# Royal Naval Biography/Pearson, Hugh

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HUGH PEARSON, Esq. [Commander.]
Was wounded in an action with the Cadiz flotilla, while serving as master’s-mate of the Barfleur 98, July 3d, 1797. He obtained the rank of lieutenant on the 11th Dec. 1799; and distinguished himself, on several occasions, while serving as first of the Arethusa frigate, Captain Robert Mends, on the north coast of Spain, in 1809 and 1810. From among that officer’s public letters, we select the following:
“H.M.S. Arethusa, off Bilboa, Mar. 20th, 1809.
“Sir,– I have the pleasure of acquainting you, for the commander-in-Chief’s information, that on the 15th instant, at day-break, a party of seamen and marines belonging to this ship, landed under the command of the first lieutenant, Mr. Hugh Pearson, and Lieutenant Scott, R.M., and destroyed upwards of twenty heavy guns, mounted on the batteries at Lequito, defended by a detachment of French soldiers, a serjeant and twenty of whom were made prisoners, who, on our people forcing the guard-house in the principal battery, threw down their arms, and begged for quarter: the rest of their comrades effected their escape by running for it.
“This little affair was conducted by Lieutenant Pearson, with that boldness and promptitude which generally command success, and to which I attribute our having only three men wounded, notwithstanding a quick fire of musketry for some time from the battery and guard-house, as our people advanced. A small vessel, laden with brandy, was found in the harbour and brought away.
​“The following day, having received information of two chasse-marées being up the river Andero, laden with brandy for the French army in Spain, in the evening the same party was again landed, who found them aground, about four miles up, with their cargoes on board, which were destroyed. The vessels appearing to be Spanish property, and forcibly seized on to carry those supplies, were restored to their owners.
“On the 20th, Lieutenant Pearson, with the officers and men who were with him at Lequito, took possession of the batteries of the town of Paisance, without opposition, and destroyed the guns; the small parties of the enemy stationed at these places retiring as our people approached. I am, &c.
(Signed)“R. Mends.”
“To Captain Charles Adam, H.M.S. Resistance.
“H.M.S. Arethusa, off Bermeo, July 11th, 1810.
“My Lord, – After a consultation with the Junta of Asturias, on the 24th ultimo, I consented to receive on board of the squadron your lordship has been pleased to place under my command, the Spanish Brigadier-General Porlier, and five hundred of his soldiers, with the intention of beating up the enemy’s quarters along the coasts of Cantabria and Biscay, in order to make a diversion of his troops towards the sea-ports in his possession, and thus afford an opportunity for a combined movement of the Spanish armies in Asturias, by compelling the enemy to detach more of his forces to oppose us, and thereby weaken the interior of that province and St. Andero, or to suffer his sea-defences to be destroyed, and his supplies coastways cut off; the one or other alternative appearing to me an inevitable result of such movements. I have now the pleasure of informing your lordship, that we have completely succeeded in the maritime part of the expedition, without the loss of a single man, having destroyed all the batteries (with the exception of Castro) from St. Sebastian to St. Andero, on which were found about one hundred pieces of heavy cannon altogether, and laid that whole extent of sea-coast entirely bare of defence.
“Communications are thus opened with these provinces, and the zealous attachment of the inhabitants to the independence of their country ascertained, should it hereafter be deemed expedient to act on it.
“The strong port of Santona, and the numerous batteries round Bermeo, being dismantled, our ships will have in future two good anchorages on the coast in westerly gales, as it will be a work of considerable time and labour to re-mount heavy cannon on the various eminences of those places, which must all be conveyed by sea, the country being so extremely mountainous, and the roads so bad, that land-carriage is almost impracticable.
“The brigade of seamen and marines from the squadron being commanded by the Honorable Captain Aylmer, of the Narcissus, his letter to me of the 9th instant will inform your lordship of the events which took place on their landing at Santona, and during the short time they occupied