It Has Been Many Weary Months

Title: It Has Been Many Weary Months
Fandoms: Sherlock and Master and Commander
Rating: Teen for implied slash, Sherlock/John
Word count: 5K +

Summary: In the summer of the year 1812 at the beginning of the war between England and America, a Lieutenant S. Holmes of His Majesty's Royal Navy, banished to Upper Canada for insubordination, wrote a personal letter to his friend and companion Doctor St-J. H. Watson. He enclosed this letter in a package with several other objects intended to be sent to the Doctor via the next packet ship.

This parcel was never received by Doctor Watson, nor was its existence ever known of to scholars or historians.

Until now.

A nineteenth century fusion with Master and Commander, written as a slice of life, history and first meetings.
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2An exaggeration on Lt. Holmes' part - Fort Amherstburg was one of the last posts for supplies sent from England, but Fort St.Joseph in Lake Huron was the furthest outpost of the British Army at this time. Supplies sent from England had to come down the St. Lawrence waterway 3,000 km, down Lake Ontario 300 km, portaged around Niagara Falls and shipped another 388 km to Fort Amherstburg. As a result, food sent from England for troops and ships tended to be of poor quality, tough, and salty from long-preservation.

3 Sentence is unfinished. The interruption apparently caused Lt. Holmes to abandon whatever he was about to write.

 

Part One // Part Two // Part Three // Part Four // Part Five - Appendices

It Has Been Many Weary Months - 2

Notes:

Apologies in this section for huge amounts of footnotes - this part just had a lot of historical detail. Do read about the capture of the Cuyahoga - it is based on a real account of that action.

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[Break in the letter, apparently continued at a later time.]

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2The taking of the Cuyahoga was relatively bloodless. Lt. Holmes, a bold and quick-thinking officer, saw the ship making its way up the Detroit River and quickly gathered six armed men into a longboat, rowed out and boarded the vessel, demanding its surrender. Luckily for Lt. Holmes, all the Cuyahoga's arms were stowed below decks and the thirty Americans aboard had no choice but to surrender. As Holmes ordered everyone taken below to be locked up, he informed the captain of the Cuyahoga, Beall, that the news of the United States' declaration of war had arrived in Amherstburg only the previous evening.

According to a fanciful account of the story (see 'Local Legends and Tales of Essex County, Big Creek Press, 1982,)  as a final touch, Holmes discovered a stash of musical instruments amongst the supplies meant for transport. He then proceeded to sail the Cuyahoga into Amherstburg while the humbled Americans played "God Save The King."

The real prize within the captured goods was the American General Hull's correspondence, detailing the army marching to Detroit, the state of the supply lines, his concerns about facing native warriors in battle and his possible offensive strategy. Using these, British General Sir Isaac Brock was able to develop his strategy for the coming war. The capture of the ship and its papers was the type of action that gained attention and was lauded by the Admiralty, and though it did not affect his promotion to commander, Lt. Holmes deserved his step up.

3The Articles of War were set of regulations drawn up to govern the conduct of England's naval forces, and detailed behaviour and punishments. The Article Lt. Holmes is referring to is Article XXIX, 'If any person in the fleet shall commit the unnatural and detestable sin of buggery and sodomy with man or beast, he shall be punished with death by the sentence of a court martial.' Despite the draconian punishment, homosexual relations tended to be overlooked by officers, who knew that life in the Service was hard, dangerous and kept men in close quarters at sea for months on end.

4It is an unfortunate truth that those who served under a captain who was cruel, despotic or insane had little recourse to hope for justice. To mutiny was to face hanging, and it is testament to Captain Wilkes' character that he was killed in such an uprising by his crew not seven years later on a cruise in the Indies. Reference: National Archives, London

5Insulting a superior officer, not to mention attempting to fight a duel, brought Lt. Holmes under Article XXIII, 'If any person in the fleet shall quarrel or fight with any other person in the fleet, or use reproachful or provoking speeches or gestures, tending to make any quarrel or disturbance, he shall, upon being convicted thereof, suffer such punishment as the offence shall deserve, and a court martial shall impose.' No court martial is mentioned but his subsequent posting in Upper Canada, far from the arena of war in Europe where the chances of promotion were higher, would have been a great set-back to his career. It says much of Lt. Holmes' friendship with Doctor Watson that he would seek to protect him from Captain Wilkes in this way.

6The Victory was Admiral Nelson's flagship.

7As odd as such endearments may seem to modern readers, they were common between men who were good friends in the 19th century.

8Middy : midshipman, a commissioned officer of the lowest rank. Midshipmen often started their careers as boys, and were taught school lessons on-board. After three years of 'apprenticeship' learning their trade, they could then attempt the exam to become a third lieutenant. From Lt. Holmes’ comments, both he and Wilkes were midshipmen at the same time on the Isis.

9The change from 'Saint-John' to the more personal 'John' in the letter is indicative of the degree of friendship and intimacy Lt. Holmes and Doctor Watson shared. To use a person's given name was a symbol of high regard, and the diminutive more so.

10Theft fell under Article XXX, and Holmes was lucky not to be put to death according to Naval law. Despite being a Lord's son, his punishment may have included flogging. To be put 'before the mast', or to be de-rated to serve as a common seaman is an uncommon punishment.

(Author's note - No, of course there is no such thing as  'Local Legends and Tales of Essex County, Big Creek Press. I just needed some versimilitude, and grew up next to Big Creek, catching catfish in the summer and playing pick-up games of hockey badly on it in the winter.)


Part One // Part Two // Part Three // Part Four // Part Five - Appendices

It Has Been Many Weary Months - 3

[Break in the letter, continued at a later time.]

 

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2Whist, a popular card game that often involved wagering. We know it now by its modern name, 'bridge.'

3Prize-money - money gained by capturing enemy ships and selling them and their cargoes.

4Accusing another of cheating at cards was a duelling offence, even at this time period - no gentleman would stand for it.

5Lt. Holmes implied to Anderson that if he tried anything like that again, Holmes would call him out for a meeting - a duel.

(Author's note - Often I would drive or walk by Bellevue House, marveling at its grace and perfect symmetry. Seeing it the last time I visited home, I was dismayed by its condition - it had been bought by a numbered company or consortium that is letting it go to wrack and ruin, presumably so that it may be eventually condemned and torn down. It's a horror that such a historic house should be treated so, and yet little seems to be being done about it. It was a pleasure to include it in this fic, and I hope that eventually it may be bought. I wish Canada had something like a National Trust for such places to help preserve them.)

Part One // Part Two // Part Three // Part Four // Part Five - Appendices

It Has Been Many Weary Months - 4

[Break in the letter, continued at a later time.]

Little Will, the ship's boy, has just brought me a curious thing, knowing my interest in the customs and traditions of indigenous cultures. An Army carpenter (of the 41rst Regiment posted in Fort Amherstburg) found it when he was felling a tree to be split up for timber. Being a god-fearing Christian, he wants nothing to do with heathen magic. I will consult with one of the Indian Affairs liaisons tomorrow to discover what the meaning of the object is. Meanwhile, here is a sketch and a description.


[Illustration 1: Sketch by Lt. S. Holmes, of artifact of Native beliefs.]

 

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2A similar object dating from the 19th century can be seen in the museum located in Fort Malden.

3Cicisbeo - a lover or gallant.

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Author's notes:
You can the object drawn above at Fort Malden in the town of Amherstburg, Ontario. It always gave me a delightful shudder to see what amounts to a type of voodoo.

The next chapter contains only the rest of the objects contained in the package for Doctor Watson and some paintings of the area executed by the Miss Reynolds, who were actual people hijacked for my fic. Likewise, the Captain of the Queen Charlotte and the Cuyahoga were real as well as Simon Girty.
Part One // Part Two // Part Three // Part Four // Part Five - Appendices

It Has Been Many Weary Months - Appendices

Appendices:  Archeological Find Report - Bellevue House, Amherstburg, Ontario

Item 2 - 1 brass telescope

Item 3- 1 carved piece of scrimshaw

 

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And thank you for your patience if you made it this far!

Part One // Part Two // Part Three // Part Four // Part Five - Appendices