French frigate Surveillante ( 1802 ) The Surveillante entered service as a 40 - gun " Virginie " class frigate of the French Navy . She was surrendered to the British in 1803 , after which she served in the Royal Navy , classed under the British system as a 38 gun vessel , until 1814 when she was decommissioned . HMS " Surveillante " had a long and active career under two successful and distinguished commanders , from the Baltic to the North - Western coasts of France , Spain and Portugal , and was present at the Battle of Copenhagen ( 1807 ) and throughout the Peninsula War . Her record as a taker of prizes is notable for its success , particularly towards the end of her career . 1803 - British capture . " Surveillante " was present at Saint Domingue ( Haiti ) in November 1803 during the revolt of slaves against the French , and was trapped by the British Blockade of Saint - Domingue . The French naval commander who was also " Surveillante " ' s Captain , Henry Barre , prevailed upon British Commodore John Loring ' s representative , Captain John Bligh to accept the capitulation of the " Surveillante " , in order to put her , as well as her crew and passengers under British protection . The former slaves threatened to fire red hot shot at the ship from the overlooking forts . The British naval Commander - in - Chief of the Jamaica Station , Admiral Sir John Duckworth , accepted the French commander General Rochambeau , his staff and entourage , as prisoners . Duckworth wrote " From General Rochambeau ' s extraordinary conduct in the public service , neither Captain Bligh or myself have any thing to say to him further than complying with his wishes in allowing him to remain on board the " Surveillante " until her arrival at Jamaica . " Another French frigate , the " Clorinde " , suffered the loss of her rudder and was temporarily beached , although she was re - floated and taken as a prize . Consequently both frigates were brought into the Royal Navy under their original names as " HMS Surveillante " and HMS " Clorinde " . " Surveillante " , newly built , was bought into the Service quickly ; the first recorded Navy Pay Office Ships ' Pay Books from the Navy Board commenced from 11 July 1804 . 1807 - 1813 : Captain Collier . 1807 . Captain George Collier took command of " Surveillante " on 22 April 1807 and took part in the Second Battle of Copenhagen that began late in August . She was present at the detention of numerous Danish merchant vessels that were taken as prizes , the proceeds of which were shared by the fleet . The Danish merchant ships shared by " Surveillante " were the " Hans " and " Jacob " taken 17 August 1807 ; " Die Twee Gebfoders , " taken 21 August 1807 ; " Sally " taken 22 August ; " Speculation " detained 23 August " Fama " detained on 26 August , " Aurora " , " Paulina " and " Ceres " taken 30 and 31 August ; " Odifiord " and " Benedicta , " taken 4 and 12 September 1807 . Admiral James Gambier sent the " Surveillante " back to England entrusted with dispatches , explaining the outcome of the battle and the subsequent Danish surrender . Gambier signed his dispatch on 7 September onboard flagship HMS " Prince of Wales " ; " Surveillante " sailed directly from the Copenhagen Road to London , where Collier delivered the dispatch to the Admiralty Office in person on 16 September 1807 . Following Russia ' s declaration of war against Great Britain in 1807 following the Treaty of Tilsit between Napoleon and Alexander I of Russia , the British government issued an embargo against all Russian ships then found in British ports . " Surveillante " was one of 70 British vessels present at Portsmouth , at the detaining of the 44 - gun frigate " Speshnoy " ( " Speshnyy " ) and the " Wilhelmina " ( " Vilgemina " ) , which were carrying the payroll for Vice - Admiral Dmitry Senyavin ’ s squadron in the Mediterranean . 1809 . Lieutenant General Arthur Wellesley , the future Duke of Wellington was appointed commander of the Portuguese expedition in March 1809 , and received his letter of service on 2 April . He made his way to Portsmouth where he was received by the frigate assigned for his transportation , which was subsequently delayed from 3 to 14 April , nearly two weeks , waiting for a fair wind . That frigate was " Surveillante . " She was able to set sail on 14 April 1809 allowing Wellesley to embark upon his second voyage to Lisbon during the Peninsula War ; however , Wellesley , troubled by bad weather , was subjected to a storm during his first night at sea ; it was remarked that the frigate narrowly escaped shipwreck off the coast of the Isle of Wight . His aide - de - camp was sent by Captain Collier to request that Wellesley put his boots on and join him on deck , to which he replied he could swim better without his boots and would stay where he was . On 30 October 1809 " Surveillante " captured French corvette " Le Milan , " in sight of HMS " Seine . " 3 December 1809 saw " Surveillante " driven southward from her allotted station off Rochelle , where she fell in with a French cutter privateer , " La Comtesse Laure , " which she captured . Collier wrote " The privateer is of a class and possesses qualities admirably calculated for the annoyance of the British Trade . " 1810 . On 23 June 1810 " Surveillante " captured the chasse marees " Le Margaretta " and " L ' Eclair , " His Majesty ' s gun - brigs " Constant " and " Piercer " in company . On 5 September 1810 , the " Surveillante " and the gun - brig , the latter commanded by Lieutenant John Stokes , were reconnoitring the Loire , when they observed a division of a French convoy running south from the Morbihan . The British ships gave chase and forced a single brig to seek shelter between two nearby batteries . Collier attacked the frigate with boats , whilst receiving fire from French troops ashore and succeeded in cutting out the brig without sustaining any casualties . 1811 . On 30 April 1811 " Surveillante " captured the French privateer " La Creole " . On 20 July " Surveillante " was appointed to escort a convoy bound for Corunna . 1812 . On 28 January 1812 the " Surveillante " , in company with HMS " Sybille " , Captain C . Upton , and , captured the American ship " Zone " . On 25 May 1812 , HMS " Surveillante " captured the American schooner " Young Connecticut " . In late July 1812 , " Surveillante " was part of a British squadron stationed off the north coast of Spain , commanded by Captain Sir Home Popham of the 74 - gun HMS " Venerable . " The British squadron , assisting Spanish Guerillas against the French , made an attack upon the town of Santander and the Castle of Ano . The castle was taken possession of by the Royal Marines , but the garrison of Santander was reinforced , and the Spanish and British attacking forces were obliged to fall back upon the Castle , sustaining losses as they retreated . Captain Lake of HMS " Magnificent " and Captain Sir George Collier , who commanded the British detachment , were wounded . On 7 October 1812 " Surveillante " captured the American schooner " Baltimore " accompanied by His Majesty ' s Ships " Venerable , " " Diadem , " " Briton , " " Latona " and " Constant . " On 20 December 1812 " Surveillante " recaptured the American brig " Ocean " bound to Lisbon from New York , laden with flour . 1813 . On 4 February 1813 " Surveillante " was present at the capture of American schooner " Rolla " made by HMS " Medusa " , the Honourable D . Pleydell Bouverie commanding , and HMS " Iris . " On 23 March 1813 " Surveillante " took the fishing schooner " Polly " as a prize . On 15 April she was present at the capture of the American schooner " Price , " captured by HMS " Iris , " Hood Hanway Christian commanding . 27 April 1813 saw " Surveillante " involved in a notable action against American letter of marque " Tom " . Collier wrote , on 27 April , that she was captured " after a smart chase ; she was from Charlestown , bound to Nantz ; she is a remarkably fine vessel for her class , and , from her superior sailing , had already escaped eighteen of His Majesty ' s cruizers . " " Surveillante " was accompanied by . On 5 May 1813 she recaptured the American ship " Mount Hope , " sailing from Charlestown bound for Cadiz , laden with rice , in company with HMS " Andromeda " and . On 1 June 1813 , " Surveillante " captured the American schooner " Orders in Council " , a letter of marque ( privateer ) , after a five hour chase . " Orders in Council " was armed with two 18 and four 9 - pounder guns . " Surveillante " shared the prize money from this action with two British privateers , the " Rebecca " and " Earl Wellington " , who were in sight of the action but did not take part in it , and with " Iris " , by agreement . In late July 1813 , " Surveillante " under Captain Collier was involved in landing operations off St . Sabastian ' s , in which they attempted to breach a battery . In so doing they established an artillery position whilst under heavy fire from the fortification . Several of her crew , and an artillery officer from the army , were killed . " Surveillante " remained in action against the French garrison on the island of Santa Clara , at the mouth of Saint Sebastian harbour . Collier announced that a successful attack had been made on 27 – 28 July , despite being under heavy fire . In September " Surveillante " was present at the fall of San Sebastian . Collier wrote that the frigate ' s 24 - pounders dragged over land and mounted on Santa Clara had silenced the enemy ' s guns opposing them in the Castle of La Motte . The French commander , General Rey , flew a flag of truce , capitulating to the British . " " The garrison , " " wrote Collier , " " still upwards of seventeen hundred , became prisoners of war , and are to be conveyed to England . " " Fate . " Surveillante " was broken up on 14 August 1814 .