A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Smith, George
SMITH. (Captain, 1832.)
George Smith entered the Navy, 16 Sept. 1808, as Fst.-cl. Vol., on board the Princess Caroline 74, Capts. Chas. Dudley Pater and Hugh Downman; in which ship he served in the North Sea, Baltic, and Channel, witnessed the destruction of the French 40-gun frigate Amazone, near Cape Barfleur, 25 March, 1811, and escorted a fleet of Indiamen to Madeira. Removing, in Feb. 1813 (he had attained the rating of Midshipman), to the Undaunted 38, Capt. Thos. Ussher, he took part in the boats of the frigate and a small squadron in a very gallant attack made, 18 Aug. 1813, on the batteries at Cassis, where, after sustaining a loss of 4 men killed and 16 wounded, the British, in four hours, succeeded in capturing three heavy gun-boats and 24 vessels laden with merchandize. He was again, 9 Nov. following, in the boats at the taking of a vigorously defended tower at Port Nouvelle, and the destruction of seven French vessels, lying there under the protection of several batteries; and, in April, 1814, he shared in the honour of conveying Napoleon Buonaparte from Frejus to Elba. Previously to the latter event he had aided, on different occasions, in cutting out a Greek ship and a brig from under the batteries of Marseilles. He left the Undaunted in July, 1814; served from the following Sept. until Aug. 1815 in the Duncan 74, commanded at first by Capt. Ussher and next by Capt. Sam. Chambers, as flag-ship to Sir John Poo Beresford on the coast of Brazil; obtained his first commission 20 Sept. in the latter year; and was subsequently appointed – 13 Sept. 1819, to the Alert sloop, Capt. Chas. Farwell, in the Downs – 23 Jan. 1821 and 25 April, 1323, to the Dispatch 18 and Cambrian 48,[1] Capts. Wm.Clarke Jervoise and Gawen Wm. Hamilton, both on the Mediterranean station, whence he returned to England and was paid off in 1824 – and, 2 Aug. 1826, to the Ganges 84, flag-ship in South America of Sir Robt. Waller Otway, with whom he continued until promoted to the rank of Commander 8 Sept. 1829. In 1830 he was ordered to superintend the instruction of the officers and seamen in the art of naval gunnery on board the Excellent at Portsmouth, where all inventions connected therewith were referred to his opinion. He was nominated, 16 Feb. and 2 Dec. 1831, Supernumerary-Commander of the Spartiate 76 and Victory 104; and, as a reward “for improvements in gunnery,” was advanced to his present rank 13 April, 1832. He has since been on half-pay.
Capt. Smith is the inventor of very superior sights for ships’ guns, of a lever or moveable target, and of paddle-box safety-boats for steam-ships. In 1833 he published a volume entitled ‘A few Remarks on the Siege of Antwerp; also, a Plan for the Suppression of Piracy.’ Agents – Hallett and Robinson.
- ↑ While belonging to this ship he assisted in her boats at the capture of a piratical vessel in the Grecian Archipelago.