|
EREBUS
|
(18) |
|
Built in 1807, Topsham as a rocket vessel.
Sold in 1819. |
|
|
- 1808 William AUTRIDGE, Channel.
- 1810 as a 24-gun 6th. Rate, Baltic. She was employed on convoy duties and on 21 June 1810 she and LOIRE escorted 100 vessels through the the Great Belt into the Baltic.
- 1812 H. J. LYFORD, 08/1812, again employed on convoy escort in the Baltic under Sir James SAUMAREZ.
- 1814 John FORBES, 12/1814, Baltic.
- 1814 David Ewen BARTHOLOMEW, 04/1814, fitting out at Woolwich for the North American station.
- On 17 August Vice-Ad. COCHRANE detached DEVASTATION, EURYALUS, AETNA, METEOR, MANLY and EREBUS under Capt. GORDON of SEAHORSE to go up the Potomac and bombard Fort Washington which was on the left bank about ten or twelve miles below the city.
Being without pilots to assist them through the difficult part of the river known as Kettle-Bottoms and contrary winds it took them ten days to reach the fort, five successive days being spent warping over a distance of 50 miles.
All the ships grounded at least 20 times. - The bombs started a bombardment of the fort on the evening of the 27th. and the garrison fled at the bursting of the first shell.
Suspecting some trickery, Capt. Gordon ordered the fire to continue, but his doubts were resolved when the powder magazine exploded at eight o'clock.
The following morning they took possession.
The principal fort contained two 52-pounders, two 32-pounders and eight 24-pounders.
There was a battery of five 18-pounders on the beach, a martello tower with two 12-pounders and and a battery in the rear with two 12 and six 6-pound field guns.
All the guns had been spiked by the enemy and their destruction was completed by the seamen and marines when they landed leaving the town of Alexandria undefended. - When FAIRY arrived with orders on the 27th.
Capt. GORDON learnt that the enemy had been fortifying the river bank to oppose his return, so he ordered all prize vessels to be loaded with captured stores and they commenced the laborious task of warping their way back down river. - Although METEOR and FAIRY assisted by the ANNA-MARIA, dispatch boat, a prize gunboat and a boat from EURYALUS with a howitzer were doing their best to impede the enemy, the Americans had built a battery of 11 guns with a furnace to heat shot.
When the wind changed on the 3rd. EREBUS and AETNA were able to come to their assistance and the following day the whole flotilla with the prizes arrived, except for DEVASTATION which was grounded 5 miles upstream.
EREBUS suffered serious damage from three field guns while she was shooting at the workmen in the trenches. - At noon on the 5th. SEAHORSE and EURYALUS anchored within musket-shot of the batteries and covered the prizes as they passed down river.
The bombs then covered the withdrawal of the frigates.
That evening EREBUS grounded within range of another pair of batteries mounting 14 to 18 guns and the squadron had to go into action once more.
The fire of FAIRY together with that of EREBUS herself and the bombs completely silenced the enemy by 8 o'clock.
At daylight on the 6th. the squadron weighed and passed down the river without further molestation after an operation which had lasted 23 days.
EREBUS had three men killed or mortally wounded.
Her boatswain and 7 men were severely wounded and Cdr. BARTHOLOMEW, Lieut. Reuben PAINE and 4 others slightly hurt.
The squadron as a whole lost 7 killed and 35 wounded.
Twenty-two vessels, brigs, ships and schooners, were brought out as prizes. - Later she threw a number of rockets into Fort M'Henry and other works guarding Baltimore.
- In February 1815 EREBUS was with Sir George COCKBURN's squadron off Georgia and her boats formed part of a division sent up the St Mary's River to attack an American detachment about 120 miles from the sea.
The force consisted of 186 officers, seamen and marines under Capt. PHILLOTT of PRIMROSE.
When they had gone a considerable distance up river they were unexpectedly attacked from Spanish Florida.
The enemy fire was soon silenced but, after considering that the river was only 30 or 40 yards wide for the next 50 miles with commanding heights, Capt. PHILLOTT decided that it would be wiser to retire.
Three men were killed and fifteen wounded.
Capt. BARTHOLOMEW was first wounded in the head and, when he put up his hand to feel the wound, a second ball hit his middle finger and thumb. - EREBUS returned home on 28 April 1815 to pay
|
|
|
