French colours without interruption from them; M. St. Felix despatched the Resolu on other service, and the Phoenix was also then sent away; the remaining English and French frigates cruized together some days longer, without any thing of importance occurring.
Sir Richard Strachan returned to England soon after this event; and on the breaking out of the war with the French republic, was appointed to the command of la Concorde, of 42 guns and 257 men, in which ship he joined a squadron of frigates employed on the coast of France under the orders of Sir John Borlase Warren[1]. At day-break on the morning of April 23, 1794, this squadron, consisting of the Flora, Arethusa, Concorde, Melampus, and Nymphe, being to the westward of Guernsey, discovered four French ships standing out to sea, one of which was la Resolu, Sir Richard Strachan’s former antagonist. Commodore Warren, fearing that the enemy would attempt to escape into port, made the signal for his squadron to engage as they came up, and by this means cut them off from their own shore. The battle was maintained on both sides with great resolution for three hours, when la Pomone and la Babet struck to the Flora and Arethusa[2]. La Concorde continued to pursue the others; and at length got near enough to receive and return their fire. It was Sir Richard Strachan’s intentions to endeavour to disable the sternmost of the enemy’s ships, leaving her to be picked up by the Melampus and Nymphe, which were also in pursuit, and to push on for the headmost; but this ship bore down, and closed to support her consort, at the same time raking la Concorde with great effect. Sir Richard Strachan continued to engage them both with much gallantry; but finding that the day was far advanced, and little prospect of being assisted by the other British frigates, which rather, dropped a-stern, and his main top-mast being so badly wounded that he expected it would fall over the side, by which accident the enemy might have escaped; he came to the resolution to secure that ship which was the nearest to him; and by a skilful manoeuvre hav-
- ↑ Sir John Borlase Warren died at Greenwich in Feb. 1822. A memoir of this distinguished officer will be found in the Annual Biography and Obituary for 1823.
- ↑ See p. 213.
