# Royal Naval Biography/Hood, Silas Thomson

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SILAS THOMSON HOOD, Esq. [Commander.]
Passed his examination in Mar. 1808, and was made a lieutenant on the 19th Dec. 1809. We first find him serving in the Bacchante frigate, Captain (afterwards Sir William) Hoste, by whom he was often highly eulogised for his gallant conduct, on the Mediterranean station. In Sept. 1812, he “most ably seconded” Lieutenant (now Captain) Donat H. O’Brien, in a successful attack upon an enemy’s convoy, from Barri bound to Venice; and in Jan. 1813, at the capture of five gun-vessels, near Otranto. On the 14th of the ​following month, he received a severe contusion, by a fall, while commanding the barge of the same ship at the capture of l’Alcinous, mounting two long 24-pounders, with a complement of 45 men – his own party only 23 in number. On the 21st April in the same year, he assumed the duty of senior lieutenant; and on the 15th May, commanded a detachment of seamen and marines at the destruction of the castle of Karlebago. On the 12th June, 1813, Captain Hoste addressed an official letter to Rear-Admiral Fremantle, of which the following is a copy:
“Sir,– At day-light this morning, an enemy’s convoy were discovered under the town of Gala Nova, on the coast of Abruzza; as I was six or seven miles to leeward of them, with a light breeze and a current against me, I thought it best to detach the boats, with discretionary orders, to the first lieutenant, Hood, either to attack them, or wait till I arrived. He found the enemy much stronger than was expected, consisting of seven large gun-boats, each mounting one eighteen-pounder in the bow, three smaller gun-vessels, with a four-pounder in the bow, and fourteen sail of merchant-vessels under their convoy, four of which had guns in the bow also. The shore astern of the vessels was lined with troops, entrenched on the beach, with two field-pieces. This was the force opposed to a frigate’s boats; but no disparity of numbers could check the spirit of the brave officers and men employed on this service. The attack was determined on instantly, and executed with all the gallantry and spirit which men accustomed to danger and to despise it have so frequently shewn; and never was there a finer display of it than on this occasion. The boats as they advanced were exposed to a heavy fire of grape and musketry; and it was not till they were fairly alongside that the enemy slackened their fire, and were driven from their vessels with great loss.
“The troops on the beach, which the French officers mention as amounting to upwards of one hundred men, fled on the first fire; and the field-pieces were destroyed by our marines. Our boats were now in possession of the convoy, laden with oil, many of which were aground, and our men were exposed co a scattered fire of musketry, whilst employed in getting them afloat.
“I beg leave to recommend Lieutenant Hood to the notice of the commander-in-chief in the strongest manner. I am unable to do justice to his merit: he speaks in the highest possible terms of Lieutenant F. Gostling; Lieutenant Webb (acting), who distinguished himself so much in the Bacchante’s boats in January last, with the Corfu flotilla; Lieutenants Holmes and Haig, royal marines; Messrs. Rees, Rous, Hoste, ​Farewell, Waldegrave, Langton, M‘Kean, and Richardson; and every seaman and marine employed.
“I regret to say we have suffered severely, though not so much as might have been expected from the superiority of force, and the obstinacy of the contest. Two seamen and one marine killed, five seamen and one marine wounded.
“This was a Neapolitan flotilla from Ancona bound to Barletta, under the direction of French officers, and commanded by a lieutenant de vaisseau, Knight of the Order of the Two Sicilies, who is a prisoner on board, with several other officers and men. I have the honor to be, &c.
(Signed)“W. Hoste, Captain.”
The services subsequently performed by the Bacchante are stated in our memoirs of Sir William Hoste and Captain Francis Stanfell. Her gallant first lieutenant was promoted to the rank of commander on the 27th April, 1815; and some time afterwards granted a pension for the injury he received in Feb. 1813, by which he became eventually deprived of the use of both his legs. He married, in Feb. 1822, Catharine, eldest daughter of the late Rev. W. Hamilton, D.D.
* ↑ See Suppl. Part IV. pp. 278 and 280.
* ↑ See Vol. II. Part I. p. 477.