JOHN FLEMING, Esq.
[Commander.]
We first find this officer serving as master’s-mate on board the Fisguard[errata 1] frigate, Captain (now Sir T. Byam) Martin, by whom he is mentioned, in an official letter to Sir John B. Warren, as having distinguished himself at the capture of a French gun-vessel, two armed chasse marées, and eight other vessels laden with supplies for the Brest fleet, June 11th, 1800[1]. Twelve days afterwards, he assisted at the destruction of three batteries, mounting seven 24-pounders, situated on the banks of the Quimper river; and in the night of July 1st following, at the destruction of five national vessels (mounting altogether fifty guns) and fifteen others laden with valuable cargoes, lying under the protection of six heavy batteries at the south-east part of Noirmoutier, besides flanking guns on every projecting point of that island[2]. His first commission bears date Oct. 2d, 1800.
In 1806, the Committee of the Patriotic Fund voted Lieutenant Fleming a sword, for his gallant conduct in command of the boats of la Franchise frigate, Captain (now Sir Charles) Dashwood, at the capture of El Raposa, a Spanish national brig, in the bay of Campeachy. This brilliant exploit was thus officially reported to Vice-Admiral Dacres, Commander-in-chief at Jamaica:
“Sir,– Having received information from a neutral, that several Spanish armed vessels had very lately arrived in the bay of Campeachy, and conceiving it practicable, from the local knowledge I had of that place, that they might be cut out without running much risk; I have presumed in consequence to extend the limits of the orders with which you honored me, and come to this anchorage; and although I am well aware of the great responsibility, yet, as it was undertaken solely with a view of forwarding the King’s service, by distressing his enemies, so I have the vanity to hope it will be sanctioned with your high approbation.
“I have, therefore, the honor to report that I, last evening, anchored the Franchise in quarter-less four fathoms, a-breast the town of Campeachy; and as it was impossible, from the shallowness of the water, toErrata:
- ↑ Correction: Fisguard should be amended to Fisgard
