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|battles = }} Edward Sneyd Clay (c. 1768 – 3 February 1846) was an officer of the Royal Navy who served during the American War of Independence, and the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars. Clay entered the navy just before the end of the American War of Independence. He found continued employment during the drawdown of the navy in peacetime, and was in the Mediterranean during the first naval campaigns against Revolutionary France. He saw action at the Siege of Toulon and the capture of Corsica during 1793 and 1794, and was promoted to lieutenant. Back in British waters by 1798 he took part in the Battle of Camperdown, and was wounded in the heavy fighting. Having impressed his commander, Admiral Adam Duncan, he was given the task of carrying the despatches of the Anglo-Russian invasion of Holland back to Britain, and was then promoted to his first command. He continued to be involved in the major naval actions of his age, serving at the Battle of Copenhagen in 1801. Command of several ships of the line followed, and he continued his connection with the Baltic, serving in the Gunboat War against the Danes. His career nearly came to an end when his ship, a 36-gun frigate, was wrecked at the entrance to the Firth of Forth after a confusion over signal lights. The subsequent court-martial acquitted him of blame, and he spent the last years of the Napoleonic Wars commanding a receiving ship. He never again served at sea after the wars, but received several promotions, finally dying in 1846 as rear-admiral of the red. ==Early life== Clay was born c. 1768 and entered the Navy towards the end of the American War of Independence, on 15 April 1783. He was initially a midshipman aboard the 74-gun , under Captain Sir John Hamilton, but later moved to a number of different ships after the end of the war. In the years of peace between 1783 and 1792, Clay served in succession on the Home, West India and Mediterranean stations. He was first aboard the 50-gun , the flagship of Vice-Admiral James Gambier, but moved to the yacht HMY ''Catherine'' under Captain Sir George Young, the 38-gun under Captain George Dawson, and the 32-gun under Captain William Squire.〔 By September 1793, after the outbreak of the French Revolutionary Wars, Clay was serving aboard the 74-gun , under Captain Robert Linzee. Clay saw action aboard ''Alcide'' in the Mediterranean, and was present at the occupation and siege of Toulon. Linzee later was posted as a commodore, and ''Alcide'' supported the operations to capture Corsica, working alongside Corsican General Pasquale Paoli. Clay was promoted to lieutenant during these operations, on 19 May 1794, and was appointed to the 20-gun sloop , at first under Captain Joseph Bullen, and later under Captain Richard Goddard.〔 He then moved to the 74-gun , which was then being commanded by Clay's old captain, William Squire. Clay soon changed ships, serving aboard the 74-gun under Captain John Knight, and then the 74-gun . ''Venerable'' was at this time the flagship of Admiral Adam Duncan, commander of The Downs squadron. On 11 October 1797 Duncan's fleet engaged a Dutch fleet under Vice-Admiral Jan Willem de Winter and decisively defeated it at the Battle of Camperdown. ''Venerable'' was heavily engaged in the fighting, losing 13 seamen and two marines, and having a further 62 men wounded. Clay was one of the two of ''Venerable''s lieutenants wounded, apparently severely.〔〔 He nevertheless recovered and resumed his service, joining Duncan's new flagship, the 74-gun .〔 Aboard the ''Kent'' he was involved in the Anglo-Russian invasion of Holland, and was chosen by Duncan to deliver his despatches detailing the successful invasion to Britain.〔 In his despatch Duncan advised the Lords of the Admiralty to apply for any further details they required to Lieutenant Clay, describing him as 'an intelligent and deserving officer'.〔 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Edward Sneyd Clay」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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