A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Hicks, John
HICKS. (Lieutenant, 1815. f-p., 9; h-p., 33.)
John Hicks was born 6 Nov. 1792.
This officer entered the Navy, 29 Sept. 1805, as a Volunteer, on board the Powerful 74, Capts. Robt. Plampin, Rich. Buck, Fleetwood Broughton Reynolds Pellew, and Chas. Jas. Johnston. Proceeding in that ship to the East Indies, he there (besides assisting at the capture of the privateers La Henriette, of 20 guns and 124 men, and La Bellone,[1] of 30 guns and 194 men) served as Midshipman in the boats at the capture and destruction, 27 Nov. 1806, of a Dutch frigate, seven brigs-of-war, and about 20 armed and other merchant-vessels lying in Batavia Roads. On 11 Dec. 1807 he similarly contributed to the annihilation, at Griessee, of the dockyard and stores, and of all the men-of-war remaining to Holland in the East Indies. On his ultimate return to Europe Mr. Hicks accompanied the expedition to the Walcheren, where, during the bombaidment of Flushing, he commanded a gun-boat under the very walls of that city, and was in the end towed out with the loss of his mast, and of 1 man killed and 1 wounded. His conduct on the occasion, we may add, was deservedly marked by the approbation of his Captain. From Oct. 1809 to Feb. 1812 he again served with Capt. Plampin on board the Courageux 74, and Gibraltar 84; and while in the latter ship he was for nearly two years constantly employed as a volunteer in her boats in operations against the enemy’s coasting trade, and was in frequent action with their batteries and gun-vessels. In March, 1812, he joined the Stirling Castle 74, Capt. Jahleel Brenton, lying at Chatham, but before he had been many weeks in that ship he was appointed Master’s Mate of the Tenedos 38, Capt. Hyde Parker, and ordered to North America. While on the latter station he assisted at the capture of some of the finest privateers belonging to the United States, and in particular of L’Invincible Napoléon of 16 guns, which he cut out, when in command of the frigate’s boats, from under the heights of Gloucester, near Cape Anne, in Boston Bay, in April, 1813, although exposed to a most galling fire from the enemy’s fieldpieces and musketry. As a reward for his conduct in this afifair Mr. Hicks was ultimately, on 27 May, 1814, appointed Acting-Lieutenant of the Victorious 74, Capt. John Talbot, with whom he made a voyage to Davis Strait, and remained until the following Aug. He was officially promoted 21 Feb. 1815, but has not been since afloat.
He married 10 May, 1826.
- ↑ La Bellone was not taken until after a running fight of considerable length, in which 1 of her men was killed and 6 or 7 wounded. The Powerful on the occasion had 2 killed and 11 wounded [errata 1].