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Naval General Service 1793-1840, 1 clasp, The Potomac 17 Aug 1814 (William Dufton.) some...

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Naval General Service 1793-1840, 1 clasp, The Potomac 17 Aug 1814 (William Dufton.) some...
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Naval General Service 1793-1840, 1 clasp, The Potomac 17 Aug 1814 (William Dufton.) some light scratches, otherwise nearly extremely fine £4,000-£5,000 --- Importation Duty This lot is subject to importation duty of 5% on the hammer price unless exported outside the UK --- --- Confirmed on the roll as a Private Royal Marines on board the Seahorse frigate. 104 clasps ‘Potomac 17 Aug 1814’ including 6 officers and 29 men of the Seahorse. William Dufton was born at Leeds and attested there on 23 July 1812, aged 17 years 5 months. Of the many expeditions up the bays and rivers of the United States during the war with America, none equalled in brilliancy of execution that up the Potomac to Alexandria. This service was entrusted to Captain James Alexander Gordon, of the 38-gun frigate Seahorse, having under his orders the 18-pounder 36-gun frigate Euryalus; bomb-ships Devastation, Ætna, and Meteor; rocket-ship Erebus; and a small tender, or despatch-boat. On 17 August at 9.15 a.m., the squadron got under way from the anchorage at the entrance of the Potomac, and, without the aid of pilots, began ascending the intricate channel of the river leading to the capital of the United States. On 18 August the Seahorse grounded, and could only get afloat again by shifting her guns to the tenders in company. That done, and the guns returned to their places, the squadron again stood up the river. While passing the flats of Maryland point on 25 August, a squall struck the squadron, the Seahorse had her mizenmast sprung, and the Euryalus, just as she had clewed up her sails to be in a state to receive it, had her bowsprit and the head of her foremast badly sprung, and the heads of all three topmasts fairly wrung off. Such was the state of discipline on board the ship, however, that in 12 hours the Euryalus had refitted herself, and was again under way ascending the river.
In the evening of 27 August, after each of the ships had been aground not less than 20 times, and each time obliged to haul themselves off by main strength, and after having for five successive days, with the exception of a few hours, been employed in warping a distance of not more than 50 miles, the squadron arrived abreast of Fort Washington. The bomb-ships immediately began throwing their shells into the fort, preparatory to an attack the next morning by the two frigates. On the bursting of the first shell, the garrison was observed to retreat, but, supposing some concealed design, Captain Gordon directed the fire to be continued. At 8 p.m., however, all doubts were removed by the explosion of the powder magazine, which destroyed the inner buildings. At daylight the next morning, the British took possession of the fort and of three minor batteries, mounting altogether 27 guns, chiefly of heavy calibre. The guns had already been spiked, and their complete destruction, with the carriages, was carried out by the seamen and marines of the squadron. These forts were intended for the defence of Alexandria, the channel to which the British began immediately to buoy. While Captain Gordon was still negotiating the terms of the surrender, the Fairy, which had fought her way up the river, arrived on 31 August with orders for Captain Gordon’s return. The squadron departed down river the same day taking 21 sail of prizes. Sold with copied entry from Royal Marines Description book and Seahorse ship’s logbook extracts for the Potomac expedition.
Naval General Service 1793-1840, 1 clasp, The Potomac 17 Aug 1814 (William Dufton.) some light scratches, otherwise nearly extremely fine £4,000-£5,000 --- Importation Duty This lot is subject to importation duty of 5% on the hammer price unless exported outside the UK --- --- Confirmed on the roll as a Private Royal Marines on board the Seahorse frigate. 104 clasps ‘Potomac 17 Aug 1814’ including 6 officers and 29 men of the Seahorse. William Dufton was born at Leeds and attested there on 23 July 1812, aged 17 years 5 months. Of the many expeditions up the bays and rivers of the United States during the war with America, none equalled in brilliancy of execution that up the Potomac to Alexandria. This service was entrusted to Captain James Alexander Gordon, of the 38-gun frigate Seahorse, having under his orders the 18-pounder 36-gun frigate Euryalus; bomb-ships Devastation, Ætna, and Meteor; rocket-ship Erebus; and a small tender, or despatch-boat. On 17 August at 9.15 a.m., the squadron got under way from the anchorage at the entrance of the Potomac, and, without the aid of pilots, began ascending the intricate channel of the river leading to the capital of the United States. On 18 August the Seahorse grounded, and could only get afloat again by shifting her guns to the tenders in company. That done, and the guns returned to their places, the squadron again stood up the river. While passing the flats of Maryland point on 25 August, a squall struck the squadron, the Seahorse had her mizenmast sprung, and the Euryalus, just as she had clewed up her sails to be in a state to receive it, had her bowsprit and the head of her foremast badly sprung, and the heads of all three topmasts fairly wrung off. Such was the state of discipline on board the ship, however, that in 12 hours the Euryalus had refitted herself, and was again under way ascending the river.
In the evening of 27 August, after each of the ships had been aground not less than 20 times, and each time obliged to haul themselves off by main strength, and after having for five successive days, with the exception of a few hours, been employed in warping a distance of not more than 50 miles, the squadron arrived abreast of Fort Washington. The bomb-ships immediately began throwing their shells into the fort, preparatory to an attack the next morning by the two frigates. On the bursting of the first shell, the garrison was observed to retreat, but, supposing some concealed design, Captain Gordon directed the fire to be continued. At 8 p.m., however, all doubts were removed by the explosion of the powder magazine, which destroyed the inner buildings. At daylight the next morning, the British took possession of the fort and of three minor batteries, mounting altogether 27 guns, chiefly of heavy calibre. The guns had already been spiked, and their complete destruction, with the carriages, was carried out by the seamen and marines of the squadron. These forts were intended for the defence of Alexandria, the channel to which the British began immediately to buoy. While Captain Gordon was still negotiating the terms of the surrender, the Fairy, which had fought her way up the river, arrived on 31 August with orders for Captain Gordon’s return. The squadron departed down river the same day taking 21 sail of prizes. Sold with copied entry from Royal Marines Description book and Seahorse ship’s logbook extracts for the Potomac expedition.

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Tags: Military Medal, Militaria, Badges, Medals & Pins, projectile, Medal, Bomb, Book