French corvette Bacchante (1795) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids History |
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 France |
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| Name | Bacchante |
| Builder | Pierre, Jacques, & Nicolas Fortier, Honfleur |
| Laid down | October 1794 |
| Launched | 29 December 1795 |
| Completed | 1796 |
| Captured | June 1803 |
 United Kingdom |
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| Name | HMS Bachante |
| Acquired | June 1803 by capture |
| Fate | Sold 1809 |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type | Serpente-class corvette |
| Tonnage | 642 (exact) (bm) |
| Length |
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| Beam | 32 ft 10+1⁄5 in (10.0 m) |
| Depth of hold | 14 ft 8+3⁄4 in (4.489 m) |
| Complement |
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| Armament |
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The French corvette Bacchante was a fast warship launched in 1795. She was part of the Serpente class of corvettes. For a couple of years, she worked as a privateer, which was like a government-approved pirate ship. Later, she joined the official French Navy. In 1803, a British ship called HMS Endymion captured her. The Royal Navy then used Bacchante as their own warship, keeping her name. She served in the West Indies, capturing enemy ships, before being sold in 1809.
Contents
Bacchante in French Service
Bacchante was designed by Charles-Henri Tellier. She was built with a flat bottom. This design helped her protect river entrances.
Between 1797 and 1798, Bacchante operated as a privateer. Her captain was Pierre Lefortier. A privateer was a private ship authorized by a government to attack enemy shipping.
By 1801, Bacchante was back in the French Navy. She was stationed at Havre under Lieutenant Bellenger. In 1802 and 1803, she sailed between Brest and San Domingo. When war broke out again in 1803, Bacchante joined two other French ships, Volage and Observateur. Her captain was Lieutenant François-Louis Kerimel.
Captured by the British
On June 25, 1803, the British ship HMS Endymion spotted Bacchante. This happened near the Azores islands. Endymion chased Bacchante for eight hours.
Bacchante was returning to Brest after a three-month trip. She had been to San Domingo. Captain Kerimel tried to escape. During the chase, eight French sailors were killed and nine were wounded. Bacchante's return fire did not hurt any British sailors. Captain Charles Paget of Endymion said Bacchante was a "remarkably fine Ship, of large Dimensions, quite New, and sails very fast."
Bacchante's British Career
Bacchante arrived in Plymouth, England, on July 23, 1803. She spent several months there being prepared for British service. In November 1803, Captain Charles Dashwood took command of Bacchante. She was now a 20-gun post ship, a type of warship.
In February 1804, Bacchante was ordered to protect convoys. These were groups of merchant ships traveling together. She sailed to Falmouth to escort ships from Lisbon and Oporto. Dashwood then sailed her to Jamaica in June 1804.
Capturing Spanish Ships
On April 3, 1805, Bacchante captured a Spanish naval schooner. This ship was named Elizabeth. She had ten guns and 47 men. Elizabeth was carrying important messages. However, her crew threw them overboard before being captured.
Captain Dashwood learned about three privateer ships. They were hiding at Mariel, near Havana. He decided to try and capture them. First, Bacchante's small boats went to attack a tower. This tower was protecting the harbor.
The tower was 40 feet tall. It had three large 24-pounder guns on top. It also had small holes for muskets. A captain and 30 men guarded the tower. The attack began on the evening of April 5. The British sailors and marines captured the fort. They faced heavy fire. One British man was wounded. The Spanish had two killed and three wounded.
After securing the tower, the boats went into the harbor. They found that the privateers had already left. Still, the British managed to capture two schooners. These ships were carrying sugar. They brought them out of the harbor despite heavy gunfire.
A month later, Bacchante was off Havana. On May 14, she captured a Spanish ship called Felix. This ship was a letter of marque. This meant it was a merchant ship allowed to carry guns. Felix had six guns and 42 men. She was carrying beeswax and coffee. Bacchante chased her for four hours. Felix had left Havana the day before. She was the first ship to leave since the British started blocking the port.
By May 27, Bacchante had returned to Deal, England. She was with another ship, Lady Warren. They brought in four large East Indiamen ships. They also escorted other vessels from Jamaica, Lisbon, and Oporto. On June 22, Bacchante and HMS Beaulieu left Portsmouth. They were escorting a convoy to the West Indies.
New Commanders and More Captures
Around July 1805, Commander Randall M'Donnell took command of Bacchante. On November 18, she captured the Spanish privateer Dos Azares. Bacchante was near Cuba when she saw a schooner. M'Donnell knew Bacchante was not very fast. So, he pretended to run away. This tricked the privateer into chasing him. When Dos Azares realized her mistake, M'Donnell chased her. After about seven hours, he captured her.
Dos Azares had two 3-pounder guns and 36 men. She was four days out of Cuba. She had not captured any ships yet. Three of her men were wounded in the fight. Bacchante had no casualties.
In August 1806, Commander James Dacres replaced M'Donnell. On August 29, Bacchante was patrolling off Santa-Martha. Dacres sent her boats to capture or destroy Spanish ships. These ships were anchored in the harbor. At 1 A.M. on August 30, the boats entered the harbor. They immediately headed for the ships. They came under heavy fire from the ships, shore batteries, and field-pieces on the beach. But the fire was not effective. The boats captured three armed ships. These were a brig and two feluccas. No British sailors were hurt. One man was later reported wounded.
Dacres reported the captured ships were:
- A brig of unknown name with four guns. This was the William, a British ship captured by the Spanish.
- The Spanish letter of marque Sebastian. She had one gun and 30 men.
- The Spanish privateer Desiade. She had one gun and 30 men.
Bacchante and her captured ships arrived in Jamaica on September 5.
Raiding Samana
On February 14, 1807, Bacchante captured the French navy schooner Dauphin. This happened off Cape Raphael after a 10-hour chase. Dauphin had one large 12-pounder gun and two 4-pounders. She threw the 4-pounders overboard during the chase. She had a crew of 71 men. Dacres was very happy to capture her. She had been successfully attacking British trade ships.
Dacres then met Captain Wise and the ship Mediator. They were both looking for French warships and privateers. Dacres took Mediator under his command. He planned a raid on the port of Samana. This port was known as a "nest of privateers."
Dacres had Dauphin sail into the harbor flying her French flag. Bacchante pretended to be her captured prize. Mediator, a former merchant ship, looked like a neutral vessel. This trick allowed the British ships to sail into the harbor. They anchored half a mile from the fort. The enemy did not realize they were British ships until it was too late.
The British ships fought the fort for four hours. The fort was mainly manned by privateers. Then, sailors and marines from Bacchante and Mediator attacked the fort by land. Captain Wise led this landing party. The fort fell to the British. They captured two French schooners. These were being prepared as privateers. They also captured an American ship and a British schooner. Both had been captured by French privateers. Before leaving on February 21, the British destroyed the fort and its guns.
Mediator took the most damage from the fort's fire. Dacres had four men wounded. Wise had two men killed and 12 wounded. Dacres believed many French soldiers were hurt. But he did not have an exact number. The French soldiers ran into the woods as the fort fell.
The Lloyd's Patriotic Fund later gave Dacres and Wise each a special sword. Each sword was worth £100. They were given for their brave actions at Samana.
By September 1807, Commander Samuel Hood Inglefield was in command of Bacchante. On September 13, HMS Reindeer was chasing a suspicious schooner. Bacchante arrived and cut off the schooner. The schooner then surrendered. It was the Spanish privateer Amor de la Patria. She had three guns and 63 men. She had not captured any ships.
On October 5, Bacchante recaptured a ship called Atalanta.
On May 11, 1808, Bacchante captured the French navy brig Griffon. This happened off Cape Antonio. Bacchante chased Griffon for almost seven hours. They then fought for half an hour. Griffon only surrendered when she was very close to the shore. Bacchante was also very close behind her. Griffon had fourteen 24-pounder carronades and two 6-pounder guns. She had a crew of 105 men. Five of Griffon's men were wounded. Bacchante had no casualties.
Griffon had sailed from Rochefort to Martinique. Bacchante sent her to Jamaica. The Royal Navy decided to use Griffon as their own ship. She was renamed HMS Griffon.
On June 10, 1808, Commander William Ward of HMS Pelican was promoted. He became a post captain in Bacchante. He replaced Inglefield. Ward then sailed Bacchante back to Britain.
Bacchante's Final Days
The British Navy offered Bacchante for sale in Portsmouth in July 1809. She was sold on July 2.
