Read Online Across to America: A Tim Phillips Novel (War at Sea Book 9) by Richard Testrake - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Richard Testrake
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personnel. After a blast of that medicine, he then ordered the tops’l yards braced around and the ship put to the wind. She came around the bow of the stricken ship and again backed her tops’ls with her guns run out, offering to bow rake the privateer.
With no escape possible, the ship lowered her flag and surrendered.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Still laying athwart the privateer’s bow, Phillips sent the launch and cutter to the vessel, each full of armed seamen and Marines. Mister Goodrich, aboard the privateer which bore the name of the Captain Lawrence who had commanded the Chesapeake when she had been assaulted by HMS Shannon, shouted from her forecastle that the doctor was needed. Doctor Baynes was fully occupied with tending his own wounded, a few of whom were serious indeed. However, at the urging of his captain, he left them in the charge of his rather capable loblolly boy and was pulled over in the jolly boat.
It was a horrible shambles on board the prize. She had set out to sea with her hull packed with as many men as she could cram aboard. Her captain and owners had anticipated entering a prize-rich sea, where their ship would be the wolf attacking the flocks of dozens of helpless British merchant ships.
Her numerous crew were intended to man the many prizes she expected to make, while not weakening herself in case she did have to defend herself against some small British warship. Instead though, before making a single capture, she herself had entered combat with a capable British frigate. The numerous casualties were a result of all those people crowded together being fired into at close range by Andromeda’s guns.
All of them were fodder for the terrible balls and grapeshot that came relentlessly aboard. Of the more than three hundred people on board when the action started, only a hundred were still relatively whole now. Eighty men had gone over the side, and many more were expected to as the dozens of horribly wounded expired.
The prize did have a doctor aboard, although Doctor Baynes assured his captain this fellow had only served an abbreviated apprenticeship, and would never be considered qualified back home. As the two ship’s surgeons served hour after hour to alleviate what pain they could, more patients died continuously.
At first, there was nothing to give the men for their pain save quantities of rum, but eventually, in the cabin of the privateer’s captain, there was found a quantity of laudanum. This substance Doctor Baynes reported, was opium that had been dissolved in refined spirits. The doctor reported it to be a specific for pain, but was not always used because of its cost and the possibility of the user becoming addicted to its use. An improper dosage could also be dangerous.
Apparently, the ship’s captain before being cut nearly in half by a ball during the action, had not trusted his inexperienced surgeon with its use and locked it away.
The Sick and Hurt Board did not furnish such medicaments to its ship’s surgeons. Doctor Baynes, from his civilian practice, was familiar with the substance but had not thought to bring any along on the voyage, assuming the ship would have adequate resources to treat its people.
At any rate, he took charge of the laudanum and began treating the wounded aboard both ships with the panacea.
The weather began to intensify after the action, and the motion of both ships was becoming lively. Seamen from both sides were put to the task of rigging a jury foremast and bowsprit for the prize. Her first officer, left in charge of his own men by the death of his captain, begged Phillips to send the prize into port. Hopefully Boston, but Halifax would do. Phillips had to explain to the man his concern the ship would return to her privateering career should he send her into Boston.
As far as Halifax was concerned, it would be a trying voyage, beating into the prevailing wind with her cargo of desperately wounded men. He had to
With no escape possible, the ship lowered her flag and surrendered.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Still laying athwart the privateer’s bow, Phillips sent the launch and cutter to the vessel, each full of armed seamen and Marines. Mister Goodrich, aboard the privateer which bore the name of the Captain Lawrence who had commanded the Chesapeake when she had been assaulted by HMS Shannon, shouted from her forecastle that the doctor was needed. Doctor Baynes was fully occupied with tending his own wounded, a few of whom were serious indeed. However, at the urging of his captain, he left them in the charge of his rather capable loblolly boy and was pulled over in the jolly boat.
It was a horrible shambles on board the prize. She had set out to sea with her hull packed with as many men as she could cram aboard. Her captain and owners had anticipated entering a prize-rich sea, where their ship would be the wolf attacking the flocks of dozens of helpless British merchant ships.
Her numerous crew were intended to man the many prizes she expected to make, while not weakening herself in case she did have to defend herself against some small British warship. Instead though, before making a single capture, she herself had entered combat with a capable British frigate. The numerous casualties were a result of all those people crowded together being fired into at close range by Andromeda’s guns.
All of them were fodder for the terrible balls and grapeshot that came relentlessly aboard. Of the more than three hundred people on board when the action started, only a hundred were still relatively whole now. Eighty men had gone over the side, and many more were expected to as the dozens of horribly wounded expired.
The prize did have a doctor aboard, although Doctor Baynes assured his captain this fellow had only served an abbreviated apprenticeship, and would never be considered qualified back home. As the two ship’s surgeons served hour after hour to alleviate what pain they could, more patients died continuously.
At first, there was nothing to give the men for their pain save quantities of rum, but eventually, in the cabin of the privateer’s captain, there was found a quantity of laudanum. This substance Doctor Baynes reported, was opium that had been dissolved in refined spirits. The doctor reported it to be a specific for pain, but was not always used because of its cost and the possibility of the user becoming addicted to its use. An improper dosage could also be dangerous.
Apparently, the ship’s captain before being cut nearly in half by a ball during the action, had not trusted his inexperienced surgeon with its use and locked it away.
The Sick and Hurt Board did not furnish such medicaments to its ship’s surgeons. Doctor Baynes, from his civilian practice, was familiar with the substance but had not thought to bring any along on the voyage, assuming the ship would have adequate resources to treat its people.
At any rate, he took charge of the laudanum and began treating the wounded aboard both ships with the panacea.
The weather began to intensify after the action, and the motion of both ships was becoming lively. Seamen from both sides were put to the task of rigging a jury foremast and bowsprit for the prize. Her first officer, left in charge of his own men by the death of his captain, begged Phillips to send the prize into port. Hopefully Boston, but Halifax would do. Phillips had to explain to the man his concern the ship would return to her privateering career should he send her into Boston.
As far as Halifax was concerned, it would be a trying voyage, beating into the prevailing wind with her cargo of desperately wounded men. He had to
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