French brig Voltigeur ( 1804 ) The French brig " Voltigeur " was a " Palinure " - class brig launched in 1804 . The British captured her in 1806 and renamed her HMS " Pelican " . She was sold in 1812 . Capture . In late 1805 , the sister - ships " Phaeton " and " Voltigeur " , both armed with 16 guns and having crews of 120 men and 115 men , were under the command of " Lieutenants de vaisseau " Louis - Henri Saulces de Freycinet and Jacques Saint - Cricq . They cruised the coasts of Schleswig - Holstein before they set sail for Santo Domingo . On 24 March a little south - east of Puerto Rico they encountered and exchanged fire for about four hours before nightfall ended the encounter . During that engagement the French vessels had suffered damage and possibly casualties . They then sailed towards Curacoa . ) Two days later , on 27 March 1806 , , under the command of Captain Charles B . H . Ross , was sailing from Santo Domingo to Curacoa when she encountered two French navy brigs . At 1pm , " Pique " began firing at long range , and by 2pm had caught up with them . After an intensive cannonade that lasted some 20 minutes , " Pique " was able to send a boarding aboard one of the two French vessels . A terrible struggle ensued before the French vessel struck . The French crew had concealed themselves under sails and in the wreckage , emerging once the boarding party arrived and subjecting it to a devastating fusillade that killed or wounded most of the boarding party . Ross then sent over more men , before returning to the chase of the second brig . After the exchange of several more broadsides , the second French vessel struck . They turned out to be " Phaeton " and " Voltigeur " . " Pique " had one man wounded during the chase , and nine men killed and 13 wounded during the boarding of " Phaeton " . Ross estimated that the French vessels had lost half their crews dead and wounded . Later reports suggested that although French casualties on " Phaeton " had been heavy , those on " Voltigeur " were slight . The British took " Phaeton " into service as " Mignonne " , and " Voltigeur " as " Pelican " . In 1847 the Admiralty awarded the Naval General Service Medal with clasp “ Pique 26 March 1806 " to all surviving claimants from the action . British service . The British commissioned " Pelican " under Commander William Ward . She then sailed to Portsmouth . On 26 October 1806 , Tsar Alexander I of Russia declared war on Great Britain . The official news did not arrive there until 2 December , at which time the British declared an embargo on all Russian vessels in British ports . " Pelican " was one of some 70 vessels that shared in the seizure of the 44 - gun Russian frigate " Speshnoy " ( Speshnyy ) , then in Portsmouth harbour . The British seized the Russian storeship " Wilhelmina " ( " Vilghemina " ) at the same time . The Russian vessels were carrying the payroll for Vice - Admiral Dmitry Senyavin ’ s squadron in the Mediterranean . Between 20 March and 13 June 1807 Pelican was in Portsmouth , undergoing refitting . " Pelican " participated in the capture of Copenhagen . Before the battle , on 19 August , " Pelican " captured the Danish merchant vessel " Christian Tonder " . Then after the battle , on 10 September , " Pelican " was in company with and at the capture of the Danish merchant vessel " Fredeus Forsward " . " Pelican " and " Comus " were together on 29 September , with " Defence " in sight , at the capture of the Danish merchant vessel " Elizabeth Vonder Pahlen " . The same three British warships were together on 2 October at the capture of the Danish vessel " Anna Catharin " a . Lastly , on 4 November " Pelican " captured the Danish brig " Charlotta Amelia " . " Pelican " then returned to the West Indies . On 29 March 1808 , in company with , " Pelican " , " Express " , " Swinger " and " Mosambique " , sailed from Marie - Galante to attack the island of La Désirade . They arrived on 30 March and sent in a landing party of seamen and marines from the vessels of the squadron , all under the overall command of Captain Sherriff of " Lily " . As the boats approached they exchanged fire with a battery of 9 - pounder guns covering the entrance to the harbour . The ships ' guns silenced the battery and the French surrendered . In June 1808 Commander Isaac Morrison replace Ward . In December Commander Edward A ’ Court replaced Morrison . On 9 December 1809 , was some nine leagues from Beachy Head when she sighted two luggers . She gave chase and after a fight captured one . While this was going on " Pelican " came on the scene and chased the second lugger , but without success . The captured lugger was the " Grand Rodeur " , four days out of Dieppe . She was armed with 16 guns and had a crew of 80 . Fate . " Pelican " was paid off in 1810 . She was put up for sale on 27 November 1811 , and was sold at Deptford on 16 March 1812 .