For the manly conduct displayed by Sir Edward on this occasion, the Corporation of Plymouth presented him with the freedom of that borough. On the 5th March, in the same year, he was advanced to the dignity of a Baronet of the United Kingdom, as Sir Edward Pellew, of Treverry, in Cornwall; and about the same time he proceeded on a cruize in the Indefatigable, a cut-down 64, mounting 46 guns, with four frigates under his command.
On the 9th April, Sir Edward’s squadron fell in with, and captured a fleet of French merchantmen, and drove la Volage, of 26 guns, on shore. Four days after, l’Unité, of 38 guns and 255 men, was taken. On board her were Madame le Large, wife to the governor of Rochefort, with the whole of her family and domestics; her son, an ensign of the frigate, Sir Edward, with great feeling and politeness, suffered to return to France in a neutral vessel, taking the parole of the young man not to serve until exchanged.
On the morning of the 20th, whilst the squadron was lying to under the Lizard, waiting till the prize had got safe into Falmouth, a large ship was observed standing in for the land, which, when the private signal was made, tacked, and stood off. Sir Edward Pellew, certain of its being an enemy’s frigate, immediately gave chace, in company with the Amazon and Concorde. About midnight, after a chace of fifteen hours, and having run one hundred and sixty eight miles, the Indefatigable, by her superior sailing, got alongside of the enemy, and brought her to close action, which continued without intermission, under a croud of sail, for one hour and forty-five minutes. At this time the enemy’s ship, whose commander defended her with great bravery, had her mizen mast and main top mast shot away. In this situation the Indefatigable unavoidably shot a-head; her mizen top-mast and gaff being gone, and the main topsail rendered useless, with her running rigging cut to pieces, she had no sail to back, until new braces could be rove; neither did Sir Edward Pellew think it prudent to throw his ship in the wind, lest he should be exposed to a raking fire; he therefore remained at a proper distance a-head of the enemy, until he might be enabled to renew the attack. Just at this moment the Concorde ranged up under the enemy’s stern, and Captain Hunt was
