Hms leopard saw service during the french revolutionary and napoleonic wars and was active in europe east indies and egypt in 1807 a group of british sailors ndash some of american birth ndash deserted and joined the crew of uss chesapeake captain humphreys commanding leopard requested permission to search for the deserters chesapeakersquos captain refused and leopard opened fire capturing the american ship humphreys took back four deserters and hanged the britishndashborn one