HMS Renegade (1823)

HMS ''Renegade'' was a schooner built in the United States in 1820, or possibly even earlier. She had been the pirate ship ''Zaragozana'' operating out of Havana captured on 31 March 1823, and took into service. The Navy sold HMS ''Renegade'' in January 1826.

''Zaragozana''

''Zaragozana'' may originally have been a slaver, or a privateer. A slave ship named ''Zaragozana'', Brooks, master, sailed from Bristol, Rhode Island, and on 15 November 1815 arrived at Havana with 204 slaves.

On 18 November 1816 the Spanish ''guarda costa'' ''Valencey'', Captain Varines, together with the schooner ''Zaragozana'', arrived at the wreck of on the east side of Scorpion Reef (Spanish: Arrecife Alacranes; ). After the Spaniards had verified that all the crew were safely on Crane's Island, they proceeded to demand, at gunpoint, that Captain Roberts and his crew surrender and deliver over their arms and any specie on board ''Tay''. Roberts surrendered, declaring he and his men "prisoners of war", a status the Spaniards acknowledged. They then proceeded to loot ''Tay'' of her stores and provisions. The Spaniards also recovered about $350,000 in specie. (An early report of her loss stated that ''Tay'' had $2 million in specie on board. ''Zaragozana'' then took off ''Tay''s complement.

Some records report that a ''Zaragozana'', of five guns and 75 men, was one of four privateers under the Spanish flag that the Consulado of Havana fitted out in 1817. Between 1821 and 1824, as one officer of the Royal Navy put it, Cuba became a "grand depot of piracy".

In the battle the attached some pirate schooners and their prizes In the short, but sharp, fight, ''Alligator'' lost her commanding officer, Lieutenant William H. Allen, wounded mortally by two musket balls. Soon thereafter, boats from ''Alligator'' captured all the pirate vessels except one schooner that managed to escape. The pirate vessel may have been ''Zaragozana''. Her captain, Cayatano Arogonez (or Cayetano Aragonés), boasted after his capture that it was he who had killed Lieutenant Allen.

On 10 February 1823 ''Saragozana'' entered the port of ''Nuevitas'' and there took the American schooners ''Lady's Delight'', of Baltimore, and ''Lively'', of Philadelphia. The pirates treated the masters and crews badly before permitting them to go ashore, destitute.

In March 1823 Admiral Sir Charles Rowley ordered and to search for ''Zaragozana''. The two cruized for some 400 miles along the coast of Cuba. On an island in the harbour of Nerangos they found 1100 casks of wine and spirits that pirates had looted from vessels they had captured.

On 31 March ''Tyne'', under Captain John Edward Walcott and ''Thracian'', under Commander John Walter Roberts, were off Baracoa when they saw ''Zaragozana''. Walcott immediately had both men-of-war disguise themselves as merchant vessels by setting their sails in a slovenly manner, and sailing casually towards the schooner. The subterfuge worked for three hours, but then the schooner hurried towards the harbour of Mata. The British abandoned their subterfuge and set off in chase under full sail.

At 1:30p.m. ''Zaragozana'' anchored with her broadside facing the entrance to the harbour. Captain Arogonez had also landed some of his men, armed with small arms, who took up position in the trees close to the shore of the harbour. Walcott decided to send in four boats from his ships to attack the schooner. He took command of the boats, which held 47 men in all. At 3pm the boats were within gunshot of ''Zaragozana'', which opened fire, as did the men on shore. It took about three-quarters of an hour for the British boats to reach ''Zaragozana'', having endured the fire from the schooner and shore all the way. As the British boarded ''Zaragozana'', some of the pirates fled ashore. Even so, the British took 29 prisoners, including Arogonez.

British casualties amounted to one man killed and five wounded. The pirates lost 10 men killed and 15 wounded. Troops that the Governor of Baracoa had sent captured 16 pirates that had escaped to shore. The British took their prisoners with them to Port Royal, where they arrived on 9 April. The initial report in ''Lloyd's List'' gave British casualties as three killed and six wounded. It described ''Zaragozana'' as being of 130–140 ton (bm), armed with one 18-pounder and three 9-pounde guns, and six swivel guns, and having a crew of 80–90 men. The report further stated that ''Zaragozana'' had previously captured a French vessel carrying wine. One hundred casks were on board ''Tyne'' and ''Thracian'', as well as some 700–800 casks that had been found on shore.

Arogonez and 23 of the pirates were tried and hanged on 22 and 23 May on Gallows Point. Walcott also reported that the Governor of Baracoa had stated that he would deal with the men his troops had captured.

The Royal Navy took ''Zaragozana'' into service as the 4-gun schooner HMS ''Renegade''.

HMS ''Renegade''

''Renegade''s first commander was Lieutenant John Harvey Boteler, who supervised her arming and crewing, and then sailed on a cruize during which she engaged in affreightment. He came from , whose captain, George Frederick Rich, made the appointment. Boteler commanded ''Renegade'' for about three months before invaliding back to England in September.

In September Lieutenant William Edward Fiott took command of ''Renegade'' at Jamaica. letters from Jamaica dated 9 September 1823 reported that ''Renegade'', Lieutenant Fiott, had her mainmast shattered by lightning that also killed one man.

United States papers reported that on 20 March 1824 Lieutenant Fyatt, of ''Renegat'', (ex-''Saragozana'') had fired a shot at the brig ''Caroline'', Jones, master, for failure to heave-to during a calm while she was repairing her sails while she was on her way from Savanna to Havana. On 27 March Fyatt had fired on the schooner ''Allen'', Dunham, master, off St Nicholas Mole. Reportedly, British officers at Havan had described Fyatt as "half-crazy".

A court martial at Port Royal acquitted Lieutenant Fiott on 6 May 1824 of charges brought against him by one of his men."Multiple News Items", 30 June 1824, ''Morning Post'' (London, England) Issue: 16701.

Lieutenant Joseph O'Brien was appointed to command ''Renegade'' on 10 October 1824. Towards the close of 1824, Lieutenant Henry Ommaney Love was appointed to the command of the schooners ''Union'' and ''Renegade''. He was invalided in the summer of 1825. Lieutenant James Cooper Bennett apparently replaced Love circa March 1825. In July Lieutenant H.Breedon (acting) was in command of ''Renegade''. On 30 August 1825 Lieutenant Charles Elliot took command temporarily, Bennett being ill. Elliot came from . Breedon may have assumed command in October.

During her service, ''Renegade'' shared with five other vessels, three like her captured pirate ships, in convoy escort duties and suppression of piracy and the slave trade. The two former pirate ships were (ex-''La Gata''), and (ex–''Jackal''). There were also two purchased vessels, (ex-''Royal George''), and (ex-''City of Kingston'').

Notes

Citations

References

*
*
*
*
* McCarthy, Matthew John (2011) ''A Sure Defence against the Foe? Maritime Predation & British Commercial Policy during the Spanish American Wars of Independence, 1810-1830''. PhD thesis in History, University of Hull.
*
*

{{DEFAULTSORT:Renegade (1823)
1820s ships
Pirate ships
Captured ships
Schooners of the Royal Navy
Ships involved in anti-piracy efforts