HMS Camilla (1776)
Introduction '''HMS ''Camilla''''' was a Royal Navy 20-gun ''Sphinx''-class post ship. ''Camilla'' was built in Chatham Dockyard to a design by John Williams and was launched in 1776.She served in the American Revolution, the French Revolutionary Wars, and the Napoleonic Wars, before being sold in 1831.
American Revolution ''Camilla'' was commissioned in May 1776 and sailed for North America in August. There she captured the privateer schooner ''Independence'', John Gill, Master, of six carriage guns, eight swivels, and 50 men. She was on a cruise from Boston. ''Camilla'' also captured ''Admiral Montague'', sailing from Hispaniola to Rhode Island with a cargo of molasses and coffee, ''Chance'' sailing to Georgia with coffee, and ''Polly'', sailing to Surinam in ballast.On 23 January 1777,  north of Charlestown, South Carolina, ''Camilla'', under Captain Charles Phipps, captured the American sloop ''Fanny'', which was heading to that port from Cap-Français, Hispaniola, with a cargo of molasses. Then in February Captain John Linzee took command of ''Camilla''.On 20 February 1777, ''Camilla'' and , Captain George Keith Elphinstone, captured the 170-ton snow, ''Adventure''. They captured her  northeast of Antigua, British West Indies, as she was going from Newburyport, Massachusetts to St. Eustatius, Netherlands West Indies, with a cargo of fish, staves, spermacaeti candles and pine planks. ''Camilla'' fired eleven shots before ''Adventure'' would stop. ''Perseus'' and ''Camilla'' shared the prize money. Eight days later, ''Camilla'' captured ''Ranger'', William Davies, Master, which was sailing in ballast from St. Lucia. ''Fanny'', ''Adventure'', and ''Ranger'' were all condemned and sold at Antigua.April 1777 was a busy month for ''Camilla''. On 6 April she captured the brig ''Willing Maid'', bound from St. Thomas, Danish West Indies, to Ocracoke Inlet, North Carolina, with a cargo of sugar, rum, and salt. However, the brig sprang a leak and sank. On 11 April 1777, ''Camilla'' was patrolling with the 44-gun frigate  near the mouth of the Delaware River, just north of the Cape Henlopen lighthouse, when they came upon the American merchantman ''Morris''. Gunfire from the two British vessels drove ''Morris'' ashore, where she suddenly blew up with such force that it shattered the windows on the British vessels. Reports indicate that ''Morris'' was carrying 35 tons of gunpowder and that the captain and six crewmen still on the vessel were laying a train of gunpowder to blow her up, when things went wrong. It is not clear whether the powder train burnt too quickly or a shot from ''Camilla'' or ''Roebuck'' set it off. What is clear is that the vessel disintegrated and all aboard her died in the explosion. Much of her cargo of arms was, however, salvageable, and Americans onshore were able to get it.On 15 and 20 April ''Camilla'' took two more prizes that were carrying rum, molasses and sugar, and molasses, respectively, but there are no details available. On 21 April, she captured ''Perfect'', Etienne Codnet, Master, bound from Cape Nichola, Hispaniola, with a cargo of molasses. Then on 25 and 26 April she took two more unknown vessels, both carrying rum and rice. She also captured ''Fonbonne'', W. De Gallet, master, and W. Galley, owner, which was sailing from Cap-Français to Miquelon with a cargo of wine and molasses.In July 1777, boats from ''Camilla'' and  captured and burnt the Continental schooner ''Mosquito''. ''Camilla'' captured several merchantmen in late 1777 or early 1778.On 15 November she captured the sloop ''Admiral Montague'', sailing from Hispaniola to Rhode Island with a cargo of molasses and coffee. That same day, she captured ''Chance'', Thomas Bell, master, which was sailing to Georgia with a cargo of flour and rum. Lastly, on 14 March 1778, ''Camilla'' captured ''Polly'', William Thompson, master, which was sailing to Surinam in ballast.When Philadelphia fell to the British in 1777, several American vessels found themselves trapped between the city and the British fleet further down the Delaware River. The Americans launched some three fire ships towards the British, but gunfire from ''Roebuck'', ''Camilla'', and other British vessels caused the Americans to set their ships on fire too soon, and to abandon them. British boats were able to pull the fire ships on shore where they could do no harm.Recruiting poster from 1778 for CamillaIn February 1778 Captain John Collins took command of ''Camilla''. On 18 March, 1778 boats from  and ''Camilla'' (now captained by Charles Phipps), captured the Pennsylvania Navy's armed boat ''Fame'' (A.K.A. No. 71), up a creek above Reedy Point. ''Fame'' was armed with one 4-pounder cannon, four swivel guns, and two wall guns; she had a crew of 12 men under the command of Joseph Wade. ''Camilla'' then participated in two operations, one at Newhaven on 5 July and another at Penobscot from 21 July to 14 August.On 29 May 1779, ''Camilla'' was part of Admiral George Collier's small flotilla that sailed up the Hudson River and captured Stony Point, two months later the site of the American victory in the Battle of Stony Point. Amongst other services, she exchanged fire with Fort Lafayette.That summer, the British Fleet moved north. ''Camilla'' was one of the vessels that participated in Tryon's raid on New Haven, Connecticut in July.Penobscot Expedition By Dominic Serres''Camilla'' then participated in the battle on 13–14 August, when Collier's squadron destroyed the American Penobscot Expedition. She was amongst the vessels that shared the prize money for the capture of the American privateer ''Hunter''.During the autumn ''Camilla'' captured the brig ''Chance'', John M'Kay Master, off Cape Cod. The brig was sailing from St. Eustatius to Connecticut with a cargo of salt. Around this time she also recaptured the ''Mackerel'' and ''Marquis of Rockingham''. On 12 October she captured the brig ''Revenge''.In December ''Camilla'' sailed from New York to Charleston, South Carolina, with Vice Admiral Mariot Arbuthnot's squadron. Thus, spring 1780, found ''Camilla'', Captain Charles Phipps, participating at the Siege of Charleston. The city capitulated on 11 May. ''Camilla'' shared in the prize money resulting from the naval captures.On 30 September, ''Camilla'' participated in the capture of the brigs ''Wasp'', ''Potomack'', and ''Portsmouth Hero'', and the schooners ''Providence'', ''Fanny'' and ''Betsey''. Then on 1 November she took the schooner ''Henrico''.On 19 April 1781, ''Camilla'' took the sloop ''Ann''. ''Camilla'' then sailed to join the Downs squadron. Captain J. Wainwright assumed command in November 1782.She was paid off in March 1783.
Between the wars Commander John Hutt of  received promotion to post captain and then in March 1783 recommissioned ''Camilla''. He sailed her for Jamaica on 11 May 1783.While she was on the Jamaica station a mutiny occurred aboard ''Camilla''. Five men received 800 lashes. ''Camilla'' sailed back to Britain in 1784, but in December sailed for Jamaica again.In September 1790, ''Camilla'' was reported to have brought the Duke of Sudermania from Finland to the Swedish Royal Court at Drottningholm Palace.
French Revolutionary Wars In March 1794 commissioned ''Camilla'' for the Downs station. After receiving promotion to post-captain on 31 October 1795, Richard Dacres was appointed to command ''Camilla'', which formed part of Richard Strachan's squadron in the English Channel.On 10 June 1795 two vessels came into Yarmouth. Both had been detained by ''Camilla'', and both had been sailing from Copenhagen. The two were ''Catherine and Eliza'', Sass, master, and ''Three Brothers'', Peters, master.On 15 February 1796 ''Camilla'' ran down and sank the merchant vessel ''Unity'', of Hull, off the Goodwin Sands. ''Unity'' was on a voyage from South Shields to Lisbon. ''Camilla'' shared with , , , and  in the proceeds of the capture on 10 April 1796 of ''Smuka Piga''. Then ''Camilla'', , ''Diamond'', , ''Syren'', ''Magicienne'', and ''Childers''  shared in the capture on 29 April of ''Mary''. On 24 December , , ''Camilla'' and the hired armed cutter ''Grand Falconer'', shared in the capture of ''Esperance''.On 20 February 1797, ''Camilla'' captured ''Heros''. In March Captain Stephen Poyntz replaced Dacres. The next month, on 19 April, ''Diamond'', ''Minerva'', , ''Grand Falconer'', and ''Camilla'' captured the American ship ''Favourite'', which was carrying a cargo of flour. Then on 20 May, ''Camilla'' captured ''Jeanie''.When Robert Larkan took command of ''Camilla'' in September 1797, he brought with him Richard Spencer, who would go on to be knighted, and become Government Resident in Albany, Western Australia. On 6 November, ''Camilla'' took ''Marianne''.Generals Thomas Maitland and Toussaint Louverture meet to discuss a secret treaty, unknown artist, c.1800On 4 May 1799, after a three-week voyage from Philadelphia, ''Camilla'' arrived at Cap-Français, Haiti, with the British General, Thomas Maitland on board. The British government had empowered him to pledge its support to General Toussaint Louverture.In January 1800 ''Camilla'' managed to take three prizes. On 6 January she took ''Jeune Aimie''. Then six days later she captured ''Speculation'', with the hired armed cutter ''Fly'' in sight.During the evening of 29 January 1800, off Le Havre, ''Camilla'' captured the French privateer lugger ''Vigoureaux'' (or ''Vigoreaux''). ''Vigoureaux'' was armed with three guns, had a crew of 26 men and was 19 days out of Cherbourg, not having taken anything. was in sight.Then on 15 March ''Camilla'' left Portsmouth as escort to a convoy for Newfoundland.Later that year ''Camilla'' lost her mainmast in a storm while accompanying a convoy from Newfoundland to Britain. Though the storm scattered the convoy, ''Camilla'' arrived in Portsmouth, having found and escorted six vessels to Weymouth and Poole. In December 1801 Captain E. Brace replaced Larkan, only to be superseded in 1802 by Captain Henry Hill. Hill sailed ''Camilla'' from Portsmouth for Newfoundland on 29 July; she returned to Portsmouth on 29 November.
Napoleonic Wars Captain C. Woolaston briefly replaced Hill. Then in April 1803 Captain Brydges Watkinson Taylor took command of ''Camilla''. In May he sailed for Newfoundland.On 15 August 1805, ''Camilla'' captured the French navy's brig-corvette , of 16 guns and 98 men. ''Camilla'' chased ''Faune'' for nine hours before capturing her at . The 74-gun, third rate  had seen three sail and joined the chase, helping ''Camilla'' to capture ''Faune''. The Royal Navy took ''Faune'' into service as HMS ''Fawn''. ''Goliath'', with  in company, then sailed off to capture the French ship-corvette ''Torche'' on the next day. In December 1805, Taylor moved to , a new frigate, and Captain Clotworthy Upton replaced him. In March 1806 Captain J. Tower replaced Upton.Between May 1807 and 1808 ''Camilla'' was in the Leeward Islands under the command of Captain John Bowen, who had taken command in July 1806.On 2 March 1808, a party of about 200 marines and sailors from  , , and ''Camilla'', all under the command of Captain Pigot of ''Circe'', landed near Grand Bourg on the island of Marie-Galante. The militia on the island quickly surrendered, together with their 13 guns, plus small arms and gunpowder. Neither side suffered any casualties. In 1825 the crews of , ''Cerberus'', ''Circe'', and ''Camilla'' shared in the prize money arising out of the island's surrender.Between 30 July and August 1809 ''Camilla'' was one of the many vessels participating in the debacle of the Walcheren Campaign. On 3 November, ''Camilla'', under temporary captain William Henry Dillon, encountered the ''Drie Gebroeders''. She was sailing from Norway under a Danish master and with a cargo of timber. On her deck were a number of wooden trucks for gun-carriages, which were obviously war material. The master stated that he was taking his cargo to Britain so Dillon let him proceed. After two hours, the merchant vessel was plainly heading toward the Dutch coast so Dillon caught up with the vessel and seized it. The master claimed that he was sailing toward Holland only to avoid "the Lemon and Oar", a dangerous reef in the North Sea. Dillon knew that the master's explanation was inconsistent with the vessel's position and so sent the vessel to Britain as a prize.
Final years ''Camilla'' was laid up in ordinary at Sheerness in December 1809, and then used as a floating breakwater. From 1814 to 1825 she served as a receiving ship until she was "laid aground for the protection of the waters".The "Principal Officers and Commissioners of His Majesty's Navy" offered "''Lying at Sheerness'', Camilla, of 433 tons", for sale on 13 April 1831.She sold on that day.
Notes
Citations
References *Allen, Gardner Weld (1913) ''A naval history of the American Revolution''. (Boston: Houghton, Mifflin). * *Colledge, J. J. ''Ships of the Royal Navy: The Complete Record of All Fighting Ships of the Royal Navy From the Fifteenth Century to the Present.'' Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press, 1987..*Dillon, William Henry & Michael Arthur Lewis (1956) ''A Narrative of My Professional Adventures''. (London: Navy Records Society, 1953–1956). *Hahn, Harold M. (1988) ''Ships of the American Revolution and their models''. (Annapolis, Md : Naval Institute)* *Shomette, Donald (2007) ''Shipwrecks, sea raiders, and maritime disasters along the Delmarva coast, 1632–2004''. (Baltimore: Johns Hopkins)*
External links *  Ships of the Old Navy - ''Camilla''