The Hon. John Byng, an Admiral R.N., was the scion of a family already
of high public reputation, when it was rendered illustrious in our naval
annals by this admiral’s father, whose services to his country should
have at least saved his son from the extreme measure of severity which
was so cruelly and so unfairly dealt out to him.
This family, the Byngs of Kent, whose brilliant achievements on sea and
land obtained for them a viscountcy and an earldom, both still
existing—those of Torrington and Strafford—is of ancient origin, and was
of note as far back as the reign of Henry VII. One member of the House,
Dr. Robert Byng, was vice-chancellor of the University of Cambridge in
the time of Queen Elizabeth; and another, Thomas Byng, serjeant-at-law,
was counsel to the same university. George Byng, Esq., of Wrotham, Kent,
was M.P. for Rochester, and subsequently for Dover, in the reigns of
Queen Elizabeth and James I. He was great-grandfather of Sir George
Byng, the illustrious admiral, the father of John Byng, the unfortunate
subject of this trial. Admiral Sir George Byng, the hero of the Battle
of Cape Passara, and of many other hard-fought and successful
engagements, well deserves a niche in our naval temple of fame. He was a
man of high spirit and honour, and of great sagacity and daring. No
British officer of his time rendered more service to the cause of the
Revolution or better sustained the House of Brunswick; and when his
victory of Passara had annihilated the navy of Spain and forced that
country to a peace, King George I. was loud in his gratitude to Byng,
and, on creating him Viscount Torrington in 1721, prefaced the patent
with the following preamble:—
“As the grandeur and stability of the British empire depend chiefly upon
knowledge and experience in maritime affairs, we esteem those worthy of
the highest honours who, acting under our influence, exert themselves in
maintaining our dominion over the sea. It is for this reason that we
have determined to advance to the degree of peerage our trusty and
well-beloved councillor, Sir George Byng, Knt. and Bart., who, being
descended from an ancient family in Kent, and educated from his youth in
the sea service, hath through several posts arrived to the highest
station and command in our navy by the strength of his own abilities,
and a merit distinguished by our predecessors and ourselves, in the many
important services which he has performed with remarkable fidelity,
courage, and success. In the late vigorous wars which raged so many
years in Europe—wars fruitful of naval combats and expeditions—there was
scarce any action of consequence wherein he did not bear a principal
part, nor were any dangers or difficulties so great but he surmounted
them by his exquisite conduct and a good fortune that never failed
him.... Lately, when new contentions were springing up in Italy, and the
discord of princes was on the point of embroiling Europe again in war,
he did, with singular felicity and conduct, interpose with our squadron,
crushing at one blow the laboured efforts of Spain to set up a power at
sea, and advanced the reputation of our arms in the Mediterranean to
such a pitch, that our flag gave law to the contending parties, and
enabled us to resettle the tranquillity that had been disturbed. It is
just, therefore, that we should distinguish with higher titles a subject
who has so eminently served us and his country, both as monuments of his
own merit and to influence others into a love and pursuit of virtue.
Know ye, therefore,” &c.
The next sovereign, George II., no less acknowledged Lord Torrington’s
merit, having made him first lord of the Admiralty, and having expressed
to him on many occasions how indebted he and his royal predecessor were
to him. After this, the way in which George II. abandoned this great
man’s son to the clamour of his enemies, seems as startling an act of
ingratitude as the desertion of the earl of Strafford by Charles I.
Sir George Byng, Lord Torrington, died in 1733, leaving by his wife
Margaret, daughter of James Master, Esq., of East Langdon, Kent (which
lady had the good fortune to die the year before the trial of her
unhappy son), a family of five sons and one daughter, of whom the two
eldest sons were successively Viscounts Torrington. Robert, the third
son, was ancestor of the eminent line raised to the peerage as earls of
Strafford; and John, the fourth son, was the Admiral Byng of this trial;
and to his career I now come.
The Hon. John Byng, fourth son of Lord Torrington, was born in 1704, and
when thirteen years of age, entered the royal navy under his father’s
auspices. From this time forward he seems to have been in constant
active employment, and to have behaved creditably on all occasions. He
was made an admiral in 1745, and he that year did good service to the
Crown while commanding a squadron off the coast of Scotland, by
effectually hindering any supplies of consequence being landed for the
use of Prince Charles Edward and his followers. In 1755, Byng was sent
in command of a fleet consisting of twenty-two ships of the line, two
frigates, and two sloops, in a cruise to the westward, in hopes of
intercepting the French squadron under the famous Duguay, and also the
squadron of La Mothe, in its return from America. Byng, however,
returned to Spithead, without having been able to effect anything,
though it was allowed by all that the admiral had acted judiciously in
the choice of his stations. No blame was then fixed on Byng, but this
non-success was harshly remembered by the public when greater adversity
fell upon him; and that happened soon after.
France and England had been acting hostilely to each other for some time
prior to the 18th April, 1756, when the French invaded the then British
possession of Minorca, and war was formally declared between the two
nations. Thus began that great contest which was to end so gloriously
for this country with the conquest of Canada; but like most great
contests in which England has been engaged, not forgetting the
Peninsular and Crimean wars, the Government in the beginning was but
little prepared for the majesty of the enterprise. The Newcastle, a
feeble administration, ruled England, and Pitt, the future Lord Chatham,
was in open opposition, awaiting with eagle eye the moment when he was
to swoop and seize the reins of government. The following account of the
weak conduct of the Ministry, as given by Smollett, graphically
describes the state of affairs:—
“Under the cloak of an invading armament, which engrossed the attention
of the British nation, the French were actually employed in preparations
for an expedition, which succeeded according to their wish. In the
beginning of the year, advice was received that a French squadron would
soon be in a condition to sail for Toulon: this was afterwards confirmed
by repeated intelligence, not only from foreign gazettes, but also from
English ministers and consuls residing in Spain and Italy. They affirmed
that the Toulon squadron consisted of fifteen or twenty
ships-of-the-line, with a great number of transports; that they were
supplied with provisions for two months only, consequently could not be
intended for America; and that strong bodies of troops were on their
march from different parts of the French dominions to Dauphiné and
Provence, in order to be embarked. Notwithstanding these particulars of
information, which plainly pointed out Minorca as the object of their
expedition, notwithstanding the extensive and important commerce carried
on by the subjects of Great Britain in the Mediterranean, no care was
taken to send thither a squadron of ships capable to protect the trade,
and frustrate the designs of the enemy. That great province was left to
a few inconsiderable ships and frigates, which could serve no other
purpose than that of carrying intelligence from port to port, and
enriching their commanders by making prize of merchant vessels. Nay, the
Ministry seemed to pay little or no regard to the remonstrances of
General Blakeney, Deputy-Governor of Minorca, who, by repeated advices,
represented the weakness of the garrison he commanded in St. Philip’s
Castle, the chief fortress on the island. Far from strengthening the
garrison with a proper reinforcement, they did not even send thither the
officers belonging to it, who were in England upon leave of absence, nor
give directions for any vessel to transport them, until the French
armament was ready to make a descent upon that island.
“At length, the destination of the enemy’s fleet being universally
known, the Ministry seemed to rouse from their lethargy, and, like
persons suddenly waking, acted with hurry and precipitation. Instead of
detaching a squadron that in all respects should be superior to the
French fleet in the Mediterranean, and bestowing the command of it upon
an officer of approved courage and activity, they allotted no more than
ten ships-of-the-line for this service, vesting the command of them in
Admiral Byng, who had never met with any occasion to signalise his
courage, and whose character was not very popular in the Navy; but Mr.
West, the second in command, was a gentleman universally respected for
his probity, ability, and resolution. The ten ships destined for this
expedition were but in indifferent order, poorly manned, and unprovided
with either hospital or fire-ship. They sailed from Spithead on the 17th
day of April, 1756, having on board, as part of their complement, a
regiment of soldiers to be landed at Gibraltar, with Major-General
Stuart, Lord Effingham, and Colonel Cornwallis, whose regiments were in
garrison at Minorca, about forty inferior officers, and near one hundred
recruits, as a reinforcement to St. Philip’s fortress.”
Byng, after arriving at Gibraltar, wrote to the Lords of the Admiralty,
loudly and justly complaining of the state of the magazine, supplies,
and other preparations there. He besides signified his opinion that even
if it should be found practicable, it would be very impolitic to throw
any men into St. Philip’s Castle at Minorca, as it would only add to the
number that must fall into the hands of the enemy. These unpleasant
reflections are supposed to have irritated the Lords of the Admiralty,
and to have led them to shift the blame from themselves upon the officer
who had thus dared to complain of their conduct.
The result of an expedition so wretchedly arranged might almost be
anticipated. The failure was sad indeed. Byng sailed from Gibraltar, and
discovered the French fleet off Minorca, then sorely pressed by the
invading French forces, under the Duke of Richelieu. The admiral did not
attempt to land any troops there. He, on the 20th May, 1756, made a
signal to bear away two points from the wind and attack the enemy. The
second in command, Rear-Admiral West, found it impossible to obey this
command, but bearing away with his division seven points to the wind, he
fell on the French ships opposed to him with such impetuosity, that had
he been, it was urged, promptly sustained by the rear under Byng, a
complete victory, in all probability, would have been the consequence.
This, however, was not done. Byng, from his anxiety to preserve his line
entire, kept so far back, that he took little part in the engagement.
The French admiral, M. le Comte de la Galissonnière, captured no English
ships, but seemed well content to avoid a closer fight, and went off at
his leisure. On the following day the two fleets were no longer in sight
of each other, and Byng having called a council of war, it was resolved,
that as the enemy was much superior in the weight of his metal and the
number of his men, it was not practicable to relieve the fortress of St.
Philip’s, and it was decided to return to Gibraltar.
Meanwhile the inhabitants of Minorca had experienced great joy when Byng
and his fleet appeared in sight; the double defeat of Galissonnière and
his fleet at sea, and Richelieu and his troops on land, was fondly
anticipated, when lo! the French fleet was seen to return to its old
station off Port Mahon, and the news came that Byng had been foiled by
the French admiral. In consequence of this failure on the part of
Admiral Byng, General Sir William Blakeney, K.B., the British commander
at Minorca, after a protracted and heroic resistance, which inflicted on
the besiegers a loss of 5,000 men, capitulated to the Duke of Richelieu
on honourable terms.
The news of this triumph for France was received at the Court of
Versailles with transports of joy, and was celebrated throughout the
French dominions with vast and continued public rejoicings. One can
easily conceive how, on the other hand, England was shocked and
humiliated by the intelligence of events so disparaging to her pride and
power. The whole nation was seized with grief and anger, and the people
were furious against the Ministry in the first instance; but the Cabinet
averted from themselves the general wrath by meanly and cruelly
sacrificing Admiral Byng to the popular clamour.
Admiral Sir Edward Hawke and Admiral Saunders were dispatched to
Gibraltar to supersede Admirals Byng and West, and to place them under
arrest, and send them home to England. Byng, on his arrival at
Portsmouth, was immediately placed in strict confinement, and every
indignity was shown him. It is believed that Byng’s despatches were
received on the 16th of June, the day on which the two admirals sailed
from Portsmouth to supersede him; but they were not published till the
26th June, and then not as written by Byng, but with omissions and
interpolations. On Byng’s arrival at Portsmouth, his youngest brother,
the Hon. Colonel Edward Byng, hastened down to meet him, but was so
shocked with the outcries he everywhere met with from the mob, that,
being of a very delicate constitution, he fell ill in the presence of
his incarcerated relative, and died the following day in convulsions.
From Portsmouth Admiral Byng was brought to Greenwich, and there
subjected to very harsh imprisonment in a garret of the Hospital. The
Ministry seemed determined to degrade the man before they slew him. In
the month of December, 1756, their victim was removed back to Portsmouth
to await his trial. That occurred on the 28th of December, 1756. The
court-martial appointed for the investigation assembled on that day, and
was held every day afterwards, Sundays excepted, till the 27th of
January, 1757, inclusive, and was composed of the following members:—
_President_:
Vice-Admiral Thomas Smith, known in the Navy by the name of “Tom of
Ten Thousand.”
_Rear-Admirals_:
Francis Holbourne, afterwards an admiral, a lord of the Admiralty, and
Governor of Greenwich Hospital.
Thomas Broderick, afterwards an admiral.
Harry Norris, afterwards an admiral.
_Captains_:
Charles Holmes, afterwards an admiral.
William Boys.
John Simcoe.
John Bentley, afterwards an admiral and a knight.
Peter Denis, afterwards an admiral.
Francis Geary, afterwards an admiral and a baronet.
John Moore, afterwards an admiral, K.B., and a baronet.
James Douglas, afterwards an admiral and a knight.
Hon. Augustus Keppel, afterwards a very eminent admiral, created
Viscount Keppel.
The charges against Admiral Byng were seventeen in number, and the court
agreed upon thirty-seven resolutions, of which the five last imputed
blame to Byng, the principal being that, during the engagement, he did
not do his utmost to take, seize, and destroy the ships of the French
king, and assist such of his ships as were engaged.
The statute law under which Byng was charged was the 12th article of the
22 George II., cap. 33, which enacted that
“Every person in the fleet, who, through cowardice, negligence, or
disaffection, shall in time of action withdraw, keep back, or not come
into the fight or engagement, or shall not do his utmost to take or
destroy every ship which it shall be his duty to engage and to assist
and relieve all and every of His Majesty’s ships or those of his allies,
which it shall be his duty to assist or relieve, every such person so
offending, and being convicted thereof by the sentence of a
court-martial, shall suffer death.”[9]
The actual points only upon which his conviction depended were
these:—1st, Whether he made any unnecessary delays with the fleet under
his command, from the time of sailing from St. Helen’s, April 6, to the
time of his arrival at Minorca, May 19, 1756; 2ndly, Whether he did all
that was in his power to do, agreeable to his instructions, to relieve
St. Philip’s fort upon his arrival there; and, 3rdly, Whether he did his
utmost to distress the enemy on the day of battle. As a preparative to
the evidence relating to these particulars, it is necessary to give this
important portion of his instructions:—
“If, upon your arrival at Gibraltar, you shall not gain intelligence of
a French squadron having passed the Straits, you are to go on without a
moment’s loss of time to Minorca; or if, in consequence of such
intelligence, you shall detach Rear-Admiral West, as before directed,
you are to use equal expedition in repairing thither with the ships
which shall remain with you; and if you find any attack made upon that
island by the French, you are to use all possible means in your power
for its relief. If you find no such attack made, you are to proceed off
Toulon, and station your squadron in the best manner you shall be able,
for preventing any French ships getting out of that port, or for
intercepting and seizing any that may get out; and you are to exert the
utmost vigilance therein, and in protecting Minorca and Gibraltar from
any hostile attempt.”
The whole of the instructions, together with a letter from the
Admiralty, relative to the taking on board Lord Robert Bertie’s regiment
of Royal Fusiliers, some letters from Admiral Byng to the Admiralty,
dated at Gibraltar, respecting the state of the place and the
intelligence he had there received, and also the minutes of a council of
war held there on what was proper to be done in consequence of the
orders delivered by him to the governor, with the opinion of the chief
engineers at Gibraltar in regard to the throwing of succours into St.
Philip’s Castle, were all read in court before the examination of
witnesses began. It then became a question, from what time the enquiry
into the conduct of the prisoner should commence, and it was agreed by a
majority of eleven to two, that it should commence from the time the
squadron sailed from St. Helen’s. A short paper of the prisoner’s was
then read to the following effect:—“That he had earnestly wished the
arrival of the time for inquiring into his conduct, and doubted not of
evincing the falsehood of all the artful and malicious aspersions that
had been cast upon him by his enemies; that he had a very sensible
pleasure in considering the abilities and integrity of his judges; and
that, relying with an entire confidence on their candour and impartial
justice, he would not delay the proceedings of the court a moment.”
The evidence was voluminous. The following is the most important part,
as it bore against and for the Admiral:—
Rear-Admiral West was sworn and examined:
_Court_: What distance do you imagine the _Ramillies_ (Admiral Byng’s
ship) might be from the _Buckingham_ (Admiral West’s ship) at the time
of the engagement with the French fleet?—_Admiral West_: I believe about
three miles.
_Court_: Do you think the admiral and the rear could have come up to the
assistance of the van, and come to as close an engagement with the
enemy?—_Admiral West_: I knew of no impediment to the contrary; but I
cannot presume to say there was no impediment; nor I would not be
understood to mean there was none.
_Court_: How was the wind and weather?—_Admiral West_: The wind was very
calm, and the weather exceeding fine.
_Court_: Could you keep your lower ports open?—_Admiral West_: Yes, I
could; and I knew of but one ship that could not, and that was the
_Deptford_, who lowered her ports occasionally.
_Court_: Did you see any fire from Admiral Byng’s ship during the
engagement?—_Admiral West_: When I was looking towards the _Intrepid_,
which was in distress astern, off her I saw some smoke, which might very
probably be from the admiral’s ship, or some of his division; but I was
not able to discover at what ship it was directed.
_Admiral Byng_: Was it not in the power of the enemy to decline coming
to a close engagement, as the two fleets were situated?—_Admiral West_:
Yes, it was; but, as they lay to our fleet, I apprehended they intended
to fight.
_Admiral Byng_: Are you of opinion that the forces on board the fleet
could have relieved Minorca?—_Admiral West_: I believe they could not.
_Admiral Byng_: Were not some of the ships deficient in their complement
of men?—_Admiral West_: Yes.
_Admiral Byng_: Were not some of the ships out of repair?—_Admiral
West_: Yes.
_Admiral Byng_: Was not the fleet deficient, in point of force, with the
enemy?—_Admiral West_: Yes.
General Lord Blakeney examined. He was eighty-seven years of age, and
had been created an Irish peer for his defence of St. Philip’s Castle.
_Admiral Byng to the Witness_: Do you think the forces I had with me
could have been landed at Minorca?—_Lord Blakeney_: Yes; I think they
might very easily be landed.
_Admiral Byng_: Was not some fascines thrown in the way?—_Lord
Blakeney_: Yes; but they were such as I think might easily have been
destroyed.
_Court_: If the admiral had attempted to land the men, would it not have
been attended with danger?—_Lord Blakeney_: Danger! most certainly. It
could not be so easy as stepping into this ship. I have been upwards of
fifty years in the service, and I never knew of any expedition of
consequence carried into execution but what was attended with some
danger; but of all the expeditions I ever knew this was certainly the
worst.
_Admiral Byng_: Had not the French a castle at the point, which might
have prevented the landing of the troops?—_Lord Blakeney_: Not on the
20th of May; and the enemy were then in such distress for ammunition
that they fired stones at the garrison.
_Admiral Byng_: Do you think that the officers and few men I had on
board the fleet could have been of any great service to the
garrison?—_Lord Blakeney_: Yes, certainly, of great service; for I was
obliged, at the time, to set a great number of my men to plaster the
breaches.
Captain Everett examined:
_Court_: What time did you see or discern the island of
Minorca?—_Captain Everett_: We got sight of Minorca about six o’clock on
the morning of the 19th of May.
_Court_: What was your nearest distance from St. Philip’s
Castle?—_Captain Everett_: About eleven or twelve o’clock in the
forenoon of the 19th of May, we were about two leagues distant from St.
Philip’s Castle, and I believe that was the nearest distance I was to
it.
_Court_: What time was the French fleet first discovered?—_Captain
Everett_: About two or three in the afternoon of the same day (the 19th
of May), the French fleet were seen distinctly standing to the westward,
but I cannot pretend to say at what distance.
_Court_: How did the British fleet stand at that time?—_Captain
Everett_: To the S.E., the wind at S.S.W.; moderate fine weather.
_Court_: What time did you see the French fleet preparing for
engagement?—_Captain Everett_: On the 20th of May, between eight and
nine o’clock in the morning.
_Court_: At what distance was the _Ramillies_ from the _Buckingham_ at
the time of the engagement?—_Captain Everett_: I believe about three or
four miles.
_Court_: Could the Admiral and the rear come up to the assistance of the
van, and come to as close an engagement with the enemy?—_Captain
Everett_: I am of opinion that the Admiral’s division might have carried
all their sail, and thereby assisted the van, and prevented them from
receiving so much fire from the rear of the enemy.
Saturday, the 1st of January, the Court being sitting, Lord Blakeney
appeared, in consequence of Admiral Byng’s request, about nine o’clock
in the morning, when the Admiral proposed the following question:—
_Admiral Byng to Lord Blakeney_: If I had landed the troops, do you
think it could have saved St. Philip’s from falling into the hands of
the enemy?
_Lord Blakeney_: It is impossible for me to pretend to answer that
question with any certainty; but really I am of opinion that, if they
had been landed, it would have enabled me to hold out the siege till Sir
Edward Hawke had come to my relief.
Then the four first-lieutenants of the _Buckingham_, Admiral West’s own
ship, were examined, and they all agreed that they did not know of any
impediment to prevent Admiral Byng and his division from coming to the
assistance of the van, which was closely engaged and raked by the
enemy’s rear as they came up, and that they did not see the admiral go
to a close engagement with the enemy, agreeable to his own signals.
Captain Everett was cross-examined:
_Court_: If Admiral Byng had come to a close engagement, do you think a
complete victory might have been obtained?—_Captain Everett_: Why,
really I think there was all the reason in the world to expect it, it
being very well known that Admiral West beat off two of the enemy’s
ships, though he had but five ships to their six, and their metal much
heavier.
_Court_: How was the wind?—_Captain Everett_: An exceeding fair gale.
_Court_: Had you too much or too little?—_Captain Everett_: Neither.
Just enough, and no more.