her consorts were not far off. At three in the
afternoon, finding the wind beginning to fall, and
conceiving that he had drawn his enemy to a suffi-
cient distance from interference on the part of her
21
322 The Autobiography of a Man-o^ -War's Bell.
consorts, if there were any, Captain Hamelin ordered
his men to their quarters once more ; shortening sail
he wore round, and running under his three topsails
with the wind on his starboard quarter, steered to
pass, and then cross, the stern of the English
frigate, which, under the same sail, was now stand-
ing "close hauled" on the port tack. To avoid
being thus raked, she tacked to the S.W. at a little
after five, and hoisted her colours, which we had
previously done.
It was at the close of a glorious day, with a light
and balmy breeze, and the sea nearly as smooth as a
mill-pond, that the ships drew near enough to com-
mence an action remarkable for its obstinacy and
the severe losses sustained by both combatants.
The captain, taking out his watch, ordered three
bells in the first dog-watch to be struck just as the
"Artemise" had arrived within pistol-shot of the
starboard or weather-bow of the British frigate j and
as one of the boys poor little fellow, I pitied him,
as I marked the pallor of his face, for indeed it was
no place for a child twelve years of age struck the
bell with tremulous hand, the enemy replied by a
broadside which convulsed the air with its terrible
volume of sound, and sent a shower of shot crash-
ing through the timbers and spars of the " Artemise,"
The Autobiography of a Man-o'-War's Bell. 323
She, on her part, was not slow in accepting the
challenge, and responded with a salvo from her
artillery that shook and strained every joint of her
fabric, and I doubt not did a vast deal more than
shake and strain that of her adversary. After about
three broadsides had been exchanged, the maintop-
sail of the ' ' Artemise " fell aback in consequence of
the braces having been shot away. Some hands
quickly sprang up the rigging to reeve fresh braces
or splice the old ones, according to what was neces-
sary, but before the damage could be repaired, the
"Artemise," instead of crossing the enemy, as she
had intended, fell on board her ; this collision caused
the jibboom of the latter to carry away our jib and
staysail, and either her boomkin or anchor fluke to
knock away part of our larboard topside. The
British frigate now opened a heavy fire of musketry
from her tops, rigging, and every available spot aloft
commanding our decks. Her seamen also threw
hand-grenades upon our decks, which they hoped
from the demoralizing effect these projectiles ordi-
narily have in warfare, would cause such confusion
that they might be successful in an attempt to board,
for which purpose a dense mass of sailors swarmed
on her fore rigging ready to leap on board as soon
as the opportunity offered. But the crew of the
3 24 The A utobiog raphy of a Man-o '- IV ar 's Bell.
"Artemise" did not so easily lose their heads, but
replied by a hot and telling musketry fire that quickly
cleared the enemy's rigging, and forced them to give
up the. idea of boarding for the present. Finding
this favourite British manoeuvre out of the question,
the enemy threw all aback and dropped clear of her
opponent.
Setting his maintopgallant and mainiopmast
staysails, the jib being, as I have said, disabled,
Captain Hamelin endeavoured to get his ship's head
towards the bow of the British frigate. This he
succeeded in doing, but in attempting a second time
to cross the bows of his antagonist he failed, and
once more fell on board her. The two ships after
coming into violent collision, swung close alongside
each other with the muzzles of their guns almost
touching. Now ensued a scene of fearful mutual
slaughter, to which indeed all that had gone before
was as child's play. It was a quarter past seven,
and getting dark, when the action assumed a com-
plexion that was simply appalling. The men instead
of being wearied or desirous on one side or the other
of beating a retreat, appeared to have only warmed
to their work, and enraged at the obstinacy of their
opponents, fought their guns with almost a demoniac
fury. The muzzles of the cannon, as I have said,
77/6' Autobiography of a Man-o'-War's Bell. 325
were nearly locked, and the opposing seamen gunners
snatched the sponges out of each other's hands, and
struck at one another with them, or with the worms
or rammers, or anything they could lay hands on ;
and drawing their cutlasses they cut at the sponges
or loaders, as they in carrying out their respective
duties extended their arms beyond the port sills. At
this time a party of our seamen, headed by the third
lieutenant, attempted to lash the two frigates together,
but failed, owing to the heavy fire of musketry, which
the enemy in turn kept up from her tops and decks.
So steady and well directed was this fusillade, that
the third lieutenant and boatswain were killed, and
the decks of the "Artemise" were soon nearly
cleared of officers and men. Captain Hamelin, who
was standing on the quarter deck, was now severely
wounded from the same cause, and had to be carried
below, the command devolving on the second lieu-
tenant, the first having been killed at his post early
in the action.
Thus progressed the sanguinary combat, which,
however, it was plain, could not last long, if any
survivors were to be left in either ship. Still neither
side dreamt of yielding, but carried away by the mad
frenzy of battle, blazed away with their great guns
and small arms with unabated fury, struggled fiercely
326 The Autobiography of a Man-o '-War's Bell.
at the gun ports, thrusting and hacking at each other
with boarding pikes and cutlasses, and sought to
board through the same ports when the guns re-
coiled. At length the elements, or rather, certain
physical forces came to the rescue; the concussion
of the discharges from the cannon, acted as a repel-
lent force, and the ships were mutually forced apart,
and so in the almost calm state of the weather, they
gradually receded from each other, their broadsides
still bearing, and the respective crews continuing to
work the guns, until at length they drifted out of
gunshot, and all firing ceased.
It was a drawn battle. All this fearful bloodshed
and destruction had been absolutely destitute of any
result, and as is usual in such cases, both the com-
batants claimed the victory, though the warriors of
neither nationality were entitled to it It was about
a quarter past nine o' clock when the last gun was
fired, and then, though fatigued and worn out by
their great exertions, the crew of the " Artemise,"
without one word of complaint, proceeded to clear
the decks and refit the ship aloft, as also the
gun gear, so that they might be in a posi-
tion to renew the action should the English frigate
bear down upon them, with this object. But it
was clear that she also had had quite enough of
The Autobiography of a Man-o'-War's Bell. 327
it, and when morning broke was nowhere to be
seen.
That was a terrible night succeeding the action.
Luckily the fine weather continued, and only light
airs, sufficient to give steerage way,- moved the bat-
tered hull of the good frigate through the water.
The decks were washed down, and all traces of the
ghastly conflict sought to be removed, but it was
not possible to control the moans of the wounded;
or the frequent half-stifled cry of anguish as some
poor mangled wretch tried vainly to check the sob or
groan of agony that would find utterance from his
lips, while the surgeon, or one of his assistants,
amputated some limb torn by shot, or bound up with
hasty hands, for there was abundance qf work of
this sort to be got through, some gaping gunshot or
splinter wound.
Such are the inevitable horrors of every action,
but they were greatly magnified in this instance,
owing to the desperate character of the duel between
two equally-matched ships. The dead were com-
mitted to the deep without any religious ceremony,
for there was no chaplain, and every hand that
could be spared was busied with the wants of the
living ; and when morning broke, it still found the
gallant fellows, officers and men alike, busy at the
328 The Autobiography of a Man-o'-War s Bell.
work of repairing and refitting, or assisting the
surgeon with the wounded a duty that seemed as if
it would never end.
The crew were regaled with spirits and biscuits,
and then Captain Hamelin, anxious to arrive at some
estimate of his losses, ordered all hands on the
quarter-deck. Alas ! the diminished length of the
lines on either side of the deck, told its own tale of
the havoc wrought by the desperate combat of the
previous night. Of her three hundred and forty-
nine officers and men, all told, that used to muster
every morning, a hundred and ninety-two only an-
swered the roll call ! Of the absentees fifty-nine
brave hearts were stilled for ever, and were now food
for the fishes, and ninety-eight were numbered among
those whose wounds were of a nature too severe to
allow of their appearing on deck. 'Of the remaining
one hundred and ninety-two, only about a hundred
and sixty were absolutely free from all injury, and
in a position to perform the duties of the ship.
Though for a moment saddened by the thoughts
called up by these losses, Captain Hamelin, who,
though severely wounded in the shoulder, had caused
himself to be brought up on deck, made an effort to
conquer the weakness induced by his wound, and
addressed his men in a short and spirit-stirring
The Autobiography of a 3lan-o -Wars Beit. 329
address. In feeble tones he thanked them all for
the noble manner in which they had upheld the
ancient renown of their country, and though he said
they had reaped but a barren victory, he promised
them the opportunity of winning fresh laurels. The
brave fellows responded to the words of their chief
with vivas, and after being dismissed were allowed to
enjoy for the remainder of the day the rest they had
so well earned.
The damages the " Artemise " had sustained,
although they did not include a single fallen mast, a
result chiefly owing to the smooth state of the sea,
were very serious. Her masts and guns were all
badly wounded ; her rigging, both standing and run-
ning, and her gear cut to pieces ; and her hull all
riven and shattered with the storm of round shot
that had been poured into her at so short a range.
The English ship had lost her mizenmast, and was
equally riddled in her hull, and cut up as regards her
top hamper. She must also have suffered in an
equal measure in killed and wounded, as she did not
offer to renew the action, which a slight breeze that
sprang up during the night would have enabled her
to do had she been so inclined. Probably she, like
ourselves, had had enough of it, and though scorning
to yield or to fly, was not sorry that she drifted in a
330 The Autobiography of a Man-o^-War^s Bell.
direction opposite to that adopted equally involun-
tarily by the ' ' Artemise." Captain Hamelin directed
his course to France, and the frigate arrived at
Toulon without any further adventure beyond an
unsuccessful chase of a British privateer. The
"Artemise" was put into dock on her arrival at
Toulon, and was found to be in so damaged a state
that it was decided by the naval authorities that she
should be broken up a step also rendered necessary
by reason of her age. And so the old frigate,
having gallantly fought her last fight and acquitted
herself right nobly, was taken to the shipbreaker's
yard, and went the way of all flesh, and, indeed, for
that matter, of everything animate or inanimate.
At this time early in 1781 France, assisted by
Spain, was making extraordinary efforts to deprive
Britain of her boasted sovereignty of the seas. The
Spaniards were straining every nerve to capture
Gibraltar, and were pressing the siege of that strong-
hold by land, and its blockade by sea. To effect its
relief and supply its starving inhabitants with pro-
visions, the British Government fitted out a fleet of
twenty-eight line-of-battle ships under the command
of Admiral Darby. The French boasted that they
would defeat the execution of this design, but the
British admiral, notwithstanding that a fleet of
The Autobiography of a Man-o' -War's Bell, 331
twenty-six ships was lying in Brest harbour, and a
still larger Spanish fleet was cruising in the Bay of
Cadiz, set sail with a convoy of ninety-seven
victuallers, as well as two fleets of merchantmen.
The truth was, each of the allied nations was intent
on effecting the objects most conducive to her own
individual interests, and instead of acting in concert
and crushing the British fleet, Spain only thought of
recapturing Gibraltar, while France was occupied
with her designs in America, as well as in the East
and West Indies. The French Government accord-
ingly bent every energy towards the fitting out of
two fleets one to be despatched to the East Indies,
under De Suffrein, an officer who may certainly be
placed in the front rank of French admirals, and the
second to the West Indies, having for its commander
the Count de Grasse.
Accordingly, I was taken out of the "Arte-
mise," and, being considered a fine specimen of a
man-o'-war's bell, as well as from the historical
interest attaching to me, was forwarded to Brest,
and, under the express orders of the Count de Grasse,
was fitted on board his ship. I well remember the
interest with which the gallant officer listened to the
details of my career from the time I went to sea on
board His Britannic Majesty's ship " Melpomene,"
332 The Autobiography of a Man-o' -War's Bell.
to the day I was selected for the flag-ship of at that
time the most popular admiral in the navy of the
ancient foe of the said royal personage. This flag-
ship was the famous "Ville de Paris/' a first-rate
line-of-battle ship, carrying no guns. She was,
perhaps, the most powerful vessel afloat, and had
been presented to Louis XV. by the city of Paris,
and was said to have cost 1 76,000, a fabulous sum
in those days to pay for a man-of-war, though in
our time we have seen 360,000 expended on the
construction of the " Warrior."
Admirals Count de Grasse and De Suffrein sailed
from Brest on the 22nd of March, 1781, with the
combined fleet of twenty-five sail of the line, and one
ship of 50 guns, having on board six thousand
soldiers, and convoying a fleet of nearly three hundred
merchant-vessels. De Suffrein, soon after leaving
port, parted company for the East Indies, taking
with him five ships, and the remaining twenty-one
vessels of war proceeded to Martinique, to effect a
junction with the West Indian fleet already in those
waters. The British Naval Commander-in-chief in
the West Indies was Sir George Rodney, who, on
learning the arrival of this large hostile expedition,
detached Sir Samuel Hood, his second in command,
with seventeen ships of the line to intercept them off
The Autobiography of a Man-o'-War's Bell. 333
Fort Royal bay. A partial engagement ensued, but,
although Count de Grasse had, with reinforcements,
a majority of six ships, he did not care to close,
being more anxious to secure the safety of his large
and valuable convoy than to engage. He accordingly
kept his fleet well together at a safe distance from
his antagonists, while those of the latter that pressed
into closer action received considerable damage. The
Count de Grasse now formed a junction with nine
ships of the line previously in the West Indies.
The French naval and military commanders
undertook a combined expedition for the reduction of
the island of St. Lucia, but, being foiled in this
attempt, set sail for Tobago with the object of
effecting its capture. Sir George Rodney, having
completed the repairs of his ships, came in sight of
our fleet with the whole of his squadron; but though
the Count de Grasse, having changed his tactics,
showed no disposition to avoid an engagement, the
British admiral, notwithstanding that he had the
advantage of the wind, did not think it prudent to
run the risk. The French troops were landed under
the command of the Marquis de Bouille; but the
inhabitants of Tobago, together with the small force
of British troops, carried out a most protracted and
gallant resistance. The French set fire to four plan-
334 The Autobiography of a Man-o'-Wars Bell.
tations daily, and, by this savage mode of carrying
on warfare, succeeded in forcing the governor to
capitulate. Thus, somewhat disastrously for England,
terminated the naval operations in the West Indies
for the year 1781.
CHAPTER XIV.
THE Count de Grasse proceeded with the fleet, on
board his flagship, to the Chesapeake, and, calling
in at Hispaniola, received an augmentation of five
sail of the line. His rival, Sir George Rodney, re-
turned to England on account of his health, and the
naval command devolved on Sir Samuel Hood, an
officer scarcely less famous than his distinguished
chief. Tn the meantime hostilities with varying suc-
cess, but chiefly with results unfavourable to the
mother country, had been progressing between Great
Britain and her colonies.
It was to assist in a well-laid scheme for dealing
a final blow at British power in the revolted provinces
that the Count de Grasse sailed for the Chesapeake,
for which station the Count de Barras, commanding
a French squadron of eight line-of-battle ships, was
also directed to steer. The French Commander-in-
chief cast anchor in the Chesapeake on the 13th of
August, and the Count de Barras sailed for the same
336 The Aittobiography of a Man-o-Wars Bell.
1
destination from Rhode Island five days before the
arrival of his superior, taking a circuit by Bermuda
to avoid the British fleet. Lord Cornwallis, the
British General in command of the troops in the
field, under Sir Harry Clinton, who remained at New
York, being desirous of possessing some strong post
as a place of security both for the army and navy,
had selected Yorktown and Gloucester Point, two
places separated by the York River, and nearly oppo-
site each other ; having fortified this point, he took
up a defensive position with his small force of seven
thousand men, and represented to Sir Harry Clinton
his urgent need of reinforcements. At this time
the British army was parcelled out at various sea-
ports ; and in consequence it became manifest that
a naval superiority would secure success to either
party ; it was with this object and to assist in carry-
ing out the plans of Washington that the Count de
Grasse now brought so overwhelming a force to the
Yorktown Peninsula. Early in September, Admiral
Graves appeared off" the Chesapeake, and made an
effort to relieve Cornwallis, but without success.
When he appeared off" the Capes of Virginia, De
Grasse, apprehensive of the safety of the squadron
of the Count de Barras, which had not yet arrived,
put to sea, and an indecisive engagement took place
The Autobiography of a Man-d -War's Bell. 337
on the 7th of the month. There was little more
than a distant cannonading, but small harm was
done to either squadron, and no one was killed on
board the " Ville de Paris." The British Admiral
was willing to renew the engagement on the follow-
ing day, but De Grasse, who had nothing to gain by
fighting an action, wisely declined the perilous
honour. He was soon after joined by the Count de
Barras with his eight ships, when he possessed a
very decided superiority. But Admiral Graves now
felt the force of the axiom that " Discretion is the
better part of valour," and sailed from the coast,
when the French fleet re-entered the Chesapeake.
During this time, according to a well-digested plan,
the French and American' forces, under the personal
command of Washington, were on their march for
Yorktown.
The combined army, amounting to twelve thou-
sand men, assembled at Williamsburg on the 25th
of September, and, five days after, moved down to
invest Yorktown, while at the same time the Count
de Grasse advanced to the mouth of York River
with his whole fleet, so as to prevent Lord Corn-
wallis from retreating or obtaining succour by sea.
The British army was now completely hemmed
in, and on the 6th of October the first parallel was
22
338 T,'ic Autobiography of a Ma;:-o' -War's Let!.
begun within six hundred yards of their lines; and
on the 9th and roth the attacks of the besiegers
commenced with formidable energy, their shells
reaching the English ships in harbour, so that the
" Charon/' frigate of forty -four guns, and a trans-
port were burned. On the nth of October the
second parallel was begun at the distance of two
hundred yards from the works, and then two redoubts
on the left of the British line were stormed by
columns of French and American soldiers, who vied
with each other in the reckless courage with which
they flung themselves on the enemy's fortifications.
It seemed to me as I heard the news of the daily
progress of the siege, to recall the old days before
Louisburg, and indeed had it not been for the
different language in which the intelligence was con-
veyed, I should have thought that I had been in-
dulging in a long sleep, and that my past life was
all a dream. This idea would have been to tell a
truth disagreeable to English ears still farther en-
couraged when I pondered on the different spirit
with which the British conducted the siege then,,
from that in which, their respective positions being-
changed, they carried on the defence now. " Oh ! "
thought I, burning with patriotic ardour, " for onr
week, nay, for one day, of a Wolfe, a Townshend,
The Autobiography cfa Man-d-}Vars Bell. 339
and a Boscawen." The men were lions,, still, as
was proved by the gallant manner in which, under
the leadership of a brave officer, Colonel Aber-
crombie, they sallied out and spiked eleven canon,
but they were commanded by a , but no, a
man-o'-war's bell must not lower itself by being
abusive.
No hopes of safety now remained for the British
force, for no succour came from New York, where
Sir Harry Clinton was dilly-dallying, and for the
defence of which against an imaginary attack he
was making elaborate preparations. Meantime one
hundred guns were pounding away at Lord Corn-
wallis's works, which were now a mass of ruins, and
so, after an attempt to escape in boats to Gloucester
Point, which was frustrated by a violent storm, the
British General proposed a cessation of hostilities
for twenty-four hours, to settle terms of capitula-
tion. To this, Washington, anxious " to save the
effusion of blood," assented, and on the igth of
October a treaty was concluded, and the posts were
given up ; the troops and stores being surrendered
to the Great American patriot, while the Count de
Grasse received the submission of the ships and
seamen. The honour of marching out with colours
flying, which hafi been refused to General Lincoln,
34 The Autobiography of a Man-o-Wars Bell.
when he surrendered Charlestown in May of the
previous year, was now by way of retaliation denied
to Lord Cornwallis, who was with Sir Harry Clin-
ton on the former occasion. Lincoln also was
appointed to receive the submission of the Royal
army, but beyond this humiliation, Washington
behaved with great magnanimity to the vanquished.
Five days after the surrender of Yorktown a British
fleet, with seven thousand troops, arrived off the
Chesapeake, but they were too late in warding off a
blow that was fatal to the cause of their country,
and returned to New York.
The Count de Grasse now sailed with thirty-two
ships of the line for the island of Christopher, which
he proposed to attack in company with the Marquis
de Bouille. The latter landed with eight thousand
men, and threatened the islanders with a repetition
of his excesses at Tobago, unless they forthwith
surrendered. Sir Samuel Hood sought to interfere
with his fleet of twenty-two sail, and succeeded in
luring De Grasse from the coast by the offer of
battle ; but though by these means he succeeded in
placing himself between the French army and fleet,
and so cut off all communications, so great was the
fear inspired among the people of St. Christopher's
by the threats of the French general, that they sur-
The Autobiography of a Man-o 1 - War's Bell. 341
rendered without firing a shot. The British admiral
preserved his fleet from attack by slipping his cables
in the night, and getting silently under weigh.
After this, the French were successful in reducing