HMS Hyacinth (1806)
Encyclopedia
HMS Hyacinth was an 18-gun ship-sloop of the Cormorant class in the Royal Navy
, launched in 1806 at Great Yarmouth. In 1810 she was reclassed as a 20-gun Post-ship (but without being re-armed). She was again re-rated as 24 guns in 1817.
On 21 April 1807 Hyacinth captured the Frau Justina. Then on 15 August 1807 Hyacinth, under Commander John Davie, captured the Zeenymph. That same day Hyacinth was in company with Forrester
and Flora when Flora captured the fishing vessels Hoop, Nepthun and Hoffnung. Nine days later Hyacinth and Vestal
were in company with Flora when Flora captured the St. Sylvester.
Hyacinth then sailed for South America on 15 February 1808. In August 1809, Commander John Carter took command while Hyacinth was still in South America. She returned to Britain and spent the period May through July 1811 in Portsmouth undergoing maintenance. At some point in 1812 the Admiralty re-rated Hyacinth as a post ship
, and Captain Thomas Usher (or Ussher) took command of her.
, Resolute
and Gunboat No. 16 to attack the privateers in their base.
On the evening of 29 April, Usher sent in his squadron's boats carrying a cutting out party. Hyacinths gig and pinnace with Usher, Lieutenant Thomas Hastings and 26 men, attacked a battery of fifteen 24-pounder guns. Her barge, with Lieutenant Francis Spilsbury and John Elgar, purser, and 24 men attacked a second battery of four 24-pounder guns opposite the first. Commander Lilburne of Goshawk, with 40 men in Lieutenant Cull's gunboat, attacked the chief privateer ship Brave (or Braave, alias Sebastiani). The remaining boats, under Lieutenant Keenan, attacked the other privateers.
Usher and his party went in ahead and took possession of their target battery in less than five minutes. He fired a rocket that was the signal for the gunboat and the other boats to come in. Midshipman Pierce and 12 men then boarded and captured the Brave despite facing 33 crew men who had remained aboard after Barbastro and the bulk of his crew had jumped overboard. Lilburne followed the plan by attacking the remaining privateer vessels. To assist the attack, Usher turned the guns in the battery that he had captured around and fired on the castle of Gibralfaro; the British kept up the cannonade until they had exhausted the available ammunition.
When the British sought to withdraw, soldiers from the French 57th. regiment lined the mole, firing their muskets as the prize crews brought out their prizes. The castle too fired at the withdrawing British with its cannons. Then the wind died away, which slowed the withdrawal; it was at this time that Lilburne was mortally wounded. The French fire forced the British to leave behind most of the vessels they had captured. Before they did so, they damaged them as much as they could.
The British were able to bring out Brave and Napoleon (alias Diaboloten), both of 10 guns. The boarding party also retrieved an eagle that Napoleon had presented to Barbastro and that he had left on Brave. The attack had a heavy cost for the British. The gunboat sank during her return passage to Gibraltar and in all, the British lost 15 men killed and 53 wounded. In 1847 the Admiralty authorized the issue of the Naval General Service Medal with the clasp "Malaga 29 May 1812" for this action.The shift by a month in the date of the action appears to be an error.
on 25 May. The British squadron then supported a guerrilla offensive against Almunecar
. The British destroyed a privateer of two guns and 40 men under the castle. They the fired on the castle, creating breaches in its walls. The French then retreated to Grenada after having spiked the castle's guns, which consisted of two brass 24-pounders, six iron 18-pounders, a 6-pounder, and a howitzer. The French also left behind a number of deserters, Flemish and German draftees, who had long looked for an opportunity to quit their involuntary service.
After the commencement of the War of 1812
, Hyacinth and other British vessels captured American merchant ships caught in the Mediterranean at the outbreak. Hyacinth was among the British warships sharing in the prize money arising from the capture of the vessels Phoenix, Margaret, Allegany, and Tyger, detained at Gibraltar, on 8 August. Ten days later, Hyacinth and were in sight when the letter of marque
Sir Alexander Ball captured the American ship Grace Ann Green.On 15 July 1814, would recapture the Sir Alexander Ball after she had been taken by a privateer. Nine days after that, Hyacinth and captured the Eliza.
In June 1812 Captain William Hamillton was appointed to command Hyacinth. When the War of 1812
broke out, the British captured several American ships in the Mediterranean. Hyacinth shared with , , , and in the American droits for Phoenix, Margaret, Allegany and Tyger, captured on 8 August 1812.
Hamillton's temporary successor in November was Captain John Lampen Manley. In January 1813 Alexander Sharpe replaced Manley.
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...
, launched in 1806 at Great Yarmouth. In 1810 she was reclassed as a 20-gun Post-ship (but without being re-armed). She was again re-rated as 24 guns in 1817.
Service
Hyacinth was commissioned in October 1806 under Commander John Davie.On 21 April 1807 Hyacinth captured the Frau Justina. Then on 15 August 1807 Hyacinth, under Commander John Davie, captured the Zeenymph. That same day Hyacinth was in company with Forrester
HMS Forester (1806)
HMS Forester was a Royal Navy 18-gun built by John King and launched in 1806 at Dover. After a relatively uneventful career she was sold in 1819.-Service:...
and Flora when Flora captured the fishing vessels Hoop, Nepthun and Hoffnung. Nine days later Hyacinth and Vestal
HMS Vestal (1779)
HMS Vestal was a 28-gun Enterprise-class sixth-rate frigate of the Royal Navy. The Vestal was first commissioned in November 1779 under the command of Captain George Keppel.- References :...
were in company with Flora when Flora captured the St. Sylvester.
Hyacinth then sailed for South America on 15 February 1808. In August 1809, Commander John Carter took command while Hyacinth was still in South America. She returned to Britain and spent the period May through July 1811 in Portsmouth undergoing maintenance. At some point in 1812 the Admiralty re-rated Hyacinth as a post ship
Post ship
Post ship was a designation used in the Royal Navy during the Age of Sail to describe a ship of the sixth-rate that was smaller than a frigate , but by virtue of being a rated ship , had to have as its captain a post captain rather than a lieutenant or commander...
, and Captain Thomas Usher (or Ussher) took command of her.
Attack on the
Brave and the Napoleon In the spring of 1812 Hyacinth received the task of stopping several fast vessels that were operating as privateers from Malaga, all under the command of "Barbastro". Unfortunately, Hyacinth was not fast enough to catch the privateers and although Usher disguised her as a merchantman, this ruse too failed. Usher then assembled a small squadron consisting of GoshawkHMS Goshawk
Five ships and a shore establishment of the Royal Navy have borne the name HMS Goshawk, after the bird of prey, the goshawk. A sixth ship was renamed before being launched:...
, Resolute
HMS Resolute
HMS Resolute was a mid-19th century barque-rigged ship of the British Royal Navy, specially outfitted for Arctic exploration. Resolute became trapped in the ice and was abandoned. Recovered by an American whaler, she was returned to Queen Victoria in 1856...
and Gunboat No. 16 to attack the privateers in their base.
On the evening of 29 April, Usher sent in his squadron's boats carrying a cutting out party. Hyacinths gig and pinnace with Usher, Lieutenant Thomas Hastings and 26 men, attacked a battery of fifteen 24-pounder guns. Her barge, with Lieutenant Francis Spilsbury and John Elgar, purser, and 24 men attacked a second battery of four 24-pounder guns opposite the first. Commander Lilburne of Goshawk, with 40 men in Lieutenant Cull's gunboat, attacked the chief privateer ship Brave (or Braave, alias Sebastiani). The remaining boats, under Lieutenant Keenan, attacked the other privateers.
Usher and his party went in ahead and took possession of their target battery in less than five minutes. He fired a rocket that was the signal for the gunboat and the other boats to come in. Midshipman Pierce and 12 men then boarded and captured the Brave despite facing 33 crew men who had remained aboard after Barbastro and the bulk of his crew had jumped overboard. Lilburne followed the plan by attacking the remaining privateer vessels. To assist the attack, Usher turned the guns in the battery that he had captured around and fired on the castle of Gibralfaro; the British kept up the cannonade until they had exhausted the available ammunition.
When the British sought to withdraw, soldiers from the French 57th. regiment lined the mole, firing their muskets as the prize crews brought out their prizes. The castle too fired at the withdrawing British with its cannons. Then the wind died away, which slowed the withdrawal; it was at this time that Lilburne was mortally wounded. The French fire forced the British to leave behind most of the vessels they had captured. Before they did so, they damaged them as much as they could.
The British were able to bring out Brave and Napoleon (alias Diaboloten), both of 10 guns. The boarding party also retrieved an eagle that Napoleon had presented to Barbastro and that he had left on Brave. The attack had a heavy cost for the British. The gunboat sank during her return passage to Gibraltar and in all, the British lost 15 men killed and 53 wounded. In 1847 the Admiralty authorized the issue of the Naval General Service Medal with the clasp "Malaga 29 May 1812" for this action.The shift by a month in the date of the action appears to be an error.
Other action on the coast of Granada
In May 1812, Hyacinth and and supported Spanish guerrillas on the coast of Granada, against the French. On 24 May with Hyacinth and Termagant, Basilisk took a French privateer with a brass cannon. Hyacinth destroyed the castle at NerjaNerja
Nerja is a municipality on the Costa del Sol in the province of Málaga, Andalusia, southern Spain. It is on the country's southern Mediterranean coast, about 50 km east of Málaga.-History:...
on 25 May. The British squadron then supported a guerrilla offensive against Almunecar
Almuñécar
Almuñécar is a municipality in the Spanish Autonomous Region of Andalusia on the Costa Tropical between Nerja and Motril . It has a subtropical climate...
. The British destroyed a privateer of two guns and 40 men under the castle. They the fired on the castle, creating breaches in its walls. The French then retreated to Grenada after having spiked the castle's guns, which consisted of two brass 24-pounders, six iron 18-pounders, a 6-pounder, and a howitzer. The French also left behind a number of deserters, Flemish and German draftees, who had long looked for an opportunity to quit their involuntary service.
After the commencement of the War of 1812
War of 1812
The War of 1812 was a military conflict fought between the forces of the United States of America and those of the British Empire. The Americans declared war in 1812 for several reasons, including trade restrictions because of Britain's ongoing war with France, impressment of American merchant...
, Hyacinth and other British vessels captured American merchant ships caught in the Mediterranean at the outbreak. Hyacinth was among the British warships sharing in the prize money arising from the capture of the vessels Phoenix, Margaret, Allegany, and Tyger, detained at Gibraltar, on 8 August. Ten days later, Hyacinth and were in sight when the letter of marque
Letter of marque
In the days of fighting sail, a Letter of Marque and Reprisal was a government licence authorizing a person to attack and capture enemy vessels, and bring them before admiralty courts for condemnation and sale...
Sir Alexander Ball captured the American ship Grace Ann Green.On 15 July 1814, would recapture the Sir Alexander Ball after she had been taken by a privateer. Nine days after that, Hyacinth and captured the Eliza.
In June 1812 Captain William Hamillton was appointed to command Hyacinth. When the War of 1812
War of 1812
The War of 1812 was a military conflict fought between the forces of the United States of America and those of the British Empire. The Americans declared war in 1812 for several reasons, including trade restrictions because of Britain's ongoing war with France, impressment of American merchant...
broke out, the British captured several American ships in the Mediterranean. Hyacinth shared with , , , and in the American droits for Phoenix, Margaret, Allegany and Tyger, captured on 8 August 1812.
Hamillton's temporary successor in November was Captain John Lampen Manley. In January 1813 Alexander Sharpe replaced Manley.