At the age of seven he was sent to Westminster school, then under the direction of the famous Dr Busby, a gentleman of very imperious temper.
Young Vernon studied the Latin and Greek tongues assiduously, and by a seven years application, had made a considerable progress in both, as also in Hebrew, yet from the time he could walk, he betrayed an inclination towards the Naval Service. His allowance in pocket-money was frequently spent among seamen ; and as the battle of La Hague, wherein the French lost twenty-one ships of the line, had happened a few years before, and many of the sailors who had fought in that memorable action, had come to reside near the place where Mr. Vernon was, so he talked with them upon the several scenes they had gone through. These he would often rehearse among his school-fellows, who soon began to call him the Admiral ; an appellation which in his riper years he so honourably bore.
His father was very desirous of his studying the Law, but young Vernon would not hear of it, and at last his father consented to his following his inclination, and entering the Navy.
Young Vernon had now made such progress in Latin, that he was able (at the age of sixteen) to hold a dialogue upon any ordinary subject in that language. He now, at his own desire, began to study Mathematics, Navigation* and Geography, and for this purpose he was sent to Oxford, where he attended the lectures of Dr John Keil, Savilian professor of Astronomy. Under him he attained a general knowledge of Geometry. Upon his return from the University, he studied the theory of Navigation under a private tutor ; and afterwards applied himself to fortification and gunnery — in all which he made very considerable progress.
At this time Mr. Vernon became personally acquainted with Sir Isaac Newton, who treated him with the tenderness and affection of a father. He first showed him the method of taking the latitude by an observation of the Pole-star — telling him that he wished an. instrument could be found for discovering the longitude, but this he despaired of.
In 1701, Vernon entered the Navy. The first expedition in which he was concerned, is famous in the annals of England. He was with Admiral Hopson in the Torbay, at the destroying of the French fleet of thirty sail of the line, and twenty-two Spanish galleons, in the harbour of Vigo, on the 12th October, 1702. This expedition was conducted by Sir George Hook, in the Somerset, and executed by Admiral Hopson.
Vernon's behaviour was particularly remarked by Admiral Hopson, who recommended him to the Admiralty.
We next find Mr. Vernon as second Lieutenant on board the Resolution, in the expedition under Captain Walker, whose armament consisted of five third-rates and ten transports, having four regiments on board, they blocked up the harbours of Hispaniola, sunk several privateers, took the town of La Bayliffe, and Basseterre in Guadeloupe. Here Vernon made himself thoroughly acquainted with the Leeward Islands, drew plans of the harbours, and sounded the bays with such exactness that hardly a sandbank escaped his observation. After destroying the shipping of the enemy, the squadron returned to England.
The year 1704, Sir George Eook conveyed the King of Spain, (since known by the name of Charles VI. Emperor of Germany), to Lisbon, where they arrived on the 25th February. His Catholic Majesty, in token of his satisfaction, complimented Sir George Eook with a sword, the hilt of which was set with diamonds, a buckle for an hatband, and a hook to cock up the hat, set with diamonds also. To Captain Wishart he gave his picture set with diamonds, and two hundred guineas. To Captain Fletcher, the like picture, and one hundred guineas. To each of the Captains who carried over his retinue, one hundred guineas and a gold medal ; and to the other Captains, fifty pistoles each, and fifty for their respective companies. To Lord Archibald Hamilton and Captain Bertie, each the like picture as to Captain Fletcher, and one hundred guineas. To Colonel Griffith of the Board of Green Cloth, his Majesty's picture. He likewise ordered a thousand pistoles to be distributed among the other officers of the Queen's family who had attended upon him. Mr. Vernon, who was in the Admiral's own ship, had an hundred guineas, and a ring from his Majesty's own hand.
Sir George Rook sailed on the 9th, leaving Vice-Admiral Leake at Lisbon, and on the 12th, he fell in with and took three Spanish ships of force and a dogger, and returned to Lisbon with his prizes. On the 29th of April, Sir George Eook again left Lisbon with thirty-seven sail of the line, and four fire-ships, and joined Sir Cloudesley Shovel at sea, they then agreed to make a sudden attack upon Gibraltar.
On the 21st the marines, both English and Dutch to the number of 1800, headed by the Prince of Hesse, were landed on the isthmus to the north of the Eock. This done, his Highness sent a summons to the Governor, demanding the town should be surrendered to King Charles III., which being refused, soon after break of day, on the 23rd ; a furious cannonade began. Above 10,000 shot were fired into the town in five hours. The enemy were driven from their guns in every quarter. The south mole head was taken by Captains Whitaker, Hicks and Jumper. They then advanced and took a redoubt half way between the mole and the town, (since called Jumper's battery), and possessed themselves of many of the enemy's cannon. The Admiral on this sent a letter to the Governor, and another to the Prince of Hesse, desiring his Highness to summon the garrison peremptorily to surrender the town.
Accordingly, the next day, a capitulation was proposed by them and agreed upon. Everything in the place was given up, except three brass cannon, with twelve charges of powder and ball. The Prince of Hesse marched into the town in the evening and took possession of the gates and works. The garrison only consisted of one hundred and fifty men !
The reduction of Gibraltar was followed by a sea-fight off Barcelona, between the French fleet, and those of England and Holland : the former consisted of fifty ships of the line, and eight frigates ; the latter of three and fifty, twelve of which were Dutch.
The engagement began on the morning of the 13th August, and continued for two hours, when the van and rear of the French began to give way, the former fled from Sir Cloudesley Shovel, and the latter from the Dutch Admiral. However, the main body of the French was very strong, and the ammunition of the English ships being spent before Gibraltar, several ships of Eear-Admiral Byng's and Dilke's division withdrew from the line.
The battle ended with the day ; and the French fleet retired to Toulon.
Sir George Book set out for England and arrived at Spithead 25th September, and on the 29th waited on the Queen, who received him in the most gracious manner ; and, with her Royal Consort, expressed an entire satisfaction with every part of his conduct. Among the rewards given on this occasion, Mr. Vernon received a purse of two hundred guineas from her Majesty's own hand.
In 1705 Mr. Vernon sailed with Sir Cloudesley Shovel, who was again sent out to the Mediterranean. On the 17th July his Catholic Majesty went on board the Eanelayh at Lisbon and sailed for Gibraltar, where under protection of the fleet he first took possession of his kingdom. From Gibraltar the fleet having 12,000 land forces on board sailed on the 5th August for Barcelona, where the troops were landed under the Earl of Peterborough. On the 6th September, the citadel surrendered to Colonel Southwell, who was made Governor. The siege was pushed on with vigour, and on the 2nd October, the King made his entry into Barcelona, attended by some of the Grandees of Spain, the Admirals of the Fleet, Generals, and numerous retinue, of whom Mr. Vernon was one. After this Mr. Vernon was in all the operations of the fleet under Sir Cloudesley Shovel, and was on board the Phoenix when she was lost in a storm on the rocks of Scilly.
We next find Mr. Vernon in 1707 engaged in the Channel on board the Royal Oak, 76.
Shortly after he was appointed Captain of the Jersey and sent to Port Royal, Jamaica.
In January, 1706, he took a Spanish sloop, and retook from the French a Guinea ship with 400 negroes on board.
On the 20th November, Admiral Wager arrived at St. Helens in the Jersey.
The following year we find Captain Vernon again out in the West Indies in command of the Jersey, where he was most active. On the 20th February, 1709, he destroyed a French ship of 20 guns, and after three years continuous service on the West Indian stations he returned to England. The 18th May, 1715, Captain Vernon accompanied Sir John Norm's fleet to the Baltic, where he arrived 10th June, in command of the Assistance, of 50 guns. A Dutch squadron was sent at the same time to join them. The Admirals and Captains were magnificently entertained by the Danish Court at Croninburgh, from whence they sailed on the 17th June, and escorted the merchant ships under them to Dantzig, Koningsburg, Eiga, Eevel, and the respective ports of their destinations. The fleet then returned to England for the winter.
The five following summers Captain Vernon was employed in the Baltic in command of a 50-gun ship, one of a large fleet under Sir John Norris, sent there for the protection of our trade.
In 1722 Captain Vernon was elected member for Dunwich in Suffolk and Penryn in Cornwall ; he selected the latter as being the borough which his father, Secretary James Vernon, had represented from 1695 until 1710.
In 1726 Captain Vernon was appointed to the Orafton, 70, and sailed for the Baltic with the fleet under the command of Vice-Admiral Sir Charles Wager ; this fleet consisted of thirty-one sail of the line, one of twenty guns and two fireships. (We were at this time at war with Russia) They cruised about the whole summer, and blockaded the Eussians in their ports, and returned to the Nore the 1st November.
In 1727 Sir John Norris was sent into the Baltic, and Captain Vernon in the Graf ton again formed one of his fleet.
This year, 11th of June, his Majesty George the 1st died, aged 67, and in consequence a new Parliament was called. Captain Vernon was again chosen for Penryn.
But this did not detain him in England, for on the 13th October he joined Sir Charles Wager before Gibraltar — and on the 28th of April, 1728, a reconciliation having been effected between England and Spain, the fleet returned to England.
Captain Vernon now took his seat in the House of Commons, and as very warm debates happened concerning the depredations committed by the Spaniards on our trading vessels in the West Indies, he always spoke on that side of the argument which was for executing immediate vengeance upon the transgressors. And though by the eloquence of Sir Eobert Walpole, Sir William Tounge, and Henry Pelham, Esq. the vengeance due was deferred ; yet, by the persuasive arguments of Mr. Pitt, the prevailing reasonings of Mr. Pulteney, and the honest declarations of Captain Vernon, etc., the House came to the resolution to present on Address to his Majesty that he would be graciously pleased to use his best endeavours to prevent such abuses for the future.
In answer to this Address, his Majesty ordered thirty-three ships of war to be equipped immediately. They rendezvoused at Spithead, and were there to be joined by a squadron of fourteen Dutch men-of-war. The united squadrons were to have proceeded at once to Jamaica, had not the Honourable Morgan Vane arrived express from. Madrid with the Treaty of Peace signed and concluded by that Court, and all went on tolerably smoothly for a few years ; then began again complaints of depredations committed by the Spaniards upon our merchants, and negociations were set on foot both in London and Madrid for terminating the differences in America.
By the Convention of Pardo of the 14th January, 1739, the Court of Spain, upon balancing accompts with the South Sea Company, engaged to pay them 3690,000, in four months, reserving to herself the power of making a deduction of what the Company might be indebted to the Spaniards. This became the subject of a fresh quarrel ; and the accompts of private merchants produced a war, wherein both nations expended a thousand times more than the demand of either.
During these transactions, one Jenkins, the captain of a vessel which had been taken, presented himself before the House of Commons in 1739, with his nose split, and wanting his ears, that had been cut off : he asserted that he had carried on no contraband trade, but was taken on the American coast by a Spanish Guarda Costa, whose commander seized his ship, laid the crew in irons, and had left him these mangled tokens. " Gentlemen, (said he) after mangling «me in this manner, they threatened to put me " to death ; I expected it, and recommended my » soul to God, but the revenge of my cause to «my country.»
These words raised pity in the whole assembly ; the citizens of London crowded to see Jenkins, and loudly demanded war.
It was during the debates which ensued upon this subject, that Captain Vernon, who was a fierce and not ineloquent assailant in debate, and the delight of his party in the House of Commons, came prominently before the public and asserted that not only could Porto Bello be captured, if officers did their duty, but that he pledged himself to take it with six ships only.
Sir Robert Walpole, finding the nation determined upon a war, held a conference with the Lords of the Admiralty, to which several Captains were invited. In this numerous meeting was Mr. Vernon, who being asked his advice, notwithstanding he had been neglected, merely through his opposition to Ministers in the House of Commons, and that he had no prospect of their favour, spoke with all the coolness and deliberation that an honest and upright heart could suggest ; he told the assembly, that,
« though he looked upon a war with Spain as hurtful to the nation in general, and to the trade of the City of London in particular, yea, to the mercantile part of the whole kingdom, yet now that they were to consider of the manner of affecting Spain, in the most sensible part, he could not be so far wanting in his duty to his King, and country, and to his own conscience, as not to speak the sentiments of his heart upon so important a subject. I, continued he, have had an opportunity of knowing Old Spain since the year 1702, and 'New Spain since the year 1711 ; happy had it been for the inhabitants of the former, that they had never been acquainted with the territory of the latter ; for there be many mines in Old Spain untouched, notwithstanding what is said of their being exhausted by the Carthaginians and Eomans, by the Goths and the Moors ; trained up in this preposterous opinion, the Spaniards neglect improving their country at home, and seek for riches in the new world ; they dig deep into the bowels of their new settlements in quest of riches, which last are their only support ; destroy their settlements in America, and Spain falls of course ; their priests, and numerous seminaries of monks and nuns, these trumpeters of a gloomy religion, will destroy what their own idleness and want of industry may casually have spared ; wherefore, my opinion is, that a strong squadron "be sent to the West Indies, to distress the enemy in their very vitals, to destroy their mines, to seize upon their treasures, to take their ships, and to ruin their settlements ; let them be attacked in as many places as possible at the same time, let us even ex" tend our endeavours to the very Antipodes of Madrid ; for I know the Spaniards trade there. »
He then gave a description of the Isthmus of Darien, of Porto Bello, and of Carthagena, the very centre of the Spanish treasures ; and concluded with saying, « that if once Porto Bello and Carthagena were taken, then will all be lost to them.»
This speech was received by the whole assembly with approbation, as it came from the mouth of a brave honest man. The issue of the conference was laid before the King and Privy, council, who saw the advantage of Mr. Vernon's proposal, and a resolution was taken to employ him in the service.
He was in bed at Chatham when the courier arrived with the news, about two o'clock in the morning. On opening the packet, he found a commission declaring him Vice-Admiral of the Blue, and Commander-in-Chief of a squadron of his Majesty's ships of war to be sent to the West Indies ; at the same time there was a letter requiring his immediate attendance upon the King at St. James's. He immediately ordered a post-chaise to be got ready, and arrived at St. James's at 10 in the morning.
On the 19th July, 1739, Admiral Vernon received his final instructions under his Majesty's sign-manual, «To destroy the Spanish settlements in the West Indies», and to distress « their shipping by every method whatever.»
He desired but three days to settle his domestic business, while the ships were getting ready to sail. The following is a list of the men of war.
The Burford, on board of which the Admiral hoisted his flag, Captain Watson, she mounted 70 guns, and contained 500 men.
Lenox — 70 guns, 480 men, Captain Colvil Mayne.
Elizabeth — 70 guns, 480 men, Captain Edward Effingham.
Kent — 70 guns, and 480 men, Captain Thomas Durell.
Worcester — 60 guns, and 400 men, Captain Perry Mayne.
Stafford — 60 guns, 400 men Captain Thomas Trevor.
Princess Louisa — 60 guns, 420 men, Captain Thomas Waterhouse.
Norwich — 50 guns, 300 men, Captain Richard Herbert.
Pearl — 40 guns, 240 men, Captain Hon. Henry Legge.
They weighed anchor 23rd July, from Portsmouth, and in two days arrived in Portland road, where they were detained by contrary wind till the 1st August, in which interval of time he exercised the sailors and marines. Of the latter two-thirds had never seen an engagement, and many had never fired a musket.
Touched with the situation of his country and moved with compassion for the men, he wrote a letter to the Duke of Newcastle, then one of the principal Secretaries of State ; and represented the affair, at the same time proposing a remedy.
«I could wish,» continued he, « we had each of us a company of foot of regular troops, sent on board each ship, which would have strength ened us in numbers, as well as had their expertness in handling their arms, to have incited our men to the imitation of them. »
«If we should come into a general war with France as well as Spain, I believe your Grace will have clearly perceived, from the difficulty of manning these ships as they are, the necessity there may be for having most of our marching regiments converted into marines ; and if they become seamen, they were admitted to be discharged as such : that would make a good nursery for breeding them at a time we might probably find such a necessity for them.»
«As I have always looked upon our fleet, as what must not only protect our trade, but secure us the blessing of a Protestant succession, your Grace will excuse the overflowing of sincere, though it may be an imprudent zeal, being convinced in my own judgment, that preserving a superiority at sea, is the best se" curity for his Majesty's government, as well as of the trade and prosperity of the kingdom.»
This letter was laid before the Privy Council, and it was recommended that regard should be had to the Admiral's proposals.
On the 2nd August, he arrived at Caveson bay, off Plymouth, where he was becalmed for fourteen hours, next morning they got under weigh.
On the 6th day Captain Perry Maine, of the Worcester, made Cape Ortegal ; where he was informed that the Ferrol squadron had sailed on the 21st for Cadiz, and that the Azogues ships had not yet arrived. He stationed the Lenox, Elizabeth and Kent for thirty days to wait the arrival of the Azogues, and sent the Pearl to her station between Lisbon and Oporto for three months. He then sailed for Madeira to water, where he arrived on the 26th August, and hoped to meet the Azogues ships at the Canaries.
On the morning of the 30th of August, the squadron sailed for Antigua, off which island they arrived on the 29th September. Hearing that three Spanish ships were taking in goods on the Caracas Coast, the Admiral sent an equal number to surprise them. He then proceeded to Port Boyal, Jamaica, where he arrived on the 12th of October.
Here the Admiral received intelligence that neither the Ferrol Fleet, nor any of the galleons were ready to sail for Europe ; that no fair had yet been opened at Porto Bello : and that no ship would sail till after Christmas.
This entirely altered the Admiral's thoughts ; an attack upon Carthagena or Porto Bello became the immediate object of his next proceedings.
On the 28th, Commodore Brown returned from a cruise, and from the information he gave, the Admiral resolved to sail immediately for Porto Bello, destroy the forts, and if the Spanish galleons had arrived there, to attack them in the harbour. Accordingly he communicated with Governor Trelawney, who furnished him with 200 men under Captain Newton, to act as Marines, being half the land force of the whole island. An embargo was laid upon all shipping for three days, to prevent intelligence being carried to the enemy. And on the 5th of November, 1739, Vice-Admiral Vernon put to sea with the following ships :
Guns Men.
Burford 70 500 Admiral Vernon, captain Rentone
Hampton Court 70 495 Commodore Brown, Captain Watson
Princess Louisa 60 400 Capt.Waterhouse
Worcester 60 400 Captain Mayne
Strafford 60 400 Captain Trevor
Norwich 50 300 Captain Herbert
Sheerness 20 300 Capt. Stapleton.
This last was sent to cruise off Carthagena.
On the 20th of November, 1739, he came in sight of Porto Bello, having been delayed in his passage by contrary winds. There being but little wind that evening, though a great deal of swell, he anchored for the night six leagues off the shore, being apprehensive of driving to the eastward of the harbour. On the 21st, in the morning, the Admiral plyed to windward in line of battle ; but the wind proving easterly, he was obliged to confine his attack to the Iron Fort only, close to which the squadron was piloted by Captain Eentone.
Commodore Brown, in the Hampton Court, who led the attack, executed his part as became an officer of experience and resolution ; being well followed by Captain Herbert in the Nor°wich, and Captain Mayne in the Worcester ; the Admiral perceived that some of the Spaniards fled from several parts of the fort ; upon which he made the signal for the boats in which the soldiers were to make the best of their way in order to their landing, while he was coming up to the Fort to batter it. The Admiral luffing up as near to the Fort as he could, the fire of his small arms commanded the enemy's lower batteries, and had a good effect in driving them from those batteries from which they could do most harm ; and by this means the men were also secured at landing : and this (as the enemy afterwards confessed) was the principal occasion of their deserting the lower batteries, the smallshot from the former ships not having reached them, though their cannon had beat down some of the upper part of the Fort. As the boats came near the Admiral's ship, he called to them to go directly on shore under the walls of the Fort, though there was no breach made ; but this answered as was expected, by throwing the enemy into a general consternation, the officers and men who had stood to the lower battery, flying to the upper part of the Fort, where they held up a white signal for capitulating. The Admiral answered with a white flag, but it was sometime before he could stop his own men, and those on board the Stratford, Captain Trevor, which followed him, from firing.
In the mean time the seamen had climbed up the walls of the lower battery and struck the colours, and then drew tho soldiers up after them, to whom the Spaniards, who had retired to the upper part of the Fort, soon after surrendered at discretion.
Their number was only 5 officers and 35 men, out of 300, the rest being either killed or wounded, or having made their escape.
The ships that went in before the Admiral were fallen to leeward, so as to be out of sight of the Gloria Castle ; but the Admiral's own ship, lying open to the said castle, they kept firing one of their longest guns at him till night ; but not being within point-blank, their shot either fell short, or went over him ; only oue shot went through the head of his fore-top mast, just above the rigging, so that it did no harm. The Admiral, finding they continued their firing, tried some of his lower tier at them ; which being new guns, answered beyond expectation, carrying over the Gloria Castle into the town. This successful beginning was attended with a very inconsiderable loss, there being only three men killed and five wounded on board the Admiral's ship ; the like number were killed and wounded board the Worcester, and one man had both is legs shot off on board the Hampton Court. The other ships had none killed or wounded, and only two soldiers were shot going ashore, one of which died soon after of his wounds.
The next morning being the 22nd November, the Admiral went on board Commodore Brown, to call the Captains to consult together, and give out the necessary orders for warping the ships up the next night in order to attack the Gloria Castle, as it would not have been practicable to attempt it in the daytime. But in this he was prevented by the enemy's putting up a white flag at the Gloria Castle, and sending a boat with a flag of truce to the Admiral, with the Governor's Adjutant, and a Lieutenant of a man-of-war, who brought the conditions signed, on which they desired to capitulate. In answer to which, the Admiral immediately drew up the terms on which he would admit them to capitulate, and dispatched them back again, allowing them only a few hours to take their resolution ; and within the time limited, they accepted the conditions offered them. And before night, on Thursday, the said 22nd November, the Admiral sent Captain Newton, who commanded the detachment of soldiers from Jamaica, with about 120 of the said soldiers who took possession of Gloria Castle, and St. Jeroniuio Fort, being the remaining fortresses, that guarded the harbour of Porto Bello, the Gloria Castle lying just below thj town, and St. Jeronimo just above it.
The following were the Articles of Capitulation granted by Edward Vernon, Esq. Vice-Admiral of the Blue and Commander-in-Chief of his Majesty's Ships and Vessels in the West Indies, and Commodore Brown ; to Don Francisio Martinez de Retey, Governor of Porto Bello, and Don Francisco de Albaroa, Commandant of the Guarda Costas at the same place, the 22nd November, 1739, O.S.
«1st Article. That the garrison be allowed to march out, as desired, upon condition the King of Great Britain's troops be put into possession of Gloria Castle, before four of the clock this evening, and the garrison to march out by ten of the clock to-morrow morning.
«That the inhabitants may either remove or remain, under the promise of security for themselves and their effects.
«2nd. That the Spanish soldiers may have a guard, if they think it necessary.
«3rd. They may carry off two cannons mounted with ten charges of powder for each, and their match lighted.
«4th. The gates of the Gloria Castle must absolutely be in possession of the King our master's troops by four of the clock, and the Spanish garrison shall remain in all safety for their persons or effects till the appointed time of their marching out, and to carry with them provisions and ammunition necessary for their safety.
« 5th. That the ships with their apparel and arms, be absolutely delivered up to the use of his Britannic Majesty ; but that all the officers, both soldiers and crew, shall have three days allowed them to retire with all their personal effects ; only one officer being admitted on board such ship and vessel, to take possession for the King our master, and see this article strictly complied with.
«6th. That provided the Articles above mentioned are strictly complied with, and that possession be given of Castle St. Jeronimo in the same manner as is stipulated for the Castle Gloria, then the Clergy, the Churches and Town shall be protected and preserved in all their immunities and properties, and that all prisoners already taken shall be set at liberty before our leaving the port.
«Given under our hands on board his Majesty's ship Eurford in Porto Bello harbour, the 22nd day of November, 1739, O.S.
E. Vernon.
Chas. Brown.
There were in the harbour two Spanish men of-war, 20-guns each, and a Snow ; the crews of which seeing the regular and bold attack which was made on the Iron fort, and despairing of being able to defend themselves, fell to plundering the town on the night of the 21st, and committed great outrages on the inhabitants.
The Admiral took on board his ships from the several fortresses, 40 brass cannons, 4 brass mortars, and 18 brass pattereroes ; and rendered useless above 80 iron cannon, by knocking off the trunnions, and spiking them up. He also took on board all their shot and ammunition, except 122 barrels of powder, which he expended in blowing up and demolishing the whole of the fortifications, by which the harbour was left entirely open. Ten thousand dollars, that were arrived, and designed for paying the King of Spain's troops at Porto Bello, falling into the Admiral's hands, he distributed them among his Majesty's Forces, for their encouragement.
The Admiral was joined at Porto Bello on the 27th November by the Diamond, Captain Knowles, and on the 29th by the Windsor Castle, Captain Berkeley, and the Anglesea, Captain Eeddich. In consideration of the services performed by Captain Eentone (who acted as pilot in this expedition) the Admiral appointed him commander of the Spanish Snow, and sent him to England with the dispatches.
During the Admiral's stay at Porto Bello, he obtained the release of Mr. Humphreys, and Dr Wright, factors, and also the servants of the South Sea Company, who were detained prisoners by the Governor of Panama. The Governor and inhabitants of Porto Bello expressed the greatest sense of the humanity and generosity with which they were treated by the Admiral and his Majesty's squadron under his command.
This is a proof of what we might have done many years ago, when in 1726 Admiral Hosier was sent out with a considerable fleet, and at which time we had a much superior force in the "West Indies, but he had instructions not to make aggressions on the enemy, and the result was that he was obliged to remain inactive at sea, insulted and despised by the Spaniards till his crew became diseased, and he at last died of a broken heart. He was a brave sailor, but his orders compelled him to remain inactive. Fewer men were now lost in the taking of Porto Bello, than died every day, whilst Admiral Hosier lay in that unwholesome climate. For, besides himself, two other Admirals, thirteen Captains, above forty Lieutenants, and 4000 seamen were lost in that expedition.
On the 13th March, 1740, Captain Eentone arrived in London with this account. There was great joy among the people of England. On the 18th March, 1740, the following address was presented to his Majesty by both Houses of Parliament.
«Most Gracious Sovereign,
«We, your Majesty's most dutiful and loyal subjects, the Lords spiritual and temporal, and Commons in Parliament assembled, do congratulate your Majesty on the glorious success of your Majesty's arms in the West Indies, under the command of Admiral Vernon, by entering the Port and taking the town of Porto Bello, and demolishing and levelling all the Forts and Castles belonging thereto, with six ships of war only.
«This enterprise, so wisely concerted and so bravely conducted, cannot fail of giving the utmost joy to all your Majesty's faithful subjects, since it affords the most reasonable hopes and expectations, that by the blessing of God upon your Majesty's councils and arms, it may be attended with other important advantages, and highly contribute to the obtaining real and effectual security, of those just rights of navigation and commerce, belonging to your Majesty's subjects, for the preservation of which your Majesty entered into this necessary war.
To which his Majesty replied :
« My Lords And Gentlemen, I thank you for your dutiful congratulations on this success which is so much for the honour and interest of my crown and kingdoms. The satisfaction you express in the measures I have taken is very agreeable to me.»
On the 18th March, 1740, the Thanks of both Houses of Parliament were voted to Admiral Vernon, and on Tuesday, 25th March, a Court of Common Council was held at Guildhall, when, after about six hours debate, an address was agreed to, and drawn up to congratulate his Majesty upon the glorious success of Admiral Vernon in taking Porto Bello, demolishing the Torts, Castles, &c. with six ships of war only, and the Admiral was voted the Freedom of the City, and to be delivered to him in a gold box.
But to return to the West Indies.
Vice-Admiral Vernon having refitted his ships at Jamaica, shifted his flag on board the Strafford, (his old ship, the Burford, having got ashore and been damaged), and on the 25th February, 1740, sailed with a squadron for the Spanish main.
On the 6th March, he bombarded Carthagena for three days, and having burnt and destroyed many of the buildings, he hauled off and returned to Porto Bello harbour, to repair the damages sustained by his bomb-ketches and small craft.
On the 22nd March, he attacked Chagres, which after two days bombardment, surrendered to him, of which operations the following is the detailed and official account.
From the London Gazette, Whitehall, June 29th. 1740.
This day, Mr. Thomas, Purser of his Majesty's ship Strafford, arrived here with letters from Vice-Admiral Vernon, dated Porto Bello, April 5th, to his Grace the Duke of Newcastle, and with the following account, viz.
That on the 25th February, 1740, Admiral Vernon sailed from Port Royal in Jamaica, with a squadron of his Majesty's ships, and having a favourable wind, got sight of the high land of Santa Martha on the Spanish main, on the 1st March. That he ordered Captain Windham in the Greenwich to ply up in the night, and lie to windward of the port, for intercepting anything that might be coming in there the next day ; and then bore away with an easy sail for Carthagena. That the 3rd at noon, he was joined by the Falmouth, Captain Douglass, off Point Canoa, and that evening anchored with the squadron before Carthagena, in nine fathom water, in the open bay called Plaza-Grande ; and on the 6th he ordered in all the bomb-ketches, and the small ships and tenders for covering and assisting them, and continued bombarding till nine in the morning. That the squadron received no damagerfrom the town, but the shells fell into the town pretty successfully, particularly into the principal church, the Jesuits' College, the Custom-house, and beat down several houses be-tween them, and a shell that fell into the south bastion silenced a battery of ten guns there for a long time. That he drew off his bomb-ketches and small craft on the 9th, and weighed with his squadron on the 10th in the morning, and making the signal for the line of battle, he coasted the shore towards Bocca Chica ; that they fired at him from the three small castles without Boca Chica, but none of their shot reached him ; and that having left the Windsor Captain Berkeley, and the Greenwich, Captain Windham, to cruise off the port of Carthagena for twenty days, he made sail for Porto Bello, to repair there the damages the small craft had received ; and on the 14th anchored with his squadron in Porto Bello harbour, detaching his cruisers from time to time to lie off Chagre to block up the enemy ; and having got his ships watered, put to sea on the 22nd with his squadron, except the Louisa and FalmoutTi, which had not completed their watering, but had his orders to hasten it and follow him ; but an accident in the fore-topsail yard of his ship, the Stra/brd, retarding her progress, he ordered Captain Herbert in the Norwich, to make all sail he could in before him, with the bomb-ketches, and all the fire-ships and tenders under his orders, and Captain Knowles as engineer on board the bomb-ketches, for placing them to play on the castle, and to cover them with his own ship and the rest ; that Captain Knowles got to an anchor by three in the afternoon, and began bombarding and cannonading that evening, and by 10 of the clock at night, he got also to an anchor with his own ship, the Strafford, and the Falmouth and Princess Louisa, that followed him, the same night ; and continued bombarding and cannonading, with three ships firing leisurely only from their lower tier, till Monday, the 24th, when the Spaniards hung out a flag of truce from the fort, and he answered it from his own ship, and stopt all firing as soon as possible, and sent Captain Knowles on shore, who soon returned with the Governor ; to whom having granted the capitulation hereto subjoined, he sent him ashore again with Captain Knowles, -whom he appointed Governor of the castle for his Majesty, and sent a garrison along with him of five lieutenants and 120 men, and all the boats of the fleet to land them ; and by three o'clock that afternoon, Captain Knowles entered the fort with his garrison. The same evening Captain Knowles sent and placed a guard upon the Custom-house on the opposite side of the river Chagre, and Vice-Admiral Vernon went on shore himself by daybreak the next morning, to give all necessary orders, and found the Custom-house full of goods for the lading of galleons, such as Guayaquil cocoa, Jesuit's bark and Spanish wool ; and gave immediate orders for their being speedily shipped off. The number of serons and bags of the said mentioned goods amounted to 4,300 ; that the two Guarda Costa sloops in the river (which were all the Guarda Costas that were left in those parts), were sunk just above the Custom-house, carpenters having been ordered to break up their decks, and entirely destroy them.
The Custom-house, being entirely cleared by Friday the 28th, was filled with combustible matter of the neighbouring huts, and set on fire that evening, and it burnt with great fierceness all that night. On the 29th, in the morning, the brass cannon being embarked, which were eleven guns and eleven patereroes, and a good part of the garrison, the mines were sprung under the lower bastion, which entirely demolished it. Then two mines were sprung to blow up some of the upper parts of the works, and afterwards all the inner buildings of the castle were set on fire, and were burning all the night of the 29th. On the 30th, Vice-Admiral Vernon put to sea with his squadron, and on the 1st of April, in the evening, got to the mouth of the harbour of Porto Bello, and was joined there by the Windsor and Greenwich, just returned from their cruise off Carthagena ; and on the 3rd, was joined also by the Burford, which he had left at Jamaica to be repaired.
Articles of Capitulation granted by Edward Vernon, Esq., Vice-Admiral of the Blue, and Commander-in-Chief of his Britannic Majesty's Ships and Vessels in the West Indies, to Don Juan Carlos Gutures de Zavollos, Captain of Foot and Castellano of the Castle of St. Lorenzo, at the mouth of the Eiver Chagre.
«1st. That upon his Britannic Majesty's troops being put into immediate possession of the Fort St. Lorenzo, at the mouth of the river Chagre, the said Castellano and all his garrison be at free liberty to march out without any molestation, and may retire into the village of Chagre, or where else they please.
«2nd. That the inhabitants of Chagre may remain in safety in their own houses, under a promise of security to their persons and houses.
«3rd. That the Guarda Costa sloops be delivered up to the use of his Britannic Majesty in the condition they are, and the King of Spain's Custom-house.
«4th. That the Clergy and Churches in the town of Chagre shall be protected and preserved in all their immunities.
« Given under my hand, on board his Britannic Majesty's ship, the Strafford, at anchor before the river Chagre, this 24th of March, 1740.»
E. Vernon.
Vice-Admiral Vernon then returned to Jamaica, where he arrived early in April, 1740. He complained bitterly of being left without orders and without supplies from England — for want of which he cannot keep at sea — and that the rigging sent him was good for nothing but a Spithead expedition. He also remonstrated against the new model of the King's ships, which gives them too much mast and sails.
«For, says he, I think, when going upon a wind, you press a ship so down in the water, as to bring an unnatural body for her to draw through the water ; it cannot be expected she should force that body so quick through the water, as if she went in a more upright and natural position ; and that therefore, in respect to going upon a wind, it is better a ship should be uudermasted than over ; and as to going large and in light winds, I apprehend a great cloud of canvas would be better supplied in very large small sails, than by very square yards to be spreading a large clue of heavy canvas, whose very weight in light winds forces the wind out of the sail, etc. I think, also, that it would be a great preservation to masts and rigging, to have the yards fixed with flying parrels, because this " would preserve the rigging from being racked to pieces by tracing back the yards, and give opportunity for striking a top-mast with the low sails standing, and contribute to a ship's sailing by not being too much bound.»
And he attributes the disasters met with in the stormy weather on his way from Porto Bello, to his being overmasted, and being sent to sea with the old guard-ship rigging overhead. He charges the officers of the yards ordered to load stores for the ships on service, with sending to him old limber out of the yards. With regard to manning the navy, he suggested that men should be enlisted for a time certain, and faith kept with them.
The success of Admiral Vernon was gall and wormwood to Ministers at home ; not a gun was fired in honour of the victories ; and it was soon whispered about that the Admiral had exceeded his orders, some even attempted to undervalue the advantages gained, and to treat the affair with ridicule. lu fact, everything was done by the ministerial party to endeavour to rob Admiral Vernon of the merit of the victory and the gallantry which characterized it.
But the light in which his services were looked upon by the public generally, may be gathered from many biographers who have written in his favour, from the number of medals struck in his honour (above 130 of diiferent dies being now in the British Museum), and also from the publication of his portrait in folio, headed " England's Glory," and under which, after an allusion to his rank and services, are the following lines :
Immortal honours, Vernon 1 wait thy name,
And every grateful Briton speaks thy fame ;
At home, the patriot, firmly just and good,
You in your country's cause have always stood.
Nor less abroad, when on the western main,
You reign the terror of insulting Spain ;
How much the triumphs of the war you share,
Let Porto Bello and Chagre declare.
The following little poem was also published in 1739 ;
He Has Kept Bib Wobd. A Poem to perpetuate the Memory of that Glorious Action of the Brave Admiral Vernon, who, with six ships only, took Porto Bello.
When Britain's Lion, lulled supinely lay,
And in pacific sloth kept fame away ;
While depredations, by the Spaniards made,
Most insolently injured Albion's trade :
By trifling, and by long harangues and jars,
By warlike peaces, and by peaceful wars,
Our merchants suffered, and did long complain,
Their commerce ruined, still they sighed in vain ;
By vile conventions, and the wiles of courts,
Reduced to clamour out their last efforts,
Till waked by wrong, Britannia's genius rose,
Resolved to curb her bold audacious foes :
To stop proud Rapine's proud felonious course,
Our gracious Monarch sends a naval force ;
His awful navy wild ambition checks,
And bears chastizing vengeance on her decks ;
Those dreadful bulwarks wear great George's cause,
Of Honour, Justice, Property, and Laws.
Methinks I see each gallant warlike boat,
Ride on the waves and triumph as they float,
All uncontrolled they triumph o'er the main,
Nor heed the puny rage of haughty Spain ;
Their pirate Guard Ships, (authors of our jars)
Sculk and abscond when Britain's Flag appears.
Their Port of War (vain, pompous, empty name)
At once surrendered when brave Vernon came :
The British ships, who ne'er to Spaniards stoop,
Displayed the Cross on every hostile poop :
Sage Brown serene attacks their Iron fort,
In George's floating Palace, Hampton Court ;
He draws his sabre, bids his cannons roar ;
Nor were the native Indians frightened more,
When cruel Spaniards first approached their shore,
Each ship succeeds as in the line they run,
And all their hostile fury soon was done.
Amazed, they saw Britannia's dreadful fire,
And all confused in horrid haste retire :
The frightened town, all passive begs a truce,
And yields its treasure to the Victor's use.
Raptured my artless muse is bid to say,
That British spirits still with Britons stay :
Nor will their wonted courage ever cease
Till they've obtained an honourable peace :
Let Philip's haughty Queen, no more in vain
Dare to provoke the ruler of the main ;
To the remotest shores his power he sends
To thunder on his foes and guard his friends.
The 12th November, 1740, being the brave Admiral's birthday, was distinguished in a very extraordinary manner, by ringing of bells, and public dining in many places, &c., and in the evening the greatest rejoicings, bonfires, and illuminations in London, that had been known for many years. Don Bias de Leyo was burnt in effigy in many places ; and at Chancery Lane end was a pageant, where was depicted Admiral Vernon, and a Spaniard on his knees offering him his sword ; a view of Porto Bello, and the ships and warlike implements ; over the Admiral's head was wrote, Venit, vidit, vicit, and under him, Vernon semper viret. The day was celebrated also in most of the chief places in the kingdom, as also in Ireland ; as was likewise the 1st of November in the borough of Southwark, and other places ; there being then some uncertainty whether that or the 12th was the anniversary of the birth of that great man. The 22nd also, being the day he took Porto Bello, was celebrated with great rejoicings. — (London Magazine, 1740, p. 558.)
It soon became so evident that the Government were averse to prosecuting the war with any vigour, that on the 1st December, 1740, Lord Bathurst brought forward a motion in the House of Lords to compel Ministers to produce their orders and instructions given to Admiral Vernon ; this, however, was rejected by 22, (the numbers being, "for 35," "against 57.") Lord Bathurst then brought forward another motion, for the production of all letters sent to and received from Admiral Vernon to be laid before that House, which the Ministers, with a few restraining words, were obliged to agree to. These seemed to bear out the view taken by the opposition, and the feeling became so strong that the Ministers were not in earnest in prosecuting the war, that a motion was made in the Lords, on the 13th February, 1741, praying his Majesty to dismiss Sir Eobert Walpole ; this was lost by 59 to 108. But Sir Eobert Walpole never recovered his popularity ; and the following year, 11th February, 1742, he resigned his appointment, and was raised to the Peerage, (as Lord Orford). Sir Eobert Walpole attributed his fall to Admiral Vernon's successes.
In the debates in the House of Lords, Lord Chesterfield spoke of Admiral Vernon as having done with six ships, about 2,000 sailors, and 200 tattered soldiers from Jamaica, what the Minister had declared could not be done by a large squadron and at least 8,000 seamen ; and said,
«When war was resolved on, Admiral Vernon was called on from ploughing the ground to plough the main, and as the service required dispatch he required but three days to settle his family affairs.
« In peace time he was never employed. He was even disappointed in his preferment. The reason was plain, he was not fitted for those services which entitle our land and sea captains to preferment in time of peace, for he was generally in the opposition in the House of Commons.»
The following epigrams on Admiral Vernon's success in America appeared at that time :
To humble Spain, three naval heroes born,
Drake, Ealeigh, Vernon, Britain's isle adorn ;
The first in courage and success surpast,
The next in well planned schemes ; in both the last.
Drake had all honour valour could obtain,
But Raleigh fell a sacrifice to Spain ;
With happier fate we sec our Vernon rise,
As Drake courageous, and as Raleigh wise :
The hero's and the patriot's worth to shew,
Heaven made the third, and joined the former two.
London Magazine, 1741, p. 251.
To Churchill, Mars' dominion o'er the land,Jac. Upton, A.M., Col. Watlk.
To Russell, Neptune gave the sea's command ;
Nature had done, she could no farther go,
But in a Vernon joined the former two.
Ver non florescit semper, sod magnus ubique
Vernon florescit, floreat usque precor.
On the 5th September, 1740, Vice-Admiral Vernon was joined at Jamaica by a squadron of store ships from England, under convoy of his Majesty's ships Defiance and Tilbury, and on the 3rd October, the Vice-Admiral sailed from Port Royal with part of his squadron, on a cruise off the coast of Hispaniola.
On the 19th October he was joined by eight sail of transport ships, under the convoy of his Majesty's ship Wolf, with land forces from North America, whence more transports, with the rest of the land forces raised there, were daily expected. On the 20th October, the Admiral prepared to return to Jamaica ; in this cruise Capt. Long, of the Tilbury, took a Spanish brigantine.
On the 9th January, 1741, Sir Chaloner Ogle arrived in Port Royal harbour with the squadron under his command, and all the transports and store ships.
On the 25th February, 1741, Vice-Admiral Vernon, having now the command of thirty sail of the line, sailed (from Irish Bay, Hispaniola), with the squadron and transports under his command, being in all 124 sail, with 8,000 troops on board ; and on the 4th March, in the evening, they anchored in Plaza Grande, to windward of the town of Carthagena.
The following is the official account of the attack : —"On the 9th March, Sir Chaloner Ogle (who was appointed to command the attack on the forts and batteries on Terra Bomba), moved forward with his division ; and Vice-Admiral Vernon weighed and moved after bim with his division, and all the transports, leaving Mr. Lestock at anchor behind. The small fort of Chamba fired a few guns, but was deserted as soon as the ship posted there opened her fire.
At the Fascine battery, erected between that and the forts of St. Jago and St. Philip, the enemy had not had time to get any guns mounted, so there was no fire from thence ; and the Norfolk, Mussell, and Shrewsbury, being anchored very close under the said forts, made so warm a fire, that in less than an hour, they drove the enemy out of them, and the same evening our grenadiers made a descent under the walls of those forts and took possession of them.
On the 10th March, the two regiments of Harrison and Wentworth, and the six regiments of marines, landed without opposition.
On the 11th, the tents and tools were landed, the ground cleared, and an encampment formed. All the artillery and ordnance stores were brought ashore by the 15th.
The Admiral, having notice from Brigadier Wentworth that his men were much galled by the fire of the Fascine battery, from the opposite side of the harbour, called the Barradera side, sent boats with a number of men. The boats commanded by Captain Watson, of the Admiral's own ship, with the Captains Norris and Colby under him ; and the men, when landed, were to be commanded by Captain Boscawen, having under him the Captains Laws and Cotes. They landed about a mile to the leeward of the Fascine battery, which was of fifteen 24-pounders. They happened to land under a small battery of five guns, which they knew nothing of ; but they leaped resolutely into the battery and surprised the enemy, so as to receive but little damage, and secured those cannon. This gave an alarm to the enemy at the other, who had time to point two of their guns against us, but with little effect ; and our men rushing on boldly, made themselves masters of that as well as of the smaller battery, and kept possession of them all till they had spiked up all their guns, tore up and burnt their platforms, with the carriages, and brought off six wounded prisoners, with an inconsiderable loss on our side ; which success was a great relief to our troops on the other shore.
Brigadier Wentworth had caused a battery of mortars to be raised, which much incommoded the enemy in the castle of Bocca Chica, and on the 22nd of March a battery of 24-pounders began to play upon the castle. The enemy had in the mean time been diligently at work on the first-mentioned Fascine battery, had got two guns mounted to play from thence, and were working to add more ; upon which the Admiral ordered a ship close under the shore to rake that battery.
On the 23rd Commodore Lestock in the JSoyne, with the Prince Frederick, Hampton Court, Suffolk, and Tilbury, went in to batter the said castle and the enemy's ships ; but the £oyne, falling to leeward, and being open to much of the enemy's fire, was called off that evening ; the rest continued there ; and the Princess Amelia, that was fallen further to leeward than was intended, lay fair to silence the new mounted guns on the Fascine battery, and did so accordingly, which was a great preservative to the men playing our battery ashore, and in the camp, as the enemy's shot went over the hill into the camp.
On the 24th, our ships renewed their fire, but the Prince Frederick and Hampton Court, being much galled by the shot from the enemy's ships, were called off, on which station his Majesty lost a brave officer, in Lord Aubrey Beauclerc, commander of the Prince Frederick, who would have been an honour to his family and his country, being of a sedate as well as resolute temper.
About noon, the Admiral sent all his boats again to the attack of the Fascine battery, where the enemy had mounted six guns ; but our men who landed from the boats having time and daylight for it, destroyed the guns, broke up the platforms, set every thing on fire, and drew some of our boats over a neck of land, and boarded and burnt a sloop that lay there to supply the battery with ammunition.
A tolerable breach having been made in Bocca Chica, Brigadier Wentworth came off on the 25th to give the Admiral an account of his intentions to assault the breach an hour before night. Upon which the Admiral made the signal for the boats again, and sent them in to make a seasonable diversion under the chief command of his engineer, Captain Knowles, who carried with him some Coehorn mortars and patarcroes, which it was judged might be used against St. Joseph's fort. Captain Knowles had with him the Captains Watson, Cotes, Dennis, Cleland, and Broderick. They got to the Fascine battery and landed, and drew their men together before the time of our marching to the attack of the Bocca Chica castle, which must have contributed to throw the enemy into some confusion. Our grenadiers, at the time Brigadier Wentworth had appointed, moved in very good order to the assault, expecting a vigorous resistance ; but to his great surprise, as Booh as the grenadiers began to mount the breach, the enemy fled out of the castle without firing one musket shot. Immediately after this the enemy began to set fire to one of their ships, whereupon our men, observing the consternation they were in, resolved to row in their boats close under the lee shore, and storm St. Joseph's fort from their boats, which they did accordingly, and found only three drunken Spaniards there. Flushed with this success, and finding the enemy were upon sinking their other ships, they rowed up to those ships, as they were now got within the boom, and boarded the Admiral Don Bias' own ship, the Gdlicia, in which they took prisoners the captain of the ship, the captain of the marines, an ensign and 60 men, who not having had boats to escape in, had delayed sinking of the ship till they could have got off. This done, our men went and cut the boom to make all clear for us the next day, leaving officers and men on board the Qalicia (where they had found both flag and colours flying), and an officer in St. Joseph's fort.
On the 26th, the Admiral hastened into the harbour to make proper dispositions, but though he had nothing to do but to get in, he found it a matter of difficulty, especially as the enemy had sunk the San Carlos and the Africa in the best of the channel, and the St. Philip, which they had burnt and blown up, was yet burning on the lee shore, so that the Admiral was above three hours warping through after he anchored in the Narrows, before he could get to sail up the harbour, which, he did about two leagues the same evening. And our getting in now was the more providential, as we have had very blowy weather ever since. The same evening, there got in with the Admiral the Burford and Oxford of his division.
On the 27th, the Admiral gave orders to Captain Griffin in theBurford, with Lord Augustus Fitzroy in the Oxford, to advance as fast as the wind would let them, for posting themselves across the harbour, as near as they could, just without gun-shot of Castillo Grande, for cutting it off from all communication by water as soon as might be ; which they could move but slowly in, the wind blowing right down the harbour. The same day, the Worcester got up to the Admiral, who sent her to anchor close to a wharf, where there was a good crane, and a spring of water, which he thought necessary to secure for the service of the fleet. The Weymouih with Captain Knowles getting in the same afternoon, the Admiral sent him with the Cruiser sloop to destroy the enemy's batteries at Passo Cavallos, and to seize what hulks were there, which he executed on the 28th, having destroyed two batteries of eight guns on each side of the entrance to Passo Cavallos, and rendered those guns unserviceable by spiking them up, and knocking off their trunnions, and brought out four large hulks, that may be very useful to us for our second descent, and the watering our ships.
Sir Chaloner Ogle got in with his ship, the 27th at night, and the 28th worked up between the Admiral and his two advanced guards ; and the Sipon, Jersey, and ^Experiment soon after joined him. The Torbay and two fireships of the Admiral's division got up to him on the 30th, as did the Chichester and two bomb-ketches on the evening of the same day.
The enemy acted in a sort of despondency, sinking all their galleons and other ships across the mouth of their harbour, above Castillo Grande, except the Conquistador and Dragon, the two remaining men of war of the king of Spain, and a ship wearing French colours, in order entirely to block up the channel into the harbour.
On the 30th, in the evening, the Admiral ordered his engineer, Captain Knowles, in the Weymouth, to discover what he could of the enemy. He, getting that night a little above the Admiral's advance guard, observed the enemy were very busy in moving about with thirteen launches, and the "next morning he discovered that they had sunk their two remaining men of war, the Conquistador and Dragon, both of GO guns, and were removing things out of Castillo Grande, of which he immediately gave notice to Sir Chaloner Ogle, who lay between the Admiral and his advance guards, the JBurford and Oxford. He ordered Captain Knowles to advance with his ship and fire on the castle, to see if they would return it, which he observing they did not, immediately made the signal for the boats, manned and armed, who rowed up directly to the castle, and took possession of it without opposition. The Admiral made Captain Knowles Governor of it, he being well qualified to make his remarks from it, how we may take our advantages to push on still successfully. We shall now be able to land our troops within a league of the town, which could not have been done nearer than three leagues without our being masters of Castillo Grande. And now we are in full possession, we may truly say it was as narrow a channel, as difficult of access, and as good a disposition made to defend it, as we can apprehend to be any where in the world. For the enemy had above 200 pieces of cannon from forts, batteries and ships, that lay all to play upon anything coming in within the compass of a mile round.
The 1st April, the Admiral got to an anchor in his own ship, close by Castillo Grande ; aud is getting some of his ships at work to try to heave the masts out of the sunk ships, to make a channel over those sunk in the deepest water, that his ships may get in to secure a safe descent for the army, under the fire of our guns ; it being resolved in a council of war to use all possible expedition to cut off the communication of the town on the land side, and to make a descent at the most convenient place nearest the town. Some of our officers were killed by the enemy's cannon, amongst them were Colonel Douglas, Colonel Watson of the Train, Lieutenant Colonel Sandford, Mr. Moor, the Chief Engineer, and Lieutenant Irwing, and about 400 men. Thus far everything had been most successful, and the account up to this date (1st April) was sent to England by Captain Laws (commander of the Spence sloop), who took home as a trophy Don Blas, the Spanish Admiral's flag, taken on board the Galicia, It is near forty feet long. Captain Laws arrived in England, 17th May, 1741. On this occasion, there were all the public demonstrations of joy. The guns at the Tower, and from the shipping in the river were fired : the bells through the cities of London and Westminster and the suburbs were rung, and at night were bonfires and illuminations ; these rejoicings were continued the next day, 19th May, and spread themselves through Great Britain and Ireland.
"We now proceed to give an account of the second part of this attack, that upon the town of Carthagena itself.
The 1st April, 1741, in the evening, the sailors by the Admiral's direction made a channel through the enemy's sunk wrecks, by which the bomb-ketches were got in, and two frigates to cover them, commanded by Captain Kentone, and Captain Eoderick, and by ten o'clock next morning (the 2nd) the bomb-ketches began to play upon the town. The same evening another channel was made through the wrecks to the eastward of the shoal that lay in the mouth of the harbour ; three of the fireships got through that channel, and were posted to cover the descent of the land forces at Texar de Gracias ; and they kept firing upon the enemy, wherever they saw them endeavouring to intrench themselves. On the 3rd, the Weymouth, Captain Knowles, got through the western channel, and the next night passed round the shoal at the eastern part of the harbour. The Cruiser got in at the other channel on the evening of the 4th, and the Admiral posted them so round the eastern part of the harbour, that their fire scoured the country all round, and drove about one hundred of the enemy from a breast-work, at the upper end of the harbour ; and the Weymouth's guns scoured the country between that and St. Lazar, by which means we procured a secure descent to the land forces, who began to land by the 5th, by break of day.
General Wentworth, with about 1500 men, advanced through a long narrow defile, where he had some few men hurt by single shot from the paths and openings into the wood. In coming out of the defile, the enemy, about 600 strong, were perceived to be advantageously posted to dispute the passage ; but the General immediately advanced upon them, received their fire without much loss, and forced them to retire with precipitation ; and without delay possessed himself of a convenient piece of ground for forming the camp, a small mile from the castle of St. Lazar. That evening and the day following (the 6th April) the remainder of the eight regiments, and of Eland's, and Lord James Cavendish's, and two battalions of the Americans came on shore, making in the whole about 4000 men ; but they were obliged to lie three nights upon their arms, for the want of tents and tools, which could not be landed with them. The troops growing sickly and the rainy season approaching, which would not admit of the time necessary for raising a cannon battery, it was resolved in a council of war, to attack St. Lazar as soon as might be, the enemy being daily employed throwing up new works ; which attack could not be made before the 9th ; when about 1200 men, under the command of BrigadierGeneral Guise, advanced to the fort a little before break of day. They began the attack in two places. The grenadiers who were the most advanced immediately entered the enemy's works ; but the most forward of them were almost all killed ; and fresh numbers pouring in upon them from the town, and the enemy playing very briskly upon them with grape shot, the General was obliged to order a retreat, to cover which he directed a reserve of 500 men to advance : by which means they retired without further loss, and carried off a great part of the wounded men. In this attack, above six hundred men and officers were killed and wounded. At the same time, sickness fell so heavily upon the troops, that near 500 men sickened or died by the 15th, amongst the former were almost all the principal officers. Upon which, the General called a council of war, to whom it appeared that the troops were so far from being in a condition to offend the enemy, that they had scarcely duty men sufficient for the ordinary guards of the camp, and many of them in a very languishing condition. Besides which, they were threatened with the want of water, all the cisterns from which the camp had been supplied being nearly exhausted. In consequence of which, it was resolved in a general council of war, composed of sea and land officers, to reimbark the troops, which was done on the 16th in the evening, without any loss.
The Spanish Admiral's ship Galicia, had been got up to Castillo Grande on the 8th, and the Admiral sent sixty carpenters on board her, to fit her as a battery against the town. On the 15th, at night, she was completed, and posted as near the walls of the town as possible, anchors having been dropped for that purpose in as shoal water as the boats could float in ; but the shoalings from the town ran too far off for any effectual service. She kept firing upon the town from five in the morning till near twelve at noon, and stood the fire of three bastions, a half-moon, and a ravelin during the whole time ; but as the Admiral saw she could do no material service against stone walls at that distance, he sent orders to Captain Hore, who commanded her, to cut and drive before the sea breeze, broadside to the enemy, as soon as the breeze was strong enough, which was not till near twelve, when she kept driving broadside on, continuing their fire till they drove ashore on the shoal, where she soon filled with water, having twenty-two shot holes between wind and water, and would soon have foundered at her anchors if the Admiral had not ordered her off. Our shells from the bomb-ketches damaged many of the houses and some of the churches. The houses were also pretty much shattered by the cannonading from the Galieia, though she was not near enough to batter the walls.
The sea officers and sailors have been employed in getting out the masts from some of the sunk Spanish ships, in which they succeeded so as to have supplied with good low masts, all those ships which have been shattered and rendered unserviceable in the cannonading of Bocca Chica castle ; and they got anchors and some cables out of those wrecks, to repair the loss of many in the road, where we had lain outside the harbour ; so that by these seasonable helps, the fleet will have been pretty well repaired, and the ships in good secure condition for proceeding to sea again. General councils of war were held on the 23rd and 24th April, the resolutions of which were for returning to Jamaica.
Under the direction of Captain Knowles, the entire demolition of Castillo Grande was completed on the 25th, which took up the more time from the great thickness of the walla and the strength of the current ; but it is effectually demolished at kst, and the fifty-nine pieces of ordnance in it rendered unserviceable, by spiking them up and knocking off the trunnions. Captain Boscawen has the care of the same work at Bocca Chica, and proceeds in it very successfully. The harbour having so narrow an entrance, it was thought that it would take some time to get all the ships out, and put to sea.
Upon the whole, on this expedition, Admiral Vernon took or sunk the following men-of-war, viz. :
The Galicia, 70,
The San Carlos, 70,
The Africa, 70, The St. Philip, 70,
The Conquistador, 70,
The Dragon, 60 ;
* A detailed account of the attack on Carthagena may be found in Smollett's besides seven galleons.
He also demolished the following Torts : The Bocca Chica of 80 guns ; Fort St. Joseph, 20 guns ; Fort St. Philip, 15 guns ; Fort St. Jago, 6 guns ; the Fascine batteries, with 20 guns ; two batteries at Passa Cavallos, of 13 guns ; the Castillo Grande, 63 guns, and Fort Manzinello, 12 guns ; besides fifty smaller ships. The loss to the Spaniards was computed at about 800,000 pounds sterling.
Officers killed in the attack.
Colonel Grant, Lieut.-Colonel Thompson.
Captains Eobinson, Adair, Birkett.
First Lieuts. Hughes, Prideaux, Medlicott.
Second Lieut. Smith.
Died.
Colonel Moreton, Lieut.-Colonel Blagrave ; Major Dawson.
Captains "Whiteford, Dennett, Sharpless, Johnstone, Noyer, Ingoldsby, Corbett, Harris, Baldwin, Ouchterlony, Kynaston.
First Lieutenants Gregson, "Walker, Morris, Whitewell, Jones, Tennison, Brodie, Majoribanks.
Second Lieutenants Cathcart, and Cathcart.
Dr Martin, first Physician.
It is said there were killed, and died of sickness, of the private men near 1500 ; that there reimbarked 5000 men, of which 1451 were sick and 267 wounded.
On the 2nd May, Captain Davers, commander of his Majesty's ship Suffolk, with five men-ofwar and a tender, got out of the harbour of Carthagena, and proceeded to cruise off St. Martha for twenty days, and then to proceed to Port Royal, Jamaica.
And on the 6th May, 1741, the entire demolition of all the forts and castles of the harbour of Carthagena having been completed, and the greatest part of the men-of-war, and the transports with the land forces on board, being got out to sea, the Admiral sailed for Jamaica. On the 7th, he was joined off Point Canoa, by Sir Chaloner Ogle with 14 sail, and on the 9th had the whole squadron with him except the JBoyne, the Burford, and the Prince Frederick, the two latter of which afterwards joined him at sea, the Boyne having proceeded directly for Jamaica. On the 19th May, the squadron arrived in Port Royal harbour, where the Admiral found a convoy, victuallers and storeships from England safely arrived before him. He found there also his Majesty's ship Squirrel (Captain Warren), who had destroyed a large Spanish privateer sloop on the south part of Cuba. On the 24th, after a few days' illness at Jamaica, died Lord Augustus Fitzroy, commander of his Majesty's ship Oxford, much regretted for Ms bravery and diligence in the service.
Vice-Admiral Vernon and Brigadier "Wentworth immediately re-organised their forces, in order to proceed again to sea with all possible expedition.
The following letter from Admiral Vernon, dated 25th April, 1741, (from on board the Princess Caroline, riding off Castillo Grande, harbour of Carthagena,) written the day after the council of war had decided to return to Jamaica, shews his feeling about the failure.
«From my last to you in the harbour in the beginning of the month, I was in hopes to have been able to have given you a better account of our conclusion here. I thank God, I can say, as far as depended on the sea to do, or was practicable that way, I carried it to the best end, having entirely destroyed all the shipping, and shall leave all their forts that guarded their harbour entirely demolished ; and I took care to secure by my ships a safe landing for the army as near Carthagena as they could desire, without their having so much as a single musket shot fired at them ; and to land all their artillery, and whatever they desired afterwards. And when they had stayed as long as they cared for, I took the same care of their re-imbarkation, without their having a musket shot fired at them, by having my ships well posted to cover them. And as army proceedings are no part of my province, I choose to leave that to their own relation. Sickness and want of water were the principal reasons alleged for their thinking it impracticable for them to proceed further, and it is certain the sickness is become very general amongst the forces since their re-imbarkation. We are preparing to return to Jamaica with all possible expedition, that so large a train will admit of, that will require time to get them out of a harbour of so narrow an entrance. As there will be a necessity for the greatest part of my fleet going hence this summer, I am in hopes of soon receiving orders to come home with them myself, which I should be much pleased with, being heartily sick of conjunct expeditions with the army. Through God's great mercy, I continue to enjoy a good state of health, to enable me to go through the burdensome fatigues of this command, which hardly allows me time to think of anything else. My last public letters were of the 5th December. I hope to hear you are all well upon my return to Jamaica, and that it will please God to give us a happy meeting this winter.»*
House of Commons Journals.
On Wednesday, 9th December, 1741.
Mr. Speaker acquainted the House that in obedience to the commands of the House of Commons in the last session of Parliament, he had transmitted to Vice-Admiral Vernon their thanks for the services he had done to his King and country in the West Indies. That sometime the last summer, after the dissolution of Parliament, a letter was brought to him by James Vernon, Esq., brother of the said Admiral, which Mr. Vernon said he had received from the said Admiral, and which Mr. Speaker said being directed to him in his private capacity, he opened : and that it contained an answer from Vice-Admiral Vernon to the said thanks of the House of Commons, as followeth :
«Sir,—The singular honour done me in being thought deserving of the unanimous thanks of the House of Commons, for my endeavours to discharge my duty to his Majesty in these seas, is what I can't find words sufficient to express my grateful sense of ; but I shall ever retain a just acknowledgment of the great honour done me by the House, in their approbation of my services, to his Majesty and my country, and thinking them deserving of their notice in this public manner.
«As the public approbation of so august an assembly, is the highest honour a subject can receive, I must beg the favour of you, Sir, to assure the House, that a grateful sense of it will never be effaced out of my memory ; and " that I shall endeavour, in all my future conduct, " by a continued diligence and faithful discharge of my duty to his Majesty in the execution of his orders, for the honour of the Crown, and service of my country, to study to preserve the continuance of their esteem.
I am, Sir,
Your most obedient and most humble servant,
E. Vernon.»
Admiral Vernon, on his arrival in Jamaica, on 19th May, 1741, received orders from England to retain in the "West Indies no more ships than were absolutely necessary, he therefore sent home Commodore Lestock with 11 line of battle ships and 5 frigates. The remainder of the fleet were deemed quite sufficient ; there being at this time but one Spanish squadron at the Havana, and a small French fleet at Hispaniola. It is very certain that the Admiral was so exceedingly dissatisfied with his colleague, General Wentworth, that he ardently desired to return to England ; but the letters he received from the Duke of Newcastle were so extremely flattering, that he consented to remain on the station. On the 26th May, 1741, he called a council of war, the members of which were himself, Sir Chaloner Ogle, General Wentworth, General Guise, and Governor Trelawny. The four first were of opinion that it was advisable to attack the island of Cuba, and the Governor at length acquiesced.
This armament, which sailed from Jamaica on the 1st of July, consisted of 8 ships of the line, one of 50 guns, 12 frigates, etc., and about 40 transports ; on board of which, including 1000 blacks, were near 4000 land forces. The fleet came to anchor on the 18th in Walthenham harbour. On the 20th of July, it was determined to land the troops at once, and take the city of St. Jago by surprise. The troops were accordingly disimbarked, and meeting with no opposition, marched some miles up the country and encamped on the banks of the river. Meanwhile Admiral Vernon dispatched part of his fleet to block up the port of St. Jago, and to watch the motions of the Spanish Admiral at the Havana, expecting with the utmost impatience the progress of the army. But on the 5th of October, he had the mortification to receive a letter from General Wentworth, expressing his doubts of being able either to advance further, or even to subsist his army much longer in the part of the island which they then possessed.
On the 9th of October, the General called a council of war, the members of which were unanimous that it was impossible to march farther into the country, without exposing the troops to certain ruin.
The army nevertheless continued idle in its encampment till the 7th November, 1741, when another council of war, consisting of the land officers only, resolved that the troops ought to be re-imbarked with all possible expedition : and they were accordingly put on board their transports on the 20th November, without the least molestation from the enemy. Thus ended the conquest of the Isle of Cuba, the inhabitants of which were, from the incomprehensible conduct of the British troops, at last persuaded that they landed without any hostile intentions. On the 25th November, it was resolved in a general council of war, that the General with the troops under him, should return to Jamaica, and that the fleet should continue to cruise off Hispaniola, in search of expected reinforcements from England.
The transports sailed on the 28th, and the Admiral on the 6th December, with the remaining squadron, consisting of 8 ships of the line, a fire-ship, an hospital ship and two tenders.
During the time the army was on shore, the fleet had not been inactive. The Worcester took a Spanish man-of-war of 24 guns, the Defiance took a register ship laden with provisions, and the Shoreham took another vessel with 70,000 pieces of eight on board.
On the 5th January, 1742, Admiral Vernon, not meeting with the convoy he expected, returned to Jamaica, where, on the 11th February, 1742, Vice-Admiral Vernon, writes home to report that Captain Lawes, with the convoy and transports under his command, had arrived at Jamaica on the 15th January last ; that his Majesty's forces which came with the same convoy being in good condition, and those before upon the island greatly recovered, that he, Admiral Vernon and Major-General Wentworth, were preparing for a new expedition against the Spaniards ; namely, to sail to Porto Bello, and then march across the Isthmus, and take Panama.
This expedition sailed from Jamaica on the 9th March, the troops and transports not being ready before, and arrived on the 28th at Porto Bello, and a general council of war having been held on. the 31st March, it was unanimously agreed by the land officers, though protested against by the Admiral, that as the troops had been three weeks in the passage from Jamaica instead of eight days, which is the usual time ; by reason of contrary winds, so that the rainy season was then beginning ; and as several of the transports had been separated from the convoy at sea, and not yet arrived, and particularly the greater part of the negroes, it would be therefore impracticable to undertake at present the expedition, which had been projected ; and it was accordingly resolved to return forthwith to Jamaica. Nothing of importance seems to have been undertaken during the summer, and on the 23rd September, 1742, his Majesty's ship Gibraltar, Captain Fowke, arrived at Jamaica from England, and in consequence of orders brought by him, both Vice-Admiral Vernon and Major-General Wentworth, made preparations to return to England, leaving Sir Chaloner Ogle in command of the fleet.
The Board of Admiralty at this time, viz. from March 19, 1741, to 13th December, 1743, were,
Daniel, Earl of Winchelsea,
John Cockburne, Esq.
Lord A. Hamilton,
Lord Baltimore,
Philip Cavendish, Esq.
G-. Lee, L.C.D.
John Trevor, Esq.
London Magazine, 1743.
On the 6th January, 1743, Admiral Vernon landed at Bristol, where he was received with loud acclamations of the people, and other demonstrations of joy.
13th January. — Thirty chests of treasure from on board the Boyne, were sent by waggons from Bristol for London, each chest containing 10,000 pieces of eight, etc. the glorious trophies of Admiral Vernon's conquests.
The same day, the said Admiral arrived at his house in Jermyn Street, St. James, from Bath, and soon after waited on his Majesty.
20th January. — The freedom of the City of London was presented in a gold box to Admiral Vernon ; and on the 24th, Admiral Vernon went to Guildhall, and took the oath as a freeman of London, when he expressed his grateful sense of the honour the City had done him, and gave the Chamberlain £100 to be distributed among such poor freemen as he should think proper.
In March, ]743, Vice-Admiral Vernon was admitted an Elder Brother of the Trinity-house ; and during this month, he took his seat in the House of Commons as member for Ipswich,where he soon became an active member on the opposition side of the House.
On the 16th of June, 1744, Vice-Admiral Vernon received a letter from Thomas Corbett, Esq. Secretary to the Admiralty, signifying that my Lords requested Admiral "Vernon's opinion upon the present system of manning and arming the Navy, and begging to know whether he would propose any alteration ; to which ViceAdmiral Vernon returned the following answer :
Nacton,
June 18, 1744.
Sir,
«I have received your letter of the sixteenth, in which you are pleased to signify that it is my Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty's desire, I should let them know my opinion, whether the present complement of men allowed to a ship of sixty-four guns, being four hundred and eighty, and of three hundred men to a fifty gun ship, be a proper proportion of men agreeable to the number and weight of guns, as mentioned in your letter, of thirty-two, eighteen, and nine for the sixty-four, and twenty-four, twelve and six for the fifty gun ships ; or what complement of men I think necessary for ships of these classes.
« To which I must first ohserve, that I take this case, as counsel would be apt to say to a young attorney, not to he fully and clearly stated for giving an opinion upon.
«For we have many ships, that are called sixty and fifty gun ships, that are built of very different proportions and strength ; the one of which could support batteries of large cannon, which the others could not ; and some have convenient stowage for large numbers of men, and quantities of provision for them, which the others are defective in. So that the primary inquiry is to the roominess and strength of the ship, to know what batteries she can support, and then the numbers of men requisite are the secondary consideration.
«For in the eighty gun ship I was last in, the Boyne, her lower battery was thirty-two pounders, and the upper twelve and nine ; and the apparent reason those upper batteries were not heavier, was, that the beams were so slight that the decks could not bear a heavier battery ; and therefore the ships you mention, or such ships, would soon be crippled, if the strength of the decks be not the first consideration of what battery of guns it can support.
«I remember the two finest ships of their rank that ever I saw at sea, were the old Royal Sovereign, and the old Royal Oak ; I think both said to have been built by Mr. Fisher Harding. They had fine batteries of guns ; they were stiff ships that could tise them, when any ship could carry out a lower battery, good sailers, and good roadsters ; and I think I have heard the builder told his Majesty, King Charles II., of the Royal Oak, that he built a ship at once — meaning, I presume, of sufficient strength and proper proportions, that did not want cobling afterwards. It is certain those complete ships were ships of great strength and long duration, and that our modern ones are famous for neither ; but, to the great cost of the Crown, have been found eminently defective in both.
«If what we meet in the public papers be true, of the French ships, Captain Watson was detached out singly to chase, and by whom he was taken after a gallant defence, against so superior power : one of them is called sixty eight guns, and said to have had seven hundred men, the other sixty-four guns, and six hundred and fifty men. But if we had the opportunity of knowing the dimensions of their sixty-four gun ships, I doubt not they would be found of greater dimensions than those we call such with us, and at least as big as our seventy gun ships ; for they don't generally crowd their ships with guns as we do ; in which I think " them much in the right, and that we cripple our ships by it, without any real conveniency arising from it. I have given it as my opinion in private, as well as in public, that the arbitrary power with which a half-experienced and half judicious surveyor of the navy hath been entrusted, had in my opinion half ruined the navy : and I am sure I am far from being singular in that opinion ; for I have been asked whether I thought the navy would have suffered most by the loss of their battles against the French, or from his measures, which I made a moot case of ; but others have frankly said, they should have declared their opinion against Sir J…, to whom I have no personal enmity, nor any personal reasons for having it.
«But as I think the basis and foundation of securing to this nation the blessings of the Protestant succession and continuance of this Royal Family upon the throne, principally consist in the support and maintenance of our naval power ; so I think the duty of an officer, and a faithful and dutiful subject of my Royal Master, calls upon me to avow my sentiments in this particular.
«And I appeal to Lord Winchelsea, whether I did not mention to him my thoughts of what might be a proper method for his serving his Majesty effectually in that particular, which to the best of my memory was this, viz. — That the builders of the king's yards, and the most eminent of the builders of the merchants yards, should respectively draw a plan of proportions for a ship of each rank, and draw up his reasons in writing for the support of his own plan ; and then to be summoned together before their Lordships, that every one might be admitted to support his own plan, and to give answers to the objections each might have to make to what was proposed by the other. By which I thought a perfect plan might be formed, which then should be given in orders to the Surveyor to see duly executed, which I take to be the proper business of a Surveyor.
«And I fear his usurping the whole direction, or having been permitted to do it, with his too much pride and self-sufficiency to be capable of being better informed, and too little good sense or solid judgment for being capable of directing all himself, has made ours a declining navy in the art of ship-building, at a time when both France and Spain have been greatly improved in it. I think these are matters that require a timely and serious consideration ; and in that view I joined with those, who were for having such an enquiry entered upon, by a select Committee of the House of Commons ; where it might have been carefully enquired into by the time, care, and application, that such a thing would require, if it had not been jockeyed off by those who dislike all enquiries ; though they may be necessary when those whose proper province it is, seem to think it to be too much trouble for them.
«I am sure I think it very highly for his Majesty's service, somebody should enquire into it before it be too late ; as I apprehend our Royal Master's true interest is most likely to be the fatal sacrifice of not maJsing some such timely enquiry. I thank God I have always served the Crown faithfully and diligently in every post that has fallen to my lot to be called upon " for the Crown's service ; as I hope I shall ever do with a steady fidelity becoming the duty of a faithful and loyal subject ; in which view I have given this as my answer to their Lord" ships enquiry, and am,
Sir, Your most humble servant.»
E. Vernon."
This letter seems to have given such offence to the Board of Admiralty, that upon the Naval promotion, which came out on the 23rd June, 1744, only five days afterwards, Vice-Admiral Vernon was passed over ; in fact his name seems to have been removed from the list of Admirals.
The promotions were as follows :
Nicholas Haddock, Esq. To be Admirals of the Blue.
Sir Chaloner Ogle,
James Steuart, Esq. To be Vice-Admirals of the Red.
Sir Charles Hardy,
Thomas Davers, Esq. To be Vice-Admirals of the White.
Hon. George Clinton,
William Rowley, Esq. To be Vice-Admirals of the Blu
William Martin, Esq.
Isaac Townsend, Esq. To be Rear-Admiral of the Bed.
Henry Medley, Esq. To be Eear-Admiral of the White.
George Anson, Esq. To be Rear-Admiral of the White.
Vice-Admiral Vernon was senior to Nicholas Haddock, and on being passed over at forgotten in this extraordinary manner, he wrote the following letter to the Secretary of the Admiralty, to be laid before the Lords Commissioners, who at this time consisted of the following persons.
Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty, December 1743 to December 1744.
Daniel, Earl of Winchelsea,
John Cockburne, Esq.
Lord A. Hamilton,
Lord Baltimore,
G. Lee, Esq.
Sir Charles Hardy,
Bart. John Philipson.
«Nacton, 30th June, 1744.
To Thomas Corbett, Esq. Secretary of the Admiralty.
Sir,
" As we that live retired in the country often content ourselves with the information we derive from the newspapers on a market day, I did not so early observe the advertisement from your office of the 23rd of this month, That in pursuance of his Majesty's pleasure, the Right Honourable the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty, had made the following promotions therein mentioned. In which I could not but observe there was no mention of my name among the flag-officers, though by your letter of the 16th inst. you directed to me as Vice-Admiral of the Red, and (by their Lordships' orders) desired my opinion on an affair for his Majesty's service, which I very honestly gave them, as I judged most conducive to his honour ; so that their Lordships could not be uninformed that I was in the land of the living.
« Though the promotions are said to be made by their Lordships' orders, yet, we all know the communication of his Majesty's pleasure must come from the First Lord in the Commission ; from whom principally his Majesty is supposed to receive his information on which his Royal orders are founded. And as it is a known maxim of our law, that the King can do no wrong, founded as I apprehend on the persuasion that the Crown never does so, but from the misinformation of those whose respective provinces are to inform his Majesty of the particular affairs under their care, the first suggestion that naturally occurs to an officer, that has the fullest testimony in his custody of having happily served his Majesty, in the command he was intrusted with, to his Royal approbation, is, that your First Commissioner must either have informed his Majesty that I was dead, or have laid something to my charge rendering me unfit to rise in my rank in the Royal navy ; of which, being insensible myself, I desire their Lordships would be pleased to inform me in what it consists, having both in action and advice, always to the best of my judgment, endeavoured to serve our Royal Master with a zeal and activity becoming a faithful and loyal subject, and having hitherto received the approbation of your Board. I confess at my time of life, a retirement from the hurry of business to prepare for the general audit, which every Christian ought to have perpetually in his mind, is what cannot butbede" sirable, and might rather give me occasion to rejoice than any concern, which (I thank God) it does very little ; yet, that I might not by any be thought to be one that would decline the public service, I have thought proper to remind their Lordships I am living, and have (I thank God) the same honest zeal reigning in my breast, that has animated me on all occasions, to approve myself a faithful and zealous subject and servant to my Royal Master ; and if the First Lord Commissioner has represented me in any other light to our Royal Master, he has acted with a degeneracy unbecoming the descendant from a noble father, whose memory I reverence and esteem, though I have no compliments to make to the judgment or conduct of the son.»
N.B. To this no answer wag returned. But on the 25th December, 1744, there was a change of Ministers, and a new Board of Admiralty, viz.
John Duke of Bedford,
Lord Sandwich,
Lord Archibald Hamilton,
Lord Vere Beauclerc,
Lord Baltimore,
Geo. Anson, Esq.
Geo. Greville, Esq.
This Board of Admiralty immediately replaced Admiral Vernon's name on the navy list in its proper place, namely, before Nicholas Haddock, and in a list of flag-officers published by authority on the 24th April, 1745, they stand as follows :
Sir John Norris Rear-Admiral of the Fleet of the Red Division
Thos. Matthews
Edw Vernon Admirals of the White
Nicholas Haddock
Sir C. Ogle Bart Admirals of the Blue.
John Stewart, Esq.
Thos. Davers Vice-Admirals of the Red.
Hon. G. Clinton
William Rowley
William Martin Vice-Admirals of the White.
Isaac Townshend
Henry Medley Vice-Admirals of the Blue
Rt. Hon.Lord Vere Beauclerc Rear-Ad.of the Red.
George Anson Rear-Admiral of the White.
Perigrin Mayne Rear-Admiral of the Blue.
Eichard Lestock Vice Admiral of the White, under suspension to be tried by a Court-martial. He was acquitted in 1746, and shortly afterwards made Admiral of the Blue, and died in the Channel.
In July,1745, there being great fear that an invasion was about to take place, Admiral Vernon was again called from retirement, and on the 6th of August hoisted his flag on board the St. George, 90, at Portsmouth, and shortly afterwards sailed with a squadron to cruise in the Channel.
It was at this time that the Admiral first ordered water to be mixed with the rum before it was issued to the sailors, who immediately called it grog. The Admiral having long before been named by them «Old Grog» from his wearing grogram breeches.
On the 10th December, 1745, from his ship the Norwich, in the Downs, Admiral Vernon wrote the following seasonable letter to the Captains of three Dover privateers.
«Brother Sailors,
Captain Gregory having reported the hearty honest zeal you have expressed for the service of his Majesty, and preservation of your country from the threatened attempts of the inveterate enemy to our laws, religion and liberty, which like honest true-hearted brother sailors you had roundly set about manifesting by your actions, the sincerity of your declarations, as your own judgment informs you of the present necessity for it, and that we cannot be too nimble for being before-hand with them, as according to the old proverb, delays are dangerous ; I take the earliest opportunity to send by Captain Gregory my hearty thanks for the honest and laudable zeal you have expressed for the service of his Majesty and your country under my orders ; and to assure you that I will take care to do justice to the merits of every one's services, and that no endeavour of mine shall be wanting for procuring you a just, equitable, and prompt consideration for the merit of your willing service, that you confide in the honour and justice of the Crown for your being amply considered : for I am, brother officers,
Both yours and all our honest brother sailors' friend, and humble servant,
(signed) E. Yeenon.»
On. the 18th December, the Carlisle privateer of Dover sent in two more French transports bound from Rouen to Boulogne, and on the 19th December, two Dover privateers fell in with a fleet of transports off Dunkirk, bound as they supposed to Calais or Boulogne to take in troops. They were mostly fishing boats and small vessels, and about 60 sail of them ; about 17 of which the said privateers drove on shore near Calais. They blowed up one laden with cannon, powder, and other warlike stores : sunk two and brought three away, two of which came into the pier at Dover, and the third was lost in the bay. They had all some warlike stores on board, such as small cannon, powder and ball, some horse collars and poles, about seven feet long, spiked with iron at both ends.
On Friday, the 20th December, Admiral Vernon sent the following letter to John Norris, Esq. at Deal Castle.
«Norwich, in the Downs, 20th December, 1745.
«Sir,
«As from the intelligence I have procured last night of the enemy's having brought away from Dunkirk great numbers of their small embarkations, and many of them laden with cannon, field carriages, powder, shot, and other military stores ; the Irish troops being marched out of Dunkirk, towards Calais ; General Lowendahl, and many other officers, being at Dunkirk, with a young person among them they call the Prince, and was said to be the second son of the Pretender ; as I can't but apprehend they are preparing for a descent from the ports of Calais and Boulogne, and which I suspect may be attempted at Dungeness, where many of my cruisers are in motion for, and I have some thoughts of my moving to-morrow with part of my ships, if the weather should be moderate for a descent ; I thought it my duty, for his Majesty's service, to advise you of it, and to desire you will communicate this my letter to the mayor of Deal, and that the neighbouring towns should have advice for assembling for their common defence ; that my cruisers' signals, for discovering the approach of an enemy, will be their jack-flag flying at their top-mast head, and firing a gun every half hour, and to desire they will forward the alarm.
I am, Sir, your humble servant,
E. Vernon.»
«To John Noems, Esq., at Deal Castle, or to the Mayor of Deal in his absence.»
Upon receiving the above letter, the DeputyLieutenants of Kent published it with the following invitation annexed.
«Every body who reads the above letter, willing and ready to stand up for defence of their King and country, their liberties and lives, are desired to assemble on Sunday morning next, the 22nd inst., as soon as possible on horseback, with such arms and ammunition as they have, and to bring two days provisions of victuals with them. The place of rendezvous or assembling is Swinfield Minis. It is hoped all the parishes and the towns within 20 miles of the sea-coast any way will not fail to be there, with all the able-bodied men they have.
The parishes near to the Minis are desired to bring some pick-axes, shovels and axes along with them, besides their arms.
The Deputy-lieutenants.»
Four thousand men were accordingly assembled on that day.
All this time the enemies of Admiral Vernon had been using their influence against him at the Admiralty, hinting that he was not as vigilant as he should be, and did not keep a proper lookout on the French coast ; and many letters were written to him upon this subject by the Secretary for the Admiralty, finding fault with him for nearly every thing he did, and especially for having warranted a gunner on board the Pool, which the Admiral was about to send upon an expedition, and which ship was without that very necessary officer ; the Secretary informed him that my Lords did not approve of his having appointed the gunner, and directed that he would withdraw the warrant.
This order the Admiral refused to obey, and tendered his resignation. And on the 1st January, 1746, struck his flag, and handed over the command in the Downs to Vice-Admiral Martin ; and at the same time wrote the following letter to the Duke of Bedford, then First Lord of the Admiralty.
«2nd of January, 1746. " My Loed Dttke,
Your Grace having, from a nobleness of mind and humanity of temper becoming of your high birth, espoused the cause of an injured innocent person, and honoured with marks of your generous friendship an officer you thought so deserving of it, so as to become his advocate, and procure his being restored to his rank in the Royal Navy, and employed in it accordingly at this critical conjuncture ; as a testimony of your Grace's confidence that he had judgment to execute it, and an honest zeal for approving himself a faithful, zealous and diligent officer and servant to our Koyal Master. And I hope in God as well as I sincerely believe it to be true, that this officer, in the person of your humble servant the writer, has had that just regard for the discharge of the duty confided to him through your Grace's means, that he may with confidence assert that he has acted circumspectly, diligently and assiduously in the execution of that trust, as to have manifested to the world, that your Grace was neither deceived in your judgment of his capacity for the service of the Crown, nor his inclination to discharge his duty to our Royal Master, with a sincere honest zeal, for approving himself his Majesty's faithful subject and servant, which he has had the double incitement to, of his duty to the King, and the just regard he ought to have for justifying your Grace in the good opinion you had entertained of him ; as I am conscious I have done nothing ever justly to forfeit that good opinion, that engaged your Grace to honour me -with your patronage and friendship, I entertain too good an opinion of your Grace to think I have not the continuance of it, notwithstanding the late incident of my being hunted out of my command In/ the operative malice of some malicious and industrious agent, that is too well screened over, for my leing able particularly to discover him and point out who it is ; so that must remain to me a secret, till some happy Providence in the course of time may more clearly discover it ; not being nevertheless in my own mind doubtful, but I can trace the original cause of it, and guess pretty nearly at who may be the concealed director of it.
«As the pen of the Secretary of the Admiralty conveyed these bitter shafts that were levelled at me, I thought it right to suggest that his pen might be tinged with a gall flowing from his own mind, beyond the direction he might receive for it, from which I thought it my duty to acquit him on a gentlemanlike apology in regard to his office, which I was no stranger to his duty to obey, and on an assurance of a good will he had always possessed, and I well knew I had never given him occasion to alter the sentiments of a professed friendship for me.
«And one of the occasions taken to justify this conduct towards me, having been that I had, within the Channel of England, on a ship's service being immediately wanted for proceeding to sea, and being without a gunner, (certainly a necessary officer for her defence), and which I could not think myself justified in permitting to go to sea without, presumed, as it is called, to warrant a gunner to her, as I judged it to be absolutely necessary for his Majesty's service, and the defence of the ship.
«And having now stated the fact, I shall presume to give your Grace my sentiments in that particular, viz. — That it is my opinion, that when the Admiralty is ordered by the Crown to fit out a fleet for the service of the Government in the Channel of England, or on foreign service, and the Admiralty had commissioned them out of the sea officers on shore, and appointed the Admiral to command in chief, in pursuance of his Majesty's pleasure, and the fleet were assembled together, that to support the necessary command of the officer the King had appointed, it was the Government's interest that the Commander in Chief should name all officers that fell vacant, and has not been denied while the depending service was essential ; but pretences from the Admiralty that the ships were not assembled, or not under orders, and as checks are in their power, they have contradicted it, though always to the prejudice of the Crown's service. For when the people of the fleet see their Commander in Chief can neither support their pretensions to merit, nor his own authority over them, they must naturally look after those who are no judges of their service, and renders the Commander contemptible to the fleet. This power is known to have been absolute in the Commanders in Chief in the Channel, and in one who has added honours to your Grace's family ; and when that power has been wanting, has, I believe, been always found prejudicial to the service of the Crown and prosperity of the kingdom.
«And having given your Grace the trouble of reading my sentiments in this particular, I will now proceed to declare, that it is my opinion that this is the sentiment of Sir John Norris likewise, and that your Grace has most grossly been imposed upon in the assertion of Sir John Norris being of a contrary opinion ; and I thank God that Sir John Norris is now living, who can satisfy your Grace, his Majesty, or the public, what are his sentiments, whenever it be thought proper to take his opinion upon it.
«Your Grace may think I talk with much confidence of Sir John Norris's opinion at thia distance, but when I inform your Grace that I have served immediately under his command as a Lieutenant, when he served as first Captain under that brave, honest, and experienced Admiral, Sir Cloudesly Shovel, who was an honour to his country and the service, and whom, I believe, no man knew that did not love and esteem him ; and I have on several occasions served as a Captain under Sir John Norris, whom I know to be a consummately experienced and gallant sea-officer, and have lived in an uninterrupted friendship with him ; your Grace will not be surprised that I venture to assert what is lila opinion as well as my own ; and were you to consult Admiral Matthews or Sir Chaloner Ogle, though I don't pretend to give you now my opinion in regard to them, yet I do verily believe this to be their opinion likewise ; but of this it is easily in your Grace's power to satisfy yourself.
« I shall now only add that I am at present detained here, for having my baggage embarked for proceeding to Harwich in one of the armed vessels Vice-Admiral Martin has been so obliging to assign me, to carry to my house on the Ipswich river. I propose, at present, being in London on Tuesday or Wednesday night, whenever it is I shall be at your Grace's door the next morning after my arrival, in order to pay my duty to your Grace, and afterwards before I set out for Suffolk, (if it has your Grace's approbation), to be presented by you to pay my duty to his Majesty. And the favour I shall now desire of your Grace is, that your Porter may have orders from you to let me in, if such a visit be agreeable to your Grace, and if not, that I may be told so, not to give an unnecessary trouble to you or myself.
«I have begun with expressing a grateful sense of the testimony of the friendship you have honoured me with, which on all events I shall ever retain, as I may say it is a sort of hereditary inclination in our family, to have entertained an honour for your Grace, from the memory of that glorious martyr for the liberties of his country, my Lord William Eussell, the memory of which has in some manner been transmitted to posterity with my father's hand, whom I think was the Draughtsman of the Ducal Patent in your Grace's family ; and I have heard it much commended for the elegancy of the style, and the just honours done to a nobleman, of so many amiable qualities, unsullied by any vices that ever I heard of. That your Grace may live and die as great an honour to your family, shall ever be the sincere wish of, etc. etc.
E. Vernon.»
On the 7th of January, 1746, Admiral Vernon arrived in London, and on the 10th went down to his country seat in Suffolk ; and finding that it was supposed he had been removed from his command, for not being sufficiently active against the enemy, he took steps to contradict such reports, and a short time afterwards two pamphlets appeared ; the one entitled " Some Seasonable Advice from an honest Sailor, to whom it might have concerned for the service of the Crown and Country ;" and the other " A Specimen of naked Truth from a British Sailor." Prom which the following are extracts :
First pamphlet, entitled, "Some Seasonable Advice from an honest Sailor, to whom it might have concerned for the service of the Crown and Country."
This pamphlet contained all Admiral Vernon's letters to the Admiralty from the 4th August to the 26th December. A few of which, with extracts from others, are here given, to shew the Admiral's opinion on different matters of interest in the navy.
Impressing of Seamen
Admiral Vernon always spoke and wrote strongly against the pressing of seamen, as being both impolitic and injurious to the service, in which he showed himself at least 100 years in advance of his age.
On the 10th Oct. 1745, he wrote as follows to the Admiralty : —
« Our long boats and cutters are all employed for impressing seamen,as their Lordships directed, (but to be sure the greater part of them will escape, as they are as industrious to avoid it, as we can be to execute it), and which I shall do with all possible diligence, as it is my duty, being ordered, though much against my judgment and inclination.
«The East and West India men are generally in a scorbutic state, that requires some refreshment and smell of the shore to recover them from, and for want of which it is to be feared the lives of many useful subjects to his Majesty are lost to the public.
«I believe no one thinks the Crown of France is defective in any power over their subjects ; but yet even there, they shew a great humanity for the preservation of the health of their seamen, and care of them when sick ; and having brought them to a regular rotation of service, they are never under the restraint and confinement that ours are ; and therefore I can't but think it honest advice for his Majesty's service, that some Parliamentary provision should be provided for the Crown's obtaining the voluntary service of our seamen ; that those who are to be depended upon for the defence of our present Royal Family, our religion, and liberties, should not be the only persons in this country that appear to have no liberty at all.»
Treatment of our Sailors
«5th Nov. 1745.
He says, « It will be necessary to reconcile the affections of the seamen to the public service by a more humane treatment than they are at present subject to. I have long lamented their situation, and made some faint attempts towards relieving it, which appeared equitable, and might hare been rendered effectual, in my poor apprehension.
« For my own part, I have previously considered it in the light that the preservation of our holy religion and support of the blessings of a Protestant succession, for securing that and our liberties under his Majesty's protection, depend entirely on our maintaining a superiority at sea, which will be always in danger of being lost, when we lose the affections of our seamen, to contribute to the preserving it. And therefore I shall always think it the cause of God and the King, and worthy the most serious consideration of all who wish to secure to themselves the happy enjoyment of both ; and I hope their Lordships will be so good as to excuse at least the over-flowing of my zeal for both, from the apprehensions of the danger that may arise to them for want of a timely attention to it.»
In another letter of the 13th Nov. he says, On Smugglers : —
« I can't but think it a seasonable time to suggest to their Lordships that there are said to be in the town of Deal, not less than two hundred able young men and sea-faring people, who are known to have no visible way of getting a living, but by the infamous trade of smuggling, many keeping a horse and arms to be ready at all calls.
« At Dover it is conjectured there may be four hundred ; at Eamsgate and Folkstone, three hundred each ; and it is said, that within these three weeks no less than nine cutters at a time have gone off from Folkstone to Boulogne ; and that it is conjectured, that from the town of Folkstone only, a thousand pounds a week is run over to Boulogne in the smuggling way ; and about six or seven days past, a Dover cutter landed goods in the night under the castle, that was carried off by a party of sixty horse, and the cutter supposed to have done it came into Dover pier next day ; and though most believed it was she, no one proceeded against them to make inquiry about it.
«This smuggling has converted those employed in it, first from honest industrious fishermen, to lazy, drunken and profligate smugglers, and now to dangerous spies on all our proceedings, for the enemy's daily information. Aa this passes within my observation, I should think it criminal in me not to inform their Lordships of it ; I can't but think it a national reproach upon us, to have let their villany and treachery run to such an extensive length."
On the 24th November, he wrote the following letter to the Admiralty, upon the subject of Privateers.
«I think the enclosed shews the genuine sentiments of a Privateer, and that the profligate spirit that is nursed up in them, is what all prudent Governments should naturally weigh the consequences of ; as their views are certainly only to serve themselves and not the public, and that the same body of men under good discipline and government, would be capable of doing much more effectual service to the public.
« And of all the Privateers in the world, the English is the nation that has the least discipline and subordination amongst them. The answer of some may be, Have not Privateers brought great wealth into the country ? True ; but would not ships of war, allowed a latitude to cruise in proper stations, have done the same ? And look back to the reign of Queen Anne, when we had well conducted western squadrons, under the direction of experienced Admirals, with a proper latitude in their orders ; and it will be found that the trade was well protected by them ; the enemy's Privateers suppressed ; and some detached to proper stations, that distressed the enemy's trade at the same time ; and were in the best stations with the main body for protecting all these kingdoms from invasion.
« And their Lordships well know, though I have many services enjoined me, I have very few ships to execute them withal, and many of my ships in no good condition ; but I will not fail of making the best use in my power of such means as are assigned me for it."
26th November, 1745.
«The Sheerness coming to an anchor, but Just as I was despatching my letters away for the post, I had by that occasion only the pleasure to acquaint you that I hoped the Privateer prize he was bringing in, might prove one of the three I had intelligence had sailed from Dunkirk. As soon as I knew she was one of those three, I immediately made a signal for Lieutenants for draughting out of her all that were not subjects of France, but were going to join the rebels in Scotland ; and as the Captain told me, there was one there they called my Lord Derwentwater and his son, I ordered the Lieutenant of this ship to bring those two persons as part of those to be brought on board this ship, and he accordingly brought here the forfeiting Lord Derwentwater's younger brother, and his son, who has a commission as Captain in my Lord Dillon's regiment, in the service of the French King. His father is in regimentals, and claims to be an officer in his service likewise ; but has not yet produced any such commission to me, and fears through carelessness it may have been mislaid, &c."
To the Secretary of the Admiralty
December 1st.
«I have read with great surprise the long paragraph in your letter, informing me their Lordships don't approve of my having appointed a gunner to the Pool, when the necessity of the service required it, and his Majesty's service must have suffered for the want of it ; and acquainting me, it is their Lordships' directions I should withdraw the warrants I gave to them for his Majesty's service.
«I must say with concern, in answer to it, that I did not expect to have been treated in such a contemptuous manner, and that I can hardly conceive it to be their directions, till I see it under their hands in an order for me to do it ; and shall now intreat the favour of their Lordships that if they think it deserves an order, they will be pleased to direct it to my successor to put in execution ; as I must in such case intreat the favour of their Lordships to procure me his Majesty's leave to quit a command, I have long thought too contemptibly treated, in regard to the rank I hold, for his Majesty's honour and service ; and I should rather choose to serve his Majesty in the capacity of a private man in the Militia, than to permit the rank I hold in his Majesty's service to be treated with contempt ; which I conceive to be neither for our Royal Master's honour or service. A private Captain over two ships, on any foreign service, exercises the power of filling up all vacancies under him, and it is for his Majesty's service he should be empowered to do so.
« When I attended the I was spoke to as a person of confidence that was to have had the chief command at home ; their Lordships' orders of the 7th of August seemed to design me for such, though speedily altered by those of the 14th, and I always suspected there was something lurking under the avoiding to call me Commander in Chief anywhere, but only Admiral of the White ; though at the same time letters passed through my hands directed to Vice-Admiral Martin (whom by my first orders I was to take under my command), styling him Commander in Chief of his Majesty's ships in the Soundings.
«But your letter, Sir, has now explained the whole to me. — I shall only add, this power I have known to be practised by Admirals in the Channel ; that I think it for his Majesty's seijvice it ought to be in exercise by them. The power of Eewards as well as Punishments I look upon to be essentially necessary to a Commander in Chief for serving his Majesty effectually ; and without it his Majesty's service will suffer in this particular ; those that are expecting preferments in the Navy being seeking it by cringing ashore, instead of endeavouring to merit it by their services to his Majesty on board his ships of war, under the eye of those intrusted with the command of them. I hope their Lordships will not think it too great a favour for me to be dispensed with the executing a direction I look upon to be prejudicial to his Majesty's service, and a treatment of me which I could not conceive I could have been thought to have merited from their Lordships ; but their relieving me from it, by a successor, will be the only favour I shall think of troubling their Lordships with.»
5th December.
« I have to acknowledge your's of the 3rd, with the two papers of intelligence inclosed of this present intended invasion, which I am inclined to think is in their intentions ; but imagine they may wait first for some intelligence from their friends and spies the smugglers, of some success to the rebels for encouraging them in it ; for I am sure our late weather will not be esteemed any great encouragement to them in it for fear they should meet Pharaoh's fate, &c.
«I was glad to hear the Secretary of war is wrote to for sending orders to the troops quartered at Deal to have regard to prevent desertions from our hospital and sick quarters.
" I am now come to the last part of your letter, in answer to mine of the first, and was pleased to find you had quoted the precedent of Sir John Norris's case in the year 1740.
« Sir John Norris thought it right to appoint two officers on a vacancy that happened under his command, and I dare answer for him would not have thought it right, but as he judged it for his Majesty's service, and that his predecessors had done it before him ; and I don't think any one will say that Lord Orford, Sir George Rooke, Sir Cloudesley Shovel, Lord Aylmer, Lord Berkeley, Lord Torrington, and Sir Charles Wager have not done the same.
« Sir John Norris thought it so much a right in him, that when a person was sent down by the Board to supersede a warrant granted by him, he sent the person back with his warrant, and he was not received while he commanded. But when the service was over, and he returned to town, their Lordships superseded him : so that his acquiescence was necessity, not approbation.
« I dare say Marshal Wade has a power to fill up all vacancies of inferior officers under his command, now he is in the field, at least under the degree of a Field Officer ; and as I think it for his Majesty's service, it should be so, and that it can't be hoped for to be carried on successfully without it ; as I look upon his Majesty's service to be the sacrifice, in rendering the power and authority of his Majesty's General Officers contemptible.
« In France they are distinguished by the same general name, and I have thought proper to make use of it here. And as I think it would be for his Majesty's service, to have this whole affair laid before his Majesty, for his Royal pleasure being known in what most essentially concerns him, I hope their Lordships will lay the whole proceeding before his Majesty, and am very desirous that the sentiments I have entertained of what is most for his Majesty's honour and service may stand the test of his Royal approbation or disproval.
« The weekly accounts returned regularly every week, are an information to their Lordships' Secretary of what vacancies have happened, and they not being supplied, and the necessity of the service requiring a ship to be sent to sea for his Majesty's service, an Admiral bearing the white flag at the maintopmast-head, has warranted a gunner for the Pool, by removing a gunner of a sixth rate into her, and appointing a gunner to the sixth rate, who is a very good man, extremely well qualified for it, which has often been known not to be the case of some sent down by the Admiralty, where corporation interest may sometimes have had more influence than the merit of public service ; though the latter is most undoubtedly for the honour and interest of the Crown ; but the filling up the vacancy of a gunner is judged of so much importance to the fees of a Secretary of the Admiralty, that it is thought requisite to be writing letters as long as a Bill in Chancery upon it, which I think to be treating me in a contemptuous manner, I in no sort deserve.
«If it be thought proper to lay the whole before his Majesty, I think it could not be done at a more proper season for his Majesty's information, than when there is living an Admiral of so long and faithful services, as the Eight Honourable Sir John Norris, who is now in London.»
8th December.
«I am glad to hear so active an officer as Captain Boscawen is appoints d to succeed Commodore Smith in the command at the Wore ; and conclude the Royal Sovereign is ordered to have her lower tier on board, as that must be her principal defence and annoyance to an enemy, as she lies within the sands, where she can make use of them.
He also demolished the following Torts : The Bocca Chica of 80 guns ; Fort St. Joseph, 20 guns ; Fort St. Philip, 15 guns ; Fort St. Jago, 6 guns ; the Fascine batteries, with 20 guns ; two batteries at Passa Cavallos, of 13 guns ; the Castillo Grande, 63 guns, and Fort Manzinello, 12 guns ; besides fifty smaller ships. The loss to the Spaniards was computed at about 800,000 pounds sterling.
Officers killed in the attack.
Colonel Grant, Lieut.-Colonel Thompson.
Captains Eobinson, Adair, Birkett.
First Lieuts. Hughes, Prideaux, Medlicott.
Second Lieut. Smith.
Died.
Colonel Moreton, Lieut.-Colonel Blagrave ; Major Dawson.
Captains "Whiteford, Dennett, Sharpless, Johnstone, Noyer, Ingoldsby, Corbett, Harris, Baldwin, Ouchterlony, Kynaston.
First Lieutenants Gregson, "Walker, Morris, Whitewell, Jones, Tennison, Brodie, Majoribanks.
Second Lieutenants Cathcart, and Cathcart.
Dr Martin, first Physician.
It is said there were killed, and died of sickness, of the private men near 1500 ; that there reimbarked 5000 men, of which 1451 were sick and 267 wounded.
On the 2nd May, Captain Davers, commander of his Majesty's ship Suffolk, with five men-ofwar and a tender, got out of the harbour of Carthagena, and proceeded to cruise off St. Martha for twenty days, and then to proceed to Port Royal, Jamaica.
And on the 6th May, 1741, the entire demolition of all the forts and castles of the harbour of Carthagena having been completed, and the greatest part of the men-of-war, and the transports with the land forces on board, being got out to sea, the Admiral sailed for Jamaica. On the 7th, he was joined off Point Canoa, by Sir Chaloner Ogle with 14 sail, and on the 9th had the whole squadron with him except the JBoyne, the Burford, and the Prince Frederick, the two latter of which afterwards joined him at sea, the Boyne having proceeded directly for Jamaica. On the 19th May, the squadron arrived in Port Royal harbour, where the Admiral found a convoy, victuallers and storeships from England safely arrived before him. He found there also his Majesty's ship Squirrel (Captain Warren), who had destroyed a large Spanish privateer sloop on the south part of Cuba. On the 24th, after a few days' illness at Jamaica, died Lord Augustus Fitzroy, commander of his Majesty's ship Oxford, much regretted for Ms bravery and diligence in the service.
Vice-Admiral Vernon and Brigadier "Wentworth immediately re-organised their forces, in order to proceed again to sea with all possible expedition.
The following letter from Admiral Vernon, dated 25th April, 1741, (from on board the Princess Caroline, riding off Castillo Grande, harbour of Carthagena,) written the day after the council of war had decided to return to Jamaica, shews his feeling about the failure.
«From my last to you in the harbour in the beginning of the month, I was in hopes to have been able to have given you a better account of our conclusion here. I thank God, I can say, as far as depended on the sea to do, or was practicable that way, I carried it to the best end, having entirely destroyed all the shipping, and shall leave all their forts that guarded their harbour entirely demolished ; and I took care to secure by my ships a safe landing for the army as near Carthagena as they could desire, without their having so much as a single musket shot fired at them ; and to land all their artillery, and whatever they desired afterwards. And when they had stayed as long as they cared for, I took the same care of their re-imbarkation, without their having a musket shot fired at them, by having my ships well posted to cover them. And as army proceedings are no part of my province, I choose to leave that to their own relation. Sickness and want of water were the principal reasons alleged for their thinking it impracticable for them to proceed further, and it is certain the sickness is become very general amongst the forces since their re-imbarkation. We are preparing to return to Jamaica with all possible expedition, that so large a train will admit of, that will require time to get them out of a harbour of so narrow an entrance. As there will be a necessity for the greatest part of my fleet going hence this summer, I am in hopes of soon receiving orders to come home with them myself, which I should be much pleased with, being heartily sick of conjunct expeditions with the army. Through God's great mercy, I continue to enjoy a good state of health, to enable me to go through the burdensome fatigues of this command, which hardly allows me time to think of anything else. My last public letters were of the 5th December. I hope to hear you are all well upon my return to Jamaica, and that it will please God to give us a happy meeting this winter.»*
* A detailed account of the attack on Carthagena may be found in Smollett's Roderick Random.In allusion to the disease which seized both soldiers and sailors in this expedition, the poet Thomson, the author of the " Seasons," in one of the most pathetic and beautiful passages in his " Summer," thus honourably immortalizes Admiral Vernon. After speaking of pestilential disease as one of the effects of a particular phase of the summer season, he continues :
Such as of late at Carthagena quenched
The British fire. You, gallant Vernon, saw
The miserable scene : you, pitying, saw
To infant weakness sunk the warrior's arms ;
Saw the deep racking pang, the ghastly form,
The lip pale-quivering, and the beamless eye
No more with ardour bright ; you heard the groans
Of agonizing ships, from shore to shore ;
Heard, nightly plunged amid the sullen waves
The frequent corse ; while on each other fixed
In sad presage, the black assistants scem'd
Silent, to ask whom fate would next command.
House of Commons Journals.
On Wednesday, 9th December, 1741.
Mr. Speaker acquainted the House that in obedience to the commands of the House of Commons in the last session of Parliament, he had transmitted to Vice-Admiral Vernon their thanks for the services he had done to his King and country in the West Indies. That sometime the last summer, after the dissolution of Parliament, a letter was brought to him by James Vernon, Esq., brother of the said Admiral, which Mr. Vernon said he had received from the said Admiral, and which Mr. Speaker said being directed to him in his private capacity, he opened : and that it contained an answer from Vice-Admiral Vernon to the said thanks of the House of Commons, as followeth :
«Sir,—The singular honour done me in being thought deserving of the unanimous thanks of the House of Commons, for my endeavours to discharge my duty to his Majesty in these seas, is what I can't find words sufficient to express my grateful sense of ; but I shall ever retain a just acknowledgment of the great honour done me by the House, in their approbation of my services, to his Majesty and my country, and thinking them deserving of their notice in this public manner.
«As the public approbation of so august an assembly, is the highest honour a subject can receive, I must beg the favour of you, Sir, to assure the House, that a grateful sense of it will never be effaced out of my memory ; and " that I shall endeavour, in all my future conduct, " by a continued diligence and faithful discharge of my duty to his Majesty in the execution of his orders, for the honour of the Crown, and service of my country, to study to preserve the continuance of their esteem.
I am, Sir,
Your most obedient and most humble servant,
E. Vernon.»
Admiral Vernon, on his arrival in Jamaica, on 19th May, 1741, received orders from England to retain in the "West Indies no more ships than were absolutely necessary, he therefore sent home Commodore Lestock with 11 line of battle ships and 5 frigates. The remainder of the fleet were deemed quite sufficient ; there being at this time but one Spanish squadron at the Havana, and a small French fleet at Hispaniola. It is very certain that the Admiral was so exceedingly dissatisfied with his colleague, General Wentworth, that he ardently desired to return to England ; but the letters he received from the Duke of Newcastle were so extremely flattering, that he consented to remain on the station. On the 26th May, 1741, he called a council of war, the members of which were himself, Sir Chaloner Ogle, General Wentworth, General Guise, and Governor Trelawny. The four first were of opinion that it was advisable to attack the island of Cuba, and the Governor at length acquiesced.
This armament, which sailed from Jamaica on the 1st of July, consisted of 8 ships of the line, one of 50 guns, 12 frigates, etc., and about 40 transports ; on board of which, including 1000 blacks, were near 4000 land forces. The fleet came to anchor on the 18th in Walthenham harbour. On the 20th of July, it was determined to land the troops at once, and take the city of St. Jago by surprise. The troops were accordingly disimbarked, and meeting with no opposition, marched some miles up the country and encamped on the banks of the river. Meanwhile Admiral Vernon dispatched part of his fleet to block up the port of St. Jago, and to watch the motions of the Spanish Admiral at the Havana, expecting with the utmost impatience the progress of the army. But on the 5th of October, he had the mortification to receive a letter from General Wentworth, expressing his doubts of being able either to advance further, or even to subsist his army much longer in the part of the island which they then possessed.
On the 9th of October, the General called a council of war, the members of which were unanimous that it was impossible to march farther into the country, without exposing the troops to certain ruin.
The army nevertheless continued idle in its encampment till the 7th November, 1741, when another council of war, consisting of the land officers only, resolved that the troops ought to be re-imbarked with all possible expedition : and they were accordingly put on board their transports on the 20th November, without the least molestation from the enemy. Thus ended the conquest of the Isle of Cuba, the inhabitants of which were, from the incomprehensible conduct of the British troops, at last persuaded that they landed without any hostile intentions. On the 25th November, it was resolved in a general council of war, that the General with the troops under him, should return to Jamaica, and that the fleet should continue to cruise off Hispaniola, in search of expected reinforcements from England.
The transports sailed on the 28th, and the Admiral on the 6th December, with the remaining squadron, consisting of 8 ships of the line, a fire-ship, an hospital ship and two tenders.
During the time the army was on shore, the fleet had not been inactive. The Worcester took a Spanish man-of-war of 24 guns, the Defiance took a register ship laden with provisions, and the Shoreham took another vessel with 70,000 pieces of eight on board.
On the 5th January, 1742, Admiral Vernon, not meeting with the convoy he expected, returned to Jamaica, where, on the 11th February, 1742, Vice-Admiral Vernon, writes home to report that Captain Lawes, with the convoy and transports under his command, had arrived at Jamaica on the 15th January last ; that his Majesty's forces which came with the same convoy being in good condition, and those before upon the island greatly recovered, that he, Admiral Vernon and Major-General Wentworth, were preparing for a new expedition against the Spaniards ; namely, to sail to Porto Bello, and then march across the Isthmus, and take Panama.
This expedition sailed from Jamaica on the 9th March, the troops and transports not being ready before, and arrived on the 28th at Porto Bello, and a general council of war having been held on. the 31st March, it was unanimously agreed by the land officers, though protested against by the Admiral, that as the troops had been three weeks in the passage from Jamaica instead of eight days, which is the usual time ; by reason of contrary winds, so that the rainy season was then beginning ; and as several of the transports had been separated from the convoy at sea, and not yet arrived, and particularly the greater part of the negroes, it would be therefore impracticable to undertake at present the expedition, which had been projected ; and it was accordingly resolved to return forthwith to Jamaica. Nothing of importance seems to have been undertaken during the summer, and on the 23rd September, 1742, his Majesty's ship Gibraltar, Captain Fowke, arrived at Jamaica from England, and in consequence of orders brought by him, both Vice-Admiral Vernon and Major-General Wentworth, made preparations to return to England, leaving Sir Chaloner Ogle in command of the fleet.
The Board of Admiralty at this time, viz. from March 19, 1741, to 13th December, 1743, were,
Daniel, Earl of Winchelsea,
John Cockburne, Esq.
Lord A. Hamilton,
Lord Baltimore,
Philip Cavendish, Esq.
G-. Lee, L.C.D.
John Trevor, Esq.
London Magazine, 1743.
On the 6th January, 1743, Admiral Vernon landed at Bristol, where he was received with loud acclamations of the people, and other demonstrations of joy.
13th January. — Thirty chests of treasure from on board the Boyne, were sent by waggons from Bristol for London, each chest containing 10,000 pieces of eight, etc. the glorious trophies of Admiral Vernon's conquests.
The same day, the said Admiral arrived at his house in Jermyn Street, St. James, from Bath, and soon after waited on his Majesty.
20th January. — The freedom of the City of London was presented in a gold box to Admiral Vernon ; and on the 24th, Admiral Vernon went to Guildhall, and took the oath as a freeman of London, when he expressed his grateful sense of the honour the City had done him, and gave the Chamberlain £100 to be distributed among such poor freemen as he should think proper.
In March, ]743, Vice-Admiral Vernon was admitted an Elder Brother of the Trinity-house ; and during this month, he took his seat in the House of Commons as member for Ipswich,where he soon became an active member on the opposition side of the House.
On the 16th of June, 1744, Vice-Admiral Vernon received a letter from Thomas Corbett, Esq. Secretary to the Admiralty, signifying that my Lords requested Admiral "Vernon's opinion upon the present system of manning and arming the Navy, and begging to know whether he would propose any alteration ; to which ViceAdmiral Vernon returned the following answer :
Nacton,
June 18, 1744.
Sir,
«I have received your letter of the sixteenth, in which you are pleased to signify that it is my Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty's desire, I should let them know my opinion, whether the present complement of men allowed to a ship of sixty-four guns, being four hundred and eighty, and of three hundred men to a fifty gun ship, be a proper proportion of men agreeable to the number and weight of guns, as mentioned in your letter, of thirty-two, eighteen, and nine for the sixty-four, and twenty-four, twelve and six for the fifty gun ships ; or what complement of men I think necessary for ships of these classes.
« To which I must first ohserve, that I take this case, as counsel would be apt to say to a young attorney, not to he fully and clearly stated for giving an opinion upon.
«For we have many ships, that are called sixty and fifty gun ships, that are built of very different proportions and strength ; the one of which could support batteries of large cannon, which the others could not ; and some have convenient stowage for large numbers of men, and quantities of provision for them, which the others are defective in. So that the primary inquiry is to the roominess and strength of the ship, to know what batteries she can support, and then the numbers of men requisite are the secondary consideration.
«For in the eighty gun ship I was last in, the Boyne, her lower battery was thirty-two pounders, and the upper twelve and nine ; and the apparent reason those upper batteries were not heavier, was, that the beams were so slight that the decks could not bear a heavier battery ; and therefore the ships you mention, or such ships, would soon be crippled, if the strength of the decks be not the first consideration of what battery of guns it can support.
«I remember the two finest ships of their rank that ever I saw at sea, were the old Royal Sovereign, and the old Royal Oak ; I think both said to have been built by Mr. Fisher Harding. They had fine batteries of guns ; they were stiff ships that could tise them, when any ship could carry out a lower battery, good sailers, and good roadsters ; and I think I have heard the builder told his Majesty, King Charles II., of the Royal Oak, that he built a ship at once — meaning, I presume, of sufficient strength and proper proportions, that did not want cobling afterwards. It is certain those complete ships were ships of great strength and long duration, and that our modern ones are famous for neither ; but, to the great cost of the Crown, have been found eminently defective in both.
«If what we meet in the public papers be true, of the French ships, Captain Watson was detached out singly to chase, and by whom he was taken after a gallant defence, against so superior power : one of them is called sixty eight guns, and said to have had seven hundred men, the other sixty-four guns, and six hundred and fifty men. But if we had the opportunity of knowing the dimensions of their sixty-four gun ships, I doubt not they would be found of greater dimensions than those we call such with us, and at least as big as our seventy gun ships ; for they don't generally crowd their ships with guns as we do ; in which I think " them much in the right, and that we cripple our ships by it, without any real conveniency arising from it. I have given it as my opinion in private, as well as in public, that the arbitrary power with which a half-experienced and half judicious surveyor of the navy hath been entrusted, had in my opinion half ruined the navy : and I am sure I am far from being singular in that opinion ; for I have been asked whether I thought the navy would have suffered most by the loss of their battles against the French, or from his measures, which I made a moot case of ; but others have frankly said, they should have declared their opinion against Sir J…, to whom I have no personal enmity, nor any personal reasons for having it.
«But as I think the basis and foundation of securing to this nation the blessings of the Protestant succession and continuance of this Royal Family upon the throne, principally consist in the support and maintenance of our naval power ; so I think the duty of an officer, and a faithful and dutiful subject of my Royal Master, calls upon me to avow my sentiments in this particular.
«And I appeal to Lord Winchelsea, whether I did not mention to him my thoughts of what might be a proper method for his serving his Majesty effectually in that particular, which to the best of my memory was this, viz. — That the builders of the king's yards, and the most eminent of the builders of the merchants yards, should respectively draw a plan of proportions for a ship of each rank, and draw up his reasons in writing for the support of his own plan ; and then to be summoned together before their Lordships, that every one might be admitted to support his own plan, and to give answers to the objections each might have to make to what was proposed by the other. By which I thought a perfect plan might be formed, which then should be given in orders to the Surveyor to see duly executed, which I take to be the proper business of a Surveyor.
«And I fear his usurping the whole direction, or having been permitted to do it, with his too much pride and self-sufficiency to be capable of being better informed, and too little good sense or solid judgment for being capable of directing all himself, has made ours a declining navy in the art of ship-building, at a time when both France and Spain have been greatly improved in it. I think these are matters that require a timely and serious consideration ; and in that view I joined with those, who were for having such an enquiry entered upon, by a select Committee of the House of Commons ; where it might have been carefully enquired into by the time, care, and application, that such a thing would require, if it had not been jockeyed off by those who dislike all enquiries ; though they may be necessary when those whose proper province it is, seem to think it to be too much trouble for them.
«I am sure I think it very highly for his Majesty's service, somebody should enquire into it before it be too late ; as I apprehend our Royal Master's true interest is most likely to be the fatal sacrifice of not maJsing some such timely enquiry. I thank God I have always served the Crown faithfully and diligently in every post that has fallen to my lot to be called upon " for the Crown's service ; as I hope I shall ever do with a steady fidelity becoming the duty of a faithful and loyal subject ; in which view I have given this as my answer to their Lord" ships enquiry, and am,
Sir, Your most humble servant.»
E. Vernon."
This letter seems to have given such offence to the Board of Admiralty, that upon the Naval promotion, which came out on the 23rd June, 1744, only five days afterwards, Vice-Admiral Vernon was passed over ; in fact his name seems to have been removed from the list of Admirals.
The promotions were as follows :
Nicholas Haddock, Esq. To be Admirals of the Blue.
Sir Chaloner Ogle,
James Steuart, Esq. To be Vice-Admirals of the Red.
Sir Charles Hardy,
Thomas Davers, Esq. To be Vice-Admirals of the White.
Hon. George Clinton,
William Rowley, Esq. To be Vice-Admirals of the Blu
William Martin, Esq.
Isaac Townsend, Esq. To be Rear-Admiral of the Bed.
Henry Medley, Esq. To be Eear-Admiral of the White.
George Anson, Esq. To be Rear-Admiral of the White.
Vice-Admiral Vernon was senior to Nicholas Haddock, and on being passed over at forgotten in this extraordinary manner, he wrote the following letter to the Secretary of the Admiralty, to be laid before the Lords Commissioners, who at this time consisted of the following persons.
Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty, December 1743 to December 1744.
Daniel, Earl of Winchelsea,
John Cockburne, Esq.
Lord A. Hamilton,
Lord Baltimore,
G. Lee, Esq.
Sir Charles Hardy,
Bart. John Philipson.
«Nacton, 30th June, 1744.
To Thomas Corbett, Esq. Secretary of the Admiralty.
Sir,
" As we that live retired in the country often content ourselves with the information we derive from the newspapers on a market day, I did not so early observe the advertisement from your office of the 23rd of this month, That in pursuance of his Majesty's pleasure, the Right Honourable the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty, had made the following promotions therein mentioned. In which I could not but observe there was no mention of my name among the flag-officers, though by your letter of the 16th inst. you directed to me as Vice-Admiral of the Red, and (by their Lordships' orders) desired my opinion on an affair for his Majesty's service, which I very honestly gave them, as I judged most conducive to his honour ; so that their Lordships could not be uninformed that I was in the land of the living.
« Though the promotions are said to be made by their Lordships' orders, yet, we all know the communication of his Majesty's pleasure must come from the First Lord in the Commission ; from whom principally his Majesty is supposed to receive his information on which his Royal orders are founded. And as it is a known maxim of our law, that the King can do no wrong, founded as I apprehend on the persuasion that the Crown never does so, but from the misinformation of those whose respective provinces are to inform his Majesty of the particular affairs under their care, the first suggestion that naturally occurs to an officer, that has the fullest testimony in his custody of having happily served his Majesty, in the command he was intrusted with, to his Royal approbation, is, that your First Commissioner must either have informed his Majesty that I was dead, or have laid something to my charge rendering me unfit to rise in my rank in the Royal navy ; of which, being insensible myself, I desire their Lordships would be pleased to inform me in what it consists, having both in action and advice, always to the best of my judgment, endeavoured to serve our Royal Master with a zeal and activity becoming a faithful and loyal subject, and having hitherto received the approbation of your Board. I confess at my time of life, a retirement from the hurry of business to prepare for the general audit, which every Christian ought to have perpetually in his mind, is what cannot butbede" sirable, and might rather give me occasion to rejoice than any concern, which (I thank God) it does very little ; yet, that I might not by any be thought to be one that would decline the public service, I have thought proper to remind their Lordships I am living, and have (I thank God) the same honest zeal reigning in my breast, that has animated me on all occasions, to approve myself a faithful and zealous subject and servant to my Royal Master ; and if the First Lord Commissioner has represented me in any other light to our Royal Master, he has acted with a degeneracy unbecoming the descendant from a noble father, whose memory I reverence and esteem, though I have no compliments to make to the judgment or conduct of the son.»
N.B. To this no answer wag returned. But on the 25th December, 1744, there was a change of Ministers, and a new Board of Admiralty, viz.
John Duke of Bedford,
Lord Sandwich,
Lord Archibald Hamilton,
Lord Vere Beauclerc,
Lord Baltimore,
Geo. Anson, Esq.
Geo. Greville, Esq.
This Board of Admiralty immediately replaced Admiral Vernon's name on the navy list in its proper place, namely, before Nicholas Haddock, and in a list of flag-officers published by authority on the 24th April, 1745, they stand as follows :
Sir John Norris Rear-Admiral of the Fleet of the Red Division
Thos. Matthews
Edw Vernon Admirals of the White
Nicholas Haddock
Sir C. Ogle Bart Admirals of the Blue.
John Stewart, Esq.
Thos. Davers Vice-Admirals of the Red.
Hon. G. Clinton
William Rowley
William Martin Vice-Admirals of the White.
Isaac Townshend
Henry Medley Vice-Admirals of the Blue
Rt. Hon.Lord Vere Beauclerc Rear-Ad.of the Red.
George Anson Rear-Admiral of the White.
Perigrin Mayne Rear-Admiral of the Blue.
Eichard Lestock Vice Admiral of the White, under suspension to be tried by a Court-martial. He was acquitted in 1746, and shortly afterwards made Admiral of the Blue, and died in the Channel.
In July,1745, there being great fear that an invasion was about to take place, Admiral Vernon was again called from retirement, and on the 6th of August hoisted his flag on board the St. George, 90, at Portsmouth, and shortly afterwards sailed with a squadron to cruise in the Channel.
It was at this time that the Admiral first ordered water to be mixed with the rum before it was issued to the sailors, who immediately called it grog. The Admiral having long before been named by them «Old Grog» from his wearing grogram breeches.
On the 10th December, 1745, from his ship the Norwich, in the Downs, Admiral Vernon wrote the following seasonable letter to the Captains of three Dover privateers.
«Brother Sailors,
Captain Gregory having reported the hearty honest zeal you have expressed for the service of his Majesty, and preservation of your country from the threatened attempts of the inveterate enemy to our laws, religion and liberty, which like honest true-hearted brother sailors you had roundly set about manifesting by your actions, the sincerity of your declarations, as your own judgment informs you of the present necessity for it, and that we cannot be too nimble for being before-hand with them, as according to the old proverb, delays are dangerous ; I take the earliest opportunity to send by Captain Gregory my hearty thanks for the honest and laudable zeal you have expressed for the service of his Majesty and your country under my orders ; and to assure you that I will take care to do justice to the merits of every one's services, and that no endeavour of mine shall be wanting for procuring you a just, equitable, and prompt consideration for the merit of your willing service, that you confide in the honour and justice of the Crown for your being amply considered : for I am, brother officers,
Both yours and all our honest brother sailors' friend, and humble servant,
(signed) E. Yeenon.»
On. the 18th December, the Carlisle privateer of Dover sent in two more French transports bound from Rouen to Boulogne, and on the 19th December, two Dover privateers fell in with a fleet of transports off Dunkirk, bound as they supposed to Calais or Boulogne to take in troops. They were mostly fishing boats and small vessels, and about 60 sail of them ; about 17 of which the said privateers drove on shore near Calais. They blowed up one laden with cannon, powder, and other warlike stores : sunk two and brought three away, two of which came into the pier at Dover, and the third was lost in the bay. They had all some warlike stores on board, such as small cannon, powder and ball, some horse collars and poles, about seven feet long, spiked with iron at both ends.
On Friday, the 20th December, Admiral Vernon sent the following letter to John Norris, Esq. at Deal Castle.
«Norwich, in the Downs, 20th December, 1745.
«Sir,
«As from the intelligence I have procured last night of the enemy's having brought away from Dunkirk great numbers of their small embarkations, and many of them laden with cannon, field carriages, powder, shot, and other military stores ; the Irish troops being marched out of Dunkirk, towards Calais ; General Lowendahl, and many other officers, being at Dunkirk, with a young person among them they call the Prince, and was said to be the second son of the Pretender ; as I can't but apprehend they are preparing for a descent from the ports of Calais and Boulogne, and which I suspect may be attempted at Dungeness, where many of my cruisers are in motion for, and I have some thoughts of my moving to-morrow with part of my ships, if the weather should be moderate for a descent ; I thought it my duty, for his Majesty's service, to advise you of it, and to desire you will communicate this my letter to the mayor of Deal, and that the neighbouring towns should have advice for assembling for their common defence ; that my cruisers' signals, for discovering the approach of an enemy, will be their jack-flag flying at their top-mast head, and firing a gun every half hour, and to desire they will forward the alarm.
I am, Sir, your humble servant,
E. Vernon.»
«To John Noems, Esq., at Deal Castle, or to the Mayor of Deal in his absence.»
Upon receiving the above letter, the DeputyLieutenants of Kent published it with the following invitation annexed.
«Every body who reads the above letter, willing and ready to stand up for defence of their King and country, their liberties and lives, are desired to assemble on Sunday morning next, the 22nd inst., as soon as possible on horseback, with such arms and ammunition as they have, and to bring two days provisions of victuals with them. The place of rendezvous or assembling is Swinfield Minis. It is hoped all the parishes and the towns within 20 miles of the sea-coast any way will not fail to be there, with all the able-bodied men they have.
The parishes near to the Minis are desired to bring some pick-axes, shovels and axes along with them, besides their arms.
The Deputy-lieutenants.»
Four thousand men were accordingly assembled on that day.
All this time the enemies of Admiral Vernon had been using their influence against him at the Admiralty, hinting that he was not as vigilant as he should be, and did not keep a proper lookout on the French coast ; and many letters were written to him upon this subject by the Secretary for the Admiralty, finding fault with him for nearly every thing he did, and especially for having warranted a gunner on board the Pool, which the Admiral was about to send upon an expedition, and which ship was without that very necessary officer ; the Secretary informed him that my Lords did not approve of his having appointed the gunner, and directed that he would withdraw the warrant.
This order the Admiral refused to obey, and tendered his resignation. And on the 1st January, 1746, struck his flag, and handed over the command in the Downs to Vice-Admiral Martin ; and at the same time wrote the following letter to the Duke of Bedford, then First Lord of the Admiralty.
«2nd of January, 1746. " My Loed Dttke,
Your Grace having, from a nobleness of mind and humanity of temper becoming of your high birth, espoused the cause of an injured innocent person, and honoured with marks of your generous friendship an officer you thought so deserving of it, so as to become his advocate, and procure his being restored to his rank in the Royal Navy, and employed in it accordingly at this critical conjuncture ; as a testimony of your Grace's confidence that he had judgment to execute it, and an honest zeal for approving himself a faithful, zealous and diligent officer and servant to our Koyal Master. And I hope in God as well as I sincerely believe it to be true, that this officer, in the person of your humble servant the writer, has had that just regard for the discharge of the duty confided to him through your Grace's means, that he may with confidence assert that he has acted circumspectly, diligently and assiduously in the execution of that trust, as to have manifested to the world, that your Grace was neither deceived in your judgment of his capacity for the service of the Crown, nor his inclination to discharge his duty to our Royal Master, with a sincere honest zeal, for approving himself his Majesty's faithful subject and servant, which he has had the double incitement to, of his duty to the King, and the just regard he ought to have for justifying your Grace in the good opinion you had entertained of him ; as I am conscious I have done nothing ever justly to forfeit that good opinion, that engaged your Grace to honour me -with your patronage and friendship, I entertain too good an opinion of your Grace to think I have not the continuance of it, notwithstanding the late incident of my being hunted out of my command In/ the operative malice of some malicious and industrious agent, that is too well screened over, for my leing able particularly to discover him and point out who it is ; so that must remain to me a secret, till some happy Providence in the course of time may more clearly discover it ; not being nevertheless in my own mind doubtful, but I can trace the original cause of it, and guess pretty nearly at who may be the concealed director of it.
«As the pen of the Secretary of the Admiralty conveyed these bitter shafts that were levelled at me, I thought it right to suggest that his pen might be tinged with a gall flowing from his own mind, beyond the direction he might receive for it, from which I thought it my duty to acquit him on a gentlemanlike apology in regard to his office, which I was no stranger to his duty to obey, and on an assurance of a good will he had always possessed, and I well knew I had never given him occasion to alter the sentiments of a professed friendship for me.
«And one of the occasions taken to justify this conduct towards me, having been that I had, within the Channel of England, on a ship's service being immediately wanted for proceeding to sea, and being without a gunner, (certainly a necessary officer for her defence), and which I could not think myself justified in permitting to go to sea without, presumed, as it is called, to warrant a gunner to her, as I judged it to be absolutely necessary for his Majesty's service, and the defence of the ship.
«And having now stated the fact, I shall presume to give your Grace my sentiments in that particular, viz. — That it is my opinion, that when the Admiralty is ordered by the Crown to fit out a fleet for the service of the Government in the Channel of England, or on foreign service, and the Admiralty had commissioned them out of the sea officers on shore, and appointed the Admiral to command in chief, in pursuance of his Majesty's pleasure, and the fleet were assembled together, that to support the necessary command of the officer the King had appointed, it was the Government's interest that the Commander in Chief should name all officers that fell vacant, and has not been denied while the depending service was essential ; but pretences from the Admiralty that the ships were not assembled, or not under orders, and as checks are in their power, they have contradicted it, though always to the prejudice of the Crown's service. For when the people of the fleet see their Commander in Chief can neither support their pretensions to merit, nor his own authority over them, they must naturally look after those who are no judges of their service, and renders the Commander contemptible to the fleet. This power is known to have been absolute in the Commanders in Chief in the Channel, and in one who has added honours to your Grace's family ; and when that power has been wanting, has, I believe, been always found prejudicial to the service of the Crown and prosperity of the kingdom.
«And having given your Grace the trouble of reading my sentiments in this particular, I will now proceed to declare, that it is my opinion that this is the sentiment of Sir John Norris likewise, and that your Grace has most grossly been imposed upon in the assertion of Sir John Norris being of a contrary opinion ; and I thank God that Sir John Norris is now living, who can satisfy your Grace, his Majesty, or the public, what are his sentiments, whenever it be thought proper to take his opinion upon it.
«Your Grace may think I talk with much confidence of Sir John Norris's opinion at thia distance, but when I inform your Grace that I have served immediately under his command as a Lieutenant, when he served as first Captain under that brave, honest, and experienced Admiral, Sir Cloudesly Shovel, who was an honour to his country and the service, and whom, I believe, no man knew that did not love and esteem him ; and I have on several occasions served as a Captain under Sir John Norris, whom I know to be a consummately experienced and gallant sea-officer, and have lived in an uninterrupted friendship with him ; your Grace will not be surprised that I venture to assert what is lila opinion as well as my own ; and were you to consult Admiral Matthews or Sir Chaloner Ogle, though I don't pretend to give you now my opinion in regard to them, yet I do verily believe this to be their opinion likewise ; but of this it is easily in your Grace's power to satisfy yourself.
« I shall now only add that I am at present detained here, for having my baggage embarked for proceeding to Harwich in one of the armed vessels Vice-Admiral Martin has been so obliging to assign me, to carry to my house on the Ipswich river. I propose, at present, being in London on Tuesday or Wednesday night, whenever it is I shall be at your Grace's door the next morning after my arrival, in order to pay my duty to your Grace, and afterwards before I set out for Suffolk, (if it has your Grace's approbation), to be presented by you to pay my duty to his Majesty. And the favour I shall now desire of your Grace is, that your Porter may have orders from you to let me in, if such a visit be agreeable to your Grace, and if not, that I may be told so, not to give an unnecessary trouble to you or myself.
«I have begun with expressing a grateful sense of the testimony of the friendship you have honoured me with, which on all events I shall ever retain, as I may say it is a sort of hereditary inclination in our family, to have entertained an honour for your Grace, from the memory of that glorious martyr for the liberties of his country, my Lord William Eussell, the memory of which has in some manner been transmitted to posterity with my father's hand, whom I think was the Draughtsman of the Ducal Patent in your Grace's family ; and I have heard it much commended for the elegancy of the style, and the just honours done to a nobleman, of so many amiable qualities, unsullied by any vices that ever I heard of. That your Grace may live and die as great an honour to your family, shall ever be the sincere wish of, etc. etc.
E. Vernon.»
On the 7th of January, 1746, Admiral Vernon arrived in London, and on the 10th went down to his country seat in Suffolk ; and finding that it was supposed he had been removed from his command, for not being sufficiently active against the enemy, he took steps to contradict such reports, and a short time afterwards two pamphlets appeared ; the one entitled " Some Seasonable Advice from an honest Sailor, to whom it might have concerned for the service of the Crown and Country ;" and the other " A Specimen of naked Truth from a British Sailor." Prom which the following are extracts :
First pamphlet, entitled, "Some Seasonable Advice from an honest Sailor, to whom it might have concerned for the service of the Crown and Country."
This pamphlet contained all Admiral Vernon's letters to the Admiralty from the 4th August to the 26th December. A few of which, with extracts from others, are here given, to shew the Admiral's opinion on different matters of interest in the navy.
Impressing of Seamen
Admiral Vernon always spoke and wrote strongly against the pressing of seamen, as being both impolitic and injurious to the service, in which he showed himself at least 100 years in advance of his age.
On the 10th Oct. 1745, he wrote as follows to the Admiralty : —
« Our long boats and cutters are all employed for impressing seamen,as their Lordships directed, (but to be sure the greater part of them will escape, as they are as industrious to avoid it, as we can be to execute it), and which I shall do with all possible diligence, as it is my duty, being ordered, though much against my judgment and inclination.
«The East and West India men are generally in a scorbutic state, that requires some refreshment and smell of the shore to recover them from, and for want of which it is to be feared the lives of many useful subjects to his Majesty are lost to the public.
«I believe no one thinks the Crown of France is defective in any power over their subjects ; but yet even there, they shew a great humanity for the preservation of the health of their seamen, and care of them when sick ; and having brought them to a regular rotation of service, they are never under the restraint and confinement that ours are ; and therefore I can't but think it honest advice for his Majesty's service, that some Parliamentary provision should be provided for the Crown's obtaining the voluntary service of our seamen ; that those who are to be depended upon for the defence of our present Royal Family, our religion, and liberties, should not be the only persons in this country that appear to have no liberty at all.»
Treatment of our Sailors
«5th Nov. 1745.
He says, « It will be necessary to reconcile the affections of the seamen to the public service by a more humane treatment than they are at present subject to. I have long lamented their situation, and made some faint attempts towards relieving it, which appeared equitable, and might hare been rendered effectual, in my poor apprehension.
« For my own part, I have previously considered it in the light that the preservation of our holy religion and support of the blessings of a Protestant succession, for securing that and our liberties under his Majesty's protection, depend entirely on our maintaining a superiority at sea, which will be always in danger of being lost, when we lose the affections of our seamen, to contribute to the preserving it. And therefore I shall always think it the cause of God and the King, and worthy the most serious consideration of all who wish to secure to themselves the happy enjoyment of both ; and I hope their Lordships will be so good as to excuse at least the over-flowing of my zeal for both, from the apprehensions of the danger that may arise to them for want of a timely attention to it.»
In another letter of the 13th Nov. he says, On Smugglers : —
« I can't but think it a seasonable time to suggest to their Lordships that there are said to be in the town of Deal, not less than two hundred able young men and sea-faring people, who are known to have no visible way of getting a living, but by the infamous trade of smuggling, many keeping a horse and arms to be ready at all calls.
« At Dover it is conjectured there may be four hundred ; at Eamsgate and Folkstone, three hundred each ; and it is said, that within these three weeks no less than nine cutters at a time have gone off from Folkstone to Boulogne ; and that it is conjectured, that from the town of Folkstone only, a thousand pounds a week is run over to Boulogne in the smuggling way ; and about six or seven days past, a Dover cutter landed goods in the night under the castle, that was carried off by a party of sixty horse, and the cutter supposed to have done it came into Dover pier next day ; and though most believed it was she, no one proceeded against them to make inquiry about it.
«This smuggling has converted those employed in it, first from honest industrious fishermen, to lazy, drunken and profligate smugglers, and now to dangerous spies on all our proceedings, for the enemy's daily information. Aa this passes within my observation, I should think it criminal in me not to inform their Lordships of it ; I can't but think it a national reproach upon us, to have let their villany and treachery run to such an extensive length."
On the 24th November, he wrote the following letter to the Admiralty, upon the subject of Privateers.
«I think the enclosed shews the genuine sentiments of a Privateer, and that the profligate spirit that is nursed up in them, is what all prudent Governments should naturally weigh the consequences of ; as their views are certainly only to serve themselves and not the public, and that the same body of men under good discipline and government, would be capable of doing much more effectual service to the public.
« And of all the Privateers in the world, the English is the nation that has the least discipline and subordination amongst them. The answer of some may be, Have not Privateers brought great wealth into the country ? True ; but would not ships of war, allowed a latitude to cruise in proper stations, have done the same ? And look back to the reign of Queen Anne, when we had well conducted western squadrons, under the direction of experienced Admirals, with a proper latitude in their orders ; and it will be found that the trade was well protected by them ; the enemy's Privateers suppressed ; and some detached to proper stations, that distressed the enemy's trade at the same time ; and were in the best stations with the main body for protecting all these kingdoms from invasion.
« And their Lordships well know, though I have many services enjoined me, I have very few ships to execute them withal, and many of my ships in no good condition ; but I will not fail of making the best use in my power of such means as are assigned me for it."
26th November, 1745.
«The Sheerness coming to an anchor, but Just as I was despatching my letters away for the post, I had by that occasion only the pleasure to acquaint you that I hoped the Privateer prize he was bringing in, might prove one of the three I had intelligence had sailed from Dunkirk. As soon as I knew she was one of those three, I immediately made a signal for Lieutenants for draughting out of her all that were not subjects of France, but were going to join the rebels in Scotland ; and as the Captain told me, there was one there they called my Lord Derwentwater and his son, I ordered the Lieutenant of this ship to bring those two persons as part of those to be brought on board this ship, and he accordingly brought here the forfeiting Lord Derwentwater's younger brother, and his son, who has a commission as Captain in my Lord Dillon's regiment, in the service of the French King. His father is in regimentals, and claims to be an officer in his service likewise ; but has not yet produced any such commission to me, and fears through carelessness it may have been mislaid, &c."
To the Secretary of the Admiralty
December 1st.
«I have read with great surprise the long paragraph in your letter, informing me their Lordships don't approve of my having appointed a gunner to the Pool, when the necessity of the service required it, and his Majesty's service must have suffered for the want of it ; and acquainting me, it is their Lordships' directions I should withdraw the warrants I gave to them for his Majesty's service.
«I must say with concern, in answer to it, that I did not expect to have been treated in such a contemptuous manner, and that I can hardly conceive it to be their directions, till I see it under their hands in an order for me to do it ; and shall now intreat the favour of their Lordships that if they think it deserves an order, they will be pleased to direct it to my successor to put in execution ; as I must in such case intreat the favour of their Lordships to procure me his Majesty's leave to quit a command, I have long thought too contemptibly treated, in regard to the rank I hold, for his Majesty's honour and service ; and I should rather choose to serve his Majesty in the capacity of a private man in the Militia, than to permit the rank I hold in his Majesty's service to be treated with contempt ; which I conceive to be neither for our Royal Master's honour or service. A private Captain over two ships, on any foreign service, exercises the power of filling up all vacancies under him, and it is for his Majesty's service he should be empowered to do so.
« When I attended the I was spoke to as a person of confidence that was to have had the chief command at home ; their Lordships' orders of the 7th of August seemed to design me for such, though speedily altered by those of the 14th, and I always suspected there was something lurking under the avoiding to call me Commander in Chief anywhere, but only Admiral of the White ; though at the same time letters passed through my hands directed to Vice-Admiral Martin (whom by my first orders I was to take under my command), styling him Commander in Chief of his Majesty's ships in the Soundings.
«But your letter, Sir, has now explained the whole to me. — I shall only add, this power I have known to be practised by Admirals in the Channel ; that I think it for his Majesty's seijvice it ought to be in exercise by them. The power of Eewards as well as Punishments I look upon to be essentially necessary to a Commander in Chief for serving his Majesty effectually ; and without it his Majesty's service will suffer in this particular ; those that are expecting preferments in the Navy being seeking it by cringing ashore, instead of endeavouring to merit it by their services to his Majesty on board his ships of war, under the eye of those intrusted with the command of them. I hope their Lordships will not think it too great a favour for me to be dispensed with the executing a direction I look upon to be prejudicial to his Majesty's service, and a treatment of me which I could not conceive I could have been thought to have merited from their Lordships ; but their relieving me from it, by a successor, will be the only favour I shall think of troubling their Lordships with.»
5th December.
« I have to acknowledge your's of the 3rd, with the two papers of intelligence inclosed of this present intended invasion, which I am inclined to think is in their intentions ; but imagine they may wait first for some intelligence from their friends and spies the smugglers, of some success to the rebels for encouraging them in it ; for I am sure our late weather will not be esteemed any great encouragement to them in it for fear they should meet Pharaoh's fate, &c.
«I was glad to hear the Secretary of war is wrote to for sending orders to the troops quartered at Deal to have regard to prevent desertions from our hospital and sick quarters.
" I am now come to the last part of your letter, in answer to mine of the first, and was pleased to find you had quoted the precedent of Sir John Norris's case in the year 1740.
« Sir John Norris thought it right to appoint two officers on a vacancy that happened under his command, and I dare answer for him would not have thought it right, but as he judged it for his Majesty's service, and that his predecessors had done it before him ; and I don't think any one will say that Lord Orford, Sir George Rooke, Sir Cloudesley Shovel, Lord Aylmer, Lord Berkeley, Lord Torrington, and Sir Charles Wager have not done the same.
« Sir John Norris thought it so much a right in him, that when a person was sent down by the Board to supersede a warrant granted by him, he sent the person back with his warrant, and he was not received while he commanded. But when the service was over, and he returned to town, their Lordships superseded him : so that his acquiescence was necessity, not approbation.
« I dare say Marshal Wade has a power to fill up all vacancies of inferior officers under his command, now he is in the field, at least under the degree of a Field Officer ; and as I think it for his Majesty's service, it should be so, and that it can't be hoped for to be carried on successfully without it ; as I look upon his Majesty's service to be the sacrifice, in rendering the power and authority of his Majesty's General Officers contemptible.
« In France they are distinguished by the same general name, and I have thought proper to make use of it here. And as I think it would be for his Majesty's service, to have this whole affair laid before his Majesty, for his Royal pleasure being known in what most essentially concerns him, I hope their Lordships will lay the whole proceeding before his Majesty, and am very desirous that the sentiments I have entertained of what is most for his Majesty's honour and service may stand the test of his Royal approbation or disproval.
« The weekly accounts returned regularly every week, are an information to their Lordships' Secretary of what vacancies have happened, and they not being supplied, and the necessity of the service requiring a ship to be sent to sea for his Majesty's service, an Admiral bearing the white flag at the maintopmast-head, has warranted a gunner for the Pool, by removing a gunner of a sixth rate into her, and appointing a gunner to the sixth rate, who is a very good man, extremely well qualified for it, which has often been known not to be the case of some sent down by the Admiralty, where corporation interest may sometimes have had more influence than the merit of public service ; though the latter is most undoubtedly for the honour and interest of the Crown ; but the filling up the vacancy of a gunner is judged of so much importance to the fees of a Secretary of the Admiralty, that it is thought requisite to be writing letters as long as a Bill in Chancery upon it, which I think to be treating me in a contemptuous manner, I in no sort deserve.
«If it be thought proper to lay the whole before his Majesty, I think it could not be done at a more proper season for his Majesty's information, than when there is living an Admiral of so long and faithful services, as the Eight Honourable Sir John Norris, who is now in London.»
8th December.
«I am glad to hear so active an officer as Captain Boscawen is appoints d to succeed Commodore Smith in the command at the Wore ; and conclude the Royal Sovereign is ordered to have her lower tier on board, as that must be her principal defence and annoyance to an enemy, as she lies within the sands, where she can make use of them.
«I have their Lordships' orders of the 5th, and when any Custom-house vessels arrive here to put themselves under my command, I shall immediately employ them to keep a watchful eye on the enemy's movements, that I may have the earliest advice for the attending on them whereever they go ; which, if they come with those large fishing shallops, can't be designed for any other parts than the counties of Kent or Sussex.
«I am glad to be able to acquaint their Lordships, that I hear the Dover privateers are willing to enter into the service of the Crown upon monthly pay, &c.
«Though we are so short of seamen, I can assure their Lordships that it has not been for want of putting in execution their Lordships' orders about impressing.
«But when we have sent our men away in exchange, the long restraint they have been under makes most of them very backward in returning, and some to desert entirely, for of twenty-one sent up from this ship, not above three are yet returned ; and one fatal consequence of the continuance of the custom of impressing, (a hardship upon our seamen, practised I fear in no other nation in the manner we do) has driven our merchants to man their ships homeward bound, often with the greater part of them foreign seamen, by which even the prets is disappointed ; and the impressing in general from confining great numbers of them together for a long time, and from depriving others from necessary refreshments on shore to preserve the health of human bodies, destroys the lives of numbers annually, and occasions a general sickness among all the ships of the Fleet ; this ship having above sixty sick on shore, besides thirty sick on board, so that many of our ships are moving hospitals ; and impressing and general restraint is the occasion of it. For the human bodies can't support such long confinement on salt water, without being relieved by the refreshments of the shore, as even medicines cannot cure the radicated scurvies contracted by it. And as I esteem it to be highly for his Majesty's honour and service that, while a Parliament is sitting, some humane method should be established for preserving the lives of so valuable a body of men as our seamen, and reconciling their good will to the public service ; from which, in my opinion, great honour would result to the Crown, and great prosperity and security to the kingdom, which is even now much endangered, from no such humane methods being established ; and as this is the only proper time a remedy can be sought for, and when the want of it was never more conspicuous, a sincere zeal for the honour and service of our Royal Master, and for the security and prosperity of his kingdoms has prompted me to suggest my opinion in it to their Lordships for his Majesty's service.
«Though the troops may not be at leisure either for mounting guard at our hospitals or preventing desertions, I hope they have general orders, wherever they are, to take up straggling seamen, and sending them to the sea-ports, for his Majesty's service."
December 13th.
« I am extremely pleased their Lordships have sent the part of my letter, relating to the smugglers, to his Grace the Duke of Newcastle, as I hope their Lordships will see Mr… opinion of them too, that I sent their Lordships up by express yesterday ; for whatever calamities are likely to befall us, I am persuaded their treachery has in a great measure contributed to them.
«As to what I am so politely acquainted of, that their Lordships have appointed a gunner to the Pool ; after my having informed their Lordships I had warranted the gunner of the Sheerness to that ship ; I must accquaint you in answer, it was what I little expected, and that I am determined to follow the example of Sir John Norris, and not permit that indignity to be put on me, while I remain in command here, but when he arrives shall civilly send him back again. That officer that don't picque himself on supporting his own honour and the dignity of the commission he holds under his Majesty, may not be the likeliest to defend the honour of his Prince, and the security of his country, against the face of his enemies ; and I will therefore never take the fatal step of abandoning my own honour. I have long suspected the ambition or envy of some one to have been driving their shafts at me : I hope that is not a reason the dignity of the flag I bear is so slightly supported. I will do the best I can to serve his Majesty diligently, faithfully, and resolutely, while I am continued in command here ; but as this treatment is a very ordinary return to it, I can't but say I have reason to be sick of a command under such. usage.
«16th December.
«Their Lordships, I find by yours, seem to be as greatly surprised at my remonstrances, as I am at their treatment of me, that has given me so just an occasion for them, and which I think his Majesty's honour and service require I should have been redressed in, as I conceive it to be highly prejudicial to his Majesty's honour and service to have his principal General Officers treated with contempt when they are at the head of his forces, and endeavouring to exert themselves to the best of their abilities for serving him faithfully and resolutely, in supporting the honour of the Crown and the defence of his kingdoms.
« The present force now with me for that purpose, are two fifty gun ships, two forty gun ships, and two sloops, together with two twenty gun ships at present stationed on the back of the sands to watch their motions from Dunkirk and Ostend, and early to advise me of it ; one sloop more between me and them, and the three Dover frigates, by my means so early engaged into the Crown's service ; two of them to watch their motions to the westward of Dunkirk, for preventing their slipping out to the westward, and the third close off Ostend, to the eastward of my cruisers, which I will call a prudent and well concerted disposition ; and the Bedford, private ship of war, is out under the same orders ; but I can't so well answer for the regularity of his execution of them. And this force, thus described, it seems my offence is, I have called a flotilla ; and in regard to the importance of what it is to prevent, a descent on his Majesty's dominions with twelve thousand men, I think it was right in me to call it a flotilla.
« Two ships more, indeed, besides those detached from hence to join Bear-Admiral B… have been cruising on the Dogger-bank under my orders, which are the Mary Galley and the Squirrel, the term of whose cruise expired on the 10th : and as they have had nothing but southerly winds, they have been prevented by them from their return here, pursuant to my orders. But if they are endeavouring to execute them by plying up to return here, they can't be better in the way of intercepting any of the embarkations going for Scotland.
« We are not particularly informed what are the strength of the several ships they have collected together for the present for this embarkation ; but I am fully persuaded there are among them many more of their privateers, taken up for the French King's service in it, than I have of his Majesty's ships under my command ; and the La Fine and L'Esmeraude, I am informed, were French ships of war. And all their Lordships' advices, as well as mine, have agreed, that they have been told and have been expecting, that a squadron of French men of-war from Brest or the western ports, should come to join them, and cover the said supposed intended descent ; and I have, pursuant to my duty, and from the result of my experience, suggested to their Lordships, that with a southerly wind it was very practicable for them to get by unobserved by our ships to the westward ; and if the others were ready to sail with them, when they had slipped by, and they too strong for me, they might execute their descent before their Lordships could have time to apply a preventive remedy against it, and they would have to trust to going north about, to avoid any force that might be collected together afterwards. And I will repeat it again, that I think the three deck ships assembled at Portsmouth a very improper force to be hazarded in these northern seas, in this winter season of the year, and believe there is no sea officer that is a seaman, that thinks otherwise, and would say so if he was asked ; but my present duty and honest zeal for his Majesty's service, calls upon me to say so unasked. And if their Lordships think they have a properer officer to serve his Majesty in this station, God forbid I should be any obstacle to their sending him down to be employed here ; on the contrary, I shall have a pleasure in resigning a command to him, their contemptuous treatment of me can give me but little satisfaction in. And though at this critical conjuncture I will decline nothing for his Majesty's service, I will repeat it, that I should serve his Majesty as a private man in the militia with more pleasure than I take in this command under the treatment I have met with of late ; since the two noble Lords, at the head of the Board, through the manifestation of their zeal for his Majesty's service, for defeating the progress of the pilfering rebels within the kingdom, have been called away from their attendance at it.
« The enemy's daily intelligence of our progress, I have frequently repeated it to their Lordships, comes from our profligate and, as I esteem them, traitorous smugglers ; which I think it is high time there should be an effectual stop put to, before these vipers shall have carried on their fatal intercourse with his Majesty's enemies, to the enabling them to attack us where we may be weakest ; and have assisted them in the execution of it, as the intelligence I sent their Lordships points out they were retained for."
21st December.
«In pursuance of the intelligence I sent yesterday, I unmoored with the squadron last night, and as soon as the ebb makes, shall be under sail, working away for Dungeness, where I am persuaded the enemy might have in view making their descent, and hope I shall get there iu time to prevent them.
«I write you this letter on board the Norwich, but as soon as it is fair copied, and I have signed it, I shall embark on board the Monmouth ; though I find some seem inclined to think there has been no preparations to invade us from Dunkirk, but were they at Dover they would soon think otherwise.
«Vice-Admiral Martin, with three sail of men of war more, are just now coming to an anchor here also, and their Lordships know I have not yet received any orders from them concerning him, or so much as the advice he was coming here."
Second Pamphlet
"A Specimen of naked truth from a British Sailor : London, 1746."
25th December.
«Sir,—My letters being made up, signed, directed, and sealed, for having gone by yesterday's post, if there had been any opportunity of weather for it ; I shall begin this with informing their Lordships that yesterday evening, and till near midnight, we had a very hard gale of wind from the S. W. to the S. S. W., that obliged us to make our ships as snug as we could for riding it out, and thought it prudent even to get our topsail yards down into the top ; and I thank God we all rode it out without any damage ; and the weather moderating this morning, I got yards and topmasts up by daylight, and am now unmooring, and shall weigh with my division as soon as the ebb-tide begins to favour us for it.
«I have just now received yours of the 21st, informing me of your having communicated to their Lordships mine of the 20th, with the several enclosed therein, as I have the several orders and papers that are come enclosed in yours. And I send you now enclosed for their Lordships' information, the copy of the orders I leave with Vice-Admiral Martin, for taking under his command all the detachments, said to be coming to join me from Commodore Smith, for employing them under the orders he has already received from me ; those additional ones I now leave with him, and whatever other orders their Lordships shall judge expedient to send him ; but if there comes any fireships or bomb-ketches, he is to despatch all such after me.
« I am pleased to find their Lordships have approved of the orders given to Captain Tdmson of the Pool, who was happily anchored with all the East India ships in Westgate bay before this hard gale of wind came on, as I fear much damage might have happened to them, who were said to be very badly furnished with ground tackle.
« I could not but be under some surprise what could be meant by the expression in your letter, of having kept all my great ships in the Downs, and employed only my frigates for gaining intelligence while the enemies' ships have passed backwards and forwards, between Ostend, Dunkirk and Calais at their leisure, without hindrance or molestation. I cannot conceive where you must have picked up such intelligence, so contrary to what is the fact, that my former letters have related to you to inform, their Lordships of, viz. — That amongst other frigates employed on such services were the Eagle, York, and Carlisle, that have been some time since at my recommendation, and in good part by my influence engaged into the Crown's service ; and are and have been ever since the 11th December acting under my orders only ; though your letter, Sir, mentions them as Privateers, as if they were acting under their own orders ; and within that time, I must repeat it now, five galliot hoys have been taken coming from Havre de Grace to Boulogne and sent into Dover ; and of those coming from Dunkirk going for Calais a dogger laden with five pieces of cannon, several field carriages, one hundred barrels of gunpowder and other military stores, has been set fire to, and all seen to blow up in the air by Captain Gregory, who was with them in a cutter on that service ; two of their shallop fishing boats sunk, twelve others of them chased on shore, and three with cannon and military stores brought into Dover, and a Calais dogger Privateer, of six guns and fifty men taken, thirty-one of which I have on board the Princess Louisa, and have desired Vice-Admiral Martin to give himself the trouble of examining some of them, to try if better intelligence cannot be procured from them, than what Captain Hill has been able to gather from them, which you had inclosed in my yesterday's letter, as you have had of the 12 sail of ships chased from within two leagues of Calais back into Dunkirk Eoad, by the Saphire and Iblkstone, one of which they chased on shore upon the sands, and the Pilot would not venture so near as the Captain took upon himself to do.
« Surely, these are instances of the enemy having been watched much closer than could have been expected in this winter season. And what are the large ships I have kept in the Downs ? The Norwich and Ruby, two fifty gun ships ; for till the arrival of the Monmouth and Falkland, I have had no others. I thank God, by a prudent conduct, the enemy have been prevented from sailing either from Dunkirk or Ostend for this month past, and none of his Majesty's ships have been shipwrecked by any imprudent disposition of them, and that I think I have acted prudently and successfully in his Majesty's service, though in many of your letters I have been treated as if I had done neither ; and to look no farther back, I think I am treated so in this letter of yours of the 23rd, which I desire the favour of their Lordships to call for the copy of, and have read to them ; as I cannot conceive any just grounds I have given for my being treated in such a style in your letters, on facts that you must at least have been grossly misinformed in.
«As for my reasons for mentioning the counties of Kent and Sussex to be my province, T have some letters of yours that mention it to me as such, which are of an old date, and are in my escrutoire on shore ; but as there does not want a late instance of it in their Lordships' orders to Commodore Smith of the 3rd of this month, which you sent me a copy of by their Lordships' orders, I have sent you enclosed the preamble of that order, in which it appears to me pretty fully expressed so. I shall always serve my Royal Master with a sincere zeal for his service, and with the utmost diligence, resolution and capacity that I am capable of, to the best of my judgment ; and while my services are approved of, I shall always continue them with pleasure ; but if I am judged not to have a capacity for it, as by the style of the Secretary's letters seems to be insinuated, sure it is the fruits of a sincere zeal to say, that if you have thought of any one you judge more proper for it, all that I desire is, that his Majesty may be most effectually served, and I shall with pleasure resign any command I have to him.
« Captain Knowles has brought another letter of yours of the 23rd, and that he is come to serve with me as a Volunteer, and as I well know Captain Knowles' zeal and activity for his Majesty's service, his coming here gives me a particular pleasure, as I shall be glad to advise with him for his Majesty's service, and at all times ready to furnish him with any opportunities that he can suggest to me, for our Royal Master's service, and defeating the enemy's intentions for invading his Majesty's dominions ; which, from being discovered by my cruisers, that the enemy were drawing their transports from the westward to Boulogne, and from the eastward from Ostend and Dunkirk to Calais ; I am fully persuaded the enemy's intentions in those motions have been to attempt an invasion upon the opposite shore of Kent, from the ports of Boulogne and Calais, and which I have been endeavouring to move for preventing these three days successively ; am now unmoored for, and nothing but the weather shall prevent me. And their Lordships will see by my orders to ViceAdmiral Martin, (I have sent you enclosed the copy of) I have strengthened his command with all the force their Lordships have ordered here from Commodore Smith, and have left with him the copy of his orders you have sent me enclosed, and desired he will dispose all those put under his command, immediately on the services he judges most expedient for watching the enemy's motions from Ostend and Dunkirk. And as to the four ships lately arrived from Cape Breton, which, by their Lordships' orders of the 23rd, I am to take under my command, those I hope to meet withal in their passage here, and shall incorporate into my division upon my meeting with them, or detach apart of them to join ViceAdmiral Martin as subsequent intelligence shall manifest to me may be most for our Royal Master's service, and defence of his dominions from the threatened invasion.
« We had some appearance for moderate weather this morning, but the wind is backed to the southward, and a southern swell comes round the Foreland, and it gathers dirty and greasy to windward, that I am doubtful whether I shall be able to get out with it, but I shall not fail to attempt it, if there be any appearance of its being practicable j and the Captains of the Saphire, Folkitone, Badger and Hornet, with the Dover Custom-house cutter, Captain Stringer, have all my orders for proceeding in the execution of their former orders, for the inspecting their proceedings at Calais and Boulogne, and nothing either has or shall be omitted for his Majesty's service, that I can think of, or any one can suggest to me to be most expedient for it. And you have always had copies of the orders I have issued for that purpose sent for their Lordships' approbation. You have enclosed the list of the Custom-house cutters that have appeared, six of which I keep to act under my orders, and the other three to remain under Vice-Admiral Martin's.
I am, Sir, etc.
«Sir,—As it would be for his Majesty's service to have a speedy communication of intelligence, either by night or by day, of the enemies' appearance of any embarkations, for attempting to invade his Majesty's dominions, I desire you will write letters to the respective church-wardens of the parishes, &c., mentioned in the margin, to hoist a flag upon the church steeple as a signal for it by day, and keep a fire light in an iron pot at the same place as a signal by night, to be repeated from the steeples of the respective churches, for communicating the intelligence from Beachy Head to the South Foreland.
"l am, Sir, etc.
The following were the places mentioned in the margin : —Dover Castle, Folkstone Church, Sandgate Castle, Dim Church, the Ness Eye Church, Fair Leigh Church, Hastings Church, Pemsay Church, Beachey Head.
To Vice-Admiral Martin.
" 1st January, 1746.
" Sir,—I have just now received yours of the 31st, by Captain Scott, of the Badger, with the inclosed from Holland, whose intelligence perfectly agrees with what I found to be true, the enemies having been in motion from Dunkirk to Calais ; the twelve sail of ships having been drove back into Dunkirk Road by the Saphire and Folkstone, and several of the embarkations having been some burnt, sunk, and taken by my cruisers, the Carlisle and York frigates ; and you know the examination of those taken in the Duchess de Penthievre agrees with the Dutch account.
« Captain Owen had looked into Boulogne this morning before Captain Knowles did, and at the same time as he did, and he makes the enemy's embarkations to be above one hundred and fifty sail, and Captain Pigram, of the Rye cutter, agrees with him in his report, though Captain Knowles says he could see but sixty ; but I am inclined to think Captain Owen much the best acquainted with the harbour.
«You know, Sir, my orders are to deliver this command up to you, which I am moving up to the Downs for, with this pleasing satisfaction, that I have from these accounts already put such a check to the enemy's intended descent, that it is to me very doubtful if they will venture to hazard it now. I shall, however, continue anchored here till next windward tide, and pray open all my public letters as well as your own, to see whether I can continue to act, or be pleased to take the measures you judge proper. I have now Captains Owen and Bazely over at Boulogne, having detached them away for a fresh inspection, and before I weighed myself from Dungeness. I will not come into the Downa till the latter end of the evening's flood, for being at hand to receive their report and act conformably to it, and I hope by that time to hear from you again, and shall be plying under sail off Dover. I am, Sir, &c.
«January 1st, at three in the Morning."
To the Secretary of the Admiralty
«Sir,—Upon the first of yesterday's flood I weighed with the squadron from the westward of Dungeness, as I informed you I intended to do, having just before given out my orders to Captains Bazeley and Owen, in the Eagle and Carlisle frigates under their command, jointly to make sail over for Boulogne for taking a fresh inspection of the enemy's situation and motions at the port of Boulogne, under the particular orders I send you inclosed a copy of. And in my way plying up Channel, I was joined by the Folkstone and Triton, and Hornet sloop, and upon the tide being spent, I anchored with my squadron between Dover and Folkstone last night, and about eleven at night the York joined me from the Downs, and at half an hour past one in the morning, Captain Scott, of the Badger, came on board to me with a letter from ViceAdmiral Martin, and two letters enclosed from Holland. And though the Vice-Admiral has, as he says, sent you copies of them, yet as the advice was sent to me, I choose to do the same. " It could not but give me great pleasure to find the gentleman's letter from Holland entirely confirms the intelligence I have given their Lordships, and to find that he thinks with me likewise, that my diligent exertion of my duty has even been said there to have frustrated their intentions of invading this part of the kingdom this last full moon, of which nothing could give me greater pleasure than the having rendered such effectual service to his Majesty and my country, though I have been treated in that contemptuous manner in your letters.
« I have given Captain H… the orders you have inclosed a copy of, for his weighing with the first flood for making a fresh inspection at Calais this evening or to-morrow morning. As soon as the windward tide makes, I shall weigh with the squadron, and keep plying and exercising my ships in line of battle, and for being ready at hand on any advice of the enemy's motions ; till I have but barely time for anchoring in the Downs before it is night, when I shall obey their Lordships' commands, consign the command of the fleet to Vice-Admiral Martin, then strike my flag, and go on shore, pursuant to their Lordships' orders.
I am, Sir, &c.
E. Vernon. " January 1st.»
« The confession of George Harrison of Hastings declares, That on Thursday or Friday se'ennight last, he saw about 50 sail of transports of about 100 tons and under, in Boulogne harbour, intended for an embarkation of troops, that about sis. or seven thousand were destined to embark there ; but he was informed the whole number was to be twenty-three thousand from different places ; that they work night and day, and even employed women to fit their vessels ; that as soon as convenient they intend to push for Dungeness, run their vessels ashore, and land their men ; that he believes they intend to take the opportunity of sailing the next springtide in the night ; that their sails were not bent when he was there, and the whole number of troops in Boulogne at that time was not more than 400, but the rest were to join immediately ; and it was publicly said they were intended for England, to join the Pretender if possible. That when he goes to Boulogne in the day time, his signal is a white Jack on the gaff head, and in the night a lanthorn hoisted and lowered three times, and when hailed by the sentinel, his watchword was Amie, then he is admitted on shore and carried to the Commissary, who examines him, but he pretends he never would discover any news. That he heard some man was brought over by a smuggler, and landed at Pemsey Bay, but does not know who ; that there was only one smuggler left in Boulogne harbour, which belongs to Eye ; and that they made use of a house at Boulogne, kept by Thomas Con ; that he is very willing to assist in any shape the Admiral shall think proper for his Majesty's service. He likewise says, that one Mr. Jermain, a merchant at Boulogne, told him the Pretender's second son was taken by one of our men-of-war, and was asked if he thought they would hang him.
17th December, 1745.
George
The mark H of
Harrison.
The above examination taken by us :
Ell. Smith.
T. Gregory.
C. Wimbleton.»
Extracts from Letters from Holland in December
«That some of the Irish troops were to be embarked in large ships, but the embarkation, in which the French national troops were to be a part, was to be somewhere very near to England, and in order to help to transport them, the fishing boats along the whole coast were taken up for that purpose. And that the number of boats taken up was said to be above 130, and that the poor fishermen at Blankenbourg were lamenting, with tears in their eyes, that (by the King's order) they were to leave their daily business, and go they did not know where ; that the troops for England were said to be commanded by Count Lowendahl, and reckoned not less than twelve thousand. The common report at Dunkirk was, that they were all going to Scotland ; but many of their vessels being so small, I cannot but be of the opinion I was first informed, that the greatest part is for England, somewhere to the westward of Dover ; I think I could be positive in this if I may depend upon an information I had two days ago, that the people of the smuggling cutters, which trade to Boulogne, are all taken up to serve for pilots : it is a pity that such pernicious villains cannot he destroyed, their villainous trade is the least thing I think of at this time, for they keep up, to my certain knowledge, a daily correspondence betwixt England and France, so that there is not the least thing. done or ordered, but the enemy immediately know it by their means.
« On the twenty-second some of their small vessels went from Dunkirk to Calais, so that every day, or rather every night since, they have been going from Ostend and Newport to the same place ; and now the talk is of their landing at Dover, and so marching directly to London.
« We have now a report that some of these transports that sailed last week, were fallen upon by some of your frigates, which may disconcert the whole scheme of the enemy.
« And from these checks it is said that the storm is now drawing to the westward, though not in my power to say positively where they design to embark, or where they are to land, but some mention they are to be supported by a squadron from Ferrol.»
Taken in the Duchess de Penthievre, by the York frigate, the 19th December : —" That he was forced on board the Duchess of Penthievre that evening ; that they left in Calais harbour five or six other privateers ; the St. Nicolas a snow of eight carriage guns and ten swivels ; the St. Bennet of twelve carriage guns besides swivels ; the Swallow, a lug-sail privateer of eight guns ; the Louis XV. a dogger of eight guns ; besides a half galley of 24 oars, and three guns, one of them iu her prow ; ten galliot hoys and flutes, all which had their sails bent, besides several small vessels and fishing boats, said to be detained to carry troops to England.
« That there have been for a fortnight past troops coming from Flanders daily into Calais ; some passing forwards towards Boulogne as others came in there ; about eight regiments bad passed before he came away, and the night before two regiments came into town, and upwards of threescore waggons loaded with corn and meal ; they were covered, but he saw the sacks ; reckoned there were in the forts and citadel, including the garrison, which is 3000, at least 6 or 7000 men.
« It is said the embarkation will be made from Dunkirk, Calais, and Boulogne. That several Irish were expected, who were to land first, and that they were getting the vessels ready as fast as possible. That, on the 17th, the Pretender's youngest son came into Calais ; that, on the 18tb, when he went out of town, all the troops were drawn out, and they saluted him, Vive le roy, he being accompanied by the Governor and gentry of the town, and a great number of officers ; that he did not see the young man himself, or take any notice of him, but has heard from those who did, that he squinted.
« Of the small embarkations there are said to be to the number of fifty, who have each a brass piece of cannon, with a field carriage pointed aft standing abaft the mainmast.
« Tuesday, 31st December, a boat with a Lieutenant brought on board the Carlisle the Admiral's orders for both the Eagle and Carlisle to weigh, for going to take a fresh survey at Boulogne ; at 11 the Admiral's orders were delivered to Captain Bazely, and we stood over together for Boulogne Eoad.
«Wednesday, 1st January, at nine in the morning, looked into Boulogne Harbour, and saw there of ships, snows, brigs, and doggers about 15 sail, galliot hoys about 36 sail, and of fishing boats about 80 or 90. They fired at us from the pier heads, and the battery to the eastward of the town, and from Amblitus Castle ; we saw a privateer sloop that was sunk in the Eoad, which we believe was from the Saphirefs guns, when she stood in, the same day that Captain Knowles was there in the Triton.
William Owen.
JohN Bazely.»
Weasel, Downs, January 8th, 1746.
« Sir,—Standing in on the 6th inst. within cannon shot of Boulogne, saw in the harbour about one hundred masts of small vessels and boats, at the same time five Englishmen, who had been taken prisoners in merchant sloops, and one soldier at Fontenoy, who had entered into their service, as thousands had been forced to do, through the ill-treatment they met with in their prisons, deserted to us ; these men informed us of there being fifteen battalions at Boulogne, and three squadrons of horse, with their accoutrements, put on board the vessels, and all their warlike stores ; and that there is a person who styles himself Duke of York, and several more with English titles ; most of the forces are English, Scotch, and Irish, of which great numbers only want opportunities to de-' sert. They say their numbers are about 11,100, and as many at Calais, and were to have made their attempt the last full moon, had they not met with information that Admiral Vernon was off Dungeness, their intended place of landing, with several men of war. They have expected the French fleet, of thirty sail of the line, all this month, with several transports, which, if they were disappointed at the Ness, are to make an attempt in Ireland. Colonel Lalley went over to England in a smuggling boat, dressed in a sailor's habit, where I hope he will meet with his deserts."
These letters, with the addition of the one written by Admiral Vernon to the Duke of Bedford, on striking his flag, were the whole contents of the pamphlet.
These two pamphlets, containing the letters written by Admiral Vernon to the Admiralty and others, during the time he held the command in the Channel in 1745, proved that the idea (which had been whispered about) that Admiral Vernon had been superseded for want of due vigilance against the enemy, was totally false, and showed the public that the Admiral had himself resigned his command, after the most irritating and contemptuous treatment by my Lords Commissioners. They also proved that there had been every intention on the part of the French to have invaded this country, which had been frustrated by the judicious arrangements of the Admiral.
This expose so annoyed their Lordships, that on the 25th March, they ordered their Secretary to write to Admiral Vernon, to know whether he had had any hand in publishing these two anonymous Pamphlets, and not receiving any answer within a week, a second letter was ordered to be sent, of which the following is a copy :
Admiralty Office, April 4th, 1746.
« Sir,—I wrote to you on the 25th of last month, by direction of my Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty, to know whether you had any hand in publishing two very extraordinary pamphlets therein mentioned, containing extracts of your correspondence with the Board, whilst you commanded his Majesty's squadron in the Downs ; or whether you know by what means they were communicated to the press ?
« Their Lordships, after having made the strictest enquiry, Lad the strongest reason to believe that they could proceed from no other channel but yours ; notwithstanding which, out of regard to the rank you hold in his Majesty's service, they were unwilling to think you capable of handing those papers into the world without name, and more especially in so imperfect and disingenuous a manner, that they appear to be calculated to mislead and deceive, rather than inform the reader ; and for this reason they have given you an opportunity of justifying yourself, if you are able, or think proper to do it.
« But not having received any answer from you upon this subject, I am directed to acquaint you, that if they do not hear from you in a week from this date, either by a letter or by your attending at the Board, to give them a satisfactory account, at least with regard to your own behaviour in this transaction, they must take it for granted, by your not denying it, that you are the publisher of both those pamphlets, and must proceed accordingly.
I am, Sir,
Your most humble servant,
Thos. Corbett.»
To this letter the Admiral replied.
8th April, 1746.
« Sir,—Upon my return to my house on Monday night late, from the country, soon after, one of your messengers brought me a letter of yours of the 4th instant, which, on perusal, I can't conceive even your long experience can ever have furnished any precedent for a letter of so extraordinary a nature. Whenever their Lordships think my attendance on them necessary for his Majesty's service, as I know it is my duty to pay a ready attendance on their orders for my doing so, I shall not fail to do it whenever they appoint it.
« I thank God I have hitherto discharged my duty to the Crown in every station I have been called to serve in, with a diligent care and attention to his Majesty's service, as was my duty ; and as I have ever looked upon it, of every one in his Majesty's service, in their respective stations, and hope I have carefully kept clear of intermixing any private passions of mine with the public service.
I am, Sir,
Tour most humble servant,
E. Vernon.»
Upon the 10th of April, upon Admiral Vernon's coming from the House of Commons, a messenger met him at the door, and told him he had a message to him from the Admiralty Board, to attend them at their office at seven o'clock, which he said he would not fail to do.
The Board consisted of the following members.
John Duke of Bedford.
Earl of Sandwich.
Lord Archibald Hamilton.
Lord Vere Beauclerc.
G. Anson.
G. Greville.
H. Legge, Esq.
Upon Admiral Vernon coming in, when sent for, after having waited without a considerable time, the First Commissioner told him :
«That they were the Admiralty Board, that in them was vested the full power of the Lord High Admiral ; and that he, asthe first in the Commis" sion, was the head of that Board, and the mouth of it ; and that what he should say to him was the sense of the whole Board, and therefore desired he would give diligent attention, to it ; and that they would have him give a direct answer to what they should require of him ; and that he should attentively hear what he had to say, and not interrupt him. His discourse then rolled upon two pamphlets he had upon the table before him, which he read the titles of, being A Specimen of Naked Truth, etc., and Some Seasonable Advice, etc., and exclaimed much against them ; and mentioned two letters their Secretary had wrote to him by their order, to know from him whether he was the author or publisher of them, and expressed himself surprised and dissatisfied with a letter of Admiral Vernon's he had before him in answer to the Secretary ; the style of which, he said, was very extraordinary, and no answer to the question they had directed to be asked ;but that they expected a categorical answer, and that he should say Aye or No, whether he was the author or publisher of those pamphlets.»
When he was called upon to answer, he said :
«He was very well apprized that in them was vested the full authority of the Lord High Admiral ; and that asa Military Officer under them, he owed all obedience to all their orders, as he " should always think it his duty to do all their military orders while he continued an Officer in the public service ; and that he thought he was right, in hinting in his letter to the Secretary, that he believed no Military Officer of his rank, had ever been treated in the manner he bad been, within the term of his long experience : That for all questions that should be asked, relative to his duty or experience as an Officer, he should answer to the best of his judgment ; but as to the question now asked, as he looked upon it to be of a private nature, that he apprehended they had no right to ask him that question ; and that he was under no obligations of answering it, but had the com" mon privilege that was due to every British subject ; and that if his continuing an Officer in the service was an eye-sore to any one, that he was now grown to be an old man, and had reason to be tired with being treated in so " contemptuous a manner.»
Upon which, the First Commissioner said :
«If he would give them no other answer to the " question, he might withdraw, and they knew " what they had to do.»
Which, with his obeisance, he did accordingly. The next day Admiral Vernon received the following letter :
11th April, 1746.
«Sir,—I am commanded by my Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty, to inform you that the several matters which passed between their Lordships and yourself, with relation to two pamphlets lately published, entitled, " A Specimen of Naked Truth from a British Sailor ;" and, " Some Seasonable Advice from an Honest Sailor, to whom it might have concerned, for the Service of the Crown and Country," having been laid, by his Grace the Duke of Bedford, before the King, his Majesty has been pleased to direct their Lordships to strike your name out of the list of Flag Officers.
I am, Sir, Your most humble servant,
T. Coebett.»
There could be no excuse for this tyrannical proceeding ; and if Admiral Vernon had not in his place in Parliament constantly exposed the abuses then existing in the navy, and by his manly and straightforward course in the House of Commons made himself obnoxious to the Government of the day, such an act of despotic malevolence would probably never have been thought of.
From this time Admiral Vernon was never employed ; but his popularity in the country seems to have continued undiminished. His judgment and abilities as a statesman are unquestioned, and his character as a man of strict integrity and honour perfectly unsullied.
The following verses were addressed to Admiral Vernon, after his dismissal :
In 1749 we find Admiral Vernon taking a very prominent part in the Committee of the House of Commons appointed to consider the subject of the Herring Fishery, and in consequence of their Report £ 500.000 was subscribed for carrying on these fisheries, under a corporation called " The Society of Free British Fishery," and of which the Prince of Wales was appointed Governor.
On Tuesday, the 5th July, 1750, at a Dinner at St. Bartholomew's Hospital, the Duke of Beaufort in the chair, Admiral Vernon brought with him some of the herrings catched by the British busses. On which the President drank his health, and thanks to the British Admiral for his great assiduity for promoting the Bill for encouraging the British Herring Fishery, and shortly afterwards the following verses appeared in the London Magazine :
From this time Mr. Vernon lived wholly retired, no way concerned in any public business, further than by having a seat in the House of Commons, as Member for Ipswich. In every debate relative to the sea service, he spoke his mind, with a freedom of speech, which, though it discovered the candour and integrity of the man, yet it procured him the enmity of the Ministry, and hindered his being employed.
Mr. Vernon enjoyed a very good state of health ; he was, indeed, very lame, but his constitution, otherwise, was but little impaired. The sickness which carried him off was sudden and unexpected ; he was perfectly well on Friday the 28th of October, 1757 ; about two o'clock in the morning of the 30th he awaked out of his sleep and complained of a heaviness at heart ; a physician was sent for, but his pain increased so violently, that he expired in the arms of his servant, before any assistance could be brought.
Mr. Vernon was of short stature, of dark complexion, had a piercing eye, a searching look, and a majestic bearing. He was a strict disciplinarian, insisting upon officers doing their duty with preciseness ; he was assiduous in visiting the hospitals, inspecting the provisions and clothes ; and never was known to tarry all night ashore while in harbour. He was admitted to be one of the most accomplished seaofficers that ever bore command.
He was married in early life to Sarah, daughter of Thomas Best, of Chatham, Esq., and by her had three sons, who all died early. Mrs. Vernon died 9th May, 1756, aged 57.
In 1763, James Vernon Lord Orwell erected a monument, in "Westminster Abbey, to his uncle, Admiral Vernon, with the following inscription : —
«I am glad to be able to acquaint their Lordships, that I hear the Dover privateers are willing to enter into the service of the Crown upon monthly pay, &c.
«Though we are so short of seamen, I can assure their Lordships that it has not been for want of putting in execution their Lordships' orders about impressing.
«But when we have sent our men away in exchange, the long restraint they have been under makes most of them very backward in returning, and some to desert entirely, for of twenty-one sent up from this ship, not above three are yet returned ; and one fatal consequence of the continuance of the custom of impressing, (a hardship upon our seamen, practised I fear in no other nation in the manner we do) has driven our merchants to man their ships homeward bound, often with the greater part of them foreign seamen, by which even the prets is disappointed ; and the impressing in general from confining great numbers of them together for a long time, and from depriving others from necessary refreshments on shore to preserve the health of human bodies, destroys the lives of numbers annually, and occasions a general sickness among all the ships of the Fleet ; this ship having above sixty sick on shore, besides thirty sick on board, so that many of our ships are moving hospitals ; and impressing and general restraint is the occasion of it. For the human bodies can't support such long confinement on salt water, without being relieved by the refreshments of the shore, as even medicines cannot cure the radicated scurvies contracted by it. And as I esteem it to be highly for his Majesty's honour and service that, while a Parliament is sitting, some humane method should be established for preserving the lives of so valuable a body of men as our seamen, and reconciling their good will to the public service ; from which, in my opinion, great honour would result to the Crown, and great prosperity and security to the kingdom, which is even now much endangered, from no such humane methods being established ; and as this is the only proper time a remedy can be sought for, and when the want of it was never more conspicuous, a sincere zeal for the honour and service of our Royal Master, and for the security and prosperity of his kingdoms has prompted me to suggest my opinion in it to their Lordships for his Majesty's service.
«Though the troops may not be at leisure either for mounting guard at our hospitals or preventing desertions, I hope they have general orders, wherever they are, to take up straggling seamen, and sending them to the sea-ports, for his Majesty's service."
December 13th.
« I am extremely pleased their Lordships have sent the part of my letter, relating to the smugglers, to his Grace the Duke of Newcastle, as I hope their Lordships will see Mr… opinion of them too, that I sent their Lordships up by express yesterday ; for whatever calamities are likely to befall us, I am persuaded their treachery has in a great measure contributed to them.
«As to what I am so politely acquainted of, that their Lordships have appointed a gunner to the Pool ; after my having informed their Lordships I had warranted the gunner of the Sheerness to that ship ; I must accquaint you in answer, it was what I little expected, and that I am determined to follow the example of Sir John Norris, and not permit that indignity to be put on me, while I remain in command here, but when he arrives shall civilly send him back again. That officer that don't picque himself on supporting his own honour and the dignity of the commission he holds under his Majesty, may not be the likeliest to defend the honour of his Prince, and the security of his country, against the face of his enemies ; and I will therefore never take the fatal step of abandoning my own honour. I have long suspected the ambition or envy of some one to have been driving their shafts at me : I hope that is not a reason the dignity of the flag I bear is so slightly supported. I will do the best I can to serve his Majesty diligently, faithfully, and resolutely, while I am continued in command here ; but as this treatment is a very ordinary return to it, I can't but say I have reason to be sick of a command under such. usage.
«16th December.
«Their Lordships, I find by yours, seem to be as greatly surprised at my remonstrances, as I am at their treatment of me, that has given me so just an occasion for them, and which I think his Majesty's honour and service require I should have been redressed in, as I conceive it to be highly prejudicial to his Majesty's honour and service to have his principal General Officers treated with contempt when they are at the head of his forces, and endeavouring to exert themselves to the best of their abilities for serving him faithfully and resolutely, in supporting the honour of the Crown and the defence of his kingdoms.
« The present force now with me for that purpose, are two fifty gun ships, two forty gun ships, and two sloops, together with two twenty gun ships at present stationed on the back of the sands to watch their motions from Dunkirk and Ostend, and early to advise me of it ; one sloop more between me and them, and the three Dover frigates, by my means so early engaged into the Crown's service ; two of them to watch their motions to the westward of Dunkirk, for preventing their slipping out to the westward, and the third close off Ostend, to the eastward of my cruisers, which I will call a prudent and well concerted disposition ; and the Bedford, private ship of war, is out under the same orders ; but I can't so well answer for the regularity of his execution of them. And this force, thus described, it seems my offence is, I have called a flotilla ; and in regard to the importance of what it is to prevent, a descent on his Majesty's dominions with twelve thousand men, I think it was right in me to call it a flotilla.
« Two ships more, indeed, besides those detached from hence to join Bear-Admiral B… have been cruising on the Dogger-bank under my orders, which are the Mary Galley and the Squirrel, the term of whose cruise expired on the 10th : and as they have had nothing but southerly winds, they have been prevented by them from their return here, pursuant to my orders. But if they are endeavouring to execute them by plying up to return here, they can't be better in the way of intercepting any of the embarkations going for Scotland.
« We are not particularly informed what are the strength of the several ships they have collected together for the present for this embarkation ; but I am fully persuaded there are among them many more of their privateers, taken up for the French King's service in it, than I have of his Majesty's ships under my command ; and the La Fine and L'Esmeraude, I am informed, were French ships of war. And all their Lordships' advices, as well as mine, have agreed, that they have been told and have been expecting, that a squadron of French men of-war from Brest or the western ports, should come to join them, and cover the said supposed intended descent ; and I have, pursuant to my duty, and from the result of my experience, suggested to their Lordships, that with a southerly wind it was very practicable for them to get by unobserved by our ships to the westward ; and if the others were ready to sail with them, when they had slipped by, and they too strong for me, they might execute their descent before their Lordships could have time to apply a preventive remedy against it, and they would have to trust to going north about, to avoid any force that might be collected together afterwards. And I will repeat it again, that I think the three deck ships assembled at Portsmouth a very improper force to be hazarded in these northern seas, in this winter season of the year, and believe there is no sea officer that is a seaman, that thinks otherwise, and would say so if he was asked ; but my present duty and honest zeal for his Majesty's service, calls upon me to say so unasked. And if their Lordships think they have a properer officer to serve his Majesty in this station, God forbid I should be any obstacle to their sending him down to be employed here ; on the contrary, I shall have a pleasure in resigning a command to him, their contemptuous treatment of me can give me but little satisfaction in. And though at this critical conjuncture I will decline nothing for his Majesty's service, I will repeat it, that I should serve his Majesty as a private man in the militia with more pleasure than I take in this command under the treatment I have met with of late ; since the two noble Lords, at the head of the Board, through the manifestation of their zeal for his Majesty's service, for defeating the progress of the pilfering rebels within the kingdom, have been called away from their attendance at it.
« The enemy's daily intelligence of our progress, I have frequently repeated it to their Lordships, comes from our profligate and, as I esteem them, traitorous smugglers ; which I think it is high time there should be an effectual stop put to, before these vipers shall have carried on their fatal intercourse with his Majesty's enemies, to the enabling them to attack us where we may be weakest ; and have assisted them in the execution of it, as the intelligence I sent their Lordships points out they were retained for."
21st December.
«In pursuance of the intelligence I sent yesterday, I unmoored with the squadron last night, and as soon as the ebb makes, shall be under sail, working away for Dungeness, where I am persuaded the enemy might have in view making their descent, and hope I shall get there iu time to prevent them.
«I write you this letter on board the Norwich, but as soon as it is fair copied, and I have signed it, I shall embark on board the Monmouth ; though I find some seem inclined to think there has been no preparations to invade us from Dunkirk, but were they at Dover they would soon think otherwise.
«Vice-Admiral Martin, with three sail of men of war more, are just now coming to an anchor here also, and their Lordships know I have not yet received any orders from them concerning him, or so much as the advice he was coming here."
Second Pamphlet
"A Specimen of naked truth from a British Sailor : London, 1746."
25th December.
«Sir,—My letters being made up, signed, directed, and sealed, for having gone by yesterday's post, if there had been any opportunity of weather for it ; I shall begin this with informing their Lordships that yesterday evening, and till near midnight, we had a very hard gale of wind from the S. W. to the S. S. W., that obliged us to make our ships as snug as we could for riding it out, and thought it prudent even to get our topsail yards down into the top ; and I thank God we all rode it out without any damage ; and the weather moderating this morning, I got yards and topmasts up by daylight, and am now unmooring, and shall weigh with my division as soon as the ebb-tide begins to favour us for it.
«I have just now received yours of the 21st, informing me of your having communicated to their Lordships mine of the 20th, with the several enclosed therein, as I have the several orders and papers that are come enclosed in yours. And I send you now enclosed for their Lordships' information, the copy of the orders I leave with Vice-Admiral Martin, for taking under his command all the detachments, said to be coming to join me from Commodore Smith, for employing them under the orders he has already received from me ; those additional ones I now leave with him, and whatever other orders their Lordships shall judge expedient to send him ; but if there comes any fireships or bomb-ketches, he is to despatch all such after me.
« I am pleased to find their Lordships have approved of the orders given to Captain Tdmson of the Pool, who was happily anchored with all the East India ships in Westgate bay before this hard gale of wind came on, as I fear much damage might have happened to them, who were said to be very badly furnished with ground tackle.
« I could not but be under some surprise what could be meant by the expression in your letter, of having kept all my great ships in the Downs, and employed only my frigates for gaining intelligence while the enemies' ships have passed backwards and forwards, between Ostend, Dunkirk and Calais at their leisure, without hindrance or molestation. I cannot conceive where you must have picked up such intelligence, so contrary to what is the fact, that my former letters have related to you to inform, their Lordships of, viz. — That amongst other frigates employed on such services were the Eagle, York, and Carlisle, that have been some time since at my recommendation, and in good part by my influence engaged into the Crown's service ; and are and have been ever since the 11th December acting under my orders only ; though your letter, Sir, mentions them as Privateers, as if they were acting under their own orders ; and within that time, I must repeat it now, five galliot hoys have been taken coming from Havre de Grace to Boulogne and sent into Dover ; and of those coming from Dunkirk going for Calais a dogger laden with five pieces of cannon, several field carriages, one hundred barrels of gunpowder and other military stores, has been set fire to, and all seen to blow up in the air by Captain Gregory, who was with them in a cutter on that service ; two of their shallop fishing boats sunk, twelve others of them chased on shore, and three with cannon and military stores brought into Dover, and a Calais dogger Privateer, of six guns and fifty men taken, thirty-one of which I have on board the Princess Louisa, and have desired Vice-Admiral Martin to give himself the trouble of examining some of them, to try if better intelligence cannot be procured from them, than what Captain Hill has been able to gather from them, which you had inclosed in my yesterday's letter, as you have had of the 12 sail of ships chased from within two leagues of Calais back into Dunkirk Eoad, by the Saphire and Iblkstone, one of which they chased on shore upon the sands, and the Pilot would not venture so near as the Captain took upon himself to do.
« Surely, these are instances of the enemy having been watched much closer than could have been expected in this winter season. And what are the large ships I have kept in the Downs ? The Norwich and Ruby, two fifty gun ships ; for till the arrival of the Monmouth and Falkland, I have had no others. I thank God, by a prudent conduct, the enemy have been prevented from sailing either from Dunkirk or Ostend for this month past, and none of his Majesty's ships have been shipwrecked by any imprudent disposition of them, and that I think I have acted prudently and successfully in his Majesty's service, though in many of your letters I have been treated as if I had done neither ; and to look no farther back, I think I am treated so in this letter of yours of the 23rd, which I desire the favour of their Lordships to call for the copy of, and have read to them ; as I cannot conceive any just grounds I have given for my being treated in such a style in your letters, on facts that you must at least have been grossly misinformed in.
«As for my reasons for mentioning the counties of Kent and Sussex to be my province, T have some letters of yours that mention it to me as such, which are of an old date, and are in my escrutoire on shore ; but as there does not want a late instance of it in their Lordships' orders to Commodore Smith of the 3rd of this month, which you sent me a copy of by their Lordships' orders, I have sent you enclosed the preamble of that order, in which it appears to me pretty fully expressed so. I shall always serve my Royal Master with a sincere zeal for his service, and with the utmost diligence, resolution and capacity that I am capable of, to the best of my judgment ; and while my services are approved of, I shall always continue them with pleasure ; but if I am judged not to have a capacity for it, as by the style of the Secretary's letters seems to be insinuated, sure it is the fruits of a sincere zeal to say, that if you have thought of any one you judge more proper for it, all that I desire is, that his Majesty may be most effectually served, and I shall with pleasure resign any command I have to him.
« Captain Knowles has brought another letter of yours of the 23rd, and that he is come to serve with me as a Volunteer, and as I well know Captain Knowles' zeal and activity for his Majesty's service, his coming here gives me a particular pleasure, as I shall be glad to advise with him for his Majesty's service, and at all times ready to furnish him with any opportunities that he can suggest to me, for our Royal Master's service, and defeating the enemy's intentions for invading his Majesty's dominions ; which, from being discovered by my cruisers, that the enemy were drawing their transports from the westward to Boulogne, and from the eastward from Ostend and Dunkirk to Calais ; I am fully persuaded the enemy's intentions in those motions have been to attempt an invasion upon the opposite shore of Kent, from the ports of Boulogne and Calais, and which I have been endeavouring to move for preventing these three days successively ; am now unmoored for, and nothing but the weather shall prevent me. And their Lordships will see by my orders to ViceAdmiral Martin, (I have sent you enclosed the copy of) I have strengthened his command with all the force their Lordships have ordered here from Commodore Smith, and have left with him the copy of his orders you have sent me enclosed, and desired he will dispose all those put under his command, immediately on the services he judges most expedient for watching the enemy's motions from Ostend and Dunkirk. And as to the four ships lately arrived from Cape Breton, which, by their Lordships' orders of the 23rd, I am to take under my command, those I hope to meet withal in their passage here, and shall incorporate into my division upon my meeting with them, or detach apart of them to join ViceAdmiral Martin as subsequent intelligence shall manifest to me may be most for our Royal Master's service, and defence of his dominions from the threatened invasion.
« We had some appearance for moderate weather this morning, but the wind is backed to the southward, and a southern swell comes round the Foreland, and it gathers dirty and greasy to windward, that I am doubtful whether I shall be able to get out with it, but I shall not fail to attempt it, if there be any appearance of its being practicable j and the Captains of the Saphire, Folkitone, Badger and Hornet, with the Dover Custom-house cutter, Captain Stringer, have all my orders for proceeding in the execution of their former orders, for the inspecting their proceedings at Calais and Boulogne, and nothing either has or shall be omitted for his Majesty's service, that I can think of, or any one can suggest to me to be most expedient for it. And you have always had copies of the orders I have issued for that purpose sent for their Lordships' approbation. You have enclosed the list of the Custom-house cutters that have appeared, six of which I keep to act under my orders, and the other three to remain under Vice-Admiral Martin's.
I am, Sir, etc.
«Sir,—As it would be for his Majesty's service to have a speedy communication of intelligence, either by night or by day, of the enemies' appearance of any embarkations, for attempting to invade his Majesty's dominions, I desire you will write letters to the respective church-wardens of the parishes, &c., mentioned in the margin, to hoist a flag upon the church steeple as a signal for it by day, and keep a fire light in an iron pot at the same place as a signal by night, to be repeated from the steeples of the respective churches, for communicating the intelligence from Beachy Head to the South Foreland.
"l am, Sir, etc.
The following were the places mentioned in the margin : —Dover Castle, Folkstone Church, Sandgate Castle, Dim Church, the Ness Eye Church, Fair Leigh Church, Hastings Church, Pemsay Church, Beachey Head.
To Vice-Admiral Martin.
" 1st January, 1746.
" Sir,—I have just now received yours of the 31st, by Captain Scott, of the Badger, with the inclosed from Holland, whose intelligence perfectly agrees with what I found to be true, the enemies having been in motion from Dunkirk to Calais ; the twelve sail of ships having been drove back into Dunkirk Road by the Saphire and Folkstone, and several of the embarkations having been some burnt, sunk, and taken by my cruisers, the Carlisle and York frigates ; and you know the examination of those taken in the Duchess de Penthievre agrees with the Dutch account.
« Captain Owen had looked into Boulogne this morning before Captain Knowles did, and at the same time as he did, and he makes the enemy's embarkations to be above one hundred and fifty sail, and Captain Pigram, of the Rye cutter, agrees with him in his report, though Captain Knowles says he could see but sixty ; but I am inclined to think Captain Owen much the best acquainted with the harbour.
«You know, Sir, my orders are to deliver this command up to you, which I am moving up to the Downs for, with this pleasing satisfaction, that I have from these accounts already put such a check to the enemy's intended descent, that it is to me very doubtful if they will venture to hazard it now. I shall, however, continue anchored here till next windward tide, and pray open all my public letters as well as your own, to see whether I can continue to act, or be pleased to take the measures you judge proper. I have now Captains Owen and Bazely over at Boulogne, having detached them away for a fresh inspection, and before I weighed myself from Dungeness. I will not come into the Downa till the latter end of the evening's flood, for being at hand to receive their report and act conformably to it, and I hope by that time to hear from you again, and shall be plying under sail off Dover. I am, Sir, &c.
«January 1st, at three in the Morning."
To the Secretary of the Admiralty
«Sir,—Upon the first of yesterday's flood I weighed with the squadron from the westward of Dungeness, as I informed you I intended to do, having just before given out my orders to Captains Bazeley and Owen, in the Eagle and Carlisle frigates under their command, jointly to make sail over for Boulogne for taking a fresh inspection of the enemy's situation and motions at the port of Boulogne, under the particular orders I send you inclosed a copy of. And in my way plying up Channel, I was joined by the Folkstone and Triton, and Hornet sloop, and upon the tide being spent, I anchored with my squadron between Dover and Folkstone last night, and about eleven at night the York joined me from the Downs, and at half an hour past one in the morning, Captain Scott, of the Badger, came on board to me with a letter from ViceAdmiral Martin, and two letters enclosed from Holland. And though the Vice-Admiral has, as he says, sent you copies of them, yet as the advice was sent to me, I choose to do the same. " It could not but give me great pleasure to find the gentleman's letter from Holland entirely confirms the intelligence I have given their Lordships, and to find that he thinks with me likewise, that my diligent exertion of my duty has even been said there to have frustrated their intentions of invading this part of the kingdom this last full moon, of which nothing could give me greater pleasure than the having rendered such effectual service to his Majesty and my country, though I have been treated in that contemptuous manner in your letters.
« I have given Captain H… the orders you have inclosed a copy of, for his weighing with the first flood for making a fresh inspection at Calais this evening or to-morrow morning. As soon as the windward tide makes, I shall weigh with the squadron, and keep plying and exercising my ships in line of battle, and for being ready at hand on any advice of the enemy's motions ; till I have but barely time for anchoring in the Downs before it is night, when I shall obey their Lordships' commands, consign the command of the fleet to Vice-Admiral Martin, then strike my flag, and go on shore, pursuant to their Lordships' orders.
I am, Sir, &c.
E. Vernon. " January 1st.»
« The confession of George Harrison of Hastings declares, That on Thursday or Friday se'ennight last, he saw about 50 sail of transports of about 100 tons and under, in Boulogne harbour, intended for an embarkation of troops, that about sis. or seven thousand were destined to embark there ; but he was informed the whole number was to be twenty-three thousand from different places ; that they work night and day, and even employed women to fit their vessels ; that as soon as convenient they intend to push for Dungeness, run their vessels ashore, and land their men ; that he believes they intend to take the opportunity of sailing the next springtide in the night ; that their sails were not bent when he was there, and the whole number of troops in Boulogne at that time was not more than 400, but the rest were to join immediately ; and it was publicly said they were intended for England, to join the Pretender if possible. That when he goes to Boulogne in the day time, his signal is a white Jack on the gaff head, and in the night a lanthorn hoisted and lowered three times, and when hailed by the sentinel, his watchword was Amie, then he is admitted on shore and carried to the Commissary, who examines him, but he pretends he never would discover any news. That he heard some man was brought over by a smuggler, and landed at Pemsey Bay, but does not know who ; that there was only one smuggler left in Boulogne harbour, which belongs to Eye ; and that they made use of a house at Boulogne, kept by Thomas Con ; that he is very willing to assist in any shape the Admiral shall think proper for his Majesty's service. He likewise says, that one Mr. Jermain, a merchant at Boulogne, told him the Pretender's second son was taken by one of our men-of-war, and was asked if he thought they would hang him.
17th December, 1745.
George
The mark H of
Harrison.
The above examination taken by us :
Ell. Smith.
T. Gregory.
C. Wimbleton.»
Extracts from Letters from Holland in December
«That some of the Irish troops were to be embarked in large ships, but the embarkation, in which the French national troops were to be a part, was to be somewhere very near to England, and in order to help to transport them, the fishing boats along the whole coast were taken up for that purpose. And that the number of boats taken up was said to be above 130, and that the poor fishermen at Blankenbourg were lamenting, with tears in their eyes, that (by the King's order) they were to leave their daily business, and go they did not know where ; that the troops for England were said to be commanded by Count Lowendahl, and reckoned not less than twelve thousand. The common report at Dunkirk was, that they were all going to Scotland ; but many of their vessels being so small, I cannot but be of the opinion I was first informed, that the greatest part is for England, somewhere to the westward of Dover ; I think I could be positive in this if I may depend upon an information I had two days ago, that the people of the smuggling cutters, which trade to Boulogne, are all taken up to serve for pilots : it is a pity that such pernicious villains cannot he destroyed, their villainous trade is the least thing I think of at this time, for they keep up, to my certain knowledge, a daily correspondence betwixt England and France, so that there is not the least thing. done or ordered, but the enemy immediately know it by their means.
« On the twenty-second some of their small vessels went from Dunkirk to Calais, so that every day, or rather every night since, they have been going from Ostend and Newport to the same place ; and now the talk is of their landing at Dover, and so marching directly to London.
« We have now a report that some of these transports that sailed last week, were fallen upon by some of your frigates, which may disconcert the whole scheme of the enemy.
« And from these checks it is said that the storm is now drawing to the westward, though not in my power to say positively where they design to embark, or where they are to land, but some mention they are to be supported by a squadron from Ferrol.»
Taken in the Duchess de Penthievre, by the York frigate, the 19th December : —" That he was forced on board the Duchess of Penthievre that evening ; that they left in Calais harbour five or six other privateers ; the St. Nicolas a snow of eight carriage guns and ten swivels ; the St. Bennet of twelve carriage guns besides swivels ; the Swallow, a lug-sail privateer of eight guns ; the Louis XV. a dogger of eight guns ; besides a half galley of 24 oars, and three guns, one of them iu her prow ; ten galliot hoys and flutes, all which had their sails bent, besides several small vessels and fishing boats, said to be detained to carry troops to England.
« That there have been for a fortnight past troops coming from Flanders daily into Calais ; some passing forwards towards Boulogne as others came in there ; about eight regiments bad passed before he came away, and the night before two regiments came into town, and upwards of threescore waggons loaded with corn and meal ; they were covered, but he saw the sacks ; reckoned there were in the forts and citadel, including the garrison, which is 3000, at least 6 or 7000 men.
« It is said the embarkation will be made from Dunkirk, Calais, and Boulogne. That several Irish were expected, who were to land first, and that they were getting the vessels ready as fast as possible. That, on the 17th, the Pretender's youngest son came into Calais ; that, on the 18tb, when he went out of town, all the troops were drawn out, and they saluted him, Vive le roy, he being accompanied by the Governor and gentry of the town, and a great number of officers ; that he did not see the young man himself, or take any notice of him, but has heard from those who did, that he squinted.
« Of the small embarkations there are said to be to the number of fifty, who have each a brass piece of cannon, with a field carriage pointed aft standing abaft the mainmast.
« Tuesday, 31st December, a boat with a Lieutenant brought on board the Carlisle the Admiral's orders for both the Eagle and Carlisle to weigh, for going to take a fresh survey at Boulogne ; at 11 the Admiral's orders were delivered to Captain Bazely, and we stood over together for Boulogne Eoad.
«Wednesday, 1st January, at nine in the morning, looked into Boulogne Harbour, and saw there of ships, snows, brigs, and doggers about 15 sail, galliot hoys about 36 sail, and of fishing boats about 80 or 90. They fired at us from the pier heads, and the battery to the eastward of the town, and from Amblitus Castle ; we saw a privateer sloop that was sunk in the Eoad, which we believe was from the Saphirefs guns, when she stood in, the same day that Captain Knowles was there in the Triton.
William Owen.
JohN Bazely.»
Weasel, Downs, January 8th, 1746.
« Sir,—Standing in on the 6th inst. within cannon shot of Boulogne, saw in the harbour about one hundred masts of small vessels and boats, at the same time five Englishmen, who had been taken prisoners in merchant sloops, and one soldier at Fontenoy, who had entered into their service, as thousands had been forced to do, through the ill-treatment they met with in their prisons, deserted to us ; these men informed us of there being fifteen battalions at Boulogne, and three squadrons of horse, with their accoutrements, put on board the vessels, and all their warlike stores ; and that there is a person who styles himself Duke of York, and several more with English titles ; most of the forces are English, Scotch, and Irish, of which great numbers only want opportunities to de-' sert. They say their numbers are about 11,100, and as many at Calais, and were to have made their attempt the last full moon, had they not met with information that Admiral Vernon was off Dungeness, their intended place of landing, with several men of war. They have expected the French fleet, of thirty sail of the line, all this month, with several transports, which, if they were disappointed at the Ness, are to make an attempt in Ireland. Colonel Lalley went over to England in a smuggling boat, dressed in a sailor's habit, where I hope he will meet with his deserts."
These letters, with the addition of the one written by Admiral Vernon to the Duke of Bedford, on striking his flag, were the whole contents of the pamphlet.
These two pamphlets, containing the letters written by Admiral Vernon to the Admiralty and others, during the time he held the command in the Channel in 1745, proved that the idea (which had been whispered about) that Admiral Vernon had been superseded for want of due vigilance against the enemy, was totally false, and showed the public that the Admiral had himself resigned his command, after the most irritating and contemptuous treatment by my Lords Commissioners. They also proved that there had been every intention on the part of the French to have invaded this country, which had been frustrated by the judicious arrangements of the Admiral.
This expose so annoyed their Lordships, that on the 25th March, they ordered their Secretary to write to Admiral Vernon, to know whether he had had any hand in publishing these two anonymous Pamphlets, and not receiving any answer within a week, a second letter was ordered to be sent, of which the following is a copy :
Admiralty Office, April 4th, 1746.
« Sir,—I wrote to you on the 25th of last month, by direction of my Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty, to know whether you had any hand in publishing two very extraordinary pamphlets therein mentioned, containing extracts of your correspondence with the Board, whilst you commanded his Majesty's squadron in the Downs ; or whether you know by what means they were communicated to the press ?
« Their Lordships, after having made the strictest enquiry, Lad the strongest reason to believe that they could proceed from no other channel but yours ; notwithstanding which, out of regard to the rank you hold in his Majesty's service, they were unwilling to think you capable of handing those papers into the world without name, and more especially in so imperfect and disingenuous a manner, that they appear to be calculated to mislead and deceive, rather than inform the reader ; and for this reason they have given you an opportunity of justifying yourself, if you are able, or think proper to do it.
« But not having received any answer from you upon this subject, I am directed to acquaint you, that if they do not hear from you in a week from this date, either by a letter or by your attending at the Board, to give them a satisfactory account, at least with regard to your own behaviour in this transaction, they must take it for granted, by your not denying it, that you are the publisher of both those pamphlets, and must proceed accordingly.
I am, Sir,
Your most humble servant,
Thos. Corbett.»
To this letter the Admiral replied.
8th April, 1746.
« Sir,—Upon my return to my house on Monday night late, from the country, soon after, one of your messengers brought me a letter of yours of the 4th instant, which, on perusal, I can't conceive even your long experience can ever have furnished any precedent for a letter of so extraordinary a nature. Whenever their Lordships think my attendance on them necessary for his Majesty's service, as I know it is my duty to pay a ready attendance on their orders for my doing so, I shall not fail to do it whenever they appoint it.
« I thank God I have hitherto discharged my duty to the Crown in every station I have been called to serve in, with a diligent care and attention to his Majesty's service, as was my duty ; and as I have ever looked upon it, of every one in his Majesty's service, in their respective stations, and hope I have carefully kept clear of intermixing any private passions of mine with the public service.
I am, Sir,
Tour most humble servant,
E. Vernon.»
Upon the 10th of April, upon Admiral Vernon's coming from the House of Commons, a messenger met him at the door, and told him he had a message to him from the Admiralty Board, to attend them at their office at seven o'clock, which he said he would not fail to do.
The Board consisted of the following members.
John Duke of Bedford.
Earl of Sandwich.
Lord Archibald Hamilton.
Lord Vere Beauclerc.
G. Anson.
G. Greville.
H. Legge, Esq.
Upon Admiral Vernon coming in, when sent for, after having waited without a considerable time, the First Commissioner told him :
«That they were the Admiralty Board, that in them was vested the full power of the Lord High Admiral ; and that he, asthe first in the Commis" sion, was the head of that Board, and the mouth of it ; and that what he should say to him was the sense of the whole Board, and therefore desired he would give diligent attention, to it ; and that they would have him give a direct answer to what they should require of him ; and that he should attentively hear what he had to say, and not interrupt him. His discourse then rolled upon two pamphlets he had upon the table before him, which he read the titles of, being A Specimen of Naked Truth, etc., and Some Seasonable Advice, etc., and exclaimed much against them ; and mentioned two letters their Secretary had wrote to him by their order, to know from him whether he was the author or publisher of them, and expressed himself surprised and dissatisfied with a letter of Admiral Vernon's he had before him in answer to the Secretary ; the style of which, he said, was very extraordinary, and no answer to the question they had directed to be asked ;but that they expected a categorical answer, and that he should say Aye or No, whether he was the author or publisher of those pamphlets.»
When he was called upon to answer, he said :
«He was very well apprized that in them was vested the full authority of the Lord High Admiral ; and that asa Military Officer under them, he owed all obedience to all their orders, as he " should always think it his duty to do all their military orders while he continued an Officer in the public service ; and that he thought he was right, in hinting in his letter to the Secretary, that he believed no Military Officer of his rank, had ever been treated in the manner he bad been, within the term of his long experience : That for all questions that should be asked, relative to his duty or experience as an Officer, he should answer to the best of his judgment ; but as to the question now asked, as he looked upon it to be of a private nature, that he apprehended they had no right to ask him that question ; and that he was under no obligations of answering it, but had the com" mon privilege that was due to every British subject ; and that if his continuing an Officer in the service was an eye-sore to any one, that he was now grown to be an old man, and had reason to be tired with being treated in so " contemptuous a manner.»
Upon which, the First Commissioner said :
«If he would give them no other answer to the " question, he might withdraw, and they knew " what they had to do.»
Which, with his obeisance, he did accordingly. The next day Admiral Vernon received the following letter :
11th April, 1746.
«Sir,—I am commanded by my Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty, to inform you that the several matters which passed between their Lordships and yourself, with relation to two pamphlets lately published, entitled, " A Specimen of Naked Truth from a British Sailor ;" and, " Some Seasonable Advice from an Honest Sailor, to whom it might have concerned, for the Service of the Crown and Country," having been laid, by his Grace the Duke of Bedford, before the King, his Majesty has been pleased to direct their Lordships to strike your name out of the list of Flag Officers.
I am, Sir, Your most humble servant,
T. Coebett.»
There could be no excuse for this tyrannical proceeding ; and if Admiral Vernon had not in his place in Parliament constantly exposed the abuses then existing in the navy, and by his manly and straightforward course in the House of Commons made himself obnoxious to the Government of the day, such an act of despotic malevolence would probably never have been thought of.
From this time Admiral Vernon was never employed ; but his popularity in the country seems to have continued undiminished. His judgment and abilities as a statesman are unquestioned, and his character as a man of strict integrity and honour perfectly unsullied.
The following verses were addressed to Admiral Vernon, after his dismissal :
Go, last of Britons, who has dared be free,
Terror of Spain, assertor of the sea,
'Tis true thy hand is of the trident reft,
And nothing but thy native worth is left ;
That still will be illustriously prized,
Tho' thou, to smugglers hast been sacrificed.
Yet grieve not, Briton, honour's still thy own,
Tho' ne'er a coronet thy brow has known.
In 1749 we find Admiral Vernon taking a very prominent part in the Committee of the House of Commons appointed to consider the subject of the Herring Fishery, and in consequence of their Report £ 500.000 was subscribed for carrying on these fisheries, under a corporation called " The Society of Free British Fishery," and of which the Prince of Wales was appointed Governor.
On Tuesday, the 5th July, 1750, at a Dinner at St. Bartholomew's Hospital, the Duke of Beaufort in the chair, Admiral Vernon brought with him some of the herrings catched by the British busses. On which the President drank his health, and thanks to the British Admiral for his great assiduity for promoting the Bill for encouraging the British Herring Fishery, and shortly afterwards the following verses appeared in the London Magazine :
ON MR. VERNON THE FISHERMAN
« See Vernon still approved the patriot true,
His country's service always first in view ;
Long e'er his flag was hoist in Briton's cause,
In senate he contended for her laws ;
Him strove in vain corruption's art to hush,
And Bob employ'd, because he could not crush.
Iberia felt him on a distant shore,
When Britain's lightning kindled fierce he bore !
Tho' long neglected, when recalled he came,
And brandished round our coasts the guardian fiamc ;
Again disgraced, he nobly, as at first,
Retires, but not like Scipio in disgust.
Great in retreat, tho' to the navy lost,
The merchant shines with voluntary cost ;
And more renown this private venture brings,
Than all the honours in the gift of kings !
But Vernon scorns this singular applause,
Though forward, not alone in virtue's cause ;
Firm by his side a citizen appears,
Whose public acts outnumber far his years.
Proceed, O Jansen ! * in thy triple state,
Thou tradesman, senator, and magistrate ;
Proceed ! each step advances thy renown,
And Britain's fishery fix'd, thy character shall crown.»
* Jansen was an eminent stationer, and Master of the Stationer's Company, M.P. for London, Sheriff of Middlesex, and Alderman of Breadstreet Ward.On the 19th April, 1750, the magistrates of Edinburgh presented the following gentlemen with the freedom of the city, on account of their zeal for promoting the White Herring Fishery Bill, viz. : The Hon. Lieut.-General Oglethorpe, Admiral Vernon, Stephen Theodore Jansen, Esq., Sir Eichard Lloyd, the Hon. Alexander Hume Camphell, and Sir Eichard Lowther, Bart.
From this time Mr. Vernon lived wholly retired, no way concerned in any public business, further than by having a seat in the House of Commons, as Member for Ipswich. In every debate relative to the sea service, he spoke his mind, with a freedom of speech, which, though it discovered the candour and integrity of the man, yet it procured him the enmity of the Ministry, and hindered his being employed.
Mr. Vernon enjoyed a very good state of health ; he was, indeed, very lame, but his constitution, otherwise, was but little impaired. The sickness which carried him off was sudden and unexpected ; he was perfectly well on Friday the 28th of October, 1757 ; about two o'clock in the morning of the 30th he awaked out of his sleep and complained of a heaviness at heart ; a physician was sent for, but his pain increased so violently, that he expired in the arms of his servant, before any assistance could be brought.
Mr. Vernon was of short stature, of dark complexion, had a piercing eye, a searching look, and a majestic bearing. He was a strict disciplinarian, insisting upon officers doing their duty with preciseness ; he was assiduous in visiting the hospitals, inspecting the provisions and clothes ; and never was known to tarry all night ashore while in harbour. He was admitted to be one of the most accomplished seaofficers that ever bore command.
He was married in early life to Sarah, daughter of Thomas Best, of Chatham, Esq., and by her had three sons, who all died early. Mrs. Vernon died 9th May, 1756, aged 57.
In 1763, James Vernon Lord Orwell erected a monument, in "Westminster Abbey, to his uncle, Admiral Vernon, with the following inscription : —
Sacred to the Memory
of
Edward Vernon,
Admiral of the White Squadron
of the British Fleet.
He was the second Son of James Vernon,
who was Secretary of State to King William III.,
and whose abilities and integrity
were equally conspicuous.
In his youth he served under Admirals Shovel and Rooke ;
By their example he learnt to Conquer.
By his own merit he rose to Command.
In the War with Spain, in Mdccxxxix,
He took the Fort of Porto Bello
with Six Ships,
A force which was thought unequal to the attempt.
For this he received
The Thanks of both Houses of Parliament.
He subdued Chagre ; and at Carthagena
Conquered as far as naval force could carry victory.
After these services he retired,
Without place or title,
From the excesses of Publick
To the enjoyment of Private
Virtue.
The testimony of a good Conscience was his Eeward.
The love and esteem of all good men
His Glory.
In battle, tho' he was calm, he was active ;
and tho' intrepid, Prudent ;
Successful, tho' not Ostentations ;
ascribing the Glory
to God.
In the Senate he was disinterested, vigiknt and steady.
On the xxx day of October, Mdcclvii,
He died as he had lived,
The friend of Man, the lover-of his Country,
The father of the Poor,
aged Lxxui.
As a memorial of his own
Gratitude, and of the Virtue
of the Benefactor, this Monument
was erected by his nephew,
Lord Orwell, in the Year
1763.
