Unknown (20 page)

J
uly, 1775. As hot a July as could be remembered on the island of Antigua. Not a person moved during the heat of the day unless it was absolutely necessary. The road from St. Johns all the way to English Harbour was completely empty. Commodores Gardner and Anthony sat in white wicker-backed chairs trying to stay cool as they drank a glass of chilled lime juice.

The two senior officers listened attentively to the lieutenant before them as he relayed the disturbing news from the colonies. The lieutenant was the commander of the mail packet,
Gull
.

“So it’s war,” Gardner asked.

“Yes, sir. It appears the talks have failed and we’re at war with our own colonies. General Gage, who is the governor of Massachusetts, sent troops to seize weapons that had been cached by the colonials. He was met by a ragtag force. But instead of an open engagement which General Gage’s forces could have easily won, there was a running battle from Lexington to Concord. The colonials carried out one ambush after another. The general’s troops finally destroyed the weapons, but reports have it that casualties were very high. Then in June, there was another battle at a place called Bunker’s Hill. I’m told over fifteen hundred fell that day.”

“Damme,” snorted Gardner as he got to his feet. “That’s a hellish high number. We’ve not even got started well yet. I told you it’d be a different type of war, did I not sir?”

Gardner directed his comments to Anthony who thus far had listened quietly, but who was disturbed nonetheless.

Gardner invited
Gull
’s captain to dine that evening, then had him ushered out. He then turned his attention back to Anthony. “Have you gone through the admiralty dispatches?”

“Yes,” Anthony replied. “I’m to turn
Drakkar
over to Pope. He’s been made captain.”

“That’s a lot of ship for his first command as a captain,” Gardner said. “Mine was a old sixth rate twenty-eight gun frigate, and I felt lucky to get her.”

“Aye. I remember my first. But Pope has commanded a cutter and a brig. He was first lieutenant on a first rate, and he’s showed good judgment since he’s been with me. I think he’ll do fine. He can keep Steven Earl as his first lieutenant, if he desires. Earl has just about grown up on
Drakkar
, and he’s been taught well by Lieutenant Buck and old Peckham.”

“Speaking of Buck, why did they not make him captain and give him
Drakkar
?” Gardner quizzed. “He surely deserves it, and he certainly knows the ship.”

“That puzzles me as well,” Anthony admitted. “My reports strongly recommended Buck for captain and a command. Pope is senior, but Buck should have been made captain long ago. He probably would have, had he not been so loyal to me. This was our second commission together with him as my first lieutenant. At any rate, he’s to return to England and report to the admiralty. I hope they have a ship for him.”

“What about you?” Gardner asked.

“I’m to return to England as well, where I’m to report to Lord Sandwich at my earliest convenience.”

“You’re taking Lady Deborah, I’m sure,” Gardner commented. “And if she takes a couple of maids, your party will be too big for the packet.”

“Yes, I know,” Anthony said. “I was thinking of having Gabe take us in the ketch
Shark.
It’ll be cramped
and rough, but we’ll be a private ship.” Anthony then looked at his friend and knew he’d miss him. What have you decided?” Anthony asked.

“I haven’t yet,” Gardner replied. “There’s sure to be another Admiral take command of the station, and I doubt he’ll be as genteel as Sir Lawrence was.”

“You may be placed in command of a squadron, or maybe even given your flag,” Anthony said, trying to be optimistic for his friend.

“No, I’m too long behind a desk to be given a squadron. I’ve been in the Indies too long to have enough influence to even be considered for anything important. No, I’ll stay as dockyard commissioner as long as they’ll let me. The truth is that before the hostilities erupted I was going to retire from government service, move to Virginia in the colonies, and go into shipping with a friend. But now who knows?”

***

London was hustling, and Lady Deborah was astonished at the pace of things. The voyage back to England had been very pleasant and uneventful. When Anthony and Gabe returned to the admiralty for their appointment there was a definite change. The lazy ho-hum attitude had been replaced with a sense of urgency. Gabe didn’t seem so overwhelmed as he did that first trip. He was older now—a lieutenant and a mature, seasoned officer. A veteran of several ship to ship actions, and he carried the scars to prove it. There were admirals here in Whitehall who hadn’t seen the action that Gabe had. Anthony had noticed some of the looks they’d received upon entering the admiralty. Gabe’s black hair now had a long narrow strip of gray where a bullet had grazed his scalp. Anthony knew Gabe was sensitive
about “his streak.” Deborah had told him it made him look not only handsome, but also mysterious and romantic. Overhearing the comment, Caleb had let out a groan and stated, “God woman, don’t give him anymore reason to lord his prowess over us mortals.”

One of the clerks greeted Anthony and Gabe, and assured them the first lord would be with them directly. As soon as the clerk was out of earshot, Gabe whispered to Anthony, “‘Cept for the glasses, don’t he favor Caleb’s ape?”

Anthony’s burst of laughter caused stares from other officers. But damme if Gabe wasn’t right. The resemblance was there. The clerk returned quickly, somewhat disturbed by Anthony’s chuckling. The clerk was used to a more somber attitude from those officers who entered this hallowed place.

“The First Lord will see you now,” the clerk said as he directed Anthony and Gabe to Lord Sandwich’s Office.

“Gil! How nice to see you again. And you as well Gabe. Well Gil, you’ve done your duty as I knew you would. In this time of gloom you’ve been my ray of sunshine. I knew you were the man to handle those pirates. Your deeds have not gone unnoticed. That I promise you. Nor have yours, Gabe,” the First Lord added.

Turning, Lord Sandwich bid a clerk to come forward. “This gentlemen is Evan Nepean. He is my head clerk. I don’t know what I’d do without him. He has orders for both of you that you can sign for before you leave. But first I want to chat a while and fill you in on what’s awaiting you. I’ve already told you I’m proud of both of you. My political light doesn’t shine as it once did. But I want you both to know if I can ever be of service to either of you, all you have to do is call upon
me. The papers have been full of stories of your engagements and triumphs. The papers call you the ‘Fighting Anthonys.’ I can’t count the times you’ve made the Gazette. There’s even wagering at the club as to how fat your purses have grown.”

Sensing Anthony’s need to say something modest, the First Lord waved his hand. “Nay, Nay. Don’t be concerned.

“It’s good. A man should be rewarded for his pains. And by the bye, I almost forgot, not only did you capture a bunch of damn pirates but also I hear you’ve succeeded in capturing a lovely lady’s heart. Here’s my hand in congratulations. I look forward to meeting her.”

‘‘Thank you, my Lord,’’ Anthony replied, sensing the formalities were over and it was now time for business.

“I know you both are aware that we are now at war with the colonies. Several senior officers have chosen not to fight their American cousins. Lord Keppel is among them. Truth be known, I’m not sure I blame them, the way Lord North is running things. However, so many senior officers retiring rather than fighting has in some ways been a blessing. We are now able to promote several deserving officers into commands that otherwise would have been difficult.” Having said this, Lord Sandwich walked over to Anthony and said, “Let me be the first to congratulate you on your promotion to Rear Admiral. I know your father would have been as proud as I am. On your recommendation we’ve promoted Buck to captain and he’s been given command of
Merlin,
a thirty-two gun frigate.
Merlin
will be under your flag. Her previous captain is one of those that decided he’d pursue parliament rather than fight the colonials. In regards to Buck, I know you would have liked to have him as your flag captain, but he was too junior to
command a ship of the line. Your flagship will be the
Warrior
. She’s a seventy-four that was launched in 1770 at Chatham. She has just undergone complete overhaul and refitting. She’s awaiting you at Portsmouth. Her captain is an old friend of yours, Dutch Moffitt. A hellish fine officer who will hoist his own flag some day.

“Now for you, my young firebrand,” Lord Sandwich said directing his attention to Gabe. “We have in fact captured a privateer, the
SeaWolf
. The Americans originally planned her as a slaver, but before she was completed she was converted to a privateer. She was to be a predator as her name invokes. She is a sleek ship I’m told, and mounts sixteen guns. Normally, such a vessel would go to one more senior. However, few lieutenants have seen the action you have, and at this point in time England needs experienced officers to make up for inept politicians. Admiral, Lieutenant, I shan’t detain you any longer. You have my faith and trust. You’ll do your duty as you always have. I know I can count on you. Pick up your orders from Evan on your way out. Now be off with you. Go celebrate with your wife and families, then report to your commands as directed by your orders.”

WE HAVE A WAR TO FIGHT!

aft
toward the stern (rear) of the ship
.
ahead
in
a forward direction
.
aloft.
ab
ove the deck of the ship
.
barque
(bark) a three-masted vessel with the foremas
t
and mainmast square-rigged and the mizzenmast fore
-
and-aft rigged
.
belay
to make a rope fast to a belaying pin, cleat, o
r
other such device. Also used as a general command t
o
stop or cancel, e.g., “Belay that last order!
”
belaying pin
a wooden pin, later made of metal
,
generally about twenty inches in length to which line
s
were made fast , or “belayed.” They were arranged i
n
pin rails along the inside of the bulwark and in fife rail
s
around the masts
.
binnacle
a large wooden box, just forward of the helm
,
housing the compass, half-hour glass for timing th
e
watches, and candles to light the compass at night
.
boatswain’s chair
a wooden seat with a rope slin
g
attached. Used for hoisting men aloft or over the side fo
r
work
.
bosun
al
so boatswain, a crew member responsible fo
r
keeping the hull, rigging and sails in repair
.
bow chaser
a cannon situated near the bow to fire a
s
directly forward as possible
.
bowsprit
a l
arge piece of timber which stands out from th
e
bow of a ship
.
breeching
rope used to se
cure a cannon to the side o
f
a ship and prevent it from recoiling too far
.
brig
a t
wo masted vessel, square rigged on both masts
.
bulwarks
th
e sides of a ship above the upper deck
.

bumboat
privately owned boat used to carry out to anchored vessels vegetables, liquor, and other items for sale.
burgoo
mixture of coarse oatmeal and water, porridge.
canister
musket ball size iron shot encased in a cylindrical metal cast. When fired from a cannon, the case breaks apart releasing the enclosed shot. (not unlike firing buckshot from a shotgun shell.)
Cat-O’-Nine Tails
a whip made from knotted ropes, used to punish crewmen. Used for flogging.
chase
a ship being pursued.
coxswain
(cox’n) The person in charge of the captain’s personal boat.
cutter
a sailboat with one mast and a mainsail and two headsails.
dogwatch
The watches from four to six, and from six to eight, in the evening.
fathom
unit of measurement equal to six feet.
flotsam
debris floating on the water surface.
forecastle
pronounced fo’c’sle. The forward part of the upper deck, forward of the foremast, in some vessels raised above the upper deck. Also, the space enclosed by this deck
founder
used to described a ship that is having difficulty remaining afloat.
frigate
a fast three masted fully rigged ship carrying anywhere from twenty to forty-eight guns.
full and by
a nautical term meaning proceed under full sail
furl
to lower a sail.
futtock shrouds
short, heavy pieces of standing rigging connected on one end to the topmast shrouds at the outer edge of the top and on the other to the lower shrouds, designed to bear the pressure on the topmast shrouds. Often used by sailors to go aloft.

gaff
a spar or pole extending diagonally upward from th
e
after side of a mast and supporting a fore-and-aft sail
.
galley
th
e kitchen area of a ship
.
grapeshot
a cluster of round, iron shot, generally nin
e
in all, and wrapped in canvas. Upon firing the grapesho
t
would spread out for a shotgun effect. Used against me
n
and light hulls
.
grating
hatch cover composed of perpendicular
,
interlocking wood pieces, much like a heavy woo
d
screen. It allowed light and air below while stil
l
providing cover for the hatch. Gratings were covere
d
with tarpaulins in rough or wet weather
.
grog
Br
itish naval seaman received a portion of liquor ever
y
day. In 1740, Admiral Edward Vernon ordered the rum t
o
be diluted with water. Vernon’s nickname was Old Grogram
,
and the beverage was given the name grog in their disdain fo
r
Vernon
.
gunwale
pronounced gun-
el. The upper edge of
a
ship’s side
.
halyard
a l
ine used to hoist a sail or spar. The tightness o
f
the halyard can affect sail shape
.
handsomely
sl
owly, gradually
.
hard tack
sh
ip’s biscuit
.
haul
pu
lling on a line
.
heave to
ar
ranging the sails in such a manner as to stop th
e
forward motion of the ship
.
heel
th
e tilt of a ship/boat to one side
.
helm
th
e wheel of a ship or the tiller of a boat
.
holystone
a b
lock of sandstone used to scour the woode
n
decks of a ship
.
idler
th
e name of those members of a ship’s crew that di
d
not stand night watch because of their work, example cook
,
carpenters
.
jetty
a m
anmade structure projecting from the shore
.
jib
a t
riangular sail attached to the headstay
.

John Company
nickname for the Honourable East Indi
a
Company
.
jolly boat
a small workboat
.
jonathan
Br
itish nickname for an American
.
keel
a f
lat surface (fin) built into the bottom of the ship t
o
reduce the leeway caused by the wind pushing against th
e
side of the ship
.
ketch
a s
ailboat with two masts. The shorter mizzen mast i
s
aft of the main, but forward of the rudder post
.
knot
on
e knot equals one nautical mile per hour. This rat
e
is equivalent to approximately 1.15 statute miles per hour
.
larboard
th
e left side of a ship or boat
.
lee
th
e direction toward which the wind is blowing. Th
e
direction sheltered from the wind
.
leeward
pronounced loo-ard. downwind
.
letter of Marque
a c
ommission issued by the governmenta
l
authorizing seizure of enemy property
.
luff
th
e order to the steersman to put the helm towards th
e
lee side of the ship, in order to sail nearer to the wind
.
main mast
th
e tallest (possibly only) mast on a ship
.
mast
an
y vertical pole on the ship that sails are attached to
.
mizzen mast
a s
maller aft mast
.
moor
to
attach a ship to a mooring, dock, post, anchor
.
nautical mile
on
e minute of latitude, approximately 607
6
feet – about 1/8 longer than the statute mile of 5280 feet
.
pitch
(1
) a fore and aft rocking motion of a boat. (2)
a
material used to seal cracks in wooden planks
.
privateer
a p
rivateer is a captain with a Letter of Marqu
e
which allows a captain to plunder any ship of a given enem
y
nation. A privateer was
su
pposed
to be above being tried fo
r
piracy
.
prize
an
enemy vessel captured at sea by a warship o
r
privateer. Technically these ships belonged to the crown, bu
t
after review by the Admiralty court and condemnation, the
y
were sold and the prize money shared
.

powder monkey
young boy (usually) who carried cartridges of gunpowder from the filling room up to the guns during battle.
quadrant
instrument used to take the altitude of the sun or other celestial bodies in order to determine the latitude of a place. Forerunner to the modern sextant.
quarterdeck
a term applied to the afterpart of the upper deck. The area is generally reserved for officers.
quarter gallery
a small, enclosed balcony with windows located on either side of the great cabin aft and projecting out slightly from the side of the ship. Traditionally contained the head, or toilet, for use by those occupying the great cabin.
rake
a measurement of the top of the mast’s tilt toward the bow or stern.
rate
ships were rated from first to sixth rates based on their size and armament:

ratline
pronounced ratlin. Small lines tie
d between the shrouds, horizontal to the deck, forming a sort of rope ladder on which the men can climb aloft.
reef
to reduce the area of sail. This helps prevent too much sail from being in use when the wind gets stronger (a storm or gale).
roll
a side-to-side motion of the ship, usually caused by waves.

schooner
a North American (colonial) vessel with two mast
s
the same size
.
scuppers
dr
ain holes on deck, in the toe rail, or in bulwarks
.
scuttle
any small, generally covered hatchway throug
h
a ship’s deck
.
sextant
a n
avigational instrument used to determine th
e
vertical position of an object such as the sun, moon or stars
.
shoal
sh
allow, not deep
.
shrouds
heavy ropes leading from a masthead aft an
d
down to support the mast when the wind is from abea
m
or farther aft
.
skiff
a s
mall boat
.
sky lark
to
frolic or play, especially up in the rigging
.
spar
an
y lumber/pole used in rigging sails on a ship
.
starboard
th
e right side of a ship or boat
.
stern
th
e aft part of a boat or ship
.
stern chasers
cannons directed
aft to fire on
a
pursuing vesse
l
tack
to
turn a ship about from one tack to another, b
y
bringing her head to the wind
.
taffrail
th
e upper part of the ship’s stern, usually ornamen
t
with carved work or bolding
.
thwart
seat or bench in a boat on which the rowers sit
.
topgallant
the mast above the topmast, also sometime
s
the yard and sail set on it
.
transom
th
e stern cross-section/panel forming the after en
d
of a ship’s hull
.
veer
a s
hifting of the wind direction
.
waister
la
ndsman or unskilled seaman who worked in th
e
waist of the ship
.
wear
to turn
the vessel from one tack to another b
y
turning the stern through the wind
.
weigh
to
raise, as in to weigh anchor
.
windward
th
e side or direction from which the wind i
s
blowing
.