The 3-clasp Naval General Service medal awarded to Commander James B. Tattnall, Royal Navy, who served as a Midshipman under Lord Cochrane in the Pallas and Imperieuse until December 1806 when he was shipwrecked whilst in charge of a prize, taken prisoner and confined at Verdun and later Givet; it was not until December 1809 that, having failed in two attempts, he at length succeeded in escaping by disguising himself as a woman. He served as Acting Lieutenant of the Racehorse in the actions off Tamatave in May 1811, commanded the boats of the President at the capture of the island of Santa Clara, during the siege of St Sebastian. In 1814, he commanded the Tonnant’s boats at the destruction of Commodore Barney’s flotilla up the Patuxent; had charge of a gun-boat in the attack upon Baltimore, and again commanded the boats of the Tonnant, in company with those of a squadron under Captain Nicholas Lockyer of the Sophie 18, at the capture, on Lake Borgne, of five American gun-boats under Commodore Jones, which did not surrender until the British, in the course of a desperate conflict, had been occasioned a loss of 17 men killed and 77 wounded. In narrating the details of the latter very gallant affair Captain Lockyer, in his despatch, stated: ‘I cannot omit to mention the conduct of Lieuts. Tattnall and Roberts, of the Tonnant, particularly the former, who, after having his boat sunk alongside, got into another and gallantly pushed on to the attack of the remainder of the flotilla.’
Naval General Service 1793-1840, 3 clasps, Off Tamatave 20 May 1811, St Sebastian, 14 Dec Boat Service 1814 (James B. Tattnall, Lieut. R.N.) extremely fine £12,000-£16,000

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, Naval Medals from the Collection of the Late Jason Pilalas.

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Glendining’s, March 1968; Sotheby, June 1971 (Fergus Gowans Collection); Glendining’s, March 1989; Dix Noonan Webb, June 1996.

Verified as Lieutenant aboard H.M.S. Racehorse in the action off Tamatave but not shown on Admiralty roll; Lieutenant in President at St Sebastian and Lieutenant in the boats of Tonnant at the capture of five American gun boats on Lake Borgne, New Orleans, in December 1814.

James Barnwell Tattnall was born on 21 September 1790, and entered the Royal Navy in September 1803 as Midshipman on board the Leander, flag of Vice-Admiral Mitchell, Commander-in-Chief on the Halifax station, and soon afterwards removed to the Boston frigate. He subsequently served under Lord Cochrane in the Pallas (32), and conducted, as Prize Master, into port at Plymouth, one of the richest prizes taken by that frigate, at the commencement of the Spanish War in 1805. On the night of 5 April 1806, the boats of the Pallas under Lieutenant John Haswell captured the French national corvette Tapageuse, of 14 long 12-pounders and 95 men, in the Bordeaux river and under the protection of two strong batteries. During their absence on this service, three ships were observed bearing down to the British frigate, making many signals, and soon perceived to be enemies. ‘In a few minutes,’ said Lord Cochrane, ‘the anchor was weighed, and, with the remainder of the officers and crew, we chased, drove on shore, and wrecked, one 24-gun ship, one of 22 guns, and La Malicieuse, a beautiful corvette of 18 guns. All in this ship showed zeal for his Majesty’s service. The warrant officers and Mr Tattnall, midshipman, supplied the place of those commissioned.’ Over the following month he witnessed the destruction of the semaphores along the French coast, and was present when the Pallas singly attacked the French 40-gun frigate La Minerve in company with three 18-gun brigs, and, in an attempt to board the former, ran into the side of the frigate with such a tremendous shock that the Pallas was reduced to a wreck. From the Pallas, Tattnall followed Lord Cochrane into the Imperieuse (38), and in December 1806 was placed in charge of a prize in the Bay of Biscay and sent to England. However, this vessel was driven by storms and in a sinking condition to the island of Belleisle, where Tattnall was obliged to surrender to French troops.

The following day he was sent to Quiberon Bay, and from there marched to the depot at Verdun, a distance of some 500 miles. After 18 months he was deprived, along with all the other Midshipmen then prisoner in France, of his parole and taken to Givet. Here he was placed with 1200 British seamen in close confinement in the barracks; it was not until December 1809 that, having failed in two attempts, he at length succeeded in escaping by disguising himself as a woman. Reaching Ostend, he engaged the services of a smuggler and was conveyed on board the British fleet.

In the ensuing January he passed his examination, and in May 1810, he joined on promotion the Neptune 98, flag-ship in the West Indies of Sir Alexander Cochrane, who immediately nominated him Acting-Lieutenant of the St. Pierre 18. In this sloop he returned to Portsmouth in July of the same year, and, on 10 December he was again ordered to act as Lieutenant in the Racehorse 18, Captain James De Rippe, under whom he was present, 20 May 1811, when in company off Madagascar with the 36-gun frigates Astraea, Phoebe, and Galatea, at the capture, after a long and warmly-contested action with the French 40 gun frigates Renommée, Clorinde, and Néréide) of the Renommée, and, on the 25th of the same month, of the Néréide and the settlement of Tamatave. Invaliding from the Racehorse about May 1812, he was next appointed, 5 January 1813, to the Portia 14, in the North Sea; 8 June 1813, to the President 38, Captain Fraancis Mason, the boats of which ship he commanded at the capture, during the siege of St. Sebastian, of the island of Santa Clara; and, 22 June 1814, to the Tonnant 80, bearing the flag of Sir A. Cochrane on the coast of North America. While there he commanded the Tonnant’s boats at the destruction of Commodore Barney’s flotilla up the Patuxent; had charge of a gun-boat in the attack upon Baltimore, and again commanded the boats of the Tonnant, in company with those of a squadron under Captain Nicholas Lockyer of the Sophie 18, at the capture, on Lake Borgne, of five American gun-boats under Commodore Jones, which did not surrender until the British, in the course of a desperate conflict, had been occasioned a loss of 17 men killed and 77 wounded. In narrating the details of the latter very gallant affair Captain Lockyer, in his despatch, stated: ‘I cannot omit to mention the conduct of Lieuts. Tattnall and Roberts, of the Tonnant, particularly the former, who, after having his boat sunk alongside, got into another and gallantly pushed on to the attack of the remainder of the flotilla.’ We may add that the launch, the boat alluded to, had 16 of her crew killed and wounded. On the promotion of Captain Lockyer Mr. Tattnall, having been the Senior-Lieutenant engaged, was ordered by Sir A. Cochrane to succeed him in the command of the Sophie. From February to May, 1815, he acted as Captain of the Dictator 64 and Carron 20; and he was then placed on half-pay, without his promotion however being confirmed. At length, in March 1819, on a partial change taking place at the Admiralty-Board, his case, without application on his part, was laid, by Sir Edward Codrington, before Sir George Cockburn, who at once placed him in acting command of the Spey 20, then on the eve of her departure for the Mediterranean. It was not until 14 April 1819, that Tattnall was promoted to Commander in recognition of his services in North America in December 1814. He did not afterwards go afloat and died on 7 February 1850, at his residence, Woodside Crescent, Glasgow.