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Auction: 6025 - Orders, Decorations, Campaign Medals & Militaria
Lot: 350

Naval General Service 1793-1840, four clasps, Martinique, Recruit 17 June 1809, The Potomac 17 Aug 1814, Syria, details neatly erased, good very fine Estimate £ 1,500-2,000Rear-Admiral of the Blue Sir Charles Napier, K.C.B., G.C.T.S., K.M.T., K.S.G., K.R.E., born 1786; joined as 1st Class Volunteer Royal Navy, 1799; posted Midshipman H.M.S. Greyhound, 1802; posted Lieutenant H.M.S. Courageux 1805, which formed part of the squadron under Sir J.B. Warren at the capture of the French 80 gun ship Marengo and the 40 gun frigate Belle Poule (13.3.1806); Commander of the Pultusk brig, 1808; posted to the 18 gun brig Recruit, 16.9.1808; with whom he put to flight the 22 gun French corvette Diligente, despite having had the mainmast shot away, many of the carronades dismounted and personally suffering a broken thigh during the action; in February 1809, ´he assisted at the reduction of Martinique, where he won distinction, and considerably shortened the siege, by the manner in which, with only 5 men, he landed, scaled the walls, and, in open day, planted the Union-Jack on the ramparts of Fort Edward, separated about 100 yards from Fort Bourbon.´ (Naval Biographical Dictionary, O´Byrne refers); Napier distinguished himself again in the capture of the 74 gun d´Haupolt (April 1809); Captain 22.5.1809; he served as a volunteer with the army in Portugal during which time he was wounded again and was present at the battle of Busaco; posted to the Thames, 1811 and on the 21st of August that year in conjunction with the brig Cephalus under Captain Clifford, he silenced a flotilla of 11 gun-boats and captured a felucca carrying 13 guns and 280 men moored across the harbour of Porto del Infreschi (Italy), the boats of the two ships also brought out a convoy of 14 merchantmen and 34 spars; in a similar action in November, Napier commanded his own boats and those of the Imperieuse, carrying 250 men of the 62nd Foot in a landing in the harbour of Palinuro, he ascended the heights with the troops forcing the enemy to retire; once he returned to his ship he further assisted in the capture and destruction of 10 gun boats, 22 feluccas assembled on the beach and a battery of 24 pounders protecting them; took part in the capture of the Port of Sapri, 14.5.1812; in conjunction with the Furieuse and the 2nd Battalion 10th Foot under Lieutenant Colonel J. Coffin, he took possession of the island of Ponza; posted to the 36 gun Euryalus, and on 16.5.1813 took as a prize La Fortune together with upwards of 20 merchant-vessels lying in Cavalrie Road; later in the same year he proceeded in the company of a squadron under Captain A. King and a fleet of transports to North America; on arrival he took part in the expedition against Alexandria-the Euryalus during a storm in the Potomac lost her bowsprit and all her topmasts, but in a 12 hour period was fully serviceable again; in the subsequent operations against Baltimore he succeeded in carrying out a diversionary attack up the Patapsco river easing the progress of the main assault (nominated for a C.B., 4.6.1815); Napier so no active service again until 8.1.1829 when he was posted to the 42 gun Galatea; having been given the command of Don Pedro´s fleet, 1833, he routed the more powerful fleet of Don Miguel off Cape St. Vincent (for which he was given the title of the Count Cape St. Vincent and the Grand Cross of the Order of the Tower and Sword); posted command of the 84 gun H.M.S. Powerful, 1.1.1839 and in the next year he was confirmed as Second in Command, to Admiral the Honourable Sir R. Stepford, of the force engaged on the coast of Syria; during the latter campaign he gained the praise of the Admiral on 10.9.1840 when he lead a body of 1500 Turks and marines at the landing at D´journie; he was instrumental in defeating an enemy force at Kelbson later the same month and in the successful storming of the heavily fortified town of Sidon, where with a force of only 1400 men he led them personally in the capture of the citadel against an estimated force of 2,700 men; participated in securing the surrender of Beyrout and the submission of Soliman Pacha´s army, ´Thus, within a month from the date of the Commodore´s original debarkation, had the hole of Lebanon been freed from its invaders.... he had contrived to make about 5,000 prisoners, and to gain over almost as many deserters´ (Naval Biographical Dictionary, O´Byrne refers); participated in the attack on St. Jean d´Acre before taking command of the squadron off Alexandria (K.C.B. 4.12.1840; thanked in Parliament; cross of the order of Maria Theresa; cross of the order of St. George and the 2nd class of the order of the Red Eagle); appointed Naval Aide-de-Camp to the Queen, 1841; Rear Admiral 1847; M.P. for Marylebone. Medal and clasps confirmed in the new Navy List of 1854 by Joseph Allen, and is believed to be the only recipient to have this combination of clasps.

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£2,300