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Les diagrammes suivants illustrent la mAthode. by errata led to int me pelure, agon A 1 2 3 32X 1 2 3 4 8 6 Whi \» Ni "To •• th( "g» "to • • In •«»e( /.(■ "*% \^^7^ ROYAL NAVAL BIOGRAPHY; oa, iiitxmit^ of tDe g^ttWt^ OF ALL THE FLAG-OFFICERS, SUPERANNUATED REAR-ADMIRALS, RETIRED-CAPTAINS, POST-CAPTAINS, AND COMMANDERS, Whose Names appeared on the Admiralty List of Sea-Officers at the commence- ment of the year 1823, or who have since been premoted ; Illustrated by a Seriei of HISTORICAL AND EXPLANATORY NOTES, Which will be found to contain an account of all the NAVAL ACTIONS, AND OTHER IMPORTANT EVENTS, FROM THE COMMENCEMENT OF THE LATE REION TO THE PRESENT PERIOD. WITH COPIOUS ADDENflJfS^ >/» By JOHN MARSHALL, ^,J;>:J) A IIEUTENANTIN THE ROTAL NAVT^' -L'^.-f-^ -.^y jm. " Failuret, however frequent, may admit of extenuation and apology. To have attempted " much is always laudable, even when the enterprise is above the strength that undertakes it. •* To deliberate whenever I doubted, to enquire whenever I waa ignorant, would have protracted •' the undertaking without end, and perhaps without Improvement. I saw that one enquiry only " gave occasion to another, that book referred to book, that to search was not always to And, and " to And was nut always to be informed ; and that thus to pursue perfection, was, like the Arst t* Inhabitants of Arcadia, to chase the sun, which, when they had reached the hill where h« " seemed to rest* was still beheld at the same distauce ftrom them.** Joknion, SUPPLEMENT.— PART II. Hondoit : rRINTED FOR LONGMAN, REES, ORMB. BROWN AND OREEN, PATERNOSTER ROW. 1828. A -X ' !i W. Popic, Priniw, V, Chancery Lane. CONTENTS OF SUPPLEMENT— PART II. POST- CAPTAINS, (Continued) . Page A'Court, Edward Henry - 345 Abdy, Anthony - - 270 Andrews, George - - 49 Arthur, Richard - - 64 Austen, Charles John - 74 Baily, Edward Seymour - 52 Baker, John - - S67 Bartholomew, Charles - 52 . "Ti Baugh, Thomas Folliott - 266 ^ Beaufort, Francis - - 82 Boll, George - - 32 piamey, George William - 272 'fiourchier, Henry - - 435 Bowker, John - - 429 Bradby, Matthew Barton - 106 Browne, Philip - - 95 Buchanan, William - 50 Buck, Richard - • 350 Burton, Thomas - - 294 Byam, William Henry • 311 Cadman, George - - 52 Campbell, Donald - • 399 Clement, Benjamin - 391 Clephane, Robert • - 314 Coe, Thomas - - 346 Coghlan, Jeremiah - 298 Collins, James • - 206 Colquitt, Samuel Martin - 268 Coode, John - - 276 Crispo, John - - 206 D'Auvei^gne, Corbet James - 414 Davici John - - 46 Dawson, Hon. Henry - 398 Dix, Edward . • 55 \ , Dixon, Manley Hall - 381 Dolling, William Brooking - 384 Douglas, Francis - • 217 Douglas, Peter John ■ 447 Doyle, Sir Bentinck Cavendish 346 Elliot, William ■ . 197 Page Evans, Robert - - 237 Fabian, Charles Montague - 268 Fellowes, Sir Thomas - 317 Ferris, Abel - - 360 Festingj Robert Worgan George 446 Fisher, William - - 359 Flint, William - - 316 Foote, William Williams - 213 Forrest, Thomas - - 29 Fowler, Robert Merrick - 366 Goate, William - - 35 Gordon, Hon. William - 70 Graves, Thomas - - 111 Greene, Pitt Bumaby - 335 Grosett, Walter - - 234 Gnion, Gardiner Henry - 444 Hamilton, Gawen William - 447 Hart, Henry - - 413 Harvey, Edward - - 361 Harward, Richard - - 32 Henderson, George - 415 HoUiuwortb, John - - 349 Hoare, Edward Wallis - 195 Hornby, Phippa - - 70 Hudson, John - - 220 HuskisBon, Thomas - 338 Innes, Alexander - - 267 Innes, Thomas - - 213 James, Joseph - - 39 Janvrin, Richard Gaire • 271 Jones, Hon. Alexander - 390 Keen, Robert - - 207 Kittoe, Edward • - 63 Lambom, John - - 267 Lapenotierc, John Richards - 384 Lawson, John - - 208 Lillicrap, James • - 221 Mainwaring, Thomas Francis diaries - ■ • 310 Markland, John Duff - 351 >*: CONTENTS. Marshall, JoLn Willoughby - Maxwell, John Monkc, George Paris Moriarty, Edmund Joshua - Mounscjr, William - Napier, Charles Nevill, Viscount Nott, Francis John - O'Connor, Richard James Law- rence - . - Owen, William Fitzwilliam - Packwood, Joseph - Pasco, John Paterson, William Pearse, Henry Whitmarsh Fechell, Samuel George » Peyton, John Strutt - Prescott, Henry Purvis, John Brett - Richards, John Sanders, George Sayer, George (6) Scobcll, Edward Shepheard, Lewis Page 270 94 65 51 20 I 316 236 214 378 314 348 106 60 74 438 107 49 9 17 208 351 237 Shirreff, William Henry Simpson, John Slade,^ James Sneyd, Clement Spence, Henry Hume Stanfell, Francis Stopford, Edward Stupart Gustavus Sturt, Henry Evelyn Pitfield Swainc, Spelman Thompson, John (a) Thrush, Thomas Tom, Robert Brown Townshend, Lord James Tucker, Thomas Tudor Waldegrave, Hon. William - Walker, Benjamin Watson, Christopher White, Thomas (a) White, Thomas (6) Williams, John Willoughby, Sir Nisbet Josiah Worth, James Andrew \ ADDENDA. 4 2 2 Penrose, Vice-Admiral Sir Charles Vinicombe Gore, Vice- Admiral Sir John 455 465 '// ... 'W > «■ '-v,..;T > ERRATA. p. 65, line 11, /or I'AmUble Nelly rea<{ I'Aimable Nelly. 147, — — 8 from the bottom, for obtain read attain. — , — — 4 ",fw 10 rtad 8. 169, first line of the note,y{w Sinus rtui la Nereide. 181, last line of the t»t,/or proclamation read proclamations. 187, last line,/or a read as. <, - . 235, line 8, /«r Early in 1797 read In Dec. 1796. ^ " ' ,— ^ 3 from the bottom, far Mar. r«a ROYAL NAVAL BIOGRAPHY. 4 2 2 POST-CAPTAINS of 1809, continued. *v 2( 1 2 3 1] CHARLES NAPIER, Esq. j4 Companion of the Most Honorable Military Order of the Bath. This officer was made a Lieutenant Nov. 30, 1805; and pro- moted to the rank of Commander Nov. 30, 180/. On the 17th July, 1808, we find him assisting in cutting out a Spanish merchant schooner, from under two batteries at the N.E. end of Porto Rico ; which service vvas conducted by Lieute- nant James Robertson, of the Fawn sloop *, Captain Napier, then commanding the Pultusk brig, merely accompanying him in order to acquire a knowledge of the coast, and agree- ing that whatever was done should be attributed to that gen- tleman. After capturing the schooner, they both landed, spiked the guns in one of the batteries, and rendered the carriages unserviceable. Captain Napier was shortly afterwards appointed to the Recruit brig, of 18 guns ; in which vessel he fought a smart action with the Diligente French corvette, of 22 guns and 140 men, Sept. 6, 1808. On this occasion, the ' . r. ruit had her , main-mast shot away, many of her carronade^ dismounted, one man killed, and several persons, including her commander, wounded. The extent of the loss sustained by the enemy's ship has not been made public, but we must suppose it to have been very heavy, to excuse her captain for having fled from the field of battle after he had so eficctually crippled his antagonist. Her stern-boat, filled with small-arm men, was cut away by the Recruit's last fire. • Now CoiQiQamler James R. Walker. SUPPL. PART II. 2 POST-CAl 'TAINS OP 1 In the followiiig year, Captuin Napier asaisteil at the reduc- tion of Martini (pie 5 and behaved with extraordinary jEfallantry during the pursuit of le d'Hautpoult and two other French seventy-fours, which had been sent from Europe expressly for the relief of that colony * . His conduct on this occasion is thus officially noticed by Sir Alexander Cochrane : " The superiority of the enemy's sailing, left little chance lur the Nep- tune getting up, unless some of the ships were disahlcd ; anil if any accident had happened to the Poirip^'-e's masts, they must inevitaldy have all escaped : I therefore directed Captain Fahie to endeavour to cripple the sterninost ship, without bringing on the collected fire of the three, then in line a-hreast. In this attempt he was most gallantly supported by Captain Napier, of H. M. sloop Recruit, who kept close up, although fired at from all their stern-chace guns, and did every thing that was possible to be done to cut away the enemy's masts and rigging, and continued on this service during the whole chase ••»***. Until their Lordships' pleasure is known, I have commissioned the prize, and appointed Captain Napier to the command of her, as a reward for his spirited conduct." Captain Napier's post commission was confirmed May 22, 1809, the very day on which Sir Alexander Cochrane's letter arrived at the Admiralty. During the remainder of the war with France, he successively commanded the Jason, Thames, and Euryalus frigates; the former at the Leeward Islands, and the two latter on the Mediterranean station. A very hand- some service performed by the Thames, in conjunction with the Cephalus brig, is thus described by Captain Napier, in a letter addressed to the senior officer at Palermo : " H. M. S. Thames, off Porto del Infrischi, July 21, 1811. " Sir, — Captain Clifford, of the Cephalus, having the look-out off Pali- nuro, on the 20th instant, informed me by a Sicilian privateer, of a convoy of 26 sail attempting to gain that port, which he, with his usual activityf prevented them from doing, and compelled them to take shelter in Porto del Infrischi, off which place we arrived at 5 this evening. I immediately desired Captain Clifford to lead in and anchor, which service he performed in a most handsome style, and was closely followed by this ship, who soon silenced eleven gun-boats, and an armed felucca, carrying six long 18- pounders, two 12-pounder carronades, three brass and two iron 6-pounders, and" (upwards of) " 280 men, moored across for the protection of fourteen •See Vol. I, p. 717. %. ■f -v ^.. :»>■ r ' ^«*'/ T-CAPTAINS OF 1S09. fll ^rT' I"" t' Pali- m nvoy ^■■\ merchant vessels " (latM-.t.Nvitlj oil, potash, &c. *), "and 36 spars for the line- of-battle ship and frigate at Naples, and under cover of a round tower ; and the adjacent hills lined with musketeers from the merchantmen and peasantry. The marines were then landed under their Lieutenant, IM^ Adams, and got possession of the tower, performing the light infantry manoeuvres in a very pretty style, taking an officer and 80 men prisoners, and driving the rest before them ; the boats, at the same time, under Cap- tain Clifford, took possession of the convoy, together witii all the spars, ex- cept two which could not be got off : all of which were alongside, and the ship under weigh in less than two hours, without the loss of a man, and only the boatswain" (of the Cephalus) "and another man badly, and three of the brig's men, slightly, wounded : on entering the bay her sails and rigging were a good deal cut up. I hope it will not be thought presump- tuous in me begging you will recommend Captain Clifford, and my first Lieutenant, Whiteway " (who accompanied the marines to the heights, and afterwards assisted in launching the merchant vessels) " to the commander- in-chief, particularly as this is the third convoy the former has discovered and contributed to destroy since his appointment to the Cephalus f; the latter has been likewise at the taking of two and destroying one since his joining the Thames. The whole ef the officers and ship's company behaved in the most steady manner ; which will ever reflect the greatest credit on my predecessor. Captain WaldegraveJ, for the excellent discipline on board. Captain Clifford likewise speaks in the highest terms of his first Lieutenant, Richardson, officers, and crew. I have the honour to be, &c. (Signed) " Charles Napier." Rear-Admiral Charles Boyles, in his letter to Sir Edward Pellew, reporting the above exploit, expressed himself as follows : — " The complete success of the above-mentioned instantaneous and bril- liant attack on the enemy's convoy by the Thames and Cephalus, reflects much honor on the conduct and gallantry of Captains Napier and Clifford, their officers, and crews." In Sept. 1811, the Thames was placed under the orders of Captain the Hon. Henry Duncan, then commanding the Imperieuse frigate, and whose successful proceedings on the coast of Calabria, in Oct. and Nov. following, have been fully detailed at p. 993 et seq. of Vol. II. Part II. The following is an extract of an official letter written by Major Edward Dar- * The armed felucca also had a cargo of oil. f See Captain Augustus William James Clifford, C. B. ♦ Now Lord Iladatock. b2 ;l 4 POST-CAPTArNS OF ISO'), ley, of the 02(1 icginicnt, roporiititr the inilitui-y operations at Paiinuro, on the 1st and 2(1 of the latter month :. • ' ' • ' " Thames, at Sea, Nov. 9,, IHll. " It would be presumptuous on my part, Sir, in attempting to pass en- comiums on tlie very superior judirincnt and lieroic gallantry of the com- mandant. Captain Duncan, of If. IM. S. Imp'crieuse, as also in the gallant manncrof laying his ship' alongside a strong battery and fortified tower, flanked by several gun-boats, which were shortly silenced l)y a powerful and well-directed fire, in conjunction with Captain Napier, of H. IVl. S. Thames, whereby the commandant was left in possession of the enemy's flotilla, con- voy, battery, and tower. I have also much gratification in stating, that Captain Napier, who did me the honor to accompany me on shore with a party of seamen and marines, contriliuted materially by his cool, judicious, and actively intrepid conduct, ably seconded by the gallantry of Lieutenant Travers, of H. M. S. Imperieuse, to surmount all difficulties in gaining the heights — in the face of an opposing and strongly posted numerous enemy, whom we had afterwards the satisfaction of dislodging and obliging to re- treat, leaving us in full possession of the heights and telegraph tower." " To Major-General Heron, 8fC. dfc. ffc, Melazzo." Sir Edward Pellew's opmion of the exploit at Paiinuro will be seen by reference to p. 995 of Vol. II. Part II. In the spring of 1BI2, we find Captain Napier employed as senior officer on the coast pf Calabria, and making the follow- ing report to Rear-Admiral Freemantle, whose reply we shall subjoin : , " I this day (May 14), in company with the Pilot, attacked the port of Sapri, defended by a strong battery and tower, mounting two 32-pounders, with an officer and 38 men, which surrendered at discretion, after being battered for two hours within pistol-shot ; but in consequence of their gal- lant defence, I allowed them to march out with the honors of war. We found 28 large vessels on the beach, loaded with oil, some of them nearly a quarter of a mile in the country, all of which were launched, and the bat- tery in ruins before sun-set. I owe much to the support I received from Captain" (John Toup) "Nicolas, who flanked the battery in a most judicious manner, and afterwards commanded the launching, assisted by my first Lieutenant, Alexander Campbell, an officer of six years' standing, as well as Mr." (Roger) " Langlands, acting master of the Pilot, who, by his able dis- position of the marines, placed under his command (there being no officer of that corps on board) ; kept upwards of 200 armed peasantry in check, and had only one man wounded. The firing of both ships' <;ompanies was superior to any thing I ever saw, and their conduct on shore was no less praise-worthy. Neither ship lost a num on board : our bowsprit wounded in three places is the only material injury wc have suffered. (Sigueil) " CiiAULES Nai'ier." posr-cAPTArNs OF 1809. 6 " //. J/. S. MHfonl, Pnhrmo n,n/, Mm/ 2". 1S12. " Sir, — In ai'knowledifini,' the receipt of your letter of tije I4tli iiist., re- lative to tlie capture of the 2S vessels at Sapri, I have iiiiich pleasure in foiiveyinar my sentiments of the zeal hy which yourself and Captain Ni. colas have lieeii actuated, as well as the ulHcers and men hulonging to the Thames and Pilot. I am, &c. (Siirned) " T. F. Freemantle." " To Captain Nnp'cr, //. M.S. Tlimnesr The captAire of the island of Pon/a, exeeutcd in a most masterly manner under the direction of Captain Napier, as- sisted by Captain VVilliuiu Mounsey, of the Furieuse frii^atc, is thus described by him, in a letter to Sir Robert Laurie, Bart, dated Feb. 27, 1813: " Agreeahle to your directions, I embarl ed Lieutenant-Colonel Collin*, and the second battalion of the lOth regiment, on tlie Ifitli instant, and arrived off Ponza on the 23r(l, the harl)our of which is about a (|uarter of a mile wide, with a mole at the extreme end of it, defended by four batte- ries and a tower, mounting ten 24 and 18-pounders, two 12-pounders, and two iMnch mortars. " Colonel Coffin and myself a» ft several parts of which they could have landed with ease, had the whole of their force been together. After having drawn down a considerable number of American troops, and thereby effected his object, Captain Napier returned to the squadron with the loss of only one man, who was mortally wounded when repassing fort M 'Henry*, the position of the boats being pointed out to the enemy by a rocket, which one of the offi- cers imprudently caused to be fired. It is worthy of remark, that the British troops commenced their retreat from before Baltimore whilst Captain Napier was thus paving the way for the meditated attack. Captain Napier was nominated a C. B. June 4, 1815 ; and the Euryalus paid off by him about the same period. He married the widow of Lieutenant Edward Elers, 11. N. ulgmts. — Messrs. Maude. we ipoa [city. lely |,di- dis- Ihem ncn, erry and at JOHN RICHARDS, Esq. A Knight of the Ottoman Order of the Crescent. Entkred the navy in Oct. 177^, under the patronage of Captain (afterwards Sir Charles) Thompson ; and was a mid- shipman on board the Alcide 74, commanded by that gallant officer, in the different actions with the Count de Grassc, off Martinique, the Chesapeake, and St. Kitt's; in 1781, and Jan. 1782 f. He also assisted at the defeat and capture of the same celebrated French Admiral, on the memorable 12th April, 1782t. The Alcide returned to England in June, 1783 ; and on the 15th of the following month Mr. Richards joined the Triumph 74, coTiimanded by Captain Philip Affleck, and stationed as a guard-ship at Portsmouth, where he remained under that • Fort M 'Henry is a strong work, defendin); the water approach to Baltimore, and situated ul)uut two miles from the city, upon the point of the peninsula that forms the south side of the harbour, which, at its en< trance, is scarcely a quarter of a mile in width. t See Vol. II. Part I. p. ()2 ; and the notes at pp. 63—66. I See Vol. I. p. 36 vt teq. 10 POST-CAPTAINS OF 1809. i:i (l! officer and his successor, Captain Jonathan Faulknor, until Feb. 28, 1786. During the Spanish armament we find him again serving with Captain Thompson, in the Elephant 74,. His commission as a Lieutenant bears date Nov. 15, 1790. On the 2d April, 1791, Lieutenant Richards was appointed to the Barfleur 98, bearing the flag of Rear-Admiral Faulk- nor ; and after the breaking up of the fleet which had been equipped in consequence of the dispute with Russia, he ap- pears to have successively joined the Falcon sloop, and As- surance 44 ; commanded by Captains James Bissctt and V. C. Berkeley. Under these officers, Lieutenant Richards was principally employed at the Leeward Islands, from whence he returned home first of the Asia 64, Captain John Brown, in the sum- mer of 1794. During the previous operations against Mar- tinique he served on shore, in the seamen's battery, with 100 of her crew under his command. The hardships which he suffered, in common with the other oflficers of the naval de- tachment, have been noticed in our memoir of Sir Charles Ogle — vol. 1, part I, note at i).711' His subsequent appoint- ments were to the Fury sloop, employed on Channel service ; and. May 15, 1795, to the Alfred 74, fitting for a foreign station. The Alfred formed part of the fleet that sailed from St. Helen's, under Rear-Admiral Christian, in Nov. 1 795 ; and she was twice obliged to put back through stress of weather*; the latter time dismasted. After refitting at Plymouth we find her placed under the orders of Vice- Admiral Cornwallis, with whom she finally took her departure for the West Indies, Feb. 29, 1796. Early in the following month, the Alfred captured la Fa- vorite French national ship, of 22 guns ; and retook two of the convoy, which had been dispersed by a heavy gale in the latitude of Cape Finisterro f. • See p. 296 et seq. of Suppl. Part I. t Vice-Adiniral Cornwallia returned to Spitheud on the 14th Mar., in consequence of his flag-dhip having sustained much damage by running foul of the Dcliaarius transport. until St. and POST-CAPTAINS OP 1809. 11 .i On her arrival at Barbadoes, the Alfred joined the expedi- tion then about to sail against St. Lucia : and after assisting at the reduction of that island *, she proceeded to Jamaica, capturing, on her way thither, la Renommee French frigate, of 44 guns and 320 men. The high opinion then entertained of Lieutenant Richards by his Captain, is thus expressed in a letter from the latter to Commodore Duckworth, dated Port Royal, July 19, 1796: " Sir, — Having, as senior officer at this port, given an order for the pur- chase of la Renommde frigate, prize to H. M, ship under my command, I have thought proper to appoint my first Lieutenant, Mr. John Richards, as acting Captain in her for the present : and I cannot, in justice to that gen- tleman, omit recommending him to your notice, as I have always found him a worthy, attentive, good officer. His conduct while on board the cor- vette la Favorite, captured by the Alfred on the 5th March last, was such as to enable Captain Bowen, of H.M. S. Canada, whom he fell in with on his passage to Barbadoes, to recommend him to the attention of the Admi- ralty. 1 have likewise strenuously recommended him to their Lordships on this secondary business ; and have to hope, as la Renommde constitutes an appointment for a Post-Captain, that you will have the goodness to ap- point Lieutenant Richards to the vacant rank of Commander. I have the honor to be, &c. (Signed) " Thomas Drury." in In his letter to the Admiralty, reporting the capture of la Renommee, Captain Drury says : " Injustice to the officers and company of H. M. ship under my com- mand, particularly my first Lieutenant, Mr. John Richards, I cannot help expressing my entire approbation of their steady behaviour, which I am confident would have been very conspicuous had she been a ship of equal force." Notwithstanding the above strong recommendation. Lieu- tenant Richards was ordered by Commodore Duckworth to resume his former station on board the Alfred, in which ship he continued, under the command of Captain Drury, and that officer's successor, the late Rear-Admiral Totty, until Aug. 27, 1798, acting as Captain of her during the absence of the former officer, in June, 1796; assisting at the reduction of Trinidad, in Feb. 1797 ; and again counnauding her, whilst • See Vol.1, note t at p. 131. 12 POST-CAPTAINS Ol- 180i). the latter officer was employed on shore at Porto Rico, hi the month of April foUowing *. On the 16th Feb. 1798, Lieutenant Richards volunteered to head the Alfred's boats in an attack upon a French cor- vette, which vessel had been sent to reconnoitre the Saintes, and when chased from thence succeeded in getting within range of the batteries at Basseterre, Guadaloupe, leaving' the British ship becalmed some distance in the offing. His offer being accepted by Captain Totty, and observing that the greater part of the enemy's crew were employed towing, Lieutenant Richards instantly shoved off in a fast-rowing gig, dashed alongside, and boarded her without waiting for any support. Fortunately, perhaps, for him, the Frenchmen who remained on board were so surprised at his audacity, and intimidated by the approach of the other boats, that they ran below, and were secured under hatches, without making any resistance. The prize proved to be le Scipio, of 20 guns I We next find Lieutenant Richards joining the Queen Char- lotte, a first rate, bearing the flag of his early patron. Sir Charles Thompson ; after whose demise (Mar. 17, 1799), he proceeded with Rear- Admiral Whitshed to the Mediterranean station, and was there promoted into la Courageuse sloop, stationed as a receiving ship at Port Mahon. This appoint- ment was confirmed by the Admiralty, Dec. 26, 1 799. On the 20th June, 1800, Captain Richards received an order to act as captain of the CuUoden 74, which ship he brought home in a very leaky condition. His next appointment was to la Victorieuse of 12 guns, and in that vessel he went back to the Mediterranean with despatches for the commander-in- chief, whom he rejoined in Marmorice bay, Jan. 7j 1801. During the Egyptian campaign, la Victorieuse was princi- pally employed blockading Alexandria, off which port she captured several vessels laden with supplies for the French army. Captain Richards likewise assisted at the reduction of Marabout castle, situated about seven or eight miles from that place, and protecting one of the entrances to the western • Set' Vol. I. note at p. 11- et .sry. yili POST-CAPTAINS OP 1809. ]d harbour. For his gallantry on this occasion, he was pre- sented with a gold snuff box and shawl b)?^ the Capitan Pacha ; and several other articles of value by different Turkish com- manders. ' • About the same period, the Petcrcl sloop and la Victorieusc drove a French transport brig on shore, and sent their boats to save the enemy from being murdered by the Arabs. A gale of wind suddenly came on, and the land being dead to lee- ward, only one boat, a gig, belonging to Captain Richards, could pull off; the remainder were stove, and their crews consequently exposed to very great danger. At this trying moment the commander of la Victorieuse ordered tv/o spare top masts to be battened together, and boats' masts stepped in the fid-holes ; by which means the raft, having one nuin on it, was sailed on shore, and every person, both English and French, rescued from destruction. On the 21st Aug. 1801, the western hogaze having been discovered and accurately surveyed *, la Victorieuse entered the port of Alexandria in company with three other British and the same number of Ottoman sloops, for the purpose of supporting the left flank of the troops under Major- General Coote, in an attack upon the French posts. On this occasion the combined squadron was led by Captain Rich- ards, under the immediate orders of Captain the Hon. Alex- ander Cochrane, then on board la Victorieuse. At the conclusion of the campaign, Captain Richards was presented with the Turkish gold medal, in common with his brother officers. He afterwards visited Cyprus, Smyrna, and Constantinople, where he was invested with a pelisse by order of the Grand Seignor. We subsequently find him proceeding to Athens, Zante, Malta, Palermo, Cagliara, Mar- seilles, Barcelona, Lisbon, Ceuta, and Tangiers. In Nov. 1802, la Victorieuse made a second trip to the Bosphorus, for the purpose of landing Mirza Aboo Talib Khan, a distinguished Persian traveller, who had long been resident in London, Shortly after his arrival in that strait, • Sec Suppl., Part I, p. 47^. 14 POST-r.\PTAINS OF 18(H>. Captuin Richards received a letter from the British Am- bassador at Constantinople, a copy of which we shall lay before our readers, for the purpose of shewing that the " El- gin Marbles" &c. were not so cheaply procured by the noble collector as many persons are disposed to believe : " Constantinople, Oct. 25, 1802. " Sir,— As I uiiderbtand that Major Brace left you at the Dardanelles, I l»eg leave to address the bearer to you, in case he should he so fortunate as to meet you. I send him to Cerigo, where I am assured that a brig belonging to me foundered about a month ago. I have no direct intelli- gence, either of the accident, or of the means or hopes of recovering the vessel, or the cargo. A merchant-captain, who travelled with Major Brace to Constantinople, declares he was on the island at the time ; and that Mr. Hamilton, an English gentleman, attached to my embassy (who was on board), had engaged two large merchantmen to raise the brig, which, he adds, they expected to be able to accomplish. This merchant- captain further says, he heard you intended not proceeding to Constanti- nople, in case the northerly wind should continue. This probability makes lue venture to say, that if it does suit your plans to call at Cerigo, and examine, direct, or even assist in recovering my brig (the same for which you obligingly took an interest last year), you will confer the highest favor upon me. The vessel, in itself, is of consequence, as she is not insured ; but her cargo is infinitely more so. She had on board a number of cases of acquisitions, which I had collected with immense trouble, and expense, at Athens, and which are, in their way, invaluable. I venture to say, that, ttitho' the ship and cargo are my property, and cannot therefore justify my asking your interference, publicly, yet the assistance I have experienced from Lord Keith and Sir Richard Bickerton, on the subject of these acqui- sitions, gives me confidence in saying, that, in as far as they, or the com- manding officer under whose orders you may now be, are to judge, they will not pass an unfavorable opinion, on your making as much exertion, for the recovery of this vessel and cargo, as for any other merchantman : in saying this, I beg you to be assured, that I feel the decision on your part to rest solely with yourself, and that my obligation will of course be entirely to you. At all events, I am confident you will understand the anxiety I must have on this occasion, and that you will give the bearer any directions or aid which you may think useful for him. I have the honor to remun. Sir, with much respect, your faithful, humble servant, (Signed) " Elgin." In conBequence of this communication, Captain Richards immediately proceeded to Port St. Nicolo, where he used every means in his power to recover the Ambassador's valu- POST-CAPTAINS OF 1809. 15 lards used lalu- I I able property ; but was obliged to abandon the attempt after eleven days' most strenuous exertions, the whole of his purchases having given way, and there being no possibility of replacing them. Shortly after the renewal of hostilities (18()3), Captain Richards was stationed between Capes Spartel and Trafalgar, where he fell in with and engaged two French armed vessels, but was unable to close with them in consequence of their sweeping over to the African coast, leaving la Victorieuse nearly becalmed in the offing. On the 22d of the same month (July) he sailed from Gibralta , with Lord Nelson's despatches for the Admiralty ; and at the latter end of Sep- tember following, he had the mortification to be put out of commission ; although his sloop was then refitted, and had been ordered to prepare for the reception of the gentleman who was at that time appointed his Majesty's representative at Washington. While on half- pay he received a letter from his Persian friend, of which the following is an exact trans- lation : " Calcutta, 29 Oct. 180.'i. " Dear Sir, — I have the pleasure to inform you that I arrived here a few months ago. I have since used my best endeavours to procure a white shawl for your friend, but have not been fortunate enough to find one to my wish. lA the mean time I avail myself of the opportunity of a j^entle' man returning to England, to forward you a green shawl, the best I could get here, addressed to you in Berners Street. When I go up to my native city of Lucknow, I am certain of procuring a white one there of the finest quality, which I shall take care to send you by the first occasion. I have have had the pleasure of meeting with, and presenting your respects to Captain Thornhill and his daughter. In requesting you to accept of my most grateful acknowledgements for the uniform kindness and attention which I received on board your ship, I remain. Dear Sir, your most obedient faithful servant, (Signed) " Aboo Talib Khan." The writer of the above letter was well known in England, under the title of the ** Persian Prince." A narrative of his travels, written by himself, and translated by the Hon. East India Company's Professor of Oriental Languages, was pub- lished by Longman and Co. in 1810. Speaking of his voyage in la Victorieuse, he says : i 16 POST-CAPTAINS OP 1809. " As soon as I had an opportunity of shcwinfjf to Captain Richards the etters of his Majesty's Ministers to tljc English (yonsuls and Ambassachtrs at t!ic diflferent courts, and he was thereby convinced of my attachment to, and connexion with the Uritisli nation, he conducted himself to me with brotlicrly affection, and anticipated every wish of my heart. Tliis voyag'e was therefore one of the pleasantest I had ever undertaken." Captain Richards's next appointment was, July 1, 1804, to the Broderscarp sloop, stationed as a j^uard-sliip inWhitstable bay, where he continued until Oct. 1805. Whilst command- ing that vessel he detained and made prize of a neutral ship, with a valuable cargo of hemp and tallow, bound to a French port. On the 18th Sept. 1806, Captain Richards commissioned the Forester, a new brig of the largest class, in which he was employed escorting the trade to and from the Baltic, and occasionally cruising on the coast of Holland, where he recaptured an English ship laden with timber, feathers, and wheat, and prevented many neutrals from entering the blockaded ports of the enemy. He also captured the Hiram, a celebrated smuggling cutter j and burnt the wreck of H. M. late frigate Flora, in order to prevent the Dutch from ob- taining any of her materials *. In June 1808, Captain Richards was entrusted with the command of a small squadron stationed off Goree ; and in the following month he received orders to fit for foreign service. The Forester sailed from Spithead, with 500,000 dollars on board for the use of the Spanish patriots, and seven sail of transports under her convoy ; two, laden with ordnance stores, bound to Corunna ; and the others with provisions for the West India garrisons. After a stay of eight days at Corunna, Captain Richards proceeded to Barbadoes, and there joined Sir Alexander Cochrane, by whom he was successively employed in the blockade of Martinique and Guadaloupe. ♦ The Flora 36, Captain Loftus Otway Bland, was wrecked Jan. 19, 1808; and in the same gale every vessel of the Heligoland squadron* except the Forester, was likewise driven on shore. i ':»»,' POST-CAPTAINS OF 1809. 17 lards the ment to, me with 8 voyag'e 804, to itstable iimand- al ship, French issioned hich he Baltic, here he jrs, and ing the Hiram, if H. M. om ob- ith the and in foreign lllars on sail of dnance ions for lichards ixander in the ran. 19, luadrou* On the 31st May, 1809 (about four months after the surren- der of the former valuable colony), the boats of a small squad- ron, under the orders of Captain Richards, captured a French brig letter- of marque, and a schooner, lying in Port du Mo- las, where they were protected by 4 long 8-pounders and 300 soldiers. This service was conducted by Lieutenant Robert Carr, of the Attentive gun-brig, who after securing his prizes, landed, spiked the enemy's guns, and blew up their magazine. A few days afterwards, the subject of this memoir removed to the Abercrombie 74, at Antigua, of which ship he continu- ed to act as Captain until Aug. 31 following, when he left her in consequence of his having been promoted by the Admi- ralty, and appointed to the Cyclops 28 ^^for rank." His post commission bears date June 2, 1809. Captain Richards returned home, via Halifax, and was allowed the expenses of his passage from thence to England in a packet. Agent. — ^J. Hinxman^ Esq. GEORGE SANDERS, Esq This officer was made a Commander April 29, 1802 ; and appointed to the Falcon of 14 guns, about Mar. 1804. On the lOth June, in the following year, we find him engaged with a division of the Havre flotilla, and the batteries be- tween that place and Fecamp ; on which occasion his sloop suffered considerably in her sails and rigging, but had not a man slain, and only four persons wounded. The Falcon was subsequently employed affording protec- tion to the Baltic trade, and co-operating with the garrison of Dantzic, during the siege of that city by the French army under Marshal Lefebvre. The only correct account of the exertions made by the British naval force to succour the brave Prussians that has ever been published, will be found at pp. 228— 233 of Suppl. Part I. ^ ^ Captain Sanders was next appointed to the Bellctte of 18 SUPPL. PART II. C ^ii I 18 POST-CAPTAINS OK 1809. guns, in which brig he captured the following armed vessels, on the Leeward Islands ijtation : Jalouae French privateer, of 4 guns and 75 men ; Confiance privateer, pierced for Ifi guns, but mounting only 7, with a complement of 70 men ; and the Revanche tetter of marque, of 6 guns and 44 men, laden with provisions, from Bourdeaux bound to Guadaloupe. This latter vessel, pierced for 18 guns, hud been a very successful privateer all the war, and was intended to be again fully armed and manned, as soon as her car- go was discharged. Captain Sanders obtained post rank June 2, 1809. Agents. — Messrs Stilwell. RIGHT HON. LORD JAMES TOWNSHEND. Youngest son of George, the first Marquis Townshend, by his second lady, Anne, daughter' of Sir William Montgomery, Bart. This officer was bom Sept. 11, 1785 ; and he appears, by Mr. James's account, to have been first Lieutenant of the Atlas 74, in Sir J. T. Duckworth's action, off St. Domingo, Feb. 6, 1806 *, His promotion to the rank of Commander took place Nov. 14 following. On the 15th Aug. 1807, Lord James Townshend addressed an official letter to Vice-Admiral Berkeley, commander-in- chief at Halifax, of which the following is a copy : " Sir, — I beg leave to represent to you, that the five men named in the margin f, belonging to H. M. sloop Halifax, under my command ; when sent with a petty officer in the jolly-boat, in Hampton roads, on the 7th March last, to weigh a kedge-anchor, which had previously been dropped for the purpose of swinging the ship by, taking advantage of the dusk of the evening, mutinied upon the petty officer, some of them threatening to mur- der him ; but the rest interfering they desisted. However, taking the boat under their own command, they succeeded in deserting, by landing at • See Nav. Hist. Vol. IV. p. 282 ; and Royal Nav. Biog. Vol. I, Fart I. note at p. 262. t Richard Hubert, Henry Saunders, Jeokiu Radford, Geoi^e North, and WilUamUiU. sd vessels. ice privateer, t of 7f^ men ; I, laden with latter vessel, all the war, \n as her car- )9. POST-CAPTAINS OF 1809. 19 SHEND. nshcnd, by jntgomery, ippears, by lant of the Domingo, !)oinraander addressed Imander-in- named in the ^mand; when on the 7th [been dropped te dusk of the sning to mur- Ling the boat )y landing at Hog. Vol. I, |;e North, and Sewell's point. The whole of the above-mentioned deserters, I hare since been informed, entered on board the U. S. frigate Chesapeake, and were seen by me and several of my officers parading the streets of Norfolk in triumph, under the American flag. A few days after their desertion, I accosted one of these men, Henry Saunders, asking the reason of his de- serting, and received for answer, that he did not intend any thing of the kind, but was compelled by the rest to assist, and would embrace the first opportunity of returning. At that moment Jenkin Radford, one of the said deserters, coming up, took the arm of the said Menry Saunders, de- claring with an oath, that neith^T he, nor any of the rest of the deserters, should return to this ship ; and with a contemptuous gesture told me that he was in the land of liberty, and instantly dragged the said Henry Saunders away. " Finding that my expostulating any longer would not only be useless in obtaining the deserters, but in all probability have collected a mob of Ame- ricans, who no doubt would have proceeded to steps of violence, I instantly repaired to the house of Colonel Hamilton, the British Consul there, and re- lated every circumstance which occurred, and applied to him, as also to Lieutenant Sinclair, of the rendezvous for the United States' service, to re- cover the said deserters, but without efifect. " Being since informed that Jenkin Radford has been recovered in action on board the U. S. frigate Chesapeake, with H. B. M. ship Leo- pard *, and is now a prisoner on board H. M. S. Bellona, I have to re- quest that you will be pleased to direct a court-martial may be assembled for the purpose of trying the said Jenkin Radford, for the within-mentioned charges of mutiny, desertion, and contempt. I have the honor to be, &c. (Signed) " J. Townshend." From the minutes of the court-martial it appears that Jenkin Radford (a native of the British metropolis), was found in the Chesapeake's coal-hole ; and that, being seen by the Purser of the Leopard, he was immediately recognized by him as a man who had been discharged from her to the Halifax. When called upon for his defence, he stated, that the evi- dence brought against him was so strong, there was but little left for him to say ; that the reason of his hiding himself in the coal-hole was for fear of the Americans making him fight against his country, which he declared he would not do on any account : that he, with all the men who deserted from the Halifax, were persuaded by the boatswaiti of the Chesa- peake to enter for her, which they did. Lieutenant Sinclair • See Vol. H. Part H. pp. 892—897. c 2 20 POST-CAPTAINS OF 1809. asking them if they had not a second name. That about 30 men went in the first draft with him to the Chesapeake, when Captain Gordm mustered them ; and that they were mustered again in Hampton roads by Commodore Barron!" The Court being of opinion that the charges preferred by Lord James Townshend were proved, adjudged the prisoner to suf- fer death, which sentence was carried into effect at the fore- yard-arm of the Halifax, Aug. 31, ISO/. Lord James Townshend's post commission bears date June 2, 1809 ; and we subsequently find him commanding the yEolus 32, in which frigate he encountered a'violent hur- ricane while cruizing off New York, with a small squadron under his orders, Sept. 30, 1811 *. In Feb. and Mar. 1813, he had the good fortune to capture six American ships, laden with cotton, logwood, rice, corn, molasses, &c. j and one neutral with a cargo of bread and flour. His Lordship married. May 8, 1813, Elizabeth, daughter of Mr. P. Wallis, Government Cooper, at Halifax. j1gent.—io\m Chippendale, Esq. THOMAS THRUSH, Esq. Served as a Lieutenant of the Sans Pareil 80, under Lord Hugh Seymour ; obtained the rank of Commander April 29, 1802; was appointed to the Avon sloop, in Sept. 1800; and made a Post-Captain June 8, 1809. He resigned his commission, Jan. 14, 1825, "on the ground of the unlawfnl- 7iess of war." His "Letter to the Kingy" published at that period, has been ably answered by Mr. William Anderson^ Master Painter of H. M. Dock Yard, Portsmouth. WILLIAM MOUNSEY, Esq. /t Companion of the Most llonorahle MHitnri/ Order of the Bath. Fifth son of the late George Mounsey, of Carlisle, co. • Sec Captuin FiiEuiiRicK Mahuvatt, (j. 13. 1 I POST-CArXAISS OF 1809. 21 Cumberland, Es(|. ; and grandson of tlic late Rev. Robert Mounsey, Vicar of Ravenstonedale, in Westmoreland*. This distinguished officer commenced his naval career Feb. 23, I78O, at the age of thirteen years, as a midshipman on board the Royal Oak 74, Captain Sir Digby Dent, which ship formed part of a squadron sent out, in May^following, to reinforce Vicc-Admiral Arbuthnot, on the North Ameri- can station ; it being known that M. deTernay and the Count de Rochambeau had recently sailed from Brest with a for- midable naval and military force, bound to Rhode Island. I.i the course of his first voyage across the Atlantic, Mr. Moun- sey witnessed the capture of a valuable French East in- diaman. The Royal Oak and her consorts arrived off Sandy Hook * m on the 13th July, only two days after the French commanders had reached the anchorage to which they were destined,'[and where they secured themselves so completely as to put it out of the power of the British to make an ^attack with any other prospect than that of discomfiture. From the Royal Oak, Mr. Mounsey removed with Sir Digby Dent to the Raisonable 64 j the commander-in-chief having selected the former ship to bear his flag. Returning home with despatches, the Raisonable encoun- tered the tail of a hurricane, and was so much shattered that it became necessary to frap lier sides together : she was con- sequently paid off immediately after her arrival. We next find Mr. Mounsey serving under Sir Digby Dent in the Repulse, a new 64, forming part of the scjuadron de- tached from Vice-Admiral Darby's fleet to cover the landing of provisions and stores at Gibraltar, in April 1781. While on that service she was frequently engaged with the Spanish flotilla, ana previous to her departure from the bay the greater part of the besieged town was totally destroyed by the enemy's land batteries f. Towards the close of the same year, Mr. Mounsey follow- • George Mounsey, Esq. had fuurteen children, twelve of whom were still living in Dec. 1827, t See Vol. I, Part I. p. 4, and note : at p. .{3. I I 22 POST-CAPTAINS OF 1809. ed Sir Digby Dent into the Cumberland 74, which ship was shortly afterwards placed under the command of Captain William Allen, to whom he was strongly recommended by his early and constant patron, whose ill health had obliged him to retire from active service. On the 6th Feb. 1782, the Cumberland sailed for India, in company with a squadron under Commodore Sir Richard Bickerton (to whose favorable notice Mr. Mounsey was like- wise recommended) , and she appears to have sustained a loss of 2 men killed and 1 1 wounded in the last battle between Sir Edward Hughes and M . de Suffrein, fought off Cudda- lore, June 20, 1783 *. Mr. Mounsey returned to England in May, 1784 ; and served the remainder of his time as midshipman on board the Orestes sloop. Captain Manley Dixon. After passing the usual examination, he successively joined the Arethusa frigate, Captain John Stanhope ; Victory of 100 guns, bearing the flag of Liord Hood during the Spanish and Russian arma- ments ; Duke 98, flag-ship of the same noble veteran in 1792 ; and Juno frigate, Captain Samuel Hood. At the commencement of the French revolutionary war, Mr. Mounsey was again received on board the Victory, in which ship Lord Hood was then about to sail for the Medi- terranean. His promotion to the rank of Lieutenant took place May 22, 1793, on which occasion he was appointed by his Lordship to the Ardent 64, Captain Robert Manners Sutton. Mr. Mounsey was now about to enter into a series of very active and hazardous services. On the arrival of the fleet under Lord Hood at Gibraltar, he received an appointment to the Lowestoffc frigate, Captain William Wolseley, under whose command he assisted at the occupation of Toulon j the attack upon Fornelli, in Corsica ; and the reduction of St. Fiorenzo, Bastia, and Calvi. During the blockade of Bas- tia, he volunteered his services to cut out a vessel from under a battery on the island of Capraja, and the protection of nu- • See Vol. 1, Part I, note at p. 425. 1 ship was Captain iiended by id obliged POST-CAPTAINS OF 1809. 23 r India, in ir Richard r was like- ined a loss e between if Cudda- 784 J and board the issing the isa frigate, taring the ian arma- ^eteran in •nary war, ictory, in the Medi- nant took lointed by Manners es of very the fleet pointment ey, under •ulon ; the on of St. e of Bas- om under 3n of nu- merous troops, who, together with her crew, kept up a con- tinual fire as the Lowestoffe's boats advanced. This vessel was laden with powder, and her capture greatly accelerated the fall of Bastia. Lieutenant Mounsey returned home in the Iniperieuse fri- gate, and was afterwards appointed in succession to the Tri- dent 64, Impregnable 98, Duke of similar force, Defiance 74, and Clyde 38 ; the latter ship commanded by that excellent officer. Captain (now Commissioner) Cunningham, with whom J he continued until^his promotion, April 29, 1802. On the 6th July, 1801, the boats of the Clyde and her con- sorts *, under the directions of Lieutenant Mounsey, set fire to, and totally destroyed the wreck of the Jason frigate ; a service most gallantly executed, under a heavy fire from two French batteries, and in the presence of two large frigates, a corvette, and eight gun-vessels, then lying at St. Maloes f. From May 17, 1802, until the autumn of 1808, Captain Mounsey commanded the Rosario sloop ; and was succes- sively employed protecting the revenue, carrying despatches to the Mediterranean, cruising on the Irish, Boulogne, and Havre stations, reconnoitring the enemy's ports in the north of Spain, assisting at the capture of the Danish West India islands J, and escorting a fleet of merchantmen from the Leeward Islands to England. During the above period he captured two Dutch ships from Surinam and Berbicc, laden with colonial produce, and ten other of the enemies' mer- chant vessels : he also assisted at the capture of I'Atalante, French ship privateer, of 22 guns and 120 men. Captain Mounsey's next appointment was, April 18, 1800, to the Bonne Citoyenne, a flush-decked ship, mounting 18 thirty-two-pounder carronadcs and 2 long nines, with a com- plement of 120 officers, men .and boys. In that sloop he first proceeded to Lisbon, with despatches for Karl St. Vin- cent ; and subsequently sailed from l'2nglan(l in company with the trade bound to Quebec. On his way thither he fell in * Wcaxlc sloop, two uun-brijfs, and two luj^gers. t Sec Vol. II, Part F. p. SO. { See Vol. I, Purt I, lust par. at p. .TkJ. 24 POST-CAPTAINS OF 1809. ■■■'i li ' with, pursued, and after a sanguinary battle of nearly seven hours, captured la Furieuse French frigate, armed ew Jlute ; an event which added fresh lustre to his Majesty's arms, and fully entitled him to the marks of royal and official favor which he afterwards received. The following is a copy of his public letter to Sir John B. Warren, Bart, dated at Hali- fax, Aug. 1, 1809, reporting that brilliant occurrence : '' Sir, — I have the honor to acquaint yon, for the information of my Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty, that, having sailed from Spithead, on the 18th Jime, in c 'mpany withH. IM. S. Inflexible and the Quebec trade, on the 2d July, in lat. 44» N. long. 27° W., I had the misfortune to lose sigii of the conv jy when reconnoitring a strange suspicious sail astern, and by i.. "ersinj between the parallels of 43" and 44" N., edging to the westward in proportion to the distance I supposed they would sail with such winds. In order to regain the fleet, I had the good fortune on the 5th, Ht 3 P. M., in lat. 43" 4 T N., and long. 34° W., to fall in with a French frigate in the act of taking possession of a large English merchant ship, which they relinquished on our approach, steering to the northward under a press of sail. Finding they did not answer the private sigu_'., I immediately bore up in pursuit, and, after a chase of 18 hours, at 9-25 A. M. on the Gth, had the satisfaction to lay H. M. sloop alongside within pistol-shot of the enemy, who had brought to, to engage us. " A brisk cannonade with round and grape immediately commenced, and the combat continued with unabated fury, gradually closing until 4-16 P. M., when our powder being nearly expended I determined to carry her by boarding with all hands; and at the instant of laying her aboard for that pur- pose, they called out they had surrendered, and struck their colours to H. M. sloop. Thus ended a conflict obstinately maintained for six hours and fifty minutes, during which the enemy fired away more than 70 broadsides, whilst H. M. sloop, not less sparing, discharged 129 destructive broad- sides, alternately from the starboard and larboard sides, as circumstances would permit me to change her position with advantage, so as to avoid the necessity of slackening our fire from the guns being over-heated ; three of which were dismounted and renle memorial isioD. It has loting you to id of the tine the country ; of Lieutenant that you will le Citoyenne, ther with the mend for the petty officers ho may be ust that this te Citoyenne, ion which has 0 emulate an honor to be, LGRAVE."* onsequence imissioning ted three days ake post-rank to Lieutenant Bward for his the moment . ant," which before Nov. 1811 ; at which period Captain Mounsey received orders to take charge of the outward-bound Lisbon and Mediterranean trade. During the remainder of the war with France, he was very actively employed under the command of Sir Edward Pellew, by whom he was, at first, attached to the inshore squadron off Toulon^ ; secondly, sent on a cruise off Corsica, where his boats captured a French tartan loaded with wheat ; and, thirdly, placed under the orders of the senior officer on the coasts of Naples and Sicily. In Nov. 1812, and Jan. 1813, he captured the French privateers Nebrophonus and Argus, each mounting 4 guns ; the former carrying 54, and the latter 85 men. His gallant and officer-like conduct at the capture of Ponza, Feb. 26, 1813, was highly spoken of by Captain Charles Napier, a copy of whose official letter, re- porting the manner in which that island was obtained posses- sion of, will be found at p. 5 e^ seq. On the 7th of May following, the boats of the Furieuse, commanded by Lieutenants Walter Croker and Williams Sandom, cut out, from under the tower and batteries of Orbitello, a xebec mounting 2 six-pounders j in the perform- ance of which service, Mr. Webb midshipman, and three seamen were wounded, the former dangerously and the others severely. The result of an attack made upon a French convoy about six miles to the eastward of Civita Vecchia is thus described by Captain Mounsey : " H. M. S. Furieuse, at tea, Oct. 8, 1813. " On the 4th inst., running along the coast to the island of Ponza, at 1 P.M., I observed a convoy of nineteen vessels in the harbour of Marinelo, protected by two gun-boats, a fort of two long 24-pounders, and a strong fortified castle and tower ; and it appearing practicable to cut them out, as the wind was fair for that purpose. Lieutenants Croker and (William) Lester, with Lieutenants (James) Whylock and (William) Davies, R. M., gallantly volunteered to storm the fort on the land side, with the whole of the marines and boats* crews, whilst the ship anchored before it, which service was promptly performed ; and after a few broadsides, I had the •atisfaction of seeing the battery carried, and guns spiked, by our gallant * See Commander Rowland Mainwarino. 28 POST-CAPTAINS OF 1809. party on shore. The enemy retreated, and took the stronj^ positions of the castle and tower overlooking the harbour, where they kept up a con- stant fire of musketry through loop-holes, without the possibility of being dislodged ; although I weighed and moved in, so that the whole fire of the ship was directed against them. Nothing could damp the ardour of the party on shore, who, together with Lieutenant Lester in the boats, lost not a moment in boarding and cutting the cables of 16 vessels, under a most galling fire,two of which were sunk in the entrance of the harbour, and four- teen got out. I have to regret the loss of 12 brave men killed and wounded ; which is less than might have been expected, as more than 500 troops arrived from Civita Vecchia, but were checked in their advance, and forced to take a circuitous route, by a well-directed fire from the ship, which allowed sufficient time for all our men to embark * • • * . The whole of this service was most successfully accomplished in three hours, and fourteen vessels deeply laden (with salt, tobacco, marble, and sundries), got off, which I was obliged to take in tow, as their sails had all been unbent, and taken on shore, to prevent our getting them out *." The Furieuse formed part of the squadron under Sir Josias Rowley, at the capture of Via Reggio and the unsuccessful attempt upon Leghorn, in Dec. 1813 [. She also assisted at the occupation of Santa Maria and the other forts, &c. in the Gulpli of Spezzia ; likewise at the reduction of Genoa and its dependencies, in March and April, 1814 1. After the cessation of hostilities between Great Britain and France, Captain Mounsey proceeded from Gibraltar to Ber- muda, in company with a squadron under the orders of Captain Andrew King. We next find him conveying the 62d regiment to Halifax ; and he was subsequently employed in an expedition up the Penobscot river, where he remained until the peace with America, in command of a small naval force left behind by Rear- Admiral Griflfith, to assist the troops under Major-General Gossehn in fortifying and defending the peninsula of Castine §. The Furieuse was paid off shortly after the final overthrow of Napoleon Buonaparte, since m • The vessels sunk were the two gun-boats, each mounting a long brasa 24-pounder and 4 swivels. One of the merchantmen was pierced for 12 guns, and had two long sixes mounted. t See Vol. n. Part L pp. 424—428. X See Id. pp. 428—430. § See Vol. I. Part. 1. p. 558 : and Vol. II. Part. IL p. 729 et seq. iS positions of t up a con- ity of l)eing ! fire of the dour of the ats, lost not ider a most r, and four- d wounded ; 500 troops Ivance, and n the ship, • • . The > hours, and ndries), got een unbent. Sir Josias successful ssisted at &C. in the ua and its •itain and ,r to Ber- rders of the 62d lyed in an ined until ival force le troops liding the shortly le, since hong brasa }ced for 12 seq. POST-CAPTAINS OF 1909. 2Q \vhich Captain Mounsey's services have not been called for. This gallant ofl5cer was nominated a C. B. in June, 1815 ; and as a further testimony of the royal approbation of his zeal and energy (on the 6th July, 1809), some honorable distinctions allusive to the capture of the Furieuse, to be borne in his armorial ensigns, have more recently been granted and assigned to him by the Kings of Arms, under the authority of the Earl Marshal. Agent. — Joseph Dufaur, Esq. THOMAS FORREST, Esq. A Companion of the Most Honorable Military Order of the Bath. We first find this officer serving as senior Lieutenant of the Emerald frigate. Captain (now Lord James) O'Bryen, by whom the following honorable testimony is borne to his gal- lant conduct when employed on a very hazardous service, in March 1804 : " H. M. S. Emerald, off St. Pierre's, Martinique, March 13, 1801. " Sir, — I have the honor to enclose you a letter I have received from Lieutenant Forrest, first of H. M. S, under my command, who I this morn- ing sent, accompanied by 30 volunteers, on board the Fort-Diamond armed sloop, with directions to work to windward, so as to enable the sloop to weather the Pearl rock, and to bear down on an armed schooner, which had (finding it impossible to get into St. Pierre's, this ship being to leeward), anchored close in shore, under cover of the battery at Seron. I at the same time sent the boats of this ship in a different direction, in order to take off the attentiou (»f the battery from the manoeuvre in contempla- tion, to be performed by Lieutenant Forrest. " It affords mc particular satisfaction to bear testimony to the handsome and gallant manner in which the service was executed. Lieutenant Forrest having laid the enemy's schooner on board, under a heavy fire from her and the battery. " In the performance of this service great judgment was exhibited, as, by the mode of doing it, a chain, by which she was fastened to the shore, was broke, 20 feet of which is now hanging to the schooner's bow. The crew of this vessel" (consisting of about 60 whites and blacks), " finding it impossible to withstand British intrepidity, jumped overboard and swam ashore, which they were enabled to do from her being moored close to it. 30 POST-CAPTAINS OF 1809. ;■ .iii " It affords me particular pleasure to inform you. Sir, that this exploit was performed without any loss on our part, two men only being slightly wounded. I have been rather more circumstantial in this detail, than per- haps the mere capture of a privateer justifies, but I feel I should not do justieeto the gallant conduct of Lieutenant Forrest, the judgment he ex- hibited, and the brave and cool conduct of the petty officers and men un- der his command, which he speaks of in high terms, had I neglected relating every circumstance that took place, which has excited admiration and emulation in the breasts of the spectators ; and 1 must beg to add, that the general conduct of this officer, ever since he has been under my com- mand, has been such as to entitle him to my approbation. The captured schooner, whose name I can only guess at from a letter found on board, the only paper left, is the Mosambique, pierced for 14 guns, with 10 eighteen-pounder carronades mounted ; she is from Guadaloupe, and fitted for a three months' cruise, to all appearance perfectly new, copper-bot- tomed and fastened, sails apparently well, and seems calculated for the King's service. (Signed) " James O'Bryen." ** To Commodore Hood." The subject of this memoir was made a Comma ider Jan. 22, 1806 ; and in the following year we find him ivgulating the Impress, and acting as agent for prisoners of war, at North Yarmouth. His next appointment was to the Prome- theus sloop of war. The capture of three Russian gun-vessels, each mounting 2 long 18-pounders, and an armed transport, by a detachment of boats under the orders of Captain Fc^ ^est, at Fredericsham, in the Gulph of Finland, is thus officially described by the senior officer of the squadron to which the Prometheus was at that time attached. "H. M. S, Princess Carolina, AspOy July 26, 1809. ** Having been informed that the enemy had at this place several gun- boats to protect their coasting trade, which is of the greatest consequence in supplying their army, &c. in all parts of Finland, and it having been represented to me by Captain Forrest the probability of their being des- troyed, himself having offered in the most handsome manner to command the expedition, which I immediately accepted, and having directed the boats of H. M. ships Princess Carolina^ Minotaur, Cerberus, and Prome- theus (in all 17), armed in the best possible way, to put themseves under the command of Captain Forrest, and to nuemble alongside the Prome- theus at six o'clock yesterday eveidng, I have now the happiness to inform you of a successful attack he luMle hat night about half-past ten, on four POST-CAPTAINS OP 1909. 31 ihis exploit ling slightly I, than per- ould not do (lent he ex- ind men un- I neglected admiration to add, that ler my com- iQ captured I on board, ns, with 10 te, and fitted copper-bot- ated for the RYEN." .ider Jan. kvgulating f war, at le Prome- mounting ;tachment ericsham, d by the heus waa \t/ 26, 1809. iveral gun- lonsequence javing been being des- command lirected the Ind Prome- jeves under Ihe Prome- to inform ;n, on four gun-boats, three of which he has captured, and also a new br lacfca with provisions : the captured gun-boats had on board 137 men, ! asides 23 in the brig. They are very complete and well found. Were it possible for me to say any thing which could add to the meritorious conduct of so gal- lant and good an officer as Captain Forrest, I should most wllingly do it ; but I trust the success of this brilliant action will do more justice to the intrepidity of every officer and man employed on this service, than any language I can possibly use. (Signed) " Charles Dudley Pater." The prizes taken on this occasion were very dearly pur- chased, no less than 70 of the British being killed and wound- ed, including among the latter Captain Forrest, who in his own ofl&cial letter says : " Our loss is severe indeed, as might be expected from the nature of the force, and the extreme obstinacy with which the enemy defended their charge ; the crew of one gun-boat being to a man killed or dangerously wounded. I cannot find words to express the zeal and intrepidity exhibit- ed upon this occasion by all, and the manifest superiority of our seamen when it came to the cutlass." The enemy's total loss amounted to 87 killed and wounded. Sir James Saumarez, when reporting the sanguinary affair to the Admiralty, informed their lordships that " the undaunted bravery displayed by Captain Forrest, the officers and men employed under his orders, was beyond all jwaise *." For his gallantry in the above action, Captain Forrest was immediately advanced to post rank, and his commission dated back to July 25, 1809. On the 9th Feb. 1812, we find him appointed to the Cyane 22, in which ship he accompa- nied Rear-Admiral Durham to the Leeward Islands at the commencement of 1814. " His meritorious conduct, not only in assiduously keeping sight of, but repeatedly offer- ing battle to the Iphigenia, a French frigate of the largest class," during her flight from the Venerable 74, was duly acknowledged by that officer, in his public letter reporting the subsequent capture of the enemy's ship f. * A lieutenant and 2 men of the Prometheus had been killed, and 4 men wounded, in a previous boat attack, which will be noticed in our me- moir of Captain Frederick E. V. Vernon. t See Captain James Andrbw Worth. 32 POST-CAPTArNS OF 1809. In Mar. 1814, Captain Forrest was removed to the Sybille frigate j and since the peace he has commanded the Ister of 42 guns, on the Mediterranean station ; and Isis 50, bearing the flag of Sir Lawrence W. Halstcd, at Jamaica. He ob- tained the insignia of a C. B. in 1815. jigent. — Sir Francis M. Ommanney. ;'l i RICHARD HARWARD, Esq. Commanded the Netley schooner, at Antigua, in June, 1805 ; and was a Lieutenant of the Northumberland 74, in Sir John T. Duckwortli's action, off St. Domingo, Feb. Q, 1806. He obtained the rank of Commander, April 2, 1806; was appointed to the Delphinen brig, of 18 guns, about April 1808 J and had the misfortune to lose that vessel, near the coast of Holland, on the 4th Aug. following. Captain Harward's next appointment was to the Parthian of 10 guns, in which sloop he captured la Nouvelle Gironde, a celebrated privateer belonging to Bourdeaux, mounting 4 twelve and 10 four-pounders, with a complement of 86 men, but only 58 on board, the remainder being absent in prizes. This scourge to the trade was taken after a chace, in light winds, of 36 hours, during which period, the Parthian's offi- cers and crew were almost constantly at the sweeps. This officer was made post July 31, 1809; and we subse- quently find him commanding the flag- ships of his father-in- law, Sir Edward Pellew, now Viscount Exmouth, on the North Sea and Mediterranean stations. GEORGE BELL, Esq. Was born at Falmouth, co. Cornwall, July 1, 1768. His name appears on the books of the Hebe frigate. Captain Ed- ward Thombrough, in 1781 and the two following years. We subsequently find him serving as Midshipman, Master's- I ¥»OST-CAPTAlNS OF 18C9. 33 nuite, act'ng Master, and Lieutenant ; onboard the Hycena of 21 i?uns, Captain John Aylmer ; Orion 74, Captain John T. Duckworth ; and la Nyniphe, Arctlmsa, and Indefatigable frigates, commanded by his friend and patron, the present Viscount Exniouth. An account of the numerous and im- portant services performed by the last three ships, between June, 170:^ and the spring of 1799, will be found at pp. 212— 219 of oil first volume. Lieutenant Bell afterwards assisted at the capture of la Venus French frigate, and several priva- teers *. From the conclusion of the war in 1801 (at which period the Indefatigable was commanded by Captain Matthew Henry Scott), we find no mention of Lieutenant Bell until the sum- mer of 1801, when he proceeded to India, as first of Sir Ed- ward Pellew's flag-ship, the CuUoden 74. Shortly after his arrival on that station, the subject of this memoir was appointed to command the Victor sloop, and sent to the Persian Gulph, where he captured les Amis Re- unis French privateer, May 7, 1805. The following extract of a letter from Captain Bell to the commander-in-chief, dated at Port Cornwallis, May 22, 1807, contains an account of a most singular and bloody conflict, in which he was unex- pectedly engaged on the 15th of the preceding month : " Your Excellency has undoubtedly ere now received one of my letters respecting the capture of four brigs out of Batavia roasls. " OfFCherlbon (a little to the eastward of Batavia), on the 15th April, we chased, and l)rought to, three proas, under Dutch colours. At five P. M., on its falling calm, we anchored, hoisted out our boats, and sent them armed to bring the proas alongside ; two were brought to the lar- board-side, the other hung on the quarter : got the prisoners out of the two alongside (amounting to -iear 120), and placed a strong guard over them, under the direction of Lieutenant Wemyss t, as I intended sending them away, after overhauling their cargoes. Lieutenant (Robert White) Parsons J had been on board the proa on the quarter, but returned with hii people on finding it impracticable to get • See Vol. I. Part I. p. 427, and note at ditto. t The present .Captain James Wemyss, M. P. then acting as Lieutenant of the Victor. J A Commander of 1816. SIIPPL. PART II. D ■?!l Hi if ''I » } 1 . 1 l! h 34 POST-CAPTAINS OF 1809. the crew from below : I instantly ordered her to be hauled close up un- der the quarter, fired a carronade into her and musketry, which they re- turned by throwini^ spears and firinjr pistols, &c. I then jjot a gun out of the stern-port and fired into her, the sparks of which most unfortunately reached some powder (which must have been carelessly handed out of some of the proas abaft), and blew the after-part of the ship up : at this alarming moment the guard over the prisoners dropped their arms, and ran to extinguish the fire. The prisoners instantly seized their arms, and picked up several spears and knives which hud been thrown on !)oard, and attacked the ship; by this lime (eight P. iM.) the fire, most providentially, by the great exertions of officers and men, was got under, proas cut adrift, and the attention of all hands directed to the defence of the ship, which was admirably performed, for in little more than half an hour eighty of them lay dead in a most mangled state, the rest driven overboard ; but sorry am I to add, not without a severe loss on our side, including those Mown overboard and those who have since died of their wounds, a list of which I herewith enclose for your Excellency's satisfaction." On this occasion, the Victor's first Lieutenant (H.Blaxton) and 5 of her crew were killed outright ; her commander, gun- ner, and 24 men, either wounded by the weapons of ihe Ma- lays, or dreadfully injured by the explosion: Captain Bell himself was so much burnt that he was obliged to be taken below ; and most of the wounded men died after the Victor's arrival at Penang. Captain Bell's commission as a Commander was confirmed by the Admiralty, Oct. 12, 180"; and he subsequently had the gratification of reading a letter from their Lordships' secre- tary, wherein the thanks of the Board were conveyed to him and his surviving officers and men, for their determined cou- rage in the above sanguinary contest. We next find Captain Bell commanding the Culloden, and assisting at the destruction of two Dutch 70-gun ships, a cut- down two-decker, fitted as a sheer-hulk, an Indiaman of 1000 tons burthen, and a large transport, lying at Griessce ; which service completed the entire destruction of the naval force of Holland in the eastern hemisphere *. His post commission bears date Jidy 31, 1809. Captain Bell married, Dec. 23, 1822, Lucy Martha, daughter of the late T. Michael M*Donogh, Esq. formerly commander • See Suppl., Part I, p. 101. is n POST-CAPTAINS OF 1809. 36 ase up un- ch they re- gun out of ifortunately ided out of up : at this arms, and r arms, and I hoard, and Dvidentially, 18 cut adrift, ship, which lur eighty of rboard ; but luding tliose ds, a list of '.. Blaxton) nder, gun- af ihe Ma- ptuin Bell o be taken le Victor's confirmed tly had the )s' secre- yed to hiiu nincd cou- oden, and lips, a cut- an of 1000 ce ; which 'al force of oinmisbioii I, daughter ;oniuiandcr I of a Falmouth packet. One of his brothers, Stephen Bell, Esq. died in command of the Francis Freeling, a vessel of si- milar description, on the same station. Another brother was blown up in the Amphion frigate, Sept. 22, 1796 *. Agent. — J. Copland, Esq. WILLIAM GOATE, Esq. fS^^ 1 : v+- Son of the late Lieutenant-Colonel Goate, of the West Suffolk militia. This officer received his first commission in Nov. 1790 ; and at the commencement of the French revolutionary war, we find him serving as junior Lieutenant of the Orpheus a 32 gun frigate. Captain Henry Newcome, on the African station, where he assisted at the capture of several mer- chant vessels, in April, 1793 f. Proceeding to Sierra Leone, in charge of four prize-brigs, with Mr. Willoughby and two other midshipmen under his orders. Lieutenant Goate struck on a shoal off Rio Grande, to the southward of the river Gambia, and in less than a quarter of an hour his vessel went to pieces, as did likewise Mr. Willoughby's very soon afterwards. The perilous situ- ation of the whole, owing to their ignorance of the coast, and having neither charts nor pilots on board, is thus described by one of the prize- masters : " We parted company with our frigate on tlie 25tli of April, and on the 27tli or 28th, when running lilung the coast of Uissaos, with a strong 1 • See Vol. I, Part II, p. 4hh «t seq. t On the 22d April, 179.'<, the l)urgc and cutter of the Orpheus cap- tured two French brigs in Senegal roads. One of these vessels was boarded by Lieutenant Richard St. Lo Nicholson and I\Ir. Nisbet J. Wil- hmjrhby, midshipman, who found a party of officers from the shore assem- bled at supper in her cabin, totally uncouBcious of an enemy l>».'ing so near. On the 21th of the same month, the launch, barge, and cutter, com- manded by liicutfnunts Nicholson, John Hroughton, and (ioate, cut out two brigs and a schooner, under a licavy but iJI-dircctcd fire from the fori ou Gorcc island. o2 * li Sirl l| i 1:1 J '1 36 POST-CAPTAINS OF 1809. breeze, at about 4-30 A. M., the moon then shinincf very bright, but at times obscured by a heavy scud, two of the l)rig3 struck almost at the same moment, and were soon dashed to pieces ; their crews, however, were fortunately enabled each to save a boat, and thereby reach the other vessels. " At this critical period, Lieutenant Goate displayed great judjfmcnt and self-possession, in adoptinj^ the only measure by which himself and his companions could possibly be saved ; destruction still appearing almost inevitable. " The two brigs which had not struck were both very lii>^ht, and a heavy swell was setting them towards the shoal: to beat off was impossible ; ami to anchor, was quite out of the (piestion. The only chance of escape was to run over the shoal, if a passage could be found, and this desperate man- tnuvrc he iininediately decided upon. " At day-light, nothing could be seen to leeward but high foaming breakers; both vessels, however, bore up, keeping as cln-e together as circumstances would allow. From the moment we entered the reef, the sight was iii(lescril)al)ly grand and sublime ; a hollow deceitful swell rearing its head as high as our tops, tl'e spray dashing over us, and sheets of foaming- water, in the midst of which black rocks were occasionally visible. The lead was useless ; every thing depended upon a good eye and (piick helm : how many times we scraped the bottom it is impossible to say ; bu certain I am that every one o'l board then considered death inevitaide, and prepared himself accordingly. No person who has ever seen the shoals of Ilio Grande will say that it was possible for us to have gone through, ludess we had been specially protected by the Almighty. Had the remain- ing brigs been wrcked no boat could have lived ; and even if Providence had allowed us to reach the shore in them, we knew that slavery would have been our lot. Our escape from either death or u horrible captivity, may justly be ])ronounced miraculous." In Oct. 17^3, tlic Orpheus, then under the orders of Rear- Admiral Macbride, co-operated with a detachment of the Britisli army, connnanded by Sir Charles (ircy, in repellinj^ an attempt made upon tiic town of Nicuport, and compcUiiijj the enemy to retire along the road to Dunkirk. On her return from this service, the Orpheus was ordered to the East India station, where she captured Ic Duguay- Trouin, a French frigate of 34 guns, May 5, 1794. The fol- lowing is an extract of the official letter written by Captain Ncwcome on this occasion : " On the 6th of May, Captain Osborne, of the Centurion, made the. ■ignal fur u mW, and Captain Pukenhuin, of thu ilcsiiitunce, for seeing two . POST-CAPTAINS OF 1809. 37 ■ight, hut nt ilmost at the vs, however, ich the other at judj^ment nself and hU aring alrnDSt and a heavy iosi^il)le ; and f escape was spcrate inan- ii<;h foaniintj ; together as the reef, the swell rearing nd sheets of mully visil)h'. ye and ciuick e to say ; hu evitahle, and the shoals of )ne tlirougli, the rcnuiiii- f Providence ivery woidd )le captivity, s of Rear- cnt of the rcpt'Uin^ L'ompcUiiJg as ordered e Diiguay- The fol- y Cuptuin n, made the. r seeing two ^ f Round Island, hearing S. W. hy W., six or seven leagues. I lay-to till the strangers rai» down so near to us that we could lay up for them, and then made the signal to chase. At 11-45, I got near enough to fire a shot at the ship ; at 1 1-55, I hrought her to action ; and hy a little after 12, I got close upon her starboard quarter, where we kept till 1-5 P.M., so very close, that at times I expected to he on board. The enemy then struck, at which time the Centurion and Resistance were about three miles astern, coming up under a great press of sail. She proves to be a French frigate, le Duguay-Trouin, formerly the Princess Royal, East Indiaman, fitted out at the Isle of France ; mounting 26 ^f\if/i/(^^/i-pounders, 2 nines, and 6 fours, and having on l)oard 403 men. I cannot say too much in praise of the steady, cool, and brave conduct of the officers, seamen, and marines of H. IVl. S. Orpheus. Our loss is very inconsiderable, considering the supe- rior force of the enemy : Mr. Singleton, caidshipman, killed ; INIr. Staine's master's-mate, badly wounded in the left hand ; and H seamen slightly. The enemy had 21 killed and GO wounded. " I must beg leave to recommend to their lordships' notice Lieutenants Broughtiin and Goate ; also Mr. Staines, who commanded a division of gi'.ns in the absence of Lieutenant Ilodgskin, who was unfortunately on board a Danish ship, with one nmte, one mulshipman, and 20 seamen. At the time le Dnguay-Trouin struck, we were about two leagues from the passage hclween F'.'it.island and Coin-au-Mire, and one league from the shore. The other sail, a small brig, made her escape through the channel, and got safe into Port Louis.'' The Orpheus, a 12-pounder frigate, went into action with only 194 officers, men and hoys ; hut, on the other hand, le Diiguay-Trouin's cr-..w and passengers were so sickly that Captain Newconie was ohliged to seek the first port where lefreshmonts were likely to he procured, and the damages of his own ship repaired. He accordingly anchored at Mahe, one of the Seychelle islands, and, finding that the French had formed a settlement there, summoned it to surrender. This heing agreed to, a party under Lieutenant Goate took posses- sion of the place. May l/th, captured a merchant hrig, and hrought off a quantity of naval and military stores. In \70h, and the following year Lieutenant CJoate assisted at the capture of Malacca, Amhoyna, and lianda, with their several dependencies *. His promotion to the rank of Com- mander took place Septemher IG, 1/99; and he was af- terwards Bueeessively appointed to the Sylph, Derwetit, and • Sec Bulletins t.f I7!'under8, and surrounded by a ditch) without opposition. His Majesty's colours were then hoisted on the French flag-staff, and after- wards those of Hamburgh on the castle of Ritzbnttle. We then dismounted the guns and put them on board of vessels lying in the harbour, as well as several other small pieces of cannon, with all the shot and military stores. The battery was then undermined, and by a variety of explosions, blown up. " Two French gun-boats, with 2 guns each, which were lying in the harbour, were also taken possession of. I afterwards gave the town of Cux- haven in trust to the civil governor, and embarked all the seamen and n;arines." This waH the prelude to a more important, and equally successful enterprise, the particulars of which are given at p. 8/0 ct scg, of Vol. II. Part II. " The zeal and ability evinced by Captain Goate" on the latter occasion, was officially acknowledged by his senior officer. Lord George Stuart. Captain Goate's post-commission bears date Aug. 15, 1809 j and his last appointment was May 4, 1813, to the Fortunee frigate, employed on Channel service. Agents. — Messrs. Stilwell. • Mosquito 18 guns, Captain Goate ; Briseis 10, (Japtaia Robert Pettet ) Ephira 10, Captain George Edward Wutt« ; five gun-brigs, one urmcd Bchuyt, aud one cutter. POST-CArTAI?»S OF 1801). 39 d the Sol leligoland, under hkj 1 letter to t: the niarfjin*, he 7th itist. ; :tennined on ecessary pre- with Captain and marines red upon by battery. We ought proper 1 (which had )osition. His [F, and after- 1 dismounted ir, as well as litary stores. IS, blown up. lying in the own of Cux- seamen and lid equally e given at nd ability s officially uart. 15,1809} Fortunue ihert Pettet ) one unucd JOSEPH JAMES, Esq. Son of an opulent and respectable tradesman in Somerset- shire, who dying when he was very young, left him to the care of an elder brother, by whom he Mas sent over to Valogne, in Normandy, for the purpose of learning the French language ; in which town he continued to reside until Louis XVI. issred an edict to seize all British ships in the ports of his kingdom, March 18, 17/8*. This officer entered the naval service in May 1779, as a midshipman, on board the Stag 32, commanded by Captain Robert Palliser Cooper f, and then employed on the Irish station ; but subsequently attached to the Channel fleet, under the orders of Sir Charles Hardy. Whilst in that frigate, he assisted at the capture of many vessels, among which were the Anti-Briton French privateer, mounting 22 long sixes, with a complement of 130 men ; and la Victoire cutter, of 16 guns and 91 men. The former marauder was commanded by the notorious Kelly, a native of Rush, near Dublin, but holding a Lieutenant's commission in the French marine : 120 of his crew were also subjects of (ircat Britain. The capture of that atrocious traitor was a service of very great importance to the merchants, as he had taken no less than one hundred and seventy prizes, most of which were either destroyed, or ransomed for large sums ; the payments being secured by the detention of sufficient hostages, until the bills drawn in his favour were honored %. Mr. James contimied in the Stag until she was paid off, 178JJ; when he joined the Griffin cutter. Lieutenant James Cooke, under whom he served for a period of three years. During the Spanish armament we find him master's-mate of the Melampus frigate, Captain (now Sir Charles) Moricc Pole; • See VV,l, I, Part I. note at p. 235, et seq. t Superannuated Rear-Admiral R. P. Cooper died at Portsmouth, Oct. 2.3, 1H06. - X Kelly was originally a smuggler. During the latter part of his life he worked as a common porter on the quay at Uourdcaux. 40 POST-CAPTAINS OF 1809. and at the commencement of the French revolutionary war he appears to have obtained a similar rating on board the Royal William 80, bearing the flag of Sir Peter Parker, Bart., commander-in-chief at Portsmouth ; from which ship he was made a Lieutenant into the Inspector sloop, Nov. 10, 1793. In that vessel. Lieutenant James followed the expedition under Sir John Jervis and Sir Charles Grey to Martinique ; from whence she was sent with a convoy to Jamaica, and thereby prevented taking any part in the operations against the French colonies, previous to the storming of fort Fleur d'Epee, April 12, 1794 *. The surrender of Guadaloupe on the 22d of the same month ; the departure of the squadron, for St. Christopher's ; the recapture of Grande Terre, by Victor Huguets ; Sir Charles Grey's second landing in Basse Terre ; and the return of Sir John Jervis to his former anchorage, off Grozier ; have been noticed in our memoir of Rear- Admiral John Maitland f. Tlie storming of fort St. Ann's, about twelve or fourteen miles from the latter place ; the bombardment of Point a Pitre and fort Fleur d'Epee, by the British land-batteries and gun-boats ; an unsuccessful sortie made by the enemy, on the 2()th of June ; the establishment of our advanced post, on Morne Mascot ; the repeated defeats of the French troops sent to recover that eminence ; and the disastrous result of an attempt made by Brigadier-General Symes to gain posses- sion of the heights near Point a Pitre, preparatory to the intended assault of fort Fleur d'Ep«?e ; will be found described at pp. 109—1 13 of Vol. II. Part I. During these latter operations, Lieutenant James occa- sionally commanded a division of gun-boats ; and on the unfortunate 2d July, he entered the harbour of Point a Pitre about two hours before day-light in order to support the detachment under Brigadier-General Symes. From that fatal period he was employed affording protection to the troops • «ec Vol. I, Tart II, note f ut p. 711. Sec fil. note nt p. 84 1 . POST-CAPTAINS OF 1809. 41 iry war he the Royal er, Bart., I ship he , Nov. 10, expedition artinique ; naica, and ns against fort Fleur the same stopher's ; ;ues ; Sir , the return zier; have tlaitland f. r fourteen of Point a tteries and Miemy, on iced post, nch troops s result of lin posses- »ry to the described ncs occa- id on the int a Pitre pport the that fatal he troops left in Basse Terre, until the evacuation of fort Matilda, the last post held by the British, Dec. 10th, 1/94 *. The Inspector being paid off about Aug. 1795, Lieutenant James was then appointed to the Alfred 74 ; in which ship he served under Captains Drury and Totty, until she also was put out of commission, on her return from the West Indies, in the autumn of 1798. Whilst in her, he assisted at the capture of la Favorite, French national ship mounting 22 guns ; la Renommde frigate of 44 guns and 320 men ; and le Scipio corvette, of 20 guns ; also at the recapture of two British transports ; and at the reduction of St. Lucia and Trinidad. He likewise bore apart in the unsuccessful attack upon Porto Rico ; all which will be seen by reference to our memoir of Captain John Richards, at p. 11 et seq. of this volume. Lieutenant James's next appointment was (immediately after leaving the Alfred), to command the Attack gun-brig ; • After Sir Charles Grey's final departure from Guadaloupe, the repub- lican troops remained quiet in Grande Terre until tlicy received a consider- able reinforcement from Europe ; when they proceeded to Basse Terre, landed at Goyave and Lamentin, on the 27th Sept., and immediately marched to attack the camp iit Berville, commanded by Bripadier-General (iraham, who defended that position with the utmost gallantry and spirit, until the (Ith of Oct., when, finding his provisions nearly exhausted, ami that he was cutoff from all communication with the shippinjj, and without liopes of relief, he was obliged to surrender; his force being reduced to 125 rank and file fit for duty. By this unfortunate event the whole of Guadaloupe, except fort Matilda, fell into the hands of the enemy. The siege of that fort commenced on the 1 1th Oct., and early in Dec. the enemy's batteries were increased so as greatly to exceed the artillery of the garrison. Their fire on the Gth, dismounted all the guns upon the most commanding part of the fort; the curtain from thence to the next bastion near the town, and the facet and Hanks of that bastion in many places threatened to fall into the ditch ; the number of killed and wounded was proportional to the effect made upon the work, and the place became no longer tenable. At 10 P.M., (Dec. 10th), the remains of the garrison, amounting to fi21 officers and men, were safely embarked, without even the knowledge of the French, who continued firing as usual until 2 or 3 A. M on the Uth. The services rendered by the navy, during this long and painful siege, were very handsomely acknowledged in the military despatches. Sc« Jiondoii Gazcttf, Feb. 14, 17!>5. I;i li I li 42 POST-CAPTAINS OF 1809. and in that vessel we find him covering the debarkation of the British troops near the H elder, and witnessing the sur- render of the Texel squadron *. He was also employed under the orders of Lord Nelson, during the period that that officer was invested with the chief command between Beachey Head and Orfordness, in 1801. His promotion to the rank of Commander took place April 29, 1802. In March 1804, Captain James was appointed to the Sea Fencible service in Ireland ; but he had only joined that corps six weeks before he received an appointment to the Meteor bomb. The admirable manner in which that vessel was placed before Havre pier, July 23d and Aug. 1, 1804, was highly spoken of by his senior officer, copies of whose reports are give ^ at pp. 1 — 3 of Suppl. Part 1. In Oct. 1805, Captain James removed to the Kite brig, mounting 14 twenty- four pounder carronades, and 2 long sixes, with a complement of 93 officers, men, and boys. In her, he made several recaptures, while serving under the orders of Commodore Owen, on the Dungeness station; and on the 7th Feb. 1807, we find him intercepting le Chasseur French lugger privateer, of 16 guns and 60 men, 18 of whom were absent. It will be seen by reference to p. 239 of Suppl. Part I., that the Kite formed part of the light squadron engaged with the Danish praams, gun-boats, floating-batteries, &c. before Copenhagen, Aug. 22, 1807, and that " the bravery and energy of her commander, officers, and crew, during so long and heavy a contest" was highly praised by Admiral Gam- bier. Unfortunately, however, she then belonged to the Leith station, and was immediately afterwards ordered to return thither. Captain James consequently lost his chance of promotion, as well as the share of prize-money to which he would otherwise have been entitled. We should here remark, that the Kite received greater damage than any of her consorts on the above occasion ; but fortunately sustained no loss, although she was several times hulled, and in one in- • Sec Vol. I, Part I, note at pp. 414— 417» *; POST-CAITAINS OF 1809. 43 .rkation of the Bur- employed 1 that that 1 Beachey 3 the rank to the Sea )ined that ?nt to the hat vessel . 1, 18()4, of whose Kite brig, ong sixes, In her, he orders of id on the ur French horn were irt I., that with the c. before very and so long ral Gam- d to the dered to is chance to which )uld here m any of sustained n one in- stance by a red-hot shot, which lodged in a case of hats stowed very .lear the magazine. The Kite subsequently assisted in rescuing the Marquis de la Romani' and his patriotic army * ; on which occasion Captain James 's ofl&cially reported to have been " indeftitiga- ble in his exertions in the various duties assigned him." At 10 P. M., on the 3d Sept. 180S, a few days after Rear- Admiral Keats had sailed for Gottenburgh, with the Spanish troops under his protection, the Kite, then at anchor off Sproe island (Minx gun-brig in company), was attacked by the whole of the enemy's flotilla, then in the Great Belt, consist- ing of 22 vessels, each mounting two long 24-pounder8, and manned with from 65 to 70 sailors and soldiers j making a total of 44 guns, and nearly 1500 well-armed men. Expecting an attack, as it was then nearly calm. Captain James had prepared for such an event, by sheeting home the top-sails, and having every other sail loosed in readiness to be set at a moment's warning. The cable was immediately cut ; but, unfortunately, a gun -boat which he had in charge got under the Kite's bows, and could not be removed for a considerable time, during which, many of the Danes ap- proached within musket-shot, keeping up a very heavy fire. The Kite at length paid off ; but when before the wind, and with top-gallant-sails set, the breeze was so very light that she had scarcely steerage way. The Minx likewise cut, but was unavoidably at too great a distance to render her consort much support, nor was there any possibility of their closing with each other. At 11 o'clock, being then surrounded by the enemy, and in momentary expectation of their rowing alongside, Captain James had the satisfaction to see one gun- vessel sink, and several others collecting round the spot to pick up her crew. The contents of every gun that could be brought to bear were immediately discharged among them, and from that time the Danes contented themselves wit^ a distant cannonade, until midnight, when they ceased firing altogether ; leaving the Kite in a very shattered condition, • See Vol. 1, Part I, p. M7. 11' 44 POST-CAPTAINS OF 1809. nineteen round shot having passed through her hull, near the water-line, and her main-mast being supported by only two shrouds and a backstay. The loss she sustained, althougii severe, was not so great as might have been expected, from the nature of the conflict. Of 76 persons, the total numbei on board, at the commencement of the action, only two, in- cluding Mr. Thomas Thomas, the purser, were killed outright ; and thirteen, including Captain James (slightly) wounded : — most of the latter, however, either died, or underwent amputation *. During the whole affair the Minx was so little attended to by the Danes that only two shot struck her, neither of which injured any one on board. Whilst refitting at Gottenburgh, the commander, officers, and crew of the Kite received the thanks of the Admiralty, conveyed to them through Sir Richard G. Keats, " for their bravery and great perseverance in saving his Majesty's sloop ;" and on his return to the Nore, after being frozen up in the Belt and Cattegat, for the greater part of the winter. Captain James obtained the following handsome testimonial from the respectable officer under whose orders he was serv- ing at the time of the action : " H. M. S. Dictator, Chatham, \3th Feb. 1809. " My Dear Sir, — I am favoured with your letter of yesterday's date, requesting that 1 wouUl g've you my opiniou of the defence you made, o» the night of tlie 3rd of Sept. last, when attacked oflf the island of Sproe, in the Great Belt, by a number of the enemy's gun-boats — the Kite and JVIinx being then under my orders. In answer thereto, I have to acquaint you, that considering the superiority of the enemy's force, the whole of which appears to have been directed against the Kite, with every advantage which they could look for, it being nearly calm, the flotilla fresh out of Nyborg, and yourself and consort at anchor, I have no hesitation in saying that the judgment and gallantry of yourself, officers, and crew, have not been exceeded in any of the glorious actions that have graced the annals of the British navy for so many years back. From the shattered state I found the Kite in, on the morning of the 4th Sept., I cannot help, even at this distant time, expressing my astonishment how she could be saved ♦ The Master of the Kite, and i) men, were taken prisoners, while in a boat on detached service, three days before the action : her second Lieu- tenant and f! men were absent in charge of prizes. POST-CAPTAINS OF IS(H). 45 11, near the y oi)ly two 1, although cted, from tal numbci Iv two, in- d outright ; wounded : underwent v^as so little struck her, !r, officers, Admiralty, Cdts, •* for Majesty's eing frozen the winter, testimonial & was serv- Feb. 1809. erday's date, ou made, on of Sproe, in ite and Minx cquaint you, 3le of which antage which of NyborjT, ying that tlie ive not been mnals of the tate I found elp, even at lid be saved 3, while in a 5Ccond Lieu- 4 cither from capture or sinking ; consequently I avail myself of this oppor- tunity of returning my most cordial thanks to you, your officers, and crew. I am, my dear Sir, your sincere friend, (Signed) " Donald Campueli.*." " To Captain James, //. M. sloop Kitf." Captain James shortly afterwards paid his respects to Lord Mulgrave, then at the head of naval affairs, who promised to give him the first post-ship that should become vacant on the Baltic station. He accordingly returned thither, and, on the 21 st Aug. 1809, was promoted into the St. George 98, bearing the flag of llear-Admiral Pickmore, in the Gulph of Finland ; where he continued during the remainder of the season. In .F;in. ISIO, we find the St. George refitting at Ports- mniitl), where she received the flag of Rear-Admiral Rey- nolds : by whose Captain, Daniel Oliver Guion, the subject of this memoir Mas superseded, in the month of May follow- ing. The lamentable fate of those officers has been adverted to at p. 03 of Suppl. Part I. Captain James's last appointment was, Aug. 10, 1814, to the Tanais of 4G guns, fitting for the Jamaica station. In May 1815, being then at Carthagena, on the Spanish Main, for the purpose of affording protection to British commerce, he visited the celebrated Bolivar, who had encamped before that city, being refused admittance into it by another chief Castilto, who had constituted himself governor, and against whom he had been carrying on a desultory warfare for six weeks previous to the arrival of the Tanais. Captain James was received by that patriotic warrior with every demonstra- tion of friendship, and offered a carte blanche to settle the differences between him and his rival. The interference of a British officer could not fail to have some degree of influence with the contending parties ; and as Bolivar had no cannon, except a few field-pieces, it was arranged that he should dis- • The Dictator had gone to complete her wood and water at Romaoc,. leaving the two brigs under Captain James, to afford protection to any. British merchantmen passing through the Belt. 46 POST-CAPTAINS OF 1809. band his troops and go to Jamaica, which island he particu- larly wished to visit. He was accordingly received on board the frigate, with several of his near relations ; and the whole were soon afterwards? conveyed to Port Royal in the Decou- verte, a schooner under Captain James's orders. The garrison of Carthagena were subscciuently starved into a surrender ; Castilto and many of his adherents were put to death, by order of the royalist general, Morillo ; and Bolivar, had he been there, would doubtless have shared the same fate. The Tanais was paid off in May, 1816. Captain James married, in 1803, Bridget Elizabeth, second daughter of Arthur Raymond, of Lyme, co. Dorset, Esq. Agents. — Messrs. Maude and Co. JOHN DAVIE, Esq. Third son of the late John Davie, of Orleigh, near Bide- ford, Esq. ; a gentleman of considerable landed property in Devonshire, and a magistrate for that county. The subject of this sketch was born at Orleigh, May 8, 1776 ; and he appears to have entered the naval service as a midshipman on board the Apollo frigate. Captain Charles Powell Hamilton, in 1782. We subsequently find him serving in various ships, on the Mediterranean, West India, Newfoundland, and Channel sta- tions. His promotion to the rank of Lieutenant took place Aug. 28, 1793 ; on which occasion he was appointed to com- mand a gun-boat employed at Toulon. From thence Mr. Davie returned home in command of le Pompde 74 ; and on his arrival in England he was directed to assist Rear-Admiral Christian in making arrangements for the disposal of her crew, and numerous other French emigrants. He afterwards joined the Diana, a new 38-gun frigate, and continued in that ship for a period of three years, principally as first Lieutenant. le garrison surrender ; death, by ir, had he 'ate. The th, second , Esq. lear Bide- roperty in 1, May 8, rvice as a 1 Charles IS, on the innel sta- )ok place dto com- md of le irected to ts for the nigrants. ate, and rincipally POST CAPTAINS OF 1800. 4/ In June 1797, Lieutenant Davie removed into the Royal Geori^e, a first rate, bearing the flag of Lord Rridport, under whom he had served as a midshipman during the Spanish armament ; and })y wliose advice ho afterwards proceeded to Jamaica, where he was promoted to the command of the Tisiphone sloop, in July, 1800. Captain Davie's subsequent appointments were. May, 1801, to the Swallow brig ; May, 1803, to the Sea Fencible service at Harwich ; May, 1804, to the Hermes 10 ; and Dec. fol- lowing, to the Favorite, an 18-gun ship-sloop. In Sept. 1805, Captain Davie sailed for the coast of Africa, where he captured, after an action of 20 minutes, le General Blanchard French privateer, of 10 guns and 130 men ; of whom 1 1 were killed, and 25 badly wounded : only one person, and he a passenger, was hurt on board the Favorite. On the 6th Jan. 18(X), nine days after the above affair. Cap- tain Davie had the misfortune to be taken by a French squad- ron under Mons. I'Hermite, consisting of one 80-gun sliip, two large frigates, and a brig. Luckily for him, however, the enemy likewise took an English merchant brig in ballast about the same time, and the chef (C escadre determined to esta- blish her as a cartel, in order to get rid of his captives j Captain Davie signing an agreement by which a similar number of Frenchmen, corresponding in rank, were to be exchanged for them immediatelyafter their arrival in England; and in case the British government refused to accede to this arrangement. Cap- tain Davie and his companions in misfortune were bound to go over to France, and surrender themselves as prisoners. In Oct. 180(5, the exchange being effected and his court- martial over. Captain Davie was appointed to the Hyacinth sloop, then on the North Sea station, but subsecjuently sent with despatches to Rio de Janeiro, where he removed into the Foudroyant 80, bearing the flag of Sir W. Sidney Smith ; which ship he commanded from January \mtil May, 1809. His post commission bears date Aug 22, in the same year. Captain Davie's next appointuKMits were, April 1S12, to the Ardent 64, armed enjiute : and on the 7th of the follow- ing month, to the Leyden another fourth rate, fitted for the !^ . 1 i !' ': 48 POST. CAPTAINS OK 1809. ennvoyance of troops. In the hitter ship he successively visit- ed Lisbon, Alicant, Palermo, Zante, Pon/.a, Saiitander, Cron- stadt, and Dantzic. The Leyden was- paid off in Dec. 1814. From this period Captain Davie remained on half-pay until Nov. (), 1816, when he was appointed to the Conqueror 74, fitting for the flai^ of Rear- Admiral Plamplin, with whom he proceeded to St. Helena, where he contracted an illness which only ended with his life. He died at Heavitree, near Exeter, Feb. 13, 1825, after a continued indisposition of more than six years. The subject of the fore:;oini]^ sketch was the author of a popular little work, entitled " Ohservntions and Instructions far the use of the (Commissioned, the Junior, and other Offerers of the Roi/ul N'avi/, on nil the material jmnts of Professional Duti/," with a complete set of forms for Watch, Station, and Quarter Bills ; published by Steel, in 1804, and the merit of it erroneously t^iven to Sir Home Popham. Captain Davie married, Feb. 6, 1815, Miss J. Tappcn, of Charles Street, Maymnrket, London ; by whom he has left a son and a daui;htcr. His eldest brother, Joseph, assununl the patronymic of l^assett, on succeeding to the estate of his maternal uncle, Francis Hassett, of Heanton Court, near Barnstaple, ]t!sq. and has long been a very active magistrate for the county of J)evon*. His second brother, Charles, is one of the Prebendaries of Exeter cathedral. HENRY HUME SPENCE, Esq. Nkarly related to the late Rear- Admiral Thomas Lenox Frederick, of whom a memoir is given in the Naval Chronicle, Vol.37, pp. 205 et .vry. and 353 ct sey. This officer received his first conmiission in 17^7 > and was senior Lieutenant of the London 1)8, at the capture of Rcar- Admiral Linoisf. His promotion to the rank of Commander took place May 28, 18(K). • Fruiicis Bussctt, En\. wus the elder liraiK-h of Lord lie Dun8tanvillc'» family. t Sec Vol. I., p. 43G. POST-CAPTAINS OF 1809. 49 iivcly virtit- iider, Cron- )ec. 1814. If-pay until iqiieror 74, !i whom he Iness which ear Exeter, more than Towards the close of the same year. Captain Spence was appointed to the Pandora, a new 18-gun brig, in which vessel he captured I'Entreprenant, French privateer lugger of 16 guns and 53 men, under the batteries near Cape Grisnez, Jan. 13, 180S. His post commission bears date Aug. 24, 1809. Captain Spence married, in ISO/, the daughter of Mr. Charles Lowry, Purser, R. N. author of a 'nstructums and otiicr I pohifs of for Watch, 1 1804, and liara. Tappcii, of ic has loft a li, asHUiiunl ic estate of Court, near magistrate Charles, is lias Lenox Chronicle, ; and was •e of Uear- onimander unstanvillc'» JOHN BRETT PURVIS, Esq. Son of the late Admiral J. Child Purvis, by a sister of Com- missioner Henry Garrett. This officer was made a Lieutenant May 1, 1805 ; and pro- moted to the rank of Commander Aug. 9, 1808. His post commission bears date Sept. 16, 1809 ; at which period he commanded the Delight brig, on the Mediterranean station. Captain Purvis's next appointment was Oct. 29, 1811, to the Ganymede 26, in which ship he captured the French privateer Vauteur, of 7 guns and 4/ men, Aug. 18, 1813. Since the peace he has commanded the Magicienne 42, on the East India station, where he rendered essential service to the crew of one of the Hon. Company's ships, wrecked upon the Cargados Garragos reef*, for which the Court of Directors presented him with 200 guineas for the purchase of a piece of plate. Agents, — Messrs. Cooke, Halford, and Son. GEORGE ANDREWS, Esq. Son of the late George Andrews, Esq. who was descended from an ancient family in co. Somerset; by Miss Kitty Coombs, a lady related to the families of Bond and Williams, in Dorsetshire. • See Francken'a Nnrrfttivc of the Ium of the Cabalva. *UPI'L. PART II. K I i|! i I .'I fiO POST-CAPTAINS OF 1809. He was born July 26, 1778; and entered the navy, as a midshipman on board the Barfleur 98, bearing the flag of his early and constant patron, the late Earl St. Vincent, in Aug. 1790. We subsequently find him serving under Captains James Kinneer and John Thomas Duckworth, in the Daphne of 20 guns, and Orion 74 ; the latter ship forming part of Earl Howe's ileet, on the memorable 1st of June, 1794. At the comraencem^^nt of the ensuing year, Mr. Andrews removed with Captain Duckworth into the Leviathan, a third- rate, then about to sail for Jamaica, under the orders of Rear- Admiral William Parker. In her he was present at the unsuc- cessful attack upon Leogane, St. Domingo, March 22, 1796*. His commissions bear date as follow:— Lieutenant, Mar. 1797; Commander, April 29, 1802 ; and Post-Captain, Sept. 22, 1809 Captain Andrews has a family of four sons and three daughters. One of his sisters was married to the late Henry Redhead Yorke, Esq. barrister- at-law j another is the wife of Mr. Highmore, an eminent surgeon, practising at Sherborne, in Dorsetshire. WILLIAM BUCHANAN, Esq. Was made a Lieutenant in 1794, and served as second of the Leviathan, a third rate, bearing the broad pendant of Com- modore Duckworth, at the capture of Minorca, Nov. 15, 1798 f. The following is an extract of that officer's public letter to Earl St. Vincent, reporting the surrender of the island : " There is high merit due to Lieutenant William Buchanan, whom I landed as second in coiuinand under Captain (James) Bowen, with more than 250 seamen : there were likewise the licviathuu's and Centaur's marines with the army, to tlie ntitnhcr of KM) ; hut other essential service callinji; Captain Bowen on i)oar!ix invaria- under the 'ondered at gh blessed th a cheer- rivations or vere, could veral times St of these debilitated which suc- (vait him if >rdingly re- it, and ap- ind Captain Tved in the likewise as motion and 06; when, , he again imendation , by whom tely on his ;ain of the tenant Dix the excep- the yellow only oflficer jpon him ; e endured, lescription. e at p. 9.27. i It is but justice to him, however, to say, that in the midst of his avocations he still found time and opportunity to alleviate the sufferings of his officers and men. Every comfort which the nature of such a situation could admit of, was afforded ; every refreshment which his slender purse could procure, was obtained ; and he now has the pleasure of reflecting, that to his humane care and attention, under Divine Providence, the preservation of many valuable lives was owing. On the 26th Sept. 1807, Lieutenant Dix was promoted by Sir Alexander Cochrane to the command of the Cygnet sloop of war, at Tortola ; from whence he sailed for England with nine merchant ships under his convoy, five of which unhap- pily foundered with all their crews during the passage home. After undergoing a thorough repair, the Cygnet was em- ployed in the North Sea, where she captured the Danish pri- vateers Christiana and Giengielderen ; the former a brig of 14 guns and 60 men, the latter a sloop mounting 4 guns with a complement of 25 men. During the same cruise, she was warmly engaged with some batteries on the coast of Norway ; on which occasion her commander's hat was struck by a 9-pound shot, himself sustaining no further injury than a good deal of inflammation on the top of his head, and some defect in his sight, both of which, however, were removed in a few days. About this period. Captain Dix fortunately succeeded in saving the lives of 5 men, who were discovered clinging to the miserable wreck of a vessel ; in which perilous situation they had been several days exposed to the most dreadful wea- ther, without a particle of food, their fingers and toes frost- bitten, and bereft of every hope, having seen 9 of their ship- mates perish before their eyes. At a great risk, one of the Cygnet's boats was sent to their rescue, and they were brought on board that sloop, where warm blankets and friction re- stored the use of their benumbed limbs, whilst soup was ad- ministered to them in small quantities, until their exhausted and enfeebled stomachs could bear more solid food. Little did Captain Dix think that he would need himself, in a few days, the relief he thus aflforded to others. ■ i^m 68 POST-CAPTAINS OP 1809. Endeavouring to get into the Frith of Forth, a sudden change of wind drove the Cygnet close to St. Abb's head ; and as the gale, which encreased to a hurricane, blew directly on the shore, from which she was only a quarter of a mile dis- tant, the destruction of all on board appeared inevitable. From the 14th to the 16th Oct., 1808, the Cygnet remained in this hopeless situation : her guns had been thrown over- board, and her masts cut away to ease her ; the whole of her officers and crew resigned themselves to their fate, and awaited in silence the moment when the only cable by which she rode, should part, and their bodies be cast upon, and lacerated by, the numerous rocks around them. But when every hope had long been relinquished, and no human aid could avail, God mercifully interposed his power to save them, the wind again suddenly shifted, and a vessel sent by Vice-Admiral Vashon to their assistance was consequently enabled to tow them into a place of safety. No sooner was this done than Captain Dix, bis officers and men, walked in procession to the Episcopal Church at Leith, where they returned public thanks to the Almighty for their miraculous escape. After being refitted, the Cygnet was ordered to the West Indies ; and on the 18th Dec. 1809, we find her assisting at the destruction of two French 40-gun frigates, laden with warlike stores and provisions, moored in Ance la Barque, Guadaloupe, and defended by several batteries. The particu- lars of this service will be found detailed in the Addenda to our memoir of Vice-Admiral Ballard, at p. 878 et seq. of Vol. I, Part II. The following is an extract of that officer's public letter to Sir Alexander Cochrane : — ** From Captain Dix I received every assistance the nature of the service required -, who, I trust, stands high in your estimation." For his conduct on this occasion. Captain Dix was imme- diately advanced to post rank, and bis commission dated back to the day of the action. During the operations against Guadaloupe in Jan. and Feb. 1810, the subject of this memoir acted as captdn of the Sceptre 7"^* bearing the broad pendant of Commodore Ballard^ then serving on shore with the army* I ii.\ P08T-CAPTA1NS OF 1809. A9 a sudden head; and directly on a mile dis- inevitable. ;t remained :own over- 'hole of her md awaited which she id lacerated every hope could avail, 1, the wind Lce-Admiral l)led to tow 3 done than rocession to rned public le. o the West assisting at laden with la Barque, lie particu- Addenda to et seq. of lat officer's of the service was imme- dated back n. and Feb, tdn of the )re Ballard, Captjdn Dix returned to England about June 1810 ; and in the following year we find him again commanding the Sceptre, pro tempore, she being then attached to the Basque roada squadron. His next appointment was. May 19, 1813, to the Royal Oak 74, bearing the flag of Lord A melius Beauclerk, with whom he proceeded on a cruise between the North Cape and Iceland, for the purpose of intercepting the American Commodore Rodgers, whose disgraceful flight from that sta- tion has been noticed at p. 380 et seq. of Suppl., Part I. In May 1814, after negociating with the French General commanding at Rochelle, for a suspension of hostilities. Lord Amelius Beauclerk struck his flag, and the Royal Oak was ordered to Bourdeaux, from whence she conveyed Rear-Ad- miral Malcolm to Bermuda and the coast of America.* Shortly after his arrival on the latter station. Captain Dix was appointed by Sir Alexander Cochrane to the Menelaus frigate, in which ship he was very actively employed, under the immediate orders of Rear-Admiral Cockburn, until the conclusion of the war between Great Britain and the United States ; at which period he received the thanks of that officer, and of the commander-in-chief, for his zealous conduct on all occasions. The Menelaus returned to England in May 1815 ; and Captain Dix was soon afterwards sent, with the Havannah frigate under his orders, to cruise off the Isle of Bas, where, with the Rhin 38 in company, he captured and destroyed a French convoy j which piece of service, we believe, was the last of the kind performed by our navy during the usurpation of Napoleon Buonaparte. Captain Dix paid off the Menelaus in Oct. 1815 ; and was appointed in March 1816, to superintend the ships in ordinary at Chatham, on which service he remained for the established period of three years. His only daughter is married to Lieu- tenant-Colonel William Wood, h. p. of the 85th regiment. Agents^ — Messrs. Cooke, Halford and Son. - ♦ See Vol I, Part IJ, p. 696. 60 POST-CAPTAINS or 1809- }\t HENRY WHITMARSH PEARSE, Esq. ^ Companion of the Most Honorable Military Order of the Bath. This oflBcer received his first commission about Oct., 1796; served as a Lieutenant in the Victory, under Nelson ; and was promoted by his lordship, May 8, 1804, to the command of the Halcyon brig, mounting 14 twenty-four-pounder carronades and 2 long sixes, with a complement of 94 officers, men, and boys. His subsequent exertions for the protection of the trade, and destruction of the enemy's armed vessels in the vicinity of Gibraltar, gained him the warmest approbation of that illustrious chieftain. On the 20th Sept. 1804, he captured I'Esperance French privateer, of 10 guns and 54 men. In Dec. 1806, Captain Pearse fell in with three Spanish cruisers ; and after an action, highlycreditable to him and his crew, succeeded in obtaining possession of the largest, a polacrc of 14 long twelves and 72 men. The following is a copy of his official letter to Lord CoUingwood on this occasion : — " H. M. sloop Halcyon, Gibraltar, Dec. 18, 1806. ** My Lord, — I beg leave to inform your Lordship, that on the 1 3th instant, at 8 A. M., Cape St. Martin's S.S.W. C leagues, I perceived tlirce sail (a ship, a l)rig, and a xebec) standing out from under the land towards me ; being on contrary tacks we closed fast. When within four or five miles, I discovered they were vessels of warj and shortly after they steered directly for me. Seeing they were superior, and five settees coming from the same quarter, I judged it prudent, as they seemed determined to bring me to action, to close with them as soon as possible, and decide the con- test before any assistance could be given by the others. At 10-30, being nearly within musket-shot, they hoisted Spanish colours, and commenced action. As soon as I got abreast of the second vessel, I got on the other tack, and brought them to closer action, which lasted till 12 o'clock, when their fire slackened. At half-past, being almost a calm, the brig and xebec hauled away to the southward, assisted by their boats and sweeps ; the ship, then nearest us, endeavouring to do the same to the northward. We swept after her, and in an hour got close alongside, when she struck her colours, and proved to be a polacre privateer, the Ncptuno dios dc los Mares, from Denia, going on a cruise between Minorca and the coast of Africa, with the other two in company ; who, I am sorry to say, made their escape, but not before their fire had been silenced. The five settees, when within three miles, seeing the ship deserted, returned into the port of Denia. ii j '^l POST-CAPTAINS OP 18()9. 61 Esq. ■ the Bath. Oct., 1796; rdson ; and le command ur-pounder ' 94 officers, e protection !d vessels in approbation t. 1804, he and 54 men. ree Spanish him and his !st, a polacrc is a copy of asion : — ?c. 18, 1806. It on the idth )erceived tlircc e land towards ,r or five miles, • they steered 8 coming from mined to bring lecide the con- 10-30, being id commenced )t on the other o'clock, when irig and xebec sweeps ; the jrthward. We she struck her no dios de los the coast of ay, made their settees, when port of Dcnia. Though extraordinary, I am happy to say we had none killed, and only three wounded : Lieutenant Briggs, my first, l)y a splinter in the arm, whom I beg leave to recommend to your Lordship's notice ; Lieutenant Pearse, who has been acting three years and a half in this vessel ; and one seaman. The loss of the enemy must be great. The wounded from the ship, 9 in all, are doing well. " I give your Lordship the full particulars of .this event, and trust my attacking so very superior a force, seeing they were resolutely determined to bring me to action, will meet your approbation. Kno^ving I could depend upon my officers and ship's company, whose cool, brave, and steady conduct on this, as on former occasions, almost insured me success before the action commenced. They merit my warmest acknowledgments. " I cannot omit mentioning my having four passengers ; Captain Sulli- van, of the 81st regiment, who commanded the small-arms; Messrs. Purvis and Crokat, and a Neapolitan messenger, were all (.< jjreat ;;ervice, as we were 16 short of complement. The en.'iny's fire was nostly'vrectfi' at our masts and rigging, in which we have suricred vf'.;y JuaUi jafiy. " The force opposed to the Halcyon was the Neptuzio dioj de !os ft'.irea, 14 twelve-pounders and 72 men; la Virginc de SoUda'?, if tvvolve and eight-pounders, 78 men; el Vives, 12 eight awd six-pound ir.', 65 n,.M, I liave the honor to be, &c. (Signed) " H. W, //jiAuaK " " I am glad of this opportunity," e.''.}3the nvo/thy C.-sllin^/- wood, when transmitting Captain Pearsc's kttei* to ilie Afl- miralty, '* of giving to their lordships my tedtiiiiony of thu spirited and skilful conduct of Captain Pears r, in al^. the duties on which he is employed. The present instance demonstrates what his ability is when there is opportunity to exhibit it*." At the beginning of Sept. 1808, information ha\i.Dg Voeii received at Messina that a number of the enemy'y coaisting' vessels, laden with contributions in kind from the two pxo., vinces of Calabria to the Neapolitan government, were assembled in Diamante bay, near the Gulf of Policnstro, under the protection of several gun-bocits and land batteries. Sir John Stuart, commanding the Brivish Iroops in Sicily, detached Lieutenant-Colonel Bryce, of the Royal Engineers, to co-operate with a small naval force under Captain Pearse, and endeavour to take or dortrcy them. The successful Mr. James erronetins':/ t.ksciibes the Neptuno as a Spanish corvette, and her cjiisorts natioual vessels : he also says that not a man was injured on board the Halcyon. See Nav. Hist. Vol. IV., p. 392 ct leq. m M m POST-CAPTAINS OP 18Q9. k I \n result of this enterprise is thus described by that gallant and judicious officer, in a letter to his General, dated Sept. 8 :— " Sir, — I do myself the honor to acquaint you, that the detachment you were pleased to put under my orders, has successfully executed the service in vietv, by capturing, in conjunction with Captain Pearse, R. N., a flotilla of thirty-eight vessels, of which four are large gun-boats, under the town of Diamante, where they had been blockaded with much perseverance by Captain (Hinry) Prescott, of H. M. brig Weazle; " We were baffled by calms during five days on the passage from Me- lazzo, on three of which we must have been distinctly seen from the enemy's coast. On examining the position taken here, I found it very respectable, as the town of Diamante, which covered the vessels, ranged on the right and left of it, stands on a peninsula nearly inaccessible on three sides ; the fourth is protected by difficult inclosures, and there is, besides, a building of considerable strength commanding the whole. " Under these discouraging circumstances, augmented by the non- arrival of the Sicilian gun-boats, and the absence of two of the transports, it required the fullest confidence in the conduct of Major Hammill, and the troops intended to be landed, to induce me to hazard an attempt on the town, without the possession of which, I saw nothing effectual could be done. After the strong building above-mentioned had been successfully cannonaded for several hours, by Captains Pearse and Prescott, R. N., and the Chavalicr de Balsamo, commanding a galliot of H. S. Majesty, who were indefatigable in their exertions, 250 men of the regiment of Malta, under Major Hammill, and UK) of the 58th regiment, under Captain O'Brien, were landed at day-break this morning, about half a mile to the northward of the to^vn, accompanied by a howitzer and two 6-pounders, commanded by Captain Campbell of the royal artillery. The enemy, who consisted of about 400 men of the civic-guard, with a proportion of French troops, were gradually forced back, through the underwood, upon the town, which, however, they did not attempt to defend, but took to the mountains ; and we were enabled to turn their batteries on the beach to the southward of the town, without sustaining any loss, when the whole of the vessels fell into our hands * * * *. I have the honor to be, &c. (Signed) " Alex. Bryce." The land ordnance taken on this occasion, consisted of 3 brass howitzers and 4 fi'U-pieccs, 1 iron long 12-poundcr, 15 carronadcs, and 2 swivels. The British appear to have sustained no loss, and that of the enemy has never been ascertained. In May 1809, part of the Halcyon's officers and crew aesisted at the destruction of the enemy's forts on the small islands of Gianuti and Pianoso ; a service executed with great t gallant and Sept. 8 :— detachment you uted the service R. N., a flotilla under the town >erseverance by ssage from Me- seen from the I found it very issels, ranged on :cssible on three ere is, besides, a ?d by the non- )f the transports, r Hammill, and 1 an attempt on r effectual could )een successfully scott, R. N., and S. Majesty, who ;imcnt of Malta, under Captain If a mile to the two 6-pouDders, rite enemy, who nrtion of French yood, upon the but took to the )n the beach to len the whole of >r to be, &c. ,KX. Dryce." >i]si8ted of 3 12-poundcr, jcar to have never been rs and crew on the gninll ed with great POST- CAPTAINS OF 1810. 63 gallantry, under the direetions of Lieutenant Bennett, of the Seahorse frigate. On the 30th Aug. following. Captain Pearse captured the St. Anna French privateer, of 2 guns and 46 men. His promotion to posst rank took place Dec. 23d in the same year. Agents. — Messrs. Barnett and King. EDWARD KirrOE, Esq. Entered the navy, in Dec. 1/80, as a midshipman on board the Bellona 74, Captain (afterwards Sir Richard) Onslow ; in which ship, and the Standard 64, he served on the Channel station, until tlie peace of 1783. During the nexi chree years we find him in the Grampus 50, on the coast of Africa. He afterwards successively removed into the Scout sloop ; Triusty 50, bearing the flag of Sir John Laforey, with whom he proceeded to the West Indies ; and Royal George 1 10, flag-ship of Sir Alexander Hood j under which latter officer he continued until his promotion, and appoint- ment to the Saturn 74, Feb. 26, 1794. In the following month. Lieutenant Kittoe joined the Hebe frigate. Captain Alexander Hood j and in June 1796, he was appointed acting Commas, -er of the Pelican sloop, on the Leeward Islands' station. That vessel formed part of Rear- Admiral Harvey's squadron at the unsuccessful attack of Porto Rico, April 1797*. On the 13th Sept., same year, Lieutenant Kittoe, then com- numding the Bittern of 16 guns, engaged and captured rAgr(^ablo French privateer, mounting 18 guns, with a com- plcnic;it of 1 15 men. His appointnient to the Bittern was confi -med by the Admiralty soon after this action. On the 8th Sept. 1798, he captured le Dix AoCit privateer, of 12 guns and 50 men. Early in 1803 the subject of this sketch was appointed of la Minerve " ' acting Captj igate • S«cVol. I, note at p. 113. jubacfjuently 64 POBT'.CAPTAINS OP 1810. find him superintending the equipment of the Britannia, a first rate. In May 1804, he ohtaincd the command of 1' Argus sloop, from which vessel he removed to the Sabrina of 18 gims, about Oct. 1806 ; the latter he commanded during the Walcheren expedition, in 1 809. Captain Kittoe's post commission bears date Jan. 4, 1810. In July foHowing he was appointed to the Milford 74, flag- ship of Sir Richard G. Keats, under whom he served at Cadiz, during the memorable defence of that important place * ; and afterwards in the Hiberoia 110, on the Mediterranean station. His last appointment was, Dec. 20, 1814, to the Astraea 42, which frigate he commanded on the coast of France, until the final termination of hostilities in 1815. RICHARD ARTHUR, Esq. Brother of Colonel George Arthur, Lieutenant-Go- vernor of Van Dieman's Land ; and of the late John Ar- thur, Esq. Collector of the Customs at Plymouth. This officer entered the navy, in 1790, as a midshipman on board the Valiant 74; and at the commencement of the French revolutionary war, we find him proceeding in the Heroine frigate. Captain (afterwards Lord) Gardner, to the West Indies ; where he served on board various ships until confirmed as a Lieutenant, about Feb. 1800. He also obtained the rank of Commander on the same station, in 1805. Captain Arthur commanded the Vesuvius bomb, forming part of the British advanced squadron before Copenhagen, when repeatedly attacked bytheDanish flotilla, in Aug. 18071* Hia next appointment was, about April, 1808, to the Cherokee brig, mounting 8 eighteen-pounder carronadcs and 2 long sixes, with a complement of 65 officers, men, and boys. On the 11th Jan. 1810, h;' addressed an oflicial letter to the * Sec Captains Sir Thomas Fellowes, Frederick Jennings Thomas, and William Hcory Smyth. t See Sisppi. Part I., p. 239. •i nnia, a first of I'Argus brina of 18 during the in. 4, 1810. rd 74, flag- ed at Cadiz, »laco*; and lean station. Astraea 42, ranee, until utcnant-Go- itc John Ar- h. dshipman on oent of the iding in the rdner, to the 3 ships until dso obtained 805. nb, forming Copenhagen, Aug. 1 807 1. [he Cherokee and 2 long boys. On letter to the h Thomas, anil I POST-CAPTAINS OF 1810. cominander-in-chief on the Downs station, of which the fol- lowing is a copy : — " Sir, — I have the honor to acquaint you, that on reconnoitering Dieppe yesterday, I perceived seven lugger privateers at anchor close together, within a cable's length of the pier-head under the hatterics; and deeming it, notwithstanding their numbers, practicable to capture or destroy some of them, I tliis morninii^, at one o'clock, th: wind being southerly, stood in and perceived the whole seven at anchor, i s when reconnoitred : I im- merliately ran between two, and laid one oii ! oard, which, after a fruitless attempt on the part of the enemy to board the Cherokee, I succeeded in brinffing out, and which proves to be I'Amiable Nelly, a new lugger, of l() gims, 106 tons, and 60 men. " During the time we were under the batteries, the whole of the priva- teers kept up a constant fire of musketry; but, I am happy to state, only two were wounded, viz. Lieutenant (iabriel, and Mr. James Ralph, boat- swain, lioth in the hand. The enemy had 2 killed aud S wounded, 3 dan- gerously. *' I feel it a duty I owe to my officers and crew to state, their conduct deserves my warmest approbation, for the cool steadiness they shewed, botli in attacking the enemy, and during the time we were under the bat- teries. I am, &c. (Signed) " R. Arthur." " To rtce.Admtral Campbell.'* ■ For his daring conduct on this occasion. Captain Arthur was immediately promoted, and hib post commission dated back to the day on which he made the successful attack. His last naval appointment was, Oct. 16, 1812, to the An- dromeda of 22 guns. Ageyit. — GEORGE PARIS MONKE, Esq. Only son of the late Captain Monke, of the Royal Horse Guards. This officer entered the navy, in June 177S, as a midship- man on board the Worcester 64, commanded by Captain Mark Robinson, and forming part of a small squadron of observa- tion, then about to proceed on a cruise off Cape Finisterrc, under Commodore Sir Peter Parker. In Mar. J 777, Mr. Monke was transferred to the Fox ol' SUPPL. PART II. r 66 POST-CAPTAINS OP 1810. i 28 guns, Captjun Patrick Fotheringham, in which fiigate he proceeded to the Newfoundland station. On the 8th June following, the Fox fell in with two Ameri- can frigates ; the Hancock 34, commanded hy one Manley, a native of Torbay, in Devonshire ; and the Boston 30, under ihe command of Macreal, another English traitor. Not hav- ing heard of any ships so large being fitted out by the rebel- lious colonists, and therefore imagining that they were Bri- tish men of war. Captain Fotheringham neglected to get his decks sufficiently clear for action ; nor was he convinced of his mistake until Manley hoisted the colours adopted by Congress, and ordered him to " strike instantly." A running fight then commenced, the Fox endeavouring to gain a little time in order to prepare for closer battle. Nearly four hours elapsed before Manley could bring his ship fairly alongside of the Fox, when a warm action com- menced between them, during which several of the rebel crew shewed strong signs of fear ; and her desperate com- mander, sensible of their dismay, ran contiimally from one end of the ship to the other, without a coat, his ahirt sleeves tucked up to the shoulders, flourishing and swinging a large cutlass round his head, arl swearing he would " cut down the first man who should attempt to leave his quarters." These threats had the desired effect, and the conflict was continued till Captain Fotheringham, seeing that the Fox was very much "rippled, thought proper to strike her colours, which he had hardly done before the Boston came under her stern, and gave her a broadside, to the great displeasure of Manley, who inveighed loudly against a proceeding so unfair and un- necessary. Captain Fotheringham and 50 of his crew were then taken on board the " Yankee Commodore," and Mr. Monke with others removed to the Boston. On the 4th of the following month, just after they had pas- sed Halifax, on their way to Boston, the Hancock and her consorts were discovered and chased by the Rainbow 44, Captain Sir George Collier, who after a pursuit of 41 hours, and a running fight of 4i, succeeded in obtaining possession of the former. The Fox was liki'wise secured by Captain P0ST-CAI»TA1NS OF 1810. fiigate he wo Ameri- Manley, a I 30, under Not hav- ' the rebel - ' were Bri- 1 to get his snvinced of idopted by A running gain a little d bring his action com- if the rebel )erate cora- ly from one dhirt sleeves ;ing a large :ut down the rs." These 19 continued X was very ours, which •r her stern, J of Munley, fair and un- is crew were ;," and Mr. ley had pas- nck and her lainbow 44, of 41 hours, ig possession by Captaiu *r John Brisbane, of the Flora frigate, who had hove in sight on the second day of the chase ; but unfortunately the Bos- ton effected her escape *. After a close confinement of several months at Boston, Mr. Monke and his fellow prisoners were exchanged, and rein- stated in their former stations on board the Fox, which ship returned to Englan'd in Feb. 1778. We next find the subject of this memoir serving in the Courageux 74, and acting as aid- de-camp to Captain Lord Mulgrave, in the action off Ushant, between Keppel and d'Orvilliers f, on which occasion that ship had 6 killed and 13 wounded J. The operations of the Channel fleet, to which the Coura- geux was attached until the autumn of 1780, were unpro- ductive of any striking events, owing partly to the cautious conduct of Keppel's successors, and partly to the reserve of the enemy. In Sept. 1780, being strongly recommended by Lord Mul- grave, Mr. Monke was appointed to act as Lieutenant of the Harpy fire-vessel, in which he continued until Nov. 1781, when he received a commission for the Warrior 74, Captain Sir James Wallace, under whom he served as fourth of that ship, in Rodney's battles with de Grasse, Ap. G and 12, 17H2; on which days her total loss amounted to 5 killed and 21 wounded. He also assisted at the capture of two French • See Nav. Chron. Vol. xxxii, pp. 276—279. + See Royal Nav. Biog. Vol. I, p. 16. \ On board the Courageux was a man who worked for the officers as a tailor, and, as he was a civil steady person, he received many murks of their approbation ; notwithstanding which he fell into a state of despon- dency, being firmly persuaded that he should lose his life whenever the fleets engaged. Lord Mulgrave. observing the melancholy dejection of his spirits, endeavoured by argument and ridicule, but in vain, to drive the idea from his mind. On the day of the above action, July 27, 177B, this poor fellow was ordered to assist in the cockpit, as a place of the greatest security ; but, impelled by irresistible curiosity to see what was going on, he viniiircd up the muin-hatchway, and in an instant he was mortally wounded. p2 I fj i -i I ■ '■ !■ '■■ ^ 'A u ; W 4 ' Wl 'n' ' ' 68 POST-CAPTAINS OP 1810. 64-gun ships, one frigate, and a corvette, in the Mona Pas- sage, on the 19th of the same month*. On the arrival of the victorious fleet at Jamaica, Lieutenant Monke was appointed first of le Jason 64+, Captain John Aylmer, with whom he returned home in the month of Octo- ber following ; that ship having miraculously weathered the tremendous hurricane which proved so fatal to the Centaur, Ramillies, Ville de Paris, Glorieux, and Hector, as well as to numerous merchant vessels which had sailed for England under the protection of Rear-Admiral Graves %. In 1790, Lieutenant Monke was appointed to command the Speedwell cutter, and employed on various services, under the orders of Lord Howe. In 1792, while cruising on the Yorkshire coast, he captured the Hell-afloat, a very fine smuggling cutter of 14 guns, the exact number mounted by his own vessel. A short time previous to the commencement of the French revolutionary war. Lieutenant Monke proceeded to Ham- burgh, for the purpose of bringing over a number of British sailors, who had recently been wrecked in different vessels on the coast of Jutland ; and he succeeded in prevailing on a hundred of them to embark with him in the Speedwell. During the passage home, a very stormy one, and prolonged by contrary winds, he found himself obliged to keep the deck, night and day, in order to secure these men for the navy, it being known that they intended, if possible, to seize the cut- ter, run her ashore, and thus avoid impressment. In conse- quence of the fatigue he endured on this occasion, his health was so seriously injured as to render it necessary for him to resign his desirable command, in Aug. 179«i. Lieutenant Monke's subsequent appointments were to the Maidstone frigate, and Ville de Paris of 110 guns, from which latter ship he was promoted to the rank of Commander, in Mar. 1797. • See Vol. II, Part I, note + at p. 52 ; and Vol. I, Part I, note at pp. 36—39. t Now the Argonaut hospital-ship, stationed at Chatham. t See Vol. II, Part I, p. G6 et leq., and the notes at p. 69. 4 Mona Pas- Lieutenant tptain John ith of Octo- athered the he Centaur, as well as for England 0 command •vices, under sing on the a very fine mounted by f the French ,ed to Ham- er of British erent vessels >revailing on 5 Speedwell, nd prolonged ecp the deck, the navy, it jeize the cut- t. In conse- n, his health ry for him to s were to the guns, from Commander, rt I, note at pp. hatham. X p. 69. POST. CAPTAINS OF 1810. Finding himself now possessed of much unwished-for leisure, Captain Monke compiled and, in 1/09, published, " A Vocabulary of Sea Phrases ayid Terms of Arty used in Seamanship and Naval Architecturef* hoping that the ob- jects which it embraced would be found of real utility to the maritime world in general, and to British naval officers in particular. The work to which we allude consists of two pocket volumes, in English and French, containing all the orders necessary for working a ship, and carrying on the duty, as well at sea as in port ; by means of which an English prize-master, however ignorant of the French nautical lan- guage, may navigate a ship of that nation with part of her own crew, whenever circumstances, for awhile, prevent a sufficient number of British seamen from being put on board for that purpose. In July 1808, Captain Monke was appointed to the Cen- turion 50, armed en fiute^ and ordered to convey naval stores to Halifax. We subsequently find him commanding the Statira frigate, pro tempore^ and assisting at the reduction of Guadaloupe *. His post commission bears date Jan. 12, 1810. We now arrive at the unfortunate conclusion of Captain Monke's professional career. In Oct. 1810, he assumed the command of the Pallas 32, and proceeded from the Frith of Forth to cruise for a month on the coast of Nonvay, where his boats, under the directions of Lieutenant M*Curdy, cap- tured, in the Cove of Siveraag, two Danish cutter privateers of very inconsiderable force. Returning to Leith roads, pur- suant to his orders, he had the misfortune to be wrecked near Dunbar, in the night of Dec. 18 j his pilots having mistaken the light issuing from a lime-kiln, on the Scotch coast, for the light on the Isle of May, and the latter for that on the Bell Rock. It is not a little singular that, at the very same time, the Nymph 36, Captain Edward Sneyd Clay, though not in company with the Pallas, went ashore, under exactly similar circumstances, and was also totally wrecked within a • See Vol I, Part I. p. 265. I I I'fi iy ■ 1 '■ ■• ' 1 'ii 1 1 ■ ■!■' i' ( : 1, i 1 I;: ,■1 ■ ( Ml! 70 POST-CAPTAINS OF 1810. short distance of her *. Captain Monke has not since been employed. Agent.^-'J. Dufaur, Esq. PHIPPS HORNBY, Esq. A Companion of the Most Honorable Military Order of the Bath. This officer is a son of the late Rev. Geoffrey Hornby, rector of Win wick, a valuable living in Lancashire, by Miss Lucy Stanley, sister to the present Earl of Derby. He was made a Lieutenant, Nov. 16, 1804 ; Commander, Aug. 15, 1806; and Post-Captain, Feb. 16, 1810: but he does not appear to have had any opportunity of distinguishing himself until March 13, 1811; on which day he commanded the Volage a 22 gun ship, and bore a very conspicuous part in the action off Lissa, officially described at pp. 472 — 4/6 of Vol. II. Part I f. The Volage, on that occasion, was very much cut up in her hull, masts, sails, and rigging : her loss amounted to 13 killed and 33 wounded. On Captain Hornby*s return to his native place, a deputa- tion of the inhabitants of Winwick waited upon him to offer their congratulations upon his safety, and to convey the wishes of the parish at large that he would honor with his presence a public festival, to be celebrated upon the 26th Aug. 1812, in commemoration of the victory off Lissa, and a» a tribute of their respect for himself and his family %, Captain Hornby subsequently commanded the Stag 36 and Spartan 38, which latter frigate he paid off about July, 1816. He married, Nov. 22, 1S14, a daughter of the late Lieutenant- General Burgoyne. jigents. — Messrs. Cooke, Halford, and Son. \ HON. WILLIAM GORDON. Grandson of the late Earl of Aberdeen, and brother to the present peer. • See Nav. Chron. Vol. xxv, pp. 64—56. t See note * at tlie latter page. X See Nav. CAron. Vol. zxvii, pp. 204—212. dnce been he Bath. y Hornby, e, by Miss . He was , Aug. 15, le does not ing himself landed the )UH pnrt ill '2— -i/G of I, was very f : her loss L a deputa- im to offer onvey the 3r with his the 26th issa, and as Stag 36 ibout July, of the late ther to the POST-CAPTAINS OF 1810. 71 This officer served for a considerable time on the East India station, which he unfortunately quitted just at the commencement of a series of very brilliant operations. He received his first commission July 2, 1804 ; was made a Commander, April 24, 1807 ; and promoted to post rank (shortly after his return to England), March 12, 1810. On the 17th Jan. 1813, we find him commanding the Magicienne frigate, and capturing the American schooner privateer Thrasher, of 14 guns and 80 men. He subsequently assisted at the reduction of St. Sebastian *. FRANCIS STANFELL, Esq. Was made a Lieutenant July 31, 1795, and promoted to the rank of Commander Feb. 4, 1803 ; previous to which the Turkish gold medal had been presented to him for his services during the Egyptian campaign. Early in 1806, Captain Stanfell was appointed to the Scorpion brig, of 18 guns, then at the Leeward Islands, to which station he proceeded as a passenger on board one o^ the Falmouth packets. On his arrival at Barbadoes, he had the mortification to find that his brig had been taken to the coast of America, by Sir John B. Warren ; and after many months anxious expectation, during which he resided onshore at a great expense, he received letters from England acquaint- ing him that she had returned to Europe, and that there was no probability of his being able to join her unless he likewise came home. In consequence of this information, Captain Stanfell hastened back to England, and assumed the command of the Scorpion, on the Plymouth station, in the spring of 180/. On the 21st Nov. in the same year, he captured la Glaneuse, French ketch privateer, a remarkably fine vessel, of 16 guns and 80 men. Avuiiiiig himself of information obtained from his prisoners relative to le Glancur, a celebrated privateer which Iiad been repeatedly pursued, but always escaped by superiority of sail- • Sec Vol II, Part II, p. 631. '( I ,i. i t I PM 3 !.; IM ; I 72 POST-CAPTAINS OF 1810. ingf Captain Stanfell immediately went in search of that vessel, and had the good fortune to capture her, on the 3d Dec, after a chase of 12 hours. This latter ketch mounted 10 guns, with a complement of 60 men ; and was well known at Lloyd's to have done more mischief than all the privateers out of St. Maloes, having run two years with uninterrupted luck. We next find Captain Stanfell employed blockading Basse- terre, Guadaloupe j near which anchorage, and under the fire of a land battery, he captured, after an action of two hours, rOreste French national brig of 16 guns and 130 men, in- cluding several naval and military passengers. The enemy, on this occasion, had 2 killed and 10 wounded ; the Scorpion not a man slain, and only 4 wounded. This gallant Sir>:ce was performed in the night of Jan. 11, 1810*. The following are extracts from Sir Alexander Coch rune's letter to the Admiralty, announcing the subsequent coiu]uest of Guadaloupe : " Captaius Stanfell, Elliott, and Flii , with detachments of seamen, were attached to the second division of the army ; • • • • with all of whom the General is highly satisfied f. " I hare entrusted this despatch to Captain Stanfell, who has been actively employed on this service, and will consequently be able to ^ive such further particulars as their Lordships may require : and I take leave to mention him as an officer whose zeal and merit entitle him to their lordships' protection.'' Captain Stanfell returned home in the Hazard sloop; arrived at the Admiralty, March 15, 1810; and was promoted to post rank on the 19th of the same month. His subsequent appointments were to the Druid 32, Cossack 22, and Bac- chante 38 ; in which latter ship he proceeded from the Medi- terranean to Bermuda and North America, at the close of the war with France, in 1814. The Bacchante formed part of the squadron under Rear- Admiral Griffith (now Colpoys), at the capture of Castine; and was afterwards sent to take possession of Belfast, a town ou the western side of Penobscot bay, through which the I . • See iN aw. C/. Captain Austen's last appointment was, June 2, 1826, to POST-CAPTAINS OP 1810. 77 vhilst the Un- The com- [1 to hoist the V. ; {\nd Cap- uilified appro- g the whole of le Archipelago, lieynard sloop, ieuse corvette, ^veral piratical 0 the trade in da, he had the was no longer ft him nothing ■vice which, for e now come to al career — the Feb.20, 181G. join Sir Charles ^Ixmouth on an isten put to sea the weather lipelago before )bliged to bear scarcely had .W. to North, possible was she drove ou nasts were cut eded in saving ) Malta by the t purpose. It ster was solely 1 that Captain court-martial pril22, 181(i. no 2, 1826, to the Aurora of 46 guns, which frigate he at present commands on the Jamaica station. The subject of this sketch has been twice married ; 1st, in I8O7, to a Miss Palmer, by whom he had three daughters ; 2dly, in 1820, to a lady of the same maiden name, by whom he lias one soti. j^gent.—'J. Woodhead, Esq. I SPELMAN SWAINE, Esq. ^ Masrklrnte for the Ue of Ely. This officer is the second son, and eldest surviving child, of the late Spolman Swaine, Es(j. of Leverington, near VVis- beach, CO. Cambridge (at which place the family have resided for several centuries), by Dorothy, daughter of Walter Robert- son, of Lynn Regis, in Norfolk, Esq. The Swaines are re- luted, by intermarriage, to the descendants of Sir Henry Spelman. Mr. Swaine, the subject of this memoir, was born at Lynn Regis, Jan. 1, 1760; and he appears to have first embarked as a midshipman on board the Crocodile 24, commanded by Captain Albemarle Bertie, in April 1782. We afterwards fiiul him serving uiuh'r the same officer in the Recovery 32, which frigate was attached to Lord Howe's fleet at the relief of (iibraltar, and repeated his signals during the subsequent partial action off C ape Sp artel. The Recovery being paid off at the end of the American war, Mr. Swaine soon afterwards joined the Carnatic 74, Captain Anihony J. P. MoUoy, with whom he served until that ship also was put out of commission. Early in 17H5, having obtained an introductory letter from Lord Howe to Captain (now Sir William) Domett, Mr. Swaine was received on board the Champion 24, commanded by the latter officer, and then fitting at Woolwich. In that ship he served on the Leith station till the Dutch armament, 1787. At this period. Captain Domett was superseded, in conse- quence of his being nominated to the conrnand of the London, a second rate, intended to bear the flag of Vice-Admiral li lit 78 POST-CAPTAINS OP 1810. Alexander Hood, had the dispute with Holland been followed by a dcclaratioti of war ; and in which case Mr. Swaine was to have acconipaiiicd those officers to the East India station. After being borne for some time as a supernumerary on the books of the Sandwich guard-ship, Mr. Swaine joined the Lowestoffe frigate, Captain Edmund Dod, employed on Channel service *. During the Spanish armament, he served under the first Lord (iardner,then commanding the Courageux 74. At the commencement of 1791> Mr. Swaine was removed to the Discovery, Captain George Vancouver, a vessel then about to sail for Nootka Sound, in order to obtain formal restitution of the territories recti, ly seized by the Spaniards; and afterwards to explore the N. VV. coast of America f. During this very interesting, but tedious aiid perilous voyage, he was instrumental in saving the lives of Captain Vancouver, Lieutenant Peter Puget, a midshipn)an, and a boat's crew, when tieacherously attacked by a party of Indians ; on which occasion several of the English were severi'ly wounded, ami the who! would doubtless have been sacrificed, had not the boat he commanded opportunely arrived to their assihtance. The following is the account given by one of V ancouver'n companions X : "We jfenerally landed at some 8C<|ue9tiTC(l spot to cook our (iiiiiicr; and upon one oecuMion, wc were certuinly in the most iinmiuont ditii^er of beinjf murdered. Our hoat was in the mouth of the river" (named after Sir A. IMaokeiizie) ; " we had been eni'doyed in takiiitf soimdiufjs ; and the ulher liuut, whi -h had occn in company during the morning, had separated to Hurvcy a small bay, at a little distance. A point of land lay between us, and we thou'y'it it miglit take them a consideniMo (ime to rejoin ; wc, therefore, <'jtermincd to land, and dine at a spot whiiii Bcenied sheltered, and free from any savages. On nearing it, a fei were discoverfd ; but, from them, Vancouver thouj^ht there was nothlag to fear. Wc ac- • Captain (afterwards Rcar-Admiral) Dod died at Exeter, Dec. Ifl, 1815, aged 81 years. t See Vol. II, Part I, p. 200 et seq. N. B. Mr. Swaine had joined the Discovery previous to the alierculion between the courts of London and Madrid, but left her ;.giiin in consequence of the expected Spanish war. J The lute Captain John Stewart, who died Oct. 26, Ibll. See Sw. Chrm, V«|. xavlii, pp. 1—47. »'fti POST'CAFTAINS OF 1810. 79 en followed swaine was I'm station. ?rary on the ! joined the nployed on t, he served ; Courageux as removed vessel then tiiin formal ! Spaniards; America \. Ions voyage, Vancouver, joat'a crew, is ; on which ounded, anil had not the assibtanee. ancouver'n k our (liniicr ; itent (iHi))(er uf (named after iMiiidin^s ; ami iiiorniM^, hud lit (if limd iuy ralilt* (line to wliirh seemed re (Imcoveri'U ; f( ar. We ac- •ler, Dec. IB, had joine«I il»e r liondoii and «pniiish war. I. See AW. cordinjfly neartd the shore, and landed, when other savapes were observed to make their appearance from behind a small eminenfe, that had hitherto concealed them. On their approach, we perceived that many of them had put on tlieir war-dress, and armed themselves with spears, bows, and vvar- clults. By this time our l)()at had .({ot into shoal water, and was close to the beach, within reach of their arrows. Vancouver began to talk of retreating, yet did not like to shew any symptom of fear ; he ordered the artn-chest to be opened, and that every man should prepare to defend himself. The moment the savages saw us ariniuf;, they rushed towards the boat, and, plun^in^ into the sea, ^ot under our oars, so that they could not be used ; others laid hold of the boat, and endeavoured to haul her on shore. Vancouver in vain endeavoured to hold a parley with them, and to explain that no harm was intended . they every minute became more inso- lent and audacious, and I savv charly that they intended mischief. " IVly station vvas in the stern-sheets, where providentially lay a pair of large horse-pistols I took one of them, and u midshipman, vvho stood by me, seized the other. We had scarcely done this, when two tall, strong, horrid-looking savages, rushed into the water, within a few feet of us, each armear(ls promoted into tlio Electru sloop, but died of the yellow fever, at Port Royal, Oct. '24, IHII. Some ac- count of his family and sfrvicss will be found in the tXav. Chron. Vol. xxxii, p. 17H. t See Vol. 1, Part II, note at pp. (^'t—av). %VVVL, PART II. «. 82 POST-CAPTAINS OF 1810. FRANCIS BEAUFORT, Esq. Fellme of the Royal Society ; Vice President of the ytstronomical Society, Sfc. Sfc. This officer is a son of the late venerable Dr. Daniel Au- gustus Beaufort, Rector of Navan, co. Meath, and Vicar of Collon, CO. Louth, whose name " is well known to the British public as the author of our best map of Ireland, and most valuable memoir on the Topography, and Civil and Ecclesiastical State of that country; an excellent clergyman, of a liberal spirit and conciliating manners, and a man of taste and literature *." " Dr. Beaufort, in his latter yer'.rs, rebuilt the churches in both his parishes, which edifices remain monuments of his zeal and of his architectural taste. The church of Collon is built on the model of King's College, Cambridge. It sur- prises and delights the English traveller, and may well gratify, as it does, the national pride of the sister country. Dr. Beaufort was one of those who first proposed the Royal Irish Academy, and actively assisted in the formation, and in the regulation of that institution, of which he was one of the earliest members. To the establishment and improvement of the Sunday Schools in Dublin he contributed essentially by his personal exertions and constant attendance ; and he was one of the original founders of the admirable " Association for the encouragement of Virtue." He possessed an extraordi- nary variety of information, which M'as never suffered to be idle, nor produced for parade : it was circulated in the most liberal and agreeable manner by his conversation, and ever ready and ever useful to his friends and country on all public or private occasions. During the course of his long life he did little for himself, much for others ; nothing for money, scarcely any thing for fame ; much for his- country, more for virtue and religion. Many have said, and more have felt, • See " Memoirs of Riclianl Lovell Edjfcworth, Eoq." M.P. for St. John's Town, co. Longford (who married Dr. Beaufort's daughter), Vol. II. p. 193. 4 ^ oth« \ical Society, Daniel Au- id Vicar of wn to the reland, and [ Civil and clergyman, i a man of churches in lents of his t)f Collon is ige. It Bur- McU gratify, )untry. Dr. . the Royal ation, and in \s one of the improvement d essentially nee; and be Association an extraordi- uffered to be in the most on, and ever on all public long life he g for money, ountry, more ore have felt, ." M.P. for St iughtcr),Vol.n- POST-CAPTAINS OF 1810. that they never spent an hour in Dr. Beaufort's company without leaving it wiser and better, more disposed to do their duty to God and to their neighbour. In disturbed times, and in a country wliere political and religious dissensions have unhappily prevailed, he was eminently serviceable, combining, as he did, judicious loyalty with the virtues of a Christian, of a Protestant clergyman, and the talents and manners of an accomplished gentleman. Dr. Beaufort's peculiarly conciliating politeness increased the power and effect of his benevolence, not oidy upon the highest, but upon the lowest class of his friends, acquaintance, and parishioners. He lived to be an example of uncommon intellectual vigour in advanced age. When he was nearly 83, in the last year of his life, he was occupied in preparing, from a large mass of materials, an improved edition of the memoir accom- panying his map. His sight was so acute, that he could at that tige superintend the most delicate revisions of the map. His grateful parishioners propose to erect a monument to his memory. The general and deep regret felt for his loss does honor to virtue, and to the generous character of the Irish people." Dr. Beaufort died at Collon, in the year 1821. Mr. Francis Beaufort entered the navy during the Spanish armament, in 1790, as a midshipman on board the Latona 38, Captain Albemarle Bertie ; and we subsequently find him serving under the Hon. Robert Stopford, in the Aquilon 32 ; which latter frigate was one of Lord Howe's repeaters, on the memorable first of June, 1794 *. In the autumn of the same year, he removed with Captain Stopford to the Phaeton 38, which ship formed part of the squadron under Vice-Admiral Cornwallis when that officer made his celebrated retreat from a powerful French fleet, June 17, 1795 t- Mr. Beaufort ..ubscquently assisted at the cap- ture of la Flore, a 36-gun frigate ; la Daphne, mounting 30 guns J la Bonne Citoyenne, corvette j nine privateers, two other armed vessels, and many merchantmen ; likewise at the • Spc Vol. I. p. 75 rt neq. t See A/, note at p. 354 et teq. %4 84 P08T-CAPrAINS OF 1810. destruction of I'Echouc 28*. His promotion to the rank of Lieutenant took place about May 1796 ; and he appears to have continued in the Phaeton, under Captain Stopford and the present Sir James Nicoll Morris, until he was made a Commander, at the close of 1800. The matmer in which he obtained that step will be seen by the following official letter: " Pliiicton, of Mahtii-a, Oct. 28, 1800. " My Lord, — I liave the honor to acqiiuiiit yoiif lordship, tliat on tlic 25th intituiif, II. M. ship under my command chased a polacre, which sliowed Spanish colours, ensign and pendant, to an anchor under the fortress of Frann;erola, where a French privateer brig also took refuge. As the wind was on the shore, and they were close into the surf, and directly under a liattory of tivc heavy guns, there was no prospect of bringing them off then. The following night, tiie brig escaped tw tlu' westward, and the ship made two attempts for Malaga, but was driven back. Last night, the huid breeze appearing favourable, I sent the boats under the command of Lieutenant Franciji Ueaufort" (first of the Phaeton) " who, at five o'clock this morning, in opposition to a very obstinate resistance on first boarding, at the hatchways, with musketry, and on reaching the (piarter-deck, with sabres, got possession, and brought her out; she proves to be his Most Catholic Majesty's armed ship the San Josef, alias I'Aglies, m juuting two 2-l-poun(lers, iron ordnance, in the bow ; two brass eighteens for stern- chasers ; four i)ray a French privateer schooner, that had come in unseen by us in the night, and was so placed as to flank tiie ship, and give the alarm ; on which the barge and two cutters immediately pulled to the ship and boarded. I am convinced moredetermir.?'' bravery could not have been displayed than luis been showed by Lieutenants Heaiifort and Huish, Lieutenant Duncan (Jampbell, of the marines, Messrs. Hamilton and Staunton, midshipmen, Mr. Deagon the gunner, and the boats' crews employed upon this service. It is with extreme concern I add, that one seaman was killed on coming alongside, and that their very gallant leader, in trhom I have iver found a most capable and zealous axsinMut, was first wounded in the head, and af- ^ • See Vol. I. p. 354, et leq. I \e rank of ppears to pford and IS made a 1 which he cialletter: , 2B, 1800. hip, that on )lacre, which r under the took refuge. t, and directly )rin be his l\Io3t ies, mounting liens for stern- apletely found ;r of the navy ; joat), and 22 provisions be- !r state of pre- le unfortunate iin:h was ex- keep up with d and fired on , by \is in the arm ; on which »(! boarded. I displayed than tenant Duncan , midshipmen, on this service. led on coming '(,' >n'er found u c head, and af- t'OST-C.VPTAlNS OF 1810. 85 ten^ards received several sings througli his left arm and body. Lieutenant Canipbi'U received several sliglit sabre wounds, and Mr. Augustus Bar- ringt(ii) Hamilton was shot, while in the boat, through the thigh, notwitli- slaiidiiig whidi lie boarded, and liis conduct is highly spoken of; John Wells, a seaman, was also shot through the thigh. The loss of the enemy appears to have been 13 wounded, «i badly; and some are supposed to have been w()uny. ('aptaiii Beauftirt of the navy, (his friend and brother-in-law) not being at that time in active service, engaged to a>isi where he met with an adventure which afforded him a very happy opportunity of displaying great prudence and humanity. He thus describes it :— " While tranquilly employed there, surveyiujf, wooding, and watering, we were astonished by the report of some heavy guna. No ships were iu sight, there was no appearance of forts or castles on this almost unin- habited coast, and we began to think that the angel of Takhtalu was anticipating his autumnal summons $." " A small vessel, which soon after anchored in a neighbouring creek, put an end to our conjectures. She brought intelligence that the city of Adalia had been lately surprised by a rival Bey, and that the firing which had been heard was occasioned by an attempt of the former governor to •%take it. " An approaching occultation of a star, and a lunar eclipse, were shortly to take place ; and the island of Rashat, which is but a few miles from Adalia, seemed to be a desirable place for our little observatory. It would have been satisfactory to have obtained these observations near the principal city of the whole coast, but it was of more importance to our pursuits to avoid being entangled in the fends of those turbulent chief- tuns. This news, therefore, determined me to remain where we then were, off Cape Avova. The distance of Adalia, from thence, is eighteen miles ; and though we had distinctly heard the guns, we flattered ourselves that we might continue there, unperceived and undisturbed. */TAtNS OF 1810. On the 16th July, 1808, Captain John Maxwell, then com- manding the Royalist, a brig of the largest class, captured the Danish schooner privateer Aristides, of 6 guns and 41 men. At the time he fell in with this vessel she was engaging an English packet, which must have been taken had not the Royalist come to her assistance. Between May 1, 1809, and Feb. 24, 1810, he reported the capture of five French priva- teers, viz. — la Princesse of 16 guns and 50 men ; le Grand Napoleon, 18 guns, 75 men ; I'Heureuse Etoile, 2 guns, 15 men ; le Fran9oise, 14 guns, 60 men ', and the Prince Eu- gene, 14 guns, 55 men. His post commission bears date June 15, 1810. Captain Maxwell's next appointment was, April 27, 1812, to the Favorite of 20 guns, in which ship he visited all the British settlements on the coast of Africa, destroyed several slave factories on the Rio Pongus, and captured four Portu- guese ships, which he found employed in that cruel traffic. After the peace with France, in 1814, Captain Maxwell was appointed to the Barrosa of 42 guns ; and in Feb. 1825, he received a commission for the Aurora 46, on board which frigate he died, when about to proceed from Plymouth to Bermuda and the West Indies, May 31, 1826. cf J Ziti'^lii a;,i;,^;, I * r» •" • .^ : : PHILIP BROWNE, Esq. ! \ ;rir i The old and respectable family to which this officer be- longs, have long been settled at Godmanstone, c<; Dorset. His ancestor, Rear- Admiral Sir Robert Browne, Kat. was Captain of a ship attached to the squadron under Sir William Monson, at the capture of a Spanish galleon, in 1602 *. His father, Captain Philip Browne, R. N. lost his life when de- fending Savannah, in 1/79 f, and his two brothers also died * See Sehomberg's Naval Chronology^ Vol. I, p. 34. t See Royal Nav. Biog. Vol. I, Part I, p. 66 et teq. N.B. On refer- ring to the official report of General Prevost, who commanded the British troops at Savannah, we find it stated,—" that owing to the zeal, vigilance, and exertion of Captain Philip Browne, of H. M. S. Roue, first by sink- II 96 POBT-CAPTAINB OC 1810. in the eervice of their country, — one a capttdn in the royal regiment of artillery, aid-de-camp to Lord Seaforth, and go- vernor of fort Needham, Barbadoes ; the other a midshipman in the navy. u ; Captain Philip Browne, senior, married the grand-daughter of Joanna, wife of Edmund Dalby, Esq. and daughter and co- heiress of the Hon. John Finch, a son of Heneage, the first Earl of Nottingham, whose eldest son, Daniel, succeeded to that title, and also to the earldom of Winchelsea, both of which are at present enjoyed by his grandson. Heneage, next brother to the second Lord Nottingham, was created Earl of Aylesford, in 1714. The Dalby family (now extinct) were long seated at Brookhampton, in Warwickshire, and seised of the lordship of several manors in that county ; likewise of the manor of Hurst, co. Berks. Speaking of the male branches. Sir William Dugdale and other authorities agree, that in 1293, they were esquires, bearing ancient arms from their ancestors ; that they enjoyed the confidence of Edward III., Richard II., and Henry VI. ; were entrusted by those monarchs with the keeping of Guienne and Calais ; and held special letters of protection from them for their services. Philip Brownb, Esq. whose services we are now about to record, was born Sept. 16, 177^ ; &nd he entered the navy as a midshipman on board the Colossus 74, Captain HughC. Christian, in May, 1787- He afterwards served in the Race- horse sloop, successively commanded by Captain David Stow, and Captain (now Sir Thomas) Foley. ,yp In May, 1789, Mr. Browne joined the Illustrious 74, flag- ship of the Hon. John Leveson Gower j and in Dec. fol- lowing the Minerva frigate. Captain Robert Manners Sutton, with whom he proceeded to India. From June, 1790, until Dec. 1793, we find him serving under Commodore the Hon. William Comwallis, in the Crown and Minerva ; by which ing; his ship on the bar of Tybee river, to prevent the euemy's fleet under the Count d' Estaing crossing it, to co-operate with the land forces (which he effectually did) ; and secondly, bymwiningthe batteries of the right wing of the place with his officers and crew, he principally compelled the enemy to raise, the siege." * . POST-CAPrAINS OF 1810. i^ officer he was, at the lat' r period, promoted into the Bien Mm6 sloop, Captain (now Sir Richard) King. His subsequent appointments were, Mar. 1795, to the Nassau 64, Captain Herbert Sawyer; in 1798, to the Daphne 20, Captain Sir Charles Lindsay, Bart. ; Feb. 1800, to command the Chat- ham cartel ; and in the course of tlie same year, to the Ardent 64, Captain Thomas Bertie. The Daphne formed part of the squadron under Captain John Lawford, at the capture of a Swedish convoy, in the summer of 1798*; and Lieutenant Browne acted as cap- tain) of that ship, for some time, after the death of Sir Charles Lindsay f. In the Chatham, he conveyed the Wal- loon guards, taken at Surinam, from that colony to Old Spain X' Early in 1801, Lieutenant Browne was appointed to the command of the Swan hired cutter, in which vessel he intercepted and seized several notorious smugglers. Hia next appointment was. May 1802, to the Vixen gun-brig j and in her he made the following captures : — " Eiffht sinujfnflin^ vessels, one French privateer §, one merchant brig laden with sugar, one ditto with marble, one ditto with wine, and two Dutch ships with cargoes of colonial produce. He also recaptured a New- castle collier. • ■"■ For his activity while holding these two commands. Lieu- tenant Browne was promoted into the Charwell of 18 guns, Sept. 25, 1806 ; and we shortly afterwards find him com- manding the Plover sloop of war, in which ship he detained •See Vol. I, Part il. p. 497. t Sir Charles Lindsay was drowned ofTDemerara, March 6, 1799. He bad dined on shore ; but though the night was dark and windy, could not he persuaded from going off to his ship in a small boat ; the Daphne then at least ten miles in the offing. The consequence was, the boat filled ; and the service lost a very fine young officer, together with several valuable men. X Surinam was surrendered without opposition to the naval and military forces under Lord Hugh Seymour and Lieutenant-Geueral Trigge, Aug. 20,1799. i^ ;,\ ' IFtHi »* SUPPL. PART II. f Le Lyonnaise. \ Xr-'v H ';st' 'I '4< 98 POST-CAPTAINS OV 1810. six homeward bound Danish West Indiamcn, eleven other mercliant vessels laden with timber, wine, fruit, and salt, and one brig in ballast. He likewise captured a very valu- able smuggling lugger, and no less than seven French pri- vateers j viz. — -. L'Elize, 14 ^uiis ami Gd men; Jan. 1, IS07. Le Bohemienne, 2 jfuns, pierced for 8, and 28 men ; Oct. 30, 1807. L'Am'iral Martin, 4 guns, pierced for 16, and 104 men; Mar 22, 1809. \^ L'Aurore, 16 guns and 69 men, Sept. 18, 1809. L'Hirondelle, 16 guns and 65 men ; Oct. 22, 1809. Le Lezard, pierced for 14 guns, none mounted, 67 men ; Nov. 6^ 1809. Lc Saratu, 14 guns, pierced for 20, and 100 men ; Jan. 10, 1810. The Plover also recaptured, at various periods, twelve sail of merchant vessels, laden with spirits, wine, fruit, sugar, tobacco, provisions, fish, oil, coals, and timber. She likewise \ assisted at the capture of la Josephine privateer, mounting 4 guns, with a complement of 35 men. ' , ' "": In March, 1809, Captain Browne joined Captain George M*Kinley, who was then most strenuously co-operating with the Spanish patriots under Don Pablo Murillo. On the 9th of that month, 84 French soldiers entered the town of Marin, in Vigo Bay, but a fire being opened on them from v/ the Lively, Plover, and a gun-boat, they made a most pre- cipitate retreat: the commander of the marauding party, and a few cavalry, benefiting by their being mounted, left their companions, who, outrunning their officers, a Captain and a Lieutenant fell into the hands of the Spaniards, and were by them delivered to the British. During the operations against Flushing, in 1809, the Plover bore the broad pendant of Commodore Cockburn, who commanded the bombs and gun-vessels placed at the S. £. end of the town. The following is an extract of his official letter to Sir Richard L Strachan, reporting the pro- ceedings of the advanced squadron : — *' I beg alBo to be permitted to recommend to your notice and con- N^ •ideration. Captain Philip Browne, of this ship, to whom I feel under ^' " great obligation, for the assistance he has at all times afforded me, and for the assiduity, skill, and propriety with which he has managed the various M ■^- .V*»'' POST-CAPTAINS OF 1810. 99 details and arrangements of the flotilla, at the frequent periods of my being otherwise occupied, iu gun-vessels, on shore," &c. The total number of smuggling vessels seized by Captain Browne, while commanding the Swan, Vixen, and Plover, was twenty ; and their joint cargoes yielded to the revenue a c/ear profit of 47,214/. II5. lOrf. All the Danish vessels which he detained were condemned as droits of admiralty, to the great benefit of government. No less than 795 French sailors were taken prisoners by him at different times, and upwards of 200 British seamen rescued from captivity :— adding to these services, the number of vessels saved from being captured through his extraordinary vigilance, it cannot be denied that he had, by this time, proved himself a very valuable servant of the crown : his promotion to post-rank, however, did not take place until June 19, 1810. . ? In the following year. Captain Browne was appointed pro tempore to the Dannemark f 4, employed blockading Cherbourgh j and shortly afterwards to the Hermes 20, in which ship he captured an American laden with naval stores, for the use of the Brest fleet ; and two vessels from New York and Baltimore, with tobacco, ivory, &c. He also made one recapture j ran down la Mouche French privateer, mounting 14 guns, with 51 men on board, of whom 39 perished * j and' assisted at the capture of the Sword Fish, American privateer, of 12 guns and 82 men f. In 1813, the Hermes escorted a fleet of merchantmen to South America, from whence she returned home, in March, 1814. On the 30th of that month, a r.ourt-martial was assembled at Plymouth, for the trial of Captain Browne, on seven distinct charges preferred against him by his first Lieutenant, Mr. Charles Letch, whom he had recently been obliged to bring before a similar tribunal for gross miscon- duct, of which the latter was fully convicted. These seven charges were in no manner connected with oCl ^ • SeeiVflu. Chron. v. 26, p. 347. :> t See Royal Nav. Biog. Vol. II. Part I. p. 282. H 2 100 POST-CAPTAINS OF 1810. each other; some of them embracing offences of no less criminal a dye than fraud on the government, and false muster; whilst others were of a description that, even if proved, censure should have been the extent of punishment attached to them ; but, though one was altogether aban- doned by the prosecutor, and most of the others disproved by his own witnesses, the court, by one sweeping clause, adjudged the whole to be in part proved, and sentenced Captain Browne to b . dismissed from his Majesty's service ; a proceeding which, whether with reference to its informality fis connected with charges of a serious nature, or to its sevetity, stands without a precedent on record. It requires very little acquaintance with naval, or any other species of law, to discover, that such a sentence could not be legal : it would be absurd to comment on the hardship and injustice attendant upon a system which would at once confound all the varieties of offence, whether they were of a nature derogatory to the honor or moral character of the party, the result of a moment of irritation, or the conse- quence of a blameable warmth of temper. The following opinion, however, of an eminent counsel, places the subject in so clear a light, that we think it cannot fail to be ac- ceptable to our readers : — " The proceedings of naval courts-martial, as they are at present con- stituted, cannot reasonably be expected to adhere strictly to legal forms, or technical accuracy ; all that can be looked for is, that the charges should be specific, and the proofn of each charge should be sepuratdy, as well ai^ satisfactorily made out. I say separatrly, because the courts are bound to come to a decision on each, each being a distinct issue, on Avhich they must dedde ; it is, therefore, essential to justice thtt this should bo ob- •erred in naval courts, because they have not the same advantage which attends a military court-martial, where, if any inaccuracy occurs (as the court is not dissolved) the sentence may be sent Irnck for revisal before the result is made public : bu( where the sentence is promulged on the decision taking place, as in a naval court-martial, the prisoner is excluded from all redress (if it is irregular) except by the interference of autho- rity, as far as goes to the restoration of those deprivations which such a sentence was calculated to inflict. Now, in the present case, it appears to mc« that the prisoner hai much to complain of, fur he is accused of various offenoei of different descriptions : some (as of fnlte mutter*) arc POST-CAPTAINS OF 1810. 10) of no less it, and false hat, even it punishment rether aban- ers disproved >ping clause, nd sentenced ity's service ; ts informality re, or to its , or any other rtce could not the hardship ould at once ley were of a iracter of the or the conse- fhe following s the subject ail to be ac- at present con- to legal forms, charges should •atfli/, R8 well aft :ourt8 are Itound 01) which they Bhonld bo ol>- kdvantage which y occurs (as the r revisal before omulged on the oner Is exchuled rencc of autho- ns which such a case, it appears ic is accused of %he mutter*) arc !«o criminal, that, if he had been adjudged intentionally guilty of them, on proper and undoubted proof, he would have been precluded from all hope of future employment ; whilst others were of so inferior a nature, that, if guilty, a censure was the utmost to be deprecated : whilst this judgment is couched in terms so vague and uncertain, that it is impossible to collect whether he was found guilty of apart of every charge, or of some one, or of more than one of the whole charges of which one is a part. If i' means the former, it is in direct contradiction to the minutes, which state, that the last charge was abandoned, and for reasons which must have acquitted the defendant. Again, if it means the latter, it is ambiguous and uncertain to which of the charges it is to apply ; for it is as appli- cable in terms to that which was not tried, or to any of which they thought him not guilty^ as to any others ; and it would only prove that they perfectly acquitted him of some, by only finding him guilty of a part. The judgment, therefore, is so vague and uncertain, on a subject which imperatively calls for the utmost certainty, that I do not feel how the sentence founded on it can be consistently enforced. Having thus stated my impression on the case, I do not feel it necessary, nor would it liecome me, to analyse the evidence, in order to guess on what part of it the court formed their decision ; for, after all, it would be but guessing. I shall, therefore, content myself with stating my opinion, after having attended, with all the care I am capable of bestowing on the evidence, as applicable to the charges, as well as to the sentence, as founded on that application, that it is informal, irregular, and illegal t notwithstanding which, I cannot, from the nature of the subject, point out any mode in which Captain Browne can procure redress : the only amends he can look to, must be found in the justice and honorable feelings of the Board of Admiralty, in whose power it lies to restore the situation he has been deprived of, and to the prevention of which I can perceive nothing on the face of these proceedings : to that tribunal he will have a right also to submit any of those facts which, although capable of proof, did not occur to his recollection at the time of the trial. ♦• Temple, Nov. 29, 1814." (Signed) " Frs. Const." On receiving this most satisfactory legal opinion, Captain Browne presented a memorial to the Admiralty, containing not only the heads of the charges, but the whole substance of the minutes, and some official documents sufficient inthcra selves to refute the assertions of his accuser, that he had been guilty of fraitd and a false muster. The f(».iowing are extracts :— . ^ " That the facts of the case were not fialrly before the court-martial, is most evident, from the circumstances well known to the Commander-iiw chief at Plymouth, and every member of th« court, that your laemorialisl 103 POST-CAPTAINS OF 1810. was utterly incapable of making any sufficient defence to the charges, not only from severe indisposition of body and mind, but from his being in perfect ignorance of the existence of such an accusation till 48 hours before he was a prisoner in court. The charges were not transmitted through him, nor intimated to him, as is customary . He had no time to summon many witnesses whom he might have called for his justification, or to consult any friends or advisers as to his defence ; but through au excess of reliance on his own innocence, disdained to delay the investiga- tion a single hour 3 and thus he suffered heavy charges to pass under trial, without taking the means of repelling them, which common prudence rendered necessary *. " Your Lordships will be unable to discover the cause of the virulent malice, which so obviously pervades the whole of the charges, without a short explanation of the motives and chara(-ter of the prosecutor. Lieu- tenant Charles Letch had sailed several years with your memorialist, and had enjoyed his confidence in a very great degree ; Lieutenant John Kent had also been two years in the Hermes. Both had lived in the utmost harmony with your memorialist until a few weeks before the arrival of the Hermes, when these officers, especially the first, presuming on the friend- ship and protection with which your memorialiist had lung distinguished them, fell into such relaxation of discipline, and into such habits of oppression towards the inferior officers, a: made it absolutely necessary at last (however painful) for your memorialist to interfere ; which they re- sented by the many instances of faction, animosity, quarrelling, and dis- respect, which are fully detailed in the recent court-martial on Lieutenant Letch, and in many other papers before your Lordships, to which your me- moralist refers ; and if further evidence be necessary, that the charges originated in private pique and malice, and by no means for the good of the service, it would be found in this consideration, that the facts alluded to in the first and second charges, had occurred twelve and six months re- spectively before the Lieutenants ever thought of making them the sub- ject of prosecution, although it is proved in the minutes that there were several opportunities at Rio de Janeiro of bringing your memorialist to trial, where witnesses and parties were on the spot, of whose evidence your memorialist was unfortunately deprived f. ' ' • See Nav. Chron. v. 34, p. ;«)2. t "Adverting to what had appeared at the military trials of Captains Ca- meron and Roy, in Mar. 1 7!^)8, on several charges, his late Mi^esty ex- pressed his extreme disapprobation of keeping charges (having an oppor- tunity to prefer them) until they should have acTumulnted.and then bring- ing them before a court martial cullectivclt/, whereas every charge should be preferred at the time the facts on which it turns are recent, or, {f know- ingly passed over, ought neither in candour nor justice to be in future brought in question." See Id, p. 303. j . POST-CAPTAINS OF 1810. 103 " The first chaise is in substance,—' Tliat on the 25th April, 1813, in sight of Madeira, your meiuorialist sent for the master of the merchant- brig Recompense, on board the Hermes, and in the presence of the officers and ship's company abused him and challenged him to fight, took off his coat, and squared at him in an attitude, and aimed or made a blow at him ; and the master then lying down on the deck of his own accord, that your me- morialist ordered some marines to take off his coat, and oblige to him stand up, which attempt the piaster resisting, the marines tore his coat : and that your memorialist then challenged him to go on shore to fight at Madeira, by which conduct your memorialist was alleged to have violated the 23(} and 3Sd articles of war.' " The 23d article of ^var recites, * that if any person in the fleet shall quarrel or fight with any other person in the fleet, or use reproachful or provoking speeches or gestures tending to make any quarrel or disturb- ance, he shall upon being convicted thereof, suffer such punishment,' &c. &c. &c. " The 33d article of war alleged to be violated, recites, ' that if any flag-officer, captain, commander,) or lieutenant, belonguig to the fleet, shall be convicted of behaving in a scandalous, infamous, cruel, or oppres- sive manner, unbecoming the character of an officer, he shall be dismissed Ills Majesty's service.' " Such are the crimes of whicli your memoralist is accused, and such is the law which he is stated to have infringed. The simple facts of the case, in as far as they are in evidence before your Lordships on the minutes, are these :— " On the 3d April (.three weeks before the time of the transaction), your memorialist, proceeding from Cork, in his Majesty's ship the Hermes, with a convoy, happened to encounter the brig Recompense (not of the convoy), the master of which, by the most wilful mismanagement of his ship, ran foul of one of the convoy, which he also forced on hoard of his Majesty's ship, which was in imminent danger of being lost thereby. It is sworn, that the master could have prevented the accident of entang- ling the ships if he chose, but that the Hermes could not possibly avoid them. That your memorialist, in the alarm which he felt for the safety of the ship, called vehemently to the master of the brig Recompense to let go his anchor, and -,« timed him against the Inbberiy mode in which he was proceeding. That the master not only refused to desist from his miscon- duct, but actually forced the other vessel foul of the Hermes -, and in reply to your memorialist's desire to let go his anchor, it is sworn, even by the prosecutor's own evidence, that the said master, without any provocation, in presence of all the officers and crew of the Hermes, called him a damned white-faced rngcal, and said that if he had him on shore he trould thrash him. At this time, from the dangerous situation of the Hermes, and the urgent necessity of putting his orders in execution, your memorialist Itad uo possibility of communication with the sbip-uiastcr. That three 'I ■ 104 POJT-CAPTAl>B OF lil^lO. weeks after this outrage, when ia sight of the island of Madeira, the same vessel came close to the Hermes, and Lieutenant Kent pointed the master out as the aggressor, and offered to bring him ou board the Hermes with his papers for examination j to which your memorialist consented. That tlie master, on coming on board, behaved even then with great insolence and etf'roiitcry ; and that your memorialist, exces- sively irritated by his demeanor, and by the insolent threat of personal chastisement, by which the ship-master had so recently outraged his feelings, asked him what he meant by such abuse, and if he could now make good his threat, and face him as a man, and that he, the memo- rialist, would take no advantage, although in his own ship — and then threw off his coat fur the purpose : that the ship-master, to avoid lighting, lay down on the deck of his own accord ; and your memorialist declaring he would not strike him when down, ordered some marines who stood by to raise iiim up : but his clothes were not torn ; he received no abuse except being called a damned Irishman, nor was the smallest violence offered to him ; neither did the memorialist ever attempt to strike him. That your memorialist then asked the master if he would meet him on shore singly to execute his tlireat ; which he refusing, your memorialist put on his coat and left him, desiring Lieutenant Kent to see him on board, to press any man that he might find liable, but gave him especial orders not to (listress bim> in consequence of which none were impressed. That Lieutenant Letch, the prosecutor, remarked at the time, that the captain was too warm, but that the master of the Recompense deserved worse treatment than what he had received; and that he, as well as Lieutenant Kent, repeatedly afterwards approved of the circumstance. " Such is every particular of evidence on the transaction in question, whe- ther for or against your memorialist, which the minutes of the court martial afford ; and he has the more carefully selected them, because, with the exception of the present charge, your Lordships will find, there ia not a shadow of blame to be imputed to your memorialist, that can arise, by any possibility, out of the other charges, which it will hereafter be shewn, were utterly false, malicious, and vexatious. " With respect to the articles of war which your memorialist's conduct on this occasion is alleged to have violated ; he humbly begs to observe to your Lordships, that the 23d article is wholly inapplicable to the case, as this article prohibits one person belonging to his Mt\jesty's fleet from fighting with, or provoking, any other person belonging to the same fleet ; whereaa, in the present instance, only one of the parties is in his Majesty's service ; moreover, that it is an article seldom or never acted upon. " But the 33d article is, in fact, that alone which is contemplated to af- fect your memorialist's case ; on which he has also humbly to observe, that he is informed, that the penal acts of parliament ought to be strictly interpreted according to the letter, and not to be in any case straine«) by inference against the accused. That, in this instance, the legal ({uesUon 1 1 POST-C;VPTAlNS OF 1810. 105 ]i niit, whether the transaction was in itself generally that which is said to l>u iinl>ecoinin^ the character of an o£Scer and a gentleman ; but, whether it was scandalous, infamous, cruel, oppressive, or fraudulent ; and by being which, but not otherwise, it would be unbecoming the character of a gentleman ; cruelty, oppression, and/raud, is here quite out of the question : and yourmemoriaiiat most confidently submits to your Lordships' superior wiiidom, to your candour and justice, that the quality of the transaction (lid not deserve the character of scandalous and infamous, in the sense in- tended by the article of war ; and he submits fully to your Lordships, that there is not in all the annals of martial law, in the navy, an instance or pre- cedent, of scandal or infamy being attached by the sentence of any court martial to such a transaction as the present. " But while your memorialist pleads not guilty to the charge in a legal sense — his own feelings as an officer :md a gentleman, condemn iiim for the intemperance of pas.siou, which hurried him iuto so improper un excess. He fully admits the indecorous and bad example uf his conduct. He de« plores with the utmost contrition, that unhappy violence of temper, which, acted upon by sudden and irresistible provocation, has led him, when threatened with actual personal outrage, to forget that he was an ofScer, and to remember only that he teas a man, and by no means u coward, or orat that would shrink from the personal violence of any man under heaven. To your Lordships, as men of high personal courage, he appeals for indul- gence to this instance of human frailty. To such of your Lordships as are officers, and have been in his situation, he puts his case, and implores you to consider candidly the insolent abuse frequently offered by the low- bred masters of merchantmen, whose violence there is no law to punish, and whose vulgar excesses there are no feelings, except the fear of personal chastisement, to restrain. He asks your Lordships, whether allowance may not be made for a captain of one of his Majesty's ships having his passions worked up almost to frenzy on such an occasion as that ; where his ship, and the//i'c* of his men, are wilfully put in imminent danger, as well as his character as a seaman ; and when he is told, in presence of all hit crvw, that but for their protection the aggressor would have thrashed him ! — The candour of your Lordships will not fail to make allowance for him : and your memorialist trusts, that when he shews that, with the above ex- ception, he is entirely guiltless of every other charge, your lordships will deem, that he has, by the (iingracc he has suffered in dismissal, been already most cruelly punished for the venial offence which he committed, and that the sentence of the court martial is severe beyond all precedent, and ought to be mitigated." ••••••••••••• In consequence of this memorial, the minutes of the court- murtial were laid before Sir William Garrow and Sir Samuel Shepherd, the law officers of the Crown, who unhesitatingly declared that the proceedings of the court were informal and I 106 P08T-CAPTAINS 09 1810. irregular, and that there was nothing in the evidence which could warrant the sentence passed against Captain Browne, who was at length restored to his former rank, but not until the attention of Parliament had been called to the subject by his noble friend, the Earl of Egremont, April 20, 1816. Agents, — Messrs. Cooke, Halford, and Son. MATTHEW BARTON BRADBY, Esq. YouNGBST son of the late superannuated Rear-Admiral James Bradby, who died in 1809, aged 73,^ This officer was made a Lieutenant in July, 1796 ; and pro- moted to the rank of Commander April 29, 1802. He sub- sequently commanded the Calypso, a fine 18-gun brig, on the North Sea station. His post commissipn bears date June 28, 1810. Captain Bradby married, Nov. 25, 1808, Catherine, second daughter of Vice-Admiral Billy Douglas, commander-in- chief at Yarmouth. His youngest sister is the wife of Cap- tain James Aberdour, R. N. ,, , . ;h ■ ., . ,,;.; ,„, _ Agents. — Messrs. Maude, ..• t : >; ' WILLIAM PATERSON, Esq. i^-^ f^\ ^A Companion of the Most Honorable Military Order of the Bath ; and President of the Civil Court at Newfoundland, for the adjudication of all disputes respecting the Fisheries on the coast of Labrador. Son of George Paterson, of Castle Huntley, in Perthshire, Esq., by Anne, youngest daughter of John, 12th Baron Gray, in the Scotch Peerage. This officer entered the navy at an early age, under the auspices of Sir Alexander Cochrane ; and served as a mid- shipman on board his patron's flag-ship, the Northumberland 74, at the Leeward Islands ; where he was rapidly advanced to the rank he at present enjoys. The dates of his respective commisgioDB are as follow :— e6 (€1 ^'/ iS't, POST-CAPTAINS OF 1810. 107 Lieutenant, Feb. 18, 1805; Commander, April 9, 1808 ; Captwn, July 16, 1810. At the close of the war with France, in 1814, Captain Paterson commanded the Myrmidon of 20 gims : his subse- quent appointments were— April 25, 1815, to the Eridanus frigate ; and. Mar. 6, 1816, to the Minden 74, fitting for the flag of Sir Richard King, commander-in-chief on the East India station. v.' Previous to his proceeding thither. Captain Paterson ac- companied Lord Exmouth to Algiers, where the Minden sus- tained a loss of 7 killed and 37 wounded, on the memorable 27th Aug. 1816*. For this service he was nominated a C.B. j-t* on the 21st of the following month. The Minden returned home from India, Oct. 16, 1820; and was shortly afterwards put out of commission. Captain Paterson received his present civil appointment in April 1825. . . 1^. - f^ \ • y^ffcn^— SirF.M.Ommanney. cXu>d ^ nla^iKGxv^ HENRY PRESCOTT. Esq. A Companion of the Most Honorable Military Order of the Bath. Only surviving son of Admiral Isaac Prescott, by a daughter of the late Rev. Richard Walter, chaplain of the Centurion with Commodore Anson, during his celebrated ex- pedition to the South Seas, and author of *' Anson's Voyage "\ This officer was bom at Kew Green, co. Surrey, May 4, 1783 ; and he first embarked as a midshipman, on board the Formidable 98, commanded by the late Hon. Sir George C. Berkeley, in 1796. During the last four years of the French revolutionary war, we find him successively serving in the Queen Charlotte a first rate, Penelope frigate, and Foudroy- ant of 80 guns. . . >. , In the Penelope, Mr. Prescott assisted at the capture of le • See Vol. I., Part I, p. 227. N. B. Sir Richard King had previously proceeded to his command in the Magicicime frigate. Captain J. B. Purvis. t The following correction is to be made at p. 67, of Vol. I. Part I. line 5 from the bottom— /or reputed author re^a(/ author. 108 POST-CAPTArNS OF 1810. Guillaume Tell, a French 80.gun ship, Mar. 31, 1800*. The Foudroyant bore the flag of Lord Keith, by whom he was promoted into the Viucejo brig, on the coast of Egypt, in 1802. Lieutenant Prescott's next appointment was to the iEolus 32, which frigate formed part of the squadron under Sir Rich- ard J. Strachan, and had three men wounded, at the capture of four French line-of-battle ships, Nov. 4, 1805 f. Towards the latter end of 1806, Lieutenant Prescott joined the Ocean 98, flag-ship of Lord Collingwood, who promoted him into the Weazle brig, of 18 guns, Feb, 4, 1808. On the Ist April following, being then off Sardinia, Cap- tain Prescott fell it! with a French squadron, consisting of ten sail of the line, three frigates, one brig, and a store-ship, which he closely reconnoitred the next day, and then proceeded with the intelligence to his Admiral, who was at that time cruis- ing, with a more powerful force, near Sicily. Unfortunately, however. Lord Collingwood had to contend with strong westerly winds off Maritimo, and the enemy having rounded Sardinia, were enabled to reach Toulon without molestation. Captain Prescott was subsequently employed on the coast of Naples, where he gave great interruption to the enemy's trade, and obliged a French brig of 20 guns to seek refuge under some land batteries. This vessel he repeatedly dared to battle; but all his endeavours to entice her out proved fruitless, al- though eleven Neapolitan gun-boats were in readiness to sup- port her. His spirited conduct on this occasion must have had a good effect, the Weazlie's manoeuvres being witnessed both by the enemy's troops at Naples, and the English garrison of CaprL On the 8th Sept. 1806, Captain P^scott assisted at the cap- ture of four large gun-boats and thirty-four coasting vessels, assembled at Diamante, near the gulph of Policastro, which place he had blockaded with much perseverance, until the arrival of a sufficient force from Sicily to attack them |. • See Vol. I. Part II. p. 643 et seq. \ "' '^ • ' ' t See Vol. I. Part I. p. 289. "' < X Sec Captain Hbnrt Whitmarsu Pbarse, C. B. IV? rOST-CAPTAINS OF 1810. J 109 In Oct. 1800, the Weazle captured leVeloce French letter of marque, of 4 guns and 83 men. On the 25th Dec. in the same year, I'Eole, a polacre-rigged privateer, pierced for 20 guns, but mounting only 14, with a complement of 140 men, surrendered to her after a gallant resistance of one hour and thirty minutes, during which the enemy sustained a loss of 5 men killed and 9 wounded ; the Weazle only one man slain and one wounded. Between this period and June, 1810, Captain Prescott waa employed cruizing off Sardinia, on which station he made seven- teen prizes and recaptures : among the former was I'lppolite, French schooner privateer, of 5 guns and 78 men. We next find him assisting in the defence of Sicily, and whilst on that service repeatedly engaged with the flotilla equipped by Na- poleon's brother-in-law for the invasion of the island. The capture and destruction of a large convoy from Naples, at which Captain Prescott acted a prominent part, is fully de- scribed in our memoir of the present Lord Radstock f. Two days subsequent to that enterprise, Captain Prescott again landed at Amanthea, supported by a detachment of marines from the Cumberland 74 ; and after destroying se- veral vessels, succeeded in bringing off a gun, under a heavy fire (rf musketry, by which 3 of his men were wounded. In the course of the following months he was twice engaged with convoys passing along shore, and captured six vessels, two of which (an armed xebec and a gun-boat) he was obliged to abandon in consequence of a sudden shift of wind, and the Weazle's main-yard being shot away, which rendered it im- possible to tow them out from under a battery, where a large body of French troops had assembled for their protection. On this occasion the Weazle had 6 men wounded, one of whom mortally. The British naval force employed on the coast of Calabria being subsequently dispersed, in consequence of M urat break- ing up his camp and retiring to Naples, Captain Prescott was then sent to Smyrna, where he was superseded, in Feb. 181 1, having been promoted for his brfivery at Amanthea, and his t See Supplement, Part I. pp. 190 — 192. . , ^^t^uK no POST-CAPTAINS OF 1810. commission dated back so as to give him post rank from July 25, 1810, the day on which he had so greatly distinguished himself. Previous to his leaving the Weazle, however, he added one more vessel to the list of her captures. Captain Prescott's next appointment was, about Aug. 1811, to the Fylla of 20 guns, from which ship he removed to the Eridanus frigate, in the summer of 1813. He was nominated a C. B. June 4, 1815 ; and appointed to the Aurora 46, April 6,1821. n I In June following the Aurora left Chatham fully manned, and fitted for the South American station. On his arrival there Captain Prescott found himself the senior officer on the eastern coast, and he continued as such till the return of Sir Thomas M. Hardy from the Pacific, by whom he was im- mediately despatched to fill the same situation there. In 1822, the Congress of Peru having ordered a forced con- tribution on the commerce of Lima, the British proportion of which amounted to nearly 200,000 dollars. Captain Pres- cott remonstrated, and took such decided and effectual mea- sures as compelled an abandonment of that impolitic and iniquitous exaction. The merchants, in consequence, came to the following resolution : — " At a meeting of the British merchants, held in the British Commer- cial Rooms, Lima, Oct. 12, 1822, it was resolved, that the sum of 1600 dollars be voted to purchase a testimonial of our respect and gratitude to Captain Prescott, for the services rendered us during our present differ- ences with the Peruvian government. (Signed) " John Moens, Chairman." After remaining in that ardous command for about 18 months, Captain Prescott proceeded to San Bias, and subse- quently made a coasting voyage, for the purpose of taking in specie at the different ports of Peru and Chili. The Aurora returned to England with a considerable freight, and was paid off in Feb. 1825. Captain Prescott married, July 5, 1815, Mary Ann Char- lotte, eldest daughter of the late Vice-Admiral d'Auvergne, Prince de Bouillon, by whom he has several cliildren. His only brother, an officer in the Hon. E. I. Company's infantry, was drowned when returnmg to England, in 1806. .^^en/.— John Copland^ Esq. l»OST-CAPTAlNS OF 1810. '.:(!".. ^' . - THOMAS GRAVES, Esq. Post commission dated Aug. 8, 1810. Agents.— Measva. Cooke, Halford, and Son. Ill THOMAS WHITE, (a) Esq. ^ *"^ *1 Post commission dated Aug. 7> 1810. Agents. — Messrs. Stillwell. -- SIR NISBET JOSIAH WILLOUGHBY, Knt. ^ Companion of the Most Honorable Military Order of the Bath. It appears by the records of the College of Arms, that this officer is lineally descended from Edward Willoughby, of Cossall, in Nottinghamshire, Esq., who was the second son of Sir Percival Willoughby, Knt., by Bridget, eldest daughter and co-heir of Sir Francis Willoughby, of WoUaton, in the same county, Knt. and that the eldest son of the said Sir Per- cival (Sir Francis Willoughby, of Wollaton,) was the direct ancestor of the present Lord Middleton. It also appears, by the same records, that the before mentioned Edward Wil- loughby, of Cossall, was paternally descended from Sir Chris- topher Willoughby, Knt., summoned to Parliament as Baron Willoughby de Eresby, a lineal descendant and representa- tive of William de Willoughby, lord of the manor of Wil- loughby in Lincolnshire, in the reign of King John ; that he was maternally descended from Sir Richard Willoughby, Knt., Chief Justice of the Common Pleas in the reign of Edward U. ; and that his paternal and maternal ancestry in- termarried with and were descended from several noble and illustrious families, distinguished in the history of this coun- try. Among ^ix Nisbet's paternal ancestors, we find one fighting at the famous battle of Cressy ; another bearing a part in the glorious achievement at Poictiers ; and a third distinguishing himself under Henry V. at Agincourt, 112 POSt-CAPTAlNS OP 1910. i. i The latter gentleman, Sir Thomas Willoughby, of Parhani, was brother to Robert Lord VVilloughby, the last English governor of Paris, whose name is recorded among the greatest soldiers of that age, and mentioned by Hume, in chap. XX. of his English history, edit, of 1767. Sir Francis Willoughby, who prevented the castle of Dub- lin from being seized by Roger Moore's partisans, is spoken of by Dr. Lehmd *; and the stout resistance made by the fifth Lord Willoughby, of Parham, against the parliamentary forces sent to reduce Barbadoes, in 1651, is noticed by Bryan Edwards, in his Political and Commercial Survey of the British West India Islands, vol. I. p. 343. The motto of that branch of the family to which Sir Nisbet J. Willoughby belongs, originally " Courage sans Peur," is now " Vbrite sans peur." The subject of the following memoir is a son of the late Robert Willoughby, of Cossall and Aspley Hall, both in the county of Notts, and of Cliffe, in Warwickshire, Esq., by Barbara his second wife, one of the daughters of James Bruce, of Wester Kinlock (and the family of Airth), Esq., by Janet, daughter of Sir Edward Gibson, Bart, of Pint- land, N. B. and Barbara his wife, daughter of the Hon.. John Maitland, spn of Earl Lauderdale. Mr. Nisbet Josiah Willoughby was born in 1777 j and he commenced his naval career, as a midshipman on board the Latona frigate. Captain Albemarle Bertie, May 12, 1790. Subsequent to the Spanish armament, we find him serving in the Edgar 74, Captain Anthony J. P. Molloy ; Alligator 28, Captsdn Isaac Coffin ; and Vengeance, a third rate, bearing the broad pendant of Commodore Pasley, commander-in-chief at SheernesB. . On the 13th Jan. 1793, Mr. Willoughby joined the Orpheus. 32, Captain Henry Newcome, then about to sail for the coast of Africa, where he assisted in cutting out four French brigs and a schooner, April 22 and 24 in the same year. The cap- ture of these vessels, and Mr. Willoughby's subsequent ship- wreck, when conducting one of the brigs to Sierra Leone, have * See Leland's History of Ireland, Vol. III. p. 110 et seg. POST-CAPTAINS OF 1810. 113 been noticed at p. 35 et seq. His escape on the latter occa- sion may justly be deemed miraculous ; for even if it had been within the limits of possibility to have gained the shore, he would certainly have been enslaved for life, if not instantly murdered. The manner in which the Orpheus was employed after her return to England will likewise be seen by reference to our memoir of Captain William (ioatr. On the 5th May, 1794, the Orpheus, then off the Isle of France, captured le Duguay-Trouin, a French 18-ponnder frigate, after a sharp action, in those days termed brilliant, of an hour and ten minutes, during which the enemy, out of 403 persons on board, had 21 killed and 60 wounded ; the British, only 194 in number, 1 slain and 9 wounded. An extract of Captain Newcome's official letter on this occasion is given at p. 36e^5ey. In Aug. 1795, Mr. Willoughby assisted at the capture of Malacca. The public despatches reporting that event, inform us, that the measures adopted by the Dutch authorities, sub- sequently to the amicable proposals tendered by the British naval and military commanders, having rendered it necessary to land the troops sent against that settlement, hostilities com- menced by the Resistance frigate firing upon, and, after the ex- change of two guns, taking possession of the Constantia, a Dutch armed ship, which had warped herself into the mud, be- tween the English squadron and the fort ; — the dashing manner in which that ship was taken possession of is not mentioned. Finding the Dutch governor determined upon resistance, the signal was made by Captain Newcome for all the armed boats of the squadron to assemble near the Orpheus, as he in- tended that they should proceed under the command of one of his own Lieutenants to secure and bi'ing out the Constantia, she being an impediment to the debarkation of the troops. Lord Camelford (of whom we have twice had occasion to speak*), was then a Lieutenant of the Resistance, and he com- manded one of the boats that first reached the Orpheus. Im- patient of delay, and anxious to distinguish himself, his lord- ship desired Mr. Willoughby, who had the charge of a cutter, • See Vol. I. Part II. p. 715 et seq. and Vol. II. Part I. pp. 202—204. SUPPL. PART II. lu ,. ,. . -fc :t^; -. 114 POSt-CAPTAINS OF 1810. f ri f then lying off on her oars, to follow him : — this was done in the most quiet manner possible ; and^ when at some distance from the frigate, both boats gave way, for the purpose of boarding the enemy, one on each side. The Dutch ship being of considerable tonnage, extremely light, and well armed, with about 100 men on board, the re- sult of this attack would in all probability have proved fatal to the whole of the assailants, had not the captain of the Re- sistance fortunately perceived Lord Camelford's unauthorized proceeding, and, trembling for the consequences, opened his fire upon the Constantia, which, although distant and harm- less, gave the enemy an excuse for hauling down her colours. At this moment the two boats were close to their object, and they actually got alongside before the others had well left the Orpheus'* I • We have noticed the above circumstance, because it affords a proof how little Lord Camelford considered his personal safety when there was the least prospect of gaining fame ; and also of the injustice that has been done to his memory by comparing him with the notorious George Robert Fitzgerald — a bully and a coward. As Lord Camelford's impetuous public career and untimely end are better known to the world than his private actions, we shall here tran- scribe a passage from " The Clubs," a popular work recently published :— " Though the latter fought several duels, it is well known that he ge- nerally ititd sufficient provocation, and that he received several insults which he never thought worthy of public notice ; in short, his general deportment was mild, and he never sought a quarrel, for which Fik^i^v^rald was on the constant look-out. Camelford, likewise, had a most generous heart ; for whilst the fashionable world was taken up with his eccentrici- ties, he was in the habit of performing many private charitable acts, amongst those of the poor who were ashamed to beg. His charities were invariably administered under an assumed name, and he never failed to threaten those whose curiosity he suspected, with a suspension of their salary, if they dared to follow him, or tried to find out who their bene- factor was. He usually went out on such expeditions at night, and he has often left a crowded and brilliant assembly, to dress himself in an old brown coat and slouched hat, in order to visit some poor family in the crowded courts between Drury Lane and Charing Cross. In such deeds as these, and at the expence of several thousands a year, did this unaffected philanthropist pass the hours which he stole from the dissipation of high life ; and his protegles were not aware of the name or quality of their benefactor, until his untimely fate put a pcrio and two French privateers. Under these circumstances, no a.tei'native remained but to try the effect of a land- ing. Leaving, therefore, the two frigates, as well to blockade the harbour, as to cause a diversion of the enemy's force. Captain Bligh, with the two 74's and schooner, bore up for a small cove which had been pointed out by Mr. Fitton as the most eligible spot for effecting a disembarkation. •" According to a previous arrangement, the boats of the squa- dron, containing 605 officers, seamen, and marines, had as- sembled alongside the Hercule ; and the whole detachment was placed under the orders of Captain Dunn. • " In passing Fort Amsterdam, situated on the S. E. side of the entrance to St. Ann, the two 74's were fired at, but without effect, the shot falling short. At 11-30, Fort Piscadero, mounting 10 Dutch 12-pounder8, and protecting the intended point of disembarkation, opened a tire. This was immediately returned by the Theseus, within half-musket shot, although the ship was unable to remain alongside owing to a strong head wind and loe current. By-making short tacks, however, the Theseus brought her gims • Jamee, v. iii, p. 414. PO»T-CAPTAINS OF 1810. 123 to beeir with such effect, tUat tlie fort iired only an occasional gun when the ship was in stays. At 1 P. M. the first division of seamen and marines in the boats stormed and carried the fort without loss, and struck the Dutch colours, which the enemy, on retreatin^^, had left flying. By a rapid movement, the British," under the command of Lieutenant fFi(- loitghby, " reached the heights, and, mth the loss of only 4 or 5 killed and wounded, drove the Dutch soldiers from their position. This done, the remainder of the leamen and marines were landed, and the Gipsy scboo- y the Turks. 134 POST-CAPTAINS OF 1810. detaining him until the breeze should die away, which was then favorable for an attack. To put an end to this farce. Lieutenant Willoughby rose, ordered the dragoman to say that he would wait no longer, and that he was determined to return on board ; upon which Ysak Bey replied he would conduct him to the Grand Vizier. After a short walk, Lieutenant Willoughby found himself at the entrance of a large building, and was speedily ushered into a superb saloon, where 6 or 7 persons of consequence were seated. In about a quarter of an hour after, the whole Divan assembled, and the Grand Vizier was made acquainted with the object of the Lieutenant's visit ; the contents of Mr. Arbuthnot's letter, and Sir J. T. Duckworth's message, being translated and communicated to him by the dragoman. A conference, in whispers, now took place ; during which pipes, sherbet, and cofifee were passed round, according to Oriental custom. Of the latter, Lieutenant Willoughby par- took ; as he had also done at the house of Ysak Bey. Finding from the conversation, or rather the repeated ques- tions addressed to him through the dragoman, that the Grand Vizier was still trying to gain time ; and having been strictly enjoined only to allow a stated period to elapse after the de- livery of the Admiral's message. Lieutenant Willoughby rose to the very moment his orders permitted him to remain, and demanded with firnmess, but in the most respectful manner, the answer he was to take back, and permission to depart ; both of which were immediately given. On his return to the Turkish gun-boat. Lieutenant Wil- loughby was again escorted by Ysak Bey, who took hold of his arm in a familiar manner, as if for support, although he had not betrayed the least symptom of indisposition while attending the Divan. In all probability, however, this ruse was of service to the British officer; for although Ysak gained time for his countrymen to complete their warlike preparations, by obliging his companioii to walk at a very slow pace, he thereby led the immense mob to believe that the negociation was proceeding in a friendly manner : had the armed rabble, then collected at Constantinople, been ) I POST-CAPTAINS OP 1810. 136 aware that a British Admiral, with only seven sail of the line, two frigates, and two bombs, neither of them having a single soldier on board, had demanded the surrender, without resist- ance, of two three-deckers, ten other line-of-battle ships, nine frigates, and numerous small craft, protected by** a chain of batteries," and ready to be defended by ** near 200,000 troops," from the enthusiastic janizary to the wild arab, there cannot be a doubt that Lieutenant Willoughby, the dragoman^ and the English boat's crew, would all have fallen victims to the insulted feeling of the proudest and most haughty nation in Europe. • '•!'!' ' f Lieutenant Willoughby took leave of Ysak Bey,, off Seraglio Point, between 9-30 and 10 A.M., at which time the wind was still favorable for the British to attack Constantinople. Anxious to see decisive measures adopted, and knowing what the result of the expedition would otherwise be, he imme- diately proceeded on board the Endymion, communicated, by telegraph, to Sir John T. Duckworth, the answer he had re- ceived (" a negociator will be sent off to the British Admiral at noon"), and then pulled for the Royal George, in order to afford every information which his chief might require, as to the state of the Turkish fleet, the batteries, &c. " At noon of the 21st.," says Sir John T. Duckworth, " Ysak Bey came off j from whose expressions Mr. Arbuth- not thought it impossible not to believe that, in the head of the government there really existed a sincere desire for peace, and the negociation was carried on till the 27th ;" but not one word does he mention about Lieutenant Willoughby, or his delicate mission. To the telescopes on board the Royal Georgo, and not to the information obtained from his zealous subaltern, does he acknowledge himself indebted for the in- telligence, ** that the time granted the Sublime Porte to take its decision had been employed in warping the ships of war into places more susceptible of defence, and in constructing batteries along the coast, therefore rendering it his duty to lose no time *." This, however, is not to us so much a matter of wonder, * Extract of his correspondence, as translated from the Moniteur. m' m ! 136 POST-CAPTAINS OP 1810. when we remember that even the name of Captain Dunn, his old and faithful follower, did not appear in either of the public letters which he wrote concerning that abortive expedition ; although an officer of the same rank, who volunteered to serve in the Royal George, after the accidental destruction of his own ship, is highly praised '* for his able assistance in regu- lating the fire of the middle and lower decks," when first passing the Dardanelles *. To prevent any misconception on the part of the future historian, we must here add, that Lieutenant Willoughby was the only officer that landed at Constantinople, after the flight of the British Ambassador and merchants ; and that, if he had failed in obtaining an interview with the Grand Vizier, it is more than likely that the Turkish government would not have deigned to communicate with the British authorities, after contemptuously neglecting to notice, either their former threats or persuasions. The situation in which Lieutenant Willoughby was so unexpectedly placed, appears to us to have been one of the most extraordinary and dangerous nature : no one but a man of the strongest nerve could possi- bly have acquitted himself as he did ; and no officer could have more acutely felt the official neglect which he experienced. . On the day previous to Sir John T. Duckworth's retreat from before Constantinople, he addressed a letter to Lord CoUingwood, of which the following is an extract : — " My Lord, — I have to inform your Lordship, that it was perceived at nine o'clock yesterday morning, that the Turks had landed on the island of Prota, near which the squadron was anchored, and were erecting a battery in a position to annoy us : I immediately ordered the marines of the squa- dron to be prepared for landing, and the boats to be manned and armed ; the Repulse, with the Lucifer, having been directed to cover them, they proceeded towards the island. The Turks, on the ships firing a few grape to scour the beach, quitted the island in their boats, when all but one boat witli eleven men escaped ; the which, with two guns they had intended to mount, fell into our possession." ■ .:';'■<;..■* .'. On this occasion. Lieutenant Willoughby commanded a • See Vol. I. p. 649 et seq; — and make the following correction in the note * at p. 803, /or the name of each of the Captains, r^at/ the names of several Captains. - . Post-captains or 1810. 137 double-banked cutter, in which he was lying off upon his oars, waiting for the boats of the squadron to assemble near the Royal George, at the time when the enemy began to re- embark. Perceiving that they were exerting themselves to reach the Asiatic shore, and that the whole would escape if not attacked before all the British boats could be got toge- ther, he immediately dashed on towards their main body, obliged the two stemmost boats to alter their course, and gave way to board the nearest. During the pursuit, the boats thus cut off ran alongside of each other, apparently to exchange some men, but separated again in a minute or two, and continued pulling with great velocity towards the main land. On approaching pretty close to them, Lieutenant Willoughby distinctly saw that one was manned with about 20 Greeks, and that the other had a Turkish crew, 13 in number : the former soon ceased rowing, held their hands up, and cried for mercy. No honour could be gained by capturing them, and they were, therefore, allowed to escape. After exchanging a few musket-shot with the Turks, they likewise laid in their oars ; and when Lieutenant Willoughby arrived within about twenty yards of them, their chief took his sword by the point, and presented the handle to him, thereby indicating that he surrendered. Having continued to advance. Lieutenant Willoughby was about to take hold of the sword thus offered in token of sub- mission, when, to his great astonishment, two Turks pointed their pistols towards the stem of his boat, and fired, killing one man and mortally wounding another. Enraged at this treacherous act, the remainder of the British sailors would instantly have commenced an indiscriminate slaughter ; but as Lieutenant Willoughby had kept his eye constantly fixed upon the Turkish o£&cer, he felt convinced that it was not connived at by him, and therefore he would only allow the two guilty individuals to be slain — of the others not a man was hurt. * The principal captive taken by Lieutenant Willoughby' proved to be a person of rank ; and as the Turks had just before captured the Endymion's jolly-boat, with a young 138 POSt-CAFTAlNS OF 1810. nudshipman and four lads, he was allowed to depart from the Royal George, for the purpose of endeavouring to effect an exchange of prisoners, promising that he would return, and again surrender himself, in case of failure : no exchange, however, took place j neither did the Turkish oflScer ever afterwards make his appearance, although, if we are not greatly in error, he had been sworn, on his own copy of the Alcoran, to do so. Mr. Harwell, the midshipman alluded to above, and his unfortunate juvenile boat's crew, were detained on board the ship of the Capitan Bey until she was taken by the Russians, off Lemnos, July 1, 1807. ■*• ' ■ '- "'^^ '>■ Another affair, in which Lieutenant Willoughby was the commanding officer, and one of the principal sufferers, is thus described by Sir John T. Duckworth : — i •' At half-after two o'clock ia the afternoon" (Feb. 27) " Sir Thomas Louis" (ike third in command of the squadron) " sent to inform me, that he had received intelligence of a small number of Turks being still on the island, and requesting permission to send marines to take them ; my reply was, that no risk whatever must be run, but if it could be effected without hazarding the people, it might ; and a party of the Canopus's marines was immediately sent on shore in consequence, with the most positive orders to Oaptain Kent, from !i»ir Thomas Louis, not to pursue the object if he found it attended with any hazard. At four o'clock the party on shore made the signal for assistance, and the marines and boats were directly ordered away from the Royal George, Wiudsor (Jastle, and Standard, with particular directions to bring off the Canopus's people, but to avoid being drawn into danger. A little before sun-set, an officer was despatched with orders for the whole to return on l)oard. On the return of the boats, which was uot until after dark, I heard with the deepest regret of the loss we had BU3tained, a list of wliich I herewith transmit * ; and do most particularly lament Lieutenant Belli, a young of- ficer of the fairest promise, who had never served but with myself. To account in some degree fbr this unlucky affair, it appears that the informa- tion of a few Turks only having remained on the island was entirely false, as netorly one hundred of them had retired to an old convent, from loop- holes in the walls of which they defended themselves with musketry. The people of the Canopus bad in the first instance advanced close under the walls, and in endeavouring to relieve them from their unpleasant situation, the others suffered." On this, as on the former occasion, Lieutenant Willoughby * Total, 2 officers, 4 seamen, and 1 marine killed ; 2 otficers, 3 mid< shipmen, € seamen, and 8 marines wounded. ■'• ' '•-• i ^ - > POST-CAPTAIMS OF 1810. 139 pushed on without waiting for the detachment of boats ta assemble. On landing at Prota he found that the marines of the Canopus had attacked a large building situated on an emi- nence in the centre of the island, surrounded with a strong iron railing, and defended by at least one hundred Turks, two or three of whom were firing through each of its numerous loop-holes and windows. An attempt was now made to get part of the marines round to the left wing ; and Lieutenant Willoughby, perceiving three men to be much exposed, was calling to them to stoop, when two pistol- balls struck him^ one entering his head just above the right jaw, and, from the upward position of his face at the moment, taking a slanting direction towards the region of the brain, where it has ever since remained. The other shot cut his left cheek in two^ and he lay, for more than six or seven minutes, apparently lifeless on the ground ; but, at the very moment that his party began to retreat, one of his arnis was observed to move, and he was carried off to the ship as one of whom no hopes were entertained. In short, so desperate was his case, that the surgeon of the Royal George also considered him to be mortally wounded, and officially reported him as such for three days afterwards. The commissioned officers slain at Prota were Caption Kent, R. M. and Lieutenant Belli, of the Royal George; which latter gentleman, it will be remembered, was wounde4 when serving under Lieutenant Willoughby, at the capture of la Felicite, in March, 1804. Among the badly wounded were Messrs. John Alexander and John Wood Rouse, midsh^pmep, both of whom were with him when Jie so gallantly pursued the Turkish boats in the morning of the same di^y. It is worthy of remark, that Messrs. Willoughby, Belli, Aiexandef, and Rouse, all belonging to the same ship, were nearly touclv- ing one another when each received one or paore of the Turkish shot. Although Lieutenant Willoughby's perseverance, gallantry, and sufferings, whilst employed in the sea of Marmora, were not publicly reported by Sir John T. Duckworth, with whom he had always been on the most friendly terms, his praise- I J 40 POST-CAPTAINS OF 1810. worthy conduct was afterwards represented by that officer to the Admiralty, in a private communication, and duly appre- ciated by their Lordships. Lieutenant Willoughby's discharge from the Royal George took place July 13, 1807 ; immediately after which we find him proceeding to the Rio de la Plata, as a passenger on board the Otter sloop, for the purpose of assuming the com- mand of la Fuerte, a very fine Spanish corvette, pierced for 28 guns, which vessel had fallen into the hands of the British, at Monte Video, in the month of Feb. preceding *. On his arrival in that river. Lieutenant Willoughby had the mortification to find that la Fuerte was not destined to wear an English pendant, the Spaniards having compelled Lieutenant- General Whitelocke to retire from South America, and the shipping taken at Monte Video being again in their possession. From thence, our disappointed officer proceeded in the Otter to the Cape of Good Hope, where he succeeded Cap- tain John Davies (a) in the command of that sloop, Jan. 10, 1808. His commission as a Commander was confirmed by the Admiralty, April 9, in the same year. The Otter's first cruise ojff the Isle of France was under the orders of Captain Robert Corbett, then commanding la Nereide, a frigate universally allowed to take the lead of every other " crack " one in the British navy j and Captain Willoughby, anxious that his first command should be marked by the high state of discipline in which he kept his sloop, made her vie with, and endeavour, if practicable, to excel that ship in every mancEuvre. On her return to the Cape, Vice-Admiral Bertie, then commanding on that station, received an anonymous letter, which led him to believe that Captain Willoughby had exceeded the usual esprit de corps in striving to eflcct his object, and he therefore thought proper to have his conduct investigated by a court-martial ; the result of which was an honorable acquittal of the whole of the charges upon which he had been tried. During his next cruise, Captain Willoughby, with volunteers from the same sloop, performed services which induced the Vice- Admiral, '- - ; " "See Vol. I, note at p. 626 «?/ 4ffy. I I POST-CAPTAINS OP 1810. 141 who deeply regretted what hud taken place, to give him the command of la Nereide, although he had many old followers whom he wished to serve, and a Commander was also under his orders who had been directed to receive the first Admi- ralty vacancy. Vice- Admiral Bertie did more ; for on Captain Willoughby assuming the command of la Nereide he allowed a large proportion of the Otter's best men, who volunteered, to accompany him. We shall presently have an opportunity of shewing how highly he admired, and how duly he appre- ciated the subsequent daring conduct of an officer who had first embarked as a midshipman under his command. .r On the 14th Aug. 1809, CaptainWilloughby, then cruising in the Otter off Cape Brabant, Isle of France, discovered a brig, a lugger, and a gun-boat, at anchor under the protection of the batteries of Black River. The brig had recently arrived from France with a cai-go, and the lugger was also a merchantman : thinking it practicable, notwithstanding the immense strength of the Batteries, to cut out these vessels, he resolved to make the desperate attempt that same night. In the mean time, to prevent suspicion, the Otter bore away for Bourbon until dark j then hauled up and worked back to the vicinity of Black River. At 11-30 P.M., being close enough in, Captain Willoughby pushed off in his gig, accompanied by Lieutenant John Burn in the yawl, and Mr. William Weiss, midship- man, in the jolly-boat. The plan arranged was, for the gig, supported by the other two boats, to carry the gun-vessel ; the yawl was then to secure the brig, and the jolly-boat the lugger. Favored by the darkness, the three boats got into the harbour unperceived ; and having from the same cause, and the silence of the enemy, missed the gun- vessel, they pulled- alongside of and captured the lugger. After securing her. Captain Willoughby detached the yawl and jolly-boat to board- the brig, and then proceeded himself in search of the armed- vessel. Lieutenant Burn soon got along vkle the brig, and found a body of soldiers drawn up on deck to defend her. In the face of a heavy fire of musketry from them, the British boarded, and after a smart struggle carried her. The r I • I \\ i^J im poiT-CAPTAiNs or 1810. cable was then cut by a man left in the yawl for that purpose, but not till he had been wounded in the head by the French mate, whom he killed with a blow of his axe. Captain Wil- loughby in the mean time approached so near to the inner- most battery as to be hailed by one of the sentries : the alarm soon became general, and the batteries, four in number, im- mediately opened their fire. The brig being firmly moored to the shore, with her yards and top-masts down, and the weather very tempestu- ous, there was no possibility of bringing her off; Captain Willoughby therefore gave orders to take out the prisoners and destroy her ; but as many of them were wounded, and could not be removed, she was ultimately abandoned. The boa*-8 then took the lugger in tow, and brought her out under a heavy fire of shot and shells, from the batteries on both sides of the river. To enable them to distinguish their ob- ject, the enemy on shore threw up fire-balls of a superior de- scription, which illumined the whole river ; and they con- tinued doing so every half-minute until she was out of range. Under all these circumstances, it is rather surprising that no greater loss was sustained by the British than one killed and three severely wounded ; particularly as the boats, when towing their prize past a particular reef, were at least ten mi- nutes directly in front of a very heavy battery. The principal advantage derived from this attack was the evidence it afforded of the practicability of cutting out vessels from a river so strongly protected both by Tiature and by art. Had the gun- boat been found, there cannot be a doubt that she would have shared the fate of the lugger. The capture of St. Paul's, in the island of Bourbon, has been briefly noticed at p. 62(> et seq. of our first volume. The con- spicuous part borne by Captain Willoughby on that occasion will be seen by the following extracts of the official letters published in the London Gazette, Feb. 13, 1810. Captain Josiat Roidey to yice-AHmiral Bertie. . " The force intended to be landed were the detachment of hU Mftjei^ty's and the Company's troops, reinforced by the marines of the squadron, and a party of about 100 scAuien from this ship * and the Otter, under tb'* * Rttiionalde 64. See Captain Edward Lloyd. .1 !H. 'J POST-CAPTAINS OF 1810. 143 command of Captain Willoughbys, ivhqse zeal induced kirn to volunteer the command of so small a party. •*••••. The guns and mortars at the different batteries and on the beach bein^ spiked, their carriajfes burnt or destroyed, and maprazines blown off under the directions of Captain Willoughby, the whole of the troops, marines, and seamen, were em- barked, ••••••. I beg leave to refer you for details to Lieutenant- Colonel Heating's letter ; and am happy to say he mentions in high terms the conduct of Captain Willoughby, the officers, seamen, and marines employed on this occasion." Linttenant-Colnnel Krating to the Bomhaij Goverument. " At 6 A. M. on the 21st" (Sept. 1809), " the troops were disembarked to the southward of Point de Galotte, seven miles from St. Paul's, and immediately commenced a forced march, with a view of crossing the cause- ways that extend over the lake, before the enemy could discover our de- barkation or approach to the town, which we were fortunate enough to effect ; nor had tliey time to fon)! in any force until we had passed the strongest position. By seven o'clock we were in possession of the first and second batteries, Lambou-^i^re and la Centi^re ; when Captain Wil- loughby, of the royal navy, who commanded a detachment of about 100 seamen on shore, and to whose zeal, activity, and exertions, I feel much indebted, immediately turned the guns upon the enemy's shipping, from whose fire, which was chiefiy grape, and well directed, within pistol- shot of the shore, we suffered much, being necessarily ex])osed to it dur- ing our movements upon the beach, and through the town. From the battery la Centibre, Captain Imlack was detached with the second co- lumn to take possession of the third, or battery of la Neuf, deserted by the enemy. On his way thither, he fell in with and was opposed by the entire force of the French, who had concentrated and taken up a very strong position behind a stone wall, with eight brass field-pieces, G-pounders, upon their fianks. Thia post was instantly charged in the most gallant manner by that officer and his men : the enemy, however, maintained their position, and Captain Hannor, of the 56tli regiment, was ordered to proceed with the third column to his support, who chrtrged, and took two of the enemy's guns. The action now became warm, but never doubtful. " The enemy Itcing reinforced from the hills, and having also received 1 10 troops of the line from the French frigate la Caroline, and the s(|ua- dron not being able to stand in to support us, our movements being en- dangered by their fire except nt intervals, which they always took advan- tage of. Captain Willoughby was directed to spike the guns of lambou- sihre and la Ccnti^re, and with the seamen to man the third battery, la Neuf, continuing the fire from thence upon the enemy's shipping. By this arrangement, Captain Forbes, who with the reserve had covered those batteries, was enabled to advance against the enemy, who, after an ho- norable resistance, were compelled to gWe way. Their remaining guns ml I r f n I 144 POST-CAPTAINS OR 1810. being carried by that excellent officer, a aufficient numl)er of men were ordered to act as ligbt troops, and to pursue the enemy, whilst the third co. lumn, with part of the reserve, advanced against the fourth and fifth Itat- teries, la Piere and la Caserne, which fell into our hands without oppoHitioii, and whose entire fire was immediately directed against the enemy's ship, ping. By half-past eight o'clock, the town, batteries, magazines, 8 brass field-pieces, 117 new and heavy iron guns, and all the public stores, were in our possession, with several prisoners. The instant the squadron perceiv- ed that the object in landing had succeeded, and that they could, with safety to the troops, stand in effectually, they immediately anchored close to the enemy's shipping, which after a short firing surrendered. The entire of the batteries being destroyed, and the town completely commanded by our squadron, the troops were re-embarked by eight o'clock the same even- ing. • • • •. ** On the 22d, late in the evening, the enemy appeared in some force upon the bills, and a heavy column was observed advancing from St. Denis, which I since understand to have been under the immediate coin- roand of General Des Brusleys : the commodore and myself now agreed upon the propriety of landing a sufficient force to destroy all public pro. perfcy ; and accordingly the marines, with a few sailors, under Captain Wil- loughby" (who again volunteered), " were ordered upon this service, when I had an opportunity of again witnessing the steadiness and good conduct of the seamen and royal marines, who effectually burnt an extensive go- vernment store of considerable value ; the remaining stores were only saved from some doubt existing respecting their being public property*. " On the following morning, the entire force was put in boats to re- land and attack the enemy ; whose retreat, however, to St. Denis, during the night, prevented the necessity of any further debarkation." On this latter occasion, the boats containing the troops, armed seamen, and marines, pulled in shore and reached the intended landing place, to the eastward of St. Paul's, facing the position in which Des Brusley's army was supposed to have encamped in the night of the 22d. After waiting some time for Lieutenant-Colonel Keating to arrive and give the necessary orders, Captain Willoughby, anxious to ascertain if the French were really there, and hav- ing taken proper precautions for ensuring a speedy retreat if necessary, landed with two of his gig's crew, all the boats anxiously watching his motions, particularly when he disap- • Mr. James states, that the government store, destroyed by Captain Willoughby, contained all the raw silk which the enemy had found on board the Streatham and Europe, East lodiameo, and thit it WM viltted at more than half a mHllon sterling. ,•.;•-»* nrt^-^ •^'f^ if PdST-CAPTAINS OF 1810. 145 peared over the sand hills, as it was then believed by every officer and man that the enemy were close at hand, ready to oppose them. From this state of suspense they were soon relieved by his re-appearance, and waving for two more men to join him. Atter a second absence of ten minutes, he re- turned to his gig, with a 9-inch brass mortar, taken from one of the batteries which had been dismantled on the 21st. During this reconnoissance he did not see a single French- man; and therefore, as Lieutenant-Colonel Keating says, " the necessity of any further debarkation was prevented." Mons. St. Michiel, the military commandant of St. Paul's, being now disposed to enter into negociations, the prelimi- nary articles were drawn up, some of which it is necessary for us to subjoin } and that officer accompanying Lieutenant- Colonel Keating on board Captain Rowley's ship, they were there signed by all the parties, subject to confirmation or rejection by the French commander-in-chief, General Des Brusleys, whose chagrin at the success of his intrepid op- ponents was so great, that he rashly put an end to his ex- istence. Articlet of Agreement^ tfc, '^ . ** tt is agreed, that in consequence of the town behig in possession of the English, and the situation of the inhabitants, a mutual suspension of arms shall immediately take place * * *. " Art. II. That public property of every description, such as guns, stores, merchandise, and money, in the to\vu of St. Paul, shall remain in the possession of the English. " Art. III. That the limits of the town ar6 considered to be the Canal running near the Promenade, and from thence to the Cavern. " Art. VII. That nothing here above mentioned shall be considered B8 preventing the English from attacking any other part of the island, cither by sea or land." This latter article was *' accepted, under the condition that no disembarkation or movement of tVoops should take place at St. Paul's within the limits above mentioned." Aa by this agreement there was nothing to prevent the British from pursuing offensive measures, provided no part of their force marched from within the lines of St. Paul's, an expedition was determined upon, having for its object the •UPPL. PART II. L 4/' .^1 146 POST-CAPTAINS OK 1810. ; III! I destruction of the works at St. Luce, a sea- port town, about 12 or 13 miles to the westward ; and as it was necessary to obtain good information respecting the military strength of St. Gilles, the intended place of debarkation, Lieutenant- Colonel Keating resolved to land at an intermediate village for that purpose, taking with him a black pilot, named John- son, to whom alone he communicated his intentions. This man had been taken prisoner by Captain Willoughby, in whose boat the Lieutenant-Colonel proceeded from St. Paul's. On the 2d Oct., after dark, Lieutenant-Colonel Keating asked for the Otter's yawl, into which he got, accompanied by two or three of his own officers, and followed by Captain Willoughby ; the latter impelled by curiosity to know how the military commander wfis about to act, but not suspecting that he intended any thing further than to reconnoitre the coast, and select a proper place for landing the next day. We have no doubt that our readers will consider the cap- tain's subsequent situation as one of the most unpleasant he could possibly have assigned himself. At midnight, after rowing for some time ".;th their oars muffled, and every one perfectly silent, Johnson pointed to a small open bay, and Lieutenant-Colonel Keating imme- diately desired to be landed :— the pilot followed him, but neither of the military officers did the same. Seeing this, and feeling it a point of honor not to allow him to proceed unattended, Captain Willoughby instantly jumped onshore ; but with the exception of some orders given to the boat s crew, to guard them against surprise, &c. not a word was spoken by any individual. Lieutenant- Colonel Keating, Captain Willoughby, and the pilot, now walked into a middling sized village, inhabited by blacks, sword in hand, and still maintaining the most pro- found silence. At length perceiving a faint light, occasioned by the embers of an almost extinguished fire, Johnson pointed to, and entered the hut where it was, asking in a gentle tone for permission to light his segar, which request was granted iu a rough voice by a man half asleep, in oTie corner of the cottage. Nearly two minutes elapsed before another word POST-CAPFAINS OF 1810. 147 was spoken on either aide, when Johnson began a slow con versation upon various subjects, that lasted ten minutes, dur- ing which time, the British officers stood within the hut to avoid detection, knowing that strong French night guards were constantly prowling along shore, particularly in the creeks and bays where a landing could be effected. A pause now took place, and at the end of about a quarter of an hour. Captain Willoughby heard Johnson whisper some- thing to the owner of the hut, who immediately got up, dis- covered his other visitors for the first time, and, followed by his wife and children, walked quietly to the boat without any interruption. Captain Willoughby's anxiety during the whole of this curious negociation was naturally very great, knowing as he did that a French guard could not be many hundred yards distant, and bearing in mind that Johnson, whose family and connections lived amongst the enemy, had neither deserted to the British, nor yet committed himself so far as to en- danger his own life, should he betray the trust then reposed in him. From the time of their pulling in to land, until they were again seated in the yawl, Lieutenant-Colonel Keating and Captain Willoughby did not address a word to one another. On the following day, in consequence of the information obtained from the black villager, a descent was made at St. Gilles ; but after capturing the battery there without resist- ance, and storming a second in their advance upon St. Luce, the British commanders found that the latter town was crowded with regular troops and militia, and that, although it might possibly have been carried by assault, even complete success would not have justified them in attempting to do so, as they must have sacrificed many lives in order to obta'n their object. Lieutenant-Colonel Keating and Captain Willoughby there- fore reluctantly abandoned the attempt, and contented them- selves with the destruction of the above mentioned batteries (containing four long l()-pounders and 9 twelves), a guard- house, and a new public building. We should here remark, that the battery taken by storm was first entered by Captain Willoughby, at the head of his gig's crew. L 2 M; '■^l I 148 POST-CAPTAINS OP 1810. Of the naval detachment serving on shore under Captain Willoughby, at the capture of St. Paul's, 7 were killed, and 18, including Lieutenant Edward Lloyd, of the Raisonable, and 2 marine officers wounded. Not a single person was hurt on board any one of the squadron. The total loss sus- tained by the British has been stated at p. 627 of Vol. I. For his zealous, gallant, and active exertions during this expedition. Captain Willoughby was immediately promoted into la Nereide, the frigate mentioned at p. 140, mounting 26 long 12-pounders and 12 carronades (24-prs.), with an established complement of 251 officers, men, and boys. His commission, however, was not confirmed by the Admiralty until Sept. 5, 1810 ; on which day, the then recently ap- pointed First Lord of the Admiralty addressed a note to him, the contents of which we shall presently lay before our readers. The following is an extract of his commander-in- chief's official letter reporting the capture of St. Paul's : — " Captain Rowley and Lieutenant-Colonel Keating alike express their high approbation of the conduct of Captain Willoughby, of the Otter, both by sea and land : his many wounds are honorable testimonies of his former services, and on no occasion can he have distinguished himself be- yond the present. (Signed) " A. Bertie." Towards the latter end of April, 1810, Captain Willoughby discovered a ship in Black River, moored in such a manner between the formidable land batteries that her stern was alone visible. Supposing her to be a ship of war, he imme- diately worked up towards the anchorage, and discharged se- veral broadsides at her nearly within point-blank distance, receiving in return a heavy fire of shot and shells from the shore, many of the latter bursting near, and without la Ne- reide. The enemy's ship was afterwards ascertained to be I'Astree, a large 40 gun frigate, recently arrived from Cher- bourg, with troops and supplies for the Isle of France. On the 30th of the same month, a large merchant ship was discovered at Jacotel, within pistol-siiot of two batteries commanding the entrance of that harbour ; and Captain Wil- loughby, having confidence in the ability, resolution, and POST-CAPTAINS OF 1810. 149 integrity of his black pilot, resolved to attempt cutting her out ; although he considered the enterprise so desperate, and so nearly a forlorn hope, that, for the sake of inspiring his men with more than usual enthusiasm, which the occasion re- quired, he headed them himself in his full dress uniform, a circumstance which had more effect upon the gallant fellows than if their number had been doubled. About midnight, this heroic officer left la Nereide, tak- ing with him his three Lieutenants (John Burn, Thomas Lamb Polden Laugharne, and Henry Colins Deacon), two marine officers, and 100 men ; but owing to the intricacy of the channel, it was full five hours fore he reached the only spot where a landing could be effected ; and even there the surf was half filling the boats when the French national schooner I'Estafette, of 4 brass guns and 15 men, including an enseigne de vaisseau, lying close to the shore, hailed, and gave the alarm. Both batteries, assisted by two field pieces, immediately played upon the place of debarkation, and the British had no sooner formed on the beach than they found themselves likewise exposed to a heavy fire of musketry. Their subsequent proceedings are thus described by Captain Willoughby, in his official letter to the senior officer off Port Louis, dated May J, 1810: — " As every oflBcer knew before we landed what was to be done after- wards, the whole party was instantly upon the run, and in ten muiutes in possession of the nearest battery: having spiked the guns (2 long 12- pounders), we moved towards the guard-house, protected by 2" (6> pounders) " field-pieces, 40 troops of the line, 26 artillery, and a strong party of militia, the whole commanded by Lieutenant Rockman, of the 18th regiment. This detachment, while we were taking the battery, had attacked and driven our Ivoats into the centre of the harbour. Their opening fire upon us was the signal for charging ; and, to my astonish- ment, they instantly gave way with a speed we could not equal : their of- ficer, who deserved to command better soldiers, was taken prisoner, with his two field-pieces, which he was in the act of spiking. " Hitherto twilight had hid our force : full day shewed to the enemy the Nereide's small band of volunteers, consisting of 50 seamen, and the same number of marines. The strongest battery was still in their pos- session, to gain which it was necessary to pass the river Jacotr' at the foot of a high hill covered with wood, and defended by the com- 150 POST-CAPTAINS OP 1810. mandant of the Savaime district. Colonel Etienne Bolger, 2 cannon, and a strong body of militia. Owing to the late heavy rains, we found the river swollen, and the current so 3tron;r that the tallest men could scarcely wade across; the short were helped over, more than half of them upon the swim, and the whole exposed to a heavy fire. This difficulty was no sooner sur- mounted, with the loss of the greatest part of our ammunition, than three cheers warned the enemy to prepare for the bayonet. The jungle-hill, 2 guns *, battery, and colours, were carried in style ; and the comman- dant taken prisoner ; nor do I think an officer or man of the party, ex- cept myself, had an anxious thought for the result of this unequal affair. " Having spiked the guns and one mortar, burnt and destroyed their car- riages, the works, magazines, &c., and embarked the field-pieces, toge- ther with some naval and military stores, I was upon the point of return- ing to the ship, when the strong party we had driven from the first bat- tery and field-pieces, appeared to have recovered from their panic, and, strongly reinforced by the militia and burgeois inhabitants of the island, re-assembled upon our left. "As the Nereide's attack of Jacotel was the first ever made upon any point of the Isle of France, and aware that its principal defence consisted in its militia, I determined on running some risk in letting them know what they had to expect if their island was ever attacked by a regular British force t. Moving towards them, the enemy at the same time ad- vancing within musket-shot, they opened their fire, and I instantly turned direct into the country in an oblique line to them, to get into their rear, and if so, not to leave to the defeated party the resource of a retreat J : at first they halted and remained upon their ground ; but the moment we began to move in quick time, and they understood my intention, then they again gave way, and beat us in fair running for more than a mile into the country. On returning to our boats, we burnt the signal-house, flag-staff, &c., a mile from the beach ; and having sounded the harbour, and done all I wished, I again embarked and returned to the Nereide. " I now beg you will allow me to express how highly I approve of the gallant and regular conduct of every officer and mac landed. Indeed, I feel myself under the greatest obligation to the senior officers. Lieutenants Bum, liaugharne, and Deacon ; also to Lieutenant Cox, commanding the ma- * Long l2-pounders. '; t An invasion of the Mauritius had often been attempted, particularly by Boscawcn, in 1748 — See NaV' Chron. vol. vii, p. 188 et seq. X Mr. James erroneously states that " Captain Willoughby resolved to get Into the rear of his opponents in order to cut them off in the retreat to which, he knew, they would agun resort." See Nav. Hitt. vol. v, p. 391. • •■ V ■ --. . ' ' '. . . . i ■• ■ .,. , , POST-CAPTAINS OP 1810. 18i riues, with Lieutenant Desbrisay under him. I have to regret iny return of killed and wounded •. " The loss of the enemy could not be ascertained, nor do I know the force opposed to ns ; but from every information gained, and from the French officers themselves, they declare that 600 men can reinforce the |)atteries by signal in an hour. I remained on shore four hours, in a clear morning, and the signal was flying the whole of the time." On retuniing to la Nereide, Captuin Willoughby took along with him the French schooner, which the midshipman left in charge of the boats had secured just as she was sweeping to sea. The ship proved to be an American ; but although de- taina)>le for a breach of blockade, he did not think proper to bring her out. Speaking of this heroic enterprise. Captain Matthew Flin- ders, R. N., who was then a prisoner in the Isle of France, says : — " Captah) Willoughby, of the Nereide, made a descent upon the south side of the island, at Port Jacotel, where he cut out I'Estafette packet- boat, spiked the guns of the fort, carried off the officer, with two field- pieces, and M. Etienne Bolger, commandant of the quarter of la Savanne * * ». This sullifing of the French ierritory produced a fulminating proclamation from General Dc Caen, nearly similar in terms to that of the Emperor Napoleon, after the descent at Walcheren • • • ♦. Three days afterwards a flag of truce was sent out to negociate an exchange for INI. Bolger and the officer who had commanded the furt, for whom 20 soldiers of the 69th regiment were given f." In addition to these soldiers, an equal number of British subjects were exchanged for the crew of TEstafette, on board which vessel Captain Willoughby had found a mail for Bour- bon, consisting of nearly 600 public and private letters, lay- ing open for the first time the military resources, the condi- tion of the mercantile interest, and the views of the inha- bitants of both islands. The restoration of the above-mentioned men, many of whose fellow prisoners had been seduced into the French service, was an immediate good result of the enterprise at Jacotel. The benefits of a more permanent nature, arising I j * One marine killed; Lieutenant Deacon, 4 seamen, and 2 marines wounded. t Sec Flinders' Foyage to Terra Australls, vol. ii, p. 481. - ' 152 POST-CAPTAINS OP 1810. from the gallant exploit of Captain Willoughby, were an in- stance of the practicability, hitherto doubted, of making a descent upon the Isle of France, and a proof that the prin- cipal part of the troops in that colony consisted of militia, previously considered equal to soldiers of the line, but whose military character was now at once ruined. The following is a copy of the note to which we alluded at p. 148 : — ** Mr. Yorke presents his compliments to Captain Willoughby, and has the pleasure to acquunt him, that in consequence of the gallantry he has displayed at Jacotel, it is his intention to take a very early opportu- nity of promoting him to the rank of Post-Captain. " Admiralty, 5th Sept. 1810." Had the former First Lord of the Admiralty bestowed upon Captain Willoughby the reward to which he was justly en- titled for his admirable conduct at Black River, and during the expedition against St. Paul's, he would have taken post- rank from Nov. 10, 1809, the date of his appointment to la Nereide, instead of Sept. 5, 1810, on which day Mr. Yorke, with his usual liberal feeling, signed a commission for him. On the 15th June, 1810, a serious accident happened to the enterprising commander of la Nereide, then watering at Isle Platte, a small island near the northern extremity of the Mauritius. Captain Willoughby was on shore, exercising his men at small arms, when a musket in the hands of a marine burst, inflicting upon him a dreadful wound, supposed at the time to be mortal. His lower jaw on the right side was badly fractured, and his neck so lacerated that the windpipe lay bare. The surgeon feared that it would slough away with the dressings, and of course end the life of his patient. For three weeks he could not speak ; however, by skilful treat- ment, aided by a temperate habit of body, the wound ut length healed ; but not until a painful exfoliation of the jaw Iiad taken place ; and so great was the injury he received that even now (1828), he cannot open his mouth to any consider- fible extent : — after eating very distressing feelings ensue, and continue for some time. Scarcely had Captain Willoughby recovered bis speech. POST-CAPTAINS OF 1810. 153 ensue. when he volunteered to superintend the landing of a light corps, about 550 strong, embarked at Rodriguez, and con- veyed by la Nereide to the Riviere des Pluies, for the pur- pose of assisting at the reduction of Bourbon, a service thus described by Captain Josias Rowley, in an official letter to Vice-Admiral Bertie : — r " H. M. S. Boadicea, road of St. Denis, Isle Bourbon, July 1 1, 1810. " Sir, — I feel much satisfactioD ia announcing to you tlie surrender of Isle Bourbon to his Majesty's arms. " According to the communication I had the honor to make to you on the 14th ult., I proceeded to the Isle of Rodriguez, where, having joined the transports from India, and, in concert with Lieutenant-Colonel Keat- ing, made the necessary arrangements relative to the troops, and em- barked on board the Boadicea and Nereide as many as they could stow, we proceeded to join the ships of the squadron which I had left off the Isle of France, under the orders of Captain Pym, blockading the three frigates of the enemy then in port, having previously detached a light transport to apprise them of our sailing. We joined them at the appointed rendez- vous, between the isles of France and Bourbon, on the 6th ; and having embarked on board the frigates, the remainder of the European and part of the native troops, made all sail in the evening towards the points of at- tack, it being intended to push on shore the greatest part of our force with all possible celerity, for which purpose each ship was provided with additional boats taken from the transports. While the main force drew the attention of the enemy off St. Marie, about two leagues to the east- ward of St. Denis, Captain Pym, with his usual skill and activity, ef- fected a landing about 2 P. M., on the 7th, from the Sinus, of all the troops embarked on board of her, at a part of the beach called Grande Chaloupe, six miles to the westward of the town, where the enemy were totallj^ unprepared for an attack. The Riviere des Pluies, about three miles to the east of St. Denis, was intended for the other point of descent. The remaining frigates, when it was supposed the first landing was secured, immediately pushed for anchorage, and were followed by the transports as they arrived : the weather, which till now had been favorable, began to change : the beach on this side of the island being steep, and composed of large shingles, is generally of difficult access ; but it was supposed on recon- noitring it, that the landing was practicable ; and Captain fFilloughhy, who undertook to superintend it, pushed off in a small prize schooner, captured by the Nereide, with a party of seamen and a detachment of light troops" (under Lieutenant-Colonels Macleod and Campbell), " and, with some of the boats which followed, effected a partial landing ; but the surf still in- creasing, several were stove on the beach : it being, however, considered by Lieutenant-Colonel Keating of much importance to effect the landing at this point, a light transport was placed with great judgment by Lieu- Id4 l>OST-CAPTAINS OK 1810. 'I 'I i '■ 11 & tenant Edward Lloyd, of the Boadiceu, in order to act as a breakwater ; but the stern cable parting, she only formed u momentary cover for a few boats ; and notwithstanding every exertion of the skill and experience of Captain Willoughby, the officers, and seamen, it was found necessary, on the close of the day, to relinquish any furtlier attempts at this point for the present. I am coniorncd to state, that two seamen (belonging to la NereiL j) and two soldiers, were drowned on this occasion ; the party, however, maintained their ground, and took possession of the battery and post of St. Marie during the night*. The Magiciemie, with two transports, was now detached to support the brigade landed at Grande Chaloupe ; but Captain Curtis alone gained the anchorage, and landed the troops embarked in her. In the morning of the 8th, the beach still appearing unfavorable, I weighed, at the desire of Lieu* tenant-Colonel Keating, and proceeded to the anchorage oflF Grand Clia- loupe, where we landed the remainder of the troops, guns, &c. ••••••; at 10 P. M., I received a message from tlie Lieutenant-Colonel, that he bad entered into a capitulation with the enemy, and at his request landed next morning, in company with Mr. Farquhar, appointed to the govern- ment of the island, when we signed the terms of capitulation. • •••••. To Captains Pym, Lambert, Curtis, and Willoughby, I feel particularly indebted, for the prompt assistance and support I received from them on every occasion ; and the active exertions of the officers and men on this short but fatiguing service, could not be surpassed. Lieutenant-Colonel Keating has mentioned, in high terms of approbation, the conduct of Cap- tain Willoughby, the officers and seamen employed on shore with the troops; and Lieutenant Cottrell, with the brigade of marines under his orders f. Shortly after the surrender of Isle Bourbon, 100 grenadiers of the 33d and 69th regiments, and 12 artillery-men, were embarked on board la Nereide, for the purpose of co-operat- ing with Captain Willoughby in an attack upon I'lsle de la Passe, situated about 4 miles from Port Sud-Est, in the Isle of France, and commanding the narrow and intricate entrance to that harbour. The main object of this enterprise • L'Estafette, and the whole of la Nereide's boats, were dashed to pieces. The schooner, steered by Captain Willoughby, with the dressings still on his wound, was so crowded with troops, that Lieutenant-Colonel Macleod and many of his men were nearly drowned before they could gain the shore. t The enemy's regular force amounted to only 676 rank and file ; but he had an organized militia force of 27 1 7 men. The British had 1 800 Euro- pean and 1860 native troops, of whom 8 were killed and 78 wounded. POST-CAPTAINS Ob" 1810. 155 was to enable Captain Willoughby to land in the vicinity of Grand Port, to open a communication, and commence nego- ciating with some of the principal iniiabitunts of that town ; and at the same time to distribute among the islanders in {general numerous copies of a proclamation addressed to them by the governor of Bourbon, " holding out to them not only the advantages they had enjoyed under the protection of France, but the pre-eminent advantages of British colonies — free trade, and the fullest protection to the produce of the island in the markets of Great Britain *," provided, when the British came to conquer it, they otfered no resistance : in short, as the principal strength of the Isle of France, after its forts should be carried, would consist of the unembodied mi- litia, the grand object was, by sapping their integrity, to render them comparatively powerless ; which scvite L'eiutuJii Willoughby effectually performed. On the 10th Aug., la Nereide arrived off Port Su i-Est, hi company with the Sirius and Staunch ; the latter t. ^ frigates, '-on- taining about 400 seamen, marines, and soldlerfi,^ under thv- command of Captain Willoughby, were taken in tovv by v,be Staunch, and proceeded to attack I'lale de la Pas-^e j \yit the night becoming very dark, and the weather extremely temr*??- tuous, so as to occasion several of them to run foul of each other, and some to get stove, la Nereide's black pilot be;>iin to falter, and at length declared, that it was impo8)iib!<.' to enter the channel under such disadvantageous circumstances. * Sir Robert T. Farquhar's speech in the House of Common?, Jime 3, 1825, when supporting a proposition then suggested aadcarrkdin t&vor of the trade of Mauritius ; on which occasion. Captain W:llo\^hby'3 name was introduced by that gentleman in the following terms :— • " The House will excuse my intruding myself on its altcution, as 1 !ia> turally feel a strong interest in the prosperity of u colony whose afFa'rs I so long administered. In 1810, 1 proceeded witu the expedition to the cap- ture of the Isle of Bourbon, aceompaniof^ ly that meritorious officer. Cap- tain Willoughby, who has jhf.d his blyrxl &o often in the service of the country, and wl>.o dis'.ribute'l *.he |rotcction, and to use my own discretion in landing upon the main, for the distribution of the proclamations given to me by his Excellency the Governor of Bourbon, and intended for the inhabitants of the Isl« of France, as I felt they were of the utmost consequence to our future operations against the island, I de- termined, after well rcconnoitreing with Lieutenant Davis of the Madras engineers, to land and attack their principal post of Point du Diable, the * Speech of the member for Bedford, in the House of Commons, Feb. 13,1811. t See Dodsley'i Annual Register for the year 1781, pp. 39— 46. 1 1 POST-CAPTAINS OF 1810. 15: fort that commanded the N. E. passage into Grand Port ; and having upon the 17th instant, embarked 50 men of the 33d and 69th regiments, and their respective officers, an officer and 12 artillery-men, 40 men from the Staunch , and 100 men from la Nereide (50 marines and the same number of seamen, the whole of the different parties volunteers), I left the ship at one Jk. m." (tvithout a single field-piece), "and landed before day-light at the Canaille de Bois, and after a march of six miles reached the point, and carried the works without the loss of a man : the commanding officer and three men on the side of the enemy were killed, and three gunners taken prisoners. Having halted three hours, spiked eight 24-pounders, and two 13-inch mortars, burnt the carriages, blown up thj magazines, and embarked a 13- inch brass mortar in a new praam, well calculated for carrying troops or guns over flats, I moved on to the old town of Grand Port, a distance of twelve miles, leaving in the houses and villages we passed, the proclama- tions addressed to the inhabitants. On the whole of our march, we were attended by three of the Nereide's and Staunch's boats, with guns mounted, commanded by Lieutenant Deacon ; and from the nature of the ground, they so completely commanded our road, that scarcely an enemy could shew himself; a strong party who were advancing to attack us were put to the rout by their fire, and six killed and wounded. General Van de Masson, the second in command of the island, who had arrived with a strong reinforcement upon the 14th instant, and commanded this party, was reconnoitreing us the whole of the day, retiring as we advanced. At sun-set, having succeeded in every view I bad for landing, and gained from some of the most respectable inhabitants and well-wishers to the English, the most satisfactory information, I returned on board ; but wishing to know what effect the proclamations ^ would have upon the inhabitants, I landed with the same force yesterday morning, taking the Staunch in with me to support us, and cover our retreat if necessary. I pushed on, de- stroyed the signal-house, staffs, &c., of Grande Riviere, and perceived the enemy had 700 or 800 men in or near the battery, but upon the opposite side of the river : I then returned to Point du Diable, and continued there three houre, blowing up the remainder of the works ; after which I moved on to Canaille de Bois, and embarked at sun-set, leaving the Staunch to command and protect the harbour. The inhabitants appeared much tran- quillized and satisfied with our conduct on shore, and the proclamation. The loss of the enemy in the two days was 8 men killed, the number of wounded not known : mine as per margin." During the whole of this march of nearly 22 miles, in an enemy's territory, not one of Captain Willoughby's party was killed, and only two were wounded. This forbearance on the • Most of which were actually backed with Captain fFilhughby't com' ptimentt, as an indirect answer to the proclamation issued by De Caen after the attack of Jacotel.— See p. 151. 158 POST-CAPTAINS OF 1810. f part of the islanders wjis, no doubt, occasioned by the orderly manner in which the seamen, marines, and soldiers conducted themselves, and by the strict attention they paid to their leader's uijunctions, — " to abstain from giving offence to the inhabitants by pilfering the slightest article of their property." Even the sugar and coffee, laid aside for exportation, and usually considered as legitimate objects of seizure, remained untouched ; and the invaders, when they quitted the shore for their ship, left behind them a high character, not merdy for gallantry, but for a rigid adherence to promises. Hud Captain VVilloiighby burnt the commercial property within his reach, or entered into terms for its embarkation, his dash- ing exploit would probably have been gazetted ; but, for the good of his country, he preferred relinquisliing 2)resent fame, and all pecuniary benefit. He well knew that tiie wiiole of the British forces collected at Bourbon, were anxiously wait- ing the result of his daring enterprise ; — Governor Farquhar had informed him, that the distribution of the printed procla mations would be of the utmost importance to the success of the meditated operations against the Isle of France ;— he had promised his Excellency that he would execute his wishes ; — and for the honor of the navy he persevered under circum- fitances of difficulty and danger, which every one but hiinself considered insurmountable. This esprit de corps has been th( main-spring of all his actions. — Honor he has sought on every occasion— in the present instance prize money was quite out of the question. Had the latter been liis principal object in lauding at Point du Diable, the Mauritius vould not have been so easily subdued when attacked by the B'-iti'sh in December 1810. " On the 19th and 20th August, Captain Willoughby again landed ; and, as there were no more batteries in that quarter to attack and destroy, and no opposition wiis offered to hiui by either the regulir troops in the vicinity, or by the inha- bitants among whom, it may be said, he was sojourning, the trip on shore was considered in the light of a pleasant excur- sion, rather tlian of a forced irruption into un euemy'> territory} when, at about 10 A. M. on the last-named day, an event occurred which gave a complete change to the aspe<'t POST-CAPfAINS OF 1810. 159 of affairs, and placed the whole party, who had hitherto con- sidered themselves so secure, in the utmost jeopardy*." This alarm was caused by the discovery of five strange ships to windward, steering under easy sail for the grand entrance to Port Sud-Est. Leaving the other boats to get up in the best manner they could, Captain Willoughby hastened away from the shore in his gig, and after a hard pull, »i nearly 5 miles di- rectly to windward, arrived, about noon, en joard la Nereide, then lying in a small bight of deep water just at the back of risle de la Passe ; which anchorage was afterwards occupied by Captain Lambert, of the Iphigenia, who found himself ob- liged to surrender both his ship and the island, from their almost defenceless state, and great scarcity of provisions, water, &c. The Staunch had previously been sent by Cap- tain Willoughby to join the stpiadron off Port Louis. " At 12," aays Captain Willoii^^hhy, " I clearly niiulc them out to be the lon^ expected eneiny's squadron, conslstini^ of the Uellone, Minervc, and Victor corvette, witii two lar^e ludiunicn in company, their prizes* which I found afterwards to be the Ceylon and Windliam. As I knew the French force in Port Louis consisted of throe heavy frigates and a fine cor- vette ready for sea, and if the former scjuadron joined them, they wouhi be far too strong for the Sirius, Iphigenia, and Mas^ieienne, titen l>lockading that port and Black River, thouu^ii my anchurag'^ was only supported by four guns (two of those upon open platforms, and only meant to protect the landing place against boats,) I felt it my duty to use every means to draw the enemy into Grand Port ; and I'lsle de la Passe answering tholr private signals, together with our French colours, so completely deceived them, that at 1 P. M. the Victor led inf. As I had given the most posi- tive orders that the fire of the island was to be entirely guided by the manoeuvres of the Nereide, the Victor passed the sea-battery, and when within pistol-shot of us, our union was hoisted, and our fire opened. She was so cut up, that she struck her colours, and hailed us to cease firing. As she anchored, in obedience to my orders, I did so, and directed my whole attention to the Minerve, who, following cloac to the Victor, un, v. 408. " i' 162 POST-CAPTAINS OF 1810. from that harbour the moment his approach was announced. Captain Willoughby, surely, had a right to anticipate, that one or the other of his boats would succeed in reaching either the Sirius, Iphigenia, or Magicienne, before the enemy could find time to send a reinforcement of men overland to Duperr^ ; and he felt confident, from the enthusiasm of every one on board la Nereide, that the co-operation of a single frigate would have secured a most brilliant victory. The disasters that afterwards befel the Sirius, on two successive days, and which we shall presently have occasion to notice, may therefore be deemed truly unfortunate. On the following day, to prove to Commodore Duperr^ that the Victor had struck her colours, to impftss upon him an idea of the confidence with which la Nereide maintained her position, and to reconnoitre and obtain a correct knowledge of that taken up by the enemy. Captain Willoughby sent in a flag of truce, with a letter, of which the following is a copy : " Sir, — ^Trusting to the honor of the French flag, and the laws of war, I demand that the Victor corvette shall be given up to my disposal, in con- sequence of having yesterday struck her colours to his Majesty's ship under my command ; hailed she had done so, and anchored, in obedience to my orders, close to the Nereide. " Lieutenants Bum and Pye, whom I send with this letter, were in a boat alongside the Victor, to take possession of her, when she cut and followed the Minerve, being hailed and ordered to do so by her. I have the honor to be, &c. (Signed) " N. J. Willoughby." " To Commodore Duperr^." On the 22d August, Captain Willoughby received just such an answer as he expected the enemy t« return :— (Copt.) " Sir, — In answer to the letter you did me the honor of writing, I am commanded by his Excellency the commander-in-chief. General De Caen, to say that he objects to your extraordinary demand. I have the honor to be, &c. (Signed) "Drpinne." ' When it is rcLiembered that la Nereide mounted only 12- pounders on the main-deck, that nearly 100 seamen and marines were absent in her boats, and that Captain Wil- loughby was not chased and obliged to fight in his own PO&T-CAPTAINS OP 1810. 163 defence^ but that he eought the above conflict with his usual ardour, and made use of a justifiable ruse de guerre to accom- plish his wishes, we doubt not that it will be considered one of the most heroic, if not the most unequal, of all the frigate actions fought during the late war. We shall merely add, that he thereby saved the British frigates off Poit Louis, from the consequences of an attack which the enemy would doubtless have made upon them with his united force, had M. Duperrt^ proceeded thither instead of suffering himself to be decoyed into the harbour of Grand Port j and that by deter- ring the Windham from following her consorts, he rendered a most important service to his country, as the masts and stores of that ship enabled Captain Rowley to re-equip the Africaine frigate, at a most critical moment, and by doing so, to regain our naval superiority in the Indian ocean*. The manner in which that ascendancy was for a short time lost by the British is thus described in an official letter from Captain Pym to Captedn Rowley : * See Vol. I. uete at p. 631. N. B. It will be seen by the extract of Captain Willoughby'a official report, and the notef, at p. 169, that the enemy's united force would have been five heavy frigates and two corvettes ; whereas the Sirius, Iphigenia, and Magicienne, were only rated at 36 guns each ; and the latter armed in a similar manner to la Nereide. Ii the said note we observe a typographical error, — la Bellone and Minerve were both 18-pounder fHgates— 4he latter, however, was pierced for 52 guns. Since the preceding sheet was printed, it has been suggested to us, that probably Captain Bonvet, on finding I'Isle de la Passe in the posses- sion of the British, imagined that the districts of Savanne and Grand Port were likewise held by them, in which case his idtimate capture was inevi- table ; it being impossible for him to repass la Nereide, with the wind then blowing. To this erroneous impression on M ons. Bouvet's mind, the officers and men in the boats of la Nereide were, perhaps, Indebted for their safety. It is also probable that the French captain imagined, as the boats were filled with marines and soldiers, that they belonged to the shore, and not to the British frigate. The gentleman from whom we received the above hint acquaints us, that la Bellone's best bower anchor was cut away from the bow by la Nereide's shot, but owing to the cable being stoppered in board, it did not take the Kround — a circumstance much to be regretted ; for had the anchor gone to the bottom, the ship in rounding to, must inevitably have got on shore, and would consequently have lain with her head exp'jsed tola Nereide's raking broadside. M 2 164 P0ST,-CAPTAIN9 OF 1810. V«! « L'Isle de la Passe, August 26, 1810. " Sir, — By my last you were informed of my intention to attack the frigates, corvette, and Indiaman in this port. " Magicienne having joined just as the re-captured ship ^as about to make sail, I sent Captain Lambert orders to bring her and the gun-brig with all despatch off I'lsle de la Passe ; and that the enemy in Port Louis should not be alarmed, I made all sail round the south side, and although blowing very hard, reached I'lsle de la Passe next day. At noon, Nereide made signal * ready for action ;' I then closed, and from the situation of the enemy, decided on an immediate attack j and when her master came on board as pilot, made the signal to weigh, but when within about a quarter of an hour's run of the enemy, he unfortunately put me on the edge of the inner narrow passage. We did not get off, and that with wonderful exertion, until 8 o'clock next morning. At noon on the 23d, the Iphigenia and Magicienne came in sight ; the enemy having moved further in, and making several batteries, as also manning the East India ship, and taking many men on board the frigates, I called them to assist in the attack : having all the captains and the pilot on board, and being assured we were past all danger, and could run direct for the enemy's line, we got under weigh (at 4-40 P. M .) and pushed for our stations, viz. Sirius alongside Bellone, Nereide between her and the Victor, Iphigenia along- side Minefve, and Magicienne between her and the East India ship *. Just as their shot began to pass over us, sad to say, Sirius grounded on a small bank, not known ; Captain Lam- bert gained his post, and had hardly given the third broad- side before his opponent cut her cable f. Magicienne, close to Iphigenia, ran on a bank, which prevented her bringing • La Minerve, the enemy's van ship, was stationed just behind a patch of coral ; next to her was the Ceylon, then la Bellone, and lastly le Victor, with her stern close to the reef that skirts the harbour. + Commodore Duperrd says, that the springs of la Minerve and the Ceylon were shot away by the first broadside, and that those ships conse- quently cast to leeward and ran aground. See Gazette des Ides de France et Bonaparte, 26th Sept. 1810. POST-CAPTAINS OP 1810. 165 more than six guns to bear * j poor Nereide nearly gained her post, and did in the most gallant manner maintain that and the one intended for Sirius, until Bellone cut. All the enemy's ships being on shore, and Jinding Siriiis could not get off, the whole of them opened their fire on Nereide ; but notwithstanding this unequal contest, and being aground, she did not cease firing until 10 o'clock, and sorry am I to say, that the captain, every officer, and man on board, are killed or wounded +. ** Captain Lambert would have immediately run down with the enemy, but there was a shoal a very little distance from, and between him and them ; he did all that could be done, by keeping up a heavy, although distant lire ; nothing was wanting, to make a most complete victory, but one of the other frigates to close with la Bellons. . • " I must now inform you, that the moment we took the ground, every possible exertion was made to get the ship oflf, by carrying out stream and kedge anchors ; but both these came home together. I then got a whole bower cable and anchor hauled out (not a common exertion for a frigate), as also the stream ; but although heaving the one with the capstan, and the other with purchase on purchase, we could not move her one inch, from the nature of the ground, and the very heavy squalls then blowing. We continued lightening every thing from forward, and made many severe but fruitless attempts to heave the ship off before day-light, all, however, to no effect. At that time the Nereide was a perfect wreck, Magicienne in as bad a situation as Sirius, no possibility of Iphigenia closing with the enemy, and thk whole or thic latter on shore IN A HEAP. We then tried the last resource, by warping the Iphigenia to heave us off, but could not get her in a proper situation until the 25th in the forenoon. " I now had a survey by the captains, masters, and carpen- * The three foremost on each side. vip f La Nereide did not take the ground until some hours after la Bellone and le Victor had cut, in order to get further from her fire ; and then only in ( onsequence of her best bower cable and the spring being shot away, ^« P- 167. s~~x iiuii-iTt 'I I . 166 POST-CAPTAINS OF 1810. ten, in which thejr agreed it was impossible to get the ship off : having the same report yesterday from Captain Curtis, and that his men were falling fast, 1 ordered Magicienne to be abandoned and burnt ; and as the enemy's frigates cannot get off", I thought it most prudent to preserve lisle de la Passe, by warping Iphigenia for its support ; and having no prospect of any other immediate protection, I considered it most advisable to quit my own ship, then within shot of all the enemy* s posts and squadron, and only able to return their fire from two guns*. After seeing every man safe from Sirius, Lieutenant Watling and myself set her on fire ; and, I trust, Sir, although my enterprise has been truly unfortunate, that no possible blame can be attached to any one : never did captains, officers, and men, go into action with a greater cer- tainty of victory ; and, / do aver, that if I could have got alongside of Bellone, all the enemy's ships would have been in our possession in less than half an hour. My ship being burnt, I have given up the command to Captain Lambert, and have recommended his supporting and protecting this island with Iphigenia, and the ships' companies of Sirius and Magi- cienne. Provisions and water will immediately be wanted. " I have the honor to be, &o. (Signed) « S. Pym." We have already stated that Captain Lambert was obliged to capitulate to the Port Louis squadron, on the 28th of the same monthf : la Nereide's glorious d^enee is thus described by one of Captain Willou^by's eommissioned officers, in a letter to the author : n.- .: r? ?:•:)•,.•; ^ j; ' %*j? " The French force ia liadift was How divided, and it was cousidered fix- pedient instantly to make an attack, as the enemy lay exposed, except from the difficulties of tlie navigation } they were moored, mth springs on their cables, in the form of a crescent, and supported hy two flanking batteries. * The Magicienne's total loss amounted to 8 killed aad 20 wounded. La Bellone hove herself oflF on the 26th Aug., and the other French ships were also afloat by noon on the 27th. The Su-ius, if aetually, " within shot of all the enemy's posts and squadron," was wonderfully fortunate, for she had uot an officer or man hurt from the beginning to the end of the business. + See Vol. II. Part 11. p. 718 } and at p. 717 make the following cor- rectiou '.—for used every efibrt to prevent the French squadron fVom enter- ing the harbour, read succeeded in decoying the enemy into the port. POST- CAPTAINS OF 1810. 167 *' La Nereide had the honourable staiioa assigned her of leading in, which was done in the most masterly style, receiving the enemy's raking fire in silence, until we had taken our station on the bow of the Frenchcommodore, and quarter of the corvette>u;///iiH hal/-pUtol-s/tot,vi\uin we opened an effective fire, and with the greatest confidence of success, anwloualy loohlng^for the support a»d aniatance of the rest of our squadron, who we now perceived had grounded in rotation, leaving us in this most desperate situation, ea^posed to the very unequal and destructive fire o/t/ie whole French squadron*. The Siriua had grounded nearljf out of gun-shot, and the other ships were in a position which would allow very few of their g^s to bear : had any of our squadron floated, and come to our assistance, the contest must very soon have termi- nated in our favour. We afterwards learned that the decks of our principal opponent had been tlirice cleared, and that the French, from Port Louis, re- fusing to guon board, the slup bad been partly re-manned by Irish traitors, previously taken by the enemy, and enlisted into their servicef. We continu- ed this unequal conflict until nearly allon board were killed or wounded : Cap- tain Wiiloughliy lost an eye, and the sight of the other was much impaired ; the first Lieutenant was killed ; aud the second wounded in the throat, breast, legs, and arms. Finding there was no possibility of obtaining any relief, we were under the painful necessity of striking, which the enemy did not regard, but continued firing through and through us the whole of the night, during which we were in momentary expectation of being blown up by their red-hot shot, which more than once set us on fire : we were also in imminent danger of sinking ; but the latter disaster was fortunately pre- vented by the cables and spring being shot away, and the ship running aground. We were then in the most dreadful state of carnage ever wit- nessed— 02 dead bodies lying ou the deck, many of the crew dying, and most of the remainder severely wounded: words cannot express the horrors of the scene. I have only to add, that this action was the most severe ever recorded in history, and that it was prolonged in the full hope and expec- tation, that some of the squadron would be able to come to our assistance ; for hod V>^ a90(ieT yielded^ all o/mfice of success would then have been de-* stroyed, owing to the urfortumte situation of our consorts" The dis^stvpus events of Aug. 22 and 23, and the noble conduct of Captain Willoughby on the latter day, are still more minutely described by Mr. James, who has, however, made several m^terl»l mistakes, which it is now our business to correct. He says i—r- * Captain Pym's letter proves tluit, although the Iphigcnia did not actually get aground, she was unable to give la Nereide any effectual support : another officer informs us, that when bringing up, la Ncreidc'a flying jib-boom scarcely cleared la Bellone ! ! t See p. 179, last par. of the text. 168 < !• POST-CAPTAINS OF 1810. «« I The Sinus picked up the Nereide'i boat with Lieutenant Deacon on board ; and on the 32d, at 1 1-1(1 A. M., arrived off the island, and exchanged numbers with the Nereide, still at anchor within it ; and who immediately hoisted the signals * ready for action,' * enemy of inferior force.' Having, from the situation of the French squadron, decided on an immediate at- tack. Captain Pym made the s\f(aa\ for the master of the Nereide. Mr. Robert Lesby accordingly went on board the Sinus, to conduct her, as he supposed, to the anchorage at the back of the island. Tlie Sinus now made all tail, mth tlie usual E. S. E. or trade wind, and bore up for the passage; and at 2-40 P. M., agreeably to a signal to that effect from the Sinus, the Nereide got under weigh, and, under her staysails only, stood after her consort down the channel to Grand Port. At 4 P. M., having still the Nereide's master on board, l)ut not her black pilot, who was the only person that knew the harbour, the Sinus unfortunately grounded upon a point of the shoal on the larboard side of the channel ; and, having run down with her square-sails set, and consequently with a great deal of way upon her, the ship was forced a considerable distance on the bank. The Nereide immediately brought up, and Captain Willoughby went on board the Sirius, to assist in getting her afloat *." Instead of la Nereide following the Sirius^ she preceded her; and Captain Willoughby, being personally well ac- quainted with Port S. E., would have led Captain Pym safely alongside the enemy, had not the latter officer carried so much sail that he was obliged to yaw about, in order to avoid running aboard la Nereide — it was in consequence of his being under this necessity, that the Sirius grounded. Mr. James should have added, that the master of la Nereide knew less of Port S. £. than any other officer belonging to her, as he was always left in the command of the ship, whilst Cap- tain Willoughby and his Lieutenants were either on shore or employed in sounding the harbour :— 'in fact, Mr. Lesby had never before been so far in as the spot where the Sirius grounded on the 22d August. ** At 10 A. M., Aug. 23, the Iphigenia and Magicienne were seen beat- ing up for Isle de la Passe ; and Captain Willoughby immediately sent his master, who had returned from the Sirius, to conduct them to the anchor-, age. • • • •. At 4-40 P. M., by signal from the Sirius, the four frigates got under way ; and, preceded by the Nereide with her black pilot oq board, stood down the channel to Grand Port. • • • • • • Nav. Hist, v, p. 413. POST'CAPTAINS OP 1810. 169 " The Nereide, still with starj-$nUs nnhj, cleared the tortuous channel, and stood along the edge of the reef that ekirts the harbour directly for the rearmost French ship. The Sirius, about a quarter of an hour or 20 mi- nutes after she had weighed, keeping this time too much on the starboard hand, touched the ground. Very shoal water appearing ahead, the best bower anchor was let go ; but the velocity of the ship was so great; as to run the cable out in spite of stoppers and every other eflfort to check her way. The small-bower was then let go, but to no purpose, the ship conti- nuing to tear both cables out with great rapidity ; and unfortunately, the helm having been put a-port, the ship struck on a coral reef, which, a minute or two before, must have been en her starboard bow. Just as the Sirius had taken the ground, the French ships began firing, and their shot passed over the Nereide *. " With the Sirius as a beacon, the Magicienne and Iphigenia succes- sively cleared the channel; but, at 5-15 P. M., while steering for her station, and of course wide of the track in which the Nereide, with the only pilot in the squadron was steering, the Magicienne grounded on a bank, in such a position, that only three of her foremost guns on each deck could bear upon the enemy ; from whom she was then distant about 400 yards. Seeing what had befallen the Magicienne, the Iphigenia, who was close in her rear, dropped her stream anchor, and came to by the stern in six fathoms : she then let go the best bower under foot, thereby bringing her starboard broadside to bear upon the Minerve ; into whom, at a pistol-shot distance, the Iphigenia immediately poured a heavy and de- structive fire. By this time the Nereide was also in hot action, and to her we must now attend. " Just as, regardless of the raking fire opened upon the Nereide in her approach, he was about to take up his allotted position on the bow of the Victor, Captain Willoughby saw what had befallen the Sirius ; and, with characteristic gallantry, steered for, and in his 12-pounder frigate anchored upon the beam of the Bellone, at the distance of less than 200 yards. Be- tween these two ill-matched ships, at about 5-15 P. M., a furious cannonade commenced ; the Victor, from her slanting position on the Nereide's quarter, being also enabled to take an occasional part in it. At 6-15, after havuig received an occasional fire from the bow guns of the Magicienne, and the quarter guns of the Iphigenia, the Ceylon hauled down her colours, and Captain Lambert immediately hailed the Magicienne to take posses- sion : at that instant the Ceylon was seen with her top-sails set, running * Although the master of the Sirius was unacquainted with the har- bour, he of course attended to the steering of the ship, and took particular notice of every cast of the lead. From two charts drawn by Mr. Lesby, and now lying before us, we find that the soundings in la Nereide's track were very regular; the depth of water gradually decreasing from 16 to 5 fathoms. 170 POST-CAPTAINS OF 1810. on shore. At 6-30, the Mmerve, havbg had her cable shot away, made sail after the Ceylon. Both these ships grounded near the Bellone ; but the Ceylon first ran foul of the latter, and compelled her to cut and run aground al?o : the Bellone, however, lay in such a position that her broad- side still bort on the Nereide*." La Bellone did not cut inconsequence of the Ceylon running foul of her ; but voluntarily , and that for the express purpose of getting further from la Nereide' s Jire^ as is implied in Captain Pym's letter, and tacitly admitted by Monsieur Dupcrrd. Mr. James continues his account in the following terms : — " At a few minutes before 7 P. M , the Nereide's spring was shot away, and the ship immediately swung stern on to the Bellone'ti broadside. A most severe raking fire followed. To avoid this, and bring her starboard broadside to bear, the Nereide cut her small bower cable, and, letting go the best, succeeded so far in her object. At about 10 P. M., or a little afterwards, a piece of grape, or langridge, from one of the Nereide's guns, cut Captain Duperrd on the head, and knocked him senseless upon the deck. As the ^re of the Minerve was now completely masked by that of the Bellone, Captain Bouvet removed from the former on board the latter, and took the command." La Nereide did not make use of langridge, but grape and canister she discharged in abundance ; wliich no other ship was near enough the enemy to do. The fire ot la Minerve was never completely masked by la Bellone. On the contrary, thrtc of her long 18-pounders and two 36 Although Captain Willoughby refused to leave his ship, he ordered all the wounded officers to be taken on board the Sirius, ''\ik1 they, of course, gladly avilcd themselves of the opportunity, with the exception of the master, who, not being dangi in danger of being lust : on the contrary^ those who were removed to the latter ship felt happy in having tiius escaped being made prisuuers, seeing that they had no- ""'" '' • Mir. ^iW. V. 416. - **" ' ' t The above fact was svvorn to by Mr. Wclas, at the subscqucut trial of fSpUimWlMouffhby, &c. ... u !72 POST-CAPTAINS Olf 1810. thing to fear from the enemy's distant fire. That Captain Pym himself did not then consider the Sirius in an utterly hopeless state, is evident from his anxiety for Captain WiU longhby's removal to her, lest the conduct of the latter, in having negociated with the inhabitants of Grand Port, and distributed Governor Farquhar's proclamations, might prove prejudicial to him. "At 11 P. M., Captain Willoughby sent an officer to the Bellone, which still coutinued a very destructive fire, to say that the Ncreide had struck ; but, bein^ in a sinking stute from shot-holes, the boat returned without bavin;; readied the French ship. At ai)0Ut 30 minutes past midnight, thr main-mast of tlie Ncreide went liy tlie board. At 1-30 A. M., on tlie 24th, several of her ropes caught fire, but tlie flumes were (luickly extinguished. At about 1 -50, after having been rt^^eatedly hailed witliout effect by one or the other of tiie French prisoners who were on board the Nereide, the Bellone discontinued her fire. The Iphigenia and Rlugicienne, a portion of whose fire had already disniounted the guns at the battery de la Reine, then ceased theirs ; and all was silent •. " At day-light the Bellone re-opened her fire upon the Nereide. To put a stop to this, French colours were lashed to the fore-rigging ; but etill the enemy continued their fire. It vvas now surmiserl, and very natu- rally too, thai; the '.-".use of this persevering hostility was the union-jack ut the mizen-top-gallant-maHt-head, which could not be hauled down ; fur by one account f it had been nailed there ; and, by mother, the haliards bad been shot away, as well as all the rigging and ropes by which the mast could be ascended. As the only ultcrnutive, the mizen-mast was cut awny, aad the firing oi the BtUoue instanily ceased {." Of la Nereidc's established complement, as stated at p. 148, only 202 were on board when she went into iiction ; — she had sailed from the Cape (iii April) '.vith only 228 ; since then 10 had been either kUled or invalided, and a master's- mate and 15 men wore absent cruising in her tender. To the first mentioned iiumber, 'lowever, should be added 3 military officers, 2 of whoni were killed, the other severely wounded, 12 artillery men, 50 grenadiers, and 10 light infantry, part of those recently exchanged at Port Louis, making a total of 277 ][)ersond. Commodore Duperrt? says, in his official report to General })e Caen : — *' Ijt 22, la fr^tc anglaise le Sj/riut «e joignit k la frigate la Nereide, mouill^e sous lisU' dc la IVsc ; toutes deiu fircnt un njouvcment pour in'uttAqucr. l>an* re momitit vofrn E,rcdlcncc connumant la posUhit As • ^'at'. Hill. V. 41/. t Aff Ncreide' I %• X ^^^' ^''*- v. 41H. PCST-CAPTAINS OF 1810. m at equtpdget eoneld^rablement affaiblis pur I'armement de» pritet et let en- gagement soutenut pendant la campngnfi m'ej'p^dla un detachement de 60 mitrint de la fvegate la Manclie et de la corvette /'Entrcprenaiit, tout le rommandement de MM. Cotte, lieutenant de vahteau ; Fieillard, Esnou/t Junot, enseignet; et Duhotq, Vergot, Fautrel, Arnauld, et Deicombet, aspirant i auquelfassignai de tu'te un puite h bord det divers Mtiment •. The loss on board the Fiencli ships, accordinsf to Commo- dore Diiperrd's statement, amomited to 37 killed, and 112 wounded. Amongst the former were " MM. Montozon et Meunier, officiers de la Bsllone ; Lanchon^ de la corvette le Victor s et Arnaud, aspirant." Our readers will not fail to observe, that those officcrSj the only French ones slain^ be- longed to la Ncreide's immediate opponents ; and that Cap- tain Willonghby's was the only English ship that had an officer killed. The number of men on board la Rellone at the commencement of the battle, could scarcely have been less than 400 or 420, and none were wanted to attend to the sails. The enemy's admitted loss, considering that it must nearly all have been inflicted by la Nereide, was highly cre- ditable to the skill and exertions of her officers and crew; to M'hose assistance not a single man was sent during the whole conflict, although, at the time when all the French ships and batteries opened upon her, or, more properly speaking, at the commencement of the second actlony Captain Wil- loughby, the two senior Lieutenants, and half of her men, were already hors de combat. Wc say at the conmienccmcnt of the second action, be- cause we consider tlvat la Nereide fought two distinct battles on the 23d Aug. 1 BIG— the first with la Bellone and le Victor, which ships, although supported by a flanking battery, were indisputably defeated by her ; and the second with the v;holc French squadron, supported by several batteries. Judging from what la Nereide effected alone, we also think that Captain Pym was perfectly justified in saying, " nothing was wanting, to make a most complete victory, but one of the other frigates to close with h T'cUone ;" and that if he could have got alongside of her, al' the enemy's ships would have been taken in less than half an hour. It is our firm belief, that if it had been decreed froiu above, that even the Magi- * Gazette dvK hlus dc France «t Duuaparte, 2G Sept. 1810. l; m POST.CAPTAfMS OK 1810. 1 1 111 * ! lipl 1 1 •i i li m t In m cienne, the weakest of the other three British frigates, should have followed Captain Willoughhy into close action, the victory would have been theirs in a very short time. The French did not take possession of la Nereide until nearly 3 P. M. Lieutenant Roussin then went on board for that purpose, spiked all the guns, liberated 20 of his country- men who had been taken by the British, and reported to Commodore Duperrd, that 100 of the latter were lying dead or dying upon her decks. " M. le Lieutenant de Vaisseau, Roussin," says the Commodore, *' fut envoy^ k mariner la Nereide. II la trouva dans un ^tat impossibi^ ^ di- crire; 100 morta ou mourans (^talent aur Ics ponts; son capitaine, M. Willoughby, <5tait bleas^ ••" In justice to the petty officers, seamen, marines, and sol- diers on board la Nereide, we must here observe, that the few who escaped unhurt, and very few there were, together with those not totally incapacitated by their wounds, most heroically kept up the unequal fight for some time after they had been left without a single commissioned or warrant officer to direct them : — the following is a list of the officers belonging to, and supernumeraries on board la Nereide, Aug. 23, 1810 : N. J. Willougbby, Captain, dangerously wounded. John Burns, 1st Lieutenant, mortally Henry C. Deacon, 2d ditto, dangerously William Weiss, ;3d ditto, (acting,) no one yet joined in lieu of the former. William Lesby, ISfaster, roreived a sevsre contusion in the side by a splinter, during the action ; and afterwards had his lianO l):iilly burnt in exting'iishing the fire in the rigging. Thomas R. Pye, Lieut. R. M., not recovered from a wound received at the attack of St. Pauls ; sec p. 148, par. 1. Thomas S. Cox, Lieutenant, R. M., severely wounded. John Strong, Boatswain, - . . ditto. John ConstHl)lc, Gunner, ) John Martin, Carpenter, > Quartered bdirtP. Cieorgo Young, Surgeon, ) • Frttu'h Gnxettw. — Of th« alioTe number, two, and Urn mUj, « 1 .... 1 r. r Killed. Morlett, ;Wd Regt. J Needhall, 69th do. severely wounded. • Vice-Adiniral Bertie, when reporting the dcstruclion of the Sirius and Magicienne, and the surrender to the ene- my of the Iphigenia and Nereide, says " the latter after a GLORIOUS resistance^ almost unparalleled even in the hrilliatit annals of the British navy." In another part of the same letter he acquaints the Admiralty that, ** having found it practicahle to equip the Venus," a French frigate captured by Captain Rovley, on the 18th Sept. 1810, he had not hesitated " to commission her for the time being, under the name cf the Nereide, in commemoration of the gallant defence of his Majesty's late ship bearing that name." Captain Willoughby being now »ing wounded, removed from the bread-room to the fore part of the hold, as being less exposed to shot.' This you ^vill find, upon enquiry, is not the fact, as, after I was wounded, I wus in no part of the ship but the gun-room and cock-pit. I remdin, my dear isir, very truly yours, (Signed) " N. J. Willooohbt." *' To Captain Edward Drenton, R. N." • (Answer.) " 4, Park Lane, Feb. 10, 1826. " My dear Sir, — I am extremely sorry that any statement of mine should have caused you one moment's pain. Upon the circumstance of your removal from the bread-room to the fore-part of the ship, or fore- Lold, I was mis-informed, as appears by your surgeon's letter, and the statement of other oflScers. I shall have great pleasure in contradicting it ; and with respect to the other inaccuracies, they shall be corrected in ano- ther edition. I remain, my dear Sir, yours very sincerely, (Signed) " E. P. Brenton." *• To Captain Willoughht;, R. X. C. D. *" ^ • Mr. George Tiinmins, the midshipman alluded to by Captain Brcntou, was wounded at his quarters on the uiuin-deck, and hud his houd shot oti' while sitting at the dour of his mess-berth. I*OST-CAPTA(\S OF 1810. 177 >lack II his >rs de doubt vents, it im- to be aton's d to the s he lay an eye, room to I a cor- iigh it3 ovder : , 1826. iting ray- I edition : )9, where >m to the mil find, JO part of Sir, very 3HDT." [, 1826. of mine istauce of or fore- f, and the liciin^' it ; jd in ato- Inton." Brcntou, Ll shot off Shortly after the capture of the Isle of France, Captain VVilloughby was tried by a court-martial, for the loss of his ship, and for his conduct from the time she anchored offl'Isle de la Passe until her surrender. The foUoAving is a copy of the sentence : " The Court is of opinion, that the conduct of Captain Willoughhy" (on the twentp-second Aug.) " was injudicious, in making the signal ' enemy of inferior force' to the Sirius, she being" then " the only ship in sight, and not justifiable, as the enemy was superior. But the Court is of opinion, that his Majesty's late ship Nereide was carried into battle '' (on the tirenty- Mi>d[> "in aMOBT JUDICIOUS, OFFICER-LIKE, AND GALLANT UANNER; and the Court cannot do otherwise than express its high admiration of the noble rouduct of the captain, officers, and ship's company, during the whole of the unequal contest, and is further of opinion, that the Nereide was not surrendered to the enemy, until she was disabled in every respect, so as to render all further resistance useless, and that no blame whatever attaches to them for the loss of the said ship : the Court doth therefore adjudge Captain VVilloughby, the officers, and ship's company of his Majesty's late ship Nereide, to be most honorably acquitted j and they are hereby most HONORABLY ACQUITTED accordingly." Captain "VVilloughby 's address to the Court, corroborates what we have stated at pp. 159 and 161, respecting the enemy at Port Louis being ready for sea, and his volunteering to lead in and attack Duperrc's squadron. It moreover informs us, that the signals " ready for action " and " enemy of in- ferior force'* were made, to counteract the effect of an indica- tion of inability, by the appearance of a stage up la Nereide 'a foremast, which had been badly wounded on the 20th August. Having thus placed upon record the " gloriova' and "noble" conduct of "poor Nereide," whose officers, &c., were, in our opinion, rather to be envied than pitied, we can- not avoid remarking, how weighty a responsibility Captain Willoughby took upon himself, in volunteering to lead hia senior officer into action ; and the anxiety he must have ex- perienced both on the 22d and 23d August : had la Nereide, from any unforeseen circumstance, got on shore when run- ning down to the enemy, a universal outcry would have been raised against him, and his judges would have passed some- thing very different to the above unprecedented sentence, SUPVJ., I'AKT H. N m^ '■ I M hi ;J 178 POST-CAPPAINS OF 1810. We shall now make our readers acquainted with the opinion entertained by the Governor-General of India, of her sangui- nary battle at Port Sud-Est, on which occasion slie had many more men killed than the whole British squadron, in the much talked-of recent affair at Navarin *, and at least 20 more than were slain in our whole fleet, at the celebrated battle oflF Cape St. Vincent, Feb. 14, 1797* The following are extracts of two letters from LordMinto to Governor Farquhar, dated Oct. 19, and Oct. 21, 1810:— " It is superfluous to express the extreme concern and disappointment which the occurrence of this disustcr has occasioned to my mind ; but deeply as I lament the failure of the gallant attempt to capture or destroy the enemy's naval force in the harbour of Port S. E., and especially the loss of the ships which have been destroyed, and of the many valuable officers and men who have fallen on this occasion, it is yet satisfactory to reflect, that the result of it is alone to be ascribed to the operation of cause? beyond the controul of human foresight and precaution, while it aflbrds another and distinguished instance of that spirit and heroism which cha- racterize the British navy, and which in the recent contest has been displayed in a degrae seldom equalled, and perhaps never surpassed, under the most trying circumstances of difficulty, danger, and distress." ! ^■^m " The first feelings I am anxious to convey, are those of regret and af- fliction, at the loss of so many precious lives, and the sufferings of the surviving officers and men, in the affair at Port S. E. : that sentiment, however, is immediately succeeded by admiration of the extraordinary heroism that distinguished that disastrous day, and which has attached to it u species of, and degree of glory, which fortunate events alone cannot confer. Courage which survives hope, and unbroken spirit under such complicated evils ai those of the 2.Jd August, arc the highest efforts of human charac- ter, and place those who have displayed them amongst the superior beings of our race. What are we to think, therefore, of a whole profession, which never fails to produce those demi-gods, whenever they are called for ; and may we not reasonably be proud r f i country which constantly produces, to that profession, fresh and successive crowds of such heroes.'* Presuming tliat some of our readers have not perused the accounts given by Brenton and James, of Capt. Willoughby's daring conduct at Jacotel and in Port Sud-Est, we shall here give some extracts of their statements. Speaking of the • See Captain Sir Thomas Fbl^owes, C. B. POST-CAPTAINS OF 1810. 179 successes of Commodore Rowley, previous to the reduction of the Isle of France, the former writer says : — " There was one circumstance attending the attack on this island, which, though hitherto scarcely noticed by historians, contributed greatly to en- liirhten the minds of the inhabitants, till then kept in profound ignorance of the state of things. We mean the daring adventure of Capt. Willoughby, of the Nereide, who, after landing at Jacotel, penetrated into the interior of the island, and distributed the proclamations which made the inhabitants acquainted with the views of the British government, and induced them, on our forces' landing, to lay down their arms, and gladly avail themselves of British protection*." After recording the most honorable acquittal of Captain Willoughby, Mr. James thus happily expresses himself: — " To this testimony in favor of the Nereide, we shall merely add, that the noble behaviour of her officers and crew threw such a halo of glory around the defeat at Grand Port, that, in public opinion at least, the loss of the four frigates was scarcely considered a misfortune f ." On the morning of the 30th Nov. 1810, the day after the debarkation of the British troops under Major-General Abercromby, " there was a slight skirmishing between the adverse pickets ; and on the Ist and 2d of December, an affair, rather more serious, took place between the British main body and a corps of the enemy, who with several field-pieces had taken a strong position to check the advance of the invaders. The French, however, were soon overpowered by numbers, •••••♦. Immediately after the termination of this battle. General De Caen, who, in the slight support he received from the Colonial Militia, now learnt to appreciate the effects of the proclamations so industriously spread among them by Captain Willoughby, proposed terms of capitulation ; and on the following morning, the 3d, the articles were signed, and ratifications exchanged, surrendering the island to Great Britain. The garrison of the Isle of France consisted, it appears, of no more than 1300 regular troops, including, to their shame be it spoken, a corps of about 500 Irishmen, chiefly recruits taken out of the captured Indiamen. But the militia force amounted to upwards of 10,000 men / a number which General De Caen, no doubt, would have gladly exchanged for at many more regulars as he had under his command ;." • BrentoD, ▼,481, f James, v, 431. X Id. 475.— N. B. In this we perfectly agree with Mr. Jamei ; for Ge- neral De Caen, knowing that Captain Willoughby, at the head cf only 200 men, had landed and marched upwards of 20 miles in the face of 2200t must have felt that he could stand but little chance of retaining hlis govern- ment, by means of the French militia, after 13,000 Britisli aad native troops liad been brought against him. N 2 IHO I>OST-CAPTAINS OF 1810. The opinions entertained by the English Governors of the Isles of France and Bourbon, of the beneficial effects produced upon the French militia, by the proclamations which Captain Willoughby had circulated among them, are contained in two public letters written by those gentlemen when he was on the eve of his departure for England. The following are copieis of the said documents ; and that dated Dec. 27, 1810, is the only correct one that has ever met the public eye :— Governor Farqduar to Captain Willoughby. " Port Louis, %th Jan. 1811. *' Sir, — The unfortunate, though gallant affair, in which you so emi- nently distinguished yourself at Grand Port, and which for a short time interrupted all communication witli you, prevented my replying imme- diately to your despatch, which I received on the 21st August, informing me of your having landed in the Isle of France, on the 17th and 18th that month; of your having destroyed the batteries and magazines at Grand Port, and distributed the proclamations with which I had entrusted you, for the inhabitants of the Isle of France. I cannot, however, permit you to quit this colony without expressing to you my warmest acknowledg- ments, for the very satisfactory manner in which yon executed every part ot this important duty. I feel it the more necessary no'v to make this official declaration of my sentiments to you, from the more intimate know, ledge I have acquired, since I assumed this government, of the beneficial effects produced by those proclamations on the minds of the inhabitants. However much, therefore, I am disposed to admire that enterprising spirit and perseverance which dared to land at the second principal port of the main island, at the head of only 200 men, and to effect a long rurch of 20 miles, for the purpose of destroying the defences, in the face of an enemy far superior to you ; and however much I must commend that prudence and discretion which enabled you to re-embark without the loss of a single man, after having effected every object you had in view, it is still more my indispensable duty, as being in my immediate province, to bear this public testimony of the prompt and efficient execution of the de- licate and dangeroug service which you undertook, of issuing my proclama- tions to the inhabitants of a neighbouring hostile colony ! I feel convinced that this, amongst the many other more brilliant services in which you have been engaged, and of which you bear so many honorable marks, will speedily replace you in a situation which will afford ample scope for the exercise of the distinguished naval talents and undaunted heroism which your countrymen, as well as the enemy, unanimously bear testimony of your possessing. I have the honor to be, &c. (Signed) *• R. T. Farquhar." POST-CAPTAIXS OP 1810. 181 Lieulennnt-Gowerno" Keating to Captain fyHloughby. " St Denis, hie of Bourbon, 27th Dec. 1810. " Sir, — I cannot allow you to depart from these islands, that have so uften witnessed with wonder the intrepid, daring valour of your conduct, without joining in the genertd wish — that qualities so valuable maybe duly appreciated by our Country, and that services so singularly eminent may be distinguished by the beneficence of our gracious Sovereign. " Among the applauses of your own service, and the admiration of ours, the testimony of my sentiments can add but little to your fame ; but I should be ungrateful, did I not state how large a share is due to you in the conquest of these islands, where so much has been done by the few — so little by the many. " On my first reconnoitreing these citadels of French power in the East, I found the name of Willoughby already familiar with the inhabitants as a vigilant enterprising' enemy— and a generous conqueror. " When we captured St. Paul's, it was the gallant Corbett * who recon- noitred our landing place, and enabled us to debark with a secrecy and rapidity perhaps unequalled. You then fought by my side, leading by your example 80 seamen to the most daring achievements. I felt the full value of your services ; ray testimony of them is on record. When I had led tny force back to Rodriguez, you, ever indefatigable and on the watch for the enemy, made a landing at Jacotel, in the Isle of France, and expe- rimentally confirmed our information as to the strength of the enemy, while your gallantry in carrying off a number of prisoners ia the face of a superior enemy, was a new proof of unshrinkhig determination, that sur- prised even your friends. " The conquest of Bourbon was the next scene in which your cor duct was displayed, and this also is on record. " After this achievement, while most were refreshing themselves after the toils, hardships, and privations, that were the lot of all, you, never in- active while any thing remained undone, volunteered to take the Isle dc la Passe, commanding the chief entrance to S. £. Port, and I gave you 100 chosen men to assist in that important service. " Your next attempt was on Point du Diable, the strongest post in the south of the Mauritius, and doubly valuable as commanding the other en- trance of Port S. E. " The gallantry of this attack, its complete success without the loss of » man on your side ; your march of 20 miles afterwards, when from the dis« position of your force, you compelled a superior to retreat before you with loss ; your distribution of the proclamation of the Honorable the Governor, * Captiun Willoughby's predecessor in la Ncreidc, of whom mention is made at p. 629, of our first volume, rv^ .^Ti ^>,-.o. IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) k 0* , y. •*'-.'^. ^. <>■ .'^ J ^ fc = II I.I 11.25 lU u Ui u 1^ l£^ 2.0 m U 11.6 '/] /i /. Photographic .Sciences Corporation < 33 WIST MAIN STRUT WIUTIR.N.Y. )4S»0 (71«) •7a-4S03 6^ ► A •? V .v:..'^* 182 POST-CAPTAINS OF 1810. which WM attended with effects so beneficial, by demonstrating the views of our country in taking possession of these colonies ; the orderly conduct of your force in abstaining from any act of irregularity, and thus gaining the confidence of the inhabitants ; these were services of no ordinary de- scription. " I now approach that period of your services, which will hand your name to posterity among those consecrated by the admiration of our country. Here, in the nervous language of the Governor-General, *you displayed a heroism almost fabulouSy and acquired a glory of too transcen- dent a character, to be reaped by any other portion of the human race, than the seamen and soldiers of our own nation.* " Whatever I could add to a testimony so exalted, would be superfluous. I must now take my leave ; you quit those scenes where we have fought together and bled for our country; but you return to no ungrateful country ; she has long been known to reward that portion of her sons who ^ave raised her name to the most exalted of the earth i and in thus honor- ing the splendid exertions of superior merit, has founded the most impreg- nable bulwark of her strength. I have the honor to be, &c. (Signed) "Hy. S. Keating.*' On his return to England^ Captain Willoughby was sur- veyed by the College of Surgeons^ and in consequence of their report, a pension of 300/. per annum was granted to him, Oct. 4, 181 1 ; they stating, that he had not only lost an eye, but that his other wounds were more than equal to the loss of a limb. In 1815, this pension was increased to 550/. per an- num, commencing from July 1, in that year, agreeably to H. M. Order in Council, dated Nov. 2/. Having now arrived at the conclusion of Captain Wil- loughby's naval services, during the late war, we cannot help remarking, that he had the peculiar good fortune never to be discomfited, either afloat or on shore, when the service to be performed was arranged by himself, and the plan carried into t-Kecution under his own directions. From the time of his joining the Otter until the twentieth of August, 1810, that day also includedy his astonishing efforts to signalize himself were invariably successful. His only unfortunate action was fought under the orders of a superior officer 1 In 1812, having no immediate prospect of employment afloat. Captain Willoughby obtained leave to go abroad ; and repaired to the Baltic, ready to serve as a volunteer wherever active service might be in contemplation. POST-CAPTAfNS OF 1810. 183 Hearing upon his arrival, that Riga was about to be be- sieged by the French and Prussian forces under Marshals Macdonald and Yorck ; and that Rear- Admiral T. B. Martin liad gone thither to co-operate with 'the Russian garrison, Captain Willoughby immediately made a tender of his ser- vices to that officer, from whom he received a handsome let- ter in return, acquainting him that there was no immediate apprehension of an attack. Upon receiving the Rear-Admiral's answer. Captain Wil- loughby's enterprising spirit led him without loss of time to St. Petersburgh, at which court Earl Cathcart was then re- siding as British Ambassador, and through whom he solici- ted permission to serve in the Russian army ; ofTering to fur- nish himself with all necessary equipments, and to continue under the Imperial standard, without pay or compensation of any kind, during the war then recently begun between Alexander and Napoleon. A short correspondence took place, in consequence of his being an English officer on half-pay ; but at length his servi- ces were accepted by the Czar, who commanded that he should repair to Riga, and put himself under the orders of General Essen, the governor of that city. While there, we find him living with the commanding officers of the British flotilla, the present Captains Hew Steuart and John Brenton. On the 26th Sept. J 812, Captain Willoughby left Riga, under the command of Lieutenant-General Count Steinheil, who had lately arrived from Finland, with 15,000 troops, supposed to be the finest corps in the Russian service, and whose intention it was to fight his way through Macdo- nald's army, for the purpose of joining General Wittgenstein, who was then besieging Polotzk, and also threatening the left flank of the French army at Smolensk. The result of this movement will be seen by the following extracts of Count de Segur's history : " By the middle of October, the Russian array at that pouit amouDted to 62,000 men, while ours was only 17,000. In this number must be included the 6th corps, or the Bavarians, reduced from 22,000 to 1800 men, and 2000 cavalry. The latter were then absent ; St. Cyr being 184 POST-CAPTAINS OF 1810. Avithout forage, and uneasy respecting the attempts of the enemy upon his flanks, had sent them to a co:^siderable distance up the river" Diina, " with orders to return by the left bank, in order to procure subsistence and to gain intelligence. " This marshal was afraid of having his right turned by Wittgenstein and his left by Steiogell (Steinhcil), who was advancing at the head of two divisions of the array of Finland, which had recently arrived at Riga. Saint Cyr had sent a very pressing letter to Macdonald, requesting him to use his efforts to stop the march of these Russians, who would have to pass his army, and to send him a reinforcement of 15,000 men; or if he would not do that, to come himself with succours to that amount, and take the command over him. In the same letter he also submitted to Macdonald all his plans of attack and defence. But Macdonald did not feel himself authorized to operate so important a movement without orders. He distrusted Yorck, whom he perhaps suspected of an intention of letting the Russians get possession of his besieging artillery. His reply was that he must first of all think of defending that, and he remained sta- tionary. In this state of affairs, the Russians became daily more and more emboldened; and finally, on the 17th October, the out posts of St. Cyr were driven into his camp, and Wittengenstein possessed himself of all the outlets of the woods which surround Polotzk. He threatened us with a battle, which he did not believe we would venture to accept ♦ ♦ • ». The night which followed" the desperate engagement at the village of Guravitchne* " was perfectly tranquil, even to Saint Cyr. His cavalry brought him wrong intelligence ; they assured him that no enemy had passed the Diina, either above or below his position : this was incor- rect, as Steiogell and 13,000 Russians had crossed the river at Drissa, and gone up on the left bank, with the object of taking the marshal in the rear, and shutting him up in Polotzk, between them, the Diina* and Wittgenstein. " The morning of the 19th exhibited the latter under arms, and makin<,' every disposition for an attack, the signal for which he appeared to be afraid of giving. St. Cyr, however, was not to be deceived by these ap. pearances ; he was satisfied that it was not his feeble entrenchments which kept back an enterprising and numerous enemy, but that he was doubtless waiting the effect of some manoeuvre, the signal of some important opera- tion, which could only be effected in his rear. " In fact, about ten o'clock in the morning, an aide-de-camp came in full gallop from the other side of the river, with the intelligence, that another hostile army, that of Steingell, was marching rapidly along the Lithua- nian side of the river, and that it had defeated the Fr-ench cavalry. Ho required immediate assistance, without which this fresh army would speed* ♦ See Gi^ord't History of the JVars, ^'ol. I, p. 798. POST-CAPTAINS OF 1810. 185 ily get lu the rear of the camp, and surround it. The neict of this en- gagement soon reached the army of Wittgenstein, where it excited the greatest joy, while it carried dismay into the French camp. Their posi< tion became dreadfully critical. Let any one figure to himself these brave fellows, hemmed in, against a wooden town, by a force of treble tlieir number, with a great river behind them, and no other means of re- treat l>ut a bridge> the passage from which was threatened by another army. " It was in vain that St. Cyr then weakened his force by three regi- ments, which he despatched to the other side to meet Steingell, and whose march he contrived to conceal from Wittgenstein's observation. Every moment the noise of the former's artillery teas approaching nearer and nearer to Polotzk. The batteries, which from the left side protected the French camp, were now turned round ready to fire upon thisnew enemy. At sight of this, loud shouts of joy burst out from the whole of Wittgen- stein's line ; but that officer still remained immoveable. To make him begin" (to act in concert) " it was not merely necessary that he should hear Steingell; he seemed absolutely determined to see him make his ap. pearance. " Meanwhile, all Saint Cyr's generals, in consternation, were surround- ing him, and urging him to order a retreat, which would soon become im- possible. St. Cyr refused : convinced that the 50,0 At the end of 12 or 14 days (April 20, 1813), Napoleon Buonaparte likevnse arrived at M etz, accompanied by Marshal Berthier, with whom he was proceeding to join the newly * A treaty of alliance, offensive and defensive, between the Emperor of Russia and the King of Prussia, wai signed by their respective plenipoten- tiaries, Feb. 22, 1813. 192 Post-captains op 1810. ll 'fimm ^^ii organized army in Germany, having succeeded by extraordi- nary exertions in reviving the spirit, and calling forth the vast resources of his empire. Scarcely had he entered the tovirn, when an order was issued for Captain Willoughby to be hurried off, and confined au secret in the Chateau de Bouil- lon, the birth place of Duke Godfrey, who first reigned over the principality of that name, and who commanded the cru- saders at the taking of Jerusalem. ' ; :' • This vindictive mandate was immediately obeyed ; and for nine months from that period, he was confined au secret in every respect, except being allowed to correspond with some friends, whom he had met with at Verdun, on condition that the governor of the chateau should always see the contents of his letters. Bearing in mind the fate of poor Wright and many others, we shudder at the thought of what might have been Captain Willoughby's destiny, had not the triumphant advance of the allies rendered it necessary for the enemy to remove all their prisoners further from the frontier, and thus proved the means of hi« deliverance from a French state prison. ,> On leaving the Chateau de Bouillon, Captain Willoughby was conducted to Peronne, in which city he continued till the arrival of the allies at Chalons, when he contrived to make his escape, and again join Earl Cathcart. We next find Captain Willoughby at Paris, where he wit- nessed the entry of Louis XVIII., and was presented by Earl Cathcart to the Emperor Alexander, after which, he received an intimation that he was immediately to be honored with a Russian order ; but which has never yet been conferred upon him. At a subsequent period, he received the following letter from Count Steinheil, in answer to one written some time after his return home, thanking that general for his kindness to him, while attached to the Finland corps, and acquainting the Count that he had conformed to the usual etiquette, in being introduced to the Emperor and the Minister of War, before he quitted his Imperial Majesty's service : — *' Monsieur le Capitaine, — N' ayant pas re^u de vos nouvelles depuis le temps lorsque vous f(^te> fait prisonnier, votrc lettre du 5 Mars qui m' ap< POST-CAPTAINS OF 1810. 108 prit que V0U8 Stes parmi Ics vivants ct que vous vous trouvcz dans votrc patrie, m' a causd unc satisfaction partieuli^re. " Apr^s mon retour d'une inspection, j'ai ordonn£ d'abord de faire unc relation exacte de vos services ; je I'ai communiqu6e sous le 31 Juillet, vieux style, au ininistre fonctionnaire de la guerre, Monsieur le Prince de GortzchakofT, avec la pribre de demandcr de sa Majesty Inip^riale pour vous, en rdcoinpense de vos indritcs, I'ordre de Ste Anne de la seconde classc. Jc ne doule pas que Sa Majesty Impdriale rende justice aux raisons que j'ai cu le plaisir de pouvoir alldguer en votre fnveur, conformdment h la v^ritd. "En vous souhaitant unc restitution parfaite de votre maladie j'ai I'hon- neur d' Stre avec cstiuie. Monsieur le Capitaine, votre trds humble et trbs obdissant scrviteur. ^i ■ - , ' .f " Abo, ce 4-6 Aoftt, 1815. *' Steinheil.** "A Monsieur le Capitaine N- J. ff^illoufjhby, de haut bord de la marine Royal d^Angleterre." On the 4th Jan. 1815> a Supplement to the liOndon Ga-> zette of the preceding day, announced that H. R. H. the Prince Regent, being desirous of commemorating the auspi- cious termination of the long and arduous contest in which this empire had been engaged, and of marking, in an especial manner, his gracious sense of the " valour, perseverance, and devotion," manifested by the officers of his Majesty's forces by sea and land, had thought it fit to advance the splendour and extend the limits of the most honorable Military Order of the Bath, to the end that those officers who had had the opportunities of signalizing themselves by eminent services during that contest, might share in the honors of the said Order, and " that their names might be bar ded down to remote posterity, accompanied by the marks cl distinction which they had so nobly earned." f.... Without wishing to refer invidiously to the honors which were then bestowed on any of Captain Willoughby's brother officers, every one of whom who had lost a limb or an eye in battle, while holding post rank, was created a Knight Com- mander, we may be permitted to say, that the dangers which he has ever been forward to encounter, the hard fought actions in which he has been engaged, the many dangerous wounds which he has received, and the numerous honourable records of his devotion to the service of his country, were sufficient SUPPL. PART II. fi'-^f to 1^ POST-CAPTAINS OF 1810. to excite in him a hope, that in the distribution of honors, forming as it were a scale by which professional merit would necessarily be measured in the public esteem, a higher rank might have been allotted to him than that of a Companion. We do not believe that there is an officer in either profession ,vho has ever exhibited greater ** valour, perseverance^ and levotioti .•" the foregoing recital of his services will prove that he " nobl- earned" the lattei* " mark of distinction" on ten several occasions, while commanding the Otter and Nereide : the loss of an eye in battle, after he obtained the command of a frigate, was in itself sufficient to constitute a fair claim to the higher honor of K. C. B. — added to this, he received two other nearly mortal wounds when serving as a Post- Captain ; and the College of Surgeons, as we have before observed, officially reported that, in addition to the loss of his eye, he had sustained injuries more than equal to that of a limb. We, therefore, cannot but consider, that in two points, whe^in others were deemed entitled to that superior rank, he was unfairly excluded. Altogether, Captain Wil- loughby has received five nearly mortal wounds, besides others more trifling. it is no leers w(Hthy of remark, that although Captains Pym, Lambert, and Curtis, were all appointed to frigates soon after their return from captivity at the Isle of France, Captain Willoughby did not succeed in getting another command un- til Sept. 1818, when he received a commission for the Tri- bune 42 ; in which ship he served for some time on the coast of Irelaild, and afterwards conveyed Rear-Admiral Fahie to the Leeward Islands station. This, his last appointment, helieldtillJuly 15, 1823. It affords us much gratification to add, that one of the first acts of H. R. H. the Lord High Admiral, was to sooth tiie wounded feelings of Captain Willoughby, who had endured, for twelve years, that which to an honorable mind is nearly- analogous to disgnice. Estimating the gallant captain's ser- vices by their own circumstances, rather than by the measure of honorary reward which had been allotted to tliem in 1815, H. R. Highness was graciously pleased to obtain him ihc honor of knighthood, June 3(>, 1827. More than this the POST-CAPTAINS OF 1810. 195 august Prince could not do, as none beneath the rank of Gene- ral and Flag-officers are now admitted to the honor of K. C. B. One of Sir Nisbet J. Willoughby's brothers, a captain in the 50th regiment of foot, was drowned at the debarkation of the British army, under Earl Cathcart, near Copenhagen, August 16, I8O7. His youngest brother Ferris, perished in the Sylph sloop, off Long Island, Jan. 1/, 1815. There is an excellent full length portrait of Sir Nisbet J. Willoughby (by Barber) at VVoUaton, the principal seat of the head of his family, Henry Lord Middleton : the same mansion also contains one of Admiral Sir Hugh Willoughby, who was frozen to death in a desert part of Russian Lapland, when endeavouring to discover a N. E. passage to China, in the year 1553*. ' ;> ■'■ EDWARD WALLIS HOARE, Esq. This officer is related to Admiral the Hon. Sir Robert Stopford, K. C.B. He was made a Lieutenant in Aug. 1796; • Dr. Robertson says :— " Richard Chancelour, the captain of the other vessel, was more fortunate ; he entered the Wlute Sea, anil wintered in safety at Archangel. Though no vessel of any foreign nation had ever visited that quarter of the globe before, the inhabitants received their new visitors with an hospitality, which would have done honor to a more polished people. The English learned there, that this was a province of a vast empire, 8ul)ject to the great Duke, or Czar of Muscovy, who resided in a great city, 1200 miles from Archangel. Chancelour, with a spirit becoming an officer employed in an expedition for discovery, did not hesi- tate a moment about the part which he ought to take, and set out for that disiant capital. On his arrival in Moscow, he was admitted to audience, and delivered a letter, which the captain of each ship had received from Edward VI, for the Sovereign of whatever country they should discover, to John Vasilowitz, who at that time filled the Russian throne. John, though he ruled over his subjects v/ith the cruelty and caprice of a bar- barous despot, was not destitute of political sagacity. ^ ^> instantly per- ceived the happy consequences that might flow from opening an inter- mursr with the western nations of Europe ; and, delighted with the fortu- nate event to which he was indebted for thin unettpected benefit, he treated Chancelour with great respect ; and, by a letter to the King of England invited his subjects to trade in the Russian dominions, with ample pro. mises of protection and fovor." 196 POST-CAPTAINS OF 1810. i advanced to the ranit of Coinni^ider Sept. 25, 1804; and posted into the Minden 74, at Bombay, Oct. 16, 1810. In the spring of 1811, Captain Honre was despatched from Madras" to the coast of Java, with two companies of troops on board, in order to await the arrival of the expedition then fitting out at the different ports of India for the attack of that island, the only colony in the Eastern hemisphere still pos- sessed by the enemy ; and to which so much importance was attached, that the Governor-General, Lord Minto, had re- solved to accompany the expedition in person. The follow- ing extracts of an ofi&cial letter, contain an account of a batik; between 200 seamen, marines, and soldiers, landed from the Minden, and 500 of the enemy's Europcaii and native troops, near Bantam, in which the latter were touted and dispersed, with a loss of above 50 killed and 100 wounded. " Minden^ off" Point St. Nicholas, June 6, 1811. " Sir, — I beg leave to acquaint you, that the detadunent I some time Hince landed opposite the Minden, for the purpose of keeping open the cominunicatioo with the Pangorah, and procuring supplies for the squadron, was yestenlay nrorning, a few minutes after day-light, unexpectedly attacked by a considerable body of the enemy, on their right, within pistol-shot, which was sustained on both sides, for the space of fifteen minutes, with . tu jch obstinacy ; when the enemy were repulsed, and retired in confusion. " During the attack, I landed from the Minden, the remainder of ihc •detachments of the 14th and 8.9th regiments, with the seamen trained tu amall arms, to support our brave fellows ; whom they had scarcely joined, when our little army, consisting in all of 200 men, were a second time 4ittacked on their left by a fresh body of the enemy coming on in force, 4Uid with remarkable steadiness, reaerving their fire till within fifteen paces ; when a «pirited contest comraenced, which was inj^irrt time decided in our favor, the enemy finding it impossible to wittiMlidl'the steady deter- .mined fire of British troops * * *. It is impossible. Sir, ifter so severe a contest, but to expect some loss, and I have to lament that ours has been conaidcrablef • * *. From iuforiuutiun T huvc just received, it npfteur* the enemy have retreated to Choriegong, n post about fifteen miles to tliu ca«tward of this place. I have the honor to be, &c. (Signeh//j ii^»;v-"»> ''-'' -!>2"v..', .>' This officer was born at Cawsand, in Cornwall, Dec. 15, 1782 J and he entered the naval service, Feb. 21, 179&» with no better prospect than that of ultimately becoming a purser ; his only professional friend being Mr. P. Ellery, captain'g- clerk of the Irresistible 74, commanded by the late Admiral John Leigh Doo^Pk, who allowed him to join that ship as an assistant to !■«« amanuensisf. In the action off TOricnt, June 23, 17^6, we find Mr. Elliot serving as a volunteer of the first class, and receiving u wound, which, although not dangerous, was of such a nature as to render it necessary for him to be sent home in the hospital-ship attached to Lord Bridport's fleet. Some time after his recovery, he was removed from the guard-ship at Plymouth to the Carnatic 74, Captain Richard Grindall, * Cuptaiii Uiliol'j iiaiuo is inio-apelt iti the Ahealtb ; commanded tLo Prince 98, at Trafalgar; was nominated a K. G. D. in 1815; and died ut Wickham, Hants, May 23, 1820, aged 70 years. t See Vol. I., pp. 150 tff teq., and note at p. 84/. * : See Vol. II., Part I., p. 176. f See Suppl. Part I, p. 60, Par. 3. rpST-CAPTAlN8 OK 1810. Wli her jolly-boat, but she was instantly swamped : the yawl was then launched overboard, and although only 6 vohinteers could be procured out of the whole ship's company, Lieute- nant £lIiot proceeded to make his daring attempt. At 10 P. M ., he succeeded in getting under the lee of the brig ; but the sea ran so high, and beat so heavy on her, that he found it impracticable to get alongside till day-light, when the wea- ther moderated; and he had the happiness of fully accom- plishing his object : — in less than an hour afterwards, the vessel went to the bottom ! Lieutenant Elliot's courageous perseverance on this occasion, was thus acknowledged by the master of the ill-fated brig, in a letter addressed to Dr. Hawes, the Treasurer of the Royal Humane Society : — «• Pooht January 27, 1806. *' Sir, — I beg leave to recomuiend to the notice of the Royal Huioaoe Society, Lieutenant William Elliot, for rescuing me and my crew from the wreck of the merchant brig Success, who, though intreated not to hazard his life, still persisted in the attempt. Permit me to say, that I think Lieutenant Elliot not unworthy of your notice, and by laying the particu- lars before the R. H. S. you will oblige, &c. ;,:f -..id ,; (Signed) " J. G. Robinson.*' On another occasion, whilst in the Rattler, Lieutenant Elliot saved the lives of three men, who could not swim, by jumping overboard after them, at sea. We have not been able to find a copy of Captain Mason's letter to the above in- stitution, but wc are informed, that its honorary medalliqp has been twice presented to the subject of this memoir. In October 1806, the D£^)hne accompanied the naval and military reihforcements sent to Buenos Ayres ; and Lieute- nant Elliot commanded a party of her seamen at the storming of Monte Video, Feb. 3, 1807 *. The particulars of a very gallant exploit afterwards performed by him on the Baltic station, are thus detailed in an official letter from Captain Mason to Rear- Admiral Sir Samuel Hood, dated off Lessoe :-r- " Sir, — Judging from the cargo of the sloop destroyed on the 22d, that the rest of the enemy's vessels at Fladstrand were also loaded with provi- sions, and destined for the relief of Norway, I conceived it to be an object to attempt getting them out ; and tlu: officers and crews of both ships having volunteered, I, last night, sent three boats from this ship, und the Tartarus two, all under the direction of Lieutenant William Elliot, first of * Sec Vol. I, p. biX *, and note at the bottom. 200 POST-CAPTAINB OF 1810. 1 i the Daphne, accompanied by Mr. Hu((h Stewart, master; Lieuteaant Soger, R. M. ; Messrs. Beazeley, Durell, Elliot, Moore, and Ayton, midshipmen; and Lieutenants Gittins and Patterson ; and Messrs. Sept- ford, Lussman, and Andrews, midshipmen of the Tartarus. They were towed near the shore by the Forward gun-brig. They found the vessels moored close under the foot of the castle, which mounts 10 guns, with hawsers fast to the shore ; and immediately on getting to them, the alarm was given by some Danish boats : the enemy instantly forsook the vessels, and the castle and three other guns began, and kept up a heavy fire of round, grape, and musketry ; many of the shot went through the hulls and sails of the vessels, notwithstanding which, the five boats cleared the harbour of all but two brigs, both light, and one of them with neither sails nor rudder. As no credit can accrue but to those who planned and executed this enterprise, I trust. Sir, I may be allowed to express to you, my admiration of the steady valour and good conduct of Lieutenant Elliot (whose behaviour at all times led me to expect it from him), as well as every officer and man employed in it. He speaks in the strongest terms of the courage and steadiness of the officers, petty officers, seamen, and marines of both ships. I am happy. Sir, to add, that the loss is very trifling on either side, which I am surprised at, having observed from the ship the heavy fire kept up by the enemy. A Danish boat, with 5 men in it, having the temerity to persist in endeavouring to retake one of the vessels, although repeatedly warned by Lieutenant Elliot, the latter was obliged with his people to fire in their own defence, and 3 of the 5 fell ; on our side there were 3 wounded by the enemy, and one by mistake, but none badly. Amongst the former is Lieutenant Elliot, which, with his being an old Lieutenant, and a very deserving officer, will, I trust, be an additional inducement with you, to recommend him to the notice of my Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty. I enclose a list of the wounded. * * * *. All but my first Lieutenant and one seaman are able to do duty." i>f{ On this occasion. Lieutenant Elliot received a severe con- tusion in the middle of the right thigh, by a splinter, when on board one of the enemy's vessels ; and a seaman belonging to the Daphne was wounded in the neck by a shipmate, who had mistaken him for an enemy. The prizes consisted of 5 brigs, 3 galliots, 1 schooner, and 1 sloop ; the whole of which, ex- cept one galliot, were deeply laden with grain and provisions, as the captain of the Daphne had anticipated. As a reward for his distinguished conduct. Lieutenant Elliot was once more sent to the West Indies on promotion, and directed to proceed thither as a passenger on board the Brazen sloop of war.— From that vessel he removed into the Castor frigate, for the purpose of joining Sir Alexander Coch- rane, commander-in-chief on the Leeward Islands station. POST-CAPTAINS OP 1810. 201 On the 16th April 1809, the Castor assisted at the capture of the Hautpoult, a French ship of 74 guns, and 680 men : during the pursuit, Mr. Elliot was ordered by her captain to do duty as first Lieutenant, an appointment which was im- mediately afterwards confirmed by the Admiral, who had joined in the chase, but, owing to the bad sailing of his flag- ship, was rendered incapable of affording any assistance *-. Captain Faliie, in his official letter to Sir A. Cochrane, says, that at 3-30 A. M ., the Castor succeeded in getting within shot of the Frenchman, and soon after began a smart cannonade, which was immediately returned by the enemy, who, in yawing to bring his guns to bear, gave the Pompee an opportunity of ranging up abreast of him. We have been told by an officer who was present, that the Hautpoult's tiller- ropes were shot away by the Castor. The latter ship, com- manded by Captain William Roberts, had one man killed and six others wounded. In August following. Lieutenant Elliot was appointed act- ing Commander of the Pultusk sloop of war, in which vessel be made several captures off the north end of Guadaloupe. Towards the close of the same yeay, he assisted Captain George Miller, of the Thetis frigate, in an attack upon a French national brig, lying at anchor in the port of Des Hayes ; but after a warm action of about two hours, it was found impossible to make any impression on the fort by which she was defended. During this attack, the Pultusk was repeatedly hulled, and indeed nearly sunk, two of the enemy's shot having passed between wind and water, after her pumps had been rendered useless. The next step adopted by Captain Miller, in order to ob- tain possession of the enemy's vessel, was to place a party of seamen under the orders of his first Lieutenant, whom he directed to land after dark, and try to storm the fort ; but that officer, not finding a convenient landing place, and being fired upon by some troops posted behind rocks, was speedily ob- liged to retreat. Captain Elliot, who, when consulted by the senior officer, had confidently predicted the failure of the attempt, if made by night, now offered his services to con- • SeeVol. I, p. 717. i! i '•\h iij 202 POST-CAPTAINS OF 1810. duct an attack the following day*; and his proposal bciiig acceded to by Captmn Miller, a landing was accordingly effected at noon, about 6 miles from the fortification ; the Pultusk having previously towed the boats, containing about 9Q officers and men, within musket shot of the shore. The difficulties Captain Elliot and his brave followers sur- mounted in finding their way through an almost impenetrable wood, over a high hill, without any path or guide, afford another instance of the perseverance and intrepidity of British seamen and marines. While on their march, most of the officers and men lost their shoes, canteens, &c. ; and when only half-way through the wood they heard a detachment of French soldiers on their right, proceeding towards the spot where they had disembarked. This rendered it necessary to halt for a few minutes, and it was nearly 6 o'clock before they arrived near the fort. Having no time to lose, as it was probable that the above mentioned troops would soon return, Captain £lliot then formed his party close to the edge of the wood, and proceeded singly to ascertain where the en- trance of the fort was situated. After making one turn to his left by a hedge, he discovered the drawbridge, partly drawn up, and a centinel, who advanced and challenged him. Receiving no answer, the Frenchman turned suddenly round, walked back about 20 yards, and^ screening himself behind the corner of a wall, fired at, but missed his pursuer, whom he afterwards attempted to bayonet : in this design, however, he was fortunately prevented by Captain Elliot, who shot him with his left hand pistol^ at the moment they were com* ing into close contact. ,c.»<^f'i;.xn .(The Frenchman, although he instantly fell, was still capa- \i\e of doing mischief, for on Captain Elliot turning round to order the storming party forward, he managed to get up uu- perceived, and aimed a tremendous blow at him with hie musket, the butt-end of which inflicted a severe contusion on the chest, whilst the cock of the lock, as the piece descended, was literally driven into the knee of our gallant and unsus- pecting countryman. Both parties now came together to the ground, but not before Captain Elliot had used his cutlass so effectually as to seal the fate of his antagonist. POST-CAPTAINS OP 1810. 203 '^ere com* In five minutes after this occurrence, Captain Elliot and the whole of his men were within the walls of the fort, he him- self having been assisted over the drawbridge by a uon- commiasioned officer of marines. The French garrison (amounting, by the account of a prisoner, to 300 men) were completely taken by surprise : — some jumped over the para- pets, and concealed themselves among the surrounding bushes; some defended themselves with becoming spirit ; and others were taken in the barrack, without resistance ; their arms, piled in front of the building, being previously secured by the British. The drawbridge was then hauled up, the guns towards the road loaded with grape, and those to seaward di- rected against the brig, which was immediately compelled to surrender. No sooner had the enemy afloat announced their submis- sion, by hailing, than Captain £lUot directed all the ordnance to be thrown over the wsJls, and a train laid to destroy the magazine and barrack. He then went off in a French boat and took possession of his prize, which proved to be le Nisus. a new brig, mounting 18 thirty-two pounders, with a com- plement of 150 men, many of whom had jumped overboard and swam to the shore on finding tlie guns of the fort turned against them. The remainder of the business on shore was conducted vrith great zeal and ability by Mr. Nathaniel Bel- hier, first Lieutenant of the Thetis. Le Nisus had recently arrived at Des Hayes with a supply of provisions from I'Orient, and when captured was waiting a favorable opportunity to sail for France with a return cargo of coffee. Captain Elliot found her aground ; but a breeze spring- ing up, he got] her off without difficulty ; and she was after- wards conuuissioned as the" Gtiadaloupe *' sloop of war. .n^ On the 18th Dec. 1809, Captain Elliot was present at the destruction of two large French frigates in Ance le Barque, together with a heavy battery by which they were defended*. We subsequently find him commanding the Hazard sloop, and greatly distinguishing himself, both afloat and on shore, during the siege of Guadaloupe, on the surrender of •« iyjwiv^ji: ^t. rj't, ' • Sec Vol. I. p. 878 el seq. K' '.■■•\i a-,?5- II . I 204 P08T-CAPTAINB OP 1810. which island he was ordered to convey the bearers of the na. val and military despatches to England f. - »• On his return home (March 1810), Captain Elliot received an official letter from the Secretaryof the Admiralty, acquaint- ing him, that in consequence of his meritorious services in the West Indies, the Lords Commissioners had been pleased to order a minute to be made for his promotion to post rank, to take place at the expiration of twelve months, from the date of his confirmation as a Commander ; and in December following, on his arrival from Newfoundland, he had the gratification of receiving a commission, dated, according to promise, Oct. 16, in the same year. From the above period. Captain Elliot was obliged through ill-health, occasioned by his wounds and repeated change of climate, to remain on shore tillJune 1812, when, considering himself sufficiently recovered to serve again afloat, he applied for employment, and was immediately appointed to the Cro- codile of 28 guns, in which ship he continued, on the Guern- sey and Lisbon stations, till she was ordered to be paid off in June 1815. '.■vrj--{]'n;!.i ;i{ 'j^tu^nnU'ri ,y>ir^ w^i-. Captain Elliot was nominated a C. B. in 1815 : his next appointment appears to have been September 5, in the same year, to the Florida 20 ; and from her we find him removed April 8, 1816, to the Scamander frigate, fitting for the West Indies, where he evinced great zeal in protecting British commerce, and preventing the principles of our trade from violation, by seizing ten vessels of different descriptions, for various breaches of the navigation laws. On the 21st Oct. 181 7> Captain Elliot encountered a most destructive hurricane, near Barbadoes, and it was with the greatest difficulty that the Scamander escaped its dreadful ravages. — For his subsequent exertions in saving numerous vessels which had been dismasted and driven ashore in Car- lisle Bay, he received a very flattering letter from the mer- f The Hazard led Commodure Dullard's squadron into Ance le Barque, and assisted in taking possession of the enemy's batteries, which enabled the troops under Brigadier-General Harcourt, to land without opposition. Captain Elliot was afterwards attached to the second division of the uriny. —See the extract of Sir George Beckwith's General Orders, inserted at p. SJO of our tirst volume. l»diT CAPTAINS OF 1810. 205 chantB of that island, whose brethren at Trinidad also voted him their thanks for rescuing considerable property belong- ing to them, which had fallen into the hands of some Spanish pirates, and been carried into la Guiara. The Scauiander was paid off at Portsmouth, in November 1818. Captain £lliot's last appointment was, Nov. 22, 1823, to the Lively of 46 guns, in which frigate he escorted Don Miguel, then an exile, from Lisbon to Brest : on his return to the Tagus, he was honored with the company of King John, the Infantas of Portugal, and the Ministers of State, aU of whom had been invited to a grand fHe given on hoard the Lively, and which his Portuguese Majesty declared to be the most splendid entertainment he ever witnessed. Among other honors distributed by the happy monarch, to commemorate his restoration to power, was the insignia of a Knight Commander of the Tower and Sword, set in diamonds, presented to the subject of this memoir, who has since re- ceived his own sovereign's most gracious permission to accept and wear the same. •' On the 2d Jan. 1826, the Lively arrived at Plymouth from Vera Cruz, with despatches, announcing the surrender of the castle of St. Juan d'Ulloa to the Mexican forces. On her being paid off, the officers gave a splendid dinner to Captain Elliot, at the Royal Hotel, Devonport, "to evince their sense of his kindness to them, while under his command, and as a mark of their high esteem for the man and for the officer." Captain Elliot married, first, in 1806, Lucretia, daughter of the Rev. John Harries of Newfoundland ; and by that lady, who died at Barbadoes, in 1818, he had four children, all of whom are deceased : 2dly, Sarah, daughter of John Parkin, Esq., ship-builder at Frank Quarry, co. Devon, by whom he has issue two sons and one daughter. He has three brothers in the naval service, viz. — John, a Purser ; and Thomas and James, Lieutenants. One of his sisters is married to Lieu- tenant Lapidge, R. N. Agents, — Messrs. Stilwell. 'S/*- t'im 'iht'l .'**' -k 206 POST-CAPTAINS OP 1810. fe. I H)i itviu m. JAMES COLLINS, Esq. ' Was made a Lieutenant early in 1781 ; and promoted to the rank of Commander, at the latter end of 1796. He com- manded the Meteor bomb, in the expedition against Constan- tinople, and at the defence of Rosas ; in 1807 and 1808: on the former service, his vessel had both her mortars burst, and sustained a loss of 8 killed and wounded : on the latter occa- sion, he " conducted the bombardment with great ability, and was indefatigable in the annoyance he gave the enemy by it." So says Lord Collingwood, in an official letter to the Ad- miralty, dated Dec. 1, 1808 : the following mention is made of his meritorious conduct by Captain John West, under whose orders he was first employed in Rosas buy : — " I beg leave to conclude this despatch to your Lordship, by expressing how highly satisfied I have been with tlic conduct of the officers and com- pany of the $hip I have the honor to command, as likewise of those of the Meteor and Lucifer bombs, commanded by Captfuns Collins and Hall, Avhose great exertions, duruig the arduous and most fatiguing service they have imperiously been called upon to perform, reflect the greatest credit upon them *." Lord Cochrane, when reporting the capitulation of Rosas, informed the commander-in-chief, that he **also felt in- debted to Captain Collins for his aid f." Whilst engaging the enemy between the 7th and 20th Nov. 1808, the Meteor ap- pears to have had 6 men wounded. *«♦..« «.»». , Captain Collins subsequently commanded the Columbine of 18 guns, in which brig we find him sf rving at the period of his advancement to post rank, Oct. 21, 1810. He ob- tained the out-pension of Greenwich Hospital, Aug. 24, 1812. Sfc'iii/' ► lit: JOHN CRISPO, Esq. Received his first commission at the close of the Spanish armament, 1790; and subsequently commanded the Alert schooner, employed conveying the mails to and from New York and Halifax, which vessel he lost on St. John's, now >» J, • Nav. Chron. v. 21, p. 167. 7 + See Memoir of Captain Frederick Marryatt, C. B. pdsT-CAI*TAINS OF 1810. 207 Prince Edward's, Island, when returning from Quebec to Nova Scotia. In Aug. 1796, wo find him commanding the Tdemachus hired cutter, on the Channel station, where he captured la M argueritta and le Requin, French privateers : the former of 4 guns and 48 men ; the latter armed with swivels, and carrying 22 men. His promotion to the rank of Commander took place earlyjn 1707' During the latter part of the revolutionary war, he was actively employed in com- mand of the Resource troop- ship. Captain Crispo's last appointment was, about May 1808, to the Little Belt, of 18 guns ; in which sloop he sailed for the West Indies, June 22, 1809. His post commission bears date, Oct. 21, 1810. . •; ■ , ; ' ^ . .— • i ^. ^gent — ^John Copland, Esq. ■^?.^ ROBERT KEEN, Esq. Was made a Lieutenant in 1783 ; appointed to the Penelope cutter in 1793 ; and promoted to the rank of Commander in 1797. On the 21st June, 1798, Captain Keen, then commanding the Chapman hired armed ship, joined a squadron of frigates under the orders of Sir Thomas Williams, employed in co- operation with the King's troops near Wexford ; and was directed by that officer to anchor close in shore, for the pur- pose of covering the boats of the squadron, which had been sent to block up the entrance of the harbour, the Irish rebels having collected a number of vessels, in order to secure their retreat if hard pressed by the royalists. At the same time. Captain Keen was ordered to land, and endeavour to possess himself of a fort at the entrance ; which service he performed with great promptitude and alacrity, compelling 200 rebels to fly, with the loss of their colours and three pieces of can- non: Finding the fort in his possession, the boats imme- diately pushed up the harbour and secured the enemy's vessels. General Lake having in the mean time obtained a signal victory over their main body at Vinegar Hill, and a de- tachment from his army having entered Wexford so oppor- tunely as to prevent that town from being laid in ashes. I ao8 POST-CAPTAINS OF 1810. . Captain Keen's subsequent appointments were, to the Spit' fire sloop, the Rye district of Sea Fencibles, and the Echo, a new brig, in which vessel he captured the French lugger privateer Capricieux, of 16 guns, near Dieppe, March 11, 1810. His advancement to post rank took place Oct. 21, in the same year. Agent — John Copland, Esq. M. -JI'J I ti Ki i' I'i 'ji Hi ill , ., , . JOHN LAWSON, Esq. . . .' '-• Commanded the Thracian brig, of 18 guns, wlien pro- moted to post rank, Oct. 21, 1810. '..; ; . ? , 'f,n« '.. .' Agent.—i. Dufaur, Esq. ' I . i , Mj ..• CHRISTOPHER WATSON, Esq. Receivkd his first commission about Juno, 1782; and served as senior Lieutenant of the Lancaster 64, Captain (now Sir John) Wells, at the defeat of the Dutch fleet, near Camper down, Oct. 11, 1797 * y immediately after which he wiis promoted to the rank of Commimder. His post commission bears date Oct. 9.1^ 1810; and we subsequently find hint employed in the transport service, at Ramsgate. He died in Nov. 1823. n ftsii* ijtt '^+ •, 11 Hi J :m\ i; THOMAS WHITE, Esq. (h) Was made a Commander in the summer of 1798, and posted > whilst serving in the Avenger sloop, Oct. 21, 1810. ./%ew^.— Sir F. M. Ommanney. li-.... Mf^ GEORGE SAYER, Esq. (b) >>u Obtained the rank of Lieutenant, in 1790 ; and served as first of the Ethalion frigate, at the defeat of Mons. Horn- pard, by Sir John B. Warren, Oct. 12, 1798 f. The following is an extract of his captain's ofiiciul letter, reporting the cap tureof la Bellonc:— ,,j|„j^ y,,„^ ^j^ uunl ifim'd • Sec Vol. I. Part I. p. 279. t See Vol. I, Part I, p. 17». POSt-CAPTAIl»S 6v 1810* 209 " Aftetr the Hoche struck, we pursued the weathermoat frigate, who was makinjir off, and sailed very fast. After a considerable chase, we came up with and engaged her; she made an obstinate resistance for an hour and fifty minutes, after we got abreast of her, when she struck her coldurs, most of her sails having come down, and Rve feet water in her hold. She proved to lie the Bellone, of 36 guns, 12-pounders, having 300 soldiers on board, besides her crew *. The squadron chased to leeward, and of course we separated, being obliged to remain by the prize. " I cannot speak too highly of the bravery and conduct of all my officers (luring the action, as well as of their extreme vigilance in watching them t for 17 days. Mr. Sayer, first Lieutenant, is in the prize, and I can with pleasure say, his Majesty has not a more zealous or a better officer. We had one man killed and three wounded : the enemy appear to have had twenty killed |. (Signed) " George Coitntess ^.'* Immediately after this action, Lieutenant Sayer wds pro- moted; and we subsequently find him commanding the Ulysses 44^ armed en flute, on the Mediterranean station ; where he received the Turkish gold medal, at the close of the Egyptian campaign. ' After thie renewal of hostilities, in 1803, Captain Sayer held a comniand in the Ramsgate district of Sea Fencibles. His next appointment was to the Raleigh brig, of 18 guns, on the North Sea station. In Feb. 1810, he captured, off Beachy Head, la Modeste, French lugger privateer, of 4 guns, pierced for 18, and 43 men. On the 23d May following, being then off the Scaw, in company with the Alban and Princess of Wales, cutters, the Raleigh engaged seven Danish gun- vessels, one of which was blown up, and the others obliged to disperse, greatly da- maged. On the 2d Nov. in the same year, Captain Sayer captured the Admiral Neil Suul, Danish privateer schooner pierced for 16 guns, but witli only 10 mounted, and a com- plement of 28 men. He also, the same day, recaptured a valuable American ship, from St. Petersburgh, bound to Lon- * Total 619 men. The Ethalion was an 18-pounder frigate, rated at 38. t M. Bompard's squadron. X And 45 wounded, f DiedaRear-Admiral, inlSll. To his judicious management in keeping tight of the enemy from the moment of their leaving port, and sending in- telligence thereof to Sir J. B. Warren, the success of the above day is, in * great measure, to be attributed. • UPPL. PART II. F . ( 210 l*OSt-CAPTAINS OF 1810. ^ ^ V don. Captain Sayer's promotion to post rank took place twelve days previous to the capture of the above schooner ; from which period we find nc mention of him, until his ap- pointment to the Antelope, a 50-gun ship, fitting for the Rag of Rear-Admiral John Harvey, August 22, 1815. This officer married, in 1799, the daughter of Mr. Law- rence, Storekeeper at Keyham Point. Two of his sons died in the naval service. Agents, — Messrs. Stilwell, JAMES ANDREW WORTH, Esq. Son of the late Superannuated Rear-Admiral James Worth. This officer was made a Lieutenant in 1/94; and we first find him commanding the Stag armed cutter, in which vessel he captured la Zelie privateer, Jan. 5, 1/98. He was subse- quently appointed to the Telegraph hired brig, mounting 14 eighteen- pounder carronades, and 2 long sixes, ^ith a com- plement of 60 officers, men and boys. The following is a copy of his official letter, to the late Admiral Sir Richard King, reporting the capture of another French cruiser : — " Telegraph, Torbay, March 19, 17J>9. " Sir, — I have the honor to inform you, I arrived here at 7 o'clock this evening, with I'Hirondelle brig corvette, mounting 16 guns, long nines and six-pounders, and 8!) men, when she sailed from St. IVJaloes three days since, but having captured an American schooner, and an English sloop, reduced her complement to [7'2. I discovered I'Hirondelle on Monday morning, at day-light, on the lee bow, the Isle de Bas S. E. 9 leagues : she immediately tacked and stood towards me. At half-paat 7, being close alongside, an action commenced, which continued for three hours and a half; and after several attempts to board on both sides, she being totally unrigged, she struck, and proved to be the vessel above described. Five of her crew were killed and 14 wounded : the Telegraph bad 5 wounded. I am proud to say, the company of the Telegraph behaved as English •ailors always do on such occasions ; and to acknowledge the very able assistance I received from Mr. George Oibbs, the master. I shall return to Plymouth the moment the wind will allow me •. (Signed) " J. A. Worth." For this service. Lieutenant Worth was promoted, March • Mr. James calls I'Hirondelle a privateer ; and we are inclined to he- licvc that he is right, particularly as the name and rank of her commander Is not stated in the above letter. ..... .. - . POST-CAPTAINS OF 1810k 211 )k place ;hooner ; il his ap- r the flag At. Law- sons died les Worth. re first ^^^ 1 vessel he «ras subse- lounting 14 vith a com- llowing i8 a ■iir Richard aiser :— rA 19. 1799. 7 o'clock this 18, long nines loes three days JnnUsh sloop, ile on Monday E. 9 leagues •• .past 7, bewf? [hree hours and ^e bebg totally .scribed. Rvc [ad 5 wounded, fed as English the very able 1 shall return i. Worth." loted, March lincUned to be- ler comma"**®' 29, 17^9 ; from which period we lose sight of him, until his appointment to the Helena sloop, on the Irish station, about March 1806. In 1809, he captured the following French privateers : — • U/lugitste, of 2 guns and 24 men, Feb. 28; le Jason, 10 guns, 44 men, Sept. 1 ; and le Revenge, pierced for 16 guns, 61 men, Nov. 13. On the 19th April, 1810, after a chase which continued from day-light until 9 P. M., Captain Wortli likewise cap- tured le Grand Napoleon, a new and well-appointed brig pri- vateer, of 280 tons, mounting 12 English 18-pounder carron- ades and 4 long guns, with a complement of 124 men. His advancement to post rank took place Oct. 21, in the same year. During the latter part of the war, Captain Worth succes- sively commanded the Bulwark and Venerable 74*s, bearing the flag of Rear-Admiral (now Sir Philip) C. Durham, on the North Sea, Channel, and West India stations. In Dec. 1813, the latter ship captured le Jason French letter of marque, pierced for 22 guns, mounting 14, with a complement of 54 men: this prize was laden with silks, wines, and various other articles of merchandise, from Bourdeaux bound to New York. The following are copies of the Rear-Admiral's pub- lic letters to Mr. Croker, reporting the capture of two very fine frigates, a few days after that of le Jason :•— ,■.'., ; . ** Fenerahle at Sea, Jan. 16, 1814. " Sir,— I have the satisfaction of sUting, that this day, at 9 A. M., the Cyane *, made a signal for two strangers in the N. EL, which were imme- diately given chase to ; and owing to the very superior suling of the Vene- rable, I was enabled to come up within gun-shot of them at the close of the day, leaving the Cyane far astern. On ranging up with the leeward- most (the night was too dark to diatinguiah her colours), desirous of sav- ing her the consequences of so unequal u contest, I hailed her twice to surrender } but the evasive answer returned, obliged me to order the guns to be opened, as they would bear : upon this the enemy put his helm up, and, under all sail, laid us on board, — for which temerity he has suffered most severely. " The promptitude with which Captain Worth repelled the attempt to board, was not less conspicuous than the celerity with wltich he passed bia men into the enemy's frigate, and hauled down her ensign. I have much pleasure in naming the petty officers who distinguished themselves on this * Captain Thomas Forrest. V 2 312 POBt-CAPTAINS OF 1810. ;!« occasion, viz., Messrs. Maltman, Wallier, and Knevill, master's mates , and Mr. Grey, midsliipman. " This ship proves to be the Alcmene, a beautiful French frigate, of 44 guns, having a complement^ at the commencement of the action, of 319 men, commanded by Captun Ducrest de Villeneuve, an officer of much merit, and who was wounded at the time of boarding. " To his determined resistance, aided by the darkness of the night, the other frigate for the present owes her escape ; but I hare every hope that the Cyane will hk enabled to observe her, until I have shifted the prisoners, and repaired the trifling injury done to the rigging, during the period of the enemy being on board. " Our loss consists of two seamen killed and four wounded ; that of the enemy, two petty officers and thirty seamen killed, and fifty ^^ounded. Lieutenant George Luke, whom I have placed in the frigate, is an old and very deserving officer, who has served twenty years under my command." '* January 20, 1814. " It affords me much pleasure to communicate to you, for their Lord< ships' information, the capture of the French frigate that escaped on Sun- day night. " The vigilance of Captain Forrest, enabled him to keep si^^.it of her during the night, and two following days, when, having run 153 miles, in the direction I judged the enemy had taken, the Venerable's superior sail- ing gave me the opportunity of again discovering the fugitive, and, after an anxious chase of 19 hours, to come up with and capture her. " She is named the Iphigenia, a frigate of the largest class, commanded by Captain Enieria, having a complement of 325 men, and, like her consort the Alcmene, perfectly new. " Every means to effect her escape had been resorted to, the anchors cut away, and her boats thrown overboard. On our coming up we had nm the Cyane out of sight from the mast-head. " These frigates sailed in company from Cherbourgh ou the 20th Octo- ber last, and were to cruise for six months. " It becomes me now to notice the very meritorious conduct of Captain Forrest, not only in assiduously keeping sight, but repeatedly offering battle to a force so superior; nor less deserving of my warmest approba- tion is Captain Worth, of this ship, whose indefatigable attention during the many manoiuvres attempted by the enemy, in this long and arduous chase, was equalled only by the exemplary behaviour of every officer and man under his command. I have the honor to be, &c. (Signed) " P. C. Durham." One of Captain Worth's sons is in the navy ; another, a daptain in the 84th Regiment, died at Port Royal, Jamaica, 1827- //^enfj.— -Messrs. Stilwell. roST-CAPTAlNS OF 1810. ai3 • V o. . ! JAMES SLADE, Esq. '• ' We first find this officer serving as senior Lieutenant of the Latona frigate, Captain (now Vice -Admiral) Sotheron, by whom he was entrusted with the command of a detachment of boats, sent to co-operate with Captain Adam Mackenzie, in an attack upon a Dutch gun-brig, two armed schooners, a row-boat, and several merchant vessels, lying between Schier- monikoog and the main land of Groningen. The manner in which this service was executed has been fully described at p. 235, et seq. of Vol. II, Part I. The following is an extract of the official letter written by Capt^n Sotheron, when trans- mitting Captain Mackenzie's report of his proceedings : — " I am happy to say he mak^s most honorable mention of tny friend and first Lieutenant, Mr. Slade, who is upon all occasions, a truly deserving and active officer. The Juno and Latona not being able to act, I may without vanity say, as we were only spectators, it has been as gallant an achievement as ever was recorded." Lieutenant Slade shortly afterwards witnessed the capture of the Helder, and the consequent surrender of the Dutch squadron, under Rear- Admiral Storey * : his promotion to the rank of Commander took place, Sept. 2, 1799 ; on which occasion he was appointed to I'Espi^gls sloop, employed on the North Sea station. Captain Slade's post commission bears date Oct. 21, 1810; and l^om that period until the end of the war, we find him commanding the Experiment, receiving-ship at Falmouth. jigents. -^Messra. Stilwell. WILLIAM WILLIAMS FOOTE, Esq. Was posted Oct. 21, 1810. He married Miss Hill, of Upminster. -;,. .. ,..; Agents. — Messrs. Cooke, Halford and Son. ' •* ^ " '* mi "M THOMAS INNES, Esq. ^ ^ Uecsivmd his first commission in Nov. 1790 ; and was niade a Commander into the Pomona armed ship, on the • =* 4' ; J* See Vol. 1. Parti, note atp. 414 r/ ««y. janMsuqtrtv 214 I r I I f i t POST-CAPTAINS OF 1810. North Sea station, Dec. 26, 1799. On the 7th Aug. 1804, being then in the Rambler brig, he attacked a French convoy near Isle Dieu, captured two vessels, and drove the remain- der on shore. He was afterwards actively employed in the Childers brig, and Myrtle ship-sloop, until his advancement to post rank, Oct. 21, 1810. Captain Jnnes's lady is a sister to Captmn George Sayer, C.B. ^^cw/5.— Messrs. Stilwell. RICHARD JAMES LAWRENCE O'CONNOR, Esq. Nephkw to Admiral Sir Edniund Nagle, K. C. B. This officer was made a Lieutenant in Dec. 1793 ; and promoted to the rank of Commander, about the latter end of April 1800. In Nov. 1804, he had the misfortune to lose the Hannibal armed ship, that vessel having parted her cables in the Downs, and drifted on shore near Sandown Castle, where she was totally wrecked. In Oct. 1807, Captain O'Connor obtained the command of the Leveret j and on the 18th of the ensuing month he was tried by a court-martial for the loss of that sloop, near North Yarmouth. " The Court having carefully and deliberately inquired into the conduct of Captain O'Connor, his officers, and ship's company, were unanimously of opinion, that the loss of the Leveret, on the 10th Nov., proceeded solely from the zealous perseverance of her commander to assist and see the Waldemaar, a Danish 84, safe into port, the service on which he was previously ordered ; and as it appeared that every exertion was made by Captain O'Connor, together with his oflieera and crew, to save the Le« veret after she struck, the Court felt it their duty to severally and respec< lively acquit them." No sooner had this enquiry terminated, than Captain O'Connor was again tried, upon a charge exhibited against him by Rear- Admiral Wells, commander-in-chief at Sheer- ness, for " having been deficient in his duty on the evening of the 10th Nov. 1807, inasmuch as he did not afford, or cause to be afforded, any assistance to a frigate which he saw on her beam* ends on shore on the Long Sand." The following will shew the result of this second investigation : "Having heard thto evidence produced in support of the charge, and what the prisoner had to offer in his defence, and Laving very maturely and de< POST-CAPTAINS OF 1810. 215 liberateljr weigtied and considered the whole and every part thereof; the Court ia of opinion, that the charge is not proved ; and are further unani* mously of opinion, tliat no possible blame whatever attaches to (Japtain O'Connor ; and do therefore fully acquit him." We subsequently find Captain O'Connor commanding the Ned Elven brig, on the Baltic station, where he captured le General Rapp, French privateer, of 8 guns and 41 men, in ; Dec. J 808. His next appointment was to the Bonne Citoy- enne corvette, in which vessel he continued actively employed until promoted to post-rank, Oct. 21, 1810. ' In April, 1814, Captain O'Connor assumed the com- mand of the Prince Regent, a 58 gun-ship, built at Kings- ton, on Lake Ontario, and bearing the broad pendant of Sir James L. Yeo, commodore of the naval force employed in defending the Canadian frontier. The following is a copy of that officer's official letter to Mr. Croker, reporting the suc- cessful result of an expedition against Oswego, situated on the river of the same name, near its confluence with the above lake. " H. M. S. Prince Regent, May 9, 1814. *' Sir,— My letter of the loth April last will have informed their lord- ships, thatH. M. ships Prince Regent and Princess ('harlotte were launched on the preceding day. I now have the satisfaction to acquaint you, for their Lordships' information, that the squadron, by the unremitting exer- tions of the officers and men under my command, were ready on the 3d instant, when it was determined by Lieutenant-General Drummond and myself, that an attack should be made on tlie forts and town of Oswego, which, in point of position, is the most formidable I have seen in Upper Canada ; and where the enemy had, by river navigation, collected from the interior several heavy guns and naval stores for the ships, and large depots of provisions for thdr army. " At noon, on the 5th, Vire got off the port, and were on the point of landhg, when a heavy gale f^-om the N. W, obliged me to gain an offing. On the morning of the 6th, every tiling being ready, 140 troops, 200 sea- men armed with pikes, under Captain Mulcaster, and 400 marines, were put into the boats ; the Montreal and Niagara took their stations abreast, and within a quarter of a mile of the fort, the Magnet opposite the town, and the Star and Charwell to cover the landing, which was effiscted undet a most heavy fire of round, grape, and musketry, kept up with great spirit. Our men having to ascend a very steep and long hill, Were consequently exposed to a destructive fire ; their gallantry overcoitting every difficulty, they soon gained the summit of the hill, and throvring themselves into the fosse, mounted the ramparts on all sides, vying with each other who "^ should be forenost. Lieutenant Laurie, my secretary, was the first who ^ ii. ;! I! ii 216 POST-CAPTAINB OF 1810. gained the ramparts ; and Lieutenant Hewett climbed the flag-staff under a heavy fire, and in the most gallant style struck the American coluuni, which had been nuled to the mast. " My gallant and much esteemed friend, Captun Mulcaster, led the seamen to the assault with his accustomed bravery ; but I lament to say, he received a dangerous wound in the act of entering the fort, which I ap- prehend will, for a considerable time, deprive me of his vahiabte services : Mr. Scott, my first Lieutenant, who was next in command, nobly led them on, and soon gained the ramparts. " Captain O'Connor, of the Prince Regent, to whom I entrusted the landing of the troops, displayed great ability and cool judgment, the boats being under a heavy fire from all points. " Captain Popham, in the Montreal, anchored his ship in a most gal- lant style, sustaining the whole fire until we gained the shore. She was set on fire three times by red-hot shot, and much cut up in her masts, sails, and rigging. Captain Popham received a severe wound in his right hand, and he speaks in high terms of Mr. Richardson, the master, who, from a severe wound in the left arm, was obliged to undergo amputation at the shoulder joint. " Captain Spilsbury of the Niagara, Captun Dobbs of the Charwell, Captain Anthony of the Star, and Captain Collier of the Magnet, be- haved much to my satisfaction. " The 2d battalion of royal marines excited the admiration of all ; they were led by the gallant Colonel Malcolm, and suffered severely. Captain Holtaway, doing duty in the Princess Charlotte, gallantly fell at the head of his company. " Having lac jod with the seamen and marines, I had great pleasure in wit- nessing not only the zeal and prompt attention of the officers to my orders, but also the intrepid bravery of the men, whose good and temperate con- duct under circumstances of great temptation (bemg a whole night in the town, employed loading the captured vessels with ordnance, naval stores, and provisions), most justly clum my high approbation and acknow- ledgment ; and 1 here beg leave to recommend to their Lordships' no- tice the services of all ; of my first Lieutenant, Mr Scott, and of my aid- de-camp, acting Lieutenant Yeo, to whom I beg leave to refer their Lord- ships for information ; nor should the meritorious exertions of acting Lieu- tenant Griffin, severely wounded m the arm, or Mr. Brown, both of whom were attached to the storming party, be omitted. " Tt is a great source of satisfaction to me to acquaint their Lordships, that I have on this, and all other occasions, received from Lieutenant Ge- neral Drummond, that support and attention which never ftul in securing perfect cordiality between the two services. . ** I heremth transmit a list of the killed and wounded, and of the ord- nance, naval stores, and provisions, captured and destroyed by the com- bined attack on the 6th instant. I have the honor to be, &c. (Signed) Jambs Lvcai Yxo." POST-CiUTArNS OF 1810« 2ir The total loss sustained by the squadron, and marine bat- talion, was 9 killed and 37 wounded : of the troops, 8 were slain, 29 wounded. The British carried away with them ^ long guns, 32 and 24-pounders, a quantity of ordnance- stores, 70 coils of large rope, 2400 barrels of bread, flour, pork, and salt, three schooners, and 60 prisoners. Three long 24-pounders, one 12, two sixes, a schooner, the barrack, bridge, and all other public buildings were destroyed. One of the captured schooners mounted three heavy guns, and was commanded by a Lieutenant in the United States' navy. Besides the above, a quantity of cordage, various other naval stores, and three long 32-pounders, were sunk in the river by the Americans themselves. s|( From this period we lose sight of Captain O'Connor. ,, ,.,., .,.,..... ,,,...... Agents,'-' Messrs. Stilwell. •: .; r ! ii \ ^ m ' , ; h A - '^■> >. nV m? ?iij Vaj ...-p-jIj ■\ •.■f'M ,-;• .♦r •♦■ i .-Vll/ J ,: FRANCIS DOUGLAS, Esq. -t' .;■> Eldest son of the late Francis Douglas, Esq., many years a ^^ Venerable sustained a loss of 15 killed and 62 wounded : among the lat- ter was Lieutenant Douglas, severely in the head and hand. From that ship, the subject of this sketch followed Lord Dtmcan into the Kent 74, Captain (now Sir William) Hope, under whom he continued to serve until his promotion to the rank of Commander, June 2, 1800. In Jan. 1805, Captain Douglas was apftointed to the Cy- clops frigate, armed en JlUte, and stationed as a guard-ship off Lymington. His post commission bears date Oct. 21, 1810 ; at which period he commanded the Peruvian brig, of 18 guns. " = '• Bounty Bligh, see Vol. II, Part II, pp. 747—786. ':^' ' ; " t Brenton's Nav. Hit. Vol, I, p. 436, " -'*' ,* i' i > X See Nav, Biog. Vol. I. Part I. note at pp. 160— Idlf. i»l S20 POBf-CAPTAIMS OF 1810. T Since 1815, Captain Douglas has enjoyed a pension of 250/. per annum for the severe wounds he received off Camper- down. His brother, William Henry Douglas, is a Com- mander of 1813. -^c/i^— Sir F. M, Ommanney, „ < | ' - ' ''-^ JOHN HUDSON, Esq. Obtained the rank of lieutenant Nov. 22, 179Q ; and was made a Commander about Sept. 1800. His subsequent ap- pointments were to the Bellona armed ship. Spy sloop, the Sea Fencible service in Ireland, and Regulus 44, armed en fiute, . Captain Hudson's post commission was dated Oct. 21, 1810. He died at St. Omer, in France, Feb. 1823, aged 58 years. Aiisy 1-1-5 >nri:^ liir - ROBERT BROWN TOM, Esq. i^tered the navy in 1781, as a midshipman on board the Royal George, a first rate, bearing the flag of Sir John Lock- hart Ross, Bart, commander-in chief on the North Sea sta- tion J from which ship he removed to the Ocean of 90 guns, and, in her, was present at the relief of Gibraltar, by Lord Howe, 1782. After the peace of 1783, Mr. Tom successively joined the Assistance 50, flag-ship of Sir Charles Douglas ; Thisbe 28, Echo 16, Fly 16, Tisiphone 12, and Amphitrite 24 ; from which latter ship he was promoted into the Conflagration fire^ vessel, at Toulon, in Nov. 1793. During the operations against Calvi, Mr. Tom served on shore as a volunteer ; the Conflagration having beep burnt at the evacuation of Toulon. From Corsica he returned home passenger in the Aquilon frigate ; and we subsequently find him serving upwards of five years as second Lieutenant of the Polyphemus 64, bearing the flag of the late Sir Robert Kingsmill, Bart, on the Irish station. Lieutenant Tom's next appointment was to be first of the ^OST-CAPTAtNS OF 1810. 2^1 Glatton 54) in which ship he assisted at the capture and des-^ truction of the Danish line of defence before Copenhagen, April 2, 1 801 . The Glatton's loss on that occasion amounted to 18 killed and 37 wounded. His promotion to the rank of Commander took place oil the 27th of the same month. During the late war. Captain Tom successively commanded the Royalist defehc^ ship, stationed in the Downs ; the Gorgon 44, employed as an hospital-ship in the Baltic ; and the Castilian brig, of 18 guns, from which vessel he was posted, Oct. 21, 1810. Agent, — J. Hiuxman, Esq. . • ' * '. ! :r-? ''■*-' JAMES LILLICRAP, Esq. • This officer is a native of Plymouth. He entered th^ navy at an early age, and his first voyage was to America, as a midshipman on board the Racehorse sloop. Captain Tho- mas Wilson, in 1784. On her return from thence, that ves- sel was sent to the coast of Scotland, where she continued, employed in the suppression of smuggling, until ordered to be paid off in Mai*. 1787* Whilst belonging to her, Mr. Lillicrap had an extraordinary- escape, a pony that he was mounted on, for the purpose of riding from Deal to Sand- wich, having taken fright and backed over into the moat surrounding Sandown Castle^ a depth of more than 20 feet. Strange to say, although the poor beast was killed, he himself escaped without any material injury. ; j S r- ,.'. After leaving the Racehorse, Mr. Lillicrap successively joined the Termagant sloop. Captain Rowley Bulteel j Cum- berland 74, Captain John Macbride; Syren frigate. Captain John Manley ; and St. George 98, flag- ship of Rear- Admiral Phillips Cosby^ commander- in-chief at Plymouth. The Cumberland bore a French Admiral's flag at the sham fight off Plymouth, June 18, 1789 ; on which occasion, King George 111. and his august consort were present in the Southampton frigate. She also formed part of the squadron f,ll j !v 1 I ii 222 POST-CAPTAINS OF 1810. sent to the West Indies, under Rear- Admiral Cornish, during the Spanish armament, 1790. In the spring of 17^3, Mr. Lillicrap followed Rear-Admiral Cosby into the Windsor Castle 98, and proceeded with him, as signal midshipman, to the Mediterranean, where he was removed to Lord Hood's flag-ship, the Victory of 100 guns. We next find him serving as Lieutenant of la Mozelle, a 20- gun ship taken at Toulon, and placed under the command of Captain Richard Henry A. Bennett. -i. Shortly after the evacuation of that place, Lieutenant Lilli- crap was taken prisoner whilst making a reconnoissance of the harbour ; a service which he had volunteered to perform in la Mozelle's jolly-boat, with a midshipman * and four men. This misfortune was owing to the sudden clearing up of the weather, and the wind blowing hard from the S. E., with a heavy sea, which rendered it impossible for him to escape after he was once discovered. r* On landing at Ihe arsenal. Lieutenant Lillicrap and his companions were surrounded by a guard and conducted be- fore the revolutionary tribunal, where Napoleon Buonaparte was then witnessing the trial of the unhappy Toulonese who had declared in favor of Louis XVII. From thence, after having been denounced as spies, the British captives were marched to a miserable prison, receiving on their way thither the grossest insults from an infuriated mob, some hundreds of whom were busily engaged in erecting guillotines at the corners of the different streets : fortunately for them, how- ever, la Mozelle was likewise captured in the evening of the same day (Jan. 7> ^794), and after some strong remon- strances on the part of Captain Bennett, they were at length allowed to join their shipmates as prisoners of war. From Toulon, la Mozelle's late officers, passengers, and crew were marched to Valence in Dauphind, where Lieute- nant Lillicrap remained until exchanged, in 1795 : he then embarked at Marseilles, proceeded to Genoa, and return- ed home overland, via Cuxhaven, bringing with him des- I' • Mr. Robert Houlton, made a Lieutenant May 18, 1797. . POBT-CAPTAINS OP 1810. 2123 patches from Mr. Drake the British minister, by whom he had been treated with much kindness and attention during his short residence in the Genoese capital. lieutenant Lillicrap's next appointment was to the Trusty of 50 guns, Captain John Osborne ; which ship, after being engaged hi a variety of services, was ordered to convey Lord Macartney to his government, the Cape of Good Hope. > During the mutiny in the squadron on that station, Lieu- tenant Lillicrap was selected by Rear- Admiral Pringle to command the Rattlesnake sloop ; which vessel he succeeded in placing close under the guns of the Amsterdam battery. Table bay, where the ringleaders of her crew were obliged to surrender. After witnessing the punishment of these men and their accomplices, he resumed his station as first of the Trusty, and returned home under the command of Captain Andrew Todd «, in 1799. The Trusty being then paid off, Lieutenant Lillicrap wag immediately appointed to the Venerable 74, Captain Sir W. George Fairfax ; under whose gallant successor, the late Sir Samuel Hood, K. B. he bore a part in the battle off Algeziras, July 6, 1801 f. The Venerable, on that occasion, sustained a loss of 8 killed and 25 wounded. Tho subsequent destruction of two Spanish 3-deckers, and the capture of a 74-gun ship, in the Gut of Gibralter, have been correctly related at p. 271 of Supplement Part L The Venerable's very gallant action with the ship which had re- cently borne the flag of Mons. Linois, but who was then on board a Spanish frigate, is thus noticed by Sir James Sauma- rez, in his public letter of July 13, 1801 : ' " The Venerable and Spencer having at this time come up, T bore away after the enemy, who were carrying a press of sail, standing out of the 8trait8» and lost sight of them during the night. It blew excessively hard till day-light, and in the morning, the only ships in company were the Ve- nerable and Thames, a-head of the Caesar, and one of the French ships at some distance from them, standing towards the shoals of Conil, besides the Spencer a-stern coming up.— All the ships immediately made sul with afresh breeze; but, as we approached, the wind suddenly failing, the Ven- • See Vol. 11, Part I, note at p. 420. t Sec Vol. I, Part I, p. 137 et teq. ,1 1 I lit Iv |! S24 p6st-captains Of 1810. erable was alone able to bring her to action, which Captain Hood did in the most gallant manner, and had nearly silenced the French ship, when his main-mast (.which had been before wounded), was unfortunately shot away, and it coming nearly calm, the enemy was enabled to get off with- out any possibility of following her. The highest praise is due to Captain Hood, the officers and uien of the Venerable, for their spirit and gallantry in the action, which entitled them to better success. The French ship was an S4, with additional guns on the gangway. This action was so near the Rhore, that the Venerable struck on one of the shoals, but was soon after got off, and taken in tow by the Thames, but with the loss of all her masts. The enemy's ships are now in sight to the westward, standing in for Cadiz." The following is Captain Hood'u account of his engage- hient with the Formidable : " H. M. S. r^enerMe, at iSea, July 13, Ifiof. " Sir,— You must have observed my giving chase to an enemy's line-of- battle ship, at day-break this morning. At seven, she hoisted French colours, and I could perceive her to be an 80 gun-ship ; at half-past, being within point blank shot, the enemy commenced firing his stern-chase guns, \Vhich I did not return for fear of retarding our progress, until the light and baf- fling airs threw the two ships broadside to, within-musket-shot, when a steady and wanh conflict was kept up for an hour and a half, and we had closed within pistol-shot, the enemy principally directing his fire to our masts and rigging. I had at this time the misfortune to perceive the main- mast to fall overboard, the fore and mizen-mast nearly in the same state, and since gone : the ship being near the shore, close to the Castle of Sancti Petri, the enemy escaped. It was with much difficulty I was enabled to get the Venerable off, her cables and anchors all disabled ; and it was only by the great exertion of the Thames, with the boats you sent me, she was saved, after being on shore some time *. 1 shall have no occasion to comment on the bravery of the officers and ship's company in this action, who had with much patience and perseverance, suffered great fatigue by their exertions to get the ship to sea, and not five hundred men able to go to quarters ; but I beg leave to add, I have been most ably supported by Lieutenant Lillicrap, second of the Venerable (first absent) f* all the other officers and men, who have my warmest recommendation : and have to • The Thnmes teat crtmmanded hy Captain AUkcw Pafard Mollis, who is said btf Mr. James, to have poured a raking broadside into the Formida. ble, shortly after the Venerable had been laid alongside of her. + Lieutenant Thomas Collis, taken prisoner when going to assist the Hannibal in the action of July 6. He is now a Knight of Windier, and llovernor of that establishment. > . ^ POST-CAPTAINS OF 1810. 225 lumeiit the loss of Mr. Williams, master, an excellent officer, with many (»thcr viihiablc people killed and wounded, a list of whom I have the honor to enclose •• I am, &c. (Signed) S. Hood." " To Sir James Saumnrez, lirtrt." On his return to Gibraltar, Sir James Saumarez issued the following General Memorandum : — " CuBsar, Rosiu Bay, July 15, 1801. " Rear-Admiral Sir James Saumarez, Bart, has the happiness to offer hi^ most heartfelt congratulations to the captains, officers, and men, of the sliips he has the honor to command, on the signal success with which it has pleased the Almighty God to crown their zealous exertions in the ser- vice of their country. " To the discipline and valour of British i-eamen, is to be ascribed their jEfreat superiority over the enemy, who, although treble the force of the English squadron, iu number of guns and weight of metal, have been so singularly defeated. " The Rcar-.\diuij'al has not failed to transmit, iu his late despatches, a report of the unparalleled exertions of all the officers and men in refitting his IMajesty's ships after the battle of Algcziras (where their conduct and brav^ry were equally ^onspicuous,) which has led to the late glorious success." The Venerable's captain, officers, and crew, had afterwards the satisfaction of receiving the particular thanks of the Ad- miralty, in addition to the general vote of thanks from Par- liament, for their great and extraordinary exertions, by which, in conjunction with those of the other ships. Sir James Sau- marez was enabled to make an attempt, the splendour and astunitihing success of which are not exceeded by any of those heroic achievements which formed and fixed the charac- ter of the British navy in the late glorious wars. Posterity will scarcely credit, that the squadron under that gallant and most worthy officer, disabled as it had been in action only six days before f, could be in a condition to follow, and de- termined to fight, the combined squadrons, amounting to two first rates, one other 3-deckcr, three 80-gun-ships, and three 71*8, exclusive of the Hannibal their prize. Not all the fami- liarity of the British navy with brilliant success — not the memory of the battles of a Duncan or a Nelson — not the • 18 killed, 87 wounded. SUPPL. I'AHT If. t Sec Vol. If, I'nrt I, p. 266, 236 POST.CAPTAINS OF I8I0. .'. i 1 knowledge of the victory of July 13th itself, can mi'ike one con- template without emotion, the disparity of the English, whoso enterprising chief had resolved, with five 2-deckers, four of which were already crippled, and only one an 80-gun ship, to pursue the enemies' united force, and, if possible, prevent a part of them from reaching Cadiz. In consequence of this glorious success, and the high terms in which Captain Hood spoke of him, Lieutenant Lillicrap, upon whom the greater part of the active duty of refitting the Venerable must necessarily have devolved, was immediately made a Commander ; but his commission did not reach him until after he returned to England, as will be seen by the following letter :— " London, 22dJfin. 1802. " My dear Lillicrap,— Sir James Haumarez not having' sent home your Gommission, J have obtained from the Admiralty this day a duplicate one, which, that it may he the more gratifying, as yonr name is not in the new list, I have taken up and enclosed. I have the more satisfaction in doin^ this, by knowing it was never more deservedly merited than in your con- duct under my command; and it will he ever the greatest happiness of my life in hearing of your future welfare. I remain with much esteem, dear Lillicrap, yours very sincerely, (Signed) "Saml. Hood." *' To Captain J. Lillicrap, Plymouth" About this period. Captain Hood expressed an earnest de- sire to introduce his late first Lieutenant to Earl St. Vincent; and after doing so, he presented him at court, using the most handsome terms of commendation on each occasion. On the I2th of April, 1804, Captain Lillicrap was appointed to the Vesuvius bomb, employed on the Boulogne station, under the orders of Sir W. Sidney Smith. In Nov. 1805, that heroic officer meditated an attack upon the flotilla in Boulogne roads : — every thing was prepared, the bomb-vessels had taken their appointed stations, and Sir Sidney removed from his flag-ship to a sloop of war, in which, as she drew but little water, he meant to conduct the business in person ;— the signal was made for the gun-brigs to lead in, and a volley of rockets already discharged, when, on a sudden, the wind shifted round to the N. W., and in a POST-CAPTAINB OP 1810. 227 few minutea increased to a gale, which rendered his design abortive. On this occasion, the Vesuvius had one of her crew killed, and several very badly wounded. Captain Lillicrap's next appointment was to the Despatch, a fine 18-gun brig ; in which, after performing a variety of services on different foreign stations, he sailed from the Downs in command of a light squadron, and with a large fleet of transports under his protection, embarked in which were two divisions of the King's German Legion. These troops were safely landed in the island of Rugen, at the time when a French army was besieging Stralsund, the capital of Swedish Pomerania : and Captain Lillicrap continued to carry on the duties as senior officer in Pert Bay, until the arrival of I'Africaine frigate, having on board Lord Cathcart, comman- der-in-chief of the land forces, to be employed against Copenhagen. After the departure of TAfricaine, Captain Lillicrap re- sumed the command of the small squadron stationed off Rugen, to protect the British troops, and, if necessary, to cover the retreat of King Gustavus, who ultimately embarked on board a Swedish frigate, and sailed from thence accom- panied by the Rosamond sloop of war. During her continuance on that station, the Despatch stood over to the main land, with the Mutine and Censor in con^.- pany, reconnoitred the coast, and fired several broadsides at the French out-posts near Griefswald. At length. Captain Lillicrap received orders to escort the last division of troops under Lord Rosslyn, from Rugen to Zealand ; and to superintend their debarkation in Kioge Bay. This latter service was accomplished on the 2l8t Aug. I8O7 } five days after the first landing of the army had been effected at Wibeck *. On joining Admiral Gambler, off Copenhagen, Captain Lillicrap was directed to receive and mount 4 long 18-poun- ders, for the purpose of rendering his brig more effective against the Danish flotilla; and from that period we find • See Suppl. Part I, imall type at the foot of p. 238. Q 2 ' i |! h 228 PoST-CAPTAINS OF 1810. him, as the senior commander of the inshore squadron under Captain Pnget, almost daily engaged with the enemy ; parti- cularly on the 31st Aug., when the Charles armed transport was blown up close to the Despatch, by a shell from the Three Crowns buttery ; and the British sustained a loss of 10 killed and 21 wounded. Strange as it may appear, al- though 17 commanders, many of them junior to himself, were included in the general promotion that followed the surrender of the Danish navy, Captain Lillicrap did not obtain superior rank until more than three years afterwards. The subjoined correspondence will enable our readers to judge whether he was entitled to claim advancement. " London, \Sih Nov. \S07. "Sir.— Having, to our great disappointment, not found your name among the promotions of the officers of the royal navy who were on the late expedition to Rugen and Copenhagen, we have great reason to fear, that the essential service you rendered by your indefatigable exertions and active measures, when superintending the disembarkation of the 1st and 2nd divisions of the King's German Legion at Rugen, are not suf- ficiently known ; and we therefore now consider it a particular duty (as the respective Generals then in command of the said divisions) to assure you in this public manner, that the reports we received during the afore- mentioned disembarkation from the different commanding officers of regi- ments and battalions, as also from the Assistant-Quarter-Master-General, Lieutenant Colonel Offeney, are so highly to your credit that we shall feel happy in bringing it to the knowledge of the Right Honorable the Lords of the Admiralty, should this letter not sufficiently answer that purpose. We have the honor to be, with the most perfect esteem, Sir, your most obe* dient humble servants, (Signed) " Charles Baron Linsingen, . . Major-General. " Frederick Baron Dreckfkl, Major-General. ' •' To Captain Lillicrap, R.N." • . " Portsmouth, 22nd Nov. I8O7. " Sir, — We beg leave to address you expressive of our sincere thanks for the able manner in which you conducted the fleet under your convoy from the Downs to the islands of Rugen and Zealand ; and we should con- ceive ourselves wanting in justice if wc omitted to notice your great exer- tions in the disembarkation of the troops under our command, which from the judicious manner of your arrangements greatly facilitated the service We further add, that it will give us great pleasure in our rccommcndntioiis of you to the Lords of the Admiralty, if at any future period we sliouM POST-CAITAINS OF 1810. 229 be permitted an opportunity. We liave the honor to be, Sir, your much obliged and obedient servant!), (Signed) " Geo. Drieherg, Colonel,} Commanding "P. du Plat, .... Colonel, S Brigades. " To Captain Lillicrap, R. N." • • " East Sheen, 26th Nov. IBO7. " Dear Sir,— Mr Tyrwhitt hath promised to send me the result of his communication with the Secretary of the Admiralty ; meaning, I believe, to abide by his advice. Vour letter doth not say whether you have seen the Rrst Lord. Depend on it, more may be done by your enforcing your claim in strong but respectful terms, than by any other channel. No one is better able to do so than yourself, and few have justice more unequivo- cally on their side. I told Mr. T., that I was ready to attend his summons, and I conclude I shall hear from him. In the mean time, do not omit seeing the First Lord, and urging the claim you have, and the injustice you and the service will suffer, if you are so neglected. You may rely on it, such representation comes with double force from the person injured than it doth from any second person who hath not a commanding influence. Yours sincerely, (Signed) "C.M.Pole." " To Captain Lillicrap, R. N:* " Edinburgh, Dec. 23, I8O7. " My dear Sir, — I can assure you, that it has neither proceeded from neglect nor from any indifference to the object of your wishes, that I have not written directly to yourself before this. " The moment I learnt from Captain Bouverie, that you thought my application to Lord Cathcart, and his Lordship's recommendation, could be of any use to you, I did not fail to state in writing to his Lordship how much the service was indebted to your care and exertions in the re- embarkation of the troops from Rugen, and the landing in Kioge bay. 1 referred his Lordship to my former letter, written at the time ; and I took the liberty to impress very strongly the great advantage to the army and to the public interest in general upon conjunct expcditionsj, that those offi- cers of the navy who had shewn great and marked attention to the other branch of the service should feel tliat we were grateful, and that the (Jcne- rals were disposed to exert any little interest they might possess in assist- ing their promotion. " I stated my own sentiments, as they applied to you, as I had before done : and I am sorry to add, that if Lord Cathcart's interest carmot pre- vail, 1 have very little hope from my own ; indeed, I should be almost afraid that any recommendation that could be suppused to infer political friendship, or personal connexion, would be prejudicial. " I saw Lord Cathcart yesterday, who has promised me to state the ctue upon the grounds upon which I put it ; and from his manner, 1 flatter 230 POST- CAPTAINS OF 1810. I '' myself he will give it all the effect he can. He has assured me that he will let me have the answer. " I shall be very sorry if the pr^oiotion your merit and services entitle you to expect does not take place ; but I can assure you, that I shall regret it also very much upon public grounds. " If, however, you wish me to do any thing else, and you should desire me to speak or write to Lord Mulgrave, I will do it ; but I think that had better be deferred till I come to towii, or at least till I know the result of Lord Cathcart's applicatiou. Yours faithfully, (Signed) " Rosslyn." " To Captain Lillicrap, R. N.'* ** East Sheen, Jan. 3, 1808. " Dear Sir, — ^Lord Rosslyn's letter is indeed a very handsome and satis- factory testimony of your services, at least as far as your friends and you are concerned, and I really do not see how you can be excluded from pro- motion, without the greatest injustice to the service, as well as injury to you. Your claim is so good, that with the assistance of Lord Cathcart, added to the letters from those commanding corps, which you have in your possession, I should advise you to renew your applicatiou to Lord Mulgrave, and the Board, enclosing to each another memo- rial. I am not, by this recommendation, endeavouring to avoid the awk- wardness of attending your petition to the first Lord ; but I am stating what I think the best plan for you. I can have no other objection to the attending Mr. Tyrwhitt, than a conviction that the doing so will not serve you ; but sure I am that you ought to be protected. Faithfully yours, (Signed) " C. M. Pole." Notwithstanding all the exertions made in his favor by Lord Cathcart, the Earl of Rosslyn, Sir Charles M. Pole, and the commanding officers of the German Legion, Captain Lillicrap did not obtain a post commission until Oct. 21, 1810; at which period he had been serving upwards of two years on the Jamaica station, generally in command of a de- tached squadron. When proceeding thither with a fleet of merchantmen under his convoy, he captured la Dorade French privateer, and retook a British merchantman. During his continuance in the West Indies^ Captain Lilli- crap had frequent conferences with the two contending Hay- tian chiefs, Christophe and Petion ; with the former of whom he travelled into the interior of St. Domingo, and visited Fort Ferrier, an extensive fortification on the top of a very high mountain, scarcely accessible to psxy but the na- POST-CAPTAINS OF 1810. 231 lives, very few Europeans being able to sustain the fatigue of such a journey. This fortress was intended by Christophe as a place of refuge for himself and his adherents, should Petion prevail against him, or the French ever attempt, during his reign, to regain the island. It had upwards of IJO guns mounted, a magnificent palace within the walls, and a sub- terraneous space of sufficient extent to contain 6000 men, with a repository of provisions for the support of that num- ber for eighteen months. In March 1811, Captain Lillicrap received the official noti- fication of his promotion ; and finding that he was not ap- pointed to any post ship, he returned home as a passenger on board the Naiad frigate. Some time after his arrival, he received another friendly letter from Sir Samuel Hood, of which the following is a copy : — " London, I2th Aug. 1811. " My dear Sir, — I congratulate you on your promotion, and am truly sorry you have been laid by. It is hard after the \on% and trying services you have experienced. I should at any time be most happy to have you under my command ; but I have so many applications to make, that I can- not say a word about it to the Admiralty. 1 am just appointed to the Ease Iildia command ; if you can get a ship and come there, I shall be rejoiced to do all I can for you. Very many thanks for your obliging congratula- tions, and believe me, in great haste, yours very truly, (Signed) " Samuel Hood." Captain Lillicrap's next appointment was, Jan. 25, 1815, to the Hyperion 42, in which frigate he visited Lisbon, and escorted home a large fleet of merchantmen from Oporto. On his return from thence, he was superseded by her proper commander. Captain VV. Pryce Cumby ; and at the same time appointed to the Eurotas 46, on the Irish station. The Eurotas was lying in Plymouth sound when Napoleon Buonaparte arrived at that anchorage in the Bellerophun, and Captain Lillicrap received orders to take a station as near to the 74 as possible, in order to prevent the numerous vessels and boats, crowded with curious spectators, from approach- ing too near. On the 29th July, all the boats of the fleet were placed under his directions by Lord Keith, and ordered to assemble alongside his frigate every evening during the 232 POST-CAPTAINS OF 1810. i u r General's stay there, for the purpose of being distributed as guard-boats. After witnessing the removal of Napoleon to the Northum- berland, oflF Berry Head, Aug. 7j 1815, Captain Lillicrap returned to Plymouth, in company with Lord Keith ; and on the l/th of the same month, he received Generals Savary and Lallemand, three Colonels, and several other officers, late be- longing to Buonaparte's suite, as passengers to Malta, where he delivered them into the charge of Sir Thomas Maitland, on the 19th Sept. The Eurotas was paid oflf on her return from that service. ; ,, In April, 1821, Captain Lillicrap obtained the command of the Hyperion ; and on the 19th Sept. following, he sailed for the Cape of Good Hope, with Lord Charles Somerset and suite passengers. Finding on his arrival there, that Rear- Admiral Lambert had proceeded to England, he hoisted a broad pendant, agreeably to orders received from the Admi- ralty, and continued in the command on that station until relieved by Commodore Nourse, in 1822. Previous to his departure from thence, he rendered a very important service to the East India Company, the nature of which will be seen by the following handsome acknowledgment of the Hon. Court of Directors : — " East India House, Nov. 1, 1822. *' Sir, — Representation having been made to the Court of Directors of the East India Company, of the great promptitude and exertion dis- played by yourself and the otEcers and seamen employed under your command, in rescuing the Company's extra ship Albion, INIr. Charles Weller, Master, homeward bound with treasure and a valuable cargo of merchandise, from the situation of extreme peril in which she was placed on the 10th of June last, off the Cape of Good Hope, when in a strong gale of wind she broke from her anchorage in Simon's Bay, and drove to within the distance of a few fathoms from the rocks j — I have received the Court's commands to acquaint you, that they have resolved to present you with the sum of Five Hundred Pounds for the purchase of a piece of plate, as a token of the Court's appreciation of your meritorious conduct upon this occasion, whereby so many lives and so much valuable property were preserved from imminent danger. " The Court also adverting to the successful exertions of the officers and seamen of His Miyesty's navy, who were employed in rendering asr POST-CAPTAINS OP 1810. 233 sistance to the ship, under your directions, have further resolved tu present them with the undermentioned sums ; and the Court request, that you will divide the same proportionately with your estimation of their respective services: namely — " To the Officers, Two Hundred and Fifty Pounds. ^ -^"v'k " To the Men, Two Hundred and Fifty Pounds. " I have the honor to be. Sir, your most obedient, humble Servant, (Signed) " J. Dart, Secretary." " To Commodore LilUcrap, H. M. S. Hyperion.*' On referring to the Minutes of the Hon. Court, we find that the Albion had on board, " treasure to the amount of up- wards of 100,000/." Many females were among her pas- sengers. During the same gale, two Russian men of war were like- wise rescued from imminent danger, for which service. Cap- tain LilUcrap received a letter of thanks from their com- manders. . c - ; , Captain Lillicrap subsequently visited St. Helena and As- cension ; left stores, Scc.^ at the latter island ; and from thence proceeded to join the squadron under Sir Charles Rowley, on the Jamaica station. By that officer, he was sent with a de- tachment under his orders, to cruise off Cuba for the sup- pression of piracy ; and whilst thus employed, he had many official conferences with the Captain-General of that island, and the Spanish Admiral at Havannah ; as well as much cor- respondence on the same subject, with the principal local authorities along the coast ; occasioned by his having sat as one of H. M. Commissioners at Jamaica, for the trial of numerous pirates, many of whom were condemned and executed. . On the 24th Oct. 1823, Captain Lillicrap was appointed to the Gloucester 74, bearing the broad pendant of Sir Edward W. C. R. Owen, with whom he returned to England, March 13, 1824. Since the 27th of that month, he has not been in commission. Captain Lillicrap married, Dec. 30, 1811, Frances Adams, second daughter of Giles Welsford, of Plymouth, Esq. by whom he has had a numerous family. Two of his nephews 234 POST'CAFFAINS OF 1810. ii died in the naval service — one a midshipman, the other a Lieutenant, R. M. ; — their only surviving brother, Mr. J. L, Marchant, is now serving as Purser of the Zebra sloop. Agents — Sir F, M. Ommanney. v . . i WALTER GROSETT, Esq. Uncle to John Rock Grosett, Esq. M. P. for Chippenham. This officer entered the navy, Nov. 1779, as a midshipman on board the Sandwich 90, flag-ship of Sir George B. Rod- ney, under whom he shortly afterwards sailed to the relief of Gibraltar, and from thence to the Leeward Islands. He was consequently present at the capture of the Caraccas convoy, the defeat and surrender of Don Juan de Langara, and three actions with Mous. de Guichen, off Martinique ; in the first of which (April 17, 1780) the Sandwich had 18 men killed, and 51, including two Lieutenants, wounded *. We subse- quently find him serving under Captain John Rodney, in the Boreas of 32 guns, Sybil 28, and Anson 64 f. In Feb. 1784, Mr. Grosett joined the Thisbe 28, Captain George Robertson, fitting for the Newfoundland station, where he continued nearly three years. His promotion to the rank of Lieutenant took place in Oct. 1794 ; previous to which he had served for some time as master's-mate of the Boyne 98, flag-ship of Sir John Jervis ; and distinguished himself on many occasions, when employed ashore in co- operation with the army during the sieges of Martinique, St. Lucia, and Guadaloupe. Lieutenant Grosett's first appointment was to the Quebec 32, in which frigate he served under Captains Josias Rogers, James Carpenter, and John Cooke Xt on the West India and Channel stations. Previous to his departure from the Lee- • See Vol. I, Part I, note f at p. 3 et seq, and note f at pp. 103—106. f The Sybil was one of Admiral Rodney's repeaters on the glorious 12th April," 1782. X See Vol, II. Part I. p. 21. ' ' ' '^ ' • POST'CAPTAINS OF 1810. 236 ward Islands, he received the thanks of the President and Council of Grenada, for having " very materially contributed to the preservation of tliat colony, and restored it to a state of tranquillity," by his able and gallant conduct, when com- manding a detachment of about 150 seamen and marines, landed from the squadron under the orders of Captain Rogers. £arly in 17^9 Lieutenant Groaett was appointed to the Success frigate. Captain Philip Wilkinson (now Vice-Admi- ral Stephens) ; in Nov. following, to the Hector, 74, Captain Peter Aplin, then at Lisbon ; in Feb. 17^) to el Mahonesa 32, Captain John Giffard ; and in June, same year, to the Centaur 74, Captain John Markhara. The latter ship formed part of the squadron under Commo- dore Duckworth, at the reduction of Minorca, Nov. 15, 1798 j and was afterwards sent to cruise on the coast of Catalonia, where she captured la Vierga de Rosario Spanish privateer, mounting 14 brass 12-pounders, with a complement of 90 men. On the 16th Feb. 1799, the Centaur, Argo, and Leviathan, attacked the town of Cambrelles, and the Spaniards having quitted their battery, the boats were sent in under the com- mand of Lieutenant Grosett, who dismounted the guns, burnt five settees, and brought out a similar number ; laden with staves, wine, and wheat. Shortly after the performance of this service. Lieutenant Grosett was removed to the Ville de Paris, a first rate, in which ship, successively bearing the flags of Earl St. Vincent and the Hon. William Cornwallis, he served on the Mediter- ranean station and off Brest, until appointed to the Royal Charlotte yatch, in May, 1801. His promotion to the rank of Commander took place Oct. 6, in the same year. From this period Captain Grosett remained upon half- pay till Aug. 1802, when he was appointed to the Port Mahon brig, on the Guernsey station. In Mar. J 803, he was re- moved to the Trent 32, armed en Jiute, which ship, whilst under his command at Cork, successively bore the flags of 236 POST-CAPTAINS OF 1810. Admiral Lord Gardner, Rear- Admiral William O'Brien Drury and Vice-Admirals Whitshed and Thornbrough, as command- ers-in-chief on the Irish station. Captain Grosett's post commission bears date Oct. 21, 1810. Previous to his leaving Cork, the mayor and corpora- tion held a special meeting- for the purpose of voting him the freedom of that city : the committee of merchants also as- sembled and voted him their unanimous thanks for his great attention to their interests, whilst commanding the guard- ship, a period of upwards of seven years. From the foregoing sketch it will be seen that Captain Grosett twice served under the immediate eye of Earl St. Vincent, who so highly approved of his conduct on every oc- casion as to present him with a medal, — a convincing proof of the esteem in which he was held by that celebrated chief- tain. While in attendance upon the royal family at Wey- mouth, between May and Oct. J 801, the subject of this brief memoir had likewise the honor of being most graciously no- ticed by our late revered monarch. Since his advancement to post-rank he has not been able to obtain any employ- ment. Captain Grosett's only son died at Jamaica, in 1824, aged 22 : his daughter is married to W. Hudson Heaven, of Pen- ridge House, CO, Somerset, Esq. Agents. — Messrs. Cooke, Halford and Son. FRANCIS JOHN NOTT, Esq. , Acted as Lieutenant of the Leviathan a third rate, at the defeat of the French fleet by Earl Howe, June 1, 1794*; and was wounded on board the Sans Pareil 80, in Lord Brid- port's action off I'Orient, June 23, 1795 f. He was made B Commander into the Curayoa sloop, on the Jamaica station, at the latter end of 1801 : and subsequently appointed to • See Vol. II, Part I, p. 103, <•/ to/. t See Vol. I Part I. p. 246. »M< POST-CAPTAINS OF 1810. 237" the Childera and Rover brigs, in which latter vessel he con- tinued until promoted to post-rank, Oct. 21, 1810. Captain Nott obtained the out pension oT Greenwich Hos- pital, June 19, 1822. • .. I :r, m-. .ri LEWIS SHEPHEARD, Esq. Was made a Lieutenant ia^. Jan. 179/ ; promoted to the rank of Commander, in Jan. 1802 ; and afterwards appointed to the Thisbe 28, armed en flute, in which ship Lieutenant - General Whitelocke sailed from England, for the purpose of assuming the chief command of H. M. forces in the Rio dc la Plata, where he arrived May 10, 1807. In 1808, Captain Shepheard was appointed to the Brazen, a new sloop, fitting for the Jamaica station, and of which he retained the command until his promotion to post-rank, Oct. Jgents.— Messrs. Chard. OOz^ ' '^ ^'C -7' <% JOHN THOMPSON, Esq. (o) ,^ Obtainbd the rank of Commander in April, 1802; and was very actively employed in the Fly sloop of war, during the operations against Buenos Ayres, June and July, I8O7. His post-commission bears date Oct. 21, 1810. .•: ti% mw; ROBERT EVANS, Esq. Youngest son of the late Meredith Evans, Esq. by Mary, (laughter of Benjamin Beat, Esq., u gentleman possessed of considerable property at Bridgewater, co. Devon, a staunch adherent of the unfortunate Charles 1, and father of Captain Heal, who served as first Lieutenant of the Ludlow Castle frigate, at the siege of Carthagcnn, in 1741. This officer's iiiiclc, Evan li^vans, Esc)., married the first cousin to Miss 238 POST-CAPTAINI OF 1810. Vernon, of Hanbury, co. Worcester, wife of Henry Cecil, Esq., afterwardss Marquis of Exeter, whose marriage was dis- solved by Act of Parliament, in Jmie, 1791. The dhove mentioned Meredith Evans, Esq., was the 16th in descent from Madoc, one of the sons of Ririd Vlaidd, Lord of Penllyn, Pennant, and Bryn, extensive districts in the county of Merioneth, which were eventually divided and sub-divided by the law of Gavel, among his prof^eny. Ririd Vlaidd lived in TO/O. and acquired great reputation l)y his distin- guished intrepidity in many conflicts, in which he defended his country. He was also Lord of the Eleven Towns, in ShropHhire ; but his favorite re- sidences were Rhiwaedog, Neuaddau, Gleision, &e., all in the vicinity of Bala, CO. Merioneth. From this rhieflaiu was descended David Lloyd, Esq., whose son marric<'. the only daughter and heiress of Sir Alexander Myddleton, constable of Montgomery castle, from which marriaije are de- scended the JMyddlelons of Gwaenunog, near Denbii^h ; and of that house was the enterprising and patriotic Sir Hugh Myddleton, who brought the New River to London : — his brother. Sir Thomas Myddleton, founded the branch of Chirk Castle, and was also Lord Mayor of the British metro- polis :— from the same origin sprung another David, son of Griffith, of Pen-y-ralt, who married Lowry, daughter of Howel Vaughan, of Glan-y- Lynn Tegid, and took the name of Vaughan. In 16/2, Edward Vaughan of Glan-y- Lynn Tegid, son of another Howel Vaughan, married Mary, daughter of John Purcell, of Llangedwynn. la Nov. 1715, Ann, co-heiress of the said Edward Vaughan, married Watkiu Williams Wynn, Esq., eldest son of Sir William Williams, Bai t. Thomas Evans, cousin to Edward Vaughan, married the only daughter of Edward Eyton, of Wynnstay, Esq. The Lloyds are connected by mar- riage with the Wynnes of Hazlewood, co. Sligo. Ririd's coat armorial will be fouml among the quarterings of the most respectable families in North Wales. Captain Evans, whose services we are about to notice, is the 13th in de* scent from Jcaun Vlaidd, whose tomb is in the church of Llanuwchlyn, and thereon his figure in armour, having a conic helmet, &c. &c. The patrimony of this branch is Pen'r allt, in the parish of Llanvawr. The cognomen of Evans was first borne by Evan, son of Evan Lloyd, grand- father of Meredith Evans, and nephew to Robert Price, Baron of the Ex- chequer, who made a distinguished figure, both as a senator and a judge, in the reigo of William HL The said Evan Evans fought, as an officer of cavalry, at the battle of Dumblain, in 1 7 1 5. The subject of this memoir commenced his naval career, under the patronage of Lord Dudley and Ward, uncle to the present peer. He first embarked in J782, as a midshipman, POST-CAPTAINS OF 1810. 29d on board the Blenheim 98, Captain (^terwards Lord) Dun> can ; which ship formed part of Earl Howe's fleet at the relief of Gibraltar, and was his Lordship's second in the sub- sequent action off Cape Spartel * : her loss on the latter occasion consisted of 2 men killed and 3 wounded. On the return of peace, Mr. Evans joined the Trusty 50, fitting for the flag 0f Sir John Lindsay, Bart. ; and during the winter of 1/83, we find him in the Orestes sloop. Captain James Ellis, employed on Channel service. After assisting at the capture of several large and power- fully armed smuggling vessels, one of which defended herself nntil several men were killed and wounded on both sides, Mr. Evans proceeded to Newfoundland, as n passenger on board the Merlin sloop, and from thence, in the Thisbe frigate, to Halifax, where he joined the Assistance 50, flag-ship of Sir Charles Douglas, then commanding on the American station. In 1786, Mr. Evans returned home, and was removed into the Astreea frigate. Captain Peter Rainier, with whom he },i>-et-ded to Ferrol, Madeira, and t.ie West Indies, where ' • " inued for a period of three years, during which the i- •' . ..4 visited all the British islands^ and most of the French and Spanish colonies. Whilst off St. Domingo, our young ofllicer appears to have had a very narrow escape, a boat in which he was going to Isabella Bay, having upset in a squall, and remained bottom upwards for more than three hours before she was discovered, and then only by accident. On this occasion, Mr. Evans saved the lives of two men who could not swim, by giving each of them an oar, after they had let go their hold of the boat, in consequence of the alarm excited by another mid- shipman speaking about sharks, several of which monsters were in fact seen immediately after the launch of the frigate had arrived to their assistance. In 1789, having then completed his time as a midshipman, Mr. Evans returned to England, in charge of a large and va- luable merchant ship, which had lost both her master and -—': • Se« Vol. I, Part I, pp. 17, 106—108. 240 POS'f-CAPTAlNS OF 1810. chief mate. On his arrival in £ngland, he passed the usual examination, and immediately afterwards joined the Director 64, Captain Thomas West, under whom he served until his promotion into the Repulse 64; at the close of the Spanish armament. In April, 1791, Mr. Evans received an appointment to the Racehorse sloop, Captain David Mackey ; and on that vessel being paid off and re-commi«8ioned, after the Russian arma- ment, he was appointed first Lieutenant of her, at the parti- cular request of the same commander. From this period. Lieutenant Evans served in the Race- horse, under Captains Mackey, George Hope, and James Leakey, until the commencement of the French revolutionary war, when he was removed into la Concorde frigate. Captain Thomas Wells. ; , . , , The following anecdote of a British sailor, appears to us worthy of being here recorded : — Shortly after Lieutenant Evans joined la Concorde, lie was sent with a boat's crew to innpress men from the homeward bound Baltic fleet. The first ship he boarded was searched for a considerable time before any of the crew, who had concealed themselves, could be discovered ; but at lenj^th, ten prime sailors were found stowed away in the run : one of them was im- mediately recognised by Lieutenant Evans, with whom he had formerly served in the Racehorse ; and on his saying " lam very glad to see you, ff'il- Ham Search," the poor fellow surlily replied, "lam verytorryto see t/uu though!" After a little conversation, however, he became more good humoured, and consented to enter for the frigate: — " Then,'' continued Lieutenant Evans, " as I know you to be a good man, you shall go tcith your shipmates in my boat, board the next ship, and get all you can for me." •—" That's what I will," said the tar, " come along my boys .-"—away they went, and the boat soon returned with seven other men. From that mo- ment, William Search constantly served in the same ships with Lieutenant Evans, until, through his recommendation, he was at once promoted from Rear-Admiral Raiuier's flag-ship, to be boatswain of a 64, on the East India station. In one of her cniises, la Concorde encountered a heavy gale of wind, and the ship laboured so exceedingly, that only the quarter-masters and gunner's crew would venture to go aloft : seeing this, Mr. Evans, then junior Lieutenant, took the lend, followed by a single midshipman, for the purpose of POST-CAPTAINS OF 1810. 241 :ars to us handing the main-top-sail, but scarcely had the party got above the top when the mast went, by which accident the midshipmen and four men perished : Lieutenant Evans and the remainder of his followers, fortunately saved themselves by clinging to the wreck, from whence they were extricated without sustaining any material injury. The part home by la Concorde in an action with a French squadron, near Guernsey, April 33, 1794, has already been described in our memoir of Sir Richard J. Strachan, by whom she was then commanded * : the following is an extract of that officer's official letter, reporting the capture of I'En- gageante frigate : — " The zealous, i:ool, and steady conduct of the officers and ship's com- pany, was highly meritorious m the action ; and their efforts in refittinjf the ship, after the fatigue they had experienced, exceeded any exertion I ever saw before. As the first Lieutenant, Charles Apthorp, was mostly with me, I had an opportunity of observing the spirit of enterprise which pervaded his conduct ; and am convinced also of the good conduct of Lieu" tenants Boys and Evans, who commanded on the main-deck." During the spirited action to which we have alluded. Lieu- tenant Evans was wounded by a splinter, and his hearing much injured by the unexpected discharge of a gun on which he was resting, a» he looked through the port, to ascertain the enemy's exact position, the smoke being then so very thick, that, although but a few yards distant, she could not be distinguished. It is worthy of remark, that the only person killed outright on board la Concorde, was a youth who had run away from Westminster school, and entered as a common sailor under a fictitious name. Another poor fellow who had been confined to his hammock, but insisted upon going to his quarters, was shot through the head whilst speaking to Lieu- tenant Evans. ' < From this period, we find no particular mention of la Con- corde until March 17^> when she was commanded by Cap- tain Anthony Hunt, and employed under the orders of Sir Edward PcUew, who, having received information that a convoy was about to leave Brest, placed his squadron as near • See Vol. I, p. 386, et. $eq. *UPPL, PAAT II. II 242 POST-CAPTAINS OF 1810. the Penmarks as possible, and at day-light on the 7th, saw twenty- five sail close among the rocks, protected by one small armed ship : fifteen of this number were taken and destroyed j the remainder ran between the rocks, in such a manner as rendered any attempt to pursue them fruitless. Out of eight brought off, two -^ere laden with ship-timber, one with bale goods, and one partly with sugar, indigo, and linen. Several of those destroyed were set on fire by Lieute- nant Evans, who, on entering the cabin of one, found a slow match burning, and a train laid from it to a barrel full of powder : when about to quit another, he was surprised to see twelve well-armed Frenchmen come up from the hold, where they had secreted themselves in hopes of being able to recover possession of their vessel. In June, 1795, la Concorde accompanied the expedition under Sir John B. Warren, to Quiberon Bay, and Lieutenant Evans was entrusted with the command of the seamen and marines, landed from her to assist at the reduction of fort Penthievre, a strong work commanding the peninsula, of which possession was obtained on the 3d of the following month. He subsequently commanded a division of boats in an expedition up the Morbihan river, under the orders of Ciptain Albemarle Bertie, whose thanks he received for his gallant conduct in boarding, near Vannes, a 24-gun corvette, a cutter of 10 guns, and an armed lugger, the whole of which vessels were carried and destroyed. Several merchantmen being captured on the same occa- sion. Lieutenant Evans took charge of a large brig, which he brought out under a tremendous fire of musketry, from at least 600 republican troops, then posted at every point of the river. We should here observe, that in the course of the above service, he was accidentally but severely wounded by a pike, and that his conduct throughout the whole alTuir was very highly approved by the commander of tlic expe- dition*. •'• On nrriving nt a certain point of the Morbihan, Lieutenant Evans found himself ol>ligc(l to go so close to the shore, that every person on »>o«ird the prize wouhl inevitably have been pickcu off by the enemy, IuhI POST-CAPTAINS OP 1810. 243 La Concorde was subsequently sent to Isle Dieu, with a brig under her protection, the latter having on board arms, ammunition, and military stores, for the use of the royalists in la Vendue : the landing of this cargo was entrusted to the superintendence of Lieutenant Evans, the Greyhound cutter being at the same time ordered to convey him in shore, and to remain there for his support until the service was effected. ; ■ The transport being anchored in a convenient station near the main land. Lieutenant Evans immediately went on shore with 4000 ball cartridges, and was making arrangements for the debarkation and security <_ Jie whole cargo, when a large republican force marched out from St. Gilles, cut off his retreat to the boat, and reduced him and two of his crew to the necessity of swimming for their lives. Fortunately Lieu- tenant Wilkinson, of the Greyhound, was keeping a good look out ; the cutter immediately stood in, opened a heavy lire, and succeeded in rescuing them ; but not before Lieu- tenant Evans had received a ball in the fleshy part of his arm : his escape under such circumstances, however, may be considered miraculous, as he was the whole time exposed to a continual fire of at least 1500 muskets. The enemy were shortly afterwards attacked, and defeated with immense loss, by the royalists, under General Charette, whose force greatly exceeded what the enemy had expected, but with only six rounds each man, including the supply received from Lieutenant Evans; who, immediately resuming his task, had the pleasure of seeing the whole cargo landed, and cleared away from the beach, in less than three hours. On his re- turn to la Concorde, he received Captain Hunt's hearty con- gratulations on his safety, and warmest thanks for his zealous conduct, which was afterwards reported in the most flattering terms to Sir John B. Warren. not the Pelter f(un-vc9sel promptly anchored, brought her broadside to bear, ond kept up a heavy Arc uutil the brig was clear of danger. We mention this circuniatance injustice to Lieutenant (now Captain) Nicholas Toinlinson, who then commanded the Pelter. R 2 244 POST-CAPT.VINS Ol? ISlO. We next find this officer serving on shore at the occu[>n- tion of Isle Dieu, and subsequently assisting at the capture of I'Eveill^ French national brig, mounting 18 guns, with a complement of 100 men *. La Concorde continued to be actively employed in co- operation with the French royalists until Nov. 1795. In Jan. following, Lieutenant Evans again signalized himself by his intrepid and humane endeavours to succour the crew of the Hon. E, I. C. ship Dutton, when driven on shore under the citadel of Plymouth, in a tremendous gale of wind. The manner in which the crew and passengers were saved, after every attempt made by the boats of the fleet had proved abortive, has been described at p. 215, of our first volume. On the 9th April, 1796? la Concorde assisted at the capture of about twenty-five French merchantmen, and also at the destruction of la Volage, a national ship, mounting 2() guns. In the course of the same month, she likewise contributed to the capture of two fine frigates — I'Unite, 38 guns, 255 men ; and la Virginie, of 44 guns and 340 men f. _- - ; During this cruise, Lieutenant Evans had two more narrow escapes:— the first vvas, when setting fire to one of the cap- tured merchant vessels, a random shot from la Concorde cut a rope which he had accidentally laid hold off ; the second, when employed landing arms, &c. by night, between rOricit and Quiberon, the weather very dark and tempestuous, his flat-bottomed boat dragged her grapnel, drifted into a heavy surf, and capsized over him, by which means he was kept un- der water until some of the royalists, commanded by General Georges, providentially came to his assistance. Another mi- raculous escape, which he experienced about the same period, is also worthy of notice : Cruising off Brest, in a heavy gale of wind, la Concorde brought to a large French ship, which Captain Hunt resolved to take possession of, although he was told that no boat could live in such a sea as was then running : the boat being lower- ed, the crew descended into her, and were immediately * L'Evcilld was talien by Sir J. B. Warren's squadron, Oct. 15, 1795. + See Vol. l,p. 216, citfq. POST-CAPTAINS OF 1810. 245 followed by Lieutenant Evans, who had scarcely done bo Mrhen she swamped, by which accident, every one of the poor men met with a watery grave ; but fortunately he him- self succeeded in reaching a rope, and thereby escaped a simi- lar fate. Shortl3f after the capture of la Virginie, Captain Hunt was removed to that frigate, on which occasion he invited Mr. Evans to become his first Lieutenant, expressing himself briefly as follows : •' Dear Sir, — We have been some time together, and I hope we may not separate : I am appointed to la Virginie, and shall be happy to apply for you to be my first Lieutenant. Direct to me at Sir T. Rogers, M. P. Yours truly, (Signed) " A. Humt." Having accepted this flattering and totally unexpected offer. Lieutenant Evans was immediately appointed to la Virginie, then just out of dock, with a clear hold, and only 25 seamen on board j with which small number, assisted by about 30 marines, he not only rigged the ship, but stowed the hold, and got her completely ready for sea, in sixteen days after his removal from la Concorde : his Captain absent during all that period. The following short statement will shew, that she was shortly afterwards saved from destruc- tion, through his timely interference, judicious advice^ and seaman-like exertions. Ltt Virginie sailed on her first cruise in company with the Jason frigate. Captain Charles Stirling. After touching at Fal- mouth and Cork, both ships proceeded along the Irish coast to the northward, but were separated in a gale, when not far from Carlingford. The weather at this period was very thick, and la Virginie on a lee shore, with her fore-top-mast gone^ which induced Lieutenant Evans to recommend that she should be kept close hauled until day-light, particularly as Captain Hunt was then ill in his cot. After seeing every thing made snug, and the wreck lashed to the ship's side, in hopes of saving the spars and rigging. Lieutenant Evans, having been on deck the whole of the night, went below at 4 A. M., in order to put on dry apparel ; but he had scarcely reached his cabin, when the officer of the watch came to in- 346 POST-CAPTAINS OF 1810. 1 form him that the master^ an ignorant old man, had prevailed upon the Captain to bear up, thereby exposing the ship to imminent peril. Surprised at this mtelligence. Lieutenant Evans hastened to Captain Hunt, explained the dangerous situation of the frigate, and obtained permission to act ac- cording to his ovm discretion. At day-light, land was seen both a-head and a-stem, and rocks with tremendous breakers appeared at no great distance on the lee-bow. The wreck was now necessarily cut away, and as much sail set as the ship could possibly bear ; but, owing to the heavy sea then run- ning, her safety was long doubtful. Subsequent to this narrow escape, la Virginie proceeded to Carrickfergus roads, and Lieutenant Evans was sent to Bel- fast, for the purpose of obtaining a spare top -mast : returning from thence in a post-chaise, he was fired at by some mis- creant, whose ball passed through the windows of the vehicle, but luckily did him no harm. Having rejoined the Jason at Lough Swilly, la Virginie returned with her along the west coast of Ireland, and when off Cape Clear gave chase to a large ship, which proved to be a French transport, having on board between 500 and 600 cavalry, 20 field pieces, 3000 stand of arms, 50 tons of gunpowder, and a large quantity of military stores. After securing this very valuable prize, the Jason and Vir- ginie stood to the westward, the Frenchmen having informed Captain Hunt, previous to his consort coming up, that they had seuled from Brest as part of a formidable expedition, destined to assist the Irish rebels. At midnight the enemy's fleet was discovered, and the British frigates ran close under the stern of a ship bearing an Admiral's light : no notice being taken of them, they then ran a short distance to lee- ward, and there hove to ; but at day light nothing was to be seen, although the wind was then blowing hard from the eastward. Captain Stirling thereupon determined to make the best of his way to Spithead, where, shortly after the arrival of the two frigates. Captain Hunt received orders to prepare for the reception of the Marquis Cornwallis, who was then preparing to assume the government of India. POST-CAPTAINS OF 1810. 247 La Virginle was quite ready for sea, and the whole of his lordship's effects were embarlced on board her, when the des- tination of both was changed, in consequence of the mutiny at Spithead, and other circumstances of a political nature. Unsuspicious of such an event as the former being about to take place, Captain Hunt was on shore attending to his private business, and preparing to receive the Marquis, when the general cheering toolc place, at Spithead, and the flag of I^rd Bridport was lowered by his officers, under a sense of shame to see it accompanied by the symbol of mutiny, which the delegates had hoisted on visiting the Royal George. During the conferences that took place between the Board of Admiralty and the ringleaders, the greater part of la Vir- ginie's crew were obedient and respectful to Lieutenant Evans* with whom many of them had sailed in other ships previous to their being drafted into that frigate. Their con- duct after the renewal of the mutiny was also deserving of the highest praise ; for on being directed to follow the fleet to St. Helen's, they requested him to give his orders as usual, pro- mising that every thing should be carried on according to his wishes, and expressing their regret that they durst not dis- obey the mandate of the delegates (as to la Virginie's removal from Spithead) there being about 25 or 30 disaffected fellows on board, who reported everything to them, and possessed suf- ficient influence to get any man taken out of the ship and flogged who should venture to declare his principles different to their own. As a proof of the sincerity of those loyal but overawed men, one or other of them regularly reported to Lieutenant Evans, before 4 A. M., the whole of what had passed at the seditious meeting of the preceding night. This exemplary behaviour on their part was greatly promoted by the conduct of a gunner's mate, whose life Lieutenant Evans had saved by jumping overboard after him, for which humane action the poor fellow was ever afterwards grateful ; and as he happened to be a great favorite with his shipmates in ge- neral, his counsel was always listened to with very great attention. Of the few insubordinate characters on board la 248 POST-CAPTAINS OF 1810. Virginie, we shall have occasion to speak hereafter^ut merely for the purpose of proving that they were the very scum of her crew. The following verbatim copy of a curious docu- ment, now lying before us, will tend to corroborate part of what we have just stated : " To the Ship't Company of H. M. Ship Firginie. ** Whereas you are fitted for Foreiga Service, and your coming to St. Helen's has happened through Mistake. ** You are hereby required to obey the Orders of your officers in every respect. You have had no part in the present Differences, nor ia any blame to fall on you for what has happened. " Given under our Hands this 9th Day of May, 1 797. ' ' (Signed) "The Delegates op the FtEET." Notwithstanding this order, la Virginie, when returning to Spithead, was hailed by the Defiance 74, and threatened with a broadside if she did not immediately anchor. Perceiving that the mutinous crew were preparing to carry their menace into execution, and knowing that some time must elapse be- fore they could open a fire from the stem. Lieutenant Evans pretended to obey them by giving orders to shorten sail and bring the ship to an anchor; but no sooner had he passed the 74's quarter than he directed her three masts to be kept in one, by which adroit manoeuvre la Virginie was enabled to get out of range before a single gun could be brought to bear upon her. . . ^ : . The only man of war then lying at Spithead was the La- tona frigate. Scarcely had Lieutenant Evans anchored there, when the delegates from that ship came on board la Virginie, harangued her crew from the forecastle, and endeavoured, both by persuasions and threats, to prevail upon them to cheer, — ^this, however, they unanimously refused to do j and they even requested Lieutenant Evans to lay them alongside the Latona, assuring him that if he would stand by them, neither her nor any other frigate should induce them to repeat an act so repugnant to their true feelings. Captain Hunt now occasionally came on board, and was always well received, the men being much attached to him, and indeed to all their officers. At length the baggage be- longing to the Marquis Cornwallis was landed, and la Vir- %^^: ^ '"^^- POST-CAPTAINS OF 1810. ^49 ginic received orders from the Admiralty to convey the present Queen of Wirtemberg from Harwich to Cuxhaven. When passing through the Downs, she was cheered by the flag-ship and a frigate ; but still her crew continued steady, and only one solitary symptom of insubordination ever after- wards appeared amongst them. On the evening after the royal passenger was landed at Cuxhaven, two men were put in irons for disorderly conduct, and the following morning Captain Hunt was proceeding to punish them, when, at the very first lash, a fellow standing behind him called out " St(yp !" Lieutenant Evans instantly iumed round, dragged him forward by the collar, and the punishment proceeded. It is almost needless to add, that the audacious offender was in hh t'irn tied up. — by vliicti prompt measure good order was permitnently raetored. During la Virginie's passage to the Eibs ; Li^vatenant Evans had the honor of being kindly noticed by his monarch's eldest daughter, but although that Princess c;<'iidesce.nccn carried broadside on, she would have nearly touched the opposite shores at the same moment, and in the event of her grounding, every one of the crew must have perished, as the current was then ruiniing at the rate of ten knots^ and nothing could have prevented her from fall- ing over. To avoid this catastrophe, and being then in soundings. Captain Evans let go an ..v'chnr, which fortunately brought her head to the rapid strear \ ; and then, by heaving at the capstan occasionally, so as to allow the flukes to trail the ground, he succeeded in keeping her stern to the narrow opening, until she drifted through, and thus escaped the threatened danger. This tedious operation occupied more than two hours : the anxiety felt by all on board, during that iuvful period of suspense, can only be conceived by those who have been in situations of equally imminent peril. The piissage through which Captain Evans thus skilfully conducted his vessel, was afterwards accurately surveyed by him, and hia chart lodged in the Hydrographical Office, for the benefit of his Majesty's service : charts of many other surveys which he had made during a continuance of two years in the Eastern Seas, were at the same time deposited there. From Ternate, Captain Evans proceeded to the Celebes, and working up Goonongtalla river, against a very strong current, moored the Ilobart head and stern within 30 yards of the eastern bank, lie then, having obtained leave for that purpose from the Sultaun, landed the marines, carpenters, and blacksmiths ; pitched tents, mounted two 6-pounders on a commanding height, set up the armourer's forge, and com- menced felling trees, in order to construct a launch ; all hia boats except one, and she of little service, having been lost in a recent gale. Owing to the total want of iron, bolts were driven out of the ship's sides to make nails ; but notwithstand- ing every disadvantage, a capacious boat was completed, and S-l largo bullocks collected, ready for embarkation, in the short space of 10 days *. • The Hobart waa a ship of about 7<>f> tons, originally an Englieh West Indiamun ; sliehail been captured by the Dutch, ami aent with acario ti» lava, where »hc \V08 retaken l)y the Arrogant ami Orpheus, j, , , ?, 254 POST-CAPTAINS OF 1810. in i t i I During this period, the Hobart was visited by the Sultaun, whom Captain Evans received with an appropriate salute, and entertained as sumptuously as his means would admit. In return for this friendly reception, all the British officers were invited up to Goonongtalla, which town they found to be most delightfully situated. Knowing the treacherous character of these people, and hav- ing nearly accomplished the object of his visit to the Celebes, Captain Evans would now have felt no regret in taking his final leave of the Sultaun ; but as the latter expressed a wish to see the boat launched, he considered it prudent not to ob- ject thereto, whilst so completely in his power, at the same time, resolving to have every thing brought oflF from the shore, and the Hobart riding by her anchor in the stream, before the hour fixed upon for the ceremony to take place. We should here observe, that several of the chiefs had cast a longing eye towards the boat, and had even been heard to say, that she would be of great service to their Sultaun. Cap- tain Evans also bore in mind the fate of Lieutenant Oakcs, commander of a tender, who had put into the same river, and was basely attacked in the dead of the night by a party of the natives, whom he was then sheltering from the fury of the weather *. After saying that the boat should be put afloat about noon the next day, and that he should be happy to give the Sul- taun, his son, and principal courtiers another feast, after their curiosity had been gratified. Captain Evans returned on board* and made every arrangement for baffling any sinister design which they might have conceived. Before 6 o'clock the fol- lowing morning, every thing except the boat was removed from the shore, and his suspicions were soon afterwards strengthened by the appearance of a royal canoe, which had evidently been sent to reconnoitre, as she came out from a * Lieutenant Oakcst was mortally wounded ; hut his assiusin met with condifjrn punishment , a quarter-master who had charge of the dccit having cut otf his sword-arm with one stroke of n cutlass, and cleaved his skull with another. The remainder uf the Malays were overpowered after u desperate strutrjjii'. • • >. -* i ^ i ,•• POST-CAPTAINS OF 1810. 255 iiltaun, ite, an»l it. In PS were I to be ind hav- oclebes, king his \ a wish )t to ob- he same irom the stream, ke place, ad cast a heard to un. Cap- it Oakcs, river, and rty of the [ry of the out noon the Sul- lafter their on boardi Icr design Ik the fol- removed ifterwards [vhich had it from a I'm met with Idcck haviiii; ]l'(1 hi« skuU ierwl after » place well calculated for concealment, and paddled with great swiftness up the river. Scarcely was the boat launched and hoisted in^ the ship released from the trees to which she had been secured, and her bower cable fairly taut, when about 1000 Malays were discovered marching over the hills, and nearly 200 canoes dropping down the river. . , . The surprise of the Sultaun was doubtless very great, par- ticularly when, on his nearer approach, he observed a number of armed men stationed in each of the Hobart's tops : after a short pause, however, he ventured alongside, and was re- ceived as before, with every mark of friendship and respect ; nor was it until the Hobart had weighed, and got more than two miles into the oiling, that he could be prevailed upon to depart, although continually urged to do so by several of those about him, who, probably fearing that some treacherous in- tention of their own had been discovered, appeared particu- larly anxious to regain the river. On leaving the Hobart, and being again saluted, the Sultaun gave three good cheers, an example which was followed by nearly 100 canoes, then lying on their paddles ; and it is but reasonable to suppose, th:it this parting ceremony was returned by the English crew, with at least equal good will and sincerity. From the Celebes, we find Captain Ev .1 a returning to Amboyna, where he took charge of the Princess Charlotte, an East Indiaman, laden with spices ; which ship he escorted clear of Coupang, in the island of Timor. After encountering numerous difficulties, and escaping nmny dangers, in the execution of the services assigned to hitn in the Eastern Seas, the Hobart daily becoming more and more defective, and all his officers being sick, himself and the gunner keeping watch and watch. Captain Evans ran tiirtiugh the straits of Lnmbuck, the adjacent seas, the straits of Hanca and Drion, to Malacca, and from thence to Prince of Wales's island, where the sloop M'as repaired, as well as circumstances would allow. From thence she sailed for Ma- dras ; but in crossing the bay of Bengal, her leaks increased to six feet per hour ; which induced Captain Evans to return, and for^vard a letter to the conmiander-in-chief, informing I; I 4!. "i Hi ■ ^\k. Hi '.■: 256 POST-CAPTAINS OF 1810. him of his distresses, and that it was his intention to heave the Hobart down, in hopes that he should still be able to patch her up sufficiently for the voyage. • , Not having heard of him for a very considerable period, Vice-Admiral Rainier had already expressed great anxiety for his safety ; and on the receipt of the above despatch, he im- mediately sent Captain Evans directions to sell the Hobart, if he found, on examination of her bottom, that she was unfit to proceed to sea, under the escort of another vessel ap- propriated to that service. The laborious task of heaving the ship down, was per- formed by her crew alone, according to Captain Evans's ex- pressed intentions ; and although it was scarcely prudent to commit himself in such a defective vessel, yet, finding that government would sustain a very great loss by the sale of her hull, stores, &c., at Prince of Wales's island, he resolved to sail from thence in company with the Victor sloop, which vessel had been sent to escort him across the bay. Previous to his final departure from that island. Captain Evans discovered that the Americans were carrying on a smuggling trade, by loading at Madras or Bengal, clearing out for America, and, instead of proceeding thither, disposing of their cargoes, under various fraudulent pretexts, at Pulo Penang, a settlement then in its infancy. Ever anxious to maintain the interests of his country. Captain Evans imme- diately resolved to put a stop to this illegal traffic, and he accordingly seized a brig named the Roebuck, commanded by Mr. James Bishop, who had arrived there on the 8th Sept. 1802, broke bulk (without first obtaining permission) on the 9th, sold part of his cargo for 6820 dollars on the 11th and 12th, and completed the clandestine landing of the whole on the 19th of the same month ; thereby infringing the treaty of amity, commerce, and navigation, concluded between Great Britain and the United States, in 1783. The condemnation of the Roebuck, after much litigation, and consequent anxiety on the part of Captain Evans, led to the formation of a government at Prince of Wales's Island, similar to those of Madras and Bombay. , , . ,^.,j .. ,, , j, POST-CAPTAINS OF 1810. 257 Having crossed the bay of Bengal without any accident. Captain Evans joined the commander-in-chief, and accom- panied him to Point de Galle, from whence he proceeded to the Malabar coast, unattended by any vessel whatever. While on her way thither, the Hobart again made six feet water an hour, and the leak was gaining fast upon the pumps, when the Sheemess 44, Captain J. S. Garden, providentially fell in with, and towed her to Bombay. After the Hobart had been examined by the dock-yard people, her safety was every where spoken of as quite a mi- racle ; for it was found that, in addition to the frame of the vessel being generally much decayed, the white ant had been so busily at work that, but for her copper, she must have foundered. Many of the main-deck beams were crumbled to dust, and literally held together by the paint that covered them ! " On the occasion of the great fire at Bombay, in Feb. 1803, Captain £vans particularly distinguished himself; having persevered in his endeavours to pull down some buildings until they were literally surrounded with the flames, which left him no other chance of escape than that of leaping from the top of a house already on fire, and afterwards making his way through them. The very great exertions of the navy during that awful conflagration were thus officially acknow- ledged : '* H. M. S. Trident, Bombay Harbour, Feb. 28, 1803. " Sir, — ^The Honorable the Governor in Council at this Presidency having by letter of the 26th intitant, expressed to me the great importance of the viguroui) exertions of yourself, officers, and crew, in opposing and finally terminating the progress of the dreadful and deittructive fire that lately broke out in this capital, 'tia with much satisfaction I herewith transmit, at their request, a copy of their letter to me on this occasion, and I desire you will be pleased to cause the same to be read to the offi- cers and men of the ship you command. I remain. Sir, &c. (Signed) Pbtsr Rainur." " To Captain Robert Evatu." , , Enclosure. ^ " Public Department, Bombay Cattle, 26 Feb. 1803. " Sir, — It is a duty which we owe to your Excellency, to express the very high sense wc entertain of the particular and must useful assiiituiice SUPPL. PART II. S 38)3 POST-CAPTAINS OF 1810. n P dMve4 ftom the presencB of your Excelleitcy oti the occasion of the ca- lamtloaa event of thb I7th^ttant, and of the captains, officers, ami men of his Majesty's squadron under your Excellency's command ; from whose active interposition, and uncommon exertions, every practicable oppo* sition was made to the extension of the conflagration ; but for which wc imght have had to laineut far greater devastation, than what has unhap- pily occurred. " Under the ^.ost grateful impressions from the zeal and cordiality of the aid thus experienced, we have the honor to offer to your Excellency personally, our most heartfelt acknowledgments of the advantage thus derived to our capital by your presence in it, at the season of this di^si^- ter; and to request that your Excellency will be pleased to convey to the commanders, officers, and men, who exerted themselves so meritoriously on this awful occasion, our sinccrest thunk;) for the great fatigue they so cheerfully underwent, the memory of which must be coeval, in this set< tlement, with its duration as a British possession. We have the honur to be, &c. . it- '\ (Signed) "Jon. Duncan. " J. W. Cherry. " To fr. E. yice-Admir(kl Rainier V* " Thomas Lechmere." The Hobart was shortly aftenvards sold out of the service : and as all the ships of war, that were ordered home, in con- sequence of the peace, had sailed for Europe, Captain Evans pYoceeded to Madras, where he embarked as a passenger on board the United Kingdom Indianian, then on the point of departing for England. Soon after his arrival at St. Helena, he heard of the re- newal of hostilities ; and as the Hon. Company's ships were directed to wait there for convoy, he agreed with his fellow passengers, Major-General Baird and seven others, to remove into a whaler, the master of which undertook to run them home for 1000/. sterling ; each paying an equal proportion f. This ship was captured off Cape Clear, by le Vaillant French privateer, of 30 guns and 240 men J, commanded by |i • Among the oflieers who particularly distiniruished themselves on the above occasion was Captain J. S. Carden. See Vol. II, Part II, p. 1009. t Captain Evans's passage from Madras to England cost him altogether 600/., the whole of which was a dead loss to him, us the Admiralty rcfuseil to grant him any remuneration. : See Vul. 11, Part I, p. 392. POST-CAPTAINS OP 1810. 259 i( the cn- aoil men om whose ihle oppo- r which we las unhap- ordiaVity of Excellency Mitage Um3 fthis (li'*a:=- jnvey to ilic [leritoiiously ijruo they so in this set- re the honor N. IRY. tCHMERB." he service •, me, in con- t)tain Evans I passenger ►n the point I of the re- } ships were 1 his fellow 8, to remove ,o run them »roportion t. le VaiUant nmanded by itnselves on tlic t II, p. 1009. him altogether Imirulty rcfuseil Mons. Etienne, who generously allowed the passengers to remain in her, as prisoners of war, on their parole, his own ship not affording suitable accommodation for so many gen- tlemen of rank. After beating about for 21 days, the French prize-crew came aft one night, confessed that they did not know in what quarter the land lay, and requested Captain Evans to take charge of the navigation. This being approved of by Major General Baird and the other prisoners, he complied with tLeir wishes, directed them how to steer, and at day-light next morning pointed out the coast of Spain, near Cape Finis- terre. Owing to the light and variable winds, 24 hours more elapsed before the ship arrived near Corunnaj and when stretching off in order to fetch that port, a frigate was disco- vered, which Captain Evans very soon made out to be Bri- tish. He then advised the prize-master, as escape was im- possible, to hoist the English colours, union downwards ; but whilst the Frenchman was deliberating, a shot from the stranger passed through the gangway netting, not more than a foot from the heads of the British, (who happened to be assembled there) and went out through the breastwork on the opposite side. The frigate proved to be the Sirius, commanded by Captain William Prowse, and attached to the squadron employed off Ferrol, under the orders of Sir Edward Pellew, who immedi- ately granted Major-General Baird and his companions a cut- ter for their conveyance to Falmouth, where they were all landed in safety, at the commencement of Nov. 1803 *. In April, 1804, the twelve judges having decided that the commander of a privateer had no right to take the parole of his prisoners, Captain Evans was appointed to a command in * As another instance of the vicissitudes of fortune, we cannot refrain from stating that Dr. Coley, now an eminent physician at Cheltenham, was surgeon of the whaler in which Captain Evans sailed from St. Helena ; and that on their being recaptured by the Sirius he be^^ged him to speak to Sir Edward Pellew in his favor. This request Captain Evans complied with ; the youiig man was instantly received on board the Tonnant, and in little more than a year he became a full naval surgeon. s 2 2G0 H>8T'CAPTAINS OF 1810. I ; (' Hi the Donegal district of Sea Feiicibles, whicb he continued to hold, being unable to obtain more active employment, for a period of four yeara. In April, 1S08, through the kind interference of Sir Arthur Wellesley, now Duke of Wellhigton, Captain Evans was ap- pointed to the Leveret brig, employed on the Baltic station. Whilst in that sloop, he convoyed a fleet of nearly 300 sail to Carl»crona, and returned from thence with an equtd number under his protection, passing through the Belt each time without losing a single vessel, although constantly watched and harassed by numerous Danish gun-boats. His next appointment was to the Satellite, of 16 guns ; in which brig, after serving for some time off Flushing, he as- sibted in escorting about 400 sail of merchantmen from Spit- head to Barbadoes ; and was then ordered to afford protec- tion to 120 of the same fleet, bound to St. Vincent's, Gre< nada, Curapoa, and Jamaica ; on which latter station we find him very actively employed, under the orders of Vice- Admi- ral B, S. Rowley, who had been directed by liord Mulgrave to place him at the head of the Admiralty list for promotion. Early in May, 1809, a merchant ship arrived at Port Royal, with intelligence of several French privateers having commit- ted great depredations on the south side of St. Domingo, and afterwards taken shelter within the islands of Beata and de Vache. On the preceding day, (Thursday) the Satellite had returned from a four months' cruise, during which she had sprung her main-mast so badly as tq require it to be replaced. There being no other man of war theji in port, the Vice-Ad- miral enquired by telegraph when she could be got ready for sea. and was told in reply, that every thing depended upon the dock-yard. On that and the ensuing day, the decks were caulked, the shipwrights' and carpenters' work completed, the new main-mast taken in, and three months* provisions and stores, received and stowed away : on Sunday morning she went out of harbour, with her men on the yards bending sails ; and on Wednesday following tlie enemy, seven in numh»r, were discovered in their nest, between Beata and the mam. POST-CAPTAINS OK 1810. 261 On seeing th6 Satellite working up towards them, two of the largest privateers came out to engage her, but fled after receiving a few broadsides, effecting their escape through the passage between Altavella and Beata. Two others were cap- tured by Captain Evans ; but the remainder were enabled to get off, owing to his brig's inferior sailing. He h%d the satis- faction, however, of knowing that this formidable force was dispersed through his exertions, and that the trade of St. Domingo was never again molested whilst he continued on the coast. During the very short period that elapsed between the Sa- tellite's departure from Port Royal and her arrival off Alta- vella, Captain Evans had to regret the loss of his first Lieu> tenant, Master, Pursuer, and several men, all of whom fell sick, and died, in consequence of the excessive fatigue and great exposure to which the emergency of the service had subjected them : the rest of his officers and crew were also very sickly. Towards the latter end of the same year. Captain Evans had the mortification to find that, notwithstanding Lord MuU grave's directions, the commander-in-chief had put one of his own followers into an Admiralty vacancy ; and unfortu^ nately for him, a letter of complaint which he felt it his duty to write on the occasion, did not reach home until after that nobleman had retired from the Board. In 1810, he was or- dered to convoy the trade from the bay of Honduras to Eng- land, which vexatious arrangement deprived him of the hope he had still cherished, of being promoted abroad, and thereby kept in active employment. On entering fiellize bay, in charge of a pilot, the Satellite took the ground, but was not supposed to have received any damage until her arrival in the gulf of Florida, when it was discovered that she did not answer her helm as formerly, which induced him to put into the Havannah ; and on lighten- ing the brig, he found that two gudgeons and two pintles were knocked off. This took place on a Sunday ; the nulder had to be landed at the dock-yard, aud after it was re- 262 POST-CAFrAINS OP 1810. I 1^ M r II 'if hung, nearly the whole of the 8tore«, water, and provisions were to be hoisted in, notwithstanding which the Satellite was again at sea on Monday afternoon. "^ The remainder of the voyage to England was very tem- pestuous ; and the Satellite suffered so much during the first gale as to render it necessary for part of her guns to be put be- low, a measure that was scarcely adopted when a second storm commenced, which it is impossible she could have weathered, had not so much dead weight been removed from aloft. Captain Evans arrived at Spithead in Nov. J 810, and found that he had been promoted to post-rank on the 21 st of the preceding month. He was there superseded in the command of the Satellite, by the Hon. Willoughby Bertie, who perished, with all his officers and crew, on the very night that he first went to sea in her 1 ' Since that period Captain Evans has applied for employ- ment regularly every year, and has often been strongly re- commended by persons of high consideration, but hitherto without effect. The following is a copy of a letter, which he received from Lord Amelius Beauclerk, in Jan. 1812 : — " My dear Sir,— I should have been very happy to have shaken you l)y the hand when you was in town, after so long an absence. I hope, should you come to this part, you will do me the favor of a call. I must return you my sincere thanks for your ofifer of service, and feel myself much flat- tered by the saroefa previous engagement obliges me to decline it, otherwise I should have been happy to comply with your wishes. I remain, my dear Sir, yours very sincerely. (Signed) A. Bbauclerk." Among the many distinguished characters who have ex- erted themselves in favor of Captain Evans, no one has more stron^y supported his claims for employment, than the no- bleman whose signature is attached to the letter, we are now about to transcribe :— " London, May 18, 1820. " Sir, — May I request to be permitted the liberty of recommending to his Excellency the Lord Lieutenant, for his approbation. Captain Evans of the royal navy, to command the yacht. I should not presume to lay Captain Evans's name before his Excellency, were I not informed Captain Saurin's appointment had not taken place. Captain Robert Evans's name POST-CAPTAINS OP 1810. 268 U well known at tho Admiralty, as a good officer— ^nd, lie Is a porfct^t geiK tlcman. — I therefore rannot resist his solicitation in applying io Lis favor« which must plead my apology for troubling you with this letter. I have the honor to be« &c. (Signed) " Conyngham." " Right Hon. Charles Grant, ^c. 8fc. Sfc" In Feb. 18*23, the same nobleman applied in Captain Evans's favor to Viscount Melville, who returned the following answer : — " Admiralty, 28M Feb. 182.3. " My dear Lord,— I have received your Lordship's letter of the 18th In- stant, and shall not fail to note your application in favor of Captain Robert Evans, to be brought under consideration whenever a proper opportunity may offer. I return Captain Evans's letter, and I have the honor to be, my dear Lord, your Lordship's very faithful, &c. (Signed) *' Mbiville.** *' To the Marquis Conygham." Having now concluded our account of Captain Evans's professional services, we must return back to Dec. 27, 1807, on which day he addressed a letter to Lord Mulgrave, pointing out the impossibility of a continued intercourse be- tween the Malay traders and Prince of Wales's island, should ever Malacca be alienated from the British Crown j and therefore recommending the formation of a settlement at Dil- ha, in the island of Timor, to which port they would at all times be able to resort for commercial purposes, without run- ning any risk of being intercepted and enslaved by the Dutch. In the same letter he also recommends the establishment of a British settlement between Malacca and the China sea9> and mentions Sincapore as very eligibly situated with rela- tion to the whole Eastern archipelago, to China, and to India, for an extended commerce, if held as a free port under Bri« tish protection. For this, and a second communication res- pecting Dilha, he received his Lordship's thanks, in two let- ters, dated Jan. 9, and Mar. 18, 1808 ; and had he addressed himself to the Board of Controul, instead of to the Admiralty, we have no doubt that Sincapore would have been taken possession of long before the year 1819; and that the wild project of colonizing Melville island, in the gulf of Carpenta- ria, as a place well situated " for the encouraging of tr^de I 264 POST-CAPTAINS OF 1810. N' mi ii 'I ,{ n If :.( . .1 -J I and communications with the Malays," would never have been entertained *. The population of Sincapore, previous to its occupation by Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles, Feb. 29, 1819, did not amount to more than 200 souls ; but in less than two years from that date it exceeded 10,(XX). During this short period, not less than 2889 vessels are staced to have entered the port, of which 383 were owned and commanded by Euro- peans, and 2506 by natives. Their united tonnage ex- ceeded 200,000. The value of its commerce in the first two years was estimated at five millions of dollars. In the year 1822, it had augmented to 8,568,171 dollars ; and in 1823, to 13,268,397 dollars. The natives of all the neighbouring states resorted to it in abundance with goods or bullion, and mai)) of them have erected large warehouses on the island, together with suitable habitations for themselves. The advantages to be obtained by establishing a settlement at Dilha, are set forth in a I?tter from Captain Evans to one of his Majesty's late ministers, dated June 24, 1 824, of which the following is an extract : " In the year 1807, 1 recommended to the EcigUsh govenimcnt, to form a settlement to the east of Malacca, in order to have a place for the Malays to trade, when Malacca and the Dutch Islands were (pven up ; for I observed the situation was such, that it would be impussihie for tlic prows to pass through the Straits to Prince of Wales's Island. I \v;u aware at the time of the terms on which we held Malacca and all the Dutch Islandi, and therefore, thought it liighly necesHnry to form a port to the eastward, and also another port cast of the Straits of Scylere. I mentioned Dilha on the island of Timor. In consequence of the hatred and revengeful disposition of the Dutch, the poor Malays, when Mului-ca and the islands were g' vcn up, would not I>e able to trade : now things nrc changed relative to Malacca. Sincapore is allowed to be a good place for China shif'i to stop at, going and returning ; and in time of war, a small fort in the struts of Drion, would secure the straits of Malucca from enemy's cruisers. Sincapore, however, will only be of service to a few Malay prows from the west roast of Ilorneo and the straits of Drion ; and these may be prevented by the Dutch cruizera. Not a Malay will l>c able to pass from the straitu of Macassar to Sincapore ; — this is well knowa to the Dutch ^'ovcrnment. • Sec memoir of Coptuin James J. G. Drembb, C. D. POST-CAPTAINS OF 1810. 966 Oa examining the charts, it will be seen that it is in the power of the Dutch to prevent Malays from going to Sincupore. The Malay trade should be protected : by encouraging these poor people, you would bring all the eastern trade to your port. What I proposed in the year 1807, and what I would now recommend, is, to get possession of the east end of Timor from the Portuguese, and tc establish a settlement at the port of Dilha : this would secure the whole of the Malay trade in the Malacca seas. You might have had, and may yet, if not too late, the west end of Timor (belonging to the Dutch,) for Bencoolen. Your having Sincapore, Malacca would have been deserted. Timor is of no value to the Portuguese, and may be ot some conse({uence to us. Sincapore rendered Malacca of no value to nny one. Bencoolen should have been given (if it was to be parted with,') for the west end of Timor. The port of Dilha on the N. E. side of Timor, a most excellent harl)our, easy of access, may be fortified at a trifling expense, and defended from any surprise by a small force. The Malays in those seas have not a place to trade with, and dreud leaving their creeks and rivers, through fear of the Dutch. I found them much inclined to trade, and considered they would in a short time be rendered fully independent of the Dutch, provided we had the port of Dilha, in the island of Timor. All the Malays who arc taken by the Dutch, are reduced to slavery. The port of Dilha would embrace the Straits of Macassar, Seylere, Gilolo, east end of the island of Borneo, Celebes, Amboyna, Ceram, Banda, and all to the eastward of Java, would be opened to your trade in a short time. Two-iliirds of thr. ile opportunity of taking them." To this Btatcmciit the followingnnswcr was returned, Juli/ 30, 1821 :— *' Dear Sir,— I have to aoknowlcdgc the receipt of your letter of the 24th June, htatinir tin* ailvaiilaLa> which would rrsiilt from a British settiement iit the port of Dilha, on tlie Island of Timor, and to return you my thanks for the suggestions which it contains. I do not, however, think, that as our negociation with the government of the Netherlands is now brought to n close, it would be desirable to re-uprn if, and it socms to me that most of the benefits which would Ih> likely lo result from it, will arise irom the selllcnirnt nctw fanning at Port Mssiiigton, 'in the north point of N«w iSouth Wukd. I remain, dewr vSir, most fttithfully yours, (Signed) " C. W. William^ Wtnu." I 11 ' I I 266 POST-CAPTAINS OF 1810. Ir mi " 'ff 5 li I: t The failure of the attempt to colonize Melville Island was predicted by Captain Evans, in a letter addressed to the tsumc Right Hon. Gentleman, of which the following is an extract: " I BID sorry to find that a settlement is ubout to be formed on INIeiville Island, in Carpentaria Bay : — you may depend it will not succeed, and ihe expense will be great. It will not answer any one purpose : — the Malays will not be able to go there to trade, it is too fur for theui— during the S. E. winds it will be impossible for them to go, and the N. W. winds will pre- vent them from returning. Sir Thomas RolQes could not have known much about the place, when he recommended it for such a purpose." In another letter, dated Aug. 24, 1824, Captain Evims says : *' The monsoons are different to what you find iu the China se. j and hay of Bengal. You have strong IS. E. winds when the S. W. winds prevail in the bay, and N. W. winds - .hen the N. E. monsoons blow in the China seas and bay. It would take the Malays a whole monsoon to make a voyage to Port Esslngton, even should they escape the Dutch j and slavery would be their portion if taken. " The port of Dilha may be reached in one night, (at least the east end of Timor) from any one uf the Spice Islands ; every week or ten days ia each monsoon a voyage may be made, and that without any danger from the Dutch. The Malays have active minds, are fond of trade, and when treated kindly are much attached to you." Captal.i Evans married Isabella, daughter of George Nesbitt, of Woodhill, CO. Donegal, Esq. anc* sister to Major Nesbitt, who commanded the militia of that county, his Colonel beiHg absent, at the time when the French effected a landing in Bantry Bay. By that amiable and accomplished lady, he has one son living. j^igeiits. — Messrs. Evans and Eyton. l*. ijti'i ^ THOMAS FOLLIOIT BAUGH, Esq. Was midf a Lieutenant in Nov. 17^^^^; and promoted to the rank of Conimaiuler, April 2i), 1H()2. VVc subHCMiiicntly find him holding an appointment in the Irish Sea rcnciblc service, and afterwards commanding the Clio brig, on the Bidtic station, where he captured a Danish privateer of G guns, Sept. 21, 18U8. His post commission bears dutc Oct. 2J, 1810. ^enf.».— McBBrs. Stilwcll. POST-CAPTAINB OF 1810. 267 JOHN LAMI30RN, Esq. Obtained a Lieutenant's commission in April, J 7^4 ; served as first of the Cnesar 8(), bearing the flag off Sir James Saumarez, at the battle off Algeziras, July 6, 1801 * ; and was promoted to the command of the Peterel sloop, April 29, 1802. In Mar. 1804, Captain Lamborn sailed for Barbadoes and Jamaica, in company with tlic West India trade ; and on the 23(1. Jan. 1805, we find him destroying a French privateer of 1 gan and 27 men. In May following, he captured a Spanish privateer, mounting 1 long 18-poundcr and 4 eixes, with a complement of 106 men, off St. Jago de Cuba. The Peterel was subsequently attacked, when proceeding from Jamaica to Charlestown, by a schooner full of men, who attempted to board her, but were repulsed with great loss. In the skirmish that took place on this occasion, the British bad 2 killed and 4 wounded. Captain Lamborn's next appointment was to the Trinculo brig, in which vessel he continued until advanced to post rank, Oct. 21, 1810. Agent. — J, Woodhead, Esq. JOHN BAKER, Esq. An elder brother of Hear- Admiral Thomas Baker, C. B. This orticer was made a Lieutenant in July, \'J\)\ ; and pro- nutted to the rank of ComnKuuUr, April 2i), IK)2 : his post commission bears date Oct. 21, IBIO; at which period he cunnnanded the Kangaroo sloop, on the lioulogne station, where she had previously captured I'Egayant French lugger privt' tee», of 14 guns and ' northward of the Cape : however, as she had shown Spanish colours, and there being no appearance of batteries to protect her, and the weather very favouruble, ( was induced to send the boats to try to bring her out, with instructions to Lieutenant Farey, who commanded, to return, should he find any opposition of consequence. At 4 P. M., Lieutenant Facey in the barge, Lieutenan'. Stupart in the launch, and Lieutenant Davison, of the marines, in the cutter, all volunteers on this occasion, put off from the ship ; and at R, after a good deal of firinff, I hod the satisfaction of seeing the polacre coming out, round a point which had kept them from our 8ight for more than an hour. Durisig the time the boats were engaged, several of the cnemyVgun-boata endeavoured to get in, but were prevented by our shot. The captured vessel proved to Im< Iu IU'IIc Aurorc, from Genoa, bound to Barcelona, laden with oitton, bilk, lice, ^r.— mounting 10 carriage guns, !/ and C-poundcrs, and baviti|; P08T-CAPTAIN8 OF 1810. 269 un board, when attacked, 113 men . xhe was surrounded by a netting, and supported by a small battery, and a large body of musketry on shore. I iin sorry to inform your Lordship, that our loss has been great, three of those gallant fellows having been killed on the spot; and Lieutenant Stupart, an officer inferior to none in hit Majettf/*t service, for zeal, courage, and ability, with nine others, badly wounded, one of whom died this morning. The conduct of Lieutenant Facey doeti hhn, in my opinion, great honour ; he appears to have been the first on board, and to have shown throughout the whole, great firmness and good example. The attack was made in the face of day by 42 men, in three boats, against a ship defended hy 113 men, secured with a boarding netting, and supported by a batte:y, and a large body of men at small arms on the shore. I trust, my Lord, this fair i tatement of facts will be a sufficient recommendatiot of Lieutenants Facey and Stupurt, &c. &c. &c. (Signed) "S. Peaud." " To 4(lmiralEarl St. rtncent," This " very gallant exploit," says Earl St. Vincent, " ap- pears to me equal to any enterj^rise recorded in the naval his- tory of Great Britain ; and will, i am fully persuaded, merit the approbation of the Lords Commissioners of the Admi- ralty." The manner in which the success was subsequently employed will be seen by reference to Vol. II, Part I, p. 26. In July, 1800. Lieutenant Stupart obtained a small pension on account of his wounds, which has been increased since the peace to 250/. per annum. After the capture of the Suc- cess, he joined la Constance 24, and again distinguished himself in a boat affair, of which mention has been made in our memoir of Captain Zachary Mud^e *. His commis- HJon as a Commander was signed by Earl St. Vincent, April 20, 1802. At the renewal of hostilities, in 1803, Captain Stupart wa^t appointed to the Sea Fencible Bervice, Dartmor»th district j where he remained until the summer of 1806; from which period we find him commanding the EmulouB brig, on the ('liannel and Halifax stations, till his promotion to post rank, Oct. 21, 1810. Captain Stupart's first wif'» died in June, 1802. His se- cond marna5je, to Miss Ilyndham, took place Oct. HI, 1812.. Agents. — Messrs. Stilwell. • See Vol. IF. l»urt I. p, 30H. ii I f 'II fi J 1 !Hi ft 270 POST-CAPTAtMS OF 1810. JOHN WILLOUGHBY MARSHALL, Esq. Was made a Lieutenant in Sept., 1796; advanced to the rank of Commander, April 29, 1802 ; and appointed to the Lynx sloop in the month of June following. From this pe- riod he was actively employed on the North Sea and Baltic stations, upwards of eight years. On the 12th Aug. 1809, a small detachment of seamen and marines from the Lynx, under the orders of Lieutenant Edward Kelly, attended by the Monkey gun- brig. Lieutenant Thomas Fitzgerald, gallantly attacked, carried, and brought out three Danish privateers, from within the reef off Dais Head, near Rostock : the enemy's joint force amounted to 11 carriage guns, 4 howitzers, and 84 men. Captain Marshall obtained post rank, Oct. 21, 1810; and died at Caen, in Normandy, by the bursting of a blood vessel, Jan. 22, 1824. ANTHONY ABDY, Esq. Was made i Lieutenant in Feb. 1800; advanced to the rank of Commander, April 29, 1802 ; appointed to the Zephyr fire-ship, in 1804 ; to the Dotterell brig, about Nov. 1808 ; and to act in the Tonnant 80, off Ferrol, about June, 1809: his post commission bears date Oct. 21, 1810. Captain Abdy married, in 1808, a daughter of the late Ad- miral Sir Thomas Rich, Bart. j. Agents. — Messrs. Stilwell. HENRY EVELYN PITFIELD STURT, Esq. Was made a Lieutenant in Fob. 1800; promoted to the rank of Commander, April 29, 1802; and ; ftcrwards suc- cessively appointed to the Rambler, Skylark, and Termagant, sloops. On the 7th Nov. 1807, he captured le Renarde French privateer, of 14 guns and 39 men. This ve^|^ not surren- dering when repeatedly called to, and like^se making an P08T-CAPTAIN8 OP 1810. 271 Attempt to lay the Skylark on board, obliged Captain Sturt to fire at her, by which the French commander was wounded^ and his lugger's main-mast shot away. ' ' ' *'^ t '•-'*'^ The Termagant formed part of the squadron under Rear Admiral (now Sir George) Martin, when that officer was em- ployed in protecting Sicily from an invasion, threatened by Murat, in 1810; and Captain Sturt was rewarded with a post commission for his active services, as senior officer of the mortar-boats then stationed in the Faro of Messina. He takes rank from Oct. 21, 1810. Since the peace he has comtnanded the Phaeton of 46 guns, in whicli frigate he con- veyed the Rif^ht Hon. C. R. Vaughan, British Ambassador, to North America, in 1825 ; and afterwards brought home three miirums of dollars, from the West Indies. Captain Sturt married a Portuguese lady, whom he had assisted in her flight from a convent in one of the Western Islands. Agent. -^ « MTnerheny, Esq. RICHARD GAIRE JANVRIN, Esq. We first find this officer serving as a midshipman under Sir W. Sidney Smith, at the defence of St. Jean d'Acre, in 1799. Whilst thus employed he was wounded by a musket- hall passing through the muscle under his left arm, but which does not appear to have incapacitated him for more than a few \vcek^•. On his recovery he was entrusted by his heroic ciiief with the command of the flotilla on the coast of Da- mietta. He next joined the flng-ship of Lord Keith, who, we believe, gave hin> a comiuission, in the year 1800. From this period we lose hight of Captain Janvrin until he re- ceived an appointment to a command in the flotilla attached to the Walcheren expedition. The evacuation of that island being at length determined upon, he was tiien charged by Sir Richard J. Strachan with the duties of the port of Flushing, and Commo- dore (now Sir Edward) Owen, who conducted the retreat from ! II i 272 POST-CAPTAINS OF 1810. I h ■ ,!. , %* hi I' . ■ » ■' I. HI that place, officially acknowledged that he found in him " a niost zealous second and supporter." The bravery and spirit luu- nifested by the officers and crews of tlie gun-boats, and their cheerful submission to the necessary privations of that pecu- liar service, have been noticed at p. 7 1 <*< seq. of Suppl. Part 1. — " All" says Sir Riciiard J. Strachan, " supported the character of British seamen /" Captain Janvrin's post connnission bears date, Oct. 21, 1810. He married the widow of Lieutenant Lord, R. N. Agents. — Messrs. Maude. GEORGE WILLIAM BLAMEY, Esq. The family of Blamcy, originally lUni/net/, is of Wolsls extraction, and claims to be descended from Cadwalhulcr, King of the ancient Britons. Captain Blarney's direct ances- tor, Edward, a younger son of Thomas ap Jevan Lloyd, after serving Queen Elizabeth in the Low Countries, accompanied the Earl of Essex to Ireland, and settled in that kingdom, of which he was created a peer by James I, July 2f), 1G2I. Two brothers belonging to this fiimily fled from tlie " Emerald isle," to avoid political persecution :— one went to Nor- mandy, the other took up his residence atTregony, co. Corn- wall, and changed his »ianie to Blarney. The subject of this memoir was born at Devonport, in 1768; and he appears to have joined the Nonsuch 64, Cap- tain \\ alter Griffith, before he was eight years old ! Althoui;h much too young to take a part in any of the operations, he was present at the performance of many, if not all, the services in the Chesapeake and Delaware rivers, at the commencement of the American revr lutionary war. In 1778, we find him again at school ; and in 1780, embarking on board the In- flexible 64, then attached to the Channel fleet under Admiral Geary, but subsequently sent to the relief of Gibraltar, under Vice-Admiral Darby. While engaged in that serviee, she was warmly engaged with the Spanish gun-boats, and Mr. Blamcy witnessed the demolition of the greater part of the besieged town *. • Sec Vol. I. Part I. p. 4, and note ut p. y3. l»08T-CAI»TAINS OF 1810. 273 In I7BI, this young officer was placed under the patronage of Sir Geo. B. Rodney, by whose side he served on the memor- able 9th and 12th April, 1782 *. After the recall of that cele- brated chief, he continued in the Formidable with Admiral Hugh Pigot, under whom he completed his time as a midshipman. At the peace of 1783, Mr. Blamey joined the Culloden 74, fitting at Woolwich for the purpose of being stationed as a guard-ship in Hamoaze ; but feeling dissatisfied with a life so inactive, and having a strong desire to make himself ac- quainted with the whole coast of North America, from Hud- son's Bay to the Gulf of Mexico, he subsequently proceeded, in pursuance of that design, accompanied by two young friends possessing a similar spirit of enterprise, in whose com- pany he encountered difficulties almost insurmountable, and experienced the greatest privations, being often frozen up in his little bark without a single comfort to sustain life, some. times obliged to consume part of the vessel for want of fuel, and frequently compelled, after traversing the ice and reaching terra firma, to undergo all the varieties of misery and want. At the commencement of the French revolutionary war, Mr. Blamey joined Commodore Ford, at Jamaica, and was actively employed during the operations against the enemy in St. Domingo f. His promotion to the rank of Lieutenant took place about 1704, on which occasion he was appointed to the Success 32, Captain Hugh Pigot, with whom he had been intimate in his early days. From that frigate Lieutenant Blamey removed to the In- trepid 64, commanded by the Hon. Charles Carpenter j and in her he assisted at the capture of la Per9ante French na- tional ship, mounting 26 guns, with a complement of 200 men, near old Cape Francois, Feb. I7O6. Lieutenant Blamey 's next appointment was to be first of the Jamaica, late la Peryante, from wliich ship he removed to the Leviathan 74, bearing the broad pendant of Conunodore Duckworth, with whom he returned to England in I7O7, after • Sec Vol. II. Part I, note f at p. 52 ; Vol. I. Part I. note at pp. 35— 39; aud fW. Part II. last part of note • at p. 437. t See Vol. I, Part II, p. 505, aud note + at p. SrS e/ *e^. SUPPL. PAIIT n. T 271 r()ST-CArT.\INS OF 1PU>. i ft Ml 'V, t M Hi !' i fin absence of nine years. Wc subsequently And him scrvini,' as first of the ^Assistance 50, Captain Robert Hall, on the Halifiix station, from whence that ship brought home U. \{. ]\, the Duke of Kent, Au;^. 31, 1S0(). During the passai^c to England, Lieiitenant Blarney had the good fortmie to ohtain the favourable opinion of that illustrious personage, whoso warm friendship ho enjoyed until his lamented demise. Early in 1801, Lieutenant Blamcy rgain joined the Lcviu- than, then hearing the flag of Rear- Admiral Duckworth, who had recently succeeded Lord 11 ugh Seymour in the chief com- mand on the Leeward Islands station ; and in whose despiitchos announcing the surrender of the Danish and Swedish colonies we find the following passage : — " I intend jrivinp an actinj? order to Ciiptiiin John Miller Garnicr, of tlic Havvke, and my first Lieutenant, Gcorjje William Ulumcy, an oflictr wIiom; exertions in tli':* present expedition entitle him to my warmest support." Lieutenant i31amey was accordingly appointed to succeed Captain Garnier, and ho continued in the llawke sloop uiilil the ccstation of hostilities. U'hile commanding that vessel he saile I round the island of Trinidad, and keeping within a mile or two of the shore, Avith the lead constantly going, visitid every settlement, made a rough sketch of tiic coast, and fur- nished the llydrographical OHice with soundings which niiiy always be depended upon. The whole of this service was performed in the course of a week. Captain Blarney's next appointment was, in 1804, to an armed vessel, employed protecting the trade in the British and St. George's Channels, on which irksome and uiiprolitablc service he remained nearly three years. We afterwards find him commanding the Mediator frigate, arnied c/iJIiUc, and fitted for the conveyance of supplies to the dill'erent block- ading squadrons. In that ship Captain Blarney contiiuied until the early part of 1809, when, hiiviny, recently assisted at the embarkation of the British army at Corunna, and received on board a groat number of sick and wounded soldiers, he was attacked with violent fever and ague, which induced the Admiralty to ap- point the late Captain James VV'( oldridge to act for him uat!* his recovery. r POST-CAPTAINS OF 1810. 275 Hearing, while at sick-quarters, that the Mediator was con- verted into a fire-ship, for the purpose of being employed against the French squadron in Aix roads, Captain Blarney hastened to rejoin her, but had the mortification not to reach the British fleet until the day after her destruction. This cir- cumstance naturally gave him great distress, the officer acting during his absence having been thus afforded an opportunity of gaining great fame, immediate promotion, and extraordi- nary marks of distinction *. As some compensation for his disappointment. Captain Blamey was shortly afterwards appointed to the Harpy brig, then under repair at Portsmouth, and intended to form part of the expedition preparing against Antwerp. On the arrival of that formidable armament off VValcheren, Captain Blamey was selected by Sir Richard J. Strachan to land as second in command of the naval brigade under Cap- tain Charles Richardson, to whose memoir (in Vol. II. Part II) we must refer our readers for an account of the services performed by the seamen on shore between July 30, and Aug. 15, 1809. It will be sufficient in this place to state that the " zeal and bravery" displayed by Captain Blamey were highly spoken of, both in the naval and military despatches an- nouncing the surrender of Flushing. After the evacuation of Walcheren, the Harpy was sent to Halifax, from whence she conveyed 1.50 troops to Lisbon. Captain Rlamey's post commission bears date Oct 21, 1810. He subsequently commanded the Loire frigate, for a short period, off the Black Rocks, and the Comet of 20 guns, on the Newfoundland and other stations : the latter ship was paid off in Dec. 1814. This persevering, but by no means fortunate officer, mar- ried Eunice, eldest daughter of David Pearl, of Hampton, state of Connecticut, Esq., and a grand-daughter of Major • Captuin Wooldridge had the houor of brcukin^ the eiiemy'd boom, and was presented with u ^old rhu'in and medal in a(hlitiun to the other rewards to which his conspicuous bravery so justly entitled him — post rank, and continued employment. The Patriotic Society also voted hitn u sword value 100/. He died suddenly, in the prime of life, at Penzance, Auif.31,l8i4. t2 IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) ^Jk 1.0 I.I ■ 50 "^" 11^^ ■^ 1^ 12.2 U lili 1^ 140 m L25 |U 1.6 < 6" ► p% $^ w ^ J^ 'V^:) /a V ^ /;> 7 fliotographic Sciences Corporation as WIST MAIN STRUT WWSTM.N.Y. 1 SM (71*) •73-4303 ^W^' ^V' ^ 0 ^ As i^Jkf K% t 27^ POST-CAPTAINi OF 1810. Alien, who distinguished himself in Canada under the iiu- mortal Wolfe. Captain Blarney's two brothers died in the naval service : his sister married Captain, afterwards Major Hutcheson, of the 71st regiment. Agents. — Messrs. Barnett and King. JOHN COODE, Esq. A Companion of the Most Honorable Military Oriler of the Bath ; h'niirht Commander >f the Royal Neapolitan Order of St Ferdinand, and «y Merit ; and a Ktiight of the Order of fVilhelm, of the Netherlands. This officer was made a Lieutenant, Sept. 5, '1799; and advanced to the rank of Commander, in 1802. His post commission bears date, Oct. 21, 1810. At the commencement of 1814, Captain Coode commanded the Porcupine, a 22-gun ship bearing the flag of Rear-Admi- ral, (now Sir Cliarles V.) Penrose, who was then employed in co-operation with the victorious armies of Great Britain, Spain, and Portugal ; and whose eminent services in the neighbourhood of Bayonne and Bourdeaux, we shall take this opportunity of relating : — the means by which we are enabled to do so have been obtained from various authentic sources, since the publication of our first volume. It may not be amiss to state that, on the 10th Feb. 1814, the present Dauphin of France, under the auspices of Lord Wellington, then at St. Jean de Luz, issued a proclamation In the name of Louis XVIIL, addressed to him (the Due d'Angoul^me), and empowering him, with the usual formali- ties, to represent his uncle till the arrival of the latter in France, and authorizing \\\\\\ to employ himself in the rc-es- tablishment of good order in the different provinces into which he might be able to penetrate, as well as in the adja- cent provinces. To this proclamation was added a brief but animated address from the Dauphin himself, to the French nation *. A few days after the promulgation of the above, the Mar- • Set! Klliot's lift' if U'tllinf^ton, 2il edit. p. 542. POST-CAPTAINS OF 1810. 277 quis of Wellington removed his head quarters from St. Jean de Luz, and the combined armies began to advance through a country full of strong posts, destit-ite of good roads, inter- sected by rapid streams, and in the face of a brave, vigilant, and active enemy. A great deal of fighting ensued, but al- ways to the advantage of the allies, who at length drove the French across the Gave d'Ol^ron, and established themselves on the banks of that rivulet. In consequence of these move- ments. Marshal Soult's line of defence before Bayonne was broken in no less than three points ; his entrenched camp, near St. Jean Pied de Pont, was abandoned ; and he was obliged to establish himself on the heights above Orthes. It formed a prominent part in Lord Wellington's stu- pendous plan of operations, to take possession of both banks of the Adour, as well below as above Bayonne, and to place that city in a state of blockade, at the very moment when the army which covered it should be driven from its position. To render his lordship's scheme effectual, it was necessary to push a detachment of troops, artillery, &c. across the river in readiness to protect the formation of a bridge, to be com- posed of small coasting vessels, decked boats, cables, and planks, which Rear-Admiral Penrose had been for some time indefatigably employed in collecting and preparing, at Porto de Socca, and in the bay of St. Jean de Luz. Accordingly on the 23d Feb., (500 infantry and a small de- tachment of the rocket brigade, under the command of Major- lieneral Stopford, were conveyed across in pontoons, and landed about two miles below Boucaut, a village situated rather more than midway from the citadel of Bayonne to the confluence of the Adour with the ocean. The strength of the tides, however, rendered it impossible to do more without the aid of the navy ; and unfortunately Rear-Admiral Pen- rose, who had sailed with his flotilla the evening before, was then becalmed to the westward of Fontarabia. At day-break on the 24th, the Porcupine with her charge arrived off the bar of the Adour, where Rear-Admiral Penrose was joined by Lieutenant John Debenham, an active and zealous agent of transports, who had come in a boat from 278 POST-CAPTAINS OF 18J0. Porto de Socca, in consequence of a message from Sir John Hope, received at a late hour the preceding night, requesting him to bring all the assistance he could, as there appeared no hope of the flotilla being able to stem the adverse current, and it had been found impracticable to get a raft across the rapid Adour. This officer informed the Rear-Admiral of the pro- gress already made by the left division of the army, and that Major-Gen eral Stopford had been attacked by an enemy of far superior force, whose attempt to dislodge his little corps it was feared would be repeated. As the passage of the bar was an operation of great difficulty and danger, we shall here enter into a minute description thereof. The Adour, for about two miles from its union with the sea, has to force its way through a sandy plain ; the consequence of which is, a vast accumulation of sand in that part of the ocean immediately contiguous to the shore, forming a bar of not less than a mile in breadth, on which at low water there is seldom more than two feet, and at the highest tide rarely above 15. Leading marks there are none, nor can there be any permanently established ; for every gale, when the wind does not blow off the land, the sand changes its position : heavy rain in the interior always produces a similar effect, by causing violent freshes to come down from the mountains ; in short, no man, however perfect his knowledge of t!ie passage may be one day, can tell how or where it will be the next. The tides run with such rapidity, between the bar and Bou- caut, a distance of about three miles, that even a 6-oared gig can scarcely make way against them : this has been partly caused by the erection of a stone wall, about fifteen feet wide, on each bank of the river, for the purpose of guiding the cur- rent : on these walls strong posts are placed at intervals, to which the mooring hawsers of vessels waiting the change of the tide, and the warps of others going against the stream, are made fast. The wall on the Boucaut side is extended farther up the river than that on the other, but they both commence at about a mile from the bar. The spring tides had not yet commenced, and the surf on the bar was very high, when llear-Admiral P^prose arrived POST-CAPTAINS OF 1810. 2/9 off the Adour; but as the military operations could not be de- layed, he determined to force his way, at all hazards, as soon as the increasing strength of the breeze then blowing would enable hira to make the attempt : his mortification at having been drifted, by a very strong current, to the westward, it is easy to conjecture. The whole of the vessels destined to enter the Adour were placed under the command of Captain Do well O'Reilly, of the Lyra brig, who proceeded in a Spanish-built boat, selected as the safest for the service he was going upon, taking with him the principal pilot, the boats of the British squadron, and two flats, to endeavour to find a passage through the surf: a few troops were at that time seen crossing over to the French side of the river, but evidently much in want of the boats intended for their assistance. All Captain O'Reilly's attempts, how- ever, proved ineffectual, as the sqrf wag every whefe beating in an equally dreadful manner. While thus employed, Captain O'ReiUy was hailed and passed by Lieutenant Debenham, who, after breakfasting with Rear-Adrairal Penrose, had gone up to the Porcupine's niain-top-mast-head, and was induced, from the observations he made there, to believe that he had descried a place where the passage might be attempted with greater hopes of success than at any other. Lieutenant Debenham's boat was a 6-oared gig, with five spare men in her to take alternate spells at the oars, the dis- tance of Porto de Socca from the mouth of the Adour being nearly 16 miles :• — her lug fore-sail and mizen were at this time set, and her crew ready to give way the moment she ar- rived at the edge of the surf ; — the extra hands sitting down in the bottom of the boat, at an equal distance from her stem and stern. When advanced so far that the surf broke just without her, the Lieutenant exclaimed "hurrah my boys, strike out ;" they did so, and instantly she seemed to fly amidst tlic deafening sound of breakers, not less than 20 feet in perpen- dicular height ; Lieutenant Debenham steering with one hand, and cheering his men, by waving an old cocked hat, with tlie other> at the same time telling them ^> trust in God^ \ ' 280 POST-CAPTAINS OF 1810, and the Almighty would protect them. After proceeding in this manner for at least a mile, the bowmen suddenly halloed out, " we are close to the beach. Sir !" and Lieutenant De- benham, with great presence of mind, immediately directed the rowers to be ready to unship their oars, to list the boat well to leeward, and to gather aft the fore sheet, himself at- tending to the mizen. In a moment afterwards he gave the expected orders, and strictly charged the men not to move from their respective thwarts — the boat was instantly thrown upon a spit of sand, and the receding wave left her perfectly dry ; but still the men were ordered to keep their seats, nor were they allowed to stir from them until three or four suc- cessive waves had washed her well up upon the beach ; the sails keeping her steady and forcing her broadside on as the sea lifted her. Seeing Lieutenant Debenham dash into the tremendous surf, and not choosing to be out -done in noble daring by an inferior officer. Captain O'Reilly had instantly followed him ; but his boat, although apparently much better adapted for such an undertaking, was unfortunately upset, and five of her crew perished : he and the other survivors were all more or less bruised ; and it is nearly certain that the whole would have been drowned, had not Lieutenant Debenham and the transports' people ran into the surf and dragged them out at the risk of their own lives. All the other boats returned on board their respective vessels, to wait the result of the next tide ; it being scarcely possible that one in fifty could then have escaped a similar fate. The spit of sand upon which Lieutenant Debenham's boat was thrown, proved to be the extreme point of the right bank of the Adour ; to which spot many soldiers hastened upon witnessing his most miraculous escape. The gig was very soon dragged over it, and launched into the river, across which he immediately rowed to where a number of military officers were assembled, one of whom was Sir John Hope, who pub- licly congratulated him, and returned thanks for hig promp- titude and highly meritorious exertions. H was now about 10 A. M, :— the gig instantly began tu POST.CAPTAINS OP 1810. 281 carry over soldiers, and Lieutenant Debenham commenced the construction of a large vaft, which, when completed, proved very serviceable to the army, it being capable of con- veying 16 dragoons, with their horses, at a time. By means of this raft, field pieces, waggons, forge carts, and in short every thing that was brought to him, were transported across, dur- ing the time that elapsed before the bridge could be rendered passable for any of those heavy articles. During the progress of the bridge. Lieutenant Debenham made from 12 to 14 trips daily ; and he subsequently conducted to the French side of the river the battering train of the invaders, on a larger raft, constructed by Major Todd of the staff corps. Our readers will pardon this digression j — we shall now return to the flotilla. Finding it impossible to discover the passage into the A dour. Rear- Admiral Penrose sent his other Spanish pilot ashore, to the S. W. of the bar, with directions to walk from thence to the bank of the river, in order to make a concerted signal from within the breakers, to guide the vessels through the safest part. From the offing there appeared no interval, a long and heavy line of surf alone presenting itself. Flag- Lieutenant Edward Collins was at the same time despatched overland, to communicate with the army ; and Lieutenant George Cheyne, of the Woodlark brig, who had been received as a volunteer on board the Porcupine, and whom the Rear- Admiral then believed, and afterwards knew to be an officer of great ability and the most abundant resources, was sent to visit all the foreign vessels which had been purchased or hired for this highly important service, to stimulate their crews by promising pecuniary rewards to the first, second, third, &c. that should pass the bar : and to select as a pilot which- ever master he found to possess better nerve than the others : — he brought one to the Porcupine, who professed himself wil- Ung to conduct the flotilla in at half-tide ; and he volunteered to accompany this person — an off*er that gave the Rear- Ad- miral entire confidence. About 3 P. M., it being then nearly high water, and the wind favorable, the flotilla was put in motion ; each vessel 282 POST-CAPTAINS OF 1810, ii having a certain flag hoisted, by which she could be distin- guished. There were altogether about 70 sail of every des- cription. When they sailed from Porto de Socca, towards the close of a fine evening, the spectacle was very imposing ; but when they were seen rising and sinking alternately in the im- mense surf, it was awfully grand. At this moment, the flag of Rear- Admiral Penrose was flying at the mast-head of the Gleaner ketch ; in which vessel he ran close to the breakers, directed the movements of the flotilla, and animated his offi- cers and men to continued exertions, by his presence, ex- ample, and praises. However appalling the prospect might have been from the sea, the author of "The Subaltern *" informs us, that it was no less so from the land. "On mouiitinji[ an eminence," says he, "we beheld a squadron licarinc; down, with all sail set, towards the bar ; over which the waves were dusb- ing in white foam, being driven inwards by a strong gale. But we were not the only anxious spectators of the animating shew. The bank of the river, and all the heights near, were crowded with general and staff officers, conspicuous among whom were Sir John Hope, and, if my memory fails ine not. Lord Wellington himself. The groups were, one and all of them, speechless. The sense of sight appeared to be the only sense left in full vigour to the individuals who composed them, and even from it all objects were apparently shut out, except the gallant squadron. " Down they came before the breeze with amazing velocity ; but the surf ran so high, and there seemed to be so little water upon the sands, that I for one felt as if a weight had been removed from my heart, when I beheld them suddenly put up their helms and tack about. • * • • Even British sailors hesitated, for once in their lives, whether they could face the danger. But the hesitation was not of long continuance." Lieutenant Cheyne resolved to succeed, or perish : Provi- dence favored him ! His boat, Spanish-built, but manned by five British seamen, was borne by the swell clear across the shoal : " and loud and reiterated were the shouts with which it was greeted, as it rushed proudly through the deep water." The next which entered the river was a large fishing-boat, manned by volunteers from the transports at Porto de Socca. She was closely followed by a gun-vessel, under the com- mand of Lieutenant John Chesshire, the first person tliat * The Rev. Mr. Gleig, formerly a Lieutenant of the 85th light infantry. POST-CAPTAINS OF 1810. 283 hoisted the colours of Britain in the Adour ! Following in the track of the gun-boat %vas a schooner-rigged vessel ; but she unfortunately broached to, and instantly capsized. " The horror," says Mr. Gleig, " which we experienced at contempla- ting this event, though extreme for the moment, was necessarily of short du- ration ; for our attention was immediately attracted to other vessels, which, one after another, drew near. Of these, all except one particular chasse- raar^e, succeeded in making good the passage ; — it shared the fate of the schooner. It was upset upon the curl of a wave, and went down with the whole of its crew. This last was even a more awful spectacle than the former. The little vessel, after being tossed round, rocked for a moment, as it were, upon the surf, just long enough for lis to see the despairing gestures of the sailors, and to hear their shriek of consternation, — and then a huge wave striking her, she fell, not upon her broadside, but absolutely with bottom upwards." The author of the " Subaltern" likewise tells us, that the above mentioned schooner-rigged vessel was "guided by Cap- tain Elliot" (the commander of H. M. brig Martial) j but this we can prove to be an error. " Captain Elliot," says Sir Charles V. Penrose, " was in his gig, ac- companied by Mr. Charles Norman, his assistant-surgeon : — I had spoken to him not more than two minutes before his boat overset : I observed to him how handsomely the gallant fellows were dashing in after their bold and sMh ful leader Cheyne, when he said, ' I think I see one or two ratl)i'r slack,' and pulled round the gig to row towards them — I conclude he winded her the wrong way, as she was out of si^ht immediately in the surf. The fate of Mr. Norman was singularly unfortunate: — he managed to get safe on board a gun-boat, which was afterwards thrown up upon the beach, where he was killed by the oversetting of her 24-pouader." In addition to the foregoing disasters, three transports* boats were l^st, with all their crews, and several others swamped ; v a<^ coasting vessel took the ground, after she entered the rivor, and remained fast for a considerable time. Notwithstanding the loss of lives sustained, it may justly be said, that the daring and highly necessary attempt to cross the bar of the Adour was attended with wonderful suc- cess J and that the zeal, intrepidity, and skill of British sea- men never shone forth in a more conspicuous manner than on that trying and memorable occasion. Upon witnessing the approach of the flotilla, Captain O'Reilly, who had somewhat recovered from the effects of «, I li 284 POST-CAPTAiNS OF 1810. II his disaster in the morning, went to where Lieutenant Dr- benham was employed in preparing his raft, and directed him to go in the gig, and render any assistance he might be able to the different vessels requiring it. No sooner had the agent of transports received this order than he hastened to the edge of the inner breakers, and succeeded in rescuing many men, who but for him must inevitably have been drowned. For his conduct throughout this eventful day, the thanks of Rear- Admiral Penrose were publicly read to him on the beach by Captain O'Reilly*. Twenty-five chass^-mar^es, &c. having entered the Adour, in the manner above described, and also several heavy gun- boats to protect the bridge, no time was lost in running them up to their proper stations, about two or two and a half miles from the bar, where they were moored in a line abreast, with large anchors ahead and astern ; the vessels at an equal dis- tance from one another. The whole were then bound toge- ther by cables passed along to the right and left from the centre vessels, as they anchored : those craft that were be- tween them and the banks of the river had on board a num- ber of old heavy guns and strong purchases, by means of which the extreme ends of this line of cables, after being passed over the walls we have spoken of, were first secured on the north bank, and then hove taut on the other : the purchase blocks were lashed to fir-trees growing near the southern bank. On the deck of each of the largest vessels was bolted a piece of timber, shaped like the bridge of a fiddle, with notches in it to keep the cables steady : — in this manner were six lines of cables extended across the flotilla, and firmly secured on shore. Planks were then laid on transversely, with holes cut at proper distances to lash them to the cables j and " at dawn, on the following day, it was declared that infantry might cross the floating bridge with * Captain O'Rciily died at Plymouth, May 22d, 1816, aged only 29 years. When senior lieutenant of the Sui-vcillante frigate, he greatly distinguished himself on the coast of Spain, and was, for his services there, advanced to the rank of commander, Sept. 23d, 1813 : he obtained a post commission, Aug, 29, 1815. POBT-CAPTAINS OF 1810. 285 safety. This was the signal for action ; and hence the 25th was, at least to part of the army, a day of hostile employ- ment." Above this famous bridge, five heavy gun-boats were moored with their heads towards Bayonne ; and for its fur • ther protection a strong boom, which had been constructed at St. Jean de Luz, under the immediate inspection of Rear- Admiral Penrose, was thrown across between it and the gim-boats. This boom was conveyed to the Adour by a large brig, in charge of Lieutenant George Robert Douglas, first of the Porcupine ; and it was rather a curious circum- stance, that while he was placing it to keep off fire-rafts, &c. the French were forming one higher up the river to prevent annoyance from below. We should here observe, that a number of sappers and miners were embarked in the flotilla previous to its departure from Porto de Socca : these men had been instructed how to proceed in forming the bridge after the vessels were moored, and each of them had his proper part assigned him : in his official letter to Lord Keith, reporting the proceedings of the flotilla, Rear-Admiral Penrose highly approved of their con- duct, and afterwards expressed himself as follows : — " That so many chass^-mar^es ventured the experiment" of crossing the bar, " I attribute to there having been two or more sappers placed in each of them, and a captain and eight lieutenants of engineers command- ing them in divisions. The zeal and science of these officers triumphed over all the difficulties of the navigation." The following are the names of the engineer ofllicers of whom Rear-Admiral Penrose speaks so handsomely : — Cap- tain Slade, Lieutenants Mellhuish, Read, Rivers, Robe, Sa- vage, Tinling, Wallace, and West. For some unaccountable reason or other, the Admiralty did not allow any mention, either of them or their men, to be made in the London Ga- zette. Major Todd was the officer who superintended the formation of the bridge, which altogether covered a space little short of 900 yards. Immediately after the arrival of the flotilla, Rear-Admiral 286 POST-CAPTAINS OF 1810. Penrose received a letter from Sir John Hope, in which that, distinguished General expresses himself aa follows : " I have often seen how gallantly the navy will devote themselves when servinij with an army ; but I never before witnessed so bold and hazardous a co-operation ; and you have my most grateful thanks. " I wrote you in the course of last night, to say how much we stood in need of boats, seamen, &c. hut when I saw the flotilla approacli the wall of heavy surf, I regretted all I had said, for fear it might have urged your zeal beyond what you may have thought right." To this handsome acknowledgment was added the just ap- plause of Lord Wellington, who expressed himself " infi- nitely indebted to Rear-Admiral Penrose for the cordial assistance he received from him in prcpariyig for the plan" (of crossing the Adour), " and for that ivhich he gave to Lieutenant- General Sir John Hope in carrying it into execution." The following is an extract of Lord Keith's reply to the Rear- Admiral's ofi&cial letter, detailing the particulars of tlic above service: — " I have great satisfaction in observirg, tliat the arduous service of entering the Adour was executed under your own immediate direction, on the 24th Feb., when the bar of that river was passed, under circum- stances where zeal, intrepidity, and judgment were never more requisite, nor wore more conspicuously displayed. I most highly approve of the activity with which you appear to have collected the means for under- taking this service, as well as of the ability with which you directed its execution ; and you will be pleased to express to the officers and men who were employed on the service, my best thanks for their zealous exer- tions, and my admiration of their intrepid conduct." It is here proper to add, that the above service was per- formed without pilots, and that no one British subject con- cerned was acquainted with any of the localities ! On the 27th Feb. 1814, Bayonne was closely invested by Sir John Hope, and Marshal Soult completely routed, near Orthes, by the main body of the allies. The enenly in his retreat, left open the direct road to Bourdeaux, and Lord Wellington availed himself of the opportunity to send a detachment, under Sir William Beresford, to take possession of that city. This expedition proved of great consequence to the cause of the Bourbons, whose restoration now first POST-CAPTAIN? OF 1810. 287 began to be talked of, and to be considered as not altogether liopeless. Sir William Beresford arrived at 15ourdeaux on the 12th March, and was received by the principal inhabit- ants with every demonstration of joy. Ten days after this auspicious event, IJ ear- Admiral Pen- rose, then at Passages, received a despatch from the Mar- quis of Wellington, dated March I/, informing him of the advance of the combined forces towards Toulouse, and that it was desirable that his squadron should speedily enter the Gironde. The hopes of being thus called upon had induced the Rear- Adiairal previously to send the Racer schooner off the Cor- (louan light-house, and to Basque Roads, to give the cruisers on the former station notice of his probable arrival there, and, to request assistance from Lord Amelius Beauclerk, which that officer most readily granted. The difficulty of getting out of Passages, except under the most favorable circumstances, is uncommonly great ; and it was not until the 21th March in the forenoon, that Ucar-Admiral Penrose's anxious wish to escape from that port was gratified. The naval force which entered the Gironde under his orders, March 27, consisted of the fol- lowing ships and vessels : Egmont {flag ship) - 74 gun«, (^iptain Joseph Bhi^ham. Andromache - 38 — , - Gcorjfc Tobin. Belle Poule - 38 — , - George Harris. '.'orcupiiie - . qo - John Coode. ^'esuvius - bomb. - William Hext. Challenger - - brig. - Frederick E. V. Vernon. Po(iar{>us > - George Rennie. Martial — , Lieut. E(hv. Collins (acting Comm.) Dwarf - cutter. - Samuel Gordon. To which were shortly afterward ; added the Reynard brig. Captain David Latimer St. Clair ; and the Nimble cutter. Lieutenant Peter Williams. It is worthy of remark, that no line-of-battle ship had ever ventured to enter the Gironde, with all her guns and stores on board, before Rear-Admiral Penrose resolved to make the experiment ; which he did under every disadvan- tage, as there was not a single person in the squadron ac- 288 POST.CAPTAINS OK 1810. 11 In; quainted with the dangerous navigation of the river, and the weather was at first very thick and threatening, though the sky became clear after the ships had got fairly into the stream. Standing on the fore-part of the Egmont's poop, with the chart spread before him, and the master by his side, he conducted the pilotage himself, to the astonishment of a Frenchman who had had charge of the Egmont when she was employed in the blockade of Rochefort, but who was wholly unacqiiainted with the Gironde. The most use- ful aid he received was from the enemy, when they attempted to check his progress ; for as the first shot fired from Point Coubre went over him, it shewed that he was within the Mauvaise bank, and consequently clear of the greatest danger. This information Rear-Admiral Penrose acknowledged by a thankful bow to the battery. The Regulus, a French 74, the Sans Souci corvette, two brigs of Avar, and several other armed vessels, were then ut anchor off lloyan ; but being informed, by telegraph, that the British were superior in force, they weighed and ran higher up the river ; pursued by the Egmont and her con- sorts under a crowd of sail. As all the batteries on the northern shore opened, in succession, a heavy fire of shot and shells, the whole formed a grand and imposing spectacle. Having proceeded as high as the shoal of Talmont, the French squadron entered the narrow channel between it and the main, which had been buoyed in expectation of their retreat thither ; the passage being protected by a very strong fort. It was not until the 29th March that any communication could be opened with the army. On that day, Rear-Admiral Penrose extended his small vessels up the Gironde ; and ordered Captain Hext to throw some shells in the direction of the Regulus, but only by way of practice. On the 30th, the position of the British army having caused the garrison of Castillon to retire, Rear-Admiral Penrose again removed to the Porcupine, and proceeded from Verdun road to an anchorage oil' the abandoned town ; taking with him the Audronmche, Vesuvius, Challenger, Podargus, and »i;rpL. i»An POST-tAPrAINS OF 1810. 289 Dwarf. He there received several deputations from the vil- lages on the left bank of the river, all or which had displayed the white flag, but were still in great dread of Napoleon and the conscription. ,• From Castillon, Captain Rennie was sent with a summons to the commandant of Blaye, who availed himself of the opportunity thus afforded him of displaying a remnant of revolutionary brutality, by firing a shot at the flag of truce, and obliging it to retire. On the 31st, Captain Coode was sent up as far as Pouillac, with the Vesuvius, Challenger, Podargus, Reynard, and Nim- ble, under his orders, to commence the bombardment of the above citadel ; and all the armed boats of the squadron, with 200 marines, were likewise despatched with him to make an attempt upon Patd, a small island, in the middle of the river, about six miles nearer to Bourdeaux, defended by a round tower forty feet high, mounting six long 18-pounders, and supposed to contain about 600 men. On the arrival of this detachment off Pouillac, Captain St. Clair received directions to take the boats and marines under his protection, tow them to the island, and cover their debarkation. Finding it impracticable to effect a landing, owing to the state of the weather, he reluctantly abandoned the attempt ; and was returning towards Pouillac, when a violent storm arose and drove his brig on a sand-bank, within range of Ihe tower, where she was high and dry in less than three hours. Providentially, it was midnight when she took the ground, and the enemy did not discover her until she was again under sail, otherwise nothing could have saved her from destruction. Captain St. Clair's exertions on this alarm- ing occasion were very great, and deserving of much praise. Notwithstanding the failure of the attempt upon Isle Pat^, the seamen and marines of Rear- Admiral Penrose's squadron very soon had an opportunity of performing a brilliant ser- vice, hardly surpassed by any exploit of the same nature that has ever been recorded. Ever since the occupation of Bourdeaux by the allies, Ge- hllPVL. PAIIT II, u 290 POST-CAPTAINS OF 1810. m neral Count Dc Caen, a staunch adherent of Napoleon Buo- naparte, had been making preparations to retake that city, and to punish its inhabitants for their friendly reception of Sir William Beresford. To further the Count's views, two brigs, each mounting six long J8-pounders, a fine schooner, eight gun-boats, and four armed chiasae-mar^es, had an- chored in a line across the mouth of the Dordogne river, which falls into the Gironde about six miles above Blaye, and four leagues below Bourdeaux. At day -light on the 2d April, this flotilla was discovered near Blaye, apparently pushing for Talmont. Very few mi- nutes elapsed before the British boats were in pursuit ; and on their approach, the whole of the enemy's vessels ran ashore near the citadel, from whence 200 French soldiers marched out to protect them, although their crews, were greatly superior in number to the attacking party. A smart fire was also kept up from the citadel ; but nothing could check the ardour of our countrymen, who dashed on, landed, charged the enemy, drove them into the woods with great loss, and kept possession of the beach until the tide allowed the greater part of the vessels to be brought off. They con- sisted of one brig, the schooner, six gun-boats, and three chasse-mardes, together with an imperial state barge, row- ing 26 oars^. The other brig, gun-boats, and chasse-maree were set on fire and destroyed. In the performance of this exploit, the British had not a man sljun, and only sixteen persons wounded : — two men, officially reported as missing, were afterwards recovered by Rear- Admiral Penrose, who highly commended the gallantry and excellent conduct of Lieutenant Robert Graham Dunlop, senior officer of the detachment; of whom it is said, that when the party landed, he caught a horse, twisted some rope-yams together for a bridle, and mounted ; observuig to those near him, that unless he could keep a-head of his Aiie fellows, he did not know where they would stop ! The ex- emplary behaviour of Lieutenant Patrick Robertson, R. M., * This trophy was wnt as a present to H. R. H. the Prince Regent. POST-CAPTAINS OF 1810. 291 'rince Regent. and the other officers who served under Mr. Duiilop's orders, was also highly eulogised. After the capture and destruction of the Dordogne flotilla, Rear-Admiral Penrose despatched the hoats and marines to Verdun road, where they were placed under the command of Captain Harris, in order to land and storm fort Talmont, while the Egmont took advantage of high water to run over the shoal, and alongside the Regulus. At mid-night, April 6th, just as that well-appointed British ship was in the act of hoisting her jib, for the purpose of casting towards them, the French 74, corvette, and brigs were discovered to be in flames, making a most magnificent bonfire, which continued to burn until sun-rise the following morning. It appears, from this proceeding on the part of the enemy, that they were aware of the meditated attack, although Rear- Admiral.Penrose and Captain Bingham had used every means to keep them in ignorance thereof. We should here observe, that the Centaur ^Ay Captain John Chambers White, had anchored below Verdun road on the evening of the 6th April, and that she CQrdially co-operated by sending her boats and marines to join the detachment under Captain Harris ; but the assistance of that ship, in the intended attack upon the Regulus, was never considered necessary, and con- sequently WAS not called for. The statement in the London Gazette, dated at the Admiralty, April 19th, 1814, is calcu- lated to mislead the reader. The enemy having thus voluntarily, altered the nature of the service in the Gironde, Captain Harris and his party were Hent to the mouth of the river, where they effected a landing ; and after destroying the battery at Point Coubre, commenced a march of fifty miles along the right bank, in the course of which 4 other batteries, VJ mortars, and 47 pieces of cannon were rendered inefTeclive. On his re- turn from this expedition. Captain Harris was directed to superintend the operations against Blaye, for the regular eiege of which strong fortress preparations were then making by Lord Dalhousie, in concert with Rear-Admiral Penrose, hy whom the Belle Poule was ordered to proceed up the u2 w 292 POST-CAPTAINS OF 1810. :;^, Islands, a noted rendezvous for the enemies' privateers. The Amphitrite also formed part of the squadron under Rear- Ad- miral Duckworth at the occupation of the Danish and Swed- ish islands, in 1801 *, The precarious state of Captain Ekins's health, at this pe- riod, rendering a change of climate requisite, that excellent officer was sent with the naval despatches to England ; and on his quitting the Amphitrite he recommended Lieutenant Burton in such high terms, as to induce Rear- Admiral Duck- worth to give him the temporary command of her. Lieutenant Burton's next appointment was to the South- ampton 32, of which frigate he likewise became for a short time acting commander, owing to the death of Captain John Miller Gamier. While in that ship he received the thanks of the Rear- Admiral for his active exertions and judicious conduct, by which she was saved from destruction, during a most violent gale at St. Martin's. In Nov. 1801 , Lieutenant Burton was removed to the Levia- than 74> and in her accompanied Sir John T. Duckworth to Jamaica, where he was promoted by that officer to the com- mand of the Woolwich storeship, in Dec. 1802. * Being paid off on his return home, in the spring of 1803, Captain Burton remained unemployed from that time until May 1804, when he received a commission for the Romulus frigate, armed enjlute, then stationed as a block-ship on the coast of Essex, and afterwards sent with troops to the river Elbe. We subsequently find him commanding the Wildboar a 10-gun brig, employed on the Lisbon station ; where he captured a French schooner, carrying some staff officers from Ferrol to Bayonne. ' " * In Feb. 1810, being then on his return to the Tagus, after landing a military officer with despatches at Falmouth, Cap- tain Burton had the misfortune to be wrecked on the Rundle- stone rock, between Scilly and the Lands'-end ; by which dis- aster 12 men perished. On the 23d of the following month, • See id. p. 765, and note f at p. 798 et seq. N. B. The Aiophitrite was commanded for a short time by Lieutenant Charles Marshall Gregory, ** an officer of great merit and activity." T&- POST-CAPTAINS OF 1810. 29/ his conduct underwent the usual investigation ; and the court- martial having declared that no hlame was imputable to him, he was immediately afterwards ordered to commission the Primrose, a new brig of 18 guns : the whole of his officers and crew were likewise fully acquitted, except the Master, who was sentenced to be broke, and placed at the disposal of the Port-Admiral. In the Primrose, Captain Burton was employed on the coasts of Norway and Jutland, until his promotion to post rank Oct. 21, 1810. At the close of 1811, he received directions to fit out his old ship the Prince of Wales, intended for the flag of Admiral William Young, with whom he proceeded off the Scheldt, and continued till May, 1812. In the autumn of 1814, Captain Burton took charge of the ^ Nelson a first rate, just launched at Woolwich, and conducted her under jury-masts to Portsmouth, where he found a com- mission, dated Aug. 25, appointing him to the command of the Aquilon frigate ; and from whence he immediately sailed for Gibraltar, with General Don and suite, passengers, and a fleet of merchantmen under his protection. During the remainder of the war with America, Captain Burton was employed cruising along the coast of Portugal ; and on the renewal of hostilities against France, in 1815, we find him serving under Lord Exmouth, on the Mediterranean station, where he continued until the commencement of 1816, when urgent private affairs obliged him to resign his com- mand, and return across the continent to England. Captain Burton married, Sept. 1814, Catharine Jones Crutchley, grand-daughter of the late Evan Jones, Esq. His eldest brother, Lieutenant John Burton, R. M. was drowned at the Nore, about 1795 : — his younger brothers are, George Guy Burton, a Commander of 1814 ; and William Moulden Burton, Captain R. M. One of his sisters is married to Cap- tain Samuel Warren, C. B. j another is the lady of Lieutenant- Colonel Long, R. M. H 298 POST-CAPTAINS OF 1810. i'i^ *k. III ■ %. 5 JEREMIAH COGHLAN, Esq. ^ Companion of the Most Honorahle Military Order of the Bath. It is a generally received, though certainly erroneous opi- nion, that this intrepid officer was impressed into the naval service of his country : the following short staJtement will serve to prove that such was not the case : At p. 214, et seq. of our first volume, Part I, we have no- ticed the destruction of the Dutton, a ship belonging to the Hon. East India Company, in Jan. 1796. During the height of the storm, and before boats of any description could venture out to her assistance, Mr. Coghlan, then scarcely sixteen years of age, plunged into the sea with a rope tied round his body, and succeeded in catching hold of two men, whom he conducted safely to the shore. After saving several lives in a similar manjier, and at the imminent risk of being himself beaten to pieces against the rocks, Mr. Coghlan's strength failed him,— but not so his apirit. Perceiving that the wind had in some measure de- creased, he then hastened to the Barbican at Plymouth, ob- tjdned a boat, with several volunteers, and iustantly pro- ceeded to the wreck, from whence many persons were taken, and conveyed to di£ferent pilot vessels which, had begun to approach the citadel. It is supposed that, by Mr. Coghlan's exertions, on this occasion, not less than 5Q men were rescued from a watery grave, before a single boat from any of the men-of-war dared venture to his as8i8tanGe,-f^fio terrible was the state of the weather, -f^* ! '• u • n.i/^a :;^(>;) Mr. Coghlan's heroic behaviour was fortunately witnessed by Sir Edward Pellew, now Viscount Exmouth, who soon afterwards offered him his patronage if he would consent to enter the navy. An equally flattering offer was likewise made to him on the part of the Hon. Court of Directors ; and the Transport-Board marked their sense of his noble con- duct by sending him a present of 20 guineas, at the same time directing their agent to distribute thirty more between his daring companions. POST-CAPTAlIfS CfV 1810. 299 At this period, Mr. Coghlan had spent three years on board a merchant vessel, for the purpose of acquiring a practical knowledge of seamanship. Possessing a laudable ambition, and preferring the chance of obtaining fame to the ignoble pursuit of wealth, he readily accepted Sir Edward Pellew'a invitation, and was received by that distinguished officer, as a midshipmanf on board the Indefatigable. The im- portant services performed by that ship have been stated at pp. 216-219 of Vol. 1, Part I. In the spring of 1799, Mr. Coghlan removed with Sir Edward Pellew to the Impetueux 78 ; and during the expedition to Quiberon bay, he was ap- pointed by him to command the Viper cutter, as a reward for his gallantry on numerous occasions of boat service. This appointment was most readily sanctioned by the com- mander-in-chief of the Channel fleet. Earl St. Vincent, whoj in a letter to the Admiralty, particularly requested that he might not be superseded. We should here state, that whilst Mr. Coghlan belonged to the above ships he saved the lives of several of their crews who had accidentally fallen over- board. A most brilliant exploit subsequently performed by him, cannot be better described than in the words of his first professional patron : " My Lord,— I have true pleasure In statinsf to your lordship the g )od GOfHiact of Lieutenant Jeremiah Coghlan, t» whom, for fomer gallant behaviour, you had given an acting commission to command the Viper cutter. This gallant young man, while watching Port Louis, thought he could succeed in bouding some of the cutters or gun-Tesaels which have been moving about the entrance «f that harbour j and for this purpose be entreated a ten-oared cutter from me, with 12 volunteers. On Tuesday night, Che 29th ultimo*, he took this boat, with Mr. Silas H. Paddon, midshipman, and six of his own men, making with himself 20; and ac- companied by Ids own boat, and one from the Amethyst, he determined on boarding a gun>brig, moanting three long 24-pounders and four 6-pound- ers, fiiH of men, moored with springs on her cables, in a naval port of difficult access, within pistoUshot of three batteries^ surrounded by several armed craft, and not a mile from a 74 (bearing an Admiral's flag) and two frigates. " Undismayed by such formidable appearances, the early discovery of his approach (for they were at quarters), and the lost aid of the other two \ July, 1800. 300 POST-CAPTAINS OF 1810. ••»'• boats, he bravely determined to attask alone, and boarded her on the quarter; but unhappily, in the dark, jumping into a trawl net, hwng up to dry, he was pierced through the thigh by a pike, several of his men hurt, and all knocked back into the boat. Unchecked in ardour, tlicy hauled the boat farther a-head, and again boarded, and maintained, against 87 men, 16 of whom were soldiers, an ol)stinate conflict, killing 6 and wounding 20, among whom were every officer belonging to her. His own loss, one killed and eight wounded ; himself in two places, Mr. Paddoii in tax. I feel particularly happy in the expected safety of all the wounded ; he speaks in the highest terms of Mr. Paddon and the whole of his party, many of whom were knocked overboard, and twice beat back into the buat, but returned to the charge with unabated courage. I trust 1 shall stand excused by your lordship for so minute a description, produced by my admiration of that courage which, hand to hand, gave victory to our brave fellows, over four times their number ; and of that skill which formed, conducted, and effected so daring an enterprise. " La Cerb^re, commanded by a Lieutenant de vaisseau, and towed cut under a very heavy fire, is given up, as a prize, by the squadron, to mark their admiration, and will not, I know, be the only reward of such bra- very ; they will receive that protection your lordship so liberally accords to all the young men in the service who happily distinguish themselves under your command. I enclose Lieutenant Coghlan's letter, and have the honor to be, &c. (Signed) ** Edward PEiiLEW." When transmitting the above letter to the Admiralty, Earl St. Vincent expressed himself as follows : — *' I did not think the enterprise of Sir Edward Hamilton, or of Captain Campbell, could have been rivalled*, until I read the enclosed letter from Sir Edward Pellew, relating the desperate service performed by acting Lieutenant Coghlan, of the Viper cutter, on the 29th July, which has filled me with pride and admiration ; and, although the circumstance of his not having completed his time in his Majesty's navy operates at pre- sent against his receiving the reward he is most ambitious of obtaining, I am persuaded the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty ^vill do all in their power to console him under his severe wounds, and grant him pro- motion the moment he is in capacity to receive it." On the same day, Aug. 4, 1800, his Lordship addressed the following public and private letters to Sir Edward Pellew: *• Su-,— No language I possess can convey the high sense I entertain of the service performed by acting Lieutenant Coghlan, Mr. Paddon, and the other brave fellows under his command. I request you will return • See Vol. I, Part II, pp. 824-827, and Vol. II, Part I, p. 290, «t seq. IKMT-CAPTAINS OP 1810. 301 them my thanks in the moat public manner, and assure them, collective y and individually, that I shall be proud to take them by the hand, ut any time, and in any place, and to tender them any service in the power of. Sir, your most obedient humble servant, (Signed) •* St. Vincent." (Private.) " Dear Sir,— I am quite transported with the noble exploit performed by your friend Coghlan. I have taken the liberty to enclose your private letter to Lord Spencer, and I desire you will acquaint Mr. Coghlan, that I have directed Mr. Makepeace, an eminent goldsmith, in Searle Street, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, to prepare a sword of 100 guineas value, which I will beg of you to present to this gallant seaman, in the most appropriate manner. Your's most truly, (Signed) ♦♦ 8t. Vincent." On his arrival in port, Mr. Coghlan received, what his aspiring mind valued ahove all other gifts, a commission, promoting him to the rank of Lieutenant, and confirming him in the command of the Viper, although he had then served only four years and a half in the navy. On the 9th Nov. foUovring, we find him addressing a note to H. R. H. the Duke of Kent, a copy of which we shall now lay before our readers : — " Lieutenant J. Coghlan, commander of H. M. cutter Viper, in the most respectful and humble terms, entreats the liberty of approaching your Royal Highness, on having fortunately recaptured the Diamond transport, on board of which were your Royal Highness's baggage and horses, from Halifax ; and that he may mark the high respect he feels for your Royal Highness's person, he has, on his return from sea yester- day, given directions to his agent at Falmouth to deliver the baggage and hones, free of salvage, to whoever may be sent to take charge of. them ; and he most earnestly implores your Royal Highness's permission to lay this humble tribute of respect at your feet, as the only means he can ever flatter himself with having, to evince his lively gratitude and high venera- tion for the very singular and generous instance of his most gracious Sovereign's goodness towards him, by granting him the honor and per- mission, by his gracious order in council, to bear the rank of a lieutenant in his navy, before he had completed his regular time of servitude." To this offer. Lieutenant Coghlan received the following answer : " Kensington Palace, 12th Nov. 1800. *' Sir,— I am commanded by H. R. H. the Duke of Kent, to acknow- ledge your letter of the 9th instant. The very handsome terms in which 302 POST'GA^TAINS OF 1810. iV "1 n i •i i you have expressed yourself oa the fortunate re-capture of the Diamond transport, by the Viper cutter, under your command, is most warmly acknowledged by his Royal Highness, who, unwilling to deprive the sea- men of the reward so justly due to their vigilance and activity, and there- fore feeling it incumbent upon him to decline any offer to your and their disadvantage, is as forcibly impressed with a high sense of the obligation conferred, as if your generosity had been accepted. His Royal Highness has much pleasure in assuring you, that your name has not been unknown to him, having himself been present at the council, when your meritorious conduct received such an honorable mark of approbation from his Majesty, before whom, it is the intention of H. R. H. to submit this fresh proof of your activity in his service, and attachment to his family and person. I have the honor to be, &c. (Signed) James Willoughby Gohdon, Aid-de-Camp and Secretary." On the Ist April, 1801, Lieutenant Coghlan captured le Heros French brig privateer, of 14 guns and 73 men. The following is an extract of a letter from Sir Edward Pellew to the Hon. Admiral Cornwallis, dated off Rochefort, Aug. 8, 1801:— " The Viper is just returned from driving into Bourdeaux the ship cor- vette Tapageur of 16 guns, after some firing, and would have taken her, had she not, in a dastardly manner, run into port.'' Another dashing action on the part of Lieutenant Coghlan is thus described by Sir Edward, in a letter to the com- mander-in-chief, dated, Sept. 10, 1801 :— "Having sent Lieutenant Coghlan, by signal, in the Viper, to intercept a convoy passing from Pertuis Breton to Sable d'Ollone, I cannot, in justice to him, omit making a report of his gallant conduct, although his endea^ vourswcre not crowned with the success they merited. "On his approach to Sable d'Ollone he had cut off a loaded sloop and drove a brig on shore ; but on his boat going to take possession, a large gun-brig, two schooners of 12 guns each, and two luggers of 10, started from Sable d'Ollone, to cut off his boat : upon which he recalled her, and stood direct towards the en^my, making the gun-brig his particular object. After bearing their fire for some time, they all put their heads in shore : the gun.bng lay to, upon which he closed, within pistol-shot, and in ten minutes she was glad to bear up, and run aground in the surf; after which he drove the other four vessels before him into port again. The wind blowing strong off sitore, and thc| tide flowing, the brig, mount- ing 15 guns, and having on board 100 men, was again got off. The Viper received some 2-«-pounder shot in her hull, had one man killed, and one wounded." 'JTlie Viper was put oat of commission^ at Plymouth^ Oct. POST-CAPTAINS OF 1810. 303 28, 1801 ; and Lieutenant Coghlan remained unemployed till the spring of 1802, when he was appointed to the Nimble cutter, and ordered to cruise for the suppression of smug- gling. In the course of the same year he received a hig-hly gratifying communication from his native city, of which the subjoined is a transcript : — " Cork, June, 1802. " Sir, — A club of gentlemen associated in this town, under the title of the Scotch Corporation, did themselves the honor, on the 4th of last June, of unanimous!}' electing you an honorary Member of their Society ; and have accompanied that mar!^ of their esteem with a piece of plate, inscribed with your name : they would feel highly gratified in being enabled to present this for your acceptance at Cork ; but should your professional duties, which you have hitherto performed so much to your own and your Coun- try's honor, deprive them of an cfarly opportunity of fulfilling that wish, I am desired to inform you, that it shall be transmitted to any place of your appointment, where it may be most likely sooner to meet that hand, whose gallant exertions have excited so much admiration. I have the honor to be, with respectful sincerity, &c. (Signed) " B. Coghlan, Secretary.'* In addition to the above civic reward " a Court of Doyer hundred, held for the city and county of Cork, Aug. 4, 1802," unanimously agreed to admit Lieutenant Coghlan " a free- man at large; for his gallant service, performed on the night of July 29, 1800." His promotion to the rank of Commander took place. May 1, 1804 j on which occasion he was appoint- ed to le Renard, a flush-deck ship-sloop, then at Jamaica, mounting 16-eighteen-pounder carronades and 2 long sixes, with a complement of 121 officers, men, and boys. On the 20th Mar. 1805, being then in lat. 21°-14'N. and long. 71*'-30' VV., Captain Coghlan discovered and made sail after a ship to leeward, which he soon perceived was an enemy's cruiser preparing to receive him. At 2-20 P. M. she open- ed her fire upon le Renard, but not a gun wae returned by the latter until within pistol-shot, at which distui?cc Captain Coghlan placed her on the stranger's weather bow, when a fire commenced that reflects infinite praise on the officers who directed it ; for at the end of 35 minutes the enemy was seen to be in flames, and in 10 minute;:) afterwards she blew up with a dreadful explosion. %' 4 304 POST-CAPTAINS OF 18l0. " Every possible exertion was now made," says Captain Goghlan, " to get out the only boat that could swim to the relief of the few brave but un- fortunate survivors, who had just before bo gallantly defended theraselvea, and were now seen all around, on the scattered remnants of ths wreck, in a tnangrled and truly distressing state ; and it is with pleasure I add, that of the few who escaped the flames, 55 in number, not a man was drowned. " The ship proved to be le General Erneuf privateer, late his Majesty's sloop Lily, commanded by Mons. Paul Gerard Pointe, seven days from Basse-terre, Guadaloupe, carrying 18 twelve-pounder carronades and 2 long guns, with a complement of 160 men, 31 of whom were soldiers, going to cruise for the homeward-bound Jamaica fleet *. " The enemy's loss was great before the melancholy scene that put an end to the action, she having between 20 and 30 men killed and wounded ; the second Captain and one Lieutenant are the only surviving officers : mine is inconsiderable, 9 men only being wounded, some slightly, I hope none dangerously. Our sails, running and standing rigging, have suffered much, the enemy's fire being principally directed against them ; this ship cruised with great success against the trade of his Majesty's subjects, hav- ing made six valuable captures during her former cruise." At the commencement of the above action, Mons. Pointe hailed le Renard L.nd ordered her to " strike ;" upon hearing which Captain Coghlan took his trumpet, and coolly replied, ** Aye ! I'll strike, and d d hard too, my lad, directly." As a reward for amply fulfilling this promise, the following communication was made to him as soon as he returned to Jamaica : " Sir, — Enclosed I have the honor to transmit you a copy of the resolu- tions of a numerous meeting of this city and parish, held here this day, at the court-house. " In performing this duty, in conveying you the sentiments of the inhab- itants at large, permit me to add the pleasure it gives me in fulfilling their wishes. I have the honor to be. Sir, &c. (Signed) " John Jacques, Mayor of Kingston, May 6, 1805." (Enclosure.) " Resolved, that this Meeting, duly impressed with the essential services rendered to the commercial interest of this island by the exertions of the commander of H. M sloop Renard, his officers and men, during their late cruise, whereby it appears that they have destroyed a vessel of great force, belonging to the enemy, fitted out at Guadaloupe, expressly for the pur- pose of annoying our homeward bound trade ; and in order to shew our grateful sense of the same : * The Lily had been taken by a vessel of superior force, on the Halifax station, July 16, 1804 : she tUco mounted only 16 guns. POST-CAPTAINS OF 1810. 305 " ftesolred unanimously, that the thanks of this meeting be given to Jeremiah Coghlan, Esq. commander of H. M. sloop Renard, his officers and men, for their activity iu bringing to action and destroying the priva- teer ship of war General Ernouf, mounting 20 guns, with a crew of 160 men, 30 of whom were soldiers of the line, commanded by a Lieutenant of the garrison at Guadaloupe. " Resolved, that the Mayor be requested to communicate the foregoing to Captain Coghlan, in behalf of the Meeting. (Signed) " John Jaques, Mayor." On the 1 1th Oct. following, Captain Coghlan captured la Bellone privateer, of 4 guns and 50 men ; and on the 28th May, 1806, la Diligente, a national brig, hauled down her colours to le Renard, without attempting the least resistance, although mounting 14 long 6-pounders and 2 brass 36-pounder carronades, with a complement of 125 men. When taken on board le Renard, the French commander, Mons. Vincent Thevenard, was struck with the smallness of that vessel, and, with much sang froid, he requested permission to return to his late brig, that he might try his skill in fight, which of course, Captain Coghlan laughed at. He then, with equal gravity, solicited a certificate, stating, that he had not acted cowardly : — Captain Coghlan replied — " No, I cannot do that J but I will give you one, that shall specify you have acted prudently '" Captain Coghlan's next appointment was, about Aug. 1807, to the Elk brig, of 18 guns, in which he captured the Spanish letter of marque Posta de Caraccas, Oct. 19, 1807 j and the French privateer Harlequin, Feb. 12, 1808; both of these were fine schooners, the former having on board 24,000 dol- lars in specie, and a cargo of leather and bass rope, from Cam- peachy, bound to the Havannah. During the whole time that Captain Coghlan commanded the Elk, a period of nearly four years, he was employed as senior ofticer of a light squadron stationed at the Bahamas for their protection, a service which he conducted with his usual activity and success. While thus engaged, he received two more testimonials of public approbation : — " Government House, Nassau, New Providence, 26th Oct. 1808. " Sir, — I have the honor to inform you, that I have it in uontem()latiuu SUPPL, PART II. X 306 POST-CAPTAlIfS OP 1810. 'V -'♦i ll to avail myself of !ua Majesty's permission to return to England, in a few days } and I cannot quit this colony without expressing to you my thanks for the zeal and activity which you have manifested for the protection and welfare of these islands, since you have been on this station : allow me to add my personal acknowledgments for your invariable kindness and atten- tion to myself, and to assure you, that I have the honor to be. Sir, &c. (Signed) " Charles Cameron, Governor." *' To Jeremiah Coghlan, Esq. 8fc. fyc. Sfc'* " Government House, Nassau, ^th May, 1811. " Sir, — Your late promotion having rendered the probability of your return to these islands very remote, permit me to say, that, in your de- parture, the public, as well as individuals, will sustain a very serious loss, because, during the whole period of your command within these islands, you have not only attended more particularly to their defence and the protection of their trade, but have at all times readily accommodated yourself to the wishes of individuals, as far as a due regard to your duty would permit. I have the honor to be. Sir, &c. (Signed) " W. V. Munnings, President." " To Jeremiah Coghlan, Es'i. Commander of H . M.slo(^ Lik.^* Captain Coghlan's post commission was signed at the Ad- miralty, Nov. 27j 1810 ; but it will be seen, by the date of the President's letter, that he remained in the Elk for more than five months after his promotion. We next find him commanding the Caledonia of 120 guns, bearing the flag of Sir Edward Pellew, on the Mediterranean station. His ap- pointment to that ship took place, Sept. 30, 1812. In Aug. 1813, Captain Coghlan volunteered to lead a de- tachment of marines to the attack of five heavy batteries, defending the bay and town of Cassis, a place situated be- tween Toulon and Marseilles. The heroic manner in which he conducted himself on that occasion, and the successful result of the enterprise, have been stated at pp. 353 — 355 of Suppl. Part I. Although a scarcity of seamen prevented the Toulon fleet, as a body, from making any serious attempt to put to sea during the year 1813, large divisions of it frequently came out to manoeuvre, but only when the wind was favorable for returning into port. At the latter end of October, Sir Edward Pellew was blown off his station by a succession of hard gales, which lasted POST-CAPTAINS OF 1810. 307 eight days ; and it was not till the evening of Nov. 4, that the inshore squadron, under Captain (now Sir Henry) Heath- cote, arrived off Cape Sicie. On the 5th, at 10 A. M., the French commander-in-chief, Count Emeriau, was seen getting under weigh, with fourteen ships of the line, and seven frigates ; the wind then blowing strong from E. N. E. and the main body of the British fleet just hove in sight, standing under close-reefed top-sails, to reconnoitre the blockaded port. At 11-80, just as the enemy's advanced squadron, of five sail of the line and four frigates, under a Rear- Admiral, had got outside of Cape Sepet, the wind suddenly shifted to N. W., which unexpected occurrence permitted Sir Edward Pel- lew to hope that the ships under Captain Heathcote would be able to bring them to action. At 34 minutes past noon, that officer succeeded in getting near enough to open his fire upon the French rear, and he continued to engage them, on opposite tacks, for about half an hour ; his ship, the Scipion 74, being well supported by the Mulgrave, Pembroke, Armada, and Pompde. At one o'clock, the Caledonia stood in shore, athwart hawse of the Scipion, and immediately opened her power- ful broadside upon the Wagram of 130 guns, bearing the French Rear- Admiral's flag : the Boyne and San Josef like- wise got into action with that immeu.se ship ; but unfortu- nately neither of these three-deckers could fetch her, owing to the wind heading them as they approached Point St. Mar- guerite. Having reached the wake of the Wagram, the Caledonia wore, and hove to on the starboard tack, continuing her fire until the enemy got completely out of gun-shot. In his official report of this skirmish. Sir Edward Pellew says : " Had the body of the fleet been more advanced when the change of wind took place (at 1 1-30 A. M.)* I am confident we should not only have brought the enemy to close action, but every ship we had weathered would have been our reward, although they had not been above a league east- ward of the port, and always under cover of their batteries. " The casualties are too trifling to mention, were it not for the woundi of two fine young officers, Lieutenant Clarke, R. M. and Mr. Cuppage, x2 I I 308 POST-CAPTAINS OP 1810. Pi signal-midshipman of the San Josef, who each lost a leg by one unlucky shot." The other casualties on board the ships engaged in the above affair, and the damages they sCistained, were but trifling: — Caledonia. — three men slightly wounded } one shot through her main- mast, and 3 or 4 in her hull ; a shroud and some backstays cut, and her launch and barge destroyed. San Josef, bearing the flag of Sir Rich- ard King,— 2 men slightly wounded. Bot/ne, Captain George Burlton,— 1 man slightly wounded. Pomp^e, Captain Sir James Athol Wood,— 2 men slightly burnt by accident. Scipion,^\ man killed by accident, and another slightly wounded. Armada, Captain Charles Grant,— escaped wiihout any loss, but her launch damaged by a shot which passed through that boat and lodged in the booms. Mulgrave, Captain Thomas James Ma- ling, — no loss or damage. Pembroke, Captain James Brisbane,— 3 men slightly wounded ; part of her wheel carried away by the first French shot that took effect. Of the loss and damage sustained by the enemy we can- not speak with any degree of certainty. No chance of a general action now remaining, as the strengh of the Toulon fleet continued to be lessened by send- ing off draughts of men to Napoleon's armies. Captain Coghlan exchanged into the Alcmene frigate, and soon after captured la Fleche French national schooner, of 12 guns and 99 men, proceeding from Toulon to Corsica with 24 soldiers. On the 11th April, 1814, he assisted at the capture and destruction of an enemy's convoy which had run ashore under the bat- teries of Port Maurice, in the Gulf of Genoa, a service already described in our memoir of Sir James Brisbane *, an extract of whose official letter, acknowledging the assistance he re- ceived from his brother captains, will be found at p. 118 of Suppl. Part I. A day or two after the performance of this service, the Alcmene and her consorts, under Captain Brisbane, met Sir £dward Pellew, and proceeded with the fleet to Genoa, oft' which place this formidable reinforcement arrived just aflter the enemy had been driven from the whole of the sea-line without tb*» walls by the Anglo -Sicilian flotilla, and the guns of all the batteries turned upon those within by the seainen • SeeVok 11. Part I. p. 409. POST-CAPTAINS OP 1810. 309 and marines of Sir Josias Rowley's squadron. Tlie pro- gress tlius made by the small naval force under that excel- lent officer rendering the co he ap- pears to have been charged with the landing of the troops under Sir Arthur Wellesley (now Duke of Wellington) in Wibeck bay, preparatory to the investment of the Danish capital. ' Early in 1808, Captain Mainwaring was appointed pro tempore, to the Vanguard 74, which ship was the first of her class that ever wintered in the Baltic. He retained the com- mand of her until June following, and then rejoined the Tar- tarus. V - -f c .... • See Vol. II. Pait I. p. 149. 'W- POST-C\l'TAlNS OF 1811. 311 In 1810^ we find that sloop sinking two French privateers, off Pillau 'f after which Captain Mainwaring conveyed Gus- tavus, the ex-King of Sweden, from Riga to England, under circumstances particularly difficult and singular ; for which service he was promoted to post-rank, Nov. 27, in the same year. During the last two years of the war, he commanded the Royal George a first rate, on the Mediterranean station. WILLIAM HENRY BYAM, Esq. This officer is the only son of Lieutenant Edward Byam, R. N. who served under Rodney on the glorious 12th April, 1782, and shortly afterwards perished in la Ville de Paris, the largest ship that had then ever been taken from the ene- my. His mother was the daughter of William Gunthorpe, of the island of Antigua, Esq. The Byams are descended from an ancient Somersetshire family, whose estates were confiscated by Cromwell, in consequence of their attachment to Charles I. Their paternal ancestor was one of four bro- thers who took up arms in support of the royal cause ; three of whom fell at the decisive and well-disputed battle of Nase* by (1645). After the restoration of Charles II. the surviving brother was appointed Governor of Surinam ; and subse- quently Captain-General of all the Caribbee Islands. Captain Byam's great>grandfather, the Hon. Edward Byam, Governor of Antigua, married Lydia, widow of Samuel Martin, of Green Castle, in the same island, Esq. and only daughter of Colonel John Thomas, of whom mention is made in our me- moir of Vice- Admiral Sir Thomas Byam Martin. Mr. William Henry Byam, was born in London, Feb. 17j 1776 ; and he entered the naval academy at Portsmouth, about Sept. 1789, under the patronage of the late Sir Henry Martin, Bart, a descendant of the above mentioned Colonel John Thomas, and at that time Commissioner of Portsmouth dock-yard*. * Sec Vol. I. Part II, note •at p. 491. 'W 312 POST-CAPTAINS OP 1811. m On the Cth Nov. 1792, Mr. Byam was discharged into the Europa 50, bearing the broad pendant of Commodore Ford, under whom he served at the capture of Jeremie, Cape Nichola Mole, and Port-au-Prince, in the island of St. Do- mingo, Sept. 1793, and June 1794*. His promotion to the rank of Lieutenant took place Nov. 6, 1795 ; on which occa- sion he was appointed to the Irresistible 74, Captain (now Sir George) Martin, then about to sail for the Leeward Islands, in company with a large naval and military force, under the orders of Rear- Admiral Christian and Sir Ralph Abercromby, the failure of whose attempt to get clear of the British channel has been noticed at p. 296 of Suppl. Part I. In Jan. 1796, Lieutenant Byam removed to the Vengeance 74, Captain Thomas Macnamara Russell ; by whom he was entrusted with the command of a detachment of seamen landed to co-operate with the army at the siege of St. Lucia f : he likewise assisted at the capture of Trinidad j and again commanded a party of seamen on shore at the unsuccessful attack of Porto Rico, in 1797 J. Lieutenant Byam*s next appointment was, Oct. 1799, to be first of the Hornet sloop, Captain John Nash ; in which vessel he was very actively employed on the Leeward Islands' sto«tion during the remainder of the war. From Aug. 1803, until Jan. 1804, he appears to have served as senior Lieu- tenant of I'Africaine frigate, commanded by Captain (now Rear- Admiral) Manby§. At the commencement of the latter month. Lieutenant Byam joined the Courageux 74, bearing the flag of Rear- Admiral Dacres, and then on the point of sailing with a large fleet of merchantmen bound to the West Indies. Four days after her departure from St. Helen's, the wind, which had hitherto been fair, shifted to the S. W. and between the 15th and 28th Jan. it blew one of the most tremendous gales ever experienced, dispersing the convoy, and reducing the * See Vol. I, Part II, p. 605, and note f at p. 805 et seq. t See Vol. I. Part I. note f at p. 134. X See id. note at p. \\2 et seq. § See Vol. II. Part I. p. 208, PO'^-CAPTAINS OF 1811. 313 flag-ship to a n tc -vrecl' hereby compelling ^ " t jear up for Plymouth, where sht arrived with the ren. ^^ of her scattered charge, on the Idt of Ft 'mry. The Courageux requiring to ,c docV ^«, Rear-Admiral Dacres then hoisted his flag lu le Frau aise frigate, and prosecuted his voyage in that ship, accompanied by the sub- ject of this memoir, whom we shortly afterwards find com- manding the Osprey sloop, on the Leeward Islands' station : his commission as a Commander bears date Sept. 4, 1804. Captain Byam's next appointments were, Dec. 1, 1804, to the Busy, of 18 guns ; and Oct. 1805, to the Bermuda, a brig of similar force : the latter vessel was wrecked on the Memory Rock, Little Bermuda, April 22, 1808. He subsequently commanded the Opossum, of 10 guns, at Surinam, Halifax, Jamaica, and the Caribbee islands: his post commission bears date Jan. 24, 1811. In the course of that year the Thetis frigate, then under his command, had 7 midshipmen, the clerk, and 73 of her crew carried off by the yellow fever. Although Captain Byam never had the good fortune to meet with an hostile vessel of equal force to his own, we are informed that he always cruised with considerable success against the enemy's privateers and merchantmen. The last service he performed, was that of escorting home a very valu- able Jamaica fleet, at the commencement of the late war between Great Britain and America, for which he received the personal thanks of Lord Melville, who happened to be at Chatham when the Thetis arrived there. We should here remark, that very great anxiety had been felt for the safety of this convoy, as it was known that our newly declared enemy had sent out a strong squadron, under Commodore Rodgers, purposely to intercept it *. Captain Byam married, Oct. 11, 1S13, his first cousin^ Alicia, daughter of the late Hon. Anthony Wyke, one of the Members of H. M. Council for Montserrat, and Judge of the Vice-Admiralty Court of that island. Agent, — John Chippendale, Esq. I, See Vol. II. Part II. p. 626. 314 POST-CAPTAINS OF 1811. )m ROBERT CLEPHANE, Esq. Brother to the late Major-General David Clephane, M. P. for the shire of Kinross, N. B. This officer received his first commission early in 1793 ; and was wounded when serving as senior Lieutenant of the Courageux 74, at the capture of four French 'ine-of-battle ships, by the squadron under Sir Richard J. Strachan, Nov. 4, 1805 * : his promotion to the rank of Commander took place Dec. 24 in the same year. Captain Clephane's subsequent appointments were, about Mar. 1807, to the Charles hired armed vessel ; Oct. follow- ing, to the Nautilus a new brig of the largest class ; and, April, 1808, to the Acorn, an 18-gun ship-sloop, in which he remained until posted, Feb. 14, 1811. The Charles was principally employed in the Baltic, and the Acorn, on the Mediterranean station f. The subject of this brief sketch died at Inveresk, N. B. in 1827. JOSEPH PACKWOOD, Esq. This officer is a native of Bermuda. He first entered the navy as a midshipman on board the Virginia frigate, under the auspices of her captain, the late Sir John Orde ; and shortly afterwards witnessed the capture and destruction of iui American fleet in the Penobscot river %» During the siege of Cbarlestown, in South Carolina, he had the misfortune ^o lose an arm, by a shot from Sullivan's Island §. < After recovering from the effects of this disaster, Mr. Pack- wood successively joined the Chatham of 50 guns, and Roe- buck 44, both commanded by Captain Orde, under whom he continued to serve, on the American, North Sea, and Channel • See Vol. I. pp. 289 and 670. '"''-' *' " ' ' t See Captuns Edward Chetham and John Ddff MarkiiAnd. X See Vol. I. Part I. p. 70. § See Vol. II. Part I. note t a* P* ^8 e( seq. POST-CAPTAI^fS OF 1811. 315 stations, until the peace of 1783 ; when he was placed for his improvement at an^ academy abroad. ' . Having completed his education, Mr. Packwood was next received on board the Camilla of 20 guns, commanded by Captain J. Hutt ; from which ship he was discharged, in order that he might join his patron, who was then Governor of Dominica, and by whom he was appointed to the command of the colonial brig belonging to that island : in her, we find him present at the reduction of Martinique and Guadaloupe, by the naval and military forces under Sir John Jervis and Sir Charles Grey. In 1796, Mr. Packwood obtained a Lieutenant's commis- sion, appointing him to the Perdrix 22, Captain William C. Fahie. He subsequently served in the Matilda 24, Captain Henry Mitford, and the Caesar 80, Captain Sir James Sau- raarez, in which latter ship he continued until the peace of Amiens ; and consequently bore a part in the battle off Alge- ziras, July 6, 1801. Soon after the renewal of hostilities, Lieutenant Packwood was appointed first of the Diomede 50, bearing the flag of Sir James Saumarez, at Guernsey, where he continued until Sir John Orde obtained a foreign command, when he joined the latter ofl&cer, as senior Lieutenant of the Glory 98. In the spring of 1805, Mr. Packwood was ordered by his early friend to act as commander of the Wasp sloop ; and on his leaving that vessel, her crew presented him with a handsome sword, as a token of their respect and attachment. His promotion to the rank of Commander took place Jan. 22, 1806. In 1808, Captain Packwood received an appointment to the Childers brig, on the Leith station, where he captured the Fremskemsten Danish privateer, of 4 guns, 2 swivels, and 21 men : this vessel had recently taken a British merchant sloop, which he likewise possessed himself of. His post commission bears date Feb. 14, 181 1 ; since which period he has not been employed. ^getits^'Messxa Goode and Clarke. 316 POST-CAPTAINS OP 18J1, t) :■'( ' ; i . Ml H it { Iv ?! ' -,( .if- i'r I-! iff RIGHT HON. RALPH VISCOUNT NEVILLE. Second son of Henry Earl of Abergavenny, K. T. by Mary, only child of the late John Robinson, of Wyke House, co. Middlesex, Esq. This officer was bom Dec. 21, 1786 ; made a Lieutenant Jan. 22, 1806; and promoted to the rank of Commander, May 30, 1808. On the 6th Nov. 1809 ; being then in com- mand of the Actseon brig, off Scilly, he assisted at the cap- ture of le Lezard, French lugger privateer, pierced for 14 guns, with a complement of 57 men. The Actaeon formed part of the fleet under Vice-Admiral Bertie at the reduction of Mauritius, in 1810 j and Viscount Neville was posted into the Boadicea frigate, Feb. 16, 1811. His lordship married, Feb. 2, 1813, Miss Mary Anne Bruce Elcock, of Sloane Street, Chelsea ; and died at Boulogne, about May 1826. WILLIAM FLINT, Esq. Received his first commission in April 1802 ; obtained the rank of Commander Mar. 1, 1809 ; and was made a Post- Captain Mar. 1, 1811. This officer married the sister of Sir Stamford T. Raffles, who procured him the appointment of Harbour- Master at Bencoolen,; from whence he has since removed to Sincapore, as Colonial Master-Attendant. u4gents. — Messrs. Stilwell. . . JOHN WILLIAMS, Esq. Son of an officer who perished in the Royal George, ut Spithead, Aug. 29, 1782*. Mr. John Williams was born at Plymouth, in 1772; and made a Lieutenant in Oct. 1 795 ; from which period ho com- • See Vol. I. Part II, note at p. 45(), etteq. POST-CAPTAINS OF 18! I. 3ir manded an armed sloop on the West India station until 1802. His next appointment was to the Fearless gun-brig, in which vessel he had his skull fractured when iu the act of capturing a Danish craft, off Copenhagen : he appears also to have been frequently engaged with the enemy's flotilla during the siege of that capital, in Aug. and Sept. 1807 *. His commission as a Commander bears date Oct. 13 following. Towards the close of 1809, Captain Williams was appoint- ed to the Hound bomb-vessel, and in her he materially con- tributed to the defence of Cadiz, in 1810 and 181 1 : his pro- motion to post rank took place Mar. 4, in the latter year. Captain Williams died at Okehampton, April 12, 1824 5 leaving a widow and 8 children, 7 oi whom were then under 12 years of age. ,!:■ ' '■m Sir THOMAS FELLOWES, Knt. A Companion of the Most Honorahle Military Order of the Bath ; Knight of the Imperial Russian Order of St. Anne ; Knight of the Royal Spanish Order of Charles III ; and a Commander of the French Legion of Honor. This officer is the fifth and youngest son of the late Dr. William Fellowes, of Buth, Physician Extraordinary to his present Majesty, when Prince Regent, by the eldest daughter of Peregrine Butler, of Dungarvon, co. Waterford, Esq. He is consequently brother to Sir James Fellowes, Knt. M.D. F. R. S. who received the honor of knighthood from our late monarch, for distinguished services, and was actively em- ployed as inspector of hospitals to the British army, during the peninsular war. His elder brother, William Dorset Fel- lowes, Esq. Secretary to the Lord Great Chamberlain f, officiated under Lord Gwydir at the coronation of king George IV. and executed all the details of that solemnity. His eldest sister, on the same occasion, was most graciously selected by his Majesty to lead the royal procession to West- minster Abbey, in the character of Principal Herb Woman. • , . • See Suppl, Pari I. p. 239. t See Vol. II. Part II. pp. 954— %l. n j«i K 1 > > .. V ;{lw. ~ ..; .f. 318 FOST-CAPTAINS OF 1811. Mr. Thomas Fellowesw&s born at Minorca, in 1778; and he firiti ,, ,1 i m. wm commanded by Lieutenant WilHara Style struck on the Los Corralcs reef, by which accident a midshipman and fourteen of her crew perished : the remainder were saved through the exertions of Captain Fellowes, who treated them with the greatest kindness. On tlie 31st, tlie flotilla was stationed between Catalina and Rota, to intercept the enemy's gun-boats coming from San Lucar to Port Santa Maria. " Nov. 1, — observed one of the French vessels a-ground on the bar of the Guadaleto. At 10-30 A. M. the British flotilla commenced action with her and seven others, which, favored by the darkness of the night, had eluded our vigilance, and were then lying within the bar, protected by fort Conception, several redoubts, and a corps of horse-artillery on the beach. At 11, the vessel a-ground was deserted by the enemy; and at 1 1-30 she was boayded and destroyed, under a very heavy fire, by Captain Rainier, commanding officer of the guard-boats, who found several men killed or dying on her deck. At noon the action ceased. " Nov. 2, — At day-break, discovered that a considerable number of the French gun-boats had taken shelter at Rota. The bombs and flotilla were ordered thither, but recalled in consequence of the Spaniards objecting to an attack, which might have proved injurious to the inhabitants of that town. At 3-30 P. M., the enemy were seen through the haze, running before the wind and tide : the guard-boats and flotilla immediately went in pursuit. At 4, Lieutenant Leeke, of the flag-ship, was killed in an at- tempt to turn the headmost French vessel. At 4-10, the action became general, and the British were exposed to a tremendous fire from the shore till called ofl^, at 4-50, by signal from the admiral : At 5, the ene- my's rearmost vessel got into Port Santa Maria. On this occasion, the guard-boats of the squadron were conducted by Captain Kittoe, of the Milford : among the wounded on our side was Lieutenant William Hall, commander of the Bouncer gun-boat. " Nov. 12, — the English flotilla co-operated with the Spanish batteries in an attack upon fort Napoleon and other strong works near Matagorda. In the night of the 14th, the French gun-boats attempted to push past Puntalcs, and get into the Trocadero channel, but were driven back by the British ; some to Port Santa Maria, outside of which harbour they never again ventured ; and the rest into the San Pedro river, from whence they were afterwards transported overland to the marshes of the Marquilla, be> low Puerto Real. " Nov. 15, — Captain Robert Hall arrived from Gibraltar, and hoisted his distinguishing pendant in the Rambler, as senior oflicer of the flotilla." From this period. Captain Fellowes most ably and gallantly commanded one half of the gun-boats until April 22, 1811, when he again assumed the chief command, and continued to bold it till he was superseded in consequence of his promo- tion. For KPveral months, not a day passed without seeing ■vj POST-CAPTAINS OF 1811. 325 him engaged with the enemy. In addition to the dangers of this most arduous and harassing service, he was exposed to very great privations in his little vessel, the Watchful, whose cabin for himself and a midshipman was only 7 feet long and 3 high, out of which he never slept from Sept. 1810 until June 1811 ! An attack made upon the French gun-boats at Port Santa Maria, Nov. 23, 1810, is thus described by Sir Richard G. Keats, in a letter to Admiral Sir Charles Cotton : — *' Observing the enemy to have collected several gun-boats in the river of Santa Maria, in a situation subject to bombardment ; at a proper time of the tide yesterday, I placed the mortar and howitzer boats, under the able direction of Captain Hall, wluch (whilst the Devastation, Thunder, and ;Etna bombs, with one division of Spanish, and two divisions of English gun- boats, under the zealous command of Captain Thomas Fellowes and Lieu- tenant William Fairbrother Carroll, successfully drew the attention and fire of fort Catalina) threw, seemingly with considerable effect, some hun- dred shells amongst the gun-boats and about the place of construction, until the wind coming in from the westward made it necessary to move them out. We have not yet ascertained what has been the damage or loss ou the part of the enemy ; but we have unfortunately to lament the death of two highly esteemed and respectable young officers. Lieutenants Tho- mas Worth and John Buckland, of the royal marine artillery, whose loss is the theme of universal regret. Mr. Samuel Hawkins, midshipman of the Norge, also fell gallantly, which, with 4 Spanish and 4 English seamen wounded, constitutes our whole loss on a service, the execution of which merits my warmest praise." On the above occasion. Captain Fellowes was engaged with fort Catalina from 2-30 P. M. until 10 o'clock at night. Towards the close of the following month, a combined at- tack was likewise made upon the enemy's flotilla below Puerto Real ; the castle of Puntales at the same time engag- ing the forts on the opposite tongue of land, and the bombs keeping Catalina in play. The action commenced at 1 P. M. and did not cease until all the French vessels there, seven- teen in number, were completely disabled. On the day after the glorious battle of Barrosa, Captain Fellowes greatly distinguished himself by his gallantry in storming a 4-gun battery, surrounded by a ditch and spiked stockade, at the entrance of Port Sauta Maria, under a ttr^'-J 32G POST-CAPTAINa OF 1811. If K'4 1 ■ i -I m Si i % 1' i,. 11 '!' heavy fire of grape from all the neighbouring works. In the performance of this service, he was bravely seconded by Lieutenant Style. The following is an extract of the offi- cial letter in which Sir Richard G. Keats makes mention of this exploit:' — " The wind having come off the land, and the aea much abated, two landings were effected, by way of diversion, yesterday morning *, between Rota and Catalina, and between that fort and Santa Maria, with the royal marines, commanded by Captain English, 200 seamen of the squad- ron, and 80 of the Spanish marine ; one division of which was under the direction of Captain Spranger, of the Warrior ; the other under Captain Kittoe : at the same time, Catalina was bombarded by the Hound and Thunder bombs ; and that fort and the batteries on the east side of the bay were kept in check with much spirit by the gun and mortar-boats, imder the respective commands of Captains Hall and Fellowes. One re- doubt of 4 guns," near Santa Maria, was stormed by the marines of the Milford, led on by Captain Fottrell ; a second, to the south of the Guada- leto, was talien by Certain Fellowes ; and the guns of all the sea defences, together with the small fort of Puntilla, from Rota (which the enemy evacuated) to Santa Maria, with the exception of Catalina, were spiked, and the works dismantled." In the performance of this highly important service, the British had one gun-boat sunk before Catalina; but their whole loss amounted to only 3 men killed and 13 wounded, 2 of whom mortally. Although Captain Fellowes was advanced to post rank on the 4th Mar. 1811, he did not quit Cadiz until June follow- ing, at which period he was succeeded by Captain William Fairbrother Carroll : from the time of Captain Hall's depar- ture until then, he had been most handsomely and skilfully seconded on every occasion by Captain Frederick Jennings Thomas, whose valuable services we shall soon have to re- late. A fuller account of the occurrences at and near Cadiz, during the period that Sir Richard G. Keats commanded the naval force there, will be given under the head of Captain William Henry Smyth. The subject of this memoir was next appointed, Feb. 1812, to the Fawn, a small post-ship, in which he cruised for some time on the Channel station, and subsequently escorted a * Mar. 6, 1811. POST-CAPTAINS OP 1811. 32^ fleet of merchantmen from Cork to Barbadoes. On his arrival in Carlisle bay, he received a handsome letter of thanks from the masters of the convoy " for the excellent arrangements he made to prevent separation, and for his very great atten- tion to them daring the voyage." From Barbadoes, Captain Fellowes proceeded to the Ja- maica station, where he recaptured several British merchant vessels, one of which was the Perthshire letter of marque, mounting 14 guns, with a cargo of fish and oil. On the 9tli Jan. 1 813, being then employed in affording pro- tection to the trade between Curagoa and the Spanish Main, Captain Fellowes recaptured a brig ; and finding that she had been taken by one of three powerful American privateers, which he had previously obliged to fly from their rendezvous between Beata and St. Domingo, he immediately went in pur- suit of the marauder, whom, at daylight on the 10th, he discov- ered from the mast-head, close in with the land to the east- ward of Porto Cabello. A long and arduous pursuit took place, at the commencement of which the chace was fired upon by the batteries to prevent her entering the above harbour j and at 2 o'clock in the morning of the 1 1th, the Fawn hav- ing got within range, the weather being squally, and a heavy sea running, she was obliged to run ashore on Point Hicacos, where her commander and 24 men were drowned in attempt- ing to reach the land. The vessel thus destroyed was the Rosamond, of 8 heavy guns and 105 men : when fallen in with by the Fawn she had on board 100,000 dollars in specie, besides much valuable merchandize, the plunder of various English and Spanish vessels. Captain Fellowes shortly af- terwards received a letter from the Captain-General of the Caraccas, of which the following is a translation : — " Dear Sir,— Mr. Simon Cock has informed m« of your arrival at La Gniara, at whiclV I am extremely plea8ed, and only sorry at not having; the pleasure of seeinj^f you here, which I have so much desired. " This government is penetrated with the liveliest sense of gratitude for the zeal and ability which you have manifested in driving the enemies of peace and commerce from these coasts, and securing them from their prejudicial depredations. ** Confident of your zeal tor the general cause, t take the liberty of re- M I p41 328 POST-CAPTAINS OF 1811. questing you, if possible, to extend your cruise to the east coast of the province of Cumana, where the insurgents have landed at a place called Guiaia, paralyzing commerce, and obstructing the general supplies of provisions sent to the island of H. B. M. and seriously affecting the inter- ests of his afflicted ally, the Spanish nation: " Should you have it in your power to visit the capital, I shall be ex- tremely happy. 1 am, with sentiments of the highest consideration, &c. (Signed) " Domingo Montevebde." Captain Fellowes likewise received the thanks of Major- General Hodgson, Governor of Curayoa, for his ** zealous and active exertions ;" and the merchants of that island presented him with a piece of plate, as an acknowledgment of the ser- vices he had rendered them. The Fawn was paid off in Oct. 1813, on which occasion her crew addressed a letter to Captain Fellowes, worded as follows : — ** Sir, — It is with the deepest regrette that we have this day learned that His Majesty's Ship under your Command is ordered to be paid off, as it deprives us of a Commander, we one, and all would wish to sail with. We beg leave. Sir ! to state that your great attention to our Comforts in our different stations has left a grateful impression on our minds, and in- duces us to take the Liberty of soliciting the favour of serving in any Ship to which you may be appouited, we hope. Sir! that you will be pleased to Excuse this freedom as it proceeds from no other motive than our Gratitude to a Commander we so much Esteem and Respect. We have the honor to be (Sir) Your Very humble Servants, " The Ship's Company in Geniral." If ere follow 43 signatures. From this period, Captain Fellowes remained unemployed till Feb. 21, 1827, when he was appointed to the Dartmouth frigate, of 42 guns. In that ship he proceeded to the Mediter- ranean station, just after the conclusion of the treaty entered into between his Majesty and the Courts of the Tuilleries and of St. Petersburgh, with a view to effect a reconciliation be- tween the Ottoman Forte and the inhabitants of the Greek provinces and islands, where a contest had been carried on for several years, — marked on each side by excesses revolt- ing to humanity. In the course of the measures adopted to effect the object of that treaty, a collision, wholly unexpect- ed by his Majesty, took place between the squadrons of the contracting Powers and the Turco-Egyptian fleet. The POST-CAPTAINS OP 1811. 329 part borne by Captain Fellowes on that occasion, and the result of the conflict, will be seen by the following copy of the British Admiral's official letter, &c. &c. : — " His Majesty* s ship yisia, in the Port o/Navarin *, Oct. 21, 1827. " I have the honor to inform his Royal Highness the Lord Hiirh Admi- ral, that my colleagues. Count Heiden and the Chevalier de Rigny, having agreed with me that we should come into this port, in order to induce Ibrahim Pacha to discontinue the brutal war of extermination, which he has been carrying on since his return here from his failure in the gulf of Patras, the combined squadrons passed the batteries, in order to take up their anchorage, at about two o'clock yesterday afternoon. " The Turkish ships were moored in the form of a crescent, with springs on their cables, the larger ones presenting their broadsides towards the centre, the smaller ones, in successioo within them, filling up the in- tervals. " Tlie combined fleet was formed in the order of sailing in two columns, the British and French forming the weather or starboard luie, and the Rus- sian the lee line. " The Asia led in, followed by the Genoa and Albion, and anchored close alongside a ship of the line, bearing the flag of the Capitan Bey, ano- ther ship of the line, and a large double-banked frigate, each thus having their opponent in the front line of the Turkish fleet. The four ships to windward, part of the Egyptian squadron, were allotted to the squadron of Rear-Admiral de Rigny; and those to leeward in the bight of the crescent, were to mark the stations of the whole Russian squadron ; the ships of their line closing those of the English line, and being followed up by their own frigates. The French frigate Armide, was directed to place herself alongside the outermost frigate, on the left hand entering the har- bour ; and the Cambrian, Glasgow, and Talbot next to her, and abreast of the Asia, Genoa, and Albion ; the Dartmouth and the Musquito, the Rose, the Brisk, and the Philomel, were to look after six fire-vessels, at the entrance of the harbour. I gave orders that no gun should l)e fired, unless guns were first fired by the Turks j and those orders were strictly observed. The three English ships were accordingly permitted to pass the batteries and to moor, which they did with great rapidity, without any act of open hostility, although there was evident preparation for it in all the Turkish ships ; but upon the Dartmouth sending a boat to one of the fire-vessels. Lieut. G. W. H. Fitzroyf, and several of her crew, were ♦ Navarxn, the Pylos of the ancients, and the supposed birth-place of the venerable Nestor, is situated about 10 miles from Modon; and, con- sequently, near the most S. W. point of the Morea. 1 Second sou of General the Hon. William Fitzroy, of Kempston Lodge, Norfolk. 'r-n oh m 330 POST-CAPTAINS OP 1811. )p*\' m4 4 I l-'l shot with Quuketry. This produced a defensive fire of musketry from the Dartmouth aud la Syrene, bearing the iag of Rear-Admiral De Rigny ; tiiat was succeeded by a cannon-shot at the Rear-Admiral from one of the Egyptian ships, which, of course, brought on a return, and thus, very shortly afterwards, the battle became general. — ^Tlie Asia, although placed along, side the ship of the Capitan Bey, was even nearer to that of Moharetn Bey, the commander of the Egyptian ships ; and since his ship did not fire at the Asia, although the action was begun to windward, neither did the Asia Are at her. The latter, indeed, sent a message, " that he would not fire at all," and, therefore, no hostility took place betwixt our ships for some time after the Asia had returned the fire of the Capitan Bey. ** In the mean time, however, our excellent pilot, Mr. Peter Mitchell, who went to interpret to Moharem my desire to avoid bloodshed, was killed by his people in our boat alongside, — whether with or without his orders, I know not ; but his ship soon afterwards fired into the Asia, and was, consequently, effectually destroyed by the Asia's fire, sharing the same fate as his brother admiral, ou tlie starboard side, and falling to lee- ward a mere wreck. These ships being out of the way, the Asia became exposed to a raking fire from vessel" in the second and third line, which carried away her mizen-mast by the board, disabled some of her guns, aud killed and wounded several of her crew. This narration of the proceed- ings of the Asia would probably be equally applicable to most of the other ships of the fleet. The manner in which the Genoa and Albion took their stations was beautiful ; and the conduct of my !;rother admi- rals. Count Heiden and the Chevalier De Rigny, throughout, wa^? admira- ble and highly exemplary. *' Captain Fellowes executed the part allotted to him perfectly ; and with the able assistance of his little but brave detachment, saved the Sy- rene from being burnt by the fire vessels. And the Cambrian, Glasgow, and Talbot, following the fine example of Capitaiue Hugon, of the Armidc, who was opposed to the leading frigate of tltat line, effectually destroyed their opponents, and also silenced the batteries. This bloody and de- structive battle was continued with unalmted fury fur four hours, and the scene of wreck and devastation which presented itself at its termination, was such as has been seldom before witnessed. As each ship of our op- ponents became effectually disabled, such of her crew as could escape from her endeavoured to set her on fire ; and it is wonderful how we avoided the effects of their successive and awful explosions. " It is impossible for me to say too much for the able and zealous assistance which I derived from Captain Curzon, throughout this long and arduous contest ; nor can I say more than it deserves for the conduct of Commander Baynes and the officers and crew of the Asia, for the perfection with which the fire nf their guns was directed ; each vessel in turn, to which her broadside was presented, became a complete wreck. His Rnyal Highness will be aware that so complete a victory by a few, POST-CAFTAINS OF 1811. 331 however perfect, against an excessive number, however individually in- ferior, cannot be acquired but at a considerable sacrifice of life ; accord, ingly, I have to lament the loss of Captain Bathurst, of the Genoa, whose example on this occasion is well worthy of the imitation of his survivors. Captain Bell, commanding the royal marines of the Asia, an excellent officer, was killed early in the action, in the steady performance of his duty ; and I have to mourn the death of Mr. William Smith, the master, admired for the zeal and ability with which he executed his duty, and be- loved by all for his private qualities as a man. Mr. L. S. Dyer, my secre- tary, having; received a severe contusion from a spliater, I am deprived temporarily of his valuable assistance in collecting and keeping up the general returns and communice ions of the squadron : I shall, therefore, retain in my office Mr. F. J. T. White, his first clerk, whom I have nomin- ated to succeed the purser of the Brisk. I feel much personal obligation to the Honorable Lieutenant-Colonel Craddock, for his readiness, during the heat of the battle, in carrying my orders and messages to the different quarters, after my aides-de-camp were disabled ; but I will beg permission to refer his Royal Highness for further particulars of this sort to the details of the killed and wounded, a subject which it is painful for me to d>vell upon ; when I contemplate, as I do with extreme sorrow, the extent of our loss, I console myself with the reflection, that the measure which produced the battle was absolutely necessary for obtaining the results con- templated by the treaty, and that it was brought on entirely by our opp«..<- nents. " When I found that the boasted Ottoman word of honour was made a sacrifice to wanton savage devastation, and that a base advantage was taken of our reliance upon Ibrahim's good faith, I own I felt a desire to punish the ofienders. But it was my duty to refrain, and refrain I did ; and I can assure his Royal Highness that I would still have avoided this disastrous extremity, if other means had been open to me. The Asia, Genoa, and Albion, have each suffered so much, that it is my intention to send them to England as soon as they shall have received, at Malta, the necessary repairs for their voyage. The Talbot, being closely engaged with a double banked frigate, has also suffered considerably, as well as others of the smaller vessels ; but 1 hope their defects are not more than can be made good at Malta. The loss of men in the Turco-Egyptian ships must have been immense, as his Royal Highness will see by the accompanying list, obtained from the secretary of the Ca|Htan Bey, which includes that of two out of the three ships to which the English division wus opposed. Captain Curzon having preferred continuing to assist me in the Asia, I have given the charge of my despatches to Commander Lord Viscount Ingestre, who, besides having had a brilliunt share iu the action, is well competent to give his Royal Highness tlie Lord High Admiral any further particulars he may require. (Signed) " Edward CoD,RiNr.TON, Vicc-Admiral." T' mm. HI] 332 POST-GAPTAINi OF 1811* According to the statement made by the Capltan Bey's Becretary, the force opposed to the allies consisted of two Turkish 84-gun ships, one of which had no less than 660 men slain ; one 76-gun ship, whose killed amounted to 400; fifteen 48-gun frigates, eighteen corvettes, and Tour brigs : — four Egyptian doubled-banked frigates, of 64 guns each; eight corvettes, of from 18 to 24 guns each ; eight brigs, and five fire-vessels: — totalf sixty-five sail. Sir Edward Codrington, however, in a general order issued by him to the allied squadrons, four days after the battle, declares that the enemy had " eighty-one men-of-war" of which number only one frigate and fifteen smaller vessels remained " in u state ever to be again put to sea.'^ It appears, by a letter from Zante, dated Dec. 14th, 1827, that the harbour of Navarin was reconnoitred by the Pelican sloop on the l/th Nov., at which period there were twenty- nine men of war lying there, viz. ** one Turkish ship of the line, and four frigates, much damaged ; two frigates fit for service \ one of the Egyptian razees, in tolerable condition ; and five corvettes, eleven brigs, and five schot.^ ? in good condi- tion." A letter from Alexandria, du' ». ec. 29th, states, that on the 27th of that month, " four frigates, eight brigs, and four cutters, with several transports," arrived there ; and that " a ship of the line (meaning, we presume, the raz^e) and two frigates had separated from them in a gale of whid:" there is no mention made by the Capitan Bey's secretary of any fore-and-aft rigged vessels. The following list will shew the strength of the combined squadrons, and the loss sus- tained by each ship and vessel composing them : - / - British. < . killed, wuonded Aaia 84 5 fl*J?*'''^'P» Captain Edward Curzon, ••) in ct J ''"'** ' < Commander Robert Lambert Daynes, > Genoa 74. J ^*P**'" Y"' «' y^T\ ' {26 33 C Commander Richard Dickinson, ) Albion . . . .74, { ^"P*'^'" ;°^" ^''*"<'"^ Ommanney, . . > j^ ^q ^Com. John Norman Cumpbell, ) Dartmouth 42, Captain Thomas Fellowca, C. B 6 8 Cambrian . .46, Gawen William Hamilton, C. B. . . 1 1 POST-CAPTAINS OF 18(1. 333 killed, wounded Glasgow — 50, Captwn Hon. James Ashley Maude .... 0 2 Talbot 28, Hon. Frederick Spencer 6 Musquito .... 10, Comm. George Bohun Martin 2 Rose 18, Lewis Davies 3 Brisk 10, Hon. William Anson 1 Philomel . . . .10, Viscount Ingestre I 17 4 15 3 7 Total.... 75 197 French. Syrene 60, Rear-Admiral H. De Rigny 21 42 Scipion 74, Capitaine Milius 2 36 Trident 74, Maurice 0 7 Breslau 74 De La Bretonniere . . . . , 1 14 Armide 44 Hugon 14 14 Alcyone . . . sch., 1 9 Dauphinoise , 1 8 40 130 Officers, not included in the above ur.mlier .... 3 3 Total.... 43 133 Russian. Azof 14, Rear-Admiral Count De Heiden . . 24 ^7 Gargoute 74, 14 37 Ezekiel 74, 13 18 Alexander Newsky 74, 5 7 Constantine 50, 0 l Provernoy 48, 3 4 Elena 48, 0 6 Castor 48 0 0 Total.... 69 139 Cranrf ro#ff/,—l 77 killed, 469 wounded. Copy of the General Order to which we alluded at p. 332.' " H. M. S. A»\a, in the Port of Navarin, 24 Oct. 1827. '' Before the united squadrons remove from the theatre on which they have gained ao complete a victory, the Vice-Admiral, comraander-in.chief, is desirous of making known to the officers, seamen, and marines, em- ployed in them, the high sense which he has of their gallant and steady conduct on the 20th instant. — He is persuaded that there is no instance of the fleet of any one country shewing more complete union of spirit and i^'i ■*'' uA •I ► s 334 POsT-CAPTAINS OF 1811. action, than was exhibited by the squadrons of the three Allied Powers together, in this bloody and destructive battle. He attributes to the bright example set by his gallant colleagues, the Rear-Admirals, the able and cordial support which the ships of the several squadrons gave each other, during the heat and confusion of the battle. Such union of spirit and of purpose — such coolness and bravery under fire — and such consequent pre- cision in the use of their guns, ensured a victory over the well-prepared arrangements of greatly superior numbers : and the whole Turkish and Egyptian fleets have paid the penalty of their treacherous breach of faith. The boasted Ibrahim Pacha promised uot to quit Navarin, or oppose the allied fleets ; and basely broke hia word. The allied commanders pro- mised to destroy the Turkish and Egyptian fleets, if a single gun were fired at either of their flags ; and, with the assistance of the brave men whom they have had the satisfaction of commanding, they hare performed their promise to the very letter. Out of a fleet composed of eighty-one men of war, there remain only one frigate and fifteen smaller vessels, in a state ever to be again put to sea. Such a victory cannot be gained without a great sacrifice of life ; and the commander-in-chief has to deplore the loss of many of the best and bravest men whom the fleet contained. The conso- lation is, that they died in the service of their country, and in the cause of suffering humanity. " The commander-in-chief returns his most cordial thanks to his noble colleagues, the two Rear-Admirals, for the able manner in which they di- rected the movements of the squadron ; and to the Captains, (Jom- manders. Officers, Seamen, and Royal Marines, who so faithfully obeyed their orders, and so bravely completed the destruction of their opponents. (Signed) " Edward Codeington." In a letter from Rear-Adniiral De Rigny to Sir £dward Codrington, dated Oct. 23, 1827, we find the following pas- sage : " Allow me to take this opportunity of returning my thanks to Captain Fellowes for the assistance which the Syrene received from the boats of the Dartmouth, when, with much skill and bravery, they attacked and turned o£f the fire-ships ready to come down upon us." Lord Ingcfitre, the bearer of Sir Edward Codrington's des- patches, was conveyed to Ancona by the Dartmouth ; and Captain Fellowes subsequently returned home overland, via Marseilles, in company Avith Vice-Admiral Sir John Gore, who, it is generally understood, had been sent to Malta, to obtain further information for H. R. H. the Lord High Ad- miral, upon the circumstances which led to the battle of POST-CAPTAINS OP 1811. 335 Navarin j an event of so recent a date as to render any com- ment, on our part, superfluous. On the 13th Feb. 1828, a few days after the meeting of Parliament, Captain Fellowes was introduced to his Majesty, at Windsor, by the Lord High Admiral, and received the honor of knighthood for his gallant conduct at Navarin. He soon afterwards left London in order to resume the command of the Dartmouth, which frigate is still employed on the Mediterranean station. The subject of this memoir was nominated a C. B. in June 1815 : the Spanish Order of King Charles III. was conferred upon him April 26, 1821, as a reward for his gallant and zealous exertions at Cadiz, to which the safety of the inhabit- ants of that city was in a great measure owing : the insignias of the French and Russian Orders, mentioned at the com- mencement of this memoir, were sent to him after the battle of Navarin. Sir Thomas Fellowes married, 1st, in Nov. 1813, Kathe- rine Mary, eldest daughter of the late Sir William Abdy, Bart. Captain K. N. by which lady he had two sons and one daughter : — 2dly, Aug. 24, 1819, Mary Anne Catharine, only child of the late Isaac Humphrys, Esq. Colonel of the Bengal artillery, and Military Secretary to that Government, by whom he has issue two sons and three daughters. PITT BURNABY GREENE, Esq. Was made a lieutenant in Nov. 1790, and promoted to the rank of commander May 8, 1804. He commissioned the Foxhound, a new 18-gun brig, about May, 1807; and was at::ached to the fleet under Lord Gambler, in Basque Roads, April, 1809.* His post commission bears date March 7> 1811 ; at which period he commanded the Bonne Citoyenne corvette. In that ship he continued until Aug. 23, 1814. The Bonne Citoyenne was principally employed on the South American station ; and Captain Greene appears to have carried on the duties as senior officer in the Rio de la Plata, • See Vol. I, Part I, p. 8-i. j i 336 POST-CAPTAINS OP 1811. from Dec. 1811 until superseded by Captain Peter Hey wood, about Sept, 1812*. He shortly afterwards sailed from Rio Janeiro for £ngland, with specie to the amount of half a million sterling on board, but was obliged to put into St. Salvador, and heave his ship down, in consequence of her having sustained great damage by running on shore between that port and the Brazilian capital. Shortly after Captain Greene's arrival there, the United States* ships Constitution and Hornet likewise entered the harbour of St. Salvador ; the former commanded by Commo- dore Bainbridge, and the latter by Captain Lawrence, both of whom, and Mr. Hill, the American consul, laid their heads together, to contrive something that, without any personal risk to either, should contribute to the renown of their com- mon country : after various consultations, the following letter was written by Captain Lawrence and addressed to his consul : — " When I last saw you, I stated to you my wish to meet the Bonne Citoyenne, and authorised you to make my wishes known to Captain Greene. I now request you to state to him, that I will meet him when- ever he may be pleased to come out, and pledge my honor that neither the Constitution, nor any other American vessel, shall interfere.** To this challenge. Commodore Bainbridge added, " If Captain Greene wishes to try equal force, I pledge my honor to give him an opportunity, by being out of the way, or not interfering." Captain Greene's very proper reply to the challenge will be seen by the following copy of a letter from the British consul to Mr. Hill : — " Fort de St. Pedro, Dec. 29, 1812. ** Sir, — I transmitted your letter to me of yesterday to Captain P. B. Greene, to whom the substance is directed ; and, having received his reply, I herewith insert it verbatim. I am, &c. . . * * (Signed) " Frederick Landsman." Enclosure. " > - ' '- ■' ' ■ ■' ** I hasten to acknowled)(e the favor of your communication, made to me thia morning from Mr. Hill, consul of the United States of America, • See Vol. II, Part II, p. 794. POST-CAPTAINS OP 1811. 337 leir com- nn the subject of a challenge, stated to have been offered through Mr. Hill, by Captain Lawrence, of the U. S. sloop of war the He met, to myself, as commander of H. B. M. ship the Bonne Citoyenne, anchored in this port, pledging his honor, as well as that of Commodore Bainbridge, that no advantage shall be taken by the Constitution, or any other Ame- rican vessel whatever on the occasion. I am convinced, Sir, if such ren- contre were to take place, the result could not be long dubious, and would terminate favorably to the ship which I have the honor to command ; but I am equally convinced that Commodore Ba'nbridge could not swerve so much from the paramount duty he owes to his country, as to become an inactive spectator, and see a ship belonging to the very squadron under his orders fall into the hands of an enemy : this reason operates powerfully on my mind for not exposing the Bonne Citoyenne to a risk upon terms so manifestly disadvantageous as those proposed by Commodore Bainbridge ; indeed, nothing could give me greater satisfaction than complying with the wishes of Captain Lawrence ; and I earnestly hope that chance will affurd him an opportunity of meeting the Bonne Citoyenne under different circumstances, to enable him to distinguish himself in the manner he is now so desirous of doing. I further assure you, that my ship will, at all times, be prepared, wherever she may be, to repel any attacks made against her, and I shall also act offensively wherever I judge it proper to do so. I am. Sir, with great regard, &c. (Signed) " P. B. Greene." " It would appear," says Mr. James, " as if the Commo- dore had purposely inserted the words, * or not interfering,* lest Captain Greene, contrary to his expectation, should ac- cept the challenge j for, had the two ships met by agreement, Ihe Constitution looked on without interfering, and the Bri- tish been the conqueror, the pledge of honour, on the part of both American commanders, would have been fulfilled j and can any one for a moment imagine, that Commodore Bainbridge would have seen the Bonne Citoyenne carry oflP a United States' ship of war, without attempting her rescue ? It was more than his head was worth. Where was the gua- rantee against recapture, which always accompanies a serious proposal of this sort, when a stronger force, belonging to either party, is to preserve a temporary neutrality ?"* The Bonne Citoyenne and Hornet each mounted eighteen 32- pounder carronades ; in addition to which the former had two long 9-pounders, and the latter two long twelves: the British • Nav. Hist. VI. 276. SUPPL. PART II, ■ 11 338 POST-CAPTAINS OF 181 1. sloop had, including til supernumerfvries, 150 officers, men and boys; the American 173: — could Captain Greene have ac- cepted the challenge he received, we are convinced that the result would not have been long dubious. The Bonne Ci- toyenne continued at St. Salvador until Jan. 26, 18 J 3, when she sailed from thence under the protection of the Montagu 74 : she arrived at Portsmouth in the month of April fol- lowing. Captain Greene's son, an officer in the Hon. E. I. Com- pany's military service, died on his passage from Rangoon to Madras, Aug. 23, 1825, aged 26 years. Agents. — Messrs. Cooke, Halford, and Son. Wm Hon. WILLIAM WALDEGRAVE. Fourth son of George, fourth Earl Waldegrave, by his first cousin, Elizabeth Laura, eldest daughter of James the second Earl, and half sister to H. R. H. the present Duke of Gloucester. This officer obtained the rank of Lieutenant July 29, 1806, and commanded a division of boats at the capture and de- struction of a French convoy, in the Bay of Rosas, Nov. 1, 1809*. On the 29th of the same month he arrived at the Admiralty with despatches from Lord Collingwood, and three days afterwards he appears to have been promoted. His post commission bears date Mar. 8, 1611. Captain Waldegrave married, July 1812, Elizabeth, eldest daughter of Samuel Whitbread, Esq. M. P. by whom he has several children. THOMAS HUSKISSON, Esq. Pat/master of the Navy. Half-brother of the Right Hon. William Huskisson, late one of his Majesty's Principal Secretaries of State j and of Major-General Samuel Huskisson. • See Captain John Tailour, POST-CAPTAINS OK 1811. 33$ This officer w.-vs born at Oxley, near Wolverhampton, co. Stafford, July 31, 1784. He entered the navy under the patronage of Admiral Mark Milbanke, as a midshipman on board the Beaver sloop of war, July 22, 1800 ; and served in that vessel, under the command of Captain C. B. Jones, on the Channel station, until Oct. 24, 1800, when we find him joining the Romney of 50 guns, Captain Sir Home Pop- luim ; with whom he proceeded to the Red Sea, where heap- pears to have been employed with another midshipman, in a small hired brig, surveying the coast of Arabia from Mocha to within a few miles of Jeddah, the port of Mecca *. He afterwards visited various parts of India, and continued in the Romney till she was put out of commission, June 2, 1803. From that period he served under Captain George Hope, in the Defence 74, until she was also paid off, in Dec. 1805. The Defence bore a very distinguished part at the battle of Trafalgar, on which occasion she sustained a loss of 7 men killed and 29 wounded : her first opponent was the Berwick, French 74, and her next the San-Ildefonso, a Spanish ship of similar force, which she compelled to surrender, and after- wards preserved from destruction, although totally dismast- ed ; — a practical proof of the benefit that might have been de- rived had the whole of the British fleet and prizes likewise anchored, agreeably to Nelson's dying injunctions. Mr. Huskisson next joined the Foudroyant 80, bearing the flag of Sir John B. Warren, in which ship he witnessed the capture of Rear-Admiral Linois, after a running fight with the London 98, and Amazon frigate. Mar. 13, 1806 f. On the 9th Aug. following, he was ordered to act as Lieute- nant of the Foudroyant ; an appointment which was con- firmed by the Admiralty, Nov. 15 in the same year. After leaving the Foudroyant, June 1807, Mr. Huskisson was appointed to the Prince of Wales 98, in which ship he performed the duty of Flag-Lieutenant to Admiral (now Lord) Oambier, during the operations against Copenhagen ; but un - * See Suppl. Part. I. p. 56. I See Vol. I, Part II, p. 435 pt srij. L 2 Wfl'l I 340 POST-CAPTAINS OF 1811. m fortunately the new regulations were at that time a bar to his; promotion, as he had not served a sufficient time to quaUfy hira for the rank of Commander, At the commencement of 1808, Lieutenant Huskisson re- ceived an appointment to the Hyperion frigate, then just commissioned ; and shortly afterwards he was ordered to re- pair on board the Melpomene 38j for a passage to Jamaica,, with Vice-Admiral B. S. Rowley, who gave him the command of the Fleur- de-la-Mer schooner, and sent him to cruise on the coast of St. Domingo, where he rescued a gentleman belonging to the former island from the grasp of Christophe, under whose displeasure he had fallen, and to which he would in all probability have been sacrificed j as was another per- son, an American, under similar circumstances. Lieutenant Huskisson subsequently visited Carthagena, on the Spanish Main, where, through his intercession, seven individuals were restored to liberty, who had accompanied General Miranda to that coast, and who had not seen day-light from the time they were made prisoners, shortly after his landing *. In May, 1809, Lieutenant Huskisson heard of his promo- tion, and appointment to the Pelorus, a fine 18-gun brig, sta- tioned at the Leeward Islands. His commission as a Com- mander bears date Jan. 18, 1809. In Oct. following Captain Huskisson assisted at the des- truction of a French schooner privateer, in the bight of Point- a-Petre, "under circumstances of considerable difficulty," and, as Sir Alexander Cochrane acquaints the Admiralty, " highly honorable to the parties employed." The following is a copy of the official letter in which the performance of this service is detailed :— " H. M. sloop Hazard, of St. Mary's, Guadahupe, Oct. 17, 1809. *' Sir, — Cruising on my station blockading Point-^-Petre, Pelorus in company, at day-Ii(rlit this morning I observed a schooner, moored under the battery of St. Mary. I immediately determined on the capture or des- truction of her. Both sloops stood in sufficiently close to silence the bat- tery effectually, and cover our boats, wbich were despatched under the orders of Lieutenants liobertsun and Flin, first of their respective sloops ; • Sec Captain Dokald CAMPHSLt. :isson re- POST-CAPTAINS OF 1811. 341 ^tid I am happy to say they succeeded in boarding her ; but as she was moored to the shore with a cliain from tlie mast-head and each quarter, finding it impossible to bring' her out, tliey shortly after blew her up. *' In justice to the officers and men employed on this service, I cannot omit particularizing the very gallant manner in which they approached the schooner, under a very heavy fire of grape from the battery, until it was silenced by us, and of grape and musketry from the privateer till they were nearly alongside, when the enemy quitted her, and joined a long line of musketry on the beach, and two field pieces, to the fire of which they were exposed during the whole time they were preparing to blow her up, at a distance of not more than ten yards. " The privateer had one long 18-pounder on a circular carriage, and two swivels ; about 100 tons, and appeared to have from 80 to 100 men ; she was coppered, appeared new, and left Poiut-k-Petre yesterday on a cruise. Our joint loss has been 15 killed and wounded * ; that of the enemy must have been very considerable, as the shore was completely lined with mus- keteers, exposed to a heavy cannonade from both sloops, as well as from the small arms in the boats. " I should be very deficient in my duty was I not to mention the very gallant style in which Captain Huskisson of the Pelorus srpported me, in totally destroying the enemy's battery by a joint fire. " It is impossible for me to express my ideas of the very gallant man- ner m which Lieutenants Robertson and Flin conducted themselves on this occasion : they speak in the highest terms of Messrs. Brisbane and Hunter, midshipmen of this ship ; Mr. Ferguson, boatswain, and Mr. Scott, mate, of the Pelorus ; who, as well as every individual employed, were volunteers on the service. I have the honor to be, &c. (Signed) " Hugh Cameron." " To Commodore Fahie." The Pelorus formed part of the naval force under Sir Alex- ander Cochrane, at the reduction of Guadaloupe, in 1810 ; after which conquest the subject of this memoir received an order from that officer to act as captain of the Blonde frigate, and directions to convoy home a valuable fleet of merchant- men. Captain Huskisson put the Blonde out of commission, at Woolwich, in July, 1810; and rejoined the Pelorus in Nov. following ; the Admiralty having refused to confirm his ap- pointment to the frigate, in consequence of the death vacancy which occasioned it having occurred on the Halifax station, and the right of appointing an officer to fill it being claimed • P#/orer*— 2 kilUd, 1 mortally, 2 severely, and 3 slightly wounded. U i; if 342 POST-CAPTAINS OK 181 i. ' .tr 'I > by Sir John B. Warren, and admitted by their lordships, al- though the Captain who had died * was then proceeding to Barbadoes, for the purpose of placing himself under the orders of Sir Alexander Cochrane. Captain Huskisson's promotion to post rank took place Mar. 14, J811 ; at which time the Pelorus was employed on the Jamaica station. From May 1 in the same year, until June 1812, he commanded the Garland frigate. At the latter period he was removed by Vice- Admiral Stirling to the Barbadoes of 28 guns, and ordered to accompany the Poly- phemus 64, with a fleet of merchantmen, to a certain latitude. Whilst thus employed he captured, after a seven hours' chase, the United States' revenue schooner James Madison, pierced for 14 guns, but with only 10 mounted, and a com- plement of 65 men. This fine fast-sailing vessel had been hovering about the outskirts of the convoy all the preceding day, and her commander was meditating an attack upon the rear of the fleet, with a view of burning as many vessels as he possibly could, in the course of the ensuing night. A few days afterwards, the Bar})adoes was separated from the convoy in a violent hurricane, during the continuance of which she lost her topmasts and main-yard, and was other- wise much disabled. After refitting at Bermuda, Captain Huskisson took charge of three small vessels bound to Halifax, and was proceeding thither with 60,000 dollars on board for the dock-yard, when, in the night of Sept. 28, 1812, the Barbadoes and two of her consorts were unfortunately wrecked on the N. W. bar of Sable Island. There being a very heavy surf between them and the shore, the boats were all stove and unfit for service before half the frigate's crew were landed ; and at the end of 46 hours, there was nothing to be seen of her except mere fragments of wreck, with which the beach was strewed; happily, however, only one man perished on this disastrous occasion : the specie was saved by throwing it overboard, with a buoy attached to each of the cases. * Captain Charles Worsley, of the Statira 38, whose demise took place nt sea, Nov. 17, 1809. POST-CAPIAINS Oh 1811. 343 The vessel that escaped was immediately despatched to Halifax with intelligence of what had happened ; and at the end of 12 days Captain Huskisson and his companions in misfortune were released from their unpleasant situation by the arrival of the Shannon frigate, and a schooner sent to their relief. The sentence of the court-martial afterwards held at Halifax, to enquire into the circumstances attending the loss of the Barbadoes, was as follows :— " No blame is imputable to Captain Huskisson, his officers, and ship's company ; but the loss of the ship was occasioned by tlie extraordinary and uncertain set of the currents ; and it appears to the Court thut every exertion was used for the preservsriou of tl>e stores and provisions, but the state of the wcat'icr precluded evv.ry possibility of doing it : the Court d;t ft therefoie inost I'u'iy ^(Ci.;uit Captain Huskisson, his officers, and ship's compat)/. an'( they jre htrol>y most fidly acquitted accordingly." Fi't'iii H^lifit::^, Captain Huskisson returned to England in t!ie Africa iM, a guest at Vlue- Admiral Sawyer's table. His next appohtimeri was. Ju-ie 7, \S\5f to the Euryalus 42, in whicK ffrigat»i ho pvoceedcd tx: cruisi: >fr Havie, where he re- mrriwed as aeTsiof oihueroi il^e sqv.j.di^.'vi employed in watching that port and tho niooth of the '.LuAnc^ to prevent the escape of Napoleon Buciupnrw, s:,.it;l it ^;a.s known that that per- sonage had surrendered !b,imself to the i^t'lefophon 74. On the 26th /raiy,, 1S18, Caplaiu J-JiiDiiisvSon was again ap- pointed to tho Euryalus, then l\ttijig ai Chatham for the l^eewifji islanud station. On the JSih IVov. 1819, he hoisted a broad peudjint r.t Barbar'.oes., thi- command of the squadron in the Caribbean seas havini; devolved upon him in conse- quence of the death o'i Rear-Aduural Donald Campbell, which had taken place at Tortolf. st ven days before. On the 16th May, 1820, Rear-Admiral Fahie arrived from En^lf^nl, v'ben Cuptain Huskisson received directions to pro- ceed to Jamaica, and place himself imder the command of his friend Sir Home Popham. On the 16th June, only eight d'liys after his arrival at Port Royal, he again hoisted a broad pendant, and assumed the command of the squadrou on that station, the health of Sir Home being in so precarious a state as to oblige him to return to England, where he died on the Uth Sept. following. It perhaps has never before happened '* "' 314 POST-CAPTAINS OF 1811. Y ta ■» u\ to any officer of Captain Huskisson's standing in the service, to have had a broad pendant on two stations, on each of which he held the command six months*. On the 23d Dec. 1820, Captain Huskisson was relieved by Sir Charles Rowley ; and as his health was then much im- paired he invalided, and returned home in the Sandwich packet f. In Sept. 1821, he obtained the command of the Semiramis 42, fitting for the flag of Lord Colville, with whom he continued on the Irish station till Mar. 16, 1822. His appointment to be Paymaster of the Navy took place in Mar. 1827. The subject of this memoir married, in 1813, Miss E. Wedge, the youngest daughter of an eminent agriculturist, well known in the west of Staffordshire, by whom he has • On being informed of the demise of Captain Arthur Stow, of the Ta- mar 26, whom he had recently ordered to Halifax, Commodore Huakisson appointed his first Lieutenant, Mr. Charles Peake, to command the Bann sloop, vacant by the removal of Captain Wilson B. Bigland to the Tamar; but on the arrival of the latter ship at Halifax, Rear-Adrairal Griffith thought proper to fill up the death vacancy also. Hearing this, the Commo- dore wrote to the Admiralty, requesting their Lordships not to suffer him to be deprived of the patronage which so justly belonged to him, the vacancy having occurred whilst the Tamar was still within the limits of his com- mand. The Board did not think proper to grant his request, but super- seded all the appointments that had taken place, and gave the command of the Tamar to an officer then in England ; at the same time paying off the sloop he commanded, in order to avoid promoting either of the Lieu- tenants selected by the Commodore and Rear-Admiral. Mr. Peake sub- sequently commanded the Euryalus for a short period ; and on that ship being paid off, her crew presented him with a handsome silver vase and cover, and a sword and belt, as n testimony of their gratitude and esteem for his kindness, &c. &(.■. He is still a Lieutenant. f In 1819, a dreadful sickness prevailed on board the Euryalus, to which many of her ship's company became victims in the short space of six weeks. She also lost a Lieutenant and 5 other very fine young men be- longing to the quarter-deck, one of whom was Mr. Joseph Thonms IMar- shxll, brother to the author of this work. By the same packet that brought home an account of his death was received an unfinished letter from him, wherein he spoke of his cummunder in such terms, as induced his afflicted relatives to return their most grateful thanks to Captain Huskisson, for his parental kindness to the lamented youth. POST-CAPTAINS OF 1811. 345 three sons and two daughters. His brother, George Hvskis- sou, Esq. is an officer in the royal marines, and Collector of the Customs at the island of St. Vincent's. One of his sisters is married to the Rev. .James Walhouse, uncle to Edward John Littleton, Esq. M. P. for the county of Stafford. Agents. — Messrs. Cooke, Halford, and Son. EDWARD HENRY A'COIJRT, Esq. M. P. for Heytesbury, IVllts. The A'Court family, long settled at Rodden, a hamlet si- tuate in Frome hundred, co, Somerset, has recently been en- nobled by the elevation of this officer's brother to the peerage*. We first find the subject of this sketch serving as a mid- shipman on board the Bhmche frigate, off St. Domingo, in Nov. 1803 : — a gallant exploit which he performed at that period is thus described by Mr. James : " Midshipman Edward Heury A'Court, with a maru^c and seven sea- men, was despatched from the Blanche in the red cutter, to collect sand for the use of the ship. Although it had been ordered that youngsters, sent upc;) services of this kind, lest '.heir pu<^naciou8 spirit should lead them into danger, were not to be allowed arms, the men in the boat, before they pushed off from the frigate, contrived to smuggle five or six muskets through the ports. It so happened that, in the dusk of the evening, the boat fell in with a schooner nearly becalmed. The midshipman and his little party of zanders unhesitatingly pulled towards her, and as she had the appearance of a privateer, and might open a cannonade upon them, Mr. A'Court judiciously kept in her wake. Just as the boat had approached the stern of the schooner, a fire of musketry from the latter mortally wounded one man, and badly woiuided another, of the boat-party. Mr. A* Court, nevertheless, pulled siruight up alongside, and, with the assistance of his tive remaining hands, boarded and carri''«l a French schooner, bound to ('ape Fran<;oi3, having among her passengers a detachment of between .30 and 40 soldiers, commanded by a (.'olonel, who had fought, bled, and distinguished himeslf, at the battle of Arcolcf." Mr. A'Court was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant, Feb. • Sir William A'(>ouri, Bart., now Lord Fleytesbury. t A'"*'' hitt. III., 2!)5 rt self. I^lfi^. w ^K&i h' I r 346 POST-CAPTAINS OF 1811. !3, 1804 ; and made a Commander June 10, 1808. His post commisgion bears date Mar. 29, ISll. jlf!;ents. — Messrs. Maude. THOMAS COE, Esq. Received liis first commission in 1800 ; obtained the rank of Commander Jan. 12, 1805 ; and was made a Post-Captain Aprils, 1811. From this hitter period he commanded the North Star of 20 guns, until Nov. 1815. Captain Coe's next appointment was, Julj^ 29, 1821, to the Tees, 2iS ; in which ship he sailed from Spithead for the East India station, Jan. 6, 1822. After the demise of Com. modore Charles Grant, he hoisted a Ijroad pendant on board the LifFey frigate, and carried on the duties of senior oflicer there, until he was relieved by Sir James Brisbane *. The Liffey returned to Portsmouth, Jiin. 21, 1826. SIR BENTINCK CAVENDISH DOYLE, Knt. Obtained the rank of Lieutenant Aug. 29, 1/99 ; and was first of the St. Fiorenz j frigate at the caplurc of la Psyclit', on the East India station, Feb. 14, 1805 ; — tiie following is a copy of the official letter written by his Captain on that oc- casion : — " St. Fiorcnzii, Ked^n-et:, Fel>. 17, 1805. " Sir, — I have the honor to inform you of my arrival this day off tlio Sand Heads, a^'ter having procecdc I to the southward, in consequenee of a letter received the Hth instant frona the chief secretary of government, ac- quainting me of a suspieiouit vessel having appeared otf Vizngaputain, su))- posed to l)c the French national frigate Psyciic, and re(|uesting, in tiie name of his Excellency the (jovernor-iicneral in Council, that I would either proceed towards that place, or otherwine, an I might con8iion of a night action, the ship^ separated again before a HufTicient force wuld follow him. ' .^r ,1 !! *■ 348 POST-CAPI'AINS OF 1811. (inder my command, also of the late French national frigate la Pnych^. I have the honor to be, &c. (Si{(ned) ** Hknuy Lambeut." " To Five-Admiral Rainier, gfc. Sfc. Sfc." The loss of men on both sides in this ciction was very great, the St. Fiorenzo having 12 killed and 36 wounded j la Psyche 57 slain and 70 wounded. It adds much to the honor and credit of Captain Lambert, his officers, and crew, that the character of Mons. Bergeret stood very high in the French navy, he being the same officer who commanded la Virginie, when captured by Sir Edward Pellew in the Inde- fatigable* ; to which may be added the support given him by the armed ship, mentioned in the foregoing letter. All the trading part of H. M. subjects throughout India rejoiced on the occasion of his capture, as being more apprehensive of depredations on their property from his abilities and activity than from the whole remaining force of the French navy on that station. Captain Doyle's commission as a commander bears date Sept. 18, 1805. We subsequently find him commanding the Lightning sloop of war, in which vessel he continued after his promotion to post rank, April 3, 1811. His last ap- pointment was, Mar. 21, 1821, to the Glasgow of 50 guns. In that ship he conveyed the remains of the late Queen from Harwich to Cuxhaven j Sir Edward Paget and family from Portsmouth to the East Indies ; and the Marquis of Hastings from Calcutta to Gibraltar. The Glasgow was paid off in 1824 ; and Captain Doyle received the honor of knighthood, April 20, 1825. Agmts, — Messrs. Stilwell. JOHN PASCO, Esq. Obtained a lieutenant's commission in 1795 ; and was badly wounded when serving on board Nelson's flag-ship, ut the ever memorable battle of Trafalgar. His promotion to the rank of commander took place Dec. 24, 1805. Towards the close of 1808, Captain Pasco was appointed •SceVol. I. Parti, p. 217. PO«T-CAPTAINS OF 1811. 349 to the Hindostan 50, armed enJlUte, in which ship he sailed for New South Wales, about May, 1809. He subsequently commanded the Tartarus 20, and continued in her after his advancement to post rank, April 3, 1811. In 1815, he was successively appointed to the Rota 38, and Lee 20 j the latter ship he paid off at Plymouth, in Sept. 1818. Captain Pasco enjoys a pension of 250/. per annum for his wounds. jigent.— ^\v Francis M. Ommanney. JOHN HOLLINWORTII, Esq. Son of M. HoUinworth, Esq. many years a clerk of the Admiralty, and brother to Thomas HoUinworth, Esq. naval storekeeper at Devonport. This officer was made a lieutenant in 1802, and advanced to the rank of commander Jan. 22, 180(5. On the 16th July, 1808, the Minstrel sloop, then under his command, captured the Italian schooner Ortenzia, pierced for 16 guns, but carrying only two long 24-pounders, six long nines, and two 3-pounder swivels. His post commission bears date April 3, 1811. Capta,' 'lollin worth married, in 1808, the daughter of John Jackson, Esq. Master Attendant at Portsmouth. Agents. — Messrs. Stilwell. CLEMENT SNEYD, Esq. This officer served for many years in India. He was made a lieutenant in 1 7')'^> ^^^^ promoted to the rank of commander Sept. 25, 1806. In 1810, we find him commanding the Muros brig, on the Guernsey station, where he made several captures, but of inconsiderable value. His next appoint- ment was to the Myrtle, a ship-sloop, in which vessel he continued for some time after his advancement to post rank, April 3, 1811. Captain Sneyd married, in 1813, Ellen, third daughter of Robert Swetenham, of Somerford Booths, near Congleton, Chetthire, Esq. :Ui 350 POST-CAPTAINS OF 181 1. R i RICHARD BUCK, Esq. Nephew to Admiral Sir Richard Goodwin Keats, G. C. B. &c. &c. We first find this officer, in Feh. 1806, serving as a lieu- tenant on board the CuUoden 74, bearing the flag of Sir Ed- ward Pellew, now Viscount Exniouth. His commission as a commander was confirmed by the Admiralty, Dec. 28, 180/; previous to which he had been successively appointed to the command of the Rattlesnake and Samarang : in the latter sloop, formerly the Dutch corvette Scipio *, he assisted at the " entire destruction of the naval force of Holland," in the eastern hemisphere f. Sir Richard J. Strachan, in his despatches from the Scheldt, dated Aug. 13, 1809, acquaints the Admiralty that Captain Buck had been employed with a light flotilla, in sounding and buoying the channels of that river, to enable the fleet to advance, for the purpose of putting into execution the ulte- rior objects of the Walcheren expedition ; and that this ser- vice was executed, under the directions of Sir Home Pop- ham, with judgment and correctness. Captain Buck's next appointment was, about Dec. 1809, to the Crocus brig j in which vessel he continued until his promotion to posst rank, April 3, 1811: he subsequently conunanded the Termagant ship-sloop, and Franchise frigate, on the Mediterranean station. In Feb. 1812, he drove on fciiore and burnt, near Cagliari, I'Aventurier French privateer, pierced for 16 guns, but only three mounted, with a comple- ment of 60 men j and on the 27th September following, he assisted at the capture of a few small vessels in Tarra- gona mole. A long official letter, descriptive of this latter unimportant service, was published in the London Gazette ; and a copy thereof will be found at p. 430, et seq. of Nav. Chron. vol. 28. Captain Buck married, previous to the peace, a daughter • Soe Supp. Part I. p. 403. t / as a midshipman on board the Hebe frigate. Captain Paul Min- chin ; which ship he quitted in order to join la Tourterelle of 30 guns, commanded by his uncle-in -law. Captain John Cooke, whose glorious death has been recorded at p. 968 et seq. of Vol. II. Part II. He subsequently served under Cap- tains John Peyton and Robert Dudley Oliver, in the Sea- horse 38. U' * It is not a little remarkable, that the above mentioned Sir Charles Hardy, his father. Sir Thomas Hardy, and one of his sons, the second Sir Charles Hardy, were all in the navy ; and that each of them had the honor of bein^ knighted for his respective services. The knip;hthood of Sir Tiio- mas was thus announced in the London Gazette : — " St. James's, October '6\, 1/02. " Her Majesty has been pleased to confer the honor of knighthood upon Thomas Hardy, Esq. Captain of her Majesty's ship Pembroke, in consi- deration of his good service, in gaining and giving to Admiral Rooke the intelligence, which was the occasion of our great success at Vigo." Sir Thomas Hardy died u Vice-Admiral, in Aug. 1732. His son attained the same rank in the service, and was one of the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty at the time of his demise, which took place Nov. 27, 1/44. The second Sir Charles Hardy died commander-in.chief of the Channel fleet, May, 1780. Of this latter respected officer, Charnock thus briefly sums up the character : — " Brave, prudent, gallant, and enterprising, with- out the smallest ostentatious display of his noble qualities— generous, mild, affable and intelligent — his virtues commanded the most profound respect, enabling him to pass through days, when the rage and prejudice of party blazed with a fury nearly unquenchable, without exciting envy or dislike, without even furnishing to the most captious man of party the smallest ground of reprehension or complaint." One of his sons. Temple, was made a Post-Captain, Nov. 24, 1/95 ; and died at Exeter, Mar. 29, 1814 :— another, named Charles, was killed in battle, when serving as a midship' man on board the Cerberus frigate, June 4, 1781. POST-CAPTAINS OP 1811. 353 From that ship, Mr. Markland was removed to la Nymphe frigate. Captain Cooke, under whom he assisted at the cap- ture of la Resistance and la Constance, French ships of war, the former mounting 48 guns, with a complement of 345 men j the latter carrying 24 guns and 189 men *. We next find Mr. Markland in the Royal George, a first rate, bearing the flag of Lord Bridport, with whom he con- tinued until Captain Cooke was appointed to the Amethyst frigate, and ordered to convey H. R. H. the Duke of York to Holland : from that pci'iod he served under his uncle-in-law till June 1801. Amongst the prizes taken by the Amethyst, whilst commanded by Captain Cooke, were : — L'A venture, French brig privateer, of 14 guns and 75 men, Dec, 29, 1799. Le Vaillant, - - - cutter 15 .... 131 - - Feb. 15 > .gQ^ Le Mars, ship 22 180 - - Mar. 31 \ On the 28th Jan. 1801, Mr. Markland witnessed the cap- ture of la D^daigneuse frigate, of 36 guns and 300 men f. His promotion to the rank of Lieutenant took place June 8 following, on which occasion he was appointed to the Malta 80, Captain Albemarle Bertie J. Lieutenant Markland's next appointment was, in Dec. 1802, to the Albion, a third rate, Captain John Ferrier, in which ship he was present at the capture of la Franchise French frigate, near Brest, May 28, 1803 ; and la Clarissa corvette in the bay of Bengal, Jan. 1804. From the latter period, he served as first Lieutenant of the Albion until Dec. 25, 1805 ; when he was obliged to invalid, and quit the East Indies as a passenger in the Tremendous 7^» Captain John Osborne. • On his return home the subject of this memoir found him- self promoted to the rank of Commander, by commission dated Jan. 22, 1806 j but he does not appear to have been again employed until April 12, 1808 ; when he was appointed to the Bustard brig, of 16 guns. On the 28th July, 1809, Captain Markland assisted at the capture of six heavy gun-boats belonging to the Italian ma- • See Vol. II. Part II. p. 433 et seq. t Sco id. p. 547. I See id. Part I. p. 197. SUPPL. PART II. 2 A •X^ liis i^'- 11 354 POST-CAPTArNS OF 1811. ;4. mm p '• fine, and ten coasting traders, laden with brandy, flour, rice, and wheat. The Bustard, at that period, formed part of the squadron employed in the gulf of Venice, under the orders of Captain John West, by whose activity the enemy's convoy was pre- vented from entering Trieste, and obliged to take shelter in Douin, a port 4 leagues farther, to the N. W. defended by a strong castle. Conceiving it very practicable to capture or destroy them there, he detached the Acorn, sloop of war, and Bustard, with all the boats of his own ship, the Excellent 74, to try the experiment : about midnight, covered by the fire of the two sloops, the boats pushed on shore, and, in about half an hour, they had complete possession of every vessel in the harbour. " This enterprisef" says Lord Collingwood, ** was well devised and gallantly executed." Captain West thus expresses himself on the occasion : "The very masterly and complete iimnner in which this service has been performed by Captains Clephane and Markland, of H. M. sloopii Acorn and Bustard, and Lieutenant John Harper, in command of the boats of H. M. S. Excellent, excites my higliest adniration ; every officer, sea- man, and marine, I am assured, individually distinguished himself." Captain Clephane, the senior commander, expressed his " high sense of the conduct of Captain Markland, both by his leading into a place so little known, and by the well-di- rected fire kept up by him." The loss sustained by the British, in the performance of this gallant exploit, amounted to 2 men killed, 1 mortally, 1 (the master of the Bustard) severely, and 4 slightly, wounded. Each of the enemy's gun- boats had on board an officer and 20 men. At the commencement of July 1810, the Bustard captured and destroyed nine of the enemy's vessels, in a harbour on the east side of Calabria : the following is an extract of u letter which Captain Markland soon afterwards received from the flag-officer under whose orders he was then serving : " I highly approve of your conduct, and of that of Lieutenant Juha Hilton, which I shall not fail to make known to the commander-in-chief. I am very happy that only two of the crew of H. M. sloop under your command were wounded in the execution of this important service. (Signed) " Geo. Martin, Rear-Admiral." L? POST-CAPTAINS OF 1811. 355 For three months from that period, Captain Markland commanded the sloops of war stationed in the Faro of Mes- sina, to protect Sicily from a threatened invasion by Joachim Murat, whose army, consisting of nearly 40,000 men, was then encamped on the opposite shore, and who had collected more than 80 gun and mortar-boats, between Scylla and Reggio. On the 24th July, the Bustard and Halcyon des- troyed two armed feluccas under Cape del Arme, where they were for a long time defended by their crews, some soldiers, and the neighbouring peasantry. In the performance of this service. Lieutenant John Hilton, first of the former sloop, received four wounds. The master of the Bustard having been previously promo- ted into a 74, Captain Markland and his second Lieutenant, Robert Milbome Jackson, were now obliged to keep watch and watch, and they continued to do so until the breaking up of the enemy's camp. During that time the Bustard was re- peatedly in action with Murat's land batteries and flotilla ; and Captain Markland often received the thanks of Rear-Ad- miral Martin : — the severity of the service in which the Bri- tish sloops were engaged will be readily conceived when we state that their hammocks were scarcely ever down at night ; yet, strange to say, the official letters respecting that cam- paign were, for some unaccountable reason, withheld from the public j — we have tried, but in vain, to obtain copies of them ; and we must therefore content ourselves with stating that Captain Markland's gallantry and meritorious exertions on every occasion were represented in such high terms to Admiral Sir Charles Cotton, that that officer gave him the very first post vacancy, telling him he did so expressly for his services in the Faro : we must here remark, that Captain Markland was not on the Admiralty list for promotion ; he had had no previous acquaintance with his new commander- in-chief, nor had he even the advantage of an introduction to him by any private friend. The total number of prizes taken by Captain Markland, in the Bustard, was 25 ', that of the vessels he destroyed amount- ed to 39. 2a2 •|.^,:|.■' 356 POST -CAPTAINS OF 1811. mi-- L. (V On the 3l8t Jan. 1811, this active officer was removed to the Eclair of 18 guns ; and five days afterwards he received an order to act as captain of the Ville de Paris, a first rate, bearing the flag of Rear-Admiral Thomas Francis Frcemantle, whom he afterwards successively followed into the Rodney and Milford, third rates. His post commission bears date April 18, 1811. After obtaining the liberation of 400 Christian slaves at Tunis, and cruising for some time off Toulon, Rear-Admiral Freemantle was ordered to assume the command of a squadron employed in the Adriatic, where we find Captain Markland bearing a distinguished part in many gallant and important services, some of the most considerable of which we shall now proceed to notice. Fiume, a town of I stria, from its commercial importance, soon attracted the attention of the British Rear-Admiral, who attacked and captured it, July 3, 1813. On this occa- sion, after assisting in silencing the batteries, Captain Mark- land proceeded at the head of the armed boats, and dislodged the enemy from their last strong hold. " Nothing," says Rear-Admiral Freemantle, ** could exceed the spirit and good conduct of every captain, officer, seaman, and marine, in the squadron." The details of this service are given at p. 673 et seq. of Vol. I. Part II. After despatching his prizes to Lissa, the Rear-Admiral proceeded off Porto R^, where Captain Markland landed with Captain Hoste, of the Bacchante frigate, and found the forts abandoned by the enemy, who had spiked the guns, and destroyed the ammunition. The boats of the squadron then went up to Bocca Rd, where thirteen sail of vessels were discovered scuttled, only one of which could be brought away. The guns, 10 in number, were in the mean time ren- dered entirely useless, their carriages burnt, and all th6 works blown up. At daylight on the 5th Aug. 1813, the boats of the Mil- ford and Weazle, under the orders of Captain James Black, succeeded in surprising the garrison of Ragosniza, to which place the enemy seem to have attached much import- I'OST-CAPTAINS OK 1811. 357 ance, for the protection of their coasting convoys. On this occasion, a tower and an open battery were destroyed ; six long 24-pounders, two 7^-i"t:h mortars, some stores and ammmiition brought off, and 63 Frenchmen taken pri- soners. In the course of the tame month, the Austrians entered Fiume, and established a communication with the British squadron ; the boats of which had been very actively em- ployed, under the orders of Captain Markland, in exciting u spirit of revolt against their oppressors, among tlie inhabit- ants of the different islands at the head of the Adriatic. By Rear -Admiral Freemantle's subsequent despatclies it appears that he had left Captain Markland, as senior officer, for a short time, off Fiume ; — the following are extracts : — " On the 6th Sept. I arrived at¥i\ime,and/oundtfu'MH/ordanAWiz&ri (sloop) at anchor off the town, and the Imperial flag flying ; the whole of Istria and Croatia (nearly) up in arms against the French, and driving them out in all directions. Sagna and Porto Rd are also under the Aus- trian flag. General Nugent has his head-quarters at Lippa, about twenty- two miles from Fiume ; his force consists of 2000 Austrians, and some Croats ; the French garrison of Pola, of 600 men, with about 1500 Croats, were marching to relieve Fiume ; but the Croats, on hearing that their countrymen were in arms against the enemy, surrounded, disarmed, and took the 600 Frenchmen prisoners §.•»••**. The Milford lying at Fiume, gives General Nugent an additional force of 1000 men, which he must have left to guard it, and cramp his operations very much. There is not a single soldier there ; the town is entirely guarded by the Milford's marines, who are there ; and it greatly increases the confidence of the inhabitants, having u safe retreat in case of a defeat. Almost the whole of the islands are now clear of the French yoke, from Lissa upwards. Captain Gower (of the Elizabeth 74) landed at Fontane, and has planted the Imperial flag all along that coast." Captain Markland was also present at the captures of Ro- vigno, Piran, and Capo d'Istria ; at which latter place Rcar- AdmiralFreemantle remained, in constant correspondence with General Count Nugent, who was harassing the army of Eugene Beauharnois on his retreat, until the morning of the 5th Oct. ,\: i I I' § Pola was taken possession of by the Wizard sloop^ part of the Milford's marines, and 50 Austrian soldiers. 358 POST-CAPTAINS OF 1811. m ! !l I 4i; E^J: r S' 1813, when he sailed for Trieste, to hlockade that citj'. On the following day. Captains Markland and Black volunteered their services to attack the dock-yard, which, although strong- ly fortified, and within point-blank shot of the cit»del, they thought might be taken by surprise : their offer was accepted, and after dark they obtained complete possession of the arsenal and v.very person in it, the whole of whom, with a quantity of stores, were brought off in triumph ; they fdso having first rendered all the guns unserviceable, and sawed the kf?el and stern-post of a large frigate into many pieces. This daring exploit was performed without the slightest loss, the surprise being so complete that fighting was unnecessary. About noon on the 10th Oct. the enemy endeavoured to retaliate by opening a masked battery upon the Milford, as she lay with her stern towards the shore ; but Captain Mark- land instantly got a spring upon his cable, hove his broadside round, and in a quarter of an hour demolished it. (Jne shell exploded on the poop of the 74, but did no damage. The Frenchmen had several killed and wounded. Immediately after this little affair, the marines of the squa- dron and two field-pieces were landed under the command of Captain Markland, to assist at the siege of Trieste, which was commenced on the 11th, and terminated on the 29th of the same month. " I have to thank him," says Rear-Admir;il Freemantle, " for exerting himself in every way ; particular- ly in the arrangements of stores and provisions. We have at times had 1200 men on shore, at work and in the batteries; and the general good conduct of the officers, seamer), and mai'ines, with the harmony that has invariably subsisted be- tween the Austrian troops and our people, is quite gratifying to me. When we opened against the citadel it contained 800 Frenchmen, 45 large guns, 4 mortars, and 4 howitzers. The consequences of the taking this place will be frit throughout the country." About 50 sail of vessels were taken in the port. During the operations against Trieste, the Milford had 3 men killed and 10 wounded ; the total loss sustained by her POST-CAPI'AINS OF 1811. 359 consorts, the Elizabeth, Kagle, Tremendous, VVeazle, and Wizard, amounted to 7 killed and 25 wounded. Captain Markland resigned the comnuind of the Milford, Oct. 31, 1813; and returned home Avith despatches from Rear- Admiral Freemantle, on the 11th Dec. following. He was nominated a C. B. in June 1815 j and subsequently pre- sented with the cross of the order of l^opold, " in testimony of his Imperial Majesty'o approbation of the distinguished services rendered by him at the capture of Trieste, and the other operations in Italy, during the campaign of 1813." Since his return home, he has had his left hand shattered by the bursting of a fowling piece. This officer married. Mar. 8, 1814, Helen EUery, daughter of L. D. G. Tregonwell, of Cranborne Lodge, co. Dorset, Esq., by which lady he has two sons and two daughters living. y^gents.-^McsBTs. Cooke, Halford, and Son. VVILLIA'I FISHER, Esq. Commanded the Cornwallis frigate at the capture of the Isle of France.* His post commission bears date April 18, 1811. Since the peace he has commanded the liann of *2() guns, and Cherub 24; the luster employed on tijo African station. The following article appeared in the Hampshire Telegraph of Feb. 5, 1827 : " No purt of our naval cronoiny lins Itccn lessi nlt<>nlit ; furled it and the rauin-sail. The ship was now under her fo.-e-sail, and main and mizen- storm-stay-sails ; the wind blowing hard with a heavy sea. " About 3-30 A. M. on the 2d April, the ship struck the ground, to the astonishment of every one on board, and by the above reckoning, we then conjectured, upon an unknown shoal. She continued striking the ground very heavy, by which her bottom was materially damaged, and making much water; the chain-pumps were ragged with the utmost despatch, but, in about ten minutes, she beat and drove over the shoal. On endeavour- ing to steer her, we found the rudder carried away. She then got before the wind. The pumps were kept going ; but from the quantity of water she shipped, there was every probability of her soon foundering, as she WuS HHing, and sinking very fast. " After running about five minutes, the ship struck the ground again, with such tremendous shocks, that wc were fearful she would instantly go to pieces, a\n\ kept striking and driving further on the sands, the sea making breac'.ies completely over her. We cut away the laniards of the main and mi/en rigging, and the masts fell with a tremendous crash over the larboard side : the fore-mast went immediately after. The ship then fell on her starboard side, with the gunwale under water. The violence with which she struck the ground, and the weight of the gunt*. those on the quarter-deck tearing away the uu'nvark, soon made the ship aperfeet wreck abafl : only four or five guns could possibl be fired to alarm the convoy, and give notice of danger. On her striking the second time, most pitiful cries were heard every where between decks, many of the men giving themselves up to inevitable death. I was told that 1 might as well stay below, as there was an e(|ual likelihood of perishing if 1 got upon deck. I was determined to go, but first attempted to enter my cabin, and was in danger of having my legs broke by the chests floating about, as the bidk-heads were giving way : I therefore desisted, and endeavoured to get vpon deck, >vhich I eft'ected, after being several times washed down POST-CAPTAINS OF 1811. 363 the hatchway by the immense volume of water inoessantly pouring down. The ship still beating the frround very licavy, made it necessary to cling fast to some part of the wreck, to prevent being washed by the surges, or hurled by the dreadful concussions overboard, the people holding fast by the larboard bulwark of the quarter-deck, and in the main-channel, while our good Captain (John William Taylor Dixon) stood naked upon the cabin skylight-grating, holding fast by the stump of the niizen-mast, an-1 making use of every soothing expression which could have been sug- gested to encourage men in such a perilous situation. iVIost of the officers and men were entirely naked, not having had time to slip on even a pair of trowsers. Our horri' le situation every moment became more dreadful, until day-light appearing, about half-past 4 o'clock, discovered to us the land, at two cables distance, a long sandy beach, reaching to cape Mon- dego, three leagues to the southward of us. We afterwards perceived between 20 and 30 sail of the convoy ashore, both to the northward and southward, and several of them perfect wrecks. We were now certain of being on the coast of Portugal, from '.eeing the above cape, though, I am sorry to say, no person in the ship had the least idea of being so near that coast. It blowing hard, and a very great swell of the sea, or what is generally termed waves running mountains high, there was little prospect of being saved. About 8 A. M. there being every likelihood of the ship going to pieces, and the after part of her lying lowest. Captain Dixon ordered every person forward, which it was very ditticult to comply with, from the motion of the main-mast working on the larboard gunwale, there being no other way to remove ourselves. Rlr. Cook, the boatswain, had his thigh broke in endeavouring to get a boat over the side. Of six fine bouts not one was saved, they being all stove, and washed overboard with the booms, &c. Soon after the people got forward the ship parted at the gangways. The crew were now obliged to stow themselves in the fore- channels, and from thence to the bowsprit-end, to the number of 220; for out of 240 persons on board when the ship first struck, I suppose 20 to have previously perished between decks and otherwise. Mr. Luwton, the gunner, the fii^i |)rrson who attempted to swim ashore, was drowned: afterwards Lieiite.iunt Wilson, Mr. Runcie, surgeon, Mr. M'Cabe, surgeon's-mate, Mr. Standley, muster's-mate, and several men shared the same fate, though excellent Mwiniiners. About thirty persons had the good fortune to retich the shore, upon planks and spars, among whom were Lieutenant Harvey, and Mr. (Jailan), master's-mate. In the ensuing night our situation was truly horrid, the old men ami boys dying through hunger and fatigue— also IMc somewhat raised by seeing Lieutenant Harvey and Mr. Ctillam hoisting out a boat from one of the merchant ships to t'oine to the assistance of their distressed shipmates. They several times attonjptcd to launch her through the surf, but being a very heavy boat, and the sea on the beach acting 80 powerfully against them, they could not possibly effect it, though assisted by nearly 100 of the merchant sailors and Portuguese peasants. Several men went upon rafts this day, made from pieces of the wreck, but not one soul reached the shore; the wind having shifted, and the current setting out, they were all driven to sea ; among whom was our captain, who, about 3 P. INI. went on the jib-boom with three seamen: anxious to save the remiv^'-der of the ship's company, and too sanguine of getting safe ashore, he ventured upon the spar, saying, as he jumped into the sea, * My lads, Pll save you all.' In a few seconds he lost his hold of the jib-boom, which he could not regain: he drifted to sea, and perished. Such was also the fate of the three brave volunteers who chose to follow his fortune. " The loss of our captain, who, until now, had animated the almost lifeless crew, as well m the noUe carrtiotis of Lieutenant Hurnvij ami Mr. Callam, to launch the boat, not succeeding, every gleam of hope vanished, and we looked forward for certain death the ensuing night, not only from cold, hunger, and fatigue, but the expectation of the remaiiiin;r part of the wreck going to pieces every moment. Had not the Apollo been a new and well-built ship, that small portion could never have re- sisted the waves ami stuck 3o well together, particularly as all the after part from the chess-trees was gone, the starboard bow under water, the forecastle deck nearly perpendicular, the weight of the guns hanginj,' to the larboard bulwark on the inside, and the bower and spare anchors on the outside, which it was not prudent to cut away, as they afforded resting places to a considerable number of men, there being only the fore-channel and cat-heaH where it was possible to live, and about which were stowed upwards of 150 persons ; it being impracticable to continue any longer ia the head, or upon the bowsprit, l)y reason of the breakers washing com- pletely over them. The night drawing on, the wind increasing, with fre- quent showers of rain, and the forecastle being every instant expected to give way, when we must have all perished together, aflorded a spectacle truly deplorable, the bare recollection of which even now makes mo shudder. 'J'he piercing cries of the people this disujul night, whencvir a sea came over them, which happened every two minutes, were pitiful in the extren ' the water running down all over the body kept us conti- nually wet : the remaining strength of every one was exerted for his indi- vidual safety. From the crowding so close together in so narrow a com- pass, and the want of something to moisten t!ieir mouths xvith, several pour wretches were suffocated, which fre(|uently reujindcd me of the Dlack Hole ; with this only difference, that these poor sufferers were con- POST-CAPTAINS OF 1811. 365 fined l»y strong walls, wc by water. The least movement, without clinging fast, would have launched us into eternity. Some unfortunate wretches drank salt water ; several their own urine ; sorne chewed leather ; myself and many more chewed lead, from which we found considerable relief, by reason of its drawinsr the saliva, which wc swallowed. In less than an hour after the ship first struck the ground, all the provisions were under water, so that it was impossible to procure any. After the most painful night that it is possible to conceive, on day-light appearing, we observed Lieutenant Harvey and Mr. Callam again endeavouring to launch the boat. Several attempts were made without success, a number of men belonging to the merchant ships being much bruised and hurt in assisting ; alternate hopes and fears now pervaded our wretched minds ; fifteen men got safe on shore this morning, on pieces of the wreck. About three in the afternoon of the 4th, we had the inexpressible happiness of seeing the boat launched through the surf, by the indefatigable exertion of the above odicers, assisted by the masters of the merchant ships, with a number of Portuguese peasants, who were encouraged by IMr. Whitney, the British consul from Figuicra. All the crew then remaining on the wreck were brought safe on shore, praising (Jod for their happy deliverance from a shipwreck which has never had its parallel. As soon as I stept out of the boat, I found several persons whose humanity prompted them to offer me sustenance, though improperly, in spirits, which I avoided as much as possible. Our weak state may be conceived, when it is considered that wn received no nourishment from Sunday to Wednesday afternoon, and were continually exposed to the fury of the elements ; the greater part of us were badly brui. X' ' i* tijrator'a warrant officers with the louk-out on the forcastle. These precau- tions being' taken, and the top-sails double reefed, our course was pursued to the N. by W., with a fresh breeze and cloudy weather ; and at 8 o'clock the lead was cast, but no bottom found at 35 fathoms. The Bridgewatcr was then about half a mile on the starboard, and the Catb a mile on the larboard quarter ; and their distance seeming to increase at 9, when our rate of going was eight knots, the fore-sail was hauled up to keep them in sight : wind then at S. E. by E. " In half an hour, and almost at the same instant by the Investigator's carpenter on the fore-castle, and the master who had charge of the watch on the quarter-deck,— breakers were seen a-head. The helm was imme- diately put down, with the intention of tacking from them ; but the Por- poise having only her three top-sails set, double-reefed, scarcely came up to the wind. Lieutenant Fowler sprang upon deck, on hearing the noise ; but supposing it to be occasioned by carrying away the tiller-rope, a cir- cumstance which had often occurred in the Investigator, and having no orders to give, I remained some minutes longer, conversing with the gen- tlemen in the gun-room. On going up, I found the sails shaking in the wind, and the ship in the act of paying off; at the same time there were very high breakers at not a quarter of a cable's length to leeward. lu about a minute, the ship was carried amongst the breakers ; and striking upon a coral reef she took a fearful heel over on her larboard beam-ends, her head being north-eastward. A gun was attempted to be fired, to warn the other vessels of the danger ; but owing to the violent motion and the heavy surfs flying over, this could not be done immediately ; and before lights were brought up, the Bridgewater and Cato had hauled to the wind across each other. '* Our fore-nvtiit was carried away at the second or third shock ; and the bottom was presently reported to be stove in, and the hold full of water. When the surfs permitted us to look to windward, the Bridgewater and Cato were perceived at not more than a cable's length distance : and approaching each other so closely, that their running aboard seemed to us inevitable. This was an awful moment ; the utmost silence prevailed ; and when the bows of the two ships went to meet, even respiration seemed to be sus- pended. The ships advanced, and we expected to hear the dreadful crash ; but presently they opened off from each other, having passed side by side without touching ; the Cato steering to the N. E., and the Bridgewater to the southward. Our own safety seemed to have no other dependence than upon the two ships, and the exultation we felt at seeing this most immi- nent danger passed, was great, but of short duration ; the Cato struck upon the reef about two cables' length from the Porpoise : wc saw her fall over on her broadside, and the masts almost instantly disappeared ; but the darkness of the night did not admit of distinguishing, at that distance, what further might have happened. " Turning our eyes towards the Bridgewater, u light was perceived at l»OST-CAPTAINS OF 1811. 369 her mast-head, by which wc knew she had cleared the reef ; and our first sensations were, that the commander would certainly tack, and send boats to our assistance ; but when a little reflection had enabled us to put our- selves in his place, it became evident that he would not choose to come so near the reef in the night, blowing fresh as it did ; and still less to send his boats and people into the breakers, to their certain destruction. "The Porpoise had very fortunately heeled towards the reef; so that the surfs which struck against her turned-up side, flew over without wash- ing any thing otF the decks ; and the smooth appearance of the water under the lee, afforded a prospect of being able to get the boats out on that side. The experiment was tried with a small four-oarod gig, and succeeded ; but a six-oared cutler was jerked against the sheet anchor by the violence of the shocks, and being stove was filled with water. " It was by no means certain how long the ship, being slightly built and not in a sound state, might hold together ; it was therefore deemed expe- dient to lighten her, that she might drive further up the coral bank, and lie more easily. On sounding, the depth was found to be 17 fathoms on the windward side, but no more than a few feet on the reef; and Mr. Fowler ordered the main and mizen-masts, and the starboard anchor to be cut away ; but on my suggesting to him the possibility of driving over the reef, with the rise of the tide, and sinking in deep water as the Pandora had done *, the lightening of the ship was not prosecuted further. " Beyond the smooth water close under the lee, there was a line of break- ers, and further on the sea appeared to be tranquil ; it therefore seemed probably that boats might approach the ship on that si(^ , and if this in- formation could be conveyed to Captain Palmer of the Bridgewater, that something might i.e speedily done towards saving the crew ; and as it was likely that my influence with him might be greatest, and being a passen- ger in the Porpoise, no charge made my presence on board immediately necessary, I proposed to make the attempt in the gig, to which Mr. Fow- ler assented. The boat being obliged to lie at a little distance from the ship, to prevent being stove, I jumped overboard and swam to her ; and we pushed through the breakers to the smooth water, receiving two or three surfs by the way, from which we hardly escaped sinking. On ex- amining into the condition of the boat, I found nothing to bale out the water, and only two oars, which did not belong to it ; and instead of the proper crew of four men, there were only three j but under the thwarts were stowed away three others, the armourer, a cook, and a marine, who did not know how to handle an oar. These last were set to baling with their hats and shoes, and we rowed towards the Bridgewatei's light, keeping under the lee of the breakers. That ship was standing from us, and I saw that any attempt to get nearer before she tacked would be • Sec Vol. II. Part II. p. 768 et seq. SUPPL. PART II. 2 B It* lue lights every half hour, as a guide to the Bridgewater; but her light was lost to us in the boats at 11 o'clock, and after 2 in the morning it was no longer seen from the Porpoise. At that time it appeared to be low water, and the ship lay so much more quiet than before, that the apprehension of her going to pieces before daylight had much subsided : to be prepared however for the next flood, Mr. Fow- ler employed his people during the night in making a raft of the spare top-masts, yards, &c. with short ropes all round it, by which the pcoplu might hold on ; and a cask of water, with a chest containing some provi- sions, a sextant, and the Investigator's log books, were secured upon the raft, " Of the poor Cato, we could neither sec nor hear any thing. It appeared that Captain Park, when meeting the Bridgewater on opposite tacks, stop- ped setting his main-sail and bore away to leeward ; had he persevered, both ships must have romc upon the reef together; but by his presence of mind on this occasion, the Bridgewater weathered the breaker and es- caped the impending danger. When the Cato struck the reef, it was upon the point of a rock, under the larlioard chesstree; and she fell over to windward, with her decks exposed to the waves. In a short time the decks and holds were torn up, and every thing washed away ; and the sole place left, where the unfortunate people could hope to avoid the fury of the sea, was in the larboard fore-chnnnel, where they all crowded together, the greater part with no other covering than their shirts. Every time the sea struck the V/AUt, it twisted her about upon the rock with such violent jerks, that they expected the stern, which was down in the water, would part every moment. In this situation, some lashing themselves to the timber- heads, others clinging to the chain-plates and dead-eyes, and to each other, Captain Park and his crew passed the night ; their hope being, that the forecastle of the ship ntight hold upon the rock till morning, and that the POST-CAPTAINS OF 1811. 371 hether, with ' way agaiast mined to re- fa, and to lie morning, we ;utter, which, d off without ' furnished us giflf, near the ral rock, and daces without V of the boats I breakers be- ommunieution as a guide to at 11 o'clock, Porpoise. At ich more quiet lefore daylight ood, Mr. Fovv- t of the spare Ich the people jg some provi- secured upon . It appeared te tacks, stop- le persevered, y his presence reaker and es- ;f , it was upon le fell over to time the decks the sole place ry of the sen, together, the •y time the sea I violent jerks, r, would piii"' to the timber- to each other, eing, that the g, and that the Bridgewater would then send her boats to save them. From the Porpoise they entertained no hope ; and until the signal lights were seen, they thought her gone to pieces. " At the first dawning of day, I got on board the Porpoise by the help of the fallen masts. Every body was in good spirits at seeing the ship hold together so well, and finding the boats safe ; for the gig, with all in her, had been given up for lost, some one having thought he saw her sink in the breakers. With the day-light appeared a dry sand bank, not more than half a mile distant, sutBciently large to receive us all, with what pro- visions might be got out of the ship ; and the satisfaction arising from this discovery was increased by the Bridgewater being perceived under sail, and tliough distant, that she was standing towards the reef. On the other side, the appearance of the poor Cato, with the people waving to us from the bowsprit and forecastle, the only parts above water, was truly distressing. " The reef seemed to be a mile in breadth, and it extended in an east and west direction, to a distance beyond what could be distinguished from the Porpoise's deck ; but there were in it several wide, and apparently deep openings, by which the Bridgewater might run to leeward ; and there anchor or lie to, whilst sending her boats to uur assistance. Having made these remarks, I left Mr. Fowler and his people getting up water and pro- visions ; and went to the bank for the purpose of being ready to go off' in the gig, so soon as that ship should be near enough, and pointing out to Captain Palmer the means by which he might take on board the two crews, and what else might be saved ; but he went upon the other tack soon after- ward, and no more was seen of him during the day. " A number of i>ca-birds' eggs scattered over the bank, showed that it was above high-water mark ; and I sent the gig back with this intelligence to Lieutenant Fowler. Seeing that the Bridgewater did not approach, he ordered the boat to lie opposite to the Cato ; and Captain Park and his men, throwing themselves into the water with any pieces of spar or plank they could find, swam to her through the breakers ; and were then taken to the Porpoise, where they received food and some clothing. Several were bruised against the coral rocks, and three young lads were drowned. " At low-water, which happened about two o'clock, the reef was dry very near to the Porpoise, and both olHcers and men were assiduously cm- ployed in getting upon it provisions and their clothes ; they were brought from thence by the boats, for the depth was several feet at a distance round the bank. Before dark, five half hogsheads of water, some flour, salt meat, rice, and spirits were landed, with such of the pigs and sheep as had es- caped drowning ; and every man from both ships had got on shore. Some of the Cato's sailors appeared in olficers' uniforms, given to them in the Porpoise ; and I was pleased to see that our situation was not thought so bud by the people, as to hinder all pleasantry upon these promotions. Those who had saved great coats or blankets shared with the less fortunate, and wc laid down to sleep on the sand in tolerable tranquillity, being much 2r2 372 POSt-CAPTAINS OV 1811. SJ' oppressed with fatigue ; and except from those of the Cato's men who had been bruised or cut by the rocks, there was not a complaining voice heard on the bank. •' The Porpoise's two cutters and the gig were hauled up to high-water mark ; but the latter not liaving been well secured, and the night tide rising higher than was expected, it was carried away, to our great loss. In the morning, we had the satisfaction to see the ship still entire, and thrown higher up the reef ; the Cato had gone to pieces, and all that re- mained was one of the quarters, which had floated over the front ledge of the reef, and lodged near our bank. Of the Bridgewater nothing could be seen ; and many fears were entertained for her safety. *' For the better preservation of discipline, and of that union between the crews of the Porpoise and Cato and passengers of the Investigator, so necessary in our circumstances, it was highly expedient that they should be put on the same footing, and united under one head. The Porpoise was lost beyond a poi^sibility of hope, and the situation of the commander and crew thereby rendered similar to that of their passengers; I therefore considered myself authorized and called upon, as the senior oflicer, to take the command of the whole ; and my intention being communicated to Lieutenant Fowler, he assented without hesitation to its expediency and propriety ; and I owe to Captain Park a similar acknowledgment. * • • " A top-sail yard was set up and secured as a flag staff on the highest port of the bank, and a large blue ensign hoisted to it with the union down- ward, as a signal to the Bridgewater. We expected, if no accident had happened, that she would come to relieve us from our critical situation so soon as the wind should be perfectly moderate ; but I judged it most pru- dent to act as if we had no such resource, and this was justified by the event. Captain Palmer had even then abandoned us to our fate, and was, at the moment, steering away for Batavia, without having made any efl'ort to give us assistance. He saw the wrecks, as also the sand bank, on the morning after our disaster, and must have known that the reef was not all connected, since it is spoken of by him as lying in patches ; but he did not seek to ascertain whether any of the openings were passable for the Bridg- water, and might enable him to take those on board who had escaped drowning. He bore away round all ; and whilst the two hapless vessels were still visible from the mast-head, passed the leeward extremity of the reef, and hove to for the night. The apprehension of danger to himself roust then have ceased ; but he neither attempted to work up in the smooth water, nor sent any of his boats to sec whether some unfortunate indivi- duals were not clinging to the wrecks, whom he might snatch from the sharks, or save from a more lingering death : it was safer, in his estimation, to continue on his voyage and publish that >ve were all lost, as he did not fail to do on his arrival in India. " The wind blew fresh from the south-eastward on the 18th and I9tli, but on the two following days it was moderate, with fine weather ; we POST-CAPTATNS OP 1811. 373 worked hard on board the Porpoise, and by tlic 22d had got most of the water and provisions secured in a lar^e tettt made with spars and sails ; each mess of officers and men had also their private tent ; and our manner of living and working had assumed the same regularity as before the ship- wreck. " Our prospects of receiving succour from tiie Bridgewater having be- come very feeble, after two days of moderate weather had elapsed, I called a council of all the officers, tu deliberate upon the best means of relieving ourselves from the precarious situation in which our misfortune, and Cap- tain Palmer's want of energy and humanity, had left us exposed ; and it was tinally determined, that an officer and crew, in the largest of the two six-oared cutters, should endeavour to get to Sandy Cape, 63 leagues dis- tant, and from thence along the coast to Port Jackson, and pray his Ex- cellency, the Governor, to send vessels to carry us either back to that port, or on towards England. But as the safe arrival of the cutter at that sea- son of the year, when strong winds usually prevail from the southward, was a subject of much apprehension ; it was resolved that two decked boats, capable of transporting every person remaining on the bank, cx>^ cepting one officer and boat's crew, should be immediately laid down by the carpenters, to be Imilt from what was already, and might be still fur- ther saved from the wreck ; and that, if the officer in the cutter did not return with assistance in two months, the boats should then, or as soon after as they could be ready to sail, proceed to Port Jackson. The first, and principal means, however, through which our deliverance was to be expected, being the safe arrival of the cutter, the choice of an officer to conduct her was next considered. Lieutenant Fowler proposed, and it seemed to be the general wish, that I should undertake the execution of the task ; and being satisfied that the ^reservation of order on the bank, and the saving of the stores would be left in good hands, the hope of being instrumental to the general safety induced me readily to comply. • • • " On Aug. 26, the largest cutter being ready for her expedition, was launched, and named the Hope. The morning was fine, and wind light from the southward ; and notwithstanding its being Friday, which in the seaman's calendar is the most unfortunate of the whole week to commence a voyage, I embarked for Port Jackson, with the commander of the Cato. • #•»*♦_ T^g reader has perhaps never gone 250 leagues at sea in an open boat, or along a strange coast inhabited by savages ; but if he recollect the 80 officers and men upon Wreck-Reef Bank, and how important was our arrival to their safety, and to the saving of the charts, journals, and papers of the Investigator's voyage, he may have some idea of the pleasure we felt, but particularly myself, at entering our destined port •." See Flinders' Voyage to Terra Australia, II. 2y7— 321. 0 : 1^ ,! II ; lii s m¥ m 374 POST-CAPTAINS OF 1811. An officer who remained on the bank, relating what occur- red there during the absence of Captain Flinders, says, *' A saw-pit was formed, the forge set up, and every thing got in for- wardness for laying down a new boat. Our toils were for the present at an end, and we were a very comfortable community, lodged in huts made of sails, looking forward with patience to the arrival of a ship, and each amusing himself in the way best suited to his inclination. An island, situated about nine or ten miles E. by N. of us, attracted our attention, and was visited in the remidning boat, by Lieutenant Fowler, soon after the departure of Captain Flinders. It was much larger, and more perfect in its formation, than our own, being nearly a mile in circumference, abounding in birds, with turtle occasionally visiting it ; and it moreover was covered pretty deeply with vegetable soil. The birds were chiefly oceanic, and had resorted thither to hatch their young, which afforded us an opportunity of procuring eggs in plenty. The first visit to this spot repaid us with a supply of all its delicacies, for the boat returned loaded ; one turtle was caught, and the cargo was completed with eggs and birds, which was an incitement to future adventurers. About this time also, wc had a heavy and productive fall of rain, which came down in such torrents one morning, that our tents were not proof against its violence, and wo were turned out of our beds ; but were amply repaid for the interruption of our repose by a fortnight's supply of excellent wholesome water. This was put to the general stock, and gave confirmation to our hopes of re- lease ; for we dreaded at first want of water, which, under a hot sun, is infinitely more distressing than scarcity of victuals. Bread was the only perishable article in the ship, and it was, as you can easily suppose, spoiled by the salt water ; but we had flour in abundance, which, when mixed up with a little salt water and hog's-lard, and baked in the ashes, made a palatable substitute : of fresh water, we had never less than half a gallon a day, so that our situation was neither irksome nor ptunful. Half allowance, or a gill of spirits, was daily served, over which wc talked in the evening ; oeconomy and care were only wanting, to make the allowance adequate to our appetites*." Captain Flinders arrived at Port Jackson on the 8th Sept. 1803 : the following is an extract of his official letter to Governor King, announcing the fate of the Porpoise : " I think it proper to notice to your Excellency, that the great exer- tions of Lieutenant Fowler, and his officers and ship's company, as well as the passengers belonging to the Investigator, in saving his Majesty's stores, have been very praise-worthy ; and I judge, that the precautions that were taken will exonerate the commander of the Porpoise from the • Nov. Cfiron. xvi, 227 ft iicq. POST-CAPTAINS OF 1811. 375 bluine that might otherwise be attached to tlie loss of his Majesty's armed vessel*." Governor King lost no time in engaging the ship Rolla, Mr,' Robert Cumming commander, then lying in Sydney- Cove, bomid to China, to go to the rescue of the officers and men on Wreck-Reef Bank ; and as Captain Flinders agreed with him, that the Cumberland colonial schooner, of 29 tons, was capable of performing the voyage to England by way of Torres* Strait, he directed the commissary to make that vessel over to him, and to complete her from the stores of the Investigator. The Francis, another vessel of the same description, was likewise ordered to accompany the Rolla, for the purpose of receiving and bringing back those who preferred returning to Port Jackson, and as many stores as she could carry. Every thing being prepared for his departure, Captain Flinders sailed out of the harbour on the 21st Sept. at day- light, but did not get sight of the ensign upon the top of the bank till the /th of the following month. " It was six weeks on this day," says he, " since I had quitted the reef in the boat, for the purpose of seeking the means to relieve my offi- cers and people. The bank was first seen from the Rolla's mast head, and soon afterwards two boats were perceived under sail: advancing nearer, we saw one boat make for the Rolla, and the other returning to the bank. The Porpoise had not yet gone to pieces ; but was still lying on her beam ends, high up on the reef, a frail, but impressive monument of our misfortune. In the afternoon I anchored under the lee of the bank, in 18 fathoms coral sand, and a salute of 11 guns from it was immediately fired, the carronades of the Porpoise having been trans- ported from the wreck. • • • • " The two boats we had seen were the Porpoise's remaining cutter, and a new boat constructed during my absence ; it was just completed, and Lieutenant Fowler had this morning gone out to try its sailing against the cutter. // teas about the size of the Cumberland, had a deck, and was called the Resource. " On the 10th, three days after our arrival, the Rolla had received the people destined for her, with part of the provisions and stores ; and the Cumberland was ready to sail • • ♦ ♦ " The officers' journals, which were to be sent to the admiralty at the conclusion of the voyage, had not been demanded at the time of our M'i ^ i ilii! ^•y<\U • Nav. Chron. v. 32, p. 184. 376 P08T-CAPTAINS OF 181 1. shipwreck ; Lieutenant Fowler was therefore directed to take all that were saved belonging to the officers embarked with him in the Rolla ; and lest any accident should happen to the Cumberland, I committed to his charge a copy of four charts, being all of the east and north coasts which there had been time to get ready ; with these he took a short letter to the Se- cretary of the Admiralty, and one to the Victualling Board, inclosing such vouchers as had been saved from the wreck.*' • • • • «« At noon (Oct. 11) we parted company with three cheers, the Rolla steering north- eastward for China, whilst my course was directed for Torres' Strait*." At Canton, Lieutenant Fowler embarked as a passenger on board the Hon. £. I. C. ship Earl Camden^ commanded by Captain Nathaniel Dance, the senior oflBcer of a most valu- able homeward bound China fleet, consisting of sixteen sail of what are commonly denominated " 1200- ton ships," the registered tonnage of most of which exceeds 1300, and in some cases amounts to 1500 tons. On the 31st Jan. 1804, this fleet sailed from Canton, ac- companied by eleven country ships and two other merchant- men, which Captain Dance had been ordered by the Select Committee to convoy as far as their courses lay in the same direction. The Ganges, a fast sailing armed-brig, in the Hon. Company's service, likewise sailed with him, to be em- ployed in any manner that might tend to the safety or con- venience of his charge. Captain Dance's celebrated rencontre with the French Rear- Admiral Linois is described in an official letter from him to the Hon. Court of Directors^i of which the following are ex- tracts : — . * . " On the 14th Feb., at day-break, we saw Pulo Auro, W. S. W. and at 8 A. M. the Royal George made the signal for seeing four strange sail in the S. W. I made the signal for the four ships named in the margin f to go down and examine them ; and Lieutenant Fowler, R. N. late commander of the Porpoise, having handsomely offered to go in the Ganges and inspect them nearly, I afterwards sent her down likewise ; and from their signals I perceived it was an enemy's squadron, consisting of a line-of- battle ship, three frigates, and a brig. At 1 P. M., I recalled the look-out ships, and formed the line of battle in close order. " As soon as the enemy could fetch our wake, they put about; we kept • See Flinders' Voyage, v. 2, pp. 322—330. t Alfred, Royal George, Bombay Castle, and Hope. POST-C\PTAINS OF 1811. 377 oti our course under an easy sail : at near sun-set they were close in our rear, and I was in momentary expectation of an attack there, and prepared to support it; but at the close of the day we perceived them haul to wind- ward. I sent Lieutenant Fowler, in the Ganges brig, to station the country ships on our lee-bow, by which we were between them and the enemy ; and having so done, he returned with some volunteers from them. " We lay-to in line of battle all night, our men at their quarters : at day break on the 15th, we saw the enemy about 3 miles to windward, lying-to ; we hoisted our colours, offering him battle if he chose to come down. The enemy's four ships hoisted French colours, the line-of-battle-ship carrying a Rear-Admiral's flag ; the brig was under Batavian colours. '* At 9 A. M. finding they would not come down, we formed the order of sailing, and steered our course under an easy sail ; the enemy then filled, and stood towards us. > " At 1 P. M. finding they proposed to attack and cut off our rear, I made the signal to tack and bear down on them, and engage in succes- sion, the Royal George being the leading ship, the Ganges next*, and then the Earl Camden. This manoeuvre was correctly performed, and we stood to- wards him under a press of sail. The enemy then formed in a very close line, and opened their fire on the headmost ships, which was not returned by us till we approached nearer. The Royal George bore the brunt of the action, and got as near the enemy as they would permit her. The Ganges and Earl Camden opened their fire as soon as their guns could have effect; but before any other ship could get into action, the enemy hauled their wind, and stood away to the eastward, under all the sail they could set. At 2 P. M . I made the signal for a general chase, and we pursued them till 4 P. M, ; when fearing a longer pursuit would carry us too far from the mouth of the straits, and considering the immense property at stake, I made the signal to tack : at 8 P. M. we anchored in a situation to proceed for the entrance of the straits in the morning. As long as we could dis- tinguish the enemy, we perceived them steering to the eastward under a press of sail. The Royal George had one man killed and another wounded, many shot in her hull, and more in her sails ; but few shot touched either the Camden or Ganges * •••••. " / received great assistance from the advice and exertions of Lieutenant Fowler, whose meritorious conduct in this instance, I hope the Hon, Court will communicate to the Lords of the Admiralty. " From Malacca, I despatched Lieutenant Fowler, in the Ganges brig, to Pulo Penang, with a packet from the Select Committee to the captain of any of his Mtyesty's ships, soliciting convoy to this very valuable fleet. • ••*•». AVe arrived at St. Helena the 9th June, under convoy of H. M. ships Albion and Sceptre f." •••••••• The squadron under Mons. Linois consisted of the Ma- * Another 1200.ton ship, t See Suppl. Part I. p. 146. f •* \t$% y m m if 'i I r I i 378 POST-CAPTAINS OF 1811. rengo 74, Belle Poule and Semillante, frigates, Burceau 22- gun corvette, and Aventurier 16-gun brig ; the latter belong- ing to the colonial government at Batavia, from whence he had sailed purposely to intercept the China fleet, the pro- perty on board of which it is said was of the value of more than 11,000,000/. sterling ! The East India Company most liberally rewarded the commanders, officers, and seamen of this fleet, for their excellent conduct on the above occasion. To Lieutenant Fowler they presented 300 guineas for the purchase of a piece of plate. The Committee for managing the Pa- triotic Fund also came forward in a munificent manner. From that Society he received a sword value 50 guineas, with a suitable inscription. Captain Dance was further re- warded with tlie honor of knighthood, and the most marked expressions of his late Majesty's approbation *. The subject of this memoir arrived at the Admiralty, Aug. 9, 1804; obtained the rank of Commander Feb. 4, 1806, and was appointed to the Crocus brig about Aug. 1808. His post commission bears date April 20, 1811. He married, June 16, 1813, Caroline Matilda, eldest daughter of James Dashwood, of Harley Street, London, Esq. Mrs. Fowler died in 1816. ^^ew^*.— Messrs. Cooke, Halford, and Son. WILLIAM FITZWILLIAM OWEN, Esq. Governor of the Island of Fernando Po ; and a Member of the Astronomu cat Society^. Brother to Sir Edward W. C. R. Owen, K. C. B. M. P. &c. &c, * Sir Nathaniel Dance died at Enfield, co. Middlesex, in Mar. 1827, aged nearly 79 years. t We cannot but notice with exultation the number of naval officers who are associated in the meritorious labour of that useful body the As- tronomical Society : by subjoining their names, a proof will be afforded that our service combines a prominent scientific rank with its zeal and courage: H. R. H. the Lord High Admiral, Sir Edward W. C. R. Owen % ; Cap- tains William D'Urban, William Henry Shirreff, Francis Beaufort J, Wil- liam F. Owen, Basil Hall, John Ross, Armar Lowry Corry, William Ed- \ Member/) of the Council. POST-CAPTAINS OP 1811. 379 This officer served as a midshipman of the Cullodcn 74, Captain Isaac Schomberg, on the ^.orious first of June, 1794; and was in the Ruby 64, Captain Edwin Henry Stan- hope, at the capture of a Dutch squadron, in Saldanha bay, Cape of Good Hope, Aug. 18, 179G*; he subsequently joined the London 98, bearing the flag of Vice- Admiral John Colpoys, with whom he quitted her during the general mutiny at Spit- head, in May 1797. For his conduct on that trying occasion, he was soon afterwards presented with a commission. At the renewal of hostilities, in 1S03, Lieutenant Owen obtained the command of the Sea Flower, a 14-guii brig, in which vessel he captured le Charles, French national ketch, at the island of Rodriguez, July 15, 1806. In Sept following, we find him exploring part of the Maldiva islands, and their separating channels, which had never been regularly investi- gated : the additional information thus procured respecting them is duly acknowledged in an appendix to ** Horsburgh*s Sailing Directions" On the 10th Nov. in the same year, he discovered an excellent channel, now bearing the name of his brig, situated between the islands of Se-Beeroo and Se Pora, near the west coast of Sumatra. In our memoir of Viscount Exmouth, we have stated, that the Sea Flower conducted that officer's squadron through a very intricate navigation into Batavia roads, Nov. 27, 1806 : his gallant conduct, at the destruction of the Dutch shipping lying there, is thus acknowledged in the official letter an- nouncing that event : — " The boats of the squadron assembled alongside the Terpsichore, which, with the Sir Francis Drake, had been placed as near as possible to cover them, and were led in to destroy the enemy's ships by Captain Fleet- wood Pellew, under a heavy fire from the ships and batteries. * • • • * " The gallant conduct of Captain Fleetwood Peilew, Lieutenant W. Fitzwilliam Owen, and Lieutenant T. Groube, first of the CuUoden, the officers, seamen, and marines employed under their command, in this im- ward Parry, John Franklin, William Henry Smyth %, John George Graham, Frederick William Beechey; Commanders John Molesworth, Pringle Stokes, Henry Foster, Hon. John Frederick F. De Roos, James Clark Ross ; Lieutenants George Young, William Samuel Stratford J, George Bcaufoy, Charles Ramsay Drinkwatcr, Thomas Graves, and — Kendall. ♦ Sen Vol. I. Parti, p. 51. m mmn 5> 380 POST-CAPTAINS OV 1811. portant duty, is deserving of every praise. The service waa directed vvitlt great coolness and judgment, and executed in tlie most steady, zealous, and active manner. • * • • • ** Tlie necessary destruction of tlie William corvette • has deprived me of an opportunity of rewarding the services of Lieutenant Owen on this occasion ; I therefore beg leave to recommend him and Lieutenant Groube, who were appointed to lead divisions on this service, to their lordships' protection." (Signed) " Emv. Pellew." On the 11th Dec. 1807, Lieutenant Owen assisted at the total annihilation of the Dutch naval force in the Eastern Seas t : his commission as a Commander bears date May 20, 1808. Sometime afterwards, he had the misfortune to be taken prisoner, and carried to the Isle of France ; from whence he was allowed to depart in a cartel, just before the conquest of that valuable colony in 1810. Captain Owen's next appointment was to the Barracouta of 18 guns, on the East Indi-i station ; and he joined that vessel time enough to assist at the blockade of Batavia, pre- paratory to the invasion of Java. Whilst thus employed, one of his boats, with 8 men, under the command of acting Lieu- tenant George Tyrrell, was attacked by a piratical proa, hav- ing on board about 50 Malays, every one of whom was either killed or driven into the sea j Mr. Tyrrell then secured the vessel and carried her off to the Leda frigate, which had hove in sight just at the close of the desperate conflict %. On the arrival of the expedition under Lieutenant-General Sir Samuel Auchmuty and Commodore Broughton, the sub- ject of this sketch was ordered to assist Captain Sayer, of the Leda, in directing the debarkation of the troops, at Chilling- ching ; and he continued attached to the army until after the surrender of Batavia, Aug. 8, 181 1 §. His promotion to post rank took place on the 2d May, in the same year. We next find Captain Owen commanding the Cornelia, a 32-gun frigate. On the 20th Nov. 1811, when escorting some transports from Batavia towards Bombay, he accidentally • See Vol. I, Part I, p. 223. t See Suppl. Part I, p. 404 et teq. " X Nav. Chron. v. 27, p. 198. § See Vol. II. Part I. p. 365. I>08T-CAPTAINS OP 1811. 381 saw the bottom, and carried soundings of 19 and 20 fatbomS over a bank now bearing his name, but the extent of which he could not stop to ascertain : at the time of his discovering it, he made the latitude 6° 46' 30" S. and the longitude by chronometer was 70° 12' E. The ships in company vrith him had no soundings. The Cornelia returned home with a con- voy from China, and was paid off, in 1813. Since 1815, Captain Owen has surveyed the Lakes in Ca- nada -f and the coasts of Asia and Africa, from Cape Comorin, along the coasts of Malabar and Surat, the whole extent of the sea-side of Persia and Arabia, the east side of Africa (in- cluding Madagascar, the Seychelles, and other islands), and the Atlantic shores of that continent, to the river Gambia. He is at present employed in forming a new settlement at Fer- nando Po, an island in the Bight of Benin ; it being supposed that it will prove not only a more healthy situation than Sierra Leone, but that it will also afford greater facilities for the prevention of the slave-trade. We very much regret, that it is not at present in our power to give a more perfect sketch of the services of this gallant, enterprising, and scientific officer. At a future period we may be enabled to do so. Agents* — Messrs. Maude and Co. MANLEY HALL DIXON, Esq. Eldest surviving child of Admiral Sir Manley Dixon, K.C.B. by Miss Christiana Hall, of Jamaica. This officer was born in the parish of Stoke Dumarell, co. Devon, June 8, 1786; and he entered the navy in June, 1794, under the immediate protection of his father, with whom he served as midshipman, master's mate, and acting Lieutenant, in the Porcupine of 24 guns, TEspion 40, the Lion 64, and le Gen^reux 74 ; on the Channel, North Sea, Irish, and Mediterranean stations, until Captain Dixon's removal to the Alexander 74, about June 1801. In I'Espion, Mr. Dixon witnessed the capture of le Buo- naparte French privateer, of 17 guns and 110 men, Feb. 14, 1797 : the important services performed by the Lion have been fully described at pp. 375—378 of Vol. I. Part I. Le !.1 ■t . i ,1 -It m^m ,! * 1 i r 3&2 POST. CAPTAINS OK 1811. Gendreiix, while employed in the blockade of Malta, assisted ,xt at the capture of la Diane French frigate, mounting 42 guns, but with only 114 men on board, the remainder having been landed at la Valette, to assist at the defence of that garrison *. In Aug. 1801, Mr. Dixon was appointed acting Lieutenant of the Alexander, in which ship he continued, under the com- mand of his father, until she was paid oflF at Portsmouth, in Aug. 1802. His first commission bears date April 18, 1802. Lieutenant Dixon's next appoir .ment was, Oct. 1803, to be third of the Terrible 74, Captain Lord Henry Paulet, tlien employed in the blockade of the enemy's ports, but subse- quently forming part of the s([uadron under Sir R. J. Strachan, despatched to St. Helena in quest of an equal number of French line-of-battle-ships, one of which was commanded by Jerome, brother to Napoleon Buonaparte. On the 19th May, 1806, Sir Richard J. Strachan again sailed from Plymouth in pursuit of the same French squadron ; and on this occasion he was likewise accompanied by the Ter- rible. After cruising for some time off Madeira and the Ca- nary islands, he proceeded to Barbadoes, ^^\here he received so good information, that the night of Aug. 18th fell upon both squadrons nearly in the same latitude, and within a de- gree of the same longitude ; the British experiencing a tre- mendous hurricane in lat. 21° 25' N. long. 62" W. the enemy, in lat. 22° N. long. 63° W. The accidental circumstance of a day's earlier departure from Carlisle bay, might have ena- bled Sir Richard to have crossed the path of the French Ad- miral, Mons. Villaumez, as the latter was returning to his cruising ground from the eastward, after unsuccessfully seek- ing for Jerome Buonaparte, who had unceremoniously quitted his protection, eighteen days before. In the above hurricane, which continued with unabated vio- lence for 36 hours, the Terrible was totally dismasted, and had all her boats either blown or washed away ; her tiller broke, and the spare one was scarcely shipped before it did the same : — ik* this alarming situation, and left to the fury of * Ld Dlaae struck to the squadron under Captain George Martin, after a c'liaae of some lioura. and a running fight with the Succcaa frigate, C'ap« lain Shuldham Pcard. I'OST-CAPTAINS OF 1811. 383 the storm, without a vessel of any description in sight, one of her lower-deck guns nearly got adrift, but, providentially, through the active exertions of hgr pilicers and crew, the im- minent danger that at this instant seemed to threaten every one on board was speedily averted. In 48 hours after the hurricane subsided, the Terrible was completely jury-rigged, and ready to set studding sails if wanted ! ! Lieutenant Dixon quitted the Terrible, at Plymouth, in Nov. 1806 ; and remained upon half pay till June 4, 1807, when he was appointed second of the Horatio frigate. Captain George Scott. In Sept. following, the Horatio sailed from Poitsmouth for Quebec, w^ith Sir James Craig, the newly-appointed Gover- nor-General of Canada. S'le was subsequently employed on the North American and West India stations. In 1 808, Lieutenant Dixon became first of the Horatio ; and on the lOth Feb. 1809, he was badly wounded by a mus- ket-ball (which entered his left groin and passed through the Ihigh), while engaging la Junon French frigate, — the capture of which ship has been described at p. 147 et seq. of Vol. II. Part I. For his gallant conduct on this occasion, he was promoted to the rank of Commander, and his commission as such dated back to the day of the action. He returned to England, as a passenger on board the Hussar frigate, in the month of June following. In the summer of 1810, we find Captain Dixon serving as a volunteer under his father, on the Baltic station. Towards the latter end of the same year, he obtained the command of the Fly brig, in which vessel he continued until his advance- ment to post rank, June 28, 1811. From that period he served as flag-captain to Rear Admiral Dixon, in the Vigo and Montague, 74's, on the Baltic and South American sta- tions, until July 1813, when he exchanged with Captain Pe- ter Hey wood into the Nereus 42. After accompanying the homeward bound trade to the northward as far as the equator. Captain Dixon returned to Rio de Janeiro, from whence he was sent to assume the command of a small squadron stationed in the Rio de la Pl.'ita, where he continued until relieved by Captain Sir Ed- r 5' I. M Mr \ I i l^' .H* ' 384 POST-CAPTAINS OP 1811. ward Tucker, in Aug. 1814. The Nereus was paid oflf in Jan. 1815. Captain Dixon enjoys a pension of 250/. per annum for the wound he received Feb. 10, 1809. He married, April 18, 1815, Harriet, second daughter of William Foot, of Devon- port, Esq. His only surviving brother, Mathew Charles Dixon, Esq. is a captain in the royal engineers. WILLIAM BROOKING DOLLING, Esq. Nephew to Superannuated Kear-Admiral Samuel Brooking. This officer was made a Lieutenant in Aug. 1797, and he received the Turkish gold medal for his services during the Egyptian campaign : his promotion to the rank of Comman- der took place, Aug. 6, 1805. We subsequently find him in the Trompeuse corvette, on the Downs station. On the 1 5th May, 1809, being then in company with the Badger brig. Captain Dolling discovered eleven French armed schuyts, standing to the eastward from Boulogne ; and on his approach, they endeavoured to put into Ambleteuse ; but three of them having overshot that harbour, were obliged to go round Cape Grisnez, where they were attacked in the ensuing night by the boats of the British vessels, under the direction of Lieutenant Strong, of the Trompeuse : two of them, mounting 2 long 6-pounders and 2 howitzers, with 13 men each, were boarded and brought out under a heavy fire from the enemy's batteries and musketry on the beach ; and the third was driven amongst the rocks, where she appeared to be rendered useless. One person belonging to the Trom- peuse was slightly wounded ; the enemy had two men wound- ed, and six threw themselves into the sea. Capttdn DoUing's post commission bears date, Aug. 1, 1811. Agents, '-'MesBra. Atkins & Son. JOHN RICHARDS LAPENOTIERE, Esq. This officer's great-grandfather, Frederick De La Penotierc, was the son of a French nobleman ; but he held the rank of Colonel in the English army, and married Bridget, daughter of the Hon. John Fielding, D. D. fifth and youngest son of POST-CAPTAINS OP 1811. 385 William, third Earl of Denbigh, and chaplain to King Wil- liam III. .n • Mr. John Richards Lapenotiere wias born at Ilfracombe, co. Devon, in 17/0 ; and he first went to sea in the Three Sisters, hired armed ship, under the protection of his father, Lieuten- ant Frederick Lapenotiere, in 1780 *. His first professional patron was Rear-Admiral the Hon. John Leveson Gower, a Lord Commissioner of the Admiralty. In May, 1785, Mr. Richard Cadman Etches and other tra- ders entered into a commercial partnership, under the title of the King George's Sound Company ^ for carrying on a fur trade from the western coast of America, to China ; and in order to execute this design, they purchased a ship of 320 tons, and a snow of 200 tons j the command of the former, and of the intended expedition, was given to Mr. Nathaniel Port- lock, a gentleman who had accompanied Captain Cook in his last voyage into the Pacific Ocean, and who was therefore considered a proper person to conduct an adventure which required no common knowledge and experience. The novelty of this enterprise attracted the notice of several eminent per- < sons, who promoted it by their approbation and countenance. Several young gentlemen, who had evinced an inclination to engage in a seafaring life, were put under Mr. Portlock*8 care, for the purpose of being initiated in the knowledge of : « a profession which requires length of experience, rather than supereminence of genius. Amongst these youngsters was Mr. John R. Lapenotiere, whose great-uncle, Samuel Salt, of the Middle Temple, Esq. M. P. was at that time Deputy-Go- vernor of the South Sea Company, and a warm patron of the new undertaking. Mr. Portlock sailed from Gravesend, Aug. 30, 1785 ; and anchored in Margate roads, on his return home, Aug. 24, i :.i !: II V- i;= li f j: II ■ ); iii * Lieutenant Frederick Lapenotiere entered the navy under the patrou- agc of Daniel, seventh Earl of Winchelaea, then First Lord of the Admiralty, but who unfortunately died before his proteg^ had been long at sea. Lieu- tenant Lapenotiere was distantly related to the Countess of Winchelsca. SUPPL. PART II. 2 c 386 POST-CAVTAINS OF 1811. 1(V' 1788. The result of the voyage will be seen by the following extract of his narrative, published in 1 789 : — " That the King George's Sound Company have not accumulated im- mense fortunes may perhi^s be true ; but it is no less certain that they are gainers to the amount of some thousands of pounds ; and that the voy- age did not answer the utmost extent of their wishes, undoubtedly was owing to their own inexperience j for when the King George and Queen Charlotte arrived at Canton, and even a month after that period, prime sea-otter skins sold for from 80 to 90 dollars each. Of this quality, these ships had at least 2000 on board, besides a large quantity of furs of infe- rior value : but though we could have sold our cargo with ease, we were not at liberty to dispose of one single article ; the sole management of it being vested in the hands of the East India Company's supercargoes ; and at length the skins just mentioned were sold for less than 20 dollars each*." Some time after Mr. Lapenotiere's return to England, in the King George, the late commander of H. M. armed ship Bounty also returned from the South Pacific, with an ac- count of his having been turned out of her, and obliged to cross a sea of more than 1200 leagues in an open and deeply loaded boat : — all the circumstances attending that transac- tion have been truly stated at p. 747 ^t seq. of Vol. II. Part II. Although the mutiny to which we allude had entirely frus- trated the designs of the British government in sending out the Bounty, yet it did not lessen their zeal for benefiting the West India islands ; accordingly, as soon as circumstances permitted, a new bread-fruit expedition was set on foot under the same commander, but who, on this occasion, was pro- vided with a tender to succour him in case of a similar mis- hap. In this tender (the Assistance of 110 tons, with a com- plement of 27 men) Mr. Lapenotiere again left England, under the command of Lieutenant Portlock, Aug. 2, 1791 ; and re- turned home with that officer, at the commencement of Aug. 1793 1. During these two interesting voyages to and from the South Seas, Mr. Lapenotiere successively visited Guern- sey, Madeira, St. J ago, Falklands and the Sandwich islands, Cook's river. Prince William's Sound, Macao, and St. Helena; Teneriffe, the Cape of Good Hope, Van Dieman's Land, Ota- Portlock's yoj/age rmnd the fVorld, p. 382. t See Vol. II. Part 11. note • at p. 630. POST-CAPTAINS OP 1811. 387 heite, Coupang (Timor), the island of St. Vincent, Jamaica, and the Grand Cayman *. In Mar. 1794, Mr. Lapenotiere joined the flag-ship of Sir John Jervis, under whom he served at the reduction of the French West India islands, after which conquests he was pro- moted by that officer to the rank of Lieutenant, and appointed to command the Berbice schooner. He returned home as first of the Resource frigate. Captain Frederick Watkins f. In 1800, Lieutenant Lapenotiere obtained the command of the Joseph hired cutter, in which vessel he was several times engaged with the enemy, near Brest, and when employed in affording protection to the Mediterranean trade. On each of these occasions, his gallant conduct obtained him the high approbation of his commander-in-chief, Earl St. Vincent and Sir James Saumarez : that of the Admiralty was also con- veyed to him, in a flattering letter from the former officer. The Joseph was paid off in the spring of 1802 j and Lieu- tenant Lapenotiere soon afterwards obtained the command of another small vessel, — the Pickle schooner, mounting 10 guns, with a complement of 35 men. His exertions in saving the crew of the Magnificent 74, when that ship was wrecked near Brest, Mar. 25, 1804, obtained him very great credit. The Pickle was attached to Lord Nelson's fleet at the bat- tle of Trafalgar ; a few days previous to which great and glo- rious event, she rendered an essential service, by capturing a Portuguese settee with a cargo of bullocks from Tangier, that was endeavouring vnth a fresh breeze at east to work into Cadiz, where such a supply was much wanted, both by the French and Spaniards. On the ever memorable 21st Oct. 1805, observing TAchille, a French 74, in flames. Lieutenant Lapenotiere hastened to the relief of her crew, and succeeded in picking up 2 women and about 100 men who had thrown themselves into the sea. This was a dangerous service, on account of her guns • Lieutenant Portlock was made a Commander in 17J^3, and promoted to post rank Sept. 28, 1799 : he died at the Royal Hospital, Greenwich, after a short but severe illness, Sept. 12, 1817. t See Vol. II, Part I, p. 1 1 et scij. 2 c 2 i'-\V. .1 ]h •h \m' ) m j|i' '^\ 1 91 III 38S I If u POST-C;VPTAINS OF 1811. going off as they became heated, in consequence of which 2 or 3 British sailors lost their lives, but fortunately none of the Pickle's little crew sustained any injury. One of the women thus saved was floating on an oar, and perfectly naked ; a seaman immediately pulled off his trowsers and gave them to her : when she got on board the schooner, she immediately began to relate with much seeming pleasure, the number of men she had sent to the bottom, for endeavouring to take the oar from her ; and she appeared as happy and contented as if nothing had happened, although her husband had fallen in the battle. In return for the humanity of their conquerors, the pri- soners, one night, were heard conversing about the practica- bility of taking the Pickle into Cadiz, they being nearly treble in number to her crew. It is scarcely necessary to add that no opportunity was afforded them of making the experi- ment, all hands being constantly kept guarding them until they were removed from her. Lieutenant Lapenotiere had the honor of bringing home Vice-Admiral Collingwood's despatches, announcing tliat most glorious victory ; and he was promoted to the rank of Commander immediately on his arrival, Nov. 6, 1805. The Committee of the Patriotic Fund subsequently presented him with a sword value 100 guineas. In 1806, Captain Lapenotiere was appointed to the Orestes brig, mounting 16 guns, with a complement of 95 officers, men, and boys. In that vessel he was employed on the North Sea station until the summer of 1807, when we find him attached to the armament sent against Copenhagen, under Admiral Gambler. After the evacuation of Zealand, the Orestes formed part of the squadron left in that neighbourhood to protect the trade passing through the Sound. Whilst thus employed Captain Lapenotiere was most dreadfully burnt, and otherwise much injured by an accidental explosion, as will be seen by the following copy of his official letter to the senior officer then present : — " IVov. 17, 1807. " Sir, — During the lime I liavc hecii stationed in EUiiicur roads, for POST-CAPTAINS OF 1811. 389 the protection of the British trade, and the blockade of that place, I have frequently been oblitjed to stand in so close with the enemy's batteries, for the purpose of ordering away the different vessels that have anchored there during the night (not knowing of the war); as to be much exposed to their fire, and have been frequently obliged to return it. This happened again yesterday ; and in firing one of the after guns, by some unforeseen acci- dent, it communicated to a drawer, containing the powder-horns and a few cartridges, the explosion of which, I am sorry to say, has so far dis- abled me, as to prevent, I fear, my being able to perform ray duty, for some time to come. The skin of my face, ears, and neck, is completely burnt oflF; and the greater part of the hair off my head, the skin of which I fear must follow. But what concerns me most, is, that I am in some danger of losing my right eye likewise. The whole of the right side of my head is much contused, by a piece of plank* forced against it by the explosion. I am at thia moment obliged to keep my bed. I have the honor to be, &c. (Signed) " J. R. LAPfiNOTiEKE." " To Cupta'tn Thomas Staines, H. M. S. Cyane." At the time when he met with this disaster, Captain La- penotiere was endeavouring to cut off an English vessel which had been taken by the Danes. The following is a copy of the handsome letter he received in answer to the above : " Cyane, off Hels'mburgh, Nov. 18, 1807. " Dear Sir, — I was extremely concerned, by the receipt of your letter of yesterday's date, to hear of the unfortunate accident which took place . on board the Orestes under your command, by the explosion of u small magazine abaft, while in the act of returning the fire from the batteries near Elsineur, in obedience to the orders which you had received from me, for the protection of the British commerce, &c. and indeed. Sir, I most sincerely lament that you are so great a sufferer on this melancholy occa- sion, but more particularly so, as I fear his Majesty will, at least for a considerable length of time, be deprived of the services of so meritorious and zealous an officer. I hope and trust, however, that the fears which you entertain of the loss of your right eye will soon be removed, and that your speedy recovery may enable you to continue those indefatigable exer- tions in the public service which 1 have, with admiration, had an opportu- nity of witnessing, since I have been favoured with your co-operation under my command. I shall take the earliest opportunity of communicating to Captain Fraser, under whose command I have the honor to be, the account of your unfortunate case ; and be assured, my dear Sir, I should feel the highest satisfaction in being able, by any means in my power, to alleviate the distressing pains which you must unavoidably suffer by an accident of so serious a description. I have the honor to be, with sincere condolence on your misfortune, &c. (Signed) •' Thomas Staines." ' it ; h iW fl 390 POST-CAPTAINS OP 1811. After his recovery, Captain Lapeiiotiere was employed on the Plymouth station, where he captured la Concepcion letter of marque, mounting 12 guns ; and retook an American ship bound to Plymouth with timber. On the 9th May, 1810, la Dorade French schooner privateer, of 10 guns and 43 men, was taken by the Orestes and Favorite, the latter a ship-sloop commanded by Captain Benjamin Clement. On the 27th Oct. in the same year, being then in lat. 48° SO' N . long. 8° 56' W. Captain Lapenotiere fell in with a brig, which, from her manoeuvres, he supposed to be a French cruiser : the Orestes immediately made sail in chase, and he had the satisfaction of bringing her to close action in less than an hour ; she kept up a smart fire for about thirty minutes, when she struck, and proved to be the Loup Garou French priva- teer, of 16 guns and 100 men ; a remarkable fine vessel, well found in every thing, and calculated to do much mischief to our trade. " This capture," says Admiral Sir Robert Calder, ** does very great credit to the captain, officers, and men of the Orestes, from the prompt and neat manner in which it has been eflFected, without any loss to his Majesty's service ; and confirms the good opinion I have long since entertained of Captain Lapenotiere as an officer, whilst serving under my command at different times." The enemy had four men wounded, two of them dangerously. Captain Lapenotiere obtained post rank Aug. 1, 1811. He married in 1805, Mary Ann, daughter of the late Lieutenant John Graves, by whom he has had seven children. One of his sons is in the navy. Hon. ALEXANDER JONES. Ninth son of Charles, fourth Viscount Ranelagh (in the Irish Peerage). This officer was born Mar. 9, 1778 ; and we first find him serving as a midshipman on board the Providence of 16 guns, commanded by the late Captain William R. Broughton, with whom he proceeded to Nootka Sound, &c. &c. &c. ♦. It will • See Vol. II. Part II. pp. 865—868. POST-CAPTAINS OF 1811. 391 be seen by reference to the note at p. 222 of Suppl. Part I., that he was serving as a Lieutenant of the Sceptre 64, when that ship was driven on shore and totally wrecked in Table Bay, Nov. b, 1799. His commission was confirmed about May, 1799. v. In 1804, Lieutenant Jones, then second of the Naiad frigate, bad a violent quarrel with Mr. Dean, senior Lieu- tenant of that ship, whom he struck on the quarter-deck. The parties were tried by a court-martial, at Plynaouth, June 15 ; when it being proved that Lieutenant Dean had behaved in an ungentlemanly manner to his messmate, he was dis- missed his Majesty's service; and Lieutenant Jones, for striking his superior ofl&cer, was sentenced to be shot, but strongly recommended to mercy. His sovereign's free par- don was communicated to him on the tenth day after the trial ; and he was immediately restored to his former rank in the service. His promotion to the rank of Commander took place, Jan. 22, 1806. In June 1809, Captain Jones, then in the Talbot sloop of war, captured the Lovdn, a small Danish privateer, off the Naze of Norway. He obtained post rank, Aug. 1, 1811 ; and subsequently commanded the Levant of 20 guns. Captain Jones married, in 1807i||k|^ ^ -• j ^\ nttmaSf^ ^^cw^5.— Messrs. Maude & Co. /^..-ST^ BENJAMIN CLEMENT, Esq. Son of the late Thomas Clement, Esq. a solicitor of consi- derable eminence, and extensive practice, at Alton, in Hamp- shire ; and descended from a family of great respectability, who possessed considerable landed property at Steep, near Petersfield, in the same county. . , This officer was born at Alton ; and he entered the navy, in 1794, as a midshipman on board the Prince 98, Captain Charles Powell Hamilton, which ship formed part of Lord Bridport's fleet, off I'Orient, June 23, 1795 *. * See Vol. I. Part I. p. 246. >-. .fi U 392 POST^CAPTAINS OP 1811. The Prince being paid off in 1796, Mr. Clement then joined the Diana 38, and continued in that frigate, on the Irish station, till July, 1797. He subsequently served under Cap - tain Edward O'Bryen, in the Nassau of 64 guns, and Mo- narch 74, the latter ship bearing the flag of Vice-Admiral Onslow, in the North Sea fleet. In Sept. 1797> Mr. Clement was sent in the Monarch's jolly-boat to the Nassau, where his men got intoxicated, and thereby exposed both him and themselves to the most imminent peril, the night closing while he was vainly endea- vouring to regain his own ship, and the whole fleet being out of sight next morning. In this perilous situation, and without any thing to eat or drink, he remained upwards of 40 hours, but was at length picked up by the Astraea frigate, in a dreadfully exhausted state, both from cold and hunger. We have already stated in our first volume (p. 151), that the glorious battle of Camperdown was commenced by the Monarch ; — her loss on that occasion amounted to 36 slain and 100 wounded, one of whom was the subject of this me- moir, as will be seen by the following extract of a letter from his gallant captain to Mr. Clement, senior : • - ^ " My dear Sir, — In justice to your son, Mr. Benjainia Clement, I beg Im^^assure you that h£Df|tonly merits from me the most ample testi- inonv as to his general eh^roter, but deserves to be spoken of for his spi- iiiea Dtlhaviour, and for' hifa cobduct when under my command on board the Monarch, on the 11 th October, 1797. He was wounded early in the action, and was carried off the deck to be dressed, after which he returned to his duty and carried my orders to the different parts of the ship, very much to my satisfaction, until he received a second severe wound, which nearly proved fatal, and deprived me of his further services." The first wound mentioned by Captain O'Bryen was in the left thigh j the latter, in the head, by a musket-ball ; — in the intermediate time Mr. Clement was also slightly wounded in the left arm. On the Monarch's arrival in England, Mr. Clement re- turned to his paternal residence, where he continued until his health was re-established. The wound in his thigh compel- led him to use crutches for more than four months, and that in his head continued open, with frequent exfoliations, nearly POST-CAPTAINS OP 1811. dd3 as long: he was of course under medical care the whole time, and consequently at a heavy expence. The committee at Lloyd's presented him with 50/. in consideration of his sufferings ; but Captain O'Bryen advised him not to accept a smart-ticket^ as it might weaken his claim to promotion. Immediately after his recovery, Mr. Clement re-joined the Monarch, then commanded by Captain Archibald Colling- wood Dickson, with whom he afterwards removed to the Veteran 64, in which ship we find him at the capture of the Texel squadron, Aug. 30, 1799; and the passage of the Sound, by the armaments under Vice-Admiral Dickson and Sir Hyde Parker, in 1800 and 1801*. Previous to the battle off Copenhagen, April 2, in the latter year, Mr. Clement was sent in a flat-bottomed-boat to the division under Lord Nelson, and he had the honor of being on board the Elephant in the latter part of that sanguinary combat. He afterwards assisted in removing the riotous crew of the Provesteen, a block-ship which had been boarded, under very peculiar circumstances, by Lieutenant, now Sir Nisbet J., WilloUghbyf. Some time after this event, Mr. Clement's father was gra- tified with the receipt of Captain O'Bryen's letter, of which we have already given an extract : the following is a copy of the remainder of its contents : " It is very pleasing to me to learn from Captain Dickson, that your son continues to do his duty in every particular to his satisfaction. " I am happy to say, that I feel very little the effects of the blow which obliged me to leave a set of very gallant fellows in the Monarch ; but I am advised by the faculty to keep quiet some time longer, to get perfectly sound, after which, should I enter on active service, it will give me plea- sure to take your young man again under my protection. I am, with much regard, yours, (Signed) " Edw. O'Brven :.'* Mr. Clement continued in the Veteran tillJuly 1801, when he passed his examination for a lieutenant, and was imme- diately promoted to that rank, " as a reward," said Earl St. • See Vol. I. Part II. p. 759- t See p. 117, et seq. X Captain O'Bryen obtained the rank of Rear-Admiral, Nov. 9, 1805 ; and died at Fareham, Hants, Dec. 18, 1808. :i rfif; t: 394 POST-CAPTAINS OF 1811. liii fill Vincent, " due to his meritorious and gallant conduct.** From this period^ he served in the Zebra bomb, on the Bou- logne station, until the peace of Amiens. On the renewal of hostilities, Lieutenant Clement was ap- pointed to the Tonnant 80, then commanded by Sir Edward Pellew, but subsequently by Captain (now Sir Charles) Tyler ; in which ship he continued, off Ferrol, Carthagena, and Cadiz, till the commencement of 1806. The Tonnant's loss at the battle of Trafalgar amounted to 76 killed and wounded. Towards the close of that ever me- morable conflict. Lieutenant Clement was sent in the jolly- boat, with two hands, to take possession of the San-Juan Nepomuceno, Spanish 74. The boat, being damaged, swamp- ed before she reached a quarter of the way, and soon after- wards a shot knocked off her quarter ; she then turned bottom upwards, and Lieutenant Clement was obliged to hold fast by the keel until one of his men, who could swim, brought him a rope by which he was hauled on board again in a very exhausted state, some time having elapsed in consequence of the ship being still engaged with the enemy. Lieutenant Clement's next appointment was to be first of la Constance 22, Captain Alexander S. Burrowes ; but he soon left that ship in order to join the Cerberus 32, Captain William Selby, then about to sail for the Jamaica station ; where he was employed in cutting many vessels out of the enemy's harbours, particularly about the Havannah. On one occasion he appears to have been placed in a most perilous situation, a gale of wind having blown the Cerberus, off the land whilst he was in a Spanish vessel that had been wrecked on the Colorados, where he remained two nights and a day without any prospect of succour. On the 18th April, 1806, Lieutenant Clement was pro- moted to the command of the Goelan brig ; but, owing to his Admiralty commission having been accidentally detained at Barbadoes, he did not join that vessel till the 21st October following. Shortly after he had done so, it was found ne- cessary to heave her down, and while under repair she lost manyjnen through sickness and desertion. In consequence P08T.CAPTAINS OF 1811. 395 of this he was sent to the east end of Jamaica, with direc- tions to complete his complement by impressment. The execution of these orders gave great offence to the masters of merchant vessels at Port Morant, and they re- solved to insult Captain Clement the first opportunity that offered : accordingly, on the Goelan's anchoring there a se- cond time, in order to complete her water, they took ad- vantage of his absence up the couiy^ry to set a large New- foundland dog upon his gig's crew, consisting of (oCt young lads, one of whom was bitten in a most deplorable manner. On returning to the boat, and learning what had occurred. Captain Clement remonstrated with the parties, who replied that they would serve him in the same manner, and followed up their threat by instantly collaring him, and some of his officers then on the spot. Having a horse-whip in his hand, and feeling it necessary to act in self-defence, he immediately began to exercise the same upon the ruffian who had assaulted him, and very properly gave him a sound trimming. As the case originated in impressment, however, their merchants made it a pretext for an action at law, and managed to have it tried during his absence at sea, so that not one of his own witnesses could be personally examined. A verdict of 500/. damages was given against him, and the costs amounted to nearly 200Z. more. The '*■ vryy it should be observed, were also merchants, and equally as inimical to impressment as those who had promoted the prosecution for an assault. About this period, the Goelan's boats captured, after an arduous pursuit, the Spanish schooner Berrena, of 4 guns and 30 men, on the south side of Cuba. In the course of 1807, Captain Clement experienced a dreadful hurricane off Porto Rico, and it was with great dif- ficulty that he got back to Port Royal, with the loss of all bis guns. At Jamaica, Captain Clement exchanged into the Favorite, a ship-sloop, which vessel was principally employed in pro- tecting the trade from the depredations of the enemy's pri- vateers. Whilst employed on that service, the Favorite hap- 'f; : \ MIlMi 396 POST-CAPTAINS OF 1811. m pened to be at Falmouth, on the north side of the island, when a fire broke out which raged with great fury, and threat- ened destruction to all around. The moment Captain Cle- ment perceived the flames, he landed with his crew to give assistance, and by uncommon exertions succeeded in aaving property to a very large amount, as well as the hospital and a great number of houses. For this service he received the following vote of thanks of the justices and vestry of Fal- mouth, inclosed in a letter from James Stewart, Esq. the Custos of that parish : ■ " Jamaica — Trelawnei/, In f^estry, 30M May, 1808. " Resolved, that the thanks of the justices and vestry be given to Captain Clement of II. M. S. Favorite, his otiicers, and ship's company, for their great exertions at the unfortunate fire on Tuesday night, the 24th instant, and that his honor the Custos be requested to communicate the same in the most acceptable manner. (Signed) " James Blair, Clk. Vestry." On the above alarming occasion, whilst encouraging his crew in their endeavours to arrest the progress of the flames, Captain Clement fell through the burning roof of a house, and thereby suflered material injury. After the fire was sub- dued he had the mortification to see his men dying hourly of a fever, occasioned by their late fatigue ; and he at length buried the greater part of his crew, whilst he himself reco- vered from a severe attack, contrary to all expectation. Sub- sequent to this severe visitation, he took charge of 60 mer- chant vessels, and convoyed them in safety to the place of the'r destination. At this time the Favorite had only 45 per- sons on board capable of doing duty ; and five stout priva- teers were constantly hovering about the convoy. In this reduced state, he found it necessary to make use of an im- press warrant, for doing which two actions were brought against him j and although the instrument was regularly signed by the Governor and Council of Jamaica, and backed by a magistrate of Montego bay, in which district it was used, his prosecutors obtaining a verdict in their favor, ht was compelled to pay damages and costs, amounting in the whole to 535/., for which heavy loss, incurred in the cxecu- POST-CAPTAIMS OF 1811. 397 (ion of his positive duty^ he has never received the least remuneration. The sickness still continuing on board his sloop, Captain Clement was obliged to return to Port Royal, where, on his anchoring, he could not muster hands enough to furl the sails. The Favorite was there re-manned by part of the crew of H. M. late ship Astraea*, and in Jan. 1809 sent to the Cura9oa station, from whence Captain Clement went on a mission to the city of Caraccas. Returning from thence, he was ordered to take command of the naval department at Curafoa where he continued until ordered to Port Royal, where he took charge of the trade bound to England. On the passage home, Aug. 27, 1809, he encountered another dreadful hurricane, during which several of the convoy foundered, and most of the others were dismasted. The Fa- vorite also lost her top-masts and sustained considerable in- jury. After the storm. Captain Clement had to perform the arduous task of erecting jury-masts in the disabled ships under his protection ; with which, and part of four other con- voys met with at sea, he arrived in the Downs on the 18th September. During his continuance in the West Indies, Captain Cle- ment had three attacks of the yellow fever, and was once nearly drowned in consequence of his boat striking, after dark, on some sunken rocks near the island of Aruba, from which viangerous situation he wjvs rescued by the crew of an American schuoncr, who heard the shouts of his people, and hastened to their assistance. , * Previous to his return home. Captain Clement captured the Espcrancc Spanish letter of marque, mounting 10 guns, with a complement of 40 men ; which vessel he burnt by orders of Captain Micaiah Malbon, commanding the Adamant 50. Peace having been established between Great Britain and Spain, though no official intelligence of such an event had reached Jamaica at this period, an action was afterwards en- tered against Captain Clement in the Vice-iVdmlralty Court ♦ The Astrrea .32, Ciiptaiii liiliniind Heywood, was wrecked near Ane- ffttdn, May 2 J, I SOS. I 1 ( r. : I ■I ! n ■- -»n,w**f«rw«lBP^»*'c 396 POST-CAPTAINS OIT 1811. mm lit;' 'i of that island ; and notwithstanding a verdict was, on this occasion^ given in his favor, his law expenses amounted to 300/. Captain Clement was latterly employed on the Plymouth station, where he captured, in company with the Orestes brig, la Dorade French schooner privateer, of 10 guns and 43 men. May 9, 1810. He also re-captured several British merchantmen, destroyed some of the enemy's coasting ves- sels, and on one occasion drove a convoy on shore in a bay near the Isle of Bas, under the fire of two batteries, and in the face of a national brig and schooner. As a reward for his active and unremitted services, he was advanced to post rank Aug. 1, 1811. Captain Clement married Oct. 5, 1811, Ann Mary, youngest daughter of the late William Prowting, Esq. many years a magistrate and deputy-lieutenant for Hampshire, by whom he has two sons and one daughter. j4gent, — John Chippendale, Esq. Hon. henry DAWSON. Second son of John, first Earl of Port-Arlington, by Ca- roline Stuart, fifth daughter of John, third Earl of Bute, K.G. and heir presumptive to his brother the present peer. This officer was bom July 19, 1786; made a lieutenant Feb. 16, 1805; and promoted to the rank of commander Sept. 25, 1806. In 1808 Captsdn Dawson was appointed, by Sir Edward Pellew, to act as governor of the naval hospital at Madras ; vbVA. /eo^ and we subsequently find him commanding the Parthian brig, U ,sfl%ii. on the North Sea station. He is handsomely spoken of in the public despatches announcing the evacuation of Walche- ren, in Dec. 1809, on which occasion, one division of the gun-boats ordered to cover the retreat of the rear-guard was entrusted to his charge by Commodore, TiOW Sir Edward W. C. R. Owen. The Parthian was afterwards employed in blockading the German rivers. Captain Dawson's post commission bears date Aug. 1, 181 1 . POST-CAPTAINS OF 1811. 399 He married May 20, 1813, Eliza Luttrell, daughter of Ed- mund Joshua Moriarty, Esq. by Lady Lucy, daughter of Simon, first Earl of Carhampton. His next brother, Lieu- tenant-Colonel George Lionel Dawson, acted as Quarter- Master-General to the Duke of Wellington^ and was wounded at the battle of Waterloo. ^Vc^-tA-^-r s^c-r^iu . Ckc^^c*'^ Agents* — Messrs. Cooke, Halford/and Son. ^i «*»^ (*>■ to Aya^fru: r" DONALD CAMPBELL, Esq. Eldest son of the late Colin Campbell, of Auchendoun, in Argyllshire, Esq. and cousin-german to the present Ge- neral Duncan Campbell, of Loch-Nell, hi Argyllshire. This officer was born in 1778 ; and he first embarked, in 1791, as a midshipman on board the Assistance 50, com- manded by the late Lord Cranstoun^ under whom he served until the close of the Russian armament, when we find him joining the Otter brig, Captain James Hardy. At the commencement of the French revolutionary war, Mr. Campbell proceeded to the West Indies, in the Scorpion sloop. Captain Thomas Western. Between Aug. 2, 1794, and Aug. 7* 1795* that vessel captured la Guillotine French privateer, of 10 guns ; la Victoire 18, and four others of in- ferior force. She was also very successful in recapturing British merchantmen. Early in 1796 Mr. Campbell was removed to the Swift- sure 74) bearing the flag of Rear- Admiral William Parker, commander-in-chief at Jamaica, in which ship he was pre- sent at the unsuccessful attack upon Leogane, St. Domingo, March 22, 1796». • A division of British and Colonial troops from the garrison at Port- au-Prince landed near Leogane on the 2l8t Mar., under the cover of se- veral frigates and aloops. During the greatest part of the 22d a very heavy fire was maintdned from the two-deckers of the squadron ; but no impression whatever having been made by them, and the place appearing much stronger than it had been represented, the forces were judged in- adequate to the enterprise, and the troops, stores, guns, &c. were there- fore re-embarked. On this occasion the army lost a few men, and the squadron had several killed and wounded. Shortly after this fidlure, Rear- Admiral Parker was attacked with the yellow fever, which obliged him immediately to sail for England. \'>:\'\ 1 ■; 400 roST- CAPTAINS OF 1811. In Jan. 1797, Mr. Campbell again joined Captain Hardy, then commanding ihe Ranger sloop of war; from which vessel our young officer was soon afterwards removed into Admiral Duncan's flag-ship, the Venerable 74. We next find him acting as lieutenant on board the Russell, another third rate, commanded by Captain (now Sir Henry) Trollope, under whom he bore a part in the glorious battle off Camperdown, Oct. 11, 1797. The following anecdote of that distinguished veteran has been communicated to us since we published the memoir of his services : " The squadron of observation sent by Admiral Duncan to watch the Texel, arrived off that anchorage just as the enemy's fleet had put to sea. Having reconnoitred and made out their force, a cutter was despatched to Yarmouth roads with the information, and Captain Trollope immedi- ately bei^an his arduous task of keeping close company with the Dutch- men, by placing, and ordering the Russell to be kept 2^ miles on De Winter's weather-beam. In the evening of Oct. 9th, Captain Trollope came on the quarter-deck, and asked the officer of the watch (Mr. Camp- bell) where the Dutch admiral was ? He answered, " I saw his light a few minutes ago, but it is now too thick to see it." *' Wear ship. Sir !" was the instant reply. This order being immediately obeyed, and the manoeuvre frequently repeated, the van of the enemy was soon discovered on the Russell's weather-bow ! Upon which. Captain Trollope having been very violent, Mr. Campbell said, " 1 hope you now see that the ship was in her station. Sir?" He acknowledged that he did; and desired Mr. Campbell to make sail and get to windward again. That being accom- plished, all the lieutenants were summoned into the captain's cabin, and addressed by him as follows — " I can easily believe that you will some night call me out of my bed, by saying, we are in the middle of the Dutch fleet ; but the officer that loses sight of the enemy I will certainly bring to a court-martial." The following morning, at day-light, Mr. Campbell reported that the Adamant was so far to leeward, that if the enemy tacked, she must be cut off. Captain Trollope coolly answered, " prepare for action, I will go down to her assistance if they make such an attempt !" On the return of the victorious fleet to port, Mr. Camp- bell passed his examination, and was immediately confirmed to the Russell, in which ship he served with the Channel fleet until his appointment to the Galatea frigate, on the Irish station, in 1799. During the winter of 1800, Lieutenant Campbell was par- ticularly recommended to the commander-in-chief by Captain POST-CAPTAINS OF 1811. 401 ^y"gi now Viscount Torrington, for his spirited exertions in taking possession of El Pensde, Spanish letter of marque, the performance of which service is thus noticed by his lordship : " El Pens^e was taken possession of in a very dark and tempestuous night, the Galatea being then under a close-reefed main-top-sail, and Lieutenant Campbell, whom we hoisted out in a boat from off the booms, was upwards of an hour before he got alongside the Spaniard. No sooner had he reached the prize, than his boat was stove. The weather continued so bad that we had no communication with him for ten days, during which time he had only six men with him to navigate the ship, and to keep upwards of 20 prisoners in subjection. While between us and the prize, the boat was upwards of half an hour out of our sight, and had the enemy made sail I should have been much at a loss what to do, every one believing that the boat was swamped. It was certainly the most anxious hour of my life." In another letter, written on the same subject, we find Lord Torrington expressing himself as follows : " 1 never had a better officer than Campbell — both as a junior, and as my first lieutenant ; he was always active, and ever ready for service. He boarded the Spanish letter of marque when the weather was so bad that, however I might have benefited by her capture, I do not think that I should have attempted to secure her that night if he had not volun> teered. To have kept sight of her, it would have been impossible." Mr. Campbell continued in the Galatea until the peace of Amiens The following is a copy of a letter which was writ- ten in his favor to Earl St. Vincent, July 24, 1802 : " My Lord,— 'I was lately solicited by the friends of Lieutenant Donald Campbell, R. N. to apply to your Lordship in his behalf; but this I declined doing till some such certificate of his services as might be satis- factory to your Lordship and myself should be procived. " I this morning received the certificate and letter which I now have the honor to enclose, and earnestly request your Lordship's good offices in the young man's favor. The chief object of his present application seems to be that of being appointed by your Lordship to the command of one of the Admiralty cutters, intended, as is generally reported, to be stationed along the coast of Scotland, for the suppression of smu^ling. " He is a connection of my family, and, as my every information leads me to believe, a very deserving officer. Should your Lordship's other en- gagements interfere with the completion of his wishes, as to the particular object I have stated, it would be adding another favor to those you have al- ready conferred on roe, if your Lordship would include him in your list for SUPPL. PART II. 2d . ly .; m/mmmmm' 402 POST CAPTAINS OF 1811. i-' i i m employment or promotion, when an opportunity offers. I have the honor to be, &c. (Signed) "ARCYiiL*." To this application the First Lord of the Admiralty replied, that the documents of Lieutenant Campbell's services were very satisfactory ; that he was much inclined at all times to meet his Grace's wishes, and that as the door was then shut to promotion, he would with pleasure appoint the young man senior Lieutenant of a frigate. Mr. Campbell was accord- ingly appointed first of the Carysfort 28, and he appears to have commanded the boats of that ship at the capture of a French letter of marque, mounting 6 guns, with a comple- ment of 20 men, on the Norwegian coast, in 1803. Towards the latter end of Mar. 1804, the Carysfort sailed from Cork, in company with H. M. S. Apollo and sixty-nine sail of merchantmen, bound to the West Indies. A narrative of the disasters which befel that convoy will be found in our memoir of Captain Edward Harvey f. On his arrival at Barbadoes, Lieutenant Campbell received a letter from the Admiralty, acquainting him that he was pro- moted, and appointed to a command in the Irish Sea Fencible service. In consequence of this notification, he was superseded ; but another letter shortly afterwards arrived from the late Vis- count Melville, directing the commander-in-chief to put him into the first vacancy that should occur at the Leeward Is- lands. Lieutenant Campbell was subseq\iently honored with the approbation of Commodore Hood, for his gallant conduct when commanding the Tobago schooner, in a successful attack made by that vessel and the Curieux sloop upon two mer- chantmen lying under the protection of the batteries at Bar- celona, on the coast of Car^iccas. In July, 1805, this zcaU us officer was appointed to the command of the Lily s'.oop, and about the same period wc find him entrusted with tht ;.'iiarge of a small armament sent * John 5th Duke of Argyll, who died May 24, 1806. t See p. 3G2, et scij. POST-CAPTAINS OF 1811. 403 to assist the late General Miranda in his first endeavours to promote the independence of South America, which, after a sanguinary contest, has at length been crowned with appa- rently complete success *. Unfortunately for the subject of this memoir, his appoint- ment to the Lily was not known in England until after the impeachment of Viscount Melville ; and Lord Barham's se- cretary having neglected to lay it before the latter nobleman for confirmation, another officer was inadvertently selected to fill the vacancy, as will be seen by the following extract of a letter from Sir Alexander Cochrane, K. B. to his lord- ship*s successor, dated May 6, 1806 : " I am sorry to find that an appointment has arrived for Lieutenant (now (Japtain) Shirreff, to supersede acting Captain (>ampbell, of the Lily. When I relieved Sir Samuel Flood, Lieutenant Campbell, then command- • So early as 1 790, Mr Pitt had conceived the project of emancipating the colonies of South America, if the dispute with Spain, respecting Nootka Sound, should cause a war l)etween that power and Great Britain. The plan was submitted to General Miranda and some able Jesuit mission- aries, who, when expelled from those settlements, had taken refuge in Italy ; and although suspended for a time it was not altogether abandoned. A similar scheme was imagined by Mr. Addington, in 1801, but the peace of Amiens once more prevented it from being put into execution. Participating in the general domestic gloom of 1804, and feeling the im- perative duty of taking a bold step to open other markets to our manufac- tures, Mr. Pitt had again recourse to the same expedient. Miranda was called on, and a respectable naval force was destined to accompany him, under the command of Sir Hope Popham. Many thousand stand of arms were to have been embarked for the use of those who were expected to revolt, pilots were nominated, the rendezvous was to have been at the island of Trinidad, and the debarkation was to have been effected upon the banks of the Oronoco. Such was the outline of the plan meditated in Dec. 1804, when the Diadem, a ()4-gun ship, was commissioned for Sir Home Popham ; but it was deranged by many disastrous military events in Europe, and the great anxiety of our cabinet to endeavour, by friendly negociation, to detach Spain from her connection with Fiance, a power which, by the overwhelming progress of her arms over the continent, held every state not yet conquered, in the same submission from their terror, as if Napoleon's legions had already entered their capitals. The armament subsequently sent from the Leeward Islands, under acting Captain Campbell, consisted of the Lily sloop, two gun-brigs, two smaller vessels, commanded by sub-Lieu- tciiants, and Miranda's own ship, bearing the present Columbian colours. 2d2 404 POST-CAPTAINS OF 1811. \ag the Tubaoro schooner, Btood first in the Admiralty list to he mode 9. commander : I therefore appointed him to the Lily, upon the removal of (Captain Morrison to the Northumberland. He has been nearly twelve months commanding on the Trinidad station, where he has been particu- larly active ; and as Captain Shirreff must have sailed in the convoy for Eng- land, not knowint^ of his being appointed to the Lily, the peculiar hard- ships of acting Captain Campbell's case will I hope meet with due consi- deration." In answer to this remonstrance. Viscount Howick express- ed his sorrow that such injustice had been done Mr. Camp- bell, and directed Sir Alexander Cochrane to give him the next admiralty vacancy, it not being in his lordship's power to supersede Captain Shirreff's appointment. The Lily's pro- ceedings in July and Aug. 1806, are thus described by her acting commander : " L(t nila dc Cfiro hay {Spanish Main) 8th Aug- 1806. " Sir, — I have tlic honor to inform you that the vessels, composing the expedition attached to General Miranda, you did nic honor to place under my orders, sailed from Trinidad on the 24th July, having on board 220 officers and men of General Miranda's corps; which with 75 seamen and ma- rines of H. M. vessels at present under my command, whom I ordered to be ready to land with him, under the immediate directions of Lieutenant Bcddingfelt, of this ship, composed his whole force. " We anchored at Coche on the 27th, where we found the minds of the inhabitants of that island so deeply impressed with the idea that General Miranda was to put to death every man who did not or could not take up arms in his favor, that they had with a few exceptions gone to Margarita : the greatest number of the few who remained joined him, which added nine- to our number. " General Miranda then, conceiving his military force unequal to re- taining possession of Cumana or Barcelona, determined to make his first debarkation in this bay, and to attack Coro, where we anchored at 9 in the night of the Ist Aug. ; but from its blowing a strong gale all the following day, and the pilots, from ignorance or intention, having anchored the vessels on a lee-shore, within a few cables' length of the breakers, 7 miles to lee- warl of the battery intended to be attacked, and there being a strong Ice current, the whole of the 2d was occupied in placing the Express, Atten- tive, and Prevost, with the gun-boats, in a proper position to eflect and cover the debarkation, which was accomplished at 5 o'clock in the morning of the 3d, when the first division, composed of about 60 men of the Trini- dad volunteers, under the command of Count de Rouveray, Colonel Downic with about 60 men, and 30 seamen and marines from the Lily, under the command of Lieutenant Beddingfelt, most gallantly cleared the beach of POST-CAPrAlNS OF 1811. 405 the Spanish force which opposed them. They then stormed aud carried « sea-battery of 4 guns, 12 aud 9-pounders: I have to regret that on this uceasiou the serjeant and 2 privates of the Lily's marines, and one sea- man, were severely wounded. You may believe that, from the time the enemy had to assemble, their numbers were very great ; but I have not been able to ascertain them. " With the assistance of the Bacchante's boats, she arriving here, the second division, composed of the American volunteers under the command of Colonel Kirkland, and the remainder of the detachment of seamen and marines to join Lieutenant Beddingfelt, were landed 10 or 12 minutes after the first, when the enemy, great as their numbers were, retreated to the bush, and left in our possession, in two forts, 14 pieces of cannon, 12 and d-pounders ; 7 guns dismounted, and a quantity of ammunition. " It is not possible for me to mention in too high terms the brave and officer-like conduct of Lieutenant Spearing, commanding the Express, whose very gallant behaviour I have before had an opportunity of men- tioning to you, when he commanded the Lily's boats as first lieutenant of this ship ; and I must beg leave to express in equal terms the gallant ex- ertions of Lieutenant Beddingfelt in storming the fort, and his officer- like conduct and active exertions throughout this fatiguing service, which General Miranda has had a better opportunity of observing, and lias made very honorable mention of*. " The conduct and exertions of the whole of the officers and crews of the small squadron you did me the honor to place under my command, on tills occasion, convinced me that on any more serious service they will 5tTenuously support their professional character. " General Miranda, with his whole force, marched to Coro, and got quiet possession of that populous city. He has returned hither to give the inhabitants an opportunity of resuming their respective occupations, and to convince them that he is not actuated by the motives which the Spanish government has succeeded but too well in impressing upon the muids of the people. " The three days that Captain Dacres lay here, in the Bacchante, he gave me every assistance in his power. He is now cruisiug off Porto Cabello, which affords us, while here, great protection. I have the honor to be, &i>. (Signed) " D. Cami'uell." " Hon. Sir A, Cochrane, K. B. ^fc. 8fc. i^c." On the same day that the above letter was written, the commandant of Coro appeared on the sand-hills near Puerto * Lieutenant George Augustus Spearing, eldest son of Lieutenant George Spearing, of the Royal Hospital, Greenwich, was afterwards killed, whilst nobly supporting the honor of the British flag, in a gallant attempt to carry three forts in the island of Martinique. See Nav. Chron. vol. 20, p. 167. '■(: i m 406 POST-CAPTAINS OF 1811. della Core, and within 3 miles of General Miranda's quarters, with a force of nearly 2000 men, including Indians, collected from all quarters ; took possession of the only watering place for the vessels under Captain Campbell's orders, and surprised the master of a transport and 14 seamen who landed in the night without his knowledge. At day-break on the 9th, a party of 20 sailors landed from the Lily, under the command of her second Lieutenant (Barclay), to endeavour to rescue the prisoners ; but unfortunately only one man reaped benefit from their exertions : 10 or 12 of the enemy were, however, killed in the skirmish which took place. The firing of the combatants being observed by General Miranda, Colonel Downie was immediately sent with 50 men to attack the enemy, if he conceived it practicable to obtain any advantage ; but from their very superior force and favor- able position, he considered it prudent to retire. The Spanish commandant was soon afterwards joined by 400 men from Maracaibo ; and a council of war being assem- bled by Miranda, it was unanimously agreed, that nothing further could be effected with so small a force as that patriotic chief then had at his disposal. The motley little army was consequently re-embarked, and conducted by Captain Camp- bell, in safety, to Aruba. We have been thus minute in our relation of the circum- stances attending General Miranda's expedition to Venezuela, in consequence of a very incorrect statement which appeared in the first number of the Naval and Military Magazine, the Annual Biography and Obituary for 1827, and various other periodicals, wherein the whole credit of the enterprise is given to Captain Dacres and his second lieutenant ; whereas the Bacchante's oflficers and crew, although their zeal and bravery cannot be questioned, were certainly nothing more than se- condary actors on the occasion. A sense of duty induces us to add, that Miranda entertained much more sanguine ideas of success, than his slender force warranted him in doing ; and that nothing short of 1000 soldiers, inheriting the spirit of Britons, would have enabled him to obtain possession of Ca- raccas, a city where he possessed numerous friends, but who lowever. POST-CAPTAINS OP 1811. 407 only wanted confidence in his strength to join him. In order to convey an idea of his popularity at Coro, we shall further add, that he always walked about the city unattended ; that he frequently passed hours together in a room crowded with Spaniards of all descriptions ; and that the officer command- ing on the sand-hills had much trouble in preventing many of the Indians from joining him. Previous to their departure from the island of Aruba, a letter was addressed to Captain Campbell by his military col- league, of which the following is a copy : " Head Quarters, /4ruha, 25th Sept. 1806. ** My dear Sir, — I have to return you my best thanks for the sentiments conveyed to me in your note of the 22d instant. " Permit me at the same time to express my gfratitude for the attention and kindness shewn to us on board the Lily, during the late expedition. I have no doubt that the success we did obtain on our landing at la Villa de Ooro, was in a great measure owing to your wise directions, and to the courage and intrepidity of the oflicers and men of the navy, who accora> j)anied us in the land operations. •* I hope that, if Great Britain continues her support to this extensive enterprise, your name. Sir, will be added (if my recommendation is attend- ed to) to those that will co-operate, under the auspices of Providence, to the execution of so humane and interesting an undertaking, for the glory of Great Britain and the happiness of mankind. I have the honor to be, avith pcriect esteem and high consideration, &c. (Signed) '♦ Fban. de Miranda." The following is an extract of Sir Alexander Cochrane's letter to Captain Campbell, acknowledging the receipt of his despatches from la Villa de Coro and Aruba : " I am perfectly satisfied with your conduct during the expedition ; and, although it has failed, I have confidence of success whenever a sufficient force is employed. You had better come up here, to be in the way for a windfall." The high estimation in which Captain Campbell's general conduct was held by the governor, council, and merchants of Trinidad, cannot be better described than in their own terms : . ^, \, ,.■ _ „ .r *' Government House, Trinidad, Jan. 21, 1807. " Sir,— It was with infinite concern I learnt that your appointment to the command of the Lily had not been confirmed at home ; which is only to be attributed to your clmnn as an active, zealous and meritorious officer SJi ^ . ''' ( 408 POST-CAPTAINS OF 1811. not having been brought timely forward before the First Lord of the Ad- miralty, on the late change of administration, but who I have understood since expressed himself to that effect to Sir Alexander Cochrane, in a letter which his lordship addressed to the Hon. Rear-Admiral. " I will not doubt, however, that the justice which is due to you will, on the earliest occasion, be evinced by an order from home, to confirm you in the first vacancy which occurs — in the mean time, I cannot deny myself the gratification of offering you my sincerest assurances of the very high opinion with which your zeal, attention, and exemplary conduct in- variably impressed me in your favour, since your first appointment to this station, until I had to regret the circumstance which was to deprive the colony under my government (for the present) of your further services. I have the honor to be, with great regard, &c. (Signed) T. HisLOP, Governor." Extract of the Minutes of H, M. Council^ held at the Go- vernment House, Jan, 21, 1807 . ** Trinidad.— His Excellency the Governor having laid before the Board a letter which he proposed transmitting to Captain Campbell, late com- mander of H. M . S. Lily, expressive of his opinion of the services of that officer, which, should it accord with that of the members of the Board, he would submit to them the propriety of passing such a resolution as they may think appropriate to the occasion. *' It was then resolved that this Board do most fully^ accord in the senti- ments expressed in his Excellency's letter addressed to that officer, and are desirous that this resolution be transmitted at the same time to Captain Campbell by the Secretary. (Signed) " By command, John GiiOSTER, Dep. Clk. Council." From the Merchants to Captain Campbell. " Trinidad, 24th Jan. 1807. " Sir, — We learn with regret that this island is for the present to be de- prived of your services. " This station affords few opportunities of signalizing courage, or of gaining pecuniary emolument, but calls for the exertion of vigilance, acti- vity, and judgment ; qualifications of prime utility to the service, and which, from every thing we have seen of your conduct, we conceive you eminently possess. " When on a neighbouring station, you pdd particular attention to the interests of this colony, and during the short time you remained on this, though called to other duties, we have seen enough to occasion our regret at being deprived of that zeal which you have always manifested for the mercantile interest. . „ " That promotion may soon be your reward, and that such promotion POST- CAPTAINS OF 1811. 409 may occaeion your return amongst us, is the sincere wish of. Sir, your most obedient humble servants, &c. &c." (Signed by the principals o/*48 commercial houses.) In Jan. 1807, Captain Campbell was appointed to the Pert brig ; in which vessel he made many captures on the Tortola station. His commission as a commander bears date May 4,1807. On the 16th Oct. foWowing, the Pert was caught in a hurricane, whilst lying oif the island of Margarita, in com- pany with a Spanish packet which she had just before cap- tured. Unfortunately the brig had only two anchors and cables on board ; in consequence of which, she was driven ashore and totally wrecked. By this disaster, the master of the Pert and 12 men lost their lives ; the remainder of her ofl&cers and crew escaped with great difficulty. During the same tremendous storm, the Maria schooner. Lieutenant J. Henderson, then under Captain Campbell's orders, foundered^ and every person on board of her perished. From Margarita, Captain Campbell proceeded in his prize schooner to Tortola, where he was tried by a court-martial, and most honourably acquitted. The loss of the Pert, how- ever, proved doubly mortifying to him, as he was thereby prevented from joining the Cygnet, a remarkably fine sloop, to which he had recently been appointed. Captain Campbell returned to England with the minutes of his court-martial made into a despatch, to be delivered in person at the Admiralty, and a letter of recommendation from Sir Alexander Cochrane to Lord Mulgrave, who then presided at the Board ; but he did not succeed in obtaining any further employ until his appointment to I'Espiegle brig, in Sept. 1809. With the exception of his convoying two ships to the West Indies, and exchanging into the Port d'Espagne brig, we find no further mention of Captain Campbell until Sept. 1810, when he received a commission appointing him to the Rosa- mond sloop ; in which vessel he was again employed afford- ing protection to the trade of Trinidad, " the delicate state of matters, between the Spani&h provinces on the Main and I'M !i h\ >, ■• >.. \' .': m- 410 POST-CAPTAINS OF 1811. the parent state, rendering it necessary that an officer pos- sessing temper and discretion should be sent to command upon that station *." Whilst thus employed, his attention having been called to a system of smuggling carried on in the Gulph of Paria, Captain Campbell detected two American schooners and a Trinidad sloop in the act of putting sugar on board an Amer- ican brig at anchor near the Spanish main : the whole of these vessels he seized, and carried back to the island for ad- judication ; but understanding that the Judge of the Vice- Admiralty Court had declared to the Colonial Secretary, and other persons, that he was determined to liberate them, they were again got under weigh, conducted to Grenada, and there condemned, both hulls and cargo : — this transaction led to a great deal of legal discussion, which our limits will not allow us to enter into. Captain Campbell obtained post rank Aug. 1, 1811 ; but he continued in the Rosamond until May 30, 1814, during which period he was successively employed conveying a mail and some specie from Jamaica to England, escorting various fleets of merchantmen, and protecting the fisheries on the coast of Labrador and the north shores of Newfoundland. In 1812, he captured the Friendship, an American merchantman of near 400 tons, with a valuable cargo of naval stores, from Archangel bound to Salem. This ship he chased for 14 hours, during the whole of which time he flattered himself that he was in pur- suit of an enemy's cruiser, as she was a regular built corvette, pierced for 20 guns. Whilst in the command of the Rosamond, Captain Camp- bell received three commendatory letters from his superior officers^ of which the following are copies : — " Rm/al frUliam, Spit/icad, Dec. 3] , 18\2. ** Sir, — Captain Brlabanc having reported to me the effectual assistance he received from the exertions of yourself, the officers, and sliip's com- pany under your command, when the Pembroke was on shore under Dun- nose, I liave to express my satisfaction at the promptitude with which you • The above is an extract of a letter from Sir Francis Lafurcy, com- mander-in-chief at the LeewanI Islands. , POST-CAPTAINS OF 1811. 411 proceeded ou this service, as well as your conduct in the execution thereof. I am. Sir, &c. (Signed) " R. Bihkerton." " Rosamond, St. John's, 7th Oct. 1813. " Sir, — I have received a copy of your log, your report and observations on the fisheries on the Labrador coast, and in the straights of Belicisle, and also a sketch of the bay of I'Ance a Loup, by Mr. Taylor, master of the Rosamond, together with a description of such rocks on the coast of New- foundland, not laid down in the Admiralty charts, as you or he could dis- cover, or gain intelligence of; and also a copy of the proceedings of the Surrogate Court held by you ; and I approve of your conduct in the services on which you have been employed during the summer. I am, &c. (Signed) " R. G. Keais." " Prince, Spithead, Mar. 20, 1814. " Sir, — Vice-Admiral Domett having represented to the Lords Com- missioners of the Admiralty, that the Rosamond had not lost either a man or boy by desertion during the period of two months that she had been in dock, and under refit at Plymouth ; I have it in command from their Lordships, to signify to you that they have received with great satisfaction and approbation this testimony of the good state of discipline of the ship under your comuiand. I am, &c. (Signed) " R. Bickehton." Whilst refitting at Plymouth, he also received the follow- ing from his old commander-in-chief: "London, 2d Jan. 1 814. " Dear Campbell, — I have just time to say, that I will try to get you on the North American station. — I hope they will send you out. (Signed) "AiiEX. Cochrane." In May 1814, the declining health of his wife induced Captain Campbell to give up the command of the Rosamond ; but after her demise, he gladly accepted an offer made him by Sir Richard G. Keats, who expressed a wish to have him again under his command, and spontaneously undertook to procure him a ship if he would consent to return to New- foundland. The late Sir George Hope was spoiien to on this subject by Sir Richard, but the appointment never took place. We have inserted the foregoing letters, and mentioned this circumstance, in order to shew that Captain Campbell was fortunate enough always to enjoy the good opinion of his su- perior officers. In loi'i. Captain Campbell was appointed inspecting 'I r '' • ^ 412 POST-CAPTAINS OF 1811. Coiumander of the Coast Guard at Stranraer, N. B. from whence he removed to the Aberdeen district in 1826. The subject of this memoir married, 1st, in 1808, Ann, daughter of the late Rear- Admiral Sir Charles Douglas, Bart., which lady died April 11, 1815, leaving one son and two daughters : 2dly, Aug. 19, 1819, Isabella, daughter of John Campbell, of Craignure, Argyllshire, Esq., by whom he has seven children. His eldest son, Colin, is now serving as a midshipman on board the Ocean 74. One of Captain Campbell's brothers, the senior captain of the 59th regiment, died in consequence of wounds he re- ceived, when landing with the grenadiers of that corps, at Java, in 1811. Another brother was severely wounded at the storming of St. Sebastian, and appears to have been the only officer of the grenadier company, 2d battalion 59th regiment, who survived that attack ; he afterwards suffered much from the Walcheren fever, which ultimately caused his death. The following are extracts of a letter from his commanding officer to the Colonel of the 59th, written after the battles near Bayonne, Dec. 9, 10, and 11, 1813:— " You will find some difficulty in giving credit to my assertion, that the 59th regiment have outdone their former exploits of Vittoria and St. Se- bastian, yet nothing can be more true ; not merely in my opinion, but in that of Lord Wellington, us well as Sir John Hops, who were spectators of the conduct of the brigade, during three days hard fighting. • • • • * •. You will see by the return herewith enclosed, how severe the loss of the 59th has been in officers ; I wish I could do justice to their merits, but their praise is in better hands. Lord Wellington and Sir John Hope are lavish in encomiums upon their obstinate valor — it certainly never was surpassed. •••••♦. Lieutenant Campbell, of the gre- nadiers, for whom I have long been most warmly interested, is also among the wounded, and but lately recovered from a wound he received on the breach of St. Sebastian'^, where he remained, cheering on his men, until the town was fairly in our possession. He has acted as ac^utant for some time, and has exhibited (]ualitie8, in that situation, equal to his spirit iu the Held, which is in the true style of a British grenadier. I think this young man so deserving of promotion, that I wish to exert all the interest 1 am master of, to that end. He has n strong desire to get into tht: i04th regi- ment, or the Glengarry Fenoibles ; and as he has a thorough knowledge of all the northern parts of America, he might be truly useful in that country jUSt now ; for to local uiformatiun, he adds every military requisite. Do POST-CAPTAINS OP 1811. 413 not therefore think me presuming too far, when I s.i'Jdt your influence in his favor." The excellent young officer, thus highly eulogiseil, died a subaltern! Captain Campbell's youngest brother, Duncan, was made a Lieutenant July 10, 1826, and he at present com- mands the Monkey schooner, on the West India station. Agent. — Sir F. M. Ommanney. HENRY HART, Esq. This officer is descended from Sir Harry Hart, who was a knight of the bath about 1650. That branch of the family to which he belongs formerly resided in Kent, but his f^ithcr, the late Richard Hart, Esq. was settled at Uckficld, co. Sussex, and married Miss Blackman, whose sister, we be- lieve, was the lady of the late Sir Thomas Miller, of Froyle, near Alton, in Hampshire, Biirt. Mr. Henry Hart entered the navy in 17^? as a midship- man on board the Indefatigable frigate, Captain Sir Edward Pellew, with whom he continued until the peace of Amiens*, when he joined the Foudroyant 80, bearing the flag of I^rd Keith, on the Mediterranean station. From that ship he was promoted into the Medusa frigate, June 1802. It is unnecessary, in this place, to recapitulate the services in which Mr. Hart participated, whilt serving under the com- mand of Sir Edward Pellew: the manner in which the Me- dusa was employed will be seen by reference to an enlarged memoir of Vice-Admiral Sir John Gore, at the end of Supp. Part II. On the arrival of the Medusa at Madras, Lieutenant Hart met there the sincere and valuable friend under whose auspices he had first become a sailor, and who was then commander-in-chief on the East India station. By that officer lie was immediately received on board the CuUoden 74, as flag-lieutenant ; and afterwards successively appointed acting-captain of the Duncan, Caroline, and Fox frigates. * See Viscount Exmuuth. »^tl I '»'tT>y'!»jiyt I ■ Bio m m it'i 1 I S4, 0%" } I 414 POST-CAPTAINS OF 1811. The Caroline formed part of the squadron under Sir Ed- ward Pellew, at the total extermination of the Dutch naval force in India, Dec. II, 1807*. The boats of the Fox captured and brought out from under the batteries at Sapara, la Car- ravanne, a French vessel mounting eight 4-pounders, from Batavia, bound to Sourabaya, Mar. 23, 1809. After serving nearly four years as an acting-captain, ill health obliged this officer to leave the East Indies, and on his return home he had the mortification to find that Lord Mulgrave had only confirmed him as a commander, by com- mission dated Oct. 12, 1807. That nobleman's successor, however (the Right Hon. Charles Yorke), received him in the most handsome manner ; immediately appointed him to the Thracian brig, of 18 guns ; and followed up his disinte- rested kindness, by advancing him to post rank, on the 1st Aug. 1811. Captain Hart's next appointment was, Dec. 10, 1813, to the Revenge 74, bearing the flag of his friend Sir John Gore, on the Mediterranean station. In Mar. 1818, the same offi- cer nominated him to be his flag-captain at Chatham, but a recent regulation at the admiralty prevented this arrange- ment from being carried into effect. He subsequently com- manded the Sapphire 26, on the Jamaica station, from whence he returned home invalided, as a passenger on board the Tartar frigate, Aug. 28, 1820. Agents. — Messrs. Cooke, Halford, and Son. CORBET JAMES D'AUVERGNE, Esq. Ranger of the Island of Jersey and its Dependencies. Son of the late Charles d'Auvergne, Esq. (a descendant of the celebrated Godfrey, first Duke of Bouillon, in France)t by his second wife Bandinel, daughter of the Seigneur de Melesches, the head of one of the most ancient families in Jersey. ... We first find this oflScer commanding the Aristocrat hired • See Suppl. Part I, p. 404, et tc(/. , t S«e p. 192. POST-CAPTAINS OF 1811. 415 armed brig, and capturing a French gun-vessel, off Cape Frehel, Feb. 19, 1800, at which period he was employed under the orders of his half-brother, Philip d'Auvergne, whom the reigning prince of Bouillon had some years before formally adopted as his son and successor, conformably to precedents established in that duchy so far back as the time of the crusades. Lieutenant d'Auvergne *s next appointment appears to have been to the Severn 44, bearing the broad pendant of the same officer on the Jersey station ; and if we mistake not he was the senior officer on board that ship when she was driven ashore and wrecked, in Grouville Bay, Dec. 21, 1804. He subsequently served as first-lieutenant of the Majestic 74, flag-ship of Vice-Admiral Thomas Macnamara Russell, who makes the following handsome mention of him in his official letter reporting the capture of Heligoland, Sept. 5, 1 807 : — " I have appointed Lieutenant d'Auvergne as acting governor until their lordships' pleasure is known ; and I beg leave to add, that from his perfect knowledge of both services, his zeal and loyalty, and a high sense of honor, I know no seaman more competent to the trust." The subject of this sketch was made a commander Oct. 13, 1807, and continued at Heligoland for some time after his promotion. On leaving that island he received a very flattering address from the magistrates, aldermen, and other principal inhabitants. He subsequently commanded the Au- tumn sloop of war. Captain d'Auvergne obtained post rank, Aug. 1, 1811; and died at Havre, Feb. 2, 1825. A memoir of his brother's services will be found in the Nav. Chron. vol. 13, pp. 169-191, and vol. 36, p. 264. 1 r ,i GEORGE HENDERSON, Esq. Son of John Henderson, Esq. many years secretary to Ad- miral Lord Bridport. This officer entered the navy, about 1797> as a midshipman on board the Royal George, of 100 guns, bearing the flag of that highly distinguished veteran, whose steady friendship he t0 416 POST-CAPTAINS OF 1811. ever after was honored with. From Nov. 1800, until the peace of Amiens, we find him serving in the Belleisle 74, com- manded, except for two short periods, by Captain William Domett *. He subsequently proceeded to the Leeward Is- lands, as master's-mate, in the Ulysses 44, fitted for the broad pendant of Commodore Samuel Hood, in which ship he was present at the capture of Tobago, July 1, J 803 +. After that event Mr. Henderson returned home, for the pur- pose of passing his examination at the Navy Office ; and he had no sooner done so, than he proceeded to rejoin Commo- dore Hood, by whom he was made Lieutenant into the Alli- gator 28, armed en flute, by commission dated Jan. 28, 1804. In that ship, commanded by Captain Charles Richardson, he assisted at the reduction of Surinam, May 5, 1804 J. Lieutenant Henderson was next appointed to the Centaur 74, bearing the broad pendant of Sir Samuel Hood, who had just before been created a K. B. for his numerous gallant and valuable services, but whose naval rank did not admit of his being much longer continued as commander-in-chief at the Leeward Islands. After Sir Samuers departure for England, the Centaur accompanied Rear-Admiral Cochrane to Jamaica, in pursuit of the celebrated Rochefort squadron § ; a circumstance not noticed in our memoir of her captain, the present Sir Murray Maxwell. Early in 1806, Lieutenant Henderson had the happiness to find himself again under the command of Sir Samuel Hood, who was at that period appointed captain of the Centaur, then at Plymouth, and placed under the orders of Earl St. Vin- cent, who sent him with a squadron of seven sail of the line, and some small vessels, to watch the motions of the enemy at Rochefort. The capture of four heavy French frigates (full of troops, stores, arms, ammunition, and provisions) by the Centaur, Monarch, and Mars, Sept. 25, in the same year, have been described at p. 570 et seq. of Vol. I. Part II, On • See Vol. I. p. 247, et m/. f See Id. p. 481. \ See Vol. II. Part II. pp. 797— BOL ^ SeeVol I.p. 261. POST-CAPTAINS OF 1811. 417 that occasion, Sir Samuel Hood received a severe wound in his right arm, which was afterwards taken out of the socket by his able surgeon, Mr. Richard Daly, to whom he presented a valuable pocket chronometer as a token of the high sense he entertained of his very great skill and attention *. Sir Samuel Hood's despatches respecting this important capture were conveyed to the fleet off Brest by the subject of this memoir, who although only fifth Lieutenant of the Centaur, was shortly afterwards directed to perform the duty of first. In the early part of 1807, Sir Samuel Hood again com- manded a squadron employed in cruising between Madeira and the Canary islands. We next find his broad pendant flying in the armament sent against Copenhagen ; and on his return from the Baltic, after the surrender of the Danish navy, and his promotion to a flag, he was sent to take possession of Madeira, in conjunction with Major-General (now Lord) Ber- esford, a measure rendered necessary in consequence of the occupation of Portugal by the French : — this latter service was performed, without opposition, Dec. 26, 1807. The fol- lowing is an extract of Sir Samuel's official letter to the Ad- miralty, dated on the 29th of that month : — " I have to express my entire satisfaction of the captains, officers, and men of his Majesty's ships on this service ; and I send my first Lieutenant, George Henderson, vvith this despatch. He is a very excellent officer, and I must refer their Lordships to him for any further information j I beg leave to recommend him to their Lordships' notice." Lieutenant Henderson arrived at the Admiralty Jan. 22, 1808 J on which day a commission was signed promoting him to the rank of Commander. From this period we lose sight of Captain Henderson till the summer of 1809, when he was placed under the orders of Captain Nicholas Tomlinson, who had been selected to com- mand the fire-vessels attached to the Walcheren expedition. The wind-up of hip services in the Scheldt is thus officially described by the late Vice-Admiral Otway : — • Richard Daly, M. D. is now a practitioner in the Old Kent Road, and the author takes this opportunity of publicly acknowledginji^ how much he likewise is indebted to his abilities and care, particularly during a long and serious illness with which he was afflicted in the year 1826. eUPPL. PART If. 2 IS 418 POST-CAPTAINS OP 1811. 4 " The transports necessary for the embarkation of the army havin;; ar- rived the 25th Nov. on the following day the measures that I had pre- viously concerted with Lieutenant-General Don, for the destruction of the basin, arsenal, and sea defences of Flushing, agreeably tr instructions from the Earl of Liverpool, dated the Idth, and received on the 17th, were be^un. " On this service, 600 seamen and artificers from the fleet were employ- ed, under the orders of Captain Moore of H. M. S. Marlborough, assisted by Captains Tomlinson and Henderson, of the fire-ship service. The navy having completed the portion of work allotted to them, and Lieutenant- Colonel Filkington, commanding the royal engineers, having reported to Lieutenant-General Don, that his mines for the destruction of the gates and piers at the entrance of the basin were ready, the whole of the army, with the exception of the rear-guards, was embarked on the afternoon of the 9th instant. '* The mines were exploded yesterday *, and appear to have fully an- swered their object : the whole of the east side of the basin had been pre- viously completely destroyed ; but as the port of Flushing, west of the basin, lies considerably below the high water mark, any material injury of the west bank would have caused the immediate inundation of the whole town ; therefore our work on that side has been confined to the demolition of the careening wharf and pits. " It was at first intended to defer the burning of the store-house and other buildings in the arsenal until our final departure ; but, from the probability that with a strong east wind the flames might communicate to the town, the whole was set firu to yesterday, and is totally destroyed. '* Thus Flushing is rendered useless to the enemy as a naval arsenal ; and the basin which afforded a very secure retreat for several ships of the line during the winter, is for the present effectually destroyed, and can only be restored by great labour, and at an immense expense. " I cannot conclude without expressing my great obligations to Cap- tain Moore, for the able assistance he has rendered me in the performance of a very complicated service ; and he speaks in terms highly satisfactory of the conduct of Captains Tomlinson and Henderson, and the other offi- cers who served under his orders on shore. (Signed) " W. A. Otway f." Captain Henderson's next appointment was, in 1810, to the Eclipse brig, of 18 guns. After assisting at the capture of the Isle of France, he returned home acting in the Nereide • Dec. 10, 1809. ' ' " " t Vice-Admiral William Albany Otway died at Ryde, in the Isle of Wight, July 30, 1815. He had suffered several attacks of the Walcheren fever since he returned from that expedition ; indeed it is believed by his friends, that he never perfectly recovered from it. POST -CAPTAINS OP 1811. 419 frigate, formerly la Venus *, which ship he put out of com- mission in May, 1811. His promotion to post-rank took place Aug. 1 St following. On the 23d June, 1813, Captain Henderson was appointed to the Acorn of 20 guns ; from which ship he removed, April 20, 1814, to the Minden 74, bearing the flag of his valuable friend Sir Samuel Hood, then commander-in-chief on the East India stationf. Shortly after the demise of that great officer and most excellent man, he exchanged with Captain Donald Hugh Mackay, into the Malacca 42, which frigate he paid off in June, 1815. Captain Henderson married, Nov. 26, 1817j Frances, eldest daughter of Edmund Walcott, of Winkton, near Christchurch, Hants, Esq. and sister to Captain John Edward Walcott, R. N. by whom he has three sons and one daughter. One of his sisters i^ married to Captain William Henderson, R. N. IB, i ( , • THOMAS TUDOR TUCKER, Esq. Third son of Henry Tucker, Esq. many years president of the council, treasurer, and secretary at the Bermudas, where he also held the reins of government at various pe- riods, by Frances, eldest daughter of his Excellency George Bruere, the governor of those islands. Mr. T. Tudor Tucker was bom at the official residence of his maternal grandfather, but at what period it is not in our power to state. He entered the navy towards the close of 1793, previous to which he had made one voyage to China, and another to Bombay, as a midshipman in the service of the Hon. East India Company. The first king's ship in which he embarked was the Argo44, Captain William Clarke, then about to sail from the Nore for the purpose of affording protection to the homeward-bound Baltic trade. He after- • See Vol. I. Part II. p. 630. t Vice-Admiral Sir Samuel Hood died at Madras, Dec. 24, 1814. In him it may truly be said, that the British nation lost one of its mo6t ex- perienced and gallant defenders, a long.tried friend and companion of the immortal Nelson. , ^ 2 £2 II! w iX 420 POST-CAPTAlNS OF 1811. wards successively joined the Jason frigate, Sampson 64, Victorious 74, and Monarch, of similar force, the latter third rate bearing the flag of Sir George Keith Elphinstone, commander-in-chief at the Cape of Good Hope. During the operations which led to the capture of that colony, he served on shore with the seamen and marines landed to co- operate with the small military force under Major-General Craig*. Early in 1796 Mr. Tucker passed his examination for a lieutenant ; Sir George K. Elphinstone having directed that the lime he had served in the Hon. Company's service should be admitted by the passing captains. In addition to this extraordinary mark of favor, he was immediately afterwards promoted into the Suffolk 74, flag-ship of Rear-Admiral Rainier. Mr. Tucker's next appointment was to the Swift sloop. Captain Thomas Hayward, and he appears to have quitted that vessel at Madras only a few days previous to her sailing from thence on a cruise in the China seas, since which she has never been heard of : the name of her unfortunate com- mander is frequently mentioned in our memoir of Captain Peter Heywoodf. Mr. Tucker's removal from the Swift was occasioned by a complaint of the liver, which induced Captain William Clarke to request that he might be appointed to the Victorious, as she would be a more comfortable ship for him in such a cli- mate : this application was readily granted by Rear- Admiral Rainier, and he accordingly rejoined his first patron, with whom he continued to serve until a second attack of the liver, in 1799> rendered it advisable for him to exchange into the Sceptre 64, then under orders for England. At this pe- riod the commander-in-chief was about to receive him into his flag-ship on promotion. On the 19th Sept. 1799? Mr. Tucker commanded the boats of the Sceptre at the capture and destruction of I'Eclair, French brig privateer, mounting 10 guns, with a comple- « See Vol. I. Part I, pp. 47—49. + See Vol. II. Part II. p. 762, et seq. POST-CAPTAINS OF 1811. 421 orious, as iwent of 83 men, moored close to the shore, within a reef of rocks, at the island of Rodriguez : the manner in which this service was executed will be seen by reference to p. 116, et seq. where we have also noticed the loss of the Sceptre in Table Bay, Cape of Good Hope, Nov. 5, 1799. On the day previous to that melancholy disaster, Mr. Tucker, then acting as second lieutenant, requested Captain Edwards to grant him permission to attend a ball that was to be given on shore, saying he would not leave the ship until the business of the day was finished, and promising to return on board at day-light the next morning, in order to attend to his duty as the executive officer, the first lieutenant being at sick-quarters. Captain Edwards told him in reply, that as the third and fifth lieutenants were also on shore, and his standing orders were, that the ship was never to be left without at least two lieutenants and the master, he did not like to deviate from them. JVIr. Tucker had previously sent to the third lieutenant to come on board in the evening and relieve him, but, as a ball was pending, he had no expecta- tion that his request would be complied with : however, while the ship's company were at their supper, he was agreeably surprised to see his messmate come alongside, and he soon afterwards went on shore, leaving orders for a boat to be sent to bring him off at day-light. During the night it came on to blow very hard ; and next morning, on repairing to the place where he expected a boat would be, Mr. Tucker found such a sea running that it was utterly impossible for one to approach the shore, and he could perceive the people on board the Sceptre busily employed in striking lower-yards and top-masts : the wind continued to increase during the day, until it blew a hurricane, and the sea to roll in from the ocean, in almost resistless billows : before 8 P. M. the Sceptre and most of the vessels in the bay were ashore ; she soon went to pieces, and her captain, the third and fourth lieute- nants, the master, the captain's son and three other mid- shipmen, two warrant officers, and about 280 of her crew perished. A list of those who escaped this terrible catas- trophe will be found at p. 222 of Suppl. Part I. ^'O 422 POST-CAPTAINS OP 1811. Mr. Tucker returned home with despatches from Sir George Yonge, governor of the Cape, who entrusted them to his charge in hopes that the expenses of his voyage would be paid by government ; an expectation that was not realized. On his arrival in London, May 1800, Mr. Tucker was ob- liged to pass another examination at Somerset Place, the Lords of the Admiralty having refused to make any allow- ance for the time he had served at sea previous to his entering the navy. Having done so, he was immediately appointed a lieutenant of the Prince George 98, forming part of the Channel fleet, under the command of Earl St. Vincent. At the close of the French revolutionary war we find him serving as fourth of the Prince, a very dull sailing ship of similar force, in which he received a rupture, through great exertion and anxiety to keep her in her station. Lieutenant Tucker's next appointment was to the North- umberland 74, bearing the flag of Rear-Admiral the Hon. Alexander Cochrane. In May, 1805, he assisted at the cap- ture of a French privateer, near St. Domingo, by the boats of the Unicorn frigate ; the manner in which that service was performed will be seen by the following extract of an official letter written by Captain Lucius Hardyman : " On the morning of the 6th instant, a strange sail was seen on the larboard bow, distant 7 or 8 miles ; having then light-airs, inclinable to calm, and perceiving the stranger was using every effort 'viih his sweeps to escape, I directed Mr. Henry Smith Wilson, first lieutenant, assisted by Messrs. James Tait and Henry Bourchier, second and third lieutenants, and backed by the volunteer services of Lieutenant Thomas Tudor Tucker, a passenger belonging to H. M. S. Northumberland, Lieutenant Walter Powell, R. M. and Mr. Charles Rundle, purser of H. M. S. under my command, to proceed with four boats, and endeavour to come up with the chase. The cool and determined manner in which this service was per- formed, after a pull of many hours, and the strong opposition they met with, induce me thus publicly to express my approbation of every offi- cer, seaman, and marine engaged in it ; and I am happy to add that no lives were lost upon the occasion." The privateer proved to be le Tape-a-bord, mounting four 6-pounders, with a complement of 46 well-armed men. Lieutenant Tucker, who commanded one of the above boats, POST- CAPTAINS OF 1811. 423 was then proceeding with despatches from his Admiral to Sir John B. Warren. After the action off St. Domingo, Feb. 6, 1806 *, the sub- ject of this memoir was appointed to the conmiand of the Dolphin 44, armed enjlufe, in which ship Rear-Admiral Coch- rane hoisted his flag while the Northumberland went to Antigua, for the purpose of repairing her damages. He was subsequently appointed in succession, by that officer, to the Dart, Curieux, Epervier, and Cherub sloops of war ; but his commission as a Commander was not confirmed until Feb. 15, 1808. Captain Tucker assisted at the capture of Martinique, in 1809t, and was subsequently placed under the orders of Cap- tain Philip Beaver, senior officer of the squadron employed in the blockade of Basse Terre, Guadaloupe. The Cherub had not been long with the above squadron before Captain Tucker, and Captain William Dowers, of the Julia brig, volunteered to go in with their vessels, and board and bring out two French frigates, then lying at Basse Terre under the protection of a very strong fort on the high land commanding that anchorage. Their spirited offer was readily accepted by Captain Beaver, who sent 60 of his own ship's company to the Julia, and offered the Cherub as many as her commander wished ; but none were accepted by him, as his officers and crew expressed a desire to have all the glory of the enterprise to themselves. After waiting many days for a favorable opportunity to make the attempt, Captain Tucker at length had the pleasure to observe that the wind blew home into the roadstead, and he immediately made the ap- pointed signal to his consort. Both sloops stood towards the frigates with as much wind, as enabled them to carry top- gallant-sails over single- reefed top. sails close hauled, received the fire of two batteries in passing them, and was confidently expecting to be soon alongside the enemy, when their sails suddenly flapped to the masts, and they were k^tt without so • See Vol. I. Part I. pp. 261—263 ; aud Vol. II. Part 1, note f at p. 280. t See Vol. I. Part I. p. 264. /V ik:^ rr' / f \' IM Ft P I 424 POST-CAPTAINS OF 1811. much as a breath of wind. In this unlooked-for and most mortifying predicament, Captain Tucker, with great presence of mind, immediately ordered the helm to be put hard a-star- board, by which decisiv^e measure the vessels got out of gun- shot of a third heavy battery, then just opening upon them, before they lost their way. Captain Beaver was an eye-wit- ness to the movements of the Cherub and Julia j and he afterwards told Captain Tucker that the promptitude with which he had extricated them from their perilous situation was deserving of the highest praise ; that as much credit was due to him as if he had brought out the frigates, and that he would duly rf^port his conduct. All who are acquainted with the anchorage at Basse Terre, must be aware of the difficulty of an enemy getting into that roadstead, as the high land commanding it occasions constant baffling winds and calms. Highly as Sir Alexander Cochrane admired Captain Tucker's heroic attempt, he gave strict orders that it should not be repeated. Captain Beaver, however, determined, if possible, to destroy the French frigates, and for that purpose he directed the Unique brig to be prepared as a fire-vessel ; her unavoluable destruction, before she could reach the ene- my, has been related at p. 322. On the 14th June, 1809, the guard-boats of the blockading squadron gave notice that both the frigates were getting under weigh. As the night was extremely dark, and the enemy had the choice of several passages, it was a matter of opinion with the different British captains which they would prefer. The Cherub immediately made all sail to the northward, and continued steering the same course until sun -set next day, when her commander discovered the fugitives under St. Mar- tin's, with their heads to the southward. Considering this only a feint to deceive him, he stood on, ran through the Sambrero passage, and at dawn of day, on the 16th, perceived them right a-head, but not a single British ship or vessel in sight. The enemy were now so near to the Cherub that Captain Tucker thought his crew would scarcely have time to breakfast ; but still he was determined that they should have their meal before they went into action, and he was POST-CAPTAINS OP 1811. 425 equally resolved to engage the enemy, in hopes of crippling them so as to render their ultimate capture certain. Unfor- tunately, the wind began to moderate, and as it slackened the frigates increased their distance : whenever it freshened again for a short time, the Cherub had evidently the advan- tage of sailing. At 2 P. M., the Lutona frigate was seen from the mast head, coming up on the lee-quarter. 'At sun- set, the enemy's manoeuvres led Captain Tucker to believe that they intended altering their course after dark ; and as he thought it probable that they would separate, he considered it most expedient to keep a little to windward. When dark enough not to be observed by the Frenchmen, he hauled up as close as he could without taking in his foyal, top- gallant, and fore-top-mast-studding sails ; on the morning of the 17th, he had the mortification to find that they had both escaped him. It subsequently appeared that one of the frigates bore up after dark, and at midnight found herself alongside of the Latona, Captain Hugh Pigot, who very soon captured her : the other braced sharp up, and was intercepted by the Bonne Citoyenne sloop of war, between Bermuda and Halifax *. The subject of this memoir assisted at the reduction of Guadaloupe, in 1810 ; and remained on the Leeward Islands' station, under the orders of Sir Alexander Cochrane and his successor. Sir Francis Laforey, in consequence of whose re- port to the Admiralty, of the excellent state in which the Cherub was kept, and the discipline of her crew, their Lord- ships were pleased to direct that she should be rated as a post-ship, and signed a commission promoting Captain Tucker to that rank, and continuing him in the same command, Aug. 1.1811. . At the end of Sept. 1812, the Cherub returned to England with ninety- six Hail of merchantmen under her protection. Captain Tucker was immediately ordered to refit her for foreign ser- vice ; and in a little more than two months he sailed for the South American station. During the time that his ship was in dock, at Portsmouth, her crew were allowed a month's leave of I \- * Sec Captuiu William IVIounsey, C. B. A .';■/• 426 iH^ST-bAPTAINS OF 1811. absence to see their friends ; and although they were aware that she was again going abroad, not a man was absent from his duty at the time of her departure. On his taking leave of Sir Richard Bickerton, who then commanded at that port, Cap- tain Tucker mentioned this circumstance, and reminded him that although his people had so recently returned from the West Indies, where many of them had served at least seven years, in the Epervier and Cherub, he was about to quit England without having asked for, or wished to obtain a single man from the flag-ship ! The port-admiral replied that it was so rare an instance, he would make a point of re- porting it officially. We should here observe, that when Captain Tucker removed into the Cherub, about Dec. 1808, most of the Epervier's officers and the whole of her crew vo- lunteered to follow him, notwithstanding that that brig was then under orders to return home, and his new sloop had but just arrived on the station ! We next find Captain Tucker employed in the Pacific Ocean. On his arrival at Lima he was informed that salted provisions were not to be procured there, and he therefore determined to reserve all that remained on board for the pas- sage back round Cape Horn. He also attempted to add to that stock, which was only sufiicient for six weeks' consump- tion at full allowance ; but although various modes were tried, every attempt failed, owing to the excessive heat of the weather ; and he was consequently obliged to adopt the plan of the Spaniards, who supply their vessels with beef cut in slices, and dried in the sun until it becomes as hard as wood. This substitute for salt- meat is then packed in matting, but from its nature must not be stowed in the hold, or between decks. Shortly after his departure from Valparaiso, and a few days before the last of the oxen taken on board there was slaught- ered, the rain which fell fur many hours had such an efl'ect up- on that contained in the mat packages, all of which were stowed on the main-deck, about the booms, &c. as to make it emit such a horrible smell, that many officers would doubt- less have ordered the whole to be thrown overboard : Captain POST-CAPTAINS OF 1811. 427 Tucker^ hovrever, took advantage of the first fine day to ex- pose it to the sun, M'hen it very soon lost the offensive smell, resumed its former solidity, and was again re-packed. Not- withstanding this, he was afraid that the ship's company might have a dislike to eat it, and he therefore directed all the officers to make a point of doing so ; his steward was likewise told to have nothing else cooked for the use of the cabin on the day when it was to be first made use of. When that time arrived, not a man appeared in the galley to claim the meat for his mess, nor was a single piece of it taken away even after it had been surveyed and reported " wholesome food, fit for men to eat." The first Lieutenant was then de- sired by Captain Tucker to allow it to remain in the cook's charge until the usual hour for mustering at quarters, and then to throw whatever remained unclaimed overboard. On the 2d, 3d, and 4th days, the meat was cooked as before, but still no demand was made for it by any of the messes, the ship's company preferring to dine on biscuit and grog alone. On each of those days the quantity cooked was again properly surveyed, .-J ordered to be disposed of as b' ibre. In the afternoon ■' ? atter day, however, a marine said to one of his compan. . *,nat he was very hungry, and as the Captain and officers eat the beef every day he would go and do the same ; his messmate replied, " if you do, you will be severely punished by the ship's company ;" which threat he immedi- ately reported to the officer of the watch, who lost no time in making the circumstance known to Captain Tucker. The marines were instantaneously ordered to be got under arms, and preparation was made for punishment. On the offender being brought to the gangway. Captain Tucker told him that he was not going to flog him for declining to eat the meat, but for presuming to assume an authority which was alone vested in his captain j and which power, added he, " I will not resign to any one, as long as I have a head on my shoulders." He then ordered the boatswain of the Cherub to give the first dozen lashes ; the boatswain's -mates followed in succession, and the prisoner received as severe a punishment M he thought himself authorized in inflicting. Captain irr 4^ POST-CAPTAINS OP 1811. -{■' Tucker next addressed himself to the ship's company in terms nearly as follow : ' ** My lads, — You have now been under my command between five and six years ; and during that time you must have observed that I have ever made it a study, as it was my duty, always to get for you tlie l)est provi- sions that could possibly be proctired ; I need not add, that it has always afforded me the most heartfelt satisfaction so to do, and to see you com- fortable and happy : the meat that you have refused to eat for the last four days, and which your captain and oHicers have eaten, was the only substi- tute for salt provisions that could be obtained in the Pacific; I believe that I have been brought up from ray birth to eat as delicate food as any of you, yet I have made four dinners on that which you do not think good enough for you, and I most fervently pray to God to grant that I may never fare worse than I have this day done on that very beef. It is far from my intention to compel you to eat it, if you prefer dining on biscuit and grog ; but if you expect that I will allow the salt provisions now in the hold to be used until we arrive in those high latitudes where this beef cannot be preserved, you are very much mistaken : — return to your various duties." This firmness on the part of Captain Tucker was produc- tive of the desired effect : next day the beef was demanded by every mess, immediately after piping to dinner, and the men continued to eat it until their arrival at the Sandwich Islands, where a stock of excellent pork was procured for ge- neral use. It must be allowed by all who have any know- ledge in these matters, that prompt, determined, and decisive conduct is absolutely necessary in such cases ; but justice demands that we should not attribute the conduct of the Cherub's crew, on the above occasion, to a mutinous spirit, but merely to the disgust occasioned by the beef's intolerable smell when moistened by the rain. Their attachment to Captain Tucker may be fairly inferred from what we have stated hi the first paragraph at p. 426. Captain Tucker was severely wounded in both legs at the commencement of the action with the United States' frigate Essex, off Valparaiso, Mar. 28, 1814, the official account of which will be found at p. 861 et seq. of Vol II. Part II. On that occasion he returned upon deck the moment his wounds were dressed, and continued there, " using every exertion against the baffling winds and occasional calms, to close near POST-CAPTAINS OF 1811. 429 the enemy," until he had the satisfaction to see the American colours lowered. The Cherub returned home from Brazil in charge of a large fleet of merchantmen, and Captain Tucker was afterwards successively appointed to the Andromeda and Comus, each rated at 22 guns. He has not been employed since the end of May, 1816. This oflicer married, Jan. 23, 1811, Anne Byam, eldest daughter of the late D. Hill, Esq. a merchant and land pro- prietor in the island of Antigua, by whom he has issue two sons and three daughters. His eldest brother, Henry St. George Tucker, is a Director of the Hon. East India Com- pany J his second brother, George, a Lieutenant-Colonel in the army, and Assistant-Adjutant-General to the forces under Sir Arthur Wellesley, perished in the Primrose sloop of war, when returning to the peninsula, after a short leave of ab- sence*. His next brother, Lieutenaut-Colonel John G. P. Tucker, has served in India and at the Cape of Good Hope, at Monte Video, in Canada, and in France ; the next, Captain Nathaniel B. Tucker, Brigade-Major to Sir M. Nightingale, shared the melancholy fate of his brother George ; the next in point of age, a Lieutenant-Colonel in the Hon. E. L C. service, and Deputy-Quarter-Master-General at the presiden- cy of Bombay, died at sea, when returning home on leave of absence, in 1826; the next, Captain Charlton B. Tucker, of the dragoons, served as aide-de-camp to Sir M. Nightingale when that officer was commander-in-chief of the army at Bombay j and the youngest brother, Richard A. Tucker, is now Chief Justice at Newfoundland. JOHN BOWKER, Esq. This officer, the second son of the late Robert Bowker, Esq. of Queen's County, Ireland, was born Dec. 1,17/0; and he entered the naval service, in Aug. 1785, as a mid- shipman on board the Trusty of 50 guns, commanded by Cap- tain William VVolseley, and then fitting for the broad pendant * The Priinrnac, of 18 (runs, Captain James Mciii, was wrecked on the Manacle rucks, near Fulniuuth, Jan. 22, 1809 . — all on boanl periuhcd. •I I i! 430 PORT-CAPTAINS OF 1811. P of his mother's near relative, the late Admiral Phillips Cosby, who was at that time appointed commodore and commander- in-chief on the Mediterranean station, and with whom Mr. Bowker continued until his return to England^ at the close of 1788*. From this period we find him serving in the Ferret sloop of war, successively commanded by the Hon. Robert Stop- ford and Captain Davidge Gould ; Gibraltar 80, Captain (af- terwards Admiral) Goodall ; and London 98, bearing the flag of the latter officer, until the Russian armament in 1791, when he joined his above-mentioned relative in the Impreg- nable of 90 gunsf. Mr. Bowker was subsequently sent to the West Indies in the Proserpine frigate, under the command of Captain James Alms; but on hearing of Rear-Admiral Cosby's appointment to the chief command at Plymouth, he obtained leave to re- turn home, and once more joined that distinguished ofiicer, whose flag was then flying on board the St. George 98, but which was removed at the commencement of the French revolutionary war into the Windsor Castle, a ship of similar force. ,. „ ,- On the 15th April, 1793, Rear- Admiral Cosby sailed from Spithead, and proceeded to the Mediterranean, where he acted as third in command, under Lord Hood, until after the capture of Corsica, when he returned to England, with his flag in the Alcide 74. * Captain Bowker's father and mother were related before their roarnage, and both descended from a rery respectable Norman family, several mem- bers of which distinf(uished themselves as warriors durin^^ tlie crusades. Admiral Cosby came into possession of Stradbally Hall, Queen's County (the estate of his ancestors), on the demise of Lord Sydney, Baron Strad- bally (a title now extinct), formerly Alexander Sydney Cosby, Esq. his Majesty's representative at the court of Denmark ; and it is now in the possession of Captain Bowker's cousin, the only survivinijr son of his mo- ther's eldest brother. Admiral Cosby's services are recorded in the Naval Chronicle, vol. 14, pp. 353-364. t Admiral Goodall died at Teij^mouth, Devon, in 1801 : — his remains, agreeably to his will, were carried to the grave by six old seauicn, accom- panied by six young maids, to each of whom he had ordered one guinea to be given. Some account of his professional career will be found in the Nav. Chron. v. 6, p. 369, ei teq. l«OST- CAPTAINS OP 1811. 431 Mr. Bowker, who had commanded a party of seamen on shore during the occupation of Toulon, was promoted into the St. Fiorenzo frigate, Captain Sir Charles Hamilton, Bart. July 10, 1/94; and paid off from her in the month of Nov. following. On the 8th Dec. in the same year, he received a commission appointing him to the Mars 74, Captain Sir Charles Cotton, Bart, to whose notice he had been recom- mended by Rear-Admiral Cosbj', and under whom he served as fourth lieutenant during the memorable retreat of Corn- wallis, on which occasion the Mars, it will be remembered, bore the bnmt of the enemy's attack, she being the stern- most ship of the British line'"'. On Sir Charles Cotton's advancemeii . to the rank of Rear- Admiral, he was superseded by Captain Alexander Hood, under whose command the Mars pursued and engaged I'Her- cule, a new French 74, which ship was ultimately subdued and taken possession of by the subject of this memoir, then second lieutenant, who on boarding her after the republican crew bad cried for quarter, was met in an hostile manner by the first and second French captains with about 60 men^ whom they had treacherously rallied around them. This latter circumstance has never yet been noticed by any naval historian, nor was it even mentioned by the first- lieutenant of the Mars, in his official letter to Lord Bridport ; it therefore becomes our task to relate the fact as it oc- curred. Towards the close of the battle Captain Hood received a mortal wound, and was consequently carried below. The yards of the hostile ships had been for some time locked together, and Lieutenant Bowker, who commanded on the lower-deck was obliged, at all risks, to fire the guns under his superintendence at nearly the whole length of their breechings, as they could not be run out without bringing them in contact with those of I'Hercule. Finding that the enemy's fire had at length ceased, and imagining that she had surrendered, he proceeded to the quarter-deck for the purpose of receiving further orders ; but seeing no officer . ^^ u I,. • See Vol. I, note t at p. 354. — , • ii < ' 432 POST.CAPTAINS Oli' 181 1. there senior in rank to the acting-master, and the prize riot yet taken possession of, he immediately jumped into her main-chains, followed by a party of boarders, and, although unexpectedly opposed, soon subdued the Frenchmen who had thus unwarrantably resumed their arms, driving the greater part of them into the main-chains of the Mars. Iii this hand-to-hand conflict he had the misfortune to miss his aim when making a tlirust with his pike at the second cap- tain, and his foot slipping, he was precipitated from the quarter-deck down to the orlop, by which fall he lost three teeth and received a severe contusion in the right knee, but luckily he was not incapacitated from retaining the charge of I'Hercule*. After finally subduing the enemy's ship, arid getting her clear of the Mars, Lieutenant Bowker and his followers, only one of whom was wounded, had to contend with an alarming fire in four different places j and from the great quantity of powder which they found, at day-light, had been spilled on various parts of I'Hercule'd decks, it may fairly be inferred that she was only saved from being blown up by the bodies of the killed and dying Frenchmen lying so thick in all di-^ rections as to prevent the formation of a continued train to the magazine. After conducting I'Hercule to Lord Bridport's fleet, the subject of this memoir returned to the Mars, and remained in her as first-lieutenant, until the spring of 1799. From that period till the peace of Amiens we find him serving in the Prince, and another second rate, both bearing the flag of his friend Sir Charles Cotton. On the renewal of hosti- lities, in May 1803, the same amiable officer being appointed second in command of the Channel fleet, was pleased to se- lect Mr. Bowker to be his first lieutenant, in the San Josef of 120 guns ; and in the autumn of 1806 he gave him an order to act as commander of the Atalante brig, forming part of a squadron stationed off Rochefort, under the orders of Sir Samuel Hood. • Errata — Vol. II. Part II. note f at p. 616 — after wounded, insert offi- cially reported ; and after second lieutenant, insert tcho had a fair claim to be included in the report. POSt-CAPTArNS OP 1811. 433 Shortly after this appointment, and during a dark night, Captain Bowker fell in with a Frencli coasting convoy, con- sisting of twelve sail, eight of which he had the good fortune to capture and destroy. ' In Feb. 1807, the blockading squadron, then under the command of Commodore Keats, being blown off the land, and the Atalante being the first of the inshore division to regain her station. Captain Bowker observed two French ships under weigh in Basque roads, and all the other men of war at that anchorage with their top-sail-yards at the mast- heads braced up ready for casting. Not one of his fellow- cruisers being then in sight, and fearing the enemy would effect their escape, if not intimidated from coming out, he instantly adopted the expedient of hoisting flags and firing guns, as if making signals to the British squadron : this stratagem perfectly succeeded — the Frenchmen, already under sail, let go their anchors, and the whole were soon in the same order as though a start had never been contemplated. After the performance of this service, Captain Bowker proceeded to place his brig in a proper position for watching the enemy's motions during the night, but in doing so the Atalante unfortunately got aground, through the ignorance of the coasting pilots ; and at day-light next moniing, the enemy, instead of sending boats to rescue her officers and crew from their deplorable situation, inhumanly opened a heavy fire of great guns and musketry upon them, which was kept up till two British frigates arrived to their assist- ance, and succeeded in taking them from the wreck. On the 23d of the following month, the minutes of the court-martial, assembled to enquire into the circumstances attending the loss of the Atalante, being received at the Ad- miralty, and Sir Charles Cotton having interested himself in behalf of his old follower, their lordships were pleased to confirm Captain Bowker's commission as a commander, at the same time appointing him to the Epervier brig, then employed at the Leeward Islands, from whence he was ob- liged to return home, for the recovery of his health, in Feb. 1808. ,• I '• SIJPPL. PAUT ir, 2w 434 POST-CAPTAINS OF 1811. ?r m Captain Bowker's next appointment was, in Aug, 1809, to the iEtna bomb, forming part of the naval force in the Scheldt, under the orders of Sir Richard J. Strachan, whose thanks he had the honor of receiving in . public orders (conjointly with other officers serving under the immediate directions of Captain George Cockburn) for silencing the batteries of Doel, and covering the retreat of the advanced squadron of frigates. The iEtna was subsequently employed in the defence of Cadiz, on which service Captain Bowker remained till about Oct. 1810, when he was removed, by Sir Charles Cotton, into the Wizard, a 16 gun brig, on the Mediterranean sta- tion. In the spring of 1811, we find him acting as captain of the San Josef, once more bearing the flag of his staunch patron, with whom he soon afterwards returned to England, as a passenger in the same ship. His post commission bears date Aug. 16, 1811*. : From this period Captain Bowker did not obtain another appointment till Feb. 12, 181 7j when he was nominated by Vice-Admiral Pickmore, governor and commander-in-chief at Newfoundland, to command his flag«ship, the Sir Francis Drake, of 46 guns. On the demise of that officer, Feb. 24, 1818, he hoisted a broad pendant as commodore on that sta- tion J and eiirly in the following month he was, by virtue of the king's letter-patent, sworn in as governor, pro tempore, of the colony, the duties of which high office he discharged with great credit until the arrival of Sir Charles Hamilton, Bart, at the latter end of July following. Having then resigned his trust into the hands of Vice- Ad- miral Pickmore's successor. Captain Bowker resumed the command of the flag- ship, and continued at St. John's till Nov. 1819. when he embarked in the Egeria 24, for a passage to England, the Admiralty having thought proper to reduce the Sir Francis Drake's establishment, and to place her under the command of a lieutenant. The other officers, and sur- plus part of the crew, returned home with their Captain, and were paid off at Portsmouth, Jan. 1, 1820. • See Vol. II. Part I. note t at p. 447. POST-CAPTAINS OF 1811. 435 In 1825 Captain Bowker was appointed to cooimandH.M. Ordinary at Plymouth, where he continued during tlie cus- tomary period of three years. He married, in 1801, Mary Beckford, eldest daughter of Thomas L. Yates, Esq. who was purser of the Mars when she captured I'Hercule, and is now the senior officer of that rank in H. M. navy. Captain Bowker has one son and one daughter. X' K HENRY BOURCHIER, Esq. Eldest son of Captain John Bourchier, who died Lieute- nant-Governor of the Royal Hospital at Greenwich, Dec. 30, 1809*. This officer was made a lieutenant May I, 1804: we first find him serving in the Unicorn frigate, and commanding one of her boats at the capture of le Tape-k-bord French priva- teer, of four 6-pounders and 46 well-armed men, after a long pursuit and an obstinate resistance, off St. Domingo, May 6, 1805t. His promotion to the rank of commander took place April 20, 1808, on which occasion he was appointed to the Demerara sloop, employed at the Leeward Islands. From that vessel Captain Bourchier removed to the Hawke brig, of 16 guns, about Feb. 1809 ; and in the latter he cap- tured le Furet privateer, of 14 guns and 86 men, on the Channel station, Feb. 7> 1811. He also witnessed the de- struction of a 40-gun frigate, near Cape Barfleur, March 25 following^. The very gallant manner in which he obtained a post commission will be seen by the following copy of an official letter addressed by him to Admiral Sir Roger Curtis, Aug. 19, in the same year : — " Sir, — I beg leave to state to you, that, in obedience to your direc- tions, I proceeded, in H. M. brig under my command, to the eastward of St. Marcou, in order to intercept any of the enemy's trade bound to the w^ westward ; at 2 P. M. St. Marcou bearing W. by N. six leagues, we ob- served from the mast-head a convoy of French vessels steering for Bar- fleur ; all sail was immediately made in chase, and, on our near tipproach, * See Nav. Chron, vol. 21, p. 87. t See p. 422. J See Vol. I. Part 11. p. 691. 2f2 \\ 1 \s 436 POST-CAPTAlNfl OP 1811. !■ we perceived them to be protected l)y three-armed national brigs, and two large luggers, the former carrying from 12 to 16 guns each, the latter from 8 to 10 each, apparently well-manned. Convinced, from their hauling out from their convoy in close order, it was their intention to attack us, I im- mediately hove-to to receive them, and at 3-30 P. M. Point Fiercu bearing N. W. J W. 4 miles, t>^ action commenced within half-pistol-shot, and continued with great spirit on both sides, until we succeeded in driving on shore two of the brigs, and the two luggers, with fifteen sail of their con- voy ; but, in the act of wearing, to prevent the third brig raking us, we unfortunately grounded, which enabled her and a few of the convoy to escape, although having previously struck to us. My whole attention at this time was to getting H. M. l)rig off, by lightening her of her booms, spars, anchors, and a few of hor guns, &c. which was effected in an hour and a half, under incessant discharges of artillery and musketry, which completely lined the shore. I thought it then most prudent to anclror, in order to replace the running rigging ; during which time I despatched the boats, under the command of Lieutenant David Price, my second lieute- nant (my first being in a prize), to bring out or destroy as many of the enemy's vessels as practicable ; he succeeded in bringing out the Heron national brig, pierced for 16 guns, mounting only 10, and three large transports, laden with timber for ship-building ; the rest were on their broadsides, and completely bilged, and he was only prevented from burn- ing them, by the strength of the tide being against him ; which service was conducted in a most masterly and gallant manner, under a galling fire of musketry from the beach, lined with troops. Lieutenant Price speaks in very high terms of the gallantry displayed by Mr. Smith, mas- ter, and Mr. Wheeler, gunner, who handsomely volunteered their services on the occasion. " The grateful task is now left to me. Sir, to express my sense of ad- miration of the very steady, uniform, brave, and determined conduct of the whole of my officers and ship's company, which will ever entitle them to my sincerest and warmest thanks ; and I feel I am only barely doing justice to the merits of Lieutenant Price*, in recommending him most strongly to their lordships' notice, for his spirited conduct in the action, as also in the boats, and in short on all occasions ; he is a most deserving and meritorious young officer, to whom I feel myself much indebted : nor can I pass unnoticed the zeal and attention of Mr. Henry Campling, purser, who volunteered to command the marines and small-arm men, and to whose continued and well-conducted fire I attribute the loss of so few men, which has been trifling, when the superiority of force opposed to vi'i is considered, being only one man killed and four wounded. " It is with much satisfaction I add, that H. M. brig has sufiered in othlng but the running rigging and sails, except what damage she may APost-Captaiuof 1816. roi rOST-CAPTAINS OF 1811. W have received from grounding ; at present ahe niukcs nearly two feet water an hour ; and as the prizes are not in a condition to proceed by them- selves, I have judged it right to make the best of my way to Spilhead with them, which I trust will meet with your approbation. I have the honor to be, &c. (Signed) " H. Bourchieu." Captain Bourchier was advanced to post rank on the very day that his letter reached the Admiralty, Autj. 22, 1811. His next appointment was to the San Josef, a first rate, fit- ting for the flag of Rear- Admiral Foote, who was tlien pre- paring to assume a command on the Mediterranean station. The narrow escape of that noble ship from destruction, in Mar. 1813, is thus described by a gentleman then resident at Plymouth : — *' His Majesty's dock-yard here has been again placed in oonsiderai)^e hazard, by a fire which broke out in the Captain 74, lately eonverV'id '.ai:o a hulk, and moored off the jetty-head. When this alarming ciroumstaircc; was first discovered, the San Josef lay alongside, for the purpose of va- moving her stores, in order to be docked, and in a few minutes she- woul.l probably have been involved in a similar calamity ; but every h"»,r>. imd every hand being on the alert, the lashings which fastened her fo 'JhP- hul'v were cut, and she was fortunately separated : hawsers were; got out; p.ad she was speedily removed, with other ships of war, to a safe d'sauxL-. By midnight, the conflagration, aided by the fanning of a light wind, had taken possession of most of the upper parts of the ship, and by 2 A. M. the internal parts were so completely ignited, that they presented Ihi appear- ance of iron in a state of red heat, without losing their original shape rsnd connexion. At this period, the spectacle was one of the mos:. inagnid- cent, but awful sights that can be conceived. The paly lustre of the moon contrasted itself at first with the fiery glare, but the latter scori assumed the predominance, and flung its influence over every object in the vicinity, imparting a singular hue to the counteriances of the numerous spectators on shore, and of those on duty in the surrounding boats. Fear- ing the ship would drift when the fire came to the bitts that hold the mooring-chain, the shipwrights of the dock-yard drove large rlamps m the bow, and ring-bolts through the stem, to which were attnch The moment his gallant little band began to advance, they were challenged by a French sentinel : Mr. Dwyer answered in Spanish, that they were peasants, and they continued their march till they reached the battery, which was instantly at- 442 POST- CAPTAINS OV 1811. tacked, and, after a smart struggle, carried, although the whole of the privateers' men were there to defend it. A few minutes only elapsed before the British boat's crew found themselves surrounded by 200 French soldiers, against whom they defended themselves till one of the heroes was killed, another severely wounded, and Mr. Dwyer himself shot through the shoulder : even then, how little intention they had of surrendering may be collected from the following anecdote : — " The man who had been wounded, who had lost his right eye, on recovering from his stupefaction, delibe- rately took a handkerchief from his neck, and binding it over the wound, said, ' though I have lost one eye, I have still another left, and Vlljight till I lose that too, I hope, Mr, JDwyer, you will never surrender* *' But their ammu- nition was now exhausted, and the enemy, emboldened by the cessation of their fire, rushed down upon them with their bayonets. Mr. Dwyer was too weak, from the loss of blood, to sustain a fight hand-to-hand ; he and his men were borne down by such overwhelming numbers, and the enemy were soon in unresisted possession of the battery. In this assault, Mr. Dwyer received no less than seventeen bayonet wounds, and all bis men, except one, were likewise most severely wounded. The admiration of the enemy at their invincible courage was without measure ; the treatment they experi- enced from them was rather like that of grateful men to benefactors who have suffered for their sakes, than that of enemies to ^ hose who have fallen into their power: when they were conveyed to the head-quarters of the French Ge- neral, Mons. Goudin, the same benevolence and solicitude, in acknowledgment of their bravery, were shewn to them by that officer and his suite. It was forgotten, in this instance, that men taken in war are prisoners : permission was given them to return to their ship, and the general sent an invita- tion to Captain Peyton to visit him on shore, that he might in person restore them, and congratulate him on having such brave men under his command : the invitation was given with c»ndour, and accepted with confidence : Captain Peyton POST-CAPIAINS OF 1811. 448 dined with General Goudin, and remained on shore several hours. A gallant service subsequently performed by the Minstrel's boats is thus described by Captain Peyton in an official letter to Sir Edward Pellew, dated Sept. 30, 1812 :— " In obedience to your orders to cruise between Denia and Valencia, for the purpose of intercepting supplies going to the enemy, I beg leave to inform yon, that on the evening of the 29th I received information of the enemy having laden six vessels with shells at Valencia for Peniscola ; the weather being favorable, I conceived it practicable to bring them out, or destroy them. 1 despatched the boats under the direction of Lieutenant George Thomas, assisted by Messrs. Linns, Oliver, and Smith, midship- men, for that purpose, keeping the ship close in shore for their protection. They succeeded in bringing out four of them ; a fifth was in their pos- session, when unfortunately the wind shifted suddenly round to the S. E. in a heavy squall, when she grounded, and I am sorry to add, was retaken, with 3 of our men on board. The bravery evinced by the officers and men employed was very cunspicu<.us. The vessels were moored head and stern to the shore, between two batteries of two 24-pounders and two mortars, with a strong garrison in the Grao* ; their sails unbent and rud- ders unshipped. Our loss, with the exception of the prisoners, is only one man wounded, I hope not dangerously." We next find Captain Peyton commanding the Thames frigate, and assisting at the reduction of Col de Balaguer, mention of which has been made at p. 227, of Vol. II. Part I. After the raising of the siege of Tarragona, he ceived a letter from Rear- Admiral Hallo well, of which the following is a copy : — *• H. M. S. Malta, off Balaguer, \9th June, 1813. " Sir, — ^I'he order with which the captains, officers, and men of all de- scriptions, of the sciuadron under my command, engaged in these co- operations with the army upon the coast of Catalonia, and the indefatiga- ble zeul and cheerfulness with which they performed the laborious dutiea that fell to their province, have been so conspicuous as to entitle them to the highc3t praise on my part. "That greater advantages to the public .luso did not result is to be lamented, but ought not, and will not, I trust, discourage in the smallest degree future exertions. It is yet early in the campaign, and further operations are projected, wherein the same unwearied perseverance, the i' * The strand or beach of Valencia, from which that city is distant 2i miles. 444 POST-CAPTAINS OF 1811. ! V! same alacrity, and cordial co-operation with the army, will have happier eflfects, I hope, and be crowned with complete success. " I therefore request you will express to the oflicers and ship's com- pany of H. M. ship under your comuumd my grateful sense of their recent exertions, and my confidence in the continuation of them wherever the opportunity shall be jjiven. " Vice- Admiral Sir Edward Pellew, Bart, the commander-in-chief, havintT moreover consigned to me the pleasing task of communicating his public thanks for the prom])tness and fidelity with which my orders have been uniformly executed by all raidis in the squadron, I have great satisfaction in signifying his sincere acknowledgments of the meritorious conduct of yourself, your oflicers, and ship's company, on this present service, of which he has received abundant testimony, and I have to request that you will make this known to them accordingly. I have the honor to be, &e. (Signed) " Bkn. HALi.0WEiiL." *' To Captain Pet/ton, H. M. S. Thames:* Captain Peyton subsequently conveyed Lieutenant- General Sir John Murray to Alicant, artd then proceeded with des- patches to England. The Thames was put out of commis- sion at Shecrness, in Sept. 1813, since which he has not been employed. He married, Oct. 1814, the daughter of the late Lieutenant Woodyear, R.N. of the island of St. Christopher's, by whom he has two sons and three daughters. Mrs. Peyton's brother was killed when serving as brigade-major of the Royal Artillery, at the battle of Vittoria. GARDINER HENRY GUION, Esq. We first find this officer serving under Sir Joseph S, Yorke, as senior lieutenant of the Christian VII. and com- manding her boats at the capture and destruction of twelve French merchantmen, laden with wines, brandies, &c. nf;«i- Rochelle, in Jan. 1810. His spirited conduct in a subsequent affair with the enemy is thus officially described : — " H. M. S. Christian VII. in Bast/ue Roads, Feb. 13, 1810. " Three vessels, being part of a convoy of ten sail, laden with brandy, &c. that sailed last night in thick blowing weather, wind W. S. W. from the Charente, bound to the northward, having got on the reef that pro- jects from the point of Chatelaillon, between Ai.*: and Rochelle, I directed the boats of this squadron to destroy them. This was forthwith attempted to be executed, wlien the enemy made a movement to prevent it. Our POST-CAPTAINS OF 1811. 44b l>oat8 were eight in number, and tlie enemy's nine ; onr's armed in the usual way, their's more formidable, all of them beinpr gun-boats, each carry- ing a 12-pounder carronade and G swivels, and rowing from 20 to 30 oars. ** Lieutenimt Guion, who directed the operations, made a feint of re- treating, to decoy the enemy from their shore defences, when suddenly turning on them, they fled. The barge of this ship, in which he was, being the fleetest boat, advanced most gallantly along the rear of the enemy's line to their third boat ; but finding from circumstances that the rear boat was the only one likely to be successfully attacked, he boarded and carried her sword in hand. Two others were closely pursued to the beach by Lieutenant Roberts, of the Armide, and must, from his steady lire within pistol-shot, have lost men. The gun-boat taken by Lieutenant Guion had 2 killed and 3 wounded ; amongst the latter was her commander, severely. The vessels alluded to above were then burnt. (Signed) ** Joseph S. Youke." Lieutenant Guion was made a commander, and appointed to the Philomel brig of 18 guns, on the Mediterranean station. May 17, 1810. On the 31st Aug. following, that vessel was chased by a French squadron, off Toulon, and rescued in the most noble manner by the Repulse 74, Captain John Halli- day, now Rear-Admiral Tollemache. This affair not having been noticed as it deserved in our first volume, more from the modesty of that excellent officer than from any indiffer- ence on our part, we have much pleasure in now giving a full account of it. In the early part of August, three French store-ships, bound to Toulon, were chased into the anchorage of PorqueroUe, one of the Hieres islands, and were there watched by Cap- tain Guion. On the 26th, at day-light, they pushed out, and one of them succeeded in getting to Toulon, covered by a division of the French fleet from the outer road : the others, however, were obliged to put back to their former place of shelter. On the 30th, they removed to the entrance of the Little Pass, preparatory to a third attempt to reach their destined port. On the next morniug, at day-light, the Toulon fleet was seen in motion ; and at 8-30 A. M. the two store-ships were again under weigh. At 9-30, the Philomel, still at her post, tacked, the wind blowing a light breeze from the £. S. £., and at 10-30 she exchanged a few distant shot with them^ us they were rounding Point Kscampebarion. , { ■^aiwawa i 446 POST-CAl»TAINS OF 1811, I \ In ten minutes afterwards, Captain Halliday, who was lying- to on the larboard tack, at some distance outside tlie brig, exchanged shot with the enemy's advanced frigates : mean- while the store-ships, favored by the wind and protected by their friends, got into Toulon. Having accomplished this object, the French squadron under Rear-Admiral Baudin, in the Majestueux of 120 guns, continued working out, in the hope, apparently, of capturing the Philomel, whose commander now made all possible sail to get clear of the enemy. At noon their two headmost fri- gates opened a fire upon the brig, which she returned with her stern-chasers. About half an hour afterwards, the Repulse also commenced firing her stern guns ; but finding that the shot of the frigates were passing over the Philomel, Captain Halliday instantly bore up to keep astern of her, and treated them with so heavy and well-directed a fire, that, in the course of a quarter of an hour, they wore, and joined the line-of-battle ships, several of which were also, by this time, far advanced in the chase. By 5 P. M. the whole of Mons. Baudin's division were again at anchor in the outer road. At the time this daring act was performed by Captain Halli- day, the British fleet was out of sight to leeward, except one 74 and a frigate, both of which were about 9 miles distant in the same direction. In a spirit of honorable gratitude. Cap- tain Guion thus appropriately telegraphed the Repulse, " You repulsed the enemy, and nobly saved us ; grant me permis- sion to return thanks." Captain Guion was posted into the Rainbow of 26 guns, Sept. 26, ] 81 1 ; and we subsequently find him actively em- ployed in co-operation with the patriots of Catalonia. His last appointment was, Nov. 29, 1822, to the Tribune frigate. Agents. — Messrs. Cooke, Halford, and Son. ROBERT WORGAN GEORGE FESTING, Esq. Son of Commander H. Festing, R. N. who died at Ando- ver, in 1807 ; and nephew to the late Vice-Admiral Sir Richard Grindall, K. C. B. • • See note • at p. VM. POST-CAPTAINS OF 1811. 447 This officer was made a Lieutenant Aug. 14, 1806; and advanced to the rank of Commander in 1808. We subse- quently find him commanding the Dasher sloop, on the East India station, where he was appointed acting captain of the Illustrious 74, bearing the broad pendant of Commodore Broughton, previous to the sailing of the expedition against Java, in 1811 *. After the surrender of Batavia, Captain Festing, then serv- ing on shore with the army, was appointed to the Psyche frigate. His post commission bears date Oct. 9, 1811. Since the peace he has commanded the Falmouth of 20 guns. Agents. — Messrs. Stillwell. PETER JOHN DOUGLAS, Esq. Son of Admiral Billy Douglas, who died at Hambledon, CO. Hants, in 1817. This officer obtained the rank of Lieutenant June 11, 1804 ; and was presented with a sword by the Patriotic So- ciety at Lloyd's, for his gallant conduct when commanding a boat belonging to la Franchise at the capture of £1 Raposa Spanish brig of war, in the bay of Campeachy, Jan. 7> 1806 f. His promotion to the rank of Commander took place Feb. IJ, I8O7. We afterwards find him very actively and successfully employed in the Reindeer brig, on the Jamaica station ; from whence he brought home the Polyphemus 64, towards the close of 1812. . His post conimission bears date Nov. 26, 1811. II- «;■ M GAWEN WILLIAM HAMILTON. Esq. j4 Companion 0/ the Most Honorahle Militnrji Order of the Bath ; and Knight of the Imperial Russian Order of St. Anne. Eldest son of Archibald Hamilton Rowan, of Killyleah Cas- tle, county Down, Ireland, Esq. • See Vol. II. Part I. p. 355. ~^-- I t See Vol. II. Part I. p. 45/. |^ $>■ r-./t> !l I 448 POST- CAPTAINS OF 1811. This officer was born and educated in France. He appears to have held a command in the Donegal yeomanry, previous to his becoming a sailor. Mr. Hamilton entered the navy in 1801, and had the ad- vantage of serving the whole of his time as midshipman and lieutenant under that excellent officer Captain (now Sir Ben- jamin) Hallowell. He was consequently present at the cap- ture of St. Lucia and Tobago, in 1803*. During the operations in Egypt, after the surrender of Alexandriaf, Mr. Hamilton received a severe wound in the heel, which is still open, and likely to continue so during the remainder of his life. He was made a lieutenant in Nov. 1807, and promoted to the rank of commander early in 1810. Captain Hamilton's first appointment was to the Onyx brig, in which vessel we find him very actively employed, under the orders of Sir Richard G. Keats, during the siege of Cadiz, from whence he returned home with despatches at the commencement of 1811. He subsequently returned thither, and superintended the flotilla, of which mention has been made at p. 323, until his advancement to post rank, Dec. 4, 1811. From that period he commanded the Terma- gant of 20 guns, and Rainbow 26, on the Mediterranean station, until the conclusion of the European war, in 1814. The Termagant was first employed in opening a commu- nication with the patriots of Grenada : her proceedings are described in an official letter from Captain Thomas Ussher to Commodore Penrose, a copy of which will be found at pp. 348-350, of Suppl. Part I. Between July 22 and Aug. 29, 1812, she captured three French privateers, and destroyed several batteries and martello towers on the coast of Valencia. The Rainbow drove an armed brigantine on shore under Cape Cavallo, in June, 1813; and her boats captured two vessels, one full of French pioneers, the other laden with wheat, in the Bay of Ajaccio, Sept. 1 1 following. On the 13th Dec. in the same year. Captain Hamilton vo- lunteered to land and co-operate with the Italian levy, under • See Vol. I. Part II. note at p. 481 . t Sec id, p. 482. jommu"- POST-CAPTAINS OF 1811. 449 Lieutenant-Colonel Catanelli, in an attack upon Leghorn, the unsuccessful result of which is noticed in our memoir of Sir Josias Rowley*. Mis gallant conduct on that occasion, and the activity and zeal displayed by him during the more fortunate operations against Genoa and its dependencies, are duly acknowledged in the official letters respecting those services, copies of which are given at pp. 424-430, of Vol. IL Part L Captain Hamilton's next appointment was to the Havan- nah 42, in which frigate he proceeded from the Mediterranean to North America. After the failure of the Baltimore expe- dition, he was left in the Chesapeake, under the orders of Captain Robert Barrie, with whom he went up the Rappa- hannock, in Nov. 18 Mf. The Havannah formed part of Napoleon Buonaparte's escort to St. Helena, in 1815. On the 25th July, 1820, Captain Hamilton was appointed to the Cambrian 48, in which ship he conveyed Lord Strang- ford and his family to the capital of the Turkish empire. At the commencement of the revolution in Greece, Cap- tain Hamilton was immediately selected by Vice -Admiral Sir Graham Moore to command the squadron which it was found necessary to station in the Archipelago, where, by his zealous interference and energetic measures, he rendered un- speakable service to the cause of suffering humanity, and justly entitled himself to the respect and gratitude of both the contending parties. In Jan. 1824, Captain Hamilton was sent to Tunis to de- mand the ratification of certain treaties essential to the honor and interests of Great Britain. This mission was conducted with his usual promptitude and judgment, and finally crowned with success. The Cambrian was subsequently ordered home, and put out of commission. The manner in which she was paid off reflects the highest credit on all belonging to her. Not a man left the ship till the payment was completed, when they all started in a body, enthusiastically cheering the captain and • See Vol. I. Part 11. p. 633. t See Vol. II, Part II, p. 733. iUPPL. PART II. 2 C 450 POST-CAPTAINS OF 1811. officers, and receiving their liearty cheers in return, the band playing " God save the King, Rule Britannia, and St. Pa- trick's Day,'* In the evening, the officers entertained Cap- tain and Mrs. Hamilton with a parting dinner at the George Hotel, Portsmouth. Owing to the able manner in which Captain Hamilton had acquitted himself during his late responsible and difficult command, he was again appointed to the Cambrian, July 9, 1824. The following is taken from the London Gazette :— ** Admiralty Office, April 2\, 1825. " Vice-Admiral Sir Harry Neale has transmitted to this office a letter from Captain Hamilton, of the Cambrian, stating that two piratical ves- sels, carrying one gun and about thirty men each, were captured on the 31st or January last, in the Channel of Negropont, by the boats of his Ma- jesty's ships Cambrian and Seringapatam, under the orders of Lieutenant Marsham, first of the Cambrian. " When these pirates were first discovered, they were in chase of an Ionian vessel ^ and there being reason to suspect (as was afterwards found to be the fact), that they had shortly before plundered another vessel under the same flag, Captain Hamilton scut Lieutenant Marsham in one of the Cambrian's boats, with a Greek interpreter, to desire that they would come down to his Majesty's ships for examination ; but th« pirates having refused to comply with this desire. Lieutenant Marsham was joined by the other boata of the Cambrian, and by those of the Seringapatam, sent by Captun Hamilton's orders to his support. " On the approach of the boats, the pirates commenced firing upon them from their guns, and with musketry, and persevered in so doing, notwithstanding the endeavour of Lieutenant Marsham to prevail upon them to desist ; who, after exhausting, even under their fire, every means of persuasion, was obliged at last to attack them, and the pirate vessels were then, in the most gallant manner, boarded and carried, after a despe- rate resistance on the part of their crews, of whom few only could be taken prisoners, the greater number being killed or wounded. " The officers and men of his Majesty's ships, employed in the boats, acquitted themselves on this occasion with the utmost gallantry, and the whole of their conduct is noticed by Captain Hamilton in terms of high commendation." The loss sustained by the British consisted of 6 killed and 13 wounded: among the latter were Lieutenant William Worsfold and Mr. Horatio Nelson Atkinson, mate of the Seringapatam. The Cambrian shortly afterwards struck upon a sunken POST-CAPTAINS OK 1811. 451 and unknown rock, off the island of Skaitho, carried away the greater part of her false keel, and the whole of the gripe and forefoot, in consequence of which accident she was obliged to be hove down at Malta. On the 27th July, 1826, Captain Hamilton's boats, under the orders of Lieutenant Thomas Gregory, captured a pira- tical bombard, and burnt a mistico, at the island of Tino, on which occasion five of the Greeks were killed and several wounded. In Sept. following, another vessel was destroyed and a bombard taken, at the island of Andros, by a party of marines, under the command of Lieutenant Parker. About the same period the Cambrian and Rose sloop captured two other pirates ; one laden with gunpowder, the other having on board 80,000 piastres, 30 bales of raw silk, 30 packages of saffron, a bag of pearls, and various other valuable articles of merchandize. The Cambrian formed part of the squadron under Sir Ed- ward Codrington at the battle of Navarin ; but in consequence of her having previously been detached, she was prevented from taking any very great share in that extraordinary con- flict : her loss coi^sisted of only one man killed and another wounded*. The Emperor of Russia has since conferred upon Captain Hamilton the order of St. Anne, of the second class, with the medal set with diamonds ; he is also decorated with the cross of the French Order of St. Louis. On the 31st Jan. 1828, the Cambrian anchored within pistol-shot of the fort of Carabusa, in company with the Isis 50, bearing the broad pendant of Sir Thomas Staines, K. C. B. the Rattlesnake 28, Zebra 18, Cameleon 10, and two French corvettes. At this period there were 14 Greek vessels lying in that port, also an Austrian ship, and an Ionian merchantman, both of which the pirates had carried there. No satisfactory answer having been received to the commodore's demand, that the marauding vessels and their crews should be given up to him, they were immediately fired upon and several of them totally destroyed, without the smallest opposition. When retiring from this scene of de- • See p. 332. 2 G 2 I 1 I',' mi 0' i:;'tf 452 POST-CAPTAINS OF 1811. vastation, the Cambrian was struck on the quarter by the Isis, whicli threw her up in the wind, and caused her to pay off on the opposite tack to that on which it was necessary she should have done. This accident, in a narrow channel, proved fatal ; for, from having no way through the water, she could not again be tacked, and in a few minutes she fell broadside to on a reef of rocks, at a moment when a consi- derable swell was setting into the harbour. A court-martial held at Malta to enquire into the occasion of her loss, deter- mined that Captain Hamilton, his officers, and crew, were fully exonerated of all blame : in conveying the sentence of acquittal, the court expressed their commendation, in the highest terms, of tlie exertions and good conduct of every one on board at the time of the unfortunate accident, and the commander-in-chief subsequently assured the whole of the ship's company, that the recommeiulations he had sent home to the Lord H'gh Admiral were such that f/ie circumstance of their having been in the Cambrian^ iroidd ever operate to their advantage. Captain Hamilton, on having his sword returned to him, was addressed by the president, in the following terms : — " Cuptaiii Iluiuilton, itis with much and sincere plcnsurc, t)mt I have to return you your sword, one that has always heen used with true credit, and to the good service of your country. I caiuiot at the same time re- frain from expres-sing to you the regret which tliis court experiences at the melancholy wind-up of your long and ardii(»ns exertions in tlic Archi- pelago, performed so ably and witii such advantage to the country ; and I am sure - .M there is not an ofliccr or man in the squadron who does not join i.i iiis tccling." After the court-martial Captain Hamilton was charged with despatches for the Lord 1^1 igh Admiral ; but his health not allowj. g him to travel with the re(|uisite celerity, he sent them forward from Genoa, under the cure oi his first lieutenant. He is at present on half-pay. Captain Hamilton was nominated a C. H. June 4, 181.^>. He nuirried, in IH17| Katharine, daughter of Lieutoiuml- General Coekbuni, of Shiniagaugh, Irelaiui. His brother, Mr. Fn^dtriek Hamilton Rowan, midshipman, R. N. was killed at Palatnos, in IHIO. 'hi (.> 5« \hy \iC^j \s-ii+ "i)\M^ <,^\' V;,. \cAu a'-tUai».\\woiW ^:^ !>OST-CAl>TAINS OF 1811. 453 EDWARD STOPFORD, Esq. Nephew of Admiral the Hon. Sir Robert Stopford, K. C. B. This officer was made a Lieutenant May 1, 18()4; and he had the misfortune to be captured by la Bellone, Trench fri- jifate, when commanding the Victor sloop of war, on the East India station, Nov. 2, 1801). After his release from captivity he was appointed to the Otter. On the 16th Dec. 1811, Captain Stopford arrived at the Ad- mirahy with a despatch from liis uncle, dated Aug. 28, of which the following are extracts : — " I sluill c'oufino myself, in tliis letter, to tlie relation of the eircuin- stances attending thr: nuval eo-operiition »vitii the uriuy, in the attack upon the island of Juvu; and I have to re(]uest you will uc<|uaint my Lords ('ommissionera with the unronditional snrrendcr of the capital city of Ua- tavia, on the Mtli instant, and the destruction or capture of the greatest part of the enemy's liiiropcan troops, liy a snccessfnl assault made upon a strongly entrenched and forlitied work, called iMuster (Cornells, on the morning of the 2<)lli, hy the troops under the command of I/ieutenant- (ieneral Sir Samuel Auchmiity, who had also with him the royal marines uf the sipiadron. " I'revious to this important and (U'ci.-,ive advantage, the (leneral had caused liatteries to lie erected, consisting of twenty iS-pouaders, which were entirely manned l»y 500 snamen under the direction of ('aptain Sayer, (»f II. IM. S. Led.i, assisted l»y Captains lY'sling, of the Illustrious; IMaunsell, of the IVocris ; Reynolds, of the llesper ; and (Captain Stop- ford, who vohmteered his services from the Scipio:i, where he was wait- ing for his ship, the Otter. ** The enemy wxs enalded to hring thirty-four heavy gun.'', 18, 24, and .'i2-pounders, to hear upon our Itatteries ; Imt from the superior and well- directed fire, kept up hy the Ikitish seamen, the enemy's !,muis were occa- sionally silenced, and on the ev iiing of the iJ.Hli completely so ; their front line-uf-dcfence also appeared miu-h disahled. and much inercose«l hy heiiijj exposed to the hot sun of this climate, fo<' three ^occessive «lay8, during which time the fire was kept up «vith little interruption ; hut it was Itnnie with their characteristic fortitude, Captain Sayer, ami the olliccrs ahove- uientiuned, retting them iiohle example*. / !*:.! m Hi'" f^^^^BoK -1 ^^Hii um iMii iHI%^ IHi4) BHI^ ' If ^^■»!i^r' ilHm)t',: ..1 r^r :ii 454 POST-CAPTAINS Or 1811. *' I herewith enclose a list of the killed and wounded ; and it is with much regret I add the name of Captain Stopford, who had his right arm carried off by a canuon-shot, whilst actively employed in the batteries ; he is, however, doing well, and I hope soon to get him removed to a bet- ter climate." When Captain Stopford lost his arm, the seamen seeing him knocked backwards, and lying senseless, conjectured that he had been killed outright ; but as they were bearing him off the field, he recovered his senses, and feeling the hot beams of a vertical sun striking directly on his head, his hat having rolled off when he fell, he immediately exclaimed to one of his men, *^ Damme, Sir ! fetch me my hat.'* Captain Stopford was promoted to post rank on the second day after his arrival in London, from which period we lose iight of him until his appointment to the Rosamond 20, in the spring of 1814. Tiiat ship was then under orders to convoy three merchant- men to the coast of Labrador. On her arrival there. Captain Stopford's amputated arm arrested the attention of the Es- quimaux. They satisfied themselves, by feeling the stump, that the limb was actually deficient, and then appeared to wonder how it could have been lost : but when one of his offi- cers made signs to them that it had been severed with a saw, commiseration was depicted in every countenance. The Rosamond returned to the Nore, Nov. 1/, 1814; when she was surveyed, and found to be totally unfit for sea, in consequence of the dainnge she had sustained amoi rst the ice of Hudson's Straits. She was accordingly put out of commission, and immediately advertised t«) be sold. Captain Stopford enjoys a pension of 300/. per annum for the loss of his arm. Agent. — Sir F. M. Oinnianney. ADDENDA ET CORRIGENDA. {Continued from Vol, 1. Part II. p. 883.) SIR CHARLES VINICOMBE PENROSE, P^tve Admirnl of the fFliite ; Knight Commander of the Most Honorable Military Order of the Bath ; Knight Grand Cross of the Most Distin- guished Ionian Order of St. Michael and St. Gcortjr; and Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Neapolitan Order of St. Ferdinand and of Merit. The family of Penrose is of great antiquity, and has heen long gettled in Cornwall, where its branches are very nume- rous. In the 12th of Hen. IV., John Penrose was elected M. P. for Liskard ; and in the 18th Hen. VIII. Richard Pen- rose, of Penrose, served the oflfice of Sheriff of the county. These circumstances are suliicient to prove the antiquity and respectability of the family *. The subject of this memoir is the second son of the Rev. John Penrose, a most elo(|uent and truly Christian divine, 35 years vicar of St. Gluvias, co. Cornwall. Mr. Charles Vinicombe Penrose was born June 20, 1759 ; and being intended for the naval profession, he was placed, in \77'2, at the Royal Academy, Portsmouth; from whence he was discharged, early in 17/5, into the Levant frigate, Captain the Hon. (jJeorge Murray, under whom he completed his time aK a midshipman, on the Mediterranean, Channel, and North Sea stations ; where he assisted at the capturo of Bevcral American and French pri/ateers, together with many merchantmen. • Gilbert's History of Goriuvall ccmiiins many parliciiliirs of Sir Charles «u to the Sans PaiH'il 80, then bcarinij the flag of Lord Hugh Seymour, but subsequently employed as a private ship under Rear-Admiral I'ole, whom .she joined olT Uochefort the day previous to the bombardment of a Spanish sijuadron, in Aix road, of which mention has been made at p. IX), of Vol. I. l»art I. After this affair Captain IVnn)se was ordered to escort a fleet of merchantmen to the We!!# 1.0 I.I 11.25 lii|2S |2.S ■^ Itt 12.2 III9S ^ us. /: y /^ Photographic Sciences Corporation as WIST MAIN STRUT WHSTIR.N.Y. MSIO (71«) •73-4503 464 ADDENDA, &.C. nated a K. C. B. ; and in Mar. following, with h\& flag in the Bombay 74j he accompanied Lord Exmoiith from Minorca, upon an expedition to Tunis and Algiers, the object and re- sult of which have been stated at p. 253 of Vol. II. Part I. Had it been found necessary to adopt hostile measures at the latter place, for which the squadron was fully prepared, the same honorable station was assigned to Sir Charles Penrose which Lord Exmouth took up, and so nobly maintained, on the glorious 27th Aug. 1816. Sir Charles was at Malta when his lordship re-entered the Mediterranean, for the purpose of chastising the barbarians should they refuse to make reparation for their renewed ag- gressions. Hearing of his lordship's arrival, and the object of the expedition, he immediately sailed from Valette in tlie Ister frigate. Captain Thomas Forrest ; but " arrived too late to take his share in the attack upon Algiers;" which Lord Exmouth particularly lamented, as " his services would have been desirable in every respect." Although Sir Charles Penrose had the mortification to find that the principal object of the expedition had been accom- plished without his participation, still his services, as Lord Exmouth's representative, during the last three days' nego- ciations with the Dey, were found particularly useful ; and ** the prudence, firmness, and ability with which he conducted himself" on that delicate occasion were highly praised by his lordship **. In Sept. 1816, Sir Charles Penrose once more assumed the chief command on the Mediterranean station ; and shortly afterwards he was presented by Pope Pius VIL with two su- perb marble vases, in consideration of the expeditious and humane manner in which the emancipated subjects of his Holiness were forwarded to the Roman States : an appro- priate despatch accompanied this present. Sir Charles Penrose afterwards accompanied his friend Sir Thomas Maitland, Lord High Commissioner of the Ionian islands, to Prevesa, in Albania, where they were for several • London Gasetfe. ADDENDA, &C. 465 days entertained by the celebrated Ali Pacha, during which time business of much importance was transacted. In Aug. J8I7, being then off Lcgliorn, with his flag on board the Al- bion 74, Sir Charles was honored with a visit by a party of distinguished individuals, amongst whom were Leopoldina Carolina, the present Empress of Brazil, who had recently been married by proxy ; Maria Louisa, widow of Napoleon Buonaparte ; several others of the Austrian Arch-Duchesses ; Leopold IL Grand Duke of Tuscany ; Leopold Count of Sy- racuse ; Prince Mctternich, the great diplomatist ; General Count de Neipperg ; and the Portuguese Admiral Souza. On the 27th April, 1818, the Order of St. Michael and St. George was instituted for the Ionian Islands, and for the an- cient sovereignty of Malta and its dependencies. By the rules of that Order, the naval commander-in-chief in the Me- diterranean is to be first and principal Knight Grand Cross thereof, but only for the time that he holds his professional appointment. Sir Charles Penrose, however, is specially au- thorised to bear the title and wear the insignia for life, in con- sequence of his long services on that station, and his having been there at the institution of the Order. We believe that the late Lord Guildford and himself were the only persons to whom that privilege was allowed. The merchants at Malta subsequently presented Sir Charles Penrose with a service of plate, as a token of their respect and esteem : the captains and commanders under his orders likewise requested his acceptance of a splendid silver salver, with a flattering inscription, expressive of their high respect for his public and private character. He returned home in the spring of 1819 ; and was advanced to the rank of Vice- Admiral, July 19, 1821. Sir Charles V. Penrose married, in 1787> Elizabeth, daughter of the llev. J. Trcvencr, and by that lady he had three daughters, the eldest of whom married Captain John Coode, C. B. ; and the second, Captain William Mainwaring, of the 10th regiment of foot, brother to Sir Henry M. Mainwaring, Burt. SUrPL. PART II. 2 II ■i! f I 466 ADDENDA, &C. Hesidence—Ethy, St. Winnoe, near Lostwithiel, Corn- wall. Errata.— Vol I. Part II. p. 579, last line of the text, for three briffs, read one corvette, two brigs : id. ib. note at the bottom, for Captain D. O'Reilly, 8fc. read Suppl. Part 11. pp. 276—286 : and id. p. 725, note *, for p. 579 of this volume, &e. &c. read Suppl. Part II. pp. 287 —293. SIR JOHN GORE. Vice-Admiral of the Blue, and Knight Commander of the Most Honorable Military Order of the Bath. This officer is the second son ofthelateColonelJohn Gore, who served many years in the 33d regiment, and retired from the command of that corps, in 1776, upon being appointed Lieutenant-Governor of the Tower of London, where he died in 1794, leaving three sons and two daughters. His eldest son, Ralph, was then a captain in the 33d, and his youngest, Arthur, a lieutenant in the 73d regiment : the latter gentle- man attained the rank of Major-General, and was slain on the walls of Bergen-op-Zooni, Mar. 9, 1814. The Gores are distantly related to the noble Irish family of Arran. The subject of this memoir entered the navy as a midship- man on board the Monarca of 7^ guns, Captain John Cell ; but he first went to sea in the Canada 74, commanded by the Hon. William Cornwallis, with whom he sailed for North America, in Aug. I78I. The Canada formed part of the fleet under Rear-Admiral Graves, when that officer proceeded from Sandy Hook to the Chesapeake, for the purpose of extricating Earl Cornwallis from his perilous situation at York Town *. She subse- quently accompanied Sir Samuel Hood to the West Indies, and bore a very conspicuous share in his brilliant actions at • See Vol. II. Part I. note • at p. 63. ADDENDA, &C. 467 St. Christopher's * ; as well as in the battles between Rodney and de Grassc, April 9 and 12, 1/82; on which latter day- she sustained a loss of 12 men killed and 23 wounded. As there are many officers still alive who were eye witnes- ses of that glorious combat, they will recollect, in the latter part of the day, when the smoke cleared up a little, and there was a short interval of repose, what was the appearance of the Canada ; — she had been almost entirely unrigged in the action, her fore and main top-sail -ties were shot away, and the yards lying on the caps ; — with scarcely any canvas to set, but a fore-top- gallant-sail, sheeted home as well as the situation of the top-sail-yard would admit, she was going large ; and, as if impelled by the spirit of her commander, she kept way with the French ships, hanging on the quarter of la Ville de Paris until Count de Grasse was intercepted by the rear di- vision of the British fleet. Having then set as much sail as circumstances would permit, she went in pursuit of the fly- ing enemy, and was among the ships whose fire gilded the horizon after the close of that ever memorable day. On her arrival at Jamaica, the Canada was surveyed, and found to be in such a very rotten state, that Sir George B. Rodney determined upon sending her home in company with the prizes, and a large convoy under Rear-Admiral Graves. Previoi s to her departure from Port Royal, she was caulked between wind and water, and coppered higher up, to which Captain Comwallis attributed her escape from the same me- lancholy fate that befel the Centaur, Ville de Paris, &c. &c.t The Canada was paid off soon after her return to England, on which occasion Mr. Gore followed his gallant captain into the Dragon 74. In Mar. I7S3> he joined the Iphigenia fri- gate. Captain James Cornwallis, under whom he served in the West Indies till Oct. 1786. His health being now much impaired by that climate, Mr. Gore was discharged into the Royal Charlotte yacht, the com- mand of which vessel had been conferred upon the Hon, William Cornwallis, at the close of the American war. We • See Vol. II. Part I. note t at p. G3 etseq, •f See Id. note f at p. fitf. 2 II 2 408 ADDENDA, &C. next find him in the Robust 74, with the same officer, during the Dutch armament ; and subsequently in the Hebe frigate. Captain Edward Thornbrough, with whom he continued until Oct. 1788. At this latter period Mr. Gore rejoined his distinguished patron, who had hoisted a broad pendant in the Crown 64, and was then about to sail from England for the purpose of assuming the chief command on the East India station. Com- modore Cornwallis there promoted his eleve into the Perse- verance frigate, Nov. 29, 1 789. From thence Lieutenant Gore returned home in the Crown (I79I) ; and his health having suffered extremely, he did not go afloat again till the commencement of the French revo- lutionary war, when he was appointed to the Lowestoffe 32, Captain William Wolseley, then fitting at Plymouth. In that frigate he accompanied the fleet under Lord Hood, to the Mediterranean, where he was removed to the Britannia, a first rate, bearing the flag of Vice- Admiral Hotham, previous to the occupation of Toulon. While belonging to that ship, Lieutenant Gore frequently landed with a detachment of sea- men under his command, and was often engaged with the ene- my, both on shore and when employed in floating batteries. After distinguishing himself by his gallantry on various occasions. Lieutenant Gore was removed to Lord Hood's flag- ship, the Victory of 100 guns, and ordered to land at the head of a body of sailors, selected to serve as artillery- men in fort Mulgrave, an important post, against which the enemy were then bringing forward heavy guns and mortars, their repeated attempts to take it by storm having proved unsuccessful. During the bombardment that ensued, he re- ceived a severe wound in the head, which obliged him to re- turn on board for surgical assistance. On the morning previous to the evacuation of Toulon, Lieutenant Gore was ordered by Lord Hood to visit the arse- nal, and ascertain if any thing effective could be done by means of fire-vessels. In consequence of his report, he was directed to tow the Vulcan thither, to place her in a proper position, and then to put himself and his boats under the or- ders of Sir W. Sidney Smith. ADDENDA, &C. 469 After taking the Vulcan to her station, and when in the act of receiving some combustible materials from her, for the pur- pose of setting fire to the French ships in the southern basin. Lieutenant Gore was blown out of his boat by a premature explosion, of which the following notice is taken in Sir W. Sidney Smith's official letter to Lord Hood, dated Dec. 18, 1793:— " I was sorry to find myself deprived of the further services of Captain Hare : he had performed that of placing his fire-ship to admiration, but was l)lown into the water, and much scorched, by the explosion of her priuiinw, when in the act of putting the match to it. Lieutenant Gore was also much burnt, and I was consequently deprived of him also ; which I regretted the more, from the recollection of his bravery and activity in the warm service of Fort Mulgrave." We next find Lieutenant Gore commanding a detachment of seamen, landed to co-operate with the small British army in Corsica, under Lieutenant-General David Dundas. The following are extracts of that officer's official despatches, de- tailing the operations against St. Fiorenzo : — " As the enemy, besides the town, possessed several heights and points, commanding the anchorage on the west side of the gulph, it was necessary to dislodge them before the squadron could anchor in security : these points in succession, on entering the gulph, were the tower of Mortella, the redoubt and batteries of the Convention, and the tower of Fornelli, with two consideral)le sea-batteries dependent upon it. " Expecting little opposition from Mortella tower, and trusting from intelligence that we could approach near enough to that of Fornelli to at- tack it with light artillery, Lir^utenant-Colonel Moore was detached on the 8th (Feb. 1794), with the roya: and 51st regiments, a small howitzer, and a 6>poundcr, to effect this purpose ; but after a march of 7 or 8 miles, through a rocky, desert, and mountainous country, destitute of roads, and where the artillery was carried by a detachment of sailors, under Captain Cooke, he arrived on the heights immediately above Fornelli, and then found that the distance was too great to hope for any effect from his small guns. The same day we began from a commanding height, within 150 yards, to batter the tower of Mortella; but it was not till the lOth, after the attack made by the Fortitude and Juno ♦, and after establishing an 18- pounder, two l)-pounders, and a carronade against it, that wc were enabled to reduce it, and take an officer and 34 men prisoners f. n I if • See Vol. I. Part I, p. 250. f Sec id. note t at ib. 470 ADDENDA, &C. " During this time, having been enabled to examine the mountains that skirted the western part of the gulph, and which overlooked the enemy's posts, it appeared, that if heivy cannon could be established on points where the enemy had deemed it impossible to place them, their works might be ruined, and then attacked to advantage." This operation. Captain Edward Cooke and Lieutenant Gore cheerfully undertook to perform ; each having 300 sea- men under his command, and all the aid that the squadron could afford. " By the most surprising exertions of science and labour, from the 12th to the 16th, they placed four 18- pounders, a large howitzer, and a 10-inch mortar in battery, on ground elevated at least 700 feet above the sea, and where every difficulty of ascent and surface had opposed the under- taking." The first shot fired by the enemy at Lieutenant Gore's battery dismounted one of his guns ; but another was very soon mounted in its stead. " On the IGth," continues the Lieutenant-General, " we opened with two batteries of three pieces of artillery each. One of these, at the dis- tance of 1000 yards, enfiladed the redoubt of the Convention ; and the other; at the distance of 800 yards, took it in reverse. The redoubt itself was of a long narrow form, occupying the summit of a detached height, and about 250 feet al)ove the sea. *' Our fire was heavy and unremitting during the 16th and 17th; and, notwithstanding the gallantry of the enemy, both in serving their guns and in repairing their works, their tire was nearly overpowered. On the even- ing of the 17th, a fifth I8-pounder was brought up by the seamen, and a sixth was also placed on an advanced point near the shore, to prevent the two French frigates in the bay from placing themselves in a situation to enfilade our proposed attack. " On the 17th, measures having been concerted, the 2d battalion of the royals, 25th, 50th, and 51st regiments, under the command of Lieutenant- Colonel Moore, were destined for the attempt, while the 11th, 30th, and G9th remained in reserve. The troops marched in three colimms, and having nearly equal distances to go over, moved at the same hour (8-30 P. M.) in order to arrive at the enemy's works a little after the rising of the moon. Lieutenant-Colonel Moore on the right, uith the 2d battalion of the royals, commanded by Captain M'Kenzie, and the 51st regiment, came down on the advanced point of the redoubt; Lieutenant-Colonel Wauchope, with the 50th, advanced towards its centre; and Captain Stewart, with the 25th, keeping close to the sea-shore, was directed to enter on the left and most commanding part of the work. " Notwithstanding the whole of the ground over which the troops marched was rocky, rough, and covered with thick myrtle-bushes, they ins that enemy's points r works ADDENDA^ &C. 4/1 approached the redoubt without the enemy being certain of their progress, and, under a very heavy fire, they arrived nearly at the same time at their points, rushed into tlieir works, prevented more than two or three dis- charges of cannon being given, and with their bayonets drove the enemy down tlie steep liill which formed the rear of the work.* " The judicious fire kept up from our batteries till the very moment of the attack, facilitated much the approach of the troops ; and a false attack made by the Corsicans on Lieutenant-Colonel Moore's right, served also to engage and distract the attention of the enemy, who were not aware of the extent of their danger+. The loss of the enemy, on the 16th and 17th, amount to upwards of 100 men killed and Avounded, and 10 officers, in- cluding the commandant, and 60 men made prisoners, out of 550 that occupied the work J. " The enemy being now reduced to their last posts on the height of Fornelli, at about 400 yards distance, from which we were separated by a deep ravine, and fearing that their retreat would be cut oflF, abandoned them about midnight, crossed over to St. Fiorenzo, hauled off their frigates, and left us in possession of the tower and batteries of Fornelli, against which we otherwise must have placed cannon, and, in a delay of two or three days, probably have lost a number of men." Fornelli was taken possession of by the detachment of seamen under Lieutenant Gore. " On the 19th, after taking measures for the march of the troops to the other side of the town, in order to cut off the enemy's communication with Bastia, a summons was sent to St. Fiorenzo. In the afternoon, a negative answer was received ; but, during the day, strong symptoms of a speedy evacuation were perceived." Lieutenant Gore had not been long in possesFion of For- nelli, when he discovered that the enemy were about to set their frigates on fire. He immediately sent off a report to • One hundred seamen, armed with pikes, and commanded by Lieu- tenant Gore, entered the enemy's works aim'- 'ti'ueously with the royals, and at the head of the column of attack. + About 1200 Corsicans, under General Paoli, occupied advanced posts, and covered the flanks of the British forces, during the siege of St. Fio- renzo. J The Convention redoubt was originally an open battery, but by indefatigable labour, the enemy had converted it into a close work, mount- ing 6 twenty-four-pounders, 8 eighteens, 5 twelves, 1 brass nine, 2 sixes, 11 small brass guns, 4 12-inch mortars, and 4 6-inch howitzers. Of these, 7 gxms, 10 ^'un-carriages, 1 howitzer and its carriage, and 2 mortars with their beds,%vcre rendered unserviceable by shot and shells from the British batteries. 472 ADDENDA^ &C. Lord Hood, and succeeded in drawing the spike of an 18- pounder, with which gun he played upon the nearest ship until she sunk : the other was observed in flames about 4 P. M., when a boat went off to the squadron to announce that the enemy had fled from St. Fiorenzo : the seamen and marines were then ordered to embnrk. Their conduct on shore is thus noticed by Lieutenant-General Dundas : — *' The perseverance, spirit, and gallantry, of the officers and men of every denomination, merit the highest praise. Unprovided, as we are, with many necessary articles of preparation, the service, at this season of the year, has been severe, but undergone with the greatest cheerfulness and good-will. • * * * Success has crowned the joint endeavours of the British arms. From the navy we have received the most effectual and essential assistance ; their exertions have been wonderful, and un- paralleled. Commodore Linzee afforded us every support*; and to the Captains Dickson, Young, W'olseley, Hood, Woodley, and Cooke, and to the officers and men who so zealously acted under their command, we feel every sense of their efficacious aid." In the town of St. Fiorenzo, there were found mounted 2 long brass 32-pounders, 7 iron 24-pounders, 2 eighteens, 6 twelves, 2 sixes, 3 brass Ti-inch mortars, 2 field pieces, and 7 other light guns. The capture of Bastia has been recorded at p. 251, of Vol. I. Part I. The following is an extract of the official letter written by Lord Hood on that occasion : — " Captain Nelson, of H. M . S. Agamemnon, who had the command and direction of the seamen, in landing the guns, mortars, and stores ; and Captain Hunt, who commanded at the batteries, very ably assisted by Captains Duller and Serecold, and the Lieutenants Gore, Hotham, Stiles, Andrews, and Brisbane, have an equal claim to my gratitude, as the sea- men under their management worked the guns with great judgment and alacrity. Never was a higher spirit, or greater perseverance, exhibited ; and I am happy to say, that no other contention was at any time known, than who should be most forward and indefatigable for promoting his Majesty's service ; for, although the difficulties they had to struggle with were many and various, the perfect harmony and good humour that uni- versally prevailed througi.out the siege overcame them all." • Lord Hood was forced from the Gulph of St. Fiorenzo by a strong westerly gale, on the 1 1th Feb., and a calm prevented his return from under Cape Corse until the 17th. ADDENDA, &C. 473 During that siege, the subject of this memoir received two severe contiis* )ns, notwithstanding which he continued to command a party of seamen on shore until the surrender of Bastia, May 22, 1/94, when he was immediately promoted into la Fleche, a corvette found lying in the harbour. After fitting her out, he proceeded to Malta and negociatcd with Rhoan, the Grand Master, for a supply of seamen, stores, &c. His promotion to post-rank took place Nov. 12, 1704 ; on which occasion Lord Hood's successor appointed hini to command the Windsor Castle 98, bearing the flag of Rear- Admiral Robert Linzee. In her he assisted at the capture of two French line-of-battle ships, by the fleet under Vice- Admiral Hotham, Mar. 14, 1795*: the Windsor Castle's loss on that day amounted to 6 killed and 31 wounded. Captain Gore's next appointment was to le Censeur 74, one of the above-mentioned prizes. The recapture of that ship by a French squadron under Rear-Admiral Richery, has been noticed at p. 610, of Vol. I. Part II., and is thus oflicially described in a letter from Captain Thomas Taylor, of H. M. S. Fortitude, to the Secretary of the Admiralty, dated Oct. 12, 1795 :— *• Sir, — ^Be pleased to acquaint my Lords Commissioners of the Admi- ralty, that I left Gibraltar on the 24th Sept. taking the first spirt of an easterly wind after my letter of the 21st, when the wind was westerly. " In coming- through the gut in the night, H. JM. ships Argo and Juno, with some of the merchantmen, parted company, and, I conclude, by steer- ing more to the northward than myself with tlie other men-of-war and the body of the convoy, it being near dusk in the evening before many of them got out of the bay, though the Fortitude was under weigh with the much gr«ater part by 10 A. M. but, on the whole, their separation has turned out a most fortunate circumstance ; for, with great regret, I am to inform their lordships, that on the 7th instant. Cape St. Vincent, by account, bearing S. 83° E. 48 leagues, th*^ wind N. by W. standing on the larboard tack, I discovered nine sail of the enemy's ships, six of the line, two of which I judged to be of 80 guns, and three large frigates, who directly gave chase to H. M. squadron under my command under a prep-s of sail. I made every possible disposition for the better security of the convoy by divers signals, through which, had many of them been punctually obeyed, a much greater number would have escaped. I then formed the line, with the * See Vol. I. Part I. note at p. 340. 474 ADDENDA, &C. Bedford, Censeur, and Fortitude, determined, if praeticable, to give them battle, and save as many of the convoy as I possibly could. " Just as the ships under my command had formed, the Censeur rolled away her fore-top-mast ; by which, haviiif:f only a frij^atc's main-mast, she was rendered useless. The van line-of-i»attle ship of the enemy being then but long gun-shot otF, and the rest comirijjf fast up, I judged it proper, with the general opinion of my officers, coinciding with that of Captain Montgo- meiy of the Bedford, to bear up, keeping very near together for our mutual support, and cutting down every part of the stern for the chase-guns. I ordered the Lutine frigate directly to take the Censeur in tow; but, from the very heavy fire from the enemy's van ship, it could not be effected. " Captain Gore, who commanded the Censeur, though his ship was in so disabled a state, not half manned, and with but very little powder, made the most gallant defence ; but being at length overpowered, by two sail more of the enemy's line coming up, I had the mortification to see him strike his colours about half-past two o'clock.'' On his return home. Captain Gore was tried by a court- martial, and most honourably acquitted, with a very flattering compliment from the president, Rear-Admiral Sir Roger Curtis. He was after^vards successively appointed to act as captain of the Robust 74, and Alcmene frigate. In Sept. 1796, Captain Gore obtained the command of the Triton S2 : and from that period we find him actively em- ployed on Channel service until the escape of the French fleet from Brest, April 25, 1799, when he was despatched with the important information to Earl St. Vincent, commander-in- chief on the Mediterranean station. After communicating with Lord Keith, the second in com- mand. Captain Gore proceeded, with two frigates under his orders, to reconnoitre the coasts of France and Spain, from Toulon to Cadiz ; in which latter port he at length discov- ered the enemies* combined fleets, amounting to thirty- eight sail of the line, with a suitable train of frigates, cor- vettes, &c. This very formidable force sailed from Cadiz, July 21, 1799, and Captain Gore closely watched them until they all bore up round Cape St. Vincent, and made sail to the north- ward : he then pushed past them for England, and arrived at Plymouth, with the intelligence of their junction and move- ments, five days before they reached Brest. ADDENDA^ &C. 4/5 Captain Gore was subsequently sent, with a squadron of frigates under his command, to observe the enemies' move- ments ; and while thus employed he deterred five Spanish line-of-battle ships and two frigates from entering the port of their ally through the Passage du Raz. The Triton after- wards accompanied Sir John B. Warren in pursuit of this Spanish squadron, the commander of which had very wisely returned to Ferrol, where his ships were lying dismantled when the British arrived in sight of them. After Sir John B. Warren's return to the Channel fleet, Captain Gore continued cruising in the vicinity of Ferrol, where he had the good fortune to assist at the capture of the Santa Brigida, Spanish treasure ship, an event thus described by the senior officer present on that occasion. " Naiad, oJCnpe Fimsterre, Oct. 19, 1799. ** INIy Lord, — I have great pleasure in being able to acquaint you, that the ships named in the margin, * which your lordship has done me the honour to put under my orders, captured yesterday morning the Spanish frigate Santa Brigida, of 36 guns, and having on board 300 men, com- manded by Don Antonio Pillou. This frigate, my Lord, in company with another called the Thetis, left Vera Cruz on the 21st August last, and I had the good fortune to fall in with them both, on the evening of the 16th instant, in lat. 44° 1 ' N. long. 12° 35' W. the Naiad then a single ship, and to which I immediately gave chase. Before midnight, I discovered them to be vessels belonging to the enemy, and was joined by the Ethalion ; when the day broke, I was also joined by the Alcmene, and the Triton was discovered fur astern : still, owing to the superior sailing of the latter ship, after a chase which lasted 32 hours, I set myself down as indebted for a most valuable capture. The two f'igates, at 7 A. M., perceiving them- selves not in a state to withstand ^ur united force, took different routes, upon which I made the Ethalion's F;:gnals to pass the sternmost ship of the enemy, as she at that time took liie lead in point uf sailing, and stand for and engage the headmost frigate ; which was obeyed with such alacrity by Captain Young, that I make no doubt but she has experienced a similar fate to her companionf ; but as the Santa Brigida made a determinate push on the southern course, a separation of course took place. The latter frigate of the enemy having rounded Cape Finisterre on the morning of the 18th, her commander shoved so very close to the rocks of Monte Lora, that the Triton, then first in pursuit. Captain Gore, being regardless of every • Naiad 38, Triton 32, and Alcmene 32. + See Vol. I. Part II. p. 684. 476 ADDENDA, 8iC. thing but closing with the enemy, struck upon them, goin^ seven knots at the time : I fear her damage is considerable. However, she was soon off again, and commenced an animated fire on the enemy, as did Captain Digby, with an officer-like presence of mind, keeping in that direction to cut off the entrance of Port de Vidre. At 8 A. M. our three frigates closed with the enemy amidst the rocks of Commarurto, at the entrance of Muros, when the Spanish colours were hauled down, and we found our- selves all in foul ground together. A fortunate breeze sprung up from the shore, and we were enabled to put the ships' heads to the sea, and had begun to shift prisoners, when an enemy's squadron, consisting of four large ships, one with a brof i pendant, came out of Vigo, with an intention, I suppose, of rescuing the prize. This lieing the opinion of Captains Gore and Digby also, every exertion was made to secure the prisoners, and get the ships under my command ready to receive them ; but on their per- ceiving my determination they bore up and ran into Vigo. Light and variable winds have kept me still in sight of the Spanish coast, which, to day, is one continued blaze. Aware of another squadron being in Corunna, 1 have thought it my duty to keep altogether for the protection of the prize, which is of immense value, having on board 1,400,000 dollars, independent of a cargo of e(|ual estimation. My companions in chase, Captains Gore and Digby, make the most favourable report of the zeal and perseverance of their respective officers and crews ; and in justice to the officers and ship's company I have the honor to command, I can only say, that their anxiety to get alongside the enemy's frigates, whilst alone, was equal to what it was afterwards, wlien my force l)ecame supenor; and on that, as on all former occasions, I profited by the able assistance of Mr. John Houltoun Marshall, my first lieutenant, to whom I have given charge of the prize. I enclose a list of killed and wounded on this occasion, either by shot or casualties. * I have the honor to be, &c. (Signed) " W. Pierrepoint." *• Right Hon. Lord Dr'dport, K. B. ^c. ^c. ^c." Captain Gore's share of prize-money for the cargoes of the Santa Brigida and her consort, exclusive of their hulls, stores, &c. amounted to 40,730/. 18*. ! In Feb. 1801, a melancholy accident happened on board the Triton. She was firing at a French cutter which had been driven upon the Penniark rocks, when one of the main-deck gims burst, killed the second lieutenant and 2 men,andwoimded 22 other persons, one of whom was Captain Gore, who re- ceived a violent contusion in the back. • Triton, one man wounded ; Alcmcne, one killed ; a petty officer and fight men woundtd. The Surta Urigida had two ilain and eight wounded ADDENDA, &C. 477 On her return to port, the Triton was taken into dock, and Ciiptuin Gore felt himself under the necessity of requesting leave of absence. This, the Admiralty would not grant j but, upon his reporting himself ready for service again, he was immediately appointed to {he Medusa, a 32-gun frigate, mounting 18-pounders on the main-deck, recently launched at Woolwich. Whilst in the Triton, he captured the following French armed vessels : — * La Jeune Einelie, brig * Le Recovery cutter La Diflicile ship * La Furet schooner La Helene brig Name unknown . . . ship L'Arraigne schooner * La Rosde brig L'lunproniptu brig L'Aimai)le Victor . . brig Ifiguns, 14 18 4 16 20 5 14 14 ! 18, !)0 men, 46 206 50 160 200 08 ,..,,. ro 64 87 I Feb. 11,^ ..Oct. 14, i 1797. .1798. I . . Sept. 28, J Dec. 4 Jan. 00, 1 1798. Le St. Jacques, national lugger, 6 30 Sept. 13,/ ' La Videtta brig 14, 90, Feb. 10, 1800. Captain Gore likewise destroyed la Bayonaise, a ship of 20 guns and 200 men, and le Petit Diable cutter of 12 guns and 60 men. He also chased a cutter privateer, of 16 guns, under the butteries at Guernsey, \t'here she was brouglit-to and captured by the garrison of that island, Jan. 29, 1799. During the summer of 1801, government received intelli- gence that the invasion of Great Britain by France might be certainly expected. Every preparation was immediately made, with that energy and deliberate resolution which have always marked our national character ; and the. general wish of the nation, that Lord Nelson should be the guardian of that part of its southern coast, where it was expected the enemy would make the attempt, was gratified by his lordship being appointed commander-in-chief of all the naval force employed on both shores, from Orfordness to Beachy Head, inclusive. Captain Gore had been prcviousl; ordered to assume the command of a light squadron employed in watching Boulogne, and the Medusa was now selected to bear the flag of Nelson. 'J'likcn l>y the Triton, in company with other Drilish cruisers. 478 ADDENDA, &C. On the 3d Aug. 1301, Captain Gore was directed by our great liero to place three bomb-vessels in a situation to throw shells amongst the enemy's flotilla ; and on the following day three or four large gun-vessels were destroyed. On the 15th, he was ordered to arrange an attack upon thirty-six sail lying in the mouth of the harbour. The result of this enterprise has been stated in the note f at p. 611 et seq, of Vol. I. Part II. We subsequently find the flag of Lord Nelson flying on board the Amazon frigate, and Captain Gore commanding a squadron stationed under Dungeness, to protect that part of the coast, and occasionally to menace Boulogne. From Oct. 1801 until Feb. 12, 1802, the Medusa was employed in cruis- ing against the smugglers, between the Start and the Isle of Wight. At the latter period she was sent with despatches to the Mediterranean. On his arrival there, Captain Gore was ordered to visit all the French and Spanish ports within the limits of that sta- tion ; and he subsequently commanded a squadron sent to escort King Ferdinand IV. from Palermo to his continental capital. Early in 1803, he conveyed H. M. ambass.ador, the Right Hon. William Drummond, from Naples to Constanti- nople. While lying at the entrance of the Black Sea, Captain Gore received intelligence that led him to believe it would not be long before another war took place between Great Britain and France. Aware that his Admiral would, in such a case, require the services of the Medusa, he immediately resolved to overlook his instructions, and hasten to rejoin the flag of Sir Richard Bickerton, by whom his conduct on this occasion was very highly approved. Captain Gore was senior officer of the inshore sciuadron when Nelson arrived off Toulon, and assumed the chief com- mand. From thence he was sent, with three frigates and four sloops under his orders, to cruise in the vicinity of Gibraltar, as his lordship's " advanced guard off the Straits ;" and, whilst there, he had the happiness to obtain his immor- tal chieftain's most flattering approbation. tlron com- and y of its ;" mor- .a ADDENDA, &C. 479 r tm- r** .VV' ,^tf.. '"'S- •f^; After cruising for three months outside of the Gut, Captain Gore returned to Gibraltar for the purpose of completing his stores, provisions, and water. Whilst thus employed, he ob- served a cutter coming from the westward, in action with ^'ji two large French feluccas. Nearly the whole of his officers and men were then on shore, at the Dock -yard. Victualling Office, &c. He immediately recalled them, sHpped his cable, and stretched across to Cabritta point unobserved by the enemy, who were about to board the cutter. On perceiv- ing the Medusa they both hauled off from their intended prey and stood away on different tacks ; but Captain Gore soon ran along side one of them*, put his first lieutenant on board her, and continued in chase of the other. This latter vesself suc- ceeded in regaining the Spanish shore, but in so shattered a state, from the Medusa's shot, that she never again floated. The cutter thus rescued was the British Fair, charged with despatches of the utmost importance : 2 of her crew were killed, and 6 wounded. Each of the feluccas had 2 long 12- pounders, 2 sixes, and JO men. The capture and destruction of these, and three other French feluccas, by the Medusa, brought on Sir Thomas Trigge, Lieutenant-Governor of Gibraltar, a long correspond- ence with the Marquis Solano, Captain-General of Andalusia, and General Castanos, Governor of Algeziras, which being referred to Captain Gore, he replied as follows : — •• Sir, — I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your Excellency's letters and their enclosures from the high Spanish authorities, and in reply" I have to ro({ucst you will he pleased to inform those officers that so long as they countenance the French privateers lying in Tariffa and other ports, and sallying from thence to seize upon the unprotected trade of his Ma- jesty's subjects, thereby transgressing the laws of neutrality, I shall be equally heedless of them ; and after the instance they so strongly dwell upon, 1 shall feel it my duty to pursue the French privateers into Spanish ports, and destroy them when I can, and I shall instruct the captains of hiii Majesty's ships placed under my orders to do so likewise. I have the honor to be, &c. (Signed) "John Gore." Shortly afterwards, the Medusa chased a French schooner 1 * li' Fsperance. t Le Sorcicr. -♦1 480 ADDENDA, &C. privateer so close to Cadiz light-house that her shot went intq the town. On the following morning, the Marquis Solano sent off his aide-de-camp to acknowledge the honor of the salute, and to request that the next time Captain Gore gave him one he would not shot his guns. The Spanish officer also handed to him a note requesting his company at dinner, and inviting the officers of the frigate to a bull fight in the evening : these invitations were accepted, and the Medusa immediately entered the harbour, where she anchored not far from I'Aigle French 74, and two ship corvettes, which Cap- tain Gore had been for some time watching, in order to pre- vent them from pouncing upon a fleet of merchantmen then expected from England. We should here observe, that Cap- tain Gore had lived on terms of intimacy with the Marquis during his detention at Cadiz, after the capture of le Censeur. On the 5th Oct. 1804, the Medusa assisted at the capture of three Spanish frigates laden with valuable merchandize, and having on board specie to a very large amount. During the action that took place on this occasion, a fourth frigate blew up, by which dreadful accident 240 persons perished *. On the 8th of the following month, Captain Gore returned to Portsmouth in company with the Matilda 36, which ship had been intercepted and detained by order of Sir Richard J. Strachan, when proceeding from Cadiz to Vera Cruz, with a cargo of quicksilver worth 200,000 pounds. The Medusa being in want of considerable repairs, Captain Gore now obtained leave of absence ; and whilst his frigcate was in dock, the following correspondence took place between him and the first Marquis Cornwallis ; — his god-fatiier, and steady friend through life : — " York House, Bath, Dec. 15, 1804. ** My Lord, — I have just read in the Courier that you arc to be appoint- ed Governor-General of India. I do not mean to intrude any question, but if it is fact, and you think you can be more comfortable with nic than a stranger, 1 can only state that my frigate, Medusa, is now undergoing a thorough repair at Portsmouth, and I am told will be out of doclc in Fe- bruary. I shall be truly rejoiced to do every thing iu wy power to render • See Vol. I. Part II. p. 53G. I i AbDBNDA, 8CC. 481 yow voyage agreeable, and only beg that, instead of replying to this, your Lordship will signify your wishes to Lord Melville, upon whom, as well as your Lordship, I will wait the moment I return to London. I have the honor to be, &c. (Signed) " John Gore.' • • " London, Dec. 19, 1804. *• My dear Gore, — What you read in the Courier is perfectly true. I am told that I can be useful by going to India, and if I can render my coun- try any service it is a matter of inditTerence to me whether I die on the banks of the Thames or the Ganges. I therefore accept your offer with all the kindness it is made ; and have seen Lord Melville, who desires to see you so soon as you come to town, and will there make all the necessary arrangements. Believe me your attached friend, (Signed) " Cornwallis." Captain Gore received the honor of knighthood, Feb. 21, 1805; and sailed for Bengal, April 15 following. The Mar- quis Cornwallis died at Gazeepour, a village on the banks of the Ganges, about 600 miles above Calcutta, Oct. 5 in the same year. His lordship's remains were there interred by the present Sir George Abercrombie Robinson, Bart, and the other gentlemen who composed the suite of that great and lamented statesman. Sir John Gore continued at Calcutta, waiting for despatch- es, till Nov. 3, 1805, when he sailed for England with Messrs. Robinson, &c. and the treaty of peace that had been concluded with the Mahratta chief Holkar. His voyage home was per- formed with astonishing celerity, the Medusa having run from the Ganges to the Lizard in 84 days, two of which were spent at anchor in St. Helena roads :— she was consequently but 82 days under sail, in which time she traversed the im- mense space of 13,831 miles. Soon after his arrival. Sir John Gore removed to the Re- venge 74, in which ship he was successively employed off Brest, rOrient, and Rochefort. On the 15th July, 1806, one of his lieutenants was killed in a boat attack, which will be fully detailed under the head of Captain Edward Reynolds Sibly. The Revenge formed part of the squadron under Comrao- flore Sir Samuel Hood, when that officer lost his arm, in an action with some French frigates, from Rochefort bound to SUPPL. IWRT IT. 2 I 482 ADDENDA, &C. the West Indies ; but being well to windward of her consorts atthetimethe enemy were first discovered, she was too far astern of them during the pursuit to render any assistance. An ac- count of this affair is given at p. 570 et seq. of Vol. I. Part II. Early in 1807, Sir John Gore was sent to join Lord Col- lingwood, who gave him the command of the inshore squadron off Cadiz, where he continued until June, 1808, at which period the inhabitants of that city sent two officers on board the Revenge, with offers of amity, and to solicit assistance against the French. This being made known to the senior officer. Sir John Gore and Colonel Sir George Smith were immediately ordered to land and negociate with the Spanish authorities ; after which his lordship directed Ad- miral Apodaca, and the other commissioner appointed by the Supreme Council of Seville, to be conveyed to England in the Revenge, for the purpose of treating with the British cabinet on matters important to the interests of both nations. On her arrival at Portsmouth, the Revenge was taken into dock, and Sir John Gore's health being much impaired he solicited and obtained permission to retire for a time from the fatigues of active service. He accordingly gave up the com- mand of that ship, Aug. 6, 1808. His next appointment was, Sept. 12, 1810, to the Tonnant of 80 guns, in which ship we find him successively employed in conveying troops to Lisbon, cruising under the orders of Sir Thomas Williams, superintending the blockade of Brest and rOrient, and serving with the squadron in Basque roads, where he was very severely hurt by a tackle from the main- top falling on his head, contusing it badly, and giving a gene- ral shock to his whole frame. The Tonnant being in a defec- tive state was thereupon sent home, and put out of commission in Aug. 1812. On the 27th Nov. following, Sir John Gore was again ap- pointed to the Revenge, and ordered to the Mediterranean. During the whole summer of 1813, he commanded the in- shore squadron off Toulon ; and towards the close of the haine yoar he was sent to cruise off Cape St. Sebastian, with several liiie-of-battle ships under his orders. On the 8th Nov. / .'»,; srx y - ■ r ^ir u sorts stern n ac- rtll. Col- ehore )8, at Bcer» . iolicit wn to eorge I with idAd- )y the nd in (ritisb itions. 1 into red he m the com- >nnant [)loyed le.rs of Brest roads, main- i gene- defec- hissiou iin ap- •anean. he in- of the n, with ,h Nov. Si; ^ ,. .* p?'S, ADDENDA^ &C'. 483 his boats cut a French felucca privateer out of Palamos mole. Sir John Gore's promotion to the rank of Rear- Admiral took place Dec. 4, 1813; and on the 23d of the following month he received an order to hoist his flag in the Revenge. During the remainder of the war he commanded the squadron employed in the Adriatic. On the 22d Mar. 1814, having arranged a co-operation with the Austrian Field Marshal Bellegarde, Sir John Gore commenced the close blockade of Venice by sea, anchoring his squadron off the town, and stationing the boats of the different ships to watch the entrances of Chiozza and Malan- coca. A flotilla equipped by the squadron was at the same time ordered to co-operate with and sustain the Imperial troops on the Adige and Piave. Tn consequence of the successes of the allied armies in France, Eugene Beauharnois and Marshal Bellegarde en- tered into a negociation respecting the surrender and occu- pation of Italy. This having been done without Sir John Gore's knowledge, he remonstrated in the name of his sove- reign against such a partial measure, and the indignity offered to the British flag ; demanding that the ships, arsenal, timber, and naval stores of every description should be placed in his hands ; but without effect. Not having a sufficient force to sup- port his claim, he declined having any thing more to do with Venice, withdrew the whole of his squadron, &c. and submit- ted his correspondence to the decision of the British govern- ment. From Venice, Sir John Gore proceeded to Corfu, and in- formed the governor-general of the Ionian islands of the great events that had recently occurred on the continent ; but could not prevail upon him to evacuate them. He then went to Trieste, and there received instructions to attend Lieutenant- General Campbell, the commissioner appointed by govern- ment to receive possession of Corfu. On the 8th June, a French commissioner arrived to cede that island ; on the 25th the British flag was hoisted in the citadel j on the 26th a French squadron sailed from thence accompanied by the -' ,;i3«*| ■»*l >**'■' r 484 ADDENDA, &;C. late garrison, 10,000 strong, embarked in English transports ; and on the 28th Sir John Gore took his departure for Minor- ca, from whence he returned to Spithead, on the 16th Aug. following. We are informed that an order was sent out for him to be left in command of the squadron, on the peace establishment, in the Mediterranean, but that he had sailed for England, in company with Lord Exmouth, before the ar- rival of the messenger to whom that despatch was entrusted. Sir John Gore was nominated "a K.C. B. Jan. 2, 1815 ; and appointed commander- in-chief in the river Medway, at the buoy of the Nore, and from Dungeness to the river Tweed, Mar. 23, 1818. His flag continued flying on board the Bul- wark 76, till the end of June 1821. Since the battle of Navarin he has been to the Mediterranean on a mission from H. R. H. the Lord High Admiral. His commission as a Vice-Admiral bears date May 27, 1825. This officer married, Aug. 15, 1808, Georgiana, eldest daughter of Admiral Sir George Montagu, G. C. B. by whom he has had one son and six daughters. Residence. — Datchett, near Windsor. W. Pople, Printer, 97, Chanctry Lane.