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HMS Tonnant (1792)
Encyclopedia
Tonnant (French: "Thundering") was an 80-gun ship of the line
of the French Navy
and lead ship
of the Tonnant class
. Admiral Nelson captured her at Aboukir Bay
on 1 August 1798. The Royal Navy
then took her into service. She participated in the Battle of Trafalgar
during the Napoleonic Wars, and was the flagship for Vice Admiral Sir Alexander Cochrane
during most of the campaign in Chesapeake Bay
during the War of 1812
. Francis Scott Key
wrote the American national anthem, The Star Spangled Banner, while on her deck watching the British attack on Baltimore. She was broken up in 1821.
on 14 March 1795 and the Nile
on 1 August 1798 under Aristide Aubert Du Petit Thouars
. During the battle, she severely damaged HMS Majestic
, causing nearly two hundred casualties, including 50 killed, among them Majestics captain, George Blagdon Westcott
, and 143 wounded. Du Petit-Thouars, who had both legs and an arm shot off, commanded his ship until he died. Tonnant was the only French ship still engaged in the morning, with her colours flying, though aground. It was not until 3 August that she finally struck
.
The British took her into the Royal Navy, registering and naming her HMS Tonnant on 9 December 1798. She arrived at Plymouth on 17 July 1799. Even before she formally entered British service, she was among the vessels that participated in the capture of Greek vessel Ardito on 24 October 1798.
Tonnant was commissioned under Captain Loftus Bland in January 1799, with Captain Robert Fitzgerald taking over in February. He sailed her to Gibraltar and then back to Britain. Upon her arrival in Plymouth in 1800 she was laid up in ordinary
.
Tonant was part of Admiral Sir Robert Calder
's squadron off Cape Ortegal
when she encountered Duguay-Trouin
and Guerrière
on 2 September 1803. The two French vessels had broken out of the blockade when they met Tonnant. They escaped her but British forces of varying strengths harried them during their journey back to port and they only just made it to the safety of A Coruña
.
Tonnant shared in the capture of the Perseverance on 28 October, though the prize money was much less. Then on 29 November, destroyed the Bayonnoise; Tonnant was among the vessels sharing, by agreement, in the bounty money. In the new year, on 18 February 1804, Tonnant and the ships of the squadron recaptured the brig Eliza.
Later in 1804 Tonnant was in the Channel under Captain William Henry Jervis. Unfortunately he drowned off Brest when going in his gig
from Tonnant to the on 26 January 1805. Jervis had just arrived from Rochefort and was anxious to impart his intelligence to the commander-in-chief. Captain Charles Tyler
replaced Jervis in March.
During the Battle of Trafalgar
(21 October 1805) she captured the French ship Algésiras of 74 guns. She lost 27 officers and men killed and 55 officers and men wounded in the battle, with Tyler being among the wounded.
Tonnant underwent a refit at Portsmouth between January and June 1806. She was recommissioned in May under Captain Thomas Browne. She then served as flagship for Rear-Admiral Eliab Harvey
. While under his command distinguished herself in a number of small cutting out expeditions.
In July 1807 she was under Captain Richard Hancock and served as flagship for Rear-Admiral Michael de Courcy. In April 1809 she was under the command of Captain James Bowen when she recaptured the Ann of Leith on the 8th. Tonnant then was among the vessels sharing in the captures of the Goede Hoop 9 July and the Carl Ludwig on 2 August.
Between November and December 1809 she was under repair at Plymouth. In 1810 she served under Captain Sir John Gore. On 24 March 1812, still under the command of Gore, she was off Ushant
when she captured the French privateer Emilie. Emilie was armed with twelve 10-pounder guns and had a crew of 84 men. She was nine days out of Saint-Malo
and had captured one vessel, a Spanish merchant ship that the Royal Navy had recaptured on the 24th. At the time that she captured Emilie Tonnant was in company with , , , and . Then on 18 April Tonnant captured the Martha. On 12 May, captured the Betsy. Abercrombie was in company with Tonnant, , Queen
, and . Tonnant then again underwent repair between August and December 1812, this time at Chatham.
late. She was fitted for sea in the first quarter of 1814, being recommissioned in January under Captain Alexander Skene. In October Captain Charles Kerr assumed command as Tonnant served as the flagship for Vice Admiral Sir Alexander Cochrane
during most of the campaign in Chesapeake Bay
. From her he directed attacks on Washington, D.C.
and Baltimore
.
and Francis Scott Key
dined with Vice Admiral Cochrane, Rear Admiral Sir George Cockburn
and Major General Robert Ross, where they negotiated the release of a prisoner, Dr. William Beanes
.Shortly thereafter a sniper would kill Ross while Ross was leading his forces against Baltimore. After his release, Skinner, Key and Beanes were allowed to return to their own sloop, but were not allowed to return to Baltimore because they had become familiar with the strength and position of British units and knew of the British intention to attack Baltimore. As a result, Key witnessed the bombarding of Fort McHenry
and was inspired to write a poem called The Defense of Ft. McHenry, later named The Star Spangled Banner. During the bombardment, provided the "rockets red glare" whilst Meteor provided at least some of the "bombs bursting in air" that feature in the lyrics.
. Immediately before the battle, boats from Tonnant participated in the British victory at the Battle of Lake Borgne
.
On 8 December 1814, two US gunboat
s fired on , and the sixth-rate
frigate while they were passing the chain of small islands that runs parallel to the shore between Mobile and Lake Borgne
.
Between 12 and 15 December 1814, Captain Lockyer of led a flotilla of some 50 boats, barges, gigs and launches to attack the US gunboats. Lockyer drew his flotilla from the fleet that was massing against New Orleans, including the 74-gun Third Rates
and Tonnant, and a number of other vessels including Arminde, Seahorse, and Meteor.
Lockyer deployed the boats in three divisions, of which he led one. Captain Montresor of the gun-brig Manly commanded the second, and Captain Roberts of Meteor commanded the third. After rowing for 36 hours, the British met the Americans at St. Joseph's Island. On 13 December 1814, the British attacked
the one-gun schooner USS Sea Horse
. On the morning of the 14th, the British engaged the Americans in a short, violent battle.
The British captured or destroyed almost the entire American force, including the tender, USS Alligator
, and five gunboats. The British lost 17 men killed and 77 wounded; Tonnant had three men killed and 15 wounded, one of whom died later. then evacuated the wounded. In 1821 the survivors of the flotilla shared in the distribution of head-money arising from the capture of the American gun-boats and sundry bales of cotton. In 1847 the Admiralty awarded the Naval General Service Medal with clasp "14 Dec Boat Service 1814" to 205 survivors (from all the participating boats).
, his body was stored in a barrel of 129 gallons (586 l) of Jamaica
n rum
aboard Tonnant. When she was diverted to New Orleans for the forthcoming battle (see above), the body was later shipped on the British ship ] to Halifax
, Nova Scotia
where his body was interred on 29 September 1814 in the Old Burying Ground.
Capt. John Tailour assumed command in November. From 1816 to 1817 she was the Flagship of Rear Ad. Sir Benjamin Hallowell on the Cork station.
Tonnant was paid off into ordinary
in November 1818. She was broken up at Plymouth in March 1821.
Ship of the line
A ship of the line was a type of naval warship constructed from the 17th through the mid-19th century to take part in the naval tactic known as the line of battle, in which two columns of opposing warships would manoeuvre to bring the greatest weight of broadside guns to bear...
of the French Navy
French Navy
The French Navy, officially the Marine nationale and often called La Royale is the maritime arm of the French military. It includes a full range of fighting vessels, from patrol boats to a nuclear powered aircraft carrier and 10 nuclear-powered submarines, four of which are capable of launching...
and lead ship
Lead ship
The lead ship or class leader is the first of a series or class of ships all constructed according to the same general design. The term is applicable military ships and larger civilian craft.-Overview:...
of the Tonnant class
Tonnant class ship of the line
The Tonnant Class was a class of eight 80-gun ships of the line designed in 1787 by Jacques-Noël Sané. From 1802 a new group was begun of slightly modified design, of which more than 24 were begun....
. Admiral Nelson captured her at Aboukir Bay
Abu Qir Bay
The Abū Qīr Bay is a spacious bay on the Mediterranean Sea in Egypt, lying between Abu Qir and the Rosetta mouth of the Nile. It contains a natural gas field, discovered in the 1970s.On August 1, 1798, Horatio Nelson fought the Battle of the Nile, often referred to as the "Battle of Aboukir Bay"...
on 1 August 1798. The Royal Navy
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...
then took her into service. She participated in the Battle of Trafalgar
Battle of Trafalgar
The Battle of Trafalgar was a sea battle fought between the British Royal Navy and the combined fleets of the French Navy and Spanish Navy, during the War of the Third Coalition of the Napoleonic Wars ....
during the Napoleonic Wars, and was the flagship for Vice Admiral Sir Alexander Cochrane
Alexander Cochrane
Admiral Sir Alexander Forrester Inglis Cochrane GCB RN was a senior Royal Navy commander during the Napoleonic Wars.-Naval career:...
during most of the campaign in Chesapeake Bay
Chesapeake Bay
The Chesapeake Bay is the largest estuary in the United States. It lies off the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by Maryland and Virginia. The Chesapeake Bay's drainage basin covers in the District of Columbia and parts of six states: New York, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, and West...
during 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...
. Francis Scott Key
Francis Scott Key
Francis Scott Key was an American lawyer, author, and amateur poet, from Georgetown, who wrote the lyrics to the United States' national anthem, "The Star-Spangled Banner".-Life:...
wrote the American national anthem, The Star Spangled Banner, while on her deck watching the British attack on Baltimore. She was broken up in 1821.
French Service
She fought in the battles of GenoaNaval Battle of Genoa (1795)
The Naval Battle of Genoa was fought on 14 March 1795 off the coast of Genoa, a port city in north-western Italy, between French warships under Rear-Admiral Pierre Martin and British and Neapolitan warships under Vice Admiral William Hotham...
on 14 March 1795 and the Nile
Battle of the Nile
The Battle of the Nile was a major naval battle fought between British and French fleets at Aboukir Bay on the Mediterranean coast of Egypt from 1–3 August 1798...
on 1 August 1798 under Aristide Aubert Du Petit Thouars
Aristide Aubert Du Petit Thouars
Aristide Aubert Du Petit Thouars was a French naval officer, and a hero of the Battle of Aboukir, where he died....
. During the battle, she severely damaged HMS Majestic
HMS Majestic (1785)
HMS Majestic was a 74-gun third rate ship of the line launched on 11 December 1785 at Deptford. She fought at the Battle of the Nile, where she engaged the French ships Tonnant and Heureux, helping to force their surrenders...
, causing nearly two hundred casualties, including 50 killed, among them Majestics captain, George Blagdon Westcott
George Blagdon Westcott
George Blagdon Westcott was an officer of the Royal Navy. He served during the American Revolutionary and the French Revolutionary Wars, eventually rising to the rank of Captain...
, and 143 wounded. Du Petit-Thouars, who had both legs and an arm shot off, commanded his ship until he died. Tonnant was the only French ship still engaged in the morning, with her colours flying, though aground. It was not until 3 August that she finally struck
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 British took her into the Royal Navy, registering and naming her HMS Tonnant on 9 December 1798. She arrived at Plymouth on 17 July 1799. Even before she formally entered British service, she was among the vessels that participated in the capture of Greek vessel Ardito on 24 October 1798.
Tonnant was commissioned under Captain Loftus Bland in January 1799, with Captain Robert Fitzgerald taking over in February. He sailed her to Gibraltar and then back to Britain. Upon her arrival in Plymouth in 1800 she was laid up in ordinary
Reserve fleet
A reserve fleet is a collection of naval vessels of all types that are fully equipped for service but are not currently needed, and thus partially or fully decommissioned. A reserve fleet is informally said to be "in mothballs" or "mothballed"; an equivalent expression in unofficial modern U.S....
.
Napoleonic Wars
Tonnant underwent repairs between December 1801 and April 1803. She was commissioned in March 1803 under Captain Sir Edward Pellew. Under his command she participated in the Blockade of Ferrol. On 24 May the cutter Resolution captured the Esperance and the Vigilant, with Tonnant sharing in the capture. Next, Tonnant, and captured the Dutch ships Coffee Baum and Maasulys on 2 and 4 June. Tonnant then was one of the vessels that shared in the recapture on 27 August of the Lord Nelson.Tonant was part of Admiral Sir Robert Calder
Robert Calder
Admiral Sir Robert Calder, 1st Baronet, KCB was a British naval officer who served in the Seven Years' War, the American Revolutionary War, the French Revolutionary Wars and the Napoleonic Wars.-Early life:...
's squadron off Cape Ortegal
Ortegal
Ortegal is a comarca in the Galician Province of A Coruña. The overall population of this local region is 15,810 .-Municipalities:Cariño, Cerdido, Mañón and Ortigueira....
when she encountered Duguay-Trouin
HMS Implacable (1805)
HMS Implacable was a 74-gun third rate of the Royal Navy. She was originally the French Navy's Téméraire-class ship of the line Duguay-Trouin, launched in 1800....
and Guerrière
HMS Guerriere (1806)
HMS Guerriere was a 38-gun fifth-rate frigate of the Royal Navy, which had previously sailed with the French Navy as the Guerrière. She became famous for her fight against ....
on 2 September 1803. The two French vessels had broken out of the blockade when they met Tonnant. They escaped her but British forces of varying strengths harried them during their journey back to port and they only just made it to the safety of A Coruña
A Coruña
A Coruña or La Coruña is a city and municipality of Galicia, Spain. It is the second-largest city in the autonomous community and seventeenth overall in the country...
.
Tonnant shared in the capture of the Perseverance on 28 October, though the prize money was much less. Then on 29 November, destroyed the Bayonnoise; Tonnant was among the vessels sharing, by agreement, in the bounty money. In the new year, on 18 February 1804, Tonnant and the ships of the squadron recaptured the brig Eliza.
Later in 1804 Tonnant was in the Channel under Captain William Henry Jervis. Unfortunately he drowned off Brest when going in his gig
Captain's Gig
The captain's gig is a boat used on naval ships as the captain's private taxi. It is a catchall phrase for this type of craft and over the years it has gradually increased in size, changed with the advent of new technologies for locomotion, and been crafted from increasingly more durable...
from Tonnant to the on 26 January 1805. Jervis had just arrived from Rochefort and was anxious to impart his intelligence to the commander-in-chief. Captain Charles Tyler
Charles Tyler
Admiral Sir Charles Tyler, GCB was a British admiral who gained fame during the Napoleonic Wars as one of the Nelsonic Band of Brothers and a naval officer of great reputation and success who fought at the battles of Copenhagen and Trafalgar.-Early life:Tyler was born in 1760, the son of Captain...
replaced Jervis in March.
During the Battle of Trafalgar
Battle of Trafalgar
The Battle of Trafalgar was a sea battle fought between the British Royal Navy and the combined fleets of the French Navy and Spanish Navy, during the War of the Third Coalition of the Napoleonic Wars ....
(21 October 1805) she captured the French ship Algésiras of 74 guns. She lost 27 officers and men killed and 55 officers and men wounded in the battle, with Tyler being among the wounded.
Tonnant underwent a refit at Portsmouth between January and June 1806. She was recommissioned in May under Captain Thomas Browne. She then served as flagship for Rear-Admiral Eliab Harvey
Eliab Harvey
Admiral Sir Eliab Harvey, GCB was an eccentric and hot-tempered officer of the Royal Navy during the French Revolutionary and the Napoleonic Wars who was as distinguished for his gambling and dueling as for his military record...
. While under his command distinguished herself in a number of small cutting out expeditions.
In July 1807 she was under Captain Richard Hancock and served as flagship for Rear-Admiral Michael de Courcy. In April 1809 she was under the command of Captain James Bowen when she recaptured the Ann of Leith on the 8th. Tonnant then was among the vessels sharing in the captures of the Goede Hoop 9 July and the Carl Ludwig on 2 August.
Between November and December 1809 she was under repair at Plymouth. In 1810 she served under Captain Sir John Gore. On 24 March 1812, still under the command of Gore, she was off Ushant
Ushant
Ushant is an island at the south-western end of the English Channel which marks the north-westernmost point of metropolitan France. It belongs to Brittany and is in the traditional region of Bro-Leon. Administratively, Ushant is a commune in the Finistère department...
when she captured the French privateer Emilie. Emilie was armed with twelve 10-pounder guns and had a crew of 84 men. She was nine days out of Saint-Malo
Saint-Malo
Saint-Malo is a walled port city in Brittany in northwestern France on the English Channel. It is a sub-prefecture of the Ille-et-Vilaine.-Demographics:The population can increase to up to 200,000 in the summer tourist season...
and had captured one vessel, a Spanish merchant ship that the Royal Navy had recaptured on the 24th. At the time that she captured Emilie Tonnant was in company with , , , and . Then on 18 April Tonnant captured the Martha. On 12 May, captured the Betsy. Abercrombie was in company with Tonnant, , Queen
HMS Queen
Seven ships of the Royal Navy have been named HMS Queen. It is one of the oldest ship names of the Royal Navy dating from the time of Henry III of England. was a ship built in 1225. Her fate is unknown....
, and . Tonnant then again underwent repair between August and December 1812, this time at Chatham.
War of 1812
Tonnant joined the War of 1812War 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...
late. She was fitted for sea in the first quarter of 1814, being recommissioned in January under Captain Alexander Skene. In October Captain Charles Kerr assumed command as Tonnant served as the flagship for Vice Admiral Sir Alexander Cochrane
Alexander Cochrane
Admiral Sir Alexander Forrester Inglis Cochrane GCB RN was a senior Royal Navy commander during the Napoleonic Wars.-Naval career:...
during most of the campaign in Chesapeake Bay
Chesapeake Bay
The Chesapeake Bay is the largest estuary in the United States. It lies off the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by Maryland and Virginia. The Chesapeake Bay's drainage basin covers in the District of Columbia and parts of six states: New York, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, and West...
. From her he directed attacks on Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
and Baltimore
Baltimore
Baltimore is the largest independent city in the United States and the largest city and cultural center of the US state of Maryland. The city is located in central Maryland along the tidal portion of the Patapsco River, an arm of the Chesapeake Bay. Baltimore is sometimes referred to as Baltimore...
.
Star Spangled Banner
It was aboard Tonnant that the Americans, Colonel John Stuart SkinnerJohn Stuart Skinner
John Stuart Skinner was an American lawyer, publisher, and editor.- Biography :Skinner began practicing law as an attorney at the age of twenty-one in 1809. On March 10, 1812, he married Elizabeth G. Davies, the step-daughter of Theodorick Bland...
and Francis Scott Key
Francis Scott Key
Francis Scott Key was an American lawyer, author, and amateur poet, from Georgetown, who wrote the lyrics to the United States' national anthem, "The Star-Spangled Banner".-Life:...
dined with Vice Admiral Cochrane, Rear Admiral Sir George Cockburn
George Cockburn
Admiral of the Fleet Sir George Cockburn, 10th Baronet GCB was a British naval commander of the late 18th through the mid-19th centuries. He held important commands during the Napoleonic Wars and the War of 1812 and eventually rose to become Admiral of the Fleet and First Sea Lord.-Naval...
and Major General Robert Ross, where they negotiated the release of a prisoner, Dr. William Beanes
William Beanes
William Beanes was a medical doctor in the American Colonial Period.-Early life:Beanes was the third generation of the same name and the fourth generation American. He was born near Croome in Prince George's County, Maryland. Little is known of his childhood except that he is of Scottish descent...
.Shortly thereafter a sniper would kill Ross while Ross was leading his forces against Baltimore. After his release, Skinner, Key and Beanes were allowed to return to their own sloop, but were not allowed to return to Baltimore because they had become familiar with the strength and position of British units and knew of the British intention to attack Baltimore. As a result, Key witnessed the bombarding of Fort McHenry
Fort McHenry
Fort McHenry, in Baltimore, Maryland, is a star-shaped fort best known for its role in the War of 1812, when it successfully defended Baltimore Harbor from an attack by the British navy in Chesapeake Bay...
and was inspired to write a poem called The Defense of Ft. McHenry, later named The Star Spangled Banner. During the bombardment, provided the "rockets red glare" whilst Meteor provided at least some of the "bombs bursting in air" that feature in the lyrics.
New Orleans
Tonnant continued to serve Cochrane as a flagship when he directed the British naval forces at the Battle of New OrleansBattle of New Orleans
The Battle of New Orleans took place on January 8, 1815 and was the final major battle of the War of 1812. American forces, commanded by Major General Andrew Jackson, defeated an invading British Army intent on seizing New Orleans and the vast territory the United States had acquired with the...
. Immediately before the battle, boats from Tonnant participated in the British victory at the Battle of Lake Borgne
Battle of Lake Borgne
The Battle of Lake Borgne was a naval battle between the Royal Navy and the United States Navy in the American South theatre of the War of 1812. It occurred on 14 December 1814 on Lake Borgne and was part of the British advance on New Orleans.-Background:...
.
On 8 December 1814, two US gunboat
Gunboat
A gunboat is a naval watercraft designed for the express purpose of carrying one or more guns to bombard coastal targets, as opposed to those military craft designed for naval warfare, or for ferrying troops or supplies.-History:...
s fired on , and the sixth-rate
Sixth-rate
Sixth rate was the designation used by the Royal Navy for small warships mounting between 20 and 24 nine-pounder guns on a single deck, sometimes with guns on the upper works and sometimes without.-Rating:...
frigate while they were passing the chain of small islands that runs parallel to the shore between Mobile and Lake Borgne
Lake Borgne
Lake Borgne is a lagoon in eastern Louisiana of the Gulf of Mexico. Due to coastal erosion, it is no longer actually a lake but rather an arm of the Gulf of Mexico. Its name comes from the French word borgne, which means "one-eyed".-Geography:...
.
Between 12 and 15 December 1814, Captain Lockyer of led a flotilla of some 50 boats, barges, gigs and launches to attack the US gunboats. Lockyer drew his flotilla from the fleet that was massing against New Orleans, including the 74-gun Third Rates
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...
and Tonnant, and a number of other vessels including Arminde, Seahorse, and Meteor.
Lockyer deployed the boats in three divisions, of which he led one. Captain Montresor of the gun-brig Manly commanded the second, and Captain Roberts of Meteor commanded the third. After rowing for 36 hours, the British met the Americans at St. Joseph's Island. On 13 December 1814, the British attacked
Action of 13 December 1814 (Louisiana Campaign)
The Action of 13 December 1814 was a naval action during the War of 1812. A flotilla of British longboats were on their way to fight the Battle of Lake Borgne. Before reaching the lake, they would encounter an American schooner of the United States Navy....
the one-gun schooner USS Sea Horse
USS Sea Horse (1812)
The first USS Sea Horse was a one-gun schooner that the Navy purchased in 1812 for service on Lake Borgne, near New Orleans, Louisiana. She saw action as part of a squadron of gunboats, under the command of Lieutenant Thomas ap Catesby Jones, which opposed the British advance on New Orleans in...
. On the morning of the 14th, the British engaged the Americans in a short, violent battle.
The British captured or destroyed almost the entire American force, including the tender, USS Alligator
USS Alligator (1813)
The second USS Alligator was a sloop in the United States Navy during the War of 1812. The vessel was purchased by the U.S. Navy in 1813 at New Orleans, Louisiana, for conversion to a gunboat. Commissioned as a tender at New Orleans, she served on that station under the command of Sailing Master...
, and five gunboats. The British lost 17 men killed and 77 wounded; Tonnant had three men killed and 15 wounded, one of whom died later. then evacuated the wounded. In 1821 the survivors of the flotilla shared in the distribution of head-money arising from the capture of the American gun-boats and sundry bales of cotton. In 1847 the Admiralty awarded the Naval General Service Medal with clasp "14 Dec Boat Service 1814" to 205 survivors (from all the participating boats).
The body of Major General Robert Ross
After Major General Robert Ross' death in the Battle of North PointBattle of North Point
The Battle of North Point was fought on September 12, 1814, between General John Stricker's Maryland Militia and a British force led by Major General Robert Ross. Although tactically a British victory, the battle delayed the British advance against Baltimore, buying valuable time for the defense of...
, his body was stored in a barrel of 129 gallons (586 l) of Jamaica
Jamaica
Jamaica is an island nation of the Greater Antilles, in length, up to in width and 10,990 square kilometres in area. It is situated in the Caribbean Sea, about south of Cuba, and west of Hispaniola, the island harbouring the nation-states Haiti and the Dominican Republic...
n rum
Rum
Rum is a distilled alcoholic beverage made from sugarcane by-products such as molasses, or directly from sugarcane juice, by a process of fermentation and distillation. The distillate, a clear liquid, is then usually aged in oak barrels...
aboard Tonnant. When she was diverted to New Orleans for the forthcoming battle (see above), the body was later shipped on the British ship ] to 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...
, Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the most populous province in Atlantic Canada. The name of the province is Latin for "New Scotland," but "Nova Scotia" is the recognized, English-language name of the province. The provincial capital is Halifax. Nova Scotia is the...
where his body was interred on 29 September 1814 in the Old Burying Ground.
Post-war and fate
Tonnant returned to England in the spring of 1815. She then served as the flagship for Admiral Lord Keith when she took part in the exiling of Napoleon to St. Helena in 1815, though she was not part of the flotilla that took him there.Capt. John Tailour assumed command in November. From 1816 to 1817 she was the Flagship of Rear Ad. Sir Benjamin Hallowell on the Cork station.
Tonnant was paid off into ordinary
Reserve fleet
A reserve fleet is a collection of naval vessels of all types that are fully equipped for service but are not currently needed, and thus partially or fully decommissioned. A reserve fleet is informally said to be "in mothballs" or "mothballed"; an equivalent expression in unofficial modern U.S....
in November 1818. She was broken up at Plymouth in March 1821.