Royal Naval Biography/Hotham, Henry
HON. SIR HENRY HOTHAM,
Rear-Admiral of the Red; and Knight Commander of the most honorable Military Order of the Bath.
This officer, the youngest son of Beamout, second Lord Hotham, of the kingdom of Ireland, (who succeeded to the title on the death of his brother, a distinguished Admiral[1],) by Susanna, second daughter of Sir Thomas Hankey, Knt., relict of James Norman, Esq.; was born July 19, 1777; and in 1794, commanded the Fleche sloop, on the Mediterranean station; from which vessel he appears to have been removed successively into the Mignone, Dido, and Blanche frigates. His post commission bears date, Jan. 13, 1795.
On the 12th Sept. 1800, Captain Hotham being on a cruize in the Immortalité, of 36 guns, observed two large privateers coming out of the Gironde; these he chaced 259 miles to the westward, but in the second night they escaped. However, on the 20th, he retook the English ship Monarch, of 645 tons, laden with timber, which had been in the enemy’s possession four days. On the 22d of the same month, he gave chace to a French brig of war; and at 9h 30’ P.M. had arrived within musket shot, when both vessels unexpectedly took the ground near Noirmoutier, where the brig was totally destroyed; but the Immortalite fortunately got off at day-light the next morning, without any material damage, and with the loss only of an anchor, a cable, and a boat.
On the 26th and 29th of the following month, Captain Hotham assisted at the capture of le Diable a Quatre, French privateer, of 16 guns and 150 men; and a schooner letter of marque, from Guadaloupe to Bourdeaux, laden with coffee. He subsequently took la Laure, of 14 guns and 78 men; and l’Invention, a remarkably fine, and singularly constructed vessel, carrying 24 guns on a flush deck, and 210 men. She had four masts, each rigged in the usual manner; was built on a plan entirely peculiar to herself, designed by her commander, Monsieur Thibaut, and of extraordinary dimensions, being 147 feet long, and 27 wide. She had only left Bourdeaux nine days before, on her first cruize. During the chace, the Arethusa frigate was seen at a distance, and from her situation greatly assisted Captain Hotham in capturing her.
Towards the close of the war, the Immortalité was stationed off Brest, watching the enemy’s fleet in that port[2]. Soon after the renewal of hostilities in 1803, Captain Hotham obtained the command of the Imperieuse, of 40 guns; and in the same year he re-captured a South-Sea whaler, homeward bound, in the Channel. He soon after removed into the Revolutionaire, of 44 guns, and in that ship had the honor of conveying the Duke of Sussex from Lisbon to Portsmouth, where H.R.H. was landed Aug. 15, 1804. On the 4th of the following month, Captain Hotham sailed with the outward bound East India fleet, which he escorted to a certain latitude, and then proceeded to Halifax.
We next find our officer commanding the Defiance, of 74 guns, under the orders of Rear-Admiral Stopford, whose squadron, on the 23d Feb., 1809, chaced three of the enemy’s frigates into the Sable d’Olonne, where they were immediately attacked. Captain Hotham anchored the Defiance within half a mile of them; in which situation, so judiciously chosen, the fire of that ship, and of the Caesar and Donegal, whose great draught of water prevented them approaching quite so near, obliged two of the frigates to cut their cables and run on shore. The ebb-tide making, and the water falling fast, compelled the Defiance to get under sail, and the other ships to stand out; leaving all the frigates on shore, two of them heeling much. The number and strength of the French batteries under which they lay, and the apparent impossibility of their ever again being able to put to sea, weighed with the Rear-Admiral not to renew the attack. In the performance of this service, the Defiance was much cut up in her masts, had 2 men killed, and 25 wounded; the Donegal had 1 killed and 6 wounded; and the Caesar was much disabled in her bowsprit and rigging.
In the following summer, Captain Hotham was employed on the coast of Spain, co-operating with the patriots of that country. After the evacuation of Ferrol and Corunna, by the French Marshal Ney, June 21st and 22d, the proximity of the enemy’s position continuing to hold the authorities established by the French at Corunna in subjection through the fear of his return, no communication being suffered with the British ships but by flag of truce, and the state of defence in which the batteries and lines on the sea side were left, rendering it dangerous for the English to land or approach the coast in the event of the re-appearance of the enemy; Captain Hotham on the 24th ordered a detachment of seamen and marines to land and disable the guns on the different batteries bearing on the anchorage, offering at the same time to the Governor the services of the party in rendering any assistance that might be in its power to the patriotic cause. The cannon and mortars on the sea lines at Corunna, and in the forts commanding the bay, were accordingly all dismounted on the same day, leaving untouched those on the lines towards the land, which had been spiked by the enemy.
On the 26th, our officer sent Captain Parker, of the Amazon, to Ferrol, where he was received by the people with the loudest acclamations of joy. The castle of San Felipe, however, was still under the command of a person appointed by Marshal Ney, and attached to the French interests, with a garrison composed of a detachment of a legion raised by the enemy during their possession of Ferrol and Conmna; and on the 27th, Captain Hotham received information that the above commandant had given orders to fire on any English ships or boats that might attempt to pass the castle. In consequence, Captain Hotham repaired to Ferrol in the Defiance, and landed the marines of that ship and the Amazon, with a party of armed seamen, under the direction of Captain Parker, who entered the castle without opposition. The detachment then proceeded to the town of Ferrol, where it was received in the most affectionate manner by the inhabitants; and having arrested the commandant of the castle in the name of King Ferdinand, sent him on board the Defiance. The Governor of Ferrol not having any means of garrisoning the castle, the guns in it were spiked, the powder removed to the arsenal, and the place left under the command of the former Governor, who had been suspended by the enemy.
In the following autumn, Captain Hotham was appointed to the Northumberland, a 74-gun ship of the largest class, in which, on the 22d Nov. in the same year, he captured la Glaneuse, French privateer ketch, of 14 guns and 85 men, after a second pursuit, having chaced her the day before, and prevented one of his Majesty’s packets from falling into her power.
In the spring of 1812, Captain Hotham, whose local knowledge of the coast, ability, and zeal, well qualified him for the service, was sent by Rear-Admiral Sir Harry Neale, under whose orders he had for some time been employed off Ushant, to cruize near l’Orient, for the purpose of intercepting two French frigates and a brig, that were supposed to be on their return to some port in the bay. On the 22d May, at 9h 45’ A.M. the Northumberland, in company with the Growler gun-brig, being off Isle Grouais, discovered the expected enemy in the N.W., crowding all possible sail before the wind for l’Orient. Captain Hotham’s first endeavour was to cut them off to windward of the island; but finding he could not effect it, the Northumberland was pushed round the S.E. end of Grouais, and, by hauling to the wind as close as could be to leeward of that island, Captain Hotham had the satisfaction of fetching to windward of the harbour’s mouth, before the French ships reached it. Their Commodore, seeing himself thus cut off, made a signal to his consorts, and hauled to the wind on the larboard tack, to windward of Point Talcet, and they appeared to speak each other. The Northumberland continued beating to windward between Grouais and the main land, to close with them, exposed to the batteries on both sides, when she stood within their reach, which was unavoidable. At 2h 49’ P.M., the enemy bore up in close line a-head; and under every sail that could be set, favoured by a fresh breeze, made a bold and determined attempt to run between her and the shore, under cover of the numerous batteries with which it is lined in that part. Captain Hotham placed the Northumberland to meet them as close as he could to the Point de Pierre Laye, with her head to the shore, and the main-top-sail shivering, and made dispositions for laying one of them alongside; but they hauled so very close round the point, following the direction of the coast to the eastward of it, that, in his ignorance of the depth of water so near the shore, he did not think it practicable, consistent with the safety of the King’s ship (drawing near 25 feet) to prosecute that plan. He therefore bore up, and steered parallel to them, at the distance of about two cables’ length, and opened his broadside on them, which was returned by a very animated and well-directed fire of round, grape, and other shot, supported by three batteries for the space of 21 minutes, and was very destructive to the Northumberland’s sails and rigging. Captain Hotham’s object, during that time, was to prevent their hauling outside the dry rock, named Le Graul; but in steering sufficiently close to leave them no room to pass between him and it, and at the same time to avoid running on it himself, the utmost difficulty and anxiety was produced by the cloud of smoke which drifted a-head of the Northumberland, and totally obscured it. However, by the care and attention of Mr. Hugh Stewart, the Master, the ship was carried within the distance of her own length on the S.W. side, in a quarter less seven fathoms; and the enemy were in consequence obliged, as their only alternative, to attempt passing within it, where there was not water enough, and they all grounded, under every sail, on the rocks between it and the shore.
The sails and rigging of the Northumberland were so much damaged that Captain Hotham was obliged to leave the enemy to the effects of the falling tide, it being only quarter ebb, while he repaired the rigging and shifted the fore-top-sail, which was rendered entirely useless; working to windward during that time under what sail he could set, to prevent falling to leeward; in which interval, at 5 o’clock, the Growler came up, and fired on the enemy occasionally. At 5h 28’, the Northumberland was anchored in six and a half fathoms water, with her broadside bearing on the enemy’s vessels, at point blank range, all of them having fallen over on their sides next the shore as the tide left them; and for an hour and a quarter a deliberate and careful fire was kept up on them, their copper being all the time exposed. At the expiration of that period, it being near low water, and Captain Hotham believing he had fully effected, the object of his endeavours, the French crews having quitted their vessels, all their bottoms being pierced by very many shot so low down as to ensure their filling on the rising tide, and the leading frigate being completely in flames, communicated to the hull from a fire which broke out in her fore-top, he got under sail. Three batteries fired at the Northumberland during the whole time she was at anchor; and although the position[3] was so far well chosen that she was out of the range of two of them, the other (to which the enemy’s vessels were nearest) reached her, and did as much execution in the hull as all the fire she had been exposed to before.
At five minutes before eight, the frigate on fire blew up with an awful explosion, leaving no remains of her visible. At ten, the other frigate appeared to be on fire also; and at half-past eleven, the flames burst forth from her ports and every part with unextinguishable fury; she burnt all night, and exploded at about half-past two on the following morning, as did also the brig in the course of the day.
The enemy’s squadron consisted of l’Arianne and l’Andromache, of 44 guns and 450 men each, and the Mameluke brig, of 18 guns and 150 men. They had been cruizing for four months in various parts of the Atlantic, and were on their return to France, deeply laden with the most valuable portion of the cargoes of thirty-six vessels of different nations, which they had taken and destroyed. A line-of-battle ship, with sails bent, and top-gallant-yards across, lay at the entrance of the harbour of l’Orient, spectator of the operations of the day, but the wind did not serve till night for her coming to the support of her friends; every assistance, however, was afforded them of boats, men, &c. from the port, directed, as Captain Hotham supposed, by the French Admiral in person.
When the gallantry of the action with such a force, under numerous galling batteries, and the intricacy of the navigation amidst dangerous rocks, at the very mouth of the enemy’s harbour, are taken into consideration, the performance of so important a service, while it reflects the highest honor upon the courage, skill, and extraordinary management of all concerned, must be acknowledged to have added fresh lustre to the naval annals of Great Britain. No officer but one who possessed great local knowledge, could, under such difficult circumstances, have ventured to undertake the service that Captain Hotham so bravely and so effectually performed. The loss sustained by the Northumberland amounted to 5 men killed and 28 wounded.
At the general promotion, Dec. 4th, 1813, our officer was nominated a Colonel of Royal Marines. He subsequently served as Captain of the Fleet and as a Flag-Officer, under the orders of Sir Alexander Cochrane, on the American station. His first commission as Rear-Admiral bears date June 4th, 1814; and on the 2d Jan. 1815, he obtained the rank of a K.C.B. On the renewal of the war in Europe, occasioned by Napoleon Buonaparte’s return from Elba, Sir Henry Hotham commanded a division of the Channel fleet; and after the battle of Waterloo, was stationed on the French coast to prevent the escape of that personage, who, as is well known, surrendered himself to the Bellerophon, which ship formed a part of the force under our officer’s orders[4]. In the spring of 1818 Sir Henry was called upon to take a seat at the Board of Admiralty, where he remained until the month of March, 1822.
- ↑ See note, at p. 580.
- ↑ The following singular anecdote is related of the conduct of a pilot belonging to the Immortality, whilst employed on the above service;
This man, either a Frenchman, or speaking French extremely well, expressed a great desire to Captain Hotham, that he would permit him to go on shore and get information of the state and situation of the enemy’s fleet. After frequent solicitations Captain Hotham consented, and he was put on shore in the night, with a promise that a boat should be sent to bring him off, at a proper time. The boat was accordingly sent five successive nights to the place appointed, but no pilot was there. At the expiration of eight days, he came alongside in a French boat rowed by two men; and gave the following account of himself. That fearing lest he should be apprehended as a spy, he gave up the idea of attempting to get off as agreed upon, and came to the resolution of hiring a boat to go into Cameret Bay; upon getting pretty near to it, he told the men he did not mean that bay, he meant Berthaume Bay, which was about half way to the ship; when he had approached near this bay, he said he wanted to go to point St. Mathews, (which was not more than two gun shots from the frigate) upon this the men flew in a passion, telling him they would take him back to Brest. The pilot instantly took a brace of pistols from his pocket; and pointing one at each of them, exclaimed – “I am an Englishman; and if you do not put me on board my ship, without delay, I will blow your brains out.” With which the Frenchmen judged it best to comply.
This resolute fellow had absolutely been on board some of the ships of war, and gave an exact account of their condition and force.
- ↑ Anchor-bearings, – Point de Pierre Laye, N.W. ½N.; the citadel of Port Louis, E. ¼N,; and the rock named Le Graul, N. ½E. two cables’ length distant.
- ↑ See Captain F. L. Maitland, in our next volume.