RODNEY AND THE COMMAND OF THE SEA
[To the Editor of the SPECTATOR.]
Sia,—Your reviewer of the 'life of Frobisher (Spectator, October 13th) affirms that if Rodney had not weakened his strength by sending home " part of his fleet " to escort prizes taken at St. Eustatius, the French might conceivably not have had that temporary command at sea which led to Comwallis's surrender, and to the loss of the American colonies. I can only suppase that your reviewer has not verified
his facts in making this astounding assertion, and is merely repeating what somebody -else has said. or these facts give no support whatever to such a thing being conceivably possible. The detachment made by Rodney consisted of two ships, one a 74 damaged in the previous hurricane, and the other a 64 Dutch prize. To describe this as " part of " a fleet of twenty-two ships is to convey a wholly false im- pression ; and the actions of that war give no reason for imagining that the addition of two ships to the nineteen which Graves had would have converted an indecisive attack into a victory over the twenty-four of de Grasse. The French commander would still have had a superiority of three ships, and an armament of two hundred and seventy-six guns. One has, moreover, only to make the most cursory study of the battle to see that there can be no foundation for sup- posing that two more British ships would have altered the situation to any material degree.
The statement is on a par in inaccuracy with another which
I have seen elsewhere in its accompaniment, that the capture was planned by Rodney to refill his purse : the fact being that the expedition was ordered by the Ministry, with the assent, presumably, of the King, " The islands which present them-, selves as the first object of attack are St. Eustatius and St. Martin's . . . as the enemy have derived great advantages from those islands, and it is highly probable considerable quantities of provisions and other stores are laid up there, or are upon their way thither, which may fall into our hands if we get possession speedily, it is His Majesty's pleasure that we should recommend to you the immediate attack and reduction of those islands as of very great. importance to His Majesty's service."
I hold no brief for Rodney. Some of his conduct was plainly inexcusable. But this constitutes no reason for misrepresenting his action in order to prove a theory about prize money.—I am, Sir, &c., H. W. RICHMOND, Vice-Admiral.
5 Lennox Gardens, S.W.
- [Our reviewer erred, but in good company—that of Sir John Fortescue, who was also corrected by Admiral Richmond. We must apologize to the memory of Rodney.—En. Spectator.]
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