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TO THE PRESENT PERIOD. —^5" ■■ -^f » " WITH COPIOUS ADDENDA. aJ^^S^^% : fj^ ^ °o % ■•■• © O -(^ ■■*■ ' o o o • « o •• • •• ISy JOHN MARSHALL (Jjli^tii^il^^ tllUTEXAVT IN THE ROYAL NAVT, >;*" 'i^'' •-«'^Jf > ^=ii^V;>,^^:;og^:S^ **'Fanufe«, howttver flwqvent, may admK of extenuation and apology. Tu Itate attempted « much is alwayi laudable, even when the enterpriae I* above the ttrength that nndertakea it . •< To deliberate whenever I iloubteil, to enquire wttenever I wai iKnorunt, would liavc protracted " the undertuking wiOiuut cud, aitd |>erhaps without Iniproveineiit. 1 n>w that one enquiry only •' ifBVr uccaaioii lo »ni>tber, that hook relerred to bonk, that to urarch wa« not always to find, kihI " i<i And wiM i><*t always t<i l><- infurined ; and that thu( ti> piimut' perfection, wan, like tlic Ant '*'iuUaiHiaiii» of Arcadia, tu chane the Bun, which, when they had reached the hill where h« i" teemed to rest, wa» itill beheld at. the Mine distuice (hrni them.** JoAiMon. • o „ .d^ e Og %*.^ ■^ ** /. o o O" V ^^^tfiA'''^'^'.^ VOL. ii.-PARrii.; ••• .", e«B.« • ••<*•- $ Of* • • • o o °s ^•m*^7-».'*jK# ./• ntlNTEU rOK LONtiMAN, HURST, UEIie, OllME, ItKOWN, AND Gktl.N, , I'ATtUNOSTKK HOW. • • "i. '• '•« 1825. .(■^ St' o' -,o o^^ o o o O o o oo <P ^Q^'. °«>^»! o G^ o £f 9. CONTENTS OF VOL. II.-PART Kan • •wiJl<o.'»"'V"'«Jt "^ (Continued), ^m^^"^' Aldham, George ... AUen, Joba (a) : . . Argles, George . - - Aylmer, Hon. Frederick William Barrie, Robert ... Becher, Alexander . . - Boltoa, Sir William Bond, Francis Godolpbin - Bouverie, Hon. Buncombe Pleydell 550 Galwey, Edward Page ■^3'^^^C!^t%' Page 3il Durell, Thomas Philip -^,1^^*^^; 565 Edgell, Henry Folkes ,1^1?^^ 719 ElUot, Hon George -*: ■^-yS^-^|4t 947 Epworth, Farmery PrcddBii ' « -561 720 Fane, Francis William - - 838 581 Farquhar, Arthur - - 929 936 Fitzroy, lUght Hon. Lord WilHam 863 710 Folril, Stephen - - - 710? #8 \K »■#. A HI If ,^0 •^t ''^ o • 'Mi '-..« Brine, Augustus Bromley, Sir Robert Howe Browne, Edward Walpole Browne, Thomas - ..«i Buckle, Matthew Bullen, Charles Burdett, George Butcher, Samuel Butterfield, William Byron, Richard Campbell, Alexander Campbell, Thomas Carden, John Surman Carter, Benjamin Carter, Charles . ^^ Clay, Edward Sneyd Coffin, Francis Holmes Colby, David Cole, Sir Christopher Collier, Sir George Ralph Cowan, Thomas Crawford, James Coutts Cumby, William Pryce Dacres, James Richard Daniel, William Henry Dick, John Dickson, Archibald Digby, George Dunbar, Sir James Duncan, Hon. Henry v^ D'Urbao, WillUm 666 Goddard, Richard 550 Godwin, Matthew p^,- 685 Gordon, Henry ' ./-^ 700 Gordon, Sir James Alexander 565 Griffiths, Anselm John . 65.S. . 552 i^ . 889 - 93&, - 9S7 - .573 '\ 590 Hand, Thomas . « ;<^|,561 576 Hatley, John - * ' ^' 585 719 Hawker, Edward • • - 90| 613 Hawkins, Richard 619 Hayes, John 902 Hennah, WiUiam - 1006 Heywood, Peter 1007 Hillyar, James 699 Humphreys, Salusbury Price 700 Hunt, Peter 697 Hurd, Thomas 586 Jackson, Robert 666 Inglis, Charles 501 Jones, Richard 518 Lind, Sir James 656 Loring, John Wentworth 667 Mackenzie, Kenneth i>66 Malcolm, Charles 972 Master, James 656 Matson, Henry 558 Maxwell, Sir Murray 712 Maxwell, Keith ' 972 MicheU, John Taylor 613 Motfley, Samuel 979 Nash, John 815 Nashf jMnes • 65& 673 966 747 849 891 844 556 720 69!) 654 H73 544 898 744 890 743 797 884 581 684 560 577 ^^.1 '% ' '^■^.t^' wm CONTENTS. ,- _ _. .- ... Page "a'5"^-,,,. _ esham.ChrititophcrJoImWnUainB 587 Rowley, Samuel Campbell Noble, James - - - 565 Ryder, Charles Nourse, Joseph - - - 878 Sanders, James O'Brien, Robert - - - 881 Schomberg, Charles Marsh O'Bryen, Right Hon. Lord Edward 709 Serrel, John Otter, Charles - - - 653 Seward, James Parry, William Henry Webley 645 Skene, Alexander M^.. PcUowe, Richard Pigot, Hugh Pilfold, John Popham, Joseph Lamb Foulden, Richard Praed, Bulkley Mac worth Pym, Samuel Quilliam John Quinton, Cornelius Raigersfeld, Jeffery Jlninier, Peter <s*i ^j* • Rains, Stephen ~lathborne, Wilsoi Ubouleau, Peter Page 683 587 635 817 747 580 696 685 577 1V- 557 Smollett, John Rouctt - 889 Spicer, Peter - 963 Stuart, Right Hon. Lord George 864 -1006 Temple, Frauds - - - 911 - 553 Thomas, Richard - - 953 - 684 Tobin, George i^'J^M^SK^^- 629 - 715 Tower, John 'W^l.^KisJ': 897 - 962 Tremlett, William Henry Brown 712 - 613 Trench, Hon. William Le Poer 697 - 587 Vaughan, Henry - - 1003 ^M 977 Vincent, Richard Budd - 912 af 560 Walton, Jacob - - - 666 - 739 Warren, Samuel 4U. W - 570 560 Wight, John >!t?i?iP« ^ 600 Richardson, Charle8^*^'^%;^902 Winne, John -S^jSt'^ai'^M.: 549 Richbell, Thomas— ^' "p?* «:..«» %,r-.-jJ« r»„..:.i; H^!i-»i.\^'i:Yl>-^? — Ricketts, William 38S, Charles Bnync CS' '^ 'A. bell - 683 - 587 -■ ^^^ - 635 ;»f> [arsh - 817 - 747 - 580 ■:^ - 696 . 685 - 577 rd George 864 . - 911 - 953 - 629 - 897 ary BrowQ 712 I Lc Poer 697 . 1003 ,d - 912 .P., - 666 i!^%i : - 570 ^e^--; - 600 i^'^MtW' - 549 k Isi %- ^^ftfr*"'' ^*..'y^;^ / ... •? ' POST-CAPTAINS of 1802— contimie SIR CHRISTOPHER COLE :':-M^^^^<^ ^1^. jte'^^K.? "^ l^.:- 7 Knight Commander of the Most Honorable Military Order .of the Bath ; Doctor of the Civil Law; Member of Parliament for Glamorganshire; and Deputy Grand Master of the Masonic Society in South fF'ales. ;^ V This officer is a brother of the Rev. Samuel Cole, D. D. Chaplain of the Royal Hospital at Greenwich ; and of the late Dr. Cole, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Oxford, Rector of Exeter College, and a Domestic Chaplain to H. R. H. the Duke of Clarence. He entered the naval ser- vice in 1780, as a Midshipman on board the Royal Oak, of 74 guns, commanded by the late Sir Digby Dent, and then about to sail for the coast of America, as part of the squa- dron sent thither under the orders of Rear-Admiral Thomas Graves. In the course of the same year he was removed into the Raisonable 64 ; and we subsequently find him serving under the patronage of the late Rear-Admiral Sir Francis Samuel Drake, Bart, in the Russell and Princessa third rates. The Princessa formed part of the fleets under Sir Samuel Hood and Rear-Admiral Graves, in the actions off Marti- nique and the Chesapeake, April 29th and Sept. 5th, 1781, and on the latter occasion si •?.ined a lose of 6 men killed and 11 wounded. She also bo.e a share in the memorable transactions at St. Kitt's in Jan. 1782; and in Rodney's battles of April 9th and 12th, 1782*. Mr. Cole, who had not yet completed the twelfth year of his age, was at this period the youngest of four brothers serving on the West India station, (three in the navy and one * See vol. II., part I., pp. 62 to 65, and notes at ditto. N. B. Rear- Admiral Drake led tbe van division of the British fleet, and highly dis- tiof^ttished himself, on the glorious 12th of April. He died a Lord of tbe Admiralty, and M. P. for Plymouth, Oct. 19, 1 789. n 'ff''' "■m POST-CAPTAINS OF 1802. in the army) the wliole of whom met together on the arrival of the victorious fleet at Jamaica. «k.<^^ At the peace of 17B3, he joined the Trepassey of 12 guns, jomnianded by his brotlier, the lute Captain Francis Cole, a brave and excellent officer, and accompanied him from the West Indies to Halifax, where he removed into the Atalante sloop, Captain Thomas Foley, with whom he con- tinued on that station till 1/85. In the following year we find him proceeding to Newfoundland in the VVinchelsea of 32 guns, in which frigate he served under the command of the present Viscount Exmouth until 1789, when, in consequence of a recommendation from Sir Francis Drake, he was received on J^Doard the Crown, a G4-gun ship, bearing the broad pendant of the Hon. Commodore Cornwallis, who had recently been I appointed to the chief command in Indiaj|^|j1|^'^g/^ Unfortunately for Mr. Cole, the account of Ws patron's death reached India a few months after his arrival there, and all hopes of speedy promotion were consequently abandoiied by ^>,;;; him ; nor did he obtain the rank he ^ad so long sought after l^f%.^; tmtil 1793, at which period he had served upwards of thirteen '.«^i;years under some oftlie best practical seamen in the navy*, in October, 1794, he was appointed first Lieutenant of the Cerberus, a new 32-gun frigate, at the particulai* request of Captain John Drew, on whose application two Midshipmen were promoted into her for tlie purpose of securing that situa- v'i-^^tion to Mr. Cole, whose character and abilities he held in fthe highest estimation. ^ In 1795, Lieutenant Cole joined the Sans Pareil of SOguiis, ■ ^°' bearing the flag of Lord Hugli Seymout, to whom he was ,,, recommended in the warmest manner by his late Captain, r After serving for four years under the eye of that distinguished 'nobleman, it was left to his option, as senior Lieutenaliit of the Sans Pareil, either to acciept the rank of Commander, and go on half pay, or proceed as his Lordship's Flag-Lieu- tenant to the West Indies, Where promotion might be ex- pected, accompanied by immediate employment. Mr. Cole very naturally chose the latter, and accompanied his noble * Mr, Cole followed Gominodore Cornwallis from the Crown into the Minerva frigate, and continued with that officer nearly five years. .^ '^..■^;, ,i^.''»' ,^*AMi ij^i-'' the arrival of 12 guns, raiicis Cole, d him from ed into the lom he con- ; year we find ;iiof32guTi9, the present jquence of a I received on •oad pendant ecentlyjbeen entiy his patron's al there, and abandoiiedby sought after ds of thirteen 1 the navy *. tenant of the at' request of Midshipmen ng that situa- he held in ;ilof80gunsi rhom he was late Captain. distinguished lieutenant of Commander, 's Flag-lieu- migbt be ex- t. Mr. Cole ed his noble Cro\?n into the years, r'M POST-CAPTAINS OF 1802. 663 friend to the Leeward Islands in the 'J\'imar frigate. Soon after their arrival on that station, the Dutch colony of Surinam surrendered without opposition to the British forces, and the Hussar, a fine prize corvette, mounting 20 nhie -pounders, was immediately purchased into the service, named after the island where she was captured, and the command of her conferred upon the subject of this memoir. The Surinam cruised with considerable activity, and Cap- tain Cole was fortunate enough to take several of the enemy's privateers, and mak(! some recaptures: his exertions to pro- mote the comforts of hia men on all occasions, but particu- larly during a season of extraordinary malignity, were also very great, and eminently successful ; the Surinam's crew affording a remarkable instance of good health at a time when the yel- low fever was committing great ravages in other ships, and on shore : the contrast was indeed so striking as to induce the commander-in-chief to represent it officially to the Admiralty. In 1800, Lord Hugh Seymour was removed from the Leeward Islands to Jamaica, and with the consent of Sir John T. Duckworth, who had succeeded him on the former station, he despatched the Galgo from Port Royal to relieve the Surinam ; but his wish to have Captain Cole under his orders again Was frustrated by the unhappy fate of the Galgo, which vessel foundered with the greater part of her crew, during a heavy squall, on the 9th Oct. in that year. Some time after this sad event. Captain Cole had the mis- fortune to be deprived of his noble friend, who fell a sacrifice to the yellow fevier, and died sincerely regretted by all who were acquainted with his claims to respect and admiration*. Deeply as he felt the loss of such a friend, still Captain Cole had the gratification of finding that he had gained the • Lord Hugh Seymour died Sept. 11, 1801, in the 46th year of his age. He was attacked by the fatal fever of the West Indies, about the middle of the summer, from which he had but atemporary respite, as it returned with increased violence on the Ist of Sept., and on the 11th deprived the service of a gallant and meritorious commander, and society of a most accomplished and estimable member. The particulars of his Lordship's professional career will be found in the Naval Chronicle. He left seven orplian children to mourn their irreparable loss ; his amiable consort hav- ing died on the 12th Jan. in the same year. 2 L 2 pi SM ^ 't # '% t»osT-c.a»'rAfvs OF >'1^^' f^' ■«■ 1802. I ©to D o 3 o 00 o I o o I • O c o o ftivourable opinion of Sir John T. Duckworth, by his co?),8pI- ''*fcumi8 zeal and alacrity on every occapion of public service, and which was shortly proved by that officer promoting hint, into his flag-ship, the Leviathan of 74 guns, and afterwards appointing him to the command of tlie Southampuon frigate. >i^h post commission was confirmed by the Admiralty, 'April 20, 1802. A lessation of hostilities having now taken place in Europe, I j\e Southampton was soon after ordered home, and paid off in Ihe month of September folio -rving. Captain Cole's next appointment was, in June 1804, to the Cnlloden 74, fitting for the flag of his old friend and commander. Sir Edward Pellew, with whom he proceeded to the East India station, ^here he captured I'Emilien, French corvette, of 18 guns and 150 men, Sept. 25, 1806. This vessel had formerly been the ' ^fincomalee, British sloop of war. He also assisted at the tjapture and destruction of about thirty sail of Dutch shipping, including a national frigate and several armed vessels, in Batavia Roads, on the 27th Nov. in the same year *. We next find Captain Cole commanding the Doris, a new fiigate, built at Bombay, and with the Psyche, Captain Edg- cumbe, under his orders, escortii^ Colonel Malcolm, Ambas- sador to the Persian courts to Abashir, in the Gulf of Persia, and remaining at that place for the protection of the em- bassy. On his return from thence he received the thanks of the Governor-General in council, accompanied by a present of 500/. for his services on that occasion. Q' During the years 1808 and 1809, Captain Cole was prin- cipally employed cruising in the Straits of Malacca, and the China seas. Upon the arrival of intelligence respecting the change of political affairs in Spain, he was despatched by Rear- Admiral Drury, who had succeeded to the command in India, with the Psyche again under his orders, to communi- cate with and endeavour to conciliate the government of the Phillipine islands. Having completely succeeded in this mission, and received information from a valuable prize (the Japan ship from Batavia) that two French frigates had pro- ^v . ,..,,.,. ^ •See Vol. I., p, 223. O o o o o © © o Q '& \"» m m p?°y s* *), ca, and the PpST-CAlTAlNS OF 1802. 503> reeded to China, and wqpc likely to reinahi there some time^ he took, upon himself the responsibility of proceeding thither in quest of them. Finding, on his arrival at Mflca-o, that the enemy had not- made tiheii appearance in that quarter, he endea^'oured to return through the sea of China, aj^ainst the fovd- weather monsoon. Hid endeavfRirs, howevti, proved iriefTor tuhJ, the ships being forctrd into the iNfindoro Sea and Pacihc Ocean. A scarcity of provisions, added to the severe weather and fatigue encountered by the crews of the "Doris and Psyche, iiow produced an att iw-k of scurvy and dysentery, by which the former frigate lost 40 m^n before she anchored in Malacca Roads, and on her arrival there no less than 80 others were confined to their hammocks through sickness. The Psyche suffered in a nearly equal degree. To enable the reader to judge of Captain Cole's anxiety on this alarming occasion, we need only add, that during the latter part of the passage there remained but 1 Lieutenant, the gunner, and 56 men, who were able to keep watch on board the Doris, and assist her commander in the arduous duties he had to perform. In 1810, Captain Cole was removed, at his own request, into the Caroline of 36 guns. He soon after received orders to take the Piedmontaise frigate, Baracouta brig, and Man- darin transport under his command, and proceed with them to the assistance of the garrison of Amboyna, which island had recently been taken by the British*. Having received on board a considerable sum in specie, large supplies of provisions, and 100 European troops, the squadron left Madras on the 10th May, and arrived at Prince of Wales's Island (Pulo-Penang) on the 30th of the same month. Whilst there, he signified to the government his in- tention to attempt the reduction of the Banda islands on his way to Amboyna, and was furnished with 20 artillery-men, commanded by a Lieutenant of that corps, 2 field-pieces, and twenty scaling-ladders, to assist him in the undertaking. After a passage of six weeks, against the S. £. monsoon, through the Straits of Malacca, the intricate navigation on the N. E. side of Borneo, and the Sooloo Sea, the squadron pas- sed through Pitt's Straits, and entered the Java Sea on the o * See Captain Sir Edward Tucker, K. C. B. ^) :S, 'o\ *J3 a 'V O 506 POST-CAPTAINS OF 1802. 23d July. On the 7th of the following month, Captain Cole communicated with the island of Goram, for the purpose of obtaining information and procuring guides. During the whole of this long passage, the ships' companies had been daily exercised in the use of the pike, sword, and small arms, and in mounting the scaling ladders placed against the masts, preparatory to any attempt at escalade. The ex- pertness with which they handled their weapons, and the emu- lation displayed by them when imitating the storming of a fortress, added to their excellent health and high spirits, con- vinced Captain Cole that, however deficient in numbers, no,men could have been found better calculated to ensure success to any hazardous enterprise. The result of that in which he was then about to embark, against a strong, and generally supposed im- pregnable fortification, it would be difficult to describe better than in his own words. His plain and modest narrative marks so strongly the intrinsic merit of himself and his gallant as- sociates, that it would be almost presumptuous were we to oflTer a word of commendation ; but as official reports, how- ever clearly written, generally require a little elucidation, we shall avail ourselves of some well-authenticated information respecting the capture of Banda, by introducing it in the shape of notes, instead of incorporating it with the substance of his public letter, of which the following is a copy : " H. M. S. Caroline^ Banda Harbour, Aug. 10, 1810. " Sir, — I have the honor and happiness of acquiunting you with the capture of Banda Neira, the chief of the Spice Islands, on the 9th Aug., by a portion of the force under my orders, in consequence of a night attack, which completely surprised the enemy, ulUiough the approach of the ships had been un- avoidably discovered the day before *. . , ♦ On the eveninjf of the 8th Aujj., when the Danda Islands were just visible, all the boats were hoisted out, und every preparation made for the attack. It was intended to run the ships into the harbour before day-light in the morning, and a hope was entertained that they might remain undin- covered till then ; but they were fired at by a battery when passing the small island of Ruscnsgen, al>out 10 P. M. which island the ships had approached rathe/ close, not knowing tliat it was fortified. Tiie weather about this time changed suddenly from a fine clear moonliglit to violent squalls, ac- V -o POST- CAPTAINS OF 180?. ,;,.■> ** The weather proved so unfavorable for boat-bervice on the night of the 8th, that although nearly 400 officers (tad men had been selected for this occasion, \< i. m a&henibliiig unJer ' . Grca^Banda, at two o'clock in the following laoinlr^g^ 1 found ''.:. that the state of the weather would deprive us ol the services of some valuable men under Lie\itenanl Strpiieas, wf tlic royal ' marines, and the greater part of the deUuLnu-nt uf the Madras European regiment, fron^. whom t had expected the most steady support and assistar.ce, TL<' alienipt was now to be made with less than 200 men, c unsisilng <>( the seauicii and marines, and about 40 uf the M^ldra& J^uropean regiment, or our labors in the boats through a dark ami sexually night, in the open sea, must have ended in the s( vtrost luortificalionV : :; After getting under shelter of the laud, ihe aaiuo circutubtances of the weather which before operated dgajust us, were now favorable to us j and the confidence 1 iiad i:) the handful of officers and men about me, left me n<> hesitatkni ; and, with a degree of silence and firmness that will ever command my heartfelt acknowledgments, the boats proceeded to the point of debarkation*. " A dark cloud with rain cuvereti our landing within one hundred yards of a battery of J U gtius ; and by the prompti- tude and activity of acting Qaptuin Kenah, and Liruteiiunt compaiiied by thunder, lightnintf, and rain , and the alarm having been spread throughout the islands, all hopes of hui^irisiog them by thesAfpuwM at an end. ' ' '^Vi^/J '•'Ify'f* .'*' •r^' • The naen selected for shore service, 390 iu number, took a nap with their arms by their sides whilst the ships were .standlnff Towards the land. At 11 P. M. they were ordered into the boats, nod directi'd to rendezvouH close under the lee of the point of Great Banda •, »Mit at .'^ A M. a hw boats, containinp 180 officers and men only, liad reached On» piuo« appointed, the rest havinj^ been driven to leeward. Some larpc fires denoted the ex- act situation of Banda Ncira, the seat of government, which island »vas strongly fortified, having a citadol, and nuni'-f^)!? m\. !»oft'^rif'.«, tno of which, mounting ten 18-poundors each, with Fort Nassau, comman 'o<t ilu* harbour. As no time was to bt lost in atteuip'itiir something Ix'fore day- light, this small force, umlcr Uic personal diro'tuin of Captain (\»le, nc- companicd by the acting Contmauder of tho (Vn i'>i)ti',i, -mi Mod nnrnctliiarly across the harbour, with the intcMtion of suiiM-i-iini,' \\ir two l(»-mni bat. terios and spiking the guns, that iho ships nrtu' i:ikr ihcir uiu liorngc ut day-light with the less difiiculty. cs vf;^;- ^ \' :!»-> ^■^•^: ^U' l->.o' «D8 roST-CAPTAlNS OF 1802. ."g # X :.v m.::(y^. ,'•1 n 5:: .'.^.V CarcWj who vcre ordered with the pikcmen to the attack, °j 'the battery was taken in the rear, and an officer and his .'■guard inad:^ priflonerB, without a musket being fired, although/^ '- the enemy were at their guns with matches lighted. From".?, , jf the near approach of day- light, our situation became critical ;;• , ' '.;l)ut we had piocured a native guide to carry ui to the walls of jVthe castle of Belgica j and leaving a guard over the prisoners, -,-o , • and in charge of the battery, the party made a rapid movement ' round tlie skirts of the town, where the sound of the bugle was spreading alarm among the enemy •. In twenty minutes the scaling ladders were placed against the walls of the outer' pentagon of Belgica ; and the first guns were fired by the • ^ enemy's sentries f. The gallantry and activity with which ,, ^ the scaling ladders were hauled up after the outwork was •o/ : carried, and placed for the attack of the inner work, under a : i:,;,l sharp fire from the garrison, exceed all praise. The enemy, ■•;■;• "vV after firing three guns J, and keeping up an ineffectual dis- . • charge of musketry for 10 or 15 minutes, fled in all directions, ';,-., and through the gateway, leaving the Colonel-Commandant ' :'■ • and 10 others dead, and 3 officers and 30 men prisoners in ';;.})■ our hands. Captain Kenah, Lieutenants Carew, Allen, Pratt, ■: .• '-i-? Walker, and Lyons, of the navy j Lieutenant Yates, and '•'. • ; Ensign Allen (a volunteer) of the Madras service, were among ' •-. ,"■' the foremost in the escalade ; and my thanks are due to Cap- .::^/ - tain-Lieutenant Nixon, of the Madras European regiment, for the steady and officer-like conduct with which he directed ^i'?.': i^\' ■'^H"'* ^" officer and 60 men were taken prisoners in the first battery, with- 7^: VX"'.!^ '^ out firing a pistol : the sentinel was killed by a pike. Fortunately, the ■■'.'< i\ §:'■■ .■••I ^V ..> «•! nature of the attack required no firing from the assiulants, as the boats grounded at some distance from the shore, and the men bad to wade up to their waists in water. Expecting an attacic by sea, the enemy were fully prepared to give ilie ships a warm reception. Their confusion on finding the British in their rear, may readily be conceived. Captain Kenah had been ordered to attack the other battery, but was recalled.in consequence of Captain Cole determining to attempt the citadel, which commanded all the other defences, by coup-de-main, VT* S. ;"t.- A£''^-iX'.^'''T^': f Giving to the state of the weather. Captain Cole and his followers were not discovered until within 100 yards of the ditch surrounding the citadel. X llic great guns near ivhich the ladders were placed furtiuiutcly burnt priming, owing tu the hcuvy ruius. 1-4- >, t> N^^/ <, '•• \i% ' .V . • t .«'.v1 .«••; :> '• trtiuiately burni; o o , 1 j^: X); •:^ & V" =^ 1 o O ■J^r'^'o .'^^''f-.'S^. >" • >■ , ,.-""--; "^°f:SX|0ST-CAPTAIN8 OF 1802'. '^ 4\ 609*- ffi'^cmTVtfif i>'ftri5f *iittrusted to his charge ; and to Lieuteiiahls Brown and Decker, of that regiment, attached to the marines. With such examples our brave fellows swept the ramparts like a whirlwind ; and, in addition to the providential circum- stance of the service being performed with scarcely a hurt or wound, I have the satisfaction of reporting that there was no instance of irregularity arising from success *. ■■;. "The day now beaming on the British flag, discovered to us the fort of Nassau, and the sea defences at our feet, and the enemy at their guns at the different posts. I dispatched Captain Kenah with a flag of truce to the Governor, requiring the immediate surrender of Nassau, and with a promise of protection for private property. At sun-rise the Dutch flag was hoisted in Nassau, and the sea-batteries opened a fire on the Caroline (followed by the Piedmontaise and Baracouta, then approaching the harbour f) • Having selected a detach- ment to secure Belgica, the remainder, with their scaling lad- ders, were ordered for the immediate storm of Nassau ; but Captain Kenah had returned with the verbal submission of the Governor, and 1 was induced to send a second flag, stating my determination to storm Nassau that instant, and to lay the town In ashes, if the colours were not immediately struck. This threat, and a well-placed shot from Belgica into one of * The ladders being found too ehort for the escalade of the inner walls, a rush was made for the gateway, which had at that instant been opened by the guard to admit the Colonel-Commandant, and three other officers, who lived in houses at the foot of the hill. The Colonel refused to receive quarter, and fell in the gateway, sword in hand, and covered with honor- able wounds ; several of the guard were also slain, and many of the panic- struck garrison threw themselves over the walls, but the greater part es- caped. Four officers surrejidered their swords to Captain Cole immedi- ately under the flag-staff; forty artillery-men were disarmvd on the same spot, and the British colours were immediately hoisted wi(h three hearty cheers. At break of day the assailants found themselves in complete pos- session of the citadel, with 52 pieces of heavy cannon mounted on its walls ; but neither the ships nor the remainder of the landing party were to be seen, the violence of the weather during the night having prevented their ap- proach, t The Caroline did not return a shot ; but her first Lieutenant led into '•'^H the harbour, and ftuclii)rc«l ahreusJ of Fort Nassau, uncertain of the fate of his Captain until the f,Min^ ol Uclnica silenced the fire of the battery. <£'-\ .• ••.0 •%• rn 'I ■Jt^r'f" t >i, 1^ „ Voi Posf-CAiPtAtSrS of »^«y''i ..t.- %k- u 1802. TSP'% 3^heir sea-batterlc8, produced an immediate and unqualified submi^iiian, and we found ourselves in poBsession of the two forts, and Beveral batteries, mounting 120 pieces of cannon^ , and defended by 700 disciplined troops, besides the militia*. ^ *' The ships had been left with so few men to manage them,,. .*:,< p that I had merely directed Captain Foote to lead into any ' anchorage that he might be able to obtain, to make a diversion in our favor ; but they \vere worked against all the unfavor- able circumstances of a dark and squally night, in a narrow channel, with the most determined perseverance, and with>\/|*|%i that degree of zeal that I expected from an officer of my o\yr\.^f^^ , rank, whose heart and hand had always been with me .on Qvery point of public service f. [:>-, " Captain Kenah, who led the storming party, crowned al'SiJivfe' series of valuable services during two months' difficult and intricate navigation through the Eastern seas, by his bravery and activity on shore X • ** The colot^rs of Forts Nassau and Belgica will be presented to your Excellency by Lieutenant John Gilmour, who has served nine years in this country as a Lieutenant, and a large. \| ppftion pf that time as first Lieutenant under my command. Although labouring under a severe illness, he took charge of the ship on my qijitting her ; and his seaman-like and zeal- ous conduct in the discharge of his trust were most conspi- cuous. " I also transmit a plan of the defences of Banda Neira, with the position of the Dutch troops, and our route from the • The island of Banda Neira is little more than 2§ miles lonjf, and i a mile broad. Its shores were defended by ten batteries, in addition to the citadel and Fort Nassau. The total number of guns mounted on the dif- ferent works was afterwards ascertained to be 138, and no less than 1500 men piled their arms on the glacis of the fort the very day of its capture ; yet, strange as it may appear, scarcely one of the victorious little band re- ceiTcd a hurt that could with propriety be culled a wound, t Oaptain Charles Foote, the meritorious ofQccr alluded to in the above passage of Captun Cole's letter, was the last surviving eon of the late J. Foote, Esq. banker, of London. He died at Madras, Sept. 6, 1811, aged 31 years. /. - X Captain Kenah mA in command of the Etna bomb, on the coa^t of America, at the latter end of the war», i'^/'i^ .' w >i # '*'.■.. •;».,*• I' *«■»=?•„ lai CO foi an th thi wi in val ani Co 'ret pre mil dej '■ v-vr^'wh cup led pos hop and Mo of; dea gra tive of sue niai due m 1 .,-:?4^^S?i^!^^; si'/r-"'' - =■-- POST-CAPTAINS OF 1802. lalificd lie two ^iinon, Llitia *. ; thcni, ;o any version jfavor- narrow (1 with lyown -.«• 4 mc on ■•¥^'^^ •A J -*; vned a M;?*^^ lit and jravery jsentcd ho has a large miand. irge of d zeal- :onspi- Neira, 3m the 3;', and i )n to the the dif- luii 1500 lApturc ; band re- • le above the late ll.afrcd .'oast of ?,s landing-place to Belgica : the enemy had advanced a strong corps towards the place where Admiral Hainier's forces had formerly landed; and a suspicion that this would be the case, and that the roads would be destroyed, determined me as to the point and method of our attack *. jt^£n '-I " The service performed was of such a peculiar nature, that I could not do justice to the merits of n\y companions without entering much into detail ; and I feel confident that, in your Excellency's disposition to appreciate duly tlie merits of those under your command, I shall find an excuse for „ having taken up so much of your time. I am, &c, *^"' — :t^^"^J ''M^?ii^Wki^^^ (Siffned)'^5S^,« Chrihtopher Colb." %"M •1' " To His Excellency J ':^*V ■S>: Hear ytdmiral Drury, ^c." *^ij^^ After making every arrangement for the security of this valuable possession, and appointing Captain Foote Lieuten- ant-Governor of Banda Neira and its dependencies, Captain Cole delivered the charge of the islands to that officer, and returned to Madras in the Caroline. The Baracouta had previously been sent to communicate his success to Rear- Ad- miral Drury, and the Government of India. On the day of his departure he received the following letters from the officers who had served under his orders on this brilliant expedition t -:^i^4ffhk^' " H. M. S. Piedmontaise, Banda Harbour, 15M ^u^. 1810j " My dear Cole, — Kcnah and myself request your acceptance of a silver cup (to be made in England) in commemoration of the gallant manner you led on to and directed the attack and capture of the forts at Banda ; it may possibly have been equalled, but can never be surpassed : we therefore hope you will receive it as a testimony of our high esteem and friendship, and admiration of your spirited and noble conduct on the 9th of August. Most sincerely do we both wish that you may live long to et^oy the fruits of your labour, and to follow up your present success. Believe us, my dear Cole, your sincere and affectionate friends, '':\ « . --. 1*3%' * U... **. •\h?':^„",c-V"';'" (Signed) ^i^,_ " Charles Footk." " RiciiARp Kjstnah.'* * In the year 1811, Mr. WjUiam Dunicll, an eminent painter and en* graver, published " A View 0^ the Island of Banda Neira, with an illustra- tive Account of its Capture by Captain Col(»." This tribute to the memory of that achievement wc have used every eiuleavpur to obtain, but without success : should a copy of it hereafter fall in our way, we shall not fail to make such extracts therefrom as may serve tooxplaiu the particular con- duct of iinlivlduiils tuiployed in that enterprise. POST-CAPTAINS OF 1802. % : . -^ . :1r^y^^' " liandn Harbour, 18iA ^ng: 1810- "Sir, — We, the undersigned officers of H.^ Al. ships Caroline, l*ie<!- inontaisc, and Baracouta, beg leave to present you with a sword, value 100 guineas, in testimony of our approhation of the gallant and judicious manner in which you conducted the attack on Danda Neira un the i>th uf August, and conseciuently the final reduction of the Spice Islands. (Signed) " J. Gii<MOUB, Lieut. " Thomas Carew, Lieut. Samuel Allen, — . Robebt Walker, — , Georoe Pratt, — . Robert Barker, — . Andw. Smart, Master. G. Cummingh, Master. T. DoDS, Surgeon, J. Seward, Purser. F. Ltnch, Supy. of Caroline.** A. Stevens, Lt. R. M. J. Lincoln, Surgeon. Joseph Jacobs, Purser. A. Bvchanan, Supy. of Piedmontaiae." " J. WniTB.Lieut. Edmund Lyons, — . S. G. Davis, Surgeon. J. Scott, Purser, of Baracouta." " Danda Neira, Aug. 22, 1810. " Sir, — In addressing you upon the capture of Banda Neira and it» dependencies, which secures to the British flag a conquest of great value, the officers of the Hon. Company's troops engaged in that enterprise have to congratulate you and themselves upon the successful issue, under every disadvantage of whid and weather, upon a hostile shore lined with nu- merous batteries ; the enemy aware of and prepared for an attack, so wisely planned, and so ably carried into execution under your personal direction. The confidence you inspired all with on the approach to as- sault Belgica, we are convinced contributed in a great measure to the success of the escalade. Your bravery and gallant conduct was so con- spicuous on that occasion, that it must secure to you the esteem and admiration of all who are acquainted, as we are, with the circumstances attending the reduction of that strong and important citadel. " As B memorial of the high sense we entertain of the services per< formed by you on this occasion, and as a mark of our personal esteem and respect, we request you will do us the honor to accept of a sword of the value of 100 guineas. We further beg leave to assure you that our warmest wishes for your future success and happiness will always attend you in whatever situation it may please Providence to fix your lot. (Signed) "j.C'K ,%>.. •- G. L. Nixon, Capt. Mad. Europ. Reg. Georob Aj:.rxandrr, Surgeon. .-. , . -. /..e^ C. W. Yates, Lieut. Artillery. '^'^^^-^^^'^^ f^*^*^ Wm. Davbnant, '^ James Stuart, I . . '•: '■ \< P.Brown, L .T'"*"*1; Wm. Jonk« Decker. F**'' ^"'""P- ^S' P. Hooper, J Charles Allen, Ensign 2ht.Mad. Nat. Inf." ^^^ V*?-.'^ Hg. 1810. olinc, Pie<I- vord, value m1 judicious II the !>th uf ids. . « • .T . „ . \ 'B'.Lieu'tfefl^/ <YONB, — *^ " IS, Surgeon. Purser. f«. 2, 1810. -V'^^ ira and it» reat value, rprisG have ader every d >vith nu- attaek, so r personal icU to as- ure to the as so cou- iteein and imstancea 'ices pcr- tcciu and rd of the that our ys attend 1*1'''*^ Finding, on his arrival at Madras, that the commander-in- chief was absent on an expedition against the Mauritius, Captain Cole proceeded from thence to Bombay, for the pur- pose of refitting his frigate. The following extracts are taken from letters which he afterwards received : the first in answer to a letter presenting Rear-Admiral Drury with the colours of Belgica, and 2 brass guns from the captors ; the second in answer to the despatches sent to the Bengal government ; j, *f .;: ■^'^Wi'P^^'- " Dec. 22, 1810. " Sir, — I have great satisfaction In the highly flattering communica- tion you have made to me of the sentiments of yourself and of your brave companions who so nobly and successfully carried the supposed impreg- nable fortress of Banda Neira, the colours of which, and 2 guns taken under your auspices, by a handful of men composed of seamen and marines, and the intrepid officers and soldiers of the Madras European regiment, confer on me an honor and happiness far beyond my deserts, but most gratefully and thankfully received, as coming from a body of men so highly and particularly distinguished. I beg you to make my acknowledg- ments to the Banda heroes, whose heartfelt encomiums on their gallant leader do equal honor and justice to themselves, and place on your brotv a never-fading laurel. -.„;v_^ *^-^ '^ (Signed) " W. O'Bbiem Drury." .L-M\{ From the Secretary to the Bengal Government , dated ;^t iVM;.23,1810. ,W^^ " The details of this brilliant achievement, and of your arrangements "ki^^ for the administration and security of the islands, have been communica- *t'5#' ted to his Lordship in council, who observes with just admiration the judg- - -^ ment, ability, and foresight, manifested by you in the plan of attack, and the zeal, intrepidity, and precision, with which it was carried into effect by the gallant officers and men of the naval and military services under your direction. His Lordship and council consider the rapid conquest of a place so strongly fortified by nature and by art, in the face of a superior „^„, force, without the loss of a man, as forming a singular event in the annals 'f,*'^.. of British enterprise, reflecting a peculiar degree of credit on your pro- ; fessional skill, and affording an extraordinary instance of discipline, cou- rage, and activity, on the part of the men under your command." Vice- Admiral Drury having returned to India from the Isle of France early in 181 1, Captain Cole received orders to join his flag on the Malabar coast ; and on his arrival at Madras found that an extensive armament was about to be fitted out for an expedition against the island of Java. The ':^<€C^-!sr\(.'. '^.;}& ii it I- i aw*-* %^ POST-CAPTAINS OF severe illness of tho commander-in-chief, which terminated in his death, induced him to issue an order that all Captain Cole's directions for the preparation of the armament were to be obeyed ; and the necessary arrangements were accordingly made by the subject of this memoir till the arrival of a senior officer, the late Captain W. R, Broughton, some time after the Vice- Admiral's demise, at which period the fleet was nearly ready for sea. In our memoir of Captain George Sayer, C. B.*, we have already stated that the armament arrived in Chillingching Bay (about 10 or 12 miles to the eastward of Batavia) on the 4th Aug. 1811, and that the greater part of the army M'as landed the same day before dark : it now becomes our duty to record an instance of prompt decision on the part of Cap- tain Cole, who had previously been entrusted with the com- mand of the frigates appointed to cover the debarkation, and for which he afterwards received the warm personal thanks of Lord Minto, the Governor-General of India, who had ac- companied the expedition, and Sir Samuel Auchinuty, the commander-in-chief of the forces. ^/;'^"^^^y?^'!'kK-^ The sloops of war and the Hon. Company's cruisers had anchored near the beach in readiness to scour it, and the troop-ships without them, covered by the Caroline, Modeste, and Bucephalus. The rapid approach of the fleet had pre- vented the enemy from ascertaining the intended place of landing in time to send a force thither to guard it : this being noticed by Captain Cole, he made the signal from the Caro- linCf for the advance of the army to land immediately, then hoisted out his boats, tripped his anchor, and dropped the Caroline nearer to the shore. No time was occupied in arranging the order of the boats, they being ordered to shove 6ff iirhen tnaniied and filled with troops. His example being followed by Captains Elliot and Pelly, and the boats of the other men of war being sent to assist in conveying the troops, about 8(XK) soldiers, with their guns, ammunition, and provisions, were landed in safety by half past six o'clock. Soon after dark the British advanced guard had a skirniish "■.i*''-M ■■■'^^■^M * Sec vol. ll. part I. p. 354, ef set/. ^■^ ^^. 'ivr aj v a '■'#*-"S,' fer.%'^;^' ■^ .«!>?;;" Co" >l'',f>. with the enemy's patroles, who, but for Captain Cole%''|^^!|^_^ alacrity and promptitude in making the above signal, without !f ||^ waiting to complete the arrangement of boats, &c., as usual in such cases, would have taken post in a wood at the back pf the beiich, and might have occasioned great loss to the invad- ing army. We should here observe, that Captain Cole had previously volunteered to command the naval battalion ap- pointed to serve on shore j but the presence of Captain Sayer, who was senior in rank to himself, and equally de- sirous of the honor, prevented Commodore Broughton from placing him in that honorable post. He subsequently obtained permission from Rear-Admiral Stopford to proceed to head-quarters and "lake an offer of 400 additional seamen, to be commanded by himself, to assist in storming Mecster Corneiis, or any of the enemy's positions ; but his co-opera- tion was necessarily declined, as such an increase of force was not wanted, and might have served to discover the General's intention to the enemy. :^>-^i'^'>'j^-^^-^jx<'^- iy'-iz-^f'fi: ^\ The following is an extract from Rear-Admiral Stopford's despatches relative to the reduction of Java, dated Scipion, Batavia lioads, Aug, 28, 1811 : " I send this despatch by the Caroline, and I ain happy to have so •good an opportunity as is offered by Captain Cole who has had a large share in every thing relating to this expedition, and from his knowledge of all the parts of thie operations, ctin comtnUnicate to their Lordships, the fullest ac- count of them *." Captain Cole arrived in England towards the close of 1811, and soon after received a letter from the Secretary to the Ad- miralty, informing him that he was to be honored with an ap- propriate medal for the ca'pture of Banda, and enclosing a copy of the letter which had been vn-itten to Vice- Admiral Drury, in answer to his despatch announcing the conquest bl that island. :k^^S-^¥^ '-^i^^f^t^^^;^ AmMky Office, Jlify 3, ml. ■ " Sir, — I received on the Ist inst. by Lieutenant Kenah, and laid before the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty, your despatch of the 3d Jan. "i..fA^v: '■^: m Commodore Broughton, on being succeeded in the command of the fleet by Rear-Admiral Stopford, expressed " great pleasure in acknow- ledging the zeal and alacrity displayed by Captains Cole, Elliot, and Pelly," on the day of disembarkation. * •4' ■:.•'■■' ■ ^'C^'v.-oy! iiih- ; ?i- W^. w C-'' POST-CAPTAINS OP 1802. reporting the capture of the valuable islands of Banda on the 9t1i Aug. 1810 i and transmitting copies of the reports made to you by Captain Cole, of the particulars of that gallant achievement, and especially of the storming of the almost impregnable fortress of Belgica, by a body of le«9 than 200 men, under his immediate direction, which led to the final surren- der of the islands. Upon this occasion, so honorable to His Majesty's arms, I have been commanded to express to you their Lordships' high ap- probation of the judgment and gallantry displayed by Captain Cole, and of the zeal and valour of all the oiGcers and men under his orders, which vou will accordingly signify to them in a prober manner. I am, &c. M^^%W'^i$^4<^>^^^ ■^-i^'^f^''^ " J- ^- Cbokeb." The Caroline was paid oflF in Jan. 1812, and on that occa- sion Captain Cole had the gratification of receiving an epistle from his veteran crew, an exact copy of which is subjoined : *' We the crew of H. M. S. Caroline wishes to give you our most gracious thanks for the care and favour you have shewn to this ship's company, by making you a present of a sword amounting to 100 guineas for your noble and brave conduct when you led us to the storm of Banda, and likewise the zealous bravery in landing our troops at Batavia ; and by excepting of this present you will gratify the wishes of your most obedient ship's com- pany. ■M '*»,'a- f''!'^' (Signed J f* The Carolines." Captain Cole received the honor of knighthood. May 29, 1812 ; and on his return from the Prince Regent's levee, the sword alluded to above was presented to him by Mr. Barlcer, a cutler of Portsmouth, with an address couched in the fol- lowinir terms : .;.«.. .^^^ ** Sir, — I am requested by James Macdowal, and others, on behalf of the crew uf H. M. frigate Caroline, to present you mth this sword, as a testimony of the high esteem and respect they entertun for you as their late Commander, in return for the marked attention you at all times paid to them ; for the gallant manner in which you took them into action, and for the honorable manner in wliich you brought them out ; for the un- ceasing zeal you invariably have maiufested for your country's cause, and for the comforts they enjoyed whilst they served under your command, — they humbly trust you will accept the same, as a pledge of gratitude and token of veneration for you, which time can never eflhce from their me- A present ancl an address of this kind, from private men to their late commander, must be regarded as a compliment of the highest and most valuable description. Captain Cole ^^■. t ft " C^«^' the fol- »S1 POST-CAPTAINS OF 1802. V •vc.,^- fM having ceased to command these brave fellows, it is obvious that no feelings could exist, but those of the respect, admi- ration, and gratitude which they professed. •"* In the course of the same year. Sir Christopher Cole re- ceived the degree of a D. C. L. from the University of Oxford ; and a piece of plate, value 300 guineas, from the East India Company : the latter was presented to him " as a testimony of the high sense they entertained of the services rendered by him when commanding the Caroline in the Indian seas*."..»' 5^ His next appointment was, early in 1813, to the RipffOh, a new 74, fitting for Channel service. On the 21st Oct. in the same year, he intercepted le Weser, a French frigate of 44 guns, which had already been completely crippled and beaten by two British brigs of 18 guns eachf; and in Feb. 1814, he was present at the re-capture of a Spanish treasure ship of immense value, by theMenelaus frigate, off I'Orient^. He continued cruising with his usual activity and success ^^fki^^ till the conclusion of the war in Europe, and was put out of commission at the latter end of 1814, after an almost unin- terrupted series of constant service afloat for 34 years, more than half of which period he had passed in the East and West Indies. Sir Christopher Cole was nominated a K. C. B. Jan. 2, 1815 ; elected M. P. for Glamorganshire in 1817; re-elected for the same county in 1820 ; and installed Deputy Grand Master for South Wales, July 10, 1821 §. He married, April 28, 1815, Lady Mary Talbot, relict of the late T. M. Talbot, of Margam Park, and Penrice Castle, co. Glamorgan, Esq. and daughter of the late Stephen Earl of Ilchester. jigent-^Thomtis Stilwell, Esq. jj^if^ * We have heard iu the course of coDversation, that one of his Majesty's ministers, speaking in Parliament of Captain Cole's achievement at Banda, described it as " heroism of a chivalrous order." ;- ^ . » ■f See Captain Colin Mac Donald. X ^cc Captain John Hayes, C. B. i^idi The new Public Rooms at Swansea were first opened on the occasion of the above ceremony. t VOL. II. .■rf' /fli M «Of :>:.t? 'S'l^^'X^f i ~%' •= v^V^ B ^ # © © )0 CO e o ->, O c o POST-CAPTAINS OF 1802. o X o r-i. O o O c SIR GEORGE RALPH COLLIER, Bart. ^ Knight Commander of the most honorable Military Order itf the Bath ; a Groom of the Bedchamber to H. R, H^ the Duke ^ Gloucetter ; and a Member of ike African Institution. This li&mented officer was the second son of the late Ralph Collier, Esq., many years chief Clerk in the Victualling de- partment of the Royal Navy. He was bom in 177^) &nd being Jntended for his Majesty's naval service, received a suitable education at the Maritime Academy, Chelsea. During the r^ Dutch and Spanish armaments we find him serving as a (Midshipman on board the Carysfort frigate, commanded by Capt^n Matthew Smith ; and we have been told by an officer who was his schoolfellow and messmate, that he was then not only a good astronomer, marine-surveyor^ and draftsman, but that he was also very well acquainted with the French, Spa- nish, and Italian languages— a combination of qualifications rarely to be met with in a young eeo-officer at thai peri<idl Of our naval history. - , ^ O P ' oWe have no certain information respecting Mr. CoUier's ^services previous to 1799, in which year he served as first Lieutenant of the Isis, a 50-gun ship, bearing the flag of Vice- Adtttiral Mitchell, at the capture of a Dutch squadron in the Texel * ( and being iient to England vfith ihat officer's des^ patches, he was promoted to the rank of Commander, and ap- "^ointed to the Victor of 18 guiis and 120 men, ift which (^ *^scl he greatly distinguished himself by bis gallalit iftnd perseverfiig action Wkh la Fleche, a French corvette of 22 guns, which had recently landed a number of banished French* &^3?men on the Seychelles, in the Indiati Oceans and was |>ro- °Cceding to cruise against our commerce in the Bay of ^ BengiU, The following is a copy of his official letter on the occasion:-^ O r^ Q ^ ~ '~^' O 6 " ff.M. Sloep Victor, May Roadst Sept. l^,\SOL^ Sir,-- >The state of the crew of his M^esty'a sloop under my eom- p3^<Jnandi« after leaving- the Red Sea t, induced nie to put into the island of ^ *^ • See vol. I. note at p. 414. et seq. t The Victor had been employed conveying the troops sent from India *^ to co-opcrat^jvith tiic British army in Egypt : see Vol. II. part I. p. 467. O O o o o Oo O ^O o o o o o o p o O o O ci3^Q^ O, © vj» o O 8 c ■^ O c o o ■ Bart, n ttf the Bath $ mcester ; and 6 late Ralph bualling de- > and being a suitable Ouidng the rving as a manded by y an officer as then not 'tsman, but enchj 8pa- laUfications it period of rli^oHier'B i^ed as first ig of Vice- Iron in the icer's dea- r, and ap-' ift whioh illant atnd ett€ of 22 id French- was ptO' Bay of ter onthe r"^ O o 19, 1801O :r my com- be island of from India 1 1, p. 467. O O 3 ■I O' POST-CAPTAINiJ OP 1802. 519 Oic^o Qarda. After procuring a large supply of turtle and good water, I left that harbour on the 27th Aug., and proceeded on the execution of the particular service pointed out in your orders of tho 22d July ; and on the 2d instant, in sight of those islands, H. M. sloop fell in with a French national corvette, and after a few ineffectual manoeuvres on her part, from tlie superior sailing of the Victor when going large, I had the plea- sure of I>ringing her to a close action at 5h 46* P. M. The disguised state of the Victor did not long deceive the enecny. The second broadside proved sufficient, the corvette hauling her yrtnd and endeavouring to escap*'. which, in about twenty minutes, I was sorry to observe, by liaving almost solely directed her fire nt our masts and sails, she had a ffur pro- spect of effecting ; for, on her tacking under our lee, I endeavoured to wear, with the hope of boarding on her bow, when I had the mortification to find both lower and top-sail braces shot away on the starboard side, as well as the preventer ones and bowlines ; and before others could be rove, the corvette was half a mile to windward. Night fast approaching, added to the chagrin I felt on observing the enemy sail better than the Victor on a wind. The chase continued all night, frequently mthin gun-shot \ and at sunset the following day, from the wind having favoured the corvette, she was four or five miles to windward. In the night of the 4th we lost sight of her; when, probably by tacking, she escaped. In this affair I had one man wounded with 2 musket-balls, and Mr. Middleton, Master's Mate, slightly ; the damage susttuned in the hull was trifling, bat the fore-matt was shot through, and our sadls and rigging were much cut. " Judging from the course the corvette was steering when first seen, she must be bound to these islands, I pushed for them, and towards sunset on the 5th she was again seen, running in for this anchorage. I kept under easy sail till dark, when the Victor was anchored ; and at day-light I had the satisfaction of seeing the enemy mocked with sprites in the basin, or inner harbour, with a red flag at the fore (as a signal of defiapce). Being unacqmunted with the channel, and having no pilot, Mr. Crawford, the Master, though ill of a fever, and Mr. Middleton, being volimteers, were sent to sound, which service they completely performed ; nor did the latter gentleman desist, till repeatedly fired at by a boat from the corvette. " The extreme narrowness of the channel, added to the wind not \mag very favourable, compelled me to use ivarps and the stay-sails only, which exposed the ship to a raking fire for some minutes, till shoaling our water, I was obliged to bring up. Having two springs on the cable, our broad- side was soon brought to bear; and at 11 ^^ 45' A. M. a well-directed fire was opened, which was kept up incessantly from both vessels till 2k 20 < P. M* when I plainly perceived the enemy was going down ; in a few minutes her cftble was cut, she cast round, and her bow grounded on a coral-reef. " Mr. M'Lean, the first Lieutenant, with a party of officers and men, were sent on board ; though scarce had they put off, ere we discovered 2m2 L-.'' J O |■"*^ pi C) e i I h 520 POST-CAPTAINS OF 1802. the enemy to be on tire. Lieutenant Smith, and other officers, ivere then sent with proper assistance ; but just as they had succeeded in extinguish- ing the fire, she fell on her larboard bilge into deeper water and sunk. '* She proves to have been the French national corvette la FIcchd, mounting twenty long French 8-pounders, answering to English nines, with 2 stern-chasers, though it appears all her guns were not mounted in the first action *• She was larger than the Victor in dimensions, perfectly new, a remarkably fast sailer, and not four months from France, commanded by Captain Bonaniy, Lieutenant de Vaisseau, with four Lieu- tenants, and a complement of 145 men, some of whom had been left sick at Bourbon. " From a number of dead and dying men reported to have been found on her forecastle, as well ns 2 alongside, I am induced to believe the carnage was great, though only 4 are acknowledged by the French Cap- tain. She had 20 men to assist at her guns, forming a part of the crew of la ChifTonne French fngate, captured here a few days since by H. M . ship Sybille, Captain Adam f. The obstinate defence made by la Flech<'. was on the supposition of the Victor being a privateer. " From the length of time elapsed ere this business was brought to a close, I have felt it necessary to be thus particular iu my detail ; and I trust for your excuse should I dwell longer, as I feel 1 should do an in* justice to every officer and man on board did I neglect paying a just tri- bute to the cool and determined bravery they evinced ; even men labour- ing under a lingering fever (of whom I had unfortunately 30) felt a pro- portionate zeal * • * *. In this action I most fortunately had not a man either killed or wounded ; but our hull, rigging, and boats, have suffered much, besides having some shot between wind and water. I am, &c. &c. &c. (Signed) " Geohge R. Collier J." '* To Sir Home Popham, K. M. SfC.'* Captain Collier's unreinitting perseverance under every trying circumstance, and his determined conduct in warping the Victor into Mah^ harbour, was so higlily approved by the Admiralty, that Earl St. Vincent, who then piesided rt. the Board, directed a post commission to be made out for him, and antedated, so as to give him precedence over the whole of those officers who had been included in the general promotion of April 29, 1802 § ; he was at the same time appointed to • The Victor mounted sixteen 32-pounder carronades and two long si xts. t See Vol. IL part I. p. 222, et teif. X La Flech^ wa? afterwards weighed by the French, and captured from them by the present Rear-Admiral Bingham. See Vol. L p. 7-4. § Sir Home Popham's letter, enclosing Captain Collier's account of iIk action, was received at the Admiralty July 20, 1802. Captain Collier s post commission bears date April 22, 1802. ^ i CO to ai to he am e t ere, were then in extinguish- ' and sunk, tte la Flechd, English nines, lot mounted in ions, perfectly from France, vith four Lieu- I been left sick ive l)een found to helievc the e French Cap- irt of the crew nee l»y H. M. le by la Flech(^ s brought to a detail ; and I lould do an in< ing a just tri- ll men labour- I 30) felt a pro- tcly had not a nd boats, have water. I am, OLLIER J." t nder every in warping oved by the sided r t, the lit for liim, le whole of promotion jpoiiitcd to wo Iung8ixt6. aptured from -M. iccountof ilu »tain Collier's POST-CAr»*AlNS OF command the Leopard of 50 guns, in which ship he returned to England on the 24th Feb . 1 803 . . ; ...^y ,,....;,.. ^. , ,^ Captain Collier subsequently comman^Mthe Chainpioti 24, and Leopard 50. His next appointment was, about Feb. 1806, to la Minerve frigate, employed on the coast of Spain, where he captured several of the enemy's armed vessels, privateers, and merchantmen . I n 1 B« 7 f^<^ removed into the Surveillante, and accompanied the expedition sent against Copenhagen, from whence he returned t j Ctigland with Admiral Gambler's despatches, announcing the surrender of the Danish capital and fleet. On his arrival with this important intelligence he received the honor of knii^htiiood from his late Majesty. From this period Sir George Collier was principally em- ployed cruising on the IVf^nch coast and in the Bay of Biscay, where he captured, anvxii; other vessels, le Milan, national corvette, of 18 guns a/id 115 men ; la Comtesse Laure, and 1m Creole French pri>aLrers, of 14 guns each, the former having a complement (f 55, the latter 115 men; the Tom, American letter of iiianiuc, (>f 6 guns and 36 men ; and the Orders in Council, a stJiconor of similar description and force. On the 7th Sept. 181U, a party belonging to the Surveillante destroyed a battery and guurd-liouse, which had recently been erected for the protection of the entrance into Crach river; and although opposed by nearly double their force, and exposed to a fire from the opposite bank, returned to their ship with- out having a man hurt. Sir George Collier's active co-operation with the patriots on the north coast of Spain has already been alluded to in the course of this work ; we shall nov/ present our readers with liis account of the recapture of Bermeo, a sea-port town near J^ilboa, and a sketch of the subsequent transactions in which he was engaged. " Surveillante, Bermeo Roads, Oct. 20, 1811. " Sir, — I proceeded uff Aiichovc on the 18th instant, where I was joined by 200 guerillas, undor the command of their chief. Pastor, by whose exertion, in conjunction with my pilot, a suflicient number of fishing-boats "ere impressed to reieivc nn c(iuu! number of guerillas I had previously embarked from the coast. " Soon afterwards the Iris joined to lecwurd, when the whole party, ucLOnipiinieil by ilie nianac:j of tin; two rii;;utes, under the cominiuid of :■■•••'• ;. .. I. ■ .T' I f tT^' i ^;' iH . •/ ^:.i■ i'.-(' 'h-'- r03T-CArTAIN8 v; ;.;|^ietttenant Cupples, pushed off for ihe river Mundaca, where a landinjj '. • ."4va9 efTected about two miles from Bermeo, the object of our attack. ;•.. The French guard, stationed in the town of Mundaca, evacuated it ° • immediately, ** The frigates advancing with a light breeze towards Bermeo, while f the party which had landed appeared on the hills turning the enemy's right, I gave hira but little time to hesitate ; and Mons. Dedier, the commandant, took the short, though rugged road, over the mountains for Bilboa. The next morning at day-brealc Mr. Kingdom, Master's-Mate, was despatched to blow up the guard-house, and destroy the signal-station on the height^ of Machichaco, which service he executed perfectly. • k-v. <i> • .-v^ " In the course of the day every thing that could be ascertained to be public property belonging to the French was either brought off or de- stroyed ; the guard-house, store-house, and stabling on the hill, blown up and burnt ; and its battery, consisting of four IS-poundurs, destroyed, the guns broken, the gunpowder given to Pastor, and the shot thrown into the sea. Two other small batteries, commanding the high road and mole- head, sharing the same fate. ' " The utmost possible annoyance having been given to the enemy, and all the vessels brought out from the mole, the marines and guerillas were re-embarked ; and this morning I despatched the latter, under protection of the Iris, to land at a spot agreed upon with Pastor, remaining here myself until I have f^djusted the claims of several Spaniards respecting their vessels. I have the satisfaction to state, that yesterday a small di- vision of 60 men, despatched from Bilboa to succour the garrison, ap- proached the town, and were met by the advanced guerilla guard, of trifling numerical superiority, and immediately put to flight. Some few of the enemy were killed, though only one prisoner was brought in, who owes his life to his having fallen into the hands of a Guerilla recruit. " I have only to add, that the most perfect cordiality prevailed among our men and the Spaniards ; that no loss whatever was sustained by us ; and that the steady conduct of Lieutenant Cupples, the ofliccn, and royal marines, would have decided the business of the day had the enemy given them the meeting ; and I feel considerable obligation to my first Lieutenant, O'llcilly, and the officers and crews of both ships. I haye lli^ hQMur to be, &c. ;•,":*'•** '"■ (Signed) " (jeoroe R Collier." " To Admiral Sir Charles Cotton, Dart:' .^ ,.; 'P^.\:'\'\\,, .-V; " Surveillantc,at Coninna,^ov. 16, 1911. " I have the honor to enclose Captain Christian's report of his pro- ceedings since my parting with him off Bermeo; by which you will per- ceive how seriously the guerillas annoy the enemy in the province of Biscay und (luipuscoa. It appears that, with the assistance of the Iris, Uoii (iuspar, after effecting his landing, completely blocked up the gar- rison of Delia ill their fortified hijuse, which, not being able to resist the <\rc from the launch, tiurrcadcrcd, amounting to 51 men. From hence '.'.'•' '• /- ••• \ /^* '• v'.'V (• .y«'«s..«'w»*\''-- '<^'k -.b •CI; I .■•>, ?4x ■iv ifrij here a larKttlh^ of our attack. i, evacuated it J ' « • .° • . ";•■;• ... -. *. , Sfcrmeo, wtiife ; enemy's right, e eommandant, rBilboa. The *va3 despatched on the heights certained to be ght off or de- : hill, blown up , destroyed, the kot thrown into road and inole- ;he enemy, and i guerillas were nder protection remaining here [irds respecting day a small di- ; garrison, ap- rilla guard, of Some few rought in, who recruit, 'evailed among stained by us ; le officers, and bad the enemy ion to my first hips. I haye COLLIBR.** v.; '":•■, V. 16,1811. )rt of his pro- you will per- c province of ce of the Iris, ed up the gar< t' to resist the From hence \y*b:-<o a Caspar immediately proceeded to the neighbouring town of MbMeo, where, l)y the united exertions of Captain Christiuii, the same number of the ctiemy were obliged to an unconditional surrender. In this service ."-jiwo of the enemy's launches were taken, and whatever French public property cotihl be found was taken and destroyed. " In the Iris have also arrived upwards of 300 Fren(;h prisoners, with a proportion of officers ; amontr which number it is said is an atde-de>camp of Buonaparte, Colonel Cenopieri. They form a part of the remains of lite last corps, which was so entimly defeated by the indefatigable gue- riilu, Nf ina ; 500 of the enemy were killed or wounded, and the remainder, (iOO, made prisoners. Captain Christian speaks in very favourable terms of tliu activity and zcul of his first Lieutenauit, Mr. CoUingwood, on the lute service ; and I have pleasure in adding ray testimony to the same on former occasions." uj-. In June 1812, the Surveillante formed part of the squadron under Sir Home Popham at the reduction of Lequitio, on which occasion Sir George Collier commanded a battery on shore : the partigijlars of that service are thus detaUgd by the former officer : ^:"-Viij^;/h'\:>i*^i^&!|-'^%,;>i£^!;I>i^^ " The enemy had possession of a liill-fort commanding the town, calcu- lated to resist any body of infantry, and also 200 men posted in a fortified convent within the town, the walls of which were impervious to any thing less than an lS-poun«ier. "The convent might have been destroyed hy the ships; bat as the town wQuhl have materially suffered, and as the guns of the Venerable 74 made no visible impression on the fort, it was determined to erect a bat- tery on a hill opposite to the latter, which the enemy considered as quite inaccessible to caimon, and in tliat confidence rested his security. A gun was accordingly lande<l in the forenoon of the 20th, (chiefly by the exer- tions of lieutenant Groves, of tlie Venerable), notwithstanding the sea was breaking with such violence agaiiut the rocks at the foot of the hill, that it was duubt/'ul whether a boat coujd get near enough for that purpose. It was theu hove up a short distance by a muveabb; capstern ; but this was found so tedious that men and bullocks were sent for to draw it ; and it was at length drugged to the summit of the hill by thirty-six pair of buUocks, 400 guerillas, and 100 seamen, headed by the Hon. Captain Uuuveriff. It was immediately mounted, and fired lis first shot at 4 P. AI. .'■'■^ " The g»m was so admirably served, that at sunset a practicable broach was made in the wall of the fort, and the guerillas volunteered to storm it. The first party was rjpuUed, but the second gained possession without any considerable loss. Sev^ri^ uf Lhjs i}UViuy esc^^ed on the opposite side, and got into the convent, f '.' " ""' '•' i!i!"VT''- Ull^/.T.'*. " In the course of the cveuiug the sea aixited a little, and a landing upon the islan<l of St. Nicholas was effocfed, lli()Ui,di with souu- ilKIicultv, n> '^/- \.- V.4SI... ^f - '^""^r^^'* 524 '^M ^ ft ■> i ,00 ^^^1 .9 a .D«ja o POST-CAPTAINS OF J 802. :^i^^^^l^ by Lieutenant O'Reilly, of the Surveiilante ; marines were also landed from that frigate, the Medusa, and Rhin, with a carronade from each ahip ; and Captain Malcolm took the command of the island during the night, whilst Sir George Collier was in the Venerable's battery on the hill. " At dawn of day (21st) a 24-poundcr was brought to the east side of the town, within two hundred yards of the convent, and another was in the act of being landed upon St. Nicholas to bombard it, when the French commandant beat a parley, and surrendered with the remainder of his party, consisting of 290 men of the 119th regiment. The enemy's loss was supposed to be considerable, as the guerillas, who were better posted, and fired, with more celerity, had 56 men killed or wounded. Not a man was hurt in the British squadron, either by the surf or the enemy. There were two 18-pounders mounted on the fort, and 3 smaller guns in the barracks ; 'the latter, with the muskets, were given to the guerillas, who were also supplied with every description of military stores of which they stood in need. The IS-pounders were rendered useless, the fort destroyed, and the convent blown up •." The enemy had by this time collected about 1100 men in the neighbourhood of Lequitioj but on hearing from the peasantry that 2000 men had been landed from the English squadron they retired j and int^.'cepted letters were trans- mitted to Sir Home Popham, by M'hich the commandant of Guernico was instructed to prepare rations for a French General and 2600 of the Imperial Guards. On the 23d in the afternoon, the squadron being on its way to co-operate in an attack intended to be made by a Spanish General upon Bilboa, and the wind being unfavourable for getting round Machichaco, part of the ships anchored off Bermeo, and parties were prepared to land by 6 P. M. The enemy having retired, a small magazine of provisions left by them in a fortified convent was taken possession of and dis- tributed to the poor, and the ships in want of water were completed. The battery on the hill of Bermeo, consisting of five 18-pounders, and all the fortified places of which the enemy had had possession, were at the same time blown up, and the guns rendered useless. W-' !' • Sir Home Popham commended in high terms the conduct of all the nfticers and men employed on thix occasion ; and expressed his sense of the assistance rendered by Sir Howard Douglas and General Carrol, who had' embarked in the Venerable, uud volunteered their services wherever *.hey could be employed. n 'f^,?!: e also landed ide from eacli ad during the ^ry on the hill, le east side of mother was in en the French lainder of his I enemy's loss better posted, . Not a man aemy. There er guns in the guerillas, who of which they Fort destroyed. 100 men in 5 from the the English were trans- imandant of r a French ; on its way ' a Spanish ourable for ichored off M. The ions left by of and dis- vater were msisting of which the blown up, ict of all the sense of the rol, who had hcrcver *,hey r-'4 POST-CAPTAINS OF 1802. 5^ On the 24th the Venerable arrived off Plencia, where Cap- tains Bouverie and Malcolm were destroying the works ; and some vessels were immediately despatched to dismantle the batteries and destroy the guns on each side of the inlet below the bar of the Bilboa river. :^^^^m^4''^i^^^^ In the afternoon of the same day Sir Home Popham, the Captains of the squadron, General Carrol, and Sir Howard Douglas, landed at Algeria with a detachment of royal raa*^^ rines ; but as the country was particularly close, and calcu- lated for a surprise, they re-embarked before night. The^ castle of Galea, and the batteries of Algorta, Begona, El Cam- pillo las Quersas, and Xebiles, mounting in the whole twenty- eight 18 and 24-p()unders, were destroyed by parties under the orders of Captain Bloye, and Lieutenants Groves, O'Reilly^^ ■ Coleman, and Arbuthnot, the guard-house of the castle burnt, and the trunnions knocked off all the guns. ^^ j^ii^ ^c On the 25th, at dawn, parties of the enemy were seen ad- vancing, and at five o'clock they entered the ruins of Algorta, but soon retired from thence on observing the squadron about to stand up the inlet. They afterwards formed on the plain, and were found to consist of 2400 men, 400 of whom were sent to Puerta Galetta. Three sloops of war closed with the fort at the latter place, silenced it, and drove the enemy out. This corps was the one for which rations had been ordered at Guernico, and which was therefore com* pletely diverted from its original destination. On the 2d July, the squadron being off Guateria, an attack was intended to be made upon that place, and two companies of royal marines were landed under Major Williams, accom* panied by General Carrol, for the purpose of reconnoitring ; but some parties of the enemy being discovered crossing the hills, and the guerillas, whose co-operation had been expected, being engaged with the enemy in a different quarter, the plan of attack was relinquished, and the marines re-embarked, but without loss *. * The guerillas had been employed in an action with a detachment of the enemy conducting 80 prisoners from Asturins ; 130 of the French were killed, and 50 left on the field of battle wounded. The Spanish prisoners were liberated. -.i:-: 526 POST-CAI>'rAIN8 OF 1802. sfegn On the 6th Sir Home Pophoni arrived off Ca&tro, where a 24-pounder, and a company of marines had been landed by^ Sir George Collier to assist Colonel Longa in an attack on the place. Information was, however, received of the approach of 2500 French troops, whose arrival obliged the Spaniiih com- mander to retire, and the parties landed from the squadron were reirabarked. In the evening the enemy weyje marching into the town. - -f''*Wr On the 7th the enemy were driven out of Castro by the fire of the squadron, and preparations were made for a landing and an attack on the castle, which accordingly took place on the 8th, when the commandant surrendered with 150 men, the remainder of the enemy's force having marched towards Larido. Twenty-six guns of different sizes were found in the town and castle of Castro ; those in the former were with- drawn, and the latter was put into a state of defence, aud garrisoned by the marines and Spanish artillerymen of the Iris. The further proceedings of the allied forces are thus described in the London Gazette: •' On the 10th the squadron proceeded off Puerta Galetta, to co-ope- rate in an attack upon it with tiie Spaoi&h troops under Long^, and on the 11th much firing was kept up against the batteries; but the enemy bei^ig found stronger than the Spaniards had expected, the attack was abandoned. During the morning, Captain Bloye of the Lyra, landed with a party of marines, and knocked off the trunnions of the guns in the Bagona battery, aud destroyed one mounted on a height. On the 12th the Veneral)le anchored off Castro, wMch had been (eebly atjtackeid by the eoemy the evening before. One of the Imperial guards was woimded nad brought in a prisoner. ^■ " On the 15th, the enemy's moveable column having been drawn by a feint to Santona, from whence it could not reach Guetaria in less than foiiv days, another attack was intended to be made upon the latter place, in concert with the guerillas under Don Guspar, and with the promised aid oi one of the f)Rttailous under General Mina. Early in the uioi^ig of the 18th, one 24-pouader under Lieutenant Graven, «md a houitzer under Lieutenant Lawrence, of the marine-artillery, were landed from the Venerable, and mounted on a hill to the westward of GueHiria, under the directions of Captain Malcolm, while the Hon. Captain Bouverii-'vi'i hu^ded with 2 guns from the Medusa, and after many diificulties in 4raw- ing them up, mounted tfaew on the to") ^ a hill to the oastwar<jl. The Veperable's guns began firing at n'^n., .ml continued tiU stuisot, when 1 Mr^'. I -ii.- .^:-^,. tro, where a n knded by attack on the le approach punish com- le squadron were seen > by the fire r a landing ok place on 150 men, ed towards bund in the were with- ^fence, aud wen of the 3 are thus '. to co-ope- riga, and on t the enemy i attack was . landed with 1. ffuos in the the I2th the .'ked l>y the 'oqadedand rOBT-CAPTAINS OF 1802. 537 ■**». ■■ drawn by a in less than tfter place, e proinificd e moH4fig B howitzer nded from jria, under Bouverie « in 4raw- v4. The Jet, when .-•■■■ ■ i" r those of the enemy on that side were silenced, and the JMcdusa's were put in readiness to open on the following morning. During tiie iiight, how- ever, intelligence was received of the approach of a body of French troops, ,jl?S%hicl) afterwards proved to be a division of between 2000 aud 3000 men, that had just arrived at St. Sebastian's from France, and was immediately .^sent forward by forced marches to Guetaria. * " The uncertainty with respect to the enemy's force, and the disposi- tion of the guerillas to oppose their advance, preveuteil the re-embark- ation of the guns and men landed from the squadron, until the retreat of the Spaniards, after skirmishing with the superior numbers of the French, in which the latter are stated to have suffered severely. Captain Bouverie then destroyed the 2 guns from the Medusa, and re-embarked with all his men, and every thing belonging to the guns< Captain Malcolm was detained longer, by a message brought to him by one of Don Gaspar'3 aide-de-campa, stating thut the enemy had been beaten back, and urging him to remain in his battery. Finding, however, that the enemy was ad- vancing fast, he gave orders to re-embark, and brought off his party, with the exception of 3 Midshipmen and 29 men, who were taken prisoners, but fortunately without having a man killed or wounded. The Spaniards lost a Captain of artillery, and had a serjeantand 10 men badly wounded. The detachment expected from General Mina's army arrived the n»orning after the action, and joined Don Gaspar, having narched eighteen Spanish leagues in two days." Subsequent to the affair of Guetaria, Sir George Collier served on shore with a detachment of seamen and marinea landed to co-operate with a guerilla regiment in an attack upon the castle of St. Ano, and received a wound when pur- suing the French garrison from thence towards Santander*. In the following year he was appointed Commodore of the squadron employed in that quarter, where he contributed Igj-^ no small degree to the success of Lord Wellington's army, then approaching the French frontier. f?^^^ 'ili^ ■ By a letter addressed to Lord Keith, June ^, 1813, W are informed that the whole line of coast, from Guetaria to Santona, had already been evacuated by the enemy ; and on the Ist of the following month Sir George Collier reports the retreat of the French from Guetaria in the following terms : 'i^^y'^^:^i^^^^^S^^ " Guetaria was evacuated by the cnem.y this morning at day-break, and :^iv^'y ' • See Vol. I, p. 708. M ■ <?&.^fia! S^M n fdi 6# ^■, POST-CAin-AINB OF 1802. soon aftenvards occupied by a division under Baron de Mcnglana. The enemy appears to have been so pressed by the appearance of the shipping, after his determination had been taken, that most of »he cannon were left -' serviceable, and all his provisions, calcul ited for eome months ; but it is ^i with regret I mention, that about three P. M. we witnessed a most awful explosion, which, liy a refinement in cruelty, appears to have been intend- ■^^ed to destroy all the poor inhabitants at a blow. The magazine, con- ^^ taining near 200 barrels of gunpowder, and dug in the solid rock con- oiected with the mole where the fishing-boats lay, had been prepared, and ^ a lighted match left within it. Two casks of wine, previously broached, were also left by the wall, offering a temptation to the lower classes ot ^|the inhabitants, but this circumstance most providentially proved their great preservation. The Spanish commandant on entering, observing the ^^,^" confusion likely to ensue, ordered the inhabitants from the mole into the **'^- ^"^town ; and while means were taken to force the door, the explosion took "**^ .^place, and destroyed about 20 of the garrison and fishermen, as well as all the boats in or near the mole. " I have the pleasure to acquaint your Lordship that the castle, town, . and port of Passages, were recovered from the enemy yesterday, and its "■'^s^garrison of 136 men, cut off from St. Sebastian's, were taken by a part of i^ ■^i^the Spanish brigade of Longa, under the immediate orders of Don Caspar,^*;.' ^|attached to Sir Thomas Graham's division. The Spaniards' loss on thisjS ^'"^^ occasion was very trifling." During the warfare in the Pyrenees, between Lord Wei •o'"*^ ••.4"c«:f, ^ lington and Marshal Soult, the siege of St. Sebastian was ** undertaken and prosecuted by Lieutenant-General Sir Tho- mas Graham, who received the most effectual assistance from the naval force under Sir George Collier, whose official letters'^? ^^rfurnish us with the following information : ;^^,^^^^yi^K^^!^l ^ , >.K;J.fc'V. batteries raised on the Chofra sand-hills, were opened ''' July 52, 1813. -r 'Ji ^ .i^-A >;}l:-^% against the walls of St. Sebastian on the 20th at ten A. M., imder most unfavourable circumstances of weather, and this evening there is a con- 8i<lerable breach ; but a second will, I understand from General Graham, yj^i^-i be made before the storm is attempted. A gtm has been thought necee- h^Tii: sary at the light-house hill. Captain Tayler, of the Sparrow, has prepared a battery ; and had the weather permitted, a 24-pounder would have been dragged up, and mounted ere this *. I have the pleasure to say, the good conduct of the detachment landed under Lieutenant O'Reilly, has been the admiration of the artillery officers in command of the batteries f." ■' ■•A''5' ■Xs.; • See Captain Joseph Nbedham Tayler, C- B. t On the 25th July three breaches were effected in the walls, two of '.««« 4"^^^' ^ nglaiia. The tlie shipping, inon were left :hs ; but it is a most awful ! been intend- J^zine, con- ilid rock con- irepared, and sly broached, ^cr clasaes ot proved their ibserving the lole into the :plosion took as well as all castle, town, rday, and its ;^;vf j by a part of ; ' "^ Oon Caspar, ^ loss on thisjf t5f|' iord Wei- bstian was SirTho- ance from ial letters , ?2, 1813.^i$S; ere opened under most is a con- d Graham, ght neces- 18 prepared have beeu , the good has been les f." lls, two of ,"»!, •'■.•-. »l '■^T ^'f'f^ :-*/<i POST-CAPTAINS OF 1802. 529 ■; :- *' Jultf 27 nnd 28. " A successful attack was made upon the island of Santa Cliira, ut the mouth of the harbour of St. Sebastian, at three o'clock on the morning of the 27th, by the boats of the squadron under the command of Lieutenant the Hon. James Arbuthnot, of H. M. S. Surveillante. The boats nxre manned by the seamen and murines, and by a party of soldiers under the command of Captain Cameron, of the 9th regiment. The only landing place was under a flight of steps, commanded by a small entrenchment thrown up on the west poiut, and completely exposed to the fire from grape of the whole range of works on the west side of the rock and walls of St. Sebastian. These local circumstances enabled a very small garrison, of an officer and 24 men, to make a serious resistance, by which 2 of our men tvere killed, and I officer of the army, another of the marlues, one Midshipman, and 14 seamen and marines were wounded." " Sept. 1st. " Arrangements being made, as agreed upon by Lord VVelliiigton, for a ... ,^ demonstration on the back of the rock of St. Sebastian, the two divisions ^^^^S^., of ships' boats were placed under the command of Captain Galhvey, of the Dispatch, and Captain Bloye, of the Lyra ; and I understand their ap- pearance had the complete effect intended, by diverting a large proportion of the garrison from the defence of the breach ; the bouts were warmly fired on from the batteries at the back of St. Sebastian, but no lives were lost. The sloops of war weighed with a light breeze, and the Dispatch suffered in a triflhig degree in her sails ; the gun-boats, Nos. 14 and Ifi, were equipped in time to offer annoyance to the enemy, and to attract his ^^W^M attention . ^^^^^MM^^'^^^M^^'k^^ "At 1 1 A. M., the tide having ebbed sufficiently, tlie assault hy t!»e breach took place ; and if the resistance made by the enemy, considering the natural defences, as well as the artificial ones thrown up by him, is to be considered gallant and obstinate, the attack must be ranked still higher. Never perhaps was an affair more o!)stinately maintained, but British courage and perseverance ultimately succeeded; and after a lodg- ment had been effected on the breach, the town was entered and possessed about 1^ 3(V P. M. in defiance of mines and every obstacle wliich the ingenuity of the governor could invent. A heavy firing was maintained till >5^^^^v«^r^^'i?S' which being practicable, the order was given for atj assault. This was executed with great gallantry, and some of the troops penetrated into the town, but the defences raised by the enemy were so strong and nu- merous, and the fire of musketry and grape was so destructive, that the assailants were obliged to retreat with a heavy loss, especially in officers. Lord \Vellington was upon the spot during part of the assault; but was soon called away in consequence of the advance of Marshal Soult, whit^i gave occa.sion to the battles of Roncesvalles (or Sjs. Jeap. Pi^d de Port) and the Pyrenees. ;:i^i^v?f'^?^;j:: %^^p0^!0^:ft^^^ ■^1^ VfW'/ ■•'f v* '• »4*%*A -^mm^'j^-'^-^-^- posT-cXWA-|>r"i^ 'W 1802. late In the evening ; but the rock still holds out, and may probably for some (fays. A larp;e part of the town has been unavoidably destroyed, and more must inevitably suffer from the means still in possession of the enemy. " The opportunity afforded to the navy for evincing the zeal and good will of British seamen, has been necessarily confined to a few individuals : but I know of no officer more indefatigable in the various duties which have fallen to him, than Captain Bloyc of the Lyra *• he has endeavoured to anticipate every wish of the army. Lieutenant O'Reilly, with Ws former companions in the batteries, was conspicuously active ; every ship in the squadron sent a proportion of seamen, under their respective officers, and they behaved uniformly well. The loss on both sides during the as- sault, must have been considerable, as artillery of all descriptions was playing on the enemy while disputing the breach and walls. Captain John . Smith, of the Beagle, who was slightly wounded on the island, has the ^« :^^- = .jsoramand of the seamen there landed." " ' On this occasion the appearance tJf thfe breacn proved Fal- lacious ; for when the combined column of British and Por- tuguese troops ordered to the assault, after being exposed to a heavy fire of shot and shells, arrived at the foot of the wall, it proved a perpendicular sca>p of twenty feet to the level of the streets, with only one accessible point, which merely ad- mitted an entrance by single files. In this situation, the assailants made repeated, but fruitless exertions, to gain an i^trance ; no man surviving the attempt to mount the nar- iji«^f^«^,«^isj|>w ridge. In this desperate state, Sir Thomas Graham :s^^'^ adopted the venturous expedient of ordering the guns to be ^i^^ turned against th ' curtain, the shot of which passed only a few feet over the heads of the men at the foot of the breach. In the mean time a Portuguese brigade forded the river, near its mouth, and made a successful attack upon a small breach, to the right of the great one. This latter manosuvre, joined to the effect of the batteries upon the curtain, at length gave an opportunity for the troops to establish themselves upon the narrow pass, and in an hour more the defenders, driven from all their complicated wr)rks, retired to the castle, leaving the town in full possession of the allies, whose loss amounted to 2,300 men, killed and wounded. The success in this quarter ?^l^ was rendered complete by the surrender of tlie castle on the * ^' ■ *' 8feh September, as will be seen by the following letter from the , . ^ Commodore to Lofd Keith : io,tA: y < i; 'h% I "]; ' probably for de8troy6d, and i of the enemy, zeal and good :w individuals : I duties which s endeavoured eilly, with his ?e ; every ship »ective officers, during the aa- iscriptions was Captain John island, has the I proved fal«r> ish and Pos%». ; exposed to ; of the wall, the level of merely ad- tuation, the , to gain an mt the nar- as Graham guns to b# ised only a the breach, river, near lall breach, ivre, joined ength gave 3S upon the iriven from eaving the nounted to lis quarter tie on the ;r from the iiiS; :&, POST-CAPT. OF \802. 531 •• Surveiflfinte, qfPa»s« 'fs, .W. Sebn an, Sept. 9, 1613. •• My Lord, — It is with sincere pier urt that I myself the honor to report to your Lordship the fall of JSt. >rba9tian, tU norfherr Ibraltar of Spain. Yesterday at 10 A. M. the breaching and mortar-bat openr a most ruinous fire against the castle of La Motte, situated the cror of the hill, and the iadjoining works. In a very short time neral Rr . the governor, sent out a flag of truce to propose terms ot < apitulatioa, which were concluded at 5 P. M. when the battery du Gouvemeur and the Mirador were immediately taken possession of by o»ir troops. The garri- son* still upwards of 1700, became prisoners of war, and are to be conveyed to England from Passages. At this season of the year the possession of St. Sebastian becomes doubly valuable ; it may be considered the western key of the Pyrenees, and its importance as to the future operations of the allied army is incalculable. The town and works have suffered consider- ably, and it must be a long time before the former can recover its original splendour ; 1 cannot, however, avoid congratulating your Lordship on its fall on any terms, as the gales now blow home, and the sea is prodigious ; all the squadroB were yesterday forced to sea, with the exception of the Surveillante and President. The former good conduct and gallanltry of the seamen landed from the squadron, under Lieutenant O'Reilly, and serving in the breaching batteries, have been most conspicuously maintained. Lieutenant Duulop, as well as Mr. Marsh, (having sufficiently recovered from his wounds*), were also at their former post. The SurVeillante's 24apounderB, mounted on Santa Clara, and drag(;ed up by Captain Smith, of (be Bcagte, were admirably served by a party lauded from the Revo- lutionaire, Magicienae, and Challenger ; their fire had totally siieoced tlie enemy's guns opposed to them. Captain Smith speaks in high terms of the general zeal evinced by all under his orders. The most perfect cordi- ality was maintained bietvveen the officers and seamen under Captain Smith, and tl»e parly of the 9th tiegiinent, under Captain Cameron. Tlie Cnptaitaa and Commanders of the ships, &c. named in the margin f, have all W«n usefully employed, and the situation many of them have been nn&voidably placed in, has called forth proofs of professional skill and perseverance sel- dom surpassed : and I have the highest satisfaction in being able to report* that in no instance has it been more tryiiigly evinced, than in the conduct of Lieutenant the Hon. James Arbuthnot, of the SurvelUante, Which he has proved himself fXiUy €qual to. Messrs. Marsh, Harvey, Bloye, and Lewson fe'tO • Lieutenant Robert Graham Dunlop was wounded on shpre^ previous tlUiy^l. .;^'^J■|.;5jy:^<vf■^^?J^^;^;.> t Andromache, President, Revolutionaire, and JNIagicienne, at anchor off St. Sebastian ; Sparrow and Challenger off the Bidassoa; Constant gun- brig, and Nimble cutter, in that river j Juniper and Holly, Stationed west -m^^^ GQ ^d? •°oOo o o a)© c^ b o _o O 639 O o o o oo o n WsT-CAPTAINS OF rP Oo o Oo Oo ^,:0 ^:.-^'^- o fM O O O c ,o O o o o ^o LO ro CD O .o [ c 1803»O (wounded), have been constantly on shore. There are others of the squadron, vi^ho, though not wounded, are no less deserving. Captain Bloye*s services have been repeatedly noticed by ine to your Lordship ; {U)d as he has been employed from the very commencement of our operations on this coast, and has a perfect knowledge of tlie localities of this harliour, as well as that of St. Sebastian, I have felt it important to send him to England, as he will, from his having been particularly attached to the duties connected with this port and the army, be able to give yo\ir Lordship much useful information. Lieutenant Stokes, in the Constant, has scarcely ever quitted the mouth of the Bidassoa ; the utility of his position is, I believe, felt by the army : it lias been a station of considerable anxiety. I have the honor to be, &c. (Signed) " George R. Collier." ^<-T0 the Right Hon. Admiral Lord Keith, SfcJ' ^ fThe great event of Lord Wellington*^ entry thto France tbok place on the 7th Oct., by his troops crossing the Bidas- soa, at diflferent fords, after a series of spirited actions, which cost the allies between 1500 and 1/00 men killed, wounded, and missing. The surrender of Pamplona to Don Carlos d'Espana, on the 31st of the ^ame month, having disengaged the right of the allied army from the service of blockading that strong fortress, his Lo.rdsliip resolved to put in executioM a meditated operation against the French troops posted near St. Jean de Luz, the object of which was to force their centre, and establish his o^n troops in the rear of their right. Heavy rsuns obliged him to defer this attempt till the 10th Nov. on which day it was n>ade in columns of divisions, each led by a General Officer, and having its own reserve ; a detachment from Sir George Collier's squadron at the same time making a naval demonstration in the rear of Socoa, and keeping the enemy employed in the batteries, from the fire of which the Sparrow, Captain Lock, received some slight damage in her hull and sails. After a variety of actions, which occupied the whole day, the allies obtained the desired position, and the enemy were obliged to retreat to an entrenched camp near fiayonne. The result of this operation was the ejectment of the French from positions they had been fortifying with great labour for three months, and taking from them 51 pieces of cannon, and 1400 prisoners. Soon after this important event, Sir George Collier was appointed Jn succession to the Newcastle^ and Leander, ships '1^ O o o G O • 4|I««C o o o Oo o°o o o o o o,^ o o o o GO o o ^■j o o o. o o o o o Oo ooQ o o £) o KJ o ) o o 'tbcsquadroii» loye'8 services id he has been this coast, and well as that of 1(1, as he will, ected with this 1 information. I the mouth of the army : it r to be, &c. Collier." into France the Bidas- ions, which i, wounded, Oon Carlos disengaged blockading n executiow josted near heir centre, ;ht. Heavy 1 Nov* on ch led by a etachment tne making keeping the which the lage in her cupied the and the camp near ctment of with great pieces of oilier was ider, ships ®, ^- C^ o o POST-CAPTAINS OF 1802. 533 built of pitch pine, mounting 58 guns each, and intended to cope with the large American frigates. During his first cruise on the Halifax station, he captured the United States' brig Rattlesnake, pierced ft)r 20 guns, with a complement of 131 men *. For several months from this period, Sir George Collier was employed off Boston, watching the Constitution of 56 guns, and using every endeavour to induce her to come out and fight the Leander. His anxiety to engage the enemy, is proved by the following authentic anecdote: One day a fishing boat came off with several Americans, who asked permission to visit the Leander, which was imme- diately granted. Sir George Collier and his first Lieutenant accompanied them round the decks, wh«i one of them ob- served, " You are a larger ship, but I do not think your men are so stout as oicrs on board the Constitution." To which Sir George replied, " They may be very little, but their hearts are in the right place ; and I will thank you to inform the American Captain, that if he will come out and meet the Leander, I will pledge my word and honor that no British ship shall be within twenty leagues ; and further, if my ship mounts more guns than the Constitution, I will throw the ad- ditional guns overboard." This challenge the American visitor, who we have no doubt was an officer belonging to the Constitution, promised to convey ; but we do not venture to assert that the Captain of that ship actually received it. The Leander was at length obliged to return to Halifax for the purpose of completing her stores, provibions, and water, and Sir George Collier, when returning to his station, had the mortification to hear that the Constitution had suc- ceeded in putting to sea unobserved. This information was communicated to him by Lord George Stuart and Captain Alexander R. Kerr, of the Newcastle and Acasta, who at the same time expressed their belief that the ship which he had long been so eager to get alongside of, was gone on a cruise in company with two other heavy frigates, and that they were to be joined on a certain rendezvous by the Hornet sloop of • The enemy had thrown their £r\ins overboard during the cliase. VOL. II. 2 N o ■ . "^^ .-^ o o o O oo m © o m ( "* ^'i 1; if i 1 I 1,1 534 POST-CAPTAINS OF 1802. war. Sir George Collier at this time had orders from Rear Admiral Griffith to send the Acasta into port, she being much in want of a refit ; but yielding to the entreaties of her commander, he determined to deviate from his instructions, and allow her to accompany the Leander and Newcastle in pursuit of the enemy, whom he expected to fall in with near the Western Islands, imagining that their first object would be to intercept our homeward bound trade. He shortly after captured the Prince de Neufchatel, a remarkably fine Ameri- can privateer schooner, mounting 18, and pierced for 22 guns ; which vessel, instead of being sent to Bermuda or Halifax, where she would have sold for a very handsome sum, and from whence it is very probable she would have passed again into the hands of her original owners, was immediately des- patched to England with the intelligence of an enemy's squad- ron being at sea, by which means the Admiralty were en- abled to make timely iirrangements for the protection of the Taluablc fleets then on their passage home *. Coutinuing hia search for the enemy, Sir George Collier discovered a large brig, which he approached under easy sail, 40 as not to show any p.articular anxiety, suspecting from cir- cumstancea that she was a British vessel in the possession of the enemy, and being desirous of obtaining information ftxim the prize-master by imposing the Leander upon him as an American ship. Nothing could have happened better : the brig proved to be the John, of Liverpool, lately captured by the Perry privateer ; and the person in ciiarge of her went on board the Leander, in his own boat, without the slightest hesi- tation, llie moment he gotnpon deck, he congratulated the officers on the squadron being at sea, and in a situation where they would do " a tarnation share of mischief to the d d English sarpcnts, and play the devil's game with their rag of u flag." lie then observed, that he knew the Leander the moment ho saw her, by her black painted masts and sides, and the cut of her sails, to be the President, as he wab in • So hif^hly was tlie Princn do Nciifohatcl nilinired, that orders «cro given for Iifr model to be taken and preserved in DeptfonI doek-yard ; bi4 owinft to Rome Hccnlent or other her l)ack was broken whilst there, and she was afterward* sold for a mvrc triflf . I ^ !ra from Rear rt, she being rcatics of her instructions, Newcastle in in witli near object would i shortly after y fine Ameri- i for 22 guns ; a or Halifax, luie sum, and passed again lediately des- emy's squad- ilty were en- tcction of the eorg« Collier ider easy sail, ing from cir- possession of rmation fwrn him as an better : the captured by icr went on ightcst hesi- 'atulat( d the lation where the d d their rag of meander the s and sides, s he wab in t onlers woro oik-yard ; bi4 there, otid she fi-.j'y; •\'J''';f'U ■'•■;•.' ^;;■■•f ■" '^'z •%; -.fy '■ ' ■'-■;%->>■• v." -a; •^• posT-cAPTAms OF 1902. !';;M^:-:'^h;^'.v^l|'^J^ New York Just before she sailed : after these obsefvations he walked up to Sir George Collier, and making his bow, ad- dressed him as Commodore Decatur, reminding him at the same time of having once seen him at New York. He then presented the John's papers, and complained of his men, whom he described as a mutinous set of fellows, in whose hands his life was not safe, at the same time requesting that some of them might be changed for so many of the President's crew, and that ouc in particular might have a sound flogging. All this Sir George Collier promised, with great gravity, should be done, and the first Lieutenant was ordered to have aa many men ready in rxchange as those complained of. Jonathan was then asked into the cabin, and Sir George, after retiring for a moment, returned with a chart, in which the Lcander's track was marked, over which was written, " President, from New V'ork, on a cruise ;" and placing his finger upon these words, as if by accident, they immediately caught the eye of the American, wJio repeated that he knew the President the moment he saw her, and *' Nick " himself could not deceive him. He was then asked by Sir George, pointing to the Acasta, if he knew her ; his reply was, " she is the Mace- donian" ; but when asked what the Newcastle was, he said he did not know her ; on which Sir George told him she was the Constitution : he replied, he recollected she was, though not painted as she used to be. After pumping him as much as possible, his papers wore returned to him in great form, and Sir George Collier, wishing him a good voyage, desired he would not forget to let it be known that he leftComnu. 'ore Decatur and his squadron in good health and spirits. The Yankee took liis leave with great apparent satisfaction; but when about to (juit the Leander her first Lieutenant apprised him of his real situation, and on seeing the British Captain come up ill his \miform, ho became almost frantic. Sir George Collier, convinced that then> was no probability of meeting with the Constitution and her supposed consorts so far to the nortljward, now resolved to search for them in the neighbourliood of the Cape de Verds. The following ac- count of his conduct in presence of tlie enemy <m the llth Mar. 181.5, written by his ftrst Lieutenant, and corroborated 2n2 •• '. • ' "... '.■•■:•■'< ■'■'/'■■rv'v'' V ^T^fft^i"^*^ "l V" ''.':■' ..:.;•'-' ■'.- PosT-CAPTAiNs OF 1802. .</>'>:■^;]^■v^t^'.^;■^'f;-v•■ by the logs of the Leandcr, Newcastle, antl A casta, copies of which arc in our possession, will effectually rescue his nie- mory from any illiberal reflections that an incorrect passage in a late publication may have given rise to *. ** P. M. Moderate and hazy weather. At 12*' 20' saw the land of St. Jago from E. N. E. to N. W. by N. At Pi*- 25' observed three ships, apparently frigates, getting under weigh in Porto Prayaf: the Newcastle and Acasta about half a mile on the wcatlier (juartor. On tlie strangers being reported to Sir George Collier, who was tlien coming out of his ca])in, he immediately called, * down with the main tack.'— I sub- mitted, as they appeared very close to us, from the haziness of the weather, and we laying up for them, to beat to (luarters first : he said, ' No, no, make sail, I will lay him on board !' Shortly afterwards we fell off, and on bringing them abeam, tacked |. Weather very thick and hazy — took the two stern- most ships for frigates, the headmost, from appearance, a much larger ship, for the Gucrriere, who we understood had long ;»2-pounders on her main-deck. Made private signal, which was not answered — hoisted our coloius and fired a shot to windward. Shortly afterwards the stermuost ship tacked, and Sir George directed the Acasta's signal to be made to tack after her ; but countermanded the order on observing that she w<)\ild gain tlu; anchorage before the Acasta could dose with her. At this time Sir George called me aft, took hold of my arm, and desired I would see everything properly cleared for action ; adding, ' We shall, I dare say, have sharp work, but I would not give a (ig for our fellows unless they knock tluMu up in half an hour— we must secure them all, or John Hull will not be satisfied, although they have (iuerriere with them §. 1 am seldom uiuler fire without getting a lick ; • Soo .lainoh's Naval History, vol. fi. p. M", rl srq. t i'liv ni'iti~>l) s(|iiti<lroi) wus at this time stiindin}; in for ilio land with Blurlioaitl lacks on Itoaiil. Thf ciiciiiy, it uppoars, rut tlu'ii' cables, IVarini.': lltoy should ()C attacked at luichor, alllioii^li in a neutral port. ♦ Tin' Ncwcnstlc was now two miles uhcud of tho licnndcr, and one mile on the Icc-iutw ol' ihc Acasta. 'Ihc enemy standing to tlu; east- ward. § The (incrnore. rati>d us ;i 1 l-^ain Irigatc, wii>< n new slilp, miniitinn M - ■3 S--! le. ta, copies of cue his me- rect passage 20' saw the At 12" 25' under weigh ibout lialf a ing reported of his cabin, ick.'— 1 sub- the haziness t to (luarters 11 on board ! ' lieni abeam, le two stern- ance, a nuich >od had long ignal, which [h1 a shot to hip tacked, jc made to observing asta couhl le aft, took g properly have sharp nless they them all, or e (invrriere ing a lick ; Uin land with •iiblcB, fciiiinjr t. (Icr, and our to tll<! *"M\- ip, tiKUnfinR ■'Vj t-'vii'." 5:fe^<^^V^^:; CAPTAINS, oj -ismMf^^^^:' m if 1 aiii 60 uftfbkiinate'M^ iaS ^ fe I^#af9^' te "^^ the charge that devolves upon you, and in God's name doiill^" think of striking, let the consequences be what they will.— f ' have now every confidence in the crew, and they handle their guns to my satisfaction, but I should like to talce the enemy by boarding* !' --^^ J '•.■T^'>'"^^:^.::^•x^'U'i-i^}^b^ •^•'- " Shortly after this conversation, the other ship tacked, and Sir George Collier ordered the Acasta's signal to be made to tack after her f. In making the signal the Acasta's distinguishing pendants got foul, and before they could be cleared the Newcastle mistook it for a general signal. Fear- ing the consequences of such a mistake, Sir George desired the optional signal to be hoisted with the Newcastle's pen- dants, and I am positive that he never intended her to tack J. " When the Acasta had filled on the starboard tack, I ob- served to Sir George, that if the ships standing in shore were really fri^^atcs, which it was impossible to ascertain, owing to 56 guns, 28 of which were 32-pouuclers, called Columbians, resemhling .Miuse used in the British navy under the names of their inventors. Cover and Congreve. * Mr. James tells us that the Leander pesspssed one of the worst crews in the service; and adds, " Well was it, indeed, that she never fell in with on« of the American 44 's." The Mornuig Chronicle of March 30, 1824, contains a letter from Captain Francis Fead, asserting that the Leander had as 6ne a ship's company as ever he would wish to command. ., t The enemy's second ship, hove in stays on the Leander's weather beam. The Arasta then bore N. E. and Newcastle S. E. by E. The headmost American, then 5 or 6 miles to windward of the Newcastle, was furereaching on the squadron, and nearly out of sight from the Laander's deck i the Newcastle was dropping fast to leeward, and the Acasta wea< thering on the Commodore. X Sir George Collier, confiding in the zeal and judgment of the Captains under his orders, had previously informed them that whenever a certain flag was hoisted with any signal addressed to either of them, they were at libcrt/to disregard the signal, if they considered that by following the onler conveyed thereby the object in view was not so likely to be at- tained, as by acting in contrariety thereto. The flag alluded to was en- tered pro tempore in the signal books, under the designation of the " op. tionalflag." On its being hoisted with the Newcastle's pendants, as above staled, that ship made answer by signal, "the flags are not distinguishable." Ml :• Hll 'SBSSsp m 0° * -'lAjl .-^ Sots * , »^ iti^ .' 1' MiA^^^i:C<gx:jft ■ — - - ■ i . .__ ...» „,.«i; 'i^lP^Lt POST-CAPTAINS OF 1802. the haziness of the weather, they would be rti&t€ than h match for the Acasta. He replied, " It is true, Kerr can do wonders, but not impossibilities ; and *I believe I must go round, as when the ship that tacked first hears the Acasta engaged, she will naturally come to her consort's assistance *." Sir George then asked me if I saw the headmost ship and the New- castle. I went with my glass to look, and observed the latter but could not see the former!. He then, after looking through his glass, ordered the helm to be put down ; and shortly after we had filled the Newcastle was observed to tack, which circumstance displeased him very much ; but he remarked that he was satisfied if she had been gaining upon the enemy's ship and keeping her in sight, Lord George would never have discontinued the chace : shortly afterwards we opened our fire upon the ship we had tacked after, and to our great mortification observed she was a corvette or 20-gun ship. She ran in shore and let go her anchor, and the Acasta's signal was made to take possession of her. We were obliged to anchor to communicate with the Governor, in consequence of several of our shot having gone on shore amongst the houses. About 9 or 10 P. M. it fell calm, and continued so during most of the night. On leaving the anchorage Sir George Collier displayed the greatest zeal and anxiety to * The Acaata's log informs us that the enemy's force was discovered to consist of one large frigate and two sloops, so early as 1 P. M. the time when the British squadron first tacked to the eastward. If so, we arc sorry that a signal to that effect was not made, by which Sir George Col- lier's mind would have been set at ease as to the capability of the Acasta to cope with the two ships which had put back ; and the T^cnnder, having nothing else to engage her attention, would of course have continued in punuit of the other. It is very natural for junior Captains to feel a de- licacy in addressing signals to their commanding officer when in presence of an enemy; but as Sir George Collier had formed his opinion of the Ame- ricans' force from the report of Captain Kerr and Lord George Stuart, he certainly could not have taken offence had he been informed that the Acasta alone was more than capable of annihilating the two ships which she had tacked after. t The Newcastle, according to her log, lost bight of the headmost Ame- rican, in thick hazy weather, at 2^ 50' 1*. M. ^h Ol air--^-!<>xiv^,gV^S^;Tvv/iJ>B5 ban a match do wonders, ► round, as a engaged, ice*." Sir id the New- d the latter ter looking down ; and )bserved to ch ; but he lining upon 3rd George afterwards fter, and to I or 20-gun he Acasta's ere obliged pnscquence longst the mtinued so lorage Sir anxiety to iscovered to I. the time 80, we arc jeorge Col- the Acasta fider, having' continued in to feel a dc- in presence of the Anic- e Stuart, he cd that the 8hip« which most Amc* meet tlie Constitution; and if we had not fallen in with an American vessel that gave us authentic information of the ig^^; peace, there is little doubt but the Leander would have met ^^^^^^^ her sindv, havinsr taken up the exact position that would •|^•^M|| have ensured a junction. '.Mi^^mmmm^^^^^^i^^M^^ (Signed) •* I. M'Douoall, Commanilery H. IV. and tote "^^z? ;&/i.i .;,. ,.;,..i. ... , , ... . first Lieutenant uf the Leander." The ship ttiikcn on this occasion proved to be the Levant of 20 guns, captured, in company with the Cyanc 32, by the^„^^,,„^ Constitution, off Porto Santo, on the 20th of the preceding '■■^■^■'■:^'' month*. From St. Jago the British stjuadron made all sail for the West Indies, still hoping to intercept the fugitives on their return to America. Leavinff the Newcastle and Acasta to C^litt^; windward of Barbadoes, Sir George Collier took up a cruising !?£^h!-j' ground off the north end of Cayenne, with the intention of remaining there ten days ; but only four had elapsed when he fell in with an American schooner, the master of which gave him an authentic account of the peace between Great Britain and the United States. It afterwards appeared by the Con- stitut ion's log, that she made the north end of Cayenne, only two days after the L<;ander had left that spot to rejoin the other ships ; so that had she not met with the above schooner, her crew wcmld have had an excellent oppor- tunity of shewing, under their gallant connnander, whe- ther they were not capable of taking an American forty- four single-handed. Captains M'Dougall wid Fead, have done Sir George Collier and his men such ample justice as renders any fiu'ther comment unnecessary. ;.<:! The Leander returned to England with 52 traneports, and 12,000 troops under her convoy, from Canada, in July 1815. Sir George Collier had previously been raised to the dignity of a Baronet of Great Britain f, and honored with the in- signia of a K. C. Bj., as a reward for his long and mcritor'ious services. In May 1818, he was appointed Commiodore on * See Cuptttins IIom. CrKORCB DuuubAs, and Gorson Thomab Vmucws . " t July 30, 181 4. J Jan. 2, 1815. i>m n lioltl that edniiiiaiul, with his broad pendant on board the Tartar frigate till ^^Jrg Sept. 21, 1811), during which period he did all that it was ^^^' "1^^^ for humanity, zeal, and superior intelligence to effect, JS^I':^ under the existing national treaties, with a view to the sup- f:-^||"> pressioii or mitigation of that abominable traflic, the Slave ^■"^t?;fi!^!; Trade. The country at large duly appreciate his excellent ^^SH^^ conduct in this respect, and regret, as we most sincerely do, his melancholy and untimely death, the particulars of which ''Z^:t' are too well known to require repetition +. No officer of his .v£?^/i^!^; standing in the service was more generally known or higher I'lllf"? "* estimation, as a brave, experienced, clever seaman, and M'4-^^% most generous, warm-hearted, friendly man. " As well," ^if^S'K*^'- said an officer of high rank, on a late painful occasion. ^'^^"^^.^t^ " might fear be attributed to Lord Nelson, as to Sir George ■:^^^ Collier. ■ '^-p\-*v/' It is certainly as impossible to impute to his con- duct the want of personal courage, as to deny the natural urbanity and courteousness of his manners. No British sailor i^M* ^V- t ^^^^ ^^^^ more anxious to fight the enemies of his country — ■^^ff^^0' ill private life, no individual was ever more universally si;>T-<<*i:'^fe5 esteemed. ...„...; 'A?J»-. ^mi- "^^'^^";f)j^,The subject of this memoir mai*ried. May 18, 1805, Maria, daughter of John 'Lyon, M. D. of Liverpool; but he has left no issue by that amiable lady, who still survives to deplore ''U ' - his loss. i^mMm:a DANIEL WOODRIFF, Esq. f I': ,^\ ^■':. ^^^B&4--i;'*^ This officer was made a Lieutenant April 1, 1783: and obtained the rank of Post-Captain, April 28, 1802. Towards the close of the latter year he was appointed to the Calcutta, a 50-gun ship armed enjlute, and fitting for the conveyance il t Sir George Collier was elected an honorary Life Member of the A'ri- cun Institution, May 17, 1820. His Annual Reports to the Admiralty on the state of the Slave Trade were printed by order of the House of Com- mons, and laid before Purliamcut. Il is almost superfluous to say that they ore very much valued. He died 24th March, 1824. 5? ^"■■■''■'■Ji-, lat comniauci, -^ ir frigate till that it was ence to effect, vv to the sup- ic, the Slave his excellent sincerely do, ars of which officer of his )wn or higher seaman, and " Ab well," ful occasion, ) Sir George te to his con- ly the natural British sailor lis country— universally 1»05, Maria, it he has left 8 to deplore /• 1783: and 2. Towards le Calcutta, conveyance >erof the A*n- Adtniralty on louse of Cum- )U8 to say that »>4 convicts, to esiauiisn <i new ssi-iLiement Bjiiis's Straits, on the Kouthcrn extremity of New Hollaiid. B.' Captain Woodriflii sailed from Spithead, April 2S, 1803,;?^^; W'-\ '^"^^ arrived at the place of his destination on tiic Tith Oct^^^j^ ^ ' «( following ; but on surveying that port and the adjacent coast, u|*Ji^ it was found totally ineligible for the purpose intended, tlm r^||^^| difficulty of egress, on account of the prevailing winds, beingf^ very great, fresh water remarkably scarce, and the soil ^^n-f^^^^ commonly poor. He therefore removed to the river Derwent,^f-^:; on the south coast of Van Dieman's Land, where a settle- wS'M? ment, named Hobart, was established, and from whence he proceeded to Port Jackson, for the purpose of taking on board *f^^V^|i 800 tons of large July 23, 1804*. ^J After her return from ISJew Jsouth Wales, tlie Calcutta wasj??^f^^; fitted for sea as an effective 50-gun ship, and then sent tOj^jpwt St. Helena to bring home such merchantmen as might b&jj;yp*|v waiting there for the protection of a man of war. Whilst ii»|^5^^ the performance of this service, she fell in with and was cap- -*^^-, tured, after a gallant defence, by a French squadron, consist- , -ii^^ ing of one 3-decker, four ships of 74 guns each, three "1^*1.^^^ gim frigates, and two brigs of war. The circumstances ot^^f^j^^ the action are thus related by Captain Woodriffe, in his lettei?§<%ei^ to the Secretary of the Admiralty, dated on board the Miy'es''^^^^ \ '■!.•* Wk tueux, at Teneriffe, Nov. 7, 1805 tm^'S^^i^^^^±Mi^&W^- ' " In obediente to the orders of the Right Hon. the Lords Comini8«^|^^S;; "^ sioners of the Admiralty, I waited at St. Helena until the 3d _\ujf -^*-^ ■-■ ' collecting such of the Hon. Company's and other ships us might arrive, ,-,„.,. and were willing to take the protection of H. M. ship. On that mornin^^f^^^^i I sailed, having under my convoy the extra ship Indus from Madras ; the African, whaler, from Desolation ; Fox, whaler, from the Mosambique Channel; and Grand Sachem from the coast of Peru, all full ships; the Wilhelmina, under Prussian colours, detained by the Calcutta on her pas- sage out ; and the (>arolina, a large Swedish ship from China, which claimed my protection. Nothing material happened during the passage • The Calcutta left Rio Janeiro on her passage out, July 1!); touched at the Cape of Good Hope, Aug. 16, 1803 ; sailed from Port Jackson, on her return home. Mar. 17, 1804; doubled Cape Horn, and arrived at Rio Janeiro on the 22d May ; thus accomplishing a voyage round the world, besides discharging and receiving a cargo, in ten months and three days, POST-CAPTAINS OF 1902. ^^|g|^^l|; until the 14th Sept., when I fell ia with the ship Brothers, (tf London, §^f-i^^^tp!j:Krirom Tobago, beinpf one of a very largo fleet from the Leeward Islands, l^'^^^Juudcr convoy of II. Rl. S. Illustrious, from which she had separated in a ^^^^^l^'gale of wind, with many others. This ship being very leaky, and nmch in ^imm i^^WllI'"^''^*"'' ^* provisions, the uiaster rf<iucstcd n»y protection and assistance. ;^^^y§^.|^.'HJ accordingly gave him instructions, and sent two men to assist at the ^tl^^%^?P^'°P^ ) '^**^ ^^'^ ^^^^ ^" ''' found, and sailed so heavy, that she detained us ■i^^^2 at least one-third of our daily distance. ;'?m^-J^^f}f »1 " On the evening of the 24th, the Grand Sachem re<iiicsted permission ™- -PI ., o^..¥ to part company, being bound to Milford, which she did accordingly the ^^^^^^'^- next morning. We were then to the northward, in the stream of Sciily, ' -'teilfer/; and in long. 12** VV. At noon we oaw several ships to the W. N. W., but too distant to form any positive idea of their being either friends or ene- mies. It was then nearly calm ; but a light breeze springing up from the westward enabled them to near us fast, and night coming on, I kept be^ twcen them and the convoy. ■■'•S?^.""?ia4^l4-->r ^\^|=f]f|t " ^^^ day-light on the 2Gth they had ncared us considerably ; and the '., „Vh §!?.& '^''^t^*^^^ sailing so njuch worse than the rest of the convoy, kept n)e con- '^?ll^^^^l'S^^^'*'®'''^'^^y J^teni. Had I not been unfortunately detained by this ship, all l°il^^^^ woukl have been well. At six A. M. observing the nuuil)er of strange ;^^:^1%*: ships increased to thirtccu, apparently large vessels, closely connected, ■"•'"'■ "'and evidently in chase of us, I made the necessary arnuigcmeuts for the escape of ray convoy, should they prove an enemy's squadron. At 1 1, I '&;;:jf'^fV made the private signal, and waited until noon for its being answered, f0' ^.p^j/fM Avhich did not take place. I then hailed the Indus, informed the Cap- . Jsjii^^'^W***"' that it was an enemy's squadron hi chase of us, and ordered liim i^l^v^ ^ to make all possible sail ahead with the convoy, and at the same time the !%|^^?t signal was made to them that an enemy was in 8iglit..^^|i5i5?^^i25;>;«f JjSs^S " The squadron nearing us fast, I soon perceived a three-decker, and ;.-r.Va four other ships of the line, witli frigates and smaller vessels ; and as I Jl^j^S^ saw it was next to impossible for both H. M. ship and the convoy to ^^^1 escape, I determined to protect the latter, and favour their escape at all i^V?^^?^ll events. My own convoy having made all sail ahead, 1 again dropped ' " ' astern to speak the Brothers, and recommended him to haul upon a wind to the northward, which he immediately did. I then made sail to inter- cept a large frigate, which was drawing up fast with the convoy. At three P. M. this frigate being on our starboard bow, having passed me out of gun-shot, began firing her stern-chase guns, which we returned with a bow chase. This continued until, by the frigate's shortening sail, we got obreast of her, when both ships opened their fire, but without any ma- terial effect, in consequence of the distance the frigate preserved by her superior sailing, and my leading off to the southward to favor the convoy escaping. The distant cannonade continued upwards of an hour, when the frigate hauled cntinsly out of gun-shot. During all this lime I kept running to the southward, in hopes of drawing the enemy's squadron after E'-V'-'f 3 ','^Sy b| sll if tl >%'.- iftf'SsS^I ?Si.'^»?' ■-?, ■'.; til'"". ^?*#;r hers, of London, Leeward Islands, lad se[)arated in a 'akjr, and niudi in i>n and aislstancc. to assist at the itghe detained us icsted permission d accordingly the stream of Scilly, c W. N. W., I)ut r friends or cne- ging up from the K ou, I kept be- crably ; and the y, kept me con- by this ship, ail nl)er of straii^re )ficly connected, gcroents for the (Iron. At J 1,1 >eing answered, rmed tiie Cap- • id ordered him same time the ee-decker, and icls ; and as I the convoy to escape at ail again dropped upon a wind »ail to inter- oy. At three 'd me out of turned with a g sail, we got out any ma- jrvcd by her »r the convoy hour, wheu s time I kept luadron after ■■-%, mc, and am happy to find it had the desired eflect ; for this partial actiott-i,1J^|^^^-; broucht the whole of the squadron down, except the Sylph brig, whicU-§r;-l&^§^ was detached after the Brothers. At five tne headmost linc-of-battlc shiri.yi'ArVi^;^^^^^ began firing her bow-chase guns, which was rctun»e< stern-chasers, still running to the southward undo but with very little wind. As the liuc-or-battle ship was close upon ouK'B'i;'^^" starboard quarter, and the Thetis about a quarter of a mile on our hir* fl^^'^^^ .^-^ board quarter, I was of opinion the sooner I attacked the line-of-l>attla.-« 1%°^^^^.^ ship the better, as disabling her was the only chance remaini.igof escape. j*^><fe^§. I immediately put the helm aport, and when within pistol shot coinmence<l;:!it:^f^i-^^'"^|_ tlie action ; which was instantly retunictl by the enemy, and continue(J^y.;;TSV->^^tf" without intermission for fifty minutes. '■'T-t^r'f'^'''''^ " As I »vas under the necessity of brii^ing the ship to action under nft*f.-i?^;i' possible sail, she was soon completely unrigged by the enemy's fire.'.,¥;{^;'2t^;^|'- Finding the ship totally unmanageable, and our escape rendered i"U>t>s-%^|t;^3jf?'|^;; . sible, by the near approach of the rest of the encnty's sfpiadron, I saw^ttf-f^Xpfi ^ that it would be only sacrificing the lives of my people to contend 'i>^n^ i^'i^'/M^r^ 'i'^iM longer, and I was therefore under the painful necessity of ordering hi8ig?;g"^~:;^i-: Majesty's colours to be hauled down. At <lay-light next morning I hadf'*^?^;i=l:l'^^ much satisfaction in finding that His Msyesty's ship had not been uselessly>;}^^^f^^^- sacrificcd ; foi the ships of the convoy beii»g oil out of sight (except the 4'fef\^^'- Brothers, which was brought in by the Sylph), I trust they will arrive iiifj-f^'f safety. I am further gratified, that in consequence of their escape, iiu;i';iJ-t.;*^']^ formation will be given of this powerful squadron cruising immediately in *.^!{v'|;4S'^^S the tract of our homeward bound trade 5 and the certainty, if my convoy' j?«/^^xs?^|£^ arrived safe, of a superior squadron being immediately sent after then),.-;^§^!;|^^^«|t determined the Commodore to quit that latitude, ami run to the S. W.^ *;.?v^lfe-^^ but not till he hod captured seven sail of the lUustrious's convoy, destroyed twenty-four neutrals iu the course of the cruise, to prevent formation of his situation. ■'** During the action, both with I'Armide frigate and la Magnanimc nnc»;y|^:y£g-^; of-battle ship, though in the face of the squadron, the officers and men t'^fr:}J^^^i had the honor to command did their duty like men, so truly couragcouH, y^^lfi^' that no superior force had power to depress them. Much praise is due to , ;/|^^^^,^ Mr. J. Tuckey, my first Lieutenant, Lieutenant R. Donovan, and acting f^^^^|?>;',' Lieutenant, J. Collas, for their spirited conduct and active exertions during -j^;^, the pursuit by the enemy and subsequent action ; and though His Ma- ';fS!,'^"^%*v jcsty's ship has been captured, I trust the country has been materially "'•■-■•'' benefited by the escape of the convoy, and its 8ub3e<iuent consequences." Captain Woodriffe, his officers, and crew, after being tiircc months on board the French squadron, and experiencing very ;^S,-.iC^ bad treatment, were landed at lloch«He,'and marched irom'^!;^^:.,' thence to Verdiui, a distance of 600 miles, iu the inclement 'i >\ j4.~t;;ft'H W»\ <^iM IMS' .'<■_• ••■ KfeffSS' months ol" J mi. and Feb. I80(>. Whilst at that clcpot, Cap- tain Woodriffc made several applications to Talleyrand to procure his release, but without success. About June, 180^. however, he received an order, signed by Buonaparte, then in Poland, directing him to proceed immediately to England, ^nd to take the route of St. Maloes, a town which no English- man AvaH at that time permitted to enter. On his arrival there he found that all his letters, directed to him at Verdun, ^^|.^^, had been forwarded from the latter place by order of the 5^'^||5^,%^>ench government; and on his proceeding to engage a /^^Ifi^^i^essel to convey him to England, for which he expected to ,,, 4#|f'''^ay 40 or 50 guineas, he was told that one was already pro- fllJ'^C'?^ vided for him, free of every expence. The British govern- ment, not to be outdone in generosity, immediately released ;S|i^4*il#,^ French officer of tiie same rank as Captain WoodrilTe, and sent him to France on terms of equal liberality. It is almost needless to say, that the sentence of the court-martial, sub- sequently assembled to try Captain Woodriffe for the loss of his ship, contained a most honorable acquittal of all on board of her in the action, and pronounced his conduct to have been |hat of " a brave, cool, and intrepid officer." At the close of 1808, Captain Woodriffe was appointed agent for prisoners of war at Forton, near Gosport. Towards the latter end'of the war we find him residing as Commissioner at Jamaica. One of his sons is a Commander, and another a Lieutenant, 11. N. His eldest daughter married the late Lieutenant Colonel Tomkins of the 58th regiment, and died m 1820. •^■°#% 4e-m/.— Messrs. Maude. '""^'^'^I!^^;^^^^'-:^^^^^^^^-:^^^'. '-'■■'.•''''Hi' 'i**-'-"'"^ £arA.f mm\ '??«.> 'r'A r',%' vS • •.'i-h" C-S*» •?"J« '^V i0i^^- J ■ ■ :^yj£rM JOHN WENTWORTH LORING, Esq. ^^PH ;fI/^S^; .^ Companion of the most lionorahle Military Order of the Batfk . :.:;^f:^g^^. Iticutenant-Governor of the Royal Naval College. a W^-£f • *' Fhis officer is a son of the late Joshua Loring, Esq., who was permanent High Sheriff of the province of Massachusetts, '^^' «_%>, LXJ n depot, Ciip- lUeymnd to June, I8O7, irte, then in to England, no English - 1 his arrival 1 at Verdun, )rder of the ) engage n,v expected to ilready pro- ish govern - ely released lodrilTe, and It is almost lartial, sub- ' the loss of ill on board have been 1 appointed ^V^^owards fnrnissioner 1 another a J the late , and died 'Mi • j«?i '-&|%^, & K-> ^•': 4' SQ. ff Bath ; and Esq., who lachusetts, followed I| the fortunes of hi peace of 17^3 ^fri POST-CAPTAINS OF Sl^ He was born in America^ Oct. tS, tffti ; chtereci the naval i^® ( service of his Sovereign, as a iVIidshipnian on board the Salis- -.^^p^l bury of 50 guns, bearing the flag of Vice-Admiral Milbank, .^.f^^ on the Newfoundland station, in June 1789 ; and continued in tv^i.^ that ship, under the command of Captain, (now Sir William) |fe^ Domett, and his successor, the present Viscount Exmouth Tij||^ till the conclusion of the Russian armament, when he vvas /(^^.^ removed into the Alcidc, a third rate, conmianded by Sir An- v^^f^ drew Snape Douglas, and employed as a guard-ship at Ports- ^^p|, f mouth. Wc subsequently find him serving under Captains- ^"^•^> Domett, Ijord Augustus Fitzroy, Edward Brown, and John4i|^|2J| ^i Kniglit ; in the Romney 50, Orestes sloop of war, Conflagra- J^^J|| feion fire-ship, and Victory of 100 guns ; the former bearing I^^iji -^1:116 flag of Rear-Admiral Goodall, the latter thq||. !||i||if rd 'Hood on the Mediterranean station. t-^fjaC ^,,..^ Durinff the occupation of Toulon by thelJritish forces and *Si^^^ tlicir allies, Mr. Loring served as a volunteer at Fort Mul-5f^^^i grave ; and on the night of Dec. 17, 1793, when that place -f|^ was stormed and carried by the republican troops f, he iip-^>^^.^^ Dears to have been severely wounded by a musket-ball !<V^ just below his knee, which obliged liim to proceed in thef^^^ Dolphin hospital-ship to Gibraltar, for his recovery. Froni;^^||^:,^|r. thence, when scarcely convalescent, he look a passage ^ in the Inconstant frigate ; and having rejoined the Victory -^ at Corsica, again served as a volunteer at the reduction of-sK>':' IJastia, commanding on that occasion a gun-boat, in which •*'*?' he went every night at dusk to watch at the mole-head, and ,; ,,4^ kept his station till day-liglit in the ensuing morning. '^^^^'^ On the surrender of Bastia, after a siege of thirty-seven >|^ days, besides four spent in negociation |, Mr. Ltn-ing was'^'is^ Mr. Joshtir Mrtfi^S WllWf ^vas a C oniinodorc in the British navy^ ' #2 aixl cuininanded ou the Lukes during the war with the colonies. Ills hro- Iher, Captiiiii Jolin Lorini;', U. N., distinguished himself as a l)rave, intel^^:;,'-! ligent, and active ollicer. in the late \vars with France, and died at F'are-riJ liiuii, Hants. Nov. J>, 1S08. ■ik'j-^'&'^&t^ ■§;« if^^f Oo° 'O o % o o o G^o o o o f i"! :^ o pcP O o ^ o ' o 546 _ O MsT-CAPf ATN9 OP 1H02. i r^ promoted to the rank of Lleutonatit, in la Flech6, a prize V corvette, but soon after removed into the St. George of 90 guns, at the particular request of Sir Hyde Parker, whose flag was then flying on board that ship. On the 14th March, 1795, he assisted at the capture of the Ca Ira and Censcur, Q French two-deckers ; and in July following, witnessed the des- truction of VAlcide 74, by the fleet under Vice-Admiral ^ Hotham *. At the commencement of 1796, he accompanied Sir Hyde Parker and the whole of the St. George's officers, into the Britannia of 1 10 guns ; and at the conclusion of the same year, we find him proceeding to Jamaica, as a passenger in the Comet fire-ship, for the purpose of re-joining his pa- tron, who had recently been appointed to the chief command C on that station, and gone thither in the Queen, a second O rate. Lieutenant Loring was advanced to the rank of Commander O in the Rattler sloop of war, about June 1798, and shortly (|v after ordered to superintend the evacuation of the Caymites Islands, near St. Domingo, in conjunction with Brigadier (now C* Lieutenant-Gcneral) Sir Brett Spencer, G. C. B. The man- ner in which this service was executed being reported as very creditable to Captain Loring, he was, in September following, gratified with an appointment to the Lark, a vessel superior _ to any other of her class on that station. „ . o Captain Loring continued in the Lark, cruizing with con- O siderable suc^^ess against the enemy (capturing eight of (d their privateers, and twenty-seven merchant vessels), till May, Q 1801 ; when in consequence of the expedition with which he O had re-equipped her at Port Royal, after being dismasted in a hurricane. Lord Hugh Seymour, who had succeeded Sir Hyde Parker in the chief command, was pleased to remove 3 him into the Abergavenny of 54 guns, and he was subse- ' quently appointed to the Syren, an active frigcite, from which o he was paid off at Plymouth in October, 1802. His post coginiission bears date April 28th of the same year. In 1803 and 1804, he commanded the Utrecht of 64 guns, bearing the flags successively of Rear-Admirals Robert Mon~ o >9) OqO 00^- See Vol. I. O p. 364. O O O o o o o o o o o u ooo o 00 00 o 00 o ■W3^ "^^ o n_ j-ir> n o O 4^0 O. o 00 o o o o _ o, oO © f,n J >- a o QW O O O O ech6, a prize George of 90 Br, whose fla^ J 14th March, and Censeur, essed the dcs- Viee-Admiral accompanied rge's officers, elusion of the s a passenger ining his pa- lief command 3n, a second O Commander , and shortly the Caymites ■igadier (now The niun- )rted as very cr following, ssel superior ig with con- ig eight of s), till May, ;h which he ismasted in ceeded Sir to remove was subse- roui which His post >f 64 guns, bert Mon- O o o Jo n <j ;^T /•'?> POST-CAPTAINS OF 1802. 547 o.. A tagu, Philip Patton, and John Holloway, on the Downs sta- tion. In 1805 ho was appointed in succession to tlio Aurora, Thames, and Santa Margaritta frigates ; but did not join the two latter, there being an unexpected delay in launching the Tliamcs, awl the generosity of his disposition preventing liini from using liis commission for the other, when he found that it would be unpleasant to the feelings of the gallant officer then in command of her, were he obliged to remove into a ship of the line, as at that time intended by the Admiralty *. Captain Loring appears not to have been a loser by his for- bearance on this occasion, as he was soon after appointed to the Niobe of 40 guns j in which fine frigate he was despatched to reconnoitre the enemy's ports. On his arrival off I'Oricnt, March 28, 1806, he observed three large French frigates and a corvette, standing out to sea 5 and, notwithstanding their great superiority ,he immediately made sail in pursuit, succeeded in coming up with the sternmost during the night, which for- tunately was very dark with drizzling rain, and silently t(X}k possession of ber by running close alongside and dropphig two boats from the quarters full of men. Tlie success of this undertaking depended upon the promptitude of the boarding officer. Lieutenant Barrington Reynolds, who in the most skilful and resolute manner secured her without being ob- served by the remainder of the squadron. Tho prize proved to be le Nearque of 16 guns and 97 nien, victualled and stored for five months. This transaction was thus noticed by Earl St. Vincent, in a letter to the Secretary of tho Admiralty, dated on the .5th of the following month : " Sir, — I Iiave great pleasure in forwarding to you for the information of the Ailmiralty, the very modest relation of a neat action performed Ijy Captain Ijorio}'' of the Niohe, who has just joined with the corvette his prize, and as the Crescent has many defects, which require looking into, I have dirccte<I Captain (Jarthew to receive the prisoners on board that ship, and to proceed witl. the prize to Plymouth Sound. I am, &c. &c. (Signed) " St. Vincent." " To miliam Marsdeti, E>q." On the 20th (X^. 1810, Captain Loring captured I'Hiron- delle French privateer, of 4 guns and 30 men ; and in tho O * See Captain Wilson Rathborne, C. B. |C' o 00 ^^' rP O O O ■k» :!'l fi • I I r ■ --D' 548 POST-CAPTAINS OF 1802. course of the following month, he received the approbation of the Admiralty, for the zeal and gallantry displayed by him in an action with two frigates under the batteries of la Hogue, the particulars of which have already been given under the head of Captain Charles Grant, C. B.* The Niobe was suhsequently employed watching the port of Havre, and on the 4th March, 1811, captured le Loup Marin privateer of 16 guns and 64 men. On the 24th of the same month, she assisted at the destruction of one of her above mentioned antagonists, near Cape Barfleur, by a squa- dron under the orders of Captain (now Rear-Admiral) Mac- namaru tj of whose oilicial letter the following is a copy. " H. M. S. Dermch, offCherbourgh, March 25, 1811. " Sir, — Having sailed from St. Helen's in H. M. S. under my cotninaiid, in the afternoon of the 23d inst., I stood over to the French coast nnder easy sail all night ; and at day-light the next morning, Barfleur light bear- ing S. \ E. distant about twelve or thirteen miles, I observed a large sail S. by E. running along the slioro. I immediately gave chase, and obliged her to haul in for a small rocky bay, about one mile to the westward of Barfleur light-house, where she anchored with the loss of her rudder ; at eight, the Ice tide making strong, I was under the necessity, to avoid the rocks and shoals which surrounded us, to anchor H. M. S. about two miles to the nortluvard of the enemy, which proved a frigate of the largest class. 1 had previously called in the Amelia frigate, the Goshawk und Hawkc sloops, and ordered them to anchor, thinking an attack by boats practicable when the weather tide should make. " At noon, the Niobe joined from the eastward : the flood making at four P. M. the squadron weighed, and having relintiuished the plan of at- tack by boats, on account of the rapidity of the tides, I ordered the Nio!)c, by signal, to lead as close to the enemy as the safety of the ships would admit ; which wus performed with great judgment, the Amelia and Berwick following in snccession. " Surroundetl by rocks und shoals, our (ire could only be partial in the act of wearing; at six P. M. I hauled off ; and on standing in this morning with the intention of renewing the attack, the enemy set fire to the frigate, and I had the satisfaction of seeing her burnt to the water's edge * * • •♦ I am, &c. &c. (Signed) •* J. Macnamara." " Sir Roger Curtis, Hart., Admiral uf the " lied, ^c <^r. Portmouth." * Sec Vol. M. Part. I. p. :m),rtm;. t See Vol. I. p. fi'M. , h>- o*'vi;^t^;;'?v'vV-'*-''v-;^''v '■;■ s>r,^|^v,, •_c, • ipprobation of ^ed by him in of la Hogue, en under the hing the port arod le Loup le 24th of the f one of her ir, by a squa- dmiral) Mac- i a copy. ^farch 25, 1811. ir my command, tch coast under ■fleur light bear- rved a large sail ase, and obliged the westward of her rudder; at ity, to avoid the I. S. about two :e of the largest : Goshawk and attack by boats lood making at the plan uf at- :red the Niol)c, he ships would ia and Berwick partial in the tliis morning to tlic friguti', :dge • • • fAMAIlA." 4 t»OST-GAPTAINS OP 1802. 540 Soon after this event, Captain Loring was obliged to come on shore for the recovery of his health ; and it was not until September following, that he found himself able to resume the command of the Niobe, which ship had been kept vacant for him by the appointment of a Captain to act in her during his absence. During the latter part of the war, he commanded the Impregnable, a second rate, bearing the flag of Admiral William Young, commander-in-chief on the North Sea station. Captain Loring was nominated a C. B. in 1815. He suc- ceeded the late Captain Wainwright as Lier'enant-Governor of the Royal Naval College, Nov. 4, 1819; and has since received a diamond ring, value one hundred guineas, from the Empress of Russia, for his attention to a young protege of her Imperial Majesty, who completed his education at that excellent school, and afterwards embarked as a Midshipman in the British service on board the Active frigate. The subject of this memoir married, July 18, 1804, Anna* second daughter of Vice-Admiral Patton, who then held a seat at the Board of Admiralty * ; and by that lady has three sons and three daughters. The Lieutenant-Governor's eldest brother. Dr. Henry Lloyd Loring, died Archdeacon of Calcutta, in 1822. The character of this excellent clergyman is correctly drawn in the Gentleman's Magazine for April 1323. Another brother, Captain William Loring, of the Horse Artillery, served under Sir John Moore during his celebrated retreat, from the fa- tigues of which he never recovered, and died at Madeira in 1809. A third brother. Major R. R. Loring, still living, was Military Secretary to Lieutenant-General Sir Gordon Drum- mond, G. C. B., Governor of the Canadas, during the late war with America. ■V-; JOHN WINNE, Esq. This officer was made a Lieulc: iv.it in 1790 ; commanded the Rambler cutter, attached to Lord Howe's fleet, and ren- dered essential lervice to the cri'w of the distressed Vengeur, VOL. II. • See Vol. II Part I., uote •, at p. 93. 2o se. 650 [*Oii'r-cArTAiNs OF 1802. til *;^.?' on the memorable Hi June, 1794 ; served as first Lieutenant of the Monarch 74, in the battle off Camperdown, Oct. 11, 1797 J obtained the rank of Commander, April 21, 1799; and Post-Captain, April 28, 1802. He subbcquently com- manded a district of Sea Fenciblea on the western coast of England. ._ Agetit—John Hinxroan, Esq. \.'.- .-. K^<> J , J « :.. . ; Sir ROBERT HOWE BROMLEY, Bart! :■■: Tiiis officer is the only sou of the late Sir George Bromley, Biirt., representative of the very ancient family of Pauiicefote, of whom mention is made in Doomsday Book, by Esther, eldest daughter of Asheton, First Viscount Curzon, grand- father of the present Earl Howe. He was born Nov. 28, 177S» commanded the Inspector sloop of war in 1801 ; and obtained post rank April 28, 1802. XHiring the late war be commanded the Champion of 24gun8» and Solebay and Statira frigates. On tiie 23d July, 1805, we find him distinguishing himself in an action witk the *oncU flotilla, on which occasion the Chaiupion was much r,.. \p in her bull, masts, sails, and rigging, and sustained a . » -:' 2 men killed and 3 wounded. He succeeded to the Baronetcy on the demise of his father, Aug. 17, 1808; and married, June 8, 1812, the youngest daugliter of Daniql WUdon, of Palham Tower, co. Westmoreland, Esq. „.,^^ ♦«iuii ,<■, ^ ^i^c»/#.— Messrs. Cooke, Halford, and Son. jr} > V» > .Ltv-ff Hon. DUNCOMBE PLEYDELL BOUVERIE. This officer ii the scctmd son of Jacob, present Earl of Radnor, by Anne, daughter and co-heiress of Anthony Dun- combe, Baron Faversham (a title now extinct). He was born Juno 28, I7BO ; entered at the Royal Acidemy at Portsmouth, in January 1793; and lemovod from thence to the Latona frigate in April 1795. Mr. Bouverie having completed the established period of service ..s a Midshipman on board the Lntona and Cambrian, under the command of Cjtptain the Hon. A. K. l-^-gge, was ;.S?-'' t Lieutenant vn, Oct. 11, 121, I79&; uently com- ern coaat of ■■ > , »* ; Bart. ^e Bromley, Pauncefote, by Esther, :on, grand- e Inapector •U28, 1803. I of 24 s^ma^ y, 1805, we the 'oncU ueh c. II, d a ..:■,- \ i3aronet(ey married* Vyiiion, of i".t ti - / ERIE. It Earl of ony Dun- was born •rtsmouth, 10 L^kt^na period of ambrian, ^ge, was 4 POSt-CAPtAlNS OP 1802. prdmoted to the rank of Lieutenant on the 16th Feb. 1/99 { he subsequently accompanied Vicc-Admiral Sir Roger Curtis to the Cape of Good Hope, in the Lancaster of 64 guns, from which ship he was made a Commander into the Penguin sloop of war, by commission dated in Feb. 1801. His promo- tion to the rank of Post-Captain took place April 28, 1802, on which occasion he was appointed to the Braave of 40 gunft. At the renewal of the war, in 1803, we find Captain Bou* verie commanding the Mercury, a 28 -gun frigate, fitted as a floating battery for the defence of Guernsey. In Dec. 1804 he sailed from Portsmouth as convoy to the outward-bound Mediterranean trade: and on the 4th Feb. following, he cap- tured El Fuerte de Gibraltar, a Spanish vessel of 4 guns and 59 men, from Cadiz bound to Algeziras. His next appointment was about Aug. 1805, to I'Aimable 32, in which shij) he fell in with and was chased by a French squadron under M. Richery, when proceeding to join Lord Nelson's fleet off Cadiz. Early in 1806 he was removed to the Medusa frigate, then under orders for the East Indien, but afterwards sent to the Rio de la Plata, where he joined the squadron under Sir Home Pop- ham, Oct. 7> 1806, and continued to serve till the final evactl- ation of Spanish America, Sept. 9, I8O7. The Medusa re- turned to Sptthead with Lieutenant-General Whitelocke and his staff on the 7th Nov. in the same year ♦. On the 4th April 1808, Captain Bouverie captured TActif French privateer of 14 guns, near Dunnose. He was sub- sequently ordered to the coast of Labrador, where he remained three months under the orders of Captain Thomas Manby of the Thalia frigate f. On his return from that inhospitable station, we find him employed as a cruiser in the British Channel, and Bay of Biscay, where he captured the French privateers 1' A venture, of 14 guns and 82 men, THirondelle, of * The Medusa lusiiited at the cnpture of the town of Maldoi^do, and Hie island of Gorrite, in Oct. 1806. The operations of the Brilith from tiiut period till the final evacuation of Spanish Ainericn, have already been dciftiled in our mcmoin of Sir Jotian Rowley, and other oflTicers. Sec v«)l. '. note at p. 62 i, et »eq. t S«>p vol. II. part I. p '210, ri *rg. » - *'.^ 2 o 2 .;^4: Wsfv 1W ■•■K% 14 guns and 75 men, and several other of the enemy's vessels : and about the same period he appears tp haye been electf i^ M. P. for Downton, in Wiltshire. '^k^'^^^-^Mrf^s^^^,:^ In the night of June 4, 1812, the boats of the Medusa, under the directions of Lieutenant Josiah Thompson, were sent by Captain Bouverie to attack a French store-ship lying in the harbour of Arcasson ; and notwithstanding the rapidity of the tide and the intricacy of the navigation, succeeded in getting alongside, although discovered and hailed by the ene- my before they arrived within musket-shot. The Frenchmen it appears were at their quarters, and perfectly prepared to resist the attack ; but nothing could baffle the impetuosity of Lieutenant Thompson.who rushed on board at the head of his gallant party, and carried the ship after a desperate struggle, ill which the whole of her crew, excepting 23 men, were either killed or compelled to jump overboard : among the latter was her commander, a Lieutenant de vaisseau, severely wounded. The prize proved to belaDorade, mounting 14 guns, with a complement of 86 men, and a full cargo of ship timber. At day-light she was got under weigh ; but after proceeding about a league down the harbour ihe grounded on a sand-bank, and the tide then running out with great violence, the captors were obliged to set her on fire, by which means she was soon completely destroyed. In the execution of this spirited enter- prise the Medusa had none killed, and only 5 men wounded. From this period Captain Bouverie was employed in a series of active operations on the north coast of Spain, and his zeal and exertions were repeatedly noticed in Sir Home Popham's despatches, extracts from which will be found under the head of Sir George Collier, Bart, at p. 523, et seq. He left the Medusa in June 1813, and has not since been afloat. Captain Bouverie married, Dec. 27, 1808, Louisa, second daughter of the late Joseph May, of Hale House, co. Wilts, Esq., and by that lady has one daughter. RICHARD GODDARD, Esq. Poit comuiUititm dated April 29, 1802. .V! >».. iy*s vessels : )een elected iMVv i(§ MeStisa, ipson, were e-ship lying the rapidity lucceeded in by theene- 5 Frenchmen prepared to ipetuosity of i head of his ate struggle, , were either he latter was ily wounded, guns, with a timber. At eeding about sand-bank, the captors lie was soon lirited enter- wounded, ployed in a tain, and his Sir Home ill be found 523, et seq. since been lisa, second e, CO. Wilts, 'iii^B^&j}:;: ' This officer was made a Lieutenant, tained post rank, April 29, 1802. He has been grinci^all;|r employed in the Transport and Impress services.. ^MF^f^^^^^lS ^■^' "..-«• ,! This officer entered the naval service as a Midshipman on *$ board the Monarca of 70 guns, commanded by Captain John Gell, in 1780, and bore a part in the battles between Sir Ed- ward Hughes and M. de Suffirein, Feb. 17, April 12, July 6, and Sept. 3, 1 782, as also in the action off Cuddalore, June 20, 1783*. The Monarca's total loss on those occasions amounted to 28 men killed and 106 wounded. He subse. quently served in the Nautilus sloop of war, and Stately of 64 guns, under the respective commands of Captains Thomas Boulden Thompson and Robert Colder, the former employed on the coast of Africa and at Newfoundland, the latter forming part of the grand fleet during the Spanish armament. Mr. Otter received his first commission in 1790, and we find him serving as second Lieutenant of the Crescent frigate at the capture of le Reunion of 36 guns, near Cherbourgh, Oct. 20, 1793t. He was first Lieutenant of the same ship when she encountered a French squadron off Guernsey, June 8, 17941 ; and also of the Orion 74, in Lord Bridport's action off I'Orient, June 23, 1795 § j on which latter occasion he was advanced to the rank of Commander. Captain Otter commanded the Morgiana sloop of war during the Egyptian expedition, and brought home the du- plicate despatches announcing the fall of Alexandria in 1801. He afterwards accompanied a squadron under Rear- Admiral George Campbell to the West Indies, from whence he returned *t ^;^Vt: v?!, • Sec V(»l. r. iiotcf ul p. 421, eliteq. tSee Vol. I. p. l/M. j See />/. if<. $ See hi. p. 17!' ami '2 Hi, tt tei/. '4 K W4fj« V'' ^ Portsmouth, May 17, 1802. His promotion to post rank ^^lln^took place on the 29th of the preceding month. ".<fr^-im'\imp-:} From this period we lose sight of Captain Otter till the autumn of 1807, when he obtained the command of the Pro- -X^J|*<*Berpine, mounting 40 guns, with a complement of 250 men, ..«•«, ,j^ which ship he shortly after conveyed Lord Leveson Gower, '.AK'S,, 2;i^5i?^^^ the British Ambassador to the court of St. Petersburgh, from "' Ix.'-v fvGottenburgh to England. His capture by a French squadron, f-^^l*! oflF Toulon, is thus described by one of the officers then under his command : .-^ " On the evening of the 27 Feb. 1809, the Proserpine was at her station /^f^^'^of^ Cape Side, and had in the day reccmnoitred the French fleet in tlie ;l'^^^>^^ iJ^IT'Oade and inner harbour; two frigates had been making a short excursion, ^^;I;Y, but went in a^^ain towards dusk and anchored. Several sail of small coast. ■ '■' tng vfissejs were out, and running down alongshore towards Marseilles, which induced Captain Otter to run in and endeavour to cut some of them ofif; failing, however, in that attempt, and having little wind, we stood off again for the night, and strict orders were given to keep a very sharp look ^^, ., .. out, and to stand in again in time to catch some of them in the morning. f^4^*|\' Having the middle watch to keep, I went early to bed j the ship was nearly &*a ;:v>:> j'Mi^T^^b^calmed, at about 6 or 6 miles from the Cape, and on my relieving the f^-Jj»X'5.{^* <lcck, I found her, as near as I could guess, in the very same place, and ''^.?^ "not a breath of wind ; it was as fine a moonlight morning as I ever saw ; ■'^^,^ but the moon being to seaward, prevented us from seeing vessels that then might be running along shore, and our ship being between them and the moon, gave them a decided advantage. Mr. Brown, tlie Master, who died afterwards in France, was the officer of the watch, and kept a con- stunt good look out. Mr. Carslake, first Lieutenant, had left orders for the men to scrub their hammocks on the main-deck, and that the mate of the watch should occasionally attend to the same ; this caused me bome- times to quit the deck for a few minutes. At 4 o'clock, I asked Mr. Brown how I should mark the log ; he answered, ' head round the compass.' I then called Mr. Rigby, second Lieutenant, to relieve Mr. Brown, and oa coming up again I heard a man, at the look-out on the larboard gangway, sing out, ' I think I see a vessel. Sir.' Mr. Brown took a glass, and on looking, told me he thought she looked like a man of war : he ran down to the (yaptain, and I went and called all the officers : when I got on deck again I looked through my glass, and plainly discovered two ships, with all tail set, very close to us, yet I could scarce make them out witli the naked eye. All hands were immcdiutely called, and we in vain (it being calm) attempted to escape the enemy, who were coming up fast, with a fine land breeze : we made the private night signal, but they returned no answer. " At length we got a little breeze, and as (Captain Oticr knew the ihip l aui ab loo sh( ^!^.' 'ii\?.^: post rank ter till the f the Pro- 230 men, Dn Gower, irgh, from squadron^ hen under ; her station fleet in the t excursion, small Goasto Marseilles, of them offj e stood off sharp look 16 morning, was nearly elieving the I place, and [ ever saw ; Is that then em and the aster, who :ept a con- orders for he mate of me some- Mr. Brown mpass.' I ^n, and on gaujfway, 88, and on ran down )t on deck hips, with It witli the I (it being it, with » returned ■■I mm^m <P0Sf -CAPTAIN*. Of 1802|Ks^|i sdifedl^iliyiy Btcro, he ordered the two bo#fi^r li^ ffiid cibfat, to answer the doable purpose, I suppose, of atem-chasers and b&ilast. At about 20 minutes past 4, one of the ships ranged up on the larboard side, looking very large — her ports all up, lights on the main-deck fore and aft : she had shortened sail, and was perfectly ready for commencing the action ; the other ship was coming up on our starboard side, when the wind en- tirely died away, leaving the poor tittle Proserpine in a very hopeless sifua- tion; as by this time we discovered two 74*8 coming down to assist in the unequal combat. Captain Otter hailed one of the ships, and was answered by a single gun. He took the bint and beat to quarters. When the enemy heard our drum they gave us a whole broadside, which salute we returned in as polite a manner as we could : the ship yawed a little, and left her consort in a safe position astern, where she continued raking us all the ac- tion, withon' ir being able to fire a shot at her, as the two bow-guns had been left i)y those who were getting them aft, when we beat to quar- ters, and were no small nuisance, as on our larboard side two guns were disabled for 20 minutes by tJiem, till they were got to their places : rery fortuitately they fired high in the ship astern, to prevent our escape by flight, as they had before witnessed that we coukl sail very fast. At a little after 5 o'clock the ship alongside piped h la bordage ! and the cry of Hve VEmpcreur ! h la bordage ! rent the air ; a light breeze which spnmg up would have favored them in this design, had not Captain Otter called all the officers, and consulted with them ; the result of wliich was, that as the Proserpine wa^ almost a wreck, her rigging, masts, and sails cut to pieces, 4 1 hands short of complement, with no chance of being able to aave tlie ship, and the two 74's coming up fast, it was necessary to surrender, to save the lives of the crew. The colours were then ordered to be struck, after which they fired two broadsides at ut>, then took possession, and carried us into Toulon. The two ships that took us were the Penelope and Paulme, of 44 guns and 360 men each; tlie Proserpine had one seaman killed outright, one marine mortally^ and eleven men slightly wounded. The French officers stud they had none killed or wouuded, but several of the crew secretly told us that they had several killed, and that many wounded men were sent at night to the hospital*." \\ the ship ■ • The squadron sent out to cut off the Proserpine, consisted of the fol- lowing ships: the Suftrein and Ajax 74's, and Penelope, Pauline, and Po- mone frigates, each mounting 44 guns, and carrying from 3()0 to 'AM) men. The writer of the above narrative, when below superintending the men scrubbing tlieir hammocks, heard one of thcnj scold another who had twin sons on board, for breaking his own rest to wash for them, as he said they were big enough to do it themselves. The poor fellow replied, " Oh ! they wiH grow up men soon, and then will not forget my doing this for them ; and provided lliat a shot does not lake my head off, ihcy will tffut me to many a glass for washing for tlicni now." lu lc?8 than two ||^^p9|}Captain Otter continued in France as a prisoner till th<*^# HS^f conclusion of the war. On the 30th May, 1814, he was tried W^sl^mil'^ by a court-martial for the loss of the Proserpine, and honor- 9l?^^W^ ably acquitted of all blame on that occasion, the court agree- 'M^^^j^f ''t ing that the ship was defended in the most gallant and "<,i.v.-.-.',;H.»5(3»'v. .■■ j_^ ; J J ii._^ I __i i _i i_ W^'^i determined manner, and that her colours were not struck until resistance was of no avail. tig'^fi- ■w-i.^t.^^^K^^sents. — Messrs. Cooke, Halford, and Son. 3 ,'^iiy 4- , •% . THOMAS HURD, Esq. •^^ ■■'.i».-*.i??:\»~.' rAff ^oart/ of ytdmiralty ; Superintendant of Chro^ f-'r vi ^-^^ ',"sv Commmionerfor the D'ucovery of Longitude. ^'%!S"^t" ' PaKvious to the first American war we find this officer assisting in a survey of Newfoundland, and afterwards com- pleting his time as a Midshipman on board the flag-ships of Wei&^j^i!- tbe late Admiral Gambler and Earl Howe, by the latter of |SS-^"S whom he was made a Lieutenant into the Unicorn frigate, '^^' commanded by Captain J. Ford, in 1777. i%;^3S^2^||ip^;^ ;&^^he Unicom being coppered, was enabled to come up with ■:f{^y and capture an unusually large number of American priva- teers and merchantmen, and Lieutenant Hurd, in conse- W^W"^- <iuence, realized a considerable sum, as had been predicted ■^Mil 'li^^lSk hours after he said the words, a shot actually took his head clean off; and ^^^^- the heart-rending scene that ensued, on the boys 6nd'ng out that it was i^SsS* ..»V jjjgjj. faiijgr, beggars all description. He was the only man killed outright. The marine who was mortally wounded, knew his end was very fast ap- proaching, and begged to be allowed to die on board the Proserpine ; but he was sent on shore to the hospital at Toulon, and although he could scarcely speak from his wounds, when he passed under the stem of the French Admiral's flag-ship, seeing numbers on her poop looking at the boat» which was the Proserpine's cutter, he made an effort to raise himself up iu his cot, and cxclumed, " You Frenchmen, don't talk of your fighting, " Nor boast of this deed you have done : " Don't think that Old England you'll frighten* " So easy as Holland and Spun." He then attempted to sing " God save the King," but cor.ld not, being faint from loss of blood and exertions ; this gallant man was firm and col- lected to his last moments, and affurded a proof of that sterling and truly British heroism for which our scaiucn and morines have ever been noted. tyh- i^l^v cc sc tl <S'i j«,Vt >ner till the lie was tried and honor- court agree- gallant and not struck rffffl/ 0/ Chro- ngitude. ^^S:'- this officer vards com- ag-ships of he latter of >rn frigate, ne up with can priva-" ' in conse- 1 predicted lean off; and It that it was lied outright, very fast ap- serpinej but gh he could stem of the ^ at the boat, liimself up iu d not, being irm and col- iig an<l truly >cen noted. K^i ■«.•.•!*'%*;•& f.«/»-*.!!< .n POST-CAPIAIN^S Of. 1802. • ' ^^^-557 by the ^DoVe' hdblenian, who, on presenting him with hig commission, had advised him to purchase an iron chest *<*^™^°^^?K-^'^ secure his prize-money in ♦. In May 1779, she formed part oi^iVi^E' the squadron under Sir James Wallace, at the capture of lai'i^l^l^ DanUe French frigate, and the destruction of several othe|:^^M^ national vessels in Concale bay, on the coast of France f. SCtJ^i^S^itovi, Mr. Hurd was appointed to the Hercules in 1781 j and^f|^S''^^' commanded her main-deck guns, as second Lieutenant, on|^%J, the glorious 12th April in the following year J. He wasa;:^^;^ He was;^^^: subsequently removed, as first Lieutenant, into the Ardent, aK?pf42i^ 64-gun ship, recaptured from the French on that roemorabl%e||^^^!^i occasion, and afterwards attached to the ill-fated convoy that^V^^fg|m sailed from Jamaica under Rear- Admiral Graves, and sufferedlC^#S*^f* SO dreadfully in the hurricane of Sept. 17, 1782 §. .^y^J^^^ 'M During the ensuing peace he was employed on various^^ifl^ywa, services : and it is to his scientific knowledge and seduloustf^^^ exertions that we are indebted for our present knowledge 00*^1^^^ Murray's anchorage, on the north side of the Bermudas. Th^?!^^^! geographical situation of those islands, as well as of the manj^^A^I^^^ banks and reefs, which on the north, east, and west sides,' :'^^,'^-®n^' te^j^pf extend to the distance of three, four, and five leagues, waa^^^j also first determined by him, and with the same fidelity as th^s^ kir-Ml mM channels leading to Castle Harbour and other places of an<ii?^|1 cborage. He afterwi and in the summer 1 off Brest, the result of which was the production of an accu^j-y^^^pj^^jr rate chart denoting the soundings, and pointing out the exacj^o|^^^]fv position of the sunken rocks in the neighbourhood of tha^^g; port. He succeeded Mr. Dalrymple as Hydrographer to th«^^^- Admiralty in 1808, and died April 30, 1823. tihM^sf^MM RICHARD PELLOWE, Esq. This offiqer was made a Lieutenant in 1790, and served as third of the Nymphe at the capture of la Cleopatra, Frencj^^^g • The experiment of covering ships' bottoms with copper was first $%'"\2^* tried on the Alarm frigate in 1/61 ; but the plan was not generally ^^^P^^f^;;*^^ cd lor manv vears afterwards. '*''j?^4'F' " many years afterwards, t See Vol. I. p. 68. J See id. p. 602. '#itei^;1i3iviff^^ IP ,^tS«%f.^igate, June 18, 1793*. He afterwards commanded the |p^^;^?;^ptter fire-sliip. During the late contest with France he was i'-i ^i^^P^^rincipally employed as an agent for prisoners of war. ^.',y-%yU'- ^mS^^m::: Captain PelloMe married, Sept. 7, 1805, Miss Sparg, J'Va ^^ ^^^^m^enryn, in Cornwall. That lady died April 29, 1812^ •; ^^uJi I ."V. ^i?^^'^^^^^:^ JOHN DICK, ■^f'"^"'' "° Ig^ir^M*? Imperial Ottoman Order of the Creif^H'i.' This officer is a son of the late James Dick, Esq. who ,, passed his life in the civil department of the navy, and a |^:fl^^|!^^feousin of Colonel Sir William Dick, Bart., representative of l-^'Sv^li^lshe ancient family of that name, long settled at Braid, in >:Mid-Lothian, N. B. ^j.?;%tj-^i_^;^ ^^••.1:>4^■•_,°^.;^;:r^z.■:■•.•..; s*^ .^^"^ He is a native of Rochester, and entered the naval service ^^|)iinder the patronage of Sir Andrew Snape Hamond in 1789. His time as a Midshipman was completed under the respective commands of that excellent officer, and Captains John Drew, t^g^l-JFrancis Laforey, and Andrew Snape Douglas. In 1795 he "''^'"''^ obtained the rank of Lieutenant in the Victorions of 74 guns; .„,,,., and he subsequently served as such in I'Aimable frigate and -p'^'f^the Majestic 74, bearing the flag of Sir John Laforey, in the West Indies. His promotion to the rank of Commander took ^|^|)lace in 1796, and on that occasion he was appointed to the ;^^^3Bull Dog sloop of war, in which vessel he returned to England ' * "S^* ^^^ period when our seamen were unhappily engaged in Jacts of open treason, the expected disastrous effects of which •-'jj. • fete ?^*|were prevented by the exertions of himself and those of his M^J^i^fiNbrother officers selected to direct the operations of a flotilla v-yi^'J^-^lJequipped for the express purpose of reducing the mutineers .vr^ ^■^IfjfBt the Nore to obedience. •-^•r;l,-j,. y t?|5| Captain Dick was soon after aprpolMed to the Discovery :j^A:| i^p;ibomb, on the North Sea station. In 1799, lie accompanied ^^|||^^ 'j.l^5vtlic expedition gent against the Helder, covered the landBnffi|3<l; S'^ffA'of the troops, and served on shore with the army till thfw^>^E ^^^feiinal evacuation of Holland f. Early in 1800 he removed into^'ty^ ';g5^.5;lhc Cynthia of 18 guns, and proceeded to the Mediterranean,^^'"^.>^'| where he was moat actively employed during the remainder J'^'f4|. • Sec Vol. I, \). 2\2. t Sec Vol. I, aotcut i». i[4,ctset/, -^'•j'-"' •" :.:V^%- fi&:%,-:'>s' i:vf<, f^ of uiiB wi^; "wis Vigitaiiee as aetifior office#aftMl^fg^1^ other veasels composing the in-shore squadron employed in th#;^^^ blockade of Alexandria, and co-operating with the Turks at i^f§ the capture of Damietta, was highly meritorious, and pi*o-;^T*M cured him the esteem of Sultan Selim, by whose command he'';?sM was knighted, and invested with the insignia of a K. C. of the third class, on the 8th Oct. 1801*. His post commission f"*'''^ bears date April 29, 1802. Captain Dick's next appointment 24 guns, in which ship he was employed on the Channel and Newfoundland stations from 1803 till 1807. He then re- ,^s^ 2;,i§>?»^ifi^ moved into the Penelope frigate ; and after serving for somes^j^l^^^ time in tlie Channel, was ordered to join the squadron in, ?^^^rf*as" America, under the orders of Sir John B. Warren, by whom he was selected to convey Major- General Sir George Prevostv^i^-j^^j: y^mi^mm (^& to Barbadoes, and escort thither four chosen regiments dcs- i^^^l'' tined to assist at the reduction of Martinique f. The landing ^|^^|^^ of the main body of the army employed on that occasion is/^^4^f; /,^thus described by the officer to whom the superintendence of Jl^the debarkation had been committed : ;;:|S^#^^^l^sSf<:*f ;;§^^ ^;;.jj^ " H.M.S. Jcastu, liai Mi)Serl^^ihi. iiJPl^f: ''^^^^^ :.\'\^vi Sir, — I have the honor to inform you, that at day-dawn of yeslerday.H^^^^^^' ■/ the division of transports carrying the arnay under tiie coniinand of Lieu- >jt|fe#' , ; • tenant'Genentl Beckwith, were four leagues to windward of the Carvelv^^^l: „^,irock. I immediately bore up for Bay Robert, being joi nod io my waj5^^«| -,-" thither by the Ethalion, Forester, Ringdove, Haughty, and Eclair, the i^^^/^ ,'{ ' V Eurydice having joined me the preceding evening. sS^^"^^^. i^v\ " The weather was uncommonly windy and squally, and there was ^:~'§t^:^^^J^^P 'hi'. **''y considerable swell as far Oiit as Loup Oarou. Neither of the small K^^^ \%k.v ' ft-igates (the Cleopatra or Circe) had joined to go in with the transports j S§i«r»j, ^-.^.'and not knowing what opposition might be made to a landing, I deter- p^^^P '"^v^ mined to enter the Cul de Sac with all the men of war, that I nii;rhtf J'-^m % effectually protect the troops, if occasion required, which I could not !^^|/|t^- \ possibly have done had I anchored as far out as Loup Garou. Having " " * ' '' therefore placed boats with flags on the edges of the shoals, I led in i^ with the Acasta, followed by the Penelope and trans^prtSjj and anchored ■; the whole of them about neon. ■■^B.Ji^^MiiS$i^ " This decision* I trust Sir, you will approve, as it enabled me to land the first and second brigades, amounting to 460() men, with a certain pro- portioji of artillery and horses before sunset, which I could not otherwise have done , and this morning by 7 o'clock all the reserve were landed. U CD OO .*j5' o OO o o o o o o o POST-CAPTAINS OF 1902. oO° o o o o o o • " To Captains Cochrane of the Ethalion, and Bradshaw of the Eury. dice, I am indebted for arranging the boats for the first landing ; and more particularly to Capt^n Dick of the Penelope, for superintending that CD arraugement, and leading in the transports, which he did with great judg- ^ mant. • • • •. I have the honor to be, &c. ^ o (Signed) «• P. Bbavkr." ^ Q) 0» fo 'the Hon Sir Alexander Cochrane^ K, B. ^C. ^C. ^C." 'W o o ^ After performing the services mentioned in the above letter. Captain Dick landed with a party of seamen, and succeeded in securing Fort Trinite, and other works on the windward side of the island. He subsequently returned to the Halifax station, and continued there till the latter end of 1811 or ^ early in 1812, since which time he has been on half pay. h^ ^ (p „ He married a daughter of B. Goodrich, of Saling Hall, "- Essex, Esq., and has several children. , Agents, — Messrs Goode and Clarke. 5 "^ (J OOQ. cP PETER RIBOULEAU, Esq. ?? it,. 40 gjO Tms ofinceJr commanded the Astrea troop-ship, and greatly distinguished himself during the Egyptian campaign in 1801. His post commission bears date April 29, 1802; and we subsequently find him holding a command in the Sea Fen- cibles. He is at present serving as Flag-Captain to Lord Colville on the Irish station. ^^^ ^ ^ . ' ' Agent. — ^Thomas Stilwell, Esq. O >,'>=^^\^ ,S,^o o o o 1^ tl!{ ^, ^c^' JOHN NASH, Esq^ . t This ofl&cer is a son of the late Richard Nash, Esq., Pur- ser, R. N., and a brother of Captain James Nash, who ob- tained post rank the same day as himt^elf, April 29, 1802. -HA . , H* ">; -\r- ^STEPHEN RAINS, Esq. iSn m This officer commanded the King George cutter, attached to Admiral Duncan's fleet in the battle off Camperdown, Oct. 11, 1797. He obtained the rank of Post-Captain April 29, 1802 ; and was employed during the late war as a resident agent of transports. He died Feb. 1, 1824, in his 59lh your. M3 o o I :* C< o iToo n © 3 o o o TO O ( I Co c; O O G) qOoO O" © G) o V !^1 P o r-, O - :"0 ,^ "^^ O u r-, ■ O b POST-CAPTAINS OF 1802. THOMAS HAND, Esq. 561 This officer was made a Lieutenant Nov. 6, 1778 ; and commanded the Tartarus bomb during the expeditions to Ostend and Egypt, in 1798 and 1801. He obtained post rank April 29, 1802 j and subsequently held an appointment in the Sea Fencible service. Agent. — Thomas Stilwell, Esq. ' FARMERY PREDAM EPWORTH, Esq. Is the eldest son of the late Reor-Admiral Epworth, by Jane, daughter of William Cuming^ Esq. an Alderman of Totness. The Epworths can V>'*ast a vsry :csptetabie ancestry, as will appear from the followii/.g genoalogical jiarticulars : — Lieutenant William ThoKjpscr ,^ whf > iied from iiie battle of Worcester, Sept. 3, 1651 , with Charlec IL, ai\ii coatinued abroad until the restore lion,, wii), the firnt k -5,0 that V'i^'«ped on shore to challenge any persOL to .'Ingil^ combat wlw /should oppose the King's lanc^mg. He icarriec? the dsiughter ol Sir Thomas Lowther, a membsr of l\]s fainily iVom whic'a fi descended the present Eari of Jx>na(iale. Lieutenant Th»^mp3on*s daugh'^eif mafried a Ycrksbire gentleman named Willio, whose ancestor accompanied l'i')g £dward the First into Scotland, In the year l*2iif>. His daughter married John Giii&o»i, j^;eat graiidwon csf Mausou Htirrison, Esq., Envoy at the Hague, who was united to a Dwtch lady named Breaderord, a niece t»3 tbe Eavls of Eg- mont and Horn *. ^ , Mr. Gillson's daughter married Faraiery, father of the late Rear-Admiral Epwoith i , and graivdscr. of Christopher Ep- worth, owner of the n>yalty ot Ke?lby in Yorkshire, Viciu: of the same place, a'li Rector of Cioxton. Farmery Prcdum Epworth, the subject of this memoir, waa * There are large possessions in Holland to which Captain Epworth baft a Jegal claim. _ f . t Rear.Adioiral Epworth Am\ at Totncas, Mar. 18, 1804. .« (J o O G G U ( ,) €) O 00® C7^ U,, 562 POST-CAPTAINS OF 1902. w Ti 'I ! born at Totncss, co. Devon, Nov. 30, 1766, and entered the naval service in 177^» on board tlic Squirrel a 20-gun ship, commanded by his father, with whom he appears to have con- tinued but a few months. In the following year he joined the Foudroyant of 80 guns, Captain John Jervis, under whom he served at the relief of Gibraltar by Vice-Admiral Darby and Earl Howe, and at the capture of le Pegase, a French 7^, April 21, 1782*. Towards the conclusion of the American war, Mr. EpwortU removed with Sir John Jervis into the Salisbury of oO guns. In Dec. 1782, he was made a Lieutenant, and appointed to the Wasp sloop, Captain John Hills. The activity of this vessel in suppressing smuggling was such as to call forth the thanks of the Commissioners of the Customs, who sent a Bum of money to be distributed amongst the officers and crew, as a reward for their exertions f . At the commencement of the French revolutionary war Lieutenant Epworth'proceeded to the West Indies, on which station he was frequently employed in boats, capturing the enemy's vessels, and cutting them out of their harbours. We next find him serving in the Alexander of 74 guns, com- manded by the late Sir Richard Rodney Bligh, whose memo- rable defence of that ship against a French squadron of five sail of the line and three frigates, can never be forrottcn J. In his official letter respecting the capture of the Alexander, that excellent commander recommended Lieutenant Epwnrth, and the other officers who were his supporters on the arduous occasion, to the favor and protection of the Admiralty. The following is a translation of the French commander-in-chiefs reply to a memorial presented by them on their arrival at Brest : '* On board the AfonMifnc, in Brest Road, 22d Germinal, in the third year of the RrpnhVw, oite <tnd indivriiblc. ' " Gentlemen, — I have received the letter y«a dwl me the honor Ito • SccjVol.I.p. 15. • •' f In our memoir of Admiral Sir John Wi-lla xvc have erroneously deicribed that officer as the romuiaiidcr of the ^Viisji at tho period alluded to above. X An account of tho acliuu will lie givou under the head (»f Coininander JaMKS (loOFNCII. ■ --N.-<»,*»t^^,* li-'^^K J %'•■ POST- CAPTAINS OF 1802. 663 !red the in ship, .ye con- ined the horn he rby and nch 74, Ipwortli guns. in!ed to of this brth the » sent a ers and ary war n which ring the arbours. ^8, com- meino- of five on J. In ler, that )rth, and arduous ty. The n-chiefs rrival at the thiftl r honor Do described to above. iinmander write to me for the purpose of procurim? for you either permission to return to England on your parole of honor, not to serve till after being exchanged, or to ameliorate your condition l»y placing you in security *. " You are not ignorant, doubtless, of the arrival of an English com- missary a few days since, in one of our ports in the Channel, scut by your government to treat for the exchange of prisoners of war. The represen- tatives of the people immediately sent a courier extraordinary to the Committee of Public Safety, to n^certam if they would enter upon nego- ciations on the subject. We await with impatience the answer of thiH despatch, which I hope will be fai'orablc to you ; but if tny hopes should be disappointed, I can assure you, gentlemen, on the part of the represen- tatives, that you will, in a very few days, be sent to Quimper, where you will enjoy your liberty, and that respect which is due to your rank, and to your distiiiguliihed conduct in the Alexander — conduct which gives you n claim to the esteem of all Frenchmen, and to mine in particular. I kave tin; honor to be, very sincerely, Gentlemen, your very humble aiul obe- dient servant, (Signed) " Vill.^ret JoYEU8R,Vu'o-Admiral and Commander of the naval forces of the Republic."- '* To the offictirs composing the etat major of the late Engitth thip Alexnntler." ■.•..) On his return to Englaiad Lieutenant Epworth was ap* pointed to eonnnand the Pilote brig, and employed conveying despatches to the West Indies and Channel fleet. H? ob- tauied the rank of Comman ler in the Wasp sloop of war in Dec. I7O6; and was posted into the Portk\nd, a 50 gun ship» April 29, 1802. .; In 18C ', we find him acting as Captain of the Prince Geo<^ 98, ill the Channel fleet, and subsequently commanding the Goliah 7^) P^o tempore, off the Black Rocks. His next ap*- pointnient was to the Sea Fencible service ; and he doeu not apt. pear to have been called again into active employment till June 181 i, when he received a commission for theNijadenol86^n». On the 14th Mar. 1812, being on his passage from Lisbon to England with despatches and the post-office mail. Captain Epworth fell in with five French line-of-battlc ships which had escaped out of I'Oricnt a few days before. This squad- ron chased the Nijuden the whole day, and was at onetime so near as to exchange shot with her. Three large ships, which afterwards proved t(» he the Northampton, Monarch, and .'-.'■■ * " Ell >i)Ui cnvityant en inuUionncmciit.*' .' . ,"}■■'■ • ..tPt s . •.' .^ .». *• '" ■|y!Sf!.t It,*!?****-*' '^*''^'^fm.^Si^„f«-'^ns^!!»~~ ■i-- \ € !»<•. 11,: I tt:c-< 564 POST-CAPTAINS OF 1802. Euphrates, homeward bound Indiaiuen, were then in sight, standing directly for the enemy ; and had it not been for the signals made by Captain Epworth, and his masterly manceu- vres, they must inevitably have been captured. Soon after this event the Nijaden was ordered to be broken up, and Captain Epworth received an appointment to the Nymphe frigate, rated at 38 guns, in which he was employed blockading the port of Boston in North America for a period of two years ; and so great was his vigilance that he com- pletely stopped the coasting trade between the southern and northern ports, and compelled the enemy to have recourse to land carriage for the supply of flour and corn. In Sept. 1814, the boats of the Nymphe took possession of a fort in Sandy Bay, near Cape Ann, spiked and threw the guns, four in number, into the sea, and brought off the guard, and all the vessels at the anchorage, without the loss of a man. Towards the conclusion of the war with the United States, Captain Epworth was appointed to the Bulwark 7^, stationed off Boston to watch the American line-of-battle ship Indepen- dence, then lying in that harbour ready for sea. During his con- tinuance on that station, in the Nymphe and Bulwark, he cap- tured six privateers, carrying in the whole 41 guns and 309 men; took and destroyed sixty-three sail of the enemy's coasting and other traders; and recaptured eight British merchantmen with valuable cargoes. Hostilities having at length ceased, the Bulwark was or- dered to Bermuda, from whence she conveyed Rear-Admiral Griffith, now Colpoys, to Halifax. Captain Epworth was then sent to Quebec, to superintend the embarkation of 7000 troops, and found on his arrival there, that the transports were in a very deficient state as to their equipment. This, however, was remedied through his exertions, and the whole were escorted by him, with great dispatch to Portsmouth, where ■ they arrived soon after the renewal of the war in Europe, occasioned by Buonaparte's return from Elba, and conse- quently in time to render essential service to their country by joining the British army in the Netherlands. The Bulwark was paid off at Chatham in June 181.'). Agent, — J. Copland, Esq. rOST-CAPTAIXS OF 180*2. 5(>;-i ^^ MATTHEW BUCKLE, Esq. This officer, a son of the l:ite Admiral Buckle, was made a Lieutenant in 1791 ; commanded the Camel store-ship in 1801 : and obtained post rank April 29, 1802. During the late war he was employed in the Sea Fencihle service, and as Captain of the Adamant, a 50 gun ship, and Latona frigate. Agents. — Messrs. Cooke, Halford, and Son. .-W^.^^ :Z. JOHN ALLEN («), Esq. This officer was made a Lieutenant April 21, 1781^5 J^n^l Ji Post-Captain, April 29, 1802. (^^ /yW*^ urgent. — William Marsh, Esq. /fj;3 ^, »g^'^;N* JAMES NOBLE, Esq. This officer is the second and only surviving son of a patriotic gentleman, descended from a respectable mercantile family settled at Bristol, co. Somerset, who after sacrificing considerable property in the royal cause, was killed by a party of American rebels, when proceeding to New York on public service *. He entered the navy in 1788, and served his time as a Midshipman on board the Impregnable, a second rate; Ter- * During the war witli the colonics, Captuui Noble's father raiaeil an intlependcnt corps, consisting chioHy of (icrnians cnjploycd at the iron works on his estate in the Bergen (*ounty. East Jersey ; and was nomi- nated a Mtyor in Colonel Buskirk's regiuient, attached to General Skin- ner's brigade ; l)Ut liaving received a bayonet wound in his right eye, and his skull being fractured in an alFair with the repul)licans, he was thereby deprived of hix reason for upwardH of eighteen months, during which time the majority was l)C8towc(l on ant)ther. Having at Icngtii recovered, he obtained an appointment as Assistant Commissary from Sir Henry ( 'linton, in which sitnution he died, leaving three sons to lament his loss -, vix. Richard, who was drowned in la Dorade, a French privateer, prize to the Clyde frigate f ; James, the subject of this memoir ; and Dcjoncourt, who fell a victim to the yellow fever when serving as a Midshipman ou board the Vanguard of 71 gims, in the West Indies. t See Vol. 11, Part I. n«ite • at p '^l VOL. II. 2 !• "t t< 'S*. 'kiCf^ ^"j'^ J. ^m^ .•i-^i*),. ihagant, arid Ferret, sloops ; Bedford, 74 j and Britannia of 100 guns. During the occupation of Toulon by the allied forces, in 1793, he was engaged with a party of small arm men in the various services on shore : he also bore a part in the actions between the British and French fleets, March 1 4, jind July 13, 1795*. In October of the same year Mr. Noble was appointed to act as a Lieutenant on board the Agamemnon of 64 guns, bearing the broad pendant of Commodore Nelson, and in the following month he fell into the enemy's handH when employed carrying despatches from that officer to the ;^ustrian camp near Savona. A few days after his enlarge- ment, he received a very dangerous wound in an affair with the enemy at LoHno, as will be seen by the following letter from Nelson to Sir John Jervis, dated April 25, 1796: *' This morning', having received information that a convoy laden with stores for the French army bad anchored at Loano, I lost no time in pro- ceeding off that place with the Meleager, Diadem, and Petcreli. Oa my approach, I wu sorry to observe that instead of a convoy, only four ves- sels were lying uuder the l>atteries ; which opened on our nearing them, and the tire was returned as our ships got up, under cover of which our boats boarded the vessels, and brought them off: but these vessels lying 5%Xi^ery near M»e shore, a heavy fire of musketry was kept up on the boats, and it is with the greatest grief I have to mention, that Lieutenant James Noble, a most worthy and gallant ofHcer, is, I fear, mortally wounded. From our ship's keeping uiuter the fire of their batteries, we sustained no loss ; the Agamemnon was, I believe, the only ship struck by shot. The principal part of this service fell on our boats, whose conduct and gallantry could not on any occasion have been exceeded ; imd I wish fully to expresi^ the sense I entertain of Hie gallantry of every officer iMuI man employed Q|i this occasion f." ^^:^ vi!f In July following. Lieutenant Noblo, having recovered from the wound which had caused such apprehensions for his life, was appointed to the temporary command of la Cienie, f>%' • See Vol. I. notes at pp. M\ and 2T>t. t The officers employed in the boats of the sqiuitlron were Meutenant-i Suckling, Noble, Comptoii, t^ulverhouse, and Ryder. Not a mun war, killed, and only three persons wounded, including Mr. Noble. The prizes conshted of a ship, a ketch, mid two galleys, laden with corn, rice, wine, powder, 8 brass guns, and IfiOO stand of arms. •r'lijre nilia of e uUicd lall arm part in arch 14, )pointed 1 of 64 Nelson, s hands to the enlarge4^5,> "r with ig letter adcii witft le ill pro- Oa my four vcs- in^ them, which our 9seld lying the boats, ant James wounded, stained no bot. The I gallantry to express ployed oil L'covered IS for his I Genie, ..... • -'»»^^ ieutcnants tnun was The prizes rit'(«, wine, »5.^'*i v'j'>''i^°.i'°° a ketch recently taken it *5t Pier tl'ArpTi'x '^, armed with three 18-poi'nders, and employed \n the blockade of Leg- i-^^^ horn. A short time previous to this appointment he had ^^^fe; been transferred with the Commodore's broad pendant, and ''•^^'"^"•'' most of his brother officers, from the worn out Agamemnon I , , . ito the Captain of 74 guns f. ^ "" During the remainder of the 5'ear 1796, Mr. Noble was employed on a variety of important services as flag Lieuten- ant to the enterprising Nelson, in the Captain and la Minerve, particularly at the capture of Porto Ferrajo, and the island of Capraja, the evacuation of Corsica, and the capture of the Santa Sabina, a Spanish frigate of 40 guns, commanded by a descendant of King J.imes II J. On the latter occasion Lieutenant Noble received several bad wounds from splinters. \ repetition of Nelson's own words will in themselves afford the praise best adapted to his general conduct. Writing an account of the action to Sir " John Jervis, he says, — " You will observe. Sir, I am sure, with regret, amongst the wounded, Lieutenant James Noble, who quitted the Captain to serve with me, and whose merit, '^^^^^ and repeated wounds received in fighting the enemies of our mv ^•gi-'-r. 13.T- f^'! ;j'-i country, entitle him to every reward which a grateftd nation |''|, can bestow. "S^IS »^;V? On the memorable 14 Feb. Ji^^ the subject of this me- ^.#i^^^^ moir was one of the officers who, under the heroic Nelson, *■ -^^-'"^-^ boarded and carried two Spanish ships of the line, one of which was a first rate, mounting 112 guns ! The particulars of tills almost incredible exploit have siheady been given in our memoir of near-Admiral Sir Edward Berry §. To that account we shall now add some extracts from the Captain's log- hook, which in the plainest and most unadorne<l, though not on that account less iiitrrrsting style, sets forth not only the ♦ SerVol! p. 51-) t When the A^aniiMiinoii was dDcki'd in (hi. I /!>♦>, she had not a mast, yard, or sail til. for sorvirc llfi liull liad lircii for a limi>' lime secured and kept together liy caldcs pasM'd iiiidcr iier hotlom. ♦See Vol. I., p .>20; and Vol. 11. part I. note at p. I5.*i. § Sre Vol I. p. 771 1/ nftf 2 p 2 m M'i^.it- vj^^j^pading events of the action itself, but tho&e also which iiii- ^^ StS?S H^'^it^^^iediately preceded it : ■from la Minerve. •«*•*•»• Midnight, tacked per signal. " A. M, ditto weather — between 2 and 3 o'clock, heard the report of (^i';'*! several guns to the southward. • • * At day-light made the signal for a %i^ m il5i'^j>'^:^'->'vl^'^^^'C'l ^3 **" ^^^ other tack ; Cape St. ViiKcnt bearing North 10 leagues. 1 "^^y '•f''-- *^^ ■^ ^®*^ minutes before noon, we opened our fire on their leading ship, and Ci- |j| exchanging broadsides as we passed J. minutes before one, the Captain having the last of the enemy's line of nineteen sail, i£"Jf _ .,- -t, ■'t-'">t^ i ^J-r^/%|^^j;g?i^fhidh were on the larboanl tack, the Spanish Admiral, in the Santissinia ^'-rv; l^^^^ll^* '^ Trinidada, bore up, evidently with a design to join a division of his fleet, of -^^^^^ . M^'^^"^ V eight sail of the line, which were on the Captain's lee-bow. Seeing th's tlie V |.&-;^^'*^^;^^"f$^^^^^ ordered the ship to be wore ; and passing between the Diadem '^_j^„^^..>j0'vland Excellent, she was immediately engaged by the Suntissima Trinidada^ ja: §^^.^^*;0;;\4 a four-decked ship, two three-deckers, and several two-deckers ; so that atJk ''t-l'^j?^;r?Jone time we were engaged by 9 line-of-lmttle ships, in which we were most . :-, y^-l'-f't nobly supported by Captain Trowbridge, of the Culloden. The Spanish = -! W"M:t'^^^^^ desisted from his attempt, and hauled to the wind on the larboard " •^.^;J%|''/^,tack. About 2, the Culloden having got between us an<l the enemy, we ,!^f^)?vj'jt'* ceased firing for 10 minutes, till we got a head of her, and became engaged 'as before. • • • 2*" 30' our sails and rigging being almost cut to pieces, . :^r%"^ iJi-Rfi! XKjJf'':. the Blenheim passed between us and the enemy. At 3, we engaged several of the enemy's line, particularly the San Josef and 8:in Nicholas. Saw a Spanish two-decker s rike to the Excellent, and soon after we shot away the San Josefs mizen-mast ••«•••••*. At 3^ liO' the Excellent passed us to windward, engaged the San Josef within pistol shot, and caused her to fall on board tho San Nicholas. The Captain, whose fore-top-masi was at this time shot awuy, immedi* ately luffed alongside the latter ship, prepared for boarding, and, having engaged very sharply for a few minutes, in which wo had 15 ni«-n killed and wounded, the ConinMidorr onlered her U> be laid on l)(»ar(l ; when himself, Lieutenants Uerry, Noble, and Pearson, and Messrs. SnmwHl, I Nelson in his uecouni says 17 sail 'lufvV. r5->a ^M'^'iihi^ IS." ■ Withers, and Williams, IVIiiUliipinen, at the head of the boarders and troops, entered the San Nicholas on the larboard quarter, and from her boarded the San Josef, whose colours they hauled down at 5 minutes before 4 o'clock; the latter mountinif 112 guns, Rear-Admiral Winthuysen ; and the former 81 guns. Commodore GerraHelino ". Found the San Nicholas on fire, but extinguished it. At 5, all firing ceased. While wc were entangled with both ships, discovered the San Nicholas to be on fire again ia the fore hold, but it was happily extinguished by our firemen. Commodore went on board the Irresistible. At six got clear of the prizes. Wore to join the fleet, having been between them and the cueniy, who stood towards us with a fresh breeze, but hauled their wind again. Em- ployed cutting away the remnant of the fore-sail, and clearing the wreck of ttte fore-top-mast. At 7, la Miner;'e took us in tow ; our standing and running rigging, with all the bending sails, being cut to pieces ; our wheel, fore-top-mast, and fore-top, shot away, and our masts severely wounded ; the main-mast having three shot through the heart. Employed filling powder, getting up shot, knotting and splicing the rijrging, and j)reparing S^- to renew the battle. • • • f !.:% :-lgfe^^, 'MM^-^^^i^^^^fM^^^^^^Si "•***. Found wc had ^4 meii ki!le(l, and "Sff wbuhdetfr In the *''" Spaniards we took, the slaughter must have been very great, as there were people employed all night throwing the dead overbonrd." 'JTic document just given is more peculiarly valuable, inas- much as it is a plain relation of facts, given in the most sununary way, on the instant of their taking place ; and serves to establish beyond controversy a point, which those who are sceptically inclined, might otherwise demur to '^i^jx^^'^t^i .^v>y ;:& mMm Lieutenant Noble was promoted to the nmk of Commander Immediately after this brilliant action ; but his health being very much impaired, he was under the necessity of returning to England, and accepting a command in the Sea Fencible .service on the coast of Sussex, where he continued from March 1798 till the conclusion of the war. His post com- ,4^t^ mission bears date April 29, 1802. '^--•^'^:s^^'^fii^S^:J<i^^ i Captain Noble married, in 1801, Sarah, daughter of James Lamb, of Rye, Sussex, Esq. jmd by that lady, who died in hA'-\ ■;.•■''■; * • Those officers were both mortally wounded, and died soon after the action. t A Flag-Officer, to whom the author is indebted for many acts of kindness, doubts the possibility of Commodore Nelson's ship and her prizes falling into the hands of the enemy ; and speaking of the passage to that effect in Vol. I, p. 26, says, " it is a hardy assertion, and not borne out by the position of the fleets as there staled." ■ ^^ 1818, he had seven sons and three daughterb, the whole of ^^^ whom, we believe, are still living. He married, secondly, in SW Jl^ 1820, Dorothy, daughter of the late ^■}'¥f whom he has no issue. Halliday, M.D.by SAMUEL WARREN, Esq. v <;-C^.?^ ^•fi^^J^.v, ^ Compumon of the mo^i Honorable Mt'itartj Order of the Bath, »f r5.v^4;,|; 'f HIS officer was born at Sandwich, co. Kent, Jan. 9, 17(>9 ; ^:i^ entered the naval service in Jan. 1/82 ; and served his time iSiM ^^ ^ Midshipman on board the Sampson G4, Busy cutter, '^0^ Druid frigate. Colossus 74, London 98, and Royal Sovereign l.#!siFlf; of 100 guns. The former ship was commanded by the late ••«-. :m m*^^|rf^f^ gallant Captain John Harvey *, and formed part of the fleet "*"f^4v under Lord Howe at the relief of Gibraltar, and in the subse- #H'^WW4 quent action with the combined forces off Cape Spartel, on rt"..;^ Jifhich occasion she had two men killed. ^«^'* Mr. Warren obtained the rank of Lieutenant, Nov. 3, 1790; ||i: and served as such successively in the Argo of 44 guns, Ra- f miUies 74, and Royal George, a first rate. ' ^i^'^^^^^^^i' W^^y£^^X^ The Ramillies, conmianded by Captain Henry Harvey, brother of Lieutenant Warren's former commander, bore a part in the battles of May 29, and June 1, 1794, and was much cut up in her sails and rigging ; fortunately, however, she only sustained a loss of 5 men killed and 7 wounded. The Royal George bore the flag of Lord Bridport in the action off I'Orientj June 23, 1795 f- Lieutenant Warren was promoted to the rank of Comman- der in March, 1797 ; and from that period till July 1800, he commanded the Scourge sloop of war at the Leeward Islands, ,ie.^.° on which station he captured several large privateers and mer- chantmen. Among the latter were a letter of marque and a brig, bound to la Guira with wine, brandy, and merchandise. Previous to his return home he received the thanks of the Counsel and Assembly of Tobago, for the great attention he had paid to their interest, whilst employed in the protection of the trade of that island. The Scourge arrived in England ."H^. m Aug. 22, 1800. vcM^, • Stc Vol. I. note at p. 61.1 f See Vol. I. pp. 7&» «'uid 2 1<>, rf xetf. f^^-iXTJ-^ p nljsv •<<^, lole of tUy, in .D.by !.%.*:'.f""i'_'s'y-..yip-i' '-' 1761); is time cutter, ereigii he late J, , le fleet siibse- rtel, on , - J-" c ,1790; It ns, Ra» J! "^ .A s-* Harvey, e a part uch cut 2 Koyal?^;.- 'Orient,^ ii ►mman- SCO, he tid mer-p^ e and a?!-^- "' landisct 3 of thCLt- " ition he ictioM of England fefell' Vi. " IJaptain Warren's next appointment waa lo tlie *Wsu^^^ bomb, fitting at Portsmouth. His post commission bears date i^^^Sf^^^ ^jVpril29, 1802. i4^»M ?t*^^3.^aatthat In the summer of 1805, he was selected by Rear- Admiralv:S^^°v,^i... ^^'^"Domett to serve as his Flag-Captain in the Channel fleet ; butv^^^^ ill health obliging that officer to give up the idea of going to ^^'^^i ^ it period, theGloryof 1)8 guns, which had been fitted^i^lj^^^ for his reception, was ordered to receive the flag of Rear- Ad- ili||§^^ J,;"' ^%lirul Stirling, under whom Captain Warren served in the actiwr^il^' between Sir Robert Calder and M.Viileneuve, on the 22d July viin^^l?#^. in the same year. The following are extracts from the Rear- |^^| .^Admiral's letter to the commander-in-chief, dated July 24. '^»> j^ . \'-'':'\ ':■ ' " '^^^ great object I had in view was to obey your orders, by keeping in p^^aS^*;*!/ L'?;' a foiunact line, whilst the signal for that purpose remained in force ; amf >l'^rS,M;i'. ^J^_ therefore, as the Ruisionable closed with you, my Captain took care that /Lvl^^#^4*( nothing could pass between her and this ship. • • • • We had only 1 'ihi^S^^^^ man killed and 4 wounded j ♦ • • ♦. I have great pleasure in bearing tes- }'S^i^^'$^^:> tiinony to the zeal of Captain Warren and his officers, and feel much con(i- ?^^• /.>?!; dence from the good conduct of the crew belonging to the ship where my !^i'^?i^t^-^i;, Htig is flying, if our good fortune should again lead us against the foes of ';'^''I'^^«?vv^^ our country." M0):^§1^f^^MMf&^M&^^:^^ ;•" In the ensuing year. Captain Warren accompanied Rear- il;^^^^' Admiral Stirling to the Rio de la Plata, as a passenger, on ll|^I\ board the Sampson 64; and on his arrival off Maldonado, he;%^^v^ assumed the command of that officer's flag-ship, the Diadem fe^::^li of similar force. His services during the sieee of Monte v-'-^^k-Si I'- 'fi S»i.,»' "■<*V ?" 1| ^-^yitleo, on which occasion the Diadem was frequently left with fa*f ^1^^. '/' only ,'30 men on board, were duly acknowledged in the naval 4>?l'-^'^5 and military dispatches aimouncing the capture of that for- r^^P& tress, an account of which will be found in our first volume, at " ^ "" " p,406.etseq. ., , .^ Some time after his return from South America, Captain :^^^i^m' Warren was appointed to the Bellerophon 74, bearing the ItSf^*^^ flag of Rear-Admiral Lord Gardner, in the North Sea. We S^r^ subsequently find him on the Baltic station, where he was very actively employed under the orders of Sir James Sauma- rcz, Bart. * ?vv»;^': • An account of the destruction of a Russian battery by the Bellero- phon's boats, will be found under the hea<l of Commander Robsrt ;^^1i^^^ '■i.i:'^ 'K." :-'i£"**;:;yr'.-j^- , kflM%^^ His next appointment was, about Sept. 1810, to the Presi--^ \h ' '^.-3mv^!5 vdent frigate, in which he assisted at the reduction of Java '"•> ■^^^|t and its dependencies by the military and naval forces undef P^^^' Sir Samuel Auchniuty and Rear-Admirnl Stopford. Whilst;^ l|:T;sS} on that service he was sent to Cheribon with a flas: of truce, ^■S':Sv»;v to demand the surrender of that place ; and after hoisting then ,, Irflli ^^W/^\s -^"S^^^^ colours on the fort, succeeded in securing the per*-,""^ *,* - d°5s;^f? sons of General Jamelle, commander-in-chief of the enemy's troops, M. Knotze aid-de-camp to the Governor of Java, and M. Rigaud, an officer of infantry, who had stopped at the Land- ^^•».J^^ roost's, some distance from Cheribon, for the purpose of ""*■ "j-ir| changing their horses, and who would have effected their ^^4^'K escape to the eastward but for his promptitude in running thi»»-:,^^ ^^M>^W: ther with only a few marines, to arrest them in their flight. ''^^*' The fort of Cheribon mounted 12 guns and 4 brass swivels, and had a garrison of 133 men. This and other services ■ja performed by a squadron of frigates, to which the President ^ f was attached, were of great importance to the ultimate re- ^!!p^^^t of the campaign f. j^-^'^"^'^^ Captain Warren has since commanded in succession tlifc|^>w?-ti %^^f Blenheim and Bulwark, third rates, and Seringapatam of 46 "-tC^ v'i^ •' guns. The latter ship conveyed Sir Benjamin Bloomfield, Aiipi|f5^^^ ^-^M bassador to the Court of Sweden, to Stockholm, in the sum- mer of 1823 ; and was paid off at Portsmouth, Feb. 5, 1824. Previous to their separation her officers gave Captain Warren Jjail'^S a sumptuous farewell dinner, and presented him with a gold ^il*^ snuflf-box, value thirty guineas, as a small token of th^ijFJi^ffj^. ;ir.r. s-^^'-^t^ci sn^arm attachment and sincere respect. ^'^^vv^l ' Paptain Warren married, in Dec. 18()0, a daughter of ^ v'«^.?tj Barton, Esq. Clerk of the Cheque at Ciiatham, and by that ' ■^^H lady has had seven children, five of ..wKoni.iire noj*^ ..liyipg. l-l He was nominated a C. B. in 1815.^^i^S^ijSM^^T\f jM 4^m^5.— Messrs. Brine, Chards, and Co. i^^^^^^Miferil^^ on the coast of Fiiifend' ^i1l¥(!^olrc«(f ? "S-vj 'V^ -ny--^ r-^<-'''''^''^^-^~v'rVp>^g. ■M'^S'- W.f^ty^\ ANSELM JLOHN GRIFFITHS, EsQ- ^^.^^ [ "T^ *j<"jYj^ officer is ii sm of the late Rev. John Griftit'Mf '0! ' ' "^ Kingston-upon-Thames. He entered the naval service as a . ^ 'Midbhipman on board the Juno frigate, commanded by Cap- I'^v^'' tain James Montagu, in Jan. l/Bl ; obtained his first commis-«4.'^^^3^ ;^ ^ ' bion Nov. 22, 17^^ J and after serving for some time as first i-*'"" ^ Lieutenant of the Fly sloop, on the Newfoundland station, :\vas appointed, in Nov. 1792, to the Culloden of 74 guns, in f;;^^ which ship he continued, under the respective commands o§-'^'^^^ '' * ^Captains Sir Thomas Rich, R. R. Burgess, Isaac Schom-^^^^^^ f ? « i-bcrg, and Thomas Troubridge, till his promotion to the rank ' 'M^||g i^S'-y-: of Commander, March 8, 1797- If-- ■ K.^ lS^'^^ The Culloden formed part of Earl Howe's fleet in the battle f--^^^^ I^'" >-;^ of June 1, 1794; and bore a principal part in Vice-Admirj^l^-^I^Js.^ 'f?.; " Hotham's action, July 13, 1795. Her loss on each of thos^^^K ^^t/'^^t'days was 2 men killed and 5 wounded. The services she ?fS^^ v^^-'f^ performed on the memorable 14th Feb. 1797, have already #'^^| r^','^Z- been alluded to in the course of this work*, and were thuil^^f -'<^ ^7' ^' noticed by Sir John Jervis, in a private letter to Earl Spencer^iM^jl^:^ respecting the conduct of certain officers concerned in the;^"^^! engagement : ,p4py^^-Sf-*« ''Y^Mt^WA£^rt^^Wii''^'fi^^''-'i'''-'^~^ " Rly Lord,-- -The cdtlfeet WndiTcf of 6very bflfieer ana iiiah in the sqiiii- (Iron on the 14th inst,, made it improper to distinguish «)ne more than another in my public letter, because I am confident that had those who were least in action been in the situation of the fortunate few, their beh|l| ^ , / viour would not have been less meritorious. Yet to your Lordship it be- ?/.<-- %'} comes me to state, that Captain Troubridge, in the Culloden, led the . ^, i^ ;''!ll squadron through the enemy in a masterly style, and tacked tiic instant <i*»§ v^^^i i fy. ^^\i signal flew ; and was gallantly supported by the Blenheim, Prince Georg<^^!|^l^ -01 "•*- v^ , 'M|||^-y»vM Orion, Irresistible, and Colossus. The latter had her fore and fore-top-sii^:*''*^'^" )y that 'i^^^Vj^j^^^it'-'- y«»rd3 wounded, and they unfortunately broke in the slings in stays, which ^^]^a; 1:. ,;,,., */r' 't?.iliM%,,^^ threw her out and impeded the tacking of the Victory. Commodore Ncl- :\:^^m- l^M'*1-fZ '*^"' ^^**' ^^^ ^" ^'*^ ^^^^ 0" ^^^ starboard tack, took the lead on the lar- :^^^fe K^^'it* ^^^^^^' ^"*^ contributed very much to the fortune of the day, as did Captaiiif^t:.^^^^! ■ !?;«;^ /#;vf:'.i both." '^^^ ^ ol- I PP- -1.25, and 7/5, also memoir of ("aptain James ^.^^ ^"BLE, ivt p. 567 r( se'i- of this part. <-^g^SiNM^rN 'i.'''°' ^i'Wi' |V?Si^!^"^'=^- o o, o o o oo (.^ o'^y f, — r VOfcT- CAPTAINS OV M^S o% We have iiiBertcd the above document from two motives : "^ oo o Q) 1802. W <3 o o _ o O G O O IOCdO O^C? ']°o oo o that of she whig tlio estimation in which the Culloden's ser- ; vices were held by the <iommander-in-chief ; and that of en- O deavourhlg^o do away a misconception which has prevailed, respecting the veteran Admiral himself, in consequence of b'ljis having omitted specifically to notice the exertions of such officers as most effectually contributed to the success of the P^action*. It is now only necessary to add, that the Captain and CuUoden alone, turned the whole van of the Spanish fleet, consisting of three first rates, and several two-deckers j and that the latter ship, at the close of the action, was in a worse state tlian any other of the British squadron, the Captain 3i)^cO alone excepted. Her loss consisted of 10 men killed and 47 1^0° wounded. "o^C5o ^ "^ o" ^ ^ ^^ O r>The subject of this memoir was promoted, at the period Q o,-X)^^^ hTivii already mentioned, for his conduct as first Lieu- '^ '^ tenant of the Culloden on the above glorious occasion ; a»id iluring the ensuing dght months we find him holding an ap^ pointment in the Sea Fencible service, in the Isle of Wight. QHe obtained the command of the Atalante of 16 guns, in Nov. 1798 J and was posted from that vessel, after eruising Owith considerable activity against the etiemy's prurateers, in Q the (Jjiannel and North S^^ April 29, 1802 f. ^® o 0^' * Charnock, in hk " Biogra];)liical Memoirs of Lord Nelson," at p. 74, O says, " No particular observation is made on the conduct of Lord Nelson q {in the official or Gazette account] : and that circumstance, perhaps, paVa- ^ o doxjcal as it may appear, is in itself a matter of the hifjhest praise ; for it is the natural infirmity of the human mind, to be silefit as to tiie promulgation •^ of that worth, which it feels itself shrink os i^ were fron^ the task of payiug o sufficient tribute to." ToO o t ^n t'»e lOlh Aug. 1801, a gallant little exploit was performed by Mr. 2P 0( Francis Smith, a Midshipman of the Atali|j)tc, who with eight men, in u ^°n O c^'^*^*"*^^ cutter, captured a French national lugger mounting two ^o ( i4-poundcrs and four swivels ; the cool intrepidity with which he rowed up >3 o^ ° in face of a brisk discharge of cannister and grape from the vessel, and a ^ o ocross fire from two small land batteries, excited his commander'^ admi- l)aD° o ration. The lugger was lying about mukset shot from the Frettch shore ; notwithstiiiiding which she ivas boarded and brought off without any body ^"0^^° being hurt on the part of the British, who jumped on board at the moment "j O to "^ °; her I'low wi'To deserting her. ,^ ,^ c?o ^ o o O ^ o°o o O ^ O cs O O © o o o o e) o o. o o o o u o CC' o .00 -^cT'^" ,f^° o 000 o o o o G O o cP (DO O 0_ £? )0/ O 'l) n O (D O C( CC Cl \i fr te « P 1 b t^ t n V I O o G ^'-O '^r W ©3 f' n -' o o G 'S : .cl, of ch he liii et. lul I\SC liii 47 ioci '"- t iiul ^ ip. r ^ r ht. ' in ) ing III I. ) V?) O o o oo o u '•-^C} TN D O r\ O P O f POST-CAPPAINB nV 1802. o 575 o C o u ,.... l^t I. }■ son c ' iVa- r. tib- ion qC.-G Oo n O : 1r. ,; . 1, ^ a .-' tt'O o (' up O rx, t-^ V) C . O ni- „ e; f'. dy nt O O ' OC' O r C o P O ,,: ' o% O ^ o In Sept. following, Captain Griffiths was appointed to tht» Constance of 24 guns, which ship appears to have been suc- cessively employed in the blockade of the Elbe, and as a cruiser on the coast of Portugal, and in the Channel. In July, 1806, he removed into the Topaze frigate, on the Irish station, from whence he proceeded to Davis's Straits, for the pro- tection of the whale fishery, in company with Captaui, now Rear- Admiral, Maitland, of the Boadicea. He v/as subse- quently ordered to the Mediterranean, where he left the To- paze and joined the Leonidas frigate in the month of July, 1809; a short time previous to which his boats, commanded by Lieutenant Ciiarles Hammond, made an attack on nine of the enemy's vessels lying at anchor in the road of Demata, on the coast of Albania ; and, notwithstanding the opposition of a very superior force, five of them being regularly armed for war, and in complete preparation for resistance, succeeded in bringing them all out, with the lo^ of only one man killed and another wounded *. The Leonidas formed part of the squadron under Captain Spranger, at the capture of Ccphalonia, Oct. 4, 1809 f, and assisted at the reduction of St. Maura, by the military and naval forces under Brigadier-General Oswald, Jind Captain George Eyre, in March and April, 1810. The particulars of that service are detailed in the latter officer's public letter, a copy of which will be found at p. 404, et seq. of Vol. II. part 1. Captain Griffiths left the Leonidas, in 1813, and has not since been afloat. He married, June 7, 1802, Miss Parker, of Arundel. ^gcnt. — Harry Cook, Esq. ■T * * The vessels captured on this occasion were h>adetl with timber uud brandy on government account, and were bound to Corfu, where their cargoes were much needed. They consisted of three armed vessels curry- ing in the whole 15 guns, 6 swivtU> and \)'i ninn \ two gun-boats ; uud four trabaccolas. Lieutenaut Hammond had previously received a severe wound, wheieUy hte right hand was rendered nearly useless, when cutting out two vessels on the same coast ; he subsequently distinguished himself at the destruction of a French convoy in the bay of Rosas, an account of which will !)c given in our memoir of Captain John Tailolu. (*) X !See Vol. I, p 7iy. D_ O « •^i y (5 O o A o c^ 576 POST-CAPTAINg OF 1802. GEORGE BURDETT, Esq. This officer was first Lieutenant of the Egmont 74, com- manded by the present Admiral Sir John Sutton, in the action oflF Cape St. Vincent, Feb. 14, 1/97 J a»d commanded hi Sophie sloop of war, on the Newfoundland station, during the last three years of the French revolutionary war. He was nominated to a command in the Irish Sea Fencibles about Dec. 1803 ; and appointed to the Maidstone frigate towards the latter end of 1811. From that period he was principally employed on the Halifax station, till the close of the contest between Great Britain and the United States. On the 1st of Aug. 1812, the boats of the Maidstone and Spartan destroyed two American privateers in the bay of Fundy ; and two days afterwards attacked and brought out a revenue cutter of 6 guns, pierced for 10, and three schooners mounting 2 guns each. On the 17th Oct. following, the same ships captured the Rapid, a fine privateer brig, of 14 guns and 84 men. In Feb. 1813, we find Captain Burdett employed in the Chesapeake, with a squadron of frigates under his orders, the activity of which, hi annoying the eneniy, may be inferred from the following copy of a general memorandum issued by liear-Admiral Cockburn : " //. M. S. Marlborough, Ltjn -haven Day, Chesapeah', Mar. 4, 181.'}. " Ocii. Mem. — Cuptain Burdett having tranbinlttcd to mc the copy of u letter, daledFcl). 9, 1813, which he has written to the coiiiinandcr-in-chicf, piving an account of the capture of the Lottery (a schooner of 12 guns) in a most gallant style, by a division of boats under the command of liieutenant Nuzer ; and the copy of another letter, dated the 14th Feb., stating the in- variably gallant, active, and zealous conduct of every officer and man of the small squadron of frigates lately employed in this bay under his orders, ' cannot resist anticipating the commander-in-chief in taking public noiicc thereof, and in requesting the respective Captains of the said frigates to make known to their officers and crews, the high sense I entertain of their good conduct — the honor such behaviour does to themselves and their country — and to assure them how higldy satisfied the commander-in-chief will be when he receives these accounts, and that I am sure he will not fail to inform the Admiralty and their Country thereof, with due encomiums. I have also io request the respective Captains will trauismit iuuncdiatcly to ^^r POST-CAPTAINS OF 1802. ^77 tlic Secretary of ilie Patriotic Fund, the neccsaary certiftcatcs to obtain, with the least possible delay, fur those who have been wouuded, the usual necessary rewards. • (Sjp;no(|) " Geo. Cockhi;rn, Rcar-Admiral." " To the Ciiptn'ms of (he MaUhtonr, Jie/nitht'ff, Junon, Stntim, and Laurexttnux." • ° '^ -^ Ciiptaii) Bnrdett married, first, in 1802, a daughter of Lieutenant-Gencral Whitelocke, at that period Lieutenant- Governor of Portssmouth ; and, secondly, May 15, 1806, tlie only daughter of Colonel Brown, of Glcnnagary, in the comity of Dublin. Agent. — ^J. Copland, Esq. ^ JAMES NASH, Esq. This officer is a brother of Captain John Nash, R. N. His post commission bears date April 29, 1802, ylgent. — John Chippendale, Esq. J PETER SPICER, Esq. Of this officer's services whilst a Lieuti ant, it would he sufficient to say that he served as such unch^r Nelson, in his favorite ship tlu Agamemnon ; but as he had the honor of being repeattilly mention' d by tliat great man, in his official accounts of the immerous actions in which the officers anil men under his orders were engaged, it may not i-e ami^s to introduce a few cxtracta from those despptches respecting him. On the 2()tli Aug. 1795, the boats of the Agamemnon and other ships, ctil out of tlie bay of Alassio, la liesolu, French national polacrc, of 10 guns, 4 swivels, and 87 nicjj ; la Ke- publique, of G guns and 49 men ; twj armed gallics ; iuid • Th«« bottory was from HalliMoro bound to Bourdcaux, witli a carjifo of cotl't'o, HU|{ar, and bt^wood. Au obstinate wur her defence, that of a coniph;mcnt of l^S men, no Ichs than i!^ including her commander, were dan^n'rously wonmled. The British boul. iiad only <> wounded. Having but an imperfect li«t at |in'senl of the nnmeroiis captures in which Captain Bnnh'tt was c<»ncerned whilst on ihi; American coaPt, we siiall dt-for no- ticing I hem more fully until the puldicution t^f our promised Supplement to the Addenda contained in \ ol. 1. ,. .1 1 1 e k. -tic V' O cP'- io;;:. r"^.--, o c o O 578 o ^ c o o f^, o (j C3 ~a. POST-CAPTAINS OF 1802. three tianspoits laden with powder, shells, and wine ; two others in ballast ; and dcstroj'ed three vessels laden with ammunition and provisionr,. -^_ ., This enterprise was soon succeeded by another, which did not terminate quite so successfully. It is detailed in the following letter from Nelson to Vice-Aduural Hotham, dated Vado Bay, Aug. 30, 1795 : " Sir, — Having received information that a ship lailcn with provisions was arrived at Oncglia, I yesterday afternoon niaiinc<l the two small gallics taken on the 26th, with 44 officers and men from the Agamemnon, and 10 men belonging to the Southampton, under the command of Lieutenant (icorge Andrews, and Lieutenant Peter Spiccr of the Agamemnon ; and ordered Lieutenant Andrews to proceed to Oneglia, and to endeavour to tal\C the said ship. On his passage down, about nine at night, he fell in with three large vessels with lateen sails, which lie engaged at ten o'clock. One of these >vas carried by boarding ; but the men belonging to her re- tiring to the others, cut her adrift, the three vessels being made fast to- gether. At half past ten the attack on the other two was renewed with the greatest spirit ; but the number of men en board was too great, united with the height of their vessels, for our force; and my gallant officers and men, after a long contest, were obliged to retreat. It is with the greatest pain 1 have to render so long a list of killed and wounded. The spirited and officer-like conduct of Lieutenants Andrews and Spicer, I cannot sufficiently applaud ; and every praise is due to each individual, for their exemplary bravery and good conduct. The vessels had no colours hoisted, but a Greek flag has been found on board the prize." In this UTifortunate affair tlu; gallanf party had no less than 4 men killed and 13 wounded. The following additioruil information is extracted frt)m a letter to Mrs. Nelson, dated Sept. 1, 17J>5. -z::^ ;. \i\. " .-■: :-^.J '/" x '^ :;,• " \Vc have made a small expedition witi; the K(]ua<lron, and taken a I'Vcnch corvctK! «»nd some other vessels, in which affair I lo^t no men ; , but since, I b vc uoi been so successful. I detached Mr. Andrews* to cut oil u .-ship from Oneglia. On his passafjr he fell in with three Turki.sh vessels, as it has riiiice (urneti out, who killed and wounded 17 of my poor O fellows. S(»ven are alruady <lca(l, and more wiust be loai by the badnesit r\ of their wounds. I am .>«)rry to tuhl that titc Turks got into Genoa, with six millionH of hard cosh : however, they who play at bowls must cxpoci nibs ; Aiid the worse success now, the better, I hope, anot! m timo." o^ £}> On the 3ht Ma\ , 17^)0, • I<i«!ut(Miant .•\ndrewi wn;* afterwarcU ujude u I'osM'aptain Nelson's Minadron (aptiired a He died ^'^ at Tiverton, July IS. IHIO. 0<-'> OOD b Or U o o o o o 'h -U oft ^^#^00 O^ O-cPO^n c .$oQ Q b -\.u o 6-6' O O'^ w^m:^. h'^hi "'^V^o ?°a,i' °o P l-^-D- f I »o <? c,> '-' :■ O >^5 .=■9 :>, -- -J -^o-- POST-CAPTAINS d# 1802. valucibte convoy laden with arms, ammunition, cntrcnchii»g^° ^ tools, &c., sent to Buonaparte for the purpose of enabling him to carry on the siege of Mantua. The Commodore's account thereof will be found at i>. 519 et sea. of Vol. I, On a subsequent day he writes thus : " - ^^%S*'," " In my public letter it was impossible to enumerate every individual ;'^^ifi °.' but next to Captain Cockburn stands Captain Stuart of the Pctercir, PoY°\i Spicer comman('<cd the boats which first boarded the ketch *, under a hcavv ° o o fiiT, and had a liit.le skirmish when on board ; and to him ihc commander^ o'^ oo°^ ' O _( siirrcndercd." ■AR" ■■i<° °&.^^0 % In the following month, Commodore Nelson shifted his ;\„o| OOq broad pendant into the Captain of 74 gu"s, on which occa- sion the whole of the Agamenmon's officers, with the oxccp'' °°°° tion of one Lieutenant and the Master, were exchanged^ atul [\)n()wed him. -^^&:^;:^-^^« ^^ .. ?f%:^s ^ji.^,if?^^f^ir'^^ _ o - o o About this period the French army, under Buonaparte, entered Leghorn, and Nelson immediately conjmenced a vigorous blockade of that port. He soon after took posses- ^^ sion of Porto Ferrajo, in order to prevent the island of J'^lba ^o from falling into the enemy's possession, in which case thco ^ safety of Corsir'i would have been rendered extremely n ° o' doubtful. ^ Q<^^ On the 18th Sept. in the same year Capraja, an i^and o O q situated about 3; miles from C'orsica, was also secured by the ^ O sipiadron. On this occasion, as appears by the Comnmdore's q account of the operations, *' a party of seamen were lauded^'"' o^ ^ under Lieutoniint Spicer, who dragged cannon up the mounJ} q q tain with their usual spirit and alacrity." ^ o o ^^^ 8 ^ It was on the l.'kh Feb. in the eventful yeir \J97i that Conunodore Nelson again hoisted his pendant in the Caplnin, Q fiom which he had occasionally renu)ved it into qther ships, Q CPO for the purpose of superintending the evacuation of Crtrsica, CD '^ 1 the removal of the naval eHta!)lishment and storcf^ from ^ ant 0° o I'orlo Ferrajo, measiuTs that had beconu' necessary in eoipQ q se(|iu'nce of tlie turbulent disposition of the (!orsican!i, the r^ivvnt declajation of wju- by Iblpuiu, and the wa'st of a surtitMent O ^ O^oO O ^. '^O n o^ O^ * l.a (Jenif, »)( thrcu l><-poumli.Ts, two ^poundiTn, liuir swivels, ; somen. '' ^ ^ Q QC?'' ""' ^ ^"'6 Q o o P6 b o O ;^-^9G.oOa5v> r\ o; o p o o o o o o O O o o "0°- A %S3^J o^o o o o 4 5W;j naval force to fM ; *^: fl;:°> quarter pp^^. Onthelcdiowinfif 'victories i?veF vecordetl in our naval annals. % V It would be su-^- • C-X^;-* -,; perfluous to repeat any of the c'rcunistances of that proud ^^•^r^,'^' event, in this place. A particular account thereof will be •^^"' found under the head of Earl St. Vincent ; and the conspicuous .^ . *art acted by the Captain, in our memoirs of ll^^^-Admiral , " ° Sir Edward Berry and Captain James Nobler*: .^o ,3^ ^^^ q iS 0.0 Soon after the above glorious event, Lieutenant Spicer was 00' <?-5%8(* o promoted to the command of tljo Arab, and subsequently re-o 'e^°'b moved into le Henard of 20 guns ; the latter sloop he left iii^ ^° ^ 1801. 'h^^ o '^ \." ^ On the 29th April, t802, Captain Spicer ^ras incradca in J'o.°o <%, "^ o the list of officers who were advanced to post rank, in con- q sequence of the cessation of hostilities. Soon after the re- newal of the war we find him commanding the San Josef, a> <^ first rate, and subsequently the Foudroyant of 80 guns. The latter ship he appears to have quitted about June 1804, from vv^iich period there is no further mention of him until the sum- mer of 1810, when he was appointed to regulate the impress service at Swansea. Captain Spicer obtained the out pension ^ of Greenwich Hospital, March 18, 181G. He is a burgesy of Saltash, iti ODrnwaIl,^^uid was formerly ati alderman of that borough. ^ " - Q » ^ M JAMES SEWARD, Esq. % $ "^ This officer was made a Lieutonant, July lU), XT]^'., and commanded la Sireime sloop of war, oh the Jamaica station, m \\\ I7O6. He subsequently held ah uppointujciit in tbo Sea Fenciblcs on tlio coast of Hampbhirc. His post commission # Ci>ears date April 2<X, 1802. ' . 1^ Captain SeSvfird yiarrled, in 1800, a daughter of Colonel, (tiow Lieu^c^iant-Geiieral) EveUigh, of thf* Hoyjd Engineers. That lady (Hed in 1813. Q ^ ^/tj-ewr— Thortias Stilwell, Es(j m o ® ti( as o1 \v r P n d 81 P -t h " o o. o T> o © ® % • e 9 % eo e ;^5!8 o o o ^ QO% o O O t N' ¥'V.'i '.-^ e%n o r 5?" O o -J 00> ■-^°"b r! ^# "08 o CK f' •-'id This officer was made a Lieutenant in 1793 ; appointed to J- 'o -Jli command in the Devonshire Sea Fencibles, ^ril 3, I7O8 ; ^ ° |^iS.:-^and promoted to post rank April 29, 1802. o V^ " °* / ^'<^, i .^^D" *?» rfO o o ^gent. — Sir F. M. Ommanney, M. P. 0Gb CO o o o ^^ THOMAS PHILIP DURELL, Esq. o §^^^^ 3 <»\^o "°^ This officer's first commission as a Lieutenant bears date'^ io° ^0° April i;, 1778. He obtained post rank April 29, 1802. o^ o O ^8 °o ^ O o o 00 o f-\ o * o -3 ^gctit.'-^^w F. M. Ommanney, M. P. o o « o .00 000 s° e a O 6° O -. o o"''^/ ALEXANDER BECHER, Esq. ° ° o This offi,ccr is the fourth and only surviving son of tliO^I Oo John Beohe, Esq., a Commandcir 11. N. Hd >rRs jiorn at o 1 I oo r Q o^'Sheet-End* (Iti Staffordshire) near Stourbridge, co. W^i-cesfcr^ Q AprilG, 1770 ; received his education at the iiiaritiiiM? aca-^ Q Odemy, Chelsea ; entered the naval service on bohlfd the La-^^ tona frigate about March 1783; and served nearlj^^igh^Vears ^ ® as a Midshipman in that ship^ the Carysfort 2^, TrusR 5(V and 0lVarl of 28 guns, on the VVcst India and M^ iterrafiean sta- tionsi during which time he distingufslied'^himself by his ^ assiduity in making astronoinical obscfvatliViiKi, ai(d surveys 9 . of the various p^accs;y^isited by the different ships to which ,® # he belonged. • In Feb. 1791/' being then at Gibraltar without the least 3 f* prospect of pi-omotioni he introduced himself to Rear-Ad- iniral Peyton by a letter, stai^iug tK!*t he ^^ as the son of a deceased ofQqer, ahd that h, I:ad made such ()l)scr\ atirtijii and surveys between that place au() ConstantiuKple as niiglU probably be foihul useful to the squadron ; mentioning at the aanie tinw; that t|)e drawii;gs Klltuled to hf\d been forwarded to the AcTmiralty by the Captain!^ uncU'r whom he had had thi- honor of serving, q 1^ ^^ q" Th<i Rear-Admiral received this letter in a very kind mai\> ner, and instantly ordered him to be dischafii^ed Into his flaii: s'up, the Lcandrr of ul^gunsj from whcncu he })ronu)tv<l ►^ U v^ n .Vol. fi. 2ji O' O ^ o ^o or Q kJ o o n o t o • • •o © ® OqF^^o^.. V- 9^<^ «H';I '/7 I- -T^-r^^-r fu" . ?°f;l As a Lieutenant, Mr. Becher dfi|i0V*:d^ mtfl^iFe time^ii^l: °oifc <s o ^ 'Studying naval tactics, composing signals, and forming plans, :; «;. "<; iiiiL-tr r .u „^ v^° « o Inany of which he has since l|aj[l tb^.. plcpjSwe #.£ seeing ado|)tei£ ° % 4 <'^"' ": by the Admiralty. '^^f^^{¥^^m^^^k^f^^U}fAjp.:;$ At the commencement of the French revolutionary war wc ,8 •. 4'>^>)Xl* ' -jm ,ofind him serving on board the Proserpine frigate, and com- li'"/^ had 'f¥/?-" ,V' Pu •.4ih<'^t 1 aUGct i°-"i o •'"j^roved to be the first pri/e captured orj that station. ;i| .■§3f^> o' iSte'/ '^■•^^^'^bf th{ ^00 He subsecpiently joined the Defence of 74 gnrs, fonti^ o° °'°t'^^^^ m^ 0° |tnanded by Captf^in (noW Lord) Gambier, under whom he o° Vrved as fourth Lieutenant in the battle of June 1, 17^)1 J The foUowing anecijote, with which we have been furnished °,'' »../g'ai since the publication of his T^rdship's ujcmoir, will serve as^j^^ o«" o o C O ^dp t^^^hat effect, became so far advanced that an oftiecr C "^uggesto^-^o Captain Gamb^r the propriety of bringing to a O little tow£«t for the othe'r ships. Il(^ smilingly repliedj * No, lip, JSir, the signal is made? and 1 shall ob^y it ; every man •^ must answer fbr' his own conduct this daV'.* The Defence ^™ - continued her course, was the first ship that broke through the ,ei;eniy'8 line, and presently in th^ thickest of their ftre." ^ The loss and dat^^age sustained by heV has been correctly de»^ _Bcribet|jit pp. 78 ^d/9 of Vol. L .^ , ,.In thc_ following month Lieutenant IJedljer was ren^<!)ved ^ imo the lloyal George^ a first rate, f)earing the flag of his •bouij^ been i] ® his command, and treated with g^eafc iudignit^ b3(_^icr crew, during thq gerteral mutiny at Spjtthpad in Mi»y 17^^) Captain Eaton, of the Medusa tr(iO|)-ship,was api)()intetl by L»)rd Bi id- port to succeed him] artd Mr. Becher, at tli:^, period' first iliyben ».>3*« ord(^ U o Medi mr Af k 0° 000*=" • e . ^od-father tne late Lord l^ridport, unuci- whouij^ served iii^ i O the action off rOrient, June 23, 1795. \ n ® f*^ ,• Ijie Oaptain of the Marlborough braving been depriml of ^ «o° o O 00 o JB O P Of IK - "cmpl norcj °durir piedi aubs( vcrsl 1802 ^thc not a ; have : o • u O 9 ^ O u o o o ,t^ o O. ® 00 o o w - - o B • o c^: ^lifiitcPo^^'o^ .% o o PO Oo ^. <S O 00 ^r^ o ** t I © pooftsi Hve '.II Ohat h ai'cide o o o o vOOj o 'J*m*. i.M ° o '1 > 9. v.. ^^*V-":§i^. Medusa, which ship, in connnon with the rest of the fleets liad yard rope3 rove in order to strike terror into the min<;^^v«?^^|'^>r'5! ^^|/;.; of the officer^B^^{Uflt4 those who mi^ht feel diKposed^fe^tf^jC^^^^^ i/ 4;||:;i succeeded in restraining the violent, disposition of his crew, ..; j-s^'-Vi/i 1 o I) ir © IT o O o «' 00 o °S«i3 off, a ' oO eP a I " 00 '^ I O 11) n 5t f o c ;3n-^th them. y.cp^ft'^>" -Pursuing the same tempe-rate^though firm line of conduct^ o° ']^ j vl^- * *V'°. .' *^^'' h^ '^^^ previouly done in the flag-ship, Captain Ht»chei^i?|*;^^i^^ •* ;'''-4of the Admiralty, by whom Lord 15ridport\s appo • ^° been confirmed on the death of Captain Eaton *. ' " "l^^o '»'*'} J^l We next find Captain Hccher proceeding to Gibraltar, "'^^.'/'^aJL'^i ^;,J?^{ where he had thL* misfortune to be wrecked, whilst under ^'^ ^^-f^l orders to join Lord Nelson in the Medite^rrailean, where tlie li. o •• '^ «b Medusa was to hru'e been established as a poslship undei»his o*'® . -^i^^Sv- '"^f ^ I'om mand ? , '^ " " After this disaster, he appears to have been very usefully ° ^ ^o 'bo" O o CO ^employed in equipping the ^xj^edition destined against Mi-^^o o V ®norca, and superintending the conduct of iiis oiBcers and men %• * Mjj^*^!^ °dunng their occasional services in gun-boats, under the im-^ *•* - P "mediate C^iWmand and observation of ^ Earl St. Vinceht. He „.«: P o O o o '°o .jtjubs6^(|(ie)iitly iield a command in the Sea Fencibl(!'s ' at Fe- Cs^°oVcrsham, Kent. Hi:^ post comttiission bears date April 29, '^1S02; a smficicnt PjF^of that iho tjobl^mau theil [)residing at "^thc Admiralty^ and \ylid had w>l.f^cssb<l 'the Medusa's fat^' did not'attacli J^ny blame to her trmmander, whatever he rrtight have laid to^^iis own charge, i}n :{c*count of her loss |:^ Captain l^^chwss last nji&!)intmc]»i hflout \tn^inwSe|W. IH02,* o Q o o o ^ Q "'" * The ui'Iiiely death oi,-ihpUm\ Kutou Is (loscrihcd hy, Ct^ptaiu © Brftltton in liis ^KlVill Ilistory, Vol . I, p. 45f). ,-Q > "^ t The MedusQvas lost ^ipoiigh the iaU'ifercncc of^arl Sr. Vinrcnt, "' pronsioiicd f>y his Lordahip'sTrnpatience nKj^f^cr out of (libraltaj: inole. ^ OO "AV'c Iiave been tuhliiy an old Po!it<.('ai>U^niv(not the snhject of thi»-4iinnoir) M hat had 1^' ('Knimf^uJer heen iillo>iKj(lf't(i pro^-ed in ^^< uwi^Anv, no ^ rO !i o ocn o ^ D r "h. O arddonO>f^lht' khid \roiihlhavi' iiuppeuetl. ThW.Vilmirll <liM(m«i«» to hii»0 irof o o ,0 VojKthc shore hy meajit of V -pi'ukihL; lrmn|.'i O O Q ^ '^'^'^ o o (p ^^OOOoO" o Q o •o o n o 00 ? % o o «# ^ o (? OO o o d n ,o (5* O .0 cDQb o, O 6 O O go! & ■ai*i op-\ u »P^^;^^J^' iK^lf^^' :'^t^l^l*t».i!* ©^.wl^niintHv ri trigate armed f/* fluU,\\\ wine 'Si^ V 1? '•'®*"'^-^'^" again unfortunate. On the 24th Mar. 1803, having received :^X'§i? HfiihtH*, a trigate armed en Jluti, ni which he was* *^v W''Ar»«' ships passed through the pa%v._^_^.^ sage of the Great Russel. The weather beinij fine and winiir^vfe" "4^.'^ 5^ of course prepared, and in momentary readiness for ng. In about f.ve minutes after the helm was put a- lee. ?^^5^^l^o,^ °„ the ship came instantly to the wind, and the :iftcr yards Avcre ^^^s^ '^^^^^- ^'^^""g J ^^^^ the main-hrace was scarcely behvyed when she :^ 'iw^'Viii struck on a rock, and in less tlian tliree minutes the wv^^WQi "' 1^' •°>V'*J°2f inside of lier was of equrd Iieiglit with the surface of the scjfc';' i .Wo *•<>. ^lV ij_: I •..._ e. Ai . _.._ ii. . r ^i.., i.:.i„ aI.-a 4.1.-.'=*? hi-: o.o. lieing apprehensive, from the strength of tlie ti(h;, that tlie^.; ^* ship might fall into deep water, Captain lieclior ordered botfli^*''. 1 anchors to be let go, which was done, and the cables l)itted "°*<^ ^^ 1)1*. "•" -■ .8.- ■* -'^ Poi Cai •^ »iii £5 o«** o o a9 W* V "s^"^- '""^ stoppered. The panic that prevailed among the soldiers' '••^•jVl wives and children occasioned indescribable confujsion, and .i)i\'4*.*' ; every effort to suppress it proved ineffectual. The sails were \»o by this time clewed up, and the top-gallant -sails handed ; but Captain Bedher fearing that the weight of the men on the top-sail-yards might tend to upset the ship, ordered them down to hoist the boats out. The large cutter was soon over the side; but the anxiety of the people who crowded into her plainly foretold their fate. In vain did Captain Hecltt^r re- monstrate on the folly and impropriety of their conduct, and solicit them to let the women and children only go in tlie lioat : both reason and persuasion had lost thch* influence. Tho ship nov fell on her broadside, and Captjiin Bc^her with inany others Wtre thrown into the sea, where they ro^iifiinjQd tin n\inute» before they could regain the wj:Qck ; but at leh^h, U^aviug reached the mimi-top, lie ha,d^V>iicc more an oj)portunity of a(|'5'1aing those left with hira now to save their O C) livOB, though still ui>^l)le to pretrent many ffom jumping into lije water. Too much praise camjpt be gii^en to the officehr^ and men sent to his assistance : by their rxertirhii, altb(^ugh r^ Q €o O 8 Q© o o s o r~\ n O o o o o O o o o ^o^c5> o o o 0^' o o Out O 1(1 )r ul > , s ■re ii;- or 'p .t, re h(« !fr ?5i. lu< th ■a..., ;S< • aV^f' ^: •v.- «>*: ^ i-SA- i&:„-S '?'.^ s<*:. ; W '.■M mm^M^mTm^m ^mf^- •m. . . .-„ POST -CAPTAINS OV 1802. 5^;^g^>^>|;?:; the tide was ruivning near six knots per liour, in the course of three liours and a half every person was renvoyed,^a|id thpi ./. /^fi-r-.rf. "^S:.^;^.oniy did Captain Becher quit his post. A-j/'J;^: ^ -^ ■^^^^'^'^iM^^ |||^ Jjjtf^ On the 5th April following a court-martial, nssembled at :^fe'l^1 l:C%!V Popfcsmouth, determined that no blame was imputable to r ■«-'-4?^J " \!»*s;* Captain Becher for his conduct on the occasion of la Deter- ..%'^.'^ ' •? minee's loss ; that he used every means in his power to ob- '^^^,^^ tain a pilot for Jersey, both before he sailed from Spithead, j?]^^- ,.f.>-jm^- %:^0- and during the voyage, without effect ; that he was actuated l^/'>^ "o^ ■°^ ^!^ ^^y commendable zeal for the service in attempting to cnteir <;r'' ri.- the harbour by endeavouring to follow the Aurora's tracte--f and that his cool and otlicer-iike conduct, after she struck, was highly meritorious, especially in ordering the anchors to let go, to prevent her drifting into deep water, by which ^g () means many lives were in all probability saved ; the coiifli^'KI * ••" O .'«<\,i did therefore adjudge him to be acquitted of all blame *?%^4f^*^^^^*^ Captain Becher subsequently commanded the Sea Fencibles ^ Ahiwick, in the county of Northumberland. He married, ^^ 1793, Frances, daughter of the Rev. Scott, of .°° !l^ueen'a College, Oxford, Rector of Kingston and Port Royal "n^'Hn Jamaica (and brother of the present Countess of Oxford), by whom he has issue Alexander Bridport f, a Lieutenant jfe. N., and acting pro tempore as Hydrographer to the Ad- q miralty ; Elizabeth Emma Maria, married to Captaltl Wood, son of General Wood ; Ann, married to Lieutenant Charles W. Nepean, son of General Nepean, and nephew of the latjC^ Right Hon. Sir Evan Nepean, Bart., Governor of Bombay ; two other sons, and three daughters. Four of his childr^ died in their infancy. His eldest brother, the Rev. Michael q Thomas Becher, of King's College, Cambridge, was Jrlead Master of the Royal Foundation School at Bury St, j^dmunds, during a period of 21 years. ^ u o4D Agent. — J. Woodhead, Esq. ' o O o ) o o a O 0% o b o o ^OHN HATLEY, Esq. o o o o o This officer was madq a Lieutenant by Sir Robert Harhmd^ ^ 0» L.1 L^tcrinin(^e's crew and j^Ficngert-' were all saved, with the exc ^ ccption ui^l!r|)erson's, O O Oq ,-^ pj T^^ is liUhci a >ii)i,ailar «:ii'cuujL)t mce that Lyrd Bridport ^si»ou^ )\\x\er O stood spori!^ Iiollvi'or Inlhcr and soi.^ but such Was the case, (j Qd O ^ Oo OCHqq o 8 H9 o ^o O y O o *4.2^.|n I78*i. His exemplary conduct as first Lieutenant of the *i^.^^iSt. George, when a mutiny existed on board that ship, ofl^';ap«>o s| ^ftsjV'* Cadiz, in July 1797, and ^fs moted to the rank of Com for which he was deservedly pro-»° <> mniander, has already been noticed irP^ • ., "^1*^ .s?^he first part of this volume, at p. 23, et seq^ He subset « ^••x " "fH^^'^^b' commanded the Winchelsea., a 32-gun frigatea arme^ o'jiBnHute, and employed in the conveyance pf troopsoto jJa- , ^titoaica and the Mediterranean ; on which latter station his jBervi( I'H obtained him the gold medal of the Turkish Order ot^^ S&iH Crescent. He formed part of the procession at the funeral ^ of Britain's idol, tht immortal NelS^n ; imd afterwaxds serveu ^ as Captain of the Boadicea frigate, and Raisoftable 64, in tl^ ^lidiari seas. O) ^ >c# o o "S o OooP OS^o of^' o %%' o O ° » O oo ^o |P% o ^ lie the Cib ma aft< gat OOO %l O^ o O D o o o jigmt.-jj- -k- — Minerhcny, Esq. oO o cv O O o e o ^ o ^ c o o ^ ^0°^- dPRANClS HOLMES C^FglN^sgPO C) O This officer obtainedjidbicutenant's rammis^n in 1701.^ and dfslinguishecrliunself wheiT) serving on shore with a de- O O Co o Tk • Q tachment oTseam^Qit the rrauction of the Cape of Good Hope, by tW^naval a^ ^litary forcetO^nuer the ordersnpf _^ Sir Orjrge Keith^lphinatone, and-Majdi^Qeneral Cjyg/lHit ^~^ more^articularly on the JBth ^Auffw^ 1795, when the (J^^^P^ Commandant, endfiavoiO-ing^ regam tt^osiQon wrested fromjO ^ him on the-precMing d^y; drew out his whole force from '^^ QCape towiVoogdlier/-with/oight pieces of cannon Ox)n that '^ occasion, says the Major^eneralQ" Captain Hardy and O qq-^ Lieutenant vioffin crossed the wffter \^th tha ^eaniQ and JD O GP e < , obt Wt o o Oo o o & d C o 6\ ^*^« o O O inarineOnder their commaudQecdyed the enemy's fire with ouOeturning^ snot,^id iiSanoeuWd witliKa regularity that Q would noHiave discremt^ veteran troops."Q />^ ^ Lieukmant Coffin, ax that time belonging to the Rattlesnake ^ )op of war, Was^fterwSrds remoWfl to the Monarcft^ of O Oo O oO uni O o o %: o loop 4^gun8, beai^g tfi^ flagofvthe command^-in-chie^y who^ rX> 3 o o x9 wasrj^mproyfed as the bearerof the correspondence betwewr ~ ^ ^^imself and tfic Dutch Kehr^dmiral, Lucas, relative to the surrender ^g, srjSk^ron belonging to the Batavian repuWic, O qcP^Q in Saldanda bay *, o cO ^ O r^ O ^ °o<^ °o •c^J^c'VqJ, P, PI., 47-^. N.B, Since tUPpuhlication QXord Kcith't o c o ol O o W ,OOc X^C%Q O ^of^ >83 wn tur OCNc O oo o o o pa on n CO. liO O ?) CP o'- %v J" iA "S; ■'X'^n'' ^** POST -r APT A 8 oii*»1802. a^iriCoffin'iJ post cuinmission beats date April 2d, 180^. vC|^e bad previously commiinded the Spliynx sloop of war, on 0"qo oi the €apc station ; and held an i^ppointment in thd^Sea Fep-) O ciblc service. During the late war he was appointed ^^'coni- q (^ mand a porlion^f the fliiin^ corps at Tralee, iuIrelaW; and O CI. after its dis^)lution wcxIiniBuii^ living Q tte^ Arcthi^ fri- ^ gate, on ^Jic Jamaica station;' Q ^ O o o ^ #6 ^ o id it it o idO . id C 93 o c51 o 1- it ce of le u o O O o o c o ol o o f c o bx^ 8 o**o Qw^ 0= — O ~ ^ JEFFERY RAIOpnSFELD, Esq. O, o O O o, o % O riu^)flioer is ch^scended frbm a noble Gerntlm family. He ^ (-, obt;iinedf}n()st ranW "April 29, 1802; and married, about th^ h^ue pcrk)d, a daughtpr^of the Rev. Peter Hawker, Hector of C^^ Windcheater, and of H^mMetlQco. Groucestet Q JQ^ On ^C> O p5 YT" I^R,cPsQ o o ^o o o 'O ^ ^^ cnKKiM ryMr,cPsq. ^ ^ Tiiis^fliccr was made a Lieutenant iiOTSSj his post coni- »iibQon^)^«arBd!;tcAp^29, 1802. Q O o Oo O qO 6I1IIIS Q. o - TOPIIER O -Q cP o o o o _^_^JOHN MlLI aims' NEO ^ (Y SHAM, ^o 9q3 O y^ This oftici^r is a son of the late Christoplier Neshau^dEst^ whoQcrved ^8 Aid-de-cainp to Colonel Monson^t liie cap- ture of JVlSinlla, iV 1762,Q)y Mary V^arasPtrstpr of the (2^rcsent Admiral Freeman, and a relativ&^f the Mc Lord OCNorth*. O Q o ^ ^ n O OC03 o li o o o o O o w LJ^orm-. ^o'-'O 0.00 OOO' O HQvas born in 1771 > entered the naval service undef^he p. >J OO patronage of his nudernal uncle in (782vAnd served aa a AW-o rj ^ O Memoir, we have aelQi-taincdtluiU|ieintelligeDcQfu Dutch £uuadronb(M^ r\^^ ^ on ij^siy from the Texel to the Cape of^^ootl Hope, wii/forwarded to ^^^K) ^J O thatomcer^ Georg^aldwln, Esq., H(^. Consul-Gen^l irt%ypt. QcR^^Oa^^^ O C£tptainNeshap»,'sgrara-fatl^, JohnNeshatn,ofHoU^toii-)<e-s^ O ^-0~^ ' Q CO, Durham, EsV}.^ ^viis po8!ie6sedi)f conaUlerable cool upincs an^ landed r\ C<0 nQ)erly. His youngest son, Cliristoj^i-Avas a Caotaiu iotlw 63d w^ ^O QQ{ gWicnt, but left >he army on beM preaMitedrvaih 9^\W apiiointu ^ ^ o iOVX tV. Q gmicnt, , ''S'^ O O O O o o 00°ctP Oo o o o o o "00 <J^oa. .0 HD O Ij O o o4 'l) 2 .o^-^^-^.Vcofo/./fM!! :bo ><£ oCvPd 000( .o_ 6L ic^O <:«^^ o°oo':s cb w 'o9,- ■C)' « o o \i^ Q o o OQ^ 9 IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) I.C 1.1 ■so "^^ 115 ■ 2.2 £^ |i£ 12.0 I ■UUU J& 1.25 III 1.4 III 1.6 < 6" ► Va A "^J> Y >^ V a HiotogPdphic Sciences Corporation as WIST MAIN STRUT WIUTM.N.Y. USM (71«) S73-4S03 >' v 4^ ^^ <^ "^ ^' ^>^ V ^88 POST-CAPTAINb OK 1802. shipnian on bojird the Juno frigate, Captain Janies Montai,ai, in the action between Sir Edward Hughea and M. de Suffrein, off Cuddalore, June 20, 1783 *. On his return from the East Indies, in 1785, Mr. Nesham joined the Druid of 32 guns, in which ship he continued un- til qualified for the rank of Lieutenant, when he was sent to a college in France, where he had the gratification of saving an honest man from the fury of a blood-thirsty mob. The person alluded to was Mons. Planter, a government agent, in charge of a large corn depot at Vernon-sur-Seine, whom the revolutionists were hurrying through the streets a la lanterne. Thoughtless of his own danger, Mr. Nesham rushed among the sanguinary multitude, and throwing his arms round their prisoner, declared that if they destroyed one innocent man they should the other. The extraordinary generosity of this heroic action was not lost on the surround- ing spectators ; and those very people, who but for him would have exulted in the destruction of their victim, now carried M. Planter and his deliverer before the municipality, from whom Mr. Nesham received the freedom of the town. A na- tional sword, dedicated to such purposes, was also presented to him, and a civic crown placed on his head, at Paris. Mr. Nesham returned from France, and joined the Salis- bury, a 60-gun ship, bearing the flag of Vice-Admiral Mil- banke, and commanded by the present Viscount Exmouth, in 1790. He was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant at the latter end of the same year. In 1791 and 1792, we find him serving onboard the Drake sloop of war and Niger frigate, in the British Channel ; and subsequently in the Adamant of 50 guns, on the West India, Newfoundland, Lisbon, and North Sea stations. He was first Lieutenant of the latter ship during the mutiny in Admiral Duncan's fleet, and in the battle off Camperdown, Oct. 11, 1797 f. His promotion to the rank of Commander took place in Jan. 1798 ; and on that occasion he was appointed to la Suffistmte sloop of war, in which vessel he continued, on Channel service, till posted, April 29, 1802. • Sec Vol. I, nolo at p. 425. t See Vol. I, pp. 160, 580, and 581. fO!>T-CAl>TAlNS OK 1802. 589 III 1804 and the following year, Captain Nesham com- manded the Foudroyant of 80 guns, bearing the Hag of Sir Thomas Graves, in the grand fleet. His next appointment was to the Ulysses 44 ; and in the autumn of 18()7 we find him convoying a fleet of merchantmen from England to the West Indies, where he was most actively employed in that ship, the Intrepid 64, and Captain 74, for a period of three years, during which he assisted at the capture of Mariegalante, and served on shore at the reduction of Martinique *. The fol- lowing are extracts from Sir Alexander Cochrane 's oflicial account of the latter event, dated Feb. 25, 1809 : " While the batteries were kept constantly firing on the enemy from the western side. Captains Barton and Nesham, of the York and Intrepid, with about 400 seamen and marines, continued to be employed in getting the heavy cannon, mortars, and howitzers up to Mount Sourier, from the eastern side of the fort (Edward), which was a service of the utmost labour and dilficulty, owing to the rains and deepness of the roads ; but notwith- standing vvhich, a battery of four 24-pounders, and four mortars, was finished by the 22d, and the guns mounted ready for service. " On the following day some more guns were got up, and ready to be placed in an advanced battery, intended to consist of eight 24-pounders ; • • • • rpjjg jj|.g j^gpj. yp jjy jijg batteries was irresistible j the enemy was driven from his defences, his cannon dismounted, and the whole of the interior of the work ploughed up by the shot and shells, within five days after the batteries opened. • • • • " I have already informed their lordships, that I entrusted the whole of the naval arrangements on shore to Commodore Cockburn * * *. He speaks in terms of high approbation of the able support and assistance he received from Captains Barton, Nesham, and Brcnton, whom I had se- lected to act with him. To all these officers, and the Lieutenants and other officers, seamen and marines, inrmediately under their commands, I feel truly obliged, for performing the arduous duties imposed upon them. The 7-gun battery at Folville was entirely fought by seamen, from which the enemy suffered severely." The Captain 7^) being found unfit for service, was paid off in 1810 ; and the subject of this memoir has not since been employed. He married, in 1802, Margaret, youngest daugh- ter of the late Admiral Lord Graves, by whom he has one son and a daughter. Mrs. Nesham died iu 1808. • Sec Vol, r, p. 264. VI 590 POST- CAPTAINS OF 1802. r CHARLES BULLEN, Es<j. A Cvmpunion of the Most Honorable Military Order of the Bath ; and Commodore on the coast of Africa. This officer is a son of the late John Bullen, Esq. (Sur- geon-General of the naval force employed on the coast of America, under Vice-Admiral Arbuthnot, in 1/79, 1/80, and I78I), by Ruth, daughter of Charles Liddell, of Newcastle- upon-Tyne, Esq., and second cousin of the present Lord High Chancellor of Great Britain *. He was born at the above place, Sept. 10, 1769 ; and em- barked, when little more than ten years of age, as a Midship- man on board the Europe 64, bearing the flag of Vice-Ad- miral Arbuthnot, under whose patronage, and the immediate protection of his father, he proceeded to New York, where he was removed, at his own request, into the Renown of 50 guns, for the purpose of seeing more active service than the flag- ship was likely to be engaged in. On her passage to Quebec with a large fleet under her pro- tection, the Renown encountered a heavy gale of wind, during which she was totally dismasted, and only saved from destruction by the active exertions of her first Lieutenant, the present Rear-Admiral Sir James Athol Wood. The greater part of the merchantmen having either foundered or dispersed, she returned to New York, where Mr. Bullen joined the Loyalist sloop of war, commanded by Captain Ardesoif, with whom he continued on the American station till I78I, during which period he was present at the reduction of Charlestown, in South Carolina, and other services of importance f. The Loyalist being paid off on her return to England, and a general peace approaching, Mr. Bullen availed himself of the opportunity afforded him, by prosecuting nautical and other necessary studies, till 1786, when he again embarked, • The Earl of Eldoti's mother and Captain Dullen's grandmother were tirst cousins. t SJco Vol. II, part I, note f «t V- S^- POST-CAPTAINS OF 1802. 591 on board the Culloden 7^t Captain Sir Thomas Ricli, Bart., under whom he served upwards of three years. In Dec. IJ^-N he joined the Leander of 50 guns, bearing the Hag of Rear- Admiral Peyton, by whom he was appointed to act as a Lieu- tenant on board the Mercury frigate, in 1791. He was soon after confirmed by the Admiralty to the Eurydice of 24 guns, on the Mediterranean station. In Dec. 1/92, the Culloden, having undergone a complete repair, was again commissioned by Sir TJiomas Rich, and Lieutenant BuUen appointed to her at the particular request of his old commander. In Mar. 1793, she formed part of the squadron sent to Martinique, under the orders of Rear-Ad- miral Gardner ; and after the failure of the attack made upon that island, she appears to have afforded shelter to more than 1000 French royalists, men, women, and children, of all ages, who were embarked in St. Ann's Bay under the most distress- ing circumstances, the brigands having literally driven them into the water ; and conveyed them in safety to Barbadoes *. Lieutenant Bullen's next appointment was to the Ramillies 74, which ship bore a part in Lord Howe's actions of May 28 and 29, and the memorable battle of June 1, 1794 f; and was subsequently employed on the West India, New- foundland, and North Sea stations. From her he removed into thi Monmouth 64, as first Lieutenant to the Earl of Northesk, under whom he was serving when the mutiny broke out in Admiral Duncan's fleet J, on which occasion he was brought to trial by the rebellious crew, one of whom, a man who had received many favors from him, went so far as ac- tually to throw a noose over his head. He, however, had the good fortune not only to escape with his life, but also to see the deluded part of the ship's company return to obe- dience, and redeem their character by conduct more natural to British seamen, in the glorious battle off Camperdown, Oct. 11, 1797. The Monmouth on that day compelled the Alkmaar and Delft, two Dutch ships of 50 guns each, to surrender ; the ^V ;V: X • See Vol. I, i». 40 ». t •'^•-'c p. 570. I See Vol. I, [k -'00. ifl 5()2 POsT-CAPrAINS OF 1802. (X. I > former she condueted to Yarmouth Roads *", the latter was taken possession of by Lieutenant BuUen, who found her in very shoal water, and so dreadfully cut up, that it was with great difficulty he could get her clear of the shore. She sunk under him, when in tow of the Veteran 64, two days after the action, and took down with her 1 80 Dutchmen, together with .'') British seamen and marines. The remainder of the persons on board were saved by boats sent from the Veteran to their assistance, on observing " the ship is sinking," chalked on a board, and exhibited by them. A frigate, which had likewise been engaged by the Monmouth, but finally captured by the Beaulieu, was wrecked near West Capel. The loss sus- tained by the Delft in killed and wounded has never been ascertained ; but according to the Dutch accounts, the Mon- mouth's other opponents had no less than 76 men killed, and 102 wounded, whilst she herself had but 5 slain and 22 wounded. For his bravery and exertions in and after the above battle. Lieutenant Bullen was deservedly promoted to the rank of Commander at the commencement of 1798, and from that period he enjoyed the pleasures of his domestic circle till June 1801, when he obtained an appointment to the Wasp sloop of war, fitting at Plymouth. After accompanying the Newfoundland convoy to a certain latitude, he received orders to proceed, without loss of time, to Madeira and the coast of Guinea ; and he appears by the following documents to have reached Sierra Leone at a very critical period : " Fort Thornton, Dec. 2, 1801. " Sir, — We, the governor and council of this colony, to whose care the livcH and property of H. M. subjcctH, as well as the interests of the Sierra Leone company are entrusted, feel it to be our duty, at this critical junc- ture, to represent to you that the presence and aid of H. M. sloop Wasp, under your command, may materially contribute to the preservation and security of the colony, by co-operating with our force by land against a formidable confederacy of the Timniany chiefs ; who, though repulsed in their attack on Fort Thornton, in the morning of the 18th ult., still per- Sec Vol. I, p. 8M». POST-CAPTAINS OF 1802. 593 sist ill their design of plunder and extermination ; and, according to the intelligence we have lately received, are now collecting a numerous force to the eastward, as well as endeavouring to maintain and recruit their num- l)ers at Cape Sierra Leone, with a view to attack us as soon as we are deprived of the aid of H. M. sloop. " The object we have at heart is, without loss of time, to reduce tlie enemy to such terms and conditions of peace, as will afford us a reason- able satisfaction for the past, and entire security for the time to come. " We expect an answer in the course of this or the following day to a proposition we have made to King Firarna, the Sovereign of the Timmauy nation, through Smart and Moribundoo, our allies, to enter into a treaty ; that answer will, in a great measure, determine our future operations. " We shall be happy at all times to receive the benefit of your counsel and advice, upon the best means of attaining the end wc have in view. We have the honor to be, &c. &c. &c. (Signed) " Wm. Dawes, Governor. " J. Gray, 1st in Council. " Rd. Brioht, 2d Ditto. " T. LuDLAM, Counsellor, /)ro tempore.'' " To Charles Dullen, Esq. Com- manding H. M. sloop Wasp." " Fort Thornton, Jan. 24, 1802. *' Sir, — Wc enclose a copy, which we have just received, of a represcn- tation from the principal private merchants in the colony. " When we had the honor of addressing you in an official manner, to request that you would sail direct for England with our despatches, we di<l not attach that degree of credit to the advices received from different quarters, * tliat the enemy were determined to renew their attack in a very few daya,' which subsequent information has now convinced us they me- rited. Mure than once their forces have been in motion to execute the design of plundering and destroying this colony; but they have been stopped by their leaders, who thought it advisable to postpone offensive operations till the departure of the Wasp. In addition to the above, in- telligence from a respectable quarter, and of a nature highly probable in itself, has been received by the governor, announcing the accession of a very powerful and enterprising chief to the confederacy already formed against us. A detail of the grounds upon which our apprehensions are founded shall be communicated to you as soon as possible. With such strong and just impressions of the public danger upon our minds, it would be inconsistent with our duty to be silent. We intreat you therefore to remain upon this station, till circumstances have taken a more favorable turn, which we shall use our utmost exertions to effect. A compliance with this entreaty will (humanly speaking) prove the means of preserving from imminent risk, the lives of 120<) of his Majesty's subjects, fogotlier with property to the amount of upwards of 7<>,000/. sterling. I; Wr 594 POST-CAPTAINS OP 1802. " Wc conclude with assurinjj yoii, that we are unanimous in thlnkinpf^ that the departure of the Wasp at this most critical juncture, would in all probability occasion the total ruin of the colony, by exposing the craft, stores, provisions, and other valuable property, afloat and on shore, alonir the water line, to the irresistible force which the enemy, in a night attack, by means of their numerous canoes, might bring against that defenceless quarter. We have the honor to be, &c. &c. (Signed) " Wm. Dawes, " To Charles BuUen, Esq. SfC. ^c- Sfc." " R. Bright, " T. LUDLAM." In consequence of the receipt of those letters Captain Bullen remained in the Sierra Leone river till April 1802 ; when the rainy season being about to commence, and having the inward satisfaction of knowing the colony to be safe, he landed such ordnance stores as could be spared by his sloop, and proceeded to the West Indies on his way to England. Previous to his departure from iVfrica, he received a letter from Governor Dawes and Counsellor Bright, of which the following is a copy : " Fort Thornton, March 31, 1802. " Sir, — The letter of the 27th inst,, which we bad the honor to receive from you, engaged our immediate attention, and would have been duly answered if, according to the intimation given by the Governor, we had not entertained a hope of receiving despatches of a very important nature from England in the course of a few days. Being, however, disappointed in this respect, and unwilling to add to the long detention of H. M. sloop Wasp in her present ill-provided state, though we think that the presence of a ship of war in this port is still very desirable, we are happy to state to you our opinion that the original purposes of her detention, which were to assist in preventing or repelling an attack ; to afford time to strengthen the works at Fort Thornton by intimidating the enemy ; and to enable us to negociate under more favorable circumstances, have been fully answered. We trust the motives which influenced you, upon our solicitation, to depart from the letter of your instructions, will receive the sanction and approba- tion of the Lords of the Admiralty. It will be our duty to represent them in a proper light to our superiors. With grateful acknowledgments for the iniportant services rendered to this government by yourself, and by the othcers and men under your command, upon every public occasion, and with the most friendly wishes for your and their prosperity, wc have the honor to be, &c. &c. (Signed) " Wm. Dawks, •* Rd. Bright." " To Chnrlrs Dulifu, Esq. Commander H. M. sloop /Faftp" POST-CAPTAINS OF 1 802. 595 On his arrival in England, Captain Bullcn found that he had been promoted to post rank for his services in Africa, by commission dated April 29, 1802. The Wasp was paid off at Portsmouth in July following. On the renewal of hostilities, in May 1803, he was ap- pointed pro tempore to la Minerve frigate. Captain Jahlcel Brenton, her proper commander, having met with an accident which compelled him to remain for some time on shore. In that ship he had the good fortune to fall in with twenty-three sail of French vessels laden with timber and other valuable stores, bound to Brest, tlie whole of which were either cap- tured or totally destroyed. He shortly after detained a fri- gate of the largest class, but she was ultimately released by the British government, in consequence of her having been employed on a voyage of discovery. Captain Bullen subsequently commanded a district of Sea Fencibles, and the flotilla equipped in the Thames and Med- way, for the purpose of repelling an invasion threatened by our late implacable enemy Napoleon Buonaparte. In June 1804, being applied for by the Earl of Northesk, he assumed the command of his lordship's flag-ship, the Britannia, a first rate, forming part of the Channel fleet, but afterwards de- tached under the orders of Sir Robert Calder to reinforce Vice- Admiral CoUingwood's squadron off Cadiz. The part borne by her in the celebrated battle of Trafalgar has been described in our first volume ; but in justice to Captain Bullen we must add, that although from her heavy sailing, which was remarkable on all occasions, she could not get into action as soon as some other ships, no Tt'rt was wanting on his part to place her in the most conspicr ms situation. For his gallantry on that eventful day, he was rewarded with a gold medal commemorative of an event, the recital of which will ever excite admiration in the breast of Britons *. Lord Northesk being obliged to resign his command on account of ill health. Captain Bullen, after refitting the Bri- • The battle of Trafalgar was fought on the very day that General Mack and the Austrian garrison of Ulin passed under llie yoke of the claimant to an unlimited conuuaml of " ships, colonies, and commerce." \ if m / ( 596 POST-CAPTAINS OF 1802. / tannia at Gibraltar, returned with her as a private ship, anil three of the prizes under his protection to England. He was put out of commission at Plymouth, in June 1806. 11 is next appointment was, in 1807t to the Volontaire, a 38-gun frigate, in which he conveyed the Duke of Orleans and his brother. Count Beaujolois, to Malta. He was after- wards actively employed under the orders of Lord Colling- wood, occasionally cominanding the in-shore squadron off Toulon, and cruising on the coast of Catalonia. At the com- mencement of the war between France and Spain, we find him charged with a mission to the court of Morocco, and travelling by land from Fez to Tangier, in consequence of not finding the Emperor in his capital. The result of his embassy, which had for its object the procuring of supplies for the European peninsula, proved highly satisfactory to the commander-in-chief, and very advantageous to the common cause ; the minister, Abdallah Slouey, with whom alone he had an opportunity of conferring, having granted permission for the necessary articles to be exported from his master's do- minions for the support of the oppressed patriots. In 1809, the island of Pomigue, near Marseilles, was taken possession of, after a desperate resistance on the part of the enemy ; and Fort Rioux, near Cape Croisette, with 14 guns, destroyed by detachments landed from the Volontaire, under the orders of Lieutenant Shaw. Pomigue was afterwards evacuated, for want of men to defend it. Several French officers were made prisoners, and a code of signals found in Fort Rioux. On the latter occasion the enemy had 5 men killed and 8 wounded ; the English only 2 wounded. On the 23d Oct. 1809, Captain Bullen being off Cape St. Sebastian, in company with the fleet under Lord CoUingwood, and on the look out to windward, at 8 P. M., discovered a French squadron, and about twenty sail of transports, coming down from the eastward, and gave immediate notice, by signal, of their approach. The manner in which the ships of war were disposed of has been described in our memoir of the officer who commanded the division sent in pursuit of them *. • See Vol. I, pp. 2S2 and 28.'^. POST-CAPTAINS OP 1802. 597 The capture f d destruction of the transports will be fully detailed under the head of Captain John Tailour. In the execution of the latter service the Volontaire had a Lieute- nant * and 1 seaman killed ; 2 supernumerary officers, and 13 of her own crew wounded. The assistance rendered by Captain Bullen in the preparation of fire materials, and pro- viding his boats with every implement that contingency could require, was officially noticed by the commander-in- chief. In 1810 and 1811, Captain Bullen commanded a small squadron employed in active co-operation with the Spanish troops on the coast of Catalonia, as will be seen by the fol- lowing letters, reporting his proceedings to CoUingwood's successor, the late Sir Charles Cotton : . ' " H. M. S. Volontaire, off Cape St. Sebastian, Sept. 28, 1810. " Sir, — Fearful my letter of the 22d inst. may not come to your hands so soon as this, I beg to repeat, that on the 5th inst. the Spanish army, under General O'Donnel, left Tarragona, and on the 13th got to Arens del Mar, at which place he divided his forces, himself taking the road to Besbal ; and so rapid were his movements, the enemy was not apprised of his arrival till within a quarter of an hour of his entering the town. This happened on the 14tli, when a smart action took place, but of very short duration ; when the French General, Swartz, with 600 men, were taken prisoners. On the same day St. Felice, Palamos, and Begu, vvere seve- rally attacked, and all surrendered ; the total of French taken being ai)out 1400 men, besides canuon, &c. &c. ; so that this coast from Rosas, with the exception of the Modas islands, is again in the possession of the Spaniards. " General O'Donnell, I am sorry to say, is badly wounded in the leg f , but there are hopes of his doing well. The whole of the prisoners arc at Tarragona, where the General now is, with only the inhabitants doing the duty of the garrison, which makes him anxious about their being removed. " Upon the whole, there is every prospect of the enemy being soon driven out of this province. I was yesterday at Escala, in the bay of Rosas, where the French had a depot of corn, &c., all of which I have got on board this ship. 1 was gratified to hear that, on Monday last, the French were defeated at Bascarra, where they were attacked by 500 Spaniards, who took from them an immense convoy of provisions, (which * LieuteniuU Dulhousie Tait, an excellent young officer, who had dis- tinguished himself on many occasions. . , . t See Captain Fraxcis William Fane. , VOL. II. 2 B ts., ,x:. 11 >9fe POSr-CAPTAlNS ov 1802- wat on its way ffom Ccrpignan to relieve Gcroua,) besides 400 prisottcrB. Gtnerj^l MactloAald was at Severn a few days since, but so retiirced in his; army, having now only 6000 men, that it is generally thought he will not get back to Barcelona. Cadaques, and all the small holds the French had near tlosas are al>andoned, and the whole are gone to that garrison. The French Mt als6 in a bad way before Tortosa, as all the fofts which they had throvvn up Imve hetn washed down by the heavy tains. • • • »." " €amhrt(tn*, off Rosas, /Ipril \^, 1811. " Sir,— I have great pleasure in sendinij to you, by the BlossoM, the iipportant intelligenoc of the surrender of Figueras to the Spaniards, on the 1 0th instant, and that St. Philon and Pulainos were taken possession of by the Cambrian and Volontaire on the 12th and 14th, the guns all em- barked, and the batteries destroyed. I am now on my way to Rosas and Cadaquds, aftd I have reason lo hope the latter place, with Selva, will also %hMti\^ be oUra. " The fall of Figueras has roused the Spaniards, who aro armmg in all directions) and Hostalrich and Gerona are at this moment garrisoned by Spanish troc^s. The only correct account I can learn is, that 400 Italians, with 200 French troops, were left to protect Figueras; and that the former,. disgUBted with the treatment they daily received from the French, and being also Italf starved^ opened the gates of the fortress to a body of Spaniards, apprised of their intention, who rushed into tite castle, and put every Frenchman to the sword. About 2000 effective Spanish troops are in full possession of this important place ; and General Sarsiield is on his way with more, as well as supplies of every hind. " Tlie French General, d'Hitliers, who has the command in Catalonia, on hearing of the fiall of Hguerash, lias abandoned all his holds in Spain, except Barcelona, and is collecting the whole of his force to attack it, as well as to prevent supplies from getting in ; but I am told a quantity of provisions was concealed ui the town, unknown to the French, which has- been giv«i up to the Spanish troops in the castle, who are in the highest spirits possible. The Termagant continues to watch Barcelona ; and I purpose remaining off here with the Volontaire, ready for any tiling that may offer, as under all the eiasting circumstances, I think it likely Rosas may give in. " I also beg leave to hiforra you, that a large settee, deeply laden with grain fw Barcelona^ was, the night before last, most Iwmdsomely cut out from under the M edas islands and batteries, by the boats of this ship, led on by Ueutenant Conolly^ without a man being hurt. I beg leave to offer you • Captain Fane being taken prisoner at Palamos in Dec. 1810, Sir CJhftWii COttbn Very hafifidso'mfely appointed Captain BuUen to the Cam- brian, she being a much larger and finer frigate than thfe Volontaire. He Iwwever left the lafttei* <^'fth ndtch reloctitrtce. POSr-CAPTAINS OF 1802. 599 ray congnttilations ou the fall of Fi^eras, and the fair prospect it opens. 1 have the huuor to be, &c. &c. (Signed) " Charles Bullen." " P. S. Since writing the above, I have spoke a small boat from Begu, Avhich tells me the French General had made a rash attempt to recover Fi- gueras two days since, and lost 700 men." At Cadaqu6s, one of the places alluded to above, Captain BuUen succeeded in capturing nineteen merchant vessels ; six of which, being laden with grain and wine, were sent to Tarragona for the use of the garrison. At Selva, he received a severe wound whilst in a battery on shore, the effects of which he still labours under. On the receipt of the foregoing letter. Sir Charles Cotton increased the naval force stationed on the coast of Catalonia, in order to afford a more effectual co-operation with the pa- triots, and ensure supplies reaching Figueras, and other places in their possession. The squadron thus augmented was placed under the orders of Captain (now Sir Edward) Codrington, with wliom Captain Bullen served till the fall of Tarragona in June 1811 *, when he was sent to the command- er-in-chief with an account of that unfortunate turn of affairs. The Cambrian subsequently refitted at Gibraltar, and then proceeded to Malta, from whence she convoyed home a con- siderable number of French prisoners. She was paid off at Plymouth in Dec. 1811. Captain BuUen's health being now very much impaired, he remained on shore from this period till Nov. 1814, when he was appointed to the Akbar C'f 60 guns, a ship fitted pur- posely to cope with the heavy American frigates, and intended for the East India station 5 io which, however, she did not proceed, the war between Great Britain and the United States being soon after terminated by the treaty of Ghent. The Akbar's next orders were to receive the flag of Sir T. Byam Martin, whom she conveyed from Plymouth to the Scheldt, on a particular service, we believe that of superin- tending the partition of the fleet and naval stores at Antwerp, for which purpose the Rear-Admiral had been nominated a Commissioner, in conjunction with Sir George Wood, of the » Sep Vol. II, Part I, note at p. 225 et seq. 2r2 \ llli tiOO POiT-CAFIAlNS OF 1802. Royal Engineers, and Joseph Tucker, Esq., a Surveyor of the Navy. That service being soon terminated, Captain Bullen was sent to the Halifax station, where he remained as second in command till Nov. 1816. He was put out of com- mission at Portsmouth, in Jan. 1817 ', and having no induce- ment to leave a happy home during a time of profound peace, remained on half-pay till Dec. 1823, when he was appointed to succeed his old friend and messmate, the late Sir Robert Mends, as Commodore on the coast of Africa, the arduous duties of which command he is now performing, with his broad pendant on board the Maidstone frigate. He was no- minated a C. B. for his general services in 1815. Commodore Bullen married, about 1791> Miss Wood, a distant relation. He had previously become possessed of some property at Weymouth, in Dorset, by the demise of his father ; and when on shore, has ever since resided there. j^gents. — Messrs. Evans and Eyton. JOHN WIGHT, Esq. This officer was born at Eyemouth, a sea-port town in Ber- wickshire J and having lost the protection of his father, who changed his name to White, and died a Purser, R. N., was destined by his mother for the medical profession ; but feeling a predilection for the naval service, he embarked at a very early age as a Midshipman on board the Culloden 7^) under the patronage of his worthy relative, and future father-in-law, ^.lie late Admiral Schanck, of whom a memoir will be found at p. 324 et seq. of our first volume *. In 1791, after serving about a year in the Culloden, Mr. Wight joined the Trial, a cutter built with sliding keels, ac- cording to a plan proposed by Captain Schanck ; and in the following year he removed into the Orion 74, commanded by * Captain Wight's mother was a member of the ancient and rcspcctaltle family of Greive, well known in Berwickshire, and a first cousin of Ad- miral Schanck, of whom farther mention will l>e made in the Supplement to the Addenda, already promiacd at p. 883 of Vol. I. Hin hulf-brother, George White, is a Lieutenant, R. N. POST- CAPTAINS OF 1802. 601 the late Sir John T. Duckworth, under whom he serred on the Channel, West India, and North American stations, till the latter end of 1793, when he was received by the lamented Captain Riou * on board the Rose frigate, attached to the ex- pedition about to sail for the reduction of Martinique, Gua- daloupe, &c. During the operations carried on in the former island, he landed with his gallant commander, and was entrusted by him with the charge of a 3-gun battery, constructed by the Rose's crew on Point Carriere, at the distance of between two and three hundred yards from the walls of Fort Louis, on the opposite side of the Carcnage. Whilst thus employed he had two remarkable escapes ; a sailor, named John Williams, being killed by a splinter of a shell, when in the act of re- ceiving a biscuit from his hand, on which occasion he was covered with the blood of the unfortunate man ; and another of his party, James Wamsley, being slain by a shot whilst in close conversation with him f. From this battery he accompanied Captain Faulknor, of the Zebra, to a spot close in the enemy's front, where that heroic officer made such observations as afterwards enabled him to lay his little sloop alongside the walls of Fort Louis ; the result of v/hich enterprise has been already stated luider the head of Rear- Admiral Williams J. Mr. Wight's conduct during the six days he held the above command, was so exemplary as to induce Captain Riou to place him at the head of a division of men to be employed ill the grand attack upon Fort Louis ; and although but a kud, * Captain Riou was killed at Copenhagen in April 1801 ^ he will be more particularly spoken of in a subsequent part of this work. t Mr. Wight, when a boy at school, had a very narrow escape, his coat tails being accidentally shot through by a Mr. John Planta ; and when serving as a Midshipman of tlie Trial cutter, he was twice cast away in her boats, and each time obliged to swim for hh life. In addition to these instances of the miraculous interposition of ]> evidence, it appears thut, although twenty times in action with the enemy during his professional career, and frequently knocked down by the wind of shot, 8cr., he never received a wound ! X Sec Vol. 1, note * at p. 85fi ; and for other particulars rcsp«oting i'apluin Faulknor, sec Vol II, part f, p. ■J20, et neq. 'u; 602 POST-CAPTAINS OF 1802. he had the good fortune to be among the foremost of those who BO bravely stormed the enemy's works ; thus setting a noble example to the party under his orders. His juvenile gallantry being duly reported to Sir John Jer- vis, the commander-in-chief, Mr. Wight was taken by that officer into his own flag-ship, the Boyne, a second rate, where he had a very severe attack of the yellow fever, and nearly fell a victim thereto. On his recovery he was landed with a party of seamen attached to the army under Sir Charles Grey, and was frequently engaged with the republican troops com- manded by Victor Hugues, who, during his illness, had suc- ceeded in recovering possession of fort Flcur d'Epee, and other posts, in the island of Guadaloupe *. After the evacuation of Grand Terre, the Boyne proceeded to the relief of Fort Matilda, then closely invested by the enemy ; and Mr. Wight was sent in the jolly-boat with an officer, bearing despatches from Sir Charles Grey to General Preecott, who commanded there. On his arrival opposite the sea front of that fortification, he hailed the garrison, in order to obtain an escort from the beach to the sally-port ; but receiving no reply, and the night being dark, he deter- mined on landing in the town of Basse Terre, and proceeding through the main street, which was the only road by which he could approach the draw-bridge. Taking with him one man belonging to his boat's crew, he passed through the town without molestation, although many soldiers were distinctly seen by the reflection of the lights, sitting at the doors with muskets in their hands, and arrived at the ditch surrounding the works at a moment when the republicans were firing in all directions. After a considerable pause on the part of General Prescott, the draw-bridge was lowered, and the gate of the fort was fortunately opened at the moment when a French dragoon, who had rode up to Mr. Wight, was in the act of taking out his pistol to fire at him. Having informed the General of the object of his visit, and that the enemy were in possession of the town, a suitable force was sent to guard See Vol. I, note at p. 841 ; and Vul. If, part I, p, lOBe/ fry. fp a y a rOST- CAPTAINS OP 1802. 603 the officer charged with Sir Charles Grey's despa^hes^ who was thus enabled to execute his mission in safety*. In Nov. 1794, Sir John Jervis presented Mr. Wight with an appointment to act as a Lieutenant on board the Beaulieu frigate, commanded by his friend Captain Hiou ; from which ship he w^s afterwards rempvcd into I'Aim^bli? of 32 guns, on the same station. This promotion was conferred upon him as a token of the Admiral's approbation of faia very dis- tinguished conduct during the preceding campaign. The Beaulieu was engaged in a variety of active services, and on one occasion destroyed a French trp(^-ship, mount- ing 24 guns, and laden with military 8tor?^, a^^v an ^ctjou of two hours with the battery of St. Francois, Guadaloupe. Previous to her being «et on hre, a shot struck her fore-mast, against which Mr. Wight was leaning, and passed through it about twelve inches above his right arm. L'Aimable, com- manded by Cujpt^in Mainwaring, had a very sharp contest with the Pens^e, a French frigate, mounting 44 guns, with a complement of 400 men, 28 of wh(mi were killed, and 36 wounded, whilst, strange to say, she herself had not a man slain, and only two or three persons wounded. During this conflict Captain Mainwaring ^nd Mr. Wight were knocked down by the hammocks, &c., set in motion by the enemy's shot, but sustained no material injury f. The following par- ticulars of the action have been fumish^id us by a gentleman who bore a part therein. We give them at length, in con- sequence of no other correct account ever having appeared in print : "At sun-set on the 22A July, 1796, I'Aiwable bisinii; w a cruise o(i Ciuadaloupe, discovered t)%e Pen&<^c rQundii\i; ^j^UshiniVi'* Head, ojid ia- * Fort Matilda ^rmerly Fort St. Charles) had a very bigb wall Next the sea, md was completely ^ummaoded mi the other diree aides hy laud ; MO that« aiiUo\^h impregnaUe ugiMfiat a» attack by aliips, it was not capa- ble of inaintaiNtuif a long 4l«^«nce a^M^at u vigavuufl cneoiy on shore. It was taken l)y the Uritisb, April 82, J 794, und o^jicuated Dec. 10, i« the same year. t Captain .frmmct Mainwaring was lost in lu Dabcl, irnhix pusauifc t" t.k« West liidit'.s in IWU. ■MH' II'' Kin \i WIS^- 604 POST-CAFfAINS OF 1802. rtlanlly made sail to prevent her getting into Ansc-lu-Baniiic. Wliilst stretching inshore. Caption Mtunwaring assembled his officers and ship's company, consisting altogether of 192 men and boys, pointed out to them the superior force of the enemy, and assured them that if they did not despair of coping successfully with tlieir republican foe, he would lead them into action with sincere pleasure. " To glory or death!" was the enthusiastic response, and in less than 30 minutes the ships were closely cngn<(ed. The battle continued an hour and three quarters, during which time there was little or no wind, and the sea perfectly smooth. The com- batants being greatly cut up in their sails and rigging, and Captain Alain- waring seeing no likelihood of terminating the action speedily, except by boarding, availed himself of a light breeze that now sprung up, and being a little to windward of his opponent, kept away for that purpose ; but in attempting to cross the Pens^e's stern, was thrown on his back as above stated, and before he could recover himself from the shock sutGciently to give the necessary orders the enemy had put his helm up, and run athwart I'Aimable's bows. He soon after made sail before the wind, and by day- light next morning had increased his distance about six miles, although no effort was wanting on the part of Captain Mainwaring to overtake him, all possible sail having been set in pursuit, the stays slackened, the wedges of the masts loosened, and the ship brought to her best sailing trim by the shifting of guns, &c., to bring her to her proper bearings. About 8 A. M., on the 23d, the French commander, observing the inferiority of the frigate opposed to him, hove to, with the seeming determination of renewing the action. Preparations were now made for lashing the Pens^e's bowsprit to TAimable's main-mast; but on Captain Mainwaring arriving within pistol shot of the enemy's weather quarter, the latter filled and set his courses, having first greeted the British frigate by pulling off his hat to her commander and waving it over the hammocks, his officers foUowuig his example. This apparently chivalrous salutation was very naturally returned ; and our countrymen's feelings may readily be conceived when they found it a mer« ruse de guerre. L'Aimable, however, immediately bore up ; end her flying-jib-boom passing close to the Pensde's taffrtdl, she had an opportunity of pouring in a broadside through the enemy's cabin mndows. A very close action now commenced, both ships running before the wind under their top-sails alone, and was kept up for nearly half an hour ; when the Pensde having fore-reached on I'Aimable sheered off, and succeeded in effecting her escape. The trivial loss sustained by the latter must be attributed to her antagonist having fired high. The slaughter on board the former is easily accounted for, she being much loftier than I'Aimable, whose guus had but little elevation given them." Three days after this gallant affair, I'Aimable arrived at the island of St. Thomas, where she found the Peiisee with her niain-niast out, and obtahied correct uiformation of her loss. ft I POST-CAPTAINS OF 1802. 605 Whilst there, the British and French commanders dined together at the Danish Governor's table. The Pensee being at length refitted, Captain Mainvvaring took under his protection a number of English merchantmen, and sailed from thence to the northward ; but not before he had given the enemy an opportunity of again meeting him in battle, by laying to for twelve hours as near the shore as the laws of neutrality would allow, which M ons. Valto, the French Captain, did not think proper to avail himself of. Mr. Wight subsequently removed into the Ariadne of 28 guns, and returned to England at the latter end of 1796. On the passage home his ship experienced very tempestuous weather, parted company with the greater part of a fleet under her convoy, and was obliged to throw all her guns overboard. His commission as a Lieutenant was confirmed by the Ad- miralty on the 5th Sept. in the same year. Lieutenant Wight's health being at this period much im- paired by the West India climate, he solicited and obtained permission to come on half pay ; but an invitation from Cap- tain Riou, who, although a young officer, had recently been appointed to the command of the Augusta yacht, induced him to join that vessel, from which he was promoted in con- sequence of her bearing the Admiralty flag, and forming part of the royal squadron when his late Majesty proposed visiting the victorious fleet under Lord Duncan at the Nore ♦ . Early in J 798, Captain Wight was appointed to the Ad- miral Devries, a Dutch 68-gun ship, armed en flutes and placed under the orders of the Transport Board, for the pur- pose of being employed in the conveyance of the prisoners taken in Ireland during the unhappy rebellion in that kingdom. After encountering much bad weather, and springing her main-mast, the Admiral Devries reached Cork and Waterford, at which places she received on board 400 of those deluded men, with a detachment of the 60th regiment, and proceeded with them to Martinique. On the passage out two dread- ful explosions took place in the gun-room, owing to the carelessness of the gunner and his crew when fumigating the i( • Sm Vol. I, p. Ibi. GOG POSr-CAl'TAINS OP 1802. ship; but by the exertions and cool intrepidity of her com- mander, the fire was each time subdued, and the lives of 900 men, women, and children, preserved. She subsequently sprung a leak off St, Domingo, whilst on her way to Jamaica; and being surveyed at the latter island, was found utterly unfit again to cross the seas, Captain Wight now removed his pendant into the London transport, and embarked a detachment of troops ordered to Savanna la Mer, at which place he received on board a party of the York hussars, for a passage to England. Whilst thus employed he wfts attacked by the yellow fever, from which he had scarcely recovered when the London sprung a leak under the chesstree, about four feet beneath her water line, and was with great difficulty kept afloat until her return to Port Royal, where she was discharged from the service, and her passengers removed into other vessels. Having at length returned home in safety, he received an offer of further employment in the same Hue of service ; but it not being his wish to avail himself tliereof, he declined an appointment to a frigate under the Transport Board, and re- mained on half-pay till July 1800, when he obtained the command of the Wolverene, a brig fitted according to a plan proposed by Commissioner Schanck, with guns on the inclined plane, and grooves in her deck, by which, she could fight them all on one side *. On the I9tb of the following month. Captain Wight, being at anchor near the islands of St. Marcou, on thci eoast of Nor- mandy, discovered two large French sloops attempting to make their escape from the river Isigpny, and lost no time in pursuing them, with the Wolverene, two gun-.brigs, and a cutter. The eneniy finding themadives h«rd pressed, ran into the bay of Grand Camp, and anchored under cover of two batteries, which Captain Wight immediately attacked and kept in play, while his boots, under Lieutenant John Gre- gory, boarded and s«t fire to the largest vcmcI, lying aground within half pietol-shot of the be^ch, on which !300 men with inuskeis and three field-pieces »verc posted. The other sloop • See Vol. I, note » at p. 332. POST-CAPTAINS OF 1802. 607 was at the same time so much cut up by the Wolverene's shot as to render it impossible for her to proeeed. Captain Wight's abilities as a seaman were no less con- spicuous than his zeal and bravery as an officer on this occa- sion, he having taken charge of the Wolverene upon her pilot declining to conduct her within gun-shot of the heavy battery to which she was about to be opposed, and laid her within pistol-shot of the enemy's works, where her keel was only a few inches free of the ground. His spirited example was followed by the officers under his orders, their pilots having likewise disclaimed all responsibility. This gallant exploit being performed in sight of the garrison at Marcou, he re- ceived the most hearty congratulations on his return to that anchorage, and afterwards had the satisfaction to hear that the Admiralty highly approved of his conduct. The enemy, it appears, had 4 men killed on the beach ; but although their troops came down to the margin of the water, the British had not a man slain or wounded by their fire. The Wolverene, however, had three of her crew dreadfully shat- tered by an explosion on board one of the sloops, and suffered some damage in her sails and rigging. In the following month Captain Wight captured a vessel laden with naval stores, near Havre ; and on the 4th Nov. in the same year he drove a French cutter on shore to the west- ward of Cape Barfleur, where it is supposed she went to pieces during a gale of wind from the southward, which ob- liged him to haul off and leave her surrounded by breakers. Five days after this event he encountered a tremendous storm, the disastrous effects of which among the shipping in the Channel have seldom if ever been exceeded. The Wol- verene's escape, indeed, may be considered miraculous, as she actually struck on the Goodwin Sands, but providentially forced her way Into the North Sea, and arrived at Yar- mouth in safety. The anxiety experienced by his family at this critical period may be inferred from the following pas- sage contained in a letter written to him by Commissioner Schanck, on hearing of his arrival at that port : ** My dearest John, — I never knew how much I loved and vahic<l you till I thought I had lust you for ever. I mod sincerely return God thanks 1*11 IIP G08 POST-CAPTAINS OP 1802. I for your preservation. I have only time to say, every moment of my life shall he employed in being useful to you in all manner of ways. * * * • • •» 111 a preceding letter, alluding to the affair in Grand Camp bay, the worthy Commissioner says : " Go on and trust in God. • • ♦. I will try and find out an actin;; Master for you. You may think as you please, but your beinjir able to take charge of the ship is a strong recommendation to you, and will please Admiral ■ , as it does me. • • • •. You are much talked of at all the Boards ; and indeed it makes me a most happy man. Take care of your health ; and I am sure you will do your duty." Captain Wight subsequently received a note from Earl St. Vincent's private secretary, acquainting him that his Lordship was very glad to find he had, through his meritorious conduct, procured the rank then enjoyed by him ; and recommend- ing him to persevere in his exertions, as the only path to obtain promotion. That this advice was not disregarded we shall soon have the pleasure of shewing. On the 5th May, 1801, Captain Wight, being off Havre, discovered a large sloop coming down the Seine, and made sail towards her. The enemy having anchored just before dark, the Wolverene was brought up in an advantageous po- sition to the eastward of the Trouville bank, and a boat under Lieutenant Gregory sent to attack the French vessel, which he boarded without resistance, her crew retreating to the shore as he advanced. She proved to be laden with mer- chandise ; and strange as it may appear, although considerably up the river, the captors were allowed to bring her out un- molested. On the 15th of the following mouth. Captain Wight drove a similar vessel on shore, under the cover of three batteries at St. Vallery, where she was cannonaded by him ; but owing to the strength of the tide, and a heavy sea,, it was found impracticable to bring her off. A few days after, whilst cruising off the Seine, he discovered a division of the enemy's flotilla on the southern shore, coming from the westward, and notwithstanding the great inferiority of his force, lost no time in offering them battle. They, however, crowded sail, and pushed into Havre, closely pursued by the Wolverene. , • .^ POST- CAPTAINS OF 1802. mj lliin Captain Wight was now placed under the orders of the late Captain Newman, who was employed with a small squadron watching the port of Havre, where a considerable force had been collected for the purpose of assisting in the meditated invasion of Great Britain. Thirty-six sail of brigs, luggers, and other armed vessels, being moored in the form of a half moon between the heads of the piers, and Captain Wight feeling confident that the Wolverene's easy draught of water und peculiar armament would enable him to annoy them con- siderably, he prevailed upon his commanding othcer to sanc- tion an attack by her alone, although the appearance of the flotilla lying in shoal water, close to the shore, and under the protection of a formidable citadel and several land batteries, aflforded but little probability of her being able to dislodge the enemy without the aid of other small vessels. Captain Wight's first attempt proved ineffectual ; and after maintaining a close action with the flotilla and batteries for nearly an hour, he was obliged to haul out without making any apparent impression on them. He, however, had the gratification of being saluted on his return by three hearty cheers from Captain Newman, and all the oflicers and men who had witnessed his gallant conduct. The next day it was agreed upon that he should lead the Loire and Maidstone frigates as close as possible along the southernmost side of the bank de la Jambe, and denote the soundings by signal as he proceeded. His second attack was commenced with great spirit, the Wolverene approaching close to the enemy's centre, and sustaining a very heavy fire for about an hour, in little more than twelve feet water. Captain Wight at length determined upcm boarding some of the outermost vessels, but had scarcely filled his main-top-sail for that purpose, and directed the whole of his fire against six of them, when they cut their cables, and were drifted by the flood tide into the harbour. The wind now dying away, the Wolverene was unavoidably driven so near the piers that the French troops began to engage her with musketry ; and it is said that the present American Comntodore Rodgers, then at Havre, per- sonally directed the fire of a heavy piece of artillery against her. Her situation had indeed become rather alarming ; but m m Mill' ^1 if GIO POST-CAPTAINS OF 1802. 1 fortunately a light breeze from the land enabled Captain Wight again to close with the British squadron, where he was again received in the most gratifying manner. The next morning he had the additional pleasure of finding that the whole of the enemy's vessels, dreading a renewal of the at- tack, had moved into the harbour daring the night, nor were they ever afterwards seen outside of the pier-heads. Napo- leon Buonaparte, then First Consul of the French republic* expressed his displeasure at their conduct, but at the same time stated that they were not in an efficient state to combat. What then bad become of all his celebrated artillerists, a portion of whom had been ordered for the service of each di- vision of tfec flotilla on which he had rested his fondest hopes ? but such excuses from his mouth were by no means un- common. The Wolverene being ordered into port for the purpose of repairing her damages, was applied for by Lord Nelson, as a desirable vessel to be employed in his intended attack on the Boulogne flotilla, but he was told by the Admiralty that she could not be spared from the Havre station, where Captain Wight continued to serve with his usual activity and zeal, re- peatedly receiving the public approval of his superiors, during the continuance of the war. Among other vessels taken by him were a immber of neutrals, the whole of which were con- demned as lawful prizes. He was put out of commission April 15, 1802, and promoted to post rank on the 29th of the same month, the first Lord of the Admiralty at the same time passing some high encomiums on his professional character. On paying off the Wolverene he made a favorable report of that vessel's qualities, and spoke of the utility of the shell shot invented by the late General Melville, and used by her in common with solid 24-pound shot, in her different actions On the French coast. The "General's own ideas on the latter subject will be gathered from the following document : " Breiper Street, London, Aug. 31, 1801. " General Melville, who for many years past has been tlisqualificd from writing letters with his signature, must take tlie pleasure of acknowledging in this, his usual mode, Captain Wight's very obliging favor of the IStli instant, with a P. S. relative to General Melville's friend Captain Walker, POSt-CAPtAINS OF 1802. Gli 1 s of the Tartar, and a sketch made by Captain Wight liiinself of the lati- operations against tlie enemy at Havre-de-Grace ; fur all which troulilc General M. begs leave to assure Captain Wight of his best thanks. Ah General Melville was the first proposer very long since, of that species of artillery between the howitzer and cannon, with a view to unite as far as might be the advantages of both, without the peculiar disadvantages of either, and which were afterwards called carronades, from the first place of their construction in 1779, he has always been a zealouf? advocate for their use, eopecialiy of those of the largest sort ; being fully persuaded that these pieces with shell or carcase shot, as might best suit the case, might be a permanent advantage to the British, if the boldest and closest fighters, as he trusts they are and always will be. General Melville bus already given, and will continue to give, communications to proper per- sons, of what Captain Wight has so clearly and satisfactorily stated to General M. on the success of the shell shot, and of the best manner of putting them either into the carronades or long guns ; but whether any means will be found to impress these ideas sufficiently upon the mind of the present first Lord of the Admiralty ♦, with whom General M. has not the honor to be personally acquainted, if averse to them, is very doubtful. General M. however should think that if Captain Walker and others would join in an application for a proportion of the shell shot, it might be useful, and that the late adoption of howitzers by Lord Nelson, on his secomi expedition against Boulogne, may be considered as a favorable omen of a growing opinion for the more general use of the shell shot from large carronades, or guns, as being often fit to produce either alarm or execu- tion, in cases when neither could be the efiTects of solid shot of the same calibre. And \fere the Shell shot in some proportion once established. General Melville would not doubt but that some fit number also of carcase shot would be added ; for there are certainly cases when these last might be also used to good purpose. " General Melville's very ingenious friend. Commissioner Schanck, is now with Mrs. S. in Devon^hure ; but on his return he and General M. will have conversation on the contents of (^aptain Wight's communications, which, with his successful practice against the enemy, do not only much honor to his zeal, judgment, and exertions, but furnish very instructive, as well as strong grounds, for the farther prosecution of such methods of practice on fit occasions." Captain Wight's next uppoititment was, in 1805, to tlic Cleopatra of 32 guns, in which frigate he served for a con- siderable time on the North American station, where he made many valuable captures, but from whence he was ob- liged to return through ill-health, arising from a disorgan- li.i |i • Earl St. Vincent. 012 POST-CAPTAINS OF 1802. izcil liver, and the powerful medicines he had been compelled to take in order to subdue that disorder. In May 1824, Captain Wight invented a rudder " for the more easy and safe conducting all classes of H. M. ships, and those in the'merchants' service," by the use of which he is of opinion they will be enabled to perform the evolutions of tacking and wearing with less helm, and require less manual force on the wheel or tiller. From the description we have seen of this invention, we have no doubt that it will be found to possess many advantages over the rudder now in use, par- ticularly in cases where it may be necessary suddenly to alter the vessel's course ; and on the other hand to prevent her broaching to when scudding in a heavy gale of wind, a dis- aster which has too often caused the loss of ship and lives. We regret our inability to attempt a philosophical descrip- tion of it. Captain Wight is at present very actively employed as a Commissioner of Roads and Bridges at Teignmouth, in De- vonshire. His lady died there in May, 1812, leaving issue three sons and one daughter, the survivors of whom are, by their late grandfather's will, to take the name and arms of Schanck, on the demise of his respected widow *. The Admi- ral's property is, we believe, left to Admiral Viscount Ex- mouth, in trust for those children, one of whom is now serving as a Midshipman under Commodore Grant, in the East Indies, and another studying the law. His daughter is also living; but the other child, a god-son of Lord Prudhoe, and intended for the naval profession, was drowned in the river Teign at twelve years of age. Agent, — ^Thomas Stilwell, Esq. ; HENRY FOLKES EDGELL, Esq. This officer was made a Lieutenant in 1790 ; commanded the Pluto sloop of war, principally employed on the New- foundland station, from 1798 till his promotion to the rank * Mrs Schanck is the mother-in-law of the late Mrs. Wight, who was the Admiral's onlv child by his first wife. / / POST-CAPTAINS OF 1802. m'^ of Post- Captain, April 29, 1802 ; and subsequently held an appointment in the Sea Fencible service, between Dungeness ^nd Sandgate. He was afterwards appointed in succession to the Cornelia frigate, and Cornwallis of 74 guns : the former ship assisted at the capture of the Isles of France and Java, in the years 1810 and 1811. , ^gent, — Harry Cook, Esq. CORNELIUS QUINTON, Esq. This officer was a Lieutenant of the Leviathan 74, commanded by the late Lord Hugh Seymour, in Earl Howe's battle, June 1, 1794*. He obtained post-rank, April 29, 1802. Agent. — Hugh Stanger, Esq. SIR JAMES DUNBAR, Bart. This officer was made a Lieutenant in 1790; and a Post- Captain April 29, 1802. He received the honor of knight- hood in 1809 ; and was created a Baronet of Great Britain, July 30; 1814. His lady is a daughter of James Coull, of Ashgrove, in Elginshire, Esq.; a niece to Sir Archibald Dunbar, Bart., of Northfield, in the same county ; and a cousin of Viscount Arbuthnot, Lord Lieutenant of Kinr . cardineshire. Agent, — ^Thomas Stilwell, E^q. WILLIAM BUTTERFIELD, Esq. This officer is related by his mother's side to the late William Masterman, of Restormel Park, near Ix)stwithiel, Cornwall, Esq. M. P. for the borough of Bodmin, in the same county ; under whose patronage he entered the naval servic/e as a Midshipman on board the Buffalo of 60 guns, commanded by Captain William Truscott, in Mar. 1781 . He afterwar48 m. m yof.. II. • See Vol. II, Part I, p. 103. 614 PyST-CAPTAINb OF 1802. remoyed^itn that officer into the Nonsuch 64, and continued to serve with hin^i till the peace of 17^. The former ship iiore a part in the "Dogger Bank action, Aug. 5, 1781 *, on which occasion ^he sustained a loss of 20 nien Itilled and 64 wounded. The Nonsuch formed part of Sir George Rodney's fleet in the battles of April 9th and 12th, 178*H J and sub- sequently proceeded to New York, for the purpose of bringing home a body of Hessian troops, in British pay. She was paid off at Chatham in Aug. 1/83. From this period Mr. Butterfield served successively in the Grampus 50, bearing t!ie broad pendant of Commodore Ed- Wrd Thompson, on the African station ; Winchelsca frigate, eommahded by the present Viscount Exmouth, employed at Newfoundland ; Culloden 74, and Melampus of 36 guns, on Channel service. He passed his examination for a Lieu- tenant in 1788 ; a circumstance which we are induced to men- tion in consequence of an opinion being prevalent that he was originally impressed ihto the navy. In 1790, an unfortunate fracas between Mr. Hancorn, junior Lieutenant of the Melampus, and some of her Midshipmen, at a Well-known tavern on Portsmouth Point, led to a trial at Winchester; but the latter party consenting to lipologize for their intemfperate conduct, the business was allowed to ter- minate without the infliction of any punishment, it being very clearly seen that the assault complained of by the Lieutenant had been produced by his own tyrannical conduct, particularly towards the subject of this memoir, whom lie had on one occasion caused to be lashed to a grating and triced up to the mizen-peak, where he was exposed to the gaze of all the ships at the anchorage, and this for ho greater bffence than th,'>t of coming pn deck /«% equipped^ before he- acquainted him that tlie first Lieutenant, then absent, had just t)eforc con- sented to his dining out of the ship ; or to use Mr. Haii- ^cpm's own expression, for " getting nniter Way before he had received his sailing orders." • See Vol. I, note § at p. 1 75 et acq. t See Vol. II. Part I, note f ut p. 62 ; uiul Vol. I, note • at p. 35» Hteq. POST- CAPTAINS OF 1802. 615 Disgusted at this trefitment, Mr. Butterfield quitted the navy, and made several voyages in the merchants' service. At the commencement of the French war in 1/93, he was impressed from the Anna, an American vessel lying in the Thames, and sent with a draft of men from the Enterprise tender to complete the complement of the Majestic 74, com- manded by the late Sir Charles Cotton, who soon restored him to his former station on the quarter-deck ; and by the exertion of his interest obtained him a commission, appointing him junior Lieutenant of the same ship, April 11th, 1/94. On the memorable first of June, when Earl Howe defeated the republican fleet under M. Villaret de Joyeuse, the Ma- jestic was stationed a-stern of the Royal George, bearing the flag of Sir Alexander Hood, who publicly acknowledged the support she afforded him during the battle. Her loss amounted to 3 men killed, and 18 wounded. In Sept. following, the Majestic was ordered to convey Vice-Admiral Caldwell to the Leeward Islands, where Lieu- tenant Butterfield was allowed to exchange into the An- dromache frigate, for the purpose of re-joining Sir Charles Cotton, who had been suddenly removed into the Impreg- nable 98. Proceeding from the West Indies to Halifax, on her way to England, the Andromache was totally dismasted in a hur- ricane. After sailing from the latter place she detained an American brig, supposed to be laden with French property, which was put in charge of Mr. Butterfield, who ultimately returned home as a passenger on board I'Oiseau of 3(5 guns, and on his arrival was appointed to the Mars, a third rate, commanded by his patron Sir Charles Cotton, in which ship he continued under the command of that officer, and his suc- cessor, Captain Alexander Hood, till his promotion to tiio rank of Commander, in consequence of his being senior Ldeutenant in the action between the Mars and I'Hercule, wliich is thus described by Schombeig, in his Naval Chrono- logy, Vol. Ill, p. 98 et seq. " On the 21st April, I7i>^> Captain Huud, in the Mars, was dircctud, liy si|i{nul from Lord Dridport, to chase a strange suil ^ceii iiisliorc, whii h, un his approach, he ub^tcrvcd (o W an cncmy'^ ship of the linu. and that ihe 2s'I If! '*. \ I 616 POST- CAPTAINS OF 1802. was endeavouring to escape through the Passage du Raz ; hut the tide proving contrary, and ihe wind easterly, obliged her to anchor at the mouth of the passage. This afforded Captain Hood an opportunity of attacking her, which he performed in a most noble and gallant manner, laying the Mars so close alongside the enemy, as to unhinge several of the lower- deck ports. In this situation a most bloody conflict commenced, and continued an hour and a half, when she surrendered. Towards the close of the battle Captain Hood received a wound in the thigh, which proved mortal ; he lived to receive the joyful news of the enemy's submission, and expired covered with immortal glory *. She proved to be I'Hercule, of 74 guns and 700 meti, the first time of her being at sea, from TOrient, going to join the Brest fleet. The carnage on board the enemy's ship must have been dreadful ; upwards of 400 men were killed and wounded ; her hull on the larboard side was shockingly burnt and torn to pieces. The loss sustained by the Mars amounted to 1 7 killed, 5 died of their wounds, 60 wounded f, and 8 missing, in all 90 I." The subject of this memoir was soon after appointed to the Hazard sloop of war, employed on the Irish station, where he captured le Neptune French national ship, formerly the Laurel English East Indiaman, of 10 guns and 53 men, having on board 2/0 soldiers, from the Isle of France, bound to Brest. The enemy having brought all his guns on one side, made an obstinate defence of an hour and fifty minutes, and had upwards of 20 men killed and wounded. The Hazard had only 6 men wounded. From this period Captain Butterfield was employed in keeping up a communication between the flag at Cork and the different squadrons cruising off Ireland. In Nov. 1798, he assumed the temporary command of the Foudroyant, an 80-gun ship, vacant by the death of Sir Thomas Byard, on the 30th of the preceding month ; and after conducting her from * Captain Hood wa!> a nephew to Lords Bridport and Hood. He re- ceived a rouiket-ball in the femoral artery. t Among the woimded were Messrs. Qeorge Argles and George Arnold Ford, third and fifth Lieutenants of the Mars. The former officer, however, remained at his post, and acquired as much credit for his bravery in the action as for his local knowledge and professional skill, which enabled him to pilot the Mars alongside the enemy. The conduct of Mr. Joha Bowker, the second Lieutenant, was also very exemplary. Both these gentleman have since attained post rank. X The cost of simply making good the damages I'Hercule hod ixa- (ained by the fire of the Mars, was estimated at 12,600/. IPOST-CAPTAINS OF 1802. ftl7 liough Swilly to Plymouth, rejoined the Hazard, in which vessel we find him affording protection to the trade between Ireland and the Downs, during the remainder of the war. There is no service more arduous and unprofitable than that of convoying merchantmen. Most of those placed under Captain Butterfield's care were heavy sailers, deeply ladenj weakly manned, badly found, and sometimes leaky ; demand- ing the greatest skill, perseverance, and patience, to keep them together. Privateers were continually on the watch, waiting only for a gale of wind, or a fog, to separate the un- skilful from the re«t ; yet, with all these difficulties to con- tend with. Captain Butterfield had the good fortune never tu lose a single vessel confided to his charge. In addition to the above services, Captain Butterfield, whilst in the Hazard, on one occasion fell in with a transport- ship, totally dismasted, and in a miserably shattered state, she having been twice run foul of by other vessels at sea. By great exertions on his part this ship was brought safely into port, and her valuable cargo, intended for the use of the army serving against the I'ebels in Ireland, forwarded to its destination. For his meritorious conduct in this instance he received the public thanks of Sir Robert Kingsmill, commander-in-chief at Cork. Returning to port with his prize, le Neptune, he dis- covered a large French privateer, with the Britannia, an English extra India ship in tow. Being crowded with pri- soners, and short of complement, several of the Hazard's tjrew having been sent away in a recaptured vessel previous to the action, any attempt to secure the enemy or his prize must have proved abortive. He, however^ gave such correct information of their position and course to a British frigate which he afterwards met with, as enabled the lattor to retake the Britaiuiia. On another occasion he rescued the Triton Indiaman from imminent danger on the coast of Ireland, her €rew, principally Lascars, being completely done up by the severity of the weather, and several privateers hovering about her, when first seen by the Hazard. For this service, and conducting her safe to Portsmouth, the house of David Scott, and Co., of London, presented him with a piece of plate value J. 50 guuicas. 1, 1= It 618 rosT-CAPTAINS OF 1802. Captain Butterfiold was promoted to post rank, April 29, 1802; and appointed principal agent to the transportH at- tached to Sir Home Popham's expedition against the Cape of Good Hope, in June 1806. On the passage out the fleet touched at Madeira, for the purpose of refreshing the troops, and completing the water of the ships of war, transports, and Indiamen under convoy, which was performed under the ahle superintendence of Captain Butterfield, who never quitted the beach for four days. His services at the reduction of the Cape were officially acknowledged by the Commodore *. After the conquest of that colony, Captain Butterfield re- ceived part of the Dutch garrison on board a division of the transports, and proceeded to St. Helena, where he rendered great assistance to the Hon. Captain Percy, of the Volontaire, by manning that frigate with part of the crews under his com- mand, and supplying their place with prisoners, whom he prevailed upon to assist in working the different vessel*: in which they were embarked. Captain Butterfield subsequently served in the Sea Fen- cibles at Trake ; and on the breaking up of that corps, in J 810, he was appointed jf>ro tempore to the Courageux of 74l guns. At the latter end of the same year he removed into the Malacca, a new frigate, and sailed for the Cape station ; from whence, after cruising for some time off the Isle of France, he was ordered to the East Indies, where he had the mortification to be dismissed his ship by the sentence of a court-martial, held at Madras, in Aug. 1812. The circum- stance that led to his trial was briefly as follows:— On his arrival in India, finding himself senior officer there, in conse- quence of the recent demise of Vice- Admiral Drury, as stated at p. 514, and the absence of Commodore Broughtou, he pro- ceeded to Calcutta, and despatched the Minden, 7'4)to England with the October convoy, at the urgent request of tlie mer- chants, but without sufficient authority for so dohig. His • It is worthy of remark, that Captain Butterfield and the otlier agents of tran8j)ort8, Lieutonaiiis ("uchranc and Patey, did not receive any prize- money for the capture of the Cape, although the tominandcrB and mutes of the Hon. East India Company's ships did ; the former recoiviug 1000/,, and the hitter .^(H)/. eaoh. I POST- CAPTAINS OF 1802. 619 seal for the public service ^ave offence to Commodore Brough- ton, who, on ^lis return from Java, where he had beep joined by the Mahiqca, applied to Sir Samuel Hood, the new com- mander-in-chief, fpr a court-martial, which terminated in Captain Buttcrfield's dismissal from tha|, frigate, to the great regret of Iter crew, from whom he received a warm and affec- tionate address previous to his return to England, as a pas- senger on board the Modeste, an address alike gratifying to his feelings, and honorable to his character *. At the general promotion in June 1814, Captsun Butterfield was appointed to succeed Sir Home Popham in the command of the Stirling Castle 74 ; but peace with France having pre- viously taken place, the only service he had an opportunity of performing in her was that of bringing the guards from Bour- deaux to England. We are sorry it is not in our power to insert a copy of a very handsome letter which we know he received from the officers of that distinguished corps, acknowledging the attention he paid to their comforts during the passage. The Stirling Castle was paid off at Plymouth about Nov. 1814. Captain Butterfield has been more than once married, and is the father of a large family. One of his sons is a Midship- man in the R. N. uigent. — ^Thomas Stilwell, Esq. RfCHARD BYRON, Esq. yt Companion of the most Honorable Military Order of the Bath. It being our intention to present the reader with some very i:urious and interesting particulars of tlie Byron ifamily, under tlie head of their representative, the present Captain Lord Byron, we shall merely state in this place that the officer now before us is the eldest son of the late Hon. and Rev. Richard Bvroii, by Mary, daughter of Richard Farmer, of Leicester, JEsq., and sister of JDr. Richard Farmer, Master of Emanuel College, Cambridge, a Canon residentiary of St. * Captaii), Butterfield, previous tu \m Icuvinir the Mari, was presented by tliat ship's company with a very elegant sword, as a token i>f tlieir ijra- 'itudc fur Uiii constant humane attentions tr* tlie Aick. . . 620 POST-CAPTAINS OF 1802. Paul's, and the celebrated commentator on Shakespeare, sd frequently mentioned by Malone and Steevens *. Mr. Richard Byron was born in 1/09 ; and entered the naval service at the commencement of 1782, as a Midship- man, on board the Andromache frigate, commanded by his first cousin, the late Captain George Anson Byron, then about to sail for the West India station, where he arrived in time to witness the defeat and capture of Count de Grasse, by the fleet under Sir George B. Rodney f. He was also present at ihe relief of Gibraltar by Earl Howe, at the latter end of the same year %. • The Hon. and Rev. Richard Byron, third son of William, foiu'th Lord Byron, by Frances, second daughter of iVilliam, Lord Berkeley, of Stratton, was bom at Newstead Abbey, Oct. 24, 1 724. His brother, the late Hon. Vice-Admiral John Byron, served as a Midshipman under Com- modore Anson, during his celebrated voyage round the world ; and having had the misfortune to be cast away in the Wager, on a desolate island ofif the coast of Chili, suffered great hardships for more than five years. He was an able and gallant seaman ; but, on the whole, an unfortunate com- mander, having always the elements to contend with rather than the enemy. His action with M. d'Estaing, July 6, 1 ^^9, though indecisive, was highly honorable to the British fleet ; for it is evident that the French Admiral declined coming to a close engagement, though the force under his com- mand was vastly superior to his opponents. Vice-Admiral Byron died April 10, 1786. t Captain G. A. Byron was instrumental in bringing on the battles of April 9 and 12, 1782 ; for, being stationed off the Diamond Rock, he kept the strictest watch upon the enemy, by sailing into the mouth of the har- bour wh^re de Orasse lay^ and gave Rodney such immediate notice of the French Admiral's motions, that the British ships, by slipping their cables, were enabled to intercept and bring him to action. He also rendered an essential service in the midst of the conflict on the 12th, by putting fifty barrels of gunpowder on board the Monarch 74, without causing that ship to lose her station in the line for a moment. The Andromache was after, wards selected to carry home Lords Cranston and Robert Manners ; the former charged with Rodney's despatches relative to the victory, the latter returning to England on account of his wounds; and Captain Byron^s conduct was reported in the most honorable terras to the Admiralty. Unfortunately for his country, Loni Robert Manners only survived about « week after his removal from the ship he had so gallanrV/ >» amanded, during which period he was closely attended by Mr. Richard i^ron. When his Lordship's death was announced at Court, the King told the Duke of Portland, he would rathrr have lost three of the best ships in his setvice\ \ f lost three of the best X See Vol. I, pp. 17 and 106. POBT-CAPTAINS OF 1802. G2l )Vir. Byron subsequently served for several years in the JDruid frigate ; and early in 1789, we find him accompanying his cousin to the East Indies, in the Phcenix of 36 guns, form- ing part of the squadron sent thither under the orders of Commodore Cornwallis. Ever active, Captain Byron sought the first occasion of assisting in the war against Tippoo Saib ; and, at the very outset, performed a signal service, by inter- cepting the Sultan's transports, loadied with military stores. After this he distinguished himself by landing some of his guns, and leading a party of his men to assist the Bombay army in reducing the fortress of Cannanore, and other strong holds on the Malabar coast, and in re-establishing the Kajah of Travancore, whose dominions had been over-run and occu- pied by Tippoo. For these services he was publicly praised in the official accounts that were sent home ; but, unfor- tunately, he fell a victim to his alacrity and zeal ; for, on crossing the bar of Billiapatnam river, near Cannanore, in 'order lo communicate with Major-General Abercromby, who was then marching towards Seringapatam, his boat was over- set by a heavy sea ; and when endeavouring to extricate him- self, her gunwale struck him twice upon the breast with so much violence, that on being taken up it was not supposed he could survive the shock his frame had sustained. He how- ever lingered about a year after his return to England, and survived his \tife several months. He died at Dawleish, in Devonshire, June 11, 1^93. The subject of this memoir was made a Lieutenant into the Perseverance frigate at Trincomalee, about Oct. 1/92 ; and serv- ed as such on board the Impregnable, a second rate, bearing the flag of Rear- Admiral Caldwell, in the battle of June 1, 1794. > From her he removed into the Queen Charlotte of 100 guns, which ship formed part of Lord Bridport's fleet in the action aS rOrient, June 23, 1795 *. We subsequently find him • See Vol. J, note at p. 75 et seq. and Vol. II, Part I, note at p. 54. Lieutenant Byron on the latter oi^'casion was placed in a very honorable postfhis Captain, Sir Andrew Snape Douglas, having directed that his division of gunii, the seven foremost on the lower deck, should alone commence the action ; the remainder to consider his firing as a signal for them to begin with effect. He accordingly waited until his guns pointed directly I ,.'» !l!-' •il I': 622 roST-C.^PTAINS OF 1802. rierviiig as tiist Lieutpnant of the Doris frigate^ commanded by Lord Ranelagh, and employed as a cruiser in the Channel. In 17^7 9 Mr. Byron was appointed flag Lieutefiant to Sir Hugh C. Christian, K. B., >vhom he accompanied tq the Cape of Good Hope in la Virginie, of 44 guns, l^e there joined the Tremendous 74, from which ship he was promoted tq t^e command of the Cqrnwallis brig in Mar. 179S *• His iif^t appointment was to thp Rosario sloop of war, Acting at Ply- mouth for the Jamaica station, whpre he was employed during the peace of ^Jniens, watching the motions of a fleet sept from France to co-operate with General le Clerc, in his at- tempt to recover pqssession of St. Domingo. Captain ^yrop's post commission bears date April 29, 1802. He fit^ied o^t the Inconstant frigate in 18Q4 ; and obtained the command of the Belvidera, rate.d at 3(5, but mounting 42 guns, Fel^. 11, 1810. On the 22d July following, the boats of that ship, in company with tho^e of the Nemesis 28, captured, after J^ smart action, the Danish schooners Balder and Thor, each car^rying two long 24-pounders, 6 howitzers, and i5 men ; they also destroyed a sloop, mounting one 24-pounder, with a jcomple- ment of 25 men. Of this gallant affair, which took place on the coast of Norway, an account will be found under the head of Captain WilUav Henry Brii,ce, who served as a Lieutenant on that occasion. The Belvidera was afterwards ordered to the Halifax sta- tion, where she had a rencontre with an American squadron, the particulars of which are thus related by Capt^n Byron in his qfjlicial letter to Vice-Admiraji Sawyer, dated Ji^e 27, 1812 f : ** Sir, — I beg leave to inform you, that in pu^f^uance of the for the French Formidable's broadside, when he l^t ^y, and every shot from the Queen Charlotte was thus expended to good purpose. It should be remarked, that the enemy's three sternmost ship? had pre- viously opened a heavy fire upon her, but without shaking tlic determina- tion of her commander, not to throw %way a shqt in vain. * La Virginie conveyed Lord Mornington (now Marquis Welleslpy), from England to the Cape of Good Hope, froui ^vl)ence the Cornwallis returned hou^c with despatches. t The United States had dcclurcd war against G^^cat Pritain nine days l^revious to the date oiilfis letter. i I POST-CAPTAINS OF 1802. 623 y orders I had the honor to receive frotn you ;\t Iknmidii, the Belvidera was on the 23d mutant in Ut, 39' 26' N., long. 71* 10' W., in expectation of the French privateer Marengo coming out of New London. At break of d?iy, the officer of the watch informed me the upper sails of five vessels were seen in the S. W. I stood towardp them to reconnoitre ; and when about six miles from us they hauled to the wind by signal in chase of the Belvidera, *. I tacked from them, and made sail in consequence of their not answering the private signal f. At 1 !•« 30' A. M. we hoisted our colours, and the strange squadron shewed the American flag. The breeze falling light with me, but still favouring them, brought their van ship, which 1 believe to have been the President J, within point blank distance on our weather quarter. At 4*" 20' P. M. she opened her fire from her foremost guns. 1 had given the most positive orders to my Lieutenants to prick the cartridges, but not to prime the guns § . Although ig- norant of the war, we were of course prepared ; and about five minutes afterwards opened ours, with two 32-pounder car- ronades, and two long 18-pounders from the stern ||. In light winds the President sailed better than the Belvidera j and as her second, a very heavy frigate ^, sailed as well, I acknow- * The enemy whea first seeti were steering to the eastward, with the wind blowing a moderate breeze from W. N. W. t This was at about S** 15' A. M. The Belvidera kept away bet>veeu four and five points. X Captain Byron's conjectures were right. His nearest opponent was the President, bearing the broad pendant of Commodore Rodgcrs, and mounting thirty-two long 24 pounders, and 22 carronades, (42-pounders,) exclusive of top guns; with a complement of 475 meo. The Belvidera mounted twenty-six long 18-pounders, and 16 carronadcs, 14 of which were d2-pounders, the other 2 only nines. She had on board only 230 officers, men, and boys. § This was done to prevent the possibility of any such charge bemg laid against the Belvidera, as had been made so much of in the case of the Little Belt. See Captain Arthur Batt Bingham. II The wind bad by this time shifted to VV. S. W. ; the Belvidera and her pursuers continuiqg their course to the N. E. was consequently running nearly before it. ^ The President's second was the Congress, of twenty-eight long IS-pounders, twenty 32-pr. carronades, and two long nines. Her com- plement was 440 men. 624 pbsT-cAPTAiNs 6v 1806. ledge 1 was much surprised at the nearest ship yawing re* peatedly, and giving starboard and larboard broadsides, when it was fully in her power to have run up alongside the Belvi-' dera *. I thought it my duty to make a fitm retreat from three frigates of the largest class, accompanied by a small frigate or sloop, and a brig of war, two of which bore broad pendants f. The cannonading continued on both sides until seven o'clock. About half an hour previous to the close, the President's second began an ineffective fire^ At 10i> 30', by the good advice of the Master, I shifted the course at once six points to starboard : the enemy hauled up after us, but with less decision, evidently apprehensive of losing some of her consorts ; and at 1 ll> 30', there being a fine moon, we saw her ^vear, and heave to on the opposite tack ; also her second 'and the other frigate ; and I conclude the two sternmost did the same as they came up. The necessity of retreat was painful to every one on board the Belvidera. The s^ern and quarters are damaged, main-top-mast shot through, and cross- jack-yard cut away in the slings ; the sails are also damaged^ with some standing and running rigging. The President must have suffered considerably from the excellent direction of the two quarter-deck guns by Lieutenant John Sykes, first of this ship, an officer of seventeen years standing ; and the firing of the two 18-pounders was very quick u.d well-directed by Lieutenants William Henry Bruce, and the Hon. George Pryse Campbell ^. To the Lieutenants I am much indebted, and equally so to Mr. James Ker, the Master, for his speedy re- • One of the President's 24-pounders burst ten minutes aftc sho had opened her fire. By this accident 16 persons were killed and wounded, including amoup the latter Commodore Rodgers himself severely in the thigh ; and the main and fofecastle-decks near the gun were so much shattered, as to prevent the use of a bow-chaser on that side for some time. t The third American ship was the United States, Commodore De- catur, armed precisely the same as the Pres'.ilent, with the addition of an 18-pounder travelling carronade, used through a port at the gang-way. She also carried a howitzer in each top. The other vessels were the Hornet and Argus sloops of war. X No less than 300 round shot were discharged frou the main-deck stem^hasers. f 7 POST-CAPTAINS Or J8U*" 625 fitment of the rigging, as it was shot awa; ana his ^ <irited activity in resetting the studding sails, as 'leir halia s were cut. Much praise is due to Lieutenant James Cani^tbell of the royal marines, for the determined example he shewed to his party. I am infinitely satisfied with the valorous anr steady conduct of the warrant and petty officers, seamen, an(i marines, of the Belvidera. Herewith I enclose the small list of killed and wounded, which in some measure is to be attri- buted to the endeavour of the enemy to dismantle us. John Hill the armourer, and William Gould of the fore-castle, were very good men *. I feel obliged to account for not waiting on you personally, having received a contusion above my knee, by one of the carronades breaking loose in firing, but which will very soon be well. 'J'he bearer of this, Lieu- tenant John Sykes, is an excellent officer, and will give you every information. I hope my conduct will meet your ap- probation. I have the honor to be, &c. &c. &c. (Signed) " R. Byhon f/* " To Herbert Sawt/er^ Esq. Vice-Admiral of the Blue, Sfc. Sfc. 8fc." The conduct of Captain Byron on this occasion was highly applauded both by government and the public. Had it not * It is related of John tlill, that after having both arms amputated he wanted to go on deck to have another shot at the enemy. He died the day after the action, two of his ribs having been fractured and dilTcn into his lungs. The Belvidera had only the above men killed, and 22 wounded, in- cluding among the latter her Captain and second Lieutenant. The Pre- sident, according to the American official account, had 2 Midshipmen and 1 marine killed ; Commodore Rodgers, 1 Lieutenant, 1 marine officer, 3 Midshipmen, and 12 seamen wounded ; t of whom mortally, and several severely. t The long bolts and breechings of the Belvidera's carronades gave way repeatedly during the action. Captain Byron was in the act of pointing and firing one of them when the bolt drew, and the carriage slide turning suddenly round, the corner of it came in contact with his groin. The wound inflicted was very severe, although he treated it so lightly in his public letter* Such instances of modesty, although by no means rare, aro always praise-worthy. It is something singular that Commodore Rodgcr% should also have been wounded in the thigh. G26 PO»T-CAPTAiNS OF 1802. been for his discretion and promptitude on first falling in with the American squadron ; his perseverance in leading Com- modore Rodgers out of the track of a valuable Jamaica fleet, which both parties knew was then on its passage to £ngland under a very trivial escort * ; and his bravery in defending the Belvidera, during a long and arduous chase, while en- gaged with a force so greatly Superior ; the country would have sustained a much greater loss than that resulting from the capture of six or seven insignificant merchantmen, which, with one solitary recapture, were the only trophies of Com- modore Rodgers' prowess, obtained by him during a cruise of two months and eight days, although he had sailed from New York with the singular advantage of his hostile intentions being unknown to any British cruiser. On the 5th of the following month. Captain Byron sailed from Halifax in company with a squadron sent to cruise off the enemy's coast, under the orders of Captain (now Sir Philip) Broke ; and eleven days after assisted at the capture of the Nautilus of 14 guns and 106 men, off Sandy Hook f. At 3 P. M. on the same day, a strange sail was seen in the wind's eye, which afterwards proved to be the Constitution of 56 guns, on her way from Chesapeake Bay to New York. A general chase ensued, and was continued during the night. At day-light on the 17th, it being then calm, the enemy's ship and her pursuers hoisted out their boats to tow, and at 1^ 30' the former began warping herself ahead, in 24 fathoms water. She then bore from the Belvidera S. W. b. S. distant four miles. At 9 o'clock a light air sprang up from the S. S. £., and the Belvidera trimmed sails on the larboard tack. At lO*" 30' the breeze freshened, but in a few minutes died away to a calm j when Captain Byron, observing the benefit that the Constitution had derived from warping, immediately * Captain Byrou's position at day-light ou the 23d June is stated in the above letter. The West India fleet just alluded to were that day, at noon, in lut. 39o 35' N,, longf. 61o 38' W. From the course that Commodore Rodgers was steering when first discovered l)y the Belvidera, and from the circumstance of his bringing a westerly breeze from the American coast, it is obvious that he had every chance of coming up with the convoy, t See Vol. II. Part I, p. 370. POST-CAFTAINS OF 1802. 627 commenced tlic same operation, bending all his hawsers to Olio another, and working two kedgc anchors at the same time, by paying the warp through one hawse-hole as it was run in through another opposite. The effect of this was soon visible ; and at noon the American, whose booms had just before been thrown overboard, was within gun-shot of the Belvidera. At 2 P. M. the enemy opened a fire from Im8 stern- chasers, which was returned occasionally by Captain Byron's bow-guns. At 3, a lig'h't breeze enabled the Con- stitution to gain ground, and the firing ceased ; but the chuse continued till day-light on the 18th, by which time she was four miles a-head, arid being a clean ship she ultimately ef- fected her escape. The pursuit was finally given up by the British jtt 8 A. M. on the 19th, a little to the southward of DelaAvare Bay, the wind at that time blowing very fresh, and the enemy's hull being no longer visible *. I'he Belvidera's situation when chased by Commodore Rodgers was far more critical than that of the Constitution on this occasion, she being ignorant of the war, and having to sustain the fire of a ship vastly superior in force. Oh the 21st Aug. in the same year, the Belvidera captured the Bunker's Hill schooner privateer of 7 guns and 72 men ; and oh the 8th Feb. 1813, her boats assisted at the captm-e of the Lottery letter 6f marque, moimting 1 guns, with a va- luable cargo from Baltimore, bound to Bourdeaux. Tlie active manner in which Captain Byron was employed at the latter period will be seen by reference to the copy of a memorandum issued by Rear-Admiral Cockbuni, and inserted in our me- moir of Captain George Burdett at p. 576. The following acknowledgment of his liberal and humane conduct towards the wounded inen of the Lottery, was made by Captain Stew- art of the Constellation frigate, dated in Norfolk Harbour, Feb. 15 : " Sir, — Captain Gould has handed me a note you addressed to huh on the 1 1th inst., in which you state, * by authority of the senior Captain of H.B. Majesty's squadron in Lyn-haven Bay, that Captain Southootnb and his two wounded men will be delivered to any vessel that may come for them,' * The enemy being a clean ship just out of port, sailed nuich belter than any of tlie BritLsh squadron, either in light or strong breezes. 628 POST-CAPTAINS OF 1802. I send a flag down to you for the purpose of receiving those men, an({ avail myself of this opportunity to thank you for your attention and hu- manity to the unfortunate. I have the honor to be, very respectfully, your obedient servant, (Signed) " Charles Stewart, Senior Officer. " P. S. Dr. Ray goes with the flag to attend the wounded men, should there be any necessity." " To Captain Richard Byron, H. B. M. S. Belvidera." The Belvidera subsequently captured the United States* schooner Vixen, pierced for 18 gnns ; and destroyed the Mars privateer, carrying 15 guns and 70 men. She also re-^ captured the Nocton, a Falmouth packet, which had been taken by the Essex frigate on the coast of Brazil. She was paid off at the latter end of 1814 ; and Captain Byron re- ceived the insignia of a C. B, as a reward for his meritorious services in 1815. The subject of this memoir married, Sept. 23, 1801, ^ daughter of the late James Sykes, Esq., Navy Agent, of Arundel Street, Strand, London, and by that lady has four sons, viz. Richard, a passed Midshipman, now serving on board the Spartiate 76, hearing the flag of Sir George Eyre, commander-in-chief in South America ; James, an Ensign in the 8th, or King's regiment ; John, a student at Exeter College, Oxford; and William, at Emanuel College, Cambridge, ^gent. — Thomas Stilwell, Esq. WILLIAM YOUNG, Esq. This officer was a Midshipman on board the Portland, of 50 guns, bearing the flag of Vice- Admiral James Young, on the West India station ; and served in her tender under the orders of Mr. (now Captain) George F. Ryvcs, at the com- mencement of the first American war *. He obtained a J^ieutenant's commission in 1783 ; and served as principal Agent of Transports during the Egyptian campaign, at the close of which he received the gold medal of the Turkish Order of the Crescent, and was presented by the Masters of • See Vol II, Part I, p. 13/. POST-CAPTAIXS OF 1802. 629 the ships under his orders with a handsome sword, as a token of tlieir gratitude and esteem. His post commission bears date April 29, 1802. He has been for many years residwit agent of transports at Deptford. urgent. — J. Hinxnian, Esq. GEORGE TOBIN, Esq. A Comptin'wn of the most honorable Military Order of the Bath, This officer is the second son of the late James Tobin, Esq., a proprietor in Nevis, by Elizabeth, eldest daughter of the late George Webbe, Esq., of the same island. His youngest brother is a Lieutenant-Colonel of the royal artillery *. He was born at Salisbury, Dec. 13, 17^8 ; and entered the naval service under the patronage of the late Admiral Herbert Sawyer, as a Midshipman on board the Namur, a second rate, forming part of the Channel fleet, in June 1780. At the commencement of 1782, the Namur, then com- manded by the late Commissioner Fanshawe, accompanied Sir George B. Rodney to the West Indies, where she bore a conspicuous part in the memorable actions of April 9th and 12th, in the same year f. She returned to England, and was put out of commission in consequence of a general peace taking place in 1783. Mr. Tobin then joined the Bombay Castle 74, stationed as a guard-ship at Plymouth ; where he continued till the spring of 1785, when he proceeded with his friend Commodore Sawyer, in the Thisbe frigate, to Nova Scotia, «>ii which sta- tion he completed his time as a Midshipman on board the Leander of 60 guns. He subsequently served in the Assist- ance, a ship of similar force. Between the autumn of 1788 and the summer of 1790, we find him making a voyage to Madras and Chiaia in an East Indiaman ; and soon after hii return to England he appears to have joined the TremcndouH "J Ay fitting at Chatham as part of the armament destined to • Captain Tobin's eldest brother, and three others junior to himself, arc dcceoiicd. t See Vol. II, Piirt I, note f at p. ^2 ; und Vol. I, note at p. 35 «i ifj. VOL. II. •> r 630 POST-CAPTAINS OF 18(j2. act against Spain, in the event of a rupture with that country. He obtained the rank of Lieutenant Nov. 22, 1790. In the ensuing spring Mr. Tobin was appointed third Lieu- tenant of the Providence of 1 6 guns, commanded by Captain William Bligh, under whom he served during the bread-fruit expedition in 1791, 1792, and 1793*. Previous to his return from that service he received letters from England, informing him that Captain Horatio Nelson, (who had a few years before married a Nevis lady, related to his mother) had kept the third Lieutenancy of the Agamem- non 64, open for some time, in hopes of his joining her; but little calculating on the subsequent greatness of that officer, Mr. Tobin was rather pleased than otherwise at being out of the way of accepting the offer, and particularly so when, a few months afterwards, he found hini«elf second Lieutenant of the Thetis, a fine frigate, commanded by the Hon. Alexander Cochrane, who had already proved himself a very zealous and active officer, and with whom he continued upwards of four years f. The Thetis, after cruising for some time, in the winter season, on the coast of Norway, was attached to a squadron under the orders of Rcar-Admiral George Murray, with whom she proceeded to the Halifax station in May 1794. The cap- • The IVovidcnoe sailed from Spitliead in company with her tender, the Assistant brig' of 6 guns, commanded l)y Lieutenant Nathaniel Porth)ck, Aug. 2, 1/91 ; and proceeded to Otuheite, for the purpose of taking on boanl a cargo of brca<Ufruil and other plants for the use of the West hidia colonics. The object of thid voyage wa^ accomplished in the most satisfactory manner, 3()0 plants being landed in excellent order at the island of St. Vincent, and the remainder at Jumaicu, in Jan. and Feb. 1 71'3. Captain IMigh returned to England in Aug. following, bringing with him two of the natives of Otuheite, one of whom died soon after \m arrival. t The following extracts from Nelson's letters to his wife, will serve to corroborate what we have said respecting the intended appointmcut of Lieutenant Tobin to the Agamemnon: — June 13, 179(>, *' What id be- come of (icorge Ttibin ? he is a line young nuui : it is a pity he has not got uiorc forward." ./k/v 12, 175>7. " I «»» sure the time is past fordoing any thing fur George Tobin ; hnd he been with me he would long shice hnve been a Captain, and I should have liked it, as being mostexcceilingly pleased with him." See Clurhe and M* Arthur's I/i/v of Nelson, 4to ctlit. Vol. I, p. 290 : and Vol. II, p. 28. POST-CAPTAINS OF 1802. 631 ture of two French store-ships hy her and the Hussar, already noticed at p. 259 of our first volume, took place at a time when Mr. Tohin commanded the Princess of Wales schooner, employed as a tender to those frigates. He subsequently became first Lieutenant of the Thetis, and continued as such till his removal into the Resolution 74, bearing the flag of the commander-in-chief, by whom he was promoted into the Dasher, a new sloop of war, about Aug. 1/98*. After commanding this vessel for twelve months on the coast of America, Captain Tobin was ordered to convoy the homeward bound trade : and on his arrival in England he used every effort to have her sent to the Mediterranean, in order to be near Lord Nelson ; but had the mortifica- tion not to succeed, she being placed under the orders of Sir Thomas Pasley, at Plymouth, and chiefly employed oflT the Isle of Bas, in the irkfc;omc, but rarely successful service, of endeavouring to prevent the enemy's convoys passing along-shore. During the last two years of the war we find her attaciicd to the Channel fleet, successively commanded by Earl St. Vincent, and the Hon. Admiral Cornwallis, She was paid off at Plymouth, Oct. 10, 1801 f. • Tlie Dasher was built of cedar, a; Bermuda. t Lieutenant Bedford, now the senior officer of his rank on the esta- Mishinent of the Royal Hospital at Greenwich, lost his leg whilst serving; under the oru^rs cf Captain Tohin. As the official letter relating to hi» misfortune never reached the public, it muy not be amiss in this place to give a brief statement of the circumstances that led to that very respect- able officer's secession from active service. Wo do so the more readily, in consequence of our being poraonally uriacqiiuintcd with him, although by no means ignorant of his private worth. Tlir energetic manner in which wc have often lieard him plead in fuvoiir of the distressed widows, or|)hans, and parents of deceased odicorH, at the (jiiartcrly meetings of the Naval Charitable Society, and the sight of bis honorable scars, have long caused us to view him with jnorc than common rcixurd. In June 1801, the Dasher, while cliasing a French convoy on the oOast of Poilou, gol on shore near Ic I'oiit ti'^'cu, but without receiving any material Injury. In conscrpiencc of this untoward accident, the bouts under Lieutenant Bedford, who Imt too readily met Captain Tobin'4 wishes, (supported .ly Lieutenant Nicholson in the Suwarrow .schooner), were sent in pursuit. Two brigs were set on fii • by the enemy to prevent th^ir being captured ; but one of the boats was nnforlunutely sunk by a 2 t2 632 POST-CAPTAINS OF 1802. Captain Tobin obtained post rank at the general promo- tion, April 29, 1802 ; and was appointed to the Northumber- land 74, bearing the flag of his friend the Hon. Rear- Admiral Cochrane, off Ferrol, in Sept. 1804. The manner in which he was employed during the ensuing twelve months will be seen by reference to Vol. I, p. 261 . In Sept. 1805, he was removed by the Rear-Admiral, then commander-in-chief on the Leeward Islands station, into the Princess Charlotte, a o8-gun frigate, with a complement of 264 men ; and on the 5th of the following month, being off Tobago, he captured the Cyanc French corvette, (formerly British) mounting 20 long sixes, 2 long fours, and six 12- pounder carronades, with a complement of 190 men, com- manded by M ons. Masnard, Lieutenant de Vaisseau ; the Naiad brig, of 16 long 12-pounders, and 170 men, was in company with the Cyane, but by taking a more prudent, though annoying situation, and superior sailing, effected her escape. When first discovered, these vessels were so far distant, that Captain Tobin saw no chance of overtaking them by an avowed pursuit ; he therefore disguised his frigate as much as possible, which had the desired effect of bringing them down to her in the night of the 4th, when a close action took place, and continued above an hour, during which the Princess Charlotte was so much cut up in her sails and rigging, the enemy firing high on purpose to disable her, as rendered the subsequent pursuit of them a very perplexing one. The Cyane was defended in a very gallant manner, and sustained a loss of 3 men killed and 9 wounded. The Princess Char- lotte had 7 wounded, 2 of whom died soon after. The Naiad was taken by tlie Jason frigate on the 13th of the same month *. shot from the stcrn-'cliaser of a national schooner, which <leprivc(l Iter gsllant and perncvcring commamler of itis loft k>K, and at tlic same tinio slightly wounded a seaman and tliree murines. Lieutenant Bedford hud once before been obliged by wounds to seek a temporary retirement ; but this last severe one closed all his hopes of ever being again actively cn»- ployeil ; and he reluctantly withdrew from service, by accepting an appoint- ment to (ireenwu-h Hospital. * The Pruiceia Charlotte was W meu short of coinplcinent. f 1 I Let' juu lud jut POST-CAPTAINS OF 1802. 633 III tlie summer of 1806, Captain Tobiii was attached ^to » homeward bound convoy; and soon after his arrival in England he received orders to proceed to the Irish station; from whence he escorted u fleet of merchantmen to Barba- does and Jamaica, in the spring of 1809. On his return from the West Indies he was sent to St. Helena, to bring home the trade collected at that island ; for which service he was presented by the Hon. East India Company with ^K) gui- neas, for the purchase of a piece of plate, " as an acknow- ledgment of his care and attention." The Princess Charlotte having rejoined the flag at Cork, Captain Tobin had the gratification of receiving a handsome piece of plate from the Commercial Insurance Company of Dublin, accompanied with a document^ of which the following is a copy : " At a meeting of the Directors of the Commercial Insurance Company of Dublin, on Thursday, Oct. 5, 180.9, " Alderman Nathaniel Hone in the chair. " Resolved, — That the sum of one hundred pounds be laid out in the purchase of a piece of plate to be presented to George Tobin, Esq., commander of H. M. S. Princess Charlotte, with an address and suitable inscription, expressive of the high opinion the Directors of the Commer- cial Insurance Company entertain of his very active services in saving the .ship Maria, John Murphy Master, on the 11th day of March last, wlien under his convoy, laden with a cargo of merchandise, bound from Dublin to Madeira, after being run down by a ship in the fleet. " Resolved, That Alderman Hone, Mr. Wilkinson, and Mr. Sparrow, be a Committee for carrying the foregoing resolution into effect. " Signed by order of the Directors, " Samuel Bruce, Secretary." Mr. Bruce's letter accompanying the above present, was replied to by Captain Tobin in the following terms : " //, M. S. Princess CharltUte, Cove u/ Cor It, J una ,i, 18 10. " Sir, — I beg leave to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 2()tii ult., accompanied with the very handsome piece of plate voted to me on the 5th Oct. last, by the Directors of the Commercial Insurance Company of Dublin. " Be assured. Sir, that such a mark of attention was unexpected on my part, as the affair of relieving the Maria had been passed in my mind as one of those casualties frequent in a large convoy ; but I shall appreciate the gift the more, as the ' Resolution of the Directors of the Commercial Insurance Company of Dublin ' is the only acknowledgment I ever re- (i34 POST-CAPTAINS OP 1802. ceived, notwithstanding it has been my good fortune, by the zeal and ex- ertions of the officers and men I have had the happiness of commanding, to have frequently given aid to vessels in distress. " In begging your acceptance of my thanks for the polite manner in which you have communicated the * Resolution' of the Company, I am. Sir, &c. &c. '* To Samuel Bruce, Esq. (Signed) " Geokoe Tobin." During the remainder of the Freneh war Captain Tobin was actively employed on the Irish and Channel stations, and in the Bay of Biscay, where he was fortunate enough to cap- ture several of the enemy's armed vessels. In Jan. 1812, his frigate was ordered to be called the Andromache, her former name being transferred to a first rate, building at Portsmouth. The Andromache formed part of the squadron under Sir George Collier, during the siege of St. Sebastian ; and after the fall of that strong fortress * she escorted the French gar- rison to England. On the 23d of the following month, Oct, 1813, Captain Tobin fell in with a large frigate, under jury- masts, which surrendered after a short action, and proved to be laTrave, mounting twenty-eight French IS-pounders, and sixteen 18-pounder carronades, only nine months off the stocks, with a complement of 321 men. Captain Tobin, in his official letter, detailing the capture of la Trave, says, " such was the disabled state of her masts previously to our meeting, that any further opposition would have been the extreme of rashness ;" and it is but an act of justice towards a brave enemy to add, that her commander, finding it impossible to escape by sailing, and aflt'r endea- vouring for a cbnsiderable time to dismantle the Andro- mache with his stern-chasers, received that ship in a manner creditable to him as a gallant man, and sustained a close action for fifteen minutes, until a destructive fire obliged him to surrender. In addition to the disadvantageous circum- stance of his being under jury-masts f, a strange ship of war • Sec p. 628 et scq. t La Trave had been dismasted in a gale uf wind on the 16th Oct. and engaged by a British brig of war two days previous to her capture by tho Andromache. See Captain Isaac Hawkins MonnisoN. POST-CAPTAINS OF 1802. 635 was approaching from the N. E. quarter, which he had no doubt of being an enemy, and which indeed proved to be the Eurotas frigate. Captain John Philliniore *. La Trave had 1 man killed ; her commander, Jacob Van Maren, Capitaine de Vaisseau, and Member of the Imperial Order of Reunion, the second Lieutenant, 2 Midshipman, (one of them mortally) and 24 seamen wounded. The An- dromache had only her first Lieutenant f severely, and 1 seaman slightly wounded. Captain Tobin was in company with Rear-Admiral Pen- rose on the 27th Mar. 1814, when that officer, in a most skilful and gallant manner, forced the passage of the Gironde, and anchored in that river with the Egmont 74, the An- dromache, and other ships of war ; an event which will be more particularly described in our memoir of Captain John Coode, C. B. The Andromache formed part of the fleet assembled at Spithead during the visit of the allied sovereigns in June 1814 J and was paid off at Deptford on the 23d of the follow- ing month. Captain Tobin was nominated a C. B. Dec. 8, 1815. He married, in 1804, the widow of Major William Duff, of the 26th regiment, daughter of the late Captain Gordon Skelly, 11. N., by whom he has one son and a daughter. Mrs. Tobin's only child by her first husband is married to Captain Rowland Main waring, R. N. Agents. — Messrs. Maude. JAMES SANDERS, Esq. This officer entered the naval service as a Midshipman on board the America, of 64 guns, commanded by his maternal uncle, the late Rear- Admiral Samuel Thompson X^ April 5, * The Saintea at this time bore E. by S., distant 14 leagues, t See Commander Thomas Dickinson, (A). X Rear-Admiral Thompson, a brave officer and excellent seaman, died at Titchfield, Hants, Aug. 13, 1813, on which day he had completed lu» t'Sth year. His eldest son, Norbornc, is a Captain R. N. 636 POST-CAPTAINS OF 1802. 1780j and continued in that ship on foreign service till the peace of 1783 ; during which period he bore a part iii the actions between Vice-Admiral Arbuthnot and Mons. de Ternay, Mar. 16, 1781 ; Rear-Admiral Gmves and the Count de Grasse, Sept. 5, 1781 ; Sir Samuel Hood and the same French commander, Jan. 25 and 26, 1782 j and in Rodney's battles of April 9 and 12 in the same year. On the latter day the America led the centre division of the British fleet, and sustained a loss of 12 men, including 2 Lieutenants, killed, and 22 officers and men wounded, besides being greatly cut up in her masts, sails, and rigging, notwithstanding which she was far advanced in pursuit of the flying enemy when the Ville de Paris surrendered*. The America returned to England in July 1783 ; and from that period Mr. Sanders was constantly employed in different ships till May 1 792, when he was removed from the Duke of 90 guns into the Lion 64, commanded by the late Sir Erasmus Cower, who entrusted him with the command of the Jackall, a brig of 101 tons, originally a Welch coaster, which vessel had been purchased into the service, and fitted as a tender to the embassy under Lord Macartney, then about to proceed to the court of Pekin f. * For au account of the above actions see Vol. I, pp. 40 and 133 ; Vol. II, Part I. p. 63, et seq. : and Vol. I, note at p. 35 et »eq. t Captain Gower was appointed to the Lion at Lord Macartney's express desire, and gratified with the choice of his own officers, whooi ho selected from a personal knowledge of their merit. The nomination of a Captain was far from being a matter of indifference to the Ambassador ; for, beside the proper qualifications to conduct any very long voyage, with safety nnd comfort to the passengers and crew, still more might possibly be requisite in an undertaking in which a new tract of sea was to be explored ; as it became u part of the plan to sail directly for the harbour next to the capital of China, through the Yellow Sea and the Gulf of Pekin, for a space of IQo of latitude, and more than half that quantity of lon- gitude, no part of which had ever been described by any European navigator. To every branch of the gea service Captain Gower was known to be fully equal. In addition to the military exertions of this spirited and able officer, he had twice, at an early age, been round the world, having suffered, and materially contributed to surmount, the vast variety of evils incident to such perilous and protracted voyages, by which his mind was inured to, and provided with resources against, the accidents POST-CAPTAINS OF 1802. 637 Every arrangement having been made to ensure the suc- cess, and add to the splendour and accommodation of an em- bassy, which had long engaged a considerable share of the public attention ; all those who were to accompany the Am- bassador, to the amount of near 100 persons, besides soldiers and servants, joined his Excellency, at Portsmouth, in Sep- tember, 1792 J and on the 26th of that month the Lion sailed from Spithead, with an easterly breeze, accompanied by her tender, and the Hindostan, a large East Indiaman, the latter having on board the presents destined for Tchien Lung, the Chinese Emperor ; and those persons of Lord Macartney's suite who could not be accommodated on board the King's ship. The squadron had made but little progress down Channel when the wind became adverse, and soon increased to a gale. The Jackall, being unable to weather Portland, parted com- pany during the night of the 28th, and was left to perform the voyage to the Straits of Sunda by herself, with only nine working hands on board, and those totally unprovided with the means of defending themselves against any hostile attack. After encountering much bad weather, Mr. Sanders succeeded in reaching Madeira on the 22d October ; and there received a letter from Sir Erasmus Gower, expressing great uneasiness for his safety ; directing him to lose no time, after completing his provisions, in following him to the Cape de Verds j and, in the event of his not finding him at St. Jago, to proceed ' without delay to North Island, near the Straits of Banca ; where he was to remain until joined by the Lion. Mr. Sanders had scarcely brought up in Funchal Road before a gale from the S. W. compelled him to slip his cable, and run to sea ; where he remained, contending with very tempestuous weather, for a period of seven days, at the expiration of which the wind shifted to the eastward, and enabled him to regain of untried routes. Numberless applications were made to serve under him upon the present interesting occasion ; and young gentlemen of the most respectable families, glowing with all the ardour and enterprise of youth, were admitted on board the Lion, considerably beyond her proper comple- ment of Midshipmen. Three of those gentlemen were placed under Mr. Sanders in the Jackal! . 638 POST-CAPTAINS OF 1802. the anchorage. On the 30th October, the Jackall, after re- covering the anchor that had been left behind, and taking on board a supply of provisions and water, was again under way ; and eleven days after we find her anchoring in Porto Praya Bay, where Mr. Sanders received additional instructions for his guidance, from Sir Erasmus Gower, who had sailed from thence only two days previous to his arrival. The island of St. Jago was at this period in an absolute state of famine. Little or no rain had fallen there for about three years before. The rivers were, almost all, entirely dry. The surface of the earth was, in general, destitute of herb- age. The greatest part of the cattle had already perished, not less through drought than want of food j many of the inhabitants had migrated, and many died through hunger. Under those calamitous circumstances, the license contained in Sir Erasmus Gower's letter, to make a reasonable tarry in Porto Praya Bay, for the purpose of refreshing his little crew, only served to excite discontent ; and it was not without having recourse to strong measures that Mr. Sanders could induce them to prosecute their voyage. From St. Jago to the Straits of Sunda, the Jackall only ex- perienced one heavy gale of wind. It took place to the east- ward of Madagascar, blowing violently in all directions, and occasioning an uncommonly confused sea, attended with inces- sant rain, loud peals of thunder, and lightning of the most awful description. There was, however, a very great swell from the S. W. during the whole passage, and frequently without any apparent cause. On the I3th Feb. 1793> Mr. Sanders made the island of St. Paul ; and on the 23d of the followmg month he had the happiness of joining his com- mander at the appointed rendezvous, after a painful separation of nearly six months. The following is an extract from Sir George Staunton's " Account of the Embassy," a work to which we must refer our readers for a detail of the subsequent proceedings of Lord Macartney and those in his train : — " Very soon after the Lion's return to this spot (North Island) the long- lust Jackall cauie in sight. It had been conjectured that in the stormy night, in which she lost company of the ships, or in her attempt afterwards POST -CAPTAINS OF 1802. 030 l. to follow them, she had met tvith some severe uiiafortunc. Siie ha<l been manned by a part of the Lion's crew ; and their former companions, who knew not then of Great Britain being at war, could not have even the con- solation of supposing their fnends, though captive, yet alive. The joy of seeing her was very general : she had, in fact, been damaged in the begin- ning of the voyage, returned into port to repwr, and afterwards used every diligence to re-join the ships. She was obliged to stop for refreshments at Madeira, where she arrived a short time after the Lion had left it. She pursued the latter to St. Jago, which she reached, likewise, some days too late. From thence to North Island she did not once come to anchor. She was what navigators call a good sea-boat, being conjpactly built, and little liable to perish by mere foul weather ; but neither did she afford much shelter against the hardships of a rough voyage, or make her way so quickly as larger vessels against violent waves. Her provisions were damaged by salt water ; and her crew were reduced to a very scanty pittance when she joined the Lion. Mr. Sanders, who commanded her, got much credit for his conduct throughout the voyage •." On his return to England, in Sept. 1794, Mr. Sanders was recommended for promotion by Lord Macartney ^ and soon after advanced to the rank of Lieutenant in the Prince George, of 98 guns, which ship formed part of Lord Bridport's fleet at * The Lion, on her passage from Batavia to North Island, struck upon n knoll in three fathoms water, with six or seven fathoms all round it. Had the knoll risen nearer to the surface, the accident might have been attended with serious consequences ; and the want of a tender was now much felt, as she might have preceded the ships, and sounded the depth of water in any unknown or suspected place The East India Company's Commissioners at Canton had destined two small vessels for this purpose; but in their late despatches to Lord Macartney, received by him at Batavia, they expressed their regret that those vessels were still otherwise employed. It appeared, that, even should the Jackall join, another vessel would still be useful ; and his Lordship sent back to Batavia to purchase such a one as the service re- quired ; to which, as a mark of respect to the Duke of Clarence, H. R. H.'s name was given. The seeds of dangerous diseases had by this time taken root on board the Lion and Hindostan ; and the evil consequences of a long voyage in so small a vessel, with a very limited allowance of food, and that not of the most wholesome description, began to shew themselves among the Jackall's crew immediately after their arrival, although no previous signs of debility had been exhibited by them : their cases, however, soon yielded to the kind treatment they experienced, aided by salutary refreshments ; whilst by moving to different parts of the coasts of Java and Sumatra, in order to find out the healthiest and coolest spot, the number of persons on the sick-lists of the Lion and Hindostan was gradually reduced. GIO POST CAPTAINS OF 1802. I . the capture of three French 2.deckcrs, off 1 'Orient, on the 23d June, in the following year *. In the autumn of 1795, the Prince George received the flag of Rear-Admiral Christian, and made an ineffectual attempt to clear the Channel, in company with a large armament destined to act against the enemies' colonies in the West Indies. The Glory, another second rate, into which Lieutenant Sanders had removed with the Rear-Admiral, being equally unsuc- cessful f , he returned to the Prince George in July, 1/96 ; and on the 14th Feb. following, had the honour of participating in the victory obtained by Sir John Jervis over the Spanish fleet off Cape St. Vincent. On that memorable occasion, the Prince George bore the flag of Rear-Admiral William Parker, and sustained a loss of 8 men slain and 7 wounded. Lieutenant Sanders' next appointment was in March 1797> to the Victory of 100 guns, bearing the flag of his commander- in-chief, whom he afterwards accompanied into the Ville de Paris, also a first rate. During the time he belonged to the latter ship he was twice engaged in her boats with the Cadiz flotilla, and on one of those occasions received a severe wound. His promotion to the rank of Commander took place about November, 1798. On the 22d Feb. 1799, Captain Sanders, in I'Espoir, a brig mounting 14 long 6-pounders, with a compleaient of 70 men, part of whom were absent in a detained neutral, after a sharp conflict of an hour and fifty minutes, captured a Spanish national xebec, of 14 long 4 -pounders, 4 swivels of the same calibre, and 1 13 men. The following is a copy of his official letter on the occasion : — " Sir, — At a quarter past noon, the town of Murbello bearing N. N. W. distant 3 leagues, u brig and two xebecs in the S. E. quarter appearing sus- picious, I shewed my colours to them, when the brig and one of the xebecs hoisted Spanish; upon which a Moorish brig in tow was cast off, and i'£spoir hauled to the wind in chase. It was soon perceived they were armed ves- sels ; but not being so fortunate as to weather them, we exchanged broad- sides with both in passing. L'Espoir, being tacked, soon brought the xebec to close action, which continued for an hour and a half, wlien a favorable opportunity of boarding her was embraced, and after a sliarp * See Vol. I. p. 246. t Sec Vol. I. note t, at p. 89 et seq. and Vol. II. Part I. p. 96 etseq. «' POST-CAPTAINS OF 1802. Gil ;: contest of about twenty minutes she sunciulerc«l, and provod to ho tlic A(- rica, commanded by Josepho Sulijado, in the service of the Iviiii,' of Spain, mounting i-1 long 4-poumlers and 4 brass 4-pr. swivels, having on board 7^ seamen and 38 soldiers, from Algosamus bound to IMalaga. Lieutenant Richardson, in whom 1 have much confidence, and all the olficers anid sea- men of his Majesty's sloop I have the honor to command, behaved with the same courage they have done on former occasions. During the action the brig, which, I have since learned, mounted 18 guns, stood in-shore and anchored. L'Espoirhad 2 seamen killed and 2 wounded ; the Africa I ofli- ccr and S seamen killed, her captain, 2 officers, and 25 men wounded." " Coptain Cuthbert, H. M- S. Majestic:' The officer to whom this letter was addressed, when trans- mitting it to Earl St. Vincent, said, it was r/ot in the power of his pen siifficiently to extol the mcritorions conduct of Captain Sanders and his creiv in the actioti, ivhich he had himself witnessed^ but at too great a distatice to be able to assist fEspoir*. Some time previous to this gallant affair, Captain Sanders had been sent to examine the Barbary coast for a watering place ; and it is to him that we are indebted for the discovery of a valuable run of fine water in Mazari Bay, or 7 miles t/> the eastward of Tetuan river, which has since been of infinite service both to his Majesty's ships and the garrison of Gib- raltar. In June following I'Espoir formed part of Lord Keith's fleet, and joined in the pursuit of a French scjuadron under Rear- Admiral Peree,whose capture we have already recorded f. Subsequent to this event, Captain Sanders, being at Ciib- raltar, observed several Spanish gun-boats capture a merchant brig between Cabritta Point and Ceuta. Having obtained permission to that effect from the senior officer then present. M i i * It appeared by information afterwards received, that the Spanish vessels made sure of carrying I'Espoir into IMulaga ; also, that the brig which with- drew from the fight and anchored ir>--hore, was ultimately destroyed. t See Vol. I. p. 267, and Vol. li. Part 1, Note f, at p.276. We should here observe that Captain Bland, who commanded I'Espoir before the subject of this memoir, considwcd her as scarcely sea-worthy, her upper works in particular being in ?t most deplorable state. Captain Sanders, however, continued to command her for twelve months, and when oft" Cape delle Melle, with Lord Keith's fleet, in June 17!'!^ went in chase, althongh her starboard-side had been stove in and nearly laid Hat on the deck by the Emerald frigate ruimlng foul of her during the preceding night 642 POST-( APTAIVS OF 1802. li : he weighed at sun-set iinohserved by the enemy, succeeded in recapturing the English vessel, sunk one of the gun-boats, and compelled the others to make a hasty retreat. In addition to those services, he rescued several British merchantmen at different times from the hands of the Algeziras flotilla, and captured and destroyed several privateers and trading vessels on the coast of Spain ; in doing which I'Espoir was more than once warmly engaged, though, fortunately, without sustaining any material loss or damage. Captain Sanders paid ofTl'Espoir at Sheerness in Dec. 1/99; and on that vessel being taken into dock, several feet of her counter fell out the moment tlie copper was removed ; a suf- ficient proof that his predecessor's fears were not groundless. Towards the conclusion of the war he commanded the Raven of 18 guns, on the West India station. His post commission bears date April 29, 1802. In the spring of 1805, we find him acting in the Ariadne, a 20- gun ship, during the temporary absence of her proper Captain, the Hon. Edward King, and stationed off the enemy's coast,with a small squadron under his orders, for the purpose of watch- ing the French flotilla between Dunkirk and Calais. While thus employed he submitted a plan to Lord Keith for attack- ing the armed vessels lying off the former place. His pro- posal being approved, a number of fire-ships, &c. were as- sembled in the Downs for that purpose ; but the enemy, anti- cipating an attack from the force collected, availed himself of the first favorable opportunity to mov^ from Dunkirk Roads and force his way to Boulogne and Calais, which he effected after a sharp brush with the British cruisers, on which occa- sion each party had several men killed and wounded *. In Nov. 1807, Captain Sanders was appointed to the Atlas of 74 guns, bearing the flag of Ilear-Admiral Purvis, on the Cadiz station, where he was most cictivcly employed for a period of nearly three years. The late war in the Peninsula will be memorable above all •Cnptnin K'nj,' had resinnoil thocnnimnndof liis sliip, and llic scinudnm, <i few (luy* previous to the action, lie was aftcnvards appointed to llie Alr.Miiidiiu frigate, uiid died uii IIip Went ludiu - tatiun in ISO/. POST-CAPTAINS OF 1802. 64IJ t)f modem times. It stands alone for the perfidiousness with Avhich the French commenced it, and the atrocious system upon which it was persevered in by an individual the most ambitious of the human race, who was intoxicated with suc- cess, and whose heart and conscience were equally callous. For many months previous to its commencement, the Atlas was employed blockading Cadiz ; but no sooner had the spirit of patriotism burst forth in Andalusia, than the officer whose flag she bore was seen hastening to offer every assistance in his power to the cause of the oppressed inhabit; nts. We should greatly exceed our limits were M'e to enter into a de- tailed account of the transactions in that quarter during the long protracted siege of Cadiz : an idea of the dangers to which the British officers and seamen were constantly exposed will be readily conceived, when we state, that the Atlas scarcely passed a day without being under the fire of the enemy's bat- teries, and that her loss amounted to at least 50 men killed and wounded, including the casualties that occurred in gun- boats manned by detachments from her crew. In August 1810, the Council of Regency having assented to a proposal made by Lieutenant-General Graham and Sir Richard G. Keats, (successor to Vice-Admiral Purvis,) for tlio formation of a canal, navigable for gun-boats at low water, within the fort of Puntales, Captain Sanders was selected to survey the spot and discuss the points connected with it, in conjunction with several other British and Spanish officers. The destruction of Fort Catalina was likewise cftccted under Ids superintendance. The Atlas being found defective, was at length ordered home and put out of commissifm in Dec. 1810. Previous to her departure from Cadiz, the Junta of that city made arrangements by which a large sum of money was sent to I'^ngland in her, as a reward for Captain Sanders' exertions at that place. Captain Sanders remained on half-pay till Mar. 9, 1812, when he was appointed to the Junon of 4(> guns, in which ship we find him cruising o(T the Chesapeake, and rupturing scveiul ])ri/.es at the couuneneentent of the lute war with America. lie uiso led the squadron under Sir John li. Warren, wiieu 044 POST-CAPTAINS OF 1802. I : that officer first entered the same bay for the purpose of estab-* lishing a strict and active blockade, which was afterwards most rigidly enforced by the Junon and other frigates under the orders of Captain Burdett ; to whose memoir we must refer our readers for a copy of the general order issued by Rear-Admiral Cockburn on the 4th Mar. 1813, acknowledg- ing the " gallant, active, and zealous conduct of every officer and man of the small squadron" employed on that arduous service. On the 20th June following, Captain Sanders being at the entrance of Norfolk river, in company with the Narcissus and Barrossa frigates, was attacked by fifteen American gun-boats, several of which were disabled, and the whole compelled to retreat, after an action of three hours, during which the Junon had 2 men killed and 3 wounded. Fortunately for the enemy, the shoalness of the water, and their proximity to the shore, enabled them to effect their escape *. In the following month Captain Sanders was entrusted with the blockade of Delaware Bay, where the boats of the Junon and Martin gallantly attacked and carried an American gun- vessel, mounting one long 32-pounder and one 4-pounder, with a complement of 35 men. Great credit is due to Cap- tain Sanders for the promptitude with which he despatched the boats on this service, the enemy's vessel being part of a flc/iilla that had come out to attempt the destruction of the Martin, then lying aground on the outer ridge of Crow's Shoal, and not more than two miles and a half from the beach. This gallant affair will be more fully spoken of iu our memoirs of Captain H. F. Scnhouse and Commander Philip Westphal. Captain Sanders continued actively and 8ucces.^fully em- ployctl on the American station till Sept. «K), 1813, when he was obliged to exchange into the Sybille frigate and return to England for the recovery of his health, which had by this time become much impaired by a long and laborious course of ser- vice, during which, as we have already shewn, he had assisted ait the capture and destruction of three first-rates, eleven other * The Narcissus ami Barrossa used every oxertjou to close with the enemy, l»iit owiii|{ to ilic ti(k- couKI not reach ilteir stalionit till ihc gun-boats were about to retire. . . ' POST- CAPTAINS OF 1802. 045 ships of the line, four frigates, and three sloops of war, be- sides upwards of one hundred sail of smaller armed vessels, privateers, and merchantmen. He left the Sybillc on the 15th Mar. 1814, and has ever since been on half-pay. He married, in May, 1801, Miss M*Adam, of Ayrshire. WILLIAM HENRY WEBLEY PARRY, Esq. [lATK WEBLEY.] A Companion of the Most Honorable Milititry Order of the liatlt ; awl a linight Companion of the Royal Swedish Order of the Sword. This officer was made a Lieutenant Sept. 21, 1790; and was serving as such on board the Juno frigate when she made her extraordinary escape from Toulon harbour, on the night of Jan. 11, 1794 ; a circumstance to be attributed, in a great measure, to his presence of mind, as will be seen by the fol- lowing narrative of that event, sent by his gallant commander, the late Sir Samuel Hood, to the commander-in-chief on the Mediterranean station : "Juno, in Hieres Day, Jan. 13, 1794. " My Lord, — I beg leave to enclose your Lordship a narrative of the fortunate escape of II. M. S. Juno, under my command, from the port of Toulon, after having run ashore in the inner harbour on the night of the 1 1th instant. The Arm, steady, and quiet manner in which my orders wore carried into execution by Lieutenant Turner, supported l>y the able assist' ance of Lieutenants Mason and Webley, in their respective stations ; tht, attention of Mr. Kidd, the Master, to the steeragr, &e. with the very good conduct of every officer and man, were the means of the ship's preservation from the enemy, and for which I must request pern)issiou to give them my strongest recommendation. I have the honor to be, &c. &c. (Signed) "Samuel Hood." " To the Right Hon. Admiral Urd Hood." " On the M inst. I left the island of Malta, having on board 1/30 super, numerarics, 46 of whom are the officers and private maruies of II. M. S. Romney, the remainder Maltese, intended for the fleet *. On the night of the 7th I passed the S. W. point of Sardinia, and steered a course for Tou- Ion. On the 9th, about 1 1 A. M., made Cape Sicie, but found a current liad set us some leagues to the westward of our reckoning : hauled our * The Juno had been sent to Malta for reinforcements previous to the evacuation of Toulon, in Dec. 1 7^3. VOL. 11. 2 u 646 POST-CAl»TAINS OF 1802. wind, but it blowing hard from the eastward, with a strotijj; lee current, w* could but just fetch to the westward of the above Cape. The wind and current continuing, we could not, till the evening of the 11th, get as far to windward as Cape Sepet : finding, a little l)efore ten o'clock, that the ship would be able to fetch into Toulon, I did not like to wait till morning, hav- ing so many men on hoard, and considering it my indispensable duty to get in as fast as possible. At ten I ordered the hands to be turned up to bring the ship to anchor, being then abreast of Cape Sepet, entering the outer harbour. Not having a pilot on board, or any person acquainted with the port, I placed two Alidshipmcn to look out with night glasses for the fleet; but not discovering any ships until we got near the entrance of the inner harbour, I supposed they had moved up there in the eastern gale ; at the same time seeing one vessel, with several other lights, which I imagined to be the fleet's, I entered the inner harbour under the top-sails only ; but finding I could not weather a brig, which lay a little way above the point called the Grand Tour, I ordered the fore-sail and driver to be set, to be ready to tack when we were the other side of her. Soon alter the brig hailed us, but I could not make out in what language : I supposed they wanted to know what ship it was, and told them it was an English frigate called the Juno. They answered yivu; and after asking in English and French for some time, what brig she was, and where the British Admiral lay, they appeared not to understand me, but called out, as we passed under their stem, Luff! Luff! several times ; which made me suppose there was shoal water near : the helm was instantly put a-lee, but we found the ship was on shore before she got head to wind. There being very little wind, and perfectly smooth water, I ordered the sails to be clewed up and handed : at this time a boat went from the brig towards the town. Before the peo- ple were all off the yards, we found the ship went a-stem very fast by a flaw of wind that came down the harbour ; we hoisted the driver and roizen-stay-sail, keeping the sheets to windward to give her stern way as long as possible, that she might get further from the shoal. The instant she lust her way we let go the best bower anchor, when she tended head to wind ; but the after part of the keel was aground, and we could not move the rudder. I ordered the launch and cutter to be hoisted out, and put the kedge anchor with two hawsers in them, to warp the ship farther off. By the time the boats were out, a boat came alongside, after having been hailed, and we thought answered as if an oAicer had been in her : the peo- ple were all anxious to get out of her, and two of them appeared to be oflicers; one of them said he came to inform me it was the regulation of the port, and the commanding officer's orders, that I mutt go into another branch of the harbour to perform ten days' quarantine. I kept asking him where Lord H(io<i's ship lay ; but from his not giving me any satisfactory answer, and one ttf the Midshipmen liavini; said, " tlii!y were national cock- ade?," I looked at one of their hats more stcdfastly, and, by the moon- light, clearly tjintinguished the three colours. Perceiving they were sus- POST-CAPTAINS OF 1802. G47 pectcii, and on my questioning them again about Lord Hood, one of them replied, " Soyez tranquille, lex Jnglois sont dc braves gens, nous les trnit- ons hient ; I'Ainiral Anghis est sortie il y a quelqne terns •." It may be more easily conceived than any words can express, what I felt at the mo- ment. The circumstauce of our situation, of course, was known throueh- out the ship in an instant ; and saying we were all prisoners, the officers soon got near me to know our situation. At the same tin>e a flaw of wind coming down the harbour, Lieutenant Webley said to me, ' I believe, Sir, we shall be able to fetch out, if we can get her under sail.' I immediately perceived Ave should have a chance of saving the ship ; at least, if we did not. we ought not to lose her without some contention : I therefore ordered every person to their respective stations, and the Frenchmen to be sent below. The latter, perceiving some bustle, began to draw their sabres ; on which I directed soipe of the marines to take the half-pikes and force them below, which was soon done : I then ordered all the Maltese between decks, that we might not have confusion with too many men. I believe, in an instant, such a change in people was never seen ; every officer and man was at his duty; and I do believe, within three minutes, every sail in the ship was set, and the yards braced ready for casting. T^" steady and active assistance of Lieutenant Turner, and all the officers, prevented any con- fusion from arising in our critical situation. As soon as the cable was taut, I ordered it to be cut, and had the good fortune to sec the ship start from the shore. The head sails were filled : a favourable flaw of wind coming at the same time, gave her good way, and we had every prospect of getting out, if the forts did not disable us. To prevent our being retarded by the boats, I ordered them to be cut adrift, as also the French boat. Tlie moment the brig saw us begin to loose sails, we could plainly perceive she was getting her guns ready, and we also saw lights on all the l)attericj. When we had shot far enough for the brig's guns to bear on us, which was not more than three ships' lengths, she began to fire, also a fort a little on the starboard bow, and soon after all of them, on both sides, as they could bring their guns to bear. As soon as the sails were well trimmed, I beat to quarters, to get our guns readyi but not with an intention of firing till we were sure of getting out. When abreast of the centre part of Cape Sepet, I was afraid we should have been obliged to make a tack ; but as we drew near the shore, and were ready, she came up two points, and just weathered the Cape. As wc passed very close along that shore, the batte- ries kept up a» brisk a fire as the wetness of the weather would admit. When I could aflford to keep the ship a little from the wind, I ordered some guns to be fired at a buttery that hw\ just opened abreast of us, which quieted them a little. Wc then stopped firing till wc could keep her away, with the wind abaft the beam, when, for a few minutes, we kept up a very • Make yourself easy ; the English are good people ; we will treat them kindly ; the Hiiglish Admiral hva departed some time. 2u2 648 POST-CAPTAINS OF 1802. lively fire on the last battery we had to pass, and which I believe must otherwise have done us great damage. At half-past twelve, being out of reach of their shot, the firing ceased. Fortunately we had no person hurt. Some shot passed through the sails, part of the standing and running rig- ging cut away, and two French 36-pound shot, that struck the hull, was all the damage we received *. (Signed) "Samuel Hood." We are not exactly informed as to the manner in which Mr. Webley was employed from this period till the memorable battle of the Nile, when he served as first Lieutenant of the Zealous, 74, commanded by Captain Hood f. Being pro- moted for his conduct on that occasion, he was subse- quently appointed to the Savage sloop of war, and continued to command her till the peace of Amiens. It does not appear that he was again called into service till the latter end of 1806, when we find him commanding the Centaur 74, bearing the broad pendant of his friend, Comrao- • Lieutenant Joseph Turner, the officer alluded to in the above narrative, was made a Commander, October 7, 1794 ; and died about the month of May, 1816. t Captain Hood was the officer who first discovered the French fleet in Aboukir Bay. On being asked l)y Nelson, " what he thought of attaching the enemy that night F" he replied, " ff'e have now eleven fathoms trater; and, if you will give me leave, I icill lead in, making known my soundings by signal, and bring their van ship to action." Late as it was, the firmness of this answer decided the Rear-Admiral, who said, '• Go on, and I wish you success." During this conversation the Goliah passed the Zealous, and took the lead, which she kept; but, not bringing up alongeide the first ship, went on to engage the second. On this Captain Hood exclaimed to his officers, " Thank God! my friend Foley has left me the van ship." He soon after took such a position on the bow of the Guenicre, the ship in question, as to shoot away all her masts, and effect her capture, in twelve minutes from the time that the Zealous commenced her fire. He after- wards engaged the flying ships tmtil called off" by signal. The Zealous, strange as it may appear, had only eight men killed and wounded on this glorious occasion. After this victory, Sir Horatio Nelson proceeded to Naples, leaving part of his s(|uadron on the coast of Egypt, under the orders of Captain Hoo<l, who kept the port of Alexandria closely blockaded ; took and destroyed upwards of thirty of the neutral transports which had been employed in the service of the French army ; and contributed, in a mate- rial degree, to the interests of (ireat Britain, by his am-^able commuoica- tions with the servants of the tiraud Seignior. POST-CAPTAINS OF 1802. 649 dore Hood, with whom he served during the expedition against Copenhagen ; and whilst there we find him displaying great promptitude in extinguishing an alarming fire which broke out in the naval arsenal during the night of Sept. 22, 1807. On his return from Copenhagen Sir Samuel Hood was sent, in conjunction with the present Lord Beresford, to take pos- session of Madeira, which was effected without resistance on the 26th Dec. in the same year. He subsequently went to the Baltic, as second in command of the fleet stationed there, to act in concer*^ ith the Swedes *. On the 25th Aug. 1808, he sailed from Oro Road, in company with the Implacable 74, and a Swedish squadron under Rear- Admiral Nauckhoff; and on the following day succeeded in capturing and destroy- ing the Sewolod, a Russian 74, and compelling the rest of the enemy's fleet to take shelter in the port of Rogerswick, for which service the late King of Sweden presented him (as also Captains Martin and Webiey) with the Order of the Sword, an honor never conferred but in acknowledgment of victory. Sir Samuel Hood's official letter to Sir James Saumarez, the commander-in-chief, describing the above event, has been greatly admired for its perspicuity. It would be an act of injustice towards the captains, officers, and men, who fought under his orders, were we not to insert it at full length : " Centaur, off Rogerswick, Aug. 27, 1808. " Sir,— It is with pleasure I acquaint you that the Russian squadron, under the command of Vice-Ad miral Hanickoff, after being chased thirty- four hours by his Swedish Majesty's squadron, under Rear-Admiral Nauck- hoff, accompanied by this ship and the Implacable, under my orders, have been forced to take shelter in the port of Rogerswick, with the loss of one 7-1-gun ship. I shall have great satisfaction in detailing to you the services of the captains, officers, seamen, and marines, under ray com- mand ; and have also to state, that in no instance have I seen more energy displayed than by his Swedish Majesty's squadron, although from the in- feriority of their sailing they were prevented from getting into action Rear-Admiral Nauckhotf, and the captains under his command, from their perseverance and judicious conduct, were enabled to give conlidunce to Sir Samuel Hood vva» nnide a Rear-AiimirHlOct. J, 1807 I : i ! 650 POST-CAPTAINS OK 1802. our Bhips ; and could wc Iiave forced the etiemy to a general action, tbc whole of their s({uadron must have fallen to the superior bravery of the united force of our respecflve Sovereigns, tn so just and honorable a cause. " My letter of the 25th will have acquainted you of the Russian squa- dron having appeared offOro Road on the 23d. The arrangements for quitting that anchorage, after his Swedish Majesty's ships from Jungfur Sound had joined Reur-Aduiiral Nauckhoff, were completed on the evening of the 24th. Early the next morning the whole force put to sea ; and soon after the Russian fleet was discovered off* Hatagu Udd, the wind then at N. E. Not a moment was lost in giving pursuit, and every sail pressed by the Swedish squadron. From the superior sailing of the Centaur and Implacable they were soon in advance ; and at the close of the evening the enemy were noticed in the greatest disorder, apparently avoiding a general battle*. On the morning of the 26tb, about five o'clock, the Implacable was enabled to bring the leewardmost of their line-of-battle sltips to close action, in a most brave and gallant manner ; and so decidedly and judiciously was the manoeuvre executed, that the Russian Admiral, who bore tip with the whole of bis force, could not prevent that marked superiority of dis- cipline and seamanship being eminently distinguished. Although the enemy's ship fought with the greatest bravery, she was silenced in about twenty minutes ; and only tlie near approach of the whole Russian fleet could have prevented her then falling, her colours and pendant beiiig both <iown i but I was obliged to make the signal for the Implacable to close with me. Captain Martin's letter, stating the brave and gallant conduct of Lieutenant Baldwin, his other officers and men, I send herewith ; and it would be needless for me to add more on their meritorious conduct. If words of mine could enhance the merit of this brave, wortliy, and ex- cellent officer, (CaptEun Martin) I could do it with the most heartfelt gratification ; and the high esteem I have for him as an officer and « friend, no language can sufficiently express *. *' The Russian Admiral, having sent a frigate to tow the disabled ship, again hauled his wind ; and the Implacable being rfeady to make sail, I immediately gave eltase, and soon obfiged the Mgate to cast off her tow, when the Russian Admiral was again under the necessity to support her, by several of his line-of>battle sihips bearing down, and I had «very pros- pect of this bringing on a general action ; to avoid which he avuled him- self of a favorable slant of wind, and entered the port of Rogerswick. " The line-of-battle ship engaged by the Implacable having fallen to leeward, grounded on a shoal just at the entrance of the port ; there being then some swell, I had a hope she most have been destroyed : but the wind moderutuig towards the evening, she appeared to ride at her anchor, and exertions were made to repair her damage. At sunset, finding the swell * Captain T. Byam Martin has since been created a K. C. B., and advanced to the rank of Vicc-Admiral. See Vol. I, p. 4fM et «tq. POST-CAPTAIN? OF 1802. 051 abated, and boats sent from the Russian fleet to tow her into port, I di- rected Captain VVcbley to stand in and endeavour to cut her off. This was executed in a manner that must ever reflect the highest honor on Captain Webley, the oflicers, and ship's company of the Centaur, for their valour and perseverance in the support of my orders. Tlie Iwats had made a considerable progress, and the enemy's ship was just entering the port, when we had the good fortune to lay her on board ; her bowsprit taking the Centaur's fore-rigging, she swept along with her l)ow grazing the muzzles of our guns, which was the only signal for their discharge, and the enemy's bows were drove in by this raking fire. When her bowsprit came to our inizen-rigging, I oniered it to be laahed, which was performed in a most steady manner by the exertions of Captain Webley, Lieutenant Lawless, Mr. Strode, the Master, and other brave men, under a very heavy fire from the enemy's musketry, by which, I am sorry to add. Lieutenant Lawless is severely wounded. The ship being in six fathoms water, I had a hope I should have been able to have towed her out in that position ; l)ut an anchor had been let go from her unknown to us, which rendered it impossible. At this period much valour was displayed on both sides, and several attempts made to board by her bowsprit ; but nothing could withstand the cool and determined fire of the marines under Captain Bayley and the other oflicers, as well as the fire from our stem-chase guns ; and in less than half an hour she was obliged to surrender. On this occa- sion I again received the greatest aid from Captain Martin, who anchored his ship in a position to heave the Centaur ofl'', after she and the prize had grounded, which was fortunately effected at a moment when two of the enemy's ships were seen under sail standing towards us, but who retreated when they saw us extricated from this difliculty. " The prize , proved to be the Sewolod, of 7^ guns. Captain Roodneff. She had so mu^h water in her, and bein^ fast on shore, that after taking out thO' prisoners and wounded men, I was obliged to give orders for her beuig burnt ; which service was completely effected under the direction of Lieu- tenant Biddulph of this alnp, by seven o'clock in the mormng. " I cannot speak too highly of the brave and gallant coitduut of Captain Webley, and every oSicer and man under his command ; and I beg leave to recommend to you, for the notice of the Lords Commissioners of the Ad- miralty, Lieutenant Lawlci^s, for bis exertions and gallant conduct, and who has severely suffered on this occa^iion : I also must beg leave to recommend Lieutenant William Case, tlic senior officer of this ship ♦. " Herewith you will receive a list of the killed and wounded on board this ship and the Implacable ; and from every information that it was • Lieutenant Paul Lawless was made a Commander on the l!)th of the ensuing month. Lieutenant Case did not obtain promotion till Aug. 7, 1812. I I !' i 652 POST-CAPTAINS OF 1802. possible to collect, that of tlie enemy's ship captured*. I have the honor to be, &c., (Signed) " Samukl Hood." " To Sir James Saumarez, Bart. \ Sfc. SfC. fyc." Captain Martin's letter, alluded to by Sir Samuel Hood, was couched in the following modest terms : " Sir, — The action this morning between the Implacable and the rear ship of the Russian line, was so immediately under your own observation, that it would be superfluous to trouble you with any statement upon that point ; but in transmitting a list of killed and wounded, I trust I may be allowed the opportunity to express my thankfulness to the officers and ship's company of the Implacable, for their eager and active exertions to close with the enemy, and the truly noble and splendid conduct which they displayed during the engagement ; but it is my duty to acknowledge, in a more particular manner, the great assistance I derived from Mr. Baldwin, the first Lieutenant, and Mr. Moore, the Master ; and if the fact of our opponent being completely silenced, and his colours (both ensign and pendant) down, when the approach of the whole Russian fleet occasioned your recalling me, can tend to make the affair worthy of being distinguished by any mark of approval from the Lords Coumiissionera of the Admiralty, it is impossible that patronage can be bestowed upon a more thoroughly deserving officer than Mr. Baldwin. I have the honor to be, &c. (Signed) " T. B. Martin." " To Sir Samuel Hood, K. B. Rear- Admiral of the IFIiite f." Early in 1 809, we find Sir Samuel Hood and Captain Web- ley employed at Corunna, under the orders of Rear-Admiral de Courcy ; and subsequently receiving the thanks of Par- * Centaur 3 killed, 27 wounded; Implacable 6 killed, 26 wounded; Sewolod 303 killed, wounded, and missing ; 43 of this number were slain, and 80 wounded, in her action with the Implacable ; but 108 fresh sailors and soldiers were brought to her by the boats from Rogerswick. t The allied force on the above occasion consisted of uvelve two-deckers, mounting in the whole 882 guns { Ave frigates, mounting 208 guns ; and one brig. The enemy had only nine sail of the line, but two of them were three-deckers, and they carried altogether 7^6 guns ; three of their frigates mounted 50, and two others 44 guns each ; besides which they had six other vessels mounting 124 guns, and four whose armament could not be ascertained. Allowing the latter as a set off against the Swedish brig, the numbers will be found to be as follow : — British and Swedes, seventeen 'sail and lOfJO guns; Russians, twenty sail and HIS guns. Upwards of a third of the Swedish sailors were either ill in bed with the scurvy, or had previously been sent to sick (juartcrs at Carlscruna. I POST-CAFrAiNS OF 1802. 653 the liament for the prompt and effectual assistance rendered by them daring the embarkation of the army lately commanded by the lamented Sir John Moore*. In 1810 and 181 1, they served together in the Centaur, on the Mediterranean station ; and on Sir Samuel's appointment to the chief command in India, vacant by the death of Vice- Admiral Drury, we believe that the subject of this memoir was again selected to be his Flag- Cap tain. Captain Webley assumed the name of Parry about 1815, in which year he commanded the Swiftsure 74, at the Lee- ward Islands. He was appointed to the Prince Regent of 120 guns, bearing the flag of Sir Benjamin Hallowell at Chatham, Dec. 6, 1822 ; and is now completing the usual period of service under that officer's successor. EDWARD GALWEY, Esq. Towards the close of 179/, when the Vanguard of 74 guns was commissioned for the flag of Sir Horatio Nelson, Mr. Galwey was selected by that officer to act as his first Lieutenant, from which circumstance we conclude that he had already served under that celebrated conmiander, and shared in some of his battles. Be that as it may, we find the following short account of him in a letter from Nelson to Earl St. Vincent, dated May 8, 1798 : " My first Lieutenant, Galwey, has no friends, and is one of the best officers in my ship." During the dreadful conflict in Aboukir Bay, Aug. 1, 1798, Lieutenant Galwey was sent in the only boat which had not been cut to pieces by the enemy's shot, to assist the distressed crew of rOrient ; and subsequently to take possession of le Spartiate. He was promoted to the rank of Commander in consequence of that ever memorable victory ; and during the latter part of the war we find him commanding the Plover, an 1 8-gun sloop, employed on Channel service. His post com- mission bears date April 29, 1802. Captain Galwey commanded the Dryad frigate during the • Sec Vol. I, p. 335. , S' ^ L 654 POSt-CAPTAINS OF 1802. expedition against Walcberen in 1809; and subsequently on the north coast of Spain, under the orders of the late Sir Robert Mends *. On the 23d Dec. 1812, he drove a French national brig of 32 guns, on the rocks near Isle Dieu, where she was completely wrecked : the Dryad on this occasion was hulled several times by shot from the shore, and had her fore- mast badly wounded, but not a man hurt. Returning from Newfoundland, Mar. 2G, 1814, Captain Galwey fell in with the Clprinde, a French frigate, endeavour- ing to escape fi*om the Eurotas of 46 guns, with which ship she had had a very severe action on the preceding day, an account of which wiill be found in our memoir of Sir John Phillimore, Knt., C. B. The enemy, having only his fore-mast standing, and more than one third of his crew already killed and wounded, struck his colours on receiving one shot from the Dryad, after an absurd attempt to obtain terms previous to his surrender ; a proposition that would not have been acceded to even by a British brig of 18 guns, t|ien in sight ,tp lee- ward. Captain Galwey, after towing tjiie captured frigate 'into port, was put oat of comm^^^ion. lie has not since 4)een employed. Agent. — ^Thomas Collier, Esq. RICHARD JONES, Esq. This officer was first Lieutenant of the Defence 74, com- manded by the late Rear- Admiral John Peyton, in the me- morable battle off the Nile f, and obtained the rank of Com- mander for his conduct on that occasion. We subsequently find him commanding the Diligence sloop of war ; the Chep- stow district of Sea Fencibles ; and the flag-ships of the late Vice-Admiral Thomas Wells J, and the present Sir Manley Plxon. His post commission bears date April 29, 1602. • See Vol. II,. Part J, pp. 272 and 273. t See Vol. I, p. 181. The Defence hsd 4 ooen kjlled and 11 wounded. <Bear-Adtniral -Peytqn died at Priestland, near Lyn^iugton, Hants, Aug. 2, 1809. ^ •" X Vice-Admiral Wells (^ed at I^olme, iu Huntingdonshire, Oct. 31, 181 1. '^ "tjs i^<^q-- CcU- s 0(J(s\:<:. vh'iy ^ I Fovr-c.vrrAiNs of 1802. ()55 RICHARD HAWKINS, Esq. Tins officer was born at Saltash in I7O8 ; and served as a Midshipman in the boats of the Windsor (/astle, a second rate, at the evacuation of Toulon in 1793. He also distin- guished himself in an affair with the French republicans near Hieres Bay, the particulars of which will be found at p. 813 of this volume. On the 1st Aug. 1798, when Sir Horatio Nelson defeated the enemy's fleet under Admiral Brueys in Aboukir bay, we find Mr. Hawkins serving as first Lieutenant jf the Theseus 74, commanded by the late Captaij U. W MilU r, and his name returned among those won/»ded in th^i ?rigagv^ment*. At the close of the war he comuianded the GiiV'^o of 14 guns, from which vessel he was poated April '20, ?S02. In I8O7 Captain Hawkins obtained i>.a corn; aand of U Mi- nerve frigate; and on the 6th May, I BOS, Liis boats aitacked and carried a battery mounting o'l? ly-poundi-v, wLidi was immediately turned again-^t ft biot?ldiouKe coirmjauJJsjg y small bay near I'Orient ; but u large parky of soldU f"» tiiviei'i having opened a heavy fire through their iocp-fholr'.H, and killed Lieutenant Cook wlib direrled tncv.tt'JC'V, theaasariants were obliged to content themselves with i?|uking the ^un and bringing off the body of their leai^r, Oii the 2'>d Sept. foUowiiig, Captain Hawkins fell in -with a brig, Vhioh overset just as lie had arrived within gun-shot of ber^, after a chHse rf seventy-^five miles. La Minerve being instantly J;r(iU|);htto, succeed'ed in saving 16 of the unfortimate vessds crciv ; ^mt her commander and 33 men ivere drown rd From iJic ac- count of the survivors it t^peared that she was the Josephina, a French letter of marque, nkcur'tiiig ^ gun.", pierced for; 18, from St. Sebastidn, bound to Guadaloupe, with a cargo of flour, brandy, wine, "nJ clothing, and intended to cruise against our trade in ; ht West Indies, she having already done much mischief :<■> British commerce as a privateer. • The Tbesetis, although hulled in more than seventy places, had only 5 men killed and .30 wounded. Captain Miller lost his life by an expto< sion of shells, in May 1799 ; see Vol. H, Part I, note t at p. 383. 656 POST-CAPTAINS OF 1802. ! i Captain Havrkins continued to command la Miner ve till 1814, but does not appear to have had any opportunity of distinguishing himself whilst in her. He has ever since been on half- pay. Agent. — J. Copland, Esq. THOMAS COWAN, Esq. This officer was first Lieutenant of the Swiftsure 74, com- manded by the present Vicc-Admiral Sir Benjamin Hallowell, K. C. B. in the battle of Aug. 1, 1798; and, if we mistake not, he received the Turkish gold medal for his subsequent services in Egypt. He obtained post rank, April 29, 1802. WILLIAM HENRY DANIEL, Esq. This officer is the eldest son of the late Captain William Daniel, R. N. by Miss M. Dawson, of Newcastle-upon-Tyne, and a brother of Lieutenant Robert Savage Daniel, who was mortally woun^led on board the Bellerophon 74, in the battle offtheNile, Aug. 1, 1798 ♦. He was born in London in 1763 ; and his name first en- tered op a ship's books Dec. 20, 1766; but his actual entry into the naval service did not take place till 1773) when he joined the Dublin 74 at Plymouth. On the 31st March, in the following year, he was received into the Royal Academy at Portsmouth, where he continued upwards of four years. Whilst there he was frequently employed to drill the other scholars at small arms ; and on one of those occasions was twice stabbed with a sword by a lad named Marmaduke Price, who insisted on having the command. One of the wounds was at flrst considered mortal ; but fortunately the sword had * Mr. R. S. Daiiit'l wait first Lieutenant of the Dellerophon, and foufj^ht her with great bravery, after <'aptuiii Darby was wounded, till one of hia legs wus rarrted off by u cannon Inill. On his way tothu cockpit, a grape* ttliot pa.sdcd through the body of the man who was carrying him down, and grazed his own back ; but this latter woinid, although it caused his death, was not discovcied by the Surgeon uuiii after he had expired. POST-CAPTAINS OF 1802, 657 been prevented from entering the abdomen, in consequence of its striking one of the short ribs on the left side. On the 7th Dec. 1776, the rope-houses in Portsmouth dock-vfird were wilfully set on fire, by a miscreant commonly culled " Jack the Painter," and considerable damage was done before the flames could be extinguished. Shortly after this diabolical act, whilst Mr. Daniel was looking at the men employed clearing the camber of the pitch, tar, and other combustible articles that had been thrown into it for security, the sheers erected for that purpose gave way, struck him on the back of the head, and knocked him down apparently lifeless. The effects of this accident are still felt by him on all occasions of exertion. Mr. Daniel removed from the Royal Academy to the Prince of Wales, a second rate, bearing the flag of Rcar-Admlral Barrington, April 16, 1778 ; and shortly after proceeded to the Leeward Islands, where he was placed under the care of the late Sir Charles Thompson, who at that period com- manded the Boreas of 28 guns ; in which ship Mr. Daniel saw much active service, and was twice engaged with the enemy*. On the 7th May 17^> be joined the Sandwich of 90 guns, • On the 18th Dec. 17/8, the Bcrea- uiatle u gallant attack upon a French convuy ironi Marseilles, hound tu ]Martini(|ue ; and after an action of more than six hours, during which «lie was successively exposed to the fire of two 74*8, t\» / frigates, many arsned merchantmen, and the Diamond Rock, Pigeon Island, and other lund-batterics, succeeded in capturing a ship and a polacre with valuable cargoes, driving several others on shore at the entrance of Port Royal, and compelling six or sewn sail to bear up and surrender to part of the British fl«et which hud by this time arrived from St. Kitts. In the following year she captured, after a short but spirited action, le Compass, a large ship, armed en flute, laden with colonial produce from AMartiDi(|ue, bound to Kurope, with a complement of 2W men, and having on board about the same number of invalids, &c., from 'he French army and shipping. The Boreas had 4 men killed and several wounded during the action, and about 20 others much burnt, by an explosion of gunpowder on board Ic Compass after her surrender. The enemy's loss was likewise very severe. About this latter period Mr. Daniel was nearly drowned whilst em- ployed on a watering party, and had a narrow escape from assassination whilst lying in an exhausted state in a hut to which he ha«i beer taken ia a state of auspeniled animHtion. 1 " G58 POST-CAPTAINS OF 1802. bearing the flag of Sir George B. Rodney ; and a few days afterwards witnessed two partial actions between that officer and M. de Guichen, whose shyness alone prevented a general battle *. In July following, Mr. Daniel received an appointment to act as a Lieutenant on board the Magnificent 74, which ship was soon after ordered to convoy a valuable fleet from Ja- maica to England, where she arrived in a sinking state, after a tempestuous passage of thirteen weeks, during which she was obliged to be frequently fothered, and her crew became so completely exhausted as to fall down at the pumps f. Having passed his examination at the Navy Office, Mr. Daniel was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant J an. 22, 1781 ; but he does not appear to have been employed on any service worthy of notice during the remainder of the American war. In Mar. ]783, he obtained an appointment to the Iphigenia frigate, commanded by Captain James Cornwallis ; which ship, after conveying Lord Northington to his Vice-royalty in Ireland, was sent to the Jamaica station, and employed principally on the Spanish Main for a period of three years. She was paid off at Sheemess in Oct. 1786 !• During the Dutch armament, in 1787> Lieutenant Daniel was employed in raising men for the fleet at a rendezvous in London ; after which he remained on half-pay till 17^0, when he served for a short time on board the Illustrious 74, com- nuinded by Sir C. M. l»ole. His next appointment was in • See Vol. I, note at p. 104 et $eq. t The Thunderer and Stirling Castle, of 74 Rwos caih, part of the sqiia- «lr(in sent to escort the Magnificent and her charge through the Gulf of Florida, wore totally lost, and several of the other ships much damaged. The disastrous effects of the hurricane hy which they suffL'red, were also felt throughout the Leeward Islands, as we have already mentioned in our memoir of Admiral John Holloway. See Vol. I, p. 10'). X Whilst Lord Northington was on board the Iphigenia he fell on the sky-light over the gun-room, and it being uncovercl, lie would in all pro- bability have su8t<iined consivlerable injury, hivd not Lieutenant Daniel fortunately caught hold of his coat, and held him fast till others came to his assistance. For this service his Lordship made him a public offer of any sinecure situation that ho might find vacant on his arrival nt Dublin, but which was declined by Lieutenant Daniel, as he coiisidered he had donr no more than his duty on that occasion. POST-CAPTAINS OF 1802. (559 Mar. 1/93, to the Courageux of p/.niilar force, in which ship he assisted at the occupation of Toulon by the forces under Lord Hood *, and had his left leg broken, besides receiving three severe contusions in the head, breast, and left foot, whilst engaging the batteries and towers near St. Fiorenzo t. Mr. Daniel at this latter period became first Lieutenant of the Courageux on the ^r-i\\-h of Mr. Shield, who fell in the action ; and finding that his Japtain was also seriously hurt by the poop-ladder being shot from under him, he neglected his own wounds in order to attend to the refitment of the ship, she having suffered very considerably in her hull, masts, sails, and rigging. This arduous duty he performed on crutches ; and so great was his zeal for the service, that on one occa- sion he sat up all night, keeping only a quarter-master on deck with him, in order that the crew might be refreshed for their labour on the following day. Previous to her return to Toulon, the Courageux struck on a reef of rocks near Cape Corse, unhung her rudder, and made upwards of seven feet Mater per hour. To add to her mis- fortunes, tlie carpenter and nearly all of his crew were most severely burnt by an accidental explosion of some powder-horns, whilst employed fixing the tiller, and before they had finished plugging the numerous shot-holfB in her bends and other parts. The Courageux b^Vng afterwards hove down at Toulon, her shattered state excited universal surprise, every one wonder- ing how she could have been kept afloat. Her false keel was entirely gone, and not two inches of the main one remained under the fore-hj.tchway, amidships, and under the mizen- inast ; the lower part of the gripe was carried away, the bolts of the main-keel were driven upwards, the trunnels and plank of the garboard- streak started in several places, as also many higher up ; one of the gxidgcons of the rudder was broken, the dead wood so bent as to start the copper nails half way up the stern-posts, and for sixteen feet forward ; the rudder exceedingly battered, and only two pintles renuMtied service- able. She was, however, repaired in time to quit that port previous to its falling into the hands of the rej ublicans, her " See Vol I, |.. (iO. I Sio Vol II, IVt F, note t at p. 1^!). G60 POST-CAPTAINS OF 1802. rudder being hung, sails bent, and rigging set up, by th(^ light of the fire that had been made for the destruction of the French arsenal and shipping. Captain Matthews, who had been appointed to act in the Courageux during the absence of her proper commander, the present Lord Radstock, was employed on shore at the evacu- ation of Toulon ; and finding on his return to the ship that she was not only ready for sea but actually clear of danger, he declared that it was the happiest moment of his life : what then must have been the sensations of Lieutenant Daniel, through whose devoted zeal the Courageux had been thus pre- served, first from destruction, and lastly from the ignominy of wearing a tri-coloured flag. It cannot, however, be supposed, that such exertions could have been made with impunity ; the stimulus to energetic efforts having ceased, his strength soon gave way, and on his arrival at Gibraltar, in company with the fleet and the French ships brought from Toulon, he found it absolutely necessary to retire for a time from duty. Whilst there he became seri- ously ill, and a survey being held on him by the proper ofli- cers, they strenuously advised him to seek the benefit of his native air. To this recormendatioti he reluctantly yielded ; and a passage being ordered him in the Colossus, he returned home as an invalid on the I7th Mar. 17^4. A vacancy at this time occurring in the Impress service at Gravesend, Lieutenant Daniel was induced to accept an ap- pointment under his father, who was then employed as Regu- lating Captain at that place. He shortly after had the grati- fication of receiving the following letter from his former commander, dated on board the Courageux, off Cape Corse, June 22, 1704 : " Deur Sir, — Among tlie many unplensiint chan^eii I fuund in the Cuu- rageux, on my rcUirn from iMiglumI, tliut of your aliseucc wits not tlic least. 1 should hope thut your native air, and the (-omfortii you meet with at home, may soon restore your health ; after which, when opportunity offers, I shall be very happy to hava again the pleasure of seeing you on board the Courageux, or ony otiicr ship I may command. I urn. dear Sir, very faithfully your*!*, (Signed) " Wsi. Waldkoravk." During the mutiny in the North Sea fleet, a merchant POST-CAPTAINS OP 1802. ()(>1 { vessel that had been boarded and plundered by the ships at the Nore, arrived oil Gravesend with information that the delegates, although in the habit of searching and stripping every vessel attempting to pass them, not being able to pro- cure a sufficient supply of provisions, had determined to take the fleet over to an enemy's port, and had already commenced getting up their yards and top-masts in preparation for sailing. On the receipt of this intelligence. Captain Daniel and the commanding officer of the military determined to send a des- patch to the Board of Admiralty ; but Lieutenant Daniel seeing that much time would thus be lost, suggested the pro- priety of sending letters, by horsemen, to Margate and Mai- den, desiring the revenue cutters to cut away tlie buoys of the different channels before day-light the next morning. This suggestion was acted upon, and the cutters, although discovered, succeeded in their object, to the great annoyance of the mutineers, among whom symptoms of disunion soon after began to appear. Subsequent to this event. Lieutenant Daniel, acting as aid- de-camp, pro temporey to Colonel Nisbett, the military com- mandant, succeeded, at the imminent peril of his life, in seizing several of the delegates who were proceeding up the Thames to bring the Lancaster, of 64 guns, frr i Purfleet to the Nore, and who were directed by Parker, the ringleader, to fire upon the town of Gravesend, in case the inhabitants did not prevent the batteries from molesting them. For these and other important services performed by Lieu- tenant Daniel at this alarming epoch, the court-martial as- sembled to try the mutineers strongly recommended him for superior rank ; but it was refuacd on the ground that his' ap- pointment at Gravesend reruk'red him ineligible, although his predecessor had been promoted from that situation to thu rank of Commauiler. The following is an extract of a letter from the Duke of York's Secretary to Colonel Nisbett, dated " Horse Guards, June /, 17<)7." " His lluyal Highncsii doiiires timt yuii will express hU thanks tu Captain Daniel and hiHSon.amI assure tliein that H. R. H. will not fail to ooiiiatuni- (iurablc I I your I report < L'tivity LI The Society of Mereltautit; eijtuliliiilicd in Lunilnn for tlu- purpose («l VOL. II, J \ ^'2 I'OST-CAPIAINi. OF 1802. Disgusted with a situation which precluded him from ad- vancement, Lieutenant Daniel immediately applied for em- ployment afloat, although his health was then far from being re-established. He accordingly received a commission, ap- pointing him to the Glory of 98 guns, on board which ship the spirit of disaffection, though apparently quelled, was by no means eradicated. On the 12th March, 1798, about 8 P. M. whilst walking on the quarter-deck with his Captain, he heard a great noise below, and on going down to ascertain the cause, perceived about 40 or 50 men endeavouring to remove the officers' beer cask from the wardroom door, in which attempt they were re- sisted by the centinel and servants. Assisted by a few of the pet- ty-officers, he immediately endeavoured to secure some of the rioters ; but in doing so he received a severe wound on the joint of his fore-finger, which after remaining in a state of violent inflammation for several weeks, became rigid, and has ever since pk evented him from using his right hand with full effect, particularly in cold weather, when it is of but little use to him. Some time subsequent to this tumult, the particulars of a diabolical plan, formed by about 150 of the crew, to throw all the officers overboard, and take the Glory into Brest har- bour, was communicated to Lieutenant Daniel by the senior officer of Marines, one of whose party had been implicated in the conspiracy, but who had taken offence at their refusing to spare the Captain's son, a young gentleman about 14 years of age, from whom he had received frequent acts of kindness *. Rising from his cot, to which he had but just retired, Lieu- tenant Daniel, without waiting to consult with his Captain, who had likewise gone to bed, immediately adopted measures devuing means to counteract the designs of the mutinous seamen, presented handsome swords to Lieutcni. st Daniel and his Father, as a rewanl for their meritorious conduct. • The Glory was commanded by the lute Admiral James Brine, who died at Blondford, in 1H14 ; see Vol. II. Part I. p. 442. The youth alluded to is now a Post-Captaiu. SI A\ C d r c t ^ I ( i I rosT-rviMAiNf) OF ISO'i. (3<)3 ad- eni- for securing the promoters of tliis plot ; in which he happily succeeded without experiencing any opposition, so completely were they taken by surprise. The Glory was at this time within three leagues of Ushant, and two miles inshore of the commander-in-chief's light ; the wind at West, weather mo- derate and hazy, and the moment fixed for carrying their nefa- rious design into execution fast approaching ; added to which circumstances in their favour, two Frenchmen belonging to the after-guard, who were formerly fishermen at Brest, had agreed to pilot the ship into that port ; and so determined were the mutineers to persevere in their object, that they had unanimously resolved to fire two of the lower-deck guns, on each side, down the main- hatchway, in an oblique direction, and thereby sink the ship, rather than yield, should they be pursued and overtaken by any other of the fleet. It is but justice to the remainder of the crew to say, that they were always favourable to good order and discipline, but that the ringleaders of the mutiny had intimidated them by magnifying the number of their own adherents. For his meritorious conduct on this occasion, Lieutenant Daniel was again recommended, by a court-martial, to llu* favorable consideration of the Admiralty, and he at length obtained the rank of Commander in October, 17i)8. Several of the Glory's men were about the same time executed, and others punished in various ways, according to the degree of their criminality. In June following. Sir Home Popham being ordered on a particular service, applied to Earl Spencer tor the subject of this memoir to accompany him ; which he'iw^ granted, they took a passage in the Inflexible troop-ship from North Yar- mouth to Revel, where they found a Russian squadron assem- bled, with 8000 troops of that nation on board, bound to Holland. From Revel, Sir Home Popham proceeded on a mission to the Emperor Paul, then at Cronstadt, leaving Captain Daniel to superintend the embarkation of other troops, furnished by the Czar in conformity to a treaty between his Imperial Ma- jesty and Great Britain. This service being completed on the the 2Hth August, Captain Daniel, after arranging his accounts 2x2 664 POSTf'APTATNS OF 1802. f with the different authorities, embarked on board the Blonde frigate, and proceeded, in company with the troop-ships, to the Texel, where the whole arrived in safety, after a passage of three weeks. During the ensuing two months Captain Daniel served on shore as naval aid-de-camp to Lieutenant-General Sir Ralph Abercromby, and was employed in a variety of services, such as gaining information respecting the sluices ; making obser- vations on the tides, so as to enable a brigade to advance along the sands during the absence of the sea ; directing a party of seamen in the erection and destruction of bridges as occasion required ; removing wounded men from the field of battle J burying the slain ; arming fishing-boats to cover the advance of the army along the coast, and others to carry des- patches, and assisting in the final evacuation of Holland ; on whidi occasion he was the last person that left the shore. The following is an extract from the General Orders issued at Alkmaar, Oct. 5, 1799: " The service rendered l)y tlie gun-boats, directed by Sir Home Popbam, and commanded by Captain Goddard, Captain Turquand, Lieutenant Rowed, Messrs. Stoddard, Lord, Baker, and Caldwell, and the seamen under their command ; as also b)r Captain Daniel, and the seamen attached to Sir Ralph Abercroniby's column ; have been no less honorable to themselves thau highly advantageous to the public cause : and H. R. H. begs those gallant officers, and the officers and men under their orders, will rest assured how fully sensible he is of their merit. (Signed) 'J. KiRKMAN, Aist.-yldjt.-GeneralJ On the 29th Nov. 1 799, just seven days after his arrival in £ngl and. Captain Daniel received orders to place himself once more under the directions of the Transport Board, and follow those of Sir Home Popham for his future proceedings. In compliance with those instructions he proceeded to North Yarmouth, and from thence to Berkstoff, near Blyntsimd, \\x Norway ; the Elbe, his original destination, being found totally inaccessible, on account of the immense quantity of ice accu- mulated in that river. From Berkstoff he cut his way, in the Swift cutter, to Moss harbour, and there hired a sledge for his conveyance to Stock- holm, where he arrived on the llth Feb. 1800, after travelling through ice and snow at the average rate of forty-five miles pejr POST-CAPTAINS OK 1802. 665 I day. On his arrival in the Swedish capital he found Sir Home Popham preparing to set out for St. Petersburgh, but owing to the want of carriages they were detained in that city till the 25th. At seven A. M. on the 28th they commenced their journey across the Gulph of Bothnia, which had been frozen over in one night ; and after encountering many perils, in consequence of the ice not being sufficiently firm in all parts to bear the weight of their sledges^ condiiotors, baggage, &c., arrived in twelve hours on a part of the FUnnish shore seventy-seven miles distant from the spot whence ♦hey had started. That this journey was an undertaking of no little hazard, may be inferred from the circumstance of the ice break- ing up on the following day sufficiently to enable passengers to cross over in boats to Sweden. Passing through Abo, the capital of Finland, and Hclsing- fors, a town near which many of the galley fleet are laid up in time of peace, Captain Daniel reached Borgo in the evening of Mar. 13, and continued at that place till May 21, when he received a letter from Sir Home Popham, then at St. Peters - burgh, directing him to return without delay to England. In consequence of this order he embarked on board a Swedish brig, bound to Gottenburgh, and sailed dow^n the Baltic to Elsineur. After visiting the Danish capital, and communicat- ing with the British Consul resident there, he crossed the Great and Little Belts, passed through the canal of Kiel and the city of Hamburgh, and embarked at Cuxhaven for Yar- mouth, where he landed on the 24th June, 18(X) ; since which, we believe, he has never been employed. His promotion to post-rank took place April 21), 1802 ; and he obtained the Out Pension of Greenwich Hospital Feb. 1, 1815. Captain Daniel married, in Sept. 1800, Miss A. Edge, daughter of the late Captain Edge, of the 53d regiment, who was severely wounded at the battle of Bunker's Hill, in North America ; by whom he has three sons and three daughters. His eldest son is studyhig at the University of Cambridge j and another has recently embarked as a Midshipman in the Royal Navy. Agvnt, — .1, Hinxman, Esq. 11-; 6(56 ro.vr-cAPi'AiNs ok 1802. r JACOB WALTON, Esq. This officer received his first commission, as a Lieutenant, in 1793 } served as a Commander, on tlie Halifax station, at the close of the French revolutionary war ; and was advanced to post rank, April 29, 1802. He obtained the command of the Amethyst frigate about Sept. 1809 ; and on the 20th Mar. 1811, was severely reprimanded by the sentence of a court- martial, for the loss of that ship in Plymouth Sound during the night of Feb. 16 preceding. He has not since been employed. Captain Walton married, Nov. 24, 1809, Sarah, second daughter of Major-General Gabriel Johnstone, formerly of the Hon. East India Company's service. He has resided for some time past at New York, North America. Agent. — Sir F. M Ommanney, M. P. DAVID COLBY, Esq. This officer lost an arm when serving as first Lieutenant of the Robust 74, commanded by Captain (now Sir Edward) Thombrough, in the action between Sir John B. Warren and Mons. Bompart, Oct. 12, 1798 *. He subsequently com- manded the Dido, a small frigate armed- en-flute, and em- ployed as a troop-ship on the Mediterranean station. His promotion to post rank took place April 29, 1802 j previous to which he had received the Turkish gold medal, for his services on the coast of Egypt. During the late war we find him serving as Flag Captain to his former commander, on the North Sea and Mediterranean stations. He married. May 22, 1806, Mrs. Costin, formerly of Bedford. AUGUSTUS BRINE, Esq. This officer, a son of the late Admiral James Brine f, was made a Lieutenant in 1790; and a Commander Dec. 6, 1798. * See Vol. I, p. 171. t Sec note * at p. 66i>. I I POST-CAPTAINS OV 1802. 667 His post commission bears date April 29, 1802. During the late war he held an appointment in the Sea Fencible service ; and commanded the Medway, a third rate. In July, 1814, he captured the United States' brig of war Syren, pierced for 18 guns, with a complement of 137 men. ^getit.- -John Hinxman, Esq. JAMES COUTTS CRAWFORD, Esq. This officer is a son of the late James Crawford, Esq. by Helen Coutts, first cousin of the late wealthy London banker of that name. He was born at his father's residence in Dundee, July 20, 1760; and after making several voyages in the Carolina and Virginia trade, entered the naval service, in April, 1777) as a Midshipman, under the protection of the present venerable Admiral John Henry, who at that period commanded the Vigilant, a ship on the establishment of a sloop of war, but armed with heavy cannon for the purpose of battering forts, and covering the operations of the King's troops serving against the rebels in North America. Towards the latter end of the same year Mr. Crawford removed with his friend. Captain Henry, into the Fowey, of 20 guns ; and on the 24th Oct. 1778, he was appointed to act as a Lieutenant on board the same ship, an officer of that rank being obliged to invalid in consequence of his having been severely wounded during a recent expedition against the enemy near Boston. Among the many services in which Mr. Crawford partici- pated whilst on the American station, the defence of Savannah and reduction of Charlestown * appear the most conspicuous. On the former occasion he was entrusted with the command of the Fowey's guns, mounted in a battery on shore ; and we find his meritorious conduct particularly mentioned in the public letters of General Prevost and Captain Henry, the latter of whom commanded the small squadron which so materially contributed to the preservation of that important post. 1 1 Ml lil * See Vol I, p. (\5, et seif. and Vol. If, Part I, Note t at p. ."iH, rt sr^f. 668 Post-captains of 1802. il 'ft After the surrender of Charlestown, Mr. Crawford, who jstill continued to act as Lieutenant, accompanied Captain Henry into the Providence, ta prize frigate of 32 guns, which ship was shortly after ordered home with despatches, and on her arrival put out of commission. He subsequently served about two months as a Midshipman on board the Britannia, of 100 guns, bearing the Ihig of Vice-Admiral Darby ; from whom he received another acting order, appointing him to the command of the Repulse, a vessel mounting five Spanish 26-pounder8, stationed at Gibraltar, in April 1781. It was about this period that the memorable siege of Gib- raltar began to wear a most serious aspect, the enemy having brought no less than fifty 13-inch mortars and sixty-four heavy guns to bear upon the garrison from the land side, whilst their vast superiority by sea enabled them to annoy the southern part of the rock with impunity, and rendered it extremely difficult for any supplies to reach that fortress, unless thrown in under cover of a powerful fleet. The zeal, gallantry, and indefa- tigable exertions of the few British officers on the spot, how- ever, were such, as induced the Governor to repose the utmost confidence in their abilities — a confidence which, as the re- sult proved, was not misplaced. About five A. M. on the 7th Aug. 1/81, a signal for an enemy was made by the Spaniards at Cabritta Point ; and the British garrison soon after discovered a brig becalmed at the entrance of the bay, and fourteen of the Algeziras flo- tilla, each carrying a 26-pounder, with several armed launches, proceeding to intercept her. Captain Roger Curtis, of the Brilliant frigate, the senior officer present, immediately sent Sir Charles H. Knowles, of the Porcupine, to receive any despatches the vessel might have on board, whilst he him- self attended the towing out of the Repulse and Vanguard, the only available force he possessed, to attempt her rescue *. * The Repulse and Vanguard had formerly been small brigs, but were cut down and converted into prames, for the purpose of acting against the enemy's flotilla. The latter vessel mounted two 26 and two 12-pounder8. Twelve gun-boats, on a new construction, sent from England in frames at the commencement of 1782, and put together at the rock, proved highly usi'ful to the garrison during the latter part of the siege. PbST- CAPTAINS OP l802. 669 By eight o'clock the Spaniards had commenced the attack, and a spirited action ensued between them and the brig ; but appearances were so greatly against the latter that the gar- rison almost gave her up, supposing it scarcely possible that the two gun-vessels under Captain Curtis would venture near enough to render her any material assistance : they however pushed on in a most gallant manner, and were placed so judiciously as to cover the brig, and greatly annoy the enemy. At length coolness and discipline prevailed over superior num- bers : the steadiness and bravery with which the brig de- fended herself, aided by the well-directed fire from the Re- pulse and Vanguard, succeeded in obliging the flotilla to retreat, notwithstanding the approach of a formidable xebec to their assistance. She, finding her friends perfectly sub- dued, also hauled off, and left the British at liberty to tow the stranger into the New Mole, which she entered amidst the applauding shouts of all who had beheld the combat. The circumstance is thus alluded to by Governor Elliot, in a letter to the Secretary of State : " I received your despatch of the 20th July, by H. M. sloop Helena, Captain Roberts, who arrived by dint of perseverance and bravery, with the assistance of our two gun-boats, the Vanguard and Repulse, posted by Captain Curtis himself. He personally conducted the attack in his barge, with distinguished success, notwithstanding a constant and heavy fire of round and grape from the enemy's gun-boats for nearly two hours *." After commanding the Repulse about thirteen months, during which he was often warmly engaged with the Spanish gun and mortar-boats, Mr. Crawford was ordered to act as first Lieutenant of the firilliant; and on that ship being scuttled in the New Mole previous to the enemy's grand attack, he joined the naval battalion encamped at Europa, under the command of Captain Curtis, to whom he served as Brigade-Major during the awful conflict of Sept. 13, 1782, * Captain Roberts, the officer alluded to above, was promoted to the rank of Commander for his good conduct as first Lieutenant of the Que- bec frigate, in a desperate action with the Surveillante, a French ship of 40 guns, which ended in the total destruction of the former by fire, and the loss of nearly all her crew, Oct. 6, I77I>. He was deservedly advanced to post rank for his gallant defence of the Helena. IHWI G70 POST-tAl'TAINS OK 1802. ! ^m '111 till account of which will be fouiul in our memoir of Captain Charles Tinling *. The Brilliant being raised again a few days after the enemy's defeat, Mr. Crawford re-embarked with her crew, and con- tinued in that frigate till the departure of Captain Curtis with the fleet under Lord Howef, when he was removed by Sir Sir Charles H. Knowlos into the San Miguel o! 72 guns, a Spanish ship that had been driven on shore near the garrison and compelled to surrender, in Oct. 1/82 |. On the rith Nov. the enemy's flotilla made an attack upon the San Miguel, but did not succeed in doing her any mate- rial damage. On the 18th of the following month twenty-nine gun and mortar-boats made a second attempt to destroy her and other ships lying at anchor off Buena-Vista, and were sup- ported by the Spanish land butteries with a very animated cannonade. The mortar-boats composed the centre division, and the whole flotilla were drawn up in a line-of-battle ex- tending about two miles. They got their distance the first round, and retained it with such precision, that almost every shell fell within fifty yards of the San Miguel, which was the principal object of their attack. The 74th shell fell on board, burst on the lower deck, killed 4, and wounded 1 1 men, 3 of whom died soon after. Fortunately, however, she received no further injury, although the enemy did not retire until they had expended the whole of their ammunition. Three days after this event the San Miguel was driven from her anchors more than half-bay over, and every effort to recover her station proved inefl'i^-tual, till an eddy wind brought her about, and enabled Sir Charles Knowles to run her aground within the New Mole, where she was repeate<lly fired upon by the enemy diu'ing the continuance of the siege. In Mar. 1783, Mr. Crawford was re-appointed to the liril- liant by his former connnander, Sir Roger Curtis, who had returned to (iibraltar, and hoisted a broad pendant as Com- modore on the Mediterranean station. His commission as a • See V'«)!. II, Part I, pp ,«(c'— .'Jdfi. I t Sco V«)| I, pp. 17 an'l lOf. rf rrq t Sec id. nolc t af p. Ill I * il^ posr-cAriAiNs OK 1802. (vl m Lieutenant was at length confirmeil by the Aihniralty on the lOth Ang. in the same year, from which period he does not appear to have served afloat till the Spanish armament, in l/W, when he joined the Queen Charlotte, a first rate, hear- ing; the flag of Earl Howe, to whose notice he had been intro- duced by Sir Roger Curtis, then serving as Captain of the fleet under that nobleman's connnand. We next find Lieutenant Crawford proceeding to tne East Indies, where he remained, attending to his private concerns, for several years. Returning from thence in a country-ship, he had the misfortune to be captured by a French republican cruiser ; but being included in an exchange of prisoners ab(»ut Mar. 1/97) lit> was immediately after appointed totiic Prince, of 98 guijs, bearing the flag of Sir Roger Curtis, in the Chan- nel fleet, where he continued to serve till his promotion to the rank of Commander, Feb. li, IJT^O. During the remauuler of the war he connnanded the Childers brig, employed prin- cipally on the home station. His post connnission bears date April Ji), IH()2. ('aptain Crawford's next appointment afloat \ iS to the Champion of 2-1 guns, in which ship we find him co-opeiating with the Spanish patriots at the commencement of their strug- gle with the legions of Napoleon IJuonaparte. Fro;.) her he removed into the Venus, a 32-gun frigate, employed o. the same species of service, as will be seen by the following <:opy of a letter from C'aptain George M'Kiuley, rchpecting the raptiire of Vigo in Mar. I8()9 : " //. M. S. r/:vfly, of rii>n, Mnr. i>!>. " Sir,— In conftequence of a letter I received at X'illa^farria fn»in Oaptaiii CrawfunI, uf tlie Venus, infornuMK ine that the loyal j.oasantry were in I'onsuleruble force arounil the castle and town uf Vij;o, and that the pre- sence of anutiicr frifjotc would very inueh (>onliil»utc to the surr'niler of that fortress, I juincd him on the cvenltit( of ihe'J3«l iiHtknt 'liie next inorniuR J went to the head.i|uartcn of Don Joao de Almadu de Siuuo Silva, who eunuuuMded the patriot!*. At that iiiUaiit a HiiiiiinonH wan sent to the (lovemor of Vijro to surrender at dincrelion, and led to a nejjocia- tion lietwceu hint luid the French, whicli continued till the 2fith, when Don Paldo Murillo, cunuiiandin^ u n-giilur force of IfftM) men, composed of retired soldiers in thi.- province, arrived, and sent in uiioihiT :>iiinnion.'^ , In conset|ueiice ttf which, on the fidlowinn day, proposal' were hrouj^ht oii m 672 POST-CAPFAINS OF 1802. board I)y Don Publo, accompanied by three French officers. The answers to them were delivered at five P. M. by Captain Crawford, who concluded tho capitulation ; and the whole of the f;;arrison, consistini^ of a colonel, <15 officers, and about 1300 or 1400 men, were embarked the next morning. " I should be wantinjj in every feelinaf of an officer, were I not to ac- knowledge the liberal attention and zealous services of Captain Crawford. It also l)ecomcs most gratifying that 1 am enabled to inform you of the spirit and determination of the Spaniards to expel from their country the invaders of ail that is dear to a brave and luyal people. No doubt of success could have arisen had the enemy persisted in holding out, from the able and prompt conduct of Don Pablo Murillo, and the good order of his troops, the strongest proof of his zeal in the just cause of his King and country. The ardour of the peasantry is beyond all description. I have the honor to be, &c. (Signed) " Gkorgb M'Kinley." " To the Hon. yice-Admlrnl lierkeletj *." During the ensuing siege of Vigo by the French army un- der Marshal Ney, Captain Crawford commanded a party of geamen and marines landed from the Lively and Venus to assist in the defence of the castle, where he continued till the defeat of the enemy at the bridge of San Payo, and his con- sequent retreat towards Lugo ; the particulars of which event are fully detailed in the Naval Chronicle for July 1800. Captain Crawford was .subsc([ucntly appointed in succes- Bion to the Hussar and Modeste frigates, in the former of whicli he assisted at the reduction of Java, by the forces under Sir Sanuiel Auchmuty and Rear- Admiral Stopford, in Sept. 1811. In the latter ship he captured le Furet, a re- markably fine French privateer, of 14 guns and 1)8 men, near Scilly, at the commencement of Feb. 1813. He was put out of commission at the ^lose of the war, and has ever since been on half>pay. Captain Crawford has been twice married, and is now a widower. By his first wife, Anne, eldest daughter of Alex- ander Duncan, Es(|., of I'^dinburgb, he had one child, wh<» has recently been united to the Hon. Captain Henry Duncan, • By » subsequent letter it appears, that while the British frigates were in the act of ombiirking the French garrison, a dotachmcfit (»f .MX) men, sent from Fuy to relieve Vigo, was nncouiit(>rcd and totally routed by Dun Publo Murilluf who took many of Tue enemy prijuMu->'ii. POST-CAI'TAINS OK 1802. (Y/li R. N. C. B. By his second lady, Jane, eUleht daughter of the lute Vicc-Admiral John Inglis, he had a son, who still survives *. .Agents. — Messrs. Maude. JOHN HAYES, Esq. ^ Companion of the mo^t Flonorahlt: MiUtnry Orthr of I he Ihtlh. Tills officer ia distantly related to the Hays of North Bri- tain, a family descended from the Anglo-Norman Hays, who came into England with William the Concjueror, and .'it pre- sent represented by the Earl of Errol, Hereditary Lord Higli Constable of Scotland. His name was first entered on the books of a King's ship about the termination of the American revolutionary war, at which period he was but little more than seven years of age j but his juvenile predilection for the naval service was shortly after over-ruled by his great-uncle, the late Adam Hayes, Es(|., Master Shipwright of Deptford dock-yard, who being without any children of his own, was particularly anxious to have a junior branch of the family educated as a naval archi- tect under his immediate directions; and therefore selected Mr. John Hayes for tiiat purpose, hoping, as he said, to (|ua- lify him for the appointment of Surveyor of the Navy, or at all events to be succeeded by him as Builder at Deptford. In consecjuence of this arrangement, a nephew whom he had previously been instructing, but whose abilities did not answer his expectations, was discarded, and the subject of thiii memoir passed four or five years under the sole controul of his great uncle, to whom his father had resigned all au- thority over him ; but immediately on the demise of the old gentleman, an event occasioned by a violent attack of gout in the stomach, he laid aside the rule and compass, and (|uitling the drawing board, embarked as a Mi(l.-,hipmaii on board thi* Orion 74, connnanded by the late Sir Hyih? I'arker, '.mder whom he sc.ved during the Dutch armament, in 17^7- * ViiT-Adiiiiral lii^lis coniiitiuulfil iln; Hi-lliqiicux Ttl, in ilic ImIiU- ull Caiii{)ciUiivvii, Oil. II, i;!»r i aiiii •|i*-ti ul LdiiilHirtili, iii IHO^ f : I w I I ! t^ .i id ()7I l'OST-( AJM.VINr OK l^l()2. Mr. Hayts suh.-cquontly joinitl ii brig uiuiti ilu' conmiund of Captain (nfti>r\varcls Admiral) Cobb, Mitb uliom be (rou- rinued, on Ibc Cbannt-l station, till 17*M), wbcn we find bini entrusted witb tbe ebart^c of a watcii on board tlie IVarl fri- j^ate, eonunanded by bis friend CJuptain ii. \\. A. Conrtenay, v.'boni be nltiniately accompanied to tbe Newfoundland sta- tion, as an acting Lieutenant, in tbe Boston, of 32 guns and 217 men. In Jidy, 1703, Captain Coiirtenay pr(»ceeded towards New York, in bopes of niei'ting and trying tbe fortune of war witb I'Andjuscade, a I-'rencb frigate of 'M\ guns and 3 10 men, com- manded l)y M. lionjpard, wbo bad arrived on tbe American coast, witb anotber s'inp of tbe same description under bis orders, and already connniltetl great depiedutiuns upon l^ritisb commerce in tbat jjuarter. On tbe Hoston's arrival oft' Sandy Hook, sbe stood in towards tbe sbore nndcr Frencb colours, and adopted sucli otber deceptive measures as induced a boat, sent from I'Am- b\iscade, under tbe impression tbat sbe was a friend, to come boldly alongside witb orders for ber supposed commander's guidance. \>y tbis stratagem M. l5ond)ard was deprived of tbe services of u Lieutenant and 12 of bis crew ; but, vmfor- lunalely. Captain Courlenay, in tbe ensuing action, bad also to regret tbe reduction of bis complement, by ibe absence of an oliicer and 12 men in a small cantured vchscI. Mr. Hayes was now sent into New Y(.rk witb a formal challenge from Captain Conrtenay to M. Bompard, wbo, after consulting with bis ofticeri<, determined upon putting to sea and engaging tbe Boston, wbieb be at cordingly did on tbe morning of July lUst, at a sbort distance from tbe land. The action was long and bloody, but proved indecisive, al- tbougb the object of tbe British was in part accomplished, as the damage sustained by the republican frigate incapacitated her for a considerable time from olTering any further annoy- (uice to the Knglish trade. Her loss consisted of about r)0 men killed and wounded, whilst tbat of tbe Boston was pro- portionably severe, the gallant (aplain Cf)urtenay, a marine otVicer, and H men being slain, and 2 Lieutenants, ii Midship- men, and ID men wounded. The combat was viewed i»y aU us loy- JIO- rliu' .ip- hy I»(K>T-CArTAIN!> OK 1802. ()/'» crowds of Amci'icaiio standing on Ihv Jir«fy bcarii, few of wlioni, oil sceinj^ the Boston haul olV from rAnil)iiscadi', whose superior si/.e attraeted every one's notice, were so pre- jiidieed as net to udmit that she had done her utmost to obtain a victory. His Kite Majesty, in consideration of Captain Coiirtenay's intrepid conduct, was graciously pleased to settle a pension of .KX)/. a year on his widow, and an aimuity of 50/. on each of his children. Mr. Hayes returned to England in consequenet of thedcatii of his patron, whose high opinion of him may he inferred from the circumstance of his having chosen him, although so young a man, to be one of his executors. Upcm his arrival in London, he appeared before the Hoard of Admiralty, and gave so satisfactory an uccoimt of the recent aflFair at New ^fork, and his own conduct therein, that their liordships were induced to grant him a dispensing order, by which he wau enabled to pass his examination for a Lieu- tenant, without completing the usual period of service as a rafid Midshipman ; and in the following month he received a connnission, appointing him to the Dido, of 28 guns, com- manded by Sir Charles Hamilton, Bart, with whom he after- wards removed into the St. Fiorenzo frigate, on the Mediter- ranean stati(m. His next appointment was to the Brunswick 7U i" which '.ship he served for some time under l^ord Lecalc *, in the Channel fleet ; and subsecpiently accompanied the late Sir Richard Uf)dney Bligh to the West Indies, where he joined Ihe Queen, a second rate, bearing the flag of Sir Hyde Parker, who promoted him to the rank of Comii.u.aler on the 1st March, 17<)<). From this period we fiiul Captain Mayes actively employed in various sloops of war on the Jamaica station, till his advancement to post rank, by a comnussion from the Admi- ralty, dated April 'il), 18(12. In Jan. 1801), he commanded a • Lortl liCi'iilc was « son ol' Jiiincs, fiidt Duke of li( luster, by Fiady Kmilirt iVIary, •liiiii{lit(«r of Clsiirlos, sfcond Duki" (if UicliiixtiMl. Ifc oli- liiiiied posl-rank Muy 'S.i, IT^^O ; himI diiil a Vici'-Ailmiriil of iIm- lied, pel*. 17, IHIO. The Irish Uuroiiv id" l,or;i|t! lu'cami' cxtinrt, in coiHCijiH'mT of 111 i lord lii|> dyiii:; vvillioiit i>bUt.'. !i| ■ j.'l li;; ri G70 P06T-( Al'TAINi OF 180*2. small s(iiiaclron, left by Sir Sqmiiel Hood at Vigo, to cover the embarkation of part of the retreating army under Licutenant- Gcneral Sir John Moore ; and on his return from that service he was removed from the Alfred JA, in which ship he had been acting, to the temporary command of the Achille, another third rate, attached to the expedition then about to sail for the Scheldt; from whence he brought home 700 French soldiers, who had been taken prisoni^rs at Flushing. Immediately on his arrival. Captain Hayes obtained the command of the Freija frigate, as a reward for his very xealous conduct in voluntarily taking upon himself the sole charge of navigating the Achille to and from the Roompot, although he had never before been employed on any part of the North Sea station. This act of temerity, as his friends termed it, was committed by him in consequence of the abso- lute impossibility of procuring a sufficient number of pilots for the vast fleet destined to that quarter, and his ardent wish to share in the dangers, and expected glories, of the ensuing campaign. At the close of 1809, Captain Hayes proceeded to Barba- does, and joined the flag of Sir Alexander Cochrane, who, confiding in his ability, entrusted him with the command of a scjuadron, employed on the north side of Guadaloupe, during the operations which terminated in the surrender of that colony to the British arms*. His official account of a very gallant exploit performed by the boats of the Freija at Bay Mahaut, will be found under the head of Commander David Hope, in our next volume. The Freija proving very defective, returned home in Sept. 1810, and was soon after put out of commission ; a circum- stance that occasioned Captain Hayes to remain on half-pay till the autumn of 1812, when he was appointed, />/'o tempore, to the Magnificent 74, which fine ship was rescued from a most perilous situation by his cool intrepidity "id superior seamanship, during a heavy gale of wind on the 17th Dec. in the same year. His masterly conduct on tiic occasion alluded to is worthy of record, and will serve as an example for the officers, who mav be, hereafter. I :xpt ay Sec Vol. I.p. 2G0. II! ih POST-CAPTAINS OK 18()2. 677 plated in a similar state of danger. It is thus described by an officer who served under him at that period : " The ship was anchored in th« eveninjf of Dec. Ifith, 1812, between the reef nf Chasseron ami that of Isle Rh<l, nearly niid-channcl, in .sixteen t'utiioius water ; the courses reefed, top-sails close reefed, and top-<rallant yards jjot down. At eight o'clock, the weather appearing suspicious, and the wind beginning to !)low, the t.>p-gallant-niasts were got down on deck : at half-past it came on u({ually, and we veered away to a cable and a half. At nine the ship was found to lie driving, and in only eleven fathoms water ; the sruidl bower was instantly let go, which brought her up in ten fathoms. The lower-yards and top-masts were now struck, as close down as they could be got. The moun was not visible, but we had sufficient light to shew us our dangerous situation ; the sea lircaking with great violence on the reef, about a quarter of a mile astern, and on the starboard quarter. As doon as the top-masts were down, orders were given to heave in upon the best-bower, which appeared to be slack, as though the anchor had liroken. Three <|uarters of a cable were got in, when the stock appearing to catch a rock, it held fast : service was of course put in the wake of the hawse, and the calde secured. The iimer best bower cable was then un- spliced, and bent to the spare anchor; and a man was placed in the chains to heave the lead, the same as though the ship had been underway; whilst the deep-sea lead, thrown over the gangway, was carefully attended to by a (piarter-master. By means of the hand-lead the ship was found to be inniiediately over a rock, three fathoms in height, and in this state, with the wind at W. S. W. blowing a gale, with small rain, and a heavy sea, we remained till day-light, when the man at the gangway declared the ship to be driving. The spare anchor was directly cut away, and the range taken out, when she brought up again. On the ebb tide making she took the whole cable service, and rode with the two bowers a-head, and the spare anchor broad on the starboard bow. The gale uppeared to increase ; and as the sea broke sometimes outside the ship, it proved that she was in the midst of rocks, and that the cables could not lemain long without being cut. The wind at this period was West, St. ^iarie church Itore Emt, and the shoalest part of the reef was only about two cables' length distant. The wind afterwards shifted a point lo the northwanl ; but to counteract this favourable cl<ang(\ it was a Ice tide, and a heavy sea setting right on to the reef: neither oil' ••■is nor men thought it possible, in any way, to cast lier clear thereof, and to niake sail, more particularly as the yards and top- masts were down. Captain Hayes, however, gave orders to sway the fore- yard two-thirds up outside the top-iuasts; and, while that was doing, to pajs a haw^icr from the .starboard qu.irtcr, and beml it to the spare cal)lc, as a spring to cast the ship by ; but before the latter couhl be accomplished the cable parted. The main-yard was next swayed up in a manner similar to the fore, and the spring fastened to the small-bower cable. IVcple were sent alol't to stop each yard-arm of the top-sails and toursfn in four VOL. ir 'J V I^RII 078 POST-CAPTAINS OF 1802. or live pluccs with spun-yarn, tic<l in u single how, and to cast off all the gas- kets : those men were strictly enjoined to be «iuick in obeying the commands ^ivcn them, nnd to be extremely ciiutious iiot to let a suil full, unless itwa^ particularly named ; as any mistake in that respect ivould occasion the lo^d of the ship. The yards were all braced sharp up for caHtint,' from the reef, and making sail on the slarbourd tack. The tacks and sheets, top-sail sheets, and main and mizcn stay-sail haliards, were nianncd> and the sprin;;' hove taut : Captain Hayes now told his crew that they were goinif to work for life or death ; if they were attentive to his orders, and executed them I)ropcrly, the ship would be saved ; if not, the whole of them \vould be drowned in a few minutes. Things being in this state of preparation, a little more of the spring was hove in, the quarter-masters at the wheel re- ceived their instructions, and the cables were instantly cut ; but the heavy sea on the larboard bow would not let her cast that away, the spring broke, and her head paid in towards the reef. The oldest seaman in ihi- ship at that moment thought all lost; but the probability of her casting to star- board had happily been foreseen by Captain Hayes, who now, in the coolest manner, gave orders to ' put the helm hard a-starboard ; sheet home tlui fi>re-top-suil ; haul on board the fore-tack, and aft fore-sheet • ; keep all the other sails fast ; square the main, mizen-top-sail, and cross jack yards ; and keep the main-yard as it was.' The moment the wind came abaft the beam, he ordered the mizen-top-sail to be sheeted home, and then the hehu to be put hard a-port — when the wind was nearly aft, to haul on board the main-tack ; aft main-sheet ; sheet home the niain-top-sail ; and brace the cro88-Jack-yard up. When this was done, (the whole of which took only two toinutes to perform,) the ship absolutely flew round from the reef, like a thing scared at the frightful spet-tacle. The quarter-masters were onlered to keep her South, and Captain Hayes declared aloud, ' The ship is safe.' The gaff was down, to prevent its holding wind ; and the try-sail was bent ready for hoisting, had it been wanted. The fore-top-mast stay-sail was hois'ted iK'fore the cables were cut; but the main and mizen-stay-sails, although ready, were not required. Thus was the ship got round in les-i than her own length; but in that short <listance she altered the soundings five fathoms. And now, for the first time, I believe, was seen a ship at sea under reefed courses, and close reefed top-sails, with lower yards and top- masts struck. The sails ill stood remarkably well; and, by this novel method, wa« saved a beautiful 7U *vith 550 persons on board." Oh his return to port, after pcrformins' the above extraor- dinary piece of seuinaiiship, Captain Hayes proposed the cut- ting down of some ships of the liiie^ and fitting them out fur • Tlie yards being all bra<'ed sharp up for the starboard tack, it is obvi- ous that the fore-sail and fore-top-sail were set as flat a-baek as they could be ; and that there was no necessity for alteriuf^ them in bringing the ship to her course, ia the way she was manoeuvred. Post-captains of 18<>i. ()79 the express purpose of roping with the heavy Americ.in fri- gates. His plaji being approved, he was appointed, in Jan. 1813, to the Majestic, a third rate, ordered to be reduced, and armed, according to his suggestion, with twenty-eight long 32- pounders, and the same number of 42-pr. carrouades, to which was added one long 12, as a chase gun. When ready for sea, he proceeded to join the squadron employed under the orders of Sir John B. Warren, on the Halifax station ; and during the remainder of that year we find him charged with the blockade of Boston, in which port the Constitution was then lying ready for sea. On the 3d Feb. 1814, he captured a French frigate in the vicinity of the Azores, whither he had gone in quest of the American forty -four ^ which ship had eluded his vigilance during a snow storm on the first of the preceding month. We here subjoin an extract from his offi- cial letter to Sir J. B. Warren, reporting the above capture: " Mojcstic, at S':ii, Feb. 5, 18 N. " At day-light on tlic morning of the third instant, in lat. 'St° and long. 'JO", being then in cliase of a ship in the N. E. supposed to he one of the enemy's cruisers, tlirec ships and a l>rig were discovered about three leagues off, in the S, S. K. of very suspicious appearance ; and they not answering tiie private signal. I gave over the pursuit of the other, lioisted my colourc, and proceeded to reconnoitre tiicni, when two of the ships immediately gave chase to me. On cloising witliin four miles, I discovered them to be two-14-giiii frigates, u sh.p mounting 20 guns, and a brig, which I could not perceive to l»e armed. I determined on forcing thern to shew their c(d()urs, (wliichthey appeared to wish to avoid,) wind for that purpose stood directly towards the hcit.iinost frigate, when she shortened sail, and brought to for tlie other to dose. 1 now made all sail, in the hope of being able to get alongside of her before it could be ettoctcd, but in this I was foiled, by her wearin;^', joiiiing the oilier, au'i t.ikiiiir a station a-heud ;ind a-stcrn, wilh the l*0-irun ship and bri;^' on tlieir weal her bow. Tlicy stood to the S. S. E. with larboard stud'ling-sails, and all the canvas tliat could be carried ; the sternmost hoisting iTonth colours. At 2'> 15' V. M. she opened a fire from the aftermost ginis upon us ; and at ihriie o'clock, being in a good position, (going ten knots an hour,) I commeiced firing with considerable effect, the shot going either through, or just o/er the starboard (juartcr to the forecastle, and parsing over the larboanl bow. At 4*' 19' she struck her colours to H. M. S. under my command. The wind increasing, the prize being in a state of great conrusiiui, aiul night fast approaching, obliged nie to stay by her, and to surt'er the other frigate, with the ship and brig, to escnpe. The sea got up so very ff st that only 100 of the pri- o V 2 f I * a 680 POST- CAPTAINS OF 180*^ ! • •oners could be removed ; and even ineffectinjf that, one boat was lost, and 2 Frenchmen were drowned : this, I hope, Sir, will plead my apology for not bringing yon the whole of them The captured ship is the Terpsi- chore, of 44 guns, 18 and 24-pounder8, and 320 men, commanded by Francois Ddsird Breton, capitainc de frcgate ; the other wai the Atalante, exactly of the same force : they sailed from the Scheldt on the 20th Oct. and went to I'Orient, from whence they sailed again on the Blh ultimo, in company with la Yade, a similar ship, which parted frrsu them iu lat. 45" and long. Ifi" 40'. The enemy had 3 men killed, C wounded, and 2 drowned ; tlie ATajestic none •." On the 22(1 May following, Captain Hayes captured the American letter of marque Dominica, (formerly H.M. schooner of that name,) mounting 4 long six-pounders, with a com- plement of 36 men. The chief command on the coast of America had by this time been transferred to Sir Alexander Cochrane ; and Cap- tain Hayes was subsequently sent with a small squadron to cruise oflF Sandy Hook, for the purpose of intercepting Com- modore Decatur, who wa;^ about to sail from New York with an armament intended to annoy our commerce in the East Indies and China seas, and for which purpose he had hoisted his pendant on board the President, a ship mounting thirty- two long 24-pounders, twenty carronades of the same calibre as the Majcstic's, one 8-inch brass howitzer, and six smaller pieces of ordnance iu her tops. Notwithstanding the utmost endeavours of C'l-ptain Hayes to keep bis squadron close in with Sandy Hook, he had the mortification to be repeatedly blown off by frequent gales ; but the very great attention paid to his instructions by his associates. Captains Hope and Lumley, of the Endymion and Pomone frigates, prevented separation; and whenever the * The vessel that Captain Hayes was in pursuit of, when he discovered the French frigates and their companions, was the Wasp, an American privateer of 20 guns; and the other ship alluded to in the al>ove letter, a Spaniard, with a valuable cargo from Lima, captured by the enemy only a few hours previous. The Atalante's commander has been justly censured for not supporting his friend by closing with the INlajcstic; but the l>chavinur of that officer does not lessen the credit due to (Japlain Hayes for his gal- lantry in bearing down to attack the frigates, under circumstances which rendered it doubtful whether he had not fallen in with an American xpiadron. i P08T-CAPTAINS OF 1802". est wind did force him from the coast, he invariably, on the gale moderating, placed the ships under his orders on the point of bearing fwm the Hook that he supposed, from existing cir- cumstances, would be the enemy's track. That his indefati- gable exeitions were crowned with success will be seen by tlie following extract from a letter addressed by him to Rcar- Admiral Sir Henry Hotham, dated Jan. 17, IHl^ : " On Friday (Jan. K^), the Tencdos joined aic, with your order, to talve Captain Parker in that sliip under my command. We were then in com- pany witit the Endymion and Pomonc, off the Hook, and in sif^ht of the enemy's ships ; i)Ut that tiii^ht the squadron was hlown off again during a violent snow-storm. On Saturday, the wind and weather hecame favor- able for the enemy, and I had no doubt but he would attempt his escape that night. It was impo6sil)le, from the direction of the wind, to get in with tlie Ilook ; and, as before staled, (in preference to closing the land to the southward) wc stood away to the northward and eustwani, till the squadron reached his suppose<l track. At the very instant of arriving at that point, an hour before day-light, Sandy Hook bearing W. N. W. 15 leagues, we were made happy by the sight of a ship and a brig standing to the S. E., and not more than two miles on the Majestic's weather bow; the night signal for a general chase was immediately made, and promplty obeyed by all the ships. " In the course of the day, the chase became extremely interesting by the endeavours of the enemy to escape, and the exertions of the Captains to get their respective ships alongside of him ; the former by cutting away his anchors, and throwing overboard every moveable article, with u great quantity of provisions ; and the latter by trimming their ships in every way possible, to eflTcct their purpose. As the day advanced the wind dc« dined, giving the Endymion an evident advantage in sailing ; and Captain Hope's exertions enabled him to get his ship alongside of the enemy, and commence close action, at .')•> .3(K P. M., which was continued with great gallautry and spirit on both sides for two hours and a half, when the En- dymion's sails being cut from the yards, the enemy got a-head. Captain Hope taking this opportunity to bend new sails, to enable him to get his ship alongside again, the action ceased, till the Pomone getting up at ll** 30' P. M. fired a few shot, when the enemy hailed to say he had already surrendered. The ship on being taken possession of, proved to be the President, commanded by Commodore Decatur. The vessel in company with her was the Macedonian brig, which made her escape by very superior sailing *. « Commodore Decatur had left the remainder of his squadron at Staten Island, with directions for them to join liim at the island of Tristan d'Acunhn. % IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-S) 1.0 i^m wn I.I — Ii& L25 1 ^^ III — IIIIIIb > ^ ^ ^z ^: .■* /A 4 m 7 Hiotographic Sciences Corporation 39 WIST MAIN STRUT WIHTH.N.Y. I4SM (716)t73-4S03 ,.v V -^%,V^4 ^ I/.. ^ Cn ^ 082 POST-CAPTAINS OF 1802. ill hi " And now, Sir, a very pleasing part of my duty is the bearing tes- timony to the able and masterly manner in which the Eadymion was con- ducted, and the gallantry with which she was fouglu ; and when the effect produced by her well-directed fire upon the President is witnessed, it cannot be doubted but that Captain Hope would have succeeded in either capturing or sinking her, had none of the sqiuidron been in sight." To the above account of the President's capture we shall now only add an extract from Sir Henry Hotham's letter to the commander-in-chief, enclosing Captain Hayes' report of the action *. " The present season of the year, and the «lark nights of which he availed himself, have not enabled him (Commodore Decatur) to elude the vigilance of Captain Hayes, and the commanders of H. IM. ships under his orders, who have well discharged the in)portant duty I assigned to them ; and I beg leave to offer you my congratulations on the design of the Ame- rican Government being defeated. * • • • The judicious conduct of Cap- tain Hayes, in the direction of the force entrusted to his charge, and the exertions exhibited by him, and by Captains Parker, Hope, and Luniley, have justified the confidence I had placed in their zeal, and have rendered thcin worthy of your approbation." The Majestic being paid oif at the termination of the war with America, Captain Hayes remained without further em- ployment till April, 1819, when he was appointed to super- intend the ordinary at Plymouth. He received the insignia of a C. B. as a reward for his meritorious services, at the establishment of that order in 1815. Captain Hayes is the author of a pamphlet on the subject of Naval Architecture, his proficiency in which important science is the result of many years professional experience and deep consideration. His proposed system, we under- stand, meets a point hitherto considered impiacticable, viz : — that of building a thousand vessels, if required, from a given section, without the variation of a needle's point, re- ducible ftom a first rate ship to a cutter, each possessing excelling powers and advantages of every description, in their respective class. Since the publication of the above pam- phlet, in which he carefully abstained from saying, or even hinting, that he had made any progress in the formation of * The respective loss and damages sustained by the Endymion a.d Pre- sident, with other particulars relative to those ^ hips, will be given in our memoir of Captain Henry Uove^ V. h. POST-CAPTAINS OF 1802. 683 Btich a system, two vessels have been built, in a royal dock- yard, on his projection : the first, a cutter of about one hun- dred and sixty tons, is said to embrace stability under canvas with little ballast, great buoyancy, better stowage, and swifter sailing qualities, than any model yet designed by known schools of naval architecture. The second, a sloop of war, is at present absent on her first experimental cruise, in com- pany with two other vessels of the same class, one of which was designed by Sir Robert Seppings ; and the other built by the students of Portsmouth dock-yard, under the super- intendence of Professor Inman. Delicacy forbids us saying any thing more on this interesting subject at present ; but our readers may rest assured that it will be renewed at a proper opportunity. SAMUEL CAMPBELL ROWLEY, Esq. This officer, a brother of llear-Admiral Sir Josias Rowley, Bart., K. C. B. M. P., was made a Commander April 6, 1709; commanded the Terror bomb, during the expedition against Copenhagen, in 1801 ; and obtained post rank, April 29, 1 802; from which period we find no mention of him till his appoint- ment to the Laurel frigate, which took place about Feb. 181 1 . On the 31st Jan. in the following year, he had the misfortune to be wrecked, in consequence of striking on a sunken rock, called the Govivas, when proceeding through the Teigncuse passage, in company with the Rota and Rhin. His beha- viour on this disastrous occasion was highly praise-worthy, he having remained on the wreck, exposed to a heavy and well-directed fire from the French batteries and field pieces, till every ofticcr, man, and boy, had been removed by the boats sent from other ships in the ofting to their relief. A long account of the circumstances attending the Laurel's loss will be found in the Naval Chronicle, v, 2/, p. 228 et scq., by which it appears that two of her crew, inspired by gratitude. Captain Rowley having once pardoned them for attempting to go on siiore without leave, expressed thoir determination of staying by him to the last, with the view of supporting him in the watcr^ shoidd the ship go to pieces before any ! 1 684 I'OST-CAPTAINS OF 1802. r iiisaistance could arrive ; and it is added, that from their un- common dexterity as swimmers, they would most proba- bly have succeeded. By the same account we learn that the jolly-boat, with 2 men, broke adrift, and was supposed to have been lost among the rocks, and that 96 officers and men were taken prisoners ; among the former were 2 Lieu- tenants, who had been sent on shore to solicit assistance from the enemy, and to request the French commandant to cease firl.:g, but which he inhumanly refused, notwithstanding a flag of truce and the signal of distress had previously been displayed. Captain Rowley was tried by a court-martial, and acquitted of all blame on account of the loss of his ship, Feb. 19, 1812. In 1815, he commanded the Impregnable of 104 guns, bearing the flag of his brother, on the Mediterranean station ; and he has subsequently served as flag Captain to the same officer on the coast of Ireland. He married, Sept. 16, 1805, Miss Thompson, of Cork ; and received the freedom of that city in a silver box, in 1819. His lady died about June. 1821. ylgents. — Messrs. Cooke, Halford, and Son. BULKLEY MAC WORTH PRAED, Esq. This officer is related to the London banker of the same name ; and a proteg6 of the late Earl St. Vincent. He com- manded the Crash gun-brig during Sir Home Popham'a ex- pedition against Ostend in May, 1/98 j and was captured by the enemy on the coast of Holland, Aug. 26, in the same year. His commission as Commander is dated April 21, 1/^; ^"(1 that of Post-Captain April 29, 1802. During the late war he held an appointment in the Sea Fencible service. SAMUEL MOTTLEY, Esq. This officer was made a Lieutenant, May 30, 1782 ; and obtained the rank of Commander, April 29, 1799. In the spring of 1801 we find him proceeding to the Cape of Good Hope, m the Hindostun, a 54-gun ship armed cnjlutci and POSt-CAPTAINS OF 1802. 685 subsequently commanding the Rattlesnake sloop of war, and Diomede of 50 guns, on the same station ; from whence he returned to England as a passenger on board the Leopard 50, in Feb. 1803. His post commission bears date April 29, 1802. During the late contest with France he held several appoint- ments as a Regulating Captain of the Impress, and an Agent for Prisoners of War j but we believe he was never called into active service. EDWARD WALPOLE BROWNE, Esq. This officer was made a Lieutenant in Nov. 1790 ; Com- mander, June 25, 1799; and Post-Captain, April 29, 1802. He was employed in the Sea Fencible service during part of the late war. JOHN ROUETl^ SMOLLEIT, Esq. This officer was made a Lieutenant in 1794 ; Commander, Aug. 28, 1799; and Post-Captain, April 29, 1802. uigent. — Thomas Stilwell, Esq. WILLIAM RICKETTS, Esq. The subject of this memoir commenced his naval career under the patronage of Sir John Jervis, afterwards Earl of St Vincent ; served as a Midshipman on board that officer's flag-ship, during the Spanish armament, in 1790 ; and was made a Lieutenant by him into the Woolwich 44, when pro- ceeding to the attack of the French West India colonies, at the latter end of 1793 ; previous to which he had acted in a similar capacity on board the Queen, an armed vessel, em- ployed on the Leith station. During the operations carried on against the enemy in the island of Martinique, Mr. Ricketts served on shore with the naval battalion, commanded by Captain Josias Rogers, whom he accompanied to the memorable assault of Fort Royal, on the 20th March 1794*. He subsequently received an ap- • See Vol. I, note at p. ^b'J. U I i I ■si* I 686 POST-CAPTAINS OF 1802. i I pointmeiit as first Lieutenant to the same officer, and pro- ceeded with him in the Quebec, of 32 guns, to the coast of America, where he was obliged to quit that ship for the pur- pose of recruiting his heahh. In 1798, we find him serving as first Lieutenant of TAig^e frigate, on the Lisbon station ; and afterwards re-joining his noble patron in the Ville de Paris, a first rate ; from whence he was promoted to the com- mand of £1 Corso, a brig mounting 18 guns, about the au- tumn of 1799. El Corso formed part of the squadron under Lord Nelson at the capture of Ic Genereux, a French 74, bearing the flag of Rear- Admiral Perree, and a large armed transport ; the former having a number of troops on board, and the latter laden with stores, provisions, &c., for the relief of Malta, in Feb. 1800. The French army was at this time in possession of Egypt; and Napoleon Buonaparte, feeling it necessary to conciliate the Bashaw of Tripoli, had sent an emissary with some rich presents to that chieftain's court ; and had so far succeeded in his views as to cause the dismissal of Mr. Lucas, the British Consul General, whose return at any future period was positively forbidden by the barbarian government. Lord Nelson, however, conceiving that the re-establishment of the same functionary was irttimately blended with the dignity of Great Britain, no sooner heard of that gentleman's arrival at Palermo, than he instructed him to prepare for his immediate return, and selected El Corso for his conveyance to Tripoli ; a circumstance which produced a strong remonstrance from Mr. Lucas on the inadequacy of that vessel's force for the accomplishment of a service which he himself supposed would require the presence of a strong squadron, and an officer of very commanding rank. " My Lord," said he, " the cruelty and perfidy of those barbarians can only be restrained by their fears j and you force me to return to a place where my life is threatened, not with a squadron, not even in a frigate, but simply in a small brig." ** I know it,' replied Nelson, coolly, " / know what I am about ; we do not want a squadron at this time to bfoiv the ]iashnw\s palace about his head, we trant oitli/ the British Jfag, and an offieer who has sms^ POST-CAPTAINS OF 1802. GS7 enough not to commit himself in nmv circumstances, and spirit sufficient to repeat what I say when he arrives. Let Buona- parte send his diamonds and his legions ; I send the represen- tative of the British nation, and the Britishjlag." " It will not do, my Lord," exclaimed Mr. Lucas ; " you know not the man ; his hands have been already dipped in the blood of his father and brother ; he will think it an insult that 1 am forced upon him in a brig of 18 guns." " Let him" re- turned his lordship, ** and what then ?" " I shall have the bow-string at my throat," said the Consul in a mournful tone. " Let him" repeated the hero, energetically, while fire seemed to flash from his eye ; " only let him, I say, do that — / ivish he would." " My Lord !" exclmmed Mr. Lucas with as- tonishment. " Let him, I say," his lordship added, " and ive tvill have a glonous burning pile." Then turning to Captain Ricketts, and handing him the copy of a letter which he had written to the Bashaw, with an intimation that he was to guide himself by its contents, he directed him to put the original into the Bashaw's own hands, and to see that Mr. Lucas was fully reinstated in his office. " This," said his lordship, " must be complied with ; and at all events, nothing but force is to prevent you from landing him in the town; then let the Bashaw do his worst : but do not fail to tell him, in a way he cannot misunderstand, that the British Consul must he honorably received, or I and my jieet will soon he there." In compliance with the orders of his determined chief, Cap- tain Ricketts proceeded on his delicate mission, accompanied by Mr. Lucas, whose alarm did not subside until he was con- vinced that the menace of the British Admiral had made a salutary impression upon the mind of the Bashaw, who after some hesitation consented to receive him in his former capa- city, with all due honours. It should here be remarked, that the diiiiculties which Captain Ricketts had to encounter were greatly aggravated bv the desertion of two of his crew, who took shelter in the palace of the Bashaw's mother, and declared their resolution to become Mahometans ; but who were given up to him on his making a peremptory demand to that effect. % m ii I 688 POST-CAPTAINS OF 1802. The address displayed by Captain Ricketts throughout his negoeiation with the Bashaw, relative to Mr. Lucas, induced Lord Nelson to send him a second time to Tripoli, on a bu- siness of much delicacy, which he executed with nearly equal success. Whilst thus employed it became necessary, from diplomatic considerations, for him to give a dinner to the different Consuls residing at that place, and to invite some of the Bashaw's principal officers. Among the latter was the Admiral of his ships, a Scotch renegade, who, after drinking very freely, began to boast of his many successful enter- prises ; and added, with furious imprecations, that the bright- est prospect of his life had been forfeited by his own cursed delicacy. This prospect, it appears, was his share of the ransom that would have accrued from the seizure of the King of Naples, whom he had once discovered amusing himself in a fishing boat without guards, at a considerable distance from Palermo ; and the delicacy alluded to was his abstaining from making that monarch a captive, at a time when Naples and Tripoli were at peace. This circumstance he had communi- cated to the Bashaw ; who, so far from feeling a similar sen- timent of delicacy, expressed considerable anger on the occa- sion, and sternly charged him never again to let any thing stand in the way of his capturing a King, and thereby se- curing a royal ransom. With this splendid project still in view, the Admiral had his flag then flying on board an English built merchant vessel, armed with upwards of 20 guns, and intended on all occasions, when near Palermo, to sail under British colours, hoping that fortune would again favour him with a sight of the illustrious fisherman. This momentous in- telligence was communicated at the earliest opportunity to Commodore Troubridge, who undertook to apprise the King of his danger ; but we cannot venture to say positively that it contributed to save that august personage from so great a calamity as captivity in Barbary ; for although we have been told that he afterwards followed his favorite amusement with greater caution, it is quite certain that not the slightest thanks for information respecting the pirate's project were ever transmitted to Captain Ricketts j which appears the more ex- I; POST-CAPTAINS OF 1802. 689 traordinary, as his Majesty's gratitude was subsequently evinced by the distribution of rings, snuflf-boxes, and hono- rary titles, on a variety of less important occasions. We shall conclude this part of our memoir of Captain Ricketts by observing, that during his visits to Tripoli he had frequent interviews with the ruler of that province, who ap- peared remarkably solicitous to show him evei-y public honor, and entered into conversation with him, not only with the frankness of equality, but with what appeared to be the novel delight of meeting a young man, whose conversation seemed totally uninfluenced by any considerations of his grandeur, his prejudices, or his power. The Bashaw, though his hands had been so deeply stained in blood, as before stated, was himself little more than thirty years of age, of a fine com- manding person, open countenance, and generally frank manner. Captain Ricketts was subsequently employed in the block- ade of Genoa ; and on one occasion we find him dispersing a convoy laden with grain, for the use of the famishing garrison ; an event which greatly accelerated the fall of that important city *. He also rendered an important service to the army under Sir Ralph Abercromby, by giving that General timely information of the disastrous turn of affairs occasioned by the battle of Marengo, and cautioning him of the danger he would have incurred by continuing his course towards the Genoese capital, which had been re-occupied by the French, and from whence he was but a short distance when fallen in with by El Corso. The subject of this memoir was next -mployed by Lord Keith as senior officer in the Adriatic. His early proceedings on that station are thus ofiicially related by himself : " El Corso, Ancona, Aug. 28, 1800. " My Lord, — In compliaDcc with your order to destroy the vessels in the harbour, and make a proper example of the town of Ceseuatico, I pro- ceeded with his Alajesty's cutter the Pigmy, off that port ; but, finding it impossible to get within grape-shot of tlie mole, was under the necessity of deferring tlie attempt till the night of the 26tli, when the boats of both vessels, under the orders of Lieutenant Yeo, first of El Corso, proceeded ,,i ;■ m )' ii • See Vol. I, p. 53. 690 POST-CAPTAINS OF J 802. 'I to Cescnatico, !'.ii(l soon after day-liglit I pprcouTil iliom i/i jjossestilon of the town, successfully inaintainiu^ a position a^uinst some French troops in tlie neighbourliood ; but, about eight, observing a party of horse in full speed from Cervia, I judged it prudent to call them immediately on board, tliouj^rh not before wo had the satisfaction of seeing that the gal- lantry of Lieutenant Yeo, aided by Mr. Douglas, Master of the Pigmy, had been crowned with the fullest success, the vessels and harbour at that time forming but one flame ; and, that the intent of this enterprise might not be lost on the coast, I shortly afterwards sent in the attached note. I havo the honor likewise to enclose the report of Lieutenant Yeo, and remain, &c. &c. (Signed) " W. RicKETTS." ** To the Right Hon. Vice.j4dmh'nl Lord Keith." " To the Inhahitantg of Cescnatico. " The treachery of your municipality, in causing to be arrested an officer with despatches, has been long known to the British Admiral in these seas. The municipality rnay now sadly know, that the severity of judgment, long delayed, is always exemplary. That the innocent suffer with the guilty, though much to be regretted, is the natural feature of war ; and the more terrible infliction on this occasion, the more striking the example should prove to surrounding muncipalities. (Signed) " W. Rickktts." Report. " Of thirteen vessels of different descriptions lying within the mole of Cescnatico, two were sunk and eleven burnt, one of them deeply laden with copper money and bale goods ; the harbour choked by the wreck of four, sunk in the mouth of it, and both piers entirely consumed. (Signed) " J. L. Yeo." For this service Captain Ricketts received the thanks of Lord Keith ; a letter of approbation from the Board of Ad- miralty; and a congratulatory epistle from the Austrian General Melas ; whilst his success at one time promised to be productive of very important results. The people of the Cisalpine states, irritated and disgusted by the pillage and impiety of the French, had it seems come to a resolution of throveing off their yoke, and by a general massacre freeing themselves as they hoped for ever from Gallic tyranny ; but as to those views they confessedly united the splendid and alluring project of establishing the independence of their country, fears were justly entertained by the leaders of the insurrection that insurmountable obstacles would be thrown in their way by the Austrians ; and to obviate this difficulty. POST-CAPTAINS OF 1802. G91 they were ilcsir' is at this moment of obtaining the protec- tion of the British flag. For that purpose some of their chiefs cntei ed the town of Ancona in disguise, obtained an interview with Captain Kicketts, and after a few preliminary precautions, explicitly opened to him the whole of their plans, which were in substance the pouring down, at an appointed time, large bodies of men from the Appenines, divided into three co- lumns, whose march in the first instance would be directed against as many principal cities, where the inhabitants on their approach were prepared to rise and massacre all the French, who were to be found in office, or bearing arms, and then instantly to proclaim their independence, which they doubted not would spread a similar spirit like wild fire over all the states of Italy. With the government of Great Britain there was not time to communicate, neither did they wish for any present supply of men, arms, or money, their sole object being the protection of a flag, which would at least neutralize the conduct of the Austrians, and give confidence to their par- tizans at the general rising ; but this they conceived could not be effected unless Captain Ricketts was personally among them, and ostensibly their leader ; and they proposed that one of his officers should hold an important command wherever the British colours were displayed ; concluding with a positive assurance that large bodies of men were already collected in the mountains, and that the lower classes of the people were genenilly prepared, and every where ardently disposed to rise. Considering the safety of El Corso as of very little mo- ment, when compared with the important consequences that might result from encouraging this insurrection. Captain Ricketts scarcely hesitated a moment to take on himself the responsibility of the measure ; but he naturally required some proofs of the existence of so extensive a conspiracy, beyond the mere assertions of four utter strangers ; nor could he under any circumstancea authorise so shocking a retaliation as that contemplated by them. After some discussion, in a second interview, it was agreed that the French and their partizans not actually opposing themselves in arms against the insurrectionists, should be spared ; and generally, that all those opposed to the rising of the people should be considered 692 POST-CAPTAINS OF 1802. f I 'If, as prisoners of war. To obviate the other objection respectincf the authority and means of the negociators, a plan of attack was agreed on, in which the officers and seamen of El Corso could co-operate, without the British flag being committed in any way inconsistent with its humanity or its glory ; and it was finally determined that, on a certain night. Captain Rick- etts, with nearly the whole of his crew, should proceed in certain prize-vessels, drawing but little water, off the mole head of Pcsaro, then in possession of the French, and under cover of the night wait for the commencement of an attack by the insurrectionists on the land side. Accordingly, on the night specified. Captain Ricketts proceeded with Lieutenant Yeo, his surgeon, several other officers, and about 90 men, embarked on board some trabacolos prepared for the occasion, and waited off the mole, with extreme anxiety, until after the day had dawned, totally unable to account for his disappoint- ment ; which, however, was sufficiently explained in the next interview with the chiefs, as well as by the voice of public rumour, which stated that the Austrians had totally disap- proved of the enterprise, and that their out-posts had refused to suffer any of the persons connected with it to pass. It is worthy of observation, that an Austrian column afterwards marched through the Cisalpine territory, and took possession of the different towns on the coast. In the course of the same year Venice, the grand depot of stores for the Imperial armies, was thrown into the greatest consternation by the approach of a formidable French force, and both the Minister of Marine and the Austrian Command- ant wrote to Captain Ricketts, in the most urgent and de- sponding terms, for the assistance of the vessels under his orders ; the latter repeatedly stating that he was " their only hope," although at this time they had not only ships of the line in their harbour, but frigates and numerous gun-boats at sea, or on their canals ! He accordingly proceeded thither with El Corso and the Pigmy, and took the necessary mea- sures for assisting in the defence of that place, the inhabitants of which were soon after relieved from their fears by an ar- mistice between the contending powers. His promptitude and judiciotis arrangements on this occasion obtained him the POST-CAPTAINS or 1802. 693 most public and grateful thanks of the principal Austrian authorities ; in addition to which he had the honor of receiving a communication from Lord Minto, the British Ambassador at Vienna, expressing his Imperial Majesty's " marked ap- probation" of his conduct in hastening to the succour of a city whose commerce had once been the wonder of the world, whilst her fleets were the dread of the remotest of the Medi- terranean shores. On the 4th Jan. 1801, the merchants of Trieste presented Captain Ricketts with a handsome diamond ring, accompanied by the following letter, as an acknowledgment of his services in the Adriatic : " Sir, — The honorable nature of your proceedings in the Adriatic, the protection you have afforded our commerce against the t-orsairs of France, and the assistance which, on all occasions, you have rendered to the friends of his Britannic Majesty, exact on our part, at the commencement of the year, the warmest expressions of gratitude ; and in wishing you a happy beginning of it, in the name of this body of merchants, we wish to mark our acknowledgments ; and, in order to preserve us in your memory, have presumed to accompany this with a small token of our respect. Wishing you ail manner of felicity, we remain, the deputation of the mercantile body, ( (Signed) " J. Manzewany ; Luzovick Govanuchi ; "J. Reyes; Fran. Potte ; J. Catraro ; " SoRREi Rede." To this letter Captain Ricketts replied in the following terms : " El Corso, Trieste, Jan. 5, 1801. " Gentlemen, — After five months incessant cruising on the shores of the Adriatic, it is with singular satisfaction tl\at, at the commencement of the new year, I have received your elegant a-ud flattering mark of approbation ; and it is with peculiar earnestness I wish you to believe, that if any thing on earth could augment my zeal in the cause we are labouring for, it would be so honorable a testimony of successful service * from such re- spectable characters as those who compose the trading community of Trieste. I am, &o. &c. (Signed) " Wm. Ricketts." On his return from the Adriatic, Captain Ricketts touched at Corfu, and there found letters from Lord Elgin, the British • Among the numerous prizes captured by El Corso and her consort during their continuance in the Adriatic, we find several armed vetfsels, but none of force sufficient to merit particular notice. VOL. II. 2 z i ■i'v 604 POST-CAPTAINS OF 1902. Ambassador at Constantinople, addressed to Sir John Borlase Warren, earnestly requesting that ofl&cer to proceed with the squadron under his orders to Zante, for the purpose of dis- possessing a Colonel Calander, who had usurped the com- mand in that island, and fomented an insurrection against the Turks, under the unauthorised sanction of the British flag, at a moment when the least interruption of the harmony sub- sisting between England and the Porte would most likely have proved beneficial to France, and might have been productive of alarming consequences to our gallant army in Egypt. It is obvious tliat a service which Lord Elgin considered as requiring the presence of an Admiral with a powerful squa- dron, was but little likely to be effected by the commander of a sloop of war, whose comparative insignificance might rather invite opposition, and lead to slaughter, than terrify into obedience, or produce pacific results : but the contents of his Excellency's letter, and the exposed situation of the above- mentioned army, seemed not to admit of a moment's delay ; and Captain Ricketts accordingly resolved to try what could be done. Accompanied by the President and Consul-General of the Ionian republic, and followed by three Turkish frigates, he immediately proceeded to the scene of revolt, succeeded in overcoming all obstacles, (although a formidable band of Alhanians were in the service of the usurper, who had ordered furnaces to be prepared for heating shot) and restored the island to its rightful masters. In the performance of this ser- vice he appears to have had a very narrow escape, a musket- b<ill fired from the shore having passed between him and the coxswain of his boat. The letter of thanks which Captain Ricketts afterwards received from Lord Elgin for his zealous exertions, was couched in the most handsome and energetic terms ; but it has been said, that, from circumstances not necessary to be recited in this place, the service alluded to was not viewed by the Foreign Office in an equally striking light. Be that as it may, the Board of Admiralty evinced their perfect approval of Captain Ricketts* conduct, by promoting him to post ruuk on the 2()th April, 1K)2. He subsequently commimded the Dido of 28 guns ; and during the greater part of the late war POST-CAPTAINS OF 1802. 695 we find him holding an appointment in the Kentish district of Sea Fencibles. It is well known to those officers who held commands previous to the peace of Amiens, that the private signals then in use were much exposed to discovery in a variety of cases, and consequently might, in the possession of an enemy, have led to disastrous results. To obviate this danger, Cap- tain Ricketts turned his attention to the subject, and planned a code on an entirely different system, at once so simple as to be readily understood by the meanest capacity ; and so safe from discovery, that even if they lay open before an inquisitive stranger, or fell into the hands of the keenest of our enemies, no danger could be incurred, because it would be impossible under such circumstances to comprehend them. This im- proved code he submitted to his patron, the Earl of St. Vin- cent, who entered at once into its merits, and lost no time in returning a letter expressive of his strong approbation, ac- knowledging the absolute necessity that existed for its adop- tion, and offering to recommend it himself to the Admiralty, although he feared he had no longer any influence there, having some time before retired from office. This offer was gratefully accepted by Captain Ricketts, who subsequently made several applications on the subject, in consequence of a report that a change was about to take place in the private signals ; but at length, after the lapse of several years, he had the mortification to receive his own code back without the slightest comment, and to see another, somewhat similar, though much more complex, brought into general use. Captain Ricketts' zeal for the public service does not appear to have been damped by this disappointment. In " Phillips's Guide to all the Watering and Sea-Bathing Places," published about 1809, we find the following notice under the head of « Folkstone :" " In 1808, the temporary rudder of Captaia Ricketts wai first used in steering one of the Folkstone boats , and it was in ne Clyde frigate, com- manded by Commodore Owen, that the same officer's Sea Friend, better known by the name of the Folkstone Machine, was successfully tried, and found to perform the operation of working the great chain pumps of that ship without the slightost axsistanoe from any person on board." 2z2 if II liiil ill 696 POST-CAPTAINS OF 1802. The first of the above inventions was a temporary rudder^ which might be applied, under any circumstances, in a short space of time, by means of a resource highly approved of by H. R. H. the Duke of Clarence, as being also well adapted to Pakenham's rudder. The second was a machine occupying little space, and easily placed so as to pump out ships by the power of their way through the water. Captain Ricketts was indebted to the kindness of Sir Richard Bickerton for an order ^or the latter to be tried on board the Clyde, whose commander reported favorably of its merits ; but at last, worn out by ill health, the apathy of others, and accumulating expenses, he ceased to prosecute an invention that might have been of in- calculable advantage to the navy and ships in general. The apparatus, we believe, is still to be seen in Portsmouth dock- yard. The copy of an interesting paper on the subject of water- spouts, transmitted by Captain Ricketts to Sir Joseph Banks, in 1802, and afterwards deposited in the archives of the Royal Society, will be found in the Naval Chronicle, Vol. xx, p. 392 et seq. Several letters from its assiduous author, containing the description of a nipper invented by him for the purpose of facilitating the weighing of an anchor in cases where it may be necessary, cither from the weakness of the messenger, or the insufficiency of the capstan's power, to apply an additional purchase ; and various valuable sugges- tions on other subjects also appear in the same rich repository, at Vol. XX, p. 446 ; Vol. xxi, pp. 38, 212, 398 ; and Vol. xxiii, p. 292. Their great length, and our scanty limits, prevent ub from giving them a place in this work, which we should other- wise have felt great pleasure in doing. jigent. M'fnerheny, Esq. ALEXANDER SKENE, Esq. This officer was made a Lieutenant in 1793 ; and obtained the rank of Commander, in the Lynx sloop of war, on the Halifax station, Nov. 18, 1/99. His post commission bears date April 29, 1802. At the commencement of the late war lie commanded the Lapwing of 28 guns ; and subsequently ^ 1 ■n \ POST-CAPTAINS OF 1802. 69/ the Leauder 50, bearing the flag of the late Sir Andrew Mitciiell, on the coast of America. His next appointment was to the Guerriere frigate, in wliich he captured the Mal- vina and Peraty, French privateers, the former of 14 guns and 60 men, the latter (formerly H . M. cutter Barbara) of 12 guns and 90 men. The Peraty was discovered cruising in the track of a valuable Jamaica fleet, of which she had obtained most correct information, as to their strength, number, and situation, from the master of an American brig, who had himself claimed and received the protection of that convoy, which he betrayed to the enemy in twenty-four hours after parting company. Captain Skene was afterwards appointed in succession to the Hussar frigate, and several line-of-battle ships, on various stations. Towards the close of the late contest with America he served as Flag-Captain to the Hon. Sir Alexander Cochrane ; as also during part of that oflicer's recent command at Ply- mouth. He married. Mar. 30, 1814, Miss Charlotte Fordyce, niece to the Marquis of Huntley ; and died at Edinburgh, Sept. 14, 1823. His brotiier John, a Lieutenant of the 42d regiment, fell a victim to the Walcheren fever, Oct. 3, 1810. A miniature of Captaiii Skene, by A. Robertson, was ex- hibited at the Royal Academy, in 1805. f HON. WILLIAM LE POER TRENCH. Secretary to the Board of Customs and Port Duties in Ireland. This officer is a brother of Richard, Earl of Clancarty, G. C. B., his Majesty's Ambassador to the King of the Ne- therlands ; also of the Right Rev. Dr. Trench, Archbishop of Tuam; and of the gallant Colonel Sir Robert Trench, K. C. B. K. T. S. He was born in July 1771 » niade a Lieu- tenant in 1793 ; promoted to the rank of Post-Cuptain, April 29, 1802 ; and appointed to his present situation in 1819. EDWARD bNEYD CLAY, Esg. In Sept. 1793 we And this officer serving on board the AlcidCj u third rate, forming part of the b(|uudrou under Cum- 698 POST-CAPTAINS OF 1802. modore Linzee, employed in co-operation with the Corsican General Paoli *. He was a Lieutenant of the Venerable, and received a severe wound, in the battle ofTCamperdown, Oct. 11, 1797 1 } after which he removed with Lord Duncan into the Kent, a new 74-gun ship, in which he continued till Aug. 1799j when he was selected by that nobleman to carry home his despatches announcing the fall of the Helder, and the consequent opening of the Texel to the British fleet %. Lord Duncan, on that occasion, adverting to his want of time to give a more detailed account of the proceedings of the ex- pedition sent against Holland, referred the Board of Admiralty to Lieutenant Clay for further particulars, and described him as " an intelligent and deserving officer." Lieutenant Clay was promoted to the command of thfe Zebra bomb, Dec. 3, 1799 ; and in the following year he accompanied Vice-Admiral Dickson to Elsineur, on a service already noticed at p. 348 et seq. of our first volume. He also served during the expedition against Copenhagen in the spring of 1801 §. His post commission bears date April 29, 1802. From this period we find no particular mention of Captain Clay till Dec. 18, 1810, when he had the misfortune to be wrecked in the Nymphe frigate, under his command, at the entrance of the Frith of Forth ; a disaster occasioned by his pilot mistaking a lime kiln, burning at Broxmouth, for the May light, and the latter for the Bell rock, in which opinion the Muster of the Nymphe unfortunately coincided. Agent. — Messrs. Cooke, Halford, and Son. THOMAS RICHBELL, Esq. Retident Magittrate of the Thatnet /*olice Office- This officer was made a Lieutenant Jan. 14, 1780; a Com- mander Dec. 26, 1799 ; and a Post-Captain April 29, 1802. He regulated the Impress service at the Tower during the whole of the late war ; and succeeded the late Mr. Harriott * See note f at p. 189. f See Vol. I, note at p. ISO <>/ leq. X Ste j(/, note at p. 414 et teq, § See id. p. 365 «t «#f . POST-CAPTAINS OF 1802. 699 as a Thames Police Magistrate in 1816. Several of the pro- ductions of his pencil have been exhibited at the Royal Aca- demy, of which he is an Honorary Member. BENJAMIN CARTER, Esq. This officer is a son of the late Rev. H. Carter, Rector of Whittenhani, Berks. ; and a nephew of the celebrated Mrs. Elizabeth Carter. He entered the naval service, in 1785, as a Midshipman on board the Weazle sloop of war, commanded by the late Sir Samuel Hood, with whom he continued in that vessel, and the Thisbe and Juno frigates, on the Halifax, Jamaica, and Channel stations, till 1/93 ; when he joined the Royal George, a first rate, bearing the flag of the late Lord Bridport, under whom he served till his promotion to the rank of Lieutenant, which took place a short time previous to the battle of June 1, 1/94. After serving between two and three years in the Assistance 44, Mr. Carter returned to the Royal George, of which ship he became first Lieutenant prior to the resignation of Lord Bridport in April 1800, when he received a Commander's commission ; but he does not appear to have been employed in that capacity. He obtained post rank April 29, 1802. Captain Carter's subsequent appointments were to com- mand the Sea Fencibles in the Isle of Thanet ; and to regidate the Impress service, first at Liverpool, and latterly at Cork. He has been on half-pay ever since the early part of 1812*. AgenU — Thomas Stilwell, Esq. CHARLES INGLIS, Esq. This officer was first Lieutenant of the Jason frigate, com- manded by the present Vice-Admirul Stirling, and greatly distinguished himself in the action with la Seine, of 42 guns and 610 men, as will be seen by the following extract from his Captain's official letter to Admiral Lord Bridport, dated July 2, 1798: " In the early part of the battle I hud the uiortificution to be wounded, • Captain Carter bai two brothers in H. M. servict. S«e p. 7W. II I 700 POST-CAPTAINS OF 1802. Ii r and was obliged to leave the deck ; but my misfortune is palliated by the reflection that the service did not suiTer by my absence, for no man could have filled my place with more credit to himself, and benefit to the state, than my first Lieutenant, Mr. Charles Inglis, whom I beg leave to recom- mend in the strongest manner for his bravery, skill, and great exertions •." We next find Lieutenant Inglis serving in the Penelope frigate, under the command of Captain (now Sir Henry) Black- wood, at the capture of le Guillaume Tell, a French 80-gun ship, bearing the flag of Rear-Adniiral Decres f, on which occasion he received the following letter from his friend Lord Nelson : " ]My dear Sir, — How fortunate I did not permit you to quit the Pene- lope, to be a junior Lieutenant in the Foudroyant. You will now get your promotion in the pleasantest of all ways, by the gallant exertions of your- self and those brave friends who surrounded you on that glorious night. What a triumph for you — what a pleasure to me ! What happiness to have the Nile fleet all taken under my orders and regulations ! Black- wood's coming to me at Malta, and my keeping him there, was something more than chance. Ever, my dear Sir, believe me your truly sincere friend, (Signed) " Nelson and Brom te." " To Lieut. Inglis, Gme. Tell, Syracuse." The subject of this memoir was subsequently made a Com- mander, and appointed to the Peterel sloop of war, which vessel he joined at Rhodes, in Oct. 1800. His post com- mission bears date April 29, 1802. His services during the greater part of the late war are identified with those of Admiral Sir George Martin, whose flag ship he at present commands |. Agents. — Messrs Goode and Clarke. CHARLES CARTER, Esq. This otticer is a brother of Captain Benjamin Carter, R. N., whose name appears immediately above the preceding sketch ; and of Brevet-Major Carter, R. M. He entered the naval * For an account of the action see Vol. I, p. 403. t Sec id. p. G43. \ Sir George Martin succeeded Sir James Hawkins Whitshed as com- mander-in-chief at Portsmouth, in Feb. 1824. His flag is on board th« Victory of 104 a.\.w\». . POST-CAFPAINS OF 1802, 7^1 service in the summer of 1783, as a Midshipman on board the Hermione frigate, commanded by Captain John Stone, a friend of his uncle, John Carter, Eigq., one of the senior Ma- gistrates of Kenti with whom he continued on the West India and Halifax stations till the latter end of 1785. He subsequently served under Sir Charles M. Pole, in the Crown of 64 guns ; from which ship he removed, at the commence- ment of 1787) into the Scorpion sloop of war, at that time employed on Channel service, but afterwards sent to the coast of Guinea and the Leeward Islands, from whence she returned under the command of Sir Charles Hamilton, after an absence of nearly three years. The Scorpion being paid off at the commencement of the Spanish armament, Mr. Carter was turned over with her other petty officers and crew to the Leopard of 50 guns ; but as that ship was destined for foreign service, and he had nearly served a sufficient time to qualify him for a commis- sion, his uncle's intimate friend, the late Admiral Sir Thomas Pasley, kindly consented to receive him on board the Belle- rophon 74 ; and when he had passed his examination recom- mended him to the patronage of Earl Howe, from whose flag-ship he was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant, Novem- ber 22, 17()0. During the Russian armament, in 1791> he served on board the Barfleur, a second rate, bearing the flag of Vice -Admiral Faulknor ; and we subsequently find him crossing the Channel for the purpose of acquiring a knowledge of the French lan- guage, fencing, &c., in which manner he employed his time until the beginning of 1793, when he returned home in con- sequence of the approaching war between Great Britain and France. On his arrival in England, Lieutenant Carter reported him- self to the Admiralty, and was immediately appointed to the Trimmer sloop of war, on the Jersey station, where he assisted at the capture of one* of the first armed vessels taken under the tri- coloured flag. The Trimmer being paid off, on account of her defective state, shortly after Mr. Carter had returned from conducting the above prize into Falmouth, he was then appointed third 702 POST-CAPTAINS OP 1803. i ;•! Lieutenant of the Alexander 7^i commanded by Captain R. R. Bligh, whom he gallantly supported in his memorable defence against a powerful French squadron under Rear- Admiral Neilly, an event already alluded to in our memoir of Captain F. P. Epworth, and which will be more fully noticed hereafter. The treatment experienced by Lieutenant Carter and his fellow captives, affords us an instance of the brutal and fero- cious conduct of the friends of " Liberty and Equality^'' towards those who had the misfortune to fall into their hands at that unhappy epoch. On their arrival at Brest, after being stripped of every article of property, except the clothes on their backs, they were put on board a prison ship, but soon transferred from thence to a castle (originally a receptacle for culprits under sentence of death), where they were con- fined in cells with naked walls, having neither tables, chairs, nor any other furniture, and obliged to sleep on straw, with- out the least covering. In this miserable abode they passed three months, during which the fever, so common in crowded gaols, proved fatal to many, and numbers died for want of the common necessaries of life, their diet consisting of nothing more than black bread, horse-bean soup, and occasionally a scanty supply of salt fish '**'. In order to escape from such a scene of wretchedness. Lieutenant Carter agreed with Captain Cracraft, late of H. M.S. Daphne, and Lieutenant Godench of the Alexander, to try * " Officers and men shared the same lot ; they were denied the com- monest rations of provisions, and reduced to starvation. A wretched dog that had crept into the cells was killed, and his head alone sold for a dollar, to satisfy the cravings of nature. A prisoner, in a state of delirium, threw himself into the well within the prison walls: his dead body, after lying some time was taken out, but no other water allowed to the people to drink. An English lady and her daughters, confined along with the men, had no separate apartment, and all their privacy was supplied by the generous comttiisseration of the British vailors, who, standing side by side close together, with their backs towards the fair captives, formed a temporary screen while they changed their garments." 8ee Brbnton's Naval His{orff,yo\.l,p. 364. N.B. The number of prisoners confined in the castle amounted originally to 700, among whom were many women Mid cluldren. PO«T-CAPrAINS ov 1802. 703 the experiment of scaling the castle wall, and breaking their way into a depot of military equipage adjoining the back wail of their dungeon. This enterprise was undertaken in the dead of the night, while all but those engaged in the plpt were asleep; and at dawn of day they were enabled, by forcing a door of' the store room, to reach the extremity of the prison court-yard, which led by a circuitous road to the town of Brest. Pushing on with rapid strides, and singing the favorite national air of the Carmagnoliy Lieutenant Carter and the other two officers, dressed in the garb of sailors, and wearing the tri-coloured cockade as a deception, succeeded in reaching the hotel de la Republique, a house used by the masters of American vessels, one of whom had pre- viously made arrangements for secreting them there until an embargo then existing should be removed, when it was hoped they would be able to smuggle themselves on board his ship. In this expectation, however, they were unfor- tunately disappointed ; for on approaching the place of embarkation. Lieutenant Carter was recognized by a young aspirant belonging to the Marat, with whom he had formerly conversed in French, and who now caused him to be seized, and conducted with Captain Cracraft, under an escort, to the Amiral, a place of security erected near the quay, where they were locked up in a small room, admitting little or no light, and detained, with nothing to support nature but bread and water, and without a chair or any resting place till the next day, when they were conducted back to the castle, which, with all its horrors, was a palace when compared to their temporary prison. Lieutenant Godench, by mixing with the crowd on the quay, fortunately effected his escape. After this unsuccessful attempt. Lieutenant Carter was agreeably surprised to find the republicans relax a little in their rigorous treatment of himself and his fellow prisoners, it being ordered that two persons from every mess, without discrimination, should be permitted to go out of the castle and receive their rations at the Commissary's office, which was situated about a furlong from the gate, instead of having their wretched portion brought to them by the gaolers ; an li 704 POST-CAPTAINS OF 1802. '. indulgence they gladly availed themselves of, as it afforded them the benefit of a little fresh air, than which nothing could have been a greater luxury. On one of those occasions a noted gaoler, known by the name of Peter,seized the subject of this memoir by the collar, in order to give the preference of going out to a seaman whom he knew. Indignant at this attack upon his person, Lieutenant Carter lost all command of himself, and with his fist knocked the rascal bleeding to the ground, where he lay for some time, vociferating " corporal dti garde" with all his might. A file of soldiers soon arrived on the spot, and proceeded to search for the offender, who, listening to the advice of his friends, had in the interval put on a female dress, as the only chance of escaping their vengeance, an assault on a republican being deemed a capital offence, and mercy out of the question. A strict scrutiny ensued ; but Lieutenant Carter had the good fortune to elude the enemy's vigilance, and remain undis- covered in his metamorphosed state, till time and a coup d'argent had had the effect of allaying the resentment of the wretch through whom his life had thus been brought into jeopardy. It was about this period that the Alexander's officers re- solved to make their distressing situation known to Admiral ViDaret de Joyeuse, who commanded the French naval forces at Brest, and to request his interference with the government in their behalf. Accordingly a memorial, drawn up by Lieu- tenant Carter, and bearing their respective signatures, was forwarded to that officer, whose reply thereto, and their subsequent removal to Quimper on parole, are presumptive proofs that he as an individual ought not to be charged with having contributed to their sufferings *. Encouraged by tliis favorable commencement. Lieutenant Carter now entered into correspondence with other French authorities ; and at length, in May 1795, he was ordered to be exchanged for Mons. la Cosse, an officer of the same rank, ■who had been captured by Earl Howe on the 1st June, 1794, On his return to England, in a neutral vessel from Morlaix, • For a copy of the Frencti Admiral's letter sec pp. 662 and 563. '•V) POST-CAPTAINS OF 1802. 705 he was appointed to the Magnificent 74, on the North Sea station; and we subsequently find him serving as first Lieu- tenant of the Galatea, a 32-gun frigate, forming part of a squadron employed in the Channel under the orders of Sir John Borlase Warren, who makes very honorable mention of his conduct in boarding and assisting at the destruction of I'Andromaque, of 44 guns and 300 men, near Arcasson, on the 23d Aug. 1796, the particulars of which event, and others not already noticed in our memoir of his commander, the present Admiral Sir Richard G. Keats, will appear in the supplement to this work. Lieutenant Carter continued in the Galatea, and shared in a series of active services under the command of Captain Keats, and his successor, Captain Byng, now Viscount Tor- rington, until promoted to the rank of Commander, May L5, 1800; on which occasion he was appointed to the Adventure, a 44-gun ship, armed en Jlnte, and attached to the armament then about to sail from Cork for the purpose of making a diversion on the enemies' coasts, and of ultimately joining the grand expedition destined against the French army in Egypt. To his great disappointment, liowever, the Adventure, after conveying tiie 82d regiment to Belleisle, Corunna, Cadiz, Tetuan, and Minorca, was found to be in so leaky a state as to render it impossible for her to continue on that service; in consequence of which she was ordered to carry Sir James Pulteney and his staff, with the 52d regiment to Lisbon, from whence she returned home in the spring of 1801 ; and being surveyed, was soon after put out of commission. Captain Carter was advanced to post rank April 29, 1802, and appointed to a command in the Sea Fencible service about July, 1803; from which time he appears to have been sta- tioned in the Isle of Wight till the dissolution of that corps in March 1810. During his continuance there he made re- peated applications for an appointment more congenial to his zealous disposition ; and two days after the discharge of the above force we find him endeavouring to prevail upon the nobleman then at the head of the Admiralty to employ him actively afloat, by oflfering to serve without pay, depending on his own exertions against the enemy for remuneration ; n n\ H 111 t m I 706 POgT-CAPTAlNS OF 1802. ':!' i; but this, like all his former efforts, proved unavailing, and he was again compelled to yield to a state of painful inactivity, whilst his more fortunate brother officers were reaping laurels, and laying the foundation of future ease for themselves, and competence for their families. In Aug. 1818, the subject of this memoir was appointed to superintend the Impress service at Gravesend ; and he sub- sequently received a commission to command El Corso as a post ship, in consequence of his suggesthig the propriety of placing the vessel destined to receive the men under the direct controul of the Regulating Captain ; by which means, among other advantages, the prompt co-operation of her boats with those belonging to the establishment on shore, might always be depended upon. £1 Corso was paid off at the termination of the war in 1814 ; but on the renewal of hostilities in the following year. Captain Carter commissioned the Port Mahon, and resumed his station on the river Thames, where he continued, under the orders of Sir Home Popham, till Aug. 12, 1816, since which he has not been employed. Captain Carter married Sophia Holmes, youngest daughter of that excellent officer, the late Admiral Sir Richard Rodney Bligh, G. C. B., under whom he had so bravely fought at the commencement of the French revolutionary war. By that lady he has issue six sons and two daughters, the whole of whom are under age. THOMAS BROWNE, Esq. This officer entered the naval service at an early age as a Midshipman on board the Thetis frigate, commanded by Cap- tain John Blankett, to whom he had been recommended by the late Hon. Admiral Barrington, whose patronage he en- joyed in consequence of a family connexion. After serving for a considerable time in the Thetis, and witnessing Captain Blankett's spirited conduct in resenting an insult offered to the British flag by a Venetian Commodore #, * D ring the general peace which succeeded the contest between Qreat Britain and her American colonies, the Thetis, on entering the bay of POST-CAPTAINS OP 1802. 70? Mr. Browne joined the Carj'sfort of 28 guns, in which ship he completed his time as a petty officer on the Mediterranean station. We subsequently find him on board the Barfleur and Royal George, three-deckers, bearing the flag of Vice- Admiral Barrington ; with whom he continued till his pro- motion to the rank of Lieutenant about the close of 1790. £arly in 170<^ Lieutenant Browne received an appoint- ment to the Intrepid 64 ; and during the ensuing four years he appears to have been engaged in a great variety of services on the West India station, particularly at St. Domingo, where he was frequently landed with a division of seamen, to assist the British troops in their contest with Toussaint de TOuver- ture, and other native chiefs in the French interest ; a contest attended with an alternate series of good and bad fortune, but from which our brave countrymen were at length obliged to retire, in consequence of the sad reduction of their force by that dreadful scourge the yellow fever, which is said to have carried off no less than 12,000 soldiers and 500 sailors, pre- vious to the evacuation of the island. In Feb. 1796, the Intrepid chased a French ship of war into a small cove near Porto Plata, on the north side of St. Domingo, where she was boarded and taken possession of by Lieutenant Browne, whose conduct on this occasion is deserving of great praise, he having volunteered to attack her Tunis, accompanied by the Spliyux of 20 guns, was fired at three times by a Venetian 84, bearin<^ the broad pendant of a (Jommodore, and forming part of a large squadron then employed in the blockade of that port. Indignant at such conduct, and observing that the last shot passed close under his bows. Captain Blankett lost no time in anchoring alongside of the Venetian, and demanding an ample apology. In this situation the ships remained till the following day ; when the Commodore, who had previously sent a corvette to communicate with his Admiral in the ofBng; suddenly got under weigh and proceeded to sea. Captain Blankett here- upon made the signal to slip and chase ; and on closing with the fugitive gave her a shot, which being allowed to pass unnoticed, a second was dis- charged with so much precision, aa to graze the nul of the stern-gallery, where the Commodore and his officers were assembled. This unexpected salute caused the Venetian to bring up all standing ; and the British ships having soon after anchored, with springs on their cables, in a very advan- tageous position, her commander was at length constrained to make the required apology. lii it !■! : i 708 POST-CArXAINS OF 1802. ■!; I with the boats, after hia Captain, the Hon. C. Carpenter, had been induced to haul off from the shore, through the repre- sentations of his pilot, and an officer commanding a cutter under his orders, the former of whom refused to take charge of the Intrepid if any attempt were made to follow the enemy, whilst the latter, who had been sent to reconnoitre, reported that they had landed some guns and thro\\'n up a battery for the purpose of defending their ship, which then lay aground. She proved to be la Per^ante, of twenty 9-pounders, and six brass 2-pounders, with a complement of near 200 men, the whole of whom fled on Lieutenant Browne's approach, and groped their way through the prickly-pear bushes to a town at some distance. The prize being got off without damage, was taken into the King's service, and named the Jamaica. Lieutenant Browne returned to £ngland with his health greatly impaired by the pestilential climate of St. Domingo; notwithstanding which he continued in active service until promoted to the command of the Chapman armed ship, in 1800, previous to which he had been appointed, as first Lieu- tenant, to several frigates, and the Elephant of 74 guns. His post commission bears dat€ April 29, 1802. We now lose sight of Captain Hrowne till the spring of 1806, when he assumed the command of the Tonnant, an 80-gun ship, bearing the flag of Rear-Admiral Eliab Harvey, under whom he served in the Channel fleet till May 1809. He subsequently held an appointment in the Sea Fencibles j and after the dissolution of that corps acted as Flag-Captain to Rear-Admiral T. Byam Martin, in the Aboukir of 74 guns, which ship he commanded during the siege of Riga ; on which occasion between 3(X) and 400 of his crew were daily lent to the gun-boats employed in the defence of that city. Captain Browne was next appointed to the Ulysses 44, and stationed in the Belt, for the protection of convoys passing to and from the Baltic. In Dec. 1813, he conducted the army under Sir Thomas Graham to the Scheldt ; and in the following summer escorted a fleet of merchantmen to Jamaica. On his return from thence he was nominated Commodore on the ccaat of Africa, where he had the satisfaction of destroy- ing the only two British slave factories that had been suffered i POST-CAPTAINS OF 1802. ro9 an to exist until his arrival, one of which contained three hundred houses and a great quantity of stores. The squadron under his orders also captured thirty sail of vessels employed in the negro trade ; and many more would no douht have shared the same fate, but for the circumstance of his being obliged to leave the station in order to procure supplies at St. Helena, the provisions of the ships ordered to convoy the homeward bound trade having been completed from the Ulysses. At St. Helena, Captain Browne received information of Buonaparte's flight from Elba ; and finding a very valuable fleet of Indiamen waiting there for the protection of a ship of war, he resolved to sacrifice his prospects of making a fortune rather than allow them to run the risk of being cap- tured. Unfortunately the passage home presented him with no opportimity of resigning his charge to any other ship of force J and tranquillity having been restored in Europe pre- vious to his arrival, the service he had rendered was not looked upon in so important a light as it otherwise would have been. It was, however, fully appreciated by the Hon. East India Company, who voted him a larger sum for the purchase of plate than had ever been given to any Captain before him *. Since that period he has not been employed. Mrs. Browne is the eldest daughter of the late Jen- kins, Esq., who was lost in a hurricane on the West India station, just after his promotion to the command of the Gua- chapin sloop of war. Her grandfather and great-grandfather were also commissioned officers in the royal navy. Agents. — Messrs. Maude. RIGHT HON. LORD EDWARD O'BRYEN. This ofl'icer is a brother of the Marquis of Thomond, and of Lord James O'Bryen, Captain 11. N. f He obtained post- rank April 29, 1802 ; and was Private Secretary to Lord Mulgrave, during that nobleman's naval administration. His lordship has been three times married j viz. Ist, in 1805, to Diana, eldest daughter of General George Hotham, • Tlic fleet alluded to was worth I(),(KM»,(HK)/. stciiing. t Seep. 2\2. VOL. 11. W A f I yiO i^OSf-GAPTAINS OP 1802. and niece of William Lord Hotham : 2dly, April II, 1815, Gertrude Grace, youngest daughter of Paul Cobb Methuen, Esq., of Corsham House, co. Wilts, by whom he had two children : and, 3dly, April 16, 1822, Lady Elizabeth Somer- set, second daughter of the Duke of Beaufort. Agents. — Messrs. Cooke, Halford, and Son. FRANCIS GODOLPIIIN BOND, Esq. This officer received his first commission May 14, 1782; served as first Lieutenant of the Providence armed ship, under the command of Captain William Bligh, during the bread- fruit expedition in 1791 and following years * ; and ob- tained the rank of Commander for his active exertions in the Netley schooner on the Lisbon station, towards the con- clusion of the French revolutionary war. He was made a Post-Captain April 29, 1802, and appointed to a command in the Sea Fenoibles about June 1803 j from which pcrio(' we find no farther mention of his name. Agent.'-Ji Hinxman, Esq. ! I STEPHEN FOLVIL, Esq. This officer was educated at the college of Navarre ; and prepared for the naval service at Bettesworth's celebrated marine academy, so often tncntioned in the course of this work. He embarked ad a Midshipman on board the Nar- cissus, of 20 guns, commanded by the late Vice-Admiral d'Auvergne t in 1787; and subsequently served under Cap- tains Salisbury, Hicks, and Archibald Dickson, in the An- dromeda frigate, Powerful 74, and Egmont of the same force |, * See note • at p. 630. t Cuptaiu Polvil is directly descended fruin the ancient and highly respectable family of la Tour d'Auvergne : Ititt he is not, as has been supposed, in any >Vay rehtted to the hte V!ce-Adin!ral d'Auverj^ne. X Whilst ih tiie Andromeda Mr. Folvil had his ifose and right leg broke by the snapping of a hawser ; and previous to his leaving that ship he appears to fiavc had a very narrow escape, a boat in which he wns em- ployed being swamped during a gale of wind in a dnrk night, by which accident 7 out uf U persons were drowned. l'OST-CAI*'rAINS OP 1802. 711 we which latter ship formed part of Lord Hood's fleet at the occupation of Toulon in 1793 ; a»d was afterwards employed in the reduction of St. Fiorenzo, on which occasion Mr. Fol- vil assisted in person at the capture of M ortclla tower, and the attack of Convention redoubt, &c., services already de- scribed at p. 250 of our first volume. He was also employed on shore with the army during other operations in the island of Corsica. On the promotion of Captain Dickson, Mr. Folvil removed into the Britannia, a first rate, bearing the flag of Vice -Ad- miral Hotiiam ; but aftpr a week's absence returned to the Egmont, then commanded by the present Sir John Sutton, under whom he served as a Lieutenant in the actions of March 14 and July 13, 1795 ; at the evacuation of Corsica; and in the memorable battle of Feb. 14, 1797. He likewise com- manded a boat under that ofiicer's directions at the capture of a frigate and some other armed vessels at Tunis, in the spring of the preceding year *. Mr. Folvil returned to England as first Lieutenant of the Egmont 'f and afterwards served with Captain Sutton in the Superb of 74 guns, on the Irish, Channel, and Mediterranean stations. His promotion to the rank of Commander took place during Earl Spencer's visit to the grand fleet, about Dec. 1800 J and was rendered the more gratifying by his being the only one, out of thirty officers filling similar situa- tions, who obtained advancement on that occasion. During the remainder of the war he commanded the Sally armed ship, and was employed in convoying the trade to and from the Baltic sea and German rivers. Whilst on that service he apprehended a man who had formerly belonged to the ill- fated Herniioiie ; and was fortunate enough to have an oppor- tunity of affording protection to that gallant veteran the late iVince of Conde. His post commission bears date April 29, 1802; subsequent to which he held an appointment in the Sea Fencible service, on the N. W. coast of Ireland, but was never employed afloat, although strongly recommended. Captain Folvil married a daughter and co-heiress of Robert ■ S ' n • See Vol. I, [}. 254. 3a2 111 r ■ 712 POST CAPTAINS Of^ 1802. Nesbitt, of Moylagh, co. Tyrone, Esq., by whom he has two sons and three daughters. t . ] Agent, — J. Copland, Esq. ARCHIBALD DICKSON, Esq. This officer obtained the rank of Post-Captain April 29, 1802 ; and commanded the Akbar of 50 guns, on the South American station, at the close of the late war. Agent, — Harry Cook, Esq. \]\ju y /-^ec. WILLIAM HENRY BROWN TREMLETf, Esq. This officer is a son of the late Mr. George Tremlctt, a Master in the R. N., by Mary, only child of Mr. Tuck, Soli- citor, of Langley Hall, near Chippenham, in Wiltshire*. He was born at Dartmouth, where his uncle held the situation A Collector of the Customs, Nov. 15, 1777> a»d embarked as a Midshipman on board the Salisbury 50, bearing the flag of Rear- Admiral Elliot, in 1788. During the Spanish and Rus- sian armaments he served in the same ship, under Vice- Admiral Milbanke, on the Newfoundland station f ; and at the commencement of the French revolutionary war we find him joining the Royal Sovereign, a first rate, in which ship he assisted at the defeat of the French fleet on the memorable 1st June, 1794 %. The Royal Sovereign formed part of the squadron under Vice-Admiral Cornwallis, when that veteran officer effected his highly celebrated retreat § j soon .ifter which Mr. Trem- lett was made a Lieutenant, and appointed to the Lion, a * Captain Tremlett's father was broiiglit up in the royal navy, and served as a Midshipman durinfr the reign of George II. He was on board the Zephyr of 14 guns, when that sloop beat off a French .'3G-gun frigate, after a battle of four hours. His cousin, the Rev. John Gandy, is the present venerable and truly respectable Rector of St. Andrews, Plymouth. Captain T.'s grandfather was a merchant at Exeter. t The Salisbury was successively commanded by Captains Erasmus Gower, William Domett, and Edward Pellcw. X Sec Vol. I, p. 336. § Sec id. note • at p. 354. C-' r ■,■: // POST-CAPTAINS OF 1802. 13 64-gun ship, attached to the expedition then about to sail for the West Indies, under Rear- Admiral Christian. In 1796, the Lion was employed on the North Sea station, wheie Lieutenant Tremlett brought himself into notice by his intrepid conduct in rescuing the crew of the Reunion frigate from the very perilous situation in which they were placed by her striking on a sand bank*, where she was afterwards totally wrecked. For his " humane and manly exertions'* on this occasion, the thanks of the court-martial assembled to investigate the circumstances attending her loss, were con- veyed to Lieutenant Tremlett, through their President, the late Admiral Savage, who publicly declared that he deserved to have a civic crown placed on his head, and expressed a hope that the Board of Admiralty would do him justice, by immediately advancing him to superior rank. The Lion subsequently proceeded to the Mediterranean, where Lieutenant Tremlett assisted at the capture of the Santa Dorothea, a Spanish frigate, of 42 guns and 370 men, on the 15th J»dy, 1/98 f. A few days previous to that event he appears to have been engaged in a desperate affair with an armed Greek, off Malaga, and exposed to the most imminent peril through the misconduct of two boats under his orders, they having deserted him at the moment when he was pushing alongside, and their flight not being observed by him until too late to attempt a retreat. In consequence of this shameful dereliction of duty on the part of those from whom he expected support, he had the mortification of seeing destruction dealt with an unsparing hand among his brave companions, 20 of whom were either killed or wounded, whilst himself and 3 men only escaped unhurt. This sanguinary business occu- pied no more than seven minutes, during which no less than that number of shot passed through his hat and coat, whilst another knocked off the handle of his dirk ; yet, strange to say, his person was never touched ! ! Mr. Tremlett's next appointment was, as first Lieutenant, to the Santa Dorothea ; in which ship he assisted at the cap- ture of the San Leon, a Spanish national brig of 16 guns, and ♦ S.'(; Vol. I. p. 643. t See /(/. p. :iJC. 714 POST-CAPTAINS OF 1802. Several smaller vessels *. He also bore a part in an action with seventeen gun boats, by which she was attacked when entering Gibraltar bay with a fleet of merchantmen under her protection. For those and other services he was advanced to the rank of Commander on the 1st Jan. 1801 ; and posted April 29, in the following year. His next appointment was to the Sea Fencible service at Cromer, where he met with a serious accident whilst exer- cising that corps at their great guns in June 1804, a grape- shot, weighing eight ounces, having entered his right foot, where it remained two years and a half before it could be extracted. Captain Tremlett was appointed to the Alcmene, a 32 gun frigate, about April 1808; and in June following be entered into communication with the Spanish authorities at Corunna, assisted in their councils for three days, and then embarked the deputies sent from Galicia to solicit the assistance of Great Britain in the war about to commence between France and Spain. On his return to Corunna with those gentlemen. Sir Charies Stuatt, and a quantity of specie, he received the raink of General in the patriotic army, which was the first instance of such a mark of distinction being conferred upon an Eiiiglishman. On the 22d Dec. in the same year, Captain Tremlett gave chase to two French frigates of the largest class, which he compelled to take shelter under the citadel of St. Martin's, on Isle Khfe, aft^r a i^Un of 130 miles. The following day he resolved to attack one of them at her anchorage, and endea- vour to carry her by boarding ; but was prevented from exe- cuting his bold design by the Alcmene running aground through the ignorance of her pilot. He however blockaded them so closely as to prevent their escape, which was of itself a service of no little importance, they being full of troops, bound to the relief of Guadaloupe. Captain Trenllctt's exertions were unfortunately terminated by the loss of his ship on a rock near the Loire in 1809, pre- vious to whrch he had captured and destroyed Jipv.ttrds of • 8ee Vol. 11, Part I, p. 191. POST-CAPTAIN& OF J802. 715 fifty sail of the enemy's vessels on various parts of the coast between Isle Dieu and Cape Finisterre. He subsequently made repeated visits to his Spanish friends, whose efforts in the cause of liberty form the subject of a long letter ad- dressed by him to the conductors of the Naval Chronicle in May 1812*. The subject of this memoir's eldest brother, George Neate Tremlett, served as a Midshipman in the battle of June 1, 1/94 ; assisted at the capture of three French men of war off rOrient in June 23, 1795 ; and was present at the defeat of M. Bompard by Sir John B. Warren, Oct. 12, 1798. His name still appears on the list of Lieutenants, to which rank he was promoted Aug. 1, 1794. Another brother, Richard Stiles Tremlett, Lieut. R. N., who had previously shared the sufferings of the gallant Riou in H. M. S. Guardian, was killed in a duel with the late Lord Ca»nelford, at Martinique. Agent.— i. Hinxman, Esq. SAMUEL PYM, Esq. This officer was juromoted to the rank of Lieutenant in Mar. 1796 ; and served as such, for some time, on board la Babet, a 2()-gun ship, stationed at the Leeward Islands. On the 16th Jan. 1/98, he volunteered to proceed with two boats in pursuit of a schooner which had been standing towards la Babet, but hauled off on discovering her to be a ship of war, and was then sweeping away between Martinique and Dominica. After a fatiguing pull of four hours, during which his own boat left her companion considerably behind, he arrived within gun-shot of the stranger, who opened and kept up a steady fire until he got alongside, when a desperate struggle took place, which ended in the schooner's submiso sion, just as the other boat rowed up to his assistance. The prize proved to he la Dcsiree, French national vessel, of 6 guns and 46 men, 4 of whom were slain, 8 drowned, and 15 badly wounded. Lieutenant Pym fortunately had only 1 man killed^ and another drowned ; but 5 of his gallant little band ■• '*• ' .,, ,><• • See Nav. Cliron. Vol. 28, p 203, ef xef. 716 VOST-CAPTAINS OF 1802. were severely, and himself and all the remainderj 5 in num- ber, slightly wountled. Subsequent to this exploit we find Lieutenant Pym serving in the Ethalion frigate, and assisting at the capture of the Thetis, a Spanish treasure ship *, on which occasion his com- mander, the present Rear- Admiral Young, when writing to Lord Bridport, made the following mention of his abilities and meritorious conduct : " I beg leave to recommend to your Lordship's notice Lieutenant Pym, the senior officer : the able assistance I rec«ived from him on tlie quarter- deC'iv, and his indefatigable exertions in shifting the wounded masts and yards on board the Thetis, do him the utmost credit." We now lose sight of the subject of this memoir till his advancement to post rank, April 29, 1802 ; and from that period find no mention of him till his appointment to the Atlas of 74 guns, which ship he commanded in the action off St. Domingo, Feb. 6, 1806 f. His conduct at St. Paul's, in the island of Bourbon, Sept. 21, 1809, was thus described in a respectable periodical publication : *' The capture of St. Paul's was eflFected by the cruising squadron from off the Isle of France, under Commodore Rowley J, assisted by a party of the 66th regiment, and some Bombay sepoys, under Lieutenant-Colonel Keating. It appears that the soldiers, 136 royal marines, and 100 seamen, were lauded before day-break, and soon carried three of the forts. The squadron went in, tired tLe'.r broadsides, and then hauled out. The Sirius frigate stood in again; and Captain Pym §, anxious to avail himself of the only opportunity that offered, anchored her within half-musket shot of la Caroline French frigate, two captured East Iiidiamen, and a brig of war, in which position he opened so heavy a fire, that in twenty minutes the whole of them struck their colours. Both navy and army joined in praise of this brilliant enterprise, declaring they had never seen or thought it possible for a ship to keep up so tremendous a fire as the Sirius (lid on that occasion ; and we understand it was principally owing to the very great exertions of Captain Pym, his officers, and crew, that the two India- men were saved from being burnt." « Captain Pym displayed his usual zeal and ability whilst assisting at the reduction of Bourbon, in July, 1810 (|, after • See Vol. I, p. 684. t See Vol. I, note at p. 2fi2. t For a list of the sqtmdrnn and other particulars, see Vol. I, p. 626 et seq. § Captain Pym was appointed to the Sirius in 1808. II See id. p. 627 et seq. POST-CAPTAINS OP 1802. 717 which he resumed his former station off the Isle of France, and succeeded in obtiiiniiig possession of I'lsle de la Passe, situated near Port Sud-Est, the works on which were gal- lantly stormed by a detachment of sailors and marines, under the immediate directions of Lieutenant H. D. Chads. Subsequent to this event the Sirius, whilst cruising off Port Louis, recaptured the Wyndham, a British East India- man, recently taken by two French frigates and a corvette, under the orders of M. Dupert^ ; and Captain Pym learning from some English sailors whom h€ found on board, that that officer had forced his way into Port Sud-Est, imme- diately hastened thither for the purpose of attacking him, and rescuing another of the Hon. E. I. Company's ships, which he had captured in company with the Wyndham. On his arrival off I'lsle de la Passe, Captain Pym was joined by the Nereide, a 12-pounder frigate, under the com- mand of Captain Willoughby, whom he had left in charge of that post, and who had used every effort to prevent tjie French squadron from entering the harbour. That gallant officer having instantly declared his readiness for action, and the situation of the enemy affording a prospect of success. Captain Pym decided on an immediate attack ; but his in- tentions were unfortunately frustrated by the Sirius running aground in the inner passage, and remaining fast for many hours, during which the enemy moved farther in, erected several batteries, prepared the Indiaman for defence, and strengthened the crews of the frigates and corvette. ' • In consequence of this accident, and the enemy's increased means of defence. Captain Pym was under the necessity of deferring the attempt until the arrival of the Iphigenia and Magicienne frigates, commanded by Captains Henry Lam- bert and Lucius Curtis, whom he had already recalled from their stations to the northward. Those ships having joined company on the 23d Aug., and Captain Pym being assured by persons who professed to know the navigation that he was past all danger, and could run direct for the enemy's line, the signal was made to weigh at five P. M., and each ship pushed for her station, viz. the Sirius alongside the French Commodore, Nereide to bru)g 718 POST-CAPTAINS OF 180?. 1 up between him and the corvette, Iphigenia abreast of the other frigate, and Magicienne between her and the Iiidianian ; but, sad to say, just as the enemy's shot began to pass over them the former grounded on a small bank, where she remained immoveable ; and the Magicienne also stuck fast in a por- tion that prevented her from bringing more than six guns to bear. To add to this misfortune. Captain Lambert was pre- vented by a shoal from closing with his opponent, whose cables had been cut shortly after the Iphigenia opened her fire ; and the enemy were in consequence ena3)led to direct their whole attention to the Nereide, whose heroic com- mander had taken the station intended for the Sirius, and per- sisted in maintaining the unequal contest, until every officer and man under his orders were either killed or wounded *. During the ensuing night every exertion was made to get the Sirius and Magicienne ailoat, but all without effect, the nature of the ground, and the squally state of the we other, rendemg it impossible to move them a single inch 'w, any direction. At day-light on the 24th the Nereide was dis- covered lying on her broadside, a perfect wreck ; and the enemy's ships also aground, but in such a position as enabled them still to annoy the Magicienne, 28 of whose crew were killed and wounded on this disastrous occasion. Thus situ- ated, and having no prospect of immediat ^ «iUccour, Captain Pym was under the painful necessity of burning his own ship and her unfortunate consort, after which he retired with their officers and men in the Iphigenia to I'lsle de la Passe, and cthere resigned his command to Captain Lambert, who being almost destitute of provisions, and having expended nearly the whole of his ammunition in the late contest, was obliged to capitulate to a French squadron &ent from Port Louis, un- der Commodore Jtiamelin, on the 28th of the game month f. Although this enterprise proved so unfortunate, no possible blame can be attached to Captain Pym. whom we subse- * See Captain Nisbet Josiah Willouohby, C. B. t The Ipliigcnia's loss in the above action was 5 men killed, and 12, •including her first Lieutenant, wounded. The Sirius does not appear to have had a man hurt. M. Uuperr^ acknowledged a loss of 8/ Hlain ami 112 wounded. '«vf,,. POST-CAPTAINS OP 1802. 719 V ♦ fi ■ quently find commanding the Niemen, a 38- un fVigat' on the American station, where he captured severa of the enc ly 's armed vessels. He was nominated a C. B. in 1815. Captain Pym married, May 25, 1802, a daughter of E, Lockyer, of Plymouth, Devon., Esq. Agent. — SirF. M.Ommanney, M. P. GEORGE ARGLES, Esq. This officer's meritorious conduct as third Lieutenant of the Mars 74, at the capture of I'Hercule, and the wound which he received on that occasion, have already been noticed at p. 616. His post commission bears date April 29, 1802. During the late war he commanded the Trusty of 50 guns, and Diamond frigate, on the North Sea and Jamaica stations, but does not appear to have had any opportunity of distin- guishing himself. He married, Sept. 9, 1813, Miss Jane Atkinson, of London. Agents. — Messrs. Maude. SAMUEL BUTCHER, Esq. This officer served as a Midshipman under Earl Howe in the memorable battle of June 1st, 1794 j and was soon after promoted to the rank of Lieutenant for his good conduct on that occasion. He subsequently distinguished himself by cutting an enemy*s ship out of a harbour in the West Indies, at noon day, although she was lashed to the shore, and pro- tected by large batteries in everj' direction. For this and other services on the same station he was made a Commander, and appointed to the Guachapin of 16 guns, in which vessel he captured el Teresa, a Spanish letter of marque, mounting eighteen brass 32 and 12-pounders, with a complement of 120 men, after a smart action, on the 16th Aug. 1800. His post commission bears date April 29, 1802. Captain Butcher commanded the Antelope of 50 guns, on the Baltic station, in 1813 ; and obtained great credit for his steady courage and unwearied exertions whilst lying aground in the West Scheldt, exposed to a heavy cross tire from tlu' 720 POST-CAPTAINS OF 1802. batteries of Flushini? and Cadsaiul, on the 1st, 2d, and 3d Mar. 1814*. In tlie ensuing sunnner he escorted a large fleet of transports and merchantmen to the coast of America, from whence he returned at the commencement of 1815. ROBERT JACKSON, Esq. This officer obtained the rank of Lieutenant Nov. 22, 1790; and received the Turkish gold medal as a reward for his services on the coast of Egypt, during the celebrated cam- paign of 1801, at which period he commanded the Bonne Citoyenne corvette. On the Slst Dec. in the preceding year he captured a Spanish privateer of 10 guns and 80 men, near Minorca. His post commission bears date April 29, 1802. He subsequently served as Flag-Captain to Lord Keith in the Monarch, Ville de Paris, and San Josef. Agent. — -Muspratt, Esq. IVeA^t^H ROBERT BARRIE, Esq. "''^ » <q^Jlne^ A Cotnpanion of the most Honorable Military Order of the Bath ; and acting Resident Commissioner at Kingston, in Upper Canada. In 1791, this ofiicer accompanied Captain Vancouver on a laborious and anxious voyage of discovery, an abridged ac- count of which will be found at p. 200 et seq. of this volume. On his return from that expedition, in 1795, he was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant ; and we subsequently find him serving on board le Bourdelois of 24 guns, commanded by his old shipmate, the present Captain Thomas Manby, with whom he sailed for the West Indies at the close of 1^90 f. ♦ See Naval Chronicle, Vol. 31, p. 193. t The following is a copy of Cuptain Mauby's official letter respecting the two merchant veasela alluded to at p. 205 : " H. M. S. Bourdelois, offr€neriffe,Jan, 16, 1801. " Sir, — On the Sth iust., off Palina, in a calm, I despatched two boats under the orders of Lieutenant Barrie, in pursuit of a strange sail in the S. E. At 2 P. M. after a fatiguing row of fourteen hours, he gallantly Imarded her with only one boat, although opposed by 10 Frenchmen, who kept np a smart fire from four 4-pounders. She proved to be the Ad- venture of London, one of the vessels which had parted company in the POST-CAri'AINS OF 1802. 72 i Mr. Barric's conduct as first Lieutenant of Ic Bourdelois, in the action between that ship and a small French squadron, near Barbadoes, Jan. 28, 1801, on which occasion he received a wound, " but disdained to quit the deck,'* was warmly ap- plauded by Captain Manby, who recommended him to the notice of the Admiralty " as an officer highly worthy of advar cement." VVc are not aware of the exact period at which he obtained ^td^ug^ 1^ promotion to the rank of Commander, or of the manner in ^^ i^^ which he was employed previous to the winter of 1804, when he commanded the Brilliant, a small frigate stationed in the Channel. His post commission bears date April 29, 1802. Captain Barrie's next appointment was, about May, 1806, to the Pomone of 38 guns, in which ship he gave repeated proofs of his zeal and ability. The following is a copy of his official letter to Sir Richard J. Strachan, relative to the cap- ture and destruction of seventeen French vessels from Nantz, bound to Brest, on the 5th June, 1807 : " Sir, — I have the honor to acquaint you, that yesterday, when working up to windwai'd, in order to gain the station you had pointed out to uie by signal, at about /'> 30' A. M. three vessels were reported from the mast. Iiead, bearing N. E., and we soon made them out to be armed brigs. As the distance of the squadron rendered it impossible for me to communi- cate this circumstance to you, I took upon myself to give chase to these brigs, conceiving it my duty to do so, as I thought I could cut them off before they could get into the Sables d'Ollone. As we approached the shore, a convoy was observed under escort of the brigs, one of which we got within random shot of about 9 o'clock, when the breeze unfortunately first gale of wind. INe French prize-master was wounded by a cutlass, the only blood spilt on the occasion. Gaining information from the Ad- venture, that on the same day she was taken by the Mouche, of Bour- deaux, th& privateer likewise captured a valuable copper-bottomed ship bound to Barbadoes ; and as both vessels had orders to proceed to Santa Cruz, I considered it my duty to push thither ; and by plying hard with my sweeps all the 9th, I arrived off that port on the morning of the lOlh, when I had the pleasing satisfaction of rescuing the above-mentioned British ship from the hands of the enemy. She proved to be the Aurora of London. I have the honor to be, &c. (Signed) " T. Manby." " To Captain Brudby, H. M. S. Andromeda:* 722 rOST-CAITAlNS OF 1802. 11 ' fuilcd us, and I had the mortification to observe that \vc should not be able, in the ship, to cut off the brigs, especially as wc were obliged tu make a tack. iSome of our shot reached the convoy, two of which ran on shore ; a third was deserted by her crew. I therefore despatched Lieu- tenant J. Jones in the 6-oared cutter, to take possession of the latter, and of any others of the convoy that were not close to the land. This service he performed with great judgment and gallantry, and fortunately without loss, though the grape from the shore and armed brigs passed through and through his boat. One of the gun>brigs making a show of sweeping out, I sent Lieutenant James Wallace Gabriel, first of this ship, with three boats, to meet her ; but as she retreated under the protection of the land batteries, and also within musket-shot of the numerous soldiery which lined the beach, I would not allow my gallant friend to make the attack under such great disadvantage, but directed him to proceed with the l»oat towards St. Gillis's, where several vessels were observed nearly becalmed. At about ll** 30^ the boats got up with the easternmost brig ; and by 2'' 30' P. M. they were all, (fourteen in number) in our possession, except one, which drove on shore and was lost. The crews of the enemy's vessels took to their boats ; but I fear, as the sea ran very high, some of them were drowned in attempting to land. Had the breeise fortunately continued, I have no doubt but we should have taken and destroyed the whole convoy, which, exclusive of the gun-brigs, consisted of twenty- seven brigs, sloops, and chasse mart^'cs. I have the pleasure to add, that the officers and seamen employed on this service, performed it to my satisfaction, and to their own credit. Enclosed is a list of the vessels taken and destroyed, with their cargoes ♦. I have the lionor to be, &c. &c. (Signed) " Roukrt Daurie." " To Renr-/ldmiral Sir R. J. Strachun, Dart:* Subsequent to this event Captain Barrie was placed under the orders of Lord CoUingwood on the Mediterranean sta- tion, where he captured a Neapolitan privateer, commanded by no less a personage than the Chevalier de Boissi, Adjutant* "1 • Fourteen brigs, &c., laden with wheat, flour, provisions, iron, and timber, captured \ two brigs laden with naval stores, and another with wheat, destroyed. Sir R. J. Strnchan, enraptured with the boldness of the above enterprise, and rejoicing at the success attending it, «m seeing the prizes come out, telegraphed to his scpiadron " The Pomone hn» great merit;" and again expressed his admiration of her conduct when trans- mitting the foregoing letter to Captain Barrie's uncle, the late Admiral Lord Gardner, who then commanded the (.'hannel fleet. Captain Barrii'b bouts, in company with those of the Huzurd sloop, had a few weeks bdori' tut four luggcrt* laden with wine, brandy, &c , out of a harbour in l«Ic KM. .1 ■ POST-CAPTAINS OF 1802. 723 General de France, whose motive for exposing himself to almost certain capture in a small vessel of o guns and 53 men, could never be satisfactorily ascertained, not a single paper being found on board except those that related to the pri- vateer ; though from the circumstance of Captain Barrie having fallen in with him off Cape Bon, on the coast of Africa, it is very probable he had been charged with a mission to some of the Barbary States. On the 22d Oct. 1809, we find Captain Barrie joining Lord ColHngwood off Cape St. Sebastian, and informing him of the approach of a French convoy from Toulon, which port he had watched with indefatigable perseverance during his lord- ship's absence on the Spanish coast. On the following morn- ing the enemy hove in sight ; and in the course of the day, Captain Barrie being far to windward of the British squadron, succeeded in coming up with and destroying five transports, laden with provisions for the relief of the French army in Spain. The men of war were in the mean time pursued by a detachment under Rear- Admiral George Martin, who obliged three line-of-battle ships and a frigate to run a-shore between Cette and Frontignan, where two of the former were burnt by their crews ; and on the 1st Nov. the remainder of the store- ships and transports were successfully attacked by the boats of a squadron under Rear-Admiral Hallowell, who had the satisfaction of reporting that every vessel was either taken or destroyed*. On the 18th Jan. 181 1, Captain Barrie captured the Du- bourdieu French privateer, of fourteen 12-poundersand 93 men. In March following he chased I'Etourdie, a national brig of 18 guns, laden with ordnance stores, into a small cove on the N. W. side of Monte Christo, where she was set on fire by her crew, consisting of 200 men, whom he found it impossible to attack in consequence of a gale of wind pre- venting his boats from landing, and the time fixed for the Pomone's return into port having already arrived. A gidlunt nnJ successful exploit performed by a squadron under bin orders at Corsica, on the 1st May, 1811, is thus described by Set' Vol. I, pp. lisy uiul m. 724 POST- CAPTAINS OF 1802. him in a letter to Adniiriil Sir Charles Cotton, who had heen appointed to the chief command in the Mediterranean on the demise of Lord Collingwood : " H. M. S. Pomone, off Sagone, May, 2d, 1811. " Sir,— My letter of the 23d ult. would acquaint you with the intelli- ffenoc I had received of the enemy's force in Sagone, and that it was my intention, under particular circumstances, to attack them. " I have now the honor to inform you tiiat, on the evening of the .'30th, I arrived off the bay, the Unitd and .Scout in company • ; the Scout joined in the morning, and Captain Sharpe having very handsomely volunteered his services to take charge of the landing party in the projected attack, I consented to take him under my orders. At sun-set the Unit6 made the signal for an enemy's frigate at anchor. By day-break on the 1st, the Pomone was close olF Liamonc, and I had the satisfaction to observe the enemy's three ships at anchor in Sagone l>ay. It was nearly calm ; and the variable winds which prevail at this season having thrown the Unitd a long way astern, I abandoned my design of attempting to take the tower and battery by surprise ; and it was fortunate I did so ; for, as the day opened, we could clearly observe the enemy in full possession of the heights, and ready to receive us. He appeared to have about 200 regular troops, with their field-pieces, &c., and a number of the armed inhabitants. The battery, mounting 4 gun% and 1 mortar, presented a more formi(Ial>lc appearance than 1 expected ; and a gun was mounted on the martclio tower, above the battery : the three ships were moored within a stone's throw of the battery, and had each two cables on shore, their l)roadsides presented to us. The smallest (la Girafle) hoisted a broad pendant. She appeared to be a sister-ship to le Var f, and shewed 13 guns on each side of the main-deck. The other ship (la Nourrice) was much larger, and shewed 14 guns : her lower-deck ports were open, but she had no guns in them. The armed merchant ship was partly hid by la Nourrice, so that wc could not make out her force. " The bay is so small that it was impossible to approach without being exposed to the raking fire of the whole. Notwithstanding their strong position, the crews of our ships came forward in the most noble manner, and volunteered their services to land ; or, as it was quite calm, even to attack the enemy with the boats. Captains Chambcrlaync and Sharpe both agreed with mc that we could do nothing by landing, and it would have been madness to send the boats. However, I signified by tclcgmph, that it was my intention to attack as euon as a breeze sprung up. As the calm continued, at b'^ '^0> P. M. I gave up all hopes of the sea brec/.c ; ♦ The former a 3f»-gun frigate, and the latter an 18-gun brig, com- manded by Captains Edwin Henry Chaniberluync, and Alcxwidcr Rcutou Sharpe. t Sec p. 103. POST-CAPTAINS OP 1802. 725 and fearing any longer dehy would enablo the enemy to increase his force, I determined on towing the ships in. My pen is too feeble to express my admiration of the zealous und spirited conduct of the bouts' crews em- ployed on this service. The same zeal animated each ship's company ; and by six o'clock, having towed into a position within range of grape, we commenced the action, which lasted without any intermission till about half-past seven, when smoke was observed to issue from la Giraffe. Soon after la Nourrice was in a blaze, and tiie merchantman was set on fire by the brands from her. At this time tiie l)attery and tower were silenced, and in ten minutes the three ships were completely on fire. I lost no time in towing out of harm's way, and then waited the explosions, which took place in succession. La Giraffe blew up about ten minutes before nine. La Nourrice soon after exploded ; and some of her timbers falling on the tower, entirely demolished it, whilst the sparks set fire to the battery, which also blew up. The object of our attack being thus com- pletely executed, I stood out to sea to get clear of the \vrccks, and to repair our damages. No language of mine can do justice to the gnUantry of those I had the honor to command. " I am particularly indebted to Captains Chamberlayne and Sharpe for their spirited exertions and cordial co-operation throughout the whole of the affair. I am sensible my narrative is already too prolix ; l)ut I cannot conclude without assuring you that the officers and crews of the ships behaved with the greatest courage and coolness. The Potnone, from being enabled to choose hi'r station, was of course exposed to the brunt of the action, and has consequently suffered most ; though considering the enemy's fire and position, our ships have escaped much better than could have been expected. When all conspicuously distinguish themselves, it is impossible to select individuals ; but I should be most shamefully wanting in my duty to my country, and to the merits of a most deserving set of oflicers, if I were to neglect acquainting you, that I received from them every assistance ic wao possible to expect. Lieutenant .fames Wallace Gabriel, first of the Poinone, conducted himself with the same spirit and zeal wliich have utrformly distinguished his conduct. I enclose the report of killed, woimded, kc. It is but justice to declare that the enemy kept up a very smart fire, and behaved with great bravery. I can form nu opinion of their loss. I have the honor to be, &c. (Signed) " RoDKRT Bahrie." After writing the above report, Captain Barrie iiad the sa- tisfaction to learn that the result of his judicious and well- planned attack would considerably retard the completion of the enemy's ships then building at Toulon ; those destroyed by him being deeply laden with timber, of which material that arsenal would not be able to obtain another supply from Corsica till the vnsuirig season. The loss sustained by his vol.. II. 3 b U 726 POST-CAPTAINS OF 1802. squadron on this occasion was comparatively small, when tlic nature and extent of the service performed, and the force opposed to him, are considered ♦. It amounted to no more than 2 men killed and 25 wounded ; the former, and 19 of the latter, belonged to the Pomone. Having thus afforded a specimen of the services performed by Captain Barrie, and the brave officers and men under his command, we shall now adduce, as an instance of their dis- interested feeling on all occasions, an act ofgenerosity tow irds a prisoner, whom many others would probably have deemed iHiworthy of such liberal treatment. Among the numerous captures made by the Pomone, whilst on the Mediterranean station, was a vessel in which Lucien Buonaparte had embarked, with the plunder collected by him from every country where he had had an opportunity of evinc- ing his rapacity. Tliough nearly related to the implacable enemy of Great Britain, and himself a rank and determined republican, he was treated with respect, and every article of his ill-gotten gains considered as private property, conse- quently held inviolate. How different this treatment from that experienced by many of our own countrymen who had the misfortune to be taken prisoners during the wars occa- sioned by the French revolution ! How striking the contrast between the situation of the heroic Alexander's and their female companions in a vile dungeon near Brest, and th.-it of a Corsican adventurer and hie family on board a British frigate t '• ! In consequence of the handsome manner in M'hich the Pomone's crew had followed the example of Captain Barrie and his officers, by relinquishing all claim upon the ship and property, Lucien Buonaparte gave directions for 300/. to be • The enemy having observed the British frigates on the 30th April, bad mude every preparation to give them a warm reception. Tiie regular troops pouted on the heights were more than 2(M) strong, exclusive of the marines from the ships, and a body of armed pciisantiy. The quarter- deck guns uf la Nourrice had also been landed, and were used on the oc- casion. The ships destroyed were of the following tonnage : la Nourrice 1 100, la Girafle 900, and the armed merchantman 600 tons- The crews uf the two former consisted of 300 men. t See p. 702 ct seq. ' /( POST -CAPTAINS OP 1902. /'27 distributed amongst them, and a bill for that amount was accordingly handed to the petty-officers, who, without mr- nifying their real intentions, asked permission to wait on the donor for the purpose of thanking him. Being indulged in their request, they nobly returned the bill, saying they did not war with individuals, especially women and children ; but if lie chose to give them a glass of grog each, they had no objection to drink to the health of himself and his family ! The following day the. whole crew were regaled with some porter at Lucien's expense. The Ponione was unfortunately wrecked, by striking on a sunken rock, about two cables' length S. W. from the Needles Point, in the evening of Oct. 14, 1811. The court-martial assembled at Portsmouth on the 25th of the same month, to try Captain Barrie for the loss of his ship, agreed, that no blame was imputable on the occasion to him or any of his officers, except the Master, who was severely reprimanded for not having taken accurate bearings of Hurst light-house before he attempted to go through the passage, and for not having paid sufficient attention to the observations of Captain Barrie, as to the said light-house. Captain Barrie and all his other officers were most fully acquitted. It was our intention, when we commenced this memoir, to have attempted a description of Captain Barrie's method of governing a ship's company, the happy effects of which were very apparent to all those officers who ever fell in with the Pomone ; but as we have yet to follow him through the late war on the other side of the Atlantic, and as an account of his services in that quarter will necessarily occupy a large portion of our remaining pages in this volume, we must take leave of that frigate for the present, and reserve auch obser- vations as may be necessary on the subject of her internal discipline till the time shall arrive for us to notice the ser- vices of the officer whom Captain Barrie, in one of the pre- ceding letters, so justly styles " his gallant friend" Captain Birrie was appointed to the Dragon, a third rate, in the spring of 1813 ; and from that period he was employed in a series of active services on the coast of America, till the tennination of hostilities in 1815. • \S b2 l#«| 728 POST-CAPTAINS OF 1802. I t The winter of 1813 was remarkable for its uncommon severity, even in this comparatively mild climate ; the extreme horrors of that season in North America will never be forgotten by those officers who were then employed off the Chesapeake, the blockade of which river was entrusted to Captain Barrie, who maintained it, under every privation, so successfully, that only orte of the enemy's cruisers escaped *. The commander-in-chief so appreciated his professional know- ledge that he continued him there, notwithstanding orders from home to the contrary ; and fortunate was it for his country that he did so. It is a fact which cannot be too ge- nerally known, that to the information he acquired we are indebted for those signal successes under the brave and la- mented Major-General Ross, which ended in the capture of the American capital and public stores, to the amount, as the enemy themselves admitted, of more than 7>000,000 dollars f. Captain Barrie retained the command of the squadron em- ployed off the Chesapeake from Sept. 1813, till the arrival of Rear- Admiral Cockburn in May, 1814, during which period several of the enemy's armed vessels, and a very great number of coasting traders, were either captured or destroyed by the ships under his orders. The following extracts from the Lon- don Gazette contain an account of his subsequent exertions : "On the 1st June, 1814, Captain Barrie, with the St. Lawrence ■chooner, and the boats of the Albion and Dragon, fell in with the flotilla standing down the Chesapeake, and retreated before it towards the Dragon, tlien at anchor off Smith's Point %. This ship having got under weigh. Captain Barrie wore with the schooner and boats ; but the flotilla made off, and escaped into the Patuxent river. The Dragon being obliged to come again to an anchor, and the boats not being strong enough to attack the flotilla, (captain Barrie endeavoured to induce the enemy to separate Lis force, by detaching two boats to cut off a schooner under Cove Point ; but the Americans suffered this vessel to be burnt in the face of the flotilla, without attempting to save her. " On the 6th, the flotilla retreated higher up the Patuxent ; and Captain Barrie being joined on the following day by the Loire frigate and Jaseur • The Adams frigate. She was afterwards destroyed by a force under hia orders. t See Vol. I, p. 624 et seq. ' X Captain Barrie hiul been sent with the schooner and boats to act against the flotilla flttcd out at Baltimore, under the orders of Commodore Barney. POST-CAPFAINS OF 1802. 72d brig, he proceeded up tlie river with them, the St. Lawrence schooner, and the boats of the Albion and Dragon. Tlie enemy retreated into St. Leo* nard's creek, into which they could only be pursued l)y the boats, which were too inferior in force to allow of any attack bein(r made with them alone. Captain Barrie endeavoured, however, to provoke the enemy by rockets and carronades from the boats, to come down within reach of the ships' guns. Tike flotilla was at one time so much galled by these attacks, that it quitted its position and chased the boats ; but after a slight skirmish with the smaller vessels, returned precipitately to its original position. " With a view to force the flotilla to quit this station, detachments of seamen and marines were landed on both sides of the river ; and the enemy's militia, though assembled to the number of from 300 to 400, retreating before them into the woods, the marines destroyed two tobacco stores, and several houses which formed military postti. " On the 15th, the Narcissus frigate joined, and Captain Barrie deter- mined to proceed up the river with twelve boats, having in them ISO marines, and 30 of the black colonial corps. They proceeded to Benedict, whence a party of regulars fled at their approach, leaving behind several muskets, and part of their camp equipage, with a 6-pounder, which was spiked ; a store of tobacco was also found there. Captain Barrie advanced from thence towards Marlborough ; and although only eighteen miles from IFaghingtott, took possession of the place, the militia and inhabitants flying into the wood. A schooner was loaded with tobacco, and the boats plentifully supplied with stock ; after which, having burnt tobacco stores, containing 2^800 hogsheads, the detachment re-enibarked. The enemy collected 360 regulars, and a party of militia, on some cliffs which the boats had to pass ; but some of the marines being landed, traversed the skirts of the heights, and re-embarked without molestation ; and the enemy did not show himself again till the boats were out of guamhot. " Captain Barrie commends, in high terms, the conduct of all the officers, seamen, and marines, under his orders, as well as that of the colonial carps, composed of armed blacks ; and Rear-Admiral Cockburn expresses his high sense of the personal exertions and able conduct displayed by Captain Barrie." The Dragon was now ordered to refit at Halifax, where she received the flag of Rear-Admiral Griffith ; from whose official letter to Sir Alex. Cochrane, stating the result of an expedition to the Penobscot river, in Sept. 1814, we select the following passage as an introduction to Captain Barrie's account of the proceedings of a detached force under his own personal directions : " H. M. S. Endi/mion, off Caitine, entrance of tht Penobtcot River, Sept. J), 1814. " Sir,— My letter of the '2'iA of August, from Hulifux, by the Rover, 730 POST-CAPTAINS OF 1802. !!)l I will have made you acquainted with my intentioa of accompanying the expedition then about to proceed under the command of his Excellenoy Sir John Sherbroolc, K. B, for this piece. " I have now the honor to inform you, that I put to sea on the 26th uU. with the ships and sloop named in the margin *, and ten sail of transports, having the troops on board, and arrived off the Metinicus Islands on the morning of the 31st, where I was joined by the Bulwark, Tenedos, Rifle- man, Peruvian, and Pictou. From Captain Pearcc, of the Rifleman, I learned that the United States' frigate Adams had a few days before got into Penobscot, but not considering herself in safety there, had gone on to Hamden, a place twenty-seven miles higher up the river, where her guns had been landed, and a position was fortifying for her protection; " Towards evening, the wind being fair and the weather favorable, the fleet made sail up the Penobscot bay. Captain Parker, in the Tenedos, leading. We passed between the Metinicus and Green islands, about midnight, and steering through the channel formed by the Fox islands and Owl's Head, ran up to the eastward of Loug island, and found ourselves at daylight in the morning, in sight of the fort and town of Castine. As we approached, some shew of resistance was made, and a few shot were fired ; but the fort was soon after abandoned and blown upi At about eight A, M. the men of war and transports were anchored a little to the northward of the Peninsula of Castine, and the smaller vessels taking a station nearer in for covering the landing, the troops were put on shore, and took possession of the town and works without opposition. " The General wishing to occupy a post at Belfast, on the western side of the bay (through which the high road from Boston runs), for the purpose of cutting off all communication with that side of the country, the Bac- chante and Rifleman were detached with the troops destined for this service ; and quiet possession was taken, and held, of that town, as long as was thought necessary. " Arrangements were immediately made for attacking the frigate at Ham- den ; and the General having proffered every military assistance, six hun- dred picked men, under the command of Lieutenant-Colonel John, of the COth regiment, were embarked the same afternoon, on l)oard his Majesty's sloops Peruvian and Sylph, and a small transport. To this force were added the marines of the Dragon, and as many armed boats from the squadron as was thought necessary for disembarking the troops and covering their landing, and the vvhole placed under the command of Cap- tain Barrie, of the Dragon ; who with the Lieutenant-Colonel made sail up the river at six o'clock that evening. " I have the honor to enclose Captain Barrie's account of his proceedings ; and taking into consideration the enemy's force, and the formidable * "Dragon 7^, Endymion and Bacchante frigates, and Sylph sloop of war. p6ST-CAPTAl^fS OF 1802. 731 *trength of his position, too much praise cannot lie given him, the officers and men under his command, for tlie judgment, decision, and gallantry with which this little enterprise has been achieved." " H. M. S. St/lph, off Bangor, in the Penobscot, Sept. 3, 1814. "Sir, — Havina; received on board the ships named in the margin* a detachment of twenty men, of the royal artillery, with one five and half, inch howitzer, commanded by Lieutenant Garstoa ; a party of 80 marines, commanded by Captain Carter, of the Dragon ; the flank companies of the 29th, 62d, and 98th regiments, under the command of Captains Gell and Caker, Majors Riddel), Keith, and Crosdailc, and Captain M'Pherson ; also a rifle company of the 7th battalion of the 60th regiment, commanded by Captain Ward ; and the whole imrlcr the orders of Lieutenant-Colonel John, of the fiOth regiment ; I proceeded, agreeably to your order, with the utmost despatch, up the Penobscot. Light variable winds, a most in< tricate channel, of which we were perfectly ignorant, and thick foggy weather, prevented my arriving off Frankfort before two I'. M. of the 2d inst. I)ere Colonel John and myself thought it advisable to send a mes- sage to the inhabitants ; and having received their answer, we pushed on towards Hamden, where We received intelligence that the enemy had strcngly fortified himself. On our way up several troops were observed on the east side of the river, making for Brewer ; these were driven into the woods without any loss on our side, by a party under the orders of Major Crosdaile, and the guns from the boats. The enemy had one killed, and several wounded. " At five P. M. of the 2(1 instant, we arrived off Ball's Head Cove, distant three miles from Hamden. " Colonel John and myself landed on the south side of the Cove, to re- connoitre the ground and obtain intelligence. Having gained the hills, we discovered the enemy's piccjueta advantageously posted near the highway leading to Hamden, on the north side of the Cove. *' We immediately determined to land 150 men, under Major Riddell, to drive in the picquets, and take up their ground. This object was ob- tained by seven o'clock ; and notwithstanding every difficulty, the whole of tfie troops were landed on the north side of the Cove by ten o'clock ; but it was found impossible to land the artillery at the same place. The troops bivouacqued on the ground taken possession of by Major Riddell. It rained incessantly during the night. At day-break this morning, the fog cleared away for about a quarter of an hour, which enabled me to reconnoitre the enemy by water ; and I found a landing place for the ar- tillery about two-thirds of a mile from Ball's Head. Off this place the troops halted till the artillery were mounted, and by six the whole ad- vanced towards Hamden. * " Peruvian and Sylph sloops of war, Dragon's tender, and Harmony transport. 732 POST-CAPTAINS OF 1802. 1; I " The boats under the iaimediate command of Lieutenant Pedler, tha first of the Dragon, agreeably to a previous arrangement witli Colonel John, advanced in line with the right flank of the army. The Peruvian, Sylph, Dragon's tender, and Harmony transport, were kept a little in the rear in reserve. " Our information stated the enemy's force at HOU men ; and he had chosen a most excellent position on a high hill. About a quarter of • mile to the southward of the Adams frigate, he had mounted eight 18- pounders. This fort was calculated to command both the highway by which our troops had to advance, and the river. On a wharf close to the Adams, he had mounted fifteen IS-pounders, which completely commanded the river, which at this place is not above three cables' length wide, and the land on each side is high and well wooded. " A rocket boat, under my immediate direction, but manoeiivfed by Mr. Ginton, gunner, and Mr. Small, midshipman, of the Dragon, was advanced about u quarter of a mile a-head of the line of boats. " So soon as the boats got within gun-shot, the enemy opened his fire upon them from the hill and wharf, which was warmly returned. Our rockets were generally well-directed, and evidently threw the enemy into confusion. Meantime our troops stormed the hill with the utmost gal- lantry. Before the boats got within good grape-shot of the wharf battery, the enemy set fire to the Adams, and he ran from his guns the momeot our troops carried the hill. " I joined the army about ten minutes after this event. Colonel John and myself immediately determined to leave a sufficient force in posses- sion of the hill, and to pursue the enemy, who was then in sight on the Bangor road, flying at full speed. The boats and ships pushed up the river, preserving their original position with the army. The enemy wom too nimble for us, and most of them escaped into the woods on our left. " On approaching Bangor, the inhabitants, who had opposed us at Ham- den, threw off their military character ; and aa magistrates, select men, &c. made an unconditional surrender of the town. Here the pursuit stopped. " About two hours afterwards, Brigadier-General Blake came into the town, to deliver himself as a prisoner. " The General and other prisoners, amounting to 191, were admitted to their parole. " Enclosed I have the honor to forward you lists of the vessels we have captured or destroyed, and other necessary reports ». I am happy to • Captured, Two ships, one brig pierced for 18 guns (afterwards lost), six schooners (one of which was the Decatur privateer, pierced for 16 guns, afterwards lost), and three sloops. Destroyed by the British at Bangor » One ship, one brig, three schooners, and one sloop. Burnt by the enemy at Hamden, Tlie Adams of twenty-six 18-pounders, and two ships, one of them armed. POST-CAPTAINS OF 1802. 733 inform you our loss consists only of 1 seaman, belonging to the Dragon, killed; Captain Gell, of the 29th, and 7 privates, wounded; 1 rank and file missing. ••»•••. i can form no estimate of the enemy's ab- solute loss. From different stragglers I learn that, exclusive of killed and missing, upwards of 30 lay wounded in the woods. I have the honor to be, &c. (Signed) " Robert Barrie, Captain H. M. S. Dragon." After the failure of the Baltimore expedition under Rear- Admiral Cockburn and Major-General Ross *, the command in the Chesapeake again devolved upon Captain Barrie, whose subsequent proceedings were conducted principally with a view to harass the enemy's troops, by keeping them on the alert ; and to create a diversion in favor of the ope- rations then going on in other quarters. In Nov. 1814, he proceeded up the Rappahanock river with the boats of his squadron, and part of that excellent corps the Royal Marine battalion, commanded by Lieutenant- Colonel Malcolm ; landed on the 29th at Tappahanock, and brought off from thence a quantity of flour and tobacco, to- gether with a stand of colours, some arms, ammunition, and baggage, which had been left behind by the enemy's troops in their hasty retreat to a neighbouring hill, from whence they afterwards retired in confusion on being attacked by the British. On the 4th of the following month, Captain Barrie landed at the town of Tappahanock ; and learning that the Ameri- cans had assembled 600 armed militia at Farnham Church, about seven miles from the place of debarkation, he proceeded thither, and attacking the enemy in a strong position, drove them into the woods, with the loss of several men killed and wounded, captured a large field-piece, and released several negroes who had been confined to prevent them from joining the British. It is worthy of notice, that the colours taken during this expedition, bore on one side the inscription " Down with the Tyrant,* and on the other the American eagle^ with the motto " Death or Victory." Soon after his return from the Rappalianock river. Captain Barrie was ordered by Rear>Admiral Cockburn, who had • See Vol. I, p. 627. 1^ > I 734 POST-CAPTAINS OF 1802. resumed the command in Chesapeake bay, to proceed with the Dragon, Reguhis, and Bnine, to the coast of Georgia, where he was joined by some other ships of war, having,- on board two companies of the 2d West India regiment. On the 11th Jan. 1815, lie tool« possession of Cumberland Island, without meeting any resistance ; and pasaing from thence in boats to the main land, disembarlied on the 13th at a small distance from the fort on Point Petre, which he entered after a sharp skirmish witii the American riflemen, who had taken post in a jungle through which he had to pass on his way to the town of St. Mary's. The result of this enterprise will be stated in our memoir of Captain Charles B. H. Ross** Intelligence of peace between Great Britain and America having arrived at Cumberland Island soon after the capture of St. Mary's, Captain Barrie was not called upon to give any farther proof of his prowess. " Whether it may be re- served to him to enjoy in security and peace the delightful intercourse of social life, or again to be called to vindicate the rights of his country, and to chastise the insolence of her enemies, he will carry with him," said the highly respectable Chairman of his numerous friends assembled at a festive meeting which we are about to notice, " our best wishes for his health and prosperity — he will carry our well-grounded assurance, tliat in no hands can be more safely placed the honor and dignity of Great Britain." Previous to their separation, the Dragon's officers presented Captain Barrie with a piece of plate, value 100 guineas, as a testimony of their sincere attachment ; and on the 21st Dec. 1815, a public dinner was given at Preston, in commemora- tion of his professional services, and more especially those which he had recently rendered to his country on the coast of America. Among the company were several gallant officers who had served under him, and whose attachment had induced them to travel several hundred miles in order to join in this tribute of esteem conferred upon their favorite commander. ' * Captain W. S. Badcock, of the Brune troop-ship, accompanied Cap- tain Barrie in his expeditions to Rappalianock river and St. Mary's, and displayed great gallantry on every occasion that offered- POST-CAPFAINS OP 1802. 735 One of those gentlemen, the present Captain J. W. Gabriel, on his health being drunk, returned thanks in the following terms : " Gentlemen, — I cannot express my gratitude for the honor which you have done me ; but I conceive it to l)e my duty, and feel it to bo my high- est pleasure, to testify to the justice of the approbation you have bestowed upon the gallant services of my old commander. You are well aciiuainted with his merit : nothing can surpass his conduct in warlike achievements ; but his private character is no less worthy your applause than his public services. This you will acknowledge, when I give you a recital of his generous actions. On board he was at much more expense in support of the sick, than in the maintenance of his own table. When we have put into a port where the rate of exchange was against us, he has told the Mid- shipmen not to draw bills upon home, but come into his cabin, where there was a bag of dollars at their service. Frequently, when the ship was putting to sea, and the sailors' wives were ordered out of her, has he di- rected his steward to give them a guinea each. On all occasions he has sacrificed his own interests to those of his officers and crew. To Captain Barrie I am indebted for my advancement ; and so attached did I feel to him, that T have frequently re(iue8ted he would not make application to the Admiralty for my promotion, in order that I might continue to have the pleasure of serving under his command." Captain Barrie was nominated a C. B. in June 181.5 ; and appointed to superintend the naval establishment at Kings- ton, Upper Canada, in 1819. He married, Oct. 24, 1816, Julia Wharton, sixth daughter of the late Sir John Ingilby, Bart., of Ripley, co. York, and Kettlethorpe Park, in Lin- colnshire. Agent. - -Thomas Stilwell, Esq. CHARLES BAYNE HODGSON ROSS, Esq. ' A Companion of the most honorable Military Order of the Bath. Tins officer, a son of the hite Lieutenant Ross, R. N., received his first commission in 1796, and was advanced to the rank of Commander in 1800. Towards the latter end of the same year he had the misfortune to be wrecked in the Diligence, a brig of 18 guns, on the Honda bank, near Cuba ; but happily his officers and crew were all saved by the Thun- derer 74. Captain Ross obtained post rank Oct. 15, 1802 ; and sub- wiJ^J ^ 736 POST-CAITAINS OF 1802. • i . 1 V sequently commanded the Desirte and Pique frigates, on the Jamaica station. In Aug. 1803, we find the former ship employed in the blockade of St. Domingo, on which service she continued till the evacuation of that place by the French troops under General Rochambcau, an event already noticed at p. 815 of our first volume *. Among the armed vessels taken by the Pique in 1804 and 1805, were le Terreur French cutter, of 10 guns and 75 men ; and the Orquijo, a Spanish corvette, mounting 18 guns. The capture of two French brigs of war in the following year ia thus described by Cap- tain Ross in his official letter to the commander-in-chief : " H M. S. Pique, off St. Catharine's, 11th Mar. 1806. " Sir, — I have the honor to iiiform you, that yesterday, crossings over from St. Domingo to Curaqoa, I fell in with two men of war brigs, standing in for the land. At one P. M. being within long range, I com- menced firing to prevent their getting in with the shore ; and from supe- rior sailing closed with them at two, when a most destructive fire con- tinued for about twenty minutes ; but a flaw of wind favouring us, the helm was put down, which placed us immediately across the hawse of the Commodore. She was directly boarded by Lieutenants Ward and Baker, and every inch of her decks most obstinately defended. The slaughter on both sides was dreadful ; and it is with real concern I state the loss of Mr. (John) Thompson, the Master, who was killed, with 8 seamen ; and Lieu- tenants Ward and Baker, with 12 seamen and marines, wounded f . The contest was very severe ; but in about five minutes the colours were hauled down : the other struck after a few broadsides more, and we took posses- sion of the Ph&eton and Voltigeur, of 16 guns and 12U men each, French brigs of war, beautiful vessels, and only nine months old. It was impos- sible for two vessels to be more obstinately defend>'d, every thing beinj^ cut to pieces, and nearly one half of their crews killed or wounded. I un- derstand they had been roughly handled by an English man of war brig the day before J. " I beg leave to recommend to your notice my first Lieutenant, (Wil- liam) Ward, whose good conduct at all times has merited the highest ap- probation J he is, I am afraid, dangerously wounded §. • • • • The * The Desirde's boats appear to have captured and destroyed a great number of vessels laden with supplies for the eoemy's garrison. t The boarding party consisted of not more than 30 ofliccrs and men ; but Captain Ross, who bad gone in chase of the other brig, lont no time in sending a fresh supply, when he discovered that; the enemy were not in- clined to yield so tamely as bad been expected. \ Sec Captain John FvrPB. § Lieutenant Ward hod previously distinguished himself when foin> POST-CAPTAINS OF 1802. 737 :thc ap. The wound of Lieutenant (P. H.) Baker I rejoice to uay, will only lay him by for a short time. • • • • \A'e had only 1 man wounded on board ; all the others were killed and wounded on the brig's deck. The ship's company behaved uncommonly well ) and I trust the conduct of all will merit your approbation. I have the honor to be, &c. (Signed) " Charles B. H. Ross." *' yice Admiral J. R. Dacret, Sfc. Sfc. 8fc" On the 1st Nov. in the same year, Captain Ross sent three boats to intercept a schooner, coming round the S. W. end of Porto Rico; but owing to a very heavy squall, with ra'n, they lost sight of her in the night. However, Lieutenant Bell, who commanded the detachment, pushed in for Cabaret bay, where he destroyed a battery of three guns, and captured a very fine Spanish brig, pierced for 12 guns. The next day. Lieutenant Baker, in the launch, after some skirmishing, drove a French privateer, of 2 gims and 26 men, upon the reef off Cape Roxo, where she was totally lost. Returning to join his ship, the same officer captured, after a very long chase, another privateer, of 1 gun and 20 men. During the late contest between Great Britain and Ame- rica, the subject of this sketch served as Flag-Captain to Rear-Admiral Cockburn in the Marlborough, Sceptre, and Albion, third rates*. The particulars of the warfare in which he was engaged will be found in our memoirs of that officer, and those under his orders, who commanded in person on various occasions. We are not aware of Captain Ross him- self having bce!i detached on any service of greater importance than that of an expedition up St. Mary's river, from whence he returned to Cumberland island, on the coast of Georgia, with a ship loaded with timber, and an English East Indiaman, which had been captured by an American privateer. He also embarked all the produce collected at the town of St. Mary's in the vessels taken there by Captain Barrie, blew up the fort on Point Petre and another battery, and destroyed the barracks inanding the Pique's \(\g and yawl, by boardinf^ and carrylnji; the Santa Clara, a Spanish schooner of one 9.pounder and 28 men, completely equipped fi)r war. • The Marlborough captured the Lconore French privateer, of 10 guns and 80 men. off Scilly, in Oct. 1812. 738 POST-CAPTAINS OF 1802. 1 i and store-houses, together with some merchandise and guns that were not deemed fit to bring away *. This was one of the last acts of hostility committed by the force under Sir George Cockburn, who previous to his departure from the Halifax station, returned his public thanks to Captain Ross and his other gallant companions, in a General Memorandum, of which the following is a copy : " Albion, Bermuda, 7th April, 1815. " Gen. Mem. — In taking leave of the several Captains, Field-Officers, Coininauders, other Officers, Seamen, and Marines, lately composing the force acting under my immediate orders against the enemy in Georgia, the Chesapeake, &o. I have the highest satisfaction in having the direc- tions of the commander-in-chief to convey to tlieni his entire appro!)ation of their good conduct, and of their invariable zeul and exertions in their country's service, as set forth in my reports, and to which he has ii.foruK'd me he «vill not fail to draw the notice and consideration of my Lords Com- missioners of the Admiralty. " Whilst promulgating this flattering testimony of the commander-in- chief's favorable consideration of the forces lately acting under my orders, I cannot refrain from making known to them also that their invariably cheerful, gallant, and steady behaviour, was as gratifying t,o me as hono- rab'.e to themselves ; and for which 1 must therefore beg leave to offer them my warmest acknowledgments, and to assure them how happy it will make me to have the good fortune of again acting with them, in the event of our country calling for our services at any future period. (Signed) " G. Cookuurn, llear-Admiral." ** To the Captains, Fictd-Officers, Commanders, other Oncers, Seamen, and Marines, lately a?iinff under my orders in America, and on the coast thereof** Captain Ross's next appointment was to the Northumber- land of 78 guns, which ship it will be remembered was se- lected to convey the late Napoleon Buonaparte to St. Helena f. He was nominated a C. B. Dec. 8, 1815; appointed to superintend the Ordinary at Portsmouth, in 1819 ; and to be Resident Commissioner tit Jamaica, in July, 1822. , He married, in 1803, Miss Cockburn, of Kingston, Ja- maica, sister-in-law of Vicc-Admiral Sir George Cockburn, G. C. B. ./#^«i/s.— Messrs. Maude. * Fort Petrc mounted six 24-poundcr8 oud two brass G-peunder.*. A ,1 \ A I t See Vol. I, p. 6L7. /\ \lu4 (XMr^J-^r}^^^^^ " ' ^^ #OST.CAPTAINS OF 1802. 730 WILSON RATHBORNE, Esq. A Companion of the Most Honorablf; Militur;/ Order of the Ihitli. Tk:« officer is the son of a Clergyman of the established Church, and a grandson of Commodore J. Wilson, who served with great credit dm-ing Queen Anne's wars. He was born near Loughrea, co. Galway, Ireland, July 16, 1748; entered the naval service as a Midshipman on board the Niger of 32 guns, in Sept. 1763 ; and continued in that frigate, under the respective commands of his patron Sir Thomas Adams, Bart., and Captain Andrew Wilkinson, till the latter end of 17^8, when he rejoined the former officer in the Boston, a ship of similar force, employed on the Ame- rican station. In 1769, Mr. Rathborne removed with his friend into the Romney of 50 guns, bearing the broad pendant of Commo- dore Samuel Hood, in which ship he returned to England under the command of Captain Robert Linzee, who had been appointed to her on the death of Sir Thomas Adams, in 1770. On her arrival in England, the Romney was ordered to the ■ owns with the flag of Rear-Adrairal John Montagu, with whom Mr. Rathborne continued till the spring of 1771, when he was discharired into the Royal William of 80 guns, at the particular request of her Captain, the late Lord Hood. We next find him in the Hunter sloop of war, commanded by Captain Thomas Mackenzie *, under whom he served on shore at Quebec, with the rank of a first Lieutenant in the naval battalion, composed of the crews of the King's ships and merchant vessels, during the siege of that important for- tress by the American army, in the winter of 177^ !• He re- • Sew Vol. I, note J at p. dbA. t The Hunter, after cruUing for some time on the Irish station, was sent with despatches to Boston, where she arrived shortly after the nie> tnorablc battle of Bunker's Hill. See Vol. I, note * at p. 1()6. During the ensuing winter she was hauled on shore at Quebec, and her crew at- tached to the naval battalion, whose important services were duly acknow- ledged by Sir (iuy Cnrleton, in his despatches announcing the retreat of the enemy, after a desperate, Ihoug^h inetiectiial attempt to curry tli^ place TO 4 «^ V(- 740 POST-CAPTAIMS OP 1802. jl V t\ il turned to England as acting Master of the same sloop early in the ensuing year j and to his great mortification found him- self obliged to remain in that situation, notwithstanding the assurance he had received from the senior ofl&cer at Quebec, that he would be superseded immediately on his arrival *. Steadily refusing to accept a Navy Board warrant, Mr, Rathborne continued in the Hunter as acting Master for nearly four years, during which she was almost constantly employed on the American coast, and formed part of several expeditions against the enemy in the Jerseys. At length,^ through the kind interference of Captain Alexander Hood, nephew of the officer with whom he had served in the Rom- ney and Royal William, he was once more restored to the line of promotion, and allowed to take a passage home in a merchant vessel, at the commencement of 1780. On his arrival in London he was introduced by his former commander. Captain Mackenzie, to Earl Sandwich, then first Lord of the Admiralty ; who the very next day, Mar. 18, 1780, presented him with a Lieutenant's commission for the Bedford, of 7^ guns, commanded by the late Sir Edmund Affleck, to whom he had previously been recommended by the above officer. The Bedford formed part of the squadron under Vice-Ad- miral Arbuthnot, in the action with M. Ternay, Mar. 16, 1781 ; and bore a share in the engagement between Rear- Admiral Graves and the Count de Grasse, on the 6th Sept. in the same year f. Subsequent to the latter event, Captain Affleck hoisted a broad pendant on board her, and proceeded to the West Indies, where he highly distinguished himself in by escalade, early in the morning of Dec. 31, 1776> on which occasion Mr. Rathborne, then on duty with the picciuet guard, personally assisted in cutting off the retreat of the atoriniug party, every one of whom was either killed or taken prisoner. * Sir Charles Douglas arrived at Quebec with a reinforcement on the day of the Americans' defeat ; and having occasion to send the Hunter home with despatchen, insisted upon Mr. Rathborne taking charge of her as Master, there being no other person in the squadron sufficiently qua- lified to do so. t See Vol. I, p. 40, and note at p. 133. POST-CAPTAINS OF 1802. 741 the memorable conflicts .between Rodney and do Grasse, April 9 and 12, 1782*. Mr. Rathborne having become first Lieutenant of the Bed- ford, in consequence of the promotions that followed Rodney's victory, continued to serve as such till that ship was paid oft* at Portsmouth in the summer of 1 783. During the Dutcli and Spanisli armaments in 1787 and 1790, he was appointed to the Atlas of 98 guns, and Colossus 74, the former fitting for the flag of Sir Edmund Affleck, the latter commanded successively by Captains Hugh C. Christian and Henry Har- vey. In 1792 he obtained an appointment, as first Lieute- nant, to the Captain, a third rate, then under the orders of Earl Howe, but subsequently attached to the Mediterranean fleet. After the occupation of Toulon, in Aug. 1793, the Captain was sent by I^ord Hood to dismantle the forts and batteries on the Hieres islands and opposite shore ; the latter and most difficult part of which duty was executed in a very judicious manner by Lieutenant Rathborne, in the presence of a vastly superior republican force. He afterwards distinguished him- self by his exertions in weighing the Imperieuse, a large frigate that had been scuttled by the French in Port Especia ; and on her being commissioned by Captain Charles Cunning- ham, he was appointed to act as Commander in the Speedy of 14 guns, from which vessel he returned to the Captain, in consequence of his being superseded a few days after by one of the Admiral's own Lieutenants, the present Sir George Cockburn. During the ensuing siege of St. Fiorenzo, in Corsica, Lieu- tenant Rathborne served on shore under the orders of Captain Samuel Hood ; and in Vice-Admiral Hotham's action, Mar. 14, 1795 t, he had the misfortune to lose the sight of his right eye, and receive so much injury in his right arm, as to render it nearly useless. His promotion to the rank of Comman- der took place Nov. 9th in the same year. • Commodore Affleck was created a Baronet for his gallant conduct, May 28, 1782; elected M. P. for Colchester in the course of the same year; and promoted to the rank of Rear-Admiral, Feb. 10, 1784. He •liedDec. 15, 1787. t See Vol. ], note at p. .'MO. VOL. II, 3 c II' it 1)1 742 POST-CAFfAINS OF 1802. Frani this period we find no mention of Captain RathbOTne till 1797j when he was appointed to the Good Design, an armed ship, employed in convoying the trade from Leith to Elsineur and the Elbe. At the close of 1739, he removed into the Racoon, a brig of 18 guns, stationed off Boulogne, and afterwards successively employed in the Channel, Medi- terranean, and West Indies. His post commission beturs date Oct. 18, 1802. The Santa Margaritta, into which frigate he had been pro- moted at Jamaica, having returned home in 1803, and re- fitted at Sheerness, was subsequently sent to cruise off the French coast, and on various other services connected with the duties of the Channel fleet. Whilst thus employed, she fell in with the squadron under Sir Richard J. Strachan, whose success in capturing four French line-of-battle ships^ commanded by M. Dumanoir, on the 4th Nov. 1805, may be, in a great measure, attributed to the persevering exertions and gtiYlant conduct of C^ain Rathborne ; who, availing him- self of his frigate's superior sailing, closed with and harassed the enemy for three hours and a half, before any other ship could get within gun-shot ', and then, in conjunction with Cap- tain Baker of the l^cenix, who had previously been chased by them, kept their rear in play until the Commodore and his companions could arrive sufficiently near to bring on a gene- ral action *. The Santa Margaritta on tbis occasion, although repeatedly hulled by the enemy's shot, had only her boat- swain killed, and one man wounded. Captain Rathborne was soon after appointed to the Fou- droyant of 80 guns, a circumstance that gave him considerable p»in, as independent of his disinclination to remove from a crtusing frigate into a blockading ship, he was very unwilling to part from his officers and crew, whose conduct on every occMion had ^ven him the greatest satisfaction, and in whom he had every confidence. Captain Lioring, the officer who had been appointed to succeed him in the Santa Margaritta, observed his distress, and generously forbore to use the com- mission he had received from the Admiralty, until the pleasure of their lordships could be ascertained — a forber "aace worthy • See Vol. I, p. 289. N. B, Lina 12, for frigates read frigate. POST-CAPTAINS OV 1802. 743 of record. The result proved highly gratifying to both par- ties ; Captain Rathfoorne being continued in the command of the Santa Margaritta, and his worthy brother-officer soon ^er compensated for the spontaneous sacrifice he had made, by an appointment to a frigate of superior class *, The Santa Margaritta was subsequently employed on the Channel, Lisbon, West India, and Irish stations ; but being at length completely decayed, was put out of commission in Dec. I8O7. Captain Rathborne was soon after appointed to the command of the Essex Sea Feneibtes ; and, in 1809, to regulate the Impress service at Shields, Sunderland, and Newcastle, He js a resent charged with the superinten- denee of the ships in ordinary at Chatham. His nomination to be a C. B. took place on the establishment of that class of the Okrder, in 1815. A pension for the loss of his eye was granted to. kim May 19, 1810, and has since been augmented to 300L per annum. . . - Captain Rathborne married, iu 1805, the youngest daughter of John French, Esq., late of Loughrea, co. Galway. His sister was the mother of John Wilson Croker, Esq., Secre- tary to the Admiralty, and M . P. for Bodmin, in Cornwall. Ay* '1 r HENRY MATSON, Esq. x yi /^> This officer was born at Sandwich, co. Kent j and entered • xt WJ*"'* the naval service, in 1790, as a Midshipman on board the .,^ Arrogant, of 74 guns, commanded by his maternal uncle the late Captain John Harvey, whose heroic conduct on the me- morable 1st June, 1794, we have already noticed at p. 613 of our ftrst volume. From the Arrogant Mr. Matson was very soon removed Into 1^ Rose of 28 guns ; in which ship, and tb^ Hussar IHgate, he completed his probationary term of service on the Halifax station, where be was promoted to the rank of Lieu- tenant hi the Rover, a Bermuda built sloop of war, about the nioDth of June, 1796. • Sec p. 547. 3c2 ! ill i 744 POST-CAPTAINS OF J 802. In the following year Lieutenant M atson proceeded to tlie West Indies, and joined the Prince of Wales, a second rate, bearing the flag of his uncle the late Sir Henry Harvey, K. B., by whom he was made a Commander, and appointed to the Cyane of 18 guns. Mar. 22, 1799. His post com- mission bears date Dec. 15, 1802. After serving for some time as Flag-Captain to Commo- dore Sir Samuel Hood, he commanded the Blenheim of T^ guns, as a private ship, till July 1803, when he joined the Venus frigate, and sailed for England as convoy to the home- ward bound trade. During the ensuing four years we find him employed as a cruiser on the Irish, Boulogne, and Lee- ward Islands' stations. On the 10th July, 1805, he captured I'Hirondelle, French privateer, of 16 guns and 90 men; and early in 1807, la Determinee, of 14 guns and 108 men. He returned to England with a valuable fleet under his protection in the autumn of 1807 ; and on his arrival was presented by the masters thereof with a piece of plate, as a testimony of their gratitude for the attention he had paid to them during the voyage. Captain Matson's next appointment was, in Mar. 1809, ta the St. Fiorcnzo of 40 guns, which frigate formed part of the expedition sent against Walcheren in the summer of that year. He was put out of commission in Mar. 1810 ; and has ever since been on half pay. Agents, — Messrs. Maude. CHARLES MALCOLM, Esq. This officer is the youngest brother of Vice- Admiral Sir Pulteney Malcolm, K. C. B., under whom he served as a Midbhipman in the Fox frigate, and Suflblk of 74 guns, of which latter ship he was appointed a Lieutenant by Vice- Admiral Rainier, Jan. 12, 1799*. In Aug. 1801, he was promoted by his patron to the rank of Commander, in the Albatross sloop of war, on the East India station, from whence he returned to England in the Eurydice of 24 guns. Mar. 27, ]803. His post commission bears date Dec. 29^ 1802. • See Vol. I, pp. 582, 584, et seq. rOST-CAPTAINi OK 1802. 745 -7 A - Captain Mftlcol in '^ next appointment was, Sept. 24, 1806, to the Narcissus frigate ; and on the 30th Jan. following, we iind him receiving a severe wound in the head whilst leading liis boats to the attack of a French convoy lying in Conquet \ "bay, near Brest, under the protection of several heavy bat- teries, two armed brigs, and a cutter. In this gallant but unsuccessful enterprise the boats had 7 "^c" killed and 15 Wounded. , On the 18th Aug. in the san»e year, Captahi Malcolm ciip- tured the Cantela, a Spanish schooner, pierced for 12 guns ; , \ and in the ensuing month he drove three of the enemy's row^ hoats on shore, near Oporto. He also assisted at the reduc- tion of the Saintes, in April, 1809. The following are extracts from the public letters of Sir George Beckwith and Major- General Maitland on that occasion : " Fort Royal, Martinifae, April 20, 1809. :. " The French squadron, consisting of three sail of the line and two fri' gates, from i'Orieut, having taken shelter in the Saintes, in the vicinity of Guadaloupe, where they were blockaded by Sir Alexander Cochrane with a superior force, I detached a corps, of between 2000 and 3000 meil, under the command of Major-General Maitland, to co-operate with the navy in the reduction of those islands, and to destroy or capture the ships of the enemy, or to force them to sea. I have the satisfaction to report to your lordship *, for lus Majesty's information, that after three days of great toil and most active service, the forts were reduced, and the troops surrendered prisoners of war. The French ships of the line pushed to sea early in the night of the 14th ; on the 16th the Admiral was within four miles of them ; and, I trust, will be enabled to bring them to close action f. " The navy have most cordially supported us. Oaptun Beaver, of H' M. S. Acasta, has increased that character which I know kis conduct at Bay Robert, Martinique, in your presence gained him. • • « * Cap- tain Carthew of the Gloire, and Captain Malcolm of the Narcissus, also jncrit the warmest acknowledgment." Captain Malcolm was soon after appointed to the Rhin, an 18-pounder frigate, employed in the British Channel, where he captured four French privateers, carrying in the whole 58 /\^ guns and 310 men. On the 31st Jan. 1812, he escaped i * Viscount Castlereagh. t One of the French ships was captured by Captain (now Rear-Admiral) fahie. Sec Vol. J. p. 717. The others effected their escape. 746 PPST-CAPTAINS OF 1802. , 11 ! i t.\ Glaring |he fate of the Laarel frigate, by his proni|ytitude in ohaogiDg the Rbfai's course, at the very moment when her consort Btruck on the Govivas rock in the Teigneuse paaeiige, from whence he himself was then not half a cable's length ^tant. Nor were his exertions after clearing the ^nger less creditable than his coolness on that occasion ; for not- withstanding the remonstrances of his pilot, he worked th« Rhin among the breakers, and contributed very materially t9 the , preservation pf the officers and men remfuning on the wreck, which was much exposed to a heavy fire from the enemy's hmd bfUteries *, Iii'theflbllowing summer Captaki Malcolm was very ac- tively emfdoyed on the north coast of Spain, under the orders of Sir Home Popham, aa will be seen by a reference to the extracts from that officer's despatches, which we h»v« io* seited at p. d23 etseq. of tiiis Tolume. The Rhin was subsequently sent to the West Indies, where she captured the American privateer schooner Decatur, a beautiful vessel of ^2S tons, commanded by M. Diron, a celebrated Frenchman, who had some time before succeeded i« boarding and carrying H. M. €chooner Dominica, of 1;^ ffUDS and 77 n^n t* Captain Malcolm being put out of commission on his re- turn to England, after the termination of hostilities, remained on half pay till Sept. 15, 181/, when he was appointed to the Sybille frigate, fitting for the flag of Sir Home Popham^ with whom he served during the whole period of that officer'^ command on the Jamaica atation^^. His last appointment was, July 6, IdSQ, to the William and Mary yacht, stationed at Dublin, to attend upon the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, on which service he is at present employed. The subject of this memoir married, in 1808, a daughter of C. Pasley, Esq., and a niece of his maternal uncle, the late Adnural Sir Thomas Pasley, Bart. •^^en^-^Thprnas Stil well, Esq. - ' ■ _ • • 8«e p. 683. t See JoofteB'd Naval History, vol. 5, p. 397 et sgq. i. I Sir Home Pophau died at Gheltenkaii], Sept. 1 1 , 1830, agod 58. ^ POST-CARrAlNS OF 1803. 747 JOHN SERRELL> Esq. " This officer received his first commission in 1793 ; was tnade a Commander into the Echo sloop of war, at Jamaica, in 1800; and posted into the Garland frigate on the same station, Jan. 2/, 1803. He subsequently commanded the Cumberland of 74 guns ; Victory, a first rate, fitting for the flag of Sir James Saumarez j and Helder frigate. The latter ship was employed for several years on the Baltic station. Captain Serrell married, in 1904, Miss E. Dean, of Liverpool. AgeiiL — Hugh Stanger, Esq. PETER HEYWOOD, Esq. This officer is a son of the late Peter John Heywood, Esq. a Deemster of the Isle of Man, and Seneschal to his Grace the Duke of Athol, by Elizabeth, daughter of James Spedding, of Whitehaven, co. Cumberland, Esq. ; and was born at his father's residence, the Nunnery, near Douglas, June 6, 1773 *. He entered the naval service as a Midshipman, Oct. 1 1 , 1786 ; and made his first voyage in the Bounty, a ship of about two hundred and fifteen tons, which had been purchased by government and fitted up for the purpose of conveying the bread-fruit and other plants from Otaheite to the West India islands, in consequence of the merchants and planters having represented that essential benefit would be derived from the introduction of the former as an article of food for the inha- bitimts of those colonies. The deplorable result of this undertaking is well-known to the public, though the extraordinary circumstances that oc- curred on board the Bounty, previous to tlie fatal morning of April 28, 1789, have either escaped the notice, or not been deemed worthy the attention of other writers on naval sub- jects. To her commander's " Narrative of tlie Mutiny" which broke out on that day, it would be folly to look for any statement having a tendency to implicate his own conduct : Captain Schomberg, when compiling his " Naval Chrono- * Mr. P. J. Heywood was the son of Thomas Heywood, Esq. Chief Jus. tke of the Isle of Man. His sister tnartted the late Admiral Sir Thomas Paslcy, Uart. 'aV ■ M Md ril!' \m 748 POST-CAPTAINS OF 1803. V? ii- i \V-A' logy," appears to have placed implicit reliance on Lieutenant Bligh's assertions ', and in fact we have met with only one publication intended for professional use, in which the least hint is given of the unjust and harsh proceedings which gave rise to that unhappy transaction *. A private journal, long in our possession, the publication of which was only pre- vented by the death of its original owner, the late Mr. James Morrison, Gunner of H. M. S. Blenheim f, who had the mis- fortune to witness all that he hiis related, enables us at length to withdraw the veil by which the world has been so long blinded. On the 23d Dec. 1787> the Bounty sailed from Spithead under the command of Lieutenant William Bligh, in whose person were united the offices of Commander and Purser, as had hitherto been the custom in all our voyages of discovery. This was done with a view to the more economical manage- ment of the provisions and victualling stores ; but it proved on this, as on all former expeditions to the Southern hemi- sphere, the cause of very serious discontent among the officers and crew. • A few days after her departure from Santa Cruz, at which place she had anchored for the purpose of completing her water, and procuring such scanty refreshments as the island of Teneriffe at that season afforded. Lieutenant Bligh ordered the cheese to be hoisted up and exposed to the air ; which was no sooner done than he pretended to miss a certain quan- tity, and declared that it had~^been stolen. The cooper, Henry Hillbrant, informed him that the cask in question had been opened by the orders of Mr. Samuel, his clerk, who acted also as steward, and the cheese sent on shore to his own house, previous to the Bounty leaving the river on her way to Portsmouth. Lieutenant Bligh, without making any further enquiry, immediately ordered the allowance of that article to be stopped, both from queers and men, until the deficiency should be made good, and told the cooper he would give him a d d good flogging, if he said another word on the subject. The next day, in conformity to his order, butter only wa» • See Brenton'vS Naval Histnrj/, vol. f. |». So, rt srq. t Sec the ILl of tlic Bounty's offitcis and cilmv, at p. 762. as POST-t AP-fAINS OF 18013. 749 issued, which the cretv refused, alleging that their iicceptaiice of it) without cheese, would be a tacit acknowledgment of the supposed theft : John Williams, a seaman, at the same time asserting that he had been employed to carry the cheese to Lieutenant Bligh's house, together with a cask of vinegar, and several other articles of provisions, which had been sent up the river in a boat from Long Reach. The ship's com- pany persisting in their refusal to take the butter singly, it was also kept back for two banyan days, and no more notice taken of the affair. ■ . On approaching the equator, some pumpkins, purchased at Teneriflfe, began to decay, and as they v.ere h: general too large for the use of Lieutenant Bligh ant' his lat ssmutes (the Master and Surgeon), the clerk r?«:oM/ed uirectknui co issue them in lieu of bread. The crew, on einniifing at what rate the exchange was to be made,, were tolr^ tlvat m/e pound jf pumpkin was to be considered as, a;i eqia=alent ioc tvr> pounds of biscuit, of which lattet r>i't\v)i tbey had bcs u on two-third's allowance ever sijr.ie their departure hot.: S^rsta Cruz. Their evident reluctance to accept th<^ ); ropohii d siub- stitutc, on such terms, being reported to Lieut'.j.iant B'ii,!^, he flew upon deck in a violent rage, tVirncd ^h^ handa up, and ordered the first man on the list of each me?.s to be called by name j at the same time Haying, " I'll sec who will dnro to refuse the pumpkin, or any thing else i may order to b-e tserved out j" to which he added, " Y^u d — '— d iiifemal scoundrels, I'll make you eat grass, or any tbiii^, you cam catch, before J. have done with you." This speech had the desired effect, every one receiving the puaipkin; even tbf ':ffi' cers ; but they having still a good private stock ol potatoes, did not feel the want of bread sc* seiiisibiy u the men. To this grievance another quickly succeeded. As the com- mander's private stock decKV-acd, the beef and pork issued to the ship's company bc*^a?i to aj^j ear very light j but as the contents of the c! ikd had never been weighed, it was sup- posed that viioiic i-ecently opened did not contain the quantity Tiiarked on them, and a representation to that effect was ac- cordingly made in the quiet and orderly manner prescribed by the 21st article of war ; but Lieutenant Bligh, instead of directing the n)eat to be cut up and issued in the regular i!*'<.'^: '.'■f-*l ■il tl |i l! 7iiO POST- CAPTAINS OF 1803. manner, called the crew aft, told them that every thing re- lative to the provisions was transacted by his orders, that it was therefore needless for them to complain, as they would get no redress, he being the fittest judge of what was right or wrong, and that he would flog the first man who should tic e attempt to make any complaint in future. To this im- perious menace they bowed in silence, and not another mur- mur was heard from them during the remainder of the voyage to Otaheite, it being their determination to seek legal redress on the Bounty's return to England. The officers, on the contrary, did not refrain from talking among themselves of Lieutenant Bligh's unjustifiable conduct in causing the prime pieces to be constantly appropriated to his own use, whilst they were obliged to take their chance «)f what remained, in common with tlie men, and that without having the satis- faction of even knowing the weight of those very inferior pieces which often fell to their share. On the 23d March, 1788, the coast of Terra del Fuego was discovered, and a sheep which had died that morning was served out instead of the day's allowance of pork and peiise, Lieutenant Bligh observmg that it weighed upwards of .501bs. and would make a delicious meal. The men, however, not co- inciding with him in that opinion, took the first opportunity of throwing their respective shares overboard, and some dried shark supplied its place for a Sunday's dinner. Lieutenant Bligh, in his " History of the Bounty's Voyage to the South Seas," at p. 31, says, « Sunday, 13 April, 1788; —This morning, owing to tlie violent motion of the ship, the cook fell and broke one of his ribs ;" our journalist informs UB, that at that period " wheat and barley were boiled every morning for breakfast, instead of burgoo ; but the quantity was so small, that the division of it caused frequent l>roiIs in the galley, and was sometimes attended with bad conse- <]ucnce«. In one of those disputes the cook had two of his ril)8 broken; and at another time, Charles Churchill, the master at arms, was badly scalded in the hand. The pro- portion of pease and oatmeal had previously been reduced to so low a scale that the officers, ' unable to stand the brunt with the men,* frequently went without their share j but the cabin inmates always took cure to have theirs." POST-CAPTAINS OF 1803. 751 Proceeding to p. 33, we find Lieutenant Bligh describing the tempestuous weather he experienced in his attempt to reach the Society Islands by the way of Cape Horn, but without bestowing the least commendation upon his officers and crew for the cheerfulness with which they had invariably performed their duty. His intentions thi^oughout the volume are apparent — he studiously conceals every circumstance cal- culated to reflect credit upon them, or lead to an inference that any cause of discontent existed previous to their meet- ing with the fair inhabitants of Otaheite, to whose fascinating endearments he so ingeniously ascribes his subsequent mis* fortunes. In the MS. before us appear the following passages : *' The hard duty and continued fatigue whicli the rigorous season re- qiiVed, together with their constant exposure to wet; the intense cold, uud the unwholesome state of the lower>deck, the hatches being continu- ally battened down, caused several of the crew to fall sick, and the duty of course fell heayier on those who were able to work, but it was still carried on with alacrity and spirit. On the 22d April, Lieutenant Bligh ordered the healthy part of the crew aft, returned them his thanks for their unre- mitted good behaviour in such a trying situation, and informed them of his intention to bear a>vay for the Cape of Good Hope. This intimation was received wHh universal joy, and returned will three hearty cheers." The Bounty anchored in Simon's Bay May 24 ; sailed from thence July 1 ; and arrived in Adventure Bay Van Dieman'a Land, Aug. 20, 1788. ^v, . . . *v. , «-. , ^ ,. o " Whilst there the seeds of eternal discord were sown between LieuteiN ant Bligh and some of Us oiBccrs. He confined the carpenter, and found »o much fault widi the others as to cause continual disputes amon;^ them, each endeavouring to thwart the others in their duty. The men, on ol>- serving this, redoubled their excrtioits in order to avoid the impending storm, and rejoiced in private at their good success. " During the passage from Van Diemon's Land to Otaheite, Lieutenant Dligh and his messmates quarrelled and divided their privato stock, from which time thej seldom spoke to each other, except on duty, and even then with inuoh reserve. Previous to their arrival in Matavic Bay, n dis- pute took place between Mr. Bligh and the Master, who,for reasons best known to himself, refused to sign some books cumiected with the ship'* accounts. Upon tltis the crew were called aft, and the Articles of War, with part of the (General Printed Instructions read to them ; after which the books in question were pro<luccd, and the commander said, ' now, sir, sign these books ;' to which the other, taking up a pen, replied, ' I sign in obedience to your orders, l)ut this may be cancelled hcrnaftcr.' The books were then handed to the clerk, and the people returned to their duty, " Iiomcdiatciy ou anchoring in Matavic Buy, (Oct. 20,) lui order was \^ f )'J if. r52 pobT-CArrAiNs Of 1803. stuck upon the inlzcn-mast, prohibiting the purchase of curmUies, or nny thing except provisions : — there were very few, if any, instances of this injunction being disobeyed, for no curiosity struck the crew so forcibly as a roasted pig and some bread-fruit. Those inviting objects canic in abun- dance, and the articles of trade possessed by the men were freely parted with in exchange. The King's allowance of every species, except spirits, was from that moment stopped, but some time elapsed before the means ,oi' barter were issued from the public store. " The ship being moored, a tent was pitched on Point Venus for the use of the botanist, and the gunner sent to trade for hogs. Mr. Fletcher Christian, Mr. Peter Hcywood, and 4 men, were also sent as a guard, in case the natives should behave amiss. " As long as the salting continued provisions were in great plenty, each man being allowed two pound* of the bones and such other parts as were not fit for that purpose, per diem, which added to their own purcliases en- abled them to live extremely well ; but the supply of hogs at length bcr coming slack. Lieutenant Bligh seized on all that came to the ship, whe- ther large or small, dead or alive, claiming them as his property, and serving them out as the ship's allowance, in the proportion of one pound per diem. He also seized on those belonging to the Master, and slaugh- tered them for the use of the crew, although he had more than forty of his own ou board at the time, and others were to be bought in the market at very little more than the price first paid. When the Master remonstrated with him on the subject, he replied, that ' he would convince him that every thing became hit as soon as it was brought on board ; that he would take nine-tenths of any man's property, and let him see who dared to say any thing to the contrary.' The sailors' pigs were seized without cere- mony, and it became a favor for a man to obtain an extra pound of hia own meat. " The natives being aware of this proceeding, and not knowing but that their hogs would be taken from them also, became ver)' shy of bringing any into Lieutenant Dligh's sight, either on board or a-shore, but availed them- selves of every opportunity, whilst he was out of the ship, to supply the offi- cers and crew. He, however, observed their movements, and finding that his diligence was likely to be evaded, ordered a book to be kept in the binnacle drawer, and the officer of the watch to enter therein the number of hogs ()rought on board, with the weight of each. To obviate thiii difficulty, ■the natives cut them, and wrapping the ditfcrcnt joints in leaves, covered them with bread-fruit, &c. by which means they eluded his vigio Jancc, and full bellies were still the order of the day. " We removed from Matavie to Oparrc, the latter affording a more secure anchorage, on the 25th Dec. 1 7HH ; and kept our Christinas on the l28th, each man having double allowance of spirits, for which a provision iiud already been made by stopping the allowance of all thoHc who had not crossed the eijuator previous to this voyage. On new-year's day a similar indulgence was grunted, atior which all handj wore put on half ullowuncc ; but as wc Iwd plenty of cocoa-nut milk, the qrog wu?' nut missed. Our POST-CAPTAINS OF 1903. 753 and hogs friendly islamlers kept hs well supplied with cocna-nuts, notwithstanding tlie frequent seizures made by Lieutenant Bligh. " The object of our visit to the Society Islands being at length accom- plished, we weighed at 6h 30' A. M. on the 4ih April, 1/89 ; but for want of wind was obliged to tow and sweep the ship out of the harbour. Every one seemed in high spirits, and began to talk of home as though they hud just left Jamaica instead of Otaheite ; so far onward did their flattering fancies waft them. On the 23d we a-ouored off Annamooka, the inhabit- ants of which island were very rude, m.' attempted to take the casks and axes from the parties sent to fill water and cut wood. A musket pointed at them produced no other effect than a return of the compliment by pois- ing their clubs or spears with menacing looks ; and as it was Lieutenant Bligh's orders that no person should affront them on any occasion, they were emboldened by meeting with no check to their insolence They at length became so troublesome that Mr. Christian, who commanded the watering party, found it difficult to carry on his duty ; but on acciuainting Lieutenant Bligh with their behaviour, he received a volley of abuse ; was d— — d as a cowardly rascal, and asked if he were afraid of naked savages whilst he had weapons in his hand ? To this he replied in a respectful manner, ' the arms arc of no effect, sir, while your orders prohibit their use.' " Having completed the water, and taken on board large quantities of yams, cocoa-nuts, plantains, &c. we weighed with a light air about noon on the 2()th. The ship's company were then drawn up under arms, and three native chiefs, who had not yet taken their leave, were made prisoners, in conseciuencc of a boat's grapnel, stolen on the preceding day, not being restored. Expressing great displeasure at such treatment, they were soon after forced below and compelled to peel cocoa-nuts for Lieutenant Bligh's dinner. The officers and crew were subsequently dismissed, but not with- out being told that they were a parcel of lubberly rascals, and that their commander would undertake to be one of five men with broomsticks who would disarm the whole of them. He even went so far as to present a pistol at William IM'Koy, and threaten to shoot him for not paying suffi- cient attentionjto his very flaUering complimcnf.l " About 4 P. M., seeing no appearance of the grapnel, the chiefs were allowed to depart in the only canoe that had ventured to remain near the ship. In her were several females weeping bitterly, and giving further proofs of their anguish by inflicting terrible wounds on their own persons. The eldest of the chiefs also acted in a similar manner ; and the whole, when going away, appeared like men who only smothered their resent- ment, seeing they had not the power of revenging the insult which had been offered to them. It was the opinion of most on board, that if a weak manned ship were to come in their way, her crew would have cause to de> plore this day's transaction." " TI1118 far," says Lieutenant Bliqhy " the voyat;L' had advanced in a course of uninterrupted prosperity, and had Pi ■ !l ', 1 ! 1 ' 764 POST-CAPTAINS OF 1803. been attended with many circumstances equally pleasing and< satisfactory. A very difTerent scene was now to be experi- enced. A conspiracy had been formed, which was to render all our past labour productive only of extreme misery and distreso. The means had been concerted and prepared with so much secrecy and circumspection, that no one circum-> stance appeared to occasion the smallest suspicion of the im- pending calamity.'* It is now our business to shew, that so far from a conspiracy having existed prior to the Bounty's departure from the Society Islands, the plot was conceived and carried into execution between the hours of 4 and 8 A.M. on the 28th April, the second day after she quitted Anna- mooka. " In tbe afternoon of ihe 27th," adds the writer of the MS. *• Lieuten- ant Blip;h came upon deck, and missing some of the cocoa-nuts, whicli liad been piled up between the guns, said they had been stolen, and could not have been taken a^vay without the knowledge of the officers, all of whom ^vere sent for and questioned on tlie subject. On their declaring that they liad not seen any of the people touch them, he exclaimed, ' Then you must have taken them yourselves ;' and proceeded to enquire of them, se- parately, how many they had purchased. In the mean time, Mr. Elphin- stone, Master's Mate, was ordered to see every nut in the ship brought aft. On coming to Mr. Christian- *hat gentieraan answered, ' I do not know, sir, but I hope you don't think me so mean as to be guilty of stealing yours.* Mr. Bligh replied, ' Yes, you d d hotmd, I do — You must have stolen them fVom me, or you would be able to give a better account of them :' then, turning to the other officers, he said, ' God d n you, yoa scoundrels, you arc all thieves alike, and combine with the men to rob me : I suppose you'll steal my yams next ; but I'll sweat you for it you rascals — I'll make ho'f of you jump overboanl before you get through Endeavour's Str^s.' This threat was fnllowed by an order to the clerk to ' stop the villains' grog, and give them but half a pound of yams to* morrow ; if they steal then. Til reduce them to a quarter.' He then went below, and the officers were heard to munnur very much at such foul as- persions being cast upon their characters ; whilst the men, fearing lliat their yams would soon meet with the same fate as the cocoa-nuta, imme* diately set about concealing as many of them as possible, the circumstance of their havmg purchased a large quantity being well-known to Lienteuant Dligh. " In the morning of the 2Sth the boatswain came to my hammock, and after awakhig, told me, to my great surprise, that Mr. Christian had taken poHscssion of the ship. I hurried on dock, and saw Licntciuint Bligh in his shirt, with his hniids (led behind him, and Mr. Christian, with a drawn bayonet, standing by his s'ulc. Several of the men were under arms, the Kiwall cutter was already hoisted out, and the large cutter getting ready. POST-CAPTAINS OF 1803. 755 1 applied to the Boatswain to know how I should proceed, but he was as much at a loss as myself, and therefore toUl me to lend a band in deariiig the boat, which I did. When she was out, and the small cutter hoisted in again, Mr. Christian desired Messrs. Hayufard tiid Hallet, the Midshipmen who had been in the habit of keeping watch with him, to go into tlte bout alongside, and ordered Churchill to send the Master and Clerk out of the ship also. Lieutenant Bligh now began to reason with Mr. Chrisitian, but he only replied ' Mfi moo*, sir, not a word, or death is your portion.' Messrs. Hayuiard and Hallet begged, with tears in their eyes, to be allow- ed to remain in the ship ; but they were likewise ordered to be silent. The boatswain and carpenter came aft and asked for the launch, which after much hesitatiim was granted. While I was clearing her, the Master came up and spoke to Lieutenant Bligh : he afterwards came to mc, and asked if I hud any haiul in the mutiny. I said No ! and was then desired by him to try and raise a party for the purpose of rescuitig the ship, which I pro- mised him I would <lo. John Millward, who was near at the time, swore he would stand by me, and went to Muspratt, Biukitt, and the boatswain, in order to pro<'ure their assistance. Churchill, having observed the Mas- ter speaking to me, came and demanded what he had said. I told him \\vx.\, he was asking al>out the launch ; but amutmeer, who stood on the other side of the booms, told him to look sharp after me, saying, ' tis a d d lie, Charles, for I saw him and Millward shake hands when the Master spoke to them.' He then called to the other mutineers to stand to their arms, which put them on the alert ; and as I saw no one near mc inclined to make a push, but on the contrary, the officers fand all of those who had not taken a part in the mntinyj busily employed m getting tlie launch out, I was induced to follow their example. That business ver, every one has- tened to get what he could into her, as the officers «\eic immediately hur- ried over the side. " Lieutenant Bligh, finding that he must go, again implored Mr. Chris- tian to relent, saying " I'll pawn my honor, I'll give my bond, Mr. Chris- tian, never to think of this if you will desist : conskler my wife and fa- mily :' to which the other replied, ' No, Captain Bligh, if you had had any honor, things would not have come to this extremity ; and if you have any regard for your wife aud family, you should have thought of them be- fore, and not behaved so much like a villain as you have done.' Lieutenant Bligh attempted again to speak, but was ordered <o be silent; the boat- swain then tried to pacify iVIr. Christian ; but he said, * tis too late, I've been in hell for this fortnight past, and am determined to bear it no longer — you Laow, Mr. Cole, that I have been treated like a dog all the voyage f.' *' Mr. Fryer, tb« Master, solicited permission to remain, Imt without success i and Churchill was told to see that no arms were taken away. A dispute took place between him and Mr. Purcell about the tool-chest. • , . * Silence, according to the Otaheitean dialect, t It is worth while to compare the above passage with the correspond- ing one in " Bligh'x Narrative," Oli/t- i ><■.(. '.i , r '5 756 POST-CAl'TAINS OF 1803. if i ■ l which Churchill wished lo keep in the ship, but Mr. Christian desire'l liiut td let it ^0. The carpenter's mates and the armourer were ordered to he detained on board. " The boat being very deep iu the water, Lieutcuant Bligli requested that the Master and some of the people might In* suffered to remain. — ' The men,' said Mr. Christian, ' may stay, sir, but the Master must go with you.' The Lieutenant then called out ' Never mind, my lads, yoit can't all go with me, but I'll do you justice if ever I reach England.' He was then taken to the gangway, where his hands were cast loose previous to his descending into the launch. " While the boatswain was getting his cloathes, &c. over the side, I tohl him my intention was to stay and take my chance in the ship, reminding him of Lieutenant Uligh's promise, and observing that I had no occasion to point out the danger to which he was about to expose himself, as he could see that the boat swam scarcely seven inches free of the water. Mr. Cole repeated Lieutenant Bligh's promise, and added ' God bless you my boy ; were it not for my wife and family I would stay myself.' " After Lieutenant Bligh was in the boat, he asked for his commission and a sextant, which were given to him, together with his pocket-book, private journal, and a book of nautical tables : the latter and the sextant were handed to him by Mr. Christian, who said ' there Captain Bligh, that book Is sufficient for every purpose, and you know my sextant to be a good one. " The launch was now veered a-stcrn, and when put to rights Lieuten* ant Bligh requested that a musket might be given to him; but this was re- fused by Mr. Christian, who, however, allowed him to have four cutlasses. I handed in twenty-five or twenty-six double pieces of pork (four pounds each) and two gourds of water. Several other articles were given to hint previous to his being turned adrift, which took place about 8A.M. " Messrs Heyteood and Stewart, both of whom had been confined be- low, by Churchill's directions, were now allowed to come upon deck, and Mr. Christian related the cause of this sad affair In terms to tlie following etfect. " Fmding himself much hurt by the treatment he had received from Lieutenant Bligh, he had determined to quit the ship the preceding even- ing, and informed the boatswain, carpenter, and two midshipmen (Messrs. Stewart and Haywnrd), of his intention to do so. By them he was sup- plied with part of a roasted pig, some nails, beads, and other articles of trade, which he put into a bag that was given him by the last named gen- tleman, (the bag was produced, and I recognized It to be one tvhtch I had made for Mr. Hayttard some time before.) This bag he put into the clue of Robert Tinkler's hammock, where it was discovered by that young gen- tleman when going to bed at night, but the business was smothered, uA passed off without any further notice. He also fastened some stavea to % stout plank, with which he intended to make his escape; but finding be could nut effect it during the first and middle watches, as the ship h»d uo way througli the water, and the people wre all moving about, bt laid / POST-CAPTAINS OF 1803. 757 do\vn to rest about Imlf-paiit three in the morning. \\Tien Mr. Stewart called him to relieve the deck at four o'clock *, he had hut just fallen asleep, and was much out of order; upon oliserving which Mr. Stewart strenuously advised him to aliandon his intention. Soon after he had taken charge of the deck, he saw Mr. Hay ward, the mate of his watch, lie down on the arm-chest to take a nap ; and finding that Mr. Hallet, the other Midshipman, did not make his appearance, he suddenly formed the resolu- tion of seizing the ship. Disclosing his intention to Matthew Quintal and Isaac Martin, both of whom had iteen previously flogged by Lieutenant Bligh, they called up Charles Churchill, who had al!>c tasted the cat, and Matthew Thompson, both of whom readily joined in the plot. Alexan- der Smith, John Williams, and William M'Koy, evinced equal willingness, and went with Churchill to the armourer, of whom they obtained the keys of the arm-chests, under pretence of wanting a musket to fire at a shark then alongside. Finding Mr. Hallet asleep on an arm-chest in the main- hatchway, they roused and sent him on deck. Charles Nornan, uncon- scious of their proceedings, had in the mean time awaked N.t. Hay ward and directed his attention to the shark, whose movements he was watching at the moment that Mr. Christian and bis confederates came up the fore- hatchway, after having placed arms in the hands of several men who were not aware of their design. One man, Matthew Thompson, was left in charge of the chest, and he served out arms to Thomas Burkitt and Robert Lamb. Mr. Christian then proceeded to secure Lieutenant Bligh, the Master, Gunner, and Botanist. The former was brought upon deck in the state I have already described, and the latter were strictly guarded by two centmela, one posted AVth6 Master's cabin door, and the other at the top of the after-cockpit ladder. " When Mr. Christian related the above circumstances, I recollected having seen him fasten some staves to a plank lying on the larboard gangway^ as also having heard ihe Boatswain say to the Carpenter, ' It will not do to night.' I likewise remembered that Mr. Christian had visited the fore- cockpit several times that evening, although he had very seldom, if ever, frequented the warrant officers' cabins before. " The conduct of the officers on this melancholy occasion was dastardly beyond description ; none of them ever making the least attempt to coun- teract Mr. Christian's intentions, which might easily have been effected, as several of the men who were armed had no idea of what was al)out to take place. Robert Lamb, whom I found standing sentry at the fore hatchway, when I first came upon deck, was one of those who went away in the launch with Lieutenant Bligh ; and Isaac Martin, who was one of the first persons Mr. Christian invited to assist him, threw his arms aside and jumped into the boat, but waa compelled to return nti board again. The officers' passive obedience to Mr. Chiistian'H onlers even surprised him • Mr. Christian received a written order to do duty as a Lieutenant shortly after the Bounty sailed from Tencriffc, hu<I fron\ that pi-rind he had had charge of a watch. " • b VOL. II. 3d ! ■."! 11 f , ■ 758 POST-CAPTAINS OF 1803. self, as he said, immediately after the launch had quitted the ship, that something more than fear had possessed them, or they would not have suf- fered themselves to be sent away in such a manner, without offering to make retiistance *." Lieutenant Bligh landed in a cove on the N. W. aide of Tofoa, hoping to obtain an immediate supply of bread-fruit and water, but on climbing the heights could only find a few cocoa-nuts and plantains. The weather becoming boisterous he was obliged to take shelter in an adjacent cave. On the 1st May, several of the inhabitants brought them a small supply, and retired peaceably in the evening. The next day, their number greatly increased; some of the principal persons arrived in canoes, and amongst them was one of the identical chiefs whom he had treated so shamefully at Annamooka. They offered to accompany him to Tongataboo, when the weather should be moderate ; but some symptoms appearing of a design to obtain by force the articles which he could not afford to spare them, he resolved to depart that evening, as they did not seem inclined to retire. They had previously sold him some spears ; and now allowed his people to carry their pn>perty into the boat, but endeavoured to prevent him from embarking. A contest ensued, in which one Englishman was killed, and every one of the others more or less wounded by stones. The launch arrived at Coupang, in the island of Timor, without any further accident, on the 1 4th June j and Lieutenant Bligh proceeded from thence in a small schooner to Batavia, where he embarked with his clerk and one mai> in a packet bound to Europe, leaving the remainder of his companions to be provided with a passage in a fleet ofmer- chtint vessels then preparing to sail for Holland. A list of those who were turned adrift with him will be found at p. 762 t. • We are inclined to attrilnite the conduct of the officers to lukewarm- ness, rather than to fear. Lieutenant Bligh made no effort himself, ex- cept liy words, even when his hands were at liberty. t On looking over Mr. Morrison's MS. we find that one of the Mid- shipmen who was sent awity with Lieutenant Bligh had been confined in irons, by his order, from Jan. 5 till March 23, 1789, for sleeping on his watch, and thcroby aflfording three men an opportunity of running away with the small cutter. The desertion of these men, and their subsequent recovery, are m(;nliuned ut pp. 1 13 and 118 of " Jilitf/i's Voyage" but POST-CAPTAINS OF 1803, 759 The Bounty returned to Matavia Bay on the Cth June, having in the meantime touched at Toobouai, a small island situated several degrees to the southward of Otaheite, and which Mr. Christian had selected for his future residence ; preferring it to the latter^ as being less exposed to visits from Europeans. On their arrival, the mutineers availed themselves of the fiction which had been hitherto supported respecting Captain Cook ; asserting that they had fallen in with him, and that he had sent the ship back for all the live stock that could be spared, in order to form a settlement at a place calicd Wytootacke, which they pretended Lieutenant Bligh had dis- covered in his course towards the Friendly Islands. The inhabitants gave credit to this story, and vied with each other who should furnish most for the service of a man whom they all adored ; so that about 460 hogs, 50 goats, and a great number of fowls, were collected in the course of ten days. A bull and cow, which had been left behind by Captain Cook, were also delivered to Christian, in exchange for a few red feathers ; and a number of dogs and cats were likewise taken on board, to clear Toobouai of the rats by which that island was infested. Seventeen male natives, ten women, and a young girl, emigrated with the mutineers — 13 of the former having concealed themselves below until the Bounty had cleared the land. Among them was Heete-heete, a very in< telligent person, who had formerly sailed with Captain Cook, and now hoped to meet him again ; but who expressed no dissatisfaction when informed of the ship's real destination ; and that, in all probability, he would never be able to return from thence*. Notwithstanding Mr. Christian had received considerable sh^' n w B' but not a word of the Midshipman's misconduct. The latter was in England, and had frienda whose hostility might have proved detrimental to the ob- ject of that work. It is well known that the tide of public opinion long ran in favor of the author. * Lieutenant Watts, in the Lady Penrhyn transport, touched at Otaheite after landing convicts in New Holland, and thought proper to conceal the death of Captain Cook, in whose name he made several presents to the chiefs. Lieutenant Bligh, on his arrival, passed himself off for the son of their benefactor, whose death he likewise kept them in ignorance of. 3d2 '!; 1- 'i 5 1 > 1 ; ;i '■■' ' 1 ; •i "v -•* hi 760 POST-CAPTAINb OF 1803. opposition from llie Toobouaitcs, on his first visit to their island, he caused the Bounty to be warped about four miles to the eastward of the opening in the reef, described by Cap- tain Cook, and moored (head and stern) in three fathoms water, within a cable's length of the shore. He then pre- vailed on his companions to undertake the labour of con- structing a fort for their security against surprise, working liiniself with a pick-axe, as an example, in laying the foun- dation, and alluring them to exertion by an extra allowance of grog. The ground being at length cleared, the British colours were displayed, and the work was laid out in a qua- drangular form, measuring eighty-eight yards on each square, surrounded by a ditch eighteen feet wide, and twenty feet deep, from the top of the parapet. Over the ditch it was in- tended to have a draw-bridge facing the beach ; and the Bounty's guns were to have been mounted on the fort in such a manner, that two 4-poundcrs and four swivels might be brought to bear in any direction, without the least delay *. During the progress of this work, Mr. Christian allowed two men to sleep on shore each night, and the whole of them to spend their Sundays in any manner they pleased , but in every other respect he maintained the strictest discipline, and enforced his orders witii an uncommon degree of firmness. He resolutely opposed those who wished to bring the Toobouaite females on board by force ; and when two of the mutineers behaved insolently to him, after absenting them- selves a whole night without his permission, he clapped a pis- tol to the head of one of them, and placed both in irons till they expressed contrition for their conduct, and promised future obedience. It was his intention, when the fort should be completed, to remove every thing thither, and take the Bounty to pieces ; but the evident reluctance of many, who had not been active in the mutiny, to end their days in exile y and the hostility of the neighbouring chiefs, who took every opportunity of annoying his men, when they were sent in quest of provisions, compelled him to abandon his design of • The Bounty mounted fonr 4-poiin<lcr3 and ton swivels. Mr. Chris- tian's plan t^as to place one gun at each angle, and two swivels on each side of the fort ; the remaining swivels to be siriftc<r ahout as occasion might require. P0ST-CArTAIN3 OF 1803. 701 settling foi' life at Toobouui, and to seek some otlier place of refuge for himself, and those who were still inclined to follow his fortunes. He accordingly sununoned all the Bounty's people together on the 11th Sept., when it was decided by u shew of hands, 16 against 9, that the former number should be landed at Otaheite, with a fair proportion of the arms, ammunition, and every description of property on bouril ; and that the Bounty should then be resigned, with her sails, tackle, and furniture complete, to Mr. Christian and his adhe- rents, for their conveyance to any other island that they might think proper to fix upon. * This decision being made known to the ruler of the district in which they resided, he requested to be taken on board, saying that their departure would be the signal for his de- struction by the other chiefs, whose jealousy had been ox- cited by the alliance formed between him and the English. The Otaheitean men, whom the mutineers had u:sually em- ployed as servants, were then sent to collect the stock which had been dispersed about the island ; but in this they were opposed by the hostile natives, and several severe conflicts took place before the animals could be recovered. On one of those occasions, Mr. Christian was severely wounded in the right hand, and Thomas Burkitt received a spear in his body ; which were the only casualties sustained by the British during their stay at Toobouai. The natives on the contrary appear to have had eighty-four killed, and a great number wounded, in the different battles that were fought, from the time of the Bounty's first arrivid, till that of her final depar- ture, in Sept. 1789. The Bounty anchored a third time in Matavia Bay, on the 22d of the same month, and those who had voted for that measure were then landed, together with the Toobouaitu chief, Heete-heete, and most of the Otaheitean men ; but the servants of the chief, 3 other males, 12 women, and an infant girl, remained with Christian, who sailed suddenly in the night, and proceeded to Pitcairn's Island, where the only sur- viving mutineer was discovered by an American slilp, in Fob. 1808, as will be more fully noticed in a subsequent part of this work. Having thub taken leave of the Bounty for tlio pic^ent, wr II! I 1 r' li li 762 POST- CAPTAIN 8 OF 1803. shall now exhibit a correct list of the officers and men who were on board when the mutiny took place, shewing as far as lies in our power, the manner in which each individual was afterwards disposed of. The sufferings endured by Mr. Peter Heywood will next occupy our attention. Turned adrift in the Launch. 1. William Bliqh, Lieutenant and Commander; — Died a Vice-Admi- ral, in Dec. 1817 ; aged 63 years*. 2. John Fryer, Master; — Deceased. 3. William Elfhinstone, Master's Mate j-^-Died at Batavia, iuOct. 1789. 4. John Hallet, Midshipman; — Died a Lieutenant, on board the Penelope frigate, in 1793. 5. Thomas Hayward, Ditto ; — Perislied in the China Seas, when com- manding the Swift sloop of war, in 1 797- 6. RoDERT Tinkler, Ditto ;— Nephew to the Master, died a Com- mander R. N. ...» 7. William Peckover, Gunner. 8. William Cole, Boatswain. 9. William Purcell, Carpenter ; — ^Resides at Greenwich. 10. Thomas Den man Ledward, Surgeon's Mate; — Remained at Ba- tavia f. IL John Samuel, Clerk and Steward; — Returned to England with Lieut. Bligh. Died a Purser, R. N. 12. David Nelson, Botanist; — Died at Coupang, July 20, 1789. 13. Lawrence Labogue, Sailmakcr ; — Deceased. 14. Peter Linkletter, Quarter-Master; — Died at Batavia, in Oct. 1789. 15. John Norton, Ditto ;— ^Killed by the natives at Tofoa* Sec p. 768. .,j 16. George Simpson, Quarter-Master'a-Mate; — Deceased. 17. Thomas Hall, Ship's Cook ;— Died at Batavia, in Oct. 1789. 18. John Smith, Commander's Cook ; — Deceased. 19. Robert Lamb, Butcher ;— Died on the passage from Batavia to England. Settled at Pilcairn's Island. 1. Fletcher Christian, Acting; Lieutenant ; — Brother of the present Chief Justice of the Isle of Ely— Murdered by a Toobouaite. 2. Edward Young, Mid8hipmnn;--.Nephew to Sir George Young, Bart. Died of asthma, , . ,.,,.. ' '"♦ ' ' ' ' ■■•■'■''—•■ * For farther particulars of Lieutenant Bligh, see Wentworth's Descrip- tion of New South Wales, p. 166 ct seq. f Mr. Thomas Huggan, the Surgeon, died at Matavia, previous to the mutiny. , . ; * \ \ POST-CAPTAINS OF 1803. r63 3. William M'Koy, Seaman; — Became insane, and threw hiinEclf from a rock into the sea. 4. Matthew Quintal, Ditto j — Killed in a drunlten quarrel. 5. John Williams, Ditto; — "1 G. Isaac Martin, Ditto ; — \ Murdered by the islanders. 7. John Mills, Gunner's Mate; — j 8. William Brown, Botanist's Asssiatant ; — Murdere<l hy the islanders. i). Alexander Smith, nlitit John Adams, Seaman ; — Was still living in 1822. Sec Memoir of Sir Thomas Staines, K. C. B. Lr/l the Bounty at Otaheite. 1. Peter Heywodd, Midshipman; — The auhject of this memoir. 2. Geurge Stewart, Ditto; — Drowned in irons on board H. M. S. Pan- dora. See p. 770. 3. James Morrison, Boatswain'a-Matc ; — Perished in the Blenheim 74, about Mar. 1807 •. 4. Charles Churchill, Master at Arms;— Murdered by Matthew Thompson. 5. Matthew Thompson, Seaman; — Put to death by the friends of Charles Churchill f. 6. John Sumner, Ditto ; — 7. Richard Skini — , , ^ , „ , ^ «-,/^ o tF M n 4 S>. Pandora. See p. 770. 8. Henry Hillurant < V"in<'r — i r • • NER, Ditto ; — "^ JKINNRR, Ditto ; — i LLURANT, Cooper ; — 3 Drowned in irons on board II. M. * James Morrison was sentenced to death because the testimony of the other prisoners could not be received as evidence in his favor. The court- martial were compelled io find him guilty, but the King's free pardon, and Lis immediate promotion, arc sufficient proofs that he was not in reality thought so. He ever after^vards enjoyed the patronage of Sir Thomas Troubridge, Bart, whose fate he shared when serving as Gunner of his un- fortunate tlag-ship, the Blenheim. See Captain Sir £dward Thomas Trouuridob, Bart. f Charles Churchill, after residing a short time at Matavta, accepted an invitation to live with Waheadooa, who was sovereign of Teiarraboo when Captain Cook last visited that peninsula. Thompson accompanied him thither, but they very soon disagreed. Waheadooa dying without chil- dren, Churchill, who had been his tayo or sworn friend, succeeded to his property and dignity, according to the established custom of the country. Thompson, envious of Churchill's preferment, and in revenge for some fancied insult, took an opportunity of shooting him. The natives rose to punish the murderer of their new sovereign, and stoned Thompson to death. This wretch had previously slain a man and a child through mere wantonness, but escaped punishment for that crime in consequence of a mistake as to his person, Mr. Hcywood being taken for him, and about to be sacrificed, when making a tour of the island in com{>any with an old chief, whose timely interposition atone saved him from destruction. 'I' - ii- !l : ! 764 POST-CAITAINS OK 1803. I "'. m Executed at Spithead, Oct. 29, 1 792. 9. Thomas Bubkitt, Seaman ;— ] 10. John Millward, Ditto ; — 11. Thomas Ellison, Ditto • ;~] 12. WaLtAM MuspRATT, Commander's Steward ;— Sentenced to death, but respited. 13. Joseph (JoLEMAN, Armourer; — -v 14. Charles Norman, Carpenter's Mate ;— I Tried by Court Mar- 16. Thomas M'Intosh, Carpenter's Crew;— jtial, and acquitted. 16. Michael Byrne f. Seaman ; — -^ Total, 44 jjersoiis. We now return to Mr. Peter Heywood, who had not com- pleted his Kith year, at the time when the fatal mutiny took place ; previous to which, says Lieutenant Bligh^ when writing to Colonel Holwell, an uncle of the unfortunate youth, " his conduct had altvays given me much pleasure and satisfac- tim Xr Compelled by circumstances over which he had no controul, * John Millward and WiUiarojH<jiJBBitt took up arme for no other pur- pose but to assist in rescuing the shTp. This, however, they had no means of proving ; and as the circumstance of their having been armed was sworn to by the witnesses aj^ainst them, the Court, as in Morrison's case, could do no otherwise flian find them guilty. Ellison, ulthcugh rated an A. B. was only a mere youth. f Michael Byrne's sight was bo "xtremcly defective that be could have been of no service to either party. X Lieutenant Bligh, although he thought proper to brand Mr. Peter Ileywood with the vile appellation of mutineer, did not dare to charge him with any specific act that would have justified the use of such an epithvt. On the contrary, he declared in writing that he had had the highest esteem for him till the moment of the mutiny, and that his conduct during the whole course of the voyage was truly commendable. He even went so far as to say to Mr. Wilson, the Deputy Receiver lieneral of tbe Isle of Man, that his greatest hopes of assistance in suppressing the mutiny were from his depend.'nce on Mr. Heywood, whom he expected would fornt a party in bis favor. We must here observe, that his confidence in the other officers could not have been very great, or he would have made some etfort more powerful than mere words, when his hau<is were at liberty, instead of con- fiding in the exertions and ability of a boy, and looking to him for the re- covery of his authority. This reflection, if he ever had any feeling, must have distressed him \i\ the subsequent part of his life — but tyrants are gc« nerally as insensible of remorse, as they are deficient in true courage. His conduct when deposed at New .'South Wales, is sulUcient to cunviucc u* that he did not possess too great a share of personal intrepidity. % POST-CAPTAINS OF 1803. ro:* to nssociute for a time with the inisguidod men who h:id ho grossly offended against the laws of their country, Mr. Hey- wood felt great pleasure at the prospect whicli their return from Toobouai, to procure stock at Matavia, afforded him, of being able to make his escape, and secrete himself until their final departure. Mr. Christian, however, suspecting that such a course would be adopted, if possible, by some of those who had taken no part in the nmtiny, directed an oath to be ad- ministered, by which the others were bound to demand from the natives the restoration of any person who might run away, and then to shoot the deserter as an example to the rest. Independent of this precaution, he caused so good a look out to be kept by those upon whom he could rely, as to render the attempt alniO!!«t impracticable. His design being thus frustrated, Mr. Heywood saw no other alternative but to roturn with the mutineers, and re- main as contented ns possiljjlp' at Toobouai till the masts should be taken out, af.'cording to Christian's intention ; and then, by seizing the largest boat, and privately destroy i ^g the purchase blocks, at once effect his purpose, and render it impossible for the ship ever to come in (juest of him. In this enterprise he was to have been joined by Mr. Stewart, James Morrison, and John Millward ; bttt, providentially, the hos- tility of the natives, and the want of unanimity amongst his own countrymen, rendered it unnecessary for him to try his fortune at such a hazard. lleleased at length from the authority of Christian, Messrs. Heywood and Stewart claimed the protection of an old chief, possessing considerable landed property at Matavia. whose friendship they had previously enjoyed, and under whose roof they now resolved to li^e as tpiietly as possible, until a ship should arrive from Europe in search of the liounty, and thereby afford them an opportunity of returning to their un- live land. The other 14 persons whose names appear in the third part of the foregoing list, also went to reside with their former tui/os in the northern districts, and thu whole were treated witl. the same hospitality as during their first visit to the island. About seven weiks .iftir their return, the conhtruetion of a ucLuuncr wub uuderlidieu by the two earpenici^. aruiourer, hi !;. ": 1 ll »!i 766 "* POST-CAPTAINS OF 1803, cooper, and others, at the suggestion of James Morrison, who being conscious of his innocence, and extremely desirous of returning to civilized society, entertained hopes of reaching Batavia time enough to secure a passage home in the next fleet bound to Holland. To this measure Messrs. Heywood and Stewart offered no opposition, although it was their own fixed determination not to leave Otaheite before the arrival of a King's ship, as they very naturally concluded that one would be sent out to search for them, whatever might have been the fate of Lieutenant Bligh and his companions. In pursuance of their plan, Morrison and his assistants built houses at Point Venus, where land and bread-fruit trees were assigned for their support ; the natives being led to believe that nothing more was intended than to construct a vessel for the purpose of cruising about the island. To this little band of architects, Morrison, who was himself a tolerable mechanic, acted both as director and chaplain, distinguishing the sab- bath-day by reading to them the Church Liturgy, and hoisting the British ijolours on a flag-staff erected near the scene of their operations. To be brief, the schooner's keel was laid Nov. 12,1789; and after encountering numerous obstacles^ occabioned by the want of proper materials, and submitting Avith patience to the failure of several experiments, they at length succeeded in completing a vessel fully adequate to the intended purpose, which was launched amidst ibo acclama- tions of the islanders, and the bencviictions of their priests, on the 6th July, 1790. Unfortunately for thoso persevering men, serious disnrdrt respecting the sovorei;^iity of Otaheite then prevailed among the most powerful chiefs ; and those of Oparre '/cing unwil- ling to lose the military services of their English friends, took care to prevent them from obtaining a sufficient (juan- tity of matting to serve as sails for so long a voyage ; supply- ing them oidy with enough to ecjuin their vessel for cruising; about the island. Their object was consetjuently defeated ; but they nevertheless, felt obliged from motives of policy, as well as of gratitude for former hospitality, to take part against tiie hostile districts, which, by means of their fire-arms, were speedily reduced to snbntission. On the '2'M Mar. 1791 j jt'st eighteen months after the POST-CAPTAINS OF 1803. m . I i Bounty's last (kparture from Matavia Bay, the Pandora ar- rived there in search of that ill-fated ship. Scarcely had she anchored, when Messrs. Heywood and Stewart paddled off in a canoe, and made themselves known to her commander, the late Admiral Edward Edwards, who instantly ordered them to be put both legs in irons, and ever afterwards treated them as though they had been " piratical villains," as he then thought proper to designate them — a convincing proof that Lieutenant Bligh, when reporting the loss of his ship, had made no discrimination between the innocent and the guilty. The other survivors of the Bounty, twelve in number, who were then at Otaheite, being shortly after collected from dif- ferent parts of the island, handcuffs were made and fitted to the wrists of the whole party ; and a sort of prison, appro- priately stiled Pandora's box, being only eleven feet in length, was built upon the after part of the quarter-deck, in order that they might be kept separate from the crew, and the more effectually prevented from having any communication with the natives. Such of those friendly creatures as ventured to look pitifully towards them were instantly turned out of the ship, and never again allowed to come on board. Two ccn- tinels were kept constantly upon the roof of the prison, with orders to shoot the first of its inmates who should attempt to address another in the Otaheitean dialect. A Midshipman was stationed in front of the bulk-head, through which the only air admitted, found its way by means of two iron gratings, each about nine inches square. The master at arms received directions not to converse with the prisoners on any other subject than that of their provisions. Spare hammocks supplied the place of beds until they became crowded with vermin, after which the sufferers were obliged to sleep on the bare deck. The heat of the prison, during calm weatlier, was so intense, that the perspiration ran in streams from their bodies; ii;id to add to their misery, they were inces- santly assailed by the eflluvia proceeding from two tubs placed near the u for necessary purposes. In short, nothing was wanting to render their situr.tion truly pitiable. From Otaheite the Pandora proceeded to the westward, rniising amongHlthe dilTerent islands in her route, hut wilh- out gaining any intelligence of (he Bounty. During tlilt- m ",t i' 768 rOST-CAl'IAlNS OK 1803. search ahc lobt a Midsliipman and several men, who were blown out to sea v/hen rcliinung from Pahncrston's Isles, in the jolly-boat, and thereby exposed to a lingering death through hunger. The schooner which had been built by the Bounty's people, and eomniissiuned as a tender by Captain Edwards, also parted company in a gale of wind j but after encountering many dangers, succeeded in reaching the island of Java, from whence she was sent as a present to the Gover- nor of Timor, as a return for his hospitality towards the Pandora's oflicers when they arrived with their prisoners at Coupang, after being shipwrecked on the reef between New Holland and New Guinea, a disaster which we feel the more pain in relating, as it is impossible to do so without again reflecting upon tlicir commander's inhuman conduct *. The Pandora got sight of the reef in (juestion on the. 28th Aug. J791> and her second Lieutenaiitf was innnediately sent to ascertain if any opening existed through which she could pass. At 5 P. M. he made a signal in the affirmative ; but Captain Kdwai^iMivishing to be well informed on the subject, contiiuie(^'^|M^-to until seven o'clock, by which time the current had set the ship so near to the reef that soundings were obtained with iitty fathoms of line, although no bottom could be previously found with more than double that quantity. The main-yaril was then braced up, in order to stand off; but, before the courses could be set, she truck with great violence upon a patch of coral, and aliiost instantly bilged. The sails were scarcely furled, and boats hoisted out, when the carpenter reported that she had nine feet water in the hold. Three of the Bounty's people (Coleman, Norman, and • The schouiier'a diiucuiiioiis were »s fulluw i — length of lltv ki;l,'M feet ; length un dvrk, 'Mj fret ; <\vlrvme lit\it(lth, !> icil (I iiicheH ; depth of the hold, 5 foci. iShc sailed reiiiarkuMy well ; uiid, Iieliiij afterwards em- ployed iti the aca-olter trade, made the ([idekenl pa.ssajjo ever known Irum China to the Sandwich Islands. This ntemoraldu little vessel, also, hcln^' purchased at Canton liy the late Captain Uroutrhiun, to assist him in survey. in;( the coast uf Tartary, liccanie the means of pivservin^^ the crew of II- M. S. Providence, Il'J in number, when wrecked to the eastward nl For- mosa, on the irihMiiy, \T-^1. See Memoir of l<ord <ii:oiHir. SruAiir. t Mr. Hobert Corner, laic Supcrintoudent of the Marine Police af Malta. •k ar POST- CAPTAINS OF 1803. JGi) M'Intosh) were now k?. out of irons, and sent to work at the pnmps. The others offered their assistance, and begged to he allowed a chance of saving their lives ; instead of which two additional ccntinels were placed over them, with orders to shoot any who should attempt to get rid of their fetters. Seeing no prospect of escape, they betook themselves to prayer, and prepared to meet their fate, every one expecting that the ship would soon go to pieces, her rudder, and part of the stern-post being already beat away. About ten o'clock, however, she bea^ over the reef, and wa» brought to an anchor in fifteen fathoms water. At this dreadful crisis, the wind blowing very strong, and the ship being surrounded by rocks and shoals, all the people who could be spared from the pumps were employed thrumb- ing a sail to fodder her bottom ; but this scheme was soon abandoned, iji consequence of one of the chain-pumps giving way, and the water gaining rapidly upon the other, which rendered it necessary for every person to bale at the hatch- ways, in order that she might be kept afloat till tkvylight. Whilst thus engaged, one man was crushed to death by a gun breaking loose, and another killed by a spar falling from the skids into the waist. All the boats, excepting one, were in the mean time kept at a distance from the ship, on account of the broken water, and the high surf that was running near her. About half an hour before dav-break a consultation was held amongst the officers, who were unanimously of opinion t'.iat nothing more could be done to save the ship, and that every effort should be directed towards the pre [^"vatiou of tlie crew. Spars, hen-coops, and every thing buoyant, were ac- cordingly thrown overboard to afford them support until the boats could come to their aid ; but no notice was taken of the prisoners, as is falsely stated by Loe author of the " Pandora's Voyage," although Captain Edwards was entreated by Mr. lleywood to have mercy upon them, when he passed over their prison to raakc his own escape, the ship then lying on her broadside, with the larbonrd bow completely under water. Fortunately the master-at-arms, either by accident or desigL', uhen slippin^^ from the roof of Pandora's Box into the se.i, let thel cys of the irons fall lluouglilhc scuttle, 770 POST-CAPTAINS OF 1803, A > m or entrance, which he had just before opened, and thus ena- abled them to commence their own liberation, in which they were generously assisted, at the imminent risk of his own life, by William Moulter, a boatswain's mate, who clung to tlie coamings, and pulled the long bars through the shackles, saying he would set them free, or goto the bottom with them*. Scarcely was this effected, when the ship went down, leaving nothing visible below the top -mast cross-trees. The master at arms, and all the centinels, sunk to rise no more. The cries of them, and the other drowning men, were awful in the extreme j and more than half an hour had elapsed be- fore the survivors could be taken up by the boats. Among the former were Mr. Stewart, John Sumner, Richard Skin- ner, and Henry Hillbrant, the whole of whom perished with their hands still in manacles f.' ' • On this melancholy occasion, Mr. Heywood was the last person but three who escaped from the prison, into which the water had already found its way through the bulk-head scuttles. Jumping overboard, he seized a plank, and was swimming towards a small sandy quay, about three miles dis- tant, when a boat picked him up, and conveyed him thither in a state of nudity. It is worthy of remark, that James Mor- rison, whose name we have so frequently had occasion to mention, endeavoured to follow his young companion's ex- ample, and, although handcuffed, managed to keep afloat until a boat also came to his assistance. The survivors being all assembled on a quay, only ninety yards long and sixty wide, it was found that thirty-nine men, • The entrance to tlic prison was through a scuttle in the roof, about eighteen inches square, secured by an iron bolt passed through the coamings. William Moulter was subsequently made a warrunUofliccr through Captain Heywood's hifluence. t Mr. Stewart was a native of the Orkneys ; and Lieutenant Bligh ac- knowledges Imving received so many civilities from his fu.'iily, when he touched ut those islands on his return from the South Seus, with Captain Ciore, in 1 780, that he wouM gladly have received him on board the Bounty on that account only, " but independent of this recommendation, he was a seaman, and had always borne a good character.** See " Bounti/'s yoyage;* p. 161. An aflfecting account of the young female with wliom Mr. Stewart co- habited whilst at Otaheite, will be found in the Appeudix to " The Dufl'a Missionary Voyage," at p. .'Jlfi. 4 (H'i POST-CAPTAINS OF 1803. 771 including the above, had met with a watery grave. The only articles of provisions saved from the wreck were three bags of biscuit, a small keg of wine, and several barracoes of water : the number of persons to subsist thereon was ninety-nine ; and the distance they had to proceed in four open boats, bo- fore a fresh supply could be hoped for, at least IKK) miles. Thus circumstanced, the strictest economy became necessary ; and orders were accordingly given, that only two ounces of bread, and one gill of wine, or the same quantity of water, should be served to each man once in twenty-four hours. The boats' sails were now converted into tents for the l*undora's crew, most of whom had landed in a very ex- hausted state, and required a little rest previous to their de- parture. The prisoners, however, were kept at a distance from them, without the least covering to protect their naked bodies from the scorching rays of a vertical sun by day, and the chilling effect of heavy dews at night. A spare sail, which was lying useless on the quay, being refused them by Captain Edwards, they tried the experiment of burying themselves neck-deep in the sand, which caused the skin to blister and peel off from head to foot, as though they had been immersed in scalding water. The excruciating torture which they suffered from thirst, aggravated as it had been by involuntarily swallowing salt water, whilst swimming from the wreck, was, if possible, increased by the sight of rain, and their total inability to catch any of it. Exposed in this manner to alternate heat and cold, in the latitude of 11 „ S. some conception may be formed of their suiTcrings, but words will be found wanting to describe them. The damages sustained by one of the boats ha\ ing been repaired, and such other preparations made for their voyage as circumstances \\oi'^d admit, the whole party embarked at noon on the 31st iVug. and proceeded towards Coupatjg, where they arrived in a miserable condition at 5 P. jM. on the Kith of the following month. Whilst there, Mr. Heywood and the other prisoners wore closely confined in the castle ; but, although for several days treated with great rigour by tlioir Dutch gaolers, they do not at any time appear to have suffered so many [irivations at once, as when in the sole cus- tody of a British Captain ! i m , m Idi ' 1 HI |i ^ .:|! 'I '."f H 77'^ POST-CAPTAINS OP 1803. The mutability of human greatness was excellently pour- trayed whilst the Pandora's officers remained at Coupang, — a captive King in chains being compelled to blow the bellows for the English armourer, whilst he was employed forging bolts and fetters for his own countrymen. See Hamilton's Account of the Pandora" s Voyage f\i.\AQ, ' From Coupang they were conveyed in the Rembang, a badly found and worse managed Dutch Indiaman, to Sama- rang, and Batavia, at which latter place they anchored on the 7th Nov., after a very dangerous passage of 33 days, the ship being twice nearly driven on shore, and proving so leaky as to render it necessary for every person on board to work at the pumps — a species of liberty which the prisoners were allowed to enjoy until their strength entirely failed them, when they were agaui placed in irons and suflfered to rest their weary limbs on an old sail, alternately soaked with rain, salt water, and the drainings of a pig-stye under which it was spread. At Batavia Captain Edwards distributed the purchase mo- ney of the schooner among his people, in order that they might furnish themselves with nankeen apparel ; and the prisoners, having their hands at liberty, availed themselves of this opportunity to obtain some articles of clothing, by making straw hats for sale, and acting as tailors to those who had thus become comparativuly rich by the produce of their labour as shipwrights. It was in a suit thus purchased that Mr. Hcywood arrived at Spitheatl, after an absence of four years and a half all but four days. The patience, fortitude, and maidy resignation evinced by him at that early period of life, were such as excited the admiration of his family and friends J and may be i'^ferrcd from the following passages contained in letters written by him at a period when charged by his persecutor, Lieutenant Bligh, witli the crimes of ingratitude^ mutiny, and desertion — charges sufficient to shake the strongest nerves. " Ilildi'ia, AW. 2<>, 1791. ** I am afruUl to nay ii hundrcdili part of wluit I have j^ot in store, for this is written by stealth, as the use of pens, ink, and paper, is <lcnicd me. • • • • My sufTerinjis 1 have not power to (leserilif ; liut though tlicy are jifreat, yet I thank (lod for enabling inc to l)car them without repining ! I endeavour to (piallfy my allliction with these throe oonsidcr- POBT-CAPTAINS OP 1803. 773 ations, first, my innocence, not deservin/)^ them ; secondly, that they can- not last long ; and third, that the change may be for the better. The first improves my hopes ; the second, my patience ; and tlie third, my courage. I um young in years, but old in what the world calls adversity : and it has had such an effect as to make me consider it the most beneficial incident that could have occurred at my age. It has made me acquainted with three things which are little known, and as little believed, by any but those who have felt their effects. Ist, the villainy and censoriousness of mankind ; 2d, the futility of all human hopes ; and, third, the happiness of being content in whatever station it may please Providence to place me. In short it has made me more of a philosopher than many years of a life spent in ease and pleasure could have done. " As they will no doubt proceed to the greatest lengths against me, I being the only surviving officer, and they most inclined to believe a prior story ; all that can be s^aid to confute it will probably be looked upon as mere falsity and invention. Should that be my unhappy case, and they resolved upon my destruction as an example to futurity, may God enable me to bear my fate with the fortitude of a man, conscious that misfortune, not any misconduct, is the cause, and that the Almighty can attest my in- nocence. Yet why should I despond ? I have, I hope, still a friend in that Providence which hath preserved me amidst many greater dangers, and upon whom alone I now depend for safety. God will always protect those who deserve it. These are the sole considerations which have ena- bled me to make myself easy and content under my past misfortunes. " Though I have been nearly eight months in close confinement, in a hot climate, I have preserved my health in a most surprising manner, without the least indisposition, and am still perfectly well, in head as well as body ; but without any cloathing except one shirt and a pair of trow, sers *. I have, thank God, a contented mind, and am entirely resigned to his divine will, which enables me to soar above the reach of unhappiness. You will, most probably, hear of my arrival in England before I can again write to you, which I most earnestly long for an opportunity of do- ing at length, that I may explain things which it is not now in my power to mention* Yet, I hope this will be sufiicient to undeceive those who have been so ungenerous as to declare me criminal, as well as those who have been credulous enough to believe their undeserved aspcrtiions. I send this by one of the Pandora's men, who is to sail from hence shortly in the first ship ; we shall follow in about ;i week after, ami I expect to see England in about seven months." The Pandora and Bounty's people were conveyed from Batavia to the Cape of Good Hope in thtee Dutch ships, each division under the charge of a Lieutenant. Dur- ing that voyage the prisoners slept on bare planks, and were ordered to be victualled in the following mimner, viz. three • Those were furnished him by two generous young sailors belonging to the ship, previous to his obtaining any by the meanii above mentioned. VOL. II. 3 K ^M^: i 774 POST-CAI'TAINS OF 180'*. pdiiiids of exocrahlf meat ; one pound and a half of stock iish; llie same weight of tamarinds and sugar ; gee, and ran- cid oil, of each half a pint; and one pint of vinegar, per man, euery fortnight : — two drams of arrack, equal to one-third of a pint, per dinf : — and an e(|ually scanty proportion of the very worst rice, instead of bread. Miserable as this allow- ance was, the Dutch pursers contrived to distribute it in such a manner as to make fourteen rations lawt for sixteen days ! Mr. Hey wood was removed into the Gorgon, of 44 guns, lying in Table Bay, March 19, 1792; and from that period till his arrival in England he appears to have been allowed the inestimable indulgence of walking upon deck for six or eight hours every day, whilst at other times he was only confined with one leg in irons. On the 21st of June, two days after his return to Spithead, he was transferred to the Hector 74, commanded by Captain (now Sir George) Montagu, who treated him with the gre; test humanity both before and after his trial, which took place in September following, when we find him delivering the following address in vindication of his character : " I cull that God to witness, before whose awful tribuniil I must one day appear, Ihai I was entirely ignorant of the mutiny, whicli happened oil hoard his Majesty's ship Bounty, previous to Us perpetration on the morning of the 28th of April, 17S9, or any circumstances relative to it. '• On the preceding evening, Monday, at eight o'clcoiv, 1 went upon deck, and kept the first watch, with Mr. John Fryer, the master, who ordered me to keep the look-out upon the forecastle ; and I remained there till past twelve o'clock, when I was relieved by Mr. Edward Young, a Midshipman, upon which I went down below into my berth, situated on the larboard side of the main hatchway, and r.lept in my hammock till about an hour after day-light, (perhaps it might have been earlier, I can- not positively tell) when I awoke, and laying n)y cheek upon the side of my hammock, chanced to look into the hatchway, where I saw Rlatthew Thompson, seaman, sitting upon an ann-chcst, which was there secured, with a drawn cutlass in his hand ; and as I knew him to be a man who had kept the middle wat(;h, with Mr. William Peckover, the gunner, I was struck with surprise at a sight so unusual. Unable to conjecture the rea- son of his being there at so early an hour, I immediately got out of bed, went to ihe side of the berth, and asked him what he was doing there ? Upon which he replied, • that INIr. Fletcher Christian had taken the ship from the Captain, whom he had confined upon di'ck, an«l was going to carry hint home as a prisoner ; and that they should have more provisions and better usage than before.' Mr. Elphlnstone, one of the Mastcr'i iNIatcs, who was lying awake in his hauuuock, which hung at the outside POST-CAPTAINS OF 1803. 775 of the opposite berth, likewise heart! wliiU this man said to mo. I imme- diately (Iresseil myself, and went up the fore hatchway : having got upon the booms on the larboard side, I walked aft as far as the quarter of the boat, and saw the Captain standing on the larboard side of the quarter-deck, u little before the binnacle, in his shirt, with his hands tied behind him, and Mr. Christian standing on the right hand aide of him, with a drawn bayo- net in his hand, and a small pistol in his pocket. He (Mr. (Jhristian) was giving orders to Mr. Cole, the boatswain, to hoist the large cutter out, the small one having been got out some time before. Upon this, I came a little further forward, and crossing over to the other side, saw Mr. Chris- tian beckon to Rlr. Thomas Hayward, who, with Mr. John Hallet, was standing on the quarter-deck, between the two 4-pounders ; he said to him, 'Get yourself ready to go in the boat, Sir.' Mr. Hayward made answer, * Why f Mr. Christian, what harm did I ever do you that yot; should be so hard upon me i I hope you wop't insist upon it.' Mr. Christian repeated the same order to him, and to Mr. Hallet, who seem? ed to be in tears, and answered, * I hope not. Sir.* Hearing this, and be- ing afraid that if I came in his sight he might give me similar orders, which I feared very much, because I had just before asked one of the men, whom I saw with a musket in his hand, why they were getting the boats out ? and he answered, ' that the Captain, with some individuals, were to be sent on shore at Tofoa, in the launch ; and he believed that all the rest who were not of Mr. Christian's party, might either accompany them, or remain on board and Ve carried to Otaheitc, where they would be left among the na- tives, as the ship was going there, to procure refreshments and stock, to take to some unknown island, mi order to form a settlement.' Hearing this, I was so perplexed and astonished, that I knew not what to do or think ; but sat down on the gunwale of the ship, on the starboard side, just under the fore shroudss and weighed the diflerence of those two dreadful alternatives in my mind. I considered that thu Indians at Tofoa, be- ing of the same stock as those at Annamooka, a|vpcared to mc to be a very savage sort of people when unawed by the sight of iirc-artns, and from whom nought but death could be expected, in order to facilitate their ob- taining possession of the boat, and whatever she might contain of most value to them ; thinking also, that their natural ferocity might be sharpened and increased to revenge by the treatment some of the chiefs of Annamoo- ka had received on board the ship, two days before, when we left that island, as they had been confined on board, in order to make them pro- duce a grapnel which had been stolen ; the news of which, I made no doubt, had by this time reached Tofoa ; and besides, I considered that a small boat, deeply laden with a number of men* and provisions for their sustenance, would be a very precarious and forlorn hope to trust life to, in sailing across so vast an cxpuni<e of ocean as lay between that island and the nearest civilized port : that in pursuing this plan, death appeared to mc inevitable in the most horrid and dreadful form of starvation. On the other hand, I knew the natives of Otaheile, from the experience I had had of them during a stay of twenty-three weeks on shore there, to be re- 3 E 2 t 1! fiS^ "vvj- IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) ^' 4e. :/- f/. LO II I.I 11.25 ^|2£ 125 ma. 1^ lii 122 Hi US I 2.0 HE u 1^ % Hiotograpiiic .Sciences Corporation 4 V V ■i>^ 1^ <^ 4^ (i^ .^^^ 33 WIST MAIN STRUT WHSTIR.N.Y. MS«0 (7I«) •73-4S03 '^ U. & 77& POST-CAPTAINS OF 1803. .. * tnarkahly friendly and hospitable to strangers ; and by their kind assistance and benevolence, I had some hopes, if I could get there, that my life might be preserved till a ship arrived from England, which I doubted not would be the case if the Bounty's absence greatly exceeded the limited time for her return to Europe. This appeared to me the only course by which I could ever expect to revisit my native countr>, or even to preserve my life. Tlius, self-preservation, that first law of nature, was the sole motive that induced me to resolve upon the latter alternative. Having sat on the gunwale till the large cutter was over the side, I saw some of the people clearing the launch of the yams which had been stowed in her, among whom was Mr. Thomas Hayward ; I went into her to assist, at the desire of Mr. Cole, the boatswain ; and after being there a short time, Mr. Hay- ward asked me what I intended to do in the present situation of affairs ? I answered, * To remain in the ship ;* and said, * do you imagine I would voluntarily throw my life away ?' Upon which he replied, " Aye, I wish I might have that liberty granted me, but Christian has ordered me to get into the boat.' I then told him my reasons for wishing to remain in the ship, which I have just now fully explained : I likewise told the same t* George Simpson, who was a man that I regarded, as he had washed for me, and had taken great pains to instruct me in several parts of practical seamanship : he was present in the launch at the time when I was talking with Mr. Hayward, and must have heard all that passed betwixt us. " I next saw Mr. Fryer, the Master, who I understood had been confined in his cabin, but was recently permitted to come on the quarter-deck, step towards Mr. Christian on the larboard side : I was then sitting upon the fore part of the booms, on the starboard side of ' no man's land,' and though I could not hear what he said to Mr. Christian upon his first conn- ing up, yet a little while after I could distinctly hear him say these words : ' Why, Mr. Christian, you had better let me stay in the ship, for you cer« tainly will not know what to do with her.' I did not hear what answer Christian made, but Mr. Fryer was soon after forced down into his cabin again. The Master being now the third officer, besides Mr. Samuel, the Captain's Clerk, who bad asked permission to remain in the ship, or at least upon receiving orders to go in the boat had sheivn such reluctance as made it appear they secretly wished it might be otherwise \ and knowing them all to have had long experience in the naval service, I assured my- self that their desire to remun was not improper ; and it served to con- vince me, that in our present situation, my intentions to do so were like- wiM blameltss. I was confirmed in thia opinion by Mr. Bligh'i telling several of the men who were endeavouring to follow him into the launch, ' For God's sake, my lads, don't any more of you come into the boat } I'll do you justice if ever I should get heme *.' Thus he prevented tbeu, and they remained in the ship. " Perhaps it may be asked, why I did not go ; J Captain Bligh, and tell him that I intended to remain in the ship, and my reasons fur it, as some • This, the reader will observe, was a repetition of the promise he had made previouR to his being forced into the launch. See p. 7^6. POST-CAPTAINS OF 1803. 777 others did ?— To which, with the utmost integrity of heart, the true dictates of which I now express, I can answer, that being but young, not then six- teen years of age, and sent out under the immediate care and protection of Captain Bligh, it being my first voyage to sea, it occurred to me he would bav« thought me too inexperienced to judge for myself in an affair of such moment, and have ordered me to accompany him, which I certainly would have done if he had sent to me to do so, notwithstanding the idea I was so strongly impressed with, that a miserable and untimely end would have been the consequence, which I firmly believed, at that time, must inevit- ably have been the fate of all those who went in the launch. Thus cir- cumstanced, therefore, and being convinced that it was only compulsion, which caused some of the officers to go in the boat, and not any wish of their own that had influenced them ; I thought it would be something like an act of suicide on ray part to go in her voluntarily, by being in some measure accessary and consenting to my own death, which I supposed must have taken place if I had gone, either from the savage fury of the natives on shore, or from the dangers that awaited the launch from so long a voyage as she must have made to arrive at the nearest civilized settle- ment. " Though I did not request any of the persons to whom I communicated my intentions of remaining in the ship to inform Captain Bligh of my de- termination, yet it is natural to suppose, that some one or other of them, if asked by him concerning me, when in the boat, would have told him my reasons for remaining behind *. " I do most solemnly declare, that, during the whole time I was upon deck, I was in nowise accessary to, or aiding in any respect whatever in the most trivial act tending to mutiny, or mutmous proceedings, either in word or deed, nor in any shape advise or encourage any other person whatso- ever so to do — but, on the contrary, it was ray raost ardent wish that some of those officers who were upon deck would make some endeavour to retake the ship, which if any of them had attempted, I certainly would with the greatest satisfaction, and all the alacrity in my power, have followed their example ; yet, I must candidly confess, that as I saw persons so much older and more experienced than myself, quite backward in taking such mea- sures, it made me entertain too mean an opinion of my own abilities, being a mere boy in comparison with them, to have had the presumption to think that any step I could take singly, young as I was, could have had the least shadow of success ; although, at the same time, I did hope that my feeble endeavours to assist, when added to their knowledge and experience, if put in force, would have had some effect. I therefore waited in hope and si- lent expectation, that through their means affairs might have taken a different turn, without shewing any outward appearance of what I so ardently wish- ed i but the boat quitted the ship without any such exertions being made. " When nearly all the officers and men who went away had got into the * It is probable that some of those persons informed Lieutenant Bligh of Mr. Hey wooil't determination, without stating the reasous he had assigQed. !»* 778 POSt-CAPTAINS OF 1803. ! \ launch along-side> and as I was standing upon the booms on the starboard side, abreast of the main hatchway, Charles Churchhill, the master-at- arms, came up to me, with a bayonet and cartouch-box buckled round his waist, and a small pistol, (the same which I had before seen sticking out of Christian's pocket) in his hand, and said to me, ' What are ^ou going to do ?' I answered what I thought leaned to the side of rectitude, and added, ' I think I shall remain in the ship.' Just then Mr. George Stewai t came towards me, and asking the same question, I gave him a similar answer. But he said, ' Don't think of it ; for, if you stay, you'll incur an equal portion of guilt with the; mutineers, though you're no hand in the mutiny—^come down to the berth with me ; let us get two or three necessaries, and go in the launch with the Captain.' Churchill then turned to him, and said, * Why* Mr. Stewart^ I thought yon had been a man of more spirit :' to whom he re- plied, * yes, Churchill, but I won't bite off my nose to be revenged upon my face.' I knowing Mr. Stewart to be an experienced naval officer, was at once persuaded by him ; yet I had some doubts of bis knowledge when I called to mind the wishes of the other officers, (so similar to my own, to remain in the ship) who ought likewise to know as well; I was, thereforCji in the most painful dilemma. However, taking his advice, I jumped down the hatchway with him, but no sooner had we got into our berth, than Churchill called down to Matthew Thompson, the sentry over the arm- chest, saying, ' Don't let either of them come out of the berth till I give you orders.' Mr. Stewart having taken his pocket book out of his chest, attempted to leave the berth ; but thompson pointed a pistol towards his breast, saying, * Don't yon hear the orders I have just received, you had better stay where you are.' Mr. Stewart then hailed Churchill, and said, ' If you won't let us go, I desire you'll inform the Captain that we are de- tained by force.' To which he replied* * Aye, aye, I'll take care of that.' I remained in the berth till Churchill told Thompson to let me come upon deck, but the launch v^as then far astern *." Mr. Heywood, in the succeeding portion of his defence^ gives a brief account of his sufferings in consequence of the rash and unjustifiable conduct of Mr. Christian ; after which, and describing in the most pathetic manner his anxiety for the safety of those who had been so inhumanly turned adrift, he proceeds as follows : " Immediately on the arrival of the Pandora, I voluntarily, and without any reluctance or hesitation, resigned myself to Captain Edwards, who confined me as a prisoner in irons, until the ship was lost in Endeavour Mtraits, on the a9th Aug. 1791, when I had a very narrow escape of going * Mr. Stewart was no sooner released than he demanded of Christian the reason of his detention; upon which the latter denied having given any directions to that effect, and his assertion wns corroborated by Churchill, who declared that he had kept both him and Mr. Ileywuod below, know-' ing it was their intention to go away with Bligh ; " in which case," added he, " what would become of us if any thing should happen to you ; whu is there but yourself and them to depend upon in navigating the ship )" POST-CAPTAINS OF 1803. m down with her in fetters. We were upwards of a fortnight in the boats be- fore we reached Coupang, during which time we suffered much from him- ger and thirst, and encountered innumerable perils and dangers. Wc sailed from thence on the 6th of October, and arrived at Batavia about a month afterwards. It is well known by what means wc have arrived since in England. " I have now concluded my most melancholy narrative, the truth of which I do most solemnly attest ; and after hearing the relation of the dis- tressed situation I was placed in, and all the motives which induced mc to remain in the ship, if a candid and impartial hearer should be able to dis- tinguish the least criminality, I can then advance nothing further in my own defence, but must, with the most profound respect and humility, throw myself upon the mercy of the honourable Gentlemen of which this tribunal of earthly justice is composed ; trusting, that in pity and commiseration to my youth, the short period I have been in the service, and the many hard- ships and dangers I have undergone, during a grievous confinement of nearly eighteen months, they will impute the whole to my ignorance and inexperience, and will be inclined to shew an instance of merciful clemency to their most submissive, and truly unfortunate Prisoner." In the naval service it is a well understood axiom, " that those who are not for us, are against usj" and according to the tenor of martial law, however severe it may appear to civilians, the man who stands neuter, in cases of mutiny, is equally culpable with him who lifts his arm against his supe- rior. In short, a military tribunal must either fully acquit, or sentence the prisoner to death ; there is no medium be- tween perfect innocence and absolute guilt. The strong points of Mr. Heywood's defence were his extreme youth and consequent inexperience, and his voluntary surrender to the Pandora's Captain immediately on that ship's arrival at Otaheitej but these proved inauflBcient, as v/ill be seen by the following extract from a letter written by him to the Rev. Dr. Patrick Scott, a friend of his afflicted family, dated on board the Hector, Sept. 20, 1792: " Honoured and dear Sir, — On Wednesday, the 12th instant, the awful trial commenced, and I now communicate to you the melancholy issue of it, which, as I desired my friend Mr. Graham to inform you of immediately, will be no dreadful news to you. The morning lours, and all my hope of worldly joy is fled far from mc ! On Tuesday, the ISlh inst. the dread- ful sentence of death was pronounced upon me ! to which (being the de- cree of that Divine Providence who first gave me breath) I bow my devoted head, with that fortitude, chearfulncss, and resignation, which is the duly of every member of the church of our blessed Saviour and Redeemer CiniiBT Jesus ! To him alone I now look up for succfiur, in full hope, that perhaps a few days more will open to the view of my astonished and fearful soul his kingdom of eternal -wA incomprehensible blUi, pre|mied it:,v 780 POST-CAPTAINS OF 1803. only for the rij^hteoua of heart. I have not been found guilty of the slightest act of the detestable crime of mutiny, but am doomed to die for not being active in my endeavours to suppress it. Could the witnesses who appear- ed on the cour>,-martial be tried, they would also suffer for the same and only crime of which I have been guilty— but I am to be the victim ! •••••• As this is too tender a subject for me to inform iiy unhappy and distressed mother and sisters of, I trust, dear Sir, you will either shew them this letter, or make known to them the truly dreadful intelligence, in such a manner as, assisted by your wholesome and paternal advice, may enable them to bear it with Christian fortitude. The only worldly feelings I am now possessed of are for their happiness and welfare ; but even these, in my present situation, I must endeavour, with God's as- sistance, to eradicate from my heart. How hard soever the task 1 1 must strive against cherishing any temporal affections. £ndeavour, dear Su-, to mitigate my afflicted mother's sorrow ; give my everlasting duty to her, and unabated love to my disconsolate brothers and sisters, and all the other relatives I have; encourage them, by my example, to bear up with fortitude, and resignation to the divine will, under their load of misfortunes, almost too great for female nature to support ; and teach them to be fully persuaded that all hopes of happiness on earth are vun ! As to my- self, I still enjoy the most easy serenity of mind, and am, dearest Sir, your greatly indebted and most dutiful, but ill-fated (Signed) •* Peter Heywood*.'* The gentleman alluded to above was the late Aaron Graham Esq. formerly a Purser, R. N. and afterwards well known and deservedly respected for his vigilance and integrity as a police magistrate in London. His communication fortunately reached Dr. Scott by the same packet that conveyed Mr. Peter Heywood's letter ; and the worthy divine was thereby enabled to assure his distressed friend that her beloved son was not only considered innocent by all who had attended his trial, but that his enlargement and speedy restoration to her arms might confidently be expected. The following is an exact copy thereof : " Portmouth, Tueiday, Sept. 18, 1792. " Sir,— Although a stranger, I make no apology for writing to you. I have attended and given my assistance at Mr. Heywood^ trial, which was finished, and the sentence passed, about half an hour since. Before I tell you what is the sentence, I must inform you that his life is safe, notwithstanding it is at present at the mercy of the King, to which he is in the ttrongest terms recommended by the Court. That any unnecessary * Mr. Heywood, senior, paid the debt of nature on the 6th of Feb. 1790, and was thereby spared the heart-rending affliction to which his unhappy widow was doomed. POST-CAPTAIN* OF 19D3. 781 fears may not be productive of misery to the family, I must add, that the King's Attorney General, who with Judge Ashurst attended the trial, desired me to make myself perfectly easy, for that my friend was as safe as if he had not been condemned ! I would have avoided making use of this dreadful word — but it must have come to your knowlege, and, perhaps, unaccompanied by others of a pleasing kind. The mode of communication to hb mother and sisters I must leave to your discretion ; and shall only add, that, although from a combination of circumstances, ill-nature, and mistaken friendship, the sentence is in itself terrible, yet it is incumbent on me to assure you, that from the same combination of circumstances, every body who attended the trial is perfectly satisfied in his own mind, that he teat hardly guilty in appearance — ^in intention he wat perfectly innocent. I shall of course write to Commodore Pasley, whose mind, from my letter to him of yesterday, must be dreadfully agitated, and take his advice about what is to be done, when Mr. Hey- \vood is released. I shall stay here till then ; and my intention is after- wards to take him to my house in town, where I think he had better stay till one of the family calls for him, as he will require a great deal of tender management after uU his sufferings ; and it would perhaps be a necessary preparation for seeing Mrs. Hey wood, that one or both of his sisters should be previously prepared to support her upon so trying an occasion. I can only say that they would make me very happy in taking the charge out of my hands ; and if to spend a few days in London will not be disagreeable to them, I have a daughter, who, though young, will feel herself bound to make their stay, however short it may be, as agreeable as possible. I have the honor to be« tec. .. , ., , ,. (Signed) ** A. Graham.'* In a subsequent letter from the same gentleman to Dr. Scott j we find the following passage : ^ , ■ n, " It will be a great satisfaction to his family to learn that the declara- tions of some of the other prisoners, since the trial, put it past all doubt that the evidence upon which he was convicted must have been, to say nothing worse of it, an unfortunate belief on the part of the witness, of circumstances, which either never had existence, or were applica- ble to another gentleman who remained in the ship, and not to Mr. Hey wood." The points of evidence alluded to by Mr. Graham wel!« as follow : — 1st. That Mr. Peter Hey wood assisted in hoist- ing out the launch. 2d. That he was seen by the Carpenter resting his hand upon a cutlass. 3d. That upon being called to by Lieutenant Biigh, he laughed. And^ 4th, That he re- mained on board the Bounty, instead of accompanying Lieu- tenant Bligh in the launch. Mr. Heywood's comments on this evidence are here tiubmittcd to the reader's cousideratioi^ n i 782 POST-CAPTAINS OF 1803. II, ■',; ih the exact form in which they were transmitted by him to Lord Chatham^ then presiding at the Admiralty. "Peter Heywood'a Remarks upon material parts of the Evidence which was given at his Trial on board the Duke> in Portsmouth ' Harbour. *• First, That I atiisted in hoisting out the Launch.'—Tlm boat was asked for by the Captain and his officers, and whoever assisted in hoisting her out were their friends ; for if the Captain had been sent away in the cutter (which was Christian's first intention), he could not have taken with him more than nine or ten men, whereas the launch carried nineteen. The Boatswain, the Master, the Gunner, and the Carpenter say, in their evidence> that they considered me as helping the Captun on this occa- sion*. " Second, That t wait seen hy the Catpenter resting iny hand upon a cut- lass. — •! was seen in this position by no other person than the Carpenter — no other person therefore could have been intimidated by my appearance. Was the Carpenter intimidated by it ?— No. So far from being afraid of me, he did not even look upon me in the light of a person armed, but pointed out to roe the danger there was of my being thought so, and I immediately took away my hand from the cutlass, upon which I had Very innocently put it when 1 was in a state of stupor. The Court was particularly pointed in its enquiries into this circumstance, and the Car- penter was pressed to declare, upon the oath he had taken, and after ma- turely considering the matter, whether he did at the time he saw me so situated, or had since been inclined to believe> that, under all the circum- stances of the case, I could be considered as an atmed man — to which he uneijuivocally answered — No ; and he gave some good reasons (which will be found in his evidence) for thinking that I had not a wish to I'e armed during the mutiny. The Master, the Boatswain, the Gunner, Mr. Hayw^rd, Mr. Hallet, and John Smith, (who with the Carpenter were all the witueMeti belonging to the Bounty) say, in their evidence, that they did not, any of them, see me armed; and the Boatswain and Carpenter further say, in the most pointed terms, that they considered me to be one of the Captain's party, and by no means as belonging to the mutineers : and the Master, the Boatswain, the Carpenter, the Gunner all declare that, from what they observed on my conduct during the mutiny, and from a recollection of my bchavioiu* previous thereto, they were convinced I would have afforded them all the assistance in my power if an opportunity had offered to retake the ship. " Third, That upon being called to by the Captain, I laughed.— li this ^.iwv, a- r.,i( ii>\i » ** On the 4th July, 1792, Mr. Heywood received a letter from Mr. Pryer, the master, containing these words : " Keep your spirits up, for t am of opinion no one can say you had an active part in the mutiny ; and be assured of my doing you justice when called upon.'* POST-CAPTAINS OF 1803. 783 Was believed by the Court it must have had, I am afraid, a very great effect upon its judgment ; for if viewed in too serious a light, it would seem to bring together and combine a number of trifling circumstances, which by themselves could only be treated merely as matters of suspicion. It was no doubt, therefore, received with caution, and considered with the utmost candour. The <!uuntcnance I grant, on some other occasions, may warrant an opinion of good or evil existing in the mind ; but on the momentous events of life or death, it is surely by much too indefinite and hazardous even to listen to for a moment. The different ways of ex- pressing our various passions are, with many, as variable as the featdres they wear. Tears have often been, nay generally are, the relief of ex^ cessive joy, while misery and dejection have many a time disguised them- selves in a smile ; and convulsive laughs have betrayed the anguish of an almost broken heart. To judge therefore the principles of the heart by the barometer of the face, is as erroneous as it would be absurd and un- just. This matter may likewise be considered in anotlier point of view. Mr. Hallet says I laughed in consequence of being called to by the Cap- tain, who was abaft the mizen-mast, while I was upon the platform near the fore hatchway — a distance of more than 30 feet. If the Captain intended I should Jiear him, and there can be no doubt that he wished it, if he really called to me, he must have exerted his voice, and very consi- derably too, upon such an occasion, and in such a situation, and yet Mr. Hallet himself, who, by being upon the quarter-deck could not have been half the distance from the Captain that I was — even he, I say, could not hear what was said to me : — ^how then, in the name of God, was it possi- ble that I should have heard the Captain at all, situated as I must have been, in the midst of noisy confusion? And if I did not hear him, whkh t most solemnly aver to be the truth, even granted that I laughed (which, however, in my present awful situation, I declare I believe I did not), it could not have be6n at what the Captain said. Upon this ground, then, I hope I shall stand acquitted of this charge ; for if the crime derives its guilt from the knowlege I had of the C ntun's speaking to me, it follows of course, that if I did not hear him spva^: there could be no crime in my laughing. It may, however, very fairly be asked, why Mr. Hallet did not make known that the Captain was calling to me ? His duty to the Captain, if not his friendship for me, should have prompted him to it; and the peculiarity of our situation required this act of kindness at his hands. I shall only observe further upon this head, that the Boat- swain, the Carpenter^ and Mr. Hayward, who saw more of me than any other of the witnesses, did say in their evidence that I had rather a sor- rowful oountenance on the day of the mutiny. "Fourth, That I remained on board the ship, instead of going in the fwat teith the Captain. — ^That I was at first alarmed, and afraid of going into the boat, I will not pretend to deny ; but that afterwards I wished to accompany the (./aptain, and should have done it, if I had not been prevented by Thompson, who confined me below, by the order of Churchill, is clearly proved by the' evidence of several of the witnesses. :'!I ^:^i 784 POBT -CAPTAINS OF 1803. The Boatswain says, that just before he left the ship I went below, and in passing him said sometliing about a bag, — (it was that I would put a few things into a bag and follow him) ; the Carpenter says he saw me go below at this time ; and both those witnesses say, that they heard the master-at-arms call to Thompson 'to keep them below.* The point, therefore, will be to prove to whom this order, ' keep them below,* would apply. The Boats\yain and Carpenter say they have no doubt of its meaning me as one ; and that it must have been so I shall have very little difficulty in shewing, by the following statement : " There remained on board the ship after the boat put off, 25 men. Messrs Hayward and Hallet have proved that the following men were under arms :— Christian, Hillbrant, Millward, Burkitt, Muspratt, Ellison, Sumner, Smith, Young, Skinner, Churchill, M'Koy, Quintal, Morrison, Williams, Thompson, Mills, and Brown — ^in all 18. The Master, and upon this occasion I may be allowed to quote from the Captain's printed narrative, mentions Martin as one ; which makes the number of armed men 19, none of whom, we may reasonably suppose, were ordered to be kept below. Indeed Mr. Hayward says that there were at the least 18 of them upon deck when ho went into the boat ; and if Thompson, the centinel over the arm-chest, be added to them, it exactly agrees with the number above named : there remuns then 6, to whom Churchill's order, ' Keep them below,' might apply, viz. Hey wood, Stewart, Coleman, Nor- man, M'Intosh, and Byrne. " Could Byrne have been one of them ? No, for he was in the cutter alongside. Could Coleman have been one of them ? iVio, for he was at the gangway when the Captain and officers went into the launch, and aft upon the taffrail when the boat was veered astern. Could Norman have been one of them ? No, for he was with Coleman, speaking to the Cap- tain and the officers. Could M'Intosh have been one of them ? No, for he was with Coleman and Norman, desiring the Captun and the officers to take notice that they were not concerned in the mutiny *. It could then have applied to nobody but Mr. Stewart and myself : and by this order of Churchill's, therefore, was I prevented from going with the Captain in the boat. ** The foregoing appear to me the most material points of evidence on the part of the prosecution. My defence being very full> and the body of evidence in my favour too great to admit of observation in this concise manner, I shdl refer fcr an opinion thereon to the mmutes of the court- martial. (Signed) "P. Hbywood.'* We have reason to believe that these comments produced as great an effect upon the mind of Lord Chatham, as even the recommendation to royal mercy, which had been for- warded by Mr. Hey wood's judges. Certain it is, that they 1o "i:»rno irH See the Bounty's Voyage, p. 157* POST-CAPTAINS OF 1803. JQo greatly accelerated his restoration to liberty, which took place Oct. 27, 1792. The King's free and unconditional pardon having been read to Mr. Heywood by Captain Montagu, he addressed that officer in the following terms, the sincerity of which has been amply proved by his subsequent conduct : " Sir, — ^Vhen the sentence of the law was passed upon me, I received it, I trust, as became a Man ; and if it had been carried into execution, I should have met my fate, I hope, in a manner becoming a Christian. Your admonition cannot fail to make a lasting impression on my mind. — I receive with gratitude my Sovereign's mercy, for which my future life shall be faithfully devoted to his service." Digressing for a moment from our " straight forward " course, we shall here introduce an extract from a letter writ- ten by one of Mr. Peter Heywood's brothers, describing his serenity of mind during the awfiil period of five weeks and four days, that elapsed between his trial and liberation. • ' ° ** While I write this, Peter is sitting by me, making an Otaheitean vo- cabulary, and so happy and intent upon it that I have no opportunity of saying a word to him. I assure you he is at present in excellent spirits, and I am perfectly convinced they get better and better every day *." It will be seen by the foregoing statement of undeniable facts, that Mr. J^eter Heywood's professional debut was a most unpromising one ; yet, ultimately, the misfortunes of his youth proved highly beneficial to him. The greater part of those distinguished officers who had sat as members of the court-martial, justly consideruig him much more unfor- tunate than criminal, extended their patronage to him imme- diately after his release, and through their good offices and • The vocabulary alluded to by Mr. James Heywood, proved highly useful to the missionaries who were afterwards sent to Otaheite, and is thus spoken of at p. 13 of the " Duff's Voyage." " An ingenious clergyman of Portsmouth kindly furnished Dr. Haweis and Mr. Greatheed with a manuscript vocabulary of the Otaheitean lan- guage, and an account of the country, which providentially he preserved from the mutineers who were seized by the Pandora, and brought to Portsmouth for their trial, which was of unspeakable service to the mis- sionaries, both for the help which it afforded them to learn before their arrival much of this unknown tongue, and also as giving the most inviting and encoiutiging description of the native«»«i|d the corifii|l reception which they might expect." '^i '>*' w i^T I 786 POST-CAPTAINS OF 1803. his own meritorious behaviour, he was subsequently advanced, step by step, to the rank he at present holds. The duties which have fallen to his share he has ever performed with a zeal not inferior to that of any other officer in the service, and entirely to the satisfaction of his superiors. The young men who have had the honor of serving under him, many of whom now enjoy commissions, will readily and gratefully acknowlege that, both by precept and his own example, he invariably endeavoured to form their characters, as men and officers, on the solid principles of religion and virtue. In short, we do not hesitate to say, that his King and Country never had a more faithful servant, nor the naval service a more worthy and respectable member. *^"" 'r'-i' f It is very natural to suppose that Mr. Heywood, after his release, would lose no time in hastening to the arms of his family, whose emotions on seeing him again at liberty, and that with an unblemished reputation, may readily be conceiv- ed. By their affectionate treatment, his health, which had been greatly impaired through long confinement and unme- rited sufferings, was at length completely re-established ; and on the 17th May, 1793, we find him joining the Bellerophon, a third rate, bearing the broad pendant of his uncle Commo- dore Pasley, who, previous to the court-martial, had taken great pains to investigate the circumstances attending the Bounty's mutiny, and in letters written by him to Mrs. Hey- wood, expressed his perfect conviction of the innocence of her son. i .u,- , We should here state that Lord Hood, who presided at Mt. Heywood*s trial, had earnestly recommended him to embark again as a Midshipman without delay, and offered to take him under his own immediate patronage, in the Vic- tory of 100 guns. This proposal, however, was declined by Commodore Pasley, who soon after placed him under the protection of the Hon. Captain Legge, then commanding the Niger fngate, with whom he served as Master's Mate till the 23d Sept. following, when he was received on board the Queen Charlotte, a first rate, bearing the union flag hoisted by Earl Howe, as commander-in-chief of the Channel or grand fleet. In that ship Mr. Heywood served as Signal Midshipman or l>OST- CAPTAINS. OF 1803, 7^7 and Master's Mate, under his Lordship's own eye, and the respective commands of Sir Hugh C. Christian and Sir An- drew Snape Douglas, who together with Sir Roger Curtis, the Captain of the Fleet, were members of his court-martial, and who all gave him the most flattering proofs of their esteem and approbation, not only whilst he served with them, but as long as they severally continued in existence. In the actions with the French fleet. May 28 and 29, and June 1, 1/94, Mr. Heywood did his duty on the quarter-deck as an aid-du-cariij) to Sir Andrew S. Douglas *; and after the return of the victorious fleet to Spithead, he had the honor to be selected as one of the two Midshipmen appointed to attend the side whenever his late Majesty visited the Queen Charlotte, or went to and fro in her barge. Some doubts having arisen about this period as to the pro- priety of giving naval rank to a person who had been placed in Mr. Hey wood's late critical situation, his friend Sir Roger Curtis was kind enough to consult an eminent lawyer, whose opinion on that subject we now lay before our readers. "July 21, 1/94. " The warrant for the execution of some of the offenders, and the par- don of Mr. Heywood, states the charge to have been ' for mutinously run- ning away with the armed vessel the Bounty, and deserting from his Ma- jesty's service.' This you will find to be the 15th in the catalogue of offences enumerated in the act of 22 Geo. II. c. 33 ; and it is thereby en- acted that the offender shall tuffer death. Nothing is said of any incapa- cities whatever, and indeed if would have been strange to have superad- ded incapacities to a capital punishment. " The judgments which p court-martial is empowered by that act to pronounce are of three oistinct kinds : the one discretionary ; another capital ; and a thud, incapacity ever to serve in the navy. The last (ex- cept so far as it is included in discretionary sentences) is enacted in one instance only, namely the 18th, which respects the taking on board any other goods than gold, silver, jewels, &c. Upon this state of things it should seem clear, that Mr. Heywood having received judgment of death, the onUj judgment which the act empowers, the court-martial to pro- nounce, and his Majesty havmg been pleased to dispense with the execu. tion of that sentence, the plain principle of the Common Lata ought to take place, by which Mr. Heywood is in point of cnpacity to hold any station, civil or military, no way now distinguished from any other subject. • See Vol. 11. Part I. note at p. 54, I -sTifc. 788 POST-CAPTAINS OF 1803. I. I; You will moreover observe, that the directions of this act must be liter' allj observed, being in a matter highly penal, and that no disabilities or incapacities can be introduced by inference. I should myself clearly con- ceive, that an offence attended with judgment of death, having been par- doned by his Mi^esty, the supposed offender is in this case, in the same situation as if no such judgment had ever been passed.'' In Aug. 1794, Earl Howe gave Mr. Heywood an order to act as a Lieutenant on board the Robust 7 A, then in Torbay ; but another officer having been appointed to her by the Ad- miralty, previous to the receipt of his Lordship's promotion lists, he was superseded on his return to that anchorage in October following, and with several other gentlemen, similarly situated, obliged to rejoin the Queen Charlotte. He, however, received a commission from the Board, appointing him to the Incendiary fire-ship, on the 9th of March, 1795. Lieutenant Heywood's next appointment was April 7) in the same year, to la Nymphe of 40 guns, commanded by Captain George Murray; and on the 23d of June following we find him present at the capture of three French line-of- battle ships, by Lord Bridport's fleet, near I'Orient *. Sub- sequent to this event, la Nymphe was stationed in the North Sea, under the command of Captain George Losack, with whom he remained until paid off at Plymouth, towards the close of 1795, -i ■ - ; V .; , . • On the ]3th Jan. 1796, Lieutenant Heywood was appoint- ed to the Fox, of 32 guns, in which frigate he served on the North Sea station till the ensuing summer, when she sailed for India as convoy to the outward bound trade. On her arrival at the Cape of Good Hope, he became the senior Lieutenant, and in that capacity he continued till June 18, 1798, when he re- moved with his Captain, the present Sir Pulteney Malcolm, into the Suffolk, a third rate, bearing the flag of Vice-Admiral Rainier, to whom he had been previously recommended for promotion by Earl Spencer, the same nobleman who had signed his first commission, and whose good opinion of him will be seen by the following copy of a letter dated at the Ad- miralty, Jan. 13, 1797 1 : — • ? ' * See Vol. I. p. 246. N. B. Captain Murray on that occasion com- manded the advanced squadron of frigates. t The manner in which the Fox was employed whilst under the com- mand of Captain Malcolm, has been described in our first volume, at p.584. POST-GAFrAINS OF 1803. 789 i *• Sir, — ^I iihould have returned an earlier answer to your letter o: the Cth inst., if I had not been desirous, before I answered it, to look over >vith as much attention as was in my power, the proceedings on the Court- martial, held in the year 1792, hy which Court Mr. Peter Hey wood was condemned for bein^ concerned in the mutiny oa board the Bounty. 1 felt this to be necessary, from having entertained a very strong opinion that it might be detrimental to the interests of his Majesty's service if n person under such a predicament should be afterwards advanced to the higher and more conspicuous situations of the navy : but having, with great attention, perused the minutes of that Court-martial, as far as they relate to Air. Peter Hey- wood, I have now the satisfaction of being able to inform you, that I think his case was such an one, as, under all its circumstances (though I do not mean to say that the Court were not justified in their sentence) ought not to be considered as a bar to his further progress in his profession ; more especially when the gallantry and propriety of his conduct, in his subse- quent service, is taken into consideration. I shall, therefore, have no difli- I'ulty in mentioning him tc the Commander-in-Chief on the station to Avhich he belongs, as a person from whose promotion, on a proper oppor- tunity, I shall derive much satisfaction, more particularly from his being so nearly connected with you. I have the honor to be. Sir, with great truth, &c. &c. (Signed) " Spencer." " To Sir Thomas Pasley, Bart." ' On the 17th May, 1799, Vice-Admiral Rainier being in daily expectation of a despatch announcing the fall of Seringa- patam, and the £arl of Mornington, contemplating that event, having previously applied to him for an armed vessel to carry home the important intelligence, was pleased to select the subject of this memoir for that service ; and accordingly ap- pohitcd him Lieutenant and Commander of the Amboyna brig, then cruising with the squadron off Mangalore. To Mr. Heywood's great mortification, however, he found on his ar- rival at Madras, after a passage of only nine days, that the Governor-General's despatches had been sent away in a mer- chant vessel before he left the Suffolk; — ^Tippoo Sultan having been slain, and the Mysore capital carried by storm, thirteen day's prior to the date of Admiral Rainier's order. In conse- quence of this disappointment o rejoined the Suffolk, and continued in her till Aug. 1800, when he was promoted to the command of the Vulcan bomb, and sent in an armed transport to join her at the island of Amboyna. Captain Heywood subsequently commanded the Trincoma- ke of 18 guns. Trident 64, Leopard 60, and Dedaigneuse frigate. His post commission was confirmed by the Admi- VOL. II. 3 F 790 POST CAPTAINS OF 1803. ralty April 5, 1803 ; and he remained on the East India sta- tion, chiefly employed on confidential detached services, till Jan. 1805, when he was obliged to resign his ship on account of a debilitated state of health, and the recent demise of his eldest brother rendering it necessary for him to attend the settlement of some important family affairs. His applica- tion for permission to do so was thus answered by the officer mider whose command he had then served for an uninter- rupted period of more than eight years : " Trident, Port CorntoaUis» Pr'mee of f^alet*s Island, Jan. 23, 1805. " Sir,— In answer to yeur letter of yesterday's date, requesting permis- sion to resign the command of H. M. S. la Dedaigneuse, in order to attend to some very pressing and important family concerns, the ma- nagement whereof indispensably demands your presence in tiondon, I have to acquaint you, that I think it but justice dne to yobr very meritori- ous and faithful services, to grant you that permission ; and in farther gratification of your request, I shall, with much pleasure, assure my Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty of my firm persuasion that your application has originated from no other motive than that you have stated, which I have no doubt will appear perfectly satisfactory to their Lordslups, and, when the state of your private affairs will admit, induce them to attend to your solicitation to be agtda appointed io the command of one of H. M. slnps. " I cannot help testifying my sincere regret on parting with so able and active an officer as yourself from the squadron I have the honor to com- mand ; and I request your acceptance of my best wishes for the successful accomplishment of the business that has been the occasion of it. I re- main \rith much respect. Sir, your very fiuthful humble servant. (Signed) " Pstbr Rainisr." «' To Peter Heytoooi, Bt^ Captain H. M. S. Dedaigneuse." Captain Heywood, white commanding the Leopard, was ordered to survey the east coast of Ceylon, more especially the shoals off the N. £. part of that island, and the whole extent between them and Point Calymere, then utterly uii» known. In addition to the performance of this valuable ser* vice, he ascertained the exact position of almost every place on the Indian coast, and of the different islands to the east- ward, which enabled him to render material assistance to James Horsburgh, £sq. (the present hydrographer to the Kaat India Company), as will be seen by the following ex- t AfnnJ miraJty, '"'■"O" hill] POST-CAPTAINS OP 1803. 791 a- LiU int his the ica- icer iter- land, rdcr to le »»*- ndon, I actitori- fartlier jure n»y hat your you Uavc ^ ta tbeir Icomino^ |o able and jt to com- 8ucce«8ful It. IW- ^ard, 'wa« BBpccVally ^hc vrholo tterly uiv- [uable ser- rcry P^c® the eaat- Lstancc to >er to the [owing ex- tract from a memoir of that scieiltific gentleman^ published in 1812*: " Mr. Horsburgh had the good fortune to sail for Engldhd in the Clren. cester (East Indiabian), Captain Thomas Robertson. • • • • Cap- tain Peter Hey wood, of the navy, was his fellow passenger ; and from that experienced and intelligent oflScer, while arranging his works for publica- tion, he derived great assistance. Since that period too, he has fre({uently benefited by commtnunications from the sanie friendly soiii-ce." The prinicpal work published by Mr. Horsburgh, at that period, is entitled ** Directions for sailing id and from the East Indies, China, New Holland, the Cape of Good Hope, and interjacent Ports** Exclusive of sailing directions, arid local descriptions of winds, weather. Currents, coasts, &c. ; the geographical situations of particular head-laiids, islands, ports, and dangers, are stated from actUd obscf nations of sun, moon, and stars ; Or by good tlme-keejiei'^. The titiliiy and iiecessity of a work of this kind had long been evident to ha- vigators, all former directories having been compiled fi'Om a mass of heterogeneous materials, obtained when ships were navigated by dead rcbkoning, prior to the iiivatudblc a|)plica- tion of chronometers^ atid lunar obst;i'^ations to hhutical science, consequently fraught with trrot, tind of very little use in the present improved state of navagatioh f. On the 20th Oct. 1806, Rear-Admiral George Mufray be- ing appointed to the cotnmand of a secret ahd i^()ortant expedition, was pleased to select his foriher Li^Utcnilht, the subject of this irieinoir, tb be Jlis Flag-Cal^itin, iri the Poly- l)hehiu^, of G4 guns ; which ship, attefided by ^ sitiall squadron, arrived at the Ca^c of Good Hope, rtnfl Was tHer6 joined by p. fleet of transport*, having oh board upwards faf 4,000 troops, towards the lattfer end of Marth, 1807. The military commandeil', Brl^adief'-Geheral Craufurd, liad just before received a despatch from Rear-Admiral Murray, ac(j[uainting him that the destination of the armament had been changed in consequence of the reverses sustained by the British army in South America, and that instead of going by the eastern route to Lima, as was originally intended, • See Naval Chronicle^ v. 28, p. 441, et se^. t Many of Captain Hcywood's charts have been published by the Ad- miralty, to whom he presented his whole collcetiou, when ho returned from India in 1805. His name is affixed to all those now in u^e. ; , . - 3 F 2 If \ r H 792 POST-CAPTAINS OF 1803, they were now to proceed to the Rio de la Plata^ and act in conjunction with the forces to be there assembled for the recovery of Buenos Ayres. The unsuccessful termination of the campaign in that quarter has been already described in our memoir of Vice-Admiral Stirling *. Captain Heywood continued to command the Polyphemus imtil she was ordered to receive the flag of Vice-Admiral B. S, Rowley, in May, 1808. He was subsequently appointed to act in the Donegal, a third rate, during the absence of her proper compander. Captain Pulteney Malcolm ; and on the 18th March, 1809, we find him receiving the thanks of the Admiralty (conveyed through Rear- Admiral Stopford) for his conduct in the presence of a French squadron which had es- caped ftom Brest, and for his gallantry in the attack made upon three frigates belonging to the said squadron, which had anchored in the Sable d'Olonne, and were there destroyed on the 23d of the preceding month f. In May following. Captain Heywood was appointed to the Nereus, a new 36-gun frigate, in which he served for some time on the Channel and Mediterranean stations. He returned to England with the remains of that great and good officer, Vice-Admiral Lord Collingwood^ in the month of April, 1810. Captain Heywood was next placed under the orders of Vice-Admiral De Courcy, who employed him on various con- fidential services in the Rio de la Plata, where his zeal and ability proved of great benefit to British commerce, as is fully acknowledged by a numerous body of merchants then resid- ing at Buenos Ayres, from whom he received the following letters of thanks, dated July 27 and Dec. 8, 1811. " Sir,-wWe have received the two letters dated the 21st inst. (July) which you did us the honor of writing to ua, accompanied with copies of those you had the goodness to address to his Excellency Don Francisco Xavier Elio, at Monte Video, respecting the British vessels illegally and forcibly detained in that port, and subjected in consequence of the siege to great distress for want of provisions |. • See Vol. I. p. 407, et seq. t See Vol. I., p. 617 ; and note * at p. 696. X We need not remind the reader that a civil war then raged in the Pro- viuccs of la Plata ; it is, however, necessary to state, that the decree of the Spanish Regency at Cadiz, conceding to Great Britain the power of carry- ]*OSt-CAPTAINS OF 1803. 793 " We beg leave to express to y«u our high sense of gratitude for these prompt and energetic exertions, and for the frequent proofs you have been pleased to give u/ of your constant attention to protect and advance our interests since you came to this station. It is highly satisfactory to us to observe, and truly gratifying to our minds to confess, that such dispositions are guided by judgment, temper, and conciliating manners ; calculated to overcome dilBculties, and to fix our entire confidence in you. Being unanimously impressed with these sentiments, we request you will accept our sincere thanks for all the kind attentions and good offices you have been pleased to shew to his Majesty's subjects, individually and collec- tively, in the Rio de la Plata, since we have had the happiness of your presence amongst us, and our assurance of the personal esteem and high respect with which we have the honour to bci Sir, &c. (Signed by " Alex. Mackinnon," Chairman, and the prin- cipals of 43 mercantile houses.) " To Peter Heyvoood, Esq. Captain R. N. ^c. ^c. fyc. " Sir,— Being now (Dec. 8, 1811) on the point of leaving this station, we cannot in justice to our own feelings refrain from repeating to you our sincere thanks for the constant and uniform protection you have been pleased on every occasion to shew towards our general and individual in- terests. The respectable manner, governed by good tense and temper, in which you have supported the dignity and honour of the British flag, under circumstances of much difficulty, cannot be sufficiently appreciated by private persons, but we trust the discernment of our government, and the liberality of our country, will recognize and reward such meritorious conduct. Allow us to assure you, that as we sincerely regret your depar- ture, we have only to express to you the sentiments of our high respect and esteem ; and that we shall ever remember you with the warmest gratitude. " We sincerely wish you a speedy and happy return to England, and uninterrupted success in rising to the summit of your honorable profession. With these unanimous sentiments we have the honor to subscribe ourselves. Sir, your much obliged and faithful humble servants." {Signed as he/ore.) *' To P. Hey wood, Esq. Captain H. M. S. Nereus, and Senior Officer in the Rio de la Plata." Captain Heywood received the latter testimonial when about to rejoin his commander-in-chief at Rio Janeiro^ from whence he sailed for England, in Jan. 1812. Circumstances subsequently occurred which induced go- vernment to send the Nereus back to South America; a determination which must have been very mortifying to her officers and crew, who were thereby prevented from bearing ing on commerce with the insurgents of Buenos Ayres and other districts had not yet been made known to the Royalist commander, Elio. 794 P03T-C4PTAINS OF 1803. a part in the war then about to take place between Great Britain and the United States ; but Captain Heywood's local knowledge, and the manner in which he had acquitted him- self in his intercourse with the Spanish authorities, were too highly appreciated tq 9t4>^H pf ^ny other ^^r^ngeii^ent b?ipg made. After escorting the outward boimd East India fleet to a certain latitude, and communicating with Lord Strangford, the British Ambassador at Rio Janeiro, Captain Heywood resumed his station as senior officer in la Plata ; and continued to afford the most effectual protection to the merchants re- siding on its banks till July 1813, when he returned to the Brazilian capital, and was appointed by Rear-Admiral Dixon, then commander-in-chief on that station, to the Montagu of 74 guns, in whiph ship he soon after took his final departure for England, On his arrivajl at Portsmouth, (early in Oct. 1813), Captain Heywood had the satisfaction of finding that the merchants concerned in the trade which he had so long and ably sup- ported, were equally grateful for the benefits they derived from his great exertions in their favor, as those who, from being on the spot, had had constant opportunities of witness- ing them. Their letter to the Board of Adiiiiralty will serve as a corroboration of what we have stated : •• London, 9th Oct. 1813. " To the Lords Commistionera of the Admiralty. " May it please your Lordships, — The account which we have some time past received from our agents in the Rio de la Plata, stating the ad- vantages derived to our commerce in that quarter, from the judicious and impartial conduct of Captain Peter Hey wood, late commander of H. M.S. Nereus, imposes on us the pleasing duty to express to your Lordships our gratitude for the selection of so meritorious an officer for that station, in the difficult situation of preserving a strict neutrality between contend- ing and exasperated parties, and at the same time effectually protecting the British trade. Cajitaifi Heywood ha9 uot only attained these objects, but at the same time conciliated the respect and confidence of the Spanish authorities at Monte Vidoo, the Government of Buenos Ayres, and of the British residents ii-; thoie countries. The government of Buenos Ayres has on this occasion addressed Lord Strangford, H. M. Ambassador at Rio Janeiro, for the purpose of acknowledging their high sense of Captain Heywood's conduct during his command in the Rio de la Plata. We also are pcrsiuded that the permission lately given by that government for the exportation of specie, was in a great measure owing to the influence of \ I POST-CAPTAINS OF 1803. 795 *' Jacob Wood. '' NlCHOLIiS,SEWBIiL, AND Co. " FuIiTON'8 & Co." Captain Heywood, who has most probably insured to us the permanent facility of receiving remittances in specie without risk. " We trust that, under these circumstances, your Lordships tvill excuse us for this public declaration of our sentiments, and allow us to express a hope that, provided the public service admits it, Captun Heywood may again be employed on that stadon, for which his abilities and local know- ledge so eminently qualify him. We have the honor to be, &c. (Si^rned) ** J. & R. M'Kerrell. *' John Hodgson. " Samuel Winter. ** William Hayne " O'Reilly, Young, and Co. and Co. " T. Hayn« 9i Co. " Hallett,Brothers, " Brown, Rogers, AND Co. and Brown. A line-of-battlc ship being considered unfit for the service on which the Nereus had been so successfully employed, the M ontagUj after refitting, was ordered to the North Sea station, where Captain Heywood continued^ under the orders of Ad- miral William Young and H. R. H. the Duke of Clarence, until the restoration of Ltouis XVIII. in April 1814. After accompanying the French monarch to his native shores, the Montagu hoisted the flag of Rear- Admiral Foote, and sailed for Etourdeaux in company with a squadron sent to convey part of the British army from thence to England. At the ensuing grand naval review, she bore the flag of Sir T. Byam Martin, who led the fleet through the different man- ceuvres exhibited before his present Majesty and the allied sovereigns on that triumphal occasion *. In the following year, when Napoleon Buonapeui:e returned from Elba, Captain Heywood was ordered to the Mediterra- nean, where he joined the squadron under Lord Exmoutb, who nominated him to the command of a detachment em« ployed in co-operation with the Austrians during the war with Joachim Murat. Owing to the sudden turn of affairs, however, he did not arrive in the Adriatic until the deposition of that usurper, and the re-establishmcnt of the ancient dynasty, in the person of Ferdinand IV., which was effected by a military convention, at Capua, on the 20th May, 18 J 5. Captain Heywood subsequently conducted a large body of British and Imperial troops from Naples to Genoa and Mar- V SecVol. I, pp. Hand 132. 7^ POST-CAPTAINS OF 1903. seilles. During the remainder of the same year we find him carrying on the port duties at Gibraltar, where he remained as senior officer until Feb. 1816, when he was recalled from thence for the purpose of accompanying Lord Exmouth on his first mission to the Barbary States, which terminated, as our readers are well aware, in the release of nearly 1800 poor wretches who had been dragged into the most miserable and revolting state of slavery, whilst innocently following their commercial pursuits. The sentiments contained in the following lines are so highly honorable to the character of Captain Heywood, that we cannot refrain from giving them a place in this work ; particularly as they were sent to him at a moment when his ship's company were about to be freed from the restraints of naval discipline, and consequently not liable to the imputa- tion of seeking his favor by undue adulation. We have already had occasion to notice the presentation of numerous swords, snuff-boxes, rings, &c. but we have never yet met with an instance of a naval commander receiving a tribute of « respect and esteem" from his crew, better calculated to gratify a benevolent and humane mind than " The Seamen's Farewell to H. M. S. Montagu, when put out ofcommh- sion at Chatham, on the \Qth July, 1816." " Farewell to thee, Montagu ! yet ere we quit thee *' WeMI give thee the blessing so justly thy due ; " For many a seaman will fondly regret thee, ■ , f *' And wish to reJMn thee, thou gem of true blue. > " For stout were thy timbers, and stoutly commanded ; ^ "In the record of Glory untarnished thy name ^ " Still ready for battle when Glory demanded, " And ready to conquer or die in thy fame. " Farewell to thee, Hbtwood ! a truer one never " Exercis'd rule o'er the sons of the wave ; " The seamen who served thee, would serve thee for ever, ^ ' : " Who sway'd, but ne'er fetter'd, the hearts of the brave. " Haste home to thy rest, and may comforts enshrine it, " Such comforts as shadow the peace of the bless'd ; " And the wreath thou deserv'st, may Gratitude twine it, *' The band of true seamen thou ne'er hast oppress'd. " Farewell to ye, shipmates, now home is our haven, ** Let our hardships all fade as a dream that is past \ \\ POST-CAPTAINS OF 1803. 797 1 " And be this true toast to Old Montagu giv'n — ' " She was our best ship, and she was our last •." Captain Heywood married, July 31, 1816, Frances, only daughter of Francis Simpson, Esq. of Plean House, Stirling- shire. His only surviving brother, Edwin Holwell Heywood» Esq. is a solicitor at Whitehaven, in Cumberland. Another brother, formerly a Lieutenant, R. M. died in the Hon. E.ist India Company's service, at Madras. SIR MURRAY MAXWELL, Knt. ^ Companion of the Most Honorable Military Order of the Bath ; and Fcllote of the Royal Society. This officer is a nephew of the late Sir William Maxwell, of Monteith, N. B. Bart, whose daughter Jane married Alexander, 4th Duke of Gordon. He commenced his naval career under the auspices of the late Vice-Admiral Sir Samuel Hood ; obtained his first com- mission as a Lieutenant in 1796; and was promoted to the command of the Cyane sloop of war, at the Leeward Islands, in Dec. 1802. The Cyane formed part of Commodore Hood's squadron at the reduction of St. Lucia, June 22, I803j and Captain Maxwell was immediately afterwards appointed to the Cen- taur, a third rate, bearing the broad pendant of his patron, under whom he also served at the capture of Tobago, Deme- rara, and Essequibo, in July and September following. His post commission was confirmed by the Admiralty on the 4th Aug. 1803. Captain Maxwell was subsequently employed in the block- ade of Martinique ; and in April 1804, we find him accompa- nying Commodore Hood and Major-General Sir Charles Green, on an expedition against Surinam, the only colony then possessed by the enemy in Dutch Guiana ; Berbice having surrendered to the British soon after the above men- tioned Batavian settlements. On the 25th April, the Centaur anchored about ten miles from the mouth of the Surinam river ; and the next day a * The above lines were written by one of the Montagu's crew, and sent to Captain Heywood by desire of the whole skip's company. ^ . 796 POST-CAPTAINS OF 1803. I'll 'B division of the army, corainand^d by Brigadier-General Maitlandj was sent under convoy of the Hippomenes cor- vette, to effect a landing at Warappa creek, about thirty miles to the eastward. The object of this operation was to obtain a communication by water with the Commewyne, and to procure a sufficient nuuil>er of plantation boats to transport the troops down that stream, towards its jimction with the Surinam, and thereby facilitate their approach to a position in the rear of Fort New Amsterdam, situated on the conflu- ence of those rivers, and mounting upwards of 80 guns. In order that no time should be lost, preparations were also made for landing a body of troops to take possession of Braam's Point, on which was a battery of seven 18pounders, completely commanding the entrance of the Surinam. Bri- >gadier-General Hughes undertook to superintend this service ; and the wind proving favorable. Captain Edward O'Brien, of the Emerald frigate^ pushed over the bar with the rising tide, and anchored close to the fort, followed by the Pandour troop-ship, and Drake sloop of war. The enemy kept up a brisk fire as the Emerald approached, but it was soon silenced by a few broadsides from that ship and her consorts. A party of the 64th re^ment then landed, and secured forty- five prisoners, three of whom were wounded. In the course of the following day most of the ships were got into the river, but the Centaur was obliged to remain outside, on account of her great draught of water. At this period Captain Maxwell and the Major-General's Aid-de-Camp were sent with a summons to the Dutch Governor, whose answer, conveying a refusal to capitulate, was not received until the morning of the 28th. Commodore Hood, and his military colleague, having previously removed to the Emerald, now used every effort to get up the river before dark ; but owing to the shallowness of the water, that ship was obliged to force her way through the mud, in three feet less water than she drew, and it was not till late at night that she arrived near the lower redoubt, nan>ed Frederici, on which were mounted twelve heavy pieces of cannon. We should here observe, that the Surinam coast is very difficult of approach, being shallow and full of banks : a land- ing is only to be attempted at the top of high water, and at POST-CAPTAINS OF 1803. 799 particular points ; the land is uncleared, and the soil vcry nmrshy ; so that it is impossible for an army to penetrate into the interior, except by the rivers and creeks. The shores on both sides of the Surinam river below Frederici redoubt* with the exception of one spot on the eastern shore, are equally difficult of access, and the enemy, by means of their forts, ships of war, armed merchantmen, and gun-boats, were completely masters of the navigation between Frederici and Paramaribo, the capital of the colony. On the 29th, Lieutenant-Colonel Shipley, of the engineers, went on shore at the above mentioned spot, where a planta- tion had lately been established i and having explored the road through the woods, he reported on his return that a body of men might be condycted from thence to the rear of fort Frederici. In consequence of this information a detach- ment, consisting of 140 soldiers belonging to the 64th regi- ment, and 30 others equipped as pioneers, was placed under the command of Brigadier-General Hughes, who landed about 11 P. M. and immediately commenced his marcli, accompa- nied by Captaiu Maxwell, and 30 seamen under bis orders. A great qujintity 'of rain having recently fallen, it was found that the path, at all times difficulty had become almost impassable; but no obstacle could damp the enterprising spirit of our brave countrymen, who overcame every obstacle, and after a laborious march of five hours, arjlved near the place of their destination. Thq alarm was then given, and the enemy opened a heavy fire of grape-shot upon them whilst forming into columns, previous to their quitting the wood, and of musketry as they advanced to the battery, which was stormed and carried with the greatest intrepidity. Brigadier-General Hughes and Captain Maxwell then moved on to Fort I^eyden, a place of equal strength ; and by a repe- tition of the same impetuous attack, soon obliged the enemy to call for quarter. The nuqiber of prisoners taken on this occasion was 121 ; the remainder of the garriju)ns effected tlieir escape across the Commewyue to Fort New Amsterdam. By this brilliant affair a position was secured, from whence a heavy fire could be directed against fort New Amsterdam ; and a communication with the Gommewyne river being open- ed, the means of fprming a junction with Brigadier-General 800 POST-CAPTAINg OP 1803. M aitland were established. The British at the same time ob- tained possession of the finest part of the colony, abounding with resources of every description. Captain Maxwell's ex- ertions upon this occasion were highly meritorious, and much of the success attending the enterprise may justly be attribut- ed to his animating example. On the same day, April 30, Sir Charles Green received information that Brigadier- General Maitland had effected a landing at the Warappa creek, under the able superintendence of Captain Conway Shipley, commanding the Hippomenes, assisted by Captain Kenneth Mackenzie of the Guachapin, who had with great zeal quitted his sloop fifty leagues to leeward, finding from baffling winds and currents she could not get up, and proceeded with 50 of her crew in boats to aid that part of the army. Under these circumstances no time was lost in disembark- ing the remainder of the troops, about 1000 in number, at fort Leyden, and pushing them on by the north bank of the ■ Commewyne, to meet the others on their passage down that river. The artillery, stores, and provisions, were at the same time conveyed by boats ; and an armed flotilla established in the Commewyne by the indefatigable exertions of the navy *. On the 3d May Brigadier-General Maitland, having taken possession of the enemy's post at Warappa creek, after a short resistance, and with great diligence procured a num- ber of boats to convey his corps, appeared coming down the river in very good order, and landed at a plantation on the south side, where he was soon joined by part of the forces from the opposite bank. This desirable object being effected, and the enemy's com- munication cut off by the activity of the ships' boats, the army being on the advance, and every preparation made by the squadron for attacking fort New Amsterdam, the Ba- tavian Commandant thought proper to send out a flag of truce, with proposals to surrender on terms of capitulation. The negociations for that purpose were conducted on the part of the British by Captain Maxwell and Lieutenant-Colonel * The flotilla was commanded by Captain Charles Richardson, of the Alligator troop-ship, whose conduct and exertions throughout the cam- paign are very highly spoken of in the public despatches. POST-CAPTAINS OV 1803. 801 Shipley, and at 5 P. M. on the 5th May, the fortress was taken possession of by an advanced corps under Brigadier- General Maitland. The valutble colony of Surinam was thus added to the British dominions : a frigate of 32 eighteen-pounders, a corvette mounting 18 guns, and all the other national vessels in the rivers, were liltewise surrendered. The total number of prisoners taken, exclusive of the staff and civilians, was 2001 ; the loss sustained by the English amounted to no more than 8 killed and 21 wounded; 5 of the former and 8 of the latter were naval officers and seamen. We shall close our account of this conquest with an extract from Sir Charles Green's official report to Earl Camden, dated " Paramaribo, May 13, 1804 :" " In all conjunct expeditions the zealous co-operation of the navy be- comes of the most essential importance ; but such is the peculiar nature of the military positions in this country, that our success depended chiefly upon tlteir exertion^, no movements bein^ possibly made without their as- sistance. It is therefore incumbent on me to bear my sincere testimony to the cordial, zealous, and able support the army has received from Com- modore Hood, and all the Captains and other officers of the squadron under his command, which must ever be remembered with gratitude. Captain Maxwell, of the Centaur, having been more particularly attach- ed to the troops under my immediate command on shore, I am bound to notice his spirited and exemplary behaviour." Captain Maxwell returned to England with the Commo- dore's despatches in June, 1804 ; and we subsequently find him commanding the Centaur as a private ship on the Ja- maica station, where he removed into the Galatea frigate in the summer of 1805. His next appointment was to the Alceste of 46 guns, formerly la Minerve, one of the frigates ' captured by part of a squadron under Sir Samuel Hood, in Sept. 1806 •. On the 4th April, 1808, Captain Maxwell being off Cadiz with the Mercury 28, and Grasshopper brig under his orders, observed a fleet of Spanish vessels coming along shore from the northward, under the protection of about twenty gun- boats, and a formidable train of flying artillery. On their arrival off Rota he stood in with his little squadron, and com- menced a vigorous attack upon them, which continued from '■-..■•iKii^ '.'- . > u'n.' • Sec Vol. I, p. 570. 802 i»ost.cAPTAli<is OP 18()3. 4 o'clock until &" 30' P. M. when two of the fldtlUu being destroyed, the remainder obliged to retreat, the batte- ries at Rota silenced, and many of the merchantmen driven on shore, tiie boats of the frigates were sent in under the directions of Lieutenant Allan Stewart, who boarded and brought off siBven tartans, loaded with valuable Jihip timber, from undier the very itiuz^les of thfe enemy's guns, althougli supported by numerous armed barges and pinnaces sent from Cadiz to assist in their defence. This spirited service was performed in the teeth of eleven French and Spanish line-of- battle ships then lyitig ready for sea, and must therefore be considered as reflfecting the highest credit on Captain Max - well and his brave Companions, whose situation during the action was rather a critical one, as the wind blew dead iipon the shore, and the ships were compelled to tack every fifteen minutes, in order to avoid the dangerous shoals near Itota. The loss sustained by the British was confined to the Grasshopper, whose noble conduct will be mote particularly notieed in our membir of her commahder, the present Captain Thomas Searle, C. B. Subsequent to this event Captain Maxwell was actively employed on the coast of Italy, where he assisted at the destruction of several armed vessels and martello towers, as also in bringing off a large quantity of timber from a dep6t belonging to the enemy at Tfcrracina. On the 22d May, 1810, a party from the Alceste landed near Ffejus, stormed a battery of two 24-pounder8j spiked the guns, broke the carriages, blew up the magazine, and threw the shot into the sea. A few days afterwards her boats attacked a Frerich convoy bound to the eastward, captured four vessels laden with merchandise, drove two others on shore, and obliged the remainder to put back. In the ensuing autumn Captain Maxwell was attached to the inshore squadron oflF Toulon j and in the spring of 181 1 we find him cruizing on the coast of Istria, under the orders of Captain (now Sir James) Brisbaue, to whose tnemoir wc must refer our readers for an account of the destruction of a French national brig in the small harbour of Parenza, by the Belle PouJc and Alceste, on which occasion each ship had POST.CAPTAINS OF 1803. 803 two men killed and the same nmnber wounded *. The ac- tion afterwards fought in the Adriatic by a squadron under the command of Captain Maxwell, is thus described by him in his public letter to the senior officer on that station, dated off Lissa, Dec. 1, 1811. " Sir, — H. M. ships tuidei- toy orders having heen driven frcin their an- chorage before Lu^na, by strong gales, had taken shelter in Lissa, when the telegraph on Whitby hill signalized " three Suspicidus sail south." The Alceste, Active, and tJoitd were warped out of Port St. George the moment a strong EL N. E. wind would permit ; and on the evening of the 28th ultimo, off the south end of Lissa, I met with LieUten&nt M'Dougal, of his Majesty's ship Uuitd, who, with a judgment and zeal which do him infinite credit, had put back, when on his voyage to Alalta in « neu- tral, to acquaint me lie had seen thrfee French frigates forty miles to the southward. All sail wAS no\V carried in chase, and at 9 A. M. on the 29th, the enemy were seen off the island of Augusta : he formed in line upon the larboard tack, and stood towards Us for a short time ; but finding H. M. ships bear up under all sail, in close lifle abreast, he also bore op to the N. W. and set studding-sails. At 1 1 the rear ship separated, and stood to the N. E.^ I immediately detached the Unit^ after her, and Captain Chamberlayne'a report to me of the result I have the honor to enclose f. At l^2(y P. M. the Alceste commenced action with the other two, by en- gaging the rearmost in passing to get at the Commodore ; but an unlucky shot soon afterwards bringing down our main-top-mast, we imavoidably dropped a little astern : cheers of ' Vive I'Empereur ' resounded from both ships ; they thought the day their own, not aware of what a second I had in my gallant friend. Captain Gordon, who pushed the Active np under every sail, and brought the sternmoat to action, within pistol-shot ; the headmost then shortened sail, tacked, and stood for the Alceste, which, though disabled in her masts, I trust he experienced was not so in her guns. After a warm conflict of two hours and twenty miirates the French • See Vol. n. Part I. p. 408. t Captain Chamberlayne reports the capttu'e of la Peraanne, a French store-ship, mounting 26 uinc-pounders, with a complement of 190 men, having in her hold 120 iron guns and several pieces of brass ordnance. She kept up a running fight from noon till 4 P. M. and did not surrender whilst the least chance remained of escaping from her very superior opponent. The Unitd was much cut up in her masts, yards, sails, and rigging, by a galling fire from the Frenchman's stcrn-chusers, but fortu- nately only one of her crew was wounded. The enemy, whose masterly manoBUvres and persevering resistance reflect great credit on her comman. der, Mons. Satic, had 2 men killed and 4 wounded. La Pcrsannc, be- ing found unfit for the British navy, wa4 sold at Malta to an agent of the Tunisian gov rnmcut, fur 15,5(KV. 804 POST-CAPTAINS OF 1803. Commodore made off to the westward, which, from my crippled state, I was unable to prevent. The other surrendered, after i)eiii^ totally dis- masted, with five feet water in her hold, and proved to be la Pomoiie, of 44 guns and 322 men, commanded by Captain Rosamel, who fought hi» ship with a degree of skill and bravery that has obtained for him the re- spect and esteem of his opponents. The other was la Pauline, of similar force, commanded by Mons. Montford. They were from Corfu, going to join the squadron at Trieste *. The Alceste had 20 killed and wounded. Active 35, and Pomone 50 ; and it is with poignant regret I in- form you, that Captain Gordon has lost a leg ; but, thank God, be is doing well. His merits as an officer I need not dwell upon; they are known to his country, and he.lives in the hearts of all who have the happi- ness to know him. His first Lieutenant, William Dateman Dashwood, lost his arm soon after he was wounded, and the ship was fought by Lieu- tenant George Haye, in a manner that reflects the highest honor upon him : his services before had frequently merited and obtained the highest appro- bation and strong recommendation of his Captain,, who also speaks in the warmest praise of acting Lieutenant Moriarty; Mr. Lothian, the Master; Lieutenant Meers, R. M. ; and every officer, seaman, and marine under his command. " Although our success was not so complete as I trust it would have been could the Alceste have taken up her intended position alongside la Pauline, instead of that ship, from the fall of our topmast, being ena- bled to manoeuvre and choose her distance, I feel it my duly to state, that every officer and man here behaved most gallantly. I was most ably as- sisted on the quarter-deck by my first Lieutenant, Andrew Wilson : and Mr. Howard Moore, the Master : the main-deck guns were admirably di- rected by Lieutenant James Montagu and Mr. James Adair, acting in the place of Lieutenant Hickman, left at Lissa with the gun-boats f. In justice to two very deserving officers. Lieutenant Miller, R. M., of the Active, and Lieutenant Lloyd, R.. M. of the Alceste, it is necessary to mention that they were ashore with most of their respective parties at Camesa castle and Hostc's islands, for the defence of Lissa, hourly threat- • La Pomone had in her hold 42 iron guns, 9 brass ditto, and 220 iron wheels for gun-carriages. She was one of the largest class of French fri- gates, and had been built by the citizens of Genoa for that nautical mush- room, Jerome Buonaparte, to whom she was presented on his obtaining the rank of u Captain in the imperial marine. t Lieutenant John Collman Hickman, 1 midshipman, and 30 seamen, were left in three prize vessels for the protection of the island against the designs of Marshal Bertrand, the Alceste having also left behind 1 lieu- tenant, 1 Serjeant, 2 corporals, and 48 privates of the royal marines, had on board only 218 officers and men. The Active was e«|ually short of complement. For farther particulars of the action, see Captain !Sir James Alexander Gordon, K. C. B. POST-CAPTAINS OF 1803. 805 cned with an attack from the enemy, assembled in great force at Lesina. «•«•••«• I ijjjyg t]|g honor to be, &c. (Signed) " Murray Maxwell." ** To Captain Rowley, H. M. S. Eagle, Senior officer of the Adriatic squadron.'" We now lose sight of Captain Maxwell till July 2, 1813, when he had the misfortune to be wrecked in the Deedalus frigate, on a shoal near Ceylon, whilst convoying a fleet of Indiamen to Madras. In. Oct. 1815, he was re-appointed to the Alceste, at the particular request of Lord Amherst, who was then about to proceed on an embassy to China, the result of which is so well known as to render any remarks in this place superfluous. The Alceste sailed from Spithead Feb. 9, 1816, touched at Madeira, Rio Janeiro, the Cape of Good Hope, Anjere, and Batavia ; entered the China sea by the straits of Banca ; com- municated with Canton ; passed through the straits of For- mosa, into the Tung-Hai, or Eastern Sea, and finally anchor- ed in the gulf of Pe-tche-lee, on the 28th July, after a passage of only 15 days from the neighbourhood of Macao. Her consort, the Lyra brig, commanded by Captain Basil Hall, had previously been despatched thither to announce the ap- proach of the embassy. V'f.' •;?-•.' ;w.i iM 7^'. I Lord Amherst having landed at the mouth of the Pei-ho river on the 9th Aug. and it being certain that several months must elapse before his Excellency could return from Pekin to Canton, the place where he intended to re-embark for Eng- land, Captain Maxwell determined to employ the interval in examining some parts of the different coasts in that unfre- quented portion of the globe. The first object which seems to have attracted his attention was to obtain a complete knowledge of the gulf of Pe-tche-lee ; and for this purpose he took to himself the northern part, assigning the southern to Captain Hall, and so directing the return of the General Hewitt as to enable her commander to explore the central passage *. The course taken by the Alceste led to a partial survey of the gulph of Leo-tong, never before visited by any European * The General Hewitt, Indiaman, Captain Walter Campbell, had been taken up by the Hon. Court of Directors, for the conveyance of the pre^ aents intended for the Emperor of Clihia. . ' ' ,< VOL. II. 3 o ' i\ u i! ' '' pi 806 J»0ST-C^PTAINS OF 1803. sfhlp. In coasting along the western shore, a view xvas ob- tained of the Great Wall of China, extending its vast, hut un- availing defences, over the summits and along the skirts of hills and mountains. Stretching across to the opposite shore, she anchored, and completed her water, in a commodious bay, situated in lat. 39» 33' N., long. 121° 19' E. From thence Captain Maxwell proceeded to the southward until he reached the extreme Tartat pomt of the gulf; and then, steering in the same direction, passed through a cluster of islands, named by him the Company's Groupe, whicli, with those at Mee-a-tau, may be said to divide the Yellow Sea from the gulf of Pe-tche-lee. He then stood to the eastward, and put into Ghe-a-tow bay, oil the coast of Shan-tung, where he found the General Hewitt, and was soon after joined by Captain Hal], who had kept the coast of China in sight as much as possible, and obtained a complete knowledge of that pari of the gulf lying between the Pei-ho nd the p ace of rendezvous. Had Captain Maxwell sailed from hence to Chu-san, and there awaited the change of the monsoon, any expectations originally formed by him would have been more than grati- fied by the result of this hasty survey : little, indeed, could lie have anticipated the further extension and increased im- portance of discoveries that awaited him. Leaving the G«nelral Hewitt to complete the ulterior ob- jects of her voyage, the Alceste aAd I^yra sailed from Che-a- tow bay on the 29th Aug, and proceeded to examine the •S. W. coast of Corea, wh«P6 they had some interesting com- munications with the natives, who appear to have been pre- vented by the strict orders of their government from encou- raging an intercourse, which, if liberated from this restraint,, their inclinations would have led them to cultivate. The re- eeardies of Captain Maxwell in this quarter enabled him to .rectify an euof mous geographical etror respecting the penin- jpula of Corea, and rewal the existence of myriads of islands, forming an archipelago, a fact before unknown and unsus- pected. It is to be remarked, that the Lion, of 64 gims, employed to convey Lord Macartney, the former Ambassa- dor, was the only ship wliich had ever before penetrated into the gulph of Petclie-lec ; but her commander, Sir Erasiiius w .K .au7 I i*OST- CAPTAINS OF 180S. m Giower, kept tlic coast of China aboard only, and neither touched at the Tartar nor Corean side. Cooke, Perouse, Brdughton, and others, had well defined the bounds on the eastern coast of this country, but the western had been laid down by the Jesuits in their map, from Chinese accounts and their own Imaginations only ^. Having thus materially benefited nautical science. Cap- tains Maxwell and Hall visited the Great Loo-Choo island, anchoring in Napa^kiang roads on the 16th Sept. The na- tives at first shewed the same disinclination to intercourse as those of Corea, and it required great discretion and mildness to produce a contrary feeling. In this object, however, they succeeded. The judicious forbearance manifested by them on their first arrival secured the favorable opinion, and disarmed the jealousy of the public authorities ; whilst their uniform kindness of manner won the general regard of this truly ami* able people, from whom they received the moat liberal as* sistancc and friendly treatment, during a stay of six weeks ; at the end of which time their separation took place, under circumstances of mutual esteem and regret. Whetlier the Loo-Choo islands can be rendered either of political or com- mercial utility, may deserve consideration ; and looking to the possibility of the question being decided in the af&rmative, the information thus obtained respecting them, and the favor- able impression produced, must be deemed both interesting and important*)*, 'r-'ptr'tl-u' s-jr-T' *,//?! ;'»•>•['••'» r - •' ,«/ .; '■ Returning from Loo-Choo, the Alceste and Lyra passed the Pa-tchou islands, and the south end of Formosa, crossed I , * Captaia Maxwell fuuud the main land of Gorca from 100 to 130 miles farther to the castvvard thau his charts led him to believe. t Captain Hall, on his return to England, published a very intercsthjg' narrative of the " Foyagc to Corea, and the island of Loo-Choo." This work he dedicated to Sir Murray Maxwell, " to whose al)ility in conduct- ing the voyage, zeal in giving encouragement to every inquiry, sagacity in discovering the disposition of the natives, and address in gaining their con- fidence and good will," he attributes " whatever may be found interesting" m his pages. The first edition of Captun Hall's publication, whicli gives a full account of the voyage to Corea and Loo-Choo, is divi<lcd into a Narrative, an Ap- pendix, containing charts and various nautical and scientific notices, and a Vocabulary of tlie Loo-Choo language. The jccond edition is confined to 3g 2 808 POST-CAPTAINS OF 1803. the straits in very boisterous weather, and arrived off Lin-tiii on the 2d day of November. ;•»•.' ; '' , . .^ Captain Maxwell now lost no tinte in applying to the Viceroy of Canton, through the local authorities, for a pass to carry the Alceste up the Tigris, to a secure anchorage, where she could undergo some necessary repairs. Evasion after evasion, accompanied by insulting messages, were the only proofs that he obtained of his application having been received. He therefore determined to proceed without permis- sion ; but had scarcely approached the narrow entrance of the river, when an inferior mandarin came on board, and desired, in a high and domineering tone, that the ship should be di- rectly anchored ; stating, that if Captain Maxwell presumed to pass the Bocca, the batteries would instantly sink her. Fully satisfied that the tame submission of others had only added to the arrogance, and fostered the insolence of the Chinese — convinced also, that the petty tyrant who attempted to dishonour his country's flag would not respect the person of her Ambassador the more on account of his forbearance. Captain Maxwell calmly told the mandarin that he would first pass the batteries, and then hang him at the yard-arm for daring to come off with so impudent a message. His boat was then cut adrift, and himself taken into custody. ' Orders were now given for the Alceste to be steered close under the principal fort. On her approach the batteries and seventeen or eighteen war-junks endeavoured to make good the threat, by opening a heavy, though ill-directed fire. The return of a single shot silenced the flotilla; and one broadside, poured in with three hearty cheers, proved quite sufficient for her more formidable opponent. The other batteries being soon after quieted, the Alceste proceeded without further molestation to the second bar, and subsequently to Whampoa, at which latter place she remuned until the arrival of Lord Amherst and his suite, in Jan. 1817. • '• •. ' ■ • The effects of Captain Maxwell's decisive conduct was soon evinced by the anival of all kinds of '•"pnlies to his frigate^ the narrative alone, to the exclusion of all technical and other details, not calculated to interest the fireueral reader. The former is a 4to. voIuok^ price 21. 2« —the latter, contaioinir four plates, and a general chart show- ing the track of the Alceste and Lyra, is a snoall 8vo. price 7<. 6(/> I»OST-CAPTAINS OF 1803. 809 and a cargo to the General Hewitt, before withheld on the plea of her being required to carry back the tribute which she had brought from England to the celestial empire : also by the publication of an edict *, endeavouring to make the atfair at the Bocca Tigris appear to the natives as a mere salute, or ** ching-chinning" ceremony, although the report of their loss, promulgated previous to this official fabrication, stated it to be 47 killed, and many others " spoiled," (wounded), which probably was near the truth, as the Chi- nese warriors stood rather thick in the batteries, and the Al- ceste's 32-pounder carronades were well loaded with grape. It likewise came to pass, that the viceroy thought proper to send down a high mandarin, attended by one of the hong, or security merchants, to wait upon Captain Maxwell, welcome him into the river, and compliment him with all possible po- liteness ! Lord Amherst having re-embarked, the Alceste sailed from Whampoa, on the 21st Jan. 1817 ; exchanged friendly salutes >vith the guardians of the Bocca Tigris ; touched at Macao, and Manilla; rounded the numerous clusters of rocks and shoals lying to the westward of the Philippines, and to the N. W. of Borneo ; and then shaped a course for the Straits of Caspar, which she entered soon after day-light on the 18th of February. The morning was fine, the wind fresh and favourable, and the Alceste moving rapidly through the water ; every appear- ance promised a rapid passage into the Java sea, for which Captain Maxwell, who had been on deck the whole of the preceding night, was steering the course laid down in the most approved charts, and recommended by the sailing direc- tions in his possession, when the ship struck against a sunken rock, three miles distant from Pulo Leat, or Middle Island, and having grated over it for a few seconds, took a slight heel to starboard, and became immoveable. The rapidity of her motion at the instant of striking, rendered it highly pro- bable that she had received serious injury ; and every doubt on this subject was soon removed by the appearance of her • The word " edict" appears to be applied by the Chinese to any piece of common information, whether it is from the Emperor, or has the forctt •f a law, or not. (I ' ^ i 8M) POST-CAPTAINS OF 1803. false keel floating alongside j and the report of the car- penter, wlio stated that the water in the hold had increased from 2^ to 7 feet, and that it was gaining rapidly on the pumps. ' The sails, which had at first been thrown a-back, were now furled, and the best-bower anchor was dropped, to keep her fast, from the apprehension, if she went off the rock, of her instantly sinking. At this alarming crisis, not the slightest confusion or irregularity occurred : every necessary order was iis coolly given, and as steadily obeyed, as if nothing unusual had happened ; every one did his duty calmly, diligently, and effectually. The boats being hoisted out, Lord Amherst and the gentle- men of his suite, within half an hour after the striking of the ship, were in the barge, and making for the nearest part of the above-mentioned desert island. After leaving the Alceste,. they saw more accurately the dangerous nature of her situ- ation. The rock on which she had struck was distinctly seen from the boat, extending oidy a few yards from her. Beyond, the water was dark and de^ for neai'ly half a mile ; it then became so shallow, that the beautiful but fatal coral was continually seen as they approached the shore. When about r mile from Pulo Leat, rocks, covered by not more than from one to three feet water, surrounded them on all sides.. The barge struck several times, but was saved from any seri- ous accident by the t^ill of Lieutenant Hoppner, who com-; maiided her. After soling or rowing for about an hour, they gained what had appeared from the ship to be land covered with wood, but to their mortification discovered nothing but insulated masses of granite, interspersed with mangrove trees growing in the water. Being now joined by a cutter, with the servants of the embassy, and part of the guard, they proceeded along shore in quest of a more convenient place for debarkation. Several creeks, which seemed to penetrate in- land, were in vain explored ; they all terminated in deep swamps* Similar attempts were reiterated, till anlxiety to send back the boats determined his Excellency to land on the first rocks which should be found sufficiently large or nume- rous for the reception of the party. This intention was at length effected in a small bay, where the rocks were so »'» POST-CAPTAINS OF 1803. S\\ mingled with the trees as to aiford firm hand-hold. The boat<i were then immediately despatched to assist in bringing on shore whatever could be sa,ved from the wreck. A more con- venient landing place being subsequently discovered near an eminence on which an encampment might be formed> the whole party removed thither, leaving a marine behind to communicate with the boats as they successively approached the shore, , , ^ .. :...-. The heat of the day as it advanced, and the exertions of the men in clearing the ground, for the reception of persons aiid baggage, produced great thirst, and rendered it necessary to, search for water, of which none had been brought on shore, except a very small quantity collected from the dripstones oil, deck. A search for this purpose was conducted in several di- rections without success ; and night coming on, it was relin- quished in the hopes of better fortune on the morrow. During the whole day, and till a late hour in the evening, the boats^ were constantly employed conveying articles from the wreck, and towing ashore a raft on which had been placed the bag- gage, stores, and a small supply of provisions, rescued with much labour and difficulty, under the superintendence of Captain Maxwell, whose exertions and self possession were most highly spoken of by all his fellow-suiferers. Towards midnight, as the tide rose, the swell of the sea lifted the ship from the rock, and dashed her on it again witb such violence, as to render it necessary for the top-maots to be cut away. In doing this, two men were very severely bruised. The following morning. Captain Maxwell landed * 5 and after consulting with Lord Amherst, it was determined that his Excellency, and the gentlemen of the embassy, should proceed without delay to Batavia in the barge, with a picked crew, commanded by the junior Lieutenant (Mr. Hoppner) : one of the cutters was also prepared to accompany them, for the purpose of assisting in case of attack or accident. The master of the Alceste was sent on board the latter to navigate the boats. At this season there was no probability pf the * The water had by this time risen to the main-deck from below -, and was beating over it through the starboard ports as the ship lay on her beam ends. 812 POST-CAPTAINS OF 1803. passage to fiatavia exceeding 60 hours^ the distance being only 197 miles ; the inconvenience to which his Excellency would be subjected was, consequently, very limited in dura- tion ; and much additional expedition in the despatch of relief might be expected from his personal exertions at Bata- via. The stock of liquors and provisions furnished to the boats was necessarily very small) and only sufficient on very short allowance to support existence for four or five days ; only seven gallons of water could be spared for the whole party, consisting of 47 persons ; but they were fortunately visited by a heavy fall of rain on the day after their departure, which more than supplied the place of what had already been expended. The following extracts from " Ellis's Journal,*'* contain a rapid outline of subsequent occurrences, which the interesting narrative of the late Dr. M' Leod, Surgeon of the Alceste, have rendered a more detailed account of unne- cessary. " The boats left the island on the evening of the 19th, and after what may be considered a tedious passage, made Carawang Point on the evening of the 22d, to the great joy of all on board, and to the relief of the crews, who were beginning to sink under the continued exertion of rowing, and the privations to which all were equally subjected. It was judged advisable by Mr. Mayne, the Master, to come-to for the night, as well to rest the men, as from a consideration that little advantage could be derived from reaching the roads before dayligkt,. During the night, one of the sailors suffered from temporary delirium, caused, no doubt, by a want of sufficient fluid aggravated, however, by large draughts of salt water, from which no injunctions or entreaties could induce some of the crew to desistf. All the provisions and liquors were distributed during the passage with the most scrupulous equality ^ if ever a difference was made, it was in favour of the men. Messrs. Hoppner and Cooke X, and some of the other gentlemen, occasionally relieved the men at the oars ; and, on the whole, it may be said, that as the danger and difficulty were common, the privations and fa- tigue were not less so. " The boats had advanced but a short distance towards the roads on the * Henry Ellis, Esq. Third Commissioner of the Embassy. t " Salt water," says Dr. M'Leod, " although an article of Materia Medica iu very extensive use, has never been known to take the direction of the head." X Lieutenant J. (Jooke, R.M. commauded the Ambassador's guard of honor during his travels through China, and was now sent with 7 marines to assist in protecting his Excellency in case of the boats being attacked by pirates between Pulo Leat and Batavia. iili^ll POST-CAFfAIXS O. 18UJ. 813 , the .uid on > Bata- morning of the 23(], when one of the sailoi , in washin, lU face ov«r the side of the barj^e, discovered that the water was fresh, 'i le di8iM)v ^ooo became general, and, although the circumstance was much lufr exultation of all on board almost equalled that of the ten tbr catching the first glimpse of the sea ; for the conscious proximity via had not carried such complete conviction of the termination of uur trou- bles, as the unexpected abundance of fresh water. It w^ soon ascertained that we were opposite the mouth of a river, and that the flowing in of the stream freshened the sea-water for a considerable distance*. The sailors pulled with renewed vigour, and we got alongside the Princess Charlotte, an English merchant ship, soon after ten o'clock. " Letters were immediately sent by his Excellency to the Dutch Gover- nor and to Mr. Fendall, whom, with the other British Commissioners, we were fortunate enough to find still on the island f. All parties were alike zealous to afford every assistance to those who had arrived, and to send re- lief to the larger body that had remained behind. The East India Com- pany's cruiser, Ternate, was luckily in the roads, and that vessel, together >vith the Princess Charlotte, were got ready for sea by the next morning, when they sailed for Pulo Lcat. The sincere friendship I felt for Captain Maxwell, and my regard for the officers of the Alceste generally, had led mc to promise, on leaving thera, that I would return with the first succours ; and I was happy to have an early opportunity of redeeming my pledge, by embarking on board the Ternate. " This vessel, owing to the skill and unremitting attention of Captain Davison, succeeded in reaching an anchorage 12 miles distant from the nearest point of Pulo Lcat, on the 3d of March. She was unable to ap- proach nearer, from the strength of the current rendering it impracticable to work against the wind, then also unfavourable. On coming to an an- chor we observed a fleet of Malay proas, or pirate boats, off the extremity of the island, in the act of precipitately getting under weigh, evidently alarmed by our arrival ; the circumstance increased our anxiety for the situation of our companions, whose discomfort, if not sufferings, must have been aggravated by the presence of a barbarous enemy. Indeed, under every view of the case, it was impossible not to feel the most serious ap- prehensions as to what might be their actual condition. When we left them their whole stock of provisions did not exceed one week at full allowance ; only two casks of water had been saved ; and though on digging to the depth of 12 feel a prospect existed of obtaining water by further perseverance, it had not then actually been realized, much less its quality ascertained. Should sickness have appeared amongst them, the total want of comfort, or even protection from the inclemency of the weather, combined with the • " We were now opposite the Carawang river, whose waters, from their lower specific gravity, rolled on the surface of the sea." yide " Abel's Narrative," p. 260. t The Alceste took out duplicate despatches, ordering the British troops to evacuate Java. v. I I!:i I 814 rOST-CAPTAINS OK 1803. deficiency of medical stores, must have rendered its progress inost destruc- tive. Fourteen days liad now elapsed, and the evils under which they were likely to suffer were certain to increase in intensity from the mere daily continuance. The firmness and commanding character of Captain Max- well were sufficient security for the maintenance of discipline ; but even upon this head it was difficult to be wholly without alarm. " Soon after sunset our anxiety was relieved by the arrival of a boat with Messrs. Sykes and Abbot on board ; from them we learnt that water had been procured from two wells, in sufficient quantity for the general consumption. Only one casualty had occurred, and that too in the person of a marine, who had landed in a state of hopeless debility*. The Malay proas had made their appearance on the 22d February, and had been daily increasing in numbers. The first Lieutenant (Hickman) and a de- tachment of the crew had, in consequence of their approach, been obliged to abandon the ship, and another raft that had been constructed. The pi- rates had subsequently set fire to the wreck, which had burnt to the water's edge. Supplies of provisions, liquors, and arms had, however, been ob- tained from it. The creek, where the boats of the ship were laid up, had been completely blockaded by the proas, sixty in number, carrying from 8 to 12 men each, until the appearance of the Ternate, when they had all hastened awayf. " Captain Maxwell had carried his intention into effect of establishing himself on the top of a hill near the landing-place. Dy cutting down trees and clearing the underwood, an open space had been obtained sufficient for the accommodation of the crew, and the reception of the stores and bag- gage. The trees and underwood cut down had furnished materials for de- fences, capable of resisting a sudden attack from an enemy unprovided with artillery ; platforms had been erected at the most commanding points, and a tcrre pletne of some yards extent had been formed immediately without * This poor fellow had contracted a liver complaint in Chitia, wUilst ac- companying the Ambassador as one of his guard. The only tVmg he com- plained of ill his enfeebled state, n:as his inability to turn out and face the Malays with his comrades. Another man, who was a foreigner, and a very troublesome character, thouglit proper to leave his shipmates on the third day after they landed, saying, he considered himself free from the English service after the frigate was wrecked. He may have been bitten by a ser- pent in the woods, and died there, or hv^ve. fallen into the hands of the sa- vages i but he was never afterwards heard of. See M'Leod's Voyage, p. 272, f On the 26th May, Lieutenant Hay, in the second barge, pursued two proas, one of which he came up with, and was on the point of board- ing, when she sunk with 4 of her crew. The remaining six swam with great dcxtprity, and refiising quarter, continued to fight with their spears until quite exhausted, when two of them dived and were seen no more. The others were taken prisopers, but two died soon after they had been dragged into tlie boat. POST-CAPTAINS OK 1803. 815 the defences to prevent surprise ; some hundred rounds of ball cartridge hud l)cca lijude up and distributed to the men with the small arms : pike», however, some of bamboo with the ends pointed and hardened in the fire, were tiic weapons of the majority. None had been exempted from their share of guard-duty, nor had the slightest want of inclination been maui- fested ; in fact the wise arrangements and personal character of Captain Maxwell, white they liad really given security, had inspired proportionate confidence ; and it might safely be asserted that an attack from the Malays was rather wished for than feared. " On the evening preceding our arrival. Captain Maxwell had addressed the men upon their actual situation, the dangers of which he did not en- deavour to conceal, but at the same time he pointed out the best means of averting them, and inculcated the necessity of union, steadiness, and discir pline. His address was received with three cheers, which were repeatetl by the party on guard over the boats, and every heart and hand felt nerved to ' do or die*.' The appearance of theTernate, however, prevented this des- perate trial of their courage being made. We may attribute the precipitate retreat of the Malays to their habitual dread of a square-rigged vessel, and their not considering the actual circumstances of the case, which rendered the Ternate almost useless for the purposes of assisting the party on shore, the anchorage being too distant to allow of any effective co-operation. . ; " My expectations of the security of the position were more than rea^ iized when I ascended the hill ; the defences were only pervious to a spear, and the entrances were of such difficult access, and so comniaudcd, that many an assailant must have fallen before the object could be effecteC Participation of privation, and e(]ual distribution of comfort, had lightened the weight of suffering to all; and I found the universal sentiment to be ah enthusiastic admiration of the temper, energy, and arrangements of Cap>' tain Maxwell. No man ever gained more in the estimation of his comrade^ by gallantry in action, than he had done by his conduct on this trying oc- casion : his look was confidence, and his orders were felt to be security. " The next and part of the following day were employed in embarking the crew and remaining stores on board the Ternate. We sailed in the af- ternoon of the 7th, and reached Batavia on the evening of tlie 9th. The Princess Oarlotte, from inferiority of sailing and other adverse cir?- cumstances, did not reach the Straits of Caspar till the 17th, and was the^ obliged to come-to at a much greater distance from the island than the Ternate had done. " His Excellency and Captain Maxwell having deemed it adviseable to combine the conveyance of the embassy with that of the officers and crew of the Alceste to England, the ship Caesar was taken up for those purposes; and all the necessary arrangements being completed, we sailed from Batih via Roads on the morning of the 12th April, and anchored m Siipon's Buy, after a voyage of 45 days." . - ;,,.,. • . . »r '< I . ■ For Captain Maxwell's speech, sec " M'Lcod's k'oyage," p, 255, 816 POST-CAPTAINS OF 1803. • ," On his passage home Captain Maxwell had an interview with Napoleon Buonaparte, who remembered that he had commanded at the capture of la Pomone, and said to him " Fbus etiez tres mechant — Eh, bien ! your goverment must not blame you for the loss of the Alceste, for you have taken one of my frigates*." That his government had no cause to censure him will be seen by the decision of a Court-Martial^ held on board the Queen Charlotte at Portsmouth, in August, 1817:— '* The Court is of opinion that the loss of H. M. late ship Alceste, was caused by her striking on a sunken rock, until then unknown, in the straits of Caspar. That Captain Murray Maxwell, previous to the circumstance, appears to have conducted himself in the most zealous and officer-like nian< ner; and, after the ship struck, his coolness, self-collection, and exertions, were highly conspicuous ; and that every thing was done by him and his officers within the power of man to execute, previous to the loss of the ship, and aftenrarda to preserve the lives of the Right Hon. Lord Amherst, H. M. Ambassador, and his suite, aa well as those of the ship's company, and to save her stores on that occasion ; the Court, therefore, adjudge the said Captain Murray Maxwell, his officers and men, to be mo»t fully acquitted." Amongst the witnesses examined on this occasion was Lord Amherst, who stated " that he had selected Captain Maxwell, on the occasion of the embassy, from motives of personal friendship, as well as from the high opinion he en- tertained of his professional character, which opinion hud been much increased by the events of the voyage." Captain M:ixwell was nominated a C. B. in 1815, and re- ceived the honor of knighthood on the 27th May, 1818. At the general election in the same year he stood as a candi- date for the city of Westminster, and sustained severe per- sonal injury from the vile rabble with which the hustings in Covent Garden is on such occasions surrounded. On the 20th May, 1819, the Hon. £ast India Company presented him with the sum of 1500/. for the services rendered by him to the embassy, and as a remuneration for the loss he sus- tained on his return from China. He was appointed to the Bulwark, a third-rate, bearing the flag of Sir Benjamin Hal- lowell, at Chatham, in June, 1821; and removed to the Briton frigate, on the 28th Nov. 1822. He is at present cm- ployed on the South Americau station. ■ Sec '• 3/'Z,m/'* /%f/^c," p. 32(). POST-CAPTAINS OP 1803. 817 Sir Murray is one of nine brothers, six of whom, besides himself, devoted themselves to their country's service. Two, Keith and John, were brought up in the navy : the former died a Post-Captain, and the latter has also obtained that rank. • .. Agent. — Sir Francis Ommanney, M. P. ; j i-; CHARLES MARSH SCHOMBERG, Esq. A Companion of the Most Honorable Military Order of the Bath ; and Knight Commander of the Royal Portuguese Order of the Totter and Sword. This officer is the youngest son of the late Sir Alexander Schomberg, Knt. by Mary Susannah Arabella, daughter of the Rev. Chalmers, and niece of Sir Alleyn, Knt. He was born at Dublin, and entered the navy as a Mid- shipman, on board the Dorset yacht, commanded by his father, the last 32 years of whose life was spent in attendance upon the different Viceroys of Ireland, from one of whom he received the honor of knighthood, in 1777*. At the commencement of the French revolutionary war, Mr. Charles M. Schomberg entered into active service, under * Sir Alexander Schomberg obtained the rank of Lieutenant, Dec. II. 1747 ; and was made a Post-Captain, into the Richmond frigate, April 5, 17^7' He commanded the Diana of 32 guns, at the reduction of Quebec, in 1759, [See note at p. 4,] and greatly distinguished himself during the siege of that important fortress by a FVench army, under Mons. Levi, in May 1760. The enemy being repulsed in their attempt to recover possession of Que- bec, Captain Schomberg was selected by Lord Colville, the naval com- mander-in-chief, to carry home the tidings of their defeat ; and on his ar. rival, the King (George H.) desired the Admiralty to give him the com- mand of the Essex, a new 64-gun ship, in which he was employed under the orders of Sir Edward Hawke, and H. R. H. the Duke of York, until the conclusion of hostilities, in Feb* 1 763. He was appointed to the Lord Lieutenant's yacht in Dec. 1771 ; and continued to command her tilt his demise, which took place about the spring of 1804. Sir Alexander was uncle to the late Commissioner Isaac Schomberg, who served as first Lieutenant under the veteran Cornwallis, in the memo- rable battle between Rodney and de Grasse ; also under the command of H. H. H. Prince William Henry, in the Pegasus of 28 guns ; and who rom« Dfianded the Culloden, 74, in Lord Howe's engagement, June 1, 1794. The Commissioner died at Chelsea, Jan. 20, 1813. "P . -l 4} B18 POST-CAPTAINS OF 1803. i la the auspices of the late Admiral Machride, with whom he con- tinued, in the Cumherland and Minotaur, third-rates, until his promotion to a Lieutenancy, April 30, 1795. After serving for some time in the Rattler sloop of war, under the present Rear-Admirals L:ike and Cochet (the former his patron's son-in-law), he returned to the Minotaur, then commanded by the late Sir Thomas Louis ; and, nominally, the flag-ship of Vice-Admiral Macbride*. , Subsequent to the general mutiny in 1797j the Minotaur was sent from England to reinforce the fleet off Cadiz ; on which station we find Lieutenant Schomberg personally en- gaged in several severe boat actions with the Spanish flotilla and land-batteries j a mode of warfare wisely adopted by Earl St. Vincent commander-in-chief, to employ the minds of his seamen, and divert them from following the mischievous ex- ample of their brethren at Spithead and the Nore. It is un- necessary to say more on this subject, than that the unhappy Spaniards were made to feel the effects, and deplore the consequences, of a popular commotion in the British navy. . The Minotaur continued with the in-shorc squadron off jtadiz till May 24, 1/98, on which day she sailed for the Mediterranean, in company with a strong detachment under the orders of Captain Thomas Troubridge, whose junction with Sir Horatio Nelson, near Toulon, the long cruise which Succeeded in quest of a French armament commanded by )Vapoleon Buonaparte, and the great victory achieved by the British squadron in Aboukir Bay, have already been described in a note at p. 180 et seq, of our first volume. • Tiie Minotaur on that glorious occasion sustained a loss of 23 men slain and 64 wounded. Her conduct ia thus noticed by Nelson's biographers (Messrs. Clarke and M*Aithur), at pp. 79» 80, &c. of tlieir highly valuable work»i .^'.^ j • VJce-Admlml Macbride retired from his command in the North Sen, towards the close of 1 79fi, at u-htch period Mr. Schomberg was serving as first Lieutenant of the Rattler ; and he does not appear ever afterwards to have hoisted his (hg. He became an Admiral of the Blue, Fel». 14, 179!> ; nnd died at the Sprinp: Garden Coffee House, London, Feb. 17, 1800. It \va3 in consequence of his recommendation that the experiment of armin|[f 1ine-of-baitlc ships with heavy carronadcs, Instead of long !).p(nmdcrs, on the <|uartcr-deck and forecastle, was first tried on board the Minotaur. Sec James's Nav. Hist. Vut. H. p. 126. POST-CAITAINS OF 1803. 819 h Sen, \ng as inls to 179!); It rining irs, on r. Sec ' " Wliilc the advanced officers in the British squadron* were proving thcmselvci worthy of that experience and decision which directed tlic whole, the Rcar-Admiral himself had entered into action with the remainder of his force ; and was the first that anchored on the outer 8i<le of tlie enemy, within half pistol-shot of le Spartiate, the third ship in the French line of battle. »»»•♦♦ " The Vanguard having thus anchored in eight fathom water, at 6'' 30' P. M. veered half a cable, and in a minute opened a most destructive fire so as to cover the approach of the other ships, the Minotaur, Bellerophon, Defence, and Majestic, which respectively passed on a-hcad of their Ad- miral. Captain Louis, in the Minotaur, nobly supported his friend and commander, and anchoring next a-hcad of the Vanguard, took off the fire of I'Aipiilon, the fourth in the French linef. " During the heat of the battle, and when Nelson had received his severe wound in the Iicad from a piece of langridge shot, some circumstances occorred which marked his character and dii^position. On being wounded, he had been assisted in going below, where, desiring that he might wait until his turn came, it was some time before he was discovered by the sur- geon. The pain was intense, and Nelson felt convinced that his wound was mortal. A large piece of the skin of his forehea<l, which had been cut to the bone, hung down over his eye, and not having any sight from the other, he was left perfectly blind. Mr. Jefferson assured him, on probing the wound, that there was no immediate danger. He would not, however, in- dulge any hope ; and having desired Mr. Coinyn, the cliaplain, to convey his dying remembrance to Lady Nelson, he ordered the Minotaur to be hailed, that he might thank her gallant Captain for coming up so nobly to the support of the Vanguard — the interview afTectcd all who beheld it." " FHrnteU, dedr Louis," said the hero, " /shall never forget the oftli- gntiun I am under to pott for your Imive and gvneroiis conduct ; and note, whatceer may become of me, my fnind k at peace J." L'Aquilon being totally dismasted, and completely over- powered by the Minotaur's superior fire, struck her colours some time previous to the destruction of TOrient, and was immediately taken possession of by Lieutenant Schomberg, whom we subscqaeAtly find employed, as first of the Mino- taur, in a series of active and rmpoitant services, on the coast of Italy, the nature of which Will be seen by the following * Captains ThoniM Foley, Samuel liood. !^r JMncs Siiiimarez, Davidge Gould, and Ralph Willct Miller, of the Goliath, Zealoua, Orion, Aoda- tiouii, and Theseus ; wltidi ships bad anchored within the enemy's line. t The Alexumlori Swiftsifro, and Leander, it will be remcmbcTc<l, did not close with tho enemy until a consideruMe time after thft eoromencc- •ment i>f the action. X The nhovQ {Nuiago in tloticR ii extracted from a rncmoh' of Sir Thomas Lonk, publishod in thi> Naval <JiinoniclcOH(K!). ""i •••■"*• -. < -. t'ii '.'•v 820 POST-CAPTAINS OP 1808. I i outline of occurrences in that quarter, between Nov. 1798, and October 1799. After the establishment of the blockade of Malta, and the surrender of Gozo, an adjacent island, in Oct. 1798*, the Minotaur returned with Nelson to Naples, where she re- ceived on board part of a Neapolitan army, destined to occupy Leghorn, at which place she arrived in company with the Vanguard, Culloden, and Alliance, towards th& latter end of November. A summons was immediately sent on shore, in the names of the allied commanders ; and no resistance being offered, the troops were soon landed under General Naselli, who took possession of the town and port, whilst the squa- dron secured two Genoese armed vessels, and several others loaded with corn, which were found lying outside the mole. The occupation of Leghorn was undertaken by Nelson with a view to frustrate the machinations of the French emissaries then at Florence, and thereby preserve Tuscany from the anarchy and plunder to which that fine country was shortly afterwards subjected, through native treachery and Sicilian imbecilityf. In December following, the French army having invaded the Neapolitan territory, and the superior inhabitants of the capital displaying strong symptoms of disaffection, his Sicilian Majesty found it expedient to embark in Nelson's flag-ship, and to proceed with his family to Palermo |, at which place he was landed in safety on the 26th of the same month. ; . . . • ■.- ; •,,.' ■ ' • See Vol. I. note f at p. 838. f Tlie principal Tuscan traitor was the Marquis ManflPedini, who endea-. voured to make his countrymen believe that all the horrors of war and the loss of their property were inevitable, if the good will of the " Great Na- lion" were not purchased. This jacobin had been tutor to the Grand Duke, and was at that period his Prime Minister. The disgraceful flight of the Neapolitans from Rome, to which city they had advanced for the avowed purpose of restoring the Pope, has been briefly noticed in our memoir of Sir Benjamin Hallowell, K.C.B. See Vol. I. note fat p. 472. I General Championet entered Naples on the 23d Jan. 1799, but not without great opposition on the part of the Lazzaroni, who although half- starved, nearly naked, wholly undisciplined, and without a leader of the least rank, displayed considerable resolution, even when the republicao army and its artillery had obtained possession of the principal streets. At this critical period, Championet thought be might meet the super- POST-CAPTAINS OF 1803. 821 ': Whilst such was the deplorable state of Naples, and the painful situation of His Sicilian Majesty, whose. hopes and comforts equally rested upon the British squadron ; the affairs of Tuscany, and the cruel insults to which the King of Sar- dinia was then exposed, demanded also a large share of Nel- son's judgment and decision. Throughout the whole of the subsequent proceedings in that part of Italy, his Excellency the Hon, W. Wyndham displayed an energy and impartiality stitious ideas of this loyal body, by publishing an account of his regard for their national patron, St. Januarius ! This had the desired effect ; his con- version flew like lightning through the city, and did more in his favour than "all the ammunition he had expended. One of their chiefs delivered an oration, ordered them to cease firing, and to lay down their arms. He ^va8 listened to with reverence, and obeyed with alacrity. The horrors of war were followed by acclamations of joy, and the French General's hand wap kissed in token of submission. Thus suddenly the Lazzaroni became the advocates of republicanism. They plundered the royal palace, which but a short time before they would have defended to the last extremity ; and were with difficulty restrained from committing still greater excesses. Championet left the city in charge of General Duhesme, and encamped his army on the adjacent heights. Having disarmed the inhabitants, the French commander, in person, pro- claimed to his troops, that henceforth they should be styled " The Army of Naples j" which decree was accompanied by the shouts of the multitude and a tremendous discharge of cannon. The clergy and many of the nobles celebrated this event. Even the Car- dinal Archbishop paid servile court to the invaders, and actually practised fraud to complete the overthrow of monarchy. In consequence of long and earnest prayers, the phial, which contained a precious portion of the patron saint, so much respected by the iithabitanis, exhibited undoubted marks of miraculous interposition, an event inupediately communicated to the cre- dulous multitude. After this, a day was appointed for a solemn Te Deum, when the citizens were to return thanks for the glorious entry of the French troops, who had come to '* regenerate the nation, and consolidate its hap- piness" — to promulgate the blasphemous tenets of a frenzied republic, and to reduce all classes to one common level. At the same time the traitorous prelate intimated, that 8t. Januarius had greeted their arrival in the kindest manner, " his blood having miraculously liquefied in the evening of that very day on which the French forces had taken up their abode in the capital *." Immediately after this, Naples was proclaimed a commontvealth, uiider the designation of *' The Parthenopean Republic," and the provi- sional government confided to twenty-one citizens, chosen by Champiopct. * St, Januarius was subsequently punished fur his jucobini«m. Sec Vu]. I. note • at p. 280. VOL. II. 3 H 822 FO»T-CAPTAINS OF J 803. I ( li which all the artifice of French intrigue could not affect ; and the co-operation of the Minotaur, stationed off Leghorn, was at all times worthy of her commander's professional cha- racter. Towards the end of Jan. 1799, the arrival of a very valuable convoy from England was hourly looked for, and the British Minister accordingly presented a note on the subject to the Grand Duke. On the 28th, the principal merchants decided that the fleet, instead of entering the port, should be placed under the protection of the Minotaur, and remain in the roads until Captain Louis could devise further means for its secu- rity. The threats of Salicetti, Envoy from the French Direc- tory*, who declared openly that Tuscany would be revolu- tionized in the ensuing Lent ; and the suspicious conduct of the republican generals, then in the neighbourhood of Flo- rence, kept the Duchy at that time in a very agitated state ; and, as Mr. Wyndham added in his note, " there was reason to believe, that if the French had not yet attacked the govern- ment, it was only because they waited the arrival of this rich convoy, in order to ensure its capture." During these proceedings, the King of Sardinia and his fa- mily, justly apprehensive of French treachery, had arrived at Florence, and were lodged in one of the Grand Duke's palaces, about a mile without the city. His Majesty, driven from Piedmont, intended to seek an asylum at Cagliari ; and afterwards proceeded thither in a Danish frigate, escorted by a British man of warf. Mr. Wyndham, in his letters to Nelson, gives an account of the various circumstances that had preceded and attended this transaction : —from those letters we make the following extracts :— " Florence, Feb. 6, 1799.— The King of Sardinia in very grateful to your Lordtbip for leaving a force off Leghorn. I feel roost sincerely your at- tention in sending Captain Louis, whose conduct gives great satisfaction to this Court, and who in every respect is a proper person for the service ; uniting cool judgment and address with every other quality necessary for a military character, and concurring with me candidly for the public service. * * * *. His Majesty is still here and suffers much from convulsions, occasioned by the hard usage and violent treatment he is obliged to put up * Salicetti was a native of Corsica, a disciple of Robespierre, a Member of the Council of 600, and an avowed enemy of Italy, t See Vol. 1. p. 839. i ; • ■ POST-CAPTAINS OP 1803. 823 and cha- with from the French commissary who attends him, and others who are appointed to thwart his wishes, and contradict him on frivolous and vexa- tious pretexts. When the King, three days since, tallced of goinsr on his journey to Leghorn, the Commissary Chiboux said to him, ' f^ovs ne par- tirez point, ce v^est pas h vous ii commander, c'est h vous h regevoir nog ordres.' I am sorry to say his Majesty is not better treated by Venturi, a jacobin nobleman." "Feb. 16, 1799. — His Sardinian Majesty proposes sailing to-morrow, or next day at latest, from Leghorn, if the wind permits. His cruel situ- ation could not fail to call forth the feelings of any man who possesses loy- alty and honour. I therefore proposed and concerted with a person in H. M. confidence, to secure the Royal family from any future insults on their passage by sea ; and the same person was accordingly employed by me, to arrange with Captain Louis a mode of escorting the King and hin suite to Cagliari in such a manner that the French commistiary should not know an English ship was engaged to attend on the voyage. We had some idea of au intent of the enemy to intercept H. M. on the passage by their privateers ; and the noted Franceschi, chief of the French and Corsican marauders in these seas, had been peculiarly active of late in arming and equipping a number of vessels best suited for resistance, apparently in con- cert Mdth the French commissary and consul. The total impossibility of knowing how events might turn out after the King's landing in Sardinia, has induced H. M. to negotiate with me for the security of his person, and the protection of the only state which now remains to him. I caimot suf- ficiently commend Captain Louis for his generous zeal and kind concurrence in this affair." The King of Sardinia was not able to sail from Leghorn until the 23d of February. On his arrival at Cagliaria his Majesty published a protest against the conduct of the French, dated March 3, 1799, in which he declared, " Upon the faith and word of a King, that he not only had never infringed, even in the slightest degree, the treaties that had been made with the French republic ; but, on the contrary, had observed them with such scrupulous exactness, and with such demon- strations of amity and condescension, as far exceeded the obligations he had contracted." The arrival of the expected convoy, March 14, only served to encrease the alarm of the Tuscan government. Upwards of 1,000 French had already arrived at Pistoia, and other de- tachments were on their march to that place. A large body of horse and foot, with artillery, had set out from Bologna for Florence ; and two frigates were cruising off Genoa, for the purpose of co-operating in an attack on Leghorn. In the midst of this consternation, intelligenca was re- 3 II 2 ^f ;^i ir 824 POBT-CAPTAINS OF 1803. ceived of the rapid advance of General Scherer, ex-minister at war, who had succeeded Championet as commander-in-chief of the army of Lorabardy, and whose first military movement was the invasion of Tuscany. On the 25th of March, Flo- rence fell into his possession, and Leghorn was occupied the same day by a division under General Miollis.. The Grand Duke, instead of making any resistance, published a declara- tion, requesting, as a proof of " the attachment and affection of his faithful subjects^ that they ivould respect the French Army*.'* All the property found at Leghorn belonging to Great Britain, Portugal, Austria, Russia, Turkey, and the States of Barbary, was subjected to sequestration by the enemy, whose mortification was very great when they discovered that not only the English merchandize recently arrived, but also much more of their expected booty had been placed beyond their reach through the active es;ertions of Captain Louis, and the officers under his orders, The Minotaur returned to Palermo at the latter end of March, and Nelson immediately laid before her commander a plan he had formed for the effectual blockade of Naples, and recovery of the islands in that neighbourhood. This plan had been sanctioned by His Sicilian Majesty on the 18th of that month, and had been received with much gratitude by the King and his Ministers, who could not but contrast the gene- rous solicitude of the British Admiral with the cold and selfish apprehensions of his natural ally, the Rmperor of Austria. On the 31st of March, the CuUodcn, Zealous, Minotaur, Swiftsure, and some other ships of war, proceeded to execute their Admiral's instructions ; and on the seventh day after their departure. Nelson had the pleasure of hearing that they were in complete possession of Procida and Ischia, the inha- * The King of Sardinia was constrained to perform an act of still greater degradation when he signed an act of abdication, dictated by the republican General Joubert, Dec. 9, 1798. Stipulating only for the exercise of the Catholic religion for his subjects, the security of his own person, and the enjoyment of liberty and property for the Prince de Carignan ; the ill-fated monarch was obliged to renounce the exercise of all his power and autho- rity on the continent, to order the Piedmontese troops to consider them- selves as belonging to the French army, and to surrender the citadel of Turin, as a pledge that no resistance whatever should be attempted against i^ aiit " tohie^ em'inated purelj/ from his oto/t wiil." , ■ ,. POSt-CAl^TAlNS Ot 1903. 825 feitants of which islands had joyfully hoisted the royal colours j cut down the trees of liberty, and delivered up the municipa- lities, composed of detestable jacobins, all of whom were either confined on board the squadron, or in the chateau of Ischia, to await the punishment due to their crimes. Captain Troubridge, the senior officer, lost no time in send- irtg to Palermo for a judge to try the offenders, but it seemed to be the wish of the imbecile Ministry to cast the odium of every execution upon the British, as was but too successfully done in the case of Prinde Caraccioli, to which we have alluded in a preceding part of this work *. Captain Troubridge, how- ever, " out-manoeuvred" thenij although some time elapsed before he could obtain the object of his desires. Writing to Nelson on this subject, he says : — . : i . {April A, 1/99.) " I pray your Lordship to send an honest Judge here to try these miscreants on the spot, that some proper examples may be made : it will be impossible to go on else, the villains encrease so fast on my hands, and the people are calling for justice. Eight or tea of them must be hung." {April 13.) " The Judge is arranging his papers ; to-morrow he begins. I have given him good advice ; he appears to me to be the poorest creature I ever saw, and to be frightened out of his senses. He declares that seventy families are concerned, and talks of its being necessary to have a Bishop to degrade the Priests before he can execute them. I told him to hang them first, and if he did not think that degradation sufficient, to send them afterwards to me." {April 18.) " The Judge made an oflfer two days since, if I wished it, to pass sentence ; but hinted that it would not be regular on some. I declined having any thing to do with it. By his conversation, I found his instruc- tions were to go through it in a summary manner, and under me. I told him the latter must be a mistake, as they were not British subjects." {May 7.) " My Lord : — I have just had a long conversation with the Judge. He tells me he shall finish his business next week ; and that the custom with his profession is to return home the moment they have con- demned. He says, he must be embarked immediately, and hmted at a man of tear. I found also from his conversation, that the Priests must be sent to Palermo to be disgraced, by the King's order, and then to be returned for execution to this place. An English man of war to perform all this: at the same time making application to me for a hangman, which I positively refused. If none could be found here, I desired he would send for one from Palermo. I see their drift : they want to make us the principals, and to throw all the odium upon us. I cannot form the least idea of their law pro- ^1 :i( ik • See Vol. ]. p. 565. B26 POST-CAPTAINS OF 1803. cesa as carried ou against the prisoners ; for the culprits are seldom pre* sent while the trial is proceeding. By the Judge's account, he is making a rapid progress : several of the villains are very rich." Some of the loyalists, with the characteristic impetuosity of Italians, did not wait for the decision of a Judge, as ap- pears hy the following extraordinary letter which Captain Troubridge received early one morning, with his usual basket of grapes for breakfast, from the shore : — Salerno, j4prit26, 1799. Sir,— As a faithful subject of my King, Fer- dinand IV., whom God preserve, I have the glory of presenting to yotu* Excellency, the head of D. Charles Granozio di Giffoni, who was employed in the administration directed by the infamous Commissary Ferdinand Ruggi. The said Granozio was killed by me in a place called 11 Puggi, dis- trict of Ponte Cagnaro, as he was running away. I beg your Excellency to accept the sud head, and consider this operation as a proof of my attach- ment to the Royal Crown. I am mth due respect, the futhful subject of the King, J. M. V." So wretchedly were the affairs of the Sicilian government administered, that although the number of loyalists in Procida and Ischia, including emigrants from the main, amounted to at least 50,000 persons, a considerable period was allowed to elapse before any attention was paid to their wants, and had it not been for the flour with which they were supplied from the squadron, and the private stores, which the officers hu- manely distributed amongst them, many of those poor suf- fering creatures must actually have perished through hunger ; all supplies from Naples and Castel-a-mare having been sus- pended immediately after the arrival of the British. " The distress for bread is so great," says Captain Troubridge, *' that it would move even a Frenchman to pity. I am furly worn out with fretting for the breach of my word given to the inhabitants, in consequence of her Ma- jesty's promise to me. Cannot a subscription be opened ? 1 beg to put ray name down for twenty ducats ; I cannot afford more, or I would give more. I feed all I can from a large private stock I had, but tliat will not last long. No halt shall attach to us. Palermo is full of grain, as is the neighbourhood : the French, I fear, have more interest there than the King." •••<(] know Strabia, and feel much hurt that I am made the tool of luit deception. In short, my Lord, these islands must return under the French yoke, as I see the King's Ministers are not to be relied on for supplies. I trust your Lordship will pardon my stating the case s plainly ; but I think I should be highly culpable, if from delicacy I were to sacrifice the lives (^50,000 inhabitants." Even Nelson's remonstrances on this occasion proved POST-CAPTAINS OF 1803. 827 unavailing — the love of country was never yet cherished by a sordid courtier. Writing to Earl St. Vincent, the hero expressed himself as follows : — " This day brought me letters from dear Troubridge. He has been obliged to give all his flour to keep the inhabitants of the islands &om starving. I have eternally been pressing for supplies, and have repre- sented that 100,000/. given away just now in provisions might purchase a kingdom." Troubridge was in reality what he described a certain foreign Governor to be, whom he met with in the course of service ; but whose name does not appear in the correspond- ence we arc now making so free with : — *• an honest man, who studied his Sovereign's interest in every thing ; without the little dirty policy of making money himself." Not so the Sicilian grandee, whom we have just seen him charge with deception. That Strabia also deserved to be stigmatised as a peculator of the basest description, is very evident, at least to us ; and the Rev. Cooper Willyams must have enter- tained a similar opinion, for at p. 184 of his publication respecting the battle of the Nile, &c.*, we find a passage to this efiiect :— ' " The people at Procida being now in the utmost distress for bread, some provisions were sent to them from the British squadron. On the Idth, however, several vessels arrived from Sicily with corn for the islands of Procida and Ischia ; but instead of a free competition to supply them with it, a particular grant was issued from the Grown for Prince Strabia to issue it solely : the consequence was, that it came in too small quantities to be of essential service, and the Prince was so exorbitant in his demands, that the poor were literally starving." . w, \ : . Whilst Captain Troubridge was thus venting his just com- plaints against a corrupt administration, the ships under his orders were employed paving the way for a counter-revolution at Naples, by maintaining a close blockade, and thereby preventing corn or any other supplies from reaching that city by sea. The towns of Castel-a-mare and Salerno were occu- pied by detachments landed from the Minotaur, Swiftsure, and Zealous, but found untenable, on account of the enemy's superior numbers. In retiring from the latter place, the British had several men killed, wounded, and taken prisoners. n\ li I ^^ * See Vol. I, note J at p. 483. 828 POST-CAPTAINS OP 1803. In the evening of May 5, 1799> a powerful fleet from Brest entered the Mediterranean and proceeded towards Cartha- gena^ for the purpose of forming a junction with the Spanish ships in that port, after which it was the enemy's intention to , embark a large body of troops at Toulon, to wrest Minorca from the English, raise the blockade of Naples, and make a joint attack upon Sicily. All those objects, however, were frustrated through the supineness of the Spaniards, and the vigilance of the British Admirals to the westward. The enemy's arrival within the Straits of Gibraltar was no sooner made known to Nelson, than he resolved to collect his . line-of-battle ships, and cruise with them o£f Maritimo, in order to protect Sicily from the threatened invasion, and at the same time to cover the frigates and sloops left off Naples, under the command of Captain (now Vice-Admiral) Foote, to whose memoir we must refer our readers for a sketch of the occurrences on that station^ from the period of his prede- . cessor's departure for Palermo, until the return of Ferdinand IV. to his capital, in the month of July following *. Although Ferdinand IV. had abandoned his capital, he was ; not wholly forsaken by his subjects ; the inhabitants of the ^ provinces, in particular, still retained an affection for their absent King, and were ready to sacrifice their lives in his cause. Cardinal F. Ruffo was very assiduous in cherishing these ■■ loyal sentiments. This ecclesiastic, one of the most extra- ordinary characters of the age, had, in consequence of some disputes with the Pope, taken refuge at Naples, and been ap- ' pointed Intendant of Caserta, an appointment by no means suitable to the dignity of the Roman purple. Having accom- panied the King to Palermo, at a period when all the cour- tiers despaired of the restoration of the monarchy, he ob- tained leave to repair to Calabria, on purpose to erect the standard of royalty there. Although accompanied" by five persons only when he landed at Scylla, this fortunate adven- turer was soon joined by a number of inhabitants, headed by Don Reggio Renaldi, rector of Scalca, who had already* organized an insurrection, and waited only the arrival of a chief, to direct the movements of his colleagues. • See Vol. I. pp. 560—566. . POST-CAPTAINS OF 1803. B'iO The warlike Cardinal, after collecting a number of new levies, in the capacity of General, recurred to his sacred functions as a priest, on purpose to arouse the fanaticism of a people whom he knew to be both superstitious and barba- rous in the extreme. In virtue of his spiritual authority, lie excommunicated all those who would not take up arms, while he enjoined every true catholic to wear a red cross in his hat, as a signal of faith, and promised such as might die in battle the immediate enjoyment of paradise. In addition to many of the peasantry, his Emihence was isoon joined by a multi- tude of galley-slaves, criminals from the different gaols, and ' robbers who had infested the highway : these were immedi- ately formed into divisions, under three chiefs ; the first of whom was called Francisco Diabolo, a monk, who, after beitig expelled from his convent, became the leader of a desperate band of freebooters ; the second was the gaoler off Salerno^ who marched at the head of his prisoners j and the third, Pauzanera, who, as reported, had committed folirtedri acts of homicide. Such were the troops on whom Cardinal Ruffo bestowed the appellation of " The Christian Army" himself assumhig, at the same time, the designation of " His Sicilian Majesty's Vicar-General and Vicegerent." With this rabble he attacked and obtained possession of the towns of Avigliano, Cotrona, and Cantanzaro ; after which he proceeded against Maples, and there acted in the reprehensible manner described by Captain Foote, when vindicating his conduct as senior officer on that station, during the absence of Captain Trou- ' bridge, in May and June, 1799. The subsequent operations against fort St. Elmo, Capua, Gaieta *, Civita Vecchia, and Rome, are recorded at pp. 475 and 476 of our first volume. In announcing to Nelson the surrender of Rome, the once celebrated capital of the world, Commodore Troubridge says ! — " The staff tlie Frencli proposed made me sick, the Amhassador was the cause of it y the.thief is afr«ti<l to go to France ; he would sooner stay where * Gaieta surrendered to Captain Louis, Aug. 2, 1799 ; and the French garrison, consisting of 5,000 men, were embarked under the superintend- ence of Lieutenant Sehomberg, duruig the night of tlie 3d. In that for-- tresft were taken ?< battering guns, mostly brass, 19 mortars, and 2 field- pieces of the same metal. \ - ..' . " ; i pi •^ \ m\ 830 POST-CAPTAIKS OF 1803. he is not wauted. He trailed the Roman territory the property of tfte French Republic by right of conquest ; I settled that by sayinsf, Wt mine by re-conquest, and he was silenced. I have sent Louis up to Bouchard to secure the tranquillity of Rome. The Austriaos offered any terms, but I out-mancBuvred them, brought General Garnier on board the Culloden, and settled all, as your Lordship will see. / have received the greatest assist- aneefrom Captain Louis and Lieutenant Schomherg •." In a letter dated Oct. 30, 17^9, the Commodore informs Nelson, that a large quantity of artillery belonging to the King of the Two Sicilies, with his valuable geographical and marine plates, those of Herculaneum, and a variety of other articles of great value, were found at Civita Vecchia, to which port the Anny of Naples had sent the plunder of that king- dom, on its way to France. We next find the Minotaur beiiring the flag of Lord Keith, off Genoa ; where she continued until the surrender of that city to the combined forces of Great Britsun and Austria^ June 6, 1800 f. On the 3d Sept. following. Lieutenant Schomberg com- manded the Minotaur's boats in a gallant and successful attack made upon two Spanish corvettes, off Barcelona, the particulars of which are given under the head of Capt. James Hillyar, C. B., the officer who conducted that enterprise %. Lieutenant Schomberg subsequently accompanied Lord Keith to the coast of Egypt, in the Foudroyant of 80 guns, to which ship he had been removed, on promotion, soon after the brilliant affair off Barcelona. During the Egyptian cam- paign he was appointed Flag Lieutenant to that officer, and sent to Grand Cairo for the purpose of keeping up a commu- nication between his Lordship and the Turkish army. Whilst employed on that service, he received a notification of his advancement to the rank of Commander, and i^pointment * Captain Louis was the first Englishman who ever governed Rome. During his absence the Minotaur remained off Civita Vecchia, under the command of Lieutenant Schombei);, who likewise arranged the enw bttrication of the French troops. t See Vol. I. p. 63. N.B. Lieutenant Schomberg was the bearer of all the flags of truce sent by Lord Keith to General Masscna, whilst negoti- ating tor the evacuation of Genoa. X See p. 850, of this Volume. .); ; n POST-CAPTAINS OF 1803. 831 to the Termagant sloop of war, notwithstanding which, he continued with the Capitan Pacha until the termination of hostilities *y when he joined the Charon, a 44-gun ship armed en JlutCf and assisted in conveying the French troops from Alexandria to Malta, on which service he was employed during the greater part of the peace of Amiens. We should here state that Captmn Schomberg is one of the officers who received the gold medal of the Imperial Ottoman Order of the Crescent. The evacuation of Egypt being at length comp etely effect- ed. Captain Schomberg was next sent to Tunis, on a pecu- liarly delicate mission, the successful result of which induced Sir Alexander I. Ball, Governor of Malta, to present him with a handsome piece of plate, for his able conduct on that occasion. His post commission bears date Aug. 6, 1803. From this period. Captain Schomberg commanded the Ma- dras 54, stationed at Malta, till the spring of 1807. Lord CoUingwood's intention of removing him into I'Atheniene of 64 guns, having been frustrated by the melancholy disaster which happened to that ship on the 27 Oct. 1806 f. The Madras being dismantled and laid up in Valette har- bour. Captain Schomberg returned to England as a passenger on board some other ship, the name of which has escaped our memory. On his arrival, after an absence of more than ten years, he was appointed to the Hibemia, a first rate, destined for the flag of Sir W. Sidney Smith, and immediately des- patched from Torbay, by Lord Gardner, to open a communi- cation with the British Minister at Lisbon, and announce the approach of a squadron, sent to protect the royal House of Braganza firom the insidious designs of Napoleon, whose myrmidons were then about to pass the Portuguese frontier. Tempestuous weather and baffling winds, however prevented Captain Schomberg from reaching his destination until the arrival of the other ships off the Tagus^ and the negociations which ensued were consequently conducted under the imme- diate directions of Sir W. Sidney Smith, with whom he aft,cr- * The procoediugs of the Anglo-Turkbh flotilla arc described at pp. 462. et seq. t See note at p. 8-l!>. t 832 POSt-CAPTAINS OF 1803; wards proceeded to Rio Janeiro, in his former ship, the FoiiiU royant. The following extract from the Naval Chronicle throws considerable light on a Subject that gave rise to many coun- ter statements, and much diversity of opinion at the period we are now speaking of i-^ "Sometime in June last (1808) at Rio de Janeiro, the Prince of Brazil, talking over Eurofiean news, in a circle of which two Captains and a Lieutenant of our Navy formed part, expressed liimself somewhat indii^- nantly at the London Gazette making him appear under the tuition of the English Charg<f-d^.nffuires, explaining that he had taken his decision to evacuate Portugal on the 25th Novemiier(1807), in consequence of a letter from the Admiral on the 22d : that he embarked on the 27th, and tried to sail on the 28th, but the wind was adverse, and would not let him leave the Tagus till the 29th. In point of fact, concluded the Prince, emphaticaU ly, ' Je n'ai vii Milord S. tju* aprhs le passage de la barre, J'ai s^ii quHl etoit abord la MMuse, avec M. D'Aranjo ; et j« me suis lev(f h 4 heures pour le recevoir; mais il n' est pas venu- Et le vent ^tant 6on, je faisois lever Vnncre comme J'avois d/jh donn^ Vordre ; le premier Anglais que J'ai vH it cstte epoque ^toit le Capitaine Schombcrg, envotj^de la part de rAmirai:'" r.r ; ; The period alluded to by the Prince^ when speaking of Cap- tain Schombierg, was the morning of tbe 29th, just after H. R. H. had passed the bar of Lisbon. Sir W. Sidney Smith had formed a line of battle, ordered his ships to be prepared for action, and sent Captain Schomberg to ascertain in what light the Portuguese Were to be considered — whether as friends or as enemies. If coming out with pacific intentions, he was directed to congratulate the Prince Regent, in the name of Sir W. Sidney Smith, oil the wise measure he had adopted, and to assure H. R> H. that the Britinh squadron was ready to afford him protection. The interview proved most gratifying to both parties ; and the Prince, at a subse- quent date^ decorated Captain Schomberg with the insignia of a K. T. S., on account of his having been the first English- . man whom he saw on that memorable occasion f, i^ ■t,> -r-. - ;ii', li'ti. • See Nav. Chron. v. 21, noie • at p. 380. t The closing of the Portuguese ports against British vessels, the de- parture of our Char g^-d' -affaires from Lisbon, the emigration of the House of Braganza, and the revival of the ancient Military Order of the Tower and Sword, by the Prince Regent in compliment to his alliex, arc •uhjccts already noticed at pp. 319, 321, 637, and 852, of our first volume. 4 POST-CAPTAINS OF 1803. 833 About the commencement of 1809, several changes took place in the squadron at Rio Janeiro, which do not appear to have been sanctioned by the Admiralty. Amongst others was the removal of Captain Schomberg from the Foudroyant to the President ; Captain Adam Mackenzie of that frigate having been appointed to succeed Captain James Walker, in the Bedford JA. At the expiration of several months, the latter officer returned to Brazil by order of the Board, and Captain Mackenzie being likewise directed to rejoin his pro- per ship, Captain Schomberg had the mortification to find himself unexpectedly deprived of command ; his friend, Sir W. Sidney Smith, having previously been relieved by Rear- Admiral De Courcy. He was consequently obliged to return home, as a passenger, in the Elizabeth, of 74 guns, command- ed by the Hon. Henry Curzon, with whom he arrived at Spithead, in April 1810. Captain Schomberg's next appointment was, about Julj'^, 1810, to the Astreea, a contract-built frigate, rated at 36 guns, and fitting for the Cape of Good Hope, to which station he proceeded in company with the Scipion 74, bearing the flag of Rear- Admiral Stopford, by whom he was detached, with the Phuibe frigate under his orders, to reinforce the squadron employed off Mauritius, where he continued for some time as senior officer during the absence of Captain Philip Beaver, who had gone to India, for the purpose of collecting treasure. Captain Schomberg's hard fought action with a French squad- ron, near Madagascar, is thus described in his official letter, dated May 21, 1811 :— ... .. : "Sir, — I had the honor of conitnunicatiiig to you, from off Round Island, my determination to (|uit that station, in order to follow the three enemy's frigates with troops on board, which had appeared otf Mauritius on tile 7th iustant, and also my reasons for supposing tliey would push for a near point, perhaps Tamatftve. < •* . <•! ..\j < " I have now the satisfaction to report to you, that the enemy were dis« covered on the morning of the 20th instant, fur to windward, and well in with the land, near Foul Point, Madagascar. The signal to chase was promptly obeyed by H. M. ships Phoebe, Galatea, and Racehorse sloop. The weather was most vexatiuusly variable during the whole of the day, which, combined with the efforts of the enemy to kcrp to windward, ren- dered it impossible to close them till nearly 4 o'clock, when the Astraea buing about a mile a-head and to windward, they wore together, kept uwuy, •nd flvinced a disjiositton lu bring ui to action. Tlie enemy then com- 834 POST -CAPTAINS OF 1803. raenced firing ; I regret to say at a long range, which soon to efTectualiy produced a calm to leeward, as to render our squadron unmanageable for three hours. No exertion was omitted to bring his Majesty's ships into close action, during this very critical and trying period, but all was ineffec- tual. The enemy's rear frigate neared the Astrsea a little, while she lay on the water, almost immoveable ; only occasionally bringing guns to bear. His van and centre ships, preserving a light air, succeeded in rounding the quarters of the Phoebe and Galatea, raking them, with considerable effect, for a long time. " At this, his favourite distance, the enemy remained until nearly dark, when a light breeze enabled the Phoebe to close the nearest frigate, in a good position to bring her to a decisive action. In half an hour she was beaten. Her night signals drew the other two frigates to her assistance ; the Phoebe was, in consequence, obliged to follow the Galatea, which ship brought up the breeze to me. At this time I was hailed by Captain Losack, who informed rae, 'that the Galatea had suffered very considerably, and, as she was passing under my lee, I had the mortification to see her mizen, and, soon after, her fore-top-masts fall. Having shot a-head, she made the night signal of distress, and being in want of immediate assistance ; I closed to ascertain the cause, when I was again hailed by Captain Losack, and informed, that the Galatea was so totally disabled as to prevent her head being put towards the enemy to renew the action, as I before had directed. " My determination was immediately communicated to Captain Hillyar, to recommence action when the Phoebe was in a state to support me. She was promptly reported ready, although much disabled. The Astrsea then wore, and led towards the enemy, followed by the Racehorse and Phoebe ; the conduct of which ship, as a British man of war, did honor to all on board. The enemy was soon discovered a little a-head, and his leading ship, the Commodore, was brought to close action by the Astrsea. In 25 minutes she struck, and made the signal to that effect, having pre- viously attempted to lay us athwart hawse, under a heavy fire of grape and musketry from all parts of the ship. Another frigate, on closing, struck, and made the signal also ; but, on a shot being fired at her, from her late Commodore, she was observed trying to escape. Chase was instantly given, sod continued till 2 A. M., with all the sail both ships were enabled, from their disabled state, to carry ; when I judged it advisable, as she gained on us, to wear for the purpose of covering the captured ship, and forming a junction, if possible, with the Galatea. At this moment, the Phoebe's fore>top-inast fell ; sight of the Galatea or captured ship was not regained until day light, when, to the credit of Lieutenants Royer (second of the Astrsea) and Drury (R. M.), who, with five men, were all that coold be put on board the latter in a sinking boat, she was observed making an ef- fort to join us, n perfect wreck. L " The captured frigate proves to be la Renomtn^e, of the first class (as are the other two), of 44 guns, and 470 men, (200 of whom were picked troops,) commanded by C'apitainc dc Vaisseau Roquebert, ofScier de la POfiT-CAPTAINS OF 1803. 835 Legion d'Hoiineur, holding the rank of Commodore, who fell while f^al- lantly fighting his ship. The senior officer of the troops, Colonel Barroia, membre de la Legion d'Honneur, is dangerously wounded. The ship that struck and escaped, was la Clorinde • ; the one disabled by the Phoebe, la Nercide ; having each 200 troops on board, besides their crews. " This squadron escaped from Brest in the night of the 2d Feb., and was destined to reinforce Mauritius, having arms and various other warlike stores on board. " I beg to apologize for so lengthened a detail } but few actions have been fought under such a variety of peculiarly trying and vexatious diffi- culties. I am, however, called upon by my feelings, and a sense of my duty, to bear testimony to the meritorious conduct of the officers and ships' companies of H. M. ships Pliwbe and Astrsea. To the discipline of the former I attribute much ; but as Captain Hillyar's merit as an officer is so generally, and, by you, so particularly appreciated, it is needless for me to comment on it, further than to observe, that the separation of the Gala- tea was amply compensated by the exertion manifested in the conduct of the ship he had the honour to command. " To the officers, seamen, and marines of the Astrsea, I am for ever in- debted; their cool and steady <;onduct, when in close action with the enemy, and on fire in several places from his wadding, merit my admiration (particularly as the ship's company have been so recently formed). A diffisrence in the personal exertion of each officer was not distinguishable ; but I cannot allow the efforts and judgment of Lieutenant John Baldwin, first of this ship, to pass without particular encomium; I received the greatest assistance from him, and also from Mr. Nellson, the master. " The moment the Phoebe and Astraea are in a state to get to windward, the prisoners exchanged, and la Renommde rendered sea-worthy, I shall proceed off Tamatave for further information, as I have reason to think it in possession of the enemy. * " I have the honour to transmit returns of the killed and wounded on * La Clorinde returned to Brest, Sept. 24, 1811 ; and in March follow- ing, her Commander, Mons. St. Cricq was dismissed from the French ser- vice, and the Legion of Honor ; and sentenced to three years' imprison- ment, for misconduct in the action, and subsequent disobedience of orders. Napoleon Buonaparte, when on his way to Elba in the Undaunted, said to Captain Ussher, " I did all I could to have St. Cricq shot, 6ut he wui tried by French naval officeri ! Had he done his duty, the English squadron would have fallen into our hands.— Roquebert waa a brave man ; — so was le Maresquier" (the Captain of la Nereide). Fmding on hia return to France that M. St. Cricq had been restored to his rank by Louis XVHL Napoleon ordered him to be again confined, and he continued in prison during the short reign of that usurper. His account of la Clorinde'a proceedings will be found in the Natet Chronicle, vol. 26, pp. 388—394. fl i : 1 i I ' ■; : I i 836 POST-CAPTAINS OP 1903. The luss on board la Renomm^c is excessive — 145 Galatea having parted company, no return f . I have C. M. SCHOMBERG." board H. M. ships • killed and wounded, the honor to be, &c. (Signed) " To Captain Beaver, H. M. S. Nisus, Senior Officer at the Isle of France." The subsequent recovery of Tamatave, a small settlement in Madagascar, and the capture of the Phoebe's late opponent la Nereide, is reported by the subject of this memoir to the same officer in the following terins : H. M. S. Mtrau, Tamatave, May 28, 1811. " Sir, — In my letter of the 20th instant, detailing the action between his Majesty's ships under my orders and those of the enemy, I had the honor to inform you, that it was my intention to reconnoitre this port, as I had received information that the enemy had landed and surprised the garrison on his first arrival on the coast. " The state of H. ]\I. ships Astraea and Phcebe did not admit of their beating up quickly against the currents and very variable winds ; the Racehorse sloop was therefore despatched in advance, to summon the gar- rison of Tamatave to surrender immediately. ** On the eveuing of the 24th, Captain De Rippe rejoiced me, reporting his having seen a large frigate anchored in that port ; a strong gale pre- vented H. M. ships from getting in sight of her until the afternoon of the 25th, when every thing being ready to force the anchorage, I stood in, and observed an enemy's frigate, placed in a most judicious position within the reefs of the port, for the purpose of enfilading the narrow passage between them, supported by a strong fort in her van, within half musket-shot, full of troops ; there were also new works in forwardness, to flank the ancho- rage. " Not having any body of local knowledge in either of H. M. ships, and it being almost impracticable to sound the passage between the reefs, which was intricate, and completely exposed to the whole concentrated fire of the enemy within grape distance, I judged it expedient, under existing circumstances, (both ships being full of prisoners, and having a proportion of men absent in la Renommde, besides sick and wounded,) to defer, until necessary, risking his Majesty's ships. I therefore summoned the gar- rison and frigate to surrender immediately ; when, after the usual inter- course of flag of truce, I have the honor to inform you, that the port of Tamatave, its dependencies, the frigate and vessels in the port, together with the late garrison (a detachment of the 22d regiment), were surren- dered to, and taken possession of, by H. M. ships under my orders. I was * Astreea and Phoibe's joint loss — 9 kilted, 40 wounded, one man died soon afler the action, and two others were in a very dangerous state when Captain Schomberg closed his report. t See Captain Woodlev Losack. ,\ POST-CAPTAINS OF 1803. 837 induced to grant the terms, a copy of which I have the honor to enclose, in order to prevent the destruction of the fort of Tamatave, the frigate and the vessels'— a measure they intended to adopt. *' The enemy's frigate proves to be la Nereide, of 44 guns, and 470 men, lately commanded by Capitaine le Maresquier, Membre de la Legion d'Honneur, who fell in the action of the 20th instant, in which she suf- fered very considerably, having had 130 men killed and wounded. She was much engaged by the Phcebe. " The crew of la Nereide. together with tho French garrison of Tama- tave, I intend sending to Mauritius as soon as possible, 50 excepted, who are too severely wounded to survive removal. The whole detachment of H. M. 32d regiment retaken, being ill of the endemic fever of this coun- try, I mean to embnrk on board la Nereide, so soon as she is in a state to receive them ; w u, after having dismantled the fort, and embarked the guns, &c. I shall proceed with her, under convoy, to Mauritius, in com- pany with the Phoebe. I have the honor to be, &c. ' "' (Signed) • "' ' •* C. M. Schombero." *' To Cttptain Beaver, ^e. Sfc. Sfc. ' ,' ,: • « : > ;?/ . , , .1 Articles of Capitulation. I. " La Nereide frigate, together with all the vessels and property at Tamatave, the fort, &c. of the said place, shall be surrendered without injury to his Britannic Majesty's ships under my command. n. " The officers, crews, and troops, now actually at Tamatave, or on board la Nereide, shall be sent, as soon as possible, to Mauritius, and from thence be conveyed to France, without being considered as prisoners of war ; the officers and petty officers only shall keep their swords. in. " The wounded shall remain at Tamatave, under the care of a French Surgeon, until they are recovered, when they shall be sent to France by the first opportunity *." On the demise of Captain Beaver, which took place iu April, 1813 1, Captain Schomberg was appointed to the NisuB, a 38-gun frigate ; and shortly afterwards sent from the Cape station to Brazil, from whence he convoyed home a large fleet of merchantmen, collected by him at Rio Janeiro, St. Salvador, and Pernambuco. This service, although it afforded him no opportunity of enhancing his reputation in a military point of view, must still be considered as one of great importance, the French Emperor having at that moment made his final effort to cripple English commerce, by sending 13 frigates of the largest class, from different ports in the If ^ ; ; ■ ■ 1 :::|i ii : (J ! I b'^ HK^i m.^ j|H ^^K*.^ ili,Bk<«A Bij' wK'*^ ■kl W mX ^mfr^ W'^ ff'< '^K"'^ Hi ,f • The above Articles were signed by Captain Schomberg and the senior surviving officers of la Nereide. t See Nav. Chron. Vol. 3(i, p. 42. VOL. II, 3 I ;i 836 I^O^lt-CAPtAlNS OF 1B03. channel to eruise in the traclvs of our homeward bound con- voys. The immense vahie of the fleet under Captain Schom - berg's protection may be inferred from the circumstance of 2 fngate^ and 2 sloops being ordered by Sir Manley Dixon, comirtander-in-chief at Brazil, to accoii!pany him to thie northward ias far as the equator ; from Captain Schomberg having deemed it expedient, in consequence of the numerous American armed vessels then at sea, to exceed his instruc- tions by withdrawing the brigs from their station and bring- ing them with him to England ; and from the Board of Ad- miralty fully approving of a measure which nothing but the most pressing necessity can ever justify. - • ■ Ifhe Nisus arrived at Portsmouth in Mar. I8l4, and htteX' being docked, was preparing to join the fleet on the coast of North America, when orders suddenly arrived to put her out of commission, and to shift her maets into the Menelaus frigate, tommanded by Sir Peter Parker, Bart, who was siib- ieqitfently eittployed on the very service which Captain Schofti- berg had considered as marked out for himself : Sir Peter, it will be remembered, was killed near Baltimore, in Sept. 1814. ^- .'■.. . ■ ••' ' ---. ■ ' - Captain Schomberg obtained the insignia of a C. B. in '1815 ; and was appointed to the Rochfort 80, fitting for the Hag of Sit Gi*aham Moore, April 15, 1820. He feturned from the Mediterranean with that officer in Mar. 1824, and l^as paid tiff afGhfttham on tihe 20th of the foHowihg month. FRANCIS WILLIAM FANE, Esq. This ofl&cer is a son of John Fane, Esq. M. P. for Oxford- shire, cousin to John, tenth Earl of Westmoreland, by Lady Elizabeth Parker, daughter of Thomas, third Earl of Maccles- field. In 1796, we find him serving as a Midshipman on board the Terpsichore, of 32 guns, commanded by Captain Richard Bowen, whose gallant action with the Mahonesa, a Spanish frigate of superior force, has been recorded i.i the preceding part 6f this Wortc ♦. r . ^ .. » Sec Vol. II. Part I. p. 411, fl t^. POST-CAPTAINS OF 1803. 839 ccm- hom- ce of ixon, ) th<B hbetg lerous struc- bring- )f Ad- ut the 1 hftet oast of [ler out jnelaus as sub- Jchotti- • Peter, 1 Sept. , B. in for the itumed !4, and month. >i 3xf6rd- y Lady accles- board Ikhard panish ceding . Oil the 12th Dec, in the same year, while cruising to the westward of Cadiz, the Terpsichore discovered an enemy's ship about four miles on the weather quarter. Chase was im- mediately given, and continued, with much manoeuvring on both sides, for nearly 40 hours ; during which, from the wea- ther being extremely squally, the Terpsichore sprung her top-masts. At length, however, the stranger, finding it im- possible to avoid an action, brought to ; and about 10 P. M. on the I3th, Captain Bowen had the satisfaction of getting alongside. A most spirited battle immediately commenced, yard-arm and yard-arm ; and, after a hard contest of nearly two hours, the enemy was obliged to surrender. She proved to be la Vestale, French frigate, of 36 guns, and 2/0 men, 30 of whom, including her commander, were killed, and 37 wounded. The Terpsichore, whose complement, from various causes, had previously been reduced to 166, officers, men, and boys, sustained a loss of 4 killed and 19 wounded ; among the latter were Mr. Fane and Captain Bowen's brother, who was the only Lieutenant then on board. Both ships had by this time drifted near the rocks of St. Sebastian, and it was with great difficulty that the 'J''erpsi* chore could gain an offing, after putting the Master and a boat's crew on board la Vestale. On the following morning. Captain Bowen stood in and anchored a-head of his prize, then totally dismasted, riding in shallow water, between Cadiz and Conil. In the evening, a favorable slant of wind gave him an opportunity of getting under weigh, with la Vestale in tow ; but the hawser getting foul of a rock, he wiis obliged to abandon her, and stand off again for the night. During his absence the prisoners rose upon the small party of Englishmen, and the next morning he had the mortification to see a number of Spanish boats towing her towards the harbour, which she reached in safety, notwithstanding all his efforts to prevent her. Captain Bowen, after a painful detail of the unfortunate sequel to the exertions of himself and his brave followers, adds — " As we frel conscious of having done our duty to the utmost of our power, we endeavour to con- sole ourselves with the expectation of our conduct being approved." How well this expectation wa« answered, the • tim .T ■■•. -k. ,mt • »• 840 POgT-CAFl'AINS OF 1808. following honorable testimony, from the pen of his coni' mander-in-chief, will shew : — " yictory, in the Tagus, Jun. 16, 1797- " Dear Buwen, — The intelligence we received from the patrons of tw» pilot boats, when off Cadiz, on the 17tli Dec, that the French frigate then lying between the Diamond and Porques rocks, had been dismasted and captured by an English frigate, impressed us all with an opinion that the Terpsicliorc had achieved this gallant action. I lament exceedingly that you and your brave crew were deprived of the substantial reward of your exertions : but you cannot fail to receive the tribute due to you from the government and country at large. 1 was very much agitated with the danger you apprehended your brother was in, when you wrote : I have, however, derived great consolation from the report of Captain Mansfield, that he was much recovered, and able to walk down to the Mole, before he sailed from Gibraltar *. The account you gave of Francis Fane is very grateful to my feelings, and I have sent your postscript to Lady Elizabeth, as the greatest treat I could give to a fond mother, and a h'^h-rainded woman. •*••.! desire you will remember me kindly to your brother, and to all the good fellows in the Terpsichore, and believe me to be, most truly your's, (Signed) ** John Jervis.*' Mr. Fane subsequently joined the Emerald frigate, com- manded by Captain , Jacob Waller t J under whose eye he performed a philanthropic action highly deserving of notice. The circumstance is thus described by the Rev. Cooper Willyams, in his account of the Swiftsure'a ** Voyage up the Mediterranean," at p. 93, et seq. " The next day (Sept. 2, 1798) the Emerald made a signal for a sail bearing E. by S. We accordingly gave chase, and off the Arab's Tower saw a cutter standing towards the shore. The Emerald fired several shot to bring her to, but she persisted, and at length ran aground a little to the west of the tower of Marabou X. Our boats, and those of the Emerald, were sent to bring her off: the French, in the mean time, made good their landing ; but a high surf soon destroyed the cutter. At this moment no- thing was to be seen but barren and uncultivated sands as far as the eye could reach ; but in a short time we descried several Arabs advance, some on horseback, others on foot. The French now perceived their error, but • Lieutenant George Bowen was severely wounded in the shoulder by a shot fired after la Vestale had actually struck. He also received several bad contusions in different parts of his body. .. t See Vol. II. Part I. note * at p. 327. X The Emerald was at this time attached to the squadron left by Lord Nelson, after his glorious victory in Aboukir bay, to watch the coast of Egypt, and cut off the supplies seut from Franco for the Republican army i» that country. POST-CAPTAINi OF 1803. 841 it ^was too late ; some of them, indeed, were so fortunate as to get on hoard our boats, which pulled towards the shore in hopes of savinfj^ their unfor- tunate enemy, and a Midshipman from the Emerald [Mr. Fane], with a iioble spirit of humanity, threw himself into the water, and swam through a high surf to the shore, having a rope in his hand, by which the French Captain and 4 seamen were saved. From him we learned, that the cutter was called I'Anemone, of 4 guns and 60 men. Citizen Gardon commander ; having on board General Carmin and Captain Valette, aid-de-camp to Ge- neral Buonaparte ; also a courier with despatches, and a party of soldiers. Perceiving there was no possibility of escape from ua, the General ordered Captain Gardon to run the cutter ashore, who urged the dangers of a high surf, and the numerous hordes of wild Arabs that infested the coast. The General said he would cut his way through them to Alexandria, ^vltich was not more than 2 or 3 leagues off, the tuwers and minarets being plainly to be seen. No sooner had he landed, however, and perceived the Bedouins, who till this time were hid behind the sand-hills, but now began to show tliemselves, than dismay and terror seized on all ; nor could we behold their distress without commisseration, although they had so entirely brought it on themselves by refusing to surrender to us, and had fired on our boats when escape was no longer in their power. We perceived that the officers and men suffered themselves to be stripped without resistance. Many were murdered in cold blood, apparently without any cause, and among them the unfortunate General and Aid-de-camp, who, on their knees, entreated for mercy. An Arab, on horseback, unslung his carbine and drew the trigger, but the piece did not go off; he renewed the priming, and again presented at the General, but the shot killed the Aid-de-camp, who was on his knees a little behind him ; he then with a pistol fired at the General, who instantly fell. The courier also, who endeavoured to escape, was pur- sued and murdered. An Arab who got possession of his despatches, in- stantly rode away with them ; and we have since learned that they were af- terwards recovered by the French for a sum of money. We now perceived a troop of horse from Alexandria marching along the strand, and the Arabs retired into the desert with their surviving prisoners. The French troops, proceeding towards the scene of action, at length arrived on the spot where lay the remains of their murdered countrymen ; but, probably, fearing that they should be surrounded with superior numbers, they wheeled about and retreated to the city. The commander of the vessel most gratefully ac- knowledged the hutnane treatment he met with from our people, and ex- tolled the gallantry of the young Midshipman who had thus saved him at the risk of his own life." The above account is confirmed in all its particulars^ in a a letter from the late Sir Samuel Hood to Lord Nelson, pub- lished in the London Gazette, and dated " Admiralty Office, Nov. 23, 1798," which closes with this passage : — " On the approach of our boats, the French cutter fired on thorn, cnt her cable, and ran among the breakers. General Curinin, and Aid-clc-canip lll ill 1 M ;! 1 ll^mk 11 IH 842- POST-CAPTAINS OF 1803. V^l^tte, having luudud with the despatclies and the whole of the Crtw, were ' immediately attacked by the Arabs. The two former and some others were killed, and all the rest stripped of their clothe?. Her commander and a few of the men made their escape, nuked, to the beach ; where our boats had by this time arrived, and begged, on their knees, to be saved. I am happy in saying, the humanity of our people extended su far as to induce them to swim on shore with lines and small casks to save them, which they fortunately effected. Amongst these was particularly distinguished a young gentleman. Midshipman of the Emerald, who brought off the French com- mander, at the hazard of his own life, through the surf." Captain Fane obtained post rank, Aug. 30, 1803 ; and sub- sequently commanded the Lapwing, Hind, and Cambrian frigates, the latter employed on the Coast of Catalonia in co-opnation with the patriot General O'Donnell, whom he conveyed to Tarragona^ in a wounded state, after recovering several towns from the enemy, and taking about 1400 French- men prisoners *. On the 12th Dec. 1810, the Cambrian joined a squadron under the orders of Captain (afterwards Rear-Admiral) Thomas Rogers, who had been sent by Sir Charles Cotton, to cut off the supplies intended for Barcelona, where the enemy had assembled in great numbers, with but little means of subsistence. A French ketch of 14 guns and 60 men, two xebecs of 3 guns and 30 men each, and eight merchant vessels laden with provisions, were then lying in the mole at Palamos, and the senior officer, relying on Captain Fane's knowledge of the place, immediately determined to attempt their destruction. The unfortunate result of this enterprise is thus described by Captain Rogers in his report to the com- mander-in-chief : *' I tlierefore formed my plan, and Captun Fane did me the favor to volunteer the command of 350 seamen, 250 marines, and 2 field-pieces, selected from the ships under my orders t, and well appointed for this desirable service. The enemy's vessels lay in the mole, protected by two 24-pounders, one in a battery which stoo'' high over the mole, and the other with a 13-inch mortar on a very commanding height ; there were also, from the information I received, about 250 soldiers in the town. ■ • ■ "^ '■ ' ' ' • Seep. 697. t Kent 74, Captain Thomas Rogers ; Ajax 74, Captain Robert Waller Otway} Cambrian 38, Captain Fane j Minstrel 18, Captain Colin Camp- bell ; and Sparrowbawk 18, Captain James Pringlc. POST-CAl'TAINS OK 1803. m . " II was ucar unc o'clock in the afternoon of tUQ I3ih, l)cfore we could get far enough into the bay to put the men on shore ; and they \ver« soon after landed on the beach in. the finest order under cover of the Sparrow- hawk and Minstrel sloops, without harm, the enemy having posted them- selves in the town, supposing we should be injudicious enough to ga into the mole without (Uslodging them ; soon after our men moved forward to take the towu f^n4 batteries in the rear, and the enemy withdrew to a windmill on a hill, where tiiey remained almost quiet spectators of the fletachment taking possession of the batteries and the vessels. The iQortar was spiked and the cannon thrown down the heights into the sea ; the magazine blown up, the whole of the vessels burnt and totally destroyed, save two which were brought out ; in short, the object had succeeded to admiration : and at this time with, the (qs^ of na more thi^n 4 or 5 men from occasional skirmishing ; but I aui soivy to relat^^ that in withdrawing our post from a hill which nv. ocouyied to keep the enemy in check until the balkries aiid vc^scio were u<£tvi,yed, I fear that our people retired with some digcvru':rj wi'.'rh e'li.'ou/Kged the enemy, who had received a reinforcement from St. Fe!i<'C, to aavauce upon them, and by some unhappy fatality, instead of iiir<Mi)iig thtii; ictreat to tko beach where the Cambria^, Sparrowhawk, ani rvrtustr*^;? lay pj. t jJvcj U]e.k ci/ibuckation, the brave but thouglitles^ m)f>vt«"atc n>,c« cnm^ thnu .^ii the towr* "icvn to the mole: the enemy liaujsdsatc^y occt'picd t'uo v^\h r/,»({ b.Jirscs, from wh)ch they kept up a .'i.-verc fue upon the bosits crowded ".vitft twu, and dastardly fired upon and killed sRverc ' vho 1ia«i *je« .a h'\ on ths D»ok, and were endeavouring to swim to the boalt.. Nothi!!;':^ couW exceed tl.t good conduct of Captains Prinylc and Gi iw.p*i»iM, and Licwteui^ni Caa<A\y of the Cambrian, (who commanded ^hat nW:^ »q thi a'jtsvjaco df C^ptaiiiii F»nc) bp|;h in the landing and withdrawing the men, and the ofHooiv ia fhe launches with carrp|iades, ani the f! inortar-boaVj ci the Cantirriin , indeed the officers and men of ail the hf<rA:^ distinpni'il'.ed tiiei>.seh«s beyond all praise in going to the move to br\u/r off ch.? mon w ho had been left behind. In performing this arduous scrvic** tlicy s ift<!red mucl., but I had the satisfaction to perceive the fire of the)': carronudes and mortars upon the enemy was very de&trucdve. " Unfortunately Captaiu Fane, as I am iiiifui'med, was at the wolc giving directions to destroj' <he v(ssph, when our men were withdrawn from the hill; he remained tbert< witL Srmuess to the last, and is among the missing, buw I ha^^e received a satisfactory account that he is well. ' '^ I feel, Sir, u'th uafeigned grief, that our loss has beep severe, but b^d it QOt been Tor laj indiscsetion of the people straggling from their poi^ aud « '>ui:ag into the town, contrary to njy caution, the enemy would not have dar^d to approach them, and the loss would have been very in- considerable, compared with the importance of the service performed. The French had entered Catalonia with an army of 10,000 men, and as I was ordered to this coast for the express purpose of depriving them of their expected supplies, I considered that some pncrgy and oi|tcrprise were necessary to a«cotnpli»h \{ ; the force I employed was fully ud©<]uule t(» i . it 844 t»OST-CAPTAlNS OF 1803. this service ; and I confided the execution of it to an oflicer of reputa' tion." ^] The total loss sustained by the British on this disastrous occasion was 2 officers, 19 seamen, and 12 marines, killed; 15 officers, 42 seamen, and 32 marines, wounded ; and 2 officers, 42 seamen (including one deserter from the Kent), and 43 marines, missing. Captain Fane subsequently commanded the Pomone fri- gate. He married, July 20, 1824, the youngest sister of Sir Charles William Flint, Knt. Resident Under Secretary of State for the affiiirs of Ireland. Agent. — Thomas Stilwell, Esq. PETER HUNT, Esq. This officer served as a Midshipman on board the Alcidc 74, at the occupation of Toulon by the fleet under Lord Hood ; and was promoted into the Courageux a ship of simi- lar force immediately after the attack made upon Fomelli ohi the 30th Sept. 1793 ♦. He received the Turkish gold medal for his subsequent services in Egypt ; obtained the rank of Commander in 1802; and was posted on his arrival in Eng- land with Sir Samuel Hood's despatches announcing the sur- render of Demerara in 1803. His last appointment was, about May 1805, to the Raisonable of 64 guns. He died at Cheltenham, much esteemed and regretted, Dec. 4, 1824. Hon. GEORGE ELLIOT. This officer is the second son of Gilbert, first Earl of Minto, by Anna Maria, eldest daughter of Sir George Amyand, and sister to the prer ,.ic Sir George Cornewall, Bart. HewsHborn Aug. 1, 1784; made a Lieutenant in 1800; Commander in 1802 ; and Post-Captain, Jan. 2, 1804. The ships commanded by him at different periods were the Ter- magant, sloop of war j and Maidstone, Aurora, Modeste, and Hussar, frigates ; the two former employed in the Mediter- ranean, the three latter on the East India station. In Oct. IHOH, Captain Elliot captured la Jena, French na- • Sec |>. 65!) and note t hIJ). IH1>. POST-CAPTAINS OP 1804. 845 lional corvette, of 18 guns (pierced for 24) and 150 men, after a running action of nearly an hour, in which the Mo- deste had her master killed and one seaman wounded. On the 15th July, 1809, his boats, under the direction of Lieutenant William Payne, cut a Dutch schooner of 8 guns and 22 men, out of a bay in the Straits of Sunda, from under the protec- tion of two batteries and five other armed vessels. We next find Captain £lliot assisting at the reduction of Java ; and m 1813, accompanying an expedition sent against Sambas, a piratical town in Borneo, the result of which has already been stated in our memoir of Captain George Sayer, C. B. He subsequently assisted Colonel Macgregor in re- instating the Sultan of Palambang, and received the thanks of his commander-in-chief for the "judicious and excellent arrangements" made by him on that occasion *. Captain Elliot married in 1810, Eliza Cecilia Ness, a lady residuig at Calcutta, by whom he has several children. His father was at that period Governor-General of Bengal, in which high office he was succeeded by the Marquis of Has- tings, Nov. 18, 1812 1. Agents. — Messrs. Maude. WILLIAM DURBAN, Esq. Doctor of the Civil Law. Thr proper orthography of this officer's name is D* Urban, but from a mistake in his passing certificate, it has always been spelt Durban in the Admiralty lists and other official documents. He is the son of a military officer, and descended from a very ancient and noble family who early settled in the Duchy * See Captain Samuel Lbblib. ' . f On the 10th Jan. 1812, the unanimous thanka of both houses of Parliament were voted to Lord Minto, for the wisdom and ability with which tlie military resources of the British empire in India, under his Lordship's frovcmment, had been applied in the reduction of the power of the enemy, in the eastern seas. In remuneration of his jistinffuislted senrices thr dignity of an Earl was conferred upon him Feb. 2, 1813. He died June 21,1814. It was this nobleman who f^overncd Corsica from the time of its subjugation, until evacuated by the British in \1%. See Vol. I. note * at p. 255. v■^ . 846 I'OST-CAFFAINS OF 1804. of Milan, and were engaged under Guff^edo di Bouglion in the holy wsirs. Mr. D'Urban served the first three years of his naval life as a Midshipman on board the Sphinx of 24 guns, commanded by Captain, now Admiral Markham, on the Mediterranean station; and completed his time under the late Admiral John Elliot, who was, we believe, one of the first officers by w^oui lunar obacrvations were brought into practice at sea. Mr. D'Urban having been educated under the well known mathe- matician Mr. I. Dalby, who was employed with Colonel Mudge in the great trigonometrical survey, became particu- larly useful to Admiral Elliot, both in making and calculating his observations, wliich Induced that officer to request, as a personal favor, that Earl Howe would promote him to the rank of Lieutenant — a request which his Lordship imme- diately complied with *. At the commencement of the French revolutionary war. Lieutenant D'Urban embarked with his friend Captain Mark- ham, in the Blonde frigate, and soon after accompanied an armament sent under Sir John Jervis to the West Indies, where he was engaged in a variety of active services, particu- larly during the siege of Martinique. Soon after his return to Europe he joined the Monarch of 74 guns, bearing the flag of Sir George Keith Elphinstone, by whom he was attached to the advanced guard of the army at tlie reduction of the Cape of Good Hope, in 1795. lie also assisted at the capture of a Dutch squadron in Saldanha bay, Aug. 18, 1790 f- Amongst the promotions which took place on this latter occasion, was that of Lieutenant D'Urban, who received a commission from Sir George appointing him Captain of the Castor frigate. The Admiralty, however, only confirming him in the rank of Conmiandcr, he was subsequently removed Jnto the Rattlesnake sloop of war. His next appointment was to the Wea/le of IG guns, eni- ■ ployed on the Jersey station, where he performed i\\\ esuen- itial service by establishing marks for the inner cimnnelb along tlie French coiist, between St. Maloes and Brest ; by which I. / * • .. • hiiriM). ,„..., . t StT V(tl. I., pp. -17— 61. • •. w POST-CAl'TAINS OF 1804. 847 tlie convoys bound to the last named port might be inter- cepted. For this service, which, from tlie nature of the coast, was attended with many difficulties . and much risk, and which he undertook without orders to do so, he received the thanks of the Admiralty Board, as also those of Earl Spencer, who then presided over that department. On the 22d Jan !i02. Captain D'Urban sailed from Ply- mouth, for the Mediterranean, with despatches relative to the peace of Amiens *j and during the agitation of the ques- tion respecting the surrender of Malta, he was employed by the Governor to ascertain the capability of Lampadosa, as a naval station. It was likewise through his negociation with the Grand Master and Knights of Malta, assembled at Messina (to whom he was sent by Sir Alexander J. Ball, on account of hia dip- lomatic skill and knowledge of the Italian language) that the island was not surrendered to the Order, agreeably to the treaty with France. The importance of this service induced his friend, the Governor, to represent the ability which he had displayed, and recommend him to the notice of his Ma- jesty's ministers. He was subsequently sent on several de- licate missions to Tripoli, Tunis, and Algiers, the whole of which he executed in a manner highly creditable to his talents, and beneficial to the commerce of his country. Captain D'Urban's services having gained him the esteem of Nelson, his Lordship gave him a post-commission for the Ambuscade of 32 guns, which he received but a few hours pre- vious to the arrival of an official despatch from England an- nouncing his promotion, and appointment to the very same frigate by Earl St. Vincent, on the 17th Jan. 18()4. A renewal of hostilities with Spain being some time after expected by our great hero, he sent Captain D'Urban to Bar- celona, for the purpose of obtaining information as to the general state of Europe, giving him authority to open any public despatches that might be forwarded from the British Ambassador at Madrid for his Lordship. Tliis service he managed with sue!) address, as not only vo avoid giving rise to any suspicions on tlic part of the Spanisl authorities, but also * The WpHzIc touched ut (iibraltor and rcuchcd IVlalta after n passage of only fourteen days. « • . .^ •' ■ "! U « W 848 POST-CAPTAINS OF 1804. to induce them to allow him to sail in company with a con- voy having on board troops, stores, &c. for placing Minorca in a state of defence, the whole of which he captured, with the assistance of Nelson's look-out ships, which he got within signal distance of the day after leaving that place with de- spatches confirming his Lordship's apprehensions. Captain D'Urban returned to England with the flag of Rear- Admiral George Campbell, in Jan. 1805 ; but sailed again for the Mediterranean, conveying thither the late Sir Thomas Louis, in the month of March following. During the defence of Naples by the Anglo-Russian army, to which Captain D'Urban was attached, we find him em- ployed at the request of the Russian commander-in-chief to examine the passes, &c. between that city and Rome. On the evacuation of Naples he was sent up the Adriatic to co- operate with the Russian fleet, under Vice-Admiral Siniavin, in checking the progress of the French forces on the coast of Dalmatia and the adjacent isles. From thence he proceeded to the Spanish coast, where he continued till the defects of his frigate required her to be sent home and put out of com- mission. Having thus given an outline of Captain D'Urban's valuable services, it remains only for us to state that there is perhaps no individual who possesses so much local knowledge of the Mediterranean as he obtained during upwards of twelve years spent on that station, or who is so intimately acquainted with the manners, customs, and prejudices of the diiTerent nations on both its shores as himself. It was on this account that Nelson and his successor, Collingwood, as also other supe- rior officers employed him frequently as a negociator on matters of so secret a nature that it would be impolitic even now to make them public, particularly one mission re- lating to the Venetian Government. Although his services have not been of that brilliant cast with those of many whose exploits we have recorded, yet they have nevertheless proved in many instances highly beneficial to his country, and as such gained him the thanks and esteem of all the Admirals he ever served under, although, at the same time they de- prived him of cruises, the advantages of which were reaped by the mere sailor, who is now enjoying his golden harvest, POST-CAPTAINS OF 1804. 849 wliile the labours of Iub more scientific cotemporary, are in a great measure forgotten. In 1810, the late Mr. Arrowsmith published " a Chart of the Dangers in the Channel between Sardinia^ Sicily and Africa" formed from the original surveys of Captain D'Urban, viz. Ist. Of the £squirques, two reefs of very large rocks, lying about two miles north and south of each other, sur- rounded by a bank of sand, the surface of which is chequered^ by patches of coral and large round stones of a bright red colour. 2d. Some dangers never before noticed, of a vol- canic production, which he named Keith's reef and shoal in compliment to his friend the late Viscount ♦. 3d. A Survey of all the dangers on the N. W. coast of Sicily, between Tra- pani and Marsala, with the adjacent islands and channels of Favigana, Lavanso, Formiche, the rocks of Porcelli, &c. The positions of the dangers here enumerated were deter- mined by Captain D'Urban from the mean result of six chro- nometers ; their rates having been carefully examined both previous to, and after the survey was finished. The sound- ings were taken in boats, and laid down from angles taken from vessels anchored on the shoals. jigent. — Thomas Stilwell^ Esq. JAMES HILLYAR, Esq. j4 Companion of the Most Honorable Military Order of the Bath. Tins officer was made a Lieutenant in 1794; and on the 3d Sept., 1800, we find him commanding the Niger troop-ship, and leading her boats in conjunction with those of the Mi- notaur 74, to the attack of two Spanish corvettes, lying in the road of Barcelona, and reported to be destined for the relief of Malta, then blockaded by a British squadron. The following is a copy of the oflicial letter written by the late Sir Thomas Louis to Vice-Admiral Lord Keith, giving * II. M. S. ship rAtheniene of (A ^uns was wrecked on Keith's reef Oct. 27, 1806, when 397 persons perished, amongst whom was hercoiQ« miuNler, Captain Rayniford, who was then on his way t(> Malta for the purpose of exchani^ing ships with Captain Schomherg uf the Madras. Step. 831. ^^^^Hn ■ R n ! 1 ^1 n ^^H^hk''^*^ i iHpii i^^H \ •'* 1 i^^^^ii B:r!* iHp % '^H JOl^V' W, ' in^K S|| it 4 1 ^' l^HS i ' ^& i-m, M ^ i ■■■-''< 'W.'- « ^i w ^WL SI i m 111? ?U- * 850 POST-CAl'TAINS OF 1804. an account of the enterprise, and of Captain Hillyar's dash- ing conduct on that occasion : — " Minotaur, Sept. (5, 1800. " My Lmxl,— Knowing how anxious and desirous your Lordship was, as well as the service I should render to my country, by cutting out or destroying the two corvettes, lying in Barcelona road, mentioned in your Lordship's letter to Captain Oliver ; and, in order to check the two ships sailing upon this intended secret expedition, induced me to persevere in the following attempt. " On the evening of the .3d instant, after having delivered Captain Hillyar his orders to join your Lordship, a breeze sprung up from the westward, with every appearance of a close night. I again called him on hoard, with the signal at the same time to prepare boats. Captain Hillyar and Lieutenant Schomberg • volunteered their services, assisted by Lieutenants Warrand, Lowry, and Healy; Mr. Rcid, Master; and Lieutenant Jewell, of the marines. The boats left the Minotaur about 8 P. M., and the firing begaii from all quarters before nine o'clock. About ten, I had the pleasing satisfaction to see two ships dropping out of the road under a heavy fire from four strong batteries, ten gun-boats, and two schooners, each mounting two 42-pounders — the fort of Montjoui at the same time throwing shells. The Minotaur and Niger were well placed in good season to cover the party, and the service was performed tliroughout with an enterprising spirit, good conduct, and in a gallant style. The loss in killed and wounded fell principally upon two boats, but is not great when compared to the situation so many men were placed in for a considerable time t. The ships, about eleven o'clock, were per- fectly free from the fire of the enemy's batteries and gun-boats ; the men of war checking the movements of the latter. 'J'he prizes, named El Es- meralda and la Paz, are about 400 tons each, mounting 22 brass guns, 12 and 9'poundcrs, laden with provisions, stores, &c. supposed for Ba- tavia, and on Dutch account -. they were to have taken 300 troops of the regiment of Batavian Swiss on hoard from the island of Majorca. I found several Dutch officers on board £1 Esmeralda. The officers and several men of la Paz quitted her in boats during the action. She is a very fine ship, quite new, sails remarkably well, and I make no doubt your Lordship will find her in all respects calculated for his Majesty's service : fil Esmeralda is also a very fine ship. I beg leave strongly to recommend ta your Lordship's notice, Captain Hillyar and Lieutenant Schomberg : their tenrices upon this occasion denerve the first attention and highest * Lieutenant, noiv Captain, Charles Marsh Schombero, tee p. 830. t Two seamen killed ; one ofiicer, four seamen, and one marinc« woundo4l i the latter niortaliy. The eivcuiy had 3 men killed and J^i wounded. ' ' , POST-CAPTAINS OF 1804. 851 praise ; at tlie same time I cannot pass without notice the general j^ood conduct of every officer and man serving under my command. I have the honor to be, &c. (Signed) " Thomas Louis." This daring act was nobly accomplished by Captain Hillyar and Lieutenant Schomberg, with the officers and men under their directions, but has been greatly misrepresented ; It having been stated that Captain Hillyar availed himself of the neutrality of a Swedish galliot to get alongside of the enemy unperceived or unsuspected. The fact is, that one of the eight boats placed under his orders by Captain Louis was employed overhauling the Swede at the moment when the others shoved off from the Minotaur, and it was for the ■>ur- pose of giving instructions to the officer commanding her that he went along side the galliot, where he continued while that vessel stood in towards the mole of Barcelona, the place ,of her original destination. When within long-gun shot the boats quitted the galliot, and pulled in with such alacrity and resolution, that the crew of the enemy's outer ship had neither time nor inclination to reload their guns >vhich had been discharged when the boats were first discovered. As the British boarded, the enemy retreated into the cabin, whe»^ they barricadoed themselves, and made an obstinate defence, but v(rere at length obliged to surrender. Three cheers from the assailants aUnOunced this conquest, upon which the other corvette commenced firing round and grape. Her fore-top- sail had been loosed in order to cast her towards the mole- head, wtiere the Spaniards intended to seek refuge ; unfortu- nately for them, the sail took the wrong way, wid she was boarded with complete success, her crew making but little resistance. Her cable was then cut, and both vessels were towed out in triumph, under the heavy fire described in the foregoing letter. Such was the result of Uris gallant enterprise, which, the enemy, ashamed of their defeat, attempted to prove was done under the disguise of a neutral flag ; forgetting that the ex- ploit was achieved after dark, when no flag could be distin- guished. It is however, to be regretted that the galliot was m company; for, altlmugh her presence neither eentribiited to the success of the attempt, nor the safety of the boats, ! f i il 852 POST-CAPTAINS OF 1804. the representations of the Swedish and Spanish governments are said to have made an impression to the disadvantage of Captain Hillyar and his gallant companions. The Admiralty, however, after much explanation, saw it in its true light, and through Lord Nelson's kind interference he was at length advanced to post rank, though not until he had given fresh proofs of his zeal and bravery, as will be seen by Sir W. Sidney Smith's public letter relative to the debarkation of our army in Aboukir bay, and the celebrated battles of Mar. 8andl3,l801, " British Camp, on the heights, three miles from Alexandria, Mar. 14, 1801. " My Lord, — It would be superfluous for lue to relate to your Lordship the admirable manner in which the officers and men you appointed me to command went into action with me, on the day of the disembarkation, as you were yourself a witness of the gallant and judicious conduct of Cap. tains Maitland and Stewart, in covering; the flanks of the line with the armed launches ; and must, as well as myself, have admired the bravery, activity, and perseverance, of Captains Ribouleau, Guion, Saville, Bum, and Hillyar, together with that of the officers and seamen under their orders ; by whose unparalleled exertions the cannon were disembarked at the same moment with the troops, and moved forward with them in action. If I were to say any thing particular in praise of Lieutenants Prevost, Hillier, Campbell, and Fisher, who were nearest me, and conducted them- selves to my entire satisfaction, it would be injustice to Lieutenants Cameron, Davies, and Stoddart, who, though hidden from ray view by the intervening sand-hills, mnsf have been equally well, and as successfully employed in other parts of the line, the result having been so completely satisfactory to Sir Ralph Abercromby, as to induce him to extend the most unequivocal praise to the whole of the naval officers and men, as well afloat as on shore ; saying, that without our exertions he could not have brought his brave troops into action as he did. The determined courage of this gallant army in the close contest they had to maintain on the beach, at the critical time of forming, secured the victory to us on that day ; and it is with heartfelt satisfaction that I have now to congratulate your Lordship on the brilliant success of the army yesterday. If we admired their cool orderly conduct, and determined bravery on the 8th., how much must we be struck with those characteristic qualities in the superior degree wherein they were displayed on thia occasion : die troops marched into battle, and forced the enemy's strong position on the heights, between the head of lake Mahadic and the sea, with the same regularity and ease that exercise, on an ordinary fleld day, is performed, in spite of an opposition, which is reckoned more strenuous than any the troops have met with before from the ene<my in other countries. It would not become me to attempt describing the manoeuvres by which this victory L aj in POST-CAPTAINS OF 1804. 853 was obtained ; it is incumbent on mc, however, to make known to your Lordship that the commander-in-chief has again been pleased to express his approbation of tlie exertions of the seamen and their officers ; and lam happy in being able to testify that their conduct was, if possible, more praise-wor- thy than on the day of disembarkation, the labour they had to go through was considerably greater, and ths fire they had to undergo in the passive employ- ment of dragging up cannon for more able gunners to fire, was much more heavy, and of longer duration. It is impossible to distinguish any parti- cular officer, where all behaved equally well, each doing his utmost to keep the guns up with the line : which was, of course, difficult in sandy uneven ground, when the troops pressed forward in their eager approach to, and ardent pursuit of the enemy. The great and lamlable efforts of Lieutenants Fisher and Davies, with the petty officers and men, at the iSwiftsura's and Northumberland's field-pieces, at a most trying moment, en- abled them to recover their station in the line, which they had lost only by the impossibility of keeping up with the troops : such service, under a heavy fire of grape and musketry, could not be performed without loss ; that of the Tigre's men has been the greatest ; but Lieutenant Hillier informs me, the remainder redoubled their exertions, and brought the guns on most opportunely, at the moment the 00th repulsed a charge of cavalry. Captain Ribouleau, the senioi' Commander, exerted himself iu the most praiseworthy manner, along the whole line on shore, together . with Captains Guion, Saville, and Burn, each in his division : Captain Hillyar kept the enemy in check, on the left, by the occasional fire of the armed flat-boats on the lake, and tlie troops on that flank seem sensible of their utility, in preventing the enemy's numerous cavalry from attempting to turn them where the isthmus widens into a plain. Lieutenant Wood- house, of the Foudroyant, (a volunteer on the ground) very handsomely offered his services to supply the place of Lieutenant Wright, who was actively employed near Sir Ralph Abercromby, and undertook to convey my orders along the line on foot, which was particularly acceptable and useful, at a time when my orderly dragoon was wounded, and both our horses disabled by a discharge of grape ; 1 have to request your Lordship, to excuse his delay in returning to his duty on board, as I undertook to justify his stay in the field. We are now on the heights at the head of the lake Mahadic, with our left to the canal of Alexandria, and our right to the sea ; the enemy occupy a very strong position on the ridge imme- diately between us and the Rosctta gate of Alexandria. I have made an excursion, with a few dragoons, on the road to Damanhour, to open an intercourse with the Arabs ; I find them friendly, and the markets begin to be supplied. We are all much indebted to Captain Cochrane, and the officers under him, for the ample supplies of ammunition and provisions which he has forwarded to the army by the lake ; the boats' crews of the whole fleet have been indefatigable in this important service. Eleven French boats, seized on the enemy's right by Lieutenant Wright, have been likewise employed therein, under Captain Hillyar, and aUo in con- veying the wounded, both English and Frcuch, to the hospital, su that VOL. II. 3 K S54 POST-CAPTAINS OF 1804. none remained the night on the field of battle. The cotnmander-in<chief expresies himself very grateful to the navy for their humane exertions on this occasion, and I am happy in observing, that both services seem sensible of the support they mutually give each other in the operations, so that the utmost harmony prevails. I have the honor to be, &c. (Signed) " W. Sidney Smith." " Admiral Lord Keith, ffc. 9fc. Sfd* The castle of Aboukir capitulated on the 18th. Mar. and three days afterwards the British obtained another splendid yictory on the spot where they had halted after the battle of the 13th *. On the 25th a Turkish squadron formed a junc- tion with the English fleet in Aboukir bay, and landed a body of troops, with whose assistance Colonel Spencer, at the head of a detachment from the army before Alexandria, suc- ceeded in obtainuig possession of Rosetta a place of consider- able importance, situated near the western mouth of the Nile. The reduction of fort St. Julian by the allied forces, and the progress of the combined flotilla from that place towards Grand Cairo, have already been noticed in our memoir of Captain Richard Curry f. The subject of this memoir was employed in a gun-boat during the whole of that fatiguing campaign ; and, after the surrender of the Egyptian capital we find him succeeding Captain Curry in the command of the Betsy, an armed djerm, the latter officer having been charged with despatches to Lord Keith immediately after the capitulation had been agreed to> The following is an extract from Lieutenant-General, now Lord, Hutchinscm's letter to government announcing the result of the expedition : " The exertions of Captain Stevenson and the navy have been extremely laborious and constant during this long march ; they have done every thing that viras possible to forward our supplies: and indeed, without their powerful aid, it would have been impossible to have proceeded. Your Lordship will recollect, that the river is extremely low at this season of the year, the mouth of the Nile impassable for days together, and the distance from Rosetta to Cairo between 160 and 170 miles. Captain Stevenson has been ably supported by Captains Morrison, Curry, and Hillyar, who were employed under him. — The service in which they have b< th at an • For Sir W. Sidney Smith's official letter, see Vol. II. Part I. p. 385. t See Id. pp. 462—468. POST-CAPTAINS OK 1804. 855 beeu engacfed has not been a brilliant one, but I hope it will be recollected that it has been most useful, and has required constant vigilance and attention ; it has lasted now for many weeks ; the labour has been excessive, and the fatigue greater than I can express *." The attention of the allies was next directed to Alexandria, which place now contained within its walls, and its harbour, all that remained of the mighty force which had arrived from Toulon, under Buonaparte, in 1798, and no time was lost in completing the circuuivallation of that town. The tower of Marabout, standing on a small island at the western side of the port, commanding one of the channels, surrendered on the 21st July, and Captain, now Sir Alexander, Cochrane imme- diately entered the harbour with 4 British and 3 Turkish corvettes, whilst the flotilla, under Captain Stevenson, ren- dered important services on Lake Mareotis. Thus pressed and hemmed in on every side. General Menou began to feel that his power was at an end ; as the probability of relief from France was too distant to afford a ray of hope. He con- Mi ■t if ' a 385. * On the 6th July, 1801, ten days after the surrender of Grand Cairo, the French disinterred the body of General Kleber for the purpose of con- veying it with them to France. The following day, Captain Hillyar rode to Heliopolis a place where formerly stood a famous temple of the Sun. On the I2th he went by invitation to dine with the (>olonel of the Mame- lukes attached to the republican army. The repast was served up in the tower of Mekias, which proved to be the handsomest building he had seen Egypt. The pillar on which the rise of the Nile is measured is the in centre of the edifice and stands in a large octagon well which communi" catcs by a subterranean passage with the river. The pillar is graduated in Arabic counddes, a measure nearly equal to the ancient cubit. Over the well stands a handsome dome, ornamented profusely with painted glass, Sec. The Colonel's wife, a fair Syrian, was dressed i» a Frenchwoman, though her usual habit was that of an officer in her husband's corps. She had been with him in several battles with the Bedouin Arabs, and in con- sequence obtained the appellation of his fighting wife. At daylight on the 1 6th July, the whole of the British, Turkish, and French vessels weighed and sailed down the Nile. The number of djerms, &c. employed in conveying the effects of the three armies amounted to 269. We cannot take our leave of Grand Cairo without relating an instance of the depravity of the captives : among other articles of what they called their private property, they brought some Grecian women whom the fortiuie of war had transferred to theni ; and these unfortunate victims of their rapacity and their lust, they sold, without reserve or remorse, as in a public market, to the Turks. 3k2 856 POST-CAPTAINS OF 1804. sequcntly demanded an armistice, which very soon led td a final capitulation ; hastened no doubt by the intelligence that the British army was in daily expectation of receiving con- siderable reinforcements from India. The capitulation was ratified by the British commanders-in-chief on the 2d Sept. General Menou and his followers were allowed to return home upon the same terms as had been granted to the garri- son of Grand Cairo, 312 pieces of cannon, 14,000 filled car- tridges, 195,0001bs. of gunpowder, 1 ship of the line, 3 fri- gates, several corvettes, and numerous merchant vessels, fell into the hands of the allies, and Egypt was at length freed from the tyranny of those who had invaded that country as a preparatory step to the subversion of the British empire in India. ** The nature of this service," says Lord Keith in his letter to the Admiralty, ** has demanded from most of the officers and seamenof the fleet, and particularly from those of the troop- ships, bombs, and transports, the endurance of labour, fa- tigue, and privation, far beyond what I have witnessed before, and which I verily believe to have exceeded all former ex- ample J and it has been encountered and surmounted with a degree of resolution and perseverance, which merits my highest praise, and gives both officers and men a just claim to the approbation of their Lordships, and of the Country. The number of officers to whom I owe this tribute does not admit of my mentioning them by name ; but most of the Captains of the troop-ships have been employed in the super- intendence of these duties, and I have had repeated and urgent offers of voluntary service from all." ii . ' . During the ensuing peace we find Captain Hillyar convey- ing General Oakes and a number of recruits for the garrison of Gibraltar, from England to that fortress. On the 20th Jan. 1804, his staunch friend, the immortal Nelson, addressed the following letter in his favor to Earl St. Vincent who at that period presided over our naval affairs : " Captain Hillyar is most truly deserving of all your Lordship can do for him, and in addition to his public merits has a claim upon us. At twenty-four years of age, when I made him a Lieutenant for his bravery, he maintained his mother, sisters, and a brother. For these reasons he declined the Ambuscade which was offered him ; because, although he f >l POST-CAPTAINS OF 1804, 857 might thus get bis rank, yet, if lie were put upon lialf-pay, liis family would be the sufferers. From all these circumstances, so honorable to Captain Ilillyar, independent of his services, which every one thought wouhl have obtained him promotion in the late war, I beg leave to submit, as an act of the greatest kindness, that as the Niger is a very fine fast sailing frigate, well manned, and in most excellent condition, she may be fitted with the Madras's 32 oarronades, which are not so heavy as her present Q-pounders, and that your Lordship would recommend her being considered as a post- ship. Captain Hillyar's activity would soon complete the additional num- ber of men, and she would be an eflicient frigate. I will not venture to say more, I am sensible of your attention to merit." In consequence of this recommendation the Niger's estab- lishment was altered, and Captain Hillyar appointed to command her as a 32-gun frigate by commission dated Feb. 29, 1804. In the following autumn he discovered a very fine watering place about five miles to the westward of Porto Torres, in Sardinia, which proved essentially advantageous to the British ships employed in watching the motions of the Toulon fleet. Lord Nelson in his diary mentions, that " at the springs, about 200 yards from the beach, forty casks may be filled at the same time," and in a letter written by him to one of the British Consuls he says " I can assure you, that we have found Pulla (the place of anchorage) the most healthy spot the fleet has ever been at. So far from a man being ill from the thousands who went on shore, they have all derived the greatest benefit from the salubrity of the air brought down by that fine river." On the 1 1th Dec. in the same year. Captain Hillyar arrived at the Admiralty with despatches from his patron, with whom we again find him serving, off Cadiz, a few days previous to the glorious battle which deprived us of our greatest hero. On the 2d May, 1806, he captured a Spanish schooner bound to la Guira with despatches ; and at the latter end of 1807, as- sisted in escorting Sir John Moore's army from Gibraltar to England *. He subsequently commanded the St. George a second rate bearing the flag of Rear-Adrairal Eliab Harvey on Channel service. Captain Hillyar's next appointment was to the Phoebe a 36-gun frigate, with a complement of 295 men and boys, which ship formed part of the naval force employed at the • Seu Vol. II. Part I. p 422. 858 POST-CAPTAINS OF 1804. reduGtion of the Mauritius in Dec. 1810*; and sustained a loss of 7 men killed, and 24 wounded, in an action with a French squadron, near Madagascar ; the particulars of which will be found under the head of Captain Charles Marsh Schomberg, who in his official letter bears the most ample testimony to Captain Hillyar's gallant conduct on that occa- sion. The Phoebe likewise assisted in recovering possession of Tamatavd, and capturing her late opponent la Nereide of 44 guns and 470 men f. On the 20th Aug. 1811, Captain Hillyar arrived at Batavia, in company with the Nisus and President frigates, forming part of the squadron under Rear- Admiral Stopford, who, in the Scipiun 74, had previously proceeded from the Cape station to assist in the reduction of Java. The marines of the Phoebe and her consorts were immediately landed, and thankfully received by Sir Samuel Auchmuty, whose army was already much diminished by sickness : the arrival of those frigates from the Isle of France may indeed be considered as a most fortunate circumstance, as they very materially contri- buted to ease the press of duty so severely felt in that pesti- lential climate, and in no trifling degree accelerated the suc- cessliil termination of the expedition J. On the 31st day of the same month, the Nisus, President, and Phoebe, accompanied by the Hesper sloop of war pro- ceeded to Cheribon for tlie purpose of intercepting the enemy's troops in their retreat from Meister Cornelius towards Sa- marang, Rear- Admiral Stopford relying upon those ships for the performance of that sorvice, and, as he says, they fully answered his expectations. Their proceedings are thus de- tailed by Captain Beaver, senior officer of the squadron :— " H. Af. S. Xiius, offChirihon, Sept. 4, 18'!. " Sir, — I Imvc the honor to inform you, that, with the Nisus, President, and Phoebe, I got within 7 or B miles of this place last nij(ht at dark, wlicn I anchored. " At day-light this morning, I despatched Captain Warren, of the Pre- sident, in u boat, under a flag of truce, wiili the accompanying luuimons • Sec Vol. I. p. (i.-^ I etteq. t Sec pp. K13 — H37 "f this Volume. : See Vol. I. p. 367. POST-CAPTAINS OF 1804. 850 to the commandant of Cheribon, and immediately after weiglied with tlie three frigates, stood towards the fort, and anchored them as near as we could get to it, in three and a quarter fathoms ; when the French colours were hauled down, and English hoisted in their place. The marines, amounting to 180, were immediately landed, and took possession of the fort ; and I have the satisfaction to inform you, that just at that moment, the French General Jamelle, arrived at the Landroost's, from Buitenzory, and was made our prisoner, together with an aide-de-caurp of General .Tannsen's, and a Lieutenant of infantry *. " From the French General I learned that he left Buitenzory the night before our troops arrived there, and that detachments of the enemy were on their march from that place to this — about three hundred infantry, and 250 cavalry of which were hourly expected to arrive here — I therefore immediately landed 150 seamen, to garrison and defend the fort of Che- ribon ; leaving all the marines to act offensively against the enemy in the field, if occasion should require it, and placed 3 launches with cnrronades in the river, to enfilade the two chief approaches to the fort. • • • " The Ilesper sailed so ill, that I was obliged to proceed without her, but expect her appearance every hour, as well as the Sepoys, who are to act under Colonel Wood, on whose arrival I shall immediately re-embark the marines, and proceed toTaggall and Samarang; without whose as- sistance wo should bo too weak to make any impressir >. on the latter place." Sept.r,, 1811. " In consequence of a summons having been despatched yesterday to the government storekeeper of Carang Sumbung, about 35 miles distant on the road to Buitenzory, to deliver up some very valuable stores of cotFoe under his charge, a despatch was early this morhing received from hijn, in which he says he is ready to deliver over the above property to any person sent for that purpose ; but, he is very fearful if we do not send troops there immediately, the French, who are arriving in small parties, will when they bear of our being in possession of Cheribon, destroy the ! tores, and disperse ; und it having been represented to me in conse- quence, that a (]uick movement to Carang Sunibang, w'tli the marines and a party of seamen, mi^rlit not only preserve those stores, but either make prisoners of, or disperHc the enemy there collected. I placed, at the written request of Colonel Wood, who is at present without any troops of the line, all the marines, and 50 seamen, under his immediate commtuid, and they will march this evening at 6 o'clock. They are all mounted, seamen us well u^i marines, and u relay of horses is prepare<l for them half way. The llcsper arrived this morning, <md I have appointed Captain Reynolds /)n> tempore, commandant of Cheribon." * (kneral Jamelle and his companions were taken prisoners by Cap- lain Warren at the head of a few marines^ Sec {•. ^T2. '■. W 1 < I i 800 POST-CAPrAlNS OF 1804. Sept.T, 1811, " A party, detached from the seamen and marines under Colonel Wood, arrived lust night, with nine wa^^gons laden with money, and 30 prisoners, from the Boogas, a place half way between this and Carang Saml)ang, which they left in the morning at 6 o'clock, when our men were about to advance ; and this morning the Brigade Major returned with intelligence that all the stores at the latter place, to a great amount*, are given up to us, and that all the troops there arc made prisoners of war : thus, every object for which the seamen and marines were advanced into the country, has been happily attained, and no one loft in arms against us for a space of 35 miles. Sept. 11. 1811. " The lust party of marines returned from Carang Sambang late last night, and were embarked on board the Nisus at one this morning. I have thus re-embarked every seaman and marine of the 330 whom I landed on the 4th instant, after having made about 700 prisoners, including 1 General, 2 Lieutenant-Colonels, 1 Major, 1 1 Captains, 42 Lieutenants, and about 180 Non-commissioned oflicers and European privates, the rest being Creoles and Malays, without having had a single man either killed or wounded, and, I am happy to say, with very few sick indeed, and those chiefly from great fatigue, whom, I trust, a few days will restore to their wonted vigour. Although it bus not been our good fortune to have had it in our power to do any thing brilliant, yet, I hope, that having been able to secure so great a proportiuii of the enemy's officers, ami European troops, may contribute in some degree, to the speedy reduction of this important colony." Ciiptain Hillyar Bailed from Cheribon on the llth Sept. and the next day took possession of the fort at Taggall, to- gether with the goveriniient stores about five miles distant from thence, which he found were capacious, and well filled with coffee, rice, and pepper. He then re-joined Rear- Ad- miral Stopford at Samarang, and proceeded with him to Sou- rabaya, where intelligence was received of tlie capitulation for the B\r. render of Java and its dependencies having been conchidcd on the 18th of the same month. From this period we lose sight of Ciiptain Hillyar till Mar. IHlJi, when he sailed from England for the purpose of de- stroying tiu» Americans' fur-establishment i.p(»n the banks of Columbia river, the ,exe'Mition of which service he foimd it necessary to entrust to another officer, in conse(iuence of his receivin*^- certain intelligence, at the island of Juun Fernandez, that the United States' frigate Esbex of 46 guns und 328 men • The cotfec i\l(iiie, taken nt (,'nrnn;, **rtmbiing, was valued at 260,000 Spanish dollars. POST-CAPTAINS OK 1804. 861 had been for some time committing great depredations upon British commerce in the South Seas, and that several of her prizes had been armed in order to assist in doing still further mi:icljief. The Racoon and Cherub, sloops of war, having joined the Phojbe at Rio Janeiro, and accompanied her round Cape Horn, Captain Hillyar, on his arrival off the Gallipago islands, despatched the former vessel to Columbia river, and proceeded himself, with the Cherub in company, to explore the gulf of Guayaquil, and the coasts between that and Valparaiso, at which latter place he anchored close to the American frigate, and three of her prizes, on the 8th Feb. 1814. His subse- quent action with the Essex is thus described by him in a letter to the Admiralty, dated at Valparaiso, on the 30th Mar. 1814 : " Sir, — I have the honor to uc(iuahit you, for the information of my Lords Coiiimissiunors of the Adinirulty, that at a lUtle past 3 P. I\I. on the i.'8th instant, after nearly five months anxious goarch, and six weeks stilt more uiixious look-out for the Essex and her companion *, to (|uit the port of Valparaiso, we saw the former under weigh, and immediately, accom« panied hy the Cherul), uiade sail to close with her. On rounding the outer point of the bay, and hauling her wind for the purpose of endeavourin):^ to weather us, and escape, she lost her main-top-mast, and afterwards, not succeeding in an effort to regain the limits of t\n\ port, bore up, and anchored so near the shore, (a few miles to leeward of it), as to preclude the possibility of passing a-head of her without risk tc his iMaJesty's ships. As we drew near, my intention of going close under hei stern was frustrated by the ship breaking ofl", and from the wind blowing e:ttremely fresh, our first fire, commencing a little past four o'clock, and continuing about ten minute?, produced no visible effect. Our second, a few random shot only, froii) having increased our distance by wearing, was not apparently more successful, and having lost the use of our main-sail, jib, and main-stay, appearances were a little inauspicious. On standing agaiw towards her, I signified my intention of anchoring, for which we were net ready before, with springs, to Captain Tucker, directing him to keep ui ler weigh, and take n convenient station for annoying our opponent. (}\i closing the Essc\, at 5-35, the firing re-commenced, and before I gained my intendtMl position, her cable was out, and a serious cji.flict ensued ; the guns of his Majesty's ship gradually becoming more destructive, and her c.cw, if possible^ more animated, which lasted until I -20, when it • The Ekhox junior of 10-long-sixcK, KNcightvcn-poundcr "•ari'onadcs, and !)5 men, part of whom arv said to have been on board ihc fr'gatc whilst cnguj{cd with the British. 862 POST-CAPTAINS OF 1804. f pleased the Almighty Disposer of Events to hiess the efforts of my galluut companions, and my personal, very humble one, with victory. INIy friend Captain Tucker *, an officer worthy of their Lordships' best atten- tion, was severely wounded at the commencement of the action, but re- mained on deck until it terminated, using every exertion against the baffling winds and occasional calms which followed the heavy firing, to close near the enemy : he informs me, that his officers and crew, of whose loyalty, zeal, and discipline, I entertain the Mghest opinion, conducted themselves to his satisfaction. •••••• The conduct of my officers and crew, without an individual exception that has come to my knowledge, before, during, and after the battle, was such as become good and loyal subjects, zealous for the honor of their much loved, though distant, King and Country. •' The defence of tbe Essex, taking into consideration our superiority of force, the very discouraging circuuistance of her having lust her tiiain-top- most, and being twice on tire, did honor to her brave defenders, and most fully evinced the courage of Captain (David) Porter, and those under his command. Her colours were not struck until the loss in killed and wounded was so awfully great, and her shattered condition so seriously bad, as to render further resistance unavailing. " I was much hurt on hearing that her n.en liad been encouraged, when the result of the action was evidently decided, some to take to their boats, and others to swim on shore ; many were drowned in tlie attempt ; U> were saved by the exertions of my people ; and others, I believe between .10 and 40 effected their landing. I informed Captain Porter, that I con- sidered the latter, in point of honor, us my prisoners ; he said the encou- ragement was given when the ship was in danger from fire, and I have not pressed the point. The Essex is completely stored and provisioned for at least six months, and although much injured in her upper works, masts, and rigging, is not in such a state as to give the slightest cause of alarm, respecting her being able to perform a voyage to Europe with perfect safety. Our main and mizcn-masts, and muin-yard, are rather seriously wounded ; these, M-ithafew shot-holes between wind and water, which we can got at without lightening ; and a loss of canvas and cordage, which we can partly replace from our well-stored prize, are the extent of the injuries his Mijcsty's ship has sustained. ••••»••! have the iion<.r to b8, &c. (Signed) " James Hillyah." " To J. ir. Croker, Emq." Hic loHS sustained by the BritUh shipi) on this occaoion was only 5 killed and 10 wounded, including among tlie fcjr- iTier Mr. Williuni Ingram, first Lieutenant of the Pluube, u brave and excellent officer. That of the American frigate woa very severe, 2.'J inc ii having been found dead on her dcckfci, aiid 42 wounded among the prisoners (161 in iniuiber) : • See Captain Tiioaias Tuuur Ti;cker> POST-CAPTAINS OP 1804. 863 3 otliers were acknowledged to have been removed by a boat belonging to her consort, just before she surrendered ; and at least 40 are supposed to have perished in their attempt to reach the shore; but as not a single document relative to the number serving in her at the commencement of the action was found by Captain Hillyar, it is impossible for any person, not an American, to arrive at a correct conclusion on that subject. We can only express our regret that the Essex junior did not venture out of port, in which case the Cherub would have been of course detached in pursuit of that ship, and the Phoebe no doubt have given an equally good account of her immediate opponent *. Captain Hillyar arrived at Plymouth with his prize, Nov. 13, 1814 ; and in the course of the following year we find him receiving the insignia of a C. B. as a just reward for his long and meritorious services. He married, July 14, 1805, a daughter of N. Taylor, Esq. Naval Storekeeper at Malta. One of his brothers is a Com- mander, and another a Surgeon, R. N. The latter has re- cently received permission to accept and wear the insignia of a K. T. S. which the King of Portugal was pleased to confer upon him, when that monarch visited H. M. S. Windsor Castle, at ]>isbon, in May, 1824. Jgent. — Sir Francis Ommaney, M. P. RIGHT HON. LORD WILLIAM FITZ ROY. // Companion of the Mott Honorable *1Uitary C^iler of the Hath. This officer is a younger son of Augustus Henry, third Duke of Grafton, by hia second Duchess, Elizabeth, daughter of the late Rev. Sir Richard VN'rottcoley, Bart. He was born • The Phcrbe mounted 26 long lS-poundcr«, 4 long J>'a, 14 th»rty-t»»'o. pounder carronsdcs, und 2 boat-gunn j the Kssex, 40 thirty-i A'o.poundcr carronadcs, and six long nines. Th*< foriuar had on board 3(K) officers, men, and l>oya, including a few volunteerH from two Uritisb merchantmen lying at Valparaiso j we arc jusiified by the declaration of Captain Porter himself in stating that tho luttcr had ut least 260 peniou8, exclusive of those sent from the Essex junior to her assistance. The (lierub mounted 18 thirty- two-poundei carronadcs, r» cighteens, 2 long-sixes, and I boat-gun ; her total complejncnt was 121. 864 POST-CAPTAINS OF 1804. J,une 1, 1/82; made a Lieutenant in 1800; Commander in 1802, and Post-Captain, Mar. 3, 1804. His Lordship commanded the ^Eolus frigate in Sir Richard J. Strachan's action, Nov. 4, 1805 ; and at the reduction of Martinique, in 1809 *. Previous to the latter event, he had been elected M. P. for Thetford, in which borough the Grafton family appear to have possessed great influence for a long series of years, one of the titles attached to the dukedom being " Viscount Thetford." His last appointment v as, about June, 1810, to the Macedonian frigate, in which he served on the Lisbon station, until dismissed from the service, for a breach of the 33d Article of War, April 7, 1811. I-/ord William was restored to his rank in the navy at the latter end of August, in the same year ; and nominated a C. B. in 1815. He married, Aug. 9, 1816, Georgiana, second daughter of Thomas Raikes, Esq. and by that lady has issue. Towards the close of 1823, a small pamphlet was printed and circulated, among the higher ranks in the navy, tinder the title of " A brief Statement arising out of a Passage contained in the third volume of James's Naval History of Great Britain, on the Conduct and Character of Lord JVil- liam Fitz liny, in the year 1805." To this " Statemknt" Mr. James published " A Rkplv," in January, 1824. The circumstance which gave rise to those pamphlets has been discussed by Captain Brcnton in the third volume of his Naval History — We have neither time nor inclination to enter into the subject. RIGHT HON. LORD GEORGE STUART, A Companion of the Mont Honorable MilUary Order of the Bath. This officer is nearly related to the present Manjuis of Bute, and consequently descended from Hubert 11. King of Scotland. We are not acquainted with the particulars of his birth, but have been told that he was educated at Eton ; and that he entered the naval service towards the close of 1/93, as a Midshi])man on board the Providence of 16gun6, commanded l)y the late Captain William R. Broughton, with whom he " Sec Vol. I. pp. 2H!» and LHM. POST-CAPTAINS OP 1804. 865 proceeded first to Nootka Sound, and then on a service well calculated to render him an expert navigator, and able ma- rine surveyor. The Providence, on her voyage to the N. W. coast of America, touched at Teneriffe, Rio Janeiro, New South Wales, Otaheite, ^d the Sandwich Islands, where CaptaJn Broughton received intellif^ence that Captain Vancouver, under whose orders he had been directed to place himself, had already taken his departure for England*. He, however, proceeded to Nootka Sound, where he anchored on the i7th Mar. 1796, after a passage of thirteen months and two days from Plymouth. The siiip having proved leaky was now hove down, which led to the discovery of a bolt-hole in the garboard- streak through which it was supposed no bolt had ever been drove to the floor-timber. The augur boring remained perfect ; nor was there any appearance of decayed iron. The thin copper which covered it had cracked round the hole, and by that means the water was admitted. It was also exactly in the same place the carpenters had supposed, on examining the limbers, and whence the coming in of the water was per- ceived. Indeed there was no other part of the bottom of the ship that appeared to be bad, although the copper in some parts was much worn, a circumstance which caused Captain Broughton to regret that she had not been sheathed with wood, and then coppered over all. At Nootka, Captain Broughton received letters dated Mar. 1705, which informed him that Captam Vancouver had sailed from Monterrey bay, in Calitbrnia, on the 1st Dec. 1794; and that the Spaniards had delivered up the port, &c. to Lieutenant Pierce, of the marines, agreeably to the mode of restitutio!) settled between the Courts of London and Madrid. His future proceedings now depending on his own discretion, and as he wished to employ the Providence in such a manner as might be deemed most eligible for the improvement of geography and navigation, he proceeded along the coast to Montcrry, and there demanded of his officers their sentiments in writing, respecting the manner in which the discretionary powers allowed to him might most effectually be employed. ■ See Vol. 11, Part I. p. 201. \ 1: 866 POST-CAPTAINS OF 1804. The result of their opinions, he was happy to find, coincided with his own, wliich was to survey the coast of Asia, com- mencing at the island of Sachalin, situated in lat. 52°. N., in the southern part of the sea of Lama ; and ending at the Nan-king river, in Lat. 30°. N. His intention was also to survey the adjacent islands, viz. the Kurilles, and those of Jesso and Japan, left unfinished in Captain Cook's last voy- age. He considered that such a survey would be very ac- ceptable to geographers ; for the limits of Asia and America would then be known as far as navigation was practicable, and a knowledge of the Northern Pacific Ocean would be completed. He therefore determined to spend his time in that pursuit till Christmas, then to go to Canton for storco and provisions, and to continue the survey early in the en- suing year. A log of his proceedings from the time he left £ngland until his arrival at Macao, after surveying the land of Jesso, the Kurille isles, and thot^e of Japan, is contained in the first six chapters of a quarto volume published by him in 1804. At Macao, Captain Broughton purchased a small schooner to assist him in his survey, which he found to be the identical vessel built by some of the ill-fated Bounty's people, during their involuntary exile in the South Seas, and which had been brought from Otaheite to Samarang, by Cap- tain Edwards, of the Pandora. This proved a most fortunate circumstance for the officers and crew of the Providence, as that ship was wrecked near Ty-pin-san, an island lying be- tween Formosa and the Great Loo-Choo, when about to pro- secute the object of her researches. The following is Cap- tain Broughton's account of that disastrous event : " About 7-30 P. M. (May J 7, 1797), white water was seen a-liead and upon each bow, a id reported to the officer of the watch, Lieutenant James (j. Vashon ; and almost directly after, the ship struck upon a reef of coral rocks. Having felt the shock, which was not violent, I instantly went upon deck, and by the way met IMr. Vashon coming to acquaint mc with the disaster. The officers and men were upon deck in a moment, and the sails directly braced a-back. It appeared to mc the helm was a-weather, and the ship's head about E. N. E. *, sails all full. Had the helm been put a-lee on seeing the danger, F think we should have escaped it. • When Captain Broughtou left the deck a few minutes before, she was lying tip N. E. j^ N. with the larboard tacks uu board, and going at the rate of 4& knots per hour. POST-CAPTAINS OF 1804. 867 be- " The proper signals were made to the schooner, and the Master sent to anchor her as near as possible, to lieave by her. The ship soon after paid off, witli her head to the eastward ; and wc liauled up tlie main-sail, sliivcring the other sails, to let her go round oflf without nc<|uiring head- way : before she paid off to the southward, she again struck fore and aft, and remained fixed at last with her liead due south. Breakers were then upon each Itow, and we had from 5 to 15 fathoms in the starboard chains, and only 2^ fathoms at times both a-head and a-stern. Having chocke<l the ru<lder, the top-masts were struck ; and we began hoisting the boats out, the lower-yards liaving been kept up for that purpose. At this time the ship did not strike violently, and Iiad only made 1!) inches water. Unfortunately the wind freshened from the N. N. W., and the sea l)egaa to break with great force, which soon knocked the rudder off: we secured it with hawsers. It was now 9 o'clock, and we only waited the schooner's anchoring, to attempt heaving off; and in the mean time began hoisting out the long-boat -. during which period the ship made water very fast ; and the violent shocks she received, rendered it doubtful whether the masts would stand. The water increased so much upon the pumps, that before the long-boat was out we had 7 feet water in the hold. At this time the schooner had anchored near us in 25 fathoms, and the Master returned on board, when the ship suddenly changed her position, swinging round from S. to N. by E., and striking more violently than ever. Before wc could carry our hawsers to the schooner, the carpenter reported the water up to the orlop-deck, and the ship having bilgeil forward ; we there- fore gave up the idea of attempting to heave off, for had we succeeded, the ship must inevitably have foundered. The spare pumps were down the fore hatchway, but the water still increasing upon the gun-deck, rendered all our exertions useless. The officers were unanimous with me in opinion, that nothing could be done to save the ship ; and to cut away the masts would have no effect upon her, as she was settling fast forward from her being bilged, as we imagined, in her larboard bow. It now became highly necessary to preserve the people, and the boats were ordered ready for their reception ; while they were employed trying to collect arms and ammunition, with armourer's and carpenter's tools ; but the ship laying nearly on her beam ends, and the gun-deck being full of water with the washing of the bulk-heads to and fro, chests, &c. prevented their saving many. On one side of the sliip wc had only C feet water, and on the other 3& fathoms. The fore part of her was iijitnersed in the sea, and the surf breaking over the upper-deck. As nothing more could be procured for the present, the crew were sent into the boats, which was happily effected without any accident ; and soon after 1 1 o'clock they reached the schooner in safety, but with the loss, both officers tnd men, of every thing belonging to them. The pinnace returned for myself and the remaining officers ; and at half an hour after midnight we quilted the Providence, leaving her a perfect wreck to the mercy of the sea." This disaster having taken place during the S. W. monBoon, r Li> Fi ii . 1 i » i ) 1 p '' ;l 868 POST-CAPTAINS OF 1804. the situation of 109 persons witijout clothing *, crowjed in a small vessel only capable of admitting one-third of that num- ber below at a time, may readily be conceived. Fortunately, however, they met with the most friendly and hospitable re- ception at Ty-pin-san, the natives of which place loaded their little bark with provisions, and thereby enabled them to reach Whampoa, in China, without feeling the pangs of hunger and thirst, too often experienced by persons placed in similar situ- ations of danger. The schooner, having met with no bad weather, nor any other obstacle, passed the Bocca Tigris on the 4th June, 1/97, remained in the neighbourhood of Canton for a few days, and then worked down towards Macao roads, where a division of her officers and crew took place — 43 being discharged into the Swift sloop of war for the disposal of Rear- Admiral Rainier ; 30 into a fleet of homeward bound Indiamen ; and 35 retained by Captain Broughton for the purpose of completing his sur- vey. Among those sent home were the first Lieutenant (now Captain) Zachary Mudge, Lord George Stuart, and the present Hon. Captain Alexander Jones. It is here worthy of remark that the Providence was the ship in which " Bounty Bligh" ultimately conveyed the bread fruit to St. Vincent's and Janipica ; that Captain Broughton, when warping into Ma- tavia bay, Nov. 30, 1 795, swept an iron-stocked anchor which the Bounty's mutineers left behind them when they cut their cable and bade an everlasting farewell to Otaheite, Sept. 22, ) 789 J that the schooner built by the poor fellows who had been innocently involved in their guilt was, as we have stated above, the vessel destined to preserve the crew of the Providence j and that the 43 officers and men who were drafted into the Swift, were doomed to perish under the command of an officer who was one of Bligh's companions when turned adrift in the Bounty's launch by Christian and his colleagues. Strange as the coincidence may appear, what wc have stated admits of no contradiction. • The Providence left England with a complement of 116 officers, seamen, and marines. Of thij number one had died a natural death, three been killed by accident, and two murdered by the natives at one of the Sandwich Islands. POST-CAPTAINS OF 1804. 869 Lord George Stuart was made a Lieutenant in 1800, a Commander in 1802 ; and confirmed in liis post rank Mar. 3, 1804. If we mistake not, he was in tlje East Indies at each of those periods. About the 7th Jan. 1805, a hurricane commenced at Cey- lon, during which the Sheerness 44, then commanded by the subject of this memoir, parted her cables, and drove on shore. Very little time had elapsed, before the water rose above the orlop-deck, the main-mast went by the board, and pumping proved ineffectual. At the commencement of the storm. Lord George, his first Lieutenant, and others, used every possible exertion to get on board, but their boat swamping, they with difficulty regained the shore. The launch, sent to their assistance, was also swamped, and two of her crew drowned. His Lordship subsequently commanded the Duncan frigate, and on the 8th April, 1806, captured a French privateer of 8 guns and 71 men. In the summer of 1807, he was ap- pointed to I'Aimable 32, on the North Sea station, where lie intercepted another marauder of the same description, mount- ing 16 guns, and having on board a number of British priso- ners. In the summer of 1808, he appears to have assisted in escorting the army under Sir Arthur Wellesley, from Cork to Portugal, and it has been said that he was a spectator of the celebrated battle which led to the inglorious convention of Cintra *. On the 3d Feb. 1809, Lord George Stuart, having returned to his former station, captured, after a chase of 28 hours, and a short running fight, I'lris, French national ship, pierced for 32 guns, but only mounting 22 24-pounder carronades and 2 long twelves, vrith a complement of 1 10 men, having on board 640 casks of flour for Martinique, victualled and stored for four months. L'Aimable, on this occasion, had 2 men wounded, and suffered materially in her masts, spars, sails, and rigging. The enemy sustained a loss of 2 killed and 8 wounded. In July following. Lord George assumed the command of a light squadron employed at the mouth of the Elbe, and on the 26th of that month he performed an important serviccj • See Vol, I. p. 695, and note f at p. 431 et ieq. VOL. 11, 3 J, '■X i.y M '■ tit.'- ,%. .^. ^ V«^. .a; IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) 1.0 I.I 11.25 liilM |2.5 |50 ^^~ ■■■ \1& m I 2.2 us Its 140 I 2.0 Hiotographic Sciences Corporation ^ ^ 3>^ <^ 23 WHT MAIN STMIT WnSTH.N.Y. USIO (71«) •73-4S03 Ci^ ■ .*\^ 870 l>0»T-CAt»TAINS OF 1804. the particulars of which arc thus stated in his official report to the officer under whose orders he was then placed : H. M. S. PAimable, off Cuxhaven, July 29, 1809. *' Sir, — ^The French troops id Hanover, not content with frequent pre- datory and piratical incursions in the n^^ighbourhood of Cuxhaven, bad the audacity to enter the village of Ritzbuttle with a body of horse at mid-day on the 26th instant, and very narrowly missed making several officers of the squadron prisoners *. In consequence I was induced to land a detachment of seamen and marines from the vessels composing the squadron under my orders, for the purpose, if possible, of intercepting tfaem. In the ardour of pursuit, we advanced until we got sight of the town of BreB)er>Iehe, into which we learnt they had retreated. The in- formation was incoirect. On entering the town we were assured that the enemy, to the number of about 250, occupied the town of Gessendorf, two miles distant, and further, that it contained a depdt of confiscated merchandise. It was resolved instantly to attack it. For this purpose. Captain Goate of the Mosquito, advanced with a detachment, while I directed Captain Pettet of the Briseis, to proceed by a circuitous route, and take a well-constructed battery of four 12-pounders, commanding the river Weser, in flank, while the remainder, under my o^rn immediate di- rections, headed by Captain Watts, of the Ephira, advant^d to attack it in front. The road we had to pass subjected us all to a galling fire of round and grape from the battery, the guns of which were all pointed inwards, and which we could only answer by discharges of musketry. Gesseudorf, though certainly tenbble with the aumben the enemy had opposed to ours, was on the approach of Captain Goate precipitately evacuated. The enemy being previously informed of our approach, had put into requi- sition a number of light waggons for the transportation of tlie foot, in the rear of which 60 well mounted cavalry drew up. " The enemy in the battery seeing us determined, notwithstanding their lire, to carry our point, and that we were making preparations for fording a deep and wide creek in tlieir front, abandoned it, and embarked in boats on the Weser ready for their reception, under a severe fire of musketry from our detachment, with the loss on their part of several killed and wounded. From a foreknowledge of our intentions on the part of the enemy, we made but four prisoners, the commandant of the battery (Mona. le Murche), a Lieutenant, and two inferior officers. The battery- gima were burst in pieces, the etn'brazursa demolished, the gun-carriages burnt, together with the magaxioe, guard-houses, &c. &c. The powder we brought off, as also six wi^ggun loads of confiscated merchanilise. * * * " The distance from Gessendurf to Cuxhaven is 28 miles ; I leave it then to their Lordships to estimate the spirit, alacrity, and expedition with which this service has been performed, when I stbte, that in 24 hours from * Cuxhaven and Ritzbuttle had recently been taken possession of by the British. Sea CiqiuiA Wn,bMM Goati. POST-CAPTAINS OF 1804. 871 oar departure, the whole detachment returned, and were safely embarked on board their respective ships, without the loss of an individual *. I have the honor to he, &c. (Signed) " G. Stvart." " To Rear-Mmiral Sir R. I. Strac/mi, Bart. A'. B." A^ the importance of this service cannot be estimated by Lord George Stuart's official letter alone, we shall in explana- tion state, that the heroic Duke of Brunswick Oels^ having at that moment nearly effected his fine retreat through the heart of Germany, arrived a few days afterws^rds on the op- posite hank of the Weser, and by the previous dispersion of the enemy, and the destruction of their fortress, which enfi- laded the whole of that river, was enabled to embark and bring away his brave companions in arms, without meeting with those obstructions which would otherwise have impeded his progress, enabled his pursuers to come up with him, and in all likelihood have led to the capture or destruction of his whole detachment. His Lordship's next appointment was, about Sept. 1810f to the Horatio, a 38-gun frigatC) the boats of which ship, under the directions of Lieutenant Abraham Mills Hawkins, performed a very gallant exploit on the coa&t of Norway, in Aug. 1812, which we shall give a full account of in our me- moir of that meritorious officer, who was soon after promoted for his persevering bravery and severe sufferings on the occa- sion now alluded to. The reverses of Napoleon Buonaparte, who, after losing tlic flower of his army in the inhospitable cUme of Russia, in the winter of 1812, had been obliged to retreat, during the whole of 1813, before his accumulating enemies, till at length they pursued him into France, gave occasion to a revolution in Holland. The consequence of this political change was the recall of the Pripce of Orange, whose departure from Kng- land, and landing at Scheveling, we have already noticed f. An application was also made to the British government for * Captain George Edward Watts " particularly" diatinguished himself* and was the ooly person wounded. The passages contained in the above letter which we have onalttcd, are reserved for insertion in our menaoin of that gallant officer, and others to whose conduct thev immediately refer, t See Vol. I. p. 663. 31.2 872 POST-CAPTAINS OP 1804, assistance, which was readily granted ; and by the end of the year, the whole territory of the Seven United Provinces was cleared of the enemy, with the exception of a few fortified places. The assistance contributed by Lord George Stuart towards the accomplishment of this desirable event, will be seen by the following extracts from his public letters to the late Admiral Sir William Young, under whom he had been for some time serving : " Yesterday morning (Dec. 7, 1813) some pilots brought off a letter, from a gentleman who had been in the British service, requesting aid to drive the French from Zierick-zee *. I lost no time in working up, and anchored just out of gun-shot of a heavy battery, which totally commanded the passage. As it was necessary to pass in execution of your orders, I made the disposition for attacking it. I therefore collected 50 marines and 70 seamen from the Horatio, with the same number from the Am- phion, with a determination of storming it from the rear, as soon as the tide would answer for the boats to leave the ship, which could not be till 9 P. M. During the interval, a deputation from the principal citizens came on board under a flag of truce, from the French General, requesting tliat, in onier to save the effusion of blood, and prevent the disorders which were likely to ensue in the city, then in a state of insurrection, terms of capitulation should be granted, by which the French, with their baggage, should be allowed to withdraw and be conveyed to Bergen-op- zoom : this I peremptorily refused, * * * and sent back the terms here- with enclosed f. The thickness of the weather prevented the deputation fiuiii quitting the ship before 10 P. M., which induced me to extend the time till midnight. I had not proceeded any considerable distance from the ship before the signal (3 guns), in token of submission, was made. I landed at the battery, which having secured, I went forward to the town, and found the native French had made their escape. I directed the sea- men to remain at the gate, and entered with the marines, amidst the ac. clamations of an immense multitude. Proceeding to the town-hall, I was * Zierick-zee h the capital of Schowen, an island of Zealand, lying be- tween Qoeree and North Beverland. t " Sir, — ^With a view to spare the effusion of blood, as senior officer in command of H. B M.'s forces, I feel it my duty, after the communi- cation I have received, and the resources which I at present have, to sum- mons yon with the French oflicers and troops under your immediate com- mand, to surrender prisoners of war. No other conditions will be ad- mitted. I expect a decisive answer by 12 o'clock this night ; my autho- rity will not admit of the tuspe/^sion of hostilities longer than that period. (Signed) " 0. Stuart." •• TV the Prtnch Communiant:* POST-CAPTAINS OF 1804. 873 wet by the most respectable inhabitants in a body, and then having dig< solved the French municipal authorities, I directed the ancient magistrates of the city to resume their functions. This morning (Dec 8), in compli- ance with my directions, the magistrates of the town of Browcrshaven reported their having driven the French from thence, and they received similar injunctions with respect to their provisional government. I took possession of a brig of 14 guns, formerly H. M. B. Bustler, which the enemy had attempted to scuttle, also a French gun-boat, and a consider- able quantity of powder. In the course of this day I have collected 20 prisoners, and more are expected. " I feel happy in having obtained so important an acquisition as the ^vhole island of Schowen, without bloodshed, thereby facilitating the means of opening a communication with the allied forces in tlie south of Holland *. " Having received information that the French had augmented their forces in the island of Tholen with 400 men, and it being necessary to secure the battery at the point of Steavinesse, in order for the ships to pass up the Keeten, I despatched the boats of the two ships at 10 P.M. (Dec. 9), with the boats' crews only, when they landed two miles in the rear of the battery : immediately on their approach, the French precipi- tately fled, and did not enable our brave fellows to oppose them, wc there- fore made only 3 prisoners. The battery mounted six 24-pounder8. Lieutenants Whyte and Champion, of the Horatio and Amphion, with the officers and men under their command, dismantled the battery, spitted the guns, destroyed the carriages, &c. and returned on board at 3-30 A* M." Lord George Stuart, whose great promptitude of decision to storm the batteries on the island of Schowen, and very spirited preparation for doing so, if the enemy had not imme- diately submitted, were highly commended by Admiral Young, was soon after appointed to the Newcastle of 58 guns, built for the express purpose of coping with the American ships of similar force. The particulars of his cruise in quest of the Constitution and her supposed consorts will be found at p. 533, et seq. of this volume. His Lordship was nominated aC. B. in 1815. Agent, — ^Tliomas Stilwell, Esq. SIR JAMES LIND, A Knight Commander u/ the Moat Honorable Military Order of the Bath- This officer received his first commission in 177^; and served as senior Lieutenant of the Princess Royal a second rate, forming part of Lord Hood's fleet, during the operations . * The ordnance taken at Zierick-zee, consisted of 12 iron 36 and 24* pounders, 2 brass 13-inch mortars, and 2 six-poundcrn. m POST-CAPTAINi OF 1804. at Toulon, in 1793 *. His promotion to the rank of Com^ mander took place in 1795. On the 5th Dec. 1800, Captain Lind, then commanding the Wilbelmina troop-ship, sailed from England for the Red Sea, in company with a squadron sent thither, under Sir Home Popham, to assist in the frustration of the designs of republican France, which was afterwards so successfully ac^ complished by the Anglo-Turkish forces in Egypt, as already mentioned in the course of this work. Captain Lind's next appointment was to the Sheerness 44^ in which ship he captured, by stratagem, I'Alfred, French privateer, of 14 guns and 80 men. Obserring I'Alfred in chase of the Sheerness, he disguised her as nuieh as possible, and by standing away from his pursuer, and setting and taking in sail in the style of a merchantman, completed the decep- tion, and ensured the capture of the enemy. After a short chaSe, the privateer ranged upon his quarter, fired a broad- side, and commanded him to strike. Her summons was an- swered by a fire which killed 3 and wounded 6 of I'Alfred's crew , when the astonished Frenchmen immediately hauled down their colours. The Sheerness fortunately had not a man hurt. This little affair occurred off Point de Galle, May 5, 1804 : Captain Lind's post commission had been confirmed at home on the 6th March preceding. On the 17th Sept. in the same year, the French Rear-Ad- miral Linois, who had some time before been defeated by the homeward bound China fleet, seized on some country boats off Masulipatam, who gave him intelligence of Captain Lind's former ship, the Wilhelmina, having left that place a few days previous for Vizagapatam road, with the Ptincess Char- lotte Indiaman under her protection. Expecting to obtain Bome compensation for his late disappointment, M. Linois immediately proceeded thither, and the following day com- menced a furious attack upoh the Centurion of 50 guns, which ship Vice-Admiral Rainier had a few ddys before substituted for the Wilhelmina, h^kving ordered the latter to convoy two other Indiamen, with some treasure on board to Calcutta. Ute ptirticulats of what followed are Contained in h \ettet from Captain Lhid to the Vice-Admiral from whom he had • Sue Vol. I. p. g.Jf). POST-fcA|»TAtNS OF 1804. 875 ireceived an acting order to command the Centurion in the absence of her proper Captain, then dangerously ill at sick- quarters. The following is a copy of the letter to which we have alluded, dated Sept. 19, 1804 : " Yesterday mornini'', whilst at anchor in this (ViEafapatam) road, an^ waiting tilt the Indiaman and the country ship (Barnaby), which you di- rected me to convoy to Madras, were loaded, 3 iihips were perceived under the land in the S. W., coming down before the wind with all suls set. About 9-30 A. M. it was seen that they were enemies, a line-of-battle ship and 2 frigates : the former hoisted, 'vUh her colours, a flag at the mizen- top-uiast head, and I believe was the Marengo, Admiral Linois, and I shall 80 call her in this letter ; the frigates appeared to be of 36 or 40 guns each *. For the information of the convoy, the signal of an enemy being in sight was hoisted, and^ soon aftenvurds one for the convoy, as they were best able, to p"*; into a port in view. This was done that the two ships we had taken under convoy might get close in shore for protection, or, if necessary to run on it : the Barnaby complied with this signal ; she ran t>n shore, but unfortunately afterwards got into the surf, and was totally lost. " About 10 A. M., the headmost of the enemy's ships, a frigate, was about half a mile from the Centurion, without any colours flying. Several shot were fired at her. About the same time the cable was cut, and top- sails sheeted home, which were already loose for the purpose; by this means the broadside was brought to bear upon the enemy, and prevented the ship from being boarded or raked ; by this manoeuvre, likewise, a fri- gate, that was within a cable's length of the Centurion, and appeared to have an intention to board, got a close and well-directed broadside into her. The action soon became general, the enemy's three ships directing their fire on the Centurion, their only object, for the Princess Charlotte Lad very early struck her colours. The Centurion stood in shore, the Marengo and one frigate on the starboard quarter, the other frigate on the larboard ; they were all less than half a mile distant, and kept firing, which the (Centurion returned : her fire was chiefly directed against the Marengo. About 10-45, the French ships stood to sea ; and immediately •fter this I got on board, though with much difficulty and danger. I had been en shore to expedite the sailing of the convoy, and was not present in this early part of the action, for, till now, the Centurion had been under the direction of the first Lieutenant, Mr. James Robert Philips : and before I proceed any further in this account, permit me to notice the judicious conduct ^ this deserving and old officer, and his gallant defence of the slii^ against so superior a force as that of the enemy. I hope. Sir, his conduct will be thought worthy of a reward, and that he will be esteemed deserving of promotion. i I^^B ffj^^^H f ^H ''^^?^ ;> ^HH VV.';''.> ", ^^H K-'lt; it 'i^H^^^i ^:'ft> 1 1^H '^i'i * Tiie French squadron consisted of the Marengo, Semillanle, and Atalantc , the former an 80-gun ship, the two latter 40-gun frigates. m POST-CAPTAINS OF 1804. " On my comitig on board, I found the suls and rigging so very much cut as to render the ship not in a state to be worked, and therefore anchored at the hack of the surf, about a mile and a half to the N. E. of the town : this situation was the best I had in my power to take, both for defence, and to prevent her falling into the possession of the enemy if overpowered. " A battery of three guns at the town, under the command of Colonel A. Campbell, of H. M. 74th Regiment, had kept a fire on the enemy whilst within reach, but now we were too far distant to receive any support from it. I sent on shore to request guns might be brought on the beach nearer us : this I have since been convinced was totally impracticable, or it would have been done. We prepared again foraction ; and whilst thus employed, the enemy wore and stood towards us : the Marengo, after having repeatedly tried the range of her guns, came to an anchor abreast of us, and about a mile distant ; clewed up her top-sails, furled her courses, and commenced cannonading. This threatening appearance of being determined to perse- vere and to succeed, only served to animate the ofGcers and men of H. M. ship to greater exertions of defence with the lower-deck guns, the only ones that would reach the enemy, for she was too far distant for the carronades ; but all the enemy's shot reached us *. In the mean time one of the fri- gates kept under sail on our quarter, nearer than the Marengo, and an- noycd us much by her fire ; the other frigate carried off the Indiaman from her anchorage in the road. At 1-15 P. M , nearly two hours after this cannonading had commenced, and which had been kept up with much vigour on both sides, the Marengo cut her cable, hoisted her jib, and stood to sea. By some of her last shot our cable ivas cut, and we made some sail, and got further off shore before we brought up with the sheet anchor* When the Marengo first made sail, I supposed she intended to make a short stretch, tack, and renew the action nearer, and therefore made all necessary preparations to receive her; but she, the frigates, and the cap- tured Indiaman stood to sea, and a little before sun-set bore up to the N. E., towards the bottom of the bay. What damage the enemy has sus- tained, or from what cause they declined further contest mth. us I cannot teU. . *' After this full account of the transactions of the day, I feel it a duty incumbent on me not only to repeat the high sense I have of Lieutenant Philips' services, but likewise to inform you that the other Lieutenants of this ship, David Pringle, Richard Coote, and William Furbrother Carroll, displayed great gallantry and spirit on the occasion ; the last-mentioned, though a young officer, has seen much service, and as bis commission ifl not yet confirmed by my Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty, may I request that you will be pleased to represent his great merit, to induce their Lordships to do it ? To the zeal and eneif;y of Lieutenant Warring^, R. M. I am much indebted. *' * The Centurion had long twenty-fours on her lower-deck, and 32- pounder carronades hud been substituted for the long twelves which she had formerly mounted on the main-deck. 't; P08T-CAPTA1NS OF 1804. 877 '* To insert any thing in this letter in praise of the veteran and gallant crew of the Centurion, must be needless to you, Sir, who are well acquainted with them ; but I cannot refrain from saying that they displayed great experience, and cool courage. The good discipline of the ship was con- spicuous, and does great credit to their proper commander, Captain (John Sprat) Rainier. " H. M . ship has received considerable damage in her masts, yards, and rigging. The fore-mast, mizen-mast, and main-yard are badly wounded, as well as several smaller masts and yards ; several shot remain in the bottom, between wind and water ; one came through into the gunner's store-room. It is with pleasure I acquaint you, that very few men con« sidering the long action, have suflfercd ; none were killed, and only nine wounded ; one of whom is since dead ; the others arc not in apparent danger. (Signed) " J. Linu." Captain Lind in the foregoing letter alludes to the difficulty and danger he experienced in getting on board the Centurion. This requires some little explanation. Immediately the approach of the strange squadron was announced to him, he hurried down to the beach, and jumped into a boat manned with natives, who rowed him some dis- tance, ignorant of the cause of his hurry ; but, immediately the fire commenced, they expressed a wish to pull back. This he very naturally refused, but neither by threats nor promises could he prevail upon them to proceed ; whilst the firing lasted. For some time the boat was in the line of fire, and as he would not allow them to return towards the shore, the affrighted rowers were with great difficulty prevented by him from jumping overboard and swimming thither. At length a favorable oppoi '-riity was afforded by the enemy, and he succeeded in getting m board his ship at the crisis he has mentioned. His conduct during the second attack was most highly applauded by the commander-in-chief, who, when writing to the Admiralty, declared that he did not hesitate to rank the Centurion's action " with the most famous of the defensive kind in the glorious annals of the British navy." Captain Lind received the honor of knighthood on his return to England, in the spring of 1806 ; obtained the in- signia of a K. C. B. Jan. 2, 1815 ; and died at Southampton on the 12th June, 1823. At the latter period we had not advanced sufficiently far in our present pursuit to apply to him for information — should this hasty sketch meet the eye » < I 878 POST-CAPTAINfi OF 1804. of any of his friends we beg leave to say that any authentic documents relative to Sir James Lind's services, if sent to us for the purpose of being published in the Supplement to this work, shall be carefully returned, when copied. A painting (by F. Sartorious) representing the discomfiture of Mom. Linois, was exhibited in the Antique Academy, in 1805. JOSEPH NOURSE, Esq. A Companion of the Most Honorable Military Order of the Bath. This officer was made a Lieutenant Dec. 10, 1/99; and served as such on board the Couragoux, of 74 guns, com- manded by the late Vice- Admiral Sir Samuel Hood, K. B. by whom he was successively advanced to the rank of Com- mander and Post-Captain. On the 29th Aug. 1800, Lieutenant Nourse volunteered to assist in cutting out an enemy's ship from under the batte- ries in Vigo bay, which service was gallantly performed by the boats of a squadron under Sir John Borlase Warren. The enemy made a most desperate resistance, her commander having secured the hatchways to prevent his people from re- treating, and cheered the British as they advanced to the attack She proved to be la Guepe, French privateer, of 300 tons, mounting 18 nine-pounders, with a complement of 161 men ^ 25 of whom were killed, and 40 wounded. The boats, (20 in number) had only 4 men killed, 1 drowned, and 20 wounded. Among the latter were Lieutenants Henry Burke (the senior officer) severely, John Henry Holmes, and Joseph Nourse, slightly *. At the latter end of 1802, when Sir Samuel Hood resided at Trinidad as one of his Majesty's joint Commissioners for that island. Lieutenant Nourse commanded the Advice, a small vessel employed as a tender to the colony ; and when his friend succeeded to the chief command on the Leeward Islands' station, vacant by the death of Rear-Admiral Totty, he ac- companied him into the Blenheim T^, from which ship Sir • La Gufepc was afterwards the British sloop of war Wasp. p. 592 et sef. See POST-CAPTAINS OP 1804. 8/9 Satiiucrs broad pendant was afterwards removed into the Centaur of similar force. After assisting at the reduction of St. Lucia and Tobago, in 1803, Lieutenant Nourse was promoted to the rank of Commander in the Cyane sloop of war. On the 2d Jan. 1804, he re -captured an English coast of Guinea trader ; and in the course of six weeks from that period, we find him cap- turing three French privateerSj carrying in the whole 30 guns and 236 men. His post-commission bears date April 30, 1804. In our memoir of Captain Frederick L. Maitland we have no- ticed the capture of le Braave, a French privateer on the Irish station. Mar. 16, 1804. This vessel was purchased by the merchants of Barbadoes, presented by them to Government, commissioned as a post-ship, and placed under the command of Captain Nourse, who on the fourth day of his first cruise, Oct. 17, 1804, after a chase of 13 hours, and an exchange of bow and stern-chasers, captured the Napoleon, French pri- vateer, of 18 guns and 150 men. A few days afterwards I'Heureux, of 10 six-pounders and 80 men shared a similar fate ; and on the 8th April, 1805, la Desiree, of 14 guns and 7 1 men, was added to his list of prizes. This latter vessel, a fine schooner, after being decoyed within musket-shot, had the temerity to return his fire, by which she suffered a loss of 7 men killed and wounded. Captain Nourse subsequently commanded the Frederick- %tein, Volontaire, and Severn frigates, on the Mediterranean and North Anierican stations. The following account of a novel proceeding, extracted from the Naval Chronicle, may not prove unacceptable to those who have never before heard it related i " On the 30th Aug. 1811, a Court-Martial assembled on board H. M. shipHibemia at sea (oflf Toulon)— President, Rear-Admiral Sir Richard Goodwin Keats, K. B. The Court proceeded to the trial of Mr. John M'Arthur, Purser of H. M. ship Volontaire, on charges preferred against him by Lieutenant Shatv, first of the said ship, namely— disobedience of orders; disrespect to him; and mutinous expressions at the gutt-room table. Captain the Hon. George Granville Waldegrave, prosecutor. The Court having been duly sworn, the prisoner read a paper, purporting, that he had been put into arrest at the time when the offence was said to have been committed, and continued in arrctt for the space of fourteen days ; I m. -H i. 880 POST-CAPFAINS OK 1804. that, wishiug to avoid a court-martial, he proposed making an apology, which was acceded to, and he accordingly did make an apology on the quarter-deck of the same ship, in the presence of Captain Nourse (who then commanded the Volontaire) and all the officers who were present at the time the alleged offence was committed : that in consequence of the said apology, he was released from bis arrest, and continued in the full execution of his duty ; that he dined at the Captain's table in turn, accord- ing to the usage of the ship ; and that he humbly conceived the humane intentions of the law would be frustrated, if he were, under such circum- stances, amenable to a court-martial ; and, therefore, begged to submit these considerations to the honorable court. The Court was cleared for deliberatiou ; and, on the opening. Captain Nourse was called and sworn ; he fully corroborated the foregoing statement. The Court, therefore, without going further into the business, adjudged the prisoner to be acquitted^ Captain Nourse was appointed to the Severn about July 1813, and in Nov. following he sailed from England with a fleet of transports and merchantmen under his protection, bound to Bermuda. We next find him employed under the orders of Rear-Admiral Cockburn during the expeditions against Washington and Baltimore, in Aug. and Sept. 1814 *. His conduct on those occasions is thus mentioned in that officer's despatches relative to the latter enterprise : " Captain Nourse, of the Severn, was good enough to receive my flag for this service ; he rendered me great assistance in getting the ships to the different stations within the river (Patapsco) ; and when the storming of the fortified hill was contemplated, he hastened to my assistance with a reinforcement of seamen and marines. I should consider myself wanting in candour and justice, did I not particularly point out. Sir, to you, the high opinion I entertain of the enterprise and ability of this valuable officer, not only for his conduct on tlus occasion, but on the very many others on which I have employed him since with me in the Chesapeake." Captain Nourse subsequently proceeded to the coast of Georgia, and assisted at the capture of St. Mary's a town near Point Pctre, Jan. 13, 1815 f. Among the captures made by him on the American station were two privateer schooners, and a letter of marque, carrying in the whole 22 guns and 241 men. The Severn being paid off on her return to England, Cap- tain Nourse remained on half-pay from that period till Nov. 1^ 1821, when he was appointed Commodore and Commander- " .' • See Vol. I. pp. 524— 627. •' t Sec p. 734, and note • at p. 738 of this volume. ' POST-CAPTAINS OF 1804. 881 in-chief on the Cape station, where he fell a sacrifice to the climate of Eastern Africa, having caught the fever of that country whilst prosecuting various interesting services which it does not fall within our province to record. He died on hoard the Andromache frigate, when returning from the island of Mombass to Mauritius, Sept. 4, 1824, having pre- viously run down the western coast of Madagascar, visited the extensive bay of Bembatooka, passed the Comoros, and touched at the islands of Zanzibar and Pemba, belonging to the Imaun of Muscat. ROBERT O'BRIEN, Esq. Manager of the Dublin and London Steam Packet Company. This officer is a brother of Sir Edward O'Brien, Bart. M. P, for the county of Clare in Ireland, and representative of a family, the elder branch of which received a patent of baronet- age in 1686. • He obtained the rank of Lieutenant in VJ9J ; was made a Commander in 1800 ; and posted into the Clorinde frigate, at Jamaica, May Ist 1804. Captain O'Brien's next appointment was, about Jan. 1813, to the Doris of 42 guns ; and in the course of the same year, we find him escorting the outward bound trade to China. His subsequent proceedings in the East Indies met with the marked disapprobution of the Admiralty, as will be seen by the following oMcial letter of their Lordship's Secretary to the senior officer on that station, dated Feb. 17, 1816 : " Sir,— Haviag laid before my Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty a letter from Captain O'Brien, dated at Madras the 7th October last, statinj^ that in consequence of the death of Rear-Admiral Sir George Burlton, and in the absence of Captain Sayer, of H. M. S. Leda, on a distant part of the station, he had assumed the temporary command in the Indian seas, re- moving from his proper ship the Doris into the Wellesley, and hoisting in the latter a Broad Pendant. ....... " I have their Lordships' commands to signify their direction to you to express to Captain O'Brien their Lordships' entire disapprobation of bis presuming to hoist a Broad Pendant and assume a command contrary to the Rules of the Service, and without any kind of authority for so doing, and it ii their LordsihipB' further direction that Captain O'Brien be imme- IS tl> -*«■ LV '.^1 ''-»! 882 POST-CAPrAINS OF 1804. diately ordered to return to England in any ship in which he may be at the receipt of Utis letter. I am, Sir, your most humble servant, (Signed) " John Barrow." " The senior officer cfH. M. ships, East Indies.** Previous to the receipt of the above, Commodore George Sayer had written to the Admiralty informing the Secretary for their Lordships' information, that it was his intention to try Captain O'Brien by a Court-Martial, for " pursuing a CO irse of conduct subversive of the first principles of the Ser- vice, grounded on jjretensions as futile as irreconcilcahle with the Discipline of the Navy." To this communication he received the following reply : " Jdmiraltj/ Office, 20th August, 1816. " Sir, — I have received and Imd before my Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty, your letter of the 20th March last, representing the conduct of (Japtaiu O'Brien acting in the command of H. M. S. Cornwallis, and seating that you had ordered a Court-Martial to assemble and try him for his conduct ; and I am commanded by their Lordships to acquaint you that they approve of your ordering the Court-Martial in question. I am, 8ir, &c. (Signed) *• John Barrow." " To Commodore Styer, fyc." Captain O'Brien's trial commenced April 6, 1816; a Court- Martial having been assembled for that purpose on board the Cornwallis J4, at Madras, in pursuance of an order addressed to Captain Henry Weir, of the Thais, by •* Commodore George Sayer, senior ofUcer in the conimand of H. M.'s shipe and vessels employed in the East Indies and seaw adjacent." The charges preferred against him on that occasion, were in substance as follow : — , , • - <• " For having carried a dittinguishiog Broad Pendant, and officially de- signated himself Commodore and Senior Officer of H. M.'s ships and vessels in the East Indies and Indian seas, in direct disregard and violution of the Naval Instructions, and in contempt and defiance of the command and au- thority which had devolved on Captain George Sayer, his senior officer, by the decease of Rear-Admiral Sir George Burlton, K. C. B. •• For sending to England, in the Wellesley •, the leaders of a mutiny on board the Cornwallis, without reference to Commodore Sayer, the only coiDp«teat authority to have taken legal measures thereon ; a proceeding ■triking at the fouudation of all discipline, and fraught with danger to his Mm'esty'n naval service. * Coptuin O'Brien removed himself from the Welleiley to the Corn- wtllii about Nov. 1, 1816. * POST-CAPTAINl OF 1804. 883 " For ordering H. M/s brig Cameleon to be commissioned wbi'e building, and appointing a Lieutenant to be Commander of tlie said vessel, an exer- cise of authority beyond even ivhat was vested in the late coinmander-iu- chief: and, " For disrespect to the Commodore, by styling him Captain Saver, in various orders issued to other officers of the squadron, exhibiting in him- self t!iereby a most dangerous example of disobedience and insubordina- tion subversive of discipline and injurious in the extreme to hiH Majesty's service." On the 11th April, Captain O'Brien having closed his de- fence, without producing any evidence whatever in his justi- fication, either oral or documentary, the following sentence was read by Mr. John Stigant, Acting Judge Advocate : " At a Court-Martial assembled on board H. M. S. Cornwallis, in Ma- dras Roads, the 6th day of April 1816, and held by adjournment frvtn day to day (Sunday excepted) until this 1 1th day of April, 1816. " Present, " Henry Weir, Esq. Captain of H. M. S. Thais, President. " Joseph Prior, Esq Acorn. " Charles Shaw, Esq Termagant. " John Allen, Esq Tyne. " Henry Forbes, Esq. Commander of H. M. sloop Challenger. [Here follows the usual preamble respecting the order for assembling the Court-Martial, &c. &c.] " The Court having read the orr^rna/ documents, and certified copies in corroboration thereof, and having received the prisoner's voluntary admis- sion of his having taken upon himself the authority of a Commodore ; and the prisoner producing no evidence in refutation of the charges exhibited against him ; and having very maturely and deKI)erat«ly weighed and con- sidered the whole and every part of the charges against him, are of opinion that the charges nre proved, and do therefore adjudge him to be ditmitietf %it Aftyeity't tereice, and ht it hereby dismitittid pceordingly." (Signed by the Members, and Acting Judge Advocate.) The subject of this sketch returned to England as a pas- senger on boand an Indiaman, he preferring that mode of Conveyance to the accommodation offered him on board ft King's ship, 'in Mar. 1617, be was fortunate enough to be reinstated ; and in June iollowing, we find him publishing a pamphlet wherein he says that *^ his immediate restoroHon to his rank is the best proofs that the Jtlustriais Character at the Head of the Government, and the Lords Commissioaera of the Admiraitiff who recommended it, have acquitted htm honorably of the i>ile charges laid to him ******, <(•••••• jy^f reception he has met with at !1j (I >^ili' I 884 POST-CAPTAINS OF 1804. the Admiralty mtisjies his mind that there is no loss of cha- racter there ; — and although the discipline of the navy de- mands that the authority of Courts- Martial should be up- held, still a feeling of deep regret is manifest there, both at the constitution of the Court, its proceedings and sentence." Captain O'Brien having, in his preface, at p. ii., called upon the officers of the British Array and Navy to mark their de- cided abhorrence of the conduct of the parties concerned, but without enabling them to judge fairly for themselves, we shall close this brief notice by subjoining a copy of a letter which he had previously received from the Admiralty in answer to one from himself requesting their Lordships to determine on the legality of the Court-Martial, as well as of the sentence which had had the effect of suspending his rank in the naval service:— " Admiralty Office, 16M Nov. 1816. " Sir, — Having laid before my Lords Commisisioners of the Admiralty your letter of the 13th in8t. I have it in command to acquaint you in reply, that their Lordships having examined the minutes of the (Jourt- Martial held upon you, and considered the sentence, see no reason to doubt the legality of the same. I am. Sir, &c. (Signed) " John Barrow." " Robert O'Brien, Etq." Agents. — Messrs. Maude. KEITH MAXWELL, Esq. A brother of Captain Sir Murray Maxwell, C. B. whose services, as far as our information extends have been de- scribed at p. 797> ft seq. This officer was made a Lieutenant in 1794 ; and obtained the rank of Commander for his gallant conduct in cutting out la Chevrette, French national corvette, of 20 nine-pounders and 350 men, from under the batteries in Camaret bay, near Brest, in the night of July 21, 1801. This daring exploit stands so high in point of credit to the British arms, and glory to those brave officers and men who so nobly achieved it, that we cannot refrain from entering most fully into the particulars. In the month of July, 1801, the Dori«, BeauUeu, and Uruie frigates, commanded by Capttuns Charles Brisbane, Stephen Poyntc, and William Hall Gage, were anchored near Brett, for the purpoie of watching the POST-CAPTAINS OF 1804. 88b combined fleets of France and Spain, then lying in tliat harbour. From their anchorage they had a full view of Camaret bay, and consequently of la Chevrette, the commander of which vessel felt himself as secure in that seemingly impregnable position, as if he had been riding under the imme- diate protection of his Admiral. The sight of the tri-coloured flag, as on all former occasions, only served to inspire British seamen with a wish to haul it down ; and Captain Brisbane, aware of the impatience of his squadron to make the attempt, resolved to gratify them. The enemy, having seen some English boats hovering about the bay, at day-break on the 20th, concluded that an attack was meditated, and .al- though they judged it a measure of extreme rashness, were resolved to omit no possible preparation. In the morning of the ^Ist, they got the corvette under weigh, moved her a mile and a half farther up the bay, moored her under the batteries, and crowded her decks with troops from the shore. Temporary redoubts were at the same time thrown up upon the points, and a vessel mounting two 32-pounders was moored at the entrance of the bay as a guard-boat. Having taken these precautions, they in the afternoon displayed a large republican flag above an English ensign, as a signal of defiance. All these manoeuvres were well observed from the Beaulicu, the crew of which ship evinced extraordinary ardour to engage in this enterprise. Lieutenant Maxwell who had just before volunteered to carry a fire vessel into Brest harbour *, gladly embraced thb opportunity of practising his boat's crew preparatory to the grand object, and resolved, with his Captain's permission, to head his own shipmates in the attack on la Chevrette. This resolution, so congenial to their wishes, the Beaulieu's crew heard with much satisfaction, and at 9-30 P. M. her six boats, manned with about 90 volunteers, formed a junction with seven others belonging to the Doris and Uraiiie, and two sent from the Robust of 74 guns. About 9*45 Lieutenant Woodley Losack, who had been selected by the Admiral to conduct the enterprise, went with his own and five other boats in pursuit of a small vessel supposed to be on the look-out, and therefore necessary to be secured* For a considerable time after he parted company, the remainder of the boats continued aa he had desired them, lying to on their oars and occa- sionally pulling easy. Finding the senior oflicer did not return, consider- ing that the boats were yet at least six miles from the corvette, and aware of the time requisite to row that distance against a fresh breeze, Lieutenant Maxwell judged it expedient, in order that the undertakuig might have the best chance of succeeding, to proceed immediately towards the entrance of the bay ; a situation evidently more eligible for them, should it even be necessary to delay making the attack, than where they then were. He therefore, gave way a-hcad with the boats of the Beaulicu, and arrived within sight of the enemy about half an liuur after midnight. Having now taken upon himself the command, and made every arrange- ment for cutting la Chevrette adrift and loosing her sails immediately upou VOL. II. • See Vol. I. p. 736. 3m 886 POST -CAPTAINS OP 1804. boarding. Lieutenant Maxwell determined to lose no more time in making the attack, particularly as the wind was favorable for bringing her out of the bay. The sky being clear, the boats were soon seen by the enemy, who instantly hailed, ami opened a heavy fire of grape and musketry both from the ship and batteries, by which several men were killed and many wounded before they got alongside. The attempt to board was then roost obstinately opposed by the French, armed at all points with muskets, pistols, sabres, tomahawks, and pikes, and who, in their turn, even boarded the boats. Notwithstanding this resistance the British gained their point, and in less than three minutes la Chevrette was adrift, with her head towards the sea, and top-sails ready for sheeting home. The prompt execution of these operations proved decisive. The moment the enemy saw the sails fail, and found themselves, as if by a miracle, under way and drifting out, they were seized with astonishment and consternation. Some of them jumped overboard, others threw aside their arms, and tumbled down the hatchways. In less than five minutes the quarter-deck and forecastle were nearly covered with dead bodies. The rest of the enemy, having now retreated below, kept up a heavy fire of musketry from the main and lower-decks. They also frequently set off large trains of gunpowder, endeavouring to blow up the quarter- deck, and throw their assailants into confusion. This obliged Lieutenant Maxwell to divide his men into two parties. One division to guard the hatchways and gangways, and return the enemy's fire with their own arms and ammunitk)n * ; the other to make sail ; in order to clear the decks for which purpose, it was necessary for them to throw overboard two or three dozen Frenchmen, and several of their own gallant companions who had fallen in the conflict. Owing to the wind dying away, la Chevrette was for a considerable time exposed to showers of musketry and grape from the shore, but fortunately the enemy fired too high to annoy the British materially, and a light breeze springing up, at length enabled them to run her out of gun-shot. The firing on board continued nearly two hours, during which the British seamen had managed to get the top-gallant-yards across, and to set every sail in the ship. Being then clear of the batteries, and Lieutenant Maxwell having threatened that he would give the surviving Frenchmen no quarter if they did not instantly submit, they were induced to cease their opposition, and surrender themselves prisoners of war. ...•'" About this period some boats were perceived coming from the direction of Brest, and Lieutenant Maxwell, supposing them to be enemies, pre- pared for a fresh conflict, but on nearer approach they proved to be those with which Lieutenant Losack had gone in chase. Then, and not till then, did the latter ofScer have any thing to do with la Chevrette. • The British lost all their fire-arms whilst boarding, and Itad nothing remaining but their swords when they gained la Chcvrette's decks. POST-CAPTAINS OF 1904, 887 and The morning's dawn displayed to tlie combined fleets of France Spain tlie mortifying spectacle of a republican ship of war brought out in tlieir immediate presence from a position deemed inaccessible to an enemy, and proceeding to join the British frigates then at anchor above Point St. Matthew's. On mustering the boats' crews it was found that 1 1 men had been killed, 57 wounded, and 1 drowned ; la Chevrette 92, including her Captain and 6 other officers slain ; and I Lieutenant, 4 Midshipmen, and 57 men wounded. Among the British who fell on this brilliant occasion was Lieutenant Sinclair of the marines, and Mr. Warren, Midshipman of the Robust. Lieutenants Henry Walter Burke, of the Doris, and Martin Neville, of the Uranie, 1 Master's Mate and 3 Midshipmen, were the only officers wounded • : The credit of this almost unparalleled enterprise was, for a considerable time, given to Lieutenant Losack, who, as we have already shown, had been sent from the Admiral's ship to conduct the attack. Owing to an unfortunate concurrence of untoward circumstances, the fact of Lieutenant Maxwell having commanded the boarding party, was not at first com- municated to the commander-in-chief. Admiral Cornwallis, but as soon as it was made known to him, he ordered a Court of Inquiry to be held on board the Mars (Aug. 9, 1801), the result of which investigation fully satisfied him that the merit of the achievement was due to Lieut. Maxwell, who shortly afterwards received a very flattering letter from him, enclosing a commission as Commander, which the Admiralty had trans- mitted in a most handsome manner, as a reward for his dis- tinguished bravery. Captain Maxwell obtained post rank May 1, 1804 ; and on the 31st July in the same year we find him commanding the Tartar frigate on the Jamaica station, and capturing, by means of her boats, THirondelle French schooner privateer of 10 * Lieutenant Burke died in Plymouth Hospital of a fever occa- sioned by a grape-shot wound in his shoulder. He was a brother of the gallant officer whose name we have mentioned at p. 8/8. Lieutenant Neville died a Commander, at Honduras, in 18(>.'3. He was one of six brave brothers all of whom perished in his Majesty's service, three by the sword, himself and two others by ruthless disease. In the conflict above described he was wounded in the head, breast, and shoulder ; and it is said that the French Captain fell by his hand in single combat. A memoir of him will be found in the Naval Chronicle, v. 39, p. 265 — 274. Lieutenant Sinclair was killed when in the act of defending a wounded Midshipman, Mr. Crofton, of the Doris. Many of the men had their arms cut uQ' by the enemy's tomahawks when endeavouring tci board. 3 M 2 im i I' ii 888 POST-CAPTAINS OP 1804. 4-pounders and 50 men *. He subsequently commanded the Arab of 22 guns, on the Boulogne and African stations. His conduct in an action with a Dutch flotilla, oif Cape Grisnez, July 18, 1805, was handsomely noticed by Commodore Owen as will be seen by reference to p. 131 et seg. of this volume j and it may not be amiss to add, as a circumstance highly flat- tering to the Arab's officers and crew, that on the following day, she received three cheers from the Immortalite, after the ceremony of burying their dead. During this action, a large shell struck the Arab's main- mast-head, carried away part of the top, and every thing that came in its way, and finally lodged on the gun -deck. A sailor, named Clorento, with the most admirable coolness, instantly endeavoured to extract the fuse, which Mr. Edward M. Mansell, Master's-Mate, observing, and being more aware of the danger of a moment's delay, he instantly, with the assistance of Clorento and two other seamen, got it out of a port, and a few seconds after the people quartered in the well and wings were alarmed with the idea of the ship having struck on a rock, so great were the eiTects and concussion from its explosion in the water. This accident did not for one moment interrupt the fire, not even of the two guns be- tween which the shell fell ; nor was any one acquainted with the danger they escaped, by the intrepidity of Mr. Mansell and his assistants, till some time afterwards, except those quartered nearest the spot ; as the violent shock the ship received, in her then situation, could be and was imputed to various other causes. We mention this as an instance of the good discipline prevailing among her crew +. " , Captain Maxwell's next appointment was, about Jan. 1809, to the Nymphen a 36-gun frigate j and in the course of the • same year, the Society of Arts, &c. presented him with their gold medal for a valuable communication on telegraphs and telegraphic signals. The Nymplien formed part of the frigate squadron, imdcr * See Captain Nicholas Lockver, C. D. f The Patriotic Fund at Lloyd's voted Mr. Mansell 50/. and the three seamen 30/. each, for their exertions in the aflfair of the shell: 125/. re- ceived from the same source, were afterwards distributed among her wouudcd men, eight in number. POST-CAPTAINS OP 1804. 889 Lord William Stuart, which forced the passage between the batteries of Flushing and Cadsand, Aug. 1 1th, 1809; and was subsequently employed on the North Sea station. An account of Ci^tain Maxwell's trial by a Court-Martial, for contempt and disrespect to the late Vice- Admiral Thomas Wells, com- mander-in-chief at Sheerness, and for retarding the public aervice (which ended in a sentence of reprimand and admoni- tion, Nov. 13, 1809) will be found in the Naval Chronicle, vol. xxii. pp. 409 and 423 inclusive. Captain Maxwell died April 22, 1823. MATTHEW GODWIN, Esq. This officer was made a Lieutenant in 1794, and a Com- mander in 1802. His post commission bears date May 8, 1-804. Agents. — Messrs. Brine and Chards. HUGH PIGOT, Esq. r€^ 0' 0<')lr^.Jt^ This officer is nearly related to Lieutenant-General Sir George Pigot, whose father commanded the left wing of the British army at the battle of Bunker's-hill, in North America, and was presented by his late Majesty with the Colonelcy of a regiment, for the activity, bravery, and firmness displayed by him on that memorable occasion. '«^ Captain Pigot obtained post rank. May 8, 1804 j and sub- sequently commanded the Alligator, Circe, Latona, Orpheus, and Nymplie, frigates. In April 1807, he captured I'Austcr- lltz, French privateer, of 18 guns and 125 men. On the 2d Mar. 1808, the island of Mariegalante, which had long afforded shelter to the enemy's small cruisers, and interfered considerably with the blockade of Guadaloupe, was taken possession of by a detachment of seamen and marines, under Captain Pigot, who found it in the highest state of cul- tivation, and a large quantity of colonial produce in the stores. This service was performed without loss, and Captain Pigot's arrangements met with due commendation. On the 31st Oct. following, he captured the Palineur, French national brig, of ;^*^ 890 POST-CAPTAINS OF 1804. it' 16 guns and ^^ men, near Martinique. His ship (the Circe) sustained a loss of 2 men killed and wounded, owing to the enemy having sought refuge under a battery on the Diamond rock. The Palineur paid dearly for her obstinacy, having had 7 slain and 8 wounded. At the commencement of 1809, Captain Pigot commanded the blockading squadron off Guadaloupe, and on the 10th Feb. in the same year we find him assisting at the capture of la Junon, French frigate, of 44 guns, which ship had been well beaten before he could close with her by Captain George Scott, of the Horatio *. On the 17th April following he wit- nessed the surrender of d'Hautpoult 74 1 J and on the 18th June captured ]a Felicity, pierced for 42 guns, but having only 14 of her main-deckers mounted, with a complement of 174 men. She had left Guadaloupe in company with another frigate, and was loaded with coffee, sugar, &c. for the use of the mother country. During the latter part of the war, Captain Pigot was em- ployed on the American station, where he captured the United States' ship Frolic of twenty 32-pounder carronades, two long 18's, 539 tons, and I7I men, April 20, 1814. The Or- pheus had previously destroyed a privateer of 20, and a letter of marque mounting 8 guns. In accomplishing the destruc- tion of the latter vessel. Lieutenant William Martin Collins, the only person hurt, was mortally wounded. ^gent, — Sir Francis Ommaney, M. P. JAMES MASTER, Esq. This officer is distantly related to Viscount Torrington. He was made a Commander in 1802, and posted May 8, 1804. We are not aware of his ever having been em- ployed in any way beyond the common routine of service. • See p. 147. i SeeVol. I. p. 717. POST-CAPTAINS OF 1804. 891 SALUSBURY PRYCE HUMPHREYS, Esq. A Magistrate for the Counties of Buckingham, Chester, and Lancaster. This oflicer is the third 8on of the late Rev. E. Humphreys M. A. Rector of Montgomery, in North Wales, and of Clungun- ford, near Ludlow, in Shropshire, by Mary, eldest daughter and co-heiress of the late Rev. Salusbury Pryce, D. D. He was born at Clungunford Rectory, Nov. 24, 1778 ; and entered the naval service as a Midshipman on board the Ar- dent 64, commanded by Captain, now Admiral, Vashon, during the Spanish armament, in 1790. From that ship he was removed to the Trusty of 30 guns, bearing the flag of Sir John Laforey, Bart, commander-in-chief at the Leeward Islands ; by whom he was successively placed under the pro- tection of Captains Matthew Squire and Francis Laforey, commanding the Solebay frigate and Fairy sloop of war, in which latter vessel he returned to England after the capture of Tobago, April 15,1793. Mr. Humphreys next joined the Severn a 44-gun ship fitting for the conveyance of Lord Dorchester, his family, and suite, to Quebec, from whence she returned to the home station in 1794. He subsequently removed with Captain Paul Minchin into the Hebe frigate, and continued to serve under that officer, and his successor, the present Vice-Admi- ral Scott, until promoted to the rank of Lieutenant by his patron, Sir John Laforey, at the Leeward Islands, in April, 1796. We next find Lieutenant Humphreys co-operating with the army under Sir Ralph Abercromby, during the siege of St. Lucia ; and the Fury sloop to which he had been appointed appears to have brought home that officer's despatches rela- tive to the unsuccessful attack upon Porto Rico, in April, 1797*. His gallant conduct, and a miraculous escape ex- perienced by him when serving on the coast of Holland, in Aug. 1799, have already been noticed at pp. 235 et seq. of this volume. After the occupation of the Helder, Aug. 28, 1799, Lieu- tenant Humphreys left the Juno frigate and joined the Isis 50, « See Vol. I., notes at pp, 134 and 113. ' '0B 892 POST-CAPTAINS OF 1804. HI bearing the flag of Vice-Admiral Mitchell, whom he accom- panied up the Zuyder-Zee, in the Babet of 20 guns *. At the termination of the expedition against Holland, he was appointed to the Stag cutter, which vessel formed part of the squadron sent under Captain Henry Inman, of the Andro- meda, to attempt the destruction of four French frigates, at Dunkirk, in the summer of 1800 f. His promotion to the rank of Commander took place, while serving with Sir An- drew Mitchell, in the Windsor Castle, April 26, 1802 j and his advancement to post rank, while commanding the Pros- pero bomb, at Portsmouth, May 8, 1804. In the month of May, 1806, Captain Humphreys was ap- pointed to the Leander of 50 guns, at Halifax ; but removed shortly after his arrival there into the Leopard, of similar force, a more efficient ship, which had been sent from England to receive the flag of the Hon. George Cranfield Berkeley, com- mander-in-chief on the American station. From the circumstance of Vice-Admiral Berkeley living principally on shore, the Leopard was employed as a private ship, in common with the rest of the squadron ; and thus it was that Captain Humphreys had to perform a very unplea- sant duty, the nature of which will be seen by the following ofiicial documents : — s *'% the Hon. G. C. Berkeley, Vice-Admiral of the White, CommandeT'tn-Chie/, ^c. 8fc. Sfc. " Whereas many seamen, subjects of his Britannic Majesty, and serving; in his ships and vessels, &» per margin X> while at anchor in the Chesapeake, deserted and entered on hoard the United States' frigate, called the Chesa- peake, and openly paraded the streets of Norfolk, in sight of their officers, under the American flag §, protected by the magistrates of the town and the recruiting otficer belonging to the above-mentioned American frigate, which magistrates and naval officer refused giving thera up, although de- manded by his Britannic Majesty's Consul, as well as the Captains of the ships from which the said men had deserted. *' I'he Captains and Commanders of his Majesty's ships and vessek under meeti limits to rc( • See Vol. I. note at p. 416 e/ *ff9. t See Vol. II. Part I. p. 290. X Bellona, Belleislc, and Triumph 74's } Chicester sture-ship, Halifax lluop, and Zenobia cutter. § See Captain Lord James Townsuend. POST-CAPTAINS OF 1804. 893 under my command arc therefore hereby required and directed, in case of meeting with the American frigate the Chesapeake at sea, and without the limits of the United States, to shew to the Captain of her this order, and to require to search his ship for the deserters from the before-mentioned ships, and to proceed and search for the same ; and if a similar demand should be made by the American, he is to be permitted to search for any deserters from their service, according to the customs and usage of civilized nations, on terms of peace and amity with each other. *' Given under my hand at Halifax, Nova Scotia, June 1, 1807. (Signed) " G. C. Berkeley." " To the respective Captains and Commanders of hit Majesty's Ships and Fessels on the North American station." H. M. S. Dellona, offWiUoughby's Point, Virginia, June 23, 1807. *' Sir, — I have the honor to enclose you a copy of a letter, I received this evening, from Captain Humphreys, of H. M. S. Leopard, representing to me, that in carrying your orders of the 1st instant into execution, he was under the necessity of firing into the U. S. frigate Chesapeake ; and am sorry to say, that I have been informed several men were killed and wounded on board her. The Chesapeake is returned to Hampton roads, and as she passed us this morning, I observed that her hull, masts, and sails had suffered material injury. As Captain Humphreys has so fully explained every circumstance, it becomes unnecessary for me to say more on this subject — only that I beg leave to state, I am perfectly convinced Captain Humphreys could not have fulfilled your instructions, without having recourse to the measures which he adopted. I have the honor to be, &c. (Signed) ** J. E. Douglas." " To the Hon. Fice-Jdmiral Berkeley, fyc. Halifax:' " H. M. S. Leopard, at Sea, 22d June, 1807. " Sir, — In obedience to your signal this morning, to weigh and recon- noitre S. E. by E. I have the honor to acquaint you, tliat having arrived off Cape Henry, to the distance of about four or five leagues, I bore up, pursuant to orders from the commander-in-chief, to search for deserters ou board the United States' frigate Chesapeake. On arriving within hail, an ofiicer was despatched, according to my instructions, to show the order to her commander, together with the following note from myself : — " ' The Captain of his Britannic Majesty's ship Leopard has the honor to enclose the Captain of the United States' frigate Chesapeake, an order from the Hon. Vice-Admiral Berkeley, commander-in-chief of his Majesty's ships on the North American station, respecting some deserters from ships, therein mentioned, under his command, and supposed now to be serving as a part of the crew of the Chesapeake. " ' The Captain of the Leopard will not presume to say any thing in addition to what the commander-in-chief has stated, more than to express a hope, that every circumstance respecting thein may be adjusted in sucli ! .^ 894 POST-CAPTAINS OF 1804. I'lk ^1 i^' a iimuner, tliat the hurinony subsisting liclweeii tiie two countries may remain undisturbed.' " The boat, after an absence of three quarters of an hour, returned with the following answer : — " ' I know of no such men as you describe ; the officers that were on the recruiting service for this ship, were particularly instructed by the government, through rae, not to enter any deserters from his Britannic Majesty's ships : nor do I know of any being here. " ' I am also instructed, never to permit the crew of any ship that I command to be mustered by any other but her own ofHcers : it is my dis- position to preserve harmony ; and I hope this answer to your despatch will prove satisfactory, " ' James Barron, " ' Commander of the U. S. ship Chesapeake *.' " On the receipt of this letter, motives of humanity, and an ardent desire to prevent bloodshed, induced me, if possible, to endeavour to make the search, without recurring to more serious measures, by repeatedly hailing and remonstrating, but without effect. I then directed a shot to be fired across the bow ; after which he was again hailed : the answers again were equally evasive. Conceiving, therefore, that my orders would not admit of deviation, I lament to state, that I felt myself under the necessity of enforcing them, by firing into the United States' ship : a few shot were returned, but none struck this ship. At the expiration of ten minutes from the first shot being fired, the pendant and ensign of the Chesapeake were lowered. I then gave the necessary directions for her being searched, according to my instructions ; and herewith send you a statement of the number and names of the deserters found on board. Several other English subjects composed part of the crew of the frigate ; but as they did not claim the protection of the British flag, and were not within the limits of my orders from the commander-in-chief, I therefore allowed them to remain t« *' After the search had been made, and previous to separation, the American Captain sent me a note, which, with my answer, I have the honor to subjoin, &c. &c. (Signed) /*S. P. Humphreys." " 1\) John ErsMne Douglas, Esq. Captain of H, M. S. Bellona." * He at the time was a Commodore, and had a Captain (Charles Gordon) serving under him. t Four men belonging to the Melarapus frigate and Halifax sloop were seized as deserters ; about twelve men and boys, British subjects, were allowed to remain on board the Chesapeake for the reasons stated above. "S delivc boat obcili' POST-CAPTAINS OP 1804. 81)5 Copy OP A LETTER FROM COMMOUORE BaRRON TO Captain Humphreys, " Sir,~I consider the frigate Cliesapcake as your prize, and uin ready to deliver her to any officer authorised to receive her. By the return of the boat I shall 'Expect your answer ; and have the honor to be, Sir, your most ohcdi«:at huuiLiC servant, (Signed) " James Barron." " At Sea, June 22, 1807." Answer. " H. M. S. Leopard, at Sea, June 22, 1807. " Sir, — Having, to the utmost of my power, fulfilled the ingtructions of my commander-in-chief, I have nothing more to desire ; and must, in consequence, proceed to join the remainder of the squadron, repeating, that 1 am ready to give you every assistance in my power ; and do most sincerely deplore, that any lives should have been lost in the execution of a service which might have been adjusted more amicably, not only with respect to ourselves, but to the nations to which we respectively belong. I have the honor to be, Sir, your most obedient humble servant, (Signed) " S. P. Humphreys *." Vice-Admiral Berkeley's approbation of the conduct of Captain Humphreys on this occasion was conveyed to hiui in a letter of which the following is a copy : — " Halifax, July A, 1607. " Dear Sir, — I received Captain Douglas's account, with your official letter, of the transaction which took place on the 22d ult. with the Ame- rican frigate ; and as far as I am enabled to judge by it, you have conducted yourself most properly. It is a matter, however, that will create much discussion, and I trust you have taken minutes of every thing which passed between the time of your boat coming on board, and the time when you were compelled to act with decision. I have despatched a cutter to England with every circumstance which has hitherto reached me, and Mrs. Humphreys is apprised of your perfect safety, and of your having fulfilled my directions. I hope you mind the public accounts which have been published of this affair as little as I do ; we must make allowances for the heated state of the populace, in a country where law, and every tie, both civil and reUgious, is treated so lightly. It is the business of the French party to inflame the minds of the multitude, and possibly it may be the inclination of their rulers to fan that flame. The Norfolk newspaper ap- pears to me, to have other views in its abuse of you and the English nation, which in due time will be developed. I have left the arrangement of the ships in the Chesapeake to the direction of Captain Douglas, as their operations must be governed so much by local events, that it is impossible * The American ship had 3 men killed, 8 badiy^ and 10, including the Commodore, slightly wounded. !!^: 896 POST-CAPTAINS OF 1804. \ i'fli for mc to give decisive opinions, until I receive his Majesty's ministers* oflicial documents, by wliich I must be governed in my future conduct. • ••••••••••••••, I remain, with great trutj, your's very sincerely, (Signed) '* G. Bbrkelev." The correspondence which ensued between Captain Douglas and the Mayor of Norfolk, already alluded to at p. 652 of our first volume, the resolutions of the citizens of New York ; and the proclamation of President Jefferson, requiring all Armed vessels, bearing commissions under the government of Great Britain, immediately and without delay to depart from within the harbours and waters of the United States, are given at length in the Naval Chronicle for 1807 *. An official letter from Colonel John Hamilton, the British Consul at Norfolk, in Virginia, to Captain Douglas, dated June 25, ISO/, describing the violent conduct of the inhabitants of that town and Hampton, is also given in the 28th volume of the same work, from which we make the following extract :— " I have this moment the honor of your letter of the 23d instant, with the copy of that written to you by Captain Humphreys, explaining the circumstances under which he found himself obliged, in the execution of his orders from the commander-in-chief, to fire into the United States' ship of war the Cher-ipcake. However sincerely I deplore with you that a mutual accommodation for the search for deserters being refused by Commodore Barron, under his construction of the orders of his govern- ment, rendered it necessary, on the part of the Captain of H. M. ship Leopard, in pursuance of his orders, to resort to force, yet I am happy to find, that the firmness and moderation which he employed, previous to the last appeal, were such, as might have been expected from Captain Hum- phreys, no less as a British officer, than in his individual capacity." It is imposible for us to enter into the detail of the volu- minous correspondence which afterwards took place be- tween the governments of Great Britain and America. By what has been stated, it must be sufficiently evident, that from the commencement to the close of the affair between the Leopard and the Chesapeake, the behaviour of Captain Humphreys was not only unimpeachable, but, in a very high degree, praise-worthy. We cannot but regret that those ships, under the same commanders, had not been opposed to each other during the late conflict with America, although • Seo Nnv. Chron, Vol. XVIIF., pp. 118 to 128 inclusive. . POST-CAPTAIN3 OP 1804. 897 the British *'^ line-of-battle ship*" was inferior in size* weight of metal, and men, to the United States* " 36-gun fri- gate," there is very little reason to suppose that the result would not have been similar to that of their encounter in I8O7. This, however, was not to be the case — Captain Hum- phreys having returned to England with his Admiral in 1808, has ever since been on half-pay ; his sword converted into a ploughshare, and his naval uniform exchanged for a magis- terial gown. Commodore Barron being tried by a court- martial for his conduct, was sentenced to be suspended from all command in the American navy for five years, and to receive no pay during that period— the President confirmed this sentence ; and he has never since been employed afloat f. Captain Humphreys married, first, in 1805, Jane, eldest daughter and co-heiress of John Tirel-Morin, of Weedoii Lodge, near Aylesbury, Bucks, and Hanover Square, London, Esq. .By that lady, who died in 1808, he had one son, upon whom his grandfather's estate is entailed. Secondly, May 31, 1810, Maria, daughter and heiress of William Davenport, of Bramall Hall, near Stockport in Cheshire, Esq. by whom he has issue five sons and two daughters. His eldest brother, Thomas, a D. D. and one of the six residentiary Prebendaries of Chester cathedral, changed his name to that of Trevor, on the death of an uncle whose property he inherits, and married the eldest daughter of the late Chancellor Briggs, of the same diucesc. Another brother, John, is in the law. jigent, M'lnerheny, Esq. JOHN TOWER, Esq. This officer was made a Lieutenant in 1/97 J Commander in 1802 ; and Post-Captain May 8, 1804. He subsequently commanded the Camilla, Iris, and Curagoa frigates ; the • See Commodore Barron's report to the Secretary of the Americau navy, in Nao. Chron. Vol. XXVllI. p. 357 et seq. t The Leopard mounted 22 long 24-pounder8, 22 twelves, 2 nuies, and six 24-pounder carronades— total 52 guns. The Chesapeake had 28 long eighteena, 2 twelves, and 16 32-pounder carronades. The former was 1()44 tons hurthen ; and had on board 356 officers, men, and boys (in- cluding 13 supernumeraries); the latter 1 135 tonH, with 415 of her re- gular crew on board, besides several paisen^j^ers. ' ' »l I 898 POiT-CAPTAIiNS OP 1804. !i latter employed in active co-operation with the Spanish pa- triots on the coast of Catalonia. Among the prizes taken by him at different periods were the Marsouin and Venns, French privateers, each mounting 14 guns, and carrying in the whole 127 men. On the 27th June 1812, the Curagoa had 6 men killed and wounded in an af&ir on the coast of Genoa, already noticed at p. 293 of this volume. On the 20th May, 1813, three feluccas of considerable tonnage, deeply laden, were scuttled by the enemy, and sunk in the harbour of Campo del Porto, Elba, the marines and boats of the Curagoa and I'Aigle having first paved the way by routing a considerable body of military, taking a batteiy of two 1 2-pounders, and a tower with a 6-pounder mounted on the martello principle, besides killing several of the enemy, and making a few prisoners. On the following morning, the boats captured three settees ; and on the 28th two feluccas of the largest class were taken hr them from the beach, at Mesea, near Port Espccia : in the per- formance of this latter service, the British had 3 men killed and 5 wounded. y/^CTi^5.— Messrs. Cooke, Halford, and Son. KENNETH MACKENZIE, Esq. This officer completed his time as a Midshipman under the flag of the late Sir Henry Harvey, K. B. by whom he was made a Lieutenant and appointed to the Requin brig, at the Leeward Islands, in 1798. He subsequently commanded a small sloop employed as a tender to the Daphne of 20 guns, on the same station. After taking several privateers and recapturing many mer- chant vessels, Mr. Mackenzie established his character as a bravo officer, by boarding and carrying I'Eclair a French national schooner, moored under the batteries at Trois Ri- vieres, Guadaloupc, and folly prepared for action. The par- ticulars of this exploit are thus detailed by Rear-Admiral Duckworth in a letter to tlie Admiralty, dated Feb. 9, 1801 : " Captain Matson, of the Daphne, informs inc that on the IGtliullimn, »><)acrvnig some coastors near the shore, under convoy of a schooner, he «lotn«ho(l I/ioutenant Mackenzie, with the boats of the Cyane, under Lieu- POST-CAPTAINS OF 1804. 899 tenant Peaclicy ; but on their approaching, alt the enemy's vessels succeeded in getting under cover of the butteries at Basseterre, one excepted, which anchored near Vieux fort, but in the course of the night was boarded and brought off by Lieutenant Mackenzie, under a heavy cannonade. The next morning they observed, from the Saintes, the above-mentioned schooner work up in shore, and anchor at Trois Rivieres, covered by a battery, and flanked by two others, Notivithstanding these difficulties. Lieutenants Mackenzie and Peachey volunteered to bring her out, which Captain Matson was at last prevailed upon to sanction ; but, for want of wind, this gallant attempt was not made until after sun-rise on the 18th, when Mr. Mackenzie, in a manner which exceeds all praise, ran the schooner on board, though a superior enemy, and evidently prepared for him. He then entered with Lieutenant Peachey and 30 men, and after a contest of fifteen minutes, succeeded in bringing her off under a most tremendous fire from the batteries, she being moored so close to the shore as to have a stern hawser fast on the beach. In this contest the French Captain, his 2 Lieutenants, and 6 men, were wounded ; besides 1 killed and 2 drowned. In the tender, 2 men were killed and 3 wounded. Though I was not an observer of this exploit, which appears to be amongst the first traits of gallantry in the course of the war, their Lordships will be able to appre- ciate the value of Lieutenant Mackenzie's conduct, which, I must further add, is, in its probable consequences, of the greatest moment to the trade of our islands, as I'Eclair sails rapidly, and when fully armed will carry 12 six-pounders, besides 20 one and a half-pounder brass guns, mounted as swivels. She was going to Point Petre to complete her armament, having left Rochefort with only 4 brass 4-pounder8, the 20 small guns and 5U men. For this gallant action, Lieutenant Mackenzie was de- servedly rewarded with the command of rEclair, in which vessel he continued till the peace of Amiens, when he ob- tained the rank of Commander and was appointed to the Guachapin a small brig of 14 gun8, in which vessel we find him assisting at the capture of Tobugo and St. Lucia, soon after the renewal of hostilities in 1803. His zealous coiuluct during the expe<lition against Surinam, in 1{!K)4, has already been noticed at p. 800 of this volume. Captain Mackenzie's next appointment was to the Hippo- menes of 14 guns, a much more desirable vessel than the Guachapin, but wretchedly manned, her crew consisting chiefly of discontented foreigners. On the 2l8t June, 1804, he fell in with one of the largest privateers belonging to Guadaloupe, Ic Buonaparte, of 18 long 9-pounderH and 146 men. Captain Muckenzio was thou cruising to windward of Antigua, and had disguised his ship ■11 i« 900 POBT-CAPTAINS OF 1804. ¥ '■ as a Guinearaan, purposely to decoy the enemy's cruisers. The stratagem succeeded in this instance, and an action com- menced with tolerable spirit on both sides. In the course of ten or twelve minutes, le Buonaparte became entangled with her antagonist, and Captain Mackenzie instantly ordered the enemy's bowsprit to be lashed to his own mainmast : he then jumped on her deck, sword in hand, followed by his officers and a few brave seamen j but unfortunately the re- mainder of his crew shrunk from so close a contest. With this small force, however, he obtained a footing, the French- men retreating abaft the main-mast, where they rallied on finding that their assaillants were not more than 18 in number. Of this gallant little band, 5 were killed, 8 wounded, and the remainder obliged to retreat. Only 9, including 4 of the wounded, succeeded in regaining their own ship before the lashing gave way, and le Buonaparte made off under all sail^ her commander having no wish to renew the combat, and the Hippomenes being left without a Sxwgle officer capable of giving orders for pursuit, even if her dastardly crew had felt inclined to obey them. Captain Mackenzie himself received many severe wounds, and fell senseless in the Hippomenes' main-chains the moment he bad quitted the enemy. Te Buonaparte's loss has never been ascertained. In 1806, we find Captain Mackenzie commanding the Carj's- fort 28, and assisting at the capture of la Lutine, French na- tional brig, of 18 guns and 100 men, from I'Orient bound to Martinique, with despatches *; his subsequent appointments were to the Champion 24, and Venus frigate, in which latter ship he continued until the termination of the war in 1814. On the 10th June 1815, he obtained a pension of 250/. per annum, for the wounds he had received in the above action, the effects of which, we have reason to believe, were a source of great affliction to his family for some time previous to his demise. He died at Salisbury, Nov. 5, 1824; aged 45 years / See Vol. I. p. 779, ] POST-CAPTAINS OF 1904. EDWARD HAWKER, Es^ 901 This officer is a son of the late Captain James Hawker, who commanded the Hero 74, forming part of Commodore Johnstone's squadron, at Porto Praya, in 1781 *. He received his first commission in 1796, and subsequently- served as senior Lieutenant of the Garland and Thames fri- gates. In June 1803, he was appointed to the command of the Swift, hired cutter ; and from her promoted into the Mignonne sloop of war. His post commission bears date June 6, 1804. A narrative of Captain Hawker's proceedings in the The- seus 74, bearing the flag of Rear- Admiral Dacres, during a hurricane encountered by that ship and I'Hercule of the same force, between Sept. 4 and 15, 1804, will be found in the " Naval Chronicle, at p. 477 et seq. of the 12th volume. Immediately after this event. Captain Hawker was removed into the Tartar frigate, and sent from Jamaica to the Halifax station, where he captured I'Observateur, French national brig, of 18 guns and 104 men, June 9, 1806. In the course of the same year, he exchanged ships with Captain Poyntz of the Melampus ; the Tartar being ordered to England under reduced masts, in consequence of the damages she had sus- tained in a recent hurricane. At the commencement of 1809, we find Captain Hawker convoying a fleet of transports from Halifax to Barbadoes ; and afterwards capturing le Colibri, another French brig of war mounting 16 guns, with a complement of 92 men, having on board 570 barrels of flour and a large quantity of gunpow- der, for the relief of St. Domingo. The enemy's vessel on this occasion had the temerity to fire into the Melampus after she had got fairly alongside, and did not surrender until 3 of her crew were killed and 12 wounded. In Dec. following, Captain Hawker intercepted le Beauharnois of 16 guns and 109 men, laden with flour and warlike stores, from Bayonne bound to Guadaloupe. The Melampus, in effecting this cap- ture, had 2 men wounded ; the enemy, through persisting in her endeavours to escape, one man killed and several persons much injured. • See Vol. I. note • ut p. 208 el xeq. VOL. n. 3 N ) 'V i.1 902 POST-CAPTAINS OF 1804, I': H V After assibting at the reduction of Guadaloupe *, and cap- turing, in company with the Driver sloop of war, la Fantome, French letter of niarque, pierced for 20 guns, with a comple- ment of 74 men ; Captain Hawker n turned to the Halifax station, where he continued till 1812, at which period the Melampus was ordered to England, and put out of commission. He subsequently commanded the Bellerophon 74, and Salis- bury 58, bearing the flag of Sir Richard G. Keats at New- foundland, from whence he returned with that officer at the expiration of his government and command. Proceeding thither, in Dec. 1813, the Bellerophon captured le Genie French privateer, of 16 guns and 73 men. jigents. — Messrs. Maude. ALEXANDER CAMPBELL, Esq. This officer, a grand nephew of the late Earl of Crawford, was made a Lieutenant in 1797 ; and had the good fortune to escape the melancholy fate of his shipmates in the Queen Charlotte, when burnt near Leghorn, Mar. 17, 1800 f- He received the Turkish gold medal for his subsequent services in Egypt ; and was successively advanced to the rank of Commander and Post-Captain, by his patron, the late Admiral Viscount Keith. At the renewal of the war with France, in 1803, he obtained the command of the Amethyst frigate ; and in June 1804, he was dismissed from that ship, and placed at the bottom of the list of Captains, by the sentence of a Court- Martial, held at Sheerness, for misconduct in an action with four Dutch vessels, off the coast of Norway. He died at Bath, Mar. 15, 1825. CHARLES RICHARDSON, Esq. A Companion of the Most Honorable Military Order of the Bath. This officer entered the naval service as a Midshipman on board the Vestal of 28 guns, roiv^manded by Sir Richard I. Strachan, Nov. 19, 1787. In that ship he made two long voyages from England ; ouv. to the Straits of Bauca, the other • See Vol. I. p. 2()5. t 'See p. 4iy it xe'f. , . ^ POST-CAPTAINS OF 1804. 903 to Bombay * ; and from her he removed with his patron into the Phcenix 36, attached to the squadron under Commodore Cornwallis on the East India station, where he saw much active service during the war with Tippoo Saib, being em- ployed for several months in boats sent up the different rivers to co-operate with the Malabar army under Sir Robert Aber- crombie. He was also present in the action between the Phcenix and la Resolu, occasioned, as we have already stated, by the pertinacity of the French commander in refusing to allow some suspected vessels under his convoy to be examined for contraband stores f. ' On his return to England, in 1793, Mr, Richardson joined the Alexander 7^} fitting at Chatham j from which ship he removed, after passing his examination, in the spring of 1794, to the Royal George, a first rate, bearing the flag of Sir Alexander Hood, under whom he served in the battles of May 29, and June 1, 1794 J. On the 4th Aug. following, be was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant, and appointed to the Circe 28, of which frigate he was first Lieutenant during the general mutiny at the Nore, in 1797 : on that occasion the rebellious seamen made strong efforts to obtain the com- mand of the Circe, but were prevented by the firmness of her Captain and his officers, to whom the thanks of the Admi- ralty were afterwards given for their judicious conduct at that alarming juncture §. In our memoir of Vice- Admiral Halkett we have stated that the Circe formed part of the squadron left off the Texel under Sir Henry TroUope, to watch the Dutch fleet j and that she was one of Admiral Duncan's repeaters in the battle off Camperdown. Wc have now to add, that her first Lieute- nant was the officer who conveyed the Batavian commander- in'chief from his late flag-ship to the Venerable. — Observing the Vryheid dismasted and silenced, and thinking it probable that Admiral de Winter would endeavour to get on board gome other ship of his fleet, then near him and still in action, Ldeutenant Richardson volunteered to go on board in a boat • Sec Vol. I. p. 284. t See id. p. 285 ; ami Vol. II. Part I. note t at p. 319. X Soc Vol. I. p. 24(i. § See iii. p. 67^ 3n2 ^ii I! I 904 POST-CAPTAINS OF 1804. and take him out, which he accomplished without accident, rowing clear of the enemy's fire, and presenting him in per- son to the British Admiral. On his return to port. Lord Duncan, as a mark of his ap- probation, applied for Mr. Richardson to be appointed one of his Lieutenants, and he was accordingly removed into the Ve- nerable, on promotion. He subsequently served with the same gallant veteran in the Kent 74, and we find him commanding u detachment of seamen, attached to Sir Ralph Abercromby's army, from the period of debarkation near the Helder, until the surrender of the Dutch squadron under Rear- Admiral Storey, in Aug. 1799 *• The nature of the service in which he was personally engaged will be seen by the following ex- tract from his lordship's public letter to the Admiralty : — '* I shall not enter into a detail of the landins^ of the troops, or what happened on Tuesday, as their Lordships will have that stated by Vice- Admiral Mitchell ; suffice it to say, the troops rowed towards the shore at day-break, and landed, though immediately opposed by numbers, and front that time till half-past four P. M. -.vere continually in action." . Lieutenant Richardson returned from the Texel in com- mand of a Dutch 68-gun ship j but afterwards rejoined the Kent and served under Lord Duncan till that nobleman's re- signation, at the commencement of 1800. He subsequently accompanied the present Sir W. Johnstone Hope to the coast of Egypt t> assisted at the landing of the British troops in Aboukir bay, and was present in the battle of Mar, 8, 1801. His next appointment was, as first Lieutenant, to the Pene- lope frigate, commanded by the Hon. Henry Blackwood, n'ith whom he continued on the Mediterranean station till the spring of 1802. The Penelope, after refitting at Portsmouth, was ordered to convey Sir Alexander I. Ball and suite to Malta. Lieutenant Richardson, on his arrival at that island, was promoted to the command of the Alligator a 28-gun frigate, armed en Jhite. On his return to England, in April, 1803, he was sent to join Commodore Hood on the West India station ; and he appears to have been entrusted by that officer with the direction of a flotilla employed in the reduction of Demerara, Essequibo^ • See Vol. \.^.4\bet seq. t See id. p. 512. < / POST-CAPTAINS OF 1804. 905 and Bcrbice, in Sept. 1803. His conduct during the opera* tions against Surinam between April 25 and May 5, 1804, an account of which will be found at p. 797 et seq., was highly spoken of both in the naval and military despatches relative to the conquest of that colony, and led to his further advance- ment ; the Commodore appointing him to command the Cen- taur 74, vice Captain Maxwell, and the Admiralty confirming that appointment by a commission dated Sept. 27 in the same year. Captain Richardson returned home with Sir Samuel Hood in the spring of 1805 ; and on the 2d Jan. 1806 was appointed to the Caesar 30, bearing the flag of his old friend and patron Sir R. I. Strachan, then about to sail in pursuit of a squadron which had recently escaped from Brest. Towards the end of 1807, we find him employed off Rochefort, and in Feb. 1808 accompanying the same officer to the Mediterranean in quest of another French squadron under Rear-Admiral AUemand, ■who, however, had the good fortune to reach Toulon without molestation. On the 23d Feb. 1809, the Caesar, then bearing the flag of Rear-Admiral Stopford, but still commanded by Captain Richardson, assisted at the destruction of three French fri- gates in the Sable d'Olonne, and on that occasion sustained considerable damage in her bowsprit and rigging, by the fire from several batteries under vv'hich they had sought refuge *. She was also present at the attack made upon the enemy's fleet in Aix roads, April 11, 1809 f; and appears to have been one of the ships which passed the French batteries and brought up at that anchorage, with a view of renewing the attack in the evening of the following day. Her loss, accord- ing to Lord Gambler's official return, consisted of 3 persons killed, and 1 man missing, supposed to have been drowned. In July following. Captain Richardson was attached to the Walcheren expedition; the object, conduct, and result of which, have been so much canvassed, and are now so generally known, as to render it unnecessary for us to offer an opinion tliereon. The following extracts from official and other well- • SeeVol. I. p.617. * t Sec id. pp. 84 and 356. . > ■ \ . ft. < 1 ' .1 • 1 fel '^f ^ ll»n i 906 POST-CAPTAINS OF 1804. I authenticated documents, will shew the manner in which the subject of this memoir was employed : — Sir Richard I. Strachan to the Admirnlttj, Aug. 4, 1809. " As soon as the ships were secured [in the Roompot], measures were instantly taken to land the army on the island of Walcheren. I did not wait for the gun-boats cominfr up, but ordered those who happened to be pear the Venerable, together with the mortar-brigs, to push in shore, cover the landing, and force the Derhaak battery. " Having accomplished this first object, I lost no time in directing the bombs and gun-vessels to proceed up the Veere Gat, off Camvere ; and having given Sir Home Popham permission to employ them as the service Inighf require, he the next morning (July 31) began to cannonade Cam- vere, which had been summoned, but held out. The fire of the gun-boats was exceedingly well-directed, and did much damage to the town. The officers and men engaged in that service had a great claim to my admira- tion for their conduct. Three of our gun-boats were sunk. In the after- noon it blew fresh, and as the strength of the tide prevented the boats from acting, I directed the flotilla to fall back, preserving a menacing position. " At night. Captain Richardson, of the Caesar, who was in the dyke on shore, threw some rockets at the nearest battery of Camvere, and soon after the commanding officer of the town sent out an oiTer to surrender. A copy of the terms acceded to by Lieutenant-General Fraser, and Captain Richardson, the senior naval officer on the spot, accompanies this letter*." jtear- Admiral fF. A. Otway to Sir R. I. Strachan, Aug. 16, 1809. *' I We the honor to enclose for your information, a report from Cap. tain Richardson of H. M. ^. Caesar, who commanded the brigade of sea- men that landed on the 30th ult. with the division of the army under the orders of Lieutenant-General Sir Eyre Cootc, K. B. ; and I beg leave to add, that I am authorised by the Lieutenant-General, who com- manded the siege of Flushing, and under whose orders the naval brigade more immediately acted ; as likewise by Major-General M'Leod, com- manding officer of the royal artillery, to express their high approbation of the bravery and zeal so very cimspicuon^ in the conduct of Captains Richardson and Blamey, and the whole of the officers and men under their command, during the continuance of a long and most arduous service." Captain Charlet Richardson to Rear-Admiral Otway, Aug. 16, 1809. *■* I beg leave to inform you, that in obedience to your general order issued on the 28th ultimo, I landed with the army on the sand-hills, near Che signal-post on the island of Walcheren, on the 30th ultimo. Tlie officers and seamen you did me the honor to place under ray orders, were compowd of three divisions, having charge of nine pieces of ordnance, which were drawn and worked by them. At 8 A. M. on the Slst, the left ♦ See Naval XJhronicle, vol. 22, p. 146. N. B. Camvere was strong in its defences, and had a garrison of 609 men. POSr-CAPTA! s o» 1804 907 'a agre( I at illSlH' ,4 M, when Jt rawiiiirh«Avy division took post before Tcr Vcrre * uml juinc' u the attack of that place, throwiug several cases of rockets into it w. )i good r ^ ct ; duriui; the night a flag of truce was received, and the terms of capit to aud signed by Lieutcnant-Gcneral Fraser and myself. On the troops quitted Ter Verre, on their way to fort Ranuni were constantly employed in the construction of works, and cannon, till it also capitulated on the 3d at night t. The detachment thrn proceedetl to East Zouberg, and were employed day and night in cutting fascines, erecting batteries, and drawing heavy ordnance into them ; the artillery horses being found inadequate to perform that service from the narrow roads, darkness of the night, and difficulty of driving clear of the ditches, into which they had thrown several 24-pouudcr guns and carriages. This important duty, from the heavy rains and soft muddy soil, was attended with the greatest difficulty and fatigue. "After having assisted in mounting all the batteries, and otherwise com- pleting them, on the 12th, General Sir Eyre Coote honored me with the command of a new work juet lined out for six 24-pounders ; we made every possible exertion to complete it under a galling fire from the enemy's ramparts, distant only 600 yards ; during the day four were killed and one ivounded in the battery. At sun-rise on the 14tb we opened a most de- structive fire on the rampart and town in front of us, and in two hours every gun we could bear upon was silent. Our fire was kept up incessantly until about 7 P. M., when I received an order to cease, as did all the other works. We immediately put the battery in a state for renewing the fire. if found necessary ; and at nine we opened again by order, with still greater effect, and continued our fire until two o'clock, when we ceased, by order, the French General having agreed to capitulate on the basis of the garrison becoming prisoners of war. I cannot conclude this report, without as- suring you that I have received every possible support from Captain Blarney, and the Lieutenants of the different ships under my orders ; and I beg to recommend them to your attention and protection X." " Letters from Flushing-," hy an officer of the 81*^ regiment, (p. 165.) '* Of the batteries which chiefly distinguished themselves in the bom- bardment, one of them commanded by Captain Richardson, of the Cxsar, astonished us all. It consisted of six 24-poundcrs, and played on the enemy incessantly. Every discharge seemed to be followed by a vast crash and ruin in the town. I must observe, by the way, that the seamen arc all • Camvere. t The occupation of fort Rammekens by the British, completed the in- vestment of Flushing — Middleburgh, the capital of Walcheren, having previously surrendered. It also enabled the small armed vessels and gun- boats to pass through the Slough into the Western Scheldt, for the pur- pose of preventing succour^ from reaching the enemy by the canal of Ghent. X Lieutenants John Wyhorn, — Nicholson, Eaton TAvers, — Hilton, — Howell, — Mcdway, and — Hall. 906 POST-CAPTAINS OF 1804. 'i 11 engineers, and manage the batteries as well, I had almost said better, than any of our artillery officers. They fire their batteries by broadsides, and the reports of the individual pieces are seldom distinguishable. They al- ways play, moreover, agunst a certain point till they have demolished it. • • • •. Their 6-gun battery invariably went off as if only one gun." £arly in 1810, Captain Richiirdson was ordered to Lisbon, where he exchanged into the Seniiramis frigate, about the month of April in the same year. On the 24th Aug. 1811, he undertook a very daring and hazardous enterprise, in com- pany with Captain William Ferris, of the Diana, the parti- culars of which are contained in the subjoined letters on service :— *' Captain Ferris to Renf'Admiral Sir Thomas Willianis. " I have the honor to inform you, that, while standing towards the Cor- dovan light-house, in company with H. M.S. Semiramis, in the afternoon of the 24th instant, I discerned four sail inside of the shoals at the mouth of the Gironde, under escort of a national brig of war. I meditated either their capture or destruction, which could only be accomplished by artifice and promptitude, without the sacrifice of many lives. Stratagem was used, which had the desired effect, as they sent a vessel, with pilots, to our as- sistance, and I anchored, after dark, the two ships midway between the Cordovan and Royan, under whose guns the brig had taken refuge, and close to the brig stationed for the protection of the several convoys passing either way. I despatched three boats, under the orders of Lieutenant Sparrow, Lieutenant Roper, and Mr. Holmes, Master's-mate, from this ship, seconded by four boats, under the orders of Lieutenants Gardner, Grace, and Nicholson, and Mr. Reneau, Master's-mate, from the Semiramis, to capture or destroy the convoy then anchored up the river, about four miles distant ; but the tide prevented their accomplishing it until late in the night ; and at day-light, finding the captured vessels mth the boats far up the river beyond the two brigs, 1 determmed to attack the latter with the ships, but not without using the same artifice as before to prevent sus- picion * ; and so convinced were they of our being friends, that the Captain of the port. Monsieur Dubourg, Capitaine de fregate, and commanding the in-shore brig, came on board to offer his services, and was not undeceived until he had ascended the quarter-deck. The Diana laid the outer brig on board, and Lieutenant Robert White Parsons (first Lieutenant), Lieutenant Madden R. M., and Mr. George M. Noble (Boats warn), headed about 30 seamen and marines, as many as could be spared by the absence of the boats, and succeeded in getting possession of H. M. late gun-brig Teazer, mounting 12 18-pounder carronades, and 2 long eighteens, commanded • The two frigates hoisted French colours, and the Diana a Commodore's broad pendant. posT-cArrAiNs OF 1804. 909 by M, Papineau, Lieutenant de vaisseau, with a coinpleraent of 85 men, and without loss on either side. It adds to the lustre these officers and men achieved, the humanity they displayed to the overpowered captives in putting them below without the force of arms, and an unnecessary eflfusion of blood. It was at this time that alarm was given, and the batteries opened their fire upon the ships ; when Captain Richardson, in a manner which characterizes the officer and seaman, pursued, drove on shore, and burnt, under the guns of the batteries, le Pluvier French national brig, of 16 guns and 136 men, whose Captwn I have before spoken of, was decoyed on board. " Having obtained the object in view, I anchored in the Gironde, out of gun-shot, to repair the damages sustained by the different vessels. The services I received from Captain Richardson, the officers and ship's com- pany of the Semiramis, merit my warmest acknowledgments ; and I should be committing a great injustice to the officers and crew I command, were I not to speak in terms of the highest admiration of their steadiness and zeal throughout the whole affair. Could I add stronger encomiums to one than another, it would be from the great assistance I received from Lieu- tenant Parsons, and IMr. David Bevans, the Master, whose unremitted at- tention in piloting the ship, in the most intricate navigation, greatly tended to insure the object of pursuit. I enclose you a letter from (Cap- tain Charles Richardson, narrating his attack upon the brig, and enclosing a list of wounded in the affray." . ■ . (Signed) " W. Ferris." Captain Richardson to Captain Ferris. " As socn as the Diana ran on board the enemy's outside brig, her consort immediately cut her cable and made sail for the beach near the battery of Royan, where she grounded. I followed in to five fathoms, anchoring with a spring ; the broadside was brought to bear on the enemy's brig, and bow-guns on the battery, vvithin grape-shot of both. " After engaging some time, I found the guus oi the enemy's vessel almost silenced, and perceived the boats haul up to quit her. ** At this time the barge, pinnace, and cutter rejoined me ; I ordered Lieutenant Gardner, with these boats, immediately to board the enemy, which was gallantly effected after receiving her broadside. She proved to be the French national brig Pluvier, of 16 guns and 136 men. " The prize being fast on shore, the ebb-tide runnuig most rapidly, and my own ship in only twenty feet water, I found it necessary to burn her, which being completely effected I made sail to join you." The Semiramis on this occasion had only 3 persons wounded: Captains Ferris and Richardson received the thanks of the Admiralty " for the peculiar neatness" to use the words of the late Mr. Perceval, " with which they had conducted the business *." Among numerous captures subsequently made • Captain William Ferris, C. 13. was the second son of the late Thomas hm i I I I il 910 POST-CAPTAINS OF 1804. by the latter officer was u Frencli privateer, the Ciraiid Jean Bartj of 14 guns and 106 men. The Semiramis was paid off at Portsmouth, Aug. 29, 1814 ; and Captain Richardson was shortly after nominated aC. B. as a reward for his meritorious conduct during a period of more than twenty-six years, passed in active service at sea and co-operation with troops on shore in every quarter of the globe. Captain Richardson's next appointment was, July 29, 1819, to the Leander of 60 guns, fitting for the flag of Sir Henry Blackwood, commander-in-chief on the East India station. On the demise of Captain John R. Lumley, in July, 1821, he consented to take the command of the Topaze frigate ; and proceeded in her from Pulo Penang to China, where 14 of his crew were dangerously wounded by the natives, while employed filling water at Lintin. The remainder of the watering party were fortunately preserved through the firm- ness and judgment of Lieutenant William Hamilton (6), the senior officer then present. Two Chinese having been killed by the Topaze's fire, dis- putes ensued with the authorities at Canton, whicli led to the suspension of all commeixial intercourse, the embarkation of the British factory without passes, and the departure of all the Hon. Company's ships then lying in the Tigris. At length, however, a Mandarin of high rank was sent on board the frigate to discuss this unpleasant aflfair ; and he proving a sensible and moderate man, the business was satisfactorily adjusted, and matters restored to their former footing, in the spring of 1822. Captain Richardson then returned to India, and re-joiued the Leander a short time previous to Sir Henry Blackwood being relieved by Commodore Grant; but his health being in a very dangerous state he was obliged to invalid at the Cape of Good Hope, Oct. 14 in the same year. Jgeiit. — ^Thomas Stilwell, Esq. Ferris, D. D. Dean of Battle. He obtained the rank of Post<Captain wlieu under 21 years of age. His career though short was brilliant, he hnving hlghly distinguished himself on many occasions in the West Indie:*, Dutch Guiana, the Nortli Sea, and Dritivh Ciianuel. He died at Chelsea, May IH, 1822, in hi* 40lh year. POST-CAFIAINS OF 1805. 911 GEORGE ALDHAM, Esq. This officer was made a Lieutenant June 27, 1/02; and obtained the rank of Commander in 1802. On the 9th Aug. 1804, we find him commanding the Nautilus sloop of war, and recapturing a ship of great value from Demcrara bound to Liverpool. His post commission bears date Feb. 28, 1805. He married, in 1806, the widow of Captain Boger, R. N. Agent. — Thomas Stilwell, Esq. FRANCIS TEMPLE, Esq. This officer received his first commission in 1793, and was promoted to the rank of Commander for his gallant conduct in attacking and capturing the French national brig Venteux, of 10 guns and 82 men, an event already noticed in our me- moir of Captain Frederick Lewis Maitland, from whose official letter to Sir John Colpoys we make the following extract : — " When it is considered that the Vcntcux, perfectly prepared, manned with 82 men, all of whom were upon deck, and covered with very heavy batteries, was opposed to the crews of two of our boats (as the third, from rowing heavy, did not get up till the hrig was completely gained possession of) I feel confident you will view it in the light that I do, as one of those brilliant exploits which add lustre to the British :trms ; of which, though 80 many instances occurred during the late war, no one has before been happy enough to have thrown in his way during the present. The success of Mr. Temple's daring attempt speaks sufficiently for his conduct, and that of every one under his command, to render it superfluous for me to enter into any eulogium on the present occasion." Captain Temple's advancement to the rank of Commander took place July 4, 1803 ; and in Jan. following the Com- mittee for managing the Patriotic Fund at Lloyd's voted him a sword, value 50/., as a token of the sense entertained by that society of his distinguished merit in combat with an enemy of such superior force. His post commission bears date Mar. 12, 1805. Towards thi- close of the war we find him commanding the Armide frigate on channel service. Ho married, in 18l6, Susan, youngest daughter of the late George Wurrcn, of Pcnpool, Cornwall, Esq. AgefU.^-^S'iY Francis M. Oiumanucy, M. P. *1 if ''>■ 912 POST-CAPTAINS OP 1805. RICHARD BUDD VINCENT, Esq. A Companion of the Most Honorable Military Order of the Bath. This officer is a native of Newbury, in Berkshire, where his father resided for many years, as a banker. He com- menced his naval career under the auspices of Vice- Admiral Barrington, and accompanied that officer to the relief of Gibraltar, in 1782. The Britannia, a first-rate, bearing his patron's flag, appears to have been one of the ships particu- larly engaged in the subsequent skirmish between Lord Howe's fleet and the enemies' combined forces, off Cape Spartel ; her loss on that occasion consisting of 8 men killed and 1 3 wounded, and the grand total being only 72 slain and 193 wounded *. From the peace of 1783, until his promotion to a Lieu- tenancy, Nov. 3, 1790, we find Mr. Vincent serving succes- sively in the Salisbury 50, Trimmer sloop of war, Pegase and Carnatic third rates, and Prince of 98 guns : the former ship bearing the flag of Vice-Admiral I. Campbell, commander-in- chief at Newfoundland ; the latter, that of Sir John Jervis, in the grand fleet, during the Spanish armament. Mr. Vincent's first appointment as a Lieutenant, was to the Wasp sloop of war, employed in the Channel, for the sup- pression of smuggling. He subsequently joined, in succes- sion, the Terrible 74, commanded by Captain Skeffington Lutwidge ; Victory, a first rate, bearing the flag of Lord Hood, commander-in-chief on the Mediterranean station ; and Tri- umph 74, commanded by the late Sir Erasmus Gower. In 1793 and the two following years, Mr. Vincent saw much active service, the Terrible forming part of Lord Hood's fleet at the occupation, defence, and evacuation of Toulon ; as also during the siege of Corsica f ; and the Triumph being one of the small squadron under Vice-Admiral Cornwallis, when that officer effected his masterly retreat in the face of a • The British had 34 uail of the Hue. N. D. The Hon. Samuel Bar. ringtoii, Senior Admiral of the White, and General of Marines, died at Bath, Aug. 16, 180(), in the l\ii year of his age. A portrait and memoir of that highly diatinguished officer will be found in the Naval Chronicle, vol. iv. p. 169 et seq. t See memoirs of Viscount Keith, Lord Radstock, Admiml Purvis, Sir W. Sidney Smith, Admiral WoUciey, &c. &c. iu our first volume. POST-CAPTAINS OF 1805. 913 povrerful French armament, off Bellelsle, June 16, 1795, on which trying occasion her conduct was so highly meritorious as to draw the following encomium from the gallant chief : — " the Triumph and Mars," says he, " being the sternmost ships, were, of course, more exposed to the enemy's fire ; # * » #, The Triumph has shifted and repaired some of her sails, but any damage she has received is so trifling, at least in her Captain's eye, that Sir Erasmus Gower has not thought it worth reporting ; indeed, the cool and firm conduct of that ship was such, that it appeared to me the enemy dared not come near her *." In April 1797, we find the Triumph cruising offtheWestern Islands, in company with a squadron under Lord Hugh Sey- mour, for the purpose of intercepting some Spanish ships of war then expected from the Havannah, with the late Governor of Mexico, and treasure to the amount of more than a million sterling. It appears, however, that only two frigates, freighted with a very considerable sum, ha/.arded the voyage at that period ; and they succeeded in eluding his Lordship's vigi- lance. The manner in which they were afterwards disposed of will be seen by reference to vol. i. p. 280. About three weeks after her return from this cruise, the Triumph was ordered to reinforce the North Sea fleet ; and during the mutiny at the Nore, she was for some time under the charge of her first Lieutenant, the subject of this me- moir, who, by his firm and judicious conduct, considerably repressed the spirit of insubordination that prevailed amongst her crew f. A few days previous to the memorable battle off Camper- down, Lieutenant Vincent was removed to the Zealand 64, at the particular request of his friend, the late Admiral Lut- widge, under whose flag he served in the different ships to wliich it was removed between that period and the peace of Amiens, when he obtained the rank of Commander, by com- mission dated April 29, 1802. We should here remark that few officers have ever experienced greater disappointments with regard to advancement than he himself had since the • * • See Vol. I. note • at p. liM. t Captain William E^sington had previously succeeded Sir Erasmui Quwer, in tlie cuinmaiid of the Triumph. <o^ . vi !l 914 POST-CAPTAINS OF 1805. close of 1794, when he left the Terrible, of which ship he had become first Lieutenant, to join the Victory on promotion :— this first prospect was frustrated by Lord Hood's sudden secession from active service, in May, 1795 *. Mr. Vincent's I'eraoval from the Triumph was productive of a still greater mortification, as in addition to the loss of promotion, it pre- vented him from sharing in the glorious victory achieved by those very men whom he had been instrumental in restoring to a proper state of discipline. His hopes were again excited on hearing that the late King had embarked at Greenwich for the purpose of honoring Lord Duncan's fleet with a visit ; in which case, being senior Lieutenant of the Port-Admiral's flag ship, he flattered himself with the expectation of prefer- ment, according to the usual custom on such occasions : un- fortunately a gale of wind, and state business of importance, compelled his Majesty to return without carrying into eflfect the gracious object for which he had left his capital. The fourth and last instance occurred in Aug. 1799* when a Dutch squadron in the Texel surrendered to the late Sir An- drew Mitchell, at the very moment an action was confidently expected to take place by every oflficer and man under his or- ders f. — Lieutenant Vincent was then on board the Overj^sscl 64, from which ship Admiral Lutwidge's flag had been re- moved pro tempore, his presence being required to conduct the port duties at Deal. On the 17th May, 1802, Captain Vincent was appointed to the Arrow, a curiously constructed sloop of war, mounting 28 32-pounders, with a complement of 121 men. In this vessel he cruised for some time against the smugglers on the coast of Devonshire, and to the eastward thereof; but owing to her peculiar appearance, she soon became well-known to those illicit traders, who easily recognized her at a distance, and were thereby enabled to elude the vigilance of her commander. She was paid off at Portsmouth, in Fel). 1803. A contemporary writer, speaking of the Arrow and another • The cause of Lord Hood's reaij^nation is stated to have been a dispute with the Admiralty, as to the force necessary to l)c employed at that junc> ture in the Mediterraucaii. — See Buenton'8 Nnvnl History, vol. ii. p. 177. . - t Sec Vul. I. p. 152, and note at p. 41-1 el setf. POSr-CAPTA!NS ov 1805. 915 experimental vessel, both designed by General Samuel Bent- ham, Inspector-General of his Majesty's naval works, says :— " They were in shape much sharper than vessels of war in jjencral, and projected, or raked for\vard at each end, like a wherry. Their breadth increased from the water-line upwards ; whereby it was considered that they would be stitfer, and less liable to overset than ordinary vessels. The decks were strait fore and aft, and the frames or ribs of less curvature than usual. They were constructed to carry twenty-four 32-pounder3 upon the main-deck, and were afterwards fitted to receive two more car- ronades of the same nature on each of their two short-decks, which we may call the quarter-deck and fore-castlc. All these carrouadcs were fittetl upon the non'recoil principle. It is believed that both the Arrow and Dart • sulisequently took on board, for their quarter-tlecks, two additional 32*8. They proved to be stiff vessels and swift sailers, but it was found necessary to add some dead wood to their bottoms, in order to make them stay better f." Captain Vincent was re-appointed to the Arrow, Mar. 1, 1803 J and every effort was immediately made by himself and his officers to complete her complement, but without effect. Finding that, from her novel appearance, she was not likely to attract volunteers, and as very few men were to be picked up along shore, or from the coasting traders and other small craft. Captain Vincent obtained permission from Lord Gardner, the Port-Admiral, to send a Custom House cutter into the offing, under the command of one of his Lieutenants, for the purpose of impressing from vessels passing up Channel. This being repeated several times, the Arrow waB nearly completed with a choice crew of effective seamen, when the exigency of the service obliged his Lordship to cause the greatest part of them to be suddenly drafted into a troop-ship, under orders for the West Indies. In consequence of this mortifying event, the Arrow was obliged to sail for a foreign station nearly one-third short of complement, notwithstand- ing Captain Vincent had procured a few volunteer landsmen from his native town, at a considerable expense to himself. From July 1803, till the end of that year, we find the Arrow escorting the trade to Portugal, Gibraltar, Malta, &c. ; and in 1804, employed on various imjrartant services, afford- ing Captain Vincent an opportunity of visiting the capitals of • Sfo note • at p. 291 of (his volume. f Srr Jamk-i's iVai: Hist, vol i. note Q * at p. -l^^. 1 916 POST-CAPTAIXS OF 1805. Sicily, Naples, Sardinia, and Turkey ; Corfu, Zante, and the neighbouring islands ; Venice, Trieste, Fiume, and Smyrna ; together with many other places of inferior note, in Sicily, the Adriatic, Archipelago, and Sea of Marmora. On entering the Dardanelles with some merchant vessels under her protection, in Mar. 1804, the Arrow was fired at by the castle on the European shore. It blowing very hard at the time. Captain Vincent found it impossible to demand satisfaction on the spot for an insult thus offered to our flag ; but on his arrival at Constantinople he reported the circum- stance to Mr. Stratton, the British Minister, who laid his representation before the Divan, by whom the Turkish Go- vernor was mulcted in a very considerable sum for his mis- conduct. During Captain Vincent's stay at Constantinople, he re- ceived much flattering attention from the Capitan Pacha, who allowed him to inspect the arsenal and ships of war ; presented him with an elegant sabre ; and accepted in return a pair of pistols, the workmanship of which attracted his ad- miration, whilst visiting the Arrow in company with numerous other officers belonging to the Ottoman marine. The destruction of I'Actif French privateer, under the island of Fano, June 3, 1304, will be noticed in our memoir of Captain C. F. Daly, the oflScer to whom Captain Vincent entrusted the command of the boats employed on that ser- vice. Oh the 18th Oct. following, the Arrow, while cruising oflf Cape Spartivento, was struck by lightning, which shivered her main-mast ; but fortunately the sails, being clewed up, and thoroughly drenched with rain, did not take fire ; neither was there a single person hurt, although the main- top-mast went instantly by the board. Towards the latter end of December, in the same year, Captain Vincent received directions to take charge of the homeward bound trade, collected at Malta ; and to sail for England as soon as possible after the arrival of some mer- chant vessels, then on their way from Smyrna :— also to take under his orders the Acheron bomb, commanded by Captain Arthur Farquhar, whose services will form the subject of our next memoir. He, at the same time, had the satisfaction of leamin approv foUowi others in the «//■ hation formed POST-CAPTAINS OP 1805. 917 learning that his conduct on all occasions had been fully approved by the illustrious Nelson, as will be seen by the following extract from his Lordship's last letter to him [many others of un equally gratifying nature, are given at full length in the Naval Chronicle for Oct. 1807] • — " I take this opportunity to convey to you my full appro- bation of your zealous activity in the various services per- formed by his Mqfesty's sloop under your command, and J am sorry that the state of that vessel deprives the station for the present of your further services*." We cannot do better than by describing Captain Vincent's subsequent proceedings in his own words, and illustrating his narrative by extracts from that of Captain Farquhar. " The first part of our passage," says Captain Vincent, " was favorable until we reached the westward of the island of Ivica, when we met with strong westerly winds, and a series of bad weather, by which the convoy suffered some damage ; one vessel was supposed to have foundered, and two others separated ; but as the damage sustained was not of suffi- ciently serious consequence to delay the convoy, I was urged to pursue the voyage, with the anxious hope of soon having an easterly wind to carry us through the Straits of Gibraltar. " Early in the morning of the 3d Feb. (1805), per log, the Duchess of Rutland transport, which had been missing some days, joined. The weather was then quite moderate, with light breezes from the N. E. At 8 A. M. 1 made the signal for the convoy to steer W. by N., Cape Caxine (near Algiers) bearing south ; the Acheron and thirty-two sail in company. At 8-30, altered course to W. N. W., being well to the south- ward, and made the signal for the sternmost ships to make more sail. Two sail had been observed drawing up a-stern, bearing E. S. E. ; 1 had hopes they were the missing vessels, but soon perceived they were large. At half-past ten I asked, • The Arrow bud suffered much through teiupcstuous weather suice her arrival on the Mediterranean station ; and Lord Nelson was under the necessity of sending her home to he ducked, in con!4C((uehce of the Master Shipwright at Malta declaring that she was too weak to undergo the pro- cess of heaving down. The wooden tanks fitted in her hold for the Itutter stowage of water, and many interior parts of her hull, were quite rotten ; and the carpenters uppuinled to survey her reported chat »he was goucrully defective. VOL. II. 3 u IS I ! 1 ii 1 i. f . ! I 918 POST-CAPTAINS OF 1805. the Acheron (then in the rear of the convoy), per telegraph, ' what they were ?' On answering my signal, she immediately wore, p.tood towards them, and made the private signal ; which not being answered, she told me * they were sus- picious.' At 11-15, I made the signal for the vessels of the convoy on each quarter to close j the Arrow then leading the convoy with the brig Adventure in tow. This vessel was leaky and her rudder shaken ahnost to pieces ; we were heaving part of her cargo overboard in the hope of stopping her leaks, and if possible, by lightening her, to unship the rud- der, and repair it on board the Arrow. At 1 1-50, the Acheron made the signal * they were frigates.* At noon, Cape Al- batel bore S. by W. J W. 10 or II leagues *. " On the 4th, at two minutes past noon, I slipped the Ad- venture, wore, and hauled to the wind on the larboard tack, for the purpose of joining the Acheron, which ship had wore, and was returning to the convoy under all sail with light winds. At 10 minutes past, made the Duchess of Rutland's signal * to lead the convoy, steering the same course, &c.' and directed the convoy ' to follow her motions, though the men of war acted otherwise.' At a quarter past, made the signal ' for the convoy to make all sail possible.' About one, I tacked to the northward, and shortened sail for the Acheron to close me. At 1-15 she made the signal, * the strange ships were enemies ;' dittOf made the signal to the convoy ' that an enemy was in sight, to make all possible sail, and proceed to the appointed rendezvous ;' which was enforced by several guns at different times, and repeated by the Acheron in the same manner ; also by Lieutenant Coggan, agent of trans- ports, in the Trial brig bomb tender, who remained with the convoy f. At 2, the Acheron closing but slowly, brought to for her, the frigates continuing their course about W. N. W. under all sail with light winds. About 4, the Acheron joined me, and Captain Farquhar came on board the Arrow. I con- sulted with him the best means to protect the convoy, and * Captain Farquhar had by this time approached the strangers sufBc'icntly near to discover that they were large frigates, with their spare anchors stowed in the main chains, which led him to suppose they were French. f The Duchess of Rutland was tha only transport belonging to the convoy -. twenty-nine sail were British mert Imot vessels ; and one a Spanish prize which had recently joined the fleet and received instructions from Captain Vincent. POST-CAPTAINS OF 1805. 919 atland's 3e, &c.' ugh the ade the [)ut one, Acheron je ships y « that irocced several in the trans- ith the ught to N.W. joined I con- |oy, and jifficicntly anchors Trench. i convoy : fish prize Captain we determined to keep between them and the enemy (who had not shown any colours, nor altered their course to chase the Acheron when reconnoitring them *,) for the purpose of collecting the vessels of the convoy, having guns on board, and to form a line of battle as soon as possible, agreeably to an order and form previously given out to the armed vessels of the convoy. At this time the enemy were about five miles from us. At 5, the convoy all becalmed, bearing N. W. by W. 3 miles : the land between Cape Albatel and Cape Ten- nis S. S. W. I W. 11 leagues. From this time until 10, light airs and calms ; ship's head round the compass ; when it sprung up a light breeze from the S. W., the body of the con- voy W. N. W. 4 miles, the frigates N. N. E. 3 miles. Steered for the convoy, but the Acheron having increased her distance ta the southward, I tacked again to close her, hailed Captain Farquhar to keep close to the Arrow, and shortened sail to her rate of sailing. At midnight, light breezes from the S. W. laying up W. N. W. but broke off gradually to north. About 3 A.M. passed the two stemmost brigs of the convoy, to leeward of which the enemy had passed without firing at, or taking any notice of them. At 3-45, perceived that one of the frigates had tacked, and was nearing us on the starboard tack. About 4-15, one of them hailed me in Rnglish, when I asked * what ship it was ?* and was answered by desiring me to hoist my boat out, and come on board. A few minutes after she was hailed by the Acheron, when the frigate opened her fire, which was immediately returned by the Aipow and Acheron, until she passed : the other frigate, by the light baffling winds, had been somewhat separated, but soon closed, passed under our lee, and went a-head of us : however, the Acheron fired several guns at one of them with effect f. As * The Acheron hoisted her colours and fired a gun at 12-30, but the strangers paid no attention thereto. t Captain Farquhar, speaking of this brush, says, " I hailed, asking * what ship is that?' she answered, ' what ship are you ?' and immediately gave us her broadside of round and grape, which did very considerable damage to our rigging, sails, &c. but did not kill or wound any one. We returned her fire, then hove about, gave her the guns from the other side, and kept firing as long as our shot would reach her. The second frigate passed the Arrow without firing — a little afterwards she appeared us if it were her intention to wear, and having her stem towards us, we gnvu her 3o2 ,; i 1 u'l H m ^%| 920 POST-CAIMAINS OF 1805. the night had been very dark, I was anxious for day -light, to ascertain the general position of the convoy, that I might act in the best manner for its defence ; seeing an action was in- evitable, without being able to get to my assistance the armed vessels as intended. The frigates stood from us to the west- ward, and at dawn of day, the wind being light and variable, their heads to the southward, I observed the headmost with French colours up, and she soon after hoisted a broad pen- dant at the main. At 6, I made the Duchess of Rutland's signal ' for action ;' and the Acheron's * to close.' The for- mer, being the most effective ship of the convoy, probably would have been of service, had she immediately obeyed the signal and bore up, by the very appearance only of coming 4o my assistance ; but she did not even answer it. I then made sail on the starboard tack, to get between the enemy and protect the rear of the convoy ; the former wore to the east- ward, and hauled on the larboard tack, apparently with the intention of engaging us to leeward. Set the spanker, to keep the ship to, the wind being very light, to prevent their passing a-head and raking us. About 7j the headmost in passing to leeward gave us her broadside, when the action commenced: at this time the Acheron was close on our starboard quarter, and the body of the convoy to windward, bearing N. W. 4 miles, mostly on the larboard tack, much scattered, and making all sail to the westward. As the enemy passed, the action was kept up on both sides at the distance of half a cable's length, when they wore and gave me an opportunity of raking them ; but the wind became so light, the Arrow would not steer, which left me much exposed in different positions to their joint fire. About this time the Aclieron passed under our stern, and Captain Farquhar hailed me, but it was impossible to make out what he said. Soon after she had passed, the largest frigate hauled after her, but not until we had received much of the enemy's fire in our starboard quarter *. We were then left to the other frigate, two ruundii from the larboard guns ; she then hauled her wind and stood towards the other iVi^utc. • " About 7-25," adds Captain F., " the headmost frigate beinj,' abreast of the Arrow, dlsclmrgcd her broadside, which was imnjcdialely returned by Captain Viuoent. At 7-30, she was abreast of, and gave us a broadside —we then cominencod firing upon her, and continued to do so until the •econd frigate came alongsi(lc and fired into ua, havin;,' already engaged FOST-CAPTAINS OF 1805. 921 which 1 continued to engage closely for some time : but our nuHiini,' rigging being cut to pieces ; the impossibility of managing; the ship ; the lower masts being badly wounded ; the standing rigging, yards, and sails much cut ; many shot between wind and water ; four guns dismo\mted on the star- board side; the rudder machinery disabled ; 13 men killed, and 27 wounded ; induced me to cause the cchnus to be struck about half-past 8, after an action of an hour and twenty minutes, to the French national frigate I'lncorruptible, Mons. iiilliet, Capitainc de frcgate, commander, of 42 guns and G50 men, including troops : conceiving from the above disabled state of the Arrow, that further resistance would only increase the loss of lives, without the hope of saving his Majesty's sloop from such superior force ; particularly as she was making considerable water, and the surviving officers and crew could scarcely be removed from her, before she settled on her beam ends and sunk *. " When I was under the painful necessity of thus yielding to I'lncorruptible, the Acheron was standing to the southward towards the land under all sail, the large frigate THortense in chase ; and I cherished the hope that if the breeze had freshened, she would be able to outsail the enemy and draw him to a considerable distance, or get in with the land so as to prevent her falling into his hands : but she was obliged to submit to the same fate as the Arrow, and was afterwards burnt. At this time the convoy were considerably to the westward, and to windward, effecting their escape on diffe- rent tacks f. t!ie Arrow in passing. Our fire was now turned upon this skip, and con- tinued till wc came close up with thu Arrow, which had just put her helm a-weatlier to ral<e the French Commodore. Wc hauled our wind to keep clear of her, as she appeared to he wearing ; and I asked Captain Vincei>t if he meant to a^ain come to the wind upon the starboard tack, but I could not understand what he said in reply. As soon as we cleared the Arrow, our fire was again directed against the Commodore's frigate." • Lieutenant Edward Elers, second of tlie Arrow, and several men, jumped overboard to avoid going down in her ; and were picked up by I'Incorruptible's boats, alt those belonging to the British sloop having been destroyed by the enemy's shot. t The gallant commander of the Acheron concludes his account in the following terms: " Wo continued to engage the French Commodore until 922 P08T-CAITAINS OF 1805. f [-'- " I cannot conclude this narrative without rendering Cap- tain Farquhar my fullest approbation for his able and steady support ; and particularly for his leF.ding away I'Hortense in a direction from the convoy. Nor can I omit this opportu- nity to give my public testimony of the good conduct and bravery displayed by the officers, crew, and passengers, on board tlie Arrow ; who by their exertions on this occasion surprised the enemy by a resistance which I apprehend was but little expected : and though his Majesty's ships fell a sacrifice to superior force, I have no hesitation in believing the damage and delay caused to the enemy by this event, afforded the greater part of my charge time to effect their escape ; and when I reflect that three vessels only were cap- tured by them out of 32 sail, I cannot but express my admi- ration and thanks to the officers, crews, and passengers, of his Majesty's ships Arrow and Acheron, for their zeal and courage in so unequal a contest ; and attribute the preserva- tion of the convoy to their manly and united efforts, by which the ultimate object of my wishes has been fulfilled *** with the greatest grief, I saw the Arrow obliged to strike, being no longer able to contend with the great superiority of force opposed to her. She had I conceive received much damage in the act of wearing, as she lay a considerable time with her head to the enemy. The Acheron being now very much disabled iu yards, masts, sails, and rigging ; part of her stern- post being also carried away ; I considered further resistance on my part could answer no good end, and unwilling to sacrifice the lives of men who had given me the highest proof of their courage, I determined to make what sail I could, with little hopes of saving the ship, but with a view to pro- crastinate my capture, in order to give the convoy a greater chance of escaping : the superiority of sailing on the part of the enemy's frigate rendered the chase but short; about 8-45, having already received one broadside and part of another during the pursuit, and the enemy being now very near, with the greatest concern we were obliged to sur- render to I'Hortense of 44 guns, commanded by Mons. de la Marre de la Mellerie. We were then taken possession of, and as soon as the officers and crew of the Acheron were removed, the enemy finding her much dis- abled, thought fit to bum her." * The total number of officers, men, and boys, on board the Arrow at the commencement of the action was 132. The Acheron mounted only eight 24-pounders, and had no more than 67 persons at quarters. L'Hor- tense, the Commodore's frigate, mounted 48 guns, and was crowded with troops, like her consort. The enemy's joint force was consequently 90 post-captains ok 1805. 923 The Arrow spreading aloft, and the muzzles of her guns not projecting beyond the port-sills, caused her to be set on fire two or three times during the action ; in addition to which she was greatly annoyed by the enemy's small arms, the state of the weather enabling the French troops to take a part in the combat. Her boats being totally destroyed, those of I'ln- corruptible were sent to take out the prisoners, who lost every article of property except the clothes then on their bucks. Notwithstanding the haste with which Captain Vincent was obliged to quit the ship he had so bravely defended, he did not forget the sabre that had been presented to him by the Capitan Pacha, at Constantinople j but a French officer ma- naged to obtain it from one of the Arrow's crew, under a feigned pretence, and every endeavour to recover it proved unavailing ; redress was not to be had of people who re- spected no principles of honor. The frigates proved to be part of the Toulon fleet, com- manded by Mons. Villeneuve *, from whom they had sepa- rated during the tempestuous weather which prevailed pre- vious to their falling in with the British convoy. Captain Vincent could never ascertain the actual loss they sustained, but many circumstances concurred to convince him it was very great. L'Incorruptiblc's dead were thrown overboard before he reached that ship, and her wounded were carefully concealed from his view. One of the three vessels captured by the enemy was the Duchess of Rutland; and in addition to her commander's former misconduct, Captain Vincent had to complain of his unpardonable neglect in not destroying the Convoy Signals and Instructions ; fortunately, however, the Frenchmen were too much mauled to think of profiting by such excellent means of decoy, and obliged to push for the nearest port in order to repair their damages. L'Incorruptible anchored off Carthagena on the 8th Feb., and the Arro% s late commander, officers, crew, and passen- gers, were detained as prisoners in that town and a neigh- bouring village, until the early part of May, when they were allowed to embark for Gibraltar in a cartel brig sent by Lord guns and at Icaat 1300 men : that of the British 36 guns (all carronades) and 199 mm. • Sec Vol. I note at p, 589, '•¥ 921 POST-C ATTAINS OF 1805. 1,1 ! i I v- Nelson expressly to receive them. On his arrival at the rock, Captain Vincent had the gratification to find that his exertions in their defence had been duly appreciated by the masters of the vessels which had escaped thither, who pre- vious to their departure for England drew up, and caused the following address to be published in the garrison gazette : — " Gibraltar, March 1 7, 1 805. " We, the uiidersigne! M?.3ter8, who departed from Malta under convoy of n. M. sloop Arrow, Captain Vincent, and Achero;i bomb. Captain Farquhar, prompted by the truest sense of gratitude, offer tliein our sincere thanks for their unremitting and assiduous care of our ships, during a pas- sage of perpetual and tremendous gales ; and for their exertions, uniting with their abilities, by which they constantly kept the fleet in order, until the unfortunate morning of the 4th February, when two heavy French frigates attaciied the convoy. " T.4e annals of history never yet produced, we conceive, a contest more unequal, skill and activity more exerted, nor magnanimity more displayed, than in that event. Captains Vincent and Farquhar's manner of attack, and drawing the enemy to leeward of the fleet, merit great praise, as the only possible means of saving us. The well-directed fire from both the Arrow and Acheron must have done considerable execution to the enemy ; whose superior force, after a long and severe battle, compelled Captains Vincent and Farquhar to yield a victory, by the enemy as dearly bought, as by them unwillingly resigned. An engagement thus commenced, and supported for the honor of our country, for the protection and interest of its commerce, cannot fail to obtain the enthusiastic admiration of their fellow subjects, and become a memorial of their bravery, enrolling their names in the list of British Heroes." Captain Vincent and his officers sailed from Gibraltar for England, in the Camel store-ship, on the 28th May, and ar- rived at St. Helen's aftpr a passage of only seven days. On the 17th June, a Court-Martial assembled in Portsmouth har- bour to try them for the loss of their sloop, after a minute enquiry into all the circumstances, pronounced the following sentence : — " The Court is of opinion, that the loss of his Majesty's sloop Arrow was occasioned by her falling in with a very superior force of the enemy, and l)uing under the necessity of surrendering her, after a brave, deter- mined, and well-fought action of nearly an hour and a half, sooa after which she sunk from the injuries she received in the action. And that the conduct of Captain Richard Dudd Vincent, his officers and ship's com- pany, as well as of the passengers, waa highly meritorious and praise-wor- thy i and particularly that of Captain Vincent, by the judicious arrange- ments he made for the preservation of the convoy under hit charge, both POST-CAPTAINS OP 1805. 925 previous to, and during the action ; by which nearly the ..iiole of them were prevented from falling into tlie hands of a superior force : and doth udjud,t>;e them to be most honorably acquitted; and the said Captain Richard Budd Vincent, his officers and ship's company, are hereby most HONORABLY ACQUITTED accordingly." On the second day after his trial. Captain Vincent received a post commission dated April 8, 1805 j and on the ensuing 3d July, the following resolution of the committee for ma- naging the Patriotic Fund at Lloyd's, was communicated to him by the Secretary : — " Resolved, — That a sword, of the value of 100/. and a piece of plate of the same value, with an appropriate inscription, or that sum of money at his option, be presented to Captain Richard Budd Vincent, acting at Com- modore on the occasion, for so nobly supporting the honor of the British flag, and successfully protecting the convoy under his care." The following letter was also transmitted to John Turnbull, Esq. Chairman of the Merchants trading to the South of Europe : — " LloytPt Coffee House, Jul;/ 3, 1805. " Sir, — The very gallant conduct of Captains Vincent and Farquhar, and the oflScers and crews of his Majesty's sloop Arrow, and bomb Acheron, entitles them to every possible testimony of gratitude from their country- men at large ; but more particularly from the merchants and underwriters interested in the convoy under their care ; which was so nobly and suc- cessfully protected, by the unequal conflict they maintained with the French frigates rilortense and I'lncorruptible. " The (Committee of the Patriotic Fund have voted honorary rewards to the commanding officers ; given donations to the wounded; and made pro- vision for the families of those who fell in thus supporting the honor of the British flag. But the rules of that Institution extend no further ; and it is a tribute still due to those brave men who have lost their own pro- perly in so resolutely defending that of others, to provide, that on their return from imprisonment, they should at least be furnished with neces- saries to «quip them for his Majesty's service. " With this view we address ourselves to you. Sir, as Chairman of the merchants trading to the Mediterranean, that you may recommend the subject to their consideration. We shall be happy to learn that it meets their concurrence, and to join them in such measures as shall appear best calculated to carry it into effect. We have the honor to be, &c. (Signed) " J. ANOERsrim. " R. Shkodon. " J. Marrtatt. In consequence of this letter the following communication was made to Captain Vincent, on the 26th Aug.:— 926 I'OST-CAPTAINS OF 1805. " Mr. Turnbuli presents Ins coinplimcnts to Captain Vincent, and lias the pleasure to enclose him a statement of the proportioned donations which the Committee have been enabled to raise, in order to replace the loss of clothes and necessaries which the officers and crew of his Majesty's sloop Arrow may have sustained in conse(juence of their gallant action in the Mediterranean. The amount in all being A'JTt. 10*., Captain Vincent will be pleased to draw for it, at ten days sight, on Joseph Marriot, Esq. and distribute it according to the list sent herewith. Exactly the same donations have been made to the officers and crew of the Acheron : and it gives Mr. Turnbuli much pleasure to have had the opportunity on this occasion of contributing to establish a precedent, for indemnifying those brave men, who may have lost their little property in the service of their country *. In May 1806, Captain Vincent was appointed to succeed Captain Robert Barrie in the Brilliant of 28 guns, on the Irish station ; and directed to assume the temporary command of the Pomone 38, then waiting at Spithead for that officer to join her. After exchanging ships with Captain Barrie, he proceeded to Cork, and was sent from thence by his com- mander-in-chief, Lord Gardner, on a cruise to the westward of Ireland, where he fell in with and took charge of sever«' West India traders, stragglers from the homeward bound cc voy ; the whole of which he escorted safely into the Britit • Channel. Towards the close of the same year, Captain Vincent was obliged to resign the Brilliant, through ill health ; and it was not till 1808, that he found himself sufficiently convalescent to go again afloat. He then applied for active employment, and was immediately appointed to the Hind 28 ; but as that ship was then stationed in the Mediterranean, he received, with his commission for her, an order to act as Captain of the Cambrian, a frigate of the largest class, fitting at Ply< mouth, to convoy a fleet of merchantmen to that quarter, and on his arrival to exchange with Captain Francis W. Fane, then conmianding the Hind. On his arrival off Cadiz, Captain Vincent fell in with the squadron under Vicc-Admiral Purvis, who was then paving the way for an amicable intercourse between his Majesty's * The sums were thus proportioned :— to Captain Vincent, 50/. ; to the Lieutenants, Master, and a passenger of similar rank, 2U/. each \ to the warrMt officers, 10/. each ; to tlie Midshipmcu and other petty oiliccrH, £/. ca<:bi aud to the seamen, &c, 2/. 10«. each. POST-CAPTAINS OF 1805. 927 forces and the patriots of Andalusia. After a detention of several days, during which her charge was confided to the protection of a smaller ship, the Cambrian proceeded to Gibraltar, and from thence, after communicating with Lord Collingwood, to join Rear-Admiral George Martin at Minorca, By that officer Captain Vincent was sent to the coast of Ca- talonia, where he joined the Hind, and continued to cruise under the orders of Captain (now Rear-Admiral) Otway, until recalled for the purpose of being despatched on a mission to Algiers. After twice visiting that regency in a diplomatic character. Captain Vincent was ordered to refit his ship at Malta, where he found Captain Robert Bell Campbell, of the flag-ship, at the point of dissolution ; and Sir Alexander J. Ball, the Governor and Port-Admiral, greatly distressed for want of an experienced officer to assist him in the discharge of bis naval functions. Yielding to the urgent entreaties of Sir Alexander, Captain Vincent reluctantly consented to quit the Hind and assume the command of the Trident 64, thereby abandoning every prospect of adding to his well-earned fame, and sacrificing every personal consideration to a sense of public duty. Soon after his removal to the Trident, the merchants of Malta presented Captain Vincent with a valuable service of plate, commemorative of his gallant action with the French frigates, in 1805, and at the same time wrote him a handsome letter, the counterpart of which will be found at p. 932. About the same period, a commission arrived from Eng- land, appointing him to the Topaze of 32 guns ; but as he had now embarked with Sir Alexander Ball, he conceived himself bound to adhere to his engagement with that officer ; who, on his part, undertook to explain in the fullest manner, to the Admiralty, how he was situated. The Governor, accordingly, informed their Lordships, that in the execution of his multi- farious and arduous duties he felt it an object of importance to attach to himself the services of an officer in whom he could repose the greatest confidence, and that he had been induced, for the good of his Majesty's service, to urge Cap- tain Vincent, not only to quit the Hind, but to abstain from making use of the comuiission with which they hud more re- I ■iR' *. J '? 4-' VJ .^ '^.. ^1 3 t'i-'''i 1 if ■II '1 928 POST-CAITAINS OF 1805. |i I ccntly honored him, until their Lordbhips' pleasure should he known. This explanation proved perfectly satisfactory to the Board, and Capt;un Vincent continued to serve under Sir Alexander Ball, till that officer's lamented demise, in Oct. 1809*. Released by this melancholy event from an engagement so detrimental to his personal interests. Captain Vincent used every endeavour to obtain the command of a cruising ship, but without success ; and he was therefore obliged to remain stationary at Malta, under the respective flags of Rear Admi- rals Charles Boyles, John Laugharne, and Charles V. Penrose, till the termination of hostilities in 1814. From that period he conducted the various duties of the port, as senior oflicer, until the commencement of 181G ; when we find him remov- ing into the Aquilon of 32 guns, and proceeding to Naples and Leghorn, for the purpose of joining the squadron imder Lord Exmouth, by whom he was sent to Mahon, Gibraltar, and England, with despatches, about the month of March in the same year. We should not do justice to the subject of this memoir, were we to omit stating, that during a period of nearly eight years spent at Malta (in the course of which many thousands of the inhabitants fell victims to a dreadful malady) he inva- riably obtained the approbation, not only of the different Governors, with whom, in his official intercourse, he pre- served the greatest unanimity, but also of every superior officer whom he had occasion to co-operate with for the fur- therance of the public service. • Sir Alexander Jolm Bull, Dart. K. F. M. was one of NlIsoh's sup- porters in the glorious battle of Aug. 1, 1798, as will be setn by reftTcnce to p. 4/2 of our first volume. His commission as a Rear-Admirul of the Red was dated on the very day of his decease, Oct. 25, 1809. He was most exemplary in virtue, honor, and friendship. In him the public lost a zealous and faithful servant— Captain Vincent, and many other officers, a sincere and estimable friend. His memory will ever be respected by all who had the honor of his acquaintance. A letter from Malta, dated Nov. 6, says, " He was rather devoted to the Maltese interest ; but he was certainly in the right. We Dritish are too apt to despite foreigners : he found it necessary to protect them as he did. We buried him yesterday in • fort close to that in which the rcnaiits of Sir Ralph Abcrcromby arc interred." ' POST-CAI»TAINS OF lb05. 929 The Aqiiilon was paid off at Deptfortl, iii April 181G j and Captain Vincent has not since been employed. He was no- minated a C. B. at the first establishment of that order, in June, 1815. j4gents. — Messrs. Goode and Clarke. ARTHUR FARQUIIAR, Esq. A Companion of the Most Honorable Military Order of the Bath; Knight of the Rot/at Hanoverian Guelphic Order; and Knight of the Swedish Order of the Sword. This officer is the sixth son of the late Robert Farquhar, of Kincardineshire, N. B. Esq. by Agnes, daughter of James Morison, ofElsich, Esq. who was Provost of Aberdeen in the memorable year 1745, and who particularly distinguished himself at that trying period, by his firm attachment to the illustrious House of Brunswick *. Mr. Arthur Farquhar was born at Newhall, a small paternal estate in the above county, and educated there under a pri- vate family tutor. He commenced his naval career in Oct. 17B7, and served his time as a Midshipinjiu on board the Lowestoffe frigate, Hytena of 24 guns, and Alcide 74 j the two former employed as cruisers on the Channel, Mediter- ranean, Milford, and Irish stations ; the latter a guard-ship at J*ortsmouth, commanded by his earliest and principal pro- fessional patron, the late Sir Andrew Snape IJouglas f. After passing the usual examination for a Lieutenant, Mr. Farquhar was induced to cpiit the royal navy, and proceed to the East Indies as a free mariner ; but he had scarcely arrived there when a war broke out between Great Britain and the French Republic, which caused him to change his plans, and ' Provost Morison had several narrow cst-apos duriui? the rebellion. On one occasion he was seized and carried l>y force to the cross of Aiier- dcen, where the rebels forced a Riass of wine down his throat, to the health of the Pretender. His duughterj Aj?iic3, was the mother of 18 children, live of whom were devoted to II. M. service, viz. Robert, now Purser of the ArKonuiil. hospital ship at Chatham ; James, Surgeon R. N., drotvncd ia 1818 ; Thomas, an officer in the (luards, deceased \ William, a Lieute- nant-Colonel, (Javernor of .Sincapore; and Arthur, the Bubject of this tiiemoir. t See note • ut p. 54. «. : t\ I! :,y^' I ^ 930 P09T-CAPTA1N8 OF 1805. seek an opportunity of returning to the King's service : it was some time, however, before he succeeded in accomplishing his intention. The first man of war which Mr. Farquhar joined in India was the Hobart, a ship-sloop, commanded by Captain B. W. Page ; from which he was soon removed into the Suffolk 74, bearing the flag of Rear- Admiral Rainier, commander-in-chief on that' station. In the early part of 17i^> we find him as- sisting at the capture of the Harlingen, Dutch national brig, of 14 guns and 45 men * ; also at the reduction of Amboy na and Banda, on which latter service he held the rank of Lieute- nant, in a Dutch armed vessel under his command f. Mr. Farquhar subsequently served as a supernumerary Lieutenant on board the above mentioned brig, which had been purchased for government, named the Amboyna, and commissioned by Lieutenant Dobbic. His good conduct as commanding officer of that vessel, when attacked by a large party of Ladrones^ near Macao, will be noticed in the memoir already referred to. He was afterwards appointed in succes- sion to the Swift sloop of war, and Carysfort and Heroine frigates, in which latter ship he returned home, as first Lieu- tenant, under the command of the Hon. John Murray, in July 1798. From tliis period. Lieutenant Farquhar appears to have been actively employed in the Superb 74, iEolus 32, and Acasta40, on the Channel, Mediterranean, Baltic, and North Sea stations, until advanced to the rank of Commander, April 29,1802. Captain Farquhar's first appointment after this promotion was, Jan. 16, 1804, to the Acheron bomb, in which vessel he made a most heroic defence against an enemy of overwhelm- ing superiority, on the 4th Feb. 1805, as will be seen by refe- rence to our memoir of his gallant colleague. Captain Richard Budd Vincent, at p. 917 et seq. of this volume. It is scarcely « * See memoir of Captain William Hugh Dobbie. t Amboyna surreiulcred, without resistance, Feb. 16 ; and Banda, Mar. 8, 1796. The public property t- ken in those islands consisted of 147,787 rix^lollars, 515,940 pounds weight of cloves, 84,777 ditto of nutmegs, and 19,587 ditto of mace; besides merchandise and stores to a large amount. POaT-CArXAINS OF 1805. 931 necessary to add the result of his trial by a court-martial assembled on board the Royal Sovereign, in Palma Bay, Sar- dinia, on the 28th Mar. following. The sentence, however, was of so gratifying and honorable a nature that we cannot refrain from inserting it : — " The Court is of opinion that on ihe 3d Feb., (yaptain Farquhar ap- prised llie Arrow as early as possible of the approach of the enemy, and afterwards obeyed the signals and ordi^rs of Captain Vincent, which seem to have been well calculated for the preservation and protection of the convoy entrusted to their care; that on the two enemy's frigates arriving up with the sloops, on the morning of the 4th., the Acheron gallantly sup- ported the Arrow in action with a very superior force, until the latter was obliged !■ .Ike, when she made sail in an opposite direction to the con- voy, and drew the attention of I'Hortense, of 44 guns, to which ship she was ultimately obliged to surrender after being completely disabled, and thereby considerably facilitated the escape of the merchantmen : the Court therefore is further of opinion that the conduct of Captain Farquhar on both days was highly meritorious, and deserving imitation, and that he was bravely supported by the ofliccri and ship's company on the occasion, and doth most lionorably acquit Captain Arthur Farquhar, tiie ofBccrs and company of his Majesty's late bomb-vessel Acheron, of all blame, and they are hereby most honorably acquitted accordingly." After the delivery of this Sentence, the President, Sir Richard Bickerton, Bart., addressed Captain Farquhar in terms to the following effect : — " Captain Farquhar, I return your sword with the greatest pleasure, and hope you will soon be called upon to serve in a ship that will enable you to meet I'Hortense upon more equal terms — the result of the contest may prove more lucrative to you, but it cannot be more honorable," Captain Farquhar was promoted to post rank April 8, 1805, and the Committee of the Patriotic Fund subsequently voted him a sword, value 100/., for his noble conduct in the above action. At the commencement of 1806, he attended the pub- lic funeral of his late commander-in-chief, the immortal Nel- son : and in the course of the ensuing spring we find him receiving a commission for the Ariadne, rated at 20 guns, in which ship he was employed on the Baltic and North Sea stations, occasionally blockading the German rivers, till Feb. 24, 1809. During this period he captured three French and two Danish privateers, carrying in the whole 44 guns and 216 men. The following letter from the British merchants at Malta was received by him whilst on half pay in April, 1809:— 1; '.4. ::V^ > y V^ I 932 POST-CAPTAINS OF 1805. " Commercml Rooms, la Faletle, Malta, 19M Sept. 1808. " Sir, — We the undersigned Merchants, Underwriters, and others resi- dent in this island, beg leave to express to you the high sense which we entertain of your gallant and judicious assistance in the defence of a va- luable convoy, when commanding his Majesty's bomb-vessel Acheron, and attacked by a far superior force on the 4th Feb., 1805 ; and as a public testimony of our esteem and respect we beg your acceptance of a piece of plate to commemorate the gallantry and judgment displayed by you on that occasion, notiiing short of which could have saved the greatest part of the convoy from falling into the hands of the enemy. " We beg leave to assure you that our not having offered sooner this just tribute of our regard should not be attributed to a want of due estimation of the important service rendered by you to "ritish commerce. " The action we wish to commemorate was performed during the infancy of trade in this island ; its late rapid increase has collected such a number of regular mercantile establishments as form a respectable united body, whose public testimony we flatter ourselves will now deserve your consi- deration. Your receiving it after a lapse of nearly four years is perhaps the strongest proof we can offer of your conduct having made such an im- pression on our minds as cannot be effaced. We have the honor to remain. Sir, your most obedient and faithful servants." (Signed by the principals o/3G mercantile establishments, SfC *.) In Aug. 1809, Captain Farquhar was appointed to the Desiree frigate ; and during the three following years we find him com- manding a squadron employed in the blockade 6f the Texel, on which station he captured four French privateers, carry- ing 46 guns and 176 men ; destroyed a gun-boat and three other armed vessels; and recaptured a DaniL'h bark, laden with timber for Sheerness dock-yard. His subsequent ser- vices in the Weser and Elbe were of much greater impor- tan<ie, as will be seen by the following outline. In Oct. 1813, the Desiree arrived at Heligoland, with 12 gun-boats, and Captain Farquhar immediately assumed the command of a light squadron which had been sent thither in the preceding summer, to open a communication with the Russian commander-in-chief at Hamburgh. The first measure adopted by Captain Farquhar was to send part of his force to seize two corvettes recently built at Braak, in the Duchy of Oidenburgh, and all other vessels, naval stores, &c. which could be found there belonging to the enemy. Thi.s service was most ably performed by Captain • The value of the plate thus presented to Captain Far«|uliar was fixed at 110 guineas. John MJ a strong teries atl secured gun-bri§ same m( in a stat the Sens His nl tioned b| of whicl the eneij Britain Abou war anc blockad that rivt the allie his squB at Cuxh reported letter di lowing < <' I hav days the Radinger reducing 800 offict provision quantity The Farquh Glucks several until J t Iti artillerj before Dlexen enemy'i vol Post-captains op 1805. 933 John M*Kerlie, of the Calliope, who, with one gun-vessel and a strong division of row-boats, pushed past the French bat- teries at the mouth of the Weser, proceeded up that river, and secured the corvettes, each pierced for 20 guns, as also two gun-brigs, and several other vessels. On the 30th of the same month. Captain Farquhar landed at Braak, put that town in a state of defence, and commenced a correspondence with the Senate of Bremen, then lately restored to authority. His next operation was the reduction of the above men- tioned batteries (Bremer- lehe and Blexen), by the surrender of which both banks of the Weser were perfectly cleared of the enemy, and the intercourse between Bremen and Great Britain revived, to the great joy of the Senate. About this period. Captain Farquhar detached a sloop of war and two gun-vessels into the Ems, for the purpose of blockading Delfzyl, a strong fortress on the Dutch side of that river, then about to be besieged by a detachment from the allied army*. He then proceeded with the remainder of his squadron, to co-operate in an attack upon the French forts at Cuxhaven, the succe8sf\il result of which enterprise was reported by him to the late Admiral Sir William Young, in a letter dated Dec. 1, 1813, from which we have taken the fol- lowing extracts :— " I have very great pleasure in stating to you. Sir, that in the last ten (lays the small detachment of Russian troops, commanded by Colonel Radinger, assisted by H. M. squadron under my orders, have succeeded in reducing four strong batteries, consisting of 50 heavy guns, 4 mortars, and 800 officers and men • • • •. These batteries were complete with pr«)visions of all kinds for six weeks, and contained a very considerable quantity of ammunition and military stores of every description f." The last and most important service performed by Captain Farquhar and his gallant companions was the reduction of Gluckstadt, an extremely strong fortress, which had been several times besieged by powerful armies, but never taken untilJan. 5, 1814 ; when it surrendered to a division of the • Sec Captain Thomas Barker Devon f It is proper to remark that the Russians were totally unprovided with artillery, and that the British seamen had to encounter many difficulties before they could place their guns in battery against Bremer-lehe and Blexen ; the roads being almost impracticable, and much exposed to the enemy's fire. VOL. II. 3 P 'l^Hi 1 ^H i'^ r H r ''"' i mm 1 m f ) mi 4 , \%t 934 POST-CAPTAINS OF 1805. I Crown Prince of Sweden's army, under the cfvninaud of Baroiji de Boy^, and that part of the British squadron then remaining with Captain Farquhar, after an investment of sixteen, and a most effectual bombardment of six days. The allies on this occasion obtained possession of 161 gims, mortars, and howit- zers ; two magazines containing an immense quantity of am- munition, military stores, &c. ; and a flotilla consisting of one brig and seven gun-boats. The total loss sustained by the British, although continually exposed to a heavy fire from 30 pieces of cannon, was only 3 men killed and 16 wounded. The officers mentioned by Captain Farquhar as having parti- cularly distinguished themselves during the siege, were Cap- tains Marshall, Banks, and Rose, of the Shamrock, Blazer, and Hearty sloops; Captain Green, commanding the sea- men's batteries on shore ; Lieutenants Kneeshaw, Hanmer, Henderson, Haultain, Archer, Jack, and Sir George Keith ; Mr. Riches, Master's-Mate ; and Messrs Hallowes and Richardson, Midshipmen. The opinion entertained by su- perior authorities of his own exertions will be seen by the subjoined copies of letters from H. R. H. the Crown Prince of Sweden, Admiral Young, and the Hanoverian Minister : — •* Head Quarters, Kiel, StkJan. 1814. " Captain Farquliar, — The King, my Sovereign, having authorised me to confer the Cross of bis Military Order of the Sword upon such officers, whether belonging to the Sviedish army or to the allied forces* as may distinguish themselves in fighting for the common cause, I cannot make a more worthy use of the power with which his Majesty has been pleased to honor me, than in creating you a Knight of that Order. I transmit to you h«rewith the decoration so well deserved, by the activity and talents which you displayed at the siege of Giuckstadt, and by which you so largely con- tributed to the reduction of a fortress tliat resisted the efforts of one of the most celebrated Generals of the 30 years* war. I pray God, Captain Far- quhar, to take you into his holy keeping. (Signed) " Charles Jean." " Impregnable, in the Roompot, \7th Jan. 1814. " Sir, — I have received your letters of the 2d and Cth instant, detailing the operations at the attack of Giuckstadt, and the very honorable conclu- sion of them by the surrender of that place, which it is impossible that I should mad without considering the zeal, energy, spirit, and intelligence, with which you have conducted the naval part of these operations, by which a place of such strength, and of such importance, has been so speedily re- duced, as deserving the highest commendation ; and 1 have no doubt of " Sir,—] H. R. H. tl tinguished i the ships tb reducing tb pleased to n Order, the ( initting to y Captain frigate, M employed since whi( insignia oi dom of Al We sha report to t tain Farqu celebrated " Sir,-A(l Sights, suggt to Portsmout have notr the although I CO ing the sight this principle Avhich I, in a engagement, afforded me a the invention see them cast ever new ones " To J. H' Captain ] of James M in Oct. 181( living. Agents.- POST-CAPTAINS OF 1805. 935 the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty thinking as highly of your meritorious conduct on this occasion as I do. " • • * * ♦. (Signed) " W. Young." " 21, Piccadilly, 3\tt Dec. 1816. *' Sir, — It gives me very great pleasure to have to inform you that H. R. H. the Prince Regent, in consideration of the very al)le and dis- tinguished manner in which, in the years 1813 and 1814, you assisted, with the ships then under your command, the forces of his Majesty's allies in reducing the forts of the enemy on the Elbe and Wescr, has been graciously pleased to nominate and appoint you. Sir, a Knight of the Royal Guclphic Order, the decoration of which I shall take an early opportunity of trans- mitting to you. I remain, Sir, &c. (Signed) " Munster." Captain Farquhar was appointed to the Liverpool, a 40-gun frigate. May 4, 1814 ; and he continued to command that ship, employed principally on the Cape station, till April 3, 1816, since which period he has been on half-pay. He obtained the insignia of a C. B. in 1815 ; and was presented with the free- dom of Aberdeen, Sept. 22, 1817. We shall close this sketch with a copy of Lord Exmouth's report to the Admiralty on the gun-sights suggested by Cap- tain Farquhar, and used by his Lordship's squadron in the celebrated attack upon Algiers : — " Queen Charlotte, at Sea, 18M Sept. 1816. " Sir, — Adverting to your letter of the 13th July last, relative to Brass Sights, suggested by Captain Farquhar for long guns, and which were sent: to Portsmouth to be fitted to any guns I might wish, on experiment, I have notr the honor to state my approbation on the merits of the project, although I conceive it admits of a very material improvement, by extend- ing the eight as far out as the muzzle ring of the gun. Wooden sights on this principle were titted to all the guns of the squadron by my orders, to which I, in a great measure, ascribe the good effect of their fire in the late engagement. We had a very extensive practice on our voyage out, which afforded me an opportunity to form a deliberate judgment on the utility of the invention ; and so perfectly satisfied am I with it, that I should wish to see them cast as fixtures on all the guns to be used for sea service, when- ever new (mes may be required. (Signed) " Exmodth." " To J. fF. Croker, Esq. f^c.Sfc.fyc." Captain Farquhar married, Aug. 15, 1809, Jane, daughter of James Murray, Esq. of Camvere. By that lady, who died in Oct. 1816, he had four children, two of whom are now living. jigenta. — Messrs Cooke, Halford, and Son. 3 !• 2 I ' !' \ I '/ '^ 93G POST-CAPTAINS OP 1805. HENRY GORDON, Esq. This officer received his first commission in 1798; obtained the rank of Commander in 1802 ; and was posted for his gal- lant defence of the Wolverene, mounting 13 guns, with a complement of 76 men, against the Blonde, French privateer, of 30 guns and 240 men, by which ship he was attacked when on his way to Newfoundland with a convoy, Mar. 28, 1804. The Wolverene on that occasion had 5 men killed and 10 wounded : the remainder of her crew had not been long removed before she went to the bottom. Captain Gordon appears to have been many years a prisoner in France. The manner in which he returned from that country has been vai'iously stated. We shall probably be enabled to speak more confidently on the subject in our Ad- denda. His post commission bears date April 8, 1805. I |i SIR WILLIAM BOLTON, Knt. This officer has been frequently described to us as a ne- phew of the late Vice-Admiral Viscount Nelson : such, how- ever, is not the case ; he being the eldest son of the Rev. William Bolton, Rector of Hollesby, co. Suifolk, and of Bran- caster, in Norfolk ; brother of Thomas Bolton, Esq. who married Susannah, eldest sister of that great officer, under whose auspices he commenced his naval career at the com- mencement of 1793, and with whom he continued to serve, as a Midshipman and Lieutenant, during the greater part of the French revolutionary war. He was advanced to the rank of Commander in 1801, appointed to the Childers sloop of war in 1803, and posted April 10, 1805. Captain Bolton subsequently commanded the Eurydice, Druid, Endymion, and Forth frigates, on the Mediterranean, Irish, Channel, and North American stations. Among the captures made by him in those ships were le Basque, French national brig, of 16 guns and 1 12 men, laden with flour, &c. for the relief of Guadaloupe ; le Milan, privateer, of 14 guns and 80 men ; and the Regent, American letter of marque, of 5 guns and 35 (uen. . .' >/ . POST-CAPTAINS OF 1805. 93/ In May, 1803, Captain Bolton acted as proxy for Lord Nelson at his installation as a K. B., and on that occasion received the honor of knighthood. He maiTied his first cou- sin, Catherine, second daughter of the above mentioned Tho- mas Bolton, Esq. of Cranwich, Norfolk, (whose eldest son is presumptive heir to the Nelson Earldom). jlgeiits, — Messrs Cooke, Halford, and Son. SIR JAMES ALEXANDER GORDON. Kntght Commander of the Most Honorable Militani Order of the Bath. This officer is the eldtat loa of Cha.ies Gordon, of Ward- house, in Aberdcenijhlre, Esq. by a di)r.;jhter of the late Major James Mercer, of AacbnajMiit. \i\ Uie same county. He appears to have entered the naval service about the commencement of the French rt'/olutionary war, and to have had the honor of sharing in ^he partial 3<!>:on oil Frvjufi, July 13, 1/95 ; and tht.' gr.at battles of Feb. 14, 17^/, lud Aug. 1, 1798 *. In 1800j ve find bmt ^{;rvl;\g as s?0€:/nd Lieute- nant of le Bourdelais, a po&t-'ibir», riuier the '.oinmand of Captain Thomas Manby, by whom ho wafj particuioiiy 7:ije:\- tioned as having sigji»liied himself in an engagrniej?! ahfady described at p. 205 et seg. oi thia volume. His cojiduct in other actions on the Jamaica sLition Tvi!i be aeen by Khe fol- lowing letter from the Ixite Caotiiiu Austin Bifesrjllj of the Racoon brig, to the coinmander-in- chiefs dated off that island, Juiy 10, 1803 : ** Sir,— I beg leave to acqaaLu you, that at ll-.SO A M, on the lllh iiist. while workin^r bettvecn the inland o^Onauabu uivl St. Domingo, I ob- served a French national l)''ig lying at anchor in Leogane roads, and I im- mediately bore up for tivr. On a pprop.ohjng I found her preparing to re- ceive us with springs on her cables, ^ c. At 2-45 P. M. I anchored with springs, within tK'rty yards of t!'c « nemy, and immediately commenced an action, which wqs continued for 30 minutes, when she cut her cables and beg^n ^0 utake off. i instantly cut and followed her ; and, after about ten irinuv<;s more of well-directed fire, we so completely unrigged her that she struck her colours, and called out she had surrendered. We were obliged to anchor again immediately, to prevent driving on shore. Shu proves to be Ic Lodi, pierced for 20 guns, but had only ID mounted, com- * See Vol. I. pp. 254, 20 et seq. and note t at p. 180 et seij. V ;l - I' k i' '1 'I r " ' 938 POST-CAPTAINS OF 1805. manded by M. Pierre Isaac Taupier, Capitaiue de fregate. Our sails and ''?g^"R ^^^ ^ t^ood (teal cut, l)ut I am happy to say I had not a man killed ; and the only person wounded is Mr. Thomas Gill, Master's-Mate, whose left arm was rarried off by a shot— a very worthy, promisin^f young man, who has served his time in the navy, and will, if he survives, do credit to your patronage. The loss of the enemy is one killed and 13 or 14 wounded, by their own account. " The conduct of Mr. James Alexander Gordon, the first Lieutenant, on this as well as many other recent occasions, has been highly exemplary and praiseworthy ; and I have much pleasure in informing you, that the whole of the ofhcers and ship's company behaved fully to my satisfaction. I have the honor to be, &c. (Signed) " Austin Bissell." " 7'o Sh- J. T. Duchrorth, K. D. Commander'in-Chief, SfC. SfC.*' Some time after this affair. Captain Bissell was promoted into the Creole frigate, and Lieutenant Gordon appointee' ♦/ succeed him in the command of the Racoon. Amongst otlicr captures made by the latter, during his continuance on the Jamaica station, was I'AUiance French privateer, of G guns and 68 men. His post commission bears date May 16, 1805. From this period Captain Gordon docs not appear to have been again employed until the spring of 1807, when he ob- tained the command of the Mercury, a 28-gun frigate, in which he convoyed some merchant vessels to Newfoundland ; and on his return from that service was sent to join Lord Colling wood, on the Mediterranean station. An exploit per- formed by the Mercury and her companions, oif Cadiz, on the 4th of April, 1808, has been noticed in our memoir of Sir Murray Maxwell, who reported in becoming terms, the gal- lantry and excellent conduct of all the officers aqd men em- ployed under his orders. About the month of August following, Captain Gordon was removed into the Active frigate, rated at 38, but mounting 46 guns, as the particulars of several gallant exploits achieved by his boats singly, and in conjunction with thove of other ships, bctwctin June 2i), 1810, and July 27, 1811, will be given in a t^ubscquent part of this work ♦, we shall here merely insert an extract from his senior officer's public letter, relative to an important service performed at Ortano, on the • Sec Mrmoim of (/aptain William Henukrson, and Cuiumandcra William Si.AU<}iiTiK and (ieorub Hayc. •••vr POST-CAPTAINS OF 1805. 939 coast of Italy, and then proceed to point out the briUiaiit actions in wliich he was afterwards more inintcdiately en- gaged. " I feel particularly iiHlebtcd to Captain Gordon for the judicious niaii- ner in whicii bia ship was placed, by which means he prevented any liody uf the enemy from forming in tl>c r.';ar of our men ; and the promptitude and zealous co-operation I have constantly experienced from him since wu have been serving together. (Signed) " Henry Whitby." Captain H. IM. S. Cerberus. The most important naval event which had fur home time occurred in the Mediterranean, or indeed on any other sta- tion, was the victory obtained by Captain (now Sir William) Hoste, over a French squadron, near Lissa, on the 13th Mar. 1811. For its extent, the engagement was unquestionably one of the most severe, and for our countrymen, one of the most brilliant that took place during the late war. Captain lloste'fl force consisted of tlic Amphion, Cerberus, Active, and Volage, mounting in tlie whole 15G guns, and carrying only 879 men. To those four ships were opposed six frigates, one brig, and four smaller vessels, numbering in guns 284, and in men 2655 * ! The enciny were totally discomfited, after a conflict of six. hours : two frigates being captured, another destroyed, and the remainder obliged to fly from the scene of action. The British sustained a joint loss of .')() killed and 150 wounded ; only 9 of the former, and 26 of the latter belonged to the Active— a convincing proof that the number of casualties on board any particular ship is not to be considered as a sure criterion by which to judge of the part borne by her in a general battle. Captain Hoste, in his oflicial letter, which we have inserted at full length in its proi>er place, does such ample justice to tlie subject of this memoir us to render any farther observations (m our part superfluous. On the 29th Nov. following, another severe engngrnient look place near the same spot, in which Captain Gordon was the principal actor, and his ship the greatest sufferer. The result was the capture of la I'omonc, French frigate, of 44 guns and 322 men, by the Active, unassistinl by her consorts, the Alceste and Unite ; and of l;i l'cr.samie, a 2(>-gun ship, by • Sec note • at p. 17*'. 1^ .,i-\ ' . '-'■'-''I ht 940 POBT-CAPTAINS OF 1805. the latter frigate. Another ship of similar force to la Pomone was enabled to escape in consequence of the Alccste having unfortunately lost her main-top-mast when leading into action, and being afterwards nmch disabled in her sails and rigging *. From a letter written by one of the Active's officers, wc learn that about the middle of the action. Captain Gordon, while giving his orders with the greatest coolness, lost his leg. He was standing on a shot-rack, and leaning on the capstan, when a 36-pound shot came in through a port-hole, grazed the carriage of a carronade, took off a seaman's leg, and struck the Captain on the knee-joint, carrying all off as if it had been done with a knife, and leaving the leg hanging by the tendons. Although he instantly fell, he did not become insensible, but calmly directed the first Lieutenant (William Bateman Dashwood) to fight the ship, and, as he was being carried below, told the second Lieutenant (Geoi^e Haye), who commanded on the main-deck, to do his best, should any mis- chance befal his senior officer. As though these words had been prophetic, poor Mr. Dashwood very soon after lost his arm, and was likewise conveyed below. Mr. Haye then assumed the command, and closed the action. When the Alceste came up with the Active, Captain Maxwell, libendly considering la Pomone as the fair trophy of the latter ship, most nobly and honorably sent the sword of the French com- mander to Captain Gordon, as his right by conquest. The Active on this occasion had 8 persons killed, and 27, including 2 mortally, wounded. Her opponent's loss has been stated at p. 804, where we find Captain Maxwell draw- ing his brave friend's character in the most lively and glow- ing colours : — he says '* it is with poignant regret I inform you** (Captain Charles Rowley), " that Captain Gordon has tost a leg: hut, thank God, he is dmng well; his merits as an officer I need not dwell upon, they are known to his conn- try, and he lives in the hearts of all who have the happiness to know him." Captain Gordon fortunately survived the amputation of liis limb, and, returning soon after to England, rapidly recovered his health. In the autumn of 1812, he was appointed to the • La Poiiioiii' liiul (III lumrd ul Icasl l!H» men more tbuii the Avtivt. Sicnotr t a' p t^OI. POST-CAPTAINS OF 1805. 941 his Seahorse, another fine fiigate, which had just hccn thoroughly repaired, and was then fitting for foreign service. Tlie Board of Admiralty about the same time presented him with a gold medal, descriptive of the action off Lissa, to be worn with his uniform in the usual manner *. From this period we lose sight of Captain Gordon till Nov. 13, 1813, whc:. 'le fell in with a large French lugger, which surrendered afi "^ a chase of three hours, but not until she was ' so much damaged by shot that she immediately afterwards went down, and the Seahorse was only able to save 28 of her crew, one of them severely wounded. She proved to be the Subtile privateer, of 16 guns and 72 men. Captain Gordon subsequently joined Vice-Axlmiral Sir Alex- ander Cochrane on the American station, where he displayed his usual zeal, courage, and ability, as will be seen by the following account of his services in that quarter. Previously to the commander-in-chief entering the Pa- tuxent, in Aug. 1814 1, he sent Captain Gordon up the Po- towmac, with a squadron under his orders J, to bombard fort Washington, situated on the left bank of that river, about 10 or 12 miles below the American capital, with a view of de- stroying that fortification, and opening a free comumnication above, as well as to cover the retreat of the British troops from Washmgton, should their return by the Bladensburg road be found too hazardous from the accession of force the enemy might obtain from Baltimore, and other places to the northward and westward. The Seahorse and her companions entered the Potowmac on the 17th Aug.; but being without pilots to guide them through that difficult part of the river called the Kettle Bot- toms, and having contrary winds, they were unable to reach fort Washington until the evening of the 27th. Nor was this eflccled but by the severest labour. Each of the ships was not less than twenty times aground — each time they were obliged to haid off by main strength ; and their crews were employed warping for five whole successive days, with the • See note * at p. i'^u t See Vol. I. p. .i24. t Seahorse »lHi liluiyHhit. .'Mi; Dcvastaliun, liliiu, uiid iMcteor, boinltc ; Liebiu loiket-ie^ocl, uiul Aiiiia Mnr'u lender. ■* ' * '« jpi 942 rOST-CAPTAIN& OF 1805. exception of a few hours, a distance of more than fifty miles. The bomb vessels were placed in the evening of the 27th, and immediately began the bombardment of the fort, it being Captain Gordon's intention to attack it with the two frigates at day-light the following morning. On the bursting of tlie first shell the Americans were observed to retreat ; but sup- posing some concealed design. Captain Gordon directed the fire to be continued. At eight o'clock, however, his doubts were removed by the explosion of the powder magazine, which destroyed the inner buildings ; and ut day-liglit on the 28th he took possession. Besides the principal fort, there was a battery on the beach, a martello-tower, and a battery in the rear, containing altogether 21 heavy cannon and six field-pieces. The whole of these guns were already spiked by the enemy, and their complete destruction, with that of their carriages also, was effected by the seamen and marines sent on that service, in less than two hours. The city of Alexandria tlms lost its only defence ; and Captain Gordon declined giving any answer to a proposal made to him for its capitulation, until the following morning, when he vas enabled to place his squadron in such a position as ensured assent to the peremptory and humiliating condi- tions which he had determined to enforce. The following is a copy of the articles which were acceded to by the Common Council of that place :— " The town of Alexandria, witfi the exception of public works, shall not he deatroye<), unless hostilities are coiniiienccd on the part of the Americans ; nor shall their dwcllin{( houses he entered, nor the inhahitants niuleatod in any manner whatever, if tlic fullowini^ articles aro strictly cum- plied with : — " I. All naval and ordnance stores, public or private, must be inline- diately ^nven up. " II. Possession will be immediately taken of nil shipping, and their fur- niture must be sent on board by the owners without <k>lBy. " in. The ve^iscls that have been sunk must be delivered up in the state they wore in on the ll>th August, the day the txpuvdron puascd the Kettle Bottoms. •' IV. Merchandise of every do8crij)tion must be instantly delivered up ; and to prevent any irregulurilies that might be committed in its embarka- tion, the merchants have it in their option to load the vcsuels generally employed for that purpose, when they will be lowed off by us. POST-CAPTAIN8 OF 1805. 943 " V. All merchandise that has been rcuoved from Alexandria since the ]f>th instant ia to be included in the above article. " VI. Refreshments of every description to be supplied the ships, and paid for at the market price, by bills on the British government. " VII. Officers will be appointed to see that the articles Nos. 2, 3, 4, and 5, are strictly complied with, and any deviation or non-compliance on the part of the inhabitants of Alexandria, will render this treaty null and void. (Signed) " James A. Gordon." This capitulation was signed by the President of the Com- mon Council on the 29th Aug. and the whole of the captured vessels that were sea worthy, twenty-oue in number, were fitted and loaded by tlie 31 st, when Captain Henry Lorainc Baker, of the Fairy brig, arrived with despatches from Sir Alexander Cochrane, and confirmed tlie rumours which had already reached Captain Gordon, of strong measures having been taken by the enemy to oppose the return of the squad- ron ; the Fairy having had to fight her way up the river, past a battery of five guns and a large military force. In conse- quence of this intelligence. Captain Gordon deemed it prudent to quit Alexandria without wsuting to destroy those remaining stores which he had not the means of bringing away. Contrary winds agEun occasioned our countrymen the labo- rious task of warping the ships down the river, in which a day's delay took place, ~Iiig to the Devastation getting iiground. The Americans took advantage of this circumstance to attempt her destruction by means of three fire-vessels, attended by several row-boats ; but their object was defeated through the promptitude and gallantry of her commander. Captain Thomas Alexander, who pushed off with his own boats, and being followed by those of the otlier sliips, chased the enemy's boats up to the town so recently evacuated. The cuul and steady conduct of Mr. John Moore, Midshipman of the Seahorse, in towing the nearest fire-vessel on shore, whilst the others were removed by the smaller boats of the Devasta- tion, gained him Captain Gordon's highest commendation. The Meteor and Fairy, asfcistcd by the Anna Maria tender, a prize gun -vessel, and a boat belonging to the Euryalus, armed with a howit/ter, had greatly inq)ede<l the progress of the enemy in their works, notwithstanding which they were en- abled to increase their battery to eleven guns, with a furnace for heating shot. On the 3d, the wind changing to the N. W., MK< n 944 POST-CAITAINS OF 1805. the Etna and Erebus succeeded in getting down to their assistance, and the following day they were joined by the frigates and prizes ; but the Devastation, in spite of every exertion, still remained five miles higher up the river. The Erebus, being placed by Captain Bartholomew in an admirable position for harassing the workmen employed in the trenches, was now attacked by three field-pieces, which did her considerable damage before they were silenced. Another attempt was likewise made to destroy the Devasta- tion ; but the enemy's fire-vessels were immediately obliged to retreat by some boats under Captain Baker, whose alacrity in proceeding to her assistance was highly extolled by the Commodore. His loss, however, was considerable, owing to the Americans having sought refuge under some guns in a narrow creek, from which it was impossible for him to dis- lodge them. 1 : , On the 5th, at noon, the wind coming fair, and Captain Gordon having made all his arrangements, the Seahorse and Euryalus anchored within short musket-shot of the batteries, while the whole of the prizes passed between them and a shoal; the bombs, &c. firing as they passed, and afterwards anchoring hi a favorable position for facilitating the further removal of the frigates. At 3 P. M., having completely silenced the enemy's fire, the latter cut their cables, and the whole fleet proceeded to the next position taken up by the American troops, where they had two batteries, mounting from 14 to 18 guns, on a range of cliffs, extending about a mile, under which the British were of necessity obliged to pass very close. Captain Gordon did not intend to make the attack that evening ; but the Erebus grounding within range, the other men of war were necessarily called into action. On this occasion, the fire of the Fairy had the most decisive cffeot, as well as that of the Erebus, while the bombs threw their shells with excellent precision, and the guns of the bat- teries were thereby silenced about eight o'clock. At day-light on the ()th, Captain Gordon made signal to weigh, and so satisfied were the whole of the parties on shore * * " Cominmlorc Ilodgcrs, with a chosen body of acamcn from the liuer- rierc, at iMiiliulclpiiiu ; Cuptainit IVrry, Purler, uiul olhi>r ' difttin^ruishcii utiJccrs / a party of uiliccrs niul uica Iroiu the Cutistellutiuii, ul Norfolk ; of tb whole It the b none mac POST-CAPTAINS OF 1805. 945 of their opposition being ineffectual, that they allowed the whole of the shipping to pass without furtfier annoyance. It has been justly said, that " of the many expeditions up the bays and rivers of the United States, during the late war, none equalled in brillancy of execution that up the Potow- mac to Alexandria*." " Captain Gordon's farther success,*' says Sir Alexander Cochrane, in his despatches to the Admi- ralty, " has exceeded my most sanguine expectations ; having forced the populous city of Alexandria to capitulate, and having brought down the river in triumph, through a series of obstacles and determined opposition, a fleet of 21 enemy's vessels. The difficulties which presented themselves to these ships in ascending the river, impeded by shoals and contrary winds, and th<; increased obstacles which the enemy had pre- pared against their return with a confident hope of obstruct- ing their descent, were only to be overcome by the most inde- fatigable exertions. I trust, therefore, that the resolution and gallantry displayed by every one employed upon this service, which deserve my warmest applause, will be further honored by their Lordships* approbation." We shall only add, that the hammocks of the squadron were down but two nights during the whole of the operations in the Potowmac, com- prising a period of 23 days. Happily, the loss in this " during enterprise" did not exceed / killed and 35 wounded. Amongst the former was Lieutenant Charles Dickinson, of the Fairy ; and in the latter list we find the names of Captains Charles Napier and David Ewen Bartholomew, of the Eury- alus and Erebus. The latter vessel appears to have suffered more than any other of the squadron. We are not exactly aware of the manner in which Captain Gordon was employed from the period of his rejoining Sir Aleximder Cochrane, in the Chesapeake, until the month of December following, when he formed a junction with the naval and military forces proceeding against New Orleans ; but he is mentioned in the public despatches relative to that unfortunate expedition, as having afforded his " unwearied the men that hud belonged to Barney's flotilla, rcfi:iilar troops, riflemen, artillerists, and militia; all flocked to the shores of the Potowmac, to ' pu^i^<ll the base incendiaries.' " Sec Jamrh's Nav. Occ. p. liM. • See id. p. 381. H i .»"' 946 POST-CAPTAINS OP 1806. and cheerful assistance" to Rear- Admiral (now Sir Pulteney) Malcolm, during the whole of the operations, a detail of which will be found in our memoir of Sir Edward Codrington, K. C. B. * Since the peace he has commanded in succession the Madagascar, Meander, and Active frigates. The follow- ing extract from a respectable periodical publication, contains an account of a miraculous escape which he experienced in the month of Dec. 1816. " The Meander, Captain Sir James Alexander (Jlordon f, is arrived at Sheernesa, in a sinking state, having strucic upon a shoal, lying about IS miles S. E. of Orfordncss. She sailed from Shcerncss for Loitli on th<; 16th Dec, but owing to thick weather she was obliged to anchor occa- sionally until the 18th. On the l!)th, at 8-30 P. M. having been working to windward the whole day, endeavouring to gain an anchorage in Yar- mouth Roads, it then blowing a gale of wind, breakers were reported on the lee-bow and beam ; the ship, under her fore and main-top-sails and fore- sail, would Dot stay, and in falling off she struck upon the shoal, in 24 feet water : fortunately she went over it, and was immediately anchored in 1 7 fathoms. In a few minutes afterwards the carpenter reported nearly six feet water in her hold ; ' and here,' says an officer belonging to her, ' it will be necessary to pause for a moment, at the dangerous and awful situa- tion of the ship's company — the wind blowing a gale, with a tremendous sea, the ship making upwards of 20 feet water an hour, and nearly twelve hours' darkness before them : not a moment was to be lost, for not a hope of safety was entertained, save in the mercy of the Almighty, and the united exertions of every soul on board.' By the zeal and energy of the Captain and his officers, and the almost unparalleled exertions of the men, the ship was kept free until the morning: during the night, most providentially, the Great Disposer of all Events had lulled the storm, and hushed the raging sea. Minute guns were fired the whole time, and every blue.light in the ahip wBi burnt, in the hope of drawing the attention of vessels near; but it was not until long after day-light on the 20th, that several vessels were seen approaching, some of which were afterwards directed to stay by the Meander, in the event of its becoming necessary to quit her. The wind and tide being fair for Sheemess, the cable was cut, and sail made by the officers, !t not being possible to remove a man from the pumps : at this moment the leaks had iscreised ; but two sails, fitted with thrums, were then dropped over the bows, and had a wonderful effect in checking the leaks. At noon, on the ship's arrival within signal distance of Sheemess, her distressed state was made known, and the greatest and most prompt assistance was immediately afforded by the Captains of the different ships. * See vol. I. note at p. ()37, et seg. N. B. Captain Gordon superin- tended the landing of the advanced guard of the army on Isle aux Puix. f Captain Gordon wa« nominated a K. C. U. Jan. 2, 1815. POST-CAPTAINS OF 1805. 947 and the Hon. Commissioner Boyle, with the officers and men under their respective commands ; hut it was not until the 22d, with all the eldll and exertions employed, that tlie ship was safely secured in dock. On exami- nation, it was ascertained she had carried away the whole of her fure-foot, about ten f«et of the garboard strake on the larboard side, and a great part of her false and main keels. While these serious and alarming defects evi- dently shew what must have been the exertions at the pumps, for upwards of 20 hours, before any personal assistance was afTordcd, they also most satisfactorily prove what gracious goodness and mercy must have been vouchsafed to them by that Almighty Beini,'', whose arm alone can save the wandcfrers of the trackless deep. * • • • 'j'he officers of the Meander speak of Captain Cordon in terms of the highest ''cspect and most afTec* tionate regard ; his firmness and zeal gave animation to all around him in the midst of this awful time, in which not a murmur was heard, nor the slightest disposition shewn towards intoxication. It appears that the pilot of the ship is a clever, steady, deserving man, and not the slightest blame whatsoever is to be attached to him. The Meander is ordered by the Ad- miralty to be fitted with all possible dispatch." Sir James A. Gordon was presented with the freedom of Aberdeen in 1817. He married Aug. 27, 1812, the youngest daughter of John Ward, of Marlborough, Wilts, Esq. j4gent. — J. Copland, Esq. r/: \ HON. FREDERICK WILLIAM AYLMER. A Companion of the Most Honorable Military Order of the Bath; anrl a Knight Commander of the Neapolitan Order of St. Ferdinand and of Merit. This officer is the third son of Henry, fourth Lord Aylmer, by Catharine, second sister of Charles, Earl Whitworth, G. C. B. He was born Oct. 12, 1777 J and first went to sea in the Syren of 82 guns, commanded by the late Vicc-Admiral John Manley, in which frigate H. R. H. the Duke of York embarked for Holland^ at the commencement of the French revolutionary war. Mr. Aylmer served as a Lieutenant on board the Swiftsure 74, in the memorable battle of Aug. 1, 1798 j and was fre- quently employed on boat service during the subsequent ope- rations in the neighbourhood of Aboukir, and on the coast of Italy *. His name is frequently mentioned by the Kev. t '. Sec vol. I. pp. 469—478 ; and vol. 11. pp. 820—830. -'f 948 POST-CAPTAINS OF 1805. Cooper Willyams, and it is from that gentleman's publication that we make the following extract : — " Wljen the Swiftsure appeared off Civita Vccchia, a Frencli ofliccr of distinction came on board with a flag of truce ; liut nothing vvus then de- cided upon. At another time, when some Neapolitan vessels, supposini; lh« place was evacuated hy the French, were makin<j towards it, the French armed-hoats, and cfun-vessels of a large size, pushed out to briiip them in ; but the boats of the Swiftsure were sent to their assistance, and 80on made the enemy retire, pursuing thcra with great spirit till under the gims of their own batteries, and nearly capturing them. Licutcnunt Alymer, in the launch, had a narrow escape ; a shot from the shore, which killed a man who was in the act of taking aim, having struck the powder- horn from his hand. Captain Hallowell had already entered into a nego- ciation with the enemy, atul paved the way for the surrender of the place when he was recalled to attend the Admiral at Palermo." Lieutenant Aylmer received the Turkish gold medal, at the close of the Egyptian campaign ; and obtained the rank of Commander in 1802 ; previous to which he had acted as such in the Fury bomb, during the absence of Captain Richard Curry, whom we have already described as the bearer of Lord Keith's dispatches relative to the surrender of Grand Cairo, June 26, 1801 *. We subsequently find Captain Aylmer commanding in suc- cession the Delight and Wasp, sloops of war ; and in July, 1803, capturing a French privateer, on the Mediterranean station. From the latter vessel he was posted into the Glory, of 98 guns, bearing the flag of Sir John Orde ; but he appears to have been soon afterwards superseded, in consequence of that second rate being required for the flag of Rear- Admiral Domett, who had selected an old shipmate to command her. His post commiaeion bears date May 18, 1805. After quitting the Glory, we lose sight of Captain Aylmer till July 1809, when he assumed the command of the Narcis- sus, a 32-gun frigate, employed on Channel service. Early in the following year he captured the French privateers Duguay Trouin, of 14 guns and ^h men ; and Aimable Jose- phine, of 14 guns and 105 men. A merchant brig, which had been taken by the former, was also recaptured by him. The result of an expedition, undertaken by the late Com- modore Sir Robert Mends, in conjunction with the Spanish • Seevol. l,p. 468. POST-CAPTAINS OP 1905. 949 Brigadier-General Porlier, in the summer of 1810, has al- ready been stated at p. 2/2, et seq. The following is the detail, we there promised, of the proceedings of the naval brigade, commanded by Captain Aylmer. Early on the 5th of July, 500 Spanish patriots, and a de- tachment of seamen and marines from the squadron, were landed on the beach to the westward of Santona, and the allied commanders immediately pushed fonvard to the town, which they entered without loss, the French troops having re- tired across the river. The British advanced guard, under LieutenantDesbrisayR.M., with the Spanish tirailleurs, suc- ceeded in stopping a part of the enemy's rear guard, killed two, wounded a few more, and took several prisoners. In the course of the day, Brigadier-General Porlier sent off some of his men on the road to St. Andero, and Mr. Hugh Pearson, first Lieutenant of the Arethusa, was detached with a party of seamen to destroy the guns in the forts, which he com- pletely effected. The 6th was spent in examining the ground, as there was reason to expect the enemy would advance in force from St. Andero. The following morning, Captain Aylmer directed the boats' carronades to be placed on a hill which commanded the isthmus leading to the town ; and the men were at the same time posted along the hedges and vineyards in front of the position, the main body of the Spaniards on a sand-hill to the right, and the English, with the tirailleurs, in the centre and to the left. At about 11 A. M. a firing was heard, and the advanced parties retired, in the most perfect order, closely followed by the enemy. Very shortly after, the French were observed advancing rapidly in three columns, but they were almost immediately checked by the steadiness of the recep- tion they met with, and at length Obliged to retire, leaving many killed and wounded on the field. " The enemy's force," says Captain Aylmer, " appeared to consist of betiveen 700 and 800 men, and I have only to regret that they did not advance nearer ; for had they done so, I am convinced a most complete and entire destruction of their whole force would have taken place. Brigadier- General Porlier detached his sharp-shooters to harass their rear : they suc- ceeded *n killing and wounding several, and making tome prisoners. On the whole I conceive the loss of the French in killed, wounded, and pri- soners, amounts to about 150 men. The whole of the guns, &c. in San- VOL. II. 3 Q i:; (J"'' d rltl ■ m A".' Ill 950 roST^CAPTAINS OF 1805. ! tona and Laredo are destroyed, consisting of twenty-two 24-pounder9, and four 13-inch brass mortars." The importance of this service may be inferred from the expressions of gratitude contained in a letter of thanks which the Junta of Gallicia sent to Sir Robert Mends *, who, when reporting the proceedings of his squadron to Lord Gambier, declared himself much indebted to " the zeal and ability of that excellent officer" (Captain Aylmer), " as well as to Captain Bowles, of the Medusa, who most anxiously lolicited to be attached to the brigade, and acted as second in com- mand." From this period we have no certain information respecting Captain Aylmer, until the summer of 1815, when we find him conducting an expedition up the Gironde, after an ineffectual attempt to open a communication with General Clausel, com- mandant at Bourdeaux, the inhabitants of which town, al- though principally staunch royalists, were still kept in sub- jection by a considerable body of the ex-imperial troops. The complete success attending Captain Aylmer's enterprise, will be seen by his official letter to Viscoimt Keith, dated on board the Pactolus ftigate, in the Gironde, July 14, 1815 :— ** My Lord, — I arrived off tliis port on the 3d instant, and in compliance with the wishes of General Donnadieu, sent in a flag of truce, mth one of his aides-de-camp, for the purpose of communicating with General Clausel, commanding at Bourdeaux ; but as two days more elapsed without any answer or news of the aide-de-camp, I sent another flag in to a corvette lying in the river ; and I learnt from her commander that he had received the most positive orders from General Clausel not to hold any kind of com- munication with us. In addition to this we received a proclamation, signed by the General, declaring Bourdeaux. and its whole vicinity in a state of siege, and threatening with military execution any who manifested signs of disaffection to his government. The aide-de-camp, it appeared, was de- tained. " While this negociation was attempting, the Hebrus (frigate) arrived with the charge of a small expedition, with arms and supplies for the royalists ; and when it became evident that no good could arise out of any attempt to conciliate General Clausel, Captain (Edmund) Palmer made me a very strong representation upon the necessity which he conceived there was for hiH attempting to enter the Gironde, and open a direct communi- cation with the royalist party. After weighing the circumstances, I^ thought • See p. 273, N, POST-CAPTAINS OP 1805. 951 !t my duty to accede to the proposal, and I united the ships for the prose- cution of the service. General Donnadieu being anxious to pursue his mission on tlie coast, I dispatched the Lame with him to Passages. " On the 11 th, the H(iuadron weighed from an outer anchorage wc had taken, and formed for the purpose of entering the river; but, as wo stood in, the enemy's corvette was observed to weigh and raanccuvrc in the north entrance, while five sail pushed out through the southern passage to sea. Under these circumstances it became necessary for the intercepting these vessels, that the squadron should separate for the time ; and conse- quently the forcing of the river was given up for that day. During the night the squadron united again, after having examined the vessels which had sailed in so suspicious a manner, and which circumstance was dcve. loped by the embargo having been that morning discontinued in the river. *' Yesterday the wind being favorable, the squadron again weighed, and formed in a close line for entering the Gironde. The Pactolus led, the Hebrus followed, and the Falmouth (of 20 guns) brought up the rear ; the two former had transports in tow. As we proceeded, a person came off, with a message from the people of the town of Royan, saying, that they would not fire at us, provided we did not assail them. We passed on, with the royal colours of France at our mast-head : the tri-coloured flag flew along the batteries, which were all in preparation ; but no act of hostility occurred until we reached the heavy battery at Verdun, which opened its fire upon us, and continued it until the ships reached the anchorage. No injury, however, was sustained, and the squadron did not return a gun, for I was unwilling to disturb the feeling which appeared so generally and so happily to prevail. " Directly the ships were secured, a communication was sent up, with a flag of truce, to General Clausel, by the Comte de Lasteur, deputed by M. la Duchesse d'Angouleme, and we are in expectation of his answer. In the mean time nothing can wear a more favorable aspect than the face of things in this river. I beg to assure you that every measure shall be adopted, in conjunction with the Baron de Montalembert, to arm and organize the royal party, and establish the power of predominance of liis Majesty the King of France, in the vicinity of wherever our means can operate. " I lose no time in despatching the Falmouth to your Lordship, and Captain Knight will explain our situation, as well as that we are taking every precaution in respect to the defence of the river, in the event of General Clausel sending down any strong force to stifle the spirit of the people. I shall also write to Sir Henry Hotham, and perhaps the Rcar- Admiral may strengthen our means here, so that we may fully avail our- selves of such opportunity of pushing the royal cause with vigour and ce- lerity, and of cherishing the excellent disposition with which all hens seem inspired. I have just learnt that the enemy evacuated the fort of Verdun last night, and retired with his garrison. We have sent a force on shore to dismantle and destroy the guns, &c. Thia is the fort which disputed our entrance, and it is a very strong work. 3o2 i 1 ! i ■'1 i ! * 1 '; 952 POST-CAPTAINS or 1805. (( I have also tlie pleasure to add, that the proposU'ions of the Baron do MoDtalenthort, and bis mission, have hitherto been every >vberc attended with success. The forts and the positions are gradually puUincr down their tri-coloured flujfs, and hoisting that of their le^timatc sovereign ; and seve- ral of them have saluted the squadron upon their hoisting the white flag. While writing this letter, another battery has followed their example, and there now remains only the fort at Mv\che with the tri*coIoured flag. * • • • I have the honor to be, &c. (Signed) ** F. W. AvLMEn." " To Admiral Lord Vkcount Keith, Sfc:* General Clausel soon after heard of the events at Paris, occasioned by tlie second abdication of his master ; and know- ing well the disposition of the inhabitants of tlie country around him, those of Bourdeaux in particular, he at length entered into negociations with Captain Aylmer and the French King's officers, which ended in the royal colours being hoisted on the castle of Bourdeaux, and over all the sur- rounding districts. Early in 1816, Captain Aylmer was appointed to the Severn of 50 guns, which frigate formed part of Lord Exmouth's fleet at the memorable attack upon Algiers, on which occa- sion she is said to have expended nearly 13,000 lbs. of pow- der, and 2920 round shot *. Her loss consisted of 37 men killed and wounded. A full account of that splendid achieve- ment will be found at p. 225 ct seq. of our first volume. For his conduct on that glorious day. Captain Aylmer was nominated a C. B. immediately after the tidings of the victory hud been received in England j and the insignia of a K. F. M. was conferred upon him in consequence of his having con- veyed to Naples, the whole of the emancipated Italian slaves, anu 357,000 dollars, which the Dey of Algiers had been com- pelled to return to the King of the Two Sicilies. Captain Aylmer is heir-presumptive to his bn'*her Major- General Lord Aylmer, K. C. B., Adjutant-General in Ire- land f. yi^^en/*.—Me8«r8» Cooke, Halford, and Son. • See " Salamk'h Narrative of the exiMHlition to Algiers," p. l'-. t Tlie first liord Aylmer was a page to the celebrated Duke of Hacking. ham, and through his persuasion eujbraccil the naval profession. He acted an Hccond to Russell in the battle off Cape la Hogue, and was made a llear-Admirul in con8e(|uencc of the valour and good conduct displayed by POST-CAPTAINS OP 1805. RICHARD THOMAS, Esq. 953 This officer is the brother of Dr. Charles Thomas, Physi- cian to the Devonport and Stonehouse Public Dispensary. He was born at Saltash in Cornwall, entered the royal navy at an early age, and served as Midshipman from June 1/90 till Jan. 1797, on board the Cumberland 74, commanded l)y Captain John M'Bride ; Blanche frigate. Captain Robert Murray ; Nautilus sloop of war. Lord Henry Paulet ; and Boync and Victory three-deckers, bearing the flag of Sir John Jcrvis, whose patronage he obtained by his gallant conduct at the storming of Fort Royal, Martinique, Mar. 20, 1794, an event already described at p. 859 of our first volume*. We next find Mr. Thomas serving as a Lieutenant on board the Excellent 74, commanded by Captain Cuthbert Colling- wood, in the battle off Cape St. Vincent, which took place a very few weeks after his promotion f. On that glorious oc- casion the Excellent is acknowledged by Nelson to have taken a very distinguished share, and to hav^ rendere<l him the most effectual support in the hottest pan of the battle, as will l>c seen by the following laconic note, which he addressed to her commander, and an extract from his own account of the transactions in which he himself \vaB personally en- gugcdt:— " Dear Collingwood ! — ^ friend in need is n friend indeed." him un tliat renowned occasion. In the succeeding reign he rendered him- self forntiduhle to the Uurl)ury cursair:*, and greatly enhani-od his reputa- tion by compelling the piratical slatCH of Algiers, Tunix, and Tripoli, to con- clude a peace, ei(<ittll/ humiliating to tltcm, and lionuralile to the cause of humanity' IJ'3 obtained an IriHli liurony in I7l^i and died Aug. IK, 1720. Captain Aylmcr's father was his great-grandson. * The Cumberland formed part of the 8(|uudron sent to the West Indies, under Kcar-Admiral Cornish, during the Spanish nrmament in X'JW. The Nautilus assisted at the capture of Tobago, April 15, 17!^^^; and at (he rcdu( lion of Martinique and St. Lucia, in 17!)4. The Uoyne was destroyctl by fire, ut Spithcad, May 1, 17!^5. Sec vol. I. pp. b'J, 514, and l!> ; ulso vol. II. part I. p. S.'l. t See memoir of Eorl St. Vincent, In vol. I, X The document alluded to is givcu at full length in vol. I. at p. 77 i, el iiq. Ii '.: 1 m «; I M 954 POST-CAPTAINS OF 1805. " At this time (about 2-15 P. M.) the Salvador del Mundo and Sati Isidro dropped astern, and were flrcd into, in a masterly style, by the Excellent, Captain Collingwood, who compelled the San Isldro to hoist English colours ; and I thought the large ship, Salvador del Mundo, had also struck ; but Captain Collingwood, disdaining the parade of taking pos- session of a vanquished enemy, most gallantly pushed up, with every sail set, to save his old friend and messmate, who was to appearance in a criti- cal state ; the Blenheim being a-bead, the Culluden crippled and a-stern. The Excellent ranged up within two feet of the San Nicholas, giving a most tremendous fire. The San Nicholas luffing up, the San Josef fell on board her ; and the Excellent passing on for the Santa Trinidada, the Captain resumed her station abreast of them, and close alongside •." Lieutenant Thomas continued in the Excellent until Oct. 1798, at which period he was appointed to the Thalia frigate, from whence he removed into the Defence 74, commanded by his former Captain, Lord Henry Paulet, with whom he served till the year 1800, when he rejoined the worthy Col- lingwood, whose flag, as a Rear-Admiral of the White, v.-as then flying on board t!»e Triumph, another third-rate, sta- tioned off Brest. He subsequently followed the same officer into the Barfleur of 98 guns, and remained with him, on Channel service, till the suspension of hostilities in 1802. His last appointment as a Lieutenant was to the Cambrian frigate, from which ship he appears to have been promoted to the rank of Commander, in the Chichester 44, at Halifax, Jan. 18, 1803. Returning from Nova Scotia, as a passenger on board tho Lady Hobart packet, commanded by William Dorset Fel- lowcs, Esq. (no'V Secretary to the Lord Great Chamberlain of England), Captain Thomas experienced shipwreck on an island of ice ; but after being exposed to the most imminent p'fil in an open boat for seven days, with scarcely any tinny to subsist on, succeeded in reaching Island Cove, to the northward of St. John's, Newfoundland, from whence he re- turned to Bristol in a merchant vessel, Aug. 3, 1803. Tho • The Excellent succeeded ui getting cloue undc. the lee of the SantissU ma Trinidtula, mounting 13() guns, and ongnged her for nearly an hour, assisted by the Orion, Irrt-aistiblc, and nienheim. According to an entry in the Orion'a log. this huge ship was rompellvd to haul doNvn her colours, and hoist a British ensign \ but the approach of 13 other Spanish ship:* pre. vented her opponents front |)r()fiting by tho udvnnlagc they had gained. The ExccUent's total Iu8» w li men killed and \2 wounded. POST-CAPTAINS OF 1805. 955 Jo and Sail Je. by the ro to hoist undo, had aking pos- every sail in a criti- |<1 a-sterii. giving^ a Josef fell idada, the e •.'» ntil Oct. I frigate, imandcd 'horn he thy Col- lite, was ite, sta- e officer ^ini, on In 1802. ambrian noted to Halifax, )ard the ict Fel- iberlain k on an imincnt y tinny to the ! he re- . The Saiitissi. an hour, nn entry coloura, iip» pre. gained. following arc extracts from the official narrative of Captain Fellowes, published by authority soon after their arrival. After giving an account of his sailing from Halifax, June 22, ] 803, and the capture of a French schooner on the 2Gth, laden with salt fish. Captain Fellowes, thus proceeds : — •* Tuesday 29th ./Mnr.— Blowing hard from the westward, with a lieavy sea and hazy weather, with intervals of thick fog. Ahout 1 A. M., the ship then going liy the log at the rate of seven miles an hour, struck against an ialand of ice, wi»h such violence, tliat several of the crew were pitched out of their hammocks, ffeinif roused out of my sleep l>y the suddenness of the shock, I instantly ran upon deck. The helm being put hard a-port, the ship struck again about the chcst-trec, and then swung round on her heel, her stern-post being stove in, and her rudder carried away, before wc fould succeed in our attempts to haul her otf. At this time the island of ice appeared to hang <|uitu over the ship, forn)ing a high peak, which must have been at least twice the height of our mast-head ; and we suppose the length of the island to have been from a quarter to half a mile. *' The sea was now breaking over the ice in a dreadful maimer, tlie water rushing in so &i8t as to till the hold in a few minutes. Hove the guus overboard, cut away the anchors from the bows, got two sails under the ship's bottom, kept both pumps going, and baling with buckr^ts at the main-hatchway, in the hope of preventing her from sinkiiig ; but in less than a quarter of an hour she ticttled down to her fore-chains in the water. " Our situation was now become most perilous. Aware of the danger of a moment's delay in hoisting out the boats, I consulted Captain Thumn.s of the navy, and Mr. Bargus, my INIaster, as to the propriety of making any further efforts to save the ship ; and as I was anxious to preserve tli<' mail, I requested their opinion as to the possibility of taking it into the boats, in the event of our being able to get them over the ship's side. These gcntlcraea agreed with me, that no time was to be lost in hoistinif them out ; and that, as the ve.^scl was then settling fast, our tirst and only consideration was to endeavour to preserve the crew. " Having fortunately succeeded in hoisting out the cutter and jolly-boat, the sea then running high, we placed the ladies in the former. One of them, IVIiss Cotenham, was so (erritied, '.hat she sprung from the gunwale, and pitched into the bottom of the boat with considerable violence. This accident, which might have been pnMluetivc of fatal conse-juences to her- self, as well as to ut all, was uni.ttended by any bad elTects. The few pro- v'.sions which had been saved from the men's berth.'* wore then put into the l>oats, which were quickly veered a-stern. Uy this time the miiin-deck fu.'ward was under water, and nothing Itut the <]iiarter-(lcck appeared: I then ordered my men into the boats ; and having previously l^ished iron pigs of ballMt to the mail, it was throtvn overboard. " I now perceived the ship was linking fust, and called out to thn men tv haul up and receive mc, intending to drop myself into the cutter from \'4 956 POST-CAPTAINS OF 1805. I the end of the trysaii-boom, fearing she might be stove under the counter • and I desired Mr. Bargus, who continued with me on the wreck, to go over first. la this instance, he replied, that he begged leave to disobey my orders ; that he must see me save over before he attempted to go himself. Such conduct, and at such a moment, requires no comment ; but I should be wanting to myself, and to the service, if 1 did not faithfully state to their Lordships every circumstance, however trifling : and it is highly satisfac- tory to me to luive this opportunity of recording an incident so honorable to a meritorious officer. " The sea was running so high at the time we hoisted out the boats, that I scarcely flattered myself we should get them out in safety ; and in- deed, nothing but the steady and orderly conduct of the crew could have enabled us to effect so difllcult and hazardous an undertaking: it is a jus- tice to them to observe, that not a man in the ship attempted to make jsc of the liquor, which every one had in his power. Whilst the cutter v/as getting out, I perceived one of the seamen (John Tipper) emptying a demijean, or bottle, containing five gallons, which, on inquiry, I found to be rum. He said that lie was emptying it for the purpose of filling it with water from the scuttle-cask on the quarter-deck, which had been generally filled over night, and which was then the only fresh water to be got at : it became, afterwards, our principal supply. I relate this circumstance, as being so highly creditable to the character of a British suiior. " We had scarce quitted the ship, when she suddenly gave a heavy lurch to port, and then went down head foremost. • • • • • I caunot attempt to describe my own feelings, ur the sensations of my people Exposed as we were, in two small open bouts, upon the great Atlantic ocean, bereft of all assistance, but that which our own exertions, under Providence, could afiurd us, we narrowly escaped being swallowed up in the vortex. Men used to vicissitudes are not easily dejected ; but there are trials which human nature alone cannot surmount. The consciousness of having done our duty, and a reliance upon a good Providence, enabled us to endure our calamity ; and we animated each other with the hope of a better fate. •••••• " Having at length surmounted dangers and difliculties which baffle all description, we rigged the foren^ast, and prepared to shape our course ui the best manner that circumstances would admit of, the '.vi?»d blowing from the precise point on which it was nesessary to sail, to reach the nearest land. An hour had scarcely elapsed from the time the ship struck, till she foundered. The distribution of the crew had already been made in tuc following order, which we afiervvards preserved : " In the cutter, of the following dimensionsi viz. 20 feet long, 6 feet 4 inches broad, and 2k feet deep, were embarked three ladies and myself; ('aptain Richard Thomas, of the navy ; the French commander of the schooner ; the ma^ter's-mate, gunner, steward, carpenter, and eight seu> men ; in all IH people : whose weight, together with the provisions, brouglm the boat's gunwale down to .vithin (i or 7 inches of the water. From this conliiiud space, scum idea uiay be foruted of our crowded stulc > but it is POST-CAPTAINS OF 1805. 957 the counter ; k, to go over disobey my > go himself, hut I should state to their hly satisfac- )o honorable t the boats, ■iy i and in- could have it is a jus-. ■0 make jse cutter v/as emptying a I found to ling it with :n generally e got at : it mstancc, as leavy lurch I cauoot tny people at Atlantic ons, under >wcd up in t there are 3U8nC8S of iiablcd us hope of a I baffle all course in ving from 'ic nearest truck, till ide in tuc , (i feet 4 I myself; ;r of the light SCO. , brought Vom this but it is «carcely pos!>ibiv for the imagination to conceive the extent of our sufler- ings in coiiseipicnec of it. " In the jolly-boat, 14 feet from stem to stem, 5|: feet broad, and 2 feet deep, were embarked Mr. Samuel Bargus, Master ; Lieutenant-Colo- iiel George Cooke, of the First Regiment of Guards * ; the boatswain, sail- maker, and seven seamen ; in all 1 1 persona f " The only provisions, &c. we were enabled to save, consisted of between 40 and 50 pounds of biscuit ; one vessel containing 5 gallons of water ; a small jug of the same, and part of a small barrel of spruce beer ; one dcmi- jean of ruin, a few bottles of port wine, with two compasses, a <iuadrant, a spy-glass, a small tin mug, and a wine-glass. The deck-Ianleni, which had a few spare caudles in it, had been likewise thrown into the boat ; ami the cook having had the precaution to secure liis tind«r~lio.\ and some matches <tlmt were kept iu a bladder, wc were afterwards cnabkd to steer by night. " The wind was now blowing strong from the westward, with a heavy seai aud the day had just dawned. Estimating ourselves to be at the dis- tance of 350 miles from St. John's, in Newfoundland, with a prospect of a continuance of westerly winds, it became at once necessary to use the strictest economy. I represented to my companions in distress, that our resolution, once made, ought on no account to be changed ; and that we must begin by sufTering privations, which I foresaw would be greater than I ventured to explain. To each person, therefore, were served out half a Jiiscuit and a glass of wine, which was the only allowance for the ensuing 2A hours, all agreeing to leave the water untouched as long as possible X- During the time we were employed in getting out the boats, I had ordered the blaster to throw the main-hatch tarpauling into the cutter ; which being afterwards cut into lengths, enabled us to form a temporary bulwark against the waves. I had also reminded the carpenter to carry with him a:i many tools as he could : he bad accordingly, among other things, put a few nails in his pockets, and we repaired the gunwale of the cutter, which had been stove in hoisting her out. Soon after day-light we made sail, with the jolly-boat in tow, and stood close-hauled to the northward aud westward, in the hope of reaching the coast of Newfoundland or of being picked up by some vessel. Passed two islands i.i Ice, nearly as large as the tirst. Wc now said prayers, and returned thanks to God for our deliverance. At • The present Lieutcnant-General Sir (leorge Cooke, K.C.B., who com- inumlcd tliu (iuards, and lost an arm, at the baule of Waterloo. t Two French prisoners arc included among the seamen mentioned in the above lists. Two of the schooner's crew were left on board tu assist in navigating her into port. The rcmuiitder were put uit board two English merchantmen, for a passage to Newfoundland, soon after her capture. I Tltissmall allowance was obliged to be curtailed on the following day, in consciiuencc of Ihu biscuit being much duiuagcd by ualt water during thv night. 958 POST-CAPTAINS OF 1805. I noon, observed in lat. 4(1" ,«' N. ; St John's bearing alioul W. J N., (lis- tunt 350 miles." It was not until the 4th July, after encountering a succes- sion of heavy gales, and being reduced by famine to ahnust the lowest possible state of existence, that they made the land in Conception Bay, on the coast of Newfoundland. Those alone who have been in similar situations, can accu- rately judge of the sensations experienced by them on seeing the shore. By Captain Fellowcs they are thus afiFectiiigly described : — " I wish it were possible for ine to describe our sensations at tliis inte- resting moment. From the constant watcbiii^r aru! fati^ruo, and from tbn ian^or and depression arising from our exhausted state, such accumu- lated irritability wen brought on, that the joy of a speedy relief atlectcd us all in a most remarkable way ; many burst into tears ; some looked at each other with a stupid stare, as if doubtful of the reality of what they saw ; several were in such a lethargic state, that no consolation, no animating language, could rouse them to exertion. " At this affecting period, though overpowered by my own feelings, and impressed with the recollection of our sutferings, and the sight of no many deplorable objects, I proposed to offer up our solemn thanks to Heaven for our miraculous deliverance. Every one cheerfully assented ; and as soon as I opened the pmycr-book (which I had secured the last time I went down to my cabin), there was an universal silence ; a spirit of de- votion was 80 singidarly manifested on this occasion, that to the bcnetits of a religious sense in uncultivated minds, must be ascribed that discipline, good order, and exertion, which even the sight of land could scarcely prcduce. " The wind having blown with great violence from off the coast, we did not reach the landing-place at Island Cove till four o'clock in the evening. All the women and children in the village, with two or three tislienncn (the rest of the men being absent), came down to the beach, and appearing deeply affected at cur wretched situation, assisted in carrying us up the craggy rocks, over which we were obliged to pass to get to their habitations. " This small village affonled neither medical aid nor fresh provisions, of which we stood so much in need ; p' ' itoes and salt fish being the only food of the inhabitants. I determined, tlitteforc, to lose no time in proceeding to St. John's, having hired a small schooner for that purpose. On the 7th July we embarked in three divisions, placing the most infirm in the schcoocr; the master's-mate having charge of the cutter, and the boat- swain of the jolly-boat : but such was the exhausted state of nearly the whole party, that the day was considerably advanced before we could got undci' weigh. • " • •. Towards dusk it came on to blow hani in !«|Ualls off the land, when wc loU i<ight of the cutter, and were obliged P08T-CAPTAiN8 OF 1805. 959 soon after to come to an anchor outside of St. John's harbour. We were under greut apprehensions for the cutter's safety, as she had no grapnel, and lest she should be driven out to sea ; but at day-light we perceived her and the schooner entering the harbour; the cutter, as we afterwards learned, having ha'^ the good fortune to fall in with a fishing-vessel, to which she made fast during the night. . " The ladies, Colonel Cooke Captain Thomas, and myself, conducted by Mr. Lilly (a planter resident at Island Cove) in the jolly>boat, having left the schooner when she anchored, notwithstanding the badness, as well as extreme darkness of the night, reached the shore about midnight. We wandered for some time about the streets, there being no house open at that late hour ; but were at length admitted into a small tenement, where we passed the remainder of the night on chairs, there being but one miserublo bed for the ladies. Early on the following day, our circumstances being made known, hundreds of people crowded down to the landing-pluce : nothing could exceed their surprise on seeing the boats that had carried 2') persons such a distance over a boisterous sea ; and when they beheld su many miserable objects, they could not conceal their emotions of pity and concern. I waited on Brigadier-General Skerrit, who commanded the garrison, and who immediately, upon being informed of our situation, or- dered down a party of soldiers to take the people out of the boats, and with the utmost kindness and humanity directed beds and every necessary article to be prepared for the crew •." * Being anxious to return to England, Captiun Fellowea en- gaged the cabin of a small vessel bound to Oporto ; and ou the 11th July he embarked with Lieutenant-Colonel Cooke, Captain Thomas, and Mr. Bargus, leaving the Mate in charge of his late crew. " During a voyage of 15 days we had a few difficulties to encounter, such as pumping continually, the vessel having sprung a leak in a gale of wind ; and we were obliged to throw overboard a considerable part of her cargo. On the 2Gth July, we fell in with an American ship, the Bristol Trader, of New York. The owner, Mr. William Cowley, being told our distressed situation, and that we had been shipwrecked, immediately hove to, and, with a benevolence and humanity that will ever reflect the highest he i')r on his character, received us on board, and brought us safe tu Bristol i where we had the happiness to arrive on the 3d August t. * The greatest circumspection was found necessary in administering nourishment to the men, who were so much frost-bitten as t<» rctjuirc con- stant surgical assistance. Many of then^ lost their toes ; and it was dutcr- mined they should continue at St. John's until the whole were in a fit state to be removed to Halifax in a schooner hired by ( aptain roliowes fur that purpose. t The Oporto tmdcr was never heard of after Captain i'cllowes and hit f. if 960 POST-CAPTAINS OF 1805. i " PosTSURirx. / regret that, in the hurry of drmring up this iXarru- live, I ihould have omitted to make more pnrticular mnntion of Cuptu'm Richard Thomas, R. N., from whose great professional skill and advice, throughout the tehole of our perilous voyage, I derived the greutcxt assistance.'* The cliaractcr of the work from which we have made the foregoing extracts, and the praise to which Captain Fellowes and his associates in misfortune are entitled, for their firm and pious conduct in the hour of danger, are so admirably touched in the following minute tliereon, made by their Lord- ships the Post-Master-General, as to render any farther eu- logium on our part unnecessary. "August Ifi, 1803. " We have perused this report with a mixed sentiment of sympathy and admiration. \Vc are satisfied, that in the \ms of the packet and of tiie pub- lic correspondence, no blame is imputable to Captain Fellowes, to his offi- cers, or to his seamen. In their exertion after the ship had struck on the floating mass of ice, and in their subsequent conduct, they appear to have shewn all the talents and virtue whicli can distinguish the naval cha- racter. " Let a proper letter be written in our names to the friends and family of the very worthy French officer who perished *. And we shall be solici- tous to learn the entire recovery of the other passengers, who met such dangers and sufferings with the most exemplary fortitude. *• Mr. Freeling will return the Narrative to Captain Fellowes, with our permission to him to communicate it to his friends ; or, if he shall think proper, to give it to the public. It cannot faU to impress on the minds of all who may read it, the benefit of religion, and the consolation of prayer under the pressure of calamity ; and also an awful sense of the interposi- tion and mercies of Providence, in a case of extreme peril and distress. To seamen it will more especially shew that discipline, order, generosity of mind, good temper, mutual benevolence, and patient exertion, are, under the favor of Heaven, the best safeguards in all their difficulties. '* With respect to Captain Fellowes, we feel highly gratified in having companions left her ; but there is every reason to believe that she perished in the same gale that proved so fatal to H. M. sloop Calypso, and the Jamaica fleet under her protection, in Aug. 1803. • M. Rossd, commander of the French schooner captured by the Lady Hobart, threw himself overboard in a fit of delirium, on the 3d July. lie had for some days laboured under a despondency which admitted of no con- solation. One of the other prisoners, at the same time, became so out- rageous, that it was found ucccsiiary to lush him to the bottom of the boat. -^ POST-CAPTAINS OF 1805. 961 it in our power so immediately to give him a promotion, which wc have reason to believe will be particularly acceptable. (Signed) " Auckland. " C. Spencer ♦." Tlie subject of this memoir commissioned the ^Etiia bomb in Dec. 1803, and soon after joined the Heet under Lord Nel- son on the Mediterranean station, where he was very actively employed covering Sardinia, and on various other services, till the glorious battle of Trafalgar ; from which period he served as Flag-Captain to Lord Collingwood, in the Queen, Ocean, and Ville de Paris, 3-deckers, until the death of that gallant and worthy nobleman, which took place off Minorca, on the 7th Mar. 1810. His post commission bears date Oct. 22, 1805. It should here be remarked, that Lord Collingwood, satis- fied with the ability of his protege^ wholly dispensed with the assistance of a Captain of the Fleet, and consequently much of the duty of that office was performed by Captain Thomas, who continued in the command of the Ville de Paris, as a private ship, till the autumn of 1810, when he gave her up in consequence of private concerns requiring his attendance in England. Captain Thomas's next appointment was, about Feb. 1811, to the Undaunted, a fine 38-gun frigate, employed in co-oper- ation with the Spanish patriots on the coast of Catalonia, where he displayed great zeal and activity on a variety of oc- casions, for which the thanks of the Admiralty were conveyed to him through his senior officer, the present Sir F Iward Codrington. He was subsequently entrusted with the com- * Captain Fellowcs, who then held the rank of a commander in the navy, by commission dated in 18()0, was appuintc<l A^ent for the Packets stationed at Holyhead, in Aug. 1803, and held that office till his retirement from the service in 18 i 5. He became Private Secretary to the late Lord Gwydir in 1819 ; and received his present appointment as Secretary to the Lord Great Chamberlain of England, in I82(). He is the author of " An Account of the celebrated Juiy 1816," written to Lord Gwydir; and of " A Visit to the Monastery of h\\ Trappe, and the interesting country of La Vendee." His eldest brother, James, served as Physician to the Britiith army during the peninsular war, and received the honor of knighthood. Mar. 21, 1810. Another brother, Thomas, who greatly distinguished him- self as a commander of flotilla at Cadiz, obtained post rank Mur. 4, 1811 ; and was nominated u C. B. \\\ 1815. ail 'I. *t il I 4 i« n 962 POST-CAPTAINS OF 1806. mand of a S(iuadron stationed in the gulf of Lyons ; and on the 29th April 1812, we find him directinj^ an attack to be made by the boats of his own ship, the Volontaire frigate, and Blossom sloop, upon a fleet of French njcrchantmen near the town of St. Mary's. This service was ably performed under the orders of Lieutenant John Eager, who succeeded in capturing seven vessel;?, and destroying thirteen others, laden with provisions and stores, together with a national schooner of 4 guns and 74 men, under whose protection they were proceeding to the relief of Barcelona. In Aug. following. Captain Thomas was charged with the blockade of Toulon, which port he watched with a squadron consisting of four frigates and two brigs, during the absence of Sir Edward Pellew, who had determined to try the experiment of watering his fleet at the mouth of the Rhone, and afterwards to create a diversion in favor of the army under Sir John Murray, by proceeding to the Spanish coast, and making a shew of attacking the enemy's posts in the bay of Rosas. This object being effected. Captain Thomas was sent back to resume his command off Marseilles, where he remained till Jan. 1813, when ill-health obliged him to resign his ship and return to England. He has recently been relieved in the superintendence of the Ordinary at Portsmouth, to which service he was appointed in Ap^il, 1822. JOHN QUILLIAM, Esq. This officer may be truly styled a favorite of Fortune. He is a native of the Isle of Man, and was impressed into the navy, but at what period we have not been informed. As a commissioned officer we first find him serving as third Lieu- tenant of the Ethalion frigate, commanded by Captain Jamea Young, who bore official testimony to his good conduct at the capture of a Spanish treasure ship, Oct. 17, 1799. Mr. Quilliam's share of prize-money on that occasion exceeded 5000/.* The Ethalion was aoon after doomed to experience a sad reverse, she being wrecked on the coast of France in little • See Vol. I. p. 684. ; and on ack to be re frigate, tmen near )erfornied succeeded n others, national :tion they with the squadron bsence of periment 'terwards Sir John making a )f Rosas. back to kined till his ship ed in the to wliich POST-CAPTAINS OF 1805. 963 more than two months after the above capture*. A narra- tive of her loss is given at full length in Schomberg'a Naval Chronology, vol. iii. p. 210 et seq. After that disaster, we lose sight of Mr. Quilliam until the glorious 21st Oct. 18()5, on which day he served as first Lieutenant of Nelson's flag- ship, the Victory of 100 guns, — a circumstance which secured his promotion to post rank, without ever having been a Com- mander ; and at the same time produced nmch mortification to those of Nelson's followers who were senior to himself, and whom the hero had ordered to perform the duties of junior Lieutenants, for no other reason than that of avoiding a con- stant succession of executive officers — the whole of them being before Mr. Quilliam on his Lordship's list for promo- tion. We state this on the credit of a Post-Captain, who, when mentioning the subject, evinced not the slightest dispo- sition to detract from his former messmate's merits. Captain Quilliam's post commission bears date Dec 24, 1S05 ; but being put in charge of the Ildefonso, a Spanish 74, and having to refit her at Gibraltar, he did not arrive in Eng- land till May 16th in the following year. He subsequently commanded the Alexandria, Inconstant, and Crescent frigates ; the latter employed on the NeAvfoundland station, where ho captured an American privateer, pierced for 14 guns^ with a complement of 66 men, Sept. 16, 1813. Agents, — Messrs. Barnett and King. k ne. He into the I. As a rd Lieu- ti James iduct at 9. Mr. seceded c a sad in little JOHN PILFOLD, Esq. ■^fak^ik A Companion of the Most Honorable Military Order ofilte Duth. This officef is the second son of the late Charles Pilfold, Esq. by Bathia, daughter of William White, Esq. both of Horsham, co. Sussex, of which place he is a native. Mr. Pilfold first went to sea as a Midshipman on board the Crown 64, bearing the broad pendant of the Hon. William Cornwallis, in which ship he continued from Oct. 1788, until her return from the East Indies, in May, 1792. Soon after his arrival at Spithead he joined the Bnmswick 74, then commanded by Sir Roger Curtis, Burt., and forming • SecVol. I. p. 72{>. .%. ^ o%i ^r^x. IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-S) ^ ^A^ 1.0 I.I ■^ 1^ |2.2 £f |1£ 12.0 Nil m -— III— l^ < 6" - ► Photographic Sciences Corporation 33 WIST MAIN STMIT WIMTIR.N.Y. t4SM (7U) •73-4S03 CA /. "^ 964 POBT-CAPTAINS OF 1806. part of the fleet of observation under Lord Hood ; but subse- quently commanded by Captain John Harvey, and attached , to the grand fleet under Earl Howe, by whom he was re- ceived into the Queen Charlotte on promotion, through the recommendation of his dying commander, whose particular notice he had attracted during the lengthened contest between ,the British and French forces, which terminated with such glory to the former on the memorable first of June, 1794 *. On the 14th Feb. 1795, Mr. Pilfold received an order from Earl Howe to act as a Lieutenant on board the Russel 74, which appointment was immediately confirmed by the Ad- miralty; he consequently bore a part in Lord Bridport's action off I'Orient, June 23d following, on which occasion three French line-of-battle ships were compelled to surrender ; the Russel sustaining a loss of 3 men killed and 10 wounded. Mr. Pilfold's next appointment was, Sept. 1795, to the Kingsfisher sloop of war, in which vessel he continued for a considerable time, under various commanders, and assisted at the capture of several privateers, principally on the Lisbon station, where he received 'the thanks of Earl St. Vincent for his spirited conduct in suppressing a daring mutiny among her crew, several of whom were slain before subordination could be restored, as will be seen by reference to our memoir of Rear-Admiral Maitland, with whom he was then serving as first Lieutenant. During his continuance in the Kingsfisher, Lieutenant Pil- fold was successively appointed to his old ship, the Russel, and to the Commerce de MarseilleSy a first rate, at the request of Sir Hugh C. Christian and Sir Charles M. Pole ; but the kind intentions of those distinguished officers towards him were frustrated in consequence of no other gentleman being •ent to supply his place, which rendered it impossible for him to obtain his discharge from that vessel. In 1798, however, we find him on board the Impetueux 73, of which ship he also became first Lieutenant previous to her being paid off at Plymouth, April 14, 1802. A gallant action performed by him in the Morbihan river, June 6, IdOO, called forth the • Sec Vol. I. note at p. 613 et stq. and aiemoir of Captain Rowland Bevaw. N. B. The Brunswick had no less than 158 officers and men killed and wounded. Mr. Pilfuld was then serving as Master's Mate. POSt-CAPTAINS OF 1805. 965 marked approbation of Earl St. Vincent, then commanding the Channel fleet, and is thus noticed by his own Captain, the present Viscount Exmouth, in his public letter to that noble Admiral, reporting the transactions of a squadron em- ployed in co-operation with the French royalists * :— " On the 4th the Thames, Cynthia, and small force, attacked the S. W. end of Quiberon, silenced the forts, which were afterwards destroyed l)y ft party of troops landed under Major Ramsay ; several vessels were brought off, and some scuttled ; the only lo«3 2 killed and 1 wounded on board the Cynthia. • • • • On the 6th, before day, we succeeded in an at- tempt Upon the Morbihan, from whence were taken 2 brigs, 2 sloops, 2 gun-vessels, and about 100 prisoners ; a corvette, I'Insolente of 18 guns, was burnt, with several other small craft, the guns all destroyed, and the magazine blown up. ;r , ;< • •, i' t„r , • " > ., . ' . f, ., " Three hundred of the Queen's regiment were employed upon this ser- vice ; and the gun-launches and naval force were under the direction of Lieutenant John Pilfold of this ship, who boarded the corvette with tnuch bravery, and performed the service with much judgment and officer-like conduct ; tlte loss was only one seaman killed in his boat, and some slight hurts." ... 'ji'ti. ,i;r ■!' At the renewal of the war, in 1803, Lieutenant PilfolS was appointed to the Hindostan 54; and subsequently to the Dragon and Ajax third rates ; of which latter ship he was first Lieutenant in the action off Ferrol, July 22, 1805 ; and commanding officer in the glorious battle off Cape Trafalgar, on the 21st Oct. in the same year, his Captain (William Brown) being then absent attending the trial of Sir Robert Calderfor his conduct on the former day. • •? Ur.,\ . pi,^s According to Mr. James's account of the Trafalgar fight, the Ajax was only approaching lintrepide French 74, when that ship surrendered. Captain Brenton, in his view of the hostile fleets, places the Orion close to Tlntrepide, but takes no notice of the Ajax. This, we think, is giving too much credit to one officer at the expence of another. The fact is. Lieute- nant Pilfold had been long engaged with I'lntrepide (as well as Captain Codrington, who was lying on his starboard quar- ter) ; but the enemy having hauled up athwart hawse of the Ajax, enabled the Orion to drop alongside, which obliged Lieutenant Pilfold to make way for fear of entangling the whole. He ultimately towed the prize to windward of the 1 1 1: 1^! fr! li^ ■■ ,: I K;.. I H VOL. II. • See Vol. I. p. 219. 3 H 966 POST-CAPTAINS OF 1806. fleet, but was (^iged to cut her adrift in the fatal gale which succeeded that unparalleled victory, and she was finally de- stroyed by the Britannia *, as was the Argonauta, a Spanish 80, by the Ajax. Passing Over the intermediate step of rank, the subject of this sketch was made a Post-Captain, Dec. 25, 1805 ; and soon after presented with a gold medal for his services on tbe above occasion. In April, 1808, our late Monarch was graciously pleased to grant him an honorable augmentation to his family arms ; and he obtained the insignia of a C. B. at the first establishment of that order in June 1815. . . .,rn , , Captain Pilfold married, June 20, 1803, Mary Anne Hor- ner, daughter of the late Thomas South, of Donhead, co. Wilts, Esq., and niece of the late Hiomas Homer, of Mells i^ark, in Somersetshire, Esq., by whom he has issue two daughters. One of his sisters is tlie lady of Sir Timothy Shelley, Bart., nnother is married to Thomas Grove, of Fern, Esq., and a third is the widow of the Rev. Gilbert Jackson, D.D, ^gent.^-Haary Cook, Esq. , :» > 4» n.t h'>t; r,i li.: .'.f . ■,r- ji; {-■ -: ..a i> .. ■( WILLIAM HENNAH, Esq: This offioet is the son of a clergyman, formerly resident at St. Austle, in Cornwall. H^e received his first commission in 1793 ; had the good fortune to be senior Laeutenant of the Mara 74) in the glorious battle off Cape Trafalgar ; and having succeed to the command of that ship on the death of Cap- tain George Duff, who fell during the conflict f, was promoted to post rank on the fttst day of the following year (1806). He is married, and has a large fnmily. Jl'^«n#«.^— Mesfin. Stilwell. -.yJiii ":t'\ I WILLIAM PRYCE CUMBY, Esq, « I This officer is the only surviving son of the late Captain David Pryce Cumby, R.N., by his first wifie, Eleanor, second • See vol. I. p. 207. t See Captain Norwich Duff. POST-CAPTAINS OP 1806. 967 daughter of William Jepson, of Heigbington, co. Durham, Esq.* • 'i.**!!! He was born at Dover, in Kent, Mar. 20, 1771 ; and en tered the naval service in May 1784, as a Midshipman on board the Kite cutter, commanded by Lieutenant Henry Gunter, and employed as a cruiser against the smugglers on the N. E. coast of England. That vessel being paid off in Nov. 1786, he then embarked on board a merchantman, and made several voyages to Holland, the Baltic, and Canada, for the purpose of improving himself in nautical science. In 1789 we find him joining the Brazen, a King's cutter; and during the Spanish armament, he appears to have been suc- cessively removed into the Alfred 74, Meleager 32, and Le- viathan, a tliird-rate, the latter commanded by tlie late Lord Mulgrave, who subsequently placed him under the protection of Captain Henry Savage, of the Pomona frigate, a most active, zealous, and experienced officer, with whom he continued until the termination of tlie Russian armament, towards the close of 1791. Mr. Cumby then joined the Hebe, of 38 guns, and served in that ship, under the command of Cnptain Alexander Hood, on the Channel station, till Mar. 1 792 ; when he passed his examination &r a lieutenant, and was soon afterwards sent by Lord Midgrave to the Newfoundland station, in the Asisistance 50, bearing the flag of Rear- Admiral Sir Richard King, Bart., with whom he seturned to iilugland at the com- mencemeut of tlie ensuing winter. ... . i. , On his arrival at Portsmouth, Mr. Cumby had the grief and mortification to learn that his excellent friend and powerful patron had paid the debt of nature ; his Lordship having died at Spa but a very few weeks before. The prospect of a war, however, with republican France, still induced him not to de- spair of promotion ; and his hopes were fortunately realized, through the influence of the present Lord Mulgrave, in Oct. 1793, when he received a commission as third Lieutenant of the Assistance, at that time commanded by Captaui Nathan * Ui> grapdfHthcr, Mr* John Cuiuby, died of fever, when Herving aa Master of the flag-ship at Jamaica ; his great uocle, David Pryce Cuioby, died a Master aud Cuiuinandcr i and his maternal uncles, Anthony and Sandford Jepson, were LieutenuntH in tlie royal navy. > < V ■('> '■> " ■» 3 K 2 ifi fC-' 1 m\ 11 1 •; III' n| 1 i Htl it m 1i ::tM m mi- A 968 POST-CAPTAINS OF 1806. Brunton, under whom he had before served in the Meleager frigate *. Mr. Cumby's next appointment was, in May 1795, to the Astrcea 32, commai::ded by his old shipmate, Lord Henry Paulet, who had requested him to become his first Lieuten- ant, and whom he afterwards followed into the Thalia 3(V, where he continued until his Lordship's removal from the command of that frigate, by the sentence of a court-martial assembled off Cadiz, in the month of June, 1798t. c-sp^rn.. ; From the Thalia, Mr. Cumby was removed into the Excel- lent 74, Captain Cuthbert Collingwood, in which ship he remained, as third Lieutenant, until paid off, at the latter end of the same year. In June 1799, he was again called into service ; and for three years from that period we find him holding the appointment of Flag-Lieutenant to Vice-Admiral Graeme, commander-in-chief in the Medway. At the renewal of the war between Great Britain and France (May 1803), Lieutenant Cumby obtained the com- mand of the Swift cutter, on the North Sea station ; and in May 1804, he received an appointment to the Norfolk dis- trict of Sea Fencibles ; from which service he was removed in Nov. following, the late Captain John I-oring having applied for him to be appointed jhis first Lieutenant, in the Bellerophon of 74 guns. Fortunately for Mr. Cumby's inte- rests, Captain John Cooke, who succeeded to the command of that ship, consented to his remaining with him in the same capacity ; and it consequently fell to his lot to command a third rate in the most glorious battle ever fought at sea. ' The Bellerophon, it will be remembered, was one of Lord Nelson's fleet, and bore a most distinguished part in the memo- rable engagement off Cape Trafalgar. The death of Captain Cooke is thus described by the subject of this memoir, in a letter addressed to the brother of that heroic officer : — • Captain Nathan Brunton had served under Lord MulgraTC, in the Courogeux 74, and was long honored with that nobleman's friendship and confidence. He was afterwards promoted to the rank of Vice-Admirul, and died at Stockton-iipon-Tces, Nov. 19, 1814. t Lord Henry Paulet's trial will lie more fully noticed in cm S^upple- meut to the /Addenda, see Vol. L p. 883. "i POST-CAPTAINS OV 1806. 969 " You will naturally expect to know the circumstances attending Cap- lain Cooke's death, which must ever reflect the highest honor on himself, and endear his memory to his friends and country. Having, with the greatest gallantry and judgment, conducted the Bellerophon into action and broke through tlie enemy's line, under the stern of a Spanish 74 (Monarca), in hauling up to engage her to leeward, we fell on board the French ship, I'Aigle, which the smoke hindered us from seeing till too late to prevent our laying her on board on the weather quarter. She being a much loftier ship than ours, and full of troops, our quarter-deck, poop, and forecastle, became exposed to their musketry, from which we suffered much. About this time I was sent down by Captain Cooke to explain to the officers on the main and lower-decks the situation of the ship, and with his orders to direct their principal efforts against the ship we were foul of, viz. to take the beds and quoins from under the guns, and blow up the enemy's decks. On my return to the quarter-deck, a few minutes after, I found he had fallen at 1 1 minutes past one o'clock, whilst in the act of reloading his pistols, which he had discharged two or three times. He' was taken below, and on the surgeon opening his waistcoat, he found him just dead, having received a musket-ball or grape-shot in his right-breast, which had broken two of the ribs, and passing through the lungs, occa- sioned almost instant death. On iniiuiring of the men who carried him below, I find that when seeing him fall, they asked him if they should take him down — ^he answered, * Let me lay one minute,' which they did j — these were the last words he spoke •." * • . ■ ' At this early period of the battle, the Bellerophon was closely engaged with the Monarca, as well as I'Aigle, and ex- posed to a distant cannonade from three other of the ene- my's ships. Lieutenant Cumby, however, had soon the satis- faction to see his more immediate opponent disentangle her- self and drop astern, of which he took advantage by pouring several broadsides into her stern as she was in the act of falling off; and then directing his fire against the Monarca^ compelled her to surrender. In this tremendous conflict, the Bellerophon had no less than 150 officers and men killed and wounded f : I'Aigle is supposed to have lost nearly two-thirds of her crew. The •ill c** ; ^.'.i * It had ever been Capt^n Cooke's strongest wish, even when he had no thought of employment, to be once placed under the command of Nel- son : — to be in a general engagement with Lord Nelson, would, he used to say, crown all his military ambition. By the concurrence of events, this actually happened, and they were both doomed to fall at the same moment, and ulmoat iu the same manner. . , t Sec Vol. I. p. 205. " ■M ^iMi [■',9 11 iji.; ■hi; m hi n •I' ■i'-^E'i: rl a m Pdst-CAPf AiJfs OP 1806. Mortarca must also have suffered severely, but her loss has never been recorded. On his return to England, Lieutenant Cumby was pro- moted to the rank of Post-Captain, by commission, dated Jan. 1, 1806j as a reward for his gallant conduct ; and in the course of the same month he had the melancholy gratification of following the remains of Nelson to the tomb. In July, 1807j he was appointed pro tempore to the Dryad 36, in which frigate he made several valuable captures during a three months' cruise on the Irish station. His next appoint- ment was. May 1808, to the Polyphemus 64, fitting for the flag cf his friend Vice- Admiral B. S. Rowley, commander-in- chief at Jartiaica ; to which station he proceeded in July fol- lowing, convoying thither a large fleet of merchantmen, the whole of whom he conducted safely to their respective desti- nations. The Vice-Adniiral residing constantly on shore, his flag tvas frequently shifted to the Shark sloop, for the purpose of affording Captain Cumby opportunities of cruising against the enemy. On one of those occasions the boats of the Polyphe* nius captured the Colibry, French national schooner, of 3 guns and 63 men, reputed the fastest sailing vessel attached to the colony of St. Domingo. In June, 1809, Captain Cumby vras appointed to command a squadron sent from Port Royal, with a military detachment, under Major-General Hugh L. Carmichael, to co-operate with the Spanish troops investing the city of St. Domingo. Tlie following extracts from Vice-Admiral Rowley's public letter to the Hon. W. W. Pole, will shew the success which at* tended his exertions. " Sir.-x-I have the honor to acquaint you^ for the inforinatioa of my tiords Oommisisioners of the Admiralty, that H. M. sloop Tweed arrived here last night, from off St. Domingo, bringing me a despatch from Cap- tain Cumby of the Polyphemus, announcing the surrender on the 6tb inst. (July) of the French troc^s composhig the garrison of tbat city. * • • * * The exemplary vigilance and unremitted exertions of the officers and men composing the crews of his Majesty's ships and vessels named in the margin *, employed during this short but vigorous blockade, under the * Polyphemus, Aurora, Tweed, Sparrow, Thrush, Griffin, Lark, Moselle, Fleur-de>la-Mcr, and Pike. POST-CAPTAINS OF 1806. 971 immediate orders of Capt^n Cumby, have contributed most essentially to accelerate t)ie reduction of this last possession of the enemy on the Jamaica station. The fullest testimony is borne by Major-General Carmichael to the conlial support which he received from them after the arrival of the British troops ; and I have no doubt that the conduct of Captain Cumby, and that of the officers, seamen, and marines imder his orders, will be dis- tinguished by their Lordships' approbatiop, m i% has already beea by mine^ I have the honor to be, &c. (Signed) " B. S. RowL?y." Soon after the death of Admiral Rowley, Oct. 7, 1811, Captain Cumby proceeded to Vera Cruz apd Havannab, on his way to England, in the Hyperion of 42 guns, to which ship he had been appointed in the preceding month of March. After refitting at Portsmouth, he was ordered to Davis's Straits, where he cruised for the protection of the whale fishery during the whole summer of 1812. He subsequently took a convoy from Newfoundland to Barbadoes, and then returned to St. John's harbour, where his ship was frozen up almost immediately after her arrival. By the above statement our readers will observe that the Hyperion had been twice in the West Indies, spent a whole summer amidst icebergs, and commenced a long and severe winter at Newfoundland, all within twelve months : an in- stance of sudden and repeated change from one extreme of temperature and climate to the other, rarely equalled. The health of her crew, however, suffered less from these rstpid and severe changes than might have been e^^peqted, owing in a great degree to the precautions taken by Captain Cumby, who obliged his men to purchase a large supply; I'varmcloath- ing wheij they received their arrears of pay at Fv. rt&piouth. In Nov. 1813, Captain Cumby sailed from Newfoundland with the trade bound to Portugal under bis protection ;, and during the remainder of the war we find him employed cruising in the British Channel and Bay of Biscay, where he captured, nfter a long chase, the American privateer Rattle- snake of 16 guns, an uncommonly fine brig, nearly new, 298 tons burthen, whiqh had already taken twenty-eight of our merchant vessels, (several with valuable rargoes) j and from her extraordinary faat sailing, would no doubt have done still greater injury to the trade of his Majesty's subjects. The Hyperion was paid off at Portsmouth, Aug. 3), 1815. Ml'.*' •im m i in 'J m i 972 POBT-CAPI'AINS OF 1806. Captain Cumby marriecl, first, in 1801 , Miss Metcalf, of Richmond, in Yorkshire ; and by that lady, who died in Jan. 1815, he had two sons, one of whom is intended for holy orders ; the other has already embarked as a Midshipman R. N. Secondly, Dec. 29, 1818, Elizabeth, eldest daughter of the late Rev. Thomas Wilson Morley, of Eastby House, near the same town, by whom he has one son. He has also a daughter by his former marriage. His half brother, Charles Cumby, is a Commander in the navy. ' " > ' '; -(^g'cw^— Isaac Clementson, Esq. ,;,I.^ • lO . i < 1 GEORGE DIGBY, Esq. ' This officer was made a Commander in 1802, and obtained post rank Jan. 2, 1806. He appears to have been almost constantly employed during the whole of the late war, com- manding in succession the Fleche of 16 guns. Beagle 18, Cossack 24, and Lavinia frigate. He married, Sept. 13, 1821, Elizabeth, only daughter of Sir John Walsh, Bart. : - - . Agents,— 'Me&STB. Brine and Chards. -.^^ ., •■ ., •, ) _ JAMES RICHARD DACRES, Esq. j This officer is the only surviving son of the late Vice- Admiral, J. R. Dacres*, by Rleanor Blandford, daughter and heiress of Pearce, of Cambridge, Esq. He entered the naval service at a very early age; was made a Lieutenant, Nov. 15, 1804 ; promoted to the com- mand of the Elk sloop of war, July 5, 1805 ; and posted into the Bacchante of 24 guns, on the Jamaica station^ Jan. 14, 1806. ' ""' '''' ' On the 14th Feb. 1807, Captain Dacres captured the French national schooner Dauphin, of 3 guns and 71 men ; a vessel which had done much mischief to British commerce in the West Indies, and was then returning, from a successful cruise, to St. Domingo. Finding that the Dauphin was well known at Samana, and \ • See Vol. II. Part I. i». 29. li'^i' it POST-CAPTAINS OF 1806. 973 having consulted with Captain William Furlong Wise, of the Mediator 44, who had witnessed her capture, Captain Dae res determined to send her in under French colours, to disguise the Bacchante as a prize, and the Mediator as a neutral; which stratagem so completely deceived the enemy, that he got through the intricate navigation of the harbour, and an- chored within half a mile of the fort, before they discovered their mistake. A heavy cannonade was now commenced on both sides, and continued for four hours, when the fort was gallantly stormed by a detachment of seamen and marines, landed under the command of Captain Wise, assisted by Lieu- tenants Baker, Norton*, and Shaw. Possession was then taken of two French schooners, fitting for sea as cruisers j an American ship and an English schooner, both of which had been recently captured by privateera. The Mediator appears to have been the greatest sufferer on this occasion, the fire of the enemy being chiefly directed against her, but not so much as might have been expected from the commanding situation of the fort, which was manned principally by the crews of the schooners. Her loss consisted of 2 men killed and 12 wounded ; the Bacchante had not a man slain, and only 4 wounded. The fort and cannon were afterwards destroyed by Lieutenant Goi^ld, and the place was evacuated by Cap- tain Dacres on the 21st of the same month. ''" * ' '' ' "; ' From this period we find no mention of Captain Dacres until his appointment to the Guerriere frigate, which took place about April 1811. The following is a copy of his offi- cial letter to Vice-Admiral Herbert Sawyer, describing his action with the United States' ship Constitution, on the 19th Aug. 1812t:— ' ' •*■- <( j3o«/ofl, September 7, 1812. " Sir,— I am sorry to inform you of the capture of H. M. late ship Guerriere, by the American frigate Constitution, after a severe action ou the 19th of August, in lat. 40» 21' N. and long. 55" W. At two P. M. being ;:»• lii ,"■<;- 'nil i'::r SI * Lieutenant Norton had previously distinguished himself by his gal- lantry in an attack made by the boats of the Bacchante, upon a brig and two feluccas lying in the harbour of St. Martha, the whole of wliich he brought out in triumph under a tremendous fire from the shore. ^ t The following notes are extracted from Mr. James's account of the action. ,. 974 POST-CAPTAIN B OF 1806. by the wiiid on the starboard tack, we saw a soil on our weathcr-bcain bearinjir down on us. At 3 made her out to be a man of war ; beat to quarters, and prepared for action. At 4, she closing fast, wore to prevent her rakinjv us. At 4-10, hoisted our colours, and iired several shot at her; at 4-20, she hoisted her colours, and returned our firci wore several times to avoid being raked, exchanging broadsides. At 5, she dlosed on our starboard beam, botli keeping up a heavy fire and steering freCi her intention being evidently to cross our bow. At 5-20, our mizen-mast went over the star- board quarter, and brought the ship up in the wind ; the enemy tlu:n placed himself on our larboard-bow, raking us, a few only of our bow-guns bear- ing, and his grape and riflemen sweeping our deck. At 5-40, the ship not answering her helm, he attempted to lay us on board : at this time, Mr. (Samuel) Grant, (Master's-Mate), who commanded the forecastle, was carried below, badly wounded. I immediately ordered the marines and boarders from the main-deck ; the Master was at this time shot through the knee, and I received a severe wound in the back. Lieutenant (Bartho- lomew) Kent was leading on the boarders, when the ship coming to, we brought some of our bow-gum to bear on her *, and had got clear of otir opponent, when at 6-20, our fore and main-masts went over the side, leav- ing the ship a perfect unmanageable wreck. The frigate shooting a-head, I was in hopes to clear the wreck, and get the ship under eommaad to renew the action ; but just as we had cleared the wreck, our spritsail-yard went ; and the enemy having rove new braces, &c., wore round within pistol-shot, to rake us, the ship lying in the trough of the sea, rolling her main-deck guns under water f, and all attempts to get her before the wind being fruitless: when, calling my few remaimng oiBcers together, they were all of opinion, that any further nsistance would only be a needless waste of lives, I ordered, though reluctantly, the colours to be struck. " The loss of the ship is to be ascribed to the early fall of the mizen- mast, which enabled our opponent to choose his position. I am sorry to say we sufiered severely in killed and wounded, and mostly whilst she lay on our bow, from Iter grape and musketry j in all, 15 killed, and 63 wounded X* many of tliem severely. None of the wouoded oiScers quitted the deck till tlie firing ceased. " The frigate proved to be the United States' ship Constitution, of thirty 24-pounders on her main-deck, and twenty-four 32-pounders and two 18-pounders§ on her upper-deck, and 476 men; her loss in comparison * Some of the wads of which set firu to the Constitution's cabin, but the flames were soon extinguished. t To secure which required increased efforts, the rotten state of the breachings, as well as of the tiraher«hcads through which the long bolts passed, having caused many of them to break loose. i Six mortally, thirty-nine severely, and eighteen slightly* § These wore English 18's, bored to carry a 24-pound shot. The Guer- ri^re mounted thirty long I8's, sixteen 32-pounder carronadea, aad two long nines. POST-CAPTAINS Of 1806. 975 with ours is ti-iilin<T; tiie first Lieutenant of marines* and 8 men killed ; the firdt Lieutenant and Master of the ship, and 1 1 men wounded ; her iswer masts badly wounded, stern much shattered, and very much cut up about the tigging. " The Guerritire was so cut up, that all attempts to ^et her in would have been useless. As soon as the wounded were got out of her, they set her on fire ; and I feel it my duty to state, that the conduct of Captain Hull and his officers to our men has been that of a brave enemy, the greatest care being taken to prevent them losing the smallest trifle, and the greatest attention being paid to the wounded, who, tlu-ougb the attention and skill of Mr. Irvine, Surgeon, I hope, will do well. " I hope, though success has not crowned our efforts, you will not think it presumptuous in me to say, the greatest credit is due to the officers and ship's company for their exertions, particularly when exposed to the heavy raking Are of the enemy : I feel particularly obliged for the exertions of Lieutenant Kent, who, though wounded early by a splinter, continued to assist me; in the second Lieutenant (Mr. Henry Ready), the service ha3 suffered a severe loss j Mr. (Robert) Scott, the Master, though wounded, was particularly attentive^ and used every exertion in clearing the wreck, as did the warrant officers. Lieutenant Nicholl, of the royal marines, and his party, supported the honorable character of their corps, and they suf- fered severely. I must recommend Mr. (William J.) Snow, Master's Mate, who commanded the foremost main-<leck guns, in the absence of Lieutenant (John) Pullman, and the whole after the fall of Lieutenant Heady, to your protection, he having received a severe contusion from a splinter. I must point out Mr. (John) Garby, acting Purser, to your notice, who volunteered his services on deck, commanded the after quarter- deck guns, and was particularly active, as well as Mr. (John W.) Bannister, Midshipman. "I hope, iti considering the eircumstancct, you will think the ship en- trusted to my charge was properly defended ; the unfortunate loss of our masts, the absence of the third Lieutenant, sec:<nd Lieutenant of marines, three Midshipmen, and twenty-four men, coo'/iderably weakened our crew, and we only mustered at quarters 244 men and 19 boys, on coming into action ; the enemy had such an advantage from his mariaes and riflemen, when close; and his superior sailing enabled him to choose bis (^stance. _ "I have the honor to be, &c. (Signed) " Jas. R. Dacres." Qn the 2d Oct following, a court-martial was assembled on board the Africa 64, at Halifax, to try Captain Dacres for surrendering his ship to the enemy: tlie following is, we believe, a correct copy of the address, which was delivered by him, after the evidence had been gone through : — m f. ':ii( iiill 1t¥ II : :„ * He was killed by a British marine when leading his party forward to board the Gucrritire at 5-40 P. M. 976 rOST-CAlTAINB OF 1806. " Mr. President and Gentlemen of the Court, — By my letter to Vice- Admiral Sawyer, and the narrative of the principal officers, I tniat that you will be satisfied that every exertion was used in defending the ship, as long as there was the smallest prospect of resistance being useful. In my letter, I mention the boarders being called : it was my intention, after having driven back the enemy, to have boarded in return; and in cunsc- quencc I ordered the first Lieutenant down on the main-deck to send evi-ry body up from the guns ; but finding his deck filled with men, and every preparation made to receive us, it would have been almost impossible to succeed. I therefore ordered the men down again to their ({uartcrs, and desired Mr. Kent to direct part of his attention to the main-dock, the second Lieutenant being killed. The main-mast fell without being striu-k by a single shot, the heart of the mast being decayed ; and it was carried away solely by the weight of the fore-mast *. Though every thing was was done, we could not succeed in getting the ship under command ; and, on the enemy wearing round to rake us, without our being able to muke any resistance, and after having used every exertion, to the best of my abilities, I found myself obliged to order the colours to be struck ; which nothing but the unmanageable state of the ship (she lying a perfect wreck) could ever have induced me to do, conceiving it was my duty not to sacri- fice uselessly the lives of the men, without any prospect of success, ur of benefit to their country. " On the larboard side about thirty shot had taken effect, nearly five sheets of copper do^vn ; the mizen-mast had knocked a large hole under her starboard counter, and she was so completely shattered, that the enemy found it impossible to refit her sufficiently to attempt carrying her into port, and they set fire to her as soon as they could get the wounded out. What considerably weakened ray quarters was, permitting the Americans belonging to the ship to quit their guns, on the enemy hoisting the colours of that nation, which, though it deprived me of the men, I thought it was my duty to do. " I felt much shocked, when on board the Constitution, to find a large proportion of British seamen among her crew, many of whom I recog- nized as having been foremost in the attempt to board. " Notwithstanding the unlucky issue of the affiiir, such confidence have I in the exertions of the officers and men who belonged to the Guerribre, and I am so aware that the success of my opponent was owing to fortune, that it is my earnest wish, and it would be the happiest period of my life, to be once more opposed to the Constitution, with them under my com- mand, in a frigate of similar force to the Guerri^re. " I cannot help noticing, that the attachment of the ship's company in general to the service of their King and Country, reflects on them the highest credit ; for though every art was used to encourage them to desert. * The main-mast had been struck by lightning some months previuub tu the action. POST-CAPTAINS OF 1806. 977 anil to inveigle them into the American service, by high i)ountic8 and preat promises, in direct contradiction to the declaration of the American officers to me, that they did not wish such a thing ; only eight Englishmen liave retnained behind in the United States, two only of which number have vo- limteercd to serve in the Constitution. " Leaving the character of my officers and ship's company, as well as my own, to the decision of this honorable Court, the justice of whose sentence no person can presume to question, I close my narrative, craving indulgence for having taken up so much of their time." Having attended to the whole of the evidence, and also to the defence of Captain Dacres, the Court agreed,— '•' " Tiiat the surrender of the Guerrifcre was proper, in order to preserve the lives of her valuable remaining crew ; and that her being in that la- mentable situation was from the accident of her masts going, which was occasioned more by their defective state, than from the fire of the enemy, though so greatly superior in guns and men. The Court did, therefore, unanimously and honorably acquit Captain Dacres, his officers, and crew, of all blame on account of her capture." Captain Dacres was subsequently appointed to the Tiber frigate, the command of which ship he retained until she was paid off at Deptford, on the 13th Oct. 1818. He married, in 1810, Arabella Boyd, third daughter of Lieutenant-Gcne- ral Sir Hugh Dalrymple, Bart. Agents. — Messrs. Maude. ., t' .^- ,f •[.'•■ hy. J i:' ,11 PETER RAINIER, Esq. ■ ' ^ Companion of the Most Honorable Military Order of the Bath. , . This officer obtained post rank, Jan. 17, 1806 ; his pro- ceedings at Uatavia in Oct. following are thus described by himself, in an official letter addressed to Rcar-Admiral Sir Thomas Troubridge, Bart, commander-in-chief in the Eastern Seas : — "H. M. S. Caroline, off Batuvia, Oct. 19, 1806. " On the morning of the 18tli instant, I captured ttmall brig from Bantam, and learnt that the Ph«nix, a Dutch frigate of 36 guns, was un- dei^oing repairs at Onroost. It appearing to me that she might be brought out, I was making the best of my way there, when between Middleby and Amsterdam islands, 1 discovered two men of war brigs at anchor, one of which I captured, the other made her escape by being too close in shore for us to pursue her ; the captured brig was the Zeerop of 14 guns, com* manded by Captain Qroot. Whilst taking posteHiion of her, I obienred ■hM l''(:- I 978 POST-CAPTAINS OF 1806. the PhoDoix slip from Onroost and run for Batavia road. From the offi- cers of tfac Zcerop wc gained intelligence, that the Maria, a Dutch frigate, was lying in the roads, manned from the shore, being aware of our ap- proach. A short time after I observed her, and likewise the William sloop of war, with the brig that before escaped us. * * . " As I distinctly made out the frigate to be the largest ship in the road, I ran for her with springs on both cables ; the enemy commenced firing at us as soon as we were within gun-shot, which was not returned till we came as close as the wind would allow us, which was within half-pistol-shot, when wc opened our fire. The action continued about half an hour, when the enemy hauled down her colours. On boarding, she proved to be the Dutch republican frigate Maria Reygersbergen, of 3G guns, 18-poundcrs on the main-<}eck, and 270 men, commanded by Captain Jager, second in command. The Maria was launched in 1800, and is a fast sailing ship. We had to encounter, besides the frigate, the William of 20 guns. Patriot 18, andZeeplong 14, with several gun-boats ; and there were thirty gun- boats lying in shore, which did not attempt^to come out. I beg leave to state, that when the action commenced we were short of complement, by men away in prizes, sick at hospitals, &c. 57 in number. " I am sorry to say that it was not in my power to capture either Phoenix, WilKam, Patriot, or Zeeplong, as H. M. S. Caroline and the Maria were after the action in four fathoms water, and surrounded by many dangerous shoals. Whilst running out of the roads I oliscrved the Phoenix, with the vessels above mentioned, and all the Dutch merchant ships run on shore. " I have not been able to get a correct account of the killed and wound- ed on board the prize, but from the surgeon's report they had 50 killed and wounded *." On the 27th. Jan. 1807, Captain Rainier discovered a strange sail in the neighbourhood of the Phillippinc islands, and im- mediately bore up in chase of her. When nearly within gun- shot, she hoisted Spanish colours and Ared a gun to windward. As the Caroline approached, the enemy was taken aback with the land wind, and having studding-sails set on both sides, Captain Rainier got close alongside before she could take them in j when either from temerity, or not knowing the force of her opponent, slie commenced firing, and it was not until 27 of her crew were kiUed and wounded, that she haided doM'n her colours. She proved to be the St. Raphael ^alias Pallas), Spanish register ship, belonging to the Phillip- • The Caroline was an IH-pounder frigate, mounting 42 guns, and had on board 204 men and boys, 3 of whom were killed, 6 mortally and PJ slightly wounded. Four Dutch prisoners, confined in the hohi, were also •lain by the Maria's fire. POST-CAPTAINS OK 1806; 979 piitc company, mounting 16 guns, with a complement of 9/ men, having on board 5(X),000 dollars in specie, and I7OO quintals of copper, besides a valuable cargo. In securing this rich prize tlie Caroline had 7 men wounded. .>r i r In Nor. 1813, wc find Captain Rainier commanding the Ni- ger, a 38-gun frigate, and capturing the Dart, American let- ter of marque, pierced for 16 guns, but only 6 mounted, from New Orleans boimd to France. On the 6th Jan. 1814, ho assisted at the capture of ia Ceres, French frigate, of 44 guns and 324 men, after a long and anxious chase, in the neigh- bourhood of the Cape de Verd islands * . He was nominated aC.B.inl8I6. ^ v , , I Agents. — Messrs. Maude. . > .; f{f • . •,ii> '» . . . '.i :•■. ;• 1 ii 1 i.i 1- ,• ri, I.' ; > HON. HENRY DUNCAN, A CompuHioH of the Most Honorable Militart/ Order of the Bath, , The Duncans are a vei-y antient and highly respectable fa- mily in Perthshire, N. B. of which the late Lord Duncan became the representative on the death of his brother, to whose estates he succeeded, in 1797« We need scarcely add, that they owe their present elevated rank to one of our most splendid naval victories. The late Admiral Viscount Duncan entered Jhe naval ser- vice when very young, and distinguished himself under Kep- pel, at the reduction of Goree, Belleisle, and the Havannab, in 1759, I76I, and 1762. He commanded the Monarch ot 74 guns, in the action between Rodney and de Langara, Jan. 16, I78O J and on that occasion compelled a Spanish two- decker to surrender, after a sharp conflict, in which she was assisted by two other ships, each mounting 70 guns. He also commanded the Blenheim, a second rate, at the relief of Gibraltar by Lord Howe ; and bore a part in the engage- ment with the combined fleets, off Cape Spartel, in Oct. 1782. At the age of 66 years, after a life of hard service, it fell to his lot to obtain a victory, which at once excited the gratitude of his country, and gained him the honors of the British 111 I'll J. it , i!h('il Is f'-J •See Captain Philip Pipon. 990 POST-CAPTAINS OF 1806. peerage. His patent of nobility passed the Great Seal, on the 30th Oct. 1/97. • ' '"■ v ' * Numberless are the instances of Lord Duncan's greatness of mind, which shone forth in an uncommon degree during the general mutiny that took place the second year after his ap- pointment to the chief command of the North Sea fleet. At that alarming epoch, being deserted by the rest of his ships, he blockaded the Dutch fleet for many weeks, amidst the most tempestuous weather, with only the Venerable 74, and Ada- mant of 50 guns, anchoring whenever it was possible in the narrow channel leading out of the Texel j — by his firmness and sage advice, prevented the contagion from spreading among their crews j and, by his masterly manoeuvres, deter- red Admiral de Winter from sailing to the assistance of the rebellious forces in our sister kingdom *. On one occasion, when the enemy shewed a disposition to force the passage, he desired the Master of the Venerable to sound, and let him know what depth of water there was ; and on being told, he coolly observed, that " should the ship be sunk, his flag would still be seen flying !" This proves what his resolution was ; and it was his conduct at this dread period which caused the peers of Great Britain to pay him the compliment they did, by ordering that all the Lords should be summoned to at- tend the House on the occasion of returning him thanks : " a distinction," as stated by the Lord Chancellor when address- ing the noble Admiral, " unprecedented, but called for by the general admiration his conduct had inspired." We cannot on the present occasion omit to present our read- ers with a copy of the speech which Admiral Duncan is said to have made to the Venerable's crew, June 3d, 1797 ; bearing, as it does, every mark of authenticity in its unaffected piety, its ardent patriotism, its indignant grief, and its simple yet impressive eloquence, so admirably adapted to the hearts and understandings of its auditors. , . , t ■ , , ,» .; " My lads, — I once more call you together, with a norrowful heart, occasioned by what 1 have lately seen — the disaifection of the fleets : I call it dinaffection, for the crews have no grievances. To he deserted liy my fleet, in the face of an enemy, u a dlsgmce which I believe never be- fore happened to a British Admiral ; nor could I have supposed it pos- • Sec Vol. l,noteat p. 581. POBT-CAm>AINS OP 1806. 961 occasion. slble. My greatest comfort, under Ood, is, that I have been supported by the officers, seamen, and marines, of this ship ; for which, with a heart over flowing with gratitude, I request you to accept my sincere thanks. I flatter myself much good may result from your example, by bringing those de- luded people to a sense of the duty which they owe, not only to their King and Country, but to themselves. " The British navy has ever been the support of that liberty which has been handed down to ua by our ancestors, and which, I trust, we shall maintain to vhe latest posterity ; but that can only be done by unanimity and obedience* This ship's company, and others who have distinguislied themselves by their loyalty and good order, deserve to be, and doubtless will be, the favorites of a grateful country : they will also have, from their inward feelings, a comfort which will be lasting, and not like the fals^ and fleeting confidence of those who have swerved from their duty. " It has often been my pride with you to look into the Texel, and see a foe who dreaded coming out to meet us. My pride is now humbled indeed : my feelings are not easily to be expressed — our cup has overflowed, and made us wanton ! The all-wise Providence has given us this check as a warning, and I hope we shall improve by it. On Him then let us trust, where our only security can be found. I know there are many good men among us ; for my own part, I have full confidence in you ; and once more I beg to express my approbation of your conduct. " May Gou, who has thus far conducted you, continue to do so : and may the Dritish navy, the glory and support of our country, be restored to its wonted splendour ; aud be not only the bulwark of Britain, but the ter- ror of the world. This can only be effected by a strict adherence to our duty ; therefore let us pray that the Almighty God may keep us in the right way of thinking. Goo bless tou all." . This speech is s^d to have so affected tjie Venerable's crew, that scarce a dry eye was to be seen on their retiring from the quarter-deck. On a subsequent day, when con- versing with the Captains who had been sent to reinforce him^ the veteran chief wound up his observations respecting the probability of a battle soon taking place, with the following laconic and humorous address : — " Well, gentlemen, when Winter does approach, I have only to advise you to keep up a good /ire !" The result of his combat with Admirad de Winter has been stated in a note at p. 150 et seq. of our first volume. '. The hero of Campkrdown married Henrietta, second daughter of the Right Hon. Robert Dundas, Lord President of the Court of Session in Scotland, M. P. for Edinburgh^ and elder brother of the late Viscount Melville. By that lady he had eight children, one of whom, Henry, the youngest VOL. II. 3 s \m ':mh\ ; 14 \\ > - j1 m / > lu 982 POST-CAPTAINS OF 1806. son, is the officer whose services we are about to notice. His Lordship retained the chief command on the North Sea sta- tion till the commencement of 1800 ; from which period he enjoyed the sweets of retirement, the delightful retrospect of a long life spent in the service of his country, the otium cum dignitate in the fullest force of the expression, till his lament- ed demise, which took place at Cornhill, in the county of Durham, when on his way from London to Edinburgh, Aug. 4,1804. ' The Hon. Henry Duncan was born at Gosport, in Hamp- shire, April 27, 1786 ; his father then commanding the Edgar 74, stationed at Spithead as a guard-ship. Having evinced an early predilection for the royal navy, he was allowed to quit the High School, Edinburgh, in order to join the Lutine frigate ; but happily Lord Duncan changed his' mind as to the officer under whose protection he should place his son, the very evening before that ship sailed from North Yarmouth with specie for the British army in Holland, and only twenty-four hours previous to her total destruction on a sand-bank near the Texel*. The first ship in which Mr. Henry Duncan actually went to sea, was the Maidstone of 32 guns, commanded by Captain Ross Donnelly (an officer possessing the esteem and confi- dence of all his Superiors), whom he joined at Spithead, about the 6th of April, 1800. ' '" ' - A few days after his embarkation, the subject of this me- moir had a second narrow escape : a boat which he had just before left, in consequence of his obtaining leave to remain on shore, having upset on her return to the ship, by which accident one man perished, and the rest of her crew were for some time placed in a state of imminent danger. From this period the Maidstone was employed convoy- ing the trade to and from Quebec and Oporto, and cruising on the Havre station, till the suspension of hostilities in 1801, when Mr. Duncan removed with Captain Donnelly into the Narcissus, a new 32-gun frigate, fitted with Gover's 24 pounders on the main-deck, and then preparing to receive • Oct. 9, 1 799, Sec note at p, I fi of thi* volume. ' ♦ POST-CAPTAINS OV 1906. 983 on board the annual presents for the Dey of Algiers^ whose Ambassador she also conveyed to Barbary. During the peace of Amiens, the Narcissus visited Gib- raltar, Algiers, Malta, Toulon, Leghorn, Palermo, Messina, Syracuse, Smyrna, Athens, and most of the Greek islands ; captured a large piratical galley *, and assisted at the evacua- tion of Egypt. While engaged in the latter service, Mr. Duncan, who had previously received an order from Lord Keith to act as a Lieutenant, was nearly carried off by a dis- order which proved fatal to many persons^ both naval and military, then employed at Alexandria. , , „j ... , ... i ni.-.t Being advised to try change of air, Mr. Duncan left Egypt in a transport, Jan. 18, 1803 ; and after performing full qua- rantine in the lazaretto at Malta, went on board the Kent 74, lying in Valette harbour, where he continued until an oppor- tunity offered of rejoining his proper ship, in the month of April following ; at which period his commission appears to have been confirmed by the Admiralty, The proceedings of the Narcissus, from that time till her departure for England, are sufficiently described in our memoir of her worthy con»- manderf. . • -^ .•,,... *, i Mr. Duncan continued to fill the station of Lieutenant on board the Narcissus until that ship was ordered home, in Sept. 1804. He then exchanged into the Royal Sovereign, a first- rate, bearing the flag of Sir Richard Bickerton, Bart., and was serving as junior Lieutenant of that ship when his excel- lent father's death was communicated to him ; on which me- lancholy occasion he received a letter from Lord Nelson, par- ticularly characteristic of that great man, who was always peculiarly happy in choosing the moment proper for confer- ring his favors. The following is a copy : — > " riciori/, Oct. .4, 1804. " My dear Sir, — ^Thcre is no man who more sincerely laments the heavy loss you have sustained than myself: but the name of Duncan will never be forgot by Britain, and in particular by its navy, in which service the remembrance of your worthy father will, I am sure, grow up in you. " I am sorry not to have a guud »loop to ^ivc you, but still an openings offers which I think will ensure vour confirmation as u Commander : it is ); II ill Pk^' m m * Sec vol. I. p. 664 • •. t See vol. 1. p. 665, et sei/. 3 8 2 984 POST-CAPTAINS OF 1806. occasioned by tfae very ill state of health of Captain Corbett, of the Bif. tern, who has requested a few wesks' leave to reside on shore at the hoa- pital. You will be confirmed before he reiuiiies his command. ** You had better get your things on board the Seahorse this afternoon, as she will go to Malta in the morning. I am ever, my dear Sir, with every kind wish, most faithfully yours, (Signed) ** Nelson & Bronte." " Hon. H. Duncan:' Finding on his arrival at Malta, that Captain Corbett had recovered his health sufficiently to retain the command of the Bittern, and that he did not feel disposed to give her up, Cap- tain Duncan returned to the fleet, as a passenger, in the Active frigate, and served as a volunteer on board the Royal Sove- reign, during Nelson's excursion to the coast of Egypt in quest of M. Villeneuve, whose ships, it will be remembered, were dispersed in a heavy gale shortly after their departure from Toulon, and thereby escaped for a time an encounter they so much dreaded ♦. Captain Duncan's commission as a Commander having been confirmed Nov. 6, 1804, he returned home in the Re- nown, a third-rate, commanded by Sir Richard J. Strachan, Bart. ; and after a short stay with his friends in Scotland, was appointed to the Minorca, a new brig of 18 guns, which ves- sel he commissioned at Chatham on the 21st Aug. 1805. He obtained post rank, while serving under the orders of Lord Collmgwood, on the Mediterranean station, Jaa 18, 1806 ; but was not superseded in the command of the Minorca until April 19th following, when he joined the Britannia of 100 guns, at Gibraltar, for a passage to England, where he ar- rived in company with three of the Trafalgar prizes, on the 17th of the ensuing month. From this period. Captain Duncan used every effort to obtain another appointment ; but having at that time no other claim than his father's services, they were not deemed suffi- cient by the then first Lord of the Admiralty, and he did not succeed until Lord Howick was replaced at that Board by Mr. T. Grenville t, -who immediately nominated him to the Porcupine of 24 guns, then recently launched at Plymouth, • See id. at note p. 589. t In the spring of 1807. POST-CAFFAINS OF 1806. 985 iii which ship he sailed for the Mediterranean with despatches and specie^ on the 10th July ; and joined Lord Collingwood off the Dardanelles, Sept. 2, 1807. During the remainder of that year, we find him most actively employed in the Adriatic, where the Porcupine and her boats captured and destroyed upwards of forty vessels, laden chiefly with grain and wine for the French garrisons at Ragusa and Cataro ; also an Italian gun-boat, mounting one long brass 24-pounder and several swivels, with a complement of about 50 men ; and a traba- colo loaded with ordnance stores of every description neces- sary for fortifying the island of Curzola. Th j importance of this service was thus acknowledged by his commander-in- chief, in an official letter, dated on board the Ocean, at Syra- cuse, Dec. 21, 1807 :— " I cannot too strongly express iny high approval and admiration of the zeal and activity with which you have annoyed the enemy in their opera- tions off Cataro, and prevented their supplies, a service which at this mo- ment is particularly important, aud I beg you will express my approbation of tl)e conduct of Lieutenant Price and the o£Qcers and men under his orders in the attack and capture of la Safo gun-boat, ua also in the other instances you have particularized *. I am, &c. (Signed) " Collingwood." > " Hon. Captain Duncan." In Jan. 1808, Captain Duncan captured two large French armed ships, laden with grain and gunpowder for the relief of Corfu, and having on board a reinforcement for the garrison of that island. A Russian transport mounting 18 guns, a merchant brig under similar colours, and a French vessel laden with hospital stores, were also intercepted by him in the course, of the same month ; but, unfortunately, the state of the weather obliged him to destroy many of his former prizes ; and one of the above ships, although quite new, foundered alongside of the Porcupine, in consequence of some deficiency in the fast- ening of her stem ; by which accident 2 men were drowned, and 23 others narrowly escaped sharing the same fate. During a subsequent cruise, Captain Duncan fell in with^ two French squadrons, one from Rochefort, the other from Toulon, consisting altogetl^er of nu^e sfiil of the line ^nd s^ii^n,. * The particulars of several gallant exploits performed by the Porcu- pine's boats, will be given in our memoir of her first Lieutenant, the pre- sent Captain George Price. m I -I m I'; m i H '■\'\ ' I.' 4 Vf -» t m ^85 POST-CAPTAINS OP 1806. frigates. This formidable force he continued to watch (in company with the Active), keeping almost constantly insight of one division or the other, for nearly three weeks, at the end of which time the enemy formed a junction and put into Corfu, from whence the Porcupine was sent by Captain Moubray, the senior officer, to apprise Lord Collingwood of their ar- rival. His Lordship, however, had not the good fortune to ineet with them on their return to the westward, and they were consequently enabled to reach Toulon in safety. :•'•.' After cruising for some time off Tunis, and to the west- ward of Sicily, where he re-captured one British merchant- man and prevented several others from falling a prey to four French privateers, which he discovered dogging a large con- voy, Captain Duncan conveyed Mr. Hill, his Majesty's mi- nister to the court of Sardinia, from Palermo to Cagliari, where he was landed on the 4th June, 1808. The Porcupine then proceeded to cruise between Naples and Toulon, where she was frequently engaged with the enemy's land batteries, while capturing and destroying vessels under their protection. On the 25th June, Captain Duncan fell in with a French schooner, near Monte Christo, which he captured, after a chase of eleven hours, the enemy having in vain endeavoured to run her on shore, about four leagues south of Bastia. She proved to be la Nouvelle Enterprise, a remarkably fine letter of marque, pierced for 14 guns, mounting six 6-pounders, with a cargo of bale goods, from Leghorn bound to Turkey. Alluding to this capture. Lord Collingwood, in a letter written OffCadiz, says:— . 'h'la-nsd ' '^ I approve of your having seen this vessel into Palermo, for the reasons you have assigned *. I hope you will have had further success against the enemy in your return to Toulon along the coast of Italy— at least I feel satisfied that your exertions will merit it ; but those things depend much on chance, and the enemy are very cautious in getting out of gun-shot of their numerous batteries. As the schooner appears well calculated for the ser- vice of Malta, I have ordered her to be surveyed and valued, and if found fit, to be taken into the service, to supply the place of the late Ventura." In July 1808, on the revolution breaking out in Spain, the Duke of Orleans, who was at the time residing at Palermo, wished to be sent to Spain to join the insurgents against the k*'rench under Buonaparte, and persuaded our minister in Sicily * The Porcupine's crew consisted entirely of impressed men. POST- CAPTAINS OF 1806. ^^ to Bpply to Captain Duncan^ then connnaiuling the Porcu- phie in Palermo bay, to convey his Highness to Cadiz. Cap- tain Duncan was sent for by Sir W— — D , and the wishes of the duke, backed by those of the minister, communicated to him in presence of his Highness. Captain Duncan would have wished tliat the minister had consulted with him private- ly ; but as he did not do so, he took upon himself to refuse. He saw at once that a Frenchman was not the person to go to Spain at that moment. It was in vain that Sir W and the duke tried to bring him to their way of thinking ; the first by pointing out to him the responsibility he would incur, the latter by flattering him with the idea that he would have the honor of conveying a Prince of Bourbon to head an army about to restore that family to the throne of France. At length, somewhat irritated, the duke said he was surprised at so young a man * standing out against their opinions, and added, ** If an officer in our marine had refused to do what a minister ordered him, he would have been broke for it." The cool answer was, " Please your Highness, it is perhaps our mis- fortune that our marine has not yet attained to the perfection yours had: but our commander-in-chief is not under any minister. I am young, it is true ; but I am to do what he would do if he were here : and I am sure he would never con-; sent to your going to Spain." They then asked him to con- vey the duke to the fleet ; he replied he would take till next day to consider of it. Next morning he wrote a letter to Sir W D , saying that he thought the duke going to the fleet would leave the Admiral no alternative but that of send- ing him on ; and it would therefore be better to write to Vice- Admiral Thombrough, and let him know what his High- liess's wishes were, and that the Halcyon brig would sail at 12 o'clock for the fleet, but could not wait longer, even for his despatches. Captain Duncan prevented further remon- strance with himself, by going to sea in the Porcupine. A day or two after a ship of war arrived at Palermo, took the duke on board, conveyed him to Cadiz, where he was not permitted to land, and Lord CoUingwood returned him forth- with to Palermo. " Captain DMQcan was tbcn little more than 22 years of age, > A>'i m "1 m w m m m m Vil' ;i I' " m ■ i i I IMA POST-CAPTAINS OF 1806. On the 9th of the* same month, Captain Duncan, then off Mount Circello, on the coast of Romania, observed two French gun-boats, with a merchant vessel under their con- voy, going along-shore to the westward ; and as the Porcu- pine was becalmed, he sent his boats in pursuit of them, under the orders of Lieutenant Price; who, after a row of eight hours, in a hot sun, drove the latter on shore, and forced the gun-boats to take shelter under the batteries of Port d'Anzo, At this time, seeing three very suspicious vessels coming down with a fresh breeze from the westward. Captain Duncan was obliged to recall the boats ; but before he could cut the strangers off, they also got into the same harbour. Next morning, observing that one of them, a large polacre ship, lay farther out than the others, and wish^ ing to give a check to the trade . along the coast, which the enemy imagined, from their numerous fortifications, they could carry on without molestation, he determined to attack her. As soon as it was dark the boats went in, under the command of his first Lieutenant, and succeeded in bringing her out from under the heavy fire of two batteries, a tower, and three gun-boats. In the execution of this service the British had 6 men severely, and 2 slightly wounded. Tlie prize was loaded with salt, mounted eight long 6-pounders, and had on board between 20 and 30 men, perfectly prepared for the attack. ■ Eleven days after this event, Captain Duncan drove on shore, near Mount Circello, a French polr ^re ship, which was afterwards completely destroyed by his boats, under the com- mand of Lieutenant Francis Smith, and vrithout any loss, though exposed to the fire of a tower, mounting two guns, -within pistol-shot of her ; she was about 200 tons burthen, from Naples, loaded with iron hoops and staves. On the 8th Aug. the Porcupine chased another French ship into the p^sage between Planosa and Elba, where she took refuge under a tower and battery : at night Captain Duncan pent Lieutenant Smith with the boats and a party of marines to attack her ^ and notwithstanding the heavy fire of the vessel, the orts, the French soldiers who lined the beach to which she was moored, and one of her guns which had been land- ed, they most gallantly boarded and brought her out. Sh^ POST-CAPTAIN* OF 1806. 989 fyroved to be la Conceptione, mounting 4 gune, from Genoa, bound to the island of Cyprus, with bale goods. The British, on this occasion, had 2 men killed and 8 wounded ; among the latter was Lieutenant James Renwiclc, R. M., a most excellent and gallant officer, who received three musket-ball wounds, but happily neither of them proved mortal *. Captain Duncan continued in the Porcupine till Oct. 2, 1808, when he left her at Malta, and proceeded in the Spider brig to join the Mercury of 28 guns, at Messina, the Admi- ralty having appointed him, without application, to that frijgate ; a change by no means so gratifying to him as their Lordships doubtless intended. Writing to the commander- in-chief on the subject of his removal, he says, " 1 am parti- cularly sorry at the change of ships, as this is, in my opi- nion, inferior to the Porcupine in almost every respect, and is so old and so bad, that 1 am afraid she will soon be obliged to go home, which is, of all things, what 1 wish least." Notwithstanding the Mercury was so old and defective, she was destined to perform greater services before her departure from the Mediterranean, than several of our crack frigates were during the whole war. * \ f '? ;.: After serving very actively and efficaciously, as senior officer, on the coasts of Sicily, Calabria, and Naples, where he assisted in capturing a French ship, loaded with bale goods, from Tunis bound to Leghorn ; and a settee with a cargo of cotton, from Barbary, bound to Marseilles j as well as in destroying several coasting traders j Captain Duncan conveyed Mr. (now Sir Charles) Stuart to Trieste, on his way to the Austrian court, then about to declare war against the French Emperor. Having put that gentleman on board the Amphion fri- gate, and placed himself under the orders of Captain Hoste the subject erf this memoir resumed his former station in the Adriatic, where the Mercury's boats, imitating those of the Porcupine, distinguished themselves by several gal- lant enterprises, judiciously planned by Captain Duncan, • Lieutenant Francis Smith had previously distinguished himself in the Porcupine's boats, particularly at the capture of la Safo, and of the polacre ship, cut out of Port d'Anzo.— See Memoir of Captain GfiOKOE Price. V' 'im. 1 I ' iH- ; 990 POST-CAPtAlNS OP 1806. and ably executed by the brave oflicers and men under his command. The capture of la I.«da, Venetian gun-boat, at Rovigno, on the ? st April, and of la Pugliese, French na- tional schooner, in the harbour of Barletta, on the 7th Sept. 1809, will be found amply described in our forthcoming me- moir of Captain Watkin Qweti Pell, who commanded the boats on each of those occasions. -^ '''> "' ' In April, 1809, Captain Duncan co-operated with the Aus- trian forces in obtaining possession of Capo d'Istria, a town near Trieste, during the course of which service the Amphion and Mercury were obliged to anchor on a lee shore, in a gale of wind, and to destroy the signal posts in order to prevent the enemy having a knowledge of their situation, and bring- ing guns against them from Venice. Subsequent to this event, the Mercury assisted at the attack of Pesaro and Cesenatico, the result of which was the destruction of the enemy's fortifications at the entrance of those harbours, and the capture of twenty-five sail laden with oil, hides, hemp, almonds, grain, &c., besides one large vessel loaded with iron, burnt in the latter port ; and the seizure of a large quantity of hemp and iron, which had been collected in the magazines on shore *. <Uaptuin Duncan's conduct in these attacks is thus noticed by Sir Jahleel Brcnton, the gallant officer under whom he was then serving : — ** As the enemy made no active resistance (at Pesaro), I can only ex. press my admiration of the zeal and promptitude with which Captain Hoste and the Hon. Henry Duncan executed the orders they received, and the manner in which tliey placed their ships. " The Mercury, from Captain Duncan's anxiety t<i place her as near the town (of Cesenatico) as possible, took the ground, but in so favor, able a position as gave the fullest effect to her fire : she was, however, hove oflf by 6 P. M. without having sustained any injury. I never wit- nessed more zeal and energy than were evinced by Captun Duncan on thi? occasion." Returning down the Adriatic, on his way to Malta, Cap- tain Duncan observed seven large trabacolos and several smaller ones, hauled upon the beach at Rotti, near Manfrc- donia, and sent a flag of truce to desire them to be given up, as he was unwilling to hurt the town j which being refused, the Mercury was anchored within half gun-uhot, in four fathoms ; • See p. 267 of this volume. iPDSt-CAPTAINS OP 1806. 991 and after a few broadsides the boats' crews and marines were enabled to land and destroy them, under the directions of Lieutenant Robert James Gordon, who had already distin^ guished himself on many occasions, and who was in this instance severely burnt by an explosion of gunpowder, while blowing up one of the vessels. Two days after the affair at Rotti, Captain Duncan, being off Cape St. Angelo, discovered three ships and a cutter in the N. E. coming down before the wind, and four French privateers in chase of and firing at them. He immediately hauled towards the strangers, and had the satisfaction of saving four Sicilian merchantmen, with valuable cargoes, from being captured. On the Mercury's approach, the enemy hauled their wind, and Captain Duncan did not pur- sue them, he having on board important despatches from the British Ambassador at Vienna, and there being but little or uo prospect of cutting them off from the land. It is almost su- perfluous to add,^ that his continued exertions were duly ap- preciated by Lord CoUingwood, who expressed, " great satis- faction that the Mercury had been able to effect such good Bervice. f^.i'.*.' .>v'7', -tr^'. On his return to the Adriatic, Captain Duncan was sent, with the Redwing of 18 guns under his orders, to blockade a French frigate and several brigs of war, then lying at Ancona. Whilst off that harbour, he captured three merchant vessels, destroyed several signal posts in the vicinity of the port, and challenged the frigate, but could not induce her commander to come out and fight him. From thence he proceeded off Ragusa, where be took sixteen sail of merchantmen, during ^ cruise of only 10 days. ' -■ • r - A short time subsequent to the capture of la Pugliesc, (al- ready adverted to), Captain Duncan was selected by Lord Col- lingwood to command a squadron employed in guarding Sicily from an invasion then threatened by the usurper of the Nea- politan throne j but the Mercury, on being surveyed, was found to be too defective for farther active service ; and indeed declared to be even in an unfit state to go home at that sea- son of the year. Circumstances, however, rendering it neces- sary for all the effective ships on the station to be retained, Captain Duncan ' ;:ceivcd orders to take charge of th^ tmUvj^ ¥1 993 POBT>CAPTAlNS OP 1806. then collecting at Malta, the whole of which he escorted in safety to the Downs, where he arrived, after a tempestuous passage, in the month of Feb. 1810. The Mercury was paid off, at Woolwich, shortly after her arrival ; and in June following Captain Duncan received an appointment of a much more gratifying description, it being to the Imperieuse, a fine 38-gun frigate, of which he assumed the command at Gibraltar, on the 22d Sept.^ having fol- lowed her thither, as a passenger, in the Milford 74., In May 1811, the Imperieuse and Resistance were de- tached to Algiers, in quest of two French frigates ; but not meeting with them. Captain Duncan was obliged to content himself with obtaining the release of a Cephalonian brig, which had been carried into Tripoli by an Algerine cruiser. He was afterwards sent on two short cruises, under the orders of Captains Blackwood and Dundas, duripg which he assisted at the capture of ten merchant vessels. With the exception of those three trips he was constantly attached to the inshore squadron off Toulon, for upwards of nine months ; a service of tLe most irksome nature to an officer of his en- terprising spirit. The time, however, was approaching, whea his talents for conducting operations along shore were again to be called into action. In July, Sir Edward Pellew, who had recently succeeded Sir Charles Cotton in the chief comm&nd of the Mediterranean fleet, relieved Captain Duncan from his mortifying situation, by sending him to Naples on a special service, for the able execution of which he received that officer's particular tlianks. < ' .' ' : '. '.' ^ i' ■'...-) « On the 11th Oct. 1811, being the fourteenth anniversary of Lord Duncan's victory, his son commenced a series of active operations in the Imperieuse, by attacking three of the ene- my's gun-vessels, each carrying an 18-pounder and 30 men, moored under the walls of a strong fort, near .the town o£ Possitano, in the Gulf of Salerno. About 11 A. M. the frigate was anchored within range of grape, and in a few minutes the enemy were driven from their guns, and one of the gun-boats was sunk. It, however, became absolutely necessary to get possession of the fort ; for although silenced, yet (from iti being regularly wullcd POST-CAPTAINS OF 1806. 90S round) the ship could not dislodge the soldiers and those of the vessels' crews who had made their escape on shore, and taken shelter in it. The marines and a party of seamen were therefore landed under the command of Lieutenant Eaton Travers, first of the Imperieuse, who forced his way into the battery in the most gallant style, under a very heavy fire of musketry, obliging more than treble the number of his brave companions to fly in all directions, leaving behind about thirty men and fifty stand of arms. The guns, which were 24-pounders, were then thrown over the cliff, the magazines, &c. destroyed, and the two remaining gun-vessels brought off. The Imperieuse, on this occasion, had her fore-top-sail- yard shot away, and sustained a loss of 3 men killed and Avounded. ' ' ' . On the 19th and 21st of the same month, the boats of the Imperieuse, assisted by those of the Thames frigate, under cover of both ships, anchored close to the shore for their sup- port, captured ten armed polacrcs loaded with oil, which they launched and brought off from the beach near Palinuro, on the coast of Calabria, where the vessels were banked up with sand, and defended by a large detachment of Neapolitan troops. This service was likewise executed under the direc- tions of Lieutenant Travers, whose intrepidity and judgment we shall hereafter have frequent occasion to notice. The above capture led to one of still greater importance, as will be seen by Captain Duncan's official report to Rear- Admiral Freemantle, dated at Melazzo, in Sicily, Nov. 7, 1811 :— "On the 21st ult. the Imperieuse and Tiiamcs discovered ten of the enemy's gun-boats in the port of Palinuro, with a number of merchant vessels, and a quantity of spars intended for tlie equipment of the Neapo- ntan navy, hauled up on the beach ; hut, from the strength and situation of the harbour, I did not think the force I then had sufficient to attack it with a prowpcct of complete success; I therefore sent the Thames to Sicily to re- quest the assistance of a detachment of soldiers, and on the 2Hthshe rejoined me with 250 of the G2d regiment, under M^or Dailey, but unfortunately at the commencement of a S.W. gale, which precluded all possibility of landing till'the evening of the 1st instant, when the troops, together with the ma- rine* of both ships under Lieutenant Pipon, and a detachment of seamen under Lieutenant Travers, the whole commanded by Captain Napier, were disembarked from the Thames at the back of the harbour, and immcdiatelf ascended and carried the heights in a very gallant stylo, under a heavy (ire » 'iC! I 1 I ;ii 'ii' till 9M POST-CAPTAINS OF 1906. from the enemy, who were assembled in force to oppose them, and wh» soon after dark endeavoured to retake tlieir position ; but one volley obliged them instantly to retire. The Imperieuse had in the mean time been endea- vouring to occupy the attention of the gun>boats and battery in front ; but the light and baffling winds prevented our getting any nearer than long range during the evening. Next morning, tinding that nothing could be done on the land side against the battery and a strong tower that protected the vessels on the beach, and within pistol-shot of which the gun-boats were moored, I ordered the Thames to close ; and, having directed Captain Na- pier to return on board her, we bore up at the commencement of the sea- breeze, end running along the line of gun-boats within half musket-shot, otiliged them almost instantly to surrender. Two were sunk. We then anchored close to the fort, which in about fifteen minutes was completely silenced, and in a quarter of an hour more the colours were struck to his Majesty's ships, and it was instantly taken possession of by Lieutenant Tra. vers, who, on seeing us stand in, had moat gallantly pushed down the hill with a party of seamen and marines, and was waiting almost under the walls of the fort, ready to take advantage of any superiority the ships might have over it. The guns, 24-pounders, were then thrown into the se*., the gun- boats secured, and the crews of both ships sent to launch the vessels and spars, which could not be completed till after noon next day ; when the troops, who had all this time remained in undisputed possession of the heights, were re-embarked, the marines withdrawn from the tower, which was completely blown up, together with two batteries, and a signal-tower on the hill, the ships and prizes putting to sea with the land breeze. Caraccioli, Captain of a frigate, commanded the division of gun-boats; and General Pignatelli Cercaro the land forces, which consisted latterly of about 700 men, including peasantry. ♦•••••, Enclosed is a list of the vessels taken and destroyed, and a return of the killed and wounded : among the former I have to regret Lieutenant Kay of the G2d regiment, and Lieutenant Pipon, R. M. of the Imperieuse *." Having escorted his prizes to Melazzo^ and disembarked the troops at that place, Captain Duncan proceeded to Mi- norca for the purpose of rejoinuig the fleet, and on his pas- sage thither re-capturcd an English ship from Newfoundland. On his arrival at Mahon, he had the gratification of receiving the following letter from the commander-in-chief, dated Dec. 19,1811:— " Sir,— I have received and read with great satisfaction your letters of * One gun-vessel, carrying two 18-pounders and 50 men, and three others of one 18-pounder and 30 men each, destroyed. Six vessels of the latter description, twenty-two feluccas laden with oil, cotton, figs, raisins, silk, &c. taken ; and 20 large spars brought off from the beach. Total loss on the part of the British, C killed and 1 1 wounded. POST-CAPTAINS OF 1806. 995 tlie 24tii Oct. and 9tb Nov., stating the services you have performed on the coast of Calabria, in company with Captain Napier of H. M. S. Thames. I have forwarded them to the Admiralty, recommending to their Lordships*' notice these testimonies of your zeal and gallantry, and of those who have served under your orders. I sincerely regret the loss you have sustained on this occasion. I desire you will convey to Captain Napier, and to the officers, seamen, and marines employed on these eer- vices, my entire approbation of their excellent conduct, and I have di< rected Admiral Frecmantlc to express to Major Dailey, and the officers and men of the detachment of the 62d regiment, acting with you at Pa- linuro, my thanks for their co-operation. " I have requested their Lordships' attention to the distinguished services of Lieutenant Eaton Travers, first of the Imperieuse, on this and former occasions. I am, &c. (Signed) " Enw. Pellew." " Hon. Capt. Duncan*." With the exception of his capturing a Neapolitan cutter, while on a cruise with the Swallow brig under his orders, we find no farther particular mention of Captain Duncan till June 27, 1812, on which day he assisted at the destruction of a French convoy, and the batteries of Languilla and Alassio, in the Gulf of Genoa, by a squadron under the command of Captain Patrick Campbell f. In the execution of this ser- vice the Imperieuse had 4 men killed, and a Lieutenant (William Walpole) and 10 other persons wounded. ^ On the 17th Aug. following, Captain Duncan then recon- noitring Naples, a squadron consisting of a 74- gun ship, bearing a Commodore's broad pendant, a frigate, a corvette, thirteen large cutter-rigged gun-boats, and nine smaller ones, got under weigh, apparently with an intention of attacking the Imperieuse and her consort, the Cephalus brig of 18 guns. Captahi Duncan allowed them to approach nearly within reach, when the frigate and gun-boats, which formed the lee division, shewed an inclination to annoy him with long shot, and Ire ordered the brig to wear and meet them ; which her commander, the lute Captain Edward Flin, did in a very handsome style, under a heavy fire, and actually obliged the whole to tack from him. The line-of- battle ship was at this time on Captain Duncan's weather quarter, and had it fully * The hi;,'!) approbation of the Adinirulty was conveyed to Captain Dunrau in a letter from their Lordships' Secretary, dated Jan. 23, IHI2. t See p. 21)3 of this volume. -.. . , - If; if: iri 996 POST-CAPTAINS OP 1806. in her power to run doum and close with him; but she seemed not to wish to leave her own shore at a greater dis- tance ; and on the Imperieuse making all sail towards her, she took in hers, and continued firing at long range. It was now sunset, and every likelihood of a calm ; the British therefore gave the headmost vessels a well-directed broad- side, and stood off. The enemy hauled close under the land, except the gun-boats, which, trusting to their oars, followed the Imperieuse and Cephalus a short time, keeping up a dis- tant fire. At day-light, on the 18th, Captain Duncan ob- served that the whole had returned to their anchorage. It was his intention, had the breeze continued, to have laid the 74 on board ; and with such men a» he commanded there is no doubt that she would easily have been carried. The en- thusiastic zeal of the crews of the Imperieuse and Cephalus exceeded any thing he had ever witnessed, and made him ** doubly regret, that the situation of the enemy would not allow of his giving full scope to their valour *." This spirited affair took place before thousands of spectators ; and certainly did not leave King Joachim much to boast of the improve- ment of his navy. We believe the 74 bore his name j she fell into the possession of the British^ by the capitulation of Naples, in 1815. ' Captain Duncan continued off Naples, with two frigates under his orders, till the defects of the Imperieuse rendered* it necessary for her to leave that station in order to be re- fitted. He then escorted a fleet of transports, having troops on board, from Palermo to Alicant, and returned fiY)m the latter place to Mahon, where his ship was hove down and new coppered. Whilst there he received an appointment to the Resistance 38, and was at the same time offered the Un- daunted, another beautiful frigate of the same class, should he prefer her to the other. The following genuine epistle from his crew, however, prevented him from accepting either : — " Sir,— Being informed you are going to lave us, v. 1 ive taken the Kberty at the unanimous request of all bands, to return you our most grate- ful thanks for your continued goodness and indulgence to us since we have * See Captain Duacaa's official Utter to Sir Edward Pelievv. fosT-CAPTAiMt or 1806. 997 had the happinetiB of being under your command. Vour continued atten^ tion to our comforts is more tlian we. ever experienced in any Ship, and more tlian we potably can do with any other Captain — from gratitude for your past f^oodness to us, we humbly hope our bedt services will still be exerted under your command, and hope you will not lave us. Every one is praying; for your continuance with us. We humbly beg to say that we will fight and $pell the last drop of our blood under your command, more wilHngly tlian any other Ship's Company up here will do, and only wish we had the oppertunity of convincing you by the capture of any two Frinch Frigates that we might be lucky enough to fall in with, and in as short time and as much to your satisfaction, as any other frigate posably could do— for in fighting under your command we fight under a Captain to whom we owe Eternal gratitude, and to whom we have the strongest attachment. We humbly Beg Pardon for the liberty we have taken, and remaina with the greatest respect and duty. Sir, your very humble Servants. (Signed) " The Ship's Company of the Imperieuse." In April 1813, Captain Duncan left Mahon, in the Irape- rieuse. Sir Edward Pellew having not only yielded to the wishes of her crew, but Hkewise added to their gratification by appointing their favourite Captain to the command of a squadron, consisting of three frigates and two brigs, employed watching the Neapolitan marine, then composed of one 74, two frigates, and a corvette, besides severe*! smaller vessels of war and numerous gun-boats ; to which was afterwards added a second line-of-battle ship. In addition to the duty of blockading Naples, Captain Duncan was directed to annoy as much as possible the ene- my's trade along the coast^ between that city and Leghorn ; but those orders were rendered nugatory in a considerable de- gree, through his being obliged to pay particular attention to the island of Ponza, which the enemy had threatened with an attack. He, however, captured a French privateer, and one or two merchant vessels ; nor did he quit that station without giving the Neapolitans frequent opportunities to engage his very inferior force. On one occasion we find him standing in with his frigates, and challenging the line-of-battle ships by firing several broadsides at them, as they lay at their an- chors ; but although they got under sail, and he remained m. sight all the next day, they were not sufficiently high-minded to leave the bay, and resent so great an insult. In Sept. 1813, a French convoy having collected at Port VOL. II. 3t ^ ii ■ II I ii-*'' , i, ;i I' 998 POST-CAPTAINS OP 1806. d'Anzo, Captain Duncan proceeded off that harbour, and waited for an opportunity to make a dash at the enemy ; but none occurred previous to the arrival of the Edinburgh 74, which ship had been despatched from Palermo, in conse- quence of the intelligence he had sent thither by Captain Manley, of the Termagant. The result of the attack has been stated in our memoir of the Hon. George H.L.Dundas, who, being senior officer, of course assumed the command ; he, however, adhering to the judicious arrangements al- ready made by the subject of this memoir, who had a few days before lessened the enemy's means of resistance, by causing the destruction of a strong martello tower *. Towards the latter end of the same year. Captain Duncan requested and obtained permission to accompany a squadron under the present Sir Josias Rowley, who was then about to make a descent on the coast of Italy. " The ready and use- ful assistance" he afforded that officer " on every occasion,'* during the subsequent operations at Via Reggio and Leghorn, was duly acknowledged by him in his official despatch, a copy of which will be found at p. 424 el seq. Soon after the termination of this expedition. Captain Dun- can was appointed to ihe command of a squadron employed on the coasts of Sardinia and Corsica ; but hearing that an armament was preparing at Palermo to renew the attack upon Leghorn, he again volunteered his services, and assisted in escorting 5000 troops to that place, where they were landed without opposition, the French garrison having been with- drawn previous to their arrival. The evacuation of Leghorn was speedily followed by the reduction of Genoa and its dependencies ; but Captain Dun- can was prevented from joining the naval force employed on that occasion, in consequence of a fever which broke out among his gallant crew, and obliged him to proceed to Mahon, where he was detained from April 10th till May 8th, 1814, previous to which all military operations in Europe had terminated. , j " « See memoir of Commander Eaton Travers, and p. 423 et seq. of tliis volame. N.B. Previous to this event, one of Captain Duncan's squadron had taken a convoy, consisting of 3 gun-boats and 12 merchant vessels ; and another captured a large French brig, and a privateer of 3 guns and forty men. > • POST-CAPTAINS OF 1806, 999 Providentially, of 250 men who went to the hospital, not a single person died. The Imperieuse returned to England about the middle of July, 1814 ; and Captain Duncan, immediately on his arrival, was appointed to the Glasgow, a new frigate, mounting 60 guns ; in which he conveyed Viscount Melville from Ports- mouth to Plymouth, at the commencement of October ; and then cruised between Scilly and Cape Finisterre, until the final conclusion of the war with America. He had not the good fortune, however, to meet with any of the enemy's cruisers ; and the recapture of one British meivhantman was the only service which he had an opportunity of effecting. On the return of Buonaparte from Elba, the Glasgow was placed under the orders of Admiral Lord Keith ; and after a short cruise on the coast of la Vendee, Captain Duncan was nominated by the Admiralty to the command of a squadron, intended at first to be employed between Capes Finisterre and St. Vincent, but ultimately sent to cruise across the Bay of Biscay, in order to intercept the fugitive usurper. Hearing at length of Napoleon's surrender to the Bellerophon, and ob- serving the royal colours displayed at Brest, Captain Duncan put into that port, where he remained four days, and then returned to Plymouth. From the foregoing statement, it will appear very evident to our readers, that Captain Duncan, although he never had the good fortune to encounter a frigate at sea, was both active and successful in coast operations against the enemy : he did as much along shore as any officer we have ever heard of. Having no frigates to fight, he never lost an opportunity of attacking the enemy's convoys in their own ports, destroying batteries, and cutting out work for himself in every possible shape. If the Captain of a British frigate meets an enemy's ship of that description, he fights her, and he can do no less ; the ofiUcer who goes out of his way to cut out work for him- self, has the credit of the planning to be added to that of the execution of any particular enterprise. Having found it im- possible to specify every individual capture made by Captain Duncan, or at which he assisted, while commanding the Por- cupine, Mercury, and Imperieuse, we must content ourselves with giving the grand total of vessels taken <ind destroyed in 3t2 If 1000 POST-CAPTAFNS OF 1806. his presence between Sept. 1807 and Jan. 1814 ; viz. fifteen gun-boats, one national schooner, three armed transports, two privateers, three letters of marque, and upwards of two hundred merchantmen, exclusive of six recaptures ; — he also assisted at the destruction of eight towers and thirteen batteries. For hi*s indefatigable exertions and valuable services,he was deservedly rewarded with the insignia of a C. B. in June 1815. The proof of the value of those services is, that they led to the promotion of four Lieutenants serving under his immediate command *. The Glasgow being paid off at Chatham, Sept. 1 following, and Great Britain then at peace with all the world. Captain Duncan did not attempt to obtain further employment until June 1818, when he was appointed to the Liffey of 50 guns, in which ship he conveyed Field-Marshal Lord Beresford from Portsmouth to Lisbon, and then proceeded on an anti- piratical cruise round the West India Islands. After touching at Port Royal, and the Havannuh, Captain Duncan returned to Spithead j and in the autumn of 1819, we find him attending on his present Majesty, then Prince Re- gent, during his aquatic excursion in that neighbourhood. Whilst thus employed, the Liffey had the honor of hoisting the royal standard, tlie Prince having condescended to visit her, at the same time paying Captain Dui, an the flattering com- pliment of saying that he did so "because be had never seen a ship that pleased him so much before." The Liffey subsequently conveyed Sir Charles Bagot, H. M. Ambassador to the court of St. Petersburgh, from North Yar- mouth to Cronstadt j and on her return from thence was des- patched in company with the Active frigate, under sealed or- ders, to Naples ; where she continued from the 6th. Oct. 1820, until the end of Feb. 1821. ■ ■ Captain Duncan was next sent to Lisbon, on secret service of a highly important nature ; and whilst there he received the thanks of the Cortes for his exertions in subduing a fire which had broke out in one of the public buildings. He had also the honor of a private audience with the King of Portugal, when that monarch arrived in the Tagus, from Rio Janeiro, after an honorable exile of nearly fourteen years. " •Seep 1001. POST-CAPTAINS OF 1806. JOO) In Aug. and Sept. 1821, we again find the LUTi v attcikdii. upon our own sovereign, whom she accompanied first to Ire land, and afterwards to Calais. On her return from the latter service, she was ordered to be paid off at Portsmouth ; and Captain Duncan has not since been afloat. Previous to their separation, Oct. IJ, 1821, the officers of the Liffey gave a superb entertainment to their late commander — upwards of thirty persons sat down to dinner. The accus- tomed patriotic toasts having been given, the President, after an appropriate speech, in which he expatiated on the uninter- rupted harmony that had reigned among all classes, proposed " the health of the Hon. Captain Duncan, under whose com- mand they had all enjoyed so large a portion of comfort and hap- piness ; who both in his public and private character, had ac- quired, and would ever retain their utmost respect and esteem." This toast was hailed with the most enthusiastic and long con- tinued bursts of applause. — t^laptaiu Duncan, in an animated speech, returned thanks ; and expressed his approbation of the conduct of all his officers, whose lot, he observed, it had been to visit together several European capitals, in all of which he was proud to say, they had left impressions highly favor- able to the British name. Many other appropriate toasts fol- lowed, and the evening was spent in the greatest concord and conviviality. >„. % .r. . .. :.i , ,; j* Captain Duncan's great anxiety has always been, to push on the officers serving under his command ; and in this re- spect he has been particularly successful. Not one of his first Laeutenants possessed interest, yet no less than five of them were made Commanders, and a sixth individual may be said to have obtained that rank through him. Lieutenants Price, Pell, and Travers, whom we have already mentioned in the course of this memoir, were promoted for their respective services in the Porcupine, Mercury, and Imperieuse. The action at Languilla and Alassio, June 27, 1812, led to the advancement of Lieutenant William Walpole *. The Prince Regent's visit to the Liffey was followed by the promotion of Lieutenant William Henry Higgs ; and his successor, Wil- liams Sandom, although not made until after the ship was paid See p. 995, 1002 POST-CAPTAINS OF 1806. off would in all probability have been a Lieutenant still, but for the fortunate circumstance of his having attracted Captain Duncan's notice during the war, by which means alone he obtained an appointment to the Liffey. There is another point which Captain Duncan has great reason to pride himself upon ; namely, his attention to Na- val Gunnery ; and a recital of the circumstance which we are told first led him to see the necessity of attending thereto, may be a useful lesson to our young officers. A few weeks after the Porcupine was manned. Captain Duncan chased a ship during the night in the Archipelago, which proved to be an American merchant vessel. While hailing her, and when the two ships were almost touching each other, a gun on board the Porcupme went off by accident, and a whole broadside followed. The guns were all double shotted^ and Captain Duncan naturally supposed the neutral ship would be cut to pieces. Although happy to hear she had not suffered, his surprise was very great to find that a broadside could be fired so close without producing any effect : from that moment he saw the absurdity of the common form of exercise, which he had been accustoiped to pay as much attention to as is generally done ; and that real exercise, and the greatest and most constant attention to it, was neces- sary. In a short time the crew of the Porcupine became per- fect gunners ; the Mercury's were the same ; and never, dur- ing the war, did the firing of any ship surpass that of the !m- perieuse. One day, under a battery, the captain of a gun was asked by an officer why he did not fire ? The man re« plied, " The quoin edgeways is too much, and not enough put in flat ; I am chipping a bit of wood for it." This an- swer shews how cool and correct his people were in handling their guns — ^they used to say themselves, that they would cut a frigate asunder in fifteen minutes. Unfortunately they never had an opportunity of displaying their skill in so highly desirable a manner ; but no battery they were ever opposed to could stand their fire many minutes. We should here re- mark, that very few of Lord Cochrane's men were then re- maining in the Imperieuse : it is true his Lordship first taught that frigate's crew how to use great guns with skill and dex- terity: it is also certain that Captain Duncan completed /.■ POST-CAPTAINS OF 1806. 1003 them in that important science ; and it is but justice to both to add, that Captain Duncan has been often heard to declare how much he admired and how much he had profited by his Lorddhip's system of gunnery. Lord Cochrane proba- bly did not think otherwise of Captain Duncan's, when he re- commended him as his successor to his favorite ship, although unacquaint ed with him until they had met on service a few months before *. The crew of the Glasgow, perhaps the finest set of men ever collected on board a ship, were well trained to their guns under Captain Duncan ; and the perfection to which he brought the Liffey's firing, aided by Sir William Congreve's sights, is sufficiently shewn in the extract from his journal, published in a treatise on that subject by the latter ingenious ofiQcer. . Captain Duncan married, April 22, 1823, Mary Simpson, only daughter of Captain James Coutts Crawford, R. N. and grand-daughter of the late Alexander Duncan, of Restalrig House, near Edinburgh, Esq. by whom he has a son, born June 23, 1824 ; and a daughter, born May 31, 1825. Agent,'^^, Woodhead, Esq. ^^ i. • vc/* ^ »' HENRY VAUGHAN, Eiq. -— This offieer, a descendant of the late Earl of Carberry, was born in VJhT. He entered the naval service as a Mid- shipman on board the Boyne of 70 guns, commanded by Captain Broderick Hartwell, in 1774 ; and afterwards joined in succession, the Foudroyant 80, Captain John Jervis ; Galatea 20, Captain J. Jordan f ; Ardent 64, Captain James Gambler ; and Sandwich, a second-rate, bearing the flag of Sir George B. Rodney; by whom he was appointed first • During a debate od naval affairs in the House of Commons, Lord Cochrane complained that the Admiralty did not pay attention to the re- commendation of officers. Mr. Croker said in reply, " that his Lordship should be the last to make such an accusation, as the Board had atte^idcd to his recommendation, even so far as to the appointment of a successor to his ship," or words to that effect. We state this from memory, conse- quently cannot give the exact date when the conversation alluded to took place. t The Galatea assisted at the reduction of New York in Sept. 1776. "i V^ i 1004 POST-CAPTAINS OF 1806. Lieutenant of the Panther 60, Captain John Harvey, imme- diately after the defeat of Don Juan de Langara, in Jan. 1780. His commission was confirmed by the Admiralty, Oct. 3d, in the same year. Soon after Mr. Vaughan's promotion, the chief command of the naval force employed in the defence of Gibraltar, de- volved on Captain Harvey; and never perhaps was cool judgment and firm resolution more necessary, than in the dangerous situation he was soon placed in. During the night of June 6, 1780, a bold and well-concerted effort was made by the Spaniards to destroy the British squadron ; several fire-ships were sent over for that purpose, attended by a large number of boats. Don Barcello's squadron lay at the entrance of the bay to intercept the British, if they should cut their cables and endeavour to escape. Many favorable circum- stances seemed almost to ensure success : the wind was mo- derate from the N. W., the night cloudy, and, considering the season of the year, uncommonly dark : the foremost of the fire-ships was within hail of the Enterprise frigate before they were discovered — not a moment was to be lost, the danger was instant and alarming : to endeavour to avoid it by putting to sea, was to full into the hands of the enemy. Captain Harvey, with great coolness and presence of mind, ordered all his boats out to grapple the fire-ships, and tow them on shore — the largest, equal in size to a 50-gun ship, drove past the New Mole head within the distance of 150 yards ! Not only the size of the ship, but the violence of the heat, rendered it impracticable for the boats to grapple her : had she got within the mole, every vessel lying there, to- gether with the storehouses in the naval yard, must have been destroyed. Three others were secured together with chains and cables j yet with uncommon resolution and activity, the British seamen separated, and towed them ashore. The Panther was in the utmost danger : three of the enemy's ships were directed towards her : one, notwithstanding the exertions of the boats, came so near as to melt the pitch on her side } auJ as some of the sails were set for canting her, part of the crew were constantly employed in wetting them. By the strong light of these 8even ships, all blazing at one time, two other vessels of the same description were seen on the larboard POST-CAPTAINS OF 1806. 1005 l)ow of the Panther ; but so heavy and well-directed a ftre did «he keep up, that their crews were obliged io abandon them before they could be placed in a situation to produce any mischievous effects. Thus was the attempt of the enemy rendered ineffectual by the valour of British seamen, under the guidance of Captain Harvey, Lieutenant Vaughan, and other resolute and skilful officers. Orders having been sent from England, about this period, for the Panther to take the first opportunity that offered for re- turning home, she slipped out of the bay, with an easterly wind, during the night of July 2d, succeeded in eluding the vi- gilance of Don Barcello, captured a Spanish packet in her pas- sage, and arrived at Spithead on the 25th of the same month. Lieutenant Vaughan subsequently accompanied Captain Harvey to Barbadoes, and was present at the reduction of St. Eustatius, Feb. 3, 1/81. A few hours after that event, the Panther assisted at the capture of a Dutch convoy, richly laden, as will be seen by the following letter from Captain Francis Reynolds (afterwards Lord Ducie) to Sir George B. Rodney :— " Monarch, off Saba, Feb.b, 1781. " Sir,— I have the pleasure to inform you, that yesterday morniog I fell in with the convoy you did me the honor to send me in pursuit of. About ten o'clock I ordered the Mara, a Dutch ship of 60 guns, to strike her colours ; which she refusing to do, occasioned some shot to be exchanged. The Monarch received no damage, excepting 3 men wounded : I am not informed of the number the Dutch had killed and wounded ; but among the former is their Admiral, though his flag was not hoisted at the time of the action. From some shot in her masts, I have ordered the PurUher to take her in tow. " By the activity of Captain Harvey, and Lord Charles Fitzgerald *, wc were enabled to take possession of the whole, and to make siul with them by four o'clock in the afternoon." From this period to the Ist Aug. 1781, the Panther conti- nued cruising among the different islands : when, as she was an old ship, considerably weakened by being constantly at Bea, Sir George B. Rodney sent her home with the Triumph 74, as convoy to a large fleet of merchantmen. In Jan. 1782, she was ordered into dock at Portsmouth ; and we find no far- ther mention of Mr. Vaughan until the commencement of the * His Lordship commanded the Sybil of 28 guns. , I \ it 1006 POST-CAPTAINS OF 1806. French revolutionary war, when he was appointed first Lieu- tenant of the Russell 74, commanded by Captain John Willet Payne, with whom he continued until his promotion to the rank of Commander, which took place immediately after the glorious battle of June 1 , 1794. In 1801, Captain Vaughan was appointed to the Imogene of 18 guns, then employed cruising against the smugglers ; but subsequently sent with important despatches to the Cape of Good Hope, where she arrived after a passage of only 58 days. He was afterwards employed on the coast of Guinea, and at the Leeward Islands, from which latter station he sailed for England with the homeward-bound fleet at the com- mencement of 1805. His post-commission bears date Jan. 22, 1806; since which date he has not been afloat. In 1807 he was appointed to the Sea Fencible service in Ireland, ivhere he continued until the dissolution of that corps, in 1810. Captain Vaughan married the eldest sister of Captain James Katon, R. N.* j^getit, ^-^ohn Chippendale, Esq. THOMAS CAMPBELL, Esq. This officer was made a Commander in 1794 ; and advanced to the rank of Post-Captain, Jan. 22, 1806. He commanded the Wright, hired armed ship, previous to the peace of Amiens ; and obtained the out-pension of Greenwich Hospital, Aug. 19, 1817. JOSEPH LAMB POPHAM, Esq. This oflicer is a half-brother of the late Rear- Admiral Sir Home Popham, K. C. B. He was made a Lieutenant in 1794, advanced to the rank of Commander in 1797i and posted Jan. 22, 1806. He married, June 17, 1801, Miss Wallis, of Tre- vamo, near Hclstone, in Cornwall. * See p. 460. POST-CAPTAINS OF 1806, 1007 JOHN SURMAN GARDEN, Esq. This officer is the eldest son of the late Major Garden, a member of the Templemore family in Ireland, by Miss Sur- man, of Treddington, near Tewkesbury, in Gloucestershire, at which place he was born on the 15th Aug. 1771* At the commencement of the dispute with our colonies, Mr. Garden, senior, (then a Lieutenant in the army) proceeded to America, where his services on many occasions were so con- spicuous as to obtain him the rank of Major in a provincial regiment, **The Prince of Wales's Royal Americans.'* During his absence, her late Majesty, Queen Charlotte, attending to the recommendation of General Rooke, commanded Mrs. Car- den to return from Ireland, and take charge of one of the royal progeny, as nurse ; at the same time nominating her son, the subject of this memoir, a page to the King, and procuring him an ensigncy in his father's regiment. Unfortunately, however, Mrs. Garden declined accepting the proffered situa- tion until she could receive her husband's consent ; a re- fusal which put an end to the youngster's prospects of advancement, either at court or in the army ; his name being immediately erased from the list of pages, and subsequently struck off the strength of his regiment, which extreme youth had prevented him fi'om joining, although repeatedly ordered to do so. Mrs. Garden shortly after departed this life, at the age of 26 years ; and was soon followed by the Major, who died of wounds received in action with the enemy, leaving two eons and two daughters. Mr. John Surman Garden having ultimately determined to become a sailor, and obtained an introduction from the late Duke of Beaufort to Captain Charles Thompson of the Edgar 74, was received as a Midshipman on board that ship, in 1788. In the following year we find him proceeding to the East Indies in the Perseverance frigate. Captain Isaac Smith, with whom he returned to England at the commence- ment of the Freiirh revolutionary war ; when he joined the Marlborough 74, commanded by the Hon. George C. Berke- ley, under whom lie continued to serve until his promotion to fi- 1006 POST-CAPTAINS OF 1806. the rank of Lieutenant, which took place immediately after Lord Howe's battle, June 1, 1794*. Lieutenant Garden, whose sight had been materially in jured by an explosion of gunpowder during the above en- gagement, subsequently followed Captain Berkeley into the Formidable, a second-rate ; and on leaving that ship, joined the Barfleur, another three-decker, commanded by the late Vice-Admiral Dacres. His next appointment was to the Queen Charlotte, of 100 guns, bearing the flag of his friend. Sir Charles Thompson, through whose influence he became first Lieutenant of the Fisgard frigate, fitting at Plymouth, in Sept. 1798. His commission as Commander, dated Oct. 25, in the same year, was presented to him on account of his gallant conduct in an action with I'lmmortalite, of 42 guns and 580 men, the capture of which ship has already been de- scribed in our memoir of Sir Thomas Byam Martin, K. C.B. f, from whose official letter to Lord Bridport we make the fol- lowing extract : — " I should wish to reconmend the steady good conduct of Mr. Garden, first Lieutenant of the Fisgard, on this occasion, but not to the prejudice of any other person, as every oflicer and man on board behaved with that courage and intrepidity which at all times distinguish his Mi^esty's sub- jects in the presence of an enemy." In the summer of 1800, Captain Carden was appointed to the Sheerness, a 44-gun ship, armed en flute, attached to the expedition then about to sail for the Helder, where he com- manded a division of boats at the debarkation of the army* under cover of a warm and well-directed fire from the bombs, gun-brigs, and other small vessels J. During the remainder of the war, he appears to have been employed in co-operation with the French royalists, on the coast of la Vendee ; and conveying troops to the Mediterra- nean and Red Sea, for the purpose of reinforcing the British army in Egypt. This latter service afforded Captain Carden an opportunity of crossing the desert of Suez, and visiting Grand Cairo, from whence he returned to his ship, bringing with him, as volun- . . • Sec note t at p. 15 of this volume. ....... ^ " t See vol. I. p. 493. % See id. note at p. 415. POST-CAPTAINS OP 1806. 1009 teers for the different regiments in India, many of the very men whom he had previously landed at Minorca. On his return from the Red Sea he surveyed the ports of Zeyla and Barbora, in the Arabian Gulf (ports which had never before been entered by any European ship), and with much difficulty, as well as personal risk, succeeded in establishing a source of supply for his countrymen, should any reverse have obliged the army to approach that quarter. His exertions at this pe- riod are thus noticed in a letter written by the late Rear-Ad- miral John Sprat Rainier, dated Dec. 23, 1820 : " My tiear Garden, — I look back with pleasure to our arduous services in the Red Sea and India ; though being performed in that remote region, they are unknown and unnoticed in this quarter of the globe. The (iover- nor of Bombay attributed the preservation of the magazines, arsenal, and dock, almost entirely, to the zealous and active exertions of the navy, when that rich and combustible city was nearly reduced to ashes : your distin- guished conduct on that occasion, I well remember. But our exertions did not terminate here ; we rescued the property of thousands, and the lives of many, at the extreme peril of our own. I imagine Sir Home Popham, if alive, would have borne testimony to the value of your assistance in that remarkable and most essential service of enal)ling the British army to cross the desert between Cossire and the Nile, which it is allowed would have been impracticable but with the aid the squadron afforded at the very crisis of commencing their march •." • • • • The fire alluded to by Rear-Admiral Rainer, broke out at Bombay on the l/th Feb. 1803, and burnt down the greater part of the town, leaving only the dock-yard, arsenal, castle, and European buildings. In the midst of the conflagration. Captain Garden distinguished himaelf by his intrepidity in forcing open a magazine, the outer door of which had already caught fire, and setting a noble example to his men, by seizing the nearest barrel of gunpowder, carrying it, covered with his jacket, to the ramparts, and throwing it from thence into the ditch. By this daring act, the lives of many hundred persons were saved ; yet, strange to say, the only reward Ca|)tain Garden ever received was the thanks of the Governor and Council, conveyed to him, in common with other officers, through the naval commander-in-chief. He was soon after obliged to invalid in consequence of hepatitis, brought on by his great exertions, and return home as a passenger on board an Indiaman. • See the remainder of Rear-Admiral Rainier'* letter at p. 1010. i: ir 1010 POST-CAPTAINS OF 1806. Captain Garden's next appointment, which took place im- mediately after his arrival in England, was to command the Sea Fencibles quartered on the borders of the Frith of Forth, where he continued until appointed to the Moselle brig in Dec. 1804. Previous to his quitting North Britain, he was presented with the freedom of the united boroughs of Burntisland, Kirkaldy, Kinghorn, and Dysart. His post- commission bears date Jan. 22, 1806 ; but he does not appear to have given up the command of the Moselle until the month of March following. A letter from Captain George Mundy, bearing testimony to his attentive and able conduct while engaged in the blockade of Cadiz, will be found at p. 336 of this volume. In Jan. 1809, we find Captain Cardcn commanding the Ville de Paris, a first-rate, and assisting at the embarkation of the unfortunate army which had entered Spain under Sir John Moore. Speaking of this service, his friend, Rear-Ad- miral Rainer, continues his letter in the following terms : — " • • • * Sir David Baird will join me in this •, as well as in tho estimation of your services at Corunna. The services of the navy upon this occasion, liave been depressed by the misfortunes of the period, in- cluding the state of the weather, which caused the fleet to disperse, and was destructive of all order ; and they have been obscured by political misrepresentations. The fact was this, that with the boats of the men of war and transports only, and under the disadvantage of a gale of wind, and night operations, we embarked the whole army, amounting, if my memory be correct, to 24,000 men, in about 36 hours. In all this, you performed, as upon other occasions, a zeak)U8 and important part. Believe me ever, my dear Garden, most truly yours, (Signed) " J. S. Rainier." Captain Cardcn was afterwards appointed in succession to the Ocean 98, Mars 74, and Macedonian frigate. His cap- ture, by an American man of war, is thus described by him in a letter to John Wilson Croker, Esq. dated at sea, Oct. 23, 1812 :— *' Sir, — It is with the deepest regret I have to acquaint you, for the in< formation of my Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty, that H. M . late ship Macedonian, was captured on the 25th instant, by the U. S. ship United States, Commodore Decatur, commander : the detail is as follows : Sec p. 1009. POST-CAPTAINS OF 1806. 1011 " A short time after day-light, steering N. W. by W. with the wind from the southward, in lat. 29° N. and long. 29° 30' W., in the execution of their Lordships' orders, a sail was seen on the lee beam, which 1 imme- diately stood for, and made her out to be a large frigate under American colours. At 9 o'clock, I closed with her, and she commenced the action, which we returned ; but, from the enemy keeping two points off the wind, I was not enabled to get as close to her as I could have wished. After an hour's action the enemy backed and came to the wind, and I was then enabled to bring her to close battle. In this situation I soon found the enemy's force too superior to expect success, unless some very fortunate chance occurred in our favor ; and, with this hope, I continued the battle to two hours and ten minutes ; when, having the mizen-mast shot away by the board, top-masts shot away by the caps, main-yard shot in pieces, lower- masts badly wounded, lower rigging all cut to pieces, a small proportion only of the foresail left to the yard, all the guns on the quarter-deck and forecastle disabled but two, and filled with wreck, two also on the main- deck disabled, and several shot between wind and water, a very great pro- portion of the crew killed and wounded, and the enemy, who had now shot a-head, comparatively in good order, and about to place himself in a raking position, without our being enabled to return his fire, being a perfect wreck and unmanageable log ; I deemed it prudent, though a painful extremity, to surrender his Majesty's ship ; nor was this dreadful alternative resorted to till every hope of success was removed, even beyond the reach of chance ; nor till, I trust their Lordships will be aware, every effort had been made against the enemy by myself, my brave officers, and men : nor should she have been surrendered whilst a man lived on board, had she been manage- able. I am sorry to say our loss is very severe ; I find, by this day's muster, 36 killed, 3 of whom lingered a short time after the battle ; 36 severely wounded, many of whom cannot recover ; and 32 slightly wounded, who may all do well. Total 104 •. " The truly noble and animating conduct of my officers, and the steady bravery of my crew, to the last moment of the battle, must ever render them dear to their country. " iWy first Lieutenant, David Hope, was severely wounded in the head, towards the close of the battle, and taken below ; but was soon again on deck, displaying that greatness of mind, and exertion, which, though it may be equalled, can never be excelled ; the third Lieutenant, John Bulford, was also wounded, l)Ut not obliged to quit his quarters ; the second Lieu, tenrnt, Samuel Mottley, and he, deserve my highest acknowledgments. I • " In bearing down to attack the American ship, the whole of the Mace- donian's carronades on the engaging side, had their chocks, which, in thi« frigate, were fitted outside, cut away by the raking fire of the United States. Thus was disabled the entire upper-deck Imttcry of the IMacedonian, before she had well l>egun the action." — See James's JVuv, Occ. p. 154. I0I2 POST-CAPTAINS OF 1906. Tlie-cool and steady conduct of Mr. Walker, the Master, was rery conspi- cuous durinfif the battle ; as also that of Lieutenants Wilson and Magill, of the marines. " On being taken on board the enemy's ship, I ceased to wonder at the result of the battle. The United States is built with the scantling of a 74 gun-ship, mounting thirty long 24-pounders (English ship guns) on her main-deck, and twenty-two 43-pounder carronades, with two long 24- pounders on her quarter-deck and forecastle, howitzer guns in her tops *, and a travelling carronade on her upper-deck ; \wth a complement of 47& picked men. " The enemy has suffered much in masts, rigging, and hull, above and below water ; her loss in killed and wounded I am not aware of, but I know a Lieutenant and 6 men have been thrown overboard f. (Signed) •* John S. Garden." * Eight-pounders, one in each top. f " The loss of the United States is stated by Commodore Decatur at no more than 5 killed and 7 wounded. Among the latter is included, ' Lieutenant Funk, who died four hours after the action.' Mr. Clark (editor of a naval work published at Philadelphia, Jan. 3, 1814), also notices one of the seamen as having been mortally wounded ; which coincides with Captain Garden's statement, that a Lieutenant and 6 men had been thrown overboard. According to the proportions between the killed and wounded, the American slightly wounded cannot have been enumerated ; a circum- stance that receives confirmation from the fai:t, that the American officers, when questioned on the subject of their los8« told each a different story." — See James's A^av. Occ. p. 158. By reference to the minutes of the court-maitial afterwards he.u on Cap- tain Garden, &c., it will be seen that one of the Macedonian's quarter-mas- ters, an old British seaman, made oath, that he served his time with many of the United States' crew, out of an English port ; that his first cousin was one of the traitors, and that they had declared to him that the American ship had 18 persons slain in the action. Captain Garden, in a letter to Mr. James» dated May 17> 1824, and afterwards published in the Hampshire Telegrapht says, that the United States was pumped out every watch till her arrival in port, from the effect of shot received under water, and that two 18-pounders had passed through her main-mast in an horizontal line ; he adds, " had such roast been the size only of the Macedonian's, that is the same diameter, it would most probably have fallen early in the action, five of her main shrouds having been cut away by the Macedonian's shot, on the side en- gaged." In reply to Mr. James's assertion, " that the British frigate bore down to the attack in a heedless and confident manner, and that the United States opened a fire from her long twenty-fours, almost every shot of which •truck either the hull or the masts of the Macedonian," (oeo Nav. Hist. V. 5, p. 304,) Captain Caitien declares, that every shot of the enemy's POST-CAPTAINS OP 1806. 1013 As no correct account of the Macedonian's armam'int has hitherto been published, we shall here give an authentic state- ment, shewing the comparative force of that ship and her formidable opponent. ■"' MACEDUNIAV. UNITED STATES. Main-deck ... 28 loiig eighteeu-pounders 30 long twenty-four-pounder*. Quarter-deck, "^ ^16 thirty-two-pounder carronades, "J T 22 f urty-two-poundcr carionadea, and LJ 2 long twelve-pound<!rt, and KJ and Forecastle, j 1 2 ditto brait eiglit-poundcrs *. j 1 ^ 'onR twcnty-four-pounderf. Toltl 48 guns, exclusive of a boat's car- 64 guns, exclusive or three howil- ronade. zer-pieces in (he tops, and a travelling carronaiie. Broadside weight or meta, { [ZS.'^}»^ P0""'>'-{crrr'oS.^2}^ Po""'i'- ! Officers BS-\ ( ^ 1 Seamen and Mariso 178 f ^^^^ 297 t . . < *^** > Total 609 ^. Landsmen .... 61 T | nonci i >' Boys 85 I • t 1 J Size in tons 1081 1670 1|, ./ broadside fell far short, and that one of the first that struck her was a fortp-ttoo-T^ounder, which killed the serjeant of marines. The inizen top- mast was shot away at the cap about the same time, and fell forward into the main-top. • The two brass 8-pounders (prize guns) were only fired once — the solder by which pieces of metal for securing the locks had been affixed to them having run the first discharge, and filled the touch-holes. t Among the Macedonian's crew were many men gaid to be native Americans, and other foreigners, eight of whom refused to fight, and were consequently sent below. This reduced the number actually at quarters to 289 officers, men, and boys : few of the latter were worth ship room in time of action. X There is no rating for landsmen allowed in the American navy. § Captun Garden, in his official letter, gave the United States a com. plement of 478 men ; but he did not include in that number 30 officers, whose names were not entered in lier victualling book, from whence he took his account. II Taken from the register of New York dock-yard. — ^The United States was superior to any ship of her class in the American navy. Her sides, on the cells of her main-deck ports, were of the same scantling as our 74-gun ships on their lower-deck port-cells, composed of live-oak ; and her sides such a mass of this wood, that carronade grape would scarcely pene- trate them. She was termed the " Waggon of the American Navy," from her thick scantling, having been originally intended for a larger class ship ; and her masts were precisely the name dimensions as those of our then second class stventy-fours. • . , n VOL. II. 3 u <l I 1014 POST-CAPTAINS OF 1906. The manner in which Captain Garden was received by his generous enemy, after the surrender of the Macedonian, is worthy of mention^ On presenting his sword to Commo- dore Decatur, the latter started back, declared he never could take the sword of a man who had so nobly defended the honor of it, requested tlie hand of that gallant officer, whom it had been his fortune in war to subdue, and added, that though he could not claim any merit for capturing a ship so inferior, he felt assured Captain Garden would gain much, by his perse- vering and truly gallant defence *. The Commodore subsc- «|uently gave up all the British oflicers' private property, extending his generosity to even a quantity of wine, which they had purchased at Madeira for their friends in England. Captain Garden, his officers, and surviving crew, returned to Bermuda in Mar. 1813 ; and on the 27th May following, a court-martial was assembled on board the St. Domingo 7^, to inquire into their conduct during the above action, and to try them for surrendering their ship. The following is an extract from the sentence : — " The Court having most striclly investigated (during its silting of four days) every circumstance, and examined the difFerent officers, and many of the crew, and having very deliberately and maturely weighed and con- sidered the whole and every part thereof, is of opinion — " Tliaf, previous to the commencement of the action, from an over anxiety to keep the weather gage, an opportunity was lost of closing with the enemy ; and that, owing to this circumstance, the Macedonian was unable to bring the United States to close action, until she had received material damage ; but as it does not appear that this omission originated in the most distant wish to keep back from the engagement, the Court is of opinion, that Captain John Surman Cardcn, the officers, and ship's company, f« every instance throughout the action, behaved with the firmest and most determined courage, resolution, and coolness, and that the co- lours of the Macedonian were not struck until she was unable to make further resistance. The Court does, therefore, most honorably acquit Captain John Surman Carden, the officers and remaining company of his Majesty's late ship Macedonian ; and they arc most iioNonADLv acquittep ac- cordingly. 1- :-i * The national legislature voted their thanks to Commodore Decatur, the officers, and crew, of the frigate United States; also a gold medal toJCom- modorc Decatur, and silver medals to each of the officers, in honor of the brilliant victory gained by iXi^i frigate over the Macedonian ! Sec James's Nav. Occ. Appendix, p, xxxi. POST-CAPTAINS OF 1806. 1015 " The Ct>urt cannot dismiss Captain Garden, witlioiit expressing its ad- miration of tlie uniform testimony whicli has been borne to his gallantry and good conduct tltrougliout the action ; nor Lieutenant David Hope, the other officers, and sliip's company, without expressing the highest appro- bation of the support given by him and tliem to their Captain, and of their courage and steadiness during the contest with an enemy of very superior force ; a circamstance, that whilst it reflects high honour on them, does no lesa credit to the dimpline of the Macedonian. The Court also feels it a gratifying duty to express its admiration of the fidelity to their allegiance, and attachment to their King and Country, which the remaining crew ap- pear to have manifestetl, \\\ resisting the various insidious and repeated temptations which the enemy held out to seduce them from their duty, and which cannot fiul to be fully appreciate*!." The President, Commodore Henry Hothani, on returning Captuin Garden his sword, highly extolled the distinguished valour displayed hy him, and concluded by saying, that whenever the honor of the British flag should be entrusted to him, he felt assured it would receive additional glory. The approbation of an enormously thronged court, on this occasion, was enthusiastic to a degree. Captain Carden was immediately charged, by the commander-in-chief, with de- spatches for the Admiralty, and he arrived in London the very morning previous to a discussion in the House of Com- mons * on the " desjwmkiit and heartless state of the British navy," when the gallant defence made by the Macedonian appears to have been adduced by Ministers as the criterion of British valour, as well as to confute tlie unjust charge pre- ferred by Lord Cochrane, the fraraer of the motion ; in reply to whose animadversions, Mr. Croker, Secretary to the Ad- miralty, expressed himself in terms to the following effect : — *' He would assert, without the fear of contradiction, that no person iu tkiit House, or in the Country, except the noble Lord liimsuir, ever thought of attributing tlie captures made from us by the Americans, to the de- spondent spirit and heartless state of our crews, and not to the superior dimensions and weight of metal of the enemy's ships. What would be the consequence, were the noble Lord's assertions to be admitted by the House? What was the fact with regard to the Java and the IMacedonian ? Were the brave and gallant men who fought the Macedonian against an overbearing superiority of size and numbers, and an overwhelming supe- riority of metal, despondent, faint, and heartless ? The Rlaccdonian had been fought with such determined gallantry, and such persevering intrc- ♦ July 5, 1313. 3 u2 i 1016 POST-CAPTAINS OF 1806. pidity, as to give the officers and men an honor, that was as justly mc rited as it was pure and untainted ; and it was only now attempted to be blown upon by the noble Lord. He would state one fact respecUn^ the courageous and dauntless character maintained by the crew of that frigate in the extremity and crbis of danger. — Immediately before the surrender of the Macedonian, loud, cordial, and repeated cheering was given— he could not better describe the nature of these cheers, nor more adequately praise the noble spirit displayed by her crew, than by assuring the House, that the cheering proceeded from the cockpit ; and that the wounded and the dying were those who rused the patriotic shouts. Would the noble Lord call these men depressed and heartless, who were not only suscepti- ble of such manly and generous feeliags, but who were capable of giving to them, even in the bitter moments of bodily anguish, and inevitable death, the energetic tone and expression so truly characteristic of OritisU seamen }" , . > On the day after the debate alluded to, several members of the House of Commons waited upon Captain Carden, congra- tulated him on his arrival in England, and declared they had never witnessed more enthusiastic applause than the recital of his gallant defence had the night before created. On revisit- ing his native place he was received with unbounded accla- mations of joy and respect ; and soon after honored with the freedom of Worcester, Gloucester, and Tewkesbury. The following is an extract from the Naval Chronicle, vol. 30, p. 182:— '* On the 23d Aug. (1S13), the Earl of Coventry entertained the Mayor and Corporation of Worcester with a splendid dinner at Croorae j after which a most interesting ceremony followed, in the presentation of the freedom of that city to the gallant Captain Carden, by the Earl of (Jo- ventry, at the head of the Body Corporate, who had previously voted it to him at a Chamber Meeting. Upon which occasion the noble Earl ad- dressed Captain Carden in the following words : — " Captain Carden, — I feel proud to have the honor of presenting the Freedom of the ancient and loyal City of Worcester, conferred on you by this respectable assembly, in testimony of the high sense they entertain of the signal and meritorious services you have so eminently and repeatedly displayed in the defence of your King and Country ; and more particu- lizrly for your gallant and memorable defence of H. M. S. Macedonian, against so superior and overwhelming a force. The sentence of the court- martial on tlus occasion has afifurded universal satisfaction ; and I doubt not that an early opportunity will be offered you of adding fresh lustre to the renown already acquired by the exercise of those professional talents and valour hitherto so conspicuous, and on which I have this day the hap- piness to congratulate you." ^ • »^ POST-CAPTAINS OF 1806. 1017 On looking over Mr; James's account of tVie battle between the Macedonian and United States, we find that gentle- man, after commenting upon what he terms the ineffectual fire of the British frigate, expressing himself as follows : — " A Captain, where he knows that his men, for want of prac- tice, are deficient in gunnery, should strive his utmost to close with his antagonist ; especially when he also knows, that that antagonist excels in an art, without some skill in which, no American ship of war would trust herself at sea." That the crew of the Macedonian were constantly exercised at the great guns, whilst commanded by Captain Carden, is sufficiently proved by the letters which he received from his late third and first Lieutenants, the present Captain George Richard Pechell, and Commander David Hope. The follow- ing are extracts from those letters : — *' Aldwich, Chichester, May \A,\9,2A. *' My dear Sir, — From havlnjf served as junior Lieutenant in the Muce- donian, for nearly two years, under your command, till within a few weeks of the action with the United States, I cannot refuse myself the satisfac- tion of declaring, that in no ship in which I had served, was the exercise of the great guns so constantly attended to, as in the JVIacedonian. That nearly every afternoon whilst at sea, the guns were cast loose and practised, and the system altogether, striking me at that time as so extremely beneficial, that I instantly adopted the same principle of exercise when commanding his Majesty's sloop Colibri, which took place three months from my quit- ting the Macedonian. So far did I consider the crew of the Macedonian from being deficient in gunnery, and so confident was her commander of the result of his continued exertions in training his crew, that whilst em- ployed in shore of the squadron i.> Basque Roads, every opportunity was as eagerly seized, and aa confidently anticipated, to bring the enemy's ad- vanced frigates to battle. Scarcely was there a day in which the Mace- rfonian for months was not engaged, either with the batteries, or stopping the convoys, and not an enemy's vessel in that roadstead even moved without the Macedonian's signal being ma le to advance ! — which alone gave repeated occasions for manoeuvring and firing. And nothing but the intricacy of the navigation, and the shallc ness of the water, prevented the success which otherwise would have fift. nded this harrassing service. The precision of the fire from the Macedonian was never more observable than on the evening of the 6th of August, 1813, when a French lugger was chased on shore under the batteries, near I'lsle d'Aix, which vessel was brought out the same evening, by the boats you did me the honor to place under my command; and to recapture which an attempt was made by the enemy, with two frigates, the followin:; morning ; i)ut which, on the Macedonian's approaching to gun-shot, 'ustairtly retreated to their anchorage ; and it i lOld HOST-CAri'AlNS OK 1806. may here be only proper tu remark, in refntation of Captain Garden's wiah to keep at Ionj( range, (which in the passage above Mr. James alludes to) — that on approaching the French frigates close to the batteries of I'lsle d'Aiz, a gun accidentally went off, (when at long range), which drew forth from Captain Carden, a most severe reprimand, to those who had been guilty of such apparent want of caution, as compromising tlte dignity of a British man-of.war.<— I am, dear Sir, " Your very humble and most obedient servant, " Gbo. R. Pkchbll." ** To Captain J. S. Carden, R. N." " Newton, by Musselburgh, Jung 22, 1824. " Dear Sir,— I have just received your letter of the 10th instant, in which you mention that Mr. James, in his Naval History, has stated that you knew the ship's crew of the Macedonian were, for want of practice, deficient in gunnery. That statement is certainly totally unfounded ; as in no ship in the British service could there have been more attention paid to the practical part of gunnery than was done by you to the crew of the Ma- cedonian : the cruise previous to our unfortunate capture we were under the command of Sir P. C. Durham, in Basque Roads, and stationed in-shorc, where we were almost every day engaged with the enemy. They were not only well-trained, but the greatest attention was paid to every department relating to the guns. The magazine was examined every week by the first Lieutenant, to see that the cartridges and powder were in good order, and ready for action ; there was general exercise every evening before sun- set ; a division exercised through the day, and frequently fired at a mark ; in fact, every thing was done to make the ship in all respects ready to meet the enemy. " As to the state of discipline in the ship, that has been so strongly ex- pressed by the sentence of the court-martial, where the evidence was exu- mined upon oath, that any comment of mine wt '.Id be umiecessary, were I not called upon by you to state my opinion. I now do so, as an ofilcer who has served his country nearly twenty-eight years ; and having been frequently in action with the enemy, in no instance did I ever see men more devoted to the honor and service of their country than the ship's company of the Macedonian. •••••. " And you must recollect that circumstance. Sir, which happened to- wards the end of the action, when the Unite<l States was observed makin^r sail to get from under our Ice ; and as we hud not a yard standing except the foNfUd, with a small piece of the foresail, the helm was put a weather us • last resource, to try and luy her on board on the weather ((uarter, whe<) the fore brace was shot away, and the sail fell aback and prevented us. At that moment tvcry man was on deck, several, who bad lost an arm, and the universal v/icer wus, ' Let us conquer or Jf.' " I remain, dear l*ir, yours oltedi' ntly, •* Daviu Hoi'K." " To Ciiptuin J. 4'. Curdcn, li A'." , i , i POST-CAPTAINS OF 1906. 1019 That Britons were opposed to Britons^ in the Macedonian's action, i^ no less true than lamentable. Most of her gallant defenders recognised old shipmates in the British navy among those who had fought under the American flag. We have already ptatcd, that a quarter-master discovered his first cousin in the person of a traitor. Two other seamen met with brothers from whom they had been long separated ; and Mr. James, in his Naval History, informs u^, that an officer's servant, a young lad from London, named William Hearnc, found his own brother among the United States' crew ; that the hardened wretch, after reviling the English, and applaud- ing the American service, used the influence of seniority, in trying to persuade the lad to renounce his country ; and that the loyal youth, with tears in his eyes, replied : — '* If you are a d — d rascal, that's no reason why I should be one.'* It is also worthy of remark, that many of the guns on board the United States were named after British ships and some of our most celebrated naval commanders. Captain Garden observing " Victory" painted on the ship's side over one port, and ** Nelson" over another, asked Commodore De- catur the reason of so strange an anomaly — he answered, ** the men belonging to those guns served many years with Lord Nelson, and in the Victory. The crew of the gun named Nelson were once bargemen to that great chief, and they claim the privilege of using his illustrious name in the way you have seen !" The Commodore also publicly declared to Captain Carden, that there was not a seaman in his ship who had not served from five to twelve years in a British man of war ! These indisputable facts being duly considered, as also the disparity of force above stated, we feel assured that our readers will join with us in allowing that, although vic- tory did not attend the exertions of Captain Carden and his brave companions, the Macedonian " did all that human nature could effect, and that the names of her defenders de- serve to be handed down to posterity with love and ad- miration *." Agent. — John Chippendale, Estj. • Sec Lord D^vUnleyS Speech iii the IIuuso df IVtr.i, Mny II, 1813, JiND OK VOL. IT. \ 3"» ^1? 6r W. I'oplf, Priiitf r, 87|ChiinceryL«ne.