The Shadow of Great Britain-Chapter 642 - 316: Each Sets Out

In the lounge of the Golden Lion Inn, words and laughter erupted sporadically.

Arthur asked, "Mr. Owen, were you serving in the military in the United States back in 1812?"

Swirling his drink, Owen responded, "Hmm, although I’ve always thought that fighting wars was foolish, considering the Royal Navy was off the coast of New York at that time, I, as a New Yorker, couldn’t help but take up arms to defend my hometown. However, my service was short-lived, and I retired as soon as the siege of New York was lifted."

General Napier, seated on the sofa, burst into laughter and replied, "If that’s the case, the shortest distance between us in 1812 might have only been a few miles."

Owen furrowed his brow and asked, "Were you an officer in the Royal Navy?"

Napier merely shook his head with a chuckle, "Not anymore, at least not now. Much like you, after that war, I voluntarily retired from active service in the Royal Navy. As you know, since the Napoleonic Wars ended in 1815, the Royal Navy hasn’t had any adversaries worth mentioning. Without battles, there’s no profit, and it was better to go into business than to stay there."

Hearing this, Arthur joked, "Is that so? Sir, that’s different from what I heard from General Cordington. He mentioned that you were forced to retire from the Navy Department due to insubordination on the battlefield."

Upon hearing this, Napier only raised an eyebrow and said, "You seem to know a lot about my career. But did Cordington tell you that it was Gambier, that rust-brained fool, who was giving me orders? Gambier’s only principle in commanding a fleet was to avoid mistakes, never considering whether it might be possible to extend our gains or when to strike for maximum benefit. If I had followed his orders, then I would be the one with a problem in his head."

Owen, interested in the internal anecdotes of the Royal Navy, couldn’t resist asking, "Pardon my audacity in asking, but are you referring to Marshal Gambier of the Royal Navy?"

Napier snorted disdainfully through his nose, "Who else could it be? A Marshal of the Royal Navy, likely only because his Majesty once served under him early on. How else could someone with his record have attained that position? But making Gambier a Marshal had its perks; at least everyone didn’t have to worry about him being posted to command a grand fleet again. The harm he could do sitting in an office was far less than if he were let out."

Arthur replied with a laugh, "It seems Marshal Gambier indeed doesn’t have a good reputation in the Royal Navy. This isn’t the first time I’ve heard senior officers in the Royal Navy complain about his leadership."

"Oh?" Napier asked, "Who else have you heard criticizing him? Surely not General Cordington? Since the Foreign Office got him straightened out, he’s become much more circumspect in his words and actions."

Arthur responded, "Generals Sidney Smith and Thomas Cochrane."

"Those two, indeed, could criticize Gambier."

Napier burst into hearty laughter upon hearing the two names: "General Smith was once a naval cadet on the Sandwich under Admiral Rodney. And once he was commissioned, he became a subordinate of Admiral Hood. Purely on account of his seniority, Smith could point at Gambier and curse, and Gambier wouldn’t dare retaliate.

Not to mention, Smith’s military achievements were likewise illustrious. Displeased with the internal management of the Royal Navy, he resigned and became a naval advisor to Gustav III of Sweden. Under his command, the Swedish Navy dominated the Russian Baltic fleet, obliterating Russia’s maritime power in the Baltic in three naval battles.

After the war, he returned to his country with the titles conferred by Sweden, appearing radiant. The Navy Department, envious of him, privately gave him a nickname, ’the Swedish Knight.’

Arthur, amused, replied, "General Smith certainly sounds like a remarkable man."

Napier roared with laughter, "That’s not all. When the Great Revolution broke out in France, General Smith’s actions were astounding. At that time, he was engaged in commerce in the Levant. Once he heard of the war, he didn’t hesitate to jump on a ship and head back home.

Before even reaching London, he encountered his old superior, Admiral Hood, near the waters of Toulon. At the time, Toulon refused to submit to the French revolutionary government and was in revolt. Just outside the city, the revolutionary government had sent troops to suppress the rebellion, commanded by none other than Napoleon.

Concerned that the fall of Toulon would allow the French to use the port’s ships against Britain, General Smith bravely sailed a small boat into the port of Toulon. With just a few men, he set a significant portion of the Toulon fleet ablaze.

Because of this, the French harbored deep resentment against him. When General Smith was captured in Egypt, the French refused every prisoner exchange offer, keeping him under the pretext of his ’arson in Toulon’ and sentencing him to life imprisonment."

As a historical novelist, Owen was keenly interested in such secret histories, "So how did he make his way back to Britain after that?"

Napier replied, "That was all thanks to our allies, the French Royalists. They forged administrative documents and managed to rescue General Smith under the guise of transferring prisons."