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This volume is a collection of memoirs and correspondence by Admiral Sir James Saumarez, presented by his son John Ross. It opens with a detailed account of a naval action on 15 September 1803 off Granville, where Saumarez describes the movements of the Cerberus, the bomb‑ships Terror and Sulphur, and accompanying cutters as they bombard French gun‑vessels and pier defenses. The narrative records the tactical decisions, the hazards of grounding, the exchange of fire, and the casualties sustained, then moves on to a letter to Saumarez’s brother recounting the same episode and the broader blockade of the French coast. The text proceeds chronologically through 1804‑1806, interweaving operational reports, letters, including one from Lord Nelson shortly before Trafalgar, and reflections on the strategic significance of the Channel islands during the Napoleonic wars.
The prose is that of an early‑19th‑century naval officer, formal yet vivid, blending official report with personal observation. Its style reflects the period’s penchant for exhaustive detail and disciplined language, offering insight into both the mechanics of naval warfare and the character of its commanders. Readers with an interest in maritime history, Napoleonic strategy, or primary‑source biographies of British admirals will find the work rewarding, while those preferring narrative fiction may appreciate its documentary richness more than its plot.
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Cerberus, off Granville, 15th Sept. 1803.
I beg you will be pleased to inform my Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty, that, having been joined by the Terror bomb on the 8th instant, and the Sulphur on the 12th, I embarked on board the Cerberus, and sailed from Guernsey roads the following morning, with the Charwell and Carteret cutters in company.
It blowing a strong breeze from the eastward, it was not until Tuesday evening I was enabled to get off Granville; when, having had an opportunity to reconnoitre the enemy's gun-vessels and other craft within the pier, and the different batteries by which they were protected, I anchored the Cerberus as near the shore as the tide would admit, having only sixteen feet at low-water. At eleven, the Terror came up, but, having grounded, it was not until two o'clock that Captain Hardinge was able to place his ship in the position assigned; this he now did in a most judicious manner, and opened a brisk fire from his two mortars; which was returned from the mortar and gun-batteries on the heights near the town, and also from some guns on the pier, and the gun-vessels placed in the entrance.
From the number of well-directed shells thrown from the Terror into the pier and parts of the town, I am persuaded they must have done very considerable damage. The fire was kept up till after five o'clock, when I thought it advisable to recall the Terror, and anchored with this ship and the Charwell a short distance from the town. The Sulphur bomb, whose bad sailing prevented her from beating up, joined shortly after, and also anchored. The loss on this occasion was two men wounded by splinters on board the Terror.
A few shells were thrown in the evening, but the tide prevented the ship getting sufficiently near to be attended with much effect.
This morning the squadron was under sail before dawn of day, and all circumstances concurred to enable them to take their respective stations with the utmost precision. The two mortar-vessels opened a brisk and well-directed fire soon after five o'clock; which was unremittingly kept up till half-past ten, when the falling tide rendered it necessary to withdraw from the attack. Twenty-two gun-vessels, that had hauled out of the pier, drew up a regular line, and kept up a heavy fire, jointly with the batteries around the port, without doing much execution.
The Cerberus, after getting under sail, grounded on one of the sand-banks, and remained about three hours, before she floated: nine of the gun-boats, perceiving her situation, endeavoured to annoy her, and kept up a heavy fire upon her for some time; but were silenced by the Charwell and Kite, and also by the fire of the Sulphur and Terror bombs, and by the carronade launch of the Cerberus, under the orders of Lieutenant Mansell, assisted by the Eling and Carteret, which obliged them to take shelter in their port.
In the performance of this intricate service, I cannot too highly applaud the zeal and persevering exertions of all the officers and men under my orders; and I should not do justice to the merits of Captain Selby, were I not to acknowledge the able assistance I have received from him since I had the honour of being in his ship: the steadiness and good conduct of all the officers and men in the Cerberus, during the time the ship was aground, do them infinite credit. The various services in which Capt. McLeod of the Sulphur, and Hardinge of the Terror, have been employed this war, are already sufficiently known: but I will venture to assert, that in no instance can they have displayed greater zeal and gallantry than on the present occasion. Great praise is due to Lieutenants Macartney and Smith, and the parties of artillery embarked on board the respective bomb-vessels.
It is not possible to ascertain the damages the enemy has sustained; but, as a very few of the shells missed taking effect, they must have been very considerable.
JAS. SAUMAREZ.
During the period the Cerberus was aground the tide fell six feet, and at one time she was in the greatest danger of upsetting; the topmasts were immediately struck, and the vessel shored up by the lower yards and spare spars. While heeling over more than forty-five degrees, the bottom of the ship was exposed to the shot of the enemy, and was struck in several places. Sir James himself had a very narrow escape from a shot, which grazed his legs as he was standing on the gangway with the purser and the secretary, whose dismay and quick retreat from so dangerous a situation only produced a smile from the Admiral, who would not listen to proposals subsequently made to him for quitting the Cerberus while in that situation. The coolness with which he gave his orders, and his presence of mind on this trying occasion, tended materially to save the ship, by exciting the officers and men to exert themselves; while the most perfect order was maintained under circumstances which often cause disorder and confusion.
The Cerberus received no material damage in the bottom from being aground: she was soon repaired, and returned with the squadron to Guernsey on the 17th, when the flag was again hoisted in the Diomede.
We subsequently learned that the flotilla at Granville was so much damaged as to delay its arrival at Boulogne, which was its ultimate destination, until a late period of the year; and that many of the vessels were lost in and near the Race of Alderney, on their passage, by a storm in which they were overtaken.
The following is extracted from a letter which Sir James wrote to his brother, describing this action:
Cerberus, off Granville, 15th Sept. 1803.
You will be glad to find that, thanks to Providence, the business of Granville has gone off as well as possible, although we have not succeeded in entirely destroying the enemy's gun-vessels. I have to regret that, in the execution of my orders, many of the harmless inhabitants of the town, and their dwellings, must have suffered very considerably; having bombarded it nearly four hours on Wednesday, and six hours this morning, with scarcely any intermission.[3] This ship (the Cerberus) was for three hours on shore, and the tide left her six feet less than she drew. She was at the same time assailed by some of the enemy's gun-boats, but without great mischief. A shot was very nearly taking off both Mr. Champion and myself: how our legs escaped is inconceivable, having come through the part of the quarter-deck close to which we were standing.
Our friends Dumaresq and Pipon were in company, the former having joined early this morning. I am quite exhausted with fatigue, having had no rest since I left the island. Lady S. was unapprised of what was going forward, as well as yourself; but you must approve of the motives which urged me to conceal it from you. I am on my return to the island, which I hope to reach to-morrow evening.
[3] Before commencing the bombardment, Sir James sent in a flag of truce, to inform the governor of it, and requesting that he would send the women, children, and inoffensive inhabitants away from the scene of action.
The blockade of the French coast between Havre-de-Grace and Ushant, which was intrusted to Sir James, was kept up with rigour; and the Channel islands put into such a state of defence, as to defy all the projects of the enemy. In the performance of this service, the Admiral had to regret the loss of the Shannon, which was wrecked on the 10th December in a gale, under the batteries of Cape La Hogue; and of the Grappler, which was lost on the 31st, at the Isles de Choisey: the crews of both these vessels were saved, but made prisoners.
The Diomede was sent to refit at Portsmouth; and, at the end of 1803, Sir James's flag was flying on board the Cerberus, while he lived at his own residence on shore with his family, carrying on the duty as a port-admiral.
Sir James continues in the command at Guernsey.--Proceedings of his Squadron.--Letter from Lord Nelson, dated two days before he was killed.--Capture and destruction of La Salamandre.--Sir James's benevolent conduct at Guernsey.
The year 1804 is remarkable in the annals of the empire for the extraordinary exertions made by the First Consul of France to collect a powerful flotilla at the ports between Flushing, Cherbourg, and Boulogne, with the avowed intention of invading England. The vessels so collected were intended to convey the "Army of England," as it was called by Bonaparte, across the channel. We have already mentioned the fate of the Granville flotilla, after the attack made on it by Sir James. Early in this year it was discovered that one of the vessels belonging to it, a brig of 200 tons, had been driven on shore in the Bay of Dillette, adjacent to Alderney; that the enemy had succeeded in drawing her up to repair, and that she was nearly ready for launching. The commander of the Carteret cutter, who first discovered this, having represented it to Captain Bennet of the Tribune, (senior officer of the detachment which Sir James had placed off Cherbourg,) proposed to take advantage of the first nocturnal spring-tide, either to launch her, if ready, or to destroy her. The Carteret was accordingly reinforced by two midshipmen and ten men from the Tribune; a landing was effected, and the guard defeated: but the brig was found to have a plank out on each side of the keel, and she was therefore destroyed. This service was performed with the loss of one of the Carteret's men, Mr. Parker (a midshipman), and two men of the Tribune; while the enemy's loss was five killed and ten prisoners, who were afterwards released.[4]
[4] It is worthy of remark, that the French commanding officer, who was killed, had in his pocket a watch belonging to the commander of the Carteret, of which he had been robbed when taken prisoner in 1800.
The Diomede, of fifty guns, having been refitted at Portsmouth, returned to take Sir James's flag. Her former commander, Captain Thomas Larcom, died at Portsmouth; and Captain Hugh Downman, who had succeeded Captain Brenton in the Caesar, was, at Sir James's request, appointed his flag-captain. The Cerberus was sent to refit at Portsmouth, and on her way thither she captured a gun-boat.
During the years 1804 and 1805 the following vessels were taken and destroyed by the squadron:
31st January.--The Hydra and Tribune captured four gun-boats.
17th March.--The Loire captured the Brave of St. Maloes, of sixteen guns and 110 men.
18th March.--The Tartar lugger captured the Jeune Henri, twelve, and 64 men.
-- April.--The Sylph destroyed several gun-vessels in the Race of Alderney, in which she had one man killed and two wounded.
The Hydra captured a privateer off Cherbourg.
On the 9th October, the Albicore, Captain Henniker, destroyed five French gun-vessels near Grosnez de Flamanville, without any loss in men, although considerably damaged in the rigging and hull.
In the course of this eventful year, Sir James kept up a constant correspondence with his friend Lord Nelson, whose glorious career was now near its close. Availing himself of the opportunity of a vessel from Guernsey bound to Gibraltar, he sent his lordship a supply of wines and other good things which that fertile island produces, together with newspapers, &c. These reached the Victory only a few days before the memorable battle of Trafalgar; and Lord Nelson's answer, which we here transcribe, was dated only three days before the action, and is probably the last but one ever written by him.
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