The New-Hampshire gazette and general advertiser. [volume], May 31, 1783, Image 2

About The New-Hampshire gazette and general advertiser. [volume] (Portsmouth [N.H.]) 1781-1784

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he {erved in the {quadron of Comte D’Ache,
?‘o3_ was n ail tae chree actions in the Eaft
adies, which tha: Commander had with the
gallant Admiral Pococke, within the space
D 41'3'.’{1".&02’1‘.31-3?, in which, though the French
Aad aiways the worlt of the day, nota ship
was takenon eitherpart. Towards the end
of the war be was made a Capiain, and
went to the Weft Indies Commander of a
thip; but by this time the French marine
was broken and dejzted, and he had no op
portunity of diiplaying bis {pirit, or mzKking
ale of his experience.
Soon after his wife died,leaving him a son,
who is now an cfficer in the gardes de corps
du Roui, and either three or tour daughters.
D> g the pzace ha was app.:inted to the
coinmiand of the Amphitrite frigate, and sta
tioned inth: Wefl [‘ndir‘:s. Her= a French
lady of nobiz extrattion, p-fl.{lud of a very
great estate in Hiipaniola, buc confderably
advanced in years, fell in love with him,
and they were mrerricd, by which Ihe Comte
has zdded to Nis fortuns her very fine estate
in the Weft Indies. They lived togsther
in preat happinels, as ner love wasreturned
to hint by extremme -atienton and regard.
He hasnc children by this second marrniage,
and his wife is now dead.
On the breaking out of the present war
the Comte, from his very long experience
in the service, was iziz@ed as an officer of
great diftinétion, and was advanced to the
rank of Rear Admiral. He served in the
gravd flect under the Comie ID'Orviliters in
the campaign of 1778, and in the aétion on
the 27th of July he was Caprain of the Ko
- bufte of 74 guns2and oo men ahd also com
manded the second division of the bluciqua
dron, of which the duc de Chartres was
Lieutenant general. This is a division to
which the fleets of Engiand are not tubgect,
In our forvice a flzet is divided into thiee or
four grand divisions, bus those divisions are
not again parcelied out inio lesser commands,
as in the French marine, The circumitan
ces of that aétion are fufficiently known and
lamented in England, The opportunity was
loft, and no very exiraordinary expiocii was
performed on cither part.—~Soon aiterthis
he was sent to the Weit: Indies with a rein-
Yorcemeat to the fleet under the command
of th: Count [’Eftaing, and boified his fiag
on board the Robufbe, as Licuienant Gene
ral of the rear division. His conduét and
services since this time are very well kiiown.
lic hasbeen inevery action which happen
cd this war. FHe served with de la Mothe
Piqust, and afterwards with Count de Gui
chen. Ia the engagement of the 18ih of
May 1780,he cominanded the blud squadron,
and diiplayed very great skill and enterprize
ia the rescuing two ships, the Sphynx and
Artefien, which were engaged with tbe en
cmy, and likely to be taken. At last he was
taifed to the chief command, with the rank,
however, of Rear Admiral only, but wiih
permiflion to hoilt his flag at the main-top
miaft head while in the Weft Indies and
America, His conduét in that imporiant
ftatien has juftified the warm expsciations
which were formed of him, and aicertain
ed the truth of the charaéter which he bore
in the French marine, which was, of being
4 moafl brave and fkilfu! feaman,and one who
knew the Englith system ot fighting better
than most of his countrymen. After a thort
pafiage from Brest, he aflifted at the capture
of Tobago, and immediately failed to Ame
rica on the great objeét of his expedition.
His condu& off the Chefapzak in the ation
with Admiral Graves, and in the capture of
York Town, acquired to him great credit as
a seaman wiih his enemies, and gained him
Jaurels at home. FEarl Cornwallis, in his
Jetter to Sir Henry Clinton after the capture,
speaks in high termsof the politeness and de-
Yicacy of the Comte’s behaviour.—His ser
vices, after this great, and almost decisive
conquest, were great and exemplary ; his
a&ions with Sir Samiel (now Lord) Hood
at 2]l times discovered the greatest address
and military skill ; and he has too fuccefs
fully for Britain affited the enterprising Bou
ille in the redudion of oo iflakds, We nawe
come to the action which terminated, at
least for the present, hisunilitary coucfs the
brilliant action of the 12h of Aprit -, the
particulars of which are io well kaown, The
Britith ofticers a2giee 18 giving great praise
to th*flndu@t ot Comte De 'Grsfle.—~They
fay th® he fought hisfhio, the Ville de Px
ris, with great Ipirit, and that it he had Been
as well supported by one part of his fleer a 9
ke was by the other, the disaster which he
fuffered would not in all probiabilily have
bappened. The French cfficers are not less
free in their opinion, and we underfiand that
it wi:lbe in bis power, as it is bis duty, to
shew by what delinquerncy or errer the rate
of that day was deermined. He has (po
ken himfsif with becoming reserve on the
fubje&t. IHe was compietely defeated, aid
carried a prisoner to Jamaica alcrg witl the
other officers, :
. He experiented trom Lord Rudrey and
‘the other gallant cfficers of lis M -ty s
fl=et, after bis defeat, every maik of divisce
tion and politeness. On boaid iks Viile de
Paris a vety ¢onfiderable sum of micrey was
found.—The Comte and the other French
Officers were desired to discriminate what
part of that treasure was their priva’e pro
perty, which being done was immediatly
delivered up—the Comte’s portion amount
ed to between twenty and ilirty thouiand
dollars, which sum was invefied by his or
der in governmens bilis of c¢xchbange on
London. ‘
The Comte rath=: conceived some little
disgust at not being indulged with a ship tor
himtelf and fulte to procsed from Jamaica
immediately tor France in place of guing to
England : Batit being afterwa:ds explain
ed, that the Princess Caroline; the ship in
tended for thatpurpote, was found to be not
in 2 conditdon to procecd without some de=
lay for repairs, and that his golng in the
Sandwich, thep elegantly and commadisuf
ly fisted for the pafiage ot the late Admiral
on that flatiop and his family, wasa matter
if*pulated on the partof Lerd Rodney when
ne oovfented (o that fliip’s being fpated frem
his fleet ; and his Lordihip so far fram con
ceiving that the Comte de G affe won'd bave
tzken umbrage at the proposed plasn, that he
concluded he would bave considered it the
highest ccmpliment which could be paid,
and as was really mneant. His Lordfhipat
the fame time zifured bim, that Ekis {sy in
England would not be lenger than a fulabie
ship could be found to convoy himto France,
We have been thus partiicular refpecling
the Comte’s treatment, because reposts irju
rous io the fame and benevolerce of eur gal
lant Admiral have been too indutirivnfly cir
culated, with a view to fully his glory.
Ot the ¢vility which he met with from
Governor Campbelly and the Gentlemen of
Jamaica, and trom the ret of the B iuifh
Officers on that flation, particularly trom
Sir Peter Parker in bis paflige to KEngland,
be speaks in terms of thie most lively obli
gaiion.
Comte De Graffe. ic president of the Roy
ak and Military Ordir of St, Louis, the en
sign of which, being a nobleman, he wears
in the fathion of a {carf 7 it is a broad flame
coloured ribband, from which hangs 2 gol
den cross, the points ending in flours delis
of gold ; an the fide of the crofsis the image
~of St. Louis, on the cther fide a flumirg
sword, the poiat of which pzafies through a
crown of laurel, | | :
He set cff for France the 12'h of Auguftt,
and we are happy. to hear, that bis recep
tion there has been favourable, and such as
his very great and extraordinary merits de
serve. He is now ordered to Brefl, where,
according to the rules ® war, he wiil under
go a trial for the loss of the ships on that
memorab! day,at which we have every rea
son to bdelieve, he will most honourably ac
quit him/elf, ' , | i
"N APL ES, Februsty 25. |
The affecing particvlars which we have
bitherto given, refpeing the calamities of
Sicily, have only beea callected frem private
Letiers and recitals, 2nd eould not therefors
be entirely relicd upon 3 but they are this
day confirmed by the following authentic
piper, which was sent to she King from the
Senate of Meflina, the dzy after the fatal cz
taltrophe.
RN
* The tragic {pe@acle which began to
present itfait at fix in the morning of the sth
initant,and which has continued increasing
till the very moment that the Senate, with
tea:s in their eyes give vhe relation dirc€tiy
to your Moajeity, without making the usual
reprefentatic®s 10-his Excellercy the Vice
roy, cannot iail to afii'& yourMajeily in the
highest degree, since, by the d%vinc.di!gzrzr«
{ation, ihis usniortunate city isreduced to 2
heap of ruins, in consequence of the most
Moiible and unbeard of eartbquakes, which
fiill continu¢ with the ilnterval of 3 quarter
oi zn hour between eact shock. Ail the
buildirgs, without exCeplion, Dave heen bez
ten down and defiroyed., Of rhis numbet
sre the Royal and Archiepitzopal Palaces,
the Theatre, the Monts de Piete, the Great
Flofpital, the Two Royal Banqueting Hou
{es, the Metropolitan Church, with its #ce
ple, zil the Monasteries and the Convents,
which were immediately evacuated by the
veligious who oceupied them, on the fi:ft
fheck of this dreadful karthquake, and who,
with a 2 part of the inhabicants, have mira
culously escaped. What a mournful fight,
Sire, to behoid meft of the citizens Kiljed,
and many others crushed by the ryins, with
cut a p Hibility of 2ffurding them any assis
tance, tor want of Matons, and those people
who are propet to be eraployed on such oc
casions, The fhiieks, the groans, the lamen
tations, and the cries with which evary ave
nue resounded, were the more generaliy dif
trefling, as it was not in their power to ai
ford ecach other any relief,
To a fcence so terrible and distressing of
itfelf, was added another calamity ; this was
fire © the ruinsof the fhatiered palaces, and
these of the houses, were consumed by the
fiathes, the second shock having happened
about dinrgr time., Noihing, however, was
neglected by the King’s Lieutenant, who ran
with bis men so aflit, but withott being sble
to produce any eifidl, there being no carpen
tcrs, nor any inftiuments to be got to flop
the progress of the flames ; nor could all the
cforts of one of the King’s frigates, which
fired repezted broadsides, extinguith them ;
and if the fire continues, it must reduce to
afbcs the remainder of the city, which wis
formerly the glory of Princes, and the most
flourifhing in this kingdom.
15 all tbofe combined evils others have
fiitl succeeded, which ne pen can deferibe :
the granaries of the city being deftfoyed,
contequently there was an immediate dearth
of bread, The Jenate inflantly took every
mezfure which this prefling want rendered
neceflary, by floppirg all the veflelsn the
kaibour that were laden with éorn § but,
Stre, how can we tonvert the corn into
bread, whilst the ovens and the propet im
mements for the purpose, are binied in the
rains, and mofl of the bakers have either pe
rithed or fled ¥ To complete our misfortunes,
tie course of the rivers have changed, and
the publc fountains no longer supply us with
that rncceflary elernent. THe mils can no
longer work, and the disorders have been so
great at this tragic junture, that they have
compleared the ruin of those who were left
without bread ; znd what redoubles cur dif
trefles, and adds to the wounds of our heartsy
torn by such varicus difaflers, are the pier
cing cries of the unfortunate, some lament
ing the loss of property, others that of
their dearest retations, But notwithstanding
the care of the Licutenant of the Police,
who, with his men, thewed the utmost zeal
and achivity in preventing theft, there were
many {0 totally veid of either' morality or re
ligion, as ta add to the scourge with which
Ged bad aflliéted their country 2 not content
with rifling the privite houses, they have
even ransacked the rainsof the public buil
dings. It is only for the powerful arm of