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Les disgrammes suivants illustrent la m^thode. ly errata ad to nt ne peiure, ipon A S65« 1 2 3 32X 1 2 3 4 5 6 N SI Whose nar Hit NAVAL FROIt •• Failures, hi " iiiucli is alwa; " To deliberate " the iiiidertuki " gave occaiiion " to And was III " inliuliitiints u " teemed to ics IHII \ t s^.>?^ ROYAL '^ NAVAL BIOGRAPHY; on, iWemoirs of fte ^erbCces OF ALL THE FLAG-OFFICERS, SUPERANNUATED REAR-ADMIRALS, RETIRED-CAPTAINS, POST-CAPTAINS, AND COMMANDERS, Whose names appeared on the Admiralty List of Sea Officers at the coinmeiiee- mciit of the present year, or who Iiavc since been promoted ; Illustrated by n Scries or HISTORICAL AND EXPLANATORY NOTES, Which will be found to contain an account of all the NAVAL ACTIONS, AND OTHER IMPORTANT EVENTS, FROM THE COMMENCEMENT OF THK LATE REKiN, IN 17»iO, TO THE PRESENT I'KKIOD. WITH COPIOUS ^m. *i >« By JOHN MARSHALL r.IF.lITENANT IN THE KOVAL NAV ADDENDA^ '"Pts^ ^ Jk ■* Fallurci, however flrequeiit, may admit of extenuation ,ind apology. To linve'atteui|)li'il ■ luiicli is always laudable, even when the enterprise is above the itrt-nKtli that undertukes it. ■ To deliberate whenever I doubted, to^nqulie whenever 1 was ignorant, would liavc protrarted 'the undertaking without end, aiiif perhaps wlthont improvement , I saw that one iii(|uiry\V. 1823. I 'A :1 I / /' \ /■ )f) K / ,itfSf L /^ A/- ,' u fi. W. ropu, I'riiitrr, ''7, Chiiiitrry l.am . ■>* ERRATA & CORRIGENDA. I M), I. 4, for Trangubar, read Tranqubar. Al, last line of the text, for employed on, read employed in. !)A, 1.2, for 4th, read d(A. ■M, lines I and 10 of tfie note, for Signer, read Seignior. :>H, two last lines of the text, for about being Ihiny-five, read heiug iKcn about thirty-fve, 7!,l. 20, for 1770, read 1799. 71, last line but one of the text, for Sir Orde, read Sir John Orde. 76, 1. 15 of note, for toftom read which. 77, lines 27 and 28, for the latter died afew days (\fter his arrival, read the two latter died a few days (\fter their arrival. 78, 1. 10, for hilt, read hilted. 82, 1. 22, for head, read heads. u;(, line 1 of note, for Chest at Cktttliam, read Cheslof Chatham. 110, I. 27, for Waldron, read Walrond. 124, note at bottom, add, and p. 602. 129, 1. 10 of note, for sopha, read sqfa. 134, I. 14 and Id, for .Jamaica, thestation where, read the Jamaica station, where . 134, 1. 27, for 1797, read 1796. 15!), note ||, (or Edmund, read Edward. KiO, I. 14, for to which, read with which. 178, I.Hlrnm bottom, for sailor, read sailer. \X), 1. 3 from bottom, after ships, add {the Culloden excepted). lUO, last line of the text, for Superb, read Captain Keats. 191, lines U lul4, fortAe Cresar passed to close with the ship engagedby lite Superb, tfC, read (he Ctssar patsed on to close with the ship engaged by the Superb, but b^ore she could get up with her, the latter had computily beaten her antagonist, whose colours were soon ({f'ter liruck. 221, 1. 3, for put off" commission, read put out qf commission, 22.5, 1. 7 from bottom, f«r who was, read which ship was. ■£i7, I. 13, for K. C. B. read G. C.B. '127, 1. 29, for Britsmart, read Britomart. 237, 1. 2, for St. Fisremo, read St. Fiorenzo. 244, 1.2, for 1777, read 1776. 2.»3, note t, for Fenr.ourt, read Fancourt, 256, lines 3 and 4, dele in which station hecontinued to serve during the remaintler qf the war. 26.">, 1.3 from bottom, for Pulteney Malcolm, read Edward Codrington. 270, 1. 3 from bottom, Tiir ships, read ship. 292, 1. 19, ihr particiated, read participated. 304, 1. 27, for vhich, read whom, 318, 1. 19, for eight, read seven ; and for brigs, read bumbi, 324,1. .5. (or finding, read Jind. 324, 1. 20, for 1746, read 1740. :V>7, 1. 15, for Muster Corneliis, read Mestcr Corneluf. 36C, 1. 30, for Channels, read Channel. 381,1 1. 7 from bottom, for conqueror, read Comjiieror. .391, 1. 12, after Lieutenancy, add Jan. 14, 1782. 407, 1. 28, for nearly, read closely. 419, I. 27, for Commanded, read commanded. 47r, 1. 2, for Aim, read (Apm. 50fi, 1 . 7, for ai, read of. 512, 1. 20, for 1804, read ia«. .530, 1. 18, for Huir/«'s, read Wwtruts. .'i3;(. Mi. and 715, I. 18, for Island, n-ad Islands, JWS, dele note t. 548, 1.9, for Bellevac, Kent, read A^o. 13, Greot Cumberland Street, London. .V)8, I. 27, for Griffithn, read Uriffith. 607, 1.3, for 180.3, read 1801. 614, 1. 11 from bottom, for 30, read 29. 614, last line, for 40, read 405. 615, I, 4, for Beamnnt, read Beaumont. 673, I. 10, for /((', read she. 676, 1. 9 fron\ bottom, for Hnili'i, read FUuliy. 680, !. 16, for hsiquibn, read /issn/itifcr.. "15, I. 18, for 1,11 ward Island, icnii I.erwurd Islands. T\y, line^ 1,1 and Ifi, forSt. Manre, read St. Maura. 7/5, 1. 5, f(ir./rji«('r<, rend /"III 'wff. 829, 1. 6 iViini bottom , nfter s/oo/i, add dm ins the mHtiny 849, I. ',( from l.iolloni, I'M' Mii's, ri»d snl^ 1 »i 1 - I* h » r / ■fi PI H V 1 Baronet 1 moDt Ridin^ ] HanU ■1 The r pure Sf or city, alone is ! able anl The J « •William r Mary P the dem of that r i Previo 1 manded obtained pointed i at the re tured la i islands. In Ap f 1 Robert J occasion time he • guns, in short ras mouth di On th with Cap at Trafal for the la enemy's necessan • sible ; fo VOL. I. 433 SIR HARkY (BURRARD) NEALE, Saronet; rice-Mnh-al of the White > Knight Grand Cross of the mos honaralde Military, Order of the Bath ; M. P. for Lymiigton ; HaZ '^ "^'^' ^'"^ ^'''''' '"'^ ^"^'^ «/ ChristcLch, There can be little doubt that the name of Burrard is a pure Saxon compound, consisting of Biirli or Burgh, a town or city, and Heard, a shepherd or keeper ; which circumstance a one is sufficient to denote, that the family is of consider- able antiquity. yJ^^ '"i?^"'^ ""^ *^^' "'^'"^''^ ^« ^^^^ ^l^iest son of the late William Burrard, of Lymington, co. Hants, Esq. by Miss Mary Pearce, his second wife, and succeeded to the title on the demise of his uncle, Sir Harry Burrard, the first Baronet ot that name, who died April 12, 17^1. Previous to the war witn i< ranee, in 17^3, our officer com- manded the Nautilus sloop ; and on the 1st Feb. in that year, obtained the rank of Post-Captain. He was soon after ap- pointed to 1' Aimable, of 32 guns, and in that ship assisted at the reduction of Bastia. On the 23d May, 1794, he cap- tured la Moselle, French corvette of 18 guns, off the Hi^res islands. In April 1795, our officer married a daughter of the late Robert Neale, of Shaw House, co. Wilts. Esq., on which occasion he adopted the name of Neale. About the same time he obtained the command of the St. r'iorenzo, of 42 guns, in which frigate his late Majesty occasionally made short marine excursions. Sir Harry being stationed off Wey- mouth during the King's summer residence at that place. On the 9th March, 1797, being off Brest in company with Captain John Cooke, of la Nyinphe, who afterwards fell at Trafalgar, he discovered two French men of war standing in for the land. The wind being at this time off shore, and the enemy's fleet in Brest Road visible from their tops, it was necessary to make :is decided and prompt an attack as pos- sible ; for this purpose both ships bore down on the headmost -^ VOL. I. 2 K \V 434 VICK-ADMIRALS OF THE WHITE. and largest of the Freivch vessels, which they attacked so warmly, that after a short resistance she struck. By this time the other came up, and being instantly attacked in the same manner, soon also surrendered. They proved to be la Resistance, of 48 guns and 345 men, and la Constance, of 24 guns and 189 men. The total loss sus- tained by the enemy was 18 killed and 15 wounded. The British ships had not a man hurt. The prizes were taken into the service ; the name of la Resistance was changed to the Fisgard, in consequence of these being two of the French squadron which had recently landed a party of convicts, dis- guised as soldiers, in the Bay of that name, on the coast of Wales. Soon after this event, the St. Fiorenzo was fitted up to carry the Princess of Wirteniberg to Germany. Previous to her sailing, the mutineers at the Nore endeavoured to seduce her crew from their duty ; but finding their loyalty was not to be shaken, she was ordered to anchor close \mder the stern of the Sandwich, on board of which was the chief ringleader, Parker. A few days after, much to the honor of her com- mander, the officers, and patriotic crew, she effected her es- cape, and proceeded to Harwich. On the 7th June following, the thanks of the merchants, ship-owners, insurers, and others concerned in commerce and navigation, were voted, at a meeting held at the Royal Exchange, to Sir Harry Neale, &c. &c., for their spirited conduct in carrying the ship through the mutinous fleet *. On the 8th Oct, 1/98, the Royal family and a number of the nobility partook of a public breakfast given by Sir Harry on board the St. Fiorenzo, in honor of Sir Horatio Nelson's victory at the Nile. In the month of April following, the St. Fiorenzo being off Belleisle, in compauy with the Amelia, discovered three French frigates at anchor in the Great Road, with their top- sail yards ready hoisted to come out. A heavy and sudden squall of wind unfortunately carried away the Amelia's main top-mast, and fore and mizen-top-gallant masts. The enemy, encouraged by this accident, immediately got under weigh, i •! - ; -,,,,, ■m] -*a * For an account of the mutiny at, the Nore, see p. 160, et seq. 4. :<^. U- SIR HARRY NEALK, BART 435 "<>l M.: «|llK^ 4 -■I ' ( • ■f if*' acmii/anied by u large cutter, and made sail towards the Hiiah frigates. Sir Harry Neale, with great firmness and rolution, notwithstanding the disaster which had hefallen tl) Amelia, made the signal to prepare for battle, and mani- feted a readiness to meet the enemy. When he liad run a ittle to leeward, he shortened sail, that the Amelia, wliose crew had by this time with great exertions and activity cleared the wreck, might close and keep under command with her fore and mizen top-sails. The enemy soon arrived \ip with the British frigates, and a brisk action ensued. As the French ships kept edging down on the islands of Houat and Hedic, it obliged the English commanders to bear down three times to close with them, by which they became also exposed to the lire of the batteries on these islands. After engaguig an hour and fifty-five minutes, the enemy wore and stood in towards the Loire, two of them in a shattered condition. The loss sustained by the St. Fiorenzo was 1 man killed and 18 wound- ed. The Amelia had 2 slain and IJ wounded. The loss on board the enemy's squadron is said to have been very severe, but was never correctly ascertained. This action, as gallant and well fought as any during the war, reflects the highest honor on the officers and men con- cerned in it. They were so near the land, that they could see the shore lined with spectators. When the enemy re- treated the British seamen gave them nine hearty cheers, whilst their own batteries actually fired on them. After tlie battle, the St. Fiorenzo captured a French letter of marque from Cape Francois, laden with sugar, coflfee, and indigo. In the spring of 1801, Sir Harry was appointed to the Centaur of 74 guns ; and subsequently to the Royiil Charlotte yacht, the command of which he retained undl May 1804, when he became one of the Lords Commissioners of the Ad- miralty. In the ensuing month of July, he vacated his seat at the Board, on being appointed to the Royal Sovereigii, a uev/ yacht, from which he afterwards removed into the London of 98 guns, attached to the squadron under Sir John B. Warren. On the 13th March, 1806, at 3"^ 30' A. M. the London, being to windward of the squadron, fell in with a line-of-bat- tle ship and a frigate ; and after a running fight which contin- ued from before day-light until 43 minutes after nine, in 2 F 2 ' /- -: ' 436 VKE-ADMinAf.S OF TUB! WIIITK. which she was joined by the Amazon, compelled them to strike^ They proved to be the Marengo, of 80 guns and 740 men, and Belle Poule, of 40 guns and 320 men, returning to France from the East Indies j these ships being the remainder of the French squadron that had committed so much depredation upon the British commerce in the Eastern hemisphere In this action, the London had 10 men killed and 22 wounded ; the Amazon 4 killed and 6 wounded. The loss sustained by the enemy amounted to 65 slain and 80 wounded ; among the latter was the French Admiral LinoiiS. Early in 1808, Sir Harry Neale was appointed Captain of the Channel fleet, under Lord Gambler. In the following year he was present at the destruction of the French ships in Aix Roads, and in common with the other officers received the thanks of Parliament for his conduct on that occasion. He afterwards commanded the blockading squadron off Rochefort. At the beginning of 1811, we find his flag in the Boyne of 98 guns, on board which ship it remained till the spring of 1813, when he shifted it into the Ville de Paris, a first rate, where it continued until the peace. Our officer became a Rear- Admiral, July 31, 1810 ; Vice- Admiral, June 4, J 814 ; K. C. B. Jan. 2, 1815 ; and G. C. B. Sept. 14, 1822. He has for many years sat in Parliament as representative for Lymington, in which borough, being lord of the manor, he possesses great influence. At the funeral of his late Majesty, Sir Harry Neale walked in the procession as a Groom of the Bedchamber. Residence. — Walhampton, near Lymington, co. Hants. I \ \ SIR JOSEPH SYDNEY YORKE, Fke-Admiral of the ffhite; Knight Commander of the most honorable Military Order of the Bath ; Member of Parliament for Reygate ; and a Director of Greenwich Hospital. This officer is the youngest son of the late Right Hon. Charles Yorke, Lord Chancellor of Great Britain *, by Agne- * Lord Chancelior Yorke was the second son of Philip, 1st Earl of Hardwicke, who had also held the same high office. He received the leaU SIR JOSKPH SYDNKY YORKE. 43/ ta, second daughter and co-heiress of the late Henry Johnson of Berkhamstead, Esq., and was born in London, June 6th, 1768. Mr. Yorke entered the naval service Feb. 15th, 1/80; and after serving some time as Midshipman in the Duke of 98 guns, commanded by the late Sir Charles Douglas, Bart., removed with that distinguished officer into the Formidable, another second rate, bearing th^ flag of the late Lprd Rodney, to whom he acted as Aid-de-Camp at the great bAtles fought off Gua- daloupe, April 9th and 12th. 1782, in wfiich the French fleet was totally defeated, and^^cpniral the Count de Grasse, taken prisoner *. • A general peace followed the above glorious event ; and the Formidable having returned to England, our young ofticer, after a short interval, joined the Assistance of 50 guns. Commodore Sir Charles Doughis, stationed on the coast of America ; and sufcseauently the Salisbuiy of 50 guns. Captain Sir Erasmus Gower* bearifig the broad pendant of the late Admiral J. EUiet,.' in which ship Ife continued on the New- foundland station" nearly three years, in the capacity of Mas- ter's Mate. / *■ i^ Mr. Yorke was pjfomoted to the rank of Lieutenant, June ' 16th, 1789, and servA as such on board the Adamant of 50 iguns. Rear- Admiral "^Ir R. Hbghes, Bart. Thisbe frigate, Pa,nd Victory of lOj^ guns. In the following year he was elected M:9. for R%gate f, in Surry, in which borough his family has >considerai^ property. Lieutenant Yorke conti- nued in the Victory daring the Spanish and Russian arnia- ia 1770, and was creatl^ I^ber by the title of Baroa Morden ; but dying before the patent had passed the Great Seal, it did not take effect, and was never afterwards completed, though it had passed through the Privy Seal Office, and every other form. His eldest son however, on the demise of his uncle, the' late Earl of Hardwicke, succeeded that nobleman both in title and estates. • An account of this decisive conflict will be found under the head of Admiral William Peere Williams Freeman, the senior surviving officer of those who were present on that memorable occasion. It is here necessary to remark, that many of the British ships were near the Ville de Paris at the moment of her submission, and among others the Formidable. t He represented Reygate in Parliament until the year 1806, and was then returned for the borough of St. Germains, Cornwall. - ^1 438 VlCE-ADMiaALS OF THE WHlTli. ments ; and in the month of February, 1791) was promoted to the command of the Rattlesnake sloop of war, in which vessel he cruised in the Channel, until the commencement of the war with the French Republic, when he was made Post into the Circe of 28 guns, by commission dated Feb. 4, 1793, and placed under the orders of the late Admiral Earl Howe. Tlie Circe was actively employed in the Channel Soundings, Bay of Biscay, &c ; and Captain Yorke had the good fortune to capture several of the enenly's large privateers, and a num- ber f)f mere} ant vessels ; he also took the Espiegle French corvette close to Brest harbour, and in sight of a very su- perior French squadron. In tlie month of August, 1 794, he removed into the Stag of 32 guns ; and after Serving some time on the above station, and the coast of Ireland, was ordered to join the North Sea fleet, at that period commanded by the late Lord Duncan. On the 22d Aug. 1795, our ofl&cer being in company with a light squadron under the orders of Captain James Alms, gave chace to two large ships and a cutter. At 4** 15' P. M. the Stag brought the sternmost ship to close action, which con- tinued with much spirit for about an hour, when the enemy struck, and proved to be the Alliance, Batavian frigate of 36 guns and 240 men ; her consorts, the Argo of the same force, and Nelly * cutter of 16 guns, effected their escape, after sus- taining a running tight with the other ships of thr Britisli| squadron. In this spirited action, the ^g had 4 men slain and 13 wounded, and the enemy between 40 and 50 killed and wounded. Capts'.in Yorke continued to command the Stag, and cruized with considerable success against the armied and trading ves- sels of the enemy, until the month of March, 1800, when he was appointed to the Jason of 36 guns ; and in the fol- lowing year removed to the Canada, 74, which ship formed part of the western squadron duringthe continuance of the war. On the renewal of hostilities in 1803, cur officer was again called into service, and commanded successively the Prince George, 98, Barfleur, 98, and Christian VII. of 80 guns, (the latter a Danish ship with round (quarters built from one of Ad- * Called the Vleigkelu by Jamet, but in the Gazette account described ax above. ^■■^ 1:j *M 'If \ ^«-i-' V: ■>. ;;i SIR JOSEPH SYDNEY YORKE. 439 miral Chapman's models,) mitil June 22, 1810, when he was superseded on being appointed one of the Lords Commission- ers of the Admiralty *, on which occasion he vacated his seat in Parliament, but was immediately re-elected. Some time previous to this, when his brother the Earl of Hardwicke ob- tained the Blue Ribband while Lord Lieutenant of Ircland,Cap- tain Yorke, as his proxy, received the honor of knighthood t* On the 31st July, 1810, Sir Joseph was advanced to the rank of Rear- Admiral of the Blue j and in the month of Jan. following, he hoisted his flag on board the Vengeur of 74 guns, and assumed the command of a strong squadron, with which, and a large body of troops intended to reinforce Lord Wellington's army in Portugal, he arrived in the Tagus March 4 : in consequence of this reinforcement the French army, under Marshal Massena, broke up from Santarem, and began its retreat into Spain. We next find the Rear- Admiral cruizing off the Western Isles, with a squadron consisting of three sail of the line and two frigates, for the protection of the homeward bound East India fleet, the whole of which reached England in safety. At the general election in Oct. 1812, Sir Joseph Yorke was chosen M. P. for Sandwich J. And on the 4th June, 1814, obtained the rank of Vice- Admiral. He was nominated a K. C.B.Jan. 2, 1815; and in the course of the same year presented with the freedom of the borough of Plymouth. ♦ Captain Yoikc's lirothcr, the Right Hon. C. Yorke, formerly Secre- tary of War and Secretary of State, was about the same time nominated First Lord Coinmissiouer, in which post he continued for two years. Dur- ing the period of the two brothers sitting at the board, the Break-water in Plymoutii Sound was decided upon and commenced ; the dock-yard ut Pembroke, and the improvements in Sheerness-yard, were also determined upon : the iron tanks, iron cables, and rcund bows of the ships of war, were generally introduced in the service, together with other essential im- provements. Previous to Sir J. Bidney Yorke resigning his seat at the Admiralty, the round stems were aU brought forward, at the suggestion of Sir R. Seppings, and their utility strenuously supported by our officer. t Philip, Earl of Hardwicke, was made Lord Lieutenant of Ireland in 1801, where his administration was highly approved, and where he gave great satisfaction, by displaying, in very difficult times, much wisdom, firmness, judgment, and moderation. He is a K. G., and stands high in the political world ; and as a private man, a father, and husliand, his cha- racter ranks with the best. ♦ The borough of Sandwich generally returns a naval officer as one of its representatives. 440 VICK-ADMIRALS OF TH£ WHIT£. The Vice-Adrairal retained his seat at the Board of Ad- miralty until the month of April 1818, when he resigned it ; since which he has been on half-pay. He is at present M . P. for Reygate, having been returned for that borough in the summer of 1818 *, and re-elected in 1820. Sir Joseph Yorke marricl, first, in April 1798, Elizabeth, daughter of James Rattray of Atherstone, in North Britain, Esq. ; and by that lady, who died Jan. 29, 1812, has several children, one of whom, Charles Philip, a Commander in the Navy, bom April 179^, strved as a Midshipman of the Queen Charlotte in the battle of Algiers f, and obtained the commen- dations of his Captain (Sir James Brisbane) for his conduct on that memorable occasion. Sir Joseph married, secondly. May 22, 1813, Urania, dowager Marchioness of Clanricarde, and daughter of George, twelfth Marquis of Winchester. r !\. r * The following lines were addressed to Sir Joseph Sydn«y Yoike, on his retirement from the Admiralty : / Hail to thee, friend of the storm-beaten tar. Hail to thee, Yorke ! ever faithful and brave ; In peace a consoler, undaunted in war. Hail to thee, Yorke, from a son of the wave. Though thy hand be withdrawn from directing the helm. Though thy voice in the Board-room no longer be heard. Not a heart of more worth throbs in Albion's proud realm. Not an Admiral more valued, more loved, and revered. When old Neptune his Tritons may harness again. When wild echoes awake that now slumbering lie. Let thy standard be reared on the high-swelling main, And with Yorke we'll embark — to conquer or die. The widow still sigh'd at misfortune's decree, Tlie tears of the orphan fell frequent, though soft ; These, by some disregarded, were pitied by thee — And for Yorko grateful wishes shall now soar aloft. Then hail to the friend of a storm-beaten tar. Hail to a Chief, ever faithful and brave ; In peace still beloved, and undaunted in war — Hail to thee, Yorke! from a son of the wave. „' An Old Shipmatb. t See p. 226, tt teq. SIR JOSEPH SYDNEY YOBKE. 441 d of Ad- igued it ; entM.P. h in the Elizabeth, I Britain, IS several ler in the le Queen jommen- nduct on Uy, May rde, and Yorke, on Cduntry Seat.-^Sydney Lodge, a beautiful residence, situ- ate on the margin of the Southampton River. Town Residence. — 14, New Burlington Street. HON. SIR ARTHUR KAYE LEGGE, Fice-Admiral of the White; Knight Commander of the most honor- able Military Order of the Bath, and a l^ice-President of the Naval Charitable Society. The Legges are descended from a very ancient and honor- able family in Venice, where the original stock is said by the Sieur Amelot, in his Hist, de Venice, still to flourish in the highest rank of nobility. A branch of this family migrated to England, some time prior to the reign of Edward II., and was long settled at Legge's Place, near Tunbridge, in Kent. The first of its descendants whom we find particularly noticed, was Thomas, who served the office of Sheriff of London, in the 18th, and Lord Mayor in the 20th and 28th years of Ed- ward III. The subject of this sketch is the 5th son of William, second Earl of Dartmouth, by Frances Catharine, only chikl of Sir Charles Gunter Nicholl, K.B. He was born Oct. 25, 1766; entered the naval service at an early age ; and in 1781, served as a Midshipman on board the Prince George, bearing the flag of Rear-Admiral Digby, on the American station j in which vessel he had the honor to be a shipmate with the present il- lustrious Admiral of the Fleet. At the period of the Russian armament (1791), and from that time until the commencement of the war with the French republic, our officer commanded the Shark sloop, stationed in the Channel. He was promoted to post rank, Feb. 6, 1793, and immediately appointed to the Niger, of 32 guns, which ship was one of the repeaters to Earl Howe's fleet on the glorious Ist June, 1794*. In the spring of 1795, the Latona frigate, into which Cap- tain Legge had recently removed from the Niger, formed part of the squadron under the orders of Connnodore Payne, sent • See p. 75, rt sn/. 442 VICE ADMIRALS OF THE WHITE. to escort H. S. H. the Princess Caroline of Brunswick to this country f. About the month of May, 1797, Captain Legge was ap- pointed to the Cambrian, of 40 guns, in which sliip he was employed on the French coast, where he captured several large privateers ; and in occasional attendance on their late Majesties, at Weymouth, until the close of the war. Soon after the renewal of hostilities, in 1803, he obtained the command of the Repulse, a new 74, attached to the West- ern squadron. Early in 1805, he captured a valuable Spanish merchantman off Ferrol ; and in the same year, was present in the action between Sir Robert Calder and the combined squadrons of France and SpainJ. On this occasion the Re- pulse had 4 men wounded, and received considerable damage in her spars and rigging. Captain Legge was afterwards ordered to the Mediterra- nean ; and in 1807, accompanied Sir John T. Duckworth to the Dardanelles, where the Repulse had 10 men killed, and 14 wounded §. We next find our officer employed in the expedition to the Scheldt, an account of which will be found under the head of Sir Richard Strachan. Whilst at Flushing, a severe attack of the Walcheren fever obliged him to resign the command of his ship, and return to England, where he arrived about the latter end of 1809. On the 31 St July in the following year. Captain Legge was advanced to the rank of Rear-Admiral, but does not appear to have hoisted his flag until the Spring of 1811, when he was appointed to the command at Cadiz, and proceeded thither in the Revenge, of 74 guns. Previous to his departure from that station, the constitutional magistracy of the city expressed their gratitude for his co-operation in the defence of that island, in the following warm and handsome terms : * " Cadiz, Sept. 18, \8\2. " Excellent Sir, — The bravery and enthusiasm with which the illustri- ous seamen of the naval forces under your fixcericnoy's command, have contributed towards the defence of Cadiz, and their hearty union with the Spanish naval force, in all the fatigues and dangers during the siege of this island by the enemy's troop?, excite in jiuh a manner the gratitude of the t St« p. Mr);<. I See p. 405. § Sec p. .'Jlrt, <-/ *fy. HON. SIR ARTHUR KAVE LEGGE. 443 •k to thia was ajj- [) he was several heir late obtained le West- Spanish present ombined the Re- damage jiditerra- vorth to led, and n to the head of ttack of nand of out the 1 fge was ' pear to "^ he was ther in % m that ressed jf that 1, 1812. illustri- d, have 'ith the of this of the :i inhabitants, that language is insufficient to express the succours and effect- ual assistance which yoiu* Excellency has afforded in all enterprises, and your heroic constancy in annoying the enemy at all points of the opposite coasts, occasioning to them irreparable losses, which will always occupy the memory of the Cadizians, by whom the illustrious name of your Excel- lency, and your meritorious subalterns, will be an object of the most grate- ful remembrance. The constitutional magistracy of this city wishes to con- vey in this paper, with its true efficacy, the esteem and regard of the people of Cadiz for such famous warriors ; but which cannot be done to the full extent of their desire : they beg that your Excellency would be pleased to receive the heartfelt expressions of their eternal gratitude. ** Your Excellency, a happy witness of the good conduct of your subaltern officers, of their valour, and indefatigable zeal ; knowing the merit of your worthy officers ; and affected also with the distinction with which the people of Cadiz beholds them ; will have the goodness to signify to them, in the name of the municipal body, who are their representatives, their sincere de- monstrations of gratitude. Cadiz, free from the treacherous siege with which the enemy has molested it during thirty months, now enjoys the sa- tisfaction of seeing its independence secur* ; and a wise constitution restores to the Spaniards their liberty and their rights. These advantages, as well national aa allied, are owing to the brave defenders of this island, the Eng- lish marine, which hath taken so active a part in all operations, not only has deserved the esteem and gratitude of the inhabitants of Cadiz, but also hath rendered itself entitled to the rewards and distinctions of the English nation. " If your Excellency, by the knowledge of the merit of your captains, officers, and ships' companies of the vessels under your command, espe* daily those of the Flotilla, an(JLof the great fatigues they have undergone in the midst of the greatest dangers, would be pleased to intercede in favor of those meritorious officers, the city of Cadiz, which is so much interested fo"- their welfare, will liave the satisfaction of seeing rewards distributed as a recompense for such signal services. " The constitutional magistracy of this city, have the honor to depute to your Excellency a legation, who by word of mouth, will express the sincere gratitude of the people of Cadiz, and the high consideration with which their representatives offer to your Excellency their respects. " May God preserve your Excellency many years, " Cavetano Valdks, President. " To His Excellency A. K. Legge." The Rear- Admiral replied to the above address in the fol- lowing terms : "H. n. M. S. Revenge, Cadiz Bai/, Sept. 22, 1812. " Most Excbllbnt Sirs, — I beg, in the nanie of myself, and the officers and men I have the honor to conimans( ancient 'life; and rart, of Steward a grant IVilliani ulled at it Scotch the battle of Falkirk, July 22, 1298. The Earldom of Gallo- way was first conferred by James I. upon Sir Alexander Stewart of Garlics, who had previously been created Lord Garlics, chiefly in consideration of his descent from the noble house of Lennox. The subject of this sketch is the second son of John, the seventh Earl of Galloway, and first Lord Stewart of Garlics, some time a Lord of the Bedchamber to the late King, by his second Countess, Anne, daughter of the late Sir James Dash- wood, Bart. His Lordship entered into the navy at an early age ; served as Midshipman with his uncle, Commodore Keith Stewart, at the battle off the Dogger Bank, in 1781 *, and the relief of Gibraltar, in 1782 f. In 1780, we find his Lordship serving as a Lieutenant of the Aquilon frigate, on the Mediterranean station ; from whence, .in the spring of the following year, he returned to England as a passenger in one of the Smyrna traders. He afterwards commanded the Vulcan fire-ship, from which vessel he was promoted to post rank on the 30th April, 1793. Being soon after appointed to the Winchelsea frigate, he ac- companied the expedition destined for the conquest of the French islands in the West Indies, and received a*bad contu- sion in his face when covering the landing of the army at Grozier bay, Guadaloupe, April 11, 1794. On this occasion his Lordship placed the Winchelsea so well, and laid her so close to a 3-gun battery, that the enemy could not stand to their guns, which were soon silenced. In the following year, he was removed into the Lively of 32 guns, in which ship Sir John Jervis sailed from England to assume the command in the Mediterranean ; and our officer continued on that station until the close of the action off Cape St. Vincent, at which he was present. He brought home Sir Robert Calder, with the account of the victory, and Lord Minto, Viceroy of Corsica, and suite, who were on board during the battle. About the month of November, 1799, Lord Garlics com- missioned the Hussar frigate, at that time fitting out in the Thames; and commanded that ship in the Channel, and on the coast of Ireland, till the spring of 1801, when he removed * Seep. 175. t See pp. 17. lOG 446 VICE-ADMIRALS OF THE WHITE. t|[ into the Bellerophon of 74 guns, employed in the blockade of Brest, on which service he remained until the suspension of hostilities. Subsequent to the renewal of the war he com- manded the Ajax of 80 guns : and during Lord Barham's naval adtninistration we find him holding a seat at the Board of Admiralty, which he relinquished on the demise of the Right Hon. William Pitt. His Lordship was advanced to the rank of Rear-Admiral July 31, 1810 ; and became a Vice- Admiral Aug. 12, 1819. He succeeded to the title on the demise of his father, in November 1806. The Earl married, in April 1797, Lady Jane Paget, daugh- ter of Henry, late Earl of Uxbridge, and sister of the pi-esent Marquis of Anglesey. His eldest daughter married, Jan. 11, 1819, George, Marquis of Blandford, son of the Duke of Marlborough. Chief seat. — Garlics, Wigtownshire. SIR FRANCIS LAFOREY, Baronet; Fice-Admiral of the White; and Knight Commander of the most honorable Military Order of the Bath, The immediate ancestor of this officer was Lieutenant- Colonel John Laforey, Governor of Pendennis Castle, only son and heir of Louis Laforey, the descendant from a family of that name in Poictou, and brother to the Marquis de la Forest, who came over with King William, at the revolution. Governor Laforey died in 1753, and left two sons, the eldest of whom, John, created a Baronet Nov. 3, 1789, mar- ried Eleanor, only surviving daughter of Francis Farley, Colonel of the corps of artillery ; a member of the council ; and one of the judges in the island of Antigua ; by whom he had only one son, the subject of this memoir. Our officer was born at Virginia, Dec. 31, 1767 ; and in 1791, we find him commanding the Fairy sloop, at the Lee- ward Islands, where he continued under the orders of his father until the spring of 1793, when he was sent home with an account of the capture of Tobago, an island which had been ceded to the French government, at the preceding peace. , ^ blockade of ispension of ir he coni- l Barham's \, the Board aiise of the ivanced to ime a Vice- itle on the fet, daugh- he pi'esent d, Jan. 11, 3 Duke of nder of the eutenant- 5tle, only a family uis de lu volution, ons, the ^9, mar- Farley, council ; vhom he and in he Lee- s of his ne with ich had ecedihg I ^t SIR FRANCIS LAFOREV, BART. 447 On the 5th June, four days after his arrival, he was promo- ted to the rank of Post-Captain, and soon after appointed to the Carysfort of 34 guns and 197 men, in which ship, on the 29th May, 1794, he fell in with, and after a well fought action of an hour and a quarter, captured the Castor French frigate (formerly British) of 32 guns and 200 men, 16 of whom were killed, and 9 wounded. The Carysfort had only 1 man slain, and 6 wounded. Upon the arrival in port of Captain Laforey, the principal officers and commissioners of the navy put in a claim for the prize to be restored to the service, on payment of the cus- tomary salvage. To this claim, an opposition was made on the part of the commander, officers, and crew of the Carysfort. The French Captain, in answer to the 4th interrogatory, stated, that he had been appointed to the command of the Castor by the French Admiral, commander of a division of the naval army of the French republic, by whose orders and commission he took possession of her at sea, as of a ship of war in the service of the republic ; the said Admiral having been invested with the power and authority to condemn prizes, and to arm, fit out, and equip such ships as he might take, and think calculated for the purpose as ships of war in the service of the French republic, without first sending them to France to pass through any formal process ; and that the said frigate, the Castor, had been so armed, equipped, and fitted out accordingly. The question therefore was, whether, under the circum- stances of the case, the recaptors should have the whole of the prize, or only proportional salvage ? Sir James Marriot, judge of the High Court of Admiralty, in a speech of some length, in which he made several observa- tions on the unequal distribution of prize-money in like cases between his Majesty's ships of war, and privateers, wherein the latter are entitled to a sixth, as salvage for re-captures, while the former have only one- eighth; at the same time instanced, that in former wars, ships belonging to his Majesty, re-taken by his Majesty's ships, were entitled to only a salvage of one-eighth. But as there is a general sweeping clause in the latter part of the section in the present prize-act, which says, " That if any ship or vessel re-taken, 448 VM K-AI)MIRAI,S OK Til It WllfTK. H A 1 1 til y■'^ I ' ,1 K ii shall appear to have hj'oii, after tlic taking of his Majesty's enemies, hy tliein set forth as a ship of war, the said ship or vessel sluill not he restored to the former owners or proprie- tors, hut shall in all eases, whether re-taken hy his Majesty's ships, or hy any privateer, he adjudged a lawful prize for the henefit of the captors." Sir James Marriot therefore pronounced that the whole value of his Majesty's ship the Castor, re-captured under the circumstances in (piestion, should he adjudged to be lawfid prize to the captors. Captain Laforey was afterwarda appointed to I'Aimahlc, of 3^ guns ; and in the summer of 17^5> conveyed his father to Antigua, he having heen re-appointed to the chief command on the Leeward Island station. Early in the foHowing year, our officer removed from the Beaidieu, which frigate he had commanded hut a short time, hito the Scipio, of 04 guns, and in that ship assisted jit the capture of the Dutch lettlements of Demerara, ]*3ssiquiho, and Merbice, hy the squadron under the orders of Commodore Parr, in conjunction with a body of troops, commanded by Major-General Whyte. In the harbour of Berbicc were taken, the Thetis, of 24 guns, a cutter of 12 guns, and several merchant vessels, richly laden. On the 21st April, the day that Demerara surrendered, Rear-Admiral Christian arrived in the West Indies, and re- lieved Sir John Laforey, who sailed for England, in the Ma- jestic, two days after. Unfortunately, he fell a victim to the yellow fever, on the 14th June, two days before the ship made the land. His remains were publicly interred at Portsmouth, on the 21st of the same month. In the following year, Captain Laforey, who had succeeded to the Baronetcy on the demise of his father, was appointed to the Hydra frigate, stationed on the coast of France. On the 1st May, 1798, being on a cruize off Havre, in company with the Vesuvius bomb, and Trial cutter, Sir Francis gave chace to a French frigate, a corvette, and cutter. The former endeavoured to effect her escape into Havre ; but being hard pressed by the Hydra, and after engaging her for three quarters of an hrfur, ran ashore, and was destroyed by the British boats the following morning. She proved to be la Conflante, of 36 guns ; and by a role iV equipage found on I Majesty's id Hliip or )r propric- MajeHty's ize for the he whole red under ijed to be mable, of I father to coiniuand i^inj^ year, ,te he had fj^uiiH, and ttlcments Ton under bh a body In the guns, a ly laden, •eiidered, and re- the Ma- ni to the hip made tsmouth, iicceeded ppoiuted -• avre, in ;ter, Sir d cutter, re J but her for yed by ;d to be )und on ■| f 81 K FKANCIS I.AKOHICV, BART. 441) hoard, nianiicd with .'KK) men, several of whom were found kilh'd ii[)()n her deckH ; the rest of the crew enciiped on nliore. The corvette la Vesuvt!, of 20 ^uii.s, eseajjed ; but the cutter was driven on shore and destroyed. 'HiIh Hcrvice wu« (•ITected without any Ions on board the Knglish HhipH. Ill l7Wiui(I IH(K), the Hydra was employed at the Lee- ward iKlands. On \m return from thence. Sir Francis removed into the Powerful of 7'! K""Wj ^^^d proceeded to the Jialtic to reinforce the fleet in that sea. He afterwards accompanied Sir Charles JM. Pole to Cadi/ Bay, where he continued until the termination of hostilities. The Powerful subsequently fonucd part of the s({uadron of observation sent from Gibral- tar to.l.imaica, under Captain (nowSii* Henry) Darby. Some time after the renewal of the war, our officer obtained the command of the Spartiate, another 74-gun ship, and again visited the West Indies, from whence he returned with I.«or(l Nelson in pursuit of the combined fleets of France and Spain, and was thus aff'orded the happy opportunity of parti- cipating in the glories of the never-to-be-forgotten 21st Oct. 1805, on which day that great Commander expired in the arms of victory. The loss sustained by the Spartiate, in the battle of Trafalgar, was 3 killed and 20 wounded. Sir Fran- cis Laforey afterwards assisted at the funeral of his heroic chief, and in the procession by water from Greenwich car- ried the standard in the first barge. We next find the subject of this sketch employed in the Spartiate, guarding the coast of Sicily ; on which service he continued until his advancement to the rank of Rear- Admiral, July 31, 1810. He was then nominated Commander-in- Chief at the Leeward Islands, and proceeded thither in the Dragon of 74 guns. Sir Francis remained on that station until the commencement of 1814. He was created a K. C. B. Jan. 2, 1815 ; and became a Vice-Admiral, Aug. 12, 1819. Comitn/ seat. — Whitby, co. Devon. Ihwn residence. — 62, George-street, Portman- square. VOL. I. iX 111 450 VICK-ADMIllALS OF TMK WHITK SIR PHILIP CHARLES DURHAM. Fice-Admiral nf the White ; Knight Commander of the most honnrahfe Militnnj Order of the Bath ; and Knight of the French Military Order of Merit. This officer is tho third son of the late James Durham, of Largo, in Fifeahire, N. B. Esq., and was one of the Lieute- nants of the Royal George, bearing the flag of Rear- Admiral Kempenfelt, when that ill-fated ship sank at her anchors at Spithead, by which melancholy accident 9(10 souls are sup- posed to have perished, among whom were the Rear- Admiral, several of the officers, and many women and children. Cap- tain Waghom, Lieutenant Durham, and about 300 others, were picked up by the boats *. • On the29tli Aug. 1782, the Royal George, of 100 guns, being on the heel at Spithead, overset and sank, by which fatal accident about nine hundred persons were instantly launched into eternity, among whom was that brave and experienced officer Rear-Admiral Kempenfelt. The Royal George had been careened to have her seams caulked as she layatandior, without going into harbour. This surely was a hazardous expedient, especially in a roadstead so nrach exposed to sudden squalls as Spithead ; and the ol>|ect to be gained by it should have been very import- ant and very evident, to have justified its adoption : and if in this instance it was at all justifiable, the execution of it ought to have been attended to with pecifliar care. But the dreadful accident which happened, affords a fatal pHoof that the proper precautions for security had not been taken. Ota the above-mentiotied day, at six A. M., the weather being fine, and the wind moderate, it was thought a favourable opportunity to heel the ship, and orders for that purpose were accordingly given. By ten o'clock, she was careened sufficiently to enable the workmen to get to the part that leaked ; but in order to repair it as effectually as possible, the ship was heeled another Streak. After this was done, the ship's crew were allowed to go to dinner ; but the dock-yard men continued at their work, and had almost finished it, when a sudden and violent squall took the ship on the raised side, and the lower-deck ports to leeward having been unaccount- ably left open, the water rushed in : in less than eight minutes the ship filled, and sank so rapidly that the officers in their confusion made no signal of distress ; nor indeed, if they had, could any assistance have availed* for after her lower ports were in tiie water, no exertions could have pre- vented her from going to the bottom. When the Royal George went down there were upwards of 1200 persons on board, including 300 women wst honnruhte nch Military Durham, of the Lieute- jar-Admiral anchors at lis are sup- ar- Admiral, Iren. Cap- 300 others. iins, being on It about nine ng whom was lulked as she s a hazardous den squalls as very import- this instance attended to led, affords a been taken, fine, and the leel the ship, o'clock, she he part that he ship was vere allowed ark, and had ship on the unaccount- tes the ship )n made no lave availed* d have pre- eorge went 300 women .SIR I'HILIP CHAULBS OURHAM. 451 At the commencement of the war with France, in 1793, the subject of this memoir commanded the Spitfire sloop, and captured several of the enemy's privateers. On the 24th June in the same year, he was made post into the Hind, of 28 guns, stationed in the Channel. Early in 1794, Captain Durham, being off the Start, was chaced by six French frigates, one of which aj^roached so near to the Hind as to exchange a few shot, which killed two men and wounded some others. Captain Durham, be- fore the rest could come up, got close in shore, upon which the Frenchmen tacked and stood over to their own coast. Our officer was soon after appointed to the Anson, a cut- down 64, mounting 46 guns, 24-pounders on the main-deck, long twelves and 42-pounder carronades on the quarter- deck and forecastle. In this ship he was employed for several years on the coasts of France and Ireland, principally under the orders of Sir John Borlase Warren. In the summer of 1795, the Anson formed part of the ar- mament sent against Quiberon, the proceedings of which will be found in our memoir of Viscount Exmouth *, On the 30th March, 1796, in company with la Pomone, Galatea, and Artois, she fell in with a fleet of seventy sail going for provisions for the French fleet in Brest, under the escort of five frigates, a ship of 22, and a :brig of 20 guns. An engage- ment immediately ensued; but the enemy pushing through the Passage du Raz, the only ships taken were TEtpile, of 30 guns, and four merchantmen. v On the 27th July, VJ9fJy the Anson assisted at the destruc- and children. The people who were on deck, to the number of 200 and upwards, were saved by going out on the4op-sail yards, wbioh remained above water after the ship reached Uie bottom. About 70 more were picked up by the boats, from the otb^r^hips at ,the anchors^e. Rear- Admiral Kempenfelt, the rest of the officer?, and about 900 people, were drowned. Repeated attempts have since been made to weigh the Royal George, but in vain. In the beginning of 1783, a monument was erected in the church-yard of Kingston, in the inland of Portsea, to the memory of Rear- Admiral Kempenfelt, and his fellow sufferers. A large sum of money was also raised by subscription for the relief of the widows, &c. of those who perished. • See p. 219, 2g2 Ill 'ii< 'pi III '"III ^ \:d \ 452 VICa-ADMIRALS OF THE WHITK. tion of la Calliope French frigate, and capture of part of her convoy laden with naval stores *. At the latter end of the same year, in company with the Phaeton, she took la Daphne, of 30 guns and 2/6 men, in the Bay of Biscay. In the en- suing autumn, the same ships, being off Bourdeaux, captured la Flore, of 136 guns. After seeing the last mentioned prize safe into Plymouth, Captain Durham was employed watching a French squadron, with a large body of troops on board, destined to join the rebels in Ireland. He kept company for three weeks, ex- periencing much bad weather, until the enemy appeared off the Irish coast, and were encountered by Sir John B. Warren f. The Anson, in consequence of a press of sail, unfortunately carried away her mizen-mast, main lower, and top-sail yards, on the night of the 1 1th Oct. 1/98, just as she was closing with the sternmost of the French ships ; and her Commander, officers, and men, flattering themselves they should be fully repaid for all their fatigue and anxiety. By indefatigable exertions, the ship was got in a state fit for service, and joined in the latter part of the action, engaging five French frigates for a considerable' period, and sustaining a loss of 4 officers and 1 1 men badly wounded, four of the latter mortally. On the 18th of the same month. Captain Durham, in company with the Kangaroo sloop, fell in with, and after a galla)itly disputed action of an hour and a quarter, captured la Loire, pierced for 50 guns, mounting 46, with 664 seamen and soldiers, 48 of whom were killed, and 75 wounded. The Anson had 2 men killed and 14 wo\mded. La Loire had on board clonthing complete for 3000 men, 1020 muskets, 200 sabres, 360 pouches, 25 cases of musket ball cartridges, and one brass field-piece, with a great quantity of ammunition and entrenching tools. She had previously been severely handled and much crippled by the Mermaid, a small frigate command- ed by the late Captain Newman. In addition to the above mentioned national vessels, the Anson, during the time she was commanded by Captain Durht'.m, captured several French and Spanish privateers, * See (^j^ptaio John C. White, ia our next volume, t «Mp. 171. I SIR PHILIP CHARL£S DURHAM. 453 [part of her end of the la Daphne, In the cn- X, captured ) Plymouth, h squadron, to join the weeks, ex- ippeared off >. Warren f. ifortunatcly -sail yards, was closing ommander, lid be fully idefatigable ervice, and five French ^ a loss of the latter n Durham, and after a captured 34 seamen ded. The ire had on skets, 200 s, and one lition and y handled ommand- issels, the Captain irivatcers. I 'i She was also in occasional attendance on their late Majesties at Weymouth. On the 9th Sept. 1790, a grand naval fete, consisting of a ball and dinner party,* was given on board by Captain Durham and his lady, which the royal family honored with their presence. - We next find Captain Durham commanding the Endymion frigate, and employed in escorting the trade from Portugal and the Mediterranean. In 1802, the Hon. East India Company presented him with a service of plate, value 400 guineas, for his pecidiar attention in convoying safe home a large fleet of Indiamen. On the renewal of the war, in 1803, he was appointed to the Defiance, of 74 guns, the fastest sailing ship of her rate in the British navy. At the latter end of the same year, he re- captured the Flying Fish, from the coast of Africa, laden with ivory, gold-dust, &c. . • ' • '' ' The Defiance formed "part of the force under Sir Robert Calder, in the action with the combined squadrons of France and Spain, July 22, 1805 * ; on which occasion she had 1 man killed and 7 wounded. On the ever memorable 21st Oct. in the same year, she sustained a much heavier loss, having had 17 men slain and 53 wounded. Among the latter number was Captain Durham, whose exertions after the battle, in endeavouring to save I'Aigle, a French 74, from being wrecked, were particularly noticed by Nelson's gallant successor, Vice-Admiral ColUngwood, in his official des- patches. •' •'''"" At the public funeral of his heroic chief, our ofliccr bore the banner of the deceased, as a Knight of the Bath. He sul)se(|uently commanded the Renown, of JA gims, and from her removed into the Colossus of the same force, in which ship he terminated his services as a Captain. His promotion to the rank of a Flag-Officer took place July 31 , IHIO. In 1811, we find Rear- Admiral Durham commanding a division of the North Sea fleet, cmploj'ed off the Scheldt. During the two following years his flag was flying on board the Bulwark, in the Channel. Towards Ihe conclusion of tlie wnr, he was appointed Commander-in-Chief at the Leewurd i • See p. 406. ^.'kIi 454 VICE-ADMIRALS OF THK WHltfi. "I I it Islands, and proceeded thither in the Venerable, ^\. On his passage out, in company ^dth the Cyane sloop, he had the good fortune to fall in with, and capture, two French fiigates of the largest class, the Alcmene and Iphigenia ; the former, in an attempt to board the Venerable, had 82 officers and men slain, and 50 wounded. On the part of the British, 2 seamen were killed and 4 wounded *, A few days previous to the above event, the Venerable had captured le Jason, French letter of marque, from Bourdeaux, bound for New York, with a cargo composed of silks, wines, and otlier articles of merchandize. On the 2d Jan., 1815, Rear-Admiral Durham was nomi- nated a K. C. B. In the autumn of the same year, he co-ope- rated with the late Lieutenant-General Sir James Leith, in reducing the island of Guadaloupe, and securing the other French colonies in the West Indies, for Louis XVIII. For this service, he was revt^arded with the Cross of the Order of Military Merit of France ; and is, we believe, the only British subject who enjoys that mark of distitiction. Sir Philip C. Durham was advanced to the rank of Vice- Admiral, Aug. 12, 1819. He married, first, in 1799, Lady Charlotte Bruce, third daughter and seventh child of Charles, fifth Earl of Elgifl,^ by Martha, only child of Thomas White, £sq., banker in London. Lady Charlotte's mother filled the highly important ofiSce of governess to her late R. H. the Princess Charlotte of Wales. Married, secondly, Oct. 16, 1817} the daughter of Sir John Henderson, Bart., of Fife- shire. . I 1 \ .51 V 1 '1 ' 1 SIR ISRAEL PELLEW, yice-jiJmiral qfthe ff^hitei nnd Knight Cowmander o/ the most hono- rable Military Order of the Bath. It might be a subject of curious disciuisition, to' enquire into the origin of this name ; but this is rendered totally un- necessary, by the fame attached to it in modem periods, which would have imparted a brilliancy to any name, even of • See Captttins Thomas Forrkst, uiut James Andiiew Worth, vol. 2, SIR ISRAEJ. PBLLSW. 455 7i- On his he had the nch frigates the former, )fficers and ; British, 2 ys previous 1 le Jason, d for New and otiier was nomi- he co-ope- i Leith, in the other Vni. For e Order of nly British t of Vice- ^99, Lady f Charles^ s White, fiUed the *. H. the Oct. 16, of Fife- ntott honu- enquire tally un- periods, , even of ^H, vol 2, •I % the most ancient and illustrious family, and reflected back n splendor, on the most distinguished ancestry, not inferior to that of its proudes*^ actions. The subject of this memoir is a younger brother of Admiral Viscount Exmouth'j and like him, entered at an early age into the naval service. In the month of Jan. 1783, he com- manded the Resolution cutter, of 12 guns and 75 men, and captured, after a smart action of an hour and a half, the Flushing, a Dutch privateer, of 14 guns and 68 men, one of whom was killed and six wounded. He soon after attained the rank of Commander, but does not appear to have been employed during the peace that succeeded the contest with our American colonies. It fortunately happened, however, as has been already stated in our mempir of his brother, that he served as a volunteer with that officer on board la Nymphe, at the capture of la Cleopatre ; in consequence of which he was promoted to the rank of Post-Captain, June 2&th, 1793, seven days after the action. After acting for some time in the command of la Nymphe, Captain Israel Pellew was appointed to the Squirrel, of 20 guns, employed in the North Sea, where he remained until the spring of 1795, and then removed into the Amphion frigate, in which he served under the orders of Sir James Wallace, at Newfoundland j and on his return from thence, after cruizing some time in the North Sea, was directed to join the squadron of frigates, commanded by Sir £dward Pellew, employed between Falmouth and the French coast. On her passage, the Amphion sustained some damage in a gale of wind, and was obliged to put into Plymouth to refit. On the 22d Sept. 1796, the Amphion's fore magazine by some accident took fire and blew up ; which had such an effect as to rip the upper works in the fore part of the ship to atoms, and she almost immediately sank alongside the sheer- hulk, aiid close to the dock-yard jetty, in ten fathoms water. The number of persons on board at the time, including visitors of both sexes, was at least 3{K), not more than 40 of whom \vere saved, and several of these sevTcly wounded. Captain Pellew, his first Lieutenant, and Captain Swaflield of the Overysscl, were in the cabin at dinner ; hearing a kind of 'Aim i! 111:1 iH ' i!' •'!!; i Mi: 456 VfCS-ADMlRALS OF THE WHITE. rumbling noise immediately preceding the blowing up, the two former ran into the quarter gallery nearest the sheer- hulk, on whose deck Captain Pellew was instantaneously thrown, whereby he received a severe blow on the head, and a contusion on his breast. The Lieutenant was thrown into the water much wounded. Captain Swaftield, Mr. John Hearic, third Lieutenant, the Master, Surgeon, Lieutenant of Marines, gunner, carpenter, and several midshipmen, pe- rished. Though the explosion was very great, yet it had but a trifling effect on shore, or even on board the ships near to which she lay. Her masts (excepting the mizcn-mast) were shivered almost to pieces, and forced out of the ship ; four of her main-deck gims were thrown in upon the hulk's deck ; and several bodies, pieces of the wreck, &,c. were seen to be thrown as high as her main-top-gallant mast head. The cause of this dreadful accident in all probability will never be discovered, as it is most reasonable to suppose that the person from whose imprudence it was occp uoned, hared the fate of his miserable companions. Captain Pellew afterwards commanded the Cleopatra frigate, stationed in the Channel, where he captured I'Emilie, French privateer, of 18 guns and 110 men. Towards the latter end of 179^j he escorted a fleet of merchantmen to Halifax, where he contiimed until the year 1800, and then proceeded to Jamaica. Whilst on the latter station, the Cleopatra appears to have had more than one narrow escape from destruction. On one occasion, when crossing the Gulph stream, under a reefed foro-sail and mizen stay-sail, in a strong gale, not far to the northward of Cape Hutterus, in a night rendered dark by a deep and jet black thunder cloud, which had obscured the moon ; after very vivid lightning and a loud explosion, the wind shifted in a heavy squall, so as to bring the ship up several points, with her head to a very high and much agi- tated sea, giving her at the same time fresher way through the water. Her first plunge put the whole of the forecastle deep under, and the ollicers on deck hardly expected to see her rise again. Captain Pellew, who was in his cot, got a severe blow by being dashed violently against the b^ams. "^he •a ving up, the t the shecr- tantaiieously le head, and thrown into , Mr. John lieutenant of lipmen, pe- t had but a lips near to mast) were lip; four of idk's deck; ) seen to be •ability will Lipposc that led, hared itra frigate, lie, French latter end ax, where •ceeded to I's to have On otu; a reefotl far to the ark by a cured the sion, the ship up iiuch agi- ' through forecastle I'd to see ot, got a ns. ^he .SIR ISRAEL PELLEW. 45/ ship, however, rose, throwing a vast body of water aft, which burst open the cabin bulk head, breaking loose every thing upon the deck but the guns. In this send aft, the taiferel and after part of the quarter-deck were far under water. Luckily, only part of the after hatchway was open, and no great body of water went below. The fore-sail was hauled up, and the damage found to be only the loss of the jib-booin, sprit-sail- yard, and bumpkins; bowsprit and fore- yard sprung ; small cutter carried away from the davits ; the spanker boom, and many ropes broke. Early in 1801, the Cleopatra got aground on the island of Abaco, one of the Bahamas, where she remained three days and nights, and was forced to throw her guns and part of the ballast overboard before she could be got afloat. During the same ciuize, and some time previous to this accident, Captain Pellew being of? Cuba, in company with the Andromache, sent the boats of the two frigates into Levita Bay, for the pur- pose of cutting y the Uritish in effecting this conquest, amounted t .313 killed, and 194 wounded ALEXANDER FRASER. 459 er the orders which service et * : soon af- pments of the ), he attained year acconi- ptain of the ; peace. He anced to the ' DuheofCam^ living son of Lerwick, in 1, second son »f Alexander [ghter of the il grandmo- kerscleugh, )n. when only ard the Fly h whom he 2r returned of the year id frigate, le expira- of the Bo- itary forces and M{\jor> men, 922 of g the siege, mounted t Returning to England in the winter of 1772, he passed the usual examination at the Navy Office ; and in June 1773, was ordered on board the Royal Oak, of 74 guns, at Spithead, where a fleet had been assembled, and was then to be re- viewed by his late Majesty. Not having the good fortune to be in the number of the successful candidates for promotion, which took place on that occasion, Mr. Fraser remained in the Royal Oak till the Autumn of 1774, when he again went to America, as acting Lieutenant of theScarborough,'a20-gun ship. When hostilities with the colonists broke out, it was thought fit to destroy some of their seaport towns ; and the late Cap- tain Henry Mowat, in the Canceaux, being entrusted with the execution of this service, for which he had a small squa- dron, and 200 additional marines embarked, Mr. Fraser was ordered on board the Canceaux as Lieutenant. The town of Falmouth, the inhabitants of which had opposed with violence the loading of a mast ship, being the first object, Mr. Fraser was sent on shore with a flag of truce, offering to spare the place on the condition of the rebels delivering up all their artillery and small arms : this not being complied with, the squadron opened a heavy cannonade, and in a short time destroyed 130 dwellings, 278 store and warehouses, a large new church, the court-house, and public library ; to complete the demolition of the town, a large body of seamen and marines were landed under Mr. Fraser, who set fire to such parts as could not be destroyed from the ships : in effecting this, he was a good deal aimoyed by the Americans from behind hedges, &c. ; but being covered by the squadron, he reimbarked the whole party, having only a few wounded. During the ensuing campaign of 1776, Mr. Fraser was con- stantly employed in the flat boats at Long Island, New York, &c. (See Sir Andrew S. Hamond), and particularly at the taking of Fort Washington, where he led one of the divisions of boats in which the light infantry were embarked, and which were exposed to a very galling fire of grape and musketry, while waiting for the flowing of the tide to proceed up the creek; on this occasion he had 2 men killed and several wounded in his own boat. At the latter end of the same year he returned to England in the Bristol, with Lord Shuldham, 'V. I(>() X VI(:K-AI>MIBAL8 OF Til* WIIITK. wli(» had been superseded in the ehief eoniniand on the Ame- rieuu station by Earl Howe. In 1777) '-'ord Sandwieh, then at the head of the Aihniralty, gave Mr. Fraser his first eoinniiHsion, with the flatteriiis^ eoni- pliment — that it Mas for his services in America. The ap- pointment was to the 1 lector, of 74 guns, Captain Sir Jcdui Hamilton *. In the month of June, 177H, our oflicer was or- dered to take charge of la Licorne French frigate, detained by the Hector, and carried her into l*ortsmouth harbom*. On the 27tb of July following, he was present in the action be- tween Keppel and jl'Orvilliers f. The Hector continued with the Channel fleet until 177^^ when she was ordered to the West Indies with Sir Cicorge B. Rodney. In the summer of 17H(), she formed part of a S(}uadron, consisting of four line-of-battle ships, one of TiOgunH, and a frigate, sent under the Hon. Captain Cornwallis to es- cort the homeward bound trade through the (iulf of Florida. After performing tJiat service, Captain Cornwallis cruised off the island of Cuba, and on the 12th June fell in with a fleet of French merchantmen under the protection of eleven sail of the line, and several frigates. In this rencounter the British Commander displayed great nautical skill, drawing up and maiKCuvring his little stiuadron with so nmeh judgment, that the French Admiral did not think it adviseable to hazard a close n Jion. Some random shot only passed between them, by which a few men were killed and wounded. Soon after this affair Mr. I'raser exchanged into the Coiujueror, 74, as first Lieutenant, being desirous to return to England to join his friend Commodore Johnstone, who had recently been ap- pointed to the command of a sijuadron destined for the reduc- tion of the Cape of Good Hope. On her passage home the Conqueror lost her main-mast in a hurricane, and was in other respects so much damaged that it became necessary to keep I(X) men constantly employed diu'ing the remainder of the voyage, baling the water out at the hatchways. By extraor- dinary exertions, however, she arrived at Spithead, ami her Commander (the late Admiral Dickson) ever afterwards de- * Father of the present Vicc-Aihniral Sir Churlos Haiiiilton, and Reur, AdmirHJ Sir Edward Humilton. t See Note f. «» V- I ?*•'»• AI.KXANDBH KIIASBH. 461 d on tljc Aint;- tho Admiralty, latUriiiir coin- Th ica. J lie a|»- )taifi Sir John )nicHT was or- ^ ()-^un ship, anmc en flute, attached to the armament ; he was c«)nse(|uently in the skirmish in J'orto Fraya, when M. de Sulfrein surprised the Hritish s<|uamhined fleets, after the relief of Gibraltar in 17H2, by Lord Howe. He was after- wards removed into the Huby, of (34 guns, one of the ships detached from the fleet and ordered to the West Indies. On the passage out, falling in with an enemy's Sfpiadron to wiml- ward of IJarbadoes, the Ruby, after un action of 48 minutes within pistol-shot, took the Solitaire, of ecpial force, which had IJH men killed, and above 40 wounded, though the Ruby had not a man killed, and but a few slightly wounded. Soon after the arrival of the Ruby in the West Indies, Licu- teutint Fraser joirjcd the Formidable, bearing the flag of Ad- miral I'igot ; but in conseipience of peace triking j)lace, he had the mortification of returning to England without any further advancement. He afterwards accompanied Sir R. Hughes in the Adamant to the Leeward Islands, where he continued imtil the Autumn of 17H(i. It was on this station he had the good fortune of ac(iuiring the acquaintance and frierulship of the late Ivord Nelson, who then commanded the Boreas fri- gate ; whi<;h continued till the lamented death of that great officer. In the month of June, 17H7, Mr. Fraser was appointed to the Colossus, of 74 guns, which ship he fitted out for the late Sir Hugh C. Christian ; and the armament taking place in October, of which Admiral Figot was to have the command, he removed Lieutenant F. from the Colossus, to be first of his own ship, the Royal Sovereign, at Flymouth. Thus, when the armament ceased, he, on the 1st. Dec. in the same year, at length obtained the rank of Commander, but remained un- • S«e p. 2^)8, tt ttq. ji^ X >i>i I 4<)2 ViCK-ADMIPALS OK THK WHITE. employed till the Autumn of IJ^h when he was appointed to the Savage sloop, on the Greenock station, where he conti- nued till the latter end of 1702. The Savage was then or- dered to the Uiver to assist in carrying to the Nore the newly impressed men ; from thence she was sent to join Admiral M*J}ride, in the Downs. At the breaking out of the war with France, Captain Fraser c.iptured la Custine a privateer, and several Danish ships latlen with corn bound to that country. In April, 1793, he ^vas directed to take the Ferret sloop and several cutters under his command, and proceed off Ostend : here he received a re- (pusition from the Baron de Mylius, to land and take posses- sion of the town and garrison j with which he complied, and ran the Savage into the harbour, landing about 500 men, partly marines and partly seamen. On the 5th, be received from the Court of Brussels the intelligence, that Genertd Dumourier had arrested Buernonville and the other Commissioners of the Na- tional Convention, and sent them to the Count de Clayrfait. This intelligence, of infinite consequence to the war, he in- stantly transmitted to the Admiralty ; aiid it was received in so very short a time, that Lord Chatham could scarcely believe the officer who brought the despatch. In four days after- wards, the French army refusing to march to Paris with Du- mourier, he was himself obliged to fly, which of course put an end to the armistice between the Prince of Cobourg and him. This intelligence Cap^uin Fraser received through the same channel, and was equally fortunate in the speedy trans- mission of it to the Admiralty. As he necessarily lived on shore, H. R. H. the Duke of York was pleased to order the Commissary-General to pay him one pound sterling per day for his table, which was continued all the time he remained on the station. Sir Charles Ross, with the 37th regiment, re- lieved him in the command on shore on the 20th April ; but he still continued as Commander of the naval department, until the events which succeeded required a greater force, and of- ficers of superior rank, among whom were Admiral M*Bride, Captain (afterwards Sir George) Murray, &c. j previous to which, he was, on the 1st July, 1793, promoted to post rank in the Redoubt, of 20 gims, the Savage's crew turned over into her, and sent to the same station ; where he materially. ALEXANDKIt KH 463 8 appointed to liere he conti- ^ was then or- fore the newly ) join Admiral 'aptain Fraser Danish ships pril, 1793, he cutters under received a re- take posses - ;omplied^ and 0 men, partly ived from the 'umourier had !rs of the Na- de Clayrfait. war, he in- s received in ircely believe days after- ris with Du- course put iobourg and through the )eedy trans- •ily lived on 0 order the ing per day le remained giment, re- April; but ;ment, until ce, and of- 1 M^Bride, jrevious to ► post rank irned over materially I'H Vf contributed to the defence of Nieu^ )rt, i / anchoring close in-shore, and firing into the enemy 'h c;nnp over t' sand-hills. In July, 1794, Captain Fraser was ;i,)pointcd t the Ppohit- pine frigate, attached to the North Sea licet, undn- thr* < tb of Admiral Duncan, on which service he continued until ' >ec. 1795* and then removed into the Shaimon, u new frigate 32 guns, stationed on the coast of Ireland, where he captured the following French privateers : le Duguay Trouiii, of 24 guns and 150 men ; le Grand Indien, 20 guns, 125 iucu ; la Julie, 18 guns, 120 men ; and la Mouchc, 1(> guns, 122 men. In \7^) our officer obtained the command of the Diana a 38-gun frigate, in which he escorted a large fleet to the West Indies, where he intercepted several privateers. Having been in the course of one year twice attacked by the yellow fever, he was most reluctantly obliged to resign his ship, and return to England as a passenger in the Invincible. Captain Fraser's next appointment was to the Berschermer, of 54 guns, employed as a guard-ship in the Swin, until the end of the war. He then joined the Amphion frigate, and conveyed H. R. H. the Duke of Cambridge and suite to Cux- haven. In 1804, he was appointed to the Weymouth, another frigate ; and soon after to the Hindostan, of 54 guns. In her he visited the East Indies, from whence he returned in the sum- mer of 1806, and commanded in succession the Prince, a second rate, and Vanguard, of 74 guns. The latter vessel, commissioned by him in Jan. 1807, formed part of the fleet under Lord Gambler in the expedition against Copenhagen. When the Commander-ni-Chief returned to England with the Danish prizes. Captain Fraser was ordered to remain with the Vanguard, and a considerable number of frigates and sloops, for the l)lockade of Zealand, and the protection of the trade still remaining in the Baltic. This proved to be a service of much greater anxiety and difficulty than had been foreseen or provided for : not only did the Danes refuse all offers made of reciprocal forbearance, which had been reckoned upon, but fitted out a great number of gun-boats in all quarters, which much annoyed the merchant-ships coming through the grounds, and also the vessels which arrived from England bound up. He succeeded, however, in sending safe through the Sound about 300 sail, giving them ample protection from thence to IX ill- m I'll: '11 t '■ ,i niii il ' •!! • Iill»' III '1*1 £: ViM :^i!K: 4()4 VICE-ADMIRALS OF THE WHITE. Britain. An embargo also took place in the Russian ports as early as the 15th Nov. ; notwithstanding which a very few ships only remained, as they met with every facility in getting ready and proceeding, from the Russian government, until the embargo actually took place : the military even assisting in loading the vessels. Captain Fraser remained off Copenhagen till the 21st. Nov. and then dropt down to Helsinburgh to collect the last ships for the season, and proceed with them to England on the 30th, agreeably to his orders. On his arrival, he found, to his great astonishment, that instead of receiving the thanks of the mer- cantile world, whose property he had protected, he was called upon to answer the allegations of some of those bodies, who, utterly ignorant of the existing circumstances, either of the continued and decided hostilities of the Danes, or the em- bargo which had taken place in Russia, had complained that the squadron had left the Sound at too early a pejriod, and even hinted that Captain Fraser had acted contrary to his or- ders : he had the pleasure, however, of fully satisfying the Admiralty Board, which entirely approved of his conduct. On the Vanguard being ordered again to Copenhagen, in Jan. 1808, our officer, whose health had been considerably impaired, obtained leave of absence, and soon after the com- mand of the sea fencibles at Dundee, in which he remained until the final discharge of that corps in 1810. On the 1st. Aug. in that year, he was appointed to the William and Mary yacht, and at the same time selected by the Duke of Cam- bridge to be one of H. R. H's equerries. His advancement to the rank of Rear-Admiral took place Aug. 1st, 1811, and on the 12th Aug. 1819, he was made a Vice- Admiral. At the latter end of the same year, he presided at a meeting of half-pay officers, held at Edinburgh, for the purpose of ten- dering their services in support of the civil authorities. Their loyal determination was transmitted to the Secretary of State for the Home Department, through the Board of Admiralty. Our officer married, 1788, Helen, eldest daughter of John Bruce, of Sunburgh,, Esq. Advocate, and Collector of the Customs in Shetland. By this lady he had three sons and two daughters j the eldest of the former is an officer in the -it rnment, until SJU HENJAMIN IIALLOWELL. 465 Engineers ; the second was first Lieutenant of the Magnet sloop, which foundered with all her crew on the passage to America, in Sept. 1812 ; the youngest was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant, Sept. 5, 1816. / •- /^r,- Residence. — Send Lodge, Shetland. ' ' ' n ~lli SIR BENJAMIN FIALLOWELL, Fice- Admiral of the fFh'ite ; Commander-in-Chief in the River Medtoay; Knight Commander of the most honorable Military Order of the Bath, and of the Neapolitan Order of St. Ferdinand and of Merit. This officer is the son of a gentleman who was the last surviving Commissioner of the American Board of Customs, and died at York, in Upper Canada, Mar. 28, 1799. He en- tered the naval service at an early age, and was made a Lieu- tenant by Sir Samuel (afterwards Viscount) Hood, on the 31st. Aug. 1781, five days previous to the partial action oflF the Chesapeake ; on which occasion his ship, the Alcide, of 74 gims, commanded by the late Admiral Sir Charles Thompson, sustained a loss of 2 men killed and 18 wounded. Soon after this event. Sir Samuel Hood returned with his squadron to the West Indies *, and Lieutenant Hallowell was subsequently removed into the Alfired, another 74, which ship formed part of the fleet under the orders of the same gallant Commander, when attacked by the Count de Grasse at the anchorage in Basseterre Road, Jan. 25 and 26, 1782 f. In the battle of the 9th, and glorious victory of the 12th April following, the Alfred was attached to the red division of Sir George Rodney's fleet, and sustained a loss of 12 men killed, * Sir Samuol Hood had been entrusted with the command at the Lee- ward Islands on the departure of Sir George B. Rodney for England, in the month of July preceding ; but soon after receiving intelligence, that the Count de Grasse had proceeded with a powerful fleet to the coast of America, he lost not a moment in following him thither, and on the 31st Aug. formed a junction with Rear- Admiral Graves, off Sandy Hook. The action that en- sued between the British and French fleets we have already noticed at p. 133. t The operations of the British fleet during the siege, and after the cap- ture of St. Christopher's, form an epoch in the proud annals of the British navy, and will be found detailed in our memoir of Retired Captain John N. Inglefibld. VOL. I. 2 H 'iw^r L : I, I 466 VirK-ADMIKAI.S OF THK WMITK. \ f) and 40 wounded, including among the former her Captain, W. Bayne, to whose memory a monument was afterwards erected by order of parliament *. She also formed part of the detachment sent under Sir Samuel Hood in pursuit of the fly- ing enemy, and was consequently present at the capture of two ships of the line, one frigate, and a coi'vette, in the Mona Passage, on the 19th of the same month. During the ensuing peace, Lieutenant Hallowell served first in the Falcon sloop, on the Leeward Island station; and sub- sequently in the Barfleur with Lord Hood, at Porstmouth, until his promotion to the rank of Commander, which took place about 1791 . In that and the succeding year, we find him in the Scorpion sloop, stationed on the coast of Africa. At the commencement of the war with the French republic^ he was appointed to the Camel store-ship, and proceeded in her to the Mediterranean, where he was removed into the Robust, of 74 guns, the former commander of that ship f having been appointed Governor of Fort la Malgue, on the occupation of Toulon by the allied forces. His post commis- sion bears date Aug. 30, 1793. In our memoirs of Viscount Keith, Lord ttadstock, and Sir W. Sidney Smith, we have already related the proceedings of the British up to the 19th December, on which day the French fleet and arsenal at Toulon were destroyed, and the town evacuated, a measure rendered necessary by the immense assemblage of republicans in its vicinity. The embarkation of the troops on that occasion v/as successfully performed under the able management of the former oflScer, aided by the skilful and zealous conduct of Captains Hallowell and Matthews. Subsequent to this event the British fleet anchor- ed in Hi^res Bay j and Captain Elphinstonc having resumed the command of the Robust, Captain Hallowell was appointed to the Courageux, of the same force, in which ship he conti- nued until the return of Captain Waldegrave from England, whither he had been sent with despatches from Toulon. We next find our officer serving at the siege of Bustia, on which occasion he hadthe charge of the flotilla appointed to watch the mouth of th(> harbour, and was employed on that * Captain Bnyne was killed on the .*Uh April. See note at p. 3^. t Captain Elphinitouc, now Viscount Keith. her Captain, 'as afterwards ed part of the mit of the fly- he capture of , in the Mona ell served first lOn ; and sub- , Porstmouth, r, which took year, we find ast of Africa, mch republic^ proceeded in oved into the f that ship t algue, on the post commis- itock, and Sir roceedings of lich day the yed, and the the immense embarkation y performed aided by the dlowell and fleet anchor- ing resumed as appointed lip he contl- )m England, ouion. Bastia, on ppointed to yed on that at p. 39. SIR UKNJAiVlIN HALLOWELL. 467 fatiguing service every night until the garrison surrendered *, He subsequently served on shore as a volunteer, under the orders of the heroic Nelson, at the reduction of Calvi ; and upon Captain Cunningham being sent to England with the despatches relative to the final subjugation of Corsica, he was appointed to succeed that officer in the command of the Lowestoffe frigate. In Lord Hood's official account of the capture of Calvi, we find the following just tribute of applause paid to his merits : " The journal I herewith transmit from Captain Nelson, who had the command of the seamen, will shew the daily occurrences of the siege ; and whose unremit- ting zeal and exertion I cannot sufficiently applaud, or that of Captain Hallowell, who took it by turns to command in the advanced batteries, 24 hours at a time ; and I flatter my- self they, astvell as the other officers and seamen, will have full justice done them by the General \: it is therefore un^ necessary for me to say more upon the suhfect." From the Lowestoffe, Captain Hallowell was again appoint- ed to the Courageux of 74 guns, which ship formed part of the fleet under Vice-Admiral Hotham, when that officer en- countered tlie enemy off the Hieres Islands, July 13, 1795 J. From this period we find no further mention of him until after the evacuation or Corsica, in Oct. 1796 §, when he proceeded in company with the rest of the fleet to Gibraltar, and arrived at that place early in December. On the 19th of the same month the Courageux parted her cables in a violent gale of wind, and drove nearly under the Spanish batteries before she could be brought up. It being absolutely necessary to remove her from so dangerous a situation, she was "fot under weigh, and made two or three boards under close reefed topsails, with a view of gaining the anchorage in Rosla Bay ; but the wind increasing to a perfect hurricane, and the rain falling in tor- rents, attended by a tremendous storm of thunder and lightning, rendered every attempt abortive. About 9 P. M. being then under her courses, and stretching over to the African coast, she unfortunately ran against the steep shore of Ape's Hill ||, • Src p. 252. t Licufeimnt-Gcucral Stuart, see i/tid. . . J See p. 264. § Socp. 255. II Mons Ahjfd, romnrkablc for I'.ie iiumUer of apci about its Himmit, on which aocoijiit it iijffcnerallv ci\llc formed part id the buldnest eivcd when we siiure, and tiie on of her crew SIR BENJAMIN HALLOWELL. 469 of Sir Horatio Nelson's scjuadron at the capture and destruc- tion of the French fleet in Aboukir Bay, Aug. 1, 1798 *. Our officer having been directed to reconnoitre the port of Alexandria, previous to the discovery of the enemy, was pre- vented assisting at the commencement of the battle; and being afterwards obliged to alter his course, in order to avoid the shoal that had proved so fatal to the CuUoden, it was eight o'clock before he got into action, and total darkness had enveloped the combatants for some time, which was dispelled only by the frequent flashes from their guns : the volumes of smoke now rolling down the line from the fierce fire of those engaged to windward, rendered it extremely difiicult to take his station : it was scarcely possible to distinguish friend from foe. The Swiftsure was bearing down under a press of sail, and had already got within range of the enemy's guns, when her commander perceived a ship standing out of action under her fore-sail and fore-top-sail, having no lights displayed. Supposing that she was an enemy, he felt inclined to fire into her J but as that would have broken the plan he had laid down for his conduct f, he desisted : and happy it was that he did so ; for tiie vessel in question was the Bellerophon ;J:, which had been obliged to withdraw from the conflict. At three minutes past eight the Swiftsure anchored, taking the place that had been occupied by that ship ; and two minutes after began a steady and well-directed fire on the quarter of the Frankll i, and bow of 1' Orient. At 9'» 3' a fire was observed to have broken out in the cabin of the latter; to that point Captain Hallowell ordered as many guns as could be spared from firing on the Franklin, to be directed, and, at the same time, that the marines should throw the whole fire of their musketry into the enemy's quarter, while the Alexander on the other side was keeping up an incessant shower of shot to the same point. The conflagration now began to rage with dreadful fury : still the French Admiral sustained the honor • See p. 180. t Cnjitain Hnllowell, being awure of the ng3t tlie rest a of the dangers ?et the better with so much nent, put him )on as he was It his brother )aril, and ex- liimself with to the specta- mi his pocket J himself and "try, or him- from Naples r place, after med a design ks, as well as large army, es, iuid soon w have sur- M SIR BENJAMIN HALLOWELL. 4/3 Eleven days after her arrival at Sicily, the Swiftsure sailed for Naples, in company with three other ships of the line and some smaller vessels, the whole under the command of Cap- tain Troubridge, of the CuUoden. On the 2d April they stood into the Bay ; and as it was known that many of the inhabitants were desirous of returning to their allegiance. Captain Hallowell, accompanied by the Hon. Mr. Rushout, now Lord Northwick, whose acquaintance with the country as well as with the Italian language proved of great service on many occasions, landed on the isle of Procida. They were received with enthusiastic joy, and ascended to the castle amidst the acclamations of the people : the French tree of liberty was cut down, the tri-coloured flag struck, and the royal Neapolitan ensign hoisted in its stead. In the mean time the squadron anchored between Procida and the main ; a party of marines were sent to Ischia to take pos- session of that island, and the fort was given up to them without opposition. The squadron continued in the vicinity of Naples until the 15th May, when it returned to Palermo, and from thence proceeded on a cruize off Maritimo. On the 23d of the same month. Captain Hallowell presented Lord Nelson with a cq^ti made from the wreck of I'Orient, accompanied by the following letter : " Ml/ Lord.—-I have taken the liberty of presenting you a coffin made from the main'tnast of C Orient, that when you have finished your military career in this world, you may be buried in one of your trophies — but that that 2)eriod may be far distant , is the earnest wish of your sincere friend, " Ben. Hallowell." rounded them, he contented himself with orderlnjj them to evacuate his own territories and those of the Holy PontiflF, The French retreated till thev reached Rome ; where, fortifying themselves in the castle of St. An- gelo, they resolved to defend themselves, and retire no farther. From some unknown cause, the King suddenly retreated with much expedition to Naples, and his late numerous army as suddenly disappeared. His Majesty having embraced a plan of setting up the military commissions to sale, and many persons having bought their rank, though they were known to possess no property, it is believed that the French lost not the opportu- nity to furnish them with the money. The consequence is obvious. Of course they took good care not to act against their benefactors. « ■ 'i!!''l!t! ^lim ,'i!j''iilt|i!l|' 1"S i,, :J!|iF ■i!l ill ill 474 VICK- ADMIRALS OP THK WHITE. On the bottom of this singular present was pasted a cer- tificate written on paper, to the following effect : "Ida hereby certify ^ that every part of this coffin is made of the wood and iron of V Orient, most of which was picked up hy his Majesty's ship under my command, in the Bay of Ahoukir. Ben. Hallowell *." " Stviftsure, Mat/ 23, 1799." The astonishment that prevailed amongst the crew of the Vanguard, Lord Nelson's flag ship, when they were actually convinced it was a cof&n which had been thus conveyed on board, will be long remembered by their officers : ** fFe shall have hot work of it indeed," said one of the seamen ; " you see the Admiral intends tojight till he is killed, and there he is to be buried." Lord Nelson highly appreciated the present, and for some time had it placed upright, with the lid on, against the bulk-head of his cabin, behind the chair on vvhicli he sat at dinner, and viewed it with the undaunted mind of a great warrior. At length, by the tears and en- treaties of an old servant, he was prevailed on to allow its being carried below. When his Lordship left the Vanguard, the coffin was removed into the Foudroyant, where it remained for many days on the gratings of the quarter-deck. Whilst his officers were one day looking at it, he came out of the cabin : " You may look at it, Gentlemen," said the hero, " as long as you please ; but depend on it none of you shall have it." In the month of June, 1799, Lord Nelson having been rein- forced ])y a squadron under Rear-Admiral Duckworth, pro- ceeded to Naples, where he arrived on the 24th, and found that a treaty had been signed between Cardinal Ruffo, and the insurgent Neapolitans, by which the latter consented to * It 1ms been stated in several pul)Ucations, that the words of the above mentioned certificate were engraved upon a brass plate affixed to the coffin : so far from that having- been the case, Captain Hallowell carefully avoided using any material that did not actually belong to the mast. He therefore had staples made of the spikes drawn from the cheeks ; these staples were driven into the edge of the coffin, and when the lid was put on, toggles were put into the staples to secure it down, and thus prevent the necessity of using nails or screws for that purpose. The nails in the coffin were also made from (he spikes taken from the mast. pasted a cer- fect : " Ido made of the picked up by the Bay of LLOWELL *." ; crew of the fvere actually • conveyed on : " rVe shall men ; " you [/, and there predated the jht, with the ind the chair le undaunted ars and en- i to allow its le Vanguard, e it remained ck. WhUst le out of the id the hero, rf you shall g been rein- iworth, pro- and found Ruffo, and onsented to s of the above affixed to the »well carefully he mast. He cheeks ; these e lid was put thus prevent e nails in the U SIR liENJAMIN HALLOWELL. 475 capitulate, on condition that they should be allowed to march out of the castles Nuovo and Uovo, with the honors of war, and be provided with vessels to transport themselves and families, with their property, to France. This treaty his Lordship set aside, as his Sicilian Majesty had ordered that no terras were to be entered into with the rebels, but that their surrender was to be unconditional. They were accord- ingly brought into the fleet, disarmed, and their leaders placed in irons. The enemy still retaining possession of the castles of St. £lmo, Gaieta, and Capua, preparations were instantly made for their subjugation ; and on the 29th June, the trenches were opened before the former fortress, under the direction of Captain Troubridge, who had been selected to conduct the operations on shore ; and the place was summoned to sur- render : but the Commandant, M. Mejan, determined to stand a siege. At first. Captain Ball, of the Alexander, M'as second in command ; but that officer's services being required at Malta, his place was most ably supplied by the subject of this memoir. On the 3d July, a battery of three 36-pounders and four mortars, was erected about a hundred toises from the walls of St. Elmo J also a battery of four 36-pounders was con- structed at the opposite angle, by a body of Russians belong- ing to the army of General Suvorof. Some Turkish auxi- liaries were at the same time employed in guarding particular dep6ts, and in the main behaved very well. It was the intention of the British commander to storm the castle in different places, as soon as practicable breaches could be made. On the 5th, another battery of two 36-pounders was opened. In the mean time, the three-gun battery being entirely destroyed, and the guns dismounted. Captain Hal- lowell was directed to erect another at the distance of ninety toises from the walls. The quick and well-directed fire of this new battery (which was admirably constructed, and cost immense labour *,) aided by a smart cannonade from the * In front of one of the embrazures of this battery stood a tree, which it was necessary to remove. The Neapolitan labourers did not at first like to expose themselves by going to cut it down. Captains Troubridge and Hallowell, with Colonel Tchudy a Swiss, and M. Monfrere, an emigrant of 476 VICE-ADMIRALS OF THE VVHITB. !!!i Ml others, induced the enemy to surrender; and an officer ap- peared on the walls with a white flag. The terms of capitu- lation were soon agreed on ', and the French marched out and delivered up the castle to the British *. Commodore Trou- bridge next proceeded to Capua, accompanied by Captain Hallowell, and took the command of the motley force before that place ; batteries of guns and mortars were erected, and on the 25th, opened their fire upon the enemy, who returned it with equal spirit ; but from the rapid approach of the be- siegers, whose trenches were advanced on the following day to within a few yards of the glacis, they were at length in- duced to capitulate ; and on the 29th, the garrison marched out and grounded their armsf. Gaieta immediately after- wards surrendered to Captain Louis of the Minotaur; and the whole kingdom of Naples was thus delivered from the yoke of the French — an event principally brought about by British sailors. The enemy, however, still occupied the Roman States ; from which, according to their own admission, they had ex- torted, in jewels, plate, specie, and requisitions of every kind, to the enormous amount of 8,000,000/. sterling : yet they af- fected to appear as deliverers among the people whom they were thus cruelly plundering ; and they distributed portraits of Buonaparte, with the blasphemous inscription — "This is the true likeness of the holy saviour of the ivorld ! " The people, detesting the impiety, and groaning beneath the ex- actions of these perfidious robbers, were ready to join any regular force that should come to their assistance ; but they dreaded Cardinal Ruflb's rabble J, and declared they would '\ great merit and abilities, advanced before the works, to encournge them by their example ; being perceived by the enemy on the walls, a gun loaded with grape was levelled at them with such precision, as actually to cut the boughs and strike the ground between their legs, yet providentially not one of them was hurt. * The fort of St. Elmo is hewn out of a rock, towards the west of the city of Naples. Its subterraneous works are wide, lofty, and bomb-proof j and it has eight reservoirs for water. The harbour is spacious, with a can^l and a mole nearly 500 paces in length ; and, on the whole, it is a place of great strength. t Cupua is situated fifteen miles north of Naples. I Cardinal Ruft'o, a man of rmostionable character, but of « temper n officer ap- iiis of capitu- ched out and nodore Trou- by Captain ^ force before erected, and vho returned ch of the be- oUowing day- it length in- on marched liatelv after- * iiotaurj and ed from the ;ht about by man States ; hey had ex- ■ every kind, yet they af- whom they ed portraits —"This is ^■d!" The ith the ex- o join any but they hey would rage them by a gun loaded ly to cut the ially not one west of the )omb-proofj ous, with a I'hole, it is a f a tamper ■i SIR BENJAMIN ilALLOWELL. 477 resist him as a banditti, who came only for the purpose of pillage. Lord Nelson perceived that no object was now so essential for the tranquillity of Naples as the recovery of Rome, which, in the present state of things, when the Rus- sians were driving the French before them, would complete the deliverance of Italy. He therefore sent the Swiftsure to Civita Vecchia, to offer thii garrison there, and at Castle St. Angelo, the same terms which had been granted to Gaieta, &c. The Swiftsure sailed from Naples on the 7th Aug., and on her arrival off Civita Vecchia a French officer of distinction came on board with a flag of truce ; but nothing was then decided. Captain Hallowell, however, subsequently entered into a negotiation, and had paved the way for the enemy's surrender, when he was taken from his station by Captain Foley of the Goliath ; that ship, together with the Swiftsure, being ordered by Lord Keith to proceed to Gibraltar *. Our officer soon after received the insignia of the Neapo- fitted for such times, had raised what he called u Christian army, composed of the best and the vilest materials ; loyal peasants, enthusiastic priests and friars, galley slaves, the emptying of the jails, and banditti. * Captain Hallowell was succeeded on the Roman coast by Captain Louis, who was afterwards joined by SirThomas Troubridge. The French, seeing that all hopes of defending themselves successfully against the united powers that attacked them on all sides, were at an end, and thinking to obtain better terms from the English than the Austrians, proposed terms to the latter officer, with that effrontery which characterizes their public proceedings, but which is as often successful as it is impudent. They had a man of the right stamp to deal with. Their ambassador at Rome began by saying, that the Roman territory was the property of the French, by right of conquest. The British Commodore settled that point, 1)y replying, " It is mine by reconquest." A capitulation was soon con- cluded for all the Roman States, and Captain Louis rowed up the Tiber in his barge, hoisted English colours on the Capitol, and acted, for the time, as Governor of Rome. The prophecy of Father M'Cormick, an Irish Franciscan, was thus accomplished. On Nelson's return to Naples from Aboukir, this man predicted, that the Admiral would take Rome with his ships. The hero reminded him that ships could not ascend the Tiber : but the friar, who had probably forgotten this circumstance, met the objection with a bold front, and declared he saw that it would come to pass notwitii- standing. Nelson, who was struck with the od«lity of the circumstance, and not a little pleased with it, obtained preferment for him from the Kinf, of Sicily, and recommended him to the Pope, ■A ^■1 \ -i .'.'M I: 4/8 VICE-ADMIRALS OF THK WHITE. litan Order of St. Ferdinand and of Merit, and a box with the royal cypher set in diamonds, as a reward for the services he had rendered to the Sicilian monarch *. The Svviftsure, after touching at Palermo, Minorca, and Gibraltar, proceeded to Lisbon, at which place she arrived on the 30th Nov. in company with the Leviathan, Powerful, Van- guard, and Bellerophon, the whole under the orders of Rear- Adniiral Duckworth. On the 6th Dec. the squadron again put to sea, and cruized for some time, in very stormy weather, on the coast of Spain, during which Captain Hallowell cap- tured two merchant vessels. In the month of Feb. 1800, af- ter diice more visiting the Tagus, he accompanied the same detachment to Gibraltar, where, as the Swiftsure had suffered a great deal in the late gales, it was thought necessary to caulk and repair her, for which pui-pose she was taken into the Mole. We next find Captain Hallowell cruizing with Rear- Admi- ral Duckworth, in order to intercept a fleet about to sail from Cadiz for Lima ; and on the 5th April the squadron had the good fortune to fall in with it. Two frigates and several merchantmen were captured ; but the Sabina, a fine frigate richly laden, and four merchant vessels, got off. Had not the Swiftsure been sent in chase to the southward, in all proba- bility not one of them would have escaped. Tlie prizes had quicksilver on board, to the amount of 140 tons, which was intended to work the mines of Peru and Mexico. Five days after this event. Captain Hallowell took a Spanish schooner from Malaga bound to Vera Cruz, which had taken shelter under the guns of the Moorish Castle of Larache, but put to sea again as soon as the remainder of the squadron left the African coast on their return to Gibraltar. The Swiftsure subsequently received the flag of Sir Richard Bickerton ; who after blockading Cadiz for some time, proceeded in her to Alexandria, where he removed into the Kent, of 74 guns. Although the Swiftsure had been in a very leaky condition * The Order of St. Ferdinand and of Merit was instituted by the King of the Two Sicilies, in compliment to his English allies. His Majesty placed himself at the head ; Lord Nelson was created a Knight Grand Cross J and Captains Troubridgc, Louis, Ball, Hood, and Hallowell, Knights Commanders ; and what rendered this flattering mark of distinc- tion more gratifying, the King at the same time wrote a letter to each of those officers, expressing the sense he entertained of their services. I a box with the services "inorca, and le arrived on vverful, Van- lers of Rear- ladron again my weather, illowell cap- ;b. 1800, af- ied the same had suffered sary to caulk ito the Mole. Rear-A.dmi- to sail from iron had the and several a fine frigate Had not the in all proba- le prizes had which was Five days ish schooner aken shelter ', but put to Iron left the le Swiftsure ertonj who i in her to '4 guns. y condition by the King His Majesty Cnight Grand nd Hallowell, rk of distinc- ;er to each of vices. m SIR BENJAMIN HALLOWELL. 479 for a long time, yet she was obliged to retrace her steps to the Egyptian coast without receiving the repairs she stood in need of. At length Lord Keith sent her with a convoy of cartels and light transports, from the Bay of Aboukir to Malta. Captain Hallowell on the passage received intelligence of a strong squadron of the enemy being in those seas. Prompted by a laudable zeal for the service, and considering the compa- rative insignificance of his charge, he formed the resolution to quit it, and make the best of his way to reinforce Sir John B. Warren, then lying at the latter place. Unhappily, on his passage he fell in with the hostile squadron on the 24th June, 1801. Perceiving the very superior force of the enemy, he endeavoured to escape from them ; but the leaky and foul condition of the Swiftsure was ill-matched for the fast sailing Frenchmen. Captain Hallowell, finding there was no pros- pect of getting away from them by keeping on a wind, deter- mined to bear down and engage the ships to leeward, consist- ing of two sail of the line and a frigate, in hopes that if he crippled them he might obtain his object ; but in this he was disappointed. The Indivisible, of 80 guns, bearing the flag of Rear-Admiral Ganteaume, and the Dix-AoM, 74, being in close order, and within half gun-shot of the Swiftsure, opened their lire : this was instantly returned, and a severe action took place, and continued, notwithstanding the great dispro- portion of force, for an hour and seven minutes, during which Captain Hallowell made several efforts to get to leeward of his opponents, but their superior sailing baflfled every attempt. The other two line-of-battle ships, the Jean Bart and Con- stitution, of 74 guns each, now tacked in order to fetch into the Swiftsure's wake, and were ranging up on her quarter within gun-shot, reserving their fire till they closed, when, her masts, yards, and rigging being cut to pieces, the decks lum- bered with the wreck, all hopes of escape cut off, and no pros- pect of succour presenting itself, Captain Hallowell, to avoid further useless effusion of blood, determined to surrender to superior numbers j and with pam, as he truly expressed him- self, he ordered the colours, which he could no longer defend, to be hauled down. The Frenchman's principal object having been to dismantle the Swiftsure, her loss in killed and wounded was not so gre a i\ ::i 1 i^ill 'if 480 VlCli-ADMlRALS OK THE WHITE, as might luive been expected : only 2 men were killed, and 8, including Lieutenant Davis, wounded, 2 of them mortally : but the ship was so much cut up, that although the whole of the artificers of the French squadron were employed in repair- ing her damages, it was six days before the Indivisible, by which ship she had been taken in tow, cast her off to make sail. The enemy's loss amounted to 33 killed and wounded. When Lord Keith despatched the Swiftsure for Malta, he took out many of her best men, by which means she was 86 short of complement, besides having 59 sick on board, from a bad fever brought oft' by those who had acted with the army before Alexandria. Had it been Captain Hallowell's good fortune to have had with him such a force as might have at- tacked the French squadron with any fair estimate of success, the result cannot be questioned *. In his public letter, our ofticer speaks highly of the hand- some treatment received from the French Rear-Admiral, who did every thing in his power to render the situation of his pri- soners as comfortable as possible ; and in M. Ganteaume's account of the action, the gallant defence of the Swiftsure was correctly admitted. Having obtained permission to return from Toulon to Mi- norca on his parole, a court-martial was assembled, Aug. 18, 1801, on board the Genereux, at Port Mahon, to try Captain Hallowell for quitting the convoy, and for the loss of his ship. After a minute investigation, the court were of opinion, and it appeared to them from the narrative of Captain Hallowell, supported by the best possible evidence to be obtained, that the fleet under his charge was of very little importance in any point of view ; that his determination to leave the said fleet and join Sir John B. Warren, was dictated by sound judgment and zeal for the service of his King and Country ; and the Court were farther of opinion, that the loss of the Swiftsure was Unavoidable, and that the conduct of Captain Hallowell, his offi- cers and ship's company, in her defence, was highly meritorious, and that Captain Hallowell displayed great judgment in the mode he adopted, to avoid so superior a force, and equal gal- lantry in the execution of the plan so formed ; they did there - • The Swifimiic was retaken at the glorious battle of Tnifalgnr. 1 SIR B£NJAMIN HALLOWELL. 4B1 e killed, and ;in mortally : the whole of i^ed in repair- idivisible, by r off to make nd wounded, 'or Malta, he is she was 86 l)oard, from a ith the army Lowell's good light have at- kte of success, of the hand- A.dmiral, who ion of his pri- Ganteaume's swiftsure was loulon to Mi- lled, Aug. 18, try Captain |ss of his ship, opinion, and lin Hallowell, [btained, that irtance in any Isaid fleet and id judgment Itry ; and the wiftsure was well, his offi- meritorious, •ment in the id equal gal- cy did there- iTrufalgnr. ,1 4 fore adjudge him and them to be honorably acquhted of all blame on the occasion. During the ensuing peace Captain Hallowell was appointed to the chief command on the coast of Africa, and proceeded thither with his broad pendant in the Argo, of 44 guns. Touching at Barbadoes, on his return to Europe, he there learnt that hostilities were likely to be renewed between Great Britain and France ; and Sir Samuel Hood, the Commander- in-Chief on that station, being daily expected from Antigua, he resolved to await the arrival of that officer, whom he after- wards accompanied on an expedition against St Lucia and Tobago *. " To Captain Hallowell* s merits,** says the Commodore, in his official despatch relative to the conquest of the former of these islands, " it is impossible for me to give additional encomium, as it is so generally known ; but I must beg leave to say, that on this expedition his activity could not be ex- ceeded ; and by his friendly advice I have obtained the most effectual aid to this service, for which he has been a volun- teer ; and after the final disembarkation, proceeded on with the seamen to co-operate with the army** In a subsequent letter from Tobago, Sir Samuel Hood thus expresses himself : " The royal marines and a body of seamen were landed to co-operate with the army, under the command of Captain Hallowell; and it is scarcely necessary for me to add, his zeal and exertions were equally conspicuous as on the late expedition to St. Lucia. He is charged with this despatch, and will give their Lordships any Jurt her ir^ormation they may desire on the subject,'* The Argo sailed from Tobago early in July, and arrived at Portsmouth on the J 4th Aug. At the commencement of the following year Captain Hallowell proceeded in the same ship to Aboukir, with Elfi Bey, an artful and designing Chief of the Miuneloucs ; who being obliged to leave Egypt, had endea- voured to impose on the liberality and integrity of the British • On the 20th June, 1803, an expedition, under the command of Lieu- tenant-Gencral Grinfield and Commodore Hood, soiled from Barbadoes against St. Lucia ; and on the 22d, the fort of Mornc Fortunde was carried, which was followed by the unconditional surrender of the whole island. The annam-int then proceeded to Tobago, which capitulated on the Ist July. VOL. I. 2 I f, ill ^H ill' i !■'''! i' '■! im I ^•l! 482 VICE-ADMIRALS OF THB WHITE. nation. Our officer, on returning to Malta, in his letters to Earl St. Vincent and Viscount Nelson, entered at considerable length on the insidious character of this Bey, and transmitted much valuable information respecting the then state of Egypt. In the ensuing summer he escorted the homeward-boinid trade from the Mediterranean to England ; and immediately on his arrival was appointed to the Tigre, of 80 guns, in which ship he returned to the Mediterranean, and from thence accompa- nied his friend Nelson to the West Indies, in pursuit of the combined fleets of France and Spain *. We next find Captain Hallowell commanding the naval part of an expedition sent from Messina in the spring of 1807, des- tined to take possession of Alexandria. The troops, consisting of about 5,000 men, under the orders of Major-General Era- ser, were landed on the 17th and 18th March, near the ravine extending from lake Mareotis to the sea. As soon as the whole were collected and formed, they moved forward and attacked the enemy's advanced works, which were carried with little loss. The British force then went round by Pompey's Pillar, to the southward ; and on the afternoon of the 20th, finding that farther opposition would be useless, the Grvernor offerc' to capitulate. Terms were accordingly agreed upon; an'l on the 21st, the place was in the full possession of the Eng- lish. In the old or western port were taken two Turkish fri- gates and a corvette, all mounting brass guns ; one of thi former carrying 40, the other 34, and the corvette 16. Ma- jor-General Eraser thus speaks of the assistance he received from his naval co-adjutor on this occasion : " To Captain Hallowell, and the officers and seamen of H. M. S. Tigre, I cannot sufficiently express my acknowledgments for the as- sistance they afforded me, and for the rendiness with which they stood forward on all occasions. Captain Hallowell landed and marched with me to the attack of the enemy's retrench- ments, and to the very gates of the city, and remained on shore until the place surronderexl ; from his advice and local knowledge I derived much uschd information." Subsecjuent to the evacuation of Egypt by the British, which took place in September following, the Tigre appears to have been principally employed in watching thv port of Toulon, • See Viee-Adiniral Sir Pultknky Mam.olm. i SIR BENJAMIN HALLOWELL. 483 n his letters to at considerable ind transmitted state of Egypt. ,rd-bound trade lediately on his , in which ship lence accompa- n pursuit of the g the naval part ig of 1807, des- )ops, consisting ir-General Fra- iiear the ravine •on as the whole •d and attacked rried with little 'onipey's Pillar, le 20th, finding irvernor oflFerc^ d upon ; an I on of the En^- o Turkish fri- us ; one of the ette 16. Ma- lice he received "To Captain M. S. Tigre, I nts for the as- ss with which allowell landed my's retrench- d remained on vice and local British, which )pearh to have )rt of Toulon, LM. «l m ^ but without any event of importance occurring until Oct. 25, 1809 ; when, in company with a squadron under Sir George Martin, she drove on shore three French line-of-battle ships and a frigate near the mouth of the Rhone *. On the 30th of the same month, Captain H allowell was entrusted with the command of a detachment from Lord Collingwood's fleet, sent to attack some armed vessels and transports that had se- parated from the above ships and made for the Bay of Rosas. The enterprise proved successful ; and at day-break on the morning of Nov. 1st, every one of the enemy's vessels was either burnt or brought off, notwithstanding the protection afforded them by the Castle of Rosas, Fort Trinity, and several iieAvly erected batteries. The convoy thus intercepted was froml'ouloK, bound to the relief of Barcelona, then in the pos- session of the French, and which had long been besieged by the Spaniards f. At the general promotion, July 31, 1810, Captain Hallo- well was nominated a Colonel of Royal Marines ; and he con- tinued to command the Tigre until his advancement to the rank of Rear- Admiral, which took place Aug. 1st. in the fol- lowing year. He soon after hoisted his flag in the Malta, of 84 guns ; and in Jan. 1812, again went to the Mediterranean, wliq-e lie remained until some time after the conclusion of the war, during the latter part of which he commanded the squadron employed in co-operation with the patriots on the south coast of Spain. On the 2d Jan. 1815, our officer was created a K. C. B. He subsequently obtained the chief connnand on the Irish station, which he held during tlie customary period of three years ; and in the summer of 1821, succeeded Sir John Gore as Commander-in-Chief in the River Medway, where his flag is now flying on board the Prince Regent, of 120 gons. His commission as Vice- Admiral bears date Aug. 12, 1819. Sir Benjamin Hallowell married, Feb. 17, 1800, a daugh- ter of Conunissioner Inglefield, of Gibraltar Dock-yard. His eldest son obtained the rank of Lieutenant, Aug. 30, 1820, and is now serving as his flag officer J. • See p. 2H2. t See ('uptttln John Taimhiu, in our next vuliiiiie. t 111 IHOl tlio lute llc'V. ('oopiT Willyiim«, i'oiincily (Miaplaiii ot'tlii' Swift- sure, published a Work outilleil " A Voyage up the Mediterranenti," con- 2 1 2 484 VICK- ADMIRALS OF THK WHITE. !if 1 1 1 i ! i 1 '1 i'' i RIGHT HONORABLE LORD AMELIUS BEAUCLERK, yice-Admiral of the PThite ; Knight Commander of the most honornlde Military Order of the Bath ; and Fellow of the Royal Society. This officer is the third son of Aubrey, fourth Duke of St. Albans, by Lady Catharine Ponsonby, daughter of William, second Earl of Besborough, and grand-daughter of William, third Duke of Devonshire. His Lordship was bom about the year 1768, and entered the naval service on board the Jackall cutter, commanded by Lieutenant Bailley, in June 1782. Afte^* serving for twelve months in that vessel, he removed into the Salisbury, and proceeded with the late Vice-Admiral John Campbell * to the Newfoundland station, where he con- tinued during a period of two years ; and subsequently joined expedition bearing the broad pendant of Commodore (jifterwards Lord) Gardner f, whom he accompanied to the Westlndies. taiuing the most minute and authentic account of the Battle of tlie Nile, and all that occurred immediately before and subsequent to it, \\\\\\ many of the operations by land as well as by sea ; to which interesting volume the Editor of this compilation acknowledges himself indebted for the aid it has afforded him in drawing the foregoing sketch of Sir Benjamin Hallowell's services. * Vice-Admiral Campbell died, Dec. 16, 1790. He was a Mid.shipiiian on board the Centurion, when ithe late Lord Anson. His character for valour was established in the me- morable defeat of the Marquis de Conflans, in I Tb\), when he served as Captain to Sir Edward Hawke. Captain Campbell was, on that occas'on, despatched to England with intelligence of that glorious victory. He was a man of modest unassuming disposition, and preserved his originiil simpli- city of manners, although living in halNts of association with the (irst peo- ple in the kingdom. It is this gentleman of whom the humorous aiiocdute has been told, that upon this or some similar occasion, Lord Anson, as they were going in his Lordship's carriage to carry the news to the King, said, " Cnptnin Campbell, the King will knight you, if uou think proper." — " Troth my fjord," said the ("aptain, who retained his Scotch dialect as long as he lived, " / ken nac use that will be to me." — " lint your lady may like it, " replied liis Lordship. " ff^eel then," rejoined the (>uptain, " his Afnjetty may knight her if he plennes." f Admiral Lord Gardner died at Bath, Jan. I. 1801), in the (>()th year of LORD AMELIUS B£AUCL£RK. 485 ;* ERK, the most hnnornftlr oyal Society. rth Duke of St. ter of William, ter of William, bom about the )ard the Jackall in June 1782. iel, he removed :e Vice-Admiral , where he con- equently joined of Commodore )mpanied to the (battle of the Nile, It to it, with many resting volume tho for the aid it hat; ijamiii Hallotvell's ivns a Mid.shipiiiait d the world, under )lished in the me- kvhcn he served as on that occaa'on, victory. He was lis original simpli- with the iirst pcu- iiiuorous anecdote rd Anson, as they to the Kin)i[, said, think proper" — Scotch dialect as -" lint tjnur liuUj )ined the Captain, I thtt (>(>(h year ot m Iti 1789 Lord Amelius was appointed to act as Lieutenant of the Europa, a 50-gun ship, in which he returned to Eng- land ; but does not appear to have been confirmed in that rank until the Spanish armament, in the ensuing year. In 1791 we find him serving on board the Swiftsure, 74, from whence he was removed into the Druid frigate ; and at the commencement of the war with the French republic, went with Lord Hood to the Mediterranean, where he obtained the rank of Post Captain in the Nemesis, of 28 guns, by com- mission dated Sept. 16, 1793. His next appointment was, about the month of March 1794, to the Juno, another small frigate, in which he encountered and beat off a French frigate of the same name, mounting 36 guns, a corvette and a brig, in the vicinity of the Hieres islands. Immediately after this event, our officer communicated the intelligence of the de- parture of the enemy's fleet from Toulon to Vice-Admiral Hotham, by whom he was despatched with the tidings to the Commander-in-Chief, at that time engaged in the blockade of Bastia. The Juno formed part of the British fleet at the capture of the Ca Ira and Censeur, French line-of- battle ships, March 14, 1795 *, and continued on the Mediterranean station until Sept. 24 following, on which day she sailed from Gibraltar in company with a squadron commanded by Captain T. Taylor, for the purpose of affording protection to the homeward bound trade. On the 7th of the ensuing month, the body of the convoy was attacked, off Cape St. Vincent, by six sail of the line and two large frigates, under the orders of Admiral Richery, who succeeded in cutting off the Censeur f, and about fifteen of the Itis ag'.>. He was universally allowed to be a most able and judicious com- niandcr. For the courage, skill, and magnanimity displayed by him in ten glorious actions, he was raised to the dignity of a Daron of the kingdom of Ireland, Dec. 29, 18()P; and created a British peer Nov. 16, 1806. He left a very numerous family, including three sons in the navy, all of whom are now deceased : viz. Vice-Admiral Lord Gardner, died in London Dec. 24, 1815; Rear-Admiral Hon. Francis Farrington Gardner, died at Havre, July 7, 1H21 ; and the Hon. Valentine Gardner, late Captain of H. M. S. Dauntless, died at Canton in Nov. 1820. « See p. .'i4(>. t Sec Renr.Admirat Sir Jolr^ (Jorb. 486 VICE-AUMIIIALS OF THE WHITK. i !• i ■ f ■ 'lA l,fii '»: \ \ 4 merchant vessels. The Argo 44, and Juno, by means of the most skilful manoeuvres, escaped with the rest of the fleet, although twice chased by the enemy. Soon after his return to England, Lord Amelius Beauclerk was appointed to the Dryad, of 44 guns and 251 men, stationed off the coast of Ireland, where he cruized with considerable success against the enemy's privateers : and on the 13th June, 1796, captured, after a most spirited action which lasted 45 minutes, la Proserpine, of 42 guns and 348 men, of whom 30 were slain and 45 wounded. The Dryad had 2 killed and 7 wounded. Towards the close of 1800 his Lordship commissioned the Fortunee, of 40 guns, in which frigate he was employed in the Channel, and attending on his late Majesty at Weymouth, during the remainder of the war. On the renewal of hostilities in 1803, our officer obtained the command of the Majestic, a third rate, attached to the Channel fleet. In the summer of 1805, he removed into the Saturn, also a 74-gun ship, and subsequently into the Royal Oak, of the same force. His appointment to the latter vessel took place about May 1809; and in the ensuing summer we find him superintending the debarkation of a division of Lord Chatham's army, with its ginis, &c. on the pestilential island of Walcheren After the performance of this service, which, we have reason to believe, was exclusively conducted by Lord Amelius, and executed by him with much skill and activity, he assumed the government of Campvere, and the charge of the fleet and store-ships in the lloompot, during the absence of Sir Richard Strachan, the Commander-in-Chief, with the army at Flushing. On her return from this expedition the Royal Oak resumed her station in the Channel. His Lordship was nominated a Colonel of Marines July 31, 1810; and advanced to the rank of Rear- Admiral Aug. 1, 1811, on which occasion he hoisted his flag in the North Sea fleet. In 1813 he was sent with a squadron to cruize off the North Cape, for the purpose of intercepting the American Commodore Roger*, but who had left that (juarter previous to the arrival of the British. At the latter end of the war Lord Amelius commanded the force stationed in Bastpie Roads ; and entered into a negotiation with the General of Division, LOBD AMBLIUS BEAUCLEftK. 487 means of the it of the fleet, lius Beauclerk men, stationed ti considerable the 13th June, hich lasted 45 men, of whom id 2 killed and Lmissioned the is employed in at Weymouth, ifficer obtained ittached to the noved into the into the Royal he latter vessel ig summer we [vision of Lord tilential island lervice, which, ucted by Lord ind activity, the charge of ^ the absence lief, with the xpedition the rincs July 31, niral Aug. 1, he North Sea cruize oflF the he American irter previous d of the war asque Roads ; 1 of Division, Baron de la Rafl&niere, Conmiander-in-Chief at Rochelle, for a suspension of hostilities between Great 3ritain and those parts of the French coast which felt disposed to acknowledge the authority of Louis XVIII. He was created a K. C. B. Jan. 2, 1815 ; and in the course of the same year elected a F. R. S. His promotion to the rank of Vice- Admiral took place Aug. 12, 1819. ^^ r ^ /^/ > ? / ^. / . i^t-^-/ v//; <) Country Seat.— ^.-.^4^/'^ /^'>»i ^ 'vV A /? >, . "^ -> ; * ^ Town Residence. — 30, Margaret-Street, Cavendish Square. .•-V Lk*^*' V ILLIAM TAYLOR, Esq. yice-Atlmiml of the White. '^.^ r At the close of the American war, this officer conmianded the Cygnet sloop ; and during the Spanish armament, the Thorn, a vessel of similar description, stationed in the Chan- nel *. He was subsequently appointed to the Weazle, of 12 * III January, l/SJ), Lieutenant Thackeray, of the Thorn, was tried by a coiirt-niartial, on several charges exhibited against him by Captain Tay- lor; and amongst others, for going into the captain's cabip, when alone at tea, and calling him scoundrel and liar. The privacy of this olTcuce ex- cluded all other positive evidence but that of the prosecutor; and, when the court assenibled, the President had his doubts oF the propriety of adiuittitig Captain Taylor to give his evidence ; the court was therefore uiljournad, until they had the opinion of counsel on the following question : " Whether Captain Taylor's evidence, under the above circumstauces, ought to be admitted, ur not ; and, if it ought to be admitted, whether, after he has been examined, as is the custom of courts-martial, to examino th(! witnesses separately, and apart from each other, he can be permitted to remain in the court to conduct the prosecution ? " The opinion of counsel on this question was, in substance, that in criminal prosecutions it is n(>t a legal objection to the conipetenoy of a witness, or to the admissibility of his evidence, that he is the prosecutor, whatever objections to his credit n)ay arise, under the circumstances of the case. The rule, which is uui- versal in civil actions, that a plaintitV cannot be admitted as u witness in his own cause, does not apply to criminal prosecutions, which are always sup- posed to be at the suit of the crown, and on behalf of the public. The court afterwards re-assembled. Captain Taylor's evidence was ad- mitted, and the prisoner was dismissed front the rank of Lieutenant, and adjudged to serve in the navy as a Midshipman, See M'Arthur ua Courfs Martial, edit. ISiy, vol. II, cap. iii, sect. Hi, pp. m,{,b. frtpitJr girAs^ ^^ " (^a^*^ ^'^ '^^ t ^7S) } # w r? i i '1 iM lit 488 VICE-ADMIRALS OF THB WHITE. guns ; and on the 22d May, 17^3, sailed from Spithead with the fleet under Lord Hood, whom he accompanied to Gib- raltar, and returned from thence with the homeward bound trade. On the 24th Sept. in the same year. Captain Taylor ob- tained post rank, and soon after, the command of la Pronipte, of 20 guns, stationed in the North Sea. From that vessel he was removed into the Andromeda frigate, and served in her on the coast of Scotland, at Newfoundland, Halifax, and in the Channel, until the spring of 1799» when he succeeded the Hon. Michael de Courcy, in the command of the Magnanime, of 48 guns, in which ship he assisted at the capture of the island of Goree in April 1801 * ; and then proceeded to the West Indies, where he continued during the remainder of the war. Our officer was advanced to the rank of Rear-Admiral, Aug. I, 1811. His commission as Vice- Adnural bears date Aug. 12, 1819. /UimW ai }U* 1^0. \u^ cJrAi, SIR JAMES NICOLL MORRIS, Vtce-Admiral of the White ; and Knight Commander of the most ho- norable Military Order of the Bath. Thb subject of this memoir is the son of a gaKant officer, who commanded the Bristol, of 50 guns, and was mortally wounded at the attack upon Sullivan's Island, in North Ame- rica, June 28, 1778 t« Notwithstanding the number and severity of his wounds, he refused to quit the deck until an unlucky shot took off his arm, when he was obliged to be carried below, in a condition which left but little hopes of his recovery. It is said of this heroic man, that when from a prodigious effusion of blood, his dissolution appeared inevit- able, one of his officers asked him if he had any directions to give with respect to his family ? to which he nobly answered, ** None; as he left them to the providence of God, and the generosity of Ms country" His late Majesty was graciously Sec p. 417. t Se« p. 95. Spitliead with panied to Gib- tneward bound ain Taylor ob- of la Prompte, that vessel he I served in her [alifax, and in succeeded the e Magnanime, japture of the ceeded to the aainder of the iear-Admiral, pal bears date rs, of the most ho- aliant officer, «vas mortally North Ame- number and leek until an 3liged to be hopes of his tvhen from a fared inevit- directions to iy answered, Hod, and the IS graciously SIR JAMES NICOLL MORRIS. 489 pleased to order a pension of 100/. per annum to be settled upon his widow. Mr. James Nicoll Morris entered the naval service under the auspices of his father ; was a Lieutenant of the Namur, a second rate, in the memorable battle of April 12, 1782 * ; and at the commencement of the French revolutionary war commanded the Pluto, of 14 guns, on the Newfoundland station, where he captured, after a smart action of fifteen minutes, the Lutine French privateer, of 16 guns and 70 men, 3 of whom were killed and 4 wounded. He obtained post rank in the Boston frigate, Oct. 7* 1793 ; and subsequent to his return to England, in 1795, was actively employed in the Channel and on the coasts of Spain and Portugal, where he captured the following privateers : I'Enfant de la Patria, of 16 guns and 130 men ; El Principe de Paz, of 20 guns and 100 men ; St. Bernardo, of 12 guns and ^b men ; and the Hazard, of 8 guns and 50 men. He was afterwards removed into the Lively frigate, in which he had the misfortune to be wrecked near Cadiz, about the early part of 1798. We next find Captain Morris in the Phaeton, of 38 guns. His appointment to that vessel took place in the summer of 1799, a period at which the British cabinet entertained hopes of being able, with the assistance of the Turks, to recover Egypt from the possession of the French, and restore it to the Sublime Porte, to whom it was determined to send a splendid embassy, for the purpose of obtaining permission and co-operation. The Earl of Elgin was accordingly se- lected for this important mission, and the Phaeton ordered to convey him to his destination. His Lordship embarked at Portsmouth on the 4th Sept., and arrived at the Dardanelles Nov. 2d following. The next day Captain Morris proceeded to Constantinople, where the Ambassador, his lady, and a numerous mite, were landed. During the spring of 1800, our officer was employed on the coast of Genoa, in conjunction with the Austrian army under General d'Ott j and in the month of May, when the French burnt their magazines at Alassio, and retired to Port Maurice, he seized twenty corn vessels, together with a depot of arms^ • See p. .'36, el sfij., and Retired Captain Rokert Fanshawe. IS ('I II 'I, 490 VICE-ADMIRALS OF THB WHITK. il ' i ■ 'I fli; I! and galled the enemy's rear through several miles of their retreat. On the morning of Oct. 28, in the same year, the Phaeton's barge and two cutters, under the directions of Lieutenant Francis Beaufort, boarded, and after an obstinate resistance, carried the Spanish polacre-rigged ship San Josef, mounting 14 brass guns, and having on board 34 seamen and 22 soldiers, moored under the protection of a 5-gun battery, near Malaga, and flanked by a French privateer. In this dashing affair the assailants had 1 man killed and 4, including their brave leader, wounded *. Of tlie San Josef 's crew, 6 were found badly, and 13 slightly wounded. On the night of May 16, 1801, the boats of the Phaeton and Naiad, manned with volunteers, under the direction of Lieutenant Marshall of the latter frigate, captured I'Alcudia, and destroyed El Raposo Spanish armed packets, in the port of Marin, near the town of Pontevedra, under the protection of a battery mounting five 24-pounders, prepared to receive them. In the execution of this service, four men only belong- ing to the two ships were wounded. Early in the following year. Captain Morris arrived at Portsmouth with despatches from Lord Keith, Commander- in-Chief of the Mediterranean fleet. On the renewal of hos- tilities, in 1803, he was nominated to the command of the Sea Fencibles between Blackwater and the Stour ; and towards the latter end of the same year we find him in the Leopard of 50 guns, from whence he went to the Colossus, 74, the com- mand of which ship he retained until the autumn of 1808. The Colossus formed part of Lord Nelson's fleet in the san- guinary combat off Cape Trafalgar ; and on that memorable occasion sustained a far greater loss than any other British ship, having had 40 killed and 160 wounded ; among the latter were her gallant Commander, two Lieutenants, a Martne officer, and nine Midshipmen. For his distinguished conduct on that memorable day, Captain Morris, in common with his brother officers, received a gold medal, and the thanks of both Houses of Parliament f. * Lieutenant Beaufort was first wounded in the head, and afterwards reccired several slugs tiirough his left arm and in his body. t For an account of the battle^ sec p. 202, et seq. SIB JAMES NICOLL MORRIS. 491 miles of their the Phaeton's of Lieutenant ite resistance, sef, mounting id 22 soldiers, near Malaga, lashing affair 5 their brave G were found the Phaeton e direction of •ed I'Alcudia, 8, in the port be protection 2d to receive onlybelong- J arrived at ^ommander- ewal of hos- id of the Sea and towards ! Leopard of 4, the com- of 1808. ; in the san- memorable her British ig the latter a Marine led conduct imon with thanks of id afterwards Captain Morris subsequently commanded the Formidable of 98 guns. He received the honorable appointment of a Colonelcy of Royal Marines, July 31, 1810 ; became a Rear- Admiral, Aug. 1, 1811 ; and a K. C. B. Jan. 2, 1815. His commission as Vice-Admiral bears date Aug. 12, 1819. Dur- ing the latter part of the war he held a command in the Baltic fleet. Sir James NicoU Morris married, Oct. 25, 1802, Margaretta Sarah, second daughter of the late Thomas Somers Cocks, Esq., Banker, of Charing Cross, niece of the iirst Lord So- mers, and sister of the lady of Vice-Admiral Sir William Hargood, K. C. B. Residence. — Marlow, Bucks. Ti SIR THOMAS BYAM MARTIN, Fice-Admiral of tUe fFhite ; Comptroller of his Mnjestjf't Navy ; Knight Commander of the most honourable Militart/ Order of the Bath ; Knight of the Swedish Order of the Sword ; a Director of Greenwich Hospi- tal; a Commissioner of the Board of Longitude ; and Member of Par- liament for Pli/mouth. .y>l the river. The British then immediately landed, aid stormed and blew up three batteries, on wiiich were mounted seven 24-pounders, together with their magaz-iney. On the 1st of the following month, the Commodore having been informed that a sihip of ivar and a number of merchant vessels were lyinoats destined md the whok* ill by Captain ;s he had to )robably meet lingly. After rke, to whonj [ conunand of Fisgard, soon reached their xperiencing a Dg possession en merchant- ing them out, id dangerous It has been ng within the ats could get ided ; in less In this un- exposed to a I body of 400 in them with atfairs, they daring, that uted or con- > some other ( one suflici- jerc was no own l)out8 ; », PHcIl IIKIUIlt- V. they accordingly set out, and succeeded in gaining possession of a vessel suited for their purpose; but she lay on the opposite side of the bay, and before she could be of service to them, it was necessary to drag her upwards of two miles over the sands : this, too, with great intrepidity and exer- tion, they accomplished ; but before she was afloat, they were up to their necks in the water. Having secured the vessel, they proceeded on board the Fisgard. In this aftair 7 officers and 185 men were tmployed ; of these 100 secured their retreat ; and 4 officers and 88 men were made prisoners. Captain Martin continued to command the Fisgard during the remainder of the war ; and in addition to the above ser- vices, either took, or assisted at the capture, of the following French and Spanish armed vessels : — La Venus of 32 guns and 2(K) men ; Dragon corvette, 1 4 guns ; la Gironde priva- teer, 16 guns, 141 men; I'Alerte, do, 14 guns, 84 men; El Vivo national vessel, 14 guns, 100 men ; and three others mounting 18 guns. On the renewal of hostilities, in 1803, our officer commis- sioned the Impctueux, 84, at Plymouth, and was employed in her off Brest, Ferrol, and Coruuiia, until the sunmier of 180", when he joined the Prince of Wales, a second rate, from which ship he removed about t,ie latter end of tlic same year into the Implacable, 7'1> and soon after proceeded to the Baltic, to which station a fli'ct had been sent under the orders of Sir James Saumarez, for the purpose of co-operating with the Swedes, who were at that tnne engaged in a war with Russia. We are not aware of Captain Martin having participated ill any affair recpiiring particular notice until the 26th Aug. 1808, on which day he greatly distinguished himself by the very gallant manner in which he attacked the Sewolod of 74 guns, whose fire he silenced in about 20 minutes, and was only prevented capturing her by the near approach of the whole Russian fleet, which bore up to her support. She afterwards grounded on a shoal at the entrance of the port of Rogerswick, and in that po-^ition was attacked l)y Hear- Adtniral Sir Samuel Hood, in the Centaur, who compelled her t^) surreii(h'r alter mi obstinate delVnce, in which and in liic action with the Implacable, she had no less than 3(Ki men i I 496 VICE-ADMIKALS OF THE WHITE. t '1 i' slain, wounded, and missing *. The loss sustained by the British ships amounted to 9 killed and 53 wounded. For his bravery on this occasion, his Sweclish Majesty conferred upon Captain Martin the insignia of a Knight of thi. Ordec of the Sword. In the following year, the Implacable was stationed on the coast of Finland, where the boats of a small squadron under the orders of Captain Martin, performed several brilliant exploits in cutting out the enemy's armed vessels and trans- ports. On the 31st July, 1810, a general promotion of Flag- Officers took place, on which occasion the subject of this memoir obtained the command of the Royal Sovereign yacht. He was advanced to the rank of Rear- Admiral, Aug. 1st, in the following year, and soon after returned to the Baltic^ with his flag in the Aboukir of 74 guns. During his continuance on that station, the Rear-Admiral, by the judicious disposition of the force under his command, contributed greatly to the defence of Riga, at that period besieged by the French army. After his return from thence he appears to have served for some time as second in com- mand at Plymouth. He received the honor of Knighthood in the summer of 1814 ; was nominated a K. C. B. Jan. 2, 1815; succeeded Sir T. B. Thompson as Comptroller of the Navy in 1816 ; became a Vice-Admiral, Aug. 12, 1819 ; and was sworn in a burgess of Lymington, Aug. 22, 1821. Hesidence. — 8, Somerset Place. JOHN LAWFORD, Esq. Fice-/idmiral of the fVhite. At the period of the Spanish armament, in 17*^^0, this oflicer commanded the Hound sloop, stationed in the Chan- nel. During the two succeeding years we find him in the same vessel at Jamaica. He was made post, Dec. 1st, 17JK}, into the Convert of 3(5 guns, which vessel was lost on the • Till' !Sow(»lod WI18 burnt l)y the eaptors. id by the For his rred upon ler- of the ed on the 'on under brilliant ,nd trans- of Flag- :t of this gn yacht, ig. 1st, in Itic, with -Admiral, ommand, at period m thence in com- ithood in 2, 1815; Navy in and wa8 ' \), this Chun- > ill tile t, 1/1X3, on the JOHN LAW FORD, KSQ. 497 Grand Caymanes, in the West Indies, on the 8th March, in the following year. Captain Lawford's next appointment was to the Agincourt, 64 ; from her he removed, about the spring of 1798, to the Romnev of 50 guns. In the summer of the same year, being entrusted with the command of a small squadron, he fell in with a Swedish frigate having under her convoy a number of vessels, bound to diffetent ports in the Mediterranean, laden with naval stores, ^pon doubts which Captain Lawford entertained respecting the line of conduct he should pursue on so delicate an occasion, he immediately sent an express to the Admiralty, whilst with his squadron, he kept the convoy in view. On the return of his messenger with instructions for the detention of the merchant vessels, our officer desired Sir Charles Lindsay and Captain Raper to communicate them in the civilest terms to the Swedish Commodore ; who shewed his instructions to repel force by force, if any attempt were made to board the vessels under his charge, and declared that he would protect them to the last. The crew of the Swedish frigate were immediately at quarters, matches lighted, and every preparation made for an obstinate resist- ance. In the night, possession was taken of most of the vessels ; the connnander of the convoy making many move- ments, which were narrowly watched by the Romney, keeping close under his lee, lower- deck gunh run out, and every man at his station. In the morning an firmed boat sent by the Swedish frigate, took out by force the British officer who had been left on board one of the vessels ; at the same time the Commodorfe sent an officer of his own to Captain Lawford, to eomplain that he had taken advantage of the night to get possession of his charge, which was unobserved by him, or he would assuredly have defended them to the last. Upon fur- ther conference, and representation of the impracticability of resistance to such a superior force, he at length agreed to go into Margate Roads, and returned the British officer who had been detained on board his frigate. Some months after, judgment was passed in the High Court of AdminUty, that all the merchantmen, with their deveral cargoes, should be condemned (being laden witli naval and military stores, bound to France) ; but that the H vol.. >. 2 K Si 498 VICE-ADMIRALS OF THE WHITE, 'HI ■'11 f private adventures of the masters should be restored. The prizes were calculated to be worth 600,000/. The judge, Sir W. Scott, now Lord Stowell, asserted upon this occasion : 1st, That the right of visiting and scarchiag incrchantmeu upon the high seas, whatever be ihc ships, cargoes, or tiestinatioa, is an int'imtesta- ble light of the lawfully commissioned cruizersof a belligerent nation. 2n(l, That the authority of the sovereign of the neutral country being interposed in any manner of mere force, cannot legally vary the rights of a lawfully commissioned belligerent cruizer ; and 8rd, That the penalty for the contravention of this right is the con-lsca- tion of the property so with-held from visitation and search. In the autumn of 1799, the Roniney formed part of the expedition sent against the Helder, and was with Vice- Admirul Mitchell, at the surrender of the Dutch squadron commanded by Rear-Admiral Storey *. Captain Lawford subsequently removed into the Polyphemus of 64 guns, which ship was attached to Lord Nelson's division at the attack upon the Danish line of defence before Copenhagen, Apiil 2, 1801, and sustained a loss of 5 men killed, and 24 wounded t. On the 7th Dec. 1804, our officer being on a cruize off Cape St. Mary, fell in M'ith and captured the Santa Gertruy- da, a Spanish frigate of 36 guns, from Peru and Mexico, bound to Corun^.a, with a cargo consisting of cocoa, coffee, hides, platina, drugs, cochineiU, cotton, and several rich pri- vate ventures, together with 1,215,000 dollars in specie J. This valuable prize parted company in a violent gale of wind on the Kith, and on Christmas day carried away her main- mast, and had her rudder choked. Fortimately she was. fallen hi with by the Harriet armed ship, m hich took her in' tow, and after beating about the Channel for several, days, brought her safe to Plymouth on the 10th Jan. 1805. in the ensuing summer, Captain Lawford was appointed to the Audacious of 74 guns ; and from her removed, towards the close of the year, into the Impetueux, another third rate, in which ship he continued on Channel service until the 1st Aug. 1811. He was then advanced to tlie rank of Hear- Admiral. • See p. 4 14, el a^q. f See Sir T. Fo' lit. I The Lively frigate, CaptMn G. E. Hamond, was in aight at the time uf the above capture. ored. The ; judge, Sir :casion : men upon the an incontesta- iit nation, country being he rights of a s tlie con ^sea- part of the with Vice- h squadron in Lawford • 64 guns, sion at the /openhagen, led, and 24 a cruize off ta Gertruy- nd Mexico, icoa, coffee, il rich pri- [n specie J. :ale of wind her main- ly she wasy look her inf !veral,dayB, 15. appointed |ed, towards third rate, itil the iBt of Rear- It at the time JOHN f.AWFORD, KSQ. 499 Our officer has never, we believe, hoisted his flag. His commission as Vice-Admiral hears date Aug. 12, 1819. Residence. — Shoarne, near Rochester, Kent. - WWU2. 10 T<*H iw FRANK SOTHERON, Esq. I 'ice- Admiral of the IVhite ; and Member of Parliament for Nottinif- hamshire. This officer is the third and youngest son of the late Wil- liam Sotheron, of Darrington, near Pontefract, co. York, Esq. He was born in 1765, and entered the naval service in 1776, as a Midshipman on board the Bienfaisant, of 64 guns, com- manded by the late Admiral M*Bride, under the auspices of which gallant officer, he completed the first six years of active duty. Being lent for awhile to the Arethusa frigate, he bore a part in the well-fought battle between that ship and la Belle Poule, June 17, 1778 * ; and on his return to the Bien- faisant, was in the action between Kcppel and d'Orvilliers, off IJshant f. He was also present at the capture of the Caraccas convoy, the defeat of Don Juan de Langara, and the relief of Gibraltar by the fleet under Sir George B. Rodney, * The Arethusa, Captain Stimuel Mars.iail, was attached to the Channel fleet, comnmnded by the Hon. Admiral Keppei, who on the above-men- tioned (lay, being oft' the Lizard, discovered and pursued four French men of war. In the evening the Milford frigate came up with, and detained the Licorne, of 32 guna and 230 men. Tiie Arethusa, and Alert cutter, chaced the other veijsela out of sight of the fleet. At night Captain Mar- shall arrived up with la Belle Poule, and informed her commander, that his orders were to conduct hira to the British Admiral ; with which th« French- man refused to comply, and a desperate engagement ensued, and was con- tinued with great obstinacy for two hours. By this time the combatants hud approached close to the French coast, front whence a number of boats came out and towed la Belli; Poule into a place of safety. The Arethu- su's main-mast fell over the side, and she was otherwise so disabled, that it was with the utmost difiiculty she could cli»ar the land. Her loss amounted to 8 men killetl and 3(i wounded. By the French accounts her oppoaeot had 40 slain and 57 wounded. The Alert came up with a schooner mounting 14 guns, which she captured after a smart action. The I'ullas of 32 guns, wis taken on the I8tli by the Foudroyant, Courageux, :ind Robust. t Sfe p. 195, et leq. 2 K 2 ''' ''■' la Ml i' i 1 ;' ;;il i'n;: ■;!'!] * i ': 1 ' . ' '''mm IB ' Ay If 'ii li '! •iliiHHIi^'; 1 1 I i. 500 VICK-ADMIRALS OF THE WHITE. circumstances which have already been adverted to in our memoir of H. R. H. the Duke of Clarence *. In the ensuing summer we find the Bienfaisant cruizing after a large private ship of war, which was known to have sailed from Brest and proceeded to St. George's Channel. Captain M'Bride's look out was ineffectual, until Aug. 13th, • Towards the close of the year 1779, Captain M'Bride was ordered to Gibraltar with Admiral Rodney, for the purpose of relieving that fortress. On the 8th Jan. 1780, thu British fleet had the good fortune to capture the whole of a Spanish convoy, laden with naval stores, &c., the commander of which, in the Guipuscoana, of 64 guns, surrendered to the Bienfaisant. On the 16th of the same month. Sir George Rodney fell in with a squadron under Don Juan dc Langara ; and in the engagement which ensued, it was the lot of Captain M'Bride to be very particularly concerned. An outline of that affair will be found in a note at p. 3, et set/. In addition to which we must here observe, that the St. Domingo, at the moment of her des- truction, was in action with the Bienfaisant ; and that, had the awful ex- plosion of the former, by which every soul on board perished, been retarded only a few momeuts, the latter must inevitably have shared her fate. After this event, which occurred in the midst of a tremendous storm, the Bien- faisant compelled the Phicnix, of 80 guns, Langara's flag ship, which had already received a severe drubbing from the Defence, to surrender. Cap- tain M'Bride immediately took possession of his prize ; but, as the small- pox was on board the Bienfaisant, he felt anxious to prevent the infection from being spread amongst the prisoners, and therefore sent a proposal to the Spanish Admiral, stipulating, that neither oftioers nor men should be removed from the Phoenix, provided Don J nun would be responsible for their conduct: that incase they should fall in with any Spanish or French ships of war, he would not suffer the officer put in charge of the prize, to be interrupted in conducting and defending her to the last extremity, agreeably to hit; orders ; that if, meeting with superior force, the Phoenix fihould be retaken, and the bienfaisant fight her way clear, Langara, his officers and men, should hold themselves prisoners of war to Captain Macbride, on their parole of honor ; and that, should the Bienfaisant be captured, and the Phoenix escape, the Spanish Admiral, &c. &c. should be freed immediately. — Don Juan readily assented to these conditions ; and, from the subsequent conduct of himself and his officers, no doubt can be entertained of his intending most strictly to adhere to them. Excepting those who were wounded by the wreck of the ill-fated St. Domingo, it is remarkable, that the Bienfaisant escaped, in the above con- flict, without a single man being hurt. The Phoenix was carried safely into Gibraltar, from whence Admiral Langara, who had been wounded, was al- lowed to depart upon his parole. The liberal and polite behaviour of the Bri- tish to him and his countrymen, made a sensible impression on their minds, and was confessedly of great advantage tojhc English prisoners in Spain. d to in our mt cruizing yn to have s Channel. Aug. 13th, was ordered to ef that fortress, to capture the commander of le Btenfaisant. vith a squadron ensued, it was . An outline ition to which It of her des- the awful ex- l, been retarded er fate. After >rro, the Bien- hip, which had rreuder. Cap- t, as the small- (it the infection I: a proposal to men should be responsible for inish or French )f the prize, to ast extremity, e, the Phoenix Langara, his var to Captain Bienfaisant be . &c. should be )nditions ; and, ) doubt can be • the ill-fated St. the above con- ried safely into )unded, was al- iouroftheBri- on their minds, ners in Spain. FRANK SOTHERON, ESQ. 501 when being off Kinsale, early in the morning, he perceived a strange vessel in chace of some merchantmen that had sailed from Cork on the preceding day, under his protection. He immediately made sail ; and at 7 A. M., got within pistol- shot of the stranger, then under English colours. On being hailed by the Bienfaisant, she hauled them down, and hoisted French. A smart action, commenced on both sides with musketry, now took place ; and, at the expiration of an hour and ten minutes, the enemy struck, having had 21 men killed and 35 wounded, Avith her rigging and sails cut to pieces. The Bienfaisant had 3 men killed and 20 wounded ; and the Charon, a 44-gun ship, which came up at the close of the en- gagement, had 1 man wounded. The prize proved to be le Comte d'Artois, of 64 guns and 644 men, commanded by the Chevalier Clonard, who was slightly wounded. Le Comte d'Artois was not destined to be a solitary cap- tive ; for, in the course of the following month, the Bienfai- sant also captured la Comtesse d'Artois, another French privateer. At the close of IJHO, Mr. Sotheron removed with his gal- lant commander into the Artois frigate, which had been taken from the French a few months before, and was considered to be the finest vessel of her class in the world. This ship formed part of the force employed to watch the motions of the Dutch squadron, which was then ready for sea in the Tcxel ; and our young officer was consequently present, in the month of Aug. 1/81, at the engagement off the Dogger Bank, between Sir Hyde Parker and Admiral Zoutmann *. On the 3d Dec. in the same year, the Artois captured the l^Iercules and Murs, Dutch privateers, mounting 24 nine-pounders and 10 cohorns each, the crews of which amounted to 310 men, 22 of wliom were slain and 35 wounded. The Artois had only 1 killed and 6 wounded. She is also represented as having formed part of the fleet under Admiral Barrington, when that officer intercepted a French convoy bound to the East Indies, on which occasion the Pegase of 74 guns, 1' Actionnaire a 2-decker armed en^flute, and ten sail of transports, fell into the hands of the British f. During the remainder of the war Mr. Sotheron servod in the .Sec nolc §, ut p. 1 75. t See p. ir», ♦•/ stuf. ■I 502 Vir£-AOMIRALS OF THB WHITE. I ';i I ^»l! (•{. .i'li M •< ", ii Artoib, off the Jrish coast. He afterwards proceeded to New- foundland, where he was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant by Admiral Campbell, in 1783, and served in that capacity on board the Dana'e and yEolus frigates, during the ensuing three years. We subsequently find him in the Kingfisher sloop, from which vessel he removed into the Trusty, 50, bearing the broad pendant of Commodore Cosby, on the Mediterra- nean station *. Mr. Sotheron's next appointment was about 1792, to be first Lieutenant of the Romney, another 50-gun ship, carrying the flag of Rear-Admiral Goodall, in the Mediterranean ; and in the course of the same year, he obtained the command of the Fury, of 14 guns, employed in affording protection to the trade between England and Portugal. He subsequently ac- companied the expedition under his old patron Rear-Admiral M*Bride f and the Earl of Moira, sent to assist the French royalists in Normandy and Brittany, but which returned to port in consequence of no favourable opportunity presenting itself for commencing operations with any prospect of success. The Fury was afterwards attached to Commodore Sir J. B. Warren's squadron, statioued off the French coast, and assisted at the capture of la Vipere, a national corvette, mounting 18 guns. Captain Sotheron was advanced to post raiik Dec. 1 1, 1793 ; andinthefollowii.gr )ear we find him commanding the Mo- narch, a 74-gun ship, bearing the broad pendant of Sir James * Coinmudorc Cosby lioistcd his broad pendant on board the Trui^ty iu 17B6, and held the chief c-oinmand in the INJoditcrruiican till the month of Sept. 1 7^0 ; but, with the exception of his «,'inbas3y to the Emperor of Mo- rocco, no event occurred during that period that is worthy of record. It was in l/SS that this mission was undertaken. At that period, some ap- preheuiiions were entertained, that the comnierco of Britain might surttain a predatory interruption from the Barl)ary corsairs ; Commodore Cosby was therefore directed to visit the diflferent states, and to arrange such terms with the Emperor of Morocco, as might ensure the safety of tlie English traders. He accomplished the negociation and treaty with the greatest exactness and precision, and to the entire satisfaction of Go- verament. He was afterwards advanced to the rank of Admiral of the Red ; and died at Bath, Jan. 10, liS08, in his 7Btli year. + Admiral M' Bride, whose professional i(allantry has often been the theme of prai*e> died in the course of the year 1800. i'l ed to New- Lieutenant capacity on suing three sher sloop, >0, bearing Mediterra- 792, to be p, carrying nean ; and 3mmand of tiou to the juently ac- ir-Admiral the French eturned to presenting of success, e Sir J. B. nd assisted ounting 18 1 1, 1793 ; ig the Mo- Sir James he Trusty iti ;lic inotitli of )cr<»rof Rlo- f recont. It )d, some ap- night sui4taiii )dorc Cosby rrangc sufli afety of the ity with the tiou of Go- of the Red ; en Itccn the FRANK SOTHERON, ESQ. 50H Wallace, with whom he removed into his old ship the Rom- nev, on that officer being appointed Commander-in-Chief at Newfoundland. Towards the latter end of 1796, a French squadron under the orders of M. de Richery invested that settlement, and destroyed property to a considerable amount. The enemy's armament consisted of seven sail of the line and three frigates, on board of which were embarked 2,000 troops. The ships under Sir James Wallace were at this period detached on various services ; neither would they, if collected, have been of sufficient force to prevent the depredations conr'mitted by the invaders. Sir James, however, resolved upon making a vigorous defence, and by his judicious arrangements, aided by the bravery and vigilance of Captain Sotheron and the other officers of his small squadron, consisting of the Romney, two frigates, and two sloops, completely baffled the designs of the enemy, who, after a fruitless attempt to obtain possession of the colony, returned to Europe. Captain Sotheron's next appointment was to the Latona frigate, on the Newfoundland station, where he continued during the two following years. Subsequent to his return to England, he was actively employed in the North Sea, and occasionally commanded a light squadron off the coast of Holland, the operations of which will be detailed under the headi of Captains Mackenzie and Slade, in our next volume. In the autumn of 1799, the Latona formed part of the ex- pedition sent against the Helder ; and after the surrender of that fortress went with Vice-Admiral Mitchell to attack the Batiivian ships of war lying at anchor in the Vlieter channel, but which surrendered without making any resistance, in consequence of the spirit of disaffection manifested by their crews *. For his services on this occasion, Captain Sotheron, in common with the other officers of the fleet, received the thanks of both Houses of Parliament. Our officer continued in the North Sea during the remainder of the war, and was fortunate enough to capture several of the enemy's armed vessels. In fche spring gf 1802, he was sent wbFoad with doopta-chco ; and some time after *^iI«V«r ^'*-*^V ,} <^f,u^L Sec p 414, ft leij. 4-0 uf. tt ^^^aUu h r. rUi^U-u^ H« iiirv%^ -^^riNi lov^ ^•-^- '•'< k <n for Not- n Bentinck, usly elected iptain Lord will appear d to all his ely munifi- bacle, of the late by two Colonel So- t in several »', succeed- id Notting- niiral Aug. ghamshire, ment since lectingf of the ry of that in- sr donation of 9 half pay be- eir funds, to- entitled from *. 6rf. ! ! ! ranted him so le regulation ility to state s for which it PRANK SOTHERON, KSQ. 505 Our officer has been twice married. His first wife died on the 29th May, 1812. His present lady, to whom he was united Nov. 13, 1813, is the eldest daughter of Wilson Brad- dyll, of Connhead Priory, co. Lancaster, Esq. His heir is Lucy Sarah Sotheron, an only child. Country Seat. — Kirklington Hall, Southwell, co. Notting- ham. Town Residence. — 14, Harewood Place, Hanover Square. THOMAS WOLLEY, Esq. t^ice-Admiral of the IVhite. At the breaking out of the war with the French republic, in 1793, we find this officer commanding the Gcelan sloop at Jamaica. On the 20th Sept. in the same year. Commodore Ford, who commanded the squadron on that station, in con- junction with Major-General Williamson, took possession of Jeremie, in the island of St. Domingo, at the intercession of the French royalists ; and on the 23d, Cape Nichola Mole followed its example. The Commodore, in his public des- patches, speaks highly of the zeal and attention shown by Captain Wolley on this occasion. About the same time, the frigates of the squadron entered I'lslet, and Bay des Fla- mands, on the south side of the island, where they captured upwards of 2000 t^ns of shipping, chiefly laden with West India produce. Captain Wolley obtained post rank, Dec. 19, 1793 ; and m the following year commanded the Active frigate, in the North Sea, and subsequently at Newfoundland. His next appointment was to the Arethusa, mounting 44 guns, in which ship he conveyed the late Sir Ralph Abercromby to the Leeward Islands in the spring of 1796; and after the reduction of St. Lucia *, was detached by Sir Hugh Chris- tian, with three frigates and two sloops, to co-operate with the army, in quelling the insurrections which then raged with great virulence in the islands of St. Vincent and Grenada. The insurgents were chiefly Charibs, and people of colour ; and after an obstinate resistance, they laid down their arms, * Sec p. 134. •%>'■ Md 1 ILI nw. ■^ : 506 VICE-ADMIRALS OF THK WHITK. and surrendered by capitulation. On this service, two sea- men belonging to the Arethusa, who were acting with the troops on shore, were killed; and 7 seamen killed, and 5 wounded, on board the Mermaid, by the bursting of one of her main-deck guns. We next find our officer employed at the conquest at Trinidad, and destruction of a Spanish squadron, by the forces under Sir Ralph Abercromby and Rear-Admiral H. Harvey, in Feb. 1797 *, on which occasion he superintended the debarkation of the army. On the 10th Aug. following, the Arcthusa being on her passage from the West Indies, with a detained neutral in tow, discovered three sail to windward, one of which, the Gaiete, a French corvette of 20 long 8-pounders and 18G men, had the temerity to bear down and commence an action, which she maintained for half an hour ; when being much cut up in her sails and rigging, and unassisted by her consorts, she struck her colours. The enemy had 2 men killed and 8 wounded. The Arethusa 1 killed and 3 wounded. On the 24th July, 1799, H. R. H. the late Duke of Kent embarked on board the Arethusa at Portsmouth, and pro- ceeded in her to Halifax. During the remainder of the war she was employed in occasional cruizes, and captured several of the enemy's privateers. In the spring of 1801, she es- corted an East India fleet from St. Helena to England ; and early in the following year brought Brigadier-General Clinton and suite home from Madeira, at which island Captain Wol- ley had been presented with the thanks of the British Factory, for the protection he had at different times during the war afforded to their interests. A sword was at the same tittfe. voted to him, as a mark of the respect entertained by that body for his professional character. From this period, we find no particular mention of our offi- cer until Aug. 1, 1811, on which day he was advanced to the rank of Rear-Admiral. His commission as Vice-Admiral bears date Aug. 12, 1819. He married, April 7, 1804, Miss Francklyn, of Lansdowne Crescent, Bath. Residence. — Clifton, Somersetshire. * See note at p. 1 12. :^: f>07 *., two sea- ig with the lied, and 5 g of one of mployed at a Spanish Tomby and [•h occasion ling on her neutral in which, the rs and 186 e an action, g much cut er consorts, killed and ike of Kent ti, and pro- of the war ired several )1, she es- rland ; and ral Clinton ptain Wol- ih Factory, ig the war same tirftc; ed by that of our offi- iced to the e-Admiral 804, Miss Ml VICE-ADMIRALS OF THE BLUE. SIR WILLIAM JOHNSTONE HOPE, One of the Commissioners for executing the office of Lord High yidmiral ; Senior Vice-Admiral of the Blue; Knight Commander (f the must ho- norable Military Order of the Bath ; Knight of the Order of Malta and of the Turkish Order of the Crescent; a Commissioner of the Board of Longitude; Member of Parliament for DumfrieS'Shire ; Fellow of the Royal Society; a Vice-President of the Pitt Club of Scotland i and a Member of the Royal Caledonian Hunt. The surname of Hope is of great antiquity in Scotland. John de Hope., the immediate ancestor of the subject of this memoir, is said to have come from France, in the retinue of Magdalene, Queen to James V., anno 1.537 : settling in Scot- land, he married Elizabeth Gumming, by whom he had a son, Edward, who was one of the most considerable inhabitants of Edinburgh in the reign of Queen Mary ; and being a great promoter of the Reformation, was chosen one of the Commis- sioners for that Metropolis to the General Assembly in 1560. The said Edward was father of Henry Hope, a considerable merchant, who married Jaqueline de Tott, a French lady, and by her had two spna : I. Henry, ancestor of the great and opulent branch of the H&pes, long settled at Amsterdam ; and II. Thomas, an eminent lawyer *, great-grandfather of Charles, 1st. Earl of Hopetown ; whose grandson, John, a merchant in London, married Mary, only daughter of Eliab Breton, of Fortyhill, Enfield, co. Middlesex, Esq. by Mary, daughter and co-heiress of Sir William Wolstenholme, Bart. William Johnstone Hope, the third and youngest son by the above marriage, was born at Finchley, in the county of Middlesex, Aug. 16, 1766, and entered the naval service in the year 1776, under the patronage of his uncle, the late Com- • Sir Thomas Hope was Advocate to Charles I. Three of his sons being at the same time Lords of Ssssion, it was thou/][ht indecent that he should plead uncovered before them, which was the origin of the privilege the King's Advocates have ever since enjoyed. ',: ii'^ ri 1 11! I 111 508 VICB-ADMIRALS OF THB BLUE. mis^ioner Hope*. The vessel in which ho coinmeiiced his professional career was the Wcazle, of 14 guns ; and he afterwards accompanied his relative, successively, into the Hind, Crescent, Iphigenia, and Leocadia ; serving in the West Indies, on the coast of Guinea, in the North Sea, and at Newfoundland. From the Leocadia, Mr. Hope was removed into the Port- land of 50 guns, hearing the flag of Vice-Admiral Camphell, on the Newfoundland station; and in Oct. 1/82, he ol)tained the rank of Lieutenant in the Djedahis frigate, to wiiich he was re-commissioned after the peace of 1/83. The Dffidalus was employed on the coast of Scotland until 1784, M-hen she was paid off at Chatham. We next find our officer serving as Flag- Lieutenant to the late Admiral Mil- banke, Commander-in-Chief at Plymouth, with whom he continued till the spring of 178(), when he joined the Pegasus frigate, at the particular request of her Commander, H. R. H. Prince William Henry, whom he accompanied to Newfound- land, Halifax, and the West Indies f. On the latter station Lieutenant Hope exchanged into the Boreas, of 28 guns, at that time commanded by the heroic Nelson ; and he remained in that ship until Nov. JJO, 1/87, o» which day she was put out of commission at Sheerness. Our officer was subsequently nominated one of the Lieute- nants of the Victory, a first rate, fitting for the flag of Earl Howe ; but as the disturbances in the United Provinces of Holland were speedily suppressed, by the vigorous measures of Great Britain and of Prussia, he was soon afterwards paid off, an(|. ( oMimisitioiKr of (Jliiitlmii) Duck-yurd, died Sept. 10. lriU8. t See p. 7, #< *r'/. ; I - SIR WILLIAM JOHNSTONE HOFK 5()9 ineiiced hin IS ; and he y, into the nng in the rth Sea, and to the Port- 1 Campbell, he ohtnined A) which he Gotland until ext find our diniral Mil- 1 ^^'hom he the Pej^asus er, H. R.H. Newfound- atter station 28 guns, at le remained she was put the Lieute- flag of Earl Provinces of lis measures rwards paid His next which ship onunander- ed for Hali- ommand of ving, (Cap- ssity of re- was eho^cM \m\, diiMl Sept. to act as Captain of that ship, which still bore Sir Richard Hughes's flag. From a circumstance nearly similar, our of- ficer shortly afterwards received another appointment. To- ards the latter end of the same year, Captain Lindsay, of the Penelope frigate, resigned his commission, and Captain Hope was nominated to succeed him. He accordingly took the command of the Penelope, pro forma, and then retunied to the Adamant. The Board of Admiralty, however, did not think proper to confirm his commission for the former ship ; and the latter having been ordered home, he paid her off at Plymouth in the sununer of '792. From this period vve find no mention of Captain Hope till Jan. 1703. He then commissioned the Incendiary fire- ship ; and contiimed in that vessel until .Ian. 9, 1794, on which day he was advanced to the rank of Pont-Captain in the Hellerophon, of J A guns, at that time bearing tlie broad pendant, and subsequently the flag of the late Sir Thom.'u) Pasley, who, it will be remembered, commanded a division of Earl Howe's fleet in the actions of May *28 aiul 29, and the ever memorable battle of June 1, in the same vear, a ge- neral outline of wbich will be found in our meujoir of y\(lmiral Lord Ciambier *. On the 2Hth May, tlu' n-publiiaM fleet being dlscovr;ed to windward, Kear-Admiral Paslev led on his own division with finniiess and intrepidity to the attack. Towards the evening the Belleroplion brought the Kevolutiormaire, of llOgmis, t«) action, and maintained the une(|ual contest for upwards of an hour, before any other of the British ships coidd arrive to sup- port her. Being then disabled, she bore down to the nuiiii body of the fleet ; and the darkiu'ss of the night soon after put an end to the partial action that had taken place between the advanced division and the rear of the enemy's line. At the dawn of the ensuing day, both fleets appeared drawn up in order of battle ; and on l^ird Howe making the signal to break through the French line, the Hellerophon innncdiately •jbeyed and passed between the fifth and sixth ships in the enemy's rear, accompanied by the Queen ( harh>tte and \a'- viatlian. The rest <»f the liritish being at this time «n the a«*t of passing to leeward, and without the sternnictht ships of • Spo Note at pp. "6, ♦>» 7 ami H. 1 m ir i_ n i I ilO VICli-ADMIUALS OF THIi BI.IJK. Uie Froiich line, the enemy wore for the purpose of suceounng their disabled vessels ; which intention, by reason of the dis- united state of his fleet, and having no more than the two (Tippled ships, the Bellerophon and Leviathan, at that time near him, Earl Howe was unable to frustrate. During the two succeeding days, the long and tedious interval between the skirmish last mentioned, and the final, the glorious ter- mination of this so long pending contest, a thick fog prevented a renewal of the action : but the hostile fleets, in the short spaces of tin\e when the atmosphere became less obscure, were constantly visible to each other. Early in the morning of the 1st June, the British fleet, having previously had the good fortune to obtain the weather- gage, bore up for the purpose of bringing the enemy to a general and decisive action. Needlei^s is it to say, that after a long jvnd bloody battle, a total defeat of the French arma- ment was eflected. The loss sustained by the Bellerophon was trivial, considering how nuich she bad been exposed ; it amounted to no more than 4 men killed and 2/ wounded. Rear-Admiral Pasley lost a leg on the occasion, and was so(m afterwards rewarded for his gallant conduct with the dignity of a Jiaronet of Great Britain, and a pension of 1,(J()0/. per annum *. For his share in this brilliant afl'air. Captain Hope vvas pre- sented with the gold medal, then first instituted by his la^ ' Majesty, as a mark of honorable dint inction for naval services ; and, in conunon with the other officers of the fleet, received the thanks of both Hout^es of Farli;uuent. Ho continued to command the Bellerophon till Jan. 179.5 ; aiul in the month of March foil >\ving, was appointed to the Tremendous, another 7'1» attached to the Channel fleet, in which ship he rcmuitied till the ensuing May : when, at the recnu'st of Ad- miral Duncan, he joined the Venerable, of the same force, bearing the flag of that ollicer, under whon he served for some time in the North Sea. Unfortunately, however, he received a violetit contusion on the head, on board one of the Russian men of war, at that period acting in conjunction with the Brii ish s^juadron, and was in conHC(|uence obliged to resign • Sir Tlioman Paslfy dioil ai i'liillan«l-ooif;iu:<', '"'•*'■ ^Vill(•lu•»l«'^, Nov ii'J, IHtjH, BgiMl 7'"' yeur-'. tSi-c Sir Pci/. .-.nkv iVIaia'ulm ) SIR WILLIAM JOHNSTON K HUI'R. 511 I (•Iw'sltT, Nov his command. This accident, which happened iibout tlu' month of Oct. 1796, was no doubt a source of much chai^rin to Captiln Hope, as it deprived him of the Iionor of p.irtici- pating in the victory obtained over the Dutch fleet, off Cam - perdovn, on the 11th Oct. 1707' In the course of the same year, he was employed to equip ten sail of jijun-l)rii;s at Leitli, by the particular desire of the l^jnl Lieutenant of Edinburgh, the country at that period expecting to be invaded by 1' ranee. Our officer's next appointment was in Feb. 17^8, to the Kent, a third rate of the largest class, then recently launched, and fitting for the flag of Lord Duncan ; who, as soon as the ships destined to remain under his orders had repaired the damages sustained in the late action, returned again to liis station, and by his continued vigilance almost annihihited the Dutch trade. The particulars of the expedition against Holland, by the combined forces of (Jreat Hritain and Russia, in the autumn of 1790, are fully detailed in our memoir of Vice-Admiral Sir Charles Hamilton, Bart.* On that occasion Captain Hope was present at the capture of the Helder, and the surrender of a Dutch squadnm, commanded by Rear- Ad- miral Storey ; and was afterwards charged with the otlicial despatches to the Admiralty, announcing the important event. On his arrival in London, he had the gratification of receiving his Sovereign's personal thanks for his services, together with a purse of 500/., for the purpose of purchasing a sword. At a shortly isubsequcnt period, the b^mperor of Russia was also pleased to send him the ribband and cros.^ of a Knight of the Order of Malta f. At the commencement of 1 HOO, Lord Duncan resigned the ('(junnand in the North Sea ; and in the ensuing month of June, the Kent was sent to reinforce the fleet under the or- ders of Lord Keith, on the Mediterruncuu station. In the • See p. 414, et ninj. t Knights of the Order uflSliilta, anciently Htylud Knights Hospitallcrii ol lilt; Order of St. John of Jerusalem, iitid afttTwards Knighta of Rhodes, were fimt insi'.tuted in the year KH.'J, H. I. M. the Kmperor of all the Husiiias, is the (Jraiid Patron of the Order, the insignia of which has never, we i»eliev(?, I»een conferred on uiore than two liritisih olficcrs : viz. Sir \y. Johnstone Hope, and the late Sir Home lliggs Pophani, a memoir of whom will be found iu the " Annual Uiogruphy und Obituary fur 1822," 1 li m^- -((! Mll'l w :ifs-ti» ir li' it! ' :r I'l i»l^ ■« ii'-il' 1 1 rw 512 VICE-ADMIRALS OF TIIK liM'R. course of the same year an attack was nietlitated upon tlie city of Cadiz, and Captain Hope nominated to the com- mand of a hattalion of seamen, to be landed M'ith the army ; but in conaequcnce of the representations which were made by the Spanish Governor of the miserable situation of the in- habitantB, who were then suffering beneath a violent epidemic disease, the enterprise was abandoned, and the fleet returned to Gibraltar. In the month of December, Captain Hope received Lieu- tenant-General Sir Ralph Abercromby, with his staff, on board the Kent, at Gibraltar, and conveyed him from thence to Egypt. He was subsequently employed in the blockade of Alexandria ; and remained upon that station till Cairo sur- rendered to the British arms *. As the service then required the Kent to be appropriated to the flag of Sir Richard Bick- erton, and as Captain Hope was not disposed to serve under a Flag-Officer, he was allowed to return to Europe ; but pre- viously to his departure, the Commander-in-Chief was pleased, in compliment to his professional merit, to offer him the si- tuation of First Captain of the Fleet. Particular circumstances, however, with which we are unacquainted, induced him to decline the proposal. A general peace soon afterwards took place ; in consequence of which Captain Hope remained on half-pay until the re- newal of hostilities, in the spring of 1804 ; when he was ap- pointed to the Atlas, of 74 guns, originally a 3-decker, fitting at Chatham, and afterwards employed off the Texel. This command he held for about three months, at the expiration of which time he was obliged, frv)m ill healtli, to come on shore ; and we tind no farther mention of him till early in 1807, when he was called on to take a seat at the Board of Ad- miralty, which he vacated in the year 1809. He was nomi- nated a Colonel of Royal Marines, Aug. 1, 1811 ; advanced to the rank of Rear-Admiral, Aug. 12, 1812; appointed Com- mander-in-Chief at Leith, in Nov. 1813 ; created a K. C. B. Jan. 2, 1815 ; and re-appointed to the chief counnand on the * For the commendations bestowed by the iiiival und military Coinman- ders-in-Cliicf upon the officers of the fleet employid on thecoas tof Gj^ypt, und for other interestinfi^ particulars relative to iIm' campaign in thut q\mr- ter, the reader is referred to pp. 54, 12J>, I'M, und^il3 of thin volume. ^ i;u 1 < II(j ... 18( tie J thu ■ inv < / ii iit( a vi 1 tliui a pr \ SIR WILLIAM JOHNSTONB HOPK. 513 ( coast of Scotland, in the spring of 1816, where he continued until Sept. 181b. In Jan. 1820, he again became a Lord of the Admiralty, on which occasion he succeeded Sir Graham Moore, who had been appointed to the command in the Me- diterranean. His promotion to the rank of Vice- Admiral took place Aug. 12, 1819. Sir Wm. Johnstone Hope is representative in Parliament for the shire of Dumfries *. He married 1st, July 8, 1792, the Lady Anne Johnstone Hope, eldest daughter of James, 3d Earl of Hopetoun, and by her (who died at Roehill, N. B, in Aug. 1818,) had issue four sons, three of whom are officers in the Royal Navy, and two daughters. 2dly. Oct. 3(), 1821, Maria, daughter of Sir John Eden, Bart., of West Auckland and Windlestone, co. Durham, and relict of Frederick Wil- liam, 7th Earl of Athlone. A portrait of Sir William Johnstone Hope, in the uniform of a Post-Captain, is prefixed to his Memoir in the Naval Chronicle, v. 18, p. 269. RIGHT HON. LORD HENRY PAULET, '''ice-Admiral of the Blue, and h'night Communder of the most honorable Af Hilary Order of (he liuth. Puis officer is the youngest son of George, twelfth Mar- quis of Winchester, whose ancestor Hercides, lord of Tour- ijcm. in Picardy, came to England in the reign of Henry I. and settling in the lordship of Paulct, co. Hants, assumed the name of the place of his residence, as was i;::iverbally the custom at that period. Ill Jutie IHOO, wliiisl ahseiit in tlie servicu of hit country, ('aptain llopp was clccU'd M. P. f„r the Diiiufrics tlistricl of niirfjhs ; and in (hi. 1801, tlic county of Dumfries huvinj,' lost its representative, hy the death of (.icneral Sir lloliort Laurie, lie was unanimously returned as the kni;,dit nf that shire; and on that occasion, ajjreeahly to an ancient local custom, was nivested with a sword immediately at'ter the election. At the general election which succeeded the dissolution of Parliament, III Oct. \S{){\, he was again chosen for the same place, after encoiintenng a violent opposiiion, raised against him under the inQuence of tho party then in power, in whicii scarcely any .tiieuus were left uotried that preeeatcd « probaiiijiijr of thwarting his vi«w«. I VOL. I, 2 L 514 VICE-ADMIRALS OF THK BLUE. if We find no mention of Lord Henry Paulet prior to the commencement of hostilities against the French republic, when he commanded the Nautilus sloop, which vessel formed part of the squadron under Vice-Admiral Laforey, at the capture of the island of Tobago*. On the 9th Jan., 17^)4, he was promoted to the rank of Post-Captain, and in the same year commanded the Vengeance, of 74 guns, bearing the broad pendant of Commodore C. Thompson, at the re- duction of Martinique f. Lord Henry's next appointment appears to have been to the Astrea, of 32 guns and 212 men, stationed in the Chan- nel. On the 10th April, 17^)5, his lordship captured, after a close action of 58 minutes, la Gloire, of 42 guns and 275 men, of whom 40, including the French Captain^ were killed and wounded. The Astrea had only 8 men wounded. Soon after this event our oflicer removed into the Thalia, of 36 guns, attached to Lord Bridport's fleet, and was present at the action oflfrOrient, on the 23d June in the siune year|. The Thalia remained on Channel service until Jan., 1707, when she accompanied the squadron nndvr Uear-Adnnral Parker, sent to reinforce Sir John Jervis, with whom a junc- tion was happily effected on the Gtli Feb., just eight days previous to the memorable encounter with the Spanish fleet, off Cape St. Vincent §. From this period until June 12th, 1708, Lord Henry Pau- let was employed on the Mediterranean station, ^^here he captured I'Espoir corvette, of 10 guns, and several French and Spanish privateers, lie was subsequently appointed to the Defence, of 74 guns, in which ship he continued, serving successively with the Channel fleet, in the Baltic, and on the coast of Spain, until the peace of Amiens, in 1801. On the rcisewal of the war, his lordship obtained tlie com- mand of the Terrible, of 74 guns, employed in the blockade of the enemy's ports. At the gener:;l promotion, Aug. 1st, 1811, he was nominated a Colonel " Koyal Marines; and • Sir John Laforey, in oonjiiuctioi: with Major-CJcnera! CuyU-r^ look the island of fobugo on the 16lh April, IJd'.i. The French i'oiiimaiula,iit having refused to surrender, the works were stormed and carried, a^^uinst u ■tronff reiiistance, \'ith Rome lows, t See p IV. X See p. 246. § See p. 21, et xei^. LORD HENRY PAULET. 515 ior to the I republic, 5sel formed ey, at the Jan., ■1794, and in the lis, bearing- , at the re- ave been to 1 the Chan- red, after a ns and 275 were killed idcd. Soon Thalia, of rt'as present siime year I . Jan., 17-V» ear- Admiral horn a jvinc- eiglit days panish fleet, Henry l*an- 1, whore he end French ippointed to led, serving and on the • 'd the com- ic blockade I, Aug. 1st, arines ; anii ('uylor, took ]\ oommaiuiaiit tried, a^uiast u *.\, el #<•y Lieutenant Alexander Home, R. N. 2 L 2 ,1-1 I* lit If'' I 516 VrCK-ADMIRAI.S OF THB BLUB. of Long Island, the capture of New York, and the various expeditions up tlie North and East rivers ^. In 1777? three years after he had passed for that rank, Mr. Paterson was promoted by Lord Howe to be a l^ieutenant in the Stronibolo fire-ship, whicl\ vessel formed part of several expeditions undertaken by his Lordship during his stay in America f. On his return to New York, after assisting in the attack upon, and capture of Philadelphia, our officer was removed into the Brune, commanded at that time by Captain Fergusson, the late Lieutenant-Governor of Greenwich Hos- pital, and subsequently by the present Admiral W. Peere Williams Freeman, with the latter of whom he returned to England at the close of 1778. His next appointment was to the Ardent, as first Lieutenant; and from that ship he Mxnt, early in 17^0, into the Alcide, in which we find him present at the capture of St. Eustatia, Feb. 3, 1781 X- From this period he served under the flag of Sir George B. Rodney in the Sandwich, Gibraltar, and Formidable, until advanced by that gallant veteran to the command of the Blast fire-vessel, an event th:'.t occurred in 1782, the same year in which the fleet of Great Britain obtained a most complete victory over that of France, commanded by the Count de Grasse, who was himself capt\ired with the Ville de Paris, and four other ships of the line, besides one sunk in the action §. The Blast remained in the West Indies until the peace of 1783, when she returned to England, and was put out of com- niission. At the commencement of the war with Uie French republic. Captain Paterson obtained the command of the Gorgon store ship, in which he proceeded with the late Vis- count Hood to the Mediterranean, where he was promo- ted by his Lordship to post rank in the Ariadne, of 20 guns, by commission dated Jan. 20, 1704; and in the course of the s;iune year r 'moved into the Melpomene, a fine frigate taken possession of at Colvi, when that place surrendered to the British arms ||. • See Retired Captain, Sir Andrew Snape Hamono. t For a Memoir of Earl Howe, see Naval Cbronicle, vol. I, p. 1, etseq. X Sec p. 127. § Sec p. 35, e( »eq. An interesting tnemuir of Lord Rodney will be found in the Naval Chronk'le, v. I, p. 363, et teq. H See p. 252. the various hrank, Mr. I'utentant in t of scvenil his stay in assisting in officer was by Captain iwich Hos- W. Peere returned to nent was to lip he went, lim present From this . Rodney in dvanced by , fire-vessel, n which the I'ictory over se, who was other ships ic peace of out of com- tlie French land of the le late Vis- vas pronio- of 20 guns, ourse of the rigate taken lered to the ONn. , p. l,€tseq. odney will be CHARLES WILLIAM PATER80N, JBSQ. 51* After the final subjugation of Corsica, where, as well as at Toulon, he had served with no inconsiderable degree of credit, our officer was ordered home, and we lose sight of him until 1796, when he Mas appointed inspecting Captain of the county quota men for the stewartry of Kircudbright and shire of VVigtoun. Returning from that duty in the following year, he received an appointment to the Admiral de Vries, of 68 guns, armed enjiute, in which he continued until Dec. 1799, and then assumed the temporary command of the Montagu, a third rate. On joining this latter ship, Captain Patcrson found her crew ii) tlie most relaxed state of discipline ; their irregular con- duct, however, he succeeded in correcting ; and for his judi- cious conduct in restoring tliem to a state of subordination, had the gratification of receiving due applause from the officer under whose orders he was then serving *. His next ap- pointment was to the St. Fioren/o, in which frigate he had the honor of attending his late Majesty during two succeed- ing seasons at Weymouth. He also made a trip to the Me- diterranean, for the purpose of affording protection to the trade bound thither ; and on his return from thence was em- ployed in the blockade of Havre de Grace, on which service he continued until the peace of Amiens. Captain Patcrson does not appear to have been again called into service until tho month of Jan. 1810, when he was or- dered by Lord Mulgravc to superintend the deput for prison- ers of war at Portchester Castle in Hampshire. Early in the following year he was appointed by the Right Hon. Charles Yorketo the Puissant ; the command of which ship, if we mistake not, he retained until Aug. 12, 1812, when he was a(.'i,anced by Viscount Melville to the rankof Rear-Admiral. His com- mission as Vice-Admiral bears date Aug. 12, 1811). Our officer married, in March 1801, Jane Ellen, eldest daughter of the late David Yeats, Esq., Registrar of his Ma- jesty's late Province of East Florida, and great-grand-daugh- ter of the above mentioned Major Tonyn f. Residence. — East Cosham Cottage, near Portsmouth, Hants. • The present Admiral Sir James Hawkins Whitsiied. t The Vice- Admiral's mother, and Mri. Pi terion'i jfrnnd-inotUcr, weri yiiteri. ;". v.. m '■■I 111!! Ml ■»;■ i ( 518 VfCB-ADMlttALS 01? THIS MLUK. SIR GEORGE COCKBURN, One of the Commmioneri for executing the office of Lord High Adimral; yice-Admiralof the Blue ; Major-General of the Royal Marines; Knight Grand Cross of the most honouiable Military Order of the Bath ; a C^tm- tnissioner of the Board of Longitude ; and Member of Parliament for Weobly, in Herefordshire. Different families of the name of Cockburn anciently held very extensive possessions, and enjoyed the highest offices and prerogatives in Scotland. The first of the family of Langton, we learn from authentic records, was Alexander de Cockburn, who obtained the baronies of Boltc n, Carriden, and Langtoun, from King David II. and in 1370 was nominated Usher to the Scottish monarch. The subject of this memoir is the second son of the late Sir James Cockburn, Baronet, (a descendant of the said Alex- ander) by Misy Ayscough, daughter of the late Dean of Bristol, and niece to Lord Littleton *. At the commence- ment of the war with the French republic, we find him proceeding to the Mediterranean with Vice- Admiral Hotham, in the Britannia, of 100 guns ; from which ship he re- moved into the Victory, another first rate, bearing the flag of Viscount Hood, by whom he was pror/iOted to the command of the Speedy sloop. Early in 179^* he was nominated act- ing Captain of the Inconstant frigate ; and subsequently of the Meleager, of 32 guns. His latter appointment was confirmed by a post commission, bearing date Feb. 24, 1794. With the exception of his being pressntat the capture of the Ca Ira and Censeur, two French line-of-battle ships, off Gour- jon bay f, we find no particular mention of Captain Cock- burn until the summer of 1795} at which time he joined the squadron commanded by Commodore Nelson, employed in co-operation with the Austrian and Piedmontese armies, under * Our officer's elder brother, James, the prcseat Baronet, was, in 1806, appointed Under Secretary of State ; in 1807, Governor and Commander- in-Chief of Curaqoa ; and in 1811, Governor, &e. of the Bermudas. He now holds the office of Paymaster of the Royal Marines. t Sec [). 340. ill 1- SIR GEOTIGE COCKBURS. 519 igh Admirali •ines; Knight Uth I a Com- arliamentfor ;iently held offices and i Langton^ Cockburn, Langtoun^ I Usher to of the late said Alex- ! Dean of ommence- ! find him I Hotham, [p he re- the flag of command nated act- ;ntlyofthe confirmed ture of the off Gour- ain Cock- joined the iployed in lies, under ms, in 1806, ominaiider- mudas. He t GenenU de Vins ; and in checking the trade between Genoa, France, and the places occupied by the republican troops. ITie various and important services which that lamented hero performed with his small squadron, during the Vado canipuign, formed a striking contrast with the slow and un- profitable movements of the Imperialists ; and on one occa- sion he actually impeded the progress of the Conqueror of Italv. Six vessels, laden with cannon and ordnance-stores for the siege of Mantua, sailed from Toulon for St. Pier d'Arena. Assisted by Captain Cockburn, he drove them under a battery, the fire of which he silenced, and captured the whole. Military books, plans, and maps of Italy, with the different points marked upon them, where former battles had been fought, sent by the Directory for Buonaparte's use, were found in the convoy. The loss of this artillery was one of the chief causes which compelled the French to raise the siege of Mantua : but there was too much treachery, and too much imbecility, both in the councils and armies of the allied powers, for Austria to improve this momentary success. We make the following extract from Commodore Nelson's letter to Sir John Jervis, giving an account of the above cap- ture : " I directed Captain Cockburn of the Meleager to lead in, which he did in the most ofBcer-like manner ; and at 3 o'clock the Meleager and Aga- memnon brought up in less than four fathoms water, as did soon afterwards the Petereil and Speedy. After a short resistance from the battery and votiscls, we took possession of them. It is impossible I cau do justice to the alacrity and gallantry ever conspicuous in my little squadron. Our l)oats lioarded the national ketch la Genie, the Commodore of the convoy, notwithstanding the fire of three 18-pounders, and one of similar calibre, in a giin-boat. The Blanche and Diadem being to leeward, the former could not anchor until the vessels had struck ; but the boats of all the ships were active in getting the prizes otf the shore, the enemy having cut their cables when they surrendered. A smart fire of musketry was kept up from the shore during the whole of this service. "Much as 1 feel indebted to every officer in the S(juadron, yet I cannot omit to mention the great support and assistance I have ever received from (Captain Cockburn, who has been nearly a year under my command on this station ; and I should feel myself guilty of neglect of duty, were I not to represent his zeal, ability, and courage, which are conspicuous on every occision that oflers *." :1| * Tlin abovc-inciiticirr' ;iflair tonk place May ."•^l, 17'^^; thp Inys 5«fi. m ■■;!:' IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) ^O ^ ^^1^- 1.0 I.I 1^ 1^ |2.2 U£ 12.0 us u 1.25 IID 1.4 I Mil m I 1.6 Photographic Sciences Corporation «■ ^V #1 <^ 23 WIST MAIN STRUT wnSTM.N.Y. 14SI0 (7U)l7a-4S03 ^^ ^\ ^r\ •" :< il .jk i If 520 VICE-ADMIRALS OF THB BLUE. Amidst the excesses and cruelty which the Frehch at this time committed, it was their custom to sell the Imperialists who fell into their hands, to the Spaniards, by whom some were transported to the mines in South America, and others selected for recruits. In the above convoy were found 152 Austrian grenadiers, who had been taken prisoners of war, and were thus happily delivered from the homble fate that awaited them. Captain Cockburn's next appointment was to la Minerve, of 42 guns and 281 men ; in which ship his friend Nelson hoisted his broad pendant on the 10th Dec. 1796, and pro- ceeded, with the Blanche frigate under his orders, to super- intend the evacuation of Porto Ferrajo. On his way, he fell in with two Spanish frigates, the Sabina and Ceres, each mount- ing 40 guns. La Minerve engaged the former, v/hich was commanded by Don Jacobo Stuart, a descendant of the Duke of Berwick, son of James II. After an action of three hours, during which the enemy, according to Commodore Nelson's letter, had 164 men killed and wounded, the Sabina struck f. The Spanish Captain had hardly been conveyed on board la Minerve, when the Matilda, of 34 guns, came up, compelled her to cast off the prize, and brought her to action. After half an hour's trial of strength, the British frigate compelled this hei second antagonist to wear and haul off, and would most probably have captured her, had not a 3-decker and two other ships hove in sight. The Blanche, from which the Ceres had got off |, was far to windward, and la Minerve es- caped only by the anxiety of the enemy to recover their own ship, in which they succeeded, but not until the whole of her masts had fallen §. From the Commodore's official letter to tained hy the British was 1 man killed and 3 wounded. On the 25th of the preceding month, the hoats of the Agamemnon, Diadem, Meleaxer, and Petereil, cut out four vcsseJo laden with provisions, wine, arms, and ammu- nition, from under the uatterics at Loftuo, on which occasion Lieutenant (nuiv (Captain) Noble of the former ship, and two seamen belonging to the Meleogcr, were wounded. t The Spaniards in an account of the action published at Carthagena, •tftted their loss at 10 killed and 45 wounded, 2 of them mortally. I See superannuated Rear-Admiral D'arc. Preston. i See Captain SirT. M. Hardy, in our next volume. v-* gIR GEORGE COCKBURN. 521 efich at this Imperialists whom some , and others e found 152 1 of war, and that awaited la Minerve, end Nelson )6, and pro- 's, to super- ay, he fell in each mount- which was of the Duke three hours, ore Nelson's ina struck f. [ on board la ), compelled tion. After ;e compelled and would decker and n which the Minerve es- r their own vhole of her ill letter to iG 25th of the iMelea^er, and IS, und aminu« on Lieutenant longinf]; to the t Carthagena, tally. ON. rae. 4 the Commander-in-Chief relative to these actions, in which la Minerve had a Midshipman and 6 men killed, 1 Lieutenant, the gunner, boatswain, and 41 wounded, we extract the fol- lowing passage relative to her Captain and Officers : — " You are, Sir, so thoroughly acquainted with the merits of Captain Cockburn, that it is needless for me to express them ; but the discipline of la Minerve does the highest credit to her Captain and Lieutenants, and I wish fully to declare the sense I entertain of their judgment and gallantry. Lieuteiiant Culverhouse is an old officer of distinguished merit*. Lieute- tants Hardy, Gage, and Noble, deserve every praise which gallantry and zeal justly entitled them to, as does every other officer and man in the ship. You will'observe. Sir, I am sure with regret, amongst the wounded. Lieute- nant James Noble, who quitted the Captain to serve with mc, and whose merit and repeated wounds received in fighting the enemies of our country, entitle him to every reward which a grateful nation can bestow ||." The Commodore arrived at Porto Ferrajo Dec. 27, and la Minerve was there repaired. On the 29th Jan. 1797> the whole of the naval establishment having been withdrawn from that station ; the necessary arrangements made for the removal of the troops under General de Burgh ; and the late Viceroy of Corsica t with his suite embarked on board that ship, the squadron and transports sailed for Gibral- tar, where they arrived in safety on the 10th of the following month. Nelson remained but one day at that place, and then proceeded in search of his Admiral. Off the mouth of the Straits he fell in with the Spanish fleet under Don Josef de Cordova, by two of whose ships he had been chased in the Gut; and on the 13th reaching the rendezvous off Cape St. Vincent, communicated intelligence of the force and situation of the enemy to Sir John Jervis, by whom he was immediately • Lieutenant Culverhouse was afterwards promoted ; and drowned, to- gether with his wife, by the upsetting of a boat in Table Bay, about the year 180I>. II Soon after Nelson's return to England from his unsuccessful expedi- tion against Teneritfe, an account of which will be found at p. 391, et seq., he sent a letter to Earl St. Vincent containing the following reijuest : " Af- ter George Cockburn's gallant action with the Sabina, I directed a gold- hilled sword to be made for him, which I had hoped to present to him ray- self in the most public and handsome manner ; but as Providence ha« de- creed otherwise, I muit beg of you to present it for mc. My good friend Grey will, 1 hope, enquire and g^et it out of tha Argo. I feel confident of your ifoudne«8." t See Note at p. 265. f rM '■m 11 li 522 VICE-ADMIRALS OP THE BLUE. ^V^ ordered to remove into his former ship, the Captain of 74 guns' Towards the close of the memorable battle of Feb. 14, 1797 *» la Minerve again received the broad pendant of Commodore Nelson, who directed Captain Cockburn to proceed to the van of the British fleet, it being his intention to go on board any of the line-of-battle ships then engaged. Before this could be effected, however, the signal was made to discontinue the action ; and in the evening the Commodore took up his resi- dence on board the Irresistible. From this period until the suspension of hostilities, la Mi- nerve continued on the Mediterranean station, and cruized with very considerable success, capturing several privateers and valuable merchantmen. In the summer of 1801, she formed part of a squadron of frigates under the orders of Cap- tain (now Sir Lawrence W.) Halsted, employed off Elba, to prevent supplies being conveyed to the French troops on that !^ island. Whilst employed on this service. Captain Cockburn /| assisted at the capture of the Success, formerly a British fri- » gate, and destruction of la Bravoure, of 46 guns and 283 men, near Leghorn. Her commander, with several of his officers, were made prisoners by la Minerve's boats. Towards the latter end of the same year, la Minerve re- turned to England with the flag of Sir John B. Warren ; and in the summer of 1803, Captain Cockburn obtained the com- mand of the PhVieton, another large frigate, in which he con- veyed Mr. Merry, Ambassador to the United States, his Lady, and suite, to New York. Our officer was afterwards appointed successively to the Howe, Captain, Abonkir, and Pompee, ships of the line, but does not appear to have had any opportunity of particularly distinguishing himself, until early in the year 1809, when we find him servii)g with the temporary rank of Commodore, un- der Sir Alexander Cochrane, at the reduction of Martinique f. The Commander-in-Chief, in his official despatches to the Ad- miralty relative to that important conquest, says, — " / have already informed their lordships y that I entrusted the ivhole of the naval arrangements on shore to Commodore Cockburn ; his exertions have been unremitting, and his merit beyond my praise.'' » 5cp |), 2.'^. 'H Mr i»*:i'il /l:^ '3 ■r i..;liiiil '.:i 530 VICE-ADMIRALS OF THE BLUE. Captain Carpenter subsequently commanded the Antelope of 50 guns. He was made a Rear- Admiral, Aug. 12, 1812 ; and attained his present rank on the 12th Aug. 1819. ROBERT BARTON, Esq. Fice-Admiral of the Blue. At the commencement of the war with France, in 1793, this officer commanded the Hawke, of \Q guns, in which sloop he escorted a fleet of merchantmen to the West Indies. On the 2d April, 1794, he was promoted to the rank of Post- Captain; and in the following year, we find him in the Lapwing, of 34 guns and 193 men, on the North Sea station, where he remained but a short time, and was then again or- dered to afford protection to the trade bound to the colonies. On the 25th Nov. 1796, Captain Barton, then lying at St. Kitts, received intelligence that a French force, consisting of two ships of war, several smaller vessels, and 400 troops, commanded by Victor Hughes, was attacking Anguilla. He immediately weighed and proceeded to the relief of that island; but the wind blowing strong from the northward, prevented his getting up before the morning of the 27th, when he found the enemy had landed the preceding day, burnt several houses in the town, plundered the island, and committed every devastation possible, attended with acts of great cruelty. Upon the appearance of the Lapwing, they re-embarked and endeavoured to get off j which Captain Barton effectually prevented, by bringing both the men of war to close action, which lasted near two hours, when the largest, le Decius, of 26 guns and 2 brass field pieces, with 133 seamen, and 203 troops, struck her colours. She had 80 men killed and 40 wounded. La Valliante, a brig mount- ing 6 guns, 36 and 24-pounders, with 45 seamen and 90 soldiers, ran on shore on the neighbouring island of St. Mar- tiij's, where she was destroyed by the fire of the Lapwing, whose loss amounted to 1 man killed and 7 wounded. llie following day Captain Barton found it necessary to burn ]his prize, ip order to prevent her falling into the pos- session of two French frigates, by which he was chased on his return to St. Kitts. 1 VA ROBERT BARTON, ESQ. 531 nee, in 1793, ms, in which West Indies, rank of Post- 1 him in the 1 Sea station, hen again or- the colonies. 1 lying at St. consisting of [ 400 troops, nguilla. He •elief of that e northward, of the 27th, ■eceding day, ; island, and with acts of ipwing, they lich Captain men of war when the pieces, with Irs. She had brig mount- imen and 90 1 of St. Mar- ie Lapwing, nded. necessary to into the pos- hased on his For this service our officer was subsequently presented with the following address, by a deputation from the inhabitants of the latter island : " Deputations from a whole community are not common, because it rarely happens that actions so brilliant as to excite general admiration are performed ; but yuur success. Sir, is of a nature so glorious to yourself, so honorable to the service in which you are engaged, so fortunate and cri- tical for the inhabitants of Anguilla, that a sister colony would be insensi- ble not to feel, and ungrateful not to acknowledge it. " It is not, however, by our acknowledgments or emotions that your deserts can be expressed ; they are proclaimed by the tongues, and en- graven on the hearts of the people you have saved ; whom a merciless enemy doomed to destruction } and whom you rescued from the horrors with which they were menaced. " These devoted people hail you as their deliverer ; bless you for the security and happiness to which they are restored ; and while they recite your actions, will perpetuate your name in the traditions of their country, and the memories of their children. Nor do the testimonies of your ho- nor cease here ; even your enemies bear witness to the value of your ex- ertions, and the importance of your victory. They tell it whenever they mention their loss and disappointments, the destruction of their shipping, and the slaughter of their men. They tell it too, not indeed so loudly, but much more emphatically, whenever they mention your humanity and goodness, your care of the wounded, your anxiety for their preservation when the D^cius was sinking, your endeavours and success in rescuing from the waves such as the fury of the battle had blindly driven into them. While saying this, they acknowledge that ipercy and courage are the inse- parable associates of noble minds, and that the honor of the union is yours." To this address, Captain Parton returned the following answer : " Gentlemen.— I return you mfixy thanks for the honor you have done me i and am happy that, in doing my duty, I have been so fortunate as to relieve the distressed. I must add, little was my share, as the whole de- pended on my officers and men, who I know are equally happy, and feel as much as I do, at any fortunate event that has been of any service to their King, their country, and the colonies. " I am with respect, Gentlemen, &c. "R. Barton." In the course of the ensuing year, Captain Barton captured eight of the enemy's privateers, carrying in the whole 58 guns, and 363 men. His next appointment was to the Con- corde of 42 guns, and 257 men ; in which fine frigate he cruized with equal success on the same station^ taking and 2 M 2 i»sp% 1 'r lit I 532 VICK-ADMIRALS OV THU BI.UU. iiHsisting at the capture of eleven more of those maraudero, whose united force amounted to 90 guns, and 648 men. Our officer returned to England in the autumn of 1799 ; and during the remainder of the war was employed on the Lishon station, and at Newfoundland. On the 26th Jan., 1801, being off Cape Finisterre, he fell in with a French squadron, under M . Gantoaume, and was chased by one of his frigates r. the Concorde at this time having a Swedish ship in tow, cast her off, fiul bore away large. At day-light on the 27th, Captain Barton having drawn his pursuer a considerable dis- tance from her consorts, was enabled to bring her to close action, which continued for forty minutes, when the enemy's fire was completely silenced ; but the rest of the squadron had by this time approached so near to her assistance, that it was impossible for our oflicer to think of taking possession of his prize, especially as the Concorde had sustained consi- derable damage in her rigging and sails ; he therefore judged it most prudent to bear up for Plymouth, to connnunicate the intelligence of his having fallen in with an enemy's squadron, and its probable destination, from the course it steered. In this contest the Concorde had 5 men slain and 24 wounded. Tlie enemy's frigate was la Bravoure, of 42 gims and 293 men, 10 of whom, including a Lieutenant, were killed, and her, Captain and 24 wounded. In th'? ensuing autumn, we find Captain B:irton acting as Governor of Newfoundland, from M'hence he returned to Portsmoxith on the 29th Dec. following, after a passage of only eleven days from St. John's. On the renewal of hostilities in 1803, our officer was ap- pointed to the superintendence of the Sea Fencibles, in the Isle of Wight. In the summer of the following year, he ob- tained the command of the Raisonable, 64 ; and from that ship removed into the Goliath, a third rate, in which, on the 11th and 18th Aug., 1805, he captured le Faune a French brig, of 16, and la Torche corvette, of 18 guns. On boanl these vessels were found 74 men, who had been wrecked some time previous in the Blanche frigate, commanded by the late Sir Thomas Lavie. Captain Barton left the Goliath nliout the latter end of 1805 ; «nd from that period we Ihid nu further mention of him till ; marauders, men. of 1799 ; and n the Lisbon Jan., 1801, ich squadron, f his frigates '■ I in tow, cast on the 27th, siderable dis- her to close I the enemy's the squadron distance, that ig possession tained consi- refore judged imunicate the y's squadron, : steered. In 1 24 wounded, ims and 293 c killed, and ROBKRT BARTON, SSQ. 533 the summer of 1807, when he was appointed to tlie York, w new 74 ; in which ship he accompanied the expedition under Rear- Admiral Sir Samuel Hood and Major-General Beresford sent at the close of that year to take military possession of Ma- deira ; and from thence pioceeded to the Leeward Island sta- tion, where he arrived in time to assist at the conquest of Mar- tinique *, by the forces under Sir Alexander Cochrane, and Lieutenant -General Beck with. During the operations carried on for the reduction of this important colony. Captain Barton was employed with a de- tachment of seamen and marines on shore, under the orders of Commodore Cockbiuii, to whom he gave the most able siqiport and assistance. He was afterwards present at the capture of the Isles des Saintes, and of the d'Hautpoult, a French 74'gun ship. The York continued in the West Indies till the month of May, 1809, when she returned to England ; and in the sum- mer of that year, was attached to the Walcheren expedition, after which she joined the fleet on the Mcditerraiiean station. Captain Barton was advanced to the rank of Rear-Admiral, Aug. 12, 1812, but has never hoisted his flag. He became a Vice-Adniiral, Aug. 12, 1819. Residence. — Burrough House, near Exeter, Devon. -Vc ' ' i ton acting as returned to passage of icer was ap- ibles, in the year, he ob- id from that inch, on the une a French On board recked some 1 by the late end of 1805; ■)n of him till SIR GRAHAM MOORE, yice-Admiral of the Blue ; Knight Commander of the mo»t honorable Militnrjf Order of the Bath, and of the Portuguese Order of the Tower and Sword i and Commander-in'Chief in the Afediterranean. This officer is the third son of Dr. Moore, a respectable Physician, and an author of some celebrity, by Miss Simpson, daughter of Professor Simpson of Glasgow University, and a brother of the gallant Lieutenant-fieneral Sir John Moore, who fell at the battle (^ Corunna, Jan. 16, 1809 1. He entered • See p. 264. t The body of Sir John Moore, agreeably to ha uniform wish, to be buried near the npot where he mif(ht fall, waH deposited, without u coffin, in a grave hastily dug by some Holdicrs, on the ramparts of Cornnna ; but some months afterwards, the Spanish Marquis do la Romann ordered it to bt :ll 534 VICE-ADMIRALS OF THE BLUE. the naval service at an early age j was a Lieutenant in 1790 ; and at the commencement of the war with the French repub- lic, commanded the Bonetta sloop, at Newfoundland, from whence he proceeded to the West Indies. His promotion to the rank of Post-Captain took place April 2, 1794, in which year we find him commanding the Syren, of 32 guns, in the North Sea. On the 9th May, 1795, Captam Moore assisted at the cap- ture of ten vessels laden with ship timber and naval stores, escorted by an armed brig and a lugger ; this convoy had sought protection under a battery, the fire of which was soon silenced by the British, but not before the Syren had had 2 men killed and 2 wounded *. Captain Moore's next appbuitment was to the Melampus, of 42 guns and 267 men, stationed off the French coast. On the 13th Nov. 1796, he drove on shore, and destroyed, at the entrance of Barfleur harbour, I'Etonnant corvette, of 18 guns j and the same day, in company with the Childers sloop, cap- tured TEtna, afterwards the Cormorant, of 20 guns. Early in the following year, the Melampus formed part of the squa- dron sent to escort the Princess of Wirtemberg from Harwich to Cuxhaven. On the 23d. Jan. 1798, Captain Moore, being on a cruize to the westward, fell in with, and after a short, but close action, captured la Volage French corvette, of 22 guns and 195 men, 4 of whom were killed and 8 wounded. The Me- lampus had 2 mortally, and 3 severely wounded. The prize, though a national ship, had been lent to, and fitted out by, the merchants of Nantz. Her commander and officers be- longed to the republican marine. On the day succeeding the action between Sir John B. War- ren and M. Bompart, off the coast of Ireland, in which the Melampus had but 1 man wounded. Captain Moore was or- dered by the Commodore to proceed to St. John's Bay, in search of a French frigate which had been seen standing in there on the preceding night. At lO'' 30* P. M. he discovered taken up and interred in the citadel, in a manner worthy the admiration and edtecm in which the professional and private character of this distinguished General had been held by all who knew him. • Scop. 287. I SIR GRAHAM MOORB. 536 ant in 1790 ; •ench repub- idland, from promotion to 94, in which guns, in the I at the cap- naval stores, convoy had ch was soon [1 had had 2 ! Melampus, 1 coast. On oyed, at the of 18 guns J sloop, cap- uns. Early of the squa- om Harwich on a cruize ;, but close 2 guns and The Me- The prize, tted out by, officers he- rn B. War- 1 which the ore was or- I's Bay, in standing in ! discovered jmiration ntul distinguished two sail, and lifter an hour's chase closed with the nearest, which sustained the Melampus's fire for 20 minutes, without offering the least resistance, and then surrendered. She proved to be la Resolue, of 40 guns and 500 men, (including troops embarked on board her for the purpose of joining the rebels in Ireland,) 10 of whom were killed, and several wounded. Her companion, the Immortalite, of 42 guns, was afterwards taken by the Fisgard. On the 15th April, 1799, Captain Moore captured le PapilLon French privateer, a fine vessel, mounting 10 long nines, and 4 brass 36-pounder carronades, with a complement of 123 men. Three days afterwards he chased le Nantois, a private ship of war, of 14 guns and 150 men, which overset, and all on board perished. In the succeeding year, the Melampus was ordered to the West Indies, where she continued during the remainder of the war *. Soon after the renewal of hostilities against France, in 1803, Captain Moore obtained the comniaiid of the Indefatigable, of 46 guns, in which ship he was for some time employed on Channel service. In the month of Sept. 1804, government having received information that orders had been given for arming the Spa- nish navy, and that the French General Bournonville had re- ceived permission to march through Spain towards Ferrol with 1,500 sailors and artillery-men, for the purpose of man- ning the ships lying at that port, the British Minister at Ma- drid was instructed to remonstrate with the Spanish govern- ment ; to require the immediate recall of all orders for the equipment of any maritime force ; and in the event of not re- ceiving a satisfactory answer, to leave that capital without delay. At the same time orders were given to prevent any l^panish ships of war from entering into or sailing from Ferrol, and to detain all vessels having specie on board. On the 5th of the following month. Captain Moore, who had been detached from the Channel fleet to cruize for the treasure-shipi^ then expected from South America, being off • III uddition tu tlie captures already mentioned, Captain Moore, whilst i'oinmaiidiiifir thu Melampus, appears to have taken the following privateers : Le Rayon, 6 guns, 54 men; Ic Mercure, 16 guns, 103 men ; a Spanish fe- liircii, I gun, 35 men \ and assisted at the capture of la Belliqueux, of 18 Kuns, and 120 men. t i^cc p. 2^0. 536 VICE-ADMIRALS OF THE BLUE. ' fli .1 1 1 i Mi * 1 ii: 'r-; ,'r,,;lr ^ 1 Cape St. Mary, in company with the Medusa, Amphion, and Lively frigates, discovered four sail, which formed the line of battle a-head on the approach of the British squadron, and continued to steer for Cadiz, the van ship carrying a broad pendant, and the one next her a Rear-Admiral's flag. The Medusa being the headmost of the British frigates, her com- mander (the present Sir John Gore) placed her on the weather- beam of the Commodore ; Captain Moore took a similar position along-side of the Rear- Admiral, the Amphion and Lively each taking an opponent in the same manner, as they came up. Af- ter hailing to make them shorten sail, without effect, the Indefa- tigable fired a shot across the Rear- Admiral's hawse, on which he shortened sail, and Captsdn Moore sent a Lieutenant to in- form him, that he had orders to detain his squadron, and earnest- ly wished to execute them without bloodshed. An unsatisfac- tory answer being returned, a close engagement ensued, when in less than ten minutes la Mercedes, the Spanish Admiral's se- cond astern, blew up alongside the Amphion, with a tremen- dous explosion, and all on board perished, with the exception of 40 persons, who were taken up by the boats of her antagonist. in half an hour more, two others struck ; and the fourth, having in vain attempted to escape, was captured before sun- set. The loss of the British on this occasion was very trifling ; but that of the Spaniards was 20 killed and 80 wounded, be- sides 240 lives lost by the explosion. It was a peculiarly af- fecting circumstance, that in the ship which blew up, was the lady and eight children of a native of South- America, who with one of his sons, had gone before the action on board another ship, from which he was a melancholy spectator of the dreadful catastrophe. The lading of the captured vessels was of immense value in gold and silver bullion, and rich merchandize, the destina- tion of which for the service of France, was the reason as- signed for their detention, without a previous declaration of war, which was not published till Jan. 24, 1805, six weeks after that of the Spanish government against England. We next find Captain Moore employed as commander of a squadron sent to escort the royal family of Portugal, from Lisbon to Brazil ; on which occasion he was directed by Sir W. Sidney Smith, under whose command he hi«d been for I I I Lmphion, and ;d the line of juadron, and ying a broad 'sflag. The tes, her com- the weather- nilar position i Lively each :ame up. Af- t, the Indefa- ^se, on which [tenant to in- , and earnest- n unsatisfac- snsued, when Admiral's se- th a tremen- exception of r antagonist, the fourth, before sun- ery trifling ; ounded, be- eculiarly af- up, was the iierica, who [)n on board ipectator of nense value he destina- i reason as- claration of , six weeks and. rammander tugal, from irected by Hd been for SIR GRAHAM MOORIi. 537 some time serving off the Tagus^ to hoist a broad pendant af- ter passing Madeira, in order to give him greater weight and consequence in the performance of the important and un- usually delicate duties confided to him *. The British squadron, consisting of the Marlborough 74, (to which ship Captain Moore had been appointed in the pre- ceding summer,) London 98, and Monarch and Bedford, 74's, with 8 Portuguese ships of the line, four frigates, two brigs, and a schooner, accompanied by a large fleet of merchant ves- sels, reached Rio Janeiro in safety on the 7th Mar. 1808, af- ter a passage of 14 weeks. Previous to his return from thence, our officer was invested by the Prince Regent with the insignia of the Order of the Tower and Sword, revived by H. R. H. immediately on his arrival at Brazil, to celebrate his departure from Lisbon. In the Autumn of 1809, the Marlborough formed part of the force employed under Sir Richard Strachan at Flushing ; and at the close of the same year, when it was deemed neces- sary to evacuate the island of Walcheren, Capttdn Moore was charged with tiie destruction of the basin, arsenal, and sea defences of that place f. On the 1st Aug. 1811, he obtained the command of the Royal Sovereign yacht, which had be- come vacant by the general promotion that took place at that period; and in Jan. 1812, was appointed to the Chatham, a new 74, in which ship he continued till Aug. 12th following, when he was advanced to the rank of Rear- Admiral, and soon after hoisted his flag as Commander-in-Chief in the Baltic. He subsequently served as Captain of the Channel fleet, under Viscount Keith. Our oflicer was nominated a K. C. B. Jan. 2, 1815 : in the Spring of 1816, he succeeded Lord Henry Paulet at the Board of Admiralty, where he remained till the demise of Sir Thomas F. Freemantle, and then resigned his seat for the pur- pose of assuming the command in the Mediterranean, for which station he sailed in the Rochefort, of 80 guns, on the 1 1th Aug. 1820. His promotion to the rank of Vice-Admiral took place Aug. 12th, in the preceding year. Sir Graham Moore married, March 9, 1812, Dora, daugh- 'M • S«f p. 320. t See p. 290. 'My t : ,CKI' ..)» 53» VICE-ADMIRALS OK THK BLUU. ter of the late Thomas Eden, of Wimbledon, Esq., and niece of William, first Lord Auckland. MA'ITHEW HENRY SCOTT, Esq. f^ice-Admiral of the Blue. This officer is the son of an opident Jamaica planter, of which island he is a native. He entered the naval service at an early age ; and in 17i^3, we find him serving as Lieute- nant on board the Boyne, of 98 gims, bearing the flag of Sir John Jervis, then about to proceed on an expedition against the French colonies in the West Indies. On the 24th Nov. 1793? the day on which the armament left Spithead, an unfortunate accident befel Lieutenant Scott, whose arm was broken by a block giving way in the fore part of the ship, where he was stationed ; but happily, by the cure and skill of the surgeon, he was nearly recovered by the time he reached Barbadoes. Soon after his arrival at that island our officer was promot- ed to the command of the Rattlesnake, in which sloop he served at the reduction of Martinique and St. Lucia *. On the 4th April, 1794, the day on which the latter colony submitted to the British arms, he was posted into the Rose, of 28 guns, and in that frigate assisted at the subjugation of Guadaloupe. He afterwards accompanied a small squadron under Captain Rogers, sent to take possession of the Isles des Saintes, a service which was effected without loss, on the lOth of the same month. In the following summer the Rose was wrecked on Rocky Point, Jamaica j but fortunately the whole of her crew escaped. Captain Scott's next appointment was to the Hebe, of 38 guns, in which ship we find him serving at the re-conquest of St. Lucia, by the naval and military forces under Sir Hugh C. Christian and Sir Ralph Abercrombyf. The expe- dition sailed from Marin Bay, Martinique, on the 26th April, 1796 ; and the disposition for landing the troops having been previously arranged, the debarkation of two divisions was speedily effected under cover of the ships of war. In the ex- Src p. in. t Sec 1.. 131. ., and niece SQ. planter, of aval service 5 as Lieute- e flag of Sir tion against inament left nant Scott, he fore part by the care by tlie time viis promot- ;h sloop he la*. ittcr colony ) the Rose, )jugation of 11 squadron )f the Isles OSS, on the r the Rose unately the ebc, of 38 e-conquest under Sir The expe- t6th April, iving been isions was In the cx- 1 MATTHKW HENHY SCOrr, ESQ. 539 ccution of this service the Hebe led the first division into Alice la Cap, and Captain Scott, with great spirit and judg- ment, took a position opposite a 6-gun battery, placed on the low point of Pigeon Island, which he kept in check, and thereby enabled the troops to land without opposition. After the surrender of St. Lucia, the Hebe was sent under the orders of Captain WoUey, of the Arethusa, to co-operate with Sir Ralph Abercromby in quelUng the insurrections, which raged with great violence and animosity in the islands of St. Vincent and Grenada. The insurgents, after an obsti- nate resistance, laid down their arms, and surrendered by capitulation. In the spring of 1/98, Captain Scott obtained the command of the Niger frigate ; and on the 11th Dec. following, whilst lying at Spithead, had the gratification of contributing by his humane exertions, to the preservation of three men be- longing to the Atlas 98 who had been upset in one of her boats near the Niger. He subsequently removed into the Indefatigable, of 46 guns. Soon after the renewal of hostilities, in 1803, our ofl^cer was appointed to la Diana *, in which frigate he contiimed until the close of 180.'). During the ensuing three years he commanded the Dragon, of 74 guns. His promotion to the rank of Rear-Admiral took place Aug. 12, I8I2 j and from that period until the conclusion of the war, we find his flag flying on board the Chatham, a third rate, in the North Sea fleet. At the commencement of 1814, he commanded the British and Russian seamen and marines landed on the island of South Beveland ; and in the ensuing year the naval force stationed in the Downs. His commission as Vice-Admiral bears date Aug. 12, 1819. The subject of this sketch married, June 4, 1799, the eldest daughter of James Pinnock, of Westbury House, co. Hants, Esq., and by that lady has had several children. liesidenve. — Southampton . * La Diana was afterwards iiained the Niube. '*!•' 540 VICJE- ADMIRALS OF THK BLUE. JOSEPH HANWELL, Esq. Fice-Admiral of the Blue. This officer was born in London^ Dec. 10, 1759; entered the naval service as a Midshipman on board the Ramillies, a third rate, stationed at Chatham, in Nov. 1773 J and from that ship was removed to the Carcass sloop of war, in Jan. 1775* His first voyage was to the coast of Guinea ; and on his return from thence he joined the Milford, of 28 guns, com- manded by Captain John Burr, and fitting for the North- American station, where she was afterwards most actively em- ployed. In Dec. 1776, we find Mr. Hanwell entrusted with the charge of a prize taken by the Milford, and which he con- ducted in safety to Halifax. Returning from thence as a pas- senger in the George tender, for the purpose of joining his ship in Boston Bay, he had the misfortune to be cast away near the entrance of Piscatoway harbour. This event occur- red on the night of the 26th of the above month, during a dreadful snow-storm. The George had previously expe- rienced very tempestuous Weather, and being now completely wrecked, her crew were obliged to surrender themselves as prisoners of war. The officers, after remaining a few weeks on their parole in the interior, were exchanged at Rhode Island ; and the subject of this sketch was ordered by Com- modore Sir Peter Parker, to be received on board the Unicom frigate, in which he remained imtil an opportunity presented itself of returning to the Milford in July 1777* Subsequent to her return from the coast of America the Milford appears to have been stationed in the Channel, and was present in the action between Keppel and d'Orvilliers, July 27, 1778*. From tliat period we find no particular mention of her until May 10, 1780, on which day, being on her way to Lisbon, she fell in with, and after an hour's con- test, captured the Due de Coigny, a 28-gun frigate belonging to the royal family of France, and fitted out by them as a pri- vate ship of war. She was remarkably well officered and manned, having left port with a complement of 250 men, 18 * S«e Note f, at p. 195. The Milford on that occasion repeated the signals of the rear division, and was commanded by Sir W. Burnaby, Bart. 1 1 JOSEPH HANWBLLj ESQ< 541 59; entered Ramillies, a ; and from war, in Jan. lea ; and on i guns, com- the North- actively ein- ed with the hich he con- ice as a pas- f joining his >e cast away event occur- ith, during a ously expe-* 7 completely emselves as few weeks at Rhode red by Com- ,he Unicom y presented A.merica the lannel, and d'Orvilliers, particular ly, being on hour's con- e belonging mi as a pri- ficered and 50 men, 18 repeated the urnaby, Bart. .31 •I of whom, including her commander, M. Mignionet, were killed, and 16 wounded. The Milford had 4 slain and 3 wounded. On the 26th Oct. 1/80, seven days after quitting the Mil- ford, in which active frigate he had assisted at the capture of no less than seventy vessels belonging to the enemy, Mr. Hanwell was nominated by Vice- Admiral Darby, Commander- in-Chief of the Channel fleet, to act as Lieutenant of the Dublin 74 ; and the Board of Admiralty being pleased to confirm the appointment, by commission dated Feb. 8, 1781, he continued in that ship during the remainder of the war. The Dublin appears to have been present at the relief of Gibraltar in 1781 and 1782 ; and formed part of the rear division of Earl Howe's fleet in the skirmish off Cape Spartel, on the 20th Oct. in the latter year *. From this period, with the exception of his having serveil for a short time in the Fortitude, of 74 guns, we have no mention of Lieutenant Hanwell until Sept. 1, 1788, when he was appointed to command the Actaeon, a 44-gun ship armed en flutCj and employed in the conveyance of troops to and from the colonies. During the Spanish armament in 1790, he took charge of the homeward bound trade off the east end of Jamaica; and having escorted it in safety to England, was pro- moted to the rank of Commander, on the 21st Oct. in the same year. He continued in the Actaeon until that ship was paid off May 13, 1791. Our officer's next appointment was Nov. 12, 1792, to the Scout of 18 guns, in which sloop he was employed for some time on the Gibraltar station. He returned from thence in company with the Lapwing frigate, and a fleet of English and Dutch merchantmen t, about the month of April 1793 ; and was subsequently sent with despatches to the Mediterra- nean. Having joined Lord Hood at Toulon, the Scout was there actively employed ; and in March 1794, formed part of the force sent under the orders of Captain Nelson, to com- mence the blockade of Bastia. On the 2d April, Captain Hanwell received orders to anchor his sloop as near as possible to a tower recently taken by the * See pp. 4, 17. 106, and note at p. 33. t See p. 426. r"S u t! 1^ fl I 11 .1 i' !*■: mm 542 VIOE-AriMIRALS OF THK BLUK. Corsicans, and which was a post of considerable consequence *, In this position^ early in the ensuing morning, he sustained the attack of two French gun-boats, supported by three bat- teries, for upwards of an hour, and succeeded in compelling the former to retreat into the harbour; upon which Lord Hood directed the Scout to be removed out of the reach of the latter. Two days after this affair, our officer was promoted by his Lordship to the command of the Romney, of 50 guns ; but, although confirmed in his rank, he had the mortification of being superseded on the 19th of the following month, in con- sequence of being the junior of three Captains who had been appointed by the Admiralty to command the only two vacant ships on the station f. In consequence of this official error. Captain Hanwell was under the necessity of returning to England |, and notwith- standing the recommendations he brought with him from his late Commander-in-Chief to the nobleman then at the head of naval affairs, all his efforts to obtain a frigate were ineffec- tual. On the 9th April, 1795, he was nominated to regulate the Quota Men raised in Derbyshire, and to survey all the vessels employed on the canals in that county. He after- wards held a similar appointment in Aberdeenshire ; and from July 1799, till the end of the following year, we find him em- ployed in raising volunteers at Jersey ; from whence he was removed to be Regulating Captain at Exeter, where he con- tinued until the breaking up of the Rendezvous, in Oct. 1801 . Captain Hanwell's next appointment was March 28, 1805, to the Majestic of 74 guns, bearing the flag of Rear- Admiral Russel, in the North Sea. The command of that ship he was obliged to resign through ill health, in Dec. 1806 ; from which * " Sir. — Lord Hood desires that you will move the Scout directly, and anchor her as near the Tower which the Corsicans took last night as pos- sible. I think you may anchor nearer Bastia than the Tower we landed at yesterday ; it is of the greatest consequence, maintaining the post taken by the Corsicans, therefore I trust long before day-light you will be anchored there. Believe me, Yours truly, " Horatio Nelson." t Berwick 74, and Romney, 60 guns. X On tills occasion. Captain Hanwell accompanied Captain A. Hunt, who had been sent overland with the despatches relative to the capture of Bastia ; an account of which event will be found at p. 251, et seq. I 1 i I I I 1 :i 'A isequence *\ e sustained y three bat- i compelling L Lord Hood of the latter, loted by his ) guns ; but, rtification of nth, in con- ho had been y ttvo vacant [anwell was lid notwith- im from his at the head vere ineffec- to regulate rvey all the He after- ; ; and from nd him em- jnce he was lere he con- lOct. 1801. h 28, 1805, tar-Admiral ship he was from which ; directly, and night as pos- we landed at )ost taken by be ancliorcd JOSEPH IIANWELL, ESQ. 543 period we lose sight of him until Feb. 3, 1809, when he was appointed to superintend the payments of ships at the Nore. His advancement to the rank of Rear-Admiral took place Aug. 12, 1812 ; and he became a Vice-Admiral, July 19, 1821. Our officer married. May 22, 1787, a Miss Strong, and by that lady had eight children, two of whom lost their lives in the naval service. Residence, — ^Wareham, Dorsetshire. SIR HENRY WILLIAM BAYNTUN, y'ice-Admiral of the Blue ; and Knight Commander of the most bono, rable Military Order of the Bath. This officer is the son of a gentleman who formerly held the office of British Consul General at Algiers. He served as a Lieutenant at the reduction of Martinique, in 1794 *, and was promoted by Sir John Jervis to the command of the Avenger sloop, from which vessel he removed into the Nauti- lus, a vessel of the same class ; and after the capture of Gua- daloupe obtained post rank in the Undaunted, of 32 guns, by commission bearing date May 4, 1794. He subsequently commanded the Solebay and fieaulieu frigates, on the West India station. In 1796, we find Captain Bayntun in the Reunion, of 36 guns, which ship was lost in the Swin, on the 7th Dec, and 3 of her crew perished. His next appointment was to the Quebec frigate, and in her he again visited the West Indies, where he removed successively into the Thunderer 74, and Cumberland, of the same force. On the renewal of the war, in 1803, our officer was entrust- ed with the command of a squadron stationed off St. Domingo, where he cruized with great activity, and captured several armed vessels, among which was the Creole French frigate, of 44 guns, from Cape Francois bound to Port-au-Prince, having General Morgan and staff, with 530 troops on board. The crew consisted of only 150 men. On the same day, the Seep. 19. I' ffi • s 544 VICB-ADMIRALS OF THE BLUK. Cumberland and Vanguard took a schooner, from Cuba, with 100 blood-hounds, intended to accompany the French army serving against the Blacks. On his return from the Jamaica station. Captain Bayntun was appointed to the Leviathan, another 74-gun ship, and ordered to the Mediterranean, where he joined the fleet under Lord Nelson, with whom he went in pursuit of the combined squadrons of France and Spain *. On the glorious 21 st Oct., 1805, the Leviathan passed through the enemy's line, and had assisted in disabling and silencing the French Admiral's ship, as also the huge Santissima Trinidada, when Captain Bayntun found himself much galled by a distant cannonade from several other of the enemy's ships ; at length, the Saint Augustin, of 74 guns, bearing the broad pendant of Com- modore Cazigal, gave him an opportunity of closing with her, which was immediately embraced, and she was soon com- pelled to surrender. The loss sustained by the Leviathan was very trifling, considering how warmly she had been engaged; it amounted to only 4 men killed and 22 wounded. After the battle, her prize was set on fire and destroyed t« At the funeral of his lamented chief, in Jan. 1806, Captain Bayn- tun bore the Guidon, in the procession by water from Green- wich Hospital. Towards the latter end of the same year, our officer accom- panied the expedition under Rear-Admiral Murray and Bri- * See Vice-Admiral Sir Pulteney Malcolm. t The following anecdote is related of a seaman, named Thomas Main, belonging to the Leviathan in the battle of Trafalgar : Whilst engaged with the Saint Augustin, a shot took off his arm ; his shipmates offered to assist him in going to the Surgeon ; but he bluntly said, " / thank you, stay where you are ; you mil do more good there." He then went down by himself to the cockpit. The Surgeon, who respected him, would willingly have attended him in preference to others, whose wounds were less alarm- ing; but Main would not admit of it, saying, " ^vast, not until it comes to my turn, if you please." The Surgeon soon after amputated the shattered part of the arm, near the shoulder; during which operation, with great composure, smiling, and with a steady clear voice, he sang the whole of " Rule Britannia." The cheerfulness of this brave man was of infinite use in keeping up the spirits of his wounded comrades ; but the fine fellow died at Gibraltar Hospital, of a fever he caught, when the stump of his arm was nearly well. SIR HKNRY WILLIAM BAYNTUN. 545 Cuba, with 'rench army ain Bayntun iin ship, and e fleet under lie combined IS 21 8t Oct., y's line, and jh Admiral's rhen Captain : cannonade th, the Saint iant of Com- ing with her, } soon com- leviathanwas !en engaged ; nded. After d t. At the iptain Bayn- from Green- icer accom- iy and Bri- Im. Thomaa Main, |t engaged with )ffered to assist \kank you, stay ^ent down by /ould willingly l^ere less alaroi- \ntil it comes to the shattered m, with great the whole of ras of infinite the fine fellow stump of hi« gadier-General Craufurd, sent from England for the reduc- tion of the province of Chili, but which was afterwards order- ed to Buenos Ayres, in consequence of the recapture of that city by the Spaniards. Being overtaken at the Cape of Good Hope, it sailed accordingly for its new destination, and ar- rived in the Rio dela Plata on the 14th June, 1807 *• The disastrous rrsult of the pernicious measures pursued by the military Commander-in-Chief, Taeutenant-General White- locke, are well known, as also that every facility was afforded to the enterprise by the navy, during the whole of the opera- tions carried on in that quarter. We shall therefore content ourselves with observing, thsit on the arrival of the armament to which Captain Bayntun was attached, our officer was di- rected to superintend the debarkation of the troops, which he conducted with the greatest regularity. He ultimately com- manded the flotilla sent up the North river to Colonia ; and the Rear-Admiral, in his official despatches, bore ample testi- mony to the zeal and activity displayed by him during that unfortunate campaign. Captain Bayntun's subsequent appointments were, to the Milford, of 74 guns, about June, 1809 ; to superintend the payment of ships afloat at Plymouth, in the autumn of 1810 ; and in the ensuing year, to the command of the Royal Sovereign yacht. His promotion to the rank of Vice- Ad- miral took place, Aug. 12, 1812: on the 2d Jan., 1815, he was nominated a K. C. B. ; and at the last general promo- tion, July 19, 1821, he obtained the rank of Vice-Admiral. Sir Henry W. Bayntun married a Miss Mayhew, Aug. 23, 1809. SIR RICHARD KING, Baronet ; Fice- Admiral of the Blue; and Knight Commander of the most honorable Military Order of the Bath. This officer is the eldest and only surviving son of the late Admiral Sir Richard King, (who received the honor of knight- hood for his zealous and meritorious services in India, during the American war ; and was created a Baronet June 18, 17^>) m VOL. I, • S«e p. 407. 2 N 1 , 4 IVA f ^ i ir:i 'i It: '1; 'i 546 VICE-ADMIRALS OF THE BLUE. by Susannah Margaret, daughter of William Coker, of May- powder, CO. Dorset, Esq. Our officer entered the naval service at an early age ; and after passing through the various gradations of subordinate rank, was made a Post-Captain, May 14, 1794. His first appointment after this promotion, appears to have been to the Aurora, of 28 guns, in which ship he continued, cruizing in the North Sea, till the summer of 17^5, and then removed into the Druid, another small frigate, employed on Channel service, and in escorting the trade to and from Portugal. In the month of June, 1797, we find Captain King sitting as a member of the Court Martial assembled on board the Neptune, off Greenhithe, for the trial of Parker the mutineer, and his colleagues *. About the same period he obtained the command of the Sirius, a 36-gun frigate attached to the North Sea fleet, under the orders of the late Lord Duncan. On the 24th Oct., 1798, at 8 A. M., Captain King, being off the Texel, discovered two Dutch ships of war at some distance to windward, to which he instantly gave chace ; and finding that the Sirius had greatly the advantage in point of sailing, stood on until he could fetch the weathermost, in order to prevent their junction. At nine o'clock he arrived within musket-shot, when tlw enemy brought to, fired a gun to lee- ward, and hauled down her colours. Her consort kept stand- ing on with all sail set ; and although nearly o\)t of sight by th« time the prisoners were exchanged, the Sirius got within muaket-shot of her by five P. M., and commenced a running fight, which continued about haM an hour, when she struck, having 8 men killed and 14 wounded, lier masts, sails, rig- ging, and hull, much damaged. These ships proved to be the Waakzaamheid, of 26 guns and 100 men ; and Furie, of 36 guns and 153 men. They had on board 287 French troops, and 4000 stand of arms, besides a quantity of ord- nance stores, and had sailed from the Texel the preceding night. The Sirius, whose complement was 261 men, had only one wounded. Soon aftec this event, Captain King >vas stationed off the cuMt of France^ where he captured la Favoriej pf 6 gunH • Bev note at p. WIO, ft sof. 1 , H.'' >ker, of May- irly age ; and ordinate rank, t appointment, the Aurora, of in the North loved into the lannel gervice, 1 King sitting on board the • the mutineer, d he obtained attached to the rd Duncan, n King, being jf war at some ave chace ; and tage in point of rmost, in order arrived within [I a gun to lee- rt kept stand- \\i of sight by us got within ced a running len she struck, ,sts, sails, rig- 8 proved to be and Furie, of 287 French lautity of ord- the preceding |261 men, had Itioned off the rie, of 6 gunw 1 , a.'' ^i t SIR RI( UAUO KING, BART. 54/ and 45 men, from Cayenne to Bourdeaux, laden with cotton, indigo, and camphor ; and a Spanish brig from Coruima to Monte Video, with a cargo of iron, and bale goods. Towards the latter end of Jan. 1801, the Sirius, in com- pany with rOiseau, intercepted la Dedaigneuse French fri- {jjate of 36 guns, pierced for 40, and 300 men, from Cayenne bound to Rochefort, with despatches. She surrendered after a gallant resistance, with the loss of several men killed and 17 wounded. Captain Linzee, of I'Oiseau, in his official letter, giving an account of this capture, expressed himself much indebted to Captain King, for his steady and well-directed tire, from which the enemy received considerable damage. The Amethyst, Captain Cooke, joined in the chace, but was unable to get up until la Dedaigneuse had struck. On this occasion, the British frigates sustained very little damage, and had not a man hurt. From the peace of Amiens until the month of Aug. 1 802, Captain King commanded a light squadron employed against the smugglers. The Sirius was then ordered to be put out of commission ; and our officer remained upon half-pay till the spring of 1805, when he was appointed to the Achille, of 74 s^uns, which ship formed part of Lord Nele.on's fleet in the memorable battle of Trafalgar, and appears to have been very warmly engaged, having had 13 min killed and 59 wounded. Captairt King succeeded to thv baronetcy on thi* demise of his father, which t(X)k place in Nov. 1800. • Eiu-ly in 1808, we find Sir Richard King employed in the blockade of Ferrol, and in the following year he conunanded ;v squadron off Cherbourgh. He afterwards served at the defence of Cadiz, from whence he piwieoded to the Mediter- ranoaft ; and in February 181 1 , was appointed Captain of the Fleet on that station, under the orders of the late Sir Charles Cotton, with whom he aerted in the same ca^jacity when that Admiral wa« removed to the Channel fleet. At the general promotion, Aug. 12, 1812, Sir Richard ob- tained the rank of ReAF-^ Admiral ; and during the ii^naindw^ of the war hod his flag in tlie San J*wef of 1 10 gtuis, olV To\don. On the 2d Jan. 1815, he was iiuuiinatcd a K.t^.B. ; and in the spring of 181(1, appointed Coiauiunder-in-Clik'f on the blast India station, from wh«nce Ik: ret\nned to England, Oct. 2n 2 f^'l m 'W IM ;jH ¥ m 't ! i ■1 •i : •1 ■ f'; i i ft 1 1 ii iilHii 548 VrCE-ADMIRALS OF THE BLUE. 16, 1820. His commission as Vice- Admiral bears date July 19th, 1821. Sir Richard King married, 1st, in November 1803, Sarah- Anne, only daughter of the late Admiral Sir John Thomas Duckworth * ; and secondly, May 16, 1822, Maria-Susan- na, daughter of his old friend and commander, Sir Charles Cotton, Bart. Residence, — Bellevue, Kent. EDWARD GRIFFITH COLPOYS, Esq. (late GRIFFITH.) yke- Admiral of the Blue. At the commencement of the French revolutionary war, we find this officer proceeding to the West Indies, as third Lieutenant of the Boyne, a second rate, bearing the flag of Sir John Jervis, by whom he was made a Commander into the Avenger sloop ; and from that vessel promoted to the rank of Post-Captain, May 21, 1794. In the course of the same year, Captain Griffith was ap- pointed to the London, of 98 guns, bearing the flag of his friend the late Sir John Colpoys, in which ship he appears to have been engaged in tlie action off I'Orient, June 23, 1795 f. The London on that occasion had 3 men wounded. From this time until the end of 1796, Vice- Admiral Colpoys, with i'iis flag in the London, was employed in the command of diflcrent cruizing squadrons. Early in 1797) symptoms of mutiny and discontent dis- played themselves in his Majesty's fleet at Spithead. In the month of February, petitions were sent from all the line-of- battle ships at that anchorage, and in Portsmouth harbour, to Earl Howe ; but as they were coubidered to be only the pro- ductions of a few factious individuals, they were wholly disre- garded. This neglect, however, tended to a more extensive dissemination of mutinous principles ; and on the 15th April, * Sir Richard's first lady died on hoard his flag-ship, the IMinden, un the pnssage to Bomhay, Marcli 20, 181!^. > t See p. 246. ' '"' •' "'' J'^ i^ "' ' EDWARD GRIFFITH COLPOYS, ESQ. 549 I bears date 1803, Sarah- John Thomas Maria-Susan- r. Sir Charles 5, Esq. utionary war, idies, as third ing the flag of mmander into moted to the riffith was ap- the flag of his he appears to ne 23, 1795 f. Linded. From Colpoys, with i command of iscontcnt dis- head. In the all the line-of- ith harbour, to only the pro- whoUy disre- nore extensive he 15th April, 10 Minden, on the when Lord Bridport, who had succeeded to the command of the fleet, on the indisposition of the above nobleman, made the si^al to prepare for sea, the crew of the Queen Charlotte, bearing his Lordship's flag, instead of weighing anchor, ran up the shrouds, and gave three cheers, as the notice of disaf- fection, which was immediately answered by every other ship present. Astonishment, on the part of the officers, succeeded this sudden and violent act of disobedience ; they used every means in their power to induce a return to duty ; but all their exertions were ineffectual : and, on the following day, two de- legates were appointed from each vessel, to represent the whole fleet, the Commander-in-Chief's cabin being fixed upon as the place for their deliberations. On the 18th April, a committee of the Board of Admiralty arrived at Portsmouth, and made propositions to the muti- neers, all of which, however, were ineffectual. On the 21st, Admirals Gardner, Colpoys, and Pole, went on board the Queen Charlotte, in order to confer with the delegates ; but these men assured them, that no arrangement would be con- sidered as final, until it should be sanctioned by the King and Parliament, and guaranteed by a proclamation for a general pardon. After much time had been spent in negotiation, the wishes of the men were in a great measure acceded to ; and it was concluded that loyalty and subordination had resumed their seats. Unfortunately this was not the case. On the 7th May, when Lord Bridport again made the signal for sailing, every ship in the fleet refused to obey. For this second act of disobedience, the seamen alleged, as a reason, the silence which Government observed on the subject of their com- plaints. The idea, that the promised redress of their griev- ances would not be carried into effect, was strengthened by the distribution of a number of seditious hand bills among the ships ; and the seamen therefore resolved to hold a convention of delegates on board the London, at Spithead. In pursuance of their intention, they proceeded in their boats alongside of that ship ; but Vice-Admiral Colpoys, determined to oppose their coming on board, cautioned them against acting as they had formerly done; told them that they had asked a great deal, and had obtained much ; and that he would not sufler them f^^^HI ' 1 1 ; t r Hl^' ■j : ^ ^H:; ■ ' IS^ 1 ' '■ \ :ii ■" mJ ' ■I 1 ( ^'1 1 * 1 I j • :. ' ^P' 1 L^ . ft li i 560 VICE-ADMIRAI.S OF THE BLUK. to proceed to doinaiid more ; that they ought to be contented ; and that, if they offered to meet in convention, he would order the marines to fire on them. The delegates, however, persisted, and the Vice- Admiral ordered the marines to level their pieces at them. In this situation, he again admonished them, but without effect; a slight scuffle ensued, and one of the delegates, all of whom were armed, fired at Lieutenant Sims of the marines, and wounded him. At the command of Mr. Simpson, the first Lieutenant of the London, the marines then fired, and killed 5 seamen, two of whom were delegates. The Avhole crew of that ship now declared open hostility against the officers and their loyal supporters, turne^l the guns in the fore part of the vessel towards the stern, and threatened to blow all aft into the water, unless they surren- dered. Circumstanced as they were, to this imperious me- nace, there was no alternative but submission. In consequence of the death of their comrades, by the firing of the marines, the seamen were proceeding to han' Lieu- tenant Simpson ; but at this trying moment, the Vice- Ad- miral rushed forward, alleged his own responsibility, and as- sured them, that that ofl&cer had acted only by his orders, agreeably to directions received from the Admiralty. The seamen instantly demanded these instructions, and they were immediately produced. The mutineers then confined Vice- Admiral Colpoys, Captain Griffith, and the other officers, to their cabins, and made the marines prisoners. On the 11th May, four days after the renewed symptoms of mutiny had appeared, the crew of the London expressed a wish that the Vice-Admiral and Captain Griffith should go on shore, which they accordingly did, acompanied by the Rev. Mr. Cole, the Chaplain. The fleet remained in this mutinous state till the 14th of the month, when Earl Howe arrived at Portsmouth, invested with full powers for settling the different points in dispute. As he also brought with him an act of parliament, which had been passed on the 9th, in compliance with the wishes of the seamen, and a proclamation of pardon for all who should im- mediately return to their duty ; affairs were, for a time, ad- justed to the satisfaction of the sailors ; the flag of disuffection was struck, and two day.-? after, the fleet put to sea tc) en- counter the enemy. •I* EDn'ARD GRIFFITH COLPOYS, £SQ. 551 be contented ; im, he would lies, however, rines to level n admonished ;d, and one of at Lieutenant the command London, the jf whom were declared open orters, turner :he stern, and they surren- mperious me- , by the firing 3 han'T Lieu- the Vice-Ad- )ility, and as- )y his orders, niralty. The tnd they were mfined Vice- )ther officers, ers. On the ns of mutiny ssed a wish ihould go on I by the Rev. le 14th of the uth, invested ts in dispute, it, which had kvishes of the 10 should im- • a time, ad- >f disaffection to isea to en- 1 '1 he following is an authentic copy of the several papers which passed on this very extraordinary occasion. To the Right Honourable and the Honourable Knights, Citizens, and Burgesses, in Parliament assembled. The humble Petition of the Seamen and Marines on board his Mi^esty's Fleet, on behalf of themselves ; Humbly sheweth. That your petitioners, relying on the candour and justice of your ho- nourable house, make bold to lay their grievances before you, hoping, that when you reflect on them, you will please to give redress, as far ai your wisdom shall deem necessary. We beg leave to remind your august assembly, that the act of parlia- ment passed in the reign of King Charles the second, *vherein the wages of all seamen serving on board his Majesty's fleet was settled, passed at a time when the necessaries of life, and slops of every denomination, were at least SO per cent, cheaper than at the present time, which enabled sea- men and marines to provide better for their families than we can now do with one half advance. We therefore request your honourable house mil be so kind as to re- vise the act before mentioned, and make such amends therein as will enable your petitioners and their families to live Jn the same comfortable manner as seamen and marines did at that time. Your petitioners with all humility laid their grievances before the Hon. Earl Howe, and flattered ourselves with the hopes that his lordship would have been an advocate for us, as we have been repeatedly under his com- mand, and made the British flag ride triumphantly over that of our ene- mies : but, to our great surprize, we find ourselves unprotected by him, who has seen so oxany instances of our intrepidity in carrying the British flag into every part of the seas with victory and success. We profess ourselves as loyal to our Sovereign, and zealous in the defence of our country, as the army or militia can be ; and esteem ourselves eciually entitled to his Majesty's munificence ; therefore with jealousy we behold their pay augmented, and the out-pensions of Chelsea College increased to thirteen pounds per annum, while we remain neglected, and the out-pen- sioncrs of Greenwich have only seven pounds per annum. We, your petitioners, therefore humbly implore that you will take these matters into consideration ; and with your accustomed goodness and libe- rality, comply with the prayer of this petition; and your petititioners, as in *luty bound, will ever pray, &c. We, the Delegates of the Fleet, hereunto sign our names for the ships' companies, &c. Copy of the Petition to the Admiralty. To the Right Honourable the Tiords Commissioners of the Adtniralty. We, the seamen of his Majesty's navy, take the liberty of addressing votir Lordships in an humlite petition, shcwinip the many hardships and ^ ^^^M m [^^^^■li 1 ;■ ■ . t w J ' ":':9i '' ^ lili'l : "'111 m 552 VICE-ADMIRALS OF TH£ BLUE. oppressions we have laboured under for many years, and which we hope your Lordships will redress as soon as possible. We flatter ourselves that your Lordships, together with the nation in general, will acknowledge our worth and good services, both in the Ameri- can war and the present ; for which service your Lordships petitioners do unanimously agree in opinion, that their worth to the nation, and laliorious industry in defence of their country, deserve some better encouragement than that we meet with at present, or from any we have experienced. We your petitioners, do not boast of our good services for any other purpose, than that of putting you and the nation in mind of the respect due to us ; nor do we ever intend to deviate from our former character ; so far from any thing of that kind, or that an Englishman or men should turn their coats ; we likewise agree in opinion, that we should suffer double the hard- ships we have hitherto experienced, before we would suffer the crown of England to be in the least imposed upon by that of any other power in the world ; we therefore beg leave to inform your Lordships of the grievances which we at present labour under. We your humble petitioners, relying that your Lordships will take into early consideration the grievances of wliich we complain; and do not in the l«a8t doubt but your Lordships will comply with our desires, which are every waf reasonable. The first grievance which we have to complain of is, that our wages are too low, land ought to be raised, that we might be better able to support our wives and families in a manner comfortable, and whom we are in duty bound to support as far as our wages will allow, which, we trust, will bs looked into by your Lordships and the honourable House of Commons in parliament assembled. We your petitioners beg that your Lordships will take into consideration the grievances of which we complain, and now lay before you. First, that our provisions be raised to the weight of sixteen ounces to the pound, and of a better quality ; and that our measures may be the same as those used in the commercial trade of this country. Secondly, that your petitioners request your honours will please to ob- serve, there should be no flour served while we arc in harbour, or any port whatever under the command of the British flag ; and also that there be granted a suiBt^ient quantity of vegetables ot such kind as may be the most plentiful in the ports to which we go, which we grievously con)pIaiii {ind lie under th.. want of. Thirdly, that your Lordships will be pleased seriously to look into the state of the sick on board his Majesty's ships, that they be better attended to, and that they may have the use of such necessaries as are allowed for them in time of their sickness ; and that these necessaries be not on any account embezzled. Fourthly, that your Lordships will be so kir ! j look into this affair, which is no ways unreasonable ; and that we may be looked upon as a number of men standing in defence of our country ; and that we may in some wise have granted an opportunity to taste the sweets of liberty on d which we hope i'ith the nation in oth in the Ameri- ips petitioners do ion, and lal)orious er encouragement xperienced. We ay other purpose, aspect due to us ; Jter ; so far from should turn their double the hard- ffer the crown of ther power in the of the grievances ips will take into i; and do not in lesires, which are it our wages are r able to support n we are in duty ive trust, will bs of Commons in to consideration ^ou. en ounces to th;i y be the same as II please to ob- jur, or any port 30 that there be Day be the most complain tind ;o look into the l)etter attended are allowed for be not on any into this affair, ked upon as a lat we may in of liberty on EDWARD GRIFFITH COLPOYS, ESQ. 553 . }■ shore when in any harbour; and when we have completed the duty of our ships, after our return from sea ; and that no man may incroach upon his liberty, there shall be a boundary limited, and those trespassing any further, without a written order from the commanding officer, shall be punished according to the rules of the navy ; which is a natural request, and conge- nial to the heart of man, and certainly to us, that you make the boast of being the guardians of the land. Fifthly, that if any man is wounded in action, his pay be continued until he is cured and discharged ; and if any ship has any real grievances to com- plain of, we hope your Lordships will readily redress them, as far as in your power, to prevent any disturbances. It is also unanimously agreed by the fleet, that from this day no grievance shall be received, in order to convince the nation at large, that we know when to cease to ask, as well as when to begin ; and that we ask nothing but what is moderate, and may be granted, without detriment to the nation, or injury to the service. Given on board the Queen Charlotte, by the Delegates of the Fleet, this 18th day of April, 1/97. The Lords of the Admiralty, who were at Portsmouth, sent to Lord Bridport the following answer to the petition of the seamen. By the Commissioners for executing the office of Lord High Admiral of Great Britain and Ireland, &c. Having taken into consideration the petitions transmitted to us by your Lordship from the crews of his Majesty's ships under your command ; and having the strongest desire to attend to all complaints of the seamen of his Majesty's navy, and to grant them every just and reasonable redress ; and having considered the difference of the price of the necessaries of life at this, and at the period when the pay of seamen was established, we do hereby require and direct your Lordship to take the speediest method of communicating to the fleet. That we have resolved to recommend it to his Majesty to propose to parliament to increase the wages of seamen in his Meyesty's navy in the following proportions, viz. To add four shillings per month to the wages of petty officers and able seamen. Three shillings per month to the wages of ordinary seamen ; and two shillings per month to the wages of landmen. That we have resolved that seamen wounded in action shall be contiimed in pay until their wounds are healed ; or, until l)eing declared unservice- able, they shall receive a pension, or be received into the Royal Hospital at Greenwich ; and that having a perfect confidence in the zeal, loyalty, and courage of all the seamen in the fleet, so generally expressed in their petition ; and in their earnest desire of serving their country with that spirit which always so eminently distinguished British seamen, we have come to this resolution the more readily, that the seamen may have as early as possible an opportunity of shewing their good dispositions, by re- 654 VICE-ADMIRALS OF THE BLUE. ^■\ > turning to their duty ; as it laay be necessary that the fleet should speedily put to sea, to meet tke enemy of the country. Given under our hands at Portsmouth, the 18th day of April, 1/97. Spencek. Arden. VV. Young. To the Right Honourable Lord Bridport, K. B. Admiral of the White, Commander-in-Chief of a Squadron of his Majesty's Ships employ- ed in the Channel Service. The Seumeri's reply. We received your Lordship's answer to our petition ; and in order to convince your Lordships, and the nation in general, of our moderation, beg leave to offer the following remarks to your considerations, viz. — That there never has existed but two orders of men in the navy, able and ordi- nary ; therefore the distinction between ordinary and landmen is totally new ; we therefore humbly propose to your Lordships, that the old regu- lations be adhered to, that the wages of able seamen be raised to one shilling per day, and that of petty officers and ordinary in the usual proportion : and as further proof of our moderation, and that we are actuated by a true spirit of benevolence towards our brethren the marines, who are not noticed in your Lordship's answer, we humbly propose that their pay be augmented, while serving on board, in the same proportion as ordinary seamen. This we hope and trust will be a convincing proof to your Lordships that we are not actuated by a spirit of contradiction, but that we earnestly wish to put a speeJy end to the present affair. We beg leave to state to your Lordships, that the pensions from Greenwich Hospital we earnestly wish to be raised to ten pounds per annum ; and, in order to maintain which, we humbly propose to your Lordships, that every seaman employed in the merchants' service, instead of sixpence per month, which he now pays, shall hereafter pay one shilling per month, which we trust will raise a fund fully adequate to the purpose ; and as this in time of peace must be paid by your petitioners, we trust it will give a convincing proof of our disinter- eatedness and moderation. We would also recommend that this regula- tion be extended to the seamen in the service of the East-India Company, as we know by experience that there are few sailors employed by them but what have been in the royal navy ; and we have seen them with our own eyes, after sickness or other accident has disabled them, without any hope of relief or support, but from their former services In the navy. As to provisions, that they be augmented to sixteen ounces to the pound of bread and meat ; cheese, butter, and Ikiuors in proportion, and ofal>ett«r quality, and a sufficient quantity of vegetables ; and that no flour be served with fresh beef. And we farther beg leave to inform your Lordships, that it is unammously agreed, that until the grievances before stated are %. EDWARD OHIFPITM COLPOYS, ESQ. 555 t should speedily Portsmouth, the . 1797. iPENCEn. LRDEN. V. Young. , and in order to our moderation, ions, viz. — That y, able and ordi- tdmen is totally at the old regu- ed to one shilling' iual proportion : ;tuated by a true ) are not noticed y be augmented, seamen. This dships that we irnestly wish to 0 state to your earnestly wish naintain which, mployed in the he now pays, i^ill raise a fimd e must be paid )f our disintar- lat this regula- idia Company, oyed by them them with our I, without any the navy. As the pound of md of a Itettcr Sour be served ur Lordships, ore stutod are 3, rcilressed, and an act of indemnity passed, we are determined not to lift ail anchor, and the grievances of particular ships must be redressed. Given under our hands, the Delegates of the Fleet, on board the Queen Charlotte at Spithead, April 19, 1797. (Signed as before.) The next day the following letter from the Admiralty, was sent to Lord Bridpoi't, notifying their compliance with the demands of the seamen ; with their final answer, and a copy of the Royal Proclamation. By the Commissioners for executing the Office of Lord High Admiral of Great Britain, Ireland, &c. Having taken into our consideration a paper, containing several repre- sentations from the seamen of his Majesty's ships at Spithead, respecting the advance of their wages, and being desirous of granting them every request that can with any degree of reason be complied with, we have resolved to recommend it to his Majesty, that an addition of five shillings and six-pence per month be made to the wages of petty officers and seamen belonging to his Majesty's navy, which will make the wages of able seamen one shilling per day, clear of all deductions ; and an addition of four shillings and six- pence per month to the wages of ordinary seamen ; and an addition of three shillings and six-pence per month to the wages of landmen : and that none of the allowance made to the marines when on shore shall be stopped, on their being embarked on board any of his Majesty's ships. — ^\Ve have also resolved, that all seamen, marines, and others, serving in his Majesty's ships, shall have the full allowance of provisions, without any deductions for leak- age or waste ; and that until proper steps can be taken for carrying this into effect, short allowance money shall be paid to the men hi lieu of the deduction heretofore made ; and that all men wounded in action shall receive their full pay until their wounds shall be healed ; or, until being declared incurable, they shall receive a pension from the Chest at Chatham, or shall be admitted into the Royal Hospital at Greenwich. And your Lordship is hereby required and directed to communicate this our determination to the Captain of each of his Majesty's ships under your orders, directing him to make it known to the ship's company under his command, and to inform them, that should they be insensible to the very liberal offers now made to them, and persist in their present disobedience, they must no longer expect to enjoy those benefits to which, by their former good conduct, they were entitled : and that in such case, all the men now on board the fleet at Spit- head, shall be incapable of receiving any smart money or pensions from the Ohest of Chatham, or of being admitted at any time into the Royal Hospital at Greenwich ; and that they must be answerable for the dreadful conse- quences which will necessarily attend their continuing to transgress the rules of the service, in open violation of the laws of their country. On the other hand, he is to inform theiu, that we promise the most per- fect forgiveness of all that has passed on this occasion to every ship's com- pany, who, within one hour after the communication to them of the above- mentioned resolutions, shall return to their duty iu every particular, and %r^ \i ' '^l. 11 ' ^ ^i :i i v! ^'^Bn 'i ./Hm| i . i 1 f * •15! ■ : ; * ii 556 VICE-ADMIRALS OF THE BLUE. shall cease to hold further intercourse with any men who continue in a state ut* disobedience and mutiny. Given under our hands at Portsmouth, thc20thof April, 1797. Spenckk. AllDKN. W. YOUNO. l)y command of their Lordships, VV. JVIarsuen. To the Right Honourable Lord Bridport, Aduiiral of the White, &c. To the Right Honourable the Lords Commissioners of the Adininiliy. We, the seamen and marines in and belonging to his IMiijcsty'6 fleot now lying at Spithead, having received with the utmost satisfaction, and with hearts full of gratitude, the bountiful augmentation of pay and provisions which your Lordships have been pleased to signify shall take place in future in his Majesty's royal navy by your order, which has been read to us this morning by the command of Admiral Lord Bridport. Your Lordships having thus taken the prayer of our several petitions into your serious consideration, you have given sa':!sfaction to every loyal and well-disposed seaman and marine belonging to his Majesty's fieets ; and from the assurance which your Lordships havo given us respecting such other grievances as we thought right to lay before you, we are thoroughly convinced, should any real grievance or other causes of complaint arise in future, and the same be laid before your Lordships in a regular manner, we are perfectly satisfied that your Lordships will pay every attention to a num- ber of brave men, who ever have, and ever will be, true and faithful to their King and country. But we beg leave to remind youi' Lordships, that it is a firm resolution, that until the flour in port be removed, the vegetables and pensions aug- mented, the grievances of private ships be redressed, an act passed, and his Majesty's most gracious pardon for the fleet now lying at Spithead be granted, that the fleet will not lift an anchor ; and this is the total and final answer. The following is a copy of the Royal Proclamation, By the KING. A Proclamation For pardoning such seamen and marines of the squadron of His Majesty's fleet stationed at Spithead, as have been guilty of any act of mutiny or disobedience of orders, or any breach or neglect of duty, and who shall upon notification of such proclamation on board their respective ships, return to the regular and ordinary discharge of their duty. George R. Upon report of the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty of the pro- ceedings of the seamen and marines of the squadron of our fleet stationed i V. I ■I I: m KDWAKD r.KIFirrni (OI.H. KK^ 56/ continue in a state \V. Marsuen. at Spithea». have thought fit by the advice of our Privy Council, to issue this our ro**< proclamation, and do hereby promise our most gracious pardon to all «• ►- men and marines serving on board the said squadron, who shall upon notifi- cation hereof on board their respective ships, return to the regular and ordi- nary discharge of their duty ; and we do hereby declare, that all such sea- men and marines so roturning to their duty, shall be discharged and released from all prosecutions, imprisonments, and penalties, incurred by reason of any act of mutiny or disobedience of orders, or any breach or neglect of duty, previously committed by them, or any of them. Given at our Court at Windsor, the 22d day of April, 1 797. and the 37th year of our reign. God save the Kino*. Captain Griffith, we believe, did not return to the London ; but some time in the course of the same year, he was appointed to the Niger, of 32 guns, stationed on the French coast, and from her removed into the Triton, of tlie same force. In these ships he captured the following privateers : la Rosee, 14 guns, JO men ; I'lmpromptu, 14 guns, 64 men ; and le Delphine, of 4 guns, and 38 men. Our officer afterwards obtained the command of the Diamond, a fine frigate ; and in the summer of 1800, accompanied the expedition against Ferrol and Bcl- leilse f. Captain Griffith remained in the Diamond until the spring of 1804, anil then joined the Dragon, of 74 guns ; in which ship, after serving some time off Ferrol, under the orders of Sir Edward Pellew, he joined Sir Robert Calder's fleet at the close of the action with the combined squadrons of France and Spain, July 22d, 1805, on which occasion the Dragon had 4 men wounded J. He subsequently went to the Mediter- ranean in company with the Queen, of 98 guns. Rear- Admiral Knight, and a fleet of transports, having on board a body of 5,000 troops, commanded by Sir James Craig. * The concessions of Parliament, and its acquiescence to the demands of the seamen, it was to be hoped would have restored general tranquillity through- out tlie navy; but towards the end of May, a mutiny still more alarming than the preceding, broke out on board the ships at the Nore aud in the North Sea fleet, the particulars of which will be found under the head of Admiral Sir John Knight, p. 160, et seq. t See Viscount Exmouth. % See p. 405. " ?'. n't! r ,, m ; r tif ' •ii ' i m ■I ■ i'-^ 558 VICK-ADlVIinALS OF TIIK BLUE. Our officer's next appointment was in Oct. 1807, to tho Sultan, a new 74, forming part of the fleet employed in watch- ing the port of Toulon. On the 12th August in the following year, whilst lying in Mahon harbour, Minorca, that ship was struck by lightning, which killed 9 men, and badly wounded 3 others. The momentary alarm and consternation which it produced throughout the vessel, may be readily conceived, but not easily described. H ad it struck the hull, instead of the jib- boom, which it shivered to atoms, her destruction would have been inevitable. Fortunately, after running along the boom, and reaching the cap of the bowsprit, which was also rendered useless, it fell into the water close to the bows. From this period we lose sight of Captain Griffith until Aug. 1812, on the 12th of which month he was advanced to the rank of Rear- Admiral, and soon after appointed to a com- mand on the coast of North America. In Sept. 1814, he con- ducted an expedition up the Penobscot river, for the purpose of bringing that part of the province of Maine under the Bri- tish dominion j which was attended with complete success, and a provisional government established for the district. The troops employed on this service were under the orders of Lieu- tenant-General Sir J. C. Sherbrooke. The United States' fri- gate Adams, lying at Hampden, a considerable distance up the river, was burnt by the enemy to prevent her falling into the handsof the British. ' .. . . ; Rear-Admiral Griffiths remained in America until relieved by Sir David Milne, in 1816; and at the expiration of that officer's period of command, about the latter end of 1818, he was again appointed Comirjander-in-Chief at Halifax,- where he continued until the month of December, 1821, since which he has not been employed. Previous to his depar- ture for England, he received an address from the council, magistrates, and inhabitants of Halifax, regretting that the circumstance of his promotion to the rank of Vice- Admiral, on the 19th July preceding, should occasion him so soon to return to Europe. His assumption of the naiiie of Colpoys, took place subsequent to the demise of the venerable Admi- ral of that name. „ r . ,, , , ., , , f ■ . The subject of this memoir, if we mistake not, married the widow of the Hon. Sir John Wilson, one of the Judges of BDWARD CRIPFITH COLPOYS, P:SQ. 659 . 1807, to thr )yetl in watcli- 1 the following that ship was ►adly wounded lation which it conceived, but tead of the jib- on would have mg the boom, I also rendered Griffith until IS advanced to ited to a coni- 1814, he con- )r the purpose inder the Bri- e success, and district. The orders of Lieu- ed States' fri- istance up the lling into the until relieved ration of that d of 1818, he alifax, ' where 1821, since o his depar- i the council, ting that the ice-Admiral, m so soon to of Colpoys, rable Admi- married the e Judges of the Court of Common Pleas. His eldest daughter married, Jan. 8, 1818, Captain Charles C. Johnson, of the 85th regi- giment of foot, third son of Sir John Johnson, Bart., of Mon- treal, Upper Canada. EDWARD JAMES FOOTE, Esq. Fice-/l(lmiral of the Blue. This officer is the youngest son of the Rev. Francis Ren- der Foote, of Charlton Place, Bishopsboume, near Canter- bury, by Miss Mann, daughter of Robert Mann, of Linton, CO. Kent, Esq., (who was a great contractor for clothing the army, in the time of Sir Robert Walpole,) and sister of the late Sir Horatio Mann, Bart, and K. B., many years Minister at Florence *. He was born about the year 1767 ; and in 1791, we find him serving in the East Indies as Commander of the Atalante sloop, from which vessel he exchanged into the Ariel, and returned to England in the month of Aug. 1792. At the commencement of the war with the French republic, he was appointed to the Thorn, of 16 guns ; and on the 7th June, 1794, promoted to the rank of Post-Captain. Towards the Jatter end of the same year. Captain F(X)tc obtained tlie Ciommand of the Niger, of 32 guns, iu which ship he assistedat the capture of a French convoy, May 9, 1795 1. On the 12th April, 1796, he destroyed I'Ecurieul, of 18 gttn« and 105 meri, neat the Penmarks. The Niger afterwards proceeded to the Meditferfanean, and Was present at the battle off Cape St. Vlilcent; tih: 14, 1797 1 • In Octo- ber following, Captjain Fppte wi^s appointed to the Seahorse, of 46 guns and Sftl men, in which frigate he cruized for some time on the coast of Ireland, where he! assisted at the capture of la Belliqueux, ft French J)rivftt«ery of 18 gwna and 120 men. He subsequently retumedf to the Mie'diterratiean station ; and on the 27th June, Jj^j ^^^^ ^ chase of twelve hours, and a close action of eight minutes, off the island of Pautellaria, cfiptured la Sensible, a French frigate of 36 guTis and 300 *' Vioe-Admirai Foote's grandfather was a Barrister, and it \% said, sat in Pftrliameiit for a Cdrnkh borough. .;i, n^ . , ,; t See p. 287. t See> 21, (»/ii»y. .,. ic- • . -' h'j t I I I !'' 500 VICK-ADMIRALS OK THB BLUK. men, including a General of division and his suite, passengers, bound to Toulon, with an account of the capture of Malta, by the forces under General Buonaparte. On this occasion the Seahorse had 2 men killed, and 16 wounded. Among the latter was Mr. Willmott, the first Lieutenant. The ene- my's ship had 18 killed, and 37, including her commander, wounded. Among the effects on board the Sensible, were found a brass cannon formerly taken from the Turks, and which Louis XIV. had presented to the Knights of Malta ; also a gilt-silver model of a galley. In the spring of 1799, when the approach of the French fleet from Brest rendered it necessary for Lord Nelson, then at Palermo, to collect all his Une-of-battle ships about him, Captain Foote was directed to take charge of the blockade of the Bay of Naples, and co-operate with a land force consist- ing of a few regular troops of four different nations, and with the armed rabble commanded by Cardinal Ruffo, his Sicilian Majesty's Vicar-General and confidential agent *. On the 22d May, the Seahorse anchored off Procida, where Captain Foote found the Perseus bomb, San Leon and Mutine brigs, a Neapolitan frigate, and several gun-boats, the whole of which he took under his orders. The transactions in that quarter during the ensuing sum- mer, have been much discussed both at home and abroad ; and, owing to the perversion of facts, not generally with that • In our memoir of Sir Denjainin Hulloweli (See Note f at p. 472,) we Imvc already aliiuled to the ineffectual attempt made by the King of the two Sicilies, to expel the French from his territories, as well as from those of the Holy Pontiff. On tlie 23d Jan. 1799, the Neapolitan army having been previously dispersed, a body of the republican troops under General Championet, not- withstandhig the obstinate resistance they met with from the lazzaroui, or mob of Naples, possessed themselves of that place, from which the King and his family had already withdrawn, and been conveyed to Palermo in Lord Nelson's flag-ship, the Vanguard. On the 2d April following, a command of the vessels left on that service devolved upon Captain Foote, about the middle of May. . .»i • 1 1 EDWARD JAMKS FOOTE, KSQ. 561 'e, passengers, e of Mtilta, by i occasion the , Araong the it. The ene- r commander, >ensible, were le Turks, and hts of Malta ; le French fleet elson, then at ps about him, he blockade of force consist- ions, and with fo, his Sicilian nt*. On the where Captain Mutine brigs, the whole of ensuing suni- e and abroad ; ally with that ). 472,) we have »f the two Sicilies, tose of the Holy been previously hampionet, not- the lazzaroui, or which the King to Palermo iu following, n ivith very fatal con- (or rather the Riis- iulena. Carracioli's uting my approach - > had been with me, caused them to re- it until the 15th, thu into the bay as the ated on terms men- ilered of the utmost iting to about 1000 cert with the repul)- r of the Cardinal's immediately join with a view of at- )swald, of the Por- he hope of its open- h, I had sent an of- the French, parti- tic ; that his means people; and that arken to the tarnis erbal answer from •s of war, Captain ty in their beliuU. Tison and men be- 1 military honors, I of them as chosu to be received on tlvcs ui they u)if;ht 10r>to III' •tel-ii-Murc. EDWARD .TAMKS FOOTE, ESQ. 563 .«J!. 4 I % the Commandant of Castel Uovo *, which I made the Cardinal acquainted with, and that it was my intention to attack it by every means in my power ; to which his Eminence replied, "That it was no longer time to hearken to capitulations, and that it became necessary to think seriously of attacking Fort St. Elmo." "Tiie next day, (the l!)th) to my great surprise, I received a letter from tiie Cardinal, requesting me to cease hostilities, and not to re-comraence them whilst the flag of truce was flying, as a negotiation had taken place. The same night I sent an oflicer to the Cardinal, to acquaint him, that the British were not accustomed to grant so long a suspension of arms ; and that, as my Sovereign was a principal ally of the King of the Two Sicilies, I claimed a right to be made acquainted with what was going on. The Car- dinal sent word back, that the Chevalier de Michcroux conducted the treaty, and that he had sent my letter to him, that he might inform me what steps were taken. Not receiving a line from the Chevalier de Micheroux, I in- formed the Cardinal that I thought nothing could be more prejudicial to the interest of his Sicilian lAIajcsty than the having such a multiplicity of chiefs — and that 1 knew of no other than his Eminence, who was specially charged with the interests of the King of Naples, and that I could a--;t with no other person. The Cardinal told the officer whom I sent, that he knew nothing of what was going on ; that he stood in great need of the aid of the Russians ; that he would not give them the least ground for complaint — and that it was the Russiann who conducted the treaty. On the 19th, I received a plan of a capitulation, already signed !)y the Cardinal, and the Chief of the Russians, with a request that I would put my name to it. In answer, I informed the Cardinal, that I had done so, because I considered him as the confidential agent of his Sicilian Majesty — and that some advantage would result from the capitulation, otherwise he would not have signed it ; but I could not say I approved of such a manner of treatiisg, and that I could not be answer- able for its consequences. I also made some observations relative to St. Elmo's capitu.dting, which may be seen in my letter book. " At length, on the 22d, 1 received a letter from the Chevalier de Mi- cheroux, with the capitulation in form, already signed by the Cardinal and the Chief of the Russians. I replied to the ("Chevalier de Micheroux, that I had signed where he pointed out ; but that I protested against every thing that could be in the least contrary to the honor and rights of my Sovereign and the British nation. " I signed this capitulation — lest, on a reverse of fortune, or the arrival of the enemy's fleet, it might have been asserted, that my refusal was the cause of such misfortunes as might occur, and l)ecausc I considered that the Cardinal was acquainted with the will and intention of his Sovereign ; and the Count de Thurnhad told me, that the Chevalier de Micheroux was authorized to act in a diplomatique character. • " We desire a r public, one and indivisible ; we will die to obtain it \ this is our answer, del away, citizen ! quickly, luickly ! " N. B. The rest of the garrison of Castel Uovo were so much displeased with the Contmanilant, that they complained of him, and bo was displaced. 2 o 2 t:il ' '■> p HI t" 1^1 i^^m ^fi fHfi • i; •: . :.i l^^B'ff ,p 9D^^ 'T ' i : 1 li'ifl^B t ' ! ' " iMffti^Htt 1 f^BBf. '' [ ^ r m : rii 564 VICK-ADMJKALS OK THE BLUE. " The result of all tliis is, that with u very small force, I have had Ji, conquer difficulties, which were only got the hetter of hy that terror which the British flag inspires ; that I never was consulted hy the Cardinal rela- tive to the capitulation ; and that I had neither instructions, nor any docu inont, to assist or guide me." The followin;^' is the plan of the capitulation for the forts of Nuovo and IJovo, as translated by Captain Foote. Article 1. The Forts Nuovo and Uovo shall he delivered into the hands of the commanders of the troops of the Kinjf of the Two Sicilies, and those of his Allies, the Kiiiy; of England, the iimperor of all the Russias, and the Ottoman Porte, wii'a all warlike stores, provisions, artillery, and effects of every kind now in the majrazines, of which an inventory shall he made hy commissaries on both sides, after the present capitidation is signed. Art- 2. The troops, composing the ^'^arrison, shall keep possession of their forts until the vessels which shall be spoken of hereafter, destined to convey such as are desirous of going to Toulon, are ready to sail. The evacuation shall not take place until the moment of embarkation. Art. 3. The garrisons shall march out with the honours of war, arms and baggage, ('rums beating, colours flying, and lightey on is signed. keep possession of ercafter, destined to 'cady to sail. The barkation. lours of war, arms d match, with each on the beach, nd immoveable, of d, and guaranteed, ce of embarking on to Toulon, or of rc- persons, or families, dation arc common spect to the prison- ) Sicilies, and those tps, in the difl'crent e forts. heroux, of Dillon, ill be put into tlh: ley shall remain aj on, be ascertained, led in the twolorts, tulation is signed. be fully approved be executed. V. G. Prkhcajk. bVTRRHE. FOOTK. Is of his Uritannii aples. iind Turkish com tlii'v are correct I v 4 FvDWAIlD JAMES FOOTB, ESQ. 565 It was on this occasion that Lord Nelson, in the excess of his zeal, had recourse to a strong measure : which not only created great discussion, but drew serious blame on his con- duct both at home and abroad. On the 24th June, his Lord- ship having unexpectedly arrived in the Bay of Naples, with seventeen sail of the line, on board of which were embarked 1700 troops, threw out the annulling signal, and declared the Treaty to be invalid, on the ground that " Captain Foote had been deceived by Cardinal RuflFo, who was endeavouring to form a party hostile to the views of his sovereign." This charge having, since Lord Nelson's death, been brought into publicity, by the indiscreet manner of treating it, in a work published by a Mr. Harrison, which he professed to be " Ge- nuine Memoirs of Lord Nelson," drew forth a spirited and satisfactory vindication from Captain Foote ; and it nmst be admitted, that treaties signed by those having the po\A er, which was the case with that officer at the moment of the sigiuiture, for he was then unquestionably first in command on the station, ought to be held most sacred ; and that, even if Lord Nelson had good cause to disapprove of the terms of a treaty so signed, he had no right to break it. If in this in- stance, however, his Lordship acted at variance with his long established character for humanity, and his great professional reputation, it certainly did not arise from any dishonorable principle, or want of feeling ; and was an error, not of profes- sional integrity, but of political judgment : in which, as well as in various other instances of his life, he resembled the re- nowned Blake ; of whom Dr. Johnson in conse(|uencc said, " We must then admit, amidst our eidogies and applauses, tliat the great, the wise, and the valiant lilake, was once betrayed to an inconsiderate and desperate enterprise, by the resistless ardour of his own spirit." On the 28th June, Captain Foote was sent to Palermo, for the purpose of embarking their Sicilian Majesties ; on hi.s arrival at that place, he learnt that those augus^t personages had decided upon returning to Naples in their own frigate, the Sirena, lest they might hurt the feelings of such naval ofheers as had remained faithful to them ; but that their Majisties wished him to convoy them, and the transports, \\\\\\ troops • >n board, and aliir treasme and stall" in the m It; '» m 1 1 . .. ji i ' ' i ll 1: id; J ■■ 1 it:i ■M ii 566 VICK-ADMIRALS OF THE BLUE. Seahorse. The Prime Minister, Sir John Acton, at the same time assured Captain Foote, that the King and Queen were very sensible of the service he had done them in the Bay of Naples. Upon which, our officer availed himself of what ap- peared a favorable opportunity to perform his promise to the republican garrisons of Revigliano, and Castel-a-Mare ; and, at the Minister's request, explained to him the terms of the capitulation which he had granted ; frequently obser\'ing, that the reliance those garrisons had placed in his intercession, had principally induced them to submit without the effusion of blood ; which Sir John, who well knew the immense strength of the latter fortress, must be aware Avould have been very great, if they had made a determined resist- ance ; and concluded with begging, as a personal favor, that the capitulation might be regarded as sacred ; to which the Minister replied, by assuring him, that on his account the most obnoxious persons should only be confined during the then very unsettled state of the Neapolitan dominions. Their Sicilian Majesties sailed from Palermo, July 3, under the protection of the Seahorse, and reached Naples Bay on tio 8th of the same month. Immediately on his arrival. Captain Foote received orders to proceed to another part of the coast, on ;i particular service. During the night of the 29th July, the Seahorse, then at anchor off Leghorn, parted her cable and went on shore be- tween the mole head and the powder magazine j the gale con- tinued with great fury for sixteen hours, and forced the ship into eleven feet water. After remaining nine days in this pe- rilous situation, and having been lightened of every thing ex- cept the chests and bedding, she was, on the 7th Aug., by the assistance of four pontoons, that lifted her eighteen inches forward, and the great exertion of all on board, hove near two cables' length through three feet and a half of mud and sand, and the following day towed into Leghorn Mole. In consequence of this unfortunate accident, the Seahorse was obliged to return to England towards the end of October. Previous to his departure from the Mediterranean, Captain Foote received the following very flattering letter from Lord Nelson ; which, together with his sending the Seahorse to l*uleraio, for the purpose of receiving their Sicilian Majes- :ton, at the same and Queen were in in the Bay of iself of what ap- 5 promise to the jl-a-Mare ; and, the terms of the tntly obser^'ing, his intercession, lout the effusion w the immense aware would termined resist- personal favor, cred ; to which his account the ined during the )minions. a, July 3, under iples Bay on tii;^ arrival, Captain art of the coast, ahorse, then at nt on shore be- " J the gale con- forced the ship Jays in this pe- cvery thing ex- 7th Aug., by eighteen inches ard, hove near ilf of mud and ■n Mole. the Seahorse nid of October, nean, Captain tter from Lord le Seahorse to icilian Majes- II S EDWARD JAMES FOOTB, B8Q. .567 ties, are a sufficient proof that his Lordship did not think any infamy attached to Captain Foote's conduct during the oper- ations at Naples, as has been by others insinuated. " Palermo, Sept. 14, \7\)9, " My dear Sir, " I did not send your box by the Goliath, as 1 thought it probable that some event might bring you to Palermo ; and to say the truth, I did not like to trust it in a four-gun cutter ; therefore it must, 1 ff^ar, remain iu my possession a little lunger. " I can assure, you, my dear Sir, that it affords me infinite pleasure to convey to you this distinguished mark of his Sicilian Majesty's approbation. The despatch expresses — for most important services when left with the command in the bay of Naples, when Lord Nelson was obliged to order Commodore Troubridge to join him, and for taking Castel-^-iMare. " I hope that what I have wrote to Darby and Duckworth will please you, for believe me, with the very greatest estecu), " Your obliged humble Servant, " Captain Foote. " Nklson." The box alluded to in the above, was an elegant snuff-box, with the initials F. R. in small diamonds, worth about three or four htmdred guineas. In the month of May, 1800, the Seahorse conveyed Rear- Admiral Sir Richard Bickerton, and (ieneral Sir Ralph Aber- cromby, to the Mediterranean ; the latter returned to England in that ship, Sept. 28th following. During tlie ensuing sum- mer. Captain Foote was in attendance on their late Majesties at Weymouth. He afterwards escorted ten sail of East In- diumen to Calcutta, at which place he arrived the latter end of Jan. 1802. Whilst on the India station, he was sent to secure the stores of la Sensible frigate, which had been wrecked a few miles to the southward of the MolUwally Shual. The ship having filled with water to the gun-deck, rendered the operations peculiarly difficidt : the skill of Cap- tain Foote, however, surmounted the obstacles that presented themselves, and he succeeded in saving every thing valuable, except the provisions. The Seahorse, soon after her arrival in England, (Oct. 4, 1802) was put out of commission. For several years, during the late war. Captain Foote com- manded, first the Princess Augusta, and afterwards the Royal ("hark)tte, yachts. On the 12th Aug. 1812, he Mas promoted U) the rank of Rear-Admiral : and soon after lioistcd hip Jlnu m m 568 VlCJfi-ADMlRALS OF THJi BLUK. as second in command at Portsmouth, where he continued until Feb., 1815. His commission as Vice-Admiral bears date July 19, 1821. Our officer married, Aug. 24, 1803, the eldest daughter of the late Vice-Admiral Patton. That lady died at Nice, in Fvance, about December, 1816. Residence. — Southampton. 1 1 SIR RICHARD LEE, Fice-Admiral of the Blue ; Knight Commander of the most honorable Military Order of the Bath ; and of the Portuguese Order of the Tower and Sword. This officer entered the naval service in 1777 j as a Mid- shipman, on board the Speedwell sloop, commanded by the late gallant Captain John Harvey *. He afterwards served under the late Admiral Affleck f, in the Triumph, of 74 guns, which ship formed part of Sir George B. Rodney's fleet in the actions of May i5th and 19th, 1/80 1. On the latter day she appears to have been very warmly engaged, and sustain- ed a loss of 4 men killed, and 14 wounded. The Triumph subsequently accompanied the Commander- in-Chief to the relief of New York, and on the passage recap- tured the Lion, an armed Jamaicaman, into which Mr. Lee was put as prize-master. On entering Sandy Hook, our young officer fell in with the Retaliation, a large American privateer, which he engaged and drove into Neversink, thereby preventing a number of merchant vessels, then off the light- house, from falling into her possession. He also gave the first information of the approach of the squadron ; and by his ex- ertions got pilots down from New York, in readiness to take charge of the ships immediately on their arrival. Mr. Lee's services in the Lion were so highly appreciated by Sir George B. Rodney, that he instantly promoted him to the rank of Lieutenant ; whilst the merchants of New York voted him their thanks, and a handsome present. On his re- • See Rear-Admiral John Harvey. t Philip Affleck, Esq. Admiral of the White, and Vice-President of the Marine Society, died at Bath, Dec. 22, 1799. He was universally respect- ed HH an officer, a gentleman, and a christian. J See nolc at p. 104, <:t scq. ■■\ n i J SIR KICHARl) LKK. 569 e he continued -Admiral bears r. 24, 1803, the 3n. That lady he most honorable ese Order of the 777, as a Mid- manded by the ^rwards served ph, of 74 guns, 2y's fleet in the the latter day 1, and sustain- ; Commander - passage recap- 'hich Mr. Lee iy Hook, our rge American irsink, thereby off the light- 3 gave the first and by his ex- diness to take • ly appreciated moted him to of New York On his re- ■President of the versully respect- turn to England he joined the Recovery, and from that vessel removed with Lord Hervey into the Raisonable, of 64 gunSj in which ship he was present at the relief of Gibraltar by Earl Howe ; and in the partial action off Cape Spartel, Oct. 20, 1782 *. Some time after this event, a dangerous conspiracy among the seamen was crushed by the noble conduct of Lord Hervey and his officers, for which they received the thanks of the Board of Admiralty. In the ensuing peace. Lieutenant Lee served successively in the Swallow sloop, and Centurion, of 50 guns, the latter bearing the flag of his friend Rear-Admiral Affleck, on the Jamaica station ; by whom he was advanced to the rank of Commander, in the Serpent sloop of war. During his conti- nuance in the West Indies, the merchants of the Bahama Is- lands, to whom he had rendered some essential services, re- turned him their public thanks. Tlie Serpent returned to England in company with two other men of war, as convoy to a large fleet of merchantmen ; and Captain Lee, on his arrival, had the gratification of re- ceiving a piece of plate from the iniderwriters, &c. at Lloyd's, as an acknowledgment of the attention he had paid to their interests f. He was aftei-wards employed in the defence of Nieuport, under the late Admiral M'Bride |; and on his re- turn from that service promoted to post rank, by commis- sion dated June 7, 1794. Our officer's next appointment was to the Hind, of 28 guns, stationed in the Channel. From that vessel he removed into the Greyhound frigate, and again visited the West Indies. He subsequently commanded the Assistance, of 50 guns, and in her had the misfortune to be wrecked between Dunkirk and Gravelines, March 29, 1802 ; from which period we find no mention of him until the spring of 1805, when he obtained the command of the Courageux, a third rate; and on the 4th Nov. « See pp. 17, lOti. t Captains Alms and Brown, who commandod the other convoying ships, received similar tokens of approbation from the same body. X On the 31st Oct. 1793, Reur-Admiral M'Bridc, in conjunction with Generals (Jrcy and Dundas, sent to the relief of Ostend and Nieuport, ob- liged the French to abandon their situation before those places, and retire ('» Dunkirk. liil il'ii ':: ;i i;li' 5/0 VICii-ADMlUALS OF THE BLUE. following, assisted at the capture of four French ships of the line, by the squadron under Sir Richard John Strachan*. The total loss sustained by the British on this occasion was small ; a circumstance to be accounted for by the enemy firing high, and our vessels closing suddenly. The Courageux had only 1 man killed and 13 wounded. For this important service, Captain Lee, with his brave associates, received the thanks of Parliament, and was honored with a gold medal, similar to that which was struck by order of his late Majesty, commemorative of Earl Howe's victory f. A valuable sword was also awarded to him by the Committee of the Patriotic Fund |. He afterwards commanded the Monarch, another 74, employed off Rochefort, under the orders of the late Sir Samuel Hood. On the 25th Sept. 1806, at one A. M., being on the look out several miles in advance of the squadron, Captain Lee discovered seven strange sail, of which he gave notice by sig- nal to the Commodore, and immediately made sail in pursuit. At day-light they were perceived to be five large French fri- gates and two brigs, one of the former bearing a broad pen- dant. At five, the Monarch, from her previous position and good sailing, arrived nearly within gun-shot of the enemy, and continued nearing them until a quarter past ten, when she brought three of the frigates to close action, which con- tinued without intermission for upwards of two hours, and terminated in the capture of I'Armide and la Minerve, each mounting 44 guns, French 18-pounders on their main-deck, and 30-pounder carronades on their tjuarter- decks and fore- castles. The third frigate engaged by the Monarch (la Gloire, of 46 guns,) hauled off on the approach of Sir Samuel Hood, who lost his right arm immediately after getting into action. She afterwards surrendered to the Centaur and Mars, which latter ship had already pursued and captured I'lndefa- 'mm i ■'^■iIi^ • See p. 289. t See p. 76, et seq. X The Patriotic Fund was established by the merchants, xmderwriters, ami other subscribers to Lloyd's Coffee House, July 20, 1803. From that period to March 1, 1820, the subscriptions amounted to 695,000/. ; the greatest part of which has been paid away in annuities and donations. About 21,000/. appears to have been expended in swords, vases, and other honorary inark!« of distinction. SIR RICHARO LEE. S^l tigable, a ship of the same force as those taken by Captain Lee. The remainder of the enemy's squadron, viz. la Ta- mise of 44 guns, la Sylphe and la Lynx brigs, each mounting 18 guns, escaped. From the crippled state of the Monarch, her standing and running rigging being cut to pieces, and every boat except one rendered useless, her commander, after receiving the swords of the two French Captains who had submitted to him, found himself under the necessity of requesting the prisoners to be taken on board the other ships of the British squadron, which was accordingly done as soon as they could arrive up for that purpose. The Monarch's loss was proportionate to the share she had taken in the transactions of this day. It consisted of 1 Mid- shipman and 5 seamen killed ; Lieutenant Anderson, the Boatswain, 1 Midshipman, and 25 men wounded *. The Centaur had 3 men killed, and 4, including Sir Samuel Hood, wounded. Of the other ships under that officer's orders, the Mars alone succeeded in closing with the enemy ; she had not a man hurt. The enemy made an obstinate resistance ; but the result was, as may well be supposed, attended with much slaughter, each ship having on board about 650 men, including troops. The prizes were fine frigates, of large dimensions, and had sailed from Rochefort the evening before, full of stores, arms, ammunition, and provisions. We next find Captain Lee employed in the blockade of the Tagus, on which service he continued until the departure of the royal family of Portugal from Lisbon, when the Monarch was detached under the orders of Commodore (now Sir Graham) Moore, to escort the illustrious fugitives and their attendants to South America f. Soon after tlie arrival of the fleet at Brazil, our officer was entrusted with the command of three ships of the line and two frigates, with which he pro- ceeded to the Rio de la Plata, where he entered into a treaty * Sir Sarnucl Hood, in his official accoutit of the action, says, " I cannot add too much praise to Captain Lee, of the Monarcli, for his gallant uud officer like conduct ; but I am sorry to find his loss has been rather severe, the swell of the sea preventing, at times, the opening of the lovver-deck ports. t See pp. 32\,r>:\''\ m^^ m .♦( ' ;i:. m 1' ^Imtt i ! ■ '■ ''9 1 \\ ' ■ m ' ! 1 |i '"'"l '■!.■' 'i ili:'' 572 VICJi-ADMlRALS OF THK BMJK. with the Spanish authorities for a suspension of hostilities, till the official accounts of the late political changes in Europe could be received from the junta in the mother country. In the summer of 1809, Captain Lee, who had returned to England with Commodore Moore, assisted at the ocrupation of the island of Walcheren, by the forces under Sir Richard J. Strachan and the Earl of Chatham, and from that period was stationed in the North Sea until 1812 ; when the Monarch being found unfit for further service, was put out of commis- sion at Chatham *. Captain Lee was advanced to the rank of Rear- Admiral on the 12th Aug. in the same year ; nomi- nated a K. C. B. Jan. 2, 1815 ; and on the 31st May follow- ing, obtained the royal authority to accept and wear the in- signia of a Knight Commander of the Order of the Tower and Sword of Portugal, which had been conferred upon him by the Prince Regent of that kingdom, in testimony of the high sense H. R. H. entertained of his great merit, and of the services rendered by him to the House of Braganza. Sir Richard Lee's commission as Vice-Admiral, beai's date July 19,1821. Residence. — Walmer, Kent. I > PETER HALKETP, Esq. rice-jldiinrul of the Blue ; and a Member of the Committee of the Kin- loch Bequest to the Scottish Corporation f. This officer is the second son of the late Sir John Halkett, Bart, t, ofPitferran, N. B. by Mary, daughter of the Hon. * The Monarch was built at Deptford about 1766. and broke up in 1812. t The Scottish Corporation for the relief of Natives of Scotland, who have acquired no parochial settlement in England, was founded by King Charles II, and re-incorporated in 1775. The Kiuloch Bequest is a trust to the Hospital, for annuities to 500 seamen and soldiers who have been wounded in the public service. X John Wedderburn, of Gosford, Esq., who, upon failure of issue of his uncle, Sir Peter Halkett, second Baronet of Gosford, and third of the name of Halkett, of Pitferran, succeeded to the estate agreeably to the entail, and also to the dignity of Baronet ; he subse - Hi'^i'' ^' ';]|HBtti \ ^ 1 i\f\ ■I -t f| 1 I s 574 VrCE-AnMIRALS OF THR BLUE. Early in Oct. 1707, the Circe formed part of the squadron left off the 1 exel under Sir Henry TroUope, to watch the Dutch fleet ; and at the battle off Camperdown, on the 11th of that month, she was one of Admiral Duncan's repeaters. Our officer's next appointment was to the Apollo, a fine fri- gate, in which he had the misfortune to be wrecked, Jan. 7, 1799, on the Haak Sands, while in chaae of a Dutch ship. The crew were saved by a Prussian vessel that went down to their assistance. On the 15th, Captain Halkett was tried by a Court Martial, for the loss of the Apollo ; and nothing appear- ing to criminate him in the least, a verdict of accpiittal was pronounced. The pilot, through whose neglect the unfortu- nate accident arose, was dismissed his Majesty's service. In the course of the same year, the subject of this sketch obtained the command of a new frigate of the same name, in which he was sent as convoy to the outward bound West India fleet. On his passage he captured the Aquilla, of 4 guns, pierced for 22, with a valuable cargo from Buenos Ayres, bound to Corunna. During his stay on the Jamaica station, he also took the following vessels : Cantabrian, Spanish corvette, of 18 guns and 100 men, with a cargo, off the Havannah ; Resolution, (formerly a British cutter) 18 guns, 149 men ; and Vigilante, French privateer, of 14 guns, in the Gulf of Mexico. The Apollo arrived at Portsmouth, March 12, 1802. Cap- tain Halkett subsetpiently commanded the Ganges, of 74 guns ; and on the I2th Aug. 1812, was advanced to the rank of Rear-Admiral. In 1815, his flag was flying on board the Gladiator, in Portsmouth harLour. He attained his present rank at the last general promotion, July 19, 1821. Our officer married, Oct. 14, 1802, Elizabeth, daughter of William Tod, of London, Esq. Mrs. Halkett died at Clifton in 1814. :i I ^1 1 i * ' 1' i:i ' 'pt -'l JEi a^ \ WILLIAM BEDFORD, Esq. Fke'Admiral of the filnc. During the Russian armament, in 1791, this officer served about three months as a Lieutenant in the Edgar, of 74 guns j and subsequently in the Forniidftl)le, a second rate. He was same name. WILLIAM BEDFORD ESQ. 575 promoted to the rank of Post-Captain, Aug. 15, 1/94, and in the same year appointed to the Queen, of 98 guns, bearing the flag of Sir Alan Gardner, in the Channel fleet. The Queen was present at the attack of the French fleet oft' rOrient, on the 23d June, 1795 ; but the speedy flight of the enemy ileprived Captain Bedford of an opportunity to share in the flying contest. He afterwards removed with Sir A bin into the Royal Sovereign, of 1 10 guns. In our memoir of Vice-Admiral E. G. Colpoys, we have given an account of the ahirmJng mutiny at Spithead, in the spring of 1797 5 t^nJ stated, that in consequence of the conces- sions made by government, the fleet under Lord Bri iport had put to sea on the 16th May, to encounter the enemy. The spirit of disaft'ection, however, was not yet laid, for it dis- covered itself once more in the following month, when the crews of several of the ships behaved in a most audacious manner, for which two seamen belonging to the Royal Sove- reign were condemned to death. Captain Bedford continued with Sir Alan Gardner until that officer struck his flag, in Aug. 1800, on being appointed Commandcr-in-Ciiief on the coast of Ireland. He then ob- tained the command of the Leyden, of 68 guns, in which he served on the North Sea station until the suspension of hosti- lities. At the attack upon Boulogne, Aug. 15, 1801, himself and Captain Gore, of the Medusa, tendered tiieir services to act as vohnitecra under a junior officer, which off'er, however. Lord Nelson thought proper to decline. The Leyden had 1 1 men killed and 40 wounded, in the boats employed on this occasion. On the renewal of the war, in 1803, Captain Bedford was appointed to the Thunderer, of 74 guns, in which ship he took the Veiuis French privateer, of 18 guns and 150 men ; and assisted at the capture of la Fran^;aise frigate, pierced for 44 guns. In 1805, he connnanded the Hibeniia, the flag-ship of his friend Lord Gardner ; and afterwards the Caledonia, ano- ther first rate, bearing the fliag of Lord Gambler, Commander- in-Chief of the Channel fleet. At the general promotion, Aug. 12, 1812, our oflicer was advancejl to the rank of Rear-Admiral, and soon after ap- pointed Captain of the North Sea fleet, under the late Sir W. iH! w w i ^H ! ^ 1 ''HI ■1' t ij^H1 |K i ■ ■ HI : :: 1 i i : : • t . 'u^^B '^ \\a- <• M w till ft i!«ii lilii 57(J VICE-ADMIRALS OF TUB BLUE. Young, with whom he continued until the end of the war. His commission as Vice-Admiral bears date July 19th, 1821. He married in 1808, a daughter of Commissioner Fanshawe, of Plymouth Dock-yard. PHILIP STEPHENS, Esq. (late WILKINSON.) t-'ice-Admiral of the Blue. This officer is a nephew of the late Sir Philip Stephens, Bart. *, many years Secretary, and afterwards one of the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty ; under whose auspices he went to sea at an early age ; was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant, about the year 1790; and made a Post-Captain, Sept. 5, 1/94. From this period till the year 1797, Captain Wilkinson commanded the Hermione, of 32 guns, on the Jamaica sta- tion. His next appointment was to the Success, another fri- gate, in which he cruized for some time on the coast of France, and then removed into the Unicorn of the same force, and likewise employed in Channel service. He subsequently ob- tained the command of the Naiad, of 38 guns, on the same station. In the month of Oct. 1801, the Naiad took the ground near Isle Rhe, and had nearly been wrecked. On the second day after she stmck, the French Commodore sent off craft, with spare cables and anchors, and politely informed Captain Wil- kinson of the preliminaries of peace being signed between France and England ; this conduct accounted for the batte- ries not firing on the Naiad, whilst ashore within range of them. Our officer was soon after appointed to the Hussar, of 38 guns, on board which ship an explosion took place towards * Sir Philip's daughter inarritid Viscount Raiielagh ; and on the death of that nobleman, who had but a life int«rest in the estates of his father-in-law, Admiral Wilkinson, to whom they devolved, assumed the cognomen of Ste- phens. For the sake of couvcnionce, the former alone n-ill be used in this sketch. Should the Vire-Admiral die without issue, the property will again rtvert to the Ranelagh family. (1 of the war. y 19th, 1821. er Faii8ha,we, lip Stephens, ! of the Lords ; auspices he J the rank of ^ost-Captain, n Wilkinson Jamaica sta- , another fri- ist of France, le force, and equently ob- on the same ground near I second day f craft, with aptain Wil- led between )r the batte- lin range of ussar, of 38 ace towards )ii the death of father-in-law, lomen of 8te- )e used in this rty will tiffhin I 1 PHILIP STEPHENS, ESQ. 577 the latter end of the year 1802, and produced an alarm so sud- den and terrific, that several of her crew jumped overboard ; and the weather being extremely severe, they in consequence perished. On the 6th Jan. 1804, Captain Wilkinson parted company with Sir Edward Pellew, under whose orders he had been cruizing off Ferrol, bound to England with despatches. In the night of the 8th, the Hussar, then going at the rate of seven knots an hour, struck on the southernmost part of the Saintcs, and was bilged. The following day the crew took possession of a small island, inhabited by fishermen, whose boats they immediately begun to equip for the purpose of transporting themselves eithjjr to the fleet off Brest, or to England, as circum- stances might admit. At day-light, on the 10th, the ship being still apparently whole. Captain Wilkinson sent a party to destroy her by fire ; and on their return embarked in his barge, and left the island, accompanied by the remainder of his crew in 13 fishing boats, the whole of which being badly found, were obliged to bear up during the night, and run into Brest harbour. Fortuaitely, Captain Wilkinson succeeded in getting on board a British cruizer, and thus escaped a capti- vity of ton years duration, to which his officers and men were subjected. i In the summer of the following year, he commanded the Gorgon, of 44 guns, stationed as a guard-ship in the Shan- non ; and some years afterwards, the Courageux, of 74 guns, employed in the Baltic. He was made a Rear- Admiral, Dec. 4, 1813} and on the 19th July, 1821, advanced to the rank he now holds. The subject of the foregoing sketch munied, in 1804, So- phia, daughter of William Worth, of Hayneford, near Nor- wich, Esq. i » HON. CHARLES ELPHINSTONE FLEEMINCi, f'ice.Admiralo/(he lilue ; and a Af ember o/ the Hojftil Caledonian HhhI. This officer, the second son of John, eleventh Baron El- phinstone, by Anne, daughter of James, tliird Lord Huthven, was promoted to the rank of Commander in the Tisiphonc vol,. I. 2 p H n' ■ ■ ti liP Ii. ^ ' ft:'. . 57^ VK'E-AnMIR/\r.S OF THE BLUK. sloop, on the Mediterranean station, in the spring of 1794 ; and, on the 7th Oct. following, posted into the Tartar, of 28 guns. He returned to England with the homeward hound trade, in 17^6; and was then sent to the West Indies. The Tartjir was wreeked at St. Domingo, in the spring of the following year. His next appointment was to the Dioniede, of 50 guns, in which ship he served on the East India station during the rertiainder of the war. On the renewal of hostilities against France, in 1803, he obtained the command of the Egyptienne, a fine frigate em- ployed on the cOast of France, where he captured I'Epervier, of l6 guns and fX) inert, from (Juadaloupe, hound to I'Orient with deapatch«*s ; I'Acteon, of 16 guns and 126 men ; and la Chiffi>nette privateer, of 14 gims and 80 men. He was also with Sir Robert C alder's fleet in the action of July 22d, 1«05* Otir officer's subsequent appointments as a Captain were, to the Revenge, of 74 guns, in 1806; Bulwark, of the name fot'ce, abrtut April, I8O7 ; Standard, 64, in the t^pring of 1811 ; tind M be a Cohmel of Royal Marines, Aug. 12, 1812. HII9 promotioft to the rank of Rear-Admiral took place, Dec. 4, 1813 ; in the following year he Bueceeded the late Vice- Admiral S. H. Linzee, as Commander-in-Chief at Gibraltar ; he obtained his present rank July 19, 1821. Vice-Admiral Fleeming formerly represented the coimty of Stirling, during several parliaments, and voted on various im- portant (juestions. His assumption of the name of Fleeming was occasioned by his suweeding, on the death of his grand- mother t, to the estates of the Wigtoun fivmily at Cumber- nauld and Riggar, in consequence of an entail executed by the late Eari in 1741 ; the posseseion of which states was confiniied to him by a decision of the House of Lords. He is uncle, as well as presmuptive heir, to the present Lord El- pbinst^ne, who is a minor. #?*«(fc»irt?.^-Cmwl)erna\iW, StlrliiigslMre. - i 1 /( •' " • s«* p. m^. t l^y Clemeiuiita ricemiiii;. only child yt John li:arl of Wigtoun, and iBOther of the prcicnt N'iscount Keith. i 67^ ng of 1794 ; far tar, of 28 eward bound Indies. The iprino; of tlio lie Diomede, India station in 1803, he le frigate em- d TEpervier, id to rOricnt men ; and hi He wa« also of July 22d, Captain were, , of the hamc .Iw! t^pring of ug. 12, 1812. k phice, Dec. he late Vice- at Gibraltar ; he county of various im- of Fleeniing of his grnnd- at Cumber- executed by €»tates was Lords. He ent Lord V^- ' '/( ( Wigtonn, atid Sill CHARLES VINICOMBE PENROSE. yire-.idmiral 0/ the Blue ; Knight Commander (jf the mott honorable Military Order of the Bath ; and of the Neapolitan Order of St. Fer- dinand and of Merit. This officer wa.s made a Commander into the Lynx sloop, on the Halifax station, where he assisted at the capture of riCspcrance, Fnmch corvette, of 12 guns and 80 men. He obtained the rank of Post-Captain, Oct. 7j 1794; and in the following year, commanded the Cleopatra frigate. On the ,*id March, 1796, he took I'Aurore privateer, of 10 guns, on the coast of America. In July, 17*)9, we find him commanding the Sans Pareil, of 80 giuis, bearing the flag of l»rd Hugh Seymour, in the West Indies ; and after his Lordship's demise, the Caniatic, 74. Whilst in the former ship he captured two privateers; la Pensee, of 4 guns and 65 men, and the Sapajon, 6 guns^ 48 men. During the summer of 1810, a flotilla establishment was formed at Gibraltar, for the defence of Cadi/, and our officer appointed to the principal command ; on which occasion be hoisted a broad pendant on board the San Juan, at the former place. On the 12th Aug. 1812, he was nominated a Colonel of Royal Marines ; and on the 4tli Dec. in the following year, advanced to the rank of Hear-Admiral ; from which time, until the conclusion of the war, he commanded the naval force employed in co-operation with the British army under the orders of Lord Wellington *. The exploits of the Rear- Admiral's squadron, in the Gi- roudc, will be read with lively interest in future ages. He pursued the flying enemy up that river, as far as Fort Tal- mont, and was preparing to attack them at Uicir moorings, whep. at mid"ight on the 6th April, 1814, the French vessels were discovered in flames, and before day the whole were totally consunjcd. Tfjcy consisted of the Rcgiduw, a 74-gun ship, three brigs of war, and several smaller vessels. The bat- • Sec fluptain D. O' Rkillt, in nur next vohime. 2 p 2 y^fii -?lll m r k'^ :•£: I' ( t M .4. -11 580 VICE-ADMIRALS OF TH£ BLU£. tei'ies at Point Coubre, Point Negre, Royan^ Sonsac, and Meche, were successively entered and destroyed by a detach- ment under Captain Harris, of the Belle Poule. Four days previous to the above event, by wliich the navi- gation of the Gironde was completely cleared as far as Blaye, the advanced boats of the British squadron, under Lieutenant Dunlop, of the Porcupine, encountered a flotilla, consisting of two gun-brigs, eight gun-boats, one armed schooner, four chasse-martes, and an imperial barge, the whole of which were either captured or destroyed. In the course of the same year. Rear- Admiral Penrose was appointed Commander-in-Chief in the Mediterranean, where he continued during the customary period. He was nomi- nated a K. C. B. Jan. 3, 1816, and made a Vice-Admiral, July 19, 1821. Sir Charles Penrose is married, and has several children, one of whom is the wife of Captain Coode, R. N. Residence. — Ethy, Cornwall. II' SIR WILLIAM KOTHAM, Five-Admiral of the Blue; and Knight Commander of the most honombh '■■ ' •' Military Order of the Bath. \ This officer, the second son of the late General Hothara, by Diana, dau^ter of Sir Warton Pennyman Warton, Bart., and nephew of the late Admiral Ijord Hotham *, was born in Feb. 1772 ; entered early into the naval service, and obtained the rank of Post-Captain in the Cyclops, a small frigate sta- tioned in the Mediterranean, Oct. 7, 1794. He returned to England about the month of Feb. 1796 ; and in the spring of the following year, obtained the command of the Adamant, a 50-gun ship employed in the North Sea. The Adamant, as already mentioned at p. 160 of this vo- * The ancestor of this family, Sir John de Trehouse, Lord of Kilkenny in Ireland, for his services at the battle of Hastings, had a grant from the ('onqueror, of the castles and manors of CoUey Weston, co. Northampton, and Motham in Vorkihirc, from which his posterity assumed the name of Hothant : many of this family had summonstJ to parliament as Daron», and one of them was Chancellor to King Edward If. N SIR WILLIAM HOTHAM. 581 Sonsac, and by a detach- ich the navi- far as Blaye, !r Lieutenant a, consisting chooner, four ole of which Penrose was unean, where [e was nomi- ice-Admiral, ral cliildren^ i -m most honorable al Hotham, irton, Bart.; was born in ind obtained frigate ata- returned to ic spring of le Adamant, ) of this vo- rd of Kilkenny ^rant from tbu Northampiun, tbe name or as Baroui), au on which occasion he lost II leg, as will be seen in our memoir of Sir W. Johnstone Hope. lie was suoit afterwards created a Baronet, with particularly flattering marks of his Sovereign's approl>ation. Sir Thomas died an .Vdmiral of the White, Xov. 2\), 180d. t Sao p. oO.^. w ,& nM:,t fli": iln H * ^ ■ t 1 ,! f ,1 1 1 584 VICE-ADMIRALS OP THB BLUE. the Mediterranean j after which he went to Quebec, and sub- sequently served in the North Sea. We next find him pro- ceeding with a convoy to the East Indies, on which station he captured la Modeste of 20 guns. Towards the latter end of 1797> the Fox was employed in the China Seas, under the orders of the late lamented Captain Edward Cooke of the Sybille ; and the following account of their proceedings will shew that those Mgates were particu- larly active during their continuance on that station : On the 5th Jan. 1798, they sailed from Macao Roads, and proceeded towards Manilla, for the purpose of attempting to cut out from under the batteries of that place the Rey Carlos, of 800 tons, belonging to the Spanish company, and the Mar- quesetta, an Amoy trader, reported to have on board 500,000 dollars. On the 12th they captured a small coaster from Ma- nilla, which was permitted to proceed on her voyage after having taken out of her about 5,000 dollars. From this ves- sel intelligence was obtained of a Spanish squadron, consisting of four sail of the line and the same number of frigates, being in Cavita, but that one only of each class was ready for sea. Measures were now adopted for disguising the Sybille and Fox, which perfectly succeeded. On the afternoon of the I3th they passed the island of Corrigidore under French colours, and anchored as necessity made expedient. At 10 A. M. on the following day, the Fox being a-head of her consort, work- ing up Manilla Bay towards the town, then distant nearly three miles, and the road of Cavita open, a boat came along-side with au officer, to enquire who the strangers were, and from whence they came. In answer to this interrogatory. Captain Malcolm, through the medium of his pilot, Mr. Bernard, who was conversant with the French and Spanish languages, in- formed him that the frigates belonged to Monsieur Serci's * * M . de Serci, a pupil of tlie famous de Suffrein, already alluded to at p. 421 et »eq., at this time commanded that part of the republican marine employed in the Eastern hemisphere, and was esteemed the most active and distinguished officer in the French service. Himself and Captain Ed- ward Cooke were afterwards opposed to each other in Balasore Roads. The French commander was killed outright, and our brave countryman was so dreadfully wounded that he died soon after. An account of the action be- tween the Sybille and her opponent, la Forte, will be given under the head of Captain Lucius Haroyman, in our next volume. SIR PULTENEY MALCOLM. 585 iguages, in- jur Serci's * 4 squadron j that they had been cruizing on the coast of China, but that their crews being sickly they were come to Manilla for refreshment, and to form a junction with the Spanish squa- dron, a part of which it was hoped would accompany them to sea. The Don hereupon replied, that he was directed by the Governor to acquaint them that their wants should be supplied, but that he believed it would be impossible to get any of the ships ready in lees than two months, as they were in want of every article of equipment, and their crews like- wise sickly. Captain Cooke now arrived on board the Fox, and was introduced by Captain Malcolm as his Commodore Citoyen la Tour. After nearly an hour's instructive conver- sation with their friend, who opened his heart most freely on every subject, and drank to their joint success against the English, other boats were observed coming from the shore ; and there being no further information to be gained from him, he was made acquainted with his true situation, and had nearly fainted with astonishment j but a bumper of Madeira, and the promise given him by the British Captains that he should not be detained a prisoner, had the effect of composing him. In the second and third boats were the Governor's nephew and Don Alava, the Admiral's aid de camp. They brought compliments of congratulation on the arrival of the frigates ; and information that launches were getting ready, with an- chors and cables, to assist them into port ; these officers were of course invited to join their countryman in Captain Mal- colm's cabin ; and their astonishment at what tliey there learnt may readily be conceived. The English seamen now exchanged clothes with the crews of the Spanish boats ; in which, and in others belonging to their own ships, they proceeded to take possession of three gun- vessels, lying just without the river leading to the town ; which was done without opposition, the enemy being lost in wonder. The prizes mounted one long gun of large calibre, and four swivels each ; rowed 88 oars ; and had on board 152 officers and men. This transaction being perceived from the shore, and thought rather unaccountable, a fourth boat was sent olT with the Captain of the port, to know why the others were detained j and to say that, if they were not ti " 'V, I; 111 ''<■ all •'I- «'.' I '^ 586 VICB> ADMIRALS OF THK BLUK. immediately restored, the authorities in the town would con- sider the frigates as enemies, and act accordingly. In order to account for the Sybille and Fox remaining so long stationary, it is here necessary to observe, that the wea- ther had been perfectly calm for some time previous to the arrival of this messenger ; but now a breeze sprang up, that facilitated the discovery of their true character, and prevented further proceedings in that neighbourhood *. The whole of the Spanish officers and men, in number about 232, after being regaled, the former with a dimier at Captain Malcolm's table, the latter with fresh China beef and grog, were there- fore allowed to depart in the four boats, about 4 P. M., which they did in very good humour ; and there can be no doubt that the kind usage they received while on board the Fox, and the circumstance of being permitted to go on shore without pa- role or rc^striction of any sort, had the effect of impressing upon their minds, and the natives in particular, a high idea of British generosity. On the morning of the 15th, the Sybille and Fox, having anchored during the preceding night off the island of Cor- rigidore, again weighed and steered for the settlement of Sambangen on the island of Majindinao, which they purposed laying under contribution for wood, water, and refreshments. The Sybille towed one of the prize gun-vessels, and the Fox the others f. At day-light on the 22d, being within a few * From the iiifurination afforded by the Spanish officers, it appeared that the Rey Carlos was in the Cavita, and most likely aground there ; and that the Marqiiesetta had relanded her money in conaequence of a suspicious ship, since ascertained to have been the ill-fated Resistance, having appeared off the islands some days before. Hence the most lucra- tive part of the enterprise was frustra'ed ; but the other was completely accomplished, that is, correct uifurmation of the naval force possessed by the enemy in that quarter. The Resistan<;e, commanded by Captain Edward Pakenliam, was des- troyed by fire in the Straits of Banca, on the 24th July following ; ou which melancholy occasion 332 persona perished. f One of the gun-vessels, commanded by Lieutenant Rutherford of the Fox, broke adrift in a heavy squall on the night of the 19th. Captain Malcolm instantly brought to, and continued to fire guns and show lights till the morning ; but as she was never afterwards heard of, it is supposed that she filled and foundered. By this unfortunate accident the Fotx, in addition to her Lieutenant, lost a Midshipman and 12 vatn. would cou- • ' ■ " maining so it the wea- lous to the iiig upj that J prevented le whole of ; 232, after Malcolm's were there- , M., which > doubt that ox, and the ivithout pa^ in^ressing a high idea <'ox, having ,nd of Cor- ;tlement of !y purposed reshments. id the Fox ithin a few it appeared round there ; equence of a d Resistance, B •most lucra- s completely ossessed by iin, was des* ou which lerford of tlie Ml. Captain show lights is supposed I the FoK, in SIR PULTBNBY MALCOLM. 587 miles of the place, they hoisted Spanish colours and stood towards the anchorage ; but unfortunately the former ship took the ground, and the wind dying away prevented the latter approaching sufficiently near to the fort, the strength of which proved to be much greater than had been anticipated. Captain Malcolm, however, brought up, and sustained the enemy's fire for a considerable time. At 10 A. M. a breeze came fresh from the land, and drove the Fox off the bank on which she had anchored. The Sybille had previously floated, but owing to the tide, could not gain her station. About noon the wind became more favourable, and both ships stood for the anchorage. Captain Cooke leading and firing on two batteries to the westward, as he passed on to the atta-^k of the fort. The Fox was en this occasici opposed to the westernmost battery, mounting; about H guns, from which the enemy returned a well-diA^cted fire, i'uplain Malcolm at length perceiving that the ships, ii> persevering to silence the forts, must inevitably receive «>■ lasidc;. Vole damvige, and knowing it was Captain Cooke'^. ii\ient"i>)n that the tfrfiF.l't-arm men and marines should \ax\d vaAqv nu duecdons, orderoil the boats of the Fox to be manned, unci hiding yAneA by ll,os«i of the Sybille, pulled towards i he shor'? for tlvi ;iur;;o3e '>f storming the enemy's works. UnfortuRitl,ely hia own boat was swamped by a shot ; but bomg in shoal vrater^ he got the men out of her, and after forming hi* party on a sand bank, en- deavoured to push to the main iand. Thiii attempt, howevt'c^ was found to be impracticable, ii; conseq^^etice of tbi» great depth of water inside the bank, and a strong body of the enemy being drawn up ready to oppose him. He therefoir reluctantly re-embaiked, and Mas towed back to the ships by 'd^e 2^in- vessels, commanded by Lieutenants Kenneuy »nd Elphinstonc, which had been sent in to cover t'le landing *. On his return to the Fox, n hoard the Siitlolk hut in oon:.)pain to his oUI station off Toulon, Lord Nelson met the I'ho'he frigate, with news that M . Villeneuvc had put to sua a few days be- fore with ten ships of the line, seven frigates, and two brigs ; and that uIm'.ii la^t seen, they wore steering towards the coast of Africa. On tlic Kith u iieiitrnl giivc Intelligence that the enemy had been seen utfCape de Ctattc ; and it wiis soon after ascertained that they had passed the Straits of ( iibral- i;ii. In spite of every exertion which couhl be made, his Lordghip did not get in sight of the rock till the 3()th ; and the wind was then so advcTse, that it was impossible to pass the Gut. He therefore anchored in Mazari Buy, on the Barbary shore ; obtained supplies from Tctuan ; and when, on the 5th May, a brecKc sprang up from the eiistward, sailed once more, hoping to hear of the foe from Sir John Orde, who commanded off Cadiz ; or from Lisbon. In this respect he was not disappointed. Jolui Camp- hell, at that time an Admiral in the Portuguese service, the same gentlc- mnn who had gi\en important tidings to Darl St. Vincent of the movements of that armament from which he won his title, again gave limely and mo- inenlous intelligence to the flag of his native Sovereign He went on board -I ;f m ft U i :i '.; l^i nir 590 VICK-AJUMIKAL^ OK TliK ni.VK. and on his return from thence to the Channel, was sent undci- the Victory, and communicated to Lord Nelson his certain knowledge that the combined French and Spanish squadrons were bound for the West In- dies. Hitherto all things had favoured the enemy. Wh.le the British commander was beating ap[ainst contrary iralcs, they had had a fair wind from the N. E., and had done in nine days what he was a whole mouth in accomplishing. M. Villeneuve, finding the Spaniards at Carthagcna were not in a state of e(iuipmcnt to join him, dared not wait, but hastened on to Cadiz. Sir John Orde necessarily retired at his approach. Admiral Gra- vina, with six Spanish ships of the line, and two French, came out to him, and they sailed without a moment's loss of time. They hud about 4,500 troops on board : 600 were under orders expecting them at Martinique, and 1000 at Guadaloupe. The combined fleets now consiytcd of eighteen sail of the line, seven large frigates, and four smaller vessels, to which two Frcuch line-of-battle ships, and one of 44 guns, were afterwards added. Nelson jjursued them with the following vessels: Victory, 100 guns, bear- ing his Lordship's flag, and conmianded by Captain Thomas Masterman Hardy; Canopus, 80, the flag-ship of SirThos. Louis, commanded by Cap- tain F. W. Austen ; Superb, 74, Captain Richard Goodwin Keats ; Spen- cer, 74, Hon. Robert Stopford ; Belleisle, 74, Captain William Hargood ; (Conqueror, 74, Captain Israel PcUew ; Tigre, 80, Captahi Benjamin Hal- lowcll; Leviathan, 74, Captain Henry William Bayntuu^ Donegal, 74, Captain Pulteney Malcolm ; Swiftsure, 74, Captain William Gordon Ruther- ford ; and the Amazon, Amphiun, and Decade frigates. The enemy had thirty-five day*' start ; but Lord Nelson calculated that he should ^raiii eight or ten days upon tUem by hts e.xertiuitti. He reached Madeira, May 15, and on June 4th arrived at Barbadoes, whither he had sent despatches before him, and where he was joined by Rear-Admiral Coch- rane with two ships of the line. He found here also accounts that the jom- bincd fleets had been seen from St. Lucia on the 28th of the preceding month, standing to the southward, and tluit Tobago and Trinidad were their objects. This his Lordship doubted ; but yielded his opinion with these forcbudinf words : — " // your intelUfrenai prvvii J'ulse, j/ou lose mc the French flet't." iUter uking on board 2000 troops under Sir William My- ers, he immediately mailed for Tobago. At that iiilund accident confirmed the false intclligeoce which had, whether from intention or error, misled bini. A merchant, in the general iilarm, not knowing whether this fleet was friend or for, sent out a 6clH)oner to reconnoitre, and actpiaint him by signal. The signal which he liad chosen happened to be the very one which had been appointed by Colonel Shipley of the euginecri, to signify that the eaemy were at Trinidad ; and as this happened at the close of day, there was no nppok tuniiy of discovering the mistake. An Americun brig WHS mot with about the same time ; the master of which, with that propen- sity to deceive the Lnglitsh and assist their entmios in luiy manner, whicit has been but too common among his countrymen, alUrmcd that he hud been boarded ott'tiresmda a few days before by the French, who were stand ■ 'M f1 \ sent under jowledge that the West In- e the British d a fair wind tolc mouth in thagciia were astencd on to Vdmiral Gra- e out to him, I about 4,600 Martinique, 1 of eighteen to \vhi(-h two ivanis added. 0 guns, bear- s Masterman nded by Cap- veats ; Spen- m Hargood ; i:njamin Hal- Donegal, 74, rdou Ruther- Jculatcd that He reached r he had sent imiral Coch- hat the joui- le preceding id were tiieir a with the^e fosc mc the Villiatu Aly- it confirmed rrur, misled icr this fleet mint hiu by le very one i, to signify •lose of day, fiorican brig hut propeu- iiiter, which tliut he huns never exceeded, and almost unexampled, stood for that island. Advices met his Lordship on the way, that the combined fleets, having captured the Diamond Rock, were at Msirtinique on the 4th, r.nd expected to sail that night for the attack of Grenada. On tlie !>th he arrived otf that island ; and there learnt, that they had passed to leeward of Antigua the preceding day, and taken a homeward bound convoy. Hu 1 it not licen for false information, upon which Nelson had acted reluctantly, inid in op- position to his own judgment, he would have been off Port Roy.d just as they were leaving it, and the battle would have been fought on the spot where Rodney defeated de Grasse. But as it was he liad saved the colonies, and above two hundred vessels laden for Europe, which would else have fallen into their hands ; and ho had the satisfaction of knowing that the mere terror of hi-i name had effected this, and put to flight the allied ene- mies, whose force nearly doubled that before which they fled. That they were flying back to Europe he believed, and for Europe he steered in pur- suit on the l.'ith, having disembarked the troops ut Antigua, and taking with him the Spartiate, of 74 guns, the only addition to the snua'lron with which fce was chasing so superior a foe. Five days afterwards a frigate brought intoUigence, that she Ivad spoke a schooner, which had seen them on the evening of the 15th bteering to the northward. Fi'om that time no further tidings were obtained of the fugitives until July 25th; when being in the neighbourhood of Tetuan, at which place he hail again touched for supplies, his Lordship was informed that they had been met with on the lf)th, and were still holding the same course. He then proceded olTCape St. Vincent, rather cruizing for intplll^'ence than knowing u-hither to betake himself. Still persevering, and still disappointed, he rcturnel near enough to Cadiz to ascertain that they were not tlivhich with their nnpreocdcnted and humane exertions huit made an * Seepp a61,34«. SIR PULTKNEY MALCOLM. 595 05, when she m 1 quest of a m . The result 1 806, is well 1 ume *. The »i amounted to 1 ttle she pro- » 1 a, and from i e ships were alcolm, how- zes, le Brave, as he did so ; n addition to in the hold. j ing her from .^ few, a service i the heavy seu i ' effected, and dl Carmichaei m passengers ■'. Malcolm, of opy : 4 April 30, 180(). esty'3 late SLip r most jrratefiil ; ; iinpendinjf fate e strenuous en- V, had been itii- in a lameiitable hich has distlii- isof yourcoun- tress, and from irtfelt gratifica- jiis which havt! it Iiospitality and tf the DoiK'j^al, :.jfl han made an iinprcasion that will ever lie retained in lively reniendn-aiicf. We liHvt^ the honor to be, with the highest aeatimenls of esleeni, &f. &:c. ^c. (Signed) " H. Lylb Carmichael; J. Twits (i ; J no. P. NiJHENT; Rout. Pkinole; Wm. Ashley: Val. Ravenscuoft. ' To PuLTENEv Malcolm, Esq. H. M. S. Donegal." On his arrival in £ngland Captain Malcolm was honored with a gold medal, for his conduct in the action off St. Do- mingo ; and in common with the other officers of the squa- dron, received the thanks of both Houses of Parliament. He was also presented by the Committee of the Patriotic Fund with a vase value one hundred pounds *. In the summer of 1808, we tind our officer escorting the army under Sir Arthur Wellesley from Cork to Portugal. Some days after the arrival of the transports in Mondego Bay, the troops were all landed in safety, notwithstanding a heavy aurf ; the same good fortune attended Captain Malcolm's ex- ertions in disembarking the various reinforcements which af- terwards arrived ; and there can be no doubt that the extra- ordinary efforts he made on those occasions, and for which he received the warm approbation and thanks of Sir John Moore and Sir Arthur Wellesley, contributed to the happy com- mencement of those glorious successes which afterwards at- tended the British arms in the Peninsula. The Donegal was subsequently attached to the Channel fleet, at tliat time commanded by Lord Gainbier ; and after the memorable discomfiture of the French ships in Aix Roads, April 11 and 12, 1809, Captun Malcolm was entrusted with the command of a squadron sent on a cruize, during which, * It may not be ainiss in this place to rcmaik, that from the renewal ut' the war in the spring of 1803, to the period when she arrived at Jamaica, after the above battle, the Donegal had been almost constantly at seu. Vu- dcr her former commander. Sir Richard J. Strachan, she was principally employed in the blockade of Cadiz and Toulon ; under (Japtuin IMulcoIni she twice visited the West Indies ; and from the day he joine ■ ^ .;• . ■ ( i [^31. ?l I > \,h I ■■>■ '. . \[ ft i^'i :>9S REAR-ADMIRALS OF THE RED. WILLIAM NOWELL, Esq. This officer, the second son of the late Cradock Nowell, of Tce-Maur, Nottage, Glamorganshire, Esq., and nephew of the late Rev. Dr. Nowell, thirty-seven years Principal of St. Mary '» Hall, Oxford, entered the naval service in 1769> on board the St. Antonio, of 60 guns, commanded by Captain Clark Gay- ton ; and continued to serve in different ships until 177^, when he was promoted by his patron, (at that time Com- mander-in-Chief at Jamaica*,) to the rank of Lieutenant, and appointed to the Badger sloop, the boats of which vessel he commanded at the capture of fifteen sail of French merchant- men, laden with warlike stores, near Hispaniola, and two Ame- rican brigs from under the guns of the fort at the entrance of Cape Frangois. The Badger returned to England in April, 1777) and Lieu- tenant Nowell soon after exchanged into the Resolution, of 74 guns, commanded by Sir Chaloner Ogle, and at that time stationed on the coasts of Spain and Portugal for the purpose of intercepting vessels belonging to the revolted colonies. She was subsequently attached to the Channel fleet, under the Admirals Keppel, Hardy, Darby, Digby, and Kempenfelt, until the latter end of 1779, when she accompanied Sir George B. Rodney to the relief of Gibraltar ; and was consequently present at the capture of the Caracca convoy, and the dis- comfiture of Don Juan de Langara, Jan. 8 and 16, 1780 f. * Captain Gayton became a Rear-Admiral Oct. 18, 1/70; was made a Vice-Admiral Feh. 3, 1 77^ ; and immediately afterwards appointed to tlic cliief command at .loinaica. Retnrnin^ from thence in the Antelope, he fell in with a lar;;e ship, which was at first mistaken for an enemy, and preparations made to receive her accordingly, though of force infinitely superior to the Antelope. The Vice-Admiral, though so extremely infirm as to he almost unable to walk, came upon the quarter-deck, and after concisely exhorting his crew to behave like Englishmen, told them, that for his part, " he could not stand by them, but he would sit and see them fight as long a? thcv pleased." Thi« gallant officer died at Fareham, inl7)*7. f See Note f at p. 3. RED. ck Nowell, of nephew of the I of St. Mary '» on board the n Clark Gay- 8 until 1776, it time Com- eutenant, and lich vessel he ch merchant- md two Anie- le entrance of ^7j and Lieu- lesolution, of at that time the purpose ed colonies. et, under the ^empcnfelt, d Sir Geort^o onscquently and the dis- 16, 1780 1. /O; wus made ppoiiitcd to the e Antelope, he n enemy, and Torce infinitely trcmcly infirm leek, and after n, tohl them, uld sit and see d at Fareham, WILLIAM NOWKLL, ESQ. ^99 On the former occasion, tlie St. Firmin, of 16 guns, and six sail of transports, were taken possessi men. 4 WILLIAM NOWKLX., £SQ. 601 Lord Robert Manners * supposing that Count Byland, who commanded her, knew nothing of the war, sent Lieutenant Nowell on board to inform him. The Count appeared greatly surprised at the information, and at first considered it as a jest ; but being undeceived, he said, that it was the second time he had been placed in a like situation, and that he was determined to fight his ship as long as she would swim. Lieutenant Nowell, however, assured him that resistance would not avail ; and remarked that the Count would be blamed for the useless sacrifice of lives that must ensue. Being at length convinced of his error, he intimated that he would not strike until he had discharged his guns ; whereupon our officer desired permission to see that they were pointed clear of the British ships, and their coins and beds taken out, saying that in such case he would communicate the Count's wishes to Lord Robert Manners, and if approved of, the Resolution would fire a gun clear of him, when he might discharge his broadsides. To this the Dutch commander assented, and on Lieutenant Nowell's return to the Resolution, he was desired to proceed with the affair according to his own arrangement, which had no sooner been carried into effect than two other line- of-battle ships, the Gibraltar and Prince William, opened their fire on the Dutch frigate, whose crew very prudently went below, and thereby avoided the slaughter which such a pre- cipitate act would otherwise have occasioned. The ship, however, sustained so much damage thereby, that it took Lieutenant Nowell many days, with the carpenters and best seamen from the Resolution, to set her to rights. After the surrender of the Dutch colonies of St. Eustatia, St. Martin's, &c., our officer was appointed to the Swallow sloop, in which vessel he returned to England for the pur- pose of joining Sir Chaloner Ogle ; but on his arrival, in the summer of 17^1) finding that that officer was not likely soon to hoist his flag, he obtained an appointment as first Lieute- nant of the Hercules, 74, in which ship he again visited the West Indies, and had the good fortune to contribute very materially towards the defeat of Count deGrasse, in the battles of April 9 and 12, 1782 f. • Sir (Jhaloncr Ogle had recently returned home, licinu prouuUnl to u flag. t See note, p. ^^5, rf xrq. 11 I -v^^ t* 1 602 RKAU-ADMIUALS OF THE RED, I Ir I ,6 i * I The Hercules, on the latter day, ranged the whole of tlip enemy's line fromvan to rear, and was the fifth vessel a-head of Sir George Rodney's flag ship, the Formidahle, when en- gaging the French Admiral. J^ieutenant No well, whose station was on the quarter-deck, received his gallant Cap- tain's * orders to reserve a fuUbroadaidefor the Ville de Paris, and not to fire until fairly alongside of her. These orders were so punctually o!)eyed, that half a minute did not elapse between the firing of the first and last gun ; the two ships were at this time not more than 50 yards apart : fortunately the Hercules received but a fcM' shot in return from her mighty adversary. When alongside the French Admiral's second a-stern, Captain Savage received a severe wound, which obliged him to (juit the deck ; but before he was carried below, he recpicsted his first Lieutenant to keep the ship close to the enemy, and on no account to strike the colours; to which Mr. Nowell replied, that two ensigns Mere flying, one at the staff', another at the mizen-peak ; the former nailed, and the halliards of the \ attcr so belayed that it could not be hauled down. From this period the Hercules was most ably manoeuvred by Lieutenant Nowell, whose gallant conduct excited general admiration. Her loss amounted to / men killed, and 19 wounded; and the damage she sustained in her masts, sails, and rigging, was greater than that of any other ship in the British fleet, the Duke alone excepted. It was on this occa- sion that our officer introduced the mode of loading with two round shot next to the cartridge, and only one wad outside, the advantages of which jire very apparent. The (»uter shot by this nu'ans will go to a greater distance than the inner shot when two wads are maf men belonging to the Hercules, principally wai-iters, many of whom had behaved uncommonly well in the Intc battle, jumpiuft 'Mfrboard whilst their shipmalc* were booming oifthc cnusr of th«^ir alarni. ' I ; \\ 'Bii 604 KKAR-ADMIRALS OF THK RED. was introduced by Captain Savage to Lord Rodney, who re- ceived him very favorably, and spoke highly of his conduct, but lamented his inability to obtain him that promotion to which he had established so strong a claim *. From this period he remained on half-pay until Jan. 1787, when, at the particular request of Captain (the late Sir Charles) Thompson, he was appointed to the Edgar, of 74 guns, in which ship the Hon. Leveson Gower afterwards hoisted his broad pendant as Com- modore of a squadron of evolution. Our officer's next appointment was in 179^^ to the Queen Charlotte, a first rate, bearing the flag of Earl Howe, by whom he was at length promoted to the rank of Commander in the Incendiary ; and from that vessel removed into the Woolwich, a 44-gun ship, armed en flute. In the following year he ob- tained the command of the Ferret sloop ; and after cruizing for some time in the Channel, was sent to the Jamaica sta- tion, where he appears to have been principally employed in convoying vessels laden with provisions, sent by the mer- chants of Kingston for the relief of the distressed white inha- bitants of St. Domingo. It will be remembered by many of our readers, that at this period (17^) a civil vvar was carried on in the French part o*" that fine island, occasioned by the attempts made to depilve the people of colour of their landed and other property, which agreeably to tlu' then existing laws, they were entitled to pos- sess to an uidimited amount. Whenever any prise iiers of this description were taken, they were broken on a wheel, de- capitated, and sawed in two, and their heads stuck on poles. On one occasion. Captain Nowell, being on his way through the sijuarctothe Assembly of AuxCayes, witnessed some fero- cious wretches roasting a Midatto chief, a man of excellent • Soon after the .mttlc of tlio 12th April, I7HlJ, Mr. NowHI was ^Hvon to iiiidcrHtand that Captain Suva^c was to have the command of Sir (ieor^c Roducy'3 tlu)(->8liip, the Formidable, and himsflf to he appointed First liieu. tenant, all her former ollicrrd of that rank hut'iti); iieen promoted. Tiiis pleasing proHpect was dcatroyod by the arrival of Admiral J'i^ot from ling- lund to assume the chief command of the fleet. At tlieir interview in Lon- now in the opposition, and have no interest whutevor , I cannot j,'ct tny own sjn a r^hip." t!5 Iney, who re- i conduct, but tion to which his period he the particular pson, he was ihip the Hon. dant as Com- to the Queen (ve, by whom nander in the 10 Woolwich, ? year he ob- after cruizing Jamaica sta- employed in by the mer- (1 white inha- ;, tiiat at this French part de to deprive erty, which itled to pos- priscjiers of X wheel, de- U on poles. ay through ;1 some fcro- of excellent roll was jflvon lof Sir (Jeorjfc I».mI I'irst liicii. kniotcd. Tliis fot from liiij;- rvicw ill [,oii. titt'Mtioiiii hud ivr licuii |>r()- ti>( , I caniioi WILUAM AOWELL, KSQ. (105 character, the proprietor of above half the town, and supposed to be worth a million sterling. The blacks on their part were bv no means deficient in cruelty. Captain Nowell, on his re- turn from Aux Cayes, anchored off I'lsle de Vache, for the pur- pose of obtaining a supply of wood, water, and fruit. The inhabitants of the former place had previously bribed the soldiers, and detached them from their officers. A Colonel, the conmiander of the troops, in endeavouring to escape, was A driven into a cane patch, and there burnt to death. The chief ofllicer of engineers was also overtaken in his flight, but his life was granted him on condition that he would undertake to fortify the town. He had nearly finished the works, and knew that his death would follow their completion ; availing him- self, therefore, of so favorable an opportunity as the presence of the Ferret afforded him, he (;ame off with his faithful black servant in a canoe, and implored Captain Nowell to save him ; his joy on being assured that he would be protected, and restored to his friends at Cape Francois cannot be described ; it drew tears from most of the spectators. The blacks at this time had possession of Fort [^)uis on the other extremity of the bay, where they kept 80 young I^'rench ladies in a state of concubinage ; in fact the atrocities committed by all parties, hut particularly the French, almost exceed credibility. Our limits will only allow us to add one other instance to those already related : — About 500 blacks had been embarked at Cape Nichoia Mole, for the p\n*pose of being landed on the Spanish Main. The wretch to whose care they were confided, and who held the rank of a Lieutenant in the French marine, fell in with some sandy keys at a distance from the coast, landed them with only one day's provisions, ami left them there to starve. Some days after they were discovered by a party of Knglihhmen emph)yed in turning turtle, who imme- diately returned to Honduras with the infornuition. The humane inhabitan's, although poor, sent two brigs amply victualled Ut their relief, and forwarded those left alive, num- bering about IJOO, to Port Royal, from whence they were sent to Cape Fran<,'ois by Admiral Affleck ami Governor Williamson, who received many eoujpliments and thanks from the French authorities for their humanity ; but no sooiuM- had the tinglish vessels departed, than the poor erea- /*;- Iff . :i|i !^ ',;, m'^ RKAR-ADMIRAI.S OF THK RKf), tures were placed in a large unoccupied store-house, und every one of them sabred in cold blood *. The Ferret returned to England towards the latter end of 1792 t ; »nfl o" the commencement of the war with the French republic, was placed under the orders of Rear-A(hni- ral M'Bride, on the Downs station, where she captured six of the enemy's privateers. F(3r this service Captain Nowoll was presented with a handsome piece of plate by the mer- chants of London. We next tind him serving with tho Channel fleet under Earl Howe ; but being sent to the North Sea previous to the great battle of June 1, 1794, he unfor- tunately missed that promotion to which, as the senior Com- mander, he M'ould otherwise have been entitled. His disap- pointment on that occasion, however, was in some measure compensated by his success in intercepting several vessels laden with upwards of 3()(),(KX) (piarters of wheat, coming from the Baltic, Holland, iviih sabres, and together withljieutenant (iodby, who aceompanied him, had oirasion to keep his hand on his sword duriii;^' the whole of the eonference whieh took plaee. t It is 8«Mnewhat remarkable, that the Ferret did not bury a man during the twelve months she was emi)loyed in the West Indies. ; .\8 the paueity of Cajjlain Nowell's services during the late wars m.iy ueeasion some iiuri)rise to those who have pcru'«'d the preceding purt ol e-house, 'ind latter end of >var with the f Rear-Admi- p captured six iptaiii Nowell by the mcr- inj; with tlie : to tlie North ^94, he iinfor- e senior Coni- I. His disap- lonie measuri' liveral vessels I'heat, coniinir mce. In tlu* L.'(ir- rct, iiiHteml oi ii ffoui the (hilics of ids jirofi' >ion. Durinif a jjale of wind, and uh:i(l that occasion. ? Ardent, 04 ; 'ntrusted with trance of the ceding up that and from that intil the year Monniouth, of honias Foley, ral bear datf er commanded and in the fol- ica. In IJ^'^j »e appears to ers. He was I, 1704 ; and, bearing the [•om that ship leded in her to h the home- .'riod we lose n he sat as a the late Sir ith the com- g summer. Bissett com- g part of the anced to the JOHN CLEMENTS, E«g. Rear-Admir appointed to the Triton, of 32 guns, ami in thai * See p. 251. f See pp. MO and 'i^l. J The Arffo 44, and Juno frigate, haiiipuny- See ;rejit bravery French ships that ar(hious y the prema- ed in various its surrender, la Fleche, of cceeded Cap- 1, bearing; tlu- I'as present in and July Ki, Castle had (> lad been con- ing year, was t;uns, (jury- th the home- ly fell in with ; line, besides nt. Captain the merchant n\en-of-war the enemy aring, unfor other Britisli 1 guns eaeJM as to be un- was chiefly ifter a most ', his vessel y expended, )f the mer- uadron was in the sum- and in thai % tVi^.ite crni/ed with great success against the enemy's pri- vateers and other armed vessels, many of which were taken by him. On the 1 8th Oct., 179^? '>c assisted at the capture of the Santa Brigida, of 36 guns and 300 men, laden with treasure, from Vera Cruz, bound to Old Spain. Her consort, the Thetis, with a similar cargo, was taken the day before by the I'khalion, Captain Young *, into whose hands she had been cliaced by the Triton, Naiad, and Alcmene. The Triton, which was the leading ship in the pursuit of the Santa Brigida, struck upon the rocks of Monte Lora, when going at the rate of seven knots, and received so much damage as to be obliged to go into dock on her return to port. Captain Gore's share of prize money on this occasion exceeded 40,0(X)/. sterling. Early in 1801, a melancholy accident happened on board the Triton, during a cruize off the Penmarks. Being in chace of a cutter at which she was firing, the 1 1th gun from for- ward burst, the splinters of which killed the second Lieute- nant, (Alford,) and a gunner's-mate, and wounded 18 other men. Lieutenant A, had just left the Captain's table, at which he had been dining ; the remainder of the party were providentially saved, notwithstanding the cabin was much damaged. Some time before Captain Gore had been severely hurt by a blow from a block, vyhich falling from aloft struck him on the head. In the spring of the same year (1801), our officer was ap- pointed to the Medusa, one of the finest frigates in the service ; in which ship Lord Nelson's flag was flying at the attack upon Boulogne f, in the month of August following. On that oc- ♦ See Rear-Adiiiiral .Iames Young. t The attempt upon th(! enemy's llntilla in the mouth of Boulogne har- bour, was made l>y tlic hoata of Lord Nelson's squadron in five divisions, under Captains Somerville, Parker, (>ottrrave, Jones, and Conn. A previ- ous attack had taujfht tlie French ihe ueak parts of their poHJtion ; and they omitted no means of strenptheninj,'' it, and of guarding against the expected assault. The l)oats shoved off from the Medusa al)ont IP* liO' P. M,; but owing to the darkness, and tide and half-tide, which must always make night attacks so uncertain on the coasts of the Channel, the divisions sepa- raterl. One could not arrive at all ; another not till near day-hrc.ik. Tlie others went to work in the most gallant manner : I ut the enemy were fully proparetl : every vessel was (iotViided hy long poles, headed with iron spikes, projecting from tijoir sides ; strong nettings were triced up to their lower i-:- m iii 2 K 2 if ■>• "! > € .1 ' 612 RKAR-ADMIRALS OK TliK ltK». casion Captain Gore manifested ^reat zeal, offering to serve as a volunteer under the orders <;i a junior officer, which offer was as handsomely declined by his Lordship. During the short-lived peace that succeeded the above dis- astrous attempt, the Medusa was employed in cruizing against the smugglers. On the renewal of the war, in March, 18()l^, she was sent to the Mediterranean with despatches relati\ c to that event. Captain Gore does not appear to have been engaged in any service requiring particular mention, until the 5th Oct. 1804, on which day he had the good fortune to share in the capture^ of three Spanish frigates laden with specie, and valuable mer- chandize to a great amount. The Mercedes, another frigate^ blew up during the action, with 81 1,0(X) dollars onboard*. In the folIoM'ing month Captain Gore intercepted the Matilda, of 38 guns, from Cadiz, bound to the Rio de la Plata, with a cargo of quicksilver. On the 21st Fel). 1805, he received the honor of knight- hood ; and some time after conveyed the late Marquis Cornwallls to India. His voyage from thence to England, with the remains of that lamented nobleman, was performed with astonishing celerity ; the Medusa having run from the Ganges to the Lizard in eighty-four days, two of which wen; spent at anchor in St. Helena Roads ; she was consequently but eighty-two days uiuler sail, in which time she traversed the immense space of I3,8iM miles. Soon after his return, Jan. 1806, Sir John Gore removed into the Revenge, of 74 guns. In June, 1808, he received at yards ; thoy were moored by the bottom to the shore, and chuiued one to another : diey w(!re strongly manned with sohhers, and protected by land butteries, and the shore was lined with troop.s. i^Jaiiy were talicn posses^ Sion of J and, though they could not iuive hs'en brought out, would have been burnt, had not the Fr«'nch resorted to a iuo \. •[■'if IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) k A & ^ 1.0 I.I 11.25 U» 125 2.2 Hjy/ U 11.6 fliotographic Sciences Corporation as WIST MAIN STRUT WI!)STH,N.Y. I4SM (71«) •73-4903 i;!i 4' II ■'"" H 1 < 614 REAR-ADMIRALS OF THE RED. of Post-Captain, Dec. 16th following ; and some time after appointed to the Prince of Wales a second rate, bearing the flag of his uncle, the late Sir Henry Harvey, K. B. *, with whom he proceeded to the West Indies, and served at the conquest of the island of Trinidad f. After this event, which took place in the month of Feb. 1797, he was sent to Eng- land with despatches ; and subsequently obtained the com- mand of the Southampton, of 32 guns, in which frigate he was again ordered to the Leeward island station, where he continued during the remainder of the war, and assisted at the reduction of the Virgin islands, by Sir John T. Duck- worth, in 1801. His next appointment appears to have been in the summer of 1804, to the Agametnnon, of 64 guns, which ship formed part of Sir Robert Calder's fleet iu the action with the com- bined squadrons of France and Spain, July 22, 1805;!:, and on that occasion had several men wounded, besides being much cut up in her spars and rigging. About the month of September in the same year, Captain Harvey removed into the Canada, a 74-gun ship. He subsequently commanded the Leviathan of the same class in the Mediterranean j and in Aug., 1811, was appointed to the Royal Sovereign a first rate, in which he continued till the general promotion, Aug. 12, 1812, when he obtained the command of a royal yacht. His advancement to the rank of Rear-Admiral took place Dec. 4, 1813 ; and in 1815, he hoisted his flag on board the Antelope, of 50 guns, as Commander-in-Chief at the Leeward islands, where he remained during the customary period of three years. Residence, — Walmer, Kent. Spithead, he was conveyed on shore at Portsmouth, where, after bearing the most excruciating pain with christian resignation, Ite was rcleaiied from this world, and lost to his country, on the 30th June. Tlie House of Commons, to perpetuate the memory of this heroic man, unanimously voted a monument to be erected in Westminster Abbey : bad he survived, his name would have been included in the flag-promotion whicli took place on the 4th of the following month. It is a singular coincidence of events, that Captain Harvey, and Captain Hutt, of the Queen, were com- panions in a post-chaise from Lorlon, on joining their respective ships, previous to their last cruize : they both lost a limb in the action ; died on the same day ; and are both recorded on the snme monument, raised by a grateful country to their memory. • Sec Rcar-Admiial Thomas HARvrv. t Seep. ll'2. t Sec p. 10. 015 le time after ', bearing the i. B. *, with erved at the event, which ent to Eng- ed the com- ch frigate he n, where he id assisted at hn T. Duck- 1 the summer I ship formed rith the com- I, 1805 t, and besides being the month of removed into mmanded the nean ; and in reign a first motion, Aug. royal yacht. \ took place on board the the Leeward ary period of Lftcr bearing the ]leaiie(l from th'u this heroic mat), |ter Abbey : hud promotion which jlar coincidence luccn, were coin- respective ships, laction ; died on ^ent, raised by » X .Sec p. 10. HON. SIR HENRY HOTHAM, Rear'Adinirnl of the Red ; and Knight Commander of the most hono^ ruble Military Order of the Bath. This officer, the youngest son of Beamont, second Lord Hothnm, of the kingdom of Ireland, (who succeeded to the title on the death of his brother, a distinguished A dmiral *,) by Susanna, second daughter of Sir Thomas Hankey, Knt., relict of James Norman, Esq. ; was bom July 19, 1777 > and in 1794, commanded the Fleche sloop, on the Mediterra- nean station ; from which vessel he appears to have been removed successively into the Mignone, Dido, and Blanche frigates. His post commission bears date, Jan. 13, 1795. On the 12th Sept. 1800, Captain Hotham being on a cruize in the Immortalite, of 36 guns, observed two large privateers coming out of the Gironde ; these he chaced 259 miles to the westward, but in the second night they escaped. However, on the 20th, he retook the English ship Monarch, of 645 tons, laden with timber, which had been in the enemy's possession four days. On the 22d of the same month, he gave chace to a French brig of war ; and at 9'' 30' P. M. hud arrived within musket shot, when both vessels unexpect- edly took the ground near Noirmoutier, where the brig was totally destroyed ; but the Immortalite fortunately got off at (lay-light the next morning, without any material damage, and with the loss only of an anchor, a cable, and a boat. On the 26th and 29th of the following month. Captain I^lotham assisted at the capture of le Diablc a Quatre, French privateer, of 16 guns and 150 men ; and a schooner letter of marcpie, from Guadaloupe to Bourdeaux, laden with coffee. He subse(piently took la Laure, of 14 gims and 78nien ; and rinvention, a remarkably fine, and singularly constructed vessel, carrying 24 guns on a flush deck, and 210 men. She had four masts, each rigged in the usual manner ; was built on a plan entirely peculiar to herself, designed by her com- mander, Monsieur Thibaut, and of extraordinary dimensions, • Sec note, at p, 6dl). f the ships of " squadron, on the 23d Feb., 1809, chaced three of the enemy's frigates into the Sable d'Olonne, where they were immediately attacked. Captain Hotham anchored the Defiance within half a mile of them ; in which situation, so judiciously chosen, the fire of that ship, and of the Ceesar and Donegal, whose great draught of water prevented them approaching quite so near, obliged two of the frigates to cut their cables and run on shore. The ebb-tide making, and the vvater falling fast, compelled the Defiance to get under sail, and the other ships to stand out ; leaving all the frigates on shore, two of them heeling much. The number and strength of the French batteries under which they lay, and the apparent impossibility of their ever again being able to put to sea, weighed with the Rear-Admiral not to renew the attack. In the performance of this service, the Defiance was much cut up in her masts, had 2 men killed, and 25 wounded ; the Donegal had 1 killed and 6 vvoundedj and the Caesar was much disabled in her bowsprit and rigging. In the following summer. Captain Hotham was employed on the coast of Spain, co-operating with the patriots of that country. After the evacuation of Ferrol and Coruima, by the French Marshal Ney, June 2 1st and 22d, the proximity of tiie enemy's position continuing to hold the authorities es- tablished by the French at Corunna in subjection through the fear of his return, no communication being suffered with the British ships but by flag of truce, and the state of defence in which the batteries and lines on the sea side were left, ren- dering it dangerous for the English to land or approach the coast in the event of the re-appearance of the enemy ; Captain Hotham on the 24th ordered a detachment of seamen and marines to land and disable the guns on the different batteries bearing on the anchorage, offering at the same time to the Governor the services of the party in rendering any assistance that might be in its power to the patriotic cause. The can- non and mortars on the sea lines at Corunna, and in the forts connnanding the bay, were accordingly all dismounted on the same day, leaving untouched those on the lines towards the land, which had been spiked by the enemy. On the 26th, our oflicer sent Captain Parker, of the Amazon, U) Ferrol, where he was received by tiie people with the I ;i r''' f. '■>- . t4 618 UEAR-ADMIRALS OP THE RED. loudest ucclamations of joy. The castle of San Felipe, how- ever, was still under the command of a person appointed by Marshal Ney, and attached to the French interests, with a garrison composed of a detachment of a legion raised by the enemy during their possession of Ferrol and Corunna ; and on the 27th, Captain Hotham received information that the above commandant had given orders to fire on any English ships or boats that might attempt to pass the castle. In con- sequence, Captain Hotham repaired to Ferrol in the De- fiance, and landed the marines of that ship and the Amazon, with a party of armed seamen, under the direction of Captain Parker, who entered the castle withov t opposition. The de- tachment then proceeded to the town of Ferrol, where it was received in the most affectionate manner by the inhabitants ; and having arrested the commandant of the castle in the name of King Ferdinand, sent him on board the Defiance. The Governor of Ferrol not having any means of garrisoning the castle, the guns in it were spiked, the powder removed to the arsenal, and the place left under the command of the former Governor, who had been suspended by the enemy. In the following autumn. Captain Hotham was appointed to the Northumberland, a 74-gun ship of the largest class, in which, on the 22d Nov. in the same year, he captured la Glaneusc, French privateer ketch, of 14 guns and 85 men, after a second pursuit, having chaced her the day before, and prevented one of his Majesty's packets from ftdling into her power. In the spring of 1812, Captain Hotham, whose local know- ledge of the coast, ability, and zeal, well qualified him for the service, was sent by Rear- Admiral Sir Harry Neale, under whose orders he had for some time been employed off Ushant, to cruize near I'Orient, for the purpose of intercept- ing two French frigates and a brig, that were supposed to be on their return to some port in the bay. On the 22d May, at 9^ 45' A. M. the Northumberland, in company with the Growler gun-brig, being off Isle Grouais, discovered the ex- pected enemy in the N. W., crowding all possible sail before the wind for I'Orient. Captain Hotham's first endeavour was to cut them off to windward of the island j but finding he could not effect it, the Northumberland was pushed round ihc S. K. i f "■", Felipe, how- appointed by crests, with a •aised by the mna ; and on ion that the any English stle. In con- in the De- the Amazon, on of Captain on. The de- where it was inhabitants ; e in the name jfiance. The irrisoning the moved to the of the former y- as appointed argest class, e captured la md 85 men, before, and ling into her local know- ied him for arry Nealc, mployed off f intercept- posed to be 22d May, y with the 3re(l the ex- ; sail before Icavour was inghc could id the S. E. HON. SIR HENRY HOTHAM. 619 cndof Grouais, and, by hauling to the wind as close as could be to leeward of that island. Captain Hotham had the satis- faction of fetching to windward of the harbour's mouth, before the French ships reached it. Their Commodore, seeing him- self thus cut off, made a signal to his consorts, and hauled to the wind on the larboard tack, to windward of Point Talcet, and they appeared to speak each other. The Northumber- land continued beating to windward between Grouais and the main land, to close with them, exposed to the batteries on both sides, when she stood within their reach, which was unavoidable. At 2'' 49' P. M., the enemy bore up in close line a-head ; and uiuler every sail that could be set, favoured by a fresh breeze, made a bold and determined attempt to run between her and the shore, under cover of the numerous bat- teries with which it is lined in that part. Captain Hotham placed the Northumberland to meet them as close as he could to the Point de Pierre Laye, with her head to the shore, and the main-top-sail shivering, and made dispositions for laying one of them alongside ; but they hauled so very close round the point, following the direction of the coast to the east- ward of it, that, in his ignorance of the depth of water so near the shore, he did not think it practicable, consistent with the safety of the King's ship (drawing near 25 feet) to pro- secute that plan. He therefore bore up, and steered parallel to them, at the distance of about two cables' length, and opened his broadside on them, which was returned by a very animated and well-directed fire of round, grape, and other shot, supported by three batteries for the space of 21 minutes, and was very destructive to the Northumberland's sails and rigging. Captain Hotham's object, during that time, was to prevent their hauling outside the dry rock, named Le Graul ; but in steering sufficiently close to leave them no room to pass between him and it, and at the same time to avoid running on it himself, the utmost difficulty and anxiety was produced by the cloud of smoke which drifted a-head of the Northumberland, and totally obscured it. However, by the care and attention of Mr. Hugh Stewart, the Master, the ship was carried within the distance of her own length on the S. W. side, in a quarter less seven fathoms ; and the enemy were in cunsc(|uence obliged, us their only alternative, to attempt M m - i r !Fi I.' "I'll 'S. r>20 RKAR-ADMIRALS OF THE RKD. passing within it, where there was not water enough, and they all grounded, under every sail, on the rocks between it and the shore. The sails and rigging of the Northumberland were so much damaged that Captain Hotham was obliged to leave the ene- my to the effects of the falling tide, it being oidy quarter ebb, while he repaired the rigging and shifted the fore-top- sail, which was rendered entirely useless j working to windward during that time under what sail he could set, to prevent fall- ing to leeward ; in which interval, at 5 o'clock, the Growler came up, and fired on the enemy occasionally. At 5** 28', the Northumberland was anchored in six and a half fathoms water, with her broadside bearing on the enemy's vessels, at point blank range, all of them having fallen over on their sides next the shore as the tide left them ; and for an hour and a quarter a deliberate and careful fire was kept up on them, their copper being all the time exposed. At the expiration of that period, it being near low water, and Captain Hotham believing he had fully effected the object of his endeavours, the French crews having quitted their vessels, all their bottoms being pierced by very many shot so low down as to ensure their filling on the rising tide, and the leading frigate being completely in flames, communicated to the hull from a fire which broke out in her fore-top, he got under sail. Three batteries fired at the Northumberland during the whole time she was at an- chor ; and although the position * was so far well chosen that she was out of the range of two of them, the other (to which the enemy's vessels were nearest) reached her, and did as much execution in the hull as all the fire she had been ex- posed to befoie. At five minutes before eight, the frigate on fire blew up with an awful explosion, leaving no remains of her visible. At ten, the other frigate appeared to be on fire also ; and at half-past eleven, the flames burst forth from her ports and every part with unextinguishable fury ; she burnt all night, and exploded at about half-past two on the following morn- ing, as did also the brig in the course of the day. The enemy's squadron consisted of I'Arianne and TAndro- • Anchor-hearing!', — Point de Pierre Laye, N. W. 4 N. ; the citadel of Port Louis, E. ^ N. ; and the rock named Lc Graul, N. i E. two cablo;*' lenj^th distant. : enough, and :ks between it were so much leave the ene- ly quarter ebb, e fore-top-sail, g to windward :o prevent fall- £, the Growler At b"" 28', the Fathoms water, !ssels, at point • sides next the nd a quarter a , their copper of that period, lieving he had French crews being pierced iheir filling on completely in lich broke out teries fired at was at an- 1 chosen that ler fto which and did as lad been ex- fire blew up ■ her visible, also f and at ler ports and rnt all night, owing morn- ind TAndro- the citadel of E. two cable's' HON. 8IR HENRY HOTtfAM. &2\ le machc, of 44 guns and 450 men each, and the Mameluke brig, of 18 guns and 160 men. They had been cruizing for four months in various parts of the Atlantic, and were on their return to France, deeply laden with the most valuable portion of the cargoes of thirty-six vessels of different nations, which they had taken and destroyed. A line-of-battle ship, with sails bent, and top-gallant-yards across, lay at the entrance of the harbour of I'Orient, spectator of the operations of the day, but the wind did not serve till night for her coming to the sup- port of her friends : every assistance, however, was afforded them of boats, men, &c. from the port, directed, as Captain Hotham supposed, by the French Admiral in person. When the gallantry of the action with such a force, under numerous galling batteries, and the intricacy of the naviga- tion amidst dangerous rocks, at the very mouth of the ene- my's harbour, are taken into consideration, the performance of so important a service, while it reflects the highest honor upon the courage, skill, and extraordinary management of all concerned, must be acknowledged to have added fresh lustre to the naval annals of Great Britain. No officer but one who possessed great local knowledge, could, under such difficult circumstances, have ventured to undertake the service that Captain Hotham so bravely and so effectually performed. The loss sustained by the Northumberland amounted to 5 men killed and 28 wounded. At the general promotion, Dec. 4th, 1813, our officer was nominated a Colonel of Royal Marines. He subsequently served as Captain of the Fleet and as a Flag-Officer, under the orders of Sir Alexander -rtchrane, on the American station. His first commission as ? "ear- Admiral bears date June 4th, 1814 ; and on the 2d Jan. 1815, he obtained the rank of a K. C. B. On the renewal of the war in Europe, occasioned by Napoleon Buonaparte's return from Elba, Sir Henry Hotham commanded a division of the Channel fleet ; and after the bat- tle of Waterloo, was stationed on the French coast to prevent the escape of that personage, who, as is well known, surren- dered himself to the Bellerophon, which ship formed a part of .the force under our officer's orders *. In the spring of 1818 Sir Henry was called upon to take a seat at the Board of Ad- miralty, where he remained until the month of March, 1822. * See Captain F. L. MAiXLANiJ, in our next voUime. >x; Irit'i Ir f ■\ H § <)22 RKAU-AnMlllALS OF TM K RRU. SIR JOSIAS ROWJ.EY, Baronet; Renr-Jdmirnl of the Red; Knight Commander of ths most ho- norable Military Order of the Bath ; and Member of Parliament fur Kinsule. This officer is the second son of Clotworthy Rowley, Es(]. Counsellor at Law, and some time M. P. for Downpatrick, in Ireland, by Letitia, daughter of Samuel Campbell, of Bath, Esq., and a grandson of Sir William Rowley, K. B. Vicc-Ad- miral of England, Admiral of the Fleet, and a Lord of the Ad- miralty, who died on the 1st. Jan. 1768. After having been borne for some time on the books of a stationary vessel, Mr. Rowley embarked on board a sea-gohig ship in the year 1779; and served during the remainder of the war in the Channel, and on the West India station. He was made a Lieutenant towards the latter end of 1783 ; pro- moted to the rank of Commander in March, 1793 ; and be- came a Post-Captain April 6, 1795. This latter promotion took place immediately on his return from escorting the Prin- cess Caroline of Brunswick to this country, on which occasion he commanded the liark sloop of war, attached to the squa- dron under the orders of Commodore Payne *. In 1797, we find him in the Braave, of 40 guns, at the Cape of Good Hope, on which station he continued until the cessation of hostili- ties, and then sailed for England in the Imperieuse frigate, to which he had been removed in the summer of 1799. Captain Rowley's next appointment was to the Raisonable, of 64 guns, which ship formed part of Sir Robert Calder's fleet in the action off Ferrol, July 22, 1 805 f; and on that oc- casion had one man killed and several others wounded. At the latter end of the same year, our officer accompanied the expedition sent against the Cape of Good Hope, under Com- modore Popham and Sir David Baird ; and after the reduc- tion of that important colony proceeded with the former com- mander to the Rio de la Plata, where he remained until the final evacuation of Spanish America by the British forces %. * See Note J at p. 353, et seq. f See p. 405, ♦ The armament imder Commodore Sir Home Popham and Lieutenant- r uf the most ho- * Parliament for Rowley, Es(j. Downpatrick, >bcll, of Bath, . B. Vice-Ad- 3rd of the Ad- le books of a d a sea-gohig remainder of station. He f 1/83 ; pro- ^93 ; and be- er promotion iHg the Prin- liich occasion to the sqiia- In 1797, we Good Hope, n ofhostili" euse frigate, 1799. Raisonable, »ert Calder's on that oc- (unded. At npanied the mder Coni- the reduc- ormer com- d until the forces %. d Licuteiiant- SIR JOSIAS KOWLEY, BAKT. 023 111 addition to the contents of the subjoined note, it is here necessary to remark, that Captain Rowley commanded the General Sir David Baird, sailed from Cork towards tlie latter end of 1805, and arrived in Table Bay Jan. 4, 1806. A landing having been effected with little opposition, the army began its march for Cape Town on the 8th ; and on reaching tlie summit of the Blue Mountains, a body of about 5,000 men, chiefly cavalry, with 23 pieces of artillery, commanded by General ,Janssen.s, Governor of the colony, was seen in tlie plain, in an attitude to oppose its progress. On a charge by the British troops, the enemy fled with precipitancy, and with a loss of alxmt 700 killed and wouuded, while the assailants had only 15 slain, and 197 wouuded and missing. No other obstacle remaining to the advance of the British, the town surrendered oi» the following day. Governor Janssens, however, who was not included in the capitulation, took post with the remainder of his forces at a pass lead- ing to Zivellcndam, and evinced a disposition to defend the interior country ; but on Brigadier-General Beresford advancing against him, he agreed to sur- render the whole colony and its dependencies, on the (;ondition that he and his troops should be sent back to Holland, mthout being con^^idered prisoners of war. Thus, with little difficulty, possession was obtained of an import- ant colony, which has since been permanently annexed to the British empire. After the reduction of the Cape of Good Hope, Sir Home Popham, who had been occasionally consulted by the iiumortal Pitt and his confidential friend the late Viscount Alelville, respecting certain designs which they con- templated against South America, but which, from deference to the Emperor of Russia, had been laid aside ; havin;^ obtained information of the weak- ness of the Spanish colonies on the Rio de la Plata, and being animated with the prospect of the cbmmercial and other advantages to be gained in those countries, ventured, without any immediate authority from the ,-^0- vernment at home, to carry his whole naval force to that quarter ; and he prevailed upon Sir David Baird so far to concur with him as to allow a body of troops under Brigadier-General Beresford, to co-operate in his enter- prize. Thus assisted, he sailed from the Cape about the middle of April, and touching at St. Helena, he had the address to procure from the Go- vernor a small reinforcement to his little army, which, after all, did not ex- ceed 1600 men, including sailors trained to the use of small arms, and ma- rines. In the beginning of June, he arrived at the mouth of la Plata; and on the 26th, landed the troops at some distance from Buenos Ayres. Bri- gadier General Beresford, after dispersing a body of Spaniards, who fled at the first fire, proceeded to the city, which he entered without resistance on the 27th. Favourable terms of capitulation were granted to the inhabitants, and the property of individuals on shore was respected ; but a great booty was made of the public money and commodities, as well as of the shipping in the river. As soon as the new ministry received intelligence of Sir Home Popham's unauthorized departure from the Cape, and meditated invasion of South %M i 1* ■' %■■ w w^'M't h: .11;' 'milm 624 KKAR-ADMIKALS OKTIIK KKD. detaclinicnt of iseamcii hmded with Lieutenant-General Wliiti- locke's army, for the purpose of traiivsporting the artillery America, orders were despatched to recal him ; but these reached him too late : and when the news of his success arrived in England, tiie strong ob- jections to his plan were drowned in tho universal joy at the fortunate re- sult of his operations. The exultation for the capture of Buenos Ayres, which was expected to be followed by the reduction of the whoU; of Spanish South America, was, however, of very short continuance. The Spaniards, who had been taken by surprise, no sooner discovered the deficiency in num- bers of their invaders, than they were prompted by shame to concert mea- sures for their expulsion. Emissaries from Buenos Ayres ex<;ited the coun- try people to arms ; and an insurrection being organized in the city, tlie Chevalier de Liniferes, a French Colonel in the Spanish service, crossed the river unobserved in a fog, on the 4th Aug., with a force which, joining that in the city, made an attack on the British troops ; and, after a sanguinary conflict in the streets and great square, on the 12th, the latter, to the num- ber of 1,300, were compelled to lay down their arms, with a loss of 165 killed, wounded, and missing. The prisoners, contrary to the terms of ca- pitulation, were marched up the country, instead of being permitted to re- turn to their ships, as had been stipulated. The squadron continued to blockade the river till the arrival of reinforce- ments from the Cape of Good Hope> on the 5th and 12th Oct., enabled Sir Home Popham to recommence offensive operations. He attempted first to gain possession of Monte Video, but without success, his ships not being able to approach near enough to batter the walls. A body of troops was then landeil at Maldonado, under Colonel Vassal ; and the Spaniards having been driven from that place, and from the isle of Gorrite, an en- campment for the troops was obtained, and a tolerably safe anchorage procured for the ships. In this situation the British armament in South America remained at the close of the year, receiving successive reinforce- ments from England and the Cape, and preparing for further, and as it turned out, still more disastrous operations. In the autumn of 1806, a body of troops was sent out under the command of Sir Samuel Auchmuty, and convoyed by Rear-Admiral Stirling, who had been appointed to supersede Sir Hume Popiiam as naval Commander- in-Chief on that station *. On his arrival at Maldonado, Brigadier-Gene- ral Auchmuty found the soldiery in a very destitute and exposed situation, with a corps of the enemy's cavalry hovering about them. Maldonado itself was evidently untenable ; and it became of the utmost importance to secure possession of some place of strength, before any attempts were made for the recovery of Buenos Ayres, the re-capture of which by the Spaniards was not known in England when this reinforcement was sent out- Montevideo appearing to be the only place on the river which could be See p. 406. sill JOSIAS nOWLKY, BABT. 625 reached liiin too , the strong ob- ,hc fortunate re- f Buenos Ayres, k'holi! of Spanisli The Spaniards, sficiency m num- to concert nieu- jxcited the coun- in the city, the vice, crossed the lich, joining that :ter a sanguinary Iter, to the num- ith a loss of 165 the terms of ca- permitted to rc- rival of reinforce- Ith Oct., enabled . [ie attempted ess, his ships not V body of troops id the Spaniards Gorrite, an en- safe anchorage lament in South essive reinforce- irther, and as it er the command i\ Stirling, who al Commander- rigadier-Gene- osed situation, . Maldonado importance to attempts were which by the ,t was sent out. hich could be from the place of deb.arkation towards the city of Buenos Ayres. " In this fatiguing service," says Rear-Atlmirul assailed with probable advantage, the troops were landed near that town, Jan. 18th, 1807. On the following day, about 6,000 of the enemy marched out to attack them, but were repulsed with great slaughter, and the loss of a gun ; and the British afterwards commenced the siege of the place. This proved a most arduous undertaking, from the strength of the works, and the want of sufficient entrenching tools. After a few days tiring, it was discovered that the whole of the powder in the fleet was reduced to about two days' consumption ; and to add to the difficulties of the commander, he received intelligence of the rapid approach of an army of 4,000 picked men, with 24 pieces of cannon ; he therefore determined, if possible, to take the city by assault ; in which design, though with a heavy loss, he succeeded. A six-gun battery erected within (100 yards of the defence of Montevideo, though exposed to the superior fire of the enemy, which had been incessant during the whole siege, effected a breach, that was reported practicable on the 2d February. Orders were issued for the attack an hour before day break on the ensuing morning. At the appointed time, the besiegers inarched to the assault, and approached near the breach before they were discovered ; but then a most destructive fire was opened upon them. During the night, the enemy had so burrica- doed the breach with hides, as to render it nearly impracticable ; and in consequence of the prevailing darkness, the assailants mistook it for the undamaged wall. In this situation, they remained under a heavy fire during a quarter of an hour, when the breach was discerned by Captain Rcnny, who was killed as he mounted it. The troops then rushed to it, and, difficult as it was of access, forced their way into the town, where they were opposed by cannon planted at the ends of all the principal streets. They however courageously advanced in all directions, clearing the streets and batteries with their bayonets, and overturning the guns. The first column was followed by Colonel Browne with the 40th regiment, who also missed the breach, and twice passed through the fire of the batteries before they found i'. The 87th regiment was posted on the outside near the gate, which thr troops who entered by the breach were to open for them ; but their ardour was so great, that they scaled the walls, and en- tered the town as the troops within approached the gate. At day-light, every thing was carried except the citadel, which made a shew of resis- tance, but soon surrendered ; and early in the morning, to the great credit of the victorious troops and their commander, the women were seen peace- ably walking the streets The number of British troops employed in the reduction of Montevideo, amounted to upwards of 4,000, of whom 1,200 were engaged in the assault ; that of the Spaniards to 6,000. The loss of the British, which fell principally on the storming party, was about 600 : the enemy had about 800 killed, 600 wounded, and upwards of 2,000 offi- cers and men, including the Governor, made prisoners ; the remainder escaped in boats, or siicreted themselves in the town. The squadron co- operated in this brilliant achievement, having landed a considerable num- '.;';)■. I, (. 1; ■ 1; : 'if --i' . ! k\f ■:.'■ VOL. I. 2 » h\i .'t' ' } V'f I n. I ' 626 REAR-ADMIRALS OF THE RED. Murray, who had succeeded to the chief command on that Atfltioti, " M* persevering conduct of Captains Rowlep and Joyce, merited the highest encomiums* They had to drag the cannon for miles through swamps, and the men were aliifoys harnessed to them." After the failure of the jittack upon that city, our officer returned to the Cape of Good Hope, on which station he ^eatly distinguished himself, as will appear from the follow- ing imperfect outline of the transactions in which he was engaged. The harbour of St. Paul's having long been thfe rendezvous of those French cruizers, and such of their prizes as had es- caped the vigilance of the British men of war stationed off the isle of France, and la Caroline frigate having succeeded in entering that port with two homeward bound Indiamen richly laden, Captain Rowley, who commanded the blockade of the Isles of France and Bourbon, determined to attack the place, provided he could obtain the assistance of a detachment of troops from Roderiguez. Having communicated his plan to Lieutenant-Colonel Keating, commanding the garrison there, that offiber immediately acceded to the Measure, and in the most handsome manner embarked with all the troops that could be spared from the defence of the island. As secrecy and despatch were essential to the success of the expedition, the whole of the force intended to be landed, consisting of 368 soldiers, 100 seamen, and 136 marines, were put on board the Nereide frigate, and at dusk on the evening of the 20th Sept., 1909, the squadron f proceeded for the Isle of Bourbon. Iier of men to assist the laud forces ; and the ships were stationed so as to prevent any escape from the harhour. An account of the prizes taken, and the loss sustained by the naTy during the siege, together with the further operations in the Rio de la Plata, which terminated in the evacuation of Spanish America by the British, will be found in our memoir of Vire-Ad- miral Stiriing, at p. 407, ft setf. t Raisonable, 64, Captain Jos. Rowley. Nereide 1 f Robert Corbett. Boadicea C Frigates. ^ John Hatley. Sinus ^ ^ Samuel Pyni. Otter l_, f N. J. Willouffhby. Sapphire r'"°P»- I \Va!4p Sihooner, Lieutenant Watkins. ity, our officer ich station he om the follow- virhich he was the rendezvous zes as had cs- tationed off the J succeeded in ndiamen richly blockade of the tack the place, detachment of kted his plan to garrison there, re, and in the he troops that the success of d to be landed, marines, were )n the evening ed for the Isle I stationed so as to I prizes taken, and with the further Ithe evacuation of Imoir of Vice-Ad- ett. i i (hby. SIR JOSIAS ROWLEY, BART. 627 Oil their approach towards the bay of St. Paul's, to prevent suspicion, the Nereide preceded the other ships ; and being anchored close to the beach, the whole of the detachment were landed with the greatest celerity, without any alarm being given to the enemy, and proceeded towards the batteries, which were stormed in succession and carried with the great- est gallantry, and several of the guns pointed on the ships in the roads ; in the mean time the squadron stood into the bay, and according to the plan agreed upon, when the movements of the troops enabled them to act, opened their fire on the shipping, which was warmly returned by the French frigate, the Indiamen her prizes, and those batteries which, from their distance from the first point of attack, were enabled to con- tinue their fire : but these were finally carried, and by nine o'clock the whole of the batteries, town, and shipping, were in possession of the Britijh troops and squadron. By this event, the Hon. E. I. Company's ships, Streatham and Europe, together with property to an immense amount, were rescued out of the hands of the enemy j all the defences of the only safe anchorage in the island destroyed ; and a frigate of 46 guns and 360 men ; a brig of 16 guns, and three merchantmen, captured ; one ship burnt on the stocks, and three other vessels destroyed. In the execution of this ser- vice, the total loss sustained by the British was 22 killed, 76 wounded, and 4 missing. This exploit led to a more decided enterprize. On the 7th July, 1810, a body of 1650 Europeans and 1600 Sepoys from Madras, with 1000 more from Roderiguez, the whole com- manded by Lieutenant-Colonel Keating, and escorted by a scjuadron * under Captain Rowley (who in consequence of the defective state of the Raisonable had previously been removed into the Boadicea frigate), arrived off Bourbon, or as it was called by the French Imperialists, the island of Buona- parte. While the main force drew the attention of the enemy off St. Marie, about tw< leagues to the eastward of the town of St. Denis, Captain Pym of the Sirius effected a landing of the troops which had been embarked in his ship for the purpose of making a diversion, at a part of the beach ctdled * Boadicea, Iphigenia, Sirius, Mai^cienne, aud Noreid* frigates. 2 fl 2 si ■ 1;'. IRji n> i-% I:, ^ Hi ' ' *i) 628 RKAR-ADMIRALS OF THK RBIJ. Grande Chaloupe, six miles to the westward of the town, where the enemy were totally unprepared for an attack. The remainder of the squadron (when it was supposed the first landing was secured) immediately pushed for anchorage, and were followed by the transports. The weather, which, till now, had been favourable, began to change ; the beach on that side of the island being steep and composed of large shingles, is generally of difficult access ; but it was supposed, on reconnoitring it, that the landing was practicable, and Captain Willoughby of the Nereide, who undertook to super- intend it, pushed off in a small prize schooner, with a party of seamen and a detachment of light troops, and with some of the boats which followed, effected a partial debarkation ; but the surf still increasing, several were stove on the beach : it being, however, considered by the military commander of much importance to effect a landing at that point, a light transport was placed with great judgment by Lieutenant Lloyd, of the Boadicea, in order to act as a breakwater ; but the stern cable parting, she only formed a momentary cover for a few boats ; and notwithstanding every exertion of the skill and experience of Captain Willoughby, it was found ne- cessary, at the close of the day, to relinquish any further at- tempts at that spot for the present. On this occasion tMo seamen and two soldier* were drowned ; the party, however, maintained their ground, and took possession of the battery and post of St. Marie during the night. The Magicienne, commanded by Captain Curtis, and two transports, were now detached to support the brigade at Grande Chaloupe ; but the former alone gained the anchorage, and landed the troops embarked in her. In the morning of the 8th, the beach still appearing unfavourable. Captain Rowley weighed and pro- ceeded to the same place, where he put on shore the remaindci of the troops, guns, &c., leaving the transports in charge of Captain Lambert, of the Iphigenia. Dispositions were now made for an attack upon St. Denis ; but this was prevented by the appearance of an officer, who brought an offer from the governor to capitulate on honourable terms, which was agreed to, and on the 9th, the whole island submitted. While the British were thus successful in the Isle of Bour- bon, they experienced a reverse in a gallant attempt made of the town, I attack. The josed the first mchorage, and ler, which, till ; the beach on iposed of large was supposed, •acticable, and rtook to super- with a party of i with some of ;barkation ; but 1 the beach : it commander of t point, a light by Lieutenant ireakwater ; but omentary cover exertion of the i; was found ne- iny further at- occasion tMo )arty, however, of the battery »e Magicienne, orts, were now iloupe ; but the led the troops the beach still ;hed and pro- itheremaindr. ,8 in charge of ons were now [was prevented offer from the ,ch was agreed Isle of Bour- liittempt made SIR JOSIAS ROWLEY, BART. 629 to obtain possession of two French frigates, a corvette, and a captured Indiaman, lying in the harbour of Sud-Est, oppo- site to risle de la Passe ; the particulars of which will be found in our memoir of Captain Samuel Pym, who command- ed on the occasion. This unfortunate business ended in the unavoidable destruction of the Sirius and Magicienne frigates, and the surrender to the enemy of the Iphigenia and Nereide, the latter after a glorious resistance, almost unparalleled even in the brilliant annals of the British navy. " A momentary superiority thus obtained by the enemy was promptly and decisively crushed by the united zeal, judgment, perseverance, skill, and intrepidity of Captain Rowley, who, in the Boadicca, almost alone and unsupported, but by the never-failing energies and resources of his active and intelligent mind, under circumstances, as may be easily imagined, of extreme anxiety, mortification, and disappoint- ment, in a few hours not only retook two of the King's ships that had also fallen into the hands of the enemy, but captured the largest frigate possessed by the French in the Indian seas, and thus restored the British naval pre-eminence in that quarter, which his talents had long so successfully contributed to maintain *." On the morning of the 12th Sept., 1810, Captain Rowley sailed from St. Paul's Bay, in company with the Otter sloop and Staunch gun-brig, in order to attack two French frigates, (the Astrea and Iphigenia) which were then in the offing to windward. As he stood out from the anchorage, he had the satisfaction of recognizing the Africaine frigi»te, which joined him in the chace. By superior sailing, and having the same breeze as the enemy, that ship was enabled to close with them before dark ; and led by her signals, the Boadicea was gaining fjist upon them, when at 3 A. M. a heavy firing was observed about four or five miles a-head of the latter. Captain Kowley concluded that it was Captain Corbett's intention merely to attempt crippling the enemy ; but unfortunately at that moment the winds became light and variable, and the Afri- caine becoming imnianageable under the fire of both ships, (one in a most destructive raking position), after a very gal- lant, though unc(|ual contest, was obliged to surrender, and • Set Vii'«-AdiJiiral BERriK'n ofticinl l«tler, N'av. Cliron. v. 2r),p. 168. m ■ h Nlii '*■ '■; I ilc If .» t kk ■1-1 \ il'lf'^ 11 1|. m ■i' ' t- '«?# 630 ItEAK-ADMIRALS OF THE RBD. the action ceased about fifteen minutes after four in the morn- ing. Day dawned, and shewed the result : the enemy appeared to have suffered little ; the Africaine was in their possession, with no apparent loss but that of her mizen-top-mast. Such a state did not appear to justify Captain Rowley commencing an attack on a force so much superior, particularly in the then critical situation of af&irs, when the Boadicea was the only remaining British frigate on the station ; and Captain Rowley knew of two other frigates of the enemy and a corvette cruiz- ing in the neighbourhood. He therefore made sail to bring up the Otter and Staunch, then out of sight ; and having soon effected a junction, he led them towards the enemy, who, on the approach of the British, abandoned the Africaine, leaving an officer and 9 Frenchmen in charge of her, with most of the wounded, and about 83 of her crew^, whom they had not time to remove. Her gallant commander. Captain Corbett, was wounded early in the action, and died a few hours after it had terminated. Soon after this affair, the Astrea and Iphigenia, reinforced by a large brig of war, resumed their former station, and Cap- tain Rowley again put to sea to meet them ; but the dull sail- ing of the Otter and Staunch, and the circumstance of the enemy having the weather gage, combined to prevent his at- tacking them with any possibility of success. He therefore returned to St. Paul's Road, from whence, on the morning of the 18th Sept. he discovered three sail in the offing, two of which appeared to have suffered in their masts and rigging. Our officer immediately weighed, in company with his former consorts, but from light winds was unable for some hours to clear the bay, at which period the strangers were nearly out of sight. The Boadicea now having the advantage of a fresh breeze, neared the enemy : one of them, which had a crippled frigate in tow, cast her off, and made all sail away from her pursuers ; the third bore up under her courses (having lost her top-masts,) to protect the other, which enabled Captain Rowley soon to run her along- side ; when after a short, but close action, hav- ing lost 9 men killed and 15 wounded, she struck to the Boa- dicea, and proved to be the Venus, of 44 guns, with a com- SIR JOSIA$ ROWLKY, BART. 63) ur ill the morn- nemy appeared heir possession, )p-inast. Such ey commencing larly in the then la was the only Captain Rowley I corvette cruiz- : sail to bring up ind having soon memy, who, on ricaine, leaving nth most of the ey had not time n Corbett, was )urs after it had jnia, reinforced ation, and Cap- it the dull siiil- imstance of the prevent his at- He therefore le morning of offing, two of ;s and rigging, vith his former some hours to ere nearly out fresh breeze, rippled frigate her pursuers ; er top-masts,) owley soon to e action, hav- :k to the Boa- with a com- plement, on leaving port, of 380 men, /commanded by Com- modore Hamelin, senior officer of the French squadron in India, victualled and storwJ for «ix months. She had, in the early part of the mpming, in company with the Victor corvette, cRptured, after a mo^t guJjlftnt defence, his Majesty's ship Ceylon, conira^dfi4 by Q^ain Qprdon, hav- ing on board Major-General Abercromby smd his staff, bound for the island of Bourbon. Captain Rowley made the signal for \iaji Otter to take pos- session of the Ceylon, while the Boadicea took her prize in tow J and on the 21st they were anchored in safety at St. Paul's, where in a few days both they and the Africaine were put in a state for service *. The grand obstacle to an attack on the Isle of France was the difficulty of finding a proper place for the debarkation of a con8ider9,b,le number of troops, the whole coast being sur- rounded with breakers ; to which must be added^ the sup- posed impossibility of finding anchorage for a fleet of trans- ports : but these difficulties were surmounted by the inde- fatigable labours of Captain Rowley, seconded by the other naval officers, engineers, and pilots, in an attempt upon the island towards the close of the year. On the 21st Nov., a large fleet of men of war and transports, under the orders of Vice-Admiral Bertie, having on board a body of troops about 8 or 10,000 strong, commanded by the Hon. John Abercromby, arrived at the place of rendezvous j and on the 29th, a landing was effected without opposition in Grande Bay f, about 12 miles to windward of Port Louis. Some skirmishing occurred till the 2d J>ec., while the utmost exertions were making for attacking the forts ; but on that day the Governor-General, De Caen^ proposed terms of capi- tulation, which were settled and agreed upon by Major-Geue- • Tlie lower masts of the Wyndham, a recaptured ludiatnan, were ap- plied to the Africaine, whose maots had all fallen suhsequent to her surren- der to the French frigates. By the capture of the Venus, the ships of the squadron obtained a supply of stores of which they were alnaost destitute, and were enabled to complete their victualling to four months. t A chanucl hitherto but little known, and which the enemy are supposed to have considered much too dangerous for a hostile fleet to attempt, was sounded by moonlight ; and the Admiral's ship, piloted by the Master of the Boadicea, led the whole through in safety. ■ m X': I. (1^ m 0 m 1 lii 'V. ll In ^ " 'i l|,;V.^ ji i i 1 632 REAR-ADMIRALS OP THK RED. ral Henry Warde, and Captain Rowley, on the part of the British ; and on the morning of the 3d, signed and ratified at head-quarters, by which the whole islandj with an im- mense quantity of stores and valuable merchandize, six large frigates, three smaller ships of war, five gun-boats, three cap- tured Indiamen, and twenty-eighi merchant vessels, were sur- rendered to the English, whose total loss in accomplishing the conquest of this important colony did not exceed 150 men in killed and wounded *. • No person could entertain a more accurate idea of the value of the Mauritius, in a political and commercial view, than the Abli^ Raynal ; who, as long ago as the middle of the last century, expressed his opinion as follows : " The isle of France must always be allowed to be one of the most va- luable possessions for any nation desirous of trading to Asia. It is situated in the African seas, just at the entrance of the Indian ocean. As it lies a little out of the common track, its expeditions can be carried on with greater secrecy. Those, who wish it was nearer to our continent, do not consider that if it were so, it would be impossible to reach the coasts of Malabar and Coromandel in a month's time, and the more distant gulfs in two months ; which, to a nation, who like the French, have no sea-port in Hindostan, is au inestimable advantage. This island, though in the same parallel of latitude as the barren and scorching coast of Africa, is temperate, and comparatively healthy. The soil is stony, but tolerably fertile. Ex- perience has shewn that it will produce most of the necessaries, and even some of the luxuries of life. Whatever it may want may be supplied from Madagascar, and from Bourbon ; where the inhabitants have retained simplicity of manners, with a tuste for husbandry. Great Britain sees, with a jealous eye, her rivals possessed of a settlement, which may prove the ruin of her flourishing trade with Asia. At the breaking out of a war her utmost efforts will certainly he aimed at a colony that threatens her richest treasures. What a misfortune to France, should she suffer herself to be deprived of it ! " Fatal experience has proved that no position could be more successfully adapted to the annoyance of British commerce in the Indian seas, than the Mauritius, while in the possession of France. It served as a place of ren- dezvous for the enemy's cruizers, where they could he refitted, and whither they might retire with their plunder. It was a depot of captured produce ; in which view it was resorted to by American traders, who brought that pro- duce to Europe, which the French were unable to convey in their own mer- chantmen. By the 8th article of the definitive treaty of peace between France and the allied powers, signed at Paris, May 30, 1814, the isle of France was ceded in full property and sovereignty to his Britannic Majesty. In our hands it is impregnable, as long as we command the seas, and may, perhaps, l»e rendered a station of some importance. m StR JOSIAS ROWLEY, BART. 633 After the reduction of the Isle of France, three frigates were despatched on an expedition against the batteries of Tametava, on the coast of Madagascar, and to go from thence to root out the French from the Isle of Almerante, and some other places of minor importance ; all which was happily accom- plished : so that by the middle of January, 1811, there did not remain to the French a slip of territory in either of the Indies, nor a ship in the Indian ocean. Captain Rowley returned to England with Vice-Admiral Bertie's despatches, in which most honourable mention was made of his long and arduous services ; and on his arrival was appointed to the America, of 74 guns, in which ship he proceeded to the Mediterranean. The following is a brief outline of his services on that station, where he continued during the remainder of the war. On the 9th May, 1812, being on a cruize in the Gulf of Ge- noa, in company with the Leviathan 74, and Eclair sloop, he chased a fleet of merchant vessels deeply laden under the bat- teries of Languilla. At day-break on the following morning, the marines were landed, and stormed the batteries, mount- ing 9 heavy guns and a mortar, whilst the boats of the squa- dron brought out 10 of the vessels, and destroyed the remain- der. This service was performed with the loss of 4 men killed, 21 wounded, and 1 1 drowned. The latter was occa- sioned by the American's yawl being sunk by a chance shot from the only gim that could bear on the boats, as they ap- proached the shore. Captain Rowley subsequently commanded the squadron sta- tioned on the coast of Sicily and Naples ; but nothing of mo- ment occurred until the month of December, J 813, when he made a descent on the coast of Italy, under a hope of surpris- ing Leghorn : but this gallant enterprize failed through the threatening state of the weather, and the inadequacy of his force, which consisted of only three ships of the line, two fri- gates, two post sloops, a store-ship, and about 1,000 men be- longing to the Italian Levy. The loss sustained by the squa- dron on this occasion was I man killed, 3 drowned, and 1 1 wounded; that of the troops was likewise inconsiderable. About 300 prisoners were taken in two skirmishes with the \ it ti .. ml 1 U:' I .1 634 REAB-ADMIHALS OF THJ» RMX>, enemy at Via R^gio and in Uie suburbs of Leghoim, and a great aumber slain and wouiided *, Early in the following year. Captain Rowley sailed from Palermo, with his squadron and a large fleet c^ transports, having on board the army under Lord William Bentiock, des^ tined for the reduction of Genoa. The advanced guard hav- ing been landed considerably to the eastward, moved forward, supported by the shipping, dismantling the batteries as the enemy retired on their approach. On the 30th March, the forces of Santa Msuia, with the forts and defences in the gulph of Spezm, capitulated, after considerable resistance, to a party of seamen under the orders of Captain Dunda» , of the Edinburgh. On the 13th April, the main body of the army was lanued at Recce, in the gulph of Genoa, and immediately pushed on towards that city, accompsmied by the flotilla. On the 17th, every preparation being made for the attack, at day-light the troops moved forwards to drive the enemy from their posi- tions without the town. The gun and mortar-vessels, with the ships' boats, armed with carronades, were advanced along the sea-line to attack the batteries : the greater part of the marines of the squadron were also embarked in the transports' boats, ready to land as occasicm might require. As soon as the troops advanced, the whole of the flotilla opened their fire with such effect, that on the landing of the seamen and ima- rines, and preparing to storm, the enemy deserted their bat- teries, and the whole of the sea-line without the walls, which were instantly taken possession of, and soon turned on the place, by this means drawing off a considerable portion of tlie enemy's fire. At this moment, and greatly to the regret of the squadron. Sir Eklward Pellew, with several Ime-of-battle ships, appeared in sight, which increased the alarm of the inhabitants, and in- duced the French Commandant to enter into a capitulation. On the fi^wing morning, the British troops were put in pos- session of the works, whilst the ships entered the Mole, where they found four fine brigs of war, besides a number of mer« chantmen. The capture of Savona by a detachment .of the - * Sec Hon. Captain Dundas, in our next volume. SIR JOSIAS ROWLEY, BART. 635 army, aided by a small squadron commanded by Captain Grant, completed the conquest of the Genoese territory. A 74-gun ship found on the stocks at Genoa, was launched and laden with the frame of another of similar dimensions. She was escorted to England by the America, in the autumn of 1814. On the 2d Nov. 1813, Captain Rowley was rewarded with a patent of Baronetcy, for his eminent services on the Cape station. At the general promotion, Dec. 4, in the same year, he received the honorable appointment of a Colonel of Royal Marines. On the 4th June, 1814, he was advanced to the rank of Rear-Admiral ; and in Jan. 1815, when the Order of the Bath was extended into three classes, we find him among the officers who were nominated to be Knights Commanders. He subsequently hoisted his flag on board the Impregnable, of 104 guns, and accompanied Lord Exmouth to the Mediter- ranean, where he remained but a short time, the hostilities occasioned by Buonaparte's return from Elba having ceased immediately after that adventurer's overthrow at Waterloo. Towards the latter end of 1818, Sir Josias Rowley suc- ceeded Sir Benjamin Hallowell as Commander-in-Chief on the Irish station, where he continued during the customary period of three years, with his flag in the Spencer, of 74 guns. In 1819, the corporation of the city of Cork presented him with its freedom in a silver box ; and about the summer of 1821, he was chosen representative in Parliament for Kinsade. Residence. — ^Drumsna, co. Leitrim, Irebmdj and Albany B. 4, Piccadilly. .r!.. U-M-- I SIR EDWARD CODRINGTON, Rear-admiral of the Red; and KnigtU Commander (\f the most hono. rable Military Order of the Bath. This officer is descended from the Codringtons, of Cod- ringtoii, CO. Gloucester, who were of considerable importance in the time of Henry IV *. He was made a Lieutenant in * Sir Edward's immediate ancestor was created a Baronet in 1721. Tlic title is at present in the possession of his elder brother, Sir Christo- pher Belhcll Codrington, of Dodington in Gloucestershire. V: h ■f 636 RKAtt-ADMIRALS OP THK RED. 1793 ; served as such on board Earl Howe's flag-ship, the Queen Charlotte, in the battle of June 1, 1794; and soon after that glorious event obtained the rank of Commander in the Comet fire-vessel. His commission as Post-Captain bears date April 6, 1795. He afterwards commanded in succession the Babet, of 22 guns, and Druid frigate. The former was with Lord Bridport, when that officer encountered the enemy's fleet ofl'TOrient; the latter assisted at the cap- ture of a French frigate, armed en flute, on board of which were 400 hussars proceeding to join the rebels in Ireland, Jan. 7, 1797 *. From this period we lose sight of Captain Codrington until the summer of 1804, when he joined the Argo, of 44 guns. From that ship he removed into the Orion, a third rate, in which he had the good fortune to be present at the memorable battle off Cape Trafalgar, and for his conduct on that occasion, was honored with a gold medal, and in common with the other officers of the fleet, received the thanks of both Houses of Parliament f. Towards the latter end of 1808, our officer Avas appointed to the Blake, a new 74 ; and in the ensuing year we find him serving under Sir Richard J. Strachan, in the expedition to the Scheldt. On passing the batteries of Flushing, Aug. 15, the Blake had 2 men killed and 9 wounded ; her commander's gallant behaviour was duly noticed ui the official despatches relative to the reduction of that place. In 1810, Captain Codrington was employed in the defence of Cadiz ; he subsequently commanded a squadron stationed on the coast of Catalonia for the purpose of co-operating with the Spanish patriots, to whose cause he rendered very great assistance, by his active zeal, and the sound judgment with which he applied the force under his orders. He was ap- pointed to a Colonelcy of Royal Marines, Dec. 4, 1813 ; ad- vanced to the rank of Rear- Admiral, June 4, 1814; and from that period served as Captain of the Fleet on the American station under Sir Alexander Cochrane, whom he accompanied in the expeditions up the Chesapeake |, and against New * Seep. 388. t For an account of the battle of Trafalgar, see p. 202, et seq. X Sec p. 624, I't seq. SlU EDVVAUl) CODRINGTOX. Chiy Orleans *. He returned to England with the oflicial account of the capture of Fort Boyer, which closed the war between • The naval and military forces employed in the expedition against New Orleans, arrived off Chandeleur islands, Dec. 8, 1814; and on the 16th the first division of the army, commanded by Colonel Thornton, of the S5th rejfiment, took post upon the Isle aux Poix, a small swampy spot at tlie mouth of the Pearl river, where Sir Alexander Cochrane, Rear- Admiral Codrington, and Major-General Keane, joined them on the fol- lowing day. The officers who had been sent to reconnoitre Bayon Catalan (or des Pechours) at the head of Lac Borgne, now returned with a favorable re- port of its position for disembarking the army; having, with their guide, pulled up in a canoe to the head of the Bayon, a distance of eight miles, and landed within a mile and a half of the high road to, and about six miles below New Orleans, where they crossed the road without meeting with any interruption, or perceiving the least preparation on the part of the enemy. The severe changes of the weather, from rain to fresh gales and hard frost, retarding the boats in their repeated passages to and from the ship- ping, it was not until the 21st, that a sufficient number of troops could be assembled at Isle aux Poix to admit of their proceeding. On the follow- ing day the gun-vessels, and such others as could be brought into the lakes, being filled with about 2400 men, the advance, consisting of about 1600, got into the boats, and at eleven o'clock the whole started, with a fair wind, to cross Lac Borgne ; but before they had got within ten miles of the Bayon, the whole of the vessels grounded in succession ; the ad- vance, however, pushed on, and at about midnight reached the entrance. A picquet, which the enemy had taken the precaution to place there being surprised and cut off, Major-General Keane, accompanied by Rear- Admiral Malcolm, who had been appointed to superintend the disembarka- tion, moved up the Bayon with the advance, and having effected a landing at day-break, took up a position across the main road to New Orleans, be- tween the river Mississippi and the Bayon. In this situation, about an hour after sun-set, on the 23d, and before the boats could return with the second division, au enemy's schooner of 14 guns, and an armed ship of 16, having dropped down the Mississippi, the former commenced a brisk cannonading, which was followed up by an at- tack of the whole of the American army. Their troops were, however, beaten back with considerable loss, and Major-General Keane advanced somewhat beyond his former position. As soon as the second division was brought up, the gun-vessels and boats returned for the remainder of the troops, the small-armed seamen and marines of the squadron, and such supplies as were required. On the 25th, Mt^or-General Sir Edward Pakenham arrived at head-quarters, and took the command of the army. The schooner which had continued at intervals to annoy the troops, having been burnt on the 27th by hot sliot from the British artillery, and ':?* fllii I'm li I i^BI II SI II > il^H H 638 R£AR-AUMIRALS OF THE RED. Great Britain and the United States. The Rear- Admiral was nominated a K. C. B. Jan. 2, 1815. Residence. — 43, Charles Street, Berkeley Square. the ship having warped farther up the river, the following day Sir Edtrani moved forward to within gun-shot of an entrenchment whicli the enemy had recently thrown up, extending across the cultivated ground from the Mississippi to an impassable swampy wood on his left, a distance of about 1000 yards. It being thought necessary to bring heavy artillery against this work, and also against the ship which had cannonaded the army when advancing, guns were brought up from the shipping, and on the Ist Jan. 1815, bat- teries were opened, but without having the desired effect, in consequence of which the attack was deferred until the arrival of a reinforcement of troops under Sir John Lambert, who joined on the 6th. In the proposed plan for the general attack upon New Orleans, it was decided to throw a body of men across the river to gain possession of the enemy's guns on the right bank ; and for this purpose the canal by which the provisions and stores had been conveyed towards the camp, was widened and extended to the river ; and about fifty boats having, in the day-time of the 7th, been tracked under cover and unperceived close up to the bank, at night the whole were after much labour dragged into tlie Mississipi, and placed under the command of Captain Roberts, of the Meteor, who had re- cently distinguished himself in a brilliant affair, to which we shall pay pro- per attention in our memoir of Captain Nicholas Lockyer, the officer who commanded on the occasion. Early on the morning of the 8th, the 85tli regiment and about 600 sea- men and marines, under the direction of Colonel Thornton, Captain Money of the navy, and Major Adair of the latter corps, were landed without op- position *, and the armed boats moving up the river as they advanced, this part of the operations succeeded perfectly ; the Americans being driven from every position, leaving behind them 17 pieces of cannon, and the colours of the New Orleans regiment of militia ; but the great loss sustained in the unsuccessful attempt to gain possession of the enemy's lines near the town, having induced Sir John Lambert (who had succeeded to the command of the army on the death of Sir Edward Pakenham) to send orders to Colonel Thornton to retire ; after spiking the guns and destroying the carriages, the whole were re-embarked and brought back, the boats again dragged into the canal, and from thence to the Bayon, conveying at the same time such of the wounded as it was thought requisite to send off to the ships. The loss of the British en the 8th was about 2,000 killed, wounded, ai\d taken prisoners. The brave Sir Edward Pakenham, as soon as from his station he had made the signal for the troops to advance to the general as> sault, gallopped on to the front, to' animate them by his presence ; and he was seen with his hat off, encouraging them on the crest of the glacis : it was there he received two wounds, one in the knee, and another in his body; he fell in the arms of his aid-de-camp, Major M'Dougall. This sad event 639 GEORGE PARKER, Esq. Rear-admiral of the Red. At the commencement of the war with France, in 1793, we find this officer serving as First Lieutenant of the Crescent frigate, commanded by the present Sir James Saumarez. Af- ter the capture of le Reunion, already mentioned at p. 178, he was promoted to the rank of Commander in the Albicore sloop, on the North Sea station. His post commlHsion bears date April 7, 1795. His next appointment was to the S(|uir- happening in the sight of the troops, together with the Mtgor-Generals Gibbs and Keane being both borne off wounded (the former mortully) at the same time, with many other commanding officers ; and further, the prepa- rations to aid in crossing the ditch not being so forward as they oiiirht to have been, caused a wavering in the column, which in such a situation be- came irreparable j and as Sir John Lambert advanced with the reserve, at about 250 yards from the lines, he had the mortification to observe the wliole falling back upon him in the greatest confusion. Thus circumstaiicod. Sir John, having placed the reserve in position, went to meet the naval Commander-in-Chief, whom he informed of the failure, and that he did not think it prudent to renew the attack. On the following day it was deter- mined to retreat, and the whole army was accordingly re-embarked under the superintendence of Rear-Admiral Malcolm, who had been left to con- duct the naval part of the Expedition on the departure of Sir Alexander Cochrane to arrange for the reception of the troops, and prepare the fleet for further operations. The laborious exertions and gtt&t privations of the officers and men of the squadron employed on this unfortunate expedition, very few of whom ever slept one night on board their ships for a period of about seven weeks, have never been surpassed. During that time a large army, with the prin- cipal part of its provisions, stores, artillery, ammunition, and the numerous necessary appendages, were all transported from the shipping to the head of the Bayon, a distance of 70 miles, chiefly in open boats, and conveyed back by the same tedious process in the most changeable and severe wea- ther, notwithstanding which the utmost emulation and unanimity pervaded the Whdlc. After the failure at New Orleans, the armament proceeded to Isle Dau- phine, where the troopt ^ere landed and encamped. From thence a detach- ment proceeded towards Mobile, and on the Uth Feb. compelled Fort Beyer to surrender. This was the Concluding operation of the American war, the treaty of peace between the two countries being ratified by the President of the United States on the 17th of the same month. a i 1 . 4' n V'M* \i ' . bi-fl 640 UEAR-ADMIRALS OF THK RED. rel, of 20 guns, and from that ship he removed, towards tlie close of 1796, into the Santa Margaritta frigate, in which, after serving for some time on the Irish station, he visited Jamaica, North America, the Mediterranean, and Leeward Islands. He retained the command of the Santa Margaritta during the remainder of the war*. In the summer of 1805, Captain Parker commanded the Stately, of 64 guns, in the North Sea. From thence he was sent to the Baltic, where, on the 22d March, 1808, in com- pany with the Nassau, another 64-gun ship, he fell in with the Prince Christian Frederick, a Danish J4, which surrendered after a running fight of near tv^o hours, and soon after grounded near the island of Zealand. It being found impossible to get the prize afloat, the wind blowing strong on the shore, from whence the English ships were only two cables' length dis- tant, and the Danes preparing their artillery, it was found ne- cessary to set her on fire, by which means she was totally destroyed. The loss of the British on this occasion was trt- vial when compared with that sustained by the enemy. The former had 5 men killed and 44 wounded ; the latter 55 slain and 88 wounded. Captain Parker was soon after appointed to the Aboukir, of 74 guns and continued in that ship until the autumn of 1813, when he exchanged into the Bombay, another third rate, at- tached to the Mediterranean fleet. He was advanced to the rank of Rear-Admiral, June 4, 1814. Residence. — Yarmouth, Norfolk. ROBERT PLAMPLIN, Esq. - Rear-Admiral oj the Red. At the commencement of the war with the French republic, in 1793, we find this officer serving as a Lieutenant on board the Syren frigate, in which ship H. R. H. the Duke of York went over to Holland. As a mark of the high sense entertained by the Prince of • Among the captures made by Captain Parker, in the Snnta Margaritta, were I'Adour, of 16 guns, pierced for 20, and 147 men; la Vlctorine, of 16 guns and 82 men ; the San Francisco, of 14 guns nii'l !>.') iihmi ; and le Quatorze Juillct, of 14 guns and 65 men. POBERT PLAMPLIN, ESQ. 641 Orange of the eminent services performed by Lieutenant Plamplin, when employed in a gun-boat at the defence of Wil- liarastadt (at that time besieged by the French), and the at- tack of the enemy's batteries on the Moordyke, March 21, 1793*, H. S. H. ordered him to be presented with a medal, with a suitable inscription, value 500 guilders ; and on his return to England, he was promoted to the rank of Com- mander. Captain Plamplin's post commission bears date April 21, 1795 ; and in the same year we find him commanding the Ariadne, of 20 guns, in the Mediterranean, under the orders of the gallant Nelson. From that ship he was removed into the Lowestoife frigate, and sent to England with the home- ward-bound trade. He afterwards proceeded to the West Indies ; but nothing of moment appears to have occurred du- ring his continuance on that station. On her return to Europe, in company with a fleet of mer- chantmen, the Lowestoife, in working through the windward passage, went on shore upon the Great Heneaga, in the night of the 10th Aug. 1801, and was totally wrecked, but fortu- nately only a few lives were lost. On the 3d of the following month, Captain Plamplin was tried by a court-martial at Port Royal, for the loss of his ship ; when it appeared on the clear- est evidence, that his conduct had been judicious in every respect ; and that but for the sudden change of the current after dark, the whole of the vessels under his charge, several of which were likewise wrecked, would have proceeded in safety through the passage. The court, therefore, after mature consideration, fully acquitted him of all blame in respect to their loss. Our officer appears subseciuently to have commanded the Antelope, of 50 guns, from which ship he removed about the autumn of 1805, into the Powerful, 74, and accompanied Sir John T. Duckworth to the Leeward Islands. From thence he was despatched to the East Indies with the intelligence of a French squadron being at sea, and the uncertainty of its destination. On the 13th June, 1806, Captain Plamplin captured la Hen- riette, of 20 guns and 124 men ; and in the following month, • Sw note at p. 57'*^. vol.. I. 2 T ^■••s 642 REAR ADMIRALS OF THE RKD. la Bellone, of 30 guns and 194 men, both privateers, off Trin- comalee. The latter vessel fired a broadside at the Powerful, and kept up a running fire within gun-shot, for a considerable time, by which 2 men were killed and 1 1 wounded on board that ship. La Bellone had 1 man killed and 6 or 7 wounded. She was a very superior sailer, and had cruized for several years with uncommon success against the British commerce in the Indian and European seas. In the summer of 1809, our officer was appointed to the Courageux, another 74-gim ship, and commanded a division of the fleet under Sir Richard J. Strachan, in the expedition to the Scheldt. His next appointment was in 1812, to the Ocean, a second rate, in which he served on the Mediterra- nean station during the remainder of the war. At the general promotion, June 4, 1814, Captain Plamplin was advanced to the rank of Rear- Admiral,; and in 1817 he hoisted his flag in the Conqueror, 74, as Commander-in-Chief at St. Helena, where he continued during the customary pe- riod of three years. He arrived at Portsmouth on his return from thence, Sept. 9, 1820. r-v-'y HON. SIR HENRY BLACKWOOD, Baronet ; Renr-Admirul of the Red ; Knist-ht Commander of the most honorable Military Order of the Bath, and of the Sicilian Order of St. Ferdinand and of Merit. This officer, the youngest son of the late Sir John Black- wood, Bart., of Ballyliddy, co. Down, by the late Baroness Dufferin and Clanboye *, was born Dec. 28, 1770; entered the naval service under the protection of the late Admiral • The Hlackwoods are (Icsceiided from an ancient Scottish stork. Tlu' I'umily estate in Downshire was sequestered by Jnmes Il'a parliument, but restored on the accession of the Prince of Oraiiijfc. Sir Henry's grand- father was created a Baronet ui 17fiil The descent of his mother was, l>y her paternal grandmother, from Archibald Hamillon, brother of Janice Viscount t'lanboye, ancestor of the Karls of Clanbrassil. Her Ladyship was created Baroness Dufterin and Clanboye in 1 HOI), the next year al'tm her husband's demise. She was always admired amongst her numerous friends, for the dignity of iicr manner and the wit «>f her repartee. HON. SIR HENRY BLACKWOOD, BART. 043 M^Britle, and served as Midshipman with Admiral Cosby, on the Mediterranean station *. In 1790, we find him doing the duty of Signal-Midshipman on board the Queen Charlotte, bearing the flag of Earl Howe, from whom he received his first commission. On the memorable 1st June, 1794, he was senior Lieutenant of the Invincible, 74, and during the action went with a message from Captain Pakenham to Earl Howe ; after the delivery of which he received orders from his Lord- ship to take possession of le Juste, a French 84-gun ship, whose fire had recently been silenced t- On the return of the victorious fleet to Spithead, Lieutenant Blackwood was promoted to the rank of Commander, in the the Megaera fire-vessel. His post commission bears date June 2, 1795 ; and from that period until July 1796, we find him in the Nonsuch, of 64 guns, stationed as a floating bat- tery at Hull. His next appointment was to the Brilliant, a small frigate, in which, after compelling a Spanish vessel of superior force to seek refuge under the batteries of Teneriffe, he sustained an action with two French ships of war each mounting 44 guns, and by a series of masterly manoeuvres, succeeded in effecting his escape J. Soon after this event. Captain Blackwood removed into the Penelope, a new frigate, of 36 gims, forming part of a s(|uadron under the orders of Lord Nelson, on the Mediter- ranean station. In that ship, which for discipline, sailing, and manoeuvring, was the admiration of every officer who there witnessed her, he was employed in the blockade of Malta and watching le Guillaume Tell, of 86 guns, bearing the flag of Rear-Admiral Decres, who had escaped from the battle of the Nile, and taken shelter in Valette harbour. Under cover of a dark night, March 30, 1800, the French ship ventured out ; but was soqu descried by Captain Blackwood, who ini- tm • See note •, at p. 602. f See p. 1 19. I The Brilliant was at the Nore during the mutiny in 17^7, and four of her best seamen were severely flof({(ed by order of the delegates for speak- ing (lisrcHpeetfully of them. She was one of the ships ordered by the chief ringleader, Parker, to moor across the Thames, in order to obstruct the navigation of that river. See p. I()0, et seq. In the following year, we find her at Newfoundland, under the orders of Vice-Admirul Waldegrave, uuw Lord Radstook. 2 T 2 i n J I i«l lil u; *■■ 644 RKAR-ADMIIIALS OF THG RBD. mediately gave chace, and in less than an hour arrived close up with her. The superior sailing of the Penelope enabled our officer to place her so that she became only casually ex- posed to the enemy's stern-gims, whilst she repeatedly raked le Guillaume Tell within musket-shot, and with such effect that, just before the dawn of day on the 31st, the latter was reduced to her head-sails and spanker, and these were greatly damaged by the Penelope's tire. The Lion and Foudroyant, ships of the line, were thus enabled to come up in succession , and bring the enemy to close action, which continued with great fury on both sides for several hours, when le Guillaume Tell being totally dismasted, and, in constquence of her violent motion, unable to keep the lower-deck ports open, struck her colours, and was taken possession of by the Pe- nelope. The total loss sustained by the British squadron appears to have been 17 men slain and 1 10 wounded ; that of the enemy, about 200 killed and wounded *. Captain Dixon, the senior officer pr sent on this occasion, in his official letter to Commodore Troubridge, declared that he had not language to express the high sense of obligation he felt himself under to Captain Blackwood, for his prompt and able conduct in leading the Lion and Foudroyant to the enemy ; for the gallantry and spirit so highly conspicuous in him, and for his admirable management of the Penelope. " To your discrifninathig Judgment," adds he, "it is un- necessary to remark of what real value and importance such an officer must ever be considered to his Majesty's service." The French Admiral also did ample justice to Captain Black- wood's conduct, as appears by his letter, published in the Moniteur, in which he ascribes his capture to the heroic in- trepidity of the commander of the English frigate, in pre- viously bringing him to action, and damaging his rigging. The Penelope toM^ed the prize into Syracuse, after which she returned to her station off Malta, and assisted in tho blockade of that island until its surrender, Sept. 5, 1800 f. On the 7th Jan. 1801, Captain Blackwood received the royal permission to accept and wear the insignia of a Com- mander of the Sicilian Order of St. Ferdinand and of Merit, See p. 378. ^ Seep. 2S1. HON. SIR HENRY BLACKWOOD, BART. 645 During the same year he served with considerable distinction under Lord Keith, on the expedition against the French in Egypt ; after which the Penelope returned to England, and arrived at Spithead, March 19, 1802. At the breaking out of the late war, Captain Blackwood was appointed to the command of the Euryalus, of 36 guns, then just launched ; and in that frigate, on the coast of Ire- land, under the late Lord Gardner, at Boulogne under Lord Keith, and off Cadiz with Viscount Nelson, he again distin- guished himself by his activity and ability. As every thing connected with the memory of Lord Nelson must ever be interesting to Britons, particularly those of the naval profession, we shall here give Captain Blackwood's account of the conversation he had with his Lordship on the morning of the glorious 21st Oct. 1805, the last day of that great commander's life. "At six o'clock on the morning of the 21st, my signal was made to re- pair on board the Victory. In a few minutes I went on hoard, and had the satisfaction to find the Admiral in good, but very calm spirits. After re- ceiving my congratulations, at the approach of the moment he so long and 80 often had wished for, he replied, ' / mean to day to bleed the Captains of the frigates, as I shall keep you on hoard until the very last minute* His mind seemed entirely directed to the strength and formation of the enemy's line, as well as to the effects which his novel mode of attack was likely to produce. He seemed very much to regret, and with reason, that the enemy tacked to the northward, and formed their line on the larboard, instead of the starboard tack, which latter line of bearing would have kept the Straits' mouth open. Instead of which, by forming to the northward^ they brought the shoals of Trafalgar and St. Pedro under our lee ; and also with the existing wind, kept open the port of Cadiz, which was of infinite consequence to them. This movement was in a great degree the cause of Lord Nelson's making the signal to prepare to anchor, the necessity of which wus impressed on his mind to the last moment of his life : and so much did he think of the possibility of the enemy's escape into Cadiz, that lie desired me to employ the frigates, as much as I could, to complete the destruction of the enemy, whether at anchor or not ; and not to think of saving ships or men ; for annihilation to both wus his first object, and cap- ture l)ut a secondary one. During the five hourou. \ ahalf that I remained on boiird, in which I was not ten minutes from his side, he frequently asked me, Jfliat I should consider as a victory i* the certainty of which he never for an instant seemed to doubt, although from the situation of the land he questioned the possibility of the subsequent preservation of the prizes, ftly answer was, 'That considering the handsome way i» which battle was of- fi'rcd by the enemy, their apparent detenuinatioii for a fair trial of !«trongth. «'':i 5' U:^^ ^ : h 'f '»! :'ff Kii iKi, 'is ' 'li-li 646 a£AR-ADMtRALS OK THK RfiD. and the proximity of the land, 1 thought if fourteen ships were captured, it would be a glorious result ;' to which he always replied, '/shall not, Black- wood, he satisfied with any thing- short of twenty: A telegraphic signal liad been made by him to denote, Thnt he intended to break through the rear of the enemy's line, to prevent their getting into Cadiz. I was walk- ing with him on the poop, when he said, ' I'll now amuse the fleet with a signal }' and he asked me, ' If I did nut think there was one yet wanting?' I answered. That I thought the whole of the fleet seemed very clearly to understand what they were about, and to vie with each other ^vho should first get nearest to the Victory, or Royal Sovereign. These words were scarcely uttered, when his last well-known signal was made, England ex- pects EVERY MAN WILL DO HIS DOTY. The shout with which it was re- ceived throughout the fleet, was truly sublime. Now, said Lord Nelson, / can do no more. We must trust to the Great Disposer of all Events, and the justice of our cause. I thank God for this great opportunity of doing my duty. About 10 o'clock his Lordship's anxiety to close with the enemy became very apparent. He frequently remarked to me, that they put a good face upon it ; but always quickly added, /'// give them such a dress- ing as they never had before ; regretting at the same time the vicinity of the land. At that critical moment I ventured to represent to his Lord- ship the value of such a life as his, and particularly in the present battle ; and I proposed hoisting his flag in the Euryalus, whence he could better see what was going on, as well as what to order in case of necessity. But he would not hear of it, and gave as his reason the force of example ; and probably he was right. My next object, therefore, was to endeavour to induce his Lordship to allow the Temeraire, Neptune, and Leviathan, to lead into action before the Victory, which was then the headmost ship. After much conversation, in which I ventured to give it as the joint opinion of Captain Hardy and myself, how advantageous it would be to the fleet for his Lordship to keep as long as possible out of the battle, he at length con- ssnted to allow the Temeraire, which was then sailing a-breast of the Vic- tory, to go a-head, and hailed Captain E. Harvey, to say such were his in- tentions, if the Temeraire could pass the Victory. Captain Harvey being rather out of hail, his Lordship sent me to communicate his wishes, which I did ; when on returning to the Victory, I found him doing all he could to increase rather than diminish sail, so that the Temeraire could not pass the Victory : consequently, when they came within gun-shot of the enemy. Captain Harvey, finding his efforts ineffectual, was obliged to take his station a-stern of the Admiral." ** Of the Victory and Royal Sovereign," continues Captain Blackwood, " it would be impossible to decide which achieved the most. They both, in my opinion, seemed to vie with each other in holding forth a brilliant example to the rest of the fleet. They were literally in themselves a host. Admiral Villeneuvt issured me, that on seeing the novel mode of attack intended to be made on the combined fleets, and which at that mo- ment, he confessed, he could m)t in any way prevent, he called the offi- cers of his ship around him, and pointing out the manner in which the e captured, it (wo/. Black- ;raphic signal k through the I was walk- le fleet with a yet wanting?' rery clearly to >r who should 36 words were England ex- liich it was re- l Lord Nelson, ill Events, and f unity of doing vith the enemy that they put a m such n dress- the vicinity of at to his Lord- present battle ; le could better necessity. But f example; and ;o endeavour to d Leviathan, to nost ship. After joint opinion of to the fleet for le at length con- last of the Vic- |uch were his in- in Harvey being |ate his wishes, litn doing all he femeraire could thin gun-shot of was obliged to lain Blackwood, It. They both, ] forth a brilliant |u themselves ti novel mode of liich at that mo- I called the offi- Ir in which the HON. sill HKNRY BLACKWOOD, BART. 647 first and second in command of the British fleet were each leading his column, he exclaimed. Nothing but victory can attend such gallant con- duct. When Lord Nelson found the shot pass over his ship, he desired Captain Prowse, of the Sirius, and myself, to go on board our ships, and in our way to tell all the Captains of line-of-battle ships, that he de- pended on their exertions ; and that if, by the mode of attack prescribed, they found it impracticable to get into action immediately, they might adopt whatever they thought best, provided it led them quickly and closely along-side an enemy. He then again desired me to go away ; and as we were standing on the front of the poop, I took his hand, and said, * I trust, my Lord, that on my return to the Victory, which will be as soon as possible, I shall And your Lordship well, and in possession of twenty prizes.' On which he made this reply, God bless you Blackwuou, I shall never speak to you again." Previous to this parting, Captain Blackwood had witnessed with Captain Hardy, by Lord Nelson's desire, the paper that has been so often before the public ; in which the services of the celebrated Lady Hamilton to her country, during her con- tinuance at the court of Naples, were strongly recommend- ed by the Admiral to the attention of Government*. Towards the close of the action that ensued, and which terminated so gloriously for Great Britain, the Royal So- vereign, bearing the flag of Vice-Admiral Collingwood, being almost totally dismasted, the Euryalus was ordered to come and remain within hail of her, for the purpose of making the necessary signals ; a service which Captain Blackwood per- formed with great attention. After the battle, the Vice-Ad- miral shifted his flag to her, that he might more easily com- nmnicate his orders to, and collect the other ships, and tow the Royal Sovereign out to seaward. To alleviate" the sufferings of the wounded prisoners, the humane successor of Nelson sent Captain Blackwood with a flag of truce to the Governor of Cadiz, proposing to give them up to the care of their own hospitals, on his sending boats for their conveyance, and giving receipts for their num- ber ; with an engagement that they should not serve again by sea or land until regularly exchanged : a proposal that • An account of the last moments of Lord Nelson's life will be given under the head of Captain Sir Thomas M. Hardy, in our next volume. Captain Blackwood went in his boat through the fire uf both fleets, to obtain intelligence of his Lordship's safety ; and arrived in the cockpit of the Victory a* ho was breathing hit* last. 'j .1 ^'M 648 REAR-ADMIRALS OF THE RED. was received with becoming thankfulness on the part of the Governor, and with the strongest expressions of gratitude by the whole country. The Euryalus soon after returned to England, and her com- mander had the melancholy satisfaction of taking a part in the procession at the public funeral of his late noble friend. On this occasion he acted as train-bearer to the chief-mourn- er. Sir Peter Parker, Bart., Admiral of the Fleet. At the commencement of the ensuing year. Captain Black- wood was appointed to the Ajax, of 80 guns ; in which ship he accompanied Sir John T. Duckworth on the expedition against Constantinople *. At 9"* P. M. on the 14th Feb. 1807, the squadron being then at anchor off the Dardanelles waiting for a fair wind to run up, the Ajax was discovered to be on fire; and in ten minutes from the first alarm, the smoke had gained so much upon those who were endeavouring to stifle it, that several men fell down with buckets in their hands, from suffocation ; and though it was bright moon-light, those on deck could only distinguish each other by speaking or feeling ; conse- quently all attempts to hoist the boats out were ineffectual, and the destruction of the ship became inevitable. On the flames bursting up the main hatchway, thereby dividing the fore from the after part of the ship. Captain Blackwood called to the people to go forward and save them- selves as fast as they could. He had no sooner reached the forecastle himself, than all parts of the vessel abaft the centre of the booms appeared in a raging flame. After ex- horting the officers and men, to the number of 400, who were assembled about him, to be cool, and depend on the boats of the squadron, and finding that he could no longer be of ser- vice to them, he jumped overboard from the sprit-sail yard ; and, after being about half an hour in the water, was picked up by one of the boats of the Canopus, and taken on board that ship much exhausted. The Ajax burnt all night, and drifted on the island of Tc- nedos, where she blew up at five o'clock next morning, with a most awful explosion. The unhappy sufferers of her ward- * See p. 316, el fct/. HON. SIR HENRY BLACKWOOD, BART. 649 room were Lieutenants Mitchell and Sibthorp ; Captain Boyd of the Royal Marines ; Mr. Owen, the Surgeon ; and Mr. Donaldson, the Master. The Gunner, who had two sons on board, threw one of them into the sea, from whence he was taken up by one of the boats ; but the poor man, going below for the other, perished in the flames. The remainder of the commissioned and warrant officers, 1 Surgeon's Mate, a Pilot, 17 Midshipmen, the Captain's Clerk, the Schoolmas- ter, 289 seamen, and 60 marines, were rescued, but several of them died after they were taken on board the different ships. Three merchants of Constantinople were on board : two perished j also a Greek pilot. One woman, out of three, saved herself by following her husband with a child in his arms down a rope from the jib-boom end. The total number whose lives were preserved, appears to have been 38^4. The cause of this melancholy accident has never been ex- actly ascertained ; but that there was a light in the bread- room, where there ought not to have been one, is certain ; for when the First Lieutenant broke open the door of the Sur- geon's cabin, the after bulk-head was already burnt down ; and as the Purser's steward, his assistant, and the cooper, were among the missing, it is but reasonable to suppose the fire was occasioned by their negligence. In pursuance of the standing orders. Captain Blackwood had received the First Lieutenant's report of his having visited all parts of the ship, with the warrant officers and master at arms, and found all clear and safe : he had also received the particular report of the latter, but not that of the subaltern of the marine guard, who was accustomed to visit all below, and make his report at 9 o'clock J at which hour, as already stated, this unfortunate event took place. '' ' ■■ • ' During the subsequent operations of the squadron. Captain Blackwood served as a volunteer in the Royal George, bearing the flag of Sir John T. Duckworth, from whose official letter to Lord Colling wood, relative to the forcing of the passage of the Dardanelles *, we make the following extract : "To Cap- tain Blackwood, who, after the unfortunate loss of the Ajax, volunteered to serve in the Royal George, great praise is due for his abli' assistance in regulating the fire of the middle and • Sec p. • Captain Douglas was entrusted with the command of a squadron stationed in the Chesapeake liver. Whilst so employed, he had occasion to enter into u spirited correspondence with the Mayor of the town of Nor- folk, in consequence of one of the ships under his orders having searched an American frigate for British seamen who had deserted to her. The particulars of this event will be given under the head of Captain S. P. Humphreys, in our next volume. On the Bellona's return to Europe, she was attached to the Channel fleet, and formed part of the force under Lord Gambler at the destruction of the enemy's ships in Aix Roads, in the month of April, 1809. She was afterwards employed in the North Sea; and, on the 18th Dec. 1810, captured the French privateer, le Heros du Nord, of 14 guns and 44 men. Captain Douglas's next appointment was in the spring of 1812, to the Prince of Wales, a second rate, in which he served on the Mediterranean station during the remainder of the war. His advancement to the rank o£ Rear-Admiral took place June 4, 1814 ; and at the latter end of 1815, he was nominated Commander-in-Chief at Jamaica, where he con- tinued during the usual period of three years. RIGHT HONORABLE GEORGE VISCOUNT TORRINGTON, Rear-Admintl of the Red; Doctor of the Civil Late; Fellow of the Royal Society ; Patron of the Maidstone Masonry Society : a Vice- President of the Literary, and Covent Garden Theatrical Funds, and of the Merchant Seamen's AuMliary Bible Society, th« Seamen's and London Hospitals, the Mile End Philanthrophic Society, the Eastern Dispensary, and the British and Foreign Philanthropic Society. This nobleman is descended from the Byngs, of Wrotham, CO. Kent, who flourished in the reign of Hen. VII. In that of Elizabeth, Thomas Byng was Master of Clare Hall, Regius Professor of Civil Law, and Vice-Chaiicellor of the University of Cambridge. Robert, his elder brother, and ancestor of the subject of this memoir, served for the borough of Abingdon in the first parliament of that Queen, and also in the 34th RIGHT HON. GUORGE VISCOUNT TORRINGTON. 653 year of her reign. His eldest son, George, received the ho- nor of knighthood from Queen Anne, for his gallant behaviour in the battle off Malaga * ; and after performing many other signal services, he was raised to the dignity of the peerage by the title of Baron Byng of Southill, co. Bedford, and Viscount Torrington, of Torrington, in Devonshire. He died First Lord Commissioner of the Admiralty, Jan. 17, 1733, in the 80th year of his age. The unfortunate Admiral John Byng, who after giving many proofs of courage, was at length shot upon a dubious sentence for neglect of duty, March 14, 1757, was his fourth son f- The officer of whose services we are now about to speak, is the eldest son of John, iSfth Viscount (great-grandson of the first peer), formerly a Colonel in the 3d regiment of Guards, and afterwards a Commissioner of the Stamp Office, by Bridget, daughter of Commodore Arthur Forrest, who died Commander-in-Chief at Jamaica, and was buried at Kingston in that island J. Lord Torrington's maternal grand- mother was also connected with the navy, from her birth, having been born on board H. M. S. Prince Frederick, on the passage to Jamaica, on St. Cecilia's Day, whence she was christened Cecilia Frederica Marina. George Byng, the subject of this memoir, was born in London, Jan. 5, 1768, and received the rudiments of his education under the late Dr. James, at Greenwich ; from whence he was removed to a respectable seminary at Paddington, conducted by a Mr. Boucher. Being destined for the naval profession, he em- barked Feb. 23, 1778, as a Midshipman on board the Thun- derer, of 74 guns, commanded by the Hon. Boyle Walsing- hani §, which ship formed part of the fleet under Admiral * Aug. 13,1704. + Admiral Byng's trial, with all tUe extraordinary circumstances con- nected therewith, form a very interesting portion of the second volume of Horace Walpole's Memoirs of the last ten Years of the Reign of Geo. II., recently published from the original MSS. X Commodore Forrest died May 26, 1770: a memoir of this gallant officer, with a portrait, will be found in the Nav. Chron. v. 25, p. 441. His son, Thomas Forrest, Esq., died at Gibraltar in 1 780, of wounds he received when third Lieutenant of the Ajax, in the action between Sir George B. Rodney and Don Juau de Langara. See note f, at p. 3 of this volume. § Afterwards a Commodore, and perished in the West n difs. See note al p. 68. 'JVa p !!'■.' iiHil 654 REAR-ADMIRALS OF THE RED. A' ;!' Ih ■ rf ill*; Mm \^¥ Tl i r, nm Keppel, in the action with the Count d'Orvilliers, on the 27th July, in the same year *. Some time after that event, Mr. Byng joined the Alarm frigate, Captain Sir Richard Pearson f, and subsequently the Active, of 32 guns, Captain Thomas Mackenzie J. In the latter vessel he was engaged in the affair at Porto Praya, between Commodore Johnstone and M. de Suffrein ; an account of which will be found in our memoir of Sir Henry D'Esterre Darby. The Active was one of the squadron afterwards detached by the Commodore to escort a fleet of transports and mer- chant ships to the East Indies ; and on her arrival there, Mr. Byng was received on board the Superb, of 74 guns, bearing the flag of Sir Edward Hughes, the gallant protector of India ; under whom he served in two severe actions with de SufiVein, one of the ablest officers that the French marine has ever pro- duced §. In the last of these conflicts Mr. Byng had a very nsirrow escape, all the men at the gun at which he was station- ed being either killed or badly wounded by the destructive effects of a single shot, whilst he himself received no material injury, although struck by a splinter. Some time previous to this event, the Superb having been dismasted, and otherwise greatly damaged in a heavy gale of wind, Sir Edward Hughes was obliged to shift his flag, pro temporey into the Sultan, of the same force. On the 5 th Nov. 1783, the former was driven from her anchors in Tellicherry Road, and drifting towards the shore, she struck upon a rock and sank ; but fortunately her crew were saved. Hostilities having ceased soon after the last battle, the Commander-in-Chief sailed for Europe, and Mr. Byng was removed into the Defence, 74, bearing flie broad pendant of Commodore, afterwards Sir Andrew Mitchell, with whom he returned to England in the month of Dec. 1785. On his ar- • See note f. ut ?• 195' t Sir Richurd Pcursoii was the officer who so nobly defended the Se- rapis, u 44-f(un »hip, agttinsit a squadron commanded by the noted Puid Jones, Sept, 23, 177^. He died Lieuten»nt-Govcmor of (Jroenwieh Hos- pital, in 180(). I Captain Mackenzie commanded the Giltrultar, of 80 jjnns, in Earl Howe's action. June 1, I7!)4 ; and died a Flag.Qfficer, Sept. 20, IHI.'i. § An ac'count of the difterent encounters between those ollieers will lie found at pp. l.'Jfi, 212, &c. UIGHT HON. GEORGE VISCOUNT TOPHINGTON. (>55 rival, he passed tlie usual examination for a Lieutenant ; soon after wliich he joined the Jupiter, of 50 guns, the flag-ship of the late Sir William Parker, on the Leeward Island station, and served under that officer during a period of three years. A short time previous to Commodore Parker quitting the West Indies, a vacancy occurring for a Lieutenant, he sent for Mr. Byng, who was at that time the only gentleman on what is usually called the Admiralty list, and a brother Mid- shipman, the present Rear-Admiral Bingham, and desired them to throw a die for the appointment : it was done, and the latter proved successful. Of this mode of disposing of a commission to which Mr. Byng considered he had a superior claim, he naturally complained ; however, the start he sub- sequently got of his competitor, was no doubt considered by him as an ample compensation for the mortification of the moment. Commodore Parker was succeeded by the late Sir John Laforey, and Mr. Byng was received by the latter on board the Trusty, 50. At length, in the month of Sept. 1790, after more than twelve years active service, in the course of which he had participated in no less than four general ac- tioiiB, our officer received a commission from England, pro- moting him to the rank of Lieutenant, in which capacity he returned home in the Shark sloop of war. Early in the ensuing year Mr. Byng was appointed to the Illustrious, of 74 guns, Captain (now Sir C. M.) Pole ; from that ship he removed into the Druid frigate, as ^rst Lieute- nant, and in her assisted at the capture of several privateers, merchantmen, and smugglers. His next appointment appears to have been to the Impregnable, a second rate, bearing the flag of Rear-Admiral Caldwell ; but ill health compelling him to go to sick-quarters, he was thereby unfortunately prevented from sharitig in the glories of the memorable first of June, 1704. He however rejoined his ship on her return to port*, and in the month of Oct. following was advanced to tiie rank of Commander, in the Ferret sloop, employed in the North Sea. We subsequently find him acting as Captani of the Ar- ii'= .^ |.,r !lSl| m \^in *i • Mr. Buller, wlio had supcrsodid Lleutciiimt Uyng in lln' Impir^'uul)lL', wua iiitiitHlly wounded in the baUlc. V< i- (>50 REAR-ADMIRALS OF THK RED. I f'-m tois frigate during the temporary absence of the present Sir Edmund Nagle. On the 18th June, 1795, Captain Byng was made post, into the Redoubt, of 20 guns, stationed as a floating battery in the river Tync, where he rendered essential service to the ship- ping interest, by his spirited conduct in suppressing an un- lawful combination of the seamen, entered into for the purpose of extorting exorbitant wages. For his conduct on that occa- sion he received the thanks of the Trinity House at Newcastle, and the Corporation of North Shields, as also of the ship- owners of those places *. Our officer's next appointment was to the Mercury, of 28 guns, attached to the squadron on the Newfoundland station, under the orders of Sir James Wallace. In 1/96, when the French Admiral Richery invested that settlement with seven ships of tlie line and three frigates, having 2,000 troops on board, the Vice- Admiral defended it with one ship of .50 guns, two frigates, and two sloops ; and, aided by the bravery and vigilance of Captain Byng and the other officers of his small squadron, ultimately succeeded in compelling the enemy to abandon their project of subjugating the colony. In the following year, 179/, Captain Byng was appointed to the Galatea, of 32 guns, in which frigate he cruized during the remainder of the revolutionary war, on the coasts of France and Ireland, and captured several armed vessels, one of which was le Ranger, a French corvette of 14 guns ; he also recaptured the Kenyon, a British West-Indiaman, va- lued at 40,000/. Towards the latter end of the year 1801 , Captain Byng was ♦ The following is an extract from the Times and Newcastle Advertiser : '* Newcastle, Oct. 20, 1795. " At a meetinjf of ship-owners, held in the Trinity House in Newcaatlc- \ipon-Tync this vith whom he had sailed troin England as u passenger to join the Salsette frigate at Bombay. On quitting the Belli- queux, he thus addressed her commander : — " Amongst the sensations which an event like this awakens, the only painrul one is, that I am to be separated from those I love, and for a period «o indt'finite. But no space or time can ever separate me from you." t Sfep, 223. UJi.llT HON. (.KORfili VISCOUNT lO UK INC. TON. im duct an nrmament sent from Bombay to occupy the island of Roderiguez, and thus pave the way for the reduction of the isles of Mauritius and Bourbon. This object was successfully accomplished ; and Captain Byng had the satisfaction of re- ceiving the thanks of the Government of Bombay, together with a present of 300/. for the very cordial and important as- sistance afforded by him to the military under the command of Lieutenant-Colonel Keating. The Belliqueux continued on the East India station until the month of June, 1810, at which time Captain Byng re- ceived orders to proceed to China, for the purpose of affording protection to the homeward-bound trade. On the 14th Feb. 1811, he sailed from Macao Roads, in company with seven of the Hon. Company's ships ; and, after encountering very tem- pestuous weather in the vicinity of the Cape of Good Hope, arrived with his charge at St. Helena (May 15), where he was joined by the Menelaus and Chiffonee frigates, five In- diamen, and several South- Sea- whalers, the whole of which reached the Downs in safety, on the 8th of August following. Previous to leaving India for China, the Belliqueux had ex- changed 50 of her healthy men, for a similar number from other ships, whose constitutions had been much impaired by a service of ten years and upwards, in the oriental tropics : she also received on board 32 men invalided from various dis- eases. During the voyage from China to England, no less than 224 men had been placed on the sick list, the whole of whose cases happily yielded to medical treatment, to which due efficacy had been given by a light and proper diet of fresh food, very large quantities of which had been procured through the liberal donations and judicious arrangements made by Captain Byng*. * In the Naval Cliruiiiclo, vul. 28, p. 57, and six fullowhi|>, titurc appeuia u letter from R. W. Bampfield, Esq. late Surgeon of the Belliqueux, rc- cordinf^ the mode of treatment adopted towards the patientis, from which we make the following extracts, illustrative of the benevolent exertions of Captain Bynf( : P. 69. "The useful experience acquired by a residence in India," says the writer, "of the most prevailing diseases on long voyages, had taught us, that the scurvy, contrary to received opinion, is sooner induced in a tropi- <'al, than in a ooh) climate; and i« not only most destructive itself, but im- [ipdes the cure of ;dl other discasefl, or aggravates them , while we had as. 2 V 2 m \o'':i': m ^!f if Ui.t 660 llSAR-ADMtaALS OF THK RBD. The Belliqueux was paid off at Chatham, soou after her ar- rival ; and the Right Hon. Chaiies Yorke, then at the head of certained, that the oriental diseases would commonly \ield to cxi>erienccd medical treatment, if a proper diet could be obtained. Preparations were therefore made to check this Boa Upas of sailors in the East. " Arrangements had been made to allot a retained proportion of the ve- getable monefy, drawn by the Purser, to purchase a sea stock, to which was added a donation of 150 dollars from Captain B. With these sums were purchased twelve dozen fine capons, 2000 pounds of potatoes, 200 pounds of carrots, 7^8 pounds of pomktns, 500 pounde of dry onions, two catties of rusk ; and about 2000 pounds of onions and nopal leaves were pickled mi board, with good vinegar, and plenty of nutmeg, mace, cinnamon, gin- ger, and pepper, the native spices of India, under the direction of Mr. W. Griffiths, Assistant-Surgeon. Besides whi<-h, the Captiun, with l:is usual attention to every circumstance that tended to exemption from disease, and the recovery of the sick, directed six bullocks to be carried to sea, to bo killed at different periods of the voyage, for distribution among the sick and scorbutics ; and supplied occasionally a quarter of mutton from his own stock. The carrots were packed in dry sand, in the way directed to be preserved by the College of Physicians ; but they fermented, and became putrid in a fortnights The pomkins should be turned daily, or the juice; they contain wUl gravitate to the most depending {tart, anu occasion ]>utrc- faction." P. 61. "The arrangements to prevent the access, and ootmtcract the progress of scurvy, were these : Every man who was sick, or had a small wound or ulceration, or who had evinced a predisposition to scurvy on for- mer voyages, or who became scorbutic in the course of the present one, was supplied with one pound of potatoes on four days in the week, except when beef or mutton was served ; and an unlimited allowance of pickles on the other three days, with his salted meats. The pomkins, with lime-juice, orange-peel, and spices, made good mock apple pies. When a bullock was killed, or when a donaliort ofa quarter of mutton was pr<;8ented from the Captain, all were supplied wUh soup and meat, with abundance of vegeta- bles. The capons, with onions, pomkin, and rusk, made excellent soup, and a light diet for the worst cases of disease ; and it was found, that a fine capon, thus cooked, was sufficient to dine from four to eight, and some- times ten, as the appetite becomes nvuch impaired in all oriental diseases. " The Captain's wln(?8, and other luxuries of his store-room, were at the service of those who wished or required them ; and he sometimes conde- scended to see the ingredients he furnished for soup, put in the kettie him- self." P. 62. " It is well knotvN, that the supply of animal food at St. Helena, in not only very dear, but very limited, and only granted by an order of the Governor in Council. Here was an occasion that displayed the lively in- terest Captain Byng felt for the health and welfare of the seamen tinder hii command : • • • * • • : by his earnest representations to the Go- RIGHT HON. OEOR6£ VISCOUNT TORRINGTON. €61 ter her ar- ihe head of > experienced orations were ion of the ve- to which was !se stuns were 9, 200 pounds IS, two catties } were pickled innainon, gin- ion of Mr. W. witli his usual mi disease, and d to sea, to l»e >g tlie sick and from his own directed to lie d, and became ly, or the juice jccasion jmtre- countcract the or had a small scurvy on for- rcsent one, was :, except when nckles on the ith lime-juice, a bullock was [>ted from the nee of vegeta- xcetlcnt soup, tpd, that a vhole voyage from China." Mr. BAMPFiEiiO is the Author of " Praciicel Tretttiges on Trepicfrt and Scorbutic Complaints,*' published in i&lS, and "dedicated to Viscount Torrington, "as a tribute of respect, due to tkebepevolence, zeal, and ability, which his Lordship displayed in his eannest efforts 'to preserve 'the lives of those confided to his command, and in bis judicious, and, at last, eminently successful arrangements, .to. prevent the «cor)Hi*ic form of disease treated of in that work from firevailing among them ; as asenseiof obligar tioa for the condescension and humane feeling with which his Lordship received and adopted every suggestion for their welfare ; and as a grateful «)(rering fur some personal acts of friendsh'^ conferred during ten years' as- sociuted services." 1 wt 11 'hH ,11 1 J^HI ,4] 'inii 4 1 ■•■■ I Hi M 662 FIEAR-ADMIKALS OK HIE IJED. '■ 1 Court of Directors " for his care and attention to the fleet re- cently under his convoy ; and informing him, that in consider- ation of the zeal and attention to the Company's interests, evinced by him on various occasions, the Court of Directors had resolved to present him vi^ith the sum of 1,000 guineas for the purchase of a piece of plate, as an acknowledgement of his services." Captain Uyng succeeded to the title on the demise of his fathw, Jan. 8, 1813. That nobleman had sur- vived his brother, George, the fourth Viscount, only 14 days. The Warrior was principally employed in the Baltic and North Seas, under the Admirals Young, Foley, and Hope, by whom our officer's conduct on all occasions, was most warmly approved *; and in the year 1813, when our neighbours, the Dutch, having thrown off the yoke of Napoleon Buonaparte, * The Editor avails himself of this opportunity to acknowledge the ob- ligation conferred upon him by the officer who so kindly furnished him with the following copies of testimonials from several of the distinguished cha- racters under whom Lord Torrington served when in the command of the Warrior : " My Lord.— -It is so much the duty of a Commander-in-Chief to do justice to the merits of officers who serve under his command, that lean have no hesitation in bearing testimony to your*s, during the time of your serving in the fleet in the North Sea ; and in so doing, I have great plea- sure in being able to say, that from the time of your joining the fleet to that of your being removed from it, I had every reason to be satisfied with the zeal, attention, and alacrity, with which you performed every service on which you were employed. " I had frequent occasions to be pleased with your anxiety to be employed on active service, and particularly with the earnest desire you expressed to be allowed to serve on shore when the seamen and marines were landed to capture, and to defend the Islands of Zealand. (Signed) " W. Young, Admiral." " I have great satisfaction in stating, that during the time the Warrior was under my flag, I had every reason to approve of the maimer in which the service was conducted in that ship, and that I always considered tlic promptitude and regularity, which I could not fail to observe, as the effect of the correct system of discipline established by your Lordship. (Signed) " R. Bickerton, Admiral." " I can with truth say, I had every reason to approve and applaud your conduct in every respect, while I had the honor of being on service with your Lordship. (Signed) " Thob. Foley, Vice-Adujiral." " I have pleasure in stating, that wherever I have had the pleasure of serving with yoil, both this war ami the last, in frigates and ships of the RIGHT HON. GEORGE VISu will keep under sail, or anchor, as you please ; and I am sure you will always be upon your guard against a surprise from a superior force. We have nothing new. Algiers is rather better that it was, but nut ((ultc so well as we could wish. PliiBbe not joined. With my best regards to all your squadron, be assured I am ever, my dear Sir, " Yours most faithfully, (Signed) " Nelson & Bronte. " Captain Donnelly:* Previous to our officer's departure from the Mediterranean station, he was employed on several missions to the Barbary States, and succeeded in obtaining the liberation of several English merchantmen that had been carried into Tunis and Algiers by the corsairs. We next find him accompanying tlic expedition sent against the Cape of Good Hope, under the orders of Sir Home Popham and Sir David Baird. During the passage, the Narcissus was detached to procure intelli- gence ; and proceeding on that service. Captain Donnelly captured a French privateer, of 12 guns and 70 men ; ret(M)k u large English Guineaman, mounting 22 guns, laden with nun, tobacco, slaves, ivory, 8ic. ; and drove on shore a ship of 32 twenty-four pounders and 250 men, having on boaril * M. La Touche Treville, who had commanded at Boulogne, in IHOI, cdiumanded now at Toulon. " He was sent for on purpose," said Nelson, " as he beat me at Boulogne, to beat me again ; l)ut ho seems very loth to try." One day, while the main body of the British fleet was out of sight of lantl, the reconnoitring squadron, under Rcar-Admiral Campbell, stood in close to the port.and La Touche, with a vastly superior force, pusheil out and chased it about 12 miles. Tlie Frenchman, delighted at having foun. The Rear-Admiral, instead of escorting the corps under Sir S. Auchmuty to South America, had proceeded thither some time herore, for the purpose of superseding Sir Home l*o|>ham. 'I'iie army and naval brigade were landed on the itith Jan. I HO/, and Monte Video was in- vested on the 2()th. By the passage alluded to, both events appear to have taken place on the ISth. This inaccuracy renders it necessary to make •dinilar corrections at pp. '>24 and (525. i.ii ;.f. >-h 666** REAR-ADMIRALS OF THE RED. 'M guns ; and towards the close of the same year, we find hiin serving off Cadiz under Rear-Admiral Purvis, by whom he was deputed, with 200 men, to fit out the Spanish fleet at the Caraccas ; which service, notwithstanding the sad disorder in which he found the ships, and the reluctance with which the Spaniards consented to such a measure, he performed by means of very extraordinary exertions, in the short space of eight days ; and thus saved them from falling into the hands of the French, who were endeavouring to obtain possession of them *. From the Cadiz station Captain Donnelly proceeded to the Mediterranean, and joined Lord Collingwood off Toulon at the commencement of 1810, but was soon after compelled, in consequence of a cataract, to resign the command of the Invincible, a circumstance rendered the more mortifying, as he had with infinite pains succeeded in establishing a perfect system of discipline among his young ship's company. The disease of his eyes continued for about two years, and pre- vented him from going afloat during that period. Immedi- ately on his recovery, however, he applied for employment, and had the gratification of receiving an appointment, by return of post, to the Devonshire, a new 74 ; which ship he fitted out with her marines, but never went to sea in, peace taking place before she could be manned. He was advanced to the rank of Rear-Admiral, June 4, 1814 f. Our officer has recently lost a son, who, at the time of his demise, commanded the Najib regiment of native cavalry. His eldest daughter is the lady of the Right Hon. Lord Aud- ley, to whom she was married in April^ 1816. Resilience. — Sussex House, Hammersmith. SIR JOHN POO BERESFORD, Baronet ; Rear-Admiral of the Red ; Knight Commander of the most honorable Militarif Order of the Bath ; Commander-in-Chief at Lett h; and Member of Parliament for Bermck-upon-Tweed. This officer is a son of George, first Marquis of Waterford, K. P., and elder brother of Lieutenant-General Iiord Beres- ford, G. C. B. Early in VJ^b, we find him commanding the • Sec pp. 239, 240. t 111 Oct. 1S05, the freedot of the city of Cork was voted to Captain Don nelly, in consideration of his cordial reception of, and polite attention to, the Mayor and Corporation, on an occasion witicli caused them to visit ih*" Narcissus ; as well as of his public oliaracter. SIR JOHN POO BEKKiSFGUD, BART. 667 Lynx tiloop of wAr, on the American station, wliere he cap- tured la Cocarde, a French corvette, of 14 guns and 80 men. On the 25th June, in the same year, he was promoted to the rank of Post- Captain, some time previous to which he had been appointed to the Hussar, of 34 guns, and assisted at the capture of la Prevoyante, a large frigate, armed enjlute, and la Raison, pierced for 24 guns, but only 18 mounted *, Captain Beresford's next appointment was to la Prevoyante, and from her he removed, about the month of May, 1796, into la Raison, the force of which latter vessel had been increased to 30 guns t, with a complement of 195 men. On the 25th Auijust following, he fell in with the Vengeance, a large 18- pwiuider French frigate, from which he had the good fortune to escape, after a running fight of considerable duration, in which la Raison had 3 men killed and 6 wounded, besides being much cut up in her sails and rigging. Our officer subsequently commanded I'Unite, of 38 guns, on the Leeward Islands station, where he captured the Perse- verance French privateer, of 16 guns and 87 men, Feb. 2, 1800. From I'Unite he removed into the Diana, another fine frigate, in which he was present at the reduction of the islands of St. Bartholomew, St. Martin, &c. &c., by the forces under Rear-Admiral Duckworth and Lieutenant-General Trigge, in the spring of 1801. On the renewal of hostilities in 1803, he obtained the command of the Virginie, a frigate of the largest class ; but that ship being paid off in Aug. 1804, he was then appointed to the Cambrian, of similar force, and sent to the Halifax station, where, in the summer of 1805, he capturetl the following privateers : Matilda, of 20 guns and 95 men ; Maria, of 14 guns and 60 men ; and a schooner, of 6 guns and 70 men. In the spring of 1807, Captain Bercsford commanded the Illustrious, of 74 guns, oiT Cadiz ; and in the ensuing summer, the Theseus, another third rate, employed in the blockade of Rochefort. On the 2l8t Feb. 1809, being off I'Orient in com- pany with three linc-of-battlc ships, he fell in with a French s(|uadron, consisting of 8 sail of the line, one of them a three- decker ; and by his spirited conduct, prevented them forming ' ' • See pp. 258, et scq. t 20 lung 9-pounden, 6 long 't's, and 4 »inull cnrronadcs. ii^: 11 •t! 'IP ' 'ill m. Vx !• I ll ". .'S lii •Hi 1 1 i If ::i 668 REAR-ADMIRALS OF THB RED. 'i .]) a junction with the ships in that port ready for sea. The ene- my afterwards anchored in Basque Roads, where they were blockaded by Rear- Admiral Stopford's squadron, of which the Theseus formed a part until the month of April following, at which period an attack was made upon them in Aix Road, to which they had retired, by a division of Lord Gambler's fleet, preceded by some fire-vessels, under the command of Lord Cochrane, the result of which was the destruction of one 80- gun ship, two 7^'^i &nd one of 56 guns. Several others, from getting on shore, if not rendered altogether unserviceable, were at least disabled for a considerable time. Early in 1810, the subject of this sketch was appointed to the Poictiers, a new 7^) In which ship he served for some time on the Lisbon station, and was then ordered to the coast of North America. He sailed from Portsmouth, in company with Sir John B. Warren and squadron, Aug. 14, 1812; pre- vious to which he had acted as proxy for his brother, at an installation of the Knights of the Bath, and, as is usual on such occasions, received the honor of knighthood prior to the ceremony. * On the 18th of October following. Sir John P. Beresford captured the American ship Wasp, of 20 guns, and retook the British brig of war Frolic, which had been taken by the former a few hours before, after a gallant action of fifty mi- nutes *. The Poictiers subsequently assisted at the capture of the Herald letter of marque, moulting 10 guns, with a complement of 50 men, from Bourdeaux bound to Baltimore, with a cargo J the Highflyer, American privateer, of 5 guns and 72 men ; and the Yodc-town, of 20 guns and 140 men. Towards the latter end of 1813, the Poictiers returned to England, and was put out of commission. At the general promotion, June 4, 1814, Sir John P. Beresford, who had been raised to the dignity of a Baronet of Great Ikitain &a the 7th of the preceding month, was advanced to the rank of Rear- Admiral, and soon after hoisted his flag in the Bombay, of 74 guns, from which ship it was subsequently removed into the Duncan, of the same force. About the same period he hud Ijie honor 4if ikissing hands on being appointed a naval aid- de-camp to\H. R. H. the Prince Regent, then on a visit, in company with the allied sovereigns, to the fleet ut Portsmouth. * Sec Captuin T. Whinyatbs, in our next volume. SIR JOHN POO BERSSFORD, BART. 669 On the 12th Aug. 1819, Sir J<^n P. Beresford was nomi- nated a K. C. B. ; and early in the followmg year he hoisted his flag in the Dover, of 28 guns, as Commander-in-Chief at Leith. He has recently been elected M. P. for Berwick- upon-Tweed. Our officer married, first, in 1809, Mary, daughter of Cap- tain A. J. P. Molloy, R. N. ; secondly, Aug. 17, 1815, Hen- rietta, youngest daughter of Henry Peirse, of Bedale, co. York, Esq., by Charlotte Grace, daughter of John, second Lord Monson. Country-seat. — Bagnall, co. Waterford. :i. THOMAS EYLES, Esq. Rear-Admiral of tJie Red. This officer obtained the rank of Post-Captain, July 13, 1796, and was soon after appointed to the Pomone, of 44 guns. In 1796, through the ignorance of a French pilot, that fine fi'igate ran ashore near Nantz, and was with difficulty got off again. Her leaky state caused her to be sent home; nor could Sir John B. Warren, under whose orders she had been cruizing, spare a ship to accompany her. At one time the leak, which was under the step of the fore-mast, had brought her so much by the head, that no water could be got to the pumps ; but, finally, by great exertions on the part of her officers and crew, she reached Plymouth, and was run into the harbour without asking the usual leave. For his prompti- tude on this occasion. Captain Eyles received the thanks of the Admiralty. He subsequently commanded the Canada, of 74 guns, bearing the broad pendant of Sir John B. War- ren; and after the action with M. Bompard, off the coast of Ireland, Oct. 12, 1798 *, removed with him into the Teme- raire, of 98 guns ; and from that ship to the Renown, 74, in which he continued until the month of Nov. 1800. In the autumn of 1801, Captain Eyles was again appointed to the Temeraire, then bearing the flag of Rear-Admiral (af- terwards Sir George) Campbell. Towards the latter end of the same year, the main body of the Channel fleet rendez- • See p. 171. 'ii.; ^f 'r this forgive- THOMAS RYLES, KS«. ()/ I iiess, that when we meet in the world tu come, we may not meet in ever- lasting misery. " Pray for U8«— we heartily pray for you. — Amen !'* On the 14th, six more of the mutineers were tried ; and on the 16th sentence of death pronounced on five, the other to re- ceive 200 lashes from ship to ship. On the 19th they were executed j three on board I'Achille, and two on board the Centaur. Taylor, one of the mutineers, addressed the ship's com- pany of I'Achille as follows : " I hope the ship's company of the Acbille, as well as the spectators present, will take warning hy my example. It is impossible for seamen to succeed in any attempt to mutiny. Sailors never did stick to each other on such an occasion. Those who attempt to violate the laws of the land, or naval discipline, must inevitably expect to meet with the same disgrace- ful end I am going to suffer. I acknowledge the justness of my sentence, and forgive all parties concerned against me. I have made my peace with God, and am ready to die." On the 7th of the following month, Rear-Admiral Camp- bell, with six ships of the line, one frigate, and a sloop, sail- ed for his original destination ; and returned from thence June Ist, in the same year. From this period we find no mention of Captain Eyles un- til the spring of 1809, when he was appointed to the Planta- genet, of 74 guns. Early in 1813, he obtained the com- mand of the Royal Charlotte yacht ; and on the 4th June, in the following year, was advanced to the rank of Rear-Ad- miral. . t THOMAS LE MARCIIANT GOSSELYN, Esq. Rear-Admirnl of the Red. This officer commanded the Kingfisher sloop, attached to Earl Howe's fleet on the memorable 1st June, 1794. In the same year we fiiid him cruizing in the North Sea. lie ob- tained post rank, July 23, 1795, and soon after the command of the Syren frigate, in which ship he was employed on Chan- nel service, and«in escorting the trade to and from the West Indies, during the remainder of the war. About the month of Nov. 1801, Captain Gosselyn removed it '1 > 1 I* i '11 Hli i .«■ i m In 1 l^t'BHHI 672 KBAR-ADMIRALS OF THE KKD. into the M elampus, of 36 guns, at Jamaica^ and returned to Portsmouth from that station, June 1, 1802. In the spring of 1804, he was appointed to the Argo, of 44 guns *, and in the following summer, to the Latona, a fine frigate, stationed off Brest. On the 22d Oct. 1805, he captured the Amphion Spa- nish privateer, of 12 guns and 70 men. His next appoint- ment was, about April, 1806, to the Audacious, a 74-gun ship, from which period we lose sight of him until the general pro- motion, June 4, 1814, when he was advanced to the rank of Rear- Admiral. Our officer married, March 18, 1809, Sarah, eldest daugh- ter of the late J. R. Hadsley, of Ware Priory, Herts, Esq. SIR CHARLES ROWLEY, Rear-Admiral of the Red; Commander-in-Chief in the West Indies ; Knight Commander of the most honorable Military Order of the Bath ; and of the Austrian Order of Maria Theresa. This officer, the fourth son of the late Vice- Admiral Sir Joshua Rowley, Bart., by Sarah, daughter of Bartholomew Burton, Esq., s^id a grandson of th^ late Sir William Row- ley, K. B. t, was made a Lieutenant in 1789, and obtained the rank of Post-Captain Aug. 1, 1795. In the following year he commanded the Cleopatra, of 32 guns, on the Ame- rican station, where he captured the Aurore French corvette. His next appointment was to I'Unite, in which frigate he took la Brunette, of 10 guns, pierced for 16, and 80 men, near I'lsle de Dieu. He also assisted at the capture of the Indian, of 16 guns, and another privateer, name unknown, in the Channel. In the spring of 1801, our officer succeeded the present Sir Richard G. Keats in the command of the Boadicea, ano- ther fine frigate, the boats of which, in company with those of the Fisgard and Diamond, captured and brought out the Spanish vessel of war. El Neptuna, pierced for 20 guns, and a gun-boat carrying a 32-pounder, from under the battenes at * He liad previously commanded for a short time the Ville de Paris, a first rate, hearii^g the flag of the Hon. W. Comwallis, Commander-in-Chief of the grand fleet. t See p. 622. jtumed to 2 spring of and in the ationed off )hion Spa- t appoint- l-gun ship, eneral pro- the rank of lest daugh- ts, Esq. ff^est Indies ; • of the Bath ; ■Admiral Sir Jartholomew illiam Row- id obtained e following »n the Ame- ich corvette, frigate he ^nd80 men, (ture of the inknown, in the present [adicea, ano- with those jght out the gyms, and batteries at hlle de Paris, a lander-in-Chief SIR- CHARLKS HOWL£Y. . 6/3 Corunna. We next find him commanding the Ruby, of 64 gunsj stationed off the Texel, under the orders of Rear- Ad- miral Thornbrough, and subsequently employed on the coast of Spain. From that ship he removed into the Eagle, a third rate, in which he proceeded to the Mediterranean. In May, 1806, the Eagle formed part of the squadron under Sir W. Sidney Smith, stationed off the coasts of Naples and Sicily ; and on the 11th of that month took an active part in the reduction of the island of Capri, on which occasion he had 2 men killed, and 1 1, including her first Lieutenant, wounded. On the 27th Nov., 1811, Captain Rowley captured la Corceyre French frigate, pierced for 40 guns, but only 28 mounted, with a complement, of J 70 seamen and 130 soldiers, laden with 343 i'i t^V^fllH' ';•?■ !:!!#!■' ?♦' 674 KKAK-ADMfKALS OF THK RKD. fire of that ship. This being communicated by telegraph, thi* Rear-Admiral made the signal to storm ; when Captain Row- ley, leading in his gig the first detachment of marines, took possession of the fort, and hoisted the English colours ; whilst Captain Hoste, of the Bacchante, with the marines of the Milford, took and spiked the guns of the first battery, which was under the fire of those ships, and early evacuated. Captain Rowley leaving a party of seamen to turn the g\ms of the second battery against the others, without losing time, boldly dashed on through the town, although annoyed by the enemy's musketry from the windows of the houses, and a field-piece in the centre of the great street ; but the seamen and marines proceeded with such firmness, that the French retreated before them, drawing the field-piece until they came to the square, where they made a stand, taking post in a large house. At this time the boats with their carronadc • undo- Captain Markland of the Milford, opened against the gable end of it with such effect, that the enemy gave way at all points, and forsook the town in every direction. Captain Hoste, with his division, followed close to Captain Rowley ; and on their junction, the two batteries, with the field-piece, stores, and ninety sail of ships, were taken possession of, witli the loss of only 1 man killed, and 6 wounded . It was highly to the honor of the victors, that although the place was taken by storm, not an individual was plundered : more than half of the smaller class of vessels were returned to the proprietors ; thirteen sent to Lissn, laden with oil, grain, powder, and merchandize ; the rest destroyed ; 51) iron guns (part only mounted) rendered totally useless ; 8 brass 18-pounders, and one field-piece taken away ; 500 stand of small arms, 200 barrels of powder, rations of bread for 70,000 men, and two magazines with stores, &c. burnt. Five days after the above event, the fortress of Farasinn, mount- ing five 18- pounders, was attacked by Captain Rowley, and after some resistance stormed, carried, and laid in ruins, by a party of seamen and marines, landed \nider cover of the Eagles'a fire, and headed by Lieutenant Greenaway of that ship. O'l the 2d of the following month (August), the Eagle sail- ing along the coast of Istria in company with the Bacchante, discovered twenty-one vessels at anchor in the harbour of »rapb, tlu* >tain Row- :ines, took h colours ; le marines •st battery, evacuated, ■n the guns losing time, oyed by the uses, and a the seamen the French il they came )st in a large ladL • under St the gable e way at all jn. Captain tain Rowley ; ,e field-piece, *sidn of, with s although the _ plundered : ere returned |en with oil, red ; 50 iron as; 8 brass 500 stand of [)f bread for burnt. Five linn, movmt- [lowley, and in ruins, by ,over of tlu- of that ship. le Eagle sail- Raechunte, harbtiur ol SIR CHARLKS ROWLJiY. 6/5 Rovigno. Captain Rowley conceiving the capture of them practicable, communicated his intentions to Captain Hoste, who led in, and a firing was commenced on the batteries. Aftc some resistance they were abandoned, when the boats of each ship, with parties of royal marines, under the com- mand of Captain Hoste, landed, and drove the enemy out of the town, took possession of the batteries, disabled the guns, and demolished the different works, without sustaining any other loss than one man wounded. The enemy scuttled the greater part of the vessels previous to the approach of the boats ; but by the active exertions of the officers and men em- ployed, the whole were completely destroyed or brought oflF, and the ships and other vessels burnt that were building oil the stocks. Captain Rowley subsequently distinguished himself in the most conspicuous manner at the reduction of Trieste by the squadron under Rear-Admiral Freemantle, acting in concert with 1500 Austrian troops, commanded by Count Nugent ; and continued to serve in the Adriatic, until the fall of Ragusa made the allies masters of every place in Dalmatia, Croatia, Istria, and the Frioul, with all the islands in that sea. On the ^Sd May, 1814, our officer received the royal per- mission to accept and wear the insignia of a Knight of the Imperial Military Order of Maria Theresa, conferred upon ir » by his Majesty the Emperor of Austria, in testimony of the high sense entertained by that sovereign of his distin- guished gallantry and services, in co-operation with the Im- perial troops, on the coast of the Adriatic. He was advanced to the rank of Rear- Admiral on the 4th of the following month j nominated a K. C. B. Jan. 2, 1815; and at the latter end of the same year hoisted his flag on board the Bulwark, as Coui- niander-in-Chief in the river Medway, where he remained during the customary period of three years. In the autumn <»f 1820 he was appointed to the chief command at Jamaica, on which station he still continued, with his flag in the Sybille, of 44 guns. Sir Charles Rowley married Elizabeth, youngest daughter of the late Admiral Sir Richard King, Bart. His eldest son mar- ried, Aug. 31, 1822, Frances, only daughter of John Evelyn, of Wotton, Surrey, Esq. His eldest daughter is the. wife of IMer liongford Brooke, of Moore Hall, Cheshire, Esq. 2x2 I f jt MMr ICK'^ft HM ^1 IB "f Hlu i K 1 i ■1 11 1 1 1 I 676 RKAK-ADMrRALS OF THK RKD. SAMUEL JAMES BALLARD, Esq. Rear-Admiral of the Red. This officer was made a Commander in 1794 ; and, after serving some time in tlie Megcera fire-vessel, appointed to act as Captain of the Tremendous, 74. His post commission bears date Aug. 1, 1705. In the following year he obtained the command of the Pearl frigate, in which he was employed successively on the coasts of America and Africa, in the West Indies and Mediterranean, during the remainder of the war. He returned to England from the latter station about the month of Dec. 1801. In the list of numerous captures made by the Pearl during the time she was commanded by Captain Ballard, we find tiie following armed vessels : Tlncroyable, of 24 guns and 220 men j le Scievola, 10 guns, 73 men j I'lndependence, 12 guns, 66 men ; several privateers, names unknown ; and two Spa- nish xebecs. She also drove on shore a Genoese polacre, of 14 guns, and assisted at the capture of la Carriere French fri- gate, of 40 gims and 356 men *. Early in 1812, Captain Ballard was appointed to superin- tend the payment of ships afloat at Port8mr,uth. He became a Rear- Admiral, June 4, 1814. Our officer has been twice married. His first wife was a daughter of the late James Flint, of Judd House, near Faver- sham, Kent, Esq. The present Mrs. Ballard is a sister of Sir Thomas Crawley Boevey, Bart., of Haxley Abbey, Glouces • shire. Remleu ce. — Bath . ROBERT ROLLES, Esq. Krar-Admirnl of the Red. At the commencement of the war with France, in 17^3, this officer counnanded the Lord Mulgrave liired armed ship, of 20 guui, emplcycd in convoying the trade between Spil ' ' • See p. 431. I'' and, after ted to act Dramission e obtained i employed n the West of the war. about the ?earl during we find the ms and 220 ice, 12 guns, ind two Spa- ie polacre, of [e French fri- [l to superin- He became [t wife was a near Faver- sister of Sir l«v, Glouces |ice, in 17^*^> armed ship, letweeu Spit- ROBERT ROLLS8, ESQ. 677 head and Hull, the underwriters of which port presented him with a handsome piece of plate, for his great care and diligent attention to their interests whilst on that station. On the 12th Aug. 1795, Captain Rolles was posted into the Laurel, of 28 guns ; and in the spring of the following year, assisted at the reduction of St. Lucia, by the forces under the orders of Sir Hugh C. Christian and Sir Ralph Abercromby *. He sub'ie the Jamaica station, and returned to England in the latter, about the year 1800. During his continuance in the West Indies, our officer cap- tured several of the enemy's privateers and armed packets, and a Spanish national schooner, of 14 guns. He also assisted in taking the Asturiana, letter of marque, mounting 24 guns and 4 brass howitzers, with a complement of 100 men, from Cadiz to Vera Cruz, richly laden. We next find Captain Rolles commanding the Lion, of 64 guns, in the East Indies j from whence he convoyed home several of the Hon. Company's ships ; and for this service was presented by the Court of Directors, with the sum of 500/. for the purchase of a piece of plate. On the 27th Dec, 1808, the Lion captured la Reciprocite French privateer, of 14 guns and 45 men, off Beachy Head. Early in 1811, Captain Rolles obtained the command of the lulinhurgh, a new 74, fi*oi.a which "^hip he removed into the Union, a second rate, on the Mediterranean station, where he remained until the peace. His commission as Ilear-Ad- miral bears date June 4, 1814. Our officer married, first, Dec, 22, 1801, Miss Scott, daugh- ter of Rear- Admiral Scott, of Spring Hill. Secondly, ;ibout Jan., 1805, a daughter of the late Rev. Dr. Rawbtme, Rec- tor of Hatford. Residence. — Brighton. ->.. 678 REAR-ADMIRALS OK THB RED. U\ i N i\ ij l! ill |r i WALTER LOCKE, Esq. Rear-admiral of the Red, From the period of the Spanish armament, in 1790, to the commencement of the war with the French republic, this officer commanded the Cockatrice cutter, of 14 guns, sta- tioned in the Channel. He served as Lieutenant of the Queen Charlotte, bearing the flag of Earl Howe, in the glo- rious battle of June 1, 1794 * ; soon after which he was made a Commander in the Charon hospital-ship, attached to the Channel fleet ; and in that vessel was present at the ac- tion off rOrient, June 23, 1795 f. He obtained post rank on the 22d Sept. in the same year ; and subsequently com- manded the Ville de Paris, of 110 guns, and the Prince of Wales, a second-rate. Early in the late war we find Captain Locke employed in the Sea Fencible service at Berwick, and afterwards in the Isle of Wight. At the beginning of the year 1811, he was appointed Agent for Prisoners of War at Portchester ; and on the 4th June, 1814, he became a Rear-Admiral. Our officer has a numerous family ; his son James, a Lieu- tenant in the Royal Navy, fell a victim to the climate of the West Indies, in 1808. • .- Residence. — Ryde, Isle of Wight. ' '* " " ' ^ SIR DAVID MILNE, Rear-Admiral of the Red ; Knight Commander of the most honorable Military Order of the Bath ; of the Order of tnihelm of the Nether- lands ; and of the Neapolitan Order of St. Januarius. This officer, we have reason to believe, is descended from an ancient family of the same name, ^ ho, throughout several reigns, held the office of King's Master Mason in Scotland. His father was a merchant of Edinburgh, and his mother a daughter of Mr. Vernor, of Musselburgh, near that city, where he himself was born in the month of May, 17<>«3. See iioU" at p. 75, ef tei/. t Sec p. 246. SIR DAVID MILNE. 679 Mr. Milne entered the naval service at a very early age, and served during the latter part of the American war, as a Midshipman in the Canada, of 74 guns, commanded by the late Hon. Sir William Cornwallis, one of the best seamen and most determined oflleers in the British navy. The Canada formed part of the fleet under Sir Samuel Hood, when attacked at St. Kitts, by the Count de Grasse, on the 25th Jan. 1782, and two following days * ; and on the glorious 12th April, 1782 tj she behaved in such a manner as to attract particular notice. Her loss on this memorable occasion amounted to 12 men killed and 23 wounded. Af- ter the buttle Mr. Milne was made Master's Mate. About the end of July in the same year, the Canada sailed from Jamaica in company with the Ramillies and Centaur, ships of the line, Pallas frigate, and the French prizes Villc de Paris, Glorieux, Hector, Ardent, Caton, and Jason, the whole under the orders of Rear-Admiral Graves. Of all these ships, only the Canada and Jason reached England. In consequence of a dreadful hurricane which occurred on the 17th Sept., the Ardent was compelled to put back j the Caton bore away for Halifax ; the Ville de Paris, Ramillies, Cen- taur *f Glorieux, and Hector, foundered ; and the Pallas was run ashore at Fayal. Peace soon after ta "^ place, Mr. Milne was cast adrift, unprovided for ; he therefore entered into the employment of the East India Company, in which he continued for some time ; but on the breaking out of the French revolutionary Mar in 1793, he re-entered the royal navy, and proceeded to the West Indies in the Boyiie, of 98 guns, bearing the flag of Sir John Jervis (now Earl St. Vincent), to whose favour- able notice he soon recommended himself, in his course of service against the French islands, and wag promoted by him to a Lieutenancy ; in which rank he served on board the Blanciie, when Captain Faulkner brought the French frigate la Pique to action off Guadaloupe, Jan. 5, 1796. In this hard fought battle, the heroic Faulkner was shot through the heart just after he had lashed the enemy's bowsprit to the capstern with his own hands ; and as the boats of both ships werr 'I I ' f ^ * 8re Hcliied Ca|iluiii «l. N« lNOLEFiEti>. f S«e nute at p. liS. et seq^ 680 RBAR-ADMIRALS OF THE RED. either completely destroyed, or unfit to swim, Mr. Milne, then second Lieutenant, swam to la Pique, after her surrender, with 10 men, and took possession ; the present Rear- Admiral Watkins was first Lieutenant ; and so highly was the con- duct of both appreciated, that they were immediately ad- vanced to the rank of Commander *. As he was employed in a part of the world where much ac- tive service was still going on. Captain Milne soon after had the good fortune to obtain the command of the Alarm fri- gate, in which he destroyed the French corvette Liberte, of 20 guns, off Porto Rico, May 30, 1795. His post com- mission bears date Oct. 2d, in the same year. Our officer's next appointment was to la Pique ; and in the spring of 1796, we find him assisting at the reduction of De- merara, Issiquibo, and Berbice, by the forces under the or- ders of Commodore Parr and Major-General White. About the same period he captured the Lacedemonian French brig, of 16 guns. On the 29th June, 1798, Captain Milne being on a cruize off the coast of France, in company mth the Jason and Mer- maid, gave chace to a French frigate, which, after a ninning fight of about five hours was captured, and proved to be la Seine, of 42 guns and 610 men ^including soldiers), 170 of whom were killed, and 100 wounded. The brunt of the action was borne by la Pique ; the Mermaid could not get up in time to share in the contest. The loss sustained by the former and the Jason, amounted to 8 men killed^ and 18, including Captain Stirling of the latter ship, wounded f. Previous to the surrender of la Seine, the whole of the combatants took the ground near Pointe de la Trenchc, and la Pique unfortunately bilged, so that it became necessary to destroy her. Captain Milne therefore removed with his offi- cers and crew into the prize, to the command of which he was afterwards appointed by the Admiralty |. We next find him convoying the outward bound trade to It t • For particulars of the action, see Superannuated Rear-Ailmiral Frederick Watkins, in our next volume. t See p. 403. X La Seine's armament was increased to 48 guns, and her ccmplcmcnt of men fixed at 281. SIR DAVID MILNE. 681 lund triide to U Rear- All miral Ihcr ccmplcmcnt Africa and the West Indies. On the 20th Aug., 1800, being on a cruize off St. Domingo, he discovered a ship of war standing through the Mona passage, and immediately went in pursuit. At sun-set he had arrived so near as to perceive she was a large French frigate ; but it was almost midnight before he could bring her to action, and then not so close as he wished, the enemy constantly bearing up and keeping him at long shot, whereby la Seine was much cut up in her rigging, sails, &c. The ships now separated for some time, which gave Captain Milne an opportunity to repair the damage he had sustained ; this being completed, on the morning of the 21st he was able to bring the enemy to close action ; and af- ter about an hour and a half hard fighting, she surrendered. The prize proved to be the Vengeance, of 52 guns, exclusive of a number of brass swivels on her gunwale, and 326 men, many of whom were killed and wounded ; but her exact loss has never been ascertained. The casualties on board la Seine were Lieutenant George Milne and 12 men slain ; Lieutenant Archibald Macdonald, of the marines ; Mr. Andrew Barclay, Master ; Mr. Home, Captain's Clerk ; and 26 wounded. The action between la Seine and the Vengeance was justly considered by naval men as one of the most brilliant fought during the war between single ships. In the Admiral's de- spatches, Captain Milne was most handsomely mentioned, and it was one of the last acts of the lamented Lord Hugh Seymour's life to write them. La Seine returned to England, March 12, 1802, and was soon after paid off at Chatham. On the renewal of hostilities against France, in 1803, Captain Milne was re -appointed to her, and had the misfortune to be wrecked on the night of June 23, in the same year, near the Texel, through the igno- rance of the pilots. He was afterwards employed as com- mander of the Frith of Forth district of Sea Fencibles, in which service he continued until the breaking up of that corps in 1811. Being then an old Post-Captain, he applied for a line- of-battle ship, and was appointed successively to the Impe- tuenx, Dublin, Venerable, and Bulwark. In the latter ship he served for some time on the coast of North America, where he captured the Harletjuiii, a lini' schooner privateer, mounting 10 long 12-poiuidcrs, with a complement of 115 :i W dH ki ■.r-5i' 1'^ 682 REAR-ADMIRALS OF THE RED. men. The Bulwark also formed part of the squadron under Rear-Admiral Grifl&th, (now Colpoys,) in an expedition up the Penobscot ; and assisted in taking Castine^ and several other places in that river. At the general promotion, June 4, 1814, Captain Milne was advanced to the rank of Rear- Admiral. His last appoint- ment was to the command at Halifax ; and he was preparing to sail, when Lord Exmouth received orders to fit out a squa- dron for the attack on Algiers *. Ever desirous of active service, our officer immediately solicited leave to join the ex- pedition ; and how well he acquitted himself, as second in command, is well known to the world. Lord Exmouth, whose despatch is a master-piece of the kind, pays him the highest compliments, and laments that he was not sooner known to him. The loss on board his ship, the Impregnable, was greater than any British man-of-war, perhaps, ever before sustained, having 210 men killed and wounded ; he himself received a slight wound, but did not report it. For his conduct in that tremendous conflict, he was nominated a K. C. B. Sept* 21, 1816 ; and subsequently received the royal permission to accept and wear the insignia of the Orders of Wilhelm of the Netherlands, and St. Janua- rius of Naples, conferred upon him by the sovereigns of those countries. He soon after proceeded to Halifax in the Lean- der, !>f GO guns, and continued on that station during the cus- tomary period of three years. On the 28th April, 1821, being the anniversary of the birth- day of the late Viscount Melville, the foundation of a monu- ment to his memory was laid in the centre of St. Andrew's Square, Edinburgh, by Sir David Milne and Rear-Admiral Otway, assisted by otiier naval officers. An appropriate prayer was offered up on the occasion, by the Very Rev. Principal Baird. The structure is an exact representation of the celebrated column of Trajan, at Rome, and is conse- quently highly ornamental to the splendid metropolis of Scot- land. The current coins of the realm, an almanack, and several newspapers, were deposited in a crystal bottle, hermetically • Sec p. 225, SIR DAVID MILNK. 683 sealed ; as also the following inscription, engraved on a plate of gold : — ■ ,-'■: ' . . ' i . " To the memory of that illustrious Statesman, Henry Dundas, Lord Viscount Melville, " During the eventful and glorious reign of George III., sut'cessively Trea- surer of the Navy, one of the Principal Secretaries of State, and First Lord of the Admiralty, of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, whose unwearied and successful exertions to promote the interest of the British Navy, have justly entitled him to be evor esteemed The Seaman's BEST Friend, this monumental column is erected by the voluntary contri- butions of the Officers, Petty Officers, Seamen, and Marines, of the Royal Navy of these United Kingdoms, as a tcstimonal of admiration and grati- tude, in the year of our Lord 1821, and m the second year of the reign of his Majesty George IV." There was deposited at the same time, and in the same manner, a plate of silver, with th(? names of the Committee of Management inscribed upon it. After the ceremony, a num- ber of the friends and admirers of the late Viscount dined together at the Waterloo Tavern *. Sir David Milne married, first, in 1804, Grace, daughter of Sir Alexander Purves, Baronet. His present lady is a daugh- ter of the late George Stephen, of Grenada, Esq. . ., • ' JAMES YOUNG, Esq. Rear-Admxral of the Red. ^ * ♦ • ■ Tins officer was made a Commander by Sir John Jervis, in 1794 ; and on his return from the West Indies, in the Reprisal, was appointed to the Comet fire-vessel. He subsequently • The late Viscount Melville was the projector of the memorable expe- dition to Egypt. His lonlship's proposal for sending an armament thither, was strongly contested in the Privy Council. Mr. Pitt gave a very reluc- tant consent ; and his late Majesty wrote, on the paper in which he si^ni- fied his acquiescence, words to the following purport : " I give my consent to this measure with the greatest reluctance, as it tends to expose the flower of my army to perish in a distant, dubious, and perilous expedition." At a subsequent period, the King breakfasted with his Lordship at Wimbledon ; and when about to leave the table, filled a glass of wine, and drank " To the health of the Minister who dared to advise and press the enterprise, which terminated so gloriously, against the opinion of his colleagues, and tin- express disapprobation of his sovereign." V'- t ■%■■ ^ ■■'!!!• 1 k I. 684 REAR-ADMIRALS OF TH£ RED. acted as Captain of the Zealous, a third rate, on the Mediter- ranean station, from which ship he again returned to the Comet. His post commission bears date Oct. 5, 1795. We next find him commanding the Greyhound frigate, employed first in the North Sea and afterwards off Marcou, where he captured I'A venture and la Tartane French privateers, each mountmg 16 guns. About the month of Feb. 1799, Captain Young was ap- pointed to the Ethalion, of 46 guns ; and on the 17th Oct. following, had the good fortune to capture, after a running fight of an hour, the Spanish frigate Thetis, of 36 guns and 250 men, from Vera Cruz, with specie to the amount of 1,411,256 dollars, and a large quantity of cocoa. Her consort, the Santa Brigida of similar force and value, was captured on the fol- lowing morning by the Naiad, Alcmene, and Triton *. The prize money for the cargoes of these vessels, exclusive of their hulls, stores, &c., was distributed in the following proportions : Captains each, 40,730/. 18*. ; Lieutenants, 6,091/. 7s. 3rf. J Warrant Officers, 2,468/. 10*. ^\d. j Mid- shipmen and their class, 791/. VJs. O^rf. ; Seamen and Ma- rines, 182/. 4*. 9irf f. In the following year. Captain Young removed into the Pique frigate, and during the remainder of the war was em- ployed on the Mediterranean station, from whence he returned to England July 2, 1802. His next appointment was in the spring of 1807, to the Valiant of 74 guns. He became a Vice-Admiral June 4, 1814. Our officer married at Gibraltar, in 1802, the daughter of Colonel (now Lieutenant-General) Fyers, of the Royal En- gineers, a lady at that time deemed the Beauty of the Rock. Residence. — Barton-end House, near Minchinhampton, Gloucestershire. • See p. 611. t The boats of the Ethalion hH(l previously taken seven vessels, laden with provisions, off the island of Majorca. ^\^t/,f Jii In vessels, laden REAR-ADMIRALS OF THE WHITE. JAMES MACNAMARA, Esq. Senior Rear-Admiral of the White. This officer is descended from an ancient family in Ireland. He entered the naval service in 1/82, on board the Gibraltar, of 80 guns, bearing the broad pendant of the late Sir Richard Bickerton, Bart., whom he accompanied to the East Indies ; and immediately on his arrival there, was removed into the Superb, of 74 guns, the flag-ship of Sir Edward Hughes, K.B. Soon after the action with M. de Suffrein, off Cuddalore, June 20, 1783 *, in which the Superb had 12 men killed and 41 wounded, Mr. Macnamara was appointed to act as Lieu- tenant of the Monarca, a third rate, in which ship he returned to England. He subsequently served for several years as a Midshipman on board the Europa, bearing the flag of Admi- ral Innes, at Jamaica, on which station he was at length pro- moted to the rank of Lieutenant. During the Russian and Spanish armaments, we find him in the Excellent, of 74 guns, and Victory, a first rate ; the former commanded by Captain Gell, the latter carrying the flag of Lord Hood. In 1793, soon after the commencement of the war with France, he again joined that nobleman, and was by him made a Commander, about the period of the eva- cuation of Toulon f. Our ofl&cer was afterwards appointed acting Captain of the Bombay Castle, 74, from which ship he exchanged into the Southampton frigate ; but, owing to an official mistake, was not confirmed in his post-rank until Oct. 6, 1795. The Southampton formed part of the light squadron under the orders of Commodore Nelson, sent to co-operate with the Austrian and Sardinian armies in their attempt to drive the republicans from the Genoese territories ; and on the depar- ture of that officer, after the termination of the Vado cam- • See note at p. 425. f See pp. 46, 60, 294, &c. fi? 1:1 Vi #:ll (m> KEAK-ADMIRALS OK TfIR WHITR. puign, was left off Genoa to blockade la Vestale, a French fri- gate, of 36 guns ; la Brune, of 32 guns ; two brigs, mounting 16 guns each j several cutters, gun-boats, &c. Notwithstanding this immense disparity of force *, it was not until the fifteenth day after his arrival off that port, that Captain Macnamara had the satisfaction of seeing them ven- ture out. The weather was at this time extremely hazy, and the wind blowing hard. Running the Southampton close a- board of la Vestale, he soon compelled her ix) surrender j but when about to take possession, his mizen-mast went by the board, of which, and the increasing density of the atmosphere, the enemy took advantage, re-hoisted her colours, and went off before the wind after her companions. Chagrined as Captain Macnamara was at this event, it was not long before another opportunity offered of distinguishing himself. On the evening of June 9, 1796, the present vete- ran Admiral of the Fleet, at that time Commander-in-Chief in the Mediterranean, discovered a French cruizer working into Hi^res bay, near Toulon ; and immediately singling out the Southampton, called her commander on board the Victory, pointed the enemy's ship out, and directed him to make a dash at her through the Grand Passe. The Southampton was instantly under weigh, and passed the batteries on the N. E. end of Porquerol island, in view of the British fleet, which, with agonizing suspense witnessed the boldness of an attempt, that scarcely any thing but complete success could have jus- tified. Sir John Jervis, on this occasion, even refused to give a written order for the undertaking ; he only said to Captain Macnamara, " bring out the enemy's ship if you can ; I'll give you no written order ; but I direct you to take care of the King's ship under your command." This enter- prise was executed in a most masterly manner, and, as the Admiral's letter expresses it, with " admirable skill and alacrity." It is impossible to do justice to the merit of those employed in this achievement. A better idea of its formidable nature cannot be given, than by Captain Macnamara's public letter to Sir J. Jervis. * The Southampton was only a 32-gun frigate. JAMUS MACNAMAKA, RSQ. 687 " Southampton, off Toulon, \Oth June, 1796 " Sir. — In obedience to the orders I received from you on the Victory'! quarter-deck last evening, I pushed through the Grande Passe, and hauled up under the batteries on the N. E. of Porquerol with an easy sail, in hopes I should be taken for a French or neutral frigate, which I have great reason to believe succeeded, as I got within pistol-sliot of the enemy's ship before I was discovered, and cautioned the Captain througli a trunnpet not to make a fruitless resistance, when he immediately snapped his pistol at me, and tired a broadside. At this period, being very near the heavy battery of Fort Breganson, I laid him instantly on board, and Lieutenant Lydiurd * at the head of the boarders, with an intrepidity no words can descriiie, entered and carried her in about ten minutes, although he met with a spi- rited resistance from the Captain, (who fell) and a hundred men underarms to receive him. In this short conflict, the behaviour of all the officers and ship's company of the Southampton had my full approbation, and I do not mean to take from their merit by stating to you, that the conduct of Lieu* tenant Lydiard wan above all praise. After lashing the two ships together, I found some difficulty in getting from under the battery, which kept up a very heavy fire, and was not able to return through the Grande Passe be- fore half after one o'clock this morning, with I'Utile corvette, of 24 guns, French fi.poundcrs, commanded by Citoyen Francois Vega, and 130 men, 25 of whom were killed and wounded. " I have the honor to be, &c. " J. Macnamara." Captain Macnamara was subsequently employed under Commodore Nelson, in taking possession of Porto Ferrajo, evacuating Capreja and Corsica, in the expedition against Piombino, and siege of Castiglione. Towards the latter end of 1796, the Southampton captured the Spanish brig of war El Corso, of 18 guns, in a hard gale, by boarding, under the batteries of Monaca. The first attempt failed, only one man (the coxswain. Harper,) getting on board ; butCaptain Macnamara, stimulated bythe desire of res- cuing so brave a fellow, made a second dash, and succeeded in throwing about 30 men into her, when she surrendered. During the ensuing 48 hours, the sea ran too high to commu- nicate by boats, and the prize consequently remained for that time under the command of the coxswain. From the tem- pestuous weather, and the shoal water Captain Macnamara's ship was in, the above appears to have been one of those pe- rilous acts that nothing but the confidence he reposed in the skill and bravery of his crew could have warranted. * Afterwards Captain of, and perished in, the Anson. t'm ,1'! ®i I ^l' -1' ' ' ' ifV III f: ifl 1 ♦ ■ t^^V 1 r, ill ill I (m UEAU-AIJMIHAl.S ()(■' TIIK WHITK. In the memorable battle off Capo St. Vincent, Feb. 14, 1797, the Southampton was one of the repeating frigates to the centre division of Sir John Jervis's fleet. She returned to England in the month of June following, and was soon after put out of commission. Captain Macnamara's next appointment was to the Cer- berus, of 32 guns, on the Irish station, where he captured I'Echange French letter of marque, of 10 guns and 40 men. On the 20th Oct. 1799, our officer being on a ciniize off Ferrol, fell in with a fleet of Spanish merchantmen, escorted by five frigates and two armed brigs, which he immediately attacked, and nearly succeeded in boarding one of the frigates; but was obliged to relinquish the attempt in consequence of being very closely pressed by the rest. He however took possession of, and after removing her people, set fire to one of the merchant vessels, in the midst of the enemy's squad- ron. The Cerberus on this occasion had her main-top-sail yard-arm carried away by the rigging of the ship she had endeavoured to board, and sustained some other trivial da- mages, but had not a man killed, and only 4 wounded. The gallantry of her commander, in seeking a contest with so superior a foe, excited general admiration ; and the Lords of the Admiralty, as a token of their approbation, paid him the compliment ot promoting his first Lieutenant to the rank of Commander. In 18(X), Captain Macnamara was sent to the Jamaica station, where he cruized with considerable success during the remainder of the war. After the peace of Amiens, he went several times to St. Domingo, to confer with the French General Le Clerc. The Cerberus was paid off at Chatham in Feb. 1803, after having been most actively em- ployed, and almost constantly at sea during a period of five years and a half. On the 6th April, 1803, Captain Macnamara being in Hyde Park with his Newfound! uul Kl ceivin^ some soothing' satisfaction for what would otherwise have exposed me in the general feelings and opinions of the worid. The deceased was a man of popular manners, as I have heard, and with very general ac- ((uaintancc. I, on the other hand, was in a manner a stranger in this great town, having been devoted from my infancy to the duties of my profession, in distant seas. If, under these circumstances, words which the deceased intended ns offensive, and which he repeatedly invited to be resented, had been passed by and submitted to, they would have passed from mouth to mouth, have been even exaggerated at every repetition, and my honor must have been lost. " (iientlemen, I am a Captain of the British Navy. My character you can only hear from others ; but to maintain any character in that station, 1 must l)c respected. When called upon to lead others into honorable dangers, I must not be supposed to be a man who had sought safety by .submitting to what custom has taught other.-? to consider as a disgrace. 1 am not presuminsf to urge any thing against the laws of (Jod, or of this land. I know that, in the eye of religion and reason, obedience to the law, tliough against the general feelings of the world, is the first duly, and ought to be the rule of action; but, in putting a constnictiun upon my motives, so as to ascertain the quality of my actions, you will make allow- ances for my situation. It is impossible to define, in terms, the proper feelings of a gentleman ; but their existence has supported this happy country for many ages, and she might perish if ihey were lost. Gentle- men, I will detain you no longer; I will bring before you many honorable persons, who will speak what they know of me in my profession, and in private life ; which will the better enable you to judge whether what I have offl-rcd in my defence may safely be received by you as truth. (len- tlcmen, I submit myself entirely to your judgments. I hope to obtain my liberty through your verdict, and to cair loy it with honor in defence uf the libertiew of my country." Captain Macnaniara afterwards called on the following' vcspectal*^!' naval ottiiiera, to give evidence as to his charactiT : viz. the Viwrounts IJood and Nelson, Lord Ilotham, Sir Hy4-gun ;ihip, in which he served two years on the Nortii Sen stntion, and then renu)ved into the Edgar, /'I- !•> '^'^ JAMES MVtNAMAHA. ESQ. 691 ave exposed leceased wab J general ac- • in this great jy profession, the deceased resented, had rom mouth to nd my honor character you m that station, into honorable ight safety by I a disgrace. I ,od, or of tlli^ edience to the the first duly, uction upon tny ,vill mak(^ allow- ■ms, the proper rted this happy re lost. Gentle- many honorable rofesaion, and in whether what I as truth, (icn- hopc to obtain lonor in defence the following' his characUr : ain, SirHytlf [!irtin,T<)wry, hurchill ami ititnony «f I'i'^ f his bein^ ^n Impanion, ix- jury withdriw kdict of, A'"' lul of llie *^»t'- ,on llu'Noitii 174. In 1H*)S we find him employed in the lialtic, under the orders of Rear- Admiral Keats, and assisting in the rescue of the Spanish army commanded by the Marquis de la Romana, which had been drawn from Spain by Buonaparte, preparatory to his de- signs upon that count'-y being carried into ett'ect. Whilst on that service, he was selected to command some gun-boats sent to attack a Danish brig of war and a cutter, lying under the protection of the batteries of Nyborg, and which he com- pelled to surrender after a gallant resistance. They proved to l)e the Fama, of 18, and Salorman, of 12 guns. The ene- my on this occasion had 7 ii^f"" killed, and 13 wounded. The iirilish, one officer, Lieutenant Harvey of the Superb, slain, and 2 seamen wounded. On his return to England, Captain Macnamaia was appoint- ed to the Berwick, a new 74, in which he was employed oji various services in the North Sea, and occasionally had the command of a squadron blockading Cherbourgh. On the 24th March, 1811, he chased a large French frigate, and com- pelled her to take shelter, with an ebbing tide, within the rocks near Rarfleur light-house, where she was burnt by her crew, lifter receiving considerable damage firom the Berwick's fire. t)ur officer was advanced to the rank of llear-Athuiral, June 4, 1814. He married, Jan. 20, ISIH, the widow of the Hon. Lieutenant-CoU)nel Carleton. itesitleuv.e. — Bath. ^ ROIJEK'l' WALLER OTWAY, Esg. Itfur-Ailmirul of Ihr fF/titr. This officer is descended from an old aiu' respectal)le lainily long seated at Ingmire ilall, on the borders of VVest- luo.elaiul ; a junior branch of which was attached to Crom- utU's army during the civil wars, and accompanied him to Ireland, where they acquired bt/ the sword a considerable l)r(»perty, which is still in the possession of their progeny. His father, an old dragoon officer, wishi 1 m V ■ i' I ; ^1 L.' i " I N 092 KEAR-ADMIRALS OF THK WHITE. 'nn in his thirteenth jrear ; but his predilection ior the sea was so great, that his parents consented to his embarking on board the Elizabeth, of 74 guns, commanded by the late Sir R. Kingsmill, Bart. From this period, (1784) we find him continually serving as a Midshipman on the Mediterranean station, in the West Indies, and on the coast of Guinea, until 1793, when he was promoted through the interest of Admiral Affleck* (with whom he had served for three years at Jamaica) to the rank of Lieutenant, in the Falcon brig. His next appointment appears to have been to the Impregnable, of 98 guns, which ship bore the flag of Rear-Admiral Caldwell, was niucli crippled, and sustained a loss of 7 men killed and 24 wounded, in the glorious battle of June 1, 1794. Gii this memorable occasion Mr. Otway, though a junior Lieutenant, distinguished himself by going aloft, accompanied by the present Captain Charles Dashwood, and lashing the fore-top-sail yard, which had been shot in the slings, to the cap ; whereby the ship was enabled to wear in pursuit of the *»nemy. The Rear-Admiral was so well pleased with him for performing this essential service, without which the top-sail could not have been again set, that he returned him his thanks publicly on the quarter-deck ; and on the first Lieu- tenant being promoted, offered to appoint him his successor. This proposal, however, Mr. Otway with singular modesty declined, saying, in the presence of the Secretary, " tliat he- was on the happiest ^erms possible with his moss-mates, and that being placed so suddenly over the heads of several o/ht lii coiisciiuciu c ttl liiiiiK MulaiiitMluftci'laruiiiiK the soldiers omburkcd in her ROBERT WALLER OTWAY^ ESQ. 695 their cables and stand out to sea with the soldiers still on board. They were pursued with great promptitude by Cap- tain Wood, but escaped in consequence of the Favorite un- fortunately losing her fore-top-mast. A general attack was now made by the British troops, led on by Brigadier-General Campbell, who charged the enemy on Pilot Hill, and gained a most decisive victory. In this brilliant affair the Buffs and 8th regiment particularly distinguished themselves, ns did also the St. George's Island cavalry. The loss sustained by the brigands was immense ; and that of the British likewise very severe, no quarter being given on either side. Leaving the reader to comment on the conduct of Captain Otway, we shall return with the latter to the little Mermaid ; in which ship, on his return from Grenada to Guadaloupe, Aug. 8, 1796, he fought a most gallant action close under the batteries at Baase-terre, with la Vengeance, a French frigate of the largest class ; and notwithstanding her vast buperiority, compelled her to return to that anchorage from which she had been sent with orders either to take or sink the Mermaid. The enemy, on this occasion, acknowleged a loss of 13 men killed and 26 wounded ; and so exasper- ated was Victor Hugues at the result of the combat, that he not only broke the French Captain's sword, for what he termed his cowardly conduct, but with his characteristic cruelty, deprived some English officers and men who were confined in Basse-terre prison, of water for the space of 24 hours, as a punishment for their venturing to cheer when they saw la Vengeance towed into port by the boats which had gone out to her rescue. The Mermaid had not a man hurt ; and although much cut up in her sails and rigging, came out of action with all her spars, the fore-top-gallant- masi excepted, in perfect order. La Vengeance likewise RulYered considerably in her sails and rigging, and was also much damaged in her hull. In the month of April, 1797j the Mermaid, in company with the Hermione and Quebec frigates, had a smart affair with the forts at Jean Rabel, St. Domingo, and succeeded in cutting out twelve sail of merchantmen. Captain Otway soon after exchanged into the Ceres, of 32 guns, the boats of which ship raptmrd la Mutine French privateer, of 18 guns and 90 I i ■>K.i \ /I '^ I Ml 696 RFAR-ADMIRALS OF THK VVHITK. •i ■ti\ .j-'iili ;!> men, lying at anchor in a creek at Porto Rico, and drove on shore and burnt another vessel of the same name and force. The party which boarded the latter was headed by Captain Otway, whose coxswain received a musket-ball when by his side, and in the act of jumping on board. Early in 1798, we find our officer cruizing in the Gulf of Mexico, under the orders of Sir Hyde Parker, by whom the Ceres and Trent were sent in chase of a guarda costa near the Havannah. Unfortunately they both ran aground, of which the Spaniard took advantage and placed himself in a position to annoy the Trent very much ; which being perceived by Captain Otway, he threw himself into one of the boats sent from the squadron to their assistance, and followed by five others, attacked, carried, and burnt the enemy's vessel, which mounted six long 24-pounders and four smaller guns, and bore the broad pendant of a Commodore of flotilla. On this occasion Captain Otway had another narrow escape ; Lieute- nant Thomas Walker of the Thames, a most gallant officer, since drowned, being badly wounded when about to board the enemy, and close to his enterprising leader. The Ceres was almost immediately got afloat, and after- wards assisted in extricating the Trent from her very dange- rous situation. The commander of the latter dying soon after, she was given to Captain Otway as a reward for his very great exertions in saving so fine a ship *. The following account of two dashing exploits, will exhibit a fair specimen of the services performed by him during the ensuing two years. At the commencement of 1799, the Trent appeared ofTSt. Juan, the capital of Porto Rico, which induced the Spanish governor to send orders overland for a schooner, then lying m a small harbour on the south side, to re-land her cargo, and to be dismantled. Soon after these directions had been given, the Trent accidentally came to that side of the island, and discovered the schooner moored close to a battery of six 24- pounders. Captain Otway got hold of a negro on the coast, to whom he gave 100 dollars for shewing him a landing place • The Trent was one of the first frigates ever built of fir ; she sailed remarkably well j was rated at 36 ;,'uns; and carried long IS-pounders on her maiu-deek. ROBERT WALLER OTWAY, ESQ. 60/ at some distance from the battery. The same night he land- ed a party of seamen and marines, and marching into the rear of the enemy, took them by surprise at a moment when they were watching the movements of the Trent, with their guns loaded and primed. The battery was immediately destroyed; the sails, rudder, and cargo of the schooner brought down from a house half a mile in the interior, re- shipped, and the prize sent off for Jamaica by day-light the next morning. This service was performed with the loss of only one man killed on the part of the British. About *J0 of the enemy were put to the sword in the battery. A few weeks after this affair, as Captjiin Otway was again reconnoi^^ring on the south side of Porto Rico, accompanied by the Sparrow cutter, he discovered I'Alexandre and ]2 Re- venge, two French privateers, each moimting 18 guns, a Spa- nish brig of 10 guns, and some coasting vessels, at anchor under a small battery within the Dead Man's Chest. The enemy's guns on shore were soon silenced by the Trent, and her boats sent under cover of the Sparrow to attack the ves- sels. On their approach each of the privtateers hoisted the bloody (red) flag, as an indication that no quarter would be given, notwithstanding which they resolutely pushed on, and after a smart action carried the whole without losing a man, whilst the enemy had no less than 50 killed and wounded. Captain Otway continued to command the Trent on the Jamaica station till Sept. 1800, when he smled for England with the flag of Sir Hyde Parker. During the six years that he had served in the West Indies, he is supposed to have cap- tured and destroyed about two hundred of the enemy's pri- vateers and merchantmen, mounting on the whole 1000 guns. Nothing can mark the character of this officer more strongly than the following anecdote, of the authenticity of which we are well assured : — A party of seamen belonging to the Trent were on shore at Portsmouth returning stores, when the Mas- ter-Attendant of the Dock-yard asked them limv they liked their Captain ; one of them replied, ** he was a man who would never deceive hit: crew, for if any of them deserved a couple of dozen, and h note *, At p. 365. RODKUT WALLER OTWAY, ESU. <>90 Captain Otvvay was subsequently detached to the West In- dies, under the orders of Sir R. J. Strachan, in pursuit of a French squadron ; and whilst on that service encountered a most tremendous hurricane. In 1807, he went to the Medi- terranean, and during the winter of that year assisted at the evacuation of Scylla, a fortified rock in the Faro of Messina, the garrison of which was embarked under a smart tire from the enemy on the Calabrian shore. He was afterwards en- trusted with the command of a squadron employed in co-ope- rjition with the Spanish patriots on the coast of Catalonia, and received the thanks of the junta of Gerona for the assistance afforded by him during the siege of that city, and for taking possession of the fortress of Rosas, by which the French were compelled to retire from Castalon, a town of some im- portance, situated five miles from the coast. Soon after this latter event. Captain Otway was appointed to the Malta, of 80 guns, off Toulon, which ship he paid off at Plymouth in Dec. 1808. About the month of May following, he obtained the command of the Ajax, a new 74 ; and to- wards the latter end of the same year, escorted a large fleet of merchantmen to the MediteiTanean. During the greater part of the winter, he cruized with a squadron imder his or- ders off the island of Sardinia, and made several captures. On the 20th July, 1810, the Ajax, in company with the VVarspite and Conqueror, 74*8, Euryalus frigate, and Sheer- water brig, forming the in-shore squadron off Toulon, had an affair with a French three-decker, five other line-of-battlo ships, and four frigates, which reflects the highest credit on all concerned. The enemy came out of port for the purpose of liberating a frigate in Bandol ; and owing to the situation of the Euryalus and Sheerwater, had nearly cut them off, when Captain Blackwood, the senior officer, brought to in or- der of battle, with the Warrior, Ajax, and Conqueror, en- gaged the headmost ships of the French line, and notwith- standing their great numerical superiority, compelled the whole to tack and stand back to their port, followed for some time by the British squadron, whose commander, in his pub- lic letter to Sir Charles Cotton, made the most flattering re- port of Captain Otway's spirited and judicious conduct on the occasion. On the I'ith Dec. following, the Ajax assisted at the dc- m ( IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) 4p 1.0 IA5 12.8 US 1^ u k. . WUi. 1.1 1.25 1 =y= 1 2.5 12.2 2.0 I 11^ JS /, 7 '/ /!^ Photographic Sciences Corporation V>'> 73 WIST MAIN STRUT WIUTIR, N.Y. MSIO (716) 173-4503 ■^ Z i 1:1 ] 700 ^ RKAR- ADMIRALS OF THE WHITE. struction of a French convoy, lying in the Mole at Palamos, on the coast of Catalonia ; the particulars of which affair, in which she had about 70 men killed, wounded, and missuig, will be given under the head of Captain Francis William Fane, in our next volume. On the Slst March, 1811, Captain Otway being off Elba, in company with the Unite frigate, fell in with a squadron of French frigates; and after a most arduous chace captured la Dromedaire, a new ship of 800 tons, but mounting only 20 guns, with a complement of 150 men, having on board a cargo consisting of 15,000 shot and shells of different sizes, and 90 tons of gunpowder, intended as a present from Buo- naparte to the Bey of Tunis. Her companions, the Emily and Adrian, of 40 guns each, were enabled from their proxi- mity to the shore to effect their escape into Porto Ferrajo. Captain Otway's health had now become so much impair- ed through the fatigues of long and indefatigable service, as to compel him to retire for a time from the active duties of his profession. He accordingly obtained permission to ex- change into the Cumberland^ of 7'^ guns, the command of which ship he resigned on his arrival in England at the latter end of 1811. From that period he remained on shore until May 1813, when he was again appointed to the Ajax, and in her joined the Channel fleet. During the ensuing winter, wc And him employed covering the siege of St. Sebastian, and making several captures, among which was I'Alcyon, a French corvette of 16 guns and 120 men, taken after a long chase off Scilly, March I7, 1814. .>.- ,-. 1. ■, i . . ,, , In the month of June following, our officer was sent from Bordeaux to Qiebec with a squadron, having under its escort a body of 5000 troops destined to reinforce our army in Ca- nada. Previous to his return to England, he visited Lake Champlain, and assisted in equipping the flotilla tlicrc. His advancement to the rank of llear-Admiral took place June 4, 1814, but we presume that event was not known to him until his arrival in the St. Lawrence. He succeeded Sir William Johnstone Hope as Commander-in-Chief on the coast of Scotland, in 1818, and remained on that station duiing the customary period of three years *". » ■ • 1 , » .. ;. • It is riitlior ti »in>»nlur coincidence, ihut the Pliucton frigate was the fir.»f .••hij) (liHt Reiu-Adiuirul Otwny went to sen in, tind the lirft that reeelve^l hi;^ WILUAM LUKIN, ESQ. "01 A short time before he htiiiled down his flag, Rear- Admiral Otway was presented with the freedom of the city of Edin- burgh ; and entertained at a public dinner given him by the noblemen and gentlemen of the club in St. Andrew's Square, as a testimony of their respect for his public and private cha- racter. Our officer married, on his return from the Baltic in Aug. 1801, a daughter of the present Admiral Holloway, and l)y that lady has a numerous family. Country -sent, — Westwood, near Southampton. .J'M I CkAfvf»<< ^ ^^^^ WILLIAM LUKTN, Esq. '* U>»H^a^ i'^ Rear-Admiral of the White. This officer, the eldest son of the late Dr. Lukin, Dean of Wells, and nephew and heir of that celebrated statesman the late Right Hon. William Windham*, was a Lieutenant in 1793; commanded the Hornet sloop of war in 1795 ; and obtained the rank of Post-Captain on the 28th Nov. in the same year. We subsequently find him serving in I'Espion frigate, and Standard, 64. From the latter ship, after cruizing for about six months off the Texel, under the orders of Admiral Duncan, he removed, towards the close of 1796, into the Thames, of 32 guns, the command of which vessel he retained until the peace of Amiens. The Thames formed part of the fleet at Spithead during the mutiny in 1797 t > but owing to Captain Lukin's judicious ' 11 ilag when going to assume the command at Leith, sailing each time from Spithead. She was built about 17^0, and is now in active service. * It is not, we believe, generally known, that Mr. Windham actually embarked in the same vessel in which the immortal Nelson made his first voyage, under Commodore Phipps, to determine the practicability of a N. E. passage to India. On this voyage of discovery, some men of science were despatched, carrying with them an excellent apparatus for mathema- tical and astronomical operations, to which Mr. Windham was tliroui^li life warmly attached. Unfortunately, however, for science, he found him- self incapable of sustaining the vicissitudes of a voyage : he became so sea- sick as to be dangerously indisposed; and the Commodore was obliged to land him in Norway, whence he returned to Norfolk in a Orccniandmati. f- ."^Ot! pp. 64S, rl xrij. r.pi V YiMl ' MH4 1 .i^B r y w i ' ^B f 1 w il:. II f- ro2 HEAR-ADMIRALS OF THE WHITE. management of her crew, was the first ship that proceeded to sea after its suppression j a circumstance which will not ap- pear the less creditable to our officer, when we state that she was known to be under orders for the West Indies, a station at that period particularly unhealthy, and universally dreaded. Subsequent to her return from thence, she cruized with con- siderable, success in the British Channel, and among other vessels captured TAurore French corvette, of 16 guns; I'Ac- tif privateer, of 16 guns and liJ/ men ; le Diable a Quatre, of 16 guns and 150 men ; and an armed schooner laden with coffee. She also retook a valuable merchant vessel from New York bound to London. Towards the latter end of the war, we find her employed off Cadiz, under the orders of Sir James Saumarez ; and she appears to have taken a part in the action with the combined squadrons of France and Spain, July 13, 1801 *. On the renewal of hostilities, in 1803, Captain Lukin was appointed to the Doris frigate. He afterwards commanded in succession the Thunderer, Gibraltar, and Mars, ships of the line, the latter of which was for some time stationed off Rochefort, under the late Sir Samuel Hood, and bore a very conspicuous part at the capture of four heavy French frigates, full of troops, Sept. 25, 1806 f. The ships which struck to her on that occasion were la Gloire, of 46 guns, and I'lnde- fatigable, 44. In the autumn of 1807, she accompanied the expedition sent against Copenhagen | j and after the reduc- tion of that place, equipped and escorted to England the Da- nish ship Fyen, of 74 guns. Some time after this event, an attack was meditated upon Norway, and the command of the naval and military forces to be employed given to Rear-Admiral Keats and Lieutenant- General Sir John Moore, both of whom, in consequence of Captain Lukin having handsomely offered his ship for that purpose, were conveyed by him to Sweden, Tlie enterprise, as is well known, was soon abandoned, in consequence of the disastrous and menacing aspect of affairs in the latter king- dom, which was not only rent by internal discords, but threat- ened from without by the combined armies of Russia, France, • -See p IH7, et $eq. I Sec p. fi/O, et seq. ♦ !See p. 7^* el set/. EDWARD FKLLOWRS, KSQ. 70c :oceeded to Till not ap- ate that she i, a station lly dreaded, d with con- mong other guns; I'Ac- le a Quatre, r laden with 2I from New of the war, of Sir James in the action in, July 13, n Lukin was commanded irs, ships of stationed oflF bore a very ench frigates, ch struck to and rinde- mpanied the the reduc- and the Da- litated upon lary forces to Lieutenant- Isequence of lip for that enterprise, [uence of the latter king- |, but threat- )sia, France, and Denmark. Sir John Moore consequently returned witli his troops to England, and thence proceeded to Conmna j but Captain Lukin appears to have continued on the Baltic sta- tion, commanding the Mars as a private ship, under the or- ders of Sir James Saumarez, for a period of three years, dur- ing which he was employed in a variety of arduous and im- portant services. His last appointment was to the Chatham, of 74 guns. His promotion to the rank of Rear-Admiral took place June 4, 1814 ; but he continued to serve as Cap- tain, by an express order from the Admiralty, until after the grand naval review at Spithead, and in the interim was em- ployed in conveying the Russian troops from Cherbourg. Our (^cer married, in 1801, Anne, daughter of the late Peter Thellusson, of Brodsworth, in Yorkshire, and Plaistow, CO. Kent, Esq., sister of the late, and aunt of the present Lord Rendlesham, of the kingdom of Ireland. Residence. — Felbrigg Cottage, near Cromer, Norfolk. EDWARD FELLOWES, Esq. Rear-admiral of the fVhite. This officer, a son of the late William Fellowes, of Ramsey Abbey, Esq., M. P. for the town of Andover, and brother of William Henry Fellowes, Esq. the present representative of the county of Huntingdon, was a Lieutenant in 1/03, com- manded the Albicore sloop in 17^5, and obtained post rank in the Tourterelle, of 26 guns, Dec. 7j hi the same year. He Avas present at the reduction of St. Lucia, by Sir Hugh C. Christian and Sir Ralph Abercromby *; and soon after that event removed into the Alarm frigate. On the 23(1 Nov. 1796, he captured the Spanish corvette El Galgo, of 18 guns, off Grenada. This vessel had on board specie to the amount of 80,355 dollars. In Feb. 1797> the Alarm formed part of the squadron under the orders of Rear-Admiral Harvey, at the conquest of Tri- nidad + ; she was subsequently employed on the Jamaica station^ where Captain Fellowes cruized with very great acti- • Sec note t. «tp. 134. t See note at p. 112. 1': l'" n V:' ImHn 1 fli ■Mi: M m iK, II i I \l ■1 1 i 704 REAR-ADMIRALS OF THE WHITE. / i^^ m s% m vity and considerable success, taking, among other prizof;, a Spanish brig of war, pierced for 18 guns, with a cargo of sugar ; and the Felice schooner, of 14 guns and 80 men. Our officer's next appointment was to the Acasta, a frigate of the largest class, in which he captured the Spanish ship la Juno, of 8 guns, pierced for 16, laden with cocoa and in- digo ; an armed polacre, with a cargo of brandy, wine, and dry goods ; a French sc;hooner, laden with coffee ; two French row-boats, schooner rigged ; two Spanish doggers ; a xebec, of 16 guns, with a .cargo similar to that of the polacre, and a number of unarmed merchant vessels laden with coffee, sugar, plantains, fustick, corn, stock, &c. ; and destroyed la Victoire French privateer, of 10 guns and 60 men, under the batteries of Aguader. Captain Fellowes returned to England with the homeward bound trade under his protection, in Sept. 1801 ; and con- tinued to command the Acasta until the following spring. In the summer of 1805 he was appointed to the Apollo, a new frigate ; and in 1806, we find him employed under the orders of Sir W. Sidney Smith, in co-operation with the British army on the sh'/res of Calabria. Major-General Stuart, in his of- ficial account of the battle of Maida, made the most grateful mention of Captain Fellowes's " solicitude for the success of the campaign ; his promptitude in sending on shore sup- plies for the troops j his anxiety to assist the wounded j and the tenderness with which he treated them^ Our officer subsequently commanded the Conqueror, of 74 guns, on the Mediterranean station, from whence he returned to England in 1812 ; since which time his health has not allowed him to be in active service. He was advanced to the rank of Rear- Admiral, June 4, 1814. His lady is the eldest daughter of the late R. Benyon, Esq., M. P. for Peterborough. Residence. — 29, Gloucester Place, Portman Square, London. ' WILLOUGHBY THOMAS LAKE, Esq. tlmr-Admiral of the White} and a Companion of the most honorable Military Order of the Bath. The family of Lake is descended, in the female line, from lugh do Caley, of Owby„co. Norfolk, who died in the year 1286; WILLOUr.HBY THOMAS LAKE, KSQ. 705 tnost }ionoral>le the founder of its reputation, however, was Dr. Edward Lake, Advocate-General of the kingdom of Ireland, and Chancellor of the Diocese of Lincoln, whose love for his Sovereign, and full conviction of the justness of the royal cause, induced him to lay aside the gown, and follow his august master, Charles I, to the battle of Edgehill, where he received no less than six- teen wounds. Being deprived of the use of his left arm, he placed the bridle of his horse between his teeth, and con- tinued to take a part in the combat until the armies were separated at the approach of night. On thjs heroic man being introduced to the King at Ox- ford, Oct. 23, 1643, (the first anniversary of the battle of Edgehill) his reception was such as he had a right to expect from a Prince for whom he had not only so nobly fought and profusely bled, but also sacrificed considerable estates both in England and Ireland, together with all the emoluments of a lucrative profession. " For a Lawyer^'' said his Majesty to those about him, ** a professed Lawyer, to throw off' his gowfi, and fight so heartily far me, I must needs think very well of it" The unfortunate monarch soon after granted him the dignity of Baronet, and authority to add a coat of augmentation, of the most honorable description, to the ar- morial bearings of his family, viz : In a field gules a right arm, armed ; carrying upon a sword a banner argent, charged with a cross between sixteen shields, (in allusion to the number of wounds he had received at Edgehill) in the centre of which is the Lion of England (added by the King himself) ; and for a crest, to the same coat of augmentation, a Chevalier in a fighting posture, his left arm hanging down useless, and holding a bridle in his teeth ; his scarf red ^ sword and horse cruentated. Sir Edward Lake died without issue, in 1674, and was buried in the Cathedral of Lincoln. His brother and heir, allowed the title to remain dormant, but Bibye, his nephew, laid his claim before the Earl of Oxford, who pretended that, owing to the hurry of affairs, the grant had been lost : how- ever, her Majesty Queen Anne, being well satisfied of Sir Ed- ward's eminent services, commanded a new patent to be is- sued, though with precedency only from the date thereof, Oct. 17,1711. The officer of whose services we are now about to present an outline, is the second son of the late Sir James Winter Lake VOL. I. 2 z % \'i 706 RBAH-ADMIKALS OF THR WHITK. M ■ i ■4. !i li I 9'M i[ (third Baronet and grandson of Sir Bibye Lake), by Joyce, daughter of John Crowther, of Bow, co. Middlb«ex, Ebq. He waB born about the year 1773, and emtered the naval Service under the auspices of Captain Andrew Snape Ham- ihOTid *, with whom, and his gallant nephew the late Sir A. S. Douglas, he served successively, as a Midlbhipiiian, in the Irtesistible, of 74 guns, Southamptrtn frigate, and Goliath, Alcide, and Vangulard, ships of the line, until his pft)inotion to the rank of Lieutenant, which took place Nov. 21, 1790t. On the war breaking out with France, in 1/93, Mr. Lake obtained an appointment to the Russel, a third-rate, com- manded by Captain J. W. Payne, in which ship he remained till the eiis'iiiiili^ autuinn. He afterwards serrxd as Flz^-Lieu- teMaAt 'x> Rear-Admiral Macbride, removing "with him from ship to shipi and occasionally commanding an armed cutter, during the operatibn6 against the French at Nieuport, Oa- tend, Scc^X In Uie spring of the following year, he was appointed first Lieutenant of the Minotaur, 74, bearing the ftag of tilt same xMeer, and ctiiefly employed in cnoizing oft* the i:6kst of France §. On the 25th Novv 17^4, Lieutenant Lake was advanced to tbe rank of Commander, in the Weazle sloop of wair, station- ed between Yarmouth and Flamborongh Head, for the pro- tection of the fishery. His next appointment was to the Rattler, of 18 guns, a Channel cruizer, under the orders of Admiral Sir Peter Parker. From that vessel he appears to have been posted into the Proserpine frigate, by commission * Thfe prft^nt Sir A. IS. Hamond, of Whom a meinoir mil appear, i]n> » ions for whitih he id also the honor ajestjr reviewing Aug. 18, m\>. |I. . lo2. WILLOUGIIBY THOMAS LAKE, ESQ. JQI/ dated Jan 4, 1796 ; and he was subsequently employed in tUe Channel, and North Sea, under the respective commands of Lords Bridport and Duncan. Among the captures made by him, we find the Dutch schooner privateer Un|ty, of 10 guns and 50 men, taken near Shetland. On the renewal of hostilities against France, in 1803, Captain Lake was commissioned to the Topaze, of 38 guns, and placed under the orders of the late Lord Gardner, on the Irish station, where he captured the following privateers : Napoleon, 14 guns and 180 men; Minerve, 14 guns and lU men ; General Augereau, 14 guns and 88 men ; and El Fenix, 14 guns and 85 men. In the summer of 1806, our officer was removed into the Gibraltar, of 80 guns, and entrusted with the command of a small squadron stationed off I'Orient to watch the enemy's ships, tiien ready for sea in that port. He subsequently served with the Channel fleet, under Earl St. Vincent. In 1807, Captain Lake's ill health obliged him to retire for a time from the active duties of his profession. He conse- quently came on shore, and was appointed to superintend the Sussex district of Sea Fencibles. Immediately on his re- covery, he solicited to be again employed afloat ; but it was not until the spring of 1812 that his wishes were gratified. He was at that period appointed to the Magnificent, of 74 guns, then refitting at Plymouth, and soon after seijit to join the squadron under Sir Home Popham, acting in conjunction with the patriots on the north coast of Spain. Captain Lake assisted at the reduction of Cf -t'-o, and in the attacks made upon Puerta Galletta, Guetaria, %c. * He also commanded a detachment of seamen and marines, to which was added the Guerilla regiment of Campillo, landed to co-operate in an attadc upon the castle of St. Ano. The French being driven thence by the fire of the shipping, were pursued towards the town of Santander t by Captain Lajke and the combined forces under his orders. The country between * Some interesting particulars of the operations of the squadron will be found under the head of Captain Sir George R. Collier, io vol. 2 of this work. t The castle of St. Ano commands the harbour of Santander [St. Andero,] and is about two miles distant from the town of that name. 2 z 2 :H'1 |R! rSlRl' >^th il i im I ?•' 'j: 7O8 REAR-ADMIRALS OF THE WHITE. the castle and the town was very favorable to the enemy in their retreat; numerous small houses, walls, and hedges, affording them shelter, and enabling them to keep up a gall- ing and incessant fire on their assailants, many of whom were killed and wounded. Among the latter were Captains Lake and Collier, the former of whom received a musket-ball in his right arm. The British, however, succeeded in gaining the height immediately above the town, from which a large body of troops was seen to issue and form a junction with the gar- rison of the castle. The Guerillas of Campillo being at this time much dispersed, and no appearance of Porlier's division, which, according to the original plan, was to have attacked Santander on the land side. Captain Lake was compelled to order a retrograde movement, which he had no sooner done, than a second wound (in the head) deprived him for a time of his senses ; and in that state he was conveyed towards the beach, the men under his orders retiring to the castle, where the British colours had previously been hoisted. Notwithstanding this failure, the enemy's troops were soon after compelled to evacuate Santander, and otherwise consi- . derably annoyed, as appears by an intercepted letter from their commander, Caifarelli, in answer to an order he had received to join Marshal Marmont, wherein he stated, that a British armament being on the coast, he could not detach a single man ; indeed, some troops, whom he had already sent, were recalled on the appearance of the squadron, the operations of which were acknowledged by Lord Wellington to have greatly assisted the movements of his army *. The severe wounds received by Captain Lake, deprived the country of his services for a period of four months, during which the Magnificent was commanded pro tempore by Cap- tain John Hayes. On his return to that ship, he joined the Channel fleet, and continued under the orders of Lord Keith until the termination of the war in Europe, some time pre- vious to which he captured an American letter of marque, pierced for 18 guns, from Concarneau bound to Charlestowii. • At the period alluded to above (Auj(. 1812,) Lord Wellington's hea(f- qnarters were at Cueliar, and M. Marmont retreating from the neighl)oiii- hood of Valladolid, which place he had been compelled to abandon, leaving behind him 4,()00 sick and wonnded, together with a large ({uantity of store^v, ammunition) &c. WILLOUGHBY THOMAS LAKE, ESQ. 709 At the general promotion, June 4, 1814, Captain Lake was appointed to one of tne Colonelcies of Royal Marines. He soon after convoyed a fleet of merchantmen to the West In- dies, where he arrived at the period when Sir Alexander Coch- rane was proceeding on the expedition to New Orleans, and was left by him to carry on the duty, as senior officer on the Jamaica station, from whence he returned to England with the May convoy in the ensuing year. The Magnificent was paid off at Portsmouth soon after her arrival. Our officer was nominated a C. B. Jan. 2, 1815 ; and ad- vanced to the rank of Rear-Admiral, Aug. 12, 1819. He married, in 1795, Charlotte, daughter of the late Admiral Macbride ; by whom he has issue, first, Charlotte, married to John Offley Crewe, of Muxton, co. Stafford, Esq. ; second, Willoughby, a Lieutenant R. N. ; third, Edward, an officer in the Madras Engineers, who served with distinguished bravery and was twice wounded during the late war in India ; fourth, Noel, a Lieutenant in the Royal Artillery ; and fifth, Emily, unmarried. Residence, — I, Baker Street, Portman Square. '^^ 'M "fr'" SIR CHARLES OGLE, Bart. Rear-admiral of the White; und a Deputy-Lieutenant of the County of Southampton- This officer, a descendant of the Barons Ogle, of North- umberland, whose coat of arms is still borne by the family, and grand-nephew of Sir Chaloner Ogle, Knt., who died Ad- miral of the Fleet, in 1750, is the third and eldest surviving son of the late Sir Chaloner Ogle, Bart. *, by Hester, young- est daughter and co-heiress of John Thomas, Lord Bishop of Winchester. * Sir Chaloner Ogle, Bart., who at the time of his demise was next on the list to H. R. H. the Duke of Clarence, and of course the senior Admi- ral in the British Navy, was the son of Dr. Nathaniel Ogle, some time Physician to the forces under the illustrious Duke of Marlborough, by Elizabeth, daughter of Jonathan J. Newton, of Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Bar- rister at Law, of the family of Newton, of Stokesiield Hall. His ancestor, Mark Ogle, purchased the mansion of Kirkly, with the demesne lands of Ralph, Lord Eure, in 1612. m J !i »J 1 J : 710 REAR-ADMIRALS 0|P THE WHITK. H(' entered the naval service at an early age ; and at the (•ommencement of the war with the French republic, in 1793, sferved as a Midshipman on board the Boyne, of 98 guns, bearing the flag of Sir John Jervis, (now Earl of St. Vincent) from which ship he was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant In the Vengeance, a third fate, carrying the broad pendant of the late Sir Charles Thompson, and forming part of the ar- mament sent from England for the purpose of subjugating the enemy's colonies in the West Indies *. In Jan. 1794, soon after the arrival of the fleet at Barba- dofes. Lieutenant Ogle again joined the Bojme ; and on the 6th of the following month, we find him commanding one of her boats in an attack made upon some vesdels lying at an- chor ileaf Maran, in the island of Martinique. The assailants were much exposed both to the great guns and musketry of the enemy ; but they succeeded so far as to bring off two schooners, and compel several others to seek refuge under the guns of Fort St. Etienne. A few days after this event our officer, then serving on shore, assisted at the capture of Pigeon Island, (Islet aux Ramieres) the possession of which enabled Sir John Jervis to anchor the fleet in Fort Royal Bay, and supply the army with ammunition, stores, and provisions, at pleasure. Pigeon Island is situated on the south side of the bay of Fort Royal, about 200 yards from the shore, and is a steep rock, inaccessible, except on one side by a ladder fixed agauist a perpendicuW wall. The summit is about 30 yards above the level of the sea, and is 300 paces round. It contained eleven 42-pourtders, six 32's, four 13-inch mortars, and one howitzer, with an immense quantity of stores and ammunition. Its garrison consisted of 203 men, 15 of whom were killed and 25 wounded, by the fire from the batteries erected by the British on Mount Matharine, which commanded Pigeon Is- land, at the distance of not more than 400 yards. The be siegers, though greatly annoyed by the enemy's shells, appear to have lost only 2 men. This island is famous for having prevented Sir G«orge B. Rodney, with twelve sail of rtie line, from entering !Fort Royal bay in 1782. Lieutenant Ogle was subsequently entrusted with the com- • Sec p. ID Ivith the com- SIR CHAilLES OGLE, BAHT. 7^ mand of a paii;y of seamen landed at Point Negro to co-ope- rate with the army, and remained on shore until after the surrender of Fort Bourbon, which completed the conquest of Martinique *. - The reduction of this important colony being speedily followed by that of 8t. Lucia, the expedition ppooeeded against Guadaloupe, which was also soon after obliged to submit to the British arms, immediately after the latter event, Lieutenant Ogle, who had commanded a party of seamen and greatly distinguished himself at the stomping of Fort Fleur d'£pee f, was appointed acting Commander of the Assurance, of 44 guns, from which ship he removed into the Avenger sloop of war. His next appointment was to the Peterell, a vessel of the same description ; and in h&t we * It is much to the credit of the naval ofpoers who were employed on shore during]; the op^riitions against the French in the isluiid of Martinique, a |)eriod of nearlj' seven weeks, that they shared the same hardships as the private seamen and soldiers, without a inurnuir, sleeping in their clothes the whole time ; and bein^ so situated that they seldom could have the benefit of tept^, or aity kipd of hpvel. They were e^po^ed ^oi>tinviaUy ^o the h«»vy jia\fi» w4 nocturnal dfimps which in 9 trqpic^l climate so ^Qt verely try the conptitution ; but, owing (as it was imagine^) to the ilannel shirts which were invariably worn by all ranks, they suffered less from sickness than could have been expected. See Willyama' Hhtory of the West India Campaigi^, note/, itt p. 69. t FIfiur d'Bp^e, the principal fort on the island of 'dh^tiWupe, Vva^ taken by assault on the morninj^ of April 12, 17^4. The soldiers employ, ed on this occasion, consistinjf of t^e first aiv'. second' battalions of lif^t infantry, under the orders of Major-General EliAnd^, jyer^ particularly uli- reeled not t? &r*, h^t (rusi, solely to the kayoaet ; ^nd the seupcteii. wh() were commanded by the heroic Captain Faulkner, to use their pikes ^nd swords; all which M'as most scrupulously obeyed. The si(je of ^he iQoun- tain which the latter had to ascend, under a most tremendous discharge of grape-shot and musketry, was almost perpendicular ; they howeirer »nr- mounted every ditlicplty, gained the p^irapet, dashed into the body of the furt, and fought fiheu: way to the gates, where they were Joined by the military. The enemy made u most gallant resistance ; bat nothing could withstand the impetuosity of the British, by whom (hey were beaten out of their works, and subsequently dHvenfrom Point a Petre and pursued Bcrosi the Car^nage to jBasse Terre. The loss sustained by the storming pai'ty in this brilliant afSair was grefnt in proportion to the sknallness of their niioi- bers, beipg 73 killed and wounded. Tlie French haships ; the Champion, of 20 guns, and Ariadne, of similai- force; the Harpy, Savage, Dart, Kite, and Wol- verene sloops ; Tartarus and Hecia bombs ; and ten smaller vessels, hav- iog on board about 2,000 troops, commanded by Major-General Coote, sailed from Margate on the 14th May, but owing to the unfavorable state of the weather, did not reach the place of its destination until l** A. M. on the 19th. The wind soon afterwards shifted to the west, and threatened to blow hard, nutwitlistunding which, the greater part uf the troops, with all the necessary implements for destroying the sluices, were landed at a short distance from the town of Ostend, by 5 o'clock. The enemy's l>at- teries hud previously opened on the ships, and their fire was returned in a most spirited niuuner, by the Wolverene and two gun-vessels ; whilst the bombs threw their shells vvith such precision, that the town was ect on fire in different places, and the ships in the basin much daina;^ed. As a feint to cover the operations of bringing up the materials, aiul of destroying the sluices, a summons was sent to the Commandant of Ostend to surrender that place ; but he replied, that the (touncil of war, then sitting, had resolved rather to be buried under its ruins. By this time the vessels opposed to the batteries had sustained considerable damage ; they were therefore called olf, and the Dart, Harpy, and Kite, ordered to take their stations ; but it l>eing low water, they could not get near enough to fire with umch effect. At 10" 20' a great explosion was «een, which indicated the dcdtrucUun of the sluices ; and soon after the troops were observed to be assembled on the sand hills near the shore ; but unfortunately the surf ran so high, that not a man could be re-embarked. lu tliis situation they remained until the morning of the 20th, when Major-Oeneral Coote had tlie mortification to find that the enemy had collected in consideral'ie force, and surroundtd his little army ; he, however, maintained bis post with great gallantry, uutil being severely wounded, and seeing no prospect of extricating himself from his situation, he felt himnelf under the ueressity of capitulating. The loss sustained by the navy in this expedition, was 2 Midshipmen and 13 men killed^ Lieutenant J. Edmonds, of the Asp gun-vessel, and It*) men wounded ; Captain J. Mackellar, of the Minerva, and hii boat's crew, taken prisoners. The army had aboat 60 men killed and wounded, among whom were several valualile oflicen : the Duml>er take* prisoners amounted to 1,134. The canal, \trhich it was the object of the assailants to destroy, had coil the states of Bruges an immense sum of money, aad taken iIh* labour of five years to complete. The tluice-gatcs wore indeed demolished, and h«>- vpral boats burnt, by the explosion j but it was soon found tliat the damage was very trifliiia;, rvrry thing being restored to its former >tate in the courte of a few \vi'«'k». ^^ m HfiNRY RAPUR, BSa. 71i> Early in 1799 j Captain Raper was appointed to I'Aimable frigate ; and towards the latter end of that year, sailed from Cork, in company with the Glenmore, of 44 guns, and a fleet of merchantmen, bound to the West Indies. On the 17th Dec, they fell in with la Syrette, a heavy French frigate, and la Bergere corvette, from Cayenne, having the celebrated Vic- tor Hugiies on board. These vessels had just before captured the Calcutta, an extra East Indiaman, and were removing her crew, when, on the clearing up of a fog, they were discovered to leeward, by Captain Duff of the Glenmore, who retook the Calcutta. Captain Raper, in the mean time, pursued the French men of- war, and in a spirited manner brought them to action, which continued for 35 minutes, when they made off, though so much superior to I'Aimable. The Glenmore, taking care of her recapture and her vtduable charge, could not render any ussistance to her consort. •' ' - Captain Raper continued on the Leeward Island station until the sudpetit^ion of hostilities, in 1801 . During the latter part of the late war with France, he commanded the Mars, of 74 guns. His first commission as a Rear->Admiral, bears date Aug. 12, 1819v •■ i ) u. i -li WILLIAM CHARLES FAHIE, Esq. heUr'Admiral qf the H^ kite { Commander^n'Chief »t Halifitx; a C»mpa» nion o/ tfi« ntott fivnomftU Military Order of the Bath; and Knight Commander of the Neapolitan Order tffSt, Ferdinand and tf Merit. This othcer served with great credit as a Lieutenant during tlie West India Campaign in XfOi.. He subsequently com- manded th'? Woolwich, a 44-gun ship, armed enjiuttf on the Leeward Island stai;ioii ; and was posted into the Petdrix, of 22 guns and 163 men, Feb. 2, 1796. On tlie 13th Jan. 1798, an unfortunate oircuinAanoe occurred at English Harbour, Antigua, in consequence of Lieutenant Charles Peterson, of the Perdrix, disobeying the orders of Lord Cumclford, aiding commander of the Favorite sloop, a^d at that time senior oflicer in the hurboiu'. Captain Fahic being absent on leave. The idarm gims having been hred, Lord Canielford sent an order to Lieutenant Peterson to hold the t- I \ : I 1 I ► i 1 716 ttBAK- ADMIRALS OF THE WHITE. crew of the Perdrix in readiness to act, and to row guard during the night ; which order he refused to obey, alleging, that notAvithstanding the absence of Captain Fahie, he did not consider Lord Camelford authorized to issue such command. Both ships were alongside the dock-yard repairing, and their respective crews witnessed the altercation which took place between the parties. At length Lieutenant Peterson directed his men to come on shore with arms, and having drawn them up in a line, placed himself at their head with a sword by his side. Lord Camelford finding it was necessary to adopt the most decisive and prompt measures to check this violent and mutinous proceeding, ordered a party of marines from the Favorite to be landed ; and taking a pistol from one of his officers, went up to Lieutenant Peterson, and demanded whether he still persisted in refusing to obey his orders ? To which the Lieutenant replied, ** Yes, I do refuse." Lord Camelford instantly shot him dead, and desired the men collected about him to return to their ships, which they did peaceably. On the following day the Matilda and Beaver arrived, when his Lordship siu*rendered himself to Captaui Mitford of the former vessel, by whom he was sent to the Commander-in-Chief, then at Fort Royal Bay, Martinique. A Court-Martial subsequently assembled on board the Invin- cible, to try Lord Camelford for the death of Lieutenant Peterson. After hearing the whole of the evidence adduced on the occasion, and what tlie Prisoner had to offer in his defence, and maturely and deliberately weighing and con- sidering the same ; and being fully sensible of the necessity of prompt measures in cases of mutiny, they were unanimously of opinion, that the very extraordinary and manifest disobe- dience of Lieutenant Peterson, both before and at the instant of his death, to the lawful orders of his superior officer, and the violent measures adopted by the deceased to resist the same, were acts of mutiny highly injurious to the discipline of the service : they did therefore adjudge his Lordship a most honorable aquittal*. iln/i r - •/. On the 11th Dec. 1796, Captain Faliie fell in with, and * Lord Camelford was killed in a duel with a Mr. Best, March ]4, 1804. For the particulars t)f that transaction we refer our readers (u Faulkner's History of Kensington, p 1 77> &c. ' WILLIAM CHARLES FAHIE, ESQ. 71 7 after an action of 42 minutes, captured rArmc'e d'ltalie, French privateer, of 18 guns and 117 "len ; of whom 6 were killed and 5 wounded. The Perdrix had only one man wounded. We next find him in the Hyaena, of 28 guns, escorting a fleet of merchantmen from England to the Lee- ward Islands. In the summer of 1805, he was appointed to the Amelia frigate, and from her removed into the Ethulion, in which ship he assisted at the capture of the Danish West India Islands, in Dec. 1807 1^ Captain Fahie's next appointment was to the Belleisle, of 74 guns, one of the squadron employed at the reduction of Martinique, in Feb. 1809 |. He subsequently commanded the Pompee, another line-of-battle ship ; and on the 16th April, after a long and arduous pursuit, and close action of an hour and a quarter, in which he was partially joined by tiie Castor frigate, captured the French ship Hautpoult, of 74 guns and 680 men, between 80 and 90 of whom were killed and wounded. The loss sustauied by the British amounted to 11 slain and 41 wounded ; among the latter were Captain Fahie and his first Lieutenant. The Hautpoult was a per- fectly new ship, and had sailed from I'Oricnt in the month of February preceding, in company with tvvo other 74's and two frigates, expressly for the relief of Martinicpie. Captain Fahie was soon after appointed to the command of his prize, whose name was changed to the Abcrcromby, on her being taken into the British navy. Early in 1810, an armament under the orders of Sir Alexander Cochrane and Lieutenant-General Beckwith, pro- ceeded against Guadaloupe ; the surrender of which colony on the 6th Feb., was quickly followed by that of the islands of St. Martin, St. Eustatia, and Saba. This latter service was, in conjunction with Brigadier-General Harcourt, most ably performed by Captain Fahie, to whom Sir Alexander had given the temporary rank of Commodore during the expedition. Soon after this event, by which the flags of France and Holland were expelled from the Antilles, our officer returned to England. He continued tx) command the Abercromby, on the Lisbon station and in the Channel, during the remainder f . i' mtf m iji/ See p. 2G3. : See p. 264. 71B nKAR-ADMrilALS OP THK U'HITB. II l! ! •^ i of the war. At the general promotion June 4, 1814, he obtained a Colonelcy of Royal Marines ; and in the following year was nominated a Companion of the most honorable Order of the Bath. Subsequent to the escape of Buonaparte from Elba, we find Captain Fahie in the Malta, of 84 guns, co-operating with the Austrian General, Baron Laner, in the siege of Gaeta, which was defended with great obstinacy until the 8th Aug. 1815, on which day the allied forces took possession of it for his Majesty the King of the Two Sicilies, who has since con- ferred upon Captain Fahie the insignia of a K. F. M. in tes- timony of his royal regard and esteem, and of the distin- guished services rendered by Captain Fahie during the ope- rations against that fortress. Our oflRcer was advanced to the rank of Rear-Admiral, Aug. 12, 1819 ; and early in tlie ensuing year, appointed Commander-in-Chief at the Leeward Islands. In Dec. 1821, he relieved Vice-Admiral Colpoys in the command at Halifax, on which station he still continues. Mrs. Fahie died at Brorapton, April 20, 1817. SIR GEORGE EYRE, Hear-Admiral of the ff^hite ; and Knight Commander of the most ho- norable Military Order of the Bath. Soon after the commencement of hostilities against the French republic, this officer obtained the comniand of the Speedy sloop, in which he had the misfortune to be captured by three of the raiemy*8 frigates, off Nice, June 9, 1/94. He afterwards commanded the Albicore, and from that vessel was posted, Feb. 6. 1/96, into la Prompte, a 20-gun sliip. In the ensuing spring he assisted at the reduction of St. Lucia *. Captain Eyre's next appointment was to the Regulus, of 44 gims, in the West Indies, where he was very actively cm- ployed until the summer of 1799, when he returned to Eng- land with Vice-Adnural (afterwards Sir Ricluird R.) Bligh. Towards the <:oud[usiuu of the war he commanded the San Josef, a first-rate. " S^tnotf. t, at p, 134. BIR r.BORGS BVRB. '19 From this period we lose sight of him until the month of July 1806, when he was {^pointed to the iVrdent, of 64 guns, in which he remained but a shoct time, and then removed in- to the Magnificent, a new 74. In Oct. 1809, he assisted at the capture of Zante, Cephalonia, &c. &c., by the forces un- der Captain Spranger of the Warrior, and Brigadier-General Oswald ; the consequence of which was the restoration of the government of the Septinsular republic. On the 21st March following. Captain Eyre sailed from Zante, with the Magni- ficent, Bdle Poule, and Imogene, having on board a body of troops under the command of Greneral Oswald, destined to act against the island of St. Maure, the ancient Leucadia, situated near the entrance of the Gulph of Lepanti. The ex- pedition reached St. Maure the same evening. The French, on the approach of the British, evacuated the town, and re- tired, 1000 strong, into the fortress, and formidable field-works adjoining it : the first redoubt was soon carried, the enemy retiring into his next entrenchments, where he seemed re- solved to defend himself. As it was of great importance to reduce this place as speedily as possible, the ships were em- ployed ; and Captains Eyre and Stephens, the former of whom received a severe wound in the head, distinguished them- selves much in the attack. The Frenchmen stood the con- test but for a short time : their entrenchments were charged and carried ; and they were pursued at the point of the bayonet from work to work, abandoning their camp, cannon, and even a strong position which they might still have defended. On the 16th April the fortress surrendered. The loss sus- tained by the British squadron during the siege, amounted to 7 men killed, and 39 wounded. In the month of Feb. 1811, a squadron stationed in the Ionian sea, under the orders of Captain Eyre, intercepted thirty sail, bound for the relief of Corfu ; one of them, a vessel of 100 tons, was laden with ordnance stores; and ano- ther, of the uame sice, with every articls of sails, cordage, and ammunition, proper for the equipment of twenty-five gim- vessel*. The rest leere laden with corn, and had on board abont 500 JBVifldiers, trAended as a reinforcement for the French garrison of tliat island. Towards the latter end of the same year, we find Captain Eyre commanding a squadron on the n.ra 720 REAR-ADMIRALS OP THE WHITE. coast of Valencia, in co-operation with the Spanish patriots. On his return to England, about the spring of 1812, the honor of knighthood was conferred upon him for his services in the Mediterranean. ,(.;:/-.,. At the general promotion, June 4, 1814, Sir George Eyre obtained a Colonelcy of Royal Marines. He was nominated a K. C. B. Jan. 2, 1815 ; and advanced to the rank of Rear- Admiral, Aug. 12, 1819. He is at present preparing to as- sume the command on the South American station. Our officer married, Nov. 1, 1800, Georgiana, daughter of Sir George Cooke, of Wheatley, co. York, Baronet. 1^ !4''' i ' ! ft § I ROBERT LAMBERT, Esq. Rear-Admiral of the White. ' ' This officer is the eldest son of Robert Lambert, Es(|. many years a Captain R. N. He entered the naval service at an early age, and in 1/91 was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant by the late Hon. Sir William Cornwallis, in the East Indies. He served as such on board the Barfleur, of 98 guns, bearing the flag of Rear-Admiral Bowyer, and com- manded by the late Lord Collingwood, in the memorable battle of June 1, 1794*, after which he was made a Com- mander, into the Swift sloop of war. From that vessel he re- moved into the Suffolk, of 74 guns, as Flag-Captain to the late Admiral Rainier, with whom he served at the reduction of Ceylon, Amboyna, Banda, &c. &c. in the years 1796 and 1796 f. His post commission bears date April 11th in the latter year. * The Darfleur's loss amounted to 9 men killed and 25 wounded ; among the latter was Rear-Admiral Bowyer, who had the misfortune to lose a jog. His gallantry was most justly rewarded with the applause of his country, and the favor of his sovereign. A gold chain and medal were bestowed upon him, together with a pension of 1,000/. per annum. He died an Ad- miral of the Blue, Dec. 6, 1800. t The naval and military forces destined for the reduction of Trinco- mal^c and the other Dutch settlements in the eastern hemisphere, sailed from Madras under the orders of Commodore Peter Rainier and Colonel James Stuart, July 21, 1795 ; and arrived at Back Bay, in the island of Ceylon, on the I st of the following month. Two days after, the troops 721 Suflfolk till June, 1798, when ill health compelled him to return to Eug- His next appointment was to the Saturn, 74, in which ROBERT LAMBERT, ESQ. Captain Lamhert continued to command the land. ship he accompanied the expedition sent to the Baltic imder Sir Hyde Parker, in 1801. On his return from that station, he joined the Alcmene frigate, and was employed during the remainder of the war in affording protection to the Halifax, Newfoundland, and Lisbon trade. Early in 1812, Captain Lambert was appointed to the Duncan, of 74 guns, from which ship he removed into the Royal Sovereign, a first-rate, on the Mediterranean station, where he remained until the termination of hostilities. His advancement to the rank of Rear- Admiral took place Aug. 12, 1819. Our officer soon after hoisted his flag in the Vigo, of 74 guns, as Commander-in-Chief of the squadron employed at St. Helena for the secure detention of General Buonaparte *. He returned from that station Jan. 1, 1822, and struck his flag on the 3d of the same month. Rear-Admiral Lambert has three brothers now in his Ma- jesty's service ; viz. John, a Major-General and K. C. B. ; Samuel, a Lieutenant-Colonel in the Grenadier Guards ; and were disembarked without opposition about four miles to the northward of Trineomalde ; but owing to the violence of the wind and heavy surf, it was not until the 13th, that the whole of the stores and provisions could be landed. The carriage of these and of the artillery to the camp, a distance of about three miles, over a heavy sand, was executed by the seamen. On the 23d, batteries mounting eight 18-pounders and some guns of small- er calibre, were opened on the fort, and by the 26th had effected a practi- cable breach. The place was now summoned to surrender ; and after some discussion the terms offered by the British commander were agreed to. On the 31st Fort Oostenburg also capitulated ; and its example was speedily followed by the factories of Batticaloe, Jaffnapatam and Molletivoe. All the Dutch colonies on the continent of Asia and the adjacent islands, were taken in the course of that and the succeeding year, and booty to an im- mense amount fell into the possession of the captors, particularly at Ain- boyna and Banda, the former of which was seized by the squadron, Feb. 10, and the latter March 8, 1796. * Napoleon Buonaparte died at St. Helena May 5, 1821 ; his funeral was attended by Rear-Admiral Lambert ; the Governor of the island ; the principal officers of the ships and garrison ; and with all the solemn cere- monies, and the highest marks of distinction, due to his acknowledged rank. VOL. I. 3 A ' i W'^ 722 REAR-ADMIRALS OF TIIK WHITE. George Robert, a Coniinander R. N. Another, Henry, com- manded the Java frigate, and was slain in an action with the American ship Constitution, at a moment when he had every prospect of obtaining a complete victory over his powerfid opponent. The particulars of that gallant action will be given under the head of Commander H. D. Chads, in a subsequent part of this work ; and it is our intention at the same time to introduce a sketch of Captain H. Lambert's previous services. Hesidence. — Beaupert, near Hastings. JOSEPH BINGHAM, Esq. Rear-Admiral of the fFhite. This officer was born about the year 1769, and entered the naval service in 1781 as a Midshipman, on board the Dublin, of 74 guns, commanded by the late Sir Archibald Dickson, which ship formed part of Lord Howe's fleet at the relief of Gibraltar, and in the partial action with the combined fleets of France and Spain, off Cape Spartel, Oct. 20, 1782 *. He afterwards served successively in the Ariadne, Proselyte, Druid, and Solebay frigates, on the coasts of Ireland and Newfoundland, in the British Channel, and at the Leeward Islands. On the latter station he joined the Jupiter, of 50 guns, bearing the broad pendant of the late Sir William Parker, by whom he was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant. At the commencement of the war with France, in 1793, we find Mr. Bingham serving as third Lieutenant of the Ganges, 74, Captain A. I. P. Molloy. In that ship he had the good fortune to share in the capture of the General Dumourier French Privateer and her prize the St. lago, a Spanish galleon of immense value f. He was subsequently appointed to the Cffisar, of 84 guns. In the partial action between Earl Howe's fleet and that of the French republic, on the evening of May 28, 1794 %, Mr. Bingham was senior Lieutenant of the Audacious, of 74 guns, which ship, it will be remembered, engaged la Revolution- ♦ See p. 107. t See Rear-AdmiralJoHN CocHET. X See note at p. 75. JOSEPH BINGHAM, ESQ. 723 iiaire, a three-decker, in the most spirited manner, and fairly beat her out of the enemy's line. The Audacious received so much damage in this unequal conflict, as to be under the necessity of returning to port to refit; and was thereby prevented sharing in the glorious tri- umph obtained over the enemy on the lit of the following month. Lieutenant Bingham, however, whose good conduct in the foregoing gallant affair had been duly represented to the Admiralty, was soon after advanced to the rank of Com- mander, and appointed to the Cormorant sluop, in which ves- sel he proceeded to the Jamaica station, where he captured I'Alerte, of 14 guns, and several other armed vessels. His post commission bears date April 20, 1796. In the ensuing autumn. Captain Bingham, after command- ing for a short time the Hannibal and Sampson, ships of the line, and Jamaica of 26 guns, was removed into the Levia- than, 7^9 bearing the broad pendant of his friend Commodore Duckworth ; with whom he continued until an eighth attack of the yellow fever obliged him to invalid, and return to Eng- land in a packet. Captain Bingham's next appointment was in 1798, to the Prince George, a second rate, bearing the flag of Sir William Parker, on the coast of Spain. Ho afterwards accompanied that officer, in the America, of 64 guns, to Halifax, and from thence proceeded to the West Indies. On the 13th Dec. 1800, the America struck upon the For- migas rocks, and received so much damage as to render her unfit for any other service than that of a prison-ship, into which she was subsequently converted. On the 27th of the same month, a court-martial, assembled in Port Royal harbour to try Captain Bingham for getting his ship on the Formigas, delivered the following sentence : — " The Court is of opinion, that the sole cause of the above accident is the great errors in the charts on board the ship, particularly a French chart of 1/87, and that pablished by Hamilton Moore in the year 1784. " And it appears to the Court, that Cj^tain Bingham was proceeding perfectly consistent with the order produced, and under which he was act- ing ; and that t!ie courses steered were such as would have taken the Ame- rica a considerable way to the northward of the Formigas, had that shoal been situated nearly as laid down in the charts alwve mentioned. ' And the Court is of opinion, that no blame is to be attached to Captain 3 A 2 'W i I m y .1 wm \ ,'H.flmB^Bi^B i If m'^S^mn m iK 1 •il ^1 ^9 1 ^M t ■| IHh 1 if M^^H 11 I 724 RKAR-AUMIRALS OF THE WHITli. Bingham, his officers, and ship's company, for the saitt accident ; and that after the America struck, every possible exertion was made by Captain Bingham, &c. &c., for her preservation. " And it has fully appeared to the Court, that the conduct of Captain Bingham, &c &c., of the America, after her striking upon the shoal, both with respect to the most arduous exertions, and the most firm and orderly behaviour, has been eminently praiseworthy and meritorious throughout, and deserving of tiie highest commendation. " The Court doth therefore adjudge, that Captain Bingham, the officers, and ship's company of the America, be acquitted in the fullest manner from any blame on account of that ship striking on the Formigas, and with the warmest commendation of the Court for their subsei^uent conduct." Our officer returned to England as a passenger in the Hind frigate, April 25, 1801 ; and in the spring of the following year was appointed to the St. Fiorenzo, of 40 guns, in which ship he was ordered to the East Indies, where he captured la Fleche French corvette, and the Passe par Tout, a vessel that had been fitted for the purpose of landing three French officers on the Malabar ^oast, to endeavour to stir up the Mahratta chieftains to war. Captain Bingham, as soon as he found what business they had been upon, with his usual activity and zeal in the service, sent off expresses in various directions, by which means the three officers and their despatches were taken at Poonah. From the St. Fiorenzo, Captain Bingham was removed, in 1804, to the Sceptre, of 74 guns, in which ship he continued on the same station till 1808, when he returned to England, ac- companied by two homeward bound Danish East Indiamen, captured by him off the Cape of Good Hope. The Sceptre was paid off soon after her arrival; but after un- dergoing the necessary repairs, was again commissioned by Captain Bingham, and in the summer of 1809 accompanied the expedition sent to the Scheldt under Sir R. J. Strachaii and the Earl of Chatham. Whilst on that service, our officer caught the Walcheren fever, of which he afterwards had such violent and repeated attacks as to be under the necessity of resigning his command, and coming on shore for the recovery of his health. He was not again employed until 1811, when he obtained the command of the Egmont, another third-rate ; and in her, after serving for some time on the coast of Ame- rica and in the North Sea, proceeded with the flag of Sir George Hope to the Baltic, from whence he returned home, .IO»£PH BINGHAM, ESQ. 725 (lent ; and ttiat side by Captain luft of Captain tke shoal, botli rm and orderly lus tliroughout, ita, the otBcers, }st manner from 18, and with the jpnduct." r in the Hind Dllowing year in which ship ; captured la , a vessel that i'rench officers the Mahratta 1 as he found al activity and directions, by ipatches were s removed, in 2 continued on England, ac- ast Indiamen, ; but after un- iimissioned by accompanied I. J. Strachan ice, our officer ards had such le necessity of r the recovery ;U 1811, wlien ler third-rate ; coast of Anie- ;he flag of Sii* eturned home, in company with the fleet confided to the care of this country by the Emperor Alexander of Russia. The Egmont was subsequently employed oflF the coast of France ; and bore the flag of Rear- Admiral Penrose when that officer led his squadron into and forced the passage of the Gironde *. She was paid off in the month of Aug. 1814. Captain Bingham was advanced to the rank of Rear-Admi- ral, Aug. 12, 1819. Hf- married Sarah, second daughter of his old friend and patron, Admiral Sir William Parker, Bart.f Residence, — Grove House, near Lymington, Hants.. ROBERT DUDLEY OLIVER, Esq. Rear-Adinirnl of the kite. This officer was a Midshipman on board the Prince George, of 98 guns, bearing the flag of Rear-Admiral Digby, at New York, in 1/81 j received his first commission about the year 1790 J was senior Lieutenant of the Artois, commanded by Captain (now Sir Edmund) Nagle, at the capture of la Revo- lutionnaire French frigate, Oct. 21, 1794 % ; and for his con- duct on that occasion, was soon after promoted to the com- mand of the Hazard sloop in the North Sea. He was after- wards employed on the Irish station, where he continued until advanced to the rank of Post-Captain, in the Seahorse frigate, April 30, 1796. He subsequently commanded the Nemesis, of 28 guns ; and, in 1798, convoyed a fleet of mer- chantmen to and from Quebec, Early in 1799, our officer was appohited to the Mermaid, another small frigate, in which he proceeded to the Mediter- ranean, and was for some time engaged in the important ser. vice of cutting off the supplies destined for the enemy's troops at Genoa. On the Ist June, 1800, he captured la Cruelle French brig of war, off the Hi^res islands ; and in the following year, a transport brig, and several other vessels, with valuable cargoes. He returned to England July 12, 1802. On the renewal of hostilities, in 1803, Captain Oliver ob- * See p. 579 of this volume, and Memoirs of Captains Harris, O'Reilly, &c. in our next. t f^ir William Parker died Dec. M, 1802. % See p. '^17- !l ■' •;, ^- '.ifc t' k .. li 1 1| 1 lil 11 11 11 726 REAR-ADMIRAL > OF THE WH1T£. tuitied the command of the Melpomene frigate ; and in the summer of the following year, we find him stationed off Havre, which place was twice bombarded by the ves- sels under his orders, and sustained considerable damage. Towards the latter end of 1805, he removed into the Mars, of 74 guns} and on the 28th July, 1806, captured le Rhin, a very fine French frigate, of 44 guns and 318 men. His next appointment was to the Valiant, another third-rate, in which ship he was employed on the American station during the late contest with the United States, and occasionally commanded a detached squadron. He became a Rear-Admi- ral, Aug. 12, 1819. Our officer married, in June 1805, Philadelphia Hannah, daughter of the late Commissioner Sir Charles Saxton, Baronet. Residetice. — Fitzwilliam Square, North, Dublin. I I H 1 1 ImM ^ MWt f JIB 9 if.. ■.■'.-!■■ ■ . ! ^ 1 I h-' ' • IJ f*' nun W' j'-'f^ J. ' ■ ' 1 ' ■;■- i I- r-lU THOMAS BOYS, Esq. Rear-Admiral of the IVhite. This officer was senior Lieutenant of the Britannia, a first- rate, bearing the flag of Vice-Adiniral Hotham, in the action off Genoa, March 14, 1795 *, and after acting for some time as Captain of the Cemseur, one of the prizes taken on that oc- casion, was promoted to the rank of Commander in la Fleche, of 18 guno, from which ship he was appointed acting Captain of the Fortitudti, 74. His post commission bears date, July 3, 1796. From that period to the peace of Amiens, he com- manded in succession la Tourterelle, of 30 guns ; the Severn, 44 ; and Aquilon frigate ; the former at the Leeward Islands, and the two latter on the Jamaica station. During his con- tinuance in the West Indies, he captured a number of the enemy's vessels, and among others, la Republique TViom- phante, a French corvette, and several privateers. We now lose sight of Captain Boys until 1808, when hi- was appointed, pro tempore^ to the Saturn, 74, from which ship he removed into the Zealous, another third-rate. During the ensuing six years he was actively employed on tiie coasts * Sec p. MO. THOMAS BOYS, KSO. 72? of Spain and Portugal, in the defence of Cadiz, in the Baltic, and on the French coast. His last appointment was, Nov. 20, 1815, to the Ramillies, of 74 guns, stationed at Plymouth, where he remained during the customary period of three years. His promotion to the rank of Rear-Admiral took place Aug. 12, 1819. We are not acquainted with the particulars of this officer's marriage, but we know that his only son, Thomas, is in holy orders. Residence. — Ramsgate. JOHN CLARKE SEARLE, Esq. Ecar-Admlral of the IFIiiU'. This officer entered the naval service in 1774; and early in the following year received a wound hi the hand in an action with the Americans. During the Spanish and Russian arma- ments, he commanded, as a Lieutenant, the Liberty, of 16 guns ; and whilst in that vessel, at the commencement of the war with revolutionary France, drew the attention of the French frigate San Culotte from several merchantmen, then imder his convoy, bound to Guernsey, and hud nearly suc- ceeded in decoying the enemy on shore on the Casket rocks, after having experienced a very heavy tire from her for more than nn hour and a half, during which the Liberty sustained considerable damage in her hull, sails, and rigging. About tht' year 17^5, he was advanced to the rank of Connnander in the Pelican sloop of war, and in that vessel captured seve- ral of the enemy's privateers. He was also present at the reduction of St. Lucia, St. Vincents, and Grenada, in the spring of 1796*. His post oonunission bears date July 13th lollowing, . Previous to his quitting the Pelican, Captain Searle appears t.) have fought a very gallant action with the Medee French Irigatc, and notwithstanding the absence of 23 of his crew, succeeded in beating her off. The following account of an affair which reflects so nmch credit on all those concerned therein, we extract from a work recently published, under the title of James's Naval History. • JS«c p. l.'il •I 'Til' < ' :l * 1.7 .i m 728 RKAR-.\JiAllRALS OF THE WHITE. ! "At room. Mr. Nowell appointed hiui his little aidc-die>camp \ but ns he could not bring hims. li to iu'<|uii\it'f in tlu' youngiilcr'ii wishes &o far a < [i SIR CHARLES BRISBANE. 7^1 From 1784 to 1790, the subject of this memoir served as a Midshipman in various ships ; but it being a period of pro- found peace, vi^e meet with no occurrence worth mentioning. In the latter year he was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant, and soon after appointed to the Spitfire iire-ship, in wliich he remained till she was paid off. In 1793, Lieutenant Brisbane proceeded to the Mediterra- nean, with Captain (now Sir Charles) Tyler, in the Meleager frigate. On that station, from the arrival of Lord Hood at Toulon, to the period of its evacuation, and subseiiuently, during the whole of the operations against the French in Corsica, he was very actively employed, as will appear by the following outline of his services in that quarter. At midnight, on the 27th Aug. when Captain Elphinstone, now Viscount Keith, had been authorised by the Commander- in-Chief to take the command at Fort la Malgue, Lieutenant Brisbane assisted at the disembarkation of the troops ; and in the succeeding month, when it was found necessary to erect a battery upon the Hauteur de Grasse, for the better protection of the outer road and naval hospital, it was owing, in part, to his active zeal and great exertion, that three 24- pounders were expeditiously dragged up a very steep ascent. Lieutenant Brisbane's conduct on these and other occasions of a similar nature, attracted the notice of Lord Hood, by whom he was shortly afterwards appointed to the command of Fort Pomet, one of the most dangerous out-posts in the neighbourhood of Toulon, about five miles from the city. This was an appointment extremely suitable to the dis- play of his talents. He assisted in repulsing the French at Fort Mulgrave, in November ; and, after several other skir- t'. to assign him a station on the quarter-deck, in the event of coining to action, he placed hitu with the officer who commanded on the lower-deck. Dur- ing the engagement with tlie French fleet under Count de Grasse, a shot came througli the Hercules' counter, and carried away the rudder case, one of the boards of which knocked Mr. Charles Brisbane down. One of the seamen took him up in his arms and carried him in a state of insensi- bility to the vockpit. He soon afterwards came to himself, and on the 8ujrg«ou uskiqg hitp where he was hurt, he pouited tu his breast, but said he was tvfll enough to return to his quarters. The wuuiul, however, proved of a very serious nature, and kept him iu a crippled state, bent Mmost double, for nine months. u 732 REAR-ADMIRALS OP THE WHIT£. mishes on the heights of Pharon, he remained at Fort Polnet, till it was found necessary to destroy the enemy's ships^ and to evacuate the town and harbour of Toulon. He was then ordered to make the best retreat in his power from the post he commanded; but, although the republican troops were pouring down in considerable force, and were within a very short distance, he stopped to set fire to a train, which com- municated with five hundred barrels of gunpowder. The ex- plosion blew the fort to atoms ; and, from the situation of himself and his men, it was supposed, at a distance, that they had all perished. Amidst his ardour, however. Lieutenant Brisbane's judgment had not forsaken him. Himself and his party were safe ; and after surmounting many difficulties and dangers, they efifected their retreat without loss. Early in 1/94, Lieutenant Brisbane proceeded to Corsica ; and, with 100 men belonging to the Britannia under his command, effected a landing at St. Fiorenzo. A body of troops, commanded by Liuetenant-General Dundas, were disembarked about the same time ; and on the night of the 17th Feb., the heights of Fornelli were vigorously attacked, and carried by assault *. During the siege of Bastia, which was soon afterwards com- menced. Lieutenant Brisbane had the honor of serving under the heroic Nelson, who commanded a brigade of seamen on shore, and of sharing in the extensive variety of services in which he was at that period engaged. There was even a si- milarity in their fate ; for, having been entrusted by Nelson with the command of a small battery, our ofiicer was danger- ously wounded in the head while at his gun, a circumstance which reduced him to the mortifying necessity of being taken on board the Alcide, one of the ships then lying off the town. Several pieces of iron were extracted from the wound, (which had been occasioned by the collision of one of the enemy's shot with Lieutenant Brisbane's gun,) and a cure was at length effected ; but his left eye sustained nearly a total de- privation of sight. Lord Hood, in his official letter, announcing the surrender of Bastia, speaks very highly of the merits oflAtSru&nt Bris- bane. " The Lieutenants Gore, Hotham, Stiles, Andrews^ and * Set' p. 250. et seq. SIR CHARLES BRISBANE. 733 Brisbane," says his Lordship, "have an ample claim to my gratitude ; as the seamen under their management worked the guns with great judgment and alacrity : never was a higher spirit or greater perseverance exhibited ; and I am happy to say, that no other contention was at any time known, than who should be most forward and indefatigable in promoting his Majesty's service : for although the difficulties they had to struggle with, were many and various, the perfect harmony and good humour that universally prevailed throughout the siege overcame them all." In the month of June following, Lieutenant Brisbane, then on board the Britannia, a first rate, bearing the flag of Vice- Admiral Hotham, proposed a plan for destroying a French squadron which had been chased into Gourjon Bay, and was there protected by several strong batteries. His scheme was immediately adopted by Lord Hood, who ordered the Tarle- ton and another vessel to be fitted as fire-ships, and entrusted him with the command of the former ; but on approaching the bay, our officer and his companion. Lieutenant R. W. Miller, found the enemy so well prepared, and so strongly posted, that the enterprise was abandoned as impracticable. Lord Hood, however, entertained so high an opinion of the merit of the plan, that he rewarded its projector by advancing him to the rank of Commander, in the same vessel to which he had already given him a temporary appointment. Subsequent to the action with the French fleet, on the 14th March, 1795 *, Captain Brisbane was removed into the Mozelle sloop of war ; and on the arrival of Sir John Jervis in the Mediterranean, in the ensuing autumn, he received orders to proceed to Gibraltar j from whence he was sent by Rear- Admiral Mann, to convoy two troop-ships to Barbadoes. On his passage thither he fell in with a Dutch squadron } and conceiving it to be of more importance to watch their motions, than to proceed on his original destination, he sent the trans- ports forward, and followed the enemy, acting upon his own responsibility, till he found that they were going to the Cape of Good Hope. He then crowded sail, and gave the requisite information to Sir George Keith Elphinstone, the Commander- in-Chief on that station. lilfi i|: See p. 340. f h ' ! ■ I I 734 RRAR-AUMIRALS OF THE WHITE. The perseverance of Captain Brisbane, upon this occasion, was entitled to much praise. From leaving Gibraltar, till his arrival at the Cape, five months had elapsed ; and during a great part of that time he and his crew were on short allownnce of water and provisions : for a considerable period, indeed, they had only a pint of water per day, and must have been reduced to much less, had they not obtained a supply of rain- water on the line. Our officer was present ait the capture of the Dutch ships in Saldanha Bay, Aug. 18, 1796 * ; and, for his extraordinary exertion in conveying the important intelligence of their ap- proach. Sir George K. Elphinstone was pleased to advance him to post rank, in the Dortrecht, of 66 guns, ono of the prizes. Sir John Jervis also sent him out a Post-Captain's commission for the Nemesis, dated July 22, 1796, from which he takes his seniority ; and he had likewise the satisfaction of receiving the thanks of the Admiralty, for the part which he had taken in the capture. Captain Aylmer, of the Tremendous, having been sent to England with the official account of this fortunate event, Rear- Admiral Pringle applied for Captain Brisbane to succeed him ; and when that officer assumed the chief command on the Cape station, he removed him into TOiseau frigate, and sent him to cruise off the R'o de la Plata. Whilst thus employed. Captain Brisbane fell in with two large Spanish frigates, one of them bearing a Commodore's l>road pendant. A severe engagement ensued ; but, notwith- standing the disparity of force, I'Oiseau had the good fortune to beat off her opponents. On his return to the Cape, Captain Brisbane was removed into the Dortrecht, and sent to St. Helena as convoy to some homeward bound Indiamen. While there, his fortitude and presence of mind were put to a severe test. Intelligence of the mutiny which had taken place in the Channel and North Sea fleets, having reached that island, his crew, inspired by the same mischievous spirit which had by this time dif- fused itself throughout the royal navy, rose upon their officers, and menaced them with general destruction. The utmost promptitude and vigour became nrressary ; and, seizing one * Sco pp. 50,51. SIR CHARLES BRISBANE. 735 of the ring-leaders, Captain Brisbane placed a rope about his neck, and apparently was proceeding to immediate execu- tion. His object, however, being only to inspire terror, and to convince the crew that he was not to be intimidated, he relaxed from the threatened infliction of justice ; but, while the rope was yet round the culprit's neck, he solemnly de- clared to him, that, if he ever again ventured to open his mouth against his King or Country, or in disobedience to the commands of his officers, the yard-arm should inevitably be his portion. This imperative proceeding on the part of Cap- tain Brisbane shook the guilty resolutions of the mutineers ; and by a continued firmness, they were happily restored to a state of subordination. The mutiny having also broken out at the Cape, Rear- Admiral Pringle sent a 20-gun ship down to St. Helena, ex- pressly to recall Captain Brisbane, that he might resume the command of the Tremendous ; the crew of that ship having risen upon their officers, and turned their commander on shore *. Captain Brisbane immediately complied with the wishes of the Commander-in-Chief, and continued in the Tremendous till 1798, when he accompanied that officer to England in the * It was on board the Tremendous, that the mutiny first made its ap- pearance at the Cape of Good Hope. The ship's company, charging her commander, Captain George Hopewell Stephens, with cruelty and mis- conduct, at first threatened to bring him to a court-martial, composed of members chosen from amongst themselves. Captain Stephens, feeling this as an imputation upon his honor and character as an officer, afterwards re- quested a court-martial upon his conduct, which was accordingly held on board the Sceptre, in Table Bay, and he was honorably acquitted. For a time, the mutineers, having obtained a pardon, returned to their duty ; but the flame of discontent having been only smothered, not extin- guished, it burst forth again with redoubled violence, extending to the Sceptre, and to some other ships. A council was immediately held on shore, wherein it was wisely determined by Admiral Pringle, Lord Macartney, the Governor of the colony, and General Dundas, who coni- manded the military stationed at the Cape, to use force, and the most deci- sive measures, for quelling it and bringing the ring-leaders to punishment : all the batteries were instantly manned, and upwards of 100 pieces of can- non pointed at the Tremendous, the Admiral's ship, on board which tliR mutiny was at the greatest height : the furnaces wer« heated, and hot shot prepared to fire on her as she lay at anchor off the Amsterdam battery, if the mutineers shouhl refuse to deliver up the ringloader-*, nnd return to I U] 736 REAR-ADMIRALS OF THE WHITE. Crescent frigate. His next appointment was to the Doris, ol 38 guns ; and in that ship, under the orders of Admiral Corn- wallis, he was invested with the command of a squadron of frigates, to watch the motions of the French fleet in Brest harbour. Zealous for the honor of the service, and anxious to per- form some act that might add to his professional fame, Cap< tain Brisbane, while thus occupied, took an opportunity of entering the port, and of rowing round the enemy's fleet, to ascertain whether its destruction might be practicable. Con- ceiving it to be so, with that fertility of expedient by which he has always been distinguished, he formed a plan for burn- ing the ships, which was accepted by the Admiral ; but in con- sequence of some difficulties which arose, in the appointment of officers for carrying it into effect, the attempt was not made. In the month of July, 1801, the boats of the Doris and other ships cut the French corvette la Chevrette o\t of Ca- maret Bay. The undaunted bravery of British seamen was perhaps never more firmly resisted by an enemy than on this occasion ; but the heroic determination of the assailants over- came every resistance that could be opposed to them by su- perior force, and complete success crowned at length their gallant exertions. An account of this dashing exploit will be found in our next volume, under the ^inad of Captain Keith Maxwell, who commanded the boats ; but it is proper to re- mark in this place, that the plan of the enterprise, and the orders for its execution, emanated solely from the subject of this memoir. The truce of Amiens having rendered Captain Brisbane's services in the channel no longer necessary, he was appointed obedience. A proclamation was issued, and only two hours were allowed for tliem to deliberate, whether they would accept the terms offered. Ten minutes before the expiration of tlie time granted, the mutineers finding that it was positively determined to sink the Tremendous, in case of refusal, hoisted the flag of submission on board that ship, which was immediately followed by all the others. The delegates were given up, many of thcin tried and executed, others severely flogged, and good order and discipline once more restored in the squadron. Captain Stephens was afterwards advanced to the rank of Rear-Admiral He died at Great Ealing, in Middlesex, Dec. 25. 1819. SIR CHARLRS BIlISRANK ifj^ to the Trent, another frigate, and ordered to the Went IntHei. While there, he was removed, first into the Sana P. reil, and afterwards into the Goliath, both ships of the line. At the commencement of the late war, our officer captured la Mignonne, a fine corvette, of 16 long 18-pounders, and 80 men, off St. Domingo. On the preceding evening, one of his boats took a French schooner, laden with sugar, and having on board 3,476 dollars. Some time afterwards, the Goliath returned to England as convoy to the homeward bound trade. On her passage, she was overtaken by a violent hurricane, which threatened the whole fleet with destruction. The Calypso sloop of war, and one of the merchantmen, sunk, and the Goliath was in immi- nent danger of sharing the same fate. In addition to these misfortunes, twenty-one vessels were dismasted, and the total loss of many of them was apprehended ; but by the most assiduous attention on the part of Captain Brisbane, he had the satisfaction of bringing them all safe into port. The Goliath was subsequently employed in the blockade of Roche- fort. In the spring of 1805, our officer was appointed to the Arethusa, a fine frigate * ; and at the latter end of the year, escorted a fleet of merchantmen to the West Indies. On their passage thither, the convoy fell in with and was chased by a French squadron, of five sail of the line and three frigates. By the judicious arrangements of the commodore, however, his charge was rescued from the impending danger, and conducted in safety to Barbadoes, from whence the Are- thusa proceeded to Jamaica, and was afterwards employed in cruising off the Havannah, where she captured several trading vessels. On this station an accident happened to the Arethusa, which, had it not been for the greatest exertions on the part of her commander, officers, and crew, would in all probabi- lity have proved fatal. Early in the year 1806, she by some f^ vv & S l! lof Rear-Admiral * On the 3l3t July, 1804, the officers of the Goliath gave Captain Brisbane a grand dinner at the Pope's Head hotel, Plymouth. About the same period, he had the misfortune to fracture two of his ribs, and dislo^ cate his arm. This accident was occasioned l)y the breaking of the man- rope, just as he was stepping over the sliip's side. VOL. I. 3 B 738 REAR-ADiMIRALS OF THK WHITE. means ran on shore among the Colorados, a numerous chis- ter of small islands or rocks, near the N. W. coast of the island of Cuba ; and it was not until after twelve hours of se- vere and unremitting labour, in the course of which all her guna were obliged to be thrown overboard, that she was got off, and cleared from danger. The cause of the Arethusa's getting on shore has never, we believe, been satisfactorily ascertained. While some are disposed to impute blame to the officer who had charge of the watch at the time when the disaster happened, others contend, that, as the currents are very variable in those seas, the ship might have been carried nearer to the land by them than was expected, and that the accident might have befallen the most careful officer. A circumstance occurred immediately after this unfortunate event, which served to place the daimtless bravery of the Arethusa's crew in the most conspicuous light. In working up to the Havannah, she fell in with a Spanish line-of-battle ship ; when Captain Brisbane, confident in his men, altliough without a single great gun, told them, that it was his deter- mination to lay the enemy on board, and that in the attempt to carry her they should be led by their officers. Three cheers from every man in the ship, was all the answer that these brave fellows gave to their commander, who imme- diately ordered all possible sail to be set j but unfortunately, the enemy stood for the Moro Castle, and it was found im- practicable to reach her before she had got under its protec- tion. Captain Brisbane, disappointed in his intention of board- ing the Spaniard, returned to Jamaica, to get fresh guns on board, and to refiit, after which he resumed his former station; and on the morning of Aug. 23d, discovered a sail, which afterwards proved to be the Pomona, a Spanish frigate, of 38 guns and 347 inen, from Vera Cruz. When Captain Brisbane first perceived her, she was within two miles of the Moro Castle, standing for the Havannah, under a press of sail. He im mediately made the signal to Captain Lydiard, of the Anson, then under his orders, to lay the enemy on board on coming up with her j but his design was frustrated by the Pomona bearing up, having been joined by twelve gun-boats, from SIR CHARLES BRISBANE. 739 the Havannifch, (each carrying a 24-pounder and 100 men,) and anchoring within pistol-shot of a castle mounting sixteen 36-poundeni, in three fathoms and a half water , the gun- boats advanced from her in a line a-breast. Not deterred by the formidable line of defence which was thus presented, added to a lee-shore, Captain Brisbane, sup- ported by the Anson on his larboard bow, anchored the Are- thuaa close alongside the Pomona, in only one foot more wa- ter than »ht' drew. The action immediately became general, and in 35 minutes the Pomona struck her colours ; three gnn-boats blew up, six were sunk, and three driven among the breakers. The castle, by firing red-hot shot, set fire to the Arethusa; but the flames were speedily extinguished) and the Pomona instantly taken possession of. Shortly after, a melancholy and dreadful explosion took place in the castle, and the contest ceased. In the course of the action. Captain Brisbane was wound- ed in the knee ; but, though he suffered excruciating pain, he refused to quit the deck till victory had decisively proclaim- ed herself in favor of the British flag. The loss sustain- v^d by the Arethusa upon this occasion, amounted to 2 killed, and 32 wounded. Vice-Admiral Dacres, the Com- mander-in-Chief at Jamaica, in his oflicial letter to the Ad- miralty, announcing the capture of the Pomona, justly ob- served, that " the success attending this bold enterprise Captain Brisbane was well entitled to, for the promptness and decision with which he anchored in such shoal water, to at- tack a force of such magnitude." The Pomona was laden with specie and merchandize. The money belonging to the Xing had been landed at the castle only ten minutes before the action commenced; but the freight belonging to the merchants fell into the hands of her captors. The Captain of the Pomona and 20 men were kill- ed, and 32 officers and men wounded. The loss of men in the gun-boats must have been considerable, as very few reach- ed the shore from those that were blown up and sunk. The Anson had not a man hurt. Towards the latter end of the same year, 1806, Captain Brisbane was despatched from Jamaica, with a squadron of frigates, consisting of the Arethusa, Latona, and Anson, 3b2 n IE i 740 IIKAR-ADMIRALS OF THK WIlITF. I 1^ V, H ::tl to reconnoitre the island of Cura^oa, and to ascertain, by :i flag of truce, whether the inhabitants were disposed towards an alliance with Great Britain. It was on the 1st Jan. 18()7, that this little squadron, re- inforced by the Fisgard frigate, arrived off Curagoa. No orders whatever had been given to attack the island ; but, having by means of the pilots taken on board at Aruba, per- fectly ascertained the situation of the place. Captain Bris- bane formed a plan for carrying it by a coup-de-main ; and imparting his intention to the respective Captains under him, with a 2eal for the service which would have done honor to the character of a Nelson, taking the sole resjx»nsihility of the act upon himself, he led his ships into the harbour, passing the formidable line of sea batteries bv which its entrance was protected, and came to an anchor. It is well deserving of re- mark, that previously to this, and unknown to their officers, the men, participating in the spirit of their gallant leader, had arranged themselves for attack ; and, when called to quarters, they were found with the words " Vict or if or Dcathj^' chalked upon their hats ! As an additional stimulus, Captain Brisbane instantly put on his full uniform, aiul proceeded as we have already stated. The harbour, as he describes it in his official letter, was defended by regu- lar fortifications, of two tier of ginis. Fort Amsterdam alone mounting GQ pieces of cannon ; the entrance oidy fifty yards wide, athwart, which was the Dutch frigate Hatslar, of 36 guns, and Surinam sloop, of 22, with Iwo armed schooners; a chain of forts was on Mislehurg, ;i commanding height; and that almost impregnable fortress, Fort Republique, with- in the distance of grape-shot, enfilading the whole harbour. The eiunny were panic-struck at such unexpected gallantry, and all was confusion. A severe and destructive cannona(U> conmienced on the part of the Arethusa and Latona, vvhii li ships hajl entered the harbour in close order, and taken their positions before they fired a shot. The larboard broadside of the former bearing upon Fort Republique ; the latter [)laced athwart the hawse of the Dutch men-of-war, and in a position to enfilade the guns of Fort Amsterdam, the firi' of which w as soon silenced. The Anson, on her arrival, ran alongside of the Surinam ; but the Fisgard, less fortunate, got a -ground •crtain, by a ised towards [juadron, re- uragoa. No island ; but, Aruba, per- 'aptain Bris- >main ; and IS under him, )ne honor to >onsibility of bour, passing entrance was serving of rc- ilieir officers, allant leader, len called to " Vktorif or onal stimulus, miform, and harbour, as ed by regu- ;eidam alone ly fifty yards atslar, of 3G d schooners ; nding height; iblique, with- jole harbour, ted gallantry, ve eiUHiona(h> ijitona, which ul taken their l1 broadside of latter placed 1 in a position of which w as 1 alongside of got a-ground SIR CHAKIKS BRINBANK. i 741 upon the rocks on the west side of the harbour. Captain Brisbane had by this time landed with his boat's crew ; but learning from Captain Wood of the Latona, that the Hatslar had called for quarter, he pushed off from the shore with 4 or 5 men, and got on board in time to haul down the enemy's colours with his own hands *. The boats of the squadron, were now ordered to land, and Fort Amsterdam was instantly taken possession of without resistance, although the garrison consisted of 275 regular troops. The Commodore was the first person who scaled the walls, and on this occasion also struck the Dutch fllag. About this period the Governor of Cura^'oa arrived in a boat from his country house, accom- panied by a lady ; and stopping under the Latona's stern, was desired by her commander to proceed to the fort, where he would find Captain Brisbane, and receive no molestation. He accordingly went thither, and after half an hour's deliber- ation, during which preparations were made for warping the frigates up against Fort Republi{}uc, agreed to surrender the islamland its dependencies to the crown of Great Britahi. By ten o'clock the British flag was hoisted on Fort Repub- lique ; the whole of the island, defended by 1200 militia, be- sides a considerable number ' "" regular troops, having been reduced, and brought into the (juiet )X)ssesiou of the English, by a force not exceeding 800 effective men, in less than four hours. The spleiulour of this achievement might well excite the astonishment of the Connnander-in-Chief ; who, it is said, had calculated that no less a force than ten sail of the line, and 10,(X)() land forces, would be necessary for the capture of the island, which hud been thus subdued by a mere hand- ful of men. The entire loss of the British was only 4 seamen killed, and 14 wounded. Two of the former, and 5 of the latter, belonged to the Arethusa. Vice-Admiral Dacres, in his official despatches announcing the event to government, thus handsomely expressed his ap- probation of the gallant conduct of the captors : t " fF'iulst I amtemplatc the immense strength of the hur- * The Dutch frigate liad previously been lii»ur;li'(l liy Mr. (jrint, AhiNter'ii >htte of the Latoaa; Uutlier I'oloui's tieing foul, uirurded Ca|>tttiii Ukiaimnb thi- (ipportunity of suikinp them. ■^ H U! 742 KEAR-ADMIKALS OF THE WHITS. hour of Amsterdam, and the superior force contained in the different batteries opposed to the entrance of the frigates, I know not how sufficiently to admire the decision of Captain Brisbane in attempting the harbour, and the determined bravery and conduct displayed by himself, the other three Captains, and all the queers and men under his command." Immediately after the capture. Captain Brisbane proceeded to disarm the mihtia — a most politic measure, considering the very slender state of the British force ; and to administer to the inhabitants of the island, the oath of allegiance to his Britannic Majesty. The Dutch Governor having refused to take that oath. Captain Brisbane constituted himself his suc- cessor, pro tempore, and assumed the functions of govern- ment accordingly. As a reward for their distinguished conduct, his late Ma- jesty was graciously pleased to present each of the Captains engaged in the conquest of Cura^oa, with a gold medal ; and to confer the honor of knighthood upon Captains Brisbane and Wood, to the former of whom, as an especial mark of his royal favor, he also granted an honorable augmentation to his armorial bearings, together with supporters *. In commemoration of his gallant behaviour, the House of Assembly of the island of Jamaica presented our officer with a handsome sword, accompanied by an appropriate address ; and after his return to England, he had the pleasure of re- ceiving a similar compliment from that admirable and truly praiseworthy institution, the Patriotic Fund at Lloyd's. On quitting the government of Cura^oa, Sir Charles Bris- bane rejoined his old ship the Arethusa, and remained in her until the autumn of 1808, wJien he was appointed to the Blake, (»f 74 guns. At the latter end of the same year he ob- tiiined the government of the island of St. Vincent, which post he still retains. He was nominated a K. C. B. Jan. 2, 1815 ; and advanced to the rank of lleftr- Admiral, Aug. 12, 1819. Sir Charles married Sarah, one of the daughters and co- • The privilejre of bearinif Supporters is limited to Peers of the Realm, the KuightB of the several Orders, and the Proxies of Princes of the Ulooil at Installations, except in such cases wherein, under particular circuinstancei, especial license is grunted for the use thereof, as in the van' of Sir Charles Brisbane. I. ontained in the the frigates, I ion of Captain the determined he other three his command." bane proceeded considering the ) administer to legiance to his img ;efused to limself his suc- 3ns of govern- , his late Ma- }f the Captains )ld medal ; and IS Brisbane and lark of his royal sntation to his r, the House of our officer with iriate address ; pleasure of re - able and truly ; Lloyd's, r Charles Bris- 'emuined in her pointed to the ,me year he ob- V^incent, which [. C. B. Jan. 2, niral, Aug. 12, Ijfliters and co- ecrs of the Realm, of Princes of ihn , uudcr piirticulur rcof, as In the tasi- 1 1 *..-: 1 ',»' « .^KkhI ,1.' -, / ^ SIR CHARLES BRISBANE. 743 heiresses of the late Sir James Patey, late of Reading, in Berkshire, Knt. ; and has several children. His only surviv- ing brother, James, was knighted for his gallantry at Algiers, in 1816, on which occasion he commanded the flag-ship of Lord Exmouth. His three elder brothers, John Douglas, Thomas Stewart, and William Henry, died in the service of their country : the former, a Captain R. N., was drowned in 1782 ; the second, a Lieutenant-Colonel in the army, fell at St. Domingo, in 1796 ; and the latter, a naval Captain, died in the following year. . A portrait of the subject of diis memoir, executed by J. Northcote, representing his attack on Cura^oa, was exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1809. SIR JOHN TALBOT, Rear-zidmirul of the IVhite; Knight Commander of the most honorable Mit'ttary Order of the Bath. This officer's ancestor, John Talbot, served under the Earl of Salisbury at the siege of Orleans, in the reign of Henry VI. There is a tradition in the family, that twelve Talbots were engaged in the battle of the Boyne j six on the side, of King James, and the like number attached to the army under William, of glorious memory. Sir John Talbot is a son of the late Colonel Talbot, of Malahide Castle, near Dublin, and brother of Richard Wogan Talbot, Esq., M. P. for that county. In 1784, we find him serving as a Midshipman on board the Boreas frigate, com- manded by the late Lord Nelson, at the Leeward Islands. He was made a Lieutenant in 1790 ; and appointed to the com- mand of the Helena sloop, about the month of /Vpril, 1795. His post commission bears date Aug. 27, 1796. Captain Talbot was promoted to the latter rank in the Eu- rydice, of 24 guns, on the North Sea station, where he cap- tured several of the enemy's privateers. His next appoint- ment was to the Ambuscade frigate, in which he remained but a few months, and then removed into the Glenmorc, em- ployed on the coast of Ireland. In July, 1801 , he recaptured four West Indiamen which had been rcfcntly dit off from their convoy by a French privateer, 'f \ 4i I i m i* Mr 744 REAR-ADMIRALS OF THE WHITK. On the 30th Sept. following, two of the Glcnniore's cre\v' were sentenced by a court-martial to suffer death, for mutiny, and taking an oath not to proceed to sea while the ship was commanded by Captain Talbot. One of these men was ex- ecuted on the 8th, but the other obtained a respite during the royal pleasure. In the autumn of 1804, our officer was appointed to the Le- ander, of 50 guns, and ordered to Halifax ; on which station, j Feb. 23, 1805, he captured la Ville de Milan, of 46 guns, I pierced for 50, and retook her prize, the Cleopatra, a small I English frigate *. By this fortunate event he had the option of commanding one of the finest and most desirable ships of her class in the service; but with that liberality of spirit which ever characterises the British officer, he waved his right in favor of his friend. Sir Robert Laurie, to whose bravery and perseverance he generously ascribed his success ; as if the French frigate had not been so roughly handled by the Cleopatra, she certainly would not have proved so easy a prize to the Leander. The following address was delivered to Captain Talbot, on his taking leave of the Leander's officers, previous to his join- ing the Centaur, of 74 guns, Dec. 5, 1805 : — Sir. — ^The ward-room officers of his Majesty's ship Leander, who, while utider your command, have so constantly seen the correct and steady con- duct of the officer happily blended with the manners of the gentleman, anxious to testify their esteem and respect, and the unfeigned regret they feel at your departure, beg leave, as a small token of their regard, to pre- sent you with a sword, value one hundred guineas; well assured that it will always be drawn in the cause of honor, defending the rights of your King and Country." To which Captain Talbot returned the following reply : " Gentlemen. — You have presented me with such a testiutuny of your regard as deserves my warmest acknowledgments. I shall wear that sword with pride. It is impossible for words to express my feelings on so flat- tering an occasion ; and I have only to reciuest you will believe I shall ever retain a due sense of the honor you have conferred on me." ! We next find Captain Talbot commanding the Thunderer, of74 guns, in which ship hegreatly distinguished himself at the destruction of a Turkish squadron lying within the forts of the Dardanelles, Feb. 19, 1807 t- In this affair, and during the • Sec Ruar-Admiral Sir Robeut Laurie. t See Rear-Admiral Tiiomas Harvey. i? SIR JOHN TALBOT. Jib subsequent operations against the Turks, by the stiuadroii un- der Sir John T. Duckworth, the Thunderer had 6 men killed and 28 wounded. Towards the latter end of the year 1809, our officer was ap- pointed to the Victorious, another 74, stationed in the Medi- terranean, where he destroyed the Leoben, Italian schooner of war, of 10 guns and 60 men, from Venice bound to Corfu, laden with ordnance stores. On the 21st Feb. 1812, Captain Talbot behig off Venice, in company with Captain Andrews of the Weasde sloop, disco- vered an enemy's squadron, consisting of the Rivoli, of J4 guns, two brigs of 18 guns each, one of 10 guns, and two gun- boats, proceeding from that port to Polo, in Istria. A very close action ensued between the two line-of-battle ships, du- ring which one of the brigs, engaged with the Weazle, blew up, and the others took to flight. Captain Andrews then placed his vessel very judiciously on the bow of the Rivoli, which had already been rendered perfectly unmanageable, and iw that situation gave her three raking broadsides, so that she was at length compelled to surrender, after a most gallant de- fence of four hours and a half. From the length of the action, and the smoothness of the water, the loss of men and the damages on both sides were very great, the Victorious and Rivoli having been within half- musket-shot during the whole of the battle, which only ceased at intervals, when the ships were hid from each other by the fog and smoke. The former had 32 killed and 109 wounded : among the latter number was Captain Talbot, who received a contusion from a splinter, and for some days afterwards was nearly deprived of his sight *. The Rivoli had 400 men, her Captain, and most of her officers, either killed or wounded ; she had on board at the commencement of the action 862 per- sons ; the Victorious only 506. The Rivoli bore the broad pendant of Commodore Barre, the Commander-in-Chief of the enemy's forces in the Adriatic, whose conduct, during the whole of the battle, convinced Cap- tain Talbot he had to deal with a most gallant man, as well as an experienced and skilful officer. The Rivoli, in crossing the gulf of Fieunie, lost her fore and * Ten ut the wounded died noon after the action. I > ..t 1* Mil 746 «p:ar admirals op the white. main-masts ; but, by great exertions, she was taken safe into the port of Lissa under jury-masts. Her mizen-mast fell a few miimtes before she struck *. Towards the close of the yea** 1812, we find Captain Talbot, to whom the Board of Admiralty had presented a gold medal, for his gallant conduct in capturing the Rivoli, proceeding with Sir John B. Warren to the coast of North America, on which station he continued in the Victorious during the re- mainder of the war. He obtained a Colonelcy of Royal Ma- rines, June 4, 1814 ; and was nominated a K. C. B. Jan. 2, 1815. His advancement to the rank of Rear-Admiral took place Aug. 12, 1819. Sir John Talbot married, Oct. 17, 1815, Juliana, youngest daughter of James Everard, 9th Lord Arundel, and a Count of the Sacred Roman Empire, by Mary Christiana, eldest daughter of his first cousin, the 8th Lord. JOHN RICHARD DELAP TOLLEMACHE, Esq. ' (latk halliday.) Renr-Admiral of the fFhite, This officer is the eldest son of the late John Delap Halli- day, of Castlemains, in the Stewartry of Kircudbright, N.B., and of the Leasowes, in Shropshire, Esq., by Lady Jane Tol- lemache, daughter of Lionel, third Earl of Dysart, whose an- cestors were settled at Bentley, in Suffolk, previous to the Norman Conquest. * The following anecdote is related of James Daley, a seaman of the Victorious, whose left thij^h was carried away by a shot, so high up that a portion of the hip was attached to it, and the right shattered to pieces. On his way to the cockpit, he observed that one of the guns close to the hatch- way, was run out, and about to be discharged ; he itumediately desired the seamen who were carrying him down, to stop, which they did, when he re- quested to be allowed to have one shot more at the enemy before he died ; *' after doing which," he added, " he would die content." His request was granted ; when he very contentedly permitted himself to be carried down, excliuming on the ladder, " Fight on, my boys ! fight on for your King and Country until you die." On his arrival in the cockpit, he said to the Sur- geon, "Sir, 1 know you will do all you can for nic, but I also know, there is nothing in your power." In less than half an hour after, his gallant soul left this for another world. icn safe into last fell a few ptain Talbot, , gold medal, , proceeding America, on iiring the re- f Royal Ma- 2. B. Jan. 2, Admiral took ma, youngest and a Count itiana, eldest CHE, Esq. Delap Halli- night, N.B., dy Jane Tol- t, whose an- evious to the I seaman of the high up that a d to pieces. On .6 to the hatch- t«ly desired the id, when he rc- )efore he died ; is request was I carried down, your King and iaid to the Sur- 80 know, there his {pliant 90ul JOHN RICHARD DELAP TOLLEMACHE, ESQ. 747 He entered the naval service as a Midshipman, on board the Otter sloop of war, commanded by Captain John Oakcs Hardy, in 17H7, and continued in that vessel till June 1789, when he joined the Adamant, of 50 guns, bearing the flag of Sir Richard Hughes, from which ship he removed into tlio Thisbe frigate on the coast of North America. Mr. Halliday subsequently served in the Juno frigate, with the late Sir Samuel Hood ; in the Lion, 64, Captain Finch, on the West India station ; and Melampus frigate, Captain (now Sir Isaac) Coffin. From the latter he was appointed in June, 1793, to command a hired cutter employed under the orders of Rear- Admiral Macbride, at the siege of Dunkirk, and in va- rious services on the coast of Flanders. His promotion to the rank of Lieutenant took place in 1795, on which occasion he was commissioned to the Serpent sloop of war ; but soon after joined the CuUoden, a third-rate, commanded by the late gallant Sir Thomas Troubridge, with whom he served on the Mediterranean station, where he was made a Com- mander, and appointed to act as Captain of the Nemesis fri- gate, in which he escorted a large fleet of merchantmen to England. His post commission bears date Sept. 19, 1796. Captain Halliday subsequently commanded the Doris, of 36 guns, in which frigate he cruised with considerable acti- vity and success. His next appointment was, in 1807, to the Gibraltar, of 80 guns ; and from her he appears to have re- moved into the Repulse, 74, on the Mediterranean station. During the autumn and winter of 1810, he was entrusted with the command of the in- shore squadron off Toulon, and whilst on that service displayed great gallantry in a single- handed affair with a French squadron which had come out of port for the purpose of liberating two store-ships then blocked up at Porquerolle, and by which, but for Captain Halliday's determined conduct, the Philomel sloop of war would inevi- tably have been captured. In the spring of 1811, our ofllicer exchanged into the Mon- tagu, 74j and in that ship returned to England. During the ensuing four years, he commanded the Tigre, of 80 guns ; and served Buc«:e8sively on the Channel and North Sea stations, at St. Helena, and in fhe West Indies. His advancement to the rank of Hear- Admiral took place Aug. 12, 1819. He assumed i I r'tl iij 748 RKAR-ADMIRALS OF J'HK WHITE. the uame of Tollemache in conformity to the will of his ma- ternal uncle, the late Earl of Dysart, who died March 9, 1821 . The Rear-Admiral married, Feb. 28, 1797, Lady Elizabeth Stratford, daughter of John, third Earl of Aldborough, and has a immerous family. Country-seat. — Tilstone, Cheshire. Town Residence. — 148, Piccadilly. y :• JOHN GIFFARD, Esq. Rear-Admiral of the fVhite. This officer entered the naval service in April, 1760, as a Midshipman, on board the Canada, of 74 guns, commanded by the late Sir George Collier, and forming part of the Chan- nel fleet then under the orders of Sir Charles Hardy. In March, 1781, the Candida sailed from Spithead in com- pany with a formidable armament sent to relieve Gibraltar, and whilst on that service was one of the ships engaged with the enemy's flotilla *. Returning from thence, and being or dered by Vice- Admiral Darby to look out a-head of the fleet, she discovered, and after an arduous chase and short action, captured the Leocadia, a Spanish frigate of 36 guns, com- manded by Don Francisco De Wenthuisen, a brave and me- ritorious officer, who unfortunately lost his right arm on that occasion, and was afterwards killed on board the San Josef, in the memorable conflict off Cape St. Vincent. We subsequently find the Canada, commanded by the Hon. William Cornwallis, proceeding with Rear-Admiral Digby to tije American station, from whence she accompanied Sir Sa- muel Hood to the West Indies, and bore a very conspicuous share in his brilliant actions at St. Christopher's f as well as in the battles fought between Rodney and de Grasse, on the 9th and 12th April, 1782, on which latter glorious occasion she sustained a loss of 12 men killed and 23 wounded. Returning to England in the ensuing autumn, in company with the French prizes and a convoy under Rear-Admiral Graves, the Canada encountered that tremendous hurricane • See p. 4, and note J, nt p. 33, t See Retired Captain J. N, Inglefield, in our next volume. • guns, com- .lOHN CIFFARl), ESQ. ^49 which proved so fatal to the Centaur *, Villa do Paris, and many other ships. She, however, reached Spithead on the 5th Oct. with the loss of her mi/en-mast and fore and main- top-masts, and in so leaky a condition as to render it necessary for her to be immediately put out of commission. In 1788, when the gallant Cornwallis hoisted a broad pen- dant on board the Crown, of 64 guns, on being nominated to the chief conmiand in the East Indies, Mr. Giffard, who had previously completed his time as a Midshipman in the Ar- dent, 64, and Trimmer sloop of war, again joined that officer, by whom he was at length promoted, in 1/90, to the rank of Lieutenant, in the Vestal frigate, and afterwards removed suc- cessively into the Crown, and Minerva. He continued to serve in India till 1/93, when ill health compelled him to return home. Lieutenant Giffard's next appointments Avere to the The- seus, 74, and Queen Charlotte, a first-rate. The latter ship formed part of Lord Bridport's fleet in the action off I'Orient, June 23, 1795, on which occasion she was very warmly en- gaged, sustained considerable damage in her masts, sails, and rigging, and had 36 men killed and wounded. In Feb. 1796, our officer obtained the rank of Commander, in the Raven sloop of war, and on the 1 1th of August follow- ing sailed from Spithead, in company with a large convoy under the orders of Sir Hyde Parker ; who, finding on his ap- proach towards Cadiz, that the French Admiral Richery had left that port, proceeded with his squadron to the West Indies, leav- ing the Raven in charge of the merchantmen, with orders to conduct them to Lisbon : for the able performance of which im- portant service the thanks of the Board of Admiralty were conveyed to Captain Giffard through Vice-Admiral Vandeput^ at that time commanding on the coast of Portugal. We next find the RaVen conveying to Sir John Jervls tlic intelligence of a British squadron under Rear-Admiral Mann having been chased by the Spanish fleet, in the neighbourhood of Gibraltar. By the former officer, who then held the chief command on the Mediterranean station. Captain Giffard was made post, into la Mignonne, of 32 guns, by commission dated Oct, 19, 1796, and some time after removed into la Maho- See pp. 429 and G79. ?f ;i 1 ! 750 UKAR-ADMIRALS OF THB WHITK. nesa, another frigate, the command of which he retained till June, 1798, when she was paid oflF at Plymouth, preparatory to her being broken up. Captain GiiTard was subsequently appointed in succession to the Active and Loire frigates, and Magnificent, 74. In the former he captured the French cutter privateer, le Quinola, of 14 guns and 48 men ; and in the latter was sent with several other ships to the West Indies, for the purpose of watch- ing the motions of a powerful armament, despatched from France immediately after the signing of the definitive treaty of peace at Amiens, to attempt the re-conquest of St.Domingo. In the early part of April, 1802, some heavy shot fired from the lower Cabritta, went over the Magnificent, as she lay at anchor in Prince Rupert's Bay, Dominica. This was the first symptom of a dangerous insurrection of the 8th West India regiment, then in garrison at Fort Shirley, which was marked by acts of the most shocking barbarity ; and but for the pru- dent conduct of Captain Giffard, would most probably have deluged the island in blood, and produced the ruin of the colony. On the return of the officer whom he had sent on shore for the purpose of obtaining information, with a note from the President, stating that the lives of the loyal inhabitants de- pended on the presence of the Magnificent, and the exertions of her commander ; Captain Giffard, who had already got his ship under weigh, and prepared for action, immediately landed a large party of seamen and marines, with a quantity of am- munition and provisions for the militia. He afterwards went on shore himself to concert a plan of attack on Fort Shirley, and to offer the active co-operation of the navy. On the ar- rival of the Governor from Rosseau, and preparations being made for storming the inner Cabritta, the mutineers offered to receive the forces sent against the^ with presented arms, then to ground them at the word of command, and submit unconditionally. This was performed so far as the ceremony of presenting and grounding their arms ; but, when ordered to advance three paces, they refused to obey, and many took up their pieces and fired. This was instantly returned by the British troops, and a dreadful slaughter ensued among the black soldiers^ who were soon put to the rout. The Magni- retained till preparatory 1 succession 74. In the Quinola, of with several c of watch- )atche(l from nitive treaty St.Domingo. lot fired from as she lay at I was the first h West India I was marked t for the pru- pobably have le ruin of the ; on shore for lote from the ►habitants de- the exertions ready got his iately landed antity of am- erwards went Fort Shirley, On the ar- rations being ineers oflFered isented arms, ., and submit ;he ceremony hen ordered id many took ;umed by the id among the Tiie Magni- JOIIN GIFFARD, ESQ. 7^1 ficent having in the mean time bore up round Prince Rupert's Head, opened her fire on the flying revolters with so mucli effect as to cut off their retreat, while the boats of that ship, and of others which had joined since the commencement of the mutiny, were sent to bring off the prisoners, many of whom were afterwards tried and executed. Captain Giffard was ordered to England soon after this event ; and his ship being paid off at Portsmouth on the J^lst Aug. following, he remained unemployed till the renewal of hostilities in 1803, when he obtained the temporary command of the Prince of Wales, a second rate. His next appointment was to the Dryad frigate, in wliicii he conveyed Lord Gardner to Cork, and remained for some time under that officer's orders, on the Irish station. We subsequently find him in the Athe- nienne, of 64 guns, employed on the coast of Italy, and as- sisting in the defence of Gaeta ; on which service several of his crew were killed and wounded in different actions with the enemy. From tiiat ship he removed into the Zealous, 74, off Cadiz, the command of which he retained till June, 1807, when ill health obliged him to return to England. On his arrival he found himself appointed Lieutenant-Governor of the Royal Naval College, and he continued to preside over that establishment till the general promotion of Aug. 12, 1819, on which occasion he was advanced to tiie rank of Rear- Ad- miral. The following day he had the honor of dining with his present Majesty, on board the royal yacht at Spithead. Our officer married, in 1802, a daughter of the late Sir John Carter, Knt., of Porstmouth, and sister of the present M. P. for that borough. By that lady he has had eight children, seven of whom are now living ; the eldest died at Wickham, Jan. 28, 1820, aged 16 years. Residence. — Wallington, Fareham, Hants. > JOHN WEST Esq. ' " . ' », ^ . ..rr ^ Rear-admiral of tht' ff^hite. ^ ('^*.> C This officer was a Lieutenant of the Royal George, bearing the flag of the late Lord Bridport, in Earl Howe's action, June 1, 1794 * ; and afterwiu-ds commanded the DiligiMice * See noti at |>. 75, *•/ seq >t^{.,/ /■ I -ii-ii; j,i J i r H pi* il ' I 1 M H\ "52 REAR -ADMIRALS OF THK WHITE. sloop of war in the West Indies, where he was made post into la Tourterelle, of 30 guns, by commission dated Nov. 15, 1/96. Towards the conclusion of the war, he was ap- pointed to the Utrecht, of 68 guns. Early in 1807, Captahi West obtained the command of the Excellent, a third rate ; and in the following year displayed great skill and gallantry on the coast of Catalonia, where he was employed in co-operation with the Spanish patriots. On the evening of the 6th November, the French troops were observed in motion between Figueras and Castillern ; and on the following morning, they had complete possession of the heights encompassing the bay of Rosas. On the same day at noon, a small body of the enemy entered the town, which in an instant was cleared of its inhabitants, who either fled to their boats or the citadel for protection ; but a well- directed fire from the Excellent, and Meteor bomb, both within point-blank shot of the town, obliged the enemy precipitately to retire. On the first appearance of the French, the governor of the citadel made application to Captain West for assistance, and his garrison was immediately reinforced with the marines of the Excellent, (with the exception of an ofiicer and 25 men, who had been previously despatched to Fort Trinite) and a party of seamen. On the 7th, the enemy took possession of several houses and ruins in the rear of the town as an advanced post, from which he was repeatedly dislodged by the shot and shells from the citadel and the ships in the bay. On the 8th, at noon, observing a body of miquelets hard pressed. Captain West was induced to make a sortie with the seamen and marines, for the purpose of rescuing them. In this spi- rited aflFair, several men were wounded, and Captain West's horse was shot under him. The Spaniards were very ssnsiblc and grateful for the support afforded to them by the English, both on shore and by the fire from the ships, which compelled the enemy to proceed by rules of art against a place that M'ith their great force they had hoped to take by a cottp-de-mam ; and thereby gave ample time for the Spanish government to reinforce the garrison, and replenish the stores, &c. of that important post. The Excellent having been relieved on the service at Uosus STEPHEN POYNTZ, KSO. 753 by the Fame, Captain West proceeded off Toulon, where he joined the fleet under the orders of Lord CoUinf^wood, l)y whom he was subsequently sent to the Adriatic ; on which station he continued for some time, and gave great annoyance to the enemy's trade *. During the remainder of the war he commanded the Sultan, of 74 guns, principally employed off Toulon. His promotion to the rank of Rear-Admiral took place Aug. 12, 1819. Residence. — Braywick Lodge, near Maidenhead, Berks. STEPHEN POYNTZ, Esq. Rear-Admiral of the friiite. This oflficer is descended from the late Stephen Poyntz, of Midgeham House, co. Berks, Esq., whose daughter married John, first Earl Spencer, father of the present peer. He was a Lieutenant in 1791 ; afterwards commanded the Childers sloop J and obtained post rank in the Camilla, of 24 guns, Dec. 5, 1796. His next appointment was to the Solebay frigate, stationed in the West Indies, where he captured TEgyptienne, of 18 guns, pierced for 44 ; le Goelan, of 16 j la Sarier brig, of 12; and le Vcngeur schooner, of 10 guns. These vessels were deeply laden with naval and military stores, from Rochefort, bound to St. Domingo. He also took several of the enemy's privateers and merchantmen, the latter with valuable cargoes. The Solebay returned to England in the autumn of 1800, and Captain Poyntz was soon after removed into the Beaulicu, of 40 gims, and employed on the coast of France during the remainder of the war. His next appointment was to the Melampus, another frigate, in which he captured two brigs, each carrying two long 24-pounder8, one 18-p()under, and 50 men, mostly soldiers ; and four luggers of one long 18- poundcr and 25 men each, from Bourdeaux bound to Brest. * The particulars of several itnportunt services pcrfornu'd hy the boats of the Excellent, under the command of Lieutenant (now Cuptuin) John Harper, form part of an uitcresting nicnioir of that gallant ofhcer. which we have prepared for insertion in our next volume. VOL. I. 3 c ( '4 J'? m i ft- ' I A- ll' I 11 m I i 754 RKAK-ADMIKALS OF THE WHITE. n; On the 13Ui July, 1805, he had the good fortune to inter- cept tlie Hydra, Spanish private ship of war, of 28 guns and 192 men, three of whom were killed and several wounded, hefore she surrendered. In the following year, he assisted at the capture, and was charged with the destruction of I'lm- petueux, of 74 guns, off Cape Henry *. Captain Poyntz subsequently commanded the Edgar, a third rate, in the Baltic. Ho was advanced to the rank of Rear-Admiral, Aug. 12, 1819. Our officer married, Oct. 8, 1802, Miss F. Brail, of Hambleton, Hants. RIGHT HON. JOHN LORD COLVJLLE, Rear-Admiral of the Pf'hite ; Commander-in-Chief on the Irish station : and one of the Siateen Representative Peers of Scotland. The family of Colville, in North Britain, sprang from that of the Colvilles in England, who accompanied William the Conqueror from Normandy. The subject of this sketch is the eldest son of the late peer, and brother of the Hon. Sir Charles Colville, a Lieutenant-Gencral in the army, who com- manded at the capture of Cambruy, June 24, 1815. He wa« born in the year 1765 ; entered the naval service at an earlv age ; was a Lieutenant at the conunencement of the war with the French republic ; and commanded the Star sloop, in 1795, and until his promotion to the rank of Post-Captaui, Dec. 6, 1790. We subsequently find him in the Ambuscadi frigate, on the Jamaica station, from whence he returned to England on the 19th Jan. 1802. During the remainder of the shm't-livcd peace, he was employed in the Channel for 1 he suppreshion of smuggling. Soon after the re-commencement of hostilities against France, Captain Colville was liominated to the comnumd of the Sea Fencibles on tlie coast of Cumberland. His next ap- pointment was, in the autumn of 1804, to the Homney, of 50 guns, in which ship he had the misfortune to be wrecked near the Texd, on the 22d Nov. ft^llowing. Previous to hid departure from Holland, on being vyi- • Seep. 40(). ine to inter- 28 guns and al wounded, e assisted ut ion of Vim- he Edgar, a the rank of F. Brail, of ^ILLE, he Irith sUition: Scotland. ing from that 1 William the this sketch is the Hon. Sir |my, who cora- 315. He was ce at an early f the war M'ith Star sloop, in Post-Captain, \e Ambuscadt e he returned e remainder of \e Channel for ilities against e connnand of His next ap- le Romney, ot to be wrecked on being I'X- RIGIIT HON. JOHN LORD COLVILLR. 7^5 changed for the commandant of the Dutch marine forces captured at Surinam, Captain Colville, in consideration of the kind treatment he had received, addressed the following letter to Admiral Kihkert, the Commander-in-Chief at the Texel : *' Sir, — Before I quit this place, so different from the usual state of captivity aim hardships we had to expect, I beg leave, as well on my own part as on that of my officers, who belonged to His B. Majesty's ship the Romney, to return you our most sincere thanks, and to assure you, that the very humane attention which we unfortunate men experienced from you, shall never be effaced from our memories. " We request you to assure Captain Verderoon, and the other captains and officers of the ships under your orders, that we are sensible of the great friendship which has been shown to us. I will not intrude upon your oc- cupations by a long letter ; the remembrance of having shown every ser- vice of humanity and friendship to the unfortunate, is sufficient for Admiral Kihkert ; yet we should have proved deficient in the respect that is due to liim, if we had not, before our departure, assured him of our wannest gratitude. " Permit me. Admiral, to give you the assurance of my highest consi- deration and respect, with which I, personally, have the honor to be. Sir, " Vour most obedient humble Servant, " John Colville." C'^ the 31 st Dec. 1804, Captain Colville was tried by a c artial, assembled on board the Africaine, at Sheerness, fo- ..id lo88 of the Romuey. After a full investigation of all the circumstances relative thereto, it appeared to the court, that the loss of the ship was occasioned by the thickness of the fog, and the ignorance of the pilots in regard to the tides, &c. they having undertaken a charge, to which it appeared they were wholly incompetent. The sentence of the court was, that the pilots be mulcted of all their pay for the Romney, and rendered incapable of taking charge of any cf his Majesty's ships and vessels of war in future, and to be imprisoned in the Marshalsea, one for the space of six, and the other for twelve calendar months. Captain Colville, his officers, and crew, were honorably acijuitted of all blame, it appearing to the court, that the utmost exertions were used by them to save the ship after she had struck, and to prevent the ship's company from becoming prisoners to the enemy ; and the court expressed, by the president, the high satisfac- tion which they felt at their conduct, under the very trying circumstances attendant upon that unfortunate occasion. 3c2 'i • '^fl fl 756 KKAR-AD.MIRALS OF IHE WHITK. In tlie following year, Captain Colvillc was appointed to the Sea Fencible service at Margate ; and about the spring of I8O7, he obtained the command of I'Hercule, a 74 gun-ship, in which he was employed during that and the succeeding year on the coast of Portugal. He afterwards commanded tl>e Queen, another third rate, on the North Sea station, and in the West Indies. Our officer succeeded to his present title on the demise of his father, March 8, 1811. He was advanced to the rank of Rear-Admiral, Aug. 12, 1819; and on the lOth Nov. 1821, hoisted his flag in the Semiramis frigate, as Commander-in- Chief on the Irish station. At the general elections in 1818 and 1820, he was chosen a representative peer for Scotland. Lord Colvillc married, in Oct. 1790, Eli/abeth, youngest daughter of the late Francis Ford, of the Lears, Barbadoes, Esq. a Member of Council in tliat island, sister of the late Sir Francis Ford, and aunt of the present Baronet of that iiame. JOHN COCIIET, Esq. liear-yfdmiral of the WhHt. This officer was born at Rochester, in Kent, Aug. 3, I76O ; and entered the naval service, Dec. 22, 1775> under the auspices of Captain Philemon Powna41, with whom he served as a Midshipman, in the Blonde ^nd Apollo frigates. On the 15th June, 17S0, the latter vessel, being on a cruise in the North Sea, fell in with, and after a sharp conflict compelled the French ship Stanislaus, of 26 guns, to seek shelter under the batteries at Ostend. The Apollo, on this occasion, had 6 men killed and 20 wounded. Among the former was her commander, who fell about an hour after the commencement of the action *. Towards the latter end of the same year, Mr. Cochet was appointed to act as Lieutenant in the Li/anl ; but being soon after superseded he joined the Amphion, another small frigate commanded by Captain Bazely f, and proceeded in her to • See note §, at p. -MO. et seq. t Captain Bazely sntTt-eded Captain Fownall in the romnmnd of tlie Apollo, and on tiiut mliip lieinif put out of cunimiiision was app(»lnU!(l to tilt Aiuphion. Soon after lii:i arrival on the Amerioan station, he was en,. JOHN COCHET, ESQ. 7^7 North America, where he continued until the close of the war Avith the colonies, and then returned to England with Captain Griffiths, in the Charlestown of 28 guns. During the ensuing three years we find Mr. Cochet on board the Powerful, a third rate, stationed at Plymouth. In June, 1786 he was removed into the Southampton frigate. Captain Douglas, in which he served as Master's Mate, until promoted to the rank of Lieutenant, Aug. 26, 1789, eight days after the naval review off Plymouth, on which occasion their late Majesties and family were embarked in that ship *. In March, 1790, our officer obtained an appointment to the Zebra sloop of war, and he remained in that vessel until April 1792. Some time previous to the commencement of the war with revolutionary France, he became first Lieutenant of the Phaeton, a fine frigate, in which, under the command of his friend Sir A. S. Douglas, he was present at the capture of many of the enemy's vessels, and among others of the Gene- ral Dumourier French privateer ; her prize, the St. Jago, a Spanish galleon of immense value f ; and la Promptc of 28 guns. In the spring of the ensuing year, he followed Sir Andrew into the Queen-Charlotte, bearing the flag of Earl H a: trusted with the command of a small s(iuadron, and on tlic lOtti Sept. 17BI, in conjunction with General ArnoUl, completely destroyed the town of New London, together with several magazines full of stores, and all the vessels 'hat were in the harbour. He afterwards attained the rank of Admiral of the Blue, and died at Dover, April 6, 1809. • See note f, at p. 706. t On the 14th April, 17I>3, a squadron, under the command of Rear- Adnnral John Gell, consisting of the St. George a second rate. Captain Thomas Foley ; Kdgar, 74, ('aptain Alhcmaric Bertie ; Egmont, 74, Gap- tuin Archihahl Dickson; Ganges, 74, Captain Anth. .lames Pye Molloy ; and Phaeton frigate. Captain Sir A. S. Douglas, in lat. 41"43' N. long. 'iS" W. gave chace to two sail in the N. NV. The latter ollicer soon came up with the St. Jago, a large Spanish gullcon under French colours, dropped a boat on boi d of her as he passed, leaving her to he taken pos- session of by the Ganges, and stood on in pursuit of the headmost, which he took two hours afterwanls. She proved to !)e the (ioneral Dumourier, a French privateer coppered, niotmting 22 si.x-pounders, with a comple- nient of 196 men, having on board 6H() cases, each containing 30(M) dol- lars, besides some valuable packages to the amount of between two ami throe hundred thousand puund« steriing. The St. Jiigo was from liinui, bound to Spain, and iiad been eleven days in the tncniy's powesiion. H ■■ i ' I 758 REAR-ADMIRALS OF THE WHITE. Howe ; and was one of the Lieutenants of that ship in the memorable battle of the 1st of June *. On the 27th May, 1795, he obtained the rank of Commander, and from that time remained on half-pay until Jan. 4, 1796, when he was ap- pointed to the Ratler sloop of war, in which vessel, after cruising for some time off the French coast, he proceeded to the West Indies, where he was posted, by Sir Hyde Parker, into the Abergavenny, of 54 guns. His commission as Cap- tain bears date Dec. 9, 1796. Captain Cochet remained in the Abergavenny until June, 1798, and was then appointed to the Thunderer, 74.- From that ship he removed into the Valiant, of the same force, and in the spring of 1799, escorted a large fleet of merchantmen to England. From this period we lose sight of him until May, 1805, when he was nominated principal agent for trans- ports in the Mediterranean, on which service he continued to be actively employed till June 1810. During the latter part of the war with France, he commanded the Ardent, a 64- gun ghip, at Bermuda, from whence he went to Halifax in April, 1814, and resided at that place about twelve months, as agent for prisoners of war and transports. Our officer was advanced to the rank of Rear-Admiral, Aug. 12, 1819. He married, first, a lady of the name of Jef- ferys ; and secondly, Mrs. S. Lydia Long, widow of Captain Long of the 89th regiment. By the former he has two daughters ; by the latter no living issue. Residence. — Bideford, co. Devon. SIR ARCHIBALD COLLINGWOOD DICKSON, Baronet ; and Rear-admiral of the IVhite. This officer is the eldest surviving son of the late Admiral William Dickson, by Jane, daughter of Alexander Colling- wood, of Unthank, co. Northumberland, Esq., and nephew of Admiral Sir Archibald Dickson, the first Baronet, on whose demise in 1803, he succeeded to the title. He was born, June 30, 1772> received his first commission in 1791 ; and served as a Lieutwant of the Royal George, beaJng the flag • Sec p. 75. et teq. SIK AKCHIBALD COLLINGWOOD DICKSON, BAKT. 7^9 of Sir Alexander Hood, (afterwards Lord Bridport,) in the memorable action of June 1, 1794 *. He subsequently com- manded the Megaera fire-vessel, and was promoted to tlic rank of Post-Captain, Dec. 12, 1796. In 1799, when his father succeeded the late Sir Richard Onslow as commander of a division of the North Sea fleet, Captain Dickson was appointed to his flag- ship, the Monarch, of 74 guns J from which he afterwards removed into the Ve- teran, 64, and in her assisted at the capture of the Dutch Rear- Admiral Storey and his squadron in the Texclf. He subsequently accompanied the armament sent to Elsiueur to give weight to the remonstrances of Lord Whitworth, whom the British government ha' sent over to adjust the dispute that had arisen on the subject of searching neutrals supposed to be carrying supplies to the enemy. The Veteran also formed part of Sir Hyde Parker's fleet employed against the Northern Confederacy in the spring of 1801. Diu-ing the greater part of the late war. Sir Archibald com- manded the Orion, 74 ; and on that ship being put out of com- mission, in the spring of 1813, he was appointed to the Akbar, of 50 guns, hi which he served on the South Ame- rican station until the conclusion of hostilities. His last appointment was in July, 1815, to the Rochfort, 80, the command of which he retained during a period of three years. He was advanced to the rank of Rear- Admiral Aug. 12, 1819. Lady Dickson is a daughter of the late Admiral John Bour- master. His son, David John Dickeon, is a Lieutenant, R. N. :^^' ,'';;il *; -'i t 1 Hi S; I' '• ROBERT WINTHROP, Esq. aC»o j^ S'?I Rear. Admiral of the White. V jA ^^ |ui |C,v This officer was a Lieutenant in 1790; and commanded the Albicore sloop at the reduction of St. Lucia, in the spring of 1796, by the forces under the orders of Sir Hugh C. Chris- tian and Sir Ralph Abercromby J. About the same time he captured I'Athcnienne French corvette, of 14 guns, near Barbiidoes. He was afterwards appointed to the I'^ndauuted frigutCj and m that ship had the misfortune to be wrecked on ^ • See p. 7<\ ft sei/. t Sec p. 414, et ."rij. J Sf« p. 111. I 0 I. •liWf I 760 REAR-ADMIRALS OF THE WHITE. the Morant Keys, during a heavy gale of wind, Aug. 27, 1796. His post commission bears date Dec. 16th, in the same year. Captain Winthrop's next appointment was to the Circe, of 28 guns, stationed in the North Sea ; and in the month of May, 1798j we find him serving in the expedition sent against Ostend, an account of which has been already given in our memoir of Rear-Adniiral Raper*. Major-General Coote, who commanded the army employed on that occasion, in his despatches, spoke most highly of " the indefatigable exertions and good conduct of Captain Winthrop, who superintended the landing of the troops, and assisted in getting up the artillery, and other materials ; and for some time commanded a detachment of seamen on shore." In the summer of 1799, our officer was entrusted with the command of a small squadron, employed on the coast of Holland ; the boats of which, in the night of the 27th June, very gallantly cut out twelve sail of merchantmen from the Wadde, without having a man hurt j notwithstanding they were much annoyed by the fire from the enemy's batteries and gun- boats. On the 10th July, the boats, with equal re- solution and bravery, cut out three more valuable vessels from the same river, and burnt another laden with ordnance stores. In the following month the Circe assisted at the capture of the Helder, on which occasion all the Dutch ships lying in the Nieuve Diep, together with the naval magazine at the Nieuve Werk, containing a large quantity of stores, were taken possession of by Captain Winthrop. This event led to the surrender of the enemy's fleet in the Texel f. On the 8th Oct. in the same year, our officer being in the river Ems, proceeded to reconnoitre the port of Delfzel, where he dis- covered a sloop of war and a schooner lying within musket shot of the batteries, and conceiving it practicable to carry them by a coup-de-main^ he gave the necessary orders for that purpose. Delfzel being distant 20 miles from the Circe, the boats proceeded with the first of the tide, and arrived there just as the moon went down, at which time Captain Winthrop ordered the attack to be made by Lieutenant Maughan upon the ship, and Lieutenant Pawle upon the • See note at p. IVA, ef srr/. t Sec p. Hi, st sfi/. ROBBRT WINTHHOP, ESQ. 7^1 schooner, who boarded and carried them in a most galhmt manner, and without any loss, notwithstanding the enemy's guns were primed, and the matches lighted. The prizes proved to be the Lynx, of 12 guns and 7b men ; and the Perseus, of 8 guns and 40 men. Lieutenant Matthew Buckle, of the Hawke cutter, very handsomely volunteered his ser- vices with Captain Winthrop on this occasion. We next find the subject of this memoir commanding the Stag frigate, in the expedition against Ferrol, under the or- ders of Sir John Borlase Warren, in the autumn of 1800 *. On the 6th Sept., the Stag parted her cables in Vigo Bay ; and the wind blowing furiously at the time, laid her on her beam- ends, and prevented her from wearing clear of the other ships. Captain Winthrop then made sail upon her, and endeavoured to weather Point Subudo; but the gale increasing almost to a hurricane, she was driven on shore, and in a very few minutes a rock broke through her bottom, when she filled almost immediately. After saving all the officers and ship's company, and some of the stores, she %yas set fire to, in pur- suance of orders from the Rear-Admiral. On the renewal of hostilities after the peace of Amiens, Captain Winthrop obtained the command of the Ardent, a 64-gun ship, stationed on the coast of Spain, where he drove on shore la Bayonnaise French frigate, of 32 guns and 200 men, from the Havannah bound to Ferrol. The crew, to prevent her being taken possession of, set her on fire, by which she was totally destroyed. The Ardent was subse- quently employed off Boulogne, under the orders of Lord Keith. From this ship. Captain Winthrop was removed into vhe Sy- bille frigate, about the month of July 1805 j and on the 3d May, 1807, he captured I'Oiseau French letter of marque. In the ensuing summer, he was appointed to the command of the Dover district of Sea Fencibles. His promotion to the rank of Rear-Admiral took place Aug. 12, 1819. He married, Dec. 23, 1804, Miss Farbracc, of Dover. * See note at p. 220 . 1 ■{ •* • S ' ;| If'; If 762 m '> ^^* n REAR-ADMIRALS OF THE BLUE. HENRY DIGBY, Esq. Senior Rear-Admiral of the Blue ; and a Companion of the most honorable Military Order of the Bath. This officer is the eldest son of the late Hon. and Ry the naval and military forces under Lord JIugh ^'^oymou'.- aud Lieutenant-General Trigge, on which occasion Ihe Amphi- trite bore the Admiral's flag She afterwiirdb, in craipany with the Unite frigate, commanded by the present Lvir John P. Beresford, surprised, and after a litt^; tirhig, captured the Devil's Islands, on the coast of Cayenne Ihis sei v oe was performed with very little loss, only a man or two Imng \-'\lhii in landing and storming the place, which was complecfly cleared, and ev*;ry thing contained thereiu either Lroudit off or destroyed. In March 1801, the Amphitrite accompanied Sir John T. Duckworth on an expedition against the Virgin iind otiiRr is- lands, of which it had been determined to take possessitm, in consequence of the hostile mi;?sures adopted against Givi/J. Britain by Denmark, Sweden, and Russia ; but imfortuwate- ly Captain Ekins, being sick, was obliged to remain a: ^nrba- does. However, a reinforcement arriving; f "o n Enji^land, es- corted by the Coromandel and Proselyte, Ijc took a passage on board the latter, and joined tho Coinmander-in-Chicf in time to be entrusted with the supcrinten dance of the debarka- tion on the island of St. Mujtia, and to assist in the subse- quent operations ^% HiH exertions on this occasion having brought on another violent attack of the yellow fever, by which he had previously been much reduced. Rear Admiral Duckworth was induced to send him home with his des- • See Rttar-Adiniral TnoMAn IlAiivKy. U 1 1^ \. 8)1,, i. ! 1 ■Ml W ■''*'•■■ ,.i\ -' I-' ■ ?Mrl :i;0! iii I -'I i '^1 :■ ^1 i m 7€6 REAR-ADMIRALS OP TH£ BLUE. patches, and he accordingly returned to England in the Fanny armed brig, about the 10th May following. From this period we Iohc sight of Captain Ekins until the spring of 1804, when he was appointed to the Beaulieu, of 40 guns, in which fine frigate he was actively employed till the latter end of 1806. He then joined the Defence, a third- rate Hnd in the following year sailed with Admiral Gambler on the expedition against Copenhagen ; but he was prevented from being present at the surrender of that capital and the Danish navy, in consequence of his having been detached with the Comus, of 32 guns, under his orders, in pursuit of the Frederickdwam frigate, which had escaped from Elsineur soon after the arrival of the British armament in that neighbour- hood, and was taken after an arduous chase in light winds, and a short action with the Comus *. We next find Captain Ekins employed off Lisbon, under the orders of Sir Charles Cotton, by whom he was sent to St. Ubes, for the purpose of circulating manifestos among the Portuguese, and endeavouring to open a communication with the Russian Admiral Siniavin, who was at that time blockad- ed in the Tagus. While on that service, he received infor- mation of the Rochefort squadron being at sea ; and supposing its destination to be the West Indies, he lost no time in pro- ceeding thither. On his arrival off Martinique, he formed a junction with Sir Alexander Cochrane ; as did Sir John T. Duckworth with his squadion, on the following morning. It being afterwards ascertained that the enemy had altered their course, and gone to the Mediterranean, Captain Ekins was sent home with two hundred sail of merchant vessels under his protection, the whole of wliich he conducted in safety to England. The Defence afterwards formed part of the fleet employed in the Baltic, under the orders of Sir James Saumarez ; and in 1809, was detached, in company with the Bellerophon, to the Gulf of Finland, where Captain Ekins took possession of several islands, and completely cut off all supplies sent by the Russians for the use of their army in Sweden. Our officer's next appointment appears to have been, Sept. 7, 1815, to the Superb, of 78 guns, in which ship he greatly " Sec Cuptuiu Oeurub Ed^ru Watts, in our next volume. CHARLES EKINS, ESQ. 'J&J distinguished himself at the memorable attack upon Algiers, in the autumn of 1816 *. The Superb on that glorious oc- casion had 92 men killed and wounded ; among the latter was her commander, who for his gallantry has since been reward- ed with the insignia of a C. B. and K. W. N. of the third class, llie latter entitles its possessor to the appellation of Chevalier in the kingdom of the Netherlands, His advance- ment to the rank of Rear- Admiral took place Aug. 12, 1819. Previous to that event he had occasionally hoisted a broad pendant as senior officer at Plymouth during the absence of Viscount Exmouth, the naval Commander-in-Chief on that station f. We understand that Rear-Admiral Ekins has been for u very considerable time employed upon a Tactical Considera- tion of our principal Sea-Jights between 1744 and 1807, to which it Is his intention to add, Remarks upon the celebrated Essay of Clerk of Eldin. Such a work, coming from an officer whose abilities are so well known and highly appre- ciated, will no doubt meet with a favorable reception from the public in general, and the naval profession in particular. Residence, — Stonehouse, near Plymouth, Devon. ' '.I BENJAMIN WILLIAM PAGE, Esq. Rear-Adii id of the Blue. This officer was born at Ipswich, co. Suffolk, in 1765 ; en- tered the naval service under the protection of Sir Edward Hughes (an intimate friend of his father), as a Midshipman, • See p. 225, rt seq. t Soon after the Superb's return to England from the Algcrine expedi- tion, the junior otficcrs of that ship presented Cnptain Ekins with a huiul- somc jfold anufl-box, scitaldy inscribed, as n mark of their esteem and re- spect for his conduct on the day of the battle. In return for tlie compli- ment. Captain Ekins addressed to thcni a very handsome letter, in whiih he states, that if his conduct on the 27tl» Aug. 181(1, mot with their ap- proval, he cotdd ascribe it only to a firm reliance on the Almighty will, and perfect confidence in the steadiness, bravery, and perscverunic of those ho commanded, of whom Ihr jaiiior (inurrB of the Superb, ns they liore a large and very conspicuous part in all the dangers and fatigues of that day, may ever claim hs^ sincere and grateful ucknowledgmi-nts. 768 REAU-ADMJRALS OF THE BLUE. onboard the Superb, of 74 guns, Nov. 20, 1778; accom- panied that distinguished commander to the East Indies ; bore a part in all hia battles with the celebrated M. de Suff- rcin*, in one of which he received a very severe wound; and after serving for some time as acting Lieutenant of the Exeter, 64, returned with him to England in 1783. Mr. Page's commission was confirmed by Lord Howe, Nov. 20, 1784, and he soon after went to Jamaica in the As- trea frigate, commanded by Captain Peter Rainier, On his return from thence, he was sent to the East Indies on pro- motion ; notwithstanding which, he appears to have come home a Lieutenant, in the Crown, 64. His next appointment was, at the commencement of 1793, to the Suffolk, 74, and in that ship he again visited India with his friend, Commo- dore Rainier, by whom he was advanced to the rank of Com- mander, in the Hobart sloop of war, about Sept. 1795 ; and on the death of Captain Newcome, in Feb. 1797, posted into the Orpheus frigate; but as Earl Spencer had previously made him a Post Captain f, he was under the necessity of returning home at an earlier period than he otherwise Avould have done. During his continuance on the East India station, the merchants of Bombay presented him with 500 guineas, for the attention he had paid to a fleet he had convoyed from China. In 1800, Captain Page was appointed to the Inflexible, a 64 gun ship, armed enflutCy in which he made two trips to the Mediterranean with troops, and was present at the de- barkation of the army under Sir Ralph Abercromby, in Aboukir Bay J. Previous to his return to England, in 1802, he was presented with the Turkish gold medal, for his ser- vices during the operations against tiie French in Egypt §. On the renewal of hostilities, our officer was sent in the Caroline, of 36 guns (to which frigate he had been appointed in the preceding year), with secret orders, to the East Indies. On his passage he captured several French vessels, and de- tained others belonging to the Batavian republic. Among his pri/.es was the Dutch brig of war de Haasje, of 6 guns, • See note f, ut p. 4l?l, el *ry. t His roininUsu)ii u« FoiiNl'uptuiii bears dute Dec. 2'2, 17%. I Sec note t, ut p. '26!^ § See m>le at p. 1 2\i, et *ry. HKNJAMIN \Vir,LIAM PAi^K, ESQ. JG9 pierced for 18, bound to India with despatches from Buona- parte. Captain Page, by sending this vessel to St. Helena, caused the detention of some Dutch ships lying there, and prevented those belonging to English merchants from sailing without convoy. Early in 1 804, the Caroline, after escorting the homeward- hound trade through the Bay of Bengal, had the good fortune to intercept les Freres Unis, of IG gur>s and 185 men, and le General de Caen, of 26 guns and 24(' n:cn. The capture of those vessels immediately on their arrival from France, and before they had been able to commit any depredations on our commerce, was considered of so nmch importance, that the merchants of Bombay and Madras ftw/i voted Captain Page 500 guineas, for the service he had tlms afforded them. We next find Capt.iin Page etjtrusted with the command of a squadron sent to protect the trade to and from Cliina. On his return to India with the homeward-bound ships, he was selected by Admiial Rainier to command the Trident, of 64 guns, bearing the flag of that officer, with whom .he came to England in Sept. 1805. On the safe arrival of the convoy in the Downs, the Court of Directors voted him 500 g\iineas, for his continued attention to their interests. Captain Page, whose health had been greatly impaired through long and active services on foreign stations, was now induced to accept the command of a district of Sea Fencibles, which he retained till the breaking up of that corps. His last appointment was, in 1812, to the Puissant, a guard-ship, sta- tioned at Spithead, where he continued until Oct. 1815, a* which period she was put out of c;unmission. He became .\ llear-Admiral Aug. 12, 1819. 'T'v ••.. i^ Residence. — Ipswich. J- ^••^- ^ — •'• t^r HON. HHILIl' WODEHOrsE, Rror-.'IdmhnI nf ihr Hint'. TiiK family of ffode/itmse'ia of great anticjuity, (me of theni having received knighthood in the timr (»f Henry I. ; fnmi whonj descended .//i/»/ fVmlelnnise, wh<» atteiulrd Henry V. in 1415, to the battle of Agincomt, and for hi^ valoiu', VOL. I. 3 u 770 RKAR -ADMIRALS OF THE BLUK. P was rewartletl l>y the king with a pension ; and among other honors, as a perpetual mark of distinction, had assigned him the crest now borne by the family, as well as the arms and supporters. His descendants have intermarried with some of the first families in the kingdom. The subject of this sketch is the second son of Lord Wode- house, by Sophia, only child of Charles Berkeley, of Bruton Abbey, co. Somerset, Esq. brother of the last Lord Berkeley, of Stratton, and was born in the year 1773. He entered the naval service at an early age ; obtained the rank of Lien- tenant in 1794 ; served as such on the Mediterranean station under Sir John Jervis ; was promoted to the command of the Albicore sloop early in 1796 ; and subsccjuently commanded the Peterell, a vessel of the same class, and the Aurora of 28 guns. His post commission bears date Dec. 23, 1796. In 1797, we find Captain Wodehouse in la Mignonne fri- gate, one of the prizes taken at Toulon, and afterwards burnt at Porto Ferrajo, being found unserviceable. His next ap- pointment was to the Volage, of 24 guns, which ship he quit- ted at the Leeward Islands, in 1799. He afterwards com- manded in succession the Brilliant, Iris, and Resistance fri- gates. C-^"^ -|r< icn^ cJi Ivi'j »3 t lA^ c« 1 Cc«-u^a)» ■ ^' „■ In the spring of 1804, our ofP.;er was appointed to superin- tend the Harwich district of Sea Fencibles, on which ser- vice he continued until the month of August in the following year, when he obtained the command of the Intrepid, a 04- gun ship ; and from that vessel removed, towards the close of the year I8O7, into the Cumberland, a new 74. In Oct. 1809, the Cumberland formed part of Lord Colling wood's fleet in the Mediterranean, and assisted at the destruc- tion of two French line-of-battle ships near Frontignan * ; and the capture of a fleet of transports in Rosas Bay f. She was subsetjuently staticmed at Sicily for the protection of that itdand. About the autumn of 181 1, Captain Wodehouse was ap- pointed Resident Commissioner at Halifax, where he re- mained until advanced to the rank of Rear- Admiral, Aug. 12, 1819. He married, in 1814, the second daughter of (iovern or Cameron, of New Providence. ♦ See p. '2HJ ( Si«c p 4H.'i 77 i THOMAS ALEXANDER, Esq., Rear-zldtmral of the Blui'. This officer was a Lieutenant in 1790; commanded the Hope sloop of war at the capture of u Dutch squadron in Sal- danha Bay in 1 796 * ; and suhsequentiy the Carysfort frigate in the East Indies, where he captured I'Alerte French cor- vette, of 16 guns. His post commission bears date Dec. 27, 1796. He was afterwards appointed in succession to the Sceptre, 64, Sphynx, a 20-gun ship, and Braave frigate. On the 23d Aug. 1800, the Braave, in company with the Centurion, Dsedalus, and Sybille, the whole under the orders of Captain H. L. Ball, entered Batavia Roads, captured five Dutch armed vessels, and destroyed two merchant ships, fourteen brigs, five sloops, and one ketch. Some time pre- vious to this aiCair, Captain Alexander had intercepted la Surprise French vessel of war, bound to Europe with two Ambassadors from Tippoo Sultaun, whose treachery, while he •woxi expressing a desire to receive an ambassador from Lord Momington, the Governor-General, was fully established by the papers taken at Seringapatam. Captain Alexander being obliged to resign th' .ommand of the Braave on account of ill health, came home a passenger in rimperieuse frigate, and arrived in England June 12, 1802. His next appointment appears to have been to the Renown, of 74 guns, which ship he left in the summer of 1808 ; and soon after joined the Colossus, of the same force, the command of which he retained until the peace. On the 19th Aug. 1815, he wau appointed to the Vengeur, stationed as a guard-ship at Portsmouth ; and on the 12th Aug. 1819, advanced to his present rank. • ISce J). .') I . * t il 3 I) 2 772 kEAR-ADMIRALS OK THE BLUE. ft m ANDREW SMITH, Esq. Rear-admiral of the Blue. This officer is descended from a very respectable family in North Britain ; was born in Edinburgh March 20, 1763, and commenced his naval career in June 1779? on board the Princess of Wales, a hired armed ship. He afterwards served for a short time in the Santa Margaritta frigate, and in Jime 1780, joined the Victorj'^, of 100 guns, bearing the flag of Admiral Geary, Commander-in-Chief of the Channel fleet. On the 3d of the following month he was present at the cap- ture of twelve sail of French merchantmen, from Port-au- Prince, St. Domingo, M'hose cargoes were valued at 91,000/. sterling. In Feb. 1781, Mr. Smith was removed into the Fortitude, 74, commanded by the late Sir Richard Bickerton, and form- ing part of the armament sent under Vice-Admiral Darby to the relief of Gibraltar, in the spring of that year *. On her return to Spithead, the Fortitude received the flag of Sir Hyde Parker, who had recently been appointed to the command of a squadron destined to escort seven hundred sail of merchant vessels from Leith to the Baltic. Returning from that service, Sir Hyde fell in with the Dutch Admiral Zoutman off the Dogger Bank, and a bloody battle ensued, during which the Fortitude had 20 men killed and &J wounded f. During the remainder of the war she was employed in a variety of services, and among others assisted at the capture of a French convoy by the fleet under Vice-Admiral Barrington % ; at the relief of Gibraltar by Lord Howe § ; and was engaged in the partial action with the combined fleets of France and Spain, off Cape Spartel, Oct. 20, 1782, on which occasion she had 2 men killed and 9 wounded. The F'ortitude was paid off at Plymouth in April 1/83, and Mr. Smith soon after joined the Ratler sloop, in which he went to the coast of Guinea, and from thence to the West * Sep p. 4, and note J, ut p. 33. X See pp. 15, 501. t See note §, at p. 175, et seq. § Sec p. 17. ANDRKW SMITH, ESQ. 773 Indies, where he was removed into the Adamant, of 50 guns, bearing the flag of Sir Richard Hughes, with whom he returned to England in 1786. From this period, Mr. Smith does not appear to have been afloat till June 1789, when we again find him serving under the same officer in the Adamant, on the American station. From that ship he was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant in the Ratler,Aug. 10, 1790, and continued in her till she was put out of commission in June, 1792. His next appointment was to the Incendiary fire-vessel, in wliich he served from Feb. 1793 to Aug. 1794, and then became first Lieutenant of the Defence, 74, commanded by the present Lord Gambler, with whom he was appointed to the Prince George, a second rate, attached to the Channel fleet under Lord Bridport. Immediately after the action off I'Orient, June 23, 1795 *, on which occasion the Prince George was commanded by Captain William Edge, our officer was advanced to the rank of Commander, and early in the following year appointed to the Calypso sloop of war. His post-commission bears date Jan. 6, 1797. We now lose sight of him till 1805, when he ob- tained an appointment to the Sea Fencibles at Lynn, whence he was removed to the Berwick district in Sept. 1807, and continued on the same service until the breaking up of that corps in 1810. During the ensuing three years he superhi- tended the Impress service at Greenock ; and from Nov. 1813 to Sept. 1815, commanded the Latona, bearing the flag of Sir W-: Johnstone Hope, atLeith. His promotion to the rank he now holds took place July 19, 1821. Rear-Admiral Smith married, April 20, 1795, Maria, only child of the late William Hulkc, Escj., by whom he has two sons and two daugliters. Residence. — Hawthornlce, Berwickshire, N. B. 0 ..'■: Wl 1. :.'J 111' ' r ■I.: i-l ;;i^ (' ', L ■ ! • Sec p. 246. 774 RKyVR-ADMIRALS OF THE KLUE. m 4 » a ^ 4 SIR EDWARD BERRY, Baronet; Renr-Admiral of the Blue; and n Knight Commander of tin most honorable Military Order of the Bath. This officer is a son of the late Edward Berry, Esq., of London, by Elizabeth, daughter of the Rev. Thomas Foster, Rector of Holton, in Suffolk. He was born April 17, 1768, and went to sea at an early age, under the auspices of Lord Mulgrave. The first recorded circumstance of his life was the boarding of a French ship of war, for which actioii he was rewarded with a Lieutenant's commission. His subsequent conduct in the glorious battle of June 1, 1794, appears also to have obtained for him the approbation of his superiors. Early in 1796, Mr. Berry was appointed by Sir John Jervis, under whom he had before served, to the Agamemnon, of 64 guns, commanded by Commodore Nelson, who was at that time employed in laying the foundation of his future fame ; and to whose favorable notice he soon recommended himself, as may be inferred from the following passage, which we extract from a letter addressed by that officer to the Com- mander-in-Chief, May 30, 1796 : " Lieutenant Berry joined me in the Cotnet, nnd I have, as far as I have seen, every reaeon to be satisfied with h'ir., ooth as a gentleman, and an officer. I had a few days ago a plan for taking the Frcncli brig of war out of Vado, and intrusted the execution of it to him : it mitscarricd from an unforeseen and improbable event, l)ut I was much pleased by Mr. Berry's strict attention to my instructions." Passing over occurrences of minor importance, we shall here introduce the contents of a paper written by Commodore Nelson, some time after the memorable battle off Cape St. Vincent ; on which occasion the subject of this memoir, by his extraordinary activity in boarding two of the enemy's ships, acquired the honest eulogium of every officer in the fleet. " A few remarks relative to myself in the Captain, in which ship my pendant wa^ flying on the most glorious Fa- lentine's Day, 1797. " \i one, P. M.,the Captain havingpasscd the sternmost of the cncniyV Bhlps, which formed their van and part of their centre, consisting of seven- SIR KDWAKD HKRUY, BART. 775 loen sail of the line; they on the larboarii, we ou the sUrltoard taek ; tlic Admiral made the signal to tack in succession, liut i)ercciving all the Spanish ships to bear up before the wind, evidently with an intention of forming their line, going large, joined their separated divisions, at that time engaged with some of our centre ships, or flying from us, — to prevent either of their schemes from taking eiTect, I ordered the ship to be wore, and passing between the Diadem and Excellent, at a quarter past one o'clock, was engaged with the headmost, and of course leewardmost, of the .Spanish division. The ships, which I knew, were the Santissima Trini; San Josef, 112; Salvador del Mundu, 112; San Nicholas, 80; ano- ther first rate, and a 74, names unknown. " I was immediately joined, and most nobly supported, by the CuUodeu, Captain Troubridge : the Spanish fleet, not wishing, I suppose, to have a decisive battle, hauled to the wind on the larboard tack, which brought the ships above-mentioned to be the leewardmost and sternmost ships iu their fleet. For near an hour, I believe, (but do nut pretend to be correct as to time,) did the Culloden, and Captain, support this apparently, but not really, unequal contest ; when the Blenheim pasting l»etwceti us and the enemy, gave us a respite, and sickened the Dous. " At this time the Salvador del Mundo, and Sanysidro, dropped astern, and were fired into, in a masterly style, by the Excellent, Captain ('olling- wood, who compelled the Sanysidro to hoist English colours ; and I thought the large ship, Salvador del Mundo, had also struck : but Captain Colling - wood, disdsdning the parade of taking possession 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 critical state ; the Blenheim being u-head, the Culloden crippled and a-stern. The Excellent rangocr quarter-gallery window, I jumped in myself, and wiis followed by others as fast as possible. I found the ca- bin doors fastened, and some Spanish ulHccre fired their pistols : but having broke open the doors, the soldiers fired ; and the Spauibh Btigudici (Coui- inoilorc with a dijlinguishing pendant) fell, iis retrcutuig to the (]uarler- deck. 1 pushed iintnodiatcly nnnardb for 'he luarter deck, where I f'nin'l :>in >4 •^/ 770 (Japtuiii Uc KKAU-ADMIKAI.S OV Till; ULUK of tlie poop, aixl tlu; Spuiiisli ciiiv, presented mc his sword, and said Ibc Admiral was dying of his wounds. I asked him on his honour, if the slii|i was anrrendered ? he declared she was : on which I gave him my hand, ami desired him to call on his oflicers and ship's company, and tell them of it ; which he did : — and on the i/uurttr-rlec/i of (t Spun'mh first rati; iwtraru- ifanf as t/ia stori/ may «enn. Hid I rerehw the stcnrds o/rantjtm/ied Span- iards; which, as I received, f if are to IFiUiam Vearney, one of my hargv- mrn; who put them, with the greatest sanicfroid, under his arm. 1 was surrounded by ('aptain licrry, Lieutenant IVarson, of the (IDlli rcginienl, ■ Joliu Sykcs, John Thomson, Francis Cooke, nil old yfi>-amemnons, and s(- veral other brave men, seamen and soldiers. Thus fell these ships ! " A^ /{. In boarding the San Nicholas, I believe we lost about 7 killed ami 10 wounded ; and about 20 Spaniards lost their lives by a foolish resistance. None were lost, I believe, in boanling the San Josef. ( HORATIO NKLSON. (Signed) < UALI'II WILLiriT I\lILLi:ir ( E. UblUIlY." Cuptain Horry's post conimisijion bears date Af arch 0, 17«V. In the course of the same year he appeared at Court with Sir Horatio Nelson ; and it has been said that after the King had eonipliincnted the hitter on account of his exphiits, and con- (h)K'd with him on his misfortune in h;sing a limb at the at- tack upon Santa Cru/, that hero intnxhiced liis companion to his Majesty, with the remark, " that lie had not cxpcricnvvd great loss, as this officvr was his right hand ! " On the 19th Dec. following, Captain IJerry commissioned the Vanguard, of 'J4. guns, fitting for the flag of his friend Nelson, with whom he soon after returned to the Mediterranean station. The proceedings of the sjiuadron detached from the licet oiT Cadi/ to watch the arnuunent about to sail from Toulon, imder (icneral Buonaparli*, and which e?>dcd in the total defeat of the enemy, on the glorious 1st Aug. I/^H, have sill BDWAKI) lllillRY, HART. 777 ))e('ii SO amply rrliitod in our nuMHoirofSir Jiunes Sauniarcz *, that it would be wholly suprrlluouH to iKjticc them attain at lart^c ; wo shall theroforc content ourselves with observing, that notwithstandin}^ the excessive damage which the Van- j^uard received in the Gulf of Lyons, Rear-Admiral Nelson, to whom the charge of the scjuadron had been (roidided by hiarl St. Vincent, determined not to remove his flag from that ship, which was soon refitted by the great exertions of Caj)- tain lierry while at anchor in the Sardinian harbour of St. I'ietro, from whence she again sailed in tolerable order. Soon after the termination of the tremendous conflict in AbouUir Bay, Captain IJerry was sent to the Comniaiuler-in- (Jhief with the llear-Admirars despatches, from which \vc make the following extract : " the support and assistance I have received from Captain Berry , cannot he sufficient lif ex- pressed. I was wounded in the head, and ohligcd to be car- ried off' the deck, hut the sertnce suffered no loss by that event. Captain Berry was fully equal to the important service then goinif on, and to him I must beg leave to refer you for every information relative to this victory. He will present you with the flag of the second in command, that of the Comman- der-in-Chief being burnt in I' Orient.'' On his passage down the Mediterranean in the Lcander, of 50 guns, conuiianded by the present Sir T. B. Thompson, o«u" otlicer had the misfortune to be taken prisoner by le Cieno- reux, a French 74. He also received a severe wounil in the desperate action which took place on that oct^asion f. The enemy, on taking possession of their prize, not only plundered the oflicers ami crew of every thing they possessed, but after- wards by their cruelty and iu\glect exposed the sick and wounded to almost certain death. However Captains Thomp- son and Berry were permitted to return, on their parole of honor, to England, where they were received by their coun- trymen with great applause. Sir Horatio Nelson's duplicate despatches had in the mean time been brought home over- laiul by the Hon. Captain Capel, and honors of every kind were decreed to the con(|uerors of the Nile. Captain Berry, after his exchange, wa^ knighted by his Sovereign, received !>oc note t, .11 |) lt<(*, '•/ SY./. t See i>. '.V.K^, rt inf. II irall ■1 31 1 ll ' -m .<\ A I'M m' A i*''] ■?;' I^m 1 It If nBi 1'' r fiflHH i:: m M ■: 'I H 77^ KEAR-ADMIRALb OF THE hLU£. u gold mcdul in common with the other officers who hud shared in the late triumph, and was presented with the freedom of the metropolis, in a gold box, value 100 guineas. He also received the thanks of the Court-Martial held to en- quire into the circumstances attending the capture of the Leander, " for the gallant and active zeal he manifested, by giving his assistance in the combat." In the autumn of 1799^ Sir Edward Berry repaired once more to the Mediterranean, as Captain of Lord Nelson's flag- ship, the Foudroyant ; and early in the following year had the satisfaction of assisting at the capture of his old opponent, lo Genereux *, and of le Guillaumc Tell, a French 80, the only remaining ship which had escaped from the battle in Aboukir Bay. A more heroic defence than that made by the latter vessel is not on record. Her colours were kept flying until she had become an ungovernable log, and sustained a loss of 200 men killed and wounded. During the action which took place on this occasion f. Sir Edward Berry, who displayed the same matchless intrepidity and able conduct that he had often done before in many trying situations, was hurt in the foot, but not so much as to induce him to quit the deck. The Foudroyant's total loss was 8 men killed and 61 wounded. In the month of June following. Sir Edward conveyed the Queen of Naples, her family and attendants, from Palermo to Leghorn, from which place Lord Nelson proceeded across the (continent on his way to England, and the Foudroyant to Mi- norca to refit. Previous to the landing of the above person- ages, her Sicilian Majesty presented Sir Edward with a gold box, set with diamonds, and a diamond ring. Towards the latter end of the same year, our oflicer re- turned to England in the Princess Charlotte frigate; and during the rcmahuler of the war, he conunandcd the Ruby, of 04 guns, stationed in the North Sea. His next api><)intment was in the summer of 1805, to the Agamennion, another ship of the same class, in which, after having by the most mas- terly manoeuvres, escaped from a French squadron, consisting of five sitil of the line, two frigates, and a brig, he joined Lord Nelson's fleet, in time to participate in the glorious battle of * Sec SupciHnnuatcd Rear- Admiral Sn v ldiiam Pkard, in our next voluiijp. SIR EDWARD BERRY, BART. 779 Trafalgar; but it does not appear that jiny opportunity was aftbrdcd him of particularly diHtiiiguishiii^ himself on that oc- casion. On the (5th Feb. 1806, we find Sir Edward in the same ship, assisting at the discomliture of a French squadron at St. Domingo, by Sir John T. Duckworth *. For this service he was presented, by the Committee of the Patriotic Fund at Lloyd's, with a sword, value 100/. During his continuance in the West Indies, he also contributed to the capture of la Lu- tine French national brig, of 18 guns ; and the Dame Ernouf privateer, of 17 guns and 115 men. From the latter end of 1806, the periwl at which Sir Ed- ward left the Agamemnon, we have no mention of him until the autumn of 1811, when he obtained the command of the Sceptre, a 74-gun ship, from which he was removed about the month of Sept., 1812, into the Barfleur, a second rate; and again sent to the Mediterranean. In Dec, 1813, Sir Edward was appointed to the Royal Sovereign yacht ; and in the summer of the following year, we find him in attendance on the allied nionarchs, during their visit to the fleet, at Spithead. He subsequently com- manded the lloyid George, another yacht ; and on the 2d Jan. 1815, was nominated a K. C. B. At the general promotion, Aug. 12, 1819, he obtained one of the vacant Colonelcies of Royal Marines ; and on the 19th July, 1821, was advanced to the rank of Rear-Admiral of the Blue. His patent of Ba- ronetage bears date Dec. 12, 1806. Our officer married, Dec. 12, 1797? Louisa, daughter of the Rev. Samuel Forster, of Norwich, D. D. Residence. — Catton, Norfolk. I i next volume. WILLIAM PROWSE, Esq. Rfur- Admiral of tfw lilm; ; and n Companion of the most honorabtt: Military Order of t lie Bath. This officer was a Master's Mate on board the Albion, of 74 guns, commanded by Captain George Bowycr, in the action foughl nlT Grenada, between Vice-Adniiral Byron and • Soc p. 2fi|, f-i srtq. ■^1 n •- ". 1 -i 78() HEAR-ADMIRAI.S OK THB HLUK. I' -J ■ > » the Count d'Estiiing, July 6, 177^^; J^»tl in Rodney's battlos with dc Guichcn, off Martinique, on the IJth April, and 15th and lOtli May, 1780 *. The Albion's loss in those several en- gagements, amounted to 27 men killed and 128 woimded ; among the latter of whom was Mr. Prowse, who received a large splinter in the head. He served in that ship during a period of six years, and behaved so well on all occasions, as to draw from his commander the warmest commendations. In 1/82, Uear-Admiral Digby appointed him to act as a Lieu- tenant in the Cyclops, a small frigate, on the North-American station ; from which period we lose sight of him till the early part of the French revolutionary war, when he received an appointment to the Uarfleur, of 98 guns, bearing the flag of Uear-Admiral Bowyer, in the Channel fleet. During the memorable action of June 1, 1794, in which his patron had the misfortune to lose a leg f, Mr. Prowse was very severely wounded by a large shot, which, after disabling the gun he was then in the act of pointing, struck him on the thigh, and tore away a great porticm of the flesh. Indeed, the injury he received was so great as to render it necessary for him to be sent on shore to an hospital ; from whence, on his recovery, he joined the Theseus, of 74 guns, as first Lieute- nant, and in that ship agaui visited the West Indies. We next find our officer proceeding with Sir John Jervi«, in the Lively frigate, to the Mediterranean station, where he obtaiueil the rank of Conmiander in the Raven sloop of war, which vessel was one of the repeaters to the British fleet in the battle off Cape St. Vincent, Feb. 14, 1797' From her he was removed by Sir John into the Salvador del Mundo, a Spanish 3-decker taken on that occasion ; an appointment that aj)i)ears to have met with the approbation of the Admiralty, his post coinmissiop being confirmed by the Board on tlie 0th of the following month. In 1H(K), Captain Prowse was selected by Sir Robert CaU der, with whom he had before served in the Tiieseus, to com- nuuid his flag-ship, the I*rince of Wales, a sect)nd-rate, and he acco'dingly acconipanied that officer to the West Indies in quccit ol a French s((uadron, supposed to have gone thithei • Sec n"r«« t. at p. lOM, ,7 '^•-/. t Sit notr •, ;if p 7-'ost rank, to the Danae ; Oct. 17th following, to the Cormorant, of 20 guns ; and on the re- newal of hostilities in 1803, to the Fisgard frigate. The Cor- morant formed part of the squadron under Commodore Duck- worth, at the reduction of Minorca, in Nov. 1798 ; and on the 1 9th March in the following year, captured the Spanish brig of war El Vincelo, of 2G gims and 144 men. In the Fisgard Lord Mark cniised with considerable activity and success on the coasts of Spain and PorUigal. He was advanced to the rank of Rear-Admiral July 19, 1821. His Lordship married, July 18, 17'^j Charlotte, youngest daui liter of the last Marquis of Antrim^ and sister of the present Countess. Resilience. — Holmwood, near Henley on Thames. • Sir Erasmus Oower die«l May ;Ji, 1814, in llic 72d year of h'm aif«s after a fuUhful and honorable servitude in tin; navy «>r near (lO years, dur- in|{ wliicli he was esteemed, in all his prufessional stations, for his amialde and eminent quulifieations. A memoir i^f Sir !£., with soiiic interesting purtii'ulars relative to Lord IVIaoartitey's endtassy, will be fonnd in thf Nival Clironlele, vols, iv & xxx. I. I •.l>l fill m\ lb' i" 781 HKAil- ADMIRALS OK TIIK WLVK, K" i I* SIR JAMIvS ATlIOl. WOOD, Knt. tf rar-. if/in it ttf of ihi Itliw ; ami n Ctmpmi'nm of Ihc tuDXf lioiiorahh Aflfifiini Onhr of t/ir liatU. This officer, dpscciulrd from tlio juu*icnt finuily of Wood, of Lartjjo, in Fifoshirr, is llir third son of the lalo AU'MnidcM Wood, of Perth, N. H. I'^S(|., and a brother of the present Sir Mark WoojI, Hart., formerly Chief ICiigineer of Henij;al, and M. 1*. for the boroiit^h of (lattoti, in Stu'rey. l-fc entered the n;ival service at an early age, and dm'inij the war with onr American colonies, was enfjjaged in a great variety of service, botli at sea and on shore, particidarly at the defence of Quebec, in \'J'Ji^^\\\o reduction of Charlestown. in 17^^^ »'"^ in ♦b^' memorable battle betwetni Rodney and de Grasse, April 12, I7^'^> <"' w'bich glorious occasion he was second Lieutenant of the Anaon, (>l, commanded by Captain Hlair, with whom he had formerly served in the l*rinc(>ss Royal, a second rate, bearing the flag of Vice- Admiral liyron *. Ouring the ensuing peace, Mr. Wood visited the continent, and resided for about three years in " business of a private nature to Jtarbadoes ; and fnuling on his arrival at that island, an armament about to sail against, the French cohmu-s, he innnediately tendered his services to Sir John Jervis, tbi* Connnander-in-C-hii'f, who received hiin on l)oard liis flag- shij), the Hoyne, ami soon afti>r ordered him to take charge of s(»me cartel ships going to Furope with prisoners of war. I'nfortunately he reached St. Maloes during the sanguinary govenuuent of liobespierre, who, without any respect to the laws or conunon usage of nations, not only seized the vessels, but threw their commander and crews into prison, in conse- (juence of which, a very considerable p»M"iod elaps(Ml, before * (^^itptiiiii Hliiir was aninnir tin* slain. Sor note nt p. .'i!^ f !Mr. Woiid's valiiiihli' coituiiunioalions (o IVIr. Arrowsiuiili. icspori itii; 411) li pail'< of Africii as liail hfcn pn-vioiisly nnkiinwii, wtir liillv ar kiH>Ml('«lg«Ml li\ tlial aiili' gi'o^raplin, uliii iIiimI April I'.'i, lS:.'.'i. SIU lAMKS M'HOI. WOOD. rK". any iiuclligoiicc wluitsoevTr couUl be o1)tiiiii('(l, oitluM* of LitMi- Irnant Wood or of those under his oniors. From St. Mahu's our officer was transferred to Paris ; and after undergoing an examination by tlie Committee of PuhUe Safety, who, it appears, suspected the men brought by liim to l^Vancc* were royalists, was consigned to the Abbaye, in M'hich, and various other prisons, he was confined for many months. Heijig at h'ligth liberated on \\\h parole of honor, he exerted himself most warmly in behalf of his suffering coun- trymen, and with no inconsiderable degree of success, as will appear from the foUowing letter addressed by (ieneral O'Hara, who had been taken prisoner at the siege of Toidon (aiul with whom he formed an intimacy during his captivity), to the late Viscount Melvjlle, at that time Princij)al Secretary of State lor the War l)epartmei»t : — " I'lirh, Pr'm,n l>u />r('nf'u,r, ytpril (\, ]7%, " Sir, — (live mo icavti to pn.'sciit to you liiiMiteiiant Wood, oftlK! Koyal Navy, wlios»i lonjf coiiriiKMnoiit in a eoinmoti jail, wlicrc our uc(|uaintiince l)(>^aii, reiDlci's hiiii liiAduiir«l Harvey. im 790 REAR-ADMIRALS OF THE BLUE. swell a distance thnt the j^uns on shore could give them no protection in case of an attack. From the host information I have been able to procuro, there arc not more than 1000 land troops on the island, and not more than 600 of them fit to serve. ** From the local knowledge I have of this islam!, and all the informa- tion that I have succeeded in obtaining, I have no doubt of its accuracy ; and in the event of an expedition being undertaken against it, if you will permit me to have the honor of laying the Prince of Wales • alongside the Spanish Admiral, and to pilot in your squadron, I will answer for the suc- cess of the enterprise mth my life. " I have the honor to be, Sir, " Vour most obedient, humble servant, (Signed) "J. A. Wood." ** Rear-Admiral H. Harvey, (fc. ^c. Jan. 13, 1797." A few days after the date of the above report, Captain Wood was desired by Rear-Admiral Harvey to turn his at- tention to the mode of attack necessary to be adopted j in consequence of which, he submitted to that officer and Sir Ralph Abercrombie the following plan, which after due con- sideration they did him the honor to approve of, and signified their determination to carry into execution : " Secrecy, and the utmost expedition, are most earnestly recommended. " The s(|uadron, with the transports and troops, ought to assemble at the island of Cariaco. It would be proper to leave that island by three o'clock in the afternoon, that the transports and heavy sailing ships might have time to clear the small islands and keys to the southward of it before dark. The squadron might then proceed under easy sail on a S. E. b. S. course so as to arrive well to windward on the north side of Trinidad by two or three o'clock in the afternoon of next day. *' The squadron might then proceed as far to the westward as Sus Manos, or Punta Chupara, the northernmost point of the island, where it might be proper to detach a company of light troops to take possession of the hay and road of Les Qucbas, the only road that communicates between the plantations on the north side of the island and the town of Port d'Espagnc ; this would effectually prevent the enemy having any knowle(ige of our arrival ; or if thought necessary, a larger body of troops might be landed to take the enemy in the rear, to prevent the men landing from the ships, or to cut off their communication with the country. " To prevent any alarm, the squadron should keep the coast close on board, (as there is no danger that does not appear, and good anchorage every where along the shore) and under such sail as to arrive at the Uocas about nine o'clock in the evening. An attuntive observer always knows by • The Prince of Wales was Rear-Admiral Harvey's llag-ship. SIK JAMbS /VIIIOI. WOOD. 7*) I Mtl the appearanci; of tlio liigh hills whether llicic will Ik; ii j^Dod lucczc oi not. iluriiig the night in the IJocas ; but iadecd it is sehlom or ever taliii in the great Boca at this season of the year. " The sqiaclron should proceed into the iiulp'i through the great or southernmost Boca. As soon as tlie (lulph is entered, the sea is as smooth as a mill pond, and it is most probable that a stretch of (I or 7 miles tu the southward, and a tack of 5 or (> miles to the northward, will enable the squadron cither to enter Shagaramus Bay, or to weather it. The troops ought to be immediately embarked in the boats, and an attack made on Gasper (Jraade, where the enemy have, erected a redoubt surrounded with pallisudes, since last reconnoitred. Three hun- dred men wtmld ensure complete success to this attack ; the rest of the troops ought instantly to be lauded in Trimbladaire Bay, and take posses- sion of the neck of land which separates Point Gourd from the main, wlierf there is nothing to oppose them; by having possession of Point Gourd, and Gasper Grande, the enemy's ships have no retreat nor communicatiun with the shore left thent, and must fall into our hands ; Ptiint < lourd not only commands Shaguruinus Bay, but also 'frimbladain* liay, and is r»0 yards higher than Gaspar Grande. " Incase any black troops accompany the (expedition, it might be proper tolaiul them on the low marshy land, to the southwardof the town, as well to ensure abundant supplies of cattle, as to cut off all communication with the town and this quarter, from whence it draws its chief subsistence. (Signed) " J. A. \Vooj>." The successful result of the expedition against Trinidad has been already stated at p. 112: we shall therefore content ourselves with observing that Captain Wood was immediately after its capture promoted to the command of the San Da- maso, of 74 guns, the only Spanish line-of-battle ship which, at that time, fell into our possession. His post conunission was confirmed by the Admiralty, March 27, 17^7. Soon after the above important event, the San Danuvso escorted a large fleet of merchantmen to England ; but as she was not continued in commission. Captain Wood was appointed to the Garland frigate, then employed at the Cupe of Good Hope, under the orders of Sir H ugh C. Christian, by whom he was sent, in company with a small squadron, upon a cruise off the islands of Mauritius and Bourbon, dining which intelligence was received that two large French fri- gates had been committing great depredatitms inthe Indiai^jl|t^ seas, and were proceeding towards Madagascar. in consequence of this information, tht; sqiiadr'u went in pursuit of the enemy : and at length Captain Wood tlisco- vered a large vessel at anchor near the former French scttle- \r,~i I i 11% W?'l ■' \ IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) 4t 1.0 I.I m m us lU I. ^ |2.5 2.2 IL25 III 1.4 II 1.6 7 Photogr^hic Sciences Corporation # 4 \ V N> 33 WIST MAIN STMIT WIUTM.N.Y. MSIO (71«)t73-4S03 <(?^ Ci^ ? A Ki Is 792 n£AR~ADMlRALS OF THK RLUE. ment of Fort Dauphine. The rest of the ships being to lee- ward and unable to work up against the current, the Garland was ordered to examine her, and stood in shore for that pur- pose ; but when arrived within a mile of the enemy, she un- fortunately struck with great violence upon a pointed rock, fifteen feet under water, unshipped her tiller, and before Cap- tain Wood could run her into an opening in the reef, had settled so far that the water was rushing through the midship ports on the main-deck and the hawse holes. He however succeeded in saving the whole of her crew, rigging, and stores. The enemy, instead of a frigate, proved to be a large mer- chant ship, pierced for 24 guns, with a complement of 150 men. She ran ashore on the approach of the Garland ; but perceiving the disaster that had befallen that ship, the French- men pushed off in their boats, and Ciideavoured to recover the possession of their deserted vessel. Very luckily, the Gar- land's boats, being to windward, first reached ^nd secured her J a circumstance which proved of essential service to Captain Wood and his crew, during their continuance at Madagascar. This event occured July 26, 1798. Having succeeded in his endeavours to conciliate the natives, our officer had most of the Frenchmen delivered up to him as prisoners j and, while he remained upon the island, was well supplied with every thing that it afforded. He had built one vessel of 15 tons burthen, and made considerabk' progress in the construction of another to carry his men to the Cape of Good Hope ; when, at the expiration of four months, the Star sloop of war made her appearance at St. Luce, and in her, the French prisoners were conveyed to the Isle of France ; the Garland's officers and men returning to the Cape in their prize, and some small vesBcU taken by the squadron under Commodore Osborne *. On Captain Wood's arrival in England he was appointed to the Acasta, one of the finest frigates in the navy, in which he went to the Mediterranean with despatches relative to the treaty of Amiens. On his return, he was re-commissioned to • During Captain Wood's continuanre at Mtidagascar, he surveyod the coast from Fort Dauphinii to S.. Luce, and ahout three miles to the south- ward of the hitter place diarovcre<1 an anohora}:[e within the reef, Hufficicnt lo contain n numerous (leet of liiie-of-hattle ahipii. I being to lee- , the Garlanct for that pur- emy, she un- pointed rock, i before Cap- the reef, had li the midship He however ig, and stores. I a large nier- ement of 150 jarland; but ►, the French • .0 recover the ily, the Gar- £Mid secured al service to mtiniiance at onciliate the I delivered up )n the island, ed. He had considerable ^ his men to ation of four irance at St. ivcyed to the returning to taken by the appointed to , in which he [•lativc to tiic nnissioncd to le surveyed the 08 to the sutith- : reef, »uffidviit Sltl JAMES ATHOL WOOD. /OS the same ship, and sent to the North Sea. We subsequently find him commanding at Guernsey, where he remained until the renewal of hostilities, when he joined Admiral Cornwal- lis off Brest, and continued to be employed under that excel- lent officer about 18 months ; part of which time he had the charge of the in-shore squadron, appointed to watch the motions of the enemy. On the 2d Oct. 1803, Captain Wood being on a cruise in the Bay of Biscay, discovered, and, after a series of masterly mancEuvres, succeeded in capturing, I'Avanture dc Bourdeaux, a French privateer of 20 guns and 144 men, and re-taking three merchant vessels, her prizes. This was a service of great importance to our commerce ; as, from the circumstance of the Acasta passing through a large fleet of West Indiamen during the chace, there can be no doubt that many of them would otherwise have been cut off by the privateer, they hav- ing previously parted from their convoy. About this period Captain Wood transmitted to Sir Tho- mas Troubridge, then at the Admiralty, the following re- marks, which he thought might be useful to the country in the eventof a war with Spain ; the reason why his suggestion was not acted upon, it is not our province to enquire ; " Permit inc to lay before you u few observations made during ray last cruise on the north coast of Spain, which in the event of a war with tliat country, an event that appears to roe not very distant, might prove advan- tageous to his Majesty's service. There are several small ports from Cape Pitias to the eastward of it, from whence the Spaniards '^t' 79S REAR-ADMIRALS OF THE BLUE. rate, bearing his father's flag ; and in that sliip assisted al the attack upon Porto Rico, in the ensuing month of April ^. His post commission bears date March 27, 1797. Captain Harvey's subsequent appointments were to the Concorde, Lapwing, and Unite frigates. The former he com- manded for a very short period. In the Lapwing he inter- cepted several of the enemy's privateers and letters of marque and accompanied Lord Hugh Seymour on the expedition against the Dutch colony of Surinam, which surrendered to the British arms, Aug. 20, 1799. The Unite was attach- ed to the armament (under Resur-Admiral Duckworth) which took possession of the Danish and Swedish West India islands, in March 1801 fj and she was subsequently ordered to escort a large fleet of merchantmen to £ngland. Previous to his leaving the West Indies, the inhabitants of Montserrat voted Captain Harvey the sum of 100/. sterling, for the ser- vices he had rendered that colony. During the remainder of the war he was stationed off Margate, under the orders of Lord Nelson, whose flag was at one time hoisted on board the Unite. From 1802 till the autumn of 1805, our officer appears to have been on half-pay. At the latter period he was ap- pointed to the Standard of 64 guns, in which ship he pro- ceeded to the Mediterranean, and joined Lord CoUingwood's fleet off Carthagena. In our memoir of Sir W. Sidney Smith, p. 316, et seq.y we have already given a brief account of the celebrated expedi- tion against Constantinople, in 1807. The Standard having borne a very conspicuous part during the operations carried * See note at p. 1 12, et seq. t At the period of the Northern Confederacy — that confederacy which our great hero Nelson anniliilated before the walls of Copenhagen — Rear- Admiral Duckworth and Licutenant-General Trigge were ordered to seize upon the possessions of Denmark and Sweden in the West Indies. The naval and military forces employed on this occasion, consisting of one ^A• gun ship, five frigates, two sloops of war, three smaller vessels, and about 3,500 troops, arrived off Great Saline Bay, in the island of St. Bartholomew, March 16, 1801 ; and a summons having been sent to the Governor, he, af\er some little hesitation, agreed to capitulate. On the morning of the24th, the squadron, reinforced by another frigate and an armed ship, with a nunw her of soldiers, appeared off St. Martin -, and the Ctoveraor refusing to sur- I THOMAS HARVEY, ESQ. 799 on in that quarter, we shall here present our readers with a more detailed narration. On the 10th Feb. Su: John T. Duckworth, in the Royal George, of 100 guns, accompanied by the Porapee, of 80 guns. Captain Richard Dacres, bearing the flag of Sir W. Sidney Smith ; Ajax, of the same force, commanded by the Hon. H. Blackwood j Windsor Castle, a second-rate, Cap- tain Charles Boyles ; Repulse, 74, Hon. A. K. Legge ; and Lucifer and Meteor bombs, arrived off the island of Tenedos, where he formed a junction with the squadron under Sir Tho- mas Louis, consisting of that officer's flag-ship, the Canopus, of 80 guns ; Thunderer, 74, Captain John Talbot j Standard, 64, Captain Thomas Harvey ; Active frigate. Captain R. H. Moubray j and Endymion frigate, Hon. T. B. Capel. Nothing of any consequence occurred till the night of the 14th, when tlie Ajax was unfortunately destroyed toy fire *. Shortly after day-break on the morning of the 19th, the whole fleet stood for the entrance of the Dardanelles, in line of battle, the Ca- nopus leading the van, and the bombs towed by the Standard and Thunderer, which latter ships formed part of the rear division under Sir W. Sidney Smith, who had previously been ordered, in the event of the Turks offering any opposition, to bring up and attack a squadron which Sir J. T. Duckworth had reason to suppose was lying at anchor off Point Pesquies. As soon as the leading ship wql;^ abreast of the outer castles, she received a brisk fire from them, but without returning a shot. The like forbearance was observed by the others, as they passed in succession. A heavy discharge df cannon was also continued upon 'a British, from some batteries on the European side of the hi jllespont, which, however, occasioned render, the army was immediately landed, under the command of Brigadier- Generals Maitland and Fuller, assisted by a detachment of 200 seamen, commanded by Captain Ekins, of the navy. After a smart skirmish, in which the enemy lost two field-pieces, and had 50 or 60 men killed and wounded, the heights in the approach to the town of Philipsbourg were carried. Convinced that opposition would be vun, and must lead to de- struction, the enemy now agreed to a verbal summons, and by nudnight, the terms of capitulation were signed and exchanged. On the 28th, the islands of St. Thomas and St. John, with their dependencies, submitted ; and on the 31st, the island of Santa Cruz followed their example. * See p. 648. ■i A )%''' 800 REAR-ADMIRALS OF THE BLUE. but little injury. At 9'' 30' A. M. the Canopus entered the narrow passage of Scstos and Abydos, and sustained a very heavy cannonade from both castles, within point-blank shot of each ; but the very spirited return it met with from tliat ship and those immediately a- stern of her, so considerably diminished its force, that the effect was not so severe on those in the rear. Immediately to the N. E. of the castles, and between them and Point Pesquies, on which a formidable battery, moimtinir eight brass guns, each carrying a ball of 200 pounds, and twenty-three iron 32 and 24-pounders, had been newly erected, the Turkish men-of-war already alluded to were at, anchor. The van ships of the British gave them their broad- sides as they passed ; and presently after, the Pompee, Thun- derer, and Standard, anchored in the midst of them, the latter within 300 yards of the battery. After a warm action of about half an hour, in which the Active, continuing under sail, did credit to her name, the enemy cut their cables and drifted towards the shore, the people in the battery at the same time making off with the greatest precipitation. The object of Sir W. Sidney Smith was then to destroy the ships, and that service was most rapidly effected; as in less than four hours, the whole of them exploded, except a corvette and a gun-boat, which it was thought proper to preserve *. The following is a copy of the Rear- Admiral's report to Sir John T. Duckworth, concerning this brilliant affair : — " His Majesty's Ship Pompee, within the Dardanelles, " Feb. 20, 1807. "Sir, — In reporting to you the entire completion of the service you were pleased to order should be executed by the rear division under my imme- diate directions, I need not inform you that the ships were anchored in the thick of the Turkish squadron, and in close action with them, as you must have observed it ; but as the intervention of the land, after you passed the point, prevented your seeing the subsequent operations, it is my duty to acquaint you therewith. The Turks fought desperately, like men deter- mined to defend themselves and their ships as long as they could ; but the superiority of our Are, within musket-shot, obliged them in half an hour to run on shore on Point Pesquies, or Nagara Burun. As the redoubt on the point continued to fire, also as the ships kept their colours up, and the part of their crews which had deserted them remained armed on the beach, * See note at p. 318. entered the lined a very t-blank shot :h from tliat considerably ere on those 3tween thcni y, mounting pounds, and been newly I to were at their broad- [upee, Thun- sm, the latter m action of inuing under ir cables and ittery at the tation. The oy the ships, ess than four )rvette and a 's report to affair : — le Dardanelles, • ervice you were ider my imrae- mchored in the n, as you must you passed the t is my duty to ike meu deter- could ; but the half an hour to redoubt on the ip, and the part on the beach, THOMAS HARVEY, ESQ. 801 while a considerable body of Asiatic troops, both horse and foot, appeared on the hills, it was necessary to make an arrangement for boarding them with some precaution ; at the same time that it was of consequence to press them closely before they recovered from the impression and effect of our cannonade. A few shells from the Pomp^e dispersed the Asiatics, and convinced them that we commanded the ground within our reach, and that they could not protect the green standard they had hoisted, which I caused to be brought off by Lieutenant Gates, of the Pomp^e's marines, that they might not rally there again. The Standard's guns bearing best on the fri- gates on shore, I sent the Thunderer's boats to that ship, to be employed with her own under the direction of Captain Harvey, making the signal to hira to destroy the enemy's ships in the N. E. The Active's having been previously made to follow and destroy a frigate which had cut her cable to get from under the Thunderer's and Poinp^e's fire, and run on shore on the European side, in the N. W. ; at the same time, Lieutenant Beccroft, of the Pomp^e, was detached to take possession of the )ine-of-battle ship on which the Thunderer's and Pompee's gmis could still bear, under the protection likewise of the Repulse, which you had considerately sent to ray aid ; that officer brought me the Captain and second Captain, the latter of whom was wounded ; also the flag of the Rear-Admiral who had escaped on shore, which I shall have the honor of presenting to you. The whole of the Turks were landed, in pursuance of your orders, including the wounded,, with due attention to the sufferings of our misguided opponents, as I must call them, for the term enemy does not seem applicable, considering their evident good disposition towards us nationally. The ship was then set on fire by the Repulse's and Pompee's boats, and completely destroyed. " Captsun Harvey, in making his report to me of the conduct of the boats' crews, under the command of Lieutenants Carter, Waller, and Colby, of his Msyesty's ship Thunderer, and of the marines employed witbthem, to board and bum the frigates and corvettes under the command of Cap- tain Nicolls, speaks in strong terms of the gallantry and ability of them all. The latter, whom I have long known to be an intelligent and enterprising officer, after destroying the frigate, bearing the flag of the Captain Pasha, which is preserved to be presented to you. Sir, landed, and, profiting by the consternation of the Turks from the explosions on all sides of them, the effects of which occasioned no small risk to him. Lieutenants Fynmore, Boileau, and the party, he entered the redoubt, (the Turks retreating as he approached) set fire to the gabions, and spiked the guns, thirty-one in number, eight of which are brass, carrying immensely large marble balls : as however, the expected explosion of the line-of-battle ship made it impossible for the boats to stay long enough to destroy them effectually with their carriages, or to level the parapets, the wicker of the gabions being too green to bum, I have directed Lieutenants Carroll and Arabin. of his Majesty's ship Pomp^e, and Lieutenant Lawrie, of the marines, to continue on that service, with the Turkish corvette, and one gun-boat, which you will observe by the return, were not destroyed ; and to act under Y9h '• 3 F 'Am 'M 1 fjl I r LV 1 1 ■l;Si' Jfl I 802 IIEAR-AI>MIRALS OP THK BLUE. 1^ ' the protection and direition of Captain Moiibray, of his Majesty's ship Active, whose name 1 cannot mention without expressing how highly satisfied I am with the able and gallant manner in which he executed my orders to stick to the frigate with which he ^vas more particularly engaged, and to destroy her. Captain Tall)ot placed his ship admirably well in support of the Pompde, thereby raking the linc-of-battle ship and the frigate wc were engaged with, when I made his signal to anchor, as the Romp^e had previously done, under the directions I gave for that purpose to Captain Dacres, which were promptly and ai>ly executed ; Mr. Ives, the Master, applying his local knowledge and experience, as I had a right to expect from his long tried abilities, while Lieutenant Smith made my signals to the squadron in rapid succession, and with precision. Captain Harvey merits my entire approbation, for placing the Standard in the man- ner in which he did, and for completing the destruction of the others. Much as I must regret the loss of the Ajax, as a most efficient ship in my division, I have felt that loss to be in a great degree balanced, by the presence of my gallant friend. Captain Blackwood, and the surviving officers and men, whose zeal in their voluntary exertions on this occasion, docs them the highest credit : in short, all the captains, officers, and men concerned, merit that I should mention them in high terms to you. Sir, as their leader, whose example we humbly endeavoured to follow. The signal tiuccess that has attended the general exertion under your direction, speaks more forcibly than words. " I have the honor to be, &c. &c. (Signed) " W. Sidney Smith." " Fice-Admiral " Sir John Thomas Dxichcorth, K. D." The Turkish squadron having thus been annihilated^ Sir W. Sidney Smith's division rejoined Vice- Admiral Duckwortli, and proceeded with him to the anchorage off Prince's Islands, about eight miles from Constantinople. While there Sir John obtained information that the enemy had landed a body of troops, and some guns, on the island of Prota, the only inha- bitants of which were a few monks and nuns. An attempt was made to dislodge the Turks, many of whom took ta their boats, leaving their cannon in possession of the British ; but the remainder having thrown themselves into the Greek monastery, and being expert riflemen, defended themselves successfully, killing and wounding 26 of their assailants. On the 1st March, the negociation with the Porte having failed, and knowing that great warlike preparations were going on, Sir John T. Duckworth determined upon returning ; the fleet was accordingly got under weigh ; and notwithstanding the Majesty's uhi)i ing how Iiighly lie executed my lularly engaged, inirably well in le ship and the > anchor, us the ■or that purpoBC iited j Mr. Ives, as I had a right Smith made my ;ision. Captain krd in the man- \ of the otliers. ist efficient ship ee balanced, by id the surviving )n this occasion, Seers, and men ms to you. Sir, to follow. The p your direction. Smith.' lated,SirW. Duckwortli, nce's Islands, lere Sir John d a body of le only iulia- An attenipt took to their tlic British ; to the Greek J themselves sailants. On laving failed, ;re going on, ig ; the fleet standing the (1; i I: THOMAS IIARVRV, ESQ. 803 opposition offered by a formidable chain of batteries, recently erected along the coast under the direction of French engi- neers, and a tremendous fire from the castles on each side, every ship was in safety outside the Dardanelles, by noon on the 3d. The Standard, in passing Sestos, received a stone shot six feet two inches in circumference, and weighing 800 pounds. It entered her lower-deck, and having set fire to the salt-boxes containing the powder for immediate use, caused an explosion which wounded many of her crew; several others jumped overboard on hearing the alarm of " Fire !" and were never more heard of. Fortunately, by great exer- tions, the flames were subdued. The total loss sustained by her from the 19th Feb., was 4 men killed, 4 missing, and 55 wounded *. Subsequent to this event Captain Harvey accompanied Sir John T. Duckworth to the coast of Egypt, and arrived there two or three days after the surrender of Alexandria to the British arms f. Early in 1808, we find him stationed in the Adriatic, where he took several prizes, and assisted at the capture of the Friedland, an Italian brig of war, mounting 16 long 12-pounders, and several other armed vessels. Towards the latter end of the same year, he escorted a fleet of mer- chantmen to England. Captain Harvey's next appointment was, in 1809, to the Majestic, 7^9 ^^^ during the ensuing summer, he was sta- tioned in the Belt, to protect the valuable convoys going to and returning from the Baltic. At the end of the season, the approbation of the Board of Admiralty was conveyed to him, through Sir Manley Dixon, accompanied by the thanks of that officer and the Commander-in-Chief, for his activity and zeal while on that important and harassing service. The Majestic being found defective, was paid off in 1810. Captain Harvey afterwards commanded the Sceptre and * At p. 319 will be found a copy of the letter of thanks addressed by Sir J. T. Duckworth to the officers and men of the squadron under his com- mand. In his official letter to Lord CoUingwood, we find the name of each of the Captains mentioned in terms of high approbation . + See p. 482. 3f2 , 1 '•'-,!; r^.t" 804 REAR-ADMIRALS OF THE BLUE. Northumberland, third-rates ; the former was attaclied to the North Sea fleet, under the orders of Admiral Young; the latter, which had been for a considerable time stationed as a guard-ship in the Medway, he paid off in July 1821. He was nominated a C. B. June 4, 1815 ; obtained a Colonelcy of Royal Marines, April 2, 1821 ; and became a Rear-Ad- miral on the 19th July in the same year. Our officer married, March 28, 1805, Sarah, youngest daughter of the gallant Captain John Harvey, who was mor- tally wounded in the glorious battl| of June 1, 1794 ; by which union he became the brother-in-law, as well as first cousin, of the present Rear- Admiral of that name *, and of Captain Edward Harvey, R. N. Residence, — Walmer, Kent. t RICHARD HUSSEY MOUBRAY, Esq. Rear-Admiral of the Blue ; and a Companion of the most honorable Mi- litary Order of the Bath. This officer, descended from an ancient family in Fife- shire, is the second and youngest son of Robert Moubray, M. D. proprietor of the lands of Cockairny, in that county, by Arabdla, youngest daughter of Thomas Hussey, of Wrex- ham, in Denbighshire, Esq. He was born at Plymouth, March 16, 1776> and commenced his naval career as a Mid- shipman, on board the Impregnable, of 98 guns, bearing the flag of his relative the late Sir Richard Bickerton, Bart, in 1789 f. At the time of the Spanish armament) 1790, that * We avnil ourselves of this opportunity, the earliest that has presented itself, of correcting two mistakes which occur in our memoir of Rear-A wounded. On this occasion, no less than 13,790 tons of shipping, with au immense (quantity of sugar, coffee, cotton, and indigo, fcU into the hnuds of the captors. * endcr of that to command jtjun Rowley •8 of the dc- isuing montli the Duke of equently as- e ships, one J aud about IS afterwards ibraltar, and .te April 10, e, 74, Captain er sail to throw p off a body of id to annoy llie ! o'clock in the Hy sloop. AU ifter they were nemy kept tho o'clock in the of rain put an 41 St regiment, /aptain Wallis, md three wen lie troops, and rhich defended same off to the iries, with the \ux Cuyea, to ^ans the town lant-ships with set firo to the il, and hoisted jicneral landed side. 3cc, amounted ss than 13,790 n, cotton, and f KICllAUl) IIUSSEY MOUIUiAV, ESQ. HOJ 171)7; from which period he served as a volunteer with the present Sir Richard Bickerton, in the Rumillies and Terrible, 74's, till that officer's promotion to a flag, Feb. 14, 1791). in 1801, he obtained the command of the Maidstone frigate ; and in the following year was sent to the Mediterranean with de- spatches relative to the ratification of the treaty of Amiens. Soon after his arrival on that station, he conveyed Chevalier de Statinsky, the Russian Ambassador, from Naples to Con- stantinople, where he had the honor of being presented with a rich pelisse by the Grand Vizier. The Turks at this time appear to have been very grateful for the support they had received from Great Britain during the late contest with. France, as may be inferred from the circumstance of their permitting Captain Moubray, who had deternuned, in com- pliance with the wishes of Lord Elgin, to remain a few weeks in that neighbourhood, to pass through the Bosphorus and anchor off Beuykdere, for the purpose of avoiding the plague then raging in the capital. A flattering compliment, ^vhen we consider their extreme jealousy respecting the navigation of the Euxine, and that a French squadron, which had ar- rived about the same time, with Marshal Brune, was then lying off the city. On his return from thence to Malta, three swords of very great value were confided to the care of Cap- tain Moubray, as presents from the Sultaun to our late Sove- reign, liis present Majesty, and the Duke of York. Soon after the renewal of hostilities in 1803, our ofticer captured the French brig of war I'Arab, of 8 guns and 58 men, from Athens, loaded with anticjucs for the Consular govern- ment. On the 1st Aug. following, he was appointed by Lord Nelson to the Active, of 38 guns, employed principally as a frigate of observation off Toulon — a service requiring the ut- most vigilance and activity ; during his continuance on which he was repeatedly chased away by the enemy's squadron. On the 18th Jan. 1805, the Active and Seahorse, the latter commanded by the Hon. Courtenay Boyle, were pursued by the whole French fleet, but fortunately effected their escape, althougli at one time within gun-shot ; and the next day com- municated the intelligence to Lord Nelson, who was then lying at anchor between the Madalena Islands, sihrnled to the rm "' 1 1 * !f *i 808 REAR-ADMIRALS OF THE BLUE. northward of Sardinia *. From that period till the month of April, when it was at length ascertained that Admiral Ville neuve had proceeded down the Mediterranean f. Captain Moubray was indefatigable in his endeavours to obtain in- formation respecting their destination. He was then de- spatched mth the intelligence to the fleets stationed off Brest and Ireland. After cruising for some time on the Irish station, where he captured les Amis, a French letter of marque, laden with wine and merchandize, from Bourdeaux bound to Cayenne, our officer was again ordered to the Mediterranean. Early in 1807, he accompanied Sir John T. Duckworth to the Darda- nelles, where he greatly distinguished himself in the battle off Point Pesquies ; the official account of which will be found at p. 801 . The Active, on that occasion, after sustaining for some time the fire of several other Turkish vessels, drove on shore and blew up a frigate of the largest class, with which she had been closely engaged J. The following extract from the Vice- Admiral's public letter to Lord CoUingwood, dated Feb. 21, should have been in- serted in our memoir of Sir W. Sidney Smith ; we trust, however, that it will be no less acceptable to our readers in this place : " It is with peculiar pleasure that I embrace the opportunity, which has been at this time afforded, of bearing testimony to the zeal and distin- guished ability of Sir Sidney Smith ; the manner in which he executed * For an account of Lord Nelson's proceedings from Jan. 19 to Aug. 15, 1805, see note at p. 589, et seq. t M. Villeneuvc started from Toulon on his West India excursion, March 31, and was discovered at 8 A. M. on that day by the Active and Phoebe. The latter frigate, commanded by the Hon. T. B. Capel, con- veyed the intelligence to Nelson. Captain Moubray stood to the S. W., on a parallel with the enemy, but lost sight of them during the ensuinf that town: I close to it, my's troops itening from [ by the fire their crews lost several onducted by ely without marines, led 7ed in their eet of mer- mth of June He was no- the rank of daughter of :, Esq., by ;enant Colo- f the estate scending in centuries. HENRY RICHARD GLYNN, Esq. Rear-/tdmirnl of the Blue. This officer was a Lieutenant in 1790 j served as such on board the Royal George, a first rate, bearing the flag of the late Lord Bridport, in the actions of June 1, 1794, and June 23, 1795 * ; and subsecjuently commanded the Scourge sloop of war, in which vessel he captured la Furet, French priva- teer of 10 guns and 50 men, and continued until promoted to the rank of Post-Captain, April 10, 1797. Towards the conclusion of the war, he was appointed to the Amethyst frigate ; and during some part of the late contest, commanded the Vanguard, of 74 guns, on the Baltic station. He was advanced to the rank of Rear- Admiral, July 19^ 1821. Mrs. Glynn died, Dec. 7, 1821. JOHN BLIGH, Esq. Rear-admiral of the Blue ; and a Companion of the most honorable Mili- tary Order of the Bath. This officer, descended from an ancient and respectable family, resident for several generations at Loo in Cornwall, is a son of Captain John Bligh, R. N., who died in 1794,.and nephew of the late gallant Admiral Sir Richard Rodney Bligh, G. C. B. t His grandfather, Richard Bligh, Esq. was also in the navy, and served as a Lieutenant of the Rainbow fri- gate, with Captain (afterwards Lord) Rodney, in 1749. Mr. Bligh was born in Aug. 1771 > went to sea in 1782, and from that period served as a Midshipman in the West and East Indies till 1791, when he was promoted by Commodore Cornwallis to the rank of Lieutenant, in the Thames frigate. His next appointment was in 1792, to the Lizard, of 28 guns ; •Seep. 246. t An account of the memorable defeuce made by Sir R. R. Bligh, when Captain of the Alexander, 74, against a French squadron, consisting of five ships of the h'ne, three frigates, and one brig, will be given under the head of Commander James Qoobnch, in our tliird volume. 'if 1: '•11 lli ,.,;• (til !' ■■'; i I \ ill ' m-\ ]i'' a 1 kii V 814 KEA1{-J\D.\IJItALS OK THE BLUE. from which ship he reiuovetl at the commencement of tlie French revolutionary war, into the Conrageux, 74, command- ed hy the present Lord Radstock, with whom he proceeded to the Mediterranean, where he was employed in a variety of service, particularly at the attack made by Commodore Lin- zec upon St. Fiorenzo *, and in the batteries at Toulon. We next find Mr. Bligh serving as first Lieutenant of the Barfleur, a second rate, bearing the flag of Rear-Admiral Waldegrave, in which ship he continued for a period of two years, and bore a part in the memorable battle off Cape St. Vincent f ; soon after which glorious event he was advanced to the rank of Commander, in the Kingfisher sloop of war, stationed off the coast of Portugal, where he captured le Ge- neral, a French privateer, of 14 guns, pierced for 18, and 104 men. His post commission bears date April 25, 1797> From this period, till May 1800, Captain Bligh commanded in succession, the Latona frigate ; Romney, of 50 guns ; and Agincourt, 64, bearing the flag of Vice-Admiral Waldegrave, on the Newfoundland station. In May, 1801, he was appoint- ed to the Theseus, 74, forming part of the fleet off Ushant, under Admiral Cornwallis, with whom he served till Feb. 1802, when he sailed for Jamaica with a squadron of obser- vation, commanded by the late Sir George Campbell. On the 8th Sept. 1803, our oflftcer, who ever since the re- newal of hostilities had been actively employed in the block- ade of Cape Frangois, finding it impossible to prevent small vessels from supplying that place with provisions from the north side of St. Domingo, as long as the enemy remained in possession of Port Dauphin, resolved to make some efforts for the reduction of the latter, and the capture of a ship of war lying there. For this piupose he proceeded to Manchemel Bay, placed the Theseus within musket-shot of Fort Labouque, at the entrance of the harbour, and after cannonading it for * See p. 250. t In our memoir of Lord Radstock, at p. 62, we have given the copy of a letter which that officer received from Sir John Jervis, thanking him for his conduct in the hattlc with the Spanish fleet ; we should liave added, that he also received a note from the heroic Nelson, accompanied by the sword of the second Captain of the St. Nicholas, as a proof of his esteem for the noble manner in which he conducted himself. JOHN BLIGH, ESQ. 815 about half an hour, had the satisfaction of seeing the enemy's colours hauled down. Another fort in the harbour, and the ship, being the next objects of Captain Bligh's attention, the Theseus entered tlie port with the assistance of the boats ; and having fired a few shot at the ship of war, she also struck her colours, and proved to be la Sagesse, of 28 guns. The Commandant, conceiving the place to be no longer tenable after the loss of the ship, and apprehensive of being exposed to the rage of the Blacks, whom he considered a merciless enemy, claimed British protection, and surrendered the fort and garrison at discretion. Having spiked tlie guns and destroyed the ammunition, the troops and inhabitants, many of whom were sickly, were embarked, and landed under a flag of truce at Cape Francois. Being informed by the pri- soners that their General, Dumont, and his suite, had fallen into the hands of the Blacks, and that they were in the most imminent danger. Captain Bligh was induced, from motives of humanity, to solicit their pardon from the chief of the people ; and he had the gratification of having his request immediately complied with. On the 18th Nov. following. Cape Fran9ois surrendered to the Blacks, who agreed to allow the French garrison ten days to complete the evacuation. On the 30th, the colours of the former were displayed at the forts, which induced the senior officer of the British squadron * to despatch Captain Bligh to ascert^n the sentiments of their leader respecting the garri- son. On entering the harbour. Captain Bligh met Commo- dore Barre, who entreated him to go on board one of the French frigates, and enter into some capitulation, which would have the effect of putting them under the protection of Great Britain, and prevent the Blacks from sinking the ships as they had threatened, and were preparing to do. With this request he immediately complied, and then hastened to inform Ge- neral Dessalines that all the vessels in the harbour had sur- ♦ Captain John Lorwg, of the Bellerophon, who coininanded the squa- dron employed in the blockade of St. Domingo, died at Fareham, in Hamp- shire, Nov. 9, 1808. He was a most zealous, brave, and humane officer. At tlie time of his demise he commanded the dinriet of Sea FenoiWes from Hmswoilh to Calshot, • . ' • r gbt Hon. Lord Cochrane, was made as fully as the state of the \yeath,er would admit, according to tus lordship's plan, on the evening of the 11th inst. ; and at eight o'clock the same night, they proceeded to the attack, under a favorable strong wind from the northward and flood tide (preceded by some vessels filled with powder and shells, as proposed by his lordship, with a view to explosion;, and led on in the most undaunted and determined manner by Captain Wooldridge in the Mediator fire-ship, the others following in succession ; but owing to the darkness of the uigbt, several mistook their course, and failed. " On their approach to the enemy's ships, it was discovered that a boom was placed in front of their line for a defence : this, however, the weight of the Mediator soon broke, and the usual intrepidity and bravery of Bri- tish seamen overcame all difSculties ; advancing under a heavy fire from the forts in tUe Ule of Ai.Y, as well a^ from the enemy's ships, most of which cut or slipped tUeir cablqa, and front th^ confined anchorage got on shore, thus avoided taking fire. " 4t day-light the following morning, Lord Cochrane communicated to me, by telegraph, that seven of the enemy's ships were on shore, and might «)c destroyed. I immediately made the signal for the fleet to unmoor and weigh, intending to proceed with it to effect (keir destruction. Ute wind, howevei*, being fresh from the northward, i^nd the flood tid^ running, ren- dered i^ tpo huzardoqs to run ipto Aix Roa^s, froi^ its shallow water ; I therefore anchored again at the distance of about three miles from the forts on the island. \ " As the tide suited, the enemy evinced great activity in endeavourin;? to warp their ships (which hail grounded) into deep wr.ter, and succeeded >') getting uU but five ofth^ line towards tl^e (pntr^itcti of the Cluurente, bjeforc it becai(^«; practicable to attack th^in. " 1 gttvu orders to Captain Bligh of the Valiant to proceed with that ship, the Revenge, frigates, bomb, and small vessels naipcd in the margin t, to * V\\\g de Varsovie, of 80 guns ; Tonnerre, of 74 guns ; Aquilon, of I'l guns; and Calcutta, of 6f» guns. -< 1 ■ ^ t Indefatigable, Aigle, Emerald, Pallas, Beagle, /I'^tna lM»inb, h>s(d»'nt (Conflict, Kncoiidter, Tervent, and (irywler i,MUi-brigs. JOHN BLTGH, BSO. 819 Ntlllb. IllSdlfllt, anchor near the Boyart shoal, in rcaiUness for the attack. At twenty mi- nutes pasttwoP. M>. Lord Cochrane advancedin the Iiniiericuse, with Iris ae- custonied gallantry and spirit, andi opened a. well*directed fire u|)on the Calcutta, which struck her colours to the Impwieuse : tlie shi|» aiulives. sets above-mentioned aoon after joined in the attack upon the Ville de Var- novie and Aqullon, and obliged tiiem, before five o'clock, after tustiuning a heavy cannonade, to strike their colours, when they were taken possession of by the boats of the advanced squadron. i^.» soon 09 the prisoners were removed^ they were set on fire, as was also the TbniRrre a short time after by the enemy. "I afterwards detached Rear-Admiral the Hon. Robert Stopford in the Cxsar, with the Theseus, three additional fire-ships (which \were hastily prepared' in the course of^e day), and all tlie boats of the fleet, with Mr. Congrevu^s rockets, to oondttct the further operations of the night ag^ist any ufthe sliips which lay exposed >tu an attack. On the morning ofthe 13th, the Rear-Admiral reported to me, that as the Casar and other llne-of-battle ships had grounded, and wei-o in a daageroussit^iation, he thought it ad- visable to ordor them all out, particularly as the remaining part of the ser- vice oould be performed by frigate»and small vessels only ; and I' wa^ happy to find that they/ were e.xtrioate«l firom their perilous situation. Captain Bligh has since informed me, that it was fotiud impiraoticable to destroy the three-dec'.ed ship, and the odien which were lying near the entrance of the Chare';. te, aa the former, b^ingthe outer one, was protected by thrae lines of boats placed in advaoie from hor^ Tihift ship, and all the others, except fouyc of tlie line and a frigate, have now moveil up tlie river Chajrente. If any fucther, attempt to destroy them is practicable. I shall not fail to use every means in my power to aocomplish it. " I have groat satisfaction in stating to thulr. Lordahipa, how.mucb I feel obliged to the zealous co-operation of Uearr Admiral Stopford, under whose arrangement the boats of the fleet were placed ; ttnd I must also express to their Lordships, the high sense I' have of the assistance I re- ceived from the abilities atid unremitted aitentfon- of' 8ir H(N-ry Neale, Bart, the Captain of the fleet, as wall aiof the animated exertions of tlie Cap- tains, officers, seamen, and mnrincs under my coniin«nd, and their for- wardness to volunteer upon any service that might be allotted to them, particularly the real and activity shewn by the Captains of line-of-battle ships in preparing the fire-vessels. I cannot speak in sufficient terms of admiration and applause of the vigorous and gallant attack made by Lord Cochrane upon the French line-of-battle ships whkth were on shore, as well as, of hit juto land before they could carry their intention of burning >her into effect. He then landed, and after some resibianoe, compelled 13 of the Frenchmen to surrender, whom he brought off in triumph 'to the 'frigate. T!»e Dido being afterwards attached to the fleet under 'Lord Hood, in the Mediterranean, Lieutenant Hamilton was employed on shore at 'the reduction ef Bastia, in Corsica, and i(fterwards commmideda par*:y'of 'Brit'^h and Coreicans at the siege df Girilotte, aatrong po^ near Ctflvi, againi^ which 'he erected batteries within iioint-blarik «hot, and ^ept up an in- cessant %e undil'fhe eneiii(y surrendered. After performing 'this service, Mr. Hamilton was rcaflived -by the 'Commander-in-Chief on 'board his ilag-cfhip, the Vic- tory, of whidh he -soon became first Lieutenant. His advancement 'to the 'rank df Commander did not, however, take place so soon as he had reason to expect. Lord Hood being dbliged to return to £f^land for the 're-estafblishment of his health. On the -contrary, wiien that ncrtiieinan whs unexper-in-C|iief iqay appoint tbe junior coinmiisioned officer, or any other, to be the first Lieutenant of the ship in which his flag is hoisted ; but in private chips Lieutenants must take rank accordioi^ tu the seniority of their commissions. SIR BDWARD HAMILTON, BAKt. 823 active part in the action of July 13, 1795 *» o" vvhich oc- casion she cairied the flag of Rear- Admiral Mann, jmd, Xvith a few other ships of the viin-division, bore the brunt of the enemy's fire, the centre aild tear hot being able id get uj), owing to vexatious calHis and baffling winds. Towards the latter effid of the same yeat Sir John Jervi* hoisted his flag on board the Victory ; artd in Janujiry follow- ing, Lieutenant Hamilton was promoted to the rank of Com- mander, in the Comet fire-ship. In that vessel he was stent to the West Indies, ivhefe he sefved tifpwards of twelve months, without any opportunity to signa)r/c hinriself. Havirt^ re- turned to Lisbon with desj)a*che8, h^ was th*te posted, June 3, 1797, into* the San Josef, of 1 10 ^ufts, from which ship h^^ exchanged into fche Surjirtse, « j^mall fifigate, mounting twen- ty-four 32-poundefs, and eight IS-poimders (carronades) with a complement of 197 J^en f. From this period till the con- clusion of the year, he was employed in escorting the trade to and from Newfoundland. In July I79W, Captaih HartiiltOn whis ordered to convoy A fleet to Jamaica, where he arrived with liis charge on the 3d Oct. He continued on that station till Jan. 20, IHOO, and during that time #'aS ecmstantly engaged in the ilfiost active and ha/ardun^' dcrviices. Th'e aimoyancc he gave to the ene- my will readrly be conceived when We state that he captrtred, burnt, or otlnefwifST* destroyed, upwards of eighty armed vessels and merchantuveinf ;• and Chut those whirh he preserved were sold for no less a sum than 200,000 pounds currency. At one time he cluaseda pvivateer and' her ^ri/e into Lagunai, on the north side of Cuba ; and after having eflfected their destruction, was two^ days and nights in constant action with the btttterites, the bailing winds and- light airs preventing* his clearing, the port. His achievement in boarding and cutting out the Her- mione, of 44 gunsy and manned with nearly 400 Spaniards, from the harbout* of fcntto Cabello, though surrounded by • See p 169. t The Surpriiie had lieen the French corvette Uiiito, taken in 1796. She was unii/ur, in iuivin^ a liG-gun ship's niuin-inu.it, with the foic und mi2cn-niasts of ii 2B. 't\\\s was a plan of ('Hplaiii llHtnihon'H, ,in nant was to have had the direction of cutting the bower cable, in the launch ; and the jolly-boat, under the direction of the Carpenter, the stern cable : these boats had, besides their proper crews, (who were not to move out of them, but im- mediately to go a-head and take the ship in tow) as many boarders as they could stow. ; •, Advancing aft, with an intention of getting to the general rendezvous, the quarter-deck, Captain Hamilton met with a furious opposition ; and having several of his people wounded, he left the Gunner with about 12 men in charge of the star- board gangway, whilst with the Surgeon's party, he himself proceeded by the opposite side to the quarter-deck, and thus placed the enemy between the boarding parties. The quar- ter-deck was now most obstinately disputed (principally by the Spanish officers), for upwards of a quarter of an hour, and a dreadful carnage took place. Great numbers of the enemy were killed : some got down the after-ladder, and others jumped overboard ; and in this part of the affair it was that Captain Hamilton received several wounds, to be here- aft,er noticed. The first Lieutenant had by this time boarded, and shortly after the acting Lieutenant of Marines, with his small party ; and the cables being now cut, the boats under the direction of the second Lieutenant, went a-head, and with their hook-ropes took the ship in tow. The hands that were stationed for that purpose had let fall the fore and mizen top- sails *, and every boat and man betook themselves, in con- formity with the order and arrangements made prior to the attack, to the different services allotted to them. Immediately after the quarter-deck was taken possession of, and the force of the assailants increased by the marines and others who had boarded from different boats, no time was lost in making an attack upon the main-deck ; for which purpose the marine officer, Mons. de la Tour du Pin, and Surgeon, (Captain Hamilton, and Mr. Maxwell the Gunner, being at this time too badly wounded to make a part of the number,) followed the Spaniards down the after-ladder so immediately that they had not time to make any regular de- * According; to tue plan of attack, six men were assigned to loose the Abovc>meotiotted sails ^ four to tlic former, two to the latter. ' ' ''if .J ': (. M 8t2(> HKAIl-AnMlttALS OV TIlK fiLCE. fence ; and the constant fire which was kept up from those who remained upon deck, enabled those officers to carry their point after a most dreadful slaughter. The firing that was kept up on board by both parties^ made it uncertain to those on shore who had possession of the ship ; consequently they did not know when to begin their fire ; and before the bat- teries opened, the Hermione, by means of the boats towing, and the sails, had considerably increased her distance from the shore. The forts commenced a tremendous cannonade nearly at the same instant ; but the lightness of the wind pre- vented them from pointing their guns direct to the object, the smoke not clearing away for a considerable time after the discharge. Several shot struck the Hermione j one, a 24- pounder, passing tlirough her under^water, obliged the cap- tors to rig the pumps immediately, and it was with difficulty the leak was kept under by heeling the ship. The main and spring stays were both shot away ; and there being a great head-swell, the mast was with difficulty secured. When the ship had been towed out of gun-shot of the batteries, the boats were called alongside : then, and not until then, had any of those people put their feet on board, being constantly employed towing, and greatly exposed to the enemy's fire. At noon on the same day, the whole of the prisoners were put into an American schooner, to be landed at Porto Cabello. The future historian might doubt the credibility of the fact, were it not so well authenticated, that on this me- morable occasion the assailants had no more than 1 officer, Mr. John Busey, acting lieutenant, killed, and 12 officers and men wounded. Amongst the latter number was Captain Hamilton, who, besides a tremendons blow from the bnf t-end of a musket, which broke over his bead and knocked him down senseless on the deck, received a ievere wound by the cut of a sabre on the left tbigb, another by a pike in the ri'ght thighy and a contusion on the light shin bone by a grape- shot ; one of his fingers was much evtt, and hiB loins and kid- neys so much braised as at limes to require the highest nteAcal advice and assistance : it is also to be lamented, that he still occasionally suffers considerable pain from these last brtriaes. As generosity and humanity are generally allied to true courage and magiuinimity, wr cannot resist in this place giv- SIR EDWARD HAMILTON, BART. 827 ing a trait of our officer's conduct in this respect. He re- warded the seamen who to much distinguished themselves on the above occasion, iby ^vtding amongst them no less n eum tham bOOL of his own share of priee-money ; dius setting a noble ^cam^ of valor and liberality, which has <^ver its ^ue influence on the ERUnds «nd hearts of British seamen *. CapfeMn Hamilton's extraordinary gallantry and ability made a deep impression on the public mind. His late Ma- jesty, as a token of approbation, was graciously {leased to xireBlbe him « Knight, by letters patent under the Great Seal, and honored him with the naval gold medal of Merit. The House of Assembly voted him a sword value 300 guineas, and t^ Common Council of Ltmdon the freedom of that city. in the month of April, 1800, Sir Edward Hamilton, return- ing home in the Jamaica padcet, for the cure of his wounds, was captured by a privateer, and carried into a French port ; from whence be was sent to Paris, where he remained six weeks, and was taken partionlar notice of by Buonaparte, who at length i^eed to his being exchanged for six Midshipmen. On the 25th Oct. 1800, being ti>e anniversary of the above- mentioned exploit, Sir Edward, by special invitation, dined at the Mansion House ; and tlie Chamberlain of London hav- ing delivered to him the freedom of the city in a gold box value 50 guineas, communicated to him in a very appropriate speech, the thanks of the Corporation for his conduct in an action which, to use the language of his Commander-in- Chief, Sir Hyde Parker, "must ever rank among the fore- most of the gallant actions executed by our Navy." About this period. Earl Spencer, then at the head of the Admiralty, in consideration of tlie number and severity of Sir Edward Hamilton's wounds, gave directions for a pension of 300/. per annum to be settled on him for life ; but our offi- cer's near relative, tlie late Marquis of Abercorn, recommend- * Soon after the above brilliant atialr, and subsequent to Captain Ha- milton'e departure for En^and, a seaman who had belonged to his boat's erew was taken up as a deserter from the Hnrallow sloop of war, and tried by a Court-Martial. At his trial it appeared in eTidencc that he had saved his gttlluiU leader's )ifc» when lying on the Ilcrmlone'.s quarlcr-deck diii- armed. The Court, considering tlie mitigating lircunistaucc in his favor, thought proper to recommend him to mercy ; and the sentence of three hundred lashes, ordered to be inflicted, was remitted. I ft ::! .-t^'. 828 IlEAR-ADMIRALS Otr THB BLnE. ed him by no means to accept it ; stating as a reason, that he had already enriched himself by prize-money; and that it might be made an excuse for not employing him actively. A short time after. Admiral Lord Hood, who ever had the interest of the navy at heart, called at his former Lieutenant's house, and finding him at home, said, <' Sir Edward, I hear you have re- fused a pension for your wounds, and in doing so, I think you have done an injustice to the service ; for recollect, that other officers may not have had the good fortune which you have met with ; and this will be a precedent for refusing pensions to those who may be similarly wounded, without losing a limb" Sir Edward's reply was strictly in unison with his well-known character : " My Jjord, I have applied again for service, and lam more desiroas of putting into execution a plan I have given in to Lord Spencer, than receiving a pen- sion." Here the conversation ended, and his Lord^ip took leave. Shortly after this, in an interview with Earl Spencer, that nobleman offered Sir Edward an addition to his- armorial bearings, which he also declined. The Earl then expressed his regret that Sir Edwaid's standing on the list of Post- Cap- tains would not admit of his soliciting higher honors for him. Our officei's next appointment was to the Trent, a fine 36- gun firigate, in which he continued during the remainder of the war, occasionally commanding a small squadron employed in the blockade of Havre de Grace, Cherbourgh, and St. Ma- loes. Whilt>i on that service, he captured and destroyed several of the enemy's privateers and merchantmen, and com- pletely stopped the coasting trade on the northern shores of France. On the 3d April, 1801, Sir Edward Hamilton discovered a large ship under the protection of two armed vessels, proceed- from Brehat to Plampoul, and immediately despatched the Trent's boats to attack them. The armed vessels, after sus- taining a severe conflict, supported by an incessant fire from five batteries, were driven on the rocks, and destroyed. The ship was taken possession of in the most spirited manner, and found to be laden principally with corn. Two French- men were lying dead on her decks, and several were drowned ; the remainder effected their escape. In the execution of this service, the Trent had but one SIR KO\ <> HAMILTON, BART. man killed ; this was hei apta k's coxswain, whose agctl of «• ther was afterwards place< in tne wr' ^ouse of Mary-le-b«»« parish, and during the re nainder o ler life, itlluwed by Sit Edward half-a-crown per week to procure -n and g;art She died about 1814. The only person wo»' lied w» lieu- tenant Taite, of the Marines, who lost hit M^ht leg aid to whom, on the salvage money for the re-capture being paid. Sir Edward presented 100 guineas (one moiety of his own share), for the purchase of a sword. With the other half he bought a chronometer for his first Lieutenant, Mr. George Chamberlayne, who had conducted the enterprise. During the greater part of the late war, the subject of this memoir commanded the Mary yacht. He was nominated a K.C.fi. Jan. 2, 1815 ; appointed to the Prince Regent yacht, Dec. 7) in the same year ; and created a Baronet of Great Bri- tain, as a reward for his meritorious service Dec. 8, 1818. His advancement to the rank of Rear- Admiral too)c place July 19, 1821. Sir Edward Hamilton married, in Nov. 1804, a daughter of John Macnamara, of Langoed Castle, co. Brecon, !^^sq. and niece to Rear-Admiral James Macnamara, by whon^ he has issue. Coun^r^-«ea^. —Trebinsham House, fireconshire. South Wales. Town Residence, — 38, Nottingham Place, I • IK ,• ^ I i If"! i (id but one THOMAS BAKER, Esq. Rear-Admirul of the Blue ; n Companion of the most honorable Militnry Order of the Bufh ; and a Knight of the Order of Wilhelm of the Ne- therlands. , ...... ^ . This officer was a Lieutenant at the commencement of the French revolutionary war (previous to which he had been in the East India Company's service) ; commanded the Fairy sloop, in 1797 ; and obtained post rank in the Princess Royal, a second rate, forming part of the Channel fleet, on the 13th June in the same year. Early in 1799, Captfdn Baker was appointed to the Neme- sis, of 28 guns ; and in the summer of 1800, he was entrusted with the command of a small squadron, stationed in the i| ! i i S» i iii 830 KBAR'ADMIIlALii OF TUK ULVE. North Sea. Un the 25th July, he fell in with the Freyu, a Danish frigate, convoying several merchant vessels near Ostend. Captain Baker hailed her, and Intimated his inten- tion of sending a boat to examine them. The Danish com- mander replied, that if such an attempt was made, he would ftre into the boat. Captain Baker, however, persisted, anU the Freya immediately fired several shot, which missing the Iwat, struck the Nemesis, and killed 1 man. A most spirited action ensued, and lasted for about twenty-five minutes, whc i the Danish frigate being much crippled, and having 8 men killed and woundec^ struck her colors. The whole of the vessels were then conducted into tlie Downs. A question immediately arose between the British and Danish courts, on the right of searching neutralvesaels under convoy ; the former maintaining that armed vessels escorting fleets, afforded no security against their carrying illegal car- goes ; and the latter asserting that such inspection was not warranted by precedent, the best assurance for such fleet containing no warlflce stores being its sailamg imder the flag of the neutral country. A temporaary adjustment of the af- feir was effected by Lord Whitwortb, who had proceeded to Denmark, supported by a strong squadron under Vice-Ad- miral Dickson ; notwithstanding which,, a confederacy was formed by the northern powers against Great Britain, and the respective parties prepajred for that state of warfare which was teraiinated by the battle off Copenhagen, on the glorious 2d April, 1801. Captain Baker's next appointment was to the Phoebe, of 36 guns, on the Irish station ; and on the renewal of hosti- lities against France, in 1803, he obtained the command of the Phcenix, of the same force, in which ship he had the good fortune, Aug. 10, 1805, to capture la Didon, a remark- ably fine Frendi frigate, of 44 guns and 330 men. The ac- tion commenced at 9^ 15' A. M., and lasted three hours, within {»atol-shot. The superiority of la Didon's sailing, added to the adroit manoeuvres of her comiuande.r, convinced Captain Baker of the skill and gallantry he should have to contend witli, which was fully evinced by the stubborn de- fence of the ship, until she became a perfect wreck. The loss sustained by the Phcenix in this conflict was 12 kill- THOMAS BAKER, BSQ. 831 ed and 28 wounded. That of the enemy, 27 killed and 44 wounded. On the 4th Nov. in the same year, the Phceuix furmed part of the squadron under Sir Richard John Strachan, at the capture of the four French line-of-battle ships that had es^ capedfrom the battle of Trafalgar i and to Captain Baker's skill and peri^everance in keeping slight of the enemy, and lead- ing into action, may, in some measure, be attributed the suc- cess of that day. The Pha*nix on this occasion had 2 men killed and 4 wounded *. Puring the remainder of the war, our officer was actively employed in different ships, and on various stations. He was nominated a C. B, June 4, 181 &, and a Colonel of Royal Marines, Aug. 12, 1819. Hia pro- motion to the ra^ik of Rear-Admiral took place July 19, 1821. RpsUleiice. — Walmer, Kent. ' . ,y. .«! I ' -■ 4, SAMUEL SUTTON, Esq. Rear- Admmd vf the Blue. ! J i' • s .: The subject of this sketch entered the naval service April 9, 1777 > as a Midshipman, on board the Monarch, of 74 g]uns, commanded by the late Sir Joshua Rowley, Bart., with whom he afterwards removed into the Suffolk, Conqueror, and other shipss, continuing to serve with that officer till the peace of 1783. The Monarch formed part of the Cimnnel fleet under Ad- miral Keppel, and had 2 men killed and 9 wounded in the action with M. d'Orvilliers, July 27, 1778 1- The Suffolk Vvag attached to Vice-Admiral Byron's squadron in the con- flict with d'Eatiiing^ off Grenada, July 6, 1779, and on that occasion had 7 men sjfiin and 25 wounded. The Conqueror's loss in the bs^ttles between Rodney and de Guichen, off Mar- tinique in April and May 1780 |, amounted to 87 killed and * See p. 289. f See note f, at p. 195. % See note. at p,. \j)^,etseq. N- B. Mr. Sutton's patron was at this time a Rcar-Adiniral of the Red. He had previously, when in the coui- niaud of a detachtyl s(jua(h*on, taken tliw French frijj^tfs, carrying in the !.'S S^ ' I' ■■ ''ii\ 832 RRAR-ADMIRALS OF THE BLUE. wounded ; among the latter was her commander, Captain G. Watson, who lost an arm and died soon after. At the conclusion of the war with the American colonies, Mr. Sutton was appointed first Lieutenant of the Preston, a SO-gun ship, bearing the flag of Rear-Admiral Rowley, at Jamaica, from whence he was soon after compelled to return to £ngland through ill-health. During the Spanish arma- ment, we find him serving as signal officer of the Iphigenia frigate, one of the repeaters to the fleet then assembled under the orders of Lord Howe. In Jan. 1793, he joined the Cul- loden, 74, commanded by Sir Thomas Rich ; and from that ship removed, Nov. 1794, into the Mars, another third rate, as first Lieutenant to the late Sir Charles Cotton. The Mars was with Vice-Admiral Cornwallis when that officer effected the most masterly retreat, from an immensely superior French fleet, ever recorded in the annals of the Bri- tish navy ; and being the sternmost ship, sustained the brunt of the enemy's attack, but fortunately had not a man killed, and only 12 wounded j this event occurred June 16, 1795 *. In the month of Sept. following. Lieutenant Sutton was promoted to the command of the Martin sloop of war ; and in 1797, ordered to convey the Due d'Angouleme from Leith to Cuxhaven ; immediately after the performance of which service, he was advanced to post rank, by commission dated June 27. He subsequently commanded for a short period the Monarch, 74, bearing the flag of Sir Richard Onslow, in the North Sea; and in 1799, became Flag-Captain to Sir Charles Cotton, with whom he continued to serve in different ships till the commencement of 1801. He was then appoint- ed to the Alcmene, of 32 guns, and in that frigate assisted at the capture and destruction of the Danish line of defence before Copenhagen, on the memorable 2d April f. The Alcmene on that glorious occasion had 5 men killed and 14 wounded. Captain Sutton subsequently removed into the Amazon, 38, as successor to the gallant Riou, who had fallen in the battle. His next appointment was to the Victory, a whole 106 guns, and 527 men ; and assisted at the capture and c'estruo- tion of a convoy from Marseilles, consisting of eight vessels, mounting lG2guu8, and manned with 890 men. • Sec p. 364. t See note •, at p. 365, el teq. SAMUEL SUTTON, KSQ. 833 first rate, fitting for the reception of Lord Nelson, who hoisted his flag on board her May 18, 1803, and sailed to assume the chief command in the Mediterranean, on the 20th of the same month. On his Lordship's arrival off Brest, he removed into the Amphion frigate, leaving the Victory to communicate with Admiral Comwallis. A few days after. Captain Sutton cap- tured r Ambuscade, a French frigate of 32 guns and 187 men, from St. Domingo bomid to Rochefort. The Victory re-joined Lord Nelson off Toulon on the 30th July, when Captain Sutton exchanged with the present Sir T. M. Hardy, into the Amphion frigate, in which he was very actively employed during the most important part of his Lord- ship's command on the Mediterranean station, and had the good fortune to assist at the capture of a Spanish squadron laden with specie, Oct. 5, 1804. The Amphioi on this occa- sion was opposed to la Mercedes, the Spanish Admiral's se- cond astern, which blew u^ with a tremendous explosion in less than ten minutes after the commencement of the action, and all on board, except 40 men, perished *. From this period we lose sight of Captain Sutton tillJuly 19, 1821, on whicli day he was advanced to the rank of Rear- Admiral. jt.xisidence.'-^DltchingliViXxi. Lodge, near Bungay, Suffolk. SIR ROBERT LAURIE, Bart. Rear-Admiral of the Blue. This officer, a son of the la*^e Lieutenant-General Sir R. Laurie, M. P., was made a Lieutenant in 1790 j and served in that capacity on board the Queen, of 98 guns, bearing the flag of Rear-Admiral Gardner, in Earl Howe's action, June 1, 17^4 1, on which glprbus^ occasion that ship had 3G men killed, and 67, including Lieutenant Laurie, wounded. Some time after this event, our officer was promoted to the rank of Commander, and appointed to the Zephyr sloop, stationed in the North Sea. Towards the latter end of 17^> he received orders to proceed to the Leeward Islands, • See p. 636. t See notP at p. 7^> t'f *<'V- VOL. I, 3 u J 834 RKAR-ADMIRALS OF THE BLUK. and on his passage captured la Refleche French privateer, of 12 guns and 67 men. In the month of February following, he was present at the reduction of Trinidad ; and on the 17th July, in the same year, obtained the rank of Post-Cap- tain. His next appointment was to the Andromache frigate, in which he was employed principally on the North American and Jamaica stations until the summer of 1804, when he was removed into the Cleopatra, of 32 guns, and subsequently ordered to Halifax. On the 16th Feb., 1805, Sir Robert fell in with, pursued, and after an anxious chase, which continued throughout the night, and during the greater part of the next day, came to close action with la Ville de Milan, a French frigate of the largest class, mounting 46 guns, with a complement of 360 men, besides a number of troops passengers. The battle commenced at half past two P. M., both ships trimming sails, steering sometimes close to the wind, and at others about three points free, during which the Cleopatra had greatly the advantage. About five, having shot away the Frenchman's main-top-sail yard, she forged a-head, although the mizen-top- sail was a-back, and both jib-stay and haliards gone : finding neither fore nor main clue-garnets left to haul the courses up, the running rigging cut to pieces, so as to render it impos- sible either to shorten or back a sail, the main standing and spring-stays shot away, and the main-mast only supported by the storm-stay-sail-stay, Sir Robert was induced to cross the enemy's bow, and by hauling up to have raked him ; but in the act of doing so an unfortunate shot disabled the wheel, and the rudder being choked at the same time by splinters, &c. the Cleopatra became ungovernable. The French commander, availing himself of her situation, with the wind upon his quar- ter, gave her the stem, running his head and bowsprit over the quarter-deck just abaft the main rigging, and under the cover of a heavy fiic of small arms attempted to board, but was driven back. Moet of the Cleopatra's sails lying partly u-back, and entangled as she was with so heavy a ship, go- ing almost before tlic wind, and nmch sea running, Sir Ro- bert saw no prospect of saving hib vesAel, or the numerous wounded men who were then below. He however directed the fore>top-mast-stay-8ail and sprit-sail-top-Bail to be set ; privateer, of ry following, and on the of Post-Cap- lache frigate, •th American when he was subsequently nthf pursued, iroughout the day, came to frigate of the lenient of 36() The battle •imniing sails, others about ad greatly the Frenchman's he mizen-top- rone : finding le courses up, der it impos- standing and supported by d to cross the 1 him ; but in d the wheel, splinters, &c. 1 commander, ipon his quar- )0W8prit over nd under the o board, but lying partly y a ship, go- ning, Sir Ro- be numerous rcver directed *il to be set , L^ SIR ROBERT LAURIE, BART. 835 but owing to the destructive effects of the French musketry, his orders could not be carried into effect. At a quarter past five, the enemy succeeded in boarding, and the British colours were reluctantly hauled down. Immediately afterwards the Cleopatra became a perfect wreck, not a spar standing but the mizen-mast; and her commander fully expected she would have foundered before the ships could get clear of each other. No language can do sufficient justice to the perseverance in the chace and gallant conduct of Sir Robert Laurie in bringing a ship of so superior a force into action ^, and in maintaining it. La Ville de Milan was nearly double the size and force of the Cleopatra, being 1200 tons burthen, and carrying French IS-pounders on her main-deck ; whereas the latter had only English 12-pounders, and 190 men, several of whom were on the sick-list. The following morning the French ship had only her fore-mast and bowsprit standing ; and was otherwise so much cut up as to be incapable of offering the slightest resistance when fallen in with, six days after the action, by Captain Talbot of the Leander, a 50-gun ship, who also re- captured the Cleopatra f. From this period, we find no mention of Sir Robert Lau- rie until the latter end of 181 1, when he was appointed to the Ajax, of 74 guns, and soon after ordered to the Mediterranean, where he continued till towards the conclusion of the war. He was advanced to the rank of Rear-Admiral, July 19, 1821. Residence. — Max welton, Dumfriesshire. * La Ville de Milan was from Martinique, bound to France with des- patches, and having orders not to speak to any thing during the passage ; every effort was made to avoid being brought to action by the Cleopatra. t The loss susUuned by the Cleopatra in the action with la Ville de Milan, was 20 killed and 38 wounded ; 2 of whom mortally, and 18 dangerously. I'i n Ui !i lil 3 II 2 8130 REAR-ADMIRALS OF THB BLUK. WILLIAM HALL GAGE, Esq. Rear-Admiral of the Bine. This officer is the sixth son of the late Hon. General Tho- mas Gage, Commander-in-Chief of the forces in North Ame- rica, by Margaret, daughter of Peter Kemble, Esq., President of the Council of New Jersey *. He was born Oct. 2, 1777; entered the naval service in 1783; as a Midshipman, on board the Bellonu, a third rate, commanded by the present Admiral Bowen ; and subsequently served under Captains Dickson, Alms, Montgomery, and Purvis, in the Captain 74, Proserpine and Inconstant frigates, and Princess Royal, of 98 guns, on the home station, at the Leeward Islands^ iit Jamaica, and in the Mediterranean. The latter ship bore the flag of Rear- Admiral Goodall in the actions of March 14, and July 13, 1795, the result of which was the capture of the Ca-ira, a French 80, and the Censeur and Alcide, 74's f. From the Princess Royal, Mr. Gage was removed to the Bedford, 74, commanded by his former Captain, Montgo- mery, which ship was soon after ordered to England in company with several others, as convoy to the homeward bound trade. On the passage they fell in with and Merc attacked by the French Admiral Richery, who succeeded in cutting off the Censeur and many of the merchantmen J. On his return to England, Mr. Gageappeiu-s to have joined the Lively, of 32 guns. Captain Lord Garlics. In that fri- gate he went back to the Mediterrane. n station with Sir John Jervis, by whom he was removed into the Victory, a first rate, and from her promoted to the rank of Lieutenant, in la Minerve, of 42 guna. The " gallantry and zeal " displayed by Lieutenant Gage ♦ General Gage was the second son of Sir Thomas Gage.Bart., (created a Viscount in 1720) by Dencdicta Maria Theresa, sole heiress of Benedict Hall, of High Meadow, co. Gloucester, \lu\. The subject of this memoir is consequently an uncle of the present LonI Gage. t See pp. 237, 264, and 340. t See pp. 486 and 610. «}• '-a I. ieneral Tho~ North Ame- j., President al service in I third rate, subsequently fomery, and tant frigates, ;ation, at the 2diterranean. oodall in the iult of wliich the Censeur iioved to the in, Montgo- England in t liomeward th and were succeeded in tmen |. ) have joined 111 that fri- 011 with Sir e Victory, a Lieutenant, enant Gage Bart., (created iss of Benedict of this me moil and tilO. I I WILLIAM HALL GAGE^ ESQ. 83/ in the actions fought by la Minerve with two Spanish frigates, when on her way to Porto Ferrajo with Commodore Nelson, in the month of Dec. 1796, was highly applauded by that hero, as will be seen by an extract from his official letter to the Commander-in-Chief, inserted at p. 521 of this volume ; where the reader will also find an account of those actions, and the manner in which la Minerve was employed from that period until the close of the battle off Cape St. Vincent, Feb. 14, 1797. On the 28th May in the latter year. Lieutenant Gage dis- tinguished himself at the capture of la Mutiiie, a French cor- vette, cut out of the bay of Santa Cruz by the boats of the Lively and Minerve *. He was soon after advanced to the rank of Commander, and appointed to the Speedy sloop of war J but, as we have reason to believe, never joined that ves- sel. His post commission bears date July 26, 1797' We next find our officer commanding the Terpsichore frigate, and accompanying a squadron sent under the orders of the present Sir T. B. Thompson, to take possession of some French vessels lying at Tunis ; a measure adopted in consequence of a previous breach of neutrality committed there by the enemy and connived at by the Bey, who, with the duplicity so peculiar to his countrymen, appears also to have sanctioned, if not invited, this retributive proceeding on the part of the British. After executing the service on which it had been sent to Tunis, the squadron cruised about the Balearic Islands, and on the south coast of Spain, where it made several captures. In May, 1798, when Sir Horatio Nelson was sent from the fleet off Cadiz to ascertain the object of an armament pre- paring by the enemy at Toulon and Genoa, the Terpsichore was placed under that officer's orders. She accordingly pro- ceeded with him to the Gulf ol Lyons ; but unfortunately parted company there during a heavy gale of wind fj Jtnd being afterwards taken off the rendezvous by a senior officer, on the presumption that Nelson, from the disabled state of the ship bearing his flag, had been forced to return to an • Set Sir TiiUiMA!) .M.vsiKRMAN IlARur^ in oui next volume. t Step, 181. ■ ■ ' fl 4 ,1 838 REAR-ADMIRALS OF THE BLUE. arsenal to reftt ; Captain Gage, to his great mortification, was prevented from re-joining the Rear-Admiral until some time after the battle in Aboukir Bay, although he had, in company with Captain Foote, discovered and closely recon- noitred the French fleet eleven days prior to that glorious event. Had the Seahorse and Terpsichore been able to form a junction with Nelson, it is more than probable that the Culloden would have avoided the accident which befel her *, and every ship of the enemy been captured. Captain Gage was subsequently employed in the blockade of Malta t, and on various other services, till Feb. 1799, in • See p. 183 f The blockade of the island of Malta, which had been seized and gar- risoned by Buonaparte when on his way to Egypt, was entrusted to the vigilance of Captain A. J. Ball, of the Alexander, 74 ; and is dated by Lord Nelson, in his memoir, as takina; place from the 12th Oct. 1798, The state of the islands of Malta and Gozo on that day, with an account of the revolution that had taken place, is given in an hiteresting report which was sent to his Lordship. The French force in Malta then consisted of about 3000 soldiers and sailors, and of 100 Maltese ; the only part of the inhabitants who would take up arms for the republicans. About 10,000 of the Maltese were armed ; they had 23 guns on the island, of which 12 were mounted ; they had also two gallies and four gun-boats. The French, in addition to their usual professions in the Gazette, had issued a manifesto declaring that they should consider the plate and riches of the church as sacred, promising neither to take nor request any thing : the very next morning, however, when the churches were opened for public worship, they began their plunder. Tlie Maltese, injured and irritated beyond bearing, immediately flew to revenge themselves. Amongst the French whom they put to death, was a General-Officer who had been very active ; with hiii wife they found a plan for entering all the towns in the island, murdering the strongest and richest of the inhabitants, and taking posses< sion of the best houses. They also found a paper in which the various classes of the people were assigned different employments ; 60 Maltese had been destined to bury the dead. About eight days previous to this event there had been an action between the French and Maltese, in which the former had lost 800 men, the latter had only 10 killed and wounded : it lasted between three and four hours. Above 60 of the enemy threw down their arms, and begged to join the islanders ; but they were fired on indiscriminately with the others. The Maltese decapitated their victims on the spot, and carried their heads about the island with parsnips in their teeth, as the French had given out that they had no provisions at Malta but parsnips. The island of Gozo contained 16,0(X) inhabitants j it surrendered by ca- ortification, until some he had, in )sely recon- lat glorious ien able to obable that vhich befel e blockade b. 1799, in sized and gar- rusted to the I is dated by h Oct. 1798. an account oi:' report which n consisted of ily part of the \bout 10,000 , of which 12 The French, :d a manifesto the church as the very next jHc worship, tated beyond I; the French I very active ; in the island, aking posses- I the various ; 60 Maltese vious to this ese, in wliich id wounded : sneray threw were fired on their victims mips in their 3ns at Malta iered by ca- WILLIAM HALL GAGE, ESQ. 839 which month the King of Sardinia, finding it impossible any longer to endure the exactions of France, and the insults of the republican commissary, embarked on board a Danish frigate at Leghorn, and was escorted by the Terpsichore to Cagliari — that part of his dominions, which the maritime supremacy of England rendered a secure asylum. On the 23d June following, our officer captured the St. Antonio, a Spanish brig of war, mounting 14 guns, with a complement of 70 men. We are not aware of the exact period at which Captain Gage returned to England ; but in the summer of 1800, we find him assisting at the detention of a Danish frigate, in con- sequence of her commander refusing to allow some merchant vessels under his convoy to be searched by a British squa- dron. This affair created considerable discussion, and was one of the principal causes of an expedition being soon after sent to the Baltic *. On the 21st July, 1801, the boats of the Doris, Beaulieu, and Uranie, to which latter ship Captain Gage had been ap- pointed in the preceding spring, cut out la Chevrette, a French corvette, of 20 guns and 300 men, from under the batteries of Camaret, near Brest, and in presence of the combined fleets of France and Spain. This daring exploit stands as high in point of credit to the British iirms, and glory to the officers and men who so nobly achieved it, as any of the kind ever performed. The particulars thereof will be given under the head of Captain Keith Maxwell^ in our next volume. The Uranie was paid off at Plymouth in May, 1802 ; and we have no farther mention of Captain Gage until July 1805, when he obtained the command of the Thetis, another fine frigate ; in which, after serving for some time on the North Sea station, he was again sent to the Mediterranean, from whence he returned with Sir Arthur Paget, who had been on an embassy to the Ottoman Porte. pitulation to the British squadron, sixteen days after the commencement of the blockade, Malta, as will l)c seen at p. 281, held out until Sept. 5, 1800. * Siec note t, atp, 348, sions on board to enable them to cross the Atlantic. This circumstance, together with their very rusty appearance, suf- ficiently accounts for Captain Maitland's mistake. Had they been troop-ships, as he expected, there can be no doubt that the Duguay-Trouin, unsupported as she was by her consort, would have been captured by him. The Boadicea on this oc- casion had not a man hurt, but her sails and rigging were much cut up ; which will not be wondered at, when we state that she received two complete broadsides from her powerful antagonist, as they passed on opposite tacks. A circumstance occurred about the same period (1803), which enabled Captain Maitland once more to evince his zeal for the public service. Being with the in-shore squadron off Brest, the Boadicea struck upon the rock Bas de Lis, which penetrated her bottom, and occasioned her to make so much water, that it was with difficulty she could be kept free, although assisted by 100 men sent with cistern pumps from the other ships. In this dangerous situation it was deemed necessary to send another frigate to escort her to Portsmouth, from whence she returned to her station in a perfect state of equipment, and joined the Channel fleet within eight days after the accident, three of which had been spent in dock. In the course of the same year, he captured the French na- tional lugger le Vautour, of 12 guns, pierced for 16, and 92 men, commanded by a Lieutenant de Vaisseau, and having a Commissaire de Marine on board, charged with important de- spatches from General Rochambeau at Cape Francois, St. Do- mingo ; a Dutch East Indiaman ; three West Indiamen ; and also made several recaptures. In 1804, when the line-of-battle ships employed in the blockade of Rochefort, were called in to join the Channel fleet, the Boadicea was left alone to watch that port. While thus employed, the enemy made repeated attempts to drive her off by sending out a ship of the line and a frigate ; but as they never ventured to chase farther than 10 or 12 leagues from the land. Captain Maitland, by tacking at the same time with them, succeeded in muintaining his station till the arrival of a * JOHN MAITLAND, ESQ. 845 squadron under Sir Robert Caldcr, to relieve liiin from that arduous and important duty. Early in 1805, we find our officer serving in the North Sea, where he made several captures, and was occasionally en- trusted by Lord Keith with the command of a squadron of ob- servation stationed off the Texel. In the sunniier of the same year, he was placed under the orders of Lord Gardner on the Irish station, where he cruised with considerable success against the enemy's armed vessels and merchantmen. On the 2d Nov. in the same year, the Boadicea, being off Cape Finisterre, in company with the Dryad frigate, fell in with four French line-of-battle ships, which had escaped from the battle of Trafalgar under Rear-Admiral Dumanoir le Pelley. Hoping to lead the enemy into the track of a British squa- dron, he kept close to them, burning blue lights and firini^ rockets during the night ; but owing to the weather becoming very thick, and the French ships altering their course, he un- fortunately lost sight of them a short time after his signals had been perceived by Sir Richard Strachan, and he was thus prevented from sharing in the action which ended in their capture *. Some time after this event, Captain Maitland, when cruis- ing between Capes Clear and Finisterre, discovered a French frigate, which he chased for two days and a night, and gained upon so considerably as at one time to have her water-line in view. Unluckily, however, he lost sight of her on the evening of the second day; when, in consequence of the increasing darkness and his proximity to the shore, he was reluctantly obliged to abandon the pursuit. On his re- turn to Plymouth to refit, be was informed by the Port Admiral, Sir William Young, that intelligence had been re- ceived of a French frigate having run a-shore, with all sails set, on Isle de Groais, near I'Orient ; and as the Boadicea, on hauling of\' from the land, had sounded in 52 fathoms, and was by her reckoning within a very short run of that island, there cf»A be no doubt it was the same vessel she had chased. Earl^ in the year 1807, Captain Maitland was suddenly de- spatched from Cork, with the Topaze frigate under his orders, to Davis's Straits, for the purpose of affording protection to * See p. 289. i r'i 84G RBAR-ADMIRALS OF THE BLUE. the whale fishery in that quarter. This service^ uninviting a^ it is at all times, was peculiarly so to officers and men sent thereonwithout receiving the slightest intimation of their des- tination previous to the ship's leaving port *, consequently without being in the least prepared for such a change of climate. Returning from thence at the end of the season, Captain Mait- land called at St. John's, Newfoundland, for the trade bound to Oporto, which he took under his protection ; and finding, on his arrival off the latter place, that the French had just en- tered Portugal, he conducted his charge in safety to England. The Boadicea was subsequently employed in the blockade of Havre, on which service she continued for a considerable period : but, with the exception of her capturing the General Concleux, a French privateer of 14 guns and 60 men, we meet with no incident requiring particular notice during the remainder of the time she was commanded by Captain Mait- land, who left her in 1808. Our officer's next appointment was, at the close of 1813, to the Barfleur, of 98 guns, in which ship he served with the Mediterranean fleet till the conclusion of the war. His ad- vancement to the rank of Rear-Admiral took place on the day of his Majesty's coronation, July 19, 1821. He married, Jan. 8, in the preceding year, Dora, eldest daughter of Colt- hurst Bateman, of Bedford, co. Kerry, Esq. Residence. — Bath . STAIR DOUGLAS, Esq. Rear'Admirnl of the Blue, This officer is a grandson of the late Sir John Douglas, of Kilhead, Bart. We arc unable to give any further account of his services than that he served as a Midshipman during the American war, with his uncle, the late Captain Stair Douglas f ; received his first commission as a Lieutenant from Lord Rodney; was promoted to the rank of Commander in the * Ouptaiii Maitland sailetl under sealed orders, t Captain Stair Dou)(Irs commanded the Prince William of 64 guns, in the action between Sir Samuel Hoo ; niul, ttcrording to Lord Nelson*! oflicial letter, was so situated Hs to render essential service. i' IJ ^i-'1 848 REAR-ADMIRALS OF THJ5 BLUB. JAMES WALKER, Esq. Hear-zldmiral of the Blue ; a Companion of the most honorable Mill far// Order of the Bath ; and a Knight Commander of the Portuguts? Order of the Tower and Sword. This officer is descended, on his father's side, from the old family of the Walkers of St. Fort, in Fifeshire, N. B. ; and on that of his mother, from the noble and ancient family of Leslie, being the grandson of Alexander, fifth Earl of Leven and Melville. His entry into the naval service appears to have been about 1776, as a Midshipman, on board the Southampton frigate, in which ship he served during a period of five years, principally on the Jamaica station, and in the grand fleet under Sir Charles Hardy. While in the West Indies, he was frequently employed in her boats attacking and cutting out vessels from under the enemy's batteries. In Aug. I78O, the Southampton captured a French priva- teer, of 18 guns and 80 men. Mr. Walker was sent to assist in removing the priboners j but before that ser» -. could be completely effected she suddenly sunk, and he ^ j. led a considerable time in the water before he could be rt .^cdfrom his perilous situation. He was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant on the 18th June, in the following year. Lieutenant Walker's first appointment was to the Princess Royal, a second rate ; but as that ship was ordered to England, he exchanged into the Torbay, of 74 guns, then about to pro- ceed to North America. He served in that ship, under Sir Samuel Hood, during the splendid operations at St. Chris- topher's ♦, and in the memoiable engagement between Sir George B. Rodney and the Count de Grasse, April 12, 1782 f, on which latter occasion she had 10 men killed and 25 wounded. In the month of October following, the Torbay being on a cruise off Hispaniola, in company with the London 98, and Badger sloop, fell in with, and after a most arduous clmse. • See Retired Captain J. N. iNULBriBLD, in our next vulunie. t See note at p. 36, et teg. JAMES WALKKR, KSQ. 849 brought le Scipion, ;i French 74, to close action, which was maintained with very great bravery and skill by the French commander, Monsieur de Grimoire, who to avoid capture ran his ship on shore in Serrena Bay, where she was totally wrecked. The brunt of this action was borne by the London, whose loss amounted to 9 men killed, and 7^? including the Lieutenants Burgess, Hankey, andTrigge, wounded. After his return to England at the peace in 1783, Lieute- nant Walker spent some years in France, Italy, and Germany ; and in 1788, when the war broke out between Russia and Turkey, he was offered the command of a ship belonging to the former power, but could not obtain leave from his own government to accept it. He was subsequently appointed in succession to the Champion, Winchelsea, Boyne, and Niger. The latter was one of the repeating frigates to the fleet under Earl Howe, in the battle of June 1, 1794; and Mr. Walker was soon after advanced to the rank of Commander, for his conduct as first Lieutenant and signal officer on that glorious day. In tlie summer of 1797, while the mutiny raged at the Nore *, he suggested a plan for attacking the Sandwich by means of the smasher gims, invented by his relative, the late General Melville t> and volunteered to conduct the enterprise in person. It so happened, that a plan exactly similar had been adopted by the Board of Admiralty not an hour before, and Captain Walker was immediately appointed to the com- mand of a division of gun-boats, fitted at Woolwich for the purpose of acting against the mutineers ; but before he reach- ed Gravesend they had been induced to surrender at discre- tion. He was then ordered to act as Captain of the Garland frigate, and to escort the trade bound to the Baltic as far as Elsineur : on his return from that service, lie removed into the Monmouth, of 64 guns, employed in the North Sea, under tiie orders of Admiral Duncan. On the memorable 1 1th Oct. 1797, when that excellent commander attacked and defeated the Dutch fleet inuler the brave de Winter, the Monmouth was closely engaged for an • See p. I'iO, ct xrif. t An interesting inemnir of (ieneral Melville will he fuiniil in a Work entitled Public Chuructcrs, vol. i, p. 141), et sfij. VOL. I. 3 I •'■ll I i I 1 i 850 UKAK-ADMIRALS OF THE BLUK. hour and ii half witli the Delft and Alkmaar ships of the line, and compelled them both to surrender. The latter was taken in tow immediately after the action, and notwithstanding the heavy gale that ensued, Captain Walker did not quit her till after an anxious period of five days, when he had the satisfac- tion of anchoring her safely in Yarmouth Roads. For his gallant conduct in the battle oflF Camperdown, oui officer was immediately confirmed in the rank of Post-Cap- tain, and the command of the Monmouth, whose loss on that glorious occasion was 5 men, including a Lieutenant, killed, and 22 wounded. He was also honored with the naval gold medal, and the thanks of Parliament. On the 19th Dec. following. Captain Walker assisted at the ceremony of depositing the colours taken fronj the enemy by Lords Howe, St. Vincent, Duncan, &c., in the Cathedral of St. Paul's *. He subsequently commanded in succession, the Veteran, 64 ; Braakel, 5(3 ; Prince George, 98 ; Prince, of the same force, and Isis, of 50 guns. The Isis formed part of Lord Nelsor/s division in the san- guinary battle off Copenhagen, April 2, 1801 f, and was most warmly engaged for four hours and a half with tuo t)f the enemy's heaviest block-ships, moored about two cables' length from each other, and a battery of 14 guns and 2 howitzers in the interval between them, at the distance of about three cables' length. The loss she sustained, consider- ing the smallness of her crew, was immense. It anicunted to no less than 9 officers and 103 men killed and wounded. In the ensuing summer. Captain Walker obtained the command of the Tartar frigate, and Avas ordered to convoy a fleet of merchantmen to the Jamaica station, where he received a commission from the Admiralty, appointing him to the Vanguard, 74. On the renewal of hostilities in 1803, we find him employed in the blockade of St. Domingo. While on that service, in company with a squadron, under the orders of Captain Loring, he captured the Creole frigate, of 44 guns, having on board the French General Morgan and 530 troops, bound to Port-au-Prince ; and the Duquesnc, 74, bearing the broad pendant of Commodore Kerrangel. The latter vessel • Sec p. 02. t Soo note *, at p 'M^), rf ,vwy. JAMKS WALKUK, ESU. 851 had slipped out of Cape Frauguis during a heavy squall ; but the weather soon moderating, she was immediately discovered and pursued by the squadron. The chase continued about twenty hours, and the enemy was at length overtaken by Captain Walker, who, after a running fight of an hour and a half, ran the Vanguard alongside his opponent, and com- pelled her to surrender. After escorting his prize, and a French schooner of 16 guns and 60 men, which had been taken by the squadron near Port-au-Paix, to Jamaica, Captain Walker returned to his station off St. Domingo, and on the 1st Oct. summoned the lovvn of St. Marc to surrender. On the following day Gene- ral d'Henin, the Governor, sent off an officer to treat with him, and a convention was accordingly entered into, by which the French garrison, the Papillon corvette, a transport brig, and a schooner laden w^ith ammunition, were surrendered to tlic Vanguard. The situation of the French troops was the most deplor- able it is possible to imagine : they were literally reduced to skeletons, having long subsisted on horse-flesh. To screen them from the threatened vengeance of the black General, Dessa- lines. Captain Walker received them on board his ship, and landed them in safety at Cape Nichola Mole ; but as they were in all 1 100 men, and remained in the Vanguard, her prizes and boats, for eight days, this act of humanity proved in the sequel of gr^at prejudice to our officer in a pecuniary point of view, as he was thereby compelled to return to port for provisions at the very moment Cape Francois was about to surrender. However, during the fourteen weeks which he remained oif that place, he had the satisfaction of consider- ably hastening so desirable an event, not only by his exertions in maintaining a most vigorous blockade, but by keeping up a constant correspondence with the black chiefs, and inform- ing them of every occurrence at the Cape. And here it may be proper to observe, that while at St. Marc's Captain Wal- ker was so forcibly struck with the representations of General DesBalines, that one of his chiefs had deserted from him with a body of 2000 men, and taken possession of the plain near Cape Francois, by which he was enabled to furnisli the Eu- ropean French in the city with ground provisioriti and fruit, 3 1 2 », ' ji|"' r 1 k I! i ! I! 1; I . 1 852 REAR-ADMIRALS Ol!" THE BLUE. thereby materially adding to their resources and enabling them to protract their surrender, that he did not hesitate to take upon himself the responsibility of supplying him with powder, the total want of which, Dessalines assured him, had alone prevented his attacking them. In consequence of this supply, General Christophe (the late Emperor of Hay ti), then second in command of the Blacks, took the field, routed the de- serters, and hanged their leaders. It is beyond all doubt, that this event accelerated the surrender of General Rochambeau, at least six weeks or two mouths. Captain Walker's next appointment was to the Duquesne, in which ship he returned to England from Jamaica with only 160 men, althou^ nearly that number of French officers and soldiers were embarked on board her ; a circumstance which naturally caused him great anxiety, and rendered the utmost vigilance necessary during the passage. The Duquesne being in want of extensive repairs, was paid ofif soon after her ar- rival. Our officer was subsequently appointed to the Thalia frigate, and sent to the East Indies. We next find him commanding the Bedford, 74, one of the squadron sent by Sir W. Sidney Smith to escort the royal family of Portugal from Lisbon to Rio Janeiro *. Previous to his return from thence, the Prince Regent signified his intention of conferring upon him the Order of St. Bento d'Avis ; but some objections having been started by his spiritual advisers, on account of Captain Walker's religion, H. R. H. determined to revive the military Order of the Tower and Sword f, of which he created him a Knight Commander, in consideration of his unremitted at- tention to the Portuguese fleet during a long and tempestuous voyage. The Bedford was afterwardw employed in the block- ade of Flushing, and various other services, till the month of Sept. 1814, when Captain Walker received orders to assume the command of a squadron, on board of which was embarked the advanced guard of the army sent against New Orleans, under Major-General Keane. The naval and military forces employed in this disastrous • See pp. 320 and 637. t The Order of St. Bento d'Avis is partly military, partly nionavtic. JAMES WALKER, EStt. 853 expedition, arrived off Ciiandeleur islands on the 8th Dec, and the debarkation of the troops commenced on the 16th. From that period until the termination of the campaign. Cap- tain Walker's situation was one of the most anxious and painful description. During the absence of Sir Alexander Cochrane, and the Rcar-Admirals Malcolm and Codrington, who were with the army during the whole of the operations on shore, he was left in charge of the line-of-battle ships, which, on account of the shallow water, could not approach within 100 miles of the scene of action ; and the Bedford, after the failure of the enterprise, was literally crowded with wounded soldiers for a very considerable period. We should .lere observe, that most of her officers, and 150 of her best men, were landed to co-operate with the troops in the attack upon New Orleans. In the summer of 1814, our officer was selected to accom- pany H. R. H. the Duke of Clarence to Boulogne, for the purpose of bringing over the Emperor of Russia and King of Prussia. Since the peace, he has commanded the Albion, Queen, and Northumberland, third rates. The latter he paid off on the 10th Sept. 1818^ and thus closed a continued ser- vice of twenty-one years as a Post-Captain. He was nomi- nated a Companion of the Bath, at the extension of that hono- rable Order in 1815 ; and advanced to the rank of Rear- Ad- miral July 19, 1821, the promotion of that memorable day ending with him. Rear-Admiral Walker has been twice married. His first wife was a daughter of the late Right Hon. General Sir John Irvine, K. B. His present lady is a daughter of Arnoldus Jones Skelton, of Branthwaite Hall, Cumberland, Esq. (who for many years, and at the time of his de-^th, was M. P. for Eye in Suffolk) and a first cousin of the Marquis Cornwallis. His eldest son, Melville, is an officer of dragoons ; his second, Frederick, a Lieutenant R. N. ; and his third, Thomas, u Mid- shipman in the navy. Residence, — Hastings . i I II k.' 854 RKAR-ADMIRALS OF THK BLUB. . k- HON. SIR CHARLES PAGET, Knt. Rear-Admiral of the Blue ; a Knight of the Royal Hanoverian Gitdplnc Order; a Groom of His Majesty's Bedchamber ; and Member of Par- liament for Carnarvon. This officer, the fifth son of Henry, the late Earl of Ux- bridge, by Jane, eldest daughter of Arthur Champagne, Dean of Clonmacnoise, and a brother of the present Marquis of Anglesey, was born Oct. 7> 1778 ; entered the naval service at an early age, and commanded the Martin sloop of war, at- tached to Admiral Duncan's fleet, in the memorable battle off Camperdo^vn, Oct. 11, 1797 *• He was advanced to the rank of Post-Captain on the 17th of the same month j and in the following year appointed to the Brilliant, a small frigate, in which he captured le Dragon, of 14 guns, laden with cocoa, cotton, coffee, and indigo, from Guadaloupe bound to I'Orient; and the St. lago, a Spanish privateer of 10 guns and 60 men. The Brilliant formed part of the armament sent against Ferrol, under the orders of Sir John B. Warren, in the autumn of 1800 f. On the 20th March following, she experienced a very heavy gale of wind in the Channel, during which she strained so much as to render it necessary for 14 of her guns to be thrown overboard. She arrived at Plymouth in a very leaky state, on the 6th April, 1801. Some time previous to the gale. Captain Paget had been chased by a French squa- dron commanded by M. Nielly, but fortunately escaped under cover of the night. His next appointmeht was to the Hydra, of 38 guns, in which ship he proceeded to the Mediterranean, where he re- mained about twelve months. On the 6th April, 1803, he commissioned the Endymion, a frigate of the largest class ; and in the course of the ensuing summer, captured la Bac- chante, a French corvette, of 18 guns, pierced for 22, and 200 men, from St. Domingo bound to Brest ; I'Adour store-ship, pierced for 20 guns, from Martinique to Rochefort j and le Ge- neral Moreau, schooner privateer, of 16 guns and 85 men. The former vessel persisted in her endeavours to escape till she * See |). 150, et sctf f See note at p. 220. HON. SIR CHARLES PAGET. 85.5 had sustained a loss of 8 men (including her second Captain) killed and 9 wounded by the Endymion's bow -chasers. Captain Paget subsequently intercepted several richly-laden Spanish merchantmen coming from South America ; but is said to have realized nearly 50,000^. less than he otherwise would have done, in consequence of an agreement he had en- tered into with Captain Thomas Elphinstone, of the Diamond, that they should share with each other whatever prizes were made during their continuance on the same station ; an en- gagement which Captain Paget most strictly fulfilled. The Endymion also captured la Colombe, French corvette, of 16 guns, off Ushant, June 1 8, 1805. In the night of March 8, 1806, the boats of the Egyptienne, into which ship Captain Paget had recently removed, made a most gallant attack upon I'Alcide, a large French privateer, frigate built, and pierced for 34 guns, which they succeeded in cutting out from under the protection of two batteries in Muros harbour. This exploit was performed under the direc- tions of Captain Uandfield, late first Lieutenant of the Egyp- tienne, who was serving sa a volunteer on board her, in con- sequence of his prornotior not having been officially commu- nicated to him. From this period we lose sight of Captain Paget till the summer of 1808, when he obtained the command of the Re- venge, of 74 guns. In 1810 he was employed in the blockade of Cherbourgh ; and whilst on tha*. &. v^ice, captured Je Ven- geur, a French lugger, of 16 guns and 78 men. He was sub- sequently appointed to the Superb, another third rate, belong - ing to the Channel fleet ; and during a cruise in the Bay of Biscay, he took several prizes ; among others the Star, an American brig, of 6 guns and 35 men, and Viper letter of marque, of the same force. In 1814, we find him employed on the coast of North America, under the orders of Sir Alex- ander Cochrane, by whom he was entrusted with the com- mand of a squadron stationed off New London ; and during his continuance there, he appears by his zeal and activity to have given the enemy great annoyance, particularly in an at- tack upon Warcham, (it which place upwards of 2,500 tons of shipping, together with a valuable cotton mill belonging to a company of merchants at Boston, were destroy' d by the boats }i liv a ijii m '» ■ ii? ! 856 REAR-ADMIRALS OF THE BLUE. ?} as a Midshipman, on board the Ar- dent, a 64-gun ship, stationed in the Bay of Biscay, to inter- cept the trade belonging to our revolted colonies, and cut off any succours that might be sent thither from France. He was afterwards removed into the America, 64, commanded by Lord Longford, which ship formed part of Admiral Keppel's fleet in the action with M. d'Orvilliers, July 27, 1778*, and on that occasion had 1 man killed and 17 wounded. Subse- quent to this event) Mr. Williams joined the London, a second rate, bearing the flag of the late Lord Graves, under whom he proceeded to North America, and continued to serve till • See note t, at p. 195. BOBKRT WILLIAMS, ESO. 857 Aug. 1781, when he was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant, in the Royal Oak, of 74 guns. During his continuance in this ship, Mr. Williams, who had previously shared in the action between Vice-Admiral Arbuthnot and the Chevalier de Ternay *, bore a part in the battles with Count de Grasse, Sept. 5, 1781 f, and April 9 and 12, 1782 J; on which latter occasion, the Royal Oak, commanded by Captain Thomas Burnet, had 8 men killed and 30 wounded. Lieutenant Williams's next appointment was to the Argo, 44, Captain Butchert, Avhich vessel, being on her leturn from Tortola to Antigua, fell in with, and after a warm action of five hours, during which period it blew so fresh that she could not open her lower-deck ports, was compelled to surrender to the French frigates la Nymphe and TAraphitrite, each mount- ing 46 guns. She was, however, re-captured about 36 hours after, by the Invincible, 74 ; and Admiral Pigot, the Comman- der-in-Chief on that station, was so well pleased with the gallantry displayed by her officers, that, immediately after they had passed the usual ordeal of a Court-Martial, and ob- tained an honorable acquittal, he offered to re-appoint the whole of them to her. This proposal being accepted by Mr. Williams, he became first Lieutenant of the Argo, and con- tinued in the same ship till the peace of 1783, when she re- turned to England, and was put out of commission. We sub- sequently find him in the Myrmidon, of 20 guns, whose Cap- tain, the present Admiral Drury, was ordered to escort a beautiful yacht sent from England as a present to the Crown Prince of Denmark ; which circumstance afforded Lieutenant Williams an opportunity of visiting the capital of that kingdom. At the period of the Spanish armament (1790), our officer obtained an appointment to the Elephant, 74, commanded by the late Sir Charles Thomson, Bart, j and on the breaking out of the war with revolutionary France, he accompanied the same officer in the Vengeance, another third rate, to the West Indies ; from whence he returned after the failure of an at- tack made upon Martinique by the forces under Rear-Admi- ral Gardner and Major-General Bruce, in June 1793 §. • See p. 40. t See note *, at p. 133. I See note at p. 35, et seq. § See Sir Georoe Montaov. I]' I III r I if 'iJ'i 858 REAU-ADMIBALS OF THE BLUK. Towards the latter end of the same year, Captain Thomp- son hoisted a broad pendant as second in command of the squadron sent under Sir John Jervis to attack the French set- tlements in the West Indies. On the arrival of the arma- ment in Fort Royal Bay, Lieutenant Williams was selected to command a division of the gun and guard-boats to be em- ployed in the approaching siege of Martinique. While on that service, and under the orders of Lieutenant Bowen, of the Boyne, he distinguished himself by his gallantry in board- ing the Bienvenu, a French frigate, lying in the Carenage close to Fort Louis. This enterprise vj^as undertaken for the purpose of rescuing a number of English prisoners said to be confined on board her, and consequently exposed to the fire of the British batteries on Point Carriere. The attack was made at noon on the IJth March, 1/94, in the presence, and to the astonishment of the whole fleet and army. The instant the boats appeared at the entrance of the Carenage, the enemy prepared to give them a warm reception. The walls of Fort Louis were covered in an instant with troops, who kept up an incessant fire of musketry on the assailants ; at the same time the frigate endeavoured to keep them oflF, by plying both her great guns and small arms ; but at length, intimidated by the boldness of the attempt, her crew fled from their quar- ters, the greater part retreating to the shore. The British now boarded the frigate, and turned her guns upon the fort, but was prevented bringing her out of the harbour in consequence of the wind blowing directly in, her sails being unbent, and the impracticability of sending men aloft to bring them to the yards, exposed as she was to the enemy's fire. Lieutenant Bowen, therefore, after ascertaining that the English prison- ers were in another vessel further up, from whence it was impossible to release them, contented himself with bringing off the French Captain, a Lieutenant, and about 20 men, whom Lieutenant Williams had discovered on the lower deck, and forced into his boat through the bow port of the frigate, by which he had entered. Being distributed among the other boats, they were conveyed in triumph to Sir John Jervis, who, in his official letter to the Admiralty, declared that " The success of this gallant action determined the General and ROBERT WILLIAMS, ESQ. a'io 1 Thoinp- nd of the rench set- he armii- jlected to ) be em- While on owen, of in board- ^arenage n for the iid to be lie tire of as made id to the tant the ! enemy of Fort kept up le same plying nidated quar- British Dvt, but quence it, and to the [tenant jrisoii- it was inging ' men, deck, igate, other ervis, "* T/ie ( and himself to attempl the fort and tmvn of Fort liot/al hi/ as- sault*:' After the conquest of Martinique, Lieutenant Williams removed with his patron, who had by this time become a Rear-Admiral, into the Vanguard, 'J A. He subsequently commanded the flat-boats employed in landing the second battalion of light infantry, (under Lieutenant-Colonel Blun- dell) at Ance du Chocque in the island of St. Lucia ; a service which he performed without any loss, although exposed to a * In consequence of the determination of the British commander^:, mentioned in the above extract from the London Gazette Extraordinary ot April 22, \ldAj a number of acaling ladders were tiiadc of long i.unibuo:; connected with strong litja : and the Asia 64, and Zebra sloop of war, com- manded by Captains Brown'.s ar»(? '^uulknor, were ordered to hold them- selves in rccsdinecd ''^^ ent^r the Oarfciu'.to, for the purpose of battering the fort, and covering the fl'avbtiats, fcar|;e8, and pinnaces, under the com- mand of Commodore TliOfiupiio:>» supported by Captains Nugent and Riou ; while a detachment oi tl.s p.rniy J'.'lvanced with iield-pieces, along the side of the hill under Foit liourbcn, •:ow/:;r(-.s the biid^t, t.ver the canal, at the back of Fort Royul. This j.Jan of attp»;b-,, >• hlch was put into execution on the 20th MrjcJi, sjicceed^f' in every j;F,rt, pxrfpr tUit«. of ',hc Asia getting into her station, .vhidi failed Jhrougfi the iniscout'icl cf M. d-- Tourelles, the former Lieutenant of the ooti, "rho hjic' UDcortak'iU t<> pilot her in, but afterwards refused to do so tfr.dur pretenr.e of shoah;. £'jrvA\'vA^ the AsiabatHedin her latempts^ Cj^pVAin, Faulknor, who. w;Ui ViO .'udett-iibable firmness, had, for a length of ti^.Me, sustained a &boive'" of ^ranc shot, de- termined to undertake this service alone. Accordingly, \»'ith matchless intrepidity and conduct, he p'j,jhed his i\xx)i ship close; un!!o\ved by hi? crew, ' calnd the ramparts before Prince Edward's brigade from La Cu?te nnd Cas Navire, and the stor.viing party of seamsn from tbe ( ;'.mp it Point Negro, uuder Cap- tains Rogers, Scott, and Bayntun, could ccme to hia assistance. Seeing the Zebra go in, all '.he boats j^eemed to f!/ fo'vards the scene of action. Those from Point Carricre landed near the Zebca ; and their men mounting the walls, assisted Me gal'anv Faulknor in driving the enemy out of the fort. The repubUea/i Qisbg ncis vmmetfiately hauled down, and the British union ho I I KM) OF VOL. I. ( f(. vi u( a III III l.( <•<) U III Ul til iil 11 ADDENDA & CORRIGENDA. I'i DmKE of (CLARENCE, (p. 1.) If. R. M. was PalrcMi ..f llie Society for the improvement ol Naval Arcliitcrtun', from its first estalilislinieiil, March 28, 179r>, till its final diAsolution. P. 4. Whilst the fleet under Vice-Adiniral Darby remained in the vicinity of Gibraltar, that place was often honored witii the presence of H. R. H. On his return to England, he presented his august father with a plan of the garrison, in the relief of which he had made his first naval essay. In that plan were dcliucated the improvements which the rock had undergone, and the new batteries formed on the heights since the com- mencement of the blockade. P. 9. It was through the joint uiterest of the royal Duke, and Admiral Lord Hood, that Nelson, after repeated applications, was appointed, at the <*ommenccmcnt of the French war, in IZJ'-'*. t" the Agamenuion, t^f (!4 guns, in which ship he afterwards so highly disting«iishe exchanged with Captain Fergnsson, the late Lieiitenant-Gdvernor ul (ireenwich Hospital, into (he Urune. I/)Rl) RADSTOCK. (p. 50). His Lordship is a Commissioner ol the ChurcU and Corporation Land Tax ; a Vic(vPresi ) Joined the IVintr (ieorg.-. ol [H< gun^ tilling at (Jhatham in llu- wintei uf 17!M. ^ ^ * 1 Hi fv 864 ADDENDA, 6lC. SIR C. M. POLE, (p. 89.) Commanded the Soipio provioiis td lii^ joining the Crown. ARTHUR KEMPE, Esq. (p. 122.) Assisted at the jjlorioiis affair of Quebec, where the immortal Wolfe fell ; and accompanied (Japtains (/ookc and Flurneaux in their respective voyages of rij^9 Echo shon; '>v the lU)\vinff 4, commanded by Captain John Elliott, with whom le proceeded to North America, and afterwards removed into the Edgar, /'4, which ship formed p«ii(! of Sir George B. Rodney's fleet, in the action witii Don Juan de Lan- gara, off Cape St. Vincent, Jan. 16, 1/80; and on thut occasion hod G men killed and 20 wounded *. Mr. Durham was sub jcciuently employed in the gun-boats at Gibraltar, then besieged by the combined armies of France and Spain. In July, 1 7^2, he was appointed to act as a Lieutenant in the Victory, of 100 guns, bearing the liag of Rear-.\dmiral Kempenfelt, with whom be served as signal officer, and afterwards joined the Royal (icorge, which ship, as already stated at p. 450, unfortunately sunk whilst on the heel at Spithead. Immediately after that melancholy event, he obtained an appointment, as acting Lieutenant, to the Union a second rate ; accompa- nied Earl Howe's fleet to the relief of Gibraltar ; and bore a part in the action oflf Cape Spartel, Oct. 20, 1782. The Union's loss on that day was 5 men killed and 15 wounded. She was afterwards detached to the West Indies, under the orders of Rear- Admiral Sir R. Hughes. From her INIr. Durham removed into the Raisonnablc, 64, in which ship he continued till the peace of 178.'^. and then joined thu Unicom, of 20gun». He subse- • Sfte note f, at p. 3, ti seif. 3k2 'ii t itj I { 868 ADDKNDA, &C. qucntly served for three years in the Salisbury, 50, bearing the liroad pen' dant of his friend Commodore Elliott, on the Newfoundland station ; and at the period of the Spanish armament, was appointed first Lieutenant of the Barfleur, 98. His promotion to the rank of Commander took place Nov. 12, 1790, and we soon after find him exchanging from the Daphne (in which ship he had been sent with despatches to Jamaica) into the Cygnet, sloop of war. He assumed the command of the Spitfire, Feb. 12, 1793; sailed immediately on a cruise, and on the 14th returned to Spithead with la Frique, a Freuch privateer, taken off Havre de Grace, and which we be- lieve was the first vessel captured under the tri-coloured flag ; at all events, the first that was brought into Portsmouth. From this period our account of Captain Durham's services appears to lie correct, with the exceptionof that part (p. 453.) wherein we state that he commanded the Colossus, of 74 guns ; which he never did. The following additional particulars have been recently communicated to us by a gentleman of the highest respectability : — On the Idth Oct. 1809, Captain Durham received an order from Lord Collingwood, to hoist a red distinguishing broad pendant, and to take the command of the third division of his lordship's fleet. Whilst filling this honorable post, he was present at the destruction of the French line-of-battle ships near Cette, already mentioned at p. 283. In the course of the same year, the Renown, being found imfit for service, was sent home, and he did not join any other ship as Captain. His flag was first hoisted in the Bul- wark ; and during the remainder of the war, he constantly commanded a detached squadron. During the time he was Commander-in-Chief in the West Indies, his con- duct was so highly approved of by the Board of Admiralty, that when Buonaparte returned from Elba and usurped the sovereign authority in France rie was requested by the first Lord to continue on that station, not- withstanding he had applied to be superseded, and another Flag-Ofliccr had been appointed to succeed him. The successful exertions of tlic ships under his orders were fully appreciated, not only by the government, but by every proprietor and inhabitant in the Leeward Islands, as will be seen by the addresses which were presented to hitii by the Members of the Insu- rance Association of Barbadoes, the Board ofCabildo of Port d'Espagne, and the Merchants of St. Thomas's. " niirhadocH, 28M Nov. 1815. " Sir, — The near approach of the period when you will resign the naval command in chief of th.s station, affords to the Members of the Insurance Association of this Island an opportunity of expressing those sentiments of admiration and respectful regard, with which your public conduct has in- spired them. " A series of brilliant exploits, recorded in the naval annals of your country, and honourably distinguished by our Sovereign with numerous marks of his royal approbation, had placed your name high on the roll of Britain's naval heroes, long before you were appointed lo this conimund : — In the exercise of that command, from the moment of its singularly auspi- ADDENDA, &C. 869 broad pen- ation; and eutenant of took place Daphne (in the Cygnet, 12, 1793; ithead with lich we be- t all events, appears to state that unioated to from LonI to take the filling this tie-of-battle 'f the aauie and he did in the Bul- imanded a es, his con- that wlicn ithority in ;ation, not- Officcr Iiud tlic ships iinent, but be seen by ■ tiie Inau- I'Espagne, Vov. 1815. the naval Insurance :iments of ct has ill- s of your lumcrous he roll of muiul : — •ly auspi^ vious commenccincnt, when you entered our harbour leading in triumph two consort French frigates of the largest class, captured by your flag-ship, you have, on every occasion, surpassed our expectations, and realized our most sanguine hopes. " By your judicious distribution of the comparatively small force at your ve join them in fervent wishes, that you may long enjoy every species of happiness, ae the well deserved reward of your emiucntly valuable services. " We have the honour to be. Sir, " With the greatest respect and esteem, " Your most obedient humble servants, •*F. A. Waluonu, "J. M'Alpin, (Signed) " Richahd Cock, " W. Oxley, "Patrick Seaver, " R. Deank. " To Sir P. Charles Durham, K. C. B. Rear-Admiral of the Red, " Commander-in-Chief, &c. &c. &c." * The last tri-coloured flag that flew in the West Indies, was hoisted on the fort near Basseterre, Guadaloupe, and struck to Sir P. C. Durham, in Aug. 1815 ; all the other posts in that island capitulated to the army, but this one was subdued by the Venerable. 870 ADnBNDA, &r. " Port oj Spain, Trinidad, bth Jan. IHlfi. "The Illustrious Board of Cabildo having resolved, that the sum of oiu' humlreil guineas be appropriated to the purchase of a sword to be pre- sented to your Excellency, in testimony of the high sense the Board enter- tuns of your merits, and of the effectual protection afforded by your Excel- lency to the maritime interests of the colony, during the period of your command, they now beg leave to communicate the resolution, and to re- quest your Ejctcllency's acceptance of it. " By command of the BoartI, (Signed) " H. Mxtrray, Sec." " ' ' *'St. Th07nas's, \%th Aug. 1815. " Sir, — We have the honour, in the name of the Merchants of St. Thomas's, to express their gratitude for your Excellency's condescension in so promptly according to their request, that this island should again be made the last port of rendezvous for the homeward-bound fleets. " The IMerchants of St. Thomas's will never forget their obligations to your Excellency, for the protection on so many occasions affoiiled to their trade ; and they beg your Excellency's acceptance of a Star *, appropriate to the order of merit conferred on you by his Royal Highness the Prince Regent, which they hope your Excellency will have the goodnes to wear as a token of their respect and esteem. " We have the honour to be. Sir, " Your E.vcellencv's most obedient humble servants, "By order of the Committee, ,' ' (Signed) " CiinisT. D. I'Etend, " ' "E. Sarqiiy. "John King. ** To his Excellency Sir P. Oharles Durham, K. C. B. " Rear-Admiral of the Bed, Commander-in-Chief, &c. &c. &c." Sir Philip C. Durham also received votes of thanks from the Members of hilB Majesty's Council, and the House of Assembly of St. Vincent's, and from the Commercial Committee of Barbadoes, by whom a grand dinner was given to the squadron, previous to the Rcar-.\dmiral'8 departure for England, where he arrived in the spring of 181 G. The following passage we extract from the Barbadoes paper, which con- tuned the ratification of the treaty of peace with America : — " We cannot let this opportunity pass, without noticing the highly im- portant services rendered to their country during the recent contest, by the Commander-in-Chief, and the officers in subordinate authority on this sta- tion. Local circumstances have renditred these seas a scene of unexampled activity ; and whenever opportunities have offered, by foiling in with Ame- rican cruisers, our ships of war have been uniformly distinguished for their spirited intrtepidity. Although the Caribbean Sea has literally entirniefl • A beautiful Diamond Star, of great value. Wan. iHJfi. |sum of OIK' •o be pre- loanl enter- I'our Excol- lod of j'our and to re- '» «^ Sec. 'tfg-. 1816. iits of St. (Icscension (I a^^ain be jifalions to Jd to their )propiJate he Prince !8 to wear rvants, TKNI>, tnljers of It's, and J dinner ture for ich coii- hly ini- by the Ins sta- Jinpled lAiiie- r their arnied ADDKNOA, &C. gfl durinjc the jiast seiison with multitudes of privateers such has been iho un- remitted vijf'.iance of the Coumiander-iu-Chief, ia the very juiiicious and attacked by the enemy on the 20th. SIR EDWARD CODRINGTON, (p. 635.) Entered the naval scr- vice July 18, 1783 ; and from that period till May 27, 17^3, served as a Midshipman in the Princess Augusta Yacht, Brisk sloop of war. Assistance of 44 guns, Leandcr 60, Ambuscade frigate. Formidable 98, and Queen Ciiarlotte, a first rate, the latter bearing the flag (Union) of Earl Flowe, (Commander-in-Chief of the Channel fleet. His promotion to the rank of Lieutenant took place June 1 7, 1 793; and on that occasion he was appointed to the Santa IMargaritta frigate, but soon after removed, by the special desire of Earl Howe, into the Pegasus of 28 guns, for the purpose of re- peating his Lordship's signals. He subsequently rejoined the Queen Charlotte, and bore a part in the battles with M. Villaret de Joyeuse, after which he was entrusted with his patron's duplicate despatches relative thereto, and sent to announce the safe arrival off Dunnose of the British fleet and the French prizes. P. 636. He was made a Commander Oct. 7, 1794; and continued in the Comet till posted into the Babct. The Druid was chiefly employed on the Lisbon station. He never assumed the command of the Argo, but declined accepting an appointment either to her or to the Aboukir. The Orion was commanded by him from May 24, 1805, till Dec. 17, 1806. In forcing the passage of the Scheldt, the Blake, having no pilot, took the ground, and was engaged with the batteries at Flushing for two hours and three quarters. The following is an extract from the London Gazette Extraordinary of Aug. 20, 1809, containing Sir Richard J. Strachau's official letter of the 17th: " Lord Gardner bears equal testimony to the " behaviour of the officers, seamen, and marines of the Blake ; and his Lord- " ship mentions the assistance he received from Captsun Codrington, in the " highest terms of praise." On the 5th Aug. 1810, Captain Codrington was charged with the re- moval of four Spanish line-of-battlc ship? from Cadiz to Minorca ; a mea- ADDENDA, &C. 873 •9, 1777. capture of 1805,011 (led. Ap- »nrx|)^L■»^)iIlg siniilur ( uininciulation vvi:ie also reccivfd l)y Captain Codriiigton froin the Siiperiur Junta, and uthcr auihoritica of Catalonia, as well as from the British Ambassador, Sir Henry Wellesley, with whom the. Coiumaiider-in-Chief had directed him to comiiiunicate by writin^r, us he nii^ht see occasion. Upon the arrival of the Blake in England, he received the following letters from the Secretary of the Admiralty : " /tdmiraltij Office, SOtfi March, ISl.S. " Sir. — I am commanded by my Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty to transmit to you herewith a copy of a letter from Mr. Hamilton of the 2{Hh inst., together with the copy of the letter therein referred to from Sir Henry Wellesley, addressed to thu Viscount Castlereagh, and also of its enclosure, statiiiMi ADDENDA, &C. 875 litude ; and would esteem it a new proof of the frii'iidship of the ffovcni- iiieiit of H. R. H. whatever may be done in favor of ti person who lias fulfilled with such zeal the intentions of the aiJi;uht ally of Spain, and has contributed by liis valor, talents, and excellent qualiticR, to raise aniongst the Spaniards the credit, of the British nation. " I have the honor to lay this representation l)eforc yonr Excelleticy, in order that you may have the jfoodness to do all in your power, that these Just wishes of the Regency may have the desired offoct. •' I renew to your Exrcllcnoy, Sic. &c. (Signed) " 1'euro Lauhadou •• 7%(? British Ambnmtdot ." The note from the Spanish Blinister to Lord Castloreagh being nearly verbatim the ^-ame as Senor Labrador's communication, we shall content ourselves with selecting the concluding pussago : " The undersigned, in complying with these directions of the govern- ment, is confident that his Excellency Lord Cusllercagh, in convcyijig them to H. R. H. the Prince Regent, will at the same lime exert his pow- erful influence, whi(*h doubtless will operate not a little towards rewarding the services of that good servant of his Britannic Majesty, wbo by his skill and other liigh ciualities, has so greatly assisted iu destroying the French in Catalonia. (Signed) " Conue de Fernan Nitnez, " Diiqtic lie Montcllano" Captain Codrington was ortlered tc anerica previous to his beinjif made a Reur-Admiral, and proceeded thither with his broad pendant on board the Forth frigate. The force on th-»t station being reduced iu consequence of the treaty of (ihent, he received directiois from Sir Alexanuer Cochrane to hoist his flag iu the Ilavannuh frigate, and return to England. In hi^ letter to the Secretary of the Admiralty, i' c Commander-in-Chief aays, " I take this opportunity to re(|ucst that you will be pleased to express to their Lordships my entire satisfaction at the manner in which Rcar-Admiral Sir Edward Codruigton has conducted his public duties while Captain of the fleet upon this station, during a scries of active operations, in which 1 have greatly bcucfited by his advice and assistance." In u letter to Sir Edward himself, he at the same lime writes, " 1 cannot allow of your de- parture from hence withoat first expressing to you how much I feci obliged by the ^cal and ability which you have displayctl in your public situation while under my command, and how much bencHt I have derived from your couusel and assistance in the active services in which the fleet and army have been engaged." Sir Edward Codrington married, Dec. 27, 1802, Mian Hall, of Old Windsor. Ife \\m recently had the misfortune to lose his eldest sou, Edward, a IVIidshipman on board the Cambrian frigate, stationed in the Mediterranean- Althougli only I!) years of age, from the conriuted to the capture of a French 64, and several merrliant ships, by Vne squadron under Rear-Admiral Digby. We next find her proceed- i.ig to the West Indies, where she bore a part in no less than five actions with the French fleet commanded by Count de (iniHse, viz., off Marti- nique, April 29, 1781 ; off the Chesapeake, Sept. fith in the same year; and in Basseterre Road Jan. 25, 26 , and 27, 1 782. In the two former she Bustnined a loss of 20 men slain and 66 woun(l<>d ; among the latter was Captain Robintton, who unfortuiiutely lo^t a leg I. * See note t» '•* P- '^S' t ^^^ »otc f, ut p. .'), rl seq. * Seep, 13.'^. N. U. The Shrewsbury also assi&lcd at the reduction of H, Eustutiu. .^^'t.^ttKhiiaHtC^-^ '^W ADDENDA, &C. 877 Mr. Dallanl was promoted to the rank of Licutcnani by Rrar-Admiral Joshua Rowley, at Jamaica, Feb. 10, 1783; and from this period served successively in the Shrewsbury, Torbay, Astrea, Monarch, Alfred, and Queen, from which latter sliip, bearing the flag of Rear-Admiral ilardner, he wax made a Commander for his gallant conduct in the battles between Earl Howe and M. Villaret de Joyeuse, May 28 and 29, and June 1, 1794. The Queen, on the laUer day, liad 36 men killed, and 67, including her Captain and 3 Lieutenants, wounded. Our officer's post commission bears date Aug. 1,1795; previous to which he hatl acted as Captain in several line-of-battle ships, during the temporary al)sence of their proper commanders ; served as a volunteer in the Queen ; regulated the quota men on the coast of Sussex ; and command- ed the Megsera fire-vessel, attached to Lord Bridport's fleet. He subse- quently acted for "some time as Captain of the Thunderer 74 ; and on the 20th Feb, 1796, obtained the command of the Pearl frigate, in which he was employed during the ensuing two years in affording protection to the Quebec, Baltic, and Newfoundland trade, and in occa.'^ional cruizes off" Calais and Havre. In March 1798, the Pearl sailed for the coast of Africa, in company with the Sheemess, of 44 guns, bearing the broad pendant of Commodore James Cornwallis. On the 25th of the following month. Captain Ballard, Avho had some days before been detached by signal, discovered and gallantly attacked a squadron consisting of two heavy French frigates and an armed brig, having under their convoy two Spai/ish galleons, lying at the Isles Delos. I)etween Rio Grande and Sierra Leone. Owing, however, to the great disparity of force, and the want of water to enable him to place the Pearl in an advantageous position, he was obliged, after sustaining a very galling fire, to run between the islands and proceed with the intelligence to Commodore (Jornwallis, whom he joined at Cape Coast on the 22d May. The Pearl on this occasion had 1 man killed, two guns dismounted, and her spars, sails, and rigging much damaged. It being soon after ascertained that the enemy had departed from the coast. Captain Ballard sailed from Sierra Leone, to which place he had returned with the Commodore, to Barbadoes, where he arrived on the 30th July, and from that period was principally employed as senior oflScer at the Saintes, watching two French frigates in Basseterre, and cruising to wind- ward of Descada, where he captured le Scievola, a privateer of 10 guns and 73 men; I'Independence of 12 guns and 66 men; a row-bout, and a Dutch schooner ; and re-ciptured eight American vessels. Returning to England in June 1 799, in company with the Vengeance 74, and a large fleet of merchantmen, chase was given to four Spanish frigates, which, owing to the bad sailing of the Vengeance, effected their escape, although the Pearl was not more than two miles from them when the signal was •nnde for her to abandon the pursiiit. In the month of October following. Captain Ballard conveyed General Fox from Poitainoulh to Minon-a. During the ensuing two years, he was en- gaged in a great variety of service on the Mcditorraneuu (tution, particu- S7S ADDKNDV, i^t\ ti larly in ilic se to |)rocrastinate an attack, tl.e luode of which was as follows : — ('aptains Volant Vashon Ballard, and (icorge Miller, of the Blonde and Thetis frigates, being well ac<|uainted with the place, to leiwl in. The fonnor ship and the Sceptre to anchor a-breast of the enemy's vessels ; the Thetis, IVeija, and < !astor fri^ate«, to bruig up near the bat- teries. The sloops of war and a schooner, to cover the boats, which were to land the party intended to storm the works. Baffling and light winds prevented the ships taking their tttations till about 4 P. M., at which time Sir Alexander Cochrane was approaching to their support, in the Pomp«^e, of 74 guns ; but seeing the judicious ar- rangement (»f t^aptaii' Ballard, he vhieli was borne bv the Blonde, Thetis, Cygoet, Ila/ard, and tlie islaixl , hail suf- und inun, ofs, every ppearance r, aiul the resources lo, liad the besic,j(ers ; gthcii the wn till the a truce, id off the ards of six uad ahout ed, were a n ; and an French fri- ica ; and u 0 the Dey- >r an active ,n that of a jter with property to an immense amount. P. 794. At the time Captain Wood drew up liis remarks relative to Mount St. Antonio, the fort was garrisoned by a Serjeant's party only. REAR-ADMIRAL MOUBRAY. The following is a copy of the let- ter of thanks alluded to at p. 810: — " Magnificent, at St. Maura, April 19, 1810. " Sir, — The siege of St. Maura having ended by the surrender of the for- tress, and the garrison becoming prisoners of war, I feel it incumbent upon mc to enclose for your information the order issued upon that occasion, by Brigadier-General Oswald, expressing his sentiments upon the conduct of the seamen and marines employed on shore, and immudiatcly under his own observation . and it is a great pleasure to mv at Ihc same time to le.s- VOL. I. 3 L 883 ADDBNDA, &C. tify the sense I iiave of that zealous alacrity which was so conspicuously displayed by the Captains, Officers, and ships' conipanitts, in carrying for- ward the various duties of the siege, and on every occasion where an oppor- tunity presented itself. For the active and unremitting support and assist- ance which I personally received, I request you to accept my warmest thanks. &c. &c. &c. (Signed) "Gbq. Eyrh. *' Captain Moubray, " H. M. S. Montagu." REAR-ADMIRAL V/ALKER, (p. 849.) Immediately after his pro- motion to the rank of Commander, he went as a volunteer with his late Captain, the Hon. A. K. Legge, and his old messmates of the Niger, in the Latona. At Christmas in the same year, he was appointed to act as Cap- tain of the Gibraf.tar, an 80-gun ship, under orders for the Mediterraneaa; but just as he wfis setting out to join her, intelligence arrived at the Admi- ralty that the French fleet had put to sea in great force, which rendered it necessary to strengthen the grand fleet ; and the Gibraltar was consequently attached to it, an older officer being at the same time nominated to eoin- niand her. Captain Walker was, however, noted for the first vacant sloup of war, and soon after appointed to the Terror bomb. In the month of June following, he was ordered to assume the temporary command of the Trusty 50, and to escort five sail of East Indiamea to a certain latitude, " where after having seen them in tafety,** he was to return to Spithead. For two or three days after he reached the prescribed latitude, the wind continaing at S. W., he did not consider his charge " in safety ^^^ ind consequently the spirit i^ his orders not completed. He therefore thought it his duty to continue with the Indiamen till the wind became more favnrablc, immediately after which he parted company and proceeded toward* Eng land. The next day he spoke a Dane from Cadiz, wli» acquainted liim that about forty sail of English merchant vessels had been lying therel some time for want of convoy, and under heavy demurrage. Thin infor- mation being shortly after confirmed by a Swede, also from that port Captun Walker conceiving bis ship could not be more beneficially em| ployed than in protecting tlie commerce of his country, took upon bimielj to touch at Cadiz, and take charge of all the British vessels lying ther amounting to thirty-three sail of merchantmen and three transports, i\ whole of which he conducted in perfect safety to Engkud. Twomem( rials of the Spanish merchants residing in London, presented in favor i Captun Walker, stated " the value of this fleet to amount to upwardt a million sterling, which but for his acUvs exertions would have been i in great danger, at a most critical time, when the Spaniards were nei nting a peace with France.** ■ -. . - During the Trusty's stay at Cadiz, five 'of her oAcers were arre? orders from the Governor, for carrying money •ff to tlie ship on a of the merchants } and the Spanish government having made stroi sentations on the subject to the British ministry, it was deeuie .I'll conspicuously n carrying for- 'here an oppor- )ort and assist- i my warmest Eo. Eyrb. f after his pro- with his late 5 Niger, ia tlie to act as Gap- [editerraneao; at the Adini- cb rendered it I consequently latsd to eoiii- : vacant akof :he month of amand of the tain latitude, ^ to Spithead. | dc, the wiiid ' safety,^* wd >re thought it / )re fnvoirablc, lowardflEflg-j ^uainttdhim/ \ lyiuy there/ ThijiDforJ D that porti eficiaf ly cmi ipott bimisl/ lying tiien nsports, t Two memi in favor upwardi ve beer, i ^ere nei ' . J. arre» on 0 troi ne '■ .('•1 1% 'Jt ? /