Captain Campbell

“ In 1807, we find Captain Campbell commanding l’Unité, a fine frigate, stationed off Corfu. During the ensuing year, he captured a French xebec of 6 guns, and three Italian brigs of war, each mounting sixteen brass 32-pr. carronades, and measuring about 400 tons [2] .
From l’Unité, Captain Campbell removed into the Leviathan of 74 guns, on the Mediterranean station. On the 29th April, 1812, the boats of that ship made an attack on a French privateer of 14 guns and 80 men, and several merchant vessels at Agay ”

“ Yet it would have taken a careful investigation to detect in the rough and unkempt figure of Captain Campbell any resemblance to an officer of the British navy, or to identify the untidy seamen as regularly enrolled British sailors. The armament of the Dunraven, could one have detected it, would have provided the greatest surprises. This vessel represented the final perfection of the mystery ship. Though seemingly a harmless tramp she carried a number of guns, also two torpedo tubes, and several depth charges; but even from her deck nothing was visible except the usual merchant gun aft. ”

“ The lives of officers and men, precious as they were under ordinary circumstances, were to be immediately sacrificed if such a sacrifice would give an opportunity of destroying the submarine. It was therefore Captain Campbell's duty to wait for the under-water boat to sail slowly around his ship and appear in clear view on the starboard side, leaving his brave men at the stern exposed to the fire, every minute raging more fiercely, and to the likelihood of a terrific explosion. ”

“ Captain Campbell's men came under machine-gun fire directly they left Masnieres, and for a few minutes the horses were hard put to it in the marshy ground about the canal. Before them the infantry had cut a gap in the German wire, and winning through the swamp they charged for this at the gallop, taking little heed of the heavy fire.
Casualties were rather heavy at the gap. Captain Campbell went down, and command was taken by Lieutenant Strachan. ”

“ Campbell proceeded to the West Indies, in the Scorpion sloop. Captain Thomas Western. Between Aug. 2, 1794, and Aug. 7, 1795, that vessel captured la Guillotine French privateer, of 10 guns; la Victoire 18, and four others of inferior force. She was also very successful in recapturing British merchantmen.
Early in 1796 Mr. Campbell was removed to the Swiftsure 74, bearing the flag of Rear-Admiral William Parker, commander-in-chief at Jamaica, in which ship he was present at the unsuccessful attack upon Leogane, St. Domingo, March 22, 1796 [1] . ”

“ The next morning another enemy submarine met her fate at the hands of Captain Campbell, and although the Cushing had kept far enough away not to interfere with the action, she had the honour of escorting the injured mystery ship into port and of receiving as a reward three rousing cheers from the crew of the Pargust led by Campbell. A more villainous-looking gang of seamen than the crews [Pg 148] of these ships never sailed the waves. All men on board were naval officers or enlisted men; they were all volunteers and comprised men of all ranks—admirals, captains, commanders, and midshipmen. ”

“ Whilst in the command of the Rosamond, Captain Campbell received three commendatory letters from his superior officers, of which the following are copies:–
“Royal William, Spithead, Dec. 31, 1812. “Sir,– Captain Brisbane having reported to me the effectual assistance he received from the exertions of yourself, the officers, and ship’s company under your command, when the Pembroke was on shore under Dunnose, I have to express my satisfaction at the promptitude with which you proceeded on this service, as well as your conduct in the execution thereof. I am. ”

“ He came in looking sullenly down upon the cabin floor, resembling a lion at bay, his huge, muscular form expanding with rage at the feeling of his bonds. He stood before the captain of the brig who sat in a large easy chair, while on either side stood Lovell and Herbert.
It was a scene of strange and peculiar interest. There stood that huge Hercules of a man before that gentle hearted girl to be adjudged to death. Her deep soul seemed to be reading the prisoner’s inmost thoughts through the blue of her beautiful eye. Her voice did not tremble, her hand was firm, and she was a man at heart. ”

“ Captain Campbell complains of the scarcity of men, and rather naively remarks that he is glad the marines have been withdrawn from the gun boats, as this may make the commanders of the latter keep a brighter lookout than formerly. ”

“ In Captain Burnet we have given form to a spirit, the genuineness of which We all can bear testimony to. A warm, ardent, thoughtless man becomes entirely changed in heart and purpose by the strange power of love. We have seen in him the contradictions of which those who are exercised by it will be at one time rash and headstrong, at another, calm and repentant. Such men will make great naval heroes, but bad fathers of families.
And now again, farewell, dear reader, dear reader, and thus ends our tale of Fanny Campbell, the Female Pirate Captain. ”

“ Please God, before the sun’s over our heads, you shall have her in tow, Walsingham.’ ‘We shall, I trust,’ said Walsingham.—‘Perhaps not we; for I own I wish to fall,’ said Campbell. ‘You are first-lieutenant now; I can’t leave my men under better command, and I hope the Admiralty will give you the ship, if you give it to his Majesty.’—Then turning to the sailors, Captain Campbell addressed them with a countenance unusually cheerful ”

“ On the 27th June following, the batteries at that place and Allassio were stormed, the guns spiked, their carriages rendered useless, and eighteen sail of vessels destroyed by the Leviathan, and three other vessels under Captain Campbell’s orders. The principal part of this service was performed by the royal marines, 7 of whom were killed and 26 wounded. The total loss sustained by the squadron, was 9 killed and 31 wounded; amongst the latter was Lieutenant William Walpole, R.N., of the Imperieuse frigate. ”

“ When they recrossed the mountains it was to find their poor countrymen blockaded by five Spanish men-of-war. Campbell, and others, believing that no inequalities justified submission to such an enemy, determined on resistance, but soon discovered that resistance was in vain, when they could only depend on diseased, starving and broken-hearted men. As the Spaniards would not include Captain Campbell in the terms of capitulation, he managed, with several companions, dexterously to escape in a small vessel, sailed for New York, and from thence to Scotland. ”

“ Steadily as they roared onward the gap narrowed, until in the glare of the searchlight they could make out every detail of the powerful gray motor-boat plunging through the tossing black waves.
They saw Chandra Dass' dark face turn and look back at them, and the cutter captain raised his speaking-trumpet to his lips and shouted over the roar of motors and dash of waves.
"Stand by or we'll fire at you!"
"He won't obey," muttered Campbell between his teeth. "He knows we daren't fire with the girl in the boat." ”

“ Some had not thought of this, and they looked up quickly, with brighter faces; whereupon Captain Campbell proceeded:
"You must have observed, however, that all of the sick and weakly have gone, and this brings a new situation upon us. I have an idea, which I will not give expression to now, and my desire in calling you together was to determine its correctness or falsity. For this purpose, some man of daring and agility must risk his life."
Nearly every man present made offer of his services, but the captain shook his head and begged them all to remain quiet. ”

“ Campbell again joined Captain Hardy, then commanding the Ranger sloop of war; from which vessel our young officer was soon afterwards removed into Admiral Duncan’s flag-ship, the Venerable 74. We next find him acting as lieutenant on board the Russell, another third rate, commanded by Captain (now Sir Henry) Trollope, under whom he bore a part in the glorious battle off Camperdown, Oct. ”

“ The girls, after one glance at him, shrank back into the shadow, hoping they would not be recognized by the wife. For the first time in their acquaintance of the woman, they pitied her. To be that man's daily companion was a degradation.
Just as Mrs. Campbell's dainty foot touched the stone floor of the cavern, the captain saw a gliding motion in the uncertain light, and, with the readiness of the man used to coping with danger, he sprang forward and struck at something dark and slender, that might have been but a crevice in the uneven floor. ”

“ There is no German cunning that cannot be matched by British science and discipline, and no German brutality that cannot be overmatched by British daring and endurance. This has been proved a hundred times in the course of the submarine war, and never more brilliantly than by the captains of the Q-boats, of whom the pattern for all time is Gordon Campbell, till yesterday known only as ‘The Mystery Star Captain’ of the British Navy. ”

“ In reporting the action, Captain Campbell brought specially to notice the extreme bravery of Lieutenant Bonner and the 4-inch gun’s crew. ‘Lieutenant Bonner having been blown out of his control by the first explosion, crawled into the gun-hatch with the crew. They there remained at their posts with a fire raging in the poop below, and the deck getting red hot. One man tore up his shirt to give pieces to the gun’s crew, to stop the fumes getting into their throats ”

“ And you, Captain McDonald! Take your seat, sir; and if I hear that cursed word 'Glencoe' 'again, the first who utters it faces a court-martial!"
Partly sobered, the Campbell glared mutely at the McDonald; the latter also appeared to have recovered a portion of his senses and resumed his seat in silence, glowering at the empty glasses before him.
"Now be sensible, gentlemen," said Colonel Claus, with a jovial nod to the patroon; "let pass, let pass. This is no time to raise the fiery cross in the hills. Gad, there's a new pibroch to march to these days--
"Pibroch o' Hirokôue! ”

“ It was morning, and the wind being fresh and fair, all had hoped to anchor that night in the quiet little harbor of Lynn, where the crew had ascertained that the captain would drop his land tackle. It was a clear, cold day, and the chill winds of northern winter were doubly felt by those on board the Constance, and the prizes who had so lately left the milder latitudes of the South.
The strange sail proved to be a brig of about the same tonnage as the Constance, and evidently a vessel in the commission of the king, wearing the British ensign at the gaff. ”

“ Sir, will be added (if my recommendation is attended to) to those that will co-operate, under the auspices of Providence, to the execution of so humane and interesting an undertaking, for the glory of Great Britain and the happiness of mankind. I have the honor to be, with perfect esteem and high consideration, &c.
(Signed) “Fran. de Miranda.” The following is an extract of Sir Alexander Cochrane’s letter to Captain Campbell, acknowledging the receipt of his despatches from la Villa de Coro and Aruba:
“I am perfectly satisfied with your conduct during the expedition ”

“ The crew were all at their stations, all save six seamen chosen by lot, who stood apart from their companions; these were to be the executioners of their messmate. The ship was as still as death; the wounded below had hushed their groans, and the tick of the captain’s watch might be heard at any part of the quarter deck. The miserable man who was now to suffer, stood upon a gun, his arms confined behind him, and a rope around his neck. ”

“ Admiral Campbell, "Hawke's right hand at Quiberon," who entered the service as a substitute for a pressed man, is another; and James Clephen, pressed as a sea-going apprentice, became master's-mate of the Doris, and taking part in the cutting out of the Chevrette, a corvette of twenty guns, from Cameret Bay, in 1801, was for his gallantry on that occasion made a lieutenant, fought at Trafalgar and died a captain. ”

“ A few weeks later the troops moved on, and fought at the battle of Bidassoa, Colin Campbell being left in the hospital to recover from his wounds.
But so little was it to his liking to stay in the rear that he escaped from the hospital, and managed not only to fight at Bidassoa, but to get wounded again!
He was, of course, reproved by his colonel; but who could be seriously angry with a youngster for such conduct? So when he was sent back to England to get healed of his wounds, he was made a captain at the early age of twenty-one. ”

“ A fierce broadside from the cruiser was the reply to the shot, and sad havoc did it make among the light and beautiful spars and rigging of the Dolphin. Our armament was made up of only four small pieces and a heavy gun amidship, revolving on a pivot, and this was of heavier metal than any gun on board of the York. Our captain managed this gun and aimed it himself, and he soon brought down the foremast of the York by his shot, confounding the crew of the enemy, and bothering them about their guns. The York carried sixteen guns with a complement of about an hundred men. ”

“ The captain remarked that in the midst of life we are in death, that the ways of Providence are mysterious, and that where a man makes his bed he must lie down, all of which he considered to be good Scripture and appropriate to the occasion. "Yoah fohce met with no moah casualties, I hope, Captain Bangs? I do not see our fishing friend, Mr. Bigglethorpe; is he safe, suh?" These questions led to an account of the fisherman's heroic attempt to release the self-imprisoned occupants of the underground passage, of his wounds, and of the subsequent exploits of the lawyer and the detective. ”