Page:A Naval Biographical Dictionary.djvu/578

Rh his fortune to be present in the battle of the Parana, where the combined squadrons of England and France effected the destruction, after a hard day’s fighting, of four heavy batteries belonging to General Rosas at Punta Obligado, as also of a schooner-of-war mounting 6 guns, and of 24 vessels chained across the river. He was in consequence confirmed in the rank of Commander by commission dated 18 Nov. 1845. – Hallett and Robinson.

 INGLEFIELD, C.B.

, born in 1783, at Singlewell, in Kent, is son of the late Capt. John Nicholson Inglefield, R.N.; and brother-in-law of the late Admiral Sir Benj. Hallowell Carew, G.C.B.

This officer entered the Navy, 8 Sept. 1791, as Fst.-cl. Vol., on board the 50, bearing the broad pendant of his father on the coast of Africa; and from April, 1793, until Jan. 1798, served, chiefly as Midshipman, in  40, also commanded by Capt. Inglefield,  100, flag-ship of Lord Hood,  32, Capt. Sir Harry Burrard,, Capt. O’Brien,  74, Capt. Bartholomew Sam. Rowley, and again in, as likewise in the 74, both under the orders of Capt. Sam. Hood. He was present during the above period in at the reduction of Calvi, and at the capture, after a running fight, of La Moselle corvette of 18 guns, 23 May, 1794; and, besides being actively employed in the, off Toulon, witnessed in that ship the evacuation of St. Fiorenza, officiated as Aide-de-camp to Capt. Hood at the destruction of the  of Mortella, and accompanied the expedition under Nelson to Teneriffe. In Jan. 1798 he was nominated by Earl St. Vincent to the command, with the rank of Acting-Lieutenant, of the gun-vessel, in which it appears he came into very frequent and warm conflict with the enemy’s flotilla off Algeciras. In Dec. 1798, having been confirmed in the rank of Lieutenant by commission dated 26 of the previous July, he was appointed to the 74, Capt. Ralph Willett Miller, under whom, during the operations connected with the defence of St. Jean d’Acre, he much distinguished himself; and on one occasion in particular, 21 March, 1799, when he shared in a gallant and sanguinary, although unsuccessful, attempt made to cut out from the port of Caiffa four djerms, or sailing lighters, which had got in there on the 18th from Alexandria, with supplies for the French army. While in personal charge of the ship’s boats Lieut. Inglefield had the fortune to capture a variety of vessels in the very teeth of the enemy’s batteries; and when with only the barge under his command he contrived to take a French national settee, mounting 4 brass 4-pounders, and having 20 soldiers on board besides her own crew. From Sept. 1800 (in the course of which year he had also served at the siege of Genoa), until a few weeks after his advancement to the rank of Commander, which took place 29 April, 1802, we find him serving as Flag-Lieutenant to Sir Rich. Bickerton and Lord Keith in the and  74’s,  54, and  80; and in 1801 receiving the Turkish gold medal for the part he had borne in the Egyptian campaign. Being appointed, 16 Sept. 1802, to the 18, Capt. Inglefield in the early part of 1803 was sent to Jamaica with despatches for Rear-Admiral Sir John Thos. Duckworth and Lieut.-General Nugent, the naval and military Commanders-in-Chief, announcing the renewal of hostilities with France. During his continuance in the West Indies he distinguished himself as a most zealous and active cruizer. In Aug. 1803 he accomplished the destruction of La Mutine, a national brig of 18 guns, which had been driven on shore in the neighbourhood of Cumberland Harbour, in the island of Cuba; and he further effected the capture of the following French and Spanish privateers; – in July, 1803, of La Belle Vénus, of 1 gun and 4 swivels, off Cape Dame Marie, St. Domingo, where the crew effected their escape – 10 June, 1804, of La Liberté, of 3 guns and 37 men, off the N.E. end of Jamaica – 7 March, 1805, of the Santa Rosa, of 3 guns and 90 men (captured in company with the sloop), off the north side of Jamaica – 5 Oct. 1805, of a schooner of 5 guns and 65 men (taken in company with the  32), off Point Maysi, island of Cuba – 21 Sept. 1806, of the San Jose y Animas, of 1 gun and 13 men, off the Isle of Pines – 25 Jan. 1807, of the Isabella, of 3 guns and 64 men (taken after an arduous chase of eight hours and much labour at the sweeps), off Negril Point, Jamaica^and, 28 July, 1807, of L’Espérance, armed with blunderbusses and small arms, and manned with l8 men, off Cape Dame Marie. Capt. Inglefield also, on 13 April, 1804, when off St. Jago de Cuba, chased and drove under the guns of the Moro Castle a French privateer of 14 guns, and a smaller one full of men, crippling them to such an extent in their sails and rigging as to prevent their proving of annoyance to a homeward-bound convoy then on the eve of its departure from Jamaica. On another occasion, 4 Feb. 1805, we find him capturing a Spanish frigate-built ship, the Piedad, of 600 tons, pierced for 24 guns, having 20 in her hold and 6 mounted, and laden with jerk beef, from Valparaiso bound to the Havana. Independently of the above capture he had the good fortune to obtain possession at different periods of 20 of the enemy’s merchantmen. He once too, on 29 July, 1805, contrived to bring out an American brig, prize to a French privateer, after having silenced the fire (under which she lay) of a battery in Lagoon Harbour, near Baracoa, in the island of Cuba. During Capt. Inglefield’s command of the he was twice (the first time in 1803, the next in 1807) charged with the duty of protecting the British settlements in the bay of Honduras; and for his conduct in both instances he had the satisfaction of receiving a letter of thanks from the merchants of the colony. In Aug. 1807 Capt. Inglefield was appointed by Vice-Admiral Dacres to the command of the 20, a post-ship, to which the Admiralty confirmed him on 6 of the following Oct. Continuing his successful exertions, he took, on 13 Sept. in the same year, when in company with the, the Amor de la Patria Spanish privateer, of 3 guns and 73 men, off Port Morant, Jamaica; also, on 10 Jan. 1808, off the west end of Cuba, the El Carmen letter-of-marque, of 9 guns and 43 men, valuably laden; next, after a spirited action fought (in company with the  sloop-of-war) with several gun-vessels near the Havana, of one of a convoy under their protection; and, 11 May, 1808, at the close of an action of 30 minutes, preceded by a long chase, of Le Griffon French national brig, of 16 guns and 105 men. In Dec. 1808, a few months after his assumption of the command of the 32, Capt. Inglefield cooperated with a force under Capt. Chas. Dashwood in the reduction of the fort and tower of Samana, St. Domingo, almost the last port of refuge on the station for the enemy’s privateers. About this period the fell in with a Haytian squadron, consisting of the Lord Mulgrave, of 22 guns and 300 men, two brigs of 18 and 16 guns, and three large armed schooners; the whole under the command of an Englishman, styling himself Admiral