David Carnegie Andrew Agnew

“ The French fleet consisted of ten line-of-battle ships, one gunship (56) , and four frigates. One third of these was totally destroyed, another third was put hors-de-combat, leaving only one ship of the line and three frigates, with disheartened crews. The West Indies were thus saved from the French fleet’s intended invasion, and all this without the loss or even delay from service of one British vessel, and at the cost of only ten men killed. Lord Cochrane raised the question whether more might not have been done, and at Lord Gambier’s request a court-martial was summoned. ”

“ On the evening of the 11th April the fireships went into the roads, owing to unfavourable weather they did not destroy the enemy’s ships, but only put them to flight. Then all the French ships, except two, ran aground. Cochrane signalled at 5.48 on the following morning — “Half the fleet can destroy the enemy — seven on shore.” At 6.15 Lord Gambier made for Aix Roads, and at eleven anchored three miles from the fort. At two p.m. he sent in various vessels to attack the fleet, and the execution that was done was between that hour and nightfall. ”

“ All his life he was a comparatively poor man. His only residence, when he was not living at the Admiralty, was a small copyhold house, with a garden and one field. He never had any landed estate.
In the year 1809 Lord Gambier commanded the fleet in the Basque Roads. Auxiliary fireships were commanded by Lord Cochrane, under Gambier’s directions; the fireships were sent at Gambier’s suggestion, the only alteration being that the direction of them was given to Cochrane and not to Mr. ”