''César'' was a mercantile brig launched in 1802 that the French Navy purchased at Bordeaux in 1803. The
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy (RN) is the naval warfare force of the United Kingdom. It is a component of His Majesty's Naval Service, and its officers hold their commissions from the King of the United Kingdom, King. Although warships were used by Kingdom ...
captured her in July 1806 and took her into their service, but she was wrecked in early 1807.
Origins
''César'' was launched in 1802, possibly as a ''corvette-senault'' (
snow
Snow consists of individual ice crystals that grow while suspended in the atmosphere—usually within clouds—and then fall, accumulating on the ground where they undergo further changes.
It consists of frozen crystalline water througho ...
-rigged corvette). The Ministry of Marine authorized her purchase on 29 August 1803 from citizen Dupuch.
Capture
In July 1806, a squadron under
Lord St. Vincent's was off
Ushant
Ushant (; , ; , ) is a French island at the southwestern end of the English Channel which marks the westernmost point of metropolitan France. It belongs to Brittany and in medieval times, Léon. In lower tiers of government, it is a commune in t ...
. On 14 July the boats of the squadron were taken by to Captain
John Tremayne Rodd in
''Indefatigable'' off
Rochefort
Rochefort () may refer to:
Places France
* Rochefort, Charente-Maritime, in the Charente-Maritime department
** Arsenal de Rochefort, a former naval base and dockyard
* Rochefort, Savoie in the Savoie department
* Rochefort-du-Gard, in the G ...
to attack two French corvettes and a convoy at the entrance to the
Garonne
The Garonne ( , ; Catalan language, Catalan, Basque language, Basque and , ;
or ) is a river that flows in southwest France and northern Spain. It flows from the central Spanish Pyrenees to the Gironde estuary at the French port of Bordeaux †...
. The weather on 15 July appeared suitable for the attempt but after the boats left a strong wind blew up and although they managed to capture ''Caesar'' , they could not prevent the convoy escaping up river. The French were expecting the attack and put up a strong resistance. The British lost six men killed, 36 wounded and 21 missing. ''Indefatigable'' alone lost two killed and 11 wounded. ''Polyphemus'' had two men lightly wounded.
The 21 missing men were in a boat from ; a later report suggested that most, if not all, had been taken prisoner. The majority of the boats were either shot through or so badly stove in that they were swamped, and had to be cut adrift from the brig as she was brought out under fire from the batteries and the ex-British brig .
[ The vessels claiming prize money included and the hired armed ]lugger
A lugger is a sailing vessel defined by its rig, using the lug sail on all of its one or more masts. Luggers were widely used as working craft, particularly off the coasts of France, England, Ireland and Scotland. Luggers varied extensively ...
''Nile'', in addition to the various ships of the line and frigates. Head money for the capture was paid in June 1829. This cutting out expedition resulted in the participants qualifying for the Naval general service Medal with clasp "16 July Boat Service 1806".
''Caesar'', of 18 guns, had a crew of 86 men according to her roster, and was under the command of ''lieutenant de vaisseau'' Louis François Hector Fourré. She was five years old, coppered, 88' by 23', and "appears fit for His Majesty's Service", according to Rodd.[ The Royal Navy took her into service as the brig HMS ''Cesar''.
]
Fate
''Cesar'' was driven ashore near the Gironde
Gironde ( , US usually , ; , ) is the largest department in the southwestern French region of Nouvelle-Aquitaine. Named after the Gironde estuary, a major waterway, its prefecture is Bordeaux. In 2019, it had a population of 1,623,749. in March 1807. There were only 45 survivors.[James (1837), Vol. 4, p.466.]
Citations
References
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Cesar (1802 ship)
Brigs of the Royal Navy
Captured ships
1802 ships
Maritime incidents in 1807
Shipwrecks in the Bay of Biscay