From the Cork Examiner, Cove, Tuesday, July 14, 1846

The beautiful harbour of Cove presented one of the gayest and most animated spectacles that could passably be conceived yesterday. Rumour had for some days given out that the marines and sailors of the fleet were to go through sundry evolutions, such as landing, attacking, sham battles, and so forth ; and that the scene of the operations was to be the shore and the hill near Corkabeg and Carlisle fort. Accordingly, every boat on the river, from the Brickfields to Whitegate, was put in requisition. The steamers were crowded to excess ; the market boats were impressed as pleasure craft ; and not a thing that could be propelled by oar or sail that was not brimfull of life and expectation. The harbour was covered over with yachts of every tonnage, skimming about like sea birds with glistening wings. The sun shone brightly over land and sea. giving to everything its loveliest aspect-making one of nature's holidays.

At an early hour a whole flotilla of boats of all sizes, from the launch and pinnace to the gig and jolly boat, rowed or sailed from the various men-of-war at anchor in the roads. They had on board over 2000 marines, and some 300 or 400 blue-jackets, the former fully accoutred, and the latter armed with their cutlasses. They landed on the fine sandy strand of Corkabeg, and having formed, marched by a circuitous route to the ground marked out for the day's manoeuvres - on the brow of the hill near the fort, and affording a fine view of the sea on one side, and an exquisite glimpse of that part of the inner harbour near Mr. French's beautiful wood of Cuskiny, on the other. Every swelling mound was grouped over with numbers of fashionably dressed women, who added much, by the varied hues of their garments, to the picturesqueness of the scene.

About twelve o'clock the operations commenced. It is quite unnecessary to particularise the different tactics of the day ; suffice it to say, that the marines were supposed to resist imaginary attacks and sorties from the fort ; that they formed into squares to meet imaginary cavalry ; that they fired in line, singly and in platoon ; that they formed into columns, and, in fine, went through the usual manoeuvres that our readers must frequently have seen at a review. The firing, especially by companies, was excellent and steady, indeed, quite as good as that of the ordinary troops of the line. The operations of the blue jackets were far more interesting. Several guns, heavy and light, which had been carried up to the fort on the previous Saturday were brought into the field, and were wheeled about, fired, limbered, and unlimbered. by the gallant tars with a dexterity only equalled by the facility with which they rattled them to various positions for attack and defence. Some of tae lighter guns were pulled along by six or eight men, who were regularly harnessed to them, and who made them bound over the uneven ground as they brought them into position or breasted the brow of a hill. The heavier gins were dragged along by a dozen or more seamen. Perhaps the most beautiful and indeed astonishing of the evolutions gone through was that of dismounting the guns, which was done with as much facility as if a boy were taking to pieces a toy cart. The wheels were off, the carriage in pieces, and the gun on the ground in less than a minute ; and on the order being given to mount them again, they were raised on the carriage and fired off in about the same time ! From twelve to three o'clock both marines and tars blazed away an incredible quantity of " villanous saltpetre." the smoke from which at times wreathed the whole field, leaving nothing to be seen but the bright glimmer of bayonets that glanced out from the opal vapour. After having gone through an infinite variety of evolutions, the guns were taken into the fort by the sailors and the marines and tars marched from the field to the strand of Corkabeg. The whole force were then drawn up into three bodies and were quietly draughted into the boats, the largest of which were afloat in the deep water, the smaller boats serving as a means of communication. In about half an hour sails were set and oars in motion, and away went a flotilla of some forty boats for their respective vessels, before a breeze that had freshened with the in-coming tide: The appearance of the harbour at this moment was beautiful beyond description, more than 100 sails bent to the breeze, while innumerable whalers. gigs, yawls, and wherries, were pulling away for the shore.

Precisely at four o'clock p.m., a salute of 11 guns was fired from Her Majesty ship Vanguard, intimating the advent of another distinguished stranger, and accordingly the salute was quickly answered by a similar number of guns from the Hibernia, 120, then quickly gliding into the harbour, under clouds of canvas - the report of her guns, owing to the distance, came booming in a soft and subdued manner across the bright blue waters of our noble harbour. The Hibernia had on board Admiral Sir William Parker, who arrived from the Mediterranean, and who has command of the squadron of evolution. In about half an hour subsequently, another splendid three-decker, Her Majesty's ship Trafalgar, entered the harbour, both ships, of course, anchoring in the man-of-war roads - thus making a sight seldom seen here - four three-deckers, and a similar number of fine frigates, with nine war-steamers also riding in our harbour.

Wednesday morning: From an early hour on yesterday morning, the harbour presented the same gay and animated appearance which it wore on the preceding day - crafts of every size, from the cumbersome barge to the light and graceful wherry, all fully freighted, literally covered the waters, being propelled by sturdy oarsmen, or by the gentle influence of the wind towards Carlisle fort, the grand point of attraction, where the "sham battle" was to take place. The ground was much better attended than on the preceding day, not only by fashionables, but by peasantry - amongst the spectators I noticed the Mayor of Cork, who wore the insignia of chief magistrate. The marines, who were reviewed by General Turner, went through similar evolutions to those of the previous day ; as did also the sailors. We cannot forbear to offer our testimony to the beauty and accuracy of the firing of the marine artillery, particularly at one time when they were supposed to attack an imaginary fort, and after cannonading it for some time, they retreated and kept up, whilst thus placed, a steady and continuous fire. We regret to have to mention that an accident of a rather serious nature occurred to a sailor, named Griffiths, a Welchman, belonging to the Vanguard, who had his right hand terribly shattered by the explosion of a cannon. It seems the gun missed, or rather " hung fire," and when in the act of ramming it, it exploded, sending the rammer some forty or fifty feet in the air, wounding the poor sailor - it was very fortunate that the gun had such an elevation at the time, or surely some lives would have been sacrificed. Griffiths, after having his arm bound up by the surgeon of the vessel, was removed to Haulbowline, where it is to be amputated. The only other accidents that I heard of was that of a marine who lost an eye by the bursting of his gun and a number of sailors who were deprived of the points of their fingers, and some of the finger itself, by the explosion of powder. We saw also several marines carried off the eventful field in a state of insensibility - but from a far different, and when in the field, most unsoldier-like cause - to wit, drunkenness. The sham-battle terminated at three o'clock, when such a scene of terrible confusion and excitement ensued in the re-embarkation, not of the troops. but of the numberless spectators, as I never witnessed in my life, and which I surely could not attempt to describe.

SG: 5 Dec 1846

^ back to top ^