Frigate Commander (15 page)

These were tactics later put to good use by Nelson. But when Clerk observed that
‘It is said by many people that the command of a fleet requires inferior talents to those which are requisite for the General of an army ...
’, Moore retorted that it was an argument not worth entering. He conceded that at sea communications between ships usually broke down once battle commenced, which they were less likely to do on land, but it could hardly be argued that armies were subject to the effects of shifts of wind in the same way that ships were. Moore believed that the most important factor lay in well disciplined (i.e. well drilled) ships, without which even the most perfect naval skills would be of little avail. He thought that the only reason that English admirals had escaped a ‘scouring’ in earlier wars was due to the excellence of the English seaman. He recognized that in the management of individual ships, there were some excellent officers, but when it came to fleet actions, little of significance had been achieved for fifty years. Although he might soon have reason to change this view, he felt gloomy about the prospects of fleet engagements in the current war, summing up his feelings with the comment
‘I do not believe I shall ever be an Admiral’.

After a painfully slow passage, during which provisions ran seriously short and a Dutch merchantman collided with the
Bonetta
, the two ships arrived at Spithead on 1 February 1794. The war with France was a year old.

7

Post Captain – Sidney Smith’s Squadron (February 1794 – April 1796)

On arrival at Portsmouth, Moore secured a week’s leave and took the mail coach to London. On arrival he learned from his father that, contrary to Admiral MacBride’s assertion, Chatham, First Lord of the Admiralty, had been fully expecting Moore to get command of the
Boston
. This made him anxious to see Lord Chatham, to try to rectify this situation. The fact that command of a frigate had been denied him preyed on his mind and he now desperately wanted the command of such a ship. With it, of course, would also go the crucial promotion to the coveted rank of Post Captain.

Like all officers, Moore kept his ear to the ground and along with the usual rumours and news he learned that Captain Joseph Yorke, commander of the
Circe
, was to be promoted to a larger frigate. Moore arranged for a meeting with Chatham on 15 February and asked to be appointed as Yorke’s successor. The First Lord made no promises but agreed to keep him in mind. By the time he left London to return to the
Bonetta
, he had still heard nothing, and Yorke himself was unable to give him any news. He arrived at Portsmouth in a state of anxiety, unsure whether he was going to be promoted at all, and fretting that he would not get the
Circe
, upon which he had now set his heart. Above all, it had suddenly struck him that promotion would probably mean he would be unable to take the crew of the
Bonetta
with him. It was a prospect which he found upsetting;

I have very little doubt that I am soon to be a Post Captain, but I am fretting with anxiety at the prospect of losing my men who are as fine a set of fellows as are to be met with; I have the pleasure of being beloved by them, which as it can proceed from no cause that is not honourable to me, is extremely agreeable to me.

His fondness for his crew was reflected in one of the first decisions he made on returning to the ship:

Tomorrow our men will receive about fourteen months pay; I intend to let one third of them go on shore to have their swing, and on their return to let another third and so on until they have all had a surfeit of the shore. I believe by this method I run less risk of losing men by desertions than I should by keeping them ever so strictly on board.

His consideration towards those under his command was reciprocated as virtually all of his men returned on board, in one state or another, though he was a little disappointed that several failed to match his faith in them. Yet any disappointment was soon obliterated
:

I have been informed that the ship’s company have written a petition to the Admiralty requesting that they may be removed with me, in case of my getting another ship. I thought it would be unbecoming in me to meddle with this business either pro or con, so I let it take its own course.

Moore was deeply touched by this development, but slightly fearful that the Admiralty would suspect that he had put the men up to the petition. He had not, and their unprompted petition reveals the depth of attachment they felt towards their commander – a clear refutation of the old belief that life on board a naval vessel was some form of floating hell.

As the weeks began to drift by, news of other promotions resulted in irritation:

I find the Admiralty have made some Post Captains. If I am not of the number, I think I am slightly used;

and then anger:

Our service is now rendered more difficult than formerly for anything but intrigue or connexion to make its way good. After a man has got a Post Ship, the great stumbling blocks are removed however and he has some opportunities of shewing himself in spite of neglect, and even of making his fortune: The fair prospect I now have of promotion reconciles me to a Profession I had begun to tire of, but so many things happen between the cup and the lip that I am prepared for a new disappointment.

His feelings probably spilled over into a furious tirade onto several of the pages in his journal, which he subsequently thought better to cut out. Fortunately, he was soon distracted by orders to take the
Bonetta
to Deal. Arriving there on 10 April there were a number of letters awaiting him – including the one he most wanted:

I received letters on my landing at Deal informing me of my being made a Post Captain into the
Narcissus
20 gun ship, at the same time I am given to understand that I am to have the
Circe
as soon as she becomes vacant.

Quite how Moore might have celebrated this event is, sadly, not recorded. There was probably little time for social activity anyway, for the
Bonetta
was kept active for the next few weeks patrolling between Deal and Dunkirk, whilst Moore waited with a different anxiety for the arrival of his successor, a fellow Scot, Charles Wemyss. The latter arranged to be at Deal on 23 April to read his commission on board the
Bonetta
, and Moore, taking the opportunity of the sloop’s need for beer and water, anchored there on the same day. Moore went on shore to report to the Admiral that Wemyss was to succeed that day but, to his astonishment, the Flag Officer ignored this information, ordering Moore and the
Bonetta
‘
over the water
’ at Dunkirk. Stunned at this reception, Moore left the Admiral’s office, believing that some misunderstanding had taken place. Two hours later he ventured back to the Admiral,

... when I found him on tip toes as stiff as a Crow Bar, telling me that he wanted my sloop over the water, that he thought I had been gone. I stared, as I had not understood that he wished me to go out, notwithstanding what I had stated. But on seeing him on stilts, I told him I was off ... This old Goose’s behaviour to me is extremely illiberal, as he must have seen that I never wished to remain in Port, but he ought to consider the circumstance of my having been made Post near a month past, and, of course, that I must have time to land my things and arrange matters with the new Captain. I have some idea that he wishes to make me quit before I am superseded by Wemyss that he might have an opportunity of putting a person into the ship, but he shall be damned first ...

Moore’s suspicions about the Admiral’s motives may have been well founded. It was not unusual for station commanders to slip a favourite into a temporarily vacant position, as this then gave them more of a lever to secure their promotion – or for the protégé to acquire some form of distinction whilst in command.

Four days later, Moore returned to Deal, and Wemyss boarded the
Bonetta
to read his commission. It was customary for the outgoing commander to address the crew, and in a happy ship this could be an emotional moment. There was no doubt that because many of his crew were attached to Moore, this was the case, but he restricted the entry in his diary to a laden but simple observation
: ‘. . . I took leave of my men and delivered the sloop up
[to Wemyss].
The seamen seemed to feel as much as I did on the occasion, which was a good deal.’
On 2 May, Moore received a commission for the frigate
Narcissus
– but he didn’t need to go on board as the appointment was merely a device to keep him on full-pay until the
Circe
became available. He was glad, because the
Narcissus
was thought to be
‘... one of the worst ships in the service’.
As the weeks passed there was still no news of the
Circe
; instead he heard an unhappy rumour that he might be appointed as Flag Captain to Sir Richard King in Newfoundland.

The ways of the Admiralty are dark and intricate, puzzled in mazes. I cannot get any information relative to myself. I cannot while in this state attend seriously to anything, I lounge through the streets, dissatisfied with myself, and looking at everything desirable as unattainable. I enjoy the esteem of those I love, without which life would be intolerable to me ... I am told that I am to be employed but not when.

Finally, at the beginning of July 1794, Moore was summoned to the Admiralty, where Chatham offered him the choice of the 28-gun frigate
Vestal

... completely manned and to retain her men or the
Syren [32]
giving me to understand that her people were to be turned over into the
Apollo
with Captain Manley
[her existing Captain].
As a 32 is in every respect [a] superior vessel to a 28 I did not hesitate in giving the preference to the
Syren
especially as I had reason to think she was in better condition than the
Vestal
which ship had very little repair since she came from the East Indies.

The
Syren
was an attractive first command for a Post Captain. Launched at Mistleythorn on the Medway in 1782, she carried 26 12-pounder guns as her main armament, and had a complement of 210 men. Moore joined her on 20 July though he was anxious about the future of her crew:

Manley thinks himself cock sure of all the men, the only chance I think I have of them is that of the ship being suddenly ordered on service when I think his accommodation would not be considered.

Realizing that the Admiralty would be reluctant to strip a ship which was on active duty, he decided to take the frigate to sea as quickly as possible and keep her there. He was somewhat reassured when the Admiralty permitted him to transfer from the
Bonetta
his First- and Third Lieutenants (Henry Martin and Robert Campbell), together with his Coxswain and three Midshipmen. At least he would be able to rely on some consistency in the command structure. By the second week of August the
Syren
was actively patrolling the French coast and Moore had a better opportunity of assessing the merits of his new ship and her crew
; ‘She is not badly off as to men, but they want to be exercised and methodised.’
Furthermore, he was pleased with the frigate’s sailing qualities:

The
Syren
sails well, I did not expect she would have made so good a figure, as her copper is very foul ... I am by no means sure that the last class of frigates beat the old 32-gun frigates in sailing, altho’ they have several other advantages over them and as to the question of the superiority of the French ships over ours, I have no means the same partiality for the French Models that I had. If from their great length they are stiffer and more weatherly, they do not work nor answer their helm so quick for the same reason.

This augured well for any chance of distinguishing himself in the channel, but he was increasingly aware that the ship was inadequately fitted out and armed for combat, which made him worried that he might be easily outgunned by an enemy frigate;

The
Syren
is not fitted for war as she ought to be, her Quarter-Deck is not barricaded, neither has she any carronades
⁴²
. Her carronade locks are neither good in kind nor complete in number.

Added to which he still had concerns about the discipline of the crew and already he had had to order twelve lashes inflicted on two seamen for contempt:

Her men are not well disciplined and from the uncertain state I am in with regard to their remaining with me, are not likely to be got into good order, until it is decided whether they go or stay.

Days later, the Admiralty instructed him to transfer the Second Lieutenant, Master and Manley’s Midshipmen, to the
Apollo
. It left Moore with an immediate shortage of Watch Officers.

At present I have only two lieutenants . . . and as there is no Master, I keep watch myself, in order to relieve them ... There are now only two of Manley’s Midshipmen remaining, one is son to the Earl of Essex, the other to Lord Boyne, the 1st is a remarkable fine young man, & one whom I am convinced will turn out a meritorious officer; the other is a good young fellow, but as far as I can see an inferior character to Capel. Neither of them remain with me, I shall regret Capel.

Moore’s judgement was correct; within a few years Thomas Bladen Capel
⁴³
became one of the navy’s finest frigate commanders.