Phillips nodded gravely. “That is too bad, Mister Baker. I have a position as third officer on the Blanche to offer you, but if you want to go home I will not stand in your way.”
Baker almost danced as he assured Phillips that a third officer’s position on a frigate was the height of his ambitions.
Telling Baker to wait there on the quay for him, Phillips took a little donkey drawn carriage to the Convent. Captain Hancock was in and told him plans had been made. Blanche would be sailing as soon as provisions had been topped off and needed men taken aboard. Phillips, in turn, described his confrontation with Wainwright. He mentioned the other officers aboard Blanche were acceptable and he would like to put young Baker on the ship as third officer. Harrison could take over as first. After listening intently, Hancock said, “Certainly you cannot sail with this officer after such a confrontation. Send him ashore, I’ll see if I can get him passage on something to take him back home. If you will wait a bit, I’ll have the clerk draw up orders relieving Wainwright from duty on Blanche.
After making arrangement for the draft of men from HMS Triumph to come aboard, as well as topping off Blanche’s supply of provisions and expendable supplies, its captain went back to the quay where Baker waited.
There, Baker was sitting on his sea chest. Another large chest sat beside the first. Phillips had intended to signal for a ship’s boat, but Baker had already arranged a shore boat. It had a crew of two Gibraltar natives who between the pair carried both chests to the beamy boat and loaded them. By the time both men got into the boat with the heavy chests, there was not a lot of freeboard. Once away from the quay, the crewmen set the boat’s lugsail, and as it took the wind, the boat’s starboard gunnel was dipping very chose to the water. The crew knew what they were doing however and the boat shipped not more than a few gallons of sea.
Somebody on Blanche spotted the boat leaving the quay and recognized their captain. As they drew up alongside the starboard entry port, the officers and Marines were there along with the bosun’s mates and their pipes. The only person missing from the ceremony was Lieutenant Wainwright.
Mister Harrison was on deck and was profusely apologetic over the absence of the first officer. “I am afraid he is a bit overtaken by drink, sir. I am sure he will be recovered shortly.
“Never mind that, Mister Harrison. Would you and Mister Peabody come aft with me? I have some news for you.”
Bidding Baker to accompany them, all went onto the quarterdeck. With no crewmen close enough to overhear, Phillips introduced Baker to the others and announced, “Mister Wainwright will be leaving us today. He will be going ashore and Mister Baker here will be joining us. You, Mister Harrison, will now be first officer, effective immediately. Peabody is advanced to second, and Mister Baker here will be third. I have orders that send Mister Wainwright ashore. He will be leaving shortly. The question I have, is he sober enough to leave under his own power?”
Harrison answered, “I doubt it Captain. When I went to his cabin to announce you were coming aboard, he just laughed and told me to get out.”
“Well, you are the first officer now. I will leave the matter in your own hands. If you have to, you can always strap him to a board and lower him into a boat.”
“But what do we do with him on shore? We can’t just leave him on the quay.”
Baker answered. “Sir, I am already paid a week ahead on the rent for my room. We could leave him there,”
Harrison then interjected, "Sir, as I am now first officer, I must inform you of our severe lack of hands. Mister Wainwright has been allowing other captains to take our men as they wished. I expect we could win the anchor with the men we have, but surely we will be at a stand should we encounter an enemy.”
Phillips looked out over the harbor at HMS Triumph. Her topmasts had been sent down, and she seemed rather forlorn. A launch was up against her starboard beam, taking aboard men.
“Mister Harrison, I expect a draft of men from Triumph. We should begin receiving them shortly. Now, before they arrive, I must tell you of my wishes of how are hands are to be treated. I believe Mister Baker here is aware of my ideas, and now I will tell you.”
“Every captain has his own methods and I have nothing to say about those. On my ship, I require the men to be treated decently and with a modicum of respect. I would prefer the bosun would never let his cat out of the bag, if I may speak facetiously.”
“On the other hand, we are on board a King’s ship, with certain duties to perform. All of us, from the boy servants to myself are required to perform those duties. If a man willfully fails to perform, he will be punished. I prefer to do that initially by stoppage of grog, tobacco and extra duties about the ship on the off watch. If a man continues to shirk or causes trouble, then I will ask our bosun to make up a cat-o-nine tails and do the necessary.”
Looking out over the harbor, the ship’s boat from Triumph was seen pulling their way, loaded with men. Another, alongside the liner, was loading. Pointing toward the boat, Phillips said, “That could possibly be the first of the draft of men we are expecting. We will welcome them aboard in a decent manner. Mister Harrison, would you indulge me by having a table and a pair of chairs brought up to the quarterdeck, as well as the muster book. Have the clerk furnish some pens and ink and extra paper. We will spend the next hours getting the men on our books and assigned to their proper stations.”
As the officers scattered to their duties, Wainwright staggered onto the deck. He was clearly under the influence of a night’s drinking and could barely stand. Speaking slowly however, he could articulate his words and was plainly indignant.
Without a preparatory “Sir”, he addressed Phillips. “That damned Harrison came below and insisted I report on deck. I tell you I will not have this. I am first officer and he is subordinate to me. I insist he be put in his place.”
Phillips searched in the sailcloth bag in which he carried his important messages and withdrew the order from Captain Hancock removing Wainwright from the ship.
“Lieutenant, I sent Mister Harrison below earlier today to summon you. He informed me that you were unwilling to report and seemed to be overtaken with drink. It seems we do not agree on the way we need to operate this frigate, so I believe the way to solve this problem is for one of us to leave the ship. Captain Hancock has decided that you will be the one to leave, and you have been replaced as first officer. Mister Harrison is now premier and will take over your former duties.”
“If you will ask him, I feel sure he will send you and your effects ashore in the jolly boat. We have a new officer on board, Mister Baker, who is now third officer. While he was on the beach, he took rooms for himself and he tells me he still is paid up for a week ahead. He informs me that you are welcome to stay there for the next few days until you decide upon your future actions. ”
Looking around, Phillips saw Baker at the entry port, where the new men were coming aboard. Pointing him out he told Wainwright to see him and get directions to his rooms.
Sputtering, the indignant officer stamped across the deck, ignoring Baker, and approached a bosun’s mate, demanding a boat made ready to take him ashore. The confused petty officer complied, not quite understanding recent changes in the hierarchy of the ship. A working party quickly brought up the contents of Wainwright’s wardroom cabin, and soon he was being pulled to shore.
The new hands went in front of Phillips and Harrison, who took down their pertinent data and had each individual sign the muster book. It was necessary to assign each man to his watch and station for every eventually that might occur. For now though, the station bill was mostly set aside until later, when more time would be available. Men rated already as able seamen, probably proficient at most any skilled task about the ship, were in fact, assigned to their stations at sail handling. Many of the men were rated as ordinary seamen, however, and a few were still landsmen. These were the people who would have to wait until they found what permanent duties would be assigned to them.
/> A pair of lighters from shore came up alongside and began disgorging the bags of biscuit and the barrels of salt beef and pork which would sustain the crew for the next few months. A water hoy then appeared and unrolled her long hose. A few of the great tuns below were empty, so the hose was led down through the hatches and the water was pumped to them.
A talk with Hanlon convinced Phillips his servant could be trusted not to run, so a small purse was entrusted to the fellow and he was sent ashore to purchase such necessities for the cabin as he might decide. The ship’s surgeon, Mister Danton with nothing else to do at the moment, asked to go ashore to replenish the wardroom’s wine stock.
Phillips agreed, handing over another purse and asking the good doctor to purchase what wines were available for his own stock. Both men returned in due course with the expected purchases. The doctor delivered cases of some excellent wines, while Hanlon, in addition to the spices and savories he thought would be needed for the captain’s table, also obtained an inordinate amount of snuff, which the captain did not use but Hanlon was partial to.
By now, the carpenter was well along with his construction of cabinetry in the captain’s quarters, and the sailmaker had been given the task of sewing up a mattress, using old, worn thin sailcloth for the material. It was stuffed with raw wool the purser had acquired for him. The captain’s quarters were now assuming the lived-in atmosphere of similar cabins in other ships he had commanded.
When the orders arrived for Blanche to sortie, she was as prepared as she was ever likely to be. Her orders were to enter the Mediterranean and proceed to Minorca, where she was to join Admiral Hotham’s fleet.
Blanche sailed for Minorca but found Hotham’s fleet was now at Fiorenzo, taking on stores. Blanche reported by signal on arrival but since she was reasonably well fitted out was told to remain offshore while the others took on water. She was subsequently ordered to join a small fleet commanded by Captain Nelson of the HMS Agamemnon, 64 on a cruise to the north-western Italian coast where they were to support Austrian General Devins who was attempting to halt the flow of supplies to the French Army of Italy. Before reaching their destination however, they fell in with the French fleet Hotham had been searching for and were forced to return to Fiorenzo, pursued by seventeen French line-of-battle ships.
Returning ahead of the pursuing French, Nelson began firing his guns in an attempt to alert the British fleet in harbor. Seeing the superior British flotilla at anchor, the French fleet went about and left, abandoning any possibility of savaging the British ships while they were at their moorings.
Hotham was delayed getting his ships out to sea in pursuit and it was hours later that the enemy fleet was spotted to leeward in a heavy gale. Hotham first ordered his ships to form line then signaled ‘General Chase”. As Hotham’s fleet closed, some of his van ships, including the Blanche and Captain Nelson’s Agamemnon drew away from the main body as the wind dropped to more moderate levels. A few of the British liners in the van were able to engage the trailing French 74 gun ship Alcide, Captain St. Hilaire. Victory, Culloden and Cumberland began their bombardment of the French ship-of-the line and after a fierce engagement, accepted her surrender after a memorable struggle. Blanche was tersely ordered to remain clear of the action and was relegated to repeating signals to and from the flag, HMS Britannia, well in the rear. Unfortunately, Alcide caught fire shortly after her flag was hauled down and she exploded with a tragic loss of men.
With a wind change from north-west to east, it now became more difficult for the French fleet to evade their pursuers. Admiral Hotham saved the day for the French however, when from his position miles to the rear, he was unable to see the exact positions of the various ships, decided his ships were coming too close to land and ordered the pursuit abandoned.
When the fleet had regrouped, Blanche was ordered to approach the flag and for her captain to come aboard. He was met by the flag lieutenant who informed him that Admiral Hotham and Captain Nelson were having a discussion. As the admiral’s flag lieutenant went off to see if the coast was clear, one of the ship’s officers alluded to today’s retreat. “Don’t Captain Nelson wish he was an admiral too? There would really be a discussion then.”
Phillips was not quite sure he knew what the Britannia’s third officer was referring to, but Lieutenant Dawson enlightened him. “Hotham had two chances to smash the French fleet and Nelson knows it. Through inaction and uncertainty, neither came to pass. If Nelson had been in command, we would all be counting our prize money right now.”
Phillips well knew of the difficulties an officer could find himself into when caught disparaging a senior. He had only seen his limited view of the battle and was well aware that the admiral may have had legitimate concerns that caused him to withdraw the fleet. He decided his proper course would be to keep his mouth shut.
Captain Nelson came stamping out of the Admiral’s quarters, his face red, and called for his boat. Flags followed him out and told Phillips the admiral was ready to see him right then. At first sight, Admiral Hotham did not appear to be a healthy man. However, he was greeted courteously and offered a glass of Marsala before being handed a heavy wrapped parcel and ordered to deliver it to Gibraltar. Hotham returned to a paper he had been studying and Phillips was at a loss as to whether he had been dismissed or not. After a few moments of silence, he put down his glass and rose. As he was leaving, his wine only tasted, Hotham looked up from the paper he was studying and remarked, “If you see Flags, tell him to signal the fleet to send their mail to you.”
As his boat closed the Agamemnon on the way to Blanche, an officer leaned over the rail and shouted down. “Pull around aft will you? Captain Nelson wants to tell you something.”
As the boat pulled up by the stern, Nelson’s hear appeared through his stern window. “What are you up to, Captain?” he asked.
“I have orders to deliver dispatches to Gibraltar, sir.”
“Can you come aboard and wait a glass while I dash off a few lines myself?”
“I think so, captain. I have to wait until the fleet’s mail bags come aboard Blanche, at any rate. It could be a few hours before I leave.”
“Well, never mind then. I’ll send over my messages with the other mail. Just do not leave before my boat delivers it.”
It was nearer three hours than two before Blanche got under way. Along with the bags of mail from the fleet, was an individually wrapped parcel from Agamemnon as well as additional orders from Britannia. After making his deliveries at Gibraltar, he was to take on needed stores and then he was ordered to cruise the western Mediterranean, raiding what enemy commerce he came across. This task was only to be attempted after delivering the mail. This mail and the dispatches were not to be endangered unnecessarily.
CHAPTER TWENTY
A PROFITABLE CRUISE
HMS Courageous, upon taking the fleet’s mail aboard, was released by the flag and the captain ordered his sailing master to set course for Gibraltar. Mister Raines was an elderly man who by dint of his long service should probably be serving on a first rate line-of battle ship. He had been on the beach for years however, recovering from a serious injury suffered long before, and it had only been recently that he had been able to summon sufficient ‘interest’ to be placed aboard this frigate.
Despite those years on shore, Raines was a remarkably proficient Mediterranean pilot. His captain, after observing him for a few weeks, would have wagered the man knew every sounding in the Med. He kept tight rein over his midshipmen students, who he was trying, with variable success, to educate into becoming passable navigators. With Raines standing beside the helm, Phillips knew he need not be concerned of the safety of the ship.
Entering his cabin, his clerk approached him, requesting his attention to various reports that needed to be signed. Phillips had inherited Drayer from the previous captain. Drayer had beautiful copperplate handwriting and could make the simplest requisition for ship’s biscuit look like it was a royal decree. There was rumor the
clerk had once been employed by an influential High Court judge, before being apprehended with sterling plate in his possession that was actually owned by his employer.
The captain, not feeling at all like he wished to spend the remainder of the day poring over dry statements of condition, sent Drayer away. With the taste of the admiral’s wine still in his mouth, he called for his servant and bid Hanlon to break out a bottle of his own Marsala.
Picking up a volume of Gibbon’s Rise and Fall of the Roman Empire, Phillips had most of a bottle of wine in his belly when he heard his first officer’s voice outside his cabin door. Harrison was there, wishing to report a pair of sails ahead. The lookout had reported them to Mister Peabody, who had called Harrison. With a warm glow from the wine, Phillips followed the officer to the quarterdeck.
A glance aloft at the sails, the helm and the commission pennant flying in the fresh breeze indicated Blanche was on the port tack.
His eyes followed the officer’s telescopes directed forward where he saw two sail hull down.
Raines was still on deck, standing by the rail with his glass open. Doffing his hat, Raines approached and made his report. He had sent a midshipman with good eyes to the main t’gallant top to see what he could. The lad had reported the sail to be a pair of corvettes or maybe small frigates, on an interception course.
This was a puzzler. Ordinarily, he would not have hesitated a moment before clearing for action and going after the pair. Although theoretically two corvettes were probably superior to his frigate, Phillips knew the French ships were lightly built with smaller caliber guns. He was certain he could smash the fragile ships with his heavier weapons. If only he could catch one of the enemy for a few moments by itself, before engaging the other, he was sure Blanche would emerge as the victor. Sailing into Gibraltar harbor with two prize warships at his heels would spare him any distress for disobeying those orders from Admiral Hotham requiring him to refrain from combat while carrying the mail.
For the Honor of the Flag: A John Phillips Novel (War at Sea Book 2) Page 14
