John Hutt (Royal Navy officer)

Infobox Military Person
name= John Hutt
lived= 1746 – 30 June, 1794
placeofbirth=
placeofdeath= Spithead, Hampshire
allegiance= flagicon|United Kingdom|1606 Great Britain
serviceyears= 1773 to 1794
rank= Royal Navy Captain
branch=
commands=
unit=
battles= American War of Independence French Revolutionary Wars • Glorious First of June
awards=
laterwork=

Captain John Hutt (1746 – 30 June, 1794) was an officer of the British Royal Navy who served with distinction during the American Revolutionary War and died in 1794 from severe wounds received during the battle of the Glorious First of June, the first major naval battle of the French Revolutionary Wars. Hutt's ship, HMS "Queen" was heavily engaged in the action and in celebration of his career and death, a monument was raised to him and the other dead Royal Navy captains of the battle.

American Revolutionary War

John Hutt was born in 1746 but did not begin a naval career until relatively late, becoming a lieutenant in the frigate HMS "Lively" in 1773. The ship was stationed on the North American Station and Hutt moved between ships rapidly during his service there, joining HMS "Hind" and HMS "Scarborough" in short order. During the American Revoltionary War Hutt continued service in the Americas, joining the fleet in the West Indies in the small brig HMS "St Lucia" in 1780. In February 1781, Admiral Sir George Rodney promoted him to command of his own ship, the 14-gun brig HMS "Antigua", but Hutt did not have her long. On 28 May 1781, during a concerted effort to seize St Lucia from the British by French admiral de Grasse's fleet, a boarding party overwhelmed the brig at Dauphin Creek.

Hutt was taken prisoner by the French and remained in their hands until November 1781 when he was returned to England on parole. Hutt was exchanged for a French officer shortly afterwards and faced a court martial for the loss of his ship at which he was exhonerated. In the summer of 1782, Hutt commanded the sloop HMS "Trimmer" and after the peace, in 1783, took over the 20-gun HMS "Camille". In "Camille", Hutt sailed to Jamaica, returning in 1787. In 1790 during the Spanish armament, Hutt became a post captain in the frigate HMS "Lizard" and operated as a fleet scout. He was stationed off Ferrol to observe the Spanish fleet and he brought the news to England that the Spanish had returned to Cadiz without threatening action.

Glorious First of June

At the outbreak of the French Revolutionary Wars Hutt gained command of the 98-gun second rate HMS "Queen", the result of patronage by Rear-Admiral Alan Gardner who had commanded Hutt in the West Indies and now personally requested him for this prestigious command. Hutt joined Gardner in the West Indies and "Queen" was involved in the first unsuccessful attempt to capture Martinique in 1793. A few months later, Gardner's squadron was attached to the Channel Fleet and with that force, under Admiral Lord Howe, "Queen" participated in the Glorious First of June.

In fact, although "Queen" was heavily engaged at the action of 1 June, 1794, Hutt was in no position to command her. On 29 May 1794, as the fleets manouvered into position for the main engagement, the French fleet attempting to draw the British away from the convoy, "Queen" exchanged shots with a number of French ships. The engagement was inconclusive but Hutt was grievously wounded by a cannonball which took one of his legs off. During the main engagement four days later, Hutt was below decks in the ships sick bay.

Hutt was landed at Spithead a few days after the battle, and despite his serious injury, doctors indicated that he was likely to make a full recovery. Unfortunately, a few days later, infection set into the wound and Hutt died on 30 June, 1794 as a result. [http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/14295 Hutt, John] , "Oxford Dictionary of National Biography", J. K. Laughton, Retrieved 12 December 2007 ] Along with John Harvey who had died of wounds on the same day as Hutt, and John Montagu, who had been killed at the height of the action, Hutt's name was inscribed on a large memorial in St Paul's Cathedral in London and the Houses of Parliament gave thanks to those captains who had died in the action.

Notes

References

* cite web
title = Hutt, John
work = Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, J. K. Laughton
url = http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/14295

Persondata
NAME=Hutt, John
ALTERNATIVE NAMES=
SHORT DESCRIPTION= British Royal Navy captain
DATE OF BIRTH=1746
PLACE OF BIRTH=Unknown
DATE OF DEATH=30 June 1794
PLACE OF DEATH=Spithead, Hampshire