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✅1798 | The Battle of the Ship Nossa Senhora da Conceição

On July 14, 1789, the people of Paris stormed the Bastille prison, demanding liberty, equality, and fraternity. This action sparked a popular revolution that extended until 1815. Europe feared that the French Revolution might spread to its own territories and prepared to respond. However, the French found a young general named Napoleon Bonaparte, who delivered them great military successes.

From the outset, Portugal tried to maintain neutrality. Yet, because Lisbon's connection to its colonies depended heavily on England—the dominant maritime power—it soon began collaborating with the British, especially in naval campaigns in the Mediterranean. This led the French to consider Portugal an ally of England.

Under these conditions, French hostility toward Portugal manifested in several land and sea episodes, the most significant being the three French invasions of mainland Portugal between 1807 and 1810. French forces also harassed Portuguese navigation, particularly in the waters around the Azores. In 1796, it was noted that “French piracy engaged in many robberies and hostilities of all kinds” and that “in 1797 some French privateers appeared in these seas and captured several prizes.”

The ship Nossa Senhora da Conceição, better known as the Conceição, departed from Goa to Lisbon on April 12, 1798, under the command of Joaquim José da Silva. It sailed in the company of two smaller vessels but was separated from them by a storm on June 10 as they approached the Cape of Good Hope.

The Conceição was armed with 12 cannons per side of 18-caliber on the main deck and five of 9-caliber on the poop deck. It is noted that when heavily loaded, cargo was stored in the battery, which then became unusable, as happened during the fatal battle of 1809 when it was captured by the privateer Surcouf returning from India.

As was customary, the ship prepared to round the Cape of Good Hope by transferring its artillery from the deck to the hold to improve stability. It anchored at the island of Saint Helena on June 23 to take on fresh water and allow the crew to rest, having already restored the artillery to its usual positions.

On August 1, the Conceição departed Saint Helena and, after an uneventful voyage, was sailing about twelve miles north of São Miguel Island, heading toward Lisbon, on October 21, 1798.

That morning, a ship was spotted off the starboard bow approaching. It was later identified as a frigate with more than thirty guns. The Conceição sounded the call to battle stations, but being slower and leeward of the frigate, it awaited the unfolding events.

The frigate fired a warning shot without a cannonball and shortly afterward fired another shot with a cannonball while hoisting the French flag. The commander of the Conceição responded by firing a shot with a cannonball and raising the Portuguese flag.

The French frigate approached the Portuguese ship and fired a salvo of five shots demanding its surrender. The Conceição responded with a full broadside, initiating a fierce artillery duel that lasted about two hours.

"During one of the tacks that brought us closer to the frigate, we saw that one of our cannonballs had broken her mizzen yard, causing her flag and part of the sail to fall into the sea. Soon after, we also saw another cannonball had cut the starboard davit at the stern, causing the launch to hang by the remaining davit and eventually fall into the sea, disappearing along with the flag that was tied to the mizzen yard. Upon seeing this, our commander shouted:

— Long live the Queen! Long live, for the enemy's flag shall wave no more.

We all took off our hats and responded:

— Long live! Long live the Queen of Portugal!"

Shortly after noon, the French frigate withdrew “after an hour and a half of relentless combat.” The Conceição had suffered four deaths and several injuries, with significant damage to its rigging. The French frigate is also believed to have suffered casualties, serious damage to its rigging, and the loss of a launch.

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