De Ruyter.—Van Tromp.—Columbus.—Vasquez da Gama.—Villeneuve.—Tom of
Ten Thousand.—Hawkins, Drake, Blake, Hawke.—Rodney.—A female
soldier.—Vincent, on the 14th of February.—Duncan, off Camperdown.—
Admiral Howe, and the glorious First of June.—Maitland’s
generosity.—Viscount Exmouth; his courage and humanity.—Codrington
and the battle of Navarino.—The flag of old England.
“Who are the principal admirals of England, those who have been famous
for their victories?”
“There have been so many of them, that you must be satisfied with a few.
In my rambling way I will run over their names. There have been British
admirals stern and kind-hearted, crabbed, and good-tempered, but all of
them brave. A sailor’s figure-head, whether he be ‘before the mast’ or
admiral of the fleet, should always telegraph good-humour to the craft
around him; but some of our admirals have been crusty old boys. You
remember, perhaps, my speaking of the hearty old admirals in the Naval
Gallery of Greenwich, in their curled wigs, red, blue, and brown coats,
loose robes, ermine capes, armour, and buff leathern jackets?”
“Yes, uncle! yes! And you said there was no fixed uniform in old times
for the navy.”
“De Ruyter and Van Tromp were brave admirals, in the service of Holland.
Van Tromp was the very first of Dutch Admirals, the Nelson of his
country, having been in fifty naval engagements, winning thirty-three
victories; he was considered the most intrepid and the ablest seaman of
his day. You will not find a Dutchman who does not know all about Van
Tromp. It has been said, that he carried a besom at his mast-head to
sweep the seas of British ships, but since then British admirals have
turned sweepers themselves.”
“Indeed they have, and Admiral Von Tromp, if he were alive would not be
able to hinder them.”
“I might say something of Christopher Columbus, admiral of Spain,
discoverer of the continent of America; of Vasquez da Gama, admiral of
Portugal, discoverer of the passage to India by the Cape of Good Hope;
and of Villeneuve, the French Admiral; but I must pass them all by to
speak a word of British admirals. And first, let me tell you, that
Thomas Smith, admiral of the blue, was known among seamen as Tom of Ten
Thousand.”
“What a comical name! No doubt he was a very famous man?”
“Leaving the older admirals, Hawkins, Drake, and Blake, let us come at
once to Admiral Hawke. He has the reputation of being not only brave but
also circumspect; to the most consummate courage and active spirit he
added a temper cool and deliberate; accident ruffled him not; sudden
misfortune seemed not to take him by surprise. I will give you one
instance of his coolness and steady self-possession. When his flag was
on board the Royal George, the ship once took fire, owing to a
collection of soot in the funnel of the stove of the great cabin. A man
of less presence of mind would have given an alarm instantly to the
whole ship; but instead of this, Sir Edward, who was at the time
dressing himself, went on deck without manifesting any emotion, and
taking aside the first-lieutenant, said to him in a low tone, ‘Sir, the
ship is on fire in my cabin; give the necessary directions for putting
it out.’”
“Capital! capital! Why, we should have cried out fire! as loud as we
could scream.”
“And by that means have gathered round you those who would have only
been in each other’s way. I have given you an instance of coolness in
Admiral Hawke; I will now give you an example of fidelity and integrity
in Admiral Rodney.”
“Ay! we have heard of Admiral Rodney; he was a very brave commander.”
“After many instances of bravery and skill, he unfortunately engaged in
election contests, and became so poor that he was obliged to retire to
France to escape from the pursuit of his creditors. When in this forlorn
situation, the Duke de Biron invited him to his house, treated him very
hospitably, and then hinted, that if he would enter the French navy it
would be greatly to his advantage. But the blue-jacket that would fight
against his country, even to be made lord-high-admiral of an enemy’s
navy, would deserve to be tarred and feathered. Rodney began to think
that the duke was a little deranged in his intellects, but what was his
surprise when the duke told him, that he was commissioned by his royal
master, the king, to offer him the command of a French squadron, with
unbounded advantages, should he accept the appointment. What do you
think was Rodney’s answer?”
“Why, if he were a true Englishman, he would never fight against his own
country.”
“Right, right! This was his reply to the duke. ‘My distresses, sir, it
is true, have driven me from the bosom of my country, but no temptation
whatever can estrange me from her service. Had this offer been a
voluntary one of your own, I should have deemed it an insult, but I am
glad that it proceeds from a source that _can do no wrong_.’ It is a
common saying, ‘A king can do no wrong.’”
“Well done, Admiral Rodney! He was a true Englishman. No doubt the duke
was in a fine passion.”
“Quite the contrary. There is that in an upright and noble action which
commands respect. The brave respect the brave, and the faithful respect
the faithful all the world over. The duke was so struck with admiration
of the British tar’s patriotism that he instantly became his friend.”
“Then the duke had a noble mind too. Please to tell us a little of
Admiral Rodney’s bravery.”
“When captain of the Eagle, he engaged two French vessels of equal
force, but being disabled, he was obliged to drop astern. Undaunted by
his ill success, he rove new braces, and repaired his wheel, which had
been in part shot away, and then once more, crowding all the sail he
could stretch on his shattered spars, returned to the attack.”
“Rodney was as courageous, then, as he was faithful?”
“Yes. His grand battle was with the French Admiral Comte de Grasse, off
Dominica. I will tell you how he got the victory.”
“Oh, he fired away till he sank the Frenchmen, or perhaps he boarded
them.”
“No, he went upon a very different plan; and it was the very first time
that plan was adopted. He sailed boldly on, and broke the enemy’s line;
thus exposing one wing of the fleet to a double attack. This enabled him
to obtain the victory.”
“Ay! we remember now, that you told us about breaking the line at the
same time that you spoke of your two school-fellows, Captain Bentley and
Captain Baines. We see that it is not courage and power alone that
conquers, but skill and prudence, and a knowledge of naval tactics.”
“This bold enterprize of breaking the line of the enemy has, since then,
often been effected, but I believe, as I said before, that Admiral
Rodney set the example, though the thought did not spring from his own
mind.
“Rodney, it is said, owing to particular circumstances, found it
necessary to keep up proper discipline in the navy, and control faction
by an uncompromising sternness of conduct, not belonging to his natural
character. He was compelled, as he believed, to convince those under his
command that he was not a man to be trifled with.
“The policy pursued by Lord Nelson for securing the obedience of his
captains was the reverse of this, but equally successful. This great
commander cultivated the personal attachment of those under his orders
by familiar and confidential intercourse. After settling in his own mind
the plan of a campaign, or mode of attack, he would, it is said,
communicate it to his captains; sometimes separately, sometimes
collectively, as if to consult them on the soundness of what he
projected, putting the case to them in the interrogative or consulting
tone, as to what he had decided upon, leaving an opening for their
lights and corrections; and it is believed that he stated the case
differently from what he had secretly decided on, but led them to offer
an opinion and advice in accordance with his real determination, in
order to pay them the flattering compliment of having amended his plan.
‘Your idea,’ he would say, ‘is the better of the two.’ This illustrates
how the same end may be attained by different, and even opposite means,
according to the difference of circumstances. Lord Nelson’s captains had
lived with him in affectionate personal intercourse, loving and
respecting him. Lord Rodney had little or no acquaintance with the great
majority of his captains, and had reason to believe that they neither
loved nor respected him much; but, by a demeanour suited to such
circumstances, he equally secured their obedience and co-operation,
after the first misunderstanding and neglect of duty.
“During an action of Admiral Rodney with the French, a woman assisted at
one of the guns upon the main-deck, and being asked by the admiral what
she did there, she replied, ‘An’t please your honour, my husband is sent
down to the cockpit wounded, and I am here to supply his place. Do you
think, your honour, I am afraid of the French?’ After the action, Lord
Rodney called her aft, told her she had been guilty of a breach of
orders, by being on board, and rewarded her with ten guineas for so
gallantly supplying the place of her husband.”
“What a strange woman that must have been! She was more like a man than
a woman.”
“There have been several instances of women becoming soldiers and
sailors. At the siege of Saragossa a young woman took her part at the
guns; and an extraordinary woman, named Mary Schellenck, died a short
time since, at Menin. She was a native of Ghent, and in March 1792,
entered the second Belgian battalion as a male volunteer. On the 6th of
November in that year she distinguished herself in the battle of
Gemappes, and received six wounds. She afterwards entered the thirtieth
demi-brigade (Batavian), and made the campaigns of Germany. She was next
removed to the eighth light infantry, and displayed great bravery at the
battle of Austerlitz, in which she received a severe wound, which led to
the discovery of her sex. She, however, continued to follow the
regiment; and at last presented a petition with her own hand to
Napoleon. The emperor received her with marked distinction, placed her
tenth on the list of lieutenants, invested her with his own hands with a
cross of the legion of honour, which he himself had worn. In 1807 she
was granted a pension of six hundred and seventy-three francs. Her
funeral, which was celebrated in the church of Menin, was attended by
every member of the legion of honour belonging to the garrison, and an
immense concourse of people.”
“She was a more famous woman than the other; but it was rather a pity
that she could find nothing to do besides fighting. What have women to
do with battles?”
“Vincent, Duncan and Howe, are great names as naval commanders. One of
the most brilliant victories mentioned in English history was achieved
by Vincent. He went to sea at ten years of age. When posted, he was
appointed to the Gosport. Afterwards he captured the Pallas, a French
frigate, and was present in Admiral Keppel’s action with the French.
Under Admiral Barrington he chased and fought the Pégase, a French
seventy-four, capturing her without the loss of a single man. With his
flag on board the Victory of one hundred guns, he came face to face with
his enemy on the 14th of February, 1797, fighting one of the most famous
battles, and achieving one of the most splendid victories ever recorded
in the roll of fame.”
“Vincent will not soon be forgotten.”
“Duncan’s victory over the Dutch fleet off Camperdown was a gallant
affair, and it has handed down his name in the list of Britain’s
warriors. Assembling his crew in the presence of the captured Dutch
admiral, he kneeled down at their head to offer up his thanksgiving to
the God of battles.”
“What a sight to see them all kneeling on the deck!”
“Admiral Lord Howe, when a captain, was once hastily awakened in the
middle of the night by the lieutenant, who informed him, with great
agitation, that the ship was on fire near the magazine. ‘If that be the
case,’ said he, rising leisurely to put on his clothes, ‘we shall soon
hear a farther report of the matter.’ The lieutenant flew back to the
scene of danger, and almost instantly returning, exclaimed, ‘You need
not, sir, be afraid, the fire is extinguished.’ ‘Afraid,’ exclaimed
Howe; ‘what do you mean by that, sir? I never was afraid in my life,’
and looking the lieutenant full in the face, he added, ‘Pray, how does a
man feel, sir, when he is afraid? I need not ask how he looks.’”
“Admiral Howe was a much bolder man than his lieutenant was.”
“You have heard, boys, the expression ‘The glorious first of June!’ It
arose from the grand battle fought on that day, in the year 1794,
between Lord Howe and the French fleet. The name of Howe sounds like a
triumph in the ears of a seaman. The probity and generosity of seamen
are as much a proverb as their courage and recklessness.”
“Captain, afterwards Admiral Sir F. Maitland, agreed with Captain Dixon
of the Apollo, that they should share between them whatever prize-money
fell to their lot. Captain Dixon’s life was a short one, and his widow
was left in not very affluent circumstances.”
“One day the widow was waited on by a gentleman, who presented to her a
bank check for twenty-five thousand pounds. Surprised by so strange a
circumstance she hesitated, and then refused to accept the munificent
sum tendered to her, when Captain Maitland addressed her thus:—‘The
agreement I made with my friend Dixon to share our prize-money, was not
an agreement for life, but during the war, and therefore this money is
fairly yours.’”
“Admiral Maitland was every inch a sailor!”
“Sailors were never close in money matters. Jack before the mast, while
he has a shiner left, will share it with any messmate he happens to fall
in with. Viscount Exmouth went to sea at the age of thirteen, and rose
rapidly in rank. Every step was the reward of some new achievement. When
only twenty-five years old he drove three privateers on shore at the
Isle of Bass. He afterwards captured the Cleopatra. He was sent to set
fire to a frigate and two corvettes which had run ashore. He carried the
vessels gallantly; but finding them filled with wounded men, who could
not be removed, he abandoned his prizes rather than destroy so many
sufferers, unable, to help themselves—an act of humanity that redounds
to his credit even more than his courageous exploits! Bravery and
humanity should always be companions. In battle Exmouth was a lion, but
when the victory was won, he became a lamb.”
“That was noble conduct; and the name of Exmouth ought to be remembered
with honour.”
“You have not heard all yet, boys; twice did he leap overboard to save a
drowning sailor from the waves; and when no pilot would venture out in
the storm that blew the Dutton, East Indiaman, on shore, full of troops,
he magnanimously reached the wreck in a boat, and made such judicious
arrangements, that the whole of the crew were saved.”
“Say what you will, but that action was ten times better than a
victory!”
“Lord Exmouth was sent to bombard Algiers; for the cruel pirates there
would listen to no terms, but continued to infest the ocean, and to keep
in cruel captivity their Christian slaves. So well did he perform this
service, setting all the slaves at liberty, and doing away with slavery
for ever, that his grateful country made him a viscount.”
“He was a kind-hearted man, and well deserved to be rewarded.”
“I have no time to speak of Admiral Sir Samuel Hood, because I intend to
read you his epitaph. Here it is: it will speak better for him than I
can. It was written by the pen of Sir James Mackintosh.”
Sacred to the memory of
SIR SAMUEL HOOD, BART.
Knight of the Most Honourable Order of the Bath, and nominated
Grand Cross thereof;
Knight of St. Ferdinand and of Merit,
Knight Grand Cross of the Sword,
Vice-Admiral of the White, and
Commander-in-Chief of H. M. Fleet in the East Indies;
An officer of the highest distinction
among the illustrious men
who rendered their own age the brightest period in the naval history
of their country:
In whom the same simplicity, calmness, and firmness,
which gave him the full command of his science and skill in the
midst of danger;
secured also the rectitude of his judgment in its most rapid
decisions,
preserved the integrity and kindness of his nature undisturbed
amidst the agitations of the world,
and diffused a graceful benignity on the frank demeanour
of his generous profession:
Whose character was an example of the natural union of a gallant
spirit with a gentle disposition,
and of private affection with public honour;
whose native modesty was unchanged by a life of renown:
THIS COLUMN is erected,
by the attachment and reverence of British Officers;
of whom many were his admiring followers
in those awful scenes of war,
which, while they called forth the grandest qualities of human nature
in him, likewise gave occasion for the exercise of its most amiable
virtues.
“That is a very high character of him indeed!”
“The battle of Navarino was a terrible one for the Turks, for it almost
annihilated their navy. It took place to compel the Turks to give over
their exterminating war against the Greeks, and to evacuate their
country.”
“Who commanded the fleet at the battle of Navarino?”
“Admiral Codrington. Oh, it was a terrible conflict! The bay, and the
town, and the Castle of Navarino, formed a picturesque view; the Ottoman
fleet having crimson flags flying at their peaks, with crescents and
swords upon them. There were evident signs of hurry on board the ships,
as though they hardly expected to be attacked so soon. Indeed, it was
afterwards understood, that they intended to be very civil until night,
and a strong breeze should favour them in sending forth their fire-
ships.”
“Those fire-ships must be sad things?”
“According to orders, no shot was to be fired without a signal from the
admiral; and the memorable words of Nelson animated every heart: ‘No
captain can do very wrong who places his ship alongside an enemy.’ The
British, French, and Russian ships had enough to do. The Turkish and
Egyptian fleets fought with desperation, but when the battle was over,
the flag of old England was waving in the breeze of victory. I might
speak of many more admirals, and of hundreds of naval officers who have
signalized themselves for skill and intrepidity, but enough for the
present.
May Britain’s flag still fly unfurl’d
In fair and stormy weather;
And might and right and British hearts
Sail blithely on together.”
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