The Expedition against Rochefort,

[POTTER (Thomas)]

Publication Date: 1758

About this Item

Fully stated and considered, in a Letter to the Right Honourable the Author of the Candid Reflections on the Report of the General Officers, &c. By a Country Gentleman. Light browning, title page and verso of last leaf slightly soiled, otherwise very good, disbound. 67pp. [2pp.] postscript. Printed and Sold by J. Towers. M. Cooper.and H. Cook. The Expedition against Rochefort was instigated by Pitt on his return to office, "It was hard to see how he could initiate any operations of value at so late a period of the year, but there was one species of diversion which, though little recommended by experience of the past, lay open to him still, namely a descent upon the French coast. A young Scottish officer, who had travelled in France, gave intelligence based on no very careful or recent observation, that the fortifications of Rochefort were easily assailable; and Pitt on the receipt of this intelligence at once conceived the design of surprising Rochefort and burning the ships in the Charente below it." [Fortescue History of the British Army Vol.II, p.307.] Sackville declined, and Conway was passed over due to his youth, so military command of the operation settled upon Sir John Mordaunt ". who had showed merit in the past, but had now lost his nerve and was conscious that he had lost it. He and Conway alike objected to the project as based on flimsy and insufficient information, but both thought themselves bound in honour to accept the trust confided to them." [ibid.] After the Isle d'Aix was captured the expedition ground to a halt, fresh information revealed the French were well prepared at Rochefort and it was decided to attack the forts at Charente, but the order was countermanded by Mordaunt. Hawke intervened to let the General know that unless operations were prosecuted immediately he would return the fleet to England, "The military commanders thereupon decided that they would return with him, which on the 1st of October they did, to the huge indignation of both fleet and army." [ibid. p.308] A court of enquiry followed and Mordaunt was court-martialled and honourably acquitted. "The incident gave rise to a fierce war of pamphlets" [ibid.] Potter was a somewhat dissolute friend of the elder Pitt, a member of the Medmenham set, and accused by some of poisoning Wilkes' morals. The present pamphlet defends Pitt and lays the blame at the door of Mordaunt. However, Fortescue concludes, "On the whole it seems that the troops were sent on a fool's errand, and that the blame lay solely with Pitt. The nation was furious, and the King showed marked coldness towards the generals who had taken part in the failure; but Pitt who was more hurt and disappointed than any one, took no step except to promote Wolfe, who had advocated active measures over the heads of several other officers, and thus in one way at least extracted good from evil.".

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Bibliographic Details

• Title: The Expedition against Rochefort,
• Publication Date: 1758