Gazette Of The United States

From the London Gazette Extraordinary.

Admiralty Office, June 27.

The following dispatch was this morning received from Lord Bridport, K. B.

Royal George, at Sea, June 24, 1795.

SIR,

It is with sincere satisfaction I acquaint you, for the information of the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty, that his majesty's ships under my command attacked the enemy's fleet, consisting of 12 ships of the line, attended with eleven frigates and some smaller cruisers, on the 23d inst. close in with port L'Orient: the ships which struck are the Alexander, Le Formidable and Le Tygre, which were with difficulty retained. If the enemy had not been protected and sheltered by the land, I have every reason to believe that a greater number, if not all the line of battle ships, would have been taken or destroyed.

In detailing the particulars of this cruise, I am to state, that at the dawn of day on the 22d inst. the Nymph and Arethusa being the look-out frigates a-head, made the signal for the enemy's fleet. I soon perceived that there was no intention to meet me in battle; consequently I made the signal for four of the best sailing Ships, the Sans Pareil, Orion, Russell and Colossus, and soon afterwards for the whole fleet, to chase, which continued all that day and during the night with very little wind.

Early in the morning on the 23d inst. the headmost ships, the Irresistible, Orion, Queen Charlotte, Russell, Colossus and Sans Pareil, were pretty well up with the enemy, and a little before six o'clock the action began and continued till near 9, when the ships struck: the British squadron were near to some batteries, and in the face of a strong naval port; which will manifest to the public, the zeal, intrepidity and skill of the admirals, captains, and all other officers and soldiers employed upon this service; and they are fully entitled to my warmest acknowledgments. I beg also to be allowed to mark my approbation, in a particular manner, of captain Domett's conduct, serving under my flag: for his manly spirit, and for the assistance I received from his active and attentive mind. I feel likewise great satisfaction in doing justice to the meritorious conduct of all the officers of every class, as well as the bravery of the seamen and soldiers in the Royal George upon this event, and upon former occasions.

As I judged it necessary upon the information I had received of the force of the enemy, to put the Robust, Thunderer and Standard, into my line of battle: but their distance from the squadron, and under the circumstances of little wind, they could not join me till after the action was over. I shall proceed upon my station as soon as I have ordered a distribution of the prisoners, and made other necessary arrangements for the squadron. It is my intention to keep at sea, in order to fulfill every part of my instructions, I have judged it necessary to send captain Domett with my dispatches, who will give their Lordships such further information as shall have occurred to him on the victory we have gained.

You will herewith receive a list of the killed and wounded, with the ships they belonged to, and the commanders names.

N. B. I am happy to find by the report made to me, that Capt. Grindall's wounds are not dangerous.

Note. Capt. Domett reports, that the remainder of the enemy's Fleet made their escape into L'Orient.

I am, &c.

BRIDPORT.

14 Officers and 105 men wounded.

29 Men killed.