AAR Who fired the first shot Preamble.

[Bligh]

At War Again .




Rear Admiral Jackson was well aware that the Lively had been beating up the channel towards Port Royal for the last two hours, and had just launched a longboat with dispatches from the Admiralty in Whitehall containing his new orders for the Squadron.





He restrained himself from rushing up on deck as he felt the boat come alongside.
After all he was an Admiral and not some fresh faced young Midshipman still wet behind the ears.
Wet behind the ears he was, as he allowed Phillips his servant to complete shaving him, but certainly no young sprog. As the last of the lather was wiped off his face, Phillips sprang forward with the admirals day coat, just as the expected knock sounded on his cabin door.




Allowing himself a moment to settle into his chair behind the huge Mahogany desk situated under the Stern windows of the cabin, he indicated to Phillips to open the door.

Lieutenant Bracegirdle of HM Sloop Lively entered the cabin, removed his hat to the Admiral, and reported.
"Lt. Bracegirdle, Master and Commander of HM Sloop Lively reporting with a Dispatch for Admiral Jackson sir."
"At ease Lt." Jackson replied placing the proffered package with its red tape and admiralty seal in the centre of his desk.





"Sit yourself down lad and take some refreshment." As if by magic the Admiral's steward Bundy appeared from nowhere, with a silver salver upon which sat two barley stemmed glasses, and bearing a bottle of Madeira in his other hand.



" So tell me John, how was the voyage, and how is your Uncle James. I hear he is serving with Collingwood now." said the Admiral as the wine was poured.




"Yes Admiral. Captain Bracegirdle is with Captain Collingwood's squadron under Commodore Nelson in the Blockade at Brest."
The small talk continued for some time, until the admiral finally said,
"I am expecting my Captains for supper this evening, will you join us young man. I expect you would like the chance to have a spruce up first though."
"Well yes thank you Admiral, I would be honoured to join you" Replied John, and taking this remark as a sign that the interview was at an end, withdrew from the cabin.
Jackson now turned to the Package on his desk, and drawing out a long silver paper knife slit the Admiralty seal with its red tape neatly from the package, and opened it to reveal his new orders.
That evening the Admirals day cabin had been transformed.
The chart table had been extended to run the whole width of the cabin, and was laid out with silver plate and tureens full of fine foodstuffs.




The wine flowed freely and Officers from all the ships in the squadron sat and listened to the news that Jackson had received from London that morning. As the stewards cleared all the plates and crockery from the supper away, the admiral was just concluding with the words. "So the Dons have thrown in their lot with Boney, and it's our job to stop them getting into any mischief here in the Caribbean. To that end I have dispatched Captain Taylor to poke his nose into Santiago, see what is brewing and cause a bit of a commotion. We must now await his report Gentlemen if he can sneak back out past the San Pedro de la Rocca battery.





So I suggest that in the meantime we circulate the Port. Gentlemen, you may now smoke."