Admiral Cotes and British Naval Operations in the Caribbean, 1757
LONDON. “Extracts of two Letters from Vice-Admiral [Thomas] Cotes, Commander in Chief of his Majesty’s Ships at Jamaica, to Mr. [John] Cleveland, dated the 5th and 31st of December, 1757.
‘The 20th of November his majesty’s ship Assistance chaced a French privateer of 18 guns, and a schooner privateer with a prize, into Tiberon bay, on the west end of Hispaniola, where the French had a battery of five guns. The vessels hauled close to the shore, under cover of the battery; but it falling calm, capt. Weller, was obliged to tow in with his boats. The 21st he burnt the snow and schooner, sunk the prize, and dismounted all the guns on the shore. He had two men killed in the action, and his masts and rigging much damaged. The privateer snow was late the Duke Pacquet, taken in January last, commanded by one Palanqui, who has done great prejudice to our trade in this and the late war.
The 24th of November the Princess Mary returned from cruizing off Monte Christi, and brought in a Dutch ship loaded with sugar, coffee, and indigo, one of the fleet that sailed from Cape François under convoy of the French ships on the 13th of November. It appears by the confession of her men, that she carried out from Holland to Cape François, cannon, powder, shot, and other military stores, and was returning freighted with their produce. I have ordered her to be tried in the Admiralty court.
I sailed from Port-Royal, the 6th of December, with his majesty’s ships the Augusta and Princess Mary. The 13th I made the Augusta’s signal to chace off Cape Tiberon, who took a small French sloop loaded with sugar; and the French set fire to a large ship in the bay, to prevent her falling into our hands. She blew up before the Augusta’s boat could get on board. I have since been informed she mounted 16 guns, and had 65 men on board.
The 14th we took two French privateers with our boats, one of eight carriage and 12 swivel guns, the other of four carriage and eight swivels: Most of their men swam ashore.
By the prisoners I was informed, that a rich fleet was ready to sail from Port au Prince, under convoy of two armed merchant ships of 24 guns each. I directly sent a good sailing small sloop, that I have hired for a tender, to look into that port, who returned with an account, that eight loaded ships were come out of the harbour into the road, and lay, with their mizen top-sails loose, unmoored.
I immediately ordered the Augusta to stretch to the southward to guard the passage between the island of Guanava and Petit Guava, and I kept to the northward with the Princess Mary between the Guanava and Cape Nicolau. The 24th, in the night, the Augusta fell in with the French fleet, consisting of eight ships, a snow, and a brigantine, and by noon, next day, had taken the eight ships and the brigantine; the snow only escaped. I have sent capt. Forrest, with the prizes, to Jamaica, with orders to return to me directly, as I hope to meet the fleet that is expected at Cape François from Europe. The prisoners say the ships we have taken are the richest that ever sailed from Port au Prince.
The Hornet sloop has drove ashore and destroyed a French snow of 12 carriage guns, and taken a small schooner privateer off Cape Rose.’”
The London Magazine: Or, Gentleman’s Monthly Intelligencer, February 1758.
Posted in Cape François, French West Indies, Port-au-Prince, Royal Navy, Saint-Domingue, Seven Years' War, privateer, sea battle, sugar |
