A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Dixie, Alexander
DIXIE. (Commander, 1814. f-p., 1 5; h-p., 37.)
Alexander Dixie is third son of the late Rev. Beaumont Dixie, by Margaret, daughter of Rich. Shewin, Esq.; brother of Capt. Rich. Thos. Dixie, R.M.; and uncle of the present Sir Willoughby Wolstan Dixie, Bart., of Bosworth House, co. Leicester.
This officer entered the Navy, 31 Oct. 1795, as Fst.-cl. Vol., on board the Amazon 36, Capt. Robt. Carthew Reynolds, under whom, when in company with the Indefatigable 46, Capt. Sir Edw. Pellew, he was, as Midshipman, wrecked, near Ile Bas, at the close of a gallant action of 10 hours with the French 74-gun ship Les Droits de l’Homme, in which the Amazon sustained a loss of 3 men killed and 15 wounded, 14 Jan. 1797. On regaining his liberty, after 10 months of painful captivity, he rejoined Capt. Reynolds, 24 March, 1798, on board La Pomone 40. In that frigate we find him attending the expedition to Holland in 1799, and then proceeding to the Mediterranean; on his passage whither he narrowly escaped capture by a powerful French squadron. In 1801 Mr. Dixie accompanied Capt. Reynolds to the West Indies in the Orion 74. On the renewal of hostilities, in the early part of 1803, he returned to the Mediterranean on board the Canopus 80, bearing the flag of Rear-Admiral Geo. Campbell; after which he joined, as Acting-Lieutenant and Master’s Mate, the Victorieuse 18, Capt. John Richards, and Victory 100, flag-ship of Lord Nelson; through whom he was confirmed to a Lieutenancy, 17 Oct. 1804, in the Phoebe 36, Capt. Hon. Thos. Bladen Capel. On 21 Oct. 1805 he took part in the battle of Trafalgar; and four days after that memorable event, having volunteered his services for the purpose, he succeeded, with 12 men, in presence of the enemy’s gun-boats and troops, in burning, with all their stores and guns, the Spanish line-of-battle ships El Rargo and Neptuno, which had run on shore at the entrance of the river San Lucar. Mr. Dixie, whose next appointment was, 19 Dec. 1806, to the Colossus 74, commanded in the Channel by Capt. Jas. Nicoll Morris, left that ship in Nov. 1807; from which period he remained on half-pay until Feb. 1811. He then successively joined the Minerva 32, Capt. Rich. Hawkins, Armide 38, Capt. Sir Edw. Thos. Troubridge, and Plantagenet 74 74, Capt. Robt. Lloyd, on the North American station, where he assumed the Acting-Captaincy, 5 July, 1813, of the Chesapeake 38, and was promoted, 7 June, 1814, to the command of the Saracen 18. In that vessel, while in the Chesapeake during a night of the ensuing winter, he effected the capture and destruction, by slipping from his anchorage, of 16 of the enemy’s vessels. Being ordered off the coast of France in 1815, for the interception of Buonaparte, we find him employed in landing arms at Dieppe, where he succeeded in establishing the White flag. Since 9 Sept. in the latter year, on which date the Saracen was put out of commission. Commander Dixie has been unable to procure employment.
In reviewing the services of this officer, we may observe that he has assisted at the capture and destruction of 23 sail of the line, besides a number of frigates, sloops of war, and privateers; and that he has been once shipwrecked, twice imprisoned, and twice wounded in battle. He is a deputy-lieutenant and magistrate for the counties of Leicester and Sussex. Commander Dixie has been twice married. He wedded, in Dec. 1818 (the first time we believe), Rosamond Mary, daughter of the Rev. Joseph Dixie Churchill, Rector of Blickling, co. Norfolk. He has issue six children. Agents – Messrs. Stilwell.