THE FIRST LORD DE SAUMAREZ AND HIS 

 DIPLOMATIC WORK IN THE BALTIC, 1808 to 1813. 



By J. W. Parkes, of Hertford College, Oxon. 



The materials for this paper are largely derived from 

 an Essay on Naval Operations in the Baltic, by Mr. C. F. 

 Adams y an undergraduate of Hertford College, Oxford, 

 whose death at the age of 22 deprived the University of one 

 of its most brilliant students of history. The essay in 

 question was written for a competition opened by the Navy 

 League. It won the prize, and was considered by several 

 historians to be the best monograph on the subject in exist- 

 ence. It is therefore a privilege to be able to* make use of 

 it for the composition of this paper on Lord de Saumarez, 

 the British commander in the Baltic during the most 

 important part of the period covered by the essay. 



To describe in detail a career so full of variety and 

 activity as that of Saumarez is clearly impossible in so short 

 a paper. The presence of the monograph mentioned above 

 and the peculiar interest of that portion of his career makes 

 it natural to concentrate on his actions as Admiral in the 

 Baltic from 1808 to 18 12, actions which materially assisted 

 in the final downfall of Napoleon in 18 14, and in which he 

 used to the full his restraint, diplomacy and judgment, as 

 well as his supreme genius as a naval commander. 



His early career can only be mentioned in outline. Born 

 in Guernsey at La Plaiderie in 17 57, he first saw active ser- 

 vice in Canada at the age of 13 in 1771. Six years later, 

 while still in Canada, he was made Lieutenant; and in 1782 

 as a result of his distinguished conduct at the indecisive 

 action of the Dogger Bank, he was given his first command, 

 the sloop-of-war "Tisiphone." The following year saw him 

 a Post-Captain at the early age of 25, and in command of 

 a line-of-battle ship, the "Russell," which he commanded in 

 Rodney's victory over the Comtc de Grasse in 17 8a. At 

 the commencement of the war of 17Q3 against the French 

 Republic, when in command of the frigate c< Crescent," he 

 obtained knighthood for the capture of a French frigate after 

 a severe fight off Cherbourg. Then followed a long serie c 

 of small actions in which, either singly or in command of 

 a small squadron, he continued to distinguish himself, gain- 



