Four ships left France in June, 1816 to repossess Senegal from the British:
The Medusa, a frigate and flagship of the expedition
The Echo, a corvette
The Argus, a brig
The Loire, a supply vessel
On board the Medusa were the following boats used during its evacuation:
The captain’s barge, commanded by Midshipman Sander Rang
The Senegal boat, commanded by Ensign Maudet
The longboat, commanded by Lieutenant Espiaux
The pinnace, commanded by Ensign Lapeyrère
The governor’s barge, commanded by Lieutenant Reynaud
There was also a small skiff and a raft constructed out of debris from the Medusa.
Although many facts are consistent in the various narratives and fragments left by the survivors of these harrowing events, there are, at times, discrepancies. Memories severely tested by the ordeal, weakened by the interval between the events and their chronicling, weighted by guilt or by passionate political agendas account for these differences. In the few cases that it has not proved possible to corroborate, the most probable or trustworthy source has been used.