by John Marshall

“ In announcing to Nelson the surrender of Rome, the once celebrated capital of the world, Commodore Troubridge says:–
“The stuff the French proposed made me sick, the Ambassador was the cause of it; the thief is afraid to go to France; he would sooner stay where he is not wanted. He called the Roman territory the property of the French Republic by right of conquest; I settled that by saying, It’s mine by re-conquest, and he was silenced. I have sent Louis up to Bouchard to secure the tranquillity of Rome. ”

“ In the midst of this consternation, intelligence was received of the rapid advance of General Scherer, ex-minister at war, who had succeeded Championet as commander-in-chief of the army of Lombardy, and whose first military movement was the invasion of Tuscany. On the 25th of March, Florence fell into his possession, and Leghorn was occupied the same day by a division under General Miollis. The Grand Duke, instead of making any resistance, published a declaration, requesting, as a proof of “the attachment and affection of his faithful subjects, that they would respect the French Army [11] .” ”

“ In the evening of May 5, 1799, a powerful fleet from Brest entered the Mediterranean and proceeded towards Carthagena, for the purpose of forming a junction with the Spanish ships in that port, after which it was the enemy’s intention to embark a large body of troops at Toulon, to wrest Minorca from the English, raise the blockade of Naples, and make a joint attack upon Sicily. All those objects, however, were frustrated through the supineness of the Spaniards, and the vigilance of the British Admirals to the westward. ”

“ So wretchedly were the affairs of the Sicilian government administered, that although the number of loyalists in Procida and Ischia, including emigrants from the main, amounted to at least 50,000 persons, a considerable period was allowed to elapse before any attention was paid to their wants, and had it not been for the flour with which they were supplied from the squadron, and the private stores, which the officers humanely distributed amongst them, many of those poor suffering creatures must actually have perished through hunger ”

“ Majesty’s ships under my orders and those of the enemy, I had the honor to inform you, that it was my intention to reconnoitre this port, as I had received information that the enemy had landed and surprised the garrison on his first arrival on the coast.
"The state of H.M. ships Astraea and Phoebe did not admit of their beating up quickly against the currents and very variable winds; the Racehorse sloop was therefore despatched in advance, to summon the garrison of Tamatave to surrender immediately. ”

“ The enemy’s arrival within the Straits of Gibraltar was no sooner made known to Nelson, than he resolved to collect his line-of-battle ships, and cruise with them off Maritimo, in order to protect Sicily from the threatened invasion, and at the same time to cover the frigates and sloops left off Naples, under the command of Captain (now Vice-Admiral) Foote, to whose memoir we must refer our readers for a sketch of the occurrences on that station, from the period of his predecessor’s departure for Palermo, until the return of Ferdinand IV. to his capital, in the month of July following [14] . ”

“ If none could be found here, I desired he would send for one from Palermo. I see their drift: they want to make us the principals, and to throw all the odium upon us. I cannot form the least idea of their law cess as carried on against the prisoners; for the culprits are seldom present while the trial is proceeding. ”

“ Captain Schomberg’s next appointment was, about July, 1810, to the Astraea, a contract-built frigate, rated at 36 guns, and fitting for the Cape of Good Hope, to which station he proceeded in company with the Scipion 74, bearing the flag of Rear-Admiral Stopford, by whom he was detached, with the Phoebe frigate under his orders, to reinforce the squadron employed off Mauritius, where he continued for some time as senior officer during the absence of Captain Philip Beaver, who had gone to India, for the purpose of collecting treasure. ”

“ Whilst Captain Troubridge was thus venting his just complaints against a corrupt administration, the ships under his orders were employed paving the way for a counter-revolution at Naples, by maintaining a close blockade, and thereby preventing corn or any other supplies from reaching that city by sea. The towns of Castel-à-mare and Salerno were occupied by detachments landed from the Minotaur, Swiftsure, and Zealous, but found untenable, on account of the enemy’s superior numbers. In retiring from the latter place, the British had several men killed, wounded, and taken prisoners. ”

“ The captured frigate proves to be la Renommée, of the first class (as are the other two) , of 44 guns, and 470 men, (200 of whom were picked troops,) commanded by Capitaine de Vaisseau Roquebert, officier de la Legion d’Honneur, holding the rank of Commodore, who fell while gallantly fighting his ship. The senior officer of the troops, Colonel Barrois, membre de la Legion d’Honneur, is dangerously wounded. The ship that struck and escaped, was la Clorinde [23] ; the one disabled by the Phoebe, la Nereide; having each 200 troops on board, besides their crews. ”

“ II. “The officers, crews, and troops, now actually at Tamatave, or on board la Nereide, shall be sent, as soon as possible, to Mauritius, and from thence be conveyed to France, without being considered as prisoners of war; the officers and petty officers only shall keep their swords. ”

“ In short, my Lord, these islands must return under the French yoke, as I see the King’s Ministers are not to be relied on for supplies. I trust your Lordship will pardon my stating the case so plainly; but I think I should be highly culpable, if from delicacy I were to sacrifice the lives of 50,000 inhabitants.”
Even Nelson’s remonstrances on this occasion proved unavailing – the love of country was never yet cherished by a sordid courtier. Writing to Earl St. Vincent, the hero expressed himself as follows:– “This day brought me letters from dear Troubridge. ”

“ Towards the end of Jan. 1799, the arrival of a very valuable convoy from England was hourly looked for, and the British Minister accordingly presented a note on the subject to the Grand Duke. On the 28th, the principal merchants decided that the fleet, instead of entering the port, should be placed under the protection of the Minotaur, and remain in the roads until Captain Louis could devise further means for its security. The threats of Salicetti, Envoy from the French Directory [9] , who declared openly that Tuscany would be revolutionized in the ensuing Lent ”

“ He has been obliged to give all his flour to keep the inhabitants of the islands from starving. I have eternally been pressing for supplies, and have represented that 100,000l. given away just now in provisions might purchase a kingdom.”
Troubridge was in reality what he described a certain foreign Governor to be, whom he met with in the course of service; but whose name does not appear in the correspondence we are now making so free with:– “an honest man, who studied his Sovereign’s interest in every thing; without the little dirty policy of making money himself.” ”

“ Nellson, the master.
“The moment the Phoebe and Astraea are in a state to get to windward, the prisoners exchanged, and la Renommée rendered sea-worthy, I shall proceed off Tamatave for further information, as I have reason to think it in possession of the enemy.
“I have the honour to transmit returns of the killed and wounded on board H.M. ships [24] . The loss on board la Renommée is excessive – 145 killed and wounded. Galatea having parted company, no return [25] . I have the honor to be, &c.
(Signed) ⁠“C. M. Schomberg.” ”

“ The immense value of the fleet under Captain Schomberg’s protection may be inferred from the circumstance of 2 frigates and 2 sloops being ordered by Sir Manley Dixon, commander-in-chief at Brazil, to accompany him to the northward as far as the equator ”

“ Her conduct is thus noticed by Nelson’s biographers (Messrs. Clarke and M‘Arthur) , at pp. 79, 80, &c. of their highly valuable work.
“While the advanced officers in the British squadron [3] were proving themselves worthy of that experience and decision which directed the whole, the Rear-Admiral himself had entered into action with the remainder of his force; and was the first that anchored on the outer side of the enemy, within half pistol-shot of le Spartiate, the third ship in the French line of battle. ”

“ I pray your Lordship to send an honest Judge here to try these miscreants on the spot, that some proper examples may be made: it. will be impossible to go on else, the villains encrease so fast on my hands, and the people are calling for justice. ”

“ The Minotaur continued with the in-shore squadron off Cadiz till May 24, 1798, on which day she sailed for the Mediterranean, in company with a strong detachment under the orders of Captain Thomas Troubridge, whose junction with Sir Horatio Nelson, near Toulon, the long cruise which succeeded in quest of a French armament commanded by Napoleon Buonaparte, and the great victory achieved by the British squadron in Aboukir Bay, have already been described in a note at p. ”