August he left Cap Francois, with twenty-eight ships of the line,
taking the route through the Old Bahama Channel,[96] and anchored
in Lynnhaven Bay, just within the entrance of the Chesapeake, on the
30th, the day before Graves sailed from New York for the same place.
The troops were landed instantly on the south side of the James River,
and soon reached La Fayette, who commanded the forces so far opposed
to Cornwallis, which were thus raised to eight thousand men. At
the same time Washington, having thrown Clinton off his guard, was
crossing the Delaware on his way south, with six thousand regular
troops, two thousand American and four thousand French, to join La
Fayette. French cruisers took position in the James River, to prevent
Cornwallis from crossing, and escaping to the southward into Carolina.
Others were sent to close the mouth of the York. By these detachments
the main fleet was reduced to twenty-four sail of the line.

On the 5th of September, at 8 A.M., the French look-out frigate,
cruising outside Cape Henry, made the signal for a fleet steering for
the Bay. It was hoped at first that this was de Barras's squadron
from Newport, known to be on its way, but it was soon evident from
the numbers that it must be an enemy. The forces now about to be
opposed, nineteen. British sail of the line to twenty-four French,
were constituted as follows: British, two 98's (three-deckers);
twelve 74's, one 70, four 64's, besides frigates; French, one 104
(three-decker),[97] three 80's, seventeen 74's, three 64's.

The mouth of the Chesapeake is about ten miles wide, from Cape Charles
on the north to Cape Henry on the south. The main channel is between
the latter and a shoal, three miles to the northward, called the
Middle Ground. The British fleet, when the French were first seen
from it, was steering south-west for the entrance, under foresails and
topgallant sails, and it so continued, forming line as it approached.
The wind was north-north-east. At noon the ebb-tide made, and the
French began to get under way, but many of their ships had to make
several tacks to clear Cape Henry. Their line was consequently late in
forming, and was by no means regular or closed as they got outside.

At 1 P.M. Graves made the signal to form column on an east and west
line, which with the wind as it was would be the close-hauled line
heading out to sea, on the other tack from that on which his fleet
still was. In this order he continue