Samuel Sutton Samuel Sutton ( 1760 – June 1832 ) was an officer in the Royal Navy . He entered the service shortly after the start of the American War of Independence , and spent most of his early career serving with Captain and later Admiral Joshua Rowley . He saw action at several engagements with the French fleets in the West Indies , and ended the war as a lieutenant . Left without active employment by the following years of peace , Sutton briefly returned to service during the Spanish Armament in 1790 , but the outbreak of the French Revolutionary Wars in 1793 brought him steady work . After serving in a number of ships and being present at Cornwallis ' s Retreat in 1795 , Sutton received command of a sloop , and with it the opportunity to render a service to a member of the French aristocracy , and the future Charles X of France . Promoted for his good service , Sutton served as a flag captain to several admirals , including Horatio Nelson . He briefly commanded , before surrendering her to Thomas Hardy , who would go on to command " Victory " at Trafalgar , and be present at Nelson ' s death . Sutton instead took command of a frigate , and in 1804 was involved in a controversial action that saw the capture of three Spanish frigates and the destruction of a fourth . Made wealthy from the spoils , Sutton nevertheless remained in the navy , taking part in the chase of the French fleet to the West Indies in 1805 . His health declined during this period , and he went ashore in October that year . He retired from active service , and served as a magistrate and local official for his community , being promoted to rear - admiral in 1821 and dying in 1832 . Early life . Sutton was born in 1760 , and entered the navy on 9 April 1777 as an able seaman and later a midshipman aboard the 74 - gun , which was under the command of Captain Joshua Rowley . Sutton and Rowley served in the English Channel until Rowley ' s promotion to rear - admiral in December 1778 and his shifting his flag to the 74 - gun , with Hugh Cloberry Christian as his flag captain . Sutton accompanied Rowley to the " Suffolk " , and moved with him again when Rowley raised his flag aboard Captain Thomas Watson ' s 74 - gun in December 1779 . During this time Sutton saw action at the Battle of Grenada on 6 July 1779 , and the Battle of Martinique on 17 April 1780 . Sutton was with Rowley on his next two flagships , the 74 - gun from June 1780 and the 98 - gun from July , both times serving under Captain John Thomas Duckworth . Sutton became an acting - lieutenant while on board " Princess Royal " , retaining the position after being transferred to the 16 - gun sloop under Captain Manley Dixon . He was next aboard the 18 - gun ex - French under commander Benjamin Hulke from December , though in May 1782 he returned to Rowley when he joined him aboard his flagship , the 90 - gun under Captain James Kempthorn . He stayed at Rowley ' s side when the admiral moved to the 74 - gun under Captain N . Chasington in December , and then the 50 - gun under Captain George Martin in March 1783 . He was confirmed as lieutenant on 21 April 1783 , despite never having formally been examined , but was in poor health and had to return to Britain aboard the 14 - gun brig - sloop . He recovered and received an appointment in March 1785 to the sloop , under Commander Edward Pakenham , with whom he went out to Newfoundland for the rest of the year . The end of the war left Sutton without a ship , and he spent four and a half years ashore after leaving " Merlin " . Return to service . The Spanish Armament in 1790 led to the Admiralty ordering the manning and storing of a large number of ships in preparation for war . Sutton was posted to the 32 - gun frigate on 22 June 1790 as signal officer to Captain Patrick Sinclair , and served for a while with Lord Howe ' s fleet . The easing of tensions after the crisis passed led to a draw - down in the navy , and Sutton came ashore again on 7 February 1791 . The tensions leading up to the outbreak of the French Revolutionary Wars provided another opportunity for employment , and Sutton joined the 74 - gun on 3 January , which was serving in the Channel as the flagship of Sir Thomas Rich . Sutton transferred to the 74 - gun under Captain Sir Charles Cotton in November 1794 , and in June 1795 was involved in Admiral William Cornwallis ' s successful retreat from a superior French force led by Louis Thomas Villaret de Joyeuse . The " Mars " as the rear - most ship bore the brunt of the French fire , but suffered only 12 wounded . Cornwallis brought his fleet about to rescue Cotton , causing Villaret de Joyeuse to believe that Cornwallis had reinforcements nearby , and so broke off the pursuit . Sutton was promoted to commander on 1 September 1795 and was given the 16 - gun sloop for service off West Africa and in the North Sea . While in the North Sea in 1797 his duties included transporting the Duc d ' Angoulême , the future Charles X of France from Leith to Cuxhaven . His good service brought him a quick promotion to post - captain , on 27 June 1797 , but left him without a ship for over a year . He returned to sea on 3 September 1798 as flag captain to Sir Richard Onslow aboard the 74 - gun HMS " Monarch " , the ship he had entered the service on twenty - one years earlier as an able seaman under Rowley . Sutton was transferred to the 90 - gun on 13 March 1799 , becoming flag captain to his old commander , now rear - admiral , Sir Charles Cotton . He remained with " Prince " until being transferred to the 32 - gun on 23 February 1801 . Copenhagen and Nelson . " Alcmene " was one of the ships assigned to Admiral Sir Hyde Parker ' s expeditionary force to the Baltic in 1801 . Sutton commanded her as part of Rear - Admiral Horatio Nelson ' s force at the Battle of Copenhagen . The frigates engaged the Trekroner fortress during the battle , before obeying Parker ' s signal to withdraw , an order Nelson ignored . After the battle Nelson appointed Sutton to command the 38 - gun , whose captain , Edward Riou , had been killed in the battle . Sutton remained serving in the Baltic as Nelson ' s flag captain , returning him to Britain and continuing to serve under him during Nelson ' s period in charge of the anti - invasion defences . Nelson went ashore in October 1802 , after which Sutton took Rear - Admiral John Borlase Warren to St Petersburg . HMS " Victory " . Sutton stepped down from the command of " Amazon " in November 1802 , and by early 1803 had been assigned to take over the command of the 100 - gun first rate . Nelson arrived at Portsmouth on 18 May and hoisted his flag aboard her , but " Victory " had been assigned to Admiral William Cornwallis in the Channel , and was not ready for sea . Nelson struck his flag two days later , and immediately took passage for the Mediterranean aboard Thomas Hardy ' s , leaving Sutton to finish preparing " Victory " and deliver her to Cornwallis . Nelson left orders that if Cornwallis did not want her for his flagship , Sutton was to proceed onwards to join him in the Mediterranean . Sutton joined Cornwallis off Ushant , whereupon Cornwallis ordered him on to Nelson . Sutton and the " Victory " sailed to rendezvous with Nelson off Cape Sicie , and while doing so , came across the French frigate " Embuscade " on 28 May as the latter was entering the Bay of Biscay after a journey from the West Indies . " Embuscade " , a former British ship , attempted to escape , but could not outrun the newly refitted " Victory " and was forced to surrender without a shot being fired . Sutton took possession of her , and then continued on his way , joining the Mediterranean Fleet in late July , whereupon Nelson hoisted his flag on her . He brought Hardy with him as his flag captain , while Sutton took command of Hardy ' s former ship , " Amphion " . Mediterranean . Sutton remained in the Mediterranean with Nelson ' s fleet , initially patrolling off Toulon , before transferring to Cadiz . On 3 October 1804 " Amphion " was one of four frigates sent to intercept four Spanish frigates approaching Cadiz with a large cargo of specie . The British ships , consisting of " Amphion " , , and , sighted the Spanish early on the morning of 5 October , and gave chase . The Spanish were hailed , but refused to surrender to the British , and fighting broke out . After a short but fierce action , one Spanish ship blew up and the other three struck their colours . The " Amphion " had three wounded in the action . The treasure recovered from the three surviving ships was valued at £1 , 000 , 000 , but its seizure contributed to the Spanish decision to ally with France and declare war on Britain . West Indies , retirement , and later life . Sutton and the " Amphion " remained with Nelson ' s fleet into 1805 , and took part in the Trafalgar Campaign , chasing Villeneuve ' s forces to the West Indies and back . Sutton was in poor health by the time the fleet returned to anchor off Lisbon in October , and Nelson sent Sutton ashore to recuperate , replacing him with William Hoste as commander of " Amphion " . Sutton was rich from the prize money of the captured Spanish ships , and appears to have retired ashore , never serving at sea again . He served as a magistrate and a deputy lieutenant for the counties of Norfolk and Suffolk , and was promoted to rear - admiral on 19 July 1821 . Samuel Sutton died at Ditchingham , Norfolk in June 1832 at the age of 72 .