HMS Recruit (1806)

HMS ''Recruit'' was an 18-gun brig-sloop of the Royal Navy, launched in 1806 at Sandwich, Kent. She is best known for an act of pique by Commander Warwick Lake, who marooned a seaman, and for an inconclusive but hard-fought ship action under Commander Charles John Napier against the French corvette . She captured a number of American vessels as prizes during the War of 1812 before being laid up in 1815 and sold for breaking up in 1822.

Napoleonic Wars

''Recruit'' was ordered on 27 January 1806 from the shipwright Andrew Hills, of Sandwich, Kent. She was laid down in April 1806 and launched on 31 August 1806.

The marooning of Seaman Jeffery

''Recruit'' was commissioned under Commander George Ackholm in March 1807. On 28 August, detained the Danish ships ''Diamond'' and ''Karen Louisa''. ''Recruit'', , , and were in sight and shared in the proceeds of the seizure.

Next, ''Recruit'' sailed to the Caribbean under Commander Warwick Lake, supposedly in July, but clearly later. During the voyage, a young sailor named Robert Jeffery was discovered to have stolen the midshipmen's beer and Lake furiously ordered him to be marooned on the island of Sombrero. (Jeffery had been born at Fowey but moved to Polperro before becoming a merchant seaman and was then pressed into the navy.) Some months later, Lake's commanding officer Sir Alexander Cochrane discovered what had happened and immediately ordered Lake to retrieve Jeffery. When ''Recruit'' arrived at Sombrero, Jeffery could not be found. Eventually the story got out and a court martial dismissed Lake from the service for his actions. As it turned out, Jeffery had been picked up by an American ship and was eventually discovered in Massachusetts three years later, working as a blacksmith. He returned to Britain aboard and received compensation.

Captain Charles Napier

Command passed to Commander Charles Napier, who led ''Recruit'' into action against the French corvette , under Jean-François Lemaresquier, on 6 September 1808. The action was fierce and resulted in ''Recruit'' losing her mainmast and suffering heavy casualties, including Napier, whose leg was broken by a cannon shot. ''Diligente'' was only driven off after a lucky shot from ''Recruit'' ignited an ammunition store. ''Recruit'' lost six killed and 23 wounded, half of them mortally, out of a crew of 106.

Following repairs, ''Recruit'' participated in the invasion of Martinique in January 1809. Napier observed that Fort Edward at Fort Royal Bay appeared abandoned. He took a gig and with four men, landed, scaled the fort's walls, and hoisted a British flag. Sir Alexander Cochrane immediately landed marines to occupy the fort and turn its mortars, which had not been spiked, against the French. In 1847 the Admiralty authorized the issuance of the Naval General Service Medal with clasp "Martinique" to all survivors of the campaign.

Shortly thereafter, Napier received promotion to Post-captain and appointment to command of , but remained with ''Recruit'' for a few more months.

In April 1809, a strong French squadron arrived at the Îles des Saintes, south of Guadeloupe. There they were blockaded until 14 April, when a British force under Major-General Frederick Maitland and Captain Philip Beaver in , invaded and captured the islands. ''Recruit'' was among the naval vessels that shared in the proceeds of the capture of the islands.

I April ''Recruit'' participated in the defeat of a French reinforcement squadron. During the engagement, Napier was instrumental in maintaining contact with the French force, harrying their flagship continuously at some great risk to ''Recruit'' that only Napier's skillful ship handling mitigated. ''Recruit'' was present at the surrender of ''D'Hautpoul'' and Napier was temporarily appointed to command the captured ship of the line, but then transferred to ''Jason'' and sailed her back to Britain. However, on his arrival the Admiralty confirmed his rank but not his appointment, and he was put on half-pay. ''Jason''s new captain was Captain King, who had been Napier's passenger on ''Jason''. Napier protested to the Admiralty that had he not stayed on ''Recruit'' and contributed to the capture of ''D'Hautpoul'' he would have received a command, but to no avail.

In June 1809 command of ''Recruit'' transferred to Commander James Murray, and then in May 1810 Commander John Cookesley replaced Murray.

War of 1812

In December 1810 Commander Humphrey Fleming Senhouse took command and later sailed ''Recruit'' back to Britain.

In 1811, ''Recruit'' was at Spithead. She sailed for North America on 9 November 1811. On 21 November she recaptured ''Ranger'', Mottley, master. The French privateer schooner ''Juno'', from Saint-Malo, of 16 guns and 105 men, had that day captured ''Ranger'' as she was coming from the . ''Ranger'' arrived at Plymouth on 1 December.

''Recruit'' was at Halifax, Nova Scotia at the outbreak of the War of 1812. When captured ''Romney'' on 22 September 1812, and ''Santa Maria'' on 28 September, ''Recruit'' shared the prize money by agreement.

In 1813, ''Recruit'' was trapped in ice off Cape Breton where over half her complement were taken ill with sicknesses related to a lack of fresh vegetables.. When Lieutenant George Pechell (acting commander) took command of ''Recruit'' for his first cruise that summer, she had only half her normal crew.

On 18 July ''Recruit'' re-captured the ship ''Lavinia'', T. Connell, master. ''Lavinia'' had been sailing from Saint Johns, Newfoundland, to Oporto when the privateer ''Yorktown'' had captured her. Then on 20 August ''Recruit'' recaptured the brig ''King George'', J.Thompson, master. When she was captured, ''King George'', a brig of 204 tons (bm), had been carrying salt from Liverpool.

On 2 November, ''Recruit'' and drove the letter of marque schooner ''Inca'' on the shoals at Cape Romain. ''Inca'' was armed with six 12-pounder carronades and carried a crew of 35 men.

On 4 January 1814 ''Recruit'' captured the merchantman ''Mary Ann''. Then on 4 June ''recruit'' captured the brig ''Betsy'', R.Bears, master. ''Betsy'' was carrying 100 barrels of flour.

Commander Thomas Sykes assumed command in February, from . On 10 August ''Recruit'' captured the American merchantman ''Federalist''.

Sykes' successor in 1815 was Commander John Lawrence.

Fate

On 13 June 1815, ''Recruit'' was paid off into ordinary at Plymouth. She was sold to R. Forbes on 7 August 1822 for £1,050.

Notes

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References

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Ships of the Old Navy

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Recruit (1806)
Cruizer-class brig-sloops
Ships built in Kent
1806 ships
War of 1812 ships of the United Kingdom