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Lot Essay
Ex Glendining's, May 1904.
The published Naval General Service Medal rolls confirm John Sparkes as a Private in the Royal Marines aboard the Active for both the action fought off Lissa on 13.3.1811 and that off Pelagosa on 29.11.1811, one of just 124 and 64 recipients of these clasps on the Admiralty roll. One other man with these names was awarded a Medal with the 'Off Tamatave 20 May 1811' and 'Java' clasps.
'Commodore Dubourdieu, having sailed on 4 March 1811, from Ancona for Lissa (a small island on the coast of Dalmatia), with a Squadron having on board 500 troops, came in sight, on the 13th of a British Squadron under Captain William Hoste. The hostile force numbered four large 40-gun Frigates and two carrying 32 guns, besides a 16-gun Brig and four small vessels. The British Squadron consisted of Amphion, 32, Captain Hoste; Active, 32, Captain A. Gordon; Volage, 28, Captain Phipps Hornby; and Cerberus, 32, Captain Whitby. In all the enemy's ships carried 300 guns and 2500 men, and the British 154 guns and 880 men.
Notwithstanding this disparity of force, the gallant Hoste, one of Nelson's favourite Officers, and a man after his own heart, eagerly accepted battle; with the signal flying, "Remember Nelson", he bore down in compact line, and at 9 a.m. the action commenced ... The French 40-gun Frigate Danae meanwhile engaged the Volage, and the Corona and Carolina the Cerberus. Both ships maintained the unequal conflict with great gallantry until the arrival of the Active, when the three Frigates bore up to the eastward and made sail ... the Active chased the Corona, and getting alongside her, forced her to surrender after a spirited engagement ... The Active had four killed and 24 wounded ... of the Prizes, the Corona had no less than 200 killed and wounded [and] while in tow of the Active caught fire, which was, however, extinguished by the exertions of the Active's men, five of whom thus lost their lives.
The gallant Captain Gordon continued to do good service in his ship, the Active, in the Adriatic, where he destroyed or captured 28 vessels of various descriptions, until on 29 November, being in company with the Alceste, 38, Captain Murray Maxwell, Unite, 36, Captain Chamberlayne, he quitted the Island of Lissa in chase of the French 40-gun Frigates Pauline and Pomone, and Persanne, 26, all bound from Corfu to Trieste. The Unite was directed to chase the Persanne; and the Alceste and Active continued the pursuit of the two heavy Frigates. After four hours' chase, Captain Maxwell approached the Pomone, and exchanged broadsides with her, when, unhappily, his main-topmast was shot away, thus preventing him from passing on to engage the French Commodore in the Pauline. About two o'clock, the Active having shot ahead, brought the Pomone to close action, and half an hour later the Pauline, eager of the chance to engage the Alceste at a disadvantage, took up a position on her weather beam. At three, observing that the Pomone was getting the worst of her encounter with the Active, the French Commodore made sail and escaped.
The Pomone, having lost her main and mizen masts, surrendered a little before four o'clock. The Persanne was overtaken and struck to the Unite, after receiving a single broadside. The Active's crew, already reduced by the Battle of Lissa, lost in this action one Midshipman and seven men killed and 27 wounded, including her Captain and two Lieutenants, named above (who were promoted for their gallantry). The Alceste, out of 218 men, had one Midshipman and five men killed, and one Lieutenant and 12 men wounded. The Pomone was reduced to a sinking state by the Active's fire, and had 50 killed and wounded, including the Captain' (Great Battles of the British Navy, by Lieutenant C.R. Low, R.N., refers).
While the Douglas-Morris roll also confirms the recipient as being present in the same rate and ship for the earlier Boat Service action of 28.6.1810, he does not appear on the Colin Message or Admiralty rolls. In all probability, being the first clasp in line, a late claim.
The clasp in question was awarded for the capture of 20 vessels and the destruction of stores in Grado Harbour, North-East of Venice, by men drawn from the Ship's Companies of the Active, Amphion and Cerberus.
The published Naval General Service Medal rolls confirm John Sparkes as a Private in the Royal Marines aboard the Active for both the action fought off Lissa on 13.3.1811 and that off Pelagosa on 29.11.1811, one of just 124 and 64 recipients of these clasps on the Admiralty roll. One other man with these names was awarded a Medal with the 'Off Tamatave 20 May 1811' and 'Java' clasps.
'Commodore Dubourdieu, having sailed on 4 March 1811, from Ancona for Lissa (a small island on the coast of Dalmatia), with a Squadron having on board 500 troops, came in sight, on the 13th of a British Squadron under Captain William Hoste. The hostile force numbered four large 40-gun Frigates and two carrying 32 guns, besides a 16-gun Brig and four small vessels. The British Squadron consisted of Amphion, 32, Captain Hoste; Active, 32, Captain A. Gordon; Volage, 28, Captain Phipps Hornby; and Cerberus, 32, Captain Whitby. In all the enemy's ships carried 300 guns and 2500 men, and the British 154 guns and 880 men.
Notwithstanding this disparity of force, the gallant Hoste, one of Nelson's favourite Officers, and a man after his own heart, eagerly accepted battle; with the signal flying, "Remember Nelson", he bore down in compact line, and at 9 a.m. the action commenced ... The French 40-gun Frigate Danae meanwhile engaged the Volage, and the Corona and Carolina the Cerberus. Both ships maintained the unequal conflict with great gallantry until the arrival of the Active, when the three Frigates bore up to the eastward and made sail ... the Active chased the Corona, and getting alongside her, forced her to surrender after a spirited engagement ... The Active had four killed and 24 wounded ... of the Prizes, the Corona had no less than 200 killed and wounded [and] while in tow of the Active caught fire, which was, however, extinguished by the exertions of the Active's men, five of whom thus lost their lives.
The gallant Captain Gordon continued to do good service in his ship, the Active, in the Adriatic, where he destroyed or captured 28 vessels of various descriptions, until on 29 November, being in company with the Alceste, 38, Captain Murray Maxwell, Unite, 36, Captain Chamberlayne, he quitted the Island of Lissa in chase of the French 40-gun Frigates Pauline and Pomone, and Persanne, 26, all bound from Corfu to Trieste. The Unite was directed to chase the Persanne; and the Alceste and Active continued the pursuit of the two heavy Frigates. After four hours' chase, Captain Maxwell approached the Pomone, and exchanged broadsides with her, when, unhappily, his main-topmast was shot away, thus preventing him from passing on to engage the French Commodore in the Pauline. About two o'clock, the Active having shot ahead, brought the Pomone to close action, and half an hour later the Pauline, eager of the chance to engage the Alceste at a disadvantage, took up a position on her weather beam. At three, observing that the Pomone was getting the worst of her encounter with the Active, the French Commodore made sail and escaped.
The Pomone, having lost her main and mizen masts, surrendered a little before four o'clock. The Persanne was overtaken and struck to the Unite, after receiving a single broadside. The Active's crew, already reduced by the Battle of Lissa, lost in this action one Midshipman and seven men killed and 27 wounded, including her Captain and two Lieutenants, named above (who were promoted for their gallantry). The Alceste, out of 218 men, had one Midshipman and five men killed, and one Lieutenant and 12 men wounded. The Pomone was reduced to a sinking state by the Active's fire, and had 50 killed and wounded, including the Captain' (Great Battles of the British Navy, by Lieutenant C.R. Low, R.N., refers).
While the Douglas-Morris roll also confirms the recipient as being present in the same rate and ship for the earlier Boat Service action of 28.6.1810, he does not appear on the Colin Message or Admiralty rolls. In all probability, being the first clasp in line, a late claim.
The clasp in question was awarded for the capture of 20 vessels and the destruction of stores in Grado Harbour, North-East of Venice, by men drawn from the Ship's Companies of the Active, Amphion and Cerberus.