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larboard guns. The Boyne and San-Josef, as they 1813. arrived in succession, also got into action with the Nov. french rear. Having reached the wake of the Wagram, the Caledonia wore, and came to on the French starboard tack, still engaging; but the french ships, escape having the weathergage, in a few minutes got out of into gun-shot, and the firing, in which the batteries had slightly participated, ceased.

ships

port.

and

british

The casualties on either side, arising from this Daskirmish, were not of any serious amount. The mage Caledonia received one shot through her mainmast loss on and three or four in her hull; had a shroud and some side. backstays cut, and her launch and barge destroyed, with three seamen slightly wounded. One unlucky shot, which fell on the San-Josef's poop, struck off the leg of each of two fine young officers, lieutenant of marines William Clarke, and midshipman William Cuppage, and slightly wounded one marine and one seaman. The Boyne and Scipion had each one man wounded slightly; and the latter had another killed by an accident. The Pembroke had three men slightly wounded by shot, and the Pompée two men slightly burnt by accident; total, 12 wounded by the enemy's fire, and one killed and two slightly wounded by accident. The Armada escaped without any loss, but one of the enemy's shot passed through the bows of her launch and lodged in the booms.

on

The Agamemnon appears to have been the greatest Same sufferer among the french ships: she had her masts, french rigging, and sails a good deal damaged, and received side. several shot in her hull, by which nine men were slightly wounded. The Wagram also suffered, but in a less degree, and had only two men wounded. A shot, that entered the roundhouse of the Borée, wounded two seamen, and carried away the wheel; a splinter from which slightly wounded captain Mahé. The Ulm had one man severely and another slightly wounded. Of the four advanced frigates, the Pénélope and Melpomène were the most engaged; both received damage in their sails, rigging, and hull,

March.

1813. and the latter had one man wounded; making the total loss on the french side 17 wounded. Leaving a small squadron off Toulon, sir Edward Pellew soon afterwards steered for Minorca, and on the 15th of the same month anchored in Port-Mahon. On the 5th of December the french fleet in Toulon received an accession of force in the new 74-gun ship Colosse; and the close of the year left comte Emeriau still athis anchorage in the road.

Lieut.

Banks

takes

LIGHT SQUADRONS AND SINGLE SHIPS.

On the 14th of March lieutenant Francis Banks, of the of the Blazer gun-brig, commanding the small british Blazer force stationed off the island of Heligoland, having posses- received information of the distressed state of the sion of French at Cuxhaven and of the entrance of the Rushaven. sians into Hamburgh, took the Brevdrageren gun

Cux

two

up the

brig, lieutenant Thomas Barker Devon, under his orders, and proceeded to the river Elbe, with the hope of intercepting such of the enemy's gun-vessels as might attempt to make their escape. Early on the morning of the 15th the two brigs entered the river, and found the french flotilla of 20 gun-vessels stationed at Cuxhaven in the act of being destroyed. On the 16th, by invitation from the shore, lieutenant Banks landed, and with a detachment of 32 troops, which he had embarked at Heligoland, took possession of the batteries of Cuxhaven, and on the next day concluded a treaty with the civil authorities, by which it was agreed that the british flag should be hoisted in conjunction with the colours of Hamburgh.

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De- On the 20th, while the two gun-brigs were lying taches at anchor off Cuxhaven, lieutenant Devon volunboats teered, with a boat from each brig, to go up the Elbe in river in quest of a privateer of which information quest had just been received. Accordingly, in the night, priva- taking with him the Brevdrageren's gig containing a teer. midshipman and eight men, and the six-oared cutter of the Blazer, containing 11 men, commanded by

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Mr. William Dunbar, her master, lieutenant Devon 1913. proceeded to execute the service he had undertaken. March

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On the 21st, at daylight, the two boats found Lieut. themselves off the danish port of Brunsbuttel, Devon situated about 30 miles up the river, and close to giggaltwo large galliots at anchor. Under the supposition lantly that these were merchant vessels, lieutenant Devon, tures followed by the cutter at some distance, advanced danish to examine them. On the near approach of the boats gig, the two vessels were found to be gun-boats; the nearest of which instantly hoisted danish colours, hailed, and opened a fire, which, luckily for the people in the gig, passed over their heads. In this critical situation, lieutenant Devon considered that there was no safety but in resolutely boarding. He accordingly dashed alongside, and, in the smoke of the second discharge, which passed as harmlessly as the first, and amidst a degree of confusion among the Danes caused by the explosion of some cartridges, lieutenant Devon, his brother, midshipman Frederick Devon, (a youth only 12 years of age,) and eight men, captured, without the slightest casualty, the danish gun-boat Jonge-Troutman, commanded by lieutenant Lutkin of the danish navy, and mounting two long 18-pounders and three 12-pounder carronades, with a crew of 26 men; of whom two were wounded.

with

other

her

Mr. Dunbar arriving up, the prisoners were And, secured under the hatches, the cable cut, and sail the aid made after the other galliot, the commander of of anwhich, on seeing the fate of his commodore, had cut boat, and steered for Brunsbuttel, about four miles distant. takes The prize-galliot soon gained upon her late consort; consort and, the wind being light, the Blazer's cutter was despatched to cut off the fugitive from her port. This Mr. Dunbar gallantly accomplished, and with his 11 men captured, without opposition, the danish gun-boat Liebe, of the same force as the JongeTroutman, and commanded by lieutenant Writt, also of the danish navy. This, it must be owned, was altogether a very gallant exploit, and lieutenant

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1813. Devon well merited the praises that were bestowed upon him for his conduct on the occasion.

Capt.

har ar

surren

Gluck

british

Early in the month of October captain Arthur Farqu- Farquhar, of the 18-pounder 36-gun frigate Desirée, rives arrived at Heligoland, and assumed the command in the of the british naval force on that station. By this Elbe. time the French had regained possession of CuxSiege haven. After performing several important serand vices up the Weser and Ems, captain Farquhar, der of on the 30th of November, with a small squadron of stadt. gun-brigs and gun-boats, successfully cooperated with a russian force in an attack upon the heavy batteries that defended Cuxhaven. Crossing the Elbe, captain Farquhar afterwards ascended to Gluckstadt, and cooperated with a detachment of the crown prince of Sweden's army in reducing that important fortress. On the 5th of January, 1814, after an investment of 16, and a bombardment of six days, Gluckstadt surrendered by capitulation. Names The british squadron which, besides the Desirée, of was employed on the occasion, appears to have been, vessels the 10-gun schooner-sloop Shamrock, captain John Marshall, brig-sloop (late gun-brig) Hearty, captain James Rose, gun-brigs Blazer, lieutenant Francis ployed. Banks, and Redbreast, lieutenant sir George Morat Keith, and gun-boats, No. 1, lieutenant David Hanmer, No. 2, master's mate Thomas Riches, No. 3, lieutenant Charles Henry Seale, No. 4, lieutenant Andrew Tullock, No. 5, midshipman John Hallowes, No. 8, lieutenant Richard Roper, No. 10, lieutenant Francis Darby Romney, and No. 12, lieutenant John Henderson. Captain Farquhar, in his despatch, speaks also in high terms of captain Andrew Green, who commanded a party of seamen and marines on shore, and of his assistants, lieutenants Charles Haultain and John Archer and midshipman George Richardson; likewise of lieutenant Joshua Kneeloss on shaw. The loss sustained by the flotilla amounted casion. to three men killed, and 16 wounded, including captain Jones, midshipman Richard Hunt, and captain's clerk John Riches,

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falls in

chased

and

On the 16th of December, 1812, the french 1813, 40-gun frigate Gloire, captain Albin-Réné Roussin, Dec. sailed from Havre, with a very strong south-east wind, which carried her as far as the Lizard, and Gloire there left her, on the afternoon of the 17th, entirely with becalmed. On the 18th, at daylight, the Gloire and is found herself nearly in the midst of nine vessels, by Althe greater part of them evidently merchantmen. bacore Two of the number, however, were vessels of war: Pickle, the nearest was the british 18-gun ship-sloop Albacore, (sixteen 32, and eight 12, pounder carronades and two long sixes, with a crew of 121 men and boys,) captain Henry Thomas Davies; and, about four miles to the westward of her, was the 14-gun brig-schooner Pickle, lieutenant William Figg. At 8A.M. the Gloire, who had been standing on the starboard tack, wore with a light air of wind and edged away for the Albacore, then bearing from her northeast by north. Each ship soon ascertained that the other was an enemy; and at 9 A. M. the Gloire hauled to the wind on the larboard tack, and made all sail to escape. Judging by this, probably, that the apparent french 40-gun frigate was an armée en flûte or large store-ship, captain Davies crowded sail in chase, followed, at some distance, by the Pickle; the latter and the Albacore making repeated signals, to apprize the vessels in sight of the presence of an

enemy.

Alba

core

At 10 h. 12 m. A. M., having by carrying down the breeze arrived within carronade range on the french frigate's weather quarter, the Albacore opened her fire; whereupon the Gloire hoisted french colours and fired in return, hauling up a little, to bestow a raking broadside upon her unequal antagonist. To avoid this the Albacore tacked. The enbreeze soon afterwards fell to nearly a calm; and Gloire, at 11 A. M., finding her antagonist much too strong but is for her, the Albacore discontinued the action, with to her fore spring-stay shot away, her rigging a good desist, deal damaged, and, what was the worst of all, with the loss of one lieutenant (William Harman) killed

obliged

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