Admiral Hood, one of Graves's officers, says that if his leader had turned suddenly and anchored his ships across the mouth of the Bay, the French Admiral with his fleet outside would probably have sailed away and left the British fleet in possession.

As it was the two fleets lay at sea in sight of each other for four days.

On the morning of the tenth the squadron from Newport under Barras arrived and increased Grasse's ships to thirty-six.
Against such odds Graves could do nothing.

He lingered near the mouth of the Chesapeake for a few days still and then sailed away to New York to refit.

At the most critical hour of the whole war a British fleet, crippled and spiritless, was hurrying to a protecting port and the fleurs-de-lis waved unchallenged on the American coast.