Across to America: A Tim Phillips Novel (War at Sea Book 9) (7 page)

Still laying athwart the privateer’s bow, Phillips sent the launch and cutter to the vessel, each full of armed seamen and Marines. Mister Goodrich, aboard the privateer which bore the name of the Captain Lawrence who had commanded the Chesapeake when she had been assaulted by HMS Shannon, shouted from her forecastle that the doctor was needed. Doctor Baynes was fully occupied with tending his own wounded, a few of whom were serious indeed. However, at the urging of his captain, he left them in the charge of his rather capable loblolly boy and was pulled over in the jolly boat.

It was a horrible shambles on board the prize. She had set out to sea with her hull packed with as many men as she could cram aboard. Her captain and owners had anticipated entering a prize-rich sea, where their ship would be the wolf attacking the flocks of dozens of helpless British merchant ships.

Her numerous crew were intended to man the many prizes she expected to make, while not weakening herself in case she did have to defend herself against some small British warship. Instead though, before making a single capture, she herself had entered combat with a capable British frigate. The numerous casualties were a result of all those people crowded together being fired into at close range by Andromeda’s guns.

All of them were fodder for the terrible balls and grapeshot that came relentlessly aboard. Of the more than three hundred people on board when the action started, only a hundred were still relatively whole now. Eighty men had gone over the side, and many more were expected to as the dozens of horribly wounded expired.

The prize did have a doctor aboard, although Doctor Baynes assured his captain this fellow had only served an abbreviated apprenticeship, and would never be considered qualified back home. As the two ship’s surgeons served hour after hour to alleviate what pain they could, more patients died continuously.

At first, there was nothing to give the men for their pain save quantities of rum, but eventually, in the cabin of the privateer’s captain, there was found a quantity of laudanum. This substance Doctor Baynes reported, was opium that had been dissolved in refined spirits. The doctor reported it to be a specific for pain, but was not always used because of its cost and the possibility of the user becoming addicted to its use. An improper dosage could also be dangerous.

Apparently, the ship’s captain before being cut nearly in half by a ball during the action, had not trusted his inexperienced surgeon with its use and locked it away.

The Sick and Hurt Board did not furnish such medicaments to its ship’s surgeons. Doctor Baynes, from his civilian practice, was familiar with the substance but had not thought to bring any along on the voyage, assuming the ship would have adequate resources to treat its people.

At any rate, he took charge of the laudanum and began treating the wounded aboard both ships with the panacea.

The weather began to intensify after the action, and the motion of both ships was becoming lively. Seamen from both sides were put to the task of rigging a jury foremast and bowsprit for the prize. Her first officer, left in charge of his own men by the death of his captain, begged Phillips to send the prize into port. Hopefully Boston, but Halifax would do. Phillips had to explain to the man his concern the ship would return to her privateering career should he send her into Boston.

As far as Halifax was concerned, it would be a trying voyage, beating into the prevailing wind with her cargo of desperately wounded men. He had to consider a possible attempt to re-take the ship. In any case, he would lose the crew he put in the ship to sail her back. The American was informed the prize would accompany Andromeda on her voyage.

It was a strange looking prize that took station in Andromeda’s wake. The Lawrence had carried a pair of good Maine spars aboard, just in case of this eventuality. One of them was put to use as her new foremast, with an exotic looking lateen mounted on it. The remnants of her fore topmast did duty as her new bowsprit.

Before setting out, Phillips went aboard in the now blustery weather to examine the prize. Most of the more serious damage had been attended to. A prize crew just sufficient to sail the ship was present, but Mister Goodrich, commanding the prize, was concerned that in a blow he might be short of hands. He suggested, “Sir, I have served in the Royal Navy for ten years now. I have recognized a half dozen men among the American crew whom I recognized as British seamen that I have sailed with in the past.’

“I have not said anything to any of them, but I know they will be facing severe punishment when we make port and they are identified as deserters serving against their country. Could we perhaps ask them to serve their country again and maybe have their recent indiscretions overlooked?”

After some thought, Phillips ordered his Royal Marine sergeant to deliver the named individuals to the quarterdeck. All six looked rightfully alarmed when they were paraded aft. He explained to them their secret was out, and they should know the penalty for desertion and for fighting against their own country. None had anything to say.

To their silence, Phillips offered. “Davison there, I remember you sailed on the Resolve when my father had her. I was a mid at the time. I have not the slightest desire to see you flogged to death or run up to the yardarm. But what in hell am I to do with you men? If I let you off, others will think they too have a right to walk away from the ship whenever they wish.”

With no reply coming from the men, Phillips told them. “As it happens, I do have an idea. It is foolish, I know, and will probably cost me my commission. However, we will give it a try.”

“I need hands on my ship. Skilled able seamen who can hand, reef and steer. I am going to ask for volunteers from the crew of the Lawrence, as many of us do when taking prizes. You men can volunteer. You will not use your own names to sign on however. You will be a completely different seaman than the one who deserted from his old ship. You will keep your mouths shut about this, and perhaps we all may just survive. Any questions?”

“Sir, your honor”, Davison began. “There are men aboard Andromeda who know us. Mister Goodrich here was a snotty on one of my old ships. The truth will come out.”

“Davison, half the men on my ship have names their parents did not give them. Your mates will keep their mouths shut, unless they wish to see you hang. My officers will also, on my order. If you sign on and work with a will you may yet to live to see grandchildren. Now, when you sign on as volunteers, I will put you aboard Andromeda. I do not want your old mates on the Lawrence to tempt you away from your duty. I will bring other hands back here in your place. Now, are we clear on this?”

As the ships continued the search for privateers, the crews began to settle down. When Phillips was sure there would be no trouble with the prize, he had her sail off to port with a good ten miles separation between the ships to extend their search area.

The British deserters aboard the prize had all volunteered under new names and had been duly logged in. Even a few Americans signed on, to avoid a stint in a prison hulk. Most of the Americans though, were outraged at the perfidy of their former shipmates who had turned on them. Previously, many of these seamen had been employed in doing essential ship’s work on both vessels and had been given relatively loose rein, but now the growing tensions between the differing groups required the healthy Americans to be battened below decks on the two ships.

It was with much relief when the convoy they were searching for slid over the horizon just north of Bermuda.

There was some suspicion at first from the escorting ships of that convoy. Andromeda’s brown sides and the threadbare sails did not induce confidence in the escorts, especially the Titan 64, commanded by Captain Raton, a very senior officer near the top of the post captain’s list.

Phillips found himself standing in front of Raton’s desk explaining Andromeda’s appearance. The frankly dubious Raton finally dismissed him but required he search for a convoy member which had come missing after an attack by a pair of Yankee privateers.

Raton was unwilling to give more information, but once back on deck, an old friend from Resolve, now fourth lieutenant aboard Titan, gave him the hurried story.

In the teeth of a blow two days back, a pair of big Yankee schooners had come out of a rain squall and pounced on the convoy. Titan remained at her station to windward of the leading column. There were two other escorts, a non-rated brig in the rear and an armed cutter midway up the lee column. One schooner made a feint against the shipping to the rear and was fended off by the brig. Another came to the center and burst into the column, scattering it. The cutter attempted to send that predator off but was dismasted in the exchange and left behind. Both schooners then pursued a single brig, carrying general cargo and a few passengers that had separated from the main flock. Caught up in a new rain squall, neither the merchantman nor the privateers had been seen again.

Phillips was pulled back to Andromeda and told his officers of his chastening from the liner’s captain. One positive development he was able to inform them. He was to leave his prize and the captive crew in the charge of Captain Raton. Head money would be due to the Andromeda’s crew for the captive crew taken from the Lawrence, Five pounds a head. Phillips suspected Raton would try to fiddle matters so Titan would get the head money and perhaps make a try at the prize money also. At any rate, that was a matter for the future. Now he had a missing brig to search for, plus a pair of privateers.

With the captured American ship safely in the middle of a convoy, Phillips felt he could remove some of his prize crew, being confident the American’s would not make a bid for escape, while surrounded, as they were.

Reasoning that the brig, if still free, would likely make for the nearest port, in this case Halifax, Phillips set a course for that port. He felt he had followed his orders thus far. He had taken a Yankee privateer, found the convoy, and had been sent away from that on what he regarded as a fool’s mission.

He decided he would run down the latitude line to Halifax to see if he could find the missing brig. Should that not work, he would work against the Gulf Stream to the south, checking into the possibility that the brig had been taken by the schooners and sent into Boston.

Finding nothing, he went south. Finally, down in American waters, he ran her down. The Sarah Hayes, a British brig had been taken shortly after she had left the convoy. The brig was now alone, with just her American prize crew and some of the original crew aboard. Sending his own crew aboard, he had everyone else brought on Andromeda. Interviewing the American crew, nothing important was learned. The American prize crew refused to divulge any information of the parent schooners or where they might be patrolling.

Phillips ordered them below, and had the brig’s original crew brought in. Two were missing, and reported by their former captain to have joined the Americans. Asked for their ideas, all were forthright.

As Captain Lawton explained, “They had us for a while in a little hole built right up in the foc’s’le of the schooner that took us. We could hear them talking well enough. It sounded like they were waiting for the other schooner to come back from a chase she was on, and then they were going to send us into port in the brig and the pair of them would then go off to try their luck in the Channel, back home.”

“They were going to take Miss Humphrey off the brig, put us back on and they were going to be off.”

“Just a minute, Captain Lawton. Just who is this Miss Humphrey, you mentioned?”

“Her? She is the owner’s daughter. Mister Humphrey took her to sea, when her mother died. Then, during the chase, a ball from the four pounder that one of the schooners fired, took off his arm. Our first mate bound it up, but Mister Humphries lost too much blood and he died.”

“I heard one of the privateers men say they were going to send the brig in to port, and see if they could ransom Miss Humphries.”

Captain Larson was sent aboard the Sarah Hayes and a prize crew commanded by a midshipman was put aboard, ordered to take the brig to Halifax. The remainder of the original crew was pressed into the Navy and would serve aboard Andromeda. The post ship was put on the course that would follow normal shipping lanes to the Channel entrance across the Atlantic.

As Phillips explained to his sailing master, he intended to follow the pair of privateers, if possible taking them, if not, they could at least spread the word of their presence.

The sailing master wondered what they could do about the woman taken from the brig. Phillips answered, “I don’t see how we can do much, Mister Harding, unless we manage to take the schooner she is aboard. Apparently, they mean to ransom her. To do that, they will need to get a message ashore somehow with their demands and the payment method. This all could take months, and I expect they will either be back in America by then or possibly taken.”

The ship continued on course for days without sighting another ship. Then, almost two weeks after leaving the Sarah Hayes, two sails were spotted ahead. Both were moderate sized ship-rigged merchant vessels flying the American flag. Heavily laden, they were run down with no difficulty and brought to heel.

Mister Otis, acting as third lieutenant, in the absence of Mister Goodrich, went aboard the Boston Commerce and reported she was laden with wheat, destined for Portugal. The second ship, Rebecca Morris, was also laden with the same cargo, but additionally carried a deck-cargo of spars. Deciding to inspect this one himself, Phillips left Mister Gould in charge and was pulled over in his gig.

The captain of the merchantman was decidedly nervous. He knew well he could find his ship taken prize and himself on his way to a hulk very soon. Keeping his silence, Captain Phillips had Mister Otis lead him to the cabin where the manifest and ship’s log were laid out on a small table.

The ship ostensibly was destined to make port in South Carolina where she would offer her cargo in trade. Instead, here she was in mid-Atlantic heading for Europe. Questioned, the captain told him this cargo was his own private venture. Rumors abounded in Boston there was an excellent market for American wheat in Lisbon, and good straight spars were also bringing respectable prices. The American government had placed an embargo on the export of certain goods important for Britain’s economy.

The American captain was concerned the American government would not take kindly to his commercial activities, since they could be construed as aiding the enemy. So, his manifest indicated he was taking the cargo to South Carolina, while he was actually sailing to Lisbon.

Phillips decided this situation matched the issues raised by Vice-Admiral Sawyer previously. Namely that he should assist any American shipping endeavoring to deliver supplies to Wellington and his Army. Accordingly, he told the merchant captain he considered it his duty to escort the pair to the continent. He warned them if they should attempt to make for a French controlled port, they would immediately be taken as prizes.

More American ships were seen in succeeding days, but they all sailed well clear of Andromeda and her little convoy. Phillips suspected at least some of them were on similar missions as his own little flock, but he could not approach them without abandoning these two ships, so he allowed them to go un-molested. Off the mouth of the Tagus River, he left his charges to their own devices and spoke HMS Pelorus, brig-sloop of 18 guns, commanded by Captain Rowley, on her way to the Med.

Explaining his intelligence for the enemy privateers believed to be in the vicinity, he was assured the message would be relayed at Gibraltar. Continuing alone on her way toward the Channel, Andromeda met with a broken-winged brigantine sailing out to sea. She had evidently been in an action. Patched shot scars showed in her hull and her mainsail gaff had been shot away. An inadequate looking temporary spar had been hastily rigged, but Phillips did not expect her to carry her main very long in any kind of weather.

Andromeda ran her down, and she proved to be a British vessel taken two days before. Her American prize crew were now searching for a French port she could take refuge in. Re-captured without a struggle, her British crew was still aboard. They gave their information to their rescuers and it was learned a single American schooner had nabbed them. Releasing the brigantine to resume her voyage, Andromeda continued the hunt.

After entering the Channel, Cherbourg was off to starboard. It had been a rainy night and visibility was still poor the next morning. About three bells into the forenoon watch, muted gunfire was heard. There was disagreement on the quarterdeck as to just where the sound was coming from. With differing opinions expressed, Phillips turned to one of the helmsmen at his post.

Joshua Atkins had the reputation of having the best hearing on the ship, Phillips asked him if he had an idea of the bearing of the gunfire. Atkins was astonished at being asked, but confidently assured his captain the fire was coming from a few points to port. With no better advice, the captain told the helmsmen to steer on that bearing.

The gunfire had long been stopped when they discovered their quarry. The schooners they were looking for had taken on an unlikely opponent. The British flagged General Cornwallis, a former collier, had been armed with some twenty four pounder carronades and a pair of long sixes and went to sea with a letter of marque.

Mistaking her for an unarmed merchant ship in the haze, the schooners attacked. Normally, the target would have preferred to evade without action, to avoid expensive damage. However, the tubby former collier was unable to escape the lean schooners, so she put her topsails to the mast and prepared herself for action.

As soon as the predators felt the blows of those twenty four pound balls smashing into their thin scantlings, they knew they had a tiger by the tail. Had there only been one opponent, the British ship would have pounded that one to matchwood with her powerful guns, but there were two. One managed to get on Cornwallis’ quarter and hammer her while the former collier was meting out punishment to the other schooner.

In the end, it was gunnery training that mattered. The American privateers, in their lengthy voyage, had managed to work up their crews to be more proficient than their opponent. All three vessels were to all intents and purposes destroyed in the melee, but it was the Cornwallis that pulled down her flag.

When Andromeda closed them, privateer crewmen were climbing around in the wreckage, attempting to find material that could be used to make one ship seaworthy. The post ship just ghosted up to the wreckage and fired a gun. The privateer’s men, seeing an intact warship abeam with her guns run out, decided wisely to give it up. Now, it was Andromeda’s men who began scrambling over the wrecks. Some of the first ones boarding a sinking schooner heard cries coming from her interior.

A slight pale figure emerged when freed. At first it appeared to be a young lad, but it soon was apparent the person, clad in overly large men’s work clothing was female. Brought aboard Andromeda and introduced to Captain Phillips she was, it seemed, the woman taken captive weeks ago from the convoy off Bermuda. This was Anne Humphries, a rather plain young woman of maybe twenty years of age. To Phillips eye however, in her masculine garb she more resembled a fourteen year old lad.

He took the time to briefly question her before turning to the myriad tasks waiting his attention. Her paleness was explained by her account of being locked in the schooner’s cramped lazarette for days at a time. Phillips was agreeably surprised by her fortitude. It must have been a harrowing ordeal being a prisoner of what were in effect a band of pirates, while dealing with the violent death of her father. However the woman displayed perfect calmness, asking only if she could be furnished a pan of fresh water and a bit of soap to wash up.

He ordered his servant to take her into his cabin and make her as comfortable as he could. In the meantime, he had a hundred enemy privateersmen to take in hand. That same number had gone over the side, and many more were suffering serious wounds, but he still had to find some means to secure these more-or-less able bodied men.

The British letter of marque was about to go down, pulled by the weight of her armament. One of the schooners was in similar condition, and Phillips would not have wagered she would stay above the waves another hour. The second schooner however, seemed in a little better condition, and Phillips ordered all hands, both British and American, to concentrate at emergency repairs to that schooner. The only effort expended on the two discarded ships was the work necessary to strip off any material likely to be needed to repair the survivor.

Despite a careful watch kept for friendly shipping in this well-travelled seaway, nothing was seen, and soon the two condemned ships went to the bottom. The third was saved at the last minute when effective patches was finally fitted to the shot holes below the waterline in her hull.

When most of the water was finally pumped out the next day, all of the healthy prisoners were battened in her hold, after anything usable as a weapon was removed. Jury masts and rigging were set up and a well-armed prize crew were put aboard to take her into Plymouth.

Phillips knew she would bring nothing worthwhile for them as a prize. She was good for nothing now except to be broken up for firewood. However, Andromeda’s crew would earn a few hundred pounds head money for the surrendered prisoners. Before the schooner departed, Phillips asked Anne if she would wish to sail into Plymouth in her. She could be in civilized surroundings within two days.

She demurred however. She had no family left, and her captors had stripped her of all the funds she had in the world. She needed to get to Trinidad, where she thought an uncle was stationed in the Forces. Besides, this schooner was the one she had been captive in so long. She wished nothing more to do with it.

Phillips assured her she was welcome to stay on the Andromeda as long as they remained at sea, but sooner or later, he would be compelled to report back to Admiral Sawyer in Halifax. By rights he should report here at Plymouth, but had decided not to. He was still covered by the orders he had received from Sawyer and wished to continue his search for privateers.

Putting Acting Lieutenant Otis in charge of the schooner, he entrusted him with his accumulated reports, especially the details of activities of the newly taken privateers. Bidding Otis goodbye, the two vessels parted.

The schooner set out on its short dash into Plymouth, while Phillips was going back out into the Atlantic to see what he could discover of more privateer activity.