The Statesman. — London, England, 1809-07-28 00:00:00

COURT IvW . VAL ()-- --! - LORD ii."f NI tlef . • , .J.' .; .. 1,..• ..... : . S FC i n ...... t r l y. elk pc hi a: • • TRUItIOKY, • .) Lord COCH RA N i Itilloitinlion. • . . . Q. Did it appear t . o . ;toigr ildshlp _Alai any onisecessary delay occtiedd *frisio:daaligiit - uf the 1 li . ~,,, morning of the 12th id A i pr4, l ii i i i ben.. ) ,Aou made signalk to the Commander in chic( that half the fleet Would destroy the enemy's ;tips, and that seven were aground, fee: F.-4: des: .W capriosed my signal to thitilionalider .110., at daylight in the niorninA' t tlia4 post.of, OM ? fish licet was tosoiorn - tI 44 Am aketitroctim ft the snietay,. there being 9 only two sail A e n e my' ships caoable in'any degree to .ceSiati . attack,. 1 did sitpeet that' all endeavour et 1 base been in.a.ediatety made to dislodge -these two' skips um the i u shi fr bs an attack by two or three sail of the hue, which were quite sufficient fur that purpose. The tide and wind were, from daylight in the morning until twelve o'clock, to the best of my recullee. Con, bath going the same way ; and ships of the line poising near the Buoyart, and putting their helm a-lee, would then fire ; and main-top sail being to the mast, would have have brought their heads towards the N. E. which would have enabled them at a dis. sauce, at which the shot of the enemy would have been of nu effect, tcget all their gaol to bear upon those two ships, which still remained at anchor, until they approached them, ran till so far down to leeward that they would have been enabled by pitting their helms up to run under their sterns, b.aweeis the enemy's ships on shore, and thereby forced there to cut and run aground likewise, and then effect both their distraction and the destruc. lion of the other vessels which were on shore, mid which I have already stilted might have been de strnyed by the endeavours, in my opinion, of too ships of the line, aided by the frigates, at any period previous to half past eleven 4)'clock in:lhe forenoon of the 12th of April ; and by the fri gates alone before one o'clock, when the French three-decker swung to .14r hawsers, and wheel the last of their ships began to Gat ' • I speak of the line of battle ships ; some of the frigates did Dot float, for.the two ships which had remained at anchor, and Cut on the approach of the British fleet, had also grounded, there nut being even at bolt tide, E. e. II o'clock. water enaegh for them to effect their escape up the middle of the chanud leading to the river Charente. . ' Examined by Sir Recta Crarit 4 Q. What were the circumstances that induced lour Lordship to believe, that (ruin eleven - o'clock to one, the frigates alone were capable of destroy. Ing the enemy's ships ? A. The helolesi situation of the enemy, they being aground, and the same conviction that led me afterwards to consider the risque in attempting at etteeedingly small. Q. If in your LonliMp's judgment the frigates alone were sufficient to effect the destruction of the enemy's ships between half past 11 and 1, why might they not as well have performed that service between any period of the morning and half put 11 o'cloCk ? A. At II o'clock the Briiit.h fleet weighed and stood towards the enemy, where upon the two ships which continued still at anchor, cut and run aground. The British fleet brought up about half past eleven o'clock ; I was ignorant what my Lord Gambier's plan might be, and though I perceived that the fire from him had long previously ceased, yet I imagined that this might possibly have beet to give the seamen something to cat and drink previous to going into -scowl; and though . I regretted the time that ap peared iii my mind to have been already lost, as well as 'that we wete then losing, by even half an hour's delay, in marking shin land of an at tack by a couple of saillif 'BO line, or by the frigates only, yet I consoled mysgf in the supposi- Con that his Lordship intended a grand blew on the island and ou the ships at once, although I thought this highly uuneeessary in order to effiet their destruction, or to destroy the whole fleet. I could not in any other way account for a pro. eceding that (bus enabled the helpless French ships to endeavour to escape, undisturbed, into the Over Charante. Twelve o'clock arrived, no sig.', nal made to weigh. Half past twelve, still nu signal. Here Admiral Yuo•to interrupted the Noble lord in ',it testimony. lie suggested to the Court the impoliey of allowing the Noble Lord to proceed in a line of evidence which was wholly irrelevant to the question silted, and only eaten. hated to make an Impression unfavourable to the Prisoner, without being at all in conformity with the desire of the Court. Lord Co CHRA as said he held it was his duty to tell the whole truth, which he was proceeding to do with ai much celerity as possible. He con. eeivcd the Genllennan who put the question was ignorant of the nature of the answer it was his io teutitin to make; or, of the observations it might be requisite for him to submit ) in order clearly to elucidate the answer to the question. If the Court would allow him to proceed, they might judge of the relevancy of the question, and if proper 4 'id nut correct, the Court iu their judg- Anent could afterwards expunge it. Admiral Youso replied, that he thotight Lord Cochrane wis bound to give a direct answer to the question put, and nut to occupy the timid' the Court by unnecossary comment. , The PREJIDENT ) who, - hid before hi ter r u pted Lord Cochrane in the lire of his eildenee, said, he thought his Lordship might now be ',emitted to proceed until he arrived at t4et i pprt of his nar rative which was the direct answee to the question put. It would afterwards lidlti'the'diseretion of the Court to expunge snob part bf tbb inswer as they might deem irrelevent. -• ' • • }Liu the Court was cleared t * : dieditensaion of the objection ; and on ove tt ro-nthe•stiock s , in about half 4n hour, the VitiAttisny said 3. tfsat i the Court had deliberated on fhm very 2fg'reipive ner Lord Cochreue Itatl pronieedest in'fitt:inswer to the last question. Tie Court hod s -however, otAra--. -• • • - THE STATESMAN. come to a determination not to interrupt birLonil... ship in the line he was pursuing; but disked his Lordship to be acquainted, that it was their wish that in future he should confine himself strictly to the letter of the question put, and not digress i►r the manner he hail hitherto done. The President alsq, thought it his duty to yintiee an expression which had fallen front the 'Noble 'Lord, who hai! talked Aunt the ignorance of the propoondee of the question. The tiulicitur of -the Admiralty might nut he a nstitical man, but as an Officer w hum tie Crown employed, he. was not to be subjected to such epithets as ignorant. It happened, however, that it was the ('resident loittiielf wbq had put.the qnestion to which his Lordship had objected.—Lord Cochrane ex plained, and the ex imination proceeded. I or dered the edble to be hove taught tip and (loan. The Etna bomb Pissed, and I inquired, by hailing, if any attack whi intended to be made on the enemy, and was Answered from the Captain that he was ordered to bombard the enemy. think there was a brig with him ; I desired hint to go close, and immediately hove the aochur to the Iton s. The Impression upon my mind was, having seen no signal made to indicate an attack about that time, that no other attack was intended, except that thro tying of shells was intended. The Calcutta,Var sovie, and most of the other ships were pressing sail to force them on towards the Chartinte, and out of our reach. The Imperieuse, though we did nut commence to fire upon the enemy until two d'clock, was then wholly in time, by firing noon the Calcutta, to cut away, or to cause them to break, from the confusion into which they were thrown, her hawser being from her neather port. The same cause, that is, the confusion of the erte ny, was forcing the Varsovie on shore, and thereby prevented the escape of these two ships, which were the last, with the exception of the Aquilon, which vessel, though near, was a little furtieer up, and they on board the Aquilott were in such confusion, that it was upward- of an hour before they could get one single gun out of the stern ports of that vessel. The whsle of the enemy's ships of war were, at two o'clock, in a position shown in Chart N. 1, which I shall pre sent to the Court ; and the 'Latish Fleet are there put down, as it appeared from the Imperieuse, front the anchorage which she took up, and in which anchorage she eontintied until one o'clock, close to the Buoyart shoal, just within the longest drop of the shells. The Aigle, though nearest, did nut fire at all. _ [His Lordship then produced the Chart No. 3.] The reasons, if there arc any, why the frigates aii6ht not previous to the hour of half past ele ven hove attacked the enemy, will he fussed in the preceding narration, s herein it appears th.►t two sail of the line still continued at anchor until the hoer of half past eleven, which two ships it ap. peared to my mind it would have been better to attack by opposing to them two or three snil.of the line, instead of a greater cumber of frigates, although it was my opinion that the frigates them. selves would have been quite equal to the task. The enemy were employed all the morning at tempting to get their top-Mists up, which in the course of six hours from dny light in the morning Idu not think the) bad quite effected at the time they made sail on the approach of the British Beet, and ran aground in the,middle of the Chan nel leading to the Charente. I think in about half an hour after the British fleet anchored. Q. It being stated in the log-book of the Im perieuse, that at four P.M. of the 13th of April, a signal was made to the io.shoresquadrou,to work out, the ebb-tide basins , made, and there not be. ing water enough for th e r. bomb to lay afloat ; and ' it being noted in the Signal log of the Itupericuse, that the same afternoon your Lordship answered of recal, and nut appearing in the log of the Caledonia that any such signal was made, I wish to know w hether such signal was made to the Imperieuse, and whether the vessels in-shore come out in consequence thereof ; and what was the purport of the telegraphic signal your hordship made to the Commander its Chief ?—A. On the morning of the 13th of April, the ships of this line, one of then bearing the nag of Admiral Stopfurtl, Neighed, and worked out of the inner anchor Age, by order, to the best of my belief, from Addiaral Stopford, whose ship skewed some lights, which I under- stool was a signal fur that purpose to the lint.of. battle ships, most of these having continued until low water in situations in which it was known by the chart that there was not water enough. The signal of read was reported to me to have been made by the Caledonia about five o'clock ; and I answered by telegraphic signal, that the enemy could be destroy ed: and I was further confirmed in this opinion by a letter, which I hold in my hand, demi-official, directed on service, to mc, by his Lordship, ordering out the Imperieuse, toge ther nith ilia bomb, and dated on the 130, w rit ten, to the best of my belief, in his Lordship's own hand; which I beg may be read., to the Court. I The letter Was then teid, its substance as fol.. loss: MY MAR Loan. Paledonta, 13th Apt ii. You have Case year part so admirably, that kw ill not salty you to tarnish by attempting impossibillto You Awl therefore joie Lion it,. you can with tbe limb, .nal slash to liaseksts in"onatuits from yea 'lessee 1 close my dispatches... I ant, O. • GAMPER. P. S. I have ordered three brigs and other vess.lsle join you la the-attempt ; but I don't thiuk it will socceedi. You mad come to me an the turn of dictate, as 1 want to send ,you to England aseen as pobsible. . Nd, . To which 1 replied by the tenoning letter, also dated the 13th bf April, and which 1 seat by a Commissioned Officer : MY Loan, —1 have just received your Lordship's letter. We On destroy the enemy's ships on shore, which 1 hope yew w ill !approve. I-nm, Sr. COCHRAN L. On the morning following I also answered a signal of Fecal, which I saw myself made on board ' of the Caledonia, by an interrogatory signal, to know if we should unmoor, by which, without any repetition of the former signal, 1 did conclude , that his Lordship would have understood %hat was itstewded. The signal of read was repeated, which was atuwrti,4l by the lespatisuse. We an. .1. ...)1 intoored s hove short, and as the tide was down, were permitted by his Lordship to remain until the ebb tide began to set in, and I received the letter which new I hold in my hand from his Lord ship, directing me to proceed to the outer anchor. age, and stating that Captain Wolfe was to relieve mo in the service. Gilled/Mit. 13th April, 1909. !tie DSAR t.oe.n,—lt is neves:wry I should Y:Re some enmemialeatlon with you, before 1 dose my diqmtehes to the Admiralty. I lute therefore ordered Copt. Woulfe, to re licie you is the service you are euAaged in, that you may ‘ake Sir 11. Neale to Engkuid, or you may retort' to carry tut the service when . ) no are. _ Vit'fite 1 fth, I am convinced I did not make a signal that thu enemy could have been d-stroyed, hiving conveyed to his Lordship my firm opinion on the subject, both by signal and by letter ; I thought a repetition, though I continued in the same way of thinking, would have appeared to Ms Lordship direspectful. I therefore made the interrogatory signal, conceiving his Lordship would understand it " shall we unmoor ?" and was answered as I have already stated, in the af firmative, or I think by the direction to weigh. Q. It appears by the log of the lmperiettse that at 3 P. M. the Etna, with brigs in company, and a ship in the Charente, were bombarding the enemy. When were they recalled, and by whose orders ? ...A. I sent them in to bombard the enemy. I believe they came out after the Iniperieute had weighed, soil the Eagle bad taken her anchorage. The day before 1 told them to come out on the ebb title, hut they did so a little after high water; I believe the sails were split; they all had received some damage. Q. In your Lordship's letter to Mr. Pole, in ' answer to his letter to you, requiring you to state your reason for objecting to the Vote of Thanks to the Commander in Chief, and to state any in. stances of neglect in the conduct of the Commander in Chief—when you referred their Lordships generally to the loss of the fleet, you are request ed to stile whether you thereby meant to direct their Lordships to auy other documents than those on which you have already been interrogated and given your sentiments l—A. Their Lordships' let ter having directed me to explain my reasons, I referred their Lordship? to the logs and signal. logs of the siptadroti, considering that, under every circumstance, the best source whence their Lord. ships could possibly derive information. It was not my desire, unless I !eul been pressed, to have drawn their a ordships' attention to any part of those or any other documents. I considered the affair in [Lope 'toads in every respect as pact, and whatever my opinion might have been, Writ pable of all remedy. hail it been a matter in which the future interests of my country were volved, I should not have hesitated one moment in pointing on t to their Lordsh ips' attention every part of these documents, and of any other of which I -might have been possessed. I have now also to call to the attention of the Court, that had the fri. gat's, upon the morning of the 13th, instead of leaviug the inner anchorage in company with the ships of the line, remained, full opportunities of fered that day to destroy several sail of time enemy which were within reach of vessels properly placed, at proper times of the tide, or of smaller F vessels during every part of the tide; and I have seen no cause to alter my opinion. I have also to call the attention of the Come to the circumstance, that Captain Seymour, of the Pallas, gave hail iu passing the Impurieuse, to know if he should re main in the inner anchorage, and was directed by me to do so if he had no orders to act otherwise ; for I did imagine it possible, though not at all likely, that the signal of recal had been made without our seeing it. The bomb and brigs seeing the Imperieuse at anchor, and the Pallu bring. ing up, anchored likewise. Here we lay out of the resell of shut or shell, in 5: fathoms water at the dead of ebb, aud there was an anchorage, I have already stated, fur at least six sail of the line. 1 wish also to call the attention of the Court to my reason, after the Imperiettse was refitted on the evening of the 13th, and after the receipt of the letter marked A,—for nut, dulling the evenittg of that day, or on the morning following, previous to the second signal of recal being made,—for not having, with that ship and the Pallas only, at tacked the enemy. I found that a very heavy re sponsibility would lie on my shoulders iu case of any disaster, which in eases of military opera tions are probable, and sometimes unavoidable. I think there is nothing else that I recollect, ex cept the orders given to Captain Wolfe, who su perseded me in the inner anchorage with full pow ers, by the means which I had adopted, or any other he might think expedient, to effect the de struction of the enemy. Dated also by mistake the 13th of April, but delivered and written on live 14th. The order was shown to me oo the 14th, the day on which I was superseded. Examined by the I'AESrOENT. Q. When did your Lordship first discover that in the inner road of Aix there was anchorage sufficiently capacious to hold six sail of the line to ride without being within the range of 51tht or shell ?--A. I had been in possession of the French charts, which I had not found defective its any material point, for a number of years, and from these charts I have at all times drawn my conchs. sions with respect to the depth of the water, or other circumstances which relate to navigation upon that coast ! le the enemy, wad on them in this case, as in others, I placed my depen. deuce. I went in, and on my way I found them correct. I knew by the chart, when in pursuit of the Calcutta, I was to find a bank ; we found it and anchored upon it, and this I did knowing what I was about. And m fact I pieced the ut most confittence in the chart, by which it has long appeared to me that this anchorage might, if any object was in view, be safe and advauta. genus. Q. In thoeliact that your Lordship consulted upon this occasion, are the soundings so marked in it as to afford a space sufficient for six sail of the line, out of range of shot or shell ? A. That conviction is upon my mind ; but by refer. ring to the chart, which is exactly the same aa others which hare been in my esacssion, the Court can dead the qaestion. Q. When you found by experience upon vine into Aix Roads, by the soundings, that you dig. covered that the soundings in the charts y e,u made use of wore correctly set down, and that from thence you drew a conclusion that there was safe anchorage for six sail of the line, dill you make any co►notunication of that important fart to the Commode: in Chief ? A. The Command e r i n 'Chief had the same chart, I believe, as I w i n possession of. He had al►o trench pilots on ho ird, 'ln whose reports, from previous experience, I knew the Commander in Chief to rely above a'l other authorities. On seconnoitering the fleet the 'drat day, when so near as to induce the enemy to open a fire from almost its 141101 e tine. I re ported to the Commander in Chief tilt- ruinous stale of the Isle tr.% ix, it having the inn• . •r fur. tificalioos completely blown tip and destroyed, which I nut only ascertained fron► the deck with perfect precision as to the tide towards us, hut also to the opposite sitle, Iron the top of the shin; there were only IS guns mounted upon that side ins which I had former!) sceu, to the best of soy recollection. about 50. In making these obser. vations to his Lordship for his information, he stated his perfect reliance upon the opinion of the pilots, and assured me that the Isied'Aix was exceedingly strong; and th it it bad three tier of fans mounted towards the shipping. I then observed to his Lordship, that the circumstances to which I alluded fell within my fr.sti observation. This did not alter his Lordship's opinion. I on(iced also the little confidence that was to be placed in these pilots, and said to his Lordship, as well at to Sir Harry Neale, that I never had a pilot, par. ticuiarly a French pilot, who did not Ind a shoal whereon there was a gun ; and his Lordship, on the day of my leaving Basque Roads, which was on the 15th or 16111, still continued in the same opinion as he had expressed ona former day, nut. withstanding my assurances then, u hen I had full time to make my observations. The whole of the frigates, with the exception of the Pallas and another, had returned, and it was with the know. ledge of every one of these Officers, as well as his Lordship, that they might have continued where the Impel tense and Pallas then were. I held, that being placed in t hut situation, was a matter for his Lord's decision. I naturally conceived, that as he knew they were not ordered to return, that he did not require any information of which Ile was not possessed.. Q. Is it necessary, in order to arrive at that airehoragi•, lo piss the shoal of the Niels ?-- A. The shoal of the Millis hounds the anchunige towirds the East, and the Island towards the We•t. Q. Cab the ships of the line arrive at that anchorage at all times of the tide.—A. Its follow* the track &stela I judged be.t in taking Ist* Imperietsye. that twine, farthest nitrous ihs fire of the caemv. I do believe that ships of the !Meats. pass in at any time of the tide. I .at on the netting attending to Cie leads, during the time tie were irotog in; it was Outs high wste.r ; and having marked that the rise and fall of the title as+.tatad at at feet. the impzewion upon sty mind that should not is nth a ship of ow line fact. Wk In go in. I think Soy impression at *use time au, that at low .rater it would out be ',roper too take one of the heaviest ships in. %hick was au. neresoary . I don't brook ae b:sd lees than n Qom ship \be passed .rs close to the Suo.urf I could bare thrown a pinns-piece on it. Q. All the intormatioo your Lordship hal of the rising and figing of the oyster, an; obtained front the charts may, and without a:n other itiforinoitioui-.-k. I had rem irked. It Nem hefure un that coast, the rite and fell of the tide at a plate mg far distant 4. Iwahqut 10 or 14 feet at the highest tide; and I thought afterward., is hen the French ships lay aground. that they s.sod about IY feet. The Aquilos had sank ais , .at lit feet, and it mu-t bare been at ?he dead of low water sacs %cut uu board of her. Q. You said that shi:hs of the bite might have brought tr, ith their heads t,i the N. 1.. sear the Banyan Sao al, and might have engaged the tan Fisch ship 4 that remained at anchor, without danger from shot or shell frame the Isie aat Ai t ; should they hahe been shearer to the Isle of Aix than they amid to those ships!— A. I should nut have thosight of ha icging ruty shi broadside to an enemy when at a detainee .n great as from the Isle d'Aix to the lianhart, but should have continued ins she same course that ships wosdd do in go ing to the Tuner auehorage, until the ellelllo shot therm to tell, and then I should base brought the broad-side of the ships to bear in the 'lsomer belong deicribed„ hashing their heads towards the N. and I:. ; or if their shot did not tell. sat as materially to injure, I should probably have proceeded to bring the larboard gins to hear by passing on Ilse side oppo site to Isle &Aix, till f placed my ship, or ships ist weld situation as not may to capture sr destruh these, but those also which were laying as in chart No. Y. The distaste was sad that I might lie there fur a week and not have hit throes.. Q. You said, that after a time they might put their helms op and run under the stern of th.• ships at anchor, ;old env,. both these ships and the ships that were on shore; wan that a situation in which any of our ships ts ere at an. time pieced ? I have said, that provided I found it more expedient, I would have dune sot the Valiant and ships that joined the lenperieuse about three o'eloch p. m. a 1 the lith April, placed theuiselvee, or rather passed the pmtlieso alluded tn. and went on towards the end of the shoal, which Jo the caw Mated in the que-term, would not have been seermary. Q. Y oar I.ordship having stated that if twe or three ma of the line, is coining in. bad borne time on the Humeri, had l:sid their main and fore-topsails aback, nod taken the tide under their Ire, us as to ecablo theta to bear round and go ap to the enemy's two line-of-battle ships, then was there space enough far either one. two, or three sail of the line to 11 ire takisi up as anchorage, w ith esen port of their broadsides to bear on thew two ships ' a ithoist taking the groond • I did got anedier the tide under the lee m a point essential to the bearing up. There was sulkies* room. I can speak with positive certainty, for we in the Imperieitse, alien working out from the position which sit occupied. as sbewil he Chart, So. 9, tacked repeatedly, and traversed all the spare between the shoal of the Doorart and the buoys of the enemy's ships. where toey had betalittichots ed in line, and front which they had cot I should oat haft stood sci far towards these buoys had it sot been that tall enemy seemed AVM lashed to disturb as, which I out on v attributed to the ruinous state of their works. but conriod a that they were in wont of powder or other solitary stunt. I should out have einem, however, any distant station, b shield protialdi have brought up alatagside of them, and it OA side directly opposite to Aix. toree-deti. i and other ships on shore. two of which after tiptoe tried to have their mails locked together, viola have given leo material disturb :user in ioch a position, and then three might haw beta destroied by one 74, had she been sent to titlark them. or even by a frigate °rano, while tlo• two French rte ships steer occupied at their anritors as is Sibillre support,. W hen I arrived at the miter onwhorage. I mentleoed to Lord Comelier, that as tliz•re could he no jiailnusy with respect to Admit.ii Stopfont. that it world be a matter essential to tl.O service to send the Admiral an a ith the frigates nod onset *co wls which ever hi• Loni,hip thought Imo. n hi' zeal for rase service wituld Reelimplish turtint I eninider yet mar.: credlta. hie than any thin; that had been done; I alsolusi:•(1 tar tiN freedom which I used with Ms Lordship, sod stated that I took that liberty as a friend, for it would be inipasalblvi . things remaining as they were. is present a noise hi irg as 4e about it in Enlland. f said. " toy L”rd, pe t s d-siecy I se so speak candidly to too, and I have abed tient freedom . pave no wish sr desire hat for the serv ice sit our tomato , - -to which his Lordship replied, that if I strew Ithune, it wunkl appenr n• arrogant!. claiming sill the merit to ,myself. 1 its. owed. his Lordship I hod no .Ivl it,s, ohm,, and otentiaried 4 the -Mlle time, that ii was lint m . de•io, to eatry d•spotrben. or in co to Lo • lint mita Sir fans Seale, upon the vet-get:44 Lordship oedirstely after deltretrd w ne.io order, .Ii• n s.. l .„ x t h e When I weiened, I bad the sitisforimb of Marvin teat the •ecuiti hr-I heti , rtia•le for .Idaitial at p• ford, Inu - wiet:lut to execute spe ol.ove phi was Ivy the ai• rites, or °Corr meat*, i do not know. Lord Ga stoma declined with% Lord Cacbtare is) gem; tiva at present. 1 1 I