466
HARRIES—HARRIOTT.
1804, to the Wasp 18, Capts. Hon. Fred. Wm. Aylmer and John Simpson, which vessel, in Aug. 1805, effected a very wonderful escape from a pursuing squadron of French ships – 4 Oct. in the latter year, to the Star 18, commanded by Capt. Simpson, on the coast of Portugal, where, with two boats containing about 20 men, he boarded and captured, in Jan. 1806, a Spanish lugger privateer, of 1 long 6-pounder, 6 swivels, and 45 men – and, 28 Jan. 1807, to the Excellent 74, Capts. Thos. West and K. Griffiths, under the former of whom he assisted at the defence of the citadel of Rosas, when besieged by the French in Nov. 1808. During the period of his attachment to the Excellent, Mr. Harper saw a great deal of detached service, and on every occasion he displayed the character of a. most experienced and enterprising officer. He particularly, however, on 29 July, 1809, excited the admiration of his beholders by the prompt, gallant, and determined manner in which, under a covering fire from the Acorn and Bustard sloops, he boarded and carried, with the Excellent’s boats, six Italian gun-vessels, armed with long 18 and 24-pounders, and each manned with 20 men; the whole of them, together with a convoy of 10 laden trabacolos, being brought out, with but trifling loss to the British, from the harbour of Duino, near Trieste.[1] In the following Sept. he again presents himself to our notice as destroying, with only two boats under his orders, a large armed schooner lying aground under some heavy batteries in the neighbourhood of Brindisi. He soon after this received the thanks of the Admiralty for his valorous conduct in the affair at Duino -, but it was not until 17 April, 1810, that he had the satisfaction of being promoted by their lordships to the rank of Commander. On 19 Aug. 1812, Capt. Harper obtained command of the Saracen 18, in which sloop he remained for a period of two years, and performed a train of brilliant services. In the first place, he contrived, on 23 of the month following his appointment, having at the time but his marines and a few harbour-duty men on board, to capture, near Beachy Head, one of two fugitive privateers, Le Coureur, mounting 14 guns, with a crew of 50 men, commanded by an able and experienced Captain.[2] He next, in the early part of 1813, proceeded to the Adriatic, where, on the night of 17 June following, he landed with his boats, containing 40 men, in a storm on the island of Zupano, of which, after a difficult march of three miles, he succeeded in obtaining possession, although the whole of his ammunition had been rendered unserviceable, and he had to contend with a garrison of about 60 men.[3] Encouraged by this good fortune, Capt. Harper, in the course of the next month, determined, in unison with Capt. Jas. Black of the Weasel sloop, to make a similar attempt on the adjoining island of Mezzo; and in this instance also the same happy issue crowned his endeavours; the castle, after an investment of several days, being compelled to surrender, and the troops taken prisoners of war.[4] As a reward for these achievements he was intrusted by the Commander-in-Chief with the entire direction of the blockade of Ragusa and Boco di Cattaro, where his activity and vigilance kept the whole coast in a constant state of alarm. On one occasion, in Sept. 1813, he landed near the former place with his Master, Boatswain, and 20 men (all he had on board, the rest of the crew being employed on detached service), and intercepted a convoy of 50 oxen, the whole of which were embarked in fishing-boats, and brought safe alongside the Saracen. In Oct. 1813, the Bacchante frigate, Capt. Wm. Hoste, having arrived off Ragusa, Capt. Harper handsomely volunteered the command of her launch and barge, together with two Sicilian gun-vessels and the boats of his own sloop; with which force he not only took four heavy gun-boats lying between the island of St. Giorgio and the town of Cattaro, but also gallantly made himself master of the former place, the Commandant and garrison (139 in number) surrendering at discretion. The capture of St. Giorgio was an event of the utmost importance, and was so highly esteemed by Capt. Hoste, that he declared himself unable in too warm terms to characterize the conduct which had led to it.[5] Its subjugation was followed by that of Castelnuovo and Fort Espagnol, mounting 6 brass guns, 19 iron ditto, and 7 swivels, and garrisoned by 299 officers and men. Capt. Harper afterwards, by his indefatigable zeal, contributed in a very signal manner to the arduous reduction of the towns of Cattaro and Ragusa, both which places fell in Jan. 1814.[6] His successful career in the Adriatic closed with the blockade and surrender of Venice. He attained Post-rank 7 June, 1814, and was subsequently appointed, in the course of that year and of 1815-16, to the command, on the East India and North American stations, of the Tyne 24, Wellesley 74, Doris 36, and Wye 28. He went on half-pay in Dec. 1818; and accepted the Retirement 1 Oct. 1846.
Capt. Harper was nominated a C.B. 4 June, 1815. He had been previously presented by the Emperor of Austria with the Order of Leopold, as a reward for his distinguished conduct at Cattaro and Ragusa. He has been twice married – the second time, 30 Oct. 1834, to Susannah Maria, widow of the late H. Young, Esq., of Soldens, co. Surrey. His eldest son, John Horatio Harper, was educated at the Royal Naval College, and perished on board the Arab.
HARRIES. (Lieutenant, 1833.)
Edward Thornborough Harries was born 5 June, 1804, and died towards the close of 1845.
This officer entered the Navy 15 June, 1815, and, between that period and his promotion to the rank of Lieutenant, which took place 11 March, 1833, nine years after he had passed his examination, served on board the Ferret 12, Phaeton 36, Ramillies 74, Tamar 24, Queen Charlotte 100, Starling cutter, and Hyperion 42. He was appointed, 9 Nov. following, to the Sparrowhawk 16, Capt. Chas. Pearson, under whom he was employed for nearly three years on the South American station; and he lastly, from 23 June, 1837, until the period of his death, commanded a station in the Coast Guard.
Lieut. Harries married, first, Anna Maria, youngest daughter of Hercules Jenkings, Esq., of Braganza Lodge, co. Cornwall; and, secondly, 17 Nov. 1840, Elizabeth Ann, only daughter of John Hill, Esq., of the same county. He has left issue two children.
HARRIOTT. (Lieut., 1815. f-p., 10; h-p., 37.)
Thomas Harriott is brother of Wm. Harriott, Esq., Master R.N. (1828), now Superintendent of Convicts at Bermuda.
This officer entered the Navy, in 1800, on board the Hannibal 74, Capt. Solomon Ferris, which ship, having grounded under the enemy’s batteries, was compelled, after a long and deadly resistance, inflictive on her of a loss of 81 men killed and 62 wounded, to strike her colours, in the action off Algeciras, 6 July, 1801. Being soon, however, restored to liberty, Mr. Harriott returned to England, and in the following Nov. was discharged. He re-embarked, in Oct. 1803, on board the Terrible 74, Capt. Lord Henry Paulet, fitting at Portsmouth; and in May, 1804, and March, 1805, we find him joining the Tigre and Renown 74’s, Capts. Benj. Hallowell and Sir Rich. John Strachan; in the last-mentioned of which ships he came home from the Mediterranean, immediately after his removal to her, and was paid off. He did not again go afloat until Jan. 1808, when he succeeded in obtaining a berth on board the Erebus 18, Capts. Wm. Autridge, Henry Lyford, Geo. Brine, John Forbes, and David Ewen Bartholomew, under whom he thenceforward served, on the Home, Baltic, and North American stations, until Sept. 1814.
