A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Smith, William (a)

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SMITH. (Captain, 1846. f-p., 24; h-p., 17.)

William Smith entered the Navy in July, 1806, as Fst.-cl. Vol., on board the Shannon of 50 guns, throwing a broadside weight of 538 lbs., and 306 men, Capt. Philip Bowes Vere Broke. In that frigate, after visiting the Greenland seas for the protection of the whale fisheries, he witnessed the surrender of Madeira, and assisted as Midshipman in taking, among other vessels, Le Pommereuil French cutter privateer of 14 guns and 60 men, the Nautilus American brig of 14 guns and 106 men, and the Thorn privateer of 18 guns and 140 men. He was also, 1 June, 1813, present at the memorable capture of the American ship Chesapeake of 50 guns, yielding a broadside weight of 590 lbs., and 376 men; an exploit which was achieved after 15 minutes of intense combat, productive of a loss to the British of 24 men killed and 59 wounded, and to the enemy of 47 killed and 115 wounded. “The Chesapeake’s maintop,” says Mr. James in his account of this action, “was stormed by Midshipman Wm. Smith and his topmen, about five in number, who either destroyed or drove on deck all the Americans there stationed. This gallant young man had deliberately passed along the Shannon’s foreyard, which was braced up to the Chesapeake’s mainyard, which was nearly square, and thence into her top."”^[1] As a reward for the valour he had displayed, Mr. Smith, who had been particularly recommended by his Captain, was promoted, 14 July following, to the rank of Lieutenant. He continued in the Shannon until Nov. 1813; and was subsequently appointed – 27 Oct. 1815, to the Tiber 38, Capt. Jas. Rich. Dacres, with whom he served on the Irish, Newfoundland, and Channel stations until paid off 18 Sept. 1818 – and, in May, 1822, and Dec. 1825, to the Alligator 28, Capts. Thos. Alexander and Henry Ducie Chads, and Boadicea 46, Commodore Sir Jas. Brisbane, both in the East Indies, where he was actively employed during the war in Ava. While attached to the Alligator he commanded a division of boats, in Feb. 1825, and had 2 men mortally wounded, at the destruction of a stockade a few miles above Thesit. He contrived about the same period to render inefiective several of the

1. Although described as Midshipman in the above extract, Mr. Smith in the preceding Feb. had been rated Master’s Mate. In Capt. Broke’s offlcial letter (Vide Gaz. 1813, p. 1329) he is represented as having stormed the enemy’s foretop.