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HMS Niger

Page history last edited by Jon 14 years, 10 months ago

HMS Niger was built as a screw propelled steam sloop and launched at Woolwich in November 1846. The ship was approximately 194 feet in length and 34 feet in width, with around 13 guns[1]. In 1862 the ship was converted to a corvette with a maximum complement of 180 crew, although actual numbers during Ernest’s period of service varied from 150 to the high 170s. Out of this number, the ship generally held around 26 boys, including Ernest.

 

In her early years HMS Niger saw service in Africa, China and Australia as well as taking part in the first bombardment of Sebastopol during the Crimean War. Ernest Lionel Carpenter joined the HMS Niger shortly before she sailed for the North America and West India stations. The final voyage of HMS Niger as part of the Royal Navy ended with her return to England in November 1868.

 

A Lithograph  showing H.M.S. Basilisk (common paddle) and H.M.S. Niger (Smith's screw) towing stern to stern each vessel exerting her utmost power in opposite directions is held by the National Maritime Museum (Reference PAH0944). This trial of power between Paddle Wheel & Screw took place in the English Channel on 20th June 1849 and lasted one hour, in which time the “Niger” towed the Basilisk at the rate of 1.466 Knots per hour.  The screw (and H.M.S. Niger) was therefore, the victor in this trial.

 

The Travels of HMS Niger, 1865-1868

A look at the Ship’s Log for 1865-1868 reveals much about the places the crew visited and life on board ship during the time that Ernest served on HMS Niger.  The log entries emphasise the degree of repetition during service with regular entries for:

 

  • training
  • coaling the ship
  • preparing to sail
  • carpentry (repairing the ship)
  • sailmaking
  • cleaning the ship
  • painting the ship

 

The harsher side of life at sea is illustrated frequently by the loss of men overboard in accidents and in periodic court martials for mutiny and desertion. On occasion the Ship’s Log includes entries which stray from the normal routine/navigational entries, a selection of which can be found below and in the appendices.

 

The log also records the sightings of a great number of vessels of all types, including many American steamers and French warships. Usually this results in a gun salute to the other ship, to varying degrees depending on the vessel. One example of a more generous salute can be seen in the ships log for Friday 3rd November 1865 with a fifteen gun salute for a Spanish admiral, a salute matched in return by the Spanish warship.

 

Unusually, the captain of HMS Niger inserted a number of charts in his log book which recorded the voyages undertaken by the steamship, including a track of the ship’s outward voyage from England to Bermuda, recording how far they had reached each day and the conditions they faced.

 

Although crew names are rarely mentioned in the entries in the Ship’s Log (usually only where men are lost overboard or court martialled) the Log entries still help to give a better picture of some of the sights that Ernest would have seen and been a part of.  One of these sights would turn out to be the historic moment that the first transatlantic cable was landed in Newfoundland, connecting the United States and the United Kingdom by telegraph.

 

February-March 1865: Preparations for sea

The preparations for service began in earnest on 15th February 1865 when the Times[2] reported (in the daily ‘Military & Naval Intelligence’ column) that ‘Her Majesty’s Screw Corvette, Niger, 13 [guns] recently commissioned at Woolwich by Capt John C. Byng for the North America and West India stations was yesterday hauled out of the fitting basin in readiness for sea.’

 

A week later and the Times[3] was reporting that the Niger ‘will go down to the T-Pier at the Royal Arsenal this morning and ship her guns and war stores in preparation for sea. She will then proceed to Greenhithe to adjust her compasses’.

 

The ‘Military & Naval Intelligence’ column provided a number of further sightings at Woolwich[4] and Spithead[5] before reporting that the Niger had left Plymouth for North America and the West Indies on 21st March 1865[6].

 

June 1865: Cuban heat

The Ship’s Log records the impact of the Cuban heat in an entry for Sunday 18th June, written in the late morning after mustering the men for divine service:

 

‘On account of the condenser being badly fitted at Woolwich Dockyard the Store Rooms, Sail Room, Compass [clock?] &c, are literally saturated with moisture dropping from the beams, thereby causing the [Ship?] to be damaged & to decay, now making it necessary to clear the said Store Rooms, the cockpit & Sail Room, the temperature being 105 [degrees] also causing Ship’s company  to sleep on upper deck. 11.30 [?], set lower study and deck condensing.’

 

Later the same month, on 28th June 1865, the crew dressed the ship in honour of Her Majesty’s Coronation Day before firing a Royal Salute in honour of Her Majesty’s Coronation at midday[7].

 

October-November 1865: Insurrection in Jamaica

HMS Niger arrived in Jamaica at a moment of crisis. Years of economic crisis in Jamaica had come to a head when the combination of ‘declining wages, rising taxes, land hunger, judicial maladministration and over-population’[8] resulted in a riot at Morant Bay, Jamaica in October 1865. Governor Eyre suppressed the riot at Morant Bay by imposing martial law, backed up by naval force[9].

 

The Times report on the response to the insurrection appeared in an edition in December 1865[10], stating that word had reached them that ‘the island had been relieved from all apprehension of any renewal of the insurrection, and detachments of troops having been stationed all over the island as well as several men-of-war cruising around the coast, it was probable that tranquillity would soon be completely restored.’

 

The British fleet at Jamaica in November comprised HMS Duncan, HMS Aboukir, HMS Galatea, HMS Sphynx, HMS Niger, HMS Wolverine, HMS Fawn, HMS Cordelia, HMS Steady, HMS Nimble, HMS Lily and HMS Aurora. The Governor, E. Eyre, stated that the Naval Force ‘concentrated at and around Jamaica could at any moment supply and convey 500 or 1,000 marines and sailors to any required locality’.

 

It is impossible to know the degree to which the sailors on board HMS Niger were involved. Afterwards, the House of Assembly passed a resolution thanking Her Majesty’s military and naval forces, the Volunteers, Militia and Maroons for ‘their prompt and effectual services in crushing the wicked and bloodthirsty rebellion in the eastern part of this colony, and in checking its extension throughout the colony’.

 

April-June 1866: Fenian attacks on Canada

In April the Niger made its way to Nova Scotia amidst rumours that an army of Irish Americans and Irish Republicans[11] in exile were planning an attack. The Times[12] reported that ‘Doran Killian is reported to have left New York with a Fenian Force, in order to endeavour to seize the island of Campo Bello in the Bay of Fundy.’ Other stories suggested that Bermuda was the target.  A few days later the Times[13] reported further developments:

 

‘Quebec, April 10: Large numbers of Fenians are gathering along the New Brunswick frontier, and threatening Campo Bello and St. Stephen’s. Two hundred Fenians left Portland, Maine, on Monday last, for Eastport, on the Canadian frontier, and a schooner had been chartered to carry arms.

Quebec, April 12:  The Fenian convention is in session at Eastport, Maine. The town is crowded with Fenians, and there are several Fenian vessels in the harbour armed with howizers and 20-pounders. A sailing vessel escaped to sea, notwithstanding the presence of the United States’ Marshal in Eastport. Arms and ammunition are arriving at different points along the New Brunswick frontier.

     Several British gunboats are off Eastport and Campo Bello, keeping steam up and port-holes open. This menacing attitude is said to have caused a hostile feeling among American sympathizers with the Fenian cause, numbers of whom, together with some British deserters, are joining the Fenians.

      A suspicious looking steamer, showing American colours, has proceeded up Eastport River towards St. Andrew’s.

Communication between St. John’s and the Western towns on the British side is reported to have been cut off by the Fenians. The garrison of Campo Bello has been reinforced, and earthworks have been thrown up.

      The Canadian authorities believe that the movement on New Brunswick is a feint to cover an attack upon Canada, in conjunction with gunboats from Chicago.’   

 

By the time the report appeared the first attacks on 14th April 1866 had already taken place on Indian Island and there were more attacks on subsequent days. The Times[14] reported that on April 17th a document had been ’circulated among the crew of the British gunboat off Campo Bello with the object of inducing the men to join the Fenians.  A mutiny is reported to have broken out on board the gunboat, in consequence of which 40 men were put in irons.’

 

The extent of the Niger’s involvement is hard to ascertain (the Ship’s Log gives very little away, focusing mostly on navigation) although the Chaffey family history[15] published on the internet refers to the Niger. The family history states that the Fenians returned on April 21st 1866, burning down four stores/warehouses at Guay’s Wharf and describes the British naval response:

 

‘A guard of marines and sailors was sent to the island and used the new schoolhouse as a guardhouse. Troops and volunteers poured into the border towns. The gunboat, "Rosario", brought a civil engineer, Mr. Innes, to inspect the state of the fortifications. A crew of men from the Rosario built embankments around the school and erected a stockade. The guards were reinforced from crews of the warships, Pylades, Niger (Lt. Boxer), Fawn (Capt. Hill), and Cordelia (Lt. Ogilvie). After the departure of these ships, Lt. Wilmot arrived from Saint John with a detachment of volunteers, followed by Lt. Chandler with volunteers from St. Andrews and Fredericton. Another night attack by two small armed Fenian boats was routed by the volunteer infantry. The sounds of the firefight brought the Niger under Lt. Boxer under full steam and fighting lamps lit, but the Fenians eluded them and returned to Eastport.’

 

The Ship’s Log[16] records that a party was sent to Indian Island on 26th April 1866, with an entry that reads:’5.40 Sent 1 Lieut, 1 Sub Lieut, 1 Carpenter, 15 Seamen, 5 marines & 7 Carpenters crew to Pylades for conveyance to Indian Isd.’ In the following days there is mention of various communications by boat with Indian Island (but no indication of their content).

 

A further entry for 2nd May 1866[17] describes how the Niger reacted to one threat, possibly the same one referred to in the Chaffey family history: ‘Sent cutter in charge of Lieut Woodward through the narrows in search of a schooner’ and later, ‘5.30 Cutter returned not having seen Schooner.’ The party sent to Indian Island returned on 3rd May 1866 (on HMS Fawn).

 

The threat of further attacks prompted further troop movements and the Niger was involved in transferring 108 officers and men between St Andrews and St Johns on 15th-16th June. On the 25th June the Niger was signalled from Indian Island with the message “All well”[18].

 

 

The Niger reached Halifax on 4th July 1866 where she joined a great many ships in the harbour, including the flagship HMS Duncan. The same day the ships in harbour give a salute in honour of the anniversary of America’s independence.

 

22nd-27th July 1866 – The Atlantic Telegraph Expedition

On July 13th 1866, the Great Eastern set off from Ireland in an attempt to lay the first successful transatlantic cable between Great Britain and the United States. The Great Eastern was the largest and certainly the most impressive ship of her time[19], although sadly reduced to cable laying after the failure of her career as a passenger liner.

 

After steaming north-east for a number of days HMS Niger arrived in the area, awaiting the arrival of the Great Eastern and began circling the ‘Lily’ at a rendezvous point off Newfoundland between the 22nd and 27th July 1866. Finally, at 2.30am on Friday 27th July 1866, HMS Niger communicated with HMS Terrible (the Royal Navy escort for the cable laying expedition) and then proceeded, keeping station with the Terrible until at 4am they met the Steamship Great Eastern.

 

HMS Niger was required to keep station with “Great Eastern” on the final leg of its journey[20] – the Ship’s Log recording that they finally sighted land on the port bow at 6am. At 8am the ships stopped off Hearts’ Content, Newfoundland and the Great Eastern cut the  cable and joined the shore end. Two hours later still, the “Great Eastern” proceeded into harbour[21], followed by HMS Terrible at 11.20am and HMS Niger at 11.40am (a course that took half an hour, with HMS Niger stopping in Heart’s Content at 12.10). A photograph taken at the time shows Great Eastern swamped by vessels sent out to meet her .

 

The Times described the excitement of the closing stages of the expedition[22]:

 

‘The harbour of Heart’s Content presented a scene on the evening of Friday, the 27th of July, which will not easily be effaced from the memory of those who witnessed the final triumph of the Atlantic Telegraph Expedition of 1866. Securely anchored in its waters lay the Great Eastern, surrounded by her faithful convoy, while boats of all sizes and kinds flocked about her, laden with the inhabitants who rushed on board to see the leviathan ship and all her wonders. While this crowd of visitors were on board there was a silent gathering on shore, awaiting the landing of the cable from the Medway by the boats of the Terrible, to which that honour was assigned. Her large paddle-box boats, her cutters, pinnaces and gigs were all brought into requisition, and, under the command of Lieutenant Streatfield, the Second Lieutenant, conveyed it to shore, close to one of the wooden fish-stages nearest to the Telegraph house, some three or four hundred yards distant from the water’s edge. This part of the shore is fringed with huge boulders of rock, so that the boats could not get within 20 yards of the beach; but the Terrible’s crew accompanied by the leading cable men, under the orders of Messrs Temple of London, jumped into the water, and there was a hearty and animated struggle between them to see who should first bring the cable on shore.’

 

The Ship’s Log records the time of the landing as 4.35pm, with an entry that reads simply ‘Telegraph cable was landed. Fired a Royal Salute & cheered.’ The Times report adds more detail to events[23]:

 

‘A salute in honour of Her Majesty of twenty-one guns each from the Great Eastern, Terrible, Niger, and Lily, announced the landing of the cable, and the cheers which were given on shore were answered by those from the ships, over and over again. Early in the morning, before the Great Eastern entered the harbour, Mr Gooch had received the message from the Queen to the President of the United States. It was in these words:-

 

“The Queen, Osborn, to the President of the United States. –The Queen congratulates the President on the successful completion of an undertaking which she hopes may serve as an additional bond of union between the United States and England.”

 

Upon consultation, with Captain Commercell of Her Majesty’s Ship Terrible, that officer resolved to despatch Her Majesty’s Ship Niger, Captain Bruce, with Her Majesty’s message to Cape Race, for transmission by the New York, Newfoundland, and London Telegraph, to Washington. About 5pm the corvette was on her way out of harbour.’

 

The timing for the final events of the day are recorded in the Ship’s Log as follows:

5.15 Up Boats shortened in cable. Up steam in 4 Boilers.

6.35 Weighed under steam & proceeded up the Harbor. Communicated with Terrible.

6.40 Mr Mackay came on board with Telegram from Her Majesty to the President of the United States

7.05 Proceeded out.

 

As night fell HMS Niger was steaming back out of Heart’s Content and around the coast of Newfoundland on a course for Breton Island.

It must have been a spectacular sight to see the Great Eastern, undoubtedly the most remarkable ship of her age and significantly larger than any ship built for the next fifty years. The significance of the historic moment that Ernest would have witnessed cannot be underplayed – up to this point the most important news still took 12 days to cross the atlantic. In the documentary ‘The Great Transatlantic Cable’ the historian Gillian Cookson explained that the fastest means to send a message prior to 1866 was by telegraph from New York routed ‘on overland cables to St John’s, the easternmost point on Newfoundland. The message was then picked up by fast steamship and taken to the west of Ireland and then it was telegraphed through to London.’

 

September-November 1866

The Fenian situation demonstrated its ability to determine the positioning of the Niger and deployment of its crew once again, as we can see from the Ship’s Log in September 1866.

 

The entry for Thursday 27th September 1866 shows HMS Niger at Quebec, Canada and states that at 8am: ‘Discharged for passage by Rail[24], Party for Gunboats, consisting of 2 Lieutenants, 1 Asst Surgeon, 1 Sub Lieutenant, 2 Midshipmen, 2 Engineers (Asst), 45 Petty Officers & Men, 12 Mariners, 7 Stokers & 16 Boys’.

 

On the morning of Tuesday 13th November 1866, whilst HMS Niger was at Montreal, the log[25] shows the return of the men with a note that reads simply ‘Arrived Gunboat “Hercules”’ and then in the afternoon a second note reads ‘”Hercules” crew turned over’ before finally the Hercules is shown to have left just before sunset.

 

December 1867-January 1868

In December 1867 the Niger visited Havana and as a precaution the ship was later placed in quarantine at Port Royal ‘in consequence of the reported prevalence of cholera at Havana’[26].

 

November 1868

The Times[27] reported that the Niger arrived at Spithead on the Friday and ‘sailed the same evening for the Thames, to be dismantled and paid out of commission’

 

Footnotes

  1. Contemporary accounts give varying numbers of guns - 8, 13 and 14 are quoted in different sources.
  2. The Times, Military & Naval Intelligence, 15th February 1865.
  3. The Times, Military & Naval Intelligence, 22nd February 1865
  4. The Times, Military & Naval Intelligence, 3rd March 1865 - page 5, column B and 4th March 1865 - page 12, column F.
  5. The Times, Military & Naval Intelligence, 17th March 1865 - page 12, column C (Admirals to cruise around fleet).
  6. The Times, Military & Naval Intelligence, 22nd March 1865.
  7. On another occasion a similar salute was fired to celebrate Queen Victoria's birthday.
  8. The Companion to British History, Routledge (2001).
  9. The events of October 1865 (now known as the Morant Bay rebellion) and its aftermath are regarded as a pivotal moment in Jamaican history and generated a political debate in Britain at the time. The organizer of the rebellion, Paul Bogle, a deacon of the church in St. Thomas parish and politician George William Gordon were executed for their part. The Jamaica Guide-History website (http://jamaica-guide.info/past.and.present/history/crown.colony/index.html accessed on 17th December 2006) states 'Though all signs of the rebellion disappeared within a week, martial law continued long afterward, and more than 430 men and women were shot or hung in the process. More than 600 men and women were flogged, and more than 1000 homes destroyed.' In 1866 a Royal Commission was established to collect evidence and report on the events that had taken place.
  10. The Times, 'The Insurrection in Jamaica' - 15th December 1865.
  11. The Irish Republican Brotherhood, commonly known as the Fenians, had been founded in 1858 in Ireland and were initially led by John O'Mahony in the United States. In 1865 John O'Mahony lost control of the leadership of the IRB and pursued his own agenda, planning an attack on New Brunswick - see http://www.doyle.com.au/fenian_raids.htm - whilst the mainstream IRB worked on a plan to use military force to 'secure an independent territory for Ireland where an 'Irish Republic in exile' would be established and used as a bargaining chip to free Ireland'.
  12. The Times, 18th April 1866, page 12 column A. The news published in the Times was several days behind events on the ground due to the time it took for news to be sent back to England by steam ship.
  13. The Times, 21st April 1866, page 12 column A.
  14. The Times, 30th April 1866, page 12 column A.
  15. The Chaffey Family and Indian Island at http://halex.tripod.com/chaffey.html (accessed 20th December 2006).
  16. ADM 38/9236
  17. ADM 38/9236 - this entry also refers to the sighting of an American warship which left Eastport and headed southwards.
  18. ADM 38/9236
  19. "The length of the Great Eastern was 680ft, with a breadth of 120ft over the paddle wheels. Its gross tonnage was 18,914 tons, whilst its displacement was over 27,000 tonnes." - http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/society_culture/industrialisation/seven_wonders_gallery_04.shtml (accessed 17th January 2006).
  20. The Ship's Log indicates that HMS Niger began to keep station with Great Eastern at 5am.
  21. One source (http://www.eastwaters.com/cable.htm) described this as a particularly foggy morning, "The fog had been so thick that the famous SS Great Eastern had missed the harbour entrance on her first try."
  22. The Times, 'Atlantic Telegraph Expedition 1866' - 11th September 1866, page 10, column A
  23. The Times, 'Atlantic Telegraph Expedition 1866' - 11th September 1866, page 10, column A.
  24. ADM 53/ 9236: Ships Log - HMS Niger. The Log entries are sometimes hard to interpret, particularly where one note stops and another begins. It looks as though the reference to the passage by rail refers to the Gunboat party but it is possible that it relates to a preceding entry.
  25. ADM 53/9236: Ships Log - HMS Niger
  26. The Times, Military & Naval Intelligence, 28th January 1868.
  27. The Times, Naval and Military Intelligence - 30th November 1868 (page 10, column D).

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