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HUSSAR
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(38) |
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Built in 1799, Woowich.
Wrecked in 1804. |
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- Capt. Lord GARLIES, 09/1799. Nore.
She returned to Portsmouth from Madeira on 9 July 1800 and sailed again for Ireland on the 14th. She returned from there on 31 October with a convoy of West India ships and went into dock, coming out on 28 November after a thorough repair.
On 8 January 1801 she sailed from Portsmouth with the East Indiamen, HENRY ADDINGTON, CARNATIC, NOTTINGHAM and OCEAN, for Calcutta under convoy to a safe latitude. They passed Plymouth the following day. She arrived in Portsmouth from Cork on 12 May. - 1801 Capt. John Acworth OMMANNEY.
On 22 May HUSSAR and EURYDICE assisted the MADRAS (54), which had gone aground on Bembridge Ledge while coming into Portsmouth from Yarmouth. They got her off about 4 o'clock in the afternoon without any material damage. Hussar sailed on a cruise the following day. - 1802 Capt. Philip WILKINSON.
At 8 o'clock on the morning of 16 October the yellow flag for an execution was made at the fore of HUSSAR. A procession of all the boats of the fleet, manned and armed, came alongside and, after spending some time with Father Flyn, a Roman Catholic priest, a mutineer, Henry KENNEDY, was launched into eternity at the starboard fore-yard arm. After hanging for an hour the body was conveyed to the Royal Naval Hospital for burial. He was a fine young Irishman of 24 and at the time of his discovery was serving a six month sentence for robbery in the Bridewell. He left his considerable amount of prize money to be divided between Mr Ford, keeper of the Bridewell, and Mr Swete, Sheriff's officer for Devon. - On 8 November orders came down for three marine field officers, six subalterns, twelve sergeants and 300 rank and file to be embarked in HUSSAR in the Hamoaze for passage to Chatham for Dockyard guard duty.
The troops went on board on the 10th. and HUSSAR moved into the Barnpool the following day ready to sail on the first fair wind. - On 23 June 1803 HUSSAR captured a large French Brig bound from San Domingo to L'Orient. The prize arrived in Plymouth on 5 July.
- HUSSAR sailed on an extended cruise to the westward on 28 July and returned on 18 October. She sailed again on 5 November on her last cruise.
- On Monday 6 February 1804 HUSSAR sailed from Ayres Bay in Spain for England with dispatches from from Sir Edward PELLEW.
On Wednesday evening, steering N. E. by E., she was running about 7 knots in dark, hazy weather when, at about 10.45, she struck on the southernmost part of the Saintes. She beat over the rocks, carrying away the rudder and damaging the bottom so badly that she started taking in water. When at last she reached deeper water the bower anchors were let go and the top-gallant yards and masts brought down. The carpenter reported that she was bilged and, as the majority of the men worked on the pumps, they could feel the rocks grinding through her as the tide fell.
At daylight Mr WEYMOUTH, the master, took a boat among the rocks to see if there was a way out but he returned without success and a division of seamen and marines was sent to take possession of an island to secure an asylum. This was accomplished without opposition, there being only a few poor fishermen and their families.
By the afternoon everybody was safely landed with all the supplies they could recover, two or three pigs and some biscuit. Capt. WILKINSON arrived in the last boat and ordered Lieut. PRIDHAM and Messrs CAREY, SIMPSON, THOMAS and O'BRIEN, to go back on board and destroy everything they could. They found that the water had reached the lower deck and, when they left three hours later, they were sure that she would founder during the night. Next morning she still appeared whole so Lieut. PRIDHAM and Mr MAHONEY, master's mate, were sent to burn her.
On the afternoon of the 10th. the crew embarked in HUSSAR's barge, the captain and the master, and 13 fishing boats they had commandeered from the French, under Lieuts. PRIDHAM, LUTWIDGE and BARKER, the master's mates, midshipmen and petty officers, in an attempt to reach England or the British fleet off Brest.
As they made their way out they found the sea running high and soon the fishing boats, being badly found, were in distress. Twelve of the boats were driven into Brest harbour during the night and their crews taken prisoner; the thirteenth, commanded by Mr GORDON, midshipman, landed at Conquet, about 12 miles to the west. The carpenter, Mr THOMAS, was drowned attempting to land in Berthaume Bay.
The prisoners were first taken to hospital then mustered for removal to prison camps. The French refused to recognise the officer rank of master' mate and put them, together with the Boatswain and the Gunner, with the people, despite protests from Lieut. PRIDHAM. They were taken to the other ranks camp at Charlemont where several of the crew died from fever, supposedly caught in some of the jails along the road. The lieutenants and midshipmen were taken to Verdun.
After intervention from Capt. Jahleel BRENTON the two master's mates, O'BRIEN and MAHONEY, were moved to Verdun on 23 July. Mr O'BRIEN made three escape attempts. The first time he was recaptured on the coast near Etaples and the second time he managed to get into Bavaria, but was handed back to the French. On the third attempt, with Messrs. HEWSON and BUTTERFIELD, midshipmen, and a Dr BARKLIMORE, they passed through Bavaria to Austria. Here they were given passports for Trieste, which was being blockaded by a British squadron.
At Trieste they were taken on board one of AMPHION's boats but had to fight an action with a row boat and a trabaccolo under Venetian colours before they could reach the frigate. Several men in the boat were killed or wounded, among the latter being Mr O'BRIEN who received a musketoon shot through the right arm.
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