ST. VINCENT AND CAMPERDOWN
On the 19th of January, 1797, Lord Bridport detached Rear-admiral Parker
with five battle-ships—among them the _Jason_—and one frigate, to
Gibraltar, and on the 6th of February they joined Admiral Sir John Jervis
off Cape St. Vincent.
They were cruising along the Portuguese coast when, on the morning of the
13th of February, Nelson brought Admiral Jervis the long-expected news of
the approach of the Spanish fleet. Its exact strength he had not
discovered, but it was known to exceed twenty sail of the line, while
Jervis had but fifteen, two of which had been greatly injured by a
collision the night before. The repairs, however, were quickly executed,
and they fell into their positions. Jervis made the signal to prepare for
action. During the night the signal guns of the Spaniards were heard, and
before daylight a Portuguese frigate came along and reported that they
were about four leagues to windward. At that time the fleet were
south-west of Cape St. Vincent. The Spaniards, who had hitherto been
prevented by an adverse wind from getting into Cadiz, were ready to meet
us, not knowing that the British admiral had been reinforced, and
believing that he had but some ten ships.
The wind, however, changed during the night, and, acting in strict
obedience to his orders, the Spanish commander-in-chief determined to set
sail for Cadiz. When day broke, his fleet was seen about five miles off,
the main body huddled together in a confused group, with one squadron to
leeward. It was then seen what a formidable fleet lay before us. The
admiral’s flag was carried by the _Santissima-Trinidada_, one hundred and
thirty, and he had with him six three-deckers of one hundred and twelve
guns each, two of eighty, and eighteen seventy-fours. Our fleet had
scarcely half the ships and guns. We had two ships of one hundred guns,
three of ninety-eight, one of ninety, eight seventy-fours, and a
sixty-four. There was, however, no comparison between the men. Our own
were for the most part tried and trained sailors, while a considerable
proportion of the Spaniards were almost raw levies.
The morning of the 14th February was foggy, and neither the number nor the
size of our ships could be made out by the Spaniards until we were within
a mile of them. Then, as mid-day approached and the fog cleared off, they
saw Jervis bearing down upon them in two lines. His object was to separate
the Spanish squadron to leeward from the main body, and in this he
completely succeeded.
The _Culloden_ led the way, and the greater part of the fleet followed,
opening a tremendous fire as they came up with the Spaniards, and
receiving their broadsides in return. The Spanish vice-admiral attempted
to cut through the British line, but was thwarted by the rapid advance of
the _Victory_, which forced the admiral’s ship, the _Principe de
Asturias_, to tack close under her lee, pouring in a tremendous raking
broadside as she did so. Fortunately at this moment Commodore Nelson was
in the rear, and had a better view of the movements of the enemy than had
the commander-in-chief. He perceived that the Spanish admiral was
beginning to bear up before the wind, with the object of uniting the main
body with the second division. Accordingly he ordered his ship the
_Captain_ to wear.
Up to this time she had hardly fired a gun, but this movement gave her the
lead of the fleet, and brought her at once into action with the enemy. In
a few minutes she was attacked by no fewer than four first-raters and two
third-raters. The _Culloden_, however, bore down with all speed to her
assistance, and some time afterwards the _Blenheim_ came up to take a
share in the fight. Two of the Spanish ships dropped astern to escape the
tremendous fire of the three British seventy-fours, but they only fell in
with the _Excellent_ coming up to support the _Captain_, and she poured so
tremendous a fire into them both that one of them struck at once. She left
the other to her own devices and pressed on to join Nelson, who greatly
needed help, for the _Captain_ was now little better than a wreck.
Her chief antagonist at this time was the _San Nicholas_. Into that ship
she poured a tremendous fire, and then passed on to the _San Isidro_ and
_Santissima-Trinidada_, with which the _Captain_ had been engaged from the
beginning. The fire of the _Excellent_ had completed the work done by the
_Captain_, and the _San Nicholas_ and the _San Josef_ had collided with
each other. Nelson, being in so crippled a state that he could no longer
take an active part in the action, laid his ship alongside the _San
Nicholas_ and carried her by boarding; and after this was done the crew
crossed to the _San Josef_, and carried her also. Other prizes had been
taken elsewhere; the _Salvador Del Mundo_ and _Santissima-Trinidada_
surrendered, as did the _Soberano_. The _Santissima-Trinidada_, however,
was towed away by one of her frigates. Evening was closing in, and as the
Spanish fleet still greatly outnumbered the British, Jervis made the
signal to discontinue the action, and the next morning the fleets sailed
in different directions, the British carrying their four prizes with them.
Considering the desperate nature of the fighting the British loss was
extraordinarily small, only seventy-three being killed and two hundred and
twenty-seven wounded. Of these nearly a third belonged to the _Captain_,
upon which the brunt of the fight had fallen. For this victory Admiral
Jervis was made an earl, and two admirals baronets. Nelson might have had
a baronetcy, but he preferred the ribbon of the Bath. Also, he shortly
afterwards was promoted to the rank of Rear-admiral. Captain Calder
received the ribbon of the Bath, and all the first lieutenants were
promoted.
The captain of the _Jason_ had earned golden opinions from his crew by the
manner in which he had fought his vessel and the careless indifference he
had shown to the enemy’s fire as he walked up and down on the quarter-deck
issuing what orders were necessary. Their losses had not been heavy, but
among them, to Will’s deep regret, the first lieutenant had been killed by
a cannon-ball.
“I am grieved indeed,” the captain said the next morning to Will, “at the
death of Mr. Somerville. He was an excellent officer and a most worthy
man. It is, however, a consolation to me that I have a successor so worthy
to take his place. Since we have sailed together, Mr. Gilmore, I have
always been gratified by the manner in which you have done your duty, and
by the skill you have shown in handling the ship during your watch. It is
a great satisfaction to me that I have so good an officer for my first
lieutenant.”
It was but a few months after the battle of St. Vincent that a greater
danger threatened England than she had ever before been exposed to. The
seamen in the navy had long been seething with discontent, and all their
petitions had been neglected, their remonstrances treated as of no
account.
Rendered desperate, they at last determined to mutiny, and the first
outbreak occurred on the 15th April in the Channel fleet, which was at the
time anchored at Spithead. On Admiral Lord Bridport giving the signal to
weigh anchor, the seamen of the flagship, instead of proceeding to their
stations, ran up the rigging and gave three cheers, and the crews of the
rest of the ships at once did the same. The officers attempted to induce
the men to return to their duty, but in vain. The next day two delegates
from each ship met on the _Queen Charlotte_, the flagship, to deliberate,
and the day after all the men swore to stand by their leaders, and such
officers as had rendered themselves obnoxious to the men were put on
shore.
The delegates then drew up two petitions, one to Parliament the other to
the Admiralty, asking that their wages should be increased—they had
remained at the same point since Charles II was king,—that the pound
should be reckoned at sixteen ounces instead of fourteen, and that the
food should be of better quality. Further, that vegetables should be
occasionally served out, that the sick should be better attended and their
medical comforts not embezzled; and, finally, that on returning from sea
the men should be allowed a short leave to visit their friends.
On the 18th a committee of the Board of Admiralty arrived at Portsmouth,
and in answer to the petition agreed to ask the king to propose to
Parliament an increase of wages, and also to grant them certain other
privileges; but these terms the sailors would not accept, and expressed
their determination not to weigh anchor till their full demands were
granted.
The committee now sent, through Lord Bridport, a letter to the seamen
granting still further concessions, and promising pardon to all concerned;
but the sailors answered expressing their thanks for what had been
granted, but reiterating their demands.
On the 21st Vice-admirals Sir Allen Gardner and Colpoys and Rear-admiral
Pole went on board the _Queen Charlotte_ to confer, but they were informed
that until the reforms were sanctioned by the king and Parliament they
would not be accepted as final. This so angered Admiral Gardner that he
seized one of the delegates by the collar and swore he would hang the lot,
and every fifth man in the fleet. The delegates at once returned to their
ships, and the seamen of the fleet proceeded to load the guns. Watches
were set as at sea, and the ships were put into a complete state of
defence.
On the 22nd Lord Bridport, having received a letter from the mutineers
explaining the cause of the steps they had taken, went on board, and after
a short deliberation his offers were accepted, and the men returned to
their duty.
The fleet was detained at St. Helens by a foul wind until the 7th of May,
when news was received that the French were preparing to sail. Lord
Bridport made the signal to weigh, but the crews again refused to obey
orders, alleging that the silence that Parliament had observed respecting
their grievances led them to suspect that the promised redress was to be
withheld.
For four days matters continued in the same state, but on the 14th Admiral
Lord Howe arrived from London with full powers to settle all disputes with
an Act of Parliament which had been passed on the 9th, and a proclamation
granting the king’s pardon to all who should return at once to their duty.
After various discussions the men agreed to the terms, and on the 16th
May, all matters having been amicably settled, Lord Bridport put to sea
with his fleet of fifteen sail of the line.
Notwithstanding these concessions the sailors of the ships lying at the
Nore broke into mutiny on the 20th of May, their ringleader being a seaman
of the name of Richard Parker, one of a class of men denominated
sea-lawyers. The delegates drew up a statement of demands containing eight
articles, most of which were perfectly impossible, and the Admiralty
replied by pointing out the concessions the Legislature had recently made,
and refusing to accede to any more, but offering to pardon the men if they
would at once return to their duty. The mutineers refused, and hoisted the
red flag. They landed at Sheerness and marched through the streets, and in
many ways went to greater lengths than their comrades at Spithead. They
even flogged and otherwise ill-treated some of the officers.
This outbreak now assumed the most alarming proportions. Eleven ships
belonging to the North Sea fleet, on the way to blockade the Texel, turned
back and joined Parker, and the greatest alarm was felt in London, the
Funds falling to an unheard-of price. The Government acted, however, with
vigour; buoys were removed, and the forts were manned and the men ordered
to open fire should the fleet sail up the river. Bills were rushed through
Parliament in two days, authorizing the utmost penalties on the mutineers
and on all who aided them.
This had the desired effect, and early in June the fleets at Portsmouth
and Plymouth disavowed all complicity with Parker, and two ships—the
_Leopard_ and _Repulse_—hauled down the red flag and retreated up the
Thames, being fired on by the rest of the fleet. The example was, however,
contagious, and ship after ship deserted until, on the 14th, the crew of
the _Sandwich_ handed over Parker to the authorities.
He was tried, convicted, and hanged on board that ship on the 29th of
June. Some of the other leaders were also hanged, some were flogged
through the fleet, and some sent to prison.
The mutiny was not confined to the ships on the home stations, but it
never became serious at any point, and a display of timely severity soon
brought matters back to their usual condition of discipline and obedience
to orders.
A mutiny of a different character, as it was caused by the tyranny of the
captain, and had very different results, took place in the West Indies.
On the night of the 21st of September the thirty-two-gun frigate
_Hermione_ was cruising off Porto Rico. Its captain, Pigot, was known to
be one of the most harsh and brutal officers in the navy. On the previous
day, while the crew were reefing topsails, he had called out that he would
flog the last man down. The poor fellows, knowing well that he would keep
his word, hurried down; and two of them, in trying to jump over those
below them, missed their footing and were killed. When this was reported
to the captain he simply said: “Throw the lubbers overboard.” All the
other men were severely reprimanded. The result of this, the last of a
succession of similar acts of tyranny, was that the crew broke into
mutiny. The first lieutenant went to enquire into the disturbance, but he
was killed and thrown overboard. The captain, hearing the tumult, ran on
deck, but he suffered the same fate as his second in command. The
mutineers then proceeded to murder eight other officers, two lieutenants,
the purser, the surgeon, the captain’s clerk, one midshipman, the
boatswain, and the lieutenant of marines. The master, a midshipman, and
the gunner were the only officers spared. They then carried the ship into
the port of La Guayra, representing to the Spanish governor that they had
turned their officers adrift. The real circumstances of the case were
explained to the governor by the British admiral, but he insisted upon
detaining the vessel and fitting her out as a Spanish frigate.
Many of the perpetrators of this horrible crime were afterwards captured
and executed. Had they contented themselves with wreaking their vengeance
on their captain, some excuse might have been offered for them when the
catalogue of his brutalities was published, but nothing could be said in
condonation of the cold-blooded murder of the other officers, including
even a midshipman and the young captain’s clerk, neither of whom could
have in any way influenced their commander’s conduct.
The _Hermione_, however, was of but little use to the Spaniards. Sir Hyde
Parker, in October, 1799, hearing that she was about to sail from Porto
Cabello, in Havana, detached the _Surprise_ under Captain Hamilton, to
attempt to obtain possession of her. On arriving off Porto Cabello he
found the _Hermione_, which was manned by four hundred men, moored between
two strong batteries at the entrance to the harbour, but, nothing daunted,
Captain Hamilton resolved to cut her out. At eight o’clock in the evening
he pushed off from the _Surprise_ with all his boats, manned by one
hundred officers and men.
Undeterred by a heavy fire, the boats made for the _Hermione_ and were
soon alongside. The main attack at the gangways was beaten off, but the
captain, with his cutter’s crew, made good his footing on the forecastle,
and here he was joined by the crew of the gig and some of the men from the
jolly-boat. He then fought his way to the quarter-deck, where he was soon
reinforced by the crews of the boats that had at first been repulsed. In a
very short time, after some desperate fighting, the _Hermione_ was
captured. The cables were now cut and the sails hoisted, and under a heavy
fire from the batteries the frigate was brought off, though much damaged
both in rigging and hull. A few days later she anchored in Port Royal.
This feat stands perhaps unparalleled in naval history for its audacity
and success. The victors had only twelve wounded; the enemy lost one
hundred and nineteen killed and ninety-seven wounded. Captain Hamilton was
knighted for this achievement, the legislature of Jamaica presented him
with a sword valued at three hundred guineas, and on his arrival in
England after his exchange, for he was taken prisoner on his way home, the
common council of London voted him the freedom of the city. He was,
however, much injured in the attack, and was to the end of his life under
medical treatment.
After the battle of St. Vincent the _Jason_ required some repairs to her
hull, but as her spars were uninjured she was ordered by Admiral Jervis to
proceed to Portsmouth with despatches. Here, to Will’s great joy, he was
confirmed in his position as first lieutenant. He was unable to get leave,
as it was found the repairs would take but a short time, and after ten
days’ stay in port the _Jason_ sailed to join Lord Bridport’s fleet. On
doing so, she was at once despatched to reinforce the North Sea fleet
under Admiral Duncan, then blockading the Texel.
It was while engaged in this monotonous work that the news came of Admiral
Nelson’s disastrous attack on Santa Cruz. The expedition was a complete
failure, one hundred and forty-one being killed or drowned, and one
hundred and five wounded or missing. Among the wounded was Admiral Nelson
himself, who lost his arm.
The news of the mutinies taking place at Spithead and the Nore was a
source of great anxiety to the officers, but the men were so attached to
them that there was no real cause for uneasiness with regard to their own
ship, and when the eleven ships of Duncan’s fleet joined the mutineers at
the Nore, the _Jason_ was one of the few that remained with the admiral.
During the equinoctial gales many of the ships were so badly strained that
Admiral Duncan returned to Yarmouth Roads to gather and repair his fleet,
leaving the _Jason_ and two other ships to watch the enemy. De Winter lost
not a moment in taking advantage of his absence, and on the 7th of October
sailed out with his whole fleet, chasing the watch vessels before him. On
their way, however, they met a squadron under Captain Trollope, consisting
of Duncan’s ships which had been refitted. The Dutch fleet, on seeing
them, thought that the whole British fleet was behind, and not at the time
wishing to engage, went about and steered again for the Texel. On the 9th
the _Active_ came in sight off Yarmouth Roads with the signal flying that
the enemy were at sea. At once a general chase was ordered, and by the
time the _Active_ joined them the whole fleet was under way. Her captain
was hailed and ordered to guide the fleet to the precise spot where he had
last seen the enemy.
Captain Trollope had, as soon as the Dutch fleet went about, started in
chase of them, and kept them in sight until they approached the Texel,
when he steered to meet Admiral Duncan. He was therefore able to give the
exact position of the enemy, and at once the fleet sailed towards them. On
the morning of the 11th October, 1797, the admiral came in sight of the
enemy about nine miles from shore and nearly opposite the village of
Camperdown. The fleet, however, was greatly scattered owing to the
different speeds of the ships. De Winter, as soon as he saw the British
coming, got up his anchors and made for shore, hoping that he might be
able to get so close in among its shoals and sand-banks, which were much
better known to him than to his antagonists, as to deter Duncan from
pursuing him. He was, above all things, anxious to avoid action; not so
much because his fleet was slightly inferior to the British, as because
his instructions enjoined him to regard his junction with the French at
Brest as his chief object.
The British admiral, seeing his arrangements and divining his object,
pressed on, regardless of the scattered state of his fleet, and made the
signal for each ship to attack as she came up. Another signal intimated
that he should attempt to break the enemy’s line, so as to get between it
and the land. But this signal was not generally seen by the fleet. It was,
however, seen and acted upon by the second in command, Admiral Onslow, in
the _Monarch_, who soon after led the larboard division through the Dutch
line, three ships from the rear, and then closely engaged the _Jupiter_.
Duncan’s own ship, the _Venerable_, the leading ship of the starboard
division, marked out the _Vryhide_, De Winter’s flagship, as his own
antagonist.
The Dutch ship _States-general_, the flagship of their rear-admiral,
seeing his design, pressed so close up to his chief that the British
admiral was compelled to change his course and pass astern of her; but as
he did so he poured so terrible a fire into her stern that she was glad to
fall back and leave the _Venerable_ free to attack the _Vryhide_. Others
of our ships followed the example of their chief, breaking the Dutch line
at several points. At one o’clock the battle became general, and was
carried on with unsurpassed courage on both sides. The two biggest Dutch
frigates, which carried as heavy guns as the British line-of-battle ships,
crept forward into the fight and fought gallantly, the _Mars_ raking the
_Venerable_ severely while she was engaged with no fewer than three Dutch
line-of-battle ships.
The crew of the _Venerable_ had been particularly anxious to fight, their
ship having been for the past five months engaged in the dreary work of
blockading the Texel; and when they had seen the Dutch with their topsails
bent, as if intending to come out, they had offered to advance into the
narrow entrance to the Texel, and in that position stop the way against
the whole fleet, or at least fight their ship till she sank. Now they
proved that their offer had been no empty boast, for, although fighting
against overwhelming odds, they stuck to their guns with unexampled
devotion.
More than once every flag they hoisted was shot away, and at last one of
the sailors went aloft and nailed the admiral’s colours to the stump of
the main topgallant mast. The _Vryhide_ also fought with desperate
courage. Other British ships, however, came up, and the disparity in
numbers turned the other way. The _Ardent_ attacked her on the other side,
and the _Triumph_ and _Director_ poured a raking fire along her decks. One
after another her masts fell, and the wreck rendered half her guns
unworkable. Her crew were swept away, until De Winter was left alone on
her quarter-deck, while below there were hardly enough men left to man the
pumps. Then the gallant admiral with his own hand hauled down his colours,
having fought to the admiration of the whole British fleet. The
_States-general_, almost disabled by the fruitless attempt to foul the
_Venerable_, maintained a vigorous conflict for some time against a
succession of adversaries, during which she lost above three hundred men
killed and wounded, until at last her captain was compelled to strike. No
one, however, attempted to take possession of her, and, gradually dropping
astern until clear of both fleets, she rehoisted her colours and made off
to the Texel.
[Illustration: “AT LAST HER CAPTAIN WAS COMPELLED TO STRIKE”]
Ship after ship struck, and of the whole Dutch fleet but six ships of the
line and two frigates managed to reach the Texel, and this was only due to
the fact that several of the Dutch vessels, knowing that the orders had
been that they were not to fight, stood aloof and disregarded their
admiral’s signal to engage. The entire casualties among our men exceeded a
thousand. Many of the ships were completely riddled by shot, and on some
of them the men were employed day and night at the pumps to keep them
afloat till they could cross the Channel to our own harbours. Two
seventy-fours, five fifty-fours, two gun-ships, and two frigates remained
in our hands, but all were so battered that not one of them could ever be
made fit for service. The two fleets were nearly equal in strength, the
British being about one-twelfth the stronger. Some of the Dutch ships took
no share in the action, but the same is true of the British. Some of them
arrived too late, the hazy weather having prevented the signals of the
_Venerable_ from being seen by them. For one of them, however, the
_Agincourt_, no excuse could be found, so her captain was tried by
court-martial and declared incapable of serving in the navy for the
future.
The _Jason_ had taken her share in the battle. She had at once placed
herself alongside the _Brutus_, a battle-ship of the same size as herself.
All the afternoon the duel was continued, and both ships lost some masts
and spars and had their hulls completely shattered. It was not until the
engagement had almost ceased elsewhere that the enemy hauled down her
colours. The battle was a desperate one, and Will had felt the strain
greatly; there was comparatively little for him to do, for both ships
sailed along side by side, and there was no attempt at manœuvring. He had,
therefore, simply to move about, encouraging the sailors and directing
their fire. So incessant was the cannonade that it was with difficulty he
could make his orders heard, and, cool as he was, he was almost confused
by the terrible din that went on around. It was found, after the _Brutus_
surrendered, that her loss had been one hundred and twenty killed and
wounded, while on board the _Jason_ little over half that number had
suffered.
As soon as the prize surrendered, parties were put on board to take
possession, while the rest of the men were engaged in attending to their
own and the Dutch wounded. The next day jury-masts were got up, and the
_Jason_, with her prize in tow, sailed with the rest of the fleet for
England. When they arrived at Sheerness the _Jason_ was found to require a
complete refit. The crew were therefore ordered to be paid off, and Will
was promoted to the rank of captain, and at once appointed to the command
of the frigate _Ethalion_, thirty-four guns, which had just been fitted
ready for sea.
He had no difficulty in manning his ship, as a sufficient number of the
_Jason’s_ old crew volunteered, and he was soon ready for service.
He was at once despatched to join Lord Bridport’s fleet, and for nearly
nine months was engaged in the incessant patrolling which at that time the
British frigates maintained in the Channel.
Towards the end of July, 1798, the vigilance of the frigates, if possible,
increased, for it became known that two French squadrons were being
prepared with the intention of landing troops in Ireland. On the 6th of
August a small squadron slipped out of Rochefort, and, eluding the British
cruisers, succeeded, on the 22nd, in landing General Humbert and eleven
hundred and fifty men at Killala Bay, and then at once returned to
Rochefort.
The attempt ended in failure; the peasantry did not join as was expected,
and on the 8th of September General Humbert surrendered at Ballinamuck to
Lieutenant-general Lake.
Another fleet sailed from Brest on the 16th of September, 1798, consisting
of one ship of the line, the _Hoche_, and eight frigates, under Commodore
Bompart. It had on board three thousand troops, a large train of
artillery, and a great quantity of military stores. It had set sail for
Ireland before the news of the failure of Humbert’s expedition had
arrived, and it was certain that as soon as it reached its intended place
of landing in Ireland it would endeavour to return without delay. Two or
three days earlier the _Ethalion_ and the eighteen-gun brig _Sylph_ had
joined the thirty-eight-gun frigate _Boadicea_, which was watching Brest.
At daybreak a light breeze sprang up, and the French made sail. Leaving
the _Ethalion_ to watch the French fleet, the _Boadicea_ sailed to carry
the news of the start of the expedition to Lord Bridport.
At two o’clock on the 18th the _Ethalion_ was joined by the _Amelia_, a
thirty-eight-gun frigate, and at daylight the French directed their course
as if for the West Indies. At eight o’clock they bore up, and five of
their frigates chased the English ships. Presently, however, finding that
they did not gain, they rejoined the squadron, which bore away to the
south-west. On the 20th the two frigates were joined by the forty-four-gun
frigate _Anson_. At noon the French were nearly becalmed. There was now no
doubt that the destination of the squadron was Ireland, and the news was
despatched by the _Sylph_ to the commander-in-chief of the Irish station.
On the 26th the French ships turned on the frigates, but gave this up
about noon, and proceeded on their way. The sea now became so rough that
all the ships shortened sail. On the 29th the weather moderated, and the
French squadron again started in chase. About nine o’clock the French
battle-ship, the _Hoche_, sprung her main-topmast, and one of the French
frigates carried away her top-sail yard. At this both the French and the
British ships shortened sail. The French ships wore away to the
north-west, and the British again followed them; but the _Anson_ had
sprung her topmast, and in the evening the _Hoche_ lowered hers. The
weather now became very bad, and the frigates hauled up and soon lost
sight of the enemy. A week later the _Amelia_ left them, but three days
after, they fell in with the squadron that had been despatched from
Cawsand Bay when the _Boadicea_ arrived with news of the start of the
French squadron from Brest. They were also joined by the frigates
_Melampus_ and _Doris_, which while at Lough Swilly had received news from
the _Sylph_ of the destination of the French squadron. The whole were
under the command of Sir John Warren.
With the hope that he had now shaken off his pursuers, Admiral Bompart
bore away for Killala Bay, but as he neared the land his leading frigate
signalled the appearance of the British squadron. Sir John Warren
immediately gave the signal for a general chase, but a heavy gale set in
that evening, during which the _Anson_ carried away her mizzen-mast
main-yard and main-topsail-yard. The _Hoche_, however, was even more
unfortunate, for she carried away her main-topmast, and this in its fall
brought down the fore and mizzen-topgallant-masts. A few hours later the
_Résolue_ signalled that she had sprung a leak which she could not stop,
and the admiral signalled orders to her captain to sail towards the coast,
and by burning blue lights and sending up rockets to endeavour to lead the
British squadron after him, and so allow the rest of the fleet to make
off.
Admiral Bompart now changed his course, but at daybreak found himself
almost surrounded by the British vessels. Both squadrons waited, but with
very different feelings, the order to commence action. The _Robust_ led
the way, followed closely by the _Magnanime_, and was received with a fire
from the stern-chasers and the quarter guns of the French frigates
_Embuscade_ and _Coquille_. A few minutes later the _Robust_ returned the
fire, and bore down to leeward for the purpose of engaging the _Hoche_,
which, like herself, was a seventy-four-gun ship. In half an hour all the
French frigates that could get away were making off. The _Hoche_ by this
time was a mere wreck, having suffered terribly from the fire of the
_Robust_; her hull was riddled with shot, she had five feet of water in
her hold, twenty-five of her guns were dismounted, and a great portion of
her crew were killed and wounded. After the battle had raged for three
hours she struck her colours. The _Embuscade_ had also surrendered. The
other British vessels set out in pursuit of the fugitives. The _Coquille_,
after a brave resistance, was forced to haul down her colours, and the
_Ethalion_ pursued and captured the _Bellone_. Five French frigates
attempted to escape, and in doing so sailed close to the _Anson_, which
had been unable to take part in the action owing to the loss of her
mizzen-mast, and as they passed ahead of her, poured in such destructive
broadsides that she lost her fore and main masts, and had much other
serious damage. Of the ships that had escaped, the _Résolue_ was captured
two or three days later. The _Loire_ made a good fight; she was pursued by
the _Mermaid_, and _Kangaroo_. The latter, which was an eighteen-gun brig,
engaged her, but lost her fore-topmast. The _Mermaid_, a thirty-two-gun
frigate, continued the pursuit.
At daybreak the _Loire_, seeing that her pursuer was alone, shortened
sail. As the _Loire_ was a forty-gun ship the fight was a desperate one,
and both vessels were so badly injured that by mutual consent they ceased
fire. The _Mermaid_ lost her mizzen-mast, main topmast, and had her
shrouds, spars, and boats cut to pieces. She was also making a great deal
of water, and was therefore necessarily obliged to discontinue the fight.
The _Loire_, however, was out of luck, for a day or two later she fell in
with the _Anson_ and _Kangaroo_, and in consequence of her battered
condition she had to surrender without resistance. Similarly, the
_Immortalité_, while making her way to Brest, fell in with the _Fisgard_,
a vessel of just the same size. The _Immortalité’s_ fire was so well aimed
that in a short time the _Fisgard_ was quite unmanageable. Repairs,
however, were executed with great promptness, and after a chase the action
was recommenced. At the end of half an hour the _Fisgard_ had received
several shots between wind and water and she had six feet of water in her
hold. Nevertheless she continued the fight, and at three o’clock the
_Immortalité_, which was in a semi-sinking state, and had lost her captain
and first lieutenant, hauled down her colours.
Thus seven out of the ten vessels under the command of Commodore Bompart
were captured.
In the combat with the _Bellone_ Will had been slightly wounded, and as he
was most anxious to proceed with his investigation with regard to his
relations, he applied for leave on his arrival at Portsmouth.
This was at once granted, and at the same time he received his promotion
to post rank in consequence of his capture of the _Bellone_.