75^ 



Annual register, 1805. 



America. By a commission, (dated 

 Mny 6(h) he was empowered to 

 treat w ith the Americans. His bro- 

 ther, sir William Howe, then com- 

 tnander-in-chicf of the British land 

 forces in that part of the Morld, was 

 the other commissioner. Lord Ilowe 

 sailed lor America in the Eagle of 

 64 auns, and arrived off Halifax, 

 July the 1st. He instantly proceed- 

 ed to New York, where he joined 

 lord Shuklham's ilcet on the 14th. 



On the 29th of January, 1778, 

 lord llowc was made vice-admiral 

 of the white, and March the 19th 

 of that year, obtained the same rank 

 in the red. May the 4th, he detach- 

 ed captain Henry to co-opera;te with 

 major Maitland in destroying some 

 American armed ships lying in the 

 Chesapeak ; and the strvicc was ex- 

 ecuted with activity, and consequent 

 success. Bur. suddenly, on July the 

 12th, the French adpiiral, count 

 D'Estaing, anchored with a large 

 force of linc-ol-battle ships in com- 



flete condition, about four miles 

 rom Sandy Hook, where lord Howe 

 bad moored his squadron in the best 

 possible order for defence. Un- 

 strcngtlicned and unforcwarned, he 

 never slumbered on his post; but 

 by a series of masterly manoeuvres, 

 the admiration of the navy to this 

 present hour, not only rescued his 

 own far inferior force from the 

 gaping jaws of destruction, but 

 even prevented the French from af- 

 fording that assistancie to their new 

 allies, which the strength of their 

 fleet had taught these Americans 

 ■with confidence to look for. After 

 blocking up lord Howe for ten days 

 at Sandy Hook, D'Estaing stood fo 

 sea. A few days posterior to this 

 movement of the French, lord Howe 

 was a little re-inforced — still much 

 inferior to the enemy. August the 

 I 



9th, he made his appearance off 

 Rhode Island ; the day following, 

 D'Estaing put to sea, and bore down 

 on the British fleet. Lord Howe 

 edged away, to draw the French 

 oft" the land. He certainly put on 

 the appearance of preparing lor the 

 engagement, quitted the Eagle, and 

 went on board the Apollo frigate. 

 Scarce were the fleets arranged in 

 order of battle, when a dreadful 

 storm dispersed both of them. The 

 next day only seven of lord Howe's 

 fleet were with him. The Apollo 

 having lost her foremast, he went 

 on board the Phoenix, and steered 

 for New York. By these short na- 

 val movements-, before recited, he 

 absolutely saved Rhode Island ; the 

 siege of which the American general 

 (Lincoln) raised, and loudly com- 

 plained of D'Estaing's having desert- 

 ed him. 



On the 2d Sept. 1778, lord Howe 

 resigned the command of the North 

 American fleet, and, having declined 

 acting under the new commission, 

 sailed for England in the Eagle, ar- 

 rived at St. Helen's, October th^ 

 25th, and immediately struck his 

 flag. 



The space of more than three 

 years, from autumn, 177S, was to 

 lord Howe a season of recess from 

 his professional employments. This 

 interval he passed in domestic so- 

 ciety, in ease, and in affluence. 



About the middle of this period 

 of retirement, enjoyed by lord Howe, 

 while British ministers were so ne- 

 gligent of the good of their country, 

 as to slight its ablest admiral and 

 most faithful servant, Catherine, 

 empress of Russia, made him the 

 most liberal offers of wealth and 

 aggrandizement, if he would have 

 superintended her Czarish majesty's 

 riavy. i his, arrd that the offer was 



declined, 



