William Bush (Hornblower)

Captain William Bush RN is a fictional character in C.S. Forester's Horatio Hornblower series. He is Hornblower's best friend, and serves with Hornblower in the Royal Navy prior to the Peace of Amiens and again during the Napoleonic Wars.

Character sketch

Bush's role in the novels is that of Hornblower's best friend and second-in-command. He is characterized chiefly by his loyalty, his patience, good nature, and stolid matter-of-fact outlook. Although Hornblower genuinely cares for Bush, he often frustrates and hurts him through harsh criticism. Hornblower, although a brilliant strategist, is a painfully self-conscious and hyperactively introspective man who tries desperately to conceal from the world what he perceives as "weaknesses". However, Bush sees Hornblower as he is:

:"Bush could be fond of [Hornblower] even while he laughed at him, and could respect him even while he knew of his weaknesses."

Bush's loyalty to Hornblower is in fact strengthened by Hornblower's limitations and his attempts to conceal them.

As the Hornblower novels progress, Bush often worries that Hornblower is depriving himself not only of food and rest, but also of human contact. Although Bush is an excellent judge of character, he is not a diplomat; and he must often keep his concern for his sensitive friend to himself. The friendship survives because of Bush's perseverance.

Biographical summary

Little of the private life of William Bush is revealed in the Hornblower novels. A significant personal detail about Bush is that he has a mother and three sisters who live in a cottage in Chichester and depend upon Bush for their support. His sisters "devoted all their attention to him whenever it was possible," and he is as devoted to them as he gives them half of his pay. Forester does not reveal if Bush grew up in Chichester, or at what age he left home. He was "brought up in a harsh school," an experience which taught him caution and perhaps contributed to his natural stolidity.

Forester did not give a date of birth for Bush: indeed, Bush's age changes over the course of the novels. Bush is first described as being a few years older than Hornblower (similar to an older brother), but is later described as ten years older. Nevertheless, Forester does portray Bush consistently as a character who is wistfully protective of his younger friend.

In July of 1796 Bush received his commission as lieutenant while serving on the HMS "Superb", and thus took the first significant step in his career as a naval officer. Bush recalls that he relied more on "seamanship and not navigation" to pass the requisite examination.

Bush served on board HMS "Conqueror" just prior to his assignment to "Renown". However, Hornblower "biographer" C. Northcote Parkinson remarks that "Bush's last ship had been the "Dolphin" sloop". [C. Northcote Parkinson, "The Life and Times of Horatio Hornblower"; Barnes & Noble, 1998; p 65.)]

Once aboard "Renown" Bush meets Horatio Hornblower for the first time::" Lieutenant William Bush came on board H.M.S. "Renown" as she lay at anchor in the Hamoaze and reported himself to the officer of the watch, who was a tall and rather gangling individual with hollow cheeks and a melancholy cast of countenance, whose uniform looked as if it had been put on in the dark and not readjusted since." [C.S. Forester, "Lieutenant Hornblower"; Little, Brown and Company, 1998; p3.]

Although this initial meeting with his junior officer was less than impressive, Bush quickly realized that Hornblower was brilliant yet adept at disguising his brilliance so as not to offend his superiors. Bush's first impulse was to be suspicious of both the brilliance and the evident "duplicity", but his respect for Hornblower overcame this impulse and lead him to friendship and trust. His respect - and his honesty - also compelled Bush to realize that although he was Hornblower's senior officer, Hornblower was the better leader and strategist. Making the best of this awkward situation, Bush gave Hornblower ample opportunity to make and carry out plans during their mission to Samaná. These plans succeeded; Bush gave Hornblower full credit; and Hornblower was promoted to commander. This was the second significant step in Bush's career as a naval officer. Although it at first appears to be a step backwards (Hornblower was suddenly Bush's superior officer) it was in fact mutually beneficial, for if Hornblower was a born leader Bush was a born follower.

Upon return to England "Renown" was laid up, and Bush encountered a time of unemployment. As an officer he still retained his half-pay, but this he used primarily to support his mother and sisters. Without either the influence to gain an appointment as lieutenant in the reduced navy or the experience necessary to join the merchant service, Bush had to cope with poverty. An aspect of this poverty was social in nature, as it prevented him from spending time in taverns or coffeehouses (such as the Keppel's Head) where he normally would have enjoyed the company of his peers:

:"In there, he knew, there would be warmth and good company. The fortunate officers with prize money to spend; the incredibly fortunate officers who had found themselves appointments in the peacetime navy - they would be in there yarning and taking wine with each other. He could not afford wine. He thought longingly for a moment about a tankard of beer ..." [C.S. Forester, "Lieutenant Hornblower"; Little, Brown and Company, 1998; p256.]

In February 1803 a chance meeting with his friend Hornblower resolved both these issues. The renewal of their acquaintance cheered both men. One month later Britain was again at war; and Hornblower, appointed commander of the sloop of war "Hotspur", "diffidently" asked Bush to be his first lieutenant.

After the "Hotspur" was wrecked off Brest, Bush served as a junior lieutenant aboard HMS "Temeraire", a ninety-eight gun ship of the line during the Battle of Trafalgar. Forester does not give details of Bush's experiences during this time (although he does depict Bush, later, being coaxed to tell the tale).

In 1808 Bush rejoined Hornblower as First Lieutenant of HMS "Lydia" sailing to the south Pacific to deliver arms and ammunition to Don Julian Alvarado, a rebel against Spanish rule. He took part in the capture of the Spanish ship "Natividad", her hand-over to Don Julian, and the subsequent battle to destroy her caused by Spain's changing sides. [C.S. Forester, "The Happy Return"]

After his return to England he was transferred to HMS "Sutherland" along with all the rest of the crew of "Lydia". In the Mediterranean "Sutherland" made various attacks along the Spanish and French coasts, but was eventually sunk after fighting four French ships off Rosas. Bush was badly wounded and his foot amputated. [C.S. Forester, "A Ship Of the Line"]

Bush and Hornblower were sent to Paris to stand trial for breaking the rules of war. Assisted by Brown, the Captain's Coxswain, they managed to escape, and after lying low for several months, escape downriver to Nantes, re-capturing the British prize "Witch of Endor", and sailing out to the British fleet. As a result of this action Bush was promoted to Commander, and sentenced to death in absentia by a French court. He was given a shore appointment at the dockyard at Sheerness. [C.S. Forester, "Flying Colours"]

A year later Bush was chosen by Commodore Hornblower as Captain of HMS "Nonsuch", the flagship of Hornblower's small squadron in the Baltic. He took part in the destruction of a French privateer, and then travelled to Russia, seeing action at the siege of Riga. [C.S.Forester, "The Commodore"]

Bush returned to England and commanded "Nonsuch" as part of the Channel Fleet under Pellew. He was detached to support the French Royalists in revolt against Napoleon at Le Havre. While leading a night-time amphibious attack on an approaching siege army, Bush seemed to be killed in a powder barge explosion. [C.S. Forester, "Lord Hornblower"]

Appearances

Bush appears in the novels "Lieutenant Hornblower", "Hornblower and the Hotspur", "Hornblower and the Crisis", "The Happy Return", "Ship of the Line", "Flying Colours", "The Commodore", and "Lord Hornblower".

William Bush's ships

* HMS "Superb", 74, ("Lieutenant Hornblower", Commissioned as Lieutenant, July 1796)
* HMS "Conqueror", 74 ("Lieutenant Hornblower", Lieutenant 1796-1800)
* HMS "Renown", 74 ("Lieutenant Hornblower", Lieutenant 1800-1802)
* HMS "Hotspur", 20 ("Hornblower and the Hotspur", First Lieutenant 1803-1805)
* HMS "Temeraire", 98 ("The Happy Return", Lieutenant 1805-1808)
* HMS "Lydia", 36 ("The Happy Return", First Lieutenant 1808-1810)
* HMS "Sutherland", 74 ("A Ship of the Line", First Lieutenant 1810)
* "Witch of Endor", 10 (recaptured from the French, "Flying Colours", 1811)
* HMS "Nonsuch", 74 ("Commodore Hornblower", Captain, 1812-1814)

Miniseries

In the Hornblower TV series, Bush is portrayed by actor Paul McGann.

Trivia

Hornblower usually calls his friend, in the naval manner, "Mister Bush", or in informal moments simply "Bush".

References