A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Slaughter, William
SLAUGHTER, K.H. (Captain, 1837. f-p., 21; h-p., 32.)
William Slaughter was born 11 Nov. 1787. This officer entered the Navy, 21 Dec. 1794, as Fst.-cl. Vol., on board the Triumph 74, Capts. Erasmus Gower, Wm. Essington, Thos. Seccombe, Eliab Harvey, and Sir Robt. Barlow; in which he was for ten years employed (part of the time under the flag of Rear-Admiral Collingwood) on the Home and Mediterranean stations. He was in consequence present in Cornwallis’ celebrated retreat, 16 and 17 June, 1795, and in the action off Camperdown 11 Oct. 1797. On leaving the Triumph he became Midshipman (a rating he had attained in Jan. 1800) of the Barfleur 98, Capt. Geo. Martin, lying at Spithead; and on 29 Jan. 1805 he was nominated Sub-Lieutenant of the Bold gun-brig, Lieut.-Commander Wm. Chivers. While in that vessel he was constantly engaged with the enemy’s flotilla on the coast of France, and for his conduct in bringing out a national cutter from under the strong batteries of Calais, received the thanks of Commodore Edw. W. C. R. Owen. On 18 Sept. 1806 he was made full Lieutenant into the Lucifer, Capt. Robt. Elliot, stationed at first in the Downs and next in the Mediterranean; where, prior to his removal in Jan. 1809 to the Amphion 32, Capt. Wm. Hoste, he passed the Dardanells with Sir John Duckworth, co-operated with the army in the attack upon Rosetta, and obtained the thanks of Lord Cochrane for his exertions during the defence of Trinidad Castle, attached to the fortress of Rosas, as well as of Rear-Admiral Sir Alex. John Ball for having in an open boat conveyed important despatches to Capt. Hon. Arthur Kaye Legge, senior officer off Syracuse. With the boats of the Amphion [errata 1] under his orders, Lieut. Slaughter took possession, 27 Aug. 1809, of six gun-boats and a convoy of merchant trabaccolos anchored under the walls of the strong fortress of Cortellazzo, near Trieste, which had just before been stormed and carried by a body of seamen and marines under the present Capt. Chas. Geo. Rodney Phillott.[1] On 29 Aug. 1810, a convoy having been chased the day before into the harbour of Grade, he landed at the head of a detachment of seamen and marines from the Amphion and Cerberus a little to the right of the town, which he at once proceeded to attack. On their march the British were met, about the dawn of day, by a body of troops and peasantry, who opened a very destructive fire and obliged them to retire to the shelter of some hillocks. Conceiving that they were retreating to their boats, the French quitted a very advantageous position which they had been occupying, and charged with the bayonet. They were, however, received with characteristic bravery and steadiness – and a Lieutenant, a Serjeant, and 38 Privates of the 81st Regt. of French Infantry were made prisoners. Lieut. Slaughter and his party then entered the town and took possession of the vessels, 25 in number. At about 11 a.m. a detachment of the 5th Regt. of French infantry, consisting of a Lieutenant and 24 men, entered Grade from Maran, a village in the interior; these were instantly attacked by Lieut. Slaughter and the force that was nearest to them, consisting of a division of seamen and marines belonging to the Amphion and also to the Active frigate, whose boats had landed just as the men of the Amphion and Cerberus had achieved their exploit. The same intrepidity which had ensured success on that occasion produced it on this – the enemy, after two of their number had been killed, throwing down their arms and surrendering. Every exertion was now made to get the convoy out of the river, but, it being almost low water, that object was not to be effected before 7 p.m., and then not without great labour and fatigue, the men having to shift the cargoes of the large vessels into small ones, in order to float them over the bar. The loss on the part of the British in performing this very gallant service amounted to 4 marines killed and 1 Lieutenant of marines, 3 seamen, and 4 marines wounded; that of the French to 10 killed, 8 by bayonet wounds, a proof of the nature of the conflict, and 8 wounded. “I cannot,” says Capt. Hoste In his official account of the performance, addressed to Sir Chas. Cotton, the Commander-in-Chief, “sufficiently express my thanks to the Commanding Lieutenant, Slaughter, who has on this, and on many frequent instances before, given proofs of courage and conduct which merit every encouragement; and I beg leave to recommend him in the strongest terms to your consideration.”[2] Mr. Slaughter was in consequence rewarded with a Commander’s commission dated 21 Nov. 1810. Previously to quitting the Amphion he appears to have been engaged in other attacks on the enemy’s towns and convoys. On one occasion, while endeavouring to burn a Russian squadron at Trieste, the boat he was in was upset, at night, by a concussion of Congreve-rockets, and he and his crew, exposed to a heavy fire, were only saved by the timely assistance rendered by another boat. Assuming command, 17 Dec. 1812, of the Archer sloop, Capt. Slaughter, while stationed in April, 1814, off Dunkerque, received on board a deputation from that town charged with an invitation to Louis XVIII. to return and take possession of his throne and kingdom. This deputation he presented in person at the Admiralty and to His Majesty at his abode at Hartwell House, In Buckinghamshire. He then conveyed it back to Dunkerque. Although the event was considered of so much importance that its announcement was accompanied by a discharge from the Park and Tower guns, Capt. Slaughter, contrary, we believe, to the custom prevalent on such occasions, was not promoted; nor was any part of the expense he had incurred (amounting to 230l.) restored to him. He afterwards accompanied the expedition against New Orleans. He paid off the Archer in Sept. 1815; and was lastly, from 2 July, 1829, until 1832, employed as an Inspecting-Commander in the Coast Guard. He was nominated a K.H. 1 Jan. 1837; and advanced, 10 of the same month, to Post-rank. Capt. Slaughter has been three times wounded. Agents – Messrs. Stilwell.