From The Sea Warriors by Richard Woodman.

[quigonejinn]

In the space of a few short years Pellew had made his mark in the world, rising from an obscure nonentity involved with the most notorious British defeat of his generation, to a post-captain with a reputation as a fine seaman. Though he had no prentensions to good looks -- he bore the scars of infantile smallpox -- he was nevertheless physically imposing, tall and well built. Immensely popular with his crews for his unorthodoxy, he was as fearless in action as at sea and thought nothing of of going aloft with the men and laying on a yard to take in a sail or, even as post-captain, of standing a four-hour trick at the wheel. Indeed, he revelled in these energetic pursuits, and such was his reputation that in later years he rarely had trouble manning his ship from his native Cornwall.

Pellew married in May 1783, as hostilities ended, and became a magistrate. He might have settled down to a life of comparative ease on his farm, but htat was not Pellew's way, even in peacetime. His brother Samuel was the Collector of Customs at the Cornish port of Falmouth, and Pellew took command of the local revenue lugger and continued his pursuit of the misguided individuals who sough tot evade King Goerge's taxes by tree trading in dutiable goods. Nor did the Admiralty neglect him, appointing him to command the 32-gun Winchelsea in 1786, and sending him acrsso the Atlantic to join the squadron of Commodore Eliot at st John's Newfoundland. Arriving in a calm, he warped his ship into port, sliding down a hawser himself to shift it from one holdfast to another. These apparent breaches of social and naval etiquette on the part of a post-captain notwithstanding, Pellew ran his ship with the strict but fair hand of a martinent. The instant obedeince required of eveyr officer and man enabled Pellew to handl his ship wth the consummate skill of a master. In this, time was only to improve him.

[blah blah blah, stuff, stuff, stuff about the La Cleopatre, but this is what made me sit up in bed at 1AM in the morning]



As the tricolour fluttered to the deck and the French second lieutenant surrended his sword to Morris, the victors stumbled on a pitiable sight.

Captaine de Fregate Jean Mullon lay mortally wounded upon his quarterdeck, sodden in his own gore and chewing a piece of paper. A round shot had ploughed up the wretched man's back and carried away most of his left hip, yet in his agony he was attempting to prevent the secret French coasting signals from falling into the hands of the enemy by eating them, as he thought. But the signals were later found intact in his pocket: the gallant captain had been eating his own commission.

IN SHORT:

1. Pellew is fucking badmotherfucking ass.
2. I want fic about the year that Tough Sea Bastard Bush spends under Tough Sea Bastard Pellew's command.
3. thehappyreturn has returned-ish. Chapter 8 of Close Quarters is up, and my God, do you know what it takes for me to love "R THEY GOING TO GET 2GETHER OR NOTTT?" HORNBLOWER/KENNEDY angst? My GOD.

Chapter 1.

Comments

[black-hound.livejournal.com]

Pellew and Bush would be on the same wavelength. Without a doubt. Jesus. Sliding down a hawser. A post-captain. My love is great.

Pellew and Bush in Pellew's great cabin during that magical year on the Nonsuch. Two Ultimate Sailors. With the wardroom clustered around the table. Listening to the stories. Pellew going as far back as the Revolutionary War, and Bush with that Temeraire story. AGAIN. XD

And holy fuck. Have the heavens rained down blessings with the return of THR. And she comes with fic. omg. *heavenly*

I mean Jesus. Just that little bit of Bush with THE CARDS. *weeps with sheer joy*

[quigonejinn.livejournal.com]

Sliding down a hawser. A post-captain. My love is great.

My God, it's awesome. No worries about whether he's going to be able to do it. No worries about whether it's the right thing for a post-captain to do. He's a fucking post captain, and he will do it, and he do it properly, so it is the right fucking thing for a post captain to do. It speaks worlds of the kind of big, physical confidence he had in himself. Worlds different from HH, bless his angsty little heart.

Bush has so many stories to tell at this point. Aside from Trafalgar and the stuffRenown, he's also got Rosas Bay and the escape from France and all the shit in Commodore and afterwards, especially taking the fleet home. OMG.

There's a lovely bit in this book about the kind of status that post-captains had. How eligible they were for marriage, how they probably had property, etc. I wonder whether Bush ever made post -- did having a dockyard count as a command for the purposes of getting that second epaulette? Or is there somethign obvious that I'm missing?

[black-hound.livejournal.com]

Bush has so many stories to tell at this point.

It's like the retelling of his life. Like an oral tradition or oral history. Just as his life is about to end. Ya know? The final meeting with Pellew and his officers on Pellew's flagship before Nonsuch is despatched to help Hornblower.

At the end of FC, doesn't Hardy say something about 'posting' Bush as captain? That would imply he was being made a post-captain with full rank, not just a master & commander type of captain. I'm sorta talking out of my ass here, because I don't really know, but it's very possible that the Resident Commissioner positions qualified as post-captain positions. At least from what I've read about them. Comparable to being posted to a rated vessel.

I guess that second epaulette would just depend on the math. Did he have 3 years of service between the end of FC and his death?

*can't do math*

[quigonejinn.livejournal.com]

From FC:

"I will promote this lieutenant of yours, Bush, into her as Commander," he announced.
Hornblower gave a little gasp. Promotion to Commander meant almost certain post rank within the year, and it was this power of promotion which constituted the most prized source of patronage an Admiral in command possessed. Bush deserved the step, but it was surprising that Gambier should give it to him — Admirals generally had some favourite lieutenant, or some nephew or some old friend's son awaiting the first vacancy. Hornblower could imagine Bush's delight at the news that he was at last on his way to becoming an admiral himself if he lived long enough.

And LH is definitely more than a year later, although I'm not entirely sure how you go from M&C to post in a year because of the service requirement.

It makes sense, too. You ain't going to give a non-post captain a flagship 74 no matter how senior he is. Even if his boyfriend does ask for him

[nautacarus.livejournal.com]

In short, Pellew rocks ;)

2. I want fic about the year that Tough Sea Bastard Bush spends under Tough Sea Bastard Pellew's command.

Me too. It would be fantastic. It is asking to be written. Now who's going to write it?

[black-hound.livejournal.com]

*looks POINTEDLY in your direction*

Because, zomg, you certainly got the dynamic between Pellew and Middie!Bush. Who better to take a stab at writing them again in later years?!

[nautacarus.livejournal.com]

Thankee for the compliment but all I could come up with was one measly page - which certainly doesn't qualify me to write the brilliant epic that needs to be written! Especially when there are so manny Bush (and Book) experts out there!

[quigonejinn.livejournal.com]

As far as I can tell, all there is in the books is this one little line in Lord Hornblower where HH is like ^_^ YAY MY OLD FRIEND PELLEW SENT BUSH. And that's the beginning and end of what we hear about Pellew after HH passes his lieutenant's examination.

SO YOU COULD TOTALLY WRITE THIS. ^____^

[nautacarus.livejournal.com]

Except for the stuff in Hotspur, which is the genesis of all HH/EP!
"I have indulged myself in a favourite whose initials are H. H..."

[nautacarus.livejournal.com]

I think you could definitely write it!

However, I'll think about something too. If I ever get round to writing anything else. Because I remember my joy on reading that bit. It's like Forester intended everything.

[quigonejinn.livejournal.com]

!!! I completely forgot about that, actually. My God. Fifty with the Horry self-hatred, please, and yes. All that stuff about Pellew's cabin and the tips about chicken-feeding.

[nautacarus.livejournal.com]

Yep. I love those bits. I didn't read the letter till after I'd started writing Hornblower/Pellew and I could hardly believe it.