A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Fleming, John
FLEMING. (Commander, 1814. f-p., 22; h-p., 31.)
John Fleming entered the Navy, in May, 1794, as Midshipman, on board the Hornet 18, Capt. Christmas Paul; and, from Feb. 1795, until Oct. 1800, served, as Master’s Mate, in the Flora 36, Capt. Henry Lidgbird Ball, Lowestoffe 32, Capt. Robt. Plampin, and Tamar 38, Dictator 64, and Fisgard 38, all commanded by Capt. Thos. Byam Martin. During that period he saw, in the Lowestoffe’s boats, much active service in the Mediterranean – was in the Tamar during the unsuccessful attack on Puerto Rico in April, 1797 – and when in the Fisgard, whose force consisted, of 46 guns and 281 men, assisted at the capture, 20 Oct. 1798, of L’Immortalité, of 42 guns and 580 men, after a close and obstinate conflict of great length, a loss to the British of 10 killed and 26 wounded, and to the enemy of 54 killed and 61 wounded.[1] He also aided in the Fisgard’s boats, and was highly spoken of for his conduct, at the cutting out, 11 June, 1800, within the Penmarck rooks (and in opposition to a heavy battery, three armed vessels, and a constant fire of musketry from the shore), of a gun boat, two chasse-marées, and eight merchantmen;[2] besides which he contributed, 12 days afterwards, to the destruction of three batteries, mounting 7 24-pounders, on the banks of the Quimper river; and, on 1 July, was instrumental to the further destruction of five national vessels, carrying altogether 50 guns, and of 15 others laden with valuable cargoes, lying under the protection of six strong batteries and of other defences, near the south-east part of Noirmoutier. In Nov. 1803, Mr. Fleming, who had been promoted to a Lieutenancy, 2 Oct. 1800, in the Garland 28, was wrecked in that vessel off St. Domingo. Becoming then Senior Lieutenant of the Theseus 74, Capt. John Bligh, he witnessed the surrender of the French squadron with the remains of General Rochambeau’s army from Cape François on board; and in the early part of 1804 he shared in the unsuccessful attack on Curaçoa. During a subsequent attachment of 18 months, also as First-Lieutenant, to the Franchise 36, Capts. Hon. John Murray and Chas. Dashwood, he landed on the latter island, with a party of seamen and marines under his orders, and destroyed several batteries; and he also, on separate occasions, commanded the boats at the hard-wrought capture of two French privateers. On the night of 6 Jan. 1806, Mr. Fleming performed an act of singular gallantry in taking, in Campeachy Bay, the Spanish corvette El Raposa, carrying 12 guns and 75 men, besides swivels and cohoons, which vessel, after an obstinate conflict of 10 minutes’ duration, and a loss to the enemy of 5 men killed and 26 wounded, was boarded and carried by the British, who, in three boats with 64 men, of whom only 7 were wounded, had also to contend against a brig of 20 guns, a schooner of 8 guns, and 7 gun-vessels. For his meritorious conduct on this occasion, Mr. Fleming was presented with a sword from the Patriotic Fund, but he was nevertheless suffered to remain on the List of Lieutenants until the conclusion of the war, although Lieut. Peter John Douglas, who was only second in command, was promoted to the next step in his profession, and notwithstanding that he himself had been strongly recommended by his Captain as an officer of distinguished merit and bravery.[3] After commanding for a few months the Découverte schooner, he was invested with the acting-command of the Drake sloop, in which vessel, and similarly in the Bramble, he served, on the Jamaica station, until the summer of 1812, when he joined the San Domingo 74, bearing the flag of Sir John Borlase Warren on the coast of North America. He there, when afterwards in temporary command of a prize, effected several captures; and on being promoted hy the Admiral to the command, in March, 1813, of the Barbadoes 16, had the good fortune to effect the capture, not without opposition, of four American privateers, carrying in the whole 29 guns and 288 men. His appointment to the Barbadoes being confirmed by commission dated 2 Nov. 1814, he subsequently, in 1815, assisted, by the well-directed fire of his sloop, in covering the debarkation of the troops at the reduction of Guadeloupe.[4] Since his return to England, in May, 1816, Commander Fleming has been on half-pay.
He is at present Deputy-Lieutenant for co. Argyle; and is married and has issue.