HMS Tarleton was a 14-gun brig launched in 1780 at Glasgow, with a displacement of approximately 140 tons (bm). She was armed with fourteen 3-pounder guns and owned by Crosbie. Originally serving as a privateer under A. Taylor, Tarleton captured the American vessel Tom Lee in March 1781 after a two-and-a-half-hour engagement, during which Tom Lee suffered one killed and Tarleton suffered no casualties. The captured vessel was later renamed and traded between Liverpool and Barbados until her capture by the French in October 1782 at Cap François, where she was taken into French service. The origins and early service of Tarleton remain somewhat ambiguous, with no definitive records confirming her capture by the Royal Navy. She appeared in the 1783 Lloyd's Register with the annotation "Taken," indicating her capture or loss. By early 1783, she was serving in the Caribbean, notably at Saint-Domingue under French command, where she engaged a British brig and a frigate, forcing the British to retreat with the aid of a shore battery established from her guns. Following her return to France, Tarleton was stationed at Brest and later transferred to Toulon, serving in the Mediterranean. Between 1784 and 1788, under Capitaine de fregate Laurent-Jean-François Truguet, she undertook diplomatic and exploratory missions, including carrying the French ambassador to Constantinople and mapping Ottoman coasts. She also participated in the siege of Toulon and was involved in patrolling the Îles d'Hyères. During the French Revolutionary Wars, Tarleton was part of a squadron in the Gulf of Genoa and was briefly converted into a fireship in 1794 during the blockade of Gourjean Bay. Under the command of Charles Brisbane, she played a role in blockades and naval operations, including reporting the capture of the British ship Berwick in March 1795. She participated in the Battle of Genoa later that month, where she contributed to the rescue of the damaged ship Illustrious. By 1796, Tarleton was in poor condition—leaky and rotten—and was increasingly considered unserviceable. She was sold or disposed of by late 1796 or early 1797, with intentions to sell her announced but ultimately her remains were burned in 1797. Throughout her career, HMS Tarleton served various roles, from privateering to diplomatic exploration and naval engagement, marking her as a vessel of notable activity during the late 18th century.

This description has been generated using GPT-4.1-NANO based on the Vessel's wikidata information and then modified by ShipIndex.org staff.