Sidney Smith (admiral)

Sir William Sidney Smith KCB (21 June, 1764 – 26 May, 1840) was the British admiral of whom Napoleon Bonaparte said, "That man made me miss my destiny".

Service in the French Revolutionary Wars

In 1792, Smith's younger brother, John Spencer Smith, was appointed to the British embassy to the Ottoman court in Istanbul. Smith obtained permission to travel to Turkey. While there war broke out with Revolutionary France in January 1793. Smith recruited some British seamen and sailed to join the British fleet under Admiral Lord Hood which had occupied the French Navy's principal Mediterranean port of Toulon at the invitation of the French Royalist forces.

Related Topics:
Ottoman - Istanbul - Turkey - 1793 - Hood - Toulon

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By Smith's arrival in December 1793, the Revolutionary forces, including a colonel of artillery, Napoleon Bonaparte, had surrounded the port and were attacking it. The British and their allies had insufficient soldiers to mount an effective defence and so the port was evacuated. Smith, serving as a volunteer with no command, was given the task of burning as many French ships and stores as possible before the harbour could be captured. Despite his efforts, lack of support from the Spanish forces sent to help him left more than half of the French ships to be captured undamaged. Although Smith had destroyed more French ships than had the most successful fleet action to that date, he was blamed by Nelson and Collingwood, among others, for this failure to destroy all of the French fleet.

Related Topics:
Napoleon Bonaparte - Nelson - Collingwood

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On his return to London, Smith was given command of the fifth-rate Diamond and in 1795 joined the Western Frigate Squadron under Sir John Borlase Warren. This squadron consisted of some of the most skillful and daring captains including Sir Edward Pellew. Smith fitted the pattern and on one occasion took his ship almost into the port of Brest to observe the French fleet.

Related Topics:
Fifth-rate - ''Diamond'' - Western Frigate Squadron - John Borlase Warren - Sir Edward Pellew - Brest

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Smith specialised in inshore operations and on 19 April 1796, he was captured while attempting to cut out a French ship in Le Havre. Smith had taken the ship's boats into the harbour but the wind died as they attempted to leave harbour and the French were able to recapture the ship with Smith aboard. Instead of exchanging him as was the custom, Smith was taken to the Temple prison in Paris to be charged with arson for his burning of the fleet at Toulon. As Smith had been on half pay at the time, the French considered that he was not an official combatant.

Related Topics:
19 April - 1796 - Le Havre - Paris

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He was held in Paris for two years, despite a number of efforts to exchange him and frequent contacts with both French Royalists and British agents. The French authorities threatened several times to try him for arson, but never followed up the threats. Eventually in 1798, he was helped to escape by the Royalists who pretended to be taking him to another prison. Instead they brought him to Le Havre where he boarded a fishing boat and was picked up by a British frigate on patrol in the English Channel, arriving in London on 8 May 1798.

Related Topics:
English Channel - 8 May - 1798

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