John Perkins, Anglo-Jamaican captain
Captain John Perkins (died 27 January 1812), nicknamed Jack Punch, was a British Royal Navy officer. Perkins was perhaps the first mulatto commissioned officer in the Royal Navy. He rose from obscurity to be one of the most successful ship captains of the Georgian navy. He captained a 10-gun schooner during the American War of Independence and in a two-year period captured at least 315 enemy ships.
Later in his career Perkins acted for the navy as a spy and undertook missions to Cuba and Saint-Domingue (modern day Haiti). At the start of the slave revolt in Saint-Domingue he was captured in Cap-Français and sentenced to death for supplying the rebel slave army with weapons.
After his rescue he was promoted commander in 1797 and then post-captain in 1800. Perkins went on to cause an international incident with the Danes when he fired on two of their ships during peacetime. Toward the end of his career he participated in capture of the islands of Saint Eustatia and Saba from the French. Perkins also attacked a 74-gun ship-of-the-line with a 32-gun frigate.
1812Jan, 27
John Perkins (Royal Navy officer)
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Events on 1812
- 27Feb
Manuel Belgrano
Argentine War of Independence: Manuel Belgrano raises the Flag of Argentina in the city of Rosario for the first time. - 26Mar
Gerrymander
A political cartoon in the Boston Gazette coins the term "gerrymander" to describe oddly shaped electoral districts designed to help incumbents win reelection. - 24Jun
French invasion of Russia
Napoleonic Wars: Napoleon's Grande Armée crosses the Neman river beginning the invasion of Russia. - 12Jul
Upper Canada
The American Army of the Northwest briefly occupies the Upper Canadian settlement at what is now at Windsor, Ontario. - 7Sep
Battle of Borodino
French invasion of Russia: The Battle of Borodino, the bloodiest battle of the Napoleonic Wars, was fought near Moscow and resulted in a French victory.