Frigate Commander (18 page)

Moore immediately ordered the frigate to wear and ran out to the
Diamond
to see if Smith wanted him to make an attempt to cut off the gunboats, after they had repaired their fore yard. Smith agreed, but darkness fell before the
Syren
could complete the repairs and then, during the night, the weather blew up so the two frigates were forced to weigh to get a safe distance from the land. Once again, Moore found himself questioning Smith’s tactics – especially when it came to attacking gunboats in shoal water;

I like the Chevalier most sincerely on account of his great, good and amiable qualities, but I cannot defend such absurd conduct as this which teases and frets those who love and esteem him, as well as those who envy and wish to ridicule him ... I am sorry to see a good deal of illiberality in many officers in our service with respect to Sir Sidney; this is owing in a great measure to the singularity of his character, manner and dress, and also to his being passed off in a most ridiculous manner by some very injudicious friends: I do not apply this observation to Strachan who is a most open, generous, brave fellow and a most excellent seaman, but to many others men of merit and others. I have a great deal of respect and real regard for Sir Sidney but think ... he wants judgement. I love and value him and think I know him better than most people, but there are many of his plans that I totally disapprove of.

Moore found himself fulminating once again on the strategy of occupying the St Marcouf Islands. He was aware of the general attitude of other captains towards Sidney Smith, and couldn’t help thinking that the occupation of the islands would be seen as just another of his madcap antics;

I never knew a man who seemed to brave Ridicule so much as my Commodore, I am obliged when at Portsmouth to answer this question two or three times a day – What use are the islands of? The fact is that the plan he is upon, as he never can have it thoroughly and fully adopted, will never turn to much account. Blocking up the Ports of the enemy cannot be completely done without seizing some Posts which will insure a tolerable Road for the different Squadrons on the coast.

In other words, although it was strategically valuable to have possession of some positions on the French coast, they were useless unless adequately resourced and unless the supporting ships had a safe and secure anchorage. So far the government had shown little real commitment to the occupation of the islands. If they were supportive, they would have supplied proper barrack buildings and gunboats which were designed for rowing as well as sailing. In fact, where the gunboats were concerned, Moore sincerely wished that Smith had not been allowed any involvement in the design; he would rather that had been left to
‘... Captain Schank or some other practical mechanic’.

Moore had even more cause to question the strategy when he returned to the islands;

The crews of the Gun Boats are excessively dissatisfied, they see themselves cooped up in two barren rocks, neglected and ill fed; kept at hard work of a nature they are not accustomed to, and at the same time violently of the same opinion –
cui bono
. Their discontent has appeared by their frequent running away with the boats, sometimes even in weather so rough that there is great room for believing that they perished ...

He also found himself wondering what he should do if the
Syren
was surprised by a superior force whilst alone at the islands:

It would become a question what was best for me to do, whether to anchor close in and share the fate of the islands or to attend to the safety of the ship alone. I have no very high opinion of the actual force of the islands, and think that 3
[enemy]
frigates ought to settle the business for both us and them; yet considering the probability of succour coming from England, and perhaps on the back of the ships attacking us,
[i.e. attacking them from the rear]
as also that disabling these Frigates, even if we should be worsted might prove the safety of many of our Merchant ships, upon the whole, I think, it would become me to stand by the islands. Besides, in my profession, whenever it is a disputed point whether to fight or not, it is best to fight.

In the middle of November, Moore set off to rendezvous with the frigates
Amazon
and
Caroline
off Cape Barfleur. Looking into Cherbourg, Moore saw the French frigate
La Romaine
lying in the road. She was not preparing for sea, but as the weather had been so bad this was not surprising. There seemed to be hardly any English cruisers at sea, and the weather conditions were taking their toll on the crew of the
Syren
;

Since we left Spithead we have scarce passed a day and night without being obliged to take in our fore top sail. – Our people are a good deal harassed by fatigue, cold and wet.

But, in his own way, Moore too was suffering:

The want of society is one of the most uncomfortable circumstances in my profession. Among six or seven men, which is the most we meet of that class which we can conveniently have much social intercourse with in a frigate, a man is in high good luck if he meets one person from whose character and conversation he can draw much amusement or instruction; and I fear that being too much either alone or in the company of indifferent, common minded men, must by degrees weaken the energies of our minds, which no doubt, require exercise to strengthen or even keep them at their attained degree of perfection. Want of books is another disadvantage incident to our profession, as a great collection would occasion inconvenience and expense ... Indolence is one of our greatest failings and the cause of many others.
Such were the disadvantages of command.

On 29 November, the
Syren
fell in with a cartel brig that reported that the storms had devastated a force bound for the West Indies under the command of Admiral Christian. The force had been intended to stabilize the position in the Caribbean, for the initial British success of the earlier expedition under Jervis and Grey had been short-lived. Moore believed that he knew the real reason for this because he had talked to many naval officers who had served there under Admiral Jervis:

They assure me that our own misfortunes in the Leeward Islands originated in the alienation of the esteem and confidence of the inhabitants, and in their hatred of us occasioned by the scandalous rapacity and extortion practised upon them . . .

In fact Admiral Jervis (later Earl St Vincent and First Lord of the Admiralty) had completely overstepped the mark in allowing his cruisers to go on a prize-taking rampage, while both Jervis and Grey had virtually plundered the French colonies they captured. The resultant alienation was huge, undermined confidence in British rule and gave encouragement for the restoration of Republicanism.
⁴⁸

By the middle of December, the
Syren
was in need of repair and Moore took her back to Portsmouth for docking. She was not ready for sea again until 6 February, by which time she had lost ten men through desertion, and was considerably short of complement. The stay in Portsmouth had also resulted in a disruption to the ship’s discipline and Moore was obliged to order a number of punishments on their return to sea. He set sail towing a new launch for the St Marcouf islands and reached the coast of France in a gale. Before he realized it, the
Syren
had run deep into the Bay of La Hogue and they were unable to weather Cape Barfleur. The increasing gale and lee tide threatened them with disaster. Moore though, for all his self-doubts, had already shown himself a cool hand in a crisis like this. He immediately ordered the courses set and
‘... haul’d our wind for Cape Barfleur’
, passing the St Marcouf islands about two miles to windward;

We were standing towards the Fort at Fatihou and the flood tide on our weather bow setting us fast in. Had to cut the launch adrift, it was half swamped. I concluded that the tide had begun to slack and that on the Larboard tack we should take the Ebb under the lee bow. When within 3 miles of Fatihou, wore ship and by carrying a great press of sail I found she went off shore: at low water we wore again and the wind favouring us a little we got to the North East of Cape Barfleur in the course of the night.

The next day they made their way back to St Marcouf, where they were soon joined by the
Diamond
and the
Childers
. Fortunately, the Lieutenant commanding the garrison on the easternmost island had spotted the abandoned launch and had been able to retrieve it. Moore, though, was now suffering physically as the spell of bad weather before Christmas had given him agonizing rheumatism in his shoulders.

Looking into Cherbourg again on 23 February, he found the French frigate
La Romaine
preparing to sail with two armed brigs and a convoy of twenty-seven vessels. He decided that, with an easterly wind, the convoy must pass through the Race of Alderney, so he anchored the frigate there so that he could surprise them if they sailed during that night’s ebb tide. As night fell, he had the frigate’s topsails loosed, ready to sheet home quickly and axes standing by for cutting the anchor cable in case they had to move in a hurry. Moore was well aware that
La Romaine
was nearly double the strength of the
Syren
, but he was undeterred;

I am not afraid of the consequences of a meeting with what we saw in Cherbourg, the wind being off shore, I think the worst that could happen to us would be getting a drubbing, as we could probably get off before the wind if we found them too strong for us.

Nevertheless, it must have been a relief when, on the morning of the 26th, the crack frigate
Niger
arrived, commanded by Edward Foote;

I would feel great confidence in meeting anything that would fight while Foote is with me, he appears to be a remarkably zealous, intelligent officer, and the
Niger
is in very excellent order.

Then, very shortly after, a large ship was seen approaching through the Race accompanied by a convoy of merchantmen. To everyone’s bitter disappointment this proved to be the frigate
Melampus
, commanded by Richard Strachan, with his squadron and a convoy for Guernsey. Moore though, still found some cause for celebration:

I was well pleased with the spirit and alacrity which our fellows displayed this morning when they thought they were going into action.

This bode well for the future. Strachan anchored, for a consultation with Moore, and then took his squadron off in search of the French convoy, leaving the
Niger
and the
Syren
at anchor near Alderney. Once again, Moore found himself admiring Strachan:

No man can be more zealous, active and daring than this brave fellow; it is a real pleasure to me to meet him as he possesses my entire esteem. I think his ship one of the fittest for action of any in the Navy.

Almost immediately after Strachan’s departure, a heavy gale set in and the two frigates were obliged to remain at anchor for several days. Lack of activity was once again making Moore morose and his thoughts turned once again to home and affairs of the heart, and in particular the young woman of whom he secretly had great hopes – Miss M:

As the prospect of active service against the Enemy lessens, the desire of revisiting my friends augments; I foresee that I shall cut out matter for chagrin and unhappiness by indulging a passion which has been taking slow, but, I believe, firm root in my heart.

As succeeding, in my present situation as to Money matters, would open but an uncomfortable prospect, I have never yet made any advances, nor, consistent with my ideas of right and wrong, can I; there appears no reasonable ground for hope, there being so very little probability of my being possessed of fortune sufficient to live as I would wish when no longer a Bachelor – If that bar were removed, the rest of the Romance would very soon finish as I think if I found myself unacceptable my mind is so tuned that I could get the better of my disappointment, as I could not bear to be tied to any person to whom I was not as dear as I could wish. If on the other hand I were, what they call, fortunate, we should probably get into the old jog trot way of life that all our brethren before us have followed. The Romantic side of the picture, amuses and teases my thoughts.

Entombed on board his frigate, while bad weather crashed around the anchorage, it is hardly surprising that the bachelor frigate captain’s thoughts should eventually turn to the pleasures of the flesh. Yet, as the days passed, the more professional interests exerted themselves. Foote was waiting to be relieved by Captain Lord Henry Paulet in the frigate
Thalia
, and was anxiously looking out for him. Moore was more worried about the situation at St Marcouf. When the weather moderated on 4 March, he sailed for the islands and was relieved to find everything there in good order. He then returned to the Channel Islands where he was supposed to rendezvous with Sidney Smith, but by 9 March there was still no sign of the Commodore. However, he was soon joined by Strachan in the
Melampus
and Foote in the
Niger
, and the three frigates ran round to St Marcouf where they encountered the frigate
Druid
, commanded by Captain Richard King. Near there, on 19 March, the
Druid
and the
Syren
surprised a sloop and a lugger which took shelter close to the shore. Moore and King decided to try to cut them out, using a launch borrowed from St Marcouf.

At 11pm, the attack was sent in. Moore, in a state of agitation knowing there was little he could do to effect the outcome, retired to his cabin and took up his pen: