A Voice from the Main Deck: Being a Record of the Thirty Years Adventures of Samuel Leech

by Samuel Leech

Samuel Leech's memoirs of his adventures at sea represent one of the few articulate accounts of life in the sailing navy by an ordinary seaman. Just twelve years old when he left home, the young Leech had a romantic view of seafaring which was soon dashed by the crushing reality of life aboard the Macedonian. Indeed, his reflections on floggings, excessive drinking, the press gang and autocratic rule of captains provide a colorful backdrop to the main narrative. The memoirs are made doubly fascinating because Leech contrived to fight in the War of 1812 on both sides, being captured by the Americans after the battle with the USS United States, and to his surprise he found the American navy little better, witnessing constant floggings and capricious command.

Genres: History, Biography, Nonfiction, Biography Memoir, Memoir, Adventure, Audiobook

200 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1999

Reviews

[QOH · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a book so often quoted in secondary sources I almost felt I didn't need to read it. I certainly waited long enough to get around to it.

Don't make that mistake!

Leech writes so deftly it's hard to believe this was originally published in 1843. It's almost like getting a time traveler's guide to the War of 1812 (with quite a bit of moralizing about rum and corporal punishment, but even that is entertaining--there's the time traveler's guide to the 19th century born-again Methodist mindset).

Although Leech wrote about thirty years after the events took place, the book is really more like five years of adventuring--the end is summing up Leech's conversion to Methodism and his trip home to England after marrying and having children. But in those years, there's the brutal ship combat, his desertion from the Royal Navy, signing up for the United States Navy, being captured by the British while aboard the Syren, imprisoned in Cape Town, then returned--via England, and without discovery!--to the US. He suffers under the command of Captain John Porter in the Boxer before deserting again for a civilian life.

The strength in Leech's narrative is that he doesn't lose sight of what it's like to be an outsider: first on a British man of war, then next as a Briton in America during the War of 1812, then as a British sailor impersonating an American, then adapting to life in prison (at Cape Town and briefly a hulk), before returning to the Navy. His last transformation from sailor into a temperance-preaching Yankee businessman caps off the moralizing piece of the narrative (complete with Biblical references).

In any event: this is a very fast read, rich in detail, and a great resource for Age of Sail history aficionados.

[Lorina Stephens · Rating 3 out of 5]

As a reader I came to this autobiography from an historical perspective, not a literary, and thus should most historical accounts of this type be considered.

Samuel Leech, originally a sailor aboard a British brig, and later an American, during the Napoleonic and War of 1812, writes from a temperance and religious point of view some years after his experiences aboard ship. Some of the details are horrifying in their candour, of the floggings and abuse which formed daily life for the common sailor, of the starvation, privation and death. Perhaps most surprising of all was to learn about the details of what it meant to be flogged through the fleet, and that women indeed formed part of daily life for some sailors, even to the extent of giving birth aboard ship and the agonies that brought about to father, mother and child.

For anyone interested in the naval aspects of War of 1812, I would recommend this quick and fascinating read.

[Mai-Lan Hanley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good for The Most Part

I have to say that this book in the first two thirds! It was an engrossing and educational read that told the story from the point of view of the young man himself. I found it educational and was amazed at all the things this young man squeezed into just a few years of his early life! I learned in great detail what life was like for the lowly sailor aboard both a British Man of War as well as an American! The author is very detailed in his description and there was much I learned about the period of the War of 1812! The last portion lacked the excitement of the earlier and focused on his conversion from a crude poorly controlled young man to a devoted Christian who made you feel more like you are attending an old fashioned tent revival! While laudible, I found it much less interestimg . If that were the whole of it, I probably wouldn't have finished the book!

[Clinton Murphy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read to fulfill a requirement of my CPO selection process I nevertheless immensely enjoyed this book. Something I would have read on my own had it not been presented to me Mr. Leech puts together an interesting tale of life at sea in the mid-1800's. The most striking point I took from the narrative is that the day to day trials and tribulations of a modern sailor are not that far removed from his brethren of two centuries ago. A worthwhile read if you've ever spent any time at sea(especially in a Naval vessel).

[Ron Zack · Rating 3 out of 5]

“A Voice From the Main Deck: Being a Record of the Thirty Years Adventures of Samuel Leech” is a biting memoir, originally published in 1843, and describing experiences that began in 1810 when Leech first went to sea as a boy on a British Man Of War. This book contains graphic accounts of life aboard ship in both the British and American navies in the early 19th century.

Cruelty abounds with floggings, injustices, maltreatment, and what is generally described as “sailor immorality.” Describing one such ship, Leech writes: "a more complete school for the practice of iniquity never existed, than that on board our brig. Profanity, blasphemy, lying, licentious conversation, and even a system of petty stealing were practiced on a large scale." On more than one occasion, Leech attempted, or succeeded, running away.

Leech, who trends toward Christian ideals throughout his experience, is very literate, in spite of the apparent lack of formal education (he was off to sea at the age of 12). He is very well-read and claims the “Christian public” supplies every ship with “good and useful literature.” After leaving sailor life at the age of 19, he pursued various occupations, but always maintained a strong religious orientation. He followed his “desire to devote myself to the religious benefit of seamen.”

Although the subtitle purports to cover 30 years of adventures, the adventure lasted about 7 years. He sailed as a “boy” and then as an ordinary seaman, and ran away from his last ship at the age of 19. He escaped the tyranny, severe discipline, floggings, and perpetual sins of shipboard life. The next 22 years or so are quickly glossed over. This is a good history, in the tradition of “Two Years Before the Mast.” Worth reading.

[Robert · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm always on the lookout for a good sea adventure. I've read of the heroic tales of Hornblower, the epic sea battles of Aubry/Maturin, and the compulsive spinach eating of Popeye the Sailorman. This first-hand account of life at sea in and abouts the War of 1812 contains one of the most vivid, unromantic descriptions of the horrific violence of ship to ship combat. That's a good start, but, rather than describing the daily ins and outs of being a sailor, Leech is more interested in exposing the brutality of flogging and crapping on his fellow shipmates as heathens and sinners. A good portion of the book recounts Leech's eventual defection into the US Navy and then his disillusionment with naval life in general. Then he pulls a fast one and the final three or four chapters of the book are about becoming a born-again Christian (or whatever you'd call the 19th century equivalent of that). Still, even with all the churchy talk, it's better than the endless chapters about tanning hides in Two Years Before the Mast: A Sailor's Life at Sea .

[The Bauchler · Rating 4 out of 5]

A surprisingly accessible account of life in the British and US navy in the early 19th century.

Initially I began to think it was a modern author pretending to be written in the 1800’s. There is little Georgian vernacular, and the author explains much for the reader.

There are however some references to (mostly) religious figures who were clearly famous in there day - but not, however, to this atheist.

Written as a memoir it is full of recollections of a ‘common’ seaman looking back on a relatively short period of his life.

It has clearly been used as a primary document by subsequent authors of Napoleonic seafaring tales. I recognised many instances where more modern writers have taken an observation made by Leech and incorporated it into their own works.

It would have been a 5* but Leech uses the latter part of the book to evangelize and proselytize about God and his chosen flavour of religion.

Still a great read, however.

[John J Stover · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Rather Curious Take of a Common Sailor in the Early 1800's

A life long can of naval history I have read many books written by and about naval officers but this is the first by a British man-of-war man. He describes scenes of life aboard his ship the Macedonian and provides a much different view than typical. His experiences of battle, death, shipwreck and interactions with people provide a glimpse of life in those days.

The book is rather tedious in places for the modern reader as he often dwells on the darker side of life n those times but if you persevere you will finish with a better understanding of how life was for poorer people in those days.

[H.W. · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book starts really well, with Leech's induction into navy life as a lad, his misadventures, and battles. The gives an amazingly intimate view of much of naval life, though you feel some is glossed over. He goes from British service to American, gets in some tough scrapes and lean times. In the latter part of hte book he concentrate smore on his reckoning with religion. THat's not nearly as interesting and gets a bit repetitious, but overall, the book is a rare first-hand view into the days of wooden ships and iron men.

[Gregory G Young 2 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Too many years at sea...

I enjoyed reading the life story of sensitive, idealistic man who never should have gone to sea. He tells of the terror of serving on the British war ships. They sounded brutal and were total hell, compared to their American counterparts. The book is light and does wander a bit.

[Michael Remington · Rating 4 out of 5]

First person account

Was fun to research the various commanders and ships mentioned in this book. History seldom tells us what common folks life was like during the mans life, living and serving both England and the early United States.
More religion then I enjoy, but it was part of his life.

[Jerry Mercer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good Story

This first-person tale gives insight the trials and tribulations of sailors in the British navy in the early nineteenth century. It also shows how this individual was able to overcome great obstacles.

[Daniel Patitz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good First Hand Story

Great first-team compilation of the events guest told by a real sailor . The depiction of sailor life was very interesting. Also the differences in other nations navies was a great insight.

[Sylvain Roy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting read about the life and atmosphere sourrounding the life of a sailor and it's goal to better himself. Some readers might not like the later part of his life as it is tedious to read and has nothing to do with being a sailor.

[shari lee]

A young man's difficult endurance and growth as a man of wars sailor

While a sprite of a man , boy really, endures the harshness of a British Man of Wars sailors, he grows and becomes a man dedicated to the Lord and his new country, the United States of America.

[bernard j denver · Rating 4 out of 5]

An absorbing and interesting story of the way in which the British Sailor was treated the Royal Navy during the American war of 1812

I hardly knew about the war of 1812. This book is enlightening and well worth reading as it illustrates the Freedom of the USA.

[James McComas · Rating 4 out of 5]

A most interesting insight into that period.

[joseph jensen · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting prospective

Good read


Good read an easy page turned the view I have always read the Officers position in the Hornblower saga

[Joseph Mills · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book but I had hoped for more detail of how the ships were worked.

[Matt · Rating 5 out of 5]

How cool is it to read a book and unexpectedly find that the author is describing not only your hometown but the exact area you grew up in? Samuel Leech's experiences range from being a servant to a lord's house in England, to serving at sea under brutal commanders (both Royal Navy and US Navy), to Portugal, the bayous of Louisiana to the rural areas of Connecticut and Massachusetts. In doing this the reader gets a snapshot of social issues at sea and on land from an outstanding primary source that gives the reader a flavor of how the common man lived in both in England and the United States in the time period of the War of 1812 and the Second Great Awakening.

Leech went to sea at twelve and was shipped out on three different warships and at least two different merchantmen all by the age of twenty two. In that time he met a few of the great leaders in the early American navy who were "Preble's Boys" and saw how the Napoleonic Wars was taxing the Royal Navy's leadership pool until the bottom of the barrel was being scraped. His graphic and moving description of the battle between the U.S.S. United States has been used many times by many different sources however it was his description of the capture of the U.S.S. Syren that was perhaps the most interesting. The capture of the Syren is often given at most a paragraph in histories of the War of 1812. However, Leech brings the fact that every action in war is personal and fraught with danger. It had never occurred to me that there might be British deserters on American ships and that being captured by the British would mean being hung.

Leech's book is a treasure chest for early American historians and Age of Sail historians because of his descriptions and honesty. His observations go from social, military, and religious. A person reading this book might be interested in reading
by James Tertius De Kay and by .

[Marty Reeder · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an interesting read after the long, but satisfying, Two Years Before the Mast. Both of them profess to be unique in that they tell the story of sailing on a ship, not from the view of an officer, but of an actual sailor. I think the subsequent popularity of each book shows how moot their own claims are now, since I've yet to read an account from an officer, but have read two tales from the forecastle, as they would put it. A Voice From the Main Deck probably has more interesting content than Two Years Before the Mast since it follows Samuel Leech as a young boy in a British royal naval ship during the Napoleonic wars and the War of 1812 who then defects to the American side after his capture. And yet, at the same time, Samuel's account is much shorter, and rightfully so. Samuel, though he has more interesting tales to tell, hits more of the action, spending little time only on the day to day experience on the ship. Dana, in Two Years Before the Mast, seems almost opposite to this. And yet his story, too, is satisfying in its own way. The two authors played to their strengths and the results were good. Probably my only issue about A Voice From the Main Deck is Leech's occasional narrator apologies of his previous actions. I don't think the reader needs the narrator to interject at points to ensure his audience understands that lying is bad or stealing is wrong or drinking is a sin. That kind of sanctimonious reproving kept on creeping into the moment of the narration, ruining the flow and feel. Perhaps those kind of reflections would work better in the final chapter as an overview if he was really scared that the reader absolutely needed to be warned, but otherwise it's just a distraction. For what it's worth, however, it often balanced a fine line between being annoying and amusing. You kind of liked seeing an old sailor trying to impose his newly found religion on some coarse, old habits in his past. Then again, you kind of just wanted to read the story and leave the judgment to yourself. Overall, however, you cannot fault Leech for his incredible material. One thing is certain: having had a life experience like Samuel Leech had and not writing about it would have been the biggest sin he could have committed.

[Thomas · Rating 4 out of 5]

Proselytizing but consuming narrative of a sailor

Eloquently constructed narrative descriptions of shipboard crew vs officer expectations with particular reference to the morality of punishment. Comparisons of English shipboard authority American shipboard practices are inadvertent. For anyone who enjoys well designed literary expressions this approaches a “must” read. The pleasure of reading and experiencing excellent writing is a reward in itself.

[Carol · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is an interesting and informative book, if you wade around the moralizing. I've been reading Patrick O'Brian's Aubrey and Maturin novels and I wanted to learn more about what life was like for the non-officers aboard especially the boys. Samuel Leech was only 12 when he first joined the navy and his descriptions of life as one of the ship's boys is fascinating, disturbing and terrifying.

[Víctor · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesante descripción de la vida a bordo de los navíos de guerra británicos y americanos de comienzos del siglo 19 a cargo de un testigo de primera mano que sirvió en ambas armadas. Bien es cierto que los últimos capítulos se convierten en una loa a la religión y a los principio morales cristianos. Aún así, se hace entretenido y de lectura fácil.