LORD GAMBIER’S FIRST DESPATCH, GIVING ME CREDIT FOR THE CONDUCT OF THE
ATTACK IN AIX ROADS.
_Caledonia_, at anchor in Basque Roads,
April 14th, 1809.
SIR,—The Almighty’s favour to His Majesty and the nation has been
strongly marked in the success He has been pleased to give to the
operations of His Majesty’s fleet under my command; and I have the
satisfaction to acquaint you, for the information of the Lords
Commissioners of the Admiralty, that the four ships of the enemy,
named in the margin[103], have been destroyed at their anchorage, and
several others, from getting on shore, if not rendered altogether
unserviceable, are at least disabled for a considerable time.
The arrangement of the firevessels, placed under the direction of
Captain the Right Honourable Lord Cochrane, was made as fully as the
state of the weather would admit, according to his Lordship’s plan, on
the evening of the 11th instant; and at eight o’clock on the same
night they proceeded to the attack under a favourable strong wind from
the northward, and flood tide, preceded by some vessels filled with
powder and shells, as proposed by his Lordship, with a view to
explosion, and led on in the most undaunted and determined manner by
Capt. Wooldridge, in the _Mediator_ fireship, the others following in
succession; but owing to the darkness of the night, several mistook
their course, and failed.
On their approach to the enemy’s ships, it was discovered that a boom
was placed in front of their line for a defence. This, however, the
weight of the _Mediator_ soon broke, and the usual intrepidity and
bravery of British seamen overcame all difficulties, advancing under a
heavy fire from the forts in the Isle of Aix, as well as from the
enemy’s ships, most of which cut or slipt their cables, and from the
confined anchorage got on shore, and thus avoided taking fire.
At daylight the following morning, Lord Cochrane communicated to me,
by telegraph, that seven of the enemy’s ships were on shore, and might
be destroyed. I immediately made the signal for the fleet to unmoor
and weigh, intending to proceed with it to effect their destruction.
The wind, however, being fresh from the northward, and the flood-tide
running, rendered it too hazardous to run into Aix Roads (from its
shallow water), I therefore anchored again at the distance of about
three miles from the forts on the island.
As the tide suited, the enemy evinced great activity in endeavouring
to warp their ships (which had grounded) into deep water, and
succeeded in getting all but five of the line towards the entrance of
the Charente before it became practicable to attack them.
I gave orders to Capt. Bligh, of the _Valiant_, to proceed with that
ship, the _Revenge_, frigates, bombs, and small vessels, named in the
margin,[104] to anchor near the Boyart Shoal, in readiness for the
attack. At twenty minutes past two P.M. Lord Cochrane advanced in the
_Impérieuse_, with his accustomed gallantry and spirit, and opened a
well-directed fire upon the _Calcutta_, which struck her colours to
the _Impérieuse_; the ships and vessels above-mentioned soon after
joined in the attack upon the _Ville de Varsovie_ and _Aquilon_, and
obliged them, before five o’clock, after sustaining a heavy cannonade,
to strike their colours, when they were taken possession of by the
boats of the advanced squadron. As soon as the prisoners were removed
they were set on fire, as was also the _Tonnerre_, a short time after
by the enemy.
I afterwards detached Rear-Admiral the Hon. Robert Stopford, in the
_Cæsar_, with the _Theseus_, three additional fireships (which were
hastily prepared in the course of the day), and all the boats of the
fleet, with Mr. Congreve’s rockets, to conduct the further operations
of the night against any of the ships which lay exposed to an attack.
On the morning of the 13th, the Rear-Admiral reported to me, that as
the _Cæsar_ and other line-of-battle ships had grounded, and were in a
dangerous situation, he thought it advisable to order them all out,
particularly as the remaining part of the service could be performed
by frigates and small vessels only; and I was happy to find that they
were extricated from their perilous situation.
Captain Bligh has since informed me that it was found impracticable to
destroy the three-decked ship, and the others, which were lying near
the entrance of the Charente, as the former, being the outer one, was
protected by three lines of boats placed in advance from her.
This ship and all the others, except four of the line and a frigate,
have now moved up the Charente. If any further attempt to destroy them
is practicable, I shall not fail to use every means in my power to
accomplish it.
I have great satisfaction in stating to their Lordships how much I
feel obliged to the zealous co-operation of Rear-Admiral Stopford,
under whose arrangement the boats of the fleet were placed; and I must
also express to their Lordships the high sense I have of the
assistance I received from the abilities and unremitted attention of
Sir Harry Neale, Bart. the Captain of the Fleet, as well as of the
animated exertions of the captains, officers, seamen, and marines
under my command, and their forwardness to volunteer upon any service
that might be allotted to them; particularly the zeal and activity
shown by the captains of line-of-battle ships in preparing the
firevessels.
I cannot speak in sufficient terms of admiration and applause of the
vigorous and gallant attack made by Lord Cochrane upon the French
line-of-battle ships which were on shore, as well as of his judicious
manner of approaching them, and placing his ship in a position most
advantageous to annoy the enemy and preserve his own ship; which could
not be exceeded by any feat of valour hitherto achieved by the British
navy.
It is due to Rear-Admiral Stopford and Sir Harry Neale, that I should
here take the opportunity of acquainting their Lordships of the
handsome and earnest manner in which both these meritorious officers
had volunteered their services before the arrival of Lord Cochrane to
undertake an attack upon the enemy with fireships; and that, had not
their Lordships fixed upon him to conduct the enterprise, I have full
confidence that the result of their efforts would have been highly
creditable to them.
Not having had it in my power, as yet, to ascertain the conduct of the
officers commanding the fireships, except that of the _Mediator_, I am
under the necessity of deferring to state how far they fulfilled their
duty on this hazardous service in which they were engaged.
I should feel that I did not do justice to the services of Capt.
Godfrey, of the _Etna_, in bombarding the enemy’s ships on the 12th,
and nearly all the day of the 13th, if I did not recommend him to
their Lordships’ notice; and I cannot omit bearing due testimony to
the anxious desire expressed by Mr. Congreve to be employed wherever I
might conceive his services in the management of his rockets would be
useful; some of them were placed in the fireships with effect, and I
have every reason to be satisfied with the artillerymen and others who
had the management of them, under Mr. Congreve’s direction.
I send herewith a return of the killed, wounded, and missing of the
fleet, which, I am happy to observe, is comparatively small. I have
not yet received the returns of the number of prisoners taken, but I
conceive they amount to between 400 and 500. I have charged Sir Harry
Neale with this despatch by the _Impérieuse_, and I beg leave to refer
their Lordships to him, as also to Lord Cochrane, for any further
particulars of which they may wish to be informed.
I have the honour to be, &c.,
(Signed) GAMBIER.
-----
Footnote 103:
_Ville de Varsovie_, of 80 guns; _Tonnerre_, of 74 guns; _Aquilon_, of
74 guns; and _Calcutta_ of 56 guns.
Footnote 104:
_Indefatigable_, _Unicorn_, _Aigle_, _Emerald_, _Pallas_, _Beagle_,
_Etna_ bomb, _Insolent_ gun-brig, _Conflict_, _Encounter_, _Fervent_,
and _Growler_.
-----
_April 15th._—P.S. This morning three of the enemy’s line-of-battle
ships are observed to be still on shore under Fouras, and one of them
is in a dangerous situation. One of these frigates (_L’Indienne_) also
on shore, has fallen over, and they are now dismantling her. As the
tides will be off in a day or two, there is every probability that she
will be destroyed.
Since writing the foregoing, I have learned that the Hon.
Lieut.-Colonel Cochrane (Lord Cochrane’s brother), and Lieut. Bisset,
of the navy, were volunteers in the _Impérieuse_, and rendered
themselves extremely useful, the former by commanding some of her guns
on the main-deck, and the latter in conducting one of the explosion
vessels.
-----------------------
APPENDIX II.
LORD GAMBIER’S SECOND DESPATCH IGNORING MY
SERVICES ALTOGETHER.
London, May 10th, 1809.
SIR,—I have received your letter of the 2nd instant, acknowledging the
receipt of the list, containing the names of the officers and men
employed in the fireships and explosion vessels on the night of the
11th ult., with my observations on the result of my inquiry respecting
their conduct on that occasion; and signifying that you are commanded
by their Lordships to acquaint me, that, in order to have before them
full and complete information of the proceedings of the several ships
employed by me on the various branches of the very important
operations carried on against the enemy’s fleet in Aix Road, it is
their Lordships’ direction that I should call upon Rear-Admiral
Stopford, Captain Bligh, Captain Lord Cochrane, and any other officer
I may have entrusted with any part of that service, to report to me
their proceedings, together with such observations and remarks as they
may have made whilst they were executing my orders against the enemy;
and that I should transmit the same to their Lordships, with any
observations I may think proper to make thereon.
You will be pleased to acquaint their Lordships that I have written to
those officers to make reports to me accordingly, and shall lose no
time in transmitting them to you as soon as they are obtained, but
some time must elapse before they can reach me.
From communications I have since had with their Lordships, I am led to
understand that a more full and detailed account than I have
transmitted of the proceedings of the fleet under my command, during
the whole of its operations in Basque Roads, would be desirable. I
shall, therefore, in making such a statement, endeavour to omit no
incident that may be in any degree connected with those operations, or
serve to elucidate the various movements and proceedings of the fleet,
persuaded that doing so cannot fail to promote the satisfaction which,
in common with the officers and men under my command, I feel upon that
occasion, and on the success which has resulted from it.
Their Lordships are aware that soon after I had taken the anchorage of
Basque Roads, I stated to them the strong position of the enemy’s
fleet in Aix Roads; that their ships were moored in two compact lines,
and the most distant ship of each line within point blank range of the
batteries of Isle d’Aix, explaining, at the same time, that they were
under the necessity of mooring in such close order, not for the
purpose of opposing a more formidable front, but to avoid the shoals
close around the anchorage; and their Lordships will also remember
that I then pointed out the impracticability of destroying them by an
attack with the ships of the line in the position they occupied; but
that I conceived them to be assailable by fireships, having previously
suggested to Lord Mulgrave the expediency of sending out twenty or
thirty vessels for that purpose.
This suggestion was anticipated by their Lordships, and they were
pleased to order twelve sail of fireships to join me, and to direct me
to fit out eight others on the spot. Upon the arrival of Captain Lord
Cochrane, whom their Lordships had ordered me to employ in conducting
the execution of the service to be performed by the fireships, I was
induced, at his suggestion, to add the _Mediator_ to the number.
These preparations were completed on the 11th ultimo at night, and
having previously called on board the _Caledonia_ the commanders and
lieutenants who had volunteered their services, and who had been
appointed by me to command fire vessels, I furnished them with full
instructions for their proceedings in the attack, according to Lord
Cochrane’s plan, and arranged the disposition of the frigates and
small vessels to co-operate in the following manner.
The _Unicorn_, _Aigle_, and _Pallas_, I directed to take a station
near the Boyart Shoal, for the purpose of receiving the crews of the
fireships on their return from the enterprise, to support the boats of
the fleet which were to accompany the fireships, and to give
assistance to the _Impérieuse_, which ship was still further advanced.
The _Whiting_ schooner, _King George_, and _Nimrod_ cutters, were
fitted for throwing rockets, and directed to take a station near the
same shoal for that purpose.
The _Indefatigable_, _Foxhound_, and _Etna_ bomb, were to take a
station as near the fort on the Isle of Aix as possible; the two
former to protect the bomb vessel, whilst she threw shells into the
fort.
The _Emerald_, _Dotterel_, and _Beagle_ sloops, and _Growler_,
_Conflict_, and _Insolent_ gun-brigs, were stationed to make a
diversion at the east end of the Isle of Aix.
The _Redpole_ and _Lyra_ I directed to be anchored by the Master of
the Fleet (one near the Isle of Aix, and the other near the Boyart),
with lights hoisted, to guide the fireships in their course to the
attack; and the boats of the fleet were ordered to assemble alongside
the _Cæsar_, to proceed to assist the fireships, under the
superintendence of Rear-Admiral Stopford.
With these preconcerted movements the fleet was at this time unmoored,
in readiness to render any service that might be practicable; but
being anchored in a strong tide-way, with the wind fresh from the N.W.
upon the weather tide making, it was again moored, to prevent the
ships falling on board each other.
At about half past eight P.M. the explosion vessels and fireships
proceeded to the attack; at half past nine the first explosion vessel
blew up, and at ten most of the fireships were observed to be on fire;
the enemy’s forts and ships firing upon them. Many of the fireships
were seen to drive through their fleet, and beyond the Isle of Aix.
Shortly after daylight, Lord Cochrane, who, in the _Impérieuse_ lay
about three miles from the enemy, made the signal to me by telegraph,
that seven of the enemy’s ships were on shore, and that half the fleet
could destroy them. It was visible from the _Caledonia_ what ships
were aground, and that two or three had made their escape up the
Charente. I immediately ordered the fleet to be unmoored, and at half
past nine weighed and run up nearer to the Isle of Aix, with the view,
when the time of tide should render it advisable, that some of the
line-of-battle ships might proceed to attack the enemy’s ships on
shore; but the wind blowing fresh from the N.N.W. with a flood tide, I
judged it unadvisable to risk any of them at that time in so perilous
a situation. The fleet was therefore anchored. I made the signal for
each ship to prepare, with spare or sheet cables out of the stern
ports, and springs on them, to be in readiness for any of them to go
in that I might judge necessary; in the meanwhile I ordered three
additional fireships to be prepared.
Observing the _Impérieuse_ to advance, and the time of flood nearly
done running, the _Indefatigable_, _Unicorn_, _Aigle_, _Emerald_,
_Pallas_, _Beagle_, _Etna_, and gun-brigs, were ordered, by signal,
into the attack; at 2·20 P.M. the former opened her fire upon the
enemy’s ships aground, and the others as soon after as they arrived
up. I then ordered in the _Valiant_ and _Revenge_ to support them, and
they soon joined in the action.
The enemy’s ship _Calcutta_ struck her colours at 4·10 P.M. and the
_Ville de Varsovie_, and _Aquilon_, in about an hour afterwards; all
three were taken possession of by the boats of the advanced squadron,
and set on fire as soon as the prisoners were removed; a short time
after the _Tonnerre_ was set on fire by the enemy.
Perceiving, towards the close of day, that there were some of the
enemy’s grounded ships lying further up towards the Charente, which
appeared to be exposed to further attack, I sent in the three
additional fireships, and all the boats of the fleet, with Mr.
Congreve’s rockets, accompanied by the _Cæsar_ and _Theseus_, under
the direction of Rear-Admiral Stopford, with discretional orders for
his acting as he should think fit, and according as circumstances
should render it expedient.
On the following day (the 13th) the Rear-Admiral perceiving that
nothing further could be effected by the line-of-battle ships, which
had grounded, as had also some of the frigates, and how imminent the
danger was in which they lay, and being satisfied that the remaining
part of the service could be performed only by frigates and smaller
vessels, he most wisely took advantage of a providential shift of
wind, and returned with the line-of-battle ships to Basque Road.
Captain Bligh, on his return, reported to me that it was found
impracticable to destroy the enemy’s three-decked ship, and others,
which were lying at the entrance of the Charente, as the former (which
was the outer one) was protected by three lines of boats placed in
advance from her.
During the remainder of the 13th the _Etna_ was employed in throwing
shells, the _Whiting_ schooner in firing rockets, and the other small
vessels in firing upon the enemy’s ships on shore when the tide
permitted.
On the 14th, at daylight, I observed three or four of the enemy’s
ships still apparently aground at the mouth of the river. I ordered
Captain Wolfe, of the _Aigle_, to relieve Lord Cochrane in the
_Impérieuse_, in command of the small vessels advanced, and to use his
utmost endeavours to destroy any of the enemy’s ships which were
assailable. At 2·50 the _Etna_ bomb, and small vessels in shore, began
their fire upon the enemy’s ships at the entrance of the Charente, and
continued to do so during the remainder of the day.
On the 15th, in the morning (the day on which I despatched Sir H.
Neale to their Lordships, in the _Impérieuse_), three of the enemy’s
line-of-battle ships were observed to be still aground under Fouras,
and one of them in a dangerous situation; one of their frigates
(_L’Indienne_), also on shore, had fallen over, and the enemy were
dismantling her.
It blew very strong from the westward the whole of the 15th and 16th,
so that no attempt could be made to annoy and harass the enemy; on the
latter day their frigate, which was on shore, was discovered to be on
fire, and blew up soon after.
All the remainder of the enemy’s ships got up the river by the 17th,
except one (a two-decker), which remained aground under the town of
Fouras; in the afternoon of this day it was observed that another of
the enemy’s frigates had got on shore up the river and was wrecked,
which was afterwards confirmed by the master of a neutral vessel from
Rochelle.
On the 19th it blew too violent for any of the small vessels to act
against the enemy; but on the 20th, the _Thunder_ bomb having arrived,
and the weather having become more moderate, I sent her to assist the
_Etna_ in bombarding the enemy’s ship, on shore near Fouras. The
_Etna_ had split her 13-inch mortar on the 15th, consequently had only
her 10-inch effective.
--------------
_State of the Force of the Enemy, transmitted in Lord_ GAMBIER’S _second
Letter to the Hon._ W.W. POLE, _of the 26th March 1809_.
Statement of the enemy’s force moored at Isle d’Aix, anchorage in two
lines very near to each other, in a direction due south from the fort
on Isle d’Aix; the ships in each line not further apart than their own
length, and the most distant ships of the two lines within point blank
shot of the works on that island.
One three-decker Flag at the fore.
Ten two-deckers (one a fifty-gun } One flag at the mizen, and
ship, late _Calcutta_), } one broad pendant.
Four frigates.
(Signed) GAMBIER.
_Caledonia_, in Basque Roads, March 26th, 1809.
_Statement of the names of the enemy’s ships in Aix Roads, previous to
the attack on the 11th April 1809; and of the killed and wounded in
the action of the 12th of April 1809._
_L’Océan_, 120 guns, Vice-Admiral Allemande, Capt. Reland. Repaired in
1806; on shore under Fouras.
_Foudroyant_, 80, Rear-Admiral Gourdon, Captain Henri. Five years old;
on shore under Fouras.
_Cassard_, 74, Capt. Faure, Commodore. Three years old; on shore under
Fouras.
_Tourville_, 74, Capt. La Caille. Old; on shore in the river.
_Regulus_, 74, Capt. Lucas. Five years old; on shore under Madame.
_Patriote_, 74, Capt. Mahee. Repaired in 1803.
_Jemappe_, 74, Capt. Fauvan. On shore under Madame.
_Tonnerre_, 74, Capt. Clément de la Roncière. Nine months old; never at
sea.
_Aquilon_, 74, Capt. Maignon. Old.
_Ville de Varsovie_, 80, Capt. Cuvillier. New; never at sea.
_Calcutta_, 56, Capt. La Fone. Loaded with flour and military stores.
_Frigates._
_Indienne_, Capt. Proteau. On shore near Isle d’Enette, on her
beam-ends.
_Elbe_, Capt. Perrengier.
_Pallas_, Capt. Le Bigot.
_Hortense_, Capt. Allgand.
N.B. One of the three last frigates on shore under Isle Madame.
Return of the killed, wounded, and missing:—Two officers, eight men,
killed; nine officers, 28 wounded; one man missing. Total,—48.