More Images from the Cockpit

HMS Zealous and Capt Hood

HMS Zealous

a 74-gun third rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy, built by Barnard of Deptford and launched on 25 June 1785.

She served in a number of battles of the French Revolutionary Wars and the Napoleonic Wars, notably the Battle of the Nile, where she engaged the French ship Guerrier, helping to force her surrender. She was later cruising off Cadiz in 1801. She missed out on the Battle of Trafalgar, having been dispatched to Gibraltar for resupply, and later assigned to convoy duty in the Mediterranean.

Capt. Hood

In 1797 Hood was given command of the 74-gun ship of the line Zealous, in which he was present at Admiral Horatio Nelson's unsuccessful attack on Santa Cruz de Tenerife. Captain Hood conducted the negotiations which relieved the squadron from the consequences of its failure.

Capt. Hood is later put in command of HMS Venerable

The Doctor joined the Zealous as ship’s surgeon in 1798, a year after Hood became her captain.

Engraved by Ridley, Holl & Blood from an Original Miniature in the possession of Lady Hood. 

Enlarge and read it for yourself.

Whilst cleaning out a desk drawer a few days ago, I discover'd the old letter of introduction writ for me by the hand of my captain aboard the Zealous. Along with it was the medal for my service at the Battle of the Nile, for which my friends are always desirous to have an antic-dote.

I can tell you, it was all shouting, everyone was shouting, and smoke and fire and blood, so much blood. I remember Cutty staggered down into the cockpit when the noise above decks had ceased. He was covered from waist to foot in blood... "You are undone!" says I.

Cutty was not his jovial self that day, instead soberly says, "Tis not my blood I wear Doctor."

The Zealous was fortunate in that she and her crew did not receive the number of casualties of the other ships of the British force.

It is a gruesome tale and not one I wish to recall.

Thomas ‘Cutty’ Cuthbert

While aboard HMS Zealous, that first year I met Midshipman Thomas Cuthbert... the gunroom all called him 'Cutty'. 

Cutty was a most amiable fellow, well read and quite proficient as an officer. He could laugh at nigh anything. There was nothing that he could not gamble on, he must have lost three years wages over the course of our service together. And a stout lover of mirth and good liquor.

He was every bit the spitting image of Thomas Rowlandson's vision of a midshipman circa 1799, he even had the long golden locks.

I RECALL once while in a foreign port, just after Cutty had passed his lieutenant's exam, we were both quite in our cups in way of celebration. Cutty and I sang the night away playing cards and gambling in a nearby tavern. I won four if HIS pounds that night...

Cutty became so intoxicated that I had to carry him on my back to return us both to the ship. On the way, I lost my footing and staggered and we tumbled into the gutter. We both had bits of filth in our hair and on our faces, and I completely ruined the sleeve on my nice blue jacket.

The splash in the face was just what Cutty needed, and he woke up laughing. I implored him to rise, and together, we made our way back to the ship.

We eventually made it back to the ship stinking of alcohol and the gutter. The Captain stopped us, claiming he could smell us from shore. Says he, "You gentlemen may not board until you've had a bath to wash off the stink."

Cutty, who was always very obliging, immediately stripped naked and dove into the water there by the ship. What could I do but join him? And do you know, Captain Hood even had the bosun throw down a bit of soap to aid in the process.

Ah younger days!

Master & Commander 2!

My missive to Mr. Rothman concerning a sequel of some interest to those assembled here:

My dear Sir,

Though the agreeable news of Captain Aubrey's capture of the Acheron arrived here in the North American Station some time back, their too long silence has given us all so much uneasiness of late. It has been quite some time since any word was received from our mutual friends aboard H.M.S. Surprise and I will speak frankly when I say that we have all begun to fear for their safety. It is not that I doubt the skill of our Captain Aubrey or his men, but as you know, the perils of life in His Majesty's Service combined with the deviousness of Bonaparte's forces are not to be underestimated. 

It is my hope that you can forgive this impertinence, but your address was supplied to me by Capt. Aubrey himself some time ago. He suggested that if there were no news of the Surprise that you might be the man to inform us of her where-abouts. And as you may know, there has been no word of her these long years. It is my hope that you know something of her that we do not. I am very sorry to press you ; but if I had not reason, I should not have called upon you. 

Any word of the fate of the Surprise that you might be able to pass along would be greatly appreciated by myself and the crew of the Acasta. It would certainly bolster the morale of His Majesty's forces here in the North American Station during this long war. 

We are all, thank God, very well, and desire to be remembered to you; and be assured a letter from you will give great pleasure to all your friends here, but none more than 

Your Humble and Obt Servant, 

Dr. A. Roberts 

Ship's Surgeon 

HMS Acasta 

Navy Hall, Halifax

 You may contact Mr. Rothman yourself as instructed by Capt Aubrey if you wish by addressing your missive to the following:

20th Century Fox Theatricals 

ATTN: Tom Rothman (Master and Commander 2) 

P.O. Box 900 

 Beverly Hills, CA 90213-0900 

foxmovies@fox.com 

rothmana@fox.com 

(N.B. It would seem that Mr. Rothman is no longer the fellow at the Admiralty to contact concerning Captain Aubrey and his company, but I am quite at a loss as to who I ought to forward this missive to. I should greatly appreciate any suggestions along that line.)

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Because you KNOW you'd love to see Master & Commander 2.
Get me Russell Crowe on the horn, stat!

5 Easy Ways for Reenactors to Improve their Game

'How can I improve my impression'? Here are some of the easiest ways I can think of to do so with very little effort or expense. Please keep in mind that the suggestions are coming from a fellow who's regular time period ranges from 1750-1820, so these may not apply to YOUR particular time period...

Image by Asha Ananda

5.) DON'T BE SO CLEAN

This goes double for soldiers and sailors who regularly worked and fought in the mud, tar, gunk and grease of the world of old. Months on end on campaign would really take its toll on your uniform, even if there were dedicated people in the unit who did nothing but laundry. And have you ever seen a proper period laundry demonstration? The beating that the garments got was brutal.

Next time you're at an event and get a little dirt on your elbows or knees, let it stay.

4.) SHAVE/DON'T SHAVE

Facial hair was either 'in' or 'out' depending on what time period you reenact. If you're doing a time period where facial hair wasn't the thing, shave it off... conversely if you're doing a time period where beards were the thing, grow it out.

Facial hair, or the lack thereof can go a long way toward improving the authenticity of your period appearance. Razors are easy to lay hands on... and facial hair isn't all that difficult to grow back between events.

3.) TRY A LITTLE FIRST PERSON

Okay so I get that not every event is geared for this sort of interpretation, and honestly, not every guest or visitor to a historic site is going to be up for this either. But if they ARE, you should give it a try. It's a lot of fun and a great way to get outside yourself for a little while and come just a smidge closer to the period by portraying someone from the era.

2.) GET RID OF YOUR HAVERSACK

I'm liable to make a few enemies with this one, but haversacks weren't generally worn by civilians to carry your stuff around in (like a modern purse or messenger bag). Haversacks were primarily used by soldiers.

Need something to carry your stuff in? Make a simple market wallet. Baskets are also good.

1.) READ MORE

The best way to improve your reenactor game? Reading. Read everything that interests you about the time period you portray. It will serve to teach you new aspects about the period you enjoy, or even refresh your memory about things you read long ago that you'd forgotten.

Don't 'plateau' or get stagnant, don't be rigid in your interpretation, always be learning and working toward new and interesting things... and remember to always be as accurate as you can be. You might be the spark that ignites an interest in history for the next generation of historians, museum professionals or reenactors!

Do you have any easy suggestions for reeanactors to improve their impressions? Please feel free to share them in the COMMENTS section, we'd love to hear your ideas!

If you have enjoyed reading this or the other adventures of the HMS Acasta, be certain to become an honorary member of the crew. This is a easy way to show us that you're out there and paying attention. If you find a post that you are particularly fond of... be sure to share a link with your friends, over Facebook, Tumblr, Google Plus, etc. so they can enjoy it too!

The Acasta log is generally updated every weekday at 8am CST, visit back often, and encourage your History Nerd/Reenacting/Royal Navy friends to visit us.

Thanks for reading!

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The 7 Most Awesome Things About Reenacting

I've said it before... every hobby has its own quirky PROS and CONS, historical reenacting is no exception. In the spirit of the holidays, please allow me to present...

...THE 7 MOST AWESOME THINGS ABOUT REENACTING!

7.) SEEING STRANGE NEW PLACES
Getting to travel to new places and see new things is awesome. Being a historical presenter has afforded me the opportunity to discover and visit places that I might not have found otherwise. Give me an old house, a reconstructed fort, a monument, a scenic battlefield, a tall ship, a village, a log cabin... and I will be happy. I love trying to imagine the people that were there before me, where they stood, how they lived and how they made use of the grounds.

6.) THE PEOPLE
It must be said, barring a few killjoys, I have met some of the best people through the hobby. People that I would likely not have met if I had never become a reenactor. It has been my experience that historical reenactors are some of the most kind and generous people out there.

I don't know that I've been to a single reenactment where I wasn't greeted by someone or given a spot next to someone's fire or offered a drink or a bite to eat. Friendly people who are eager to talk, listen, share knowledge and learn.

That coupled with the fact that we're all from very different corners of the world, but no matter how diverse a sampling of humanity you may have at any given event, they all seem to share a passion for history and passing it on. They always seem to know the most interesting and bizarre stuff!

5.) THERE'S ALWAYS SOMETHING NEW TO LEARN

Can I just say that if you were to travel back in time and meet me as a kid and tell me that one day in the future I'd be excited about history or research, the little kid version of me would call you a liar. I had no idea that I would enjoy doing research, reading about weird and obscure historical stuff and combing old illustrations and paintings in an effort to learn new things! And my favorite feeling is reading something that sends you down an all NEW rabbit trail of discovery.

The beauty of historical reenacting is, there's always something new to learn... even when you think there isn't.

4.) YOU GET TO BE SOMEONE ELSE FOR A WHILE

Don't you remember the fun of playing 'Cops & Robbers' as a kid? When you dispensed justice with your extended index finger and thumb. It's a shame that so much of that 'play-pretend' has to go away from our everyday, adult lives. Granted, it doesn't ALL go away, we just have to channel it down more 'socially acceptable' avenues, art, writing, sewing, building and so forth. But it seems like a shame to loose some of that pure 'play-pretend' in funny hats from our childhoods. For me personally, reenacting has allowed me to recapture some of that feeling.... WITH funny hats!

3.) THE FOOD
What is it about stuff cooked in cast iron over a 'real fire' that just makes it taste so amazing? I would be hard pressed to recall one poor meal I had at an event. I have a lot of respect for anyone that can cook with a firepit in primitive conditions, I can barely cook in my modern kitchen, unless you count preheating the oven and defrosting a pizza.

2.) THE HISTORY!
Just speaking for myself here, but since I have become a reenactor, I have learned MORE cool history than I ever did from any dry ol' dusty history class in school. This is not an attack on history teachers at all, but it was just never very dynamic in the classroom for me when I was growing up. Nothing beats getting out there and going to the places where it happened, wearing what they wore and doing it in the way that they did it in the period.

1.) YOU DECIDE!

We want to hear what YOU think is the most awesome part of Historical Reenacting. So think it over, then add your thoughts in the comments below! Thanks for reading and have a great holiday season from all of us here at HMS Acasta!

 

Be sure to check out these other lists of interest:

The 7 Worst Things About Being a Reenactor

7 Stupid things asked of Historical Reenactors

That does it for this reenactor list. If you have enjoyed reading this or the other adventures of the HMS Acasta, be certain to become an honorary member of the crew. This is a easy way to show us that you're out there and paying attention. It is a simple matter really, there is a blue button at the very bottom of the page that will allow you to join.

And Second, I would ask that you comment from time to time on the posts that interest you the most. This is an excellent way to let the crew of the Acasta know what you, the reader, is the most interested in seeing. It is always most gratifying to know what the readers like. For those of you that have commented in the past, we thank you for you support and interest!

If you find a post that you are particularly fond of... be sure to share a link with your friends, over Facebook, Tumblr, Google Plus, etc. so they can enjoy it too!

The Acasta log is generally updated every weekday at 8am CST, visit back often, and encourage your History Nerd/Reenacting/Royal Navy friends to visit us.

Thanks for reading!

Like the Doctor on Facebook!

In The News

The London Gazette 

Publication date:26 September 1818 

Issue:17401

Page:1713