Title

Chapter 3

Identifier

http://www.nflibrary.ca/nfplindex/show.asp?b=1&ref=oo&id=298105

page

36-45

Bibliographic Citation

A veteran of 1812 : the life of James FitzGibbon / by Mary Agnes FitzGibbon.

10168803

A veteran of 1812 : the life of James FitzGibbon / by Mary Agnes FitzGibbon.

Type

Text

extracted text

3e,

NELSON A GENEROUS FOE.

A VETERAN OF 1812.

CHAPTER III.
IN February, 1801, the 49th was ordered from
in
Jersey
to Horsham n Sussex, the recruiting
parties receiving instructions to join it on the
march from Portsmouth.
"Arrived at Horsham barracks, it was generally
understood we were to be stationed there some months
and much of the unpacking was done. An express,
however, arrived the following morning from the
Horse Guards, ordering our immediate return to
Portsmouth. At Chichester an order met us to be
on the south sea-beach at nine o'clock the following
morning.
" During the two days' march conjectures were rife
as to our ultimate destination. Some said we were
intended for Ireland to quell a rebellion there; others
for Manchester to put down a riot there, but it was
soon ascertained that we were to be embarked at
Spithead on board a man-of-war to serve as marines
in the Baltic.
" The grenadier company to which I belonged, was
taken on board the St. George, a three-decker of
ninety-four guns, bearing the flag of Lord Nelson,
and pleased and gratified was I at finding myself on
the same ship with him. The ships at Spithead
intended for the Baltic sailed to Yarmouth, and there,

37

greatly to my disappointment, we were transferred to
the Monarch, 74.
"The fleet sailed on the 12th of March, and anchored
below Elsinore on the 29th.
" On the 30th, the ships passed in single line before
the Castle, which opened a heavy fire upon them.
The Monarch led the van, and in passing fired 230
shot. Having passed beyond range the reports were
collected, and to everyone's surprise not a shot had
touched the ship, all having fallen short. Lord Nelson's ship followed, and he ordered that not a shot
should be fired from his guns, the others following
his example. Yet, a few days after the battle of the
2nd of April, a Danish account of the operations
stated that several men were killed and wounded and
some damage done to the walls by the shot from the

Moncirch.
" This appeared to me unaccountable—that the constant fire from two or three hundred guns did no
damage to our fleet, while that from one ship should
in so short a time affect the castle walls and its
defenders.
" In 1806, at Quebec, when sent on board a merchant ship to superintend the landing of some army
clothing, I entered into conversation with one of the
passengers, a Dane, who had served on board a
.Danish vessel on April 2nd, 1801. He told me that
Governor Stricker, who was in command at the time
in the Castle, was brought before a court-martial of
enquiry, , when he suggested that the powder lie had
,

38

39

A VETERAN OF 1812.

THE VICE-ADMIRAL'S FLAG.

must have been damaged, it having been there during
the long peace of seventy or eighty years, then just
concluded, and asked leave to try the effect of newly
purchased powder. Permission being granted, the
shot told with considerable effect upon the Swedish
shores at the opposite side of the Strait.
" On the 1st of April the fleet was divided into two
divisions, one to anchor at each side of the shoal in
front of the city of Copenhagen, that division in
whose favor the wind was on the following morning
to go in and fight the battle. The wind favored Lord
Nelson's division, so it fell to his lot to achieve the
victory. The Monarch was in Nelson's division, and
had 53 men killed and 155 wounded—the greatest
number ever killed or wounded on board any one
British vessel.
"The battle lasted four hours and ten minutes. The
shattered condition of the Monarch necessitating her
being sent home ; the survivors of the marines were
transferred to the Elephant. In a few days the
damaged ships were refitted and the fleet, with the
exception of the St. George sailed up to Kiorge Bay.
"Sir Hyde Parker's ship, the London had her lower
deck guns taken out in order to lighten her sufficiently
to enable her to pass through the shallow entrance to
the Baltic. There not being sufficient transports to
take the guns of the St. George at the same time, she
had to remain before Copenhagen until their return
from the London.
" A hint, however, being given to Nelson thtd,-,Mi4

Hyde Parker intended to sail at once and attack the
Swedes at Carlscrona, without waiting for him, lest
he might again take the lion's share of the laurels to
be won in a second engagement, he ordered his barge
and started for Kiorge Bay.
" Coming on the poop the following morning at
five o'clock," writes FitzGibbon, " I saw the admiral's
flag flying at the fore, and asking the signal midshipman what it meant, was told that Lord Nelson had
come on board at two o'clock, and was then asleep on
the sofa in the cabin, Captain Foley not yet knowing
he was there. Immediately I was all ears and eyes,
the cabin being directly under the poop. Presently
I heard Captain Foley's voice at the door, rebuking
the servant for not letting him know that Lord
Nelson had come on board, and in a sharp tone from
within, I heard a thin, rather feeble voice call out,
Foley, Foley, let the man alone; lie obeyed my orders.'
" For many weeks while he was on board, I had an
opportunity of seeing Nelson every day. He appeared
the most mild and gentle being, and it was delightful
to me to hear the way the sailors spoke of him. True,
I was only at sea during the summer, but my greatest
wish then was that I had been a sailor rather than a
soldier."
While in the Baltic an incident occurred which
might have interfered with FitzGibbon's career as a
soldier.
The detachment of the 49th on the Elephant was

commanded by Lieut.-Colonel Hutchinson, an impa-

40

A VETERAN OF 1812.

AN ANGRY OFFICER.

tient, hot-tempered man. One morning, very early;
he sent for FitzGibbon to come on deck. While the
ships were at anchor, both watches were in their
hammocks at night The hammocks being hung, all
occupied, press closely together, and a man turning
out singly must go down on his knees and there,
with difficulty, put on his clothes. When FitzGibbon
reached the deck, he found the colonel in a towering
passion.
" How dare you not come quickly, sir, when I sent
for you ? You are an example of laziness to the men,
and if the like of this occurs again, I will bring you
to a court-martial and reduce you to the ranks."
Then giving him the order for which he had been
called on deck, the colonel left the ship with Captain
Foley to spend the day in another vessel.
Mortified by the publicity of the rebuke, administered as it was in the presence of not only the soldiers
and sailors on deck, but of two of the midshipmen
who had treated him with the kindly courtesy and
tact of one gentleman to another, a consideration he
was not entitled to by his rank as sergeant ; hurt and
indignant at its injustice, and naturally impulsive,
FitzGibbon determined not to wait for his colonel to
carry the threat into effect, but at once, voluntarily,
to retire to the ranks.
Upon Colonel Hutchinson's return to the quarterdeck that evening, FitzGibbon met him, saluted, and
said : "As I cannot discharge the duties of a sergeant,
sir, without incurring such censure as I received thit3

morning, I desire to retire into the ranks as a private."
The Colonel's face flushed with indignant surprise
as he replied : " Very well, sir ; from this moment you
are no longer a sergeant. Go, sir, to your duty as a
private, and remember I don't forget you. Take that
with you."
A short turn on the deck brought him again in
contact with the irrepressible soldier as he went
below. Shaking his fist at him, he repeated his last
words with greater vehemence, "Remember, I don't

41

forget you. Take that with you."
On the following morning the colonel again sent
for FitzGibbon and asked if he remembered what had
occurred the previous evening, and if he was still in
the same mind ?
FitzGibbon replied that nothing had since occurred
to alter the opinion he had then expressed.
" Very well, then, join your company as a private."
He then paraded the company on deck and informed
the men that FitzGibbon, having found himself unequal to the performance of the duties of a sergeant,
had resigned and retired into the ranks, closing his
speech by advising those who might thereafter be
promoted not to follow " the foolish example set them
by FitzGibbon."
For three months FitzGibbon remained in the
ranks. He was happy because answerable for no
one's conduct but his own. Strict in enforcing obedience to duty when a sergeant, he was yet much

42

43

A VETERAN OF 1812.

SERVICE IN THE RANKS.

beloved by his men, as many anecdotes told of him
both then and in later years go to prove. He never
allowed that any man could be wholly bad, but that
there must be good in him somewhere, if one could
but touch the right chord to reach it. Believing this,
he looked for it, and though the result was often long
delayed, the good was generally found.
In the battle of Copenhagen, where the loss was so
severe, one of the most reprobate and unruly of the
men in the regiment was terribly wounded in the
lower part of the back. When carried into the
cockpit, the surgeon bade FitzGibbon take him away
—there was no use in dressing such a wound, it
would only cause great pain. " Take him away," he
said, " and tell him he will be in a better condition
to be seen to to-morrow. Poor fellow, he will probably be dead by the morning."
The man lived for three days, and FitzGibbon's
comforting prayers and trustful confidence in the
mercy of God for the poor sinner soothed his pain,
robbed death of its terrors, and won for himself a
deeper affection in the hearts of his men.
Upon his reduction to the ranks, this love bore
fruit. The companies were divided into messes of six
men each, the duty of one of the six, each day, being
to perform all the menial ,offices required, such as
washing the dishes, etc. From all these the sergeants
were exempt. On the first day upon which this duty
fell to FitzGibbon, and he began to gather up the
dishes, one of the men stopped him.

" I'll do that, sir."
" No," replied FitzGibbon, " it is my duty, and I
did not become a soldier without making up my mind
to do all the duties properly belonging to me,. and,
though greatly obliged to you, I am determined to do
this."
" Then, begorra, sir, you'll fight me first."
It is needless to say that FitzGibbon declined such
a combat, but during the time he remained in the
ranks the menial duties that fell to his share were
always done for him nolens volevs.
The fleet had no more fighting. The death of the
Emperor Paul altered the course of events, and after
cruising about in the Baltic, putting occasionally into
harbor at Dantzig and other ports, the fleet was
ordered home in August.
The 49th was landed at different ports, the grenadier company being disembarked from the Elephant,
at Portsmouth and marched to join the headquarters
at Colchester. On approaching the town, Colonel
Brock came out to meet them, and drawing his sword
marched at their head into barracks.
•
At parade the following morning, Colonel Brock
addressed the men. He thanked them for not only
doing credit to the regiment and its officers by their
bravery during battle, but for their general good
conduct while separated on board the different vessels, the captains of which had written to him in the
most favorable terms of the men while under their
command,

44

A VETERAN OF 1812.

"He (Colonel Brock) created by his judicious praise,
his never-failing interest in his men, both individually
as soldiers and collectively as a regiment, a noble
spirit, which bore fruit in many a well-won laurel in
Canada, in China and the Crimea."
After the regiment was thrown back into column,
FitzGibbon noticed his captain in conversation with
Colonel Brock, and on the men being' dismissed he
received an order to present himself to the colonel.
The following conversation is too characteristic of the
two men to be omitted :
"Pray, young man," asked the colonel sternly,
" Why did you resign your office as sergeant when
on board the Elephant ? "
" Because, sir, Colonel Hutchinson censured me
publicly and in harsh language, when in reality I
was not to blame."
" Now, wait it not to insult him you did so ?"
" Positively, sir, such a thought did not occur to me.
• I felt mortified to be so publicly rebuked, and, as it
happened, in the presence of two of the ship's officers
who had from time to time treated me with more
than the attention due from men in their position to
one in mine. Then, during the whole of the day after
I was so censured, and before Colonel Hutchinson
returned to the ship, I felt that under such an angry
officer I must be always liable to similar treatment,
and this consideration, more than any other, determined me to resign."
"Have you any objection to tell Colonel Hutchinson
so now ?"

A SOLDIER'S OPINION.

45

" I have no objection, sir, to tell the truth at any
time."
Then I wish you to go at once to his quarters and
tell him so. He thinks your object was to insult him
by way of revenge."
FitzGibbon obeyed. Colonel Hutchinson accepted
the explanation and went himself to request Colonel
Brock to reinstate the self-reduced private to his rank
as sergeant.
When sent for again, Colonel Brock told FitzGibbon
that it was in consequence of " Colonel Hutchinson's
request that he was reinstated, and that there having
been no returns from the regiment sent in during
their service in the Baltic, he had never been officially
reduced, and would receive his pay as sergeant as
Though nothing had happpened." Before leaving the
colonel's room the young soldier had something to
say. After thanking the colonel for his kindness he
asked permission to make an observation without
offence. The colonel nodded, " Go on."
" It is this, sir. I think that much harm is done to
the discipline of the regiment lay censuring the noncommissioned officers in the presence of the men. It
lowers them in the estimation of the privates, and
weakens their authority, besides the ill-feeling it
creates towards the officer, which a private rebuke
would most probably not create at all, but would
rather leave the non-commissioned officer grateful for
being spared in public."