The Statesman.
London, England, 1809-08-02 00:00:00

THE STATESMAN.

at the time the attack was made, an that easitt-at any time
have been effected. It is in support of these propositions, I
undertake to %hew, as indeed is already in evidence before
von, that bad I not delayed sending in the ships to the attack
instil the time I did, the loss of ships, and of the lives of valu-
able seamen, *fluid, in the opinion of all the officers of the
fleet, have amounted to a large proportion °film force so ens-
plosed. And vet it seems, that lam now represented a% de-
leriing of censure, for haying prevented that wanton destruc-
tion; but I am satisfied the Court will, by the result of their
lovestigation, find, that oat a single additional ship of the
enemy would have beets destroyed by a more early adoption
of those measures which it it imputed to me I delayed- or
neglected. I shall now proceed to the direct matter of in-
quiry and charge. to which my letter to the Lords Commis-
nen of the Admiralty of the 10th of May, partly applies.
This letter was written on my beinig informed that my public
dispatch of the lath of April had been considered as nut suf-•
Attends explanatory; hut even that letter proves short of
what has now become neressary to submit to the Court, put
as lamon my defence. I a ill venture here to express my
firm consiction, that during the whole period which is the
I subject of inquiry, and mule particularly on the very day no
which I am charged with a dereliction of duty, it will be
found by this houtourable Court, that iu the pies ions arrange-
ment I everted the utmost faculties of my mind to prevent
any cirrionstance escaping me which forethought could die-
-1 tate; and that at the time of attack I acted is ith all the zeal
for the weer's of the service an Officer could evince, whose
' duty it was to consider the proper application anti preservist
tion of his own Beet, as well as the destruction of that of the
enemy.
The squadron under my command, including the ad-
meal frigates, having bent driven from their stenos) of
Bres4, by the cootioued prevalence of tempestuous wester!)
winds, it was on inv return of that port, the 23d of Feb.
that I ascertained the escape of the French fleet; I had no
information of the tune when the enemy escaped from their
port, or of the coarse they had taken; consequently had nn
grounds upon which I could exercise any discretion. This
reduced our to the unavoidable necessity of following my or
den, a hicb in sorts an event diatoctly directed me to detach
the senior Flag Officer, with such force as I might conclude
was equal to the enemy, and to return emelt' to Cawsand
Bay for further orders. I accordingly detached Sir John
Duckworth with eight sail of the line and a frigate, in pur-
Snit of the French Beet, on the course pointed out iii their
Lordships' orders before referred to, which left me with the
Caledonia alone, iu the mortifs iog situatioo of !seine obliged
to reuses to port. rrefer hack to this event, in order •• 'hew
why the Caledonia, hearing my flag, became detached from
the fleet. In proceeding to Cawsand Bay, the Naiads join--
ed me of Falmouth, when Captain [laude, informed me,
that the enemy's tieet from Brest, comisting of eight sail of
Use line not two frigates, had entered Basque Roads, on the
loth of February, where they had beets reinforced the
four sail of the line and two frigates, previously lying in the
Aix Reads. This communication being made to the Adnii-
salty, I received orders from their Lordships, on the 3d of
March, to pot to sea with the Caledonia, Toininnt, 1114146-
ems. Resolution, and &Ilona, torether with any frigates and
smaller vessels under my command, that might be ready for
tea at Plymouth, to form a junction wiih Rear-Admiral '
Stopford, commanding his Majesty's squadron tiff Rochefort..
On my arrival of Rochefort on the ith of March, I found
that Rear-Admiral Stopford, with the Cesar, Delia:we, I/o-
legal. and four frigates, had, iti the course of the 21th of
February, been joined by Captain here-ford; with the The-
seas, Triumph, Valiant, Revenge, and one frigate, and
shortly after by the Hero; and that the French beet had I
r..uve:l from Basque into Aix Roads, and taken tiochorage
1 there' with eleven sail of the site and four frigates. In cow
1 sequeoce of the intricacy of the navigation, one of their ships ,
w is twain, wrecked. Judging that the occupation of Basque
Roads by the fleet under my command would be most effee- 1
, tual, either for blockading the enemy, or for carrying on of-
resolve operations, should they prove practicable, I mne-
!
diately ordered souse of the blasters of the Beet to proceed
in, and to take every advantage of weather, in sounding and
I serve% ing the anellorage is order to ascertain the part most
advisable to he occupied by a fleet of the magnitude of that
under my orders. On the 15th of March, I issised the fol-
lowing Getwr II Order to the fleet :
et (i ENtRALORoc pis— %% hen the fleet takes all nacho Page
1 in Bisque Roads, the starboard division will anchor in aline
E. by S. from the Caledonia, and the larboard division will
anchor iu a hoe W. by S. from her. The ships are to be
moored, the anchors to be placed E.N.E. and W.S.W. from
tab other, with the small bower to the Westward, wed the
sobs are to be at the distance of two cables length from each
division. The frigates and brigs are to be placed one mile
.';,trice is advance, either towards else Isle of Aix, or the
town of Rochelle, according to the direction in which the
total atom; and some of them will be farther advanced of-
ter toe close of dad. As an additional guard against ally
a.oempts the enemy inlay make is ith Bre vessels against the'
fleet, every ship is to be held in constant readiness for actiotty
at all times, on the shortest notice; every preparatiut. !is to
be made.: 'd kept in constant readiness, to resist and Trans
Irate the attempts of the enemy by the nwans otfirowhipirer
vessels; and the ships are always to be ready to slip kheir
cable., if It should be necessary, leaving buoys upon them.
Two boats from each ship are to he held constantly with fire
trap toil es them un board the advanced frigates, to towed'
Ore-se sells the boats are to go on board the advanced &s-
-pies every night soon after sun-set, and to rernaiu the night
under the orders of the Captain having the charge of the ad •
vaned guard; they are to return to their proper ships in the
writing. Two brigs are to be advanced beyond the frigates
with three- bouts, each of which are to row guard In mode-.
rate weather,aud *hen the wind blows from the Eastward .••
and a vigilant loak-out is to be kept upnwthe movements of
the enemy fruits all the ships and vessels of the adduced
guards. - If any of the enemy's vessels approach the; fleet,
obey are to be fired at; and if they are suspected to he fire-
vessels, blue lights are to be immediately burnt as a signet
thereof. If the enemy's ships of the litre are discovered to
ae in -talon, rockets are instantly to be thrown up to ap-
prise the Brat. in either rase the frigates will get under sail,
and set in such a inane. r as may be most suitable to counter-
act the operation ef the enemy, and assist the feet In any
way they may be able. Given oo board the Caledonia, at
anchor, 15th of March, 1809.
(sired), " GAMBIER.
" To the respective Captains. '

On the 17th of March the fleet anchored in Sangre
Roads, and was moored in a line, as directed by the general
order. The eneusvialtips lay at the distance of about sir
miles, is compact HIM, and the most distant ship of each line
within point blank range of the batteries otsthe Isle of Aix,
with their frigates advanced towards the entrance of Ai:
Roads. This ctimpact position of the enemy, was evidently
taken to avoid the shoals around the anchorage. The nearer
and more distinct view I now obtained of the enemy's posi-
tion, confirmed me in my opinion of the impracticability of a
successful attack upon their ships by the Acct. I was also
satisfied, that the only way of attacking the enemy, was by,
means of tire-ships, which I suggested in En) letter to the
first Lord of the Admiralty, written four days after my arri-
val at Rochefort, as follows :27_

• Caledonia, 11th March, 1809.
• MT DEAR LORD.
The advance wort between the Isle of Ala and Memo,
which I mentioned in my last letter, I find was iojart-d in its
foundation, and is in no state of progress. That is therefore
no obstacle to our bombarding the enemy's fleet, if you should
he disposed to make an attempt to destroy it. A trial was
made si% years ago, n hen a Spanish squadron lay at the same
anchorage; but without effect. The irport of it you will dud
in the Admiralty. It was mode by Str Charles Pole. The
enemy's ships lay very much ezossed to the operation oftlre-
ships. It is a horrible mode of warfare, and the atteropt,
very hazardous, if sot desperate; but we should have plenty
of volunteers for the service. If you mean to do any thing of
the kind, it should be with and quickness ; and the
ships used should not helms than t built for the purpose,
at least a dozen, and some smaUer ones.
Your's, my dear Lord, &e.
(Signed) • GAMBILIZ.t
This letter was received by his Lordship on the 19th March,
who indeed had anticipated my sentiments, as appears by the
following letter from their Lordships' Seeretar3, already ile•
fore the Court, but which I will here recapitulate :

[Tisk letter was dated Adiniralty-Othee, March 19, 1809:
it stated, that their Lordships had ordered IC transports to be '
fitted as fire-ships tojoin the Admiral, and that Mr. Con:rely
was also under orders to proceed is a coppered trarepport (the•
Clevemad) with a large okortitsent of rockets, and supplied
with a detachment of tun' riue artillery instructed in the. ow of
them, and placed under Mr. Congreve's orders. That the
bomb-vessels, Etna, Thunder, Vows ius, Hound, and Fury.
were likewise ander orders to fit for sea with all pmsible c %-
pedition, with a view to enable Lord Gambier to make an
attack on the French feet at their aochorage, off the tale of
Aix, if practicable. nit Lordship was further commanded to
take into, kis consideration, the poesibilitr of making an attack
upon the enemy, either conjointly wish his line of battle-
ships, frigates, and small craft, fire-ships, blobs, and rockets.
or liepanttdly by any of the above-assallamed means • to
tore the fire-ehigi,witb volunteers, intruding thst said saps in
cbarge of Olken of tie Rank of Cosammultr, who may
Yo pers to be present. and shall volunteer I to maks op any
Meirsey by web Lieutenants of the has ullaalrs ships so
shall volunteer. Lord Gambier was to Mahe whether any

•. •

r ...~

farther augmentation of force of any deseriptioa was ne-
cessary to enable him to perforht this service with fall
erect, their Lordships having tome to it determination to
leave no means untried to destroy the enemy's squadron. I
order to give his Lordship every infiwnsation, a copy was in-
dosed Of 2 paper drawn up by Sir Rich. hest-, in 1807, prn-
positig n mode of attacking an enemy's squadron wader Isle
d'Ail.]
Ou the 26th of,March, 1 received the Admiralty directions
of 19th, above referred to, and to which I answered as
follows :
" Caledooia, Basque Road-. March 26, 1909.
" SIR--I have this day received liv the Encounter, your
mast secret letter of the 19th hot. acrompaiiied by is paper
drawn by Sir Richard Keats. with his opinion of a mode of
attack arm an enemy's squadron, litoo•ed under the I.le
d'Ail, and signifyiag the directions of the Lord, Commission-
ers to owe to take into my consider:dim the pos.iSility of mak-
ing malts& upon the enemy's fleet, either coninintly with
the line of battle ships under onv command, and the frigates,
small craft, &c. or separately therewith. You will be pleas-
ed to acquaint their Lordship, that I shall apply all the
powers and energy of my mind to carry into erect their di-
rection.. as far as possible, w lien the means with which their
Lordships have order me to be furnished, art ive at. this an-
chorage. 1 o ill not at present detain the Encounter in her
return to PI % month, but will detach another ve,sel to. RIOT.
row, and still furnish you with ti stateliwtd of the enems's
force, position, and rirruinsi ewes, for their Lordsiap.' infir-
m:ilium. Their ships certainly lay eliposed loan attack upon
them with fire vessels, %Rita hopetifsuccrM.
" I have the boomer to be, &e.
(Signed) " GAMBIER."
The Ilon. W. W. Pule.

" Caledonia, in Basque Roads, March '26, 18.19.
" —ln obedience to their I..trdships' dinalion: to me,
I beg leave to state to them, that it will be advimble I should
'
be famished with biX gun-brigs, in additi n to those I may
be able to collect of such as are under my command vt pre-
sent. Thew" are only two at this anchorege. I shall, how-
ever, order the Insolent and Coolest to Mot me from t,)aihe-
rim Ray ; and l somild hope the Martial and Percent vt ill cc-
turn here shortly fin-a Plymouth. It is proper should stole,
for their Lord-hips' infonuation. the position in which the
French feet is at present anchored, near the Isle &Aix, that
their Lordships may he able to form a judgment of the- stir-
OM that may he estseeLal to attend au attack upnu the rite- ;
my 's fleet la either at' the modes directed by their Lordships
in your letter to toe above mentioned. The enemy's ships
are anchored in two lines very near each other Ma direction
doe South from the fort on the Vie of Ala. and the ships oa
each line not farther apart than their own leaxtb, by which it ,
appears, as I imagine-, that the spare for their anchorage iv '
so confined by the shosdaess of the slater, as nut 'to admit of
ships to ruts in and anelior dear of each other. The nowt dis-
I taut sbipsof their tots dines are withio pitatt blank shot of I
the works upon the Isle of Aix.' Such thertlfare, as
us;ght attach the enemy, will be ea posed to be risked by the
red-hot shot, fire. from the island ; amt should the ships,be des- i
abled in their masts, they must remain within range of the
enemy's fire mini dottroyed, there got heist a suilleirst depth i
of water to allow theta to name Southward out of distance.—
The enemy's ships have taken their. position apparently ,
with a view not may to be protected by the strong truths on :
the Isle of Aix, bat also to have the entrance of the C:ha-
mute open to them, that in cgse of being quacked hx
tire-
ships and "thef rihtiVs•of the kited, they tun rim up the river i
beyond the reach or them. The tide an.l sc Ind that are In-
voutable to convey thls kart tremirrice tu the. enemy. Fel Ve I
equally to carry them op lite river. Vs Ws respcef lo the at- •
tempt that may be made to destroy the eiesay's ship?, with I
shells, &c. 1 am not competent to give art opinion, untif it is I
ascertained whether the bombs can be,placed within moge trfi
their mortari, to the enemy's ships. without being exp-, to
the fire from the Isle of Aix. I be,. leave to add, that IT
their Lordships are of opinion that an attack upon the else!
my'.i ships, by those of the fleet under ms command, is prac-
ticable, um ready to obey any order= they may be pleased j"'
to boomer me with, however great the risque may be' of the
loss of men and ships.
" t have tbe honour to be,
(Signed) " GAMBIER."
" The Hon. W. W. Puce."

•
On the 27th of March I recut myself in the Unicorn, with
Sir II rre Neale, the Captain of the deet,and Captain lb d-
ford, of the I' to reconnoitre the enemy's fleet, and
the fortifications of ;he Isle d'Ais, which oppearml, neer
withstalitim: Lord Cochrtme {mks b, his evidence to make a
contrary impression, to he bf considerable forte. Obxerving
that the enemy were resuming their works es the Bseydd
shoal, eitb the tieteof affording to their fleet iu Aix Aortas:
of additioonl protection, f taut in the A.pelia na
the I.i of Apr.l, to disper!e the people employed rah these'
works, which 'entice they eili•eted. tats tire 3d of
Lard I °canine arrived wftlialse Ipfperiense frigair, and by
rib Lordship I recelsed the following directions from the Ad-
miralty :
(Tnese directions merely slated the detention in CieDowas,
by contrary la ind., of the vc.sels that had been promi,ed ;
and cointnunirated their Lordiiiips' orders for the employ-
ment of Lord t'oc•innse.)
That the sere ice might proceed with the utmost celerity, I
ordered eight of the largest trateports then is it h the tieei, to
be selected ano prepalvd a, fire-ship 4, in lieu' of the sit ex -
petted from Pk unititbobat• they might be ready to act witch
the It from Mfooliy:ch, imtnediatel upon their arrival.
These, with the Mediator, were accordingly fined by mean.
of rosin and tar, fontmatel v found on hoard some chase
aces, recently captured, and other combdelible materiabi
tarnished by the fleet. vice was performed ender the
1 immediate snperlatendance of the Captain, of the
battle ships, who evinfell lb, in nt unremitting activity undo
'the occaritio..• Upou the itltir of .kpril, at kill past four I'.
Al. the Beagleariivegl, wit.) tar lire-ships Inuit Liigiand.
Whim I issued orders to the Commanders of sloop and First
Lieutenuntsof line-of-battle shi s which I had prepared, it
Was found altogether-impracticable to proceed to toe attack
on the of the lOth, though much pres,ed by Lord Coca-
rau and it inaV he a anuf fartuaate circumstance
that the attempt was deterred; fur it appears by a general
order found uu board one of. the etwiny's ship. and now deli-
vered into Court, that the'Vreneh, to protect their fleet from
Antoci, had equipped 73 launches and other bat., m five di-
visions, to guard it from surprise during the night, and to tow
of uur fire-ibips on their approach t and the trau of
the lath would have afforded the enemy full opportunity of
availing the/ruches of thi, protection; hut of Cats they were
deprived, by the very blowing weatuer on the xub:irrpt,in
night, when the fire ships were sent in. I have heft mi-
nce, that some days previous to the attack, t had, to devotee
the meaty, adopted the pr.aatution of order•oi on, of the
Roads vessels of every description, that were not to be en-
gaged in the intended operations.

To assist and support the fire-ships, the following dispo-
sition was made of the whole force in frigates and 'mailer
vessels. • • .
The Unicorn, Aie.' and Pallas, I directed to a station
near the Buovart shoal, for the purpose .1 receiving the
crews of the fire-ships on their return from the enterprise,
to support the boats of the fleet which w.:re w acconspany
the fire-ships, and likewise to Dive assistance to the Itope-
rieitse, which ship was soniewilt further advanced.. 111,
Whiting schooner, and.the King George and -Niiiiroti.eut-
ters, were fitted for throwing ro4kets,ar.l,l were also direct-
ed to take a station near that shoal. The liftlefatiAuble,
the Foxhound, and Etna bottib (heitibqbe only hunslr-vee-
sel that had then arrived we/roomier:el to place themselves
as near the fort On t he isle of Aix as possible, the two fur.
wee to protect the bomb whilst she. throw shells into the
fort.
The Emerald, Doterel, and Beagle sloops, &oh Insolent,
Conflict, and Growler gun-brigs:iv/ere stationed to make a
diversion at the East end of the isle of Air. • 'flip Iledpoie
and Lyra I directed to be anchored by the illastkr of the
fleet, one near the Isle of Aix and the outer near+the
' art, with lights huiiteil, awl properly scrWended from the
enetny'sview,to guide the fire-ships In their t‘oerte tu'the
. attack.
Three explosion vessels, which ha& been propane(' and
prepared bf Lord Cochrane, were, under his Lordip..)
int-
inti ate direction, to preerde the fire-shipt in the attack.
Their, explosion was to point out the proper time for the
Officers commanding, the fire-ships to set fire to their re-
spective vessels, and to intimidate and prevent the entiuy.
from towing off the fire-ships. The boats of the fleet itn-'
der the superintendance of /tear-Admiral Stopford. were
ordered to assemble alongside the Cursor, to proceed to
assist the fire-ships. And I issued the following General
()Me', and.gare the Officers commanding fire-ships full
insthictioiss for their proceedings
AILS!. GENRKAL.
si The fire-ships are to proceed to the attack,the ensu-
ing•night; the exploding vessels will close witti. the Impe-
rieuse. The fire-vessels will move from their iochors at
half past seven o'clock. in running in•they are to less •
the two lights of equal height t which will be sheen on
board a vessel placed for that purpose) on the starboard

LOSDUN : 'Primed and IV)irslont lot 4).4onvILL, al tk.
StAirts% s Ot rat ,•N7,