MONTHLY VISITOR. AUGUST, 1798. Ο SKETCH OF THE CHARACTER OF LORD ST. VINCENT. UR three last Numbers presented the reader with portraits and memoirs of Naval Characters. Το this lift we add another hero, not inferior to Smith, Horve, or Duncan, in the vigour of his understanding, or in the integrity of his heart. JERVIS is a name known and respected by Britons. Any information, therefore, respecting him must be acceptable. No apology need be made to a friend of his country for the introduction of such characters. It has been already suggested that the situation of Britain confers an additional importance on naval exertions. In a time of peace, the fea is an element whence we derive great advantages. Amidst the contests of war, the utility of naval victories cannot be easily afcertained. We are forry that it is out of our power to gratify our Readers with many particulars respecting the life of this brave officer. We feldom know much of the history of great men till they have quitted the stage of mortality. Then every eye is turned towards them. Their most secret recesses are explored, and even every privat anecdote dragged forth to light. It is oftentimes wohn they themselves have funk beneath the horizon of pro that their fame attains to its meridian glory ! VOL. IV. Ee ther We are credibly informed that Sir John Jervis, now more generally known under the title of Lord St. Vincent, is a native of Staffordshire. It has, indeed, been afferted, that he was an Irishman. But this is an error into which the propagators of that report had fallen. Yet so confidently was this idea at one time entertained, that even in a respectable print some observations appeared founded upon this mistaken supposition. It was alledged, that the three great naval victories in this war had been obtained by Admirals born in three different countries-Horve in England, Duncan in Scotland, and Jervis in Ireland. It was also suggested, that each of these engagements took place on parts of the ocean nearer to the countries that gave them birth than to any other part of Europe. This anecdote shews how ready fome persons are to find out strange coincidences in events that make a great noise and agitate the world. Imagination feldom fails to perform her part, however false the premises, or however whimsical the conclufions. Though we are unacquainted with the particulars of this brave man's life, we may, nevertheless, expatiate on his character which is well known to world. His nautical skill is indisputable. Trained up in the hardy school of experience, he has thoroughly learnt her valuable lessons. A man of understanding never fuffers a series of years to pass over his head without a confiderable improvement in that profeffion which occupies his attention. unceasing In the American war he commanded the Foudroyant, a ship of eighty guns. The celebrity he attained in this fituation will not be soon forgotten. In the memorable engagement under Admiral Keppel, on the 27th of July, he diftinguished himself by an ur tivity and exertion. During the fiery contest he paffed and fro like lightning, and with a coolness and fere which is characteristic of a great mind. By this Lond. which happened towards the close of that unar, the arrival of peace was accelerated. 4 In the year 1782, he has made a Knight of the Bath, and Rear-Admiral of the Blue. His more recent elevation to the title of Lord St. Vincent is well known. We can never thus record the bestowment of deserved honours without hazarding some reflections. How grateful is it to a generous mind to receive these marks of efteem which its merits had well earned! How pleasing is it to every good citizen to behold those rewarded, whose services have been eminently beneficial to their country ! We shall now record the glorious victory which he obtained over the Spanish fleet in the course of the prefent war. We shall adopt our usual mode of communicating the interesting intelligence in the Admiral's own words. For our partiality to this way of imparting the information, reasons have been already affigned. "To Evan Nepean, Efq. "Victory, in Lagos-Bay*, Feb. 16, 1797. " SIR, "The hopes of falling in with the Spainish fleet, expressed in my letter to you of the 15th instant, were confirmed that night, by our distinctly hearing the report of their fignal guns, and by intelligence received from Capt. Foote, of his Majesty's ship, the Niger, who had with equal judgment and perfeverance kept company with them for feveral days on my proscribed rendezvous (which from the strong fouth-east winds, I had never been able to reach), and that they were not more than the distance of three or four leagues from us. I anxioufly awaited the dawn of day, when being on the starboard tack, Cape St. Vincent bearing east by north eight leagues, I had the fatisfaction of seeing a number of ships extending from fouth-west to fouth. At forty-nine minutes past ten, the wea * Lagos is a sea-port town of Portugal, with a castle near the fea, where there is a good harbour, and where the English fleets, bound for the Straits, usually take in fresh water. It is not very distant from Cape St. Vincent, whence Sir John Jervis derives his title, and which is the most western pramontory in Europe. Ee 2 ther ther being extremely hazy, La Bonne Citoyenne made the fignal that the thips seen were of the line, twenty-five in number. His Majesty's squadron under my command, confifting of fifteen ships of the line, happily formed in the most compact order of failing in two lines. By carrying a press of fail I was fortunate in getting in with the enemy's fleet at half past eleven o'clock, before it had time to connect and form a regular order of battle. Such a moment was not to be loft, and confident in the skill, valour, and discipline of the officers and men I had the happiness to command, and judging that the honour of his Majesty's arms, and the circumstances of the war in these seas required a confiderable degree of enterprize, I felt myself justified in departing from the regular system, and passing through their fleet in a line, formed with the utmost celerity, tacked, and thereby feparated one-third from the main body, after a partial cannonade, which prevented their rejunction till the evening, and by the very great exertions of the ships which had the good fortune to arrive up with the enemy on the larboard tack, feveral ships were captured, and the action ceased about five o'clock in the evening. " I enclose the most correct lift I have been able to obtain of the Spanish fleet opposed to me, amounting to twenty-feven fail of the line, and an account of the killed and wounded in his Majesty's ships, as well as in those taken from the enemy. The moment the latter (almost totally dismasted) and his Mas jesty's ships the Captain and Culloden are in a state to put to fea, I shall avail myself of the first favourable wind to proceed off Cape St. Vincent in my way to Lisbon. "Captain Calder, whose able assistance has greatly contributed to the public service during my command, is the bearer of this, and will more particularly describe to the Lords Com-miffioners of the Admiralty the movements of the squadron on the 14th, and the present state of it. |