HMS Sylph

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Sylph, 1795
Type: Brig sloop ; Armament 18
Launched : 1795 ; Disposal date or year : 1811
Notes:

Built of Fir

12 May 1796 capture of Dutch 36-gun frigate Argo off the Texel, by the frigate Ph�nix Captain Lawrence William Halsted, with the Leopard coming up astern, whilst the frigate Pegasus, and brig-sloop Sylph, went in pursuit of 3 brigs accompanying the Argo.

22 - 23 Aug 1796 whilst cruising off the mouth of the river Gironde the squadron of frigates consisting of the Pomone, Anson, Artois, Galatea, and 18-gun Brig-sloop Sylph, Captain John Chambers White, sighted the French frigate Andromaque, which was chased by the Galatea for many hours, until the Andromaque was eventually run ashore in heavy surf, and the job of destroying her by gun and fire being completed by the Sylph.

Sep 1796 captured the French privateer Phoenix in the Channel.

16-17 Jul 1797 with a squadron which destroyed the French frigate Calliope and captured or destroyed a number of her convoy.

25 July 1797 a squadron consisting of the Pomone, Anson, Artois, Triton, Sylph, and Dolly captured the Ship Boston.

11 Aug 1797 with a squadron which destroyed one French vessel and damaged another.

27-28 Aug 1797 with a squadron which chased and captured vessels from a French convoy and damaged or destroyed the cutter Petit-Diable.

17 Sep 1798 Observed a French Squadron from Brest, off the Bec du Raz, sailing for Ireland with troops : followed the squadron over the next few days, her consort, the Boadicea, having departed for England to report the news - see also p. 67-> www.naval-review.org/issues/1928-1.pdf.

23 Sep 1798 despatched to the commander-in-chief on the Irish station to report squadron's movements.

13 Jan 1799 Plymouth, went out of Hamoaze into Cawsand Bay.

14 Jan 1799 Plymouth, departed on a cruise.

20 Jan 1799 retook the sloop Three Sisters, laden with butter, from Cork to Lisbon which has arrived at this port.

14 Feb 1799 Cawsand Bay, Sylph : reports that on the 7th and 8th inst. captured, off Cape Ortegal, two Spanish brigs, one the St Antonio, from Porto Rico bound to Bilboa, laden with cocoa ; the other the Primavera, from the Havannah, bound to St. Andero, laden with sugar, cocoa, indigo, and logwood.

2 Mar 1799 Plymouth, departed with the Lowestoffe, Danai, and Atalante, on a cruize.

21 Mar 1799 captured the Debut French brig, 8 guns, from Bourdeaux to Cayenne, general merchandise, 15 leagues N. W. of Cape Ortegal.

28 Mar 1799 Plymouth, arrived St. Gorondiza, a Spanish packet of 16 guns, from the Havannah for Corunna, with sugars, cochineal, &c. prize to the Mermaid and Sylph.

30 Mar 1799 Plymouth, arrived La Debut, 6 guns, prize to the Sylph.

9 Apr 1799 Plymouth, arrived from off Corunna, the Mermaid and Sylph.

7 May 1799 in Hamoaze.

1 Jul 1799 off Basque road.

10 Jul 1799 Plymouth, came in with despatches from the Isle of Aix, for the Admiralty.

27 Aug 1799 Plymouth, in the Sound.

7 Sep 1799 Plymouth, arrived from a cruize.

9 Sep 1799 Plymouth, departed with dispatches for Lord Bridport.

28 Sep 1799 Plymouth, arrived the Polly, Thompson, of Lisbon, retaken by the Sylph.

2 Oct 1799 Plymouth, on the examination of the French prise-master of the Polly, Thompson, for Liverpool, from Lisbon, recaptured by the Sylph, 18, it came out in evidence that the convoy of the fleet, a Portuguese frigate of 44 guns and 300 men, suffered La Bellone, French Privateer, of 22 guns and 130 men, to come into the middle of the convoy, capture and man five sail worth �10,000 each and carry them off without making any effort to retake them. The Perseverance, one of the five sail, was retaken by the Resolution privateer, of Guernsey. The French prize-master declared on oath that the crew of the Bellone had been so weakened by manning so many prizes, she would leave the Portuguese frigate.

16 Oct 1799 Plymouth, arrived, from a cruise, the Amelia, 44. She spoke last night the Sylph, said to have been captured by the Ferol squadron, all well.

23 Oct 1799 Plymouth, came in from a cruise.

3 Jan 1800 Plymouth, came in Duke of Clarence from Dublin, taken by a French privateer, and retaken by the Sylph, 18, Capt. Dashwood, who was left in pursuit of the privateer, called the Egyptian, 14 guns.

15 Jan 1800 Plymouth, arrived from a cruise.

9 Mar 1800 Plymouth, departed with the Plymouth, lugger, and Voltigeur, on a cruise.

10 Jun 1800 Plymouth, departed on a cruise.

27 Aug 1800 Beaulieu, at Sea, captured this morning the Dragon, a copper-bottomed letter of marque, from Guadaloupe to Bourdeaux, with sugar, coffee, and cotton, out 32 days.

3 Dec 1800 Plymouth, a court of enquiry was held on Lt Carpenter, of the Flora, bound to the Straits, which drifted, tailed ashore, swung off at low water, and overset on her larboard beam ends, near the old gun wharf. The Court, after taking the existing circumstances of the case into their serious consideration, did not attach blame personally to Lieutenant C. in the business, but did honourably acquit him. The Officers and crews of the Sylph, 18, and Telegraph, 18, were very active in getting out the men from the Flora, when she upset, or the whole crew would have been drowned. The Flora is now refitted, and almost ready for sea.

4 Apr 1801 departed Plymouth Sound the Sylph, 18, Capt Dashwood, on a cruise.

5 May 1801 arrived Falmouth, the Sylph, from a cruise. Wind E.

8 Jul 1801 came into Plymouth Sound with the American ship Unanimity, of Charleston, Alex Forrrester, master, laden with indigo, sugar &c., from the Manillas, last from Madeiera, bound to Cowes for orders, detained by the Sylph, and Oiseau.

16 Jul 1801 departed Plymouth with a convoy of victuallers with supplies for the Channel fleet.

18 Jul 1801 put back with her convoy to Plymouth due to contrary winds, the winds having blown a gale on Thursday night, in which one of the victuallers lost her fore top-mast, and was towed in here by the Sylph.

23 Jul 1801 departed the Suffisante, with the Sylph, on a cruise.

31 Jul-1 Aug 1801 & 28 Sep engaged a French vessel, probably a frigate, name unknown, on 2 separate occasions, off the north coast of Spain.

13 Aug 1801 arrived Plymouth in the evening to make good damage received Monday last when cruising off Ushant and lost the wind and became becalmed within range of one of the shore batteries and received some damage and injuries before being towed out of range of the guns.

14 Aug 1801 arrived Plymouth Sound the Sylph, after as gallant an action as has been fought, this war ; an officer of the ship reports that on the evening of the 31st ult. at 8 P.M. Captain Dashwood discovered a large frigate to windward standing towards the Slyph. Captain Dashwood with great gallantry lay to, to receive her ; when she came within pistol shot, a very heavy fire commenced on both sides, which was continued with great spirit for one hour and twenty minutes, when the enemy's fire slackened, and her foreyard came down on the forecastle however, she made sail, and being less disabled than the Sylph, got some miles off to windward ; the Sylph having received 58 shot in her hull, and 122 shot through her fore and aft mainsail, a shot in her stern, and one betwixt wind and water, her main mast badly wounded, making then about a foot and a half water in an hour, could not pursue her ; during the night Captain Dashwood, with the assistance of his officers and crew, got the damages somewhat repaired ; in the morning Captain D. saw the enemy's ship about six miles to windward ; he endeavoured to make sail after her as well as his situation would admit of, from sunrise till half past 7 o'clock, A.M. The enemy's frigate perceiving this, changed her course, and stood in shore ; Captain D. finding the Sylph made much water ; bore away for the Channel Fleet, and was ordered for this port to refit, where he arrived safe, and went up the harbour in the course of the day ; though the action was so warm, and lasted so long, fortunately the Sylph had only one man killed, 6 slightly wounded, and 3 badly ; the French frigate did not shew any colours during the action, but from information Captain D. has received, it appears, that she is either La Guerrier, or L'Artemise, each of 44 guns, and must have escaped from Bourdeaux, as the Rochefort squadron are too closely blocked up to get out ; great credit is due to Captain Dashwood, his officers, and ship's company, for their very spirited conduct in this unequal contest.

24 Aug 1801 has had her masts taken out, examined, and put in again, and her damages repaired which she sustained in her late gallant action, with L'Artemise, off Cape Ortegal.

11 Sep 1801 by the latest accounts from the coast of France, it appears that the frigate, of 44 guns, so handsomely beaten by the little Sylph, of 18 guns, Captain Dashwood, was fhe Artemise which escaped from Bourdeaux and got into Corunna.

14 Oct 1801 by letters received at Plymouth from the Sylph, dated 1st October, off Cape Penas, it appears that on the 29th ult. she fell in with, at dusk, a large French frigate, of 44 guns, which she brought to action in the most gallant manner for two hours and five minutes, obliging her to sheer off ; the Sylph, 18, too much damaged to follow her. only one midshipman was wounded on board the Sylph ; by neutrals Capt. Dashwood learnt that she was L'Artemise, of 44 guns, and 350 men, which she so gallantly beat off Cape Ortegal, about six weeks since on her passage from Bourdeaux to St. Andero, with money for the French army in Spain ; she was now returning to Bourdeaux, during which period the Sylph had been refitted here and sailed again for the coast of Spain on a cruise, when she fell in with her former antagonist and beat her off a second time, although so inferior in force to L'Artemise.

30 Oct 1801 came into Plymouth Sound in from a long cruise off the coast of Spain, the Sylph ; she looked into St. Andero, and there found L'Artemise, of 44 guns, dismantled for repairs. By a neutral vessel, it is learnt, that after the first gallant action with L'Artemise, of 44 guns, by the Sylph, off St. Andero, the French Captain was dismissed the ship.

7 Nov 1801 This day a letter of thanks, couched in the most handsome manner, was received by Captain Dashwood, and read to the officers and ship's company of the Sylph, of 18 guns, for their meritorious conduct in the two gallant actions with L'Artemise, of 44 guns, off Cape St. Andero, and Cape Pinas.

18 Dec 1801 arrived Plymouth with dispatches from Bantry Bay, the Sylph, Capt W Goate.

29 Dec 1801 arrived Brixham Quay (Torbay), where the Channel Fleet is currently anchored / moored.

9 Jan 1802 arrived Spithead the Sylph, 18, Captain Goate, from Torbay.

23 Jan 1801 now under weigh, to depart Torbay, the frigates Unicorn, Indefatigable, and Sirius, along with the sloop, understood to be the Sylph, on the proverbial cruise.

18 Mar 1802 departed Plymouth on a cruise and from thence to Torbay.

3 May 1802 the Barfleur, London, Irresistible, Ramillies, Magicienne, and Sirius, departed Torbay yesterday evening with a light air, to be paid off at Plymouth and Portsmouth, leaving just the fire ship Magaera, and sloops Childers, Atalante, and Sylph off Brixham.

9 May 1802 departed Torbay for Spithead.

10 May 1802 arrived Spithead, from Torbay.

1 Jun 1802 arrived Spithead, from Leith.

11 Jun 1802 departed Spithead with the Bittern, on a cruise.

1 Sep 1802 arrived Sheerness to be paid off.

6 Jan 1803 the Sylph, Capt W. Goate, lying at Sheerness.

24 Mar 1803 remain at the Nore the Albion, Antelope, Fortune, Caroline, Sylph, and store ship William.

28 Mar 1803 arrived Spithead, from the Nore.

11 Apr 1803 departed Spithead on a cruise.

24 Aug 1803 arrived Plymouth from a cruise, with the smuggling cutter Fly, of Guernsey, Robert Phillips, master, from that place, laden with 900 casks of spirits, which was capture off the Lizard after a chase.

27 Aug 1803 departed Plymouth on a cruise.

1 Oct 1803 arrived Plymouth the Swift smuggling cutter of Fowey, from Guernsey, laden with 200 casks of spirits, besides salt and tobacco, detained by the Sylph off the Lizard on 27 Sep.

27 Dec 1803 arrived Spithead from a cruise.

23 Jan 1804 departed Spithead on a cruise.

27 Aug 1804 arrived Spithead from a cruise.

31 Aug 1804 departed Spithead for Portsmouth harbour.

Circa 29 Sep 1804 departed Portsmouth harbour for Spithead.

29 Sep 1804 sailed on a cruise.

17 Oct 1804 blown into St Helen's by a gale.

20 Oct 1804 departed St Helen's for her station.

Circa 19 Dec 1804 whilst lying in Guernsey Roads the weather was so bad the Niobe had to cut away her main and fore-masts and mizen top, and the Thisbe and Sylph were totally dismasted by the weather and in danger of driving on the rocks ; the Pigmy cutter parted her cables and drove on shore at the back of the South Pier, but has since got off. The Niobe has since arrived at Plymouth. The Severn, despite every effort, ran on shore in Granville Bay, Jersey and was lost. The Alcmene was similarly threatened but managed to ride out the gale.

May 1805 Guernsey Station.

Circa Mar 1809 the account for the small balance remaining following the capture of the ship Boston will be deposited in the Registry of the High Court of Admiralty.