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DEVASTATION
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(8) |
Bomb
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Purchased in 1804.
Sold in 1816. |
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- 1804 A. MILNER, 04/OO.
On 14 September 1804 DEVASTATION and LUCIFER bombs came down to Deal from Sheerness. - 1807 M. SMITH, Downs.
- 1807 Woolwich.
- 1808 John SMITH, Baltic.
- 1810 John TAYLOR, Cadiz.
DEVASTATION was employed from December 1809 until the raising of the siege of Isle of Leon in 1811.
The bombs supported the gunboat flotillas in the defence of Cadiz which was under siege by French armies under Marshal Soult.
For most of the time the bombs were anchored within range of the enemy guns and the four commanders took it in turns to row night guard. - On 24 November 1810 DEVASTATION, THUNDER and AETNA bombarded Fort Catalina which covered the entrance to Cadiz Bay while the gunboats fired some 100 shells into a collection of enemy gunboats by Santa Maria.
Capt. TAYLOR was appointed to ESPIEGLE in September 1812 and was dismissed the service after a court martial in 1814. - 1814 Thomas ALEXANDER, North America.
In August 1814 a squadron consisting of SEAHORSE (38); EURYALUS (36); DEVASTATION, AETNA, and METEOR; the rocket vessel EREBUS and a tender ANNA MARIA, was sent up the Potomac river under the command of Captain James GORDON.
Their mission was bombard Fort Washington, some 11 miles below the American capital.
They entered the river on 17 August but, being without pilots through the part of the river called the Kettle Bottoms, it took them 10 days to reach Fort Washington.
For 5 successive days the crews were employed in warping over a distance of more than 50 miles against adverse winds.
Each vessel grounded many times and had to be hauled off.
On the evening of the 27th. the bombs began a bombardment of the fort which continued until the powder magazine exploded. - When Capt. GORDON took possession the following morning he found that the Americans had retreated leaving 21 heavy guns and 6 field-pieces all spiked.
On the 29th. he accepted the surrender of the town of Alexandria and took possession of 21 seaworthy vessels which he loaded with merchandise and naval and ordnance stores.
FAIRY arrived with news that the Americans were mounting guns downstream to oppose the squadron's return so GORDON started back without delay.
Unfortunately DEVASTATION ran aground and the Americans tried to destroy her with three fire-ships.
This attempt was defeated by Capt. ALEXANDER who launched his own boats and, assisted by those of the other ships, drove off the Americans and towed the fire-vessels on shore.
The squadron spent a total of 23 days in the river. - Capt. GORDON then landed with a party of 200 seamen and marines at Parker's Point in the Chesapeake to procure cattle and they were attacked by more than 1100 American soldiers.
He extricated his people without loss and captured two of the enemy and 20 of their horses. - In February 1815 Capt. GORDON took part in Capt. Charles ROSS's expedition up St. Mary's river in Georgia.
The fort at Pointe Petre was blown up, an English East Indiaman taken by an American privateer was retaken and an American ship loaded with timber was taken out to Cumberland Island.
Any stores and guns at the town of St. Mary's not fit to bring away were destroyed.
(Capt. GORDON was promoted to post rank in October 1814 and died in Burma in 1825, in his 41st. year) - 1816 Portsmouth for disposal in 1817.
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