[ADMIRAL DE WINTER DELIVERING HIS SWORD TO LORD DUNCAN.] THE French government having it in contemplation to make a landing in Ireland, the finely-equipped Texel fleet was sent to sea as a powerful division. But the best fleet that Holland could furnish was incompetent to contend with the inferior ships of our navy; for of such was the fleet of Admiral Duncan composed, with the exception of three or four that were ordered to join him from Portsmouth, a few days previous to the action. The Dutch ships were generally very bad sailors: they had lain so long in harbour as to become foul; their crews were awkward from inexperience; and their officers, though brave, were unskilful. They sailed on the 8th of October, 1797, at which time the admiral was lying at Yarmouth, having left a small squadron, under the command of Captain Trollope VOL. I. in the Russell, to cruise off the Texel till his return. Mr. Hamilton was, however, despatched to the admiral, and on the 10th conveyed by signal, from the back of Yarmouth sands, to the flag-ship, that the enemy was at sea. Not a moment was lost to meet them; and early on the 11th; Duncan arrived on his old cruising station, and saw the Russell to leeward, with the signal flying for an enemy's fleet. He instantly bore up, and at eleven o'clock got sight of the object of his anxious wishes, which for two long years he had watched, yet never expected to see outside of the Nieu Diep. There was no delay, no unnecessary manoeuvres in forming lines, or making dispositions; but Duncan dashed at them, like a sea lion on its prey; and at half-past twelve at noon, cut through their line, and got U No between them and their own coast. means of retreat being allowed, a general action shortly ensued, and, by the greatest part of the Dutch fleet, was bravely maintained a wish on their part was, however, early shown to withdraw from their antagonists, and they kept constantly edging away for their own shore, until their progress was arrested in nine fathom water, off the heights or sand-hills of Camperdown, about three leagues from the land. Vice-admiral Onslow, in the Monarch, bore down in the most gallant style on the enemy's rear, broke through his line, and engaged his opponent to leeward, the wind being dead on the land at west-north-west. Duncan selected the Dutch admiral, De Winter, who had his flag in the Vryheid of seventy-four guns, as his opponent; in running down to her, however, he was opposed by the States-General, a Dutch seventy-four, whose fire the Venerable soon silenced, forced him to quit the line, and then proceeded to the Vryheid, which he engaged for two hours and a half, until that ship was completely dismasted. The action had now become general between the fleets, with the exception of two or three ships on either side, whose captains preserved a cautious distance. De Winter displayed, in his own person, the most undaunted valour, and was well supported by some of his countrymen; but was compelled at length to yield to superior skill-it would be untrue to say superior bravery. About the same time that Vice-admiral Onslow had silenced his opponent, the Dutch vice-admiral and the whole of his fleet were thrown into complete confusion, and twelve sail struck their colours, and surrendered; but owing to the bad weather which ensued, and the disabled state of our ships, only nine were secured, and these were in such a wrecked condition, that they could scarcely be got into an English port. This was one of the severest and most decisive battles ever fought between the two nations; and produced an effect upon the maritime powers of Europe, of the highest advantage to the character and interests of Great Britain. The loss sustained in the British fleet, was upwards of seven hundred killed and wounded that of the Dutch was never correctly known; but in each of the two flag-ships there were two hundred and fifty killed or wounded. De Winter behaved nobly, and was the only person on board his ship that was not either killed or wounded. When conducted a prisoner on board the Venerable, he presented his sword to Admiral Duncan, who gallantly returned it to him with as gallant a compliment. When the two admirals were seen together, it was universally acknowledged that they were the finest looking men in both fleets. After the duties of the day were all done, these brave admirals dined together in the most amicable manner, and concluded the evening by playing a friendly rubber at whist! It has been remarked, and with some truth, that the laconic manner in which the gallant admiral first announced his success to the Admiralty board, in no small degree resembled the celebrated letter of Captain Walton, written in consequence of his having attacked, taken, or destroyed, a detachment of the Spanish fleet off Syracuse :— "We have taken and destroyed all the Spanish ships and vessels that were upon the coast; the number as per margin. "Yours, &c. was couched in the following laconic and humorous manner :- -"Gentlemen of my fleet, you see a very severe Winter fast approaching; and I have only to advise you to keep up a good fire." hand; I give you my word I will stay with you." He then caused his own men to leave the ship, and remained himself behind to assist the Dutch. The Russell soon sent her boats to their assistance, For their meritorious conduct in this which brought off as many as could leap engagement, Admiral Duncan, his offi- on board of them. These boats lost no cers, and seamen, received the thanks of time in making a second voyage with both houses of parliament. The admiral equal success. The Delft was now cleared was honoured by his majesty with the of all but Hieberg, and the English offidignity of a viscount of Great Britain, cer, with three Dutch subalterns, and and a pension of £3000 per annum for about thirty seamen, most of them so ill his public services. Vice-admiral Onslow from their wounds, as to be unable to was created a baronet. The city of Lon- move. While still cherishing the hope don presented Admiral Duncan with its that the boats would come a third time, freedom, and a sword of the value of 200❘ the fatal moment arrived, and on a sudguineas; and to Vice-admiral Onslow den the Delft went down. The English the freedom, with a sword of the value officer sprang into the sea, and swam to of 100 guineas. His Majesty went in his own ship; but the unfortunate Hiestate to St. Paul's cathedral, to returnberg perished, a victim of his courage and thanks for the victory, and to deposit there humanity. the flags taken on that and other eminent occasions, Lord Duncan carrying the one he had taken in person. After this victory, the Dutch ceased to be a maritime nation, for their navy was now destroyed, with the exception of four or five ships, which, with Admiral Storey in the States-General, escaped from the scene of action after having struck, and getting into the Texel, contrived to make their peace with the Gallo-Batavian government, by proving that their only means of safety was in flight. It was in this glorious action that the following instances of daring bravery occured among the many which so nobly distinguished the character of the British tar. During the time the Venerable was so closely engaged with the Vryheid, the flag_halliards of the former were shot away. A young man, named John Crawford, instantly ascended the mast for again hoisting the colours; and to prevent a recurrence of a similar accident, he actually nailed the flag to the maintop gallant-mast-head, declaring that "It should not come down again but_with the mast!" This intrepid youth was a native of Sunderland, which town prepared a medal at its own expense, to be presented to him for his heroic conduct on this occasion. The Delft, one of the ships taken, was in so shattered a state, that after the greatest exertion for five days to keep her from sinking, all hope of saving her was given up. The English prize-officer called aside Mr. Hieberg, who had been A marine of the name of Covey, was first lieutenant of the Delft, and who re- carried down to the cockpit, deprived of mained on board along with the sick and both his legs; and it was necessary, some wounded prisoners, who were not in a hours after, to amputate still higher. "I condition to be removed, and represented suppose," said Covey, "those scissars that is was impossible to save all; that will finish the business of the bullet, Mashe intended, at a certain signal, to throw ter Mate? "Indeed, my brave fellow," himself, with his men, into the long boat; cried the surgeon, "there is some fear and he invited Hieberg to do the same. of it." "Well, never mind," said Covey, "What!" exclaimed Hieberg, "and leave" I've lost my legs, to be sure, and maythese unfortunate men?". pointing to hap may lose my life; but we beat the his wounded countrymen, who it had Dutch, my boy, we have beat the Dutch; been necessary to bring on deck, as the this blessed day my legs have been shot hold was already full of water,-" No, off, so I'll have another cheer for it— no; go, and leave us to perish together.' huzza!—huzza!" Covey recovered, and The English officer, affected by the gene- was cook of one of the ships in ordinary rosity of Hieberg's answer, replied, "God at Portsmouth, where he died, in the bless you, my brave fellow,! Here is my year 1805. ADMIRAL DE WINTER'S ACCOUNT OF THE BATTLE OF CAMPERDOWN. firing; and at three o'clock an English frigate approached me, the captain of "With the deepest impressure of grief which came on board and carried me to I inform you, that yesterday morning, Admiral Duncan. The Gelykheid lay October 11, we discovered the English to the windward of me; I saw also that fleet; I immediately formed into a line she made no longer any resistance, and of battle on the starboard tack, and did had ceased firing; her running rigging every thing in my power to keep the ships was all in pieces; but why she struck I as close together as possible; but my know as little as I do of the Admiral de orders for this purpose could not be com- Vries, the Delft, and the Haarlem. The pletely obeyed, on account of the un- Hercules lost her mizen-mast, and took steadiness of the wind, the high sea, and fire, which brought her, as well as me, the bad sailing of some of the vessels. into the midst of the English fleet, and At eleven o'clock the enemy attacked the she has also been captured. With the rear of the line, which they broke through behaviour of my officers and crew I am with great resolution. This I saw with perfectly satisfied: I recommend them to some pleasure, because I always enter- you, as men who defended themselves to tained hopes that the rest of the fleet the last, and continued faithful to their would close up, and therefore I made admiral. Both sides fought with fury, the signal to the headmost ships to slacken and many men have fallen: the English sail: this, however, was of no avail; we also have sustained great loss. They had came into action successively in an irre- returned to Yarmouth with nine sail of gular manner: my ship was engaged at the line, in order to refit. On Saturday one time with two, and afterwards with evening, they received intelligence that we three: the Hercules, which was the second were at sea; on Monday they again in the line from me, took fire and drove sailed, having revictualled in twenty-four towards me, by which means I was hours, and having received eight other obliged to shift my station, and approach ships from Portsmouth and the Downs, a fourth English, being that of the admi- in the room of the eight which were under ral. All my running rigging was now repair. They had altogether sixteen sail torn to pieces; and while I was endea of the line; among which there was only vouring to make a signal for some of the one 50, the greater part of the rest being ships to come to my assistance, the flag of 74 guns. Behold then the most unline was shot from my hand. In the fortunate day of my life: every exertion mean while the Waassenaar, by the cap- that depended on manœuvre, or personal tain being wounded early, and the loss of courage, was made by myself, and many a great many people, was obliged to others, but in vain. Our enemies respect strike; as did also the Haarlem, the De us on account of the obstinacy of our deVries, the Delft, and the Jupiter, whose fence. No action can have been so main-mast went by the board: this I was bloody, for it was fatal to us. I shall in some measure prevented from seeing, have the honour of sending you a more by the thickness of the smoke, and the accurate and minute account, as soon as closeness with which I was engaged. I find an opportunity. I at present take Every thing being at length shot away, advantage of a permission from the Engand having lost a considerable number of lish admiral to give you this short notice, men, I nevertheless endeavoured to force and to call your care and attention to a my way through the five English ships, number of prisoners, whose bravery and with a view of making for port, or of giv- | courage deserved a better fate, and partiing an opportunity to some of the fleet cularly to the crew of the Vryheid. I not yet disabled, to afford me assistance: recommend to you the poor widows and but my attempt was not successful. At orphans, and the wife and children of my two o'clock all my three masts went over-worthy Captain Van Rossum, whose board, but I still continued to defend the wreck for half an hour; when, having no further hope, seeing the rest of the ships at a distance, and finding that my flag was shot away, I ordered the people, one half of whom I had already lost, to stop thigh was shot off at half-past two: he is still alive; but there are little hopes of his recovery. Two cadets, one of which is my nephew, have each lost their left leg: the rest of my officers are well, Cranenburg, the lieutenant of mairnes, only is dead. Of the state of the other ships I can give no account, nor do I know what loss they have sustained; the English do not know themselves. I am informed, however, that Vice-admiral Reintjies has been wounded also, and that he is on board Admiral Onslow. Meurer is well; but Captain Holland, of the Waassenaar, was mortally wounded inthe beginning of the action, and lost a great many men.' Some time after, Admiral de Winter sent a detailed account of the action to the Batavian Government, wherein he relates minutely the situation of his fleet, with the various manœuvres performed before and during the action, and concludes in the following manner : "Thus the battle of the 11th of October, 1797, was ended by the ceasing of the fire from the Batavian ship Vryheid, which to the last nobly contended to preserve what she so honourably lost, the Batavian colours. The bad success of this engagement is to be attributed to the following causes : "1st. The English force, although equal in number, exceeded that of the Batavians as to ships of the line. "2dly. The English ships having been together at sea during the space of nineteen weeks, the particular capacity of all the ships was known to them, with relation to each other, which, it must be allowed, is of the utmost importance and advantage in nautical manœuvres. This was not the case with the Dutch. "3dly. The advantage of the attack; and of the British fleet would at this time have been moored in the Texel, as a memento of Batavian prowess, and a monument to the memory of the 11th October, 1797." THE BARGE'S CREW. -WHY, ay, Mr. What's-your-name, we were the pride of the ship-all picked men; and if you had seen us in those days, when hope and enterprise spread our white canvass to the breeze, and we either luffed up to get to windward of the enemy, or sailed large to run down to the succour of a friend in distress, it would have done good to your heart, man. Then there was our barge, so neat and trim with her gratings in the bow, and stern sheets as white as the drifted snow, and every oar a perfect picture. But to see her under sail, with three lugs and a jib set, and the sheets trimmed aft-my eyes! how she'd smack through the breeze, skimming the billow tops like a flying fish as he dips to wet his wings, and refresh him in his flight! Oh, how sweetly she'd walk over the curling wave, and climb the rollingswell. Why, she could do any thing but speak, and every one of the crew loved her as his own, and tended her with the same affection that a fond mother would her darling child. But, then, what's the use of speechifying about it now?-she's broke up by this time (though I'm glad I didn't see it, for every stroke of the axe would have gone to my heart); and of the jovial lads that once manned her, some are cast like weather-beaten, shattered hulks, adrift upon the ocean of distress, exposed to the windy storm and tempest, without a port in view, or friendly bark to hail them in adversity. Ah they think of the barge now, and on those times they will never see again, when they were called "the jolly coach horses," that never flinched from their duty. Every "4thly. The early retreat of six Batavian ships from the action; and among those that remained were four very indifferent sailers, to which may be principally attributed the breaking of the line. Add to this, that having lost the advantage of the attack, and being partly forsaken, it becomes a matter of less surprize that the victory turned out so de-soul was first captain of a gun; and our cisively in favour of the English. Upon the whole, without magnifying Batavian courage beyond what was exemplified in this memorable engagement, and admitting that casual circumstances had been equally favourable to them as to the English, and Admiral de Winter's signals been obeyed and executed with the same promptitude as Admiral Duncan's were, it is no improbable conjecture, that some coxswain, Joe Snatchblock, was one of the finest fellows in the fleet, be the other where he would-six feet two inches without his shoes-a heart like a prince, and the spirit of a lion-generous and brave. Why, Lord love you, Mr. What's-your-name, he was the very man as nailed the colours to the mast, on board the in Duncan's action. I think I sees him now. Up went the |