Capture of the Jeune Richard The capture of the " Jeune Richard " was the result of a naval engagement that took place in the Caribbean on 1 October 1807 , during the Napoleonic Wars , between the British packet ship " Windsor Castle " , and the French privateer " Jeune Richard " . In an unequal battle , the " Windsor Castle " , under the command of her acting - captain William Rogers , not only defended repeated attacks from the privateer , but finally engaged her , boarded her and after overpowering the much larger crew , forced them below decks and took the privateer as their prize . The victory was widely reported in contemporary papers and journals , Rogers and his crew were hailed as heroes and lavishly rewarded for their valour . Background . The " Windsor Castle " sailed from England under the command of Acting - Captain William Rogers , bound for the Leeward Islands and Barbados in September 1807 , carrying the mail . She carried six 4 - pounder guns and two 9 - pounder carronades , and had a crew of 28 men and boys . Early on the morning of 1 October a sail was sighted , and by half past eight the mystery ship was piling on sail to catch the packet . Identifying her as a privateer schooner , Rogers attempted to outrun the enemy , but she continued to close and he realised he would be compelled to fight . His enemy was the " Jeune Richard " , carrying six long 6 - pounder guns and one long 18 - pounder gun , a considerably heavier weight of shot than the " Windsor Castle " . The " Jeune Richard " also had a crew of 92 , over three times that of the British packet . Battle . Rogers prepared for action , and stood by to sink the mail should it become necessary to keep it out of enemy hands . By noon the " Jeune Richard " had closed the distance , and running up the French colours , she opened fire . The " Windsor Castle " returned fire , at which the French called on Rogers to surrender . He refused , so the " Jeune Richard " ran alongside the " Windsor Castle " deploying grappling irons , and attempted to board . The " Windsor Castle " ′ s crew mustered with pike s and repelled the boarders , killing or wounding between eight and ten of the French . The " Jeune Richard " ′ s crew attempted to cut the lines and pull away but the " Windsor Castle " ′ s main yard remained locked in the privateer ' s rigging , holding the two ships together . The fighting continued for several hours , but by 3pm one of the " Windsor Castle " ′ s 9 - pounder carronades had been brought up on deck and loaded with double grape , canister and 100 musket ball s . When the French made another attempt to force their way aboard , this was discharged to great effect , sweeping the privateer ' s decks and causing considerable casualties and damage . Rogers then led five of his men onto the " Jeune Richard " and forced the French from their guns , driving them below after a fierce fight and securing control of the privateer . With the French crew trapped below but still considerably greater in number than the small British force that had control of the decks , Rogers ordered each Frenchman up on deck one at a time , where they were then placed in irons . Aftermath . With the " Jeune Richard " secured , Rogers took her and the " Windsor Castle " to the nearest British port . The British had three dead and ten wounded , the French had twenty - one dead and thirty - three wounded . Rogers then made his report to the officer commanding the station , Admiral Sir Alexander Cochrane . Cochrane forwarded his report to the Admiralty , adding an accompanying note ; The news of how Rogers had turned upon his pursuer and taken her as his prize created a sensation . The account appeared in numerous newspapers , journals and periodicals . Societies and guilds joined to raise subscriptions to reward Rogers and his crew . In addition to sums of money Rogers received two swords , a piece of plate worth 100 guineas , a vase worth £60 and command of another packet ship . The artist Samuel Drummond painted Rogers ' portrait , and also created a depiction of the action , while other engravers and artists produced versions to illustrate the stories carried in the papers .