state which she was in when making off, I have the strongest reason to suppose she has now met with a similar fate, particularly as a number of lights and men were seen hanging over her bows, from which I infer she must have received considerable damage; and I think there is every probability of some of his Majesty’s frigates falling in with her, as I unluckily parted with the Immortalité a few hours before[1]. * * * *
(Signed)“Charles Dashwood.”
“Hon. Admiral Cornwallis.”
Captain Dashwood was advanced to post rank, Nov. 2, 1801, and received an official notification from the Commander-in-chief, that the Admiralty had promoted him for his meritorious conduct in the above actions.
Towards the latter end of 1803, he was appointed to the Bacchante of 20 guns, in which ship, after convoying home a fleet from Oporto, he proceeded to the West Indies, and served successively under the orders of the late Sir John Thomas Duckworth and Vice-Admiral Dacres.
On the 3d April, 1805, being on a cruise off the Havannah, he captured la Elizabeth Spanish schooner of 10 guns and 47 men, charged with despatches from the Governor of Pensacola, but which were thrown overboard previous to her surrender. On the 5th of the same month, Lieutenant Oliver of the Bacchante, with 13 men, landed near the harbour of Mariel, in the island of Cuba, and gallantly stormed a tower near forty feet high, on the top of which were planted three long 24-pounders, with loop-holes round its circumference for musketry, and defended by a captain and 30 soldiers. The same officer afterwards proceeded into the port with two boats, and took possession of two schooners laden with sugar, which he brought away from alongside a wharf, in spite of repeated discharges of musketry from the troops and militia, who poured down in numbers from the surrounding country[2].
On the 14th May following, Captain Dashwood captured
- ↑ L’Artémise was destroyed, after having been chased on shore near Brest, by a part of the British blockading squadron, in 1808.
- ↑ Captain Dashwood’s letter respecting this exploit will appear in another place. His brother-in-law, the Hon. Almericus De Courcy, served as Midshipman under Lieutenant Oliver.
was tried by a court-martial, and condemned to be shot, for his conduct on that occasion; which sentence Buonaparte approved and ordered to be carried into execution.
