Description
Naval General Service Medal 1793-1840, bar Scorpion 12th Jany 1810, naming neatly erased.
An original NGSM with the rim neatly erased with the rare clasp “Scorpion 12th Jany 1810”
Only about 5 or 6 medals would be claimed bearing the clasp “Scorpion 12th January 1810” by survivors of the action almost 40 years later.
This clasp was awarded for the capture of the French Brig Oreste, which was captured by HMS Scorpion, under the command of Commander Francis Stanfell, we recently sold the NGS medal of this man’s son.
The Oreste, was a relatively recently launched French Brig of Napoleon’s Navy, at the time of its capture it was found near Guadaloupe, just a weeks before the allied Invasion which captured the Island, it was captained by Lieutenant of Sea (Lieutenant de Vaisseau) Jean-Baptiste-Anselme Mousnier since October 1808.
Just before her capture, she had just left Guadeloupe on 11th January 1810 to return home to France, her passengers would include a Lieut Colonel and 2 other Army Officers as well as the Captains and other officers from 2 French frigates that the British had recently destroyed.
However meanwhile in the region was HMS Scorpion, of the Royal Navy under Commander Francis Stanfell, one of Britain’s remarkable Captains of the day, who was part of a Squadron just off Guadeloupe as the invasion was upcoming.
On 11th January 1810, Captain Volant Vashon Ballard of HMS Blonde had detached Stanfell to attempt to cut out a French Brig anchored near the shore, when at about 9pm that night HMS Scorpion spotted Oreste clearing the north point of the bay.
Stanfell set sail in pursuit, during the chase the Scorpion’s crew had to use her sweeps before she could close with the Oreste about 11:30pm.
Not including the 2.5 hour chase, the action would last 2 to 2 1/2 half hours in total, with the Scorpion brazenly being exposed to fire from the nearby shore.
Oreste had made every attempt to evade capture or run on shore, but Stanfell’s skillful sailing frustated every effort.
The Oreste, which had been dismasted (losing her mast meant no way to sail away) by this point, finally “struck her colours” (lowering a ships flag to signal a surrender) at 1:30am on 12th January. By this point a barge from HMS Blonde had also arrived to assist in the final capture.
In total the Scorpion lost just 4 men wounded without a single death, whereas the French lost 2 killed and 10 wounded including the captain Lieut Mousnier. The British would capture 91 Officers and men, out her crew of 110, the few extra survivors managed to escape to shore on the brig’s boats, although were in for a spot of trouble 2 weeks later when the invasion was launched.
