Capture of The Hermione

      Spithead, 29 July 1762

      Thanks to God, I am once more arrived safe at Old England. We have brought in with us a very rich Spanish prize, which we took last Whitsun-Monday, as coming from Lima to Cadiz. A little before eight o'clock in the evening we began the attack by giving her a broadside; she returned none. We then put about ship, to get to windward of her, she, seeing our intent, did the same, but mist stays, which was greatly to our advantage, for we soon got up to her, and made a repeat of our first compliment, but much fiercer. Then our Captain hailed the Hermione, and asked where she came from, and was answered from Lima in the River of Plate, and was a King's frigate, a man of war.

      Our Captain answered he was an English man of war, and that if he did not strike his colours, he would fire every gun in the ship into her. The answer returned was the fire of one gun, followed by a whole broadside of great guns and small arms. As soon as their first gun was fired we began smart work on both sides; our ship by the continual firing, was nothing but smoak fire and noise, in the midst of which every man strove to out-do each the other; by which warm work they were so chagrined that they struck their colours about ten o'clock; so that we were two hours with her in parlying and fighting, for, part of the time, she would neither fight nor strike till we obliged her to it.

      I suppose you have heard of our taking the privateer last Easter-Sunday in the evening, that engagement was a great deal sharper than the other, tho', thank God, we have but one man wounded in both.

      P.S. - We expect to receive eight hundred pounds a man, with the Favourite, tho' she did not come up till after the striking of the Hermione, but she was in company.

      Prize Money
      The Active
      £ s. d.
      Captain 65,053 0 0
      Three Commissioned Officers 13,004 14 1 each
      Eight Warrant Officers 4,336 3 2 each
      Twenty Petty Officers 1,806 10 3 each
      158 Seamen and Marines 485 5 43/4 each
      The Favourite
      £ s. d.
      Captain 64,872 0 0
      Two Commissioned Officers 12,974 10 9 each
      Seven Warrant Officers 4,324 16 11 each
      Sixteen Petty Officers 1,802 0 4 each
      110 Seamen and Marines 482 2 5 each

      Lloyd's Evening Post and British Chronicle, 6 August 1762