having consulted with Captain William Furlong Wise, of the Mediator 44, who had witnessed her capture, Captain Dacres determined to send her in under French colours, to disguise the Bacchante as a prize, and the Mediator as a neutral; which stratagem so completely deceived the enemy, that he got through the intricate navigation of the harbour, and anchored within half a mile of the fort, before they discovered their mistake. A heavy cannonade was now commenced on both sides, and continued for four hours, when the fort was gallantly stormed by a detachment of seamen and marines, landed under the command of Captain Wise, assisted by Lieutenants Baker, Norton[1], and Shaw. Possession was then taken of two French schooners, fitting for sea as cruisers; an American ship and an English schooner, both of which had been recently captured by privateers. The Mediator appears to have been the greatest sufferer on this occasion, the fire of the enemy being chiefly directed against her, but not so much as might have been expected from the commanding situation of the fort, which was manned principally by the crews of the schooners. Her loss consisted of 2 men killed and 12 wounded; the Bacchante had not a man slain, and only 4 wounded. The fort and cannon were afterwards destroyed by Lieutenant Gould, and the place was evacuated by Captain Dacres on the 21st of the same month.
From this period we find no mention of Captain Dacres until his appointment to the Guerriere frigate, which took place about April 1811. The following is a copy of his official letter to Vice-Admiral Herbert Sawyer, describing his action with the United States’ ship Constitution, on the 19th Aug. 1812[2]:–
- ↑ Lieutenant Norton had previously distinguished himself by his gallantry in an attack made by the boats of the Bacchante, upon a brig and two feluccas lying in the harbour of St. Martha, the whole of which he brought out in triumph under a tremendous fire from the shore.
- ↑ The following notes are extracted from Mr. James’s account of the action.
