On 3 October 1808, the French brig Palinure, engaged the British Cruizer-class brig-sloop HMS Carnation, under Commander Charles Mars Gregory, 180 miles northeast of Martinique. Palinure was armed with sixteen 6-pounder guns and Carnation was armed with sixteen 32-pounder carronades and two 6-pounder guns. Gregory and all his officers were killed or wounded in the opening exchanges and Palinure's crew attempted to board. Carnation's crew were mustered to resist, but a Royal Marine sergeant named John Chapman refused the order and led over 30 men below decks to await capture. The remaining crew men were outnumbered and had to surrender.

Carnation had lost 10 killed and 30 wounded, perhaps half mortally; the French lost about 15 men killed and wounded. The French then took Carnation to Marin Bay, Martinique.

The French commissioned Carnation on 31 January 1809 under Ensign de vaisseau Simon-Auguste Huguet. He had distinguished himself in the engagement as Capitaine de frègate Pierre-François Jance had been debilitated by yellow fever and reportedly died within an hour of the victory after transferring to Carnation, which was the better vessel.

The British arrested Chapman and 31 of the crew who had deserted the deck during the battle. A court martial convicted all but one of them of cowardice; Chapman was hanged from the yardarm of HMS Ulysses the day after his sentence was passed. The others were sentenced to floggings and transportation as convicts to Botany Bay for 14 years, though it is not clear this part of their sentence was ever carried out.