Admiral the Hon. John Byng, was the fourth son of Viscount Torrington,
and upon entering the British navy, served under his father, who was a
very distinguished officer.
In 1745 Byng, then a Rear-Admiral, commanded a squadron on the coast of
Scotland, which prevented supplies from being thrown into that country,
from France, and did much to defeat the designs of the young Pretender,
the grandson of James II.
War between England and France was formally declared in 1756, but
long before that, it had been known that the French were equipping an
expedition at the port of Toulon, which was intended for the capture
of Minorca, then in possession of the English. The French, to cover
their real design, gave out that it was intended for a descent upon
England. Although warned, the Ministry of George the Second showed
blind incredulity in regard to the designs of the French upon Minorca.
When their eyes were at last opened to the true state of affairs, it
was too late, and the British Cabinet then acted with foolish haste and
precipitation. The French had thrown a large body of troops into the
island and obtained complete possession of it, with the exception of
Fort St. Philip, at Port Mahon, which still held out.
Byng was advanced to the rank of full Admiral, and appointed to the
command of the expedition intended for the relief of Fort Philip, which
was blockaded by sea and besieged by land. The fleet with which he was
provided, instead of being of a character fit to obtain command of
the Mediterranean, consisted of ten sail-of-the-line only, and these
wretchedly fitted out. Unaccountable negligence was also observable
in manning this fleet; for, being ordered to convey a reinforcement
of troops to Gibraltar and Minorca, the marines of the ships were
ordered to be landed, to make room for the troops, and thus the proper
complement of each ship was much reduced.
The fleet should have sailed early in the year, but delay followed
delay, and Byng’s remonstrances were unheeded. The crews of the ships
were left incomplete, although they might have been filled by drafts
from vessels lying in home ports.
The expedition finally sailed from England on the 10th of April,
1756, having on board the troops alluded to above and thirty or forty
officers whose regiments were in garrison in Minorca.
Even at this time, from the instructions given to Byng, the English
ministry did not seem fully to believe that Minorca was to be found in
possession of the French, as Byng was directed to detach a portion of
his squadron, under Rear-Admiral West, to America, in case he should
learn, on arriving at Gibraltar, that the French fleet had passed out
of the Straits into the Atlantic. Byng arrived at Gibraltar on May
2d, after a stormy passage, and here all uncertainty in regard to the
motions of the French was relieved. A French armament, commanded by M.
de la Galissonière, with thirteen ships-of-the-line, and transports
conveying 15,000 troops, had taken full possession of the island,
from which Byng’s informant, Captain Edgecomb, had retired upon
their landing. This intelligence the Admiral despatched to England,
accompanied by remarks little likely to win the favor of those who
then misdirected the naval affairs of England. “Byng’s admonitory tone
irritated their Lordships excessively, and undoubtedly led them thus
early to take measures to transfer any blame from themselves to the
officer who could presume to complain of their fatal tardiness in then
attempting to defeat the enemy’s designs.”
At daybreak, on May 19th, the English fleet arrived in sight of
Minorca, and reconnoitred Port Mahon, with a view of endeavoring to
communicate with General Blakeney, in command of Fort St. Philip, and
the fleet stood in shore. But the appearance of the French fleet soon
changed the nature of the British Admiral’s movements. Galissonière’s
well appointed fleet stood down, and towards night were within a few
miles, when they tacked to obtain the weather gage, and Byng tacked
his fleet to preserve it. They both continued working to windward all
night, with light variable winds, and at day-break, on May 20th, were
not visible to each other, as it was very hazy. Soon, however, the
French fleet was discovered to leeward, but at so great a distance that
it was two in the afternoon before Byng considered it necessary to form
his line of battle.
The French had twelve sail-of-the-line and five frigates, carrying 976
guns and 9500 men. Byng had thirteen sail-of-the-line (having been
reinforced at Gibraltar), four frigates and a sloop-of-war, carrying
948 guns and 7000 men.
About three o’clock Byng made signal for his ships to approach and
engage the enemy in an oblique direction, so as to avoid exposing them
to a raking fire as they approached the French line, which was lying
waiting for them, with main-top-sails aback. The signal was to bear
away two points, but Admiral West, who was leading, misinterpreted the
signal, bore away seven points, and brought the French to action in
a manner which it would have been well for the Commander-in-chief to
have followed; for had West’s mode of attack been generally adopted
in the British fleet, it would have saved Byng’s life as well as some
disgrace to the British navy. Byng shortly bore up to the support
of his Rear-admiral, but the Intrepid, the last ship of the leading
division, soon had her fore-top-mast shot away, and in an entirely
unaccountable manner, threw all the ships astern of her into confusion.
Such a loss, with the wind on her quarter, ought not to have occasioned
any trouble, as the other ships could pass her to leeward. The next
ships luffed up, to pass her to windward, but, in fact, did not pass
her at all, remaining on her weather quarter, nor did several other of
the rear ships, including Byng’s flag-ship, the Ramillies, of 90 guns.
This ship did not get into action at all, although her crew wasted much
ammunition by firing while completely out of gunshot. In this she was
imitated by four other heavy ships. The division of Admiral West, who
was really in action, suffered a good deal, and would probably have
fallen into the hands of the French, if the latter had not, after about
three hours’ cannonading, filled, and made sail out of action.
After this partial and rather disgraceful affair Byng returned to
Gibraltar, leaving the English garrison of Fort Philip to its fate.
The French account of the action was the first to reach England. It
claimed decided advantage for the French, and stated that the English
had appeared unwilling to fight; that the engagement was not general;
and that, on the next morning, to the surprise of the French Admiral,
the English fleet had disappeared. Most of this was true; indeed, all
of it, except West’s gallant fight.
Immense indignation was excited in England by this news; and this
excitement was fostered by many in authority.
Without waiting for Byng’s despatches, the Admiralty appointed Sir
Edward Hawke and Admiral Saunders to supersede Byng and West, directing
Hawke to place them both under arrest, and send them home prisoners, to
England. This feverish and unusual haste had the effect upon the public
mind of a condemnation of Byng. Hawke and Saunders reached Gibraltar on
the 3d of July; and Byng, West, and other officers arrested, reached
England on the 26th of that month.
Byng was immediately placed in close confinement, and his younger
brother, who had hastened to see him, was so struck by the abuse of the
Admiral in every town he passed through that at sight of him he was
taken suddenly ill, and died in convulsions. Byng had been burned in
effigy in all the large towns, before he arrived in England; and his
place in the country was mobbed, and the house with difficulty saved
from destruction.
The streets and shops were filled with caricatures and libelous
ballads, abusing the ministry, as well as Byng; the ministry being held
responsible popularly for not having sent an efficient fleet sooner.
Such public excitement and universal condemnation, upon slight
knowledge of the facts, was most unusual, and most unjust to the
Admiral, who had faults enough to answer for.
From Portsmouth he was sent to Greenwich, to await trial. Here he
was again in close confinement, and an impression was sought to be
conveyed to the public that he desired to make his escape.
But Byng always manifested a desire to be put upon his trial, and
seemed, to the last, confident of an honorable acquittal.
In December he was taken back to Portsmouth, with the same parade of
guards as when he had been brought up.
The Court-martial to try him assembled at Portsmouth, on board the St.
George, on the 28th of December, 1756, and sat every succeeding day,
except Sunday, until the 27th of the following month.
The charges against him were seventeen in number, but the court ignored
most of them, and only imputed blame to Byng in that, during the
engagement, he did not do his utmost to “take, seize and destroy” the
ships of the French, and to assist such of his chief officers as were
engaged.
The prisoner’s conduct fell under a part of an Article of War providing
for such offence; and the court had no other alternative than to pass
sentence of death upon the unfortunate Admiral, as provided in the
Article.
But as all evidence showed that he did not lack personal courage, the
court refused to find him guilty of “cowardice or disaffection,” and
earnestly recommended him to mercy.
In a letter to the Admiralty, signed by every member of the court,
they say, “we cannot help laying the distress of our minds before your
Lordships, in finding ourselves under the necessity of condemning a man
to death from the great severity of the 12th Article of War, _part_ of
which he falls under, and which admits of no mitigation, even if the
crime should be committed by an error of judgment; and therefore, for
our own conscience’s sake, we pray your Lordships, in the most earnest
manner, to recommend him to his Majesty’s clemency.”
This the Lords of the Admiralty did not do, but simply requested
the King to submit the case to the twelve judges, as to whether the
sentence was a legal one. There had been no question of its legality.
The judges declared the sentence legal.
On the very same day they did so, the Lords of the Admiralty, at
the head of whom was Lord Temple, signed a warrant for carrying the
sentence into execution, on February 28th.
Admiral Forbes, one of the Board of Admiralty, refused to sign
it; and the sentence was generally considered by naval officers
cruel in the extreme. Admiral West demanded a revision of the 12th
Article, and declared he would resign unless it was abrogated. Wm.
Pitt characterized it as unjustly severe, but it was only modified
twenty-two years afterwards, by inserting, after the word _death_,
“or to inflict such other punishment as the nature and degree of the
offence shall be found to deserve.”
As Byng was a member of the House of Commons it was necessary to expel
him before execution, and this led to a long and acrimonious debate as
to an appeal to the throne for mercy. Nothing was done, however. Byng’s
political enemies were too strong for his friends, among whom was Mr.
Fox, and pardon was no longer hoped for. In the meantime the execution
had been postponed, but was finally ordered for the 14th of March. This
decision was met by Byng almost with cheerfulness, as he was to be
relieved from imprisonment, indignities and protracted anxiety, which
had lasted for seven months.
The sentence was carried into effect on the day appointed, on board
the Monarch, in Portsmouth Harbor. About noon, having taken leave of
two friends and a clergyman who had attended him, Byng walked out of
the state cabin on to the quarter-deck, where two files of marines
were drawn up to execute the sentence. He advanced with a firm and
deliberate step, and composed and resolute countenance, and wished
to suffer with his face uncovered; but his friends represented that
perhaps his look might intimidate the marines, and prevent them from
taking proper aim. So he allowed a handkerchief to be tied over his
eyes, and kneeling on a cushion, dropped his handkerchief as a signal
for the marines to fire. Five balls passed through his body, and he
dropped dead instantly. The time consumed from the moment he left the
cabin until his body was in its coffin was just three minutes.
He left a paper containing a solemn protest against the malice and
persecution he had encountered, and saying that he felt justice would
ultimately be done his memory. He also declared that he had done his
duty, to the best of his judgment, and that he forgave his enemies.
Byng had not been a popular officer; something of a martinet, he was
cold and haughty in manner, but no one had ever accused him of want of
personal courage, any more than his gallant father. He was opinionated,
and self-willed, and it was shown on his trial that, if he had listened
to the sensible and seamanlike suggestions of Gardner, the captain of
his flag-ship, the result of his engagement with Galissonière might
have been different, and have prevented him from taking refuge under
the decision of a Council-of-war partly composed of the land officers,
passengers in the fleet, which had much hurt the pride of the navy. It
was by advice of this Council that he withdrew from Minorca.
Byng’s execution, in spite of his manifest lack of criminality, was
an opprobrium to the ministers of two administrations, for he was
denounced and persecuted as a coward and traitor under that of the Duke
of Newcastle and Lord Anson, while the Duke of Devonshire and Lord
Temple sanctioned his death.
The court which tried him expressly acquitted him of cowardice and
treachery, and complained of the severity of the law which awarded the
punishment of death on a _secondary_ charge, recommending him to mercy.
The famous Voltaire remarked that the English had just shot an Admiral
“_pour encourager les autres_.”
[Illustration: VENETIAN GALLEY OF THE 16TH CENTURY.
(A specimen of the Venetian Fleet at the Battle of Lepanto.)]