HMS Sappho (1806)
Encyclopedia
HMS Sappho was a Cruizer class brig-sloop
built by Jabez Bailey at Ipswich
and launched in 1806. She defeated a Danish brig, the Admiral Yawl in a single-ship action during the Gunboat War
,The vessel's name varies by account. Variants include: Admiral Juhl, Admiral Jawl, Admiral Juul, and Admiral Yorol. and then had a notably successful two months of prize-taking in the first year of the War of 1812
. She was wrecked in 1825 off the Canadian coast and then broken up in 1830.
.
On 8 January 1808 Sappho and the Revenue Service brig Royal George, Captain Curry, chased a lugger that surrendered to Royal George. The lugger was the Egle, M. Olivier, of 16 guns (3 and 4-pounders), with a crew of 56 men. She was nine days out of Dunkirk and had taken one prize, the Gabriel out of Yarmouth, which she had attempted to scuttle after taking the master and crew on board. Ringdove
, one of Sappho's sister ships, found the Gabriel, but she was sinking fast and could not be saved. The frigate Ariadne also joined the chase and latter shared in the prize money.
Sappho was cruising in the North Sea and on the morning of 2 March she was sailing east off Scarborough, when she discovered an armed brig that was steering a course as if intending to cut off several merchant vessels to leeward. Sappho gave chase and at about 1330 hours fired a shot over the brig, which was flying British colours. The brig then fired a broadside at Sappho and exchanged Danish colours for the British colours she been flying to evade scrutiny. Langford immediately bore down and brought what turned out to be the Admiral Yawl to close action. The engagement lasted about half an hour before Admiral Yawl struck her colours. In the exchange of fire, Sappho had one men wounded and one man injured. Admiral Yawl had two dead: her second officer and a seaman. As a result of the action Langford received promotion to Post-captain
, and in 1847 all then surviving officers and crew were qualified to receive the Naval General Service Medal with the clasp "Sappho 2 March 1808".
The Sappho carried 16 32-pounder carronade
s and two 6-pounder guns, manned by a crew of 120 men and boys. The Admiral Juul was a brig, but unusual in that she had her armament on two decks; on her first or lower deck she had twelve 18-pounder carronades and on her second, or principal deck, she carried sixteen 6-pounder guns. Her crew consisted of 83 men and boys. The weight of the broadsides favored Sappho at 262 pounds versus 156 pounds for the Admiral Yorol, as did the relative size of the crews.
The Danish captain was the colourful and erratic adventurer Jørgen Jørgensen
, who in 1801 had been a member of the crew, and perhaps second in command, of Lady Nelson
. On Lady Nelson he participated in at least one voyage of exploration along the coast of Australia. In his autobiography he states that his father joined seven other merchants from Copenhagen jointly to purchase the Admiral Yawl and present it to the Crown in a spirit of reprisal against the British after the Battle of Copenhagen (1807)
. The Government commissioned, manned, and armed Admiral Yawl.It is not clear from this account whether she was a privateer or a naval vessel. Jorgenson reports that by cutting through the ice a month before it was expected that any vessel could get out, he was able to come unawares among the English traders and capture eight or nine ships before Sappho interrupted his cruise.
In April Commander William Charleton replaced Langford. Charleton then sailed Sappho for Jamaica on 22 June . In 1810 Cmdr. Thomas Graves took command, followed by Cmdr. Edmund Denman in late 1810. Commander Hayes O'Grady had been appointed to command of her on 15 June 1810, but apparently did not take actual command until 1811.Hayes O'Grady was the father of the Irish antiquarian Standish Hayes O'Grady
, and the brother of Standish Hayes O'Grady, 1st Viscount Guillamore.
Swallow and with it the muster-rolls of and Sappho. Rodgers reported that these indicated that one-eight of the crew of each of the two British ships was composed of Americans.On 16 March 1815 fired the last shots of the war when she accidentally fired on Gunboat No. 168 in Wassaw Sound
, off Georgia. After No. 168 struck the British captain apologized, stating that he had not given any order to fire. Fortunately, Erebuss shots had not caused any casualties. Sappho had intervened to enable the merchant vessel Fernando (or Fernandeno), to escape the port of Fernandina
. With the approval of President James Madison
and Georgia Governor George Mathews
, insurgents known as the "Patriots of Amelia Island
" had seized the island. After raising a Patriot flag, they replaced it with the United States Flag. American gunboats under the command of Commodore Hugh Campbell, maintained control of the island in an attempt to secure East Florida to prevent a Spanish-English alliance in the area in advance of the war.
In late 1812 Sappho took some nine prizes:
31 August - Santa Maria, bound to Malanzas, laden with provisions.
8 September - General Apodaca, bound for Philadelphia with a cargo of sugar, etc.
15 September - Alexander (or Alejandro), bound to Havana, laden with flour.
26 September - Schooner Josepha, from Baltimore to Havana; together with Rattler.
27 September - Sloop Molly (or Polly) from Philadelphia to Havana; together with Rattler.
11 October - Schooner Blanche, recaptured, with cargo of dry goods. Another account gives the date as 21 October.
13 November - Schooner Flora from San Domingo to Turk's Island
.
26 November - Schooner Mary from Santiago to Alexandria, Virginia
.
On 20 June 1813, the US schooner Carolina
chased a British 14-gun privateer for three hours when an 18-gun British brig, which the Carolina's captain believed to be Sappho, approached. The two British vessels then set off in pursuit of the American schooner, which, however, after a chase of just over two hours, outdistanced them. The next day Carolina encountered the same British brig again, and again was able to escape.
On 17 July Sappho took the Eliza, and on 3 December she captured the brig San Francisco Navier. Two days later she captured a Carthagenian privateer.Prior to the recapture in 1816 by monarchist forces of the privateer base at Cartgena de Indias
, privateers operating out of the port were known as "Carthagenians". On 1 January 1814 she captured the Ann.
On 7 June 1814, O'Grady advanced to Post-captain
while with Sappho on the Jamaica station.
. He commanded her at Saint Helena
and the Irish station.
On 13 August 1820 Sappho and Plumridge captured the American vessel Liberty, and the next day they captured the American vessel Clinton, both smugglers. On 12 October Sappho captured the American smuggling schooner Maria. One of the three vessels had 400 bales of tobacco.
Commander Henry Rous took command in November 1820 and Commander William Bruce in March 1822.
In February 1822 she was under Commander Jenkin Jones for the Halifax
station. Still, on 16 November 1823 Sappho picked up some spirits at sea. For this the Board of Customs granted a reward to her officers and men.
In April 1824 Commander William Hotham took command. His replacement in April 1825 was Captain W. Canning.
On 14 September Sappho arrived at Halifax in some distress. She had lost the head of her foremast and foretop-mast on 26 August on her passage to Bermuda from Portsmouth. Falling spars had killed one man and wounded four others. The Sappho had struck on the Sisters Rocks in coming into the harbour. Fortunately the weather was moderate so she was soon off again.
. Shortly thereafter she wrecked on the Canadian coast. On 8 November she was condemned as not seaworthy and on 21 November her officers returned home in Tweed, arriving at Plymouth on 14 December. She was finally broken up at Halifax in 1830.
Cruizer class brig-sloop
The Cruizer class was an 18-gun class of brig-sloops of the Royal Navy. Brig-sloops were the same as ship-sloops except for their rigging...
built by Jabez Bailey at Ipswich
Ipswich
Ipswich is a large town and a non-metropolitan district. It is the county town of Suffolk, England. Ipswich is located on the estuary of the River Orwell...
and launched in 1806. She defeated a Danish brig, the Admiral Yawl in a single-ship action during the Gunboat War
Gunboat War
The Gunboat War was the naval conflict between Denmark–Norway and the British Navy during the Napoleonic Wars. The war's name is derived from the Danish tactic of employing small gunboats against the conventional Royal Navy...
,The vessel's name varies by account. Variants include: Admiral Juhl, Admiral Jawl, Admiral Juul, and Admiral Yorol. and then had a notably successful two months of prize-taking in the first year 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...
. She was wrecked in 1825 off the Canadian coast and then broken up in 1830.
Gunboat War
Sappho was commissioned in February 1807 under Commander George Langford. On 7 September she was present at the Battle of CopenhagenBattle of Copenhagen (1807)
The Second Battle of Copenhagen was a British preemptive attack on Copenhagen, targeting the civilian population in order to seize the Dano-Norwegian fleet and in turn originate the term to Copenhagenize.-Background:Despite the defeat and loss of many ships in the first Battle of Copenhagen in...
.
On 8 January 1808 Sappho and the Revenue Service brig Royal George, Captain Curry, chased a lugger that surrendered to Royal George. The lugger was the Egle, M. Olivier, of 16 guns (3 and 4-pounders), with a crew of 56 men. She was nine days out of Dunkirk and had taken one prize, the Gabriel out of Yarmouth, which she had attempted to scuttle after taking the master and crew on board. Ringdove
HMS Ringdove (1806)
HMS Ringdove was a Royal Navy 18-gun Cruizer-class brig-sloop that Matthew Warren built at Brightlingsea and launched in 1806. She took some prizes and participated in three actions or campaigns that qualified her crew for clasps to the Naval General Service Medal...
, one of Sappho's sister ships, found the Gabriel, but she was sinking fast and could not be saved. The frigate Ariadne also joined the chase and latter shared in the prize money.
Sappho was cruising in the North Sea and on the morning of 2 March she was sailing east off Scarborough, when she discovered an armed brig that was steering a course as if intending to cut off several merchant vessels to leeward. Sappho gave chase and at about 1330 hours fired a shot over the brig, which was flying British colours. The brig then fired a broadside at Sappho and exchanged Danish colours for the British colours she been flying to evade scrutiny. Langford immediately bore down and brought what turned out to be the Admiral Yawl to close action. The engagement lasted about half an hour before Admiral Yawl struck her colours. In the exchange of fire, Sappho had one men wounded and one man injured. Admiral Yawl had two dead: her second officer and a seaman. As a result of the action Langford received promotion 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 in 1847 all then surviving officers and crew were qualified to receive the Naval General Service Medal with the clasp "Sappho 2 March 1808".
The Sappho carried 16 32-pounder carronade
Carronade
The carronade was a short smoothbore, cast iron cannon, developed for the Royal Navy by the Carron Company, an ironworks in Falkirk, Scotland, UK. It was used from the 1770s to the 1850s. Its main function was to serve as a powerful, short-range anti-ship and anti-crew weapon...
s and two 6-pounder guns, manned by a crew of 120 men and boys. The Admiral Juul was a brig, but unusual in that she had her armament on two decks; on her first or lower deck she had twelve 18-pounder carronades and on her second, or principal deck, she carried sixteen 6-pounder guns. Her crew consisted of 83 men and boys. The weight of the broadsides favored Sappho at 262 pounds versus 156 pounds for the Admiral Yorol, as did the relative size of the crews.
The Danish captain was the colourful and erratic adventurer Jørgen Jørgensen
Jørgen Jørgensen
Jørgen Jørgensen was a Danish adventurer during the Age of Revolution. During the Action of 2 March 1808 his ship was captured by the British. In 1809 he sailed to Iceland, declared the country independent from Denmark and pronounced himself its ruler...
, who in 1801 had been a member of the crew, and perhaps second in command, of Lady Nelson
Lady Nelson
The Royal Navy purchased Lady Nelson in 1799. She spent her career exploring the coast of Australia in the early years of the 19th century. She was the first known vessel to sail eastward through Bass Strait, the first to sail along the South coast of Victoria, as well as the first to enter Port...
. On Lady Nelson he participated in at least one voyage of exploration along the coast of Australia. In his autobiography he states that his father joined seven other merchants from Copenhagen jointly to purchase the Admiral Yawl and present it to the Crown in a spirit of reprisal against the British after the Battle of Copenhagen (1807)
Battle of Copenhagen (1807)
The Second Battle of Copenhagen was a British preemptive attack on Copenhagen, targeting the civilian population in order to seize the Dano-Norwegian fleet and in turn originate the term to Copenhagenize.-Background:Despite the defeat and loss of many ships in the first Battle of Copenhagen in...
. The Government commissioned, manned, and armed Admiral Yawl.It is not clear from this account whether she was a privateer or a naval vessel. Jorgenson reports that by cutting through the ice a month before it was expected that any vessel could get out, he was able to come unawares among the English traders and capture eight or nine ships before Sappho interrupted his cruise.
In April Commander William Charleton replaced Langford. Charleton then sailed Sappho for Jamaica on 22 June . In 1810 Cmdr. Thomas Graves took command, followed by Cmdr. Edmund Denman in late 1810. Commander Hayes O'Grady had been appointed to command of her on 15 June 1810, but apparently did not take actual command until 1811.Hayes O'Grady was the father of the Irish antiquarian Standish Hayes O'Grady
Standish Hayes O'Grady
Standish Hayes O'Grady was an Irish antiquarian. He was born at Erinagh House, Castleconnell, County Limerick, the son of Admiral Hayes O'Grady. He was a cousin of the writer Standish James O'Grady, with whom he is sometimes confused. As a child, he learnt Irish from the native speakers of his...
, and the brother of Standish Hayes O'Grady, 1st Viscount Guillamore.
War of 1812
On 13 May 1812, Sappho fired on U.S. Navy Gunboat No. 168. This occurred about a month before the declaration of war.Commodore J. Rodgers of the US Navy, captured the packet shipPacket ship
A "packet ship" was originally a vessel employed to carry post office mail packets to and from British embassies, colonies and outposts. In sea transport, a packet service is a regular, scheduled service, carrying freight and passengers...
Swallow and with it the muster-rolls of and Sappho. Rodgers reported that these indicated that one-eight of the crew of each of the two British ships was composed of Americans.On 16 March 1815 fired the last shots of the war when she accidentally fired on Gunboat No. 168 in Wassaw Sound
Wassaw Sound
Wassaw Sound is a bay of the Atlantic Ocean on the coast of Georgia, United States near Savannah where which the Wilmington River flows.-American Civil War naval battle:...
, off Georgia. After No. 168 struck the British captain apologized, stating that he had not given any order to fire. Fortunately, Erebuss shots had not caused any casualties. Sappho had intervened to enable the merchant vessel Fernando (or Fernandeno), to escape the port of Fernandina
Fernandina Beach, Florida
Fernandina Beach is a city in Nassau County in the state of Florida in the United States of America and on Amelia Island. It is a part of Greater Jacksonville and is among Florida's northernmost cities. The area was first inhabited by the Timucuan Indian tribe...
. With the approval of President James Madison
James Madison
James Madison, Jr. was an American statesman and political theorist. He was the fourth President of the United States and is hailed as the “Father of the Constitution” for being the primary author of the United States Constitution and at first an opponent of, and then a key author of the United...
and Georgia Governor George Mathews
George Mathews
George Mathews may refer to:*George Mathews , Governor of Georgia*George Mathews Chief Justice of the Louisiana Supreme Court*George A...
, insurgents known as the "Patriots of Amelia Island
Amelia Island
Amelia Island is one of the southernmost of the Sea Islands, a chain of barrier islands that stretches along the east coast of the United States from South Carolina to Florida. It is long and approximately 4 miles wide at its widest point. Amelia Island is situated off the coast in Nassau County,...
" had seized the island. After raising a Patriot flag, they replaced it with the United States Flag. American gunboats under the command of Commodore Hugh Campbell, maintained control of the island in an attempt to secure East Florida to prevent a Spanish-English alliance in the area in advance of the war.
In late 1812 Sappho took some nine prizes:
- 21 August - "American droits"
Turks and Caicos Islands
The Turks and Caicos Islands are a British Overseas Territory and overseas territory of the European Union consisting of two groups of tropical islands in the Caribbean, the larger Caicos Islands and the smaller Turks Islands, known for tourism and as an offshore financial centre.The Turks and...
.
Alexandria, Virginia
Alexandria is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia. As of 2009, the city had a total population of 139,966. Located along the Western bank of the Potomac River, Alexandria is approximately six miles south of downtown Washington, D.C.Like the rest of northern Virginia, as well as...
.
On 20 June 1813, the US schooner Carolina
USS Carolina (1812)
USS Carolina, a schooner, was the only ship of the United States Navy to be named for the British colony that became the states of North Carolina and South Carolina. Her keel was laid down at Charleston, South Carolina. She was purchased by the Navy while still on the stocks, launched on 10...
chased a British 14-gun privateer for three hours when an 18-gun British brig, which the Carolina's captain believed to be Sappho, approached. The two British vessels then set off in pursuit of the American schooner, which, however, after a chase of just over two hours, outdistanced them. The next day Carolina encountered the same British brig again, and again was able to escape.
On 17 July Sappho took the Eliza, and on 3 December she captured the brig San Francisco Navier. Two days later she captured a Carthagenian privateer.Prior to the recapture in 1816 by monarchist forces of the privateer base at Cartgena de Indias
Cartagena, Colombia
Cartagena de Indias , is a large Caribbean beach resort city on the northern coast of Colombia in the Caribbean Coast Region and capital of Bolívar Department...
, privateers operating out of the port were known as "Carthagenians". On 1 January 1814 she captured the Ann.
On 7 June 1814, O'Grady advanced 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:...
while with Sappho on the Jamaica station.
Post-war
Sappho underwent repairs at Chatham in 1815. However, she was not fitted for sea until February to May 1818. On 2 February 1818 she was recommissioned under Commander James Hanway Plumridge, for CorkCork (city)
Cork is the second largest city in the Republic of Ireland and the island of Ireland's third most populous city. It is the principal city and administrative centre of County Cork and the largest city in the province of Munster. Cork has a population of 119,418, while the addition of the suburban...
. He commanded her at Saint Helena
Saint Helena
Saint Helena , named after St Helena of Constantinople, is an island of volcanic origin in the South Atlantic Ocean. It is part of the British overseas territory of Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha which also includes Ascension Island and the islands of Tristan da Cunha...
and the Irish station.
On 13 August 1820 Sappho and Plumridge captured the American vessel Liberty, and the next day they captured the American vessel Clinton, both smugglers. On 12 October Sappho captured the American smuggling schooner Maria. One of the three vessels had 400 bales of tobacco.
Commander Henry Rous took command in November 1820 and Commander William Bruce in March 1822.
In February 1822 she was under Commander Jenkin Jones for the Halifax
City of Halifax
Halifax is a city in Canada, which was the capital of the province of Nova Scotia and shire town of Halifax County. It was the largest city in Atlantic Canada until it was amalgamated into Halifax Regional Municipality in 1996...
station. Still, on 16 November 1823 Sappho picked up some spirits at sea. For this the Board of Customs granted a reward to her officers and men.
In April 1824 Commander William Hotham took command. His replacement in April 1825 was Captain W. Canning.
On 14 September Sappho arrived at Halifax in some distress. She had lost the head of her foremast and foretop-mast on 26 August on her passage to Bermuda from Portsmouth. Falling spars had killed one man and wounded four others. The Sappho had struck on the Sisters Rocks in coming into the harbour. Fortunately the weather was moderate so she was soon off again.
Loss
On 25 September Sappho arrived at the Port of QuebecPort of Quebec
The Port of Quebec is an inland port located in Quebec City, Quebec, Canada. It is the oldest port in Canada, and the second largest in Quebec after the Port of Montreal.-History:...
. Shortly thereafter she wrecked on the Canadian coast. On 8 November she was condemned as not seaworthy and on 21 November her officers returned home in Tweed, arriving at Plymouth on 14 December. She was finally broken up at Halifax in 1830.