The Life of Thomas, Lord Cochrane | Page 9

to compel the Commander-in-Chief to
send vessels to our assistance. We drifted by the wind and tide slowly
past the fortifications on Isle d'Aix; but, though they fired at us with
every gun that could be brought to bear, the distance was too great to
inflict damage. Proceeding thus till 1.30 p.m., we then suddenly made
sail after the nearest of the enemy's vessels escaping. In order to divert
our attention from the vessels we were pursuing, these having thrown
their guns overboard, the Calcutta, a store-ship carrying fifty-six guns,
which was still aground, broadside on, began firing at us. Before
proceeding further, it became therefore necessary to attack her, and at
1.50 we shortened sail and returned the fire. At 2.0 the _Impérieuse_
came to an anchor in five fathoms, and, veering to half a cable, kept
fast the spring, firing upon the Calcutta with our broadside, and at the
same time upon the Aquillon and Ville de Varsovie, two line-of-battle
ships, each of seventy-four guns, with our forecastle and bow guns,
both these ships being aground stern on, in an opposite direction. After
some time we had the satisfaction of observing several ships sent to our
assistance, namely, the Emerald, the Unicorn, the Indefatigable, the
Valiant, the Revenge, the Pallas, and the Aigle. On seeing this, the

captain and the crew of the Calcutta abandoned their vessel, of which
the boats of the _Impérieuse_ took possession before the vessels sent to
our assistance came down." Soon after the arrival of the new ships, the
two other vessels were also forced to surrender.
Most of the ships sent to his assistance returned to Lord Grambier on
the 13th. Lord Cochrane, seeing that it would be easy for him to do
much further mischief, made ready for the work on the morrow. But
from this he was prevented by the inexcusable conduct of Lord
Gambier, who, having discountenanced the attempt with the fireships,
now not only refused to take part in the victory which his comrade had
made possible, but also hindered its achievement by him.
Lord Cochrane had already overstepped the strict duty of a subordinate,
though acting only as became an English sailor. The fireships with
which he had been ordered to ruin the enemy's fleet had partly failed
through the error of others. "It was then," he said, "a question with me
whether I should disappoint the expectations of my country, be set
down as a charlatan by the Admiralty, whose hopes had been raised by
my plan, and have my future prospects destroyed, or force on an action
which some had induced an easy Commander-in-Chief to believe
impracticable." He did force on some fighting, which was altogether
disastrous to the enemy, and rich in tokens of his unflinching heroism;
but it was in violation of repeated orders, dubiously worded, from Lord
Grambier, and, when at last an order was issued in terms too distinct to
allow of any further evasion, he had no alternative but to abandon the
enterprise. He was at once sent back to England, to be rewarded with
much popular favour, and with a knighthood of the Order of the Bath,
conferred by George III., but to become the victim of an official
persecution, which, embittering his whole life, lasted almost to its
close.
It must be admitted that this persecution was in great measure provoked
by Lord Cochrane's own fearless conduct. He was reasonably aggrieved
at the effort made by the Admiralty authorities to attribute to Lord
Gambier, who had taken no part at all in the achievements in Basque
Roads, all the merit of their success. To use his own caustic but

accurate words, "The only victory gained by Lord Gambier in Basque
Roads was that of bringing his ships to anchor there, whilst the enemy's
ships were quietly heaving off from the banks on which they had been
driven nine miles distant from the fleet." When for this proceeding it
was determined to honour Lord Gambier with the thanks of Parliament,
Lord Cochrane, as member for Westminster, announced his intention of
opposing the motion. As a bribe to silence he was offered an important
command by Lord Mulgrave, and it was proposed that his name should
be included in the vote of thanks. The bribe being refused and the
opposition persisted in, Lord Gambier demanded a court-martial, in
which, as he alleged, to controvert the insinuations thrown out against
him by Lord Cochrane.
The history of this court-martial, its antecedents and its consequences,
furnishes an episode almost unique in the annals of official injustice.
As a preparation for it, Lord Gambier, in obedience to orders from the
Admiralty, supplemented his first account of the victory by another of
entirely different tenour. In the first, written on the spot, he had avowed
that