Comments | anteros_lmc: In Memoriam: Indefatigable, Amazon, Droits de L'Homme

anteros_lmc

In Memoriam: Indefatigable, Amazon, Droits de L'Homme

Jan 13, 2011 22:02

Tonight marks the anniversary of one of the most famous frigate engagements of the French Revolutionary Wars when the frigates Indefatigable, captain Sir Edward Pellew and Amazon, captain Robert Carthew Reynolds, took on the French 74 gun ship of the line the Droits de L'Homme, captain Raymond de Lacrosse on the 13th of January 1797. Many accounts ( Read more... )

naval, amazon, indefatigable, droits de l'homme, history, edward pellew, age of sail

Comments 8

sarlania January 13 2011, 23:17:28 UTC

I'm proud to share my birthday with this anniversary. One of the finest moments in the history of the RN IMO.

anteros_lmc January 14 2011, 00:06:51 UTC

I'll never forget the date of your birthday that's for sure!

This is without doubt one of the most extraordinary frigate actions ever fought in extremely difficult conditions. The atermath was awful though. The accounts written by the survivors of the Droits de L'Homme wreck are devastating. What I didn't add above is that one of the last to leave the ship with de Lacrosse was an English prisoner, Elias Pipon, Lieutenant, 63rd Regiment, who stayed with the captain till the bitter end. Pipon survived and returned to France many years later to erect a monument commemorating the engagement and the lives that were lost in the wreck. It's still there. One day I'll go and see it.

eglantine_br January 13 2011, 23:49:42 UTC

Pellew's letter is breathtaking. On top of all his other good qualities, the man could write!

Do we know anything of the account he sent his wife?

anteros_lmc January 13 2011, 23:58:00 UTC

Oh yes, he certainly could write! And not only that but his hand writing is beautiful too. This account is published but we have a copy of his original draft from the National Archives which differs slightly.

Do we know anything of the account he sent his wife?
Ah good question. I don't but nodbear might. I suspect he would have spared her some of the details.

We're currently waiting for a copy of another account of the engagement written by one of the Indy's midshipmen, Nicholas Pateshall, to his mother.

stevie_carroll January 14 2011, 18:05:29 UTC

A very exciting account there.

anteros_lmc January 15 2011, 18:57:45 UTC

Isn't it wonderful? All Pellew's reports are beautifully written.

auburn_whelan February 20 2011, 05:11:06 UTC

What gorgeously alive description! Upon reading this, I feel it might have happened yesterday, not so long ago. Thank you for sharing it.

anteros_lmc February 20 2011, 12:48:06 UTC

It's a remarkably vivid account isn't it? Pellew seems to have had quite a talent for writing! Glad you enjoyed reading this, I love reading original accounts from this period :)