Read Ebook: L'île des rêves: Aventures d'un Anglais qui s'ennuie by Ulbach Louis

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Ebook has 2930 lines and 111499 words, and 59 pages

Editors: George Rex Graham Rufus W. Griswold

Contents

Fiction and Literature

Poetry, and Music

Wintemoyeh Bear On! The Smile The Return of Youth The First and Last Parting To A Lady Singing The Power of Religion To a Belle Who is Not a Blue Belle Song--"love's Time Is Now." To Almeda in New England The Playful Pets An Autumn Reverie To the Earth Rejoice The Summer Night

RICHARD SOMERS.

Few men in this country have left names as distinguished as that of Somers, around whose personal history there remains so much doubt. Had he not given up his life in the service of the republic, he would most probably have now been living, in a green old age. While many of his friends and shipmates still survive to bear testimony to his bravery and his virtues, yet no one seems to possess the precise information that is necessary to a full and accurate biographical sketch of more than his public services. The same mystery that has so long clothed the incidents of his death, appears to have gathered about those of his early life, veiling the beginning and the end equally in a sad and uncertain interest.

The family of Somers emigrated from England to America in the early part of the eighteenth century, establishing itself at Great Egg Harbor, Gloucester county, New Jersey. Here the emigrant became the proprietor of a considerable landed property, most of which still remains in the hands of his descendants, the place bearing the name of Somers' Point. This Point forms the southeastern extremity of the county, being separated from that of Cape May merely by the Harbor. Gordon, in his gazetteer of New Jersey, thus describes the spot, viz:--"Somers' Point, post-office and port of entry for Great Egg Harbor district, upon the Great Egg Harbor bay, about 43 miles S. E. from Woodbury, 88 from Trenton, and, by post-route, 196 from Washington. There is a tavern and boarding-house here, and several farm-houses. It is much resorted to for sea bathing in summer, and gunning in the fall season."

It is believed that the Christian name of the emigrant was John, and as this was also the baptismal designation of the celebrated jurist, who came from the middle class of society, the circumstances, taken in connection with the fact that the family was known to have been respectable in England, leaves the strong probability that the parties had a common origin. At all events, this John Somers, by his possessions and position, must have been of a condition in life much superior to the great body of the emigrants to the American colonies. Report makes him a man of strong English habits and character, while there is a tradition among his descendants of the existence of a mother, or of a mother-in-law, who was of French extraction, and a native of Acadie. This person may have been the mother of the wife of the emigrant, however; but the circumstance is not without interest, when it is remembered that the regretted Somers himself, like his intimate friend, Decatur, had more of the physical appearance of one descended from a French stock, than of one who was derived from a purely Anglo-Saxon ancestry.

The property at Somers' Point descended principally, if not entirely, to the two sons of the emigrant, John and Richard. John, the eldest, lived and died on the estate, where his descendants are still to be found. Richard, the youngest, married Sophia Stillwell, of the same part of his native province, by whom he had four children, Constant, Sarah, Jane and Richard.

Constant Somers married Miss Leaming, of Cape May county, and died young, leaving a son and a daughter. The former, who bore his father's name, was accidentally killed at Cronstadt, in Russia, while yet a youth, and the daughter married a gentleman of the name of Corsen, also of Cape May county, and has issue. These children are the only descendants, in the third generation, of Richard Somers, the second son of the emigrant.

Sarah Somers married Captain Keen, of Philadelphia, and still survives as his widow, but has no children. Richard, the youngest child, is the subject of our memoir.

Richard Somers, the elder, would seem to have been a man of considerable local note. He was a colonel of the militia, a judge of the county court, and his name appears among those of the members from his native county in the Provincial Congress, for the year 1775; though it would seem that he did not take his seat. Col. Somers was an active whig in the Revolution, and was much employed, in the field and otherwise; more especially during the first years of the great struggle for national existence. His influence, in the part of New Jersey where he resided, was of sufficient importance to render him particularly obnoxious to the attacks of the tories, who were in the practice of seizing prominent whigs, and of carrying them within the British lines; and Great Egg Harbor being much exposed to descents from the side of the sea, Col. Somers was induced to remove to Philadelphia with his family, for protection. As this removal must have been made after the town was evacuated by Sir Henry Clinton, it could not have taken place earlier than the autumn of 1778; and there is good reason for thinking it occurred two or three seasons later. Here Col. Somers remained for several years, or nearly down to the period of his death.

Richard Somers, the son of Richard, and the grandson of the emigrant, was born September 15th, 1778, and it is known that his birth took place prior to the removal of his parents to Philadelphia. As his father was born November 24, 1737, it determines two facts: first, that the family must have emigrated at least as early as 1730, if not some years earlier; and, secondly, that Col. Somers had reached middle age when his distinguished and youngest child drew his earliest breath. Somers first went to school in Philadelphia, and was subsequently sent to Burlington, where there was then an academy of some merit for the period. At the latter place the boy continued until near the time of the death of his father, if not quite down to the day of that event.

Col. Somers died in 1793 or 1794; two records of his death existing, one of which places it in the former, and the other in the latter year.

There is even some uncertainty thrown around the precise period when Somers first went to sea. His nearest surviving relative is of opinion that he had never entered upon the profession when he joined the navy; but this opinion is met by the more precise knowledge of one of his shipmates in the frigate in which he first served, who affirms that the young man was a very respectable seaman on coming on board. The result of our inquiries is to convince us that Somers must have gone to sea somewhere about the year 1794, or shortly after the death of his father, and when he himself was probably between fifteen and sixteen years of age. The latter period, indeed, agrees with that named by the relative mentioned, as his age when he went to sea, though it is irreconcilable with the date of the equipment of the man-of-war he first joined, and that of his own warrant in the navy. From the best information in our possession, therefore, we are led to believe that the boy sailed, first as a hand and then as a mate, if not as master, on board a coaster, owned by some one of his own family, of which more than one plied between Great Egg Harbor and the ports of New York and Philadelphia. This accords, too, with his known love of adventure and native resolution, as well as with his orphan condition; though he inherited from his father a respectable property, including a portion of the original family estate, as well as of lands in the interior of Pennsylvania.

In his boyhood and youth, Somers was remarkable for a chivalrous sense of honor, great mildness of manner and disposition, all mingled with singular firmness of purpose. His uncle, John Somers, who was the head of the family, and as such maintained an authority that was more usual in the last century than it is to-day, is described as an austere man, who was held in great awe by his relatives, and who was accustomed to meet with the greatest deference amongst his kindred, not only for all his commands, but for most of his opinions. The firmness and decision shown by his nephew Richard, however, in a controversy about a dog, in which the uncle was wrong and the boy right, are said to have astonished the whole family, and to have created a profound respect in the senior for the junior, that continued as long as the two lived. Richard could not have been more than twelve when this little incident occurred.

Somers received his warrant as a midshipman in the spring of 1798. This was, virtually, at the commencement of the present navy, the Ganges 21, Capt. Dale, the first vessel that got out, being ordered to sea May 22d of that year. The Ganges was soon followed by the Constellation 38, and Delaware 20, the three ships cruising on the coast to prevent the depredations committed by French privateers. The next vessel out was the United States 44, bearing the broad pennant of Com. John Barry, the senior officer of the service. To this vessel Somers was attached, making his first cruise in her.

The United States was then, as now, one of the finest frigates that floats. Equipped in Philadelphia, the capital of the country, and the centre of American civilization, and commanded by an experienced and excellent officer, no young man could have commenced his professional career under more favorable auspices than was the case with Somers. The ship had for lieutenants, Ross 1st, Mullowney 2d, Barron 3d, and Stewart 4th. The two latter are now the senior officers of the service. Among his messmates in the steerage, Somers had for friends and associates Decatur and Caldwell, both Philadelphians. It is a proof that Somers had been previously to sea, that, on joining this ship, he was named as master's mate of the hold, a situation uniformly given, in that day, to the most experienced and trustworthy of the midshipmen. It was while thus associated, that the close connection was generated between Somers and Decatur, which, for the remainder of their joint lives, rendered them generous professional rivals and fast personal friends.

The United States sailed on her first cruise early in July, 1798, going to the eastward, where she collected a small squadron, that had come out of the ports of New England, and with which she soon after proceeded to the West Indies. She remained cruising in those seas for the remainder of the year, as the commanding vessel; Com. Barry having collected a force of some twenty sail under his orders by the commencement of winter. Shortly after Mr. Ross left the ship, and Messrs. Mullowney and Barron were promoted. This occurred in the spring of 1799, when Mr. Stewart became 1st lieutenant of the frigate, Mr. Edward Meade 2d, Somers 3d, and Decatur 4th. Thus the service of Somers, as a midshipman, could not have exceeded a twelvemonth: conclusive evidence of his having been at sea previously to joining the navy, were any other testimony required than that of his shipmates. In the autumn of 1799, the United States sailed from Newport, Rhode Island, for Lisbon, having on board, as commissioners to the French republic, the gentlemen who subsequently arranged the terms of peace. It is probable that Somers, whose previous experience had been in the American seas, crossed the Atlantic for the first time in this cruise. Mr. Stewart being placed in command of the Experiment 12, in the year 1800, Somers ended the war as second lieutenant of therieurement qui p?t alarmer l'observateur le moins optimiste. Il fallait, ? coup s?r, les pr?ventions et les pr?jug?s de Pharamond pour soup?onner des emb?ches dans l'esprit paisible de ce voyageur mis ? la derni?re mode.

Michel eut presque honte de sa d?marche, et ce fut de l'air le plus cordial qu'il interpella l'Anglais.

--Eh bien! milord, vous ne vous plaindrez pas; voil? un beau temps.

--Oui, le temps est fort beau, r?pondit l'Anglais avec un soupir.

--On dirait que cela vous contrarie? Nous ne sommes pas ? Londres ici; il ne faut pas voir d'insulte dans un ciel un peu clair.

--Je suis habitu? aux contrari?t?s, r?pliqua sir Olliver d'un ton languissant.

--Est-ce que vous vous seriez embarqu?, par hasard, pour assister ? une temp?te?

--Oh! oui, ? une temp?te et ? autre chose encore!

--Eh bien, milord, j'en suis f?ch? pour vous, continua le capitaine en raillant et en se frottant les mains; mais nous n'aurons pas le plus petit grain, d'ici longtemps peut-?tre.

--D'ici longtemps! murmura l'Anglais avec abattement.

--Quel original! se dit Michel.

Un petit silence suivit ce premier abordage. Persuad? qu'il avait affaire ? un maniaque sans danger, le capitaine allait se retirer, quand sir Olliver redressa tout ? coup la t?te, et reprit avec fermet?:

--Monsieur le capitaine, combien co?terait une temp?te, au plus juste prix?

La question ?tait bouffonne, faite surtout dans ce fran?ais anglais? et avec cet accent que nous ne cherchons pas ? noter, afin de laisser au r?cit toute sa clart?. Michel revint sur ses pas.

--Une temp?te! vous voulez rire.

--Je ne ris jamais, moi, je suis toujours s?rieux.

En effet, c'?tait avec le plus imperturbable sang-froid que ces singuliers propos ?taient tenus.

--Ma foi, milord, vous auriez beau y mettre le prix, il me serait impossible de vous procurer aujourd'hui ce que vous demandez.

Michel, qui s'effor?ait de rester poli, sentait un rire goguenard l'?touffer.

--Oh! si vous le vouliez, demanda l'Anglais.

--Comment diable m'y prendrais-je?

--Je veux dire, continua sir Olliver, une petite temp?te sans orage, un joli naufrage par le beau temps. Ce serait terrible et d?licieux!

L'oeil de l'Anglais s'alluma d'une singuli?re convoitise.

--D?cid?ment, il est fou, se dit presque ? demi-voix le capitaine Michel.

--Oui, continua sir Olliver avec une animation tout int?rieure, pour ainsi dire, et sans que la vivacit? de ses paroles ?branl?t son corps immobile, f?t fr?mir ses favoris soigneusement peign?s, ?branl?t le contour inflexible de son col de chemise; oui, je voudrais voir ce beau navire se tordre, se rouler et dispara?tre dans les flots. Quelle sc?ne, ? Shakspeare!

Il y avait, dans ce souhait sinistre, un c?t? vraiment comique. Ce fut celui-l? qui parut tout d'abord ? l'imagination du capitaine, qui s'appuya aux bastingages pour supporter le poids de son hilarit?. Mais sir Olliver ne riait pas; il trouvait, au contraire, l'hilarit? du capitaine fort injurieuse, et il arr?tait sur lui son regard froid et d?daigneux, comme s'il e?t attendu des excuses. Michel ne songeait gu?re ? s'excuser. Il d?faisait le noeud de sa cravate pour ne pas ?trangler.

--Il faut convenir que vous ?tes un homme bien aimable, disait le bon capitaine; vous prenez votre plaisir d'une singuli?re fa?on. Ah! il vous faudrait, pour vous seul, la repr?sentation d'un naufrage. Vous n'?tes pas d?go?t?; mais vous ne l'aurez pas.

--Oh! si, je l'aurai, dit d'un ton sec l'Anglais fort m?content.

--Je vous en d?fie bien. Regardez-moi le ciel! est-il dispos? ? flatter vos manies? Regardez cette coquille? hein! est-elle faite pour la lame?

--Oui, ce vaisseau est tr?s-confortable, r?pondit sir Olliver; mais un petit trou dans la calle me donnerait ce que je demande.

--Heureusement que nous sommes deux ? vouloir, repartit rudement Michel qui essayait de couper court ? la plaisanterie.

--Mais, moi, je veux plus que vous, continua l'Anglais.

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