HMS Atalante (1808)

Last updated

HMS Atalante passing Sambro Nova Scotia by W. E. Bailey.png
HMS Atalante passing Sambro, Nova Scotia by W. E. Bailey
History
Naval Ensign of the United Kingdom.svgUnited Kingdom
NameAtalante
Ordered26 April 1806
BuilderGoodrich, [1] or Robert Shedden, [2] Bermuda
LaunchedAugust 1808
FateWrecked 10 November 1813
General characteristics [2]
Class and type Bermuda-class ship-sloop
Tons burthen39931⁄94 (bm)
Length
  • Overall:107 ft 0 in (32.6 m)
  • Keel:83 ft 10+5⁄8 in (25.6 m)
Beam29 ft 11 in (9.1 m)
Depth of hold14 ft 8 in (4.5 m)
Complement121
Armament2 × 9-pounder guns + 16 × 24-pounder carronades
NotesAll dimensions are per design; there are no records for the "as built" dimensions
Captain Frederick Hickey R.N. (1775-1840) (circle of Gilbert Stuart) Portrait of Captain Frederick Hickey R.N. (1775-1839) (circle of Gilbert Stuart).jpg
Captain Frederick Hickey R.N. (1775–1840) (circle of Gilbert Stuart)

HMS Atalante (or Atalanta) was an 18-cannon sloop-of-war launched in 1808, and ordered in 1806, from Bermuda. [1] However, the ship was wrecked on 10 November 1813, caused by fog off Halifax, Nova Scotia. [3]

Contents

Career

Atalanta and Driver shared the Prince Regent's grant of three-quarters of the net value of Mercede, which one or both had captured on 16 August 1810. [4]

On 10 July 1812, Atalanta captured a vessel of 359 tons (bm). She had been carrying wine, brandy, silks, and sundries from Civitavchia to Salem. [5] The London Gazette gave the vessel's name as Marquis Somnielos. [6] The Vice admiralty court in Halifax, Nova Scotia, gave her name as Marquis de Somerlous, with T. Moriarty, master. [7] [a]

On 31 July 1812 Atalante captured Perseverance. [b]

In July false reports circulated in the press that Atalante had captured the French ship Entreprenante, of superior force.

On 12 December 1812 Atalante captured the brig Tulip, of 150 tons (bm), James McCullouh, master. Tulip was sailing from Philadelphia to Bordeaux with a cargo of cotton, rice, and codfish. [9] she arrived at Halifax, Nova Scotia, on 2 January 1813. By one report Tulip was a letter of marque. [10]

In February 1813 reports started circulating that the British ships in Halifax would not fight American frigates. The petty officers of Orpheus and Atalante presented Hickey with a letter affirming their willingness to fight. [11]

On 13 April Atalante arrived at Liverpool, Nova Scotia, from a cruise off New York. She had three United States schooners and a sloop in tow. The four prizes had been on voyages from Charleston, South Carolina to the northern United States with cargoes consisting primarily of cotton and indigo. [12] The three schooners were, by date of capture: [13]

Also on 2 April Atalante captured the American ship Fame, carrying sundries, and sent her to Halifax. [13] However the Vice-admiralty Court's records do not list her, suggesting that Fame may have been recaptured or lost.

On 23 April Atalante and the privateer Crown Solomon captured the brig Sibae, of 115 tons (bm), R. Carter, master. Sibae was sailing from Savannah to Boston with 301 bales of cotton. [17] She appears in the London Gazette as Lilae (or Lilac), with a crew of seven men. [13]

Atalanta was among the vessels sharing in the proceeds of the Spanish brig St. Iago and cargo captured on 11 June, [c] and the American schooner Surveyor captured the next day. The same ships shared in the compromise for the American ships Governor Strong and cargo (12 June), Emily and cargo (12 June), and Star and cargo (14 June). [19] [d] Lastly, she was among the vessels sharing in the proceeds of the American ship Herman and cargo (21 June). [19] [e]

On 10 August 1813 Atalante arrived in Halifax with the news that as HMS Plantagenet was moored near Norfolk, Virginia, United States, forces attempted to destroy her with torpedoes built to Robert Fulton's specifications. The attempts failed.

On 6 September, Captain Oliver of Valiant sent Acasta and Atalante up Long Island Sound "to endeavour to annoy the enemy". They returned five days later, having taken and destroyed fifteen small vessels, most of which they burnt as the vessels were in ballast. [20]

Loss

Atalante was under the command of Captain Frederick Hickey and had 133 passengers and crew, [21] when she wrecked on the Sisters Rocks off Halifax on 10 November 1813. [22]

Atalante had been returning to Halifax to re-provision when on 8 November she sighted Cape Sable before a heavy fog settled on the area. She proceeded slowly until when on the morning of 10 November Captain Hickey judged she was off Halifax. She started firing signal guns at regular intervals and took answering gunshots as being from the Sambro Lighthouse. She steered towards the guns, but sighted breakers too late to be able to escape striking the rocks. [22]

One crew member of the Atalante later reported,

In twelve minutes she was literally torn to pieces; the crew swam to the boats; and to see so many poor souls struggling for life, some naked, others on spares, casks, or anything tenable, was a scene painful beyond description ... To the honour of Captain Hickey, he was the last who left the wreck; his calmness, his humanity, and his courage, during the entire of this awful scene, was super to man: every thing is lost but our lives." [23] (In fact there is an obituary for one crew member reported to have died in the sinking. [24] )

A local fishing vessel discovered the passengers in three small vessels stranded in the fog and guided them to safety at Portuguese Cove, Nova Scotia. Captain Hickey reported, the "inhabitants of Portuguese cove behaved towards us all with every possible mark of hospitality, kindness, and attention, that humanity could dictate." [23]

The passengers included twenty American refugee slaves from the James River, who were among the first of the Black Refugees of the War of 1812 to reach Canada. [25]

The subsequent courtmartial determined that the guns Atalante had heard were not from the lighthouse but rather from another vessel lost in the fog. [22]

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ She may have become HMS Magnet.
  2. ↑ A first-class share of the prize money was worth £471 1s 4d; a sixth-class share, that of an ordinary seaman, was worth £9 10s 1d. [8]
  3. ↑ A first-class share was worth £49 11s 1d; a sixth-class share was worth 9s 10d. [18]
  4. ↑ A first-class share was worth £282 12s 11d; a sixth-class share was worth £2 15s 11d. [18]
  5. ↑ A first-class share was worth £47 13s 4d; a sixth-class share was worth 7s 6d. [18]

Citations

  1. 1 2 Middleton (1961).
  2. 1 2 Winfield (2008), p. 270.
  3. ↑ Sea, Chronicles of the (1838). "Chronicles of the sea: or, Faithful narratives of shipwrecks, fires, famines". pp. 138–142.
  4. ↑ "No. 16989". The London Gazette . 4 March 1815. p. 396.
  5. ↑ Marshall (1829), p. 229.
  6. ↑ "No. 16715". The London Gazette . 27 March 1813. p. 630.
  7. ↑ Vice-Admiralty Court (1911), p. 137.
  8. ↑ "No. 17128". The London Gazette . 16 April 1816. p. 711.
  9. ↑ Vice-Admiralty Court (1911), p. 161.
  10. ↑ "The Marine List". Lloyd's List. No. 4741. 29 January 1813. hdl:2027/uc1.c2735026.
  11. ↑ Marshall (1829), p. 230.
  12. ↑ "The Marine List". Lloyd's List. No. 4775. 4 June 1813. hdl:2027/uc1.c2735026.
  13. 1 2 3 "No. 16771". The London Gazette . 7 September 1813. p. 1768.
  14. ↑ Vice-Admiralty Court (1911), p. 152.
  15. ↑ Vice-Admiralty Court (1911), p. 148.
  16. ↑ Vice-Admiralty Court (1911), p. 104.
  17. ↑ Vice-Admiralty Court (1911), p. 155.
  18. 1 2 3 "No. 17419". The London Gazette . 17 November 1818. p. 2051.
  19. 1 2 "No. 17399". The London Gazette . 19 September 1818. p. 1668.
  20. ↑ "No. 16799". The London Gazette . 6 November 1813. p. 2167.
  21. ↑ "Frederick Hickey. Obituary". The Gentleman's Magazine and Historical Chronicle. 1840. pp. 208–207.
  22. 1 2 3 Hepper (1994), p. 148.
  23. 1 2 Marshall (1829), p. 234.
  24. ↑ "Naval Chronicles". p. 516.
  25. ↑ UK National Archives, ADM 37/3811: HMS Atalante, ship's muster

Related Research Articles

USS <i>Nautilus</i> (1799)

Nautilus was a schooner launched in 1799. The United States Navy purchased her in May 1803 and commissioned her USS Nautilus; she thus became the first ship to bear that name. She served in the First Barbary War. She was altered to a brigantine. The British captured Nautilus early in the War of 1812 and renamed her HMS Emulous. After her service with the Royal Navy, the Admiralty sold her in 1817.

Sir John Sherbrooke was a successful and famous Nova Scotian privateer brig during the War of 1812, the largest privateer from Atlantic Canada during the war. In addition to preying on American merchant ships, she also defended Nova Scotian waters during the war. After her conversion to a merchantman she fell prey to an American privateer in 1814. She was burnt to prevent her reuse.

HMS <i>Fantome</i> (1810)

HMS Fantome was an 18-gun brig-sloop of the Royal Navy. She was originally a French privateer brig named Fantôme, which the British captured in 1810 and commissioned into British service. Fantome saw extensive action in the War of 1812 until she was lost in a shipwreck at Prospect, Nova Scotia, near Halifax in 1814.

HMS <i>Poictiers</i> (1809) Vengeur-class ship of the line

HMS Poictiers was a 74-gun Royal Navy third rate. This ship of the line was launched on 9 December 1809 at Upnor. During the War of 1812 she was part of the blockade of the United States. She was broken up in 1857.

USS Rattlesnake was the brig Rambler built in Medford, Massachusetts, in 1812 that the United States Navy purchased in July 1813. Rattlesnake captured numerous British merchant vessels before HMS Leander captured her in mid-1814. The Royal Navy apparently purchased her at Nova Scotia, but there is no record of her subsequent career.

HMS Pictou was a 14-gun schooner that the Royal Navy captured in 1813. She served briefly on the Royal Navy's North American station, capturing one or two merchantmen before the American frigate USS Constitution captured her during the War of 1812.

HMS <i>Spartan</i> (1806) UK frigate (1806–1822)

HMS Spartan was a Royal Navy 38-gun fifth-rate frigate, launched at Rochester in 1806. During the Napoleonic Wars she was active in the Adriatic and in the Ionian Islands. She then moved to the American coast during the War of 1812, where she captured a number of small vessels, including a US Revenue Cutter and a privateer, the Dart. She then returned to the Mediterranean, where she remained for a few years. She went on to serve off the American coast again, and in the Caribbean, before being broken up in 1822.

HMS <i>Sophie</i> (1809) Brig-sloop of the Royal Navy

HMS Sophie was an 18-gun Cruizer class brig-sloop of the Royal Navy. She served during the Napoleonic Wars and the War of 1812. During the War of 1812 Sophie participated in the economic war against American trade, capturing or destroying numerous small merchant vessels, and in an unsuccessful attack on Fort Bowyer, Alabama. Later, she moved to the East Indies where she served in the First Anglo-Burmese War. The Admiralty sold Sophie in 1825.

HMS <i>Epervier</i> (1812) Brig-sloop of the Royal Navy

HMS Epervier was an 18-gun Cruizer-class brig-sloop of the Royal Navy, built by Ross at Rochester, England, and launched on 2 December 1812. USS Peacock captured her in 1814 and took her into service. USS Epervier disappeared in 1815 while carrying dispatches reporting the signing of a treaty with the Dey of Algiers.

HMS Curlew (1812) was a Royal Navy Cruizer class brig-sloop built by (William) Good & Co., at Bridport and launched in 1812. She served with the Navy for only 10 years. During the War of 1812 she sailed from Halifax and captured several American privateers. Her greatest moment was her role in the 1819 British occupation of Ras Al Khaimah, leading to the signature of the General Maritime Treaty of 1820, which established the Trucial States, today the United Arab Emirates. Curlew was sold in 1822 in Bombay. She then had a 13 or so year career as an opium runner for James Matheson, one of the founders of the firm Jardine Matheson.

HMS Bream was a British Royal Navy Ballahoo-class schooner of four 12-pounder carronades and a crew of 20. The prime contractor for the vessel was Goodrich & Co., in Bermuda, and she was launched in 1807. Bream operated primarily in North American waters and had an uneventful career until the War of 1812. She then captured two small American privateers and assisted in the recovery of a third, much larger one. She also captured a number of small prizes before she was sold or broken up in 1816.

HMS Shelburne was the American letter of marque schooner Racer, built in Baltimore in 1811 and captured by the British in 1813. She served on the American coast, capturing the American brig Frolic. She also captured some merchantmen and was sold in Britain in 1817.

HMS Colibri was the French naval Curieux-class brig Colibri, launched in 1808, that the British captured in 1809 and took into the Royal Navy under her existing name. She spent her time in British service on the North American station based in Halifax, Nova Scotia. During the War of 1812, Colibri served mostly in blockading the American coast and capturing privateers and merchant ships. She foundered in 1813 in Port Royal Sound, South Carolina, but without loss of life.

HMS Canso was the American letter of marque schooner Lottery, launched in 1811, that a British squadron captured in 1813. The Royal Navy took Lottery into service as HMS Canso and she served during the War of 1812 and briefly thereafter. The navy sold her in 1816.

HMS Magnet was an American brig captured in 1812. HMS Magnet served during the War of 1812 as a prison ship at Halifax, Nova Scotia. The Royal Navy eventually renamed her Attentive, possibly in 1814 when the Navy acquired Sir Sydney Smith, which it renamed Magnet. Then as Attentive she served as a store ship, still apparently on the Halifax station, before she sailed to Britain in 1816. She was broken up in January 1817.

HMS <i>Barrosa</i> (1812) Frigate of the Royal Navy

HMS Barrosa was a frigate launched in 1812 for the Royal Navy. During the War of 1812 she captured several prizes. After the war she spent a decade or so (1823–1833) on harbour duties. The navy sold Barrosa in 1841.

Paragon was launched at Medford, Massachusetts in 1813. She was commissioned, and then captured later that year.

HMS Juniper was launched at Bermuda in 1809 for the British Royal Navy. She participated in one campaign for which her crew was awarded the Naval General Service Medal (1847) with clasp "San Sebastian". She also participated in the capture of several merchant ships. The Navy sold her in 1814.

HMS Martin was launched in Bermuda in 1809. Commander John Evans then commissioned her at Halifax Nova Scotia. During the War of 1812, Martin spent much of her time on the Halifax station. She captured or shared in the capture of numerous small merchant vessels. She also captured a small United States privateer, and was involved in an action with United States gunboats. After the war she conducted patrols against smugglers. She was on one of those patrols when she was wrecked in 1817.

Marquis de Somerulas was a United States merchant ship launched circa 1800, possibly at Charlestown, Boston. She survived an attack by Malay pirates in 1807. The British Royal Navy captured her in 1812. She probably became HMS Magnet. If so, she then served as a prison ship at Halifax, Nova Scotia. The Royal Navy eventually renamed her Attentive. As Attentive she served as a store ship, still apparently on the Halifax station, before she sailed to Britain in 1816. Attentive was broken up in January 1817.

References

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.