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HALCYON
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The French L'ALCION taken on 8 July 1803 by NARCISSUS off Sardinia.
Broken up in 1812. |
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- She was armed with fourteen 24-pounder carronades and two long 6-pounders.
Her complement was 94 officers, men and boys. - 1804 Henry Whitmarsh PEARSE, 05/1804, promoted out of VICTORY by NELSON.
Lisbon.
He was engaged in the protection of trade in the vicinity of Gibraltar.
On 20 September 1804 he captured the French privateer ESPERANCE of 10 guns and 54 men. - On the morning of 13 October 1806 HALCYON was about 18 miles N. N.E.
of Cape St. Martin when three vessels, a ship, a brig and a xebec, were seen standing out from the land.
When they closed within four or five miles they were seen to be vessels of war and soon to be reinforced by five settees, so Capt. PEARSE closed as quickly as possible and brought them to action.
At about noon the enemy fire slackened and, in a calm, the brig and the xebec hauled away to the southward assisted by boats and sweeps.
The ship tried to escape to the northward but HALCYON swept after her and about an hour later forced her to strike. She was the privateer polacre NEPTUNO DIOS DE LOS MARES from Denia with fourteen 12-pounders and 72 men and had been cruising with the other two between Minorca and the coast of Africa.
HALCYON was 16 men short of her complement and Capt. PEARSE was glad that he had four passengers including Capt. SULLIVAN of the 81st.
regiment, who commanded the small arms.
Three men were wounded on HALCYON, Lieut. BRIGGS by a splinter in the arm, Lieut. PEARSE and a seaman. - On 8 September 1808 HALCYON took part in the attack on a large convoy off Diamante (see WEAZLE).
In May 1809 a number of HALCYON's officers and crew took part in the attack and destruction of the enemy forts on the small islands of Gianuti and Pianoso directed by Lieut. BENNETT of SEAHORSE.
The French privateer ST. ANNA of 2 guns and 46 men was captured on 30 August 1809.
Capt. PEARSE was promoted to post rank on 23 December the same year. - 1809 Thomas STAMP, Mediterranean.
On 30 August she captured the French privateer St ANNA, with 2 guns and 46 men, 20 days out of Naples without taking any prizes. - In 1810, when Sicily was threatened with invasion, HALCYON was stationed at the northern end of the Straits of Messina near the Faro during which time she had a number of actions off the coast of Calabria where she sank a privateer.
On 23 July 1810 she assisted BUSTARD in the destruction of two armed feluccas at Contessa under Cape del Arme. - HALCYON later moved into the Adriatic where she was chased by the French frigates which were later taken by Sir William HOSTE off Lissa.
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