Capture of the Jeune Richard
Encyclopedia
The capture of the Jeune Richard was the result of a naval engagement that took place in the Caribbean
on 1 October 1807, during the Napoleonic Wars
, between the British packet ship
Windsor Castle, and the French privateer
Jeune Richard. In an unequal battle, the Windsor Castle, under the command of her acting-captain William Rogers, not only defended repeated attacks from the privateer, but finally engaged her, boarded her and after overpowering the much larger crew, forced them below decks and took the privateer as their prize. The victory was widely reported in contemporary papers and journals, Rogers and his crew were hailed as heroes and lavishly rewarded for their valour.
The Windsor Castle sailed from England under the command of Acting-Captain William Rogers, bound for the Leeward Islands
and Barbados
in September 1807, carrying the mail. She carried six 4-pounder guns and two 9-pounder carronades, and had a crew of 28 men and boys. Early on the morning of 1 October a sail was sighted, and by half past eight the mystery ship was piling on sail to catch the packet. Identifying her as a privateer schooner
, Rogers attempted to outrun the enemy, but she continued to close and he realised he would be compelled to fight. His enemy was the Jeune Richard, carrying six long 6-pounder guns and one long 18-pounder gun, a considerably heavier weight of shot than the Windsor Castle. The Jeune Richard also had a crew of 92, over three times that of the British packet.
, and attempted to board. The Windsor Castle′s crew mustered with pike
s and repelled the boarders, killing or wounding between eight and ten of the French. The Jeune Richard′s crew attempted to cut the lines and pull away but the Windsor Castle′s main yard remained locked in the privateer's rigging, holding the two ships together.
The fighting continued for several hours, but by 3pm one of the Windsor Castle′s 9-pounder carronades had been brought up on deck and loaded with double grape
, canister
and 100 musket balls. When the French made another attempt to force their way aboard, this was discharged to great effect, sweeping the privateer's decks and causing considerable casualties and damage. Rogers then led five of his men onto the Jeune Richard and forced the French from their guns, driving them below after a fierce fight and securing control of the privateer. With the French crew trapped below but still considerably greater in number than the small British force that had control of the decks, Rogers ordered each Frenchman up on deck one at a time, where they were then placed in irons.
. Cochrane forwarded his report to the Admiralty
, adding an accompanying note; The news of how Rogers had turned upon his pursuer and taken her as his prize created a sensation. The account appeared in numerous newspapers, journals and periodicals. Societies and guilds joined to raise subscriptions to reward Rogers and his crew. In addition to sums of money Rogers received two swords, a piece of plate worth 100 guineas
, a vase worth £60 and command of another packet ship. The artist Samuel Drummond painted Rogers' portrait, and also created a depiction of the action, while other engravers and artists produced versions to illustrate the stories carried in the papers.
Caribbean Sea
The Caribbean Sea is a sea of the Atlantic Ocean located in the tropics of the Western hemisphere. It is bounded by Mexico and Central America to the west and southwest, to the north by the Greater Antilles, and to the east by the Lesser Antilles....
on 1 October 1807, 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...
, between the British packet ship
Packet ship
A "packet ship" was originally a vessel employed to carry post office mail packets to and from British embassies, colonies and outposts. In sea transport, a packet service is a regular, scheduled service, carrying freight and passengers...
Windsor Castle, and the French privateer
Privateer
A privateer is a private person or ship authorized by a government by letters of marque to attack foreign shipping during wartime. Privateering was a way of mobilizing armed ships and sailors without having to spend public money or commit naval officers...
Jeune Richard. In an unequal battle, the Windsor Castle, under the command of her acting-captain William Rogers, not only defended repeated attacks from the privateer, but finally engaged her, boarded her and after overpowering the much larger crew, forced them below decks and took the privateer as their prize. The victory was widely reported in contemporary papers and journals, Rogers and his crew were hailed as heroes and lavishly rewarded for their valour.
Background
Leeward Islands
The Leeward Islands are a group of islands in the West Indies. They are the northern islands of the Lesser Antilles chain. As a group they start east of Puerto Rico and reach southward to Dominica. They are situated where the northeastern Caribbean Sea meets the western Atlantic Ocean...
and Barbados
Barbados
Barbados is an island country in the Lesser Antilles. It is in length and as much as in width, amounting to . It is situated in the western area of the North Atlantic and 100 kilometres east of the Windward Islands and the Caribbean Sea; therein, it is about east of the islands of Saint...
in September 1807, carrying the mail. She carried six 4-pounder guns and two 9-pounder carronades, and had a crew of 28 men and boys. Early on the morning of 1 October a sail was sighted, and by half past eight the mystery ship was piling on sail to catch the packet. Identifying her as a privateer schooner
Schooner
A schooner is a type of sailing vessel characterized by the use of fore-and-aft sails on two or more masts with the forward mast being no taller than the rear masts....
, Rogers attempted to outrun the enemy, but she continued to close and he realised he would be compelled to fight. His enemy was the Jeune Richard, carrying six long 6-pounder guns and one long 18-pounder gun, a considerably heavier weight of shot than the Windsor Castle. The Jeune Richard also had a crew of 92, over three times that of the British packet.
Battle
Rogers prepared for action, and stood by to sink the mail should it become necessary to keep it out of enemy hands. By noon the Jeune Richard had closed the distance, and running up the French colours, she opened fire. The Windsor Castle returned fire, at which the French called on Rogers to surrender. He refused, so the Jeune Richard ran alongside the Windsor Castle deploying grappling ironsGrappling hook
A grappling hook is an anchor with multiple hooks , attached to a rope; it is thrown, dropped, sunk, projected, or fastened directly by hand to where at least one hook may catch and hold. Generally, grappling hooks are used to temporarily secure one end of a rope. They may also be used to dredge...
, and attempted to board. The Windsor Castle′s crew mustered with pike
Pike (weapon)
A pike is a pole weapon, a very long thrusting spear used extensively by infantry both for attacks on enemy foot soldiers and as a counter-measure against cavalry assaults. Unlike many similar weapons, the pike is not intended to be thrown. Pikes were used regularly in European warfare from the...
s and repelled the boarders, killing or wounding between eight and ten of the French. The Jeune Richard′s crew attempted to cut the lines and pull away but the Windsor Castle′s main yard remained locked in the privateer's rigging, holding the two ships together.
The fighting continued for several hours, but by 3pm one of the Windsor Castle′s 9-pounder carronades had been brought up on deck and loaded with double grape
Grapeshot
In artillery, a grapeshot is a type of shot that is not a one solid element, but a mass of small metal balls or slugs packed tightly into a canvas bag. It was used both in land and naval warfare. When assembled, the balls resembled a cluster of grapes, hence the name...
, canister
Canister shot
Canister shot is a kind of anti-personnel ammunition used in cannons. It was similar to the naval grapeshot, but fired smaller and more numerous balls, which did not have to punch through the wooden hull of a ship...
and 100 musket balls. When the French made another attempt to force their way aboard, this was discharged to great effect, sweeping the privateer's decks and causing considerable casualties and damage. Rogers then led five of his men onto the Jeune Richard and forced the French from their guns, driving them below after a fierce fight and securing control of the privateer. With the French crew trapped below but still considerably greater in number than the small British force that had control of the decks, Rogers ordered each Frenchman up on deck one at a time, where they were then placed in irons.
Aftermath
With the Jeune Richard secured, Rogers took her and the Windsor Castle to the nearest British port. The British had three dead and ten wounded, the French had twenty-one dead and thirty-three wounded. Rogers then made his report to the officer commanding the station, Admiral Sir Alexander CochraneAlexander Cochrane
Admiral Sir Alexander Forrester Inglis Cochrane GCB RN was a senior Royal Navy commander during the Napoleonic Wars.-Naval career:...
. Cochrane forwarded his report to the Admiralty
Admiralty
The Admiralty was formerly the authority in the Kingdom of England, and later in the United Kingdom, responsible for the command of the Royal Navy...
, adding an accompanying note; The news of how Rogers had turned upon his pursuer and taken her as his prize created a sensation. The account appeared in numerous newspapers, journals and periodicals. Societies and guilds joined to raise subscriptions to reward Rogers and his crew. In addition to sums of money Rogers received two swords, a piece of plate worth 100 guineas
Guinea (British coin)
The guinea is a coin that was minted in the Kingdom of England and later in the Kingdom of Great Britain and the United Kingdom between 1663 and 1813...
, a vase worth £60 and command of another packet ship. The artist Samuel Drummond painted Rogers' portrait, and also created a depiction of the action, while other engravers and artists produced versions to illustrate the stories carried in the papers.