Peace of Amiens - 2. Chapter 2

August 5, 1801

The Admiralty

Granger had made his way through his idolaters, raising his hat and thanking them for their attention. He certainly hoped lying to the public like that wasn’t a sin worthy of damnation, then pondered that if that was the case, hell would be overflowing with politicians. He strode confidently into the Admiralty and noticed that it was quite crowded today, so it was a relief that when he went up to the desk and signed in, he could write “by appointment” next to his name.

“Would you wait here for just a moment, my lord,” the secretary said.

“Certainly,” Granger said pleasantly. He waited for approximately 5 minutes only to see the secretary return carrying a packet, which he handed to Granger.

“Your orders, my lord,” he said. That really irritated Granger. It was quite disrespectful to make him come down to the Admiralty only to receive his orders, orders they could have sent by courier.

“Is the First Lord here?” Granger asked, worried that he was not on as good of terms with St. Vincent as he had thought.

“No, my lord, he is in the country,” the secretary replied. “Mr. Nepean is here, though.” Granger did not like Nepean. He was the son of an innkeeper, and had advanced into this job by serving as a clerk then a purser on various ships until luck and talent had brought him to his current position, First Secretary to the Admiralty. He was the primary overseer of the Admiralty’s expenses and purchases, including victualling. Granger found him too arrogant, and to put up with someone with his background, who was currently the chief money-grubber for the navy, was especially galling to him.

“I would like you to convey a message to Mr. Nepean for me,” Granger said. “I would also appreciate it if you would relay it to Lord St. Vincent as well.”

“Of course, my lord,” the secretary said, waiting for Granger to speak, then finally understanding that Granger wanted him to write it down. He picked up his pen and prepared a piece of paper.

“Please tell Mr. Nepean that I enjoyed our meeting today at 9:00. I found his conversation as riveting as always,” Granger said.

“But my lord, you didn’t meet with Mr. Nepean,” the secretary said.

“Precisely,” Granger said with a steely look, then turned on his heel and exited the Admiralty. As was the pattern when he came here, the crowds were bigger when he left.

“Orders, my lord?” a man from the mob shouted, obviously referring to the packet in Granger’s hand.

Granger normally would smile and nod, but he was annoyed, and strangely enough that made him more receptive to the crowd. “I’m hoping, but I haven’t read them yet,” he said in a playful way.

“They’ll not send you back to India, my lord?” a woman asked in a horrified tone.

“I suspect I will be spared that voyage, at least for the short term,” Granger said, then raised his hat to the crowd, getting wild cheers from them in return. The marine sergeant looked at him dubiously, annoyed that Granger had stirred up the mob, but they cleared a path for him anyway. He remembered Daventry’s words, when he’d explained to him that the mob was a useful tool in ensuring he had a ship. Perhaps this fanfare would remind Mr. Nepean of that fact, and that if the mob found out he was rude to Granger, they may very well break all the windows in his house. He was of a mind to open his orders in the carriage, but such a thing seemed undignified, so he waited until the carriage arrived at Portland Place.

“Welcome back, my lord,” Cheevers said. “Winkler and the children are back.” Granger chuckled that Cheevers had lumped those two together.

“I am glad to hear that,” Granger said. “I will be in my library. I would appreciate a cup of tea.”

“Right away, my lord,” Cheevers said.

Granger went into his library, pulled out a penknife, and broke the seals to his packet. There were orders, along with a letter of explanation from St. Vincent. He was about to read the letter, but those unique words caught his attention. “Orders from The Right Honorable Earl St. Vincent, Admiral of the Red, Knight of the Bath, and First Lord of the Admiralty, to Captain the Right Honorable Earl of Brentwood, Knight of the Bath. You are hereby requested and required to repair as soon as possible on board His Majesty’s ship Endymion, and to take command pro tempore of the aforesaid ship.” Granger could not stop a huge grin from spreading across his face, even though he was discouraged by the words ‘pro tempore’, which meant this was only a temporary assignment.

He put those down and read the letter from St. Vincent.

Brentwood,

Captain Sir Thomas Williams, who is currently in command of HM frigate Endymion has been promoted to the command of HM ship Vanguard. His replacement, Captain Phillip Durham, will be unable to join the ship until the first week of October.

This coincides with the need to have a frigate on hand to patrol the seas while His Majesty is in Weymouth. His Majesty has requested that you captain the ship that guards His Person, so in this way, I can accommodate His Majesty’s wishes.

St. Vincent.

There was a lot to digest in that brief letter, the most important and flattering thing was that the King had personally requested that Granger be chosen to watch over him. Granger let that flattery go to his head for only a minute until he realized what a chore it would be to constantly entertain his sovereign on board, not to mention the prodigious cost. And as he’d feared, this was only a temporary assignment. Captain Durham had been posted to the Captain’s List a little over 2 years before Granger, so he was decidedly senior to Granger. If he had been junior to Granger, Granger may have been able to keep the ship under his command.

Then Granger remembered why he had smiled. Endymion had a reputation as being the best frigate in the Royal Navy. She had been loosely copied from the plans of the captured French frigate, Pomone, which had been Sir John Borlase Warren’s ship when he’d commanded one of the frigate squadrons sailing from Falmouth, along with Pellew and Strachan. He had achieved some remarkable feats with Pomone, but while that ship was exceptional, Endymion was better.

Endymion had been designed using Pomone’s lines, but she had been built using British principles, which meant that she was much sturdier, with British-styled knees, planking, couplings, and rigging. She was not too dissimilar to Valiant in size and firepower, and in fact Valiant was only an inch or two longer and wider than Endymion. Endymion carried 28 24-pound cannon on her gun deck, along with 8 32-pound carronades and 12 9-pounder long guns on her fo’c’sle and quarterdeck. She had almost as much firepower as Valiant. But while Endymion did not have Valiant’s strength, because she was designed as a frigate while Valiant had the scantlings of a ship of the line, she had something much more useful. Endymion was the fastest ship in the fleet. Granger had heard that she could do almost 15 knots running before the wind, and 11 knots when close-hauled. That was extraordinary. She truly was the leopard of the seas, in that there was no ship that could catch her that she could not overpower. Granger felt his blood pulsing with excitement.

“Your tea, my lord,” Cheevers said, placing the hot beverage on his table.

“Thank you, Cheevers. Did Dr. Jackson and Mr. Andrews return with the others.”

“They did, my lord, but I think they found lodging in another part of the city,” Cheevers said.

“Would you ask Winkler and Lefavre to join me here as soon as is practical,” Granger asked. “Then I would be most obliged if you would get a message to Dr. Jackson and Mr. Andrews asking them to call on me at once.”

“Of course, my lord,” Cheevers said, and exited the room smoothly.

The results of his departure were apparent almost immediately when Winkler entered the room. “I see you have returned,” Granger said calmly, barely managing to conceal his joy at his new command.

“I have indeed, my lord, but it was a most arduous journey,” Winkler complained. Lefavre chose that moment to enter, the seemingly permanent scowl still glued to his face.

“You will be back in a coach again tomorrow morning,” Granger said to Winkler, “as will you,” he said, speaking to Lefavre.

“I would be happier enduring a hot and dusty coach ride, my lord, if I knew the purpose of our trip,” Lefavre said in his bold way. Unlike Nepean’s rudeness, Granger found Lefavre’s grouchy insubordination somewhat endearing.

“I am to be given command of the Endymion, and we are to be His Majesty’s guard vessel while he is in Weymouth,” Granger said. “I expect we will spend much time entertaining His Majesty and other members of the royal family.”

“I will be busy,” Lefavre said, and actually smiled briefly. “If you will pardon me, I will go and start planning for your stores, my lord.”

“That is fine,” Granger said. “I am trying to track down Andrews and Jackson, so hopefully the purser will arrive in time to help out.”

‘Hopefully, my lord,” Lefavre grumbled, back to his grouchy mood, as he left the room.

“I’ve heard tell that the Endymion is the Queen of the Seas, my lord,” Winkler said, grinning.

“My sources would agree with you, Winkler,” Granger said. “Sadly, it is only to be a temporary posting. I will have to relinquish command of her in the beginning of October.”

“That is most unfortunate, my lord,” Winkler said. “We will just have to enjoy the next few months.

“Indeed we will,” Granger said, then smiled, a huge smile, and let Winkler share in his happiness.

August 10, 1801

Cowes, The Isle of Wight

Granger had arrived at his home here 4 days ago, but there was still no sign of Endymion. He logically reminded himself that Andrews and Lefavre had been frantically accumulating stores for his cabin, while Winkler had a similarly huge task in making sure his furnishings were ready to be stowed aboard. As was his habit, Granger had awakened just before dawn, and Winkler, knowing those habits so well, had already helped Granger dress. Granger made his way down to the dining room where he enjoyed breakfast alone, then he strode out of the house and stood one level above his fountains, enjoying the sound of the water splashing about. He gazed out at Spithead, but there was a haze that hid that body of water.

Granger shrugged, laughing at himself for using such a French gesture, then went back inside and up to his bedroom. Since there was no sign of his ship, he felt he might as well get some rest. It seemed like he had just fallen asleep when Winkler woke him up. “My lord!” he said urgently.

“What is it, Winkler,” Granger asked lazily.

“There’s a ship approaching, my lord,” Winkler said excitedly. And with those words, Granger was quite awake. He leaped out of bed and hurried to the window just in time to see a ship coming out of the haze.

“That is the Endymion,” Granger said, grinning broadly. “I will need my good uniform.”

“Right away, my lord,” Winkler said. Jacobs appeared, and he was grinning as broadly as Granger was.

“I’ll need the boat ready to take me to the ship,” Granger told him.

“I have anticipated Your Lordship’s desires. The crew is already getting it ready. If you will excuse me, I will go and make sure we are prepared to depart as soon as you are, my lord,” Jacobs said.

“Thank you, that would be wonderful,” Granger said, even as Winkler helped him attach his stockings to his breeches. He probably could have gotten away with wearing his second-best uniform along with trousers, but taking command of a ship was a very formal ceremony, and it would not do for him to look at all tawdry. Winkler finished helping Granger dress, then stood back and admired how good Granger looked. “I have but to tie my cravat, and then I will be ready.”

“Of course, my lord,” Winkler said. He watched as Granger tried to tie the cravat, but his normally calm master was unusually excited, and botched his first attempt. Winkler handed him a new piece of cloth, getting a frown from Granger. Granger forced himself to slow down and do the thing correctly, lest he have to start all over again, and this time his efforts were successful. “Excellent, my lord,” Winkler said.

“I would say my effort was good, not excellent,” Granger observed vapidly, getting a grin from Winkler. “It would not bear close inspection by Daventry or Beau Brummel, but I suspect that Captain Williams will find it adequate.”

“I suspect he will, my lord,” Winkler said. Granger descended to the main level, pausing to grab his orders from his library, then descended to the lower level, where the baths fed into his fountains. He walked slowly down the path, knowing that there could be people watching him, until he got to the pier and found Jacobs and the footmen he had drafted to be his boat crew waiting for him. Winkler entered the boat first, followed by Granger. A nod to Jacobs was all it took to get the craft moving.

Granger was oblivious to their efforts, with his eyes focused on his new command. She was the most beautiful ship Granger had ever seen. Her lines, derived from her French ancestor, made her look almost elegant. Granger compared her to Valiant, which looked so ungainly. Endymion was almost 160 feet long, close enough to Valiant as to make no difference, but she was narrower, and that made her look sleek. Granger began to focus more on her details. The ship appeared to be in top-notch order, in that there was no evident fraying in her rigging, and her paint and ornamentation looked very good, especially for a ship that had been at sea. “Boat ahoy!” came the cry from her deck.

Granger nodded to Jacobs, who, using his deep loud voice, shouted back “Endymion.”

The boat pulled up and hooked on, then Granger leapt for her chains, and found that he landed on them perfectly, well above the water so he didn’t get wet. He hoped that would turn out to be a good luck omen. He pulled himself through the entry port to find himself facing an array of faces, some of which were familiar, but he focused on Captain Sir Thomas Williams. Williams was probably in his late thirties, and handsome in a weather-beaten way. He came from a naval family, and had been awarded a knighthood when, as captain of HMS Unicorn, he had captured the French frigate Tribune without suffering a single casualty. “Welcome aboard, my lord,” Williams said affably, and extended a hand, which Granger took.

“Thank you, Sir Thomas,” Granger said. “I fear I have come to relieve you.”

“We got those orders a week or so back, my lord,” Williams said. “Before we go through those details, perhaps Your Lordship should read yourself in.”

“Of course, Sir Thomas,” Granger said. Williams gave the order to call all hands, while Granger watched as the men assembled in the waist and on the fo’c’sle. They looked healthy, although their clothes were not in the best of shape. He took a breath and read his orders to them, and as of the moment he did that, he was Endymion’s captain. “You may dismiss the men,” he said, to a lieutenant he had not yet met.

“Aye aye, my lord,” he acknowledged.

“My lord, I would appreciate the opportunity to introduce you to your officers,” Williams said formally. It dawned on Granger that this man was a bit in awe of him, because he was acting just like he would if he were at court. It was quite charming that he seemed to assume that was the way Granger would act all the time, then Granger almost frowned when he realized that he probably did.

“I would be most appreciative, Sir Thomas,” Granger said.

A relatively young man, one who was probably 23 or 24 and quite handsome, approached him. His appearance was unique in that his features were very sharp, and his face was very narrow. “My lord, I’m Charles Austen, your first lieutenant.”

“It is good to meet you, Mr. Austen,” Granger said pleasantly, then Austen made way for Endymion’s second lieutenant.

“It is good to see you, sir,” Kingsdale said, as he grasped Granger’s hands warmly. Kingsdale was an Irish peer and had been all but adopted by Granger’s father, the Duke of Suffolk.

“We will have to find time to catch up on our travels,” Granger said.

The next man to demand his attention looked even younger than Austen, but he was also more handsome, with dark brown hair, a very pointy nose and chin, while also having very narrow eyes and lips. “George Miller Bligh, my lord,” he said, trying to sound confident but failing miserably. “I’m the third lieutenant.”

“It is nice to meet you, Mr. Bligh,” Granger said. Bligh came from a naval family, although he couldn’t recall which branch. He hoped his father wasn’t the Captain Bligh of Bounty infamy. “Your father is an officer in His Majesty’s navy too, is he not?”

“He is indeed, my lord,” Bligh said proudly. “Admiral Richard Bligh.”

“When next you write to him, you must give him my regards,” Granger said with great respect, for Richard Bligh was a legend. Bligh, in 1794 as captain of the Alexander, was sailing in concert with HMS Canada, both of them 74-gun ships-of-the-line. They encountered a force of five French 74s and three large frigates. Bligh had fought Alexander so hard she was nearly sinking by the time she was captured. Bligh had so damaged the French that they had to return to port, and undoubtedly saved several convoys. It was an incredibly brave and noble thing to fight such a battle against those odds.

“I will do that, my lord,” he said.

Williams introduced him to the rest of the wardroom officers. “My lord, you’ll find the ship has sufficient stores, but needs water. Lord Kingsdale advised me that you had a facility to water vessels?”

“I do indeed, Sir Thomas,” Granger said. He paused to give Austen orders to water the ship, and told Kingsdale to assist him as he knew how the system worked. “Perhaps you can show me to my cabin, and then you can dine with me ashore.”

“Right this way, my lord,” Williams said, and led them down the ladder to the upper or main deck, where the 24-pounder cannon stood stolidly, waiting for their chance to be in action. He led Granger into a very nice cabin, with Winkler trailing after him. Winkler immediately went over to converse with Williams’ chief steward.

“Your accommodations are quite nice,” Granger said politely.

“We are busy packing up, my lord, as I intend to transfer to the Vanguard directly,” Williams said. “Unfortunately, that means I won’t be able to dine with Your Lordship, but I would appreciate an opportunity to see this system for watering.”

“Then that is what we will do, Sir Thomas,” Granger said.

“I am wondering if you would allow me to poach the purser from Endymion, my lord?” he asked nervously.

“I have a man with me who normally serves in that role, so it would be no problem,” Granger said. “I also have a doctor.”

“Then, with Your Lordship’s permission, I will take those gentlemen serving on Endymion with me and give orders for Vanguard’s current doctor and purser to report on board after October 1,” Williams said.

“You thought that out quite well, Sir Thomas,” Granger said, shooting his legendary charm at the man, and watched it have the impact of a first rate firing a broadside.

“Thank you, my lord,” Williams said, smiling almost shyly, then led them up to the deck.

“Mr. Austen,” Granger called.

“My lord?” he said, and approached them.

“Sir Thomas and I will be going ashore,” Granger said. “You have the ship.”

“Aye aye, my lord,” Austen said. They had already brought Endymion’s gig around, presumably to allow Williams to head over to Vanguard, but they would be better served by loading his furniture into the launch and taking Williams to Vanguard in that craft. He decided to say nothing and see how Austen handled it.

“My lord, may we precede you into the boat,” said a familiar voice with its heavy Italian accent. Granger turned to find himself facing the midshipman who was a Sicilian prince, and who had been entrusted to him by their Sicilian Majesties.

“Mr. Genarro, what a pleasure to see you,” Granger said, and gestured for him to go into the boat. Genarro followed the two seamen, who were then followed by Granger then Williams. He was pleased to see that Jacobs had managed to assume his role as coxswain. “I must thank you for taking in my former midshipmen,” he said to Williams.

“I suspect your lordship would do the same for me,” Williams said. “Both Mr. Genarro and Mr. Travers are proving to be fine young officers.”

“Thank you, sir,” Genarro said to Williams. It was refreshing to see the evident respect in Genarro’s eyes as he said that. Williams just nodded to him, then focused on the shore as they approached Granger’s home.

“Your fountains are most beautiful, my lord, and are a most welcoming sight,” Williams said.

“I have grown to appreciate them, Sir Thomas,” Granger said. Taking this trip was almost agonizing, as Granger wanted nothing more than to be aboard Endymion, getting to know his officers, his ship, and his men. Yet Granger was nothing if not polite, so he gallantly pressed on. He led Williams over to the fountains and explained which ones were genuine Roman relics and which had been created by artisans here in England. He then led Williams up the stairs to the main level, and watched as Williams ogled his grand home.

“This is as nice a place as I have ever seen, my lord,” Williams said.

“Thank you, Sir Thomas,” Granger replied politely, then guided him across the road that led to the house and showed him the large pond. “This is one of three bodies of water on this property. This is basically the reservoir. There is a small stream that feeds into it, so it is filled by the rains.”

“Has it just been completed, my lord?” Williams asked, since there had clearly been construction going on.

“In a sense, Sir Thomas, that is correct,” Granger said. “We discovered that when watering a ship, the water level in the pond would get so low that there was not enough water to fill the baths or run the fountains. They have just recently finished enlarging it.”

“Excellent, my lord,” he said.

Granger followed Genarro and the seamen over to the side of the house. “We had originally set up canvas hoses to carry the water down this hill and to the ship. One of my footmen, on his own initiative, came up with this solution. There is a pipe that runs from the pond down to the pier. If you look closely, you can probably see it,” Granger said.

“I can indeed. And how does it operate, my lord?” Williams asked.

“Sometimes we will employ a canvas hose long enough to reach the ship, but in this case we will bring the water casks over in the longboat,” Granger said, gesturing at that craft as it approached. “You will notice these signal flags,” Granger said, pointing at the flags Genarro had brought with him.

“Signal flags, my lord?” Williams asked, confused.

“Yes, Sir Thomas,” Granger replied calmly. “Once the boat has reached the pier, they will attach a canvas hose to the end of the pipe. They will then signal Mr. Genarro, who will acknowledge that signal then open this valve and allow the water to flow to the pier.”

“It would seem to be difficult to get the water flowing, my lord,” Williams observed.

“It is actually quite easy, but sometimes requires a bit of priming, Sir Thomas,” Granger said. Williams looked even more confused. “If there is water in the pipe, gravity will force it down, and the suction it creates draws water from the pond. It will start out slowly, then become a very strong stream.”

“Fascinating, my lord,” Williams said. Granger led him back down to the pier just as they were ready to start. Kingsdale was ashore to handle things at the pier. Once the canvas hose had been rigged, he signaled to Genarro to open the valve. He then ordered the seaman with him to open the valve on the pier.

“There is a valve here as well, just to prevent the entire pond from being drained should the upper valve malfunction,” Granger explained, both to Williams and to the seaman with Kingsdale. “It is also convenient to use it to stop the water as we are filling the casks.”

A man held the canvas hose, and they heard an almost gurgling sound as air was being pushed out of the pipe. There were a few spurts of water, then a trickle, and then in no time at all, water began spraying out quite forcefully, with the surprised seaman quickly aiming the water into the cask. “My lord, that is a truly innovative and amazing system,” Williams said. “Thank you for showing me how it works.”

“I am unclear as to what our orders are, Sir Thomas, but it would please me if you could dine with me the day after tomorrow,” Granger said.

“As long as I am in port, I will be happy to accept your invitation, my lord,” he said. They re-entered the gig for the short ride back to the ship, where Granger was pleased to see the launch all but filled with Williams’ furnishings.