Jane Austen's Sailor Brothers - J. H. Hubback (novels for students txt) 📗

ON June 20, 1808, on the St. Albans’ passage towards England, there is an entry in the log: “Exchanged numbers with the Raven brig. The brig is from off Lisbon. The French have taken possession of Spain. The Spanish Royal Family are prisoners in France. It is not certainly known where the Rochefort squadron is gone, but supposed into the Mediterranean.”

This was the beginning of the Peninsular War, in its results disastrous to Napoleon. Napoleon’s calm supposition that he could turn out the King of Spain and put in Joseph Bonaparte at his own pleasure, was formed without reference to the feelings of the people of Spain and Portugal; and futile as their objections might have been if unsupported, their appeal to England was far-reaching in its consequences. Not only was the seat of war transferred to a country which, with its long sea-coast, was favourable to British arms, but the actual naval gain was very great. Such ships of the French Navy as had escaped from Trafalgar were still lying in Cadiz, and had now no course open to them but surrender, while the Spanish and Portuguese fleets, on which Napoleon counted, were of course entirely hostile to him.

The feeling in England over this war was very strong. Added to the hatred of Napoleon, which would have made almost any of his actions abhorrent, there was a real impulse of generous anger at the oppression shown in pretending to buy the nation from its wretched King, in order to establish a purely arbitrary dominion. At the same time it was a grave question whether Napoleon, with his many legions, was to be resisted successfully.

As yet, however, Napoleon had not entered Spain, and Junot was in command of the French army in the West of the Peninsula.

Sir Arthur Wellesley was first appointed to command the British expedition, but England does not always know her best men, and almost at once Sir Harry Burrard was despatched to take over the work. The battle of Vimiera was the first serious encounter, and, but for the hesitation of Burrard to follow up his advantage, might have been decisive.

Sir Hew Dalrymple next day arrived from England to supersede Burrard, and after some vacillation, not unnatural under the circumstances, between the policy of Wellesley and that of Burrard, he prepared to push on, and was met by French proposals of a Convention. The Convention of Cintra secured that the French should evacuate Portugal, leaving for France on board British ships, and as they were determined to take everything with them that they could lay their hands on, this was not a bad arrangement for the French. Such, at least, was the opinion in England, and a court of inquiry soon came to the conclusion that it would have been better to leave the entire matter in the hands of Wellesley, who was first on the scene, and had consequently other qualifications for accurate judgment besides those which his genius gave him.

Napoleon, however, saw very clearly how much harm the battle of Vimiera had done him, and came himself to Spain, enraged at Junot’s defeat. The campaign of Sir John Moore, ending at Corunna, is too well known for any description to be necessary. The fact that Napoleon could not have everything his own way was established, and the struggle in the Peninsula went on, until it closed five years later with the capture of San Sebastian.

Some extracts from the log of the St. Albans and two letters, tell us of the small share which Francis Austen had in this business. “St. Albans, in the English Channel, July 22nd, 1808. Received on board Brigadier-General Anstruther with his staff and suite. Weighed and made sail, twenty-three sail of transports in company.

“July 23.—At a quarter past nine hove to and called the masters of the transports on board by signal. Issued to them a sealed rendezvous.”

The transports were bad sailors, so it was not until August 5 that they got away from the English Channel on the passage towards Portugal. On the 12th, off Corunna, news was received from the Defiance, which caused a deviation in the route in order to bring Anstruther into touch with Wellesley, who was then near Figuero, just before the battle of Vimiera.

“August 16.—Saw a number of ships at anchor in Figuero Roads. At two o’clock Captain Malcolm came on board, and brought instructions for the General as to the disposition of the troops.

“August 17.—Sent a boat with despatches for Sir Arthur Wellesley on board the transport sent from Figuero (for this purpose).

“August 19.—At anchor off the Burlings. Light airs and cloudy weather. At three o’clock a Portuguese boat came alongside with a messenger having despatches for Brigadier-General Anstruther from Sir Arthur Wellesley. At daylight a very thick fog. At eleven the fog cleared away, weighed and made sail to the southward. At three, anchored off Panago in company, hoisted out all the boats and sent them to disembark the troops. At six, the General and his staff quitted the ship. Light airs and fine weather. All the boats of the fleet employed landing the troops.”

The landing went on all night, and was finished next morning.

On Sunday, the 21st: “Observed an action between the English and French armies on the heights over Merceira.” This was the battle of Vimiera, where Kellerman and Berthier vainly endeavoured to dislodge the British from the crest of the hills.

August 22.—“Sent all the boats on shore to assist in taking off the wounded of our army to the hospital ships. Boats also employed embarking French prisoners on board some of the transports.”

August 24.—“On the passage towards Oporto.” Thence they went back to England, where on September 2 the French prisoners were discharged at Spithead to the prison ships in the harbour.

Two letters written to the Honble. W. Wellesley Pole, brother of Sir Arthur Wellesley, give this story in a different form.

“St. Albans OFF THE BUHLINGS, August 18, 1808.

“SIR,—I have to state to you for the information of my Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty, that in consequence of intelligence respecting the British Army in Portugal, communicated by Captain Hotham, of his Majesty’s ship Defiance, on the 12th inst. off Corunna, Brigadier-General Anstruther commanding the troops embarked on board the transports under my convoy, requested us not to pass Figuera without affording him an opportunity of obtaining some further intelligence relative to the situation of Lieutenant-General Sir Arthur Wellesley; with this, from existing circumstances, I thought it my duty to comply, although contrary to the strict letter of my orders, and accordingly when round Cape Finisterre, steered for Cape Mondego, off which I arrived at noon on the i-th. The Brigadier-General receiving there orders to proceed along the coast to the southward and join the convoy under his Majesty’s ship Alfred, whose captain would give him further information respecting the position and operations of the army by which he was to guide his own, I proceeded in consequence thereof with the fleet, and yesterday at 1 P.M. joined the Alfred off Phenice.

“At four o’clock, in compliance with the Brigadier-General’s wish, I anchored with the transports under the Burlings, to prevent their dispersion, and to await the arrival of directions from the Lieutenant-General, to whom an aide-de-camp was yesterday despatched to announce our arrival, force, and position.

“One of my convoy, having a detachment of the 2nd battalion of the 52nd Regiment on board, parted company on the night of the 12th instant, and has, I suppose, in compliance with the secret rendezvous I issued on the 23rd of July, proceeded off the Tagus.

“I have the honour to be, Sir,

“Your obedient humble servant,

“FRANCIS WILLIAM AUSTEN.”

From the same to the same.

St. Albans, SPITHEAD, September 2, 1808.

“SIR,—In my letter to you of the 18th ultimate from off the Burlings forwarded by the Kangaroo, I had the honour to announce for the information of my Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty, the arrival of his Majesty’s ship St. Albans, and the transports under my charge at that anchorage. I have now to state to you, for their Lordships’ further information, that the following morning the fleet moved on to the southward, and anchored at 3 P.M. off Paymago, where dispositions were immediately made for disembarking the troops, which was effected in the course of the night. On the 20th, I proceeded with the empty transports, agreeably to the directions I received from Captain Blight, to join the Alfred off Merceira, about six miles more to the southward, and anchoring there at noon of the 21st, remaining until the 24th, my boats being all that time employed in landing provisions and stores for the army, and embarking a number of French prisoners and wounded British soldiers on board such of the transports as had been appropriated for their reception.

“On the 24th at noon, in obedience to directions contained in a letter I received the evening before from Admiral Sir Charles Cotton, I put to sea with twenty-nine transports under my convoy, and proceeded with them off Oporto, where I anchored on the evening of the 27th, and remained for twenty-four hours until I had seen all safe over the bar. I then weighed, and, making the best of my way to England, anchored at Spithead at 8 A.M. this day.”

The St. Albans remained in British waters until March in the following year, for the greater part of the time at Spithead, where, in January 1809, Captain Austen took charge of the disembarkation of the remains of Sir John Moore’s army on their arrival from Corunna.

Two of the very few references to public matters which occur in Jane Austen’s letters are made concerning Sir John Moore and his army.

“December 27, 1808.—The St. Albans perhaps may soon be off to help bring home what may remain by this