IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3)
1.0 t
I.I
1.8
|
1.25 1.4 1.6 — ! |
||
|
^ |
6" |
► |
p^
VI
//a
°^
Photographic
Sciences Corporation
23 WEST MAIN SWiSX^
WEBSTER, N.Y. MjV:-
(716) 872-4503
<o
y.
-^
.<$>
CIHM/ICMH
Microfiche
Series.
CIHM/ICIVIH Collection de microfiches.
Canadian Institute for Historical Microreproductions / Institut Canadian de microreproductions historiques
>
Technical and Bibliographic Notes/Notes techniques et bibliographiques
The to tl
The Institute has attempted to obtain the best original copy available for filming. Features of this copy which may be bibliographically unique, which may alter any of the images in the reproduction, or which may significantly change the usual method of filming, are checked below.
□ Coloured covers/ Couverture de couleur
□ Covers damaged/ Couverture endommagde
□ Covers restored and/or laminated/ Couverture restaurde et/ou pelliculde
D
D D D
D
Cover title missing/
Le titre de couverture manque
□ Coloured maps/ Cartes g^ographiques en couleur
□ Coloured ink (i.e. othar than blue or black)/ Encre de couleur (i.e. autre que bleue ou noire)
Coloured plates and/or illustrations/ Planches et/ou illustrations en couleur
Bound with other material/ Relid avec d'autres documents
Tight binding may cause shadows or distortion along interior margin/
Lareliure serr^e peut causer de I'ombre ou de la distortion le long de la marge intirieure
Blank leaves added during restoration may appear within the text. Whenever possible, these have been omitted from filming/ II se peut que certaines pages blanches ajout6es lors d'une restauration apparaissent dans ie texte, mais, lorsque cela 6tait possible, ces pages n'ont pas 6t6 filmdes.
L'tnstitut a microfilm^ le meilleur exemplaire qu'il lui a 6t6 possible de se procurer. Les details de cet exemplaire qui sont peut-dtre uniques du point da vue bibliographique, qui peuvent modifier une image reproduite, ou qui peuvent exiger una modification dans la mdthode normale de filmage sont indiqu6s ci-dessous.
□ Coloured pages/ Pages de couleur
□ Pages damaged/ Pages endommag^es
□ Pages restored and/or laminated/ Pages restaurdes et/ou peilicul6es
•J
D
The
POS: O' t
film
Ori( beg the sioi oth firs sioi or i
Pages discoloured, stained or foxed/ Pages ddcolor^es, tachet^es ou piqu6es
□ Pages detached/ Pages d6tach6es
0Showthrough/ Transparence
I I Quality of print varies/
Quality indgale de I'impression
Includes supplementary material/ Ccmprend du materiel suppl^mentaire
Only edition available/ Seule Edition disponible
Tht sha TIIV wh
Ma difl ent be( rigl req me
Pages wholly or partially obscured by errata slips, tissues, etc., have been refilmed to ensure the best possible image/ Les pages totalement ou partiellement obscurcies par un feuillet d'errata, une pelure, etc., ont 6t6 film^es d nouveau de facon d obtenir la meille. .^e image possible.
□
Additional comments:/ Commentaires suppl^mentaires:
This item is filmed at the reduction ratio checked below/
Ce document est fi!m6 au taux de reduction indiqud ci-dessous.
|
10X |
14X |
18X |
22X |
26X |
30X |
|||||||||||||||||
|
V |
||||||||||||||||||||||
|
19X |
IfiX |
20X |
24X |
28X |
32X |
fier e
ta
ure,
:
2X
The copy filmed here has been reproduced thanks to the generosity of:
Library of the Public Archives of Canada
The images 'I'ipearing here are the best quality possible considering the condition and legibility o; the original copy and in keeping with the filming contract specifications.
Original copies in printed paper covers are filmed beginning with the front cover and ending on the last page with a printed or illustrated impres- sion, or the back cover when appropriate. All other original copies are filmed beginning on the first page with a printed or illustrated impres- sion, and ending on the last page with a printed or illustrated impression.
The last recorded frame on each microfiche shall contain the symbol —►(meaning "CON- TINUED"), or the symbol V (meaning "ErO"). whichever applies.
Maps, plates, charts, etc., may be filmed at different reduction ratios. Those too large to be entirely included in one exposure are filmed beginning in the upper left hand corner, left to right and top to bottom, as many frames as required. The following diagrams illustrate the method:
L'exemplaire film6 fut reproduit grflce i la g6n6rosit6 de:
La bibliothdque des Archives publiques du Canada
Las images suivantes ont 6t6 reproduites avec le plus grand soin, compte tenu de fa condition et de la nettet6 de Texemplaire filrn^, et en conformity avec les conditions du contrat de filmage.
Les exemplaires originaux dont la couverture en papier est imprim6e sont film6s en commenpant par le premier plat et en terminant soit par la dernidre page qui comporte une empreinte d'impression ou d'illustration, soit par le second plat, salon le cas. Tous les autres exemplaires originaux sont film^s en commenpant par la premidre page qui comporte une empreinte d'impression ou d'illustration et en terminant par la dernidre page qui comporte une telle empreinte.
Un des symboles suivants apparaitra sur la dernidre image de cheque microfiche, selon le cas: le symbole -^ signifie "A SUIVRE", le symbole V signifie "FIN".
Les cartes, planches, tableaux, etc., peuvent dtre filmds d des taux de reduction diffdrents. Lorsque le document est trop grand pour dtre reproduit en un seul clich6, il est filmd d partir de I'angle supdrieur gauche, de gauche h droite, et de haut en bas, en prenant le nombre d'images ndcessaire. Les diagrammes suivants illustrent la mdthode.
|
1 |
2 |
3 |
|
:; 4 ; |
5 |
6 |
, : /f, •
;l
A N
r
C C O U N T
OF THE
5^-,. •
1 ,V
FACTS
* * * "'f
". which appeared on the late '"■''■'
'Enquiry into the Loss of Minorca, From AUTHENTIC Papers.
By the MONITOR.
4(
:.|-:-....
LONDON,
Printed for J. Scott, at the Black Swan in PaUr-noJ^er-row*
MDCCLVII.
■-m
A N
ACCOUNT
O F
FACTS,
c.
TH E only addition to mifery is the defpair of redrefs. And there can be no greater appearance of a failure in this refpedl, in the body politick, than where the reprelentatives of the people are deaf to their complaints, infen- fible of their griefs, and partial to the authors of their misfortunes.
The liberality with which the nation con- tributed towards a war with France-^ and the tranquility on the continent of Europe^ gave us great hopes of fuccefs j but our moft fanguine and well grounded expedlations foon vanifhed, with the lofs of Minorca^ and therewith the trade and navigation of the Levant,
Our only relief was a dependance on the guardians of our liberties, to enquire into the caufe of this misfortune, and to punifh thofe, who
B ihould
[ 2 ]
fliould be found the authors of our difquletude, difgrace, and lofs. The whole nation laid their cafe in the moft dutiful and affedling terms before their fovcreign : his Majefty promifed his afflidled people that juflice fliould be done. They direded their reprefentatives to make a calm, difpafTionate, and impartial enquiry : but, behold ! they have the mortification to find that neither the royal vvifdom, nor their own authority, was fuflicient to convidl the Icaft of the offenders, or to bring one of the managers of our marine, or one evil counfellor to juflice.
It is true an enquiry was, after many diiH- culties, begun, and the ftate papers relating to the equipment of the French^ in their feveral ports, during the time of their preparations againfl the Brilijh dominions, were produced in the houfe of commons : but, by the fame means, which fo often have influenced the mem.bers of that auguft afTembly to grant the people's money without meafure, the managers for the late minilh-y have endeavoured to flifie all further examination into their condudt by the following refolutions :
** Mr. P — // — r ^according to order) reported *' from the committee of the whole houfe, to ** whom it was referred to confider of the fe- *' veral papers and accounts, prefented to the « houfe in this feliion of parliament, relating I "to
f
cr cc
(s
€( (C <C
C(
cc <c cc cc cc cc
[ 3 ]
to Ijitelligence concerning the motions or de* figns of the French j to preparations made, and orders given, for the equipment or failing of any of his Majefly's ihips of war, or for the defence of any of his Majefty's dominions in the Mediterrayiean^ and to the ftate and condition of his Majefty's navy, and of the ifland of Minor ca^ during the years 1755 and 1756 ; the refolutions, which the committee had direded him to report to the houfe, which he read in his place, and afterwards delivered in at the table, where the fame were read, and are as folio weth, 'viz.
'' Refoked, .
** That it appears to this committee, that " his Majefty from the 27th Augufi 1755, to ** 20th April 1756, received fuch repeated and ** concurrent intelligence, as gave jufl: reafon to " believe, that the French King intended to " invade his Majefty's dominions of Great ** Britain or Ireland,
cc cc cc cc cc cc
« Refohed,
" That it appears to this committee, that his Majefty received repeated and concurrent intelligence, from the month of Auguft 1755, to the month oi April 1756, that, with in- tent to invade his Majefty's dominions, great numbers of troops were marched from the interior parts oi France ^ to the coafts of P/-
B 2 '* card)\
t 4 ]
" cardyy Normandy^ and Brit any, great qiian- " titles of provifions, artillery, and warlike ftorc?, •* collcd:ed, and numbers of vefTels for the tranf- " portation of foldiers aflembled, in the ports *' of France^ oppofite to the coafts of this king- " dom.
cc <c
(C
<c cc <c cc
" Rcfohcd,
" That it appears to this committee, that in the months of September, OBober, November^ and December, ly^S* ^^^^ Majefty received various repeated and concurrent advices of the adlual equipping of a fquadron of twelve fliips of the line, belides frigates, at Toulo?i, and that the faid armament would at lateft be ready to fail very early in the fpring, 1756,
C(
cc cc cc cc <c
(C
<c
«* Refokcd, '* That it appears to this committee, that on the fourth oi February 1756, in a letter from Mr. conful Birtles, dated Genoa, 17 January 1756, his Majefty received advice of an in- tention to furprife the ifland of Minorca, which was confirmed by many fubfequent advices of the adual deftination of the faid armament againft the faid ifland, received in the month of February 1 756.
''Refokedy " That it appears to this committee, that ** his Majefty received repeated and concurrent 2. " Intel-
«
<c
((
[ 5 1
" intelligence, that the I'oidon fquadron, which (billed to Minorca, confiding of twelve (liips of the line, was ill provided with men and
" guns.
« Rejokcd,
That it appears to this committee, that his IVIajcfly, between the 30th of yamiary 1756, and the 6th o^ March 1756, received intelligence, that there was fitted and fitting for the fea at Br eft and Kochfort^ a fquadron of feventeen fliips of the line, which by intel- ligence, received the 7th March 1756, was to be augmented to twenty-two fhips of the line, fome of which were to be fitted cut for tranfporting troops; and by further intelli- gence received, of the 3 ift of March 1756, was increafed to twenty- three fliips of the line, exclufive of three fhips of the line, faid to be deftined for America.
<c tt
€t <C CC <C C( <C «( CC
<c
CC CC
CC
CC
<c
CC
<c <c <c c(
<c
CC
Refohed,
** That it appears to this committee, that Sir Edward Hawke received orders to fail on the 27th February i 756, and adlually failed on the 1 2th of March following, on a cruize to the weftward, with a fquadron of fourteen fhips of the Upe, which fquadron, under the command of Sir Edward Hawke, was, on the ifl o^ April 1756, ordered to be re-inforced with five fhips of the line, under rear admiral Holbourne,
B 3 " Refohed^
[ 6 ]
" Rcfohcdy *' That it appears to tliis committee, tluit on the 8tli March iy^6y orders were given by tlic commiirioners of the admiralty, to get ready ten fliips of the line, for the Medi- terrancaii^ and on the iith of March 1756, orders were given by the commiflioners of the admiralty to admiral Byng^ to take the iiiid ten iliips of the line under his command, and fit them for fea, as foon as poflible, and on the 27th of March lys^y ^^^ com- miliioners of the admiralty were ordered to fend ten fhips of the line to the ifland of Minorca, which fliips failed on the 6th of j^pril following, which ten fhips at their failing were fully manned, (including the royal regiment of fuzilcers, fent on board to ferve as part of their complement, and which was ordered to be landed at Minorca, in cafe the governor, or commander in chief of that ifland, fliould think it necefTary for its de- fence,) and, as appears by a letter from the faid admiral to the faid commiflioners, were in every rcfpcd: ready for failing.
<' Rejolvcd,
" That it appears to this committee, that
'^ on the ifl of April ij z^i:), there were twenty-
*' feven of his Majclly's fhips of the line, cruiz-
" ing on the follow i]ig fervices; that is to fay,
*' four-
[ 7 ]
'^ fourtocn flilps of the line ciulzing between ** Brc/l and Rochfort^ under the command of " Sir Edward Hauke ; five more of the hue ** ordered, under the command of admiral ** HolbournCy to join Sir Edward Ilawke j one ** between Cape Clear and Scilly, one between " Scilly and UJJjant, two off the ifle of Bafs, '* one off Cape Barflew\ two in the Downs, " under the command of admiral Smithy and " one at Cork ; and twenty-eight fliips of tlie *' line in commiflion at home, that is to fliy, " feventeen fitted for fea, ten fitting, and owt " in harbour fervice, all which were, exclufive *' of the fquadron under the command of ad- " miral By?2gy then under orders to fail immc- " diately for the Mediterranean^ and that the " complement of the fiid twenty-eight fliips of " the line at home, amounted to 14,640 men, ** and that there were borne upon the laid fliips " books, 9891 men, and 7249 muflered.
(C
IC
cc
(C
cc <(
(C
cc
« Rejolvcdy *' That it appears to this committee, that on the ifl j^pril 1756, there were forty- five frigates, floops, and armed (hips, cruizing on the following flations; that is to fay, three under Sir Edward Haw ke, one ofF Bre/iy two off the ifle of Bafs, four off Cape Barfleur, fourteen under admiral Smithy two at Dublin ^ one at Greenock^ one at Whitehaven^ two at Liverpool, two in Kingroad, one at Biddeford, one at Falmouth^ one at Exniouth^ one at Tar--
B 4 ** mouthy
« <C <C <<
[81
mouthy one at Zyw/, one in the Humbp^^ one at Newcajilcy one at Leith, one at Sheernefs going to Lf/VZ', three convoy to Stadbfy one convoy from Oftendy and then ordered to the Downs 'y and there were at home feventeen frigates, floops, and yachts, fitted and fitting for the fea, the complements of wrhich feven- teen amounted to 2405 men, of which 1508 were borne, and 1320 muflered.'
cc
(C C( ( c cc cc <c cc cc cc
cc
C(
cc
<( cc
" Rcfohedy
" That it* appears by the laft returns from Minorca, before the fiege, bearing date the 3ifl July 1755, that the garrifon of fort Sai7it Philip con filled of 2860 men (officers included) and that on the ift February 1756, there were thirty-five military officers abfent from their duty, including the governor and commander in chief of the ifland, the governor of fort Saint Philipy and the colonels of the four regiments in garrifon there, the governor of the ifland, being otherwifc employed in his Majefty's fervice, the governor of fort Saint Philip difabled by age and infirmities, nine- teen fecond- lieutenants and enfigns, appointed between the ifi: oiOBober 1755, and the 4th oi January ijs^^ ^"^ nine officers, employed in the recruiting fervice in Great Britain,
*' Refohedy " That it appears to this committee, that '** major general Stuart did, in the month of
** Novem-
(C (C iC
<c <c c<
(C (C
(( a cc
[ 9 ]
November 3755, receive orders from his Majefty, to repair to Minorca^ in order to be afTiftant to lieutenant general Blakeney^ then commanding hisMajefty's forces in that illand, and that on the 3d oi February following the colonels of the feveral regiments then in Minorca, received an order from his Majefty, to fend all the abfent officers of their re- fped:ive regiments to their duty there, except fuch as it fhould be necefTary to keep in Great Britam on the recruiting fervice.
« Refohed,
** That it appears to this committee, that " on the 28th oi March 1756, a detachment, " with proper officers, equal <-o a battalion, was " ordered to be fent from Gibraltar y to be landed " for the relief of Minorca*
«
" Refohed,
" That it appears to this committee, that " on the 30th of March 1756, orders were " given for raifing a company of miners, con- *' lifting of 200 men, and on the 7th oi May ** 1756, diredlions were given for fending three •* more battalions for the reinforcement of the " garrifon of fort Saint Philip,
" Refohed, " That it appears to this committee, that ** the fquadron of his Majefty 's fliips in the
« Medi^
It (( <( << <c
(C
<l cc <c <( ce <( << cc «c <c f«
[ 10 ]
Mediterranean, in the month of December iy§Sy confifted of one fliip of 60 guns, two of 50 guns, four frigates, and one floop ; and that the garrifon of fort Saint Philip, in the faid month oi December, according to the laft returns, made the 3 ift o^July ly^S, confided of 2860 men (officers included) and that it doth appear, that no greater number of (hips of war could be fent into the Mediterranean than were fent on the 6th of ^pri/ 1706, nor any grea*-er reinforcement than the regiment which was fent, and the detachment equal to a battalion, which was ordered to the relief of fort Saint Philip, confiftently with the ftate of the navy, and the various fervices eflential to the fafety of his Majefty's domi- nions, and the intereft of his fubjcdts."
i
Resolutions I which I prefume were not taken by the whole houfe : and fliould it ap- pear that the minority in the debate were members of the greateft property and integrity, who have fomething of their own to lofe, and are tenacious of the right and property of their conftituents, and were of opinion that the lofs of Minorca was principally owing to the not fending an earlier and ftronger naval force into the Mediterranean, than that, which failed under admiral Byng ; to the delay of not fending any reinforcements of troops to that ifland, till the departure of the faid admiral ; to the fuffering the officers belonging to the garrifon to continue
abfent
[II I.
abfentfrom their pofts; and to the not giving orders for raifing miners for the defence of fort Saint Philip, till the 30th of March 1756. Won't an injured nation be apt to think, that thcfe refolutions were taken by men, who had no will of their own, and held their feats in parliament by minifterial tenure, and not by the free choice of the people ? Becaufe it does appear from the original papers laid before them, that the miniftry, in their feveral de- partments had njery early and clear intelligence of the preparations and ftrength of the enemy in the ports of the Mediterranean ^ as well as of thofe armaments that were carrying on along the coaft of the Britijh channel : and that there was no want of ihips, nor of menforifea or land fervice to have defended our own coafl:, and to have repelled all attempts the French were able to make againft any part of the Britijh dominions.
But this will be more confpicuous from the following minutes faithfully extradied from thofe very papers j on which the free and indepen- dant reprefentatives of the people grounded their negative to the above recited refolutions ; and are thus publiflied in juftification of their con- dudl in a cafe of the greateft concern to their conftituents ; and to enable every rational and unbiafTed Eled;or to difcern how far the wifdom and integrity of their reprefentatives, who have ikreened the objeds of their country's refejit-
ment|
I 12 ]
rnent, and the authors of its difgrace and mif- fortunes, (hould recommend them to their future favours.
By a letter from the fecretary of our embaffy at Paris, dated fo early as the i ft day of jfam/ary 1755 ; and at a time that the Duke de Mirepoix was employing all his abilities to prevent the juft refentment of Great Britain again ft his nation for the hoftilities committed by the French in America-, with the moft religious afliirances, that his court was lincerely defirous to adjuft finally and expeditioufly all diiputes fubfifting between the two crowns in the new wocld ; Sir Thomas Robifjfon^ one of his Majefty*s principal fecretaries of ftate, was informed, that feventeen men of war were ordered to be equipped at Bre/l, the admiral's ftiip to be of 70 guns, and that the greateji part of this fleet was dejlined for America.
This intelligence was repeated from P^m ' and other places, with many additional circum- ftances. On the 8th **, the fame gentleman advifed that the armament at Brefl confifted of
■ It is faid, with good foundatkriy that orders are gone to Breji, to fit out feventeen men of war (by fome I am told) frigates included : (by others, exclufive of them) The admiral's fhip is 70 guns. They are to have regular troops on board. But part of this fleet only (and that the greatefi) is deftined for America : but can't be ready before April or May. De Cofne.
•• Received on the 12th.
lixteen
[ 13 ]
fixteen (hips of the line and five frigates to carry 3000 land forces; again, on the 15th'' he re- duceth the number of fliips to ten^ from 60 to 74 guns, and four frigates; and twelve fhips from 12 to 24 guns, each to ferve as trafifporfs^ to fail with 5000 land forces at the end of March^ or beginning of ApriL From the Hague this equipment was confirmed, but faid not to be with that difpatch as firft reported; that 10,000 men were ordered for Britany^ and that the troops to be embarked would be draughted out of old corps ^. On the contrary, other advices to the faid office declare that the prieparations at Breji were then as great, as if the flames of war would extend all ov^^ Europe: and that it was reported, though not to be cre- dited^ that an attempt was defigned in favour of the Pretender *,
On the 25th ', Mr. Be Cofne further dif- covers that there were eight more fhips fitting out at Rochfort and Rochelle^ which in all would make thirty fhips of war; twenty of which were of the line, that they were to take on board 6000 land forces, and that they worked night and day to get them to fea *.
* Received on the i8th.
* Advices received in Lord Holdernefs^s office, January ^l^^i 1755- Letter A.
^ See ditto.
^ Dated Paris, 22d January, 1755.
« See letter A in Lord Holdermfs's office*
LIST
[h]
LIST of the fjips at Brefl then fitting out \
Rate, built, refitted, men. guns, captains.
I
2 2
3
2
U Formidable, Palmier^ HeroSy Bizarre, Defenfeur, Entreprenant, 2 VEfperance, 2 Jlgetjquir, 2
Dauphin, 2
>f/t.vV/^, 3
i//«>v, 3
Leopard, 3
i/j> 3
Jpollon, 4
^^i^, 3
Prothee, 3
/^/^ar /sf^ //^, frig* Ameihijle, do. Heroine, do. Sirene, do.
Aquilon, 4
Comete, frig.
1746 1752
1752 1750
1723
1751
1724
1752
1749 1 1 00 go Macnamnra. 750 74 BoislaMothe 750 74 MonluSf, 580 64 Salverte, 750 74 Boifnir.
74 Beaufremont4 'JO La Vilcon, 70 Montalet*
1752 1747
750 750 750
^/ Quebec.
173s 1749 1743
750
1747
^751
1749
70 Hocquart. 580 64 Af. CboifeuL 580 64. St. Lazarre, 580 64 L'Orgerie, 580 64 Ganin,
350 58 580 64 580 64 Marinieu^
230 30 /)« 5(?/i7.
230 30 5i5r/.
220 26 Tourville,
230 30 UArguiUe,
350 50 Bonville,
220 22 Grang.
To be commanded by Monfieur Macnamara-, to carry /.v regiments of two battalions each, and to be vidlualled for /^wr months and a /&^7^*.
Soon
1740
1750 1721
1746
1721
1752
1747
1752
1745 1730
1752
1751
*» From De Cofne.
^ D^ted February 12th and 19th, received on the i6th and 23d. Mr. dt: Cofng alio advifes, by letter dated Feb, 5th
[M]
Soon after this he tranfmltted a circumilan- flantial account of the equipment making at Rochfort, and the diligence ufed to fit thofe fhips for fervice : by which it appears that the enemy had the following fhips fitting out in this port in February lysS "•
Ships names, rates, built, men. guns, captains. LeVeille, 3 1752 580 64 Fontais.
L* Inflexible, 3 1752
L'Opiniatrey 3 1752
VAigle, 4 1750
La Diane, frig. 1741
La Fidelle, do. 1747
580 580
350 230
220
64 Guebrianf* 64 Moileire, 50 Coufage. 34 Rigaudiere. 26 ^onquiere.
1755, that they were fure of their complement of men to man this fleet ; and that they took choice of what they found in all their veflels. And by his difpatchcs of the 5th March, received the nth, it appears that the quantity ef provifiom had been doubled. Other advices are pofitive that there were then twenty fhips of the line fit for fervice at Breji ; and add that the report of a defcent on Scotland^ in favour of the pretender, feemed to be without founda- tion. See letter A, dated Feb. 24, 1755.
^ With this lift it is obferved, that there was not a fufficient quantity of cannon in the royal ftores to arm the Hiips putting in commiffion ; that they had borrowed fomc from the Eaji India company, and fent for the reft to Sweden j and that only the live firft fhips in the BreJi lift had their lower tiers.
It was advifed from Holland, by a letter dated 15th Feb. that the French were buying up all forts of Jiores and pro- vifom at Amfierdam, and fending them to Brefi and Roch- fort : with v/hich two fhips had already fai '.ed, and two
more were in the Texel waiting a wind.
Hitherto
[ i6]
Hitherto it does not appear that there was any intelligence of armaments making ready in the ports of the Mediterranean : on the con- trary, thirty officers of that department in the French marine were ordered round to Brejl^ under a pretence to ferve in the fleet fitting out in that port. From whence the miriiftry re- ceived, on the 24th February 755, certain advice, that they were fitting out with all ex- pedition fifteen fail, *viz, feven of the line, five frigates, and three from 20 to 30 guns ; to be ready to fail in March for Amcricay with a large body of regular troops : that another fquadron of feven fhips of the line was ordered to be equipped as foon as pofUble; and that France feemed determined to put all its naval Jorce to fea, either to rei'^ force their American fquadron, or to execute more dangerous projects.
Four days after, the fame channel informs the Earl of Holdernefsy that in all thefe arma- ments there appeared a plain defign to make fettlements, and to build forts : becaufe the greatefl part of the fhips were equipping en JJute, or for the tranfporting of troops. He alfo remarked, that it was reported they were refolved to augment the fortifications at Louif- hourg, and to build forts on the Ohio; that M. Sahert would be charged with the expe- dition to Canada: and that, after fending re- inforcements to America^ it was probable they
would
[ '7]
would keep two fquadrons at home, to be em- ployed only €?t la petite guerre j as not being ftrong enough for the Englijfj at lea.
But conful Birtksy by letter from Genoa, dated tenth oi February lyss* ^"^ received by the fecretary of ftate on the 26th of the fame month, writes, that there were at that time twenty-four (hips of war in the harbour of louJon ; befides three on the flocks, and a 70 gun fhip careening : that there were orders ar- rived from court to fit out that whole Jieet with expedition : that the magazines and /lores were in great order , and ififuch readinefs, that it was pojible to put all thofe fhips to fea in a very fhort time.
*
This was confirmed from Cartagena on the 1 2th March iys5 • from whence conful Banks informs Sir T'homas Robinfon, that the French were fitting out thirty-fix large fhips of war : that they worked very hard to get them ready for fea : that the great admiral of France was to have the chief command : that the merchant fhips were taken up to tranfport a great number of land forces : but that it was not known againfl what place they were defigned.
It might be thought that this repeated, cir- cunflantial, and creditable intelligence of the exertion of the whole naval power of France j and the embarkation of fo many land forces, ^c»
. C for
[ .8 ]
^oT America \ and In the Mcdifcrranedri, where Minorca and Gibraltar ' were the molV pro- bable objects of their deftination ; would have rouzed the attention of the Britijh minirtry to exert their endeavours to intercept the American fquadron, and to cover our fortrefTes in the Mediterranean and Streights from infult and furprize. But, though it mufl be granted that Great Britain was, by far, fuperior to France by fea, and that the lofs of Mahon or Gibraltar would be a fatal ftroke to tlie BrifiJJj commerce, no care was taken to fecure the internal ftrength of thofe fortifications, nor to cover them from an attack by fea : and, as we fliall fee hereafter, the fquadron difpatched for theAmerican fervice, was not appointed with that prudence, which was ncceifary to defend our intereft in the new world.
M. de Cofne, who feems to have been very diligent in procuring intelligence of the mea- fures purfued by the French minillry, acquaints Sir Thomas Robinjon, by letter dated from Paris, 1 2th March iyS5> That, from what he had been able to learn further of their armament, he had found, that ten of their large (hips were not to have their lower tiers 5 but to have their port holes caulked up, in order to be fitted up to tranfport their troops. He then adds, *' It is
* By advices In Lord Holdernefs^s office, dated 25th of March, there was a talk at Paris of a project to attack Gibraltar*
*« faid.
« c( <c << « a << <c <c
(C
<c
(C
cc cc
(C
cc cc cc
[ '9]
faid, that it will require near two months before the equipment can be complcttici. I am told there are only Jix fliips already equipped ; which lie out, in the road o( Bre/l harbour, and that, as tbii expedition is fuppofed to be intended for Canada^ if all the (hips were ready, yet it would not be proper to fail before the latter end of-^/r/Vj becaufe the harbour of houijhourg would not be clear of ice at their arrival : that the voyage thither is generally about forty, and fometimes fifty days J and the ufual time of departure is never before the beginning of May : therefore, if the expedition be retarded to that time, it may be concluded witli great appearance of certainty^ that it is deftined for that place ; and that, on the contrary, if any of the fhips fail fooner, their deftination may be fufpedted to be for fome other quarter."
Lord Holdernefsj about the fame time '", re- ceived advice, that in the port of Breft there were great preparations for embarking officers : that the fhips en Jiute were to carry no more than 20 or 22 guns: that there were orders fent to fit out eight more (hips of war : that there were now at Erefl thirty-five fhips, vtz> eighteen of the line from 60 to 80 guns, the others frigates and light vefTels, befides nine men of war, viz, five of the line, and four frigates on the flocks, to be launched within
""March 5th, loth, and 14th.
C 2 three
'!!,;:i
ll!;ii
[ 20]
three months : that they had been fupplicd with mads and other ftores, 36 pieces of cannon, and balls by SwediJJj veflels : that only fiine (hips of the line were ready with two thoiifand " foldiers: and that at Brujjels it was reported ten tranf- ports were alfcmbled at Calais,
On the 1 7th of March the fliips equipped at Brc/l got into the road : but the letters on the 25th faid, that they could not be able to fail before the beginning of April -y that they would endeavour to flip away, without noife, with fuc- cours to America^ and that the Duke of Mire- foixs negociation was only to gain time, till the French fhould arrive at their fettlements, and be provided to declare open war.
The advices to Lord IlolJermfs on the 29th of March, brought an account That there were fevcnteen fliips armed and equipped at Bre/l : that the reft would not be ready till the i 3th of April ; though four fliips from 60 to 64 guns, were fitted out and gone into the road : that they were victualled for fix months, and deftined for America : and that a fquadron of an equal force was equipping in that port, with five or fix firefliips, and fome bomb- ketches.
nil ;
"The advices of the 21ft confiim this embarkation to be for Canada^ and augment the number of foldiers to 3000 ; and mention another equipment to be commanded by Gtilhijjijfiiere,
April
[ 2. ]
y^prll 2i\, 1755", '^"^'' •'armament ^i Breji was carried 011 with the fame diligence ; and propofcd to be ready to fail by the 20th. No Ikp towards augmenting their land forces.
5th. Fourteen Hiips were got into the road: on which were embarked implements for throwing up or removing earth, and erefting forts; alio provifions for hidlam — deflined for Gafpcjic — and to be commanded in chief by De la Mothe ; M. Macnamara being thought too old, though certainly the beft ollicer they have ^
8th. I T Is now difcovered that fix (hips, which got into the road on the i 7th of March, had failed privately for America with troops, in the night between the 1 8th and 1 9th of the fame month : that fix others took their ftation in the road, and received on board a number of regular troops**, amongft- whom were many Scotch and Irifi officers j and that orders were iflued ^otjive more fliips to be expedited with, the utmofl diligence.
" Received by the Earl of Holdernefi on the 6th.
P See advices in Lord Holdernefi' % office, March 2lfl,
1755.
*> April 9th. Orders were fcnt for their embarkation at Brcji on this and the following days to the 13th. They in ;ill amounted to 3000 men, taken by 500 out of fix regi- ments of two battalions each; as by advice received Jpril 19th from M, Cofne.
C 3 nth.
[ 22 ]
ll
Jiii'!'; iilill!
I ith. Every thing fpeaks war at hand. The
^five new fhips of war arc all ready, and will be
in the road next week \ and M. DieJchaUy who
is to have the chief command by land in Ame^
rica^ will embark on the 1 5th.
These letters add, that there was fome talk of the Pretcnaer, and of a defccnt to be made on one of the king .loniv of Great Britain : and that there were no orders as yet gone for equip- ping a fleet at ^iGuion : which is very incon/iftent with conful Birtie's advice of the tenth of February-, and, indeed, feems to have been wrote at random j for, three days after, this fame correfpondont delivers it for fadl, that orders had been fent to Toulon for fitting out ten ihips of the line j and further adds, that the French marine armaments were expeded to be completed in a month.
1 6th. M. de Cofnc writes that the fr'^^ate La Diane had been difpatched and failed from Rochfort, on the 27th ult. to Lcuijhourg and ^ebec, with advice of the fuccours deftined for America : that eight fhips more of the line were ordered to be victualled and fit for the fea in tvvo months : that M. Macnamara had received orders to fail this day, if the wind fhould per- mit; and that the courier was ordered not
' They failed into the road on or before the i8th day, as appears by other advices.
to
f 23 ]
to return to court, till the fquadron was out at fea.
1 8th. Advices ^: ova Flanders related that there was at Brefl eleven fhips ready for fea ; but was thought they would not lail till the whole armament was completed : that the equipment at Rochfort was finifhed, and two more fixty gun fhips, and a frigate of 46 had been put into commiflion : that there were fome armed frigates at St. Maids : that each vefTel was ordered to take 330 foldiers on board: that befides the fleet then ready to fail, they were fitting out at Bre/l one 70, one 56, and one 50 gun fhip; and that there were twelve more fliips of 64 guns in that harbour, which might very eafily be made fit for fea '.
M. de Cofne is more particular ; who having by letters of the 1 5th, confirmed the intelligence of the united fleet, or fquadrons from Rochfort and Brefiy being ready to weigh anchor in Brejl road; and fent a lift inclofed of land forces^ particularly the Irifi brigade, ordered to march down to the fea coaft and to remain in garrifon at Dunkirk^ Gravcline, and Calais^ till further orders ; he, on the 1 8th, knds advice that the faid
' In order to man this fleet they were obliged to ftrip the fhips of all their failors in the merchants lervice, as appears by advices received from HoUund on the 21 ft, which faid *■ at veflcls were detained in Dunkirk for \vant of hands J the failors being obliged to repair to BrcJ}.
C 4 fleet
r i
Ill
[ *4]
fleet was then preparing to fail, and contained and was commanded, as follows;
LIST of ibe BxciifqitadrotJ, the officers, and
guns.
Ships. Captains. Guns.
Formidable, Macnamara, general desarmesnavalles, 90 Enireprenant, Du Bois de la Mothe, chef d'efcadie, 74 Bifarre, Ueros, Palmier, Alcide,
* Defperuere, ^DauphinRoyalliMontalet,
* VAlgenquir, Vilcon,
Perrier de Salvert, do.
MonluSl, do.
Beaufremont d^Ouvillers, captains, Hocquart Parcevaux, do. Beavfrier,
* Efperance, *A£iif, ^Illujirc,
* Opiniatre,
* Le Lis,
* Leopard, Amethijle,
* Apallon,
Bouville,
Chcv. de Cheaumont,
Choifeul,
Mocl'ien,
Orgerie^
St. Lazarre.
do. do. do. do. do. do. do. do. do.
Sieur du Botte, &c. lieutenants.
64
74 74 64
70 70 70
70
64
64 64 64
64 30 58 30 30 30 30
Govier, &c. do.
F/eur de Lis, Marnuic, &c. do.
Sirene, Tourville^ &c. do.
Comette, Grauy, &c. do.
Heroine, Bory, lieutenant,
*VAiguiUon, VAiguillon, he, do, 15 (hips from 80 to 64 guns. 7 frigates.
22 t Appointed for an hofpital fliip, and mounted only 26 guns.
[ 25 ]
Ships failed from Rochfort, officers and guns ^
Le Veille^ De Fountais, de Rochechamarty captain, 64
Dti Confaque Bilfyy do. 50
Rigaudiere^ do. 30
La Jonquiere De, lieutenant, 26
Guehriant rAumont VAine, captain, 64.
VAlgle, La Diane,
Fldellc, Jnflexible,
2 fhips of 64 guns.
1 of 50,
2 frigates.
Total of both ports, 18 fhips of the line. 9 frigates.
27
JV. B, Those (liips marked with * fervcd as tranfports for the troops, and only carried from 18 to 22 guns, although pierced as above. The others were completely armed, and were the convoy to the ihips for tranfporting the troops.
However, though the orders from court were fo pofitive, and every thing was ready, the wind would not permit this fleet to fail till the 3dofM7y'; of which our miniftry received
* This delay created various conjeftures ; for the public began to thinic that fome other reafon, befides contrary winds, Gccafioned it ; as appears from the advices dated May 2d.
this
'V I
CC
<C
«
1 [26]
this pofitive advice from Paris, dated May 6th. ** The Brejl fleet fet fail very early on the 3d, " with fo fair a v^ind, as to be out of fight in " a fhort time. It is generally believed, that Macnamards orders are only to convoy the fhips that fcrve as tranfports, to a certain diftance, and then to let them purfue their " voyage v^^ithout him "."
By thefe advices it is evident. Great Britain had nothing to fear from an invafion into either of its kingdoms: and that, notu^ithflanding France had a few more fhips in the ports of Brefl and Rochfort fit for fervice, they had neither failors, provifions, ordnance, nor ammu- nition, to fit them out for fea ; nor any number of veflels, capable of tranfporting an army into this ifland j had it ever fo ferioufly meditated a dcfcent in favour of the Pretender *. Why
then
il'^l
* This was confirmed by the return of M. Macnamara on May 20th, with nine fhips of the hne, having convoyed the tranfports beyond the capes, and left them to proceed to Canada with a fair wind. May 20th captain /««/V, Oitf.r Jloop^ at fea, faw nine fail of French men of war ofF UJhant going into Brejl. May 23d captain Edwards^ Difpatchy off Falmouth^ faw twenty-five fail on the 4th, vi%, twenty line of battle, two of 50, and three frigates, which came out of Brejl and feparated. The French admiral with eight fail hauled their wind. See advices to Admiralty office,
* The only intelligence, upon which the miniflry could form any idea of an invafion at this time, being the letters of Mr. Barnham from Dover to Mr. Amyandy I ihall add their contents.
On
[ 27]
tlien was there not a more powerful fleet ordered, in time, to block up, or to intercept Maa2a?/iaras convoy ? Could tlie fovereign of the feas fpare no greater force than eleven fliips of the line, and one Hoop, to defeat the embarkation for America ? Did the miniftry exert the uimofi of their power in defence of our colonies, and to maintain the dominion of the feas, when they, apprifed of the force under failing orders at Bre/i, confined their own flrength to a fqua- dron under Mr. Bofcawen, of little more than half the force; totally negleded a necellary fupply of land men ; and paid no manner of regard to the equipment of tcnj}:ips of the line at Toulon^ of which they had pofitive advice on the 14th of April', nor to the intelligence from conful Banks, on the 12th of March; which he wrote under a confirmed opinion, that there
On Feb. 1 0th, He mentions great warlike preparations daily making ; and a fiirprlzing quantity of powder brougiit in a few days to Calais, in thirty flat bottomed veflels, by the way of their canals, and more expelled.
Feb. 28th, He writes : The only intelligence this day learned from Calais is, that the troops, which were ordered from the interior parts towards the fea coaft, have received counter-orders : and that every thing at that time feemed to be very quiet at Calais.
March loth. — 6co bomb-fhells are brought into Calais^ and laid on the key : but their deftination is a profound fecret. At the fame place arc alfo arrived 60 cannoneers ; and more troops are expected. But notwithftanding this mighty warlike preparation, I cannot learn they are taking any fteps to increafe their (hipping at that place, which at prefent is very inconfiderable. See Admiralty office.
would
It
3 't
[28]
*would be a powerful expedition with land forces from that port ?
The onlyflep taken to remedy thefe egregious omiflions in the Britifh politicks ^ was to rifk fix ihips of the line and one frigate under admiral Holbourn to follow Mr. Bn/caivcn-y who did not fail till the i ith of May, when it could fcarce be thought poffible for him to efcape Macnamara^ fleet, which had failed but eight days before. And yet this was the only effort made by the Britijh miniftry for feveral months, to countcradl thevigorous armaments of the whole naval power of France,
■ ;i
The account of the Br eft fleet's being failed, was foon after feconded by advices of more equipments in that port, Rochfort and Toulon, On the 13 th of Mzy our intelligence from Paris mention more preparations of the marine at Breji and Rochfort ; and alfo a fquadron fome- where to be commanded by GalaJ/ioiiiere, The letters of the 23d are more explicit : they inform that^-u^ more fhips were put in commiflion at Rochjnrfy and that there was a frigate fitting out at St.Malo's^: xh^it Macnamar a was returned into the port o^ Br eji on the 20th, with nine ihips, viz,
'^ Paper B. i. in Lord Holdermfs's office.
The
[ 29 ]
The Formidable^ 90 \
HeroSy 74
Palmier^ 74
Tnjiexible^ 64
Veilky 64
-%/^, 5<^
Frigates, Amethijl^ 30
Heroine y 30 *
and that there were in ^r^y? harbour thirteea fliips of the line, and four frigates ; befides eight fhips of the line, and four frigates more fitting out J and to be joined by four Ibips from Jf^o<:A- fort.
M. de Cofne on the 28th of May writes, that thefe nine fliips were vidtualling for fix months : and that he believed they would fail only to cruife about the Streights mouth off of Gibral- tar : and that they accordingly fet fail on the fourth of June J under the command of M. Du
* Thefe were not expeded to return fo foon. They con- voyed the divifions of M. de la Mothe^ and of M. de Salvert^ to the firfl: meridian. The (hips armed enjiutes were deftined for Canada, r.nd to land in Gajpey-bay, in order to make divernon towards Acadia, at the fame time that the troops on the Ohio advance on the fide of Virginia, See B. 2. In Lord HoldernejW office. M. de Cofne adds. Thefe tranfports, after landing the troops at Lowjbourg, will return full armed, having flowed the reft of their guns as ballaft : and Macnamara has orders to meet them,
I Guay^
I
:. I
[ 30 ]
Guay^ Chef i'Efcadre, M. Macnamara being ill of the gout : their deftination remaining a pro- found fecret, they kept cruifing in the Atlantic ocean, near the Streights of Gibralta?', till they entered the port of Cadiz ^.
In the mean time, the lords commiflioners of the Admiralty received advice from captain Buckle of the Unicorn, dated May 9th, in Genoa- mole, that eleven days before, there had been orders publifhed by beat of drum, for failors to repair to Toulon : and that orders were likewife fent to TouloUy to fit out all the (hips in that harbour.
May 30. Captain Scroope writes from Villas franca^ that he had feen Jive {hips of 60 and 70 guns in Hieres-bay, And the advices to Lord Holdernefsy of the 5th ©f June, fpecify an order for equipping the following (hips of the Hne and frigates,
Le Temcraire, 74
EfperancCj 70
Efprity 70
Lion, 64
Sage, 64
Orphee, 64
Rjfe, 36
PomonCy 30
Atlante, 30
y When this fleet returned from Cadiz about the begin- ning of Augiiji, M. Du Guay left tour frigates in that port. See advices to die Jdmiralty from Gibraltar, dated Aug. 26.
inde-
li^'^ri'
t3i]
independant of four frigates and nine gallies, which they were already at work upon, and ]uft finiflied, when thefe orders arrived j and not to be employed againft Gorfairs. Yet Mr. ViU lettes writes from Bern, on the 8th of Jujie^ that hitherto there was not a fhip of war fitting out at Toulon ; nor the leafl order for the troops in Daiiphine^ Langucdoc, nor Provence^ to move or to keep in readinefs.
The armament at Rochfort, by advices of the 2 1 ft of June to Lord Holdernefs, was con- tinued : three fhips of the line and one frigate being then equipping in that port: but they add, that nothing was doing to the eight ihips ordered to be equipped at Brejl, that fhewed any defign of .putting either thefe, or thofe at Rochfort foon to fea : for, though they might be furniflied with failors out of the Indiamen^ and other (hips lately arrived, they were in want of cannon.
^uly I ft. The advices to Lord Holdernefs brought an account of five fliips at Brejl almoft fitted, with part of their crews on board ; five more in great forvvardnefs, and five more at Rochfort, in all fifteen fail: that there were many regular battalions quartered about Breft, but no talk of an embarkation : that du Quays inftrudtions were to cruize on the coaft of For- tugal to favour the return of la Mothe and Sal^ vert, in cafe of bad news from America : that
they
f 32 J
they had at Toulon twenty- eight fliips, which might be eafily put to fea ; and pkniy of ?iaval /lores and artillery : and that faiiors belonging to nine fliips then careening and rigging had orders not to go out of the way without leave.
The intelligence received on the ift of July 1755, from Mr. FilleUeSy our refident at Ge?ieva, mentioned a report, that a confiderable number of pilots had been ordered to bring home twelve large men of war, built for the fervice of France in the ports of Sweden ; and that they were to bring in them a vafl quantity of iron cannon 5 which he prefumes may not be entirely fadl : however, other letters confirm this account, and fpecify the number of cannon to be 6000 pieces, bought in Sweden i and further fay, that twelve more fhips were building in that kingdom for the French King : concluding with this obler- vation, " this may be exaggerated : but it feems
at leaft that they intend to make attacks on
more than one fide, and that they move more
than one fpring."
<c
cc
cc
The Fre?icb court about this time was making detachments from the militia to be fent to the Eajl Indies : and though there were ten fliips at Bre/ly in a condition to be fitted out on the firft notice, and five at JRochfort, they were not intended to fail till it was known what had pafTed in America.
Thus,
r33]
Thus, it appeared that the whole attention of the French councils was taken up with their American interefl, or at lead to favour the return of their fliips from Canada ; and that Britain had nothing to fear of an invalicn, from any preparation at Brejl cr its neighbouring ports.
But, though it was conf-'^med by letters to Lord Holdcrnels, dated Jidy 19th, and received on the 2 2d, that no fliips were fitting out at Brell'y and that they were equipping with ex- pedition nine fliips at Toulon ; with orders for the failors not to depart from thence ; the Britifh minidry contented themfelves with fending Sir Edward Haivkey on the 24th of yufyyto cruize till September^ only to endeavour to intercept Du Guays fquadron in its return from Cadi-z; or any fhips which might efcape the vigilance of Mr.' Bojcawcn^ and attempt to recover any port in France : his whole force being no more than twenty-one fhips of the line, and five frigates : whereas, if there was any credit to be given to our intelligence, it was probable that hs might have met with DuGnays fquadron of ten (hips, joined by five fliips from Rocbfort, ten fhips from Brell^ and the ten fhips in their return from America *. By which it appears that this
■ By advices in Lord Holder>iefs's ofScc, ynly 15th and 19th, there were about 12,000 men quartered about Dunkirk ; but it was thoii2;ht l>y thofc, who save this inrormation, that this was done purely to give umbrage to England,
D fleet
*f i
[ 34]
fleet was commanded upon a very hazardous fcrvice, and all the advices concerning the naval preparations in the Mediterranean were difrc- garded.
Sir EdwarJw:is no fooner got to Tea, than our miniftry were informed by good authority, that the armament at Bre/i of eight fhips was forwarding with all expedition ; that /o«r more were ordered ; in all twelve, 'viz. five of the line, and fcven frigates from 30 to 50 guns*: and that in cafe their navy was found infufficient to cope with England^ the French were determined to have recourfe to their armies. Accordingly, on the third of Auguft^ advice arrived that the baggage of the Prince de Souhife was packing up to be tranfported from Lijle to Dunkirk j that M. DeCremilley lieutenant-general, was marched to Dunkirk^ at the head of 20,000 men; and that they were at work night and day in that port repairing the fortifications '' and opening the harbour, in order to make an embarkation, as they pretended ; but rather to draw the £«- glifijorces to that fide. And letters of the 1 5th and I9tb add, that great preparations for war were making on the French frontiers : that the troops were in motion in the inner part of the
» There were alfo three (hips from 67 to 70 guns, and two frigates of 36 guns building at the fame time in that port. See advices dated July 25th and 28th.
*» Building new forts, and mounting cannon on the Rtjbank, Sec ditto, dated Auguji 3d, 6th, 8th, and i ith,
kingdom.
[35 ] kingdum, and the regiments had orders to aug- ment every battalion with four companies ; That thefe armaments, and the cnH(ting even boys of fourteen or fifteen years of age, difcovcped a defign in the French to begin the war with fome great jlroke : but that at Dunkirk there was no talk of equipments for an tjiva/ion % nor even of the Pretender ^ Yet Mr. Barnham writes from Dover on the 31ft of the fame month, that 5000 failors were ordered to Bre/l again ft the 17th of September, and that all the fiftnng- boats at Dieppe^ were ordered to fail to Boulogne and Calais \
The equipments in the port of Toulon, which hitherto had been carried on with more artifice, began now to appear openly, and to keep pace with the encampments facing the BritiJ): lliore, formed merely to give umbrage ^0 the English, and with the motion and augmentation of their
' Though the fame advices add, that there were at that time fixty-threevcflels of different fizcsin the harbour: that the militia was ordered to be in readinefs : and that a camp was taliced of, to be formed between 67. Omer'sy Dunkirk^ and Calais.
■* Letters of the 27th mention, that the marines were augmented to 50 men in a company ; that camps were forming at Valenccy Richmont^ and Sambre : That the Pretender had been in France ever fince the 28th of July incog. But that there was no hurry at Breji^ to fit out ftiips in a condition for fervice, which greatly furprized the people.
' It Is fomewhat remarkable that this intelligencer gained more credit than any other advices, which by their fitua- tion, ^t. were more likely to come at the truth.
D 2 troops.
\' t
^ : !^
t*
Ill
« .:
kill,
,:'»}
[ 3H
troops. For the letters of the 6th of Augujl declare expixilly, that orders had been fent to Toulon to equip, with all expedition^ all the new iliips, and to get the oU ones alfo in a condition for fervice : that thefe orders were then purfued with great diligence, and that they were to take on board feveral companies of land forces befides marines. They further advifed, that fince the arrival of two exprelles at Tculon ; which had caufed the holding of two extraordinary councils attended by the principal officers of the marine, the hands, which were at work in fitting out the nine fhips there, were doubled, andj/?y other fhips of the line put in commiffion, and ordered to be equipped with the former nine, fo as to be able to put all the fifteen fail to fea before the 1 8th or 20th o^ j^uguft^ and to be vidualled only for three months. Which letter concludes : ** Though the deftinaiion of this fquadron is not *' known, it is generally conjcdtured to be in- ** tended againfl Gihralta?^ : but be that as it " will, never was a greater hurry in that port *' than at prefent '."
At the fame time it ought to be obfsrved, that we had no force in thofe feas to prevent
' Is it not wtry extraordinary that capt. Edgecombe of the Deptford^ fhoul'd write from Mahon, on the yth of Augujl .^ that he had received advice from Mar jellies^ that there were no orders arrived at Toulon on the ift, for fitting out the fhips in that port j and that there v/as great want of naval Itores, and that there was not fufRcient artillery. Received by the Admiralty^ Sept. i6. Is
Du
[27]
Du Guays Iquadron, which did not fail from Cadiz till the beginning of Augufty from joining the fquadron at 1. onion.
Lord Briflol, in his letters to Lord Holder^ nefs^ dated Tio'in, Augujl 1 6th, in part confirms the preparations at Toulon, Kis Lordfhip writes, that all the mafter- builders were commanded to repair immediately from the ports oi Proveficey &c. to Toulon J and that a body of 20,000 French troops were preparing to form a camp at Faience IP DaiipL'Uie : bat ad;^.s, that nothing had hitherto been done towards equipping any of their ihips. However, ou the 23d his Lord- /l]ip advifes, that there were twenty fliips large and fmall at Toulon ; bat there was not ardllery fufficient to equip them, and that no orders were as yet iflbed for enlifting of failors in that port. And on the 30th of the fame month, *-he fame noble Lord writes, that rai exprefs had arrived the week before at Toulon from Verfailles^ with orders to equip with the utmofl: expedition
Is it not more furpriz/mg that Mr. ViUettes from Bcrn^ OH the i6th o{ Augujl^ (hould v/ritc that he was informed that no armament or zvarlike preparation:^ were as yet mak- ing in the ports o'i J^rovence : excepting a few Tartans^ which were ordered to fail to caution the French home- ward bound merchantmen to be upon their guard ? Or is it poffible to think, that this information fnould defjrvc, or meet with, more credit in the Briiif) cabinet, than the pofitive, circumftantial, and, if negleilcd, the deflruftive advice of the 6th of the fame month to the Secretary's office ?
i I
! ; i
D3
fc-^Ck-
r ^ —
■I' •
I >
' ■II
'4' '}
m
h '
[ 38 ]
fersenteen flilps : and that he was informed they were already at work to expedite this armament, and had taken off all hands from the merchant- men building, &c. m the neighbouring dock^ yards.
Xhese advices were confirmed by conful BirtleSy who by letters of the lafl: date, writes that letters from Nice, of the 25th oi Auguli^ advifed, that a courier was arrived at Toulon for the intendant to fit oni [event een fhips with the utmoji diligence 5 and that a vefTel was arrived, in four days, from Mar fei lies at Genoa, which con- firmed that orders had been received for equip- ping (Lips at Toulon,
Cor UL Cahanis, by letter to Sir Thomas Ro* bin/on, dated Nice, Augufl 25, writes that the French were augmenting their land forces, and ad:ually recruiting in Languedoc and Provcfice : that the laft pofl brought orders to Toulon for equipping feventeen fail of men of war j that next day they did 'csgin to infpedl them : and that he was ajfured by very good hands y the jntendant had fent immediately for all the cornfa^ors from Marjeilles and the adjacent parts.
To this armament IsAx.VilletteSi by letters from Bern, dated Auguft 28th, adds three new built 80 gwn fliips, purchafed of the Genoefe^
and
[ 39 ]
and expelled fooii at Toulon ^, He alfo mentions tlie preparations making for aflembling a camp at Valence in Dauphine : and that it appeared to him, there would be nothing undertaken on the continent this year, 1755, ^^^^ ^^^^^^ trading vefTeis, and feamen employed in the fifheries, were returned, and that in the mean time they would make fuch necefTary preparations, during the winter, as would enable them to purfue early in the fpring thofe meafures, which their cir- cum fiances, and the dignity of the crown of France, might require.
From Carthagena^ conful Banks, in his letters of the 2oth and 27th of Augujl, is ftill more explicit : *' Mafters of French vefTels from 7w/- ** Ion, fays he, report that there are in that port " twenty-fix men of war of the \m<^,'viz, eighteen " new fhips built fince the peace, and eight old
8 But, in order to lefTen the opinion of this equipment, we find ir. a former letter from this gentleman dated Augnji 20th, the following account of the ftate of the marine at Toulon '■ They have, fays he, built at Toulon, fince the ** peat^ >•■ ^here are upon the flocks, in all fourteen fhips '* or fuv lii rs They may, perhaps, fit ten more old ones : ** they, who exaggerate, fay eighteen. But there are only " 3000 failors in that department, including old men and <' children: they have neither cannon, ropes, nor materials "to make any ; which they hoped to have gotten from " Sweden and Denmark : but thofe ftates have not thought ** it convenient to fupply them. And fhould it be true, ** that they have purchafed three fhips of the Geneoje; thofe " ft- : will want both cannon and failors." See the ad- vicw;> c" July J ft.
P4
ii
ones.
!i!
re cc
C(
({ cc «( <c cc
(C
cc cc
[ 40 ]
ones, which are all fitting for fea : alfo twelve frigates, and a great many fmaller veflels, which are in like manner fitting out 3 befides ifix fhips of the line on the flocks ; feme of which are ready for launching : That he had received intelligence of 180 battalions of foldiers marching into RotiUillon with great diligence, and that thefe troops were defigned again fl Minorca, to be tranfported thither in merchant-fliips now at Alarjeilles, and to be convoyed by all (* c men of war in the port of Toulon.''
Whilst thefe preparations were going for- ward in the fouth oi France againft Minorca^ the French miniflry, by their emifliiries in Hol- land ^ &c. and their movements on the coafts of the BritiJJj chimncl, and even fometimes by counter orders at Toulon ^ endeavoured efFed:'jaily to draw off the attention of Britain from the main objed;. For,
At the Hague It was reported, Augufl 29, that there would be an embarkation of troops at Boulogne^ Calais, and Dunkirk, in order to make a defcent in Scotland*
Mr. Baniham from Dover, Augufl 3ifl, Im- proves the Dutch intelligence by informing (but God knows upon what authority !) that there was a talk in France that 5000 failors were ordered to Bre(l againfl the 17th of the next
month,
[4> ]
month, and that all fifliing-boats at Dieppe were ordered to fail for Boulogne and Calais-, that there were four regiments of the Irijlj brigade at Boulogne^ and more troops expeded there. Then he adds : " "^^efterday there arrived at ** Calais a dopger in her ballafl, as has done " wit^'n thefe few days three or four fiii^ill boats: " what Icrvice they intend them for, is kept a " fccret : but, no doubt, they would have us " believe, that they dcfign playin?; us their old ** game, with which they amufed us in the laft
" warV*
They managed their proceedings at Toulon and in that neighbourliood, at the fame time, fo artfully, that Mr. Villeties^?iV\(\ Lord Brifloly could fcarce be induced to give any credit to the intel- ligences they hitherto had tranfmitted to London, And the modern panic of an invafion fo effec- tually concurred to favour the politics of France, that, notwithflanding the miniftry of Great Britain were well informed, by letters of the 29th of Aiigii/i, *' that the French miniftry were ** never more perplexed : that though they were *' angry, they were divided in their fentiments ; *' that councils upon councils were held ; but •* nothing had been refolved on : and that, though *^ an invafion oiFngland had been talked of, the *' prefent fituation of France had, upon exami- <* nation, been found very different from that in ♦♦ J745 j" they fuffered themfelves to be amufed, *» See before advices of the 27th of AugujU
3 and.
W :'■
,'iiii
Am !'
[ 42 ]
and, by difcrcditing their corrcfpondents in I^a/y, Spatn, and the fouth of Prance, negleded our trade and property in the Mediterranean and America, and every other obje(ft of our care, to watch the execution of a fcheme, not fo well attefled, and much more hazardous for the enemy to attempt. Even fo far did this negli- gence take place in our councils, that not an officer was ordered to his corps in garrifon, nor a iliip of war to intimidate the Totdon fquadron, or to cover our fortrefTes and navigation from the infults of the enemy in the Mediterranean,
The month of September produced more pofitive accounts of the loidon fquadron, and Its deftination.
SjR Benjamin Keene our minifter plenipo* at Madrid, on the firft of this month, tranf- mitted to Sir Ihomas Rohinfon an authentic lift of the fleet at Toulon,
H
2 of 84 50^74
8 of 64
3 0^56
2 of 40
7 of^3o 2 of 24
The L I S T.
guns.
one wants confiderable refitting.
the Valliant will be launched the end
of next month, one refitting will be foon finifhed, one
wants confiderable refitting, one not fit to ferve any longer, two outjOneon flocks, two fcarce begun.
1 bomb
[ 43]
3 bomb veflels.
4 xcbecks at fea.
I of i4 guns not fit to ferve any more.
37 which only want cannon,
Lettei s of the fame date, and received at the Admiralty from MarfeiUeSy on the 1 9th of September y advifed that orders had been fent on the 29th ult. to Toulon ^ to fit out with all ex- pedition twelve men of war, viz. one of 80, three of 74, feven of 64, and one of 50 ; that they had begun to work hard, and that it was expeded they would be ready to put to fea in two months; befides /^-u^w others, which might be equipped for fervice againft the fpring.
On the fame day the fecretary of the Admi- ralty received information from captain Harvey of the Phoenixy dated Genoa^ Sept, 3d, that the French had at Toulony in all twenty-eight fail great and fmall, and that thirteen of the Hne, four frigates, and fix xebecks were fitting out for fea with great expedition. Amongft the remainder, he adds, are four large new fhips j which prove fo leaky that they do not attempt to fit them. There is a great want of guns, 900, upon proving, being found unfit for fervice, or wanting : and a great fcarcity of failors : but 6000 are expeded home in the Levant fhips. The captain then confirms the intelligence of the purchafe of three (hips at Genoa : but con-
I eludes
m
[44 J
eludes with this remark, " I have been on board, ** and find en fi'iter for a Brazil convoy, or " a Mi 'an- "irgo of timber, than a line of «* battle."
'!■!!
IP 1 1 !
h'l'
Six days after, the fame captain writes from Villa-franca^ that the coi.iui at Nice^ and the agent at MarfeilleSy had confirmed the intelli- gence of the 3d, and fent the following account of the armament at Toulon^ viz,
17 of 60 to 80, of which 3 incapable of fervice.
8 frigates of 20 to 40. •I frigate of 40 expeded hourly from uimerica*
6 xebecks.
5 before Sallee expedled.
4 galleys fit, the reft incapable,
I Slip of 80 upon the ftocks.
4 others little advanced.
44 in all, including 4 bombs and 2 firefhips.
N. B, Twelve fhips of the line, and four firigates, fitting with all expedition.
On the 13th, Mr. Birtles conful at Genoa^ confirms by letters from Marfeilles of the 5th of September y as alfo by a vefTel arrived in three days at Genoa from T^oulon^ that they were equipping twelve fhips of the line, and four frigates, in that port 5 and inclofed the following lift in French,
■'«f.*sS
Noms
I 4S 1
Noms des *vaijfeaux de guerre qui ou armi a . Toulon.
' Bi
< m\
|
Foudroyanty |
80 guns. |
|
Guerrier, |
74 |
|
Redoubtable, |
74 |
|
Couronne, |
74 |
|
Achtlle^ |
64 |
|
Triton^ |
64 |
|
Liofiy |
64 |
|
iocige. |
64 |
|
OrpUe, |
64 |
|
Content^ |
64 |
|
Kercule^ |
64 |
|
Tiery |
50 |
|
9 |
800 guns in all. |
With four frigates.
From 7'«r/« Lord J5r^o/ informed Sir nomas Robin/on, by letter dated the 6th of the fam« ' month, that all the marines in France were recruiting, and that cannon were mounting on the batteries : and on the 20th tranfmitted the following account of the maritime force of France in the Mediterranean.
State
,1 if
r
ill i 1
€
[46]
Siafe of the maritime force of France ifi the Mediterranean, on the 20th oj Sept. 1755.
15 fhips from 66 to 80 guns, one of 80 leaky, others of bad wood, which will foon want refitting, when been at Tea. 2 quite unfit for fervice.
1 of 80 guns upon the flocks, ordered to be
launched in OSloher^ but cannot be got ready this year.
2 of 60 to 70 guns upon the (locks, one of
which only the keel laid, the other not much forwarder. 8 frigates of 24 to 40 guns fit for fervice.
1 frigate of 36 guns expedted from America^ 4 xebecks on a cruize off Sallee,
Thefe five expedled every day at Toulon. 4 bomb ketches.
2 fire-(hips. 4 galleys fit for fervice.
2 flrong large floops, equipped with 20 men, — and a culverin of 36 pounds : with which 45 it is propofed to fink the enemy's (hips, by
running upon them and making their fire
between wind and water.
N, B, The firing of this piece of cannon is very quick ; as it is replaced immediately, by means of a fpring, as foon as fired.
To this was added a particular lift of the fea forces *:hen getting ready at Toulon^ 'viz.
I The
}
'W
[ 47]
r The Foudroyant of 80 guns.
1 1 from 66 to 70 guns.
12 fliips of the line.
To complete which fquadron, fays my Lord, they want Hoo pieces of cannFon, and 10,000 men, including failors, troops, and officers j there being only cannon enough for lower tiers, and fcarce enough for the fecond and third tiers : that they depended on Genoa for a fupply of artillery, to be brought to Toulon in three large Ihips, if approved of by a captain of a man of war, the mafler founder, ^c, gone to examine and prove the fliips and cannon : that the new levies for completing the four companies, and to augment the companies of marines from fifty to an hundred men were continued : that the delays in fitting out the fleet had been occafioned by the great fcarcity of money : but that twenty- four millions were now afligned to pay the ex- pence of this armament ; and that orders were arrived to pay fix months wages to the work- men, ^c.
His Lordfliip then concludes, that as there was no commanding officer as yet appointed to the eight fhips in commiffion ; it was not poffible to guefs at the deflination of that fquadron : but that, in confequence of an order from court, dated the third of this month, they were employed diligently in getting ready
twenty-
1 1
!^. ^J;
l*:ii i
.>
mi
m
[ 48 ]
twenty-five thoufand quiiiials of bifcuit for Its ufe '.
T II F flimc noble Lord, by difpatches of the 27th of the ihmc month, further adds, that by orders arrived at Mar fei lies on the I'T^ih^four new men of war from 60 to 70 guns, were immediately to be built under the dircdion of the Marquis de Roufc : tliat he was well afTured, they had received eighteen millions of livres at ^oiilofi^ lad week : that every artificer in that port, at Marjcilles^ and in that neighbourhood, were employed continually to get all^ the fliips and frigates ready for fea, by the end o^Otlober, That they had already got fix thou j and framen in readinefs, and that they expccfted a fupply of jour thoufand more in a very (hort time. And,
' Capt. Sc>'oopc of the Dolphin^ by letter of the 22d of September^ dated at ^'^illa-Jrunca^ repeats the very lame intelHgence.
•'On Sept. 19th, advices from the Hague confirmed this equipment at Toulon, and inclofcd the following lift of fliips ordered to be in readinefs at that port, v/x . I of 80 guns,")
^. rV^ ^ and two frigates.
I of 50 J
12
It is very pofliblc, he adds, that the intcndant of the marine may have received orders from court to prepare a fquadron of as many Ihips as are fit for fervice : But that none of the letters mentioned above take notice that any fupply of rigging and artillery, which was alfo greatly wanted, has of late been imported at Toulon from abroad.
i 49 1
as captain Scroopc had obfervcJ by letter, of Sc'pi, 2 2(1, that thcfc fhips were Co bad as not be fit for long cruizes, it was mod natural to conclude their deflination mud be for fome expedition «o/ bcvou(fi^Q IStrcizbts, ^fGibraliar,
■••• ^ ' ■• ■■ •• ♦ -, • *" ■ ,''«
Mv Lord HoUcrnefs^ about the fame tiii^e,
received advice, that the Count de Gramjnont
was gone pn the ,26th of Augujl t;o Genoa y to
examiney^wr fhips of the hue ; offered on Tale
to the court of France : that the Genoefe had
alfo offered to fupply thcai with 5 or 600
iC^nnon : that at Toulou they worked incejjantly
in building new fliips : that they were able
^o fit out ten or twelve Ihips of the line,^^x-
clufive of frigates, //; a very Jlm-t time^ \J,icn-
eyer orders flipuld come for that purpofe : 'and
ye^ this advifer pretends to lay, that there we^c
po.(irtfiaments yzv making at ,T<?w/i?;/k^ ^ ,,,).. ,,
: ^'jIjLetters of thp 2^d, 27th, and 30tli to the
fame office difii^pver that th£ . ^ow/*?'^ , fcjuadrgn ^ ,>yas;to be cpnvp^ndjed by yi^.GalaJjionicre : and
th^t th? officers of t% i'oulon department, .who , had /l?een exercifing on board of Du Guay's
fquadron, which had returned to Brefi^ on the • third inflant, were ordered to repair to their
proper fervice j and that they were accordingly . returned to that depanmcntJ^-.-':-''^ .-;:.-j.i"
''■ Mr. Villettes, by letters of the 20th dated from Bern^ writes that feveral letters affure that
.»
E
pre-
Ri
Mi
fk
lis .
t 5° ]
preparations were making at Toulon for fitting out twelve (hips of the line and Jix frigates : but, according to his ufual method, endeavours to deflroy the force of that intelligence, by de- claring, contrary to the moft particular and au- thentic accounts from Sir Benjamin Kecne^ Lord ^ Briftol, and others of great capacity, penetration, and veracity, that he fancied it was more than they really kad in that port in a condition to put to fea. ■
.-\
:,'..i oJ
How can the adhering to fach advice ha reconciled with the total negledl of the intelli- gence dated 2 id Sept. and received by the Ad^ viiralty on the i ith of OSfober^ " that eightfeen . " millions of livres had been received at Toulon "" to fit the fquadron to fea : that they worked ' *^'^"*night and day to complete "their orders by '* the end of next month: that the line 'bf " battle was one of 80, three of 74, eight of 64, '" in all carrying 8, 1 4 guns, befides two frigates: ^*** that there were (tipped' 6000 failors, ■ and ■^ ** 4000 more were hourly expecled, and that ""they had got 1400 brafs arid iron cannon".' ■'"■y- . ..■ ':.'■■' While
.■< > 1 • .' ".. :- L-.. 1 ••-?•"• ' ■ -:■
'They prefltd all the carpenters iii the country. See . advices received b.y Lord HoUlrmcjs^ Sept. 27th.
•" Letters of the 29th from the Hime quarter, confirmed tl\e flate of the maritime force oi France \\\ ii\e. Mediturranedn : that they were fitting twelve (hips of the line at Toulon^ to be commanded by Galajfiowere : that thefe fhJps would ba ready in fix weeks : and that they would be fvble to put fcven or eight more to fea in the fpring. Jdvices to the Admiralty. Conful
[ 51 ]
While thefe armaments were expediting at Houlon^ the French^ knowing the foible of their neighbours, to be terrified with every motion they fliould make on the coaft of the channel, played off their old political engine of an inva- fion fo effedually, that they dampt the Britijh fire, which, a few months before, had threatened deflrudtion to the navigation of Francej and made the miniftry fo cool, that they feemed unconcerned what became of the important tenures of their mafter's crown in the Medi- terraneafi.
jeft
m: to bo
)Ut
he iful
For, whether by their emiiTarie^, or by artful devices, the nation was alarmed Vv'ith frequent reports of an intended defcent upon England^ which pretence was heightened in proportion to the accclerr^tion of the real exped.tion deter- mined 2igd\nii Mi?iorca.
About this time, Great Britain rang with the armaments making by the French on the coafl of Britany. Advices to Lord Holderncfs brought an account of twelve millions being applied to
Conful Cabnnis gives this armament another turn : he acknowledges that there was an order at Toulon to arm feventcen men of wnr, but adds, that order had been changed ; and the arming no more than twelve fhips of the line, was, ivithout doiilt^ owing to the bad condition they found their fliips in, and their want of artillery, which was not to be bought at Gaica. See his letter dated Sep. J 5th, received Oct. 4th.
E 2 the
11 ill''
I
I'i
'll'' !,
lii
*
Pi
I'
[ 52 ]
the fevvlce of the marine of the Brefl depart- ment ; of orders for putting the coail: of Britmiy and hclk-ijle in a good pofture of defence; of a number of vcfTcIs of different fizes ordered to Dii'ikirk) Calais^ and Bonlopie -, of twenty-four fhips at Bourdeaux to be vidlualled for the tranf- portation of troops, " and of the arrival of Bticklefs, Sal/ey's^ and Og/evies regiment at 6r near Boulogne : Keith's regiment at Graveline^ and the Royal Scotch at St. Ome/s, under ofdtrs 10 be at Calais on the third of OSiober,
Letters of the 13th of September were more particular. They pretend to give infor- triation of the ° Pretenders being then at Paris ^ atid of a.i embarkation on the coaft of Britany fbr Scotland. They mention the taking of the hlandford man of war : and the return of Du Quays fquadron from Cadi% on the third of this month : they give a lift of the eight following fliips,
f.. . .
" See advices In Lord Holdcmefsh o^qq, dated Aug. 21, received Sept. 6th and loth.
• ° A vefll'l arrived in twenty-four days from Louijboiirg with advice, that M. de Mothe had taken an Englijh man of war of 70 guns, and a frigate : that the French troops were well at Lou'i/bourg ; and that their fquadron only waited for a ftrong gale to difpcrfc the Englijh^ that they might return to Europe. Other letters of the 16th mention a report of the Pretender's arrival at Paris on the 24th of Augujl : but conclude with faying, that this report wanted eonfirtiuitlon.
-•■■• 2 Soldi
'If j
III,
|
1 S3 1 |
|
|
Soleil Royaly of |
. 80 guns. |
|
CourageuXy . |
70 |
|
Biatjhi/anf, |
64 |
|
Protbee, |
64. |
|
Superbe, |
70 |
|
Halciofiy |
i6 . |
|
Amphion, |
5<? |
|
Arc en Ciely |
50 |
ordered to be equipped with all expedition for fea ; befides eight more of the line equipping at Rochefort, and the St. Michael^ then careening ; and declare that they were raifing foldiers, and failors, every where : that thirty-four velTels were ftopt at Dunkirk, Grd-vellnt\ and Calais. to ferve in cafe of need, and that at St. Omcrs they were bufy in making fafcines and pickets ''.
Advices dated Sept, 19th, confirmed the report of an embarkation intended for Scotland-, and related a prohibition laid upon failo: '^'oni navigating ; an order for the Bre/l fquadroii to continue in the road, and for laying an embargo
P Sept. loth. It was given out,fuys my Lord Hoidernefs''s correfpondent, that an embarkation would be made at Boulogne, Calais, and Dunkirk; bccaufe it is faid tlic fliips, u hich were to return from the iflands, could not pafs, being prevented by the Englijh : ana t^.cj enr/vavour to make it iielicved as if they had a ?riind to wake a dejccnt in Scotland, to give a diverfion to the Englijh, that they may^ by that means, have a way open to fend fuccours to the (IFvjl) Indies. In the mean time, the garrifoii at Boulogne has orders to keep itfelf in read.'nefs.
E3
on
IP
■il!^!'
life''' '
1^ i
^13
[ 54 ]
on all Hiipplng ; and, informed the miniftry that the French were prefling forward the works at Dunkirk,
" The chain at Dunkirk was laid but once *' in the evening of the i2th of September, '* The next day an order was affixed at the port, '* permitting foreign velTels to go in and out of " the harbour freely, but forbidding French " vefi'els to go out.
Garrifon at Dunkirk^
Bery St. IVtnnox,
Graveh'ney
Ca/aisy Companies of marines,
Boulogne,
Montrevily
" iV. B, The fixteen battalions and eighteen ** fqiaadrons, which came from the camp " at Barlemonfy are cantoned, waiting for " the affignment of their winter quarters \"
However, there could be nothing fo terrible in all thefe appearances as to engage the whole attention of the Brittfi miniftry, and our chief flrength at fea to wait upon their motions : For other letters on the thirtieth of the fame month informed, that though all the grenadiers in the Flemijh garrifons had orders to be ready to
^ See advices in Lord Hsldernefs\ office, dated Sept. 27th, 1755.
march.
8 battalions. 2 ditto. 2 ditto. 4 ditto. 2
4 I
[ 55]
march, and the troops at Dunkirk were ilill encamped, the infantry had begun t^eir march into winter quarters, and the cavalry were gone for Brita?2)\ Franche-comtc^ a^id Burgundy,
A NATURAL difpoiltlon for covering their own coafts againft a defccnt from Britain : but very improper to be interpreted a difpofition for invading an iflandi whofe bulwarks are the ocean, and whofe cities and towns are without walls and fortifications. Had the French ever intended to invade us, they would have kept their infantry on the coaft, and not their ca- valry.
I SHALL conclude the intelligence of this month with another letter in Lord HoIJerneJs's office, which relates the order from the French court to releafe the Blaj^dford man of war : as alfo an account that the officers belonging to the Toulon fleet, and were ferving on board Du Guays were commanded to repair with all ex- pedition to their department. " Whence, fays this correfpondent, " fome conclude that M. *' Du Guays will be laid up, and that fome of " thofe fliips will be joined to the eight ordered " to be equipped at Brejf."
This is a true ftate of the French armaments both by fea and land till the end of September IJSS' ^y which it appears without any dif- guife, that a confiderable fquadron was fitting
E 4 out
y
'!■ il
ii '
ji«;h
fm
I).
[ 56 ] '
out with greit diligence at Toulon ; that they had ah'eady 6000 failors, and hourly expected 4000 more : that an army was adually ready to cm- bark oh board tranfports to be convoyed by this fquadron, v id u ailed on/y for two months : and that every rational meafure was taken by the French court to expedit and fupport this equip- ment in the Mediterranean : but that the only appearance of hoftilities in the northern pro- vinces of France amounted to no more than the return of Du Gnays fquadron to Breji ; where it was laid up : a report that the Pretender was arrived at FariSy which was not credited even by thofe who thought it their duty to tranfmit all the intelligence they could fcrape together: a talk of an invafion of England or Scotland^ whicli was grounded upon the trifling circum- ftances of foldicrs, &c, drawn down to cover their own fhore from a furprize: of a few veffels colleded at Havre, Dieppe, Bourdeaux, &c, without confidering the iltuation of France, which now was very different from that in 1745 : and a fquadron of eight fhips ordered to be equipped at Bre/I, and of eight more at Roch- fort. Yet our mini dry, as if they had forgot, or Were refolvcd to facritice the important for- trelTes of Glhrnhar or Mahon, and the Britifli trade and navigation through the Streights, took not the lead Hep towards fecuring them from the apparent iniult and ruin, to which they were cxpofed from tlie armaments at Toulon, They did not fo much as dlfpatch a foldier or
an
g#!/:if
[57 I
an offirer to flrengthen their garrifons, nor a floop cf war to protcdt their trade. Their whole attention being engaged to fruftrate the dif- creditcd advices of a defcent on this ifland ; as will more fully appear from the following lifts, which will at one view exhibit all his Majefty's fhips of war, or fquadrons of fuch fhips as were equipped and made ready for the fea, from the firft day of Aiigiijl 175'J, to the firft day of OBober 1755, and of fuch of the fliips therein named, as were ordered to be formed into or to reinforce particulai" fquadrons within the faid term of time.
Ad mi rally 'Office, March 19, 1757.
A LIST of all his Majefty's fhips of war, or fquadrons of fuch fhips as were equipped and made ready for fea, from the firft day o^ Auguft 1755, to the 30th day oi Aprils 1756. •. ' ■
Prepared in purfuance of an addrefs of the honourable houfe of commons to his Majefty, dated 8th February, 1757.
rate, fhips names, guns. men.
2 Ramillies^ 90 750
3 Vanguard, 70 520 3 Effex, 70 480 3 P. Frederick, 70 480 3 Bedford^ 70 480 3 Trident, 64 500
when made ready for fea.
Thcfe fhips were at home on the i ft Aug. 1755, and in all re- fpedts fit for the fea, except the want of men -, which muft
4 ^^eJ^^
i I'
■ I;
l5i'^.
.;>
[58]
rite, (hips names.
4 Ea^'e, 4 Warwick^ 4 Wind/or^ 4 Falmouthy 4 Antelope, 4 JVuicheJier, 4 Greenwich^ 6 Gibraltar,
6 Centaur,
6 -Ry^,
6 Greyhound,
6 Blandjord,
guns, men,
60 400
60 400 60 400
50 300 50 300 50 300 24 160
when made ready for fca.
either proceed from negledl of thofe, whofc bufinefs it was to fhip them, or to the great hardfhips, to which feamen in hisMajefly's fervice are expofed. See Monitor N*.xcviii .
11. Raven, fl. Otter,
C Humber.
car.
10
10
8
24 24
24
24
fw.
H
14 10
160 160 160
jl. Difpatch, 10 14 100 6th. 11. Hazard, 810 70 6th.
Thefe (hips and floops were at home the i ft 160 \of Aug, i755, and in all refpedts lit for the fea, except want of men. 70J
44 280 5th Augujl 1755.
100 80
5 Roebuck,
6 Sheentefs,
3 Revenge,
4 Brijlol,
4 P. Louifi, 4 Oxford,
44 220 7th. 24 160 17th. 70 480 20th. 50 300 20th. 60 400 22d. 50 300 27th.
3 Hamptoncourt,'jo 480 28th.
4 JA 50 350 28th. 4 P. Mary, 60 4.00 29th. 6 Lime, 24 160 30th. a.Wafp, 8 10 70 30th.
5 ./f/;;-
rate, fhlps names, guns,
5 Ambujcade^ 44 ^.Wolf, 8 10 4 Portlandy 50
6 Experiment, 24 6 /?y^, 24 11. Sivan, 10 14 3 Stirlingcajlle, 70 fl. O/^fr, 10 14 fl.F/v, 8 12 fl. Ranger, 8 10 6 Seahorje, 24 6 ^ieeniorotigb,2/\.
3 Tridenty 64
4 Tilbury^ 60 fl. Swift, 810 fl. Savage, 8 i o 6 Greyhound, 24 {[.Peregrine,! 2 12 {[.Di/patcb, 10 14
[ 59]
men. when nade ready for Tea*
250 3d September 1755,
70 4th. 300 5th. 140 5th. 160 6th. 100 6th. 4H0 7th.
80 9th.
70 10th.
70 1 2th. 160 14th. 160 23d. 500 24th. 400 24th.
70 24th.
76 27th. 160 28th. 100 28th. 100 28th.
A LIST of fuch of the fliips named in the fore- going lift as were ordered to be formed into, or to reinforce particular fquadrons between the I ft ci Augu/l ij^Si ^^^ 3°^^ oi April 1756.
rate, {hips names, guns. men.
deftination.
fOrdered 6th ^?/^. 1755 3 Vanguard, jo 520 to reinforce the weftern 3 Efex, 70 48 o< fquadron, under the
{[.Raven, 10 i/^ 100 I command of Sir Ed^
\jLvard Hawke,
4 Gmm-
[6o]
■fi!
IP
I' Si' J
rate, (hips names, guns. men.
dcftlnatlon.
4 Greemvichy 4 Warwick^ 4 Winchejler^
50 60
50
300
4oo-< 300
2 RamillieXy 4 Fahmutb^ ^ Antelope^ ^ Ronmcy^ 6 Gibraltar y 6 Centaur^ 6 Greyhound, fl. /^o^, 8 11. Granado, i o 11. Criii/er, 8
Thomas Faukland, Efq; was ordered 6th y^«^. 1755 to proceed with j thefe fhips to the Lee- ward illands, to relieve Capt. Pye in the com- mand of his Majefty's (hips in thofe parts, r Ordered 1 2 Aug. 1755 to be employed as the Dowm fquadron under the command of Vice Admiral Smith.
N. B. This fquadron afterwards underwent 24 160 j many and frequent 24 1 60^ changes and augmenta-
90 44
7S^
350
300
280
24 10
10
160
70
4 Windfory
4 Falmouth,
5 Romney,
6 Greyhound, 6 Centaur, il. /r^//, 8 fl. /^o^; 8
tions, as will appear by the copies of the failing 1 00 orders to fhips equipp'd 70 and made ready for the fea during this period of time, as ^ifo by month- Lly lifts. 60 400 pLord^«yo;z was ordered 50 350 Aug. 20 1755, to pro- 44 280 ceed ioHehoetJluys with 24 i6oi thefe fliips and yatchs, 24 160 j to attend the King on 10 70 I his return to his Britifi 10 70 Ldominions.
4 P. Mary^
[ 61 ]
rate, fhips names, guns. men. dcftlnation.
f Ordered 2 7 Aug, 1755 4 P. Maryj 60 4oo< to reinforce the fqua-
l^dironzi Jamaica,
r Ordered zyAug. iJSS
to convoy the trade to
the Mediterranean, the
Princefi Lout fa and
, Portlandio remain there
^ ^ to reinforce the fqua-
^^^ I dron under Capt. Edg-
combe, and the others to
return to England with
the homeward bound
3 Bedfordy 70
4 P. Louijdy 60 4 Port/and, 50 4 i5r//?(5/, 50
480
300
-^^V K'
.Ml
•2 RamiUieSy 90 3 Or/d?n/, 75
3 P.Frederickyjo 3 Hamptoncourtjo 3 Monmouth, 70 3 Tridejit, 64 3 2or^, 60
3 Kingflon, 60 3 Windfor, 60
3 Eagle, 60
4 Roche /ier, 50 4 Colchefter, 50 6 Gibraltar, 24 6 Sheer nefs, 24 fl. »Sw^«, 10 14 i\,Sarjage, 8 10
750 520 480
480 480 500 420 400
trade.
i'.l
•' ;
* V .\ M J • I
400
400
300 160 160 100
70J
>
Ordered 2tt\\ Sept, 1755 to proceed to the weft ward uncer com- mand of Vice Admiral Byng,
f .J
A^. P. He did not fail till 05i, 14.
The
[62]
- The advices in the month of O^o/ r from x\\Q font hern provinces daily confirmed the Toulon equipment, and difcovcrcd thrir dcftination.
Mr. Vilkttn, by letter of tlie fifth of O^obcr \ writes, that the reports, mentioned in his laft, concerning the fquadron fitting out at T^oulon^ had been, within a few days, confirmed to him by fcveral creditable accounts ; which he en- clofed to the Secretary of ftate.
By other difpatchcs of the 13th, the fame minifter advifes, that a man of war lately built had been launched the week before at Toulon ; and that frefli orders had been iiTued for /'«- creajing the number oi carpenters,^ caulkers ^ &c, to be employed in the building of others on the flocks, and accelerating the equipment of the twelve, as already ordered to form a fquadron in that port. ■/ - .-
> ' '<
Again, on iht feve?jfeejithy he writes " that " they did now work in earned in the doclcs at ** Toulon, and that the prefs for failors was fo " hot, that they took them out of every mer- " chantman as foon as arrived at Marfeilles, " and condud:ed them to loulon : yet, he adds, *' I do not hear of any pofitive orders from " court, for the entire armament Qt failing of a ** fquadron : and perhaps thefe failors are only
Received on the i8th,
(t
fent
1
[63 ]
** fent to get rigging in readinefs." He furthet fays, in his letters of the 27th, " that the five ** frigates, which had been fitting under a pre- *' tcnce to fail for Algiers^ were not ready ; that ** money was wanting ; the workmen withdrew *' for want of pay, and the work in the docks ** went on llowly. However, he concludes, " ' they are employed in fheathing their men of ** war, which denotes a long voyage : which " circumftance.and the reports which prevail that ** four Weft India merchant fhips had been hired ** to take in provifions, give room to think they *' are deftined for Canada ; efpecially as England " will not fufpedt fuch an expedition from the " ports of the Mediterranean.'' And yet this fame gentleman, who feems either to be eafily deceived, or very uncapable of reafoning upon mariMme affairs -, by letters of the twenty-ninth of -hi. month ', wh;ch were but two days after, gives information, that the French were ufing their utmofl endeavours for equipping out the fquadron at Toulon ; under a thorough conviction tliat they could e:cpe(5l very little fervice by letters of marque or reprifals, till they could get a number of men of war to fea : and that the fquadron in that port might be ready to fail in the beginning of the next year. , ,,.
,'■• The intelligence by this channel pofitively confirms the tquipment of the Toulon fquadron
'• Sec his letter dated 0<f?. j'th at Bcr;7,
i
^ Received A'^'^'. icth.
of
¥ :.i
m i « !
-It
It'
![ 64]
of twelve men of war, and clearly relates the expedition with which they were augmenting their navy in that port ; and the heat of the prefs for feainen at Marfeilles. It is true, this cor- refpondent has pretended to rcalbn upon thefe fad:sj and according to his ufual way of judg- ing, would iniinuate that thofc preparations were rather intended for Canada than any fervice nearer home, But this conje(J:l:ure was very ill grounded, and ought not to have been regarded j becaufe the number of land forces exped:ed to embark under the convoy of that fquadron \vtis too great for an American expedition ; and the vidualHng of the men of war ordered for f*W9 months only I the bad condition of the {hips, which rendered them unfit for a v6yage actj(>fs the Atlantic Ocean ; and the contracts difco- vered to be making with the cornfad:o>:s, fiJr. in Provence^ for tlie fubfiftence of thofe td be employed i J this armament, evidently (liewed that'it muft be intended againit fome appendage to the BritiftJ crown in Europe^ and within the Streighfs. His intelligence was good : but his application weak, inconhuciit and confufeid, Yet this is the advice on which the minifcry, which drew up the inflrudions for /idmiral Byng's conduct in his laft unhappy voyage, feem to have placed the greateft confidence : for, they principally dirccfled hirri to watch the failing of the Toulon fquadron f6r America j and in cafe he, on his arrival at Gibraltar^ fhould hear that it had ^jailed out of tiie Mediterranean^
to
lii^
r 6s]
to fend a detachment, under the command of Admiral JVefty after them to North America ".
Should tlwire not have been more credit given, and greater attention paid, to the advices, fent to Lord Holdcrnefs^ office, within the faid diftance of time, and inclofing a iift of the officers ap- pointed to command thdToulon fquadron ? which is feldom done in France^ till the fhips are almofl fit to go to fea : and which in particular con- firmed the account of its conlifting of twelve fhips "^j and of the chief command being given to M. Galajjioniere,
These advices '^ confirmed \\\^ account of failors prtfled within this month at Marfeilles, and fixed them at 2000 for the fquadron equip- ping at Toulon.
° In thefe inftruclions it is commanded — ** Upon your «* arrival there [at Gibraltarl you are to enquire whether *' any French fquadron is come through the Streights ; — *' and, as it is probable, they may be defigned for North ** America^ — you are immediately to take the fold iers out ** of fo many fhips of your fquadron, as, together with *' the fhips at and going to Halifax^ will make a force ** fuperior to the faid French fquadron,— and then detach *' them under the command of Rear Admiral '^/^/, dire^l- " ing him to make the befl of his way ofF Louisbourg." See Admiral Byng's trial and defence publifhed by authority.
'^ I of 80 guns, "J
I of 50 =* Dated 0/7. loth.
It
p' m
■ H
mi'
III' i
[66]
It is true other difpatches ^ to the faid office obferve, that tliey did not feein to be in fuch a great hurry at Toulofiy as they had been for forne time pad : but add, that they would be able, in a very fhort time, to have the firft order for equipping twelve {hips completed, fo as they might be in a condition to adl j befldes frigates : and that there would remain eight large fliips in that port, which, in part, could be made fit for failing in fifteen days or three weeks.
OBoher 3 ifl. The intelligence brought to the fame office was pofitive that a fquadron of ten fliips "^ in great forwardnefs, viz,
1 of 74
2 of 70 4 of 64 I of 36
2 of 30
that all the officers and feamen were aftually on board or embarking, and would be ready to fail from Toulon in eight or ten daysj that they were vidlualled only for two months : which this correfpondent wifely obferved, was an in- dication that this armament was not defigned to pafs the Streights. He alfo mentions the launch- ing of a 64 gun fliip ; the fetting another on the
y Dated 0J7. 14th.
* Another correfpondent, Oj7. 31ft, writes " It is afilired " that Hvelve fhips wexe ready to fail frerij Toulon this " m^mh."
flocks.
h4
[67] (locks, aad that four more from 70 to 74 would be finiflied before Spring.
Lord Brijlol writes from Turin, that Monf. de Galajioniere was appointed to command the twelve ftiips now fitting out at Toulon \ That the naval preparations " at Toulon, were carried on with expedition, and that there were orders arrived for equipping four more (hips of the line in that port* But adds, ** by the beft accounts ** I can receive, no body can guefs where the •* French will find artillery or failors for this " armament :" and concludes with a report, that the French had purchafed nine large fliips in Sweden, on condition that the Swedes fhould mann them.
The advices to the Admiralty this month concur in the accounts of the French activity in the ^oxt of Toulon. For though, on the 15th, letters from Marfeilles * write that they worked but ilowly on the fquadron at Toulon ; th2Xfeven only had got mails up, and that there were no orders given for heaving them down; yet others of the fame date from Gibraltar^ fhew, that
* Dated OSf. 4th, received the i8th.
*» Dated C;^. i8th, received Nov, 5th.
* Received Nov. 6th.
* From Capt. Edgcombe of the Deptfordy received Nov. 2lft. The Captain wrote. That in confideration of the intelHgence of a French fquadron of tvi^elve fliips and four frigates ready to fail from Toulon^ the governor had em- barked two ferjeants, three corporals, and forty private men to go with him to Mahon,
F 2 they
i
n
(1 ■'
111''!*'"
IL
;i:'l!
[68]
they were convinced of the reality of the French preparations at Toulon. And that they believed their intention was to attack either Gibraltar or Mahon,
Consul Dicks^ by letters of tlie 27th ", men- tions the failing of five large fhips on the 23d from Touloji, And,
Captain Scroope of the Dolphi?ty by dif- patches of the fame date % from P^illa-Jranca^ inclofed the folio vising piece of intelligence in French ; " Ordres darmer autre 1 2 ijajfeaux de *' ligne^ 5 frigates^ il parolt qiCon travaille *' avec hcaucoup de diligence^ y ay ant 6000 ** employer"
It appears with great perfpicuity from thefe advices, that the French obierved an exadl uni- formity of condudl in their ports of the Medi- ter7'anean j fometimes in a hurry -, at other times {hewing, by way of feint, a flacknefs in their armament, or a diltant intention j but never lofing figiit of their real objedt, and making as much difpatch, as the nature of their expedition and the feafon of the year would now permit. In v/hich they difcovered great policy and oeco- nomy 5 confounding our intelhgence, and ex- pending no more of the public money tlian was necefTary, till the time of adion would difcover their real defign.
*■ Received oa the i2th q^ Kov^mkr,
In
[69]
In the northern provinces they took care to keep up the report and appearance of an embarkation.
By the papers in Lord Holdernejs's office, it appears there was early intelligence ' of the ar- rival of the lEfitrepenanty Leopard^ tllluflre^ and YOptniatrc^ four ihips of M. de Boh de la Mothes fquadron from Louijhourg ; that M. de Salvert was left at houipoiirg purely to amufe the Englifi ; and that thcfe, who were returned, had given Admiral Bofcawen the flip, by ven- turing through the mountainous fea in the 3tr eights of Belk-ijlc,
Letters of the fame date ' informed that the I'Vielie, hifiexible^ and Aigle were returned to Rochfort from Cadiz, that the
Le "Jujle, of 70 guns
JLe Prudent, 66
Le Capri deux, 64
Le Hardi, 64
were ordered to be equipped in the fame port ; and alfo brought a lift of a new fquadron equip- ping at Br eft, viz.
Le Sold I Royal, of 80
Cotiragcux, 74
. Superbe, 70
Beaiifaijant, 04
Prothee, 64.
Aldon, ^6
Arc en del, 50
AmphicTjy ^o U")*tea 0,7. 8.
guns.
with
1 1'
I $
m
l)i,*il'
m,}
?'S
1 70 ]
with this obfervation, " that, except the whole ** or part of M. Ju Guays fquadron (hould be '* laid up, this new fquadron would want both ** guns &nd fat lors,"
Two days after it was advifed that all the fhips of war, which had ferved as tranfports to LiOuiJbourgy and were returned to Breft were ordered to be laid up : that there were only five men of war in the road ; and that although four were ordered immediately under the command of M. Terrier^ and four others to be equipped for fea, they did not make any great difpatch^ as if they were in hafte.
The fame intelligence brought a lift of the following iliips in a condition to put to fea from Brejl,
Le Zodicque^ of 74 guns.
Minotaurey , 74
Diademe, 74
Celebre, 64
BelUqueux, 64
Rohu/ie, 64
Solitairey 64
obferved that they were building with much expedition, but that there was great want of materials from abroad to complete their orders. It was alfo remarked that a perfon had been to found the harbour and road oi Dunkirk^ as it was fuppofed, with a defign to fend fome men of war to that port.
I My
Wli
ik 1!
i:;i
[71 ]
M Y Lord Holdenicfs alfo received the fol- lowing intelligence from Parisy on the 31ft of OBober, that though feveral fliips were hired by the government, at Brefly Boulogne, Calais^ and Dunkirk, to enforce the report of an em- barkation, there was yet no appearance of any fuch meafure. And by another channel of the fame date, the advices agree to difcredit an em- barkation atthofe ports. ** Armaments at Brejl " and Rochforty fay they, are carried on with " vigour : there is money enough ; a million ** per month being appointed for each port; ** but that alone is not fufficient to fit fhips for " fervice : and though there are ftrong reports ** of a defign to make a defccnt in England, and " Rnibarkatiom on the coaft: of Normandy ^ there ^* 2XQ yet no difpofuions for it."
Indeed letters from Dunkirk and other places along the coaft, dated 051. 2 1 , and re- ceived on the 31ft, mention reports of embark- ations to be made in February, and that thefe reports were induflrioufly propagated ; the French miniftry being defirous to create a belief of their intention to make a defcent in Great Britain or Ireland, by way of feint, about the time, when they really concerted the conquefl oi Minorca,
Hence we may account for the intelligence picked up by Vice Admiral Smith from Captain
F 4 Vincent
m
[72 ]
Vincent of the Greyhound^ who informed ^ the Admiralty that there were one hundred and twenty-nine vciTcIs at Dunkirk^ and that fiftv empty vefTels had been detained by order of the government : and for other *" advices to the faid office, as " that at lead one hundred thoufand ** troops were in motion, and only waited for " tranlports for them (what, 100,000 men I *' where could they find velTels?] to 'embark " for Great Britain or Ireland-, and * that tlicy " were colleding tranfports at Calais^ where •' were eleven topfail veiTels, and twenty-fix one " mafl veflels ; and at Boulcgne where were " twenty-tvt^o fail of brigs, fnows, and floops ^
M R. Barnham * writes from Dover in his panic flile, *' I mentioned fome time ago, that " orders were given by the French to collc^fl a " number of vefTcls from Dieppe, Havre^ &c. " to rendezvous at CuIlVS and other ports in that *' neighbourhood. What their real defign for *' fo doing at that time, I hinted was only to " amufe. But I cannot help thinking now, from " the number of vefTels, that have been brought into our ports, and are daily taken, bound to
<c
^ Letter to the Ad^niralty dated OSfoler the 20th, received on the 21ft cf Onoher.
^ Dated 05i. 20th, received 31ft from a Z)«/c/; Ikipper.
' Dated 05i. 22d, received on the 25th.
^ Does this number of vefTels appear any ways adequate to the tranfportation of xcc,coo troops, as above ?
■ 06i. 7th.
.3 ^ Calais ^
[ 73 ]
** Calais, &c\ but tliat they have /ome fcheme ** in agitation.'
« Within thelc few days pad, I am in- " formed from Calais, that above ten fail are " arrived there in ballafl from Roven, which " draw but Httle water, and fome of them two ** hundred tons : and it is now no longer a fecret " that thele veiTels are actually in the French " King's pay."
But the mod penetrating intelligence, re- ceived Ot'hher the 20th, in Lord Holdenicfs^s office, ought to have redlified all thefe vague fuppofitions : " No court, fays that correfpon- ** dent, was ever in a more cruel fituation than " that of France. They have been led into a " war by the repeated afTuranccs given them by " the Duke oi Mirepoix, that however angry the " [Englifh] nation was, the King and his mini ft ry " would not enter into a war. As tJiis was credited " by the French council in general, they took " their meafures in conicquence ; axid were never " more furprized than wiitn the news came of " our taking the two French (lups in America^
It is certain the Fre?ich King and his minidry are greatly incenfed at prefent. An invafion of Ireland has been propofed, and to rifque fending troops into Scotland at the fame time. But on examination, many difficulties have arifen. However this is not laid afide : but it Is to be
believed
w
,■ Ik' ,
ill » i.
f 74]
believed fome attempt of that kind will be made: if England rejedls the lafl terms, this crown will be obliged to make by the diftrefs they arc in, every fhip in France will be fitted out : and the court of England may be afTured, that if a peace be not made, fome jlrcke of great confc- quence will be flruck, to indemnify the French merchants for the lofs of their fliips.
At this time thsre was a lift: handed about which greatly magnified tiie ftrcngth of the French navy, viz.
At Brcft fliips of the line 24
frigates, ^c. 2 1
At Rochjort (hips of the line 10
frigates, &c, i
At Toulon (hips of the line .1 8
frigates, ©"c. 13
Ships building at Toulon 5
At Brejl 7
whence it was immediately propagated that " M. Machault had engaged to the French King, to put fixty two fliips of the line to fea in the next ipring, befides frigates.
What politician could avoid forming a precife judgment from the premifes, that fome ftroke of great confequence would be ftruck, on the part oi France. That it could no: be expeded by a new embarkation for America^ where their
"> See advices in Lord Holdernefs's office, received OSl.
ior«
l7Sl
force was already greatly fuperior to ours, and which could not be undertaken with bad Hiips, and fcarcity of artillery, men, and provi- fions : nor by invading Britain or Ireland^ for which they had neither tranfports for fuch an undertaking, nor were making other difpofitions in the northern provinces, that could induce us to give credit to fuch reports ; for the motions and difpolition, as well as the extraordinary number of their troops, more naturally ex- plained their intention to prepare againft any attempt, which might be made on their own coaft, and to draw off the attention of the EngliJIj from the Mediterranean^ than to en- counter the difficulties, whicli, upon examina- tion, were found to difcourage an invafion of thefe kingdoms. But that it was to be guarded againft in the Mediterranean, For, all our intel- ligence agreed in thefe fadls, *' that a conlidera- ** ble fquadron was now in great forwardnefs to " fail with an army under its convoy, vidualled " only for two months : that though ftrong " infinuations were propagated of an intention " to invade Great Britain or Ireland^ there were " yet no difpofitions for it : and that the arma- " ments carried on at Brejl^ Rochforty &c. were " neither fo forward, nor of that force, as to *' require the detention of the greateft part of " the Britijh fleet to watch their motions." Yet from the foWowing authentic iiJIs" the reader
" Prepared in purfiiance of an addrefs to the H. of C. to his M y, dated Felf. 8th, 1757.
will
[ 76 ]
will be enabled to judge, whether his Majcfty's navy was employed, as it ought to hp.vc been, to prevent the blow, which France v/as preparing to ftrike in the Mediterranean,
m
i'»
I
A LIST of all his Majefty'syZ);)>j of war ^ or Jquadrons of fuch fliips as were equipped and made ready for fea, within the month o{05tober 1755.
|
rate, fhips names. |
guns. men. when made ready for Tea* |
|
fl. Ra*i3en, t |
10 70 ift 0^(?3rr 1755. |
|
4 HampJJoire, |
50 300 4th, |
|
4 Rochefier, |
50 350 5th. |
|
4 Colchefter^ |
50 300 7th. |
|
4 E^S^^y |
60 400 8th. |
|
4 Kingflon^ |
60 400 8th. |
|
6 Sheernefs-^ |
24 160 8th. |
|
6 Lime^ |
24 160 8th. |
|
^ Romfjey, |
44 280 9th. |
|
11. Hazard, 8 |
10 70 loth. |
|
3 Mofimouthy |
70 480 nth. |
|
6 Centaury |
24 160 nth. |
|
5 Cheprjieldy |
44 250 15th. |
4 Dreadnought y to 450 i6th.
4 Torky 60 420 17th.
5 P. Edwardy 44 250 17th. 3 Lancajlcry 66 520 21ft. ^, Happy y 8 10 70 2 1 ft. 3 Swifffurey 70 520 2 2d. 3 Elizabeth y 70 480 25th. 3 £^.v, 70 480 26th.
3 ^O'-
[77]
rate, (hips names, guns. men. when made ready for fca.
3 JVey mouthy 60 420 29th.
4 Ant elope y 50 300 29th. 6 Blandjordy 24 160 29th. a.Swany 10 14 100 29th. fi.Houndy 10 14 100 29th. 3 Buckingham, JO 535 30th. 3 Orfordy 70 520 30th. 3 Jpfwichy 70 480 3 1 ft. il. Ply^ 812 70 31ft.
A i^isT of fuch of the fliips named In the fore- going lift** as were ordered to be formed into, or to reinforce particular fqundrom within the month oiO^ober.^ ^JSS" rate, fhlps names, guns. men. dtftinatlon.
Ordered 1 5 th OJ?. 1755 lo reinforce the wefterii fquadron, under the command of Vice Ad- miral Byngy who did not fail till the 1 4th of I this month.
pRear Admiral Wc/i or-
E y h >> I ^^^^^ 280^. 175510
^ /^ r J *' ^-^^ J proceed with thefefhips 3 Orfordy 70 C20<r . r *u /i W th (\ I reinforce the weitern
^ '^ » ^ fquadron under Vice
^^ Admiral Byng.
• See the former p^rt of this lift in the month of Septem- ber ^ page 58,
The.
Revenge^ Ipfwichy
70 480^ 70 480^
Mi'
[78]
. 1,' '
f
ii'
The monthly lift of the admiralty, giving an abftradt of the diipofition of the fhips, &c. m fea pay, for the month of O^ober 1755.
rate. fhlps. men.
Plantations^
r4 9 s 3
6 10 floops 9
Vice Admiral Bofcaweriy
Mediterranean^
\
Fsajl Indies^
3025 780
1380
630
|
31 |
581S |
|
3 ^0 |
5615 |
|
f ^ |
1940 |
|
6 I floop I |
140 80 |
|
17 |
777S |
|
4 I |
280 |
|
6 3 lloop I |
390 80 |
|
5 |
7S^ |
|
3 2 4 2 |
97S 660 |
|
6 I floop I |
140 9Q |
|
6 |
1865 |
Cruifers,
[ 79 \
rate.
Cruifers, 90 to ZAfllio weftward
16 J with Admiral 2 floops, J Byng, 50 to 241 Under Vice
7 {.Admiral 6 Hoops, J Smith.
Ready rj^ Fitting 1 5,
At home.
Gener al abfiradt.
2
3
4
6
fhips.
I 10
^3
3 10
Hoops 2 3
l-arm.v. 3 "6l
I
5 10
8
5
3
2
3
4
5 6
floops 3
yatchs 6
i^hof.fli.3
T4
I
32 38 II 28
3
4
i6
lloops3 8 arm. v. 3 yatchs 6 hof,£li.3
766'
men.
770 5020 4690
780
1540
1850 240
14890
660 3320
2940
1280
480
300
280
lOI
14416
660
4090
16665
'3535 2849
4070
3030
240
280
lor
<■■ ■ ■*
By
[ 8o]
\m
B Y which it will appear that our greateft fofce was kept inadlive, or at inofl, to watch an uncertain deftination of a few fifhing boats, and unarmed veflels in the French ports on the Britijh channel ; and that our whole ftrength in the Mediterranean amounted to no more than one fourth rate, three fixth rates, ^nd one floop: which together carried 750 men. Was this doing all that was in the power of the miniftry towards the prefcrvation of Mw.orca !
The advices received on the 4th of Novem^ her^ in Lord Holdernefs\ office, gave an account that orders had been fent to Toulon^ to equip five frigates with the utmofl difpatch, befides the o'.her ^ fliips already fitting out; feven of which /hips of the line zndjonr frigates were com- pletely equipped and ready for failing ** before the end of this month : and they worked fo diligently on the lafl orders, that one of the five was put to fea before the fixteenth of the fame month : " Though, fays Lord Bri/lo!^ neither ** its fervice, nor the deflination of the whole •* number is yet known : fome imagining that they are commiffioned to protecfl the mer- chant (hips that trade to and from the Levant^ " or to defend the coafls from the infults of the ** jjllgerines', or to proceed to Algiers, to reclaim
p Twelve fliips fee advices to the fame office, received OSfober 31ft.
s See advices in the faid oiHcc of the :79th of November.
the
c<
<e
<c
f 81 3
the French prifoners, and demand fatisfacf.tion
'* for infults
r >»
Agreeable to which, Conful Dicks writes' from Leghorn, he had received intelligence from 'Toidon^ that five large fhips of war were to fail on the 23d, as it was reported, to demand four rtiips detained in the port of Algiers,
Mr. Fillet tes's, difpatches in thi^ month di- minifhed greatly the former apprehenfionSjWhich might have been raifeJ by the armament at Toulon : he firft writes *, " that there had lately " arrived at that port two millions of livres, for ** expediting the former orders to equip twelve " men of war of the line, and five frigates :" and then adds, *' that there was a want of ms- ** terials, and all manner of provifions : that part '* of the -vorkmen in the dock^ were difcharged» " and more were difcharging daily : that they " had been obliged to buy Calilco for fails to the ** amount of one hundred thoufand livres : that ** the fitting out of the five frigites went oa ** very (lowly : and that they had entirely given " over, or at leait deferred the armament of the ** twelve fhips of the line.
' See advicco from Lord Brijiol oi Nov. I5tfa, received Dec. 4th J and AW. 22d, received Da. 13th.
» VVithout date, received by Sir Thmas Robin/on, Nov. 1 8 th.
' By letters of Nov. 3d.
G Ox
^VT ""^''
[ 82]
s
M
•'m
Jn tl^e 8th ", he again infinuated his opinion of an intention to fend fupplies by the 7'oii/on fquadron to Canada: ** For, fays he, fuch a " fcheme being lefs liable to be fufpected, and " thereby more likely to efcape the vigilance of " our fquadrons and cruifmg vefTcls in the ocean, f* feems to deferve attention.
And though he was obliged to acknowledge on the 20th of the fame month "^j that there were ftill a great number of hands employed at ToiiloHy to complete the twelve fliipe, and that the five frigates were all ready for careening ; he will not allow them to be in any hurry, but writes that they went on but very flowly in fitting them for fea.
In which he was feconded by advices from Captain Rdgecomhe of the Deptfo?^d^ dated Villa- Jra?tca, Nov, 17th ", who having inclofed an account of thirteen fhips of the line and eight frigates, carrying 1 104 guns, then in the port of Toulon^ writes, that the French had difcon- tinucd their naval armaments in thr.t port, and that the fquadron therein mentioned could not be ready to fail before February or March,
I
%-'
" Received Nov. 28th, ^ Received Dec. 4th. * Received Dec. t)th.
Yet,
T
[83 ]
Yet, on the fame day, by letters of the 2ifl: of November y the Lords of the Admiralty were informed that, though the equipment of the twelve Ihips went on flowly, every thing was preparing to get tliem ready for fervice- : and that in cafe of orders for failing, they would be Jwn got to fea ; though it was the general opinion, that they were not defigned to fail be- fore Spring.
The pofitive fadls in thefe advices, which re- quired our greateft attention, were, that there was no want of money to carry into execution the orders for the Toulon equipment : that there was no fcarcity of workmen : that ftve more frigates had been added to the former orders : that they worked fo diligently on thefe fliips, that one of the laft five frigates was got to fea before the 15th of the month: that five large fhips of war were ordered to fail on the 23d of the fame month : ihsiifeven of the twelve (hips of the line, and four frigates, were completely equipped, and ready for failing before the end of the faid month : and that they were all in fuch readinefs as to be foon fitted for failing, when commanded to fea : every other part of their intelligence being only confufed conjec- tures, and, it may be artful reports, propagated on purpofe to deceive our fpies and agents a- broad.
G 2
As
I
11 '
I'l
[ 84]
A s for the intelligence concerning the equip- ments of the French nearer Great Britain^ and their preparations for an invafion, it appears.
That, by advices received in Lord Holder ^ nefs's office, on the 4th of November, one hun- dred marines were arrived at Dunkirk, and ex- ercifed: but that there was not the leajl ap- pearance of an embarkation at that port.
That it was talked, ^ the Pretender had been at Fontainbleau, incog, that feven fhips of war were gone into Breft road : that there were four battalions of the IriJ}^ brigade ; and fixty ihips belonging to different countries at Boulogne ; that the garrifons of Calais, in which port were about thirty fhips of the like fort, and of Graveline, were formed of the IriJJj brigade : but that there were no more troops in that neighbourhood -, nor any talk of an embarkation, nor even of privateers ; thefe feven men of war, if they (hould fail, being intended only to proted: the commerce.
Letters of the fame date relate, that all the fhips at Bre/i, that had been out, were ordered to difarm and to be refitted : but *hst M. de ConJlans*s divifion, was in lefs forwardnels than that to be commanded by M. Perrier, And yet OLher letters of the 2 2d of the fame
y Letters received Nov, 12th 1757.
month,
T
[85]
month ^ after having acknowledged the inadl- vity of the French minlflry, add, that fome attribute their condudt to a want of means to raife money j and that others were of opinion that the French made thofe delays in their ma- rine equipments, only to blaze out at once with a fleet of two hundred fhips to be colle6ted be- tween Dunkirk and Urefl ; that thofe tranfports were to be efcorted by fifty fail of men of war in two fquadrons in order to invade England^ and that the invaders intended to march, as foon as difembarked, diredily to the capital.
This intelligence was immediately followed with this further circumflance : That Marflial Bellijle had formed a project for invading Eng" land and Hanover at the fame time : that there had been lately built two frigates at Havre ; and that there were four frigates in Breft road in- tended only to protect the merchantmen : but that there, did not appear the kafi difpofition for an embarkation at Dunkirk^ or in the neighs bouring ports. Which was confirmed by * dif- patches from Admiral Smith ; who having given an account oi Jift^ lliips at Dunkirk^ and thirty-^ Jive at CainiSf aflured their lordihips thai there
* In Lord Hold.-^nefi\ office, there was aliout the fame time an account that the French had augmented their forces with 27,000 foot, 15150 horfe, 25*10 dragoons, and 6000 marines.
* Of the 30th of November, received by th" Adr^lralty on. IIk 1 5th of D^\ ^mber,
G ^ was
W'"^
A'-
U
lift.':
m
f
I:
[86]
was no movement that indicated an embarkation of land forces.
Thus the terror of an invafion was founded upon no better authority than the trite accounts of the Irijh brigade being quartered on the coaft; a few merchantmen detained or laid up in D««- kirk and Calais ; feven frigates lying under fail- ing orders in Breji road, for the protecftion of their mercantile navigation, and a gafcoynade of a refolution to invade England with a fleet not in their power to fend to fea, and at the fame time to attack Ha?20ver : whereas the heft of our correfpondents declared that there did 7iot appear the lea ft difpo fit tony nor was there any talk of an embarkation ''.
Yet our miniflry affedled to'be terrified with the certainty of an invalion ; and paid no regard to the real armaments making at Toulon " ; as will
'' For, though different plans had been propofed, they had been all rejccSled ; becaufe, in the firft place, it was impoflible for them to collect a fufticient number of tranf- ports in one or two ports, as would be neceflary : becaufe the Bre/i fleet, was it in a condition to puf to fea, could not pretend to convoy them ; for fhould that fleet meet the Engitjh^ either in going or returning, it would be rifquing the whole trade of France^ and expofmg both their fleet and forces to ruin. Therefore, their whole intention is to alarm and diftrefs England-^ though, fays the correfpondent, I can't anfwer how far pafllon may carry them. See ad- vices in Lord HoldernejY% office.
'^ Except we may account the order, in this month, for General Stuart to repair to his command in Minorca., the firfl appearance of an intention to put that ifland into a pofture of defence ; though he could not obtain a pafTagQ to Mahon x'lW the 6th of Jpr'd 1756, when he failed with Admiral Byvg, i more
1
f 87]
more fully appear by the following account of the equipment made in Great Brita'vu
A LIST of all his Majefty's/v>j of war, or jquadroiis of fuch fhips as were equipped and made ready for fea, within the month
oi November 1755.
Prepared in purfuance of an addrefs of the honourable houfe of commons to hisMajefty, dated 8th February y 1757.
rate, fhips names, guns.
fl. 6 Gibraltar y 24
60 90 90 10
50
4 Medway\ 2 Prince,
2 St. George, n. Peggy, 8
4 Newcajile, fl. Saltajh, 10 14 il Cruifer, 8 10
5 Ambujcade, 44
6 Experiment, 24
4 Falmouth, 50
5 Z^yw;/, 44 f[. Swallow, 14 14
6 Solebay, 24
3 Najfau, 70 5 JVoolwich, 44 2 P. George, 80 fl.^(?iy; 8 JO
men. when made ready for fea.
160 2d November ly^S'
430 3^' 750 4th.
750 5th.
70 5th. 350 6th. 100 9th.
70 9th. 250 nth. 140 20th, 350 2ifl:. 250 2ifl:. 100 2 I ft, 160 22d. 480 23d. 280 24th. 720 27th,
70 30th,
G4
A LIST
r 58]
]1*
im
im
mJI
A LIST of fuch of the (hips named In the fore- going lift as were ordered to be formed into, or to reinforce particular fquadrom in the rcion^oi November ^ 1755.
rate, (hips names, guns. men. deflination.
" Ordered 4th Nov, 1755
5 Chejlerfeldy 44 250 to convoy trade to the
6 Experiment y 24 i^O'^ Mediterranean y^nAxc-
fl. Raven, 10 14 1 00
inforce the fquadron xawAtvQ^i^uEdgecumbc,
The monthly lijl of the Admiralty^ giving an abftrafl of the difpofition of the fhips, ^c. in fea pay, for the month of November
^755'
fhips. men.
rate.
Plantations^
Vice Admiral Bofcawen, < T
|
4 9 5 2 6 10 Hoops ^1 |
3045 560 1400 560 |
|
29 |
55^5 |
|
3 10 6 I floop I |
1940 140 80 |
17
7775
Medi"
[ 89]
rate.
Mediterranean ^ Deptjord so 3 24
Eafl Indies,
8 fhips "I Downs, Vict r-z i 1 1 floops i AdmiraliS'w/V/j 13 16
Cruifers, ^ ^ ^
22 90 to 507 underVice I 6 u 3 24 > Admiral liloops24
I floop J Urm.v.^
72
Refitting 13, Fitting 17,
At home,
' 2
2 6
3 5
4 9
5 7
6 3
flcops 3
fire fh.2
hof.{h.3
Lyatchs 5
975 660
140
90
1865
1510 4120 2730
3240 17^0
480
290
100
loi
21Q
4531
4^^
IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3)
//
A<
<i'.
^-
10 '-
I.I
1.25
118
M 1.8
U III 1.6
If I'o
6'
<^
%
//,
>>
"m
(?;^
7
/A
Photographic
Sdences
Corporation
m
,\
m
c^
^\
%
V
0^
U
%
'%^
23 WESV A.A!N STRSET
WEBSTER, H.Y 145*0
(716) 872-4503
fA
r
[90]
»"
|
• ••' rate. fhips. |
men. |
|
|
. ;. |
ri 2 |
I510 |
|
« • |
2 7 |
4890 |
|
' |
3 ■ 33 |
17315 |
|
* |
4 4.0 |
HI55 |
|
♦ |
5 ^2 |
3090 |
|
General abftra6V, '^ 6 29 |
4380 |
|
|
c.C.i |
floops38 |
3090 |
|
V,;, i |
arm. V.3 |
240 |
|
•', ■• |
fire fh.2 |
100 |
|
i |
yatchs 5 |
210 |
|
^hof.fli.3 |
100 |
174
49081
The fhips deflgned for the expedition againft Minorca, being got as forward as need- ful for the feafon of the year, and the time appointed for carrying it into execution ; you have feen in the accounts of the lafl month, that the carpenters, &c. who had been brought from all parts to work upon them, were (many of them) difcharged. Why? becaufe, as the fquadron was not to fail till March, it was needlefs to retain a number of ufcleft hands, for three or four months to do the work, which could be finifhed in three or four weeks ; every thing being already done, whicji required the afTiftaiice of fuch a number of hands : befides this difcharge of the workmen produced another good effed: it carried the appearance of a (^e/ay, or an alteration in the meafures of the couit, in regard to the arma- ment
[ 91 ]
ment at T'oulon j and in confequence created a belief in the Britijh agents and miniftry, that they had nothing to fear from that quarter. For, thus ran the intelligence fi-om feveral quar- ters in the courfe of the lafl month. Our cor- refpondents, without confidering the work that had been expedited by the diligence and num- bers employed in the fitting out of the twelve men of war of the line, &c, very impolitically concluded that the difcharge of the workmen was an indication of the equipment's being laid afide : and without attending to the feafon of the year, which did not require more expedition than was really neceflary to get the fquadron to fea within the time limited for its appointed fervice, they interpreted the oeconomy of the French miniflry zjlownefs or want of refolution, men, or materials, to carry their firft intention into execution.
The fame infatuation prevailed in the month o£ December in the advices from Turin, For Lord Brijiol writes *" that though iht Jive frigates at 'Toulon were ready to put to fea ; the arma- ment of the twelve fhips of the Hne in that harbour went on vtxyJlowl)\ and by all accounts muft be many months before they could be in a condition to fail.
Consul Cabanis at Nice wrote '' in the fame ftrain. " Thtjive frigates, viz, one of 50 guns
•= December 20th, Received "January 21. ^ December 2 2d, received January 21ft.
«
one
'.. f.
m
If'
■'i
;kM
lii
r- il
1( 1 :■'.
\k\
t9*]
" one of 30 guns, and three of 24 guns at Toulon " are ready to fail ; but, as to the twelve ftiips " of the line in commiffion, their equipment ** goes on very /lowly ^ and they will not be able ** to get them ready ibis' winter. He adds, that ** they recruited their land forces with all ima- ** ginable diligence."
Such was the deception in Italy, in regard to the French armament at Toulon, However, Mr. Villettes, at Bern, feems to have been fomewhat better advifed. For, in his letter ' to Mr. Fox^ he firfl relates that the Jive frigates were ready to fail : that there v/as only one of them got into the road j and that people could not tell what to think of the Jlownefs with which they proceeded in the marine department of that port. Then he ' advifeth that all the Jive frigates had * got into Toulon road, though it was not known when they fhould fail ; that the intendant of the marine at Toulon had taken a lift of all the Weft India merchant fliips in the port of Marfetlles, fpecifying their burthen, ftrength and number of cannon ; and that he had ordered two of them to repair to Toulon,
Letters from the fame correfpondent of the ^2^ oi December obferved, that it was reported orders had arrived at Toulon for the frigates to fa' 1 ', but that their deftination was kept a pro-
" December 6th, received the 20th ditto. ^ December 1 3th, received on the 25th ditto. s Ob or before the firji day of December,
found
le d lo
[ 93 ]
found fecret : '* though it ig probable, continues he, " that they will go and join thofe near ** armed at Breji j and, if the projedl for invad- ** ing England is not laid afide, they will be " employed in favouring the paffage and landing " of the land forces." Should not Mr. Villettes have firft reafoned with himfelf upon the dif- ficulty, and almoft impoflibility of fuch a weak force of Jive frigates of 50 to 24 guns, to get into Brejl, which was, at that time, blocked up by a ftrong fquadron of Britijh men of war ? he had more reafon to keep to his former vague furmize of an intention to favour the French hoftilities in North America, But it ihould feem, as if this gentleman was very happy in coincid- ing with the favourite fchemes of thofe, whofe endeavours were to perplex the Britijh councils with the cry of an invafion.
He afterwards informs the government, that orders had been publifhed at Marjeilles^ by found of trumpet, for all failors to repair immediately to Toulon : ihaX Jour of the frigates above-men- tioned, were faid to be ordered to convoy the Algerine galliot, lately taken, to Algiers ; but that they had not received their laft orders for failing, and that it was very certain they had quite another deftination ''.
•» By letters dated 27th December, received January 13th, iQclofing advices of December 15th. N. B, He writes on thp'a9th oi December y that the people were quite tired tQ hear the frigates were ready and did not fail : and that the French, by means of a Portugueze merchant, had bought 1300 pieces ot cannon in Englavd,
Yet,
I 94 )
Yet, even in the midft of this uncertainty^ it plainly appears that the Toulon fquadron of twelve fhips of the line might be put to fea ill the Spring : that, in the mean time, all diligence was ufed to recruit the land forces in Provence, and the neighbouring provinces : that meafures were purfued for taking up (hips for tranfports : and that a flridt watch was kept to fecure a fuf- iicient number of failors againft the time of adtion.
'* , '
Agreeable to thefe fadls, the government received advice from Mr. Banks, conful at Car- thagena in Spaifi, that by his intelligence from Toulon, the French fleet was ready, and only waited for orders to put to fea : that feveral battalions and fquadrons were in motion towardj the frontiers of Catalonia, and that moft of the ports in Provence were crouded with Polaccas^ Settees, ^arta?7s, and other vefTels, a great many of which were taken up in the government's fervice *,
■\i 1
Letters to the Admiralty, dated Marfeilles, December 24th, expreflly mention, that the five frigates were ready to put to fea j and that the twelve fhips of the line were under orders to be equipped with all expedition, and would be ready to fail in three weeks,
* See his \t\.Xsx q^ DecemUr 7th, received February 19th.
Thus
[95 ]
th. US
Thus every particular, But the pofitive defti* nation of the Toulon fquadron, was known : and their intention to invade either Gibraltar or Minorca, was eafily to be coUedled from their manner of viBtiallingy number of troops, and variety of fmall vejfels taken into pay for tranf- ports.
However our minlftry rather chofc to give credit to the advices of the tranfadions in the north of France, From whence Lord Holder^ nejs was informed ** of great augmentations to the militia of Normandy and Picardy, which already confifled of twenty-two battalions each; and that nothing was talked of but a declaration of war, and a refolution to fix the Pretender on the throne of England in the March following.
This intelligence was foon followed by an account of feventy or eighty thoufand land forces expeded ' to arrive, and to be cantoned in the towns and villages near Dunkirk, in order tg take poflfcfTion of Nieuport, Oftend, and other barriers, to favour a fquadron to be commanded by M. Bart, and appointed to fail into thofe feas"*. But,
Whence was a fquadron to be expedled fufficient to face the Britijh navy ? It could not
•* By letter dated December ()i\\, received the 1 3th ditto.
' DecerrJ^er 5 th.
™ By letters dated December 12th, received the 15th ditto.
be
■u A-
'i>
4
[96]
be from Toulon for reafons already afligned. It could not be from Breji, nor from Rochfort j becaufe advices of the firft of December to that fame noble Lord expreflly declare, that the fquadron in thofe ports, under M. Conflansy went on very f^owly : that the fquadron under M. Perrier, confifted only oi Jive fhips of the line and yo«r frigates, when completely equipped: that there was but one fliip fitting at Dunkirk^ and that there was no other maritime difpofition in that or in its neighbouring ports.
Was it to be colleded from Bayonne, Bour-" deauxy Nants^ Rochelle^ and Havre, where it was reported there was a defign to build frigates in private, or in the merchants docks. That was by far a too diftant view : for had that fcheme been adopted by the French miniftry, it would have enabled the King's yards to build a num- ber of capital fliips, but not a fufficient num- ber to cope with the Britijh navy, or to favour the pretended invafion, within the compafs of the year 1756. It is true the advices of the 9th of this month, related a defign in France to fit out every fhip that could be made capable to keep the feasj and to divide the whole into two fleets^ one at Toulon^ the other at Breji-y ta fall with force on th^. Britijh fquadrons, dif- perfed in imall numbers ; and, in the mean time, to make a powerful diveifion by means of an invafion, for which purpcfe they had af- fembled already 50,000 troops from Givet to 3 the
[97]
the neighbouring port. But, the next day, this formidable gafcoynade was knocked on tlie head by fiefh afTurances " that France had m other 'views in all this than to gain time : that there were no dijpofitiom on the coall of the Britijl} channel for an embarkation " ; that eight frigates had failed from Breji^ but were employed by way of convoy for their merchantmen ; that the armament of the two fquadrons went on fo flowly, that M. Perriers could not be got ready lill 'January at fooneft, and that of M. Conflam not till May^ : and that there was nothing new on the i 9th of December in the ports of Iterance ^ except the arrival of fome troops at Dunkirk,
Other intelligence in the fame office, dated "December the 4th and 13th, allow that there had been fomt propofals for an invafion, but they were rejeded on account of the many dif- ficulties, and the facrificing fo many troops; and conclude that all talk of that fort was only defigned to alarm and dijlrefr ; for, that after diligent fearch, no plan for invading England or Ireland could be found.
In the whole courfe of this intelligence, which carries us to the conclufion of the year 1755, no one can prefame to find any foundation for the mmijlerial panic, continually dreaming of.
" December loth, in Lord Holdernefs^s office,
*» December 13th, in ditto.
P Letters of December 15th, in ditto,
H
and
lill
S* ii
[ 98 ]
and alarming the people with, the dread of an invafion. How then ouglit we to account for that paffage in his Majefty's fpeech, where he informs his parliaincnt, that *' from various ap- " pearances and preparations there was reafon ** to think there liave been formed defigns againfl " his kingdoms and dominions j" except, as a certain noble Peer, many years at tiie head of the law, has taught us, we coniider fuch fpeeches as the language of a miniilry, rather than the fentiments of their Royal Mailer : and then it may create a fufpicion that this invaiion was a pure minijlerial bubble^ to raifc a prodigious fum of money out of the fears of the people : and not to be hitherto refolvcd upon by the court of France.
Is it not alfo very extraordinary that there was not the leafl notice taken of the advices received concerning the armaments at Toulon, and the appearances and preparations making in that port and its neighbourhood, for invading and con- quering Gibraltar and Minorca f Except we may fuppofe thofe two important places are in- cluded under the general name of dominions : which both houfes of parliament, in their ad- drefTes, certainly underftood to mean his Ma- jefty's EletJoral and German dominions '' : befides
^ His Majesty, on the 13th of November 1755, in- forms his parliament in thcfe words : " I have confined m/ *' views and operations to hinder France from making new *' encroachments, or fupporting thofe already made; to '' exert our riglU" to a fatiifavStion for hoftilities committed
it
[99]
it will appe.ir from the following, as well as foregoing lifts, that his Majefty had not been advifed to extend his views mid operations to
" In a time of profound peace, and to difappolnt fuch dc- " figns, as, from various appearances and preparations, *' there is reafon to think, have been formed againft my '* kingdoms and dominions."
The Houfc of Lords ^ in their addrcfs on this fpcech, cx- prefs thcmfclvcs in thcfc terms : " We look upon ourfelvcs '* as obliged by the flrongeft ties of duty, gratitude, and ** honour, lo (land by and fupport your iMajcfty in all fucli " wife and necefTary mcafures and engagements, as your " Majefty may have taken, in vindication of the rights of *' your crown; or to defeat any attempt, which may be ** made by France^ in referrtment of fuch meafurcs : "nd " to afTift your Majefty in difappointing and repelling all •' fuch enterprizes as may be formed not only againft your *' kingdoms, but alfo againft any other of your dominions, *' although not belonging to the crown (?/'Great Britain, ** in cafe they fliould be attacked on account of the part *' which your Majefty has taken for maintaining the
ir
" ellcntial intercft of your kingdoms."
The Houfe of Commons, in like manner, addreffed his Majefty in thefe words : '* We beg leave to afl'ure your ** Majefty, that your dutiful and faithful Commons will " vigoroufly and chearfully fupport your Majefty, in al) *' fuch wife and neceflary meafures and engagemeiits, as *' your Majefty may have taken, to vindicate the juft* *' rights and poflcrilons of your crown, and to guard againft: *' any attempt which France may make, on account of *' your Majefty's not having fubmitted to her uiijuftitiablc " encroachments ; and that we think ourfclves bound in, •" juftice and gratitude to affift your Majefty againft infults *' and attjicks, that may be made upon any of your Ma- *' jefty's dominions, though not belonging to the crown of *' Grent Britain, in Tefentment of the part your Majefty *' has taken in a caufe wherein the interefts of this kingdom •* arc'^immediately and fo cirentially concerned."
H 2 di>
)*./■•. *f
.*.,». !>«,
li
11
[ lo^ ] difappoint the defigns of France againft the Britijh dominions in the Mediterranean,
A LIST of all his Majcfl:y'syZ'//»i ofwar^ or Jqtiadrons of fuch fhips as were equipped and made ready for fea, in the month of December 1755.
rate, fhips names, guns. men. when made ready for fca.
a. Speedwel/y 8 10 70 i{{ December ij^^,
3 Newark, 80 620 4th. 6 Unicorn, 24 160 5th. il. Peregrine, 1 2 1 2 100 6th.
5 Go/port, 44 250 8th.
6 Rye, 24 160 loth. ([.Ferret, 10 14 100 I2tli. fl. iSrt'y/Tg-f, 8 10 70 1 2th. {[.Granado, 10 14 100 13th. {[JVa/p, 8 10 70 21/1-. fl. R^wg-^r, 8 10 70 24th, a. Scorpio?!, 10 14 80 25th.
6 Squirrel, 24 160 28th. .^. ,
4 ,5/. Albans, 60 420 3cth. 4 Dreadnought, 60 415 30th. 6 Greyhound, 24 160 31ft.
'■'■?.
A LIST
[ lot ]
A LIST of fuch fliips named in the fore- going lift' as were ordered to be formed into, or to reinforce particular fquadrom witiiin the month of £):av;;^rr, 1755.
rate, (hips names, guns. lucn.
cicftlnation.
5 Woolwich^ 44
!• Ordered 5 th Dec. 1755 to reinforce tiie fqua- dron at the Leeward- .Jlands \
The monthly lift of the Admiralty, giving an abftratt of the difpofition of the fhips, ^6-. in fea pay, for the month of December
rate.
fhlps.
men.
|
Plantations^ • |
< |
3 I 4 10 5 2 6 9 (loops 9 31 |
■ |
500 3345 560 1260 640 |
1 |
|
|
Mediterranean, P. Louifa, 60— |
-2 2 |
24 I |
'4 3 6 2 . floop I 6 |
980 320 80 1380 |
1 |
|
|
" See the former * See pa«^e 59. 1 • - |
parts of this |
lift, p. 58 and H3 |
76, |
i ■ |
I
Eaji Indies,
[ 1^2 ]
rate. Ihips.
!3 2
4 2
6 I
Hoop I
ToWeftwardS. f^ y
^.14 7 Dowm^ Vice i 9 mips •< 5 7
Admiral«S/;;/Vi> i 1 3 Hoops 6 9
I floops23
Cruifers and Convoys, larm.v. 4
Ready 4
Refitting. 41
Fitting . 15
Harbour fervice 2
At home,
S7
I 2
3
4
^1
2
7
23
19
3 8
floops 3
fire fh.2
yatchs 5
lhof.fh.3
7S
men.
97S 660
' 140
' 90
186^
3400 2250 1810 1420 1890 320
11090
1510
4890
12440
7335 720
1240
300
100
210
lOI
28846
h'tm
'1 *
' w; *■■■-. . •
General
|
[ 103 ] |
||||
|
t. • |
rate. |
{hips. |
men. |
|
|
-I |
2 |
I5IO |
||
|
2 |
7 |
4890 |
||
|
3 |
33 |
I73IS |
||
|
4 |
41 |
14570 |
||
|
J? |
12 |
3090 |
||
|
General abftra(ft, |
.6 |
29 |
4380 |
|
|
floops37 |
3000 |
|||
|
arm |
. V.4 |
320 |
||
|
.• |
fire fli.2 |
100 |
||
|
yatchs 5 |
210 |
|||
|
1 |
hof. |
fli.3 ^75 |
lOI |
|
|
■ |
49486 |
- The firft advices 'in the new year (1756) relating to the armament at Tou/on^ received by Lord Holdernefsy relate, that they had got the twelve fhips of the line, and four frigates into Toulon road : that they effedled to make believe this fquadron was intended to attempt to join that at Br ell : but that tht fmall quantity of p-o- vifions ordered for their ufe, made it more ra- tional to fuppofe it was 7iot to pajs through the Streigh^s : th^t they had launched a feventy gun fhip lately, had ore of 30 guns on the ftocks, and were bufy on four more large fliips, which were to be iBnifhed with all expedition.
This intelligence w^as fomewhat ir. alidated by letters of the 6th and the 1 2th of the fame
Of January 3d, 1*756.
H 4
month.
! :
f: i
:>X*-
{ 104 ]
month, the former of which con tradi died the failing of the Toulon fquadron, and in general terms declared that it could not be got ready to fail fo foon as was pretended. They at lafl: limited the time of its failing to the month of February ; and informed that the command of the expedi- tion, for which it was equipping, had been given to the Duice oi Richelieu ".
The Earl of Bri/lol infoims Mr. Fox "^y that repeated orders liad been fent to Toulon to careen and to arm^ with the utmofl expedition, jive fliips of the line to fail forthwith with five frigates already equipped. But that faiiors were fofcarce that they had prelTed boys ana old men, and hired not only artificers but fervants to make up the complements of their crews. And on the 3ifl, which was received by the fame packet, his Lordfhip further diminifhed the flrength of the Toulon armaments, by obferving that they went on /lowly 5 and that the delay was occa- fioned by a want of money, artillery, and timber for building, &c. fhips \
" Who, as Lord Brijiol wrote to Mr. Fox from Turin, was to receive forty battalions from the interior provinces of France. See his letter dated 'January 24th, received February 24th.
^ From Turin, dated 'January 24th.
" Befides, fays he, moll of the manufacturers in the fouth provinces of France are at a fland, no fhips venture out: trade is declining : merchants are brcakino; : no vent iox goods which arc peri/hing in their warchoufes, bV.
• But
vm
[ 105 ]
But twenty days before this lame account arrived at the Secretary's office, Mr. Fox received certain informations ^ from Conful Birtles^ " that after many orders and counter-orders for " equipping the fleet at Toulon^ a pofitive com- *' mand was received by the Intendant to get all " the (hips, fit for the fea, ready as foon as " poflible : thdXjive frigates were ready to fail ; ** that the Dukes Richelieu and Mirepoix were " nominated to command in Provence, and that " it was whifpered, they intended to make a ** defcent from Toulon with a body of troops to " furprize the ifland oi Minorca : that no em- " bargo had yet been laid to detain veflels for '* tranfports j but that the department of Mar^ ^^ feilles had received orders to furnifh 1500 ** feamen for the fquadron, and that all other ** maritime places on that coaft had diredlions " to furnilli a number of feamen proportionable ** to their trade." And then very judicioufly and honeftly obferves, that the orders and counter-^ orders which had been given from time to time about the TovXowJieet had been with a view to make the necejfary preparations to carry the plan into execution with the greater fecrcjy.
In his advices of the 26th, the conful repeats his apprehenfions of the French fcheme of fur- prizing the ifland oi Minorca j and further adds, ** he; had been told by fome, who had the bejl
y Dated Genoa y "January 17th, received February
4th.
tn-
cc <c
ffC
<c
cc cc <c cc
(C
[ io6 ]
intelligence from France, that, letters received three days htioxQ^Jixty battalions were ordered to march into Provence^ to be commanded by the Duke de Richelieu: that between flxty and feventy vefTels had been embargoed for tranfports: that they continued to fend to 'Toulon all failors, as faft as they arrived in other ports -, and that the five frigates then in the road were vi6lualled for three months."
Even Mr. Villettes, on January 19th writes, " It is very certain that orders have been re- " ceived at Toulon to fit out twelve fhips of the " line, and to arm them ; and that the two firft " equipped were to join the^-u^ frigates, above- " mentioned." He afterwards confefTes that all his intelligences confirmed the great diligence ufed at Marfeilles^ and the other neighbouring ports, for manning the Toulon fquadron ^
On the 28th of January Mr. Fox received from Lieutenant-General Fowke the following lift of the French maritime force ; and his ac- count of the French armament at Toulon,
'<• '-' *
''Dated Bern, January 31ft, received by Mr. Fox, February 24th. Though, by his letters of the 8th of "January, he afliired Mr. Fox that the fame remifnefs and fufpence, which he had mentioned before, ftill fubfifted with regard to the naval armaments in the fouth of France, and gave it as his opinion, that the late calamities, with which the upper part of Provence had been afflidled lately, would influence and flacken their preparations.
[ 107 ]
of
\nd
ith
Ind
kh
lid
Le Fotidrcyajit, for Admiral, 80 gunr-, Guer-^
Her, Redoubtable, Temeraire^ Couronne^
Le&ure of j\ guns. VAcbilk^ Lion, Valliant, Hercuky Conjlanf^
Triton, of 64 guns j Tier of 50 guns. Lajunon of 50 guns; RoJ'e, Gracieux, Royalle,
Minerve, Oifeau, of 30 guns -, Nymphe, of
26 guns ; Topaz, of 24 guns. Two firelliips, four xebecks, four bombs,
fourteen galleys, of which only four in
condition. One bark of 24 guns, having no mads. Le Ferme, of 90 guns, fitted to ferve as a fort
in the middle of Toulon road, JJOcean,_ on the (locks, of 80 guns 5 L'Orfee^
now launched, of 64 guns ; UOrifamme^
of 5c guns, at fea; La Fumeme, of 30
guns, on the flocks far advanced ; two
frigates of 30 guns, keels only, having no
timber to proceed.
To fail by firfl orders,
i2fhipsofthelineof7o/^/(5«, 7 commanded by 8 ditto, of Brejiy J Chevalier dii Guain,
At Br eft feven fhips of war on (locks. Number of guns at Toulon 1636 pieces
of 18, 24, and 36 pounders. For fortifications of town and port, 500
Remain for the marine, 1 1 36
Five frigates befides getting ready.
The
■■¥
<c
l^^-
'■,'rt
[ 108 ]
The general then continues and writes, " \i " appears they work with great dih'gence and ** difpatch, employing 6000 men : yet all con- '" noiffieurs agree that they will not be able before February or March, to fend out either ** the twelve men of v»^ar ox five frigates, having ** no guns on board either one or the other." However he allows that the arfenal at Toulon was indifferently well furnifhed with ftores, except wood ; and that two Tartans had lately arrived with timber from the coafts of Romagna and the kingdom of Naples, He mentions a report of 4000 fcamen to be furnillied by the Genoefe, but thinks it improbable : affures there has been a great want of money to pay the workmen ; but that there had arrived at i onion 500,000 /. and that the trading part of Mar- Jeilles were obliged to advance 40,000 /. weekly to keep them on: and concludes thus; " Sir, " this is genuine, and truly the real Jiate of " affairs."
The Lords of the Admiralty received alfo an account of the flate of the French marine ac- tually armed and arming on the 20th of Janu-^ ary 1756, viz.
At Brejl 2 of 80, I of 74, 2 of 70, 3 of 64, 1
3 of 50, I of 34, 8 of 30, 4 of 24, in all J ^4
At Rochfort 2 of 74, i of 70, 3 of 64, 7 of 30, 13
At Toulon I of 80, 3 of 74, 7 of 64, i of 60, ? o
4 of 30, 2 of 24, in all 3 At Havre 2 of 32, 2
Total 77
24
i8
2 1?
[ 109 ]
Whereby it appears that the armament ac Toulon was actually expediting to fail early in the Spring : that it was not intended to pafs t&e Streights ; that it vr .s to convoy an army to make a defcent, probably on Minorca -, and that every method for manning the fhips of war, and tranlporting the land forces, was daily put in execution, which indicated a fudden deter- mination of the great ftroke fo long and fo often threatened again ft fome part of the Britijh do- minions.
In the mean time, letters from the Hague to Lord HoldernefSy of the 2d oi January*^ brought fre(h advices of an intended defcent to be made early this year on E?igla?7d, or of an invafion of Hanover y by the French; and that, with this view, they were providing a great number of flat-bottomed boats.
They further faid**, that the plan for invad- ing Great Britaifi was propofed by M. de Belle- ijle^ who offered to undertake the execution thereof i but that he had been violently oppofed therein bv M. Seychelles, The Marftial's plan was not to attack any of tJie powers on the Continent, and particularly to leave Hanover quiet : but at the fame time to afTemble three large armies on the frontiers of Alface^ Flanders^ and LanguedoCy in order to keep the powers in
* Received on the 6th.
^ Dated Hci^us, January lOth received February i.
Europe
M; I
i^
W'
V rS';
|
m„ |
^^^. |
|
liffl'j! |
'■■■(■ |
|
w |
5' ^ |
|
W' |
- '1 |
|
m- |
' j'^ |
[ "0 J
,P,urope in awe and fufpence. Then ferioufly to attempt an invalion of Great Britain or Ire- landy c of both ; by getting together as many vefTels as pofTible in different ports, with every thing neceflary for an embarkation. And he further advifed the French King, not to fend out any large fquadrons of men of war, but only fome light cruifers to co '^r the arrival and departure of their tranfports; tO give notice of the motions of the Englifi^ and to carry fupplies to their colonies ; however at Brcjl lie thought it neceffary to have a I'cry large fieet ready to give umbrage to the Euglifi\ and to ferve as occafion {hould require.
This was Bellci/It:\ planj which, our corre- fpondent confeffcd was not to every body's tafte : but notwithfanding, fays he, it appears, as if fome part of it was already adopted, by the motions of the French towards the fiotitiers on all fides, and particularly to the fea coail of the ocean, where M. Bellei/le and the Prince de Soiibife were beginning to make their circuit; being daily expedted at Dunkirk^ and from thence to proceed along the co.ifl:.
At the fame office there arrived advice *" that 8o,ooo men were reported to be marching from the inland places towards the coaft, and that they were to be quartered by brigades from ^Dunkirk to Se?iiis : alio that Perrier's fquadron
^"Januayy 31!, at Lord HoUcrnejW office.
was
lat on
[ HI ]
was beginning to get into the road o( BreJI **, but that there were, as yet, no difpofitions ' made in the ports of the ocean for an embarkation.
Lord Brijlol writes from I'urvj, that 140 battalions were affigned to march under the command of Marllial BelleiJIe, And M. V,'lletfe$ from Bern \ that orders had been fent to the French ports on the ocean, particularly to Breft and Rochforty for fitting out all their naval force, and for aflembling feven or eight hundred flaU bottomed vejj'els : for, fays he, the invafion of England w'Al be an eafy matter after the jundion of the French fquadrons [from Toulon at Breji^ to cover the paflage of their troops.
Yet Vice Admiral OJhorne, by letters of the 6th of this month, informs the Admiralty, that Mr. yofeph Cockburn of the Hunter cutter, having ventured into Breji water in his row-
*" Letters of the fame date in the faid office informed that the Courageux, the Jmphion, and two other (hips of the line, and two frigates, were in the road waiting for the Prudent and three frigates from Rochfort, which being joined, M. Perrier would fail very fpeedily.
* Other advices of the fame date, and to the fame office, mention that it was confidently reported, that eighteen out of forty-one fhips at Boulogne were fitting : which, with r ders concerning privateers, fliewed that they had fo7ne' thing in view. Letters of the 12th inform that four men of war, three frigates, and three pinks were building after a new method, at port I'Or'ient, to be ready in eight months : and that fix frig;ates were buildiiii^ at Nanteu
^ Sec his letters dated 19th and 31ft.
boat,
i
ll;i:l
li
Vm.'J
of* '•
Ml
[ >I2]
boat, could fee only w'rie men of war, five of which were as big as the Princeffa^ two of 50 guns, and two frnaller, and fix fail of large merchant fhips, in that harbour.
Consequently, though the French afi^edled to talk of, and to threaten us with, an invafion, to be headed by the Pretender^ and fchemed and condudled by Belleijle^ *' All perfons of ** judgment (fays another intelligent correfpon- dent with Lord Holdernefs's office, dated Ja- nuary 2ifl:) " agreed that it was attended with ** infuperable difficulties, and was only intended " to alarm and dijirefs us" Which, in part, was confirmed by the refolution of the French court, at this time, to fend troops to Canada ^ ; which, and not a fleet of flat-bottomed veflels for tranfports to this ifland, were convoyed by the fquadron equipped at Brcji,
So that in fa6t, there was neither power, nor means, nor indeed the appearance of an em- barkation fufficient to alarm England with an invafion hitherto. Yet it will be feeii by the difpofition of our fleets within this month, that the minif^ry provided again fl the equipments made by the French in the ports of the ocean, and did nothing for the fecurity of Minorca and Gibraltar,
s See January 31(1, in Lord Holdernefs'^ office.
A LIST
Wi
[ >I3]
A LIST of all his M^jcdy's JJ:ifs ofwar^ or jquadrom of fuch rfiips as were equipped and made ready for fea, within the month oi "January 1756.
rate, fliips n:imes. guns. men. when made ready for fca.
3 Captain^ 70 480 January ift 1756.
6 Lyme^ 24 160 5th,
3 Somerfet, 70 520 8th.
5 Pr. Edwardy 44 250 9th. {[.Raven, 10 14 100 loth. 3 Chicheftery 70 520 14th. 3 Tar mouthy 70 520 14th. '^N'onhuniberlamijo 120 15th, 3 Edinburgh y 70 480 15th. 3 Monmouthy 70 480 15th.
6 Arundt'ly 24 140 15th. 3 Vanguardy 70 520 i6di.
3 Buckifighamy 70 o^^S 17th.
4 Wind for y to 400 17 th. 6 Port Mahony 24 160 2 2d. {[.Hazardy 8 10 70 2 2d. 6 ^eenboroiigh y2^ 160 23d.
3 Monarchy 74 750 24th.
4 Medwayy 60 420 24th. 4 Fir/lFirebrandy^ ^55 24th. 4 Neivcaftky 50 350 26th. i[,DiJpatchy 10 14 100 26th. fl. Cruifery 8 10 70 27th. 6 Seajordy 24 160 29th. 4 Nottingham^ 60 400 3ifl.
I
'ii
p>
A LIST
ST
[ n4]
m
A LIST of fuch of the rtiips named in the fore- going li(l^ as were ordered to be formed into, or to reinforce particular fquadrons within the month of January 1756.
r^tc. ihips names, guns. men. dcflinatlon.
" Rear AdmiralTbw«/6'«^ was ordered the 6th of Jan. 1756 to proceed in her to famaica^ to relieve Mr. Cotes in the command of a fqua- dron there.
4 Dreadnought fio £f\i<
|
1 i 3 Somerfcff |
70 540- |
|
3 Buckingham |
>7^ 535 |
|
3 Swijtfure^ |
70 520 |
|
3 Tarmouth^ |
70 520 |
|
3 Chichejier^ |
70 520 |
|
3 Lanca/Ier^ |
66 520 |
|
3 Vanguard^ |
70 520 |
|
3 Northumberland-, 70 ^20 |
|
|
3 Elizabeth, |
70 480 |
|
3 Monmouthy |
70 480 |
|
4 Windfor^ |
60 400 |
|
4 AntelopCy |
50 300 |
|
5 Komncy, |
44 280 |
|
5 Go^^r/, |
44 250 |
|
6 TJnicorny |
24 160 |
|
i[. Ferrety ic |
» 14 100 |
Ordered 9thy,^;7.i756 to proceed to the weft- ward under the com- mand of Vice Admiral Ofborne,
^ Sec the former parts of this lift, in the feveral months of September y O^ober^ November y and D.i.embcr.
■••'-• A monthly
t ^5]
A monthly lift of tJie Admiralty, givln?: an aUlraa of the difpofition of the fhips. ^c. m fca pay, for the month of Jam^ry
^iift Indies^
PImtatiofjs,
1 60
Mediterranean, 2 50
2 40
Cruifers and Convoys,
offBreJl Downs
2 6
32
{
6 3
6 2
floop I
3 4
4 7
6 8
floopS2^
Larm.v. 4
men.
975
660
140 90
1865 ■ 11 > »
500
3345 810
1260
640
1380
i
Ready
"~-1^
n
if
Its 3
|
[ 116 |
'] |
|||
|
; |
rate. |
(hips. |
men* |
|
|
fl |
2 |
15^0 |
||
|
1 2 |
7 |
4890 |
||
|
Ready, or line |
44 |
3 |
26 |
13920 |
|
Refitting under 50 |
10 |
4 |
19 |
7285 |
|
Fitting |
" ^ |
5 |
4 |
1030 |
|
Harbour fervice |
6 |
9 |
1400 |
|
|
iloOpS 2 |
150 |
|||
|
At home, |
fire |
ih.2 |
100 |
|
|
yatc |
hs5 |
210 |
||
|
_hof.fh.3 79 |
lOI |
|||
|
30596 |
||||
|
-I |
2 |
I5IO |
||
|
2 |
7 |
4S90 |
||
|
i |
0 'J 33 |
^7315 |
||
|
^ |
4 |
41 |
14570 |
|
|
5 |
12 |
3120 |
||
|
General abflrad, |
■ |
6 |
29 |
4380 |
|
floops38 |
3080 |
|||
|
arm. |
v.4 |
320 |
||
|
fire fli.2 |
100 |
|||
|
' |
yatchs 5 |
210 |
||
|
hof. |
fli.3 |
lOI |
176 49596
Tut month of February increafed our h'ght into the armament at I'oulon. For, letters of thQjfxiby arrived ' at the Amniralty from Mar-
' On the 25th February,
I
fdlksy
[ 117]
feilles, with advice that they were very hard at work on the twelve fliips at Ttulon ; that eight more were ordered to be fitted for fea j that preparations were making to embark 25,000 men, with a train of artillery, and that it was, according to the general report, defigned againft Minorca,
Letters of the 13th, from the fame port ^ confirmed this report, adding, that the fhips were hove down, and that they were to convoy forty battalions. Confal Birtles writes alfo from Genoa^ that they wrought with fuch dif- patch, that they would be ready to put to fea by the middle of March in two fquadrons ''j one for America 5 the other againft Minorca, Capl. Edgecombe at Leghorn, affures their Lordfliips that the French fleet at Toulon was then fitting out in earneft, and that it was thought to be intended to furprize Minorca,
The advices in Lord Holdernefs^ office cor- roborated the preraifes. For, they wrote from the Hague^, that 30,000 men were ordered to embark on the coaft of Provence to make an attempt upon Miiiorca : which this correfpondent obferved was no very difficult undertaking : and another writes that this report might be very true confidering the peifon from whom it came.
's.
' Rccqlvcd March 2d.
'^ Or a fham in order to divide the Englijh fleets,
' tthrmry loth, received on the 14th.
I 1
Sir
WW
h 5'
[ii8]
Sir Benjamin Keene, by letter to Mi. Fox^ dated February 24th, hath this remarkable fentence : — '* The uneafinefs I feel comes from ** the approach of an intended attack on his ** Majefty's dominions in the Mediterranean.-^ " I mean tlie ifland of Minorca in particular : *' being forced to this idea by repeated accounts " of numbers of troops aflembled at Mar jet lies ^ " and on the coails of the Mediterranean^ to be " eafily tranfported in fmall ve/Tels under the " convoy of twelve capital (hipi ready to fail " from Toulon "."
This intelligence gained fo much credit, that Mr. Villetfes, on the 2d of February, wrote from Bern, that orders had been publifhed every where by found of trumpet for failors to repair to Toukny evcii upon the coafls of RoufJhn and Languedoc, to mann the fliips ready , and that they continued to work on the twelve fliips with the fame adivity -, but that he believed they had neither failors nor cannon enough to fit them
m
This gentleman on the 14th of the fame month wrote to r'eneral l-inkeney, in tliis form: *' The great number *' of troops afTembled in and about Marfe'dlei^ and coafts of *' the Mediterranean, feem to me too ftrong indications of *' the place they intend to attack. The facility, collection *' of fmall vcfTels and tranfports, and the readinefs, which *' great part of the Toulon fquadron is in to fail, to prote6t *' and to co-operate v/ith them, whilft his Majefty's fqua- " dron in that fea is fo much inferior, give me the ftrongeft *' iipprehenjions, that they intend to furprize and attack '* Minorca,
out.
II
w
[ "9]
out. However, by his next letters of the 4th of the fame month, he allowed that they either by chance or connivance, got a great many Genoefe failors.
He remarks that the thirty battalions, faid to be marching into Prow;^^^ were 30,000 men, and that 18,000 loads of corn had been pro- vided for their fubfiftence. He complains that the French court changed their opinions [he fhould have faid gave their orders under fuch difguife'] that it was impoffible to fix on any thing : but that it then feemed to him that five Ji 'gates were to fail by themfelves, to be followed after by four {hips of the line, and that eight others would fail afterwards. On the twenty- third he confirms the march of troops for Provence : mentions ninety carpenters arrived at Toulon from Genoa ; orders to take up fourteen TFeJi- India merchant (hips to be fent to the faid port. •—Yet this gentleman was unwilling to apply thefe preparations as intended againft Minorca, He rather chofe to infinuate that they were made to intimidate the neighbouring powers, in order to facilitate an invafion or defcent on Great Britain or Ireland. ,
■m
Consul Dick at Leghorn on the i6th of February gives advice of fifty or fixty tranfports taken up for the troops in Provence -, and con- cludes that the motions of the Frejich threatened feme dangerous enterprize,
I 4 Lord
f 120 ]
iLt
w
i
Lord Brijiol at ^urin writes on the 2 1 ft of February ", that repeated orders had been fent to Toulon to haflen the workrpen : that five frigates had been all ready fome time, but were ordered not to fail till the twelve ftiips of the. line fhould be thoroughly equipped -, that then they had orders to fail together, with 35,000 men for Minorca : that it was the opinion of moft intelligent people that they would be ready to put to fea about the beginning of April -, but that he could not believe they would all he completely equipped by that time, becaufe he had the fulleft alTurahces, from thofe who had been on the fpot, that there was not cannon fufficient to equip the twelve Ihips of the line in the port of Toulon. However he allows that there did begin to appear fome preparations for fitting a great number of tranfports and a train of artillery ; and that a great number of work- men did daily pafs through Islce from Genoa to Toulon °.
Consul Birtles at Genoa mentions the hiring of Genoefe workmen, and that upon his re- monftrance againft their entering into the fervice of France^ care had JDcen taken to put a ilop to
* Received on the 8th of March.
« Sec his letters of the 21 ft of February ^ received Msrch 8th, and 28th of February, received March 15th. Conful Birtles fixes the train at twenty four pieces of heavy cannon, J 3,000 cannon balls, i^c,
i that
[ 121 ]
that fd-ieme. He likewife writes that the arma- ment of the fleet of five frigates and twelve fliips of the line went on with great vigour, fo as to be ready for fea by the middle of March : that an embargo was laid on all veflels to carry the projeds into execqtion : that every thing was getting ready for the embarkation of the troops and the traip j and that it was talked there would be pj^rt of the embafkation difpatched to jime- n'cay and the other againfl Minorca : which was generally believed ; though he would not pretend to affirm it pofitively. .^ ?
But what this wary gentleman wanted in pofitivenejsy was amply fupplied by the intelli- gence received from Captain Harvey of the Phcenix at Mahon, who, in his letters ^ to the Admiralty^ acquaints their Lordifhips that 25,000 French were quartered on the coatt of Provence ^ that twelve men of war would be ready within the month to fail from Toulon with Jive frigates, and that k was publickly talked and believed in France^ and other parts, that moji certainly an embarkation was intended againft Mifiorca,
P Dated February yth, received March 6th. Next day, the fame gentleman wrote to Lieutenant General Fowkcy informing him with the fame defign againft Minorca j and declaring his belief of it. He acquainted him that there had been a council of war, and refolutions taken to prepare for a defence : but adds, we can do nothing if you do not fpcidily fend us fame beef. And further, that the garrifoji iuas then in gnat dijlrefs^
Consul
'ir
ii=
[ 122 ]
Consul Banks at Carthagenn^ having firfl advifed ^ that fix frigates had failed about the latter end of laft month for the Levant j that confiderable bodies of tioopc were in motion, merchant men taken up, and other difpofitions were making, which indicated an approaching embarkation, or fome other great enterprize, under convoy of all the King's fliips, to the number of twenty-fix, fit to go to fea j he concludes that a Trench report prevailed in Epain that the aforefaid fquadron had put to fea with tranfports having on beard 20,000 men, to be landed on Minorca,
■ General Blakejtey himfelf was fo convinced of the truth of thefe concurring advices, that on the loth of February, he wrote a letter ' to Mr, Fox, in which he exprefi!es himfelf in thefe tqrms : — " I can't be too early in acquainting you. Sir, that by different informations from France and Spain, there is great reafon to " believe the. French intend very Shortly to make " an attack upon this ifland. It is publickly ** talked of at Marjcilles and Barcelona, and " founded upon an order for 25,000 men to " march immediately to the fea coaft of Pro- " vence, — Large boats built at Toulon to contain *' fixty men each, and one twenty- four pounder: ** twelve fail of the line ahjblutely ready to put " to fea in this month ; and five frigates ready
'i February 25th, received A'larch i^tb. Capt. Edgecomht on the 27th, received Alarch 15th, confirms the fame. ''Dated Minorca, Fibruary icth, received March 6th.
" vie-
c<
c<
o
:e
in
ibt
[ 123 ]
*' vidnallcd, and faid to be under failing or- *' ders."
€C <C (C C(
cc
cc <( cc
(C
<c
<( tfc
" In confequence I've called a council of war; producjd the informations, which were con- firmed by a letter to the fame purpofe, di- rected to Captain Harvey of the PbamXy prefent commiflion officer in this port. And we were unanimoufly of opinion, that con- fidering who thefe informations came from, and the reports every where about, which feemed to tally with them, this ifland ought, with the greatefl fpeed, to be put in the bed ftate of defence it can ; — and I am accord- ingly applying myfelf to every meafure I think for the fafety and defence of this place '. ^ ,,
* On the 6th of February he wrote to Mr. Dick, Conful at Leghorn^ to furnifh him with looo barrels of beef with the greateft difpatch, not being able to gain a fupply at Gibraltar, Lieutenant General i^(jwi^ excufed himfelf in this manner : " It is a fatisfaition to hear that Capt. Lloyd ** of the Chejierfield, with provifions, was feen off Mahon, " — Capt. Beard is taking in further fupplies j and will, *' I hepe, be fliortly with you. — By two merchant fhips *' from off the IJle of Wight, I hear, two fquadrons of our *« fleet are ready, and expedl to fail on the firft or fecond '* of this month, having been detained by contrary winds. *' — And as the miniftry mujl be under fome apprehenjions ^^ for you, I am perfuadcd one of thofe fquadrons is intended " for your protecSlion and afliftance, and am in daily hopes " of its appearing. — We have here in the naval fl:oresy?Af *' months provifions for 4000 men, and I propofed fending " about twenty tons in this veffel, but, on confulting with *' Capt. Beard, he declined giving an order for it ; and as " to our garrifon, provifions are unluckily too Jhort to fpare *' any i unlefs youviieceffity were greater than hope it is."
Thus
[ '24 J
r it
II I
Thus you find that there was certain intelli- eencc of the adlivity with wliich the French had refumed the fitting out of their 'Toulon fquadron : of a powerful army, a train of ar- tillery, and of tranfports for their embarkation : that they would be ready to put to fea about the beginning of April at farthefl : that it was generally believed to be defigned againft Minorca: and that this was the opinion of all correfpon- dents in France and Spain^ and of the com- manders of our ihips and tranfports in the Me^ diterranean»
However, the letters from the Hague feem to have worked more efFed:ually on the Britijh miniftry, and alnioft to have driven the Toulon armament from their regard.— They were full of the excellive preparations of all kinds making on the coaft of the channel for an invafion : as the marching of feveral regiments to "Normandy and Brit any ', or order for forty battalions to quarter on the coafts, and to (lore all the forti- fied places with ammunition and provifions. They further fajd, that the court of France had in moft partf approved Bclleijle\ plan, which was to affemble 100,000 men between Cher^ bourg and Dunkirk^ in order to give equal uur eafinefs to the fouth and nsxell parts of England^ and oblige them to fcparate their forces j and to order twelve fliips of the line, and twelve frigates to be equipped at Brejl^ to facilitate an embark- ation
[ 125 ]
ation of 600 fail of tranfports, each to carry 100 men, to be piloted by fmugglers of Kent, SuJfeXy and Hampfiire^ to three different at- tacks j two of which to be only feints, the real one to be in the weft of England, and com- manded by the Marfhal in perfon. Who an- fwered all the objedtions made to this plan by infifting, that it was feafible in a frefh fouth eafterly wind, a dark night, a fog, or a ftark calm : becaufc, in any ofthefe cajcs^ the Englijh fleet could not come to prevent their pafTage, fo that the fchemc was allowed to be praSiicahky notwithftanding the formidable ^Qcioi Efigland\
I N the fame office advices " were received that fixteen frigates would be ready in a month 2X. Brejl for fervice: that 100,000 men were marching down to the coafts of France, and there were actually at Dunkirk one hundred and forty veflels of different fizes, twenty belonging to the Dutch not rigged, and four for privateers. They alfo mentioned a great convoy of ammu- nition and provifions fent to Calais, and other preparations at Douay : that M. Belleijle was
* See Letters of the 6th and icth oi February, in Lord Holdernefs's office from the Hague, one of which alfo re- lated a proje6t for tranfporting of as many troops aspoffible to America, and in order to facilitate the fame, to fit out a great number of privateers, that by diftrefling the mer- chants, they might occafion fuch a difperfion of the Britijh navy, as might give the French men of war an opportunity to proceed for America with greater fecurity.
" February ifl and 2d.
ex-
i 126 ]
expelled at Dunkirk at the head of 1 3 5 bat- talions difpofed between that and Bayonne, and that an embarkation was talked of in a very raging manner ; as ahb an army to marcli into the Low Countries. And further, that orders were arrived to fend all the Ihips to Brefl as fitted, which was expeded to be done by the fourth oi March j and that twelve fliips, belong- ing to tlie Kajl India company, were taken up for tranfports.
Other advices ^ to the faid office gave an account of preparations for a vafl: projcdl: to appear all at once : of bilanders prefTed at Lifle^ to carry ammunition to Dunkirk^ &c. of which three loaded with pallifadoes, were arrived at Dunkirk : of a number of troops aflembling in Lower Normandy, and of a battalion of the royal artillery at Boukg?2e, and of another at Havre, deftined for embarkation, befides a large quantity of warlike ft ores filing off from Doway^ &c. and of a report that there would be col- lected in the ports of Britany and Normandy^ about 600 flat- bottomed boats to be made ufe of for a defcent -, and that the Pretender kept near at hand, had been at Verfailles fome time, and
Ik Ml
M ■
m I
"^ Of the 6th, 7th, 9th, 14th, 20th, 25th, and 27th of February. Mr. Barnham alib on the loth informs Mr. Amyand, that great warlike preparations were daily making, and that a furprifing quantity of gunpowder had been brought to Calais in thirty fiat- bottomed boats, and that more was coming by way of their canals.
ex-
[ 127 1
expcded to be joined by numbers at his land- ing.
They alfo remarked that the train of artillery was large, confined of mortars, bombs, and all materials for forming a fiege j throwing up en- trenchments, and fortifying a camp : that a number of waggons had been provided : that Havre and Bre/i were the porto to aflemble and embark ; and that from fomc particular circum- ftances it might be concluded, that the French miniftry wns determined to execute Belleijle*s plan, though they were certain to lofe all the veflels fent and rifque their whole kingdom: but that they hoped by their number of boats, and fuperiority of fire from the heavy cannon they were to carry, they might form a fafe palTage, notvv^ithftanding they fhould meet with the Englifi fleet \
February 24th. The letters to the faid office informed that the French were refolved to in- vade, and even to facrifice half of their kingdom to be revenged ; that the preparations of offence and defence were immenfe, and the train of artillery was prodigious : that they threatened, in cafe they could land their whole force, to m Tch diredly to Lo?idon : but that fome engi- neers were of opinion, and the battering train, and the Ihips ordered to affemble at Brejl and
"Advices in Lord Holdernefs\ office, Feb, yth, 1756.
i-'oulOTt
ll
9 ''«i
[if :^l
<c
cc
[ 128]
^ouldrt^ cohfirttled that it was intended fifft to fccure Port/mouth ^
Sir Benjamin Ktefie writes to Mr. /^* his fentimcnts on this invafion in the fame letter by which he informed him of the defign againlt Minorca: " From the number of troops, fays he, " afTcmbled on the French coafls, that are ** ncarcft to his Majefty's dominions; the ex- ** tenfive command and adtive inveterate fpirit of Marfhal Belleijle : his difcourfcs, when a prifoner, that with a regim.ent of Urcffim he ** would undertake to march from one end of ** England to the other ; and from the naval *' preparations at Breji to co-operate with the ** troops, It is evident that h is the refolution of " the court of Verjailtes to attempt a defcent on Great Britain, The expence is made. They have not troops to cope with us at fea : and the great and falutary meafures taken by his ** Majefty by his preventive treaties, have left ** no door open, nor even a poffibility of em- ** ploying their formidable army on the Con- ** tinent. This therefore is the only means left " them for pouring forth their wrrtth againft us, ** And what will they lofe but men ? whom
y Other letters of the 25th fay, no doubt the French King is ferioujly rtfolved to invade England. Agreeable to this advice the Admiralty the fame day was informed, that a mafter of a veffel belonging to Rotterdam, who had left Caen on the 20th, reported that troops were cantoned about Cape BarJIeur, to be in readincfs to invade the Britijh dominions.
" they
cc
cc
iC
f 129 ]
•* they can well fpare, in cafe they (liould be *' dilappointcd in their attempt."
Vet if wc attend to the following intelli- gehce, it will be found that all thefc prepara- tions were no other than feints, on the part of France 'y and that Sir Benjamifi^s fpeculations and terrors, about an invafion of Great Britain^ were fufficient to weigh with the Britijh mini- flry, fo as to confine their armaments entirely to home fcrvice. For, the leaft attention to the hatUre al all thefe intelligences, concerning an invafion, will find that there was not near the Jame certainty of a refolution to make a defcent on Great Britain^ as there was on Minorca,
The advices of the 6th of February^ which reported that fome imagined a defcent would aiSiually take place, delivered it as the more probable opinion, that the French only made a fhew of a defcent to alarm, and to make England more watchful of their own coalls, while they t ran/ported troops to America.
The bugbear of three fquadrons fitting out at Breji was known on the firft of February^ to amount to no more than a fquadron under M. Perrier to fail to St. Domingo , another under M. Beaufremonty to guard the coafts j and the third under M. Confans, to proted: their colonies. Sf) that nothing could be feared from the naval power of France in the channel *.
*In Lord Holderncf%\ office, February ift, 1756.
K Th£
L 130 ]
ir
The very pretence of employing 100,000 troops in an expedition of this K.ind, might have convinced that it was not fcrlcus j fuch a nume- rous army {landing in need of more vefTels and ncceffaries than the i-^ingdom of France could furnifii. But obferve wiiat they thought, who tranfmitted the intelligence of thefe motions : — " It is believed, fays one \ that their motion to «' the fea coaft is nothing but an qff'cBed parade <* of marches and counter-marches :" or, as an- other *" of the fame date, " An army 10 fkreen " their own coafls from a defcent, and to inti- «f midate England"
On the 6th of February It was alTured, that neither armament, nor embarkation was ordered. Mr. Barnham liimfelf writes to Mr. Amyandy on the 28th, that he had learned the fame day from Calaisy that the troops ordered from the interior parts of France to the fea coafts had received counter-orders : and that every thing for the prefcnt, feemed very quiet at Calais, And the Lords of the Admiralty wvre informed by letters of the 24th, that Capt. Whitwell of the Roebuck, iiad looked into the port of Havre ^ and alfo examined the crews of two SpaJiiJh fnows from thence ; and that from what he could lee and learn, there were neither troops nor vcfL^iS of any fort collecfting in that port ;
^ Fchruuvy ifl, in Lord Holdemefs^ oiBce. ^ Ditto, and letters of the 14th ditto.
3
that
\\i
rt •
[ 'S" ]
that all repo'-ts of fjch armaments were falfe, and that, including two frigates on the ftocks ready to be launched, and two others of 30 and 40 guns fent from Brefl a few days before to be refitted, there were in that port no more than fourteen or fixteen fail of (hipping.
Is it not, therefore, very extraordinary that his Majefty was advlfed to fend a melTage to the Houfc of Lords, on the 23d of this month, lignifying, " That he had received repeated " advices from different places and peifons, that "ad fign had been formed by the French court *' to make an hoflile invafion upon Great Bri- " tain or Ireland; and that the great preparations " of land forces, fhip;, artillery, and v/arlike *' ftores, were then notoriouliy making in the ** ports of France, oppolite to the Bri:ljh coafls, " left little room to doubt of the reality of fuch *' a defign : that he had not only augmented " his forces by fea and land, to put his kingdoms " into a pofture of defence j but that he had '* ordered tranfports to bring over hither a body " oiHeJJian troops, in order further to ftrengthen ** himfelf." Without taking the leaft notice of the advices concerning the hoflile invafion of Minorca -, repeated with greater certainty, and from perfons of greater credit than a Dutch fkipper ; or of any meafures taken by his mi- niftry for its defence. . • ' .
hat
K
Ir
[ 132 ]
5
It is true there appears an order in the Waf office^ dated the 3d of February ^ for all the abfent officers from Minorca, except General Hujke, to repair to their ports. But there was no paflage provided for them till the fixth oi April, when they failed with Admiral Byng. And not a fhip fent to the Mediterranean^ as you will fee by the following lifts '.
A LIST of all his Majefty's fhips or fquadrons of fuch fhips as were equipped and made ready for the fea within the mondi of February 1756.
Jate. fhips names, guns. men. when made ready for fea. il. %///, 8 10 70 3d February 1756. £i. Swan, 10 14 100 5th, {[.Happy, 8 70 70 5th. £i. Ranger, 8 10 70 6th.
4 Hampfljire, 50 300 7th.
5 Roebuck, 44 220 7th.
6 Squirrel, "4 160 loth.
3 Intrepid, 64 480 nth.
4 Tork, Co 420 I ]th. 6 Winchelfea, 24 160 iith.
6 Sheernefs, 24 160 13th. •
{[. SaltaJJ:), 10 14 100 13th.
a.JVaJp, 8 10 70 14th.
fl. Peggy, 810 70 1 5th.
2 Rafnillies, 90 750 16th.
'■ See the former parts of thefe lifts In the months of SepUmher, O£iobir, November, December, and 'January.
3 larible.
oi"
rate, fliips names, guns.
3 Terriblcy 70
11. SwalloWy 14 14
3 Cambridge , 80
ih Hound, 10 14
3 Torbav, 74
3 Culloden, 74
3 Orford, 70
3 Revenge, 70
4 Roc he ft er, 50
3 Ipfwich, 70
4 Dunkirk, 60
5 Ludlow cap le,/^^ {[, Bonnetta,io 14
4 ^;, 50
5 Ambufcade, 44
6 X/W, 24
[ ^33 ]
men. when made ready for fca.
615 19th February 1756.
100 20th. 650 2lft. 100 2lft. 700 25th, 600 25th, 520 25th, 480 25th. 350 25th. 480 26th, 420 26th. 250 26th.
80 27th. 350 28th, 250 28th. 160 29th,
A LIST of fuch fhips named in the foregoinf? lift as were ordered to h^ formed into, or lo reinforce ^mxzwXzx fquadrom within the ?i)onth of February 1756.
tatc. f ;>:r names, guns. men.
dellinatlon.
3 Captain, 70 480
3 Edinburgh, 70 480
4 Medway, 60 420"^ 4 Newcajile, 50 350
"Ordered 17th 1756 to accompany the Hamp- yZ'/r^andoutwardbound Eaji India fliips 100 leagues into the fea, and then to return to Spithead,
•K 3 2 SL
■ft" ■If
m
11 ff
[ 134 ]
rate, fhlps names, guns. men. ••
deftination.
2 jS*/. George^ 90 750
3 Monarchy 74 715 3 Orfordy yo 520 3 Cullodetiy 74 600 3 Norihumherland^ 70 520 3 Captain^
3 Edinburgh^
4 2or/^, 4 Dunkirk^ 4 Medivay^
4 Neivcafik, 50 350 {[.Swan, 10 14 100
The Jdmiralty informed that fix fail of French men of war had failed from 5r£/?, ordered Sir Edward Hawke on the '27th of February to put to fea immediately with this lt|uadron ; but he was detained till the 12th of March by contrary winds : , on which day he failed with 70 480 . the Kajl India fhips to con- yo ^ /^O < voy 150 leagues wcftward / ' ^ i.':U/})ant. He was then or- ^ ' *red to return to Cape Or- DO 4^*-* I ttigal, and cruife in the bay 60 420 to prevent Fr^«f/j (hips put- ting to fea from Breji or Rochfort, or to intercept the forefaid French fquadron ; which his inftrudlions di- re<5led to be the principal ^obje£i of his attention.
A monthly lijl of the Admiralty^ giving an
^^ abftradt of the difpofition of the fhips,
fife, in fea pay, for the month of February
rate. fhips. men.
2
,..-, J
' ly/'-f/l''
Eaft Indies i
I *.t .( ■ hi^'.
I •-. • •
975 660
140
90
1865
Pto-
|
[ i3i |
?] |
|||
|
rate. |
flilps. |
men. |
||
|
r3 4 Plantations^ <^ 5 |
I II 3 |
500 3760 810 |
||
|
\ • |
6 |
1 1 |
1580 |
|
|
• |
Jloopj |
L2 |
640 |
|
|
■ ■ ■ *• |
11 |
7290 |
||
|
' • I 60 f Mediterranean^ 2 50 J |
4 5 |
3 I |
9bo 250 |
|
|
I 44 1 |
6 'floop |
3 I |
460 80 ■ |
|
|
•> |
8 |
1770 |
||
|
Convoys and Cruifers, |
r 1 |
14 |
7^''S |
|
|
Vice Adm. 7 ' n ^ Vice Admiral 1 7 5*w/VZ?, Downs ) 1 3 |
4 « 5 4 6 9 floops23 ariii.v. 4 |
2700 1030 1420 1920 320 |
||
|
..-. ''■■ |
62 |
14605 |
||
|
l' |
"i |
2 |
1510 |
|
|
2 |
7 |
4890 |
||
|
At Home, |
3 4 5 |
17 18 4 |
93<^5 1030 '^ |
|
|
6 6 floops 4 firefh. 2 |
940 350 100 |
|||
|
1 |
yachts 5 Lhor.fh.3 , 68 |
210 100 |
||
|
25266 |
||||
|
« |
K4 |
General ■ ! [ in |
r 136]
if
mr
|
■ |
rate. fhlps. |
men. |
|
; |
^I 2 2 7 |
15 10 4890 |
|
3 34 |
180^5 |
|
|
4 42 |
14870 |
|
|
5 ^2 |
3120 |
|
|
General abflradt, •< 6 30 |
4540 |
|
|
floops38 |
3080 |
|
|
* |
arm. v. 4 |
320 |
|
fire fli.2 |
100 |
|
|
yatqhs 5 |
210 |
|
|
^hof.fli.3 |
lOI |
|
|
179 |
50796 |
E m
The time of a(f]:ion drawing nigh, and no preparations pf a fleet, nor army made by the Englijh, to oppofe the grand enterprize i^hder- taken at Toulon-, the Duke of RichelieUy at Lyons^ on the road to take the command of the em- barkation, openly declared its deftination was again ft Minorca and to befiege Mahoji-, of which M. Villettes did not fail to give advice ^
This fame gentleman alfo, within the courfe of this month, tranfmitted fuch other advices, as might be fufficient to put the Marfhal's de- claration out of all doubt. For his letters of the firft relate, that the whole marine at Mar^ Jellies was in motion: that befides the Weji India (hips in laft month's account, twenty others,
^ Dated Bern, March 1 3.
I burthen
«« ; i*'.
[ ^7 1
burthen 2000 quintals, were taken up: that the prcfs fox fe amen was very briik: that troops^ artillery^ bombsy powdery &c, were continually arriving in that neighbourhood : and that, as they were carrying on an armament in the neighbo, ring provinces of Spain, with greater adivity, he did not doubt but the two courts had Minorca and Gibraltar in view ^.
He particularly obferved that GallaJJioniere was arrived to command the fleet : that [even Ihips of the line and Jive frigates were actually in the road': that they were (hipping 6000 bombs, 30,000 weight of bifcuit^: t\\2X twelve fhips of the line and^-u^ frigates would be ready to fail by the beginning of April " : that four gal lies, four xebecks, and feven or eight other vefTels, fit for fuch a fervice, were ordered to attend the fleet, and to carry the aqimunition, amongft which he numbers for the land fervice 2500 oxen, 6000 riations of hay, 6000 fafcines, 1000 barrels of gunpowder, 12 cannon of 36
" Concluding, ** In thefe circumftances, it will be very ** difficult for the Englijh to prevent their being taken ; " particularly Mahotiy * which is not ftrong on the land " fide, and where they cannot fend an army capable of *' preventing an invafioti."
^ Before ihefirft of March, the date of his letter.
^Letter ofyWarr^Sth.
^ Letters of March 8th and 13th, viz. the Foudroyant, peirced for 100, armed with 90 guns ; five of 74 guns, three of 64 guns, and three of 50 guns ; frigates, one of 38 guns, one of 30, two of 24, and one of 20 guns. Letter of J/«;y-6 24th*.
pounders.
m
If.
U
if t
It V- '- SI
'V,
iP m
I 138 ]
pounder 2 ' of 24 pounders, 8 of 12 pounders ; 8 irorta rf j? inches; 6 of 8 inches, bcfides petards, lUi es, &c. that there had ifTued a pro- clamation for mafters of merchant fhips, cap- tains, clerks, and cadets, to appear to ferve on board the King's fliips; that cloth had been bought at Marjeilles for 350 tents, and orders ifTued for fixty tranfports : that on the twenty- fecond they had adually got teti fhips of the line in the road, and two more would be ready in a week : that at Toulon a. furprizing number of hands were employed, and every thing was put in practice to haften the works, and to arm the fleet, which did not require much time : that on the 26th they had completed the loading of fhe tranfports, and had taken up more : that they ftripped the fea and the land and the iflands of their artillery and ammunition, to arm the fleet at Toulon: that all thefe fl:eps left no room to doubt, but that an attack would be made on Mahon ; and that M. Richelieu was to fet out next morning from Mar/Lilies to Toulony and the whole fleet and embarkation of 23 battalions of foot, and one of artillery, would be in readinefs to fail on the fifth of ulpYil, every thing iince the Marflial's arrival, being pufhed on with the greateft hurry \
^ Letters of the 8th, 13th, 22(1, 24th, 26th, and 29th.
This is the true ftate of the intelligence received by M. Villettes from Marjeilles and Toulon : but in moft of his letters, that conveyed thefe fa6is to his principals in England he has endeavoured to put a quite different inten-
These
.* ^*>
iH.
•II ■
[ 139 ]
These fads were confirmed from every quarter, in the mofl cfTcntial points. Lord 'Brijlol from I'lirin writes, [March 6th'') to Mr.
tion to all the French armament than thar appearances could warrrj.t.
At one time {March ift) he thinks it not mpojfthle^ that under the pretence of attacking Mahon^ the French were making thefe great preparations to take pofl'clfion of Corfica^ in order to be nearer Italy. At another {March 8th) he adds, that notwithftanding all thcfe orders, and the feeming preparations for tranfporting of troops, for their landing, and for a fr j, they, who watch things clofcly are of opinion^ that the whole is but Ti feint to oblige the Englijh to fend troops and a ftrongfquadron into the Mediterranean, and leave their own coalts expofed : Nay, fays he, (March 1 2th) all this nolfy march of troops will end in a camp to be formed this Summer in the neighbourhood of Marfeilles. — Then he fliifts the fceneof a6tion from Corfica to North America. — " The armament at Toulon (he thinks •' on March I2th) feems rather intended for an expedition *' to Canada than Minorca., if they can deceive the vigi- *' lance of the Englijh in th?' M.diterranean^ or the ocean, *' to fend a convoy thither, becaufe the twenty fhips taken into the tranfport fervice, are all Malorje perfectly ac- quainted with the feas of North jlmerica^ and ftronger than thofe oi Provence^ which were rejccied." And not able to invent any other dcftinatlon, this gentleman returns to his former expedient of fliewing the imprac- ticability of fitting out the fleet, &c. as reported. On the 19th he writes, that they ftiJl were in great want of cannon; were forced to employ joiners, not fit for the work, inftead of carpenters ; and that they had not failors to half mann their fleet, except fent out of the weji : and that, after all, it appeared to him, tiie preparations were carried on in a manner, one wouK! imagine, rather to frighten than to hurt the Englijh : for that " he much " doubted whether the fleet would (ail out of Totilon, or f* not." March 19th, 24th, 2nd 26th. ^ Received March 20th.
FOXy
C(
((
<(
I'li
i.
t If
l>ji t'i;
«f
[ 140 ]
Fox, ** I have juft heard there arc e/evcfj fliipg *^ on the point of failing out of Toulon, three ** frigates of 24 guns, one of 30, one of 50, and ^* fix (hips of the line, carrying 70 to 76 guns; ** two other large fhips fitting out with great ** expedition, but complement of failors on ** board each very defedlive, notwithftanding ** they have prefled fuperannuate men and young " ufelefs boys. There are twenty-two battalions ** of infantry, and two battalions of artillery, ** quartered on the coaft of the Mediterranean ; ** and the report of an invafion being intended ** on the ifland of Minorca is very flrong ; of ** which I have given notice to the commanding ^* officer at Mahon" On the 13 th ' he men- tions forty tranfport fhips hired for an embark- ation, and an order for more to be taken up : that 1000 failors and upwards had been fent from Genoa for the fleet at ^fotdon, and that Marfhal RtcbelieUy Duke de Mirepoix, and other general officers were arrived in Provence, On the 20th ■" he writes, that the French were fitting out all the gallies and xebecks in the ports of Provence-y were loading a large fhip with fafcines, and that they were preparing every thing necef- fary for carrying on a fiegc. And on the 27th " his Lordfhip inclofed the following lift of the fhips in Toulon, three of 74 guns, four of 64, one frigate of 24, and of 20 in the road 5 thrc?
"I u
' Received j^pn'i 26, P Received Jpril 7th. "Received JpriJ 13th,
of
/.*■
Mi'
of
[ •4< 1
of 30 giins Pdiled to convoy viduallcrs : in the dock one of 80 guns, lower tier brafs, two of 64, and one of 50, which three waited for cannon: three of fifty guns, and one of 46, remained in port, having no cannon at ail : one of 80 guns, one of 40, one of 50, and one of 36 could not be finiflied in a great while for want of timber and artillery.
Consul Birfles from Genoa advifes on the 6th of March ", that fourteen large (hips of 300 tons, and encreafed '' a few days after to nineteen, were freighted at Toti/wi for three months on account of the governmcnt,which mounted from 20 to 24 guns each : that an embargo had been laid on 160 fmall tartans: that the greateft pre- parations were making at Marfeilles and Toulon^ and coaft of Provau<' for an embarkation that ever was known : that at T^oidon they worked inceflantly on the large fliips, being fupplied with (hipwrights and carpenters from Naples : that five frigates of 24 to 50, and eight (hips from 70 to 76 guns were got into the road, and would be completely manned in a few days, failors arriving daily from all parts : that twenty- two battalions were cantoned near Toulon : that 25,000 of wheat were arrived from Lan^
guedoc J and that they made no fecret of their deiign, and publickly talked of making a defcent on Minorca ''. He by the fame packet gave ad-
• Received March 2 2d.
P Letter of the loth.
** Letters of March 6th and loth, received Jpril 2d.
vice
I'; '
[ '42 ] vice alfo of the arrival of (iaUdf/ioniere^ and of a report that part of this embarkation was dcligncd for America 'y and concludes' his intclHgencc in this month with an acccjunt, that they had taken up more lliips for tranfports -, and that at Toulon were three Ihips of 74 guns, four of 60 to 64, three frigates of 30, one of 24, and one of 20 in the road to be joined in three or four days by the Foudrcyant of 80 (which in otlier lifts has been crroncoufly called a 90 or 100) guns, two others of 64, and one of 50 getting ready with great difpatch, only waiting for half their guns : befidcs five others in total want of cannon, four frigates and an 80 gun fliip on the flocks, which will require time for want of timber and artillery.
Consul i?j«y('j, 2X' Carthogena \vi Old Spain ^ after mentioning 120,000 men in the fouthern provinces of France ready to march, befidcs a grand train of artillery, ftores, &c preparing for the coafl: of the Mediterranean^ and that they were bufy in building a particular fort of fiattifli vefTcls to carry one guii of 26 pound-ball, and companv of Ibldiers, beiides feamen ; adds that he expedled the fleet would fail with the tranf- ports from Toulon about the end of next month ; that it was to be augmented by fix more fhips of the line, and eighteen vefTels to be fitted out as frigates, and that he that very day had feen a letter from an officer of diftindtion at Paris,
Letter of Ald'ch 27t!i, received Jpril 13th.
wno
;s.. uf
:> 3''
[ '43 ]
who (w'ld that great preparations in tiie fouthern parts would continue with great vigour till the middle of ylpri/^ when they would begin fuch operations as would greatly lurprize all Europe*,
Consul Miliar at Barcelona^ by letters of the fame date informed, that it was looked upon in Spain as very certain that the defign of all preparations making on the Mediterranean coalls were againfl Minorca : that they continued to work with vigour on their (hips at Toulon : that twenty-two battalions were arrived in that neigh- bourhood, and exped:ed to be augmented to forty battalions : that forty fhips more had been ordered for tranfports, fo that they had ow *aken up above loovefTels: that they embarked lafcines, gabions, and other neceffaries for a fiege ; * and that, though only vi?2e capital fhips were yet got ready to put to fea on account of the diffi- culty to get feamen, he believed the other (hips would be ready by the 1 5th of ApriL
Sir Benjamin Keene on the 2 2d of March ^^ wrote to Mr. Fox^ that not with ftanding the want of French failors, which had retarded the embarkation, it was intended t® be put in exe- cution the beginning of next month, twelve capital fliips, and fix frigates, being already in the road at Toulon: and that Mr. Millar had
» Letters dated 24th of March, I'eceived Jpr'il 29th. ' Received y^pril yth, with a letter, from the Conful at Barcelona^ inclofed, to the faaae effedl,
received
m
[?' :;
'?•
9-'
I'M-
iv; .
If /
f-
[144] received a letter from General Blakeney; witb advice dated the 5th of March, that they were ready to fail, and every thing prepared for an embarication ; and again on the 24th, that the Toulon fquadron was to be joined by eighteen merchantmen capable of mounting upwards of 20 guns, and then fitting out at Toulon,
The certainty of this expedition had already gained belief in Holland, tor, though the letter^ of the 1 2th of March ", gave credit to the vague report of the French miniilry's defign on Corjica : they mention for certain, that afterwards they would endeavour to make themfelves mafters of Port Mahon. And on the 2 2d and 26th "^ they confirm the embarkation from Toulon for Minorca^ to be commanded by M. Richelieu,
Consul Dick at Leghorn y in his advices to Mr. Fox on the 8th of March % informs that the French were taking up 1 5,000 tons of fhip- pingat Toulon for tranfports, and 100 tartans to be ready on the 1 5th : that twenty-two battalions were to embark, which fome people ^apprehended were defigned againft Minorca, but that his in- telligence faid for Corftca : that fix frigates and fourteen (liips of war were ready to fail j and that they expected fourteen large merchant- fliips ^ from Marfeilles for carri,ige of bombs,
" Received on the .14th of March. ., ■* Received Jpril 2d. ^ Received 22d. y Letter dated 15th Murch^ received Jpr'il 2d.
am-
I '45 ] . ammunition, &c. and looo oxen, &c. from Aries: that the army was encreafed to tventy- fivc battalions, 800 matrofles, one company of miners, and a company of pioneers ready to embark.
I SHALL conplude thcfe advices with the in- telligence fent to the Lords of the Admiralty^ which, in the courfe of this month, informed their Lordfliips that mofi believed the embarka- tion making at Toulon was intended againfl M;- norca ' ; that eight more fliips were to be added : and that the garrifon of Mahon expeded hourly to be attacked '. They alfo had the following lift of the ftate of the marine on the 21ft of March ij^^ 2X Toulon,
Vaifieaux en mer, le Pamone 30 can. relache en Rochfort Vaifteaux ^n armament, le Foudroy- anty 80 can. le Couronne, 'Temeraire^ Redoubt^ able^ Guerrier^ 74 can. le Content^ Triton^ Sage^ Orphie^ 64 can. le T/Vr, Hippotomane^ 50 can. la Junon^ 40 can. !a Rofe^ 30 can. le GracieuXy Nymph ^ TopaZy 24 can. Pleiade, 26 can. en tout 17 vaifTeaux le cfcadre de M. de la Gallqffioniere,
Vaifleaux en etat, le TieSfor^ 74 can. Vallimf^ Achilky Hercuk 64 caa. Orifiamme, 50 can. en tout 5.
• Capt, Edgecomh^%\etxeToi March 7th, rec^ivedy/^r//5lh.
*Capt. Edgecombe*^ letter dated Mahmy March 24th received April 27, he adds, that the g rtrtifon was as much upon its guard and in as good conditio ii for defence as pof- Cble, cmfidtring our fttuatioriy and weaknefi of the garrifon.
L VaiC
I ft: '
il
[ 146 ] '
Vaiileaux hors de etat, le Ferme, 74 can, ai?j-
douber^ I'Ocean^ Centaure^ Souvermny 74 can.
V rOifeauXy Mhierve, 26 can. fur les chantiers:
le Protedleur, 74 can. Faiitafquey Modejie, 64
can. A mettre fur les chantiers, en tout 9.
By which accounts it appears that the French had a formidable fleet in the pcJrt c-^ToulfMy and that every tneafure was tried to put it iiito a condition to flrike fome great blow in the Me- diterranean. ; .. ;>.
V >i
p
14 A
'li:' '.
1 ■
%W
s v;-
I A.
.Id'-
I-?*
The Inteliigence concerning the equipments at Breji and Rochforty and the appearances of an invajion^ amounts to no more than, at BreJi fix {hips of the line were gone into the road : that thefe were to be augmented to a fleet of twenty- two (hips of the line and ten frigates, under the command of M. ConJianSy fome of which to be fitted to tranfport 6000 troops for Canada : that M. Perrier had failed Feb, 1 9, with four fhips of the line and three frigates, and a convoy of T^x frigates for St. Domingo^ : that the equip- ment at J5r^,^ went on brilkly, and nine fhips would be foon ready at Rocb/ort to join Conjians : that M. dAubigny^ failed from Breji with the Trudent and t\yo frigates for the Wejl. Indies % and that the f!ate of \}ci^ French marine at Breji and Rochfort was exadt according to the follow- ine lifls : ^*'?^.>»i -■ ••;* '■';^'
I.
r"* Letter in Lord Holdernefs''s office, March 7 th.
• .^^^etter in Lord Holdernefi'soS^QQ, March 22d.
Vaif-.-
y
[ 147 I
VaifTeaux en mer, por! de Br e fly le Courageuxy 74 can. P rot hie, 64 can. Amphion, Aigle^ 50
• can. Fleur de Lis, 30 can. Emeralde, 28 can/ conmmandes par M. Perrier Chef d'efcadre, pour St. Dominique. La Comefe, Blonde^ Bruney Amethyfte, 30 can. partis de Havre aller a Br eft: La Ihetis, Cumber} and, 24 can» a Nantz. \J Anemone^ 24. can. en Croifiere : La Mutine, Galathee, Heroine , 24 can. en rade, en toutc 16. ....
Vaifleaux en armament, Le Soleil Roy at y le 7(?- , nanty 80 can. la Super be, 70 can. Defenfeur, 74 can. Bei72faifanty SphinXy 64 can. -^rc ^;? „ C<?/7, 50 can. De I'efcadre de M. le Comte DE CoNFLANS. Lc Heros, 74 can. lllufire 64, Leopard 60, Sirene, Licome, Sauvage 30 can. deftines au tranfports des munition pour I'Amerique', h Concorde 30, Amaranthe 12 can. pour aller chautier M. le C^mte de AiGULLON, en tout 15.
Vaiffeaux hors de etat, YLitrepide, Conquer anf, ' Sceptre, Magnijiquey Algonque'r,y i^C2in. North- umberlandy 68 can. a redoubler en total. La Dragon, 64 can. Diademe, Zodiacque, Mino- taur e, 74 can. Bclliqueux, Celebre, 64 can. fur
, les chantiers. Le P.oh*ifte, Solitaire, 64 can. un a Nommer, 74 can. a metter fur les chan- tiers au Havre pour Br eft, en tout 17.
VaifTeaux en mer, port de Rochfort, le Prudent, 74 can. Atlante, 34 can. Zephir, 30 can. a Isi Martinique. Yj Aiguillon, 46' can. Fide lie et
L 2
J9i^
rnnone*
I if
1.
¥•'
h
>5 I
[ h8 1 Hermlone 26 can. Frippone, 24 can. Vakur, 26 can. 2iVlJle Royahi en tout 8. Vaifleaux en armament, le Due Bourbon, 80 can. Dauphin et ^/^^ 70 can. Hardi 66 can. Jnjiexibky Etoile, Caprideux, 64 can. Diane, 30 can. les 8 Vaifleaux deftine a r enforcer M. Confanu
VaifTeaux hors d'etat, le Florijfant^ 74 can. en radant Glorteux 74 can. Raifonable 64 can. fur les chautiers : Frofiance^ ct Surprize, ^o can. a contrain.
By which it appears, there was nothing to fear from the naval power of France on the part of the ocean or channel j and that, notwithftand- ing the report of a powerful convoy to be fitted out at Br^y^and Rochfort, to favour an invafion, it could not be poflible that they, who believed this ftate of the French marine to be true, could think it neceflary to negledl every other fervice of their country to wait the motions of fo de- fpicable a gafcoynade.
Neither can I think that the following ad- vices relating to an invafion of Great Britain and Ireland, were deferving of greater attention. For, though the Earl o{ Holdernefs was informed by letters of the 2d of March, that it Vi2i%faid a camp would be formed for 40,000 men between Dunkirk and Boulogne-, and that thirty-two tranfport (hips were taken up at Boulogne, and fixty more were cxpedted in March to be c ^- corted by the Blune and Blonde frigates from < Havre:
Id a
n p d
»
r H9 ]
Havre*: though it was faid that 500 flat- bottomed boats were to be tranfported from Havre to Rouen , in twelve ihlps : and that a confiderable train of artillery had paflfed Soiforis, in the way to Havre, Calais, and Rochjbrt, Though the whole nation was put into a panic with an account ' that five flat-bottomed boats of forty- five feet long and ten feet wide, wereo« the /locks to conquer this ifland ! and that all the fhips in the ports of Calais, Gravetine, and Dun- kirk, had been meafured to know how many people they could tranfport : though twelve by- landers were arrived at Calais with cannon, bombs, and balls, and numbers of feamen were fent daily from thofe ports to Breji ' ; tho* it was reported that the embarkation would be fupported by all the King's fhips at Brejl, Rochfort, &c, and that the faid embarkation would be under- taken as foon as poflible, at Bre/l: though a great quantity of bifcuit^ was fent down to Normandy and Britany for the ufe of the tranf- ports after landing in England-, and a plan had been made for forming a camp almofl as flrong as a fortified town : and though Mr, Barnham was informed on the loth oi March, that 600 bomb-fhells were brought into Calais, and that
^ See the lift of the marine at Breji^ and letter received 2d March. Alfo letter dated March 9th, Mr. Villettes mul- tiplied this account to the number of 7 or 800 fla^ bottomed vdlds. See advices y^ww^ry 31ft, received F^^rw^ry 24.
" Letter to ditto, March 7th.
^ Letter to ditto, i^i^vnV; 8th. ' '
8 March 22d.
L 3 fixty
I '5° ]
fixty cannoneers, and more troops were expeded ; the miniftry were well affured ^ that notwith- ftanding this mighty warlike preparation, he could not learn that they were taking any ftep$ to encreafe iht'w JJAppin^ at Calais^ which at that time was very confiderable : that the pretended flat-bottomed boats were only pontoons of a new conftrudtion *, made eafy for ftowage in a (hip : that the reports of the arrival of flat-bottomed boats at Dunkirk and (^Mais ^txtfalfe '', there being only forty-eight veflels of diflx;rent fizes and nations in thofe ports : that part of the troops afl!embling were defigned to embark for Canada ' : that an expedition againft England could not be near at hand, becaufe there mufl:be time for the arrival of artillery "" : and that there could be no trujl given to the French reports " : that the bombs, ^c. arrived at Calais were laid up** 5 the talk of an invafion diminiflied and dif- couraged by the court ; and tl\at fince the requi- fltion of the Heffians and Dutch^ and other wife meafures taken by the Britijh court, perfons of rank, who expeded to be employed in that expe- dition, grew every day more uneafy, and doubtful whether it would be attempted •* : that there were on the jth o^ March no more iifhing boats at
^ See Mr. Barnha:n^s\tit.evtQ Mr. Amycmd^ March loth, jecelved Af<r/r£-Z> nth.
' Letter to Lord Holdernefs^ March 7th. > ^ Ibid.
^ Ibid. March 9th. "^ Ibid. March 14th and 15th. « |Ud. March <8th. « Ibid. p Ibid. March ift.
Havn
Havre than ufual, and no JJat-hotfomed-hoats^^ with which the Englifi mini dry affedled to be fo much frightened.
In this fituation what did the Britijh miniftry do ? They had certain intelligence that there was a real armament at Toulon of twelve men of war of the line, five frigates, &c. ready to convoy a powerful army, openly acknowledged by the enemy to be defigned againfl: Minorca : and they could not be ignorant of the diftrefs Mahon was in for want of a fufficient garrifon, miners, pioneers, &c, and the danger of its falling a prey to fo powerful an attack, for want of a fuperior fleet to cover the ifland from fuch an attempt ; yet all this could only procure an order on thd 8th of March for ten (hips of the line to hold themfelves in readinefs for the Mediterranean : which fquadron was, on the i ith of the fame month put under the command of Admiral JBv«^, with an order for him to take on board the Earl of 'Effingham^ General Stuart^ and other officers and private men, ordered to their refpedtive pofts and corps at Minorca and Gibraltar, But the equipping of thofe ten (hips ' was attended with
^ Capt. Saiimarez, of the Ludlow Caftle^ ofF Havre-t received the 9th. He further faid, that he flood in as near as poffible in a cutter, and faw eight fail, four of whic^ were large fhips and ready for fea ; and was informed by ^ liftierman he took on the coaft, that they were two frigates of 26 guns ordered to convoy two others to Brc/i.
"■ The Ramillies of 90 guns, the Culloden of 74, the Buckingham^ Captain^ and Revenge ^70 guns, the Trident and Intrepid of 64, the Lancajler of 66, the Kingjion and Defiance of 6c guns,
L 4 fuch
I
I
[ 152 ]
fuch diredions that their departure was delayed till the fixth of April, for want of men * 3 Mr. Byng being directed to haften the fitting up the Sterling Cajlle, and to complete her complement of men in preference to any other ihip; and not to meddle with the men ou board the Naffhuy Torbay, Eljrx\ Prince Frederick y and Greyhound, tliey being wane d, fnys Mr. Cleveland, on the mojt preljingjervice\
How they In power managed in rec?;ard to the motions ot the Fmich on the coaH: ol the ocean and channel, tiiough they were allured they had
^1.
I'm k-i
i
if
1
IP- IS .).v
f
• As will more fully appear by thefe extracts from Ad- miral Byng\ letters to Mr. Cleveland.
Jpril ill, ready for failing in every refpcft except want *' of men ; will take 336 men, now the regiments are all *' on board, to complete them. My own Ihip wants 222, '* 183 of them being lent to the Ludloiu Cajilc. The •' Trident had 78 lent to the Hampton Court., and Tilbury^ " which fhips we are likely to meet with — will make a " great hole in the Trident's company. Expciil hourly *' Ludlow Cajile and Inirepide j when arrived hope we (hall •' find men to complete.
'* Jpril 3d, Intrepid^ Ludlow Ca/lle, and Cambridge " came but yefterday to Spithead. — Ordered men imme- *' diately. — Hope to fettle to day to be able to fet fail to <« St. Helen's.
' " Jpril 4th. Wind W. — Difappointed to find the /n- <* trepid fhort of complement, though brought out 261 *' firpernumaries, fhe wanted 150 to complete her own •* complement."
' * To cruife oW Cherburgh to try if they could not intercept four frigates, and forty merchantmen drove in there from Havre^ by the Windjor : which could not be fo prefling as the relief of Minorca. " . i ' -
notnlng
:]
[ 153 ]
nothing to fear from their pretcnces,will be feeti not only by their importation of a foreign army of HeJJians and Hanoverians at a very great ex- pence, and by a great augmentation of a ftanding army, encamped in different parts of the king- dom, but by the following lifts^ where you will find, that our greatefl and almofl whole flrength by fea was fo ftationed, as to ferve no other pur- pofe than to watch the uncertain rumour of an invafion of Britain^ with a few fifhing or flat- bottomed boats, which upon a more ftridl en- quiry were found to be pontoons.
A LIST of all his Majefly'syZ)/)>j ofwar^ or jquadrom of fuch fhips as were equipped and made ready for fea, within the month oi March 1756.
rate, fliips names, guns. men. when made ready for fea.
fl. Swift,
3 Grafton^
4 Defiance, 4 Kingjlon,
4 ^^g^^^ 6 Seajord,
8
10 70 \{k J^/'jrch 17 S^*
70 520 2d.
60 400 2d.
60 420 2d.
60 400 3d. ^
24 160 3d. , .
fl. Granada, ro 14 100 3d. armed vefTel Maryland Planter, 16 6 80 6th.
4 Sutherland, 50 350 8th. . ,
3 Ejjh., 70 480 9th. ;
4 Weymouth, 60 420 loth,
5 Dover, . .^ 44 250 loth. , , ^, Otter ^ 10 14 80 10th,
ikir^v.
fl. Ferrety
1
;ii
m <
S'
rate, fhips names, guns.
11. Ferrety lo 14 n.F/jf, 8 12
fl. Savage, 8 10 n.^f>^, 8 10
3 P. Frederick^ 70
3 Sferlingcafileyjo
4 Anjon, 60
3 Invincible, 74
4 Harwich, 50 4 Antelope, 50 6 DealCaJile, 24
3 Trident, 64
4 Falmouth, 50 4 Affifiance, 50 11. 1%, 10 14 3 Lancajler, 66 6 Greyhound, 24 6 Gibraltar, 24 6 Unicorn, 24 6 Sheernefs, 24
1 154 ]
men. when made ready for 100 Ilth.
70 iith.
70 nth.
70 13th.
480 14th.
480 14th.
420 20th.
720 20th.
300 20th.
300 20th. 160 20th.
500 22d. 350 25th, 350 25th. 80 25th.
520 27th.
160 27th.
140 28th,
160 28th.
160 29th.
fea*
A LIST of fuch fhips named in the foregoing lift as were ordered to be formed into, or to reinforce particular fquadrons.
rate, fliips names.
3 Somerfet, 3 Vanguard,
3 Chichefter, 3 Ipfwich,
guns, men.
deflination.
70 C20 ^ Ordered 2d March 1756 ^ ^ s to be added to Sir Edward
70 520 {, Hawkers fquadron.
Ordered March 8th 1756
to be under the command of
Sir Edward Hawke, inftead
•of the Culloden and Captain,
4 Ante--
70 520 70 480
li
[>ssl
rutc. (hips names, guns. men. dcflinatuMU
C Capt. Gayton of the Ante- lope ordered Hth March 1756 to proceed oft' cape Barjictir^ and cruUe. On the i8th Windfor and Eagle to cruife
«( between 5<:/7/y and Ujhant^ and the latter hetWQGnlfJhant and the ^^ c/ Dafs \ and 4>r// I ft Zi'rt^/^ to Plymouth for reinforcement goin» to ^Sir Edward Hawke,
4 Antelope^ 4 Windfor^ 4 £^^/<?,
50 60
60
300 400 400
2 RamillieSy
3 Buckingham^ 3 Culloden^ 3 Captain, 3 Revenge, 3 Tridenty 3 Itancaftery 3 Intrepid, 3 Kingjlon, 3 Defiance,
90
70
74 70
70
64 66
750
535 600
480
480'
500
520
64 480
60 400
60 400,
>
Ordered March 8th 1756 to be fitted for the Mediter- ranean, and on the nth of the fame month to be under the command of Vice Ad- miral Byng.
4 -5^^> 54
6 Centaur, 24
land planter, J il, Di [patch, I o 1 4 2 Cuttters
4 Falmouth^ 50
6 Greyhound, 24
il. Ferret, 10 14 2 Cptters,
350 160
So<! 100
u i.
1 8th March 1756, Capt. Gayton of the Aatelope, then cruifing of Barfieur, was dircded to take thefe fhips uncicr his command, and cruire with them from Havre to dc la Hairue, and follow any orders Vice Admiral t*^W//^fhouid fend hira. ,.
350 r Ordered i%th March 1756 I 60 ) *'*^ proceed to join the Eagle
*\ off the Ip ofBafs, and cruife 100 i^ith her between that ifle
vand UJI)ant.
3 T^orbay^
■ t,
• V
t 156 ]
rate, ftlps names, guns. men. dc/linatlon.
f Ordered 23d il/tfrr/^ 1756 to cruife off Cher burgh un<itt
3 Torhay^
3 ^^^»
4 Antelope^
6 Gibraltar^ H.Firref, jo
70 700
Capt. Keppell't and on I'd 70 4bO ^^;-y/ two former were or- 50 3 OO*^ dercd to proceed to Plymouth
24 160 14 100
3 Grajton, 70 520
4 hottingham^ 60 400 .( 6 Nightingale y 24 140
to join the reinforcement going to Sir Edwcrd Howke under the command of Rear Admiral Holbourne.
Capt. Holmes ordered 29th March 1756 to proceed to A/cr/A America with thefc Ihips, jind take upon him the command of the (hips employed there.
The monthly lift of the Admiralty giving
.« an abftradt of the difpofition of the iliips,
t5c. in fea pay, for the month of March
1756,
rate, fhips. men-
Eaji Indies^
975 660
140
90
Jamaica, { \ ^^^^^
Platiiaiiom,
Leeward J/L^nds | ^Q^p
Nova Scotia, \\^
|
6 |
1865 |
|
f3 I 4 12 |
500 3760 |
|
.5 3 <6 12 floops 9 |
810 |
|
1740 640 |
|
|
36 |
7450 |
To
* V
m^
[ ^57]
Convoys and Cruifers, To Ltjhoft,
St. Helena,
B^e/i*s fq'iadron,
Sir Edward Hawke,
Off Breft,
Dowftsy Vice Admiral )
Smith, S
Cork^ At home.
At home.
I 60 46 above 50 12 under
General abftradl,
I
2
3
4
5 6
3
6
23
4 8
floops 6
firelh. 2
yachts5
Jiof.fh.g
I
2
3
4
5 6
2L 3
7
34 42
II
35
floop39 arm.v.4 firefh. 2 yachts 5 .hof.fli.g
men. : 770
4415 3960
1720
1850
320
2450 4140 12145 5510 1030 1280
5»9
?
100 210
lOI
2747^
2450
4910
• X8035
14870
284a
5340
3170
320
, 1, 210
lOI
d.5234^' The
.,13 ■
. The intelligence from the Hague, in y^r//, jrfFed:ed much to difcountenance the reality of the French defign againfl Minorca : - for, tho' the writer was conflraincd by the general re- port, to acknowledge that the French boafted much of their refoludion to attack that iiland^ he would perfuade, that this attack was not near fq ready as they would have it believed j er, tiMt thofe preparations at Toulon were calcu- ktcd only to d-ivide the forces of England^ and to get an opportunity to fend forces to Ame-' riea*.
c
The advices in Ibrd Holdernefs's office of the 2d of this month, confirm the dengn a- gainft Minorca^ adding, by way of fpeculation, that the French intended to take advanta'i'e of the liege of Mahon, to facilitate their invafion of Engla?td, Others of the 9th relate, that the duke de PJchlietc publickly declared he was go- ing, with twenty eight battalions and fourteen Hiips to befiege Port Mabon, and thofe of the aSth .brought an account of their defcent on Minorca,
' Si^ Benjamin Kee?2^ on the i3thvvriteSs that" die French hoped' to take Minorca by a coup de
^•Received Jprif lA\ alfo 13th, received 16th. Yet Ifetto's from the kme place of the i6th advife, that they <^qpsd£ted to put t<> ^ by the 10th : and thofe of the 27th, ^St: t\ie Toulon fteet had met with a ftorm on the 13th, aWd wiesithered it pretty well.
' *•' ^i' main
mmm
I M9 ]
matn^ before the arrival of Admiral Byng : and *' that their iket confifting of three hundred fail had put to fea on the loth. »
This u'as confirmed by lord Bri/ioly who writes from Turi7i on the 24th of April, that the French fleet fet fail on the tenth, drove back on the ek'venthy out again on the twelfth, with. orders in cafe of feparation, to lofe no time in making Minorca j and that the marftial RichUeu expedled to meet in three days with the whole fleet, carrying twenty four battalions, and one of artillery -, each battalion containing thirteen Companies of forty men each
Consul Birtles mentions (April 3d and 15th) that they had immenfe quantities of provifions on board of thirty two large merchant {hips, befides four thoufand (heep, and one thoufand two hundi'ed live oxen, to be ufed in drawing cannon, and then to be flaughtered : five thou- fand new tents : furnaces for heating cannon fhot ; one hundred horfes for officers j all ma- terials for a fiege : bricks for ovens : and that a Swedifi fhip faw the French fleet of feventeen> fhips of war, and one hundred and thirty three tranfports, only nine leagues from Minorca on the feventeenth. That he was on board admi- ral GallaJJioniere, and was informed that eighty five tranfports were then mifljng''.
^^ Letters from Genoa, Jpril 28th, received May 17th, • * April 19th. '■ ' ,
3 Lieu-
[ i6o]
f
Lieutenant general Fowke, on the twenty ninth and thirtieth, inclofed a lift of the fqua- dron'^, and informs, that the Fre?ich landed at Cieutadella, from eleven to fifteen thoufand men, from about one hundred and fixty vefTels on the eighteenth, and reached Mahon on the 2oth.
Consul Miller 2X. Barcelona {^priliyth) re- lates that the whole fleet confifted of three hundred fail j that it put to fea on the loth^ and that the garrifon of Mahon had marched into Fort St. Philips with a Refolution to defend it.
f
Mr. Villettes begins (^April 2d) his Advi- ces in this Month, with an Account of the embarkation } and allows, that if one may judge by the appearances of the Expedition againft Mahon^ it will not fail meeting with fuccefs; be- caufe the garrifon was weak^ and h\itfew fhips on that ftation: and alfo declares [April 7th) that the general opinion was, that the 'Toulon equipment was defigned againfl Mahon : yet he
y Viz. one of 80 guns, three of 70, five of 64, two of 50, three of 30, and two of 24. Conful Banks made them twelve men of war, five frigates, two xebecks, four gallies, two galliots, four bombs, 233 veffels with fquare fails carrying 18,000 land forces, and fifty larger veffels with ftores and provifions : Conful Banks remarked that they fiiipped a great deal of battering artillery, and 4000 barrels of powder.
I aflfedls
50» lem
llies,
Ifails
rith
|:hey rrels
ids
[ i6i ]
affcdts to dlfcover fome other Intention : firjl^ that their defign was to provoke the Englijh to fend a ftrong fquadron up the Mediterranean^ in order to put it between two fires, that, at Breji^ being upon the watch to follow it j or to improve the opportunity by invading England^ in its ablence. Secondly, he is very confident that this expedition was againfl Italy, either with an intention to fecure Corfica, or to take pof- fefTion of Villa Franca, or Cagliari, to prevent England's retiring thither, or to fall unexpededly on Tiijcany, to engage a war on the continent. But Mahon is certainly not the true object of the prefent expedition — probably the fleet ma/ fleer that way, and carry the appearance of an invafion, but it will only be to cover better this defign, and they will not ftay long. Thus, this gentleman perfevered in deflroying by his chi- merical glofles all the plain intelligence he re.- ceived from time to time concerning Minorca 5 and fhewed that he was as obflinate in his un- belief of the mofl certain tokens and declarations againfl that iiland, as the Antediluvians were to the voice of Noah, perfuading them to provide againfl the judgments hanging over their heads; and when there was no room left for conjec- ture, he winds up all with an if. " If (fays he) the Englijh are deceived in thinking the projed againfl Mahon was but a feint ; the old officers of the French troops did not think other wife, and gave very good rcafons for it. The event has fliewn that they were
M ** equally
<c
cc
fc
<c
<«
M t
u
f' '■
1^
Li ■A
.'4 m ;
M'o' !'
11 y
[ lC'2 ]
" equally mlAaken," A pretty excafc ! acknow- ledges that all his conjcdurcs were wrong : but comforts himfclf that he had err'd by giving cre- dit to the deceitlul commc.its of the enemy's offi- cers, in contempt of the moll glaring appearancef.
If we now turn our attention to the appear- ances of an in'.afion of E>>p-!nJi(]. they will vanilli, as in the former intelliscnces. The firft advices of this fort in I^ord Holdernriss office, mention an embarkation talked q>^ 2X Dunkirk ; and thatfach fliips of war as were not appointed to convoy the embarkation for Caiiada^ would be employed to faciiitate an invafion : that there were as many fljips in the port of Dun- kirk^ Calais^ and Boulogne^ as might carry four thoufand men ; and ten (l:iips in the road of the JJle de Dieu : that cannon, &c. were fent to Havre ; fifteen thoufand mufl<:ets to Dunkirk, and feveral camps of ten thoufand men each, would encamp on the coafls of the channel in Mc:y, in fuch a manner, as to be able to join in a few days ^: that it was believed there would be a fericus attempt to land a great ?iumber of troops in England ov Irela?id. And in the ad- vices to the admiralty, we find the colled:or of Wells tranfmitting ihe information of one ya7}2es Gardner^ mafler of the Friends Adroenture from 'Rotterdam^ who faid, that on Sunday, April 1 1 th, ten leagues from land, he fell in with the
^ See letters dated 2d, ytb, 13th, i6th, and igthofyZ/mV.
GlafcoWj
[ l(>^
:>
]
tiie
Glafcow, o^GhifconVy Robert S/(/ry xn^ilQX^ \\\\:> informed him that he left Havre on the 8th in- ft:int, and that the French were at that time- embarking troops, fome of whJch he ad;ually fiiw going on board ; but did not fay what number of tranfports were in that harbour. . -
But certainlyall this mufl amount to nothing, when the very fame authorities aflured that the Hiips in the ports of Dunkirk^ Sec. were, for the chief part unrigged \ That there appeared no difpofiticns for an invafion o^Englafici^: that the French were in a moll terrible fituation ; their finances difordered, councils divided, &c'', and that after the refokuion of tranfporting ten tnoufand ILmoverians^ they had judged an invalion impradlicable.
FI o w E V E R, notliing more was done this month tov/ards the defence of Mhmrce^ only Admiral Byiig made ihift, after almoil: a wliole month fpent in equipping his fquadron, to fail with ten fliips of the hne, having OU' board one regiment, loo recruits, and forty-two officers belonging to the four regiments at Minorca \ A delay, which cannot' be well accounted for, con-
^ Letter in Lord Hoichrncfs\ office, ^^pril 2d.
^ April 9th, ibid.
"= /jpril 7th, ib:d. i .•.,."' "
^ Ap7'il 20th, ibid. ' ' " "* " •
'^ He was joined at G'lhruliV by two fnips of the line aiid five frigates under Mr. Ec!gecc:::bc^ and 270 foldlcrs ironi the garrlibn at Glbvaliar.
;^'"^'- V - ■ ■ M 2 fiderin
or
H7 '
f'l'
!. .
tit r ',
fl:
k m.
m
fit
vfl! 1,
[ 164]
fidering the flate and condition of the fliips in the feveral ports of thefe kingdoms at the time of Admiral By rig's departure from St, Hcilcns.
420 351
fhips. fliips. men born, muftcred.
Deptford, 3128 fitting ")
2 24 I fit. upon ftocks > 9 . 6 arm. vef. Hoops yachts, J
Woolwichy I I fitting 4 I fitt
fl^;htting
4 688 448
Chatham, t i
Sheerfiefs, 2 i guard (hip 1 4 3 2 fit. I fitting I
6 3 fit' ing, fit.& refitting > i o jfl. 2 I wants I fit armed veflel i fiitins;
237 139
1515 1207
Dealy
5 2> il. I J
fit
4 1133 loii
Port/mouth, i i 90 refitting]
2 2 90 fitting I 2 80]
3 I 8o}>fit >26 9050 7080
74
J 2 — 70 to 50 ^moftly fit. 5 — 44 to 20 jand fitted j
'),"
Plymouth,
Plymouth,
I I
2 2 I
fhlps.
70 60
[ 165 ]
fhips. men born, muftcrcd.
>
50
44J
fit, all but one under re- pair
M3 3315 2766
2 24^61 all but one. I 20 >floop wants
3 11. J cleaning Of the Line 3 3
Total 67 16358 13002
A DELAY and weaknefs to which Admiral Bymg attributed his inability to relieve Mahon : and we may juftly complain forgiving xh^French an opportunity to land, and to flrengthen them- felves on the ifland of Minorca, while we had fo ftrong a fleet in readinefs to fail, and kept inadlive at home; except y^-u^" fhips of the line ordered April i (t. under Admiral Holbourne to join Sir Edward Hawke in the Bay.
In confequence of this meafure, from this fatal hour, every packet and exprefs brought fome advantages gained by the enemy, who had no force to curb tht:ir operations. For, Com- modore Edgecombe was glad to retire with fafety to Gibraltar, and the garrifon of Fort St, Philip did not exceed 2400 effedlive men ^ and about 100 of the train of artillery, when the fiege
*■ Thc^ men thrown in by Mr. Edgecombe made them 2600 eft*e6tive men in all.
M 2 com-
'I'
: 1; '
hi'
?
fe
1* * 1^ '
[ i66 ]
commenced. And tlic handle which Mr. Byjig made of the wcabicfs of liis fqundron to cxcufc his not attempting to raile the ilcgCj or to re- hevc Fort St. Philips docs not require a repe- tition in this plice, it being 'io fidly let forth in his T/7^7/ai]d Di fence.
The French having got, by tliis means, pof- i^^ion of all the open country and towns on il//;;or<:-^, without the lofs of a man, Lord Brijhl informed that the French were nvaking great preparations for another embarkition at 'Toulon -of eight battalions, with a great increafe of am- munition and ftores, and alfo to augment GaU laJjloniere\ fqudron with five men of war and one frigate getting ready at Toulon^ where they p'-efTed iiiilors of all nations. All v.'hich was confirmed by Conful Biriles^ Coniul Dick^ and Mr. Vilkttcs^ Vv-ho adds that tlie towns (in Provence and Languedoc) had been (o (Iript of their cannon, ^c. in order to fupport the expe- dition an;ainfl: Minorca, iliiit 6 coo men fup- ported by a fquadron of fifteen men of war would be more than fiuTicient to take them ail in eight dayi5, rivyithout coming to a fiege ; and that this cxpc/Ji;tioa .would coft upwards of i 20 millions. ' -i^i.M
But all this did not fpirit up any further ar- mament than hvQ fhios of the line with one regiment, and i 00 of the train, moRiy miners from Neivcaftle^ raifed for the purpofe, fcnt to
J reinforce
t '6; ]
reinforce A', liniral By fig : which did not arrive at Gibraltar, Iicforc his return from the inglo- rious adion of tlic 20th oi i\'fa\\ and the lur- render of Fort St. Philips,
Might not therefore the impartial reader of tile foregoing intcnigence and accounts, in- rtead of adherliv^ to tijc rcfoki lions recited at the bcginiing of thii pamphlet, difcovcr, with greater Certainty,
TiT/\T fo early as the 14th of -4^r// i 7 5 5, ten lliips of the line were ordered to be equip- ped at "Joidon^ and that from the 25th o{ Au- giijl 17^5, they went on equipping a fleet without iiitermifiion, till the feige of Minorca was over, which fleet by undoubted advices to the admiralty in September 1755, ^^^^id confiil- of tvveh'e (hips of the line ready to put to fea in two moijtfis, and {<:^\*t\\ more of the line would be ready in the fpring, and none of the. fubfequent accounts ever made the T^oidon fleet lefs than twelve fliips of the line, but moO: of the intelligence made them more againfl the fpring.
I ■ 1
That {o early as the 27th o^ Aiiguft ly^^y Conful Banks of Carthngena^ advifed Sir Iho' mas Robif'ijon of the arrival of one hundred and eighty battalions in RQujIillon defigned .againil, Minorca^ which advice, added to all reports and fufpicion;;, founded upcn a variety of cu'- ■„ .: cum-
wmtk
r i6s ]
cuinftances,wns confirmed by letters from C )nriil Bi'rtles o^Gtfwa, dated tlie 17th and 26th of ynniiary\ and reo'ived by iMr. Fox on the 4th and 1 ith of Fehruan\ «ind by all the following advices from all parts relative to the dcltination of the armaments in tlie Ibuthern provinces of France,
I
in
m 4
That notwlthflanding thefe advices after hoflilities had commenced even in Europe-, there being but four incompleat regiments and one company of the artillery in Minorca^ forty two officers of which were abfent ; there being but two men q{ war of the line and five fri- gates, under Mr. Edgecombe in the j. diter- rciJieaUy and the garrifon fliort of provifions for a fcige ; neither flores, ammuniton, provifions, officers belonging to the garrifon, recruits, for the four regiments ready raifcd, or miners, or any additional troops were fcnt to the ifland, nor our fquadron in the Meditcrraneaji aug- mented, until Admiral Bw7 (ailed on the 6th of April I 7^6, with no more fliips of the line, than, by the moft early and autnentick intelli- gence, the government were fure would fail from ^ou'oiu even if Mr. E^dgecoTube's fquadron joined Mr. Byng ; wliich was quite uncertain ; and without any more troops tnan what be- longed to the four regiments of the garrifon, except one r-^giment, who were to ferve as ma- rines in the fleet, and an order for a batallion to be taken on board at Gibraltar, which could - --- not
[ i69 ]
not be undcrftood by a council of war there, and was not obeyed. See Byng's Tryal and Defence,
That Admiral OJhcrne with thirteen (hips of the line and one frigate, who failed to con- voy a fleet of merchantmen the '^oth oi January and returned the i 6th oi February i 756, might and ought to have gone to Minorca, confidering the expos'd lituation it was in, and the for- wardnefs of the enemy's preparations at lou^ Jon, and that Great Britain^ in fparing thefe Ihips, for this fervice, could not be inlultcd nor injured by the fixteen iliipb then fitting out at Bre/i or Rocbjort (part of whicii by the intelli- gence the government had, could not be ready till May) hecaufc, exclullve ot Mr. O/borne'% fleet, there were ready to put to fea eight fhips of the line, and twenty three frigates, and thirty two of the line, and five frigates fitting, and verv near readv ; nor fliould we in the leall: degree have provoked an invafion, by fending of this fleet to the Mediterrariean^ as the enemy had not at that time made any prepa- rations to execute fuch a fcheme j except march- ing troops to the fta-coafl: ; and by all the in- telligence, received to this time, the French court had rejected every [>lan for that purpofe as imprn(fticable, and mernt only to alarm and difl:refs England^ by ordering troops to the fea- coafts. ... ., . ,
That
[ 170 ]
L!_
Pi
That before Admiml liaivke failrci for tlic "Bay the 27th oi' February^ with fourteen Hiips of the hue and une frigate, the government Iiad advice that d'ylubigfiy failed the 30th of yamuiry with one /hip of the hnc anci two frigates for Martinicoy and that the fix men of war, they fent H<aWv after, failed the 19th of February for Domingo ; conlequcntly no profpccfl of Mr. Hawker intercepting them by criiifnig in the Bay fo long after their departure. And by the departure of tiiole two fquadrons, there remained but eleven (hips of the line at Bre/l and Rocbfort in diflrefs for cannon, as Du Guays fquadron was obliged to be laid up in order to furnilh the nine fhips failed as above with part of the cannon they wanted : the attention to which eleven fliips in port, by thii' fleet of Mr. HawkcSy when by the intelligence they could not be ready till Mny, and Minorca was in the utmoll danger, is molt abfurd ; efpecially as ihcy were not defigned to cover an embarkation again ft Great Britaiti, but by repeated accounts, received before Mr. Flawke failed, were bound to Canada with 6coo troops: intercepting of which was by no means an ob- jedl of any confequence in comparifon with the prefcrvation of Minorca, And if it had been, or this fquadron was to have covered the landing of troops in this kingdom, we had by this time fo many (liips; belidcs Mr.Ha^iVkes fleet, ready j that his whole fleet might have been fpared, with fafety to his country for the fecurity of ". ., r - Minorca,
t '7' ]
Mimrca^ and another fufficieiit font xwioiht Bay before the tk'ct for Canada vvoulJ have failed. But liovv amazing is it, that notwitiiflanding this fituation of affairs, inftcad of yet i'ending any fiiccoiirs or protcdion to Minorca^ they, on the 8th of Tl/tf/r/', fend two lliips of the line and three frigates off Cape Barjlcuf\ to intercept a coadini.'; convoy only; on the i ith of March ^ two of the line to the Wiji Iml'ics,^ and on the I 9t!i two of the hne to 'North America^ wjiere they were infuflicicnt either to protect or acquire any material objed: : On the 23d o^ March two of the line and three frigates off Cherbtirgh to intercept the above coafting convoy alfo, and on the firfl oi ylpril five of the line (chree of which returned from watching the coafting convoy) under Ilolboume to reinforce Ilawke in the Bay, when he was already much too flrong for the fleet bound to Canada, fome of them being only armcs en jlutc, and not expedted out till May, All of which (hips might have been added to Mr. Byrig^ fqnadron without endangering Great Britain, according to the government's own ap- prehen lions of an invafion at that time.j for if thefc fliips could be fparcd abroad for the above fervices, they certainly might for Minorca : and then Mr. Byng's fquadron would have been 20 of the line and fix frieates. But inftead of add- ing the above flaips to Mr. Byngs Iquadron they fent him with only ten of the line, and even dcnyed him a frigate that he petitioned for to repeat hisfignals, (fee his Letter to the Admiralty)
not-
■■■■N
rami
tU
i?:'
[ 17- ]
hotwithftandlng there v; a in port then, exclufivc of his fleet, leventeen of the hne and thirteen frigates ready for Tea, and eleven of the Hne and iiireteen frigates fitting: great part of which might Olio have been fent with him. : for (here was no aiinamcnt a*" that time at Bre/l or Rocl]fhrf, but that ddigned for Ca?mda : nor was there any ne- ceflity to keep one fourth of them at home to oppofe a ?y armament in the Fre?7ch ports upon the Channel 'y for there was not one man of war in them, and by authentic accounts, no more f'Jps or boats of all nations at Diinkhk^ Gra'-oc^ Hne, Calais^ and Boii/o^?ie, than could poilibly tranfport more than 6000 men, nor at Havre and Dieppe do more than common 5 nor was there at any one time during the alarm, of an invafion, any more (Lipping, or any preparations for an embarkafi on, except meafuring the veffels to know how many men they would carry. So that the danger of an, invalion cannot cxcufe the long negledt of Minorca^ no: the fendiog of fu infufficient a force at laft.
That it appears chat the fquadron of his Majeil:y's fliips in the Mediterranean in the be- ginning of December i 'j^z^ confifted of one fliip of 60, two of 50 guns, four frigates and o:ie floop and nq more, and that the garrifon of F^'V St. Philip, in the faid moiith of December ac- cording to the laft returns made on the 3jfl of 'Juh iJSS confified of 2860 men, officers in- cluded, and no more, and that after thac time no I ^ fliip
T
[ 173 ]
iliip or fhlps of war whatever were Tent to re- inforce the faid fquadron, nor any recruits, nor reinforcements whatever to the faid garrifon till the failing of the fquadron under Admiral Byngy on the 6th of April 1756. That it appears that a greater number of Iliips of war could have been fent into the Mediterranean, than thofe fent on the 6th of ^r/V 1756.
That on the 30th of March i 756, and not before, orders were ' given for raifing a company of miners, and on the 7th of May, in a Jetr.r from Mr. Fox, being after the com- mencement of the feige of fort .S*^. Philip's, di- re'^ions were given for fending three more ba- talions, for the reinforcement of that gar- rifon.
That it appears that the repeated advices received by the government, of the beginning, progrefs, and defti nation of the fleet, equip- ping at Toulon in the years 1755 and 1756, and that the not fending an earlier and ftronger na- val force to the Mediterranean than that which failed under Admiral Byng (notwithfbnding as above) were fome of the principal caufes of the lofs of Minorca.
That it appears that the delaying to fend any reinforcement of troops to the ifland of Minorca, till the departure of Admiral Byng on the 6th of April 1 756, the fu.ffering the ofli-
cers
■^
T
T
I i?4 ]
cers bejonging tothe gamfon, to continue nb- fcnt from thi'ir pDf]:s, and the not giving nny orders for raifing miners fcr t!ie dcf^i-nce of fori St, Philip, till the .30th of March 1756, are fome of the principal caufes of the lois of Minorca, .i
"■id.-!,. ,i • > . > i i ^ J
:>ry fU
t* rn "T '.v'r
FINIS.
. .J .J
s. - I
'ft :
A <..f _ ^ ^ V .^ -
::t
r
ti Ti^^ilT-'^'
in
^
I ■*■-
: ,■«•!
,'^.
|
of . |
||
|
"* |
||
|
iiU |
||
|
-! |
||
|
''s>'^ |
||
|
1 |
||
|
.fr |
||
|
/:-7 |
||
|
^^q ... |
> |
|
|
» |
||
|
^s , |
||
|
HR |
• |
|
|
m |
||
|
.J |
_,.- |
|
|
■ |
||
|
f. |
, J ■-. |