and apparently recommending himself to the Almighty, and then dropped
his handkerchief, the signal agreed upon, a few minutes before twelve
o'clock. On this a volley was fired from the six marines, five of whose
bullets went through him, and he was in an instant no more: the sixth
bullet went over his head. The spectators were amazed at the intrepidity
of his behaviour, and scarcely could refrain from tears. One of the
common seamen, who had stood all the time full of attention, with his
arms across, cried out with enthusiasm, when he saw him fall, "There
lies the bravest and best officer of the navy."
A few minutes before his execution he delivered to the marshal of the
Admiralty the following paper, addressing himself to him in these
words:--
"Sir, these are my thoughts on this occasion. I give them to you
that you may authenticate them and prevent anything spurious
being published that might tend to defame me. I have given a
copy to one of my relations.
"A few moments will now deliver me from the virulent
persecutions and frustrate the farther malice of my enemies: nor
need I envy them a life subject to the sensations my injuries
and the injustice done me must create. Persuaded, I am, justice
will be done to my reputation hereafter: the manner and cause of
raising and keeping up the popular clamour and prejudice against
me will be seen through. I shall be considered (as I now
perceive myself) a victim destined to divert the indignation and
resentment of an injured and deluded people from the proper
objects. My enemies themselves must now think me innocent. Happy
for me, at this my last moment, that I know my own innocence,
and am conscious that no part of my country's misfortunes can be
owing to me. I heartily wish the shedding my blood may
contribute to the happiness and service of my country; but
cannot resign my just claim to a faithful discharge of my duty
according to the best of my judgment and the utmost exertion of
my ability for His Majesty's honour and my country's service. I
am sorry that my endeavours were not attended with more success,
and that the armament under my command proved too weak to
succeed in an expedition of such moment.
"Truth has prevailed over calumny and falsehood; and justice has
wiped off the ignominious stain of my supposed want of personal
courage or disaffection. My heart acquits me of these crimes.
But who can be presumptuously sure of his own judgment? If my
crime is an error of judgment, or differing in opinion from my
judges, and if yet the error in judgment should be on their
side, God forgive them, as I do; and may the distress of their
minds and uneasiness of their consciences, which in justice to
me they have represented, be believed and subside, as my
resentment has done.
"The supreme Judge sees all hearts and motives, and to Him I
must submit the justice of my cause.
"J. BYNG.
"_On board His Majesty's ship 'Monarque,' in Portsmouth Harbour,
March 14th, 1757._"
In his parish church, at Southill, is the following inscription to the
memory of this unfortunate officer:--
"TO THE PERPETUAL DISGRACE OF
PUBLIC JUSTICE,
THE HONOURABLE JOHN BYNG,
VICE-ADMIRAL OF THE BLUE,
FELL A MARTYR TO
POLITICAL PERSECUTION
ON MARCH 14, IN THE YEAR 1757:
WHEN BRAVERY AND LOYALTY
WERE INSUFFICIENT SECURITIES
FOR THE LIFE AND HONOUR
OF A NAVAL OFFICER."
IN INDIAN SEAS.
1758-9.
Though the great achievements of large fleets are apt to monopolise
fame, it often happens in the story of our English navy that small
squadrons in out-of-the-way places show equal heroism in achieving less
important results. Of such services the following are illustrations.
Captain Forrest, of the _Augusta_, having sailed from Port Royal in
Jamaica, in 1758, proceeded to cruise off Cape Francis, a harbour in the
island of St. Domingo; he was accompanied by Captains Suckling and
Langdon, commanding the _Dreadnought_ and _Edinburgh_. There lay at that
time, at the Cape, a French squadron of four ships of the line and three
stout frigates, which the French commodore, piqued at seeing the coast
insulted by Forrest's little squadron, reinforced with several
store-ships, which he mounted with cannon and supplied with seamen from
the merchant vessels and with soldiers from the garrison. Thus prepared,
he weighed anchor and stood out for sea. When Forrest perceived the
approach of the French ships, he called his two captains. "Gentlemen,"
said he, "you know our own strength and see that of the enemy. Shall we
give them battle?" Being answered in the affirmative, he bore down on
the French fleet, and between three and four in the afternoon came to
action. The French attacked with great impetuosity, and displayed
uncommon spirit in the sight of their own coast. But, after an
engagement of more than two hours, their commodore found his ship so
much shattered that he was obliged to make a signal for his frigates to
tow him out of the line. The rest of the squadron followed his example,
and availed themselves of the land breeze to escape in the night from
the three British ships, which were too much damaged in their sails and
rigging to pursue their victory.
Captain Forrest signalised his courage in this engagement; but he
displayed equal courage and still more uncommon conduct and sagacity in
a subsequent adventure near the western coast of Hispaniola. Having
received intelligence that there was a considerable French fleet at Port
au Prince, a harbour on that coast, ready to sail for Europe, he
proceeded from Jamaica to cruise between Hispaniola and the little
island Goave. He disguised his ship with tarpaulins, hoisted Dutch
colours, and, in order to avoid discovery, allowed several small vessels
to pass without giving them chase. The second day after his arrival in
these parts he perceived a fleet of seven sail steering to the westward.
He kept from them to prevent suspicion, but, at the approach of night,
pursued them with all the sail he could crowd. About ten in the evening
he came up with two vessels of the chase, one of which fired a gun and
the other sheered off. The ship which had fired no sooner discovered her
enemy than she submitted. Forrest manned her with thirty-five of his own
crew, and now perceiving eight sail to leeward, near the harbour of
Petit Goave, ordered them to stand for that place, and to intercept any
vessels that attempted to reach it. He himself, in the _Augusta_, sailed
directly for the French fleet, and, coming up with them by daybreak,
engaged them all by turns as he could bring his guns to bear. The
_Solide_, the _Theodore_, and the _Marguerite_ returned his fire; but,
having soon struck their colours, they were immediately secured, and
then employed in taking the other vessels, of which none had the fortune
to escape. The nine sail, which, by this well-conducted stratagem, had
fallen into the power of one ship, and that even in the sight of their
own harbours, were safely conducted to Jamaica, where the sale of their
rich cargoes rewarded the merit of the captors.
While Forrest acquired wealth and glory by protecting the trade of
Jamaica, the vigilance of Captain Tyrrel secured the English navigation
to Antigua. In the month of March 1758 this enterprising and judicious
commander demolished a fort on the island of Martinico, and destroyed
four privateers riding under its protection. In November of the same
year, he, in his own ship, the _Buckingham_, of sixty-four guns,
accompanied by the _Weazle_ sloop, commanded by Captain Boles,
discovered, between the islands of Guadaloupe and Montserrat, a fleet of
nineteen sail under convoy of the _Florissant_, a French man-of-war of
seventy-four guns, and two frigates of which the largest carried
thirty-eight, and the other twenty-six guns. Captain Tyrrel, regardless
of the great inequality of force, immediately gave chase in the
_Buckingham_; and the _Weazle_, running close to the enemy, received a
whole broadside from the _Florissant_. Though she sustained it without
much damage, Mr. Tyrrel ordered Captain Boles to keep aloof, as his
vessel could not be supposed to bear the shock of heavy metal; and he
alone prepared for the engagement. The _Florissant_, instead of lying to
for him, made a running fight with her stern chase, while the two
frigates annoyed the _Buckingham_ in her pursuit. At length, however,
she came within pistol-shot of the _Florissant_, and poured in a
broadside which did great execution. The salutation was returned with
spirit and the battle became close and obstinate. Mr. Tyrrel, being
wounded, was obliged to leave the deck, and the command devolved upon
Mr. Marshall, his first lieutenant, who fell in the arms of victory. The
second lieutenant took the command, and finally silenced the enemy's
fire. On board the _Florissant_ one hundred and eighty men were slain
and three hundred wounded. She was so much disabled in her hull that she
could hardly be kept afloat. The largest frigate received equal damage.
The _Buckingham_ had only seven men killed and seventeen dangerously
wounded; she had suffered much, however, in her masts and rigging, which
was the only circumstance that prevented her from adding profit to glory
by making prizes of the French fleet under so powerful a convoy.
In the East Indies the French squadron was commanded by M. d'Aché, and
the English by Admiral Pocock, who had succeeded Admiral Watson. The
former was reinforced by a considerable armament under the command of
General Lally, an adventurer of Irish extraction in the French service.
The English admiral was also reinforced March 24th, 1758, by four ships
of the line; and, being soon after apprised of Lally's arrival, hoisted
his flag on board the _Yarmouth_, a ship of sixty-four guns, and sailed
in quest of the enemy. He made the height of Negapatam on March 28th,
and the day following discovered the enemy's fleet in the road of Fort
St. David. It consisted of eight ships of the line and a frigate, which
immediately stood out to sea and formed the line-of-battle. Pocock's
squadron consisted only of seven ships; with which he formed the line,
and, bearing down upon M. d'Aché, began the engagement. The French
commodore, having sustained a warm action for about two hours in which
one of his largest ships was disabled, sheered off with his whole fleet.
Being afterwards joined by two more ships of war, he again formed the
line-of-battle to leeward. Admiral Pocock, though his own ship and
several others were considerably damaged, and though three of his
captains had misbehaved in the engagement, prepared again for the
attack. But the manoeuvres of the French fleet seem to have been
intended merely to amuse him; for they neither showed lights nor gave
any signal in the night, and next morning the smallest trace of them
could not be observed.
Admiral Pocock made various attempts to bring the French squadron to a
second engagement. These, however, proved ineffectual till August 3rd,
when he perceived the enemy's fleet, consisting of eight ships of the
line and a frigate, standing to sea off the road of Pondicherry. They
would have gladly eluded his pursuit, but he obtained the weather-gauge,
and sailed down upon them in order of battle. As it was now impossible
to escape without coming to action the French prepared for the
engagement, and fired on the _Elizabeth_, which happened to be within
musket-shot of the ship in their van. But this spirited attack was not
seconded with equal perseverance. In little more than ten minutes after
Admiral Pocock had displayed the signal for battle, M. d'Aché set his
fore-sail, and bore away, maintaining a running fight in a very
irregular line for nearly an hour. The whole squadron immediately
followed his example; and at two o'clock they cut away their boats,
crowded sail and put before the wind. They escaped by favour of the
night into the road of Pondicherry; but their fleet was so much damaged
that, in the beginning of September, their commodore sailed for the Isle
of Bourbon in order to refit, thus leaving the English admiral, whose
squadron had always been inferior to that of the French in number of
ships and men as well as in weight of metal, sovereign of the Indian
seas.
In the glorious '59 the French fleet, under M. d'Aché, was augmented to
eleven sail of the line, besides frigates and store-ships, an armament
hitherto unknown in the Indian seas. The English commander, however, no
sooner had intelligence of their arrival than he sailed to the coast of
Coromandel, and determined to pursue and give them battle,
notwithstanding the fact that the French had a superiority of one
hundred and ninety-two guns and two thousand three hundred and
sixty-five men, besides a great advantage in the size of their ships. On
the morning of September 2nd the French fleet were descried from the
mast-head. Admiral Pocock immediately threw out the signal for a general
chase; but, the wind abating, he could not approach near enough to
engage, though he crowded all the sail he could carry. At length they
totally disappeared, and the admiral stood for Pondicherry on a
supposition that they intended to sail thither. His conjecture was well
founded; for on September 8th he observed them standing to the
southward, and on the 10th, about two in the afternoon, M. d'Aché,
seeing no possibility of escaping, made the signal for battle. The
cannonading began without farther delay, and both squadrons engaged with
equal impetuosity; but the French directing their cannon at the masts
and rigging, while the English fired only at the hulls of the ships, the
former sustained such a loss of men, and found their vessels in so
shattered a condition that they were glad to sheer off with all their
canvas set. The loss on the side of the English was not inconsiderable,
there being five hundred and sixty-nine men killed and wounded; that on
the side of the French must have been far greater, as their ships could
hardly keep the sea, and they were obliged to make the best of their way
to the Island of Mauritius in order to be refitted. Soon after this
engagement Admiral Cornish arrived from England with four ships of the
line, and confirmed the dominion of the English over the Indian seas.
THE STORY OF THE "GLORIOUS FIFTY-NINE" AND THE BATTLE OF QUIBERON BAY.
The year 1759 has been described as one of the most glorious years in
the history of England, a year during which "it was necessary to ask
every morning what new victory there was, for fear of missing one." The
early part of the year was, indeed, one of "magnanimous fear"--as Pitt
called it--for the French were known to be making unparalleled efforts
for the invasion of England with the proud hope of entire conquest, and
in Germany, in America, and in India, England was at war. Hostile fleets
were assembled at Havre, Brest, Dunkirk, and Toulon. The fleet at Havre
was an immediate menace to the English coasts; the Brest squadron was
destined for the invasion of Ireland, the ships at Dunkirk were
commissioned to harass Scotland, while it was hoped that the Toulon
fleet would supply reinforcements wherever needed. In France this naval
combination was regarded as irresistible.
But Pitt had aroused the national spirit, and aggressive reprisals were
adopted with enthusiasm. Admiral Rodney was entrusted with an attack
upon Havre, where a vast number of flat-bottomed boats with a quantity
of military stores of all kinds had been prepared to assist in the
projected invasion. On July 3rd he anchored in Havre roads. The French
commander had been forewarned of the English approach, and had made
ample preparations for resistance. Powerful batteries had been erected
all along the shore, and on both sides of the river's mouth; these were
garrisoned with several thousand men, who opened a heavy fire on the
squadron the moment it came within gunshot. The pilots proved wholly
ignorant of the place, but some of Rodney's captains worked all night in
taking soundings. The bombardment was continued without intermission for
two days and two nights. Nearly all the French transports and boats were
burnt, with all the warehouses containing the stores; and Havre itself
was so disabled as to be valueless as an arsenal during the remainder of
the war.
In August the Toulon fleet slipped through the Straits of Gibraltar,
with the intention of re-inforcing the Brest fleet; only, however, to be
vigorously attacked and decisively defeated by Admiral Boscawen, who
gave battle in Lagos Bay off the south coast of Portugal; meanwhile the
ships at Dunkirk were blockaded by Admiral Boyce.
In May, Admiral (afterwards Lord) Hawke was ordered to blockade the
Brest fleet. For six months the blockade lasted. The gales and the
difficulty of victualling the fleet governed the situation. When a
westerly gale sprang up, the French could not get out to sea from Brest;
but there was the great danger of some of the English ships being driven
on shore, and the question was "How to get the fleet into a place of
safety, like Plymouth or Torbay, and out again before the wind changed
and allowed the French to sail." It was like "a cat watching a mouse."
The difficulties of the commissariat may be estimated by a letter in
which Hawke wrote to the responsible officer at Plymouth: "The beer
brewed at your port is so excessively bad that it employs the whole of
the time of the squadron in surveying it and throwing it overboard.... A
quantity of bread will be returned to you; though not altogether unfit
for use, yet so full of weevils and maggots that it would have infected
all the bread come on board this day."
The fierce gales of November made Hawke's task of keeping a large fleet
in the Bay of Biscay one of supreme difficulty, and unusually wild
weather compelled him to run for shelter in Torbay. On the 14th the
storm abated, and De Conflans, seeing the coast clear, put to sea. The
same day Hawke left the shelter of the English coast; on the 16th he was
off Ushant. "On that afternoon," writes Dr. John Campbell, "several
English transports returning from Quiberon Bay passed through the fleet,
and informed the admiral that they had seen the French squadron on the
preceding day, standing to the south-east, and distant about
twenty-three leagues from Belle-Isle." The intelligence was received by
the whole British fleet with acclamations, and every ship prepared for
action. The wind also became favourable and every sail was spread to
catch the gale.
On the 20th, about half an hour after eight o'clock in the morning, the
_Maidstone_ frigate let fly her top-gallant sails, which was a signal
for discovering a fleet. About nine, Lord Howe, in the _Magnanime_, made
signal that they were enemies. Sir Edward Hawke immediately told his
officers that he did not intend to trouble himself with forming lines,
but would attack them in the old way, to make downright work with them;
and accordingly he threw out a signal for seven of his ships to chase,
in order to allure the enemy to fight.
As the British neared the French, the weather became squally and rough;
but Conflans in a very gallant style seemed to offer battle: his
courage, however, soon cooled, and long before the fleets were within
the range of shot, he changed his plan, and stood right before the wind
toward the shore. It was two in the afternoon before our headmost ships
could get up with his rear; but at that time the _Warspite_ and
_Dorsetshire_ began to fire.
The imagination can conceive nothing more sublime than the spectacle
which the hostile squadrons presented at this moment. A dreadful storm
darkened the face of the heavens; the sea was rolling in tremendous
waves which on all sides were dashing themselves into foam on
treacherous rocks and shallows unknown to the English pilots. In the
midst of these terrible circumstances, calculated, from the very majesty
of the physical power in action, to awe and intimidate, two adverse
navies, the greatest that had been employed in one of the greatest wars
in the annals of Europe, freighted with the fate, and worthy of being
intrusted with the glory of the rival nations, were preparing for
battle.
It was a moment as if nature had resolved to contrast the tameness of
physical terror with the grandeur of heroism, and to show how much more
sublime are the moral sentiments of a collected mind than all the awful
phenomena of the heavens darkened, and the ocean agitated by a tempest,
with the multifarious dangers of secret rocks and unknown shallows.
In the open sea Conflans might have hazarded a battle without the
imputation of temerity, as his fleet was equal in force to that of
Hawke, but like a prudent commander he endeavoured to avail himself of
all the advantages arising from the local knowledge of his pilots, who
were well acquainted with the navigation of the shallows. He directed
them to steer in such a manner as to decoy the English among the rocks.
But the very execution of this proceeding, which at the time was thought
disreputable to his character as a commander, required more time in
execution than the occasion allowed, and the British ships came up with
the French before they were well prepared for action.
At half an hour after two o'clock the British van opened fire on the
French rear. The _Formidable_, a French man-of-war, commanded by Admiral
de Verger, a man of great courage and noble determination, behaved in
the most heroic manner; broadside after broadside were poured into her
by the British as they sailed successively past towards the van of the
enemy; and she returned their fire with a promptitude that excited the
admiration of friends and foes.
In the meantime, the _Royal George_, with Hawke on board, was
approaching the _Soleil Royal_, which bore the flag of Conflans. Intent,
as it were, only on her prey, she passed on without heeding the shot of
the other ships. The sea was dashing over her bows, and as she came
rapidly nearer, she appeared as if she had been actuated by the
furiousness of rage. Her pilot, seeing the breakers foaming on every
side, told the admiral that he could not go farther, without the most
imminent danger from the shoals. "You have done your duty in pointing
out the danger," said Hawke, "but lay me alongside of the _Soleil
Royal_." The pilot bowed in obedience, and gave the necessary orders.
The _Superbe_, a French ship of seventy guns, perceiving what was
intended by the movements of the English admiral, generously interposed
between her commander and received the whole fatal broadside which the
_Royal George_ had intended for Monsieur Conflans. The thunder of the
explosion was succeeded by a wild shriek from all on board. The British
sailors gave a shout of triumph, which was instantly checked by a far
other feeling; for the smoke clearing away, only the masts of the
_Superbe_, with her colours still flying, were seen above the water, and
in a moment they were covered by a roll of the sea, and seen no more;
but the _Soleil Royal_ was spared; she escaped to the shore, where she
was afterwards burnt with disgrace.
About four in the afternoon, the _Formidable_, which had maintained the
whole battle with such heroic determination, struck her colours; but not
until after all her officers had been killed. The _Héros_, a
seventy-four, also struck, and the _Thésée_, of seventy guns, was sunk
like the _Superbe_.
Darkness coming on, the remainder of the enemy's fleet fled; seven ships
of the line hove their guns overboard, and ran into the River Villaine;
about as many more, in a shattered condition, escaped to other ports.
The wind blowing strong in shore, Hawke made the signal for anchoring to
the westward of the small island of Durnel. Here the fleet remained
during the night, and as the tempest continued to increase, the darkness
was occasionally broken by the flashes of cannon and the howl of the
wind; and the roar of the breakers was augmented in horror by the sound
of guns of distress. "This action, more memorable on account of the
terrific circumstances in which it was fought, than any other of equal
magnitude in the annals of heroic achievement," put an end to the naval
power of France for many years, and therefore, to all fear of invasion.
It, moreover, indicated the overwhelming superiority of the English
marine.
The capture of Goree in January, and of Guadaloupe in June, the victory
of Minden in August, and of Lagos in September, the capture of Quebec in
October, and the crowning victory of Quiberon Bay in November have
immortalised "the glorious fifty-nine" in English history.
THE STORY OF LORD RODNEY.
BY JOHN CAMPBELL.