Every Man Will Do His Duty by Dean King

Author:Dean King [King, Dean]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Great Britain, History, Military, Nonfiction, Retail
ISBN: 9781453238325
Barnesnoble:
Publisher: Open Road Media
Published: 2012-03-20T04:00:00+00:00

William Richardson

With Stopford in the Basque Roads

1808–1809

THIS PASSAGE CONTINUES THE story of William Richardson, who was impressed into the Royal Navy while in Calcutta in 1793. In the ensuing years, Richardson has become a most useful naval hand. In 1805 he was appointed gunner of the Caesar, soon to be commanded by the fighting Admiral Sir Richard “Mad Dick” Strachan, under whom Richardson had plenty of opportunities to exercise his guns. Strachan left the ship, however, just before this passage picks up. Here Richardson details the events leading up to the action at Basque Roads, one of the Royal Navy’s more colorful and dramatic actions. At this point, although Richardson doesn’t comment on it, Admiral Gambler, commander in chief of the Channel fleet, is unpopular with his men for being a “blue lights” admiral, much given to preachiness and less so to drawing French blood.

ON OCTOBER 30, 1808, the Caesar got under way, and we joined the Channel fleet off Ushant, now under the command of Lord Gambier, consisting of: Caledonia (Lord Gambier, Capt. William Bedford), 120 guns; Royal George, 100; St. George, 98; Dreadnought, 98; Temeraire, 98; Caesar (Capt. Charles Richardson), 80; Achilles (Sir Richard King), 74; Triumph, 74; Dragon, 74.

NOVEMBER 15TH.—A strong gale of wind came on from the westward, which caused us all to bear up for Torbay, and while lying there our crew got afflicted with ophthalmia; it began at the right eye and went out at the left, and continued near a week and then left us.

27TH.—The wind having come to the north-east we got under way with fleet and got off Ushant again, but next day shifted to the westward, blew a storm, and drove us back to Torbay again.

DECEMBER 8.—The wind got to the north-east again; got under way and got off Ushant, but the wind increasing and continuing for several days drove the fleet a long way to the westward.

On the 22nd our signal was made to proceed to Rochefort and relieve the Gibraltar. It blew so hard that we bore away and scudded under our foresail. Next day, in setting the close-reefed maintopsail, it still blowing hard, rain and hail, it blew to pieces; sounded frequently in eighty fathoms. A grampus has been following the ship these last twenty-four hours.

DECEMBER 25.—Saw Sables d’Olonne lighthouse on the French coast, and, in working up along the shore towards Rochefort, the next day at noon we saw eight sail of the enemy’s merchant vessels coming down along the shore before the wind, and we put our ships about to cut them off; and now followed a specimen of our captain’s abilities.

As we stood in, with the weather moderate, we fired a great many shot, which caused six of them to bring to; but the other two ran on shore among the breakers and soon went to pieces. We now lowered down the quarter and stern boats to take possession of the remaining six, but in the hurry and confusion the captain hurried them away without any arms or ammunition to defend themselves.

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