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SONGS AND BALLADS |
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mand of the Shrewsbury in 1777. The verses are to be sung to the tune of Hearts of Oak.
Ye sons of old Ocean who're strangers to fear On board of the Shrewsbury quickly repair ; Brave Lockhart commands her, rejoice every tar, For Lockhart commanded the Tartar last war. .
The Shrewsbury formed part of the Channel fleet under Admiral Keppel. When Keppel first put to sea on June 12, 1778, the public voice confidently predicted his success, as Admiral Keppel Triumphant shows (p. 252). On July 27 he engaged the French fleet under d'Orvilliers off Ushant. Two songs give an account of this indecisive engagement, one of which accounts for its indecisiveness by asserting that Keppel had secret orders not to fight (pp. 253, 255). Then followed recriminations between Keppel and Vice-admiral Sir Hugh Palliser, ending with the trial of Keppel by court-martial on the charges of misconduct and incapacity. On February 11, 1779, he was acquitted, and the charges were pronounced malicious and unfounded. The popularity of the verdict is attested by Keppel Triumphant and Kepjpel for Ever (pp. 255, 257).
In June 1779 Spain declared war, and during August 1779 the combined French and Spanish fleets dominated the Channel. Paul Jones, who had already signalised himself in 1778 by attacking Whitehaven and capturing the British sloop Drake off Carrickfergus, sailed from L'Orient on August 14, 1779, with a little squadron of four vessels threatened Leith and Edinburgh, and projected an attack on the shipping in the Tyne. On September 23 he fell in with a fleet of merchant shipping coming from the Baltic under the convoy of the Serapis of forty-four guns and the Countess of Scar- |
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