CHAP. II.
As there were but a few months of the truce with Russia unexpired, the King hastened the preparations for war with redoubled vigour. He had many obstacles to overcome, but the greatest was the want of money; the national debt was a bottomless gulf that swallowed up every thing. The navy was much behind hand in arrears, and many little mutinies had been raised by the sailors for the want of their pay, but at last, after a thousand difficulties a formidable fleet was fitted out at the ports of Harwich, Hull, and Edinburgh; it consisted of fifty-five sail of the line, and two and twenty frigates. The Russians were later in their preparations; so that when the truce was expired, which was the 8th of September, their fleet was not ready to sail. The command of the British squadron was given to the Duke of Grafton, the first Lord of the Admiralty, Admiral Philips and Sir Charles Montague commanded the rear and van divisions under him. It is impossible to express the consternation of all ranks of people on the sailing of this fleet; the fate of the war depended not only on its success in the action, but on its being able to keep the enemy within the Sound. Thirty thousand Russians were embarked on board their squadron, which consisted of seventy sail of the line, besides frigates and a large fleet of transports, as they designed to attempt an invasion: their land-forces were commanded by the Marshal Schmettau, and the fleet by the Prince of Philigroff; their superiority was formidable, not only in number of ships but they were in general larger than the English; and their sailors had former successes imprinted in their minds. The Duke of Grafton having collected the British squadrons set sail with a fair wind for the Baltic, but the third day he was blown by a storm on the coast of Holland; unfortunately the enemy's fleet was out of the Sound before the wind changed, and the same storm brought them in sight of the British fleet. It blew very hard when the engagement began[1], which was about four in the afternoon, with great fury. The Duke and the Prince both exerted themselves with great vigour, and fought with the most heroic bravery. The Royal George of 100 guns the English Admiral's ship, was disabled by three Russian men of war, each of 80 guns. About six the Duke shifted his flag to the Blenheim, and in half an hour after the Royal George sunk. The Russian Admiral shifted his flag three times before the morning; for the battle lasted all night with the utmost fury. Sir Charles Montague was killed in the beginning of the engagement; and at last the Duke himself was wounded, and carried under deck; Philips continued the action with the greatest bravery, and conduct and had it pleased God that the wind had been less violent, he would, in all probability, have been the conqueror; but the storm increasing, the two fleets were obliged to separate. The Russians loss was very considerable, their Vice Admiral was killed, they had three ships taken, one sunk, and two blown up; with about 7000 men killed and wounded. The loss of the English was much less in number, but they had several ships quite disabled.
The day after this fatal engagement the British fleet kept in sight of the Russians, but without having it in their power to attack them; they were too much weakened by their loss; and the enemy making some motions which indicated a design to renew the engagement, Philips thought it most for the king's service to retire into port and refit.
The King was at the council when the news of the action was brought him; was undismayed, and replied "The Lord's will be done;" but it was a clap of thunder to every mortal besides. It was every moment expected that the Russian General would make a descent; the whole nation was in the utmost confusion; a sudden run upon the Bank was near occasioning a stop, and the stocks, which bore four per cent. fell down to thirty-five. In this critical moment all eyes were turned on the King, as the only pilot in so terrible a storm: it was impossible to be guided by a better; and had not Britain possessed a Sovereign of such singular intrepidity and prudence, she would have seen her last days. His Majesty, when he found the turn affairs were like to take, prudently ventured to send an order to the Bank to stop payment till the kingdom was more secure, and, at the same time, issued out a proclamation, assuring his subjects that this was but a temporary measure, till the affairs of the nation would permit of more regularity. He immediately assembled the parliament by proclamation, and went himself to the Admiralty, where he sat three hours dictating orders; dispatches were sent to every port in England, to hasten the equipment of a new fleet; troops were marching from all parts to the capital; in short, this young Monarch was, at this critical moment, the very life and soul of the state; he managed every thing himself, and almost without assistance; for his ministry and the council were so divided in their opinions and debates, that he put very little faith in any of them. In the midst of this scene of confusion, advice was brought, that the Russians, to the amount of 25000 men, had landed on the coast of Durham, and their fleet soon after disappeared, it was supposed, in order to convoy a second embarkation.
The affairs of Britain were now arrived at a most dangerous crisis, more terrible in appearance than any she had ever seen; and many circumstances combined to render her state really dreadful. The army was weak, and ill paid, the formidable naval power of the Russians having obliged the administration to turn all their efforts towards the fleet. The general despondence which prevailed throughout the nation, upon account of the debt increased the shades of this sad picture. The riches of individuals were now found to be of but little avail to the good of the state, and while we enjoyed a more extensive trade than ever, the nation was upon the brink of ruin. The Russians threw all their force into their royal navy, so that our commerce had suffered very little from privateers.
The parliament being assembled in the greatest haste and confusion, the King went to the house, and, in a sensible and nervous speech, laid before them the dangerous situation of the nation, painted to them, in the strongest colours, the absolute necessity for some vigorous measures to preserve them from their impending ruin. He informed them the enemy was landed, and on the march to York; that the only defence they had now to trust to was the army, which was itself weak, and discontented for want of pay; that the late misfortune at sea must be speedily repaired. In short, that the urgency of the times required every moment to be made use of. He told them, that money was wanted for a variety of uses, and that instantlythat the time was too short to raise it; and their credit to weak to borrow it—that, as circumstances were thus situated, he saw no expedient but their enabling him to make use of the money in the hands of the Bank-trustees, which was designed for the interest of the public debts, for more public and immediate necessities.
George made little doubt but that the parliament would readily come into any measures, at so critical a juncture, for the good of their country; but in this he was fatally mistaken. Peter had conveyed immense sums into England, and had most politically distributed them to the most advantageous purposes; he had secured a large party, and this with the influence of the Duke of Bedford, (for that nobleman was against the court in every debate, owing to his being debarred of that share of power usually given to a Lord High-Treasurer,) obstructed every measure proposed for coming to some speedy resolutions. At last, after the greatest heats, and the warmest debates ever known, It was determined to reject the king's proposal, and address him to remove the Duke of Suffolk from his councils and service, who they apprehended was the adviser of those measures.
The King's indignation at receiving this address is not to be expressed; he had expected the most hearty concurrence in every national measure he could have proposed; but when he found how much he was mistaken, he broke out into a violent exclamation against his enemies in the parliament, and flew in a violent passion to the house; he turned the Speaker out of the chair, and, seating himself in it, "I flattered myself," said he, "that a British p——— would have acted on British principles; but, to your great dishonour, I find myself mistaken; a powerful enemy is landed, and on the march: that time which you would waste in senseless disputes, is too precious for me to follow so pernicious an example: I shall place myself at the head of my troops, an act for the honour and good of my country: but let those traitors, that dare form machinations against the public peace, dread the indignation of an injured and enraged Sovereign." He had no sooner thundered out these words than he left the house, with very visible marks of anger.
As none knew the King's intentions, all were terrified; those who had so violently opposed his former proposal, dreaded his discovering their guilt, and were dismayed; they now offered to address his Majesty to take the state under his protection: this resolution was quickly agreed to; but before it could be concluded the house was alarmed with a violent mob, who had broke into the anti-chambers, and threatened destruction to every man who should oppose the King's will. Terror now sat in every countenance. Nothing less than immediate ruin was the object of every one's fears. Without much altercation, however, they hastily drew up an act, by which the King was enabled to apply all the money in the hands of the Bank Trustees to public service, in such manner as he thought most expedient[2].
This was a dreadful stroke to the public credit; stocks sunk almost to nothing, and the consequences were an immediate stop in the payment of the public interest. However, in violent disorders, violent remedies are necessary. The King no sooner possessed of this money, which amounted to some millions, than he paid off all the arrears of the army, and gave orders for the same in the navy. Nothing could exceed the rapidity of his measures. His troops were rendezvoused at Buckingham; and in a few days he put himself at the head of them. The whole army, when collected, amounted to near thirty thousand men; five thousand of which were horse,
In the mean time, the enemy under Count Schmettau had made little or no progress, considering the time they had been landed, Had they marched immeately for London the moment they were debarked, George would have had much less time to collect his forces; but Schmettau having taken Durham by storm, he most imprudently gave his troops three days to plunder; this conduct was madness itself. The Russians broke into all the houses, and were guilty of every species of excess. Their cruelties were unheard of and unparalleled; the most tender age was no defence against these merciless monsters; old men, women, and children, were butchered in cool blood, in the most shocking manner; it would make humanity recoil to relate their horrid barbarities; but their soldiers were soon intoxicated with liquor and cruelty, and all discipline and order were at an end.
The King being informed of the condition of the enemy, hastened his marches with all the expedition that was possible. He reached Lincoln in five days; and there understood that Schmettau, on the advice of his approach, had drawn out his men from Durham, though not without great difficulty, and was on the march to York. His Majesty pushed on to meet him before he could reach that city; but as it was too strong to be taken by surprise; Schmettau encamped between York and Wetherby, and prepared to fight the King, who was within five miles of him. There were several circumstances that induced George to determine on hazarding an action immediately; he expected soon to hear of another army of Russians landing, and he thought that avoiding a battle would damp the spirits of his soldiers; add to this, the barbarous ravages of the savage enemy called aloud on his humanity to put a stop to the miseries of his suffering subjects: he accordingly drew near to the enemy, and reconnoitred their situation, and prepared to attack them the next day, the 23d of Deccember.
Schmettau drew up his army on the side of a hill, with a rivulet in his front, a wood on each wing, and a village in his rear, which he had slightly fortified, and threw some battalions into the houses. All the King's motions seemed to indicate a design of attacking him in his front, and he had therefore raised several batteries that commanded the passage of the rivulet: his Majesty, however, finding that all the attention of the enemy was carried to their front, determined to make only a feint there, and attack them in their rear. Accordingly, about three o'clock in the morning, he gave General Sommers the command of ten thousand men, with orders to remain in the field, ready for action at a moment's warning, and as soon as he heard a signal they agreed on, to pass the rivulet, and make an attack on the enemy's front, while the King himself would pass the river higher up and fall on their rear.
This scheme had all the success that could have been wished for. General Sommers had no sooner made his attack than Schmettau gave into the snare: he concluded immediately that the whole English army was at his front, and, placing himself at the head of his first line, which included the choice of his army, he repulsed the English, but by the unparalleled bravery of the British troops was obliged to give way himself in his turn. Just at that critical moment the King made his attack on his rear, with a fury that at once threw the Russians into confusion; and Schmettau, finding himself between two fires, would have made his retreat had it been in his power: he made every effort to recover his oversight, and thrice rallied and led his troops to the charge; but the unconquerable fury of the King's attacks over came every thing; never man performed greater feats of personal valour; he had three horses killed under him, and as he was going to mount a fourth was near being shot by a Russian grenadier, but his carbine missing fire the King shot him dead. What concluded the day was Schmettau's being killed by a cannon ball: his death dispirited his men, and they soon gave way; the situation of the ground would permit but a few to escape, and those in small bodies through the woods. About twelve o'clock the battle was over. Ten thousand Russians were killed and wounded, and seven thousand made prisoners. The loss of the English was not inconsiderable; it amounted to about three thousand killed and wounded. The Dukes of Rutland and Newcastle, the Earl of Winchelsea, and Generals Howard, Chales, Lord, and French, were killed, besides which many officers of distinction were wounded.
This victory raised the spirits of the people; and it was particularly pleasing to them, as their young and next to adored Monarch gained it. The shouts of the army were equal to the applauses of the people; and where a Prince had given such uncommon instances of prudence as well as bravery, it was impossible but he should be universally beloved.
The King had discovered a disposition which no dangers could intimidate or difficulties depress. He had no sooner fought the Russian army, than he was informed a fresh fleet, more powerful than their former, was on the coast of Suffolk. This news, which cast a fresh alarm on the minds of the people, only quickened the rapidity of the King's motions. The English fleet was collected in the Thames and Medway, and by means of the greatest expedition, was ready to sail, but waited for a fair wind. It consisted of sixty-four sail of the line and thirty-two frigates; George was no sooner informed of the enemy than he determined to command his fleet himself. He rode with all expedition to Chatham, and took the command from the Duke of Grafton, who was recovered of his late wounds, but his Grace continued in the ship with his Majesty to give him his advice.—The Britannia, on board of which was the King, was, without exception, the finest ship in the world; she carried 120 brass guns, and, in the opinion of the best judges, was so well built and manned, that no single ship could live near her. Nothing could exceed the joy of the sailors at having their young victorious Sovereign at their head, they expressed the greatest impatience to attack the enemy; and the wind fortunately shifting, in two days gave them their desire.
The Russian fleet consisted of eighty-nine sail of the line besides frigates, and a fleet of transports which it was supposed might contain about ten thousand soldiers. About eight in the morning[3] the battle begun; the enemy's Admiral, Steinhold, in a ship of 80 guns, and another of 70 bore down on the the Britannia; the King met them, and singly engaged them; at one broadside the Russian Admiral was sunk to the bottom; a dreadful stroke, which threw their fleet into disorder; the other 70 gun-ship sheered off in a few minutes, and the Britannia was left without an enemy. The Marlborough was engaged with two Russian ships, who were too strong for her, but the King pouring a broadside into one of them, immediately turned the superiority in favour of the Marlboough: by eleven o'clock the Russian fleet sheered off, and his Majesty chaced: nine of their line of battle ships were taken, three sunk, and two burnt; forty transports were also taken, and several sunk. Thus did this young and gallant Monarch, with all the courage, conduct, and skill, of an experienced Admiral, defeat the enemy's fleet, which was so much superior to his own. This second victory raised the fame of the King to the highest pitch, changed the face of affairs, and spread a general joy through the breasts of all his subjects.