HMS Antelope (1782)

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HMS Antelope, 6, was a 204 ton West Indian packet ship. She was attacked and captured on October 10, 1782. She was taken into Nantes, but Captain William Kempthorne, her commanding officer, re-purchased her on April 4, 1793, for £2750.16.8d (plus £34 for her ordnance stores)^[1].

On December 1, 1793, Antelope was sailing without Captain Kempthorne off Cumberland Harbour, Jamaica when two privateers were sighted. Obeying orders, Antelope headed back to port to avoid trouble, but the next day the wind failed, and one of the privateers, Atlante, 8, was able to come alongside, and battle was joined. Antelope was armed with six 3 pound (1.4 kg) guns and manned by a crew of 21. Atlante a French privateer from Charleston, South Carolina, had a crew of 65, many American.

During the battle, all three of Antelope's officers were killed or wounded and command fell on the Boatswain, John Pascoe. He assumed command and led the crew to repel the boarding parties. The privateers were thrown back repeatedly, and eventually cut their grapplings, but Pascoe raced up the rigging, lashing the squaresail yard of Atlante to Antelope's foreshrouds, continued the battle until Atlante surrendered. There were 32 dead on the privateer, while Antelope lost 3 killed and 4 wounded. The victorious packet returned put into Jamaica with its prize.

On August 19, 1794, Antelope sailed for North America with thirty men. On September 19, 1794, she encountered a squadron of French frigates in a dense fog. Her crew sank the mail and surrendered. While a captive of the French, Captain Kempthorne died of yellow fever.