John Willoughby

“ Enraged at this treacherous act, the remainder of the British sailors would instantly have commenced an indiscriminate slaughter; but as Lieutenant Willoughby had kept his eye constantly fixed upon the Turkish officer, he felt convinced that it was not connived at by him, and therefore he would only allow the two guilty individuals to be slain – of the others not a man was hurt. ”

“ On the 15th June, 1810, a serious accident happened to the enterprising commander of la Nereide, then watering at Isle Platte, a small island near the northern extremity of the Mauritius.
Captain Willoughby was on shore, exercising his men at small arms, when a musket in the hands of a marine burst, inflicting upon him a dreadful wound, supposed at the time to be mortal. His lower jaw on the right side was badly fractured, and his neck so lacerated that the windpipe lay bare. The surgeon feared that it would slough away with the dressings, and of course end the life of his patient. ”

“ It is not time or opportunity that is to determine intimacy;—it is disposition alone. Seven years would be insufficient to make some people acquainted with each other, and seven days are more than enough for others. I should hold myself guilty of greater impropriety in accepting a horse from my brother, than from Willoughby. Of John I know very little, though we have lived together for years; but of Willoughby my judgment has long been formed.”
Elinor thought it wisest to touch that point no more. She knew her sister’s temper. ”

“ The situation in which Lieutenant Willoughby was so unexpectedly placed, appears to us to have been one of the most extraordinary and dangerous nature: no one but a man of the strongest nerve could possibly have acquitted himself as he did; and no officer could have more acutely felt the official neglect which he experienced. ”

“ Mortified in the extreme, Lieutenant Willoughby now put about: the enemy on shore discovered the ruse that he had been practising, and the batteries on the island that protects the harbour immediately opened upon him, keeping up a steady fire for more than half an hoar, but luckily without once striking his diminutive and slightly built vessel:– had she been hulled by a single shot, the consequences would in all probability have been fatal, as she was very rotten, and had not a boat of any description belonging to her. ”

“ Willoughby joined the Orpheus 32, Captain Henry Newcome, then about to sail for the coast of Africa, where he assisted in cutting out four French brigs and a schooner, April 22 and 24 in the same year. The capture of these vessels, and Mr. Willoughby’s subsequent shipwreck, when conducting one of the brigs to Sierra Leone, have been noticed at p. 35 et seq. His escape on the latter occasion may justly be deemed miraculous; for even if it had been within the limits of possibility to have gained the shore, he would certainly have been enslaved for life, if not instantly murdered. ”

“ In the mean time, to prevent suspicion, the Otter bore away for Bourbon until dark; then hauled up and worked back to the vicinity of Black River. At 11-30 P.M., being close enough in, Captain Willoughby pushed off in his gig, accompanied by Lieutenant John Burn in the yawl, and Mr. William Weiss, midshipman, in the jolly-boat. The plan arranged was, for the gig, supported by the other two boats, to carry the gun-vessel; the yawl was then to secure the brig, and the jolly-boat the lugger. ”

“ Lieutenant Willoughby greatly distinguished himself by his gallantry in boarding the Provesteen block-ship, of 50 guns, under a heavy fire from her lower-deck, kept up in opposition to the wishes of her commander, who had hauled down his colours in token of submission. The manner in which this service was performed excited general admiration, and obtained him three cheers from the Russel’s crew, by order of their new captain, the late Rear-Admiral William Cuming. ”

“ After waiting some time for Lieutenant-Colonel Keating to arrive and give the necessary orders, Captain Willoughby, anxious to ascertain if the French were really there, and having taken proper precautions for ensuring a speedy retreat if necessary, landed with two of his gig’s crew, all the boats anxiously watching his motions, particularly when he disappeared over the sand hills, as it was then believed by every officer and man that the enemy were close at hand, ready to oppose them. ”

“ When it is remembered that la Nereide mounted only 12-pounders on the main-deck, that nearly 100 seamen and marines were absent in her boats, and that Captain Willoughby was not chased and obliged to fight in his own defence, but that he sought the above conflict with his usual ardour, and made use of a justifiable ruse de guerre to accomplish his wishes, we doubt not that it will be considered one of the most heroic, if not the most unequal, of all the frigate actions fought during the late war. ”

“ It is almost needless to add that poor Johnson, the black pilot, who had been Captain Willoughby’s guide in all his landings, was immediately put to death.
As for la Nereide, she was rendered so completely hors de combat before her colours were hauled down, that we doubt whether the enemy ever attempted to repair her: at all events, the British, when they captured the Mauritius, found it impossible to do so, and she was consequently sold only to be broken up. ”

“ It may naturally be asked, why Captain Willoughby, considering how exposed he lay to an attack by two heavy French frigates and a corvette, did not get under weigh and proceed to join the Sirius, instead of lessening his means of defence, by thus despatching two officers and as many boats’ crews. The truth is, that as he had been ordered to protect l’Isle de la Passe, he was resolved to defend that newly acquired post as long as he was able ”

“ At the moment when the boats were pulling up the narrow channel, with the prize praam in tow, and their capture appeared inevitable, it was observed that the French commodore, M. Duperré, instead of following la Minerve, &c., had hauled off on the larboard tack, as if intending to seek another port, in company with the Windham. Although in only a 12-pounder frigate, with so many of his men absent, Captain Willoughby thought his ship a match for the Minerve, Victor, and Ceylon, particularly if he embarked the 34 serviceable soldiers remaining upon l’Isle de la Passe ”

“ Captain Willoughby had been severely wounded by a splinter on the left check, which had also torn his eye completely out of the socket. The first Lieutenant lay mortally, and the second most dangerously wounded; 1 marine oificer, 2 officers of foot, 1 of artillery, 2 midshipmen, and the greater part of the crew and soldiers, wore either killed or disabled. Most of the quarter-deck, and several of the main-deck guns were dismounted; the hull of the ship was shattered in all directions, and striking the ground astern. ”

“ I have to regret my return of killed and wounded [27] .
“The loss of the enemy could not be ascertained, nor do I know the force opposed to us; but from every information gained, and from the French officers themselves, they declare that 600 men can reinforce the batteries by signal in an hour. I remained on shore four hours, in a clear morning, and the signal was flying the whole of the time.”
On returning to la Nereide, Captain Willoughby took along with him the French schooner, which the midshipman left in charge of the boats had secured just as she was sweeping to sea. ”

“ Finding, as he approached la Clorinde, that her side was crowded with troops ready to spring into the launch, and fearing that some disaster would happen if he took his boat alongside, Mr. Willoughby searched for, and after some time found a small punt, in which he proceeded to the frigate, resolved to put in practice every resource to save her passengers and crew, amounting, as he soon found, to at least 900 men, women, and helpless children. ”

“ The enemy being reinforced from the hills, and having also received 110 troops of the line from the French frigate la Caroline, and the squadron not being able to stand in to support us, our movements being endangered by their fire except at intervals, which they always took advantage of. Captain Willoughby was directed to spike the guns of Lambousière and la Centière, and with the seamen to man the third battery, la Neuf, continuing the fire from thence upon the enemy’s shipping. ”

“ On the last day of that month, Sir John T. Duckworth appointed Lieutenant Willoughby first of the Acasta frigate, in which ship he himself was about to return home, fully expecting that his protege would be promoted immediately he struck his flag, and that he should be able to obtain him the command “of a fine sloop” as soon as he arrived in London. The Vice-Admiral’s court-martial, however, put an end to these flattering prospects, and the subject of this memoir was consequently obliged to serve as a Lieutenant for at least two years longer [14] . ”

“ Lieutenant Willoughby directed the other boats to tow him within grapeshot distance of the enemy, and then to lay off on his beam whilst he engaged and rowed up to her. In the action which ensued the launch had a midshipman (Mr. George Lawrence Belli) and two men severely wounded: her consorts, commanded by Lieutenant Russel and Mr. Travers, were not fired upon, and consequently sustained no loss, the enemy having struck without waiting to be boarded. ”

“ Captain Willoughby’s address to the Court, corroborates what we have stated at pp. 159 and 161, respecting the enemy at Port Louis being ready for sea, and his volunteering to lead in and attack Duperré’s squadron. It moreover informs us, that the signals “ready for action” and “enemy of inferior force” were made, to counteract the effect of an indication of inability, by the appearance of a stage up la Nereide’s foremast, which had been badly wounded on the 20th August. ”

“ Arbuthnot’s dragoman [16] , Lieutenant Willoughby arrived close to Seraglio Pohit by daybreak; at which time numerous vessels and boats, of every shape and size, crowded with men, were rapidly passing over from the Natolian shore to protect Constantinople.
Ignorant of the nature of a flag of truce, many of this heterogeneous flotilla fired at Lieutenant Willoughby’s unarmed boat, as they passed a-head of her, thereby obliging him to increase his distance from them; even the regular sentries at the point invariably opened their fire whenever he attempted to near it ”

“ During the 25 days that the advanced post was held by the British, Lieutenant Willoughby frequently took his meals in an exposed situation, but not, as Mr. James says, sitting in a chair upon the breast-work of the battery. “The earth was ploughed up all around, and one man, we believe, was killed close to the spot; but still the table and chair, and the daring officer who sat there, remained untouched.” One afternoon, Mr. Perrot was induced to occupy Lieutenant Willoughby’s usual seat ”

“ During his next cruise, Captain Willoughby, with volunteers from the same sloop, performed services which induced the Vice-Admiral, who deeply regretted what had taken place, to give him the command of la Nereide, although he had many old followers whom he wished to serve, and a Commander was also under his orders who had been directed to receive the first Admiralty vacancy. ”

“ On approaching pretty close to them, Lieutenant Willoughby distinctly saw that one was manned with about 20 Greeks, and that the other had a Turkish crew, 13 in number: the former soon ceased rowing, held their hands up, and cried for mercy. No honour could be gained by capturing them, and they were, therefore, allowed to escape. After exchanging a few musket-shot with the Turks, they likewise laid in their oars ”

“ On this, as on the former occasion, Lieutenant Willoughby pushed on without waiting for the detachment of boats to assemble. On landing at Prota he found that the marines of the Canopus had attacked a large building situated on an eminence in the centre of the island, surrounded with a strong iron railing, and defended by at least one hundred Turks, two or three of whom were firing through each of its numerous loop-holes and windows. An attempt was now made to get part of the marines round to the left wing ”

“ Of the naval detachment serving on shore under Captain Willoughby, at the capture of St. Paul’s, 7 were killed, and 18, including Lieutenant Edward Lloyd, of the Raisonable, and 2 marine officers wounded. Not a single person was hurt on board any one of the squadron. The total loss sustained by the British has been stated See id. p. 627 et seq..
For his zealous, gallant, and active exertions during this expedition. Captain Willoughby was immediately promoted into la Nereide, the frigate mentioned at p. 140, mounting 26 long 12-pounders and 12 carronades (24-prs.) ”

“ The schooner, steered by Captain Willoughby, with the dressings still on his wound, was so crowded with troops, that Lieutenant-Colonel Macleod and many of his men were nearly drowned before they could gain the shore. ↑ The enemy’s regular force amounted to only 676 rank and file; but he had an organized militia force of 2717 men. The British had 1800 European and 1860 native troops, of whom 8 were killed and 78 wounded. ”

“ Foot by foot the two Willoughby boys pull up and lessen the hateful distance which divides them from the leader. He of course sees his danger, and answers spurt for spurt. For a few yards he neither gains nor loses, then, joyful sight, he loses!
“Look at them now!” cries Telson, as they approach—“look at them both. They’re both going to win! Ah, well run, Willoughby—splendidly run; you’re going like mad—keep it up! Huzzah! level. Keep it up! Wyndham’s ahead; so’s Bloomfield. Both ahead! Well run both. Keep it up now. Hurrah!”
Amid such shouts the race ends. ”