On This Day 1 December

[Coog]

On 1 December 1793, Antelope, a West Indian packet ship of 204 tons burthen, was sailing off Cumberland Harbour, Cuba when she sighted two privateers. Obeying orders, Antelope headed back to port to avoid trouble, but the next day the wind failed, and one of the privateers, Atlante, with eight 3-pounder guns, was able to come alongside, and battle was joined. Antelope was armed with six 3-pounder guns and manned by a crew of 21. Atlante, a French privateer from Charleston, South Carolina, had a crew of 65, consisting of Frenchmen, Irishmen, and Americans.

During the battle, both of Antelope's officers were killed or wounded. Before he fell, the master, Mr. Edward Curtis, turned the two bow guns, double shoted, to cover the bow, and fired them at the first boarding party, killing and wounding some 15 men; he fell shortly thereafter. Command fell on Boatswain John Pascoe, who then led the crew in repelling the boarding parties. Antelope's crew repeatedly threw back the privateers, and eventually cut their grapples. In their resistance, Antelope's crew was aided by the fact that she was higher than the Atlante, enabling the crew to fire down on the deck of the privateer while being protected. Not content with having repelled the attacks, Pascoe raced up the rigging, lashing the squaresail yard of Atlante to Antelope's foreshrouds, and continued the battle until Atlante surrendered.

Antelope lost 3 killed and 3 wounded, one mortally. The privateer lost her captain mortally wounded and next in command wounded, 30 men killed in the action, and 17 wounded (three mortally); only 16 of her 65 men were unhurt.

The victorious Antelope put into Annotto Bay, Jamaica with her prize. It turned out that Atlante had been out of Charlestown a month, during which time she had taken one prize, a Bermudian brig.

Jamaica's House of Assembly voted a sum of 500 guineas to the officers and men of Antelope. Two hundred guineas went to the widow of Mr. Curtis, the late master. One hundred guineas each went to the first mate, who had been shot through the body during the engagement, and to Mr. Pascoe, the boatswain. The last hundred guineas was divided among the surviving members of the crew.

[David Manley]

1811 - Boats from HMShips Colossus (74), Conquestador (74) along with the the schooner Arrow (14) attacked a French convoy off the Ile d'Aix near La Rochelle. One chasse maree was captured, three more burnt and another three driven ashore.