BARTLETT (Jas.)
ALS to Lord Melville regarding Capt. Thomas Dundas.
A little-known episode in the late eighteenth-century Caribbean
Written in a clear, legible hand Bartlett reports on the capture of Captain Thomas Dundas (c.1765-1841), no relation, who had not long completed his command of the HMS Merlin, and had boarded the armed schooner Barbara to take charge of HMS La Prompte, on which he would capture the Spanish ship, Urca Cargadora.
He writes, “Since the Repulse and consequent retreat of the Spanish armament on the 10th ultimo, it has been learnt from Prisoners that the Barbara having sprung a leak was obliged to throw all her guns overboard and afterwards to run ashore in [Ascension Bay], where all on board were made to prisoners, that they in number 55, under a Guard of four Troops of Horses to Merida, that Capt. Dundas had much respect paid to him and was allowed a Sum of money daily and fully adequate to his Expenses in that Capital.” He continues, noting that Col. Barrow and Captain Moss have written to the Captain of Yucatan, Field Marshall O’Neil, declaiming the action and demanding their release. He hopes that the latter might be achieved within fourteen days.
Dundas would go on to play an important role in the Battle of Trafalgar and in 1837 was made Vice Admiral.
