Gardner himself, so far as we can judge from his own story, was a good, capable man, who took the life around him as quite a matter of course, without falling into its worst characteristics. He seems, too, to have been a man of singularly equable temper; and it is worthy of special notice that, amid much to annoy and irritate him, he has preferred to say what is good, rather than what is bad, of his messmates and superiors. It used to be so very much the custom to speak evil of dignities, that it is quite refreshing to meet with a young officer to whom his captain did not necessarily seem a bullying, tyrannical blockhead; who could see that the senior might have a proper motive and have formed a correct judgment, even though he did thwart the junior’s wishes or act contrary to the junior’s opinion. Gardner had, for instance, no particular cause to love Calder, but he could still speak of him as ‘a brave and meritorious officer, and of first-rate abilities, a man that had the service at heart’ (pp. [101], [107]). Leveson Gower he did not like—no subordinate did; but, though he relates several incidents, which of themselves are sufficiently damning, he does not seem to have set down aught in malice, nor has he made any spiteful commentary. His worst remark is ‘I have said enough of him’ (p. [90]).
First lieutenants were, of course, the natural enemies of a youngster; but with few exceptions his comments, even on them, are good-humoured. Of one only does he speak bitterly; it is Edward Hamilton (p. [172]), whose celebrated recapture of the Hermione might induce us to suspect that Gardner was merely expressing the spleen roused by the loss of his kit, did we not remember that, at this time, Hamilton was only 23, and that he was but 30 when his active career was brought to a premature end by a court martial dismissing him the service for cruelty and oppression. It is true that he was specially reinstated six months later, but he never afterwards commanded a sea-going ship, nor, as an admiral, did he ever hoist his flag. It is indeed a remarkable fact, and one giving much food for thought, that other young captains, whose brilliant courage before the enemy won for them a reputation little, if at all, inferior to that of Hamilton, were also tried by court martial for tyrannical and excessive punishments. It is difficult to avoid the suspicion that this was in great measure due to utter want of training in the art of command. The way in which the ships’ companies were raised, the vicious characters of the men, almost necessarily led to severity which easily might and too often did degenerate into brutality.
On all this, however, Gardner offers no opinion. He took the service as he found it, content to do his duty honestly and faithfully. The story of his career, which is related at length in the following pages, may be summarised from the memoir in O’Byrne’s Naval Biographical Dictionary, the first draft of which was almost certainly written from information supplied by himself.
James Anthony Gardner, son of Francis Geary Gardner, a commander in the navy, who died at St. Lucia in September 1780, was born at Waterford in 1770–1. Francis Geary Gardner, captain of marines, was his brother. Sir Francis Geary Gardner Lee, who began life as a midshipman (p. [202]) and died a lieutenant-colonel of marines, was a cousin. Two other cousins—Knight and Lee—captains in the 17th regiment, are mentioned (p. [208]), and yet another, ‘son of the late Alderman Bates of Waterford’ (p. [221]). His grandfather, James Gardner, who died, a lieutenant in the navy, in 1755, was, in 1747–8, a lieutenant of the Culloden, with Captain, afterwards Admiral Sir Francis, Geary, the godfather of James’s son, who, on 2 February, 1768, married Rachel, daughter of Anthony Lee of Waterford, and niece of Admiral William Parry. It will be noticed that the younger Gardner, having been born in Ireland, son of an Irish mother, considered himself Irish, is especially Irish in his sympathies, and that throughout his ‘Recollections’ the word ‘Irish’ is very commonly used as denoting ‘exceptionally good.’
From 1775, when he was not more than five years old, Gardner was borne, as his father’s servant, on the books of the Boreas, the Conqueror, and the Ætna; and he might, according to the custom of the day, have counted these years as part of his time at sea. As, however, when he went up for his examination (p. [174]), he had more sea time than enough, he only counted it from his entry on board the Salisbury in December 1783 (p. [41]). Really, he first went to sea in May 1782 (p. [19]) in the Panther, and in her, under—in succession—Captains Thomas Piercy and Robert Simonton, he saw the loss of the Royal George, and was present at Howe’s relief of Gibraltar and in the ‘rencounter’ with the combined fleets of France and Spain off Cape Spartel on 20 October, 1782 (pp. [24], 27, 30 seq.).
During the ensuing peace he served on the Newfoundland and Home stations, as midshipman and master’s mate in the Salisbury, 50, flagship of Vice-Admiral John Campbell (pp. [41]–55); Orestes, 18, Captain Manley Dixon (pp. [56]–63); Edgar, 74, flagship of Rear-Admirals the Hon. John Leveson Gower and Joseph Peyton (pp. [64]–96); Barfleur, 98, bearing the flags of Admirals Roddam, the Hon. Samuel Barrington, Sir John Jervis, John Elliot and Jonathan Faulknor (pp. [97]–120), and Queen, 98, Captain John Hutt (pp. [121]–5). After a further service, chiefly in the Mediterranean in the Berwick, 74, Captains Sir John Collins, William Shield. George Campbell and George Henry Towry (pp. [126]–154); in the Gorgon, 44, Captain James Wallis, for a passage to England (pp. [155]–171); and in the Victory, 110, Captain John Knight, at Portsmouth (pp. [172]–7), he was promoted, 12 January 1795, to be lieutenant of the Hind, 28, Captains Richard Lee and John Bazely (the younger), on the North American and Irish stations, and in January 1797 was sent in to Plymouth in charge of a prize, La Favorite privateer, of 8 guns and 60 men (pp. [178], 202).
His next appointments were—8 March 1798, to the Blonde, 32, Captain Daniel Dobree, under whom he assisted in conveying troops to Holland in August 1799 (pp. [203]–225); 13 April, 1801, to the Brunswick, 74, Captain George Hopewell Stephens, which, after a year in the West Indies, returned home and was paid off in July 1802 (pp. [226]–249). After a short service as agent of transports at Portsmouth (p. [250]), he was appointed, in January 1806, in charge of the signal station at Fairlight in Sussex, where he continued till 7 December 1814 (pp. [251]–263). From that date he remained on half pay as a lieutenant, till on 26 November 1830, he was placed on the retired list with the rank of commander.
Reading this summary of Gardner’s service, in connection with the longer narrative, we are naturally inclined to say: Another instance of a good man choked out of the line of promotion by want of interest; there must have been something radically wrong with the system that permitted want of interest to shelve, at the age of 32, a sober, punctual and capable officer, with a blameless record and distinguished certificates. But would such a presentment of the case be quite correct? Gardner was excellently well connected, and had relations or good friends—including the comptroller himself (p. [97])—in many different departments of the public service. He must have had remarkably good interest; and we are forced to look elsewhere for what can only be called his failure.
The first reason for it—one, too, that has damaged many a young officer’s prospects—was his determination to pick and choose his service. This is apparent throughout. He wasted his interest in getting out of what he considered disagreeable employments. He quarrelled with Captain Calder and wearied Sir Henry Martin by his refusal to go to the West Indies, as it ‘did not suit my inclination’ (p. [97]); he scouted McArthur’s suggestion to try his fortune on board the Victory (p. [148]), and got himself sent to the Gorgon for a passage to England, only to find that his cleverness cost him five months’ time and the whole of his kit (pp. [172]–3). The same daintiness is to be observed throughout. But if one thing is more certain than another in calculating the luck of the service, it is that a whole-hearted devotion to it, a readiness to go anywhere and to do anything, pays the best.
Later on, there was another reason for Gardner’s want of this readiness. He married early—on 11 December 1798—and his future career does not contravene the frequently expressed opinion of our most distinguished admirals, from Lord St. Vincent downwards, that—as far as the service is concerned—a young lieutenant might as well cut his throat as marry. ‘D’ye mind me,’ says the old song—