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IMPETUEUX
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The French L'AMERIQUE taken at the Glorious 1 June 1794. First named AMERICA and renamed IMPETUEUX in 1795.
Broken up in 1813. |
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- 1799 Capt. Sir Edward PELLEW (later Lord EXMOUTH), Spithead. With the Channel fleet of observation.
- IMPETUEUX had been in Plymouth for 27 days when, on 16 March 1800 IMPETUEUX, CANADA and RUSSELL joined Lord BRIDPORT's fifteen sail of the line off the Sound as he sailed from Torbay to join the Channel fleet off Brest.
- Before daylight on 6 June 1800 the boats of the squadron with 300 of the Queen's regiment entered the Morbihan. Two brigs, two sloops, two gun vessels and about 100 prisoners were taken and the batteries ashore were destroyed. Lieut. John PILFOLD of IMPETUEUX, who commanded the gun launches and the naval force, boarded the 18-gun corvette INSOLENTE and captured and burnt her.
- On 12 October she came into Plymouth having knocked off her false keel on some rocks in a bay near Ferrol. She went up into the harbour on the 15th., stripped, and went into the large dock on the next high tide to have her keel and bottom examined. She re-fitted in the Hamoaze until, on 29 November, Capt. PELLEW received orders to relieve Capt. SAUMAREZ in CAESAR on the station off the Black Rocks.
IMPETUEUX sailed on 11 December and returned to Plymouth on 26 February 1801. - She sailed again on 5 March and about 15 May one of her officers went with Lieut. NICHOLSON of SUWARROW into Rochefort and counted five sail-of-the-line and 3 frigates ready for sea. Among the latter was his Majesty's late frigate AMAZON. IMPETUEUX, with six sail of-the-line was blockading the French squadron.
- She returned to Plymouth on 12 November after a six month's cruise, and experiencing off S. W. Ireland the most dreadful weather.
On the 19th., while in Cawsand Bay she received orders to victual for five months, supposedly for a foreign station. - On 28 December some sailors from IMPETUEUX drank so excessively of raw spirits that they died in a few hours. Another lay down before a fire in a public house in Plymouth Dock and expired almost instantly.
IMPETUEUX was ordered to be paid on 3 March 1802 and she then remained in Cawsand Bay until, following orders received on 9 April, she was paid off on the 14th. and laid up in ordinary; four hundred of her crew shipped themselves directly on several Liverpool traders and sailed without going on shore. Two seamen came to the pay table rather intoxicated and, since Sir Edward had said that he would punish anyone who was disorderly before he hauled down his pennant, he read the Articles of War and gave them a dozen lashes each. When they sobered up and found out how ill they had behaved they went to his lodgings and would not leave until he had granted them pardon. - 1803 Plymouth.
In the spring she was under repair in the Middle Single Dock. As the possibility of war became more certain IMPETUEUX was re-commissioned by Capt. Thomas Byam MARTIN on Saturday 7 May. She took in her lower masts as soon as she left the dock and two days later was laying off the North Jetty Head. - On 9 July IMPETUEUX's tender, the MINERVA, sent in a French ship, VIRGINIE from San Domingo for Bordeaux with coffee, sugar and cotton, which she had taken 150 miles S. W. of Cape Clear. The IMPETUEUX herself, after fitting out in the Hamoaze, was declared ready for sea on 6 August. She received 187 men from NEPTUNE to complete her ship's company before going out into Cawsand Bay. She sailed for a cruise on the 13th. after being paid.
- IMPETUEUX sailed for Oporto to collect a convoy on 8 January 1804 but she was forced back by a dreadful gale.
On 17 January five ships of a convoy from Oporto arrived in Portsmouth. They had sailed with nine others under the escort of IMPETUEUX but they were delayed by contrary winds. - IMPETUEUX, with PRINCE and CONQUEROR sailed from Plymouth to join the Channel fleet at noon on 27 January 1804.
At sunset they were south-west of the Eddystone, having made little headway. The previous night the wind had been hurricane force and, combined with the spring tide, had caused extensive flooding to a depth of more than three feet in the Barbican, Smart's Quay, New Quay, Grey's Quay and Foxhole Quay. This was only one of three gales in January which had badly damaged not only IMPETUEUX but four other major warships which all required repair at Plymouth. The bad weather continued through to April. - When the MAGNIFICENT was wrecked near the Black Rocks on 25 March the boats of the off-shore squadron rescued her people. Eighty-four of them in IMPETUEUX's launch were last seen baling out water during a heavy blow; there were hopes that they might reach a small island to leeward and be made prisoner.
- On 22 September she sailed from Cawsand Bay for the fleet off Brest.
- 1805 Capt. Thomas Byam MARTIN.
IMPETUEUX went from the Barn Pool into Cawsand Bay on 20 January and, with SPARTIATE, sailed to join the Channel fleet with bullocks. - 1807 Capt. John LAWFORD, Channel fleet.
On Monday 25 July 1809 Lieut. John BALL was tried for behaving with contempt to Lieut. JONES, 1st. of IMETUEUX, disobeying standing orders and behaving disrespectfully to his captain. The later charge being proved in part, Lieut. BALL was admonished by the court. - In August 1809 IMPETUEUX was involved off Flushing. Her people manned Gunboats No. 62 and No 63 in the attack on the fortress and lost one killed and three wounded between the 8th. and the 15th. in the former and one killed in the latter. Lieut. BULL commanded in the gunboats. Edward PURCELL, midshipman, commanded an armed launch.
- On her return home IMPETUEUX was ordered to Lisbon and when the British army retreated to the lines of Torres Vedras in October 1810, her boats, including her launch armed with two carronades, went up to Alhandra to annoy the French camped on the banks of the Tagus.
They were constantly engaged with the enemy's field-pieces and riflemen for almost two months. - 1811 In October Capt. David MILNE, 08/1811, off Flushing.
- 1812 Capt. Charles INGLIS, Lisbon. Flagship.
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