378 THE SEEYICES OF LIEUT.-COLONEL FRANCIS DOWNMAN, R.A. 
mined to return victorious. The particulars of this bashful business, 
in which the united powers of King Congress and King Louis have 
been employed by land and sea, I hope soon to have a full account of. 
Scarce a week passes without two, three, or more French and rebel 
vessels being brought in here prizes to our frigates or privateers 
fitted out from this place. 
September. 6th. —No news has yet arrived of Lord Howe. A great 
deal depends on him, as a good stroke struck at this juncture against 
the French fleet might be of service to us. 
September 7th. —It is confidently reported that at the time the 
rebels were hurrying off from "Rhode Island, General Pigot ordered a 
detachment out to molest them as much as possible. The detachment 
attacked them, and an engagement was brought on in which a 
number of men on both sides are said to be killed. 
September 8th. —General Clinton returned to New York this morn¬ 
ing from Rhode Island without having it in his power to chastise the 
insolence of the rebels landed there, for they had heard of his inten¬ 
tion and very prudently given up their plan and all pretensions of re¬ 
turning victorious. The report of an action between General Pigot 
and the rebels on Rhode Island is confirmed by the arrival of General 
Clinton; the particulars have not yet transpired, but it is said the 
British have lost 250 killed and wounded, and the rebels 1,060. The 
British artillery are said to have behaved, in this as in every other 
affair, well, and have suffered much. 1 This is the third time Rhode 
Island has been attempted, and the third time the rebels have left it 
with disgrace. They are at a loss to find out an excuse for the failure 
this time, and therefore most bitterly and heavily accuse Comte d’ 
Estaing, charging him with perfidy and cowardice. We have just 
got from Philadelphia the following funny report on the above sub¬ 
ject 
When the news arrived there that General Sullivan had been under 
the necessity of withdrawing the rebel army from Rhode Island, and 
that he attributed the same to Comte d’ Estaing’s having shamefully 
deserted them, it called to mind their former experience of the per¬ 
fidy of the French nation, and occasioned great murmurings among 
the troops and the inhabitants in general. This coming to the ears of 
M. Gerard, he immediately sent the following message to Congress in 
order as is supposed to pacify the people :— 
“M. Gerard takes the earliest opportunity of expressing to Congress 
the indignation he feels for the conduct of Comte d’ Estaing in de¬ 
serting the army of the United States in their attack upon Rhode 
Island, and he will by the first conveyance lay the same before His 
Most Christian Majesty. ” 
A committee was formed immediately to represent to Congress the 
absolute necessity there was for some step to appease the vox populi. 
They pledged their honour that in case M. Gerard’s representation to 
his king did not obtain proper satisfaction for the Comte d’ Estaing’s 
1 Lieut. W. Pemble (Kane’s List, No. 603) lost his right arm on the occasion. 
