Convoy Escapes; Pearson Honoured

Nearly every ship in the convoy Pearson had been sent to protect had reached safety before the battle even began. Piercy, whose ship was relatively unharmed and out of range of the four American vessels, had headed for the main battle to assist Serapis, but Jones's close-quarters policy made intervention impossible. In 1780, to honour Pearson for his actions in protecting the convoy, he was presented with three Coconut Cups mounted in silver by Wakelin & Taylor. The engagement itself became one of the most celebrated naval actions of the war in America despite its small size and considerable dispute over what had actually occurred.