The situation was even worse, for the French fleet from Newport was on its way to join Grasse.
On the afternoon of the 5th of September, the day of the great rejoicing in Philadelphia, there was a spectacle of surpassing interest off Cape Henry, at the mouth of the Bay.

The two great fleets joined battle, under sail, and poured their fire into each other.

When night came the British had about three hundred and fifty casualties and the French about two hundred.

There was no brilliant leadership on either side.

One of Graves's largest ships, the Terrible, was so crippled that he burnt her, and several others were badly damaged.