Andromache

Posted by Jon Miller on Friday 17th of July 2026 06:41

London, 25 May 1801: A letter from an officer of his Majesty’s frigate Cleopatra, Captain Israel Pellew, dated Halifax, April 26, contains the following intelligence:- We are just arrived here from a long cruize, and, I am sorry to say, an unfortunate one. We were on shore on the island, of Abaco (one of the Bahamas,) three days and three nights, and very nearly lost; but thank God and perseverance, we got her off again, having been obliged to heave all her guns and even part of our ballast overboard, lost our false keel, and hurt the ship’s bottom a little. Two other misfortunes we have met with – our third lieutenant fell overboard, and in spite of every exertion made to save him, was drowned – the third was an expedition to against a Spanish convoy of thirty vessels richly laden, and protected by three gallies, (or gun-vessels) having 32 and 24 pound brass guns on board. They were anchored in the Bay of Levito, in the island of Cuba. The boats of our ship and those of the Andromache, Captain Laurie, well armed, proceeded into the bay about midnight, and would most probably have succeeded in taking them all but they had got information of our coming, and poured upon us a heavy fire of grape and langrage. The boats, however, pushed on, in spite of their fire, and boarded several of them, but found it impossible to bring out more than one, as their incessant fire nearly destroyed our boats, and the brave fellows that were in them. We lost our first lieutenant (Taylor) who was shot through the heart, and three seamen, one of whom had his head shot clean off, another was shot in two pieces, and the third was knocked to atoms. We had also one midshipman, and six seamen wounded; but, thank God, all are recovered. The Andromache had two midshipmen and four seamen killed; and ten badly wounded. Both officers and men fought nobly. [Hampshire Chronicle, 1 June 1801]