Captain Abraham Whipple, Continental Navy, to Commissioners of the Continental Navy Boards, August 9, 1778

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Onboard American Contin Frig Providence
At Sea in Bay of Biscay August 9 1778

Honble

Commissioners Navy Boards United Ameri States Where these may Arrive and can be deliver^d with greatist Conven^cy

Honoured Gen^m.

This oppertunity permits me to Acquaint you that when I saild from the River of Providence we recieved a severe Cannonading from the two Frigates that Attacked¹ but I flatter myself they had nothing to boast of as the fire was returned with Interest. One shot from the Enemy hulled us between wind & water and the sails, Rigging &c was much damaged but amid all this fire not a man was killed or wounded. The Lark was fairly along side when she recieved three of our Broadsides and immediately sheered off not being able to Stand the w^t of our metal the 4^th Day was chased by a two Decker² but out saild her from the wind exceeding fast.

In Latt 45.00 Long 10.00 took a Brig laden with 143 Pipes of Wine bound from Porto Port to West Chester she Arrived Safe at S^t Martins Isle of Rhé and has been sold by the Con Ag^t3 Arrived in the River Loire harbour of Paimbeuf about 10 Leagues from Nantes the 29^th of May and immediately dispatched an Officer Agreable to my Orders to wait on the Honble Comm^s Resident at Paris.

Having found by experience that my masts & rigging were by no means Sufficient to carry and Croud sail have had such Alterations made as I beleive will stand my Ship at Present is manned with 250 men and Boys included about 80 of them are green Frenchmen whom I have picked up here. The Honble Commissioners have sent me Orders to join the Boston⁴ and put to sea with all possible expedition and together with the Ranger proceed for America In consequence of this I yesterday saild from the River Nantes in Company with the Boston having been wind bound ever since the 25 July

The two frigates are now bound for Brest to join the Ranger Cap^t Simpson,⁵ Cap^t Jones being destined for another service agreable to the Letters of the Honble Commissioners which inclosd you a Copy of⁶ and you will then be able to determine with greater Accuracy than myself why Captain Jones is not in the Ranger⁷ have onboard at present a Considerable quantity of Goods belonging to the Continent a Copy of Invoice inclosed⁸

My ship is very healthy & hope it will remain so there has been an engagement between Admir Kepple and the French Fleet which had the Better I cannot tell,⁹ but by what I can learn they have six Captains confined for Cowardice at Brest¹⁰ before this Comes to hand doubt not you will have a Compleat A/c [account] of all those transactions. There is no public Declaration of War as yet between England & France but both Sides Reciprocally Capture every thing which it is possible to find—

The tedious method of doing Business in France has detained me longer than I could wish Am in hopes I shall Arrive at Some port in America by the last October where I cannot tell Pray oblige me with informing M^rs. Whipple that I am well Remember me to all enquiring friends

From Sentiments of the highest Esteem & respect have the honour to be [&c.]

Ab^m. Whipple

NB. This letter with the Commis June 23 &
July 16^th. & Invoice of Goods &c on Con Account
—were sealed in Six Different Packets
and put on board following Vessels—

1 Le Courier de L’Europe _____	Mons^r Pennet¹¹
2 French Brig ______________	Capitⁿ Consaissior¹²
3 Ship Bird ________________	Capt Mcgee¹³
4 Brig Saratoga ____________	Capt Murray¹⁴
5 Ship Adams _____________	Capt Turner¹⁵
6 Schooner Squirrel ________	Capt^n. Dashiel¹⁶

LB, MiU-C, Abraham Whipple Papers. In the margin: “AW/to/Navy Boards/United States/Aug 9. 78.”

1. H.M. frigate Lark, Capt. Richard Smith, and H.M. frigate Juno, Capt. Hugh Dalrymple. See Diary of Captain Frederick Mackenzie, British Army, 1 May 1778, in NDAR 12: 238–39.

2. Probably H.M.S. Experiment. In its log, Capt. James Wallace noted that he chased a vessel on 3 and 4 May before losing sight of it. UkLPR, Adm. 51/331.

3. The prize was the brigantine Lord Grosvenor, William Tyler, master, and the Continental agent was Jean-Daniel Schweighauser.

4. Continental frigate Boston, Capt. Samuel Tucker, commanding.

5. Lt. Thomas Simpson, in command of Continental Navy ship Ranger.

6. American Commissioners to Whipple, 16 July, above.

7. In order to relieve tension between Jones and Simpson-previously Jones’ first lieutenant aboard the Ranger and reward Jones for his successful attacks on the British coast, the American Commissioners gave Simpson command of the Ranger and ordered him to America and promised Jones command of the Indien, a frigate being built for France in Amsterdam. Ultimately Jones was not to get the Indien but set sail in the refitted merchantman Duc de Duras, renamed Bonhomme Richard.

8. See Receipt for Supplies Received On Board Continental Navy Frigate Providence for Transport to America, at July 25, above.

9. The Battle of Ushant, fought 27 July between the British Channel Fleet under Adm. the Hon. Augustus Keppel, R.N., and the French Brest fleet under Lt. Gén. des Armées Navales Louis Guillouet, Comte d’Orvilliers, was inconclusive, a tactical draw.

10. Louis-Phillipe-Joseph de Bourbon, duc de Chartres, was removed from command because of his incompetence and failure to obey orders during the battle, but, as a prince of the blood, given the face-saving honorary position of colonel-general of hussars. Chef d’escadre Etienne-Pierre vicomte de Rochechouart, flying his flag in Duc-de Bourgogne, and Capitaine de vaisseau Bartélémy-Achille-Evard de Trémigon, commanding Alexandre, were called on to justify themselves: Both ships of the line had been absent from the battle, having failed to rejoin after separating from the fleet the night of 23–24 July. The tribunal found Rochechouart not culpable and admonished Trémigon. Capitaine de vaisseau Denis de Trobriand de Keredern was replaced in command of the 50-gun ship Amphion, which had returned to Brest during the battle because of battle damage. O. Troude, Batailles Navales de la France (Paris: Challamel ainé, 1867–1868) 2: 11; Lacour-Gayet, La Marine Militaire, pp. 128–29 and pp. 134–35.

11. Le Courier de L’Europe was a ship owned by Penet, d’Acosta frères & Cie. Franklin Papers 27: 343.

12. Not further identified.

13. Bird, a letter of marque ship carrying 12 carriage guns, was likely owned by Carter Braxton, who advertised sale of its cargo after its arrival in the York River, Virginia, on 1 Oct., after an eight-week passage from Nantz, France. Captain McGee brought with him French news accounts of the Battle of Ushant. Purdie’s Virginia Gazette (Williamsburg), 16 Oct. 1778; Dixon and Hunter’s Virginia Gazette (Williamsburg), 16 Oct. 1778.

14. Maryland privateer brig Saratoga, Alexander Murray, commander.

15. Massachusetts state trading ship Adams, Luther Turner, master.

16. Not further identified.

Document Information

Date

1778 August 9

Volume

Volume 13

Series

European Theater, June 1 to August 15, 1778

Naval Documents of the American Revolution

Captain Abraham Whipple, Continental Navy, to Commissioners of the Continental Navy Boards, August 9, 1778

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