How Britannia Came to Rule the Waves Part 18

At 1:30 p.m. the Danish fire slackened, and at 2 p.m. ceased along nearly the whole of the line. Among the British officers who fell was the gallant Captain Riou, who was cut in two while carrying his frigate, the _Amazon_, into action. After the flags of all the chief batteries had been struck, some of the lighter vessels that had got adrift fired on the boats which approached to take possession of them. Nelson prepared a letter to send to the Crown Prince of Denmark, threatening to destroy the prizes unless this proceeding was put a stop to. He concluded his letter, "The brave Danes are the brothers and should never be the enemies of England." A wafer was then given him, but he ordered a candle to be brought from the c.o.c.k-pit, and sealed the letter with wax, affixing a larger seal than is ordinarily used, remarking as he did so, "This is no time to appear hurried and informal."

The remainder of the batteries having at length ceased firing, a flag of truce arrived from the sh.o.r.e, when the action, which had continued for five hours, was brought to a close, the total loss of killed being 255, and of wounded 688. The Danish loss amounted to between 1600 and 1800.

The result of the victory was the secession of Denmark from the league, and the Emperor of Russia dying soon afterwards, the armed neutrality was dissolved.

Napoleon now began to hope more ardently than ever that he should ere long land his victorious legions on British ground. To carry them over, he had collected a large flotilla, chiefly at Boulogne. By Lord Nelson's orders, a desperate attempt was made by the boats of the squadron to destroy them. Some were gun brigs of between 200 and 250 tons; others were flats, vessels capable of carrying a crew of 30 men and 150 soldiers, with either a mortar or a long 24-pounder, as well as swivels and small-arms. Though some few were captured, all attempts at their destruction failed. The British cruisers, however, kept too good a watch to allow them to put to sea.

Numerous cutting-out expeditions took place during the war, in which both officers and men displayed the greatest possible amount of courage and determination. One of the most daring and successful on record was the capture of the French 20-gun s.h.i.+p-corvette _Chevrette_, while lying under some batteries in Camaret Bay, by the boats of the _Doris_, _Beaulieu_, and _Uremic_, forming part of the Channel Fleet under Admiral Cornwallis, stationed off Brest Harbour. At the first attempt the boats were discovered, and the _Chevrette_ ran a mile and a-half farther up the bay, and took on board a party of soldiers.

Notwithstanding this, the next night, the 21st, the boats of the three frigates, joined by the barge and pinnace of the _Robust_, 74, amounting in all to 15, and containing about 280 officers and men, under the command of Lieutenant Losack, the second in command being Lieutenant Keith Maxwell of the _Beaulieu_, left their s.h.i.+ps at 9:30 p.m. As they were pulling into the bay, Lieutenant Losack, with six boats, went in chase of a boat supposed to be sent as a look-out from the _Chevrette_, and as he did not return, Lieutenant Maxwell proceeded on without him.

About 1 a.m. the flotilla coming in sight of the _Chevrette_, she opened a heavy fire on them of grape and musketry, and at the same time they were a.s.sailed by a fire of musketry from the sh.o.r.e. Undaunted by this, the British boarded the s.h.i.+p, some on the starboard bow and quarter, and others on the larboard bow, bravely opposed by the Frenchmen, who were armed with muskets and pistols, sabres, tomahawks, and pikes. Some, indeed, attempted to enter the boats, but were driven back by the British, who, having lost their pistols and muskets, made their way cutla.s.s in hand. Some who had been directed to loose the sails, fought their way on to the corvette's yards. Here they found the foot-ropes strapped up, but, notwithstanding every obstacle, the sails were let fall in less than three minutes after the boarders had gained the deck.

The cable having, in the meantime, been cut outside, a light breeze blowing from the land, and the quartermaster of the _Beaulieu_, Henry Wallis, fighting his way to the helm, and though bleeding from his wounds, taking charge of the wheel, the s.h.i.+p drifted out of the bay. On seeing the canvas loose, some of the Frenchmen leaped overboard, and others sprang down the hatchways, thus allowing the British to gain possession of the quarter-deck and forecastle, now nearly covered with the bodies of the slain. For some time, however, the Frenchmen who had fled below kept up a sharp fire of musketry, but the English, firing down in return, compelled them to yield. On her way out the prize was exposed to a heavy fire of round and grape from the batteries, but, the wind increasing, she got out of grape-shot. Not till then did Lieutenant Losack and his companions get on board. Two officers were killed, one of whom was Lieutenant Sinclair of the marines, while defending Mr Crofton, a mids.h.i.+pman, who had been severely wounded while boarding. The other, Robert Warren, a mids.h.i.+pman. Another, Lieutenant Waller Burke, was mortally wounded. Altogether, 11 were killed and 57 wounded, and I marine drowned in the _Beaulieu's_ barge, which was sunk by a shot from the corvette. The gallantry of the boatswain of the _Beaulieu_, Mr John Brown, was also conspicuous. After attempting to force his way in to the _Chevrette's_ fore-quarter-gallery, he climbed up over the taffrail, when standing up for some time exposed to the enemy's fire, waving his cutla.s.s, he shouted out, "Make a lane there;"

then, gallantly das.h.i.+ng among the Frenchmen, he fought his way to the forecastle. Here he continued driving back the French, who attempted to regain the post, all the time carrying out the orders he received from the quarter-deck, while he a.s.sisted in casting the s.h.i.+p and making sail as coolly as if he had been carrying on duty under ordinary circ.u.mstances.

During the war, which ended at the peace of Amiens, on the 27th of March, 1802, England had captured 80 sail of the line, and numberless other s.h.i.+ps, besides various islands in the West Indies and other parts of the world, from the French, Spaniards, and Dutch. Though most of the latter were given up, the navy of England had gained a renown which can never be obliterated.

CHAPTER SIXTEEN.

GEORGE THE THIRD--FROM A.D. 1803 TO END OF WAR A.D. 1814.

The "piping times of peace" were not destined to last long. Napoleon, indeed, had never ceased making preparations for war from the time the treaty of Amiens was signed. On the 16th of May the British Government, discovering his aims, issued letters of marque and ordered general reprisals; and at the same time Holland, being in reality a province of France, all s.h.i.+ps belonging to the Batavian Republic in English ports were detained. Admiral Cornwallis, in command of the Channel Fleet, of 10 sail of the line and frigates, which was lying in Cawsand Bay, had his flag flying on board the _Dreadnought_, 98. With these he proceeded the next day to cruise off Ushant, and watch the motions of the French s.h.i.+ps in Brest Harbour; other small squadrons being sent, as soon as they were ready, off the other French ports, containing either s.h.i.+ps of the line or gunboats, of which Napoleon was collecting vast numbers for the invasion of England. In a short time that war, which was to last ten years, commenced in earnest. The French gunboats were, however, kept pretty close prisoners by the English cruisers, and whenever any of them ventured out from under the protection of their batteries, they were attacked, captured, driven on sh.o.r.e, or compelled to seek shelter in the nearest port under their lee; while many of them were gallantly cut out and carried off in triumph, even when moored in positions where they could receive a.s.sistance from the forts on sh.o.r.e.

Out of the numberless gallant deeds performed by the crews of boats and small vessels engaged in this service, one must be instanced for its singularity, and the bravery displayed by the commanding officer and his followers. A hired cutter, the _Sheerness_, carrying 8 4-pounders and 30 men and boys, under the command of Lieutenant Henry Rowed, while watching Brest Harbour, observed two cha.s.se-marees close insh.o.r.e.

Having sent a boat with seven men and the mate to cut off one of them, the commander proceeded in the cutter in chase of the other, which was about five miles off, under the protection of a battery. A calm coming on, he, with the boatswain, John Marks, and three other men, jumped into a small boat and pulled away for the chase. The latter, after some time, ran on sh.o.r.e under the battery, where thirty soldiers were observed drawn up on the beach. Notwithstanding the heavy fire they at once opened, Lieutenant Rowed dashed alongside. The Frenchmen having deserted their vessel, he began making efforts to get her off; in this, as the tide was rising, he at length succeeded, and going ahead in the boat, towed her away from the sh.o.r.e. He had pulled about a third of a mile, when suddenly a French boat, with an officer and nine men armed with muskets, were seen alongside, having pulled up in the wake of the vessel. Before the French could have time to attack them, John Marks sprang on board the cha.s.se-maree, and seizing a boat-stretcher, stood prepared to prevent any of the enemy from getting up the side. The astonishment of the Frenchmen gave time to the lieutenant and his three men to climb on board and to prepare their firearms and cutla.s.ses. The French, who attempted to get up the side, were driven back, when they sheered off, but discharged their muskets at the English as they pulled away, while the battery also opened fire. Wonderful as it may seem, though forty-nine musket-b.a.l.l.s were found sticking in the prize, not a man was hurt; and both cha.s.se-marees were carried off.

For some time the princ.i.p.al fighting was between the English cruisers in the channel and the invasion flotilla, as Napoleon's gunboats were called; and as their stings might annoy, though they could not inflict serious injury, attempts were made to destroy them by fire-vessels or catamarans--which was the name given to a species of nautical infernal machine--though without much success. The catamaran consisted of a coffer of about 21 feet long and 3 and a half broad, somewhat in shape like a log of mahogany, wedge-shaped at each end. It was covered with thick planking, and lined with lead, thoroughly caulked and tarred, while over all was a coat of canvas, payed over with hot pitch. To give an idea of its size, the vessel weighed about two tons. Inside was a piece of clock-work, the mainspring of which, on withdrawing a peg placed on the outside, would, after going six or ten minutes, draw the trigger of a lock, and explode the vessel. Every other part was filled with about 40 barrels of gunpowder and other inflammable matter. As much ballast was placed in it as would keep the upper surface of the deck even with the water's edge. It had no mast, and had to be towed towards the scene of its operations. The tow-rope was at one end, and to the other was fixed a rope with a grappling-iron at its extremity, kept afloat by pieces of cork. This grappling-iron, it was intended, should hook itself to the cable of the vessel it was to destroy, and thus swing the catamaran alongside. It was, indeed, on a larger scale, though with less destructive power, something like Harvey's torpedo of the present day.

Lord Keith, who was with a squadron off Boulogne, first made use of four of the machines, in the hopes of destroying some of a flotilla of 150 vessels moored in a double line outside the pier. Three exploded one after another, doing very little harm; but a heavily armed launch, which had chased one of the boats towing a catamaran, ran foul of it, when the launch and every one on board was blown into the air.

Numerous other engagements took place, and frequently the portions of the flotilla moving from the different ports towards Boulogne were severely handled by the British cruisers. Occasionally, small English vessels, venturing too close insh.o.r.e for the purpose of attacking them, were captured by the French.

At length Napoleon managed to collect a vast number of prames and gun-vessels, with other craft, the whole flotilla amounting to 2293, of which the larger were armed. These were intended to carry 163,645 men, of whom 16,783 were sailors, besides 9059 horses. This flotilla was organised in six grand divisions. One, denominated the left wing, was stationed at Etaples, to convey the troops under Marshal Ney from the camp of Mottrieux. Two other divisions were in the port of Boulogne, to convey the troops from the two camps on either side of it, under Soult.

A fourth was at the port of Vimereux to carry the corps of Marshal Lannes. The Gallo-Batavian flotilla, a.s.sembled off Ambleteuse, formed the fifth grand division, destined to transport the troops under Marshal Davoust; while the sixth, at Calais, was to carry the Italian infantry, and various divisions of mounted and dismounted dragoons.

On the 3rd of August, 1805, Napoleon came to Boulogne to inspect the flotilla, and so completely organised was it by this time, that although the extremities of the camps were more than two miles from the point of embarkation, an hour and a-half only was occupied in getting men and horses on board. All he wanted was the arrival of his fleet under Villeneuve, to protect his mighty flotilla during its pa.s.sage across the channel, and then, as his generals at all events believed, the conquest of England was certain.

Meantime Nelson, who at the breaking out of the war had been appointed to the command of the fleet in the Mediterranean, was watching Villeneuve, resolved to prevent him from appearing on the spot where his fleet was so anxiously looked for by Napoleon. On the 18th of May, 1803, he had hoisted his flag on board his old s.h.i.+p, the _Victory_, and on the 20th had sailed from Spithead, first bound to Brest, and from thence to the Mediterranean. Here he remained for nearly two years, without once setting foot on sh.o.r.e, watching and waiting for the Toulon fleet, endeavouring to induce them to come out and give him battle. At length, on the 18th of January, 1805, the French fleet did come out, but a heavy gale blowing. Nelson was then at anchor off the coast of Sardinia. Supposing that they had gone to Egypt, he sailed in chase, but found that they had put back into Toulon. Hence again Villeneuve sailed, and escaping through the straits, was joined by the Spanish fleet at Cadiz, which had 4500 troops on board. The combined fleet of the enemy now numbered 20 sail of the line and 10 frigates, while Nelson had but 10 sail of the line and 3 frigates. With these, however, he chased Villeneuve to the West Indies, where, after threatening several of the islands, he fled back to Europe, with Nelson after him. When about twenty leagues west of Finisterre, on the 22nd of July, the French admiral was attacked by Sir Robert Calder, with 15 line-of-battle s.h.i.+ps, but escaped into Cadiz, with the loss of two of the Spanish s.h.i.+ps.

Nelson, meantime, had sought the enemy on the north-west coast of Ireland, and then came back into the channel, where his s.h.i.+ps reinforced the fleet under Admiral Cornwallis off Ushant, and he himself, worn out with fatigue and anxiety, went on sh.o.r.e for a short rest.

It was now that Napoleon urged Villeneuve to come into the channel, ending with the words, "England desires us, we are all ready, all is embarked, appear, and within four-and-twenty hours all is finished." No sooner did Nelson hear that the French and Spanish fleet had entered Cadiz than, again offering his services, he arrived at Portsmouth on the 14th of September, and the next morning, putting off in his barge to the _Victory_, he bade his last farewell to England. On the 29th of September, his birthday, he was off Cadiz, and joining Collingwood, took command of the British fleet, then amounting to 27 sail of the line.

Villeneuve had been waiting till the Spaniards were ready, and till a favourable wind would allow him to sail. On the 9th of October Nelson sent Collingwood his plan of attack, his intention being to advance towards the enemy in two lines, led by eight of his fastest three-deckers, and thus to break through the enemy's line. Collingwood, having the command of one line, was to break through the enemy about the twelfth s.h.i.+p from the rear, Nelson intending to lead through the centre, while the advanced squadron was to cut off three or four s.h.i.+ps ahead of the centre. He would make few signals: no captain could do wrong who placed his s.h.i.+p close alongside that of an enemy. Not till the 19th did the admiral learn that Villeneuve had put to sea, when he at once concluded that he intended to enter the Mediterranean. Two days afterwards, the ever-memorable 21st of October, 1805, at daylight, when the English fleet was about seven leagues from Cape Trafalgar, Nelson discovered the enemy six or seven miles to the eastward, which had so manoeuvred as to bring the shoals of Trafalgar and San Pedro under the lee of the British fleet, while they kept the port of Cadiz open for themselves.

Nelson now hoisted the signal to bear down on them in two lines. Nelson led one in the _Victory_, Collingwood the other in the _Royal Sovereign_. On going into action he asked Captain Blackwood, who had come on board to receive orders, what he should consider a victory.

"The capture of 14 sail of the line," was the answer. "I shall not be satisfied with less than 20," said Nelson.

Shortly afterwards up went the signal, "England expects every man to do his duty."

Notwithstanding the attempts made to induce Lord Nelson to allow the _Temeraire_ to lead his line into action, the _Victory_ carrying all sail, kept her station. Ahead of her was Villeneuve's flag-s.h.i.+p, the _Bucentaur_, with the _Santissima Trinidad_ as his second before her; while ahead of the _Royal Sovereign_, the leader of the lee column, was the _Santa Anna_, the flag-s.h.i.+p of the Spanish vice-admiral. The sea was smooth, the wind very light; the sun shone brightly on the fresh-painted sides of the long line of French and Spanish s.h.i.+ps, when the _Fougueux_, astern of the _Santa Anna_, opened her fire on the _Royal Sovereign_, which, at about ten minutes past noon, delivered her larboard broadside, with guns double-shotted, at the _Santa Anna_, and with such precision as to disable 14 of her guns, and to kill or wound 400 of her crew; while with her starboard broadside she raked the _Fougueux_. Just then Collingwood exclaimed to his captain, "Rotherham, what would Nelson give to be here;" and at the same moment Nelson was observing, "See how that n.o.ble fellow Collingwood carries his s.h.i.+p into action."

The wind now falling to almost a calm, the _Victory_ and the s.h.i.+ps in her wake advanced so slowly that seven or eight of the rearmost s.h.i.+ps of the French van having opened fire upon the _Victory_ before she had fired a single gun, 50 of her men were killed or wounded, and her main-topmast with her studdensail-boom shot away, and every sail, especially on the foremast, had become like a sieve. At about four minutes after twelve she opened with both her broadsides. Captain Hardy now informed Nelson that it was impossible to break the enemy's line without running on board one of their s.h.i.+ps. "Take your choice--go on board which you please," was the answer.

The _Victory_, as she approached the _Bucentaur_, fired a 68-pounder carronade containing a round-shot and a keg with 500 musket-b.a.l.l.s, from the larboard side of her forecastle, right into the cabin-windows of that s.h.i.+p; and as she forged slowly ahead, the whole of her 50 broadside guns, all doubly and some trebly shotted, so as completely to rake her, killing or wounding as many men as the _Bucentaur_ had lost, and dismounting 20 of her guns. Receiving the fire of an 80-gun s.h.i.+p, the _Neptune_, the _Victory's_ helm being put hard a-port, she ran on board the _Redoutable_, into which she poured a heavy fire, while with her aftermost starboard guns she engaged the _Santissima Trinidad_. Besides the heavy fire of great guns and musketry she was enduring from other s.h.i.+ps, she received the shot of the _Redoutable's_ main-deck guns, and also constant discharges of musketry from the three tops of that s.h.i.+p.

It was from the mizen-top of the _Redoutable_, at about 1:25 p.m., that, as Nelson and Captain Hardy were walking the deck together, the admiral was shot by a musket-ball, which entered his left shoulder, and descending lodged in his spine. Hardy, who had just turned, saw him in the act of falling, with his left hand just touching the deck. He was removed by the sergeant of marines and two seamen to the c.o.c.k-pit.

In the meantime the action raged furiously. Soon after the first four s.h.i.+ps of the lee division had cut through between the centre and rear of the enemy's line. The remainder, as they came up, forced their way into the dense ma.s.s and engaged such s.h.i.+ps as they could best attack. The weather division was doing the same, rather ahead of the centre, and at about 1:30 p.m. the battle was at its height. At about 3 p.m. the firing began to slacken, and two hours afterwards had wholly ceased, by which time 9 French sail of the line, including one burnt, and 9 Spanish were captured. Nine French and 6 Spaniards escaped, of which 4 French s.h.i.+ps made sail to the southward, and 11, 5 of which were French and 6 Spanish, reached Cadiz, most of them much knocked about; while all the frigates and smaller craft also escaped.

Within twenty minutes after the fatal shot had been fired from her, the _Redoutable_ struck her colours, and about three hours after Nelson had received his wound, he breathed his last.

In the whole action the British lost 449 killed and 1241 wounded, while several of the s.h.i.+ps lost two of their masts, and five were totally dismasted. Lord Nelson intended to anchor the fleet and prizes, but this Lord Collingwood did not think fit to do, and a gale coming on from the south-west, some of the prizes went down, others were driven ash.o.r.e, one escaped into Cadiz, some were destroyed, and only four by the greatest exertions were saved. To the credit of the Spaniards it must be recorded that the English prize-crews which landed from the wrecks were treated with the greatest kindness.

Although there were few trophies, the result of the victory was completely to disconcert Napoleon's plans, and to prevent him from invading England. Four s.h.i.+ps which escaped after the action were captured by Sir Richard Strachan on the 4th of November, and not while the war continued did the French and Spanish navies ever recover the tremendous blow they had received off Cape Trafalgar. Thus, of the once formidable French and Spanish fleet of 35 sail of the line, 2 were taken by Sir Robert Calder, 4 of those captured at Trafalgar were carried into Gibraltar, as were the 4 taken by Sir Richard Strachan, 15 were sunk or were burnt or wrecked; 3 only fit for sea escaped into Cadiz; while 7, so severely battered as to be mere wrecks, got into the same port, making up the whole number mentioned. In vain for some time did Napoleon attempt to send another fleet to sea. His s.h.i.+ps were either blockaded by the British squadrons, or, when they did manage to escape, were attacked and beaten by our fleets. At the same time small squadrons or single cruisers running out of port committed much havoc on English commerce; not, however, with impunity. Numerous actions between light squadrons and single s.h.i.+ps took place. The enemy, indeed, were never safe, even in port; and expeditions to cut out vessels in the harbours or under the protection of forts were much in vogue.

The navy of England was, at the commencement of 1806, larger than it had ever before been, consisting of 551 cruisers in commission, of which 104 were line-of-battle s.h.i.+ps; in addition to which 26 were building or being built, and 10 in ordinary, a large proportion of the rest being frigates carrying from 56 to 28 guns.

A new method had been introduced to strengthen s.h.i.+ps by diagonal braces or by doubling or sheathing them with plank, and sometimes when they were in bad condition both bracing and doubling them. By this means 22 sail of the line, several frigates, and other smaller vessels had been made fit for active service.

In this year, also, was launched the first British s.h.i.+p of war constructed of teak. Two first-rate s.h.i.+ps also were ordered, the _Nelson_ and the _Caledonia_, of a tonnage and force double that of many of the old s.h.i.+ps of the line. To man this large fleet Parliament made a vote of 120,000 seamen and marines.

The four s.h.i.+ps captured by Sir Richard Strachan were carried into Plymouth, and were added to the British Navy, the _Formidable_ having the name of _Brave_ given to her, the _Duguay-Trouin_ that of the _Implacable_, while the _Scipion_ and _Mont Blanc_ were allowed to retain their former names. The _Implacable_ and _Scipion_ were, however, the only s.h.i.+ps considered as fit for service.

Notwithstanding the heavy loss France had sustained, Bonaparte managed to send to sea a fleet of 11 sail of the line, and a number of frigates, in two squadrons. One of these sailed for the West Indies early in 1806, while the other steered for the Cape of Good Hope. Admiral Duckworth, who, with 7 sail of the line, had been blockading Cadiz, came up with the former of these squadrons, consisting of 5 s.h.i.+ps, 2 frigates, and a corvette, and after a severe action took or destroyed the whole of the five line-of-battle s.h.i.+ps.

Among the gallant actions performed at this time was one which shows that seamen fight as well on sh.o.r.e as afloat. The British 38-gun frigate _Loire_, Captain Maitland, cruising off the coast of Spain, having chased a privateer into the Bay of Camarinas, situated to the eastward of Cape Finisterre, sent in three of her boats, under the command of Lieutenant James Lucas Yeo, to bring her out. Instead of one, they found two privateers, moored under a battery of 10 guns. Both were captured, in spite of the fire of the battery; but in order to secure the larger of the two, Lieutenant Yeo was compelled to abandon the smallest vessel. To recompense himself for her loss, he captured three merchant-vessels laden with wine on his way out. From his prisoners Captain Maitland learned that a French privateer of 26 guns was fitting out at Muros, and being acquainted with the navigation of the bay, he resolved on her capture or destruction. Accordingly, on the 4th of June, he stood into the bay, with springs on his cables, ready to attack the fort, and towing his boats, with fifty officers and men under the command of Lieutenant Yeo. On pa.s.sing close to the sh.o.r.e, the _Loire_ was exposed to a fire from two long 18-pounders, which considerably annoyed her. On this Captain Maitland ordered Lieutenant Yeo to land and spike the guns. The gallant lieutenant departing on this service, the _Loire_ stood on, when, as she opened the bay, she discovered at anchor within it a large corvette pierced for 26 guns, and a brig of 10 guns; but as the armament of both vessels was on sh.o.r.e, they were unable to offer any resistance. The _Loire_, however, was now exposed to a hot fire from a fort of 12 long 18-pounders, from which, as she was less than a quarter-of-a-mile off, nearly every shot struck her hull. Finding that by standing on he should be exposed to a still hotter fire, Captain Maitland ran as close in as he could venture, and anchoring the frigate with a spring on her cable, opened her broadside.

So strong, however, was the fort, that the frigate's shot committed little or no damage, while numbers of her crew were falling, some severely wounded. Lieutenant Yeo had in the meantime landed, and storming the 2-gun battery, put its defenders to flight. Having spiked the guns, Lieutenant Yeo discovered the large fort close to the town of Muros, which was severely annoying the frigate. Without hesitation, he resolved to attack it, and his men were eager to follow him. The garrison were so occupied in firing at the frigate, that not only was the approach of the British unperceived, but the outer gate had actually been left open. On the seamen rus.h.i.+ng forward, headed by Lieutenant Yeo, the sentinel who only just then perceived them, fired his musket and retreated, followed closely by the storming party, which on reaching the inner gate was met by the governor, and those he had time to rally round him, sword in hand. With a blow of his cutla.s.s, which was broken in the effort, the lieutenant laid him dead at his feet. A desperate struggle ensued in the narrow pa.s.sage between the officers of the garrison and the British seamen, who, bearing down all opposition, drove the enemy before them to the farther end of the fort, many of whom in their terror sprang through the embrasures down upon the rocks below, a height of twenty-five feet. The garrison of the fort consisted of upwards of 100 men, composed of the crew of the corvette, 22 Spanish soldiers, and several Spanish volunteers. Of these, the governor, the second captain of the corvette, and a Spanish gentleman, with nine other men, were killed, and thirty wounded, before the survivors, finding all opposition useless, laid down their arms; when the British colours, greatly to the satisfaction of the frigate's crew, were seen flying on the flagstaff. Directly the fort was in the possession of the British, the seamen and marines did their best to a.s.sist the wounded prisoners, and were amply repaid by the grat.i.tude which the unfortunate men's friends expressed when they came to carry them into the town. The guns being spiked and thrown over the parapet, and part of the fort being blown up, the British embarked, carrying off 40 barrels of powder, 2 small bra.s.s cannon, and 50 stand of arms. The corvette and brig, as also the Spanish merchant-vessel, were taken possession of, when Captain Maitland sent a flag of truce to the town, promising that should the stores of the two privateers be delivered up, he would not injure the town; he also refrained from capturing a number of small merchant-vessels which lay in the bay, considering that it was cruel to deprive the poor owners of the means of obtaining a livelihood. His terms were gladly accepted, and the bishop and one of the princ.i.p.al inhabitants of Muros came off to express their grat.i.tude for the kind way in which their victors had treated them, and offering such refreshment as the place could afford to the British captain and his officers. The corvette was named the _Confiance_, and on his return home Lieutenant Yeo was appointed to her. Shortly afterwards he was raised to post-rank, the _Confiance_ being rated as a post-s.h.i.+p, with an armament of 22 carronades, 18-pounders, and a complement of 140 men and boys, in order that he might still remain her captain.

Among the most remarkable of the gallant actions of this period between single s.h.i.+ps was that fought in August, 1805, between the British 18-pounder 36-gun frigate _Phoenix_, Captain Thomas Baker, and the French frigate _Didon_, of 40 guns, Captain Milius. The _Didon_ measured 1091 tons, and had a crew of 330 men, the weight of her metal amounting to 563 pounds; while the _Phoenix_ measured but 884 tons, her crew numbering only 245 men, and the weight of her metal was 444 pounds.

The _Didon_, which had three days before sailed from Corunna with despatches for the Rochefort squadron, and after escaping an action from another English frigate, had been visited by the skipper of an American merchant-vessel, who informed Captain Milius that a s.h.i.+p whose topgallant-sails were just then rising out of the water to windward was an English 20-gun s.h.i.+p, on board of which he had been the previous evening, and from what he had heard he was sure that she would venture to engage the _Didon_. Captain Milius, though ordered to avoid an action, believing that victory was certain, backed his mizen-topsail and kept his main-topsail s.h.i.+vering to allow the British s.h.i.+p to come up with him. The stranger was the _Phoenix_, and which was not only a smaller frigate, but Captain Baker had disguised her to resemble at a distance a sloop of war. The mistake into which Captain Milius had been led by his treacherous visitor was therefore not discovered until the _Phoenix_ was close to the _Didon_, which s.h.i.+p, hoisting her colours, fired a gun to windward, and at 8:45 a.m. opened her broadside. Captain Baker, in order to prevent the _Didon_ from escaping, had resolved to engage to leeward, but, from the manoeuvres of the French s.h.i.+p, unable to do this, he stood down right at her to windward with all sail set.

By this bold measure he succeeded in bringing his broadside to bear on the _Didon_ at pistol-shot distance, when a hot fire of round-shot, grape and musketry was exchanged between the combatants. The _Phoenix_ from the press of sails she carried, ranged ahead of the _Didon_, which lay almost stationary, and before she could haul up, was raked by the latter; but as the crew were ordered to lie down, they escaped without damage. By the rapidity with which the crew of the _Phoenix_ repaired her damaged rigging, they avoided an attempt made by the _Didon_ to rake her with her starboard broadside. In a short time the _Didon's_ larboard bow ran against the starboard-quarter of the _Phoenix_, both s.h.i.+ps lying nearly in a parallel direction, the former having only one gun which could be brought to bear on her antagonist. At that moment the Frenchmen in vast numbers attempted to board the _Phoenix_, but were vigorously repulsed; while the marines of both s.h.i.+ps exchanged a warm and destructive fire. At this juncture a young mids.h.i.+pman, Edward Phillips, observed a man upon the _Didon's_ bowsprit end taking deliberate aim at Captain Baker, close to whom he was standing. Being armed with a musket, he, thrusting the captain on one side, fired. At the same moment the Frenchmen fell into the water, while the bullet intended for the captain's head tore off alone the rim of his hat.

Several men who were sick below, leaving their hammocks, employed themselves in bringing up powder, while the acting purser, Mr John Colman, who might with propriety have remained to a.s.sist the surgeons in the c.o.c.k-pit, appeared on deck with a brace of pistols in his belt and a broadsword in his hand, encouraging the crew by every means in his power. Still, the great superiority of the French made it doubtful which s.h.i.+p would gain the victory; when Captain Baker by great exertions brought the aftermost main-deck gun to a port which he had cut by enlarging one of the stern windows. Several of his men were killed by the French marines while the operation was going forward, but at length he succeeded in running it through the port, and, at his first discharge, sweeping the _Didon_ from her larboard bow to her starboard-quarter, laid low twenty-four of her crew. The British marines were, in the meantime, keeping up so spirited a fire on the forecastle of the _Didon_ that they prevented the Frenchmen from discharging the carronade placed on it. This work continued for half-an-hour, when the _Didon_ fore-reached on the _Phoenix_, which, as she did so, brought her second aftermost gun to bear on her, and at its first discharge cut away the gammoning of her bowsprit and did other damage. Though the guns of the _Phoenix_ were lighter than those of the _Didon_, they were fired nearly half as quick again. The _Didon_ had by this time, as she pa.s.sed out of gunshot, lost her main-topmast, while her foremast was in a tottering condition, and her hull severely shattered. The rigging of the _Phoenix_ had also been so much cut about that she was almost unmanageable. Both frigates, which had gone into action with nearly all their sails set, now exhibited a melancholy appearance, their canvas riddled or in tatters, and rope-ends drooping from their masts and yards. Their crews were now employed in repairing their damaged rigging, and so well trained and diligent was that of the _Phoenix_ that in a short time they had knotted and spliced her rigging and rove fresh braces. While so employed, about noon, they were encouraged by seeing the _Didon's_ foremast fall over the side. Soon afterwards a light air of wind springing up, the _Phoenix_, tr.i.m.m.i.n.g her sails, stood down towards the _Didon_, and having got within gunshot, was about to open her fire, when the French frigate, being utterly helpless, hauled down her colours.

The _Phoenix_ had lost her second lieutenant, 1 master's mate, and 10 seamen killed, and 3 officers, 13 seamen, and 12 marines wounded; while the _Didon_ had had 27 officers and men killed, and 44 badly wounded out of her crew of 330 men, who were looked upon as one of the most efficient in the French navy, while Captain Milius, who was known for his gallantry and seamans.h.i.+p, had fought his frigate with the greatest bravery.

The crew of the _Phoenix_ had still a difficult duty to perform. Their prisoners greatly outnumbered them, and not only had they to refit the two s.h.i.+ps, but to keep a strict watch on their captives. The _Didon's_ main-mast was so severely wounded that it had immediately to be cut away, when the _Phoenix_, taking her in tow, steered for a British port.

On the evening of the 14th she fell in with the _Dragon_, 74, which s.h.i.+p accompanying her, the next day they came in sight of M.

Villeneuve's fleet. On this the _Phoenix_, with her prize in tow, made sail to the southward, pursued by several French s.h.i.+ps; but after a time they tacked and left her and her prize to proceed unmolested. Having pa.s.sed Lisbon, she was steering for Gibraltar, when, during a thick fog, the ringing of bells and firing of guns were heard. Meeting with the _Euryalus_ frigate, Captain Baker learned that the sounds proceeded from the Franco-Spanish fleet. He accordingly again altered his course to the westward. He had a still greater danger to contend with. The French pilot belonging to the _Phoenix_ overheard some of the prisoners talking of a plan for getting possession of the _Phoenix_. The intended mutiny was speedily crushed. Shortly afterwards the pilot brought aft Captain Milius' late c.o.xswain, accusing him of being the ringleader.

The French captain was very indignant, and demanded of the man whether he had any complaint to offer. On his acknowledging that he had none, Captain Milius besought Captain Baker to put the fellow in irons, declaring him to be a disgrace to the name of Frenchman. After this the prisoners remained quiet, and the _Phoenix_ with her prize, having the advantage of a good wind, at length safely reached Plymouth Sound on the 3rd of September. The _Didon_, which was a beautiful and fast-sailing frigate, was purchased for the navy, but, without ever having been sent to sea, was unaccountably broken up in 1811.

Humane and brave as British officers have almost always proved themselves, tyrannical captains, who in most instances have been also deficient in courage and seamanlike qualities, have occasionally been found in the service. Among men of this cla.s.s the Honourable Captain Lake, commanding the sloop of war _Recruit_, must be ranked. While at Plymouth he had pressed a young seaman, Robert Jeffrey by name, belonging to Polperro in Cornwall, out of a privateer. Shortly afterwards the _Recruit_ sailed for the West Indies. While in those seas, the s.h.i.+p having run short of water, Jeffrey was accused of stealing, on the 10th December, a bottle of rum, and some spruce beer out of a cask. He was accordingly put in the black-list. Two or three days afterwards the _Recruit_ came in sight of the desert island of Sombrero, eighty miles to the south-west of Saint Christopher. Captain Lake on seeing it suddenly took it into his head to maroon Jeffrey on the island. Accordingly, that very evening, he was conveyed on sh.o.r.e in a boat, commanded by the second lieutenant, who had with him a mids.h.i.+pman and four seamen. Even the buccaneers, when they thus treated a culprit, had the humanity to leave him arms, and food, and clothing; but Captain Lake ordered the unfortunate youth to be left on this uninhabited spot with no other clothing than that he wore, without a particle of food. The lieutenant, observing that his bare feet were cut by the sharp stones, obtained a pair of shoes from one of the men, and gave him a knife and a couple of handkerchiefs, contributed by himself and the mids.h.i.+pman. The lieutenant advising him to keep a bright look-out for pa.s.sing vessels, then, according to his orders, leaving the poor fellow, pulled back to his s.h.i.+p. Soon after the arrival of the _Recruit_ at the Leeward Islands, Sir Alexander Cochrane, the commander-in-chief, hearing what had occurred, sent her back to bring off the man, in case he should have survived. The officers on landing searched the island over, but could discover no traces of the marooned seaman. Jeffrey, however, was not dead. For eight days he had subsisted on such limpets as he could find among the rocks, and the rain water which he discovered in their crevices. He was growing weaker and weaker, for though he had seen several vessels pa.s.s, he was unable from weakness to hail them; till, on the morning of the ninth day, an American schooner, the _Adams_, of Marblehead, Ma.s.sachusetts, hove in sight, and his signal being seen, the master came on sh.o.r.e and saved him from the death which probably would have soon overtaken him. He was landed at Marblehead, where he remained till 1810, when the English Government hearing of the occurrence, sent for him, and gave him his discharge, taking the big R off his name thus enabling him to receive all arrears of pay. On the whole circ.u.mstance being inquired into, Captain Lake, who acknowledged that he had landed Jeffrey upon Sombrero under the belief that it was inhabited, was deservedly sentenced to be dismissed from the British Navy. In 1807, it having become known that Napoleon intended to take possession of the Danish fleet, to recompense himself for the loss of his own, a British fleet of 17 sail of the line and 21 frigates, and smaller vessels, was despatched to the Baltic, under the command of Admiral Gambier. An army of 20,000 men was also sent at the same time, commanded by Lord Cathcart, and they were directed to demand the surrender of the Danish fleet, the English Government undertaking merely to hold it as a deposit, to be restored at a general peace. The fleet reached its destination early in August.

After various skirmishes with the Danish gunboats and batteries, it completely surrounded the island of Zealand, when the troops were landed, and the Danish general, Peiman, refusing the terms offered, on the 2nd of September the English fleet and batteries opened fire on Copenhagen, which was ultimately set on fire. The bombardment continued for three days, with a short interval, in the hopes that the Danes would yield; but it was not till a number of the garrison and inhabitants had been killed, and a large portion of the city burnt down, that General Peiman sent out a flag of truce. Lord Cathcart's reply was, that no capitulation could be listened to unless accompanied by the surrender of the Danish fleet. This was at length agreed to, and the British were put in possession of the citadel and the s.h.i.+ps of war, with their stores. In six weeks the whole of the fleet fit for sea was carried off, the remaining few s.h.i.+ps being destroyed; while a large amount of naval stores was embarked, as was the army, without a casualty. On going down the sound, the _Neptunus_, one of the prizes, an 80-gun s.h.i.+p, got on sh.o.r.e, and was destroyed, as were also most of the Danish gunboats, in consequence of bad weather coming on. The fleet, however, without further accident, at the close of October, arrived safely at Yarmouth and the Downs. Whatever opinion may be formed of the legality or expediency of the enterprise, no one can deny that it was carried out with ability and prompt.i.tude; and as the Danes would undoubtedly have a.s.sisted Napoleon in his designs against England, she was certainly justified in thus summarily preventing Denmark from injuring her.

It was at this time that the Danish island of Heligoland was captured by the _Majestic_, 74, and the _Quebec_ frigate, but being of no possible use, was recently handed over to Germany.

The next expedition on a large scale in which a British fleet was engaged brought neither advantage to the country nor honour to its leaders. The Turks having been tampered with by the French, Sir John Duckworth, in command of a squadron, had been sent to Constantinople to take possession of or destroy the Turkish fleet should the sultan not give a sufficient guarantee of his friendly intentions. According to his instructions, Sir John proceeded with his squadron up the Dardanelles, his s.h.i.+ps being exposed to the fire of the forts on either hand. Altogether, the loss of the squadron amounted to 6 killed and 51 wounded. The Turks, however, were not to escape without punishment.

Not far from the Castle of Abydos lay the Turkish squadron, which had the audacity to fire on the British s.h.i.+ps as they pa.s.sed. While four of the latter came to an anchorage to prevent their escape, Sir Sidney Smith, with three frigates, ran in and anch.o.r.ed within musket-shot of them, when, opening his fire, he compelled one of the Turkish sixty-fours and two frigates, and other smaller vessels, to run on sh.o.r.e, the only ones which did not do so being captured, a fort under which they had sought protection being also destroyed. Unhappily, one of the British s.h.i.+ps, the _Ajax_, commanded by Captain Blackwood, caught fire during the night, and so rapidly did the flames extend, that no efforts availed to put them out, and upwards of 250 souls, among whom were two merchants and two women pa.s.sengers, perished. It was supposed that the fire was caused by the spontaneous combustion of some coals stowed in the after-c.o.c.k-pit.

Sir John, on arriving before Constantinople, lost a considerable time in diplomatic negotiations, while the Turks were doing their utmost to fortify their city and the island of Prota, which commanded the anchorage. Instead of attacking the city, Sir John sailed again down the Dardanelles, receiving on his way a hot fire from the Castle of Abydos and other forts on either hand. The Turks fired granite shot, one of which, weighing 800 pounds and measuring 6 feet in circ.u.mference, pa.s.sed through the side of the _Active_, two feet above the water, and lodged on the orlop-deck, close to the magazine-scuttle, without injuring a man. So large was the aperture made by it, that Captain Mowbray, her commander, saw two of his crew thrusting their heads out of it at the same moment. Another shot of the same weight struck the main-mast of the _Windsor Castle_, and cut it more than three-quarters through. Other s.h.i.+ps were struck by shot of equal dimensions. Four men on board the _Standard_ were killed by one of these shot, which, at the same time striking a salt or ammunition box on deck, caused an explosion by which a lieutenant, 3 petty officers, and 37 men and 6 marines were wounded, and 4 seamen in their alarm leapt overboard--the total loss by this single shot amounting to 8 killed and drowned, and 47 wounded. The story is told of a seaman who thrust his head out of one of the shot-holes, and pertinaciously kept it there. When asked why he did so, he replied that he considered it the safest place, as he was sure no other shot would come in at that hole.

By great exertions the French had in the year 1809 fitted out 9 line-of-battle s.h.i.+ps, in addition to the squadrons already at sea, which, under the command of M. Allemand, had arrived in Basque Roads.