Battle of Cape Henry
Encyclopedia
The Battle of Cape Henry was a naval battle in the American War of Independence which took place near the mouth of Chesapeake Bay
on 16 March 1781 between a British
squadron
led by Vice Admiral Mariot Arbuthnot and a French
fleet under Admiral Charles René Dominique Sochet, Chevalier Destouches
. Destouches, based in Newport, Rhode Island
, had sailed for the Chesapeake as part of a joint operation with the Continental Army
to oppose the British army of Brigadier General Benedict Arnold
that was active in Virginia
.
Admiral Destouches was asked by General George Washington
to take his fleet to the Chesapeake to support military operations against Arnold by the Marquis de Lafayette. Sailing on 8 March, he was followed two days later by Admiral Arbuthnot, who sailed from eastern Long Island
. Arbuthnot's fleet outsailed that of Destouches, reaching the Virginia Capes
just ahead of Destouches on 16 March. After manoeuvring for several hours, the battle was joined, and both fleets suffered some damage and casualties without losing any ships. However, Arbuthnot was positioned to enter the Chesapeake as the fleets disengaged, frustrating Destouches' objective. Destouches returned to Newport, while Arbuthnot protected the bay for the arrival of additional land troops to reinforce General Arnold.
General Sir Henry Clinton sent Brigadier General Benedict Arnold
(who had changed sides to the British the previous September) with about 1,700 troops to Virginia
to do some raiding and to fortify Portsmouth
. General George Washington
responded by sending the Marquis de Lafayette south with a small army to oppose Arnold. Seeking to trap Arnold between Lafayette's army and a French naval detachment, Washington asked the French admiral Destouches
, the commander of the fleet at Newport, Rhode Island
for help. Destouches was wary of the threat posed by the slightly larger British North American fleet anchored at Gardiner's Bay
off the eastern end of Long Island
, and was reluctant to help.
A storm in early February damaged some of Arbuthnot's fleet, which prompted Destouches to send a squadron of three ships south shortly after. When they reached the Chesapeake, the British ships supporting Arnold moved up the shallow Elizabeth River
, where the French ships were unable to follow. The French fleet returned to Newport, having as their only success the capture of , a heavy frigate that was one of several ships sent by the British to investigate the French movements. This modest success, and the encouragement of General Washington, prompted Destouches to embark on a full-scale operation. On 8 March, Washington was in Newport when Destouches sailed with his entire fleet, carrying 1,200 troops for use in land operations when they arrived in the Chesapeake.
Vice Admiral of the White Mariot Arbuthnot, the British fleet commander in North America, was aware that Destouches was planning something, but did not learn of Destouches' sailing until 10 March, and immediately led his fleet out of Gardiner Bay in pursuit. He had the speed advantage of copper-clad
vessels and a favourable wind, and reached Cape Henry
on 16 March, slightly ahead of Destouches.
), while the French fleet also included the recently captured 44-gun Romulus, the smallest vessel on either line. When Arbuthnot spotted the French fleet to his northeast at 6 am on 16 March, they were about 40 nmi (74.1 km) east-northeast of Cape Henry. Arbuthnot came about, and Destouches ordered his ships to form a line of battle heading west, with the wind. Between 8 and 9 am the winds began shifting, but visibility remained poor, and the two fleets manoeuvred for several hours, each seeking the advantage of the weather gage
. By 1 pm the wind had stabilised from the northeast, and Arbuthnot, with superior seamanship, was coming up on the rear of the French line as both headed east-southeast, tacking against the wind. Destouches, in order to escape this position, gave orders to wear ship
in sequence, and brought his line around in front of the advancing British line. With this manoeuvre he surrendered the weather gage (giving Arbuthnot the advantage in determining the attack), but it also positioned his ships relative to the wind such that he could open his lower gundecks in the heavy seas, which the British could not do without the risk of water washing onto the lower decks.
Arbuthnot responded to the French manoeuvre by ordering his fleet to wear. When the ships in the van of his line made the maneuver, they were fully exposed to the French line's fire, and consequently suffered significant damage. Robust, Europe, and Prudent were virtually unmanageable due to damage to their sails and rigging. Arbuthnot kept the signal for maintaining the line flying, and the British fleet thus lined up behind the damaged vessels. Destouches at this point again ordered his fleet to wear in succession, and his ships raked the damaged British ships once more, taking off London topsail yard before pulling away to the east.
General Washington, unhappy that the operation had failed, wrote a letter that was mildly critical of Destouches. This letter was intercepted and published in an English newspaper, prompting a critical response to Washington by the Comte de Rochambeau
, the French army commander at Newport. The Comte de Barras, who arrived in May to take command of the Newport station, justified Destouches' failure to pursue the attack: "It is a principle in war that one should risk much to defend one's positions, and very little to attack those of the enemy." Naval historian Alfred Thayer Mahan
points out that "this aversion from risks [...] goes far to explain the French want of success in the war."
Lafayette, when he learned of the French failure, turned back north to rejoin Washington. Washington then ordered Lafayette to stay in Virginia, having learned of the reinforcements sent to Arnold. Although the French operation to support Lafayette was unsuccessful, the later naval operations by the Comte de Grasse
that culminated in the French naval victory in the September 1781 Battle of the Chesapeake
paved the way for a successful naval blockade and land siege
of Lord Cornwallis'
army at Yorktown, Virginia
.
The battle has been memorialized by American singer-songwriter
Todd Snider
in "The Ballad of Cape Henry". Although there is a marker commemorating the Battle of the Chesapeake at the Cape Henry Memorial
in Virginia, there is no recognition of this battle at the site.
Sources also disagree on which ship carried Destouches and his flag. The English-language sources (Mahan, p. 492, and Morrissey, p. 51) list his flag on board the Neptune, while Lapeyrouse (p. 170) lists the Duc de Bourgogne. The Duc de Bourgogne was the flagship of Destouches' predecessor, the Chevalier de Ternay
, during which time Destouches was captain of the Neptune; Destouches may have moved to the Duc de Bourgogne upon Ternay's death.
Other ships
Other ships
Chesapeake Bay
The Chesapeake Bay is the largest estuary in the United States. It lies off the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by Maryland and Virginia. The Chesapeake Bay's drainage basin covers in the District of Columbia and parts of six states: New York, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, and West...
on 16 March 1781 between a British
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
squadron
Squadron (naval)
A squadron, or naval squadron, is a unit of 3-4 major warships, transport ships, submarines, or sometimes small craft that may be part of a larger task force or a fleet...
led by Vice Admiral Mariot Arbuthnot and a French
Early Modern France
Kingdom of France is the early modern period of French history from the end of the 15th century to the end of the 18th century...
fleet under Admiral Charles René Dominique Sochet, Chevalier Destouches
Charles René Dominique Sochet, Chevalier Destouches
Charles René Dominique Sochet, Chevalier Destouches, also sometimes spelled Des Touches, was a rear admiral in the French Navy...
. Destouches, based in Newport, Rhode Island
Newport, Rhode Island
Newport is a city on Aquidneck Island in Newport County, Rhode Island, United States, about south of Providence. Known as a New England summer resort and for the famous Newport Mansions, it is the home of Salve Regina University and Naval Station Newport which houses the United States Naval War...
, had sailed for the Chesapeake as part of a joint operation with the Continental Army
Continental Army
The Continental Army was formed after the outbreak of the American Revolutionary War by the colonies that became the United States of America. Established by a resolution of the Continental Congress on June 14, 1775, it was created to coordinate the military efforts of the Thirteen Colonies in...
to oppose the British army of Brigadier General Benedict Arnold
Benedict Arnold
Benedict Arnold V was a general during the American Revolutionary War. He began the war in the Continental Army but later defected to the British Army. While a general on the American side, he obtained command of the fort at West Point, New York, and plotted to surrender it to the British forces...
that was active in Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
.
Admiral Destouches was asked by General George Washington
George Washington
George Washington was the dominant military and political leader of the new United States of America from 1775 to 1799. He led the American victory over Great Britain in the American Revolutionary War as commander-in-chief of the Continental Army from 1775 to 1783, and presided over the writing of...
to take his fleet to the Chesapeake to support military operations against Arnold by the Marquis de Lafayette. Sailing on 8 March, he was followed two days later by Admiral Arbuthnot, who sailed from eastern Long Island
Long Island
Long Island is an island located in the southeast part of the U.S. state of New York, just east of Manhattan. Stretching northeast into the Atlantic Ocean, Long Island contains four counties, two of which are boroughs of New York City , and two of which are mainly suburban...
. Arbuthnot's fleet outsailed that of Destouches, reaching the Virginia Capes
Virginia Capes
The Virginia Capes are the two capes, Cape Charles to the north and Cape Henry to the south, that define the entrance to Chesapeake Bay on the eastern coast of North America....
just ahead of Destouches on 16 March. After manoeuvring for several hours, the battle was joined, and both fleets suffered some damage and casualties without losing any ships. However, Arbuthnot was positioned to enter the Chesapeake as the fleets disengaged, frustrating Destouches' objective. Destouches returned to Newport, while Arbuthnot protected the bay for the arrival of additional land troops to reinforce General Arnold.
Background
In December 1780, BritishKingdom of Great Britain
The former Kingdom of Great Britain, sometimes described as the 'United Kingdom of Great Britain', That the Two Kingdoms of Scotland and England, shall upon the 1st May next ensuing the date hereof, and forever after, be United into One Kingdom by the Name of GREAT BRITAIN. was a sovereign...
General Sir Henry Clinton sent Brigadier General Benedict Arnold
Benedict Arnold
Benedict Arnold V was a general during the American Revolutionary War. He began the war in the Continental Army but later defected to the British Army. While a general on the American side, he obtained command of the fort at West Point, New York, and plotted to surrender it to the British forces...
(who had changed sides to the British the previous September) with about 1,700 troops to Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
to do some raiding and to fortify Portsmouth
Portsmouth, Virginia
Portsmouth is located in the Hampton Roads metropolitan area of the U.S. Commonwealth of Virginia. As of 2010, the city had a total population of 95,535.The Norfolk Naval Shipyard, often called the Norfolk Navy Yard, is a historic and active U.S...
. General George Washington
George Washington
George Washington was the dominant military and political leader of the new United States of America from 1775 to 1799. He led the American victory over Great Britain in the American Revolutionary War as commander-in-chief of the Continental Army from 1775 to 1783, and presided over the writing of...
responded by sending the Marquis de Lafayette south with a small army to oppose Arnold. Seeking to trap Arnold between Lafayette's army and a French naval detachment, Washington asked the French admiral Destouches
Charles René Dominique Sochet, Chevalier Destouches
Charles René Dominique Sochet, Chevalier Destouches, also sometimes spelled Des Touches, was a rear admiral in the French Navy...
, the commander of the fleet at Newport, Rhode Island
Newport, Rhode Island
Newport is a city on Aquidneck Island in Newport County, Rhode Island, United States, about south of Providence. Known as a New England summer resort and for the famous Newport Mansions, it is the home of Salve Regina University and Naval Station Newport which houses the United States Naval War...
for help. Destouches was wary of the threat posed by the slightly larger British North American fleet anchored at Gardiner's Bay
Gardiner's Bay, New York
Gardiner's Bay, also known as Napeague Bay, is a bay in New York. On current charts and maps the area is named Napeague Bay, lying between the South Fork of Long Island and Gardiners Island....
off the eastern end of Long Island
Long Island
Long Island is an island located in the southeast part of the U.S. state of New York, just east of Manhattan. Stretching northeast into the Atlantic Ocean, Long Island contains four counties, two of which are boroughs of New York City , and two of which are mainly suburban...
, and was reluctant to help.
A storm in early February damaged some of Arbuthnot's fleet, which prompted Destouches to send a squadron of three ships south shortly after. When they reached the Chesapeake, the British ships supporting Arnold moved up the shallow Elizabeth River
Elizabeth River (Virginia)
The Elizabeth River is a tidal estuary forming an arm of Hampton Roads harbor at the southern end of Chesapeake Bay in southeast Virginia in the United States. It is located along the southern side of the mouth of the James River, between the cities of Portsmouth and Norfolk...
, where the French ships were unable to follow. The French fleet returned to Newport, having as their only success the capture of , a heavy frigate that was one of several ships sent by the British to investigate the French movements. This modest success, and the encouragement of General Washington, prompted Destouches to embark on a full-scale operation. On 8 March, Washington was in Newport when Destouches sailed with his entire fleet, carrying 1,200 troops for use in land operations when they arrived in the Chesapeake.
Vice Admiral of the White Mariot Arbuthnot, the British fleet commander in North America, was aware that Destouches was planning something, but did not learn of Destouches' sailing until 10 March, and immediately led his fleet out of Gardiner Bay in pursuit. He had the speed advantage of copper-clad
Copper sheathing
Copper sheathing was the practice of protecting the under-water hull of a ship or boat through the use of copper plates affixed to the outside of the hull. It was pioneered and developed by the Royal Navy during the 18th century.-Development:...
vessels and a favourable wind, and reached Cape Henry
Cape Henry
Cape Henry is a cape on the Atlantic shore of Virginia north of Virginia Beach. It is the southern boundary of the entrance to Chesapeake Bay.Across the mouth of the bay to the north is Cape Charles...
on 16 March, slightly ahead of Destouches.
Battle
Although the two fleets both had eight ships in their lines, the British had an advantage in firepower: the 90-gun was the largest ship of either fleet (compared to the 84-gun Duc de BourgogneFrench ship Duc de Bourgogne (1752)
The Duc de Bourgogne was a 80-gun ship of the line of the French Navy.She was refitted twice, in and 1761 and 1779, having har hull copered....
), while the French fleet also included the recently captured 44-gun Romulus, the smallest vessel on either line. When Arbuthnot spotted the French fleet to his northeast at 6 am on 16 March, they were about 40 nmi (74.1 km) east-northeast of Cape Henry. Arbuthnot came about, and Destouches ordered his ships to form a line of battle heading west, with the wind. Between 8 and 9 am the winds began shifting, but visibility remained poor, and the two fleets manoeuvred for several hours, each seeking the advantage of the weather gage
Weather gage
The weather gage is a nautical term used to describe the advantageous position of a fighting sailing vessel, relative to another. The term is from the Age of Sail, and is now antiquated. A ship is said to possess the weather gage if it is in any position, at sea, upwind of the other vessel...
. By 1 pm the wind had stabilised from the northeast, and Arbuthnot, with superior seamanship, was coming up on the rear of the French line as both headed east-southeast, tacking against the wind. Destouches, in order to escape this position, gave orders to wear ship
Jibe
A jibe or gybe is a sailing maneuver where a sailing vessel turns its stern through the wind, such that the wind direction changes from one side of the boat to the other...
in sequence, and brought his line around in front of the advancing British line. With this manoeuvre he surrendered the weather gage (giving Arbuthnot the advantage in determining the attack), but it also positioned his ships relative to the wind such that he could open his lower gundecks in the heavy seas, which the British could not do without the risk of water washing onto the lower decks.
Aftermath
French casualties were 72 killed and 112 wounded, while the British suffered 30 killed and 73 wounded. Arbuthnot pulled into Chesapeake Bay, thus frustrating the original intent of Destouches' mission, while the French fleet returned to Newport. After transports delivered 2,000 men to reinforce Arnold, Arbuthnot returned to New York. He resigned his post as station chief due to age and infirmity in July and left for England, ending a stormy, difficult, and unproductive relationship with General Clinton.General Washington, unhappy that the operation had failed, wrote a letter that was mildly critical of Destouches. This letter was intercepted and published in an English newspaper, prompting a critical response to Washington by the Comte de Rochambeau
Jean-Baptiste Donatien de Vimeur, comte de Rochambeau
Marshal of France Jean-Baptiste Donatien de Vimeur, comte de Rochambeau was a French nobleman and general who participated in the American Revolutionary War as the commander-in-chief of the French Expeditionary Force which came to help the American Continental Army...
, the French army commander at Newport. The Comte de Barras, who arrived in May to take command of the Newport station, justified Destouches' failure to pursue the attack: "It is a principle in war that one should risk much to defend one's positions, and very little to attack those of the enemy." Naval historian Alfred Thayer Mahan
Alfred Thayer Mahan
Alfred Thayer Mahan was a United States Navy flag officer, geostrategist, and historian, who has been called "the most important American strategist of the nineteenth century." His concept of "sea power" was based on the idea that countries with greater naval power will have greater worldwide...
points out that "this aversion from risks [...] goes far to explain the French want of success in the war."
Lafayette, when he learned of the French failure, turned back north to rejoin Washington. Washington then ordered Lafayette to stay in Virginia, having learned of the reinforcements sent to Arnold. Although the French operation to support Lafayette was unsuccessful, the later naval operations by the Comte de Grasse
François Joseph Paul de Grasse
Lieutenant Général des Armées Navales François-Joseph Paul, marquis de Grasse Tilly, comte de Grasse was a French admiral. He is best known for his command of the French fleet at the Battle of the Chesapeake, which led directly to the British surrender at Yorktown...
that culminated in the French naval victory in the September 1781 Battle of the Chesapeake
Battle of the Chesapeake
The Battle of the Chesapeake, also known as the Battle of the Virginia Capes or simply the Battle of the Capes, was a crucial naval battle in the American War of Independence that took place near the mouth of Chesapeake Bay on 5 September 1781, between a British fleet led by Rear Admiral Sir Thomas...
paved the way for a successful naval blockade and land siege
Battle of Yorktown
Battle of Yorktown may refer to:*Siege of Yorktown , last major battle during the American Revolutionary War, also known as the American War of Independence*Battle of Yorktown , a battle during the Peninsula campaign of the American Civil War...
of Lord Cornwallis'
Charles Cornwallis, 1st Marquess Cornwallis
Charles Cornwallis, 1st Marquess Cornwallis KG , styled Viscount Brome between 1753 and 1762 and known as The Earl Cornwallis between 1762 and 1792, was a British Army officer and colonial administrator...
army at Yorktown, Virginia
Yorktown, Virginia
Yorktown is a census-designated place in York County, Virginia, United States. The population was 220 in the 2000 census. It is the county seat of York County, one of the eight original shires formed in colonial Virginia in 1634....
.
The battle has been memorialized by American singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriters are musicians who write, compose and sing their own musical material including lyrics and melodies. As opposed to contemporary popular music singers who write their own songs, the term singer-songwriter describes a distinct form of artistry, closely associated with the...
Todd Snider
Todd Snider
Todd Daniel Snider is an American singer-songwriter with a musical style that combines Americana, alt-country, and folk.-Biography:...
in "The Ballad of Cape Henry". Although there is a marker commemorating the Battle of the Chesapeake at the Cape Henry Memorial
Cape Henry Memorial
The Cape Henry Memorial commemorates the first landfall at Cape Henry, in Virginia Beach, Virginia, of colonists bound for the Jamestown settlement. After landing on April 26, 1607, they explored the area, named the cape, and set up a cross before proceeding up the James River. A stone cross, set...
in Virginia, there is no recognition of this battle at the site.
Order of battle
Basic information (ship names and gun counts) are provided by Morrissey unless otherwise cited. The names of ship captains are provided by Mahan unless otherwise cited, and casualty figured are provided by Lapeyrouse. Mahan and Lapeyrouse disagree on the casualty count; Mahan reports that the British had 30 killed and 73 wounded, and that the French had 72 killed and 112 wounded.Sources also disagree on which ship carried Destouches and his flag. The English-language sources (Mahan, p. 492, and Morrissey, p. 51) list his flag on board the Neptune, while Lapeyrouse (p. 170) lists the Duc de Bourgogne. The Duc de Bourgogne was the flagship of Destouches' predecessor, the Chevalier de Ternay
Chevalier de Ternay
Charles-Henri-Louis d'Arsac de Ternay was a French naval officer. Most active in the Seven Years' War and the War of American Independence, Ternay was the naval commander of a 1762 expedition that successfully captured St. John's Newfoundland...
, during which time Destouches was captain of the Neptune; Destouches may have moved to the Duc de Bourgogne upon Ternay's death.
| British fleet | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ship | Rate | Guns | Commander | Casualties | Notes | |||||
| Killed | Wounded | Total | ||||||||
| Third rate | 64 | Captain Phillips Cosby Phillips Cosby Vice Admiral Phillips Cosby was a Royal Navy officer who fought in the American Revolutionary War.-Naval career:Cosby joined the Royal Navy as an ordinary seaman in 1747. He was given command of a schooner at the Siege of Louisbourg in 1758 and was present at the capture of Quebec in 1759.Promoted... |
15 | 21 | 36 | |||||
| Europe HMS Europa (1765) HMS Europa was a 64-gun third rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy, launched on 21 April 1765 at Lepe, Hampshire. She was renamed HMS Europe in 1778, and spent the rest of her career under this name.... |
Third rate | 64 | Captain Smith Child Smith Child (Royal Navy officer) Smith Child was an officer in the Royal Navy. He served in the Seven Years' War, the American War of Independence, and the French Revolutionary Wars, rising to the rank of admiral... |
8 | 19 | 27 | ||||
| Third rate | 64 | Captain Thomas Burnet | 7 | 24 | 31 | |||||
| Third rate | 74 | Captain William Swiney | 0 | 3 | 3 | Arbuthnot's flag | ||||
| Second rate | 90 | Captain David Graves | 0 | 0 | 0 | Sir Thomas Graves' flag | ||||
| Fourth rate | 50 | Captain Gideon Johnstone | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||||
| Third rate | 74 | Captain Edmund Affleck | 0 | 0 | 0 | Morrissey probably incorrectly lists Bedford with 64; others, e.g. Mahan (1898), p. 492, list her as carrying 74 guns. | ||||
| Third rate | 64 | Captain Samuel Thompson | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||||
| Casualty summary: 30 killed, 67 wounded, 97 total | ||||||||||
Other ships
- Guadalupe (frigate, 28, Hugh Robinson)
- Pearl (frigate, 32, George Montagu)
- Iris (frigate, 32, George Dawson)
- Medea (frigate, 28, Henry Duncan)
| French fleet | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ship | Rate | Guns | Commander | Casualties | Notes | |||||
| Killed | Wounded | Total | ||||||||
| Conquérant French ship Conquérant (1747) The Conquérant was a Citoyen class 74-gun ship of the line of the French Navy.She took part in the Battle of the Nile, where she was armed with only 18- and 12-pounders, and crewed by a mere 400 men, under captain Dalbarade. Second ship in the vanguard of her line, Conquérant sustained fire from... |
Third rate | 74 | Charles-Marie, Comte de la Grandière | 31 | 41 | 72 | ||||
| Provence | Third rate | 64 | Louis-André-Joseph, Chevalier de Lombard | 1 | 7 | 8 | ||||
| Ardent HMS Ardent (1764) HMS Ardent was a 64-gun third-rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy. She was built by contract by Hugh Blaydes at Hull according to the plans of Sir Thomas Slade, and launched on 13 August 1764 as the first ship of the... |
Third rate | 64 | Charles-René-Louis, Vicomte de Bernard de Marigny | 19 | 35 | 54 | ||||
| Neptune French ship Neptune (1778) The Neptune was a 74-gun ship of the line of the French Navy.Under Latouche Tréville, she captured a 30-gun British privateer named Hercules on 28 October 1778.In 1782, she was part of de Grasse's squadron... |
Third rate | 74 | Charles, Comte de Médine | 4 | 2 | 6 | Morrissey and Mahan claim the Neptune as Destouches' flagship. | |||
| Duc de Bourgogne French ship Duc de Bourgogne (1752) The Duc de Bourgogne was a 80-gun ship of the line of the French Navy.She was refitted twice, in and 1761 and 1779, having har hull copered.... |
Third rate | 80–84 | Louis Nicolas, Baron de Durfort | 6 | 5 | 11 | Morrissey apparently confuses this ship with the Bourgogne French ship Bourgogne (1767) The Bourgogne was a 74-gun ship of the line of the French Navy.She was commissioned in 1772, and served in the squadron of the Mediterranean, with a refit in 1775, and another in 1778.... , 74 guns; other sources uniformly identify her as the Duc de Bourgogne. Lapeyrouse (p. 170) claims she carried only 80 guns, and Destouches' flag. Mahan (p. 492) claims she carried 84 guns. |
|||
| Jason | Third rate | 64 | Jean-Isaac-Timothée Chadeau de la Clocheterie | 5 | 1 | 6 | ||||
| Eveille | Third rate | 64 | Armand le Gardeur de Tilley | 1 | 3 | 4 | ||||
| Romulus | Fifth rate | 44 | Jacques-Aimes le Saige, Chevalier de la Villébrun | 2 | 1 | 3 | This was a two-deck frigate built by the British in 1777. | |||
| Casualty summary: 69 killed, 95 wounded, 164 total | ||||||||||
Other ships
- l'Hermione (frigate, 36, Louis-René-Madelène le Vassor, Comte de Latouche-Tréville)
- Gentille (frigate, 32, M. de Maingand)
- Fantasque (14, M. de Vaudoré)