A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Salmon, John
SALMON. (Retired Commander, 1843. f-p., 16; h-p., 34.)
John Salmon entered the Navy, in Oct. 1797, as a Volunteer, on board the Galatea 32, Capt. Hon. Geo. Byng, in which frigate he served on the coast of Ireland until Dec. 1799, in the capacity of Midshipman. He was next, from Jan. 1800 until April, 1805, employed, chiefly as Master’s Mate, and Acting Master, in the Dromedary store-ship, Capt. Bridges Watkinson Taylor (under whom he was wrecked in the Bocca, off Trinidad, 10 Aug. 1800), Daphne 20, Capt. Rich. Matson, Cyane 18, Capt. Henry Matson, Éclair schooner, Lieut.-Commanders Kenneth Mackenzie, D. Callaway, Pollock, Wm. Carr, R. Sutton, Beckett, and Evelyn, and Centaur 74, Commodore Sir Sam. Hood, all on the West India station; where, on leaving the Centaur he was placed in command, with the rank of Acting-Lieutenant, of the Amboyna prison-ship. When Acting-Master of the Éclair, whose force did not exceed 12 18-pounder carronades and 60 men, he assisted, 5 Feb. 1804, in beating off and putting to flight the celebrated French privateer Grand Décidé, of 22 long 8-pounders and a complement, including 80 soldiers, of about 220 men, after a most gallant engagement of 45 minutes, productive to the British of a loss of not more than 1 man killed and 4 wounded. Their vessel, however, had her standing and running rigging cut to pieces, and her barricade, masts, and yards much damaged. In command of the Éclair’s cutter, manned with 11 volunteers, Mr. Salmon, on 5 of the following month, boarded (in the face of a heavy fire from a battery at the entrance of the harbour of Hayes, Guadeloupe, and from the vessel herself) and, after a short resistance of 10 minutes, carried the French privateer Rose of 1 long brass 8-pounder on a pivot and 49 men well armed and fully prepared. Of these 5 were killed and 10, including the Captain and 4 that jumped overboard, wounded – no casualty whatever occurring to the British, who, although in a dead calm and exposed to a fire of great guns and musketry from the shore, contrived, by dint of towing and sweeping, to carry off their prize. Towards the close of 1805 Mr. Salmon was removed from the Amboyna to the command, still with the rank of Acting-Lieutenant, of the Tobago schooner of 10 guns; in which vessel, after having been for some months employed in exchanging prisoners of war between the dépôts at Barbadoes, Grenada, and Guadeloupe, he was captured, 18 Oct. 1806, despite a brave resistance of an hour and a half, by the French privateer Général Ernest. On being restored to liberty, he was presented with a commission bearing date 24 June, 1807, and was appointed, in the course of the same month, to the Argus sloop, Capt. Jas. Stuart, on the Irish station, where he cruized until obliged, in Dec. 1810, to invalid. From 9 March, 1812, until 17 April, 1815, he was employed in the Impress service at Liverpool. He accepted the rank of Commander on the Retired List 10 April, 1843.