The cutting out of vessels from harbors and from under the protection
of shore batteries, belongs exclusively to a past condition of naval
warfare. Even under the peculiar conditions of our late civil war and
blockade, cutting-out expeditions, when the object was the capture of
an armed vessel, were not so numerous as might have been supposed,
although most remarkable and gallant actions were performed in this way
by both sides.
As an example of a “cutting-out expedition,” we are tempted to give
that of the French 20-gun corvette Chevrette. Such actions are
decisive, on account of the discouragement and destruction of _morale_
brought upon the defeated side, and by the corresponding confidence and
elation of the victors.
In the summer of 1801 the French and Spanish combined fleet was lying
in Brest harbor, with Admiral Cornwallis and a British fleet watching
them. The more effectually to prevent the Franco-Spanish fleet from
getting to sea without his knowledge, the Admiral had detailed a
squadron of three frigates, under Captain Brisbane, of the Doris, to
lie off Point Mathias, in full view of the combined fleet.
During the month of July these frigates observed the French corvette
Chevrette at anchor in Camaret Bay, under some batteries; a position
considered by the French almost as secure as Brest harbor, and a
capital place for a cruiser to lie and watch the chances of the
blockade to get to sea. In spite of her position under the batteries,
the British resolved to attempt her capture. Accordingly, on the night
of the 20th of July, the boats of the Beaulieu and Doris frigates,
manned entirely by volunteers, and all under the orders of a Lieutenant
Losack, who had been sent in from the flag-ship, by Admiral Cornwallis,
to take the command, proceeded on the enterprise. The boats soon
separated, the crews of the faster ones being too zealous and excited
to slacken their efforts, so that the heavier boats could not keep up
with them. We can readily imagine, too, that a strange officer, sent
in by influence, to command such an expedition, would not receive as
cheerful support as would one of their own. Some of the boats got lost,
and returned to the ships; the rest, after reaching the entrance to
the bay, where they expected to be joined by their companions, lay
upon their oars until daybreak. They then pulled back to their ships.
But the mischief was done; they had been discovered from the corvette
and from the shore, and the effect was to put them on their guard,
and prevent any good being got from a surprise, in case of a renewed
attempt.
On the 21st the Chevrette got under way, and after running about a mile
and a half further up the bay, moored again, under some heavy batteries
on the shore. Here she took on board a number of soldiers, sufficient
to bring up her number on board to about three hundred and forty.
Her guns were loaded with grape, and every preparation made to resist
to the last. The shore batteries were also prepared; and temporary
redoubts were thrown up at adjacent points, while a gun-boat was moored
as a guard-boat at the entrance of the bay. All these precautions
taken, the corvette saucily displayed, in defiance, a large French
ensign above an English one, which could be plainly seen from the
anchorage of the English frigates.
The English now had their pride aroused, and that very night, about ten
o’clock, the boats of the three frigates, with the barge and pinnace of
the Robust, 74, and numbering fifteen in all, and still commanded by
Lieutenant Losack, proceeded to try the French corvette a second time.
Shortly after starting Lieut. Losack, with his own and five other
boats, went in pursuit of a lookout boat of the French, which it was
important to secure. The rest of the boats were directed to await the
return of the commanding officer. After waiting for a considerable
time, without his return, the officer next in command, Lieut. Keith
Maxwell, of the Beaulieu, considering that the boats had at least six
miles to pull, and that the night was already far advanced, resolved to
proceed without him.
They did so at once, after he had given orders that, while one party
was engaged in disarming the enemy’s crew on deck, the smartest top-men
of the Beaulieu should fight their way aloft and cut loose the sails;
others were detailed to cut the cables, and others to go to the wheel.
Some other arrangements made, the nine boats, under Maxwell, bent to
their oars, and steered for the enemy.
At one o’clock in the morning of the 22d, the nine boats came in sight
of the Chevrette, and the latter, after hailing, opened a heavy fire
of grape and musketry upon her assailants, and this was seconded by a
fire of musketry from the shore. But the boats pulled steadily on,
and the Beaulieu’s boats, under Maxwell himself, boarded the vessel
on the starboard bow and quarter. Those of the Uranie, one of the
Robust’s, and one of the Doris’ boarded on the port bow. These latter
had been cheered on by the gallant Lieut. Martin Neville, who was
conspicuous throughout, and who was wounded. The attempt to board
was most obstinately resisted by the French, with fire-arms, sabres,
tomahawks and pikes; and they, in their turn, boarded the boats. During
this formidable opposition over the side of the vessel the English lost
most of their fire-arms; but, by obstinate fighting, at last forced
their way on board, mostly armed with their cutlasses alone. Those who
had been ordered to go aloft fought their way to the rigging; and,
although some were killed, and others wounded, the remainder gained the
corvette’s yards. Here they found the foot-ropes strapped up, but they
soon managed to loose the sails, and, in the midst of the fight still
going on for the possession of the deck, down came the Chevrette’s
three top-sails and courses. The cable having, in the meantime, been
cut outside the ship, she began, under a light breeze from the land, to
drift out of the bay.
No sooner did the Frenchmen (who had up to that time, been fighting
most gallantly), see the sails fall, and their ship under way, than
they lost heart. Some of them jumped overboard, and made for the shore;
while others dropped their arms, and ran below, so that the English got
possession of the quarter-deck and forecastle; but the corvette’s crew
that had fled below still maintained a hot fire from the main deck, and
from up the hatchways, and it took a considerable time before these
were overpowered, and compelled to submit.
It is related in the Naval Chronicle that Mr. Brown, Boatswain of the
Beaulieu, in boarding, forced his way into the Chevrette’s quarter
gallery, but found the door so securely barricaded that he could not
force it. Through the crevices in the planks he could see men, armed
with pikes and pistols, who frequently shot at him through the panels,
as he attempted to burst in. Failing in the quarter gallery, he tried
the quarter, and after a great deal of resistance, gained the vessel’s
taffrail. The officer in command of the party was at this time fighting
his way up on the quarter, but not yet on board. The boatswain stood up
for a moment, a mark for the enemy’s fire, seeing in which direction
he should attack. Second nature then directed him to make for the
forecastle, where he felt most at home; and gathering a few men, and
waving his cutlass, with “Make a lane there!” dashed in, and fought his
way the whole length of the ship. Then, with the men animated by his
example he soon cleared the forecastle, which he held for the rest of
the contest, although frequently assailed. Here, after the vessel was
carried, he was seen attending to orders from the quarter-deck, and
assisting in casting the ship and making sail, with as much coolness as
if he had been on board the Beaulieu.
On her way out of the bay, during a short interval of calm, the
Chevrette became exposed to a heavy fire from the batteries on shore;
but the fair, light breeze soon arose again, and carried her clear of
them. Just at this time the six boats under Lieut. Losack joined her,
and Lieut. Maxwell, was, of course, superseded in his command, but not
until he had accomplished all that there was to be done.
Three two-deckers got under way and came out from Brest Roads with the
view of recapturing the Chevrette; but the near approach of the British
in-shore squadron compelled them to return to their anchorage, and the
captors carried off their prize safely. In this spirited engagement the
English had eleven killed, fifty-seven wounded, and one drowned. The
latter was in one of the English boats sunk by the French shot.
The Chevrette lost her captain, two lieutenants, three midshipmen, one
lieutenant of soldiers, and eighty-five seamen and troops killed; and
one lieutenant, four midshipmen, and fifty-seven seamen and troops
wounded; total, 92 killed and 62 wounded.