Memoirs and Correspondence of Admiral Lord de Saumarez Volume I Part 34

Caesar, Gibraltar, 9th July 1801.

MY LORD,

I have the honour to inform your lords.h.i.+p that the Superb and Thames are now standing into the bay, with the signal for the enemy's being in sight; and I understand from Governor O'Hara that he has information from Cadiz that all the Spanish and French s.h.i.+ps in that port were ordered to Algeziras Bay to take the French s.h.i.+ps to Carthagena.

I hope to have all the squadron ready before this day week; and, as they cannot possibly put to sea under a fortnight at the earliest, I hope something may join me from your lords.h.i.+p before they can put to sea: but, on the event of their sailing before such junction, I shall follow them up with all the s.h.i.+ps with me, and proceed off Minorca, which will be my rendezvous till I have the honour of hearing from your lords.h.i.+p.

I am sorry to mention that the Hannibal is got off; but Captain Ferris, who has just come over on his parole, describes her in the worst condition, as well as the three French s.h.i.+ps, and does not think they can be repaired under a fortnight or three weeks at the earliest; as does Lord Cochrane, who is likewise come over on his parole.

I have the honour to be Your lords.h.i.+p's most obedient and most humble servant, JAMES SAUMAREZ.

To Right Hon. Lord Keith, K.B. &c. &c. &c.

The public despatches being closed, Sir James wrote the following letters, which were sent by the same conveyance; and, as they contain his own private feelings on the occasion, they will be read with interest:

Caesar, Rosia Bay, 6th July 1801.

MY DEAR RICHARD,

After the warm expectations my friends have always formed for my success in the public service, they will be distressed on being informed of my having failed in an enterprise with the squadron on three French line-of-battle s.h.i.+ps at anchor off Algeziras. I was informed by different expresses from this garrison of their having attempted to pa.s.s the Straits for Cadiz, and having anch.o.r.ed at some distance from the batteries. I made sail yesterday with the intention to attack them, if found practicable. We got round the point of the bay at about seven this morning, and at half-past eight the action began, and during the first hour, promised the most favourable hopes of success; when, by a most unfortunate circ.u.mstance, the Hannibal got aground, and at once destroyed all my expectations, though the action was continued for nearly four hours after.

Every possible effort was made to rescue her from the enemy's fire; and after repeated attempts, and a very great risk of this s.h.i.+p and the Audacious getting on sh.o.r.e under the enemy's batteries, I was under the necessity of abandoning the Hannibal to her fate. Although we have not succeeded in bringing off the enemy's s.h.i.+ps, they are, we believe, very seriously damaged. Two of them are aground, and it is not expected they will be got off.

Wednesday, 9th July 1801.

Having found a conveyance by way of Tangier, I sent you a duplicate of this. The Superb and Thames have just made their appearance, with the signal for the enemy being out of port. I think it is a good thing to have drawn them this way, as I trust the first Levanter will bring us s.h.i.+ps from the Mediterranean.

Captain Ferris goes by this opportunity, and has promised to forward this immediately to you. He will be heard of at the Admiralty, or at the Adelphi Hotel. Great praise is due for the brave defence of his s.h.i.+p.

10th July 1801.

It is incalculable how much I have on my hands, night and day; but, thank G.o.d! my health is good, though my anxiety is great. A fresh Levanter having sprung up, the lugger sails immediately.

Phil. Dumaresq is very well, as are all the others. Poor Graves is the only person we have lost of the cla.s.s of officers. I also wrote to you, by way of Lisbon, only an hour since, and just before the easterly wind set in. I trust none of my friends will suffer anxiety on my account. This will be addressed to you, my dear Richard, and you will forward it to my brother. He will be happy in being able to satisfy those who have friends on board that they have all escaped unhurt. H. Brock, with the young men from the island, are all well. I am, &c.

JAS. SAUMAREZ.

To Richard Saumarez, Esq.

Extracts of letters written on the 7th July 1801, to Lady Saumarez:

I have formed a thousand apprehensions lest an account of the events of yesterday should reach England through France before the arrival of my despatches (which were sent off by way of Faro), and fill your mind with cruel anxiety on my account; and this fear is much increased lest those despatches should not even arrive, as I was obliged to send them by a doubtful opportunity, through Tetuan and Tangier, the wind not admitting any vessel to pa.s.s the Straits.

Trusting, however, to their safety, I will not repeat their contents; but will only observe that, when I sat down to write to you, it was the first interval of rest from one of the most bustling scenes I ever witnessed, and from experiencing one of the severest disappointments I have ever known; having, for a considerable period during the action, flattered myself with the strongest confidence that the most complete success would have attended the enterprise.

I resign myself to the decree of DIVINE PROVIDENCE, whose will the winds obey; and I have great cause to be thankful for not having been forsaken in the hour of danger, but for having my courage strengthened as the peril increased. Feeling, as I do, all the responsibility on an event of this importance to the country, I should be miserable had I to reproach myself for having undertaken the enterprise on light grounds, or with having failed in the planning or in the execution; but, on the contrary, it is admitted by every one to have been most judicious. It is therefore only in the result that I have been unfortunate, and that arising from unforeseen and inevitable causes. I have been too much employed to reflect on the light in which the business may be viewed in England; but, conscious of having done my duty, and to the utmost of my exertions, I shall be indifferent as to the rest. I only trust that all my friends, but you more particularly, will be superior to any reflexions that may be made, should there be any unfavourable to me; though I hope for better things, and that with the liberal, at least, that which has been well intended, and carried on with conduct and bravery, will be held in some estimation.

Admiral Linois, from the specimen he had had of the determined perseverance of the British commander-in-chief, had no wish to try another contest; nor was it possible for him to escape the risk of one, either by lying under the protection of the Spanish batteries, or by proceeding to Cadiz. He lost no time, therefore, in sending an express to the Spanish Admiral Mazzaredo, and the French Rear-admiral Dumanoir, who, with Commodore Le Ray and other officers and men, had previously arrived in two frigates at Cadiz for the purpose of equipping the Spanish fleet, imploring the a.s.sistance of a squadron to convoy them to Cadiz, before the English s.h.i.+ps under Sir James Saumarez could be refitted; adding in his despatch, "I have just received advice that the enemy intends burning us at our anchorage. It is in your power to save for the Republic three fine s.h.i.+ps of the line and a frigate by merely ordering the Spanish squadron to come and seek us."

This demand, through the influence of Admiral Dumanoir, was immediately acceded to by Mazzaredo, who ordered Vice-admiral Moreno to proceed with five sail of the line, three frigates, and a lugger, accompanied by the San Antonio, manned partly with French and Spaniards, in which Admiral Dumanoir hoisted his flag. The movements of these s.h.i.+ps were observed by Captain Keats in the Superb, who, in consequence of information he had received from an American, returned with the Thames and Pasley off Cadiz.

At daylight, on the 9th, this squadron put to sea, except the San Antonio, which, being unable to fetch out, came to an anchor in the road. The rest made sail up the Straits, preceded by the Superb, Thames, and Pasley; and, the wind being fair, the former reached Algeziras about four P.M., while the latter, as already stated, anch.o.r.ed in Gibraltar Bay, to unite their efforts in refitting the shattered s.h.i.+ps. On the next morning, the San Antonio, with Admiral Dumanoir's flag, arrived at Algeziras.

As the object of this overwhelming force could be no other than to conduct in safety the three French s.h.i.+ps, and their prize the Hannibal, to Cadiz or Carthagena, the exertions of the British officers and men were redoubled in getting the damaged s.h.i.+ps ready to meet the enemy. They accomplished what has been justly acknowledged, one of the most extraordinary undertakings ever known.

The Pompee was in too bad a state to leave any hopes that she could be got ready in time; her men, therefore, were distributed to a.s.sist in repairing the other s.h.i.+ps: and all idea of refitting the Caesar was on the point of being abandoned!

The following account given by Captain Brenton will be read with much interest: "Sir James now expressed the greatest anxiety to have as many of his little squadron as possible ready for action, that he might avail himself at any moment of the motions of the enemy to make an attack upon some part of them; and despairing, from the state of the Caesar, that she could possibly be got in readiness before the departure of the s.h.i.+ps from Algeziras, he expressed a wish that the deficiencies in the other s.h.i.+ps might be made up from the crew of the Caesar; but on my entreaty for permission to keep them while a possibility remained of getting her in a state to receive his flag again, he consented, hoisting it for the time on board the Audacious.

"On communicating to the people what had pa.s.sed, there was a universal cry, 'All hands all night and all day until the s.h.i.+p is ready!' so earnest were they to carry the flag of their beloved Admiral again into battle, and so sanguine in the expectation of victory, notwithstanding the disparity of force,--nearly _two to one_! This I could not consent to, as they would have been worn out and incapable of further exertion; but I directed that all hands should be employed during the day, and that they should work _watch and watch_ during the night. They immediately commenced their various duties, with all the energy and zeal that could be expected from men under such powerful causes of excitement. The new main-mast was got in forthwith, and extraordinary efforts made to refit the rigging.

"On Sat.u.r.day, the 11th, the enemy showed symptoms of moving; and the Admiral, fearing they might get out in the night, again suggested that the people from the Caesar should be distributed, and every idea of getting her ready abandoned; but I entreated, and obtained permission to keep them during that night, under the promise that they should be held in readiness at a minute's warning to proceed to the s.h.i.+p pointed out to receive them.

"The enemy having anch.o.r.ed again, the Admiral went to dine with the governor; and, on his return on board, was greatly delighted at beholding the s.h.i.+p apparently ready for sea, although much yet remained to be done."

We must here pay a just tribute to the professional abilities and conduct of Captain (now Sir Jahleel) Brenton. He was, in the first place, well aware of the magnitude of the labour which the men had to perform, and saw the danger of allowing his brave crew to be worn out with fatigue in attempting that to which the human frame is unequal.

He therefore decided that, instead of working on until the labour was finished, according to the seamen's laudable wishes, they should have such a portion of rest as would enable them to resume their labour with renewed energy. In the second place, he knew that without system, the exertions of the men would be in vain; but the admirable directions he gave employed every man in what he was best able to perform without impeding his neighbour, whilst every part of the labour advanced simultaneously. There has, indeed, never yet been on record an instance of a s.h.i.+p performing such a task so well and in so short a time.

Although the services going on required many men to be on sh.o.r.e for gunpowder and other stores, to replace what had been expended, there was not a single complaint of any one absenting himself from his duty, or of being intoxicated; though the inducement must have been great, from the number of wine-houses on the Rock: but such was the desire of these brave fellows to be avenged for the loss of the Hannibal, that they would not allow any temptation to induce them to swerve from the duty they had to perform.

The extraordinary anxiety of mind, and the multiplicity of duty he had to perform, did not divert the attention of Sir James from the situation of the unfortunate crew of the Hannibal, especially the wounded, who were suffering as well from want of proper surgical care as from the treatment they had received. He once more made a strong, but fruitless attempt for their exchange, by addressing the following letter to Admiral Linois:

Caesar, off Rosia Bay, 10th July 1801.

SIR,

I am impelled by motives of humanity again to renew my application in behalf of the men unfortunately wounded on board his Britannic Majesty's s.h.i.+p Hannibal, and to request they may be permitted to come to this garrison without delay. A proposition so conformable to the laws of civilised nations I trust cannot be rejected; but, should you further refuse to comply with it, you must take upon yourself the impression all the world must have of so cruel a proceeding as to deny those unhappy people the benefit of their own hospital, where they would receive surgical a.s.sistance, and not be subjected to the severe treatment they have so long experienced in their present situation.

I am, sir, Your most obedient humble servant, JAMES SAUMAREZ.

Rear-admiral Linois, &c. &c. &c.

No answer having been given to this application, the correspondence ended, to be resumed under more favourable circ.u.mstances.

Sir James now added to the duplicates of his despatches (which had been sent in charge of Lieutenant Janvarin, by way of Tangier,) the following letter to his brother:

Caesar, Gibraltar, 10th July 1801.

You will, I hope, receive the letters I have written to you on the subject of the enterprise of our squadron against three s.h.i.+ps of the line and a frigate, at anchor in Algeziras Bay, last Monday; for a more particular account of which I must refer you to my public letter. But as my friends, with their usual anxiety on my account, will naturally wish further information from me, I must a.s.sure them in justice to myself and for their satisfaction, that everything was done that depended on myself, both in the planning and executing the business; but I cannot be accountable for the accidents that prevented its success. Even within an hour from our first engaging, and before any of our s.h.i.+ps had sustained much injury, the Pompee, which was remarkably well placed against the inner s.h.i.+p, which proved to be the French Admiral, had at one time nearly silenced her, and must have done so in less than ten minutes, had not an unfortunate flaw of wind _broke her sheer_; and from that moment she was unable to bring one of her guns to bear on the enemy's s.h.i.+p.

A short time after, the Hannibal got a fine breeze of wind, and was lying up in the handsomest manner for the French s.h.i.+p; but unfortunately, wis.h.i.+ng to go between her and the sh.o.r.e, got aground. Surely in either of these instances I was not concerned.

I had, before this, cut our cables, to profit by a favourable breeze to close the other two s.h.i.+ps; but before we got near them it failed us, as well as the Audacious, and with the current we drove close to the island battery, where we remained a considerable time before either of the s.h.i.+ps could clear a shoal close to it. At length a fine breeze sprung up, which gave the most favourable hope of carrying us close to the enemy's s.h.i.+ps, and, by silencing them, to extricate the unfortunate Hannibal.

But here, again, it most unhappily failed us; and although we had, at different times, opened a heavy fire upon them, we were still not sufficiently near to silence them effectually; and, the wind all the time leading us farther off, I was constrained to abandon all hopes of success, and proceeded with the squadron to this anchorage.

The Superb yesterday joined us, with the Thames. Captain Keats, having seen the enemy coming out of Cadiz, appeared with the signal of their being in sight, and they soon after came round Cabrita Point. Two are three-deckers, and three are seventy-fours, with three frigates. If it draws this force to the Mediterranean, some good may come from it. A squadron is hourly expected from Lord Keith, and probably some s.h.i.+ps may soon join us from England. We shall have all the s.h.i.+ps in readiness; and the junction of a few s.h.i.+ps, would make us again superior to the enemy's force. I must not forget to mention that Captain Brenton has shown himself a brave and most able officer.

It is with difficulty I have found a leisure moment to write this. All I request of my friends is, to feel a.s.sured that the failure of this enterprise has in no instance proceeded from myself; and every one is ready to acknowledge that I did, in every respect, all that depended on me. This, you will perceive, is written in the midst of much bustle and a most active scene.