HMS Gorgon ( 1785 ) HMS " Gorgon " was a 44 - gun fifth - rate two - decker ship of the " Adventure " class of 911 tons , launched at Blackwall Yard in 1785 and completed as a troopship . She was subsequently converted to a storeship . She also served as a guardship and a hospital ship at various times before being broken up in 1817 . Troopship . " Gorgon " was fitted as a troopship at Portsmouth at a cost of £5 , 210 , the work being completed on 15 December 1787 . Lieutenant Charles Craven commissioned her in October 1787 . She then was paid off one year later . One year after that , she was fitted for foreign service at an additional cost of £5 , 200 and recommissioned under Lieutenant William Harvey in October 1789 . New South Wales . Under Commander John Parker , she went to New South Wales on 15 March 1791 , along with the Third Fleet , arriving on 21 September 1791 . She carried six months provisions for 900 people in the starving colony . She also carried about 30 convicts , and Philip Gidley King who was returning to the colony to take up the post of lieutenant - governor of Norfolk Island . On 18 December 1791 the " Gorgon " left Port Jackson , taking home part of the marine contingent , sent by the First Fleet to guard the convicts , including Watkin Tench , Robert Ross , William Dawes , and Ralph Clark . Of the departure , Tench said , “ we hailed it with rapture and exhilaration ” . " Gorgon " also carried samples of animals , birds , and plants from New South Wales . At the Cape of Good Hope " Gorgon " took on board Mary Bryant , her daughter Charlotte , and the four surviving male convicts involved in an escape from the penal colony . She also took on board ten of the mutineers from HMS " Bounty " that had seized in Tahiti and who had survived the wreck of that vessel . During the voyage many of the children on board , including Charlotte Bryant , died of heat and illness . " Gorgon " arrived at Portsmouth on 18 June 1792 , discharging her mixed passenger list of marines , escaped convicts , and mutineers . French Revolutionary Wars . Between March and July 1793 " Gorgon " was fitted as a 20 - gun storeship at Woolwhich , for a cost of £5 , 709 . She then was recommissioned under Commander Charles Patterson , who sailed her for the Mediterranean on 15 October 1793 . In February 1794 " Gorgon " was part of the fleet under Vice - Admiral Lord Samuel Hood at the taking of the Port of San Fiorenzo and Bastia , which eventually led to the capture of the island of Corsica by forces under Admiral Lord Nelson . Hood assigned " Gorgon " the task of protecting the convoy of transports carrying the troops and horses under the command of Lieutenant - General David Dundas . At some point in 1794 Commander James Wallis replaced Patterson in command . However , in March 1795 " Gorgon " was paid off . Commander Edward Tyrell recommissioned her in May 1795 and sailed her to the Mediterranean on 11 November 1795 . On 10 June 1796 , " Gorgon " was in company with and the hired armed cutter " Fox " . They were with the British fleet outside Toulon and were present when captured the French corvette " Utile " at Hyères Roads . Later that month " Gorgon " was at the evacuation of Leghorn . In September 1796 Gilbert Elliot , the British viceroy of the Anglo - Corsican Kingdom , decided that it was necessary to clear out Capraja , which belonged to the Genoese and which served as a base for privateers . He sent Lord Nelson in , together with " Gorgon " , " Vanneau " , the cutter " Rose " , and troops of the 51st Regiment of Foot to accomplish this task in September . On their way , joined them . The troops landed on 18 September and the island surrendered immediately . In April 1797 Captain John W . T . Dixon took command . Captain John Williams replaced him in October 1797 . " Gorgon " sailed for the Leeward Islands in January 1798 . On 13 January 1798 " Gorgon " was 70 leagues from Cape Finisterre when she caught up with and recaptured the brig " Ann " , of Dartmouth . Fifteen days earlier " Ann " had been sailing from Newfoundland to Lisbon when a French privateer had captured her . While " Gorgon " was exchanging people with the brig , another brig , this one exhibiting French colours , arrived . After " Gorgon " fired a few shots , the brig struck . The newcomer turned out to be the French privateer " Henri " , from Nantes . She carried 14 guns , five of which she had thrown overboard . She also had a crew of 108 men . She had been cruising for five days but had taken nothing . Captain Richard Williams put a prize crew aboard and took her with him into Lisbon . The prize crew consisted mostly of men from " Aigle " , who had captured a prize and taken her to Lisbon . Between 1799 and 1800 " Gorgon " continued to serve as a storeship . under Commander Henry Hill . Then in 1801 Commander George Ross and " Gorgon " participated in the Egyptian campaign ( 8 March to 8 September 1801 ) . Because " Gorgon " served in the campaign , her officers and crew qualified for the clasp " Egypt " to the Naval General Service Medal that the Admiralty issued in 1847 to all surviving claimants . Napoleonic Wars . Commander William Wilkinson recommissioned " Gorgon " in May 1803 on the Irish station . In 1805 , she served as a floating battery or guardship on the River Shannon . In October 1805 she was under Commander Francis Stanfell , with Commander Charles Ryder replacing him in May 1806 . Between November 1806 and July 1808 " Gorgon " was back in Woolwich , where she underwent a large repair and was fitted as a victualler . Commander Robert Brown Tom recommissioned her in May 1808 and sailed her to the Baltic where she again served as a storeship . Even so , on 12 May 1809 , she captured the Danish vessel the " Petrena " . Then on 21 May she was in company with the gun - brig when they captured the Danish boat " Helden " . By November 1809 she was a hospital ship under Commander Charles Webb . On 24 October 1810 , " Gorgon " , , and the gun - brig were present at the capture of the brig " Hoppet " . Commander Alexander Milner had replaced Webb by April 1811 . He sailed " Gorgon " to the Mediterranean on 10 March 1812 . She came under the command of Commander Rowland Mainwaring in September . She then served as the flagship for Vice Admiral Francis Pickmore off Toulon . Commander Claude de Crespigny replaced Mainwaring at Port Mahon in 1813 , but he died in July . Commander John Cornish replaced de Crespigny and in turn Commander Richard Booth Bowden replaced him in 1814 . War of 1812 . Bowden then sailed " Gorgon " to America where she was part of the British fleet at the Battle of New Orleans . Before that battle her boats participated in the Battle of Lake Borgne on 14 December 1814 . " Gorgon " had one master ' s mate slightly wounded . In 1847 the Admiralty authorized the issue of the Naval General Service Medal with clasp " 14 Dec . Boat Service 1814 " to all surviving claimants from the action . Fate . " Gorgon " was finally broken up in 1817 .