Official descriptions give three ships of the line for the action. An eyewitness sailor, however, wrote from a fourth ship that was in the area. The unresolved question is whether that vessel arrived in time to count as a participant in the operation. This short passage shows why naval orders of battle can remain uncertain even when the action itself is well documented.
Notable Point · 16:35-17:11
Why Guadeloupe's ship count may be three or four
An eyewitness account from a fourth ship complicates the official three-ship description of the operation and shows how source evidence can alter an order of battle.