and with Rodney in the battle of Dominica on the 12th of April
1782. Some very rough verses which he wrote on the action have been
printed in Leyland's "_Brest-Papers_," published for the Navy Record
Society, which show that he thought very ill of Rodney's conduct of the
battle. In 1788 he went to the East Indies as commodore, where he
remained till 1794. He had some share in the war with Tippoo Sahib, and
helped to reduce Pondicherry. His promotion to rear-admiral dates from
the 1st of February 1793, and on the 4th of July 1794 he became
vice-admiral.

In the Revolutionary War his services were in the Channel. The most
signal of them was performed on the 16th of June 1795, when he carried
out what was always spoken of with respect as "the retreat of
Cornwallis." He was cruising near Brest with four sail of the line and
two frigates, when he was sighted by a French fleet of twelve sail of
the line, and many large frigates commanded by Villarat Joyeuse. The
odds being very great he was compelled to make off. But two of his ships
were heavy sailers and fell behind. He was consequently overtaken, and
attacked on both sides. The rearmost ship, the "Mars" (74), suffered
severely in her rigging and was in danger of being surrounded by the
French. Cornwallis turned to support her, and the enemy, impressed by a
conviction that he must be relying on help within easy reach, gave up
the pursuit. The action affords a remarkable proof of the moral
superiority which the victory of the 1st of June, and the known
efficiency of the crews, had given to the British navy. The reputation
of Cornwallis was immensely raised, and the praise given him was no
doubt the greater because he was personally very popular with officers
and men. In 1796 he incurred a court-martial in consequence of a
misunderstanding and apparently some temper on both sides, on the charge
of refusing to obey an order from the Admiralty. He was practically
acquitted. The substance of the case was that he demurred on the ground
of health at being called upon to go to the West Indies, in a small
frigate, and without "comfort." He became full admiral in 1799, and held
the Channel command for a short interval in 1801 and from 1803 to 1806,
but saw no further service. He was made a G.C.B. in 1815, and died on
the 5th of July 1819. His various nicknames among the sailors, "Billy go
tight," given on account of his rubicund complexion, "Billy Blue,"
"Coachee," and "Mr Whip," see