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MUSQUITO
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Built in 1804, Yarmouth (Cruizer class).
Sold in 1822. |
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- 1804 Samuel JACKSON, 10/1804, Channel.
He was 13 miles off Scarborough on 12 April 1805 when he saw two ships firing at a third.
The latter proved to be a sloop from Guernsey with contraband goods who informed him that the other two were French privateers.
He went in chase and captured one at midday and the other early the following morning.
They were the ORESTES and PYLADES, Dutch-built doggers wearing false Prussian colours.
Each armed with a 24-pounder carronade and six swivels and manned by 33 men with plenty of small arms.
They had been at sea for three weeks and had been planning to attack the trade off Scotland but had made no captures due to bad weather.
Capt. MITCHELL of INSPECTOR reported that ORESTES was sent into Yarmouth Roads on 14 April. - In 1805 she escorted transports with 5,000 troops for Lord CATHCART's army in Hanover.
Later she drove five French armed schooners ashore on the Calais/Boulogne coast and directed rocket boats in an attack on the Boulogne flotilla. She joined the expedition to Copenhagen in October 1806 where she was stationed in Belt to prevent supplies reaching Zealand. - 1809 William GOATE, North Sea. She captured the Danish privateer cutter SOL FULGEN (6) off Heligoland on 25 May 1809.
- The following month Lord George STUART placed Capt. GOATE in command a small force consisting of MUSQUITO; BRISEIS, Robert PETTET; EPHIRA, Edward WATTS; five gun-brigs, one armed schuyt and a cutter; and on 7 July they entered the Elbe and anchored out of gunshot of the battery at Cuxhaven.
At daylight the following morning GOATE, with the commanding officers, seamen and marines of their respective vessels, landed to attack the battery but the enemy, some 80 of them, thought it proper to retreat.
The battery contained six 24-pounders which were loaded into vessels lying in the harbour together with all the shot and military stores.
The fort was then blown up.
Two French gunboats were also seized and the town of Cuxhaven handed back to the civil governor before all the seamen and marines were embarked. - On 26 July several of the officers of the squadron were nearly taken prisoner in the village of Ritzbuttle by a body of French horse so Lord George STUART landed a detachment of seamen and marines to intercept them.
When he discovered that the French had retired to Gessendorf, some 26 miles from Cuxhaven, he ordered Capt. GOATE to advance with his MUSQUITOs while Capt. PETTET of BRISEIS moved round the flank to take a battery of four 12-pounders which was subjecting STUART and Capt. WATTS to a galling fire of round and grape. - As soon as Capt. GOATE's people approached, the French evacuated Gessendorf in requisitioned wagons covered by about 60 cavalry.
The enemy battery likewise abandoned their guns and escaped in boats on the Weser.
Only four prisoners were taken: the battery commander, a lieutenant and two junior officers.
The guns were burst and the powder brought off.
None of the British were killed and Capt. WATTS was the only person wounded. - 1811 Chatham.
Christopher BELL, Nore. - 1812 James THOMPKINSON, Downs.
- 1813 Ditto, West Indies.
- 12814 Ditto, Spithead.
- 1815 Ditto, West Indies.
- 1816 George BRINE, 25/08/1815, Liverpool.
- 1817 Ditto, Cape of Good Hope and St. Helena.
Returned to Portsmouth on 7 November 1818. - 1820 Deptford.
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