commission to Rear-admiral Whetstone and to several captains to hold a
court martial for the trial of several offenders. On October 6th, 1702,
the court sat at Port Royal, when Captain Kirby, of the _Defiance_, was
put upon his trial. He was accused of cowardice, breach of orders and
neglect of duty; which crimes were proved upon oath, by the admiral
himself, ten commissioned, and eleven warrant officers; by whose
evidence it appeared that the admiral boarded Du Casse in person three
times, and received a large wound in his face, and another in his arm
before his leg was shot off; that Kirby, after two or three broadsides,
kept always out of gun-shot, and by his behaviour created such a fear of
his desertion as greatly discouraged the English in the engagement; that
he kept two or three miles astern all the second day, though commanded
again and again to keep his station; that the third day he did not fire
a gun though he saw the admiral in the deepest distress, having two or
three French men-of-war upon him at a time; and that he threatened to
kill his boatswain for repeating the admiral's command to fire. He had
very little to say for himself, and therefore was most deservedly
sentenced to be shot.
The same day Captain Constable, of the _Windsor_, was tried; his own
officers vindicated him from cowardice, but the rest of the charge being
clearly proved he was sentenced to be cashiered and to be imprisoned
during Her Majesty's pleasure. The next day Captain Wade was tried, and
the charge being fully proved by sixteen commissioned and warrant
officers on board his own ship, as also that he was drunk during the
whole time of the engagement, he, making little or no defence, had the
same sentence with Kirby. As for Captain Hudson, he died a few days
before his trial should have come on, and thereby avoided dying as Kirby
and Wade did; for his case was exactly the same with theirs.
The reflections he made on this unhappy business threw the brave admiral
into a deep melancholy, which soon brought him to his end; for he died
on November 4th, 1702, of a fever engendered by his wounds and worries.
The condemned captains were sent home from Jamaica on board Her
Majesty's ship the _Bristol_, and arrived at Plymouth on April 16th,
1703, where, as in all the western ports, there lay a warrant for their
immediate execution, and they were shot on board the ship that brought
them home.
The mortification felt by the admiral at the failure of his officers is
indicated in the answer he gave to one of his lieutenants who expressed
sorrow for the fact that the admiral had lost his leg. "Why, yes," said
the fine old sailor, "I am sorry for it too, but I would rather have
lost them both than have seen this dishonour brought upon the English
nation."
The French accounts of this engagement represent the whole affair to
their own advantage; but M. Du Casse, who was a brave man, and withal by
far the best judge of the circumstances, has put the matter out of
dispute by the following short letter, written by him immediately after
his arrival at Carthagena; the original of which is said to be still in
the hands of Admiral Benbow's family.
"Sir,--I had little hopes, on Monday last, but to have supped in
your cabin; but it pleased God to order it otherwise; I am
thankful for it. As for those cowardly captains who deserted
you, hang them up; for, by God, they deserve it.
"Yours,
"DU CASSE."
DEFEAT OF THE SPANISH FLEET IN THE FARO OFF MESSINA.
BY JOHN CAMPBELL.
Early in the year 1718 the activity of the naval preparations in
England, rendered necessary by the disturbed condition of Europe,
excited considerable anxiety and comment.
M. de Monteleone, the Spanish minister here, a man of foresight and
intrigue, taking alarm, in a memorial dated March 18th, 1718,
represented "That so powerful an armament in time of peace could not but
cause umbrage to the king his master and alter the good intelligence
that reigned between the two crowns." To which King George I. replied,
"That it was not his intention to conceal the object of the armament;
and that he designed soon to send Admiral Byng with a powerful squadron
into the Mediterranean, in order to maintain the neutrality of Italy
against those who should seek to disturb it." The reasons assigned for
acting with so much vigour were the preparations made in Spain for
attacking the island of Sicily and the hardships suffered by British
merchants.
In the month of March, 1718, Sir George Byng was appointed admiral and
commander-in-chief of the squadron intended for the Mediterranean; and
in the May following he received his instructions as follows: "That he
should, upon his arrival in the Mediterranean, acquaint the King of
Spain, and likewise the Viceroy of Naples and Governor of Milan, he was
sent into that sea in order to promote all measures that might best
contribute to the composing the differences arisen between the two
crowns, and for preventing any further violation of the neutrality of
Italy, which he was to see preserved. That he was to make instances to
both parties to forbear all acts of hostility, in order to the setting
on foot and concluding the proper negotiations of peace. But, in case
the Spaniards should still persist to attack the emperor's territory in
Italy, or to land in any part of Italy for that purpose, or should
endeavour to make themselves masters of the island of Sicily, which must
be with a design to invade the kingdom of Naples, he was then, with all
his power, to hinder and obstruct the same; but, if they were already
landed, he was to endeavour amicably to dissuade them from persevering
in such an attempt, and to offer them his assistance to withdraw their
troops and put an end to all farther acts of hostility; but if his
friendly endeavours should prove ineffectual he was then to defend the
territories attacked, by keeping company with, or intercepting their
ships, convoys, or (if necessary) by opposing them openly."
The admiral sailed from Spithead on June 15th, 1718, with twenty ships
of the line-of-battle, two fire-ships, two bomb-vessels, a
hospital-ship, and a store-ship. Arriving on the 30th off Cape St.
Vincent he despatched the _Superbe_ to Cadiz, with a letter to Colonel
Stanhope, the king's envoy at Madrid, desiring him to inform the King of
Spain of his arrival in those parts on his way to the Mediterranean, and
to lay before him the instructions he had received.
The envoy showed the letter to Cardinal Alberoni, who, upon reading it,
told him with some warmth, that "his master would run all hazards,
rather than recall his troops or consent to any suspension of arms;"
adding, that "the Spaniards were not to be frightened, and that he was
so well convinced of their fleets doing their duty that if the admiral
should think fit to attack them he should be in no pain for the
success." Mr. Stanhope having in his hand a list of the British
squadron, desired his eminence to peruse it, and to compare its strength
with that of their own squadron; this the cardinal took and threw on the
ground with much passion.
All that the cardinal could be brought to promise was to lay the
admiral's letter before the king, and to let the envoy know his
resolution upon it in two days; but it was nine before he could obtain
and send it away. The answer was written under the admiral's letter in
these words:--
"His Catholic Majesty has done me the honour to tell me that the
Chevalier Byng may execute the orders which he has from the king
his master.
"THE CARDINAL ALBERONI.
"ESCURIAL, _July 15th, 1718_."
The admiral, pursuing his voyage with unfavourable winds, reached the
Bay of Naples on August the 1st, and on the 9th anchored in view of the
Faro of Messina. The Spanish army, having taken the city of Messina,
were now encamped before the citadel which the troops under Sir George
Byng's convoy were intended to relieve. From these strained conditions
hostilities seemed imminent, and the desire of the English was that the
Spaniards should take the responsibility and the blame of striking the
first blow.
Under these circumstances Sir George Byng sent Captain Saunders with a
letter to the Marquis de Lede, in which he acquainted him with the
instructions under which he was acting, and proposed to him to come to a
cessation of arms in Sicily for two months, in order to give time for
the several courts to conclude on such resolutions as might restore a
lasting peace: but added that "if he was not so happy as to succeed in
this offer of service, nor to be instrumental in bringing about so
desirable a work, he then hoped to merit His Excellency's esteem in the
execution of the other part of his orders, which were, to use all his
force to prevent farther attempts to disturb the dominions his master
stood engaged to defend."
The next morning the captain returned with the general's answer, "That
as he had no powers to treat he could not of consequence agree to any
suspension of arms, but should follow his orders, which directed him to
seize on Sicily for his master the King of Spain." Upon receiving this
answer Admiral Byng immediately weighed, with the intention of coming
with his squadron before Messina, in order to encourage and support the
garrison and the citadel. In executing this manoeuvre he sighted two
Spanish scouts in the Faro; whereupon he altered his design, and stood
through the Faro with all the sail he could, following the scouts,
imagining they would lead him to the fleet, which they did. About noon
he came in view of their whole Spanish fleet, lying by and drawn into a
line of battle, consisting of twenty-seven sail of men-of-war small and
great, besides two fire-ships, four bomb-vessels, seven galleys, and
several ships laden with stores and provisions, commanded by the Admiral
Don Antonio de Casteneta and four rear-admirals, who, sighting the
English squadron, stood away large but in good order of battle.
The admiral followed them all the rest of that day and the succeeding
night, and the next morning early, the English having approached near to
them, the Marquis de Mari, rear-admiral, with six Spanish men-of-war and
all the galleys, fire-ships, bomb-vessels and store-ships, separated
from the main fleet and stood in for the Sicilian shore; upon which
Admiral Byng detached Captain Walton in the _Canterbury_ with five other
ships to follow them.
The admiral pursuing the main body of the Spanish fleet, the _Orford_,
Captain Falkingham, and the _Grafton_, Captain Haddock, came up first
with them, about ten o'clock, the Spaniards firing their stern-chase
guns. The Spaniards repeating their fire, the _Orford_ attacked the
_Santa Rosa_, of sixty-four guns, and took her. The _St. Carlos_, of
sixty guns, struck next, without much opposition to the _Kent_, Captain
Matthews. The _Grafton_ attacked warmly the _Prince of Asturias_, of
seventy guns, formerly called the _Cumberland_, in which was
Rear-admiral Chacon; but the _Breda_ and _Captain_ coming up, Captain
Haddock left that ship, much shattered, for them to take, and stretched
ahead after another ship of sixty guns, which had kept firing on his
starboard bow during his engagement with the _Prince of Asturias_. About
one o'clock the _Kent_, and soon after the _Superbe_, Captain Master,
came up with and engaged the Spanish admiral of seventy-four guns, who,
with two ships more, fired on them and made a running fight till about
three; and then the _Kent_, bearing down under his stern, gave him her
broadside and fell to leeward afterwards; the _Superbe_, putting forward
to lay the admiral aboard, fell on his weather-quarter; upon which, the
Spanish admiral shifting his helm, the _Superbe_ ranged under his
lee-quarter; on which he struck to her. At the same time the _Barfleur_,
which carried the English admiral, being astern of the Spanish admiral,
within shot, and inclining on his weather-quarter, Rear-admiral Guevara
and another sixty-gun ship, which were to windward, bore down upon him,
and gave him their broadsides, and then clapped upon a wind, standing in
for land. The admiral immediately tacked and stood after them until it
was almost night; but there being little wind, and the enemy hauling
away out of his reach, he left pursuing them and rejoined the fleet two
hours after night.
The _Essex_ took the _Juno_ of thirty-six guns, the _Montague_ and
_Rupert_ took the _Volante_ of forty-four guns, and Rear-admiral
Delaval, in the _Dorsetshire_, took the _Isabella_ of sixty guns. The
action happened off Cape Passaro, at about six leagues' distance from
the shore. The English received but little damage: the ship that
suffered most was the _Grafton_, for, being a good sailer, her captain
engaged several ships in succession, always pursuing the headmost and
leaving the ships he had disabled or damaged to be taken by those that
followed him. The admiral lay by for some days at sea to refit the
rigging of his ships and to repair the damages which the prizes had
sustained, and on the 18th received a letter from Captain Walton, who
had been sent in pursuit of the Spanish ships which had made for the
Sicilian shore under the Marquis de Mari. The letter is singular enough
to deserve notice. It ran thus:--
"SIR,--We have taken and destroyed all the Spanish ships and
vessels which were upon the coast, the number as _per_ margin.
"I am, etc.,
"GEORGE WALTON.
"CANTERBURY, OFF SYRACUSE, _August 16th, 1718_."
The ships that Captain Walton thrust into his margin would have
furnished matter for some pages in a French relation of the engagement;
for, from the account they referred to, it appeared that he had taken
four Spanish men-of-war--one of sixty guns, commanded by Rear-admiral
Mari, one of fifty-four, one of forty, and one of twenty-four guns with
a bomb-vessel and a ship laden with arms--and burnt four men-of-war, one
of fifty-four guns, two of forty, and one of thirty guns, with a
fire-ship and a bomb-vessel.
THE STORY OF CAPTAIN HORNBY AND THE FRENCH PRIVATEER.
The difficulties under which merchantmen carried on their trade with
foreign countries before the navy had reduced to order the highway of
the seas, is well illustrated in many a narrative of adventure with
pirates and fights with privateers, which equal in the heroism and
daring they display the proudest stories of naval conquest. The
following story taken from Young's "History of Whitby" is a case in
point.
Mr. Richard Hornby, of Stokesley, was master of a merchant ship, the
_Isabella_, of Sunderland, in which he sailed from the coast of Norfolk
for the Hague, June 1st, 1744, in company with three smaller vessels
recommended to his care. Next day they made Gravesant steeple in the
Hague; but while they were steering for their port, a French privateer,
that lay concealed among the Dutch fishing-boats, suddenly came against
them, singling out the _Isabella_ as the object of attack, while the
rest dispersed and escaped.
The conquest was very unequal, for the _Isabella_ mounted only four
carriage guns and two swivels, and her crew consisted of only five men
and three boys, besides the captain; while the privateer, the _Marquis
de Brancas_, commanded by Captain André, had ten carriage guns and eight
swivels, with seventy-five men and three hundred small arms.
Yet Captain Hornby, after consulting his mate and gaining the consent of
his crew, whom he animated by an appropriate address, hoisted the
British colours, and with his two swivel guns returned the fire of the
enemy's chase guns. The Frenchmen, in abusive terms, commanded him to
strike, to which he returned an answer of defiance. Upon this the
privateer advanced, and poured in such showers of bullets into the
_Isabella_ that Captain Hornby found it prudent to order his brave
fellows into close quarters. While he lay thus sheltered the enemy twice
attempted to board him on the larboard quarter; but by a dexterous turn
of the helm he frustrated both attempts, though the Frenchmen kept
firing upon him both with their guns and small arms, which fire Captain
Hornby returned with his two larboard guns. At two o'clock, when the
action had lasted an hour, the privateer, running furiously in upon the
larboard of the _Isabella_, entangled her bowsprit among the main
shrouds, and was lashed fast to her; upon which Captain André bawled, in
a menacing tone, "You English dog, strike!" but the undaunted Hornby
challenged him to come on board and strike his colours, if he dared. The
enraged Frenchman took him at his word, and threw in twenty men upon
him, who began to hack and hew into his close quarters; but a discharge
of blunderbusses made the invaders retreat as fast as their wounds would
permit them.
The privateer, being then disengaged from the _Isabella_, turned about,
and made another attempt on the starboard side; when Captain Hornby and
his valiant mate shot each his man as they were again lashing the ships
together.
The Frenchmen once more commanded him to strike, and the brave Briton
returning another refusal, twenty fresh men entered, and made a fierce
attack on the close quarters with hatchets and pole-axes, with which
they had nearly cut their way through in three places, when the constant
fire kept up by Captain Hornby and his brave crew obliged them to
retreat, carrying their wounded with them, and hauling their dead after
them with boat-hooks. The _Isabella_ continued lashed to the enemy; the
latter, with small arms, fired repeated and terrible volleys into the
close quarters, partly from his forecastle and partly from his main
deck, bringing forward fresh men to supply the place of the dead and
wounded: but the fire was returned with such spirit and effect that the
Frenchmen repeatedly gave way. At length Captain Hornby, seeing them
crowding behind their main mast for shelter, aimed a blunderbuss at
them, which being by mistake doubly loaded, containing twice twelve
balls, burst in the firing, and threw him down to the great
consternation of his little crew, who supposed him dead; yet he soon
started up again, though greatly bruised, while the enemy, among whom
the blunderbusses had made dreadful havoc, disengaged themselves from
the _Isabella_, to which they had been lashed an hour and a quarter, and
sheered off with precipitation, leaving their grapplings, pole-axes,
pistols, and cutlasses behind them.
The gallant Hornby fired his two starboard guns into the enemy's stern;
and the indignant Frenchman soon returning, the conflict was renewed,
and carried on yard-arm and yard-arm with great fury for two hours
together. The _Isabella_ was shot through her hull several times, her
sails and rigging were torn to pieces, her ensign was dismounted, and
every mast and yard wounded; yet she bravely maintained the conflict,
and at last by a fortunate shot which struck the _Brancas_ between wind
and water, obliged her to sheer off and careen. While the enemy were
retiring, Hornby and his brave little crew sallied out from their
fastness, and erecting their fallen ensign gave three cheers.
By this time both vessels had driven so near the shore that immense
crowds, on foot and in coaches, had assembled to be spectators of the
action.
The Frenchman, having stopped his leak, returned to the combat, and
poured a dreadful volley into the stern of the _Isabella_, when Captain
Hornby was wounded in the temples by a musket shot, and bled profusely.
This somewhat disconcerted his companions in valour; but he called to
them briskly to take courage and stand to their arms, for his wound was
not dangerous; upon which their spirits revived, and again taking post
in their close quarters, sustained the shock of another assault, and
after receiving three tremendous broadsides, repulsed the foe by
another well-aimed shot, which sent the _Brancas_ again to careen. The
huzzas of the _Isabella's_ crew were renewed, and they again set up
their shattered ensign, which was shot through and through into
honourable rags.
André, who was not deficient in bravery, soon renewed the fight; and
having disabled the _Isabella_ by five terrible broadsides, once more
summoned Hornby, with dreadful menaces, to strike his colours.
Captain Hornby animated his gallant comrades--"Behold," said he,
pointing to the shore, "the witnesses of your valour this day!" then
finding them determined to stand by him to the last, he hurled his final
defiance upon the enemy. The latter immediately ran upon his starboard
and lashed close alongside; but his crew murmured, and refused to renew
the dangerous task of boarding, and, cutting off the lashings, again
retreated. Captain Hornby resolved to salute the privateer with one
parting gun; and this last shot, fired into the stern of the _Brancas_,
reached the magazine, which blew up with a tremendous explosion, and the
vessel instantly foundered. Out of seventy-five men, thirty-six were
killed or wounded in the action, and all the rest, together with the
wounded, perished in the deep, except three who were picked up by the
Dutch fishing-boats. The horrible catastrophe excited the commiseration
of Captain Hornby and his brave men, who could render no assistance to
their unfortunate enemies, the _Isabella_ having become unmanageable,
and her boat being shattered to pieces. The engagement lasted seven
hours.
For this singular instance of successful bravery Mr. Hornby received
from the king a large gold medal commemorating his heroism. He survived
the action seven years, and dying at sea of a lingering illness, was
buried at Liverpool, being then fifty-two years of age.
OFF CAPE FINISTERRE.
Towards the end of the year 1746 the French ministry came to a
determination to increase their forces in Canada, and, with the
assistance of the native Indians, to extend their territories by
encroachments on the neighbouring provinces belonging to Great Britain.
At the same time they formed a design against some of our settlements in
the East Indies. For these purposes, in the beginning of the year 1747,
a considerable armament was prepared at Brest; the squadron destined for
America being under the command of Monsieur Jonquiere, and that for the
East Indies under that of Monsieur de St. George. For greater security
these two fleets were ordered to sail at the same time.