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. 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. In the harbour were found two schooner privateers, of 5 guns and upwards of 100 men each, and three trading vessels. An English ship, laden with bale goods, and a Spaniard, with a valuable cargo, were recaptured when in the act of entering the port[1].
On the 16th Jan. 1809, Captain Dashwood, after a chase of thirty hours, captured l’Iphigenie French brig letter of marque, pierced for 18 guns, laden with naval stores and various merchandise, from Bayonne bound to Guadaloupe. This vessel had been launched about two months before, for the express purpose of marauding in the West Indies.
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.
During the disastrous winter of 1811, we find Captain Dashwood commanding a squadron of ten frigates and smaller vessels, left in the Baltic by Sir James Saumarez, to collect and bring home the remnant of Rear-Admiral Reynolds’ unfortunate convoy. On this occasion he took upon himself the responsibility of passing through the Malmo Channel, instead of the Great Belt, as he had been ordered, and thereby saved the whole from destruction[2].
