Part 21

The able valour of Captain Macnamara, of the Southampton, in boarding and bringing off, from under a heavy fire of the batteries on Porquerollos, one of the Hieres islands, the corvette Utile, is beyond praise. Lieut. Lydiard behaved most spiritedly, and William Oirton, private Marine, was the only man killed on this brilliant service.

The conduct of Captain Bowen, his Seamen and Marines, in the Terpsichore, was twice most gallantly evinced by the capture of El Mahonesa and La Vertale, in the months of October and December.

Returning homewards, the Naval incidents of the year were repeated and animated.

On the 17th of March, Sir Sidney Smith, with that intrepidity in hazard so natural to him, destroyed a small convoy within the port of Herqui; which was not accomplished however, without landing some Seamen, under Lieut. Pine, and the Marines of the Diamond, under Lieut. Carter, who, in spite of a body of troops, pushed ashore, climbed the precipice in front of their batteries, and re-embarked, after having spiked the guns. Lieut. Pine was wounded, and Lieut. Carter mortally, of which he soon died, leaving behind him the merited character of a most excellent Officer and amiable man.

On the 20th, Sir John Warren, with his little squadron, engaged a very superior force, taking one frigate and four of a convoy.

Lieut. Williams, of Marines, appears mentioned by Sir Edward Pellew as having rendered essential service on board the Indefatigable, in capturing La Virginie upon the 21st of April.

The fortunate contest between the Unicorn, Captain Sir Thomas Williams, and La Tribune, began under an obvious disadvantage, and while it has fully established the fame of that Officer, it was likewise most honourable to Lieut. Hart of my Corps. The Seamen and Marines of La Margaretta were also much distinguished in Captain Martin's official dispatch, announcing the capture of La Tamise.

Captain Trollope, in the Glatton, of 54, armed with heavy carronades, stands most highly on the records of this year, by his having encountered and beat a squadron carrying upwards of 200 guns, and in every respect nearly thrice his force. While the circumstances of the battle reflect a lustre upon all who fought, the unsubdued spirit of Captain Strangeways, of Marines, was truly heroic, and demands the grateful sympathy of his Country and his Corps. After having received a ball in his thigh, he was necessarily carried below, and on a tourniquet having been applied by the Surgeon, he insisted upon going again to his quarters, where he continued to animate his men until he fainted from loss of blood, when Captain Trollope was obliged to interpose his authority for his removal from danger. He afterwards fevered and died, forsaking by destiny a distressed widow and family to deplore his fall, to the tutelar care of Providence and the British nation. William Hall, Corporal of Marines, was, besides, the only one wounded in this memorable action.

Sir John Warren, by his reiterated exploits through the year, has very meritedly founded a name for spirit and zeal.

Towards the close of 1796 the French fleet put to sea from Brest, with the direct aim of invading the sister kingdom of Ireland. To it an army of 15,000 men was united under General Hoche. Heaven again stepped forth to thwart their schemes, whose elementary agents were employed to overthrow them. Scarcely had they set sail, when the winds began to blow with violence, which burst into a storm after gaining sight of the wished for land. Their armament was finally scattered, and while a part of it, was buried in the ocean, others were doomed to augment the British Navy, and the remains to hasten back, in disappointment and in terror, towards their own ports.

Judging, from external evidences, their reception would have been worthy of Irishmen, had their invaders reached their shores.

Patriotism shone forth in every rank of society, and one godlike churchman[3] exerted those powerful energies, which must always be attached to every reputable member of his honorable calling, in keeping alive the sacred flame.

FOOTNOTE:

[3] Dr. Moylan, Titular Bishop of Cork.

CHAP. XLII.

Spain having become a compulsory ally of France, during the last year, an expedition took place against the valuable island of Trinidad, on the North East coast of Terra Firma, in South America, which surrendered after a very trifling resistance, to the joint forces under Sir Ralph Abercrombie and Rear Admiral Hervey. Blended with this capture, were 4 sail of the line and one frigate, which offered no opposition to our fleet, but were destroyed by the enemy, excepting the St. Damaso of 70 guns.

Another but less fortunate attempt was made upon Porto Rico, but it was relinquished from the inadequacy of means to carry it, after some loss. On both occasions the Marines were placed in readiness to act, but were not required to land.

Sir John Jervis (now Earl St. Vincent) had the honourable distinction of standing foremost in the list of Naval Heroes, who, unappalled by very superior numbers, dashed at every thing. His masterly manœuvres, upon the 14th of February, rendered this encouraging advantage unavailing to the Spanish Fleet, which, by a bold and decisive push, he separated, and defeated. This immortal action was not only crowned with the glory of capturing 4 sail of the line, but it had also its influence upon the spirits of our enemy, in every subsequent combat on the sea. An uncommon display of personal intrepidity was evinced by Commodore Nelson, Captain Miller, and Lieutenant (afterwards Captain) Berry, who at the head of the boarders from his Majesty's ship Captain, assaulted and carried, sword in hand, the San Joseff and St. Nicholas. The battle raged from 10 in the morning, until the close of day, which screened this powerful armament from destruction. Major William Norris, Lieut. G. A. Livingstone, and Serjeant Watson, of Marines, finished their lives, and 6 privates were killed, besides 21 wounded, in a contest where all were distinguished. The Legislative thanks were bestowed upon every class of our victorious fleet, and all these honours which a grateful Country could give, were conferred upon her meritorious servants. The port of Cadiz was afterwards most effectually blockaded, and was twice bombarded, in one of which Captain John Oldfield, of Marines, was wounded.

No war, in which England was ever engaged, has produced so many high examples of subordinate enterprize, as that of which I treat. Like the gymnastick games, it is a spirit which should always be kept up, and although similar to petty skirmishing, it is as a drop in the bucket in the scale of importance, it still has a tendency to animate an emulous zeal, and the love of glory. It is the school in which greater deeds are taught, and to which all should be invited.

While I thus appear the humble advocate in recommending an ardency for early achievement, I would at the same time urge a gradation of recompence, or of honorary grants, suited to the feelings of every description of its agents. These have been of old standing, and have undergone many a change, alternately adapted to the fluctuating manners of society. Many a useful hint might be gleaned from the institutions of the Greeks and the Romans, and as _human nature never alters_, they might well be applied to ourselves. The French have studied and practised these doctrines with success. Louis the 11th rewarded the prowess and bravery of one of his soldiers, Launay Morvillier, by publicly taking the collar of a military order, from his own neck, and putting it on his. Under the republican system, this has been invariably observed, towards the meanest, by every convention, of whatever stuff it has been composed, and it has been one of the engines by which their numerous armies have been worked into enthusiasm. Medals, descriptive of those merits that have acquired them, would be estimable even to the poor man. While they adorned the cottage, they would also be viewed by every one of its tenants as monumental emblems of loyal valour; a title which each of its members would not only be loth to forfeit, but inclined to rival.

These remarks are introductory to one of the many exploits by which this contest was marked.

The boats of the Lively and La Minerve under Lieut. Hardy, in which, Lieut. Bulkeley, of Marines, most handsomely volunteered, boarded, and carried La Mutine brig of 12 six pounders and 2 thirty-six pound corronades, having 113 men, in the bay of Sancta Cruz, amidst the fire of all the Spanish batteries, and a sharp discharge from the French corvette. Only 15 were wounded in this hot affair. Lieut. Hardy was deservedly promoted, but his brave companions have no traces of the deed, but in their own minds.

An unsuccessful essay upon Teneriffe on the 25th of July, under Commodore Nelson, fraught with many feats of unsurpassed bravery, ended in the re-embarkation of the seamen and Marines, by consent of the enemy, who were threatened by Captain Trowbridge, with the vengeance of our squadron, in the event of molestation. Owing to the judicious proposals made by that excellent Officer, boats were supplied by the Spanish Governor, to remedy the loss of our own from the violence of the surf; the wounded were kindly taken into the hospitals, and that generous foe even tendered such refreshments as his invaders might request. Commodore Nelson here lost his arm, which happily did not deprive his Country of the services of one of its most valuable subjects.

Lieut. Robinson and Basham, and 16 of my corps fell, 15 were wounded, and 102 Seamen and Marines were drowned or missing. Although the event was unpropitious, still our arms were not sullied.

Partaking of the diabolical spirit of the times, one of the most daring and sanguinary mutinies broke out in the Hermione, on the 22d of September, that ever disgraced the Christian world. After the most shocking barbarities exercised upon Captain Pigot, the Officers, Marines, and loyal Seamen, who were unsuspicious of their hellish plot, they carried the ship into the Spanish port of La Guira, whose Governor most ingloriously refused to give her up.

An avenging power, in numberless examples, too striking to be overlooked, has followed those traitorous murderers, and has vindicated the justice of his injured laws. Contempt embittered by remorse have been the inseparable companions of all those guilty individuals. Driven from the shores where they sanguinely anticipated nothing but recompence and applause, many of those wretched outcasts, by retracing their steps towards their native land, have met a certain and disgraceful doom, others unable to bear the stings of a wounded conscience, and abhorring existence, have precipitated their own dissolution, while the remains of those unhappy wanderers still throw a wishful eye from, their lurking spots, back on the soil which gave them birth, but where a vigilant Police, that vicegerent of heaven's purposes, is ever awake to their crimes. Even the very ship which was the theatre of their lawless outrage, has also been involved in their accursed destinies, for she was sometime after gallantly cut out of Porto Cavallo, by Sir Edward Hamilton, at the head of a body of Seamen and Marines from the Surprize, although protected by 200 heavy cannon, and under circumstances of incredible carnage, with the loss of only one Englishman.

A peculiar spirit of activity seemed to pervade our squadron upon the Jamaica station, during the year 1797. Above 60 vessels of different descriptions were taken or destroyed, under batteries where they rode in confident security, but which were uniformly inadequate to shelter them from determined valour. The zeal and directing genius of Captains W. H. Ricketts, and the unfortunate Pigot, were always well seconded by their Officers, their Sailors and Marines.

At the eventful period when Britain was contending for the general liberties of mankind against the most vindictive and powerful enemies she had ever encountered, when our islands were menaced with invasion, and treason stalked throughout our streets, she suddenly found herself deserted by her long tried and guardian fleets.

The turbulent demon first appeared in the garb of justice, but after having gained its ends, he soon threw away the mask which covered his mutinous and corrupt heart. Those liberal concessions made by a considerate and grateful Country, appeared to stimulate, instead of suppressing revolt, and its contaminating principles diffused themselves over every quarter of the world.

Many were the individual instances of fidelity in my corps, at this awful crisis. Many were the gallant fellows in it who preferred the honorable distinction of allegiance to their King, to the mercenary attainments of self interest. The partial support of the party of Marines on board the London, given to Admiral Colpoys and his Officers, at a time when they were surrounded by thousands of disaffected comrades, afforded a faint display of what would have been their general energies had such been called forth. They were indeed overpowered by numbers, after a contest, in which Lieutenant (now Captain) W. Sims was severely wounded. The loyal conduct of Serjeant Sweet, on board the Pompee, was evident to the members of a Court Martial which sat upon the trial of some misguided mutineers of that ship.

An instance of true heroism appeared in Charles Cubitt, private Marine, (in the Royal Sovereign I think,) who, after having been stabbed in the belly, by a Sailor, with a pike, pursued him with a loaded musket at his ear, but on the fellow begging for life, he nobly spared him.

The steady faithfulness of all those Marine Soldiers who had served during the American war, and had survived the heavy reduction at its close, was uniformly conspicuous. At the outset of these lamentable events, an unshaken resolve to stand or fall with their Officers, inspired every breast, which, had it been accepted, might have led to the sacrifice of those brave men who would have been opposed to uneven numbers, in the Seamen and many of their fellows, whom public emergency had embarked, untrained even to the common duties of their profession, and unhabituated to that strict obedience, which is the essence of every military virtue. Unconscious of that dignity which belongs to his character, the raw recruit readily gives in to any scheme urged by the designing; of which there were too many drawn from the dregs of society, amongst those provincial conscripts who had previously been levied at the most enormous bounties, to man the fleet.

This fiendly spirit soon found its way to the Mediterranean, where all the achievements of Earl St. Vincent's life were yet, I may say, surpassed, by the evidences of that manly vigour with which he subdued it. In this, his Lordship was zealously seconded by all the Officers and the Marines of his fleet, and by one uniform system of subordination which emanated from his high example. The conduct of Admiral Duncan, at Yarmouth, and Admiral Pringle, at the Cape of Good Hope, was alike energetic.

Subsequent events have shewn that this flame was only stifled, but not extinguished, and it would have yielded me the highest gratification to have here bidden an adieu to the hateful topic.

It is an occasion, worthy of the gratitude of Britons, to notice the relative situations of our republican foes at this alarming juncture. France would have eagerly embraced such an hour of calamity to consummate her ambitious views upon our happy Country, but she was paralyzed by similar principles in her own Navy, while the meditated expedition against Ireland, was detained in the ports of Holland by unabating and contrary winds.

This year was remarkable by an increase of pay to his Majesty's subaltern Officers, the abolition of arrears to them, to Captains of the Army, as well as Marines, besides a very handsome addition to the wages of Seamen, and to inferiors in all the other departments of our military forces. That liberal allowance of provisions which was also granted to the Sailors and Marines of the fleet, has rendered their situations truly enviable, as upon a general aggregate they are more than they can possibly consume. The overplus being converted into money is nearly adequate to the purchase of those cordials of which they stand in need, and, in consequence, a prudent man is under little necessity to encroach upon his pecuniary gains. No class of his Majesty's servants is more independent, or might be more happy.

The gallantry of our Navy in the face of an enemy, notwithstanding these outrageous scenes, was uniformly apparent. That expert Seaman and intrepid Officer, Sir Edward Pellew, stands first on the list, accompanied by his brave supporter Captain R. C. Reynolds, of the Amazon, who nobly seconded the Indefatigable, in a contest, with but few intervals, of ten hours. Their opponent, Les Droits de L'Homme, of 74 guns, had been attached to the squadron destined for Ireland, and was on her return to France when attacked by those daring Officers. She had 1600 men on board, by which she fought her cannon on both sides, and thus enjoyed her great superiority. The winds blew a storm, and all their animosities subsided at last in the predominant duty of self-preservation; for a glimpse of the moon providentially penetrating the sullen clouds, pointed out the breakers on a near shore, and the gloomy presage of instantaneous destruction. They were fatal to the unhappy Frenchman, who merited a better doom, as well as to the Amazon, after all her efforts. Sir Edward Pellew expressed his grateful feelings to Lieuts. O'Connor and Wilson, of Marines, for their conduct under these trying occasions.

A disastrous fate seems to have always pursued every modern aim at the conquest of our isles. A petty attempt on Wales, by means of a set of wretched criminals, terminated with their immediate surrender to Lord Cawdor; and the capture of the frigates that had transported them, by Sir H. Neal and Captain J. Cooke, of the St. Fiorenzo and Nymphe, in sight of their own fleet in the road of Brest. Lieut. (afterwards Capt.) Carruthers, who was subsequently drowned in the Invincible, and Lieut. Campbell, of Marines, were distinguished in this spirited affair.

Sir John Warren and his squadron were highly active in annoying the enemy's Naval force and coasting trade during this year.

It is needless to enlarge upon the merits of the brilliant victory of the 11th of October, achieved under the most hazardous circumstances, and signally productive of the most important consequences. The very modest recital of Admiral, now Lord Duncan, of the proceedings of that day, adds a lustre to his well-earned glory. Long baulked in the hopes of meeting his cautious enemy, no wonder his joy kept pace with his zeal to close with them when he had them in his power. The Dutch Marine has not yet recovered the blow, and the services of the North Sea fleet have, experimentally, transcended in their effects to enervate the Naval exertions of that province of France, in two wars.

During the very able and vigilant administration of Earl Spencer, reward was the rapid follower of desert, and the British Commander, after not many hours absence from his Country, found himself, on return to it, elevated, from a commoner, to a Peer of the Realm. A suitable tribute was bestowed upon his brave second Vice Admiral, now Sir Richard Onslow, and Captain H. Trollope, who was bearer of the glad tidings, as well as W. G. Fairfax, the Admiral's Captain; both of whom were created Knights Banneret[4], by a benevolent and grateful Sovereign. The Thanks of the Nation were also conveyed to the Officers, Seamen, and Marines, through its representatives.

The generous contributions of the patriotic and the wealthy of our land, were likewise extended to many a disconsolate widow, a fatherless offspring, and a helpless orphan. The sufferings of the wounded and indigent Officer too were alleviated by public kindness, which sought for objects upon which to exercise its benevolence amongst the lowest ranks of those brave defenders. How criminal it is in any to violate the duties of fidelity to such a Country!

In this well-fought battle 751 Seamen and Marines were killed and wounded, amongst the latter of which were numbered Captains Cuthbert and Cassel, Lieuts. Chambers, Smith, Walker, Charles Rea, and Sandys.

A dash at the Brutus, of 74 guns, by Sir Thomas Williams, after the battle, was ineffectual; but did honour to himself, his Officers, Seamen, and Marines, in the Endymion.

The capture of La Nereide, by Captain, now Sir Robert Barlow, in a night action, displayed the courage and talents of that Officer, and was highly honourable to Lieut. Stewart and his detachment.

On the 19th of December, one of the most delightful scenes ever witnessed in the metropolis of any Empire, was exhibited in ours. It was the procession of the best of Kings, his amiable consort, every branch of the Royal Family, and the representatives of the greatest Nation on earth, towards the altars of their God. Never did prayers ascend on high with a greater fervor of devotion, which was heightened by every surrounding object. The occasion was well calculated to convert the heedless infidel, and to excite a military enthusiasm _not_ to be easily effaced.

Bodies of Marines, drawn from Portsmouth and from Chatham, chiefly formed from those who had so often contributed to the Naval victories of the State, in union with their brethren the Seamen, were allotted for the protection of these trophies which their valour had conquered, and what moved along towards the spot, where all were to pour forth their solemn thanksgivings. Their Majesties were greeted on the way by thousands of their affectionate subjects, and the Prime Minister of the day, who had presided over the Councils of his Country with such ability during its unexampled difficulties, was received with that unconstrained applause, which attested that Englishmen knew how to appreciate his transcendent virtues.

FOOTNOTE:

[4] They take precedence next to Knights of the Bath, and are creations exclusively granted to military men, who have performed any feats of valour. They are always understood to take place on the field of battle, for though Sir William Erskine was invested with the order by his present Majesty, in Hyde Park, for his bravery in the battle of Emsdorff, at the head of the 15th Light Dragoons, still he was not acknowledged as such in this country.

CHAP. XLIII.

Twenty thousand Marines constituted the force of 1798.

No occurrences worthy of particular remark happened this year either in Asia or America; but few opportunities presented to signalize our Navy, and these were of an inferior rate, while the diminished territory of our enemies in both, left but a limited range for further conquest.

The possession of Port-au-Prince, and its dependencies in the island of St. Domingo was relinquished, after a struggle truly honourable to our soldiery and squadrons; but in which the loss of many lives, and an immense expenditure, were unhappily involved.

It is to the shores of the Mediterranean and the coasts of Africa, the eye is called to witness scenes of insatiable ambition, but of unrivalled glory.

At this era France had overcome her numerous foes by the enchantments of her principles, the charms of her gold, or the terror of her arms. Hitherto she had almost supported her immense armies within those provinces she had subdued, or the countries she had invaded. Peace shut the channel of such resources, as there were now but scanty gleanings from an unabating rapacity, which had desolated every soil that had been visited by her citizens.