Page 547 - The Dutch Caribbean Isles
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odney singled out the Jews: the harsh- the Comte de Grasse. The battle between he excessive amount of time Rodney
de Grasse and Rear Admiral Sir Thomas
R ness was reserved for them alone. He Graves was known as the Battle of the T spent on St. Eustatius led to allegations
Chesapeake. Also known as the Battle of
did not do the same to French, Dutch, the Capes it was one of the most pivotal that he and Vaughan had neglected their
Spanish or even the American merchants battles in history. British General Cornwallis military duties. In particular, Viscount Sam-
on the island. He permitted the French to was trapped at Yorktown, Va. He was await- uel Hood suggested that Rodney should
leave with all their possessions. Rodney was ing desperately needed supplies and men have sailed to intercept a French fleet un-
concerned that his unprecedented behavior that Rodney would have brought. American der François Joseph Paul de Grasse, trave-
would be repeated upon British islands by General George Washington, with French ling to Martinique. The French fleet instead
French forces when events were different. siege artillery and supporting forces, closed turned north and headed for Chesapeake
The Jews were kept imprisoned for days the vise from the land side. Cornwallis Bay. Rodney further weakened his fleet
without food or water. Thirty one heads of could not be aided from the sea because earlier by sending a strong defending force
families were summarily deported without of the British Naval defeat. The French con- to England to accompany his treasure ships.
word or mercy to their dependents. Rodney trolled the Bay. Cornwallis’ predicament is After months on St. Eustatius, capturing
confiscated Jewish warehouses, looted linked directly to Rodney’s failure to depart additional merchants and treasure, Rodney
Jewish personal possessions, even stripping St. Eustatius promptly following its capture was prevailed upon to send part of his fleet
Jews to find money hidden in their cloth- and the destruction of the military stores north to aid General Cornwallis and British
ing. When Rodney realized that the Jews there. Cornwallis had no choice. He surren- armed forces fighting the Americans. He
might be hiding additional treasure, he dug dered. The American Revolutionary war was did not dispatch the bulk of his fleet from
up the Jewish cemetery. over. The Americans had won, to no small St. Eustatius until July/August of 1781. He
cause by Rodney’s anti-Semitic and avari- was too late to affect the events that were
O utside of the Chesapeake Bay, the cious delays. taking place in North America.
weakened British fleet was defeated
by a much stronger combined French fleet
under Rear Admiral Francois Joseph Paul,
