Alexander Cochrane
Encyclopedia
Admiral
Sir Alexander Forrester Inglis Cochrane GCB
RN
(23 April 1758 – 26 January 1832) was a senior Royal Navy
commander during the Napoleonic Wars
.
peer
Thomas Cochrane
, the eighth Earl of Dundonald
, Cochrane joined the Royal Navy
as a boy and served with British naval forces in North America
, where he saw service in the American War of Independence.
Cochrane also participated in the Egyptian operations in 1801. When Alexandria
fell, Cochrane, in the 74-gun third rate HMS Ajax
, with the sixth rate HMS Bonne Citoyenne
, the HMS Cynthia
, the brig-sloops HMS Port Mahon and HMS Victorieuse, and three Turkish corvettes, were the first vessels to enter the harbor.
In 1805 he was made commander of the Leeward Islands station. He conducted operations against the French
and Spanish
at the Battle of San Domingo
on 6 February 1806 in which a cannon ball
blew his hat off his head while he was on the deck of his flagship, HMS Northumberland
. He was appointed KCB
on 29 March 1806.
Other rewards included thanks from both Houses of Parliament, freedom of the city
of London, and a sword valued at 100 guineas. In 1807 he sailed in HMS Belleisle
(74 guns) in the expedition against Danish Islands, and in 1809 commanded naval forces in the Conquest of Martinique
.
From 1814, during the War of 1812
, Cochrane, then a vice admiral
, served as Commander-in-Chief
of the North American Station, based at the new dockyard
in Bermuda
. He landed the force under General Ross that burned Washington
and also pushed successful naval foray's at the same time. Initially he wanted to attack Rhode Island after the success at Washington, but was dissuaded by Ross and Admiral Cockburn who wanted to go after the bigger prize of Baltimore. During the Battle of Baltimore
, he was responsible for the bombardment of Fort McHenry
in Baltimore, Maryland which proved ineffectual and he resisted calls to more aggressively attack the fort by frigates. He did order a diversionary raid by boats to assist the Army encamped near Baltimore in their proposed attack on Hampstead hill (which they canceled and withdrew), but this diversion also had no success. The Army and Navy's failure at Baltimore effectively canceled out the success of Washington. The use of bomb vessels and rocket ship was the event which gave rise to Francis Scott Key
's poem which became "The Star-Spangled Banner
". He also led the British force that won the Battle of Lake Borgne
in December 1814 and succeeded in giving the Army a hard short road to New Orleans for which to advance. However, the Army was defeated at the Battle of New Orleans
in January 1815. The Battle of New Orleans was actually fought after Britain had signed a Treaty of Peace that was in transit to Washington for ratification.
The Duke of Wellington
held that the failure of the New Orleans campaign was largely the fault of Cochrane, commenting in eulogy to General Edward Pakenham
, killed at New Orleans, that:
Despite the lack of success and damage to British prestige that occurred by the defeat of British forces at the Battle of New Orleans, Cochrane was promoted to admiral
in 1819. From 1821 to 1824, he was Commander-in-Chief, Plymouth
. He died in Paris
on 26 January 1832.
) was married to Catherine, the daughter of Major John Pitcairn
.
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Admiral (United Kingdom)
Admiral is a senior rank of the Royal Navy of the United Kingdom, which equates to the NATO rank code OF-9, outranked only by the rank Admiral of the Fleet...
Sir Alexander Forrester Inglis Cochrane GCB
Order of the Bath
The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the elaborate mediæval ceremony for creating a knight, which involved bathing as one of its elements. The knights so created were known as Knights of the Bath...
RN
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
(23 April 1758 – 26 January 1832) was a senior Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
commander during the Napoleonic Wars
Napoleonic Wars
The Napoleonic Wars were a series of wars declared against Napoleon's French Empire by opposing coalitions that ran from 1803 to 1815. As a continuation of the wars sparked by the French Revolution of 1789, they revolutionised European armies and played out on an unprecedented scale, mainly due to...
.
Naval career
Born a son of the ScottishScotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
peer
Peerage
The Peerage is a legal system of largely hereditary titles in the United Kingdom, which constitute the ranks of British nobility and is part of the British honours system...
Thomas Cochrane
Thomas Cochrane, 8th Earl of Dundonald
Thomas Cochrane, 8th Earl of Dundonald was a nobleman, army officer and politician.Thomas was born in 1691, the seventh son of William Cochrane of Ochiltree, and his wife Lady Mary Bruce, eldest daughter of Alexander Bruce, 2nd Earl of Kincardine...
, the eighth Earl of Dundonald
Earl of Dundonald
Earl of Dundonald is a title in the Peerage of Scotland.The Earldom was created in 1669 for the Scottish soldier and politician William Cochrane, 1st Earl of Dundonald, along with the subsidiary title of Lord Cochrane of Paisley and Ochiltree, with remainder to his heirs male, failing which to his...
, Cochrane joined the Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
as a boy and served with British naval forces in North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
, where he saw service in the American War of Independence.
Cochrane also participated in the Egyptian operations in 1801. When Alexandria
Alexandria
Alexandria is the second-largest city of Egypt, with a population of 4.1 million, extending about along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea in the north central part of the country; it is also the largest city lying directly on the Mediterranean coast. It is Egypt's largest seaport, serving...
fell, Cochrane, in the 74-gun third rate HMS Ajax
HMS Ajax (1798)
HMS Ajax was an Ajax class 74-gun third rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy. She was built by John Randall & Co of Rotherhithe and launched on the Thames on 3 March 1798...
, with the sixth rate HMS Bonne Citoyenne
HMS Bonne Citoyenne (1796)
Bonne Citoyenne was a 20-gun corvette of the French Navy, which the Royal Navy captured and recommissioned as the sloop-of-war HMS Bonne Citoyenne. Her most famous action was her capture of the French frigate Furieuse on 6 July 1809 for which her crew would earn the Naval General Service Medal. Her...
, the HMS Cynthia
HMS Cynthia (1796)
HMS Cynthia was a ship sloop of unusual design, launched in 1796. She took part in one medal-worthy boat action and participated in captures of a number of merchant vessels, was present at two notable occasions, the surrender of the Dutch fleet in the Vlieter Incident and the capture of Alexandria,...
, the brig-sloops HMS Port Mahon and HMS Victorieuse, and three Turkish corvettes, were the first vessels to enter the harbor.
In 1805 he was made commander of the Leeward Islands station. He conducted operations against the French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
and Spanish
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
at the Battle of San Domingo
Battle of San Domingo
The Battle of San Domingo, in 1806, was a naval battle of the Napoleonic Wars. French and British squadrons of ships of the line met off the southern coast of the French-occupied Spanish Colony of Santo Domingo in the Caribbean...
on 6 February 1806 in which a cannon ball
Round shot
Round shot is a solid projectile without explosive charge, fired from a cannon. As the name implies, round shot is spherical; its diameter is slightly less than the bore of the gun it is fired from.Round shot was made in early times from dressed stone, but by the 17th century, from iron...
blew his hat off his head while he was on the deck of his flagship, HMS Northumberland
HMS Northumberland (1798)
HMS Northumberland was a 74-gun third rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy, built at the yards of Barnard, Deptford and launched on 2 February 1798....
. He was appointed KCB
Order of the Bath
The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the elaborate mediæval ceremony for creating a knight, which involved bathing as one of its elements. The knights so created were known as Knights of the Bath...
on 29 March 1806.
Other rewards included thanks from both Houses of Parliament, freedom of the city
Freedom of the City
Freedom of the City is an honour bestowed by some municipalities in Australia, Canada, Ireland, France, Italy, New Zealand, South Africa, Spain, the United Kingdom, Gibraltar and Rhodesia to esteemed members of its community and to organisations to be honoured, often for service to the community;...
of London, and a sword valued at 100 guineas. In 1807 he sailed in HMS Belleisle
HMS Belleisle (1795)
Lion was a 74-gun third rate ship of the line of the French Navy, which later served in the Royal Navy. She was built at Rochefort. She was later renamed Marat and then Formidable, with the changing fortunes of the French Revolution....
(74 guns) in the expedition against Danish Islands, and in 1809 commanded naval forces in the Conquest of Martinique
Invasion of Martinique (1809)
The invasion of Martinique of 1809 was a successful British amphibious operation against the French West Indian island of Martinique that took place between 30 January and 24 February 1809 during the Napoleonic Wars...
.
From 1814, during the War of 1812
War of 1812
The War of 1812 was a military conflict fought between the forces of the United States of America and those of the British Empire. The Americans declared war in 1812 for several reasons, including trade restrictions because of Britain's ongoing war with France, impressment of American merchant...
, Cochrane, then a vice admiral
Vice Admiral
Vice admiral is a senior naval rank of a three-star flag officer, which is equivalent to lieutenant general in the other uniformed services. A vice admiral is typically senior to a rear admiral and junior to an admiral...
, served as Commander-in-Chief
Commander-in-Chief
A commander-in-chief is the commander of a nation's military forces or significant element of those forces. In the latter case, the force element may be defined as those forces within a particular region or those forces which are associated by function. As a practical term it refers to the military...
of the North American Station, based at the new dockyard
Royal Naval Dockyard, Bermuda
HMD Bermuda was the principal base of the Royal Navy in the Western Atlantic between American independence and the Cold War. Bermuda had occupied a useful position astride the homeward leg taken by many European vessels from the New World since before its settlement by England in 1609...
in Bermuda
Bermuda
Bermuda is a British overseas territory in the North Atlantic Ocean. Located off the east coast of the United States, its nearest landmass is Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, about to the west-northwest. It is about south of Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, and northeast of Miami, Florida...
. He landed the force under General Ross that burned Washington
Burning of Washington
The Burning of Washington was an armed conflict during the War of 1812 between the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and the United States of America. On August 24, 1814, led by General Robert Ross, a British force occupied Washington, D.C. and set fire to many public buildings following...
and also pushed successful naval foray's at the same time. Initially he wanted to attack Rhode Island after the success at Washington, but was dissuaded by Ross and Admiral Cockburn who wanted to go after the bigger prize of Baltimore. During the Battle of Baltimore
Battle of Baltimore
The Battle of Baltimore was a combined sea/land battle fought between British and American forces in the War of 1812. It was one of the turning points of the war as American forces repulsed sea and land invasions of the busy port city of Baltimore, Maryland, and killed the commander of the invading...
, he was responsible for the bombardment of Fort McHenry
Fort McHenry
Fort McHenry, in Baltimore, Maryland, is a star-shaped fort best known for its role in the War of 1812, when it successfully defended Baltimore Harbor from an attack by the British navy in Chesapeake Bay...
in Baltimore, Maryland which proved ineffectual and he resisted calls to more aggressively attack the fort by frigates. He did order a diversionary raid by boats to assist the Army encamped near Baltimore in their proposed attack on Hampstead hill (which they canceled and withdrew), but this diversion also had no success. The Army and Navy's failure at Baltimore effectively canceled out the success of Washington. The use of bomb vessels and rocket ship was the event which gave rise to Francis Scott Key
Francis Scott Key
Francis Scott Key was an American lawyer, author, and amateur poet, from Georgetown, who wrote the lyrics to the United States' national anthem, "The Star-Spangled Banner".-Life:...
's poem which became "The Star-Spangled Banner
The Star-Spangled Banner
"The Star-Spangled Banner" is the national anthem of the United States of America. The lyrics come from "Defence of Fort McHenry", a poem written in 1814 by the 35-year-old lawyer and amateur poet, Francis Scott Key, after witnessing the bombardment of Fort McHenry by the British Royal Navy ships...
". He also led the British force that won the Battle of Lake Borgne
Battle of Lake Borgne
The Battle of Lake Borgne was a naval battle between the Royal Navy and the United States Navy in the American South theatre of the War of 1812. It occurred on 14 December 1814 on Lake Borgne and was part of the British advance on New Orleans.-Background:...
in December 1814 and succeeded in giving the Army a hard short road to New Orleans for which to advance. However, the Army was defeated at the Battle of New Orleans
Battle of New Orleans
The Battle of New Orleans took place on January 8, 1815 and was the final major battle of the War of 1812. American forces, commanded by Major General Andrew Jackson, defeated an invading British Army intent on seizing New Orleans and the vast territory the United States had acquired with the...
in January 1815. The Battle of New Orleans was actually fought after Britain had signed a Treaty of Peace that was in transit to Washington for ratification.
The Duke of Wellington
Duke of Wellington
The Dukedom of Wellington, derived from Wellington in Somerset, is a hereditary title in the senior rank of the Peerage of the United Kingdom. The first holder of the title was Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington , the noted Irish-born career British Army officer and statesman, and...
held that the failure of the New Orleans campaign was largely the fault of Cochrane, commenting in eulogy to General Edward Pakenham
Edward Pakenham
Sir Edward Michael Pakenham GCB , styled The Honourable from his birth until 1813, was an Irish British Army Officer and Politician. He was the brother-in law of the Duke of Wellington, with whom he served in the Peninsular War...
, killed at New Orleans, that:
I cannot but regret that he was ever employed on such a service or with such a colleague. The expedition to New Orleans originated with that colleague... The Americans were prepared with an army in a fortified position which still would have been carried, if the duties of others, that is of the Admiral (Sir Alexander Cochrane), had been as well performed as that of he whom we now lament.
Despite the lack of success and damage to British prestige that occurred by the defeat of British forces at the Battle of New Orleans, Cochrane was promoted to admiral
Admiral (United Kingdom)
Admiral is a senior rank of the Royal Navy of the United Kingdom, which equates to the NATO rank code OF-9, outranked only by the rank Admiral of the Fleet...
in 1819. From 1821 to 1824, he was Commander-in-Chief, Plymouth
Commander-in-Chief, Plymouth
The Commander-in-Chief, Plymouth was a senior commander of the Royal Navy for hundreds of years. Plymouth Command was a name given to the units, establishments, and staff operating under the admiral's command. In the nineteenth century the holder of the office was known as Commander-in-Chief,...
. He died in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
on 26 January 1832.
Family
In 1788 he married Maria Shaw; they had three sons and two daughters. A brother Charles (who was killed at Battle of YorktownSiege of Yorktown
The Siege of Yorktown, Battle of Yorktown, or Surrender of Yorktown in 1781 was a decisive victory by a combined assault of American forces led by General George Washington and French forces led by the Comte de Rochambeau over a British Army commanded by Lieutenant General Lord Cornwallis...
) was married to Catherine, the daughter of Major John Pitcairn
John Pitcairn
John Pitcairn was a British Marine who was stationed in Boston, Massachusetts at the start of the American Revolutionary War....
.
External links
- Significant Scots: Sir Alexander Cochrane - Biography from ElectricScotland.com
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