SMITH FAMILY

Admiral Sir Sidney Smith, victor over Napoleon

The civilisation of Europe was nearly destroyed between the years 1795 and 1815, as well as the civilisations of the entire Mediterranean world and that of Russia too. A brilliant French general, Napoleon Bonaparte, led the French army to victory after victory. Napoleon then seized control of France, and made himself Emperor. Western civilisation lay prostrate under the heel of Napoleon, who instituted a system of merciless tyranny that formed a model for the later cruelties of the Nazis under Hitler. Only England stood battered yet defiant against Napoleon.

Who defeated Napoleon, and saved the civilisation of Europe? Some say Admiral Lord Horatio Nelson, who led the British fleet to victory at the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805 against the vastly stronger French and Spanish fleets. Some say Sir Arthur Wellesley, Duke of Wellington, who defeated the larger French army at the Battle of Waterloo in 1815. What did Napoleon himself think? Napoleon said of Sir Sidney Smith, "That man made me miss my destiny."

Life of Admiral Sir Sidney Smith, KCB, GCTE

Sidney Smith was born William Sidney Smith on 21 June 1764 at Westminster, London, England. He never used the name William. In 1777, at the age of 13, he joined the British Royal Navy as a midshipman.

Sidney Smith showed such exceptional gallantry serving under Admiral Rodney, that he was promoted to lieutenant at the age of 16 (normally he should have been 19 to be eligible for such a promotion.)

Distinguishing himself again under Admiral Graves in 1781, and yet again under Admiral Rodney in 1782, Smith was promoted to Commander and given command of the sloop Fury. Such was his courage and skill that he was promoted to Post-Captain in 1783 and appointed to command a frigate. The peace Treaty of Versailles in 1783 halted the careers of many naval officers, and, like many others, Smith was put ashore on half-pay.

During the next seven years, Sidney Smith travelled extensively in France, Spain and Morocco, building a store of knowledge that was to be essential when these countries became enemies of Great Britain. He also made contacts in Turkey, where Smith's brother was a diplomat.

In 1790, Captain Smith sought permission to serve in the Swedish Navy as a Commodore in their war against Russia. At the Battle of Ruotsinsalmi off Finland, Smith led the Swedish fleet to a great victory where the Russians lost sixty-four ships against the Swedish loss of only four. The delighted King Gustav III of Sweden knighted Sir Sidney Smith. King George III of Britain gave permission for Sir Sidney to use his Swedish title in Britain.

War broke out between Britain and France in 1793, and Captain Smith rejoined the Royal Navy to serve under Lord Hood. He continued to serve with skill and courage in the frigate Diamond.

Napoleon led the French army to Egypt in 1798, intending to seize the wealth of the Middle East, and to then march to occupy India, on which the economy of Britain depended. After Admiral Lord Nelson destroyed the eastern French fleet in 1798 at Aboukir Bay in the Battle of the Nile, Napoleon and his army were stranded in Egypt.

Captain Smith was given command of the Tigre, an 80-gun ship of the line. (The ship kept her former French name after the British had captured her.) He was sent to the Mediterrean to serve under Admiral Lord St Vincent. Smith was given a diplomatic mission to the Sublime Porte, the Turkish government in Istanbul, and was appointed Commodore to take command of British warships in the eastern Mediterranean.

Napoleon did not intend to stay stranded in Egypt with his 13,000 troops. He marched north into Syria, defeating the Ottoman (Turkish) forces at every turn. He threatened to conquer all the Middle East, then Asia Minor, thence returning to Europe. The Turkish forces prepared their last stronghold at Acre, in present-day Israel.

Commodore Smith reached Acre with his ships HMS Tigre and HMS Theseus before the French army could srrive. Smith advised the Turkish commander Jezzar Pasha how best to strengthen the defences of Acre, and sent some of his ships' cannon ashore with 1,000 Marines and seamen to man the guns. In a brilliant stroke, Smith captured the French ships transporting the French seige artillery to Acre. He also used his ships to bombard the easy coastal road toward Acre that the French army were using, forcing the French to take a more difficult route and delaying them while Acre's defences were further strengthened.

The French began the seige of Acre in March 1799. The French soldiers attacked again and again, with desperate courage. Repeated assaults led to bitter hand-to-hand fighting, with the French always threatening to break through the defences, but never quite managing it. Sir Sidney Smith and Jezzar Pasha were often in the thick of the fighting, setting an example of obstinate courage to their men. The final French attack was on 9 May 1799, which was only just repulsed.

Napoleon led his defeated army back to Egypt. Napoleon managed to escape back to France on a fast ship, but he had to abandon his demoralised army in Egypt where they were crushed and captured. It was the loss of this vital army that was to deny final victory to Napoleon. This is why Napoleon said of Sir Sidney Smith, "That man made me miss my destiny."

Sir Sidney Smith continued his distinguished career in the Royal Navy, attaining the rank of Vice Admiral. He also served as Member of Parliament for Rochester in Kent. He was a fervent campaigner against slavery, and Sidney, Delaware County, New York, is named in his honour. He was finally awarded a British knighthood (KCB, Knight Commander of the Bath) to go along with his Swedish one. He died of a stroke on 26 May 1840, aged 75.

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