Memoirs and Correspondence of Admiral Lord de Saumarez. Vol II

by Sir John Ross

Greatly as I lament the severe injury sustained on board the St. George, and the melancholy loss of so many vessels of the convoy by the tempestuous weather, I am fully persuaded that every possible means, which judgment and skill could dictate, were employed by you for the safety of his Majesty's ships and the preservation of the convoy under such perilous circumstances, and I highly applaud the good conduct manifested by the officers and men of the St. George during the whole of so trying an occasion, and the alacrity and exertions displayed by them in having jury-masts erected during the continuance of the gale, which reflects the highest credit on Captain Guion, for the good order and discipline preserved in the ship. I also feel great satisfaction in observing your marked approval of the prompt and ready assistance you received from all the Captains of his Majesty's ships and vessels under your orders.

Accounts from Captain Dashwood informed Sir James that thirty out of the fifty-six vessels supposed to be lost had reached Matvick with the loss of their anchors and cables, and that he would take them under his convoy as soon as they could be got ready to sail.

Admiral Reynolds received assistance from Admirals Dixon and Bertie, who were stationed in the Belt, and the St. George with her convoy reached Wingo Sound in safety on the 2nd of December. As the season was so far advanced, it was proposed to leave the St. George at Gothenburg during the winter, but Admiral Reynolds entreated that he might be permitted to navigate the ship to England, which, he said in hearing of the Author, was "as fit to make her passage with the assistance of another ship of the line as any in the fleet." Sir James did not accede to his wishes until he had also taken the opinion of Capt. Guion; and it was at length determined that she should be attended by the Cressy, Capt. Pater, and the Defence, Capt. Atkins, while the Hero, Capt. Newman, took charge of the convoy.

During the stay of the fleet in Wingo Sound, court-martials were held on the Commanders and crews of the Manly and Safeguard gun-brigs, which had been captured by the Danes, and the crews exchanged; also on the boatswain of the Anholt Island, which had been considered a ship, but as the pendant had not been flying in the island, doubts had arisen in the minds of the members of the court, and reference was made to the Admiralty, with a request that the law officers of the Crown might be consulted as to the legality of holding a naval court-martial on the accused.

The St. George had topmasts as lower masts, and top-gallant masts as topmasts. Her temporary rudder was well fitted and secured. The Cressy, which had towed her from the Belt, was ordered to take her again in tow. Everything was prepared for the departure of the whole, but the wind and weather continued unfavourable, and Sir James again repeated his wish that the St. George should remain instead of the Ardent, into which Sir George Hope had hoisted his flag, having orders to remain in Wingo Sound until the Pyramus, Captain Dashwood, and Ranger, Captain Acklom, should arrive with the last convoy, which Captain Dashwood subsequently succeeded in bringing safely through the Sound, much to his credit, at that late season of the year.

On the 18th of December the wind came from the N.E. when the whole fleet weighed and made sail. The first squadron consisted of the Victory, Vigo, Dreadnought, Orion, Mercury, and Snipe; the second comprised the St. George in tow of the Cressy, the Defence, and Bellete, and the third the convoy under the Hero and the Grasshopper; but the wind coming too far to the northward to enable the convoy to weather the Scaw, the signal was made from the Victory for it to return into port. At sunset on the 19th the St. George was seen well to windward of that dangerous headland; but it appeared that she, with her division, bore up during the night, when the wind came to the westward of north, as will be seen by the following account of the proceedings of H.M.S. Cressy, given officially to Sir James by Captain Pater.

Narrative of the circumstances relating to the St. George since parting company with the Victory, on the 19th December 1811.

On the night of the 19th December, lost sight of the Victory, Dreadnought, Vigo, and Orion. On the 20th at half past eight a.m. signal from the St. George to wear; at ten a.m. the St. George cast off the tow rope; moderate breezes and hazy weather; hauled up to the S.E. to get soundings on the Jutland shore, in order to round the Scaw the better. During the night fresh breezes and hazy weather; a strong current from the S.W. setting to the N.E. swept the squadron close to Salö beacon, on the Swedish coast. On the morning of the 21st light airs and hazy, a strong current setting about north at the rate of three miles per hour: very great difficulty in keeping the ships from falling on the rocks, they not being further than three miles off, with a heavy swell right on, and no wind to command the ships, or stem the current. Telegraph from the St. George to the Cressy about half past eleven, a.m. "What shall we do this night?" Cressy's answer, "In a few minutes I will give my opinion." At three quarters past eleven, a.m., telegraph from Cressy to St. George, "Anchor in Salö if possible." About noon got a Swedish pilot from Salö, brought by the Bellete. At one p.m. a strong breeze sprung up from N.N.E. and N.E. St. George, Cressy, Defence, and Bellete made sail (close-reefed the topsails, reefed courses, top-gallant masts struck) to the westward, and continued our course all night through the Sleeve. St. George steered and sailed very well about five knots per hour. At ten a.m. on the 22nd, saw the land on the lee beam, distance eight leagues; made the same known to the St. George. At half-past eleven made the signal to the St. George for the Holmes, bearing S.S.W. distance six or seven leagues. At four p.m. Bovenbergen bore south about seven leagues; stood to the westward all night; moderate weather, wind about N. or N. by W. On the 23rd, at nine a.m., Cressy to the St. George by signal, "Shall I take you in tow?" answered with the negative flag: observed one of her rudder guys gone, and the people repairing it. Wind had shifted to N.W. by W. the squadron wore about seven hours thirty minutes a.m. and stood to the N.E., with a view to open the Sleeve, the weather appearing to indicate a gale of wind from that quarter. At ten a.m. strong gales and squally with rain; St. George close-reefed courses and topsails, then stood to the N.E. At half-past eleven p.m. very strong gales split our foresail; St. George took in topsails and courses. At one p.m. strong gales; St. George set her foresail. At half-past two p.m. strong and heavy squalls of wind and rain from the N.W. with a heavy sea; observed the St. George to labour very much and roll very deep. St. George shortened all sail except the mizen-staysail and try-sail; St. George drifting to leeward so much as to oblige us to bear up three or four times in a watch, each time one mile, or three quarters at least, in order to keep to leeward of her; the land of Bovenbergen on her lee bow about three points, the Holmes right a head of her. The wind had at four p.m. shifted to the N.N.W.; the land on her lee beam, nine leagues, was that part of Jutland a few miles to the southward of Bovenbergen. At eight o'clock the Horn Reef, bearing S.S.W. distance forty miles; at this time a tremendous heavy sea was setting on the shore in the direction of E.S.E. At six lost sight of the Bellete; the last sight we had of the Defence she was standing with her head in shore, E.N.E. under storm mizen-stay-sail and try-sail. At nine p.m. the gale still increasing; St. George, as before, drifting about N.E. or N.E. by E. with storm mizen-stay-sail and try-sail only, appearing from some cause to be unable to wear, as she never attempted it, although it was the most safe and profitable tack to be upon, there being no possibility of getting off on the larboard tack, but on the contrary must inevitably go on shore; this I particularly remarked with great anxiety and concern from three o'clock that afternoon, and was constantly in expectation of his wearing, and carrying what sail he could on the starboard tack, in order, if possible, to clear the Horn Reef: although the clearing of the reef might be doubtful, it was the only chance left, and would at least have given him a longer drift; but from his not doing so, I am of opinion his masts had complained and were unable to carry any more sail, as well as the rudder, which certainly wanted securing. At ten p.m. as no steps were taken by the St. George to wear, and finding from our soundings and reckoning we were only nine leagues from the land on our lee beam, that we could not possibly clear the land on the larboard tack, and having drifted so far to the eastward, it became a doubt whether we should be able to clear the Horn Reef, and that there was no time to lose, on which to resolve either to cut away all our masts and try to hold on by our anchors, after having run into shoal water, which we have reason to believe was nearer than our reckoning gave us. Had we taken such a step our success would have been very doubtful, although we might previously have cut away our masts, and made the ship a complete wreck for that purpose, as we had only two bower anchors and two cables on each, (the bower cables in each being half worn,) no spare anchor to trust to, the sheet anchor being broken in the shank, and only an old worn-out bower cable (kept to be surveyed) which was bent to it. The Defence, I believe, was differently situated in this respect; but that is a mere conjecture. Thus the situation of the Cressy was very alarming, which had most sensibly struck every individual on board; the officers particularly, who had been so strongly impressed with our perilous situation for some time before, lamenting and verbally stating to me their opinion of our inability and impossibility of being able to render any service to the St. George, even in any way whatever, risk the Cressy as much as I would. I desired them all to consult and let me know their opinion in writing, which they did in the accompanying hasty scrawl: No. 1, delivered about ten o'clock, and No. 2, about quarter before eleven. Their sentiments and opinion being the same as my own on the subject, namely, that we could not be of any service to the St. George or to any person on board, whatever might be her fate under the existing circumstances, and that our destruction was certain if we lost any time in getting on the other tack,—I then (after having ordered every thing to be ready to cut away our masts) embraced the alternative to wear and carry sail to save the ship, which I did at half-past ten p.m. and passed close to the St. George with our reefed fore-sail only, in order to induce him to wear, and give him the opportunity of signifying his wish for me to remain with him, if he did not approve of what we did, which he might have done by four lights, in a diamond signal No. 30, or by firing three guns, also night signal No. 30, "Keep your wind on the larboard tack." Heavy and severe as the gale was, there was considerable light, as we had a moon; although not seen, yet it enlightened the atmosphere so as to enable us to see every mast, sail, or any object that was above her hammocks: we were so close in passing, that we could in moderate weather, at such a distance, have conversed with great ease; and were about a quarter of an hour in passing her; so that his not making any signal, and his still keeping the St. George's head on the same tack, I considered I had his approbation to use every endeavour to clear the land and save the ship from being wrecked on the lee shore.

The remainder of Captain Pater's narrative need not be given, as it relates only to the proceedings in his own ship, and his arrival in the Downs on the 30th December; neither need we give the opinions alluded to, as they are a repetition of that of the Captain, and signed by the five lieutenants, the master, the pilot, and the purser. The first account of the wreck of the St. George and Defence was received by a flag of truce, sent by the Danish General Tellequist from Randers, that on the night between the 23rd and 24th of December, a few miles to the southward of the Holmes, the fatal catastrophe took place. The Danish commander-in-chief, after expressing much sympathy and feeling on the sad disaster, informs Captain Maurice that the bodies of Captain Atkins and other officers had been found and interred with military honours, but they had not then discovered the body of the Admiral. It appeared from the account of the survivors, eighteen in number, (twelve belonging to the St. George and six to the Defence,) that the St. George struck about one o'clock on the morning of the 24th, and soon afterwards the Defence, a short distance to the northward of her. The anchors in both ships were immediately let go, and the masts cut away; the St. George came for a short time head to wind. About four she parted in the middle; the sea making a fair breach over the ships, many of the crew were washed overboard, while others were killed or frozen to death where they had tied themselves to the weather-railing, among whom were the Admiral and his young and gallant friend Captain Guion. It is related that one tremendous sea struck the Defence with such inconceivable force that it lifted the spare anchor out of its berth, threw it upon end, and in its fall it killed about thirty men! The fury of the waves had swept all before them; two of the men were saved in a little Norway yawl belonging to the Author, which his lamented friend Captain Guion had offered to take home for him, and which was the only boat that reached the shore; some were saved on the poop of the St. George when torn from her about five o'clock.

Captain Atkins and Mr. Royston, Secretary to the Admiral, were both picked up by the Danes ere life was quite extinct, but all the kindness and humane endeavours of that hospitable people failed in keeping up animation. It was affirmed by the survivors of the Defence, that on the Cressy wearing, the master went to Captain Atkins, and reported that the St. George must inevitably be wrecked, and that destruction would also attend the Defence if she did not follow the Cressy! To this Captain Atkins said, "Has the Defence's signal been made to part company?" and being answered in the negative, he replied, "Then I will not leave him." Such heroic sentiments, however worthy of the gallant Captain, cannot be justified when it was impossible to render assistance, and the sacrifice not only of his own men, but the valuable lives of seven hundred others, must have been the well-known consequence.