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FURIEUSE
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Taken in the Atlantic by Cdr. William MOUNSEY in BONNE CITOYENNE on 6 July 1809.
Broken up in 1816. |
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LA FURIEUSE, armed en flute, had escaped from the Saintes on 1 April and was in the act of taking possession of a large English merchant ship when Capt. MOUNSEY came on the scene. - Capt. John SIMPSON was appointed to her in September 1809 to bring her home, but his post commission was not confirmed until 12 December.
Both the BONNE CITOYENNE and FURIEUSE suffered a great deal of damage during the action and the latter was not repaired until November 1811. - 1811 Capt. William MOUNSEY, 11/1811.
FURIEUSE escorted a convoy to Lisbon and the Mediterranean and was then employed with the inshore squadron off Toulon under the command of Sir Edward PELLEW. In May 1812 the enemy came out, 12 sail of the line and 7 frigates. A line of battle ship and two frigates were sent in chase of the British squadron which consisted of MENELAUS, HAVANNAH and FURIEUSE, frigates, and the PELORUS brig. The brig sailed badly and was in danger of being cut off, but when the rest of the squadron shortened sail and hoisted their colours, the French relinquished the chase. - On 9 November 1812 FURIEUSE captured the French privateer NEBROPHONUS (4) from Naples, and on 10 January 1813, off Monte Cristo, the privateer brigantine ARGUS (4) out of Livorno.
- The capture of the island of Ponza was directed by Capt. NAPIER in THAMES and Capt. MOUNSEY in FURIEUSE. The 2nd battalion of 10th. regiment was embarked on 16 February and they arrived off Ponza on the 23rd. The harbour was about a quarter of a mile wide with a mole at the extreme end of it, defended by four batteries and a tower, mounting ten 24 and 28-pounders, two 12-pounders and two 9" mortars.
On the morning of the 26th., when the unfavourable weather improved, both ships bore up in close order towards the mole. The enemy were able to open fire an hour before the ship's guns could bear, but with little injury since the troops were kept below, and THAMES anchored across the mole head with FURIEUSE a little astern. Col. Coffin and the troops landed and pushed for a strong tower into which the enemy had retreated. Their appearance, and the heavy fire from the ships, persuaded the Governor to hoist a flag of truce.
The safe harbour of Ponza had long offered a retreat to the marauders preying on the Sicilian trade but unfortunately six privateers had been forewarned and had sailed before the attack. The harbour was later used by British cruisers watching Naples. - On 7 May the boats of FURIEUSE, under the command of Lieut. Walter CROKER (1st.) and Lieut. William SANDOM (2nd), captured the French national xebec CONCEPTION, with two long 9-pounders mounted, from Orbitello The prize was boarded, hove off shore and towed out under heavy fire from musketry and a battery of eleven 24-pounders. Mr John WEBB, midshipman, was mortally wounded by a shot through the body and five seamen were badly wounded.
- On 4 October a convoy of 19 vessels was sighted in the harbour of Marinelo, about 6 miles east of Civita Vecchia, protected by two gunboats, a fort with two long 24-pounders and a fortified castle. Lieuts. CROKER and LESTER, with Lieuts. Wylock and Davies of the marines, and the whole of the marines and boat's crews, stormed the fort while the frigate fired a few broadsides. The battery was soon carried and the enemy retreated to the castle where they kept up a constant fire of musketry on the shore party which, with Lieut. LESTER in the boats, boarded and cut the cables of 16 vessels. Two of these, gunboats with one long brass 24-pounder each, sank in the harbour entrance, but the others, deeply laden with salt, tobacco and marble, were brought out. Fire from the ship prevented more than 500 regular troops, which arrived from Civita Vecchia, from intervening. Two men were killed, William WILSON, ordinary seaman, and William Chambers, marine; three were dangerously wounded and seven very severely.
- FURIEUSE formed part of Sir Josias ROWLEY's squadron at the capture of Via Reggio and the unsuccessful attempt on Livorno in December 1813. Capt. MOUNSEY was at Milazzo on 30 November with EDINBURGH and MERMAID. They were joined by Sir Josias in AMERICA and TERMAGANT, and the following day they embarked 1,000 troops of the Italian levy.
- On 9 December they arrived off Via Reggio, detaining IMPERIEUSE and ARMADA on the way to assist with getting the troops on shore. Lucca surrendered the same night and parties from IMPERIUSE and FURIEUSE brought off two brass guns from the beach to the north and south of the town after a party from AMERICA destroyed a castle with gunpowder, Capt. ROWLEY then proposed leaving EDINBURGH, FURIEUSE and TERMAGANT to keep up communication with the troops while AMERICA rejoined Vice Ad. PELLEW, however firing was heard from the town towards sunset when the troops were attacked by 600 cavalry and infantry from the garrison at Livorno. The enemy were routed and it was suggested that now was the time for an attack on Livorno, so the troops were taken off by the boats and the whole squadron left for Livorno Roads. All of the troops but only part of the marines, were landed without opposition on the 13th., before bad weather set in. The marines defeated an attacking body of at least 700 cavalry and infantry on the Pisa road, opening to receive the cavalry charge and killing them as they passed through. Capt. ROWLEY decided that the increasingly bad weather and the strong fortifications of Livorno made the operation too hazardous so everyone was re-embarked
- On 25 March Capt. ROWLEY anchored his squadron, AMERICA, EDINBURGH, FURIEUSE, SWALLOW, CEPHALUS and the Sicilian corvette AURORA, off Lerici. The French evacuated La Spezia and all the gulf coast except for the fortress of Santa Maria. This was invested as soon as the troops arrived and strong parties of seamen were landed from the ships, together with six 18-pounders from EDINBURGH. A 36 and 24-pounder and two mortars were repositioned on captured forts, and they all opened up on the fortress at 5 PM on the 29th. The following morning the enemy showed a flag of truce.
- On 17 April the assault was mounted on Genoa. While ABOUKIR, IPHEGENIA, FURIEUSE, SWALLOW and CEPHALUS, blockaded the fort and made a false attack to the westward of the town, The troops advanced to drive the enemy from their positions, supported by the gun and mortar vessels, and the boats of the squadron armed with carronades, which followed them along the sea line. When the marines and seamen landed, and prepared to storm, the enemy deserted their batteries and the whole sea wall was taken possession of.
- After the cessation of hostilities, FURIEUSE sailed from Gibraltar to Bermuda with Capt. Andrew KING's squadron, escorting a fleet of transports. Later she took the 62nd regiment to Halifax. After the peace with America Capt. MOUNSEY remained with a small naval force to assist the troops fortifying the Castine Peninsular.
- FURIEUSE was paid off in the autumn of 1815.
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