Under the Meteor Flag: Log of a Midshipman during the French Revolutionary War

by Harry Collingwood

It was by this time growing dusk, and when we reached the cottage in which General Paoli had established himself, we found that he was out going the rounds, and seeing personally to the posting of the sentinels. His wife, however, who had determined to share with, and if possible mitigate for her husband the hardships of the campaign, was “at home,” and from her we all received a most cordial welcome. She was of course distressed to hear of the strait in which we had left her brother-in-law, the count, but was quite decided in her opinion that he had done right to send Francesca away to her, and believed that, once freed of anxiety respecting his daughter, it would be found that he had been able to defend himself so vigorously as to eventually beat off his assailants. She pressed us very earnestly to remain until the general should return, in order that he might have an opportunity personally to thank us both—and me especially—for the important service rendered to his niece; but Captain Hood was anxious to get back to his ship, so as to go on board the admiral’s ship, to take part in a council of war: we were therefore reluctantly compelled to decline.

Before returning to the “Juno,” however, we hunted up one or two Corsican officers with whom the skipper had already become acquainted, and learned from them that the Mortella Tower (the battery which had been that day attacked by the two frigates) had, as far as they had been able to ascertain, borne the storm of shot unscathed.

On the way back to the ship I learned from the skipper that the “Juno’s” consort in the action was called the “Fortitude,” and that she had suffered severely in the engagement, losing six men killed, and fifty-six wounded, having three of her lower-deck guns dismounted, and also being set on fire.

On reaching the “Juno” we found the decks cleared up, every sign of the late combat effaced, and all hands below, but the anchor-watch. Mr Annesley, however, was on deck, awaiting the skipper’s return, and as I followed the latter up the side, the first luff paused before following him into the cabin, and said that, as soon as Captain Hood had left for the admiral’s ship, he should be glad to hear an account of my shore-cruise. I accordingly watched the departure of the gig, and then made my way to the poop, where all three of the lieutenants were awaiting me, and to them I related in full detail all that had occurred to me from the moment of leaving the ship to that of rejoining her. I will not repeat the flattering encomiums which my narrative elicited; suffice it to say that I was greatly gratified by the approval expressed by them all, and particularly by Mr Annesley’s assurance that I had only to go on as I had begun to become an ornament to the service, and a credit to all connected with me.

The next day or two passed in a state of comparative inactivity with the fleet, Lord Hood having arrived at the conclusion, through his experience of the effects of the engagement between the “Fortitude” and “Juno” and the Mortella Tower, that a further sea-attack upon that battery would be useless, and that its reduction would have to be effected by the land forces. I use the words “comparative inactivity” advisedly, for though the ships themselves were idle, as far as the prosecution of the campaign was concerned, the admiral was indefatigable in drilling and exercising the crews, and in accustoming those of the different ships to act in concert. And in addition to this there was an immense amount of passing to and fro between the fleet and the shore, in the transmission of despatches and the landing of stores and ammunition; and in these services the little “Mouette” came in very useful, sometimes rushing backward and forward with bulky packets of official documents, and at other times making the passage with a whole fleet of deeply-laden boats in tow. As might be supposed, my experience of her capabilities naturally led to the craft being entrusted to me while thus engaged, so that I was kept in a state of constant activity. I must, however, do Captain Hood the justice to record that, before detailing me for this service, he gave me the option of remaining on board the “Juno,” and being excused from duty until my arm had become completely healed. But as I could take as much care of my wounded limb on board the cutter as I could on board the frigate, I gratefully declined, to the gratification of the skipper, I could easily see; and I thus had frequent opportunities of seeing Francesca, as well as of making the acquaintance of her uncle, General Paoli.

At length, after the interchange of a vast amount of correspondence between Lord Hood and Major-General Dundas, the officer in command of the land forces, it was one evening announced that an attack would be made on the following day upon the Mortella Tower from some batteries thrown up on the adjacent heights, and accordingly, the moment that there was light enough to sight the guns, the cannonade commenced. It lasted for several hours, the fort replying with the utmost vigour to the fire of our batteries, and doing a great deal of execution. By-and-by some genius on our side proposed paying-off the French in their own coin by trying the effect of a few red-hot shot upon them. A make-shift furnace for heating the shot was accordingly hastily constructed, and the shot were heated before being discharged at the fort. This sun had the desired effect. The parapet of the tower was lined with mantlets constructed of bass junk for the purpose of protecting the gunners from splinters, and the red-hot shot striking these mantlets set them on fire, whereupon the French flag was hauled down, and the garrison surrendered.

We of the fleet witnessed this only from a distance, as it was thought possible it might be necessary for some of the ships to approach and engage the battery from the sea, thus distracting the enemy’s attention, and placing him between two fires. Everybody therefore remained at his post on board ship in case of his services being required. Luckily, however, for our reputation interference on the part of the fleet was unnecessary, the land forces proving sufficient for the subjugation of the battery, which mounted three guns only—two eighteens and one six-pounder,—and was garrisoned by no more than thirty-three men.

So far, so good. But though we had taken the Mortella Tower, we were still nearly as far off having San Fiorenzo as ever. The town was commanded and completely defended by a formidable redoubt, which mounted twenty-one heavy guns, and was moreover perched upon an eminence which commanded every other accessible height in the neighbourhood, and the possession of this redoubt really meant the possession of San Fiorenzo. So the question of the hour became, how to find a way of getting into this Convention Redoubt, as the place was called.

The first proposal was to storm the place. But on making a careful reconnaissance it became evident that, from its strength and the steepness of the acclivity leading up to it, a storming-party would be annihilated before it could possibly reach the top. Its great elevation above the sea-level rendered it equally hopeless to think of achieving any good result by an attack on the part of the fleet. And so strict a watch was maintained by its garrison, that our leaders soon became convinced of the impossibility of effecting a surprise. Naturally the subjugation of this redoubt became the all-absorbing topic of conversation.

While the interest was at its highest, it happened that Mr Annesley had occasion to go on shore, and he took a passage with me in the little “Mouette.” He had never landed on the island before, and so, as we ran down toward the creek, I pointed out to him the various points of interest in the landscape. He was very anxious to get a sight of the Convention Redoubt, but this was not just then possible, a high rocky acclivity close to the shore shutting out the view. I had often looked at this rock, and had thought what a fine view of the redoubt might be had from its summit, and how easily the place might be reduced, were it only possible to plant guns there, and I mentioned something of this while we were going ashore.