Ships of Oak, Men of Iron: A Tim Phillips Novel (War at Sea Book 10)

by Richard Testrake

  There was now opportunity to refill the water tuns. An elderly, former East India Company ship, now being used as a water transport, had recently arrived and enough water was pumped over to Amazon to keep her operating for another month.

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  Amazon spent the next month patrolling the mouths of the Mississippi delta. Again running low on water, she raided an isolated portion of the coast and her Marines harvested a few head of semi-wild cattle from a herd in a meadow. Since the beasts were too wild to approach, it was necessary to shoot them. The ship did not have sufficient salt to preserve the meat so the crew went on an orgy of eating fresh beef for the next few days, banyan days be damned. Phillips had worried about the meat spoiling in the heat, but his bosun advised hanging the meat up in the rigging to escape the insects, which worked well enough.

  All were glad to see the dispatch cutter which met them. She brought orders to close the flag off Pascagoula. There, the crew learned the ship was sailing north again. Because of the danger of hurricanes, the commodore of the blockading fleet was sending the larger ships back to Halifax.

  Rather than sailing with the rest, Amazon was to proceed independently, in order to see what prey she could flush on the way up the American coastline. The first requirement was another re-supply of water. She had missed the latest rendezvous with the water transport, and Phillips thought it necessary to fill up now before their need became an immediate necessity.

  Sailing past a barrier island, a bay was spotted on the mainland. The launch was fitted with its lug-sail and the boat carronade and an armed boat crew sailed it into the bay to reconnoiter, while the ship took shelter in the lee of the island. Some hours later, the boat returned, reporting a practical channel that would allow the frigate to enter. A stream entering the bay would allow them to refill their casks. Amazon crept slowly into the shallow bay, using her kedge anchor to pull herself as far as her captain dared.

  The empty water casks were put over the side and the boats pulled the string of casks to the beach where they were scrubbed out with sand and water. Some exertion with a boat pump filled each and with the casks of fresh water floating just at the water’s surface, were pulled back to the ship.

  The Royal Marine lieutenant took a party of his men on a reconnaissance and returned with news of a farm close by. Shortly after, a French-speaking man appeared, with a boy, driving a pair of bullocks pulling a crude two-wheeled cart. In the cart were a half-dozen little cages woven from twigs, holding some small, indignant chickens as well as a trussed half-grown hog.

  Mister Watkins went ashore to speak with the man, taking with him a purse Phillips handed him at the last minute. The newcomer spoke no English, but Watkin’s French was good enough to make himself understood. The purse changed hands and the pig and chickens loaded aboard the launch. Back on the ship, Watkins reported the farmer also had some cattle he was willing to sell, but it might take a few days to retrieve them from their forest haunts. Phillips invited the native aboard ship for a conference where he learned that few ships ever came this way and HMS Amazon should be safe enough here.

  Captain Phillips sent a party of men ashore to assist the farmer with gathering the cattle. It was nearly a week before the anxious captain was able to leave the little harbor, but his ship had enough water aboard to last several months purchased , and they had a half dozen native cattle in pens on the foredeck. They had also purchased a supply of fresh vegetables, which their ship’s surgeon was happy to see. He had been concerned about an onset of scurvy, which these vegetables would likely prevent.

  Making her way out to sea, Amazon set course for the tip of Spanish Florida and her entry back into the Atlantic. As she made her way up the American seaboard, a sail was sighted astern. At first just a tiny notch in the horizon, it soon became evident this was a full-rigged ship, although whose it was not certain. HMS Amazon reduced sail for a few hours to allow the stranger to overtake her.

  Phillips was in his cabin, going over some reports with his clerk. He was attempting to get caught up on this paperwork before he had occasion to produce it. As he and Dardin attempted to decipher a document smudged by water damage, the Marine sentry banged his musket butt on the deck and announced, ‘Mister Perkins, sir!”

  Lieutenant Perkins entered and reported, “Sir, I believe I know that ship behind us. When I was a mid, I served in the Med for a bit. We met the American frigate USS Congress, and I spent an afternoon aboard her as a guest of their midshipmen’s mess. I think this is the same ship.”

  The captain thought over the possibilities. He knew the Congress was a rated as a thirty-eight gun ship, but was likely equipped with some extra carronades, as Amazon herself was. He had orders to avoid the large American frigates if possible, because of the havoc they had caused in earlier battles with British warships.

  Turning to his clerk, he asked him to pass the word for the first officer. In due course, Mister Anderson entered the cabin with Dardin on his heels. As Phillips discussed the situation with the two lieutenants, Dardin shuffled through some reports the blockading commodore had sent aboard before they left the Gulf. Finding what he was looking for, the clerk waited until a break in the conversation allowed him to present the paper to his captain.

  Irritated, Phillips glanced quickly over the paper, then gave it a second glance. Putting it down, he thanked Dardin, then turned to his officers and said. “Gentlemen, I believe this is a confirmation of Mister Perkin’s belief that the Congress is behind us. HMS Warrior reports being chased by USS Congress off the Brazilian coast, last month. She was accompanied by a smaller frigate or sloop-of-war. We must ensure Congress is alone before we make a decision to engage her.”

  The American ship could be judged about equal in force to Amazon, and certainly the American crews had shown themselves capable enough. Phillips was willing to ignore his orders to remain clear of the American frigates if he judged the possible contest to be equal. If another warship were to be present, that would be another story, however.

  The officers adjourned to the quarterdeck, where a midshipman was sent to the maintop with a glass. After some delay, he announced another sail in sight, astern and well to starboard of the original sighting.

  By now, the pursuer had gained on Amazon, and was visible from the deck. It was now a race. With the wind on her quarter and all sail set, Amazon edged her way out into the Atlantic, with the American holding her distance astern. The smaller consort though, seemed to be gaining on the two. Mister Lawson reported the pair of Americans were signaling but he had no means of deciphering what they were discussing.

  Phillips had an idea though. If he were the captain of the American frigate and his consort was faster than himself, he would order her to close the chase and try to damage her enough to slow her.

  He told his officers if the sloop should approach, he would try to stretch the pursuit as long as possible, to distant himself from Congress. When necessary, he intended to turn on the sloop and hope to smash her with a savage broadside, then either resume his flight, or engage the frigate.

  As the day wore on and evening approached, USS Congress was unable to close Amazon but the sloop very slowly came closer. At long gun range, Phillips put his frigate about and made for his enemy. Coming up on the sloop’s starboard beam, at long musket shot range all guns were ordered to fire as they bore on the target. The forward carronade was the first to explode, then the long eighteens began their crescendo. Finally, the big thirty-two pound carronades went off almost as one. The sloop had managed to fire a few of her twelve-pounders, and the gun carriage of the number four gun was smashed. When the smoke from the broadside blew away though, the mainmast of the sloop was down and the helm smashed.

  Phillips contemplated continuing on course to engage the big frigate but decided to let this one go. An engagement would likely ensure that even if Amazon won the engagement, the likely outcome would see both ships more or less disabled. If he allowed Congress to continue on her journey, s
he would likely be bottled up in harbor at the end of her voyage while an undamaged Amazon would be free to resume her duties.

  As he ordered the ship put about again, his officers had little success hiding their dissatisfaction but there was no outward comment. That night, course was altered to bring them back neared the coast, and Congress had vanished.

  Finding the ship near the little port he had entered earlier in the year, Amazon approached cautiously. Anchoring behind an offshore island at dusk, Phillips ordered two of his boats put in the water, before first light the next morning. One was armed with a boat carronade, with both carrying as many armed seamen and Marines as they could. Again, he left Mister Anderson in charge of the ship and set sail in the boats for the hamlet he had visited before.

  He was unsure of his actions when he reached shore. Very possibly, the landing had been fortified to some extent and he might decide to see if he could reduce it. At any rate, he thought he would see if the inhabitant’s attitudes may have changed in the intervening months.

  The boats arrived at their destination with the sun well above the tree line and the hamlet’s inhabitants up and about. An elderly-looking snow-brig was anchored in the inlet, right where Phillips had hoped to moor Amazon. Maxwell, a local inhabitant that had met them before, approached them again, this time without his axe.

  “I never thought I’d see you again, after that ruckus we had last time you were here.” he announced.

  “Well, we are sorry about the shooting, although you will recall that we did not start it,” remarked Phillips. Looking about, he saw the hole in the home smashed in by their boat gun was now patched, the new raw-looking boards standing out against the older weathered ones.

  “At least nobody was killed, at any rate. Young Henry Adams was hell-bent he was gonna go riding off to fetch the militia like he did last time, but we stopped him. I thought it best to see what you are up to this time.”

  Phillips nodded his appreciation. “Just about the same message as last. We would still like to purchase all that sawn timber you might want to sell us. The compass timber you have in that pile would be especially welcome.”

  Maxwell looked at him warily. “And just what would you plan on doing with it, I wonder? You might bear in mind we are all Americans here, and would not wish to provide you with means to build ships to harass us more than you already have.”

  “Mister Maxwell, the responsible members of His Majesty’s government are heartily sorry they ever interfered with your seamen and shipping in the manner they did. I am certain we are now discussing this with representatives of your government at this moment. Britain’s prime enemy happens to be Napoleon Bonaparte, who your own people were fighting themselves not too long ago. We are straining to build ships and repair ones we already have to prevent his crossing the channel and invading England.”

  “I realize this war here is very important to you, but to Britain, it is an un-necessary conflict which must soon be resolved. Any shipping constructed with this timber will almost certainly be used against the French forces in Europe.”

  Maxwell considered. “How long can you stay here Captain? This is too important for me to decide by myself. I’d like to call a meeting of everybody to talk this over.”

  “We can stay as long as we are not attacked. If we were, of course we would defend ourselves and people might be killed or wounded.”

  Maxwell said, “We can’t keep this a secret for long. Somebody will take it in their head to ride out and tell the militia. I’ll have my boy to run out and notify everybody in the village. We won’t have time to call the men in from the sawmill.”

  When most of the inhabitants had gathered in the weather-beaten building that served as their church or meeting house, Phillips was asked to come to the fore to present his proposal.

  He repeated his message about the wish of certain parties in the upper-echelons of the Royal Navy to purchase timber and naval stores to aid in the war against France. One after another, the various members of the community repeated their objections to past British actions against America, and Phillips agreed that mistakes had been made, by both sides. He explained how Britain was fighting for her very life, and her seamen were of the utmost importance to her very survival. Many of them had deserted and found their way onto American shipping.

  In their haste to bring their crews up to strength, many Royal Navy captains had exceeded their authority and seized American seamen against their will. Some higher authorities in the Admiralty, trying to de-fuse the situation were doing what they could to rectify the problem.

  One citizen wondered how much timber was required and how were they to get it to where it was needed.

  Phillips took one of the licenses he had been provided and asked that it be passed around. Those persons able, read it to the others. One man said, “We already have a market for the lumber. We can take it to the shipyard in Norfolk. They are paying a good price.”

  Phillips answered, “You just might have difficulty getting it there. There happens to be a frigate offshore, which will be looking out for any ship sailing without a license.”

  Another citizen said, “I own a piece of that snow in the harbor. If we loaded that with timber and sailed it to Halifax, would this license keep the ship from being made prize?”

  “It would indeed, sir. And, I think you would get a better price in Halifax than you will in Norfolk. If you choose to sail over to Britain, I expect your price will be better still.”

  Maxwell intruded, “The shipyard in Norfolk expects this shipment. How would we explain it going to England?”

  Phillips replied, “Your merchant ships are being taken every day. That is the purpose of our blockade. If you would sail your ship to Britain, you could sell both ship and cargo there. Another ship could be purchased and brought back, possibly with a return cargo. Should you be questioned, you could merely say your ship was taken and you purchased another.

  After more discussion, Phillips decided to leave. Leaving the license behind, he returned to the landing and the boats put out to sea.

  Days later, with no sight of the snow-brig from the hamlet Phillips had just about decided to write this venture off. Wishing to make one more attempt to contact the locals though, he took Amazon in sight of the shore where they met a fishing boat. It tried to make it ashore, but the frigate interposed itself between the boat and shore, and it let fly its sheets, wallowing to a halt.

  Not wishing his presence to be seen aboard the frigate, he went to his cabin, allowing Mister Anderson to handle the fishermen. When Anderson was finished dealing with the men, Phillips found he had purchased some respectable sized bluefish from the boat for the wardroom mess. Phillips reached into his pocket and produced money to purchase one for his own table. The fishermen had nothing important to say and refused to mention any shipping that might be found locally. That afternoon, now back out to sea, the main lookout reported a sail coming from the direction of the inlet.

  It was their friend the snow-brig from the hamlet. Low in the water, it was obviously heavily laden. Watching the vessel, it was seen to come to starboard as if to follow the Stream north. It could be heading for Norfolk or on up to Halifax. Deciding to take no chances, Amazon began overtaking the merchant. With no chance to escape, the vessel came to and waited for Amazon.

  Mister Lawson took the boarding part over, and returned with the news the vessel’s master had shown him the license to transport needed naval stores to safe British harbor. Lawson had told its master the ship would not be taken prize as long as it obeyed the terms of the license and informed him he would be escorted north.

  Their charge proved to be no problem and the pair entered Halifax harbor on schedule. The master of the merchant went ashore and discussed the sale of his ship and cargo with the appropriate officials. Phillips found later the master had decided to join the next convoy to Britain, in order to secure a better price.

  Phillips himself, found the master of the shipyard wished to sur
vey Amazon to determine if she needed any work before returning to her duties. After a detailed inspection, it was determined she needed some copper replaced up forward and a pair of knees right aft were infected with rot. The superintendent assured him the ship still had plenty of life left in her, but he had found it was better to replace rot-infected timbers when first discovered.

  Accordingly, the crew were released to the tender mercies of the dockyard officials and Phillips went ashore. His first duty was to ensure the Admiral was acquainted with Amazon’s new status. Admiral Warren assured him he was conversant with the situation and wondered in turn what Phillips’ plans were.

  Diplomatically, Amazon’s captain assured the admiral he planned to follow his orders, whatever they might be.

  “Captain Phillips”, essayed the admiral. “When you first reported, I had my doubts about your mission, but I have come around. We have recently received several badly needed cargoes which I had never expected. From your own efforts, I might mention. With your ship in the dockyard for a few weeks, I would like you to remain available here to discuss matters with local residents, many of whom are actually from northern areas of the United States.”

  “As you are aware, there has been much suspicion concerning trade between our warring countries. You seem to be rather successful in quelling such concerns and I hope to employ you while you are present to continue your efforts to obtain the badly needed supplies from American sources. You may see Flags outside my office. He will see you get a desk and somewhere to hang your coat while you are with us.”

  CHAPTER NINE

  The flag lieutenant found him space in what might have been a closet at one time. A board across two packing crates served as a desk. Phillips spent the rest of the day getting his new work space organized, then went into town and found rooms for his stay. Back in his office early the next morning, an obvious seaman entered before he had warmed his chair. The bewhiskered gentleman, of middle years, was attired in working clothes that had obviously been in contact with fish in the not too far distant past.