This gallant British sailor, whose death was lately announced, was a scion, of a family which has filled as large a sphere as any other in the illustrious roll of mathematicians, soldiers, sailors, lawyers, and divines, which
Scotland has furnished to
Great Britain during the last two hundred years. The
Philadelphia North American, in an interesting sketch of his career, says that this famous commander was a man of short stature and common-place appearance.
He was shabby in dress, and somewhat dirty.
Officers who have served under him say that he was a trifle too fond of rum and of equivocal jokes; moreover, that personal cleanliness did not constitute one of his attributes; he was, in fact, nicknamed "Dirty Charley," but whether from the fondness for the aforesaid jokes, or from lack of soap, we cannot say. He was no orator, "as
Brutus is," but he had a strong, homely manner of expressing himself, which told with any audience but the House of Commons.
As a legislator, history will be silent with regard to him as an officer, or rather as the intelligent leader and commander, there will be great doubts as to his merits; but as a brave man, a thorough seaman, and a fearless vindicator of what he conceived to be his country's rights, there will be no difference of opinion.
His very name was synonymous with heroism and daring.
It was a terror to the enemies of
England.
Sir Charles Napier was a cousin of
Sir Charles Napier, "the lion of the
Punjaub" the conqueror of Scinde, so celebrated for his dashing exploits in Indian, and his going to war ‘"with two towels and a piece of soap."’ He was also a cousin of
Sir William Napier, whose "History of the
Peninsular War" is one of the standard works of our times.
Belonging to the lineage of
Baron Napier (or Neter of Merchistoun,) the inventor of logarithms, the deceased
Admiral in no way derogated from its dignity further than by his eccentricities, which were of a remarkable order.
He commenced his midshipman's career in the troublous times of the great war of
England with the first
Napoleon, and served in several frigate actions.
This was the beginning of a brilliant naval career, which brought him steadily up to the rank of
Commander, in which he figured at the siege of Acre, in 1840.
His dashing character had previously made him a great favorite, and his favorite costume, a frieze jacket and a tarpaulin hat, and the knotted stick which he flourished instead of a sword, was as famous in the
English navy as
Napoleon's "surtout of grey" in the army of
France.
Universal attention was attracted to "
Charley Napier, " as he was familiarly named, and Lord Palmerston was guided by the popular feeling in
Napier's favor in his selection of an acting
Commodore in the operations on the coast of
Syria to compel Ibrahim Pasha, the son of Mahomet Ali, the rebellious Viceroy of
Egypt, to evacuate
Beirut, Acre, and other places.
In this war,
England gave the go-by to
France, and very closely jeopardized the peace of
Europe.
The British squadron was under the chief command of
Admiral Sir Robert Stopford, but
Napier was his commodore and the moving spirit of the expedition.
Beirut and the other seaport towns of
Syria fell before the English fleet.
The crowning exploit was the capture of Acre, wherein Sir Charles (then plain Charley ) led the way with his favorite stick and dog, and was one of the first to enter the breach.--Soon after this feat he was made a commander of the military Order of the Bath, and was therefore entitled to the appellation of knight or "sir." He obtained his rank of
Rear Admiral by seniority.
The
American adds that on the conclusion of the war in
Syria, he returned to
England and embarked in political life as a reformer.
Having been elected member of the House of Commons for the borough of Marylebone, he became a kind of political Ishmaelite, laying about him right and left against every one who did not perceive that
Great Britain ought to spend her whole income upon the Navy, and constantly representing
France as on the point of invading
England.
Yet, his popularity was great, and his reputation as a great
Captain so pre-eminent that at the commencement of the
Russian war in 1854, he was appointed to the command of the fleet destined for the
Baltic, the most magnificent squadron ever sent to sea by the greatest naval power of the world.
It will be recollected that be did not himself encourage the popular anticipation that this fleet would give the Russians an "infernal licking;" for, in his address to the people of
Portsmouth, on embarking, he advised them not to expect too much, for the
Russian fortresses were strong and their waters shallow, and they might not venture out to encounter the
English and
French fleets.
After the
Baltic cruise, the
Admiral returned to
England and to Parliament, where he began his old song upon the weakness of the Navy, the growth of French power on sea as well as land — a subject which he also advocated in the newspapers.
But he was, nevertheless, a sturdy and single-hearted veteran, and in his death Britain has lost a Lion of the
Seas.
