Come and ask, answer or inform.
On 23rd November, 1760, occurred one of the hardest fought actions of the war, described by Captain Forsyth in a letter, dated Villafranca, 9th December, printed in Felix Farley’s Bristol Journal of 17th January, 1761:— “Sirs, Before this can reach you, you will have had the account of your ship the Countess of Berkeley being taken by the Victoire privateer, M. Arnoux, and taken into Carthagena. He has likewise taken several other fish ships. But I have the pleasure to inform you, through God’s blessing, your ship Constantine hath had better success with that gentleman. Having had intelligence by his Majesty’s ships Thetis and Active, I kept a good lookout for him. On the 22nd ult. the Active and we parted company with the Thetis by agreement, to look out for M. Arnoux and on the 23rd at 7 a.m. saw two sail, one coming before the wind, the other stretching from the land athwart us. At eight spoke the one coming before the wind and found her to be a sloop from Benecarloe for Jersey; the other ship which I imagined to be the Active got to windward of us but making the signal that was between us and finding it not answered I concluded it to be Arnoux, who soon let me know it. He got his graplins slung at his starboard yardarms, which showed me his design to board me on the larboard quarter; which I prevented by putting my helm hard a starboard, which brought most of my broadside to bear, raked him and put him in great confusion, his bowsprit came over our quarter deck and carried away all the bulwark of it. They then attempted boarding me from the bowsprit and head, on our quarter deck and into our cabin windows; but my people behaving themselves like English lions (notwithstanding no shelter was left) twice cleared the bowsprit, forecastle and head, though six to one against us. His bowsprit being sprung, his spritsail and spritsail topsail yards being gone, he hove all aback and cleared himself of our stern, in which position we had engaged half an hour. He then fell alongside and we went at it with our broadsides, and in something less than an hour, out of 260 men which I am informed he had, there were not above 20 to be seen on his decks, which made a shift to get his foresail set.
“We got all our sails set as fast as we could get ropes reeved in the room of those shot away; but to little purpose we chased him, he going three feet to our one. But I chased him till I got up with the aforesaid sloop, to prevent his taking her, but he never stopped till he was out of sight. I imagine him to be in a sinking condition, as our shot made a noise about his hull like the pulling down of an old house and his masts were all disabled. We made a great slaughter of their people, so that the blood ran out of her scuppers; all the way we chased him, the sea was perfectly dyed with blood. Blessed be the Almighty I had but two men wounded, who came to their quarters as soon as they were dressed by the surgeon.
“Your ship is a good deal damaged in her sails, hull and rigging which have been every day repairing. The next day I joined the Thetis, Captain Moutray and her convoy;
Extract from a second letter:
“I have now got pratique, my vessel ready for sea and if the wind permits shall sail this evening in company with the Thetis, if I find too much time will not be lost in keeping her company. One of Arnoux owners was on board me yesterday and told me that Arnoux was killed and the ship in Carthagena, but in such a shattered condition, that they will not be at the expense of fitting her out again. If he had lived to come home he would have been made captain of a King’s frigate for his behaviour. But if he gained honour in taking his former prizes, he has lost it with his life in engaging of me. He had 20 French six-pounders and the best seamen that were to be got at Marseilles. I hope to be soon at Naples, where I hope to hear of you and your family’s health, which I at all times sincerely wish and am your most obedient humble servant “ROBERT FORSYTH.