Royal Naval Biography/M'Kerlie, John
JOHN M‘KERLIE, Esq.
A Magistrate for Wigtonshire, N.B.
[Post-Captain of 1813.]
Is descended from a Scottish warrior, who resided at Cruggleton castle, in the above county, and was expelled from thence by the English, for his faithful adherence to Sir William Wallace, the renowned champion of Caledonia, and the patron of her expiring independency; which chieftain undertook an expedition into West Galloway, for the express purpose of reinstating him in his paternal domain. Ever since that period, the M‘Kerlies have continued to reside in the said district.
The subject of this memoir was born June 7, 1777. His father, who occupied a large farm belonging to the Earl of Galloway, early determined upon sending him to sea, and accordingly placed him, by way of trial, and when very young, under the care of a friend engaged in the Baltic trade, with whom, we believe, he likewise made several voyages across the Atlantic.
Early in 1794, we find him joining the Arethusa frigate, commanded by Sir Edward Pellew (now Viscount Exmouth), to whose favorable notice he soon recommended himself, by his activity, bravery, and zeal. It would be superfluous to recount the many battles and skirmishes in which he was engaged while serving under that distinguished officer, in the Arethusa, Indefatigable, and Impetueux: the most important of them are recorded at pp. 213–220 of Vol. I. Part I.
In the Indefatigable’s gallant action with les Droits de l’Homme, Mr. M‘Kerlie lost his right arm, and received a severe wound in the thigh. On the 6th June, 1800, when a successful attack was made upon the enemy’s shipping in the Morbihan river, he assisted in boarding and blowing up l’Insolente, an 18-gun corvette[1]; on every other occasion of boat service he was always a volunteer. We must here insert an anecdote of Sir Edward Pellew and his enterprising protegé.
After the destruction of the enemy’s forts on the S.W. end of Quiberon, preparations were made for an attack upon Belleisle, and Mr. M‘Kerlie, not having heard how he was to be employed, went up to Sir Edward, interrupted him in a conversation with Major-General Maitland, and asked what part he was to act in the event of a debarkation taking place ? the answer was, “M‘Kerlie, you have lost one hand already, and if you lose the other you will not have any thing to wipe your b****** with; you will remain on board with the first lieutenant, and fight the ship, as she is to engage an 8-gun battery.” However, in the course of the same day he was appointed to command a large prize-boat, intended to receive part of the artillery, and to land with the first division of the army.
After the intention of attacking Belleisle was abandoned, Mr. M‘Kerlie received an order from Sir Edward Pellew to act as lieutenant of the Thames frigate. Captain William Lukin. He passed his examination Aug. 6, 1800; and was promoted by the Admiralty, into the Megaera fire-vessel, on the 12th of the sane month. Previous to the peace of Amiens, he volunteered to assist in burning the enemy’s fleet at Brest, a measure proposed by Captain (now Sir Charles) Brisbane, as already mentioned in our memoir of that gallant officer[2].
During the suspension of hostilities. Lieutenant M‘Kerlie served in the Camilla 24, Captain Henry Hill, on the Newfoundland station; and shortly after the renewal of the war, he was appointed, through the influence of Sir Edward Pellew, first of the Spartiate 74, Captain Sir Francis Laforey, which ship accompanied Nelson to the West Indies in pursuit of the combined fleets of France and Spain; and also bore a share at the memorable battle of Trafalgar[3]. In consequence of that glorious victory, he was advanced to the rank of commander, Dec. 24, 1805.
About this period, Mr. T. Telford, civil engineer, was ordered by the Treasury to make a survey of the line of communication between the north of England and of Ireland. Previous to the commencement of his labours he requested to be assisted by a naval officer; and Captain M‘Kerlie, being then on the spot, and well acquainted with the country, as well as with the harbours and packets, was recommended by the Earl of Galloway to the Admiralty, as a proper person to be thus employed. After the completion of the survey, his report was given in to the Board, and much thought of by their lordships, as a fair and impartial statement of facts.
In 1808, Captain M‘Kerlie received an appointment to the Diligence, one of seven sloops that were ordered to be fitted with long 24-pounders, for the purpose of acting against the Algeziras flotilla, in the event of Gibraltar being attacked by the French and Spanish forces. When quite ready to sail for that place, his orders were countermanded; the great political change that had just taken place in Spain, having rendered it unnecessary for the Diligence and her consorts to proceed thither.
Captain M’Kerlie was immediately afterwards appointed to the Calliope, a new brig, mounting eight 18-pounder carronades and 2 long sixes; with a complement of 75 officers, men, and boys; fitting at Deptford, for the North Sea station. In that vessel he assisted at the capture of Flushing, and was subsequently entrusted with the command of a division of gun-brigs, &c. attached to the Walcheren expedition. His conduct while he remained in the Scheldt was so highly meritorious, that Sir Richard J. Strachan marked his sense of it by giving him the north coast of Holland and the neighbourhood of Heligoland, for a cruising ground; on which he soon captured several merchant vessels, chiefly Danes and Swedes. The manner in which he obtained possession of a large French privateer, is thus described by him in an official letter to his old friend Sir Edward Pellew, under whose orders he was then serving:–
“H.M. sloop Calliope, Oct. 25, 1810.
“At 7 this morning, in lat. 54°-47' N., and long. 2°-46' E., saw a schooner in the S.W. under easy sail, standing towards us, and soon afterwards perceived her to be an enemy; as she appeared to take the Calliope for a merchant brig, I judged it most prudent not to make any sail until she found out her mistake, which was at the distance of about 3 miles, when she bore up and made all sail; at 10-30, we were within reach of shot, firing the bow-guns occasionally; and at 11, within reach of musket-shot; the enemy keeping upon my lee bow, I could not get the great guns to bear; but the whole of the marines and small-arm men kept up a constant and well-directed fire, which was returned with great spirit. At 11-30, got the great guns to bear with round and grape, most of the time within pistol-shot; and as there was so little difference in sailing, my great object was to disable her in her sails and rigging as soon as possible, and which appeared to be the enemy’s principal aim likewise. At 12, his main-mast went overboard; and the rest of his sails and rigging being all cut to pieces, he hailed, and told me he had struck.
“The schooner proved to be la Comtesse d’Hambourg, of 14 guns, eight of which are 12-pounders and six 8-pounders, and 51 men, from Dunkirk; out eight days; but had taken nothing. I am well assured that the capture of this vessel will be of the utmost consequence to the trade of Heligoland and the Baltic, as she is quite new, and sails remarkably well, with a most determined crew.
“I am extremely happy our loss has been but small, having only three wounded. The serjeant of marines I beg leave particularly to mention, as a highly deserving and brave man; he received two musket-balls through his body, and one through his right arm, before he quitted his post on the forecastle. I have judged it prudent to return to Yarmouth with the prisoners and prize, our sails and rigging, in many places, being cut and shot away, and two of the carronades disabled by the bolts of the chocks breaking.
(Signed)“John M‘Kerlie.”
The receipt of this communication was acknowledged by Sir Edward Pellew in the following terms:–
“H.M.S. Christian the 7th, Downs, Oct. 31, 1810.
“Dear M‘Kerlie,– I have this day received your letter of the 25th instant, detailing the particulars of the capture of la Comtesse d’Hambourg, French privateer. I receive great pleasure from the statement of the conduct and gallantry shewn by yourself and the officers, seamen, and marines of the Calliope: and I desire you will express to them my sentiments on this occasion. I have forwarded your letter to the Admiralty, and have not failed to notice the distinguished bravery of your serjeant of marines. I remain, dear M‘Kerlie, yours very sincerely,
(Signed)“Edward Pellew.”
Returning from Yarmouth to his cruising ground, Captain M‘Kerlie fell in with a large French lugger privateer, and, after a pursuit of four hours, drove her into the Vlie passage, near the Texel, where she was subsequently destroyed in a gale of wind. This information was obtained from some Dutch fishermen, who also informed him, that all her guns, 16 in number, were thrown overboard during the chase.
We next find the Calliope attached to the inshore squadron off Flushing; from whence Captain M‘Kerlie was sent by the late Sir William Young, in Mar. 1813, to take the command of the naval force stationed at Heligoland. The following are extracts of the orders which he at the same time received from that officer:–
“As there is great reason to believe that the appearance of a naval force in the Elbe might, under the present circumstances, contribute materially to inspire the inhabitants of the neighbouring coasts with confidence, and encourage them to active resistance of the French.
“You are hereby required and directed to employ on that service all the vessels under your orders which are not absolutely required for other purposes; directing the officer, under whose orders you send them, to use his utmost endeavours to encourage and assist the inhabitants, to protect their vessels, and to take or destroy all those of the enemy which he may fall in with; directing him to be particularly attentive to the movement of vessels in Cuxhaven, from which place it is reported that all the gunboats and naval stores are to be taken to Holland, under the superintendence of a naval officer; the doing of which he is by every means in his power to prevent; taking from the force under his orders in the Elbe whatever vessels he may think necessary to follow and destroy them if they should sail.
“When certain information of the enemy quitting the country on the banks of that river shall be received, you are to send the Drake to Yarmouth for orders, and remain yourself in the command of the vessels at Heligoland, till you receive further orders.
“Given under my hand, in London, this 20th day of March, 1813.
(Signed)“W. Young.”
“To John M‘Kerlie, Esq. &c. &c. &c.”
“Calliope, off Cuxhaven, April 28, 1813.
“Sir,– I have had the honor of receiving your despatch. I have landed 70 men from the squadron, in addition to those already sent on shore, for the purpose of destroying the sea front of the batteries, which we occupy here, and rolling the guns into the river, reserving the land front for our protection, in the event of a sudden attack. I have recalled the Drake, Hearty, and Thrasher, from the river Ems; and, when they arrive, I shall have six men-of-war brigs here, which will be sufficient to cover our retreat with the transports; and the embarkation will be effected in good time, as I can see beyond the town a considerable way on the main road, and I am not at all afraid of a night attack. I have the honor to be, &c.
(Signed)“Jno. M‘Kerlie.”
“To Alexander Cockburn, Esq. H.B.M. Minister, Hamburgh.”
In a letter to Admiral Young, Captain M‘Kerlie thus describes the re-occupation of Cuxhaven by the French:
“Calliope, off Cuxhaven, April May 9, 1813.
“Sir,– With much regret, I have to inform you, that the French are again in possession of Cuxhaven, together with the batteries there.
“On the 7th instant, the enemy made a reconnoissance of our position with 60 light cavalry, which we immediately drove back into the town. Yesterday morning, at 6 o’clock, the same party hove in sight; and at 9, I saw from the top of the light-house, about 1000 or 1200 infantry, with some field-pieces, marching towards the town; immediately afterwards, I discovered about as many more, with field-pieces also: the latter column turned to the right, for the bridge in our front, while the former marched through the town, so that both would join in our front at the same time: it was then low water, which would enable them to storm us on the seaside. Finding it would be impossible to retain our situation with the few veterans from Heligoland, and some marines and seamen from the squadron, Major Kerchzenga, as well as myself, thought it most prudent to embark with our party, and endeavour to dislodge them with the squadron. Just as our party got into the boats, the French entered the fort. The moment I got on board, I made the signal to engage, and could see many of them falling, as they at first exposed themselves very much to our fire. Finding it impossible to dislodge them, as the fort was so low in the centre that all our shot went over them, I made the signal, after two hours’ constant firing from the squadron, to discontinue the action. This morning, some pilots stole off to us, and informed me, that 20 waggons of wounded passed through the town, from the fort, last night. I shall keep a sharp look out on the enemy, and take every opportunity to annoy, and, if possible, make them quit the place. I have the honor to be, &c.
(Signed)“Jno. M‘Kerlie.”
On the 10th May, Captain M‘Kerlie received information, by the Hamburgh mail, of a great battle having been fought, eight days before, near the plain of Lutzen, where the Swedes, in 1632, lost their great king, Gustavus Adolphus, in the moment of victory. This intelligence he immediately despatched to Admiral Young, and at the same time expressed a hope that the enemy at Cuxhaven would be obliged to fall back immediately ; “in which case,” added he, “I shall watch their movements, and, of course, take every advantage with the force you have done me the honor to put under my command.” Whatever were the events on the field, however, it cannot now be doubted, from the consequences, that the engagement was most severely felt by the allies, who afterwards made but little opposition to the advance of the French to the Elbe, a distance of 80 miles from Lutzen. On the 29th of the same month, Baron Von Tettenborn informed the senate of Hamburgh that he had no longer the means of defence, and left it entirely with them what measures to adopt: he then departed with his Cossacks; and on the following day, that city was again in the possession of the enemy.
About this period; many Danish seamen arrived at Bremen, and it was considered probable that gun-boats were about to be equipped in the upper part of the Weser, where their preparations and movements could not be watched, and would therefore be unknown to Captain M‘Kerlie. In consequence of this, Admiral Young desired that, in the performance of his other duties, he would not on any account lose sight of the protection of Heligoland, which he was to consider as the chief object of his attention. “Whatever may be the result of the negociation between this country and Denmark,” says the veteran commander-in-chief, “I am confident of your being too well prepared, and too alert, to he surprised by any sudden active hostile operation the Danes may attempt to make.”
So highly did Admiral Young approve of Captain M‘Kerlie’s conduct on every occasion, that he continued him in the command of the Heligoland squadron, until the arrival of Captain Arthur Farquhar, with a large additional force under his orders, in Oct. 1813. During the seven months that he was employed on that station, as senior officer, the Calliope and her consorts made many prizes, but none, we believe, of sufficient consequence to be particularly mentioned. The capture of the enemy’s shipping, &c. at Braak, in the duchy of Oldenburgh, is thus described by Captain Farquhar, in a letter to Admiral Young, dated Nov. 1, 1813:–
“I had the honour to inform you, by my letter of the 30th ult., that I had ordered Captain M‘Kerlie, with a gun-boat, and a strong division of row-boats, to proceed up the Weser to this place, for the purpose of seizing two corvettes building, as well as all other vessels, naval stores, &c. which he could find belonging to the enemy. I now beg to acquaint you, that I arrived here yesterday, and found that Captain M‘Kerlie had taken possession of the two corvettes, as also two gun-brigs, and several other vessels belonging to the enemy. I have ordered the burghers to do duty, and have landed the marines as a guard and protecting force, whilst we are employed in getting the corvettes ready to move down to the squadron. The whole of the country between this and Bremen is entirely free from the French, and in possession of the allies.”
Each of the corvettes taken at Braak was pierced for 20 guns. When they were ready for sea, Captain M‘Kerlie received orders to escort them to England; and on his arrival, he found himself promoted to post rank, by commission dated Dec. 4, 1813.
On the 4th April, 1816, Captain M‘Kerlie was granted a pension for the loss of his arm. In the same year, when his early patron was preparing to proceed against Algiers, he eagerly sought to accompany him, but did net succeed in his application; nor has he since been employed. We shall here give an extract of a letter, which he afterwards received from his lordship:–
“I am very glad to hear you are well. I should have been glad if you had been with us, but your brother was refused * * * *, Had you been there, I know your ship and your fin would not have been out of hail of your old commander and friend.
“Exmouth.”
Captain M‘Kerlie married Harriet, second daughter of Patrick Stewart, of Cairnsmure and Burness, Esq. by whom he has issue one daughter.
Agent.– Messrs. Cooke, Halford, and Son.