We often assume that those
who fought for Great Britain against the French for more
than two decades were English. The reality is that men
from North America also participated in the wars between
1793 and 1815. Most did so voluntarily because of their
deep abiding loyalty to England. Some were forced to serve
the king against their will. This book – sponsored by The
1805 Club and the fifty-first entry in Helion’s From
Reason to Revolution 1721-1815 series – spotlights some of
the officers and enlisted men who served in the Royal Navy
during this historical period, and also looks at their
lives and careers throughout their lives. The contributors
of these essays include military and maritime historians;
members of the US Navy, Royal Navy, and US Marine Corps;
educators; and others who have particular interest in the
Georgian navy and the Age of Nelson.
To gain a better
understanding of this time and these men, the first four
essays focus on the Great War’s impact on North America
and the West Indies, the relationship between the United
States and Royal Navies after Napoleon’s downfall,
impressment, and North Americans who were present at the
Battle of Trafalgar. The other half of the book contains
biographical portraits of those who served and these are
divided into three regions: the Mid-Atlantic and South,
New England, and Canada and the West Indies. The Brentons
of Newport, Rhode Island, and the Coffins and Lorings of
Boston, Massachusetts made joining the Royal Navy a family
affair. Two – Ordinary Seaman William Cooper of
Brookhaven, New York and Able Seaman Philip Brimblecom of
Marblehead, Massachusetts – served belowdecks. More than a
few officers went on to become admirals in the Royal Navy.
Captain Nicholas Biddle of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania was
one of two men who died at the age of twenty-eight, while
the longest to live was Captain John Loring, who was 92
when he passed. Of all those who fought at Trafalgar,
Captain William Carleton of New Brunswick, Canada became
the longest-living survivor. Another Canadian, Lieutenant
William Pringle Green of Halifax, Nova Scotia, held that
officer rank for more than forty years. One senior
officer, who came from Jamaica and served in several
capacities while protecting British interests in the
Caribbean, was Captain John Perkins, the first mulatto
officer in the Royal Navy. While the majority of these men
saw themselves as loyal Englishmen doing their duty, two
of the men included in this book were pressed, managed to
escape, and served in the United States Navy aboard the
USS Constitution during the War of 1812.
Illustrations and maps are
found throughout the book. Footnotes accompany each
chapter, rather than being placed in a notes section at
the narrative’s conclusion. A lengthy bibliography and an
index are also included.
While the men portrayed in these
pages may not be known to readers, historians are familiar
with all of them. Their stories, however, are often not
included in other books about the period. Combining the
men with thematic essays about the period provides the
necessary context to understand what was happening at this
point in history. There are fascinating and insightful
tidbits within these pages that enlighten and expand our
knowledge; at the same time, the information offers up
possibilities for future in-depth research. The primary
goal of this book is to show that men outside of Britain
fought valiantly for king and country, and the editors and
contributors have done a laudable job in this endeavor.
Highly recommended and a worthy companion to Nelson’s Band of Brothers
(Seaforth, 2015) and The 1805 Club’s series, The Trafalgar Chronicle.
Review Copyrighted ©2020 Cindy
Vallar
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