Memoirs and Correspondence of Admiral Lord de Saumarez Volume II Part 13

I have written you a long public letter upon the wishes of this government for your co-operation in the defence of Sweden. My private opinion is, that the Swedes, in addition to their desire to maintain their commercial relations with us, (which of course they wish should be still carried on, though by secret understanding,) entertain the design of preventing the Russians from interfering in their interior concerns; they also hope the French may be ultimately victorious against Austria, as they suppose they will not be inclined to the confirming of Russia in her conquest of Finland; which considerations make this government so backward in accepting the terms proposed by Russia. In the mean time they are in a most deplorable state, and cannot, I believe, collect 10,000 men: without your a.s.sistance they must perish or yield; with your aid it will be but a respite, I dare say, but perhaps of use for the Swedes.

The news of to-day is rather better: on the Tagliamento it would appear the Austrians are victorious; and in Poland, where Colonel Marfeld is said to have cut off some Russians, marched on Warsaw, and to be about besieging Dantzic: these latter want confirmation. The French, I fear, have crossed the Inn, but with great loss.

I have, &c. &c. &c.

AUGT. FOSTER.

Vice-admiral Sir James Saumarez, Bart. and K.B.

&c. &c. &c.

To the above letters Sir James returned the following satisfactory answer, which decided the plan of his operations for this year:

Victory, Wingo Sound, Gothenburg, 18th May 1809.

SIR,

I have just received the honour of your letter of the 15th instant, by the messenger Mears, acquainting me with the particulars of a conference you had with Baron de Lagerbjelke on the present critical state of Sweden, in consequence, as he was pleased to state to you, of her desire to remain in amity, and maintain her commercial relations, with Great Britain; and requesting you to explain to me the full extent of her danger, in the confidence that I should give all the a.s.sistance in my power which her perilous situation required, without waiting for instructions from his Majesty's government. Also informing me of the formidable preparations making in Finland for the immediate invasion of Sweden.

The a.s.surances made to you through Baron de Lagerbjelke, on the part of the Duke of Sudermania, that every effort will be made to repel the meditated attack of Russia, and that his Royal Highness has determined not to yield to the conditions of peace proposed to him, as long as he has the means of defending himself, will decide me in employing the fleet under my command in the best manner in my power for the defence of Sweden; for which purpose an adequate force will be stationed in the Sound and on the coast of Denmark, to intimidate the Danes from making any attack on the southern provinces of Sweden; and a squadron of line of battle s.h.i.+ps will be employed in the Baltic to watch the Russian fleet, and prevent any attempt on their part to carry an invading army against the coast of Sweden from the side of Finland.

As the attention of the Swedish marine will be princ.i.p.ally confined to the defence of Stockholm, and the coast within the Gulf of Bothnia, it is to be presumed that, with proper exertion, they will be perfectly adequate to that service; and as three Swedish frigates have been ordered to cruise on that station, with other armed vessels, and one hundred and six gun-boats, no doubt can be entertained of their being for the present sufficient to repel the enemy; and I shall readily order such further part of the force under my command, as can be spared from other services, to co-operate in that quarter.

The important transactions going on in the southern coast of the Baltic, in which the interest of Sweden is materially concerned, require a considerable part of the force under my orders for that particular service; but I have the honour to a.s.sure you, that every effort will be exerted for the protection and security of Sweden against any attack of the enemy.

You will be pleased to take the necessary measures that orders may be given for his Majesty's s.h.i.+ps to be supplied with water, and such necessaries as they may stand in need of, at Carlscrona and other Swedish ports; and pilots when they require them.

I have the honour to be, &c.

JAS. SAUMAREZ.

Augt. Foster, Esq. &c. &c. &c.

Victory, in Wingo Sound, 18th May 1809.

SIR,

I have replied to your public letter as fully as I can consider myself warranted, without having received any special instructions on the subject from his Majesty's government; but, considering it to be the intention to maintain the terms of amity with Sweden so long as it can be done consistently, and prevent the country from falling a prey to the common enemy, I trust to be right in using my efforts for that purpose; and I hope to receive the sanction of ministers on the measure I am adopting. I shall proceed for the Baltic the moment it lies in my power; but the late prevailing calms and adverse winds have prevented the arrival of the s.h.i.+ps on their way to join me, and no accounts later than the 5th from London have reached this place. I sent, three days since, a small detachment of s.h.i.+ps to take possession of Anholt, where supplies of water could be obtained, and which would also be a proper place for convoys to resort to in the event of exclusion from the Swedish ports.

Any information you can favour me with respecting the state of the Russian fleet at Cronstadt will be highly desirable, and also the probable time they may be enabled to put to sea from that port.

I have, &c. &c. &c.

JAMES SAUMAREZ.

To Augt. Foster, Esq. &c. &c. &c.

As the next letter from Mr. Foster gives an account of the Russian forces and other interesting particulars, we have given it a place here, which makes any further account of the situation of Sweden unnecessary.

Stockholm, 14th May 1809.

SIR,

I received this evening the letter which your excellency did me the honour to write to me, dated the 11th instant, in answer to one which I had written to Rear-admiral Sir Samuel Hood on the 7th.

I take the opportunity of a private conveyance to have this forwarded to you at Gottenburg; and I beg to a.s.sure you that no efforts shall be wanting on my part to procure information which may be interesting to you as commander-in-chief in these seas, and to convey it to you as speedily as possible.

Our relations with Sweden have not changed materially since Mr.

Merry's departure. Indeed, this government has had no stated form hitherto; though now the Duke of Sudermania is empowered to treat for peace, or to continue war. The Russians have a disposable force of near 20,000 men in Finland, and 105 gun-boats, and are building more, which creates alarm here; and it has been strongly insinuated by several of the officers of government here to me, that nothing could be more grateful to them than such movements of the fleet under your command, sir, as would overawe the Danes, while they should deter the Russians from attempting invasion on the Bothnia coasts of this country; or which, by giving them security in Scania, would enable them to draw their forces this way.

Captain Tillard will sail on the 20th instant, with about eighteen or nineteen merchant-s.h.i.+ps under his convoy.

I have, &c. &c. &c.

AUGT. FOSTER.

Vice-admiral Sir Jas. Saumarez, Bart, and K.B.

Sir James soon after received a letter in the French language from R.A. Nauckhoff, containing the same _expose_ and request as Baron Lagerbjelke had made. He concludes with the following additional particulars:

Les etats du Royaume de Swede ont declare par un acte formel, le 12 de ce mois, que le Roi ci-devant, aussi que son fils, a perdu tout le droit au trone ou a la couronne de Swede pour jamais: c'est la mauvaise conduite dans le gouvernement, dont tout le Royaume est mis en misere, qui a cause le malheur de ce Roi et sa famille. Le Duc Charles est, en attendant, Regent avec tout le pouvoir du Roi, et il sera fait et declare pour Roi de Swede aussitot que les etats ont eu le tems pour faire une autre forme de regence. Dans le moment on apporte la nouvelle que les Autrichiens ont totalement battu l'armee de Napoleon. Si cela se manifeste, je n'en doute pas que cela causerat des grands changemens chez les puissances du Nord.

The attack on the island of Anholt, for which Sir James had previously obtained the sanction of government, was completely successful. The detachment consisted of the Standard, sixty-four, Captain Hollies; the Owen Glendower, thirty-six; Avenger, Rose, Ranger, sloops; and Snipe, gun-boat: this was reinforced by the marines of the Victory, under Captain Peter Jones, who particularly distinguished himself.

The governor, having been summoned, refused to surrender; when the marines of the squadron were immediately landed, under Captain Nicolls, who was senior officer, and who soon stormed their batteries, and obliged the governor to surrender at discretion.[9]

[9] Sir James, before leaving Wingo Sound, sent Captain Acklom home with the following letter, and a detailed account of the capture of the island, which will be found in the Appendix:

Victory, Wingo Sound, 24th May 1809.

MY DEAR LORD,

It is with great satisfaction I have the honour to inform your lords.h.i.+p of the capture of the island of Anholt, which, although not a very productive island, will prove of great importance for the purposes as stated in my public letters, more particularly when excluded from the ports of Sweden. Captain Acklom is a very deserving officer, who has been on the station all the winter; being known to his grace the Duke of Portland, he flatters himself with the hope of promotion.

Lieutenant Daniel Ross, acting on board the Kangaroo, is an old follower of mine, and a most deserving man. I shall feel greatly obliged to your lords.h.i.+p for his promotion.

I hope to be enabled to sail for the Baltic this evening; but the late calms and baffling winds have proved against us, and delayed the s.h.i.+ps getting through the Belt.

I have, &c. &c. &c. JAS. SAUMAREZ.

The Right Hon. Lord Mulgrave.

The objects of this capture were to obtain a supply of water, a rendezvous for convoys, and the destruction of a retreat for privateers. Sir James appointed Captain Nicolls governor of Anholt, which was confirmed by the Admiralty. Rear-admiral Sir Samuel Hood returned to England on account of ill health, and was replaced by Rear-admiral Pickmore, who was stationed in the Belt under Rear-admirals Keats and Manly Dixon; while Rear-admiral Bertie was stationed at Helsingburg: the former three having the care and directions of convoying the fleets of merchant s.h.i.+ps through the Belt; the latter through the Sound and Malmo channel. Sir James, in pa.s.sing through the Great Belt, visited the station at the island of Sproe, and afforded protection to a numerous convoy of merchant s.h.i.+ps pa.s.sing at that time, and trading under neutral colours, under a licence from the English and the Swedish governments.

After touching at Ystad, Sir James arrived at Carlscrona on the 4th of June: from Ystad, he wrote the following letter to Mr. Foster:

Victory, Great Belt, 29th May 1809.

SIR,

I had the honour yesterday morning to receive your letter of the 19th, inclosing one from Admiral Nauckhoff addressed to me, and also the copy of General Wrede's report on the state of the north. I have been detained by adverse currents and calms since my departure from Gottenburg; but think myself fortunate in having been as early as Admiral Dixon, who sailed eight days before me, and with whom I fell in yesterday evening off Langeland.

The Danish force of gun-boats in the Belt has been considerably increased since last year. The Melpomene frigate was attacked by several in the night of the 23rd, and had four men killed besides about twenty wounded. Captain Warren, in having drawn their attention, succeeded in preserving a numerous convoy at anchor near Langeland, which seemed to have been the princ.i.p.al object for which they came out. The Ardent having very injudiciously landed a party of men on the island of Ramsoe, for the purpose of procuring a supply of wood and water, they suffered themselves to be surprised, and about eighty men were made prisoners.

I am hastening with all despatch towards Carlscrona, and I hope to have the honour of hearing from you in my way off Ystad. I think it right to mention, _in confidence_, that I shall not have more than six sail of the line of battles.h.i.+ps with me, until I can be joined by those that may be on their way from England.