A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Sloan, George
SLOAN. (Lieut., 1812. f-p., 12; h-p., 32.)
George Sloan was born about 1780.
This officer (who had previously been in the merchant-service) entered the Navy, 4 July, 1803, as A.B., on board the Gannet sloop, Capts. Edw. Bass, Jas. Robt. Philips, Chas. Philip Butler Bateman, and Jas. Stevenson; in which vessel he was for upwards of four years and a half chiefly employed in the Channel. In 1807 he accompanied, in the capacity of Master-Mate (a rating he had attained in April, 1805), the expedition against Copenhagen; where, on the surrender of the Danish fleet, he assisted in fitting out the Little Belt 24. On his return to England in the Sarpen 18, another of the prizes, he assisted in dismantling the rest of the captured ships. He was subsequently employed – from 23 April, 1808, until 8 Oct. 1811, as Master’s Mate and Acting-Lieutenant (order dated 17 Nov. 1810) in the Amelia 38, Capt. Hon. Fred. Paul Irby, on the coast of France and Spain and among the Western Islands – from 9 Oct. 1811 until 21 April, 1812, as a Supernumerary Midshipman, in the Royal William, Capt. Robt. Hall, at Spithead – from 22 April until 26 Aug. 1812, as Admiralty- Midshipman, in the Montagu 74, flag-ship of Rear-Admiral Manley Dixon in South America – and from 26 Aug. in the latter year until 29 Aug. 1814, as Acting-Lieutenant and Lieutenant (commission dated 30 Dec. 1812) in the Bonne Citoyenne 20, Capt. Pitt Burnaby Greene, on the same, the Home, and West India stations. In the Amelia he contributed to the destruction of three French frigates under the batteries of Sable d’Olonne, 24 Feb. 1809; witnessed the capture of La Mouche corvette of 16 guns and 180 men. La Rejouie national brig of 8 guns and 51 men, a schooner of 1 gun and 25 men, two armed luggers with cargoes (all taken on one occasion, in company with the Statira 38) and Le Charles privateer of 20 guns, 300 tons, and 170 men; and aided in causing the self-destruction, 25 March, 1811, of L’Amazone, a French frigate of the largest class, which had been driven into a bay near Cape Barfleur. While Mr. Sloan was acting as First-Lieutenant in the Bonne Citoyenne that ship unfortunately took the ground, with nearly half a million of money on board, and was in consequence obliged to be hove down. The specie was forthwith discharged into a Portuguese vessel, and sent home under the care of himself and the Master, the only officers on board. Since Aug. 1814 the Lieutenant, who had not until then been more than six weeks on shore since he entered the Navy, has been on half-pay.