Charles Cunningham - Command

Command

Cunningham was then sent with HMS Racehorse by Sir Joshua Rowley to interdict the American salt trade with the Bahamas. He was successful at this, but whilst re-provisioning at Jamaica, a French force landed and seized Turks Island. Alerted to this, Nelson gathered together a small squadron and set off to attempt to recapture it, relying on Cunningham's expert knowledge of the waters around the island. Nelson's force fell in with Cunningham's Barrington off the island, and together the Barrington and another of Nelson's ships, HMS Drake began to bombard the French positions whilst troops were landed. The two ships came under heavy fire from the entrenched French and were compelled to withdraw, having had several wounded. Nelson tried again the following day, but again failed to make much headway, and the attempt was called off.

The end of the war in 1783 meant that the Barrington was paid off and Cunningham retired from active naval life. He returned to service in 1788 when he joined Admiral Sir William Cornwallis' flagship HMS Crown. He served for several years in the East Indies, before being promoted to commander and given command of the 16-gun sloop HMS Ariel. He then returned to Britain. He arrived after the outbreak of war with France, and was quickly appointed to the 14-gun HMS Speedy. He then joined Lord Hood's fleet in the Mediterranean, arriving there in April 1793. He was largely employed in carrying despatches and maintaining communications with other ships scattered throughout the Mediterranean ports. On 5 October 1793 the Speedy accompanied HMS Bedford and HMS Captain into Genoa, where they captured a French frigate, the Modeste and two armed tartanes. The Captain and Speedy then sailed to the Gulf of Spezia where they caught another French frigate, the Imperieuse at anchor. The Imperieuse scuttled herself, but was subsequently salvaged and recommissioned as HMS Imperieuse. Cunningham was promoted to captain and given command of the prize, with his commission post-dated to the date of the capture, 12 October 1793.

He commanded the Imperieuse until early 1794, when he transferred to HMS Lowestoffe. He commanded her off Corsica, helping his old commander Nelson in the reduction of the French strongholds on the island. Cunningham distinguished himself to the extent that Lord Hood entrusted him with the public despatches announcing the capture of the island, adding

Captain Cunningham, who has cruised with infinite diligence, zeal, and perseverance, under many difficulties, for three months past, off Calvi, is charged with my despatches, and is competent to give any information that their Lordships may wish to have. I beg to recommend him as an officer of great merit, and highly deserving any favour that can be shown him.

Cunningham was given command of HMS Clyde, a 38-gun frigate he was to command for the next six years. He was at anchor with the fleet at the Nore when the Spithead and Nore mutinies broke out in 1797.