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| Sunday, 15 May 2005 |
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Famous trials that shook the world: The trial of John Byng by Lionel Wijesiri
The famed historian, John Richard Green, in his discussion on the 'The Seven Years War', wrote, "No war has had greater results on the history of the world or brought greater triumphs to England; but few had more disastrous beginnings." One such war, which Green referred to was the loss of Minorca Island to England in 1756. Though the conclusion to be reached, after analysing the historical background in detail, would likely to be different today, England, at the time, laid the complete blame for this loss on an English admiral - John Byng, who was supposed to have been its rescuer. John Byng (1704-1757), the British admiral, was the fourth son of George Byng, 1st Viscount Torrington, and entered the navy in 1718. He received his first appointment as lieutenant in 1723, and became captain in 1727. His career presents nothing of note till after his promotion as Rear Admiral in 1745, and as Vice-Admiral in 1747. He served on the most comfortable stations, and avoided the more arduous work of the navy. Political instability in British government was nothing new in the 18th century. There would be periods of intense competition for power among politicians followed by years of stability. The intervals between stability saw a general ministerial inability to accomplish governmental business and to promote British interests either in the colonies or in Europe. The period between 1754 and 1757 was just one such instance. Our story starts with the outbreak of the Seven Year's War in 1756. With this event the English decided that it should strengthen its Mediterranean bases and were particularly interested in Minorca - one of the Mediterranean islands off the eastern coast of Spain. The English took Minorca from France during The War of the Spanish Succession (1702-13), the same war that saw George Byng - father of John - capture Gibraltar in 1704. It was necessary, if England was to maintain her European influence, that she should have her own naval bases strategically located in the Mediterranean; these were to be Gibraltar and Minorca. France was out to recapture the island. Though spies had informed the British Naval Authorities of France's plans, no counter-measures were considered until it was almost too late. In 1756 the French actually invaded Minorca. Byng, who was then serving in the Channel with the rank of Admiral, was ordered to the Mediterranean to relieve the garrison of Fort St Philip, which was still holding out. The orders, as reviewed at his trial, stated that "without loss of time" he was "to relieve Admiral Blakeney in the command of His Majesty's Ships there... and if he should find any attack made upon that island by the French, to use all possible means in his power for its relief." Byng had misgivings from the start. He had struggled to raise enough men for the voyage, even after rounding up the drunken and scouring the hospitals. He made the mistake, however, of voicing his doubts in letters to the Admiralty. It was not fighting talk, and did not endear him to his superiors. Byng had a rough passage to Gibraltar, where he failed to collect the reinforcements he had hoped for. Moreover, news was bad from Minorca. The French had landed in force. He wrote to the Admiralty again from Gibraltar on Mary 4. "If I had been so happy to have arrived before the French had landed, I flatter myself I should have been able to have prevented their getting a foothold on that island; but as it has so unfortunately turned out, I am firmly of the opinion that throwing men into the castle will only enable it to hold out but a little time longer." His correspondence shows clearly that he left prepared for failure, that he did not believe that the garrison could hold out against the French force landed, and that he was already resolved to come back from Minorca if he found that the task presented any great difficulty. Nevertheless, he sailed to Minorca, arriving there on May 19. The castle was under heavy siege. He could not find any spot on the island where he could safely land troops. The next day, his ships met with those of the French under General de la Galissonniere. The wind was against him, and an attempt to manoeuvre cleverly backfired. He ended up with serious damage to his line, while Galissonniere had little. Byng and his captains held a council of war and took stock of the damage to their ships and the numbers of dead and wounded. They decided - as Byng explained in another lengthy letter to the Admiralty on May 25 - to turn to Gibraltar to repair, regroup and prepare for a further assault. After remaining near Minorca for four more days without making any further attempt to communicate with the Fort or sighting the French, Byng sailed away to Gibraltar leaving Fort St. Philip to its fate. He was relieved of his post and ordered to return to England. When he arrived, he was arrested and court-martialled. The Admiralty judges acquitted John Byng of cowardice and treachery but found him guilty of contradicting the 'Twelfth Article of War': "Every person in the fleet who through cowardice, negligence or disaffection shall in time of action withdraw or keep back... or shall not do his utmost to take or destroy every ship, which, it shall be his duty to engage or to assist or relieve all and sundry of HM ships... shall suffer death." John Byng was sentenced to death but with a recommendation for mercy. George II, a King not known for his charity, ordered the punishment to go ahead. It was in the interests of the government for Byng to die. On March 14th 1757, aboard the captured French 74-gun Monique, Admiral John Byng was executed. Nine marines carried out the grisly task. Six bullet were fired and five found their mark. John Byng was the only British Admiral ever to suffer this ignominious fate. But many believe his death was unjust. When studied more closely, it is obvious that the machinations of government engineered his fate and made him a scapegoat for their own failings at war. A statement written just before his death, leaves the impression of a man of dignity, who never doubted his own innocence: "My heart acquits me of these crimes... If my crime is an error in judgment or differing opinion from my judges; and if yet the error should be on their side, God forgive them, as I do." |
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