Edward Stirling Dickson
Encyclopedia
Vice-Admiral Edward Stirling Dickson (1765 – 28 January 1844) was a Royal Navy
officer who served in the American Revolutionary War
, the French Revolutionary Wars
, and the Napoleonic Wars
.
in 1776 aboard , which ran ashore and was destroyed to keep her from being captured. He was transferred to and was present at the capture of New York
, and then transferred into the where he assisted in the capture of the French frigate Prudente. In 1780, at the age of 15, he was appointed Lieutenant, and appointed to the captured frigate . He later served in the at the relief of Gibraltar
.
in 1794, where he was the second lieutenant of the third-rate
. He was then assigned to the West Indies, commanding the cutter ; he led the ship against a much more powerful French privateer
, and was promoted to take command of the brig as reward. He advised the local commander, Admiral Henry Harvey
, that Trinidad
was ripe for capture, and helped lead the fleet which captured the island in 1797.
During his service in the Caribbean he captured a privateer whilst protecting a convoy to St. Kitts, and led a force which captured the fortifications on Margarita Island
in December 1798. He then led a boarding attack on a privateer in the harbour, and whilst his force captured the ship, he himself was severely wounded in the head. He was promoted to post-captain
, and rewarded with a sword from Thomas Picton
, the Governor of Trinidad.
(now in modern Senegal
), and then commanded a squadron blockading St. Malo. In 1809 he was ordered with the Inconstant to the Isle de France (Mauritius), but she grounded north of the Cape of Good Hope
. His solution to this problem - repeatedly heaving the keel out and righting her when the tide came in - was admired by Admiral Bertie
as an excellent feat of seamanship.
By 1811 he was in command of the , fighting at the defence of Cadiz
, and led a force at the siege of Tariffa, for which he received the thanks of the Admiralty. On 27 August 1812 he was transferred to command the , which had had a succession of temporary commanders since her former commander Temple Hardy
had been taken ill in May. He commanded her during a blockade of the port of Toulon
. He was transferred to command the HMS Rivoli
on 22 February 1814, which saw extensive service in the period after Napoleon's escape from Elba
. Whilst blockading Naples
, he attempted to capture two ships-of-the-line by boarding them in the harbour, and later intercepted and captured the French frigate Melpomene, which was attempting to bring Napoleon's mother and sister to France. This action, on 30 April, was the first French ship to surrender during the Hundred Days
. He later was assigned to command the expedition against Portoferraio, and the final capture of Elba
, giving him the distinction of striking
the first and the last French tricolours of the Hundred Days.
, and was later appointed to command the second-rate . He was appointed a Rear-Admiral of the Blue on 23 July 1830, which ended his sea-going service, and a Vice-Admiral of the White on 23 November 1841.
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
officer who served in the American Revolutionary War
American Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War , the American War of Independence, or simply the Revolutionary War, began as a war between the Kingdom of Great Britain and thirteen British colonies in North America, and ended in a global war between several European great powers.The war was the result of the...
, the French Revolutionary Wars
French Revolutionary Wars
The French Revolutionary Wars were a series of major conflicts, from 1792 until 1802, fought between the French Revolutionary government and several European states...
, and the Napoleonic Wars
Napoleonic Wars
The Napoleonic Wars were a series of wars declared against Napoleon's French Empire by opposing coalitions that ran from 1803 to 1815. As a continuation of the wars sparked by the French Revolution of 1789, they revolutionised European armies and played out on an unprecedented scale, mainly due to...
.
Early career
He joined the Royal Navy in 1772, at the age of seven, and first saw service at the Battle of Sullivan's IslandBattle of Sullivan's Island
The Battle of Sullivan's Island or the Battle of Fort Sullivan was fought on June 28, 1776, during the American Revolutionary War, also known as the American War of Independence. It took place near Charleston, South Carolina, during the first British attempt to capture the city from American rebels...
in 1776 aboard , which ran ashore and was destroyed to keep her from being captured. He was transferred to and was present at the capture of New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, and then transferred into the where he assisted in the capture of the French frigate Prudente. In 1780, at the age of 15, he was appointed Lieutenant, and appointed to the captured frigate . He later served in the at the relief of Gibraltar
Great Siege of Gibraltar
The Great Siege of Gibraltar was an unsuccessful attempt by Spain and France to capture Gibraltar from the British during the American War of Independence. This was the largest action fought during the war in terms of numbers, particularly the Grand Assault of 18 September 1782...
.
French Revolutionary Wars
He was wounded at the Glorious First of JuneGlorious First of June
The Glorious First of June [Note A] of 1794 was the first and largest fleet action of the naval conflict between the Kingdom of Great Britain and the First French Republic during the French Revolutionary Wars...
in 1794, where he was the second lieutenant of the third-rate
Third-rate
In the British Royal Navy, a third rate was a ship of the line which from the 1720s mounted between 64 and 80 guns, typically built with two gun decks . Years of experience proved that the third rate ships embodied the best compromise between sailing ability , firepower, and cost...
. He was then assigned to the West Indies, commanding the cutter ; he led the ship against a much more powerful French privateer
Privateer
A privateer is a private person or ship authorized by a government by letters of marque to attack foreign shipping during wartime. Privateering was a way of mobilizing armed ships and sailors without having to spend public money or commit naval officers...
, and was promoted to take command of the brig as reward. He advised the local commander, Admiral Henry Harvey
Henry Harvey
Admiral Sir Henry Harvey, KB was a long-serving officer of the British Royal Navy during the second half of the eighteenth century. Harvey participated in numerous naval operations and actions and especially distinguished himself at the Glorious First of June in command of...
, that Trinidad
Trinidad
Trinidad is the larger and more populous of the two major islands and numerous landforms which make up the island nation of Trinidad and Tobago. It is the southernmost island in the Caribbean and lies just off the northeastern coast of Venezuela. With an area of it is also the fifth largest in...
was ripe for capture, and helped lead the fleet which captured the island in 1797.
During his service in the Caribbean he captured a privateer whilst protecting a convoy to St. Kitts, and led a force which captured the fortifications on Margarita Island
Isla Margarita
Margarita Island is the largest island of the state of Nueva Esparta in Venezuela, situated in the Caribbean Sea, off the northeastern coast of the country. The state also contains two other smaller islands: Coche and Cubagua. The capital city of Nueva Esparta is La Asunción, located in a river...
in December 1798. He then led a boarding attack on a privateer in the harbour, and whilst his force captured the ship, he himself was severely wounded in the head. He was promoted to post-captain
Post-Captain
Post-captain is an obsolete alternative form of the rank of captain in the Royal Navy.The term served to distinguish those who were captains by rank from:...
, and rewarded with a sword from Thomas Picton
Thomas Picton
Lieutenant General Sir Thomas Picton GCB was a Welsh British Army officer who fought in a number of campaigns for Britain, and rose to the rank of lieutenant general...
, the Governor of Trinidad.
Napoleonic Wars
In 1804, commanding , he led a force which captured the West African island of GoréeGorée
Île de Gorée Île de Gorée Île de Gorée (i.e. "Gorée Island"; is one of the 19 communes d'arrondissement (i.e. "commune of arrondissement") of the city of Dakar, Senegal. It is a island located at sea from the main harbor of Dakar ....
(now in modern Senegal
Senegal
Senegal , officially the Republic of Senegal , is a country in western Africa. It owes its name to the Sénégal River that borders it to the east and north...
), and then commanded a squadron blockading St. Malo. In 1809 he was ordered with the Inconstant to the Isle de France (Mauritius), but she grounded north of the Cape of Good Hope
Cape of Good Hope
The Cape of Good Hope is a rocky headland on the Atlantic coast of the Cape Peninsula, South Africa.There is a misconception that the Cape of Good Hope is the southern tip of Africa, because it was once believed to be the dividing point between the Atlantic and Indian Oceans. In fact, the...
. His solution to this problem - repeatedly heaving the keel out and righting her when the tide came in - was admired by Admiral Bertie
Sir Albemarle Bertie, 1st Baronet
Admiral Sir Albemarle Bertie, 1st Baronet, KCB, was a long-serving and at time controversial officer of the British Royal Navy who saw extensive service in his career but also courted controversy with several of his actions....
as an excellent feat of seamanship.
By 1811 he was in command of the , fighting at the defence of Cadiz
Cádiz
Cadiz is a city and port in southwestern Spain. It is the capital of the homonymous province, one of eight which make up the autonomous community of Andalusia....
, and led a force at the siege of Tariffa, for which he received the thanks of the Admiralty. On 27 August 1812 he was transferred to command the , which had had a succession of temporary commanders since her former commander Temple Hardy
Temple Hardy
Captain Temple Hardy was an English naval officer active during the French Revolutionary Wars, perhaps most notable for his role in the capture of the Cape Colony in 1795....
had been taken ill in May. He commanded her during a blockade of the port of Toulon
Toulon
Toulon is a town in southern France and a large military harbor on the Mediterranean coast, with a major French naval base. Located in the Provence-Alpes-Côte-d'Azur region, Toulon is the capital of the Var department in the former province of Provence....
. He was transferred to command the HMS Rivoli
French ship Rivoli (1810)
The Rivoli was a Téméraire class ship of the line of the French Navy.Rivoli was built in Venice, whose harbour was too shallow for a 74 to exit. To allow her to depart, a system of external ballasts, known as Chameaux , was added to improved her Buoyancy...
on 22 February 1814, which saw extensive service in the period after Napoleon's escape from Elba
Elba
Elba is a Mediterranean island in Tuscany, Italy, from the coastal town of Piombino. The largest island of the Tuscan Archipelago, Elba is also part of the National Park of the Tuscan Archipelago and the third largest island in Italy after Sicily and Sardinia...
. Whilst blockading Naples
Naples
Naples is a city in Southern Italy, situated on the country's west coast by the Gulf of Naples. Lying between two notable volcanic regions, Mount Vesuvius and the Phlegraean Fields, it is the capital of the region of Campania and of the province of Naples...
, he attempted to capture two ships-of-the-line by boarding them in the harbour, and later intercepted and captured the French frigate Melpomene, which was attempting to bring Napoleon's mother and sister to France. This action, on 30 April, was the first French ship to surrender during the Hundred Days
Hundred Days
The Hundred Days, sometimes known as the Hundred Days of Napoleon or Napoleon's Hundred Days for specificity, marked the period between Emperor Napoleon I of France's return from exile on Elba to Paris on 20 March 1815 and the second restoration of King Louis XVIII on 8 July 1815...
. He later was assigned to command the expedition against Portoferraio, and the final capture of Elba
Elba
Elba is a Mediterranean island in Tuscany, Italy, from the coastal town of Piombino. The largest island of the Tuscan Archipelago, Elba is also part of the National Park of the Tuscan Archipelago and the third largest island in Italy after Sicily and Sardinia...
, giving him the distinction of striking
Striking the colors
Striking the colors is the universally recognized indication of surrender, particularly for ships at sea. Surrender is dated from the time the ensign is struck.-In international law:# "Colors. A national flag . The colors . ....
the first and the last French tricolours of the Hundred Days.
Later career
After the French surrender, he served on a diplomatic mission to TunisTunis
Tunis is the capital of both the Tunisian Republic and the Tunis Governorate. It is Tunisia's largest city, with a population of 728,453 as of 2004; the greater metropolitan area holds some 2,412,500 inhabitants....
, and was later appointed to command the second-rate . He was appointed a Rear-Admiral of the Blue on 23 July 1830, which ended his sea-going service, and a Vice-Admiral of the White on 23 November 1841.