Minutes of a Court Martial Holden on Board His Majesty's Ship Gladiator: In Portsmouth Harbour, on Wednesday, the 26th Day of July, 1809, and Continued by Adjournment Till Friday, the 4th Day of August Following, on the Trial of the Right Honourable James, Lord Gambier: Admiral of the Blue, Commander in Chief of the Channel Fleet, &c. ... Including a Complete Copy of His Lordship's Defence, Taken from the Original: and the Whole of the Evidence and Occasional DiscussionGambier requested this court martial to clear his name against charges that he did not allow Lord Cochrane to fully defeat the French at the Battle of Basque Roads during the Napoleonic Wars. He was acquitted. |
Common terms and phrases
12th of April 3d ditto Admiral Stopford Admiralty afterwards Aix Roads anchor anchorage answer appeared Aquilon Basque Roads batteries Beagle board the Caledonia boats Boyart Shoal brigs cables Cæsar Calcutta Capt Captain Captain Bligh Charente circumstances Commander in Chief Commander-in-Chief conduct Court day-light depth of water destroy the enemy destruction directed employed enemy's fleet enemy's ships Etna Examined by Lord explosion-vessel fire fire-ships French ships Fresh breezes frigates GAMBIER-I going grounded gun-brigs guns half past half the fleet honour Imperieuse Indefatigable Isle D'Aix Isle of Aix letter line-of-battle ships log-book Lord Cochrane Lord Gambier Lordship Majesty's Ship morning observe officers Oleron opinion orders Pallas Palles Shoal position PRESIDENT PRESIDENT-I question Rear-Admiral recollect Revenge Road of Aix sail sent shells shew shore shot signal Sir Harry Neale situation small vessels squadron thing three-decker tide Valiant Varsovie W. W. POLE weighed wind
Popular passages
Page 108 - Imperieuse, and other ships employed in that service, it appears to us that the said Admiral Lord Gambier, on the 12th day of the said month of April, the enemy's ships being then on shore, and the signal having been made that they could be destroyed, did for a considerable time neglect or delay taking effectual measures for destroying them.
Page 121 - I imagine, that the space for their anchorage is so confined by the shoalness of the water, as not to admit of ships to run in and anchor clear of each other. The most distant ships of their two lines are within point-blank shot of the works...
Page 19 - ... projected attack on the enemy's squadron off Isle d'Aix, I have their Lordships commands to signify their direction to you to employ Lord Cochrane in the above-mentioned service accordingly, whenever the attack shall take place ; and I am to acquaint you that the twelve fireships, of which you already had notice, are now in the Downs in readiness, and detained only by contrary winds, and that Mr. Congreve is also at that anchorage, with an assortment of rockets, ready to proceed with the fireships....
Page 2 - And whereas, by the Log-books and Minutes of Signals of the Caledonia, Imperieuse, and other ships employed on that service, it appears to us, that the said Admiral Lord Gambier, on the 12th day of the said month of April, the enemy's ships being then on shore, and the signal having...
Page 5 - Aix, as well as from the enemy's ships, most of which cut or slipt their cables, and from the confined anchorage got on shore, and thus avoided taking fire. At daylight the following morning, Lord Cochrane communicated to me by telegraph, that seven of the enemy's ships were on shore and might be destroyed.
Page 136 - Cochrane has expressed opinion, that two or three sail of the line sent in on the morning of the 12th might, by running up on the verge of the Boyart shoal, have passed to leeward of the two French ships remaining at anchor. This I declare to have been absolutely...
Page 1 - Gambier; but that his lordship's conduct on that occasion, as well as his general conduct and proceedings as commander-in-chief of the Channel fleet in Basque roads, between the 17th day of March and the 29th day of April, 1809, was marked by zeal, judgment, ability, and an anxious attention to the welfare of his majesty's service,. and doth 'adjudge him to be most honourably acquitted; and the said Admiral the Right Honourable Lord Gambier is hereby most honourably acquitted accordingly.
Page 70 - Then he apologized for the freedom which he used in advising the commander inchief, saying, he took that liberty as a friend, for it would be impossible, things remaining as they were, to prevent murmurs in England. My lord, he concluded, you have desired me to speak candidly to you, and I have used that freedom.
Page 137 - Lord Gambier argued, in opposition to this statement, that what Lord Cochrane supposed to be ruins, were in fact materials for improving or increasing the works. " Can it be natural to suppose...