A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Smith, Robert
SMITH. (Commander, 1814.)
Robert Smith is son of the late Mr. Smith, Carpenter R.N.
This officer entered the Navy, in 1797, as Fst.-cl. Vol., on board the Ville de Paris 110, Capt. Geo. Grey, bearing the flag of Earl St. Vincent off Cadiz and in the Channel, where he continued employed for three or four years, the greater part of the time in the capacity of Midshipman. He served next at Plymouth and in the North Sea, until April, 1803, in the Amethyst 36, Capt. John Cooke; and, from the following Sept. until 1806, in the Mediterranean with his name on the books of the Excellent 74, Capt. Frank Sotheron. During the latter period he acted for three months as Lieutenant in the Intrepid 64, Capt. Hon. Philip Wodehouse. After he had again served for some months with Lord St. Vincent in the Hibernia 120, he was made Lieutenant, 24 Aug. 1807, into the Amaranthe 18, Capt. Edw. Pelham Brenton, which vessel, however, he never joined. His subsequent appointments were – 22 Jan. 1809, to the Magicienne 36, Capt. Lucius Curtis – 8 Dec. 1810, to the acting-command of the Astrea frigate, one of the prizes taken at the Isle of France – 30 April, 1811, after nearly five months of half-pay, to the Venerable 74, Capt. Sir Home Popham, in the Channel – 23 April, 1812 (having left the Venerable in the preceding Jan.), to the Christian VII. 80, Capt. Henry Lidgbird Ball, in the North Sea – and 24 May, 1813, as First, to the Eurotas of 46 guns and 320 men, Capt. John Phillimore. In the Magicienne he assisted at the reduction of the Ile de Bourbon in July, 1810, and took part in a variety of gallant but unfortunate operations, which, by 28 Aug. ensuing, terminated, after a loss to the Magicienne of 8 killed and 20 wounded, in the unavoidable self-destruction of that ship and the Sirius, the capture of the Néréide, and the surrender to a powerful French force of the Iphigenia, the last of a squadron of frigates originally under the orders of Commodore Sam. Pym, at the entrance of Port Sud-Est, Isle of France. Besides witnessing, in the Eurotas, the capture of the French frigate La Trave, Mr. Smith shared, 25 Feb. 1814, in a destructive action, which lasted for two hours and ten minutes, with La Clorinde, mounting 44 guns and 12 brass swivels, with a complement of 360 picked men, of whom 120 were killed and wounded, with a loss to the British of 20 killed and 40 wounded. The enemy’s ship then endeavoured to effect her escape. “I was at this time,” reports Capt. Phillimore, “so much exhausted by loss of blood, from wounds I had received in the early part of the action from a grape-shot, that I found it impossible for me to remain any longer upon deck. I was therefore under the painful necessity of desiring Lieut. Smith to take command of the quarter-deck, to clear the wreck of the foremast and mainmast, which then lay nearly fore and aft the deck, and to make sail after the enemy; but, at the same time, I had the satisfaction of reflecting that I had left the command in the hands of a most active and zealous officer.”[1] On the following day, while the Eurotas was fast gaining on the chase, two sail, to the mortification of every one on board, were perceived on the lee-bow. These proved to be H.M. ships Dryad and Achates, who, crossing the enemy before the Eurotas could get up, deprived the latter of the honour of having the colours hauled down to her. For his gallant conduct Mr. Smith was advanced, 4 March, 1814, to the rank he now holds. He has since been on half-pay. The Commander married, 26 June, 1818, a daughter of Mr. Seeds, a medical practitioner. His third son, Arthur, died 6 Oct. 1842, in his 20th year, on board the Hon.E.I.Co.’s steamer Medusa, in the Yang-tse-Kiang river.
- ↑ Vide Gaz. 1814, p. 481.