by John Marshall

“ Having received certain information since my return to this station, that the ship which the Sylph was engaged with some time since, was the French frigate l’Artémise, of 44 guns and 350 men; so I can with equal truth pronounce this to be the same, from the many corresponding observations which I made. She had then 20 men killed and 40 wounded, and was obliged to return to St. Andero to refit [11] ”

“ Captain Dashwood’s account of which is as follows:
“Sylph, Sept. 29, 1801. “Sir,– I have the honor to acquaint you, that yesterday afternoon I gave chase to a sail in the N.W., Cape Pinas bearing South, distance 42 leagues. Although before sun-set I clearly discovered her to be a French frigate [9] of a large description, having fifteen ports of a side on her main deck, and evidently carrying 44 or 46 guns; yet confident of support from the well-known bravery of my officers and crew, I determined to engage the enemy, notwithstanding her superior force ”

“ In 1810 Captain Dashwood returned to England, and was appointed to the Pyramus, a new 36-gun frigate, fitting for the Baltic station, where he captured the Norsk Mod, a Danish three-masted-schooner privateer of 6 guns, 4 swivels, and 28 men. ”

“ The British, notwithstanding the resistance they met with in boarding, and the fire they were for some time exposed to from a brig of 20 guns, an armed schooner, and 7 gun-vessels, had only 7 men slightly wounded. The official account of this brilliant achievement will be inserted in our memoir of the officer who commanded on that occasionSee Commander John Fleming, in Vol. III.. About the same period, la Franchise captured El Carmen Spanish schooner, and the Brutus, a Dutch armed vessel. ”

“ Domingo, as well as to British commerce, by taking possession of the town of Samana, where the Trench were in the act of erecting batteries for their permanent establishment, which, had they been completed, would, from their position, have made the place tenable against almost any force sent to attack it. ”

“ We next find Captain Dashwood serving under the orders of Admiral Gambier, during the expedition against Copenhagen; and early in 1808, employed convoying a fleet of merchantmen to the West Indies. On his passage thither, he captured le Hazard French privateer of 4 guns and 50 men. In December following he rendered an essential service to the Spanish patriots blockading the city of St. ”

“ I. p. 242, will be found a copy of the horrible oath by which the Roman Catholics on board that ship bound themselves to murder every Protestant among her crew, and then proceed into an enemy’s port. ↑ See Vol. I. pp. 171, 452, 492, and 534; also Vol. II. p. 254 et seq. ↑ The Sylph’s main-mast was shot through in several places. Upwards of 250 large shot passed through her boom-mainsail alone. ↑ The enemy’s ship on this occasion displayed her colours. ↑ The gentleman alluded to above. The other officers mentioned by Captain Dashwood in those letters, were Mr. ”