Memoir of the Life and Services of Vice-Admiral Sir Jahleel Brenton, Baronet, K.C.B.
History
Memoir of the Life and Services of Vice-Admiral Sir Jahleel Brenton, Baronet, K.C.B.
Admirals -- Great Britain -- Biography; Brenton, Jahleel, Sir, 1770-1844; Great Britain -- History, Naval -- 19th century
exhaustion before they reached the land. They were received on board the
Speedy; and by the judicious conduct of the surgeon, were soon restored
to perfect health.
“The vessel lost was an American brig from Baltimore. Her commander’s
name was Brand, and twelve men were lost in her. Mr. Brand’s escape was
the more providential, as he was asleep below when she upset; and being
thrown out of his bed, by the sudden movement, was enabled to get up the
ladder, before the hatchway was filled with water.”
A few days after the convoy had reached Oran, the gale continuing to
blow with great violence at times, but at others more moderately; the
Terpsichore frigate commanded by Captain Gage, entered the bay of Oran
with her convoy from Minorca, bound to Gibraltar also; and about a week
later, at the close of a day on which there had been almost a hurricane,
a Spanish line of battle ship, with only her foremast standing, and
her mainmast lying buried on the poop, came into the bay, and let go
her anchor about half a mile from the Speedy, which happened to be the
farthest out.
Captain Gage directed Captain B. to watch the motions of the Spaniard,
expressing his intentions to attack him, should he move beyond the limits
of neutrality. At daylight the Spaniard was seen to cut his cable, and
put to sea: the wind had greatly moderated, but a heavy sea continued.
The Terpsichore and Speedy slipped their cables, and were immediately in
pursuit. The Spanish ship was rolling her main deck ports in the water;
the weather was very thick; the Speedy had approached nearly within
gun-shot, and was preparing to open her fire, with her four pounders,
into the stern of the enemy, whilst the Terpsichore’s fire, which would
soon have followed, would, without doubt, have insured the surrender of
the helpless Spaniard; when at the moment, the fog cleared away, and
shewed the Spanish fleet of eighteen sail of the line in the offing, and
at a very short distance. The expected prize at once vanished, and it
became necessary for the English vessels to seek their own safety. The
Terpsichore returned to Oran, and the Speedy running close in shore got
to the westward of the bay.
Of the Spaniards six sail had lost their lower masts, and many their
topmasts. The Spaniards availing themselves of a strong S.W. wind shaped
their course for Carthagena. On the following morning, the Speedy fell
in with a British squadron of five sail of the line, under Admiral
Whitshed; who, on being informed by Captain Brenton of the crippled state
of the Spaniards, made sail in pursuit of them; and the Speedy returned
to Oran, where, having joined the two convoys, they proceeded together
to Gibraltar, where they arrived early in May. The Speedy was then sent
to resume her station off Oporto, but in the month of July was again
detached to take the English mail from Lisbon to Gibraltar. Here upon
examining her defects, she was found in such a state as to render it
necessary to heave her down.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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