|
CEPHALUS
|
(18) |
|
Built in 1807, Yarmouth (Cruizer class).
Broken up in 1830. |
|
|
- 1808 Edward HARVEY, off Lisbon.
- 1810 Ditto, Mediterranean.
On 11 January 1810 he captured the French privateer settee SCIPION of 4 carriage guns and 4 swivels, with a complement of 80 men, on her first cruise from Genoa. - 1811 Augustus William CLIFFORD, Mediterranean.
In June 1811 THAMES and CEPHALUS were searching for a convoy of ten large feluccas on its way from Pizzo to Naples escorted by a number of rowing boats.
CEPHALUS, searching to the southward, found the feluccas hauled up on the beach near Cetraro in the Gulf of Policastro and anchored offshore to keep them there until THAMES, hampered by lack of wind, could be towed up.
A party of 180 men under Lieut. Whiteway of THAMES and including Lieuts. RICHARDSON and JENKINS of CEPHALUS were landed and, under a heavy musket fire from cliffs some 20 yards distant, took possession of the feluccas.
Unfortunately their large size and heavy cargoes made it impossible to launch them and they had to be burnt. - On the 4 July 1811 CEPHALUS joined Capt. CHAMBERLAYNE in UNITE off the Tiber where the latter had just brought out a French merchant brig.
As they sailed along the coast several vessels were discovered at anchor between Civita Vecchia and the mouth of the Tiber.
Captain CLIFFORD led into the anchorage under fire from the shore and signalled back soundings to bring up within range of grape from four 9 and 6-pounders.
UNITE followed and the enemy were driven from their guns.
Her boats were then sent to Capt. CLIFFORD and he brought out three vessels; a guarda-costa, VIGILANTE, armed with one 6-pounder, and two settees laden with ship-timber.
Mr SIMON, master of the CEPHALUS, was the only man hurt. - Later in the month CEPHALUS was watching Paleniuro and, on the 20 July 1811, Capt. CLIFFORD sent a Sicilian privateer to inform Charles NAPIER in THAMES that a convoy of 26 sail had been attempting to reach that port but that he had forced them to take shelter in Porto del Infreschi.
THAMES arrived at 5 o'clock on the 21st.
and CEPHALUS led her in to anchor where they soon silenced 11 gun boats and an armed felucca which had been moored in line to protect 15 merchant ships.
The marines were landed to take possession of a round tower and captured an officer and eighty soldiers, the boats brought off all the convoy except for two.
The merchantmen were laden with oil, potash and 36 spars for warships at Naples. - CEPHALUS lost five men wounded: Hood DOUGLAS, boatswain; William HOLMES, boatswain's mate; J. GORDON, captain of the forecastle; Robert LEWIS, captain of the maintop; John RENNY, able seaman.
- CEPHALUS sailed for England at the end of September with Lord William Bentinck, the British minister at the Sicilian court, as a passenger.
The brig was docked and re-fitted at Portsmouth then returned to the coast of Italy where, in company with EURYALUS and PILOT, she attempted to destroy a convoy and some land batteries.
After an action lasting five hours she was forced to retire with considerable damage and the loss of Lieut. JENKINS killed and 19 men wounded.
Cap.
CLIFFORD was advanced to post rank on 23 July 1812. - 1812-14 Edward FLIN, Mediterranean.
On 17 August 1812 the frigate IMPERIEUSE, Capt. DUNCAN, with CEPHALUS as her consort, was reconnoitring Naples when a squadron consisting of a line-of battle ship, a frigate, a corvette and 22 gunboats, got under weigh to attack them.
Capt. DUNCAN ordered Capt. FLIN to wear and meet the frigate and the gun boats, while he made all sail towards the line-of battle ship, which seemed reluctant to leave her own shore, and opened fire.
CEPHALUS, under heavy fire, forced her opponents to turn away from her.
It was now sunset and the wind was dropping, so the two British vessels gave the enemy one last broadside and stood off.
The gunboats followed them for a while under oars, firing at long range, but, by the next morning, the enemy had all returned to their anchorage.
The 74-gun ship was named after King Joachim and fell into British hands in Naples in 1815. - After a nine hour chase to windward off the west of Sardinia Capt. FLIN captured the French privateer lugger DILLIGENTE on the 22 February 1813.
Although pierced for 14 guns the privateer was armed with only six 12-pounder carronades and two sixes.
Four of the former were thrown overboard during the chase in her efforts to escape.
With a crew of 89 she was 26 days out of Marseilles.
The privateer schooner JEUNE THETIS (10) from Livorno was taken on the 10 June off Cape Mola. - On the morning of the 2 July, west of Toro, he took the French felucca privateer LA PETIT CHASSEUR from Genoa, armed with two long 4-pounders and with a complement of 45 men.
One 8-pounder gun had been thrown overboard during the chase.
The French xebec privateer ECURIEL was captured on 13 July 1813, 25 miles S. E. by E. of Galita, after a chase during which her single 8-pounder was thrown overboard. She was 40 days out of Toulon. - A court martial was held on board HIBERNIA on the 7 and 8 September to try William CLINNEL, quarter gunner, and William NIMMO, able seaman.
They were charged with having entered in a conspiracy to run off with a French privateer, ECUREUIL, which had been taken as a prize by CEPHALUS.
They were found not guilty on that charge but found guilty of "having been present at a mutiny did not do their utmost to suppress it." They were each sentenced to receive 200 lashes around the fleet. - A second court martial was held on the 13th.
John STEWART, landman; Joseph MARSH, landman; Angelo GELIGCOLA, boy first class, and William WHITE, boy second class, were charged with aiding the prisoners aboard the ECUREUIL prize to run away with her on or about the 22 July.
They were sentenced to be hanged.
MARSH was executed on board CEPHALUS on the 15 September, the others were pardoned. - On the 25 March CEPHALUS joined the squadron under Sir Josias ROWLEY which anchored off Lerici in the Gulf of Spezia to support the troops under Major-general Montressor.
La Spezia and all the defences of the Gulf except Fort Santa Maria were evacuated by the French during the night and the fort itself surrendered on the 30th. after a bombardment from the ships and landed guns. - Henry ELTON, 06/1814.
- 1815 John FURNEAUX, Spithead for the W. Indies.
- 1816-30 Plymouth.
|
|
|
