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Thomas
Morgan’s war
Thomas
Morgan’s first post after the American War breaks out is as purser on the 74-gun Russell. Her first assignment is with a squadron
under Admiral Byron sent to reinforce the fleet in America following news that
a French fleet under Admiral d'Estaing is heading across the Atlantic. At this stage Britain and France are not yet officially at war.
Byron is said to be known
throughout the service as “Foul-weather Jack” because of his tendency to
encounter bad weather. Sure enough, Russell's log records several such encounters.
318 Leagues from Lizard
in Squall lost the main Top Sail heavy sea got down below damaged a quantity
of bread 4ft of water in the ship.
From Russell log, 4 July 1778. |
The ship is so badly damaged she
has to return to England. One is
tempted to say she limps back, but in fact she arrives in Plymouth Sound in ten
days, compared to her month-long outward trip.
After being repaired, she has to
wait for a new expedition under Admiral Marriot Arbuthnot, sailing to take
command in the American theatre in 1779, by which time France has officially
entered the war.
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Arbuthnot, throughout a long and undistinguished
career, had shown no great ability and even less tact. If the lords of the Admiralty had gone
through the navy list looking for a flag officer who should not be sent to
New York, they could not have come up with a better choice than Arbuthnot. From
Syrett, The Royal Navy in American Waters 1775-1783. |
They arrive late in August. Arbuthnot and the army commander, General
Clinton, undertake an adventurous project to capture Charleston. Russell
is part of the fleet.
The outcome can be reckoned the high point of the war from
Britain’s point of view. Not only does
the town fall, but the defending force is isolated and forced to surrender.
Russell's share in the victory is limited, however. In March 1780, two months before the end of
the campaign, she has to return New York because of sickness among the
crew. She is then ordered to the
Caribbean, where she comes under the command of Admiral Rodney. In September Rodney’s fleet heads north, following
intelligence of a new French threat.
Rodney joins Arbuthnot in New
York, but the commanders rapidly fall out.
Russell returns to the
Caribbean with a convoy, soon followed by Rodney.
In July 1781 Thomas Morgan
leaves Russell for Alfred, another 74-gunner. By this time a squadron under Rear Admiral
Samuel Hood (like brother Alexander, a former protégé of Thomas Smith) has arrived in the Caribbean.
Rodney hands command over to
Hood and returns to England. He needs
the break to recover from ill health.
At 11 sailed Adm Rodney in Gibraltar for England with
convoy.
From Alfred
log, 1 August 1781. |
A new assignment beckons. Lord Cornwallis, left in Charleston with a large
army and the task of extending British control in South Carolina, has
perversely taken most of his troops way north into Virginia and is busy
fortifying a base at Yorktown, on the western shore of Chesapeake Bay. Meanwhile a French fleet, under Admiral de
Grasse, is heading north from the Caribbean.
Is he making for the Chesapeake,
or for New York? There a new commander,
Thomas Graves, has taken over from Arbuthnot.
His fleet needs reinforcing to respond to both threats. Alfred
is one of the squadron Hood takes north and puts at Graves's disposal.
Worrying news! The main American army under Washington has
left its position north of New York and is heading for Philadelphia, on its way
to Yorktown. Naval support for the Yorktown
garrison is more urgent than ever.
Graves's fleet arrives at the
mouth of Chesapeake Bay on 5th September. De Grasse has got there first!
As the French emerge from the bay, Alfred
leads the British line to engage them.
Graves gives the signal to
tack. The British line goes into
reverse, Alfred now in the rear. As the two fleets converge, a fierce
engagement between their vans causes severe damage on both sides. The lines draw apart without Alfred engaging. The French force is bigger.
7 enemy ships astern our line.
From Alfred
log, 6 September 1781 |
For four days the fleets face
each other without engaging again. Then
the French slip back into the bay, their mission accomplished. Washington's army is closing in on Yorktown,
and the British attempt to relieve their forces by sea has failed.
With several of his ships badly
damaged, Graves hesitates another three days, then heads back to New York. He needs to repair the damaged vessels
quickly if he is to relieve Cornwallis before Yorktown is overpowered by the
combined forces of France and the rebels.
On 19th October
Graves reckons the fleet is ready to sail to the rescue. Too late!
Approaching Chesapeake Bay, they hear the bad news: Cornwallis has
surrendered.
Sent to reconnoitre the bay, Alfred reports "47 sail of the
Enemy's ships laying at anchor".
The British fleet heads back to New York and ignominy.
Hood now detaches his squadron (Alfred
included) and returns to the Caribbean.
De Grasse also heads that way.
There is a fierce encounter at St Kitts, which the French capture. Hood’s force is too weak to defend it.
But Admiral Rodney is returning
to the Caribbean, many of his ships armed with the formidable carronade.
One ship is the frigate Flora,
commanded by Samuel Marshall.
Rodney and Hood link up, and set off to engage the French.
De Grasse is in harbour on the
west coast of Martinique. A French
convoy is approaching with provisions for some of the remaining French and
Dutch possessions in the Caribbean.
Rodney, a little way to the south at St Lucia, fails to prevent it from
linking up with de Grasse.
The French plan to proceed west,
link up with a Spanish fleet, and attack Jamaica.
Their plans are known to the
British, who set out in pursuit. De
Grasse sails past Dominica along the chain of islands, but the convoy is
slowing him down. He decides to leave
it at Guadeloupe.
By now the British van under
Hood, including Alfred, detached from the rest of Rodney's fleet after
passing through a calm spot near the Dominican shore, has nearly caught up with
the French admiral. He sends out
fifteen of his ships, and a fierce battle ensues.
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Centre engaging rear of enemy.. captain wounded. From Alfred log, 9 April 1782 |
Capt
Bain departed this life.
From Alfred log, 10 April 1782. |
Over the next two days, 10-11
April 1782, both admirals pull their fleets together. The decisive action, the "Battle of the Saints",
follows on 12 April between Dominica and Guadeloupe.
The British carronades are devastating. By the end of the day several French ships, including de Grasse's
flagship Ville de Paris, have hauled down their colours.
In the next few days, as the
remainder of the French fleet scurries westwards, Hood captures two more
vessels.
News of Rodney's success will be
greeted with rejoicing in England: at last a victory over the French! There is embarrassment for the Government, however. They have ordered Rodney's replacement by Admiral
Pigot, who has already departed.
Richard Curgenwen is the British
captain appointed to command the captured Ville
de Paris. Coming aboard on 13
April, he finds her "much shattered in hull, masts, yards, sails and
rigging". Many French sailors are
dead or mortally wounded.
The next few days are spent
exchanging Frenchmen for a new British crew.
Carpenters come aboard to do the most urgent repairs. On the sixteenth the newly-appointed purser,
Thomas Morgan, arrives from the Alfred.
Ville de Paris creeps to Port Royal, Jamaica, arriving on the
30th. For two months she undergoes
further repairs and prepares for her next voyage.
Rodney wants to send his prizes
back to England. Pigot arrives to
replace him, and he sets sail for home.
Graves has also arrived, and is put in charge of another homeward-bound
convoy, including the captured French ships.
Purser
Morgan's adventures haven't finished yet.
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