SINGLE CAMPAIGN MEDALS


On 4 March 1808, at 11.30 a.m., the British 18-pounder 36-gun frigate San Fiorenzo, Captain George Nicholas Hardinge, sailed from Pointe de Galle, Ceylon, on her return to Bombay. On the 6th, at 7 a.m., the San Fiorenzo passed, off Cape Comorin, the three East India Company's ships, Charlton, Metcalfe, and Devonshire, from Bombay bound to Columbo. Shortly afterwards she discovered on her starboard beam, in the north-east, the French 40-gun frigate Piémontaise, Captain Epron, advancing to intercept the Indiamen. The San Fiorenzo immediately hauled to the wind in-shore, under all sail, and the French frigate, finding herself pursued, changed her course and stood away. The Piémontaise had sailed from the Isle of France on the 30th of the preceding December. Her intended mode of attack upon the Indiamen is represented to have been to board the first with 150 men, and then stand on and cannonade the two others until they surrendered.


At 5 p.m., having previously made the private signal, the San Fiorenzo hoisted her colours, but the French frigate paid no attention to either. Captain Hardinge now pressed forward in pursuit, and, at 11.40 p.m., being still on the larboard-tack, the San Fiorenzo ranged alongside the Piémontaise and received her broadside. After a ten minutes' action fought within 200 yards, the Piémontaise made sail ahead out of the range of her opponent's shot. The San Fiorenzo, whose loss, owing to the high firing of the Piémontaise, amounted to only three seamen slightly wounded, made sail in chase, and by daylight on the 7th had so gained upon the French frigate, that the latter, seeing a renewal of the engagement was unavoidable, hoisted her colours and wore, in order to bring her broadside to bear.


At 6.20 a.m., being within half a mile of the San Fiorenzo, who had also wore, the Piémontaise fired her broadside, and the action recommenced, the two frigates gradually closing to a quarter of a mile. The fire was constant and well-directed on both sides, until just after 8 a.m., when that of the French frigate visibly slackened. At 8.15 a.m., having discharged her whole broadside, the Piémontaise ceased firing, and made sail before the wind, leaving the San Fiorenzo with her main-topsail yard shot through, main royal-mast shot away, both main topmast-stays, the spring-stay, and the greater part of the standing and running rigging and sails, cut to pieces, and therefore not in a condition for an immediate chase. Under these circumstances, the fire of the British frigate could only continue while her retreating opponent remained within gunshot. The San Fiorenzo’s loss, by the morning's action, amounted to eight seamen and marines killed and 14 wounded. The remainder of the day was occupied by the San Fiorenzo in repairing her damages, and in a vain pursuit of the Piémontaise, who crowded sail to the eastward, and at 9 p.m. disappeared.


At midnight the French frigate again showed herself, bearing east, and at daylight on the 8th was about four leagues distant. At 9 a.m., being perfectly refitted, the San Fiorenzo bore up under all sail. At noon the Piémontaise hoisted a Dutch jack but at 2.15 p.m. changed it to an English ensign. The San Fiorenzo was now fast approaching; nor did the Piémontaise avoid the British frigate until the latter hauled athwart her stern, in order to gain the weather gage and bring on a close action. To frustrate this manoeuvre, the French frigate, who now appeared with her proper colours, hauled up also, and made all sail. Perceiving, however, that the superior sailing of the San Fiorenzo rendered a battle unavoidable, the Piémontaise tacked, and at 4 p.m. the two frigates, when passing each other on opposite tacks, at the distance of not more than 80 yards, reopened their fire.


In the second broadside from the French frigate a grape-shot killed Captain Hardinge, whereupon the command of the San Fiorenzo devolved upon Lieutenant William Dawson. As soon as she had got abaft her opponent's beam, the Piémontaise wore; and at 5.49 p. m., after a well-fought action, one hour and 20 minutes of it close, and during which she had all her rigging and sails cut to pieces, her three masts and bowsprit badly wounded, and a great proportion of her numerous crew placed hors de combat, the French frigate hauled down her colours, some of her people at the same time waving their hats for a boat to be sent to them.


The loss sustained by the San Fiorenzo in the third day's action, although numerically less than that on the second day, was more serious, as it included among the killed her truly gallant captain. The remaining killed of that day consisted of four seamen and marines, and the wounded, of one lieutenant and seven seamen and marines. This made the total British loss, on the three days, 13 killed and 25 wounded. The Piémontaise, besides her regular crew of 366 Frenchmen, had 200 Lascars, prisoners taken out of some captured Indiamen, to work the sails. Out of these 566 in crew and supernumeraries, the French frigate lost 48 officers, seamen, marines, and Lascars killed, and 112 wounded


x784


NAVALGENERAL SERVICE 1793-1840, 1 clasp, The Potomac 17 Aug 1814 (Archibald Livingstone.) traces of brooch mounting to obverse, suspension reconstituted with damaged clasp facing, good fine


£2000-2600


Archibald Livingstone is confirmed as an Able Seaman aboard H.M.S. Euryalus during the expedition up the Potomac river in August 1814. He was born in Argyllshire and entered Euryalus on 14 April 1810, aged 25. He was still serving in the Navy in April 1831 in the rank of Quartermaster. Sold with various copied muster roll and ship’s description book entries.


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