French republican banner captured during the Battle of the Glorious First of June 1794. It belonged to the boarding division of 'L'Amerique' 74, engaged and taken by 'Leviathan' commanded by Lord Hugh Seymour (1759-1801). The banner is made of white silk, hand-sewn with a gold fringe on three sides and embroidered with the battle cry 'MARINS LA REPUBLIQUE OU LA MORT' (Sailors, the Republic or death) in yellow. There is fainter, illegible lettering in ink underneath 'BATAILLON DE PARAI...OI COMPAGNIE'. The banner shows the attempts by the French fleet to carry out the ideas of political commissioner, Jeanbon Saint-André - 'Distaining skilful evolution ... perhaps our seamen will think it more fitting and useful to try those boarding actions in which the Frenchman was always a conqueror'.