Early in 1780, Captain Fanshawe removed into the Egmont of 74 guns; and in that ship he experienced a most
of wind, the British ships were dispersed in their passage across the Atlantic, and it was the middle of September before they all met at New York; from whence the Vice-Admiral proceeded to cruise off Boston, where the French squadron had taken shelter.
Soon after the British squadron reached Boston Bay, a tremendous storm arose, and so disabled the ships that they were obliged to put into Rhode Island to refit. The Count d’Estaing seized this favorable moment to slip out of port and steer for the West Indies, whither he was followed by Vice-Admiral Byron towards the latter end of the year.
During the winter, both fleets were reinforced. The Count, however, did not choose to risk an action, although frequently tempted to do so. At length the season arriving for the departure of the trade bound to England, Vice-Admiral Byron was under the necessity of going to St. Christopher’s to collect them, and of proceeding to windward of the islands, for their protection. On his return to St. Lucia, July 1st, he received intelligence that the island of St. Vincent had been taken by a small body of French, not exceeding 450 in number, headed by a naval Lieutenant; also that the Count d’Estaing had availed himself of the absence of the British fleet, to attack Grenada. The Vice-Admiral immediately sailed to the relief of that island; but before his arrival, the garrison, after making a very able and gallant defence, were obliged to surrender at discretion.
At day-break on the morning of the 6th, two days after the capture of Grenada, Vice-Admiral Byron discovered the French fleet getting under sail from St. George’s Bay, and . stretching out to sea. The signal was immediately made for a general chase, and for the ships to engage as they came up with the enemy. At 7h 30’ A.M., Rear-Admiral Barrington, in the Prince of Wales, supported by six other ships, commenced a partial action with almost the whole of the French line, whose advantage in point of sailing, enabled them to elude every effort of the British to bring on a general and decisive battle. In this unequal conflict, the Grafton, Cornwall, Lion, and Monmouth, sustained the fire of the whole French fleet, consisting of one ship of 96 guns, and twenty-one two-deckers, as they passed them on the opposite tack, and were very much disabled. The action ceased about noon, but was renewed at 2h P.M., and a random fire kept up until the evening, when the hostile fleets had increased their distance about three miles. The Lion and Monmouth sustained so much damage that they were little better than wrecks, and narrowly escaped being cut off by the enemy. The former bore away for Jamaica, and the latter proceeded to Antigua to refit.
The loss sustained by the British fleet, which consisted of one 98-gun ship and sixteen two-deckers, was 183 killed and 346 wounded; among the latter was the gallant Barrington. The slaughter on board the French ships, owing to the vast number of troops embarked, was prodigious; the lowest estimate states it at 1,200 killed and 1,500 wounded.
