Chap. XVl. during the Reign of §geen Ann.
1711.
CHAP. XVI-
Sir Hovenden Walker’i unsuccessful Expedition, intended against Quebec in Cana-da* Placentia, &c.
1711.
I cannot, I think, give my Readersa more succinct and satisfactory Ac-count of this unfortunate Expedi-tion, than by an Abstract of twoLetters, written by Sir Hovenden Walkerhimself, to Mr. Secretary Burchett , forthe Information of the Lords Commissio-ners of the Admiralty, which he hasprefix’d to his Journal of this Expedi-tion ; On which, however, I shall makea few Observations that may give someLight to them.
? r Hov.
yallcer’i
Letter
Mr.
^Urchett.
Copy of the Letter sent to Mr. SecretaryBurchett, when I (Sir HovendenWalker) failed from New-England,in Order to go upon the Canada Expe-dition.
SIR ,
This brings an Account, that, thefour and twentieth of June, I arrivedat Nantasket, near Boston , (a) with the
Men of War and Transports from Ply-mouth, (f) having had a favorable andextraordinary Passage: Burnot meetingwith the Assistance and Forwardness weexpected, from the Government andPeo-ple of New-England, (c) it was the thir-tieth of July, before I failed fromthence, and am now in rny Way toQuebec, with the Men of War, and allthe Transports, with both the Britishand New-England Forces, off Bird-I-fands, two Hundred and fifty Leaguesfrom Cape-Ann.
The Chef er, Leopard and Sapphire,which I sent to cruise between Placentiaand Cape-Breton, I expect to join me,in my Passage to tpuebec. The Chef erhaving taken a Ship coming from Rachel,of about a Hundred and twenty Tuns,and ten, Guns, with seventy Men onBoard, thirty whereof were Soldiers,for the Garrison of Quebec, I sent herinto Boson, before I sailed.
10 G The
Vchett.
. -Ukei-'j3 ttt mal.
(a) He was under Sail, off of Dunofe, the nineand twentieth of April ; But being off of theStart, the first of may, a Westerly Wind obligedhim to put in at Plymouth ; Putting to Sea again,he was, the fourth, the Length of the Dead-man.
The Line of Battle - given out by Sir Hoven-den Waller, when he failed from St. He ten’s, was
as follows:
The Lori'ay to lead with the Starboard, andthe Dunkirk with the Larboard Tacks, on Board.
Small Frigatsand Vessels.
Torbay.Momnoutb.Sunderland.Diamond •Devonshire.Bedford- Gal.
Bafel. 1 Bombs. Edgar.Gran. J
Humber-Montague.Kingston.Swftfure.Dunkirk
Ships. Commanders. Men.Guns.
Experi-
ment.
Capt. Moody.Mitchel.Gore.Lisle.Arrts.
Sir H. Walker,Admiral.Capt. Soanes.Culliford.Walton.Winder.Cooper.Butler.
500
400
3 6 S
190
520
80
70
60
40
80
440 70
C20
36 5
3 6 5
400
365
80
Co
60
70
do
With this Fleet were sent one and thirty'" Trans-ports, having on Board ; 3
Men.
Brigadier Hill’s Regiment. -. Ql
Colonel Windrefs’s Regiment. y QO
Colonel Claytons Regiment. y 00
Colonel Ls«s'sRegiment. ., 00
Lieut. Gen. Seymour's Regiment. j 02
Colonel Kirke’s Regiment. ^oo
Colonel Disney’s Regiment. g 00
Recruits for sundry Regiments; 300
All under the Command of Brigadier Hill, withthe Commission of General of all Her Majesty’sLand-Forces in North America.
Besides, these Transports, were an Hospital-Ship, a Ship to carry the Cloathing, one Vesselwith Ordnance-Stores, lour with Ammunition,two with Bomb-lhells, and a Tender, with Ge-neral Hill's Provisions. In all fix and fifty Sail
For the better Security of the Transports inSailing,it was ordered, that the Edgar Ihouldlead,and the Torbay bring up the Rear; The. Diamondand Devonjhire be on the Starboard, Experimentand Montague on the Larboard-Bow ; The Dun-kirk and Monmouth, on the Starboard ; Sunder-land and Bedford- Galley, on the Larboard Bodyof the Fleet ; The Siviftsure on the Starboard ;
Humber and Kingston on the Larboard-Quarter.
When the Flag was shifted to the Humber, thenslie lead, the Edgar was in'.the Dunkirk’s, and theDunkirk, in the Humber’s Berth.
(b) He had, with him, when . he arrived at j,Nantasket, five Third-Rates, fix Fonrth-Ral.es,one Fifth-Rate, and two Bomb-Vessels.
(c) The Government , was: made to believe, Annals ofthat all Things would be in a Readiness against A- Ann.their Arrival. This was, without Doubt, a fa-tal Disappointment; But where to lay the Blame
was very difficult; For (fays my Author j tho’some People would fain lay it upon the Gover-nour of New-England, it does not appear, butthat he exerted himself to the utmost, to forwardthe Expedition.
53°3