U. S. PeacocK VS. H. M. S. Epervier.

I got a mail the other day by a gentleman ( Alan King ) who had some information he thought you readers would enjoy reading, and he stares:

Hello Dennis,

My G,G,G, Grand Father, 1st Lt John Hackett joined HMS Epervier Jan .16, 1814 and was in the action with the Privateer Alfred. Just a few weeks later the score was settled by USS Peacock:). April 29 1814 off the coast of Florida. I am researching the life and times of this old sea dog and have attached a copy of his Obituary for your information. There may be some who visit your site who would like to share notes?

Alan King
alanfking@mac.com

Note. Those of you who whish to share information with him may contact him by the address that is provided.

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John Hackett, Obituary.

Vice-Admiral Hackett.

Vice-Admiral John Hackett, R. N., who died a short time ago at Bray, in the county of Wicklow, was born in December, 1785, and entered the Royal Navy on Dec. 16, 1799, as A. B. on board the Raisonnable, in which ship, after participating as Midshipman in the Battle of Copenhagen, he cruised on the Downs station until January 1805. He, in 1808, on board the Cerberus, witnessed the capture of the island Marie Galante, and Desirade. After much further, service, and after attending the expedition to Walcheren, he, on May11, 1811, succeeded in obtaining his first Admiralty commission. He then served for a btief period in Diadem 64, Captain John Phillimore was subsequently appointed, on Jan. 16, 1814, to the Epervier, 18 guns and 117 men, Captain Richard Walter Walls, employed on rhe North American and West Indian station.

On Feb. 28, 1814, the Epervier effected the capture of the American privateer Alfred, 16 guns and 109 men. The Epervier, on April 29, 1814,after a desperate engagement of hour, in which, besides being fearfully damaged and have twenty-three men killed and wounded, had the misfortune to be taken by the U. S. sloop Peacock, of 22 guns and 185 picked seamen. Hackett was among the Epervier’s wounded on this occasion; he, about the middle of the action, received three wounds in the left arm, being shot in the finger, wrist, and having his arm shattered. His gallantry, however, would not suffer him to be carried below until he was further injured by a severe splinter wound in his hip. Hackett was promoted to the rank Commander on Sept. 2, 1828; his last appointment was on Nov. 4, 1833, to the Jaseur, 16 which sloop he was paid off, on her return from the Mediterranean, in the Spring of 1837.

His services were connected during a portion of that period with the civil war in Spain, and was rewarded with the first class of order of Charles 3rd., of Spain. He attained the rank of captain on June 28, 1838; that of Rear-Admiral on Oct. 2, 1857; and that of Vice-Admiral on March 28, 1864. Vice-Admiral Hackett was in receipt of a pension for his wounds. He was married and leaves issue. Lieutenant-Colonel John Hackett, now with his regiment, the 44th., India, is the gallant Asmiral’s son.

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U. S. SLOOP PEAC0OK, AT SEA Lat. 27° 47’, Long. 80° 9, 29th April, 1814.

Sir: I have the honor to inform you that we have this morning captured, after an action of forty-two minutes, His Britannic Majesty’s brig Epervier, rating and mounting eighteen thirty-two pound carronades, with one hundred and twenty-eight men, of whom eight were killed and fifteen wounded, (according to the best information we could obtain.) Among the latter is her first lieutenant, who has lost an arm and received a severe splinter wound on the ship. Not a man in the Peacock was killed, and only two wounded, neither dangerously so.

The fate of the Epervier would have been determined in much less time but for the circumstance of our fore yard being totally disabled by two round shot, in the starboard quarter, from her first broadside, which entirely deprived us of the use of our fore and fore-topsails, and compelled us to keep the ship large throughout the remainder of the action. This, with a few top-mast and top-gallant baqk-stdys cut away and a few shot through our sails, is the only injury the Peacock has sustained. Not a round shot touched our hull; our masts and spars are as sound as ever When the enemy struck, he had five feet water in his hold his main-top-mast was over the side, his math boom shot away, his foremast cut nearly in two, and tottering, his fore rigging and stays shot away, his bowsprit badly wounded, and forty-five shot holes in his hull, twenty of which were within a foot of his water line above and below. By great exertions, we got her in sailing order just as dark came on.

In fifteen minutes after the enemy struck the Peacock was ready for another action, in every respect but her fore yard which was sent down, fished, and bad-the fore sail set again in forty-five minutes. Such was the spirit and activity of our gallant crew.

The Epervier had under her convoy an English hermaphrodite brig, a Russian and Spanish brig; which all hauled their wind, and stood to the E. N. E: I had determined upon pursuing the former, but found that it would not answer to leave our prize in her then crippled state, and the more particularly so, as we found she had one hundred and twenty thousand dollars in specie, which we soon transferred to this sloop. Every officer, seaman, and marine, did his duty, which is the highest compliment I can pay them.
I am, respectfully,
L. WARRINGTON.