Corso, 1801
Type: 18-gun brig-sloop ;
Notes:
23 Jun 1801 Capture of pirate tartan Tigre
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23d of June 1801 (Vol iii - page 148)
On the 23d of June, in the morning, the British 18-gun brig-sloop Corso, Captain William Ricketts, chased among the rocks in the small islands of Tremiti, lying in the gulf of Venice, and inhabited by a few renegadoes only, a pirate tartan, the Tigre, of eight 6 and 12 pounders and a crew of 60 French and Italians. Upon the appearance of the Mercury soon afterwards, the pirate landed the greater part of her crew; who, with a 4-pounder and musketry, posted themselves upon a hill to defend their vessel, which lay aground close to them with hawsers fast to the shore.

Being resolved to make an effort to stop the further career of this band of robbers, Captain Rogers despatched upon that service the boats of the frigate and brig, under the orders of Lieutenant William Mather, assisted by Lieutenant Wilson of the marines. Notwithstanding that they were exposed to a smart fire of cannon and musketry, both from the vessel and the hill, the boats gallantly rowed in ; and while Lieutenant Mather with the seamen boarded the Tigre, Lieutenant Wilson with the marines landed to drive away the banditti from the hill : the Mercury and Corso, at the same time overawed the pirates by occasionally firing such of their guns as would bear. The marines succeeded in their object without the loss of a man, and took several prisoners ; and the seamen, with equal good fortune, hove the tartan off the rocks and brought her out, together with a quantity of plunder, consisting of bales of cotton and other goods, which the Tigre had taken from vessels of different nations.