PRESENTIMENTS OF
DEATH
LIEUTENANT STUART
edited by Geert van Uythoven
“Lieut. Stewart had been many years in the
service, and had for some time commanded the Seaflower
1), a beautiful prize brig-of-war, well known on the
He was first
Lieutenant of the little vessel, and during the time he held his station, was
distinguished by that gentlemanly behaviour and urbanity of manner, so much to
be desired in those who possess almost unlimited power. From the time of his
first joining her, however, he seemed to think of death, and frequently
declared, that he had never yet been in an action of any kind, although so long
in the service, and that he felt convinced most fully in his own mind, that,
when he did get in one, he should fall.
Many a long hour in
the weary night-watches on the banks of Newfoundland, has he wiled away by
reciting all his former prospects and his future hopes ; but it invariably
wound up with his taking a longer stride than usual, and declaring as he
finished his yarn, "If ever I go into action, I shall fall - Well, it's
all right - Keep a good look-out there, forward:" this was the hint that
he wanted no more conversation, and the mate of his watch used to leave him and
go over to leeward. Poor Stuart would then pace the deck, in the most perfect
mental abstraction. He had indeed a most melancholy foreboding of his fate, but
he met it like a hero.
It was in the
latter part of 1813, or the beginning of 1814, when the Harlequin, not far from
Bermuda, fell in with one of our own packets, and from some mistake in the
signals, the packet took her for an American which she had heard was in those
seas, and let fly a raking broad- side at her as she was coming up on her
quarter ; while the Harlequin was getting into carronade range, the packet
continued to fire at her, principally from a long brass gun, which she had
mounted abaft, and which was directed by a passenger, an artillery officer.
Poor Stuart was in
the act of walking aft, apparently in the highest glee and cheering the men
with the hopes of soon having her along- side, when one of those raking shots
came in at the starboard gangway, walked away with the back part of his head,
and his brains literally flew up to the peak of the main-sail
: it took another man's shoulder off, and then went out through the
poop.
There was many a wet eye the
next day, when "The wave was made his winding-sheet!''”
Footnotes:
1) Seaflower: Brig-sloop 16; listed from 1809; sold 1
September 1814.
2) Harlequin:
Brig-sloop 18, ‘Cruizer’ class; 385 bm; build by Baily,
Ipswich; launched 15 July 1813; sold 4 September
Source: Anonymous, “Traits and Incidents, naval and
military”, in ‘The United Service Journal and Naval and Military Magazine’ Part
I (
© Geert van Uythoven