Aug. 1812. this quarter, the same benevolence and solicitude were shown to them by him and his suite. The general sent an invitation to captain Peyton to visit him on shore, and receive in person as well his brave boat's crew, as the congratulations of the general and the other french officers on having such men under his command. Captain Peyton accepted the invitation, dined with the french general, and received back his midshipman and six out of his seven men. Thus is it ever, that the brave sympathize with the brave; and he, who gallantly does his duty, meets far from the most inestimable part of his reward, in the admiration which he elicits from the breast of his enemy. Capt. es boats to Va On the 29th of September, in the evening, having detach-received information that the French had laden six vessels with shells at Valencia for Peniscola, captain of Min- Peyton despatched the boats of the Minstrel, under strel lieutenant George Thomas, assisted by midshipmen lencia. William Lewis, B. S. Oliver, and Charles Thomas Smith, to endeavour to bring them out; keeping the ship close in shore to cover and protect the boats. Although the vessels were moored head and stern to the beach, between two batteries of two 24-pounders and two mortars, with a strong garrison in the Grao, and had their sails unbent and rudders unshipped, lieutenant brings Thomas and his party gallantly succeeded in bringing out four of them. A fifth was also in the possession of the British; but, owing to the wind suddenly shifting round to the south-east with a heavy squall, this vessel grounded, and was retaken with three men in her. With that exception, the loss sustained by the British amounted to only one seaman severely wounded. Lieut. Tho mas out four vessels. Bac chante boats On the 31st of August, as the british 38-gun frigate detach- Bacchante, captain William Hoste, lay at anchor es her off Rovigno on the south-west coast of Istria, information arrived, that several vessels, laden with Port- ship-timber for the venetian government, were at Lemo. Port-Lemo. Captain Hoste, on the same evening, into despatched the Bacchante's boats, five in number, 1812. containing 62 officers and men, under first lieutenant Aug Donat Henchy O'Brien, assisted by lieutenant Frank Gostling, lieutenant of marines William Haig, master's mate George Powell, and midshipmen James Leonard Few and Thomas William Langton. tures boats, Having captured two merchant vessels at the en- Lieut. trance of the port, lieutenant O'Brien received Brien information, that the vessels, which he was going to capcut out, lay under the protection of a french xebec three of three guns, and two gun-boats. Notwithstanding gunthis unexpected force, he left his two prizes in &c. charge of Mr. Langton and six seamen, and, with the remaining 55 men, dashed on to the attack. The skill and gallantry of the commanding officer and his party carried all before them; and the British captured, without the loss of a man, as well the timber-vessels, seven in number, as the french xebec Tisiphone, of one 6 and two 3 pounders and 28 men, a gun-boat of one 8 and two 3 pounders and 24 men, and another of one 8-pounder and 20 men, intended for the protection of the trade on the coast of Istria, from Pola to Triest. chante detach boats after an other On the 18th of September, at daybreak, cruising off Bacthe coast of Apulia, the Bacchante discovered and chased an enemy's convoy between the islands of es ber Tremitti and Vasto, standing alongshore to the northwest. Baffling winds and calm weather preventing the frigate from closing, captain Hoste despatched convoy his boats, six in number, containing 72 officers and men, under the command, as before, of his first lieutenant, assisted by lieutenant Silas Thomson Hood, second of the Bacchante, instead of lieutenant Gostling. On the approach of the boats, the 18 merchant vessels anchored, and hauled themselves aground, leaving outside for their protection eight armed vessels, each mounting one long 12pounder, three of them with three swivels each and 16 men, the remainder with 12 men; making, in all, eight long 12-pounders, six swivels, and 104 men. 1812. Besides these, there were the crews of the merchant Sept. vessels, who, having disembarked, lined a thick wood, well adapted for bush-fighting and completely commanding the coast. 0' suc bring vessels. Lieut. In this situation, the convoy and vessels of war Brien confidently awaited the british boats; but the officers again and men in these, led on as they were, were not to ceeds in be so daunted. Pushing through a heavy fire of ing out grape and musketry, the seamen rushed like lions to the the attack, boarding and carrying the vessels, and driving their crews over the sides in every direction; while the marines, headed by their intrepid leader, lieutenant Haig, landing, forced the fugitives from the wood, and secured the possession of the whole convoy and the armed vessels protecting it. To enhance the valour of this second exploit of lieutenant O'Brien and his brave associates, it was achieved with so trifling a loss on their part, as two seamen wounded, and those not dangerously. Eagle detach a On the 16th of September, in the evening, the es her british 74-gun ship Eagle, captain Charles Rowley, boats having anchored off Cape Maistro near Ancona, the Convoy. latter despatched lieutenant Augustus Cannon, with the three barges, to intercept the enemy's coasting trade. On the morning of the 17th lieutenant Cannon perceived a convoy of 23 sail, protected by two gun-boats, standing towards Goro. As the barges intrepidly advanced, the convoy, each vessel of which was armed with a 6 or an 8 pounder, drew up in line of battle, under cover of a 4-gun battery and the beach lined with armed people, having also the two gun-boats advanced in front. cap ture the British The British, in the most gallant manner, and notwithstanding that their boats, owing to the shaland de- lowness of the channel, grounded frequently in their stroy advance, attacked and carried the largest gun-boat; whole and then, turning her guns upon the second gunwith boat, captured her and all the convoy but two, which effected their escape. Not being able to man all his boats. prizes, lieutenant Thomas Colson Festing, who had along two gun succeeded to the command in consequence of lieu- 1812. tenant Cannon having been mortally wounded, burnt Feb. six and brought out the remaining 17, including the two gun-boats. Besides lieutenant Cannon mortally wounded, and who died on the 22d, there was one seaman killed, another mortally, and three slightly wounded. Lieutenant Festing, it appears, still holds the same rank that he did, when he succeeded to the command in this successful and truly gallant exploit. James solves haytian On the 2d of February, as the british 12-pounder Sir 32-gun frigate Southampton, captain sir James Lucas Lucas Yeo, was lying in the harbour of Port-au-Prince, Yeo rethe capital of Petion's dominions in the island of to deSaint-Domingo, intelligence arrived, that a large tain a frigate, a corvette, and a brig of war, belonging frigate. neither to Petion, nor to his rival chief Christophe, but to a third party, formed out of revolters from both, were cruising on the south side of the adjacent island of Guanaboa. Although bound by his instructions to respect the flags of Petion and Christophe, sir James had received no orders to acknowledge any other haytian flag; he considered also that, if the squadron was allowed to quit the bight of Leogane, the commanding officer would be less scrupulous about the national character, than about the lading, of the merchant vessels he might fall in with; in short, that M. Gaspard, well known as an experienced privateer's man, might feel it to be his interest to turn pirate. ampton ceeds Those, who communicated the information respect- Southing this frigate, pointed out, in reference to the proSouthampton, her superior force, particularly in men, of whom the number was stated to be upwards of 600. PortFar from deterring such a man as sir James Lucas au Yeo, all this stimulated him the more to execute a inquest service which, hazardous as it might be, a sense of thyste. duty taught him was necessary; and accordingly, in the night, the Southampton weighed her anchor, and Prince ofAmé 1812. proceeded in quest of this formidable frigate and her Feb. two consorts. Force two fri Some account of the force of the two frigates may of the here be introduced. The Southampton was at this gates. time the most ancient cruiser belonging to the british navy, having been built since the year 1757.* The Améthyste was the late french frigate Félicité, captured in June, 1809, when armed en flûte, by the british frigate Latona.+ She was deemed unfit for the british navy, and was sold, as already stated, to an agent of Christophe's: to whose little navy she was afterwards attached. Treachery, or something of the kind, subsequently removed her into the possession of M. Borgellat; who had assumed the command of the department of the south in SaintDomingo, upon the death of the revolter Rigaud. The frigate's name was then changed from Améthyste to Heureuse-Réunion; but, in all the accounts respecting her, she is called Améthyste. The Southampton mounted 38 guns, including ten 24pounder carronades and two sixes; and the Améthyste, 44 guns, consisting of 18 long french 12, and eight long 18, pounders on the main deck, and four long 12-pounders and 14 carronades, 24pounders, on the quarterdeck and forecastle. Sir James On the 3d, at 6 A. M., having arrived off the south hails side of Guanaboa, the Southampton fell in with the frigate. Améthyste, the corvette, and the brig. On hailing the the Améthyste, sir James was answered," From Aux-Cayes." He then sent on board, to request the captain of the frigate to wait upon him with his papers. Captain Gaspard declined doing this; but sent his first lieutenant, with a paper, purporting to be an order to cruise, and signed, "Borgellat, general in chief of the south of Hayti." Knowing of no authority that this M. Borgellat had to send armed vessels to sea, sir James replied, that he felt it to † See vol. v. p. 241. * See vol. i. p. 41. |