Chapter XVI: Appendix: I

LORD GAMBIER’S FIRST DESPATCH, GIVING ME CREDIT FOR THE CONDUCT OF THE
ATTACK IN AIX ROADS.

_Caledonia_, at anchor in Basque Roads,
April 14th, 1809.

SIR,—The Almighty’s favour to His Majesty and the nation has been
strongly marked in the success He has been pleased to give to the
operations of His Majesty’s fleet under my command; and I have the
satisfaction to acquaint you, for the information of the Lords
Commissioners of the Admiralty, that the four ships of the enemy,
named in the margin[103], have been destroyed at their anchorage, and
several others, from getting on shore, if not rendered altogether
unserviceable, are at least disabled for a considerable time.

The arrangement of the firevessels, placed under the direction of
Captain the Right Honourable Lord Cochrane, was made as fully as the
state of the weather would admit, according to his Lordship’s plan, on
the evening of the 11th instant; and at eight o’clock on the same
night they proceeded to the attack under a favourable strong wind from
the northward, and flood tide, preceded by some vessels filled with
powder and shells, as proposed by his Lordship, with a view to
explosion, and led on in the most undaunted and determined manner by
Capt. Wooldridge, in the _Mediator_ fireship, the others following in
succession; but owing to the darkness of the night, several mistook
their course, and failed.

On their approach to the enemy’s ships, it was discovered that a boom
was placed in front of their line for a defence. This, however, the
weight of the _Mediator_ soon broke, and the usual intrepidity and
bravery of British seamen overcame all difficulties, advancing under a
heavy fire from the forts in the Isle of Aix, as well as from the
enemy’s ships, most of which cut or slipt their cables, and from the
confined anchorage got on shore, and thus avoided taking fire.

At daylight the following morning, Lord Cochrane communicated to me,
by telegraph, that seven of the enemy’s ships were on shore, and might
be destroyed. I immediately made the signal for the fleet to unmoor
and weigh, intending to proceed with it to effect their destruction.
The wind, however, being fresh from the northward, and the flood-tide
running, rendered it too hazardous to run into Aix Roads (from its
shallow water), I therefore anchored again at the distance of about
three miles from the forts on the island.

As the tide suited, the enemy evinced great activity in endeavouring
to warp their ships (which had grounded) into deep water, and
succeeded in getting all but five of the line towards the entrance of
the Charente before it became practicable to attack them.

I gave orders to Capt. Bligh, of the _Valiant_, to proceed with that
ship, the _Revenge_, frigates, bombs, and small vessels, named in the
margin,[104] to anchor near the Boyart Shoal, in readiness for the
attack. At twenty minutes past two P.M. Lord Cochrane advanced in the
_Impérieuse_, with his accustomed gallantry and spirit, and opened a
well-directed fire upon the _Calcutta_, which struck her colours to
the _Impérieuse_; the ships and vessels above-mentioned soon after
joined in the attack upon the _Ville de Varsovie_ and _Aquilon_, and
obliged them, before five o’clock, after sustaining a heavy cannonade,
to strike their colours, when they were taken possession of by the
boats of the advanced squadron. As soon as the prisoners were removed
they were set on fire, as was also the _Tonnerre_, a short time after
by the enemy.

I afterwards detached Rear-Admiral the Hon. Robert Stopford, in the
_Cæsar_, with the _Theseus_, three additional fireships (which were
hastily prepared in the course of the day), and all the boats of the
fleet, with Mr. Congreve’s rockets, to conduct the further operations
of the night against any of the ships which lay exposed to an attack.
On the morning of the 13th, the Rear-Admiral reported to me, that as
the _Cæsar_ and other line-of-battle ships had grounded, and were in a
dangerous situation, he thought it advisable to order them all out,
particularly as the remaining part of the service could be performed
by frigates and small vessels only; and I was happy to find that they
were extricated from their perilous situation.

Captain Bligh has since informed me that it was found impracticable to
destroy the three-decked ship, and the others, which were lying near
the entrance of the Charente, as the former, being the outer one, was
protected by three lines of boats placed in advance from her.

This ship and all the others, except four of the line and a frigate,
have now moved up the Charente. If any further attempt to destroy them
is practicable, I shall not fail to use every means in my power to
accomplish it.

I have great satisfaction in stating to their Lordships how much I
feel obliged to the zealous co-operation of Rear-Admiral Stopford,
under whose arrangement the boats of the fleet were placed; and I must
also express to their Lordships the high sense I have of the
assistance I received from the abilities and unremitted attention of
Sir Harry Neale, Bart. the Captain of the Fleet, as well as of the
animated exertions of the captains, officers, seamen, and marines
under my command, and their forwardness to volunteer upon any service
that might be allotted to them; particularly the zeal and activity
shown by the captains of line-of-battle ships in preparing the
firevessels.

I cannot speak in sufficient terms of admiration and applause of the
vigorous and gallant attack made by Lord Cochrane upon the French
line-of-battle ships which were on shore, as well as of his judicious
manner of approaching them, and placing his ship in a position most
advantageous to annoy the enemy and preserve his own ship; which could
not be exceeded by any feat of valour hitherto achieved by the British
navy.

It is due to Rear-Admiral Stopford and Sir Harry Neale, that I should
here take the opportunity of acquainting their Lordships of the
handsome and earnest manner in which both these meritorious officers
had volunteered their services before the arrival of Lord Cochrane to
undertake an attack upon the enemy with fireships; and that, had not
their Lordships fixed upon him to conduct the enterprise, I have full
confidence that the result of their efforts would have been highly
creditable to them.

Not having had it in my power, as yet, to ascertain the conduct of the
officers commanding the fireships, except that of the _Mediator_, I am
under the necessity of deferring to state how far they fulfilled their
duty on this hazardous service in which they were engaged.

I should feel that I did not do justice to the services of Capt.
Godfrey, of the _Etna_, in bombarding the enemy’s ships on the 12th,
and nearly all the day of the 13th, if I did not recommend him to
their Lordships’ notice; and I cannot omit bearing due testimony to
the anxious desire expressed by Mr. Congreve to be employed wherever I
might conceive his services in the management of his rockets would be
useful; some of them were placed in the fireships with effect, and I
have every reason to be satisfied with the artillerymen and others who
had the management of them, under Mr. Congreve’s direction.

I send herewith a return of the killed, wounded, and missing of the
fleet, which, I am happy to observe, is comparatively small. I have
not yet received the returns of the number of prisoners taken, but I
conceive they amount to between 400 and 500. I have charged Sir Harry
Neale with this despatch by the _Impérieuse_, and I beg leave to refer
their Lordships to him, as also to Lord Cochrane, for any further
particulars of which they may wish to be informed.

I have the honour to be, &c.,
(Signed) GAMBIER.

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Footnote 103:

_Ville de Varsovie_, of 80 guns; _Tonnerre_, of 74 guns; _Aquilon_, of
74 guns; and _Calcutta_ of 56 guns.

Footnote 104:

_Indefatigable_, _Unicorn_, _Aigle_, _Emerald_, _Pallas_, _Beagle_,
_Etna_ bomb, _Insolent_ gun-brig, _Conflict_, _Encounter_, _Fervent_,
and _Growler_.

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_April 15th._—P.S. This morning three of the enemy’s line-of-battle
ships are observed to be still on shore under Fouras, and one of them
is in a dangerous situation. One of these frigates (_L’Indienne_) also
on shore, has fallen over, and they are now dismantling her. As the
tides will be off in a day or two, there is every probability that she
will be destroyed.

Since writing the foregoing, I have learned that the Hon.
Lieut.-Colonel Cochrane (Lord Cochrane’s brother), and Lieut. Bisset,
of the navy, were volunteers in the _Impérieuse_, and rendered
themselves extremely useful, the former by commanding some of her guns
on the main-deck, and the latter in conducting one of the explosion
vessels.

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