Poor friendless servant of the crown and state, Whose merits now are known, but known too late; Oh! gentle trav'ller ! drop one pious tear, T'embalm the sacred corpse which moulders here; Lament that merit seldom meets reward. M'B. NAVAL HISTORY OF THE YEAR, 1807-1808. RETROSPECTIVE AND MISCELLANEOUS. HIS Majesty's speech, delivered by commission, at the opening of the present session of parliament, will be read with considerable interest and satisfaction; as it states the finances of the country to be in the most flourishing condition, and throws much light upon the present critical aspect of affairs. On the motion for the address, no division took place in either house; but, in the lords, the following protest was entered against the pas sage respecting the seizure of the Danish fleet : "DISSENTIENT, "Because no proof of hostile intention on the part of Denmark has been adduced, nor any case of necessity made out to justify the attack upon Copenhagen, without which the measure is, in our conception, discreditable to the character and injurious to the interests of this country." For the above, and various other reasons, Lord Erskine also entered a distinct protest. By Sir Samuel Hood's despatches of the 29th of December, it will be seen that the island of Madeira surrendered to his Majesty's arms, on the 26th of that month; to be holden for the Prince Regent of Portugal, or his heirs and successors, till the free ingress and egress to the ports of Portugal and its colonies shall be re-established; or till the sovereignty of Portugal shall be emancipated from the controul or influence of France. Buonaparte has returned to Paris, and is reported to have issued a decree, by which every neutral ship that may in future enter the ports of France, shall be detained till the period of a general peace. Our relations with America are still in a state of great uncertainty; but the proceedings of the senate, and of the house of representatives, as far as they are known, are rather pacific than hostile. An embargo, however, has been laid upon American shipping in the ports of the United States. It is conjectured to be the intention of the Americas government to coufine their ships to their ports until the belligerent powers abandon the restrictions which have been imposed on neutral commerce. Foreign vessels are not to be permitted to trade with the United States, because, it is alleged the naval superiority of this country would, in that case, place the American market entirely in the hands of England, to the exclusion of the other belligerents. The Americans are therefore to abandon all external trade, in order, it is pretended, that no preference may be given either to this country or to France, and it seems to be expected that the embarrassment which will be experienced by the states of Europe, when deprived of neutral ships as a medium of commercial intercourse, will be so great as to produce the removal of the existing restrictions. Sir Charles Cotton's expedition, having been dispersed in a gale, has been obliged to return to port. Intelligence has been received, that the Rochefort squadron, consisting of six sail of the line, a frigate, and a brig, sailed on the 17th of January. The same day the Eurydice frigate was chased by them, and near being taken, but fortunately made her escape, and the day following she joined Sir J. T. Duckworth, and gave him the information. He immediately made sail in quest of them in the Royal George, 100 guns, and the Temeraire and Neptune, 98 guns each; Tonnant, 80 guns, Dragon, 74 guns, and two frigates; leaving the Dreadnought off Brest, and despatching a brig for Sir Sidney Smith, and the Ann armed brig for Ireland. The flag ship of the enemy mounts 120 guns. The squadron was supposed to be about fourteen leagues from Admiral Duckworth, in the south-west quarter. Sir Richard Strachan's squadron was also in pursuit. A Danish journal, published on the 2d of January contains the following estimate of what it terms the entire loss which Denmark has sustained from the English: "The number of ships of war carried away or destroyed is stated at seventy-six, carrying together two thousand two hundred and forty-six guus. The whole fleet consisted of 18 ships of the line, 16 frigates, 10 brigs, 26 gun-boats, 4 praams, and 2 floating-batteries, beside other smaller vessels. It is estimated, that a ship of 98 guns costs 250,000 rix-dollars building ; one of 84, 212,000; one of 74, 156,000; a frigate of 44 guns 97,000; and a ship of 24 guus, 50,000; and the smaller vessels in the same proportion: according to which calculation, we shall find results a total of 5,222,000 rix-dollars. It is likewise estimated that a ship of war, completely equipped, costs at the rate of nearly 6,000 rix-dollars, Danish currency. It is also observed, that the immense quantity of marine stores and timber necessary for ship-building, collected in the magazines of the Holm, and carried away or destroyed by the English, must be valued at thrice that sum :-and if to these be added the damage occasioned to Copenhagen and the country by the bombardment, fire, pillage, &c. and if we calculate also the loss sustained by the total stagnation of trade, the capture of merchant ships, and the losses suffered by Denmark out of Europe, the whole loss may be fairly estimated at 67,380,000 rix-dollars. The ship of the line Dithmarschen, which the English had mutilated, as also the skeleton of a three-decker, which was left on the stocks, are now taking down; as a great quantity of their timber may be made use of in the building of gun-boats," A pamphlet has just been published, entitled a "Discourse on our late Proceedings in the Baltic," which contains much curious matter, relating to the Danish expedition, and to the appointment of Sir Home Popham. We submit the following passages, without introduction of comment:Narrative of Measures pursued by the Officers who remonstrated against ceding their Rank to Sir Home Popham. "The officers who felt themselves so much hurt at the appointment of Sir Home Popham to be captain of the fleet, as to represent their feelings on that occasion to the commander in chief, waited upon him, as in conformity with the law and usage of the service, and temperately, quietly, and respectfully made known their grievance to him. After some conver sation, Admiral Gambier, though not perhaps approving the act, was so far from condemning the mode of application, that he said to those officers, that he felt himself obliged by the delicate manner in which they proceeded; and recommended to them to address an official letter to him on the subject. This recommendation of the commander in chief produced letter No. 2. The officers, so far from menacing to withdraw their services from the fleet, as has been falsely and maliciously asserted, assured the adiniral they were ready to proceed with the expedition; that they should cautiously avoid every measure that had the appearance of party or cabal; and neither invite nor allow any other captains to join with them, but keep their mea→ sures and feelings to themselves. The pledge they voluntarily gave was faithfully kept. The expedition sailed in a few days after, and in this si tuation they proceeded to sea. "No official reply was ever made to letter No. 2. But during this expedition the officers were separately shewn, by the commander in chief, à private letter from the First Lord of the Admiralty, in which he condemned them for their interference in the administration of naval affairs; expressing surprise that any objection should be made to the appointment of Sir Home Popham, as none had ever been made to that of Commissioner Captain Bowen; and adding, he felt too much regard for the services of the officers, to lay their letter before the Board of Admiralty.” "The officers replied, that their sentiments and feelings were unchanged; and they felt so much aggrieved and humiliated in being called upon to cede their rank to Sir Home Popham, that they must press being relieved from their painful situations as soon as the public service would allow, "The fall of the Danish fleet produced a promotion of admirals, which secured two of the officers from the grievances they complained of. The third, on his return from the Faltic, was placed under orders that relieved him also from the painful situation. The grievance was removed, and in a manner flattering to the two offi cers who bore the rank of established conimodores. They tnight just fy have been accused of indulging a disposition rather tending to embarrass than relieve themselves from an injury, had they on their return continuc to urge their original remonstrance. It appeared essential to Sir Samuch "The articles of war provide for the quiet and temperate regresenta tion of grievances to the admiral or commander in chief. Hood and Rear-Admiral Keats, both of whom have been in London since their return, to justify themselves from the imputation that appeared to be cast upon them in the private letter of Lord Mulgrave's, before noticed. That has been done, I have no doubt, in a manner perfectly satisfactory to Lord Mulgrave, and equally so to themselves. Their feelings have been their guide. Their object was never connected with party; and the moment they were placed in a situation that secured them from the indignity they complained of, and restored them to their natural seniority over Sir Home Popham, all personal subject of complaint was done away. “Note. Although it is ordered by the naval instructions, that a captain of the fleet shall be either a flag officer or one of the senior captains of the navy, the remonstrating officers were not ignorant that one precedent could have been adduced of an appointment of captain of the fleet as juuior as Sir Home Popham. But where, as in this case, the time of actual employment has been very limited: where the officer had never served in a fleet; and other objections occurred; they considered, and consider, they formed a fair and legitimate subject of remonstrance; especially as two of them, very much his seniors, were (by the new naval restrictions), though established commodores, called upon to cede their rank to him at councils and courts-martial." LETTER TO ADMIRAL GAMBIER, &c. &c. &c. " SIR, North Yarmouth, July 23, 1807. "We beg leave to represent to you, the extreme sorrow and concern with which, as senior captains in the navy, we are penetrated, in finding ourselves placed in situations that in any degree subject us to an inferiority to Captain Sir Home Popham. "We are sensible that it belongs to his Majesty, to establish the gradations of rank, and we have been bred to respect and venerate his authority. We wish simply to convey our feelings-not to remark on the services or pretensions of any one. Waving, therefore, those of the present captain of the fleet, as much as circumstances will admit, and trusting that our regular, direct, unimpeached, and almost uninterrupted services, will afford the most unequivocal denial to the supposition of our being actuated by any indirect or party motives; we anxiously hope, sir, that you will take such measures as you may deem expedient, to relieve us from the painful sensations we at present experience. "The principles under which we have been brought up, induce us to make any sacrifices that the service of our country may require: we are ready to proceed on any immediate service; but we rely, that as early measures will be taken, without injury to the service, as can be elected, to re * "Captain Bowen.-If Sir Home Popham's services had been as regular as those of Captain Bowen, and he had not met the public disapprobation of the Admiralty, and the severe censure of a court-martial, and had not pursued rather a speculative than a regular line of conduct, no objection would ever have been made to him.' lieve us from the humiliating situation in which, by the appointment of Sir Home Popham, as captain of the fleet, we find ourselves placed. We have the honour to be, sir, (Signed) "With respect, your most obedient humble servant, To Admiral Gambier, &c. &c." Comparative Services of the remonstrating Captains, and Sir Home Popham's. "The services of the three remonstrating captains have been as regular, as continued, and as persevering, as that of any officers in the navy. From their carliest entrance into it, they had undeviatingly attached themselves to its plainest and fairest principles and pursuits; a long uninterrupted course of service had been passed by them without blemish or suspicion; they had severally served as captains under Earls Howe and St. Vincent; under Lords Nelson, Hood, Gardner, Collingwood, and other officers of high rank and character. Each had commanded ships of the line in action, and received medals and the thanks of their country. Each had com manded squadrons as established commodores, with the rank of rear-admirals, and acquitted themselves of their duty with approbation. At the com mencement of the war with France in 1793, two of them had been eleven years in the command of sloops of war or frigates; and all of them three years post, with the rank of colonels in the army. At this period, the Captain of the ficet commanded a merchant ship under foreign colours,-himself a lieutenant of the navy, and it has been said, a burgher at Ostend '; employed in a traffic prejudicial to the commercial rights and prosperity of the East India Company!! "The services of the remonstrating captains, when called upon to cede their rank to Sir Home Popham, were from seventeen to nineteen years post,* during which time they were almost constantly employed; whilst the actual services of Sir Home Popham little exceeded four years. He had never served as captain under any admiral-had never heen in a line of battlenor had ever commanded a ship in action. It is true, he had been honour ed beyond all precedent with commands. His conduct in one, after meet‐ ing the disapprobation of the admiralty, became the subject of parliamentary inquiry. A second had been productive of the severe censure of a court-martial; from which sentence, hitherto found a bar almost insurmountable to advancement in the navy, he was raised, without precedent, considering these circumstances and his short services, and almost without a pause, to a situation, notwithstanding the rank and services of the remonstrating officers, that gave him a seniority over them. Under such unprecedented circumstances, they considered and consider themselves justified in having adopted the legitimate mode of remonstrance, to procure redress of a grievance. I believe Sir Samuel Hood served as post captain 17 years. 17 years. |