''Brutus'' was a merchant ship built in 1780 at Bordeaux. She was commissioned as a privateer in 1793 at Bordeaux. However, the
French Navy purchased her in September 1793 at
Brest and classed her as a
corvette
A corvette is a small warship. It is traditionally the smallest class of vessel considered to be a proper (or " rated") warship. The warship class above the corvette is that of the frigate, while the class below was historically that of the slo ...
. The French Navy later converted her to a brig. captured her on 10 October 1795.
Career
The French Navy re-rigged ''Brutus'' as a brig at Brest either in 1793 or in May 1795. She carried out two diplomatic missions to the United States during 1794. In February 1794, she arrived at
Norfolk, Virginia
Norfolk ( ) is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. Incorporated in 1705, it had a population of 238,005 at the 2020 census, making it the third-most populous city in Virginia after neighboring Virginia Be ...
, with the news of the imminent arrival of a squadron under
Van Stabel carrying Joseph Faucher to replace
Citoyen Genêt as the French ambassador to the United States to replace
Edmond-Charles Genêt
Edmond-Charles Genêt (January 8, 1763July 14, 1834), also known as Citizen Genêt, was the French envoy to the United States appointed by the Girondins during the French Revolution. His actions on arriving in the United States led to a major po ...
. She also brought despatches to
Van Stabel. The French had to replace Genêt, whom the French government considered crazy for having tried to instigate a revolution against President Washington. ''Brutus'' was under the command of ''enseigne de vaisseau'' (later lieutenant de vaisseau) Métaisyer.
''Brutus'' was renamed ''Célère'' in May 1795 in France. but was still operating under the name ''Brutus'' when ''Mermaid'' captured her. She was refitted with a coppered hull and a brig rigging before her naval commission.
Capture
On 10 October 1795 ''Mermaid'' was cruising to windward of Grenada when she discovered a ship and a brig anchored off La Baye. As the two vessels sighted ''Mermaid'' they got under weigh, but the brig soon bore up and ran into Requin Bay, where ''Mermaid'' followed her. The brig ran ashore and all aboard fled. These numbered 50 crew and 70 troops; she had landed another 50 troops when she had been anchored. On taking possession of the brig, the British discovered that she was a French naval vessel named ''Brutus''. Four days later ''Mermaid'' captured the ship, which was the 18-gun French corvette
''Republicaine''. ''Lloyd's List'', in reporting the captures, described ''Brutus'' as having 18 guns, and ''Republican'' as having 10. After both vessels had been condemned at Grenada on 9 November 1795, shared in the prize money by agreement with ''Mermaid''.
Notes, citations and references
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Brutus (1780)
Corvettes of the French Navy
Brigs of the French Navy
Captured ships
Privateer ships of France
1780 ships