XXXV. 1778. CHAP. rupture with France, the firft lord of the admiralty made application to admiral Keppel, an officer known to be inimical to ministry, but whom a high reputation, the love of the failors, and the experience derived from forty years fervice, indicated as moft fit to affume the command of the grand fleet; his appointment was frequently mentioned in terms of high approbation by members of both parties in parliament, and when the hoftile defigns of France were indifputable, he was intrufted with ample difcretionary powers for defence of the kingdom. This unlimited confidence was highly honourable to administration, as Keppel declared to the king, that he was unacquainted with them as minifters; and honourable to him, as he accepted the command without making any difficulty, or afking any favour; ferving in obedience to the king's orders, and truiting to his majefty's good intentions, and to his gracious fupport and protection. Mar. 1778. 13th June. 17th. ON his arrival at Portsmouth, before the king's meffage refpecting France was delivered to parliament, he found only fix fhips of the line fit for fervice; during his ftay, four or five more arrived, but, on his representation, the fleet was fpeedily augmented to twenty fail of the line, fufficiently equipped'. WITH this armament, admiral Keppel failed from St. Helens, and foon difcovered two French frigates, He captures two frigates. La Licorne, and la Belle Poule, reconnoitring his fleet. Although war was not declared, yet the admiral, in virtue of his full powers, gave orders to chase, and conduct them under his ftern. The Licorne failed with the fleet during the night, but in the morning, after attempting to escape and firing a broadfide, accompanied with a difcharge of mufketry into the America man of war, ftruck her colours, and was captured. M. de la Clocheterie, commander of la d In November 1776. Defence of admiral Keppel in his Trial, published by Blanchard, pp. 122,3,4 Belle 1778. Belle Poule, refused to attend and speak to the British C H A P. admiral, and after an obftinate engagement, having XXXV. difmafted the Arethufa, efcaped by steering into a bay among the rocks, and was towed out of danger by boats from the fhore. Keppel, apprized from the papers of the Licorne, and other intelligence, that anchorage was ordered in Breft harbour for thirty- 27th. two fail of the line, and three times the number of Returns to frigates, retired into Portsmouth. There was, however, reason to believe that the papers and intelligence were fabricated on purpofe to deceive, nor did the admiral escape cenfure for difgracing the grand fleet by a retreat, without calling a council of war. port. THE flight of a British admiral from the coaft of Senfation of the public. France, in dread of a fuperior fquadron, excited general indignation. Some inveighed against the ministry for extreme negligence ; others reproached the admiral", and the public prints even threatened him with the fate of Byng'. Ar this alarming crifis the exertions of the ad- 9th July. Keppel puts miralty were equal to the magnitude of impending to lea again. danger. Lord Sandwich himself haftened to Portfmouth, reinforced the grand fleet with four fhips of the line; admiral Keppel put to fea, and was speedily joined by fix others. The greater part of this force was in good condition and well appointed, and though deficient in the ordinary proportion of frigates, the admiral did not hesitate to fail in purfuit of the enemy, who had already left Brest *. HE foon fell in with the French fleet, confifting of 23d to 27th. Engagement thirty-two fail of the line, with an ample complement off Ultant. of frigates, under the command of count d'Orvilliers.. Four days were fpent in manoeuvring, to counteract the difpofition fhewn by the enemy to evade fighting, but at length a dark fquall placed the fleets in a fitua 5th. 1778. CHAP. tion which rendered the conflict inevitable. The three XXXV. divifions of the British fleet were commanded by Keppel, Sir Robert Harland, and Sir Hugh Pallifer: the French by d'Orvilliers, and the ducs de Chaffault and Chartres. The engagement took place off Ufhant. After feveral evolutions, fhewing a determination in the French commander to fhorten the engagement, he began the cannonade while the English fleet was at too great a distance to receive material injury, and from the pofition taken by the French it was neceffary for the British fhips in paffing them to form the line, to receive the fire of their whole force. The referved fire of the British fleet did dreadful execution; but the French having in their ufual manner directed their battery against the rigging, the divifions most exposed were terribly torn and difabled. The fleets lay on different tacks, failing in oppofite directions; the engagement lafted near three hours, at the end of which they had paffed each other, and the firing ceased. Admiral Keppel used his utmost endeavours to renew the combat: with fome difficulty he tacked his own fhip, but found that others in his divifion could not perform the fame manoeuvre; Sir Robert Harland, whofe divifion had fuffered lefs, obeyed without difficulty the fignals to bear down into his wake; but Sir Hugh Pallifer, whofe fhip had been very much damaged, did not join the commander in chief. Captain Windfor in the Fox was dispatched to direct the junction of Sir Hugh Pallifer; but he, engaged in repairing his damages, could not obey the order, till night put a period to further attempts. The French During the darkness, the French, placing three frigates with lights to deceive the English admiral, made fail for their own coafts, and were by the next morning almoft out of fight. Keppel finding purfuit vain, returned to Plymouth to refit, while d'Orvilliers unmoKeppel re- lefted gained the harbour of Breft. The English had a hundred and thirty-three flain, and three hundred and seventy-three wounded; the lofs of the French retreat. turns to port. was estimated at two thousand, including killed and CHA P. wounded. XXXV. 1778. 20th Aug. The French THE neceffary repairs being completed, both fleets again put to fea. The French pursuing their former policy of fhewing an oftentatious parade but avoiding 'to a conflict, kept aloof, abandoning their trade to the depredations of British cruizers, while the English engagement. fleets from both the Indies returned unmolested. 31st Oct. avoid a new IN defcribing the engagement, the French, in a Accounts of ftyle of gafconade approaching to burlesque, claimed late action, the victory, and expreffed their utter astonishment at finding themselves in the port of Breft, when they thought they had been many leagues at fea pursuing the English. Admiral Keppel, in his difpatch, extolled the conduct of his officers, particularly Sir Robert Harland and Sir Hugh Pallifer; in excufe for not renewing the attack, he urged the difabled ftate of some of his fleet, many fhips being unable to follow when he wore to ftand after the enemy; he therefore, to use his own expreffion, fuffered the French to form their line without moleftation, "thinking they meant handsomely to try their force with him the next morning." difcuffions. SUCH an apology, for the want of complete fuccefs Public in an engagement which fixed the attention of all Europe, could not be fatisfactory to the public, and the zeal of party difplayed itself in oppofite statements, reflecting on the characters of the two admirals with all the fcurrility ufual on fuch occafions. Keppel and Pallifer were of nearly equal age in the fervice, both pupils and favourites of Sir Charles Saunders, and both indebted to his testamentary munificence. Through the intervention of Sir Hugh, the negotiation between the ministry and the admiral had been conducted; no circumftance before or speedily after the action indicated latent animofity, they returned to their ftations with apparent cordiality, but the difference of their political connexions, and fome tranfactions in the course of the day, gave probability to a conjecture I 2 that CHA P. that the general good of the fervice was facrificed; an XXXV. extravagant and illiberal party feud was engendered, which difgraced the naval fervice, and effected the ruin of a man as high in character, and able in his profeffion, as any officer in the navy. 1778. Publication Pallifer. ALTHOUGH admiral Keppel received the public by Sir Hugh approbation of the admiralty, and was graciously diftinguished at court, yet the general agitation did not fubfide. In confequence of a fcurrilous attack in a morning paper, Sir Hugh Pallifer published a vindication, which Keppel, though required by letter, peremptorily refused to authenticate; and was even fufpected of dictating, or at least revifing, a reply '. Pallifer charged his fuperior officer with want of confiftency, conceiving that, after highly approving his conduct in a public difpatch, he could not, in juftice, refuse to screen his character from wanton and malignant attacks. Admiral Keppel, on the other hand, confidered his official approbation a mere matter of form, calculated to prevent the bad effects of dif-union in the fervice, and fubject to explanation from the officer by whom it was conveyed; he considered alfo that it related merely to the time of actual engagement, and did not account for the acts of himfelf or any other commander, which fruftrated the wellfounded national hope of a renewed conflict. the exertions of party, and public difpofition to inquiry on. fo momentous a bufinefs, rendered immediate responsibility inevitable, Keppel refufed to exculpate the vice-admiral, rather choofing to criminate him than stand in the fituation of a delinquent himself. 26th Nov. parliament. When SUCH was the state of the difpute on the meeting of Meeting of parliament. The king, in his fpeech, adverted to the critical conjuncture of affairs; mentioned, with dignified and becoming indignation, the proceedings of France, his own defire of peace, and reluctant, though King's speech. See thefe letters in the Remembrancer, vol. vii. p. 86; trial of admiral Keppel, Blanchard's edition, p. 6, of the Appendix; and for the facts, fee the trials of both admirals. vigorous |