page_title: Solomon Ferris
section_title: Later commands
hierarchical_section_title: Solomon Ferris / Later commands
caption_attribution_description: English: Admiral Sir Charles Hamilton, 1767-1849 oil on canvas 91.5 x 71 cm
context_page_description: Solomon Ferris was an officer in the Royal Navy who served during the American War of Independence and the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars.
  Ferris's rise through the ranks brought him the commands of several small ships during the period of peace between the end of the American War of Independence and the outbreak of the French Revolutionary Wars, but he did not achieve the rank of a full post-captain until the start of the wars with France. He spent most of the war in command of a single ship, on a variety of eclectic services. More active and conventional commands followed, and he was involved in the capture of Gorée in 1801. Returning fresh from this triumph, he was appointed to the command of the 74-gun HMS Hannibal, and sent out with a fleet under Rear-Admiral Sir James Saumarez to patrol French and Spanish ports. While carrying out this task, Saumarez discovered and attacked a squadron under Charles-Alexandre Léon Durand Linois. This action, the First Battle of Algeciras, was hard-fought, and the British were hampered by shallow waters, light breezes and the presence of enemy shore batteries.
context_section_description: Ferris's next ship was the 64-gun HMS Ruby, which he commissioned in 1800. He had some success with her, capturing the 22-gun French privateer Fortune in the South Atlantic on 14 July 1800. He took part in the capture of Gorée from the French in April 1801, while cruising with a squadron under the command of Captain Sir Charles Hamilton. Hamilton, in command of the 44-gun HMS Melpomene had received intelligence that there were three French frigates at anchor there. Hamilton sailed to investigate, taking with him Ferris in the Ruby and Captain William Taylor in 48-gun HMS Magnanime. The frigates were not there, so Hamilton summoned the governor and ordered him to surrender. The governor agreed, and Hamilton and his force took possession on 5 April.  Ferris then took over command of the 74-gun HMS Hannibal and sailed to join the fleet assembling for the Mediterranean under Rear-Admiral Sir James Saumarez. While off Cadiz, news reached Saumarez that a French squadron under Charles-Alexandre Léon Durand Linois had arrived in the area, and was making for Algeciras. Saumarez gathered his force and sailed to Algeciras, arriving at 07:00 on 6 July.
caption: Sir Charles Hamilton, c. 1800, by Sir William Beechey. Ferris served under Hamilton at the capture of Gorée in 1801.
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