Memoirs and Correspondence of Admiral Lord de Saumarez Volume II Part 21

About this time two untoward events took place, which threatened a commencement of hostilities between the two nations. The one was the attack of the Hero's boats on a Danish privateer lying in the Swedish harbour of Marstrand, in which a mids.h.i.+pman was killed, and others wounded; and the second was the conduct of Captain Acklom, of the Ranger, in spiking the guns of the Swedish armed schooner Celeritas.

On these, however, concessions were made on both sides; Captain Newman, of the Hero, was wrong in attacking an enemy's vessel under the guns of a Swedish fortress without apprising the Governor of his intention, while the Governor was no less so in giving protection to an enemy's vessel which came there with the avowed intention of attacking the Hero's convoy. Capt. Acklom, though not justified in his proceeding, did it under the impression that she was affording protection to an illicit trade, and to French vessels fitting in neutral ports; while on the other hand it was notorious that such trade was carried on.

To return to the correspondence. The following letter was received from the Swedish Admiral, dated

Orebro, 29th August 1810.

SIR,

I have the honour to inform your excellency of my arrival at this town on the 24th, and that on the following day I was introduced to his Majesty, who graciously permitted me to relate the contents of the conference with your excellency, which I had the honour to hold on the 21st. His Majesty, of whose particular regard I have been intrusted verbally to a.s.sure your excellency, expressed to me even on this occasion his most sincere wishes and his firm resolution to maintain, as much as will depend on him, the moderate system and good harmony which still subsist between our respective nations.

The election of a successor to the Swedish throne was executed on the 21st, three days before my return. I do myself the honour to enclose for your excellency's information a true copy of the act of election. The obligation therein prescribed the successor to turn over to the religion of this country, and to resign all his foreign t.i.tles and employments, will, I hope, serve as a proof to convince your excellency that no French interest can have directed or imposed upon the free choice of the representatives of the nation. The Prince of Ponte Corvo is really; in my private opinion, the only man who, at the head of the Swedish Government, will be capable to oppose the despotic influence of Buonaparte and his agents, to maintain the independence, and promote the true interest of the Swedish nation.

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

M.P. KRUSENSTJERNA.

The rest of the correspondence related to the adjustment of the differences before mentioned. Sir James was satisfied with the declaration on the part of the Swedish Government that no protection should be afforded to Danish and French armed vessels, while on the other hand the Swedes were satisfied with Sir James's disapproval of the conduct of Captains Newman and Acklom, requesting that no further notice might be taken of these officers. In like manner were adjusted the differences occasioned by the legal capture of a vessel loaded with drugs and medicines, and another with oil and tallow from St.

Petersburg; the former had been sent to England, but was released, the latter was given up on security being pledged for her cargo, which was eventually repurchased by the owners: on all these occasions the author was employed confidentially.

Sir James now rendered a great service by prevailing on Government to allow the trade of Sweden and Swedish Pomerania to remain unmolested, on condition that French armed vessels should not be fitted out at Stralsund and other ports on that coast; he also granted licences for s.h.i.+ps to import medicines and grain into Sweden, without which the country must have been reduced to great misery.

The Russian fleet, which consisted of about eight sail of the line, made no disposition of moving from Cronstadt; it was therefore unnecessary for the fleet to proceed to the Gulf of Finland, and Sir James directed the whole of his attention to the protection of the commerce, in which he completely succeeded by the judicious arrangements and the disposition of the naval force under his command.

Towards the close of the season, and in compliance with the wishes of the Admiralty, he despatched three sail of the line to England, and left Hano Bay in the Victory on the 10th of October, only two days previously to the return of Admiral Krusenstjerna, a circ.u.mstance much regretted by both.

On arriving in the Belt, with a convoy of no less than a thousand sail homeward bound, it was intimated that the French Prince of Ponte Corvo, the newly elected successor to the throne, was at Nyborg, and permission to cross the Belt was demanded and obtained from the Admiral for his yacht to pa.s.s unmolested, which he did on the 14th of October at the time this immense fleet was at anchor off Sproe. A scene so novel to a French general, and so interesting to his Royal Highness under the present circ.u.mstances, could not but make a deep impression, while it conveyed some idea of the wealth and power of the British nation; and he has subsequently told the author that it was the most beautiful and wonderful sight he had ever beheld, being one of which he had never formed an idea. The day was very fine; the fleet was anch.o.r.ed in a close compact body, with the Victory in the centre, bearing the Admiral's red flag at the fore, surrounded by six s.h.i.+ps of the line, and six frigates and sloops disposed for the complete protection of the convoy.

The yacht, with a Swedish flag containing the Crown Prince, pa.s.sing within a mile of the Victory, was distinctly seen, and escorted by some barges from the men-of-war until past the whole of the s.h.i.+ps; the convoy soon after weighed anchor, when the Royal stranger had the pleasure of seeing them all under sail and proceeding to their destination, regardless of the enemies who occupied the adjacent sh.o.r.es.

The Victory arrived at Gothenburg on the 18th October, and thence despatched the large convoy to England. On Sir James's arrival he received despatches informing him of the probability of the Franco-Dutch fleet at the Scheldt attempting, if they escaped the north sea fleet under Admiral Pellew, to force their way into the Sound; at the same time it was not yet certain that the Russian s.h.i.+ps at Archangel would not try to effect a pa.s.sage into the Baltic. Sir James therefore found it necessary to concentrate his force in Hawke Roads, and felt confident that he could still protect the trade, if not prevent the superior fleet from entering the Sound, to Copenhagen.

An event now took place which occasioned considerable embarra.s.sment, namely the escape of the deposed King of Sweden, Gustavus IV, (Adolphus) who got on board the Tartarus, from Riga, and, after calling at Matvick, came through the Belt and arrived at Gothenburg before Sir James could have an answer from Government as to his permission to go to England, which was his avowed intention. Sir James, after paying his respects to him, complied with his urgent request to be sent in the Tartarus to England, and Sir James, without waiting longer, ordered Captain Mainwaring to take his Majesty to Yarmouth. The Swedes were much pleased at this, as they dreaded the consequences of his remaining long on board an English s.h.i.+p of war at Gothenburg. His arrival and residence in England need not be further referred to: the anxiety of the Swedes on his account was soon relieved by the intelligence that it was not the intention of Government to interfere in his behalf, or with the internal Government of Sweden.

The new Crown Prince arrived safely at Stockholm, and contrary to the expectation of every officer on board the fleet, excepting Sir James, gave manifest proofs of his independence of French influence, and of his intentions to cultivate the friends.h.i.+p of Great Britain, although he could not be pleased that the Swedish Government Stock, into which he had placed so large a sum when at a high rate, fell again to par, as it was before. It would appear, however, that Buonaparte, who had given his sanction to the advancement of Bernadotte with great reluctance, was displeased at the beginning with his conduct, and he consequently gave an order for the confiscation of all British property in the Swedish harbours. Notwithstanding the earliest information of this decree was given by the Swedes, a considerable number of s.h.i.+pping and merchandise came under it, and Sir James having withdrawn his force from within the Baltic, owing to the lateness of the season, it was no longer in his power to rescue it in that quarter; but he had still a sufficient force in Hawke Roads, and might, had he been compelled to retaliate, have totally destroyed the city of Gothenburg.

On this occasion the author was sent to communicate with Count Rosen, the worthy governor of that city, whose word and honour could be fully depended on, and he received his solemn a.s.surances that it was not the intention of the Swedish Government to act upon the declaration which it had been forced to make, contrary to the wishes of the Swedish nation, and particularly offensive to the Crown Prince. He had represented to Government the incalculable injury which the British Admiral, with the force still at Hawke Roads, might do to the city and the commerce, and recommended that every facility should be given to the English merchants to cover and remove their property.

The following are the declarations and explanation of them given by Count Rosen.

1st. The Swedish Government declares war, it is true, against Great Britain; but it is not said that _any measures_ of active hostility are to be had recourse to.

2nd. Should it be found that there are any British merchant s.h.i.+ps in Swedish ports they are to be _detained_ (no mention is made of confiscation or even sequestration). It will be recollected that the declaration of the 24th April prohibited the entry of British vessels, and we believe there are none in Swedish ports.

3rd. It is declared that there is a sufficient quant.i.ty of colonial produce now in Sweden for the internal consumption of the country; no more shall be allowed to be imported, nor shall any be exported from Sweden _to the Continent_; but nothing is said of the trade with the islands or with America, nor is it stated that a fresh supply shall not be imported when the stock at present on hand is consumed, and we apprehend that it will be difficult to fix the precise quant.i.ty necessary for the home consumption, without leaving any surplus for exportation. It is understood that the communication with England will be continued, but it is necessary it should be done with caution, and the Government recommends it should be weekly, and that the mails and pa.s.sengers should be landed at a place to be pointed out.

Count Rosen a.s.sured the Admiral, both through the author, Consul Smith, and others, that he was instructed by the Swedish Government to inform Sir James Saumarez that it was not their intention to follow up the declaration by any act of hostility.

Having received these a.s.surances, Sir James, notwithstanding that the officers with whom he was surrounded were of a different opinion, conceived he could rely on the sincerity of the Swedes, and determined that, at all events, he would not commit the first hostile act. With his usual moderation he therefore remained quiet at anchor until he had given time to the merchants to do all that could be done, and then prepared to leave Sweden without firing a shot against her.

In the mean time Sir James received the approbation of Government for his judicious, firm, and moderate conduct, which was fully acknowledged on all sides to have been hitherto the means of preserving peace and good will between Sweden and England. Mr. Yorke says in his last letter,--

I embrace this opportunity of expressing the high approbation of the Board, as well of the steps you have taken for receiving and sending to England the King of Sweden (Count Gottorp) as of those for collecting such a force in Hawke Roads for the purpose of checking the enemy.

Admiral Krusenstjerna concludes his farewell letter to Sir James in the following words:

I am perfectly persuaded that my Royal sovereign will enjoy the greatest satisfaction in accepting the a.s.surances your excellency has been pleased to communicate, of his Britannic Majesty's intentions to preserve the harmony and good understanding that exist between both nations, intentions which, for the benefit and prosperity of both countries, it has been an object of his Swedish Majesty's earnest wishes and most studious endeavours to inspire in the British Government. The zealous support which your excellency has been pleased to give for promoting this great interest, ent.i.tles your excellency to the GRAt.i.tUDE of the Swedish nation and the most distinguished regard from its sovereign. It is with sentiments of the most perfect esteem and consideration that I have the honour to be, &c.

P.K.

Sir James had now received accounts from England that the enemy's fleet in Holland had moved up the Scheldt for the winter, and that the Russians had abandoned their project of bringing their s.h.i.+ps from Archangel. Peace had been made between Russia and the Porte, and their troops were withdrawing towards Poland. The Victory sailed from Gothenburg on the 28th of November, and on the 3rd December arrived safely in the Downs, whence Sir James proceeded to London to receive the thanks of his Majesty's ministers and the nation for his zealous, able, judicious, and temperate conduct, and for the important services he had rendered to his country during this eventful period.

CHAPTER XII.

1811.

Buonaparte declares he will conquer a "Maritime Peace."--Illness of George III.--Prince of Wales Regent.--Sir James obtains leave of absence.--The Victory sent to Lisbon with troops.--Attack on Anholt.--Gallant defence of the garrison.--Sir James continues in the Baltic at the request of ministers.--Letters respecting Anholt.--Letters from the Duke of Brunswick and answers thereto.--Arrival in Sweden of Sir James.--Letters to Mr. Yorke and Admiral Reynolds.--Negotiations on the sequestration of English s.h.i.+ps at Carlscrona.--Conference with Baron Tawast.--Written doc.u.ment from the Baron unsatisfactory.--Letter from the Admiralty.--Sir James remonstrates with the Swedish Government.--Evasive answer.--Further correspondence.--Value of sequestered property.--Capture of two Danish privateers.--Gallant conduct of Lieut. St. Clair and Mr. Purcell.--Determination of Russia not to accede to the terms of France.--The Crown Prince places implicit confidence in Sir James.--Arrival of Mr. Thornton.--He is smuggled into the city of Gothenburg.--Amicable confirmation of the Ghent treaty.--Situation of the fleet.--Sir James's letter.--Disaster of the St. George and convoy.--Admiral Reynolds's letter.--Arrival of St. George at Wingo.--Sailing of the fleet.--St. George and Hero's convoy put back.--Sail again.--Melancholy wrecks of the St. George and Defence.--Captain Pater's narrative.--Remarks.--Loss of the Hero and convoy.--Proceedings of the Victory.--Remarks on crossing the North Sea.--Sir James arrives at Spithead.

The beginning of the year 1811 was remarkable, as being the period at which the tyrant of France had arrived at the summit of his career. He had seized upon Hamburg and every other place on the Continent, whence a seaman could be procured, and had declared that with one hundred and fifty sail of the line he would humble the navy of England and conquer a "Maritime Peace." The disasters of 1810, that ended with the loss of his Majesty's s.h.i.+p Minotaur, and a large convoy on the Haake Sands, and the illness of his Majesty George the Third, which terminated only with the life of that excellent Monarch, threw a damp on the spirits of the nation, and caused a suspension of all Royal functions until the appointment of the Regency, on which his Royal Highness the Prince of Wales took the reins of government at one of the most eventful periods that ever occurred in the history of the empire.

Sir James, immediately after his communications with the Admiralty and the Ministers, applied for and obtained leave of absence. His s.h.i.+p, the Victory, with seven sail of the line under Sir Joseph Yorke, was employed in transporting troops to Lisbon, which was surrounded by Ma.s.sena's army; but she returned in time to receive Sir James's flag, which was hoisted on the 2nd of April.

The island of Anholt, which had been garrisoned by seamen and marines under the command of Captain James W. Maurice, of the Royal Navy, was attacked on the 23rd of March by a body of Danish troops, amounting to 1600 men; but they were so well received by the Governor and his brave crew (for the island was on the establishment of a vessel of war) that they were forced to capitulate, with the loss of their leader Major Melstedt, two officers, and 500 of their people in killed, wounded, and prisoners; while Capt. Baker, of the Tartar, and Captain J.P. Stewart, of the Sheldrake, chased and took several of their gun-boats employed on that expedition.

Sir James had finished his three years in the Baltic, the time generally prescribed for an Admiral commanding-in-chief to remain on one station, and it was now his turn to have a command in the Mediterranean, which was considered more lucrative; but his conduct during his command in the Baltic had so completely gained the confidence and good-will of the Swedes, and it had now become of such importance to keep them, with such a general as Bernadotte at their head, on good terms, that he was requested to continue on that most important command, as the only chance of accomplis.h.i.+ng the desirable object of a Northern coalition. Nothing could be more delicate or more difficult than the situation in which Sir James was now placed, for while it required firmness to uphold the dignity of the empire which he represented, as the only diplomatic functionary as well as commander-in-chief in the North, tact, wisdom, and forbearance were equally indispensable. These qualities Sir James possessed in a superlative degree, and the Author, who from his knowledge of the Swedish language was employed confidentially on all the communications which subsequently took place, can testify that it is to the wise policy of the Admiral that the nation owes the success of these negociations. It is the opinion of Swedish and Russian diplomatists that had Sir James not been employed, the Northern Coalition, which was so fatal to the ambitious views of Buonaparte, never would have taken place; and for such a service no reward which it was in the power of Government to bestow on him would have been too great. There can be no doubt, had the lamented Perceval not met with an untimely end by the hand of an a.s.sa.s.sin, that he would at the close of 1812 have been rewarded by the Peerage which was so long unaccountably withheld.

Sir James was still in London when he received the statement of the discomfiture of the Danish attack on Anholt, a particular account of which may be seen in James's Naval History.

The following letters on this gallant affair, which have not yet been published, will be perused with interest.

London, 10th April 1811.

MY DEAR SIR,

I most heartily congratulate you on the brilliant success of the brave garrison under your command in having repulsed an attack of the enemy's select troops, consisting of as many thousands as the whole band opposed to them amounted to hundreds, and by the gallantry and intrepid conduct of your valiant heroes, succeeded in taking a greater number of prisoners than your whole collected force. Mr. Yorke having signified to me that he should write to you, I can only a.s.sure you that this gallant affair is the theme of every one's praise, and has excited the admiration of all, and I have no doubt but your services upon this occasion will be duly appreciated by the Admiralty. I have great pleasure in adding that Lieutenant Baker is made a commander, and that Captain Torrens and Lieut. Fisher are recommended to his Royal Highness the Prince Regent for Brevet rank.

I have, &c. with high regard, JAMES SAUMAREZ.

Captain Maurice, Governor of Anholt.

In Captain Maurice's letter the Danish force was estimated at 4,000 men, but it does not appear that their numbers exceeded 3,000, including the crews of the gun-vessels. Sixteen hundred men only were landed, and the defence which these made was highly creditable to them. It has therefore been justly said, that "if the British gained honour by their victory, the Danes lost none by their defeat." The unexpected arrival of the Tartar frigate and Sheldrake sloop turned the scale; the Danish gun-boats being unable to cope with that naval force, abandoned the brave troops they had landed as soon as the frigate and sloop were discovered. Before the fleet left England, Sir James received the following letter from his Serene Highness the Duke of Brunswick:

Great George Street, London, 6th April 1811.

SIR,