Memoirs and Correspondence of Admiral Lord de Saumarez Volume II Part 40

La Justice. -- Villeneuve. 44 300 Escaped, but taken in 1801 at Alexandria.

Besides bombs, brigs, gun-boats, and batteries.

Total. { French 1200 10810 { British 1066 8064 ---- ----- 134 2746

Thus it appears that the French were superior by more than a fourth to the British, and certainly still more in weight of metal; and when the size of the shot is taken comparatively into consideration, and that a French eighty is equal to a British ninety-eight, the superiority in the broadsides would be even greater.

APPENDIX M.

Letter sent by Captain ---- Gage.

"Orion, off Pantalaria, 27th Sept. 1798.

"MY DEAR ADMIRAL,

"Captain Gage has this instant joined and communicated to me his orders to proceed off Malta for intelligence; my letter, of yesterday's date, with which I have charged him, so fully answers the purport of his mission with respect to that island and the Colossus, with the store s.h.i.+ps and victuallers, that I have directed him to return to join you at Naples with all possible despatch. I shall send the Minotaur and Audacious the moment we are clear of the west end of Sicily.

"The proposals to the French Garrison were first written by me, but it being thought advisable to send them in the French language, they underwent some alteration in the translation; but upon the whole, I hope they will be approved of. I laid a great stress with the Marquis, before I left him, of the practicability of the William Tell escaping, and wished much I could have left two of our s.h.i.+ps off the island to watch her and the two frigates more closely. There exists no doubt of the Genereux being lost. I am all anxiety to hear from you to know that you approve of my different movements; at all risk, you will do me the favour to let me hear from you either at the Flat, or in England.

"JAMES SAUMAREZ."

"To Sir Horatio Nelson, &c.

Bay of Naples."

APPENDIX N.

The Portuguese squadron consisted of the Principe Real, Rainha de Portugal, San Sebastian, and Alphonso Albuquerque, of 74 guns, under the Marquis of Niza, a Rear-admiral, Captain Puysigur; Captains Stone, Mich.e.l.l, and Campbell (English officers), commanded the other three; to which were added, the Lion, 64, Captain Manley Dixon; the Incendiary, fire-s.h.i.+p, George Barker (English); and the Portuguese brig Falcao, Captain Duncan. Sir James having fallen in with them off Malta, it fell calm, when a deputation from the princ.i.p.al inhabitants of the island waited on them to request a supply of arms and ammunition, and having informed the Commodore that the French garrison at Valetta were subjected to great distress, and that there was reason to believe that the appearance of the combined squadron would induce the French to surrender, if summoned, accordingly, on the 25th of September 1798, with the concurrence of the Marquis of Niza, a flag of truce was sent in, with the following formal summons.

"Une division de l'armee de sa Majeste Britannique dans la Mediterranee, commandee par le Contre-Amiral Sir Horatio Nelson, etant arrivee devant Malte sous les ordres de Sir James Saumarez, et reunie a l'escadre de sa Majeste Tres-fidelle, commandee par le Contre-Amiral le Marquis de Niza; dans le dessein de retablir les habitans de l'isle de Malte et dependances dans la libre jouissance de leurs isles, sommons conjointement la garnison Francoise de la ville et ports de Malte de nous remettre la ville et les ports et dependances, ainsi que les vaisseaux, fregates, et batimens de quelques especes qu'ils soyent et qui peuvent s'y trouver, a fin que les habitans de l'isle de Malte puissent se mettre en possession de leurs villes et ports, et rentrer dans leurs droits de proprietes. En consequence, le Contre-Amiral Marquis de Niza, au nom de sa Majeste Tres-fidelle la Reine de Portugal, et Sir James Saumarez, au nom de sa Majeste Brittanique le Roy d'Angleterre, s'engagent et promettent de laisser a la garnison Francoise la liberte de retourner en France sur les batimens qui leur seront procures a cet effet, de les convoyer et escorter; sous la condition que cette meme garnison ne servira pas dans cette guerre contre les deux puissances denommees et leurs allies, jusqu'au moment ou elle seroit regulierement changee contre les sujets des deux puissances denommees ou de leurs allies. La garnison Francoise maintenant enfermee dans les murs de la ville de la Cite Valete doit murement reflechir aux consequences funestes qu'entraineroit pour elle un refus a cette sommation, puisqu'il la laisseroit a la merci des traitemens que peut inspirer au peuple de l'isle de Malte la haine et l'animosite que leur a fait naitre les mauvais traitemens qu'ils ont eprouves des Francois; et la garnison, apres avoir eprouvee les horreurs de la famine, seroit forcee de s'en remettre a la discretion d'un peuple qui ne montrera que les sentimens de sa vengeance. La garnison Francoise doit savoir que les escadres ne cesseront de bloquer l'isle de Malte; qu'une autre est devant Alexandrie, employee a aider les forces navales et de terre du Grand Seigneur a reduire les troupes Francoises que la disette et les maladies ont pu epargner en Egypte; et qu'enfin une autre escadre est devant Toulon, dont il ne peut venir aucun secours.

"A bord du vaisseau le Prince Royal, le 25 de Septembre 1798.

"Signe, Le Chef de Division, SIR JAMES SAUMAREZ."

"Le Contre-Amiral, M. DE NIZA."

"Copie de la Reponse a la Sommation du 25 Septembre.

"Vous avez oublie sans doute que ce sont des Francois qui sont dans Malte; le sort de ses habitans ne doit pas vous regarder.

Quant a votre sommation, les Francois n'entendent pas ce style.

VAUBOIS,

"Le General Commandant en chef des Iles de Malte and de Goza, le 4 Vendemiaire, An 7 de la Republique une et indivisible."

Sir James having the prizes under his protection, with orders to convey them to Gibraltar, had no alternative but to proceed, leaving the Marquis de Niza and his squadron to blockade the port; but before leaving he supplied the inhabitants with 1500 muskets and a suitable quant.i.ty of ammunition, to which seasonable supply the success which attended the Maltese in their subsequent efforts to recover their liberty was mainly attributable.

TRANSLATION OF DON MAZARREDO'S LETTER.

"MY DEAR SIR,

"In your letter of yesterday, you were pleased to inform me of the orders which you have received from his Excellency Sir John Jervis, to deliver the officers and prisoners who came from the frigates Ninfa and Helena to the person appointed by me. I name for this purpose Don Juan Des...o...b..s, lieutenant in the Royal Navy, who will appear before you, sir, with this credential, in order to treat and settle respecting the disembarkation of the said prisoners: he will make the proper report and give a receipt for them on board. I a.s.sure you, sir, that the said officers, or men, shall not serve in war until they shall be legally allowed. Of this, the officers may pledge their word of honour on board, or I will receive it when they appear before me.

"You will imagine, sir, much better than I can express, the sense of grat.i.tude which I feel in hearing of the kind a.s.sistance and attention which you show to the brave men who were wounded, and of the good accommodation which the officers and men in general have met with. Together with my grat.i.tude on this account, do me the honour, sir, to receive the real estimation and respect with which I offer myself to your services. G.o.d guard you, sir, many years!

"Your respectful obedient servant, "JOS. DE MAZARREDO.

"s.h.i.+p Concepcion, at Cadiz, "29th April 1797."

APPENDIX O.

James, (now the Right Honourable and Reverend Baron de Saumarez,) eldest son of Lord de Saumarez, was born at Guernsey on the 9th October 1789. Being brought up, almost from infancy, under the impression that he was intended for the church, and being naturally of a mild disposition, no idea of any other profession ever entered his mind--a circ.u.mstance which has excited general regret and considerable surprise in the naval service; as there can be no doubt that, instead of being at this day rector of a small living, he would have been at the very top of the profession of which his heroic father had been so bright an ornament. Although of the profession which was chosen for him, and in which his family had little interest, he has proved himself an excellent and useful member; still it must be confessed that there is a general feeling of disappointment among the officers of the navy, that the eldest son of their "acknowledged chief" had not embraced that honourable service.

In consequence of his father's frequent absence, and change of station with his s.h.i.+p, it became necessary to send him to a place of instruction at an earlier age than usual, to avoid the danger of his being carried about from port to port,--a circ.u.mstance which could not but be felt severely by his mother. He was accordingly placed at Newport, in the Isle of Wight, with the Rev. George Richards, where he remained till the commencement of 1799. It was, however, before he was sent to school, in the year 1793, that the following occurrence took place, which will give the reader some idea of the feelings of such a family, under such circ.u.mstances, in time of war. The happiness that the gallant captain felt in visiting his family when obliged to put into port, can only be justly appreciated by the affectionate husband and father who knows the value of such happy moments, s.n.a.t.c.hed as it were from the fatigue of service, and how great and substantial is the relief they afford to the anxiety of a naval life! Lady Saumarez was at this time living at Stonehouse, that she might be at hand to receive her husband when he put into Plymouth; their eldest son was his mother's companion. One evening, tidings were brought to her that the Crescent had arrived and anch.o.r.ed in Cawsand Bay; the boy was playing in the pa.s.sage with his nurse, awaiting the appearance of his father, when at length the short hasty rap was heard! All ran to the door, and in the hurry of opening it the light was extinguished, and total darkness obscured the objects of his affection; but the eager, _parental_ tone with which the words "Where art thou, my darling boy?"

were uttered, left such an impression on the mind and feelings of the son as never to have been forgotten.

Early in 1799, young Saumarez was removed to the Rev. Mr. Morgan's grammar school at Bath. Mr. Morgan had the reputation of being an excellent master to boys of any promise; it may be inferred that he was of this denomination, as his pupil not only left the school with an excellent character, but on his going to Harrow, in the autumn of 1801, he was immediately placed on the fourth form, which had the privilege of being exempt from f.a.gging. We have heard him express the highest gratification at having been there with Lord Byron and Sir Robert Peel, who were in the form above him.

At Harrow he employed his time so well, that he reached the head of the school; having throughout conducted himself to the satisfaction of Dr. Drury, and afterwards of Dr. Butler, who succeeded as head-master, for both of whom he entertained a sincere regard.

In the year 1807 he went to Christ Church, Oxford, where, after three years, he pa.s.sed his examination for academical honours in a manner which not only gained him great credit, but, we were told, would have ensured him the honours of the first cla.s.s if he had aimed at obtaining them. In December 1812 he was admitted into deacon's orders by Dr. Bathurst, bishop of Norwich; and in the year following the Bishop of Oxford ordained him priest.

In the interval he did duty as curate of Bicester, and afterwards in the same capacity at Benson; at both which places he so endeared himself to the paris.h.i.+oners, that the late Dr. Barrington, the revered and excellent bishop of Durham, told his father that "he had not left a dry eye in the place." Nor was he less respected and beloved at Ewelme, where he lived after his marriage, than he was at Staverton, in Northamptons.h.i.+re, to which place he removed, and where he resided several years surrounded by a flock for whom he had the sincerest regard, preferring to labour in his sacred profession as a curate than to remain an idle servant in his Master's vineyard. His health becoming impaired, he was on the point of quitting Staverton, when he was appointed by Lord Eldon to the living of Huggate in Yorks.h.i.+re.

His gallant father once paid him a visit at Oxford, when he was an under-graduate of Christ Church, on which occasion he called on the celebrated Doctor Jackson, then dean, who manifested great pleasure at seeing Sir James; and on parting, took him by the hand, and, shaking his full-bottomed wig, said, "Mind, Sir James, that you act up to your instructions, and burn, sink, and destroy every Frenchman you meet with."

On the 5th October 1814, the present Lord de Saumarez married Mary, the amiable daughter of the late Vice-admiral Lechmere.

Thomas Le Marchant Saumarez, the second son, was born at Teignmouth, on the 2nd September 1799, and died 2nd November following.

The Honourable Thomas Le Marchant Saumarez, third son, was born at Guernsey, 30th October 1803; he was educated for the army, and was a lieutenant in the seventy-first regiment. He was married, on the 1st October 1829, to Catherine Spencer Beresford, youngest daughter of Colonel Spencer Thomas Va.s.sall, and died 4th July 1834, without issue.

The Honourable John St. Vincent Saumarez, the fourth son, was born at Guernsey on the 30th May 1806; he was named after the ill.u.s.trious and distinguished Admiral Earl St. Vincent, at a time when his lords.h.i.+p's friend, the heroic father, was named to command the Channel fleet.