If it should be thought advisable to suspend the operations of the Army and Navy in America, it deserves consideration whether Lord Howe should not have immediate orders either to come home with the army and most of the large ships or to send Commodore Hotham with the line of battle and some 50 gun ships and frigates to the Leeward Islands, where the French are very strong in troops and where immediate danger is to be apprehended. Mr Hotham may possibly with those troops be able to take possession of St Lucia, where the fine harbour would be of the utmost use to our fleet, which if we were established there would be a constant check upon Martinique. Lord Howe has with him:
| |
6 |
ships |
of |
50 |
guns |
| |
3 |
" |
" |
44 |
" |
| |
1 |
" |
" |
36 |
" |
| |
14 |
" |
" |
32 |
" |
| |
11 |
" |
" |
28 |
" |
| |
12 |
" |
" |
20 |
" |
amounting in all to 47 capital frigates exclusive of sloops and small craft. Part of these frigates and sloops should be immediately ordered home, and some sent to the Mediterranean. A force should however be left at Halifax, and care taken of Newfoundland.
It will deserve to be remembered that, if troops are sent to the West Indies, care must be taken to victual them from home.
A Mediterranean squadron must be immediately provided and a reinforcement sent to Gibraltar.
Admiral Keppel must be directly ordered to hoist his flag and have a strong fleet for the protection of the home seas; for which purpose all the ships at Chatham and Plymouth must be ordered to Spithead, and a cutter should be sent to look out for Captain Digby and all other cruisers and to order them in, and the cutter may go on to Gibraltar with dispatches to the admiral and governor.
Jamaica and the East Indies must also be attended to, and the homewardbound East India fleet.
If the American operations by sea and land are stopped, will it be advisable that Admirals Byron and Gambier should sail? If they do, it will be taking their ships from our strength at home; and as probably the same quantity of stores will not be wanted in America as if the operations were to continue, the storeships under Admiral Gambier, or some of them at least, should remain at home.
If the army comes home and does not go to the West Indies, it is to be presumed that none of the stores need be sent.
But if it is thought proper that Admiral Gambier should sail, he will be a very proper person to command a squadron at Halifax for the defence of that place and the River St Lawrence
