HMS Sylph was an Unrated, flush decked, 18-gun, 32pdr carronade-armed, Fir-Built, Brig-Rigged Sloop-of-War of the Albatross Class, built under Navy Board contract at the shipyard owned by Mrs Frances Barnard in Deptford, at the time in the county of Kent.
The Albatross Class was a group of eight brig-rigged Sloops-of-War designed by Sir William Rule, Co-Surveyor of the Navy. Of the eight vessels, four were built in Kent shipyards and HMS Sylph was one of a pair built by Mrs Barnard at Deptford, the other being HMS Kite. The other Kent-built vessels of the class were HMS Dispatch, built under Navy Board contract from oak by John Nicholson at Rochester and HMS Albatross, again built from oak by Charles Ross, also at Rochester. They were ordered in two batches. The first batch of five vessels was ordered on the 18th March 1795. HMS Sylph was a member of the second batch, ordered on the 13th July the same year. Of the five vessels of the first batch, three were ordered to be built from fir rather than oak, for speed of construction and all three of the second batch, including HMS Sylph, were also to be built from fir. Although the use of a softer, lighter timber allowed them to be built much more quickly, it also meant that they were not destined to have long service careers and in the end, none of them did, even the two oak-built vessels of the class.
At the time that the vessel was ordered, the brig-rigged, carronade-armed Sloop-of-War was the Royal Navy's preferred option for new small, ocean-going warships. Their brig-rig (with two, rather than three masts) and carronade armament meant that they only required small crews, which was a god-send for the Royal Navy which at the time was desperately short of men despite the efforts of the Impressment Service. Their armament of carronades gave them a ferocious short-range broadside, which suited the Royal Navy's preferred tactic of engaging the enemy at close range. In fact, the weight of broadside which a 32pdr carronade-armed, 18-gun vessel could fire was slightly heavier than that of the nominal armament of a much larger 18pdr-armed 36-gun Frigate. All that firepower was delivered from a hull half the size of the frigate and manned only half the crew. The downside to this was that their brig rig only had two masts, which made them more vulnerable to being crippled by damage aloft. In addition, the short range of their carronades made them vulnerable to being picked off at range by the long guns fitted to enemy frigates. The term "Sloop-of-War" was used to describe an ocean-going warship which carried less than the 20 guns required for it to be included in the Royal Navy's Rating system.
Sloops-of-War like HMS Sylph tended to be commanded by an officer in the position of 'Master and Commander', abbreviated to 'Commander'. 'Commander' wasn't originally a formal rank as it is today and an officer in such a position held a substantive rank of Lieutenant. That stated, the Master and Commander would receive a substantially higher salary than a Lieutenant and would also receive the lions share of any prize and head money earned by his vessel and crew. If he was competent, he would be 'Posted', or promoted to Captain and would more than likely be appointed to command a Rated vessel. If a war ended and the vessel was paid off, unless he was lucky and well-connected enough to receive another command appointment, the commander would revert to his substantive rank of Lieutenant and receive half-pay accordingly. Sloops-of-war therefore were generally commanded by ambitious, well-connected young men anxious to prove themselves.
The contract for the construction of HMS Sylph was signed on the 13th July 1795 and her first keel section was laid within days. The vessel was launched into the great River Thames on the 3rd September 1795 and she was immediately taken into a dry-dock at the building yard and had her lower hull sheathed in copper. That was completed a week later and she was then secured to a mooring bouy off the Royal Dockyard at Deptford to be fitted with her guns, masts and rigging. Building the vessel had cost £5,322, coppering her had cost a further £513 and fitting the vessel out at Deptford Royal Dockyard added a further £3,770. HMS Sylph was declared complete at the Deptford Royal Dockyard on the 23rd September 1795 and commissioned for the North Sea with Mr John Chambers White as Master and Commander.
On completion, HMS Sylph was a vessel of 369 tons. She was 96ft 2in long on her main deck, 73ft 10.5in long at the keel and 30ft 8in wide across her beam. She drew 5ft 9in of water at her bows and 10ft 6in at the rudder. She was armed with 16 x 32pdr carronades on her broadsides with 2 x 6pdr long guns in her bows. She also carried a dozen half-pounder swivel guns attached to her main deck bulwarks and in her two fighting tops. She was manned by a crew of 121 officers, seamen, boys and Marines.
Immediately on being appointed to command HMS Sylph, Commander White set about recruiting his crew. A Sloop of War like HMS Sylph would have had two Lieutenants, appointed into the vessel by the Admiralty and ranked in order of seniority, First Lieutenant and Second Lieutenant. The First Lieutenant was the most important of these appointments. He was the second in command and controlled the day-to-day running of the vessel. A Sloop of War like HMS Sylph had two Midshipmen. These young men were in effect, commanders in training and were appointed into the vessel by the local commander-in-chief. Their role was to assist the Lieutenants in their day to day duties. In addition to appointed Midshipmen, HMS Sylph may also have carried Midshipmen-in-Ordinary. These young men, also known as Quarterdeck Boys (even though as a flush-decked vessel, HMS Sylph had no quarterdeck), were on the vessels books as Commander's servants and were paid the same rate as an Able Seaman. They were appointed by the Commander himself and were officers in training. They were usually relatives of the Commander, or were related to people to Commander either owed a favour to or was doing a favour for. They wore the uniform and performed the duties of a Midshipman and were accomodated in the Midshipmen's berth. The commander of a warship was entitled to four servants per hundred of her Company, so HMS Sylph may have carried up to four, depending on how many servants the Commander actually required.
The senior Warrant Officers were appointed into HMS Sylph by the Navy Board and these were:
The Sailing Master - He was in charge of the day to day sailing and navigation of the vessel as well as the stowage of stores in the hold to ensure the optimum trim and reported directly to the Commander. In a Sloop of War like HMS Sylph, he was assisted by a single Masters Mate. The vessel's steering was controlled by a single Quartermaster. At the time HMS Sylph commissioned, Mr David Donaldson was appointed as her Sailing Master.
The Boatswain - He was in charge of the maintenance and repair of the vessels boats as well as the masts and rigging and reported to the First Lieutenant. The Boatswain was one of the vessel's Standing Officers, who would remain with her whether or not she was in commission. He was assisted by a single Boatswain's Mate. Amongst the duties of HMS Sylph's sole Boatswains Mate was the administering of any floggings ordered by the Commander.
The Carpenter - A fully qualified shipwright, he was responsible for the maintenance and repair of the hull, frames and decks. He answered to the First Lieutenant and was one of HMS Sylph's Standing Officers. He was assisted by a single Carpenters Mate.
The Gunner - He was in charge of maintenance and repairs to the vessel's main guns, the training of the gun crews, the distribution in action of gunpowder and shot and training any Midshipmen-in-Ordinary in the arts of gunnery. He was assisted by a single Gunners Mate. He reported to the First Lieutenant and was one of the Standing Officers.
The Purser - He answered to the Commander and was responsible for the purchase and distribution of all HMS Sylph's stores and supplies. He was another of HMS Sylph's Standing Officers.
The Surgeon - He answered to the Commander and was responsible for the healthcare of the crew. He was assisted by a single Assistant Surgeon, who himself was a part-qualified Surgeon.
These Warrant Officers were appointed into HMS Sylph by the Navy Board. The following, lesser Warrant Officers were appointed by the Commander having first applied for the posts and presented their credentials.
The Armourer - Answerable to the Gunner, he was responsible for the maintenance and repair of the vessels stocks of small arms and bladed weapons. A qualified Blacksmith, he could also manufacture new bladed weapons and fabricate metal parts of the vessel as and where required.
The Caulker - Answerable to the Carpenter, he was responsible for ensuring that the hull and decks remained watertight.
The Sailmaker - Answerable to the Boatswain, he was responsible for the maintenance and repair of the vessels sails as well as the storage of spare sails and the vessel's stock of flags.
Sloops of War were required to embark a small contingent of Marines and HMS Sylph was no exception. HMS Sylph's complement of Marines would have consisted of a Sergeant in command, assisted by a Corporal, with 13 Marine Privates. These men came aboard as a pre-existing unit.
Albatross Class PlansMain and Berth or Lower Deck Plans:
Inboard Profile and Plan:
Framing Plan:
Sheer Plan and Lines:
In early May 1796, HMS Sylph was cruising with the North Sea Fleet under Admiral Sir Adam Duncan off Texel. In Admiral Duncan's own words in a letter to Sir Evan Nepean, Secretary to the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty: Note that in correspondence, although Mr White didn't hold the rank of Captain, as the commanding officer of a vessel, he was entitled to use the title "Captain"
Venerable
At Sea
16th May 1796
Noon, Texel SE by E distance 15 Leagues
Be pleased to acquaint the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty that, on the 12th Instant, at Day Light, (the Texel then bearing N. W. by W Distance about 8 Leagues) I discovered a frigate and a brig standing to the Fleet, making the private
Signal to speak with me ; they proved to be His Majesty's ship Pegasus and Sylph Sloop, whom I had ordered to cruise off the Naze of Norway. Captain Donnelly came on Board, and informed me, that in consequence of the Information he had received on the 5th Instant of the Dutch Frigate Argo and three National Brigs having left Flickeroe the Day before, bound to the Texel, he proceeded off the Jutland Coast, and on the Morning of the 9th got Sight of them. He kept near them all Day, but lost Sight of them about Ten o'Clock that Night; and judging it proper to make me acquainted therewith, directed Captain White, of the Sylph, to steer a different Course to himself in order to fall in with me, and luckily they both joined.
Having consulted with Captain Donnelly, and found they could not be many Leagues from us, I immediately dispatched Captain Halstead in the Phoenix , together with the Leopard, Pegasus and Sylph, to proceed to the Northward of the Texel, and spread the rest of the Squadron. All the Ships had just made sail about five o'Clock, when the Signal was made for seeing the Dutch Frigate and the brigs; and made the Signal for a General Chase, it then blowing strong at W N W with very hazy weather. At a little before Nine O'Clock the Phoenix got up with the Dutch Frigate Argo, mounting 36 Guns and manned with 237 men and after a very smart action of about about Half an Hour, (during which Time he made every Effort to get off) she struck to the Phoenix's superior Fire, for the Particulars of which must beg to refer their Lordships to Captain Halsted's Letter herewith inclosed, who, I have the Pleasure to say, has on this and every other Occasion, whilst under my Command,
shewn himself to be a most active, zealous and excellent Officer.
We continued in Chace of the Brigs, leaving the Powerful to assist Captain Halsted in shifting the Prisoners, etc. At Ten o'Clock we saw the Leander and Pegasus near Two of the Brigs, (which I have since found to be the Echo of 18 Guns, and the De Gier of 14 Guns) but it was so hazy and blowing so hard, we soon lost Sight of them; however, by the inclosed Letter I received from Captain Donnelly, their Lordships will be informed they were both run on Shore near Basch, about Ten Leagues to the Eastward of the Texel.
The Leander, I find, stood so near the Shore as she could with Safety, and saw one of the Brigs aground ; and from the Report of the Master of one of the Cutters I sent in Shore, after, find one of them was completely lost; the other had beat
over a Shoal, and got to an Anchor, but as it blew a perfect Storm the next Day on Shore, have Reason to believe she is lost also.
We stood after the other Brig, and a little before Eleven she struck to the Sylph ; she proves to be the Mercury of 16 Guns, (all of which except Two she had thrown overboard during the Chace) and manned with 85 Men. We then found ourselves
far to the Eastward, with the Wind on Shore, which obliged us to carry a Press of Sail, and in the Night it came to blow a very hard Gale of Wind, which continued the whole of the next Day ; and the Day following, being more moderate, was rejoined by the Powerful, Phoenix and Brilliant, together with the Dutch Frigate and the Duke of York Bye-Boat from Yarmouth to Hamburgh, which had been captured by the Argo the Day before, and retaken by the Phoenix on the 12th. The Frigate is in excellent Condition, and in a few Days might be got ready for Sea and made a complete Cruizer.
I am, &c
ADAM DUNCANThe letter from Captain Ross Donnelly of HMS Pegasus (9pdr, 28) to Admiral Duncan:
SIR,
I have the Honor to inform you, that Two of the Dutch Brigs which we chaced this Morning got close in with the Land about Basch, on the Coast of Frizeland, and finding by our outsailing them that they had no other Means of Escape, run on Shore
close to us ; one of them floated off, but she afterwards took the Ground, and, having touched it ourselves, we found it necessary to stand off, leaving them with Signals of Distress in their Foretop-Main Shrouds, and firing Guns.
We should have endeavoured to get between them and the Land, but could not haul sufficiently up without shortening a great deal of Sail, which would have been the means of letting them fore-reach upon us so as to get away. My Motive for giving
this Information is in the event of the Ships astern of us not having been sufficiently near to have ascertained it.
As it would have taken some time to work up to vou, I judged it prudent to proceed in pursuance of the former orders you gave me which I hope will meet your approbation.
I am &c,
ROSS DONNELLY
PS - We judge the brigs to have been the Echo and the GierLetter from Captain Laurence William Halstead of HMS Phoenix (18pdr, 36) to Admiral Duncan:
Phoenix
At Sea
May 15 1796
S I R,
I have the Pleasure to inform you, that a short time after I received your Orders on the Morning of the 12th Instant, we saw Five Sail on the lee Bow in the S. E. Quarter, upon a Wind on the Starboard Tack , which we made out to be a Frigate,
Three armed Brigs, and a Cutter. I immediately made Sail, and soon discovered them to be Enemies; at the same Time the Pegasus made the Signal for such to you. Upon our near Approach, the Brigs bore up and made Sail; the Pegasus and Sylph followed them, who were in Chace with me, the Frigate apparently undetermined whether to go large or keep by the Wind, as she often changed her Position during the Chace, but at length kept with the Wind a-beam.
Quarter past Eight, A. M. being close on her Weather Quarter, she hoisted Dutch Colours, upon which I ordered a Shot to be fired across her; a few Minutes after we were close alongside her to Windward, when a smart Action commenced on both Sides,
which lasted about Twenty Minutes, when the Dutch Frigate Argo, of 36 Guns and 237 Men, struck to His Majesty's Ship Phoenix, under my Command.
It is with infinite Pleasure I assure you of the very steady and cool Behaviour of the Officers and Ship's Company I have the Honor to command, it being such as to merit every Thing I can say in their Praise:
I beg Leave to recommend in the strongest Manner, through you to their Lordships, Mr. Joseph Wood, First Lieutenant, who, from long Experience and steady Officer-like Conduct, is highly deserving their most particular Attention. Our Loss consists of One Man killed, and Three wounded ; that of the Enemy Six killed and Twenty-eight wounded, some of them dangerously.
The Sails, Standing and Running Rigging, received some Damage, as did the Enemy's, but not of so much Consequence but was soon put to rights.
The Frigate and Brigs were from Norway, bound to the Texel ; the Cutter which we retook is the Duke of York Packet, from Yarmouth to the Elbe, taken by them the Day before.
I have the Honor to be, &c.
L. W. HALSTED .A few months later, HMS Sylph was part of the famous Western Squadron under Commodore Sir John Borlase Warren, operating out of Falmouth and tasked with closely blockading the French Biscay coast and patrolling the Western Approaches. On the 22nd August, HMS Sylph was patrolling off the mouth of the river Gironde in company with Commodore Warren's ship, the 24pdr-armed Heavy Frigate HMS Pomone of 40 guns, the 24pdr-armed razee Heavy Frigate HMS Anson of 44 guns, the 18pdr-armed, 38-gun frigate HMS Artois and the 18-pdr-armed frigate HMS Galatea of 32 guns. At about 10:00, the squadron sighted the French 36-gun Frigate Andromaque to the S S W, standing in towards the Gironde. HMS Sylph, which together with HMS Galatea had been in a position much further inshore than the rest of the squadron and on sighting the French Frigate, made all sail to cut off the Frenchman from the entrance to the river. HMS Galatea made a number of French signals which convinced the captain of the Andromaque to anchor his ship near the entrance to the Grave Channel. After a few minutes however, the French captain realised his mistake and on cutting his anchor cable, made all sail to the south pursued by HMS Galatea. HMS Galatea was joined in the chase by the two Heavy Frigates, while Commodore Warren ordered HMS Sylph and HMS Artois to investigate two strange sails to their south-west. At daybreak the following day, HMS Sylph and HMS Artois found the two vessels they had been sent to investigate to be neutral American ships, bound from Bordeaux to Boston. By the time that HMS Artois and HMS Sylph rejoined the squadron, the Andromaque had run aground and her crew had cut down their masts to try to refloat their ship. Captain Richard Goodwin Keats of HMS Galatea sent boats to the French Frigate with the intention of boarding and destroying her as she lay on the beach. They were initially prevented from approaching the enemy Frigate by the heavy surf, but when they were able to approach, the French captain, his officers and a number of Portugese seamen they had captured surrendered and were taken as prisoners in the boats. The rest of the French crew decided to stay aboard their ship until the tide went out and left the ship high and dry and they were able to walk ashore. The boats with the prisoners made their way to HMS Sylph and once the prisoners had boarded the British Sloop of War, the boats then towed HMS Sylph to within range of the Andromaque, where she anchored and began firing her heavy carronades into the stranded ship's lower hull.
At 16:00, HMS Sylph sent her boats to the Andromaque, where her men set the French Frigate on fire.
In September 1796, HMS Sylph captured the French privateer cutter Le Phoenix of four guns.
On the 9th April 1797, Mr John W Trotter was appointed as Sailing Master, replacing Mr Donaldson, who had been appointed into the Heavy Frigate HMS Endymion of 40 guns as Sailing Master.
On the night of the 16th July 1797, HMS Sylph was in company with the squadron, which by now had been joined by the hired armed cutter Dolly, off Ushant when they discovered and gave chase to a French convoy of 14 vessels escorted by the 28-gun Frigate Calliope together with a ship-corvette and a brig-corvette. The convoy was standing in towards Audierne Bay and on sighting the British chasing them, the two corvettes altered course to the south and escaped around the Penmarcks. The Calliope, unable to follow them, ran ashore at 02:20 on the 17th and a brig, laden with stores, anchored nearby. At 07:00, HMS Anson anchored and opened fire on the two French vessels, but the range was too great for her fire to have much effect. At 09:30, HMS Sylph ran between HMS Anson and the French vessels and anchored within 150 yards of the targets and opened fire with her heavy carronades. At 11:30, HMS Anson weighed anchor and moved away to join the rest of the squadron, leaving HMS Sylph to destroy the French vessels. At 18:00, HMS Sylph was ordered by signal to rejoin the squadron and the following day, the Calliope was wrecked.
On August 12th, the squadron was in action again, in Commodore Warren's own words in a letter to Admiral Lord Bridport, Commander-in-Chief Channel Fleet:
La Pomone, at Sea, August 12, 1797
My Lord,
I Beg Leave to inform your Lordship, that on the Morning of the 11th Instant, a Convoy of the Enemy, with a Ship Corvette, a Brig and Schooner, Gun-Boats, Two armed Luggers, several Chasse Marees and Brigs, were discovered Handing to Sea,
out of the Pertuis de Breton, from Rochfort:
I attempted to cut them off or destroy them with La Pomone and Jason, who attacked a Fort, in order cover the Sylph, who was anchored near the Two Corvettes, having left the Triton in Chace to Windward ; the Enemy, perceiving our Intention, anchored at the Entrance of the River of Sable D'Olonne, close under the Fort, the Ship Corvette and Gun-Boat with Springs upon their Cables.
At Eleven, being near enough, the Firing commenced and continued for an Hour, when the GunBoat slipped her Cables to run on Shore, but sunk before she got into the River, near the small Vessels, and the Corvette remained fast aground, but
deserted by her People and much damaged : As I did not think it possible to set her on Fire with the Boats of the Squadron, there being little Wind, and the Tide of Flood setting us upon the Coast, we hauled our Wind to the Southward.
I have the Satisfaction of acquainting your Lordship that it has occasioned a Delay for some Time of the Enemy's Supplies arriving at Brest, as one of the Vessels is destroyed, and it is doubtful if the other can be repaired so as to be of any Use in future.
The Ships of the Squadron have sustained very trifling Damages. A Return of the Killed and Wounded in each Ship is inclosed.
I have only to lament that a more favorable Moment did not present itself to afford the Officers and Men an Opportunity of distinguishing themselves but the Enemy must have suffered considerably on Board the Vessels and in the Fort, from the
Number of Shot that struck them.
Some hot Shot were fired from a Battery of Five Guns, which set Fire to the Sylph, but any ill Effects were prevented by the Exertions of the Officers and Men of that Vessel, who cut them out, and behaved otherwise with much Spirit aud Zeal.
I have the Honor to remain,.
My Lord,
Your Lordship's most obedient humble Servant,
JOHN WARREN.
P. S. Since I began this Letter, not having an Opportunity of sending it to your Lordship I have received Information from Three Vessels who had left Sable D'Olonne subsequent to the above Affair, and the following is the Result of these Reports:
The Ship Corvette is in the Harbour, but so damaged as to be unfit for Service.
The Gun-Boat remains sunk and destroyed.
The Enemy lost several killed and wounded in the Two vessels.
In the Fort Five Soldiers were killed and Two Guns dismounted, and some wounded Two or Three Houses much shattered.
We were off Sable D'Olonne on the 26th, and saw the Ship in the harbour.
The French ship-corvette mentioned in Commodore Warren's letter was La Reolaise of 20 guns.
On the 28th February 1798, HMS Sylph was in company with HMS Canada (74), HMS Anson and HMS Phaeton (18pdr, 36) when they recaptured the Heureux.
Back in December of 1796, the French had attempted to send an invasion fleet to Ireland to support a planned uprising organised by the Society of United Irishmen. The invasion had failed when the fleet had been scattered by the worst weather in living memory. The French were encouraged however by the fact that the invasion fleet had managed to break out and make it all the way to Ireland without being spotted or intercepted by the British. Fast-forward to 1798 and trouble had flared up once more in Ireland. The Society of United Irishmen had been planning a further uprising, once again to be supported with French help. In May 1798, an uprising had spread across Ireland and the French sent a small force of 1,150 troops as the advance party of an army to be landed later. French plans had been disrupted by the uprising starting earlier than originally planned. The Society had had to launch it earlier because they had been thoroughly infiltrated by British spies and the majority of their leadership had been arrested. By September however, it was all over. The combined Irish and French force had been defeated at the Battle of Ballinamuck on the 8th September and had surrendered. The French however, were unaware of the defeat and on 16th September 1798 had dispatched a force of 3,000 soldiers in the 74 gun ship of the line Hoche and eight frigates under Commodore Jean-Baptiste-Francois Bompart. The British, having failed to intercept the invasion fleet of 1796, were now more alert and Bompart's force was spotted leaving Brest by Captain Richard Keats in the 18 pounder armed 38 gun frigate HMS Boadicea. Keats also had under his command the 18pdr-armed 38-gun frigate HMS Ethalion and HMS Sylph. He ordered that HMS Ethalion and HMS Sylph shadow the French force while he went to summon help from Admiral Sir Alexander Hood, the Lord Bridport's Channel Fleet.
When the news of Bompart's squadron broke, the squadron was lying at Cawsand Bay off Plymouth. As soon as the intelligence was received about the French force, Commodore Warren's squadron immediately departed to intercept them. On 10th October 1798, when the squadron was about 30 miles off the Donegal coast, they met up with the HMS Melampus and HMS Doris which were already patrolling off the Irish coast. The Commodore sent HMS Doris to warn British garrisons along the Irish coast of the French force. Warren's squadron managed to catch up with the French force and inflicted a crushing defeat on them at the Battle of Tory Island.
April of 1799 saw the HMS Sylph taking part in the blockade of Brest as part of a squadron of six ships of the line commanded by Rear-Admiral the Honourable George Cranfield Berkeley, flying his command flag in HMS Mars (74). On 16th April, the squadron chased a French convoy into Brest and on the following day, Berkeley's squadron was reinforced on station by the arrival of Lord Bridport in HMS Royal George (100) with five or six other ships of the line. On 25th, Lord Bridport looked into Brest before cruising off the port with the fleet. That evening, the French Vice-Admiral Bruix put to sea with a fleet of four first rate ships, two ships each of 80 guns and nineteen ships of 74 guns. Lord Bridport learned of this and returned to Brest with the fleet to discover that the reports were true. The French had put to sea in numbers and he had no idea where they were. The British eventually figured out that the French were bound to the Mediterranean and on 1st June, Lord Bridport sent Rear-Admiral Sir Alan Gardner with 16 ships of the line to the Mediterranean to reinforce the Mediterranean Fleet then under Vice-Admiral Sir John Jervis, the Earl St Vincent. News had also reached Lord Bridport of a Spanish squadron comprised of a 112-gun ship, an 80-gun ship, three 74-gun ships, a frigate and two corvettes having put into the French port of Rochefort. Lord Bridport decided that he would make sure they stayed there, so with his remaining ten ships of the line, headed for the Basque Road, off Rochefort. On 4th June, Lord Bridport's force arrived, but on 8th, he returned to the UK in HMS Royal George, accompanied by HMS Atlas (98), HMS Achille (74) and HMS Agincourt (64).
This left the blockading force off Rochefort as HMS Mars (flagship) together with HMS Venerable, HMS Renown, HMS Ajax, HMS Ramillies and HMS Robust (all of 74 guns). A few days later, the force was joined by the ex-French HMS Sans Pareil (80) and on 1st July, HMS Royal George returned as flagship of Vice-Admiral Charles Pole along with the 18pdr-armed frigates HMS Boudicea and the ex-French HMS Uranie (both of 38 guns), the ex-French HMS San Fiorenzo of 36 guns, HMS Unicorn of 32 guns, HMS Sylph, the bomb vessels HMS Sulphur, HMS Explosion and HMS Volcano and their respective tenders. Vice-Admiral Pole was under orders to launch an attack on the Spanish squadron now blockaded in Rochefort. It was considered that the operation only needed one flag-officer, so Rear-Admiral Berkeley returned to the UK in HMS Mars in company with HMS Ramillies. Early in the morning of 2nd July 1799, Vice-Admiral Pole ordered the squadron to close with the shore and at about 11:00, the ships of the line anchored in the Basque Roads while the frigates, bomb vessels and HMS Sylph proceeded onwards towards the Aix Road, off the Ile D'Aix, near to where the Spanish ships were moored in a line ahead. For their defence, the Spanish had moored a floating mortar battery between the Ile D'Aix and the Boyard Shoal and at about noon, this battery, together with shore batteries on the Ile D'Aix and the island of Oleron opened fire on the British. The British bomb vessels having anchored, returned fire, but while the Spanish mortar fire overshot the British bomb vessels and frigates, the British fire fell short. At 14:00, Captain Richard Goodwin Keats, commanding the bombarding force of frigates and bomb vessels sent HMS Sylph to inform Vice-Admiral Pole about what was going on. In the meantime, the wind fell to a flat calm, giving the Spanish the opportunity to send a force of gunboats, each armed with a 36pdr long gun. At 16:30, discretion got the better part of valour and realising their peril, the British bomb vessels and frigates weighed anchor and were chased out of the Aix Roads by the Spanish gunboats. In the Action of the 2nd July 1799, neither side suffered any casualties or damage. The British contented themselves with cruising off the Basque Roads. The Spanish squadron escaped from Rochefort in September and after finding the Brest was too well blockaded by the British, returned to Ferrol.
On 2nd August 1799, Commander White was Posted or promoted to Captain and the following month, left HMS Sylph to take command of the 98-gun, Second Rate Ship of the Line HMS Windsor Castle. He would go to to be promoted to Rear-Admiral in 1830, Vice-Admiral in 1837, was knighted in 1841 and ended his career as Commander in Chief at the Nore, where he died in post on the 2nd April 1845 at the age of 75.
Captain White's replacement in HMS Sylph was Mr Charles Dashwood. Charles Dashwood had been born in 1765 and had first entered the Royal Navy at the age of 14 in the ex-French HMS Courageux of 74 guns. While he had been a Midshipman in HMS Formidable (98), he had seen action in Vice-Admiral Sir George Rodney's decisive victory over the French in the Battle of the Saintes in April 1782. Laid off at the end of the American War of Independence, he had re-entered the Royal Navy as Midshipman in HMS Impregnable (98) and had seen action again in Admiral Lord Howe's tactical victory over the French in the Battle of the Glorious First of June in 1794. He had finally passed his examination for Lieutenant on the 20th June 1794 and had stayed in HMS Impregnable until August of 1796. Mr Dashwood's appointment before HMS Sylph had been as Prize Master in the ex-French Frigate Coquille. He had been appointed in temporary command of that vessel after she had been captured in the Battle of Tory Island and he had been given the job of taking the ship back to the UK. Prior to that, he had been First Lieutenant in the 24pdr-armed razee Heavy Frigate HMS Magnanime of 44 guns. HMS Sylph was his first appointment as Master and Commander and he had been 34 years of age when he took command, so was relatively old for his rank.
After Mr Dashwood assumed command of HMS Sylph, the vessel was engaged in the typical duties of a Sloop of War, those of patrolling, including patrolling close inshore, enforcing the blockade of French ports, hunting down enemy privateers and blockade-runners and running errands for the fleet. On the 2nd October 1799, HMS Sylph recaptured the Polly, which had been bound from Lisbon to Liverpool when she had been taken by a French privateer. On questioning the French prize-master, Commander Dashwood found that the Polly had been one of five vessels which had been captured from a convoy escorted by a Portugese Frigate of 44 guns and 300 men. The Portugese Frigate it seemed, had stood idly by while the French privateer La Bellone of 22 guns and 130 men had taken the five vessels from the heart of the convoy they were supposed to be protecting. The French Prize-Master swore on oath that the only reason that La Bellone did not attack the Portugese Frigate was because she was short-handed as a result of sending so many men away as prize crews.
Shortly afterward, rumours had begun to circulate amongst the fleet at Plymouth that HMS Sylph had been taken by the enemy. These rumours were dispelled on the 16th October 1799 when the 18pdr-armed 38-gun Frigate HMS Amelia put into Plymouth and her commander, Captain the Honourable Charles Herbert reported that he had personally spoken with Commander Dashwood the previous night and that all was well. HMS Sylph herself arrived in Plymouth from a patrol a week later.
On the 3rd January 1800, the Duke of Clarence arrived in Plymouth with a prize crew from HMS Sylph. The vessel had been captured by the French privateer Egyptien of 14 guns and recaptured by HMS Sylph. HMS Sylph had last been seen in hot pursuit of the French privateer.
In the evening of the 31st July 1801, HMS Sylph was patrolling off the Spanish port of Santander on the northern coast of Spain in a light southerly wind. She sighted and gave chase to an armed schooner. Before they had started to gain on the schooner, the masthead lookouts on HMS Sylph spotted a large Frigate, thought to be French or Spanish, heading towards her and in whose direction the schooner was heading. Commander Dashwood ordered the chase to be called off and to sail away from what was clearly an enemy Frigate. By sunset however, it became clear to Commander Dashwood that his little brig was not going to get away from the larger enemy ship, so he ordered his crew to shorten sail, heave-to and prepare for action. At 23:00, the enemy ship was within range of HMS Sylphs carronades, so Commander Dashwood gave the order to open fire. An hour and twenty minutes later, after an intense exchange of fire, with her sails and running rigging cut to pieces and several shot-holes in her lower hull, HMS Sylph began to edge away from the action to repair her damage. Finding that the enemy frigate was unwilling or unable to pursue, HMS Sylph continued to retreat until she was out of range of the long gns on the enemy frigate, hove-to and her crew began to make their repairs. By daybreak the following day, the repairs to her sails and running rigging complete, HMS Sylph found the enemy frigate with her fore-yard on deck seemingly being repaired. Seeing that the enemy Frigate was apparently crippled, Commander Dashwood decided to give chase, but HMS Sylph could only approach the enemy vessel slowly on account of the fact that her main mast had been damaged in the action and was expected to collapse over the side at any moment. While HMS Sylph was slowly approachng the enemy Frigate, it hauled up it's fore-yard and headed for the coast. Commander Dashwood decided not to push his luck any further and ordered HMS Sylph to head back to Plymouth to make proper repairs. In the Action of 31st July 1801, HMS Sylph, in addition to her damaged main mast, suffered hull damage to the point where she was making 18 inches of water every hour and suffered casualties of one seaman killed with Mr Midshipman Lionel Carey and eight seamen wounded. After the Action, HMS Sylph returned to the fleet off Ushant, where Commander Dashwood was ordered by Admiral the Honourable William Cornwallis, Commander-in-Chief Channel Fleet, to go to Plymouth for repairs.
Repairs complete, HMS Sylph rejoined the fleet off Ushant and Commander Dashwood was ordered by Admiral Cornwallis to return to his station off northern Spain. In the afternoon of the 28th September 1801, HMS Sylph sighted and gave chase to a large ship, which on drawing closer, turned out to be the same enemy Frigate she had driven off two months previously. This time, Mr Dashwood decided to bring the enemy Frigate, now identified as being L'Artemise, an 18pdr-armed Frigate of 38 guns, to action. After several hours spent manoeuvring around each other during which time the two vessels crossed each other three times and exchanged heavy broadsides, HMS Sylph gained a position 30 yards off the French Frigate's weather bows and an intense firefight then followed whch went on for two hours and five minutes. It ended when L'Artemise suddenly broke off the action and headed away under as much sail as her damages would allow. HMS Sylph was in no condition to pursue, her rigging was once again, shot to pieces and her main topmast was damaged. Once more, Midshipman Carey was wounded and on this occasion, he was HMS Sylph's only casualty.
A modern painting of HMS Sylph in hot pursuit of L'Artemise by Terence Lee:
On their return to Plymouth, Commander Dashwood wrote a formal report of the action to Admiral Cornwallis and at the same time, wrote a formal application to Admiral Sir John Jervis, the Earl St. Vincent, who was First Lord of the Admiralty at the time, for promotion to Captain. Lord St. Vincent replied:
I have read your official letter with all the attention such a recital merits ; but until the board receive official information of the force, and the nation to which the vessel belongs, which the Sylph was engaged with, an adequate judgment cannot be formed of the merits of the action.Dashwood didn't have to wait for long. On 2nd November 1801, his promotion to Captain came through and he left HMS Sylph,to be replaced by Mr William Goate. Captain Charles Dashwood didn't then get a command appointment until November of 1803, when he was appointed to command the 20-gun Post-Ship HMS Bacchante. He was eventually promoted to Rear-Admiral in 1830, was knighted in 1840, made a Vice-Admiral the following year and died on the 21st September 1847. The Admiralty posthumously promoted him to Admiral the day after his death.
Mr William Goate had passed his Examination for Lieutenant on the 17th November 1790 and HMS Sylph was his first appointment as Master and Commander. Under Mr Goate, HMS Sylph continued with her duties as before. The Peace of Amiens came and went. In late December 1804, HMS Sylph was dismasted in a storm while laying at anchor in the Guernsey Roads. The same storm blew the cutter HMS Pygmy off her mooring and she went aground while the 44-gun two-decker HMS Severn, then serving as the Guernsey Guard-Ship, was also blown from her mooring and was wrecked.
In November of 1805, HMS Sylph paid off at Portsmouth for the last time. She was after all, fir-built and was not intended for a long service life. Although only ten years old, the vessel's frames were worn out. In April of 1811, HMS Sylph was broken up at Portsmouth.
