A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Hall, William Hutcheon

by William Richard O'Byrne

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HALL, F.R.S. (Captain, 1844. f-p., 29; h-p., 7.)

William Hutcheon Hall entered the Navy, 24 Oct. 1811, as Fst.-cl. Vol., on board the Warrior 74, Capts. Hon. Geo. Byng (afterwards Viscount Torrington) and John Tremayne Rodd. While in that ship, of which he became Midshipman 20 Oct. 1813, he assisted at the blockade of various ports in the Channel, North Sea, and Baltic, contributed to the capture of several armed and other vessels, escorted the Prince of Orange to Holland in Nov. 1813, and experienced a furious hurricane in which the Warrior was dismasted, received 11 feet water in her hold, and all but foundered. In Nov. 1815 he became attached to the Lyra 10, Capt. Basil Hall, and on his return home in Nov. 1817, after having attended Lord Amherst’s expedition to China, he successively joined the Falmouth 18, Capt. Geo. Fred. Rich, Dwarf cutter, Iphigenia 36, bearing the broad pendant on the coast of Africa of Sir Robt. Mends, and, as Master (warrant dated in 1822 or 3), the Morgiana 18, Capt. Christ. Knight, on the same station. During the term of his servitude in the Iphigenia, Mr. Hall voluntarily conducted the navigation of a squadron of boats, which effected the capture, although opposed, of a well-armed Portuguese schooner, full of slaves, several of whom were killed; and when in the Morgiana he took part in the capture of two other slave-vessels. On 30 May, 1823, he obtained an appointment to the Parthian 10, Capt. Hon. Geo. Barrington, under whom he made a voyage with despatches to Vera Cruz, and took, in the Bay of Campeachy, the San José, a noted Spanish piratical schooner. Soon after the latter event, which occurred on 18 June, 1824, he nearly lost his life by intrepidly jumping overboard to the rescue of Mr. Price, Captain’s Clerk, who by s6me means had fallen into the sea. The Parthian being paid off 25 Sept. 1825, he was subsequently appointed – 7 June, 1826, to the Blonde 42, Capt. Lord Byron, in which frigate he went on a special mission to Bermuda – 7 March, 1827, to the Briton 46, Capts. Geo. Fras. Seymour and Hon. Wm. Gordon, employed on various particular services – next, for a few months, to the Herald yacht, Capt. Robt. Gordon – 23 Feb. 1831 to the Alfred 50, Capt. Robt. Maunsell, in which ship, under the flag of Hon. Sir Henry Hotham, he witnessed the establishment of King Otho on the throne of Greece, and was afterwards, when off Alexandria, presented, in common with the other officers on board, with a sword by Mehemet All – and, in Aug. 1834, to the St. Vincent 120, lying at Portsmouth, where he continued until the close of 1836. During the next two years Mr. Hall employed himself in studying steam at Glasgow, and in making passages from the Clyde to Ireland, as he also did on the river Mersey . He likewise, for the purpose of obtaining a competent knowledge of ocean steaming, went as an amateur in the British Queen to North America, where he spent some time in voyaging in U.S. steamers on the Hudson and Delaware rivers. In Nov. 1839 he procured command of the Hon.E.I.Co.’s iron war-steamer Nemesis, and, as the brilliancy of his services in that vessel was officially recognised, and made the subject of future extraordinary reward, we have no hesitation in here introducing them, especially as their omission would involve an exclusion of some of the most important of those achievements which contributed to the ultimate humiliation of the Chinese. In March, 1840, the Nemesis sailed from Portsmouth for the East Indies, on her passage whither, however, and while endeavouring to double the Cape of Good Hope, the first time indeed the act had ever been attempted by an iron steamer, she was encountered by a succession of terrific gales, and had the misfortune to split amidships on both sides. Escaping destruction by a mere miracle, she eventually arrived in China, where, on 7 Jan. 1841, she commenced her distinguished career by a conspicuous attack on the enemy’s forts at Chuenpee, and the annihilation of 11 powerful war-junks, the flower of the Celestial Navy. In the course of the following day she joined in action with the largest of the Anunghoy forts in the Boca Tigris; and on 26 of the same month, with Capt. Elliot, H.M. plenipotentiary, on board, she was the first steamer that entered the Canton river, preparatory to the several meetings with the High Commissioner Keshen, at all of which her Commander was present.^[1] On 23 Feb. we find Mr. Hall attracting the attention of Capt. Herbert, who was on board the Nemesis at the time, by his co-operative conduct at the destruction of a 20-gun battery at the back of the island of Anunghoy, and by the quick and effectual manner in which he assisted in hauling up the stakes and partially clearing the water-passage at Sammonhow.^[2] Two days after that event, while proceeding with 100 soldiers to assist a body of artillery in erecting a mortar-battery on South Wantong Island, he came into warm collision with the enemy, to whose incessant fire, on reaching the latter place, he was for a whole night exposed. On 26 the Nemesis was next found signally figuring in the operations connected with the celebrated attack on the Bogue forts; of the last remaining one of which, Little Tycocktow, Mr. Hall (having landed with Lieut. W. H. Maitland and a party of seamen and marines belonging to his own ship and the Wellesley) took possession, spiking at the same time its guns, and destroying a neighbouring encampment. During an attack made on 27 by a squadron under Capt. Herbert on the enemy’s camp, fort, and ship Cambridge, bearing the Chinese Admiral’s flag, at their position below Whampoa Reach, where 98 guns were in the whole destroyed, the Nemesis, who had previously led the British force and signalled the soundings, gained particular notice by the excellent and efficient nature of her fire.^[3] Her Commander, on that occasion, besides being among the first to board the Cambridge, again landed, and had the satisfaction of planting Her Majesty’s flag on the fort. After further contributing, on 3 and 6 March, to the capture of Howqua and Napier Forts, above Whampoa, we find him frequently acquiring the warmest praise of Capt. Jas. Scott, whom he had on board, and reported by that officer worthy of every reward that could be bestowed on him, for his cool, unwearied, and zealous performance of his duties in forcing the inner passage from Macao to Whampoa; during her advance on which place his vessel, in conjunction with the boats of the Samarang, destroyed, between 3 a.m. on 13 and 4 p.m. on 15 March, five forts, one battery, two military stations, and nine war-junks, in which collectively were 115 guns and 8 ginjalls.^[4] After participating in an action with Bird’s-nest and Shaming Forts, as also with several war-junks, on 16, and sharing in the general attack made on the Canton batteries on 18 of the same month, Mr. Hall, who on the latter occasion had commenced the conflict, immediately landed and displayed the British colours from the window of the factory; but, while on his way back to the boats, he was assailed with his party by a body of the enemy’s troops, whom however he quickly routed.^[5] Joining, in the following May, in the second series of operations against the same city, this meritorious officer, although wounded, added afresh to his already well-earned fame by a continued display of that enterprising and never-flinching spirit which had hitherto characterised all his actions. On 21 and 22 of that month he received a large tribute of praise for his exertions in defeating an attack of fire-rafts, and destroying a fleet of more than 30 war-junks and fishing-vessels – a success which led to a discovery of the most desirable place for landing the troops.^[6] On 26 he next, in conjunction with a detachment of the 18th, 37th, and 49th Regts., under Lieut. John Grant, landed in command of half of the crew belonging to the Nemesis, and of a party of seamen from H.M. ships Sulphur, Wellesley, and Blonde, at Tsingpoo, near Canton, where he overthrew 500 of the enemy, who for some time kept up a heavy fire of grape, and drove them, with the loss of their field-pieces, into the town. In the attack made on 26 Aug. on the citadel of Amoy, Mr. Hall, having disembarked Sir Hugh Gough and the 18th Royal Irish, joined in the common assault, and was the first to mount the walls, whence he unfurled the British flag.^[7] He subsequently elicited the high official commendation of Sir Wm. Parker for his conduct in alone entering the port of Sheipoo, where, in the course of an arduous day’s labour, he landed at the head of his men and annihilated three forts, mounting in the whole 13 heavy guns, besides causing the destruction of three war-junks, one of which carried 14 guns. Towards the close of the same month he once more obtained the flattering notice of his Commander-in-Chief in consequence of the admirable precision of his fire in resenting one which had been opened on the Nemesis by the batteries at Chusan. On 1 Oct. he united in the reduction of the last-mentioned place, and during a portion of the operations had the honour of bearing the Admiral’s flag; not many days after which event he again signalised himself by his zeal at the taking of Chinghae.^[8] Ascending the Ningpo river, in Jan. 1842, with the Naval and Military Commanders-in-Chief on board, the Nemesis, on 10 of that month, assisted, in company with the Phlegethon, in destroying the government-buildings belonging to the town of Fungwah. Her Captain afterwards, on 9 March, landed, with the present Capt. Richard Collinson and only 66 men under his orders, and defeated a body of 500 Chinese troops on the island of Taishan, near Chusan. Preparatory to the attack on Tsekee, 15 March, Mr. Hall there debarked Sir Wm. Parker and Sir Hugh Gough; and he next, on 15 April, succeeded by his alacrity in ruining 13 out of a numerous flotilla of fire-boats intended for the destruction of H.M. shipping in the harbour of Tinghae.^[9] Within four days of that affair he destroyed several other fire-vessels fitting out in the neighbourhood of Chusan. At the reduction, on 18 May, of Chapoo, at which place his exertions materially facilitated the landing of the troops, Mr. Hall made a desperate, although unsuccessful attempt, to dislodge a body of Tartar soldiers from a house in which they had taken refuge. Two of his men were on the occasion shot dead by his side. In the famous battle fought with the Chinese at Woosung, 16 June, the Nemesis, being the advanced ship, appears to have again distinguished herself by capturing 11 out of 14 of the enemy’s war-junks;^[10] five of which vessels presented the singular appearance of being worked by wheels, two on each side. Mr. Hall, who next shared in the reduction of Shanghae, 19 June, 1842, and was in the Yang-tse-Kiang during the operations against the city of Chin-Kiang-Foo,^[11] wound up his China services by witnessing the pacification of Nanking. Fully impressed with the importance of his services, the Admiralty had, in the mean while, applied for an Order in Council to empower his receiving the rank of Lieutenant, which was accordingly conferred on him by commission dated 8 Jan. 1841. The fame of his deeds increasing, they obtained a similar authority for enabling his after-time in the Nemesis to count as if it had been actually passed on board a Queen’s ship; and, on 10 June, 1843, they promoted him to the rank of Commander. Being shortly afterwards, on 1 July, appointed Second-Captain of the Victoria and Albert steam-yaoht, Capt. Adolphus FitzClarence, he was only allowed to continue in that vessel until 22 Oct. 1844, when, as a further mark of favour, he was advanced to the rank he now holds. He was nominated Additional Captain of the William and Mary yacht 3 March, 1847; and has since been in command of the Terrible and Dragon steam-frigates.

On finally leaving the Nemesis, at Calcutta, in 1843, Capt. Hall was invited to a splendid dinner in the Town-hall, by his officers, who presented him with a pair of Post-Captain’s epaulettes; and his crew availed themselves of the same opportunity to present him with an elegant sword. In token of their gratitude for the fearless manner in which, at the hazard of his life, he had plunged into the Clarence Dock at Liverpool, 17 Jan. 1840, and had saved the life of Robt. Kelly, one of their number, the engineers and firemen of the Nemesis had united, soon after their arrival at Canton, in presenting him with a piece of plate. The Captain is the inventor of the iron bilge-tanks for large and small vessels now in use in the Royal Navy, and also of “Hall’s Patent Anchor.” In the early part of 1847 he was elected a F.R.S. He married, 30 April, 1845, the Hon. Hilare Caroline Byng, third daughter of the late Vice-Admiral Viscount Torrington (under whose orders he first went to sea), and sister of the present Viscount Torrington, Governor-General of Ceylon, as likewise of Lieut. Hon. J. M. R. Byng, R.N. Agents – Collier and Snee.

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1. Mr. Hall, not long afterwards, was fired at while awaiting despatches from the Chinese authorities at the Bogue, a circumstance we are induced to mention, as it was the first act of overt hostility committed after the formal conference with Keshen.
2. Vide Gaz. 1841. p. 1497.
3. Vide Gaz. 1841, p. 1501.
4. Vide Gaz. 1841, pp. 1507-9.
5. Vide Gaz. 1841, p. 1505.
6. Vide Gaz. 1841, p. 2511.
7. Vide Gaz. 1842, p. 83.
8. Vide Gaz. 1842, pp. 393-6.
9. Vide Gaz. 1842, p. 2393.
10. Vide Gaz. 1842, p. 3399.
11. Vide Gaz. 1842, p. 3404.

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