Across to America: A Tim Phillips Novel (War at Sea Book 9)

by Richard Testrake

  “A British officer, a former lieutenant of the Royal Navy, Mister Granger, has deserted his post to avoid probable court martial proceedings. It is suspected he has joined this pirate, a Monsieur Henri Poulain, aboard the old French frigate, ‘Hortense’. From the reports of the few survivors, the Hortense has seemingly became more capable in recent months, and it is thought this Granger has begun training his people to the standards of the Royal Navy. I feel he has probably not been able to bring them along that far, but they could still be a formidable enemy.”

  “Should either of us engage that enemy on our own, there is the probability that either ship will become so battered that it may well be in-effective.”

  “My government, furthermore, will be very upset with me if I were to enter into any alliance with you against this pirate. At best, I could expect to be drummed out of the Royal Navy. The worst, I would not like to think about.”

  Harrison, having now fired up his smoke satisfactorily, wondered, “Just where are you going with this, Phillips? It looks like you think this will be an impossible situation.”

  “Not at all, Harrison. I believe there may be a place where our enemy is based, on the Isla Vieques off the end of Puerto Rico. I am not sure exactly where on that island he may be, but I do think it well worth searching. I propose to leave tomorrow, as early as the wind and tide permit. I will proceed directly to the island and begin my search.”

  “Of course, as a Royal Naval officer, I am unable to enter into any alliance with you as to actions to be taken, but I will say, should you happen to stumble upon a battle between myself and the pirate, I would be unlikely to protest, if you happen to join in. Should we, independently, bring this pirate to action, I myself, will not mention in my log any assistance you might give.”

  Harrison took a drink from his glass, then attempted unsuccessfully to blow a smoke ring. “I can never do this properly,” he grumbled. He then wondered, “The Spanish probably won’t let me follow you right out. They will think we will go at it hammer and tongs in their territorial waters.”

  Phillips thought a bit. “My sailmaker bought some good canvas here in San Juan. My fore mast staysail is becoming thin, and we have to think of hurricanes come spring.”

  “If the weather permits, I may take my time sailing around Puerto Rico to allow a new staysail to be made up. They may have to send it up a few times before it is correct. Even if you left a day after myself, you could probably still find me easily enough.”

  The morning breeze wafted Roebuck from San Juan Harbor. USS Ethan Allen, immediately slipped her mooring and set out after her, only to have the harbor Guarda Costa gunboat pull up and fire a gun.

  The American warship could have easily blown the fragile gunboat from the water, but the guns of the harbor defenses were loaded and trained. Any offensive action would bring a swift reply. Accordingly, Allen went back to her mooring accompanied by the Guarda Costa. The gunboat’s commander smiling incomprehensively at Harrison’s threats and sputtering.

  After picking up her mooring, Harrison after some reflection, ordered Mister Hunter brought up from below. He had long since been released from his shackles, and had been set to work performing menial chores for the senior petty officers of the crew.

  Harrison gave him a little talk about the danger he was in, trading with the enemy, and assured the former ship-owner he would leave his name and past smuggling activities with the American consul. He reminded the man the American government could have a long memory and he would be well advised to do his business elsewhere in the future. The fellow was then bundled into a bum-boat and set free. With no funds, alone in a Spanish seaport, it would be a long time before the fellow could get back into the smuggling business up north.

  Roebuck’s lookout spotted the island early in the forenoon watch and hands were sent to stations. They had been searching for their quarry for weeks now, and no one really expected to sight the frigate. It was with some surprise, with Roebuck sailing by the entrance of the very bay they had entered weeks ago to rescue Lord Forsythe, a boat was seen in the process of emerging from the heavily overgrown mangroves concealing the entrance.

  Phillips had no real reason to believe this boat was not just some innocent fishermen trying their luck and he put back out to sea. Hove to, a mile offshore, the crew waited to see what would emerge from the dense foliage. The boat had gone back inside, but now, here she was again, accompanied by three more. One appeared to be a scout and came out under sail, while the other three were towing something at the end of heavy cables.

  The scout, a standard ship’s launch under sail, approached within easy viewing distance, then put about instantly and went back to the others. The towing boats, with some effort, pulled a heavy frigate slowly from its refuge. Stopping long enough to put its people back on board, the frigate took her boats in tow and set sail. Phillips was taken aback when he saw the behemoth. She was one of the ubiquitous French-built frigates, of which the Royal Navy had taken a few in battle.

  This one had been modified by the addition of new gun ports haphazardly cut into the ship’s side. These guns were now being run out and there were more than two dozen of them protruding from the frigate’s gun ports of the side facing HMS Roebuck.

  Looking carefully through his glass, he could see there were an interesting variety of weapons, but many of them appeared to be of about twelve pounder caliber. One of those guns spouted smoke and fire and a worrisome sized splash lifted a column of water. That was no twelve pounder. More like a thirty two!

  Mister Hornady was beside him on the quarterdeck. He observed, “It looks to me he has overloaded himself with guns. I wonder that she has not warped her keel.”

  Phillips looked carefully through his glass. “She doesn’t look hogged to me Mister Hornady, although I think you are right. She could well find herself in trouble soon. For now, though, we are the ones who could find ourselves in trouble with all of those guns she has.”

  Hornady offered, “It’s too bad the Americans can’t take part in this fight too. It would be in their interest.”

  “I don’t see how, Mister Hornady. We have just about ruined their Caribbean trade, so the pirates can’t be harming them all that much. And, you will note, we are at war with the Americans.”

  The big frigate was now under sail and moving right along. Phillips wished to see just how she sailed, compared with Roebuck. It soon looked as though the heavy frigate was having difficulty with all the weight she had aboard, much of it on her upper deck. It seemed there would be no difficulty in staying out of her clutches, but the question was, how the devil were they to damage that huge frigate?

  Roebuck was sailing easterly, with the trade wind on their port quarter, Hortense following to port a bit, abaft their stern. Having gained a bit, Phillips told Mister Layton, the sailing master to wear ship and put her across the frigate’s bow.

  Coming on her new course, about south-west, her starboard battery was aimed directly at Hortense. The frigate was heading for them as Roebuck crossed her bow, but her commander probably did not fancy being raked by the post ship’s starboard battery, so she tried to tack. Unfortunately, tacking was a skill the frigate’s officer of the deck, a former cane cutter in the fields of his home island, had not quite mastered yet.

  Mister Granger was at the guns of the big pirate, planning to match broadside with broadside when his ship came around. Unfortunately, the ship missed stays, and she lay there, unable to get around. The big ship was right in position to receive the broadside of Roebuck, and there were more than a few of the crew that wished they were back in the comparative safety of those cane fields right then.

  The fusillade of heavy balls ripped the length of the pirate ship maiming men and dismounting guns. Unfortunately for the British ship, no important rigging or spars were damaged.

  Granger ran to the quarterdeck and got the ship back to the wind again and under control, when he was able to tack successfully, this time. Both ships turned to th
e northwest, Hortense inside the Roebuck now, and just within range of her portside guns. They raced along, Hortense pacing Roebuck for a bit, until she began falling behind again.

  CHAPTER TWENTY NINE

  Some of the pirate’s shot came aboard Roebuck as the pair ran along. None injured her masts or rigging, but men were wounded and equipment damaged. The post ship fired in reply, but no hits were observed. It was then the maintop lookout reported the Yankee ship coming at them from ahead.

  Mister Hornady, not knowing of the plans, was concerned. “I wonder who she is going to engage when she nears.”

  “Make sure the gunners know our target remains the frigate. No one will fire on the American until she fires at us, or I order it so.”

  Hornady wanted to discuss their plans for the American and was reluctant to go onto another subject. “She could stay out of range until both the frigate and we are crippled, then come in and finish us both off.”

  A pair of twelve pound shot coming through the rail killed a sail handler and caused several gun crew to be quilled by oak splinters. This caused the first officer to devote his attention to the ship, a job he should have been doing in the first place, in Phillips view.

  The gunfire was continuous now, but it certainly looked as if Roebuck was firing faster than Hortense. Phillips noted that some individual guns of the frigate were firing at half the rate as those of Roebuck. They were pulling ahead again, but now some of the forward guns were having trouble slewing around to fire effectively at the frigate.

  The American was approaching, USS Ethan Allen was closing to starboard of the frigate, as if she was planning on exchanging broadsides. Before reaching the frigate, she changed her mind and veered, turning across the bows and firing her broadside down the length of the pirate’s hull. The American had only twelve pounder guns, and it took many hits to seriously degrade the enemy, but the pirate was now receiving those hits from both of her opponents. Deciding to finish this some other day, she tried to come about with the intention of fleeing.

  The Allen continued down the lee side of the ship, where surprisingly, the guns seemed to be poorly manned. While the Allen was pouring her twelve pound balls and grape into the frigates hull, Roebuck found herself on the frigate’s quarter, and she was able to slam in her shot without much in the way of a reply.

  Now, the frigate’s rudder was smashed and she was unable to come about. Allen wore around and made her way back to the frigate’s bow, and went back to work there without the bother of receiving much attention herself.

  Soon, both ships were just engaging in target practice, one mast after another came down aboard the pirate ship. Hortense merely firing single shots now and again. Hornady wondered why she did not yield, but Phillips had the time now to tell him that those on board the ship knew well it was the high jump for all of them, so they might as well go down fighting.

  Hortense was dead in the water, having lost her masts as well as the rudder. She had countless openings smashed in her hull, and now it was fire also. Her guns stopped firing as those crewmen still capable appeared on deck to escape the smoke that was starting to billow from the hatches. A few of the pirates that could swim leaped overboard.

  A mild ‘whump’ sounded, and a section of the foredeck was blown upward, then a resounding explosion as fire reached her magazine. Her upperworks were blown skyward, some of the debris afire. Material of all sorts were falling on the two surviving ships. Aboard Roebuck, the emphasis now was on fighting fire rather than firing the guns. Ethan Allen was in a better condition, since she had been slightly farther away than Roebuck had been.

  Falling debris, some aflame, had set some of Roebuck’s sails smoldering and the fore topsail was actually aflame. All hands were busy for an hour, dousing smoldering brands with seawater, and wetting down the remaining sails. Fortunately, she had entered the engagement under topsails alone, and when these had been secured, the ship seemed safe enough.

  A problem occupied Phillips while his people fought the flames. Ethan Allen was able to extinguish her minor fires early on. While she looked singed and scorched, when she got her spare canvas aloft, she looked ready for another action. Granted, she was much battered with some empty gun ports, but she still seemed capable for another engagement.

  Not so with Roebuck. Her main mast was only standing because of the few intact shrouds and stays still holding it up. At the moment, it would not hold a press of sail. Her pumps were expelling tons of water up to the deck, where it ran into the scuppers and then overboard. He had lost dozens of men, killed and wounded, and those still on their feet were exhausted, with much work still to be done, if Roebuck was to stay on top of the waves.

  Harrison, he knew, had behaved honorably during the engagement with the pirate, but now he had every right and duty to attack his enemy, HMS Roebuck.

  At the moment, the British post ship could not maneuver. Much of the rigging, damaged by fire, must be re-rove and sails brought up from the sail locker. He must get that mainmast fished so that it would stand up under sail. Phillips, at that moment, almost despaired. He could not imagine how he was to make the necessary repairs as well as fight another action. Just staying afloat would require every bit of energy his people had.

  Lost in his thoughts, he was caught by surprise when he saw his men pointing. USS Ethan Allen had set all plain sail, and was now beating into the north-westerly wind on the port tack. As she steadied on her course, her flag was seen to dip.

  Phillips turned to the first officer. “Hurry, Mister Hornady, get somebody to dip our ensign.”

  Hornady protested, wondering as to the propriety of saluting an enemy. Phillips asked him quietly if he would rather open fire on the American while she was still in range.

  It was in early winter when they reached the latitude of Boston. They were into the last of the casks of that Spanish beef they had taken aboard all those months ago. Phillips wondered if Harrison was still at sea, or if he had managed to get by the blockade into one of the American ports. He himself would be glad to sail into Halifax soon. He wondered what Admiral Sawyer would have to say after reading his reports. As he saw it, the only positive aspect to his cruise was the victory over the pirate ship, and that American sloop had as much to do with the outcome as the Roebuck.

  Phillips had now a good understanding why his father had taken a temporary retirement from the sea. He had not wished to fight his American friends, and now the son was of the same opinion.

  EPILOGUE

  Granger, still aboard Hortense, saw the end coming. Fire had broken out below and the crew was so decimated there were not enough people to fight it, even if they were willing to obey orders. Most were not. Terrified men scrambling about, attempting to find a safe hiding place or to gather some of the wealth that had accumulated on the ship in recent months. Few men were still fighting.

  From his place at the taffrail, Granger saw a boat still towing behind. This had been one of those used to pull the ship from its hiding place on Vieques. The others had been shattered, but this one was still partially afloat. Seeing a few pirates throwing themselves overboard, Granger had a thought. There were sharks in the water, but they did not seem especially active at the moment. A twelve pound shot passing inches away from his body, decided him. He had been one of the rare members of the Royal Navy who could swim.

  Now, he threw himself overboard and began stroking for that boat. Reaching up, he was able to undo the painter that was connecting the boat to the wreck of the frigate. Drifting free, he hid himself among some other trash alongside the boat.

  The explosions aboard Hortense did not cause any significant problems to him. Although a large amount of smoldering wreckage was blasted aloft, no major parts of the ship landed near him. In due course, a boat from the English ship came over to inspect the half-swamped launch, but found it empty, with a large shot hole in her side. The midshipman in charge of Roebuck’s boat judged the craft worthless and left it for the currents to dispose of. The boat le
ft, as did the ship shortly after.

  With some effort, Granger was able to scramble into the boat and see what he had to work with. Using floating sailcloth and wreckage floating nearby, he was able to put a temporary patch over the shot hole. The boat still had some of its tools aboard, including its bailer and the mast and sail.

  After a great deal of effort, he was able to get most of the water out, and to set sail. He had no food or water aboard, but the island was only a half dozen miles away, and there, at the old camp site, was all the water he could drink, plus an emergency cache of food, weapons and supplies the pirates had left for possible use later.

  It was dark when the boat made its way to the access channel to the hidden bay. Granger was confident. He knew he would survive this little episode.