But I don't think any of these could be the Irish Captain of the Coppers'"Warlike Seamen" song, in which the engagement obviously occurred in the days of sail ("The first broadside we gave to them, It caused them to wonder; Their mainmast and its rigging too Came rattling down like thunder") ~ against a "lofty Frenchman", so presumably Napoleonic.

Another puzzle in the song is that Somerville's ship is The 'Nottingham' in the first verse ("I'll tell you of a fight, my boys, on board the Nottingham"), but The 'London' later on (They asked from whence we came; Our answer was 'from Liverpool, and London is our name'.")

~Michael~