# Royal Naval Biography/Dobbs, Alexander

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ALEXANDER DOBBS, Esq. A Companion of the Most Honorable Military Order of the Bath. [Post-Captain of 1819.]
Fourth son of the late Counsellor Francis Dobbs, who was a member of the Irish parliament.
This officer appears to have been born at Dublin, about the year 1784; and he entered the navy under the auspices of Vice-Admiral (afterwards Sir Robert) Kingsmill, as midshipman on board the Santa Margaritta frigate, Captain George Parker, in 1797. His first commission bears date Nov. 9, 1804 ; on which very day, being then a passenger in the Thetis, outward bound West-Indiaman, mounting 16 small guns, with a crew of 49 men and boys, he assisted in beating off le Buonaparte French brig-privateer, of 18 long 8-pounders and 170 men, of whom 20 were killed and 30 wounded. The Thetis’s loss amounted to only 2 slain and 11 wounded.
On the day after this action, Mr. Dobbs arrived at Barbadoes, and was immediately appointed by Sir Samuel Hood to the Epervier brig, stationed at the Leeward Islands, from whence he was soon obliged to return home in consequence of yellow fever. His subsequent appointments were to the Confiance 22, Topaze frigate, Northumberland 74, and Leviathan of similar force; the latter ship commanded by Captain Patrick Campbell, on the Mediterranean station.
On the 29th April, 1812, the boats of the Leviathan, under the direction of Lieutenant Dobbs, attacked several French vessels lying at Agaye, near Frejus; four merchantmen were brought out, and a privateer brig of 14 guns was set on fire, but not so effectually as to cause her destruction: in the performance of this service two men were killed and four wounded by the enemy’s fire from the shore. On the 10th of the following month. Lieutenant Dobbs assisted at the ​destruction of eighteen deeply laden settees, under the town and batteries of Languilla, in the Gulf of Genoa: the Leviathan’s loss on this occasion consisted of two men slain and eight wounded. The destruction of another French convoy is thus described by Captain Campbell, in a letter to his senior officer Captain Josias Rowley, dated June 27, 1812:
“Sir,– Eighteen sail of square and latino-rigged vessels having assembled at Languilla and Alassio, and the Curaçoa having joined, which, with the Impérieuse and l’Eclair, made our force, I conceived, sufficient to attack both places, this morning, about an hour before day-break, the marines were landed between the towns, under the command of Captain Owen, R.M., of this ship, covered by l’Eclair. They had hardly formed on the beach, before they were attacked by treble their number. Prisoners report they had upwards of 500 men in the two towns, a company having come to each in the evening, independent of one in each as its garrison; but nothing could withstand our brave fellows; they dashed at them with the bayonet, and drove them from their batteries into the towns, killing a great many, and taking fourteen prisoners. After spiking the guns (nine in number) and a mortar, and destroying the carriages, they were embarked; but, though the ships were anchored within less than musket-shot of the towns, and l’Eclair on her sweeps, going where she could be of most effect, the launches, and other boats with carronades, keeping up a heavy fire, we could not effectually drive them from the houses, so as to enable our boats to bring the vessels off, which were made fast in all manner of ways, with sails unbent, rudders unshipt. &c. without risk of great loss – we therefore destroyed them with our guns.
“I want words sufficiently to express my admiration of the conduct and gallantry of Captain Owen, and the officers, &c. of royal marines, as also of the officers and seamen employed in the boats. I feel much indebted to Lieutenant Dobbs, first of this ship, for his judicious arrangement in disembarking, embarking, and covering the marines, as they advanced to the different batteries. It is most painful to me to add, we have suffered severely . I have the honor to be, &c.
(Signed)“Patrick Campbell.”
In 1813, Lieutenant Dobbs went out with Sir James L. Yeo to the Canadian Lakes, and on his arrival there was appointed an acting commander; in which capacity we find him ​present at the attack upon Sackett’s Harbour, ending in the destruction of a small 10-gun brig (formerly British) and a barrack containing, among other valuable articles, the whole of the naval stores recently captured at York, by the American Commodore Chauncey. The other naval operations of that year are detailed at pp. 91–93.
On the 14th Feb. 1814, Lieutenant Dobbs was promoted to the rank of commander; and in May following, “he behaved much to the satisfaction” of Sir James Yeo, at the attack and capture of Oswego.
After this important event, two brigs and two schooners were placed under the orders of Captain Dobbs, and sent up the Niagara to co-operate with Lieutenant-General Drummond, on which service they remained during the whole campaign.
In the early part of August, the American schooners Ohio, Somers, and Porcupine, were stationed close to Fort Erie, then in the enemy’s possession, and Captain Dobbs resolved to attempt their capture or destruction. For this purpose he landed a detachment of 75 men, and caused them to carry his gig upon their shoulders, from Queenstown to Frenchman’s creek, a distance of 20 miles. From the latter spot, by the aid of the Canadian militia, five batteaux, as well as the gig, were got across through the woods to Lake Erie: the result of this extraordinary enterprise is shewn by his official report, dated Aug. 13, 1814.
“Sir,– Having succeeded in getting my gig and five batteaux across from the Niagara river to Lake Erie, a distance of eight miles by land, I last night attacked the enemy’s schooners that had anchored close to Fort Erie for the purpose of flanking the approaches to it. Two of them were carried sword in hand in a few minutes, and the third would certainty have fallen, had the cables not been cut, which made us drift to leeward of her, among the rapids. The schooners taken are the Ohio and Somera, commanded by lieutenants, and each mounting three long 12-pounders, with a complement of 36 men. My gallant friend. Lieutenant (Copleston) Radcliffe, and one seaman, fell in the act of boarding, which, with four wounded, is our whole loss. The enemy had one man killed and seven wounded; among the latter is Lieutenant (A. M.) Conklin, commanding the squadron, ​as well as two of his officers. The steady and gallant conduct of the officers, seamen, and marines employed on this service, were such as to have ensured me success against a greater force, and has called forth a very handsome public order from Lieutenant-general Drummond. I beg leave particularly to mention Mr. (John) Grindred, mate of the Star, and Mr. Hyde, mate of the Charwell, not only for their gallant conduct in the attack, but for their skill in bringing the vessels into the Niagara, through shoals and rapids, and under a constant and heavy fire. I have the honor to be, &c.
(Signed)“Alexander Dobbs.”
“To Commodore Sir J. L. Yeo, &c. &c &c.”
This exploit proved that British seamen could find expedients to capture two out of three fine American armed schooners, in a quarter where the gig and five batteaux of the conquerors were the only vessels they had afloat; and even these were so much shook by travelling, that when launched they were nearly half full of water.
On the same day that the above letter was written, Lieutenant-general Drummond commenced battering Fort Erie, preparatory to a grand assault upon the enemy’s works; and Captain Dobbs, leaving his valuable prizes off Frenchman’s creek, hastened with 120 officers and men to the British camp. On his arrival there, he immediately volunteered to lead to the attack, and offered the services of his followers to carry the scaling ladders. The result was unfortunate, as will be seen by the following extracts of the military commander’s report:
Camp before Fort Erie, Aug. 15, 1814.
“Sir,– Having reason to believe that a sufficient impression had been produced on the works of the enemy’s fort, by the fire of the battery which I had opened on it on the morning of the 13th, and by which the stone building was much injured, and the general outline of the parapet and embrasures very much altered, I was determined on assaulting the place; and accordingly made the necessary arrangements for attacking it, by a heavy column directed to the entrenchments on the side of Snake-hill, and by two columns to advance from the battery, and assault the fort and entrenchments on this side.
“The troops destined to attack by Snake-hill, under Lieutenant-colonel Fischer, marched at four o’clock yesterday afternoon, in order to gain the vicinity of the point of attack in sufficient time.
“It is with the deepest regret I have to report the failure of both attacks, which were made two hours before day-light this morning. A copy of Lieutenant-colonel Fischer’s report, herewith enclosed, will enable your ​excellency to form a tolerably correct judgment of the cause of the failure of that attack; had the head of the column, which had entered the place without difficulty or opposition, been supported, the enemy must have fled from his works, (which were all taken, as was contemplated in the instructions, in reverse,) or have surrendered.
“The attack on the fort and entrenchments leading from it to the lake, was made at the same moment by two columns, one under Lieutenant-colonel Drummond, 104th regiment, consisting of the flank companies 41st and 104th regiments, and a body of seamen and marines, under Captain Dobbs, of the royal navy, on the fort: the other, under Colonel Scott, 103d, consisting of the 103d regiment, supported by two companies of the royals, was destined to attack the entrenchments. These columns advanced to the attack as soon as the firing upon Colonel Fischer’s column was heard, and succeeded after a desperate resistance, in making a lodgment in the fort through the embrazures of the demi-bastion, the guns of which they had actually turned against the enemy, who still maintained the stone building, when, most unfortunately, some ammunition, which had been placed under the platform, caught fire from the firing of the guns in the rear, and a most tremendous explosion followed, by which almost all the troops which had entered the place where dreadfully mangled. Panic was instantly communicated to the troops, who could not be persuaded that the explosion was accidental, and the enemy, at the same time, pressing forward, and commencing a heavy fire of musketry, the fort was abandoned, and our troops retreated towards the battery. Our loss has been severe in killed and wounded: and I am sorry to add, that almost all those returned ‘missing’ may be considered as wounded or killed by the explosion, and left in the hands of the enemy. * * * * * * The exertions of Captain Dobbs, R.N. commanding a party of volunteer seamen and marines, are entitled to my acknowledgments.
(Signed)“Gordon Drummond.”
“To H.E. Sir George Prevost, Bart. &c. &c. &c.”
Tie loss sustained by the naval detachment, on this disastrous occasion, consisted of 28 missing and 25 wounded; among the former was Mr. Hyde; and in the latter list we find the names of Captain Dobbs, Lieutenant Stevenson, Mr. Harris (master), Mr. Grindred (mate), and Mr. Arthur (midshipman): the latter, although only fifteen years old, was one of the first that entered the fort.
Captain Dobbs obtained post rank Aug. 12, 1819; and died at Milan, in the year 1827. One of his brothers. Captain Joseph Dobbs, of the 52d foot, was killed at the storming of Ciudad Rodrigo; another, Captain John Dobbs, of the same corps, was wounded before Bayonne.
* ↑ Le Buonaparte was taken two days afterwards by the Cyane sloop, Captain the Hon. George Cadogan.
* ↑ See Vol. I. Part II. p. 633.
* ↑ Leviathan, 2 men killed, and 17 wounded. The total loss in the squadron was 9 slain and 31, including Lieutenant William Walpole, of the Imperieuse, wounded.
* ↑ See Suppl. Part II. p. 216.