Isis vs L'Oriflamme

On the 1st of April, the British 50-gun ship Isis, Captain Edward Wheeler, belonging to the Mediterranean squadron, being on a cruize off Cape Tres Forcas, discovered a large ship, to which she immediately gave chase. At 6h. p.m., having got alongside the enemy, she commenced the action, and a running fight was kept up till 10h. 30m. At the beginning of the encounter, Captain Wheeler, a midshipman, and a quarter-master, were killed by one shot, and the command of the ship devolved on Lieutenant Cunningham. The stranger, at a little before eleven, evincing a disposition to get in under the Spanish shore, Lieutenant Cunningham, in order to prevent the manoeuvre, determined to run the enemy on board. This was accordingly done, and finding she had now no chance of escape, the stranger surrendered. The prize, which was valuably laden, proved to be the French 50-gun ship Oreflame, but had only fourteen 18-pounders and twentysix 12-pounders, mounted: between 40 and 50 of her crew were killed or wounded. The Isis's loss, independent of her captain, was slight, amounting to no more than three killed and nine wounded.