Qualla: Action of 18 November 1809

Action of 18 November 1809: Introduction

Thu, 26 Mar 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Photo credit Antoine Maurin, Public domain. Captain John Stewart did something reckless on the morning of 18 November 1809. Outnumbered and outgunned in the open waters of the Bay of Bengal, he turned his armed merchantman Windham directly toward a French frigate and opened fire. His plan depended on the two other ships in his convoy joining the attack. They never did. What followed was a day of battle, a five-day chase, capture, a cyclone that nearly killed everyone aboard, and a prisoner-of-war arrangement so unusual it could only have happened at sea during the Napoleonic Wars.

Image: Antoine Maurin | Public domain

Action of 18 November 1809: French Wolves in the Indian Ocean

Thu, 26 Mar 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Photo credit Antoine Maurin, Public domain. After Trafalgar shattered Napoleon's battle fleet in 1805, France could no longer contest Britain's control of European waters. But frigates -- fast, nimble, lightly armed -- could still slip through the blockade and prey on merchant shipping. In late 1808, the French navy dispat...

Image: Antoine Maurin | Public domain

Action of 18 November 1809: A Captain Abandoned

Thu, 26 Mar 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Photo credit Antoine Maurin, Public domain. Stewart's convoy of three East Indiamen -- Windham, Charlton, and United Kingdom -- had been warned. HMS Rattlesnake intercepted them on 11 November and reported French warships in the area. Stewart drilled his gunners aboard Windham, though he knew the odds. East Indiamen were l...

Image: Antoine Maurin | Public domain

Action of 18 November 1809: Five Days on the Run

Thu, 26 Mar 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Photo credit Antoine Maurin, Public domain. Hamelin recalled Manche at noon and sent her with Creole after the slower Charlton and United Kingdom, which surrendered after token resistance. Venus closed on the battered Windham. Stewart, with the agreement of his officers, decided the battle was lost and attempted to flee al...

Image: Antoine Maurin | Public domain

Action of 18 November 1809: The Cyclone Bargain

Thu, 26 Mar 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Photo credit Antoine Maurin, Public domain. Hamelin reunited with his prizes in early December and set course for Isle de France. Cyclone season in the Indian Ocean was approaching, and every captain knew what that meant. On 19 December, the first storm struck and scattered the squadron. Venus and Windham were separated fr...

Image: Antoine Maurin | Public domain

Action of 18 November 1809: A War Won by Attrition

Thu, 26 Mar 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Photo credit Antoine Maurin, Public domain. The story had one more twist. Windham, sailing separately under a French prize crew, was spotted within sight of Isle de France on 29 December by the newly arrived British frigate HMS Magicienne. The ship that had evaded Hamelin for five days, only to be captured and then saved f...

Image: Antoine Maurin | Public domain