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on that of the French admiral, will by no means ferve to exalt his character as a philofopher or a man, however high his reputation may be defervedly held, as a bold and brave naval commander.

Upon the departure of the Britifh fquadron to Madras, M. de Suffrein immediately proceeded to Cuddalore, where he not only returned the 1,200 land forces which had been lent by the Marquis de Buffy, but he landed 2,400 of his own men from the fleet, as a moft powerful aid to

the defence.

During these transactions, Gen. Stuart was carrying on his approaches to attack the body of the fortrefs; at the fame time, that the number of pofts he had to maintain, and the very confiderable loffes he had fuftained through action and ficknefs, could not but greatly reduce his effective force against the town. But the departure of Sir Edward Hughes, and the arrival of the enemy's fleet at Cuddalore, multiplied all his difficulties in an extraordinary degree; the pofts, and fervices of every kind, becoming more numerous, and the force of the enemy being greatly increased, at the very time that the army was reduced to its weakeft ftate. The general accordingly, could not but impatiently expect, the arrival of reinforcements which he had ordered from Madras, as well as of Colonel Fullarton and his detachment from the Coimbatour

country.

The enemy, who could not be ignorant of thefe circumftances, and were confident in their in

creafe of ftrength, confidered this as a most favourable opportunity for deciding the fortune of the fiege; or if a vigorous attack did not even produce all the effect that might be hoped, the deftruction of the befiegers works towards the town, they held as the smallest benefit that was to be expected. The conduct of the enterprize was committed to the Chevalier de Damas, a Knight of Malta, and colonel of the regiment of Aquitaine, who led fome of the beft troops of France in this fally; his detachment being compofed, be fides his own regiment, and other old entire bodies, of picked men, as volunteers, from all the different corps in the place; and to these were added two battalions of fepoys; fo that his party was fcarcely lefs confiderable with refpect to number and force, than to the goodness of the troops.

With this force, the French commander advanced in the dark, and with great filence, to the attack of the trenches, about three o'clock in the morn- 25th. ing. Though it will not be fuppofed, confidering the great ftrength of the enemy, and the nearness of their fleet adminiftring continual room for apprehenfion, that the British troops were not in a conftant ftate of preparation, and in expectancy of fuch an attempt; yet every attack of this nature, in the dark, and at a previously unknown hour, muft, in the beginning, neceffarily produce fome of the effects of a furprize. So upon this occafion, a few of the foremost French, wrapt up in filence and darknefs, got into the trenches, and in the blind fcram

ble

ble which for a fhort time there took place, the falling of the officer who held them, threw the colours of the 24th regiment of Bengal fepoys into their hands, which they immediately fent off in triumph to the town; but that brave battalion convinced them before they parted, that they were well entitled to their colours, and that they must have been dearly purchafed by those who had attempted to gain them in open day-light.

As foon as the troops had time to feize their arms, the affailants were opposed with the greatest refolution and firmness, and as the light opened, the troops in the trenches, not contented to maintain their defences, attacked the enemy in turn, and pushed them fo hard on every fide, that a complete rout took place. The Chevalier de Damas, with fome other officers, and about 150 of his foldiers, were taken prifoners; and the whole lofs of the French in every way, was faid to amount to about 400 men. Nothing could exceed the admirable behaviour of the troops, both Europeans and fepoys, in this action. It was held as equally fingular and extraordinary, that the 24th battalion of Bengal fepoys, with another belonging to Madras, fought fome of the oldest and beft troops of France with the bayonet, and foiled them at that favourite European weapon, which is fuppofed to be the most trying test of the firmnefs and excellency of foldiers. It will

probably then afford no small satisfaction to many who read this narrative, to be informed, that the general, in his address of thanks to the army, gave an affurance to thofe brave fepoys, that he would recommend their diftinguished fervices fo effectually to the govern ments of Bengal and Madras, that they, and their families, fhould be ever fupported and rewarded according to their merit.

Colonel Gordon, Lieut. Col. Cathcart, and Major Cotgrove, were the three officers who commanded on that morning in the trenches. They all gained the greatest honour by the prefence of mind and firmnefs with which they withstood the furprize, and the gallantry with which they avenged the infult. The brave major, who led the Madras fepoys, was killed at the clofe of the action. Colonel Cathcart, who had been fo highly diftinguished in the action of the 13th, feemed as if he had refted his military reputation entirely upon his conduct in the present. The lofs was wonderfully small; and the little there was fell principally upon the fepoys,

In two or three days after this fally, the Medea frigate arrived under a flag from Madras at Cuddalore, bringing information from Lord Macartney and the admiral, of the conclufion of peace between the two nations; in confequence of which, a mutual ceffation of hosti lities, and restoration of prisoners, immediately took place.

VOL. XXVI.

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CHAP.

CHA P. V.
сн

Retrospective view of affairs in the Weft-Indies, North America, Africa, and Europe, previous to the conclufion of peace. Bahama islands taken by the Governor General of Cuba. Dutch fettlements in Africa reduced by the English. French expedition to Hudson's Bay, where they take and deftroy two of the Company's fettlements. Various fucceffes on the Mufquito fbore: Fort Dalling retaken: Don T. Julia, with the Spanish forces on Black River, furrender prisoners of war to Colonel Defpard. Calamities of the fleet and convoy from Jamaica. Ramillies, Centaur, Ville de Paris, Le Glorieux, and Le Hector, with many merchant ships loft. Sir Guy Carleton communicates to General Washington the refolutions of parliament for an accommodation with the Americans, and the inftructions and authority he had received for that purpose from government; requiring at the fame time a passport for Mr. Morgan, who he intended to dispatch upon the businefs to Congress. Washington refers the propofal to Congress, who forbid his granting the paport. Refolutions of feveral affemblies, against any feparate negociation, peace, or truce with Great Britain. Subfequent declaration to the fame purpose by Congrefs; with firict injunctions, against the receiving of any proposals, or the admiffion of any emissaries from England. Meafures pursued in Europe towards the attainment of a general peace. Empress of Ruffia, and the Emperor of Germany, mediators. State and condition of the contending parties. Mr. Grenville fent to Paris. Mr. Fitz-Herbert appointed plenipotentiary, to negociate and conclude a treaty of peace, with the minifters of France, Spain, and Holland. Mr. Ofwald appointed commiffioner on the part of his Britannic majefty, to negociate a treaty with John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, John Jay, and Henry Laurens, the American commiffioners. Provifional articles figned with America. Preliminary articles of peace between England, France, and Spain, figned at Verfailles, by Alleyne Fitz-Herbert, Efq; the Count de Vergennes, and the Count D'Aranda. Sketch of the provifional and preliminary treaties.

H

AVING thus traced the war

through all its stages in the far regions of the Eaft, we are now to follow the course of thofe tranfactions which preceded, or led to its conclufion in the other quarters of the world. Europe, though the fmaller divifion, yet being, thro' the extraordinary energy of the men it produces, at this time, as in remote periods, the arbiter of war and peace to much the greater part of the globe.

Great and happy as the effects of Lord Rodney's victory over the French fleet under the Count de Grafle were, they could not at once extend equally to all parts, nor every where reftrain the enterprize of our combined enemies, Don Juan de Cagigal, governor general of the island of Cuba and the Havannah, fell, with a part of that great force which had been deftined, in concert with France, to the conqueft of Jamaica, upon the

defence.

defencelefs Bahama islands. Col. Maxwell, the governor of Providence, had only about 170 invalids, to oppose to an armament, amounting by fea and land to above 5,000 men; and the native strength of the islands was mostly difperfed at fea; the bold and adventurous part of the inhabitants purfuing their favourite occupation of privateering. In fuch circumftances a capitulation was all that could be hoped for, and every pretence or appearance of refiftance, any farther than as it tended to that object, would seem futile and dangerous.

The governor, however, endeavoured to defer the evil as long as poffible, hesitating for two days before he agreed to a furrender; perhaps reling upon the folitary hope, that the enemy not being ftrong at fea, fome unforeseen chance or accident might bring a few British fhips or frigates of war to his refcue. Though the Spanifh commander's fummons peremptorily required the capitula tions to be figned within fix hours, and that he was fully acquainted with the weakness of the garrifon and defence, yet he bore this delay with great moderation and temper; and the conditions were, May 8th. notwithstanding, as fa

vourable, both to the

1782. garrifon and inhabitants, as they could have been asked for or wifhed. Indeed it would feem as if the humanized and polifhed conduct of Don Galvez upon former occafions, (which we have heretofore had much fatisfaction in acknowledging and applauding) had been confidered by Don Juan de Cagigal as the model by which to regulate his own through the whole of this tranfaction, were it

not that fimilar minds will purfue fimilar lines of action without the aid of example.

The capture of thefe iflands, whatever their value might be, was not to be estimated as a real loss, as, from their nature and fituation, they could not be long retained from their former poffeffors.

The Dutch, who were deftined to pay heavy and ruinous fines in every quarter of the world, for the ill-judged, and unnatural part which they took in this war, were about the fame time ftripped of most of their fettlements on the coalt of Africa, by Capt. Shirley, in the Leander of 50 guns; who, without any land forces, and the affiftance only of the Alligator floop of war, took Acra, with four other of their forts, mounting 124 pieces of cannon. And to compleat their ruin on that coaft, Lieut. Cartwright of the Argo frigate, having landed with a detachment of feamen, to fupport fome land forces which were under the direction of the African company, he moft gallantly attacked, and had a principal fhare in taking, the ftrong and well-garrifoned Dutch fort of Commenda; which, befides two mortars and as many howitzers, had 32 pieces of cannon mounted for its defence.

On the other fide, as if it had been to vent fome part of the ill-humour excited by the late defeat in the Weft-Indies, M. de Vaudreuil, fome time before his departure with the remainder of the beaten fleet from Cape François to North America, concerted an expedition, purely predatory, against the remote pof feffions and property of the Hudfon's Bay company, fhut up as they were among the frozen regions of [H] 2

the

the North, and approachable only through obfcure ftraits and gulphs, which were little known, excepting to thofe peculiarly concerned in that trade, and only for a fmall part of the year navigable even by them. M. de la Peroufe, in the Sceptre of 74 guns, with two 36 gun frigates, was appointed to conduct this expedition; having on board about 300 foldiers and artillery men, with fome mortars and cannon for the fuppofed fieges they were to undertake. This fmall fquadron failed from Cape François on the 31st of May, 1782, and did not arrive at the islands of Refolution, which mark the entrance of Hudson's Straits, until the 17th of July. From thence they began to experience the difficulties and dangers of the voyage. Every thing was new to them; and they had no chart for their guidance, thro' the unknown perils they were to encounter. Notwithstanding the power of the fun at that season, they had fcarcely proceeded 20 leagues up the ftraits, when the fhips were fo faft locked up in the ice, that the feamen went on foot from one to the other. They were detained in this ftate for feveral days, and severely felt, as they afterwards continued to do, the want of ice anchors. The ships fuffered much damage, particularly the frigates, which were more than once in an alarming ftate of danger; and even the Sceptre was near lofing her rudder.

Through thefe impediments, the month of July was elapfed before they got clear of the ftraits; and that season was fast approaching, which was not only likely to forbid the profecution of their defign, but might poffibly shut them up

for the winter in those inhospitable regions. Having at length weathered Cape Walfingham, the western point of the ftraits, they not only had then fome more perfect knowledge of their fituation, but being got into the open bay, they hoped their difficulties were at an end. Thefe hopes were foon overthrown; for on the 3d of Auguft, being fuddenly enveloped by a fog, they found them felves immediately furrounded by fuch large islands of ice, that they were under a neceffity of bringing to; and upon the difperfion of the fog, they perceived that the three fhips were faft wedged in a vast field of ice, which extended farther than the eye could reach. Things then appeared fo hopeless, that M. de Peroufe had formed a determination, as foon as they got clear of the prefent difficulty, to fend the Sceptre, with one of the frigates, back to the Weft-Indies, and of wintering himfelf, with the other frigate, and a part of the troops, in the bay; in order to be at hand to deftroy the English fettlements, as foon as the opening of the feafon in the enfuing year would admit of their operations. It happened fortunately for M. de la Peroufe and his people, that fo fevere a trial of their conftancy was prevented, by the appearance of a small opening in the ice two days after, through which, with a prefs of fail, and no fmall danger to the fhips, they forced their way; and on the 8th of Auguft were happy in difcovering the Englifh colours flying on the Fort Prince of Wales, upon the Churchill River, which was their firft and principal object; hoping now to ob tain fome ceffation of their toils and dangers.

The

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