The Fishguard Invasion by the French in 1797 Part 1

The Fishguard Invasion by the French in 1797.

by M. E. James, et al.

INTRODUCTION.

The very curious incident related in the following narrative took place nearly a hundred years ago, and, as men's memories are short, and the whole affair reads like fiction-and very improbable and imaginative fiction-it may be as well to write a few lines of introduction, and to give my authorities for the facts mentioned in the story.

In the first place, the evidence of persons who had witnessed the landing, and who recollected it perfectly, and who have told the story to me-I have met many such in the course of my life, as my home was within sight of Fishguard Head. Probably the last of these eye-witnesses was the old woman who died a short time ago-on February 8, 1891. Her demise was announced by the Pembrokeshire papers as "The Death of a Pembrokeshire Centenarian."

The death occurred on Sunday morning at the Dyffryn Cottages, near Fishguard, of Eleanor (Nelly) Phillips at the age of 103. Her age is pretty accurately fixed by a statement she was wont to make, that she was nine years old when the French landed at Fishguard. She was a spinster, and had been bedridden for eight years. When a mere girl she was in service at Kilshawe, near Fishguard, and was driving cows from a field when the French frigates appeared off the coast in 1797.

In the second place, the following books and pamphlets:-

Fenton's "Pembrokeshire," pp. 10, 11, and 12.

"The Book of South Wales," by C. F. Cliffe, p. 251.

A curious and scarce pamphlet, written by Williams of Crachenllwyd, a place near St. David's; he was the farmer who sent his servant to give the alarm. The pamphlet was called "The Landing of the French," and was, I believe, printed at Haverfordwest.

"The Red Dragon," 1885. _Western Mail_ Office, Cardiff.

"An Authentic Account of the Invasion of the French Troops (under the command of General Tate) on Carrig Gwasted Point, near Fishguard, Wednesday, the 22nd day of February, 1797, and their Surrender to the Forces of His Britannic Majesty on Goodwick Sands, on Friday, the 24th of February; likewise some occurrences connected therewith: never before published. Haverfordwest: Joseph Potter, printer, High Street, 1842."

This pamphlet was written by H. L. ap Gwilym-and was signed as correct by two eye-witnesses, Fishguard Fencible men, Peter Davies and Owen Griffith.

Laws, "Little England beyond Wales," p. 367.

I am indebted to the kindness of Mr. Leach, the editor of the _Tenby Observer_, for many particulars, and especially for information as to how the news was conveyed to England. He found the following entry in the overseer's accounts for the borough of Tenby:-

"_Thursday_, _Feb._ 23, 1797. Cash paid by Mr. Mayor's order to John Upcoat, for going out to the Road for a skiff to go over to the English side to give information concerning the landing of about 1,400 French Troops at Fishguard in the County, who on the next day surrendered themselves up to the Welsh etc., that went to oppose them as _prisoners of war_, and were marched accordingly by Sat.u.r.day 25th to Haverfordwest... 1s."

This entry could not have been entirely made on Feb. 23rd, unless the worthy overseer had the gift of prophecy.

The messenger probably came on to Tenby from Stackpole, where he aroused Lord Cawdor with the tidings in the middle of Wednesday night. The news conveyed by John Upcoat must have been taken across the Channel to Somersetshire and thence to London; the manner of proceeding at the _fin de siecle_ of the eighteenth century contrasts amusingly with the rapidity of the nineteenth, but possibly our time will be scoffed at and considered slow by the twentieth.

The _European Magazine_ of the period gives the names of the vessels: _La Resistance_, commanded by Monsieur Montague, 40 guns, eighteen pounders on her main deck, 345 men. The other frigate _La Constance_, commanded by Monsieur Desauny, mounted 24 nine-pounders on her main deck, with 189 men. {14}

One of the frigates and the corvette were eventually captured off Brest by the _St. Fiorenzo_ frigate (Captain Sir H. B. Neale, Bart.) and the _La Nymphe_ (Captain J. Cooke), who took them both into Portsmouth, where the frigate was repaired and rechristened the _Fisgard_, presumably the French p.r.o.nunciation of Fishguard, and was until quite lately the receiving ship at Sheerness. The other frigate and the lugger managed to get safely into Brest.

The officers present at the council of war held at the "Royal Oak,"

Fishguard, were the Lord-Lieutenant of the county, Lord Milford (who from age and infirmity had given up the command of the troops to Lord Cawdor), Lord Cawdor, Colonel Knox, Colonel Colby, Major Ackland, Colonel Dan.

Vaughan, Colonel James, Colonel George Vaughan, the governor of Fishguard Fort, and other gentlemen. The troops consisted of the Castle Martin Yeomanry Cavalry, the Cardiganshire Militia, the Cardiff Militia (which was then stationed in Pembrokeshire), some Fencible infantry, and a few sailors under Lieutenants Mears and Perkins, in all 750 men.

The letters that pa.s.sed between General Tate and Lord Cawdor are given in the narrative, but the following letters from Lord Milford and Lord Cawdor to the Duke of Portland, Secretary of State for the Home Department, may be found interesting:-

_From Lord Milford_.

"HAVERFORDWEST,

"_February_ 26, 1797, Six o'clock A.M.

"Since I had the honour of writing last to your Grace by express I received information of the French ships having sailed and left 300 men behind, who have surrendered themselves prisoners. The great spirit and loyalty that the gentlemen and peasantry has shown on this occasion exceeds description. Many thousands of the latter a.s.sembled, armed with pikes and scythes, and attacked the enemy previous to the arrival of troops that were sent against them."

"HAVERFORDWEST,

"_February_ 24, Nine o'clock P.M.

"I have the honour and pleasure to inform your Grace that the whole of the French troops, amounting to near fourteen hundred men, have surrendered, and are now on their march to Haverfordwest. I have taken the first opportunity of announcing the good news to your Grace, and shall have the honour of writing again to your Grace by tomorrow's post."

The following letter was written by Lord Cawdor to the Duke of Portland:-

"FISHGUARD,

"_Friday_, _February_ 24, 1797.

"MY LORD,-In consequence of having received information on Wednesday night, at eleven o'clock, that three large ships of war and a lugger had anch.o.r.ed in a small roadstead upon the coast, in the neighbourhood of this town, I proceeded immediately with a detachment of the Cardiganshire Militia and all the provincial force I could collect to the place. I soon gained positive intelligence they had disembarked about 1,200 men, but no cannon. Upon the night setting in a French officer, whom I found to be second in command, came in with a letter (a copy of which I sent your Grace, together with my answer), {18} in consequence of which they determined to surrender themselves prisoners of war, and, accordingly, laid down their arms this day at two o'clock. I cannot, at this moment, inform your Grace the exact number of prisoners, but I believe it to be their whole force. It is my intention to march them this night to Haverfordwest, where I shall make the best distribution in my power. The frigates, corvette, and lugger got under weigh yesterday evening, and were this morning entirely out of sight. The fatigue we experienced will, I trust, excuse me to your Grace for not giving a more particular detail; but my anxiety to do justice to the officers and men I had the honour to command, will induce me to attend your Grace with as little delay as possible, to state their merits and, at the same time, to give you every information in my power on this subject. The spirit and loyalty which has pervaded all ranks throughout the country is infinitely beyond what I can express.

"I am, &c., "CAWDOR."

[Picture: Stand of Arms in Tenby Museum]

Lord Cawdor's "distribution" took the form of placing 700 men in the beautiful old church of St. Mary's (which they greatly injured), 500 in the Town Hall, and the remainder in the store-houses of Haverfordwest.

The officers were allowed out on parole, and one of them showed scant respect for his word of honour, for he was discovered at a silversmith's trying to barter an old silver cup for coin of the realm, with which doubtless to escape to France. There were some letters on the cup which he chose to decipher as "La Vendee"; they turned out on inspection to be "Llanwnda," from which church the chalice had been stolen, and where it was at once returned, while the officer was transferred from the "Castle Hotel" to the Castle jail-a very different place.

A number of the prisoners were shortly after sent on to Carmarthen and to Pembroke, where the romantic episode of the escape from the Golden Prison occurred exactly as given in the narrative. The arms and ammunition taken from the French filled fifty-five carts; their muskets were the ordinary weapon of the period, with flint locks, barrels 3ft. 7in., whole length 4ft. 10in., weight 9lbs. Lord Cawdor presented two of these muskets to the Tenby Museum, and Mr. Mathias gave a short sword and scabbard. On each side of the sword are represented sun, moon, and stars, with the inscription _Ca.s.saguard_, _Fourbisseur du Roy_, _Nantes_.

There are half-a-dozen cannonb.a.l.l.s-nine pounders-at the house of Eleanor Rees, of Goodwick, which were given to her father by the French-a curious toy for a small boy of two or three years of age. The invaders seem to have been very kind to this young Taffy, nursed him on their knees, and made much of him, and finally presented him with this strange _gage d'amour_. He was probably a plucky little fellow, for he grew into a brave man, and was awarded a medal for having at various times saved many lives, going out in his own boat to shipwrecked vessels and rescuing the crews-when the _Lady Kenmare_ foundered he saved, among others, two ladies and some children, bringing them through a tremendous sea, "in their night-dresses, as wet as sops," the narrator added.

Most of the prisoners were finally sent back to France, when it was discovered what manner of men they were. Lord Cawdor took General Tate and some of the other officers to London, whence they were consigned to Dartmoor. This personally-conducted journey through England was not without peril. The people were greatly incensed against the French, and were quite ready to carry out Lynch law on these unhappy men, and in the excitement of the moment a mob does not always discriminate between its friends and its foes. It was fortunate for Tate and his fellows, and still more fortunate for Pembrokeshire, that the conduct of the whole affair from first to last was in such able and determined hands as those of Lord Cawdor. A letter from him to Lady Cawdor (hitherto unpublished, and for which I am indebted to Mr. Laws), gives a very vivid account of this journey.

"OXFORD STREET,

"_Monday morn_, _March_ 13, 1797.

"I have at length the satisfaction of an hour's time free from interruption to give you a short account of our employment, etc., since I quitted you, but shall reserve much of the detail for your amus.e.m.e.nt when we meet, a moment I ardently long for. Near Tavern Spite I met a messenger, with the D. of Portland's despatches to me signifying the King's approbation of my conduct, which probably General Rooke has shown you, accompanied also by a handsome and flattering private letter from the Duke. Upon my arrival at Carmarthen I immediately sent off the messenger with my letters, and finding the impossibility of procuring horses until the following morn was in the expectation of getting a quiet night, having procured a bed at a private house; but an alarm of a fire in the town joined to confusion created by the report of a landing in great force in Glamorganshire, which I knew must have no foundation, prevented my obtaining sleep for one moment. Early in the morn we left Carmarthen, with three chaises; in the first, Joe Adams had charge of Tate and Captain Tyrell, the first alarmed and confused, the second a stupid Paddy. I had Le Brun with me, as dirty as a pig, but more intelligent and better manners; in the last, Lord E. Somerset had the care of Captain Norris and Lieutenant St. Leger, both greatly frightened, they had but little conversation. The whole road we pa.s.sed through great crowds of people at all the places were (_sic_) we changed horses, and thro' Wales tho' the indignation of the people was great, I found my influence would protect them without difficulty. The women were more clamorous than the men, making signs to cut their throats, and desiring I would not take the trouble of carrying them further. All the military a.s.sistance I could get at Oxford as a guard for the night was a sergeant of your friend and landlord, and two recruits, but I had no apprehension of their escape as their remain (_sic_) with us was the only thing that ensured their safety. At Uxbridge the rage of the mob was chiefly directed against Tate, who was supposed to be Wall, and he trembled almost to convulsions, by a little arrangement I contrived to bring them quiet through the parks, and lodged them in the Duke of Portland's before any crowd was a.s.sembled. My time since that moment has been taken up with attendance at the different offices, etc., and ministers are so bewildered by the difficulties at the Bank, etc., that it is more than usually difficult to get access to them for any time, but I have seen them all and stated to them plainly and decidedly, the situation of Pembroke, etc., giving every testimony in my power. The weather is extremely cold, the town I hear dull and unpleasant, everybody I have seen much interested about you, Mrs. Wodehouse ... and desires her love. Joe his respects."

[No signature.]

Having disposed of the rank and file of the expedition, there comes the natural question, what was its _raison d'etre_? Some persons think it was merely a fine stroke of political economy on the part of the French Government, for a considerable number of the men were convicts, and to have them killed or imprisoned at the expense of the English would undoubtedly have been a good financial arrangement; but the biography of Lazare Hoche {26} proves that a much larger idea than this was in the mind of the originator of the invasion. He was a successful general and an ambitious man, and his imagination was fired by the prowess of Napoleon:-"La France couvrait alors ses frontieres de jeunes republiques, et Bonaparte saisissait les imaginations par ses merveilleux exploits en Italie. Hoche, retenu par les penibles soins de la pacification de l'Ouest, avait suivi de son ardente pensee le vainqueur d'Arcole a travers, tous ses champs de victoire: 'Glorieux jeune homme, s'ecriait-il en se frappant le front,' que je te porte envie! Il brlait de faire d'aussi grandes choses, et de trouver un champ de gloire digne de son genie; il projetait donc de revolutionner l'Irlande, de la transformer en republique; puis de pa.s.ser en Angleterre et de la frapper au cur. Il fit adopter son projet par le gouvernement qui, apres s'etre concerte avec les chefs des revolutionnaires irlandais, prepara a Brest une grande expedition dont Hoche eut le commandement... Hoche y joignit deux legions, qu'il nomma legions des Francs: il composa la premiere des officiers et des soldats les plus resolus, audacieux jusqu' a la temerite; il forma la seconde, il faut le dire, d'elements indignes, et c'est un reproche pour sa memoire. Detestant l'Angleterre, partageant de tristes prejujes et regardant, en haine du gouvernement britannique, le peuple anglais comme le suppot de ministres perfides et d'une odieuse aristocratie, tous les moyens lui semblaient permis pour abaisser et pour desoler cette fiere nation: il agit en consequence et fit entrer dans cette seconde legion tout ce qu'il put rama.s.ser de gens perdus, de bandits et de ma.s.sacreurs, et il la mit sous le commandement d'un chef etranger connu par sa sauvage energie. Cette legion devait aborder en Angleterre pour abuser l'ennemi sur la veritable destination de l'escadre portant le corps expeditionnaire: elle eut l'ordre de debarquer a l'embouchure de la Saverne, de se porter de nuit sur Bristol, d'incendier cette ville et de semer la devastation dans les campagnes environnantes; puis de se rembarquer pour jeter plusieurs detachements sur differents points du littoral en portant partout la mort, le ravage et l'incendie, attirant ainsi sur elle et retenant en Angleterre une partie considerable des forces britanniques, tandis que l'expedition cinglerait viers la cote irlandaise."

In the appendix of the same work we find the source from which Hoche compiled his instructions.

"NOTE D.

"Extrait du projet de Carnot pour l'organisation d'une chouaunnerie en Angleterre, et dans lequel Hoche puisa les instructions donnees par lui a la seconde legion des Francs.

"Les hommes employes a cette expedition devront etre, autant que faire se pourra, jeunes, robustes, audacieux, d'une ame accessible a l'appat du butin.