Action of 7 July 1799
Encyclopedia
The Action of 7 July 1799 was a minor naval engagement of the Napoleonic Wars in which the Spanish 34-gun frigate Nuestra Señora del Carmen captured the Royal Navy
's 18-gun Hired armed
cutter Penelope
, which was under the command of Sir Frederick Maitland.
and Bruix
, amounting to forty sail of the line, and upwards of thirty frigates and smaller vessels joined up at Cartagena
. On 7 July lookouts at Gibraltar
saw the combined fleet close close to the Barbary shore.
Some of the Spanish ships amused themselves by firing at two vessels belonging to the Alger
ines. Admiral Jervis, Earl of Saint Vincent
, who was on board the 44-gun ship , at anchor in the bay and on the eve of his departure for England
, sent Lieutenant Maitland in the Penelope to reconnoiter and ascertain the cause of the firing. Maitland set sail towards Ceuta
.
At daybreak on the 8th he found himself nearly within gunshot of the enemy's advanced ships, whose boats were instantly ordered by signal from the Spanish Admiral Mazarredo, to tow the Vivo, a brig of 16 guns, alongside the Penelope; but on their arrival within shot from the Penelope, the reception she astonished them with was so spirited, that the Spaniards dropped astern again and retired, and a faint hope of escape appeared between the British sailors, for there being no wind, the cutter's boats were kept ahead all the forenoon, towing to the southward. Then every ship in that fleet, except one frigate, actually turned their heads to the southward to give chase to the cutter.
A breeze now springing up, the Spanish frigate Nuestra Señora del Carmen, armed with 34 guns, sailed up and placing herself about a cable's length on the cutter's weather-beam, fired a broadside. Maitland told his crew to lie down upon the deck till the frigate had discharged all her guns, but the frigate's fire was so heavy that it destroyed Penelopes rigging, rendering her unmanageable.
When Penelope struck her colours, an officer from the brig Vivo boarded and demanded that Lieutenant Maitland give up his sword. Maitland refused, stating that he had struck to the frigate. A boat from the Nuestra Señora del Carmen arrived shortly and sent away the boat from Vivo. Penelope had on board a large sum of money, intended for Minorca
, that had not been unloaded in the rush quit Gibraltar. When her crew found there was no chance of escape from the combined fleets, they made an attempt to plunder the treasure, which Maitland prevented.
A boat took Maitland to the first rate Principe de Asturias, which bore the flag of Admiral Gravina. The admiral received him into his cabin and treated him with the utmost kindness.
When the fleet departed the Spanish returned Maitland to Gibraltar, as promised. Maitland then accompanied St. Vincent when he returned to England in August 1799.
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
's 18-gun Hired armed
Hired armed vessels
right|thumb|250px|Armed cutter, etching in the [[National Maritime Museum]], [[Greenwich]]During the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries the Royal Navy made use of a considerable number of hired armed vessels...
cutter Penelope
Hired armed cutter Penelope
The Hired armed cutter Penelope served the Royal Navy from 29 January 1794 until the Spanish captured her off Gibraltar on 7 July 1799. She was of 187 tons burthen and carried sixteen 4-pounder guns.-Service:...
, which was under the command of Sir Frederick Maitland.
Background
In June 1799, the French and Spanish fleets under Admirals MazarredoJose de Mazarredo y Salazar
Don Jose de Mazarredo y Salazar de Muñatones Cortázar Order of Santiago was a Spanish Basque naval commander, cartographer, ambassador, astronomer and professor of naval tactics...
and Bruix
Étienne Eustache Bruix
Étienne Eustache Bruix was a French sailor.-Life:From a distinguished family originating from Béarn, he embarked as a volunteer on a slaving vessel commanded by captain Jean-François Landolphe...
, amounting to forty sail of the line, and upwards of thirty frigates and smaller vessels joined up at Cartagena
Cartagena
-Colombia:*Cartagena, Colombia, a city in the Bolivar Region, the largest city bearing this name*Cartagena de Chairá, Colombia-Other:*Cartagena *Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety*FC Cartagena, a football club based in Cartagena, Spain-See also:...
. On 7 July lookouts at Gibraltar
Gibraltar
Gibraltar is a British overseas territory located on the southern end of the Iberian Peninsula at the entrance of the Mediterranean. A peninsula with an area of , it has a northern border with Andalusia, Spain. The Rock of Gibraltar is the major landmark of the region...
saw the combined fleet close close to the Barbary shore.
Some of the Spanish ships amused themselves by firing at two vessels belonging to the Alger
Alger
- Places :* Algeria, country in north africa* French name for Algiers, the capital of AlgeriaIn the United States:* Alger, Michigan, in Arenac County* Alger County, Michigan, in the Upper Peninsula* Alger, Ohio* Alger, Washington- People :...
ines. Admiral Jervis, Earl of Saint Vincent
John Jervis, 1st Earl of St Vincent
Admiral of the Fleet John Jervis, 1st Earl of St Vincent GCB, PC was an admiral in the Royal Navy and Member of Parliament in the United Kingdom...
, who was on board the 44-gun ship , at anchor in the bay and on the eve of his departure for England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, sent Lieutenant Maitland in the Penelope to reconnoiter and ascertain the cause of the firing. Maitland set sail towards Ceuta
Ceuta
Ceuta is an autonomous city of Spain and an exclave located on the north coast of North Africa surrounded by Morocco. Separated from the Iberian peninsula by the Strait of Gibraltar, Ceuta lies on the border of the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean. Ceuta along with the other Spanish...
.
Action
Anxious to gain the most accurate information, he stretched across the Gut with very light winds during the night, that was so pitchy dark and calm, that the cutter was unperceived by the combined fleet and so close among them, that the words of command in French and Spanish could be distinctly heard.At daybreak on the 8th he found himself nearly within gunshot of the enemy's advanced ships, whose boats were instantly ordered by signal from the Spanish Admiral Mazarredo, to tow the Vivo, a brig of 16 guns, alongside the Penelope; but on their arrival within shot from the Penelope, the reception she astonished them with was so spirited, that the Spaniards dropped astern again and retired, and a faint hope of escape appeared between the British sailors, for there being no wind, the cutter's boats were kept ahead all the forenoon, towing to the southward. Then every ship in that fleet, except one frigate, actually turned their heads to the southward to give chase to the cutter.
A breeze now springing up, the Spanish frigate Nuestra Señora del Carmen, armed with 34 guns, sailed up and placing herself about a cable's length on the cutter's weather-beam, fired a broadside. Maitland told his crew to lie down upon the deck till the frigate had discharged all her guns, but the frigate's fire was so heavy that it destroyed Penelopes rigging, rendering her unmanageable.
When Penelope struck her colours, an officer from the brig Vivo boarded and demanded that Lieutenant Maitland give up his sword. Maitland refused, stating that he had struck to the frigate. A boat from the Nuestra Señora del Carmen arrived shortly and sent away the boat from Vivo. Penelope had on board a large sum of money, intended for Minorca
Minorca
Min Orca or Menorca is one of the Balearic Islands located in the Mediterranean Sea belonging to Spain. It takes its name from being smaller than the nearby island of Majorca....
, that had not been unloaded in the rush quit Gibraltar. When her crew found there was no chance of escape from the combined fleets, they made an attempt to plunder the treasure, which Maitland prevented.
A boat took Maitland to the first rate Principe de Asturias, which bore the flag of Admiral Gravina. The admiral received him into his cabin and treated him with the utmost kindness.
Aftermath
The day after his arrival at Cadiz, Admiral Mazarredo sent his captain to tell Maitland that the admiral was occupied in refitting his ships and so could not to see him. However, the admiral had stated that in a few days, when the combined fleet left port, Maitland would be released without an exchange for a Spanish officer held prisoner by the British.When the fleet departed the Spanish returned Maitland to Gibraltar, as promised. Maitland then accompanied St. Vincent when he returned to England in August 1799.