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MEDIATOR
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(40) |
5th rate
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Built in 1782, Northam.
Renamed CAMEL, storeship, in 1788.
Broken up in 1810. |
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- 1782 Capt. James LUTTRELL, being on a cruise in the Bay of Biscay at seven in the morning of December 12th., discovered five sail of large vessels to leeward; he immediately bore up and gave chace. These vessels, on his approach, shortened sail and stood under their topsails, formed into a line of battle, waiting to receive the MEDIATOR. They were:-
- L'EUGENE (36), commanded by Capt. Baudin and bound for Port-au-Prince
- An American brig of 14 guns and 70 men, with American colours.
- A two decked ship, armed en flute, the MENAGERE, Capt. de FOLIGNE, mounting on her main deck 26 long 12 pounders, laden with gunpowder and naval stores for Port-au-Prince.
- The ALEXANDER of 24 nine pounders, Capt. GREGORY, who appeared to be an Irishman, but had a Congress Commission.
- The DAUPHIN ROYAL (28), bound for the East Indies.
- Capt. LUTTRELL was not intimidated by their formidable appearance, and stood on till ten o'clock when the enemy opened fire as he passed along their line, which was returned by the MEDIATOR with such effect that in half an hour the line was broken. At eleven Capt. LUTTRELL cut off the ALEXANDER and compelled her to strike, and her companions went off in a crowd of sail before the wind. At five in the evening he got within gunshot of the MENAGERE and started a running fight until nine, when having ranged close alongside her, she hauled down her colours. The next morning at daybreak the brig and the DAUPHIN ROYAL were seen in the offing, but being close to the Spanish coast, and having 340 prisoners on board and only 100 men to guard them Capt. LUTTRELL decided it was most prudent to steer for England.
- On the night of the 14th. Capt. LUTTRELL was disturbed by a violent explosion of which he gives the following account:-
- "Capt. Steven Gregory of the Alexander laid a plot to occasion the prisoners to rise and hoped to have taken the Mediator from me, but through the the attention of lieutenant Rankin of the marines, in the disposal and regulation of sentries as a guard, and the lucky precaution we had taken of ordering the gratings of all the hatches in the lower gun-deck to be battened down with capstan bars leaving room for only one man at a time to come up abaft, where in case of an alarm, we had fixed our rendezvous, the desperate scheme of Gregory was prevented without bloodshed, the prisoners finding no passage where they could get up. The alarm fixed on was to fire an 18 pounder in the gun room where he lay, for he messed with my lieutenants. About ten at night I felt the shock from some explosion, and heard a cry of fire. The lee port was blown away by the gun and the water was pouring in. Gregory and his accomplices, dressed, though they had pretended to go to bed; and in their cot was found gunpowder which they had used to prime the gun. I ordered Gregory and those of his officers and men whom I suspected concerned in the plot, to be put in irons, and kept on bread and water."
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