The Cavaliers of Fortune; Or, British Heroes in Foreign WarsGrant, James
History
The Cavaliers of Fortune; Or, British Heroes in Foreign Wars
Grant, James
British -- Foreign countries; Great Britain -- History, Military
For nearly a fortnight Greig busied himself in thoroughly refitting
his fleet; on the 6th of August he signalled to weigh anchor at dawn,
and on the 7th arrived off Sveaborg, where he found four Swedish ships
at anchor in the roads; but they cut their cables, and, under a press
of sail, retired into port in confusion. Greig followed them boldly,
and just as his leading ship came within musket-shot of the sternmost
Swede, the latter struck upon a sunken rock; her mainmast went by
the board, and after maintaining a short cannonade with Admiral
Roslainow, she struck her colours. The other three escaped into shallow
water. Greig's boats took possession of the bilged ship, which proved
to be the _Gustavus Adolphus_, of 64 guns, commanded by _Colonel_
Christierne, who was taken prisoner with thirteen officers and 530 men,
after which Greig ordered her to be blown up. He next seized a ship
laden with cables, sails, medicine, &c., for the Swedish fleet.
Meanwhile the Duke of Sudermania remained a quiet spectator in
Sveaborg, where he was completely blocked up by Greig, although he had
under his command sixteen ships of the line and eight frigates.
Till the 9th Greig remained off Sveaborg, which is strongly fortified
by nature and art, and then, in the hope that the duke would come out,
as the wind was favourable for his doing so, he sailed slowly across
the Gulf of Finland towards the opposite coast of Revel, and on his
approaching the isle of Margen, placed his cruisers towards the west,
so as completely to cut off the Swedish fleet from all succour by way
of Carlscrona, and to prevent them forming a junction with five ships
laden with stores, of which they were in the greatest need.
Here Greig was joined by two 64-gun ships; and on the 14th of August he
was off Revel in Esthonia. Meanwhile the Swedish and Russian troops had
many fierce encounters in Finland; but the former were unsuccessful,
and this expedition ended in defeat and disaster.
The indefatigable Greig continued to cruise in the gulf until the month
of October; and, though suffering from a severe illness, he completely
blocked up the Swedes in Sveaborg, cut them off from succour, and saved
St. Petersburg from alarm.
On the 2nd October, the weather became exceedingly stormy, and the
Russian fleet were all dispersed. Then the Duke of Sudermania thought
he might essay something against Greig; but, though sick and infirm,
the latter soon collected all his ships, and the blockade was resumed
more strictly than ever; but, unhappily, his illness terminated in
a violent fever, and, on the 26th of that month the brave admiral
expired, in the fifty-third year of his age, on board of his flagship
the _Rotislaw_, to the great sorrow of every officer and seaman in
the fleet, where, by his bravery, justice, generosity, and goodness
of heart, he had indeed won for himself the honourable title of the
_Father of the Russian Navy_.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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