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Memoirs and Correspondence of Admiral Lord de Saumarez. Vol II — Inside the Classic
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Project Gutenberg
2008
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Saumarez, James, 1757-1836; Admirals -- Great Britain -- Biography
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123,571
Reading time
538 min
Text sections
18
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Project Gutenberg record #27151
This volume of Sir John Ross's biography of Admiral Lord de Saumarez covers the period from 1801 onward, drawing on family papers and official correspondence. The narrative moves between naval blockades, diplomatic tensions in the Baltic, and the admiral's personal reflections, with a focus on the interplay of command decisions and political pressures.
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News of the Battles of the 6th and 12th of July reach England.--Rejoicings on the occasion, particularly described in a letter from Mrs. Saumarez.--Promotion of Lieutenant Dumaresq.--Letters from Earl St. Vincent, Mr. Tucker, and others.--Remarks on the conduct of the Governor and Garrison at Gibraltar.--State of the crew of the Caesar.--Ship refitted.--Appointments of officers to the St. Antoine, and other vacancies.--Correspondence with the Spanish Governor at Cadiz on the subject of red-hot balls.--Accusation refuted.--Letters from Lord Keith, Sir John Warren, and Captain Dixon.--Squadron off Cadiz reinforced.--Sir James resumes the blockade of Cadiz.--His proceedings.--Remarks on the result of the two Actions. Page 1
Despatches arrive from England.--Sir James superseded by Sir Charles Morice Pole.--Remarks and correspondence on the subject.--The St. George and four sail of the line arrive.--Blockade of Cadiz.--Sir James continues as second in command.--His appointments not confirmed.--Injustice of his treatment.--Letters from various persons.--The Caesar arrives at Gibraltar. 23
Preliminaries of peace.--Sir James created a Knight of the Bath.--Remarks on that Order.--Ceremony of investiture.--Action of the Pasley and Rosario.--Sir James receives the thanks of both Houses of Parliament.--Speeches of Earl St. Vincent, Lord Nelson, and Mr. Pitt.--The freedom of the city of London,--and a sword.--Address from Guernsey and Jersey.--Silver vases.--Inscriptions thereon. 36
Sir James disappointed in not returning home.--Extract of a letter to his brother.--The French send ships to the West Indies.--Squadron detached after them.--Death of General O'Hara.--Sir James receives orders to superintend the evacuation of Minorca.--Arrival of H.R.H. Duke of Kent.--Sir James arrives at Minorca.--Definitive treaty of peace.--Proceedings there.--Island given up to Spain.--The Caesar arrives at Gibraltar.--Proceeds to England.--Anchors at Spithead. 56
Commencement of Hostilities with France.--Sir James hoists his Flag at Sheerness.--Proceeds to Guernsey.--Flag in the Grampus.--Anecdote of Captain Caulfield.--Sir James visits Jersey, &c.--Diomede arrives as Flag ship.--The Admiral examines the Defence of the Island.--Loss of La Minerve.--Attack and Bombardment of Granville.--Cerberus gets aground.--Narrow Escape from a Shot.--Public and Private Letters.--Blockade of the Coast.--Loss of the Shannon and Grappler.--Conclusion of 1803. 72
Sir James continues in the command at Guernsey.--Proceedings of his Squadron.--Letter from Lord Nelson, dated two days before he was killed.--Capture and destruction of La Salamandre.--Sir James's benevolent conduct at Guernsey. 84
Sir James is called into active service.--Joins the Channel Fleet as second in command.--Shifts his Flag from the San Josef to the Prince of Wales.--His decisive conduct.--Anecdote of the Prince of Wales' Men.--Change of Ministry.--Sir James leaves the Channel Fleet, and returns to Guernsey.--Is offered the Command in the East Indies.--Letter on that occasion. 91
State of Affairs in Sweden.--Alarm of the King.--Sir James selected to command the Baltic Fleet.--Correspondence with Lord Mulgrave.--Sir John Moore's Expedition.--Arrives at Gothenburg.--Capture and destruction of a Danish seventy-four.--Sir John Moore goes to Stockholm.--Is arrested, and escapes.--Expedition returns to England.--Disposition of the Fleet.--Sir James proceeds to Carlscrona.--Rescue of Romana's Army.--Sir James proceeds to the Gulf of Finland.--Capture and Destruction of the Russian seventy-four, Sewolod.--The combined Swedish and English Fleet off Baltic Port.--Reconnoitres the Russian Fleet in the harbour, and determines to attack them.--Prevented by change of winds.--Proceeding off Baltic Port.--Letter to the Emperor of Russia.--Fleet returns to Carlscrona. 98
Sir James at Carlscrona.--Arrangements.--Author left in Sweden.--Letter from the Swedish Admiral.--Sir James leaves Carlscrona.--Arrives at Gothenburg.--Makes arrangements for the protection of the Trade.--Leaves Rear Admiral Keats in Command.--His departure from Sweden, and arrival in the Downs.--Proceeds to the Admiralty, and receives their Lordships' high approbation.--Proceedings of the Fleet.--Revolution in Sweden.--Sir James reappointed to the command in the Baltic.--His correspondence with Mr. Foster.--Official notice of the Duke of Sudermania being elected King of Sweden.--He confers upon Sir James the Grand Cross of the Order of the Sword. 126
Blockade of the Russian fleet.--Swedes' expedition, under Admiral Puke and General Wachtmeister, sails,--is unsuccessful. Private correspondence with Mr. Foster.--Armistice and Peace with Russia.--Peace with Denmark.--Proceedings of the Fleet.--State of affairs in Sweden.--Fleet returns to Carlscrona, and subsequently to England. 164
The second volume of Sir John Ross's Memoirs and Correspondence of Admiral Lord de Saumarez opens with the aftermath of the battles of July 1801, shifting between official dispatches and private letters. The structure alternates between narrative summaries and transcribed correspondence, a pattern that persists throughout. Ross often lets the letters speak for themselves, as when Mrs. Saumarez describes the rejoicings in England, or when Earl St. Vincent offers terse professional praise. The reader is placed in the midst of a naval career where every promotion, blockade, and diplomatic exchange is documented in detail.
Letters as Structural Backbone
The volume's organization relies heavily on reproduced correspondence, which serves as both primary evidence and narrative driver. Chapter headings often announce a letter's content—such as "Letters from Earl St. Vincent, Mr. Tucker, and others"—and the text then presents those letters in full. This method gives the reader direct access to the admiral's professional network, but it also means that the narrative thread is frequently interrupted by lengthy epistolary passages. Ross's own commentary is sparse, typically limited to brief transitions or explanatory notes. For example, after a series of letters concerning the blockade of Cadiz, Ross remarks on "the result of the two Actions" without elaborating on the tactical details. The effect is a mosaic of voices: admirals, politicians, family members, and Saumarez himself, each contributing a fragment of the larger story.
Recurring Images of Movement and Delay
Throughout the excerpts, a pattern of motion and obstruction emerges. Ships are "ready for some days" but "detained by strong easterly winds"; squadrons are "reinforced" or "detached" after a French squadron. The language of waiting and repositioning is constant: the Cæsar is "refitted," the St. Antoine receives new officers, and Saumarez is "superseded" only to continue as second in command. Even the diplomatic correspondence dwells on delays—the Swedish government's "prevarication" over cargoes at Carlshamn, the need to "postpone the evil day" in negotiations. This recurring imagery of stalled or redirected movement mirrors the uncertainties of naval command, where weather, politics, and orders from London constantly disrupt plans. Ross captures this by including letters that report ships "put back again" or await "requisite orders," reinforcing the sense of a career spent in transit.
The Baltic Theater and Diplomatic Tensions
A significant portion of the correspondence concerns Saumarez's command in the Baltic during 1811. Letters from C. Yorke and others reveal a delicate balancing act: maintaining pressure on Sweden while avoiding open conflict. Yorke warns that "the Swedes should be gently but steadily convinced" of British power, and Saumarez himself notes the "great prevarication on the part of the Swedish Government" regarding neutral vessels. The excerpts show Saumarez navigating between military necessity and diplomatic restraint, recommending that merchants send agents to Stockholm to press claims. The Baltic setting introduces a different kind of warfare—one of economic pressure and political maneuvering—contrasting with the more straightforward blockades off Cadiz. Ross includes these letters without extensive analysis, allowing the reader to observe how Saumarez adapted his approach to the shifting alliances of the Napoleonic Wars.
Personal and Professional Intersections
Ross weaves personal details into the professional narrative, though sparingly. Mrs. Saumarez's letter describing the "Rejoicings" after the July battles offers a domestic counterpoint to the official despatches. Saumarez's own letters to his brother, mentioned in chapter headings, hint at disappointment when he is "not confirmed" in appointments or "superseded" by Sir Charles Morice Pole. The investiture as a Knight of the Bath is described with attention to ceremony, and the "Address from Guernsey and Jersey" and presentation of "Silver vases" underscore his local reputation. These moments humanize the admiral without overwhelming the military focus. Ross's editorial hand is light, but the selection of correspondence reveals a man who valued family ties and public recognition even as he carried out demanding naval duties.
Readers approaching this volume should be prepared for a documentary style that prioritizes primary sources over narrative synthesis. The correspondence rewards careful attention to tone and detail, as each letter adds a layer to the portrait of Saumarez and his era. Those interested in the mechanics of naval command, the politics of the Baltic campaign, or the personal costs of a long career at sea will find ample material here.
Reading about the admiral’s quiet endurance through Baltic winters brought back an afternoon I spent tracing old letters in my grandmother’s attic. There’s a restfulness in watching someone wait, whether for ice to break or for luck to turn. The Memoirs of Jacques Casanova de Seingalt, 1725-1798. Volume 14: Switzerland — Key Ideas to Explore once gave me that same feeling—not adventure, but the patient pause between escapes.
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