-
Articles/Ads
Article SEA-FIGHT OFF CAPE LA HOGUE, A. D. 1692. ← Page 5 of 6 →
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Sea-Fight Off Cape La Hogue, A. D. 1692.
advised , but in vain , that a number of the regiments , and of tile artillery-men , should be put on board the ships , where they could fight with the same steadiness as if they had been in land castles , because the ships were a-ground . Russel gave the charge of the attack to Vice-admiral Rooke : Rooke advanced with several men of war , frigates , and fire-ships-, together with all the boats of the fleet . But he soon found that the
men of war could not get within reach ; that the frigates could only advance so far as to cover the attack ; and that the whole service depended upon the boats . In this situation , be gave only a general order for the boats to advance , surround the enemy ' s ships , and board or burn where they best could ; leaving all the rest to the spirit of the seamen . The seamen strove with each other whose barge should
be foremost ; and singled out the particular ships they were to attack , according to their fancy , and sometimes as a merry mood directed them . They made use of their oars alone as they advanced , without firing upon the platforms , the chaloups , or the vessels aground ; so soon as they got to the sides of the ships , throwing away their musquets , they gave three huzzas , and scrambled up the heights above them ,
with their cutlasses in their hands , and many without any arms at all . Some cut the rigging ; others set fire to the vessel ; others pointed the guns of the ships against their own chaloups , platforms , and forts . Few assaulted the mariners within , because they accounted the ships to be their only foes . From this circumstance , the French mariners often went off undisturbed in their boats from one side of a French ship , while the English had entered , and were destroj'ing it upon the other .
But at last , tired with doing mischief in detail , the assailants all joined together to burn the enemy ' s ships ; and having set fire to them , descended with the same huzzas with which they had boarded . In this way they burnt six the first day . The rest , together . with a great number of transports and ammunition ships , shared the same fate the next morning , the enemies making little resistance , because they saw it was fruitless . Few prisoners were taken ; for the officers
were possessed with the idea of the seamen , that the destruction of the ships was their only object ; and some of them even made apologies to government for having incumbered themselves with prisoners . During this action , a generous exclamation burst from James ; for , when he first saw the seamen in swarms , scrambling up the hi gh
sides of the French ships from their boats , he cried out , " Ah ! none " but my brave English could do so brave an action ! " Words which were immediately carried through the French camp , creating offence and respect at the same time . After both the French and English had abandoned the vessels which were on . fire , some of their guns which had not been discharged went off , whilst the vessels were burning- to the water ' s edge , and a few of the balls passed near James ' s person , and killed some of those who were around him . lie then said , " Heaven fought against him , " and retired to his tent . His
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Sea-Fight Off Cape La Hogue, A. D. 1692.
advised , but in vain , that a number of the regiments , and of tile artillery-men , should be put on board the ships , where they could fight with the same steadiness as if they had been in land castles , because the ships were a-ground . Russel gave the charge of the attack to Vice-admiral Rooke : Rooke advanced with several men of war , frigates , and fire-ships-, together with all the boats of the fleet . But he soon found that the
men of war could not get within reach ; that the frigates could only advance so far as to cover the attack ; and that the whole service depended upon the boats . In this situation , be gave only a general order for the boats to advance , surround the enemy ' s ships , and board or burn where they best could ; leaving all the rest to the spirit of the seamen . The seamen strove with each other whose barge should
be foremost ; and singled out the particular ships they were to attack , according to their fancy , and sometimes as a merry mood directed them . They made use of their oars alone as they advanced , without firing upon the platforms , the chaloups , or the vessels aground ; so soon as they got to the sides of the ships , throwing away their musquets , they gave three huzzas , and scrambled up the heights above them ,
with their cutlasses in their hands , and many without any arms at all . Some cut the rigging ; others set fire to the vessel ; others pointed the guns of the ships against their own chaloups , platforms , and forts . Few assaulted the mariners within , because they accounted the ships to be their only foes . From this circumstance , the French mariners often went off undisturbed in their boats from one side of a French ship , while the English had entered , and were destroj'ing it upon the other .
But at last , tired with doing mischief in detail , the assailants all joined together to burn the enemy ' s ships ; and having set fire to them , descended with the same huzzas with which they had boarded . In this way they burnt six the first day . The rest , together . with a great number of transports and ammunition ships , shared the same fate the next morning , the enemies making little resistance , because they saw it was fruitless . Few prisoners were taken ; for the officers
were possessed with the idea of the seamen , that the destruction of the ships was their only object ; and some of them even made apologies to government for having incumbered themselves with prisoners . During this action , a generous exclamation burst from James ; for , when he first saw the seamen in swarms , scrambling up the hi gh
sides of the French ships from their boats , he cried out , " Ah ! none " but my brave English could do so brave an action ! " Words which were immediately carried through the French camp , creating offence and respect at the same time . After both the French and English had abandoned the vessels which were on . fire , some of their guns which had not been discharged went off , whilst the vessels were burning- to the water ' s edge , and a few of the balls passed near James ' s person , and killed some of those who were around him . lie then said , " Heaven fought against him , " and retired to his tent . His