|
ARGO
|
(44) |
|
Built in 1781, Howden Dock.
Sold in 1816. |
|
|
- 1782 Capt. BUTCHERT, West Indies.
In the early summer of 1782 ARGO captured the French DAUPHIN (64) but armed on flute with only 26 guns mounted.
While on passage from Tortola to Antigua on 16 February 1783 she was captured, after a five hour action, by the French 46-gun frigates, NYMPHE and AMPHITRITE, in a sea so rough that she could not open her lower ports. She was recaptured about 36 hours later by INVINCIBLE and, after they had been acquitted by a court martial, her officers were re-appointed by Ad. PIGOT. She returned to England at the peace of 1783 and was put out of commission. - 1793 Capt. William CLARKE, North Sea, providing protection to the Baltic trade.
- 1795 Capt. R. R. BURGESS, 02/1795.
- 1796 Capt. J. S. HALL, 06/1796.
- 1798 Capt James BOWEN, 03/1796. She was with Commodore DUCKWORTH in the Mediterranean and on 13 November retook the PETEREL sloop which had been taken by four Spanish frigates and was trying to escape around Majorca. The frigates out-sailed their pursuers back to Carthagena, each throwing overboard 50,000 dollars to prevent it falling into British hands. She took part in the reduction of Minorca in November.
- The Spanish frigate SANTA TERESA (34) was chased off Majorca on 6 February 1799 by ARGO and LEVIATHAN in a violent westerly gale. LEVIATHAN's main top-sail gave way and she fell behind but had nearly caught up when ARGO got alongside the enemy about midnight. She did not surrender until she had received ARGO's broadside which wounded two men and did much damage to the rigging. She was carrying 42 guns plus swivels and had 530 seamen and soldiers on board.
- On 16 February 1799 CENTAUR, ARGO and LEVIATHAN attacked the town of Cambrelles and, after the Spaniards had abandoned their battery, the boats went in, dismounted the guns, burnt five settees and brought out another five laden with wine and wheat.
- In May ARGO went to Algiers to arrange with the Dey for a supply of fresh provisions for the army and navy in Minorca. While there they managed to arrange the release of six British subjects who had been held in slavery for more than 14 years. They were: George Hog, aged 42, of Pontefract; James Robinson, aged 39, of Lancaster; John Reid, aged 32, of Kirklithe; John Foley, aged 32, of Dublin; James Little, aged 35, of Mullangar; Raphael Starico, aged 35, of Gibraltar.
- A Spanish royal packet INFANTA AMELIA was captured on 6 August. She was taken into the Royal Navy as PORPOISE.
- 1800 Convoy to Lisbon on 14 February.
On 19 August she captured the Spanish lugger ST. ANTONIA in ballast and sent her in to Plymouth were she arrived on 10 September.
On 21 October, after a 15 hour chase, ARGO captured the Spanish letter of marque SAN FERNANDO with twelve long 6-pounders. She was five days out of Santander bound for Vera Cruz with iron bars and a valuable cargo of silks belonging to the Royal Phillipine Company. The government dispatches she was carrying had been sunk. ARGO brought her in to Portsmouth on 3 November.
During the same cruise ARGO sent in the French brig MARIA LOUISA, in ballast, and the Spanish barque SAN VINCENTO, with iron ore. Two Spanish barques laden with iron ore were sunk. - At the beginning of July 1801 ARGO and CARYSFORT escorted five transports with the 85th. regiment and forty of the artillery on board through the Channel. They sailed from Cowes on 24 June and put into Torbay on 11 July.
In January 1802 a sword and a testimonial were presented to Capt. BOWEN by the British merchants of Madeira for his defence of British property.
ARGO returned to Portsmouth from the coast of Guinea on 19 March. - 1803 Capt. Benjamin HALLOWELL. ARGO visited the coast of Africa and took part in the reduction of St Lucia and Tobago.
At the end of December she was in Portsmouth repairing the damage received when a West Indiaman ran foul of her. - 1804 Capt. Edward CODRINGTON declined an appointment to ARGO in the spring and Capt. Thomas Le Marchant GOSSELYN was appointed in his stead. In the following summer he removed to LATONA.
- 1805 In ordinary at Deptford.
- 1806 Capt. S. T. DIGBY, coast of Africa.
- 1808 Ditto, Jamaica.
- 1810 Capt. Frederick WARREN was appointed to her at the end of 1809 after acting as captain MELPOMENE.
He sailed for St. Helena to convoy home a large fleet of East Indiamen. - On 28 November 1810 a court martial was held on board GLADIATOR at Portsmouth to try Capt. WARREN for not following orders to proceed to Quebec to bring home a convoy. The court accepted his evidence that it was late in the year and that the weather was bad as sufficient reason for not sailing and he was acquitted.
- Early in 1811 ARGO was placed under the orders of Sir Joseph Yorke who was sailing with reinforcements for the British army in Portugal. She subsequently took out an Algerine Ambassador and carried Sir Robert Liston and his suite to Constantinople.
Capt. WARREN resigned his command in October 1812. - 1814 Capt. William FOTHERGILL, Jamaica. Flagship of Rear Ad. W. BROWN.
- 1815 Ditto, Guardship at Plymouth.
|
|
|
