1807 - Anne and Spanish gun-boats, Boats of Renommée near Carthagena


 
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Naval history of Great Britain - Vol. IV
by
William James
1807 Light Squadrons and Single Ships 346

say she had three men killed, struck her colours. At 11 A.M. the Anne succeeded in dismasting one of the gun-boats. Finding that two others had struck, she now discontinued the action, but Lieutenant M'Kenzie did not think it prudent to attempt to take possession, the Anne having on board 42 prisoners, with only 30 men to guard them, and being, moreover, charged with despatches.

At 11 h. 10 m. A.M., having got round by the assistance of her sweeps, the Anne reopened her fire upon five gun-boats, that had taken possession of the Vansigo, and were again closing on the Anne's starboard quarter, as if with an intention to board. Meeting with a warmer salute than they expected, and observing that the British were prepared to repel any attempt at boarding, the Spaniards, at about 1 P.M., swept out of gun-shot, carrying with them the Anne's prize.

Notwithstanding that six of the largest of these 10 gun-boats were, for nearly an hour and a half, within pistol-shot of the Anne, their fire did not injure a man on board. The official account contains no statement, nor even supposition, relative to the force, in guns or men, of these Spanish gun-boats. By a little research, however, it is discovered, that several Spanish vessels of this class, captured nearly in the same quarter, and about the same time, mounted four guns each, generally two long 24 and two long 8 pounders, with a complement of from 40 to 60 men. Hence Lieutenant M'Kenzie's performance, in repulsing 10 such opponents, did him and the 29 officers and men of the Anne very great credit.

On the night of the 6th of November the boats of the British 12-pounder 36-gun frigate Renommée, Captain Sir Thomas Livingstone, Bart., and 18-gun brig-sloop Grasshopper, Captain Thomas Searle, cruising in company in the neighbourhood of Carthagena, were sent under the orders of Lieutenant William Webster, of the former ship, to endeavour to cut out some enemy's vessels lying at anchor under the Torre de Estacio. By 4 A.M. on the 7th a Spanish brig and a French tartar, each mounting six guns, with a proportionate number of men, were in possession of the British boats ; but the wind was so light and the current so strong, that both vessels ran aground without the possibility of getting them off. While the boats and captured vessels were in this state, a constant fire of grape and canister, was maintained upon them from the guns on the tower ; whereby several of the prisoners were wounded, as well as two of the British, Mr. Thomas Bastin, purser of the Grasshopper, who was a volunteer and commanded a boat upon the occasion, and Henry Garrett, cockswain of the Renommée's pinnace, both very badly. Under these circumstances, especially as there were several women and children in the prizes, some of whom were badly wounded, Lieutenant Webster was induced to abandon the vessels without setting them on fire.

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