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

It was an anti-climactic moment when Andromeda fired off the salute to Admiral Sawyer’s flag and picked up her mooring. The pilot aboard the Washington, took her to the other side of the harbor and that was the last Phillips saw of Anne for the next few days. The Morris also anchored in the commercial anchorage, and early on Mister Darby, replaced by an official from the prize court, was returned to Andromeda.

Mister Gould had previously asked to go ashore on some private business and Phillips was glad to oblige him. In recent days it was becoming ever more difficult to exist on the same ship with the dour first officer.

After two days, Gould had not returned and then a smartly uniformed midshipman delivered a note from Admiral Sawyer. Phillips was invited to Sawyer’s house ashore for dinner and to bring the admiral up to date of his activities since leaving port earlier in the summer.

As Phillips was led by the admiral’s man past a little anteroom, he saw Lieutenant Gould seated at a little table, a massive pile of paper before him. Gould saw him but spoke not a word. With some misgivings, Phillips went into the Admiral’s working office where a light repast had been laid out on a side board. When Phillips straightened to report, Sawyer waved him off.

“Let us dispense with formality for a while, lad. I just want to hear what you have been up to from your own mouth.”

Phillips had his records and log with him but the Admiral just wanted a vocal report. He spent the next two hours going over the events of the summer since he had left port. When he finished, Sawyer told him he had learned of some of these activities before. A packet from England had arrived the week before with copies of the reports Phillips had sent ashore to Plymouth.

“Let me tell you Captain. The Plymouth port admiral is very displeased with you for not reporting to him when you were just offshore. I will try to cover over the situation just in case you ever happen to serve under the fellow in the future. We were mids together a half century ago, and he was always a touchy sort.’

“Now, I want you to tell me about the orgies that took place in your cabin and the wardroom on your ship.”

“Orgies, Sir? I hardly know how to answer you. There were no orgies on my ship. Nor was there anyone to have an orgy with, to make the answer more clear.”

“That is too bad Captain. I had thought to be entertained by a good story of your misdeeds. I hear that a ravishing beauty has bewitched the officers on Andromeda, especially yourself. The story was she kept you all very busy, morning and night.”

A red veil of rage swept over Phillips vision. “Admiral Sawyer, I must ask you to tell me who reported such nonsense. A fine woman’s name is being besmirched and I find it necessary to call the culprit out. I realize this is contrary to present Navy rules, so I am taking this opportunity to offer my resignation.”

“Calm down, Captain. For one thing, I can’t afford to lose you. For another, I have talked to Miss Humphries herself and the teller of tales is now a laughing stock on this station. A seaman I sailed with many years ago accompanied her, Lane his name was. I had nearly forgotten it but it popped out as soon as I saw his face.”

“She seems to be quite a prodigy herself. At least Lane thinks so. I hear tell you put her in command of that last privateer brig you brought in. Lane told me she pistoled two men that escaped from below and tried to take over the ship.”

“I am going to first ask you and then to order you to let this matter lie. I have the man serving in my outer office where he can do no harm. I aim to send him back home soon with his records flagged to insure he never goes to sea as an officer again.”

“We are talking about Lieutenant Gould here, Admiral Sawyer?”

“You said it, not me Phillips. Now that is the end of it. I have another officer on my establishment who has been annoying me daily with requests to go to sea. I expect you will find him aboard your ship when you return.”

“Now, on to more pleasant subjects, Captain. That Miss Humphries is a very fortunate young woman.”

“Why so, Sir?”

“Well, the merchantman her father owned was covered by insurance. The salvage costs will be fully covered, so the young woman now owns her trading brig free and clear.

Her captain is still here in Halifax and has engaged a crew. The lady will be able to sail as soon as she can obtain a cargo.”

Anne was pulled out to Andromeda in the boat from her own merchant brig, the Sarah Hayes, which she had recently re-claimed from the prize court. There had been a question of ownership, but with a will located giving her all of her father’s assets, the question was resolved. With that settled, she gave the command to her previous captain and moved back into her old cabin. She brought her thanks and the pistols he had loaned her. He wondered if she was going to sail to Trinidad to find her uncle, but she thought not.

“I found a warehouse full of American grain that was looking for a ship to take it to England. HMS Ajax brought in an American prize last month loaded with wheat. I was there yesterday when it was offered up for sale and I purchased the lot. A convoy leaves next week for home and I plan to be in it. Grain prices are very high in Britain what with the harvest problems and I hope to make a little money with this cargo. I do not wish to appear on my uncle’s doorstep as a supplicant, so will likely wait until I have become more substantial before calling on him.”

They spent an hour reminiscing their adventures that summer, then it was time for her to leave. Not a single word was said about the spurious allegations of Mister Gould.

In due course, a shabby shipyard barge arrived alongside Andromeda and disgorged a well-built young lieutenant as well as a master’s mate in his mid-twenties. Lieutenant Hornady introduced Mister Wilson to Phillips as he handed over their orders.

“Sir, I am most dreadfully sorry to be late in reporting. However, I had to drop by the pawn-broker to retrieve my sextant. There, I met Mister Wilson here who begged me to allow him to accompany me in the dockyard boat, funds being rather low.”

Phillips called Mister Darby up from the wardroom and introduced him to the newcomers. There was some delicate probing between the two lieutenants to determine each other’s date of commission, since this would determine which one was senior. It was soon determined Hornady was senior by a matter of a few months, so he was now the ships first officer. Darby was second and Phillips offered Wilson a temporary lieutenant’s position as third officer. Wilson had passed his board a year ago but was never made, so there was now a good chance Admiral Sawyer might confirm the appointment.

At present, there were the thousand tasks needed to be taken care of to get the ship ready to return to sea. Hornady’s last position had been in the Admiral’s office and he was able to confirm to Phillips the Admiral was in the process of generating orders to send them back out again.

Andromeda’s larder had been nearly emptied on her last cruise so now tons of biscuit had to be brought on board, as well as barrels of salted beef and pork, newly smuggled up the coast from Massachusetts.

Much of the beef, as well as the flour used to make the biscuit Phillips learned, was regularly brought up from the United States by schooner. Nationalities be damned, the shrewd Yankee traders were still doing business with old customers, never mind what flag they sailed under.

The last of the water came aboard and now the ship was ready to sail, just as soon as the order came. The papers were delivered aboard one dismal, rainy morning. They seemed simple enough. He was to proceed to sea, being careful to avoid enemy warships superior to Andromeda and harry American and French commerce. Prizes taken should be sent to the nearest British port if possible, otherwise they were to be destroyed.

Phillips was notified of the blockade that had been imposed upon major American ports, and was required to cooperate with any of said blockading ships that needed his assistance. He was warned that several powerfully built American frigates were at sea, and he should avoid action with the larger of the enemy warships, but should report their locations to any available warships of the Royal Navy.

Making her way out to sea, Andromeda spent the next few days shaking down. Many new hands had been brought aboard and they had to be integrated with the seasoned men. Some of the hand’s mess tables had new members added, and there was initial suspicion and controversy at first. Eventually, after some shifting around, matters were organized to the hand’s satisfaction.

On the first fine day after leaving port, Phillips spoke to both watches separately, before and after the noon watch change. He was mainly addressing the newcomers, but was also reminding the oldsters of how he wanted matters handled.

He was able to report the earnings made by an average able seaman from prize money on the past voyage. He assured the men this sum, equal to a year’s pay in itself, could easily be increased this voyage.

“On our last voyage, we were required to find and take as many enemy privateers as possible. These ships ordinarily will not fetch nearly the sum a well-laden merchant will bring. While we are still to do that, we are also tasked with disrupting the enemy’s commerce, whenever we can. This means, we are free to take as many prizes as possible.

I must warn you, of course, while we will send as many prizes back to port as we can, there will come a time when we will not be able to spare crews for some of the ships. At that time, it may be necessary to burn some of the lower value prizes. I want to hear no grumbling from you when this is done. Are we clear?”

Once out in the shipping lanes, merchantmen began to be encountered, sailing under several flags. French-flagged vessels were almost non-existent here, so Andromeda was concerned about Americans. As before, American flagged vessels were to be examined closely to make sure of their destination. Most Americans encountered could be assumed to be fair prizes, but there were still a few carrying important cargo bound for British controlled ports that should be left to proceed.

Those vessels carrying trade for non-British destinations were immediately collected and sent back to port with a prize crew commanded by a senior midshipman. Admiral Sawyer had furnished Andromeda with several, after Phillips explained his problems with furnishing prize masters from his own resources.  Some of these individuals were locals with previous experience in the mercantile trade. Mister Harding immediately set to, instructing the new mids with what they would need to know as commanders of their own vessels.

At the moment, Jonathon Benson was on the quarterdeck beside him, chiefly to learn what he could, and to relay orders and messages to their proper recipients. Many of the new mids Phillips had previously come into contact with were mere children. These latter were often men in their twenties, some of whom had been commanding fishing boats and small traders for years. Benson here had last served aboard a trader delivering illicit cargo out of ports in Maine up to Halifax. Some of that cargo would probably be aboard the next convoy to Britain.

Phillips, having a quiet spell, with nothing demanding his immediate attention, took the opportunity to question the mid about his motives for entering the Service.

“Mister Benson, just what do you hope to gain from the Royal Navy in your service with us?”

“Sir, I realize I am too old to ever be able to make a career out of the Navy. I had originally expected to take over my father’s schooner when he gave up the sea. She was taken however, on a trip up from Salem, last month, and that hope is gone. I have been sailing on other smuggling vessels to keep myself alive, but know I will soon join my father in captivity, if I keep doing this.”

“My mother met Admiral Sawyer last month at a soiree and asked him if there was no place for me in the Royal Navy. The call came just before you sailed, and that is why I am here. I hope to be able to make a living until the war is over, then perhaps I can get back to sailing for myself.”

Phillips stood quietly for some minutes mulling over what Harrison had told him. Then, he replied. “Mister Benson, you will understand most young men come to us as children, their parents expecting us to train the young lads into promising officers. Very often, that does not happen. Either they have no aptitude for it, or they may be knocked in the head before they become old enough.”

“If a lad does live until he is sixteen or so, we will probably find out whether he has learned what he needs to know as a potential officer. I asked Admiral Sawyer to supply me with young men I could use to command prizes we take back to port. You were one of the people he sent me. In the coming weeks, I may test your knowledge of ship handling, navigation and your ability to handle seamen.”

“For now, from what I have seen, you appear to be much more useful than the average midshipman. You have probably come in contact with Mister Wilson, who came aboard as master’s mate. Lacking a third lieutenant, I appointed him as acting third lieutenant, which leaves me without a master’s mate. I will therefore appoint you to that position, temporarily. That means, if I choose, I may dis-rate you back to midshipman, or even seaman if I think it advisable. Should you succeed, there is no limit to how far you may advance, given a long war and plenty of prizes.”

“Probably, if you can satisfy the officers appointed over you, you can expect to receive command of a future prize to take to port. For now, you will take charge of the midshipman aboard Andromeda. Mister Wilson has been handling that chore, and I wish to relieve him of the duty. You will do what you can to impart lessons of seamanship into the hard heads of the mids, and handle any minor disciplinary problems. Have you any questions?”

Andromeda ranged into the shipping lanes leading home. Now and again a ship was found to be a fair prize and she was manned and sent home. Mister Wilson had been given command of an American brigantine loaded with sawn timber destined for the shipbuilding trade in Bordeaux. Phillips had been amazed the owners would have tried to deliver the cargo to that port, rather than a port in Britain. However, the ways of ship-owners were not for him to determine. The cargo would end its journey in England, and Mister Wilson would have his opportunity to command a ship.

Continuing her sweep, Andromeda sighted a pair of ships together. A big, ship-rigged merchant was alongside a slim schooner. As the warship approached, the ship dis-engaged and tried to escape. The schooner lay there in the water, broadside to the swells. Her foremast had come down and was presently over the side. Ranging alongside, Andromeda fired a gun, the shot striking the water well clear of the stricken vessel. The schooner promptly struck his flag and Phillips sent Mister Bentley over in the longboat with a party of armed seamen. Bentley was one of the promising mids, only fifteen, but becoming useful on the ship.

Warning the master of the vessel by his speaking trumpet to mind his manners until his return, Phillips sailed on after the ship.

It took only a short time until the master of that ship realized he had no chance for escape. With Andromeda broadside to her a long musket range, she wisely backed her topsails and lowered her flag. This time Mister Benson was the one getting the nod to board the prize. After taking the necessary men, the crew left aboard Andromeda was getting rather sparse. Phillips stood by until Benson reported by speaking trumpet the prize was secure.

Phillips ordered him to get the ship on the wind and take her into Halifax, where he would be met. Now, Andromeda returned to the schooner, which seemed to be having some difficulties. The boarding party was congregated in the stern, and a crowd of shouting crew brandishing weapons to their front. Phillips was impressed to see the diminutive fifteen year old to the fore of his crew, with his dirk out. A petty officer behind the lad had his cutlass out, attempting to defend the lad.

A gun fired, halting the defiance and more men were taken over. When Mister Darby returned, he reported. “Well sir, she reported herself to be a simple fishing schooner, and she did have the proper gear aboard. However, she also had a pair of twelve pounder carronades on each beam, covered with fishing nets. She also has a cargo of raw sugar in barrels in her hold. When I demanded to see her papers, they were all reported thrown over the side. However, upon searching the master’s cabin, I found a letter of marque in his desk. She had an overly large crew aboard for either a fishing vessel or a merchantman and I think she was out after prizes. ”

“Apparently, she went after a British merchant that also had some carronades on board. It was a shot from that one that knocked her foremast down. When Mister Bentley went aboard, her own large crew came up on deck after we left and were attempting to resist capture.”

Phillips thought about the matter. “So, we have a vessel with a cargo but with no manifest. It does have a pair of guns and a letter of marque. It seems we do have a legitimate prize. What about Bentley? Do you think he is capable of commanding a prize?”

“I do not see why not, Captain. It was only that he did not have a large enough boarding party to handle all those men on the schooner.”

Phillips removed those people from the schooner that he could and confined them aboard Andromeda. Re-enforcing the prize crew, he ordered that foremast repaired and the vessel sailed into Halifax.

Andromeda remained near the schooner until she was able to get under way, then left to see to the other prize. Night fell before they reached the ship and they did not actually speak her until the next day. All was well, and the warship escorted her prize on the slow voyage toward Halifax. Toward evening, the schooner, much faster than the other two, caught up with them and all three entered port together.