The Glorious First of June William Parker, to his father

HMS Orion, June 1794

...on the 28th, about eight o'clock in the morning, we saw a large strange fleet to windward.... Lord Howe then made the signal to prepare for battle. At half-past eleven we could perceive them pretty distinctly formed in one line consisting of 30 sail, 26 of which were of the line of battle, and three three-deckers. We carried a great press of canvas, notwithstanding it blew very hard, to get to windward of them. We kept bearing up for them, and at four in the evening the signal was made for Admiral Paisley and his squadron to attack the enemy's rear. At eight o'clock Admiral Paisley got within gunshot and gave them a very warm and fierce reception, which the enemy returned with great vivacity. The whole of our fleet were now carrying all the sail they could get up with, and bring the French Fleet to action. At nine we beat to quarters and were in perfect readiness to pour a broadside into any of the enemy's ships we could bring our ships to bear on; the night being very dark it afforded a grand and awful sight from the flash of the guns. At half-past nine the firing ceased, owing to the wind blowing very hard and a rough sea preventing our ships from getting up with and bringing the enemy to action, which very much dissatisfied our officers and the ship's company....

[May 29] The enemy fired chiefly at our rigging trying to dismast us, and we at their hulls, which we thought the best way of weakening them. It was surprising to see with what courage our men behaved; there were even some of them so eager that they jumped up in the rigging to huzza, and Captain Duckworth hauled them down by the legs.... We had not fired two broadsides before an unlucky shot cut a poor man's head right in two, and wounded Jno. Fane and four other youngsters like him very slightly. The horrid sight of this poor man I must confess did not help to raise my spirits. At twelve the bold and brave Admiral Gardner, according to custom, broke their line, upon which our ship's company gave three hearty cheers at their quarters; we then passed the whole of the French line, and were exposed to a very smart and close cannonading from the enemy, which we returned with very great warmth. We then lay-to to repair our rigging a little, when seeing their sternmost ship of 80 guns a little way ahead we bore up for her, and running close under her weather quarter let fly a broadside into her, which raked her fore and aft, and so effectually that it made the Frenchmen, according to custom, run from their quarters and huddle together down below, and the French captain was the ony person seen upon deck, which he walked very resolutely and put every one of his men to sword whom he saw fly....

Lord Howe always likes to begin in the morning and let us have a whole day at it. The next morning [1 June 1794] early the signal was made to form the line of battle.... At eight the action began, and the firing from the enemy was very smart before we could engage the ship that came to our turn to engage, as every ship is to have one because our line is formed ahead, and theirs is formed also.... I believe we were the ninth or tenth ship; our lot fell to an 80 gun ship, so we would not waste our powder and shot by firing at other ships, though I am sorry to say they fired very smartly at us and unluckily killed two men before we fired a gun, which so exasperated our men that they kept singing out, 'For God's sake, brave Captain, let us fire! Consider, sir, two poor souls are slaughtered already'. But Captain Duckworth would not let them fire till we came abreast of the ship we were to engage, when Captain Duckworth cried out, 'Fire, my boys, fire!' upon which our enraged boys gave them such an extraordinary warm reception that I really believe it struck the rascals with the panic.... The smoke was so thick that we could not at all times see the ships engaging ahead and astern. Our main-top mast and main yard being carried away by the enemy's shot, the Frenchmen gave three cheers, upon which our ship's company, to show they did not mind it, returned them the three cheers, and after that, gave them a furious broadside.... At about ten the Queen broke their line again, and we gave three cheers at our quarters; and now we engaged which ever ship we could best. A ship of 80 guns, which we had poured three or four broadsides into on the 29th May, we saw drawing ahead on our lee quarter to fire into us.... Their firing was not very smart, though she contrived to send a red hot shot into the Captain's cabin where I am quartered, which kept rolling about and burning everybody, when gallant Mears, our first lieutenant, took it up in his speaking trumpet and threw it overboard. At last being so very close to her we supposed her men had left their quarters. She bore down to leeward of the fleet being very much disabled.... The ships that were not disabled still engaged the enemy.... At two the firing ceased, but we did not know whether the action was over or no. We were employed in getting ready for engaging, and were very close to the Admiral and perceived he had lost both his fore and main top masts in the action, and two or three of our own ships totally dismasted. There were seven of the Frenchmen also dismasted, but some of them had still their colours flying. We saw one of them hoisting a little small sail and egging down, and she would soon have joined her own fleet had not Mr. Mears seen it, and let fly an 18-pounder right astern of her, which made her strike her colours and hoist English, and strike her sail also. Captain Duckworth ordered no more guns to be fired at her; and then we had it in our power to say that she struck to the Orion. The French fleet then ran away like cowardly rascals, and we made all the sail we could. Lord Howe ordered our ships that were not very much disabled to take the prizes in tow.... But I forgot to tell you that the ship which struck to us was so much disabled that she could not live much longer upon the water, but gave a dreadful reel and lay down on her broadside. We were afraid to send any boats to help them, because they would have sunk her by too many poor souls getting into her at once. You could plainly perceive the poor wretches climbing over to windward and crying most dreadfully. She then righted a little, and then her head went down gradually, and she sank. She after that rose again a little and then sunk, so that no more was seen of her. Oh, my dear father! when you consider of five or six hundred souls destroyed in that shocking manner, it will make your very heart relent. Our own men even were a great many of them in tears and groaning, the said God bless them. Oh, that we had come into a thousand engagements sooner than so many poor souls should be at once destroyed in that shocking manner. I really think it would have rent the hardest of hearts. We then bore away for England....

Phillimore, A. Life of Admiral Sir William Parker.