From the LONDON GAZETTE, Oct. 14, 1797 Admiralty Office, October 13. Extract of a Letter from Admiral Sir Richard King, Bart. Commander in Chief of his Majefty's Ships and Veffels at Plymouth, to Mr. Nepean, dated the 11th inft. I HEREWITH tranfmit, for their Lordships' information, a letter which I received this morning from Lieutenant Tomlinson, commanding the Speedwell lugger, giving an account of his having captured a French cutter privateer, carrying two brafs fix-pounders, two fwivels, and eighteen mien. Sir, Speedwell, at Sea, October 10, 1797 I HAVE the honour to inform you, the Start bearing north about nine leagues, we fell in with, this morning, and, after a chase of fix hours, captured Les Amies, a fmall French cutter privateer, having on board two brafs fix-pounders, two fwivels, and eighteen men; out four days from Granville, and had not taken any thing. I have the honour to be, &c. Sir Richard King, Bart. &c. ROB. TOMLINSON. Admiralty Office, Oct. 14. Copy of a Letter from Vice-Admiral Kingsmill, Commander in Chief of his Majefty's Ships and Veffels on the Coast of Ireland, to Evan Nepean, Efq. dated the 5th of October 1797. Sir, I REQUEST you will inform my Lords Commiffioners of the Admiralty, that Captain Faulknor, of his Majefty's fhip Diana, has sent in a coppered French cutter privateer, Le Flibuftier, of four guns, five fwivels, and twenty-nine men, out of Bourdeaux fifty-two days, but which had not made any capture. I have the honour to be, &c. Admiralty Office, O. 14. R. KINGSMILL. Copy of a Letter from Vice-Admiral Kingsmill, Commander in Chief of his Majefty's Ships and Veffels on the Coaft of Ireland, to Evan Nepean, Efq. dated at Cork, the 9th of October 1797. Sir, PLEASE to inform my Lords Commiffioners of the Admiralty, that his Majesty's fhip Cerberus is juft returned from a cruife, in which the has captured the San Noberta Spanish privateer fchooner, of four carriage guns and swivels, and forty-two men, and recaptured the Graff, a Danish Danish fhip, having on board a Portuguefe cargo of iron and grain, from R. KINGSMILL. Extract of a Letter from Captain Roberts, Commander of his Majefty's Ship La Concorde, to Evan Nepean, Efq. dated at Madeira, the 7th of Auguft 1797. BE pleased to inform my Lords Contmiffioners of the Admiralty, that at break of day on the 24th ult. (Cape Finisterre bearing S. E. by E. diftant about forty leagues) I fell in with and captured the brigantine Le Poiffon Volant letter of marque, Captain Latarte, laden with wines and different kinds of merchandife, from Bourdeaux, bound to Guadaloupe; The is pierced for eight guns, but had only four on board; is new coppered, and was fitted out with the intention, after landing her cargo in the Weft Indies, to cruife in those feas as a privateer, where, from her fuperior failing, fhe probably would have done confiderable mifchief, as the fails much better than the Concorde in light winds, and was taken by being fortunately within reach of our guns when first seen. From the LONDON GAZETTE, O&t. 16, 1797 Admiralty Office, Oct. 14. Copy of a Letter from Sir Richard King, Bart. Commander in Chief of his Majefty's Ships and Veffels at Plymouth, to Evan Nepean, Efq. Secre tary of the Admiralty, dated on board the Cambridge, in Hamoaze, the 15th inftant. Sir, THIS afternoon arrived here La Decouverte French national brig, of fourteen guns and ninety-one men, prize to his Majefty's fhip Unite, out three days from Nantz, fuppofed to be bound to Guadaloupe with fecret difpatches, which they threw overboard in chafe, and ten of her guns. I have the honour to be, Sir, &c. R. KING. Copy of another Letter from Admiral Sir Richard King, Bart. to Evan Nepean, Efq. dated on board the Cambridge, in Hamoaze, the 15th in ftant. Sir, I HEREWITH tranfinit, for their Lordships' information, a letter I have received this morning from Lieutenant Tomlinfon, commanding his Majefty's hired lugger Speedwell, giving an account of his having captured a French lugger privateer, carrying fix brafs fix-pounders, fix fwivels, and thirty-five men. The above veffel is arrived here. I am, &c. R. KING. A 2 Speed Sir, Speedwell, at Sea, October 13, 1797, Start I HAVE the honour to inform you, that, after a chase of five hours, we have this day captured the Telemachus, French lugger privateer, mounting fix brafs fix-pounders on carriages, and fix fwivels: the had on board thirty-five men. I cannot learn that he has taken any thing, except a Danish brig. I have put fome men on board the Telemachus, and fent her to Plymouth. I have the honour to be, &c. Sir Richard King, Bart. &c. ROB. TOMLINSON. From the LONDON GAZETTE EXTRAORDINARY, Admiralty Office, October 16. CAPTAIN Fairfax, of the Venerable, arrived early this morning with difpatches from Adam Duncan, Efq. admiral of the blue, commander in chief of his Majefty's fhips, &c. employed in the North Sea, to Evan Nepean, Efq. fecretary of the Admiralty, of which the following are copies: Sir, Venerable, at Sea, 13th October 1797, off the BE pleafed to acquaint the Lords Commiffioners of the Admiralty, that, judging it of confequence their Lordships fhould have as early information as poffible of the defeat of the Dutch fleet under the command of Admiral De Winter, I dispatched the Rofe cutter at three P. M. on the 12th (11th) inftant, with a fhort letter to you immediately after the action was ended. I have now further to acquaint you, for their Lordfhips' information, that in the night of the 10th inftant, after I had fent away my letter to you of that date, I placed my fquadron in fuch fituation as to prevent the enemy from returning to the Texel without my falling in with them. At nine o'clock in the morning of the 11th I got fight of Captain Trollope's fquadron, with fignals flying for an enemy to leeward; I immediately bore up, and made the fignal for a general chafe, and foon got fight of them, forming in a line on the larboard tack to receive us, the wind at N. W. As we approached near, I made the fignal for the fquadron to fhorten fail, in order to connect them; foon after I faw the land between Camperdown and Egmont, about nine miles to leeward of the enemy, and finding there was no time to be loft in making the attack, I made the fignal to bear up, break the enemy's line, and engage them to leeward, each fhip her opponent, by which I got between them and the land, whither they were faft approaching, My fignals were obeyed with great promptitude, and Vice-admiral Onflow, in the Monarch, bore down on the enemy's rear in the most gallant, manner, his divifion following his example; and the action commenced about forty minutes past twelve o'clock. The Venerable foon got through the enemy's line, and I began a clofe action, with my divifion on their van, which lafted near two hours and a half, when I obferved all the mafts of the Dutch admiral's fhip to go by the board; fhe was, however, defended for fome time in a moft gallant manner; but being overpressed by numbers, her colours were ftruck, and Admiral De Winter was foon brought on board the Venerable. On looking around me, I obferved the thip bearing the vice-admiral's flag was alfo dismasted, and had furI rendered to Vice-admiral Onflow; and that many others had likewife ftruck. Finding we were in nine fathoms water, and not farther than five miles from the land, my attention was fo much taken up in getting the heads of the difabled fhips off fhore, that I was not able to diftinguish the number of fhips captured; and the wind having been conftantly on the land fince, we have unavoidably been much dispersed, so that I have not been able to gain an exact account of them, but we have taken poffeffion of eight or nine; more of them had ftruck, but taking advantage of the night, and being fo near their own coaft, they fuc ceeded in getting off, and fome of them were seen going into the Texel the next morning. It is with the greatest pleasure and fatisfaction I make known to their Lordships the very gallant behaviour of Vice-admiral Onflow, the captains, officers, feamen, and marines of the fquadron, who all appeared actuated with the truly British fpirit, at least those that I had an opportunity of feeing. One of the enemy's fhips caught fire in the action, and drove very near the Venerable; but I have the pleasure to say it was extinguished, and fhe is one of the hips in our poffeffion. The fquadron has fuffered much in their masts, yards, and rigging, and many of them have loft a number of men; however, in no proportion to that of the enemy. The carnage on board the two fhips that bore the admirals' flags has been beyond all defcription; they have had no less than 250 men killed and wounded on board of each fhip. And here I have to lament the lofs of Captain Burgefs, of his Majefty's fhip the Ardent, who brought that fhip into action in the most gallant and masterly manner, but was unfortunately killed foon after. However, the fhip continued the action clofe, until quite difabled. The public have loft a good and gallant officer in Captain Burgefs, and I, with others, a fincere friend. Captain Trollope's exertions and active good conduct in keeping fight of the enemy's fleet until I came up, have been truly meritorious, and, I truft, will meet a just reward. I fend this by Captain Fairfax, by whofe able advice I profited much during the action, and who will give their Lordships any further particulars they may wish to know. As most of the fhips of the fquadron are much difabled, and feveral of the prizes difmasted, I fhall make the best of my way with them to the Nore. I herewith tranfinit you a lift of killed and wounded on board fuch of the fquadron as I have been able to collect; a lift of the enemy's fleet op. pofed to my squadron, and my line of battle on the day of action. I am, Sir, Your most obedient humble fervant, ADAM DUNCAN. A Lift of killed and wounded on board the Ships of Admiral Duncan's Squa dron, in an Action with the Dutch on the 11th of October 1797. Venerable.-13 feamen, 2 marines, killed; 6 officers, 52 feamen, 4 marines, wounded. Total 77. Monarch.-2 officers, 34 feamen, killed; 9 officers, 79 feamen, 12 marines, wounded. Total 136. Bedford.-2 midshipmen, 26 feamen, 2 marines, killed; 1 lieutemant, 37 feamen, 3 marines, wounded. Total 71. Powerful.-S feamen, 2 marines, killed; 4 officers, 74 feamen and marines, wounded. Total 88. Ifis.-1 feaman, 1 marine, killed; 3 officers, 18 feamen, wounded. Total 23. Ardent.-2 officers, 33 feamen, 6 marines, killed; S officers, 85 fea men, 11 marines, 3 boys, wounded. Total 148. Agincourt.-None killed or wounded. Belliqueux. 2 officers, 20 feamen, 3 marines, killed; 3 officers, 63 feamen, 12 mariues, wounded. Total 103. Lancaster.-3 feamen killed; 2 officers, 13 feamen, 3 marines, wounded. Total 21. Triumph.-25 feamen, 3 marines, 1 boy, killed; 5 officers, 50 feamen and marines, wounded. Total 84 Officers killed. Monarch.-Mr. J. P. Tindall and Mr. Moyle Finlay, midshipmen. Belliqueux. Lieutenant Robert Webfter; Mr. James Milne, mafter's mate. Officers wounded. Venerable.-Lieutenants Clay and Douglas; Lieutenant Chambers of the marines; Mr. Stewart, midshipman; Mr. Brown, pilot. Monarch.-Lieutenant Retalick; Lieutenant Smith of the marines; Mr. George Maffie, Mr. Benjamin Clement, Mr. Daniel Sherwin, Mr. Charles Slade, midshipmen; Mr. John Chimley, master's mate. Bedford.-Lieutenant Keenor. Powerful.-Lieutenant Jennings; Mr. Mel. Jones, boatfwain; Mr. Daniel Rogers, midfhipman; Lieutenant Walker of the marines. Ifis.-Lieutenant Charles Rea of the marines; Mr. Simon Frafer and Mr. John Walker, midshipmen. Ardent.-Lieutenant James Rofe, Lieutenant John Sobriel; Captain Cuthbert of marines; Mr. John Tracy, maiter's mate; Mr. John Airey, mafter's mate; Mr. Thomas Leopard, midshipman; Mr. John Taylor, captain's clerk, flightly; Mr. George Killiar, midfiipman, flightly. Belliqueux.-Lieutenant Robert England, lightly; Captain James Caffel of marines, flightly; Mr. James Scott, midshipman. Lancafter.-Lieutenant Morgan, Lieutenant Sandy's of the marines. Triumph.-Captain Effington, flightly in the arm; Mr. Chapman, firft lieutenant, flightly in the head; Mr. Trollope, third lieutenant, flightly in the foot; Mr. Read, mafter, flightly bruifed; Mr. Jones, midshipman, flightly in the face. ADAM DUNCAN. |