rying her gun on a slide, which might at pleasure be lowered into the boat’s bottom as ballast, or raised to fight, either advancing or retreating. This boat, simple in her design, was highly approved of by Earl St Vincent, but justly condemned by many as being very clumsy, the builder having made a mistake in her scantling.
At the renewal of hostilities, Captain Brenton was appointed to the Merlin, an old collier fitted as a sloop of war, and mounting sixteen guns between decks; in which vessel he was frequently engaged with the enemy’s flotilla and land batteries in the neighbourhood of Havre. On the 27th Oct. 1803, he drove on shore, and directed the destruction of a French privateer of 2 guns and 30 men[1].
In Dec. following, Captain Brenton was sent by Captain R. D. Oliver to destroy the Shannon 36, which frigate had run on shore under the strong batteries of Tatihou island, near La Hogue, from whence the enemy were about to remove her, as she had sustained but little damage.
“The crew were made prisoners, and marched into the interior: and the enemy preparing to get the ship off, were prevented by the zeal and enterprise of two young officers. Lieutenants John Sheridan, and Henry C Thompson, who, with a select band of men from a sloop of war, boarded her in the night, and set her on fire. The forts opening upon them, continued a heavy but ineffectual discharge of artillery, and they returned to their ship without a man being hurt. At day-light not a vestige of the frigate remained above water. The loss of this ship may be easily accounted for. She stood from Cape La Heve towards La Hogue, with a gale of wind at S.S.W.; as she approached the latter the tide took her under the lee-bow, and carried her up towards the river of Isigny, and when the Captain” (Edward Leveson Gower) “supposed himself to the northward of Cape Barfleur, he had that light-house bearing about north. The night was extremely dark and tempestuous: the Merlin sloop of war, which was in company, made the land about eight o’clock, in a flash of lightning, and instantly wove, under her fore-sail and close-reefed main-top-sail. About this time the Shannon must have grounded[2].
It will be seen by reference to the first three pages of this volume, that the Merlin formed part of the squadron under Captain Oliver, at the bombardment of Havre, July 23, and
- ↑ See p. 180 of this volume.
- ↑ Nav. Hist. Vol III, p. 102.
