in presence of the French squadron which lately sailed from Brest, and in the attack made upon the three frigates belonging to the said squadron. You will communicate to the officers and men their Lordships’ high approbation accordingly[1]. I have the honor to be, &c.
“Hon. Captain F. P. Irby,
H.M.S. Amelia.”
In May following, Captain Irby was sent by Lord Gambier to co-operate with the patriots on the north coast of Spain; and on the 10th June, being off St. Andero, in company with Captain Boys of the Statira, he captured la Mouche French corvette, mounting sixteen brass 8-pounders, with a complement of 180 men; la Rejouie national brig of 8 guns and 51 men; a schooner of 1 gun and 25 men; and two armed luggers with cargoes. These vessels had several soldiers and part of the enemy’s hospital staff on board, and were endeavouring to escape the fate of the French garrison at St. Andero, the whole of whom were taken prisoners on the same day by General Ballasteros.
Captain Irby subsequently captured several other vessels, one of which was le Charles, of Bourdeaux, a remarkably fast sailing corvette privateer, of 20 guns, 300 tons, and 170 men. On the 24th Mar. 1811, the Amelia had 2 men killed and wounded in an attack made on l’Amazon, a French frigate of the largest class, which had been previously driven
- ↑ The frigates alluded to were the Calypso, Italienne, and Sybille, each mounting 44 guns. They were first discovered by Captain Irby near Belleisle, Feb. 23, 1809, and chased by him and Captain Abdy, of the Dotterel brig, during the whole of that night. By day-light, on the 24th, the Amelia and her consort had approached so near to the enemy’s rearmost ship that the others found it necessary to haul up to her support; and the Indefatigable, another British frigate, having previously joined in the pursuit, the whole made sail for the Sable d’Olonne, where they were attacked in the course of the forenoon by three 2-deckers under Rear-Admiral Stopford, assisted by the Amelia, who had formed a junction with that officer, after firing into the Sybille when passing on opposite tacks. The action continued about an .hour and a half, when the enemy, although powerfully assisted by the formidable land batteries, finding themselves unable to withstand the fire of their opponents, either ran or drifted on shore, and having taken the ground at the top of high water, could never afterwards be got afloat. Their loss amounted to 24 men killed and 51 wounded. The British had only 3 men killed and 31 wounded.
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