Broke and the Shannon: A classic biography of a British naval hero by Peter Padfield

Author:Peter Padfield [Padfield, Peter]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Lume Books
Published: 2021-11-30T18:30:00+00:00

“While I was below with the officers, three of my men who had been very unruly during the passage, finding some of their old shipmates in the boat, declared themselves English subjects and demanded protection …”

This startling reversal of the usual procedure was accepted by the British with satisfaction, but Lawrence, naturally indignant, demanded the men back, first taking his case to the Captain of Collingwood’s flagship, the Dreadnought, and then up to the Vice-Admiral himself – with complete lack of success. Afterwards he returned, fuming, aboard his little craft. Still very young and possessed of high temperament, he felt the insult deeply; whatever No. 6 gunboat might appear to be – and she was at one time taken for a half-submerged wreck – she was nevertheless a U.S. man-of-war, and he her commander!

The remainder of his time in No. 6 continued without notable incident and presented no opportunities for gaining distinction. He took her back across the Atlantic and had a brief spell ashore during which he was able to add to his own first-hand knowledge of the Royal Navy’s flagrant insults to the American Naval flag when appointed to serve on the court martial of Commodore Barron of the Chesapeake for his part in the Leopard affair. In the event Barron was acquitted of the major charges against him, but found guilty of “neglecting, on the probability of an engagement, to clear his ship for action”.

In this same year, 1808, Lawrence married Julia Montaudevert, the daughter of a French sea Captain who had been lost with his ship off the Scilly Islands. Soon after the marriage he was appointed First Lieutenant of the Constitution, and after only seven months, still a Lieutenant, to his first sizable command, the 12-gun brig-of-war Vixen. His moves were rapid at this period for some reason which has never been explained, and he hardly had time to work up his vessel before he was sent to command the 18-gun ship-rigged sloop-of-war Wasp. It was perhaps to discuss this exchange that he asked permission in April 1810 to go to Washington to see the Secretary of the Navy. He wrote to his wife just before the interview:

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