The Battle of Cape Henry, March 16, 1781, occurred just outside the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay off the Cape of Henry. Though the French fleet of eight ships-of-the-line and one frigate under Admiral Charles Destouches inflicted far greater damage as they bested the seven ships-of-the-line under British Vice Admiral Mariot Arbuthnot,  Destouches did not … Continue reading Battle of Cape Henry