|
that, on seeing the crippled state of the Queen-Charlotte, he sent Lieutenant Henry Blackwood to Lord Howe, expressly to say, that the Invincible was sufficiently manageable, to bear his lordship's flag. The admiral did not, however, think it necessary to shift his flag, but immediately sent the lieutenant and his boat's crew to take possession of the Juste. Having already detailed the proceedings of the Queen-Charlotte and her opponent flag-ship, the Montagne, we have merely to describe the damage and loss which each sustained in the action. In addition to the loss of her fore and main topmasts and their yards, the Queen-Charlotte had her fore and main yards and all three masts wounded in several places, and her standing and running rigging very much cut. Her loss amounted to her seventh lieutenant (Roger R. Rawlence), one lieutenant of foot, and 11 seamen killed, and captain Douglas (by a shot from the Gibraltar, it is believed), one midshipman (J. Holland, badly), 22 seamen, and five marines or soldiers wounded ; the whole of which loss, with a very slight exception, was incurred in bearing down to the attack. According to the French accounts, the Montagne, although comparatively unhurt, as we have stated her to have been, in masts, rigging, and sails, was dreadfully battered in hull ; her rudder was unhung by the shattered state of the sternpost, two of the gun-room ports on the starboard side were knocked into one, the binnacle and wheel were destroyed ; also the second stern-gallery, a great portion of the starboard quarterdeck bulwarks, and all the boats as well on the booms as over the quarters. Several of her guns were dismounted, and more than 250 shot are represented to have struck and entered the ship along her starboard water-line : near the stern, in particular, the leaks occasioned by the shot-holes were very serious. In this state of her materiel, the personnel of the Montagne could not but suffer extremely. Among the 300 killed and wounded, already mentioned as the amount of her loss in the action, the Montagne, from the stern and quarter fire to which she was exposed, lost a great proportion of officers. The "intendant" Russe and the flag-captain Bazire were killed by the same shot. Two or three lieutenants were also killed, and several enseignes or midshipmen. Among the wounded, also, were several lieutenants and inferior officers ; and the French admiral himself had a narrow escape, the seat on which he stood during the action having been shot from under him. Jean-Bon Saint-André, likewise, might have been numbered among the sufferers, but that his fears, early in the action, prompted him to seek security below. "Frappé du spectacle dont ses yeux sont témoins, Jean-Bon Saint-André ne peut surmonter la frayeur qu'il éprouvé, et, pour éviter le danger, il se hàte à descendre à la première batterie." * * Victoires et Conquêtes, tome iii, p,20. ^ back to top ^ |