A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Patton, Thomas
PATTON. (Lieut., 1812. f-p., 10; h-p., 32.)
Thomas Patton entered the Navy, in Sept. 1805, as Fst.-cl. Vol., on board the Otter sloop, Capts. John Davies and Nesbit Josiah Willoughby, under the latter of whom, in the same vessel and the Nériéide 36, he saw a great deal of active service. He was present in the Nériéide in particular at the capture of Ile de Bourbon in July, 1810; also when she compelled the enemy’s sloop Victor to surrender, and exchanged broadsides with the 40-gun frigate Minerve; and again during a series of unhappy although heroic operations, which, by 28 Aug. 1810, terminated in the self-destruction, in Port Sud-Est, Isle of France, of the British frigates Magicienne and Sirius [errata 1], and the capture by a French squadron of the Néréide and Iphigenia – the former after being reduced to a mere wreck, and incurring a loss of nearly her whole crew. On the reduction of the Mauritius in the following Dec. Mr. Patton was sent home in the Minerva frigate, Capt. Robt. Tom Blackler. On his arrival he successively joined the Ann tender, Lieut.-Commander John Turner, lying at Swansea, and the Salvador del Mundo 112, commanded at Plymouth by Capt. John Nash. He attained the rank of Lieutenant 21 March, 1812. His last appointments were – 11 July and 3 Aug. following, to the Egeria and Forester sloops, Capts. Lewis Hole and Alex. Kennedy, on the Home station – 21 April, 1813, to the Benbow 74, Capt. Rich. Harrison Pearson, in the West Indies – and, 26 Oct. 1814, to the Lyra 10, Capt. Dowell O’Reilly, attached to the force in the Mediterranean, whence he returned in Aug. 1815.