A War by Diplomacy

by John G. Cragg

  “Daphne, look at this!”

  “Father what is the matter? And, yes, Bernard and his mother are doing well.”

  “Yes, of course, Daphne. I should have asked. Now look at this.”

  Mr. Moorhouse laid a sheet of paper in front of Daphne. It was a notice of the by-election for the First Member of Parliament for the Borough of Dipton to be held at the Dipton Inn in six days’ time at 2 P.M. The candidates were listed as the Honorable Mr. David Giles, vicar of Dipton, and Mr. Andrew Longshank, solicitor of London. The notice had been issued, it declared, in the name of Sir Thomas Dimster, Returning Officer for the Borough of Dipton. The notice was followed by a list of the eligible electors that ran on for several pages.

  “Good heavens,” Daphne declared, “that scoundrel Longshank is Lord David’s opponent and Sir Thomas is the returning officer. Well, Lord David will still win easily, will he not?”

  “Not on the basis of this notice. I don’t know where the list of electors comes from, but it certainly does not correspond in any way to the list for the 1802 general election. I have it here.” Mr. Moorhouse produced a second piece of paper that listed twenty-three names, though, when examined it actually listed twenty-three properties in Dipton, with their owners’ names. Seven of the names were Bernard Moorhouse, Esq., while Charles Gramley, Esq. was on the list eleven times. The three remaining names were Mr. Jackson, Dr. Verdour and Richard Goodacre, the owner of a small estate on the boundary of the parish of Dipton. “You see, the current list should simply have replaced Mr. Gramley’s name with Captain Giles’s. I don’t know where Sir Thomas got these names on this new list. Some are our tenants but only a very few of our people are listed. Most of the men on the list are casual laborers or tradesmen, but again most such people in Dipton have been excluded. Far more names are of men from Upper Dipton than from here. Even my own name is not on this new list. If I had to guess, the list was mainly chosen on the likelihood of getting people who could be easily bought for a half-crown and all the ale they could drink. If this travesty goes ahead, this Mr. Longshank will be elected and, if that happens, it may be very difficult to get the election reversed.”

  “What can we do about it?”

  “I just don’t know. I do not know who would have authority over it. The principal magistrate for the area is Sir Thomas and the other magistrates are his henchmen. I’ve never worried about that because I have never expected to have any business with them. I wonder if any of the men that you met in London might be able to intervene. We should do something. This is highway robbery!”

  “I could ask Mr. Edwards, I suppose, if he has any ideas. No… that would take time and time is of the essence if we are to prevent this happening. I will write to Sir David McDougall. He was knowledgeable about the riding when he suggested that Richard become the member, and he is in a position to change things, if he wants to. I’ll write to him immediately.”

  Daphne turned again to her writing table and started a letter to Sir David. “You know father, I don’t really understand how any of this works or why the two lists are so different. What should I say?”

  “I think you should simply say that you cannot understand the radical difference in the voting list and that he had told Giles that your husband and father had control of the riding. Obviously, that is not now the case. I would add that you have no idea on what basis the new list was drawn up since it excludes many men with equal or better qualifications, in terms of rents paid or taxes contributed, to some who have been included.”

  Daphne penned the words embodying her father’s suggestions. She then added that she was writing because the day-to-day management of her husband’s affairs was in her hands. She added that she was sure that Sir David was interested in having Dipton properly represented and that his brother would be a far better member than would the alternative candidate.

  She read the missive over before sealing it, using one of Giles’s seals, though it did not indicate his new status as a Viscount. He had not had a chance to have any made with his new title and had refused to adopt the seals his half-brother had left. She summoned her chief groom, Geoffreys, a former cavalry trooper who had injured his knee while training and had been discharged from the army. His injury in no way affected his riding skills and his limp did not prevent his working assiduously with horses.

  “Geoffreys, take this letter to the Admiralty in Whitehall in London. Can you find it easily?”

  “Yes, m’lady. I have been in London many times.”

  “Good. It is for Sir David McDougall, the First Lord of the Admiralty, and it is critical that he receive it as soon as possible. If he is not actually in the Admiralty, find out where he is and take it to him as quickly as possible. If you can’t do that, take it to the Prime Minister and insist that he read it. Ride post haste. Here is a purse to pay for changes of horses if they will not put the expense on Lord Ashton’s account. If anyone in authority asks what the letter is about, you can reply that it is to prevent someone stealing a seat in the House of Commons.”

  “Very good, m’lady. The fastest horse in our stables is Dark Paul, Lord Ashton’s hunter. Can I take him for the first stage?”

  “You know how he likes to get rid of his riders?”

  “Oh, yes, m’lady. He has tried it several times with me. We have come to an understanding.”

  “Then take him by all means. I will not let Sir Thomas Dimster have his own way.”

  Geoffreys knew better than to ask what Daphne was talking about. He left. Daphne and Mr. Moorhouse had justy started talking about the implications of having a son who would someday become the Earl of Camshire before they heard the sounds of hoofs going from a trot to a gallop. They could do no more about the election mismanagement and were more than content to talk of other matters.

  Their conversation did not last long. Nanny Weaver appeared at the door and insisted that Daphne must get some rest. Mr. Moorhouse noted with silent amusement that Nanny Weaver had reverted to treating Daphne as if she were still ten years old. He wondered to himself how long that would last. Daphne was now a mature, responsible and self-assured woman. How long would it be before Nanny Weaver would be forced to recognize her changed status?

  Chapter XIX

  Kronstadt proved to be a far better place to moor than St. Petersburg in which Glaucus could wait for Sir Walcott to conclude his business. The local authorities and taverns were well accustomed to the wants of sailors and their habits, providing for their various desires and anticipating the problems that they inevitably caused. Giles found that the company of Russian captains was far preferable to that of St. Petersburg aristocrats, especially since there had seemed to be far too many Russian ladies who were eager to seduce him.

  Glaucus spent four days at anchor during which each watch had been given two excursions ashore. Giles had been entertained on different Russian ships every evening, always returning to Glaucus in none too steady a state. He realized that, by staying at anchor so close to the dubious delights that Kronstadt had to offer his sailors, he might be encouraging the troubles that would follow from having an idle and bored crew while he and his officers would be better off with something to fill their time other than this hectic social pace.

  The best thing to do would be to exercise the ship’s company at sea. He informed the Admiral of his plans. Although the Russian commander seemed to be surprised that the English captain wanted to take his ship to sea so soon after a lengthy voyage, even if only for a day, he put no obstacle in Giles’s way. As news of his intention spread through the Russian fleet, he received many requests by other captains to accompany him in order to observe the practices of the Royal Navy. Giles had to think a bit about the wisdom of granting these requests, but he realized that, since his mission was to encourage cooperation between the Russian and British navies, it would do no harm if the Russians learned from Glaucus’s practices.

  The visiting captains arrived well before dawn, for by now the days were growing very short th
is far north. There was a fresh north breeze and Glaucus raised her anchor as dawn was breaking. She made her way under only topsails to the Gulf of Finland to the west of Kotlin Island. Giles showed off a bit by having the crew spread all the courses and top gallants at the same time. The wind was too strong for the royals to be used and indeed, Giles had had their masts sent down while in harbor. So with the ship nicely heeled on a reach, he had his crew send up the royal masts and yards and bend on the sails even though he did not intend to use them. Then he reversed the process by sending them all down again and stowing them. It was a splendid demonstration of seamanship with the frigate heeling under the pressure of the wind. When these maneuvers were completed, Giles sent the crew to dinner after they had been issued their daily tots of rum. He himself entertained the visitors in his cabin. Many of the Russians remarked on the table that the elder Mr. Stewart had presented to him. It was much better than what they would have expected to find in a frigate-captain’s dining room. Giles made a mental note to make sure that Midshipman Stewart was told about their comments so that he could relay them to his father.

  When everything was shipshape after their excursion, Giles allowed the starboard watch to go ashore with firm instructions to return by six bells of the first watch. The crew returned more or less on time, though some had had to be assisted to their boats by the watch. They followed the same sort of routine the following day, though with a new group of Russian captains observing what was going on. When Giles relented and gave the crew a day to follow their own pursuits on the following day instead of again practicing their skills while under sail, he found that he was invited again for dinner aboard the flagship.

  The party was another rowdy affair. Giles had figured out a way not to toss down the whole content of his glass when a toast was drunk. Instead, most of the liquor returned to the glass as he lowered his head while keeping a firm grip on the glass to hide how little had been consumed. As a result, his wits were far less impaired as the festivities wore on than they had been on previous occasions. The main topic of conversation was the performance of Glaucus that many of the captains present had witnessed. They had clearly been impressed both with the crew’s performance and with the way that Glaucus sailed. They were telling the Admiral that Russian procedures and training should be improved so that they could emulate Glaucus. Giles was rather basking in the admiration he was receiving, as transmitted by Lieutenant Pirov’s translation, when some other captains started to make different sorts of remarks and a dispute broke out. Lieutenant Pirov now had no choice but to try to summarize the heated remarks rather than to translate them since they were often made simultaneously. Some of the younger captains were certain that their fellows were mistaken about how inferior their ships and crews were to the British one. Lieutenant Pirov whispered to Giles that one of the most adamant of the supporters of the excellence of the Russian Navy had recently been transferred from the Sea of Azov Fleet, which was not ice-bound for part of the year and had more reason to always be ready for action, in their case against the Turks.

  The arguments became quite heated. When one side or the other scored a winning point, those of similar mind all joined in a toast. Luckily for Giles, he could abstain from these toasts, especially as Lieutenant Pirov’s translating the dispute had tailed off as the claims were shouted more quickly and as the Russian officer himself became involved on the side claiming the superiority of Glaucus. Giles could sit back and ruminate on how common it was for ship’s captains to have exaggerated opinions of the merits of their own vessels and crews. He had seen it often in the Royal Navy when officers of different ships got together.

  Giles liked to think of himself as being above such disputes. This was partly because his previous ship had had some very serious defects, which had dimmed his enthusiasm for her. Her problems had given him a better understanding that there were some poor ships that could not be improved, no matter how proficient was her crew. Needless to say, he had no doubt that his own crew was the best in the Navy. The ship must be at fault for any poor performance of a vessel under his command. It was also obvious, in the present case that Glaucus was among the finest frigates in the world. This evaluation was certainly not based on sentiment. His very objective evaluation of her performance was based on the trip from Portsmouth to Chatham, in which she had so clearly outperformed a French vessel, and on his experience during the long voyage to Saint Petersburg.

  Admiral Stroganoff also was sitting back with a bemused look on his face as his captains disputed among themselves. In a lull in the heated discussion, he intervened. “There is no point arguing,” he declared, in Russian, of course, which made Lieutenant Pirov suddenly remember his position as translator. “If Captain Giles will agree, I suggest that we hold a competition between Russian ships and Captain Giles’s excellent frigate. In fact, I propose two competitions. The first would be on how quickly the ships can clear for action and fire three broadsides. After that we can have a race between the ships.”

  This suggestion was welcomed enthusiastically by the Russian officers. A toast was proposed as always, in this case to honor the Admiral’s excellent suggestion. With all eyes upon him, Giles felt required to drain his glass completely on this occasion. He announced that he thought it was a splendid idea and that he and his crew would all welcome the idea of participating in a competition with their Russian equivalents.

  The next step was to choose the Russian competitors for there was a large number of frigates attached to the Baltic Fleet, and only some of their captains were present. Most of those present seemed to believe that their ship should be chosen as representing the cream of the Russian fleet. In the end, Admiral Smirnov had make the selection. One frigate, commanded by an officer who had served in the Sea of Azov fleet and who had recently transferred to the Baltic fleet and who was present at the banquet, was chosen. A second selection came from among the captains at the dinner who had only served in the Baltic Fleet. The third was picked from among the frigates whose captains were not present.

  This selection again led to heated discussions, particularly about the frigates chosen whose captains were present. Lieutenant Pirov was only able to summarize the points being made because various captains were shouting their opinions simultaneously. Giles noted that most of the disappointed captains were arguing that they should have been selected, and that no one seemed to be suggesting that, if their own ship were not to be chosen, a ship other than the one the Admiral had selected should have been picked.

  Admiral Stroganoff halted this discussion by announcing that he had made his selection and did not want any further comments. His Flag Captain then proposed a toast to the three choices. When discussion next broke out about exactly what rules should be adopted, the Admiral again intervened. The first lieutenants of the four frigates should establish the rules in a meeting with his Flag Captain, if that was acceptable to the English captain. Giles promptly agreed. Admiral Stroganoff then announced that the competition would be held in four days’ time. The delay was occasioned by his belief that many of the elite of St. Petersburg would want to witness the competition and waiting a few days would allow them time to arrange to attend. A final toast to the enterprise was proposed and Giles again felt that he had to toss the burning firewater down his gullet. Going on deck to return to Glaucus and, as a guest, being given the honor of being first to depart, he felt very proud that his progress to the entry port was more or less in a straight line.

  The next few days were a time of waiting. Mr. Hendricks had gone to the flagship to set the rules for the competitions. They were simple and Giles thought they seemed fair. The critical part was that each vessel would have an umpire aboard to make sure that everything was done in accord with the rules. For the Russian ships, several captains of British merchant ships agreed to serve as the umpires, while Captain Belosselsky, one of the captains who had been at the dinner where the competition was proposed, would serve on Glaucus.

  If Giles had thought that
he would be blessed with inactivity until the day of the match, he was sorely disappointed. At five bells of the forenoon watch, a small boat with a pair of portly, grizzled mariners on board approached Glaucus. Arriving on deck, they asked to speak with the captain. When Giles, who had been in his cabin dealing with the seemingly endless mounds of paper that the ship generated, came on deck, the men introduced themselves as representatives of the British ships in the merchant harbor, inviting him and his officers to dine with them and the captains of other British ships in Kronstadt. Since none of their ships had large cabins, they would meet in the dining room of an inn in Kronstadt.

  It turned out to be a pleasant and, indeed, boisterous evening. The merchant captains were at pains to acquaint Giles with the problems they were having with privateers sailing under French letters of marque out of various German ports. They had appealed to the Admiralty to provide escort vessels for convoys through the affected waters, but so far had had no reply to their petitions. Could Giles put in a good word for them?

  Giles answered that he would indeed mention it and could sympathize with their having to run the gauntlet to pass from the Baltic Sea to the North Sea. It seemed to make the discussion less heated when he mentioned that on his previous cruise he had captured two French privateer brigs near the Skagen. He had thought that capture might alleviate the problem, but now he understood that the danger had not been eliminated. He would mention it to the First Lord when he next saw him.

  The following day, Lieutenant Pirov returned from a visit to the flagship to report, with great excitement, that it seemed that all of Saint Petersburg’s society would be descending on the area to watch the competition. Several prominent nobles had sent their servants to open their dachas and would be following soon. One of the wealthiest, Count Mikeladze, was also arranging a ball to follow the races. Giles and his officers would no doubt be invited. In addition, Admiral Stroganoff would be having a lavish party on the evening before the event. Giles, of course, would be expected to attend.