Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

The rare Naval General Service Medal for the attack on Malaga in April 1812 awarded to Clerk J. M. Hoffmeister, Royal Navy, who was afterwards Paymaster of the Detroit in the British squadron on Lake Erie which was captured and destroyed by Commodore Perry’s superior American squadron on 10 September 1813, Paymaster Hoffmeister losing a leg in the action

Naval General Service 1793-1840, 1 clasp, Malaga 29 April 1812 (J. M. Hoffmeister, Clerk.) minor edge bruises, otherwise nearly extremely fine £9,000-£12,000

Provenance: Payne Collection 1911; Sotheby, November 1981.

John M. Hoffmeister is confirmed as a Clerk aboard H.M.S. Goshawk in the attack on Malaga, 29 April 1812. Only 18 clasps issued for this action which resulted in the capture of the French privateers Brave and Napolean.

John Matthew Hoffmeister was born in Portsmouth on 19 February 1792. He entered the Royal Navy in H.M.S. Goshawk as a Volunteer from Portsea on 28 July 1810, serving as a Clerk. He was promoted to Acting Purser on 5 May 1812, and confirmed as Paymaster on 9 March 1813.

He was appointed Paymaster of the Detroit 19, Captain Robert Heriot Barclay, the senior officer of a small, miserably equipped squadron of six sail on Lake Erie, carrying altogether 63 guns (yielding a broadside weight of 478 lbs.) and 345 men, the greater part of them nondescripts, he was further present in a most desperate action which terminated in the capture of the whole by an American force under Commodore Perry, consisting of nine excellently appointed vessels, carrying 54 guns (throwing 928 lbs. in broadside weight of metal) and 580 picked men. The battle of Lake Erie took place on the morning of 10 September 1813, starting at 11:45 a.m. and lasting until 3:00 p.m. At 11:45 Detroit opened fire on Commodore Perry’s ship Lawrence and 30 minutes later the Lawrence, supported by two schooners, came to close action with the Detroit. Havoc and destruction was heaped on all vessels involved and continued with great fury until 2:30 p.m., when Commodore Perry transferred his flag to the Niagara, which vessel was at this time perfectly fresh, and shortly afterwards the Lawrence struck. Perry, supported by his small vessels, now bore up and passed within pistol shot of the now defenceless Detroit, which had suffered badly from the raking fire of the American gunboats. On board the Detroit, the first lieutenant, John Garland, was mortally wounded and Captain Barclay so severely wounded that he had to leave the deck and pass command to Lieutenant George Inglis, who continued the action until further resistance became impossible. Paymaster Hoffmeister played an active part in the action as reported in Captain Barclay’s subsequent despatch of 12 September 1813 (London Gazette 8 February 1814):

‘Every officer in the Detroit behaved in the most exemplary manner. Lieutenant Inglis shewed such calm intrepidity, that I was fully convinced that, on leaving the deck, I left the ship in excellent hands; and for an account of the battle after that, I refer you to his letter which he wrote me, for your information.

Mr. Hoffmeister, purser of the Detroit, nobly volunteered his services on deck, and behaved in a manner that reflects the highest honour on him. I regret to add, that he is very severely wounded in the knee.’

The British squadron had 3 officers, 38 men killed, and 9 officers, 85 men wounded. The loss sustained by the Americans was 27 killed and 96 wounded. Hoffmeister was listed as dangerously wounded and in fact had his leg amputated. He was granted a pension for wounds on 28 May 1821.

At a subsequent court-martial held at Portsmouth in September 1814, for the loss of the Lake Erie flotilla, Captain Barclay was adjudged to be ‘most fully and honourably acquitted.’

Paymaster Hoffmeister died at Southampton in January 1865 and was buried on 3 February 1865, in Northwood Cemetery, Cowes, Isle of Wight.