Volume 2 — APPENDICES

403

APPENDIX I. LORD GAMBIER’S FIRST DESPATCH, GIVING ME CREDIT FOR THE CONDUCT OF THE ATTACK IN AIX ROADS.

Caledonia, at anchor in Basque Roads,

April 14th, 1809.

Sir,—The Almighty’s favour to His Majesty and the nation has been strongly marked in the success He has been pleased to give to the operations of His Majesty’s fleet under my command; and I have the satisfaction to acquaint you, for the information of the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty, that the four ships of the enemy, named in the margin^[103], have been destroyed at their anchorage, and several others, from getting on shore, if not rendered altogether unserviceable, are at least disabled for a considerable time.

The arrangement of the firevessels, placed under the direction of Captain the Right Honourable Lord Cochrane, was made as fully as the state of the weather would admit, according to his Lordship’s plan, on the evening of the 11th instant; and at eight o’clock on the same night they proceeded to the attack under a favourable strong wind from the northward, and flood tide, preceded by some vessels filled with powder and shells, as proposed by his Lordship, with a view to explosion, and led on in the most undaunted and determined manner by Capt. Wooldridge, in the Mediator fireship, the others following in succession; but owing to the darkness of the night, several mistook their course, and failed.

On their approach to the enemy’s ships, it was discovered that a boom was placed in front of their line for a defence. This, however, the weight of the Mediator soon broke, and 404the usual intrepidity and bravery of British seamen overcame all difficulties, advancing under a heavy fire from the forts in the Isle of Aix, as well as from the enemy’s ships, most of which cut or slipt their cables, and from the confined anchorage got on shore, and thus avoided taking fire.

At daylight the following morning, Lord Cochrane communicated to me, by telegraph, that seven of the enemy’s ships were on shore, and might be destroyed. I immediately made the signal for the fleet to unmoor and weigh, intending to proceed with it to effect their destruction. The wind, however, being fresh from the northward, and the flood-tide running, rendered it too hazardous to run into Aix Roads (from its shallow water), I therefore anchored again at the distance of about three miles from the forts on the island.

As the tide suited, the enemy evinced great activity in endeavouring to warp their ships (which had grounded) into deep water, and succeeded in getting all but five of the line towards the entrance of the Charente before it became practicable to attack them.

I gave orders to Capt. Bligh, of the Valiant, to proceed with that ship, the Revenge, frigates, bombs, and small vessels, named in the margin,^[104] to anchor near the Boyart Shoal, in readiness for the attack. At twenty minutes past two P.M. Lord Cochrane advanced in the Impérieuse, with his accustomed gallantry and spirit, and opened a well-directed fire upon the Calcutta, which struck her colours to the Impérieuse; the ships and vessels above-mentioned soon after joined in the attack upon the Ville de Varsovie and Aquilon, and obliged them, before five o’clock, after sustaining a heavy cannonade, to strike their colours, when they were taken possession of by the boats of the advanced squadron. As soon as the prisoners were removed they were set on fire, as was also the Tonnerre, a short time after by the enemy.

I afterwards detached Rear-Admiral the Hon. Robert Stopford, in the Cæsar, with the Theseus, three additional fireships 405(which were hastily prepared in the course of the day), and all the boats of the fleet, with Mr. Congreve’s rockets, to conduct the further operations of the night against any of the ships which lay exposed to an attack. On the morning of the 13th, the Rear-Admiral reported to me, that as the Cæsar and other line-of-battle ships had grounded, and were in a dangerous situation, he thought it advisable to order them all out, particularly as the remaining part of the service could be performed by frigates and small vessels only; and I was happy to find that they were extricated from their perilous situation.

Captain Bligh has since informed me that it was found impracticable to destroy the three-decked ship, and the others, which were lying near the entrance of the Charente, as the former, being the outer one, was protected by three lines of boats placed in advance from her.

This ship and all the others, except four of the line and a frigate, have now moved up the Charente. If any further attempt to destroy them is practicable, I shall not fail to use every means in my power to accomplish it.

I have great satisfaction in stating to their Lordships how much I feel obliged to the zealous co-operation of Rear-Admiral Stopford, under whose arrangement the boats of the fleet were placed; and I must also express to their Lordships the high sense I have of the assistance I received from the abilities and unremitted attention of Sir Harry Neale, Bart. the Captain of the Fleet, as well as of the animated exertions of the captains, officers, seamen, and marines under my command, and their forwardness to volunteer upon any service that might be allotted to them; particularly the zeal and activity shown by the captains of line-of-battle ships in preparing the firevessels.

I cannot speak in sufficient terms of admiration and applause of the vigorous and gallant attack made by Lord Cochrane upon the French line-of-battle ships which were on shore, as well as of his judicious manner of approaching them, and placing his ship in a position most advantageous to annoy 406the enemy and preserve his own ship; which could not be exceeded by any feat of valour hitherto achieved by the British navy.

It is due to Rear-Admiral Stopford and Sir Harry Neale, that I should here take the opportunity of acquainting their Lordships of the handsome and earnest manner in which both these meritorious officers had volunteered their services before the arrival of Lord Cochrane to undertake an attack upon the enemy with fireships; and that, had not their Lordships fixed upon him to conduct the enterprise, I have full confidence that the result of their efforts would have been highly creditable to them.

Not having had it in my power, as yet, to ascertain the conduct of the officers commanding the fireships, except that of the Mediator, I am under the necessity of deferring to state how far they fulfilled their duty on this hazardous service in which they were engaged.

I should feel that I did not do justice to the services of Capt. Godfrey, of the Etna, in bombarding the enemy’s ships on the 12th, and nearly all the day of the 13th, if I did not recommend him to their Lordships’ notice; and I cannot omit bearing due testimony to the anxious desire expressed by Mr. Congreve to be employed wherever I might conceive his services in the management of his rockets would be useful; some of them were placed in the fireships with effect, and I have every reason to be satisfied with the artillerymen and others who had the management of them, under Mr. Congreve’s direction.

I send herewith a return of the killed, wounded, and missing of the fleet, which, I am happy to observe, is comparatively small. I have not yet received the returns of the number of prisoners taken, but I conceive they amount to between 400 and 500. I have charged Sir Harry Neale with this despatch by the Impérieuse, and I beg leave to refer their Lordships to him, as also to Lord Cochrane, for any further particulars of which they may wish to be informed.

I have the honour to be, &c.,

(Signed) Gambier.

407

April 15th.—P.S. This morning three of the enemy’s line-of-battle ships are observed to be still on shore under Fouras, and one of them is in a dangerous situation. One of these frigates (L’Indienne) also on shore, has fallen over, and they are now dismantling her. As the tides will be off in a day or two, there is every probability that she will be destroyed.

Since writing the foregoing, I have learned that the Hon. Lieut.-Colonel Cochrane (Lord Cochrane’s brother), and Lieut. Bisset, of the navy, were volunteers in the Impérieuse, and rendered themselves extremely useful, the former by commanding some of her guns on the main-deck, and the latter in conducting one of the explosion vessels.