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CALEDONIA
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Built in 1808, Plymouth.
Broken up in 1875. |
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- 1808 Capt. Sir Harry NEALE, (1st. captain), Capt. William BEDFORD (2nd captain).
Flagship of Ad. Lord GAMBIER of the Channel fleet.
In February 1809 Rear Ad. STOPFORD blockaded a French fleet of 12 ships-of-the-line and 2 frigates in the Basque Roads.
Ad. GAMBIER arrived on 7 March to take command and an attack was launched on the night of 11 April using fire-ships and Congreve rockets. The French ships cut and ran and soon 13 of them were aground. As the tide rose Lord COCHRANE in IMPERIEUSE could see that, one by one, they were getting afloat. From quarter to six in the morning he made urgent signals to Lord GAMBIER to send ships to the assistance of his frigate which was single handily trying to prevent the previous night's work being wasted. It was not until after 2 o'clock in the afternoon that Lord GAMBIER ordered INDEFATIGABLE to get under weigh and it was half past three before she, VALIANT and REVENGE came to IMPERIEUSE's aid.
Lord GAMBIER ordered Lord COCHRANE to be superseded in command of the Aix flotilla and sent IMPERIEUSE back to England with his dispatches. Capt. NEALE arrived at the Admiralty with them on the morning of 21 April 1809. - Starting with the capture and destruction of three enemy brigs on the east coast of the Basque Roads on 12 September the boats of CALEDONIA and VALIANT were employed in stopping the coasting trade between Rochelle and the Isle of Aix.
Three more brigs had sought protection under a battery on the Point du Che and the French had reinforced the position with four field-pieces on the beach; troops and horse were stationed in the village of Angolin. An attack was launched on the night of the 28th. by a party of seamen under Lieut. HAMILTON, first of CALEDONIAN, with 130 marines from CALEDONIA and VALIANT to secure the batteries. Two of the brigs were brought and the other one burnt. - 1811 Capt. Francis William AUSTEN (Ad. Lord GAMBIER), Basque Roads and French coast. Capt. AUSTEN joined her at Spithead in November 1810.
In the autumn Rear Ad. Israel PELLEW (1st. captain), Capt. HARWAID (2nd captain), flagship of Vice Ad. Sir Edward PELLEW in the Mediterranean. - 1813 Ditto, with Capt. Jeremiah COGHLAN, 09/1812, as 2nd captain.
On 18 August 1813 Capt. COGHLAN volunteered to lead a detachment of marines from CALEDONIA, UNDAUNTED, HIBERNIA, BARFLEUR, PRINCE OF WALES and REDWING, to attack five heavy batteries defending Cassis between Toulon and Marseilles. They drove the French before them at the point of the bayonet allowing the boats under Sir John SINCLAIR to bring out 24 settees and tartans and 2 gunboats. CALEDONIA lost 3 marines killed and 1 wounded. - At the end of October 1813 CALEDONIA, blockading Toulon, was blown off station by eight days of gales.
On 5 November 14 French ships-of-the-line and 7 frigates put to sea and were sighted by SCIPION, MULGRAVE, PEMBROKE, ARMADA and POMPEE, the inshore squadron. They managed to get in range of the enemy's advanced squadron and soon CALEDONIA, returning to her station, was able to come up and open a broadside on the WAGRAM (130), and continued to fire until she got out of gunshot. CALEDONIA had three men wounded and suffered minor damage. - As more and more men were taken for the army a chance of a major action with the Toulon fleet seemed unlikely so Capt. COGHLAN exchanged into ALCMENE in the spring of 1814. Capt. J. E. GRAHAM joined CALEDONIA.
On the morning of 13 February 1814 BOYNE, followed by CALEDONIA, tried to cut off a French detachment of 3 sail-of-the-line and 3 frigates trying to enter Toulon. They managed to fire at the sternmost, ROMULUS but then had to haul off to avoid running on to the rocks. - In the spring of 1815 she was at Plymouth being fitted out for the flag of Lord EXMOUTH.
24-pounders were to be mounted on the forecastle to fire Congreve rockets. Capt. Sir Archibald DICKSON was appointed to her. In the event Lord EXMOUTH hoisted his flag in BOYNE and CALEDONIA was paid off immediately after the battle of Waterloo and remained out of commission in the Hamoaze. - Hospital ship DREADNOUGHT in 1856.
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