac e of th e

A j ax and th e P ro th ee intended to accompany y ou th ro
’
the Gulph with th e Remainder o f th e C onvoy canno t

,
b e ready a fter all the E xertions I h ave been m ak in g

under two d ays ,
I leave it t o you either to pursu e yo ur Voyag e with

th e Ship s and C onvoy alr eady with y ou or to wai t that ,
time at Bluefie lds for th em .
I beg th e f avor o f your immedia t e answer and hav e

the Honor t o b e with grea t Regard S &c ”
.
G B R OD N E Y
. .
To Sir Peter P ark er &c &c &c. . .
F ro m Vic e A dmiral Sir P e te r P arke r
Sandwich 0 11 Por t R oyal

'
’
a t 4 after 9 o C loc k at Night
19 th May 1782
Sir ,
I have j ust now receiv e d y our Le tter acquainting me

that the Russel which was appointed t o supply th e place
o f the A j ax and the P ro th e e intended to accompany me
through the Gulph with the remainder of the C onvo y
cannot be ready after all your e xertions under two days ,
L ETTER B OOK O F A DM I RA L LOR D RO D N E Y
- 4 21
and leaving it to my Option either to pursue my voyage

with the Ships and C onvoy already with me or to wait
that time at Blue fie lds for them .
I n return I have the honor to I nform you that for

s o me very apparent reasons I shall wait for the Russel
and P ro th e e at B lue fie l ds .
C aptain Windsor having represented to me that in

weighing this Morning he had the misfortune to lose
his B est B ower A nchor from the C able breaking short
o ff close to the C linch by which accident he is reduced
to One B ower A nchor the spare one being lost before

,
he had the C omm and of the Lo w e sto fl e and his Sheet

A nchor being supplied the F ortun é e agreeable to your
Order
Th e distress of the Low esto fl e is such that I must
request you will be pleased to order a B ower A nchor
to be sent to her .
I hav e the Honor to be S &c ”

.
P P ARK E R
.

. . . . . .
To Wi lliam F orfar M as te r A tte ndan t

, at Jam aic a
F ormidable &c . 2 l st May 1 782

Sir,
I must desire that you will immediately give me your
reasons for your A bsenting Yourself from your D uty
, ,
and not taking care that B uoys or B oats with F lag s

were placed on the Shoal o ff the Point and the A chille s
Rock by which Neglect His M ajesty s F leet were in
’
,
danger of R unning on shore I am Sir &c . .
G B R OD N E Y
. .
To M r F orfar Master A ttendant

.
.
422 L ETTER B OOK O F A D M I RA L L OR D R O DN E Y
-
To Jo hn Wi llis A ge n t Vic tualer

, at Kings ton Jam aic a ,
F ormidable &c . 2 l st May 1782

Sir
I t is my directions that you im mediately cause to b e
se t up into Water C ask s all the Staves that can be m ad e
,
fit f or that purpose which are in Your C harge at the

Victuall ing Office ; which you are to Supply a s demanded
by His Maj esty s Ship under my C omm and : A nd i f
’
th e Quantity of these Staves are no t sufficient You ,
are t o purchase as many as will do hiring such numbers ,
o f Extra C oopers as there may be a want o f in Your

Execution of this Service .
I am Sir &c .
G B R ODNE Y . .
To Th e A gent Vic t ualler

K ings ton
To th e C ommissioners of the Vic tua ling
Sent by the Russel

F ormid able in Por t Royal Harbour Jamaic a
2 l st May 1782
G entlem e n
Th e Hospital at thi s place not being large enough to
acco m modate all the Sick and Wounded o f His Maj
,
e s ty s Ships and Vessels now under my C ommand and

’
,
it being highly necessary th at they should have ev e ry

Refreshment and Relief which this I sland can a fford ,
I acquaint you of my havin g appointed Mr William .
C ock Purser of His Maj esty s Ship F ormidable to pur

’
chase F resh B eef and other Refreshments for their us e ,
to be supplye d and served out to them D aily as may ,
be prescribed b y the Physician of the F leet the same ,
having been r e fused to be undertaken by the C ontractor

for F resh B eef here and he is emp o wered by me [ to ]
,
4 24 L ETTER B OOK O F A DM I RA L L OR D RO D N E Y
-
the Enemys whole force at the C ape as soon as possible ,
I shall hasten out ever y Ship as they can be got ready ,
to j oin you the A lcide F ame and the C entaur will be

, ,
ready in a few D ays and several others by the latter end

of next W eek
I am Sir &c &c &c . . .
G B R OD N E Y . .
R ear A dmiral R owley
F ro m B rigadier Ge ne ra l A rc hi b ald Cam p b e ll
Sp anish tow n 22d May 1 782

Sir
Th e Number of Prisoners o f War has o f late so grate ly
increased tha t the B uildings rented by G eneral D allin g
,
at £500 C urrency Pr A nnum for their A ccommodation

.
,
are actually insufli c ie nt to contain those already sent on

’
Shore from His Majesty s F leet ; by which evils o f the ,
worst tendency are likely to take place ; I f you have no

obj ection to the contrary I shall direct the C ommissary
,
for Prisoners of War to construct without loss of time

, ,
comfortable Shades round the Prison Yard fit with the ,
p re s ant app artm e nts to con t ain a t leas t F ifteen Hundred

,
Men takin g care previously to have a plan and Estimat e

, ,
of the same made out for tha t purpose .
A nd wher e as Government ag reeable to the L eas e set

tle d by Ge nne ral D alling is obliged t o k eep maintain
, , ,
and leave the Premises in g ood and Tenantable C ondi

tion and has alr e ady not only expended large Sums o f
,
Money to render the Prisons secur e but will also from

, ,
the pre sant unavoidable Necessity s till lay out more to

accommodate the unhappy Multitude with such shelter
from the Weather as good Policy and Humanity re
quires ; I should think it greatly for the I nterest o f the
C rown at once to purchase the property and Reap the
, ,
benefits of all those Improvemen ts I am led to this .
I dea as I understand the B uildings can be had on the

,
L ETTER B OOK O F A D M IRA L L O RD RO D N E Y
- 425
reasonable Terms of C urrency which is £800 ,
less than the Original p urc h ac e ; A nd because I am per

sw aide d that either in War or Peace they will be found
, ,
to possess advantages at B arracks or Storehouses of , ,
real Importance tb His Majesty s Service ; Should th o se ’
Propositions meet with your Excellency s A pprobati o n ’

,
I shall be happy in directing the necessary steps to be

tak en with as much expedition as the nature of the time
will admit of
I have the Honour to be with Great Regard Sir ,
Your most obedient and most Humble Servan t

ARCH D
CAM PBEL L
Sir G B Rodney. . B t &c
. . &c . &c .
To P hilip S tep h e ns Se c re tary , o f the A dmiralty
Sent by the Russel

F ormidabl e in Por t Royal Harbour
Jamaica 22d May 1 782
Sir
I must request you will pleased to acquain t their L ord
ships that in consequence o f the Hospital at this place
,
not being lar g e enough to accommodate all the Sic k and

Wounded Men o f His Majesty s Ships and Vessels now ’
under my C ommand and it being highly necessary tha t

,
they should have every Refreshm e nt and Relief which , ,
this I sland can afford I have appoint e d Mr Willi am

. .
’
C ock Purser o f His Majesty s Ship F ormidable to pur ,
chase F resh B eef and other Refreshments for their us e ,
to be supplye d and served out to them D aily ; th e sam e

having been refused to be undertak en by the C on tractor
for F resh B eef here ; and he is empowered by me to
draw B ills on the C ommissioners for Victuallin g His Maj
’
e sty s Navy for the amount of his E xp e n c e for the per
,
form anc e of that B usines s ; Transmitting t o them at the

426 L ETTER B OOK O F A D M I RA L LO R D RO D N E Y
-
c lose thereof the proper Vouchers t o clear his I m press

o n th e s ame ; which I ho pe their Lordships will approv e .
I am &c &c &c . . .
G B R ODN E Y
. .
Philip Stephens Esq ”
A dmiralty
F ro m Lie u te nan t C o lon e l Jo hn Tupp er
Repulse at Roc k F ort 23 rd May 1782

Sir ,
A violen t disorder which I had when I arrived a t Por t

Royal and which is still my attendant will I h ope apolo
, ,
gize f or my not having done myself the honour t o p ay m y

Respects to you at that time , .
I was greatly astonished when C apt n D umaresq in

formed me that you had told him you had received a
,
L etter from the A dmiralty Signifying that I and other

Marine F ield O fficers who were serving by their L ord
,
ships Orders in the F leet under your C ommand w ere ,
to share Prize Money only with the C aptains of Marines ,
which was agreeable to our reque s t mad e to their Lord ,
s hips .
I must beg leave to acquaint y ou Sir that we hav e , ,
never applied to their L ordships for sharing Prize M one y

beneath our Rank nor can we ever C onsent to share
,
in any other manner than as F ield Officers .
I have the honor to be Sir , ,
Your most obedient mos t humble Servan t

JN 0
TU P P ER
Li e u t C olonel of Marines
.
To Sir G B Rodney B art K B &c &c &c

. . . . . . . .
-
of the Town o f Kin g st o n held at the C o ur t House o f th e

said Town o n Tue s day the 7th of thi s Month as like ,
wise the L etter o i D oct o r Mort o n S urg e on o f the Pri

sone rs of War complaining that th e place allo tt ed f or
the confinement of Pri s oners of War in Jamaica and ,
ne ar K in gston is s o very inadequate to the Numbers

m ,
’
which the succe s s of His Majesty s A rms h as lately made
Prisoners of War that unless the y are p roperly sheltered
, ,
and additional places of C onfinement appointed for their

R eception it may occasion f atal D iseases as the present
, ,
Prison app o inted for the confinement of Prisoners o f

W ar was o nly intended to hold from Seven to Eig ht
Hundred .
Surely the Persons who made such a C alculation at a

time when Great B ritain was I nvolved in a War with
t he greatest Powers in Europe besides A merica must ,
have had a despicable opinion o f the B ritish A rms or ,
dispaire d of Success when even the C apture o f One

,
French Ship o f W ar would be more than su ffi cient t o

,
have filled the Prison surely more a ttention ought to

,
have been paid towards erectin g pr op e r Re c e ptic les for

Pris oners of W ar considerin g how much depended
,
upon it .
To have detained them on board the Ship s of War

might have been f atal to the Nation and occasioned much
,
Sickness as to have rendered the F leet useless every ,
thing depending upon the Health of the Seamen em

p loyed in the Publick Service .
C ould I p ossibly im m agine d that after giving timely

notice tha t I was approachin g with the F leet and had ,
desired tha t proper places of confinement might be pre

p ared for the reception of at least 5000 Prisoners o f War ,
that it should have been to t ally neglected till my arrival

in this Port ; C omplaints and Representations of this
Gross neglect of the C ommissary for Prisoners or the
A dmiral w h o ever may be to blame I have sent home ,
but surely my dear Sir your I sland should have con

side re d t his im portant a ff air and appointed proper Re
c e p tio n and Places for Prisoners of War all I can say is
,
L E TTE R BOOK O F A D M IRA L L ORD RO D NE Y
- 429
that I have given directions that every Ship of War

bound to Great B ritain with the C onvoy has my Orders
to Receive on board such a Number as they can con
v e nie n tly and consistant with their own safety ; I have
,
lik ewise given directions that the Merchant Ships may

tak e what Number they may think proper to assist in
their Navigation and h Op e that the M erchants of K ing
ston and the different parts of the I sland will recommend
it to the M asters of the Ships that they contribute to
wards easin g the I sland of the great b ur then o f Prisoners .
I n every thing that depends upon me you may be as

sured of my ready C onc urranc e and the C ommissary of
,
Prisoners under the Naval department will have my

’
Orders to contribute thereto but tis absolutely necessary
,
that the Magistrate of K ingstown lend an assistant hand

towards erecting the Sheds round the Prison Wall to ,
shelter the Prisoners from the I nclemency of the

W eather and I shall give Orders to the C o m missary for
,
procuring Vessels proper for Prison Ships if they can be

procured and that they be M oor d agreeable to your de
,
’
sire I am &c &c &c

. . . .
G B ROD N E Y . .
His E xe lle nc y General C ampbell
F ro m Ro b e rt B e n ton, O rdnanc e S tore k eep e r
Office of Ordnance Jam ,

a
24 th May 1782
Sir
I beg leave to lay before you a L etter I this day re
c e iv e d from M r Charles an Extra C lerk appointed t o
.
this O fli c e by Order of Vice A dmiral Sir Peter Parker K t .

,
wherein you will be pleased to observe he has signified

that on account of the excessive dearness of all the com
m on necessaries of Life he cannot subsist without an
,
A ddition to his Salary which at present is only f our

,
shillings Ste rl g
D iem ; I humbly beg leave to refer the
-
s ame to y our consideration should be e x ceedin g ly

,
happy to receive your C ommands ; at the same time b eg

leave to observe that should the Gentleman quit th e
Service for want o f some addition to his Salary I woul d ,
be g reatly distressed for want of his A ssistance .
I have the honour t o be &c .
ROBT B E N TON
.
Sir G eo B Rodney &c &c &c

. . . . .
To Rear A dm ira l Sir Sam u e l H o o d

Jamaica 24th May 1782 .
S ir
I nclosed you will Receive an Order to ass e mble a
C our t Martial as soon as may be convenient t o try
, ,
C aptain Markham ( A cting by my Order in His Majesty s

,
’
Sloop Z ebra ) for firing into the D efiance French B rig of

Truce as is put f orth in Monsieur Gaston s L etter
’
.
,
I must desire you will please to Order the English

Prisoner s that were on board the C artel B rig to have
Notice given them to appear on the Trial in behalf o f the
C rown .
I have &c &c &c . . .
G B R ODN E Y
. .
To Sir Samuel Hood E t z &c &c &c . . .
To Sir Gi lb ert B lane P hysic ian to the F le e t

,
F ormi d abl e in Po rt Royal Harbour

Jamaica 24th May 1782
I t having been represented to m e that grea t Neglec t ,
and inattention has taken place towards the Sick at th e

43 2 L ETTER B OOK O F A DM I RA L L O R D R O DN E Y
-
To Re ar A dm ira l Sir Sam ue l H oo d
F ormidable , Port Royal Harbo ur Jamaica ,
27 May 1782
S ir ,
As there are Si x F lags o f Truce comin g from the C ape

I must desire y ou will imm ediately order Frigates out t o
meet them to preven t the Men fr o m getting on Sh or e
,
which they have lat e ly don e by F orce .
Th e F ormidable bein g gre atly in want of S e amen yo u

will p lease to caus e six ty able o nes to b e k e p t for Her ,
b efore they ar e disposed o f I am Sir .

, ,
G B R ODN E Y
. .
To Sir Saml Hood B art &c &c &c . . . .
P S I h av e this moment re c e iv d your s the Fr ench

. .
’
,
Sea O fficers m ay stay where they ar e till they are pu t o n

b o ard the C artels after they hav e p assed th e Gul f I .
signed a C ommi s sion Yesterday f or Li e ut D yer of th e .
Hercules please t o order him t o his duty on b o ard th e

,
Princess C ar olin e which Sh ip I hope will sail as s o on as

possib l e .
To Th o m as N e ville A gen t for P risone rs of War at

,
Jam aic a
F ormidable , in Po rt R oyal Harbour ,
Jam aica 27th May 1782

,
S ir ,
I t having been represented t o me that several o f th e

Fr ench Prisoners have been seen at a C onsiderable d is
tance from Kings t on particularly two Ar tillery Ofli c ers ‘
at Spanish Town and a B oat full of them this Mornin g

at Port R oyal .
I must desire to k now why contrary t o my I n s tructi o n

L E TTER B OOK O F A D M IRA L L ORD RO DN E Y
- 4 33
and every Rule of good Policy they are permitted to

strole in so unrest [ r ] aine d a Manner about the I sland .
I canno t suppo se they can h ave any jus t Cause fo r

complaint at their Treatment but as they give for r eason , ,
that the C ause o f their ram blin g about is the ir want o f ,
th e Means of subsistanc e I must acquaint you that I

, ,
have thought it necessary a s well for your Justification ,
as in C onsequence o f their C omplain ts to order C omm o
dore Atflec k with the two Senior C aptains at Rock F or t

or K in g ston t o enqu ire into the Situ ation and C ondition
of the Prisoners in General at K ingston I am Sir .
, ,
G B ROD N E Y
. .
To Thos Neville Esq

.
”
To Rear A dm ira l F ranc is S Drake .
F ormidable &c . 28 May 1782

Sir ,
I must des ire you will please to order His M ajesty s

, ,
’
Ships at Rock F ort as they compleat their Water to

, , ,
drop down to Greenwich to compleat their Stores and

, ,
after having so done to repair to Port Royal and wait

, ,
till further Orders I am Sir.

, ,
G B R ODNE Y
. .
To R ear A dmiral D rake &c . &c &c . .
F ro m Lieu te nan t Ge orge Tripp
F ormidable , Port Royal Harbour Jamaica ,
28 May 1782
Sir ,
Lieutenant John Gardiner of His Majesty s Ship Marl ’
borough having o u the 14th day o f A pril last on board ,

434 L ETT E R B OOK O F A DM I R A L L OR D RO DN E Y
-
His Maj esty s Ship the F ormidable falsly and S c anda

’
,
lo usly aspersed my C haracter as an Officer in accus in g ,
me o f behavin g in a C owardly unofli c e r like manner

when in A ction with th e F rench F lee t o n the 12th of th e
said Mon th and whereas h e h as f ully advanced tha t
C ap tn Taylor Penny o f the said Ship did o n that day ,
when in A ction with the Enemy call for me at Tw o

seperate times by the appellation of cowardly Scoundrel , ,
and desire me to come to my Quar ters and whereas the

said Lieut John G ardner has since proceeded in an U n
.
o ffic e r like manner in Order to procure Evidence to sup
port his Scandalous m alitio us A spersions .
I am to request that you will be pleased t o g rant a

C ourt Martial on the said Lieut John Gardiner for his .
f alse Sc an dalo ur and uno fii c e r like behaviour in Mali

,
tio usly aspersing of my C haracter and His uno flic e r like

proceedings in the matter since A nd I trust that you will .
be pleased with your usual goodness t o let it take place ,

'
by the e arh e st opportunity as the O fli c e rs are now on the

Spot before whom he has thus attempted to destroy my
C haracter
I am Sir Yours &c &c &c
'
.
, , . .
GE ORGE TRI PP In .
To S G B Rodney B art &c &c &c

”
. . . . . .
To Rear Adm ira l Sir Sam ue l H oo d
F ormidable &c . 29 th May 1 782

Sir,
I nclosed I s end you an Order for A ssembling a C our t

Martial for the Trial o f the U ndermentioned C aptains
t
Viz
William Tah o urdin of th e Oronoque ,
F rancis Pender of the B erb uda

,
L aw Graham of the Sylph

c e
,
John D ouglas B risbane of the Rodney

C hristmas Paul of the Stormont
436 LE TTER B OOK O F A D M I RA L L OR D RO D N E Y
-
To Vic e A dm ira l th e M arq uis d e Vaudre uil
F o rmid able in Kin gsto n Harbor Jamaic a

,
3 l st May 1782
S ir ,
I have been h ono ur d with y our E xcellency s Letter o f

’ ’
the 15th I nst b y Monsieur D e G ast on a L i e u ten an t o f

.
y our Ship who wi ll return to y our E xc e llency with every

A ccount in my P o wer t o p rocure of th e S t at e of th e
F rench O fficers wh o wer e tak e n in th e A ffair o f the 12th
o f A pril last .
Tis with the highest C o ncern th at I mus t acqu ain t

’
yo u Sir that a mistak e was m ade by the C ap tain of o n e

, ,
of m y Fri g ates calle d the Z ebra wh o at t ac k ed off C ape ,
Tib e ro on the D efiance Packe t B o at wh ereby thr ee Eng ,
lish Seamen and two F rench w e r e k illed ; Monsieur D e

,
G aston h aving acquainted m e with th is unh ap py A ff air ,
I im mediat e ly Ordered th e C omm ander of the Z ebra to

b e Tried at a C our t Mar tial and h ave dir ected a C o p y o f
,
the Sen t ence t o be tr an smi tt e d to y our E xcelle ncy ;

whereby you wi ll p erc e iv e tha t C aptn Markh am the la te
, ,
C omm ander o f th e Z ebra h as b e en d ismissed f rom the

,
Service of th e K ing my Master y ou may be s ur e Sir , , ,
tha t thi s A ffair gav e me the utm os t C o nc ern and that I ,
was impatient till am p le Justic e h ad b ee n done o n the ,
O ffender and as far a s the Mili t ary L aws of our C oun

, ,
try wou d all o w ’

.
I e ntirely c o inci d e wi th your E xcellenc y that it is our ,
duty to mitig ate as m uch as po ssible the Rig our s o f

,
W ar and to s often the Mis fortun e s o f I ndividuals

,
.
Th e proposition of y our E x cellency abounds with so

much Humanity that it is impossible for me not to e n
, ,
tire ly ag ree with you re lativ e to th e Exch an g e o f Sea

,
men Man f o r Man by K in g s Ships o f W ar ; and y our

, ,
Excellency may depend that I will give the Stric tes t ,
Orders that the Ship s s ent o n that Servic e sh all be re

strained from chasing or taking any Vessel whatever .
I have g iven directions to th e C ommissary for ,

L ETTE R B OOK O F A DM I RA L L O RD RO D N E Y
- 43 7
Prisoners that the Quarter Mas t er Treas urer of the

, , ,
Regiment o f Vio no is be sent back to Moss Morau Treas

, ,
ure r o f that Regiment .
Tis with the highest satisfaction that I had an oppor ,
tunity of sending a F rigate of War after the C onvoy for ,
Monsieur the B aron D e Paroy yo ur Nephew who C om , ,
m ande d the C eres and Monsieur de Reale Ensign who

, ,
were on their Passag e for Europ e and have the hon o ur ,
to s end them to you by this C onveyanc e .
I have E nde av o ur d all in my Power to shew every

’
Respect to Monsieur D e Gaston and flatter myse lf he ,
will have no cause to complain o f His Reception .
No Man can have a higher Respect for Monsieur de

B e llic o m b e Governor General o f the French L eeward
,
I slands than myself my duty to my Sovereign will not

, ,
permit me to agree to his desire of Exchan ging the C om ,
pany of Grenadiers of the Regiment o f Arm anac h or the

, ,
Men of the Royal A rtillery that were taken on board ,
the Ville de Paris they are Embarked and gone for

, ,
Europe ; as are four F lags of Truce with Troops for

France .
I f M onsieur D e Be llic om b e choses to Exchan g e his

three hundred and fifty Prisoners o f the D ifferent Regi
ments I am ready to Exchange as many F rench Soldiers
, ,
in their Room M an for Man

, .
I beg Your Excellency will be A ssured that I have the ,
honor to be with the highest consideration ,

’
Your Excellency s most obedient humble Servant ,
G 13 ROD N E Y
Mar quis D e Vandreuil
’ '
C omm andant in Chief at the C ape
F ro m Rear A dm ira l Sir Sam ue l H oo d
B arfl e ur, Port Royal Harbour 1 June 1782

S ir ,
Having re c e iv d a L et ter from C aptain John B ouchier

’
, ,
’
C ommander of His M ajesty s Ship L H e c tor ; and from ’
438 L E TTER B OOK O F A DM I RA L L OR D R O DN E Y
-
’
C aptain A lex ander Hood C ommander of His M ajesty s ,
Ship L Aim ab le in form in g m e tha t th ey have man y Sick

,
’
, ,
o n b o ard and m e n fallin g down ever y day and tha t

, ,
n e i th er a Surgeon o r Sur g e o ns Ma te on board I think

, , ,
it my duty to acquaint yo u there with the Germain

, , , ,
’
attempted to sail this morning but c o u d no t g et ou t , ,
t he Sea B reez e having blown all night and am , ,
With great respect Sir Yours &c &c &c , , . . .
S AM L H OOD
P S . beg to remind you that no Purser has yet
. I ap
p e are d to the C aton .
To Sir Ge o : B Rodney B art &c &c &c . . . . .
F ro m L e wis Ro b ert A lle n, N a val Store keep e r a t Jam aic a
Greenwich ,
1 June 1782
Sir ,
I must Respectfully take the L iberty of acquain ting

you that there are several D emands in my office for many
Species of Stores of which there are not any of the kind
remaining in His Maj esty s Mag azines here particularly ’
,
C anvas C ordage o f diff erent sizes C ablets from 4% I nch e s

, ,
to 10 I nches Nails Paint and Oil and s undry A rticle s

, , ,
of small Stores : I th erefor e ver y Respectfully entreat

you will be pleased to grant me an Order for my govern
ment whether I am to purchase such Stores for im m e di
ate use as are wanted and may be procured .
I have the h o nour t o be Sir Yours &c &c &c , , . . .
L R . . A LLE N
To Sir G B Rodney B ar t &c &c &c
. . . . . .
-
o f the issue o f it will be inj urious rather than b eneficial

, , ,
and am Sir Yours &c &c &c

, , . . .
S A M L H OOD
To Sir G B Rodney B ar t K B &c &c &c
. . . . . . . .
F rom B rigadier Ge ne ral A rc hib ald C am p b e ll
S p anish To wn 4 th Jun e 1782

S ir
,
B y an express j ust arrived from the Superin t endant on

the Mosquito Shore I am informed tha t th e Spanish
,
Arm ament which destroyed the Work s B uildings a t

Rattan proceeded to B lack River o n th e 3 0th March
,
and in c o operation with a lar g e B ody o f Militia f rom th e

-
back C ountry drov e the B ritish Settlers f rom that Quar

,
ter : One Line o f B at tle Ship a Frigate three Schooners , , ,
o ne Sloop two h al f G alli e s and five large C raft composed

,
this Squadr on which I understand was chiefly fitted ou t

,
at the H av anah ; and fr o m ev er y thing I can learn those

Ve ssels are still upon that C oast and mean to prosecut e ,
their intentions of e xtirpating the Settlers from th e

Shore .
Havin g had reason to app rehend by intelligence re

c e iv d from the H av anah early in March
’
that the ,
Spaniards had such an objec t in view I gave directions ,
to the Settlers at B lack River in case they w ere drove

from that post to retrea t to C ape Gracias a D ios ; to
,
which place a quantity of I ndian presents Medic ines and

Provisions were sent for their relie f I am now happy to .
find that those P rovisions &c reached C ape Gracias a .
D ios on the 7th of A pril and that the Se t tlers of B lack

,
R iver by followin g my advice have in a gr eat measure

been preserved from the distress arisin g from much
fatigue Sick ness and want
, .
I n the present State of matters I th in k it m y duty t o

apply to you for the aid of such Ships o r Vessels as you ,
may deem necessary to drive the Enemy from the C oas t ;

LE TTE R B OOK -
OF A D M IRA L L O RD RO D N E Y 44 1
without which I have reason to apprehend that this ,
valuable body of M en will fall a Sacrifice to the

Spaniards who seem determined to pursue the adv an
,
tages already obtained in that Quarter with every

possible e xertion .
I have the honor to be with great respect Sir , ,

’ t
Your Excellency s Most F aithful and most O b e d
bl
E Servant e
A RCH D
CA M PBELL
To Sir G B Rodney B art K B
. . . . . &c &c &c
. . .
F ro m Re ar A dm ira l Sir Sam ue l H o o d
Barfl e ur, Port Royal Harbour ,
June 4th 1782

Sir,
Herewith you will receive some letters delivered to me ,
by the Masters of two Victuallers from St L ucia with .

,
an A ccount of the di fferent species of Provisions each has

on board and am sorry to find the quantity so small and
, ,
inadequate to the wants of your fleet I have ordered the .
two Victuallers in Shore .
I also send you an A ccount of Provisions C oming from

England brought to me by the last Pacquet in a Letter
, ,
from Mr Stephens
. .
Th e M ersey storeship instead of A nchoring here at

tempted to run up to Greenwich and gott on Shore I , .
have ordered an empty Ship alongside to lighten her ,
with Proper boats to assist and when she is afloat shall

, ,
cause her to A nchor C lose to the Yard ; A B oatswain is

much wanted for the C onception Hulk and I trouble you ,
with a le tter from the B oatswain of the A jax to the

Master A ttendant desiring to be appointed to her ; Th e
,
Hector and A miable are in great distress for want of a ,
Surgeon having many Sick on board and no Purser has

, ,
-
y et appeared to t ak e ch ar ge o f th e Provisi o ns on b o ar d
the C aton an d am with g rea t respect Sir
, , ,
Y o urs &c &c &c . . .
S A M L H OOD
To Sir G B Rodne y B art K B &c &c &c
. . . . . . . .
F ro m Re ar A dm ira l Th o m as Gra ves
R amili e s Por t ,
A n t onio ,
Jun e 4th 1782
S ir
.
I hav e the honour to acquaint you that I arrived a t ,
P ort A n t onio y esterday the 3 d of June havin g visit e d t h e ,
C oast o f C uba f rom S t Jag o up to O c c oa Bay twic e

, .
, ,
without seein g o r h e arin g o f any thing of force W e were .
’
very close t o St Jago and saw quite into th e harb o ur s
.
,
mouth ; there appears to be a new redoubt not quite ,
finished erected upon a part o f a hill which seems to

, ,
command the Moro .
I have left the Southampton and F ox up o n the Sou th , ,
coast o f C uba and shall send the Endymion and Hydr a

, , ,
to re le ive them s oon and employ the Childer s and , ,
Jamaica to watch the small privateers upo n the North

, ,
side o f this I sland Th e Princess C aroline has no t mad e

.
,
her appearanc e .
I h ave the h onor to b e Sir ,
TH O s
GRAVE S
To Sir G B Rodne y B art K B &c &c &c
. . . . . . . .
To Re ar A dm iral Sir Sam ue l H o od
Greenwich Park 6 th June 1 782

Sir
.
As it will be necessary that the A rdent be cleared o f

such Ordnance Stores which she may have on board as
-
Th e Wall which I was necessitated , ( under Sir Peter

Parkers sanction ) to build around the Prison a rising ,
Ground cost with some other A dditions above 29

, ,
Sterli ng and the erections now under consideration

, , ,
have been mi nutely examined by General C ampbell and ,
approved of under an Estimate of

,
Sterling .
D octor Morton the Proprietor of the Place requires for ,
his interest in it 3 500 He receives at present an an

, ,
.
,
nual rent of 500 Sterling .
I shall therefore Sir if upon the view of the matter

, ,
y ou may think it expedient to vest the property at once , ,
in the Crown be obliged to you f or such orders as may

, , ,
sufficiently authorize me on the part of Government t o , ,
conclude with the Proprietor and go on with those buil d ,
ings so very necessary for the shelter o f the Prisoners

, .
I h ave the honour to be Sir ,
Your s &c &c &c . . .
TH O S
NE VI LL E
To Sir G B Ro dney B art
. . . K B . . &c . &c . &c .
F ro m Jo hn Tupp e r, Lieu te nan t C o lone l f M arines

o
Re p ulse , Port Royal Road , 8th June 1782

Sir
Sh o uld the Re p ulse be ordered on a C ruize tho I am ,
’
comfortably situated with my good friend C aptain

D umaresq I must beg that y ou will remove me from her
,
into a Ship that is not likely to go any where but where ,
you may go yourself I ndeed Sir I was in hopes that on

.
, ,
m y arrival in the West I ndies you would have been ,
pleased to have taken me on board the F ormidable that ,
I might have been at hand to receive your C ommands ,
and also to consult with you on many matters that may

occasionally occur respecting the Marines .
I now take the liberty to send you a C opy o f the A d

mi ral ty s L etter to the C ommanding Officer of the
’
L ETTE R B OOK O F A DM I RA L L ORD RO DN E Y
- 4 45
M arines at Portsmouth by which you will be pleased to

,
observe that I am to serve in the F leet under your C om

,
mand ; therefore my being in a Ship liable to be sent

on a Cruize will subvert entirely the intention of the said
Order and at the same time would make it most inc on
,
v e nie n t to me .
F rom your ap p h c ation Sir to the A dmiralty F ield

, , ,
Officers of M arines have been sent out to you ; to you

therefore they must look up for co mf ortable and proper
, ,
A ccommodations on board of such Ships they may be in ,
independent of the C aprice of any C aptain of a M an of

War ; for I believe some would oppose every thing that
would prove the least agreeable to the F ield Officers of
the M arines I speak most feelin gly on the occasion from
.
,
the illiberal C onduct of C apt Gardner towards me when 11

,
I came in the D uke from England Should it be my mis .
fortune to remain in the F leet under your C ommand in

that Situation I may j ustly say that I am in a much
,
worse predic am ent than the C ommon Marin es that I

comm and and if I must be under these disagreeable C ir
,
c um stanc e s I would beg you to permi t me to return to

,
England when any part of the F leet goes as in my

, ,
servitude of above thirty five years I never was treated ,
before with any disrespect ; it is impossible that an

Officer of my Rank A ge can put up with it with im
p unity from these reasons I flatter myself Sir that you
.
, ,
will think the F ormidable the properest Ship for me to

be in.
I have the honor to be Sir &c .
JN 0
TU PPE R
”
L C ol of Mar
.
“
’
C opy of the A dmiralty s Letter to the C ommanding
Officer of the Marines at Portsmouth
A dmiralty Offi ce 1 1th Janu 1782
y
,
Sir
I t being the intentions o f the Lords C ommissioners of
the A dmiralty that three Field O ffi cers of Marines shall
,
-
p roceed to th e Wes t I ndies to serve in the Squa dron

,
under the C ommand o f Sir Geo B Rodney in order to . .

,
take the C ommand of such bodies of Marines as it m ay

be found necessary to L and ; I am commanded by their
L ordships to signify their directions to you to cause L t .
C ol Tupper and Maj or Ro th e ram t o embark on board

.
the D uke or such other Ship as A dmiral Pye shall ap

,
point to receive them in Order to proceed to the West

,
I ndies accordingly ; and upon their arrival there to ac

quain t Sir Geo Rodney therewith and to foll o w his
.
,
Orders for their f urther proceedings I am Sir .
Your M o s t Humble S erv ”
S TE P HE N S PH
To Th e C ommand Marine O fficer P ortsmouth
g
,
F ro m Re ar A dm iral Sir Sam ue l H o o d
Barfl e ur, Por t Royal Harb o ur ,
Jun e 8 th 1782
Sir ,
I have re c e iv d y o ur C o mm ands ex pressed in the Letter

’
y o u did me th e honor to w rite me on the 6th respectin g

m y Orderin g m e n on board the Ar dent to carry her to ,
the K ings Wharf at Kin g st o n for the Purpose o f land

,
in g the Ordnance Stores a s may no t be wanted f or her

,
as a K ings Ship that she may be got ready to proceed to

,
En g land ;
I beg leav e to A cquaint you that the Ar dent has no ,
Main Yard that she will require 150 Men to be lent her
, ,
to take her to K ingston in addition to the w e ll Men she

,
already has on board and as her going to the Wharf

, ,
will I am afraid give an opportunity not to be prevented

, ,
for men to desert an d as the Ships of your F leet above

,
Port Royal have su ff ered by desertion I take the liberty ,

’
to suggest to your C onsideration whether it wou d not ,
be more advise ab le to send such Ordnance Stores as the ,

448 LE TT E R B OOK O F A D M I RA L L OR D R O DN E Y
-
the incessant L abour they are obliged t o undergo in , ,
pumping to keep them from Sinking must unavoidab ly

,
ruin and destroy their C ompanies unl ess the y ar e in

, ,
som e Measure re le ive d therefrom W hich I have no .
means to e ff ect not being able to hire Negroes for that

, ,
Purpose and Seamen not being to be spared from other

,
Ships on A ccount of the Re fitm e nt of their Own

, .
Permit m e Sir to request the favour o f you to order

, , ,
s ome of the Negroes employed on the F ortification to be ,
lent in Aid of these brave F ellows during the E xi gency

, ,
of their Ships may require it .
Th e Time they may be wanted I hope wi ll be b ut ,
short and therefore not much retard the Object you are
,
so laudably pur suing to p ut th e F ortification of this ,
I sland from a ruinous into a respectable C ondition ,

.
I must further beg leave to inform you that there are , ,
about twenty Men and Women belon g ing t o the Reg i , ,
ment taken Prisoners to Windward n o w on board the

, , ,
Ships in the F lee t and beg leave to k now whether You

, , ,
’
wou d wish to have them landed here that I may give ,
’
directions sh o u d that not be the C ase for their being
, ,
sent again to St L ucia or England by the ensuing O p

.
, ,
p o rtunitie s .
I am with the highest respect Sir ,
G B R ODN E Y
. .
To B rigadier General C ampbell &c &c. . &c .
To Rear A dm ira l Th om as Graves
F o rmidable , Por t Royal Harbour

June 8 th 1 782
Sir,
I am h o no ur d with yo ur Le tter o f the 4th I nstant ac
’
,
q uainting me with y our A rr ival o n the 3 d at Po rt

,
A ntonio a f ter having twic e visited the C o a s t of C uba

, ,
LE TTER B OOK O F A DM I RA L L ORD RO DN E Y
- 4 49
without seeing any thing of F orce and with your O b ,
se rv ations on the State of the F ortifications erect ing a t

, ,
St Jago as also the D isposition of the F orce under your

.
, ,
C omm and the whole of which cannot but meet my A p

,
probation .
Th e Sailing o f the next C onvoy being fix ed for the ,
25th I nstant from this Port I must desire you will

, ,
direct whatever Trade may be ready to go therewith to , ,
be convoyed round from the North Side to Port Royal , ,
also that you will come yourself in the Ramilies ( leaving

the C omm anding O fficer of the Fr igates to pursue the
Orders you are under ) in Time to proceed along with it ,
as leave is arrived for your return to England .
I am with great Regard Sir ,
Yo urs &c &c &c . . .
G B ROD N E Y
. .
To Rear A dmiral Graves &c &c &c . . .
F ro m Re ar A dm iral Sir Sam ue l H o o d
Barfle ur, Port Royal June , 9 th 1782

Sir ,
Having been informed this day by a Gentleman of , ,
the I sland from whom I have had the honour o f a Visit

, , ,
that the A ssembly will meet on Tuesday next ; and that

he b e le ive s if a proper and strong representation o f the
,
’
present state of His Majesty s F leet respecting the great ,
want of Seamen goes from you to the Lieutenant Gov

, ,
e rnor to be by him laid before the House the Legislature

, ,
will exert itself to provide as many as the I sland can

, ,
possibly raise .
I think it my duty to mention this to you Sir and to ,

’
say that to man the several Ships of His Majesty s F leet
,
under yo ur C omm and after the really unserviceable men

are sent home and to enable the prizes to proceed as
,
C onvoy to the Trade allowing only 3 00 Seamen for the

,
4 50 L ETTER B OOK O F A DM I RA L L ORD R O DN E Y
-
Ville de P aris , and 200 e ach fo r L H ec tor, A r den t, C a ton

’
and Jason , will b e requisite , and I am s orr y t o add ,

that upwar ds of 200 are now in the Sick Li sts o f th e Bar
fl e ur and D uke .
I have the Honour t o be with gr e a t respect Sir,

Yo ur s &c &c &c . . .
S A M L H OOD
To Sir G B Rodney B ar t K B &c &c &c
. . . . . . . .
To Rear A dm ira l Sir Sam ue l H ood
[ Greenwich P ark Jamaica Jun e 9 1782]

, , ,
Sir ,
I am thi s m om en t favour e d wi th y our Letter desir ing

, ,
to know whether you shall c o mmunicate to th e Lor d s o f ,
the A dmiralty the I ntell igence transmit te d by Re ar

, ,
A dmiral Rowley : and must in form your that m y p r e s ent ,
indisposition puts it out o f my p ower to do it th ere for e ,
must beg yo u to inform their Lo rdships b y th e U nicorn

, , ,
which Ship I desir e you will ple ase to dispatch for that
, ,
Purpo s e .
I am wi th g re at re g ard Sir , ,
Yo ur s &c &c &c . . .
G B R ODN E Y
. .
To Sir S am l H oo d B art &c &c &c . . . .
F rom Rear A dmira l Sir Sam ue l H o o d
Barfl e ur, Por t Royal Harb o ur

June 9 th 1782
Sir ,
I am this moment h ono ur d with your Let ter by th e

,
’
,
B arfl e ur s O fli c e r : and beg to acqua int y ou that the Uni

’
,
452 LE TTE R B OOK O F A DM I RA L L O RD R O DN E Y
-
ing to compleat the F lee t the other con t ainin g a L etter ,
from Rear A dm iral Rowley respecting the sailing o f the ,
F rench C onvoy &c ,

.
I am ex tremely sorry to inform you that I continue so ,
ill that I cannot possibly attend t o B usiness myself but

, ,
I think a Vessel sh o u d be imm ediately got ready to sail

’
for England with the I ntell igence and Eigh t or Te n

, ,
Ships of the Line dispatched t o j oin R ear A dmiral

,
Rowley .
I have the honour to be with great regard Sir , ,
G 13 ROD N E Y
To Sir Sam Hood B art &c &c &c
1 ‘ '
. . . .
To Re ar A dmira l Sir Sam ue l H ood
Greenwich Park June 10th 1782

Sir ,
I am fav o ur d with your L etter of t o day and shall

’
, ,
write to the G overnor respectin g Manning the F lee t

,
under my C ommand .
I must desire you will please to Order C apt n P arre y

o f the A c te on and C apt Archer o f the U nicorn to wait
,
”
1
,
on me as soon as possible I am with grea t regard Sir

,
.
, ,
G" 13 ROD N E Y
To Sir Sam Hood1
B art . &c . &c . &c .
'
To P hilip S tep h e ns Se c re tary of th e A dm ira lty

,
F ormidable , off Greenwich June 1 1th 1782

Sir ,
I n closed I transmi t the Sentence of a C ourt Mar tial

’
held on the C aptains of His M ajesty s Ships taken a t ,
D emarara and E se q uib o .
I am Sir Yours &c &c &c , ,

. . .
G 13 ROD N E Y
To Philip Stephens Esq &c &c & c
‘ ‘
”
. . .
LETTER B OOK O F A D M IRA L L OR D R O DN E Y
- 453
To Re ar A dm ira l Sir Sam ue l H o od
Greenwich Park June ,

11th 1782
Sir ,
I am this moment fav o ur d with your Letter of to day ’

.
I wish you no t to send the Schooner by any means as ,
the Packet will sail on Saturday A s for the Prize M oney .
I think the sooner it is divided the better .
I propose going to the Governor s Penn on Thursday ’

.
I am with great regard Sir Yours &c &c &c , , . . .
G B R OD N E Y
. .
To Sir Sam l Hood B art &c &c &c . . . .
P S Please to send back the enclosed

. . .
To Th om as N e vi lle A ge n t for P ris o ners , o f War a t

Jam aic a
Greenwich Park June ,

1l th 1782
Sir,
M y ill state o f Health not having permitted me till ,
this morning to peruse your letter of the 7th I nstant ,
relative to the E xp e nc e of enlarging the F rench Prison ,
and the Purchase of the Premisses for the use of Gov ,
e rnm e n t desiring therein if upon a View of the matter

, , ,
I sh o u d think it expedient at once to vest the whole in

’
,
th e C rown you may receive such orders as may authorize

,
you to conclude with the Proprietor and go on with the

,
B uildings necessary for the shelter of the Prisoners .
I have in answer thereto to inform you from the , ,
strong Probability of my C ontinuance on this station

, , ,
being very short I can by no means think myself author

, ,
izing in orderin g B ills to be drawn on the Sick and Hurt

, ,
B oar d to such an A mount as the Purchase of th e

,
Premisses will come to not havin g any instruc tions fr o m

,
them so to do Such Erections or Shelter as is absolutely

, .
,
-
nece s sary fo r th e Protection of the Prisoners y o u will ,
please to cause to b e made on th e best terms possible to

,
Government but things of the nat ure of the Purchas e

,
above mentioned will be more proper to become the

,
Obj ect of the A ttention o f the L ieutenant Governo r o f

the I sland and Mr Rowley or a C omm ander in C hie f
,
.
,
lik ely to remain fi xed on this Station .
I am Sir Your most obedien t humbl e Servan t

,
To Thoma s Neville Esq ” 0 B " ~ R OD N E Y
F ro m B rigadie r Ge ne ra l A rc hi b a ld C am p b e ll
Spanish Town June 12th 1782

D ear Sir ,
Having learnt that there is a quantity of C o pper to rn

from the Ships B ottoms ordered to be sent home a s un
’
,
fit f or Service and that although it may not answer the

,
Navy it might nevertheless be applied for the use of th e

Gun B oats : I have to request y ou wou d be so good as to ’
’
let me have as much of that copper as wou d compl e at
’
the remainder of the Gun boats as it wou d answer to
preserve them e ffectually from the Worms Li e u t . .
Wa lb e ofi wh o does me the honour to convey this le tter

to yo ur Excell ency will receive your orders on this he ad .
I have the h o nor to be D Sir Yours &c &c &c

”
, ,
. . .
AR CH D
C A M P BE LL
His E x celle ncy Sir G B R odney B art K B &c &c &c
. . . . . . . .
To Re ar A dm iral Sir Sam ue l H ood
Greenwich Park June 12th 1782

Sir ,
Iam j u st favour d with your L etter o f this Day A s

’
.
there is a Probab ili ty of the Packet not sailin g on Sa t ur

-
Navigate the C apture d Ship s H o me Men sh ort of ,
C omplement .
Permi t me therefo re to apply through y ou to th e

, ,
L egislative B ody o f this I sland to b e aidin g and assistin g , ,
not o nly towards tak ing u p the m any stragling or de

serte d Seamen which it is r e asonable t o s uppose may b e
,
about this I sland but to adopt such oth er Methods a s

,
may appear mos t lik ely to encourag e th e Entry o f a

su fficient Number o f Men to give du e F orce and Energy , ,
t o the otherwis e very power f ul F leet His Maj e sty s h as ,

’
be e n pleased t o order for the Protection o f this I sland

and the Trade thereof .
’
F ro m your Excellency s k nown Z eal f or His Majesty s
’
S ervic e I a s sur e myself o f y our Early A ssistance and I

, ,
h ave to o go o d an opinion of the Lo y alty and A ffection

o f the o ther B ranche s o f th e Le g i sla tiv e t o doubt their
C oncurre nc e th erein .
I have th e hono r to b e Sir Yo urs &c &c &c , , . . .
G B R OD N E Y
. .
To B ri g adier Ge n C ampbell I
&c . &c . &c .
F ro m Rear A dm ira l Th o m as Graves
R amilies P ort A ntonio Jamaica

June 18, 1782
Sir ,
B y let ters fr om C aptain D i xon o f His Maj esty s Sl oop ’
Jamaica of th e 7th 8 and 9 th instant fro m L uc e a I am

, ,
in formed o f his havin g taken on the 7th a pic k aroon of

eight C arriage G uns some swivels and forty two Men ,
b e lon g in g to Trinidada which had in fe st e d the coa st ,
ab o ut St A r ms and taken o ff three Negr o Slav e s Her

.
,
.
c o nsort was tak en by the Tarter fri g ate .
Captain D i xo n being oblig ed b y a very hig h W ind to

put into L ucea had an aflE idav it sent h im sworn befor e
,
Mr D onald C ampbell made b y Jam es B aird lately a

.
,
L ETTER B OOK-
OF A D M IRAL L OR D RO DN E Y 4 57
prisoner am ongst the Spaniards at Trmidada of a ,
schooner of ten carriage Guns and eighty men having

saile d from thence about the 29 May intended to p lunder
the se tle rs upon the Grand C ayman and that he b e leiv e d ,
she was then thereabout : Whereupon C aptain D ixo n de

te rm ine d to take the C hilders with him and proc e ed in
ques t of her and exp e cted th e following day the l oth and
,
hoped t o be back soon up o n hi s Station .
A s this Schooner privateer will probably in fest th e

coast of Jamaica if she fails o f success at the C aym ain ,
I think it very probable C aptain D ixon will meet with

’
h er ; but lest he sh o u d not I will send the Hydra who is
stationed from A notta bay to the East End to visit th e ,
Western C oast dur ing the absence of the two s lo o ps to ,
prevent any accident happening to th e trad e ships assem

bling for the next convoy .
I have the honour t o be Sir Yo urs &c &c &c , ,

. . .
TH O S GRAVE S .
To Sir G B Rodney B art &c &c &c

. . . . . .
P S Th e Endeavour Schooner Lieut Perk ins i s j u st

. . .
’
arrived ; I shall comply with the orders rec e iv d b y h er as
soon as possible
F ro m Rear A dm iral Jos hua Ro w le y
Lo ndon at Se a, 20th June 1782

Sir,
I did myself the honour o f wr itin g to you th e 1 l th .
’
I nstant by His Majesty s Ship U lysses On the 14th I .
was j oined b y C ap t Rowley of His Maj e s ty s Ship Re

” ’
source having seen th e Merchant Ships ( I men tioned to

,
you in my L etter o f the 7th I ns t ) safe throu g h the .
Passage .
I have in Pur suanc e of your Orders dir ected C aptain

’
C hristian o f His Majesty s Ship F or t un é e to tak e the
Resource under hi s C ommand and Cr uize wi th her t o
-
W indward of th e I sle of Vache so long as their Water ,
will l ast ( or untill f urther Orders ) and then proceed to

Por t Royal Harbour Jam aica .
I s e nd this b y His Maj e sty s Sloo p Germain who I ’

,
spoke this Morning .
I nclosed you w ill receiv e the State and C ondi tion o f

His Majesty s Ship under my C ommand
’
.
I have the honour to be Sir Yours &c &c &c , , . . .
A
Jos R OW LE Y
To Sir G B Rodney B art &c
. . . . &c . &c .
F ro m C ap tain H ugh C lo b e rry C hris tian
F ortun é e ofi Jac k e m all 1

22d June 1782
Sir
Th e L etter which I had the Honour to Write to you
y esterday by the Schooner L O ise au Rouge will have pre’
pared you to expect the return of the Resource to Port

Royal, her F ore mast B owsprit agreeable to C aptain
-
Rowleys request were this day Surveyed ; the enclosed

report of the C arpenters will I hope be in your Opinion ,
deemed reason sufficien t for my having given C aptain

Rowley Orders to p roceed into Port I have the honor to .
b e , Sir:
H U GH C C HRI STAI N [ sic ] .
To Sir G B Rodney B art &c &c &c

. . . . . .
F ro m Re ar A dm ira l Jo s hua Ro w le y
L ondon at Sea 23 d June 1 782

Navassa S S W 3 L eagues . . .
Sir
Idid myself the Honour o f writing to you by His Ma
j y
e s t s
’
Sloop Germ a in the 2 0 th I nstant .
Ja cm e l on th e so uth ern c o a st o f H a iti ea st o f Va ch e I sl an d E d

1 . .
,
,
460 L ETTER B OOK O F A D M IRA L L ORD RO D N E Y
-
Th e Ship s I may sen d Hom e , will b e th ose wh ose C o n

d ition m o st imm e dia tely r equire s i t bu t a s I d o n ot ,
im ag ine the S t at e o f the M arlborou gh i s such as t o ,
b rin g her within that Number I can b y n o M eans th ink ,
of sendin g her home h o wever i f your Health m ak es it

,
n e cessary for yo ur return to England I shall cer tainly ,
v ery r eadily con trive to accomm o d ate yo u wi th an E x

ch an ge .
I hav e th e h o n o ur t o b e Sir Your s &c &c &c

, ,
. . .
G B R ODNE Y
. .
To Captn Pe nn y
M arlb oro u gh
To Th o m as F re nc h Cus tos , at K ings to n
F o rm id ab l e , Por t Royal H arb o ur ,
23 d Jun e 1782
Sir,
W h ereas th ere is very g rea t Reason to imag in e th at
th e Store Ship called the Mersey was se t on Fire d e ,
signe dly by which Means the said Ship and s e veral of

,
His Majestys Stores were burnt and the whole F l e e t ,
e nd ange r d and it is probabl e some of the Crew wer e

’
,
concerned therein as they with two of the M ates have

,
no t since been h e ard of .
I must desire you will please to use every Exertion o f

the C ivil Power towards the appreh e nsion o f the said
People as the Names and description of whom the Mas
,
t er o f the said Ships who will attend you Herewith will ,
s up p ly you .
I have th e honour to be Sir Yours &c &c &c , ,

. . .
G B R ODN E Y
. .
To Thos F rench Esq &c &c &c

.
”
. . .
L ETTER B OOK O F A D M I RAL L O RD R O DN E Y
- 46 1
To M ajor Wi lliam Ro the ram
F ormidable , P or t Royal Harb our

24 June 1782
Sir,
’
I rec e iv d your L etter o f the 17th June requestin g m y ,
p ermission for your being absent fr om yo ur duty

Months for the B enefit o f y our Health and must in
, ,
f orm you it is not in my power to c omply with your re

,
que s t as the Marines will very shortly be wanted for

,
S ervice there fore its impossible to dispence with any of

,
the F ield O fli c ers A bsence but will with pleasure send

, , ,
home any L etter you shal l choose t o w rite the ir Lor d

ship s on that head
,
.
I am Sir Yours &c &c &c , ,

. . .
G B ROD N E Y
. .
To Maj or Rotherham &c . &c . &c .
F ro m Bri gadie r Ge neral A rc hi b a ld Camp b e ll
Government Penn , 24th June 1782

S ir
,
When you was pleased t o say that a Ship of W ar ,
sh ou d be dispatched for the protection of the M usq uito

’
Shore I was in hopes that it wou d have encour aged som e

,
’
trading Vessels to go down by which I might have for ,
warded one hundr ed Provincials Provisions for the di s ,
tressed Settlers and the annual presents for the I n di an s

, .
B ut as I now find that no trading vessels mean to Vi si t

that C oast I am under the necessity o f requesting your
,
Excell ency to order a Transport for this Service : which

’
wou d carry every thing compleat and at the same tim e , ,
save a C onsid erable E xp e nc e o f Government .
Th e distressed and precarious situati o n o f those settler s

collected at C ape Grac ios a D ios gives m e infinit e an ,
4 62 L ETTER B OOK O F A DM I RAL L OR D RO D N E Y
-
xie ty . they will call for relief and it is m y duty to

As ,
support I hope your Excellency will imm ediately name

,
a Transport for C ape Grac ios a D ios and that you will ,
be pleased to acquaint me when the F rigate can proceed

,
along with her that I may direct the Embark ation o f

,
Provisions and Stores accordingly .
B y orders re c e iv d from the War O ffice F our o f th e

’
,
R egiments under my C ommand are instantly to b e

draughted and the O fli c e rs Non C ommission Officers and
, ,
I nvalids are to return to Great B ritain Three o f these .
Regiments will be draughted in sufficient time to proce e d

by the fleet which is ordered to sail on the tenth o f July
, ,
and there will in consequence be near 50 O fficers and ,
about 300 Non C ommissioned O fficers and inv ah ds to g o

home A s those O fficers
. men will require two or thre e
Transports to convey them to England I have written to ,
Wa lb e ofl that he may immediately wait on y o ur E xc e lly
t o receive your co mm ands on this head who will like ,
wise acquaint me with your pleasure re g arding th e Trans

p ort for the M usq uito Shore .
I have th e honour t o be Sir Yours &c , ,

.
A RCH D
C A M PBE LL
To Sir G B Ro d ney B art &c &c &c
. . . . . .
F rom Rear A dm ira l F ran c is S Drake .
Princessa at S e a ,
25th June 1782
Sir,
Since I wrote you by the Prince William the C onqueror ,
m ade th e Signal of distress fr o m her Mast : I sent the

’
A ctaeon to her to desire C aptain B alfour wou d acquaint
,
me in wr iting what were the C onquerors C omplaints ; i f

they cou d not be repaired at Sea to g o into Port and
’
,
give his reasons to the C ommandin g O fli c e r there for his ,
s o doing : inclosed I se nd you his A nswer Monday th e .

4 64 L ETTER B OOK O F A D MI RA L L O R D R O DN E Y
-
Le eward of Port R oyal . I h av e there for e j u dge d it p r op er

to order her in .
I h ave th e honor t o b e with g rea t re sp ec t Your s &c , , .
&c . &c .
FRA S S
. D RAKE
To Sir G eo : B Ro dn ey . B ar t . &c . &c . &c.
P S I hav e ordere d C aptain C ornish t o e ndeavour to

. .
find smooth wat er in C ow bay to leeward of the Yellows ,
and secure the Kn e e b ut if he finds i t cann ot b e don e

, ,
and the str o n g lee C urrent dr ives him to leeward th e n ,
to proc e e d to Po rt R oyal ; bu t if he can secure h is Mas t ,
then to f ollow m e acc o rdin g t o the R ende zv o us h e h as

’
re ceive d .
To P hilip Step he ns Se c re tary of the Adm iralty

,
F ormid ab l e, Po r t Royal Harb o ur

June 26th 1782
Sir ,
must desir e y ou wi ll p le as e t o acqu aint th e ir Lo r d

I
ships th at as a Vessel was m uch W ante d h ere fo r Hu lk
and an o pportunity h avin g o ffered o f purch asin g a large

Spanish Prize called the C onception ( her Bo tto m b e in g
Terraced and capable of r esistin g the Worms man y
Years ) fi t for that purpose and for the Sum o f One Thou
sand Pounds Sterlin g only that she might [ have ] been ,
sold some tim e for fiv e Thousand Poun ds C urrency I ,
mus t be g leave to inform y ou that I hav e dir e cted th e

Storekeeper to purchase her accordingly and draw on th e
Navy B oard for that Sum I have the honour to be Sir .
, ,
G B R OD N E Y
. .

L ETTER B OOK O F A D M I RA L LO R D R O DN E Y
- 4 65
To B rigadier Genera l A rc hi b a ld Camp b e ll
F ormidable , Port Royal Harbo ur

26th Jun e 1782
Sir,
A s I propose on Sunday Night tha t a general Pr ess
shall take place in order to C ompleat the C omplements
o f H is Majesty s Ships under my C omm and which ar e
’
,
c onsiderably Short I reques t your Excellency will please

,
t o order the Troops quartered round K ingston to as sist

and to A pprehend all Seamen they meet with ; F riga tes
,
& c will be off K in gston and their B oats on shore waitin g

.
,
t o take them off .
G B ROD N E Y
. .
”
To B ri g adier Gen C ampbell &c . &c . &c .
P S I shall b e much obliged to your E xcellency if

. .
,
y o u will give direction s to the O fficers at Roc k F ort and ,
to the C ustos of the differen t Parishes to cause all Se a

m e n to the [ sic ] apprehended as Ships of War will be a t
,
the different Parts to receiv e them .
To B rigadier Gene ra l A rc hi b a ld Camp b e ll
F ormidable , Port Royal Harbour June 26th 1782
I am h onour d with y our L etter of the 24th I nstan t

’
,
a cquainting me that in C onsequence of Orders from the
War Office the O fficers of three Regim ents ordered to be

draughted here to the A mount of fifty and 3 00 non
, ,
C ommissioned O flfic e rs and I nvalids will be to be sent

, ,
home by the ensuing C onvoy desiring two or three

, ,
Transports may be ordered for that Service

,
.
I n answer to which I must beg leave to inform your

E x cellency that there are no Transports that can be ap
466 L ETTER B OOK O F A DM I R A L L ORD RO DN E Y
-
pro p riate dfor that Service but that I shall give direc
,
’
tions that they shall be re c e iv d on board the Ships of
War lately captured from the F rench where they will be
, ,
V ictualled as Seamen which must be accounted for with

, ,
th e Pursers by the A gents of the di fferent Regiments

, .
I must further desire you will please to favour me with

the L ist of the O fficers and Men of the di fferent Regi
,
ments that a proper disposition may be made of the

,
whole and that the Officers may know on b oard what

,
Ship they are to lay in the Stock they may think ne c e s

sary f or the Voyag e .
I wish it was in my Power t o send a Man of War im ,
mediately for the Protection of the M usq uito Shore but ,
the blowing weather has crippled so many o f the Ships ,
turning to Windward and the Protection o f the Trade of

,
the I sland and bringing it round to proceed with the

,
C onvoy takes up so many of the smaller K ind that at ,
present it is not ; as soon as it is a Small M an of War , ,
and a Transport if one is to be got shall be appropriated

,
for that Service .
I have the honour to be Sir Y o urs &c &c &c , ,

, . . .
G B R OD N E Y
. .
To B rigadier General C ampbell &c . &c . &c .
To P hi lip S tep h e ns Se c re tary , o f th e A dm ira lty
F ormidable Port Royal Harbour ,
Jamaica 26 June 1 782 ,
I must desire you will please to acquaint the ir Lord

ships that during my Sickness every dispatch possible
, ,
has been made by Rear A dmiral Sir Samuel Hood in

, ,
Re fi tting the F leet in General who had re c e iv d much

’
more D amage than was first imagined and it has been a ,
most A rdio us Task to refit them owing to the Want o f

A rtifi c ers and the great inconveniency of the Places ,
-
sity of returnin g t o E ur ope fr o m th e ir want of Stores

and Masts .
Their L ordship s m ay d epe nd o n m y k eep in g a W a t ch

f ul Eye upon them and th at n o thin g b u t th e ab so lut e
,
s afety of Jamaica and th e En e my h avin g a gre at for c e

,
a t St D omi ngo sh all induc e m e to Suff er Hi s M aj es ty s

.
’
F le et under my C ommand to run th e risqu e o f th e ir b e in g

ex posed to the Hur rican e M o nth s in tho se Seas .
Had the Troops e xp ected fr o m A meric a which w e r e

demanded and hour ly e xpec ted arrived Jam aica w o u d ,
’
have been so muc h ou t o f D an g er tha t I cou d h av e Ve n ’
ture d t o have le f t i t and proceeded with th e fl e et un d er

m y C ommand and Stationed them in s uch a manner ,
o u t o f R an ge of Hurric ane s a s mi gh t h av e not only aw e d

the whole C oast of A m e ric a but lik e wis e I nterc ep t e d th e
,
’
Enemy s F leets had they attempted to hav e Sail e d e i th er
for A merica or Europe but the Vas t f orce o f Troops n o w
,
at St D omin g o
. with the C onj unc t F le e t s obli g es m e
,
t o be e xtream ly a ttentive t o their Mo ti o n s to p reven t ,
the ir tak in g post in any p ar t of Jamaic a .
I nclosed I have th e h o n o ur t o sen d f or their L ordship s

’
P erusal th e C o ndition of the Enemy s F lee t at th e Cape ,
’
as taken by C aptain M errick of His Majesty s Ship Jason
a very g ood and in t ellig ent O fficer w h o I had se n t in a .
flag o f Truce to the Marquis de Vandrie ul wi th h is

nephew and which I ntellig enc e m ay b e d ep en de d on .
I nclosed I transmit fo r th e ir Lo rd ships Perusal th e

State and C ondition of His Majesty s Ships in thi s Har
’
b o ur as likewise a List o f the Squadron I detached under

,
the C ommand o f Rear A dmi r al D rak e .
I h ave the honor to be with gr eat R e g ard Sir Yo ur s , ,
&c &c &c

. . .
G B R ODNE Y
. .
To Philip St e ph en s Esq ”
L ETTER B OOK O F A DM I RA L LOR D RO D N E Y
- 469
To Cap tain th e H onorab le Tho m as Cadogan
F ormi d able , Port Royal Harbour

Jun e 27th 1782
Sir
,
’
I t being absolutely necessary f or His Maj esty s Service ,
that the Glorieux be fi tted f or Sea with all the Expedi

,
tion possible I must desire you will cause all the E xertion
,
in your Power to be used for that pur p ose and th at in

Order thereto you will take particular C are to keep y our ,
O fli c ers on board to their duty no time must be lost I

, ,
.
must desire you will be on board yourself as the Glorieu x

,
mus t Sail by the 12th of July .
I am Sir Yo urs &c &c &c

, ,
. . .
G B R ODN EY
. .
To C aptain C ad o gan
of Hi s M aj e stys Ship Gl orieux
To Brigadie r General A rc hib ald Camp b e ll
F ormidable , Por t R oyal Harbour

June 28th 1782
Sir,
Havin g had various A pplications from the Plante rs

and Merchants in di fferent Parts of the I sland for put
ting off the Sailin g o f the C onvoy bound for Great B rit
ain ( which was fixed for Monday nex t ) on A ccount o f
the bad Weather having prevented the produce being
shipped .
I think it necessary to inform your Excellency that I ,
have for that reason gave Time to the Ships arrived in

the London C onvoy to get ready to avail themself thereof ,
consented to the sailing of the said C onvoy being put

-
ofl till the l 0th o f July ne x t then for cert ain to sail from
,
this Port f or Great B ritain

, .
I have the honour to be Sir Your s &c &c &c , , . . .
G B R ODN E Y
. .
”
To B rigadier G en C amp b ell
To Re ar A dm ira l F ranc is S Drake .
F ormidable , Por t Royal Harbour

June 28th 1782
Sir ,
I m ust desire you will p lease to give directions tha t ,
the Princessa be compleated to three Months of all Spe

cies with all possible dispatch as His Majesty s Servic e
, ,
’
,
will require you soon to return to the Windward Stati o n .
I am Sir Yours &c &c &c

, . . .
G B R ODN E Y . .
To Re ar A dm D rake &c &c &c

”
. . .
To Rear A dm ira l Thom as Grave s
F ormidab le , Port Royal Harbour

June 29 th 1 782
Sir,
As it is intended that you shall take ch arge o f th e
,
C onvoy bound to Great B ritain I must desire you will ,
p leas e to give directions to the C aptain of the Ramilies ,
on board of which your F lag is F lying to make a Signal ,
f or all Masters of Merchantmen and Sig nify to them , ,
that the C onvoy will certainly Sail the 10th of July, ,
and to give I nstructions to all such as may put them

selves under your Protection and I must further de ,
sire you will please to give directions to your C aptain ,
that during your stay he sends daily on Shore to the

,
-
re quest you will p lease to give Orders for them to b e

Tried as soon as possible .
I hav e th e honour t o be Sir Y ours &c &c &c

, , . . .
G B R ODNE Y
. .
To R ear A dmiral Rowley &c . &c . &c .
To Re ar A dm iral Jos hua Row le y
F ormidable , P ort R oyal Harb o ur

Jun e 29 th 82
S ir ,
I must de sire You will p lease to give Or d ers to th e

C aptain o f His Maje sty s Ship Lo ndon to c o mple at her
’
W ater and Provisions of the said Ship t o f our M o nth s ,
of all Species as expeditiously a s p ossibl e .
I h ave the honour t o b e Sir Your s &c &c &c

, , . . .
G B R OD N E Y
. .
To R ear A dmir al Rowley &c . &c . &c .
To Brigadier Genera l A rc hi b a ld C amp b e ll

June 29 th 1782
Sir ,
You will m uch oblige me i f you will be

good as t o so
a s sist us with a Guard at the places mentioned in th e

inclosed C ard as they may intercept the Stragling Sea
,
men which you k now we are too much in want o f .
I am with the g reatest Regards Sir Yours &c &c &c, , . . .
G B R OD N E Y
. .
To B rigadier Gen C ampbell

”
L ETTER B OOK O F A DM I RA L LORD RO D N E Y
- 4 73
To Rear A dm ira l Th o m as Gra ves
F ormidable , Port R oyal Harbour

June 29 th 1782
Sir ,
As I have thought proper to give Rear A dmiral Row

l ey leave to be absent from his D uty to refresh him self ,
after his Cruize which he represents to be absolutely

necessary for his health .
I therefore desire you will please to assemble C ourt

Martials to try the persons named in the orders here
,
with transmitted .
I am with great regard Sir Yours &c &c &c , , . . .
G B ROD N E Y
. .
To Rear A dmiral Graves
F ro m C ap tain B arth o lom e w Sam ue l Ro w le y
Resource , Port Royal Harbour , June 29 th 1 782

Sir ,
John Prentice belonging to His Majesty s Ship Re

,
’
source under my C ommand having been much beaten

, ,
and ill used by Lieut Hyacinth Crofton of 69 Regt and

. .
Lieut Charles D owdeswell of the Royal Ar tillery Will

.
m
,
C ourtnay Matross of the Royal A rtillery present and

, ,
was afterwards thrown into the Guardhouse by a F ile

o f M usq ue te e rs ordered into the Town for that purpose
,
by the said O ffi cers and contrary to the remonstrances

,
and repeated entreaties of several O fficers of D istinction

of the Navy then present who are with many other wit ,
nesses ready to give Testimony to the Transactions .
I am therefore to request you will be pleased to Order

the same to be represented to the C ommander in Chief
-
o f the L and F orces that Justice may be done to th e

,
Man so abused b y a publick Enquiry into the same

, .
B S RO WLE Y
. .
To Sir Geo : B Rodney B ar t K B &c &c &c

. . . . . . .
To B rigadie r Ge ne ra l A rc hi b a ld Camp b e ll

June 29 th 1 782
Sir,
I t is with great Pain I trouble your E xcellenc y p ar ,
tic ularly with a C omplaint on L ieut Hyacinth C ro fte n o f .
th e 69 th Regiment and L ieut C harle s D owdeswell o f th e

,
.
Royal A rtillery also William C ourtney a Matross for

, ,
having very much beaten and ill used John Prentice b e

longin g to His M aj esty s Ship Resource as will appear by
’
,
C aptain Rowley s L etter which I herewith I nclose

’
,
.
I am therefore to represent your Excellency will b e

pleased to order them to be Trye d at a C ourt Martial ,
as i t may prevent like matter in F uture and di fference s ,
between the officers o f the A rmy and Navy the latter , ,
o f which I shall always be ready to punish for any I nsult

they may be guilty o ff to any Officers or Soldiers b e
, ,
longing to any of the C orps under your C ommand .
I am with great regard Sir Yours &c &c &c , ,

. . .
G B ROD N E Y
. .
To B rigadier Gen C ampbell ”

4 76 L ETTE R B OOK O F A D M I RA L L OR D RO DN E Y
-
Ear and continued to W ound him till Oil p o ure d in de

, ,
’
s troyed it a deafness and unsensibility affect s tha t si d e

,
of the Head so much a t tended with frequent twitches ,
that he finds himself incapable o f p erfo rmin g tha t Service

I must there fore d e sir e y ou will please to A ssemble
C ourt Martials to tr y the persons mentioned in the O r
ders herewith transmitted as soo n as p ossible that re ,
specting the Riot to have the pre f erence .
G B ROD N E Y
To R ear A dm Rowle y
l . .
To Rear A dm ira l Th om as Gra ves
F ormid able , Port Royal Harbour

June 3 0th 1782
S ir
I had the hon o ur to receive y our Letter o f to day I .
am e xceedingly sorry f or y our Mis for t une I m e t with .
the same accident last Year Oil is the only Remedy

. .
I hav e sent the Orders to Rear A dm ir al Rowley I .
h o pe he will be able t o A ssemble th e C ourt Martials th at

Public Justice may not be delayed .
I am with great regard Sir Yours &c &c &c

, , . . .
G 13 R OD N E Y
To R ear A dm Graves &c”
&c &c
' '
. . .
To R ear A dm ira l Sir Sam ue l H o o d

Jun e 3 0th 1782
Sir
As there are now in this Harbour tw o Rear A dmiral
F lags F lying of the Re d I must desire you will strike
,
yours and hoist y our proper one till f urther Orders ’

.
I have the honour to be Sir Yours &c &c &c, ,

. . .
”
G B ROD N E Y
To Sir Sam Hood B art &c &c &c . . . .
L ETTER BOOK O F A D M I RAL LOR D RO D N E Y
- 4 77
To Brigadie r Ge ne ral A rc hi b ald Camp b e ll

July 1 1 782 ,
S ir ,
As there is a C ourt Martial to be assembled on board

the L ondon to morrow to try some Men that have been
concerned in a Riot at Port Royal and several of the ,
C aptains who are Witnesses in favour of John Prentice

’
have re c e iv d orders to set as Members thereof which
will make it impossible for them to attend at Spanish
Town ,
I must therefore desire you will please to defer th e

Trial of your O fficers till an another opportunity but ,
as your E xcellency has been so ready in doing Justice

to the Man sh o u d be glad i f it meets your ap p robation
,
’
the matter might by [ sic ] dropt .
I have th e honour to be Sir Yours &c &c &c , ,

. . .
G B ROD N E Y
. .
To B rigadier Gen C ampbell 1
F ro m Ge o rge Gle nny , C o n trac tor fo r Vic tua ling Sic k

S e am e n an d P ri so n e rs o f W ar at Jam aic a
Kingston July l st 1782

Sir ,
Owing to the very great scarcity and exorbitant price ,
of every article necessary for the V ictualing and nurs

, ,
’
ing the sick Seamen in His M ajesty s Hospital at Port
, ,
Royal the C ontractor must be a very great Sufferer

, ,
unless some farther allowance is made .
I therefore presume to beg that you wi ll be pleased t o

direct this matter to be enquired into and that you will ,
recommend it to the C ommissioners for Sick and

,
Wounded Seamen to make such A dditional allowanc e

,
4 78 L ETTER B OOK O F A D M I RA L L ORD RO D N E Y
-
f or the Quarter endin g yesterday as you may j udge ,
proper the C ontract price is only 1s 9 d 39 man 49 diem

’
. .
Sir ,
GE O ; G LE N N Y
To Sir G e o : B R odney B art
. . &c a &c a &c a
. . .
To Brigadie r Ge ne ra l A rc hi b ald Camp b e ll
F ormidable , Po rt Royal Harbour

July 2d 1782
Sir ,
As the C o nvo y is so near Sailing and th e other C onvo y

bein g t o follow on the l st of A ugust I must b e g leav e ,
to represent to your Excellency whether it will not b e

’
adv ise ab l e in order to prevent the Enemy s receiving In
te lli ge nc e that an Embargo be laid upon all Vessels e x

, ,
cept those who may be bound to Great B ritain and t o ,
prevent the Neutral Vessels from giving I ntelli g ence to

,
the P ub h c k Enemy .
I have the honour to be Sir Your s &c &c &c, . . .
G B ROD N E Y
. .
To B ri g adier Gen er al C ampbell &c a &c a &c a . . .
To Ge o rge Gle nn y C o n trac to r fo r Vic tua ling Sic k

,
Se am e n and P ris on e rs of War a t Jam aic a

July 2d 1782
Sir,
I rec e iv d your L etter of yesterday requestin g I will

’
,
make an A dditional allowance in C onsideration of the

,
ex orbitant price of every A rticle the C ontractor has been

at for the Victualling and nursing the Sick and Wounded
4 80 L ETTER B OOK O F A DM I RAL L OR D RO D N E Y
-
As I have re c e iv d very stron g rec o mmendations in fa

’
vo ur of Mr James Shaw Surgeo n of the U lysses fr om

.
C aptn Thoma s f or the very great A ttention paid to h im

when he was so dangerously wounded I am t o r eque st ,
y ou will appoint him to the L ondon .
I h ave the honour to be Sir Yours &c a &c a &c a , , . . .
JO SH UA R O W LE Y
To Sir Geo : B R o dne y B ar t K B
. . . . &c a &c a &c a . . .
F ro m Re ar A dm ira l Jo shua Ro w le y
Lo ndon Por t Ro y al Harbour Jam aica

3 July 1782
S ir
,
I n Obedience to your Order o f the 28th Jun e 1782 I

assembled a C ourt M artial to try the Several Persons
named therein belongin g to His Majesty s Ship A n s on
,
’
,
and Hercules f or being concerne d in a very dan g erou s

,
and alarmin g R io t at Port R oya l Jamaica on the Nigh t ,
of th e 19 th June last W h en it appeared to the Member s

.
a ssembled after havin g very m aturely considered th at

,
p art of the A c t o f Parliament which describes the power

,
therein given for trying O ffences committed in any p art

o f His Maj esty s D o minions on Shore that those power s
’
,
are c o mprehended within the Terms Mutiny D eserti o n ,
and disobedience to any lawful C omm ands on Shore .
A nd the Terms of the C harge not coming within the

description of either of those Words are of Opinion that ,
the Crim es of which th e s e veral persons referred to now ,
stand A ccused are no t C ognizable before a Naval C our t

Martial I have therefore Ordered th e Provost Martial
.
to return them to the ir Ships .
I have the honour to be Sir Yours &c &c &c , ,

. . .
Jos A
R O WLE Y
To Sir G B Rodn ey B ar t &c
. . . . &c . &c .
L ETTER B OOK O F A D M IRA L L ORD RO D N E Y
- 481
F ro m Cap tain Jo hn L e wis Gidoin
Torbay, Port Royal Harbour, Jamaic a

3 d July 1782
Sir
I beg leave to acquaint you that since the arrival o f ,
His Majesty s Ship under my C ommand in the West

’
I ndies which was on the 25th July 1780 have at dif

, ,
fe re nt times been supplied with Sails for a 74 Gun ship ;

and as the Torbay s Masts Yards are on the establish
’
m ent of a 64 only have been under the necessity of

,
reducing those sails ( there being non e o f the proper di

m e nsion s in Store ) and converting the spare C anvas to
such repairs as it was most applicable .
I am therefore to request you will be pleased to give

me an Order for so doing .
JO H N LE WI S G IDO I N
Sir G B Rodney &c &c &c
. . . . .
F ro m B rigadie r Ge n e ra l A rc hi b a ld C am p b e ll
Governmen t Penn 3 d July 1782

,
D ear Sir
I have countermanded the General C ourt M artial ,
orde r d for the Trial of L ieut D owdeswell and Crofte n

’ ”
,
till your Excellency shall appoint a D ay most convenient

for the Officers of the Navy to give their attendance ;
which I should be glad to learn as early as possible that ,
timely Orders may be issued for the C ourt Martial to

meet Th e above Subalterns who had come t o Spanish
.
,
Town for their Trial are again sent to their respective

,
quar ters in A rrest .
I shall call upon your E xcellency at Greenwich Park ,
at any hour you wish on Fr iday morning to have the ,
the honor of conveying y ou t o this Penn A s I dine with .

-
you at K ingston on Thursday w e shall th e n settl e th e ,
hour for Friday .
I am my D ear Sir with sincer e re g ard

,
Your Exce llency s Most O b e d t

m ost Humble Serv
’ t
A RCH D
CA M PBEL L
His E x cell e ncy A d R odney &c &c ”
. . &c .
F rom Re ar A dm ira l Jos hua Ro w le y
Lo ndon Port , Royal Harbour

Jamaica 4th July 1 782
Sir
I m ust request you will f avour me with a List o f s uch
'
o f His Majesty s Ships as are to remain on this St ati o n

’
and beg leave to acquaint y ou that the A dmiralty In ,
struc tio ns in f orms me tha t the St A lbans Preston F or

,
.
, ,
tuné e D olphin A larm Tart e r and Nymph were int e n de d

, , , ,
for Jamaica .
I have the honour to be Sir Yours &c a &c a &c a ,

. . .
JO SH UA R O WL E Y
To Sir G B Rodn ey B art &c a &c a
. . . . . &c a .
To Rear A dm iral Th om as Gra ves
F o rmi dable , Port Royal Harbour

Jamaica, July 3 d 1 782
Sir
I nclo sed you will re ceive an order f or your proceedin g
t o B lue fields on the l 0th with what Ship s of the C onvoy
may be ready to go with y o u t o B lue fi e lds B ay wh er e
,
you may either expect to see or hear from me so o n .
I have the honour to b e Sir Yours &c a &c a &c a

, ,
. . .
G B R ODN E Y
. .
To Rear A dmiral Gr aves &c a &c a &c a . . .

484 L ETTER B OOK O F A DM I RA L LOR D RO D N E Y
-
with the Third D ivision the F rench C aptur d Ships ,

’
o f War with all possible dispatch

,
accordin g as I may
find or receive I nte lligence of the D isposition
,
Situa
tion of the Enemy I shall r einforce the strength o f the
,
C o nvoy ; or if occasion proceed myself with the gre ates t

, ,
part of the fleet f or their better protec tion ; sendin g with

,
them to Great B ritain the Ships whose repair s may re

quire their re turn t o England .
Their L ordshi ps may e asily imagine my concern at n ot ,
havin g received any dispatches from Great B ritain sinc e ,
sailing from St L ucia ; no orders whatever relative t o

.
the great important F leet I have the Honor to C om

mand ; who s situati o n in thi s C limate
’
so near the ,
Hurricane months they may be sure gives me the utmos t

, ,
anx iety but at all Events I am determined ( unles s I

,
have Orders to the C ontrary ) that His Maj esty th e

Nation shall not run the risque o f almost half the F leet
o f B ritain ex periencing a Hurricane ; but that I shall
proceed with the g reates t par t t o the C oast of A merica ;
leavin g such a F orce under y C ommand of Rear A dmiral e
R owley as I may thin k su fficient durin g the hurricane

, ,
months ; directing him in case Jamaica should be in ,
D ang er to dispatch his larges t

,
best sailing F rigates ,
with intelligence to me or the C omm ander in Chie f f or ,
the time being in Am erica ; that speedy succours may be

sen t f or the protection of th at I mportant I sland which ,
he may be sure of receivin g .
I should have been glad to have received particular

directions relative to my proceedings how I was to ,
h ave acted at this im portant C risis ; b ut as I have re

,
c e iv e d none whatever I have to hope that the Method

,
I have prO p o s d will mee t with approbation as I have no

’
,
vi e w whatever but of doing my D uty to my K in g

C ountry accordin g to the best o f my Judgment
,
A bilities .
I nclosed I transmit the State C ondition o f His Maj "

F leet under my C ommand ; am &c .
G B ROD N E Y . .
To P Stephens Esq
.
L ETT E R B OOK O F A D M I RA L L OR D R O DN E Y
- 4 85
Fro m George Gle nny C on trac tor for Vic tualing P ris one rs
,
of W ar a t Jam aic a
K ingston 9 th July 1782

Sir
Necessity obliges me to trouble you very much ag ain st
m y inclination and to represent that it will be impossible
,
for me to continue victualling the Prisoners of war unless

m y B ills for the last quarter are approved Since the ar .
rival o f the Squadron under your C ommand I have been ,
under the necessity of drawing on Robt : Grant of L ondon

f or upwards o f St to pay f or provisions p ur
”
chased and if I cannot remit him by this packet I dread

, ,
the consequences I have brought with me the C ontrac t

.
with the sick and Hurt B oard to submit to your con

sideration by it you will see that I have no accounts
with any Publick B oard that my duty is to v ic tuall such
,
numbers of Prisoners as th e C ommissary orders me t o

v ic tuall and he is responsible to them and transmits the
accounts quarterly at the same time the B oard reserve

.
t o themselves a right to pay the bills or otherwise .
I have issued upwards of Rations this quart er

which amounts to about I therefore hop e you
will have the goodness to approve of the bill enclosed ,
attested by the C ommissary and I f y ou have the least

objection I wi ll not desire you to approve o f the B allanc e
but take my chance o f getting the B oard to pay it at
h ome without I wait your pleasure and I have the
.
h onour to be with great respect Sir

Your most ob and mos t humble S
t t
GE O : GLE N N Y
To Sir Geo : B Rodney B art K B &c a &c a &c a
. . . . . . .
-
F rom Th o m as N e vi lle , A ge n t for P ris on ers o f War at
Jam aic a
[ K ings ton ] 9 July [ 1782 ]

Sir
I have the honor to enclose for your perusal my ao
count for these last three months o f e xp enc e s attending
Prisoners o f War under the authority o f my D epartment ,
and to reques t you will be so g ood as to approve my bills

o n the sick and hurt board f or its am ount I am als o to
, .
in form you that I have attested B ills f or Mr Glenny the ,
Co ntractor for Victualling Prisoner s o f W ar for

on account I shall have his B allanc e to attest in a f ew
.
day s which will be about as much more

, .
I h ave the honor to be Sir

” ”
Your mos t o b and most H S bl e
TH O S NE VI LL .
To Sir Geo : B ridges Ro d ney E t z &c &c &c . . .
F ro m E d w ard B ragge
Shr ewsbury Port R oyal Harbor Jam aica

, ,
9 July 1782
Sir
I humbly be g leave to represent to you that by a ,
F ever B i li ous complaint which I have laboured under

,
for some m onth s past I find my health so much im

,
pa ired as to be unable to pay the necessary attendance

,
to my D uty as Purser of His Majesty s Ship Shrewsbury ;

,
’
having no prospect of relief in this C limate ;

I am therefore un d er the necessity of requesting the
F avor you will be pleased to grant me leave to resig n
,
my present Employ in the Shrewsbury in Order to e n ,

-
le eward o f Tor t u g a, I am convinced the y were g oin g

thro the B ahama passag e to th e Havannah ; m o re es
’
p e c ially as they have left Six s ail a t the C ape who when , ,
repaired are to C onvoy their Trade to Europ e A nd a s

, .
A dmiral Pigott is this mornin g arrived in His Majesty s

’
Ship Jupiter to whom I shall resign the C ommand of His

,
Maj esty s Ships in thes e Seas

’
pr o poses t o g o thro th e
,
’
G ulp h of F lorid a we shall soon be assc ertaine d on p ass

, ,
ing the Havannah whether th e Enemies F leet are ar

,
r ived th er e or go ne to A merica
,
.
I n Obedience to their L ordships C o mm ands I shall ’

,
r eturn t o Great B ritain with all dispatch ; ho p e on m y ,
arrival ei ther at Plymouth or Portsm o uth I shall me et ,
with their L ordships le ave sig nified b y yo u for my go in g

, ,
to L ondon .
I h ave the hon o r to b e &c .
G B R OD N E Y
. .
To Phili p Ste ph en s Esq .
To the C o mmis sione rs fo r Sic k and H urt Seam e n
F ormidable , Port Ro yal H arb o u r ,
Jam 10 July 1782

a
Ge ntlem en ,
I think it a D u ty incumbent u p on m e t o acqu ain t yo u r ,
Bo ard that since my arrival tak in g upon m e th e C om

,
m and o f His Majesty s Ship s on this Station I hav e ap

’
,
p r o ved the B ills drawn b y yo ur A g e nt Mr Nevi lle to th e .
amount o f m an y Thousand Pounds ; b ut h avin g ye s t er
d ay receiv e d th e I nclosed L etter from Mr Neville ao .

,
q uainting me t h at he had attested B ills fo r Mr Gl enny .

,
the C ontractor f or supplyin g the Prisoners of W ar with

provisions to the amount of
,
on account lik e ,
”
wis e enclosin g t o m e B ills to the A rno of Te n Thousand ,
six hundred ten pounds three shill g”

fo ur pence Sterl
,
ing payable to himsel f which sum s ap pe arin g to m e ex

,
L ETTER B OOK O F A D M I RA L L ORD R O DN E Y
- 4 89
trem e ly exorbi tant ; I h av e re fus e d approvin g th ose

drawn by Mr Neville payable t o hims elf ; bu t h av e
.
though it necessary to approve those he a tt e sted for th e

C ontractor that the Prisoners o f War might b e supplie d
,
with Provisions ; as my time will be wh o lly taken u p

in r e fit t in g th e F le et which will s ail in a f ew d ays I
, ,
shall approve of n o mor e B ills durin g m y sh or t stay h er e ;

but leave it to R A Rowley to appoint proper persons
. .
,
to e xamine th e A ccount s th e Sta te o f th e Prisoner s of

,
W ar ; the account s o f which appe ar to me e xtremely

e normous ; in m y opin ion deman d a strict scrutin y
from the B oard or proper persons author iz ed from you
,
.
I have no view in this Le tter bu t th e D uty I ow e

, ,
my King C oun try unwilling to put m y h an d t o ap

,
p roved B ills o f which I am no Judg e

,
.
I hav e the hon or to b e &c .
G B R OD N E Y
. .
To Th e C ommissi o ners o f Sick Hur t
F rom L e wis Ro b e rt A llen, N aval Store ke ep er at Jam aic a
Gr e enwich Jam aica, ,

11 July 1782
Sir
I h ave th e hon o ur o f yo ur Letter of this d a te ; re sp ec t
in g the want of Goals in His Majesty s Yard at P or t ’
R oyal : I have for some time p as t mad e th e m o s t diligen t

se arch in th e Town of Kingston and find ther e is non e ,
in the place : of which I have alr eady advised Sir S am u e l

Hood by Le tt er A nd I am e xceedin g ly concerned to b e
.
ch arged with gro ss n egle ct in any point of D uty I hav e , .
th e h o n or to b e with th e m o s t per fe c t respe ct Sir ,
Yo ur M os t Ob e dien t and mos t s le Servant

L R . . A LLE N
Sir Geo : B R o dn ey &c &c &c
. . . .
-
To C o m m ander Jo hn P e rkins
F ormidable , Por t Royal Harb Jam .

a
1 1th July 1782
B y your Gallant behaviour in taking the French Slo op

with so many O fficers on board her and by your many ,
s ervices to Hi s Maj esty and the Publick I have though t ,
it incumbent on me to reward them by making you a ,
Master and C ommander and to put the Schooner under

,
your C ommand u p on the Establishment of a Sloop o f

W ar of the lowest C lass and hope you will have an op
,
portunity o f exerting yourself in the Service of your

K ing C ountry with as much applause now you are her
C aptain as when you was only her Lieutenan t and C om
,
mander .
I am Sir with re g ard

Your Most O b e d &c
t
.
G B ROD N E Y
. .
To C apt Perk ins ”
H M Sloop Endeavour
. .
F rom C ap tain Jo hn C o lp oys
Or p heus Carlisle B ay B arbadoes

, ,
1 1 July 1782 .
My L ord
Th e L ively B rig arrived h ere yesterday evenin g from
En g land j ust at the same time I did from A ntigua ;
,
from the nature of her D ispatches I conclude she cannot

get too soon to your L ordship I have therefore had her
.
water compleated ( of which she stood in much need )

’
without a moment s loss of time and directed her C ap
,
tain not to touch any where between this and Jamaica :

I take charge myself of the D ispatches he has for S t .
-
To P hi lip Step hens Se c re tary

, of the A dmiralty
F o rm idable , in P o r t Royal Harb or ,
Jam 12th July 1782

”
Sir
B e p le as e d t o inform the ir L ordships that in p ur ,
suanc e of the most secr e t Orders of the L ords C ommis

sioners of the A dmiralty 6 th of D ecember las t t o me to ,
p urch ase fas t sailin g Vessels f or th e pur p ose o f carry in g

,
o n th e C o mmunic ation betwe e n this the W indwar d

Is land s Nor th A m erica when th e s ame shall b e w ant
m g,
I have o rder d the C o un t D E staing privateer ( now
’ ’
,
th e P ort Royal ) o f F ourt e en G uns ; the Hercules ( now

the B adg er ) a new C oppered b ottom d Ship of Eighte e n ’
g uns ; the A rrow likewise a C opper bo t tomed shi p

F
of our teen g uns to be p urc h as d into His Maj Servic e"
’
,
as Sloops of W ar ; Ve ssels o f tha t k in d b e ing at this Junc
t ur e abs o lutely necessary th ey all havin g been first regu

larly s urveyed by the proper O ffi cers ag reeable t o th e ir
, ,
I nstructions from His Maj Navy Bo ard ; in which cas e

”
,
’
I have orde r d the Naval S t ore k eeper t o draw for the ir
respective amounts ; takin g c ar e t o pr o duc e pro pe r
Vouchers on the occasion .
I hav e th e honor &c .
G B R ODNE Y
. .
To Phili p S tep h ens Esq :
F rom C ap tain Ric hard Curgenven
Ville de Paris [ Port Royal Harbor Jamaica ] ,
13 th July 1 782
S ir
I beg leav e t o acquaint you tha t I have received on
,
board the Non C omm issio n d O fli c e rs of the Earl o f Har

—
’
L ETTER B OOK O F A D M I RA L L ORD RO D N E Y
- 493
Regim en t, t o give them a passage to En g land ,

’
ringto n s
agreeable t o y our Order ; they consist o f Serjeants

C orporals ; as they have shewn a readin ess to assis t
in navigating the Ship I hope you will indulge them ,
with bein g Victualled at whole allowance ; I shall e s

t eem it a favor to have the same I ndulgence for th e
F rench Prisoners I have received on board by y our
Orders ; as they have exerted themselves in a very un
c omm on manner in the D uty of the Ship,
.
I have the hono r to be &c .
D
R C U RGE N VEN
To Sir G eo B Rodney B ar t K B &c &c &c
. . . . . . . .
To C ap tain Ric hard Curge n ve n
F ormidable , 13 th July 1782 .
Sir
Whereas I propose hoisting my F lag on board the Vill e
d e Paris and havin g my own C aptain Officers on b o ard
,
that ship ; having appointed C apt Wilkinson to b e ”
C ommander of her You are to take your choice whether

, ,
you chuse to C omm and the P ro th e e in room of C apt ”

,
W ilkinson or to C ommand one of the 64 Gun ships lately

,
taken from the Enemy now under Orders t o go t o

,
England .
You must be sensible that you was only appointe d ,
to that Ships purely to mak e y o u Post until such tim e

, ,
as I thought proper to appoint an old Officer to C om

mand her I am &c. .
G B ROD N E Y . .
To C apt C urgenv e n
”
of His Maj Ship Ville d e Paris

”
-
F rom M ajor William Ro theram
Por t R oyal Jam

,
”
1 7th July 1782
S ir
I am sorry to be under the disagreeable necessit y o f
re presenting to y ou that my state o f Health in this C oun
,
tr y is so very bad as to reques t y ou will be pleased t o

,
or der the Surgeons o f y our F le e t t o inquire in t o it ; bein g

very apprehensive m y Life will b e in great dan g er b y a
l o nger continuance in a hot C lim ate I hav e the Honor.
S ir t o be with all imag inable respect

,
Your mos t Obed &O ”
W RO TH ERA M
F ro m A dm ira l H ugh P igo t
F ormidab le , 19 th July 1782 .
D ear Sir Ge or g e
Th e Se a is s o g rea t that I am apprehensive , many o f
the Ships having new riggin g some accid e nt may happ e n ;
th e two shi p s running on shore did not proceed fr o m
cr o wding on each other for nothin g was near them ; I
,
am rather apprehensive that there is no t that pains tak e n
t o get good pilots there ought to be ; indeed some o f th e

Pilots say they do not receive what is allowed I mention .
this hoping you will enqu ire into it ; for if the Master
,
A t t endant ( I must be plain upon this subj ect ) receive s

the full allowance gives them but a small share I
, ,
am not surprized tha t we want Pilots th o se we get ar e

,
g ood for nothing .
I have enclosed two Rendezvous f or s uch ships as you

m ay send ou t tha t have not got them which you will ,
p lea s e t o dir ect to whoever you send out I propos e b e .
ing o fl the port to morrow morning ; and if they do not

get o ut to go for Blue fi e lds in order to see i f I can p ick
, ,
u p the Endymion which I doubt very much in shor t I

, ,
49 6 L ETTER B OOK O F A D MI R AL L OR D R O DN E Y
-
t o j oin y ou th e I nstan t they are able which I h op e will ,
be to morrow m ornin g ; b y which tim e I trus t the two

la t ter will have taken in o ther A nchors in the plac e o f ,
thos e they have l o st in attendin g the two Ship s which

wer e run o n shor e and C aptain Marshall who has be e n
,
most dangerously ill will b e well enou gh to proce e d to

,
S ea Th e affair you mention of the Master A ttendan t is

.
of so dangerous a tendency that you may depend on i t , ,
I shall cause a seriou s Enquiry to be made relative there

to I am D e ar Sir
.
,
Your M o s t Obed &c

”
.
G B R OD N E Y
Hugh Pigo t Esq ”
A dm o f the B lue &c &c &c

1
. . .
F ro m Rear A dmira l Jos hua Ro w le y
Lo nd o n Po rt R oyal Harb
,
”
Jam aic a
20 July 1782
My Lord
I do mysel f the h o nour o f enclosin g t o your L ord sh ip
a li st o f Parole o f Prisoners now in K ingston which I ,
have received from Mr L ewis the C omm issary for Pri

.
,
sone rs of W ar ; wi ll b e glad y ou w o uld is s u e an Ord er

to him f or putting them on board the Prizes retur nin g
’
to England o r o n b o ar d any o th er of Hi s Maj esty s S h ips
,
y o u pl e a se .
Mr L ewis wai t s upon you with this t o receive y o ur

.
C o mm ands I have the h o n o r t o b e &c

,
.
Jos R O WL E Y
A
To R Hon L R o d n ey
” ”
.
L ETTER B OOK O F A D MIRAL L OR D R O DN E Y
- 497
F ro m Cap tain the H onorab le Th om as Cadogan 1
Glorieu x Port Royal Harbour

, ,
Jam July 2 1st 1782

”
My Lo rd
I n answer to your Lo rdships letter of this date which ,
I have j ust the hono r t o receive by the hands of C apt .
B owen I am ex tremely sorry to find that your Lordship

, ,
is surprized that the M ainmast of His Maj esty s Ship ’
under my C ommand is not woolded ; or that your L ord

ship should suppose that any thin g has been wantin g
on my part to compleat the Glorieux for Sea .
I beg leave to as sure y o ur Lo rdship there there has no t

’
been any thing wanting on my part to forward the Ship s ,
D uty since I have h ad the honour to Co mmand her ;

,
I am also confident that every possible exertion h as be e n

,
used by every O fficer and man under my C ommand t o

fit the Ship for sea .
I be g leave to inform your L ordship that I have been ,
obliged to send for all the B eef Pease Oatmeal which , ,
has much retarded our watering ; and that I could now

get thirty tons of water out of the Torbay if any thin g ,
could be sent for it Our L aunch went away three day s

.
ago by your Lordship s Order to assist the Ships in

,
’
dan g er outside of the Harbour ; I have not heard o f her

since ; which has much retarded getting our wood and
water on board There is not any Wood on board th e
.
Ship but what is necessary to stow the middle Tier of

,
Water ; but there will be F ifteen Chord ready to morrow

m ornin g at Saltpond B ay i f I could procure the Glori ,
e ux s L aunch or any other convenience to bring it on

’
,
bo ard .
I am also much concerned to inform your Lordship ,
that the Ship is very sickly and I believe much owin g to ,
a want of Medical A s sistance There are now f o rty seven .
men very ill on board and unfortunately th e only Sur

,
1
Th is l etter is c rosse d o ut in th L etter B ook
e -
i h out any exp lana
w t
to ry n o t e E d
,
. .
-
geon s M ate I have is one among the Number ; and th e

’
Surgeon who is really very assiduous in his D uty has

, ,
desired me to apply to your Lordship for as sistance fi nd ,
ing himself incapable of doing j ustice to such a number ;

four men died yesterday three the day before and we
, ,
have buried one since I had the honour to receive our

Lordship s L etter
’
.
I beg leave als o to inform your L ordship that there is

”
l ’
not any Powder on b the ship tho I have sent the Gun ,
ner with the D emand desiring it may be sent on board

,
.
A s soon as I can procure rope blocks to reeve the

r unning rigging it shall be reeved ;
,
as soon as I can
s e t the riggin g up procure points gaskets
,
robands , ,
I will bend the sails ; I beg leave to as sure your Lo rd

ship that the same efforts which have been used shall be ,
still exerted ; that there shall not be a moment lo s t on

the part of myself or any person under my C ommand ,
to fit the Glorieux for Sea .
I therefore hope that as I am deprived of th e L aunch

,
your L ordship will be ple as ed to order some sloop or v e s

sel to bring Thirty tons of Water from the Torbay ; and
that you will be pleased to order some assistance to the
Surgeon who h as represented to me that he cannot do
,
j ustice to the number of M en now sick on board and ,
he has not any mate to as sist him .
I
TH O S C ADO GA N
.
”
To Th e R Hon L Rodney &c &c &c
.
d
. . .
To Re ar A dm ira l Jo s hu a Ro w le y
Montague Port Royal Harb Jamaic a

,
”
2 1st July 1782 .
Sir
I nclosed I send you a L is t of s uch Ship s and F rigates
as are inte nded to remain on the Jamaica Station ; and
-
As tis im p o ss ible f or m e in th e si tuation I am n o w

’
,
in personally t o obey th e C o mm ands o f Hi s Majesty

,
and bo th Houses of P arliam en t I be g that you will b e ,
s o obliging as t o signify to the A dmirals C ommodor e , ,
C aptains Officers and Ships Co mp ani es that wer e p ar

,
tak ers of the Glorious Victor y ob t ained on 12th A p ril

la s t the g rea t honour done t o th em b y His Majes ty and
,
b oth Hous e s of Parliament for their G allan t behaviou r

,
o n that Memorable D ay .
Th at S ucces s may a tte n d yo u and th e G allan t F leet ,
under your C om mand in ev er y Enterpriz e y ou may un

,
dertak e i s the mo st zealou s p rayer of h im w h o h as th e

,
h onour to be with real truth an d sincerity D e ar Sir

, , ,
Your m o s t fai th f ul and m ost O b e d &c

t
.
ROD N E Y
”
Adm P igot
To Cap tain Wi lliam O Bryen Drury

’
M o n tag ue Po r t R oy H arb Jam aica

,
” ”
2l st July 1782 .
Sir
I hav e received y our Le tter of this [ sic for ye s te r
d ay s ] date acquainting m e tha t gre at part o f th e S tor es
’
,
o f His Maj es ty s Sloo p Tick le r un d er your C om ma nd

’
,
wh ich I hav e or d ered to be paid o ff are re turn e d and ,
re questing leave to return t o En gland with this C onvoy .
I n answ er to which y o u h ave m y p ermi ss i o n accord

ingly ; on your fir s t orderin g your men t o be discharg ed
into the Montagu e ; your O fli c e rs to see th e remainder
o f her Stores returned t o th e pr oper O fficer s o f th e Yar d .
I am Sir &c
,
.
RO D N EY
To C ap t D ru ry ”
Tickl e r
L ETTER B OOK O F A D M IR AL L OR D RO DN E Y
- 50 1
To Cap tain the H onorab le Thom as Cadogan
Montagu 22nd July 1782

Sir
I Am Ordered by the A dm iral to inform you that you
are to C ompl e at your Water from the Torbay for which ,
Purpos e I shall send the Post B oy M anned from th e

R epulse ; if your Powder does not come down this Morn
ing I will speak t o the A dm iral for the U lysses or Re
,
’
p ulse to Supply you I have O rder d by the A dmiral di
.
rections the Cham pion to Supply you with 40 M en this

Mornin g for the purpose of F itting out with more E as e ,
if a greater number is Necessary they s hall b e O rder d ’
from A nother Ship Th e admiral will n o t adm i t of any

.
E x cuse for the want of Provisions or Water the latter

you are to C ompleat at B lue feilds B ay if not C om ,
pleated B e f or e yo u S ail fr om h e nc e .
For the A dm iral
GE O B O WE N
.
m”
To H on C apt Cadogan
.
Of His Maj : Ship Glo rieux
To Cap tain the H onorab le Th o m as Cadogan
M o n tag ue P R oyal Harbour Jam

, .
,
”
22 July 1782
Sir
I have to desire that you will use all the e xpedition
possible in gettin g ready to proceed to sea with His M aj ,
’
e sty s Ship under your C omm and as the whole C onvoy ,
will be detain e d at B lue F ields till your arrival .
I am Sir Your Most Ob e d &c

, ,
t
.
ROD N E Y
To C apt C adogan ”
H M Ship Glorieux
. .
502 L ETTER B OOK O F A DM I RA L L ORD R O DN E Y
-
To Rear A dmira l Jo s hua Ro w le y
Mon tag ue Port Royal Harbo ur Jamaic a

, ,
23 July 1782
Sir
I be g leave t o inform you that C aptain C offin of H is
,
Maj esty s Ship Shrewsbury having been guilty of D is

’
obedience and C ontempt towards me in refusing to

, ,
admit O fficers wh om I h ad c omm ission d to act as Lieu ’
tenants o n board the s aid ship for the appointment o f

,
whom I am only accountable to the B oard of A dmiralty ;

I have thought it absolutely necessary for His Maj esty s ’
se rvice to put h im under an arrest f or the same in order ,
to his being tried at a C ourt Martial which I reque st ,
y ou will cause to be held on him .
Th e Evidence in support o f the C harg e are Lieutenant

Inc le don of the Shrewsbury his own C lerk the Lieu ,
t enants he refu se d to admit and C ap t Charring ton

”
.
I nclosed I transmi t you the Re as on s he thou ght prop er

to send me in writing in j ustification of his proceeding s
, ,
together with a Co py of the Memorandum sent by my

o wn C aptain to put him under A rrest and order hi s Lieu ,
tenant to take the C ommand .
I have the honor to be with great regard Sir

,
Your Most Ob e d &ct

.
R ODN E Y
R A Rowley
. .
To Rear Adm ira l Jos hu a Ro w le y
Montague ,
P ort Royal Harbor Jam ,
”
23 July 1 782
Sir
Th e C ondition o f His Majes ty s Ship the Torbay bein g
’
such as to make it in my opinion absolutely necess ar y

for her to go to England ; I beg leave strongly to re c om
504 L ETTER B OOK O F A D M I RA L L O R D RO D N E Y
-
To Re ar A dm iral Th om as Graves
Montagu e at Sea ,
24th July 1782 .
S ir
Th e C urren t has be e n s o f avourable , that since wr itin g
my Letter of yesterday w e have made a considerable
,
progress towards w e atherin g the I sland Th e Glorieux I .

,
hope will have j oined you by the time this comes to hand
,
by the Endymi on when y ou will ple as e immediately to

,
p roceed with the Ship s and C onvoy under your C om

mand for England Should you think it necessar y to take
.
C aptain Smith with you thro the G ulph y ou will after ’

,
wards be ple ased t o ord e r h im to p roceed to j oin A dmiral

Pigot agreeable t o the ren d ezvou s he may leave f or that
,
purp o se .
I h ave the honor to be &c .
R OD N E Y
R . A . Graves
To Re ar A dm iral Jo s hua Ro w le y
”
M ontague ,
Ofi Mag uana l st A ug 1782
Having received a Le tter from A dmiral Pigot desir ,
in g that either the Nonsuch or the A nson might join him

in the room of the Torbay ; and having since my bein g ,
at Sea received I ntelligence that C apt Shirley in the

,
”
Leander and C apt B arkley in the Prudent goin g with

”
,
a convoy of Troops from A ntigua to the I sland of St

Lucia were attacked under D ominique by a Squadron
o f the Enemies Ships which obliged two of the largest
,
T ransports filled with Troops to bear away for Jam ”

.
A s there f ore His Majesty s I slands to windward may

’
be in imminent danger p articularly that very impor

,
’
tant I sland of St Lucia for the want of it s Garrison
, ,
which h as been obliged to bear away to Leeward ;

L ETTER B OOK O F A D M I RAL L ORD RO D N E Y
- 505
A nd as the I sland of Jamaica considering it s pr e s e nt

,
’
force in Ships of War the additional Number o f

,
Tr oops lately arrived there and the F leet of the Enemy

,
b eing go ne to L eewar d cannot be in the le as t dang er dur

,
in g the Hurricane months ; I have therefore thought i t

absolu tely necessary for His Majesty s Service to ord er ’
th e Nonsuch
’
A nson to proceed without one moment s ,
loss of time for the protection of His Majesty s I slands ’
to windward ; and have acquainted A dmir al Pigot o f

their danger that he may send what additional f orce h e
,
m ay think necessary for their protec t ion .
I sin c erely wish y ou every Success possible hav e ,
th e h o nor to be Sir
Your Most Ob e d &c
”
.
R ODN E Y
Rear A dmir al R owley
To A dm iral H ugh P igo t
Montag u ,
o ff B ermudas ,
8th A ugust 1782
I hope the Tartar the Sybil and the Endym i on have

,
j oined you agreeable to the Orders I gave them Th e .
latter Ship I met on my pas sage to Windward ; C apt ”
Smith her C ommander was h as tening to Port Royal ; but

I gave him the most positive Order upon no account
to pu t into that Port ; but to hasten to Blue fi e lds B ay ,
where his Stay w as not to be longer th an 24 hours to ,
compleat his water ; then to make the best of his way

to join you agreeable to the Rendezvous .
Tis with concern that I must acquaint you tha t the

’
day before I left Port Royal a large Transport ship hav

“
ing on board part of the 19 th 3 0th Re g and which
sailed from A ntigua l st July with several other Trans
,
ports with Troops bound to St Lucia under convoy o f .

,
506 LETTER B OOK O F A D M I R A L L OR D RO D N E Y
-
the Prudent Rotterdam ,

Magicienne was obliged to ,
p art company on 14th July for want of H ov isio ns Be .
fore they bore away they saw an Enemy s Squadron

,
’
comin g round the South end o f D ominique 39 sail in all , ,
and they imagined 3 or 4 were of the Line ; th e y likewise

s aw the Magicienne ( to whom they made the privat e
,
’
si g nal ) and one of the F rench Ships e ngag d ; on which
the Transport bore away for Jamaica on her arrival ,
had but two days provisions on bo ard .
H O W the C omm anding O fli c e r of the B ritish C onvoy

could be so absurd as to attempt brin g ing his convoy
to leewar d of the I slands is be yond my conception his —
duty was to have brought them to windward of the

I slands and in case he had f ound a Le e C urrent between
,
A ntigua Guadaloupe he ought to have stood to the

N w ard where he would have been sure of a weather
°
,
’
current which would have enabled him to have w e ath er d
,
Berb uda to have made a safe

,
certain p assage to S t
Lucia b y absurdly taking his p as sage to leeward of the
—
I slands he has e xpo s d h is C onvoy

,
endangered His
’
,
’
Majesty s I slands ; more especially as I observed on my
coming out of the harbour of Port Royal another large
Transport full of Troops enter it ; which mu st greatly
weaken the garrison of St Lucia as I am convinced she ,
’
h ad on board part of those troops destin d for the de
f ence o f that I sland .
A s the arrival of those Troops at Jam aica with the ,
force left under Rear A dmiral Rowle y pu ts that I sland

out of all danger during the Hurricane months I w as ,
’
de te rm in d for the better security of His M ajesty s
’
I slands to Windward to h asten the Nonsuch and A nson

,
for their protection till such time as you might think

,
’
proper to send R A D rake with such Ships as you m ight

. .
think necessary ; but tis with concern I must acquain t

’
y ou that by the gross neglect o f the Master A ttendant

at Port Royal b y his sendin g on board ignorant Pilots
,
the A nson w as run on shore on the 3 fathom bank ,
beat over it with the loss of her K eel besides being other
,
wise g r e atly dam ag ed To have sent h e r back into Po rt

.
508 L ETTER B OOK O F A D MI R AL L O R D RO D N E Y
-
To th e C o m m anding O flic e r at C o rk or K insa le I re land

,
Mon t ag u O fl B an try B ay Sep t . 4 th 1782

Sir
W h ere as the W es t I ndi a C o nvoy may be shor tly e x
p e c te d u p on this C o as t from Jam aica and as it is of the
Greatest importance that Rear A dmiral Graves who
,
C omm ands the s aid C onv oy should be made acquain te d

,
with the situation of Publick A ffair s so far as relates ,
to the Enemy s f o rc e that may be in or near th e Mou th

’
, ,
of the C hannel ; tha t he m ay be better enabled to A c t

f or the protection and p rese rvation o f the said C onvo y ,
b y Sheltering them in the Ports o f Ireland should th e ,
En em y b e waitin g t o e nterc ep t th e m or to p roceed with

,
o u t L o ss of time to the D owns with th e Co nv oy shoul d ,
the C hann e l b e O pe n .
I am theref o r e Sir to r ecommend in th e s tron g es t

, ,
terms th at yo u will dir ec t tw o or thr e e Frigat es to p r o

c e e d withou t lo s s o f t im e agr eeabl e to the e nc los d re n
’
de zv o us ( which is no t to be opened till th e Fri g ate o r

Fr i g ates get to Sea and then kep t as a Secret ) and g iv e
,
the C o mm ander o f th e Co nvoy such I ntelligence as can

’
b e pro c ur d f or his information I lik e wise reco m mend
.
it to you that th e s aid F rigate or F ri gates may remain

u p on the Station f or at least one Month should they ,
no t j o in the C onv oy so o n e r .
This s ervice bein g o f the Greatest I mportance I can ,
no t doubt but you or any other O fficer who may arriv e

,
at C o rk or K insale superior to you will pay it all th e

, ,
A t t enti o n Possible I am Sir

.
Your mos t Obedient and most Humble S ervan t ,
ROD N E Y
To Th e C ommanding Officer of hi s Maj : Ships

at C ork or K insale
L ETTER B OOK O F A DM I RA L L OR D RO D N E Y
- 509
To P hi lip Step h e ns Se c re tary , f the A dm iralty

o
Mon t ag u in K insale Harbour Sept

, ,
. 8th , 1782
Sir
I must desire you will ple as e to acquaint their Lo rd
ships that agre e able to the ir C ommands having g iven
,
the C ommand of the F leet to A dmiral Pigot he sailed ,
with it from Port Royal on the 17th of July ; in order

to cruize o ff the Havannah to watch the M otions of the
C ombined F leets till such time as the great Co nvoy fro m
,
Jamaica under the C ommand of Rear A dmiral Grave s

h ad passed the Gulph of F lorida ; and having given Rear
A dmiral Graves orders to proceed with the said C onvo y
to Great B ritain ( a copy of which I have the Honour
,
to inclose ) I proceeded to Sea myself in the Montagu ,
with the Resolution F lora Al ert Endeavour the Non

, , , ,
such and A nson ; the last two intend e d to g o with me ,
to reconnoitre C ape Fr ancois ; that I mi ght be enabled

to send A dm ir al Pigot and Rear A dm iral Rowley In
te llige nc e of th e Enemy s F orce in that P ort ; the Preston
’
and A larm tha t I h ad se nt o n that service not havin g ,
r eturned .
O ff C ap e Nicola Mole I rec e iv d I ntelligenc e that the

’
,
C ombined F leets were gone to the Havann ah in order ,
( if possible ) to refit the French Ships with M asts and

S to re s &c a which could not be procured in St D o min g o
. . .
I lik ewise re c e iv d I ntelligence that a large C onvoy

’
,
und er th e protecti o n of a 74 Gun Ship wi th Jury M asts

and 3 Fr igates were to sail from C ape Fr ancois ear ly ,
in A ugust for F rance and as the D ay b e fore I left Port

,
Royal a lar g e Transport full of Troops arrived from

,
A ntigua not having been able to make her p as sage good

,
to St Lucia owing to the absurdity of the C onvoy going

.
,
to Leeward of the I slands ; and observin g as I went out

of the South passage another transport with troops ,
goin g into Port Royal from the Eastward I concluded ,
that the I sland of St L ucia might be distre ss ed and .

,
therefore resolved as Jamaica w as not in the le ast dan

,
5 10 LETTER B OOK O F A D M I RA L L OR D R O DN E Y
-
g er to send the Nonsuch and An son after rec ono itring

,
the C ape to reinforce th e Ships upon that Station and ,
wait the A rrival of Rear A dmiral D rak e putting them ,
selves under his C ommand Th e N o nsuc h is sailed on .
that service but the A nson by the ignorance of her Pilot

,
having been run on one of the Shoals comin g out o f Port

Royal over which she beat with considerable D amage I
, ,
’
thought it most for His Majesty s Service that she should ,
return to Great B ritain ; where in all probability the

D amage she has received might be repaired in a few
D ays in D ock which could not have be e n done at
,
Jamaica or A ntigua in three months ; as I have e xp eri

e n c e d Th e D amag e the A nson has received is the loss
.
of her false keel and a quantity of C opper o ff her B ot

,
tom She makes no water and two Tides in D ock I

.
,
beleive will perfectly repair her I have acquainted A d .
miral Pigot and Rear A dmiral Rowley with the D e stina

tion o f those Ships ; and after leaving the Resolution
and A nson o ff the western I slands in hopes of in ter ,
c e p ting the F rench C onvoy homeward bound and giving ,
Sir James Wallace orders to remain on that Station till

the 15th of September I proceeded with the M ontagu
, ,
F lora and A lert to make the C oast of I reland in order

, ,
to procure I ntelligence that I might give Rear A dmiral

,
Graves notice of the situation of A ffairs for his be tter ,
guidance and the safety of the C onvoy ; which may be

expected to arrive in about a F ortnight on this co ast ,
.
I arrived in this port last night where my Stay shall

not be one moment longer than the wind will permit
me to sail for England and I propose to send the Myr
—
m ido n and A ler t to meet Rear A dmiral Graves with ,
such I ntelligence as I may be able to procure at this

place I nclosed I send for their L ordships perusal a List
.
of the Squadron left on the Jamaica Station and have ,
the Honor to be with real regard Sir ,
Your most Obedient and most humble Servant

R ODN EY
5 12 LETTER B OOK O F A D M I RAL L ORD RO D N E Y
-
to C apt D rury o f the Myrmidon with Par ticular Or d er s

.
,
f or him to proceed Imm ediately on the station p ointe d

o ut to me by your L ordships Letter with directions f or ,
h im to order the Al ert with on e of the P ac k e tts to p r o

c ee d to Sea and endeavour t o fall in with the F leet unde r
,
the C ommand of Rear A dmir al G rav e s and to Cruiz e ,
the time pointed out in your Lo rdships Le tter which ,
Orders I suppose C aptain D rury will think proper to

show your Lordshi p as soon as he receives them
, .
Th e B e lle Poule and B eaver are here waitin g f or three ,
Re g iments embarkin g two of which are alr eady so which

, ,
the y were sen t f or from En g land and will be ready to ,
sail as the wind f avour s th em and the y are t o b e L and e d

,
at Po r tsmouth .
I have sent a Hooker the only one I have to wai t on ,
your L ordships orders D urin g your s tay at K insale I .
have now on board the Leno x 160 D isposable men which ,
I mean to send to England in the Transports i f your ,
Lo rdship h as no occ asion for them 130 of which ar e ,
Volun teers for the sea Service and the other 3 0 are,
Marine recruits men being much wanted in Englan d

, .
A m hap py to find your Lo rdship thu s far arrived in

s afety and I am with th e Gr e ates t R e spec t M y L ord
,
Your L ordship s m ost Obedi en t and Mo st Hum ble

S erv an t
W M BE N N E TT .
To Th e Right H o n b le
Lor d R o dne y K B . . &c a &c a &c a
. . .
To Cap tain William B e nne tt
Montag u in K in s ale Harbour S ep t 9 th . 1782

Sir
I h ave d your Le tt e r of the 8th I ns t an t , ao
re c e iv
’
q uainting m e of your h aving given D irections to C ap tain

D rury o f the Myrmid o n t o proceed and Cr uize agree abl e
,
to th e I n s truction s c o n t ain e d in my Letter to yo u of th e

L ETTER B OOK O F A D M I RA L L OR D R O DN E Y
- 5 13
14 th I ns t an t and acquainting me with y our having 160

,
Men for His Maj esty s Service re ady to send to England

’
.
I have given order s to the C aptains of the Myrmidon

and A lert instantly to repair to C ork Harbour in order ,
to C ompleat and wi thout loss of t ime to proceed agree

, ,
able to the ir Rendezvous in doin g which you will ple as e

,
t o see that no time be lost .
My Stay here will no t b e a moment after th e wind b e

c omes f avourable to pr o c e ed to England I n reg ar d to .
th e Volunteers for the Sea Servic e and Mar in e Recruits ,
I have no other occasion for th em than t o c arry th em

there which ( if you can send them r o und previous t o
,
my sailing ) I shall do in this Ship and the F lora oth er

, ,
wise you will t ake the Method you propose or any th e ,
most expeditious that may o ffer as th ey are doubtless ,
very much wante d .
I am Sir
Yo ur m o s t Obedi ent and m os t humble Servant
ROD N E Y
To C apt ain B ennett
o f His Maj e s ty s S h ip ’
To Re ar Adm iral Th o m as Gra ves
Mon tagu in K insale Harbour

Sep t 9 th 1782
Sir
.
B y the best I ntelli gence I can procur e at this plac e ,
the C ombined F leets of the House o f B ourbon who have

been parading as usual in the mouth o f the Ch annel ,
have left their Station and were met on th e C o as t of

Sp ain s te ering for C ad iz I have dispatched the M yrm i
,
.
don and Al ert to acquaint you with this I ntell i gence the ,
better to enable you how to proceed with the great C on

voy under your Charge I am Sir .
Your most Obedient and most humbl e Servant

ROD N E Y
To R e ar A dmiral Graves &c a &c a &c a . . .
5 14 LETTER B OOK O F A D M I RA L L OR D R O DN E Y
-
To Cap tain Wi lliam B e nne tt
Mont ag u Kinsale Harbour

,
11th Sept 1782 .
Sir
C aptain D rury o f His Maje sty s Ship Myrmidon hav ’
ing disob e y d my Order of this days date by not dis

’
,
charging William Gibson and John C orcoran A ppre n ,
tices belonging to the B rig L owther Joseph L awrenc e ,
Master whom he h ad impre s sed it is my par ticular D i

, ,
r ections tha t you will cause them t o be dilive re d to their

,
Master ; and recommend it to C aptain D rury to t ak e

particular care in f uture how h e disobeys an A dmirals
,
’
or any his superior Officer s Orders .
Should his Ship be short of Complement it will b e

highly necessary that you C ompleat h im out o f the Vo l
unte e rs on board the Leno x as I have order e d him to
,
sail with every dispatch possible to meet Rear A dmiral

Graves and the West I ndia C onvoy t aking under his ,
C ommand the A lert B rig I have not a doubt but y o u

.
will take care that he c om plys with those orders an d ,
hasten him out more Especially as I have received I ntel

,
lige nc e of a Privateer being o ff the Mizen head Tha t n o .
delay may be m ad e you will ple ase t o compleat the Pro

,
visions of the Myrmidon and A lert out of the Leno x as

not one moment should be los t .
I have been fav or d with your Letter and shall b e

’
g lad of any oppe rtunity whereb y I may prove myself t o

,
be with real sinse rity Sir

, ,
Your most Obedient and mos t h umble Se rvan t

ROD N E Y
To C apt ain B enn ett
5 16 L ETTER B OOK O F A D MI RAL L OR D R O DN E Y
-
h all, b e in g s e ld o m wi th o u t th ose p irate s in th eir Neigh

b o urh ood .
I am sorry my being ill with the Gou t will prev e n t

m y p ayin g th e Re s pe ct th at i s d u e to yo ur L ordshi p I .
am with gr e a t r e sp e c t M y Lo rd
Your Lordshi p s M o st Ob e dien t and m o st h umbl e Ser

vant
W M B E N N ETT .
To Th e Ri gh t Lo r d Rodn ey K B &c a &c a &c a. . . . .
To Cap tain Wi lliam B e nne tt
Montag u Co v e o f C ork 15th S ep t . 1782

Sir
I have this I ns t an t receiv e d y o ur Le tter o f this D ay
e nclosing a Le t te r fr om th e C o lle c to r of Yo ugh all which
I her e ret ur n .
I am e xtre am ly s orry th at y o ur illnes s prevents me the

Pleasure o f see in g yo u I imm e d i ately o n the I n f orma
.
tion received las t ni gh t gav e Or d ers f or the Myr mid o n

, ,
Al e rt and Be av er to p roceed in Qu e s t of the Priva teers ,
an d shall los e no time in c o mmunicatin g th e C on te n ts of

y o ur Le t ter to their Lo rdsh ips .
I h av e o r der e d th e Volun te er s o n b oar d the Le no x to

, ,
be divid e d be tw e en th e ship s goin g with m e to En g lan d .
I am Sir &c a &c a &c a

,
. . .
R ODN EY
To C ap t ain B ennett
To P hilip Step h e ns Se c re tary

, o f th e A dm iralty
Mon tag u C o v e of Co rk ,
15th Sept . 1782
Sir
B e p le ase d th e ir Lordships that sinc e my
to in f orm
Le tter o f the 8th I n st ant I w as not abl e t o l e ave K in sal e
, ,
L ETTER B OOK O F A D M IRA L L OR D R O DN E Y
- 5 17
on acc o unt of C on trary wind s t ill Ye sterday morn in g a ,
f ew Hours after which it ag ain becomin g a de ad wind

upon the Co ast and thre atning to blow hard ( which
, ,
accordingly it did ) l ast night I put into this Harbour ,
from whence I shall ag ain pu t to Sea th e m oment the ,
wind will allow .
A f t er my arrival l as t Nigh t having advice that two ,
Privateer s under F rench C olours bu t man d with Eng ,

’
lish Scotch and I rish were c ruizing off Yo ugh all and
, , ,
h ad t ak e n some Vessel s ,
I instantly gave orders for the M yrmido n Frigate and

A lert Sloops to proce e d this morning if the wind would
,
admit in Quest of them .
This M orning Lieut P ade so n o f the D uke Tender who

.
,
w as C ap tur d by one o f them has b ee n on board me and

’
,
f urnished me with the enclosed particulars which to ,
g ether with C aptain B ennetts Letter to me on the sub

jec t I enclose for their L ordship s I nformation and have
, ,
the Honor to be Sir

You most Obedient and Most humble Servant
ROD N E Y
I ntelligence re c e iv
’
d from Lieut . P ad e son
We the Undersigned C ertify to have been made Pris ,
oners of War by the Privateer Sophia C aptain John

, ,
Molston whose ships Husband is Mr Coppins M erchant

,
o f D unkirk the said Privateer having a F rench C om

,
mi ssion after we were taken we were sent on board a

, ,
F ishing B oat belonging to Dungarv o n and sent on shore ,

’
by Virtue of this Engagement We have agree d with the .
said C apt John M olston upon our Parole of Honour

.
, ,
not to serve the K ing of Great B ritain on board any sort ,
of Vessel under any Pr etence whatever untill we are

regularly exchanged as Prisoners of War according to ,
the agreement made between the K ings of France and

5 18 L ETTER B OOK O F A D M I RA L L ORD RO D N E Y
-
England I n witnes s W h ereo f we have hereunto sign d

.
’
o ur Names o ff Dungarv o n Harbour 13 th Sept 1782 . .
These are to C erti fy that 20 Men were taken

in the D uke Tender under m y C omm and
E D M U N D P ADE SO N Lieut .
B ri g R obert C apt
,
. J ”°
Percival 7 People
JO H N P E RO IVA L
B ritains friends Good Will C aptain ,
F aucet 4 People
,
A SH L Y F AU CE T
’ ’
Sign d and de liv e r d by me
JO H N M O L STO N
To Re ar A dm ira l Th o m as Graves
Mont ag ue in C ove o f C ork

,
18th September 1782

Sir
Since my l as t o f 9 th I nstant by the Myrmidon I hav e ,
t o in form you that Lo rd Howe is sailed with 3 7 sail o f the

Line for the relief of Gibraltar and that the D utch hav e
, ,
a Squadron ready to sail from the Texel .
I think it my D uty to give you this notice tha t you ,
m ay be on your g uard would reco mm end i t to you

, ,
t o k e ep the se F rigates with y ou that they may ac c om ,
pany the C onvoy to the D owns I am Sir .

,
”
Yo ur most Obed and mos t Humble Serv .
ROD N EY
To R A Graves &c
. . . &c . &c .

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TH E J O H N WA TTS

P RIN TE D F O R TH E N E W Y O RK HISTORI CA L SO CIETY

A RC HE R M . HUN TIN GTO N H IR A M S M I T H

Th e volum es added to the C ollections of Th e N e w

De P e yste r Publication F und Series They m ake avail

able to students O fﬁcial correspondence and orders O f

to N e w York C ity in O ctober and N ovember 1780 Th e

manuscript books containing the letters and orders were

scripts in the N aval History Society Library .

Th e N e w York Historical Society appreciates the

Search Roo m in allowing an exam ination O f the many

Rodney papers there in connection with editing these

In 1780 1782 when A dmiral Sir George Brydges

Rodney w as comm ander in chief O f His Britannic M aj - -

Dutch and A m e rican ships were at war there His O fﬁcial

letter books and order bo ok supply details of that con

ﬂic t details O f naval administration and discipline and

warfare details O f repairs and stores and provisions o f

sickness and prisoners O f war and weather and personali

point O f view is naturally Rodney s an d British

General accounts O f these important tw o years are

C B R N in Th e B ri tis h N a vy in A d ve rsi ty A Stu dy

There is no det ailed modern biography O f Rodney , ,

although sketches O f him are included in most biograph

General God frey B as il Mundy w as printed in 183 0 ; it ,

is uncritical and incomplete but it d o es include ( though ,

not always exactly transcribed ) many O f Rodney s let ’

ters A short biography by David Hannay ﬁrst published

in 189 1 was reprinted in 1903 19 10 and 19 20 in the

be found in the O lder lives O f British admirals such as ,

B alfe s N a va l B io grap h y o f Gre a t B ri tain ; more recent

sketches include one by A dmiral A T Mahan U S N . .

in Typ es of N a va l O fﬁc e rs ( B o ston John K nox ,

L augh to n s article in the D ic tio n ary o f N a tiona l B io g

rap h y ; the chapter by A dmiral Sir R Vesey Hamilton .

R N in F ro m H o w ard to N e lso n : Tw e lve Sailo rs ( e d

ite d by John K nox L aughton Lo ndon and chap , ,

and Brian Tunstall s F ligh ts of N a va l Ge nius ’

When Sir George Brydges Rodney Baronet was ap , ,

pointed late in 1779 to co mm and the British ﬂeet in the

White Squadron Sinc e entering the N avy in 173 2 at the

age O f thirteen he had seen varied service in the E nglish

C hannel the N orth Sea the Mediterranean and at

N ewfoundland ; had h ad a seat in the House of C o m

Indies and familiar with conditions there from having ,

served as a successful commander in chief of the L ee - -

ward Islands station during two war years 176 1 to 1763 , ,

and at Jamaica during three peaceful routine years , ,

1 771 to 1 774 Sailing towards the West Indies for the

third time Rodney captured a rich Spanish convoy o ff

the coast of Spain and defeated a Spanish ﬂeet near ,

C ape St Vincent in the darkness O f January 16 1780

a spectacular V ictory which enabled him to relieve

reaching St L ucia in March 1780 he engaged the

F rench ﬂeet in an indecisive battle near Martinique on

th e campaign to force another encounter except for two

skirmishes in May Th e belief that the French ﬂeet under

Guichen was sailing to the coast of N orth Am erica to

keeping his ships o f the line in the West Indies during

the hurricane season inﬂuenced Rodney to take his ﬂeet ,

to N e w York leaving C ommodore Hotham in command

at the L eeward Islands .

Th e ﬁrst letter book begins with Rodney s two months