by Roy Adkins
Hardly anyone else was perturbed by the smallpox outbreak, and even Mrs Green rallied when she started receiving supplies from the ships: ‘2 English sheep from our old friend Admiral Digby ... This day we get a box of things from on board one of the ordnance ships which had been on board six months, consisting of family matters for myself and child. Also we receive 3 sheep and a cask of butter from Mr Veale at Portsmouth ... Get some oranges as a present from Captain Pownoll who has been over to Barbary.’ Two days later she managed to ‘get 4 sheep from on board the Nottingham’. Officers with friends in Britain and contacts in the warships did rather well. A post-chaise had even been brought for the Greens, but there were disappointments. ‘We had 2 hampers of sugar brought on shore this day,’ wrote Mrs Green, ‘which was on board the Nottingham. We understand they were for us, being on the bill of lading, though the directions were off. They are totally destroyed, and not one pound will ever be used in the house. They are wet and have also been destroyed by all sorts of vermin.’23
Although the attempt to bring fresh food and live animals from Morocco had failed, the very presence of Royal Navy warships meant that smaller vessels were taking the opportunity to bring in produce, as Ancell saw: ‘This morning arrived from Tangier, a small boat with lemons and oranges, a most useful article, as they are very salutary in the cure of the scurvy.’ The next day ‘arrived a boat from Tangier, with a few dozen fowls. Also a settee with bullocks and other refreshments from Tetuan. One of our frigates cruizing in the offing captured a settee bound for the [Spanish] camp.’24 Because the Royal Navy was preventing supplies reaching the Spanish territory of Ceuta and the camp beyond Gibraltar, conditions became even more miserable for the thousands of besieging troops. Drinkwater said that three deserters ‘gave dismal accounts of the Enemy’s sufferings in camp, where universal discontent prevailed on account of the great scarcity and dearness of provisions’, while Horsbrugh heard that ‘the allowance of bread for the soldiers in camp is reduced to a small pittance and irregularly served, are greatly distressed for every other species of provision, and that the Spanish Regiments were very sickly’.25
Those living on Gibraltar had suffered for months under the blockade, so they understood why some soldiers chose to desert into Spain, but Drinkwater was perplexed by the motives of those who deserted from the Spanish camp to Gibraltar: ‘the neighbourhood of their camp, from our own knowledge of the country, was not capable of subsisting so large an army; consequently they were obliged to be supplied with provisions &c. from places at a distance; and these resources, since Admiral Rodney’s arrival, had been cut off.’ Even so, escaping to Gibraltar was hardly a solution: ‘What could these unhappy men expect in a confined and blockaded garrison, and even at a time when they could not fail to be acquainted with the distress and difficulties under which we laboured?’26
When Rear-Admiral Sir Samuel Hood at Portsmouth heard the news of Rodney’s victory, he expressed his delight in a letter to a friend:
What a glorious business! I dare say the Spaniards will secede from France altogether very soon. I am persuaded they will never make a junction with the French fleet again. The arrival of Sir George Rodney was very providential, as the garrison had but a few days’ provisions left. 30,000 troops encamped at St Roche [San Roque] immediately made off, with great precipitation, upon the appearance of our fleet. This is the account brought here this day by the lieutenant of ... the Hyaena frigate.27
The report of a mass desertion of Spanish troops was incorrect, but Rodney himself was struck by the attitude of the Spaniards towards the French, who were supposedly their allies:
I find ... their resentment against France is inexpressible, and the treatment they meet with [in Gibraltar] is such as astonished them. In all their letters to their friends, which we suffer to pass [after reading them], they express a just sense of humanity they are treated with; and the Admiral [Langara] this morning assured me, if they were permitted to return home upon their parole of honour, they would never serve against Great Britain, but be happy to join her against France.28
Ironically, while deserters were coming into Gibraltar, some prisoners-of-war were being returned to Spain, as Rodney informed the Admiralty:
The Spaniards are extremely thankful for the humanity shown the prisoners; I have sent them all the wounded and sick, taking receipts for them. The Spanish Admiral [Langara], who is prisoner, has requested me to make an exchange of prisoners. I told him I was ready to do so, man for man; but that it must be done soon, or else all the prisoners would be sent to England. I said this to hasten the exchange, and assured them that no one prisoner would remain at Gibraltar.29
While recovering from his minor battle injuries, the high-profile prisoner Langara received a stream of visitors and also visited some of the British ships, such as the Prince George, Rear-Admiral Digby’s flagship:
The Spanish Admiral, Don Juan Langara, one morning visited Admiral Digby, to whose charge the Prince [William] was intrusted, and Don Langara was of course introduced to his Royal Highness. During the conference between the Admirals, Prince William retired, and when it was intimated that Don Juan wished to return [on shore], His Royal Highness appeared in his character of midshipman, and respectfully informed the Admiral that the boat was ready. The Spaniard, astonished to see the son of a monarch acting as a warrant-officer, could not help exclaiming, ‘Well does Great Britain merit the empire of the sea, when the humblest stations in her Navy are supported by Princes of the Blood’.30
The prince was of German descent with strong links to Hanover in Germany. When Queen Anne had died in 1714, her successor was George I, the ruler of the principality of Hanover, who spoke no English. His great-grandson George III continued as ruler of Hanover, from where loyal German troops were hired to serve alongside the British forces in places like Gibraltar and Minorca. Three battalions of Hanoverian troops served on Gibraltar during the siege, and they felt a particular affection for the prince as a representative of their own royal family. One of their officers proudly declared: ‘Our Prince William is a most favourite man. I have not yet seen him in anything other than his blue sailor’s jacket, long trousers and leather hat; everything about him is charming; every morning, before he comes to breakfast, he has firstly to climb to the top of the [ship’s] rigging, at the express command of the King.’31
On the prince’s first day ashore, Horsbrugh recorded that the royal midshipman ‘landed in the forenoon, without any other ceremony than the compliments of rested arms, a salute and march from the ordinary guards. After waiting upon the Governor, he went up the Hill to the Governor’s Lookout and Willis’s to get a view of the Enemy’s camp and works, and returned on board to dinner.’ New orders were issued: ‘For the future no compliments be paid to His Royal Highness the Prince, unless he has his Star and Ribbon on; but if he is in company of an Admiral or General Officer, they are in that case to pay the proper compliment due to such Admiral or General.’32 The next morning, attended by senior officers, the prince walked down the Main Street towards Landport, stopping on the way at the Spanish church. When Father Messa heard, he hurried there, ‘and offered to show them the treasures of the church, but they replied that they had already seen the images. And so they departed and I accompanied them down the Main Street and along the walls of the Land Port and even near to the Lieutenant Governor’s house’.33 When Messa realised they were about to dine, he left – there was no invitation for somebody like him to join the illustrious party.
Rodney did what he could to help the garrison, and on 28 January Horsbrugh delivered to his flagship a specific request from Eliott: ‘Being ordered by the Governor to go on board the Sandwich with a letter to Sir George Rodney, I was obliged to take a common fishing boat and with some difficulty reached the ship.’ It was a short message, requesting wine or strong liquors, coal, gunpowder, 24-pounder guns and shot – if they could be spared from the King’s ships or the Spanish prizes.34 After con
sulting with Rodney and his subordinate admirals, Eliott also decided to retain the 73rd Highland Regiment to reinforce Gibraltar, rather than let the troops continue to Minorca to strengthen that garrison. The piper John Macdonald described how they came ashore: ‘On the 29th January 1780 the 73rd Regiment landed at New Mole and were marched to Irishtown, a part of the town of Gibraltar so-called. The inhabitants for the most part having never seen a Highland regiment were very much surprised at our dress, and more so at the bagpipes.’35
While the townspeople were surprised at the strange appearance of the Highlanders, the Scottish soldiers were shocked at the desperate state of Gibraltar. Walter Gordon, one of the Highland soldiers, considered that Rodney’s fleet had come at a critical moment: ‘Upon our arrival at Gibraltar, we found the garrison reduced to great distress for want of provisions; their situation may be conceived, from attending to the prices of the necessaries of life at the time of our arrival, and the weekly allowance of each soldier.’ After noting down the cost of many goods and the weekly rations, he wrote: ‘Add to this scanty allowance their almost continual watching and hard duty, and men can scarcely be imagined in a more distressed situation; the supply we brought in greatly relieved the garrison for some time.’36 John Macdonald began to assist in their hospital in the town: ‘Soon after our arrival at Gibraltar Colonel Mackenzie thought proper to send me to the hospital to take care of the sick, under the direction of Mr Andrew Cairncross, head surgeon of the regiment, an able surgeon and a humane gentleman.’37 With the 73rd disembarked, Rodney now dispatched the remaining convoy for Minorca, which was escorted by three battleships and a frigate.
While Rodney’s fleet remained, Gibraltar enjoyed a time of peace. Even the ordinary soldiers could hear news of home from the newly arrived reinforcements, and the officers had a host of new faces and old friends from the fleet to socialise with. After the tedium and isolation of many months of siege, the arrival of so many people had a huge impact, and they included some officers who had come from England to join their regiments, such as Colonels Picton and Mawhood. Because Colonel Green had been unwell for many days, it was highly disappointing for Mrs Green to be forced to cancel many of their social engagements, but by early February he was greatly recovered. Being the wife of a high-ranking officer, she was in a position to entertain the royal midshipman at The Mount. Her husband had acquired the land in 1775, cleared it and built the house, since when he had devoted much effort and expense on landscaping and planting the estate, which extended to around six acres.38 ‘The Prince &c came after they had taken a walk to the cave. I had proper refreshment for them,’ she wrote. ‘He was much delighted with the gardens and walks; it was favorable, so pleasant a day; more so as it was the only fine one since the Fleet arrived. I was as much pleased with him. He is a very fine youth and must be liked in any situation. His questions were proper; they all wore the face of being the result of a proper curiosity.’39
For Mrs Green, Prince William was on his best behaviour, but at night he headed to the taverns with friends from his ship. Increased night-time patrols were taking place, who were instructed ‘to take up all idle people, inhabitants without lights, or soldiers they find on the streets, excepting officers’ servants who may be necessarily employed on their masters’ business; to search all wine houses where they hear any noise or disturbances or soldiers in them, and carry the master of the house, and such persons as they find there, prisoners to the Main Guard’.40 When Prince William’s party was involved in a drunken brawl with some soldiers, it was quickly broken up and they were arrested. The news that ‘a son of the King of England was in custody’ flew round the garrison, and Admiral Digby had to arrange his release. After that, he was allowed on shore only if accompanied by a superior officer.41
Everyone was making the most of the last few days before the fleet sailed, and Mrs Green was fully occupied writing letters and entertaining. She was devoted to her absent family and constantly tried to keep in touch:
I am as busy as I can spare time, in transcribing a small journal for my son, but am frequently broke in upon by the number of visitors that are constantly calling. Not only that, but the daily necessity I have in attending to all sorts of family business makes it almost impossible to go on in the writing way. I shall at last get into a total disregard to method, style or sense, I fear, for as I wish to write to the very moment, so it can never be the effect of a studied writer.42
A few days later, she added: ‘Busy writing for the fleet, as it is expected it will soon leave us. We have a very large party at dinner this day, Sir J. Ross and many of our Navy acquaintances; and also of the Highland Regiment ... A very large party at night.’ She was also hoping to have a tour of the famous battleship, the Royal George, but feared there was no time left:
Sir J. Ross has pressed me exceedingly, to go on board the Royal George and to take a rough dinner with him on Wednesday, also to take my own Party, all which I have promised to do, though at the same time, think it will not be possible; as it is very likely the wind may be easterly; in which case I understand it is likely that division may have orders for sailing. I should very well like to see so fine a ship, particularly as Sir John is so pleasing and so cheerful an old man.43
Her prediction was unfortunately correct, because the very next day saw the gradual departure of the fleet, and everyone became frantic to complete their tasks. On the day that she was to have gone on board the Royal George, Sir John Ross sent his apologies and sailed that afternoon. Prince William was her next visitor: ‘the Prince took leave of me and was again at the Mount ... my letters going by different hands’.44
Later that afternoon, Admiral Langara was also allowed to leave. One of Rodney’s final tasks had been to sort out the exchange of prisoners with Spain. In a letter from Sir John Hort, the British consul at Lisbon, he had been warned that the Spaniards were being slow in honouring their part in prisoner-of-war exchanges, and so he had taken a firm line in negotiations.45 Eventually an exchange was arranged, totalling over a thousand prisoners, including Langara who so impressed Mrs Green that some of her earlier fondness for the people of Spain was restored: ‘This day the Spanish Admiral went away, great civility shown him. He went in a carriage of our Governor, was drove quite close to the Spanish Lines. The Town Major attended him and a drum as usual. Langara went away fully convinced that he had met with the utmost politeness he ever could have wished for and much more than he could have expected. He seemed a good sort of man; was very highly displeased with the French.’46
Horsbrugh was amused to hear that Langara’s defeat was being treated like a victory: ‘Just before their departure the Admiral received the accounts from Madrid that the King of Spain had promoted him to the rank of Lieutenant General and given all the other officers down to the midshipmen an additional step as reward for their behaviour in the action with our fleet.’47 Other prisoners were not so lucky. Five hundred were left on Gibraltar, so that they could be exchanged for British prisoners once the Spaniards stopped dragging their feet, while the remainder were to be transported to England.
The warships that had escorted the convoy to Minorca now returned, and the remaining fleet left in mid-February after being at Gibraltar for nearly a month. Rear-Admiral Digby’s ships were carrying not just Spanish prisoners, but also all the invalids from the garrison who were unfit for service, as well as military wives and children who had been ordered by Eliott to leave, because they did not have in store a sufficient quantity of flour or biscuits for a year, which he specified as 250 pounds of flour or 360 pounds of biscuit per person. They were joined by other families who, although not ordered out, could not bear the siege conditions any longer. Two days later, Digby’s squadron parted company from Rodney’s fleet and continued to England, encountering a French convoy on the way and capturing three merchant ships and the 64-gun battleship Le Prothée, which was found to be carrying around £60,000 in coins.
On board the Royal Ge
orge, Vice-Admiral Robert Duff was also travelling home. A few days earlier he had sent a letter to Rodney, informing him that he felt the small force at Gibraltar was incompatible with his status as vice-admiral and requested a new appointment elsewhere, especially as his health was impaired. Rodney expressed sympathy, but declared it was not within his power because he had secret orders. Duff regretted this fact and advised Rodney that he therefore felt obliged to return to England on the grounds of ill health.48 Some two decades earlier, in the West Indies, he had refused to serve as Rodney’s flag-captain, claiming he was too senior for the post, even though it was a prestigious role. He lived by the rules of status, not service, and had proved ineffective and unpopular in Gibraltar. At the age of fifty-nine, his voyage home marked the end of his naval career. He was an afterthought in Mrs Green’s diary: ‘I have omitted to mention that Admiral Duff went on board the Royal George on Saturday last with an intention not to come on shore any more. He goes home as a passenger to England with Sir J. Ross. There was no ceremony used at his going. He called upon a few persons only. We were of the number. He seemed a good deal discomposed and disconcerted.’49 His final years would be marred by ill health, and he died seven years later.
As soon as he left Gibraltar, Rodney wrote to his wife, vividly describing his feelings: ‘I am now at sea, and on my way to the West Indies. Thank Heaven I have got from Gibraltar, I hope never to see it again, for I have not had one day’s health since I went there. A violent cold has hung by me, and I still have it, though not so bad as when I was there. The weather is now remarkably fine, and as warm as the middle of summer in England.’50 Rodney sailed to the West Indies to join the action against the combined French and Spanish fleet there. Before his convoy, the Royal Navy had been mostly on the defensive, but the expedition to Gibraltar was Britain’s first major naval victory in the American War of Independence. Gibraltar and Minorca had been resupplied just in time, enemy warships and supply ships had been destroyed or captured, and several thousand prisoners taken. There were relatively few British losses, and the prize-ships and cargoes were valued at over a million pounds.