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SPARTAN
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(38) |
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Built in 1806, Rochester.
Broken up in 1822. |
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- 1807 Capt. George AIRIE.
(Rear Ad. Sir E. NAGLE) Guernsey station.
Later in the year Capt. Jahleel BRENTON, 02/1807, with Vice Ad. Lord COLLINGWOOD in the Mediterranean.
(Capt. BRENTON had been captured in MINERVE on 2 July 1803 and remained a prisoner in Verdun until he was exchanged at the beginning of 1807) - On 23 April 1809 SPARTAN, with AMPHION and MERCURY, sighted a number of vessels lying in the mole at Pesaro.
The ships anchored within a half a mile of the town and their boats formed into two divisions.
The first, launches with carronades and other boats armed with field pieces, under the command of Lieut. PHILOTT of AMPHION, to the Northwest, and the 2nd consisting of rocket boats under Lieut. BAUMGARDTT of SPARTAN, to the south. - Capt. BRENTON sent a flag of truce on shore demanding the surrender of all the vessels within half an hour but, when no answer was received and troops were seen massing in the streets as the inhabitants employed themselves in dismantling the vessels, he hauled down the flag of truce and fired one shot as a warning to the women and children then made the signal to open fire.
When several flags of truce were hung out in the town he ceased fire and Lieut. WILLIS went ashore to find that the commandant and his troops had fled.
The marines were then landed and drawn up along the marina, the launches were stationed to enfilade the main streets and the other boat's crews employed in rigging the vessels and laying out warps ready for the tide to flow. - Capt. BRENTON then received a letter from the commandant asking for another hour for deliberation but he replied that he considered that the place had surrendered at discretion and in case of resistance the town would be destroyed.
At half past six thirteen vessels deeply laden with oil, hides, almonds, tallow, planks and spars were brought off.
Burning the remainder would have threatened the town so the castle at the harbour mouth was blown up. - There were no British casualties but one man from the town was killed as he approached the castle after the match had been lighted in spite of musket shots over his head to drive him away.
He was buried by the rubble. - On 2 May SPARTAN and MERCURY chased two vessels into the port of Ceseratico to join several others lying there.
The narrow entrance was defended by a battery of two 24-pounders and a castle and the water was so shallow that the boats had to be sent ahead to signal when the found three fathoms.
by this means the ships were able to anchor within grape range of the battery and soon silenced it.
Lieut. WILLIS took possession of it and turned its guns on the castle and town, which were soon deserted.
Twelve vessels were captured, some laden with corn for Venice and some in ballast.
The latter were filled with hemp and iron of the quay and, after spiking the guns and blowing up the castle and magazine, the boats came off without loss.
MERCURY ran aground but in such a position as gave full effect to her fire and she was hove off without injury. - Eight days later Capt. BRENTON, with Baron Ocharnick and a detachment of Austrian troops compelled the 170 men forming the garrison on the Island of Lussin, on the coast of Croatia, to surrender.
- In August 1809 Vice Ad. Lord COLLINGWOOD proposed that Zante, Cephalonia etc.
of the Seven Islands should be seized while the French were involved in the defence of Naples.
Capt. SPANGLER of WARRIOR was placed in command and he sailed with PHILOMEL and transports of troops from Messina on 23 September.
At the same time SPARTAN sailed from Malta with Mr Foresti, who had been British resident in the islands, and Count Clandan, a Cephalonian gentleman of influence. - On 2 October troops landed on Zante after SPARTAN, BELLE POULE and the gunboats had silenced the batteries.
The French retired to a castle and capitulated later in the day while the local inhabitants rejoiced in their expulsion. - On 9 October SPARTAN ran into the bay at Avlemmeno, Cerigo, and silenced the two forts there; St. Nicholas, a stone building with nine guns and St. Joaquim, an embrasure battery with two 18 and two 9-pounders Troops of the 35th. regiment under Major Clarke were landed by Lieut. WILLES in a prize schooner and made several prisoners.
The following day variable winds prevented SPARTAN getting round to attack the castle of Casel in the Bay of Cerigo so troops were landed in a small cove in the Bay of St. Nicholas together with one watch from SPARTAN with three small field pieces.
Capt. BRENTON landed with them so he could command the resources of the ship by signal.
Because of difficult country it was the morning of the 11th. before they reached the castle and opened an exchange of fire which continued for the rest of the day.
In the evening some rockets were landed and thrown at the castle during the night.
The following morning Capt. BRENTON ordered two 12-pounders to be landed but before they could be disembarked the French capitulated. - Lieut. WILLES was sent in the prize schooner to Capt. SPANGLER at Zante with dispatches.
(Ithaca had surrendered to troops and seamen from PHILOMEL on the 10th.) - On 1 May 1810 SPARTAN and SUCCESS chased a French squadron consisting of CERES (42), FAME (28), SPARVIERE, an 8-gun-brig, and ACHILLES, a 10-gun cutter, into Naples where they took refuge behind the mole.
To encourage the French to come out again Capt. BRENTON sent SUCCESS to the rendezvous south-west of the Isle of Capri while he remained in the Bay. - At daylight on the 3rd. the French squadron, reinforced with eight gunboats, stood out in a close line.
The two frigates exchanged broadsides at pistol shot before SPARTAN cut off the cutter and gunboats from the rest of the squadron.
The enemy was prevented from wearing by SPARTAN on their weather beam so they made for the protection of the batteries at Baia.
the crippled state of SPARTAN prevented her following them but she raked the frigate and the corvette as they passed and cut off the brig which was captured. - SPARTAN lost 10 killed, Mr W. ROBSON, master's mate, six seamen and three marines.
Twenty-two were wounded including Capt. BRENTON, who was severely wounded by a grape shot which struck him on the hip, and Lieut. F. W. WILLES who took over command.
Mr DURIN, the purser took charge of a division of guns on the main deck in the absence of their officer who was absent in a prize with 8 men.
The other officers were Lieuts. BAUMGARTT and BOURNE and Mr SLENNER, the master.
The quarter deck guns were commanded by Capt. Hoste of the Royal Engineers who was on board to reconnoitre the enemy positions on the coast.
The enemy mustered about 1100 men of whom they admitted losing 30 killed and 90 wounded apart from those in the brig. - The Patriotic Fund of Lloyd's voted him a sword valued at 100 guineas and the King of the two Sicilies presented him with the Grand Cross of the order of St. Ferdinand and of Merit.
(Capt. BRENTON was made a Baronet in November 1812 and a K. C.B.
in January 1815.) - 1811 Captain Edward Pelham BRENTON, Capt. Jalheel BRENTON's brother was appointed to SPARTAN in September 1810.
After cruising in the Channel he was sent to reinforce the squadron under Vice Ad. SAWYER at Halifax. - SPARTAN was active against American privateers.
The schooner ACTIVE (2), was taken off Cape Sable on 16 July 1812, the sloop ACTRESS (4) off Cape St. Mary on 18 July, the schooner INTENTION (1), off Annapolis on the 19th.
The schooners MORNING STAR (1), and POLLY (1), were captured by MAIDSTONE and SPARTAN in the Bay of Fundy on 1 August and burnt by the boats in a creek called Baily's Mistake.
The same two ships captured the revenue cutter COMMODORE BARRY (6) and the schooners MADISON (2), OLIVE (2), and SPENCE (2), in Little River, Bay of Fundy, on the 3 August.
The prizes were brought out by the boats but most of their crews escaped. - Among the prizes captured and condemned as droits of Admiralty was the MELANTHE from Valparaiso with a cargo of hides and copper, and a brig laden with merino wool, opium and wine; each having on board several thousands of dollars.SPARTAN was paid off in September 1813.
- 1814 Portsmouth.
- 1815 Capt. Phipps HORNBY, Spithead for the Mediterranean. She paid off in July 1816.
- 1818 Capt. William Furlong WISE, 01/1818, Portsmouth.
During 1818 the Genoese ship MISERICORDIA was plundered by Algerine pirates and the Genoese Vice-consul treated with great indignity and expelled from Algiers.
When a complaint was made to the British government of this violation of the treaty made with the Dey after the bombardment of August 1816 (Capt. WISE was present in GRANICUS), SPARTAN was sent from England to demand compensation. - Capt. WISE found that the Dey had died of plague on 1 March and, with the assistance of the British Consul, negotiated a payment of 35,000 dollars for the property taken.
- During the following year SPARTAN visited Madeira, Dominica, Vera Cruz, Jamaica, Barbados and Halifax, returning to England in July 1820. She returned to the American coast before being paid off in January 1821 after bringing back species from New York.
- 1822 Plymouth.
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