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EURYALUS
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(36) |
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Built in 1803, Buckler's Hard.
Hulk in 1826. |
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- 1804 Capt. Hon Henry BLACKWOOD.
In September 1804 EURYALUS was with the Dungerness squadron under the command of Rear Ad. LOUIS and in October she took part in the attack by Explosion Vessels (Fulton's catamarans) on the French vessels lying off Boulogne pier.
Capt. BLACKWOOD superintended the operations from the northward and Capt. OWEN from the southward. - At the end of March 1805 he sent a lieutenant on board the privateer ELIZA of Liverpool and, in spite of Capt. Keene producing a protection from the Admiralty, impressed four of her crew of 41 men and boys.
A few days later on 4 April ELIZA and the GREYHOUND privateer from Guernsey captured DOS AMIGOS off the Azores.
Her rich cargo was worth more than 150,000 pounds and, due to the method of dividing up the prize money, the loss off four hands reduced ELIZA's share by about 3,000 pounds.
Her owners, Messrs. Hobson and partners, sued Capt. BLACKWOOD in the King's Bench in July 1807 for 2888 L. - 10s.
6d.
in compensation.
Although the judge's summing up appeared to favour Capt. BLACKWOOD the jury found for the plaintiffs and awarded them the full amount. - Later in the year with Lord NELSON off Cadiz.
At 6 o'clock on the morning of 21 October Capt. BLACKWOOD was ordered on board VICTORY.
He remarked to his Lordship that if 14 of the enemy ships were captured it would be a glorious result but NELSON replied that he would not be satisfied with less than 20.
As the VICTORY led TEMERAIRE, NEPTUNE and LEVIATHAN towards the French NELSON desired Capt. BLACKWOOD and Capt. PROWSE of SIRIUS to go on board their own ships and, on the way, tell the captains of the line-of-battle ships that they would do no wrong if they put their ships close alongside the enemy.
Capt. BLACKWOOD returned to VICTORY and arrived in the cockpit as NELSON died.
When COLLINGWOOD's ROYAL SOVEREIGN was almost totally dismasted EURYALUS was ordered to come and remain within hail to make signals and after the battle the Vice Admiral shifted his flag to her. - Capt. BLACKWOOD was sent under flag of truce into Cadiz to arrange the transfer of wounded prisoners to hospitals there.
EURYALUS soon returned to England and Capt. BLACKWOOD took part in NELSON's funeral. - 1806.
Capt. George Heneage DUNDAS.
Early in 1806 EURYALUS sailed from England with OCEAN and other warships as escorts to a large convoy bound for Oporto, Lisbon and the Mediterranean.
When she joined Lord COLLINGWOOD off Cadiz, she was ordered to cruise between Cape St. Vincent and Cape St. Maria in the Algarve; and afterwards to watch the port of Cartagena.
After about four months she was moved to the Gulf of Lyons. - Towards the end of 1807 she returned to England with NIGER as escort to a convoy of several thousand troops under Sir John MOORE from Gibraltar. She went into dock at Plymouth for a refit and was then stationed in the North Sea. She carried the Duke d'Angouleme from Yarmouth to Gottenburg and escorted the Baltic convoys through the Great Belt.
After seeing one convoy clear on 11 June 1808 she and cruiser discovered several vessels at anchor at the entrance of Naskon (?Nakskov on Lolland) close into the shore.
Capt. DUNDAS anchored and sent Lieut. HEAD with four boats from the two ships to destroy them.
He took with him Messrs. WEMYS, RICKETTS, YEOMAN, RICHARD and GAYMORE, midshipmen of EURYALUS and MOFFATT and LOVEDAY from cruiser.
They burnt two large troop transports and captured a gun-vessel armed with two 18-pounders and carrying 64 men.
This was accomplished within half pistol-shot of a battery of three 18-pounders and a shore lined with troops.
Seven of the enemy were killed and twelve wounded, as well as many drowned for only one man, George JOHNSTONE, yeoman of the sheets, slightly wounded. - During the same year Capt. DUNDAS went to Lebe, a small port in West Prussia about 60 miles west of Dantzig (now Gdansk in Poland) to embark Marie-Louise-Josephine of Savoy, the consort of Louis XVIII, the Duc du Berry and other members of the French royal family.
He took them to Carlscrona in southern Sweden (Karlskrona in Blekinge Lan) and, after re-embarking them at Gottenburg, finally to Harwich. - EURYALUS took part in the disastrous expedition to Walcheren in 1800 where, under the orders of Lord William STUART in LAVINIA, she joined the squadron which forced the passage of the Scheldt between the batteries at Flushing and Cadsand on 11 August.
EURYALUS had no casualties although 2 were killed and 9 wounded in the other ships. - Later she was stationed off Cherbourg under the orders of Capt. Sir Richard KING, and in November captured the French privateer lugger ETOILE of 14 guns and 48 men. She was two days out from the Hogue without making any captures.
- In the spring of 1810 EURYALUS escorted a large convoy from Spithead to Portugal and the Mediterranean and was then attached to Captain BLACKWOOD's inshore squadron off Toulon.
This consisted of WARSPITE, AJAX, CONQUEROR, EURYALUS and SHEERWATER. - A strong gale from the north-west on 15 July forced the fleet to take shelter behind the Ile du Levant and drove the commander-in-chief's ship, SAN JOSEF, as far to the eastward as Villefranche.
On the 20th. a division of the French fleet consisting of six sail-of-the line and four frigates came out from Toulon.
There aim was to enable a frigate and her convoy to escape from Bandol where they had been forced to take refuge.
Because the wind was now light and variable, Capt. BLACKWOOD was unable to prevent the junction with the frigate and, while he was trying to concentrate his squadron, EURYALUS and SHEARWATER were obliged to cross ahead of the French ships.
When the wind failed it seemed certain that the enemy, which still had wind, would be able to capture them so Capt. BLACKWOOD, in the absence of the admiral, resolved to risk action. - He therefore brought to with CONQUEROR and AJAX astern of him and exchanged broadsides with the enemy ships as they hauled up in succession.
When the French tacked the British line followed their example.
EURYALUS and SHEARWATER made their escape and the squadron stood a little way to the southward but the French did not take advantage of their superiority and returned to harbour.
The SHEERWATER received received three broadsides from one of the French line-of-battle ships and a frigate without being struck by either. - Early in 1811 Capt. DUNDAS was temporarily appointed to the command of ACHILLE (74) until relieved by Capt. HOLLIS when he returned to his own frigate.
- On 7 June 1811 the boats of EURYALUS and SWALLOW captured the French privateer INTREPIDE after a long chase off Corsica. She was armed with two 8-pounders and 58 men.
- In October 1812 Capt. DUNDAS removed to the EDINBURGH (74) and Capt. Thomas USHER was appointed to command EURYALUS.
In April 1813 Capt. Charles NAPIER took over command when Capt. USHER moved to MILFORD. - Because of Capt. NAPIER's efforts along the French coast between 10 and 15 May 1813, the enemy coasting trade eastward from Toulon, numbering more than 20 vessels, took refuge in the Bay of Cavalaire.
The surf was too great for an attack to be carried out until the 16th., when the boats of BERWICK commanded by Lieut. SWEEDLAND with the Royal Marines under Capt. MATTHEWS went in.
Within 20 minutes they had reached the beach, taken the batteries and turned the guns on the retreating enemy. - The national xebec FORTUNE, carrying ten long 9-pounders and a crew of 95 men and commanded by Lieut. Lecarnus, attempted to escape but she was cut off by EURYALUS pushing close in.
Her crew abandoned her and left a burning train of powder to the magazine but Lieut. Mark WHITE, with a division of boats, boarded her in time to stop an explosion.
They found 22 vessels in the harbour which were either taken or destroyed.
Those scuttled by the enemy were cleared by EURYALUS which anchored to protect the working party and, thanks to the efforts of Capt. NAPIER and his first lieutenant, Mr Alexander SANDILANDS, everything worth having was brought off.
Fifteen of the vessels were chiefly laden with oil, corn, and lemons.
EURYALUS lost one ordinary seaman, George REARDON, missing. - During the severe winter of 1813 EURYALUS was employed watching the enemy fleet at Toulon under the orders of Capt. Thomas USSHER in UNDAUNTED.
When the two ships were driven to eastwards of the Iles d'Hyeres Capt. NAPIER discovered two ships and a schooner standing towards Calvi in Corsica.
He signalled UNDAUNTED and gave chase.
At sunset Capt. USSHER made the signal for recall but Capt. NAPIER did not see it in the haze and pressed on to drive one of the ships on to the rocks. She was the 22-gun storeship BALAINE bound for Ajaccio from Toulon. - During the night of 21 April 1814 the two ships were a few miles south of Marseilles when a bright light was seen over the city.
When they closed the land under flag of truce they were fired on by two batteries on the Isle of Pomegue.
These were silenced by broadsides from UNDAUNTED but shortly after the mayor of Marseilles arrived in a boat with the news of the abdication of Napoleon.
The two frigates moved into the port and the captains landed to meet Col. Neil Campbell who had a message from Lord Castlereagh.
Capt. USSHER was required to proceed to Frejus to escort Buonaparte to Elba while EURYALUS remained at Marseilles. - In June 1814 EURYALUS sailed from Gibraltar for Bermuda with a squadron under Capt. Andrew KING and a fleet of transports with troops from Genoa.
- In 1815 EURYALUS was serving on the Halifax station.
On 17 August, with SEAHORSE, DEVASTATION, AETNE, METEOR AND EREBUS all under the command of Capt. James Alexander GORDON, EURYALUS entered the Potomac.
Because they were without a pilot through the difficult part of the river known as Kettle-Bottoms, and from contrary winds, it was the evening of the 27th. before they reached Fort Washington.
On the 25th., while passing the Flats of Maryland, EURYALUS lost her bowsprit, the head of her fore-mast and the heads of all her top-masts in a tornado.
But, within 12 hours, she was again under weigh and advancing up the river. - The bomb-ships immediately began to bombard the fort and two batteries and, in less than two hours, the marines and seamen from the squadron completed their destruction.
The following day the town of Alexandria capitulated and the shipping there was seized.
Lieut. HERBERT of EURYALUS was responsible for getting the prizes ready for their journey.
When FAIRY arrived with the news that the Americans were fortifying the river bank to oppose their return, Capt. GORDON decided to retire.
Due to contrary winds the ships had to be warped down river.
A boat from EURYALUS with a howitzer, assisted by METEOR and FAIRY, impeded the the enemy but nevertheless they managed to increase their battery to 11 guns with a furnace for heating shot.
On the 5th.
the wind being fair, SEAHORSE and EURYALUS anchored within musket shot of the battery and, as they silenced the enemy fire, the whole of the prizes were passed down river.
EURYALUS lost able seaman John HOGAN, ordinary seaman Edward DOBSON and able seaman William FAIR killed.
Capt. NAPIER was slightly wounded and Pat POWIS, quarter-master, was dangerously wounded.
The other wounded were John ALLEN, James BURGOINE, Lawrence MURRAY, John JONES (3), James KELLY and William SCOTT, all seamen, and John BOURMAN and Joseph ALDERED, marines. - In May 1815 a brigade of 400 seamen from PRINCE was embarked on EURYALUS at Portsmouth and they sailed for the Scheldt where they were commanded by Capt. NAPIER and Cdr. Francis LE HUNTE (who commanded a division of the Sicilian gunboats in 1813.)
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