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HEBRUS
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Built in 1813, Limehouse.
Sold in 1817. |
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- She mounted twenty-six 18-pounders on the main deck, the remainder being 32-pounder carronades.
Her establishment was 284 officers, men and boys. - 1814 Capt. Edmund PALMER, 11/1813, Channel and North American stations.
On the morning of 26 March 1814 HEBRUS and HANNIBAL separated in chase of two French 40-gun frigates they had fallen in with off the Ile de Bas.
HANNIBAL went after SULTANE and HEBRUS was detached to follow ETOILE.
About midnight, when they reached the Race of Alderney, HEBRUS began to gain on the enemy, and he was forced to round the Nez de Jobourg almost within the wash of the breakers.
Here, between one and two in the morning of the 27th., after a chase of 15 hours covering more than 120 miles, Capt. PALMER brought the enemy to action. - At the start ETOILE fired high and did HEBRUS considerable damage, shooting away her fore-top-mast and fore-yard, crippling the main mast and bowsprit and cutting away almost every shroud, stay and brace.
HEBRUS concentrated on the enemy's hull and, since they were so close, every shot went through him.
At about 4 o'clock ETOILE's mizzen mast fell and soon after he struck his colours.
The moment he took possession, Capt. PALMER got both ships away from the shore, not only to prevent grounding but to get out of range of a shore battery which had been firing indiscriminately at both ships in the darkness.
The tide pushed them them round the point and they anchored off Vauville to repair damage.
HEBRUS lost thirteen killed, including Mr P. A. CRAWLEY, midshipman, and twenty-five wounded, four of them dangerously so. - Her officers included Lieuts. Robert Milborne JACKSON, George ADDIS and Horatio Bennet COCK; Mr M'GOWAN, master; Mr MADDOCKS, purser; Mr BOYTER, surgeon, and Lieuts. Griffith and M'Lauchlin of the marines.
His crew was new, having been together barely four months. - The prize, which mounted 44 guns, twenty-eight 18-pounders on the main deck, the remainder 24-pounder carronades, was commanded by Capt. Henri Pierre Philibert with 320 men. She had forty killed and more than seventy wounded.
Her remaining masts were shot through, her hull was badly shattered and there was four feet of water in the hold. She was taken into the Royal Navy as TOPAZE. - Capt. PALMER received an honorary medal from the Board of Admiralty.
- HEBRUS next served under the orders of Rear Ad. COCKBURN in the Patuxent River.
On 19 August the army under Major Gen. Ross, with the marine battalion, a detachment of seamen and the rocket corps, landed at Benedict on the right bank of the Paxutent.
The armed boats and tenders of the fleet, including those from HEBRUS, followed them up the river to Nottingham in pursuit of an American flotilla of 17 gun vessels under Commodore Barney.
On the 22nd the army, followed by the boats, moved to Marlborough, and as they approached Commodore Barney's sloop was seen to be on fire.
The whole flotilla blew up in succession except for the last gunboat which was captured, together with 17 merchant vessels and a considerable quantity of property. - During the 22nd additional seamen and marines from the fleet were landed under the command of Capt. PALMER, and Capts.
WAINWRIGHT of TONNANT and MONEY of TRAVE, and the army advanced to Bladensburgh, a village about 5 miles from Washington.
Here 1,500 men, only part of the British force, stormed the Americans who, reinforced by Com.
Blarney's men, numbered about 8,000, and were on strong ground defended by two batteries.
The enemy were routed, losing their cannon, and had many killed or taken prisoner, Com.
Blarney was among the latter.
Capt. PALMER seems to have been the only officer of his rank present at the battle.
The British army then took possession of Washington and completed the destruction of the dockyard started by the retreating Americans.
All public buildings and their contents were destroyed during the 25th. before the troops retired to their embarkation point at Benedict on the 29th. - The subsequent attack on Baltimore had less fortunate results.
HEBRUS sailed with ROYAL OAK and the rest of Vice Ad. COCHRANE's squadron and transports from Tangier Island on 6 September and on the 11th. the whole force was disembarked at North Point.
The frigates SERVERN, EURYALUS, HAVANNAH and HEBRUS, with five mortar vessels and the rocket ship EREBUS, then proceeded up river to attack Fort Mc Henry and the other batteries.
The army drove back an American force of about 4,500 men and advanced on the 13th. to within 2 miles of Baltimore where they discovered the strong defences of the city.
The mortar vessels and EREBUS started their bombardment of the forts the same morning with little effect.
That night a division of 20 boats was sent up the Ferry branch to cause a diversion during a projected assault on the camp but they became separated in the darkness and the whole expedition was cancelled by the Vice Admiral. - In March 1815 HEBRUS was at Bermuda.
- In the summer of 1815 Capt. PALMER was entrusted with the command of a small expedition sent to arm and organise the French royalists in the vicinity of Bordeaux.
HEBRUS arrived in the Gironde on 6 July and the captain learnt from Capt. AYLMER of PACTOLUS that Gen. Donnadieu, the French officer he had on board, was trying to communicate with the Commandant at Bordeaux but that Gen. Clausel was rejecting his advances, threatening execution to anyone found guilty of disaffection.
It appeared to Capt. PALMER that because the enemy was in complete possession of the coast, no free communication could be opened with the royalists without HEBRUS and the transports, under the charge of the Baron De Montalembert, entering the river.
He requested the help of PACTOLUS and since Capt. AYLMER was senior, the nominal command naturally devolved on him.
He was the first to admit that Capt. PALMER actually directed the operation. - On the 13th. PACTOLUS and HEBRUS, both towing transports, entered the Gironde with FALMOUTH bringing up the rear.
As they passed Royan a boat came out to say that the batteries would not fire if they were not attacked.
So, with the ships flying the royal colours and the batteries the tricolour, they passed up river without incident until the heavy battery at Verdun opened fire.
They did not reply and no damage was done.
After anchoring the ships the Comte de Lasteur went up under flag of truce to Gen. Clausel and FALMOUTH was sent to report progress to Lord Keith in Plymouth.
During the night the French evacuated the fort at Verdun so a force was sent ashore to dismantle the works.
On the 14th. more forts showed the royal colours until only that at Miche held out, but not for long.
The landing parties destroyed nearly 70 pieces of heavy artillery at Verdun, Royan, De Lousac and Miche.
On the 16 July the frigates ran up to Castillon where a dispatch was received from Gen. Clausel announcing that a peace had been arranged in Paris and that he wished to negotiate.
Capt. PALMER, the Comte de la Tour and the Baron Montalembert arrived in Bordeaux on Saturday 22 July and found crowds of people playing and singing loyal airs, expressing their love for the king and their joy at his return.
Capt. PALMER remained in the city until the troops loyal to Buonaparte had dispersed to their homes. - HEBRUS was with Lord EXMOUTH's fleet in the attack on Algiers on 27 August 1816. She lost Mr G. H. POCOKE, midshipman, and three seamen killed, and Mr A. S. SYMES, midshipman, ten seamen, one marine, two rocket troop and one boy wounded.
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