On the King's Sea Service: A John Phillips Novel (War at Sea Book 1)

by Richard Testrake

  A red faced ship’s captain was facing him, while the Marines he brought with him formed up in front of the new captain. He held out his hand in greeting and said “Billings, from the Ajax. We saw your signal and thought to come calling. I was warned you might have trouble taking command.”

  Mullins broke in, “Sir, signal from flag. Boat to arrive with Marines and officer.”

  Phillips was explaining the circumstances to the new captain, but was mystified when he saw the officer who had originally met him at the entry port slowly going down the ladder to the wardroom. When the lieutenant from the flag arrived with another boatload of Marines, it was decided to have both watches of the Courageous crew come on deck for inspection. It was then that the flag signaled, “Send officer”.

  Billings noticed his confusion. Who to send? He said, “Let us visit your wardroom and see what you have to work with.”

  Going below, they both noticed a strong pungent smell, almost overpowering. “That’s opium”, remarked Billings. You are commanding a ship of opium eaters.” In the wardroom, a lone officer sat, staring off into space. When they started opening doors, they found other officers and warrants in a stupor.

  “Captain Billings, if I could have the loan of a few of your Marines, I’d like to take this officer across to the flag with me. I think he would be the best way to explain to the admiral what we have here.

  The intoxicated lieutenant, bound into immobility and lashed to a carrying board was lowered into Ajax’s launch and carried to the Flag. The duty watch on deck, seeing the state of the passenger lowered lines to raise the patient on the carrying board. Phillips saluted the quarterdeck and raised his hat to the newly promoted Rear Admiral Elphinstone, whose curiosity would not permit waiting longer to find what was going on.

  “Your report, Captain.” Elphinstone demanded.

  “Sir, earlier this morning, I went aboard HMS Courageous, to assume command. The officer on deck, initially declined to allow me to board. When I did board, I asked him to assemble the crew so I could read my orders. He did not want to allow this. A bosun’s mate called ‘All hands” and I read myself in to a group of sailors.”

  “It was soon determined most of the crew was in an advanced state of intoxication. Captain Billing of HMS Ajax, now on board with a detachment of Marines, says the men and officers have been smoking opium.

  Many are insensible, but I have brought with me a ship’s officer who was found in a dazed condition at the wardroom table.” He pointed to the figure lashed to a board at the entry port.

  “Call the doctor. Pass the word for the doctor.”

  That warrant officer examined the patient and smelled his breath. He reported, “This officer is in an advanced condition of opium intoxication.”

  “So doctor, you are saying this officer is an opium eater?” asked the admiral.

  “Certainly he is addicted to the smoke of the substance”, said the surgeon. “He must never again use opium, in any form.”

  When Phillips was rowed back to the Courageous, Billings was waiting for him. “What is happening? He asked.”

  “Admiral Elphinstone has assembled an ad hoc court martial which will be boarding soon to investigate. He has already passed judgment on Lieutenant Grafton, my ship’s third officer, based on my testimony and that of Mullins. He is to be dismissed the ship immediately and will likely face a court martial with the other officers. He was at the most, semi-conscious during the proceedings and I doubt he will have much memory of it.”

  “You seem to have sympathy for him?”

  “Not really. We have both known plenty of officers, who have been frequently drunk and incapable from alcohol, men that were tolerated in the wardroom for years.”

  All crew members were removed from the ship and placed in barracks ashore under guard by Marines. The court stripped all warrant officers of their warrants. The now missing premier was dismissed the service. Shortly after, his body was found bobbing in the harbor.

  Apparently, he had stepped through a stern window and drowned. The Corporal of Marines that had answered Phillips first request for assistance was found ‘not guilty’ and returned to duty, as was the bosun’s mate who had called the hands on deck to witness the new captain read his orders.

  Many of the seamen were to be replaced man for man without punishment. Every ship in harbor, before sailing, transferred over its quota of people, to be replaced by the incriminated men of the Courageous. It was felt; once the ship was at sea, there would be little opportunity for the damaged men to obtain opium again.

  New men were coming aboard in trickles. A pair of young lieutenants, fresh from half pay and the Admiralty waiting room shared one boat. Phillips welcomed them with enthusiasm; at least he would not need to do everything by himself now. One passed him a note sent by Burns. He was going to retrieve his chest and would be aboard shortly.

  Seeing a carriage pull up on shore, he looked through his telescope. He expected to see an official of some sort and he was correct. The official he saw was not quite what he expected, though.

  Through the glass, he saw Mister Jordan, his sister and Miss Forsythe. What to do. With all the activity, the planned visit to the Jordan home was out of the question. He could not possibly go ashore on personal business with the ship in its present state. Looking forward, he saw the new officers at work, supervising. Mister Haley was up forward inspecting the fore chains and shrouds. Mister Gregor was peering down a hatch, looking at something.

  Gregor had removed his blue coat, in all probably the only one he owned and had slop clothes on. Haley however, while he had removed his good coat, still was clad in a worn and tattered older one that was serviceable.

  “Mister Haley, Will you kindly attend me?”

  Handing the officer his telescope, he said, “Sir, would you examine the party standing by the carriage on the quay, please?” Phillips asked. “The gentleman is Mister Jordan of the Admiralty. One of the others is his sister and the young lady is a friend of mine. Unless I miss my guess, Jordan was instrumental in assigning you and Gregor to the Courageous and rescuing the pair of you from half pay. Would you be so good as to take the cleanest looking boat ashore and invite the party aboard? I was invited to his home this afternoon, but due to events, I find myself unable.”

  Haley appeared distressed, probably because of the state of his dress and the appearance of the ship, but wanted to impress his new Captain with his activity and said “Aye aye sir.”

  The barge was rowed to shore with a new boat crew, replacements that had been drafted from several ships. Phillips, in uniform, approached the master’s mate of the watch. “Wilkins, that party on shore will be coming to the ship in the barge. Better have a chair ready for the ladies. I don’t know about the gentleman. He is from the admiralty but is a civilian. When he comes aboard, whether by chair or through the entry port, have Marines and side boys, as though he were a captain.”

  Miss Jordan was the only one needing a chair. Forsythe and Mr. Jordan both climbed the battens like veterans, Sarah removing her slippers first. Everyone ignored the unpleasant circumstances of the previous day. Jordan told the women the ship would be leaving at any moment for service across the channel and everyone must make their farewells soon. While the Jordans walked the deck, Sarah and John discussed meeting again. Phillips told her he looked forward to showing her around London, but his time was not his own at the moment.

  CHAPTER NINETEEN

  Secret Documents

  A day later, the ship left the Pool of London, descended the Thames to the sea and was facing the chop of the Channel. All the former officers and warrants had been replaced with all possible speed. The premier, whose body had been discovered in the harbor, was superseded by Mister Burns, Phillip’s former first lieutenant on the Vigorous.

  Haley and Gregor had taken hold immediately and were now valued members of the crew. All members of the wardroom were newcomers, but rapidly becoming acquainted. The officers were relaxing over the
captain’s table, after the nerve wrenching task of coming down the Thames to the sea. A couple of ‘dead soldiers’ were already rolling on the deck.

  “But sir”, wondered Burns, “How did an entire ship’s crew become addicted?”

  Phillips explained the recent history of the Courageous, how its former captain was frequently absent for weeks or months, being replaced by job captains. He told how the court martial had discovered that early on, under the aegis of one of the job captains, the frigate had captured a French prize coming back from India laden with opium. This material was taken aboard the frigate and the prize was then burned.

  Later, after Captain Aikins resumed command, he had one of the chests removed to his quarters, sending the remainder ashore. Early in his naval career, Aikins had visited China and had experimented with smoking the substance. Decades later, he remembered the peace the opium smoke had given him. Inserting a small bit of opium into a hole poked into the tip of a cigar, the delights of the smoke came back to him.

  One of his officers, plainly under a deal of stress had also been furnished some of the drug and instructed how to use it. Soon nearly the entire crew was using the drug. Aikins, now back at his seat in Parliament, decided he no longer wanted to sail and told his premier he would use his influence to gain the man his captaincy.

  Once, the Navy had been awed by the man and his political power, but lately, with his increasing confusion, even members of his own party began treating him as a leper. It was beginning to be felt by some people that there was a strong possibility he would not be returned in the next election.

  It was a blustery day when Courageous met up with the Channel Fleet off Brest and made her number. Lord Howe’s flagship, the huge first rate of 100 guns, Queen Charlotte, displayed the Courageous’ number, with the signal, ‘Captain, repair on board’. The crew of the frigate, astern of the flag, immediately brought its launch around and the boat’s crew tumbled in,

  Phillips following more sedately. Aboard the Queen Charlotte, he was escorted into Admiral Howe’s quarters. Seated at the dining table, wine and small pastries were brought and Howe initiated the discussion.

  “Well Phillips, is your ship going to infect the fleet with talk of mutiny?”

  He explained to the admiral how the crew had been plied with opium by their old captain. He assured him the former officers and warrants had been dismissed and a new leavening of petty officers had been supplied.

  “How are your hands getting along since their opium was taken away?”

  “Sir, most of the heavy users have been replaced by seamen from other ships. A few of them that we still have on board will approach an officer occasionally to beg for the material. All of the opium Captain Aikins brought aboard was landed in London.”

  “The only such material on board is a little laudanum in the hands of the surgeon. I have forbidden him to dispense any of it without my permission. When a man seems to me to be overly anxious, he is sent to the pumps for a while. My surgeon tells me exercise is a specific for the treatment of opium withdrawal.

  “Very well, Captain. I ordered the various ship captains in the fleet to forbid any of your boat crews to approach within earshot. I want no news of this disaster to come aboard my fleet. Orders have been written for you. Your ship will patrol up and down the channel coast, causing as much difficulty for the French as possible. Should you encounter anything remarkable, you will report it at once. I hope you understand that I want no communication between my fleet and your ship. Eventually, the news will filter out from home. By then I hope other news will dilute this. Have you any questions?”

  Phillips gave Burns the crux of the orders on the quarterdeck. “We are not to come within earshot of any ship in the channel fleet. Admiral Howe does not want the news of the mutiny to escape. We are ordered to patrol up and down the French coast with the idea to make ourselves obnoxious. I had a similar mission in another ship last year and it proved profitable. Hopefully, it will be so again.’

  The big frigate did find plenty of targets. Unfortunately, many were small, coasting type craft that proved adept in escaping the warship. He did capture several small craft caught unaware coming around headlands, but since they were of little value, Phillips burned them. There were long faces among his crew, but he dared not send men away in low value prizes, knowing it might be weeks or months before he might get them returned, if he got them back at all.

  He had been wishing he could exercise his gun crews using live fire. The Admiralty did not believe in the promiscuous use of ammunition at sea and there must be a good reason for its expenditure.

  One afternoon, they were cruising along the coast, when they found a large town at the head of a good harbor. Wishing to improve the master’s charts, he invited that worthy, as well as two of the officers to mount to the three mastheads, to put their ideas of the scene on paper.

  The two lieutenants proved not to be inspired artists, but the new master, Mister Ranson was a different matter. His drawing was a masterpiece, meticulously drawn to scale. Going over the paper, Phillips noticed a building on it that seemed to have more detail than the masthead view should have presented.

  Ranson admitted to having gone ashore there in the days before the Revolution and staying in the posting inn, for that was what that building was. He had drawn in the pens where the relief teams for the big coaches were kept and the large barn.

  Well, anyway, he had found an excuse to expend ammunition. Military targets were always legitimate objects to fire upon. Freshly dug earth showed where the local military artillery unit was installing a new battery.

  It was not complete, and did not appear to be functional yet. Pointing it out to the premier, he asked him to casually edge the ship into gun range, being ready to instantly trim the ship to the offshore breeze and retreat if necessary.

  On the way in, he instructed Burns to watch over the guns, assigning such midshipmen to gun sections as he saw fit. These boys had newly come aboard and he had no idea of how adept they would be in their profession. While most had a least one commission under their belts, they were also the ones their last captain had decided he could do without.

  The master he asked to conn the ship, making sure they did not come to grief in the harbor on an old wreck or uncharted bar.

  At long grape range Phillips gave the order to run up their ensign. There seemed to be no notice taken by the scurrying soldiers on the beach, busy with their tasks. It appeared the troops were still excavating positions for the big guns and the magazines. No artillery was present, as of yet.

  As he watched, two columns of troops double-timed toward the emplacement, preceded by a large tri-color flag. Then, a pair of horse drawn guns, four pounders probably, came clattering up to the beach. As the horses were led off and the limbers unhooked, Phillips announced, “Your target is two enemy guns. Fire when your guns bear.”

  There was a delay, as midshipmen checked the aim of their guns. Burns expostulated with one gun captain over the position of that gun’s quoin. Apparently, it had been shoved all the way forward, as it was pulled out a bit while Burns watched.

  The officer handed the lanyard to a small 13 year old midshipman. Holding the lad by the shoulders to prevent him getting in the way of the recoil, he whispered in the lad’s ear. The boy yanked on the line and the gun exploded in smoke and flame. A jet of flame shot out the muzzle followed by a cloud of smoke.

  The other guns in that broadside began to fire, as their gunners got them aligned. After each gun recoiled backward, its crew began with their reload drill. When the breeze rolled the smoke bank away, the results were laid bare to the ship’s crew.

  There had been eighteen balls sent down range. At least two of the eighteen pound iron balls had impacted the two small guns on the shore. The guns and their carriages were smashed. The only piece standing was a lone limber. The premier went to a four gun section and ordered them to fire on the remaining limber, reloading with grape after the loaded ball was expend
ed. Each gun fired, every shot impacting away from the target, except the last. The final charge hit the limber and it dissolved into its component parts.

  The remainder of the guns were now ordered to fire on the military construction crews, who were standing immobilized watching the show. Most of the guns that were still loaded with ball were not all that impressive to watch. But all four of the most recently fired guns were now loaded with grape and the eighteen pound packages of iron plums were awesomely deadly on troops standing in the open. Enemy soldiers were falling over in ranks and files. Soon, there were no more targets left worth firing upon.

  Quiet having returned to the shore, Phillips ordered the launch and cutter loaded with armed seamen and Marines sent to the shore. With the ship’s guns loaded and pointed at possible trouble spots, the landing party scouted the area, collecting tools and weapons. The gun barrels, from the destroyed battery were man-handled into a shore boat, carried out in the harbor, then sank in place.

  The seamen were sent into the town, searching for any military materials they might need to destroy. His servant Hodges, appeared before him, asking to be permitted to go into town to purchase cabin stores.

  After some thought, Phillips agreed. “Take Midshipman Mullins with you. He speaks French and may be able to keep you from being cheated. Tell Mullins to take two Marines with you. If you miss the ship, all of you will end up in a French prison.”

  A messenger from the shore party returned to the ship, reporting that a dozen horses had been found in the pens of the posting inn and had all been turned loose and driven out of town. Phillips thought this might have been overkill, but the horses were now free and not able to be utilized by the French until much effort had been expended capturing them.