SECOND DIVISION. Containing naval tranfactions in A- **** CHAPTER I. The Expedition against CUBA. N the return of the British fleet and CHAP. of Carthagena, the remains of the came out with Sir Chaloner Ogle were now ment PART ment to remedy all their wants and defects, to enII. able them to proceed on fome other, and more profperous defign againft, the Spaniards, which 1741. he was willing to have commenced with the ut moft diligence their miferable condition would permit; as he knew a continuance on that intemperate island, must be attended with the total lofs of the healthy and reviving men. As the vice admiral had received inftructions in regard to the difpatching a proportionable number of his fhips home, on thofe of the Spaniards being returned to Europe, or deftroyed; and fenfible of the danger the unfheathed eighty gun fhips, and others of the moft crazy of the fhips would run, if they were not fent home to fave a fummer's paffage, he therefore found it neceffary, and the council of war afterwards concurred with him in opinion, that fuch fhips ought to be dispatched to England, fo as a fufficient force was referved, in regard to the Spanish fquadron under Don Rodrigo de Torres at the Havanna, and those under Monfieur de Rochefeuil at Hifpaniola. SEVEN of the eight eighty gun fhips, the Princess Carolina, Ruffel, Norfolk, Shrewsbury, Princess Amelia, Torbay, and Chichester; as also the Hampton-Court, Burford, Windfor, and Falmouth; the Succefs, Eleanor, Cumberland, Terrible, and Goodley frigates, being unfheathed, they would have been entirely ruined by remaining any longer on fervice in the hot climates; upon which the vice admiral ordered them to get in readiness, and proceed immediately to England, under the command of Com-. modore Leftock; who, having taken on board Colonel Woolf, and fome other officers afflicted with the general infirmity contracted before Car thagena, thagena, and fuch part of the foldiers as were CHAP. rendered unfit for fervice, foon after fet fail, I. taking under his convoy the homeward-bound fleet that had fet out with the Kennington and 1741. Torrington, but had returned, on account of the fiery-breeze season. THOUGH the departure of fo many failors, at fuch an unfeasonable time, was very inconvenient to the remainder of the fleet, it was abfolutely neceffary for the prefervation of fuch valuable fhips as were ordered to return with Commodore Leftock; and as the vice admiral began to apprehend, from the conduct of General Wentworth, that a divifion would unavoidably enfue in their profecution of other enterprizes, he was in hopes of being permitted to refign the command to Sir Chaloner Ogle, and was very defirous of returning to England with the hips he was obliged to fend under Commodore Leftock, having no difcretionary power to return at his own option, but was even perfuaded for the fervice of his country to remain contented in his ftation, however difagreeable it might be, to act in conjunction with an officer, of whofe abilities he had little reason to give any commendation; to this the vice admiral the more chearfully fubmitted, as he had been preffed by the Duke of Newcastle to continue the command of this fleet; for his grace, by a letter to the vice admiral, dated the 24th of May, informed him, "That he wifhed, for the honour of his coun"try, for the fuccefs of his majesty's arms, and "for the perfecting the great work he had fo gloriously begun, of reducing the Spaniards "in the Weft Indies, that he would not think "of coming home and leaving his command "there; which, without the leaft imputation " upon 66 PART " upon any body, could not be fupplied by any one, on whom his majefty, the nation, and "all the king's friends and servants, could have 1741. an equal dependance." II. 66 VICE Admiral Vernon was industriously employed in completing the preparatory measures, towards accelerating the refitting of his fleet, and putting them in a proper condition for returning to fea, on the further service of his king and country, which was the predominant, and only, paffion, then reigning in the bofom of this excellent commander: he was impatient to retrieve the martial glory and reputation of his natal country, which the Spaniards had infolently vilified and degraded, fince the retreat from Carthagena, and which the admiral, fired with honeft zeal to preferve the British honour, was determined to re-establish; especially, as he well knew what a prodigious fum this expedition had coft, and how high the nation had carried their expectations from it, which as often as he reflected on, he was the more animated to exert his abilities to answer the great view of the nation, which was effectually to reduce the power of Spain in America; and the vice admiral was determined, to look with a juft refentment, on all who fhould fhew any want of their duty, in accomplishing this great and ultimate defign, HAVING iffued out the necessary orders to set all the wheels in motion; his next thought was about holding a general council of war, for regulating their future proceedings; which being proposed to the rest of the council, they accord ingly affembled. AT AT a general council of war held at his Excel- CHAP. lency's Governor Trelawney's, at St Jago I. de la Vaga, on the 26th of May, 1741. PRESENT, Vice Admiral Vernon, Sir Chaloner Ogle, General Wentworth, General Guife, and Governor Trelawney. 6 < THE Council, after maturely deliberating on their inftructions, orders, letters, intercepted intelligences, and advices; and having regard to the great reduction of their forces, were of opinion, That in regard to the diminution of the forces, the fecurity of Jamaica, the British trade, and of all fupplies coming to them, and alfo the preferving a communi'cation with Jamaica for their fupplies; the only expedition, that could be thought advisable to be undertaken, was against St Jago ' de Cuba, a port of great importance to the fecurity of the British trade, and cutting off the baneful correfpondence between the Spaniards and Hifpaniola. And though in regard to the general fickness, that spread itself through ' fleet and army, they were not in very good ⚫ condition for undertaking any new expedition; yet on the affurance given the council by Governor Trelawney, that they might rely on a fupply from Jamaica of 1,000 of the most fervicable blacks they could raise in the island, 6 to be all chofen men, and to have proper offi'cers; and through a fincere zeal for doing the ' utmost in their power, to anfwer the expectations of their royal mafter from the great VOL. I. LI expence 1741. |