The Wedderburn book. A history of the ... - waughfamily.ca

150 THE WEDDERBURN BOOK.Papers Collected byJohn Wedderburn1819-89.The five Boats were likewise put under his Command & when the Dutch Engaged the Conipany'sships, your Memorialist with a party of the Corps of Volunteers, went on board Capt n Wilson's & theother ships.Upon taking the Dutch ships your Memor st ' s service in the River became no longer Necessary,he therefore the same Night, joined the Army then lying at Chandernagore, but a Cessation ofHostilities taking place, the Army did not proceed further, & he again entered into the sea service,having obtained the Command of a ship in M r Vansitart's employ.Soon after this, Advice arrived from England that a Squadron was to be sent under the Commandof M r Kepple, to make an attack on the Islands of Mauritius and Bourbon. Your Memorialist wasimmediately Ordered on that Service, with provisions kc, for the use of the Ships on that Expedition,but as that scheme was after given up, his Voyage thither served no other good purpose but that oflooking into the Harbour of Mauritius & bringing an exact account of the situation of the Frenchin those parts, in Respect to their force both by Sea and Laud.Your Memorialist on his arrival at Bombay finding it unsafe to proceed to Sea again oil Accountof his Ships being Leaky, He immediately transmitted the information he had procured to AdmiralCornish to whom it was very acceptable as he was just at that time preparing for the Expedition toManilla. Your Memorialist likewise sent as much of the Provisions as he Could possibly spare, forthe use of the Squadron at Madras, to whom it proved a very seasonable supply, & having repairedhis Ships he set sail for Madras with Two Thousand Barrels of Powder & two Companies of the King'sTroops to reinforce that Garrison.In his passage he fell in with a French Frigate of 20 Guns, much superior to his Ship, whichbeing Dutch built was more adapted for carrying Goods than that of either Engaging, or Escapingfrom an Enemy.In this situation as part of the Powder lay above the Water's edge the onlj' means that occurredto him of securing his Shi)) from being taken or blown up, was to attempt to Board the Frigate,He therefore bore down upon her, & the stratagem succeeded ; they immediately made all the sailthey could from him, while he continued in Cliace for some hours, k afterwards anchored in TellyeheryRoad where he was inform'd by M Hornby chief at that place that there was a French1 'Squadron on the coast of Malabar in consequence of which k by an Order from that Gentleman,your Memorialist the day after his arrival, landed the Troops & proceeded to Bengal when upon hisarrival after an unsuccessful Voyage of 8 Months he found the situation of affairs did not permit himto remain long Inactive, as the Governor & Council were alarmed with the accounts of a FrenchSquadron being in Ballasore Roads k blocking up the River.As there were then several Company's Ships preparing to sail & others daily expected to arrive,your Memorialist proposed to M r Amyatt, acting Governor, in the absence of M r Vansitart then atMongheir, to fit out an armed Vessel, to observe the Motions of the French Ships, & at same time togiveadvice to the expected Ships to prevent their falling into the hands of the Enemy then lying inthe Mouth of the River, k on this occasion your Memorialist offered his Service which was readilyaccepted of & he had the satisfaction of bringing in safe the Company's Ship Boscawen, Capt nBraund, & several Country Ships in the face of the enemy which so much baffled their expectationsthat they left their Cruise, & returned to the Islands. The River beiug then open, your Memorialistreassumed his former employment in which he continued till the commencement of the late Warwith Cossim Ally Cawn.The situation of the Company's affairs at that time calling for the warmest exertion, of everyone who felt for the unhappy state of their countrymen animated your Memorialist to offer hi»Services to the Governor and Council by raising a Company of Volunteers, to be composed of Seamen,Commanders, & Officers of Ships.This being the only offer of the kind made to the Governor & Council, it was rec d with Uncommonapprobation, & your Memorialist immediately raised his Company & in the Space of eight daysproceeded to join the Army then Marching to Woodanulla under the command of Major Adams.As that Campaign lasted no longer than the taking of Patna & driving Cossim Ally out of hisCountry, He was ordered to return to Calcutta, but a Mutiny among the Troops soon following, theArmy w r as obliged to retreat from the banks of Cariemnassie down to Patna, whereby the communicationfrom Calcutta to that place being entirely cut off by the enemy, your Memorialist wasagain ordered from Calcutta to join the Army then lying at Patna, which he soon affected & continuedto act with the Army till the Peace with Sujah Ulla Dowla was concluded by Lord C'live.And further vour Memorialist humbly setts forth that in all these different employments, he hashad the satisfaction to meet with the approbation & thanks of the Gentlemen who were Entrustedwith the Company's affairs abroad.Copies of five letters to Captain Henry Wedderburn which are refered to in his letter of 14thOct. 1767, to the Court of Directors of the East India Company.(1) Fort William 2 nd Feby 1763.Sir,I have received your favour of the 31 st with the news of the Boscawens safe arrival at Ingeelee, Ithink the Company are much obliged to you for your services on this Occasion, & I assure you I havea proper sense of themSigned, Henry Vansitart.(2) Fort William 18 th Oct 1 1763.Sir,I am much obliged to you, [for the services you] have performed since you joined the Army, kthink you have the best right to be first considered for any employment that may offer. For my ownpart I shall hardly have an opportunity of shewing you the regard I could wish as I intend to leaveBengal about the 1 st JanJ' but if anything offer before I go, you may depend on my remembering you.Signed, Henry Vansitart.