HMS Dominica (1805)
Encyclopedia
HMS Dominica was a schooner that the British purchased in 1805 in the Leeward Islands.Contemporary reports by her commanders refer to her as a sloop or a brig. Her crew mutinied in 1806, turning her over to the French, who immediately sent her out as the privateer Napoleon. The British recaptured her four days after the mutiny and returned her to their service. In British service she captured some six small privateers. She was broken up in 1808.
off Scotts Head, Dominica
. She had a crew of 14 men armed with small arms. She was three days out of Pointe-à-Pitre
and had not captured anything. At about the same time, Dominica captured a schooner.
Later that month, on the 25th, Dominica chased a French rowboat privateer for several hours before catching her in the lee of Dominica. The privateer was the Ravanche, armed with a 12-pounder carronade
in her bows and several swivel gun
s. She had only 15 men on board, having taken three small vessels during her eight weeks out of Guadeloupe.
A week later, on 2 September, at 8 am and about five leagues from The Saints
, Dominica captured another rowboat, the Prudente. Prudente had not realized that Dominca was a warship and approached. As soon as she realized her mistake, she attempted to escape. The wind being calm, Peter send Midshipman Jackson and eight volunteers in a boat to capture Prudente, while shooting grape
and canister
at her from Dominica. Two hours and two leagues on, Dominicas boat caught up with the privateer. After the British had fired a few volleys of small arms fire, the enemy surrendered. The British had one man hurt when he broke his collarbone.
collecting dispatches for Admiral Lord Alexander Cochrane
, a crewman attacked the master, Richard Osborne. Osborne disarmed the man, but then other crewmen came up, captured Osborne, and secured him and the other loyal crew below deck. The mutineers then sailed Dominica overnight to Basse-Terre
, Guadeloupe.
The mutineers reported that Roseau was defenseless and had merchant vessels in port with cargoes of sugar. The French immediately commissioned Dominica as the privateer Napoleon and put 73 men on board, including some artillerymen. Several of the mutineers remained on board as well. General Hortade, out of uniform, joined them. They then on 23 May sent Napoleon, under Captain Vincent Gautier, together with the schooner Imperial, towards Roseau.
Duke of Montrose was willing, but had a crew of only 22 men and boys. The President then put on board 26 men from the 46th Regiment of Foot
and 13 men from the light company of the 3rd West India Regiment
under the command of Lieutenant Wallis of the 46th, and Duke of Montrose set out in chase.
As was sailing into Prince Rupert Bay, Dominica, she received a signal from , anchored there, that the enemy was in sight. Captain B. Sterling Bluett and Wasp immediately gave chase, with Wasp capturing a cutter, which turned out to be the Napoleon. In her attempt to escape she had suffered two men killed; the British had no casualties In setting out to chase the French privateers, Duke of Montrose had caused Napoleon to alter her course and into the path of . Cochrane, in his dispatch, remarked on the lack of judgment involved in a general engaging in "petty predatory Warfare", and out of uniform.
Duke of Montrose succeeded in bringing Imperial to action and about 45 minutes of exchange of fire ensued. As Cygnet came up, Imperial struck.
Also at Roseau, Lieutenant Hamilton of the 46th, though ill, gathered a sergeant and 13 men from his regiment and set out in two merchantmen’s boats. They succeeded in recapturing the vessel the French had cut out even though she was several leagues at sea.
In recapturing Dominica, the British also recaptured several of the mutineers, including the ring leader, William (or Henry) Proctor. In his defense he produced evidence that he was an American and pointed out that he had harmed no one and had destroyed all the confidential signals before he had turned her over to the French. The court martial board had him hanged. The cook, Naiad Suarie, was also sentenced to hang but received a Royal Pardon on the basis that he was a negro from Martinique whom Proctor had compelled to join the mutiny with threat of force.
. She had a crew of 19 men, but had sent ten to Martinique on a small schooner that she had captured off Saint Lucia. Bateuse was armed only with small arms.
Then on the night of 2 October Mr. King, the acting master, took Dominicas cutter and cut out two sloops, the Manette and the Dolphin, from under the shore batteries near Saint-Pierre, Martinique
. The two prizes were carrying cargoes of rum and sugar.
Two days later, Dominica captured the French navy schooner Chiffone, which was armed only with small arms. The French were using her as a dispatch vessel between Guadeloupe and Martinique.
On 27 November Dominica captured the French lugger
-rigged "Tow-boat" Basilisk, windward of Marie-Galante. She had a crew of 16 men and was armed with one brass 3-pounder gun. She was returning to Pointe-à-Pitre after a cruise of three months during which she had made three captures.
Initial service
The British commissioned Dominica under Lieutenant Robert Peter. On 11 August 1805 Dominica captured the small rowboat Hazard about two leaguesLeague (unit)
A league is a unit of length . It was long common in Europe and Latin America, but it is no longer an official unit in any nation. The league originally referred to the distance a person or a horse could walk in an hour...
off Scotts Head, Dominica
Scotts Head, Dominica
Scotts Head is a village on the southwest coast of Dominica, in Saint Mark Parish. As of 2001, its population was 721. Predominantly a fishing village, Scotts Head overlooks Soufrière Bay, which is protected as the Soufrière Scotts Head Marine Reserve...
. She had a crew of 14 men armed with small arms. She was three days out of Pointe-à-Pitre
Pointe-à-Pitre
Pointe-à-Pitre is the largest city of Guadeloupe, an overseas région and département of France located in the Lesser Antilles, of which it is a sous-préfecture, being the seat of the Arrondissement of Pointe-à-Pitre....
and had not captured anything. At about the same time, Dominica captured a schooner.
Later that month, on the 25th, Dominica chased a French rowboat privateer for several hours before catching her in the lee of Dominica. The privateer was the Ravanche, armed with a 12-pounder carronade
Carronade
The carronade was a short smoothbore, cast iron cannon, developed for the Royal Navy by the Carron Company, an ironworks in Falkirk, Scotland, UK. It was used from the 1770s to the 1850s. Its main function was to serve as a powerful, short-range anti-ship and anti-crew weapon...
in her bows and several swivel gun
Swivel gun
The term swivel gun usually refers to a small cannon, mounted on a swiveling stand or fork which allows a very wide arc of movement. Another type of firearm referred to as a swivel gun was an early flintlock combination gun with two barrels that rotated along their axes to allow the shooter to...
s. She had only 15 men on board, having taken three small vessels during her eight weeks out of Guadeloupe.
A week later, on 2 September, at 8 am and about five leagues from The Saints
Îles des Saintes
The Îles des Saintes , also called simply Les Saintes , is a small archipelago of French Antilles located in the South of Basse-Terre Island, on the West of Marie-Galante and in the North of Dominica in the arc of Lesser Antilles...
, Dominica captured another rowboat, the Prudente. Prudente had not realized that Dominca was a warship and approached. As soon as she realized her mistake, she attempted to escape. The wind being calm, Peter send Midshipman Jackson and eight volunteers in a boat to capture Prudente, while shooting 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...
and 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...
at her from Dominica. Two hours and two leagues on, Dominicas boat caught up with the privateer. After the British had fired a few volleys of small arms fire, the enemy surrendered. The British had one man hurt when he broke his collarbone.
Mutiny
In 1806 Lieutenant William Dean took command of Dominica. On 21 May, while Dean was on shore at RoseauRoseau
-Architecture:The central district of Roseau is tightly packed with small and large houses and even larger modern concrete structures. There is little green or open space situated within the city, and this is even more so today, as many of the courtyards which was once commonplace within the city...
collecting dispatches for Admiral Lord Alexander Cochrane
Alexander Cochrane
Admiral Sir Alexander Forrester Inglis Cochrane GCB RN was a senior Royal Navy commander during the Napoleonic Wars.-Naval career:...
, a crewman attacked the master, Richard Osborne. Osborne disarmed the man, but then other crewmen came up, captured Osborne, and secured him and the other loyal crew below deck. The mutineers then sailed Dominica overnight to Basse-Terre
Basse-Terre
Basse-Terre is the prefecture of Guadeloupe, an overseas region and department of France located in the Lesser Antilles...
, Guadeloupe.
The mutineers reported that Roseau was defenseless and had merchant vessels in port with cargoes of sugar. The French immediately commissioned Dominica as the privateer Napoleon and put 73 men on board, including some artillerymen. Several of the mutineers remained on board as well. General Hortade, out of uniform, joined them. They then on 23 May sent Napoleon, under Captain Vincent Gautier, together with the schooner Imperial, towards Roseau.
Recapture
The next day, the 24th, at Roseau, the President of Dominica wanted to send out a vessel to chase the Napoleon and the Imperial, which had succeeded in capturing one merchant vessel. The captain of the packet boatPacket boat
Packet boats were small boats designed for domestic mail, passenger and freight transportation in Europe and its colonies, including North American rivers and canals...
Duke of Montrose was willing, but had a crew of only 22 men and boys. The President then put on board 26 men from the 46th Regiment of Foot
46th (South Devonshire) Regiment of Foot
The 46th Regiment of Foot was an infantry regiment of the British Army, created in 1741 and amalgamated into the Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry in 1881.-History:...
and 13 men from the light company of the 3rd West India Regiment
West India Regiment
The West India Regiment was an infantry unit of the British Army recruited from and normally stationed in the British colonies of the Caribbean between 1795 and 1927. The regiment differed from similar forces raised in other parts of the British Empire in that it formed an integral part of the...
under the command of Lieutenant Wallis of the 46th, and Duke of Montrose set out in chase.
As was sailing into Prince Rupert Bay, Dominica, she received a signal from , anchored there, that the enemy was in sight. Captain B. Sterling Bluett and Wasp immediately gave chase, with Wasp capturing a cutter, which turned out to be the Napoleon. In her attempt to escape she had suffered two men killed; the British had no casualties In setting out to chase the French privateers, Duke of Montrose had caused Napoleon to alter her course and into the path of . Cochrane, in his dispatch, remarked on the lack of judgment involved in a general engaging in "petty predatory Warfare", and out of uniform.
Duke of Montrose succeeded in bringing Imperial to action and about 45 minutes of exchange of fire ensued. As Cygnet came up, Imperial struck.
Also at Roseau, Lieutenant Hamilton of the 46th, though ill, gathered a sergeant and 13 men from his regiment and set out in two merchantmen’s boats. They succeeded in recapturing the vessel the French had cut out even though she was several leagues at sea.
In recapturing Dominica, the British also recaptured several of the mutineers, including the ring leader, William (or Henry) Proctor. In his defense he produced evidence that he was an American and pointed out that he had harmed no one and had destroyed all the confidential signals before he had turned her over to the French. The court martial board had him hanged. The cook, Naiad Suarie, was also sentenced to hang but received a Royal Pardon on the basis that he was a negro from Martinique whom Proctor had compelled to join the mutiny with threat of force.
Return to service
The British immediately returned Dominica to service, commissioning her in June under Lieutenant Dean at Antigua. On 18 August the "Armed brig Dominica", as Dean referred to her, captured the French rowboat privateer Bateuse between Dominica and Marie-GalanteMarie-Galante
Marie-Galante is an island of the Caribbean Sea located at the south of Guadeloupe and at north of Dominica. Marie-Galante is a dependence of Guadeloupe which is a french overseas department....
. She had a crew of 19 men, but had sent ten to Martinique on a small schooner that she had captured off Saint Lucia. Bateuse was armed only with small arms.
Then on the night of 2 October Mr. King, the acting master, took Dominicas cutter and cut out two sloops, the Manette and the Dolphin, from under the shore batteries near Saint-Pierre, Martinique
Saint-Pierre, Martinique
Saint-Pierre is a town and commune of France's Caribbean overseas department of Martinique, founded in 1635 by Pierre Belain d'Esnambuc. Before the total destruction of Saint-Pierre in 1902 by a volcanic eruption, it was the most important city of Martinique culturally and economically, being known...
. The two prizes were carrying cargoes of rum and sugar.
Two days later, Dominica captured the French navy schooner Chiffone, which was armed only with small arms. The French were using her as a dispatch vessel between Guadeloupe and Martinique.
On 27 November Dominica captured the French lugger
Lugger
A lugger is a class of boats, widely used as traditional fishing boats, particularly off the coasts of France, Scotland and England. It is a small sailing vessel with lugsails set on two or more masts and perhaps lug topsails.-Defining the rig:...
-rigged "Tow-boat" Basilisk, windward of Marie-Galante. She had a crew of 16 men and was armed with one brass 3-pounder gun. She was returning to Pointe-à-Pitre after a cruise of three months during which she had made three captures.