1801.
Despatches arrive from England.--Sir James superseded by Sir
Charles Morice Pole.--Remarks and correspondence on the
subject.--The St. George and four sail of the line
arrive.--Blockade of Cadiz.--Sir James continues as second in
command.--His appointments not confirmed.--Injustice of his
treatment.--Letters from various persons.--The Caesar arrives at
Gibraltar.
Since the signal defeat of the French and Spanish combined squadrons
on the 12th of July, Sir James had passed seven most anxious weeks
without having received any communication from England.[1] His
sufferings on that account, and his impatience for letters, as well
from his family as from the Admiralty, were, according to his own
admission, more intolerable than he had ever experienced.
[1] The letters, which have already appeared, were received on
the 31st of August.
The enemy's force at Cadiz being now so inferior, even to the squadron
he at first commanded, he was enabled to send the Audacious and
Bellona to refit at Gibraltar; while he detached the Warrior and the
Phoebe to cruise off Lisbon, and other smaller vessels in different
directions. He never doubted that he should be continued in the chief
command; and his hopes of the pleasing intelligence had been raised to
the highest pitch, when the long-expected despatches arrived. His
surprise and mortification, therefore, may be imagined, when, on
opening the very first letter from the Admiralty, he found himself
superseded by a senior officer, on a plea which had no just
foundation, namely, _the increase of the enemy's force at Cadiz_!
whereas, on the contrary, that force had not only been decreased by
the loss of two of its largest ships, but _all_ the rest had been so
materially damaged in the late actions as to be rendered for the
present unserviceable.
As might be expected, Sir James felt so indignant at this, to say the
least of it, ill-timed arrangement, that he considered it a duty he
owed to his character to express his feelings strongly in a respectful
answer to this communication, both to the Board, and to Earl St.
Vincent; which produced an explanation, in which it appeared that the
Admiralty, having determined to make Cadiz a separate command from
that of the Mediterranean, it became necessary to employ two
flag-officers. Sir James being the last on the list, none could be
found junior; and they were, therefore, under the necessity of
appointing a senior officer.
As it could not be disputed that the Admiralty had a right to make the
dispositions for which they alone were responsible, the correspondence
in which Sir James's services were acknowledged, and wherein regret
was expressed by their lordships at the necessity they had been under
of appointing a senior officer, ended in a satisfactory manner; and
Sir James was contented to remain as second in command under
Vice-admiral Pole, who arrived on the 31st August, in the St. George,
to assume the chief command of the squadron.
Two of the letters which Sir James received on this occasion have been
given in the preceding chapter, in order to show the reception which
the intelligence of his victory met with in England. The following are
copies of the official letters alluded to, and also of some private
letters, which express his feelings on the occasion.
Admiralty, 2nd August 1801.
SIR,
I received, yesterday, by Captain Ferris, and immediately
communicated to my Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty, your
letters of the 5th, 6th, 9th, and 10th instant, acquainting me,
for their lordships' information, that, having received
intelligence of three French line-of-battle ships and a frigate
having anchored off Algeziras, you had proceeded through the
Straits, with the squadron under your orders, for the purpose
of attacking them, which you had accordingly done on the
morning of the 6th; but that the Hannibal having unfortunately
taken the ground, and all the endeavours you had exerted with
the Caesar and Audacious having proved ineffectual, you had been
compelled to withdraw from the attack, and to leave the
Hannibal in possession of the enemy; transmitting, at the same
time, a list of the killed and wounded, with a copy of a letter
you had received from Captain Ferris, giving an account of his
proceedings: and, in answer thereto, I have received their
lordships' commands to acquaint you that, although your
endeavours to destroy the enemy's ships, above-mentioned, were
unsuccessful, they cannot too much applaud the spirit and
activity with which the attack was conducted; and that, however
they may regret the loss of the Hannibal to his Majesty, their
lordships have the satisfaction of knowing that you, and all
the officers and men employed under your command, have
faithfully and zealously discharged your duty, and although by
unfortunate circumstances a ship has been lost, as well as the
lives of many gallant officers and men, the national character
has in no degree suffered from the disaster.
Their lordships have the fullest confidence that every exertion
will be made for repairing the damage which the ships now with
you have sustained; and have commanded me to inform you that
you may rely on their taking measures immediately for
reinforcing you, and for sending such supplies of stores as the
squadron may be likely to require.
I am, sir, your most obedient humble servant,
EVAN NEPEAN.
To Sir James Saumarez, Bart.
Admiralty Office, 4th August 1801.
SIR,
After I had closed my despatch of the 2nd instant, Lieutenant
Dumaresq arrived, and delivered to me your letters of the 13th
and 14th of last month: the former, giving information that
the three French ships of the line and, a frigate, at
Algeziras, having been joined by five Spanish and one French
sail of the line, with other smaller vessels, had sailed on the
morning of the 12th with his Majesty's late ship Hannibal, for
Cadiz; that, by the great exertions of the officers and men of
the squadron, you had been able to proceed to sea at the same
time, with all the ships under your orders, except the Pompee,
in pursuit of the enemy; and that, after a partial action, two
Spanish ships of a hundred and twelve guns had been blown up,
and one French ship of seventy-four guns had been taken by his
Majesty's ship Superb: the latter transmitting a letter which
you had received from Captain Keats, of the last-mentioned
ship, containing an account of his proceedings on that
occasion.
I lost no time in laying your said despatches before my Lords
Commissioners of the Admiralty; and I have received their
lordships' commands to express to you their highest approbation
of the gallantry and good conduct which were displayed by you,
and the captains, officers, and men under your orders, in
engaging and defeating so superior a force of the enemy; and to
desire that you will signify to them, particularly to Captains
Hood and Keats, in the strongest terms, the sense their
lordships are pleased to entertain of their meritorious
services on this important occasion.
Their lordships have commanded me further to inform you that,
in consequence of the favourable mention you have made of the
services of the Honourable Captain Dundas and Lieutenant
Dumaresq, they have been pleased to promote the former to the
rank of post-captain, and the latter to command the Calpe.
I am, sir, your obedient humble servant,
EVAN NEPEAN.
To Rear-admiral Sir James Saumarez, Bart. &c. &c. &c.
Admiralty Office, 14th August 1801.
SIR,
My Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty having judged it
necessary, from the present circumstances of the war, and
preparations now making by the enemy in Cadiz, to augment the
squadron serving on the coasts of Portugal and Spain bordering
on the Atlantic, and to place the ships and vessels on that
station under the command of Vice-admiral Pole, I have received
their commands to acquaint you of this arrangement, and to
enclose their orders to you, to put yourself, and the ships
with you, under the Vice-admiral's command.
So many objections occur to the allowing a force of the extent
necessary to be so employed, with only one flag-officer, that
their lordships have felt themselves reduced to the necessity,
from your standing on the list, of sending a senior officer to
you; which, on considering the proofs you have given of your
zeal and ability, and the advantage which the public has so
recently derived from your very distinguished services, they
would, if possible, have avoided.
I am, sir, your most obedient humble servant,
Evan Nepean.
To Rear-admiral Sir James Saumarez, Bart.
&c. &c. &c.
The enclosures mentioned in the above letters being the usual official
order for Sir James to put himself under command of Vice-admiral
Charles Morice Pole, need not be inserted; nor the consequent order
from that officer to Sir James. The squadron was now augmented by four
sail of the line; namely, the St. George, 98 (flag-ship), Captain
Nichols; Dreadnought, 98, Captain Vashon; Russell, 74, Captain
Cuming; and Powerful, 74, Sir Francis Laforey: and on the 10th of
September the St. Antoine, Audacious, Zealous, and Bellona joined;
which, with the Caesar, Superb, Venerable, Spencer, and Pompee, made
twelve sail of the line.
The subjoined extract of a letter which Sir James wrote to his brother
Richard, is sufficiently expressive of his feelings:
2nd September 1801.
Nothing can be more strongly penned than the letters, both
public and private, which I have received. If I had destroyed
thirty sail of line-of-battle ships, they could not have been
in a higher strain of praise and admiration. But is it not
surprising they should cease there? Not a syllable is said of
the first lieutenant, or anything intended for myself. Your
letter seemed to make certain of it, and you fully expect that
a peerage will be conferred on me at the meeting of Parliament,
with the grant of a suitable pension. I cannot but feel
surprised that Phil. Dumaresq should have been detained so long
in London, and not be charged with the smallest hint on the
subject, which almost makes me fear my services will be
disregarded in the same manner I experienced after the Nile.
I declare to you that on no service wherein I have been engaged
have I found any situation equally arduous as that of
Algeziras, nor have known any in the naval history of my
country. Its consequences have been equal to the most complete
victory; for, with seven sail, of which my squadron was
composed, we have frustrated two important expeditions, the
naval force of which consisted of sixteen sail of the line.
I have been encouraged to expect this mark of distinction by
all on this station, and I cannot express my feelings should it
not be conferred. I shall, however, follow my sister's advice
of "patience and humility" in either instance, and I trust to
my resignation should the injustice be done to me.
With regard to Mr. Pipon, he cannot do better than follow
Captain Martin in a line-of-battle ship as first lieutenant; it
will not prevent my exertions to serve him: but judge of the
injustice to those officers who have shared in this and several
other battles with me, to place a stranger over their heads.
The Caesar will, I hope, in a short time, be ordered to England;
and I have written to be permitted to proceed in her, which I
trust will be complied with.
Is it not hard I should have been deprived of Lady Saumarez's
letters? It is, however, a consolation to know that she was in
good health so late as the 14th, by a letter to Captain
Dumaresq.
The loss of Lady Saumarez's letters, which had been sent unfortunately
to Plymouth, where the squadron which sailed from Portsmouth did not
touch, as was expected, added greatly to Sir James's disappointment;
as did also the information that Mr. Lamburn, who had been appointed
to the Calpe, was to return to the Caesar, being superseded by Captain
Dumaresq; and that _none_ of the appointments of the warrant-officers
to the St. Antoine were confirmed. It was, from these facts,
sufficiently evident that Sir James, in his honourable desire to
benefit those under his command, particularly Captains Hood and
Keats, had materially injured his own interest by permitting these
officers to make their own reports of the action at which he was
present commanding, and taking part. By thus omitting to give himself
and his own ship the full share of credit due to both, he actually
threw his officers and himself so completely into the back-ground,
that people were led to believe the Caesar and the Admiral had little
or nothing to do with the battle. It is to this, and not to any
disinclination of Earl St. Vincent to reward Sir James, that his
services were on this occasion unrewarded,--the success being, by
these documents, attributed entirely to the Superb and Venerable; in
contemplation of which, the heavy responsibility, the ardent zeal, the
determined resolution Sir James had evinced, and, above all, the
important advantages gained to the nation by that victory which his
bravery and perseverance had obtained, were entirely overlooked. We
may justly ask, were the merits of the first lieutenant of the Superb,
which, in conjunction with the Caesar, made an easy capture of the San
Antonio, and with a trifling loss,[2] greater than those of the first
lieutenant of the flag-ship, which was engaged far more severely at
Algeziras, who exerted himself most zealously in refitting the ship,
besides assisting in the capture of the French ship? Yet the promotion
was only given to the first lieutenants of the Venerable and Superb,
although the former ship would probably have been taken had it not
been for the Caesar, and the latter was not in the action of Algeziras
at all! These circumstances, and the fact that his appointments to the
St. Antoine were not confirmed, seem to have given Sir James more
concern than even the total neglect of his own meritorious services.
[2] It was reported that the San Antonio had struck before the
Caesar came up, but this cannot be true; because, when the Caesar
came up, both ships were still before the wind, firing at each
other, and the Caesar had her cross-jack-yard shot away.
Taking into account every circumstance regarding the actions of the
6th and 12th July,--the severity of the former, the intermediate
exertions, the professional skill, the daring and the tact displayed
in the latter, and the complete discomfiture of the enemy's
well-arranged plans for the destruction of our commerce at Lisbon and
the subsequent relief of their army in Egypt,--this victory was equal
to, if not greater in importance than, either the battles of St.
Vincent or the Nile, for the former of which Jervis was created an
earl, and Nelson a baron for the latter, immediately on the arrival of
the news in England. Yet after a lapse of several months, after
praises had been heaped upon Sir James, after the thanks of both
houses of parliament had been voted to him for the fifth time, after
his eminent services had been acknowledged by every large corporation,
and generally throughout the kingdom--after the highest encomiums had
been pronounced on him by Earl St. Vincent and Lord Nelson,--instead
of a peerage, which he as richly deserved as either of the other two,
he was decorated only with the red riband.
We shall close this subject for the present by giving an extract from
a letter Sir James wrote to his friend Sir Thomas Troubridge, after
his correspondence with the Admiralty on the subject of his being
superseded had ended, and subsequently to his correspondence with the
Navy Board on his having commissioned the St. Antoine to employ the
crew of the Hannibal, which had been exchanged.
Caesar, 7th October 1801.
I leave it to you to decide whether I had not just cause for
additional disappointment to find no notice taken of the
services of the squadron by the promotion of any of the
officers; and what I must feel at this moment to find Mr.
Lamburn sent back, and the lieutenants of the Superb and
Venerable alone promoted. I cannot but view it as a great
injustice done me, and I am sorry to say it mortifies me more
than I can express.
With regard to the St. Antoine, allow me to bring to your
recollection under what circumstances she was commissioned. At
that time I was ignorant of any part of our force having been
withdrawn from the Baltic, or that any ships could be spared
from the North Sea or the Channel fleet, and consequently could
not expect but that a very small, if any, reinforcement could
be ordered to join me; and to have left an efficient ship,
which, with the Hannibal's ship's company, could be brought
forward for service in so short a time, I should have deemed
myself very reprehensible, All the appointments were made in
the most fair and impartial manner; and I solemnly declare that
the sole view to the good of his Majesty's service was what
actuated the whole of my proceedings, which I am certain Hood
will also declare. I am truly grieved at the manner the
warrant-officers I appointed to that ship are ordered to be
superseded, and I shall feel it as long as I live.
Believe me, my good friend, my heart is incapable of harbouring
so heinous a vice as ingratitude, and I shudder at the thought
of being taxed with it: but when I consider the treatment I
have received on this occasion, I feel it difficult to support
myself; and what adds to my distress is, to find by your
private note of the 19th that I am likely to remain longer in
this country. Let me assure you that I shall ever retain a
grateful sense of the many and uniform proofs of your
friendship for me, which I can truly say are not misplaced;
there being no one among your numerous friends who can have a
more true regard and sincere esteem for you than myself.
J.S.
Sir James continued with the squadron under Sir Charles Pole, employed
on the blockade of Cadiz, until the 14th November 1801, when he went
in the Caesar, in company with several other ships to Gibraltar.
The following letter from General O'Hara gave Sir James the first news
of the capitulation of Cairo, and the death of Sir Ralph Abercrombie,
on the 21st of August
Gibraltar, 30th August 1801.
If you have seen either the Hebe or Mendovia, you are
acquainted with the success in Egypt; and, if you have not, the
enclosed Gibraltar Chronicle will inform you of all those
particulars: and when we consider the great disparity of
numbers between English and French, particularly detailed in
the Chronicle, we must conclude ourselves greatly indebted to
good fortune for having got well through that very arduous
enterprise.
As the French troops, who capitulated, are nearly double the
number of our people employed on that service, I cannot help
having apprehensions till they are fairly embarked, and we are
quit of them; for it is impossible to trust that scoundrel race
if they can reap any advantage by breaking their faith. I am
sorry to find, from several reports, that our great men don't
draw together very well; I mean the chiefs of our army. It
should seem we have more reasons than one to lament the loss of
Sir Ralph Abercrombie,--the cause of clashing parties between
Scotch and Irish, which is too commonly the case in our
service; and I am afraid something of that sort now and then
arises in the navy. I send you, likewise, our Chronicle of last
Friday, because you will there see the honours that have been
paid to the French officers for the action at Algeziras, as
well as the one of the 13th. You will there perceive that the
French Formidable was attacked by four English ships of war! It
is quite wonderful what improbable lies those rascals do
propagate.
Sir James found at Gibraltar H.M.S. Renown, Sir John Borlase Warren,
whose flag he saluted.