The Virginia Gazette

BOSTON, June 29.

Translation of a letter from Monsieur De La Touche, Commander of his Most Christian Majesty's frigate the Hermione, to Captain Hawkins of the British frigate the Iris, dated on board the Hermione, June 23, 1780.

SIR,

I READ both with surprise and indignation, the account of the action which took place between us the 7th instant, published in the New York paper of the 10th. I cannot imagine that a Commander of his British Majesty's frigate is so lost to the dignity of his own character, and so destitute of truth (the foundation of all military virtue) as to have recourse to the vilest imposture to persuade the world he had an advantage over an enemy, which he himself knows he never gained.

I flatter myself that Rivington, the printer, has on this occasion indulged his natural propensity of perverting facts and publishing falsehood instead of truth. Should this be the case, the assertion deserves only contempt; but I expect, from your just character, and from your honour, a contradiction of so false an account as
that of my pretended flight, and the appearance of an American frigate at the end of the combat, otherwise you must be considered as the author.

In the account I have transmitted to my court of this engagement, I did justice to the manner in which you met me; I confess it was in such a way as merits my esteem, and I should be exceeding sorry to be obliged to change my opinion, which I must do, if you do not render me that justice which is my due.

I intended to attack you, from the first moment I discovered you, and bore down on you for that purpose; you appeared to me to possess the same sentiments, as you met me half way. Your conduct, both before and during the action, was that of a man worthy of the command with which you are intrusted; but you impose on the world if you assert that I fled from you; and you have very little knowledge of me, if you imagine that I shall ever be branded with the shame of flying from an enemy of equal force. Your shot having damaged my rigging as much as I am convinced the hull of your ship suffered from my fire, it was out of my power to gain the windward to renew the action; you could bear down on me for that purpose whenever you pleased, as your sails and rigging were in a situation vastly superior to mine. When I perceived you haul your wind, I attributed your retreat to the number of men you had lost; of which I am persuaded by the slackness of your fire towards the end of the action. As you know my opinion, I leave you to judge how much I was surprised to read in the New York paper, that you had lost only 7 men killed and 9 wounded. I do not follow your example, Sir; I confess to have had 10 men killed and 37 wounded; two of my officers, with myself, are among the latter: You see I am not afraid to speak the truth, because I have no reason wherewith to reproach myself. I shall finish this letter with an observation that must occur to every military man. If you lost fewer men than I did, and your ship was less damaged, what reason had you not to continue the action? As you saw the miserable condition of my rigging, and the impossibility of my manoeuvring and of steering any other course than before the wind, whilst your situation put it in your power to take the advantage of the wind for the purpose of retreating? You are either deficient in truth in not acknowledging your loss, or else you wanted spirit in declining the combat, when your loss was so trifling, and considering the advantage you had over me from the good success of your shot; as you know very well that no American frigate ever appeared in our sight, I request you to answer this argument, and to permit me to suspend my opinion of you, until you have satisfied me, or that, fortunately, the chance of war should again bring us together, to give us an opportunity of trying our skill, which I solemnly declare to you, I most ardently desire. I wait your answer, and am with those sentiments with which your first conduct inspired me, Sir, your most humble and most obedient servant,

LA TOUCHE.

To Captain HAWKER, Esquire, Captain of the British frigate the Iris.