congrefs, at a time when they had nothing elfe to give to officers of the army, for fervices then to be performed: it was the only means to prevent a total dereliction of the fervice: it was a part of their hire. I may be allowed to fay, it was the price of their blood, and of your independency; it is therefore more than a common debt, it is a debt of honour; it can never be confidered as a penfion or gra tuity, nor cancelled until it is fairly discharged. With regard to the diftinction between officers and foldiers, it is fufficient that the uniform experience of every nation of the world, combined with our own, proves the utility and propriety of the difcrimination. Rewards in proportion to the aid the public draws from them, are unqueftionably due to all its fervants. In fome lines, the foldiers have perhaps generally had as ample compenfation for their fervices, by the large bounties which have been paid them, as their officers will receive in the propofed commutation; in others, if befides the donation of land, the pay ment of arrearages of clothing and wages (in which articles all the component parts of the army muft be put upon the fame footing) we take into the eftimate, the bounties many of the foldiers have received, and the gratuity of one year's full pay, which is promifed to all, poffibly their fituation (every circumftance being duly confidered) will not be deemed lefs eligible than that of the officers. Should a farther reward, however, be judged equitable, I will venture to affert, no man will enjoy greater fatisfaction than my felf, an exemption from taxes for a limited time (which has beer petitioned for in fome inftances) or any other adequate immunity or compenfation granted to the brave defenders of their country's caufe: but neither the adoption or rejection of this propofition will, in any manner affect, much lefs militate against the act of congrefs, by which they have offered five years full pay, in lieu of the half-pay for life, which had been before promised to the officers of the army. Before I conclude the fubject on public juftice, I cannot omit to mention the obligations this country is under to that meritorious clafs of veterans, the non-commiffioned officers and privates, who have been discharged for inability, in confequence of the refolution of congrefs, of the 23d of April, 1782, on an annual penfion for life: their peculiar fofferings, their fingular merits and claims to that provifion need only to be known, to intereft the feel ings of humanity in their behalf; nothing but a punctual payment of their annual allowance can refcue them from the most complicated mifery; and nothing could be a more melancholy and diftreffing fight, than to behold thofe who have shed their blood, or loft their limbs in the fervice of their country, without a fhelter, without a friend, and without the means of obtaining any of the comforts or neceffaries of life, compelled to beg their daily bread from door to door. Suffer me to recommend those of this defcription, belonging to your state, to the warmeft patronage of your excellency and your legislature. La Naide. 74 64 EDW. HUGHES. Superb, Madras Road, Aug. 12, 1782. Finding it impoffible to repair the lofs of topmafts, and the other damages the fhips of the fquadron had fuftained in the engagement, on the 6th of laft month, with the French fquadron under the command of M. Suffren, without a fupply of fpars, fishes and cordage, and the ammunition of the fquadron as well as its provifions being nearly exhaufted, I was under the neceffity to proceed with the fquadron to this road, where our ftores and provifions are depofited; and having failed from my then ftation off Negapatnam on the 18th, arrived here the zoth of last month, where I have been inceffantly labouring to put the fhips in a condition for fervice. When I left the windward ftation off Negapatnam, the French fquadron was at an anchor off Cuddalore, repairing their damages. On my arrival in this road, I learned that his majesty's fhip Sceptre, Capt. Samuel Graves, one of Sir Richard Bickerton's fquadron, had arrived here the 13th of last month, and had again failed with his majesty's armed transport San Carlos on the 17th, with intent to join me to the fouthward; and on the 28th of the month, they both joined me in this road; Captain Graves had parted company with Sir Richard Bickerton's fquadron foon after it left the Channel, had been at Rio Janiero, where he met the Medea frigate, and, in the courfe of their paffage to India, they captured a large French fhip, laden with naval tores, in charge of which Capt. Graves left the Medea, and proceeded on in the Sceptre to join me. On the 31ft I dispatched his majefty's fhips Monmouth and Sceptre to Trincomale, with a reinforcement of troops, and a fupply of provifions and ftores, under the command of Capt. Alms; and I have the fatisfaction to inform their lordships, that service has been very completely performed, and the two fhips rejoined me here on the 10th of this month. As the fhips of the fquadron are now nearly fitted, I hope to be able to proceed to fea in a few days to cover the arrival of the expected reinforcements under Sir Richard Bickerton, and oppose the enemy's fquadron. Superb, in Madras Road, I beg you will be pleafed to inform their lordships, that, fince clofing my last letter to you, dated the 12th of this month, his majefty's frigate the Medea, Captain Gower, arrived and joined me here the 13th, and his majesty's frigate the Coventry this day from Bom Bombay, where fhe has been completely repaired. The Medea brought in with her a French fhip about 450 tons burthen, laden with provifions and ftores, bound to the Mauritius, but captured by the Sceptre and Medea off the Cape of Good Hope. Captain Mitchell of the Coventry informs me, that on the 12th of this month, off Friars Hood, on the island Ceylon, he fell in with and attacked the Bellona, a French frigate of 40 guns, and after a fevere engagement of two hours and a half, the Bellona fheered off from the Coventry, and made fail to join the French fleet; and the Coventry had fuffered fo much in her mafts and rigging, as not to be able to come up with her before the joined the French fleet, confifting of 23 fail, which Captain Mitchell faw at anchor in the Battacalo road, and was chaced by two of their line of battle fhips: in the engagement the Coventry had 15 men killed, and 29 wounded; and I hope to be able fo far to repair her damages, as to carry her to fea with me in two or three days. Captain Mitchell fpeaks highly of the courage and good conduct of the Coventry's officers and men; and I trust their lordships will give him his full fhare of merit, for having fo gallantly attacked and beaten an enemy's fhip fo fuperior in force to his own. Superb, in Madras Road, Sept. 30, 1782. In my letter of the 12th of laft month, I mentioned my intention to proceed to fea when the fquadron was refitted, for the purpofe of covering the arrival of the expected reinforcements under the command of Sir Richard Bickerton, and to oppofe the enemy's fquadron: and accordingly, on the 20th, the fquadron having completed its provifions, and being in a tolerable condition for fervice, I left the road with the fquadron under my command, and ufed all diligence poflible to get to the fouthward to Trincomale, being apprehenfive the enemy. would endeavour to make themfelves mafters of that harbour in the abfence of the fquadron: but the wind blowing ftrong from the fouthward, I did not arrive with the fquadron.off Trincomale till the night of the second of this month; and in the morning following I difcovered French colours on the forts, and their fquadron reinforced by the Illuftre of 74 guns, the St. Michael, of 64, and the Elizabeth, formerly a company's fhip, of 50 guns, with feveral tranfports, in all 30 fail, at anchor in the feveral bays there. On the appearance of his majefty's fquadron on the morning of the 3d, the French fquadron, confifting of 14 line of battle fhips, the Elizabeth, three frigates, and a fire-fhip, got under fail, and about fix, A. M. ftood out of Back Bay, to the S. eastward, the wind blowing ftrong at S. W. off the fhore, which placed them to windward of his majesty's fqua dron. At ten minutes paft fix, A. M. I made the fignal for the line of battle a-head at two cables length diftance, fhortened fail, and edged away from the wind, that the fhips to form the van of our line might the more fpeedily get into their stations. At 20 mi nutes nutes past eight, the enemy's fquadron began to edge down to our line, then formed in good order. From that time till half past eleven, A. M. I fteered under top-fails in the line E. S. E. with the wind blowing ftrong at S. W. in order to draw the enemy's fquadron as far as poffible from the port of Trincomale; they fometimes edging down, fometimes bringing to, and in no regular order, as if undetermined what to do. : At noon the enemy's fquadron appeared to have an intention to engage. At half paft two, P. M. the French line began to fire on ours, and I made the fignal for battle at five minutes after, the engagement was general, from Our van to our rear, the two additional fhips of the enemy's line falling furiously on our rearmoft fhip, the Worcester, were bravely refifted by that ship, and the Monmouth, her fecond ahead, which backed all her fails to affift her. About the fame time, the van of the enemy's liné, to which five of their fhips had crouded, bore down to the Exeter and Ifis, the two headmoft fhips of our line, and by an exerted fire on them forced the Exeter, much difabled, out of the line; then tacked, keeping their wind, and firing on the Ifis, and other fhips of our van, as they paffed. In the mean time the centers of the two lines were warmly engaged, fhip to fhip. At twenty-eight minutes paft three, the mizen - maft of the French admiral's fecond a-ftern was fhot or cut away, and, at the fame time, his fecond a-head loft her fore and mizen top-mafts. 3 At thirty-five minutes past five the wind fhifting fuddenly from S. W. to E. S. E. I made the fignal for the fquadron to wear, which was instantly obeyed in good order, the fhips of the enemy's fquadron either wearing or ftaying at the fame time; and the engagement was renewed on the other tack close and vigorously on our part. At twenty minutes past fix, the French admiral's main-mait was fhot away by the board, and, foon after, his mizen-maft; and about the fame time the Worcefter, one of our line of battlefhips, loft her main top-mast. At about feven, P. M. the body of the French fquadron hauled their wind to the fouthward, the fhips in our rear continuing a fevere fire on them till twenty minutes paft feven, when the engagement ceafed; and the fhips of our fquadron had apparently fuffered fo much, as to be in no condition to purfue. them. about eight, P. M. made the night fignal for the line of battle ahead on the larboard tack; but the night being dark, and several of the hips not to be feen, at twelve, P. M. I made the fignal for the fquadron to bring-to and lye by on the larboard tack. day-light no part of the enemy's fquadron was in fight; and the Eagle, Monmouth, Burford, Superb, and several other fhips making much water from thot-holes, fo very low down in the bottom as not to be come at, to be effectually ftopped; and the whole having fuffered feverely in their mafts and rigging; under these circumftances, and Trincomale being in the enemy's poffeflion, and the other parts of the west At At coaft coast of Ceylon unfafe to anchor on, at this late feafon of the year, when the N. E. winds often blow ftrong there, I was under the neceffity of fteering with the fquadron for this coaft, to get anchoring ground, in order to ftop the fhot holes under water; and from the difabled ftate of the feveral fhips, I fell in with the land a very few leagues only to windward of this port, on the 8th of this month, and anchored in this road on the 9th, and am now clofely employed in repairing the damages the feveral fhips have received. By the account of the killed and wounded, their lordfhips will obferve, that although we have been fortunate in lofing few of our men, we have fuffered moft feverely in officers. The Hor. Capt. Lumley, of the Ifis, a very good officer and a promising young man; Capt. James Watt, of the Sultan, a most worthy officer, died of his wounds; and Capt. Charles Wood, of the Worcester, a most deferving officer, dangerously wounded, with little hopes of his recovery. As the change of the monfoon is now near at hand, and the line of battle fhips in their prefent ftate cannot remain on this coaft, and as the latenefs of the season may have induced Sir Richard Bickerton to remain at Bombay, in hopes of joining me there; I am preparing the fhips of the fquadron for fervice; and fo foon as they are in a condition, I fhall proceed to fea with them, and make the best of my way to Bombay, and there ufe every poffible diligence to get the fquadron in a condition to come early on this coaft. I have not been able to gain the leaft intelligence of the French fquadron fince the engagement of the 3d of this month, but fuppofe they are refitting at Trincomale. Inclofed is the account of the killed and wounded in the late engagement; and a lift of the Eng lifh and French naval force in these feas, as they were on the 3d of this month. Superb. 4 feamen killed; Lieut. Murray, Lieut. Orr, of the marines, Lieut. Thompson, of the 98th regiment, 49 feamen and marines, wounded. Hero. I feaman killed; 17 feamen and marines, wounded. Sultan. 4 feamen and marines killed; Capt. Watt, since dead, Lieut. Bartholomew, Lieut. Stewart, of the 78th reg. 43 feamen, marines, and 78th reg. wounded. Magnanime. 3 feamen and 1 fe poy, killed; Lieut. Stephenfon, 16 feamen, wounded. Monmouth. 3 feamen wounded. Monarca. Capt. Robert Clugftone, of the marines, Lieut. Barrett, of ditto, 4 feamen, ma. rines, 78th and 98th regts. killed; Hon. Capt. Maitland, of the 78th reg. Hon. Lieut. Sandilands, Lieut. Armstrong, 10 feamen, 78th and 98th regts. wounded. Burford. 4 feamen and 98th reg. killed; 38 feamen, marines, 78th and 98th regts. wounded. Sceptre. 2 feamen killed; 23 feamen wounded. Eagle. 8 feamen killed; 14 feamen wounded. Exeter. |
