Louisbourg Expedition

Posted by ken dunne on Friday 29th of March 2024 20:31

Rumor of the French reinforcement of Louisbourg reached Pitt in England. He sends the Somerset (70), the Eagle (60), Devonshire (70), and Prince Frederick (64) to augment Holburne; the first two of these ships arrive September 5th, the second two on September 15th (see Pitt to Holburne, July 7, 1757; Correspondence of William Pitt, Volume I, Kimball 1906, Pages 85, 89, 108 and 109-126, online). The Centurion (54), Captain Mantell is also missing. The Nottingham (60) is also missing. All thesee ships were on station with Holburne when the hurricane hit the fleet on September 24th

Posted by Charles Mayhood on Wednesday 15th of November 2023 17:33

From Montcalm's journal entry for 22 July 1757: Three [French] squadrons were destined for Louisbourg: Two from Brest and one from Toulon. That of Bauffremont arrived first, on 2 June, that of M. Dubois de La Motte next, and that of Toulon, the last.

Here is the list of vaisseau de guerres now at Ile-Royale, under the orders of M. Dubois De La Motte, general serving as vice-Admiral during the campaign:

The Formidable, eighty guns, M. Dubois de La Motte; vice admiral's flag;
The Tonnant, eighty guns, M. de Bauffremont, squadron commander; flying lieutenant general's flag;
The Défenseur, seventy-four guns, M. de Blénac, squadron commander;
The Duc de Bourgogne, eighty guns, M. d'Aubigny, squdron commander;
The Héros, seventy-four guns, M. de Chateloger, captain,
The Diadème, seventy-four guns, M. de Rosily, captain;
The Hector, seventy-four guns, M. Darvesse, captain;
The Glorieux, seventy-four guns, M. de Chavagnac, captain;
The Dauphin-Royal, seventy guns, M. Durtubie, captain;
The Achille, sixty-four guns, M. de Panât, captain;
The Eveillé, sixty-four guns, M. de Merville, captain;
The Vaillant, sixty-four guns, M. Saurin, captain;
The Superbe, seventy guns, M. de Choiseul, captain;
The Inflexible, sixty-four guns, M. de Saint-Laurent, captain;
The Belliqueux, sixty-four guns, M. d'Orvillers, captain;
The Sage, sixty-four guns, M. d'Abon, captain;

FRIGATES
The Brume, thirty-two guns, M. de la Prévalaye, captain;
The Fleur-de-Lys, thirty-two guns, M. de Tourville, captain;
The Abénaquise, thirty-six guns, M. Macarty, captain;
The Cornette, thirty-two guns, M. de Brugnon, captain;
The Hermione, thirty-two guns, M. Du Bois, lieutenant.

Total: sixteen large ships and five frigates, plus an English ship named the Greenwich, of sixty-four guns, taken by M. de Bauffremont, and the two ships the Bizarre, of sixty-four guns, captain Montalet, and the Célèbre, captain la Jonquière, which we have already said are on the river.

Posted by John Dickie on Friday 17th of September 2021 01:18

HMS Eagle under Captain Hugh Palliser was also part of Holbourne's fleet. Eagle's logs and letters by Palliser place the ship with Holbourne during the Louisbourg expedition in 1757. ADM 52/578 Master’s Log HMS Eagle (1757 Apr 28–1759 Mar 3)ADM 1/2294 Captain’s Letters 1757 (Palliser, Hugh). Sunday 25th September 1757 at 2 am. An account of the Eagle’s situation and of the damages she received in the late gale of wind.
ADM 1/2294 Captain’s Letters 1757 (Palliser, Hugh). Eagle at sea 30 September, 1757. Account of the Condition of His Majesty’s Ship Eagle.