The second launch was nearing the ship, and Phillips motioned it to the starboard entry port. Manropes were dropped, and more men began coming aboard. He ordered the cox’n of the first boat to go back to shore and begin loading the soldiers. The noise of the men on deck was beginning to wake the sleepers below. While the attention of the guards at the forward hatch was distracted, a man came up the ladder, staggered over to the foremast, and peed against it. An outraged guard clubbed the man’s head with his pistol. Henderson went over and examined him. Coming back, he reported, “That man is drunk as a lord. They must have got into the wardroom liquor storeroom.”
The ship had not had its rum loaded yet. Normally, when in home waters, only small beer was issued, on which it was very difficult to get drunk. The liquor supplies of the captain and wardroom officers must have been quite a temptation for the rebellious crewmen. By the time sun was climbing in the east, the soldiers were aboard and lined up in formation. There was hardly room for all one hundred of them. By now, the guards had been withdrawn from the hatches, and scores of the original crewmen were crowded up forward, in the throes of hangover, watching what was going on. A word to the Army Lieutenant Prosser, had him speak to the Company Sergeant Major. Following the orders he roared at his troops, they counted off in threes, going into the musket drill to load their weapons. Then, they fixed bayonets and came to the Present position.
At the Sergeant Major’s command, one third of the men fired in volley. Its crash was deafening. When the next third raised their muskets to their shoulders, all the sobering drunks cringed. Another deafening crash. Finally, the last group fired. Phillips waited a few minutes for the smoke to blow away, and then spoke to the crew. “That was a salute to His Majesty King George III.”
“As soon as we get this pigsty cleaned up, and stores loaded, we will set sail to India. I am told you do not wish to go. That is too bad, because we all are going. There is an important job to do there, and we will do it. Many of you are not seamen. That is no problem, because we will teach you. Some of you are seamen, but have forgotten yourselves and have committed mutiny.
Most of you have heard the articles of war read out. You know the penalties for mutiny. You people are put on notice; any further evidence of mutiny will bring forth the harshest penalty. I see smoke coming from the galley stove. I am going to release you now. You will have your breakfast, then report on deck. We are going to amend the ‘watch and quarters bill. Your division officers will inform you of what you need to know. You men have noticed the soldiers we have on board. We are transporting them out to India. It will be crowded aboard, but we will learn to make do. Dismissed!”
It took a few weeks for the men to become a cohesive crew. It was necessary for Bosun Wilkins to fabricate a few cat o’ nine tails with which to ‘scratch a few backs’. Most of the men punished were those new to the sea who had come aboard by means of the Impress Service or the Assize Courts. Early on, they had been corrupted by the potential mutineers into believing they could obtain more freedom by disobedience. Captain Phillips had to educate them differently. The long service seamen, those that had served on a few ships before becoming involved in shipboard trouble, stood back and observed. When they saw their captain and the officers take effective control of the ship, they mostly merged with the new seamen and did their duty.
There had been some early efforts by some of the protesting people to recruit the soldiers. These men however, while enlisted into a harsh service, seemed to trust their officer, Lieutenant Prosser. He had explained to them the trouble the mutinous seamen could have been in. Strangely, when these soldiers were offered the choice to learn some of the skills of the seamen, many volunteered. Soon it became common to see the soldiers tailing on to braces or awkwardly climbing around in the tops.
Later, contests were held, pitting seamen against the soldiers in marksmanship with the ungainly India Pattern muskets. By the time the ship reached Gibraltar, Phillips felt confident of the loyalties of his men and had a new issue of arms loaded to fill the arms chests. The Lieutenant Governor wanted to have an example made of the formerly mutinous seamen. His plan was to hang a few, and flog many of the rest. Phillips was able with some effort to dissuade him from this idea.
It was necessary to remain in Gibraltar for a few weeks until the convoy appeared. It consisted of a dozen East India Company ships outbound for India, and had been escorted by an elderly 74, a ship sloop and a brig. The third-rate left to go back to the Channel Fleet, and Vesta took its place. The sloop, Ranger, 18, Commander Edwards, and the brig Primrose, 14, Lieutenant Potts, were to continue on to India.
Phillips was glad enough to leave. Many of the people had used their limited shore liberty to get in trouble. Two of his assize men had strong-armed the owner of a shop and looted his establishment. Upon identification, they were hauled to the local prison to wait legal proceedings. The Lieutenant Governor was not at all willing to forgive their trespasses, and Phillips was told it was possible they would be shot. Some other people, both sailors and soldiers had involved themselves in lesser crimes.
Lieutenant Prosser marched a detachment of his men to the Provost Marshall’s office and asked to take the culprits back to the ship. He promised they would be hung, drawn and quartered for punishment. The Provost Marshall, believing the officer had the imprimatur of the Governor’s office, released the men into his custody. Luckily, the convoy was in by now, and they were able to leave, notwithstanding the peremptory flag signals ordering them to return and land the criminals. There was much speculation aboard concerning the punishment the Provost Marshall was apt to receive.
A few days out of Gibraltar, a calm day offered the senior merchant captain a chance to hang out a signal inviting all captains to his ship for a meal. Phillips was glad to oblige. This would give him a chance to become acquainted with the various captains, both escort and merchant. While aboard the Blenheim Castle, he had a chance to discuss naval matters with the other escort captains. He learned Captain Edwards of the Ranger had sailed with a reduced crew, having been told he could make up the numbers in Gibraltar. That had not happened, and now he was concerned about the long voyage to India. He asked Phillips whether he might be able to sign on or press any people at the Cape.
“I doubt if you’ll be able to get many good seamen. Most of the English sailors there are those who have either run or were left behind by their ship. There may be a few stranded Dutch sailors you may pick up. Tell me, how many men would you need?”
“If I could sign on fifteen or twenty, I would be most happy.”“Captain Edwards, why not come over to Vesta when you get a chance.” Phillips explained the situation on board.his ship.
“I have many more people aboard than my ship was designed to carry. I think my problems with the crew are about over. The ship is so crowded that my bosun’s mates hardly have room to swing a cat. Would you like a draft of say twenty of my quota men?”“Would these be some of your mutineers?”
“These men I would give you were not what you might call active mutineers. They did not fight us when we took the ship back. They did do a lot of damage. As you might expect, they ransacked the officer’s liquor stores. When we came on board all that was left were numerous hangovers. In no way would one classify these people as seamen, but they might serve for general landsman duties on Ranger.”
“They may very well do. My old brig was in commission long enough to teach some skills to most of its crew. What I need now is numbers. I may well be able to use the men you offer for general landsman duties, as well as gun crew.”
The convoy soon had the sight of twenty three men being ferried across to Ranger. Some were glad to see the last of Vesta, others were loudly complaining. With a little more room available, Phillips began exercising his gun crews daily. With the concurrence of Lieutenant Prosser, many of the soldiers had their chance to train on the guns. After a week of practice, he gave the two 32 pounder quarterdeck carronades to Army crews. Soon they were up to the s
ame standard as his best seaman gun crews. Prosser made membership in a gun crew an honor. If a man misbehaved in any form or let his abilities decline, he was removed from the crew, and replaced by someone more promising.
Sailing southerly down the coast of Africa, in an area where the landscape was transforming from desert to something greener, the lookout in the maintop hesitantly reported that he saw a sail off the port bow. Soon, the Blenheim Castle reported the same, as did Ranger. Eventually, two more sail were spotted.
Captain MacDonald of the Blenheim Castle had already informed Phillips there were nests of pirates operating out of several ports in the area. Some were European vessels that had been captured, others were native craft. He assured Phillips his warships had nothing to fear, but some of the merchantmen did, with their weak crews and few guns. Some of the pirate craft were propelled by oarsmen, and were crammed with men. If they could run aboard a merchantman, they would be up its sides and have the crew dead or immobilized in a matter of minutes. Then the ship would be sailed to a nearby river, where it would be run up as far as possible. Any ship foolish enough to attempt a rescue would be assaulted from either shore with arrows, spears, and musketry. Lately, there were reports of captured guns being emplaced on shore.
One of the ships in the lee column left the convoy and sailed west. In every convoy, there were masters who felt they would be safer on their own. HMS Primrose followed and overhauled the slow merchant shortly. Phillips could not see what happened from the deck, but the lookout, from his height advantage was able to report Primrose had sent a boat. Vesta’s master, Mister Olsen commented, “You’d think some of these merchant captains are trying to commit suicide. If Primrose hadn’t caught her, you can be sure one of those pirates would expect that ship’s master was probably on his first voyage in command. He got frightened, and thought he could outrun the pirates by himself.
In their earlier meeting with the captains, Phillips had given them copies of signals he was apt to make in emergencies. The one he made now, called for all ships to get into and maintain their proper position. Ranger dropped to a following position astern of the convoy, while Primrose attempted to get to windward of her flock. Going into the wind, this was going to be a long process, and Phillips was certain it would be un-successful. As for Vesta, she made her way into an ungainly cluster of merchants to leeward, and hid in their midst.
Phillips hoped the pirates would not notice the frigate in the confused formation. As the pirate fleet came within easy view, the officers aboard Vesta could see what they were up against. The biggest of the pirate fleet was a European built brig. Her sails and rigging were old and tattered, but sailing large as she was, with the wind on her stern, she was making good speed. Her companions were native-built, lateen rigged vessels that appeared to be crammed with men. Phillips expected these two would drop their sails and go to oars as soon as they got a little closer.
Mister Henderson went about the ship, inspecting the guns and talking to gun crew members. The ship had long since been cleared for action, and now it was just a matter of waiting until the pirates came closer. The brig made her move first. She had selected a middling sized ship laden with manufactured goods on her way to India. Undermanned and slow, she was not able to counter the pirate’s moves, and the two came together with a crash.
Vesta had already left the cover of the Indiaman she had been using for concealment and opened her gun ports. At Phillips’ nod, Henderson ordered the guns to fire on the pirate brig. This was not the crashing broadside one might have expected. The first officer had told his people he wanted deliberate, carefully aimed fire, and that is what they delivered. As the first eighteen pound balls smashed into the brig, the pirates aboard the Indiaman rushed back to their own vessel. She sheered away from her erstwhile victim and tried to escape, but the only direction that was clear to her was to windward, and that would never do. Vesta came alongside, and grapnels flew, fastening the two together. The pirate tried to fight, but she had only a mixed conglomeration of weapons. A couple of four pounders and some swivel guns were all she had., The Vista’s broadside crashed, and the whole structure of the brig disintegrated. Phillips called for boarders. The boarders were over the railing in a flash, followed by the soldiers with their loaded muskets, and polished bayonets. In moments, the fight was over. Any pirate offering to fight was instantly laid low with a bayonet or musket ball in the body.
Looking around, he saw Primrose had met one of the lateens’, and was involved in bloody conflict with her. The pirate had dropped her sails and deployed oars, but too late. Primrose had come close aboard before the pirate could get under control, and crashed down the starboard side of the pirate, destroying many oars, and injuring crewmen. At the same time, she had fired off her seven port side six pounders. These guns had been charged with grape, which did terrible execution at close range. After a few more broadsides, the pirate was unable to move, and just lay there, settling lower in the water, absorbing shot.
Ranger caught the third pirate, as it was trying to come alongside a ship. She fired het nine pounder broadside, bringing down the pirate’s foremast. The lateener dropped her sails and took to her oars, heading right into the wind. Ranger got in some more good shots before she got out of range. Phillips ordered Ranger’s recall, since the pirate was heading for shore, and he did not wish for the sloop to be involved in a bloody set-to up some African creek.
The first order of business was to check on the brig that had been overrun early on. After a boarding party was sent over, most of the crew were found unharmed in a space in a cargo hold. Two crewmembers, one of whom was the Master who had fallen on deck during the initial boarding, had been summarily executed. Four pirates left behind by their comrades were disarmed by the boarding party, and held at gunpoint. When the original crew was released from their hiding spot, and came on deck, there was shock evident on their faces at the sight of the gory remains of their captain, and bosun. One of the crew, a muscular individual, grabbed one of the captured pirates by his robes, lifted the slightly built man up, and chucked him over the side. The other crewmen, got the idea, and started doing the same with the others. Two initially got away from their captors but were hunted down, many of Vesta’s boarding party joining in. The midshipman in charge, all of sixteen years of age, turned his head at the sight.
That evening, the din and confusion of battle now a memory; Lieutenant Henderson approached Phillips on the quarterdeck. “Sir, young Irvine approached me. He wants to see you.”
“Well, that sounds a little ominous. Did he say what it is about?”
“He says he witnessed murder, and must report it.”
“Ervine, isn’t he the mid who was in the boarding party?”
“Yes sir, the talk is the brig’s crew dropped the remaining pirates over the side when they saw what had been done to their Master.”
“Very well, I’ll see the boy in my cabin. Give me a few minutes, then send him.”
A few moments later, the soldier acting as sentry, pounded his musket butt on the deck, and announced “Midshipman Ervine.”
A pale and determined midshipman stood before Phillips. It was evident the boy had given some thought to this. Although he hardly needed to shave, he had borrowed a razor from one of his mates and scraped his face, leaving several wounds behind.
“Mister Ervine, what can I do for you?”
“Sir, aboard the ‘Maggie Jane’, I witnessed its crew throw the four pirates overboard.”
“Hmm, did you try to save any of them?”
“Sir, there wasn’t time. I didn’t know what to do.”
“Mister Ervine, you have done exactly what was necessary. You went to the first officer and then to your captain with your suspicions. Tell me, why do you think they disposed of the pirates as they did?”
“Sir the pirates had murdered their Master and another crewman. It was horrible, sir.”
“I don’t doubt that it was, Mister Ervine. Let me impart a little har
d earned knowledge to you. I have learned that in the heat of battle, men sometimes do things they would not ordinarily do. Of course they should have not harmed the prisoners while they were in custody. They should have been put in irons and carried to Cape Town for disposal. Tell me, if you were the captain, where would you have stowed those prisoners.
Flustered, the boy shook his head. “I don’t know sir, what with the soldiers on board ...
“Exactly, Mister Ervine. We have not an inch to spare. You know, I talked with several of the boarding party. None of them saw anything unusual. Sometimes two people can see the same event, and each will have differing perceptions. The seamen I talked to said the prisoners jumped overboard, and that is what is entered into the log. Do you suppose I should have an investigation, and correct the log entry?”
“No Sir.”
“Very well, Mister Ervine. Now we come to another difficulty. I talked to the first mate of the merchant, and he wants nothing to do with commanding her. After witnessing the atrocities committed by the pirates, he says he is giving up the sea. Now, I need someone to command her. I need my other officers here. What about you, do you think yourself capable of taking command and sailing her to Cape Town?”
“Yes Sir, I’d be proud to sail her.”
“That is settled then. Get another mid from the gunroom to second you, and select a dozen men to crew the ship. Inform Mister Henderson of your intentions. When you get aboard, send the ship’s crew back here. We will press them into the Navy. On second thought, you had better keep the old first mate aboard. He will have knowledge of cargo stowage that you do not have. Put him in charge of cargo security. He will not be in the chain of command.”
The rest of the voyage south was unremarkable. The ceremony on crossing the equator was not as exciting as some Phillips had heard about. He told Mister Henderson to keep a tight rein of the activities of the old shellbacks. These seamen had ‘crossed the line’ long ago and now wished to inflict the same hazing they had received onto the new people, the ‘Pollywogs’. By some miracle, the ‘Crossing the Line’ ceremony was completed without any of the Pollywogs being maimed.
Trafalgar and Beyond: A John Phillips Novel (War at Sea Book 3) Page 10
