View source for HMS Moselle (1804)

{{short description|Brig-sloop of the Royal Navy}}
{{other ships|HMS Moselle}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2016}}
{{Use British English|date=December 2016}}
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{{Infobox ship image
|Ship image=Watercolour of HMS Moselle in Charleston Bay 1813.jpg
|Ship caption=HMS ''Moselle'' in Charleston Bay 1813{{efn|Or 1814.<ref name=Allen/> Sources differ.}}
}}
{{Infobox ship career
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|Ship country=[[United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland|United Kingdom]]
|Ship flag=[[File:Naval Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg|60px|Royal Navy Ensign]]
|Ship name=HMS ''Moselle'' 
|Ship ordered=7 November 1803
|Ship builder=John King, Dover
|Ship laid down=March 1804
|Ship launched=October 1804
|Ship acquired=
|Ship commissioned=
|Ship decommissioned=
|Ship in service=
|Ship out of service=
|Ship renamed=
|Ship struck=
|Ship reinstated=
|Ship honours=
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|Ship fate=Sold 1815

|Ship notes=
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{{Infobox ship characteristics
|Hide header=
|Header caption={{sfnp|Winfield|2008|p=292}}
|Ship class=
|Ship type=[[Cruizer class brig-sloop|''Cruizer''-class brig-sloop]]
|Ship tons burthen=385 ([[Builder's Old Measurement|bm]])
|Ship length=*{{convert|100|ft|1+1/2|in|m|1|abbr=on}} (gundeck)
*{{convert|77|ft|6|in|m|1|abbr=on}} (keel)
|Ship beam={{convert|30|ft|7|in|m|1|abbr=on}} 
|Ship draught=
|Ship hold depth={{convert|12|ft|9|in|m|1|abbr=on}} 
|Ship sail plan=[[Brig|Brig rigged]]
|Ship complement=121
|Ship armament=*16 × 32-pounder [[carronade]]s
*2 × 6-pounder [[chase gun|bow guns]]
|Ship notes=
}}
|}
'''HMS ''Moselle''''' was a ''Cruizer''-class [[brig-sloop]] of the [[Royal Navy]], launched in 1804. She served during the [[Napoleonic Wars]] in the Mediterranean, the Caribbean, and the North American station. She was sold in 1815.

==Career==
Commander Robert Simpson commissioned her in December 1804 for [[The Downs (ship anchorage)|the Downs]].{{sfnp|Winfield|2008|p=292}} Commander [[John Surnam Carden]] replaced Simpson on 21 December 1804.{{sfnp|O'Byrne|1849|p=168}} ''Moselle'' shared with {{HMS|Penelope|1798|2}} and {{HMS|Boadicea|1797|2}} in the proceeds of the ''Jonge Obyna'', Smidt, master, on 13 June.{{efn|A seaman's share of a [[£sd|£]]1700 advance on the prize money was 16[[shilling|s]] 2½[[pence|d]].<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=16200|page=1543|date=12 November 1808}}</ref>}} That same day they also captured the ''Sophia''.<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=17251|page=1166|date=17 May 1817}}</ref> The final payment for ''Jonge Obyna'' and ''Sophia'' did not get paid out until June 1817.{{efn|A first-class share was worth £104 3s 4d; a fifth-class share, that of a seaman, was worth 11s 10¼d.<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=17262|page=1419|date=24 June 1817}}</ref>}}

After Admiral [[Lord Nelson]] defeated the French and Spanish fleets at the [[battle of Trafalgar]] on 21 October, ''Moselle'' was at the blockade of Cadiz. On 25 November, {{HMS|Thunderer|1783|2}} detained the [[Ragusan Republic|Ragusan]] ship ''Nemesis'', which was sailing from [[Isle de France (Mauritius)|Isle de France]] to [[Leghorn, Italy]], with a cargo of spice, [[indigo dye]], and other goods.<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=15885|page=129|date=28 January 1806}}</ref> ''Moselle'' shared the prize money with ten other British warships.<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=16364|page=617|date=24 April 1810}}</ref>

In the aftermath of Trafalgar, four French frigates and the brig [[French brig Furet (1801)|''Furet'']] took refuge at Cadiz, where they remained into February 1806. To try to lure them out, Vice-Admiral [[Cuthbert Collingwood, 1st Baron Collingwood|Cuthbert Collingwood]] pulled his ships-of-the-line ten [[league (unit)|leagues]] out to sea, leaving only the frigate {{HMS|Hydra|1797|2}}, under the Captain George Mundy, and ''Moselle'' in close blockade. On 23 February a strong easterly wind drove the British off their station, which led the French commander, Captain [[Louis-Charles-Auguste Delamarre de Lamellerie]], to seize the opportunity to escape. On the evening of 26 February ''Hydra'' and ''Moselle'' were three leagues west of the Cadiz lighthouse when they sighted the French vessels. Mundy began firing rockets and alarm guns to alert Collingwood, while sailing parallel to the escaping French squadron. Mundy then sent Carden in ''Moselle'' to try locate the British fleet. On the morning of 27 February ''Moselle'' reached Collingwood, who dispatched three frigates to try to catch the French. In the meantime, ''Hydra'' had managed to isolate the French brig from her companions, and after a two-hour chase, captured ''Furet''. The French frigates did not come to their brig's aid, and after firing a ''pro forma'' broadside, ''Furet'' surrendered.<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=15905|page=409|date=29 March 1806}}</ref> Under the rules of prize-money, ''Moselle'' shared in the proceeds of the capture of ''Furet''.<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=16027|page=621|date=9 May 1807}}</ref> During the next six months, [[Lamellerie's expedition|Lamellerie's frigate squadron]] cruised the Atlantic, visiting [[Senegal]], [[Cayenne]] and the [[West Indies]], but failed significantly to disrupt British trade.

On 22 January 1806 Commander Alexander Gordon was appointed to replace Carden.{{sfnp|Marshall|1829a|p=226}} However, on 30 January Carden was still in command when ''Moselle'' captured ''Hope'', Webber, master, which was condemned as a prize at Gibraltar.<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=16095|page=1674|date=12 December 1807}}</ref>

Later in 1806 ''Moselle'' was apparently in the Gulf of Mexico. Lieutenant J. Lamont was severely wounded while boarding an enemy vessel there.<ref name=Allen>Allen (1850), p. 105, n° 46.</ref>

Gordon sailed ''Moselle'' for the Mediterranean on 7 January 1807. She returned home by the end of 1807.{{sfnp|Winfield|2008|p=292}}

On 26 October 1807, Tsar [[Alexander I of Russia]] declared war on Great Britain. The official news did not arrive there until 2 December, at which time the British declared an embargo on all Russian vessels in British ports. ''Moselle'' was one of some 70 vessels that shared in the seizure of the 44-gun Russian frigate ''Speshnoy'' (''Speshnyy''), then in Portsmouth harbour. The British seized the Russian storeship ''Wilhelmina'' (''Vilghemina'') at the same time.<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=16276|page=1129|date=15 July 1809}}</ref> The Russian vessels were carrying the payroll for Vice-Admiral [[Dmitry Senyavin]]’s squadron in the Mediterranean.{{sfnp|Tredrea|Sozaev|2010|pp=198 & 391}}{{efn|A seaman on any one of the 70 British vessels received 14s 7½d in prize money.<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=16194|page=1445|date=22 October 1808}}</ref>}}

''Moselle'' then sailed for Jamaica on 16 January 1808.{{sfnp|Winfield|2008|p=292}} In September ''Moselle'' recaptured the [[Ballahoo class schooner|''Ballahoo''-class]] [[schooner]] {{HMS|Pike|1804|2}}.<ref name=James>James (1837), Vol. 5, p.46.</ref> At the end of 1808 Gordon was invalided home.{{sfnp|Marshall|1829a|p=226}} His successor as captain of ''Moselle'' was Commander George Gustavus Lennock, who returned home in February.<ref>''United Service Magazine'', Vol. 111, p.450.</ref>

Commander Henry Boyes (or Boys) assumed command during 1809.{{sfnp|Winfield|2008|p=292}} He was in command on 20 March when ''Moselle'' carried Brigadier-General Joseph French and his staff from Jamaica to [[Hispaniola|St Domingo]] and brought General [[Hugh Lyle Carmichael|Carmichael]] back to Jamaica.<ref>''Journals of the House of Commons'' (1811), Volume 66, Appendix, p. 508.</ref>{{efn|General French was second in command of British forces in St Domingo. He became ill as a result of his exertions there and died two days after returning to Jamaica.<ref>''The Antiquary'' (13 September 1873). Vol. 4, p.130.</ref>}} One payment of prize money occurred in October 1832.{{efn|A first-class share was worth £67 3s 5d; a sixth-class share was worth £1 1s 3d.<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=18986|page=2330|date=19 October 1832}}</ref>}}

Next, ''Moselle'' captured the French navy schooner ''Beau Narcisse'' on 18 May 1809. ''Beau Narcisse'' had a crew of 55 men under the command of ''enseigne de vaisseau'' Luis Ores. She had left St Domingo on 7 May on a cruise.<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=16279|page=1175|date=25 July 1809}}</ref>

When {{HMS|Lark|1794|2}} foundered in a gale off Cape Causada (Point Palenqua), San Domingo, on 3 August, ''Moselle'' rescued three survivors.{{sfnp|Grocott|1997|pp=280-2}}

On 18 June 1810, ''Moselle'' fired on the sloop {{USS|Vixen|1803|6}} off Barbados. Boys apologized to the Americans, reporting that he had been unable to make out her colours and that he thought she might be a French privateer that he was seeking. The Americans suffered one casualty, a man wounded in the mouth by a splinter.<ref>''Naval Chronicle'', Vol. 24, p.252.</ref>

Commander Charles Crackenthorp Askew replaced Boys on 26 November 1811, at Jamaica.{{sfnp|Marshall|1830|p=397}}

On 3 March 1812 Lieutenant [[James Stirling (Royal Navy officer)|James Stirling]] received temporary command of ''Moselle''. Three months later her received promotion to the rank of Commander and moved to {{HMS|Brazen|1808|2}}. Thereafter ''Moselle'' was under the command of Commander George Mowbray (or Moubray) on the North America station.{{sfnp|Winfield|2008|p=292}} He was appointed to command her 26 January 1812 and remained in command until 31 March 1813.{{sfnp|Marshall|1829b|p=113}}

During the [[War of 1812]] ''Moselle'' captured several American merchant vessels. First she captured the ''Anna'', bound to Kingston with a cargo of cotton and cattle (24 August 1812).<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=16715|page=630|date=27 March 1813}}</ref> The second prize was the ''San Nicholas'' (19 September).<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=17211|page=137|date=21 January 1817}}</ref> Third came the ''Experiment'', on 28 September.{{efn|A first-class share was worth £140 3s 1¾d; a sixth-class share, that of an ordinary seaman, was worth £2 19s 9¼.<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=17110|page=289|date=13 February 1816}}</ref>}} The ship ''Venus'' (14 October 1812), which was sailing from Philadelphia to Santiago de Cuba was next. Then she captured the schooner ''Magnolia'' (4 November), which was sailing from Rio de Janeiro to Havana. Next she captured the brig ''Osprey'' (30 December), which was sailing from Rio Grande to Havana. ''Moselle'' recaptured the brig ''Lord Wellington''.<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=16713|page=581|date=20 March 1813}}</ref>{{efn|The American privateer ''Sparrow'' had captured the brig ''Lord Wellington'', Clephan, master, which had been sailing from [[City of Halifax|Halifax]] to Jamaica.<ref>''[[Lloyd's List]]'' [https://hdl.handle.net/2027/uc1.c2735026?urlappend=%3Bseq=55 (''LL''), №4755.]</ref> ''Moselle'' recaptured ''Lord Wellington'', Cliphane, master, on 16 January 1813.<ref>[https://hdl.handle.net/2027/uc1.c2735026?urlappend=%3Bseq=57 ''LL'' №4756.]</ref>}} ''Moselle'' was among the 19 vessels that shared in the proceeds for the capture of the American ship ''Herman'' on 21 June.{{efn|A first-class share was worth £47 13s 4d; a sixth-class share was worth 7s 6d.<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=17419|page=2051|date=17 November 1818}}</ref>}} Lastly, ''Moselle'' captured the American schooner ''Climax'' on 17 November 1813.{{efn|A first-class share was worth £39 16s 7d; a sixth-class share was worth 11s 4¾d.<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=17775|page=2466|date=22 December 1821}}</ref> ''Climax'' was armed with four 6-pounder guns and under the command of James Newman. Cranwell and Crane give the location as being off Havana. They also give the date of the capture as 6 April 1814, but this may refer to the date on which the Baltimore privateer ''Amelia'' recaptured ''Climax'',{{sfnp|Cranwell|Crane|1940|p=377}} which was renamed ''Mary''.}}

During this period, in October 1812, Commander Hutton Dawson replaced Mowbray, but Dawson died in February 1813. Dawson's replacement was Commander John Kinsman. Commander John Moberley replaced Kinsman in July.{{sfnp|Winfield|2008|p=292}}

''Moselle'' returned to Britain in July. When she did so, she had as a passenger [[George Augustus Westphal]], whose vessel, {{HMS|Anaconda|1813|2}}, had just been condemned at Jamaica.<ref>{{cite DNB|wstitle=Westphal, George Augustus|volume=60|page=380}}</ref>

''Moselle'' then returned to the American theatre. In 1814, acting Lieutenant Joseph Hyett was severely wounded in her boats in an action against a pirate schooner at [[Veracruz, Veracruz|Vera Cruz]]. Still, he led ''Moselle{{'}}''s boats in the capture of a 600-ton (bm) U.S. merchantman near the fort in Charleston Bay.<ref name=Allen2/>

''Moselle'' then served in the Chesapeake Bay. She arrived near New Orleans on 11 January 1815, accompanying fifteen transports, ferrying the [[40th (the 2nd Somersetshire) Regiment of Foot|40th Foot]], a siege train of 26 artillery pieces, and stores.{{sfn|Dickson|1929|p=170}} At New Orleans Hyett suffered from frostbite that led to the amputation of his right leg.<ref name=Allen2>Allen (1850), p. 135, n° 64.</ref>

On 9 March 1815 the US privateer ''Kemp'', Captain Joseph Almeda, captured the British merchantman {{ship||Ottawa|1814 ship|2}}, James Simpson, master, which was off Cuba while sailing from Liverpool to Jamaica with porter, soap, potatoes, hams, cheese, etc. On 3 April {{HMS|Anaconda|1813|6}} and ''Moselle'', recaptured ''Ottawa''. The London merchant James Strachan Glennie protested the recapture, acting on behalf of ''Kemp'' and Joseph Almeda, arguing that the recapture had occurred during the period the [[Treaty of Ghent]] had established for restitution of captures. The [[Vice admiralty court]] of Jamaica found for Glennie.<ref>[https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C16980248 Printed prize appeal from the Vice-Admiralty Court of Jamaica. Reference: HCA 45/70/23.]</ref>

==Fate==
On 22 November 1815, the navy offered ''Moselle'' for sale at Deptford.<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=17078|page=2247|date=11 November 1815}}</ref> The navy sold ''Moselle'' on 14 December 1815 for £850.{{sfnp|Winfield|2008|p=292}}

==Notes==
{{notelist}}

==Citations==
{{reflist|30em}}

==References==
*Allen, Joseph (1850) ''The New Navy List and General Record of the Services of Officers of the Royal Navy and Royal Marines''. (London: Parker, Furnivall, and Parker).
* {{cite book |last1=Cranwell |first1=John Philips |last2=Crane |first2=William Bowers |year=1940 |title=Men of marque; a history of private armed vessels out of Baltimore during the War of 1812 |location=New York |publisher=W.W. Norton & Co.}}
* {{cite journal |last=Dickson |first=Alexander  |year=1929 |orig-year=1815 |title=Artillery services in North America in 1814 and 1815. Being extracts from "Journal of Operations in Louisiana, 1814 and 1815" by Sir Alexander Dickson |others=With an introduction and annotations by John H Leslie  |journal=Journal of the Society for Army Historical Research |volume=8 |issue=33 |series=Part 2 of 3 January 1815 |pages=147–178 |url=http://www.jstor.org/stable/44220284 |url-access=subscription |jstor=44221269}}
* {{cite book |last=Grocott| first=Terence| title=Shipwrecks of the Revolutionary & Napoleonic Eras|publisher=Chatham|location=London|year=1997|isbn=1861760302}}
* {{cite book| last = James| first = William| authorlink = William James (naval historian)| year = 1837| title = The Naval History of Great Britain, from the Declaration of War by France in 1793, to the Accession of George IV.| url = https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_PSwOAAAAQAAJ| publisher = R. Bentley}}
* {{cite RNB1823 |year=1829a|wstitle=Gordon, Alexander|volume=sup |part=3 |page=224–227}}
* {{cite RNB1823 |wstitle=Askew, Charles Crackenthorp|volume=sup |part=4 |page=396–397}}
* {{cite RNB1823 |year=1829b|wstitle=Mooubray, George|volume=sup |part=3 |page=111–114}}
* {{Cite NBD1849 |wstitle=Carden, John Surman |page=167–168}}
* {{cite book |first=John|last=Tredrea|first2=Eduard|last2=Sozaev|title=Russian Warships in the Age of Sail 1696–1860|publisher=Seaforth|year=2010|isbn=978-1-84832-058-1}}
*{{cite book |first=Rif|last=Winfield|title=British Warships in the Age of Sail 1793–1817: Design, Construction, Careers and Fates|publisher=Seaforth|year=2008|isbn=978-1-86176-246-7}}
{{Cruizer class brig-sloop}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Moselle (1804)}}
[[Category:1804 ships]]
[[Category:Cruizer-class brig-sloops]]
[[Category:War of 1812 ships of the United Kingdom]]