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From Dust We Come
Sep. 19th, 2011 11:44 pmLast night I posted a little entry about Midshipman Robert Bastard James, who was taken prisoner in a prize in 1804 at the age of just 16 and spent the next ten years in captivity despite several bold and spirited attempts to escape.
In Napoleon and His British Captives Michael Lewis describes James was a boy of extraordinary pluck and principal and relates the beginning of his adventures as follows. When James' prize was captured and he was removed to a chase maree, though still half-drowned, and guarded by a dozen veteran soldiers, he had not been afloat an hour before he had contrived to surprise and disarm the guard and, make for the open sea. Alas he was overtaken by a privateer and driven back to Nantes. On landing, James' men were almost persuaded to desert and join the French. Hearing of it just in time, James ran straight into the office of the general commanding at Nantes, and not only told the men, most forcibly what he thought of them, but also quite fearlessly, told General Dumuy what he thought of him for trying to tamper with his men's loyalty. He won both battles. Lewis states that the horrors James suffered on his forced march to Verdun were worse than any previously recorded and relates the story of a pitched battle James and his men were forced to fight in the darkness of a foetid gaol against its criminal occupants who were armed with wooden sabots and stones tied in handkerchiefs. James and his men won the day but eventually the boy's strength gave out and he was thrown in the bottom of a farm cart and transported the rest of the way to Verdun. His men stayed with him until they reached the end of the road at the prison depot.
That was only the start of James adventures and I have yet to read his own account of his time as a POW. However I came across a fascinating detail last night that suggests that as well as being brave and resilient James also had an enquiring mind that contributed to the research of Charles Lyell and Charles Darwin and is still provoking further research to this day.
( I beg, you will be pleased to consider me, as a sincere friend to any science )
In Napoleon and His British Captives Michael Lewis describes James was a boy of extraordinary pluck and principal and relates the beginning of his adventures as follows. When James' prize was captured and he was removed to a chase maree, though still half-drowned, and guarded by a dozen veteran soldiers, he had not been afloat an hour before he had contrived to surprise and disarm the guard and, make for the open sea. Alas he was overtaken by a privateer and driven back to Nantes. On landing, James' men were almost persuaded to desert and join the French. Hearing of it just in time, James ran straight into the office of the general commanding at Nantes, and not only told the men, most forcibly what he thought of them, but also quite fearlessly, told General Dumuy what he thought of him for trying to tamper with his men's loyalty. He won both battles. Lewis states that the horrors James suffered on his forced march to Verdun were worse than any previously recorded and relates the story of a pitched battle James and his men were forced to fight in the darkness of a foetid gaol against its criminal occupants who were armed with wooden sabots and stones tied in handkerchiefs. James and his men won the day but eventually the boy's strength gave out and he was thrown in the bottom of a farm cart and transported the rest of the way to Verdun. His men stayed with him until they reached the end of the road at the prison depot.
That was only the start of James adventures and I have yet to read his own account of his time as a POW. However I came across a fascinating detail last night that suggests that as well as being brave and resilient James also had an enquiring mind that contributed to the research of Charles Lyell and Charles Darwin and is still provoking further research to this day.
( I beg, you will be pleased to consider me, as a sincere friend to any science )
