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The New Hampshire Gazette Foreign News October 7, 1756
Portsmouth, Rockingham, New Hampshire
What is this article about?
From Antigua, reports of the arrival of HMS Edinburg, Augusta, and the snow Sally bring intelligence of the fall of Minorca: after a French siege and a mine explosion, General Blakeney capitulated and the garrison was sent to Gibraltar with honors; British losses were 170, French between 4,000 and 5,000, and Byng and West were ordered home.
Quality green show the numbers
Measured from the scan
— how cleanly the OCR engine read the characters
- Mean ink quality
- 99.0% The length-weighted average confidence across the OCR lines — the mean of exactly the per-line scores whose tails the two figures below report. Typical is 99%.
- Illegible ink
- 1.7% Text sitting in OCR-detected lines that scored below 80% confidence — very shaky reads. Weighted by line length, so one long bad line counts for more than a short one.
- Uncertain ink
- 0.6% Text in lines that scored 80–90% — somewhat shaky reads.
- Matches source
- 97.71% How closely the served text matches the raw OCR of the same boxes, letter by letter, after collapsing spacing and case. This measures agreement, not correctness: the OCR is often wrong and the extractor corrects it, so 100% does not mean perfect, and a low figure usually means poor scan text was rewritten rather than that text was lost (length vs source shows loss).
- Length vs source
- 99.56% Below 100% means text was dropped from the OCR; above means text was added to make it read.
Assembled by the extraction model
— whether the stitched-together text holds up; catches layout and segmentation errors, which the scores above cannot see
- Transcription confidence
- 92.0% (typical 96%) How cleanly the extractor could assemble what it was given. Low here with clean ink scores points at layout analysis — the characters were read correctly but grouped or ordered wrongly.
- Comprehension
- 90.0% Whether the piece reads coherently start to finish. Can stay high while transcription confidence drops, when only part of the component is affected.
Clipping
Full Text
ANTIGUA, August 28.
On Thursday last arrived here his Majesty's ships the Edinburg, of 74 Guns, Capt. Langdon, on board of which it is said Admiral Frankland will hoist his Flag, and the Augusta of 60, Capt. Wickham, with Merchantmen under Convoy: In the Augusta, came together with his lady and sister, James Ross, Esq; Col. of his Majesty's 38th Regiment of Foot.
The Augusta in her Passage spoke with a Vessel from Gibraltar, the Master of which said that Sir Edward Hawke arrived at Gibraltar the 22d of June, and sail'd from thence the next Day for Minorca.
Aug. 31. Yesterday arrived here the Snow Sally, Capt. Barton, in 27 Days from Gibraltar, from whom we received the following Articles of Intelligence — The Day after the Engagement between the two Fleets the French Fleet appeared off Minorca, when a Report prevailed that they had sunk and destroyed the English Fleet; and a Flag of Truce was sent into the Garrison, desiring they would surrender, for if not, the Enemy did not doubt having it in a few Days, and then no Quarters would be granted. The gallant General Blakeney dismiss'd the Flag of Truce, and gave them an Answer by Cannon Ball and Bomb Shells: The Execution that Day was upwards of 1000 Men kill'd, when a Parley was beat for leave to bury the dead. Soon after the French upon a Breach put in Execution a bold Attempt, when a Mine was sprung by our General, which blew up a Battalion, and occasioned their beating a second Parley to bury the dead. This Mine being a principal one in the Defence of the Garrison, General Blakeney now took that Opportunity to send a Flag of Truce, with a Proposal of Capitulation; every Thing was granted, and the French march'd in the next Day, being the 29th of June: During our Forces stay, they did Duty as the French; a strong Friendship subsisted, and the English march'd out with all the Honours of War, and were sent to Gibraltar at the French King's Expence.
The Duke de Richelieu told General Blakeney, that if Byng had landed his Forces, as he might have done, he had Orders from his Master to nail up the Cannon, and embark immediately for France. We lost 170 Officers and Men; the French between 4 & 5000.
Admirals Hawke and Saunders being sent to take the Command, Byng and West were ordered home, as are the Generals Fowke and Stuart. Hawke sail'd from Gibraltar the 9th of July, with 19 Sail of Men of War and Troops on board, to reinforce the Garrison of St. Philips, not knowing that it was surrendred. Our Forces from Minorca, arrived at Gibraltar 5 days before Capt. Barton sail'd, which makes the Garrison 10000 strong. By some Accounts, there is Intelligence of several Men of War with Soldiers on board, for the Mediterranean; and General Blakeney doubts not but a few Months will reinstate him in St. Philips.
The French first landed with 15000, some Accounts say 17000, and were reinforced with 4000; whereas we had not 3000 at first, and no Reinforcement.
On Thursday last arrived here his Majesty's ships the Edinburg, of 74 Guns, Capt. Langdon, on board of which it is said Admiral Frankland will hoist his Flag, and the Augusta of 60, Capt. Wickham, with Merchantmen under Convoy: In the Augusta, came together with his lady and sister, James Ross, Esq; Col. of his Majesty's 38th Regiment of Foot.
The Augusta in her Passage spoke with a Vessel from Gibraltar, the Master of which said that Sir Edward Hawke arrived at Gibraltar the 22d of June, and sail'd from thence the next Day for Minorca.
Aug. 31. Yesterday arrived here the Snow Sally, Capt. Barton, in 27 Days from Gibraltar, from whom we received the following Articles of Intelligence — The Day after the Engagement between the two Fleets the French Fleet appeared off Minorca, when a Report prevailed that they had sunk and destroyed the English Fleet; and a Flag of Truce was sent into the Garrison, desiring they would surrender, for if not, the Enemy did not doubt having it in a few Days, and then no Quarters would be granted. The gallant General Blakeney dismiss'd the Flag of Truce, and gave them an Answer by Cannon Ball and Bomb Shells: The Execution that Day was upwards of 1000 Men kill'd, when a Parley was beat for leave to bury the dead. Soon after the French upon a Breach put in Execution a bold Attempt, when a Mine was sprung by our General, which blew up a Battalion, and occasioned their beating a second Parley to bury the dead. This Mine being a principal one in the Defence of the Garrison, General Blakeney now took that Opportunity to send a Flag of Truce, with a Proposal of Capitulation; every Thing was granted, and the French march'd in the next Day, being the 29th of June: During our Forces stay, they did Duty as the French; a strong Friendship subsisted, and the English march'd out with all the Honours of War, and were sent to Gibraltar at the French King's Expence.
The Duke de Richelieu told General Blakeney, that if Byng had landed his Forces, as he might have done, he had Orders from his Master to nail up the Cannon, and embark immediately for France. We lost 170 Officers and Men; the French between 4 & 5000.
Admirals Hawke and Saunders being sent to take the Command, Byng and West were ordered home, as are the Generals Fowke and Stuart. Hawke sail'd from Gibraltar the 9th of July, with 19 Sail of Men of War and Troops on board, to reinforce the Garrison of St. Philips, not knowing that it was surrendred. Our Forces from Minorca, arrived at Gibraltar 5 days before Capt. Barton sail'd, which makes the Garrison 10000 strong. By some Accounts, there is Intelligence of several Men of War with Soldiers on board, for the Mediterranean; and General Blakeney doubts not but a few Months will reinstate him in St. Philips.
The French first landed with 15000, some Accounts say 17000, and were reinforced with 4000; whereas we had not 3000 at first, and no Reinforcement.
What sub-type of article is it?
Naval Affairs
Military Campaign
What keywords are associated?
Minorca Siege
General Blakeney
Admiral Byng
Admiral Hawke
French Capture Minorca
What entities or persons were involved?
General Blakeney
Duke De Richelieu
Admiral Byng
Admiral Hawke
Admiral Saunders
General Fowke
Capt. Barton
Where did it happen?
Minorca
Foreign News Details
Primary Location
Minorca
Event Date
Aug. 31; Surrender June 29
Key Persons
General Blakeney
Duke De Richelieu
Admiral Byng
Admiral Hawke
Admiral Saunders
General Fowke
Capt. Barton
Outcome
minorca surrendered; british lost 170 officers and men, french between 4,000 and 5,000; byng and west ordered home; hawke sent with 19 sail to reinforce st. philips.