ROYAL

NAVAL BIOGRAPHY;

OR,

iWemaira of tl;e g>ertotces

OF ALL THE

FLAG-OFFICERS,

SUPERANNUATED REAR-ADM IRA LS,

RETIRED-CAPTAINS,

POST-CAPTAINS,

AND COMMANDERS,

Whose names appeared on the Admiralty List of Sea Officers at the commence-
ment of the present year, or who have since been promoted ;

Illustrated by a Series of

HISTORICAL AND EXPLANATORY NOTES,

Which will be foutvi to contain an account of all the

NAVAL ACTIONS, AND OTHER IMPORTANT EVENTS,

FROM THE COMMENCEMENT OF THE LATE REION, IN 1760,
TO THE PRESENT PERIOD.

WITH COPIOUS ADDENDA.

By JOHN MARSHALL (b),

LIEUTENANT IN THE ROYAL NAA'V.

"Failures, however frequent, may admit of extenuation and apology. To have attempted
•* much is always laudable, even when the enterprise is above the strength that undertakes it.
" To deliberate whenever I doubted, to enquire whenever I was ignorant, would have protracted
" the undertaking without end, and perhaps without improvement. I saw that one enquiry only
" gave occasion to another, that book referred to book, that to search was not always to find, and
" to find was not always to be informed; and that thus to pursue perfection, was, like the first
" inhabitants of Arcadia, to chace the sun, which, when they had reached the hill where he
" seemed to rest, was Mill beheld at the same distance from them." Johnson.

VOL. I. PART II.

liontlOH :

PRINTED FOR LONGMAN, HURST, RFFS, ORME, AND BROWN,
PATERNOSTLR ROW.

1823.

o

W. Pople, Printer,
<">/", Chancery L'ant .

433

SIR HARRY (BURRARD) NEALE,

Baronet; Vice-Admiral of the White; Knight Grand Cross of the
most honorable Military Order of the Bath ; M. P. for Lymington ;
Biding Forrester of the Nero Forest ; and Mayor of Christchurch,
Hants.

There can be little doubt that the name of Burrard is a
pure Saxon compound, consisting of Burh or Burgh, a town
or city, and Heard, a shepherd or keeper ; which circumstance
alone is sufficient to denote, that the family is of consider-
able antiquity.

The subject of this memoir is the eldest 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
of that name, who died April 12, 1791.

Previous to the war with France, in 1793, 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 l'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 Hieres
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. Fiorenzo, 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 Nymphe, 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 as decided and prompt an attack as pos-
sible ; for this purpose both ships bore down on the headmost

VOL. I. 2 F

434 VICK -ADMIRALS OF THE WHITE.

and largest of the French 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 Wirtemberg 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 under 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 /th 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 company 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,

* For an account of the mutiny at the Nore, see p. 160, et seq.

SIR HARRY NEALE, BART. 435

accompanied by a large cutter, and made sail towards the
British frigates. Sir Harry Neale, with great firmness and
resolution, notwithstanding the disaster which had befallen
the Amelia, made the signal to prepare for battle, and mani-
fested a readiness to meet the enemy. When he had run
a little to leeward, he shortened sail, that the Amelia, whose
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 up with
the British frigates, and a brisk action ensued. Asfthe 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
fire of the batteries on these islands. After engaging 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 YJ 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 the
battle, the St. Fiorenzo captured a French letter of marque
from Cape Fraugois, laden with sugar, coffee, and indigo.

In the spring of 1801, Sir Harry was appointed to the
Centaur of 74 guns ; and subsequently to the Royal Charlotte
yacht, the command of which he retained until 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 Sovereign, a new
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 3h 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

2f 2

43f> VICE-ADMIRALS OF THE WHITE.

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 ; 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 G wounded. The loss sustained by the
enemy amounted to 05 slain and 80 wounded ; among the
latter was the French Admiral Linois.

Early in 1808, Sir Harry Neale was appointed Captain of
the Channel fleet, under Lord Gambier. 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.

SIR JOSEPH SYDNEY YORKE,

Vice-Admiral of the White ; Knight Commander of the most honorable
Military Order of the Bath ; Member of Parliament for Key gate ; and
a Director of Greemcich Hospital.

This officer is the youngest son of the late Right Hon.
Charles Yorke, Lord Chancellor of Great Britain *, by Agne-

* Lord Chancellor Yorke was the second son of Philip, 1st Earl of
Hardwicke, who had also held the same high office. He received the seals

SIR JOSEPH SYDNEY YORKE. 437

ta, second daughter and co-heiress of the lute Henry Johnson
of Berkhamstead, Esq., and was born in London, June 6th,

1768.

Mr. Yorke entered the naval service Feb. 15th, 1780 3 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 the flag of the late Lord Rodney, to whom
he acted as Aid-de-Camp at the great battles fought offGua-
daloupe, April 9th and 12th, 1782, in which the French fleet
was totally defeated, and Admiral the Count de Grasse, taken
prisoner *.

A general peace followed the above glorious event ; and the
Formidable having returned to England, our young officer,
after a short interval, joined the Assistance of 50 guns,
Commodore Sir Charles Douglas, stationed on the coast of
America ; and subsequently the Salisbury of 50 guns, Captain
Sir Erasmus Gower, bearing the broad pendant of the late
Admiral J. Elliot, in which ship he continued on the New-
foundland station nearly three years, in the capacity of Mas-
ter's Mate.

Mr. Yorke was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant, June
16th, 1789, and served as such on board the Adamant of 50
guns, Rear- Admiral Sir R. Hughes, Bart. Thisbe frigate,
and Victory of 100 guns. In the following year he was
elected M. P. for Reygate f, in Surry, in which borough his
family has considerable property. Lieutenant Yorke conti-
nued in the Victory during the Spanish and Russian arma-

in 1770, and was created a Peer by the title of Baron 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.

f He represented Reygate in Parliament until the year 1806, and was
then returned for the borough of St. Germains, Cornwall-

438 VICE- ADMIRALS OF THE WHITE.

merits ; 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.

The Circe was actively employed in the Channel Soundings,
Bay of Biscay, &c ; and Captain Yorke had the good fortune
to capture several of the enemy's large privateers, and a num-
ber of merchant vessels ; he also took the Espiegle French
corvette close to Brest harbour, and in sight of a very su-
perior French squadron.

In the month of August, 1794, 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 officer being in company with a
light squadron under the orders of Captain James Alms, gave
chace to two large ships and a cutter. At 4h 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 fight with the other ships of the British
squadron. In this spirited action, the Stag had 4 men slain
and 13 wounded, and the enemy between 40 and 50 killed
and wounded.

Captain Yorke continued to command the Stag, and cruized
with considerable success against the armed 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, our 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 Vleigheld by James, but in the Gazette account described as
above.

SIR JOSEPH SYDNEY VORKE. 439

miral Chapman's models,) until 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 Ireland,Cap-
tainYorke, as his proxy, received the honor of knighthood f.

On the 31st July, 1810, Sir Joseph was advanced to the
rank of Rear-Admiral of the Blue ; and in the month of Jan.
following, he hoisted his flag on board the Vengeur of J4
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 Yorke's brother, the Right Hon. C. Yorke, formerly Secre-
tary of War and Secretary of State, was about the same time nominated
First Lord Commissioner, in which post he continued for two years. Dur-
ing the period of the two brothers sitting at the board, the Break-water in
Plymouth Sound was decided upon and commenced ; the dock-yard at
Pembroke, and the improvements in Sheerness-yard, were also determined
upon : the iron tanks, iron cables, and round bows of the ships of war,
were generally introduced in the service, together with other essential im-
provements. Previous to Sir J. Sidney Yorke resigning his seat at the
Admiralty, the round sterns were also brought forward, at the suggestion of
Sir R. Seppings, and their utility strenuously supported by our officer.

f Philip, Earl of Hardwicke, was made. Lord Lieutenant of Ireland iu
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 husband, his cha-
racter ranks with the best.

I The borough of Sandwich generally returns a naval officer as one of
its representatives.

440 VICE-ADMIRALS OF THE WHITE.

The Vice- Admiral 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 married, first, in April IJ9S, 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, born April 1799; served 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, dowrager Marchioness of Clanricarde, and
daughter of George, twelfth Marquis of Winchester.

* The following lines were addressed to Sir Joseph Sydney Yorkc, 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,
The tears of the orphan fell frequent, though soft ;
These, by some disregarded, were pitied by thee —
And for Yorke 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 Shipmate,
t Sec p. 225, el teq.

SIR JOSEPH SYDNEY YORKE. 441

Country 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,

Vice-Admiral of the White; Knight Commander of the most honor-
able Military Order of the Bath, and a Vice-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 child 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 ; 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 1st 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 Commodore Payne, sent

» See p. 7b, et seq.

442 VICE ADMIRALS OK 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 ship 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 Spain +. 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 31st 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, 1812.
" Excellent Sir, — The bravery and enthusiasm with which the illustri-
ous seamen of the naval forces under your Excellency'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 troops, excite in such a manner the gratitude of the

t See p. 353. * See p. 405. § Sec p. 316, et $eq.

HON. SIR ARTHUR KAYE LEGGB. 443

inhabitants, that language is insufficient to express the succours and effect-
ual assistance which your 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 secure ; and a wise constitution restores
to the Spaniards their liberty and their rights. These advantages, as well
national as 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-
cially those of the Flotilla, and of 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
for their welfare, will have 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 Valdes, President.

" To His Excellency A. K. Legge."

The Rear- Admiral replied to the above address in the fol-
lowing terms :

" H. B. M. S. Revenge, Cadiz Bay, Sept. 22, 1812.
" Most Excellent Sirs, — I beg, in the name of myself, and the
officers and men I have the honor to command, to thank you for the hand-
some mark of attention you have been pleased to shew us, by sending a de-
putation from your body on board the Revenge ; an honor we shall ever

444 VICE-ADMIRALS OF THE WlflTE.

consider with the highest esteem and gratitude to the loyal and patriotic
inhabitants of this noble city.

" In all our endeavours to prevent this city from falling into the iron
grasp of the most despotic tyranny that ever disgraced mankind, we have
been animated by the example of firmness, constancy, and devotion to the
great and glorious cause in which we are mutually engaged, so eminently
shewn by the brave people of Cadiz during such a length of time, under
circumstances the most distressing and irritating, and to that of the Royal
Spanish Marine, with whom we have ever had a pride in co-operating.

" The services of the British officers and men who have so long served
in the flotilla in whose welfare you have been kindly pleased to interest
yourselves, are duly appreciated by me, and I have not failed to represent
them to the notice of the British government.

" That this noble city may long enjoy prosperity, and that freedom which
its inhabitants so richly deserve, is, gentlemen, the sincere wish and prayer
of your devoted and very obedient humble servant,

" A. K. Leggk, Rear-Adm. Com. H. B. M.'s
" ships in Cadiz Bay.

" Their Excellencies the Aejantamiente of Cadiz."

Some time after his return to England, Rear-Admiral Legge
was appointed to the command in the river Thames, and
hoisted his flag in the Thisbe frigate, off Greenwich, where it
continued during the remainder of the war. He was advanced
to the rank of Vice- Admiral, June 4, 1814; and nominated a
K. C. B. Jan. 2, 1815. At the funeral of our late Monarch
he assisted in the quality of a Groom of the Bedchamber.

Residence. — Blackheath, co. Kent.

RIGHT HONORABLE

GEORGE, EARL OF GALLOWAY,

Viscount Garlics; Baron Stewart of Garlies ; Knight of the most ancient
and most noble Order of the Thistle; Vice-Admiral of the White; and
Lord Lieutenant of Kircudbright Slewartry.

This nobleman is descended from Sir John Stewart, of
Bonkill, second son of Alexander, sixth Lord High Steward
of Scotland, who obtained from King Alexander III, a grant
of the lands of Garlies, in 1263 *, succeeded Sir William
Wallace in the chief command of the Scots, and was killed at

* Sir John Stewart was grand-uncle of King Robert II., the first Scotch
King of the name of Stewart.

EARL OF GALLOWAY. 445

the battle of Falkirk, July 22, 1298. The Earldom of Gallo-
way was first conferred by James I. upon Sir Alexander
Stewart of Garlies, who had previously been created Lord
Garlies, 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 Garlies,
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 1/81 *,
and the relief of Gibraltar, in 1782 f.

In 1789, 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 Garlies 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

* See p. 175. t See pp. 17. 106

446 vice-admirals ok the white.

into the Bellerophon of J4 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 administration 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 1J9J, Lady Jane Paget, daugh-
ter of Henry, late Earl of Uxbridge, and sister of the present
Marquis of Anglesey. His eldest daughter married, Jan. 11,
1819, George, Marquis of Blandford, son of the Duke of
Marlborough.

Chief seat. — Garlies, Wigtownshire.

SIR FRANCIS LAFOREY,

Baronet; Vice-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 Laforev, 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 1/53, 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, 1J&7 > 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.

SIR FRANCIS LAFOREV, BART. 44~

On the 5th June, four days after his arrival, he was promo-
ted to the rank of Post-Cpptain, and soon after appointed to
the Carysfort of 34 guns and 197 men, in which ship, on the
29th May, 1J94, 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, u That if any ship or vessel re-taken,

448 VICE ADMIRALS OF THE WHITE.

shall appear to have been, after the taking of his Majesty's
enemies, by them set forth as a ship of war, the said ship or
vessel shall not be restored to the former owners or proprie-
tors, but shall in all cases, whether re-taken by his Majesty's
ships, or by any privateer, be adjudged a lawful prize for the
benefit 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 question, should be adjudged to be
lawful prize to the captors.

Captain Laforey was afterwards appointed to I'Aimable, of
32 guns ; and in the summer of 1795, conveyed his father to
Antigua, he having been re-appointed to the chief command
on the Leeward Island station. Early in the following year,
our officer removed from the Beaulieu, which frigate he had
commanded but a short time, into the Scipio, of 64 guns, and
in that ship assisted at the capture of the Dutch settlements
of Demerara, Essiquibo, and Berbice, by the squadron under
the orders of Commodore Parr, in conjunction with a body
of troops, commanded by Major-General Whyte. In the
harbour of Berbice 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 1 4th 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 hour, ran ashore, and was destroyed by
the British boats the following morning. She proved to be
la Confiante, of 36 guns ; and by a role d' equipage found on

SIR FRANCIS LAFORKV, BART. 449

board, manned with 300 men, several of whom were found
killed upon her decks ; the rest of the crew escaped on shore.
The corvette la Vesuve, of 20 guns, escaped ; but the cutter
was driven on shore and destroyed. This service was
effected without any loss on hoard the English ships.

In 1799 and 1800, the Hydra was employed at the Lee-
ward Islands. On his return from thence, Sir Francis removed
into the Powerful of 74 guns, and proceeded to the Baltic
to reinforce the fleet in that sea. He afterwards accompanied
Sir Charles M. Pole to Cadiz Bay, where he continued until
the termination of hostilities. The Powerful subsequently
formed part of the squadron of observation sent from Gibral-
tar to Jamaica, under Captain (now Sir 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
Lord Nelson in pursuit of the combined fleets of France and
Spain, and was thus afforded 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 Laforev 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 wras created a K. C. B. Jan.
2, 1815 ; and became a Vice-Admiral, Aug. 12, 1819.

Country seat. — Whitby, co. Devon.

Town residence. — 62, George- street, Portman- square.

VOL. I.

2

450 YICK-AIJ.MIi: \[.S OF TIIK WUlTh.

SIR PHILIP CHARLES DURHAM,

Vice- Adm'rml of the White; Knight Commander of the most honorable
Military Order of the Bath ; and Knight of the French Military
Order of Merit.

This officer is th<> third son of the late James Durham, of
Largo, in Fifeshire, N. B. Esq., and was one of the Lieute-
nants of the Royal George, hearing the flag of Rear-Admiral
Kempenfelt, when that ill-fated ship sank at her anchors at
Spithead, by which melancholy accident 900 souls are sup-
posed to have perished, among whom were the Rear-Admiral,
several of the officers, and many women and children. Cap-
tain Waghorn, Lieutenant Durham, and about 300 others,
were picked up by the boats *.

* On the 2.9th Aug-. 1/82, 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
lay at anchor, without going into harbour. This surely was a hazardous
expedient, especially in a roadstead so much exposed to sudden squalls as
Spithead ; and the object to be gained by it should have beeii very import-
ant and very evident, to have justified its adoption : and if in this instance
k was at all justifiable, the execution of it ought to have been attended to
with peculiar care. But the dreadful accident winch happened, affords a
fatal proof that the proper precautions for security had not been taken.
On the above-mentioned 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 the 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

SIR PHILIP CHARLES DURHAM. 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 approached 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 enstied; but the enemy pushing through
the Passage du Raz, the only ships taken were l'Etoile, of 30
guns, and four merchantmen.

On the 27th July, 1797? 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 the top-sail yards, which remained
above water after the ship reached the bottom. About 70 more were
picked up by the boats from the other ships at the anchorage. Rear-
Admiral Kempenfelt, the rest of the officers, 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 island 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.
O r 2

A U A

452 VICK-ADMIRALS OF THK WHITE.

tiori 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 36 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 I Ith Oct. 1J98, 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 11 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
gallantly 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 wounded. La Loire had on
board cloathing 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
Durham, captured several French and Spanish privateers,

* See Captaia John C. White, ia our next volume,
f See p. 171.

SIR PHILIP CHARLES DURHAM. 453

She was also in occasional attendance on their late Majesties
at Weymouth. On the 9th Sept. 1799, 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 peculiar 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 YJ men slain and 53 wounded. Among the latter
number was Captain Durham, whose exertions after the
battle, in endeavouring to save l'Aigle, a French 74, from
bein°- wrecked, were particularly noticed by Nelson's gallant
successor, Vice-Admiral Collingwood, in his official des-
patches.

At the public funeral of his heroic chief, our officer bore
the banner of the deceased, as a Knight of the Bath. He
subsequently commanded the Renown, of 74 guns, 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, 1810.

In 1811, we find Rear- Admiral Durham commanding a
division of the North Sea fleet, employed off the Scheldt.
During the two following years his flag was flying on board
the Bulwark, in the Channel. Towards the conclusion of the
war, he was appointed Commander-in-Chief at the Leeward

* See p. 405.

454 vice-aijmiuals of tiik white.

Islands, and proceeded thither in the Venerable, 74. On his
passage out, in company with the Cyane sloop, he had the
good fortune to fall in with, and capture, two French frigates
of the largest class, the Alcmene and Iphigenia ; the former,
in an attempt to board the Venerable, had 32 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 other
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 rewarded with the Cross of the Order of
Military Merit of France ; and is, we believe, the only British
subject who enjoys that mark of distinction.

Sir Philip C. Durham was advanced to the rank of Vice-
Admiral, Aug. 12, 1819. He married, first, in 1J99, Lady
Charlotte Bruce, third daughter and seventh child of Charles,
fifth Earl of Elgin, by Martha, only child of Thomas White,
Esq., banker in London. Lady Charlotte's mother filled the
highly important office 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.

SIR ISRAEL PELLEW,

yice-Admiral of the White; and Knight Commander of the most hono-
rable Military Order of the Bath.

It might be a subject of curious disquisition, to enquire
into the origin of this name ; but this is rendered totally un-
necessary, by the fame attached to it in modern periods,
which would have imparted a brilliancy to any name, even of

* See Captains Thomas Forrest, and James Andreav Worth, vol. 2.

SIR ISRAEL PELLEW. 455

the most ancient and illustrious family, and reflected back a
splendor, on the most distinguished ancestry, not inferior to
that of its proudest actions.

The subject of this memoir is a younger brother of Admiral
Viscount Exmouth ; 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 memoir 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 25th, 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 ; 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 Edward
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, and 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 300, not more than 40 of whom
were saved, and several of these severely wounded. Captain
Pellew, his first Lieutenant, and Captain Swaffield of the
Overyssel, were in the cabin at dinner ; hearing a kind of

456 VICE-ADMIRALS 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 Swaffield, Mr. John
Hearie, 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 mizen-mast) were
shivered almost to pieces, and forced out of the ship ; four of
her main-deck guns 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 masthead.

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 occasioned, shared
the fate of his miserable companions.

Captain Pellew afterwards commanded the Cleopatra frigate,
stationed in the Channel, where he captured l'Emilie, French
privateer, of 18 guns and 110 men. Towards the latter end
of 1798, he escorted a fleet of merchantmen to Halifax, where
he continued 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
fore-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, wTith 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 officers 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 beams. The

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 tafferel 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-boom, sprit-saii-
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 cruize, and some time previous to this accident, Captain
Pellew being off Cuba, in company with the Andromache,
sent the boats of the two frigates into Levita Bay', for the pur-
pose of cutting out some vessels which lay at anchor there under
the protection of three armed gallies. The enemy, expecting
an attack, was prepared for their reception ; and on the ap-
proach of the boats, discharged such a tremendous volley of
grape and langridge as to occasion great slaughter among the
assailants, who with intrepid bravery pushed on, and boarded
and carried one of the gallies. The incessant fire from the
enemy, however, having nearly destroyed all the boats,
obliged them to relinquish any further attempt, and retreat to
their ships, with the loss of Lieutenant Taylor of the Cleopa-
tra, who commanded the party, and 1 1 others killed, and 17
wounded.

After this disastrous cruize, Captain Pellew returned to the
coast of America, where he continued until the suspension
of hostilities. The Cleopatra arrived at Portsmouth, from
Halifax, Dec. 6, 1801.

In the spring of 1804, he was appointed to the Conqueror,
of 74 guns, stationed in the Channel. Towards the close of
the same year, he joined the fleet in the Mediterranean, under
the orders of Lord Nelson, whom he accompanied to the West
Indies, in pursuit of the combined squadrons of France and
Spain. Captain Pellew was also present at the battle of Tra-
falgar, on which memorable occasion the Conqueror had 3
men killed and 9 wounded.

45!S VICE-ADMIRALS OF THK WHITE.

Our officer was subsequently employed under the orders
of Sir Charles Cotton, blockading the Tagus; in which service
he continued until the surrender of the Russian fleet * : soon af-
ter which he was appointed to superintend the payments of the
ships afloat at Chatham. On the 31st July, 1810, he attained
the rank of Rear- Admiral ; and in the following year accom-
panied his brother to the Mediterranean, as Captain of the
fleet on that station, where he remained till the peace. He
was nominated K. C. B. Jan. 2, 1815 ; and advanced to the
rank of Vice-Admiral, Aug. 12, 1819.

ALEXANDER FRASER,

y ice-admiral of the White, and Equerry to H. R: H. the Duhe of Cam-
bridge.

The subject of this memoir is the eldest surviving son of
Hugh Fraser, Esq., surveyor of the Customs at Lerwick, in
Shetland (and 5th in lineal descent from William, second son
of Thomas Fraser, of Strichen, Esq., second son of Alexander
fifth Lord Lovat, who died in 1558), by Jane, daughter of the
Rev. Thomas Linning, of Walstein. His maternal grandmo-
ther was eldest daughter of John Hamilton, of Gilkerscleugh,
Esq., descended from the first Marquis of Hamilton.

Our officer was born about the year 1/51, and when only
nine years of age, entered the naval service on board the Fly
sloop, commanded by the late admiral Gayton, with whom he
served at the reduction of Belleisle f.

At the conclusion of the war, in 1/63, Mr. Fraser returned
to school, where he continued until the latter end of the year
1767, when he went as Midshipman of the Mermaid frigate,
to America, and remained in her three years ; at the expira-
tion of which he was appointed acting Lieutenant of the Bo-
netta sloop.

* See p. 432.
f Belleisle surrendered June 7, 1761, to the naval and military forces
under the respective commands of the Hon. Commodore Keppel, and Major-
General Hodgson. The French garrison consisted of 2,600 men, 922 of
whom were either killed, wounded, or taken prisoners, during the siege.
The loss sustained by the British in ejecting this conquest, amounted t
313 killed, and 494 wounded

ALEXANDER ERASER. 459

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 the Scarborough,^ 20~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 annoyed 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 Sluiklham,

4G0 VICE-ADMIRALS OF THE WHITE.

who had been superseded in the chief command on the Ame-
rican station by Earl Howe.

In 1777, Lord Sandwich, then at the head of the Admiralty,
gave Mr. Fraser his first commission, with the flattering com-
pliment— that it was for his services in America. The ap-
pointment was to the Hector, of /4 guns, Captain Sir John
Hamilton *. In the month of June, 1/78, our officer was or-
dered to take charge of la Licorne French frigate, detained by
the Hector, and carried her into Portsmouth harbour. On
the 27th of July following, he was present in the action be-
tween Keppel and d'Orvilliers f.

The Hector continued with the Channel fleet until 1779,
when she was ordered to the West Indies with Sir George
B. Rodney. In the summer of 1780, she formed part of a
squadron, consisting of four line-of-battle ships, one of 50guns,
and a frigate, sent under the Hon. Captain Cornwallis to es-
cort the homeward bound trade through the Gulf of Florida.
After performing that 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
manoeuvring his little squadron with so much judgment, that
the French Admiral did not think it adviseable to hazard a
close action. Some random shot only passed between them,
by which a few men were killed and wounded. Soon after
this affair Mr. Fraser exchanged into the Conqueror, 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 squadron 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
100 men constantly employed during the remainder of the
voyage, baling the water out at the hatchways. By extraor-
dinary exertions, however, she arrived at Spithead, and her
Commander (the late Admiral Dickson) ever afterwards de-

* Father of the present Vice-Admiral Sir Charles Hamilton, and Rear.
Admiral Sir Edward Hamilton.

t See Note f, at p. 195,

ALEXANDER FRASER. 461

clared that the preservation of the ship was in a great measure
owing to the efforts of Mr. Fraser.

Commodore Johnstone having, in the mean time, completed
the number of his Lieutenants, Mr. Fraser was induced to ac-
cept a commission for the St. Carlos, a 50-gun ship, arm'te en
flute, attached to the armament ; he was consequently in the
skirmish in Porto Pray a, when M. de Suffrein surprised vthe
British squadron * ; soon after which event he was removed
into the liomney, bearing the broad pendant of his patron, with
whom he returned to England.

We next find our officer serving as first Lieutenant of the
Panther, in the action with the combined fleets, after the
relief of Gibraltar in 1782, by -Lord Howe. He was after-
wards removed into the Ruby, of 64 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 squadron to wind-
ward of Barbadoes, the Ruby, after an action of 48 minutes
within pistol-shot, took the Solitaire, of equal force, which
had 38 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, Lieu-
tenant Fraser joined the Formidable, bearing the flag of Ad-
miral Pigdt ; but in consequence of peace taking place, 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
until the Autumn of 1/86. It was on this station he had the
good fortune of acquiring the acquaintance and friendship of
the late Lord Nelson, who then commanded the Boreas fri-
gate ; which continued till the lamented death of that great
officer.

In the month of June, 1787, 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 Pigot was to have the command,
he removed Eieutenant F. from the Colossus, to be first of
his own ship, the Royal Sovereign, at Plymouth. Thus, when
the armament ceased, he, on the 1st. Dec. in the same year,
at length obtained the rank of Commander, but remained un-

* See \i. 2f>8, et seq.

462 VICE-ADMIRALS OF THE WHITE.

employed till the Autumn of 1790? when he was appointed to
the Savage sloop, on the Greenock station, where he conti-
nued till the latter end of 1792. The Savage was then or-
dered to the River to assist in carrying to the Nore the newly
impressed men ; from thence she was sent to join Admiral
M 'Bride, in the Downs.

At the breaking out of the war with France, Captain Fraser
captured la Custine a privateer, and several Danish ships
laden with corn bound to that country. In April, 1793, he
was directed to take the Ferret sloop and several cutters under
his command, and proceed off Ostend : here he received a re-
quisition from the Baron de Mylius, to land and take posses-
sion of the town and garrison ; with which he complied, and
ran the Savage into the harbour, landing about 500 men, partly
marines and partly seamen. On the 5th, he received from the
Court of Brussels the intelligence, that General 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 ; and 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 Captain 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. ; previous to
which, he was, on the 1st July, 1793, promoted to post rank
in the Redoubt, of 20 guns, the Savage's crew turned over
into her, and sent to the same station ; where he materially

ALEXANDER ERASER. 463

contributed to the defence of Nieuport, by anchoring close
in-shore, and firing into the enemy's camp over the sand-hills.

In July, 1794, Captain Fraser was appointed to the Proser-
pine frigate, attached to the North Sea fleet, under the orders
of Admiral Duncan, on which service he continued until Dec.
1795, and then removed into the Shannon, a new frigate of 32
guns, stationed on the coast of Ireland, where he captured the
following French privateers : le Duguay Trouin, of 24 guns
and 150 men ; le Grand Indien, 20 guns, 125 men ; la Julie,
18 guns, 120 men ; and la Mouche, 16 guns, 122 men.

In 1799, 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 Gambier in the expedition against Copenhagen.

When the Commander-in-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 blockade 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

464 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 period, 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 ; the eldest of the former is an officer in the

SIR BENJAMIN HALLOWELL. 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.
Residence. — Send Lodge, Shetland.

SIR BENJAMIN HALLOWELL,

Vice-Admiral of the White ; Commander-in-Chief in the River Medway ;
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 off the
Chesapeake ; on which occasion his ship, the Alcide, of 74
guns, 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 Alfred, 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 Samuel 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.

f 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.
Inglefield.

VOL. I. 2 H

466 VICK-ADMrRALS OF THE WHITS.

and 40 wounded, including among the former her Captain,
W. Bayne, to whose memory a monument was afterwards
erected hy 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 corvette, 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 Pcrstmouth,
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 Radstock, 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 was successfully performed
under the able management of the former officer, aided by the
skilful and zealous conduct of Captains Hallowell and
Matthews. Subsequent to this event the British fleet anchor-
ed in Hieres Bay ; and Captain Elphinstone 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 Bastia, on
which occasion he hadthe charge of the flotilla appointed to
watch the mouth of the harbour, and was employed on that

* Captain Bayne was killed on the 9th April. See note at p. 39.
t Captain Elphinstone, now Viscount Keith.

SIR BENJAMIN 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
sheiv the daily occurrences of the siege ; and whose unremit-
ting zeal and exertion I cannot sufficiently applaud, or that
of Captain Hallowell, ivho took it by turns to command in
the advanced batteries, 24 hours at a time ; and I flatter my-
self they, as ivell as the other officers and seamen, will have
full justice done them by the General f: it is therefore un-
necessary for me to say more upon the subject."

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 the enemy off the Hieres Islands, July 13, 1795 %.
From this period we find no further mention of him until after
the evacuation of 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 got under weigh,
and made two or three boards under close reefed topsails, with
a view of gaining the anchorage in Rosia 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 ||,

* See p. 252.
f Lieutenant-General Stuart, see ibid.
X See p. 254. § See p. 255.

|| Moris Ahyla, remarkable fur the number of apes about its summit, on
which account it is generally called Ape's Hill.

2 ii 2

4(38 VICE-ADMIRALS OF THE WHITB.

and in a very few minutes was a complete wreck. By this me-
lancholy accident nearly 500 brave fellows lost their lives, not
more than 124 having escaped to relate the unhappy fate of
their companions. The survivors lived about a week on a
very small quantity of dried beans, and were six days more
in marching through the country ; at which time, however,
the Moors gave them as much bread once a day as they could
eat. They at length reached Gibraltar in a state of entire
destitution *.

At the time the Courageux was driven from the anchorage
in Gibraltar Bay, Captain Hallowell was attending a court-
martial. Being made acquainted with her situation, he wished
very much to go on board previous to her moving from the
neighbourhood of the Spanish batteries ; and it being in the
power of the Court to release him from his attendance he
asked permission to do so ; but the President, Vice-Admiral
Thompson, refused to comply with his request, and thus the
life of a valuable officer was preserved to the service and his
friends.

In the memorable action off Cape St. Vincent, Feb. 14,
1797 f, the subject of this memoir served as a volunteer on
board the Victory ; and Sir John Jervis was so much pleased
with his conduct on that occasion, that he strongly re-
commended him to the Admiralty, and sent him home with
the duplicates of his despatches. He was in consequence
immediately appointed to the Lively frigate, and again ordered
to the Mediterranean station.

On the 28th May, in the same year, the boats of that ship
and la Minerve, under the direction of Lieutenant (now Sir
Thomas Masterman) Hardy, cut a French brig of war, la
Mutine, of 14 guns and 130 men, out of the bay of Santa
Cruz, notwithstanding a heavy fire from the town, and a large
vessel at anchor there. Captain Hallowell's next appoint-
ment was to the Swiftsure of 74 guns, which ship formed part

* The extreme darkness of the fatal night of Dec. 19, and the boldness
of that part of the African coast, may readily he conceived when we
state that the bowsprit of the Courageux actually struck the shore, and the
main-mast after its fall served as a bridge for the small portion of her crew
that escaped to pass to the land by.

t See p. 21, et seg.

SIR BENJAMIN HALLOWJELL. 469

of Sir Horatio Nelson's squadron 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 Culloden, 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 difficult 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; 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 the 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
Franklin, and bow of 1' Orient. At 9h 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.
f Captain Hallowell, being aware of the difficulty of breaking men off
from their guns when once they have begun to use them, determined not to
Suffer a shot to be fired till the sails were all clewed up, and the Swiftsure
anchored in her station.

\ See p. 270.

4J0 VICE-ADMIRALS OK THE WHITK.

of his flag with heroic firmness ; but at length a period was
put to his exertions by a cannon ball, which cut him asunder :
he had before received three desperate wounds, one en the
head, and two in his body, but could not be prevailed on to
quit his station on the arm chest. His Captain, Casa Bianca,
fell by his side. Several of the officers and men, seeing the
impracticability of extinguishing the fire, which had now ex-
tended itself along the upper decks, and was flaming up the
masts, jumped overboard; some supporting themselves on
spars and pieces of wreck, others swimming with all their
might to escape the dreadful catastrophe. Shot flying in all
directions dashed many of them to pieces ; others were picked
up by the boats sent to their assistance, or dragged into the
lower ports of the nearest ships ; the British sailors humanely
stretching forth their hands to save a fallen eriemy, though
the battle at that moment raged with uncontrolled fury. The
Swiftsure, whose distance from l'Orient did not exceed half-
pistol shot, saved the lives of the First Lieutenant, Commis-
sary, and 10 men. The situation of the Swiftsure and Alex-
ander was perilous in the extreme. The expected explosion
of such a ship a9 l'Orient was to be dreaded, as involving all
around in certain destruction. Captain Hallowell, however,
determined not to move from his station, though repeatedly
urged to do so. He observed the advantage he possessed of
being to windward of the burning ship. Captain Ball was not
so fortunate ; he twice had the mortification to perceive that
the fire of the enemy had communicated to the Alexander.
He was obliged therefore to change his berth and move a
little further off.

About ten o'clock the fatal explosion took place. The fire
communicated to the magazine, and l'Orient blew up with a
crashing sound that deafened all around her. The tremulous
motion, felt to the very bottom of each ship, was like that of
an earthquake ; the fragments were driven such a vast height
into the air, that some moments elapsed before they could
descend ; and then the greatest apprehension was formed from
the volumes of burning matter which threatened to fall on the
decks and rigging of the surrounding ships. Fortunately,
however, no material damage occurred. Two large pieces of
the wreck fell into the fore and main-tops of the Swiftsure ;

SIR BENJAMIN HALLOWELL. 4JI

but happily the men had been withdrawn from those
places.

An awful silence reigned for several minutes, as if the con-
tending squadrons, struck with horror at the dreadful event,
which in an instant had hurled so many brave men into the
air, had forgotten their hostile rage in pity for the sufferers.
But short was the pause of death : vengeance soon roused the
drooping spirits of the enemy. The Franklin again opened
her fire on tiie Defence and Swiftsure, and thus gave the
signal for renewed hostilities. Captain Hallowell being dis-
engaged from his late formidable adversary, had leisure to
direct the Swiftsure's whole fire into the quarter of the foe
who had thus presumed to break the solemn silence; and in a
very short time, by the well-directed and steady fire of these
two ships, and the Leander on her bows, the Franklin was
obliged to call for quarter.

The Alexander and Majestic, and occasionally the Swift-
sure, were now the only British ships engaged ; but Cap-
tain Hallowell, finding that he could not direct his guns
clear of the former, and fearful lest he should fire into a friend,
desisted, although he was severely annoyed by the shot of
the French ship Tonnant, which fell thick about him. About
three o'clock on the morning of the 2nd August, the firing
ceased entirely, both squadrons being equally exhausted with
fatigue. It was, however, subsequently renewed between the
rear of the enemy and a few of the British ships. In the
morning of the 3d, there remained in the bay only the Timo-
leon and Tonnant of the French line, that were not captured or
destroyed. The crew of the former escaped in their boats
after setting fire to her ; the latter struck without further
resistance, just as the Swiftsure was in the act of casting, for
the purpose of supporting the Theseus and Leander, which
ships had already approached the enemy. This completed
the conquest of the French fleet. The loss sustained by the
Swiftsure was 7 nien killed, and 22 wounded. On going into
action she received a shot several feet under water, which
proved a considerable annoyance ; the chain-pumps were
obliged to be kept constantly at work, nor could the leak be
kept completely under ; she had four feet water in the hold
from the commencement to the end of the battle.

47*2 VICE-ADMIRALS OF THE WHITE.

On the 8th, Captain Hallowell took possession of Aboukir
Island, and brought off 2 brass 13-inch mortars, and 2 12-
pounders of the same metal. The iron guns he threw into the
sea, and destroyed the platforms. On the 10th a vessel was dis-
covered in the offing ; the Swiftsure was ordered to chase, and
immediately got under weigh ; in the evening Captain Hallo-
well came up with, and took her ; she proved to be la Fortune
corvette, of 16 guns and /0 men*. On the same day Sir Hora-
tio Nelson, who had been wounded in the late battle, wrote to
Earl St .Vincent from the mouth of the Nile; and in his letter
we find the following passage : " / should have sunk under
the fatigue of refitting the squadron, hut for Troubridge,
Ball, Hood, and Hallowell : not but all have done well ;
hut these are my supporters."

Subsequent to the departure of Rear-Admiral Nelson from
the shores of Egypt, the Swiftsure formed part of a squadron
under the orders of Captain (afterwards Sir Samuel) Hood,
employed in co-operation with the Turks and Russians,
in harassing the French army, on which service Captain Hal-
lowell remained until Feb. 14, 1J99, when he sailed for Pa-
lermo, where he joined his gallant chief on the 20th of the
following month f.

* On board of la Fortune were several officers, and amongst tlie rest a
Surgeon on the staff, who, it seems, had suffered his sense of the dangers
and difficulties he was exposed to by the expedition, to get the better
of his prudence, and had expressed his disapprobation of it with so much
acrimony that General Buonaparte had, by way of punishment, put him
into the corvette, bound on a cruize off Damietta. As soon as he was
informed of the event of the battle in Aboukir Bay, and that his brother
was killed on board l'Orient, he threw his snuff-box overboard, and ex-
pressed the most lively sorrow ; when suddenly recovering himself with
the observation, " e'est la fortune de la guerre," he turned to the specta-
tors and said he would amuse them, and instantly pulled from his pocket
a ludicrous figure of a monk, with which he so entertained himself and
them, that irt a few moments all care for his brother, his country, or him-
self, now a prisoner, was forgotten.

T Lord Nelson had recently escorted the Neapolitan Court from Naples
to Palermo. Soon after his Lordship's arrival at the former place, after
the discomfiture of the French fleet, his Sicilian Majesty formed a design
of driving the republicans from the frontiers of his dominions, as well as
from the Papal States. Accordingly, having collected a large army,
amounting, it is said, to 100,000 men, he made rapid marches, and soon
came up with the enemy's forces ; but, though he might now have sur-

SIR BENJAMIN HAL LOWELL. 473

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 Tronbridge, of the Culloden. 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 Hallo well, 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
coffin made from the wreck of l'Orient, accompanied by the
following letter :

" My Lord. — / have taken the liberty of presenting you a
coffin made from the main-mast of V Orient, that when you
have finished your military career in this world, you may be
buried in one of your trophies — but that that period may
be far distant, is the earnest wish of your sincere friend,

" Ben. Hallowell."

rounded them, he contented himself with ordering' them to evacuate his
own territories and those of the Holy Pontiff. The French retreated till
they 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.

474 VICE-ADMIRALS OF THE WHITE.

On the bottom of this singular present was pasted a cer-
tificate written on paper, to the following effect : f I do
hereby certify, that every part of this coffin is made of the
wood and iron of V Orient, most of which was picked up by
his Majesty's ship under my command, in the Bay of
Aboukir. Ben. Hallowele *."

" Sir //(sure, May 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 coffin which had been thus conveyed on
board, will be long remembered by their officers : " We shall
have hot work of it indeed," said one of the seamen ; "you
see the Admiral intends to fight 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 which 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 Foudrovant, 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 : e< You may look at it, Gentlemen" said the hero,
u 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 by 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 has been stated in several publications, 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 the spikes taken from the mast.

SIR BENJAMIN HALLOWJELL. 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 terms 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.
Elmo, 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, was 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 ; 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 THK WHITE.

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 world ! " 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 Ruffo's rabble J, and declared they would

great merit and abilities, advanced before the works, to encourage 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;
and it has eight reservoirs for water. The harbour is spacious, with a
canal and a mole nearly 500 paces in length ; and, on the whole, it is a
place of great strength.

t Capua is situated fifteen miles north of Naples.

\ Cardinal Ruffo, a man of questionable character, but of a temper

SIR BENJAMIN HALLOWELL. 47/

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 Swifts ure to
Civita Vecchia, to offer the garrison there, and at Castle St.
Angelo, the same terms which had been grantedto 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 a Christian army, composed
of the hest 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,
by 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 notwith-
standing. Nelson, who was struck with the oddity of the circumstance,
and not a little pleased with it, obtained preferment for him from the
King of Sicily, and recommended him to the Pope.

478 VIC E-A!>V.1K VLS OK PHJfi 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 Swiftsure, 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-
Admiral 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 once 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 purpose 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. Twyo 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. The 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 ; 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.

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-Aout, J4, being in
close order, and within half gun-shot of the Swiftsure, opened
their fire : 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 baffled 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 ; and with pain, 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 great

480 VICE-ADMIKALS OF THE WHITE.

as might have 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 off 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 officer speaks highly of the hand-
some treatment received from the French Rear- Admiral, who
did everything 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 Swiftsure was retaken at the glorious battle of Trafalgar.

SIR BENJAMIN HALLO WELL. 481

fore adjudge him and them to be honorably acquitted 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 exjiedition 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
Halloivell ; 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 jurther information they
may desire on the subject."

The Argo sailed from Tobago early in July, and arrived at
Portsmouth on the 14th 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
Mameloucs ; 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-General Grinfield and Commodore Hood, sailed from Barbadoes
against St. Lucia ; and on the 22d, the fort of Morne Fortuned was carried,
which was followed by the unconditional surrender of the whole island. The
armament theu proceeded to Tobago, which capitulated on the 1st July.

VOL. I. 2 I

482 VICE-ADMIRALS OF THE 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.
Jn the ensuing summer he escorted the homeward-bound 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 18073 des-
tined to take possession of Alexandria. The troops, consisting
of about 5,000 men, under the orders of Major-General Fra-
ser, were landed on the l/th 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 Governor offered
to capitulate. Terms were accordingly agreed upon ; and,
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 the
former carrying 40, the other 34, and the corvette 16. Ma-
jor-General Fraser 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 readiness 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 surrendered ; from his advice and local
knowledge I derived much useful information."

Subsequent to the evacuation of Egypt by the British, which
took place in September following, the Tigre appears to have
been principally employed in watching the port of Toulon,
* See Vice-Admiral Sir Ptjlteney Malcolm.

SIR BENJAMIN HALLOWELL. 483

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 Hallowell 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
newly erected batteries. The convoy thus intercepted was
from Toulon, 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,
where he 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 command on the Irish
station, which he held during the 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 guns. His
commission as Vice- Admiral bears date Aug. 12, 1819.

Sir Benjamin Hallowell married, Feb. 17, 1800, a daugh-
ter of Commissioner 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. 282.
t See Captain John Tailour, in our next volume.

I In 1801 the late Rev. Cooper Willyams, formerly Chaplain of the Swift-
sure, published a Work entitled " A Voyage up the Mediterranean," con

9 i 9

4 14)

484 VICE-ADMIRALS OFTHK WHITE.

RIGHT HONORABLE

LORD AMELIUS BEAUCLERK,

Vice- Admiral of the White; Knight Commander of the most honorable
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 born about the
year 1768, and entered the naval service on board the Jackall
cutter, commanded by Lieutenant Bailley, in June 1782.
After 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
the expedition bearing the broad pendant of Commodore
(afterwards Lord) Gardner f, whom he accompanied to the
West Indies.

taining the most minute and authentic account of the Battle of the Nile,
and all that occurred immediately before and subsequent to it, with 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 HalloweU's
services.

* Vice-Admiral Campbell died, Dec. 16, 1790. He was a Midshipman
on board the Centurion, when she made her voyage round the world, under
the late Lord Anson. His character for valour was established in the me-
morable defeat of the Marquis de Conflans, in 1759, when he served as
Captain to Sir Edward Hawke. Captain Campbell was, on that occasion,
despatched to England with intelligence of that glorious victory. He was
a man of modest unassuming disposition, and preserved his original simpli-
city of manners, although living in habits of association with the first peo-
ple in the kingdom. It is this gentleman of whom the humorous anecdote
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,
" Captain Campbell, the King will knight you, if you think proper." —
" Troth my Lord," said the Captain, who retained his Scotch dialect as
long as he lived, " / ken nae use that will be to me." — " But your lady
may like it, " replied his Lordship. " Weel then," rejoined the Captain,
" his Majesty may knight her if he pleases."

t Admiral Lord Gardner died at Bath, Jan. 1, 1809, in the 66th year of

LORD AMELIUS BEAUCLERK. 485

In 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

his age. He was universally allowed to be a most able and judicious com-
mander. For the courage, skill, and magnanimity displayed by him in ten
glorious actions, he was raised to the dignity of a Baron of the kingdom of
Ireland, Dec. 29, 1800 ; and created a British peer Nov. 15, 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, 1821 ; and the Hon. Valentine Gardner, late Captain of H. M. S.
Dauntless, died at Canton in Nov. 1820.

* Seep. 340.
t 8ee Rear-Admiral Sir John Gore,

486 VICE-ADM1UALS OF THE WHITE.

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 guns, &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 Roompot, 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 Rogers, but who had left that quarter previous
to the arrival of the British. At the latter end of the war
Lord Amelius commanded the force stationed in Basque Roads ;
and entered into a negotiation with the General of Division,

LORD AMELIUS BEAUCLERK. 487

Baron de la Raffiniere, Commander-in-Chief at Rochelle, for
a suspension of hostilities between Great Britain 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.

Country Seat. —

Town Residence.— 30, Margaret- Street, Cavendish Square.

WILLIAM TAYLOR, Esq.

Vice-Admiral of the White.

At the close of the American war, this officer commanded
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

* In January, 1789, Lieutenant Thackeray, of the Thorn, was tried by
a court-martial, on several charges exhibited against him by Captain Tay-
lor ; and amongst others, for going into the captain's cabin, when alone at
tea, and calling him scoundrel and liar. The privacy of this offence ex-
cluded all other positive evidence but that of the prosecutor; and, when
the court assembled, the President had his doubts of the propriety of
admitting Captain Taylor to give his evidence ; the court was therefore
adjourned, until they had the opinion of counsel on the following question :
" Whether Captain Taylor's evidence, under the above circumstances,
ought to be admitted, or not ; and, if it ought to be admitted, whether,
after he has been examined, as is the custom of courts-martial, to examine
the 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 not a
legal objection to the competency of a witness, or to the admissibility of
his evidence, that he is the prosecutor, whatever objections to his credit
may arise, under the circumstances of the case. The rule, which is uni-
versal in civil actions, that a plaintiff cannot be admitted as a 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 vvasvdismissed from the rank of Lieutenant, and
adjudged to serve in the navy as a Midshipman.

See M'Arthur on Courts Martial, edit. 1813, vol. II, cap. iii, sect. 16,
pp. 103,4,5.

488 VICE-ADMIRALS OF THE WHITE.

guns j and on the 22d May, 1793, 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 Prompte,
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. 1, 1811. His commission as Vice-Admiral bears date
Aug. 12, 1819.

SIR JAMES NICOLL MORRIS,

Five-Admiral of the White ; and Knight Commander of the most ho-
norable Military Order of the Bath.

The subject of this memoir is the son of a gallant 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 f. 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 his country." His late Majesty was graciously

* See p. 417. f See p. 95.

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 : l'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 Jb 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 suite, 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 ; 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. 35, et scq., and Retired Captain Robert Fanshawe.

490 VICE-ADMIRALS OF THE WHITE.

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 polacrc-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 the San Josef's crew, 6 Avere 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 l'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 Marine
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
received several slugs through his left arm and in his body.

f For an account of the battle, see p. 202, ct seq.

SIR JAMES NICOLL MORRIS. 491

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 Nicoll Morris married, Oct. 25, 1802, Margaretta
Sarah, second daughter of the late Thomas Somers Cocks,
Esq., Banker, of Charing Cross, niece of the first Lord So-
mers, and sister of the lady of Vice-Admiral Sir William
Hargood, K. C. B.

Residence. — Marlow, Bucks.

SIR THOMAS BYAM MARTIN,

Vice-Admiral of the White; Comptroller of his Majesty's Navy ; Knight
Commander of the most honourable Military 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-
liamentfor Plymouth.

This officer is the third son of the late Sir Henry Martin,
Bart. Comptroller of the Navy, M. P. for Southampton, by
Eliza Anne, daughter of Harding Parker, of Hilbrook, co.
Cork, Esq. and widow of Hayward Gillman, Esq. * At the
commencement of the war with France in 1793, he was ap-
pointed to the command of the Tisiphone sloop, and accom-
panied the fleet under Lord Hood to the Mediterranean, on
which station he was promoted into the Modeste, a French
frigate that had been seized at Genoa by Rear-Admiral Gell,
for a breach of the neutrality of that port f- His post com-
mission bears date Nov. 5, 1793. He subsequently served at

* Sir Henry Martin was a great-grandson of Colonel John Thomas, who
commanded the Barbadoes regiment, and greatly distinguished himself at
the capture of St. Christopher's in 1690, from whom are descended the
branches of various families of the nobility and gentry of this realm. Sir
Henry was created a Baronet, June 21, 1791 ; died Aug. 1, 1794, and was
succeeded by his eldest son Sir Henry William, the present Baronet.

f See p. 363.

492 VICE-ADMIRALS OF THE WHITE.

the reduction of Bastia, in the island of Corsica * ; and in
1795 we find him commanding the Santa Margarita, of 40
guns and 237 men, on the Irish station, where, in company
with the Cerberus frigate, he captured le Jean Bart, a French,
corvette of 18 guns.

At day-break on the morning of the 8th June, 1796, the
Santa Margarita, being to the westward of Scilly, fell in with
two frigates and a corvette, to which chace was immediately
given. At 1 P. M. the strangers commenced, with their
stern-chasers, a quick and well directed fire 5 which, from its
destructive effects on the sails and rigging, greatly retarded
the progress of their pursuers. At 4 o'clock the sternmost
ship, finding it impossible to escape, bore round up and en-
deavoured to rake the Santa Margarita, which design, how-
ever, was baffled by a most skilful manoeuvre of the British
commander, who not only evaded the intended salute, but
placed his ship with great gallantry close alongside of his
opponent, and in less than 20 minutes compelled him to
strike. The prize proved to be the Tamise, of 42 guns and
306 men, 32 of whom were killed and 19 wounded, several of
them mortally. The Santa Margarita had only 2 men killed
and 3 wounded f. The other French frigate was taken after
an arduous chace and gallant action, by the Unicorn J.
The corvette effected her escape.

Towards the latter end of October in the same year, Cap-
tain Martin captured the French privateers, le Buonaparte of
16 guns and 137 men, and le Vengeur of 18 guns and 110
men. Early in 1797^ he was appointed to the Tamar frigate,
stationed in the West Indies, where he cruized with consider-
able success, intercepting in a few months no less than nine
privateers, carrying in the whole 58 guns, and 519 men.

Our officer returned to England in the Dictator, 64 ; and
soon after his arrival obtained the command of the Fisgard, of
46 guns and 281 men, in which ship, on the morning of
the 20th Oct. 1798, being off Brest, he fell in with an enemy's

* Seep. 251,
t The Tamise had formerly been the British frigate Thames ; during
the 20 months she had been in the French navy, she had been a very
active cruizer.

X Sec p. 388.

SIR THOMAS I* YAM MARTIN. 493

ship, and after an hour's running fight, brought her to close
action, which lasted for 25 minutes, when the Fisgard became
perfectly ungovernable, the whole of her running rigging
being cut to pieces. The enemy taking advantage of her
crippled situation, endeavoured to make off; but by the
active exertions of the Fisgard's officers and crew, in
replacing the damages, she was soon enabled to close with
her opponent, and renewed the battle with great spirit and
resolution, which terminated in an hour and 50 minutes, by
the surrender of 1' Immortalite, a fine new frigate, mounting
42 guns, 24'pounders on the main-deck, and long nines,
with 42-pounder carronades on the quarter-deck and fore-
castle. She was one of the squadron that composed the
expedition to Ireland *, and had on board 580 men, including
troops, of which number her brave Commander, his First
Lieutenant, General Menage a passenger, 7 other officers,
and 44 men were killed, and 61 wounded. The Fisgard,
whose crew was new and inexperienced, had 10 men slain
and 26 wounded.

Subsequent to this event, Captain Martin was placed under
the orders of Sir John B. Warren, and employed in various
services on the coast of France, among which the following
are the most important : On the morning of June 23, 1800,
an attack was made by the boats of the squadron, under the
immediate directions of Captain Martin, on some armed and
other vessels in Quimper river. Two parties of marines were
landed, one on each bank of the river, in order to protect the
boats in the execution of this service, which were going on
with expedition to the attack ; but it was then found that the
enemy had removed to an inaccessible height up the river.
The British then immediately landed, and stormed and blew
up three batteries, on which were mounted seven 24-pounders,
together with their magazines.

On the 1st of the following month, the Commodore having
been informed that a ship of war and a number of merchant
vessels were lying within the island of Noirmoutier, destined
for Brest, resolved to attempt their destruction. Captain
Martin was appointed to head and direct this enterprise : and

* See Sir Edward Thornbrough.

V, I VICE-ADMIRALS OF THE' WHITE.

the boats to be employed were ordered to assemble on board
the Fisgard. As the enemy never conceived themselves free
from danger, while there was a bare possibility of the British
seamen getting at them, they had used every means in their
power to defend and protect these vessels : they were lying
within the sands in Bourneuf Bay, moored in a strong posi-
tion, under the protection of six heavy batteries, besides
flanking guns on every projecting point. The boats destined
for the attack were formed into three divisions, and the whole
plan was arranged with great judgment and skill by Captain
Martin ; he was fully aware of the difficulties he had to
encounter, and the opposition which he should probably meet
with, and he had taken his measures accordingly. After
having given proper directions to Lieutenant Burke, to whom
was entrusted the immediate management and command of
the enterprise, the boats were sent from the Fisgard, soon
after it became dark. By midnight, they reached their
destination ; immediately boarded, and after experiencing a
very formidable resistance, succeeded in obtaining possession
of the ship of war *, four armed vessels, and fiteen merchant-
men : but, as they found it impracticable to bring them out,
the whole were burnt. The most arduous and dangerous
part of the business was still to be performed. It has been
already stated, that the enemy's vessels were lying within the
island, and very near the sands ; before the boats could get
out into deep water, the tide fell, and they grounded ; in less
than ten minutes they were left completely dry. In this un-
fortunate and unexpected situation, they were exposed to a
continued fire from the forts ; and besides this, a body of 400
French soldiers drew up in their rear, and fired on them with
great effect. In this critical state of their affairs, they
resolved to make an attempt, so very singularly daring, that
none but British seamen could have either executed or con-
ceived it ; they determined to make an attack on some other
vessels of the enemy, for the purpose of securing one suffici-
ently large to carry off the whole party, as there was no
chance of their succeeding in getting off all their own boats :

* Therese, 20 guns; a lugger of 12 guns ; two schooners, each mount-
ing 6 guns ; and a cutter of the same force.

SIR THOMAS BYAM MARTIN.. 495

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 affair
7 officers and 185 men were employed ; 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 200 men ; Dragon corvette, 14 guns ; la Gironde priva-
teer, 16 guns, 141 men; l'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 Impetueux, 84, at Plymouth, and was employed in
her off Brest, Ferrol, and Corunna, until the summer of 1807,
when he joined the Prince of Wales, a second rate, from
which ship he removed about the latter end of the same year
into the Implacable, 74, and soon after proceeded to the
Baltic, to which station a fleet had been sent under the
orders of Sir James Saumarez, for the purpose of co-operating
with the Swedes, who were at that time engaged in a war with
Russia.

We are not aware of Captain Martin having participated
in any affair requiring 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 position was attacked by Rear-
Admiral Sir Samuel Hood, in the Centaur, who compelled
her to surrender after an obstinate defence, in which and in
the action with the Implacable, she had no less than 303 men

496 VICE-ADMIRALS OF THK WHITE.

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 Swedish Majesty conferred upon
Captain Martin the insignia of a Knight of the Order 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.
Residence. — 8, Somerset Place.

JOHN LAWFORD, Esq.

Vice-Admiral of the White.

At the period of the Spanish armament, in 1790, this
officer 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, 1793,
into the Convert of 36 guns, which vessel was lost on the

* The Sewolod was burnt by the captors*

JOHN LAWFORD, ESQ. 49J

Grand Cavmanes, 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 1J98, to the
Romney of 50 gnns. 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 different ports in the Mediterranean, laden
with naval stores. Upon 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 commander of the convoy making many move-
ments, which were narrowly watched by the Romney, keeping-
close under his lee, lower-deck guns run out, and every man
at his station. In the morning an armed 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
Commodore sent an officer of his own to Captain Lawford, to
complain 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 Admiralty, that all the merchantmen, with their
several cargoes, should be condemned (being laden with
naval and military stores, bound to France) ; but that the

VOL. I. 2 K

4<)8 VICE-ADMIRALS OF THE WHITE.

private adventures of the masters should be restored. The
priy.es were calculated to be worth (500,000/. The judge. Sir
VV. Scott, now Lord Stowell, asserted upon this occasion :

1st, That the right of visiting and searching merchantmen upon the
high seas, whatever be the ships, cargoes, or destination, is an incontesta-
ble right of the lawfully commissioned cruizers of a belligerent nation.

2nd, 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

3rd, That the penalty for the contravention of this right is the confisca-
tion of the property so with-held from visitation and search.

In the autumn of 1799, the liomney formed part of the
expedition sent against the Helder, and was with Vice-
Admiral 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 +.

On the 7th Dec. 1804, our officer being on a cruize off
Cape St. Mary, fell in with and captured the Santa Gertruy-
da, a Spanish frigate of 36 guns, from Peru and Mexico,
bound to Corunna, with a cargo consisting of cocoa, coffee,
hides, platina, drugs, cochineal, cotton, and several rich pri-
vate ventures, together witli 1,215,000 dollars in specie X-
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. Fortunately she was
fallen in with by the Harriet armed ship, which 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 the rank of Rear-
Admiral.

* See p. 414, et seq. f See Sir T. Foley.
I The Lively frigate, Captain G. E. Hamond, was in sight at the time
of the above capture.

JOHN LAW FORD, ESQ. 499

Our officer has never, we believe, hoisted his flag. His
commission as Vice- Admiral bears date Aug. 12, 1819.
Residence. — Shoarne, near Rochester, Kent.

FRANK SOTHERON, Esq.

Vice-Admiral of the White ; and Member of Parliament for JVotting-

Itamshire.

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 1/65, and entered the naval service in 1J76,
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 Keppel and d'Orvilliers,
off Ushant 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 Samuel Marshall, was attached to the Channel
fleet, commanded by the Hon. Admiral Keppel, who on the above-men-
tioned day, being off 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 guns and 230 men. The Arethusa, and Alert cutter,
chaced the other vessels 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 him to the British Admiral ; with which the 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
had approached close to the French coast, from whence a number of boats
came out and towed la Belle Poule into a place of safety. The Arethu-
sa's main-mast fell over the side, and she was otherwise so disabled, that
it was with the utmost difficulty she could clear the land. Her loss
amounted to 8 men killed and 36 wounded. By the French accounts her
opponent had 40 slain and 57 wounded. The Alert came up with a
schooner mounting 14 guns, which she captured after a smart action. The
Pallas of 32 guns, was taken on the 18th by the Foudroyant, Counigeux,
and Robust.

f See p. 1 95, at sea.

'2k'2

500 VICK-ADMIUALS 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 177^, Captain JM'Bride was ordered to
Gibraltar with Admiral Rodney, for the purpose of relieving that fortress.
On the 8th Jan. 1780, the 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 loth of the same month, Sir George Rodney fell in with a squadron
under Don Juan de 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 seq. In addition to which
we must here observe, that the St. DominTo, at the moment of her des-
truction, was in action with the Bienfaisant ; and that, had the awful ex-
plosion of the former, hy which every soul on board perished, been retarded
only a few moments, 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 Phoenix, 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 officers nor men should be
removed from the Phoenix, provided Don Juan 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 his orders ; that if, meeting with superior force, the Phoenix
should 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 e-cape, 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 he
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-
tislftohiin and his countrymen, made a sensible impression on their minds,
and was confessedly (if great advantage to the English prisoners 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, with 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 1780, 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 Texel ; and
our young officer was consequently present, in the month of
Aug. 1781, 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 Hercules and Mars,
Dutch privateers, mounting 24 nine -pounders and 10 cohorns
each, the crews of which amounted to 310 men, 22 of whom
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 enjlute,
and ten sail of transports, fell into the hands of the British f.
During the remainder of the war Mr. Sotheron served in the

* See note §, at p. 175. f See p. 15, et seq.

502 VI( fc-ADMIRAI.S 09 THE WHITE.

Artois, off the Irish coast. He afterwards proceeded to New
foundland, where he was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant,
by Admiral Campbell, in 1J83, and served in that capacity on
board the Danac and Mollis frigates, during the ensuing three
years. We subsequently find him in the Kingfisher sloop,
from whicb 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 1/92, to be
first Lieutenant of the llomney, 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, stationed off the French coast, and assisted
at the capture of la Vipere, a national corvette, mounting 18
guns.

Captain Sotheron was advanced to post rank Dec. 1 1, 1J93 ;
and in the following year we find him commanding the Mo-
narch, a 74-gun ship, bearing the broad pendant of Sir James

* Commodore Cosby hoisted his broad pendant on board the Trusty in
1/86, and held the chief command in the Mediterranean till the month of
Sept. 1/90; but, with the exception of his embassy to the Emperor of Mo-
rocco, no event occurred during that period that is worthy of record. It
was in 1/88 that this mission was undertaken. At that period, some ap-
prehensions were entertained, that the commerce of Britain might sustain
a predatory interruption from the Barbary corsairs ; Commodore Cosby
was therefore directed to visit the different states, and to arrange such
terms with the Emperor of Morocco, as might ensure the safety of the
English traders. He accomplished the negociation and treaty with the
greatest exactness and precision, and to the entire satisfaction of Go-
vernment. He was afterwards advanced to the rank of Admiral of the Red ;
and died at Bath, Jan. 10, 1808, in his 78th year.

t Admiral M* Bride, whose professional gallantry has often been the
theme of praise, died in the course of the year 1800.

FRANK SOTHERON, ESQ. 503

Wallace, with whom he removed into his old ship the Rom-
ney, 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 llichery 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 committed 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
heads of Captains Mackenzie and Slade, in our next volume.

In the autumn of 1J99, 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
Batavian 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 the spring of 1802, he
was sent abroad with despatches ; and some time after

* Scf p 414, et teq.

504 VICE-ADMIRALS OF THE WHITE.

the renewal of hostilities, obtained the command of the Ex-
cellent, 74, attached to the Mediterranean fleet, under the
orders of Lord Nelson, by whom he was entrusted with the
defence of the Bay of Naples ; on which service we find him
at the time when the ancient Neapolitan government was
displaced by the French army, and the throne of that king-
dom usurped by Joseph Buonaparte. In this state of affairs,
the very prudent arrangements made by Captain Sotheron,
prevented the mischief that would otherwise have ensued.
From this period we lose sight of him until Aug. 1, 1811, on
which day he was promoted to the rank of Rear- Admiral.

On the vacancy occasioned in the representation for Not-
tinghamshire, by the resignation of Lord William Bentinck,
in 1814, Rear-Admiral Sotheron was unanimously elected
M. P. for that county, in conjunction with Captain Lord
Newark, now Earl Manvers (of whom a memoir will appear
in our next volume, and whose name is endeared to all his
professional brethren by a recent act of princely munifi-
cence *) ; and thus was presented the novel spectacle, of the
midland shire of England represented in the senate by two
naval officers.

In 1816, on the demise of his eldest brother, Colonel So-
theron, who served for the borough of Pontefract in several
parliaments. Rear-Admiral Sotheron, as heir-at-law, succeed-
ed to the family estates in the counties of York and Notting-
ham. He was advanced to the rank of Vice-Admiral Aug.
12, 1819; and still continues to represent Nottinghamshire,
having been returned to every succeeding Parliament since
his first election f.

* The Editor had the gratification of being present at a meeting of the
Members of the Naval Charitable Society, when the secretary of that in-
stitution announced that Earl Manvers, in addition to a former donation of
twenty guineas, had ordered 1865/. 9*. 6d., the amount of his half pay be-
tween Jan. 1, 1812, and Mar. 31, 1820, to be added to their funds, to-
gether with all future half-pay to which his Lordship may be entitled from
the navy, the present annual amount of which is 26\I.5s.6d.ll\

f Vice-Admiral Sotheron appears to have had a pension granted him so
far back as Feb. 8, 1796 ; its present amount, according to the regulation
of Nov. 27, 1815, is 300/. per annum. We regret our inability to state
the circumstances under which he received the severe wounds for which it
was conferred.

FRANK SOTHBRON, ESQ. 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.

Vice-Admiral of the White.

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 l'lslet, and Bay des Fla-
mands, on the south side of the island, where they captured
upwards of 2000 tons of shipping, chiefly laden with West
India produce.

Captain Wolley obtained post rank, Dec. 19, 1793 ; and
in 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,

* See p. 134.

500 YICIl-ADMIKALS QF THE WHITE.

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
Avounded, 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. l/OJ *, on which occasion
he superintended the debarkation of the army.

On the 10th Aug. following, the Arethusa 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 186
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 time
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.

507

VICE-ADMIRALS OF THE BLUE.

SIR WILLIAM JOHNSTONE HOPE,

One of the Commissioners for executing the office of Lord High Admiral ;
Senior Vice-Admiral of the Blue ; Knight Commander of the most 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 ,- 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 1537 : settling in Scot-
land, he married Elizabeth dimming, 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 sons : I. Henry, ancestor of the great and
opulent branch of the Hopes, 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 Session, it was thought indecent that he should
plead uncovered before them, which was the origin of the privilege the
King's Advocates have ever since enjoyed.

508 VICE-ADMIRALS OF THE BLUE.

mishioner Hope *. The vessel in which he commenced his
professional career was the Weazlc, 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, bearing the flag of Vice-Admiral Campbell,
on the Newfoundland station; and in Oct. 1782, he obtained
the rank of Lieutenant in the Daedalus frigate, to which he
was re-commissioned after the peace of 1783.

The Daedalus was employed on the coast of Scotland until
1784, when 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 1786, 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. 30, 1787? on 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, and for a short time remained on half-pay. His next
appointment was to the Adamant, of 50 guns, in which ship
the late Sir Richard Hughes hoisted his flag as Commander-
in-Chief on the North American station, and sailed for Hali-
fax about the month of June, 1789.

Early in 1790, Lieutenant Hope obtained the command of
the Rattle sloop ; and in the month of June following, (Cap-
tain Knox, of the Adamant, being under the necessity of re-
tiring from active service, through ill health) he was chosen

* Charles Hope, Esq. Commissioner of Chatham Dock-yard, died Sept.
10, 1808.

f See p. 7, «l seq.

SIR WILLTAM JOHNSTONE HOPE. 509

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 returned 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 summer of 1792.

From this period we find no mention of Captain Hope
till Jan. 1/93. He then commissioned the Incendiary fire-
ship ; and continued in that vessel until Jan. 9, 1794, on
which day he was advanced to the rank of Post-Captain in
the Bellerophon, of 74 guns, at that time bearing the broad
pendant, and subsequently the flag of the late Sir Thomas
Pasley, who, it will be remembered, commanded a division
of Earl Howe's fleet in the actions of May 28 and 29, and
the ever memorable battle of June 1, in the same year, a ge-
neral outline of which will be found in our memoir of Admiral
Lord Gambier *.

On the 28th May, the republican fleet being discovered to
windward, Rear- Admiral Pasley led on his own division with
firmness and intrepidity to the attack. Towards the evening
the Bellerophon brought the Revolutionnaire, of 110 guns, to
action, and maintained the unequal contest for upwards of an
hour, before any other of the British ships could arrive to sup-
port her. Being then disabled, she bore down to the main
body of the fleet ; and the darkness 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 Lord Howe making the signal to
break through the French line, the Bellerophon immediately
obeyed and passed between the fifth and sixth ships in the
enemy's rear, accompanied by the Queen Charlotte and Le-
viathan. The rest of the British being at this time in the act
of passing to leeward, and without the sternmost ships of

* See Note nt pp. 7-r', <>. 7 and 8.

510 VICE-ADMIRALS OP THE ULUE.

the French line, the enemy wore for the purpose of succouring
their disabled vessels ; which intention, by reason of the dis-
united state of his fleet, and having- no more than the two
crippled 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 time 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. Needless is it to say, that after
a long and bloody battle, a total defeat of the French arma-
ment was effected. The loss sustained by the Bellerophon
was trivial, considering how much she had 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 soon
afterwards rewarded for his gallant conduct with the dignity
of a Baronet of Great Britain, and a pension of 1,000/. per
annum *.

For his share in this brilliant affair, Captain Hope was pre-
sented with the gold medal, then first instituted by his late
Majesty, as a mark of honorable distinction for naval services ;
and, in common with the other officers of the fleet, received
the thanks of both Houses of Parliament. He continued to
command the Bellerophon till Jan. 1795 ; and in the month
of March following, was appointed to the Tremendous,
another 74, attached to the Channel fleet, in which ship he
remained till the ensuing May : when, at the request of Ad-
miral Duncan, he joined the Venerable, of the same force,
bearing the flag of that officer, under whom he served for
some time in the North Sea. Unfortunately, however, he
received a violent contusion on the head, on board one of the
Russian men of war, at that period acting in conjunction with
the British squadron, and was in consequence obliged to resign

* Sir Thomas Pasley died at Chillarid-coU.n<>-e. near Winchester, Nov.
29, 1808, aged 7 5 year?. (See Sir Pultexey Malcolm )

SIR WILLIAM JOHNSTONE HOPK. 511

his command. This accident, which happened about the
month of Oct. 179(5, was no doubt a source of much chagrin
to Captain Hope, as it deprived him of the honor of partici-
pating in the victory obtained over the Dutch fleet, off Cam-
perdown, on the 11th Oct. 179/. In the course of the same
year, he was employed to equip ten sail of gun-brigs at Leith,
by the particular desire of the Lord Lieutenant of Edinburgh,
the country at that period expecting to be invaded by France.
Our officer's next appointment was in Feb. 1798, 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 his
station, and by his continued vigilance almost annihilated
the Dutch trade. The particulars of the expedition against
Holland, by the combined forces of Great Britain and Russia,
in the autumn of 1799, 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 squadron, commanded by Rear- Ad-
miral Storey ; and was afterwards charged with the official
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 subsequent period, the Emperor of Russia was also
pleased to send him the ribband and cros3 of a Knight of the
Order of Malta f-

At the commencement of 1800, Lord Duncan resigned the
command 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 Mediterranean station. In the

* Seep. 414, et seq.
t Knights of the Order of Malta, anciently styled Knights Hospitallers
of the Order of St. John of Jerusalem, and afterwards Knights of Rhodes,
were first instituted in the year 1043. II. I. M. the Emperor of all the
Russias, is the Grand Patron of the Order, the insignia of which has never,
we believe, been conferred on more than two British officers : viz. Sir
W. Johnstone Hope, and the late Sir Home Riggs Popham, a memoir of
whom will be found in the " Annual Biography and Obituary for 1822."

512 VICE-ADMIRALS OF THE BLUE.

course of the same year an attack was meditated upon the
city of Cadiz, and Captain Hope nominated to the com-
mand of a battalion of seamen, to be landed with the army ;
but in consequence of the representations which were made
by the Spanish Governor of the miserable situation of the in-
habitants, 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 J4 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, from ill health, to come on
shore ; and we find 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 command on the

* For the commendations bestowed by the naval and military Comman-
ders-in-Chief upon the officers of the fleet employed on thecoas tof Egypt,
and for other interesting- particulars relative to the campaign in that quar-
ter, the reader is referred to pp. 54, 129, 259, and 313 of this volume.

SIR WILLIAM JOHNSTONE HOPE. OlO

coast of Scotland, in the spring of 1816, where he continued
until Sept. 1818. 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. 30, 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,

Fict-Admirul of the Blue, and Knight Commander of the most honorable
Military Order of the Bath.

This officer is the youngest son of George, twelfth Mar-
quis of Winchester, whose ancestor Hercules, lord of Tour-
non, in Picardy, came to England in the reign of Henry I.
and settling in the lordship of Paulet, co. Hants, assumed
the name of the place of his residence, as was universally the
custom at that period.

* In June 1800, whilst absent in the service of his country, Captain
Hope was elected M. P. for the Dumfries district of Burghs ; and in Oct.
1804, the county of Dumfries having lost its representative, by the death of
General Sir Robert Laurie, he was unanimously returned as the knight of
that shire ; and on that occasion, agreeably to an ancient local custom, was
invested with a sword immediately after the election.

At the general election which succeeded the dissolution of Parliament,
in Oct. 1806, he was again chosen for the same place, after encountering
a violent opposition, raised against him under the influence of the parly
then in power, in which scarcely any means were left untried that presented
a probability of thwarting his views.

VOI.. I. 2 £

b\A VICE-ADMIRALS OP THE BLUE.

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., }/'04>
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, IJ95, 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 officer removed into the Thalia, of
36 guns, attached to Lord Bridport's fleet, and was present
at the action off l'Orient, on the 23d June in the same year J.

The Thalia remained on Channel service until Jan., 179/,
when she accompanied the squadron under Rear- Admiral
Parker, sent to reinforce Sir John Jervis, with whom a junc-
tion was happily effected on the 0th Feb., just eight days
previous to the memorable encounter with the Spanish fleet,
off Cape St. Vincent §.

From this period until June 12th, 1798, Lord Henry Pau-
let was employed on the Mediterranean station, where he
captured l'Espoir corvette, of 16 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 renewal of the war, his lordship obtained the com-
mand of the Terrible, of 74 guns, employed in the blockade
of the enemy's ports. At the general promotion, Aug. 1st,
1811, he was nominated a Colonel of Royal Marines; and

* Sir John Laforey, in conjunction with Major-General Cuyler, took
the island of Tohago on the 15th April, 1793. The French commandant
having refused to surrender, the works were stormed and carried, against a
strong resistance, with some loss.

f See p. 19. \ See p. 246. § See p. 21, et seq.

LORD HENRY PAULET. 515

on the 12th Aug. in the following year, advanced to the rank
of Rear-Admiral. In the spring of 1813, he was called upon
to take a seat at the Admiralty, which he was obliged to re-
sign through ill health in 1816.

At the extension of the most honourable Order of the
Bath into three classes, Jan. 2, 1815, the insignia of a Knight
Commander was conferred upon Lord Henry Paulet, and on
the 12th August, 1819, he became a Vice-Admiral.

His lordship married, Oct. 27, 1813, Maria, youngest
daughter of E. Ravenscroft, of Portland Place, Esq.

Residence. — West Hill Lodge, Titchfield, Hants.

CHARLES WILLIAM PATERSON, Esq.

Vice-Admiral of the Blue.

This officer, a native of Berwick, is the son of the late
Captain James Paterson of the 69th regiment of foot, by a
daughter of Charles William Tonyn, Esq., Major of the 6th
regiment or Inniskilling dragoons, and great- grand- daughter
of Sir Patrick Hume, first Earl of Marchmont, the different
branches of whose family intermarried with some of the first
nobility of England and Scotland.

Having lost his father when very young, he entered the
naval service in 1765, under the patronage of his noble re-
lative the last Earl of Marchmont *, on board the Shan-
non frigate, commanded by Captain Braithwaite. In 1768,
we find him serving as a Midshipman of the St. Antonio,
under the command of his uncle, the late Captain George
Anthony Tonyn, with whom he removed into the Phoenix,
on that officer being appointed Commodore on the African
station, where he appears to have continued during the en-
suing two years. He subsequently served as Master's Mate,
and Midshipman, in the Flora, Rose, Ardent, Ramillies, and
Eagle ; the latter bearing the flag of Lord Howe, whom he
accompanied to America, where he assisted at the reduction

* The titles of Earl of Marchmont and Viscount Blazonberry, have
been dormant ever since 1793. They descend to the heirs general, and
are claimed by Lieutenant Alexander Home, R. N.

2 l 2

516 VICE-ADMIRALS OF THE BLUE.

of Long Island, the capture of New York, and the various
expeditions up the North and East rivers *.

In 1777, three years after he had passed for that rank, Mr.
Futerson was promoted by Lord Howe to be a Lieutenant in
the Strombolo fire-ship, which 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 went,
early in 1780, into the Alcide, in which we find him present
at the capture of St. Eustatia, Feb. 3, 1781 J. 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 that 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 captured 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-
mission. At the commencement of the war with the 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, 1794; and in the course of the
same year removed into the Melpomene, a fine frigate taken
possession of at Calvi, when that place surrendered to the
British arms ||.

* See Retired Captain, Sir Andrew Snape Hamono.
t For a Memoir of Earl Howe, see Naval Chronicle, vol. I, p. i, et seq.

\ See p. 127.
§ See p. 35, et seq. An interesting memoir of Lord Rodney will be
found in the Naval Chronicle, v. I, p. 353, et seq.

H See p. 252.

CHARLES WILLIAM PATERSON, .ESQ. 517

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 was appointed inspecting Captain of the county
quota men for the stewartry of Kircudbright and shire of
Wigtoun. Returning from that duty in the following year,
he received an appointment to the Admiral de Vries, of 68
guns, armed enjlute, 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 Paterson found her crew
in the most relaxed -state of discipline ; their irregular con-
duct, however, he succeeded in correcting ; and for his judi-
cious conduct in restoring them 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. Fiorenzo, 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 Paterson does not appear to have been again called
into service until the month of Jan. 1810, when he was or-
dered by Lord Mulgrave to superintend the depot for prison-
ers of war at Portchester Castle in Hampshire. Early in the
following year he was appointed by the Right Hon. Charles
Yorke to the Puissant ; the command ofwhich ship, if we mistake
not, he retained until Aug. 12, 1812, when he was advanced
by Viscount Melville to the rank of Rear-Admiral. His com-
mission as Vice-Admiral bears date Aug. 12, 1819.

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. — EastCosham Cottage, near Portsmouth, Hants.

* The present Admiral Sir James Hawkins Whitshbd.
f The Vice-Admiral's mother, and Mrs. Paterson'* ijrand-m other, were
sisters.

518 VICE-ADMIRALS OK THJB BLUE.

SIR GEORGE COCKBURN,

One of the Commissioners for executing the office of Lord High Admiral;
Vice-Admiral of the Blue ; Major-General of the Royal Marines; Knight
Grand Cross of the most honourable Military Order of the Bath ; a Com-
missioner 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 Bolton, Carriden, and Langtoun,
from King David II. and in 13J0 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 Miss 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 promoted to the command
of the Speedy sloop. Early in 1794 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 presentat the capture of the
Ca Ira and Censeur, two French line-of-battle ships, off Gour-
jon bay t> 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 present Baronet, was, in 1806,
appointed Under Secretary of State ; in 1807, Governor and Commander-
in-Chief of Curagoa ; and in 1811, Governor, &c of the Bermudas. He
now holds the office of Paymaster of the Royal Marines.

t See p. 340.

SIR GEORGE COCKBURN. 519

General de Vins ; and in checking the trade between Genoa,
France, and the places occupied by the republican troops.

The various and important services which that lamented
hero performed with his small squadron, during the Vado
campaign, 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
Italy. 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 Jervis5 giving an account of the above cap-
ture :

" I directed Captain Cockburn of the Meleager to lead in, which he did
in the most officer-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 Peterell and Speedy. After a short resistance from the battery and
vessels, we took possession of them. It is impossible I can do justice to
the alacrity and gallantry ever conspicuous in my little squadron. Our
boats boarded the national ketch la Genie, the Commodore of the convoy,
notwithstanding the fire of three 18-pounders, and one of similar calibre,
in a gun-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 off 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 I feel indebted to every officer in the squadron, 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
occasion that offers *."

* The above-mentioned affair took place May 31, I ~r>6 ; the loss sus«

520 VICE-ADMIRALS OF THE BLUE.

Amidst the excesses and cruelty which the French 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 horrible 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. 1/96, 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, which 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 her 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 X, 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 by the British was 1 man killed and 3 wounded. On the 25th of the
preceding month, the boats of the Agamemnon, Diadem, Meleager, and
Peterell, cut out four vessels laden with provisions, wine, arms, and ammu-
nition, from under the batteries at Loano, on which occasion Lieutenant
(now Captain) Noble of the former ship, and two seamen belonging to the
Meleager, were wounded.

f The Spaniards in an account of the action published at Carthagena,
stated their loss at 10 killed and 45 wounded, 2 of them mortally.
J See superannuated Rear-Admiral D'arcy Preston.
§ See Captain SirT. M. Hardy, in our next volume.

SIR GEORGE COCKBURN. 521

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
Cockhurn, that it is needless for me to express them ; hut 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.
Lieutenant Culverhouse is an old officer of distinguished merit*. Lieute-
tants Hardy, Gage, and Nohle, 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 me, 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 f 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 1809.

|| Soon after Nelson's return to England from his unsuccessful expedi-
tion against Teneriffe, an account of which will be found at p. 391, et seq.,
he sent a letter to Earl St. Vincent containing the following request : "Af-
ter George Cockburn's gallant action with the Sabina, I directed a gold-
hilted sword to be made for him, which I had hoped to present to him my-
self in the most public and handsome manner ; but as Providence has de-
creed otherwise, I must beg of you to present it for me. My good friend
Grey will, I hope, enquire and get it out of the Argo. I feel confident of
your goodness."

f See Note at p. 255.

522 VICE-ADMIRALS OF THE BLUE.

ordered to remove into his former ship, the Captain of 74 guns'

Towards the close of the memorable battle of Feb. 14, 1J9J *i
la Minerve again received the broad pendant of Commodore
Xelson, 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 Phaeton, 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, Aboukir, 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 serving 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
ul ready informed their lordships, that I entrusted the whole
of the naval arrangements on shore to Commodore Cockburn ;
his exertions have been unremitting, and his merit beyond my
praise."

See p. 23, et seq. t See p. 264.

SIR GEORGE COCKBURN. 523

In the following summer, Captain Cockburn commanded
the Belleisle, a third rate, in the expedition to the Scheldt ; and
after the army had been landed, took the command of a divi-
sion of bombs and gun-vessels, which, under his directions,
were most judiciously placed against the south-east end of
the town of Flushing, and bombarded that place until the
French Commandant signified his intentions to surrender*.
Captain Cockburn was then selected, together with the Adju-
tant-General of the army, to settle the terms of capitulation,
which were finally concluded in the evening of the 15th July.
The loss sustained by that part of the flotilla under his orders,
at the attack of Flushing, amounted to 7 men killed and 22
wounded : among the former was Lieutenant Rennie, of the
Marlborough, and in the latter list Lieutenant Russel, of the
San Josef.

Early in 1810, Captain Cockburn was appointed to the Im-
placable, another 74-gun-ship ; and in the ensuing autumn
we find him serving under Sir Richard Keats at Cadiz, in the
defence of which city he exhibited his usual zeal and ability
on every occasion that presented itself. He was subsequently
sent to South America, to mediate between Spain and her
trans- atlantic colonies, and on this occasion, we believe, was
established in the rank of Commodore.

At the general promotion, Aug. 1st. 1811, our officer was
nominated to one of the vacant Colonelcies of Royal Marines ;
and on the 12th Aug. in the following year, advanced to the
rank of Rear-Admiral ; he soon after proceeded to the coast
cf North America, with his flag in the Marlborough, of J 4
guns.

In the month of April, 1813, the Rear-Admiral commenced
a desultory warfare in the southern part of the United States,
by proceeding with a light squadron up the rivers at the head
of Chesapeake Bay, and attacking the different towns and re-
positories of stores on their banks. These operations, though
successful, were of no other moment than as they tended to im-
press the minds of the people in those parts with a desire for the
termination of hostilities, to which they were in danger of be-
coming victims. A more important entcrprize was under-
taken against a post at Hampton, in Virginia, defended by a

* See p. 290.

524 VICE-ADMIRALS OF THE BLUE.

considerable body of troops, and commanding the communi-
cation between the upper part of the country and Norfolk.
On the 26th June, Sir Sidney Beck with, at the head of the fly-
ing corps attached to the fleet under Sir John B. Warren, who
had embarked his troops on board Rear-Admiral Cockburn's
squadron, landed to the westward of Hampton, and, whilst
the enemy's attention was engaged by a fire from the vessels
upon the batteries, he turned their flank unperceived. A brisk
action ensued, which terminated in his gaining possession of
their camp and fortified works. The total loss sustained by
the British on this occasion was 5 men slain, 33 wounded,
and 10 missing. In the following month, Rear-Admiral Cock-
burn took possession of Ocracoke and Portsmouth islands, on
the coast of North Carolina, by which an end was put to the
commerce carried on from the port of the former by means
of the inland navigation. A brig of war mounting 18, and a
schooner of 10 guns, were also captured there.

The hostile operations on the southern coast of the United
States, had hitherto been rather of a harassing and predatory
kind, than directed to any important purpose ; but it was now
resolved to strike a blow in this quarter that might exert an
influence upon the fate of the war. A large naval force under
the command of Sir Alexander Cochrane, having on board a
strong body of troops, commanded by Major-General Ross,
assembled in the Chesapeake in the beginning of Aug. 1814,
waiting the arrival of a reinforcement from Bermuda. Their
junction took place on the ljth, when the Commander-in-
Chief was informed by Rear-Admiral Cockburn, that the
American Commodore Barney, with the Baltimore flotilla,
had taken shelter at the head of the Patuxent ; of this cir-
cumstance advantage was taken as a pretext for ascend-
ing that river, with the avowed purpose of an attack upon
Barney; but the real and ultimate object was the Ame-
rican capital, not far distant from a port on the Patuxent. A
detachment being sent to bombard Fort Washington, situated
about ten or twelve miles below the city, and several vessels
sent up the Chesapeake, above Baltimore, by way of diversion :
the main body of the army, with the marine battalion, a de-
tachment of seamen, and the rocket corps, were landed at Be-
nedict on the 19th and 20th Aug. On the 21st, Major-Ge-

SIR GEORGE COCKBURN. 525

neral Ross marched to Nottingham, higher up the Patuxent,
on the same (right) bank ; the armed boats and tenders of the
fleet, under Rear-Admiral Cockburn, making a corresponding
movement in communication with the troops on shore, and in
pursuit of Commodore Barney, who, with his flotilla, consist-
ing of one armed sloop and sixteen vessels, retired before
them. On the 22nd the army moved to Marlborough, while
the boats pursued the flotilla ; and on their near approach, it
was observed that the enemy, instead of waiting an attack,
had set fire to his vessels, all of which blew up in succession,
except the last gun-boat, which, with thirteen merchant
schooners, and a considerable, quantity of tobacco, were cap-
tured, and such as were worth transporting, brought away. In
consequence of this success, the right flank of the army was
secured ; and the force of the Americans being ascertained to
be such only as would justify an attempt to take the capital
by a coup de main, Major-General Ross in concert with Rear-
Admiral Cockburn, determined on making it.

In the course of the 23d, all necessary preparations were
made for the advance ; and in the afternoon, the troops, and an
additional number of seamen and marines being landed from
the squadron, proceeded about five miles nearer Washington,
where they bivouacqued for that night.

On the morning of the 24th, the whole, with the Major-
General and the Rear-Admiral, accompanied by Captains
Wainwright, Palmer, and Money, of the navy, advanced upon
Bladensburgh, a village and strong position about five miles
from Washington. Here the enemy's army was discovered
on the opposite side of the river, estimated at upwards of
8,000 men, with Commodore Barney and the crew of his flo-
tilla, strongly posted on two commanding heights, his ad-
vance occupying a fortified house, which, with the artillery,
covered the bridge that the British had to pass over. Not-
withstanding the great fatigue which the state of the weather
and their previous march and labours had occasioned, his Ma-
jesty's forces evinced the greatest alacrity, and while a part
only of the army was come up, the Commander of the troops
seeing a favourable opportunity of attack, resolved not to defer
it : a column of about 1,500 men advanced upon the
enemy, stormed his position, and totally routed him, taking

52G VICE-ADMIRALS OF THE BLUE.

10 pieces of cannon, killing great numbers, and making seve-
ral prisoners : among the latter was Commodore Barney, who
was also wounded.

President Madison, the Secretary at Avar, and the Secreta-
ries of state and of the navy, are said to have been present at
the beginning of the action. The loss sustained by the British
in this decisive affair, was 63 men killed and 185 wounded.

Immediately after the action, the remains of the American
army retreated through Washington, and across the Potow-
mac into Virginia. Having halted a short time, the British
troops advanced ; and, notwithstanding the resistance made
by the enemy, took possession of Washington.

All that evening and night, the invaders were employed in de-
stroying the public buildings, stores, and property to a great
amount. The enemy in his retreat had set lire to the dock-
yard and arsenal ; a frigate of the largest class ready for
launching, and a sloop of war already afloat, were also burnt.
The destruction was completed by the British seamen next
morning ; but private property was respected, and strict dis-
cipline observed.

In addition to the dock-yard, &c, already mentioned, the
States' rope- walk, and an immense and costly assemblage of
naval stores of all kinds, together with the vast and splendid
public edinoes that had so lately adorned that maiden capital,
the Palace of the President, the Senate House, the
House of Representatives, the Treasury, the War Of-
fice, and the Great Bridge across the Potowmac, were de-
voured by the flames, blown up from their foundations, or
otherwise destroyed !

The object of the expedition being effected, a retreat was
commenced on the night of the 25th ; the army reached Bene-
dict on the 29th, and re-embarked on the following day, hav-
ing met with no molestation on its return.

The following is an extract from the despatches of Sir Alex-
ander Cochrane, relative to the above enterprise : — " i" have
before had occasion to speak of the unremitting zeal and exer-
tions of Rear- Admiral Cockburn during the time he com-
manded in the Chesapeake under my orders : the interest and
ability which he has manifested throughout this late arduous
service, justly entitle him to my best thanks, and to the ac-

SIR GEORGE COCKBURN. 52/

faioivledgements of my Lords Commisioners of the Admi-
ralty"

Major- General Ross, in his official letter to Earl Bathurst,
says, — " To Hear- Admiral Cockburn, who suggested the at-
tack upon Washington, and who accompanied the army, I
confess the greatest obligation, for his cordial co-operation
and advice."

The next important event was the unsuccessful attack made
upon Baltimore, in Sept. 1814 ; the army succeeded in de-
feating the Americans, and approached close to the city ; but
so efficient were the naval means of defence, that our ships of
war could not co-operate, and all the brilliant achievements
of our soldiers proved useless On this occasion that part of
the naval service which was connected with the army, was
again confided to Rear-Admiral Cockburn, who evinced his
usual zeal and ability, and executed his important trust to the
entire satisfaction of the Commander-in-Chief.

The heaviest loss sustained by the British in this expedi-
tion was that of the gallant Major-General Ross, who fell by
the side of the Rear- Admiral, when reconnoitring the enemy
previous to the action.

During the remainder of the war with America, the subject
of this memoir was incessantly employed in scouring the ene-
my's rivers, destroying their towns, batteries, shipping, and
property to an immense amount.

In the month of July, 1815, when the late ruler of the
French nation surrendered himself to the British, his present
Majesty, then Prince Regent, depending on " the well known
zeal and resolute character of Sir George Cockburn *," con-
fided that personage to his care. The Rear Admiral was at
the same time appointed Commander-in-Chief at the Cape of
Good Hope and the island of St. Helena ; to the latter of
which places, as is well known, his turbulent prisoner Was
conveyed for the purpose of secure detention. On the 8th
Aug. Sir George sailed from Plymouth with his flag on board
the Northumberland, into which ship General Buonaparte had
previously been removed from the Bellerophon ; and on the
16th Oct. following, landed the latter at the place of his des-

* The Rear-Adiniral had been rewarded for his eminent services with
the insignia of a K. C. B. Jan. 2, preceding.

528 VICE ADMIRALS OF TUB BLUE.

tination, where our officer continued until the arrival of Sir
Hudson Lowe, to whom he transferred his charge ; and being
relieved in the command of the squadron by Sir Pulteney Mal-
colm, returned to England.

On the 20th Feb. 1818, Sir George Cockburn was created a
G. C. B. ; in the following month he obtained a seat at the
Board of Admiralty ; and at the general election in the same
year, was chosen representative in Parliament for the Borough
of Portsmouth. His promotion to the rank of Vice- Admiral
took place Aug. 12, 1819; and on the 5th April, 1821, he re-
ceived the honorable appointment of Major-General of the
Royal Marines.

Sir George represents Weobley, co. Hereford, in the pre-
sent Parliament, having been elected for that borough in 1820.

Residence. — Admiralty.

JAMES CARPENTER, Esq.

Vice-Admiral of the Blue.

This officer is an old follower of the present veteran
Admiral of the Fleet, whom he accompanied to the West
Indies as a Lieutenant of his flag-ship, the Boyne of 98 guns,
and was there promoted to the command of the Nautilus
sloop. He served on shore with a detachment of seamen
under the orders of Captain Eliab Harvey, at the reduction
of Martinique in 1794; and received the public thanks of Sir
Charles Grey, the military Commander-in-Chief, for his
active co-operation. He was advanced to the rank of Post-
Captain in the Bien Venu, a prize frigate by commission
bearing date March 25, 1794. From that ship he afterwards
removed into the Alarm of 32 guns ; and early in the follow-
ing year, co-operated with the army under General Sir John
Vaughan in reducing to submission the Charibs and negroes
of St. Vincent, Grenada, and Dominica, who, encouraged by
the French republicans from Guadaloupe, were committing
the most horrid acts of cruelty on the defenceless inhabit-
ants, putting to death men, women, and children ; and burn-
ing the plantations. The insurgents were completely de-
feated with great slaughter in several attacks. The loss on

JAMES CARPENTER, ESQ. 529

the part of the British was also considerable. Sir John
Vaughan, in his public despatches, particularly mentioned the
zeal and activity at all times manifested by our officer whilst
employed on this service. About the same time, the Alarm,
in company with the Bellona, 74, captured le Duras, of 20
guns and 70 men, having on board 400 troops, off the island
of Deseada.

In 1799, we find Captain Carpenter commanding the Levi-
athan of 74 guns, bearing the flag of Rear-Admiral Duck-
worth, with whom he had formerly been a messmate. On
the 5th April, 1800, that ship, while cruizing near the Gut
of Gibraltar, in company with the Swiftsure, 74, and Emerald
frigate, had the good fortune to fall in with a convoy that had
sailed from Cadiz a short time previous, bound to Lima. On
the two following days, the squadron succeeded in capturing
two frigates, each mounting 36 guns, having on board 3,000
quintals of quicksilver, together with eleven sail of merchant-
men richly laden, the whole of which were conducted in
safety to Gibraltar. The Spanish frigates used the greatest
exertions to get off, and displayed a gallantry in commencing
an action with such a superior force, as might be truly termed
temerity. They had 23 men killed and 28 wounded. On
board one of them the Archbishop of Buenos Ayres was a
passenger.

In the month of June following, Rear- Admiral Duckworth
having been appointed to the command at the Leeward
islands, proceeded thither from the Mediterranean, in the
Leviathan, accompanied by Captain Carpenter, who invalided
soon after his arrival in the West Indies, and took a passage
to England in the Charlotte merchant vessel, Avhich was es-
corted to the northward of the islands by the Gypsey tender,
of 10 guns and 42 men, commanded by Lieutenant Coryndon
Boger.

On the 8th October, the Gypsey being off the north end
of Guadaloupe. fell in with a French sloop, and after a very
gallant and severe conflict, compelled her to strike. She
proved to be the Quidproquo, of 8 guns and 98 men, 80 of
whom were Guadaloupe chasseurs. The loss on the part of
the British was 3 men killed, and 9 (including Lieutenant
Boger) wounded. The enemy had 5 killed and 1 1 wounded.

vol. 1. 2 m

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.

Vice-Admiral of the Blue.

At the commencement of the war with France, in 1793,
this officer commanded the Hawke, of 16 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 da)",
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 ; 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-
tin's, where she was destroyed by the fire of the Lapwing,
whose loss amounted to 1 man killed and 7 wounded.

The following day Captain Barton found it necessary to
burn his prize, in order to prevent her falling into the pos-
session of two French frigates, by which he was chased on his
return to St. Kitts.

ROBERT BARTON, ESQ. 531

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 your 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<jcius 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 mercy and courage are the inse-
parable associates of noble minds, and that the honor of the union is
yours."

To this address, Captain Barton returned the following
answer :

" Gentlemen. — I return you many thanks for the honor you have done
me ; 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

532 VICE-ADMIKAL* OF THB BLUE.

assisting at the capture of eleven more of those marauders,
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. Ganteaume, and was chased by one of his frigates :
the Concorde at this time having a Swedish ship in tow, cast
her off, ?nd 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 elose
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 officer 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 communicate 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.
The enemy's frigate was la Bravoure, of 42 guns and 293
men, 10 of whom, including a Lieutenant, were killed, and
her Captain and 24 wounded.

In the ensuing autumn, we find Captain Barton acting as
Governor of Newfoundland, from whence he returned to
Portsmouth 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 board
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 about the latter end of 1805 ;
and from that period we find no further mention of him till

ROBERT BARTON, ESQ. 533

the summer of 1807, when he was appointed to the York, a
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 proceeded 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 Cockbum, to whom he gave the most able
support 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 Mediterranean station.
Captain Barton was advanced to the rank of Rear-Admiral,
Aug. 12, 1812, but has never hoisted his flag. He became a
Vice-Admiral, Aug. 12, 1819.

Residence. — Burrough House, near Exeter, Devon.

SIR GRAHAM MOORE,

Vice-Admiral of the Blue; Knight Commander of the most honorable
Military Order of the Bath, and of the Portuguese Order of the Toirer
and Sword; and Commander-in-Chief in the Mediterranean.

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-General Sir John Moore,
who fell at the battle of Corunna, Jan. 16, 1809 f. He entered

* Seep. 264.

f The body of Sir John Moore, agreeably to his uniform wish, to be

buried near the spot where he might fall, was deposited, without a coffin, in

a grave hastily dug by some soldiers, on the ramparts of Corunna ; but some

months afterwards, the Spanish Marquis de la Romana ordered it to be

534 VICE-ADMIRALS OF THE BLUE.

the naval service at an early age ; 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, Captain 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 Avas soon
silenced by the British, but not before the Syren had had 2
men killed and 2 wounded *.

Captain Moore's next appointment 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, l'Etonnant corvette, of 18 guns ;
and the same day, in company with the Childers sloop, cap-
tured l'Etna, 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 10h 30* P. M. he discovered

taken up and interred in the citadel, in a manner worthy the admiration and
esteem in which the professional and private character of this distinguished
General had been held by all who knew him.

* Seep. 287.

SIR GRAHAM MOORE. 535

two sail, and after 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 aftervvardshe 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 command 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 titne orders were given to prevent any
Spanish 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-ship S then expected from South America, being off

* In addition to the captures already mentioned, Captain Moore, whilst
commanding the Melampus, appears to have taken the following privateers :
Le Rayon, G guns, 54 men; le Mercure, 16 guns, 103 men ; a Spanish fe-
lucca, 1 gun, 35 men ; and assisted at the capture of la Belliqueux, of 18

guns, and 120 men.

f See p. 290.

536 VICE-ADMIRALS OF THE BLUE.

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 Captain 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 ve&sels 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 had been for

SIR GRAHAM MOORE. 53/

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, Captain Moore was
charged with the 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 officer 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
11th 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-

* See p. 320. t See p. 290.

538 VrCE-ADMIRAJ-S OV THK BLUK.

ter of the late Thomas Eden, of Wimbledon, Esq., and niece
of William, first Lord Auckland.

MATTHEW HENRY SCOTT, Esq.

Vice-Adm'iml of the Blue.

This officer is the son of an opulent Jamaica planter, of
which island he is a native. He entered the naval service
at an early age ; and in 1/93, we find him serving as Lieute-
nant on board the Boyne, of 98 guns, 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 care
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
10th of the same month. In the following summer the Rose
was wrecked on Rocky Point, Jamaica ; 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 cx-

* Sec p. 19. t Sec p. 134.

MATTHEW HENRY SCOTT, ESQ. 539

eeution of this service the Hebe led the first division into
Ance la Cap, and Captain Scott, with great spirit and judg-
ment, took a position opposite a 5-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 Wolley, of the Arethusa, to co-operate
with Sir Ralph Abercromby in quelling 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 1798, 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 officer
was appointed to la Diana *, in which frigate he continued
until the close of 1805. During the ensuing three years he
commanded the Dragon, of 74 guns. His promotion to the
rank of Rear -Admiral took place Aug. 12, 1812 ; 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.

Residence . — Southampton .

* La Diana was afterwards named the Niobe.

540 VICE-ADMIRALS OF THE BLUE.

JOSEPH 1 1 AN WELL, Esq.

Vice-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. 1/73 ; and from
that ship was removed to the Carcass sloop of war, in Jan.
177&- 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. 17/6, 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 Unicorn
frigate, in which he remained until 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 that 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

* See 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.

JOSEPH HANWELL, ESQ. 541

of whom, including her commander, M. Mignionet, were
killed, and 16 wounded. The Milford had 4 slain and 3
wounded.

On the 26th Oct. 1780, 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 J4 ; 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 served
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 Actreon, a 44-gun ship armed
en Jlate, 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 Actseon until that ship was paid
off May 13, 1791.

Our officer's next appointment wa3 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.
f See p. 426.

542 VIGfi-ADMIRALS OF TI1K BLUE.

Corsicans, and whicli 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 tico 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, 50 guns.
I On this 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.

JOSEPH HAN WELL, 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, 17^7, 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,

Vice-Admiral of the Blue; and Knight Commander of the most hono-
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 Beaulieu 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 Frangois bound to Port-au-Prince,
having General Morgan and staff, with 530 troops on board.
The crew consisted of only 150 men. Ou the same day, the

See p. 19.

544 VICE-ADMIRALS OF THE BLUK.

Cumberlaiul 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 21st 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 f. 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 offhis arm ; his shipmates offered to assist
him in going to the Surgeon; but he bluntly said, " / thank you, stay
where you are ; you will 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, " Avast, 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 HENRY WILLIAM BAYNTUN. 545

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 de la Plata on the 14th June, 1807 *• The
disastrous result of the pernicious measures pursued by the
military Commander-in-Chief, Lieutenant-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, that 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. j 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 ; Vice-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, 1792,)

* See p. 407.

VOL. I. 2 N

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 1795? 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 the 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 out of sight by
the time the prisoners were exchanged, the Sirius got within
musket-shot of her by five P. M., and commenced a running
fight, which continued about half an hour, when she struck,
having 8 men killed and 14 wounded, her 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 after this event, Captain King was stationed off the
coast of France, where he captured la Favorie, of 6 guns

* See note at p. 160, et stg.

SIR RICHARD KING, BART. 54/

and 45 men, from Cayenne to Bourdeaux, laden with cotton,
indigo, and camphor ; and a Spanish brig from Corunna to
Monte Video, with a cargo of iron, and bale goods.

Towards the latter end of Jan. 1801, the Sirius, in com-
pany with l'Oiseau, intercepted la Dedaigneuse French fri-
gate 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
YJ wounded. Captain Linzee, of l'Oiseau, in his official letter,
giving an account of this capture, expressed himself much
indebted to Captain King, for his steady and well directed
fire, 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. 1802,
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
guns, which ship formed part of Lord Nelson's fleet in the
memorable battle of Trafalgar, and appears to have been
very warmly engaged, having had 13 men killed and 59
wounded. Captain King succeeded to the baronetcy on the
demise of his father, which took place in Nov. 1806.

Early in 1808, we find Sir Richard King employed in the
blockade of Ferrol, and in the following year he commanded
a squadron off Cherbourgh. He afterwards served at the
defence of Cadiz, from whence he proceeded to the Mediter-
ranean; and in February 1811, was appointed Captain of the
Fleet on that station, under the orders of the late Sir Charles
Cotton, with whom he served in the same capacity when that
Admiral was removed to the Channel fleet.

At the general promotion, Aug. 12, 1812, Sir Richard ob-
tained the rank of Rear- Admiral ; and during the remainder of
the war had his flag in the San Josef of 110 guns, off Toulon.
On the 2d Jan. 1815, he was nominated a K. C.B. ; and in
the spring of 1816, appointed Commander-in-Chief on the
East India station, from whence he returned to England, Oct.

2n2

548 VICE-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.)

Pice- 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 the action off 1'Orient, June 23, 1795 f.
The London on that occasion bad 3 men wounded. From
this time until the end of 1796, Vice- Admiral Colpoys. with
his flag in the London, was employed in the command of
different 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 considered 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 board his flag-ship, the Minden, on the
passage to Bombay, March 20, 1819.

f See p. 246.

EDWARD GRIFFITH COLPOYS, ESQ. 549

when Lord Bridport, who had succeeded to the command of
the fleet, on the indisposition of the above nobleman, made
the signal 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 suffer them

550 VICE-ADMIRALS OF THE BLUE.

to proceed to demand 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 whole crew of that ship now declared open
hostility against the officers and their loyal supporters, turned
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 hang Lieu-
tenant Simpson ; but at this trying moment, the Vice-Ad-
miral rushed forward, alleged his own responsibility, and as-
sured them, that that officer 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 disaffection
was struck, and two days after, the fleet put to sea to en-
counter the enemy.

EDWARD GRIFFITH COLPOYS, ESC1. 551

7 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 Majesty's
Fleet, on behalf of themselves ;
Humbly eheweth,

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, wherein the wages
of all seamen serving on board his Majesty'* fleet was settled, passed at a
time when the necessaries of life, and slops of every denomination, were
at least 30 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 will 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 in 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 many 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 equally
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-
sioners 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
duty 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 Lord? Commissioners of the Admiralty.
We, the seamen of his Majesty's navy, take the liberty of addressing
your Lordships in an humble petition, shewing the many hardships and

552 VICfi-ADMIRALS OK THE BLUE.

oppressions we have laboured tinder for many years, and which wc hope
your Lordships will redress as soon us 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 laborious
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 which we complain; and do not in
the least doubt but your Lordships will comply with our desires, which are
every way reasonable.

The first grievance which we have to complain of is, that our wages are
too low, 'and 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 be
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 are in harbour, or any port
whatever under the command of the British flag ; and also that there be
granted a sufficient quantity of vegetables of such kind as may be the most
plentiful in the ports to which we go, which we grievously complain and
lie under the 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 kind as to 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

EDWARD GRIFFITH COLPOYS, ESQ. 553

shore when in any harb our ; 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, 1797.

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
Majesty'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 continued
in pay until their wounds are healed ; or, until being 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-

•r)54 VICE-ADMIRALS OF THE BLUE.

turning to their duty ; as it may be necessary that the fleet should speedily
put to sea, to meet the enemy of the country.

<iiven under our hands at Portsmouth, the
18th day of April, 1797-

Spencer.

Ap.den.

W. 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 Seamen'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 speedy 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-
estedness 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 beeu 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 liquors in proportion, and of a better
quality, and a sufficient quantity of vegetables ; and that no flour be served
with fresh beef. And we further beg leave to inform your Lordships,
that it is unanimously agreed, that until the grievances before stated are

EDWARD GRIFFITH COLPOYS, ESQ. 555

redressed, and an act of indemnity passed, we are determined not to lift
an 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
Bridport, 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. — We 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 in 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
Chest 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 them, 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 in every particular, and

556 VICE-ADMIRALS OF THE BLUE.

shall cease to hold further intercourse with any men who continue in a state
of disobedience and mutiny.

Given under our hands at Portsmouth,
the 20th of April, 1/97.
Spencer.
Arden.
W. Young.
By command of their Lordships,

W. Mars den.
To the Right Honourable Lord Bridport,
Admiral of the White, &c.

To the Right Honourable the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty.

We, the seamen and marines in and belonging to his Majesty's fleet 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 satisfaction to every loyal and
well-disposed seaman and marine belonging to his Majesty's fleets ; and
from the assurance which your Lordships have 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 ami faithful to their
King and country.

But we beg leave to remind your 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

EDWARD GRIFFITH COLPOYS, ESQ. 557

at Spithead, and of the measures taken by the said Lords Commissioners in
consequence thereof; and in order to manifest our desire to give due en-
couragement to all those who shall return to the regular and ordinary dis-
charge of their duty, according to the rules and practice of the navy; we
have thought fit by the advice of our Privy Council, to issue this our royal
proclamation, and do hereby promise our most gracious pardon to all sea-
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 returning 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 King*.

Captain Griffith, we believe, did not return to the London ;
but some time in the course of the same year,hewasappointedto
the Niger, of 32 guns, stationed on the French coast, and from
her removed into the Triton, of the same force. In these ships
he captured the following privateers : la Rosee, 14 guns, JO
men ; l'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 Bel-
leilse f.

Captain Griffith remained in the Diamond until the spring
of 1804, and 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 %. 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 the navy; but towards the end of May, a mutiny still more alarming
than the preceding, broke out on board the ships at the Nore and 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.

.">58 VICB-ADMIRALS OF TUB BLUE.

Our officer's next appointment was in Oct. 1807, to the
Sultan, a new J4, 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. Had 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 ; 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
hands of 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 Commander-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 name of Colpoys,
took place subsequent to the demise of the venerable Admi-
ral of that name.

The subject of this memoir, if we mistake not, married the
widow of the Hon. Sir John Wilson, one of the Judges of

EDWARD GRIFFITH C0LPOYS, ESQ. 559

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.

Vice-Admiral of t he Blue.

This officer is the youngest son of the Rev. Francis Hen-
der Foote, of Charlton Place, Bishopsbourne, 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.
1J92. 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 latter end of the same year, Captain Foote
obtained the command of the Niger, of 32 guns, in which
ship he assisted at the capture of a French convoy, May 9?
1795 f. On the 12th April, 1796, he destroyed l'Ecurieul,
of 18 guns and 105 men, near the Penmarks. The Niger
afterwards proceeded to the Mediterranean, and was present
at the battle off Cape St. Vincent, Feb. 14, 1797 %. In Octo-
ber following, Captain Foote was appointed to the Seahorse,
of 46 guns and 281 men, in which frigate he cruized for some
time on the coast of Ireland, where he assisted at the capture
of la Belliqueux, a French privateer, of 18 guns and 120 men.
He subsequently returned to the Mediterranean station ; and
on the 27th June, 1798, after a chase of twelve hours, and a
close action of eight minutes, off the island of Pantellaria,
captured la Sensible, a French frigate of 36 guns and 300

Vice-Admiral Foote's grandfather was a Barrister, and it is said, sat in
Parliament for a Cornish borough.

+ See p. 287. % See p. 21, et srq.

•" /•,

GO VICE-ADMIRALS OK THE 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 1/99, when the approach of the French fleet
from Brest rendered it necessary for Lord Nelson, then at
Palermo, to collect all his line-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 Benjamin Hallowell (See Notef at p. 472,) we have
already alluded 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 the 23d Jan. 1 799, the Neapolitan army having been previously
dispersed, a body of the republican troops under General Championet, not-
withstanding the obstinate resistance they met with from the lazzaroni, 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 de-
tachment from his Lordship's squadron, under the orders of Captain Trou.
bridge, entered the bay, and after taking possession of Procida, Ischia,
Capri, and the other islands in that neighbourhood, proceeded to blockade
the city and adjacent towns, for the purpose of preventing the enemy in
those places from getting any supplies of corn, or other articles, by sea.
The ships of the line being required at Palermo to reinforce their Admiral,
the command of the vessels left on that service devolved upon Captain
Foote, about the middle of May.

EDWARD JAMES FOOTE, ESQ. 561

candour, or even accuracy, which the very peculiar difficulty
of the service appears to have demanded. From the state-
ment given by Captain Foote, to Lord Nelson, of his pro-
ceedings subsequent to the above date, and the various letters
he was afterwards obliged to publish, in consequence of a
shameful attack on his professional character, which had been
long established for ability and integrity, considerable light
has been thrown on this subject * .

" I shall not lake any notice," says Captain Foote in the statement
alluded to, " of the various letters which I received from the Cardinal ;
they will prove, if investigated, how very little he knew about the force that
was under my orders, or what was possible to be done by a few small ships
of war ; and that he kept advancing without any fixed plan, or project,
trusting entirely to the chapter of accidents t.

" On the 9th of June, I received a letter from the Cardinal, in which he
mentioned, that, on the 13th or 14th, he should be at the Tour del Greco ;
and he gave me some signals, by which I was to know, when the Royal
Army reached that place ; at which time, I was to give him all the assist-
ance that lay in my power, by sea ; accordingly, on the 13th, I stood into
the bay, and it appeared to me, that the coast, from Portici to Castel-a-
Mare, was in a state of insurrection ; but I saw no signals.

" Innumerable requests were made to me, for assistance, but no one
could tell me for certain, where the Cardinal was. I supplied the chief of
the Tour del Greco with powder, musket-ball, and cannister ; and seeing
the French and Neapolitan colours flying on the fort of Granatelli, I imme-
diately stood for it, having the Neapolitan frigate Sirena, and two gun-
boats, with me. This fort was garrisoned by upwards of 200 men, who kept
up a constant fire on a party of royalists, who were in the king's palace,
at Portici, and just outside of it, which they returned with musketry, and
from one piece of artillery : when close in with Granatelli, I fired a few
shot at it, and the republican colours were hauled down, and the royalists
rushed in, putting the whole of the garrison to the sword. Shortly after, a
certain D. Constantino di Felippis came on board, and acquainted me, that
he commanded about 4,000 royalists, that he meant to attack Villema the
next day, when I promised to assist him as much as I possibly could.

" The Cardinal, as I have since learnt, instead of being at his rendezvous,
the Tour del Greco, at the appointed time, was at Nola ; but as to any di-
rect information, I had none, not receiving any letter from him between the
9th and 17th of this month. Some country people informed me that the Re-
publicans had a camp of 800 infantry and 120 cavalry, near the Tour del

* See a pamphlet entitled " Captain Foote's Vindication of his conduct,
&c. &c." published by Cadell and Davies, London, anno 1807.

t The above passage appears to refer to the period when Cardinal RufFo
was advancing with his " Christian army" from Calabria towards Naples,

VOL. I. 2 o

56*2 VICE-ADMIRALS OF THE BLUE.

Annunciato, which was protected on the sea-side hy ten gun-boats and two
mortar-boats I had written to the Count de Thurn for three gallies, which
were then not much wanted at Procida ; hut, instead of their coming, I
only received excuses about the weather (which, no doubt, was at one time
threatening, but it afterwards cleared up) ; this caused me to write a posi-
tive order, and the gtdlies were sent ; but the Count de Thurn, at the same
time, informed me, that his instructions were quite independent of my
orders, and that he could not receive any but from his Sovereign, or those
who were his superiors. Reference may be had to my letters on this sub-
ject, but I do not wish it to be renewed, as I am on very good terms with
the Count de Thurn, and am perfectly satisfied that the evil originated in
his having secret orders — which, if I had not acted cautiously, might, in
consequence of those left with me, have been attended with very fatal con-
sequences. On the evening of the 13th, the Cardinal (or rather the Rus-
sians) took the fort of Villema, and the bridge of Mudalena. Carracioli's
gun-boats annoyed them a good deal, the weather preventing my approach-
ing sufficiently close with the frigates; but if the gallk's had been with me,
I should certainly have taken some of the gun-boats, or caused them to re-
treat. On the 14th the weather was bad ; and it was not until the 15th, the
day the gallies joined me, that I could venture so deep into the bay as the
castles of Revigliano, and Castel-a-Mare, which capitulated on terms men-
tioned in my letter book*, which circumstance I considered of the utmost
consequence — for if their garrisons, or friends, amounting to about 1000
men, had availed themselves of the opportunity, to concert with the repub-
licans at Annunciato, and make an attack on the rear of the Cardinal's
armv, his enterprise must inevitably have failed.

"On the 17th I informed the Cardinal, that I should immediately join
the gun-boats and mortar-boats f at the Piedi Grotta, with a view of at-
tacking Castel Uovo ; and on the 18th, I sent Captain Oswald, of the Per-
seus, with a letter to the Commandant of that Fort, in the hope of its open-
ing the way to a negotiation. On the night of the 17th, I had sent an of-
ficer to the Cardinal, who told him that the rebels, and the French, parti-
cularly the latter, had refused to capitulate to an Ecclesiastic ; that his means
were scarce sufficient to reduce determined and obstinate people ; and that
he wished me to try what I could do, by offering to hearken to the term;;
they might have to propose. I received a very insolent vernal answer from

* The garrison of Revigliano surrendered as prisoners of war, Captain
Foote promising to intercede with his Sicilian Majesty in their behalf.
The terms granted to Castel-a-Mare were, that the garrison and men be-
longing to the flotilla, should march out of the fort with military honors,
and ground their arms on passing the last barrier ; such of them as chose
to avail themselves of the protection of the British flag, to be received on
board the Seahorse, the remainder to dispose of themselves as they might
think proper. See " Captain Foote's Vindication," p. 105 to 111.
t Among tin* number were those given up at Castel-a-Mare,

EDWARD JAMES FOOTE, ESQ. 563

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."

"The next day, (the 19th) to my great surprise, I received a letter from
the Cardinal, requesting me to cease hostilities, and not to re-commence
them whilst the flag of truce was flying, as a negotiation had taken place.
The same night I sent an officer 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 Micheroux 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 Majesty than the having such a multiplicity of chiefs
—and that I knew of no other than hisEminence, who was specially charged
with the interests of the King of Naples, and that I could act 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 Russians who conducted the treaty. On the 19th, I received a plan of a
capitulation, already signed by 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 treating, and that I could not be answer-
able for its consequences. I also made some observations relative to St.
Elmo's capitulating, 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 because 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 republic, one and indivisible ; we will die to obtain it ;
this is our answer. Get away, citizen ! quickly, quickly ! "

N. B. The rest of the garrison of Castel Uovo were so much displeased
with the Commandant, that they complained of him, and he was displaced,

2 o 2

f)()4 \ l< -K-ADMlll VI.S OF THE BLUE.

" The result of all this is, that with a very small force, I have had tu
conquer difficulties, which were only got the better of by that terror which
the British flag inspires ; that I never was consulted by the Cardinal rela-
tive to the capitulation ; and that I had neither instructions, nor any docu-
ment, to assist or guide me."

The following is the plan of the capitulation for the forts of Nuovo and
lTo\<>, as transli ted by Captain Foote.

Article I. The Forts Nuovo and Uovo shall be delivered into the hands
of the commanders of the troops of the King of the Two Sicilies, and those
of his Allies, the King of England, the Emperor of all the Russias,and the
Ottoman Porte, with all warlike stores, provisions, artillery, and effects of
every kind now in the magazines, of which an inventory shall be made by
commissaries on both sides, after the present capitulation is signed.

Art- 2. The troops, composing the garrison, shall keep possession of
their forts until the vessels which shall be spoken of hereafter, destined to
convey such as arc 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 inarch out with the honours of war, arms
and baggage, drums beating, colours flying, and lighted match, with each
two pieces of artillery ; they shall lay down their arms on the beach.

Art. 4. Persons, and property, both moveable and immoveable, of
every individual of the two garrisons, shall be respected, and guaranteed.

Art. 5. All the said individuals shall have their choice of embarking on
board of cartels, which shall be furnished them to go to Toulon, or of re-
maining at Naples, without being molested either in their persons, or families.

Art. 6. The conditions contained in the present capitulation are common
to every person of both sexes now in the forts.

Art. 7- The same conditions shall take place with respect to the prison-
ers which the troops of His Majesty the King of the Two Sicilies, and those
of his Allies, may have made of the Republican troops, in the different
engagements which took place before the blockade of the forts.

Art. 8. Messieurs the Archbishop of Salerno, of Micheroux, of Dillon,
and the Bishop of Avelino, detained in the Forts, shall be put into the
hands of the commandant of the Fort St. Elmo, where they shall remain as
hostages until the arrival of the individuals, sent to Toulon, be ascertained.

Art. 9. All the other hostages, or state prisoners, confined in the two forts,
shall be set at liberty, immediately after the present capitulation is signed.

Art. 10. All the articles of the said capitulation must be fully approved
of by the commandant of Fort St. Elmo before they can be executed.
(Signed) F. Card. Ruffo, V. G.

* Kerandy Neut Prescaje.

* bonieu kubuffuterre.
Edward James Foote.

Commanding the ships and vessels of his Britannic
Majesty in the Bay of Naples.

* I could not decypher the signatures of the Russian and Turkish com-
manders, and I am therefore by no means certain that they are correct Iv
spelt.— E. J. F.

EDWARD JAMES FOOTE, 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
1J00 troops, threw out the annulling signal, and declared the
Treaty to be invalid, on the ground that " Captain Foote had
been deceived by Cardinal Ruffo, 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 must be
admitted, that treaties signed by those having the power,
which was the case with that officer at the moment of the
signature, 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 consequence said,
" We must then admit, amidst our eulogies and applauses,
that the great, the wise, and the valiant Blake, 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 his
arrival at that place, he learnt that those august personages
had decided upon returning to Naples in their own frigate, the
Sirena, lest they might hurt the feelings of such na\ al officers
as had remained faithful to them ; but that their Majesties
wished him to convoy them, and the transports, with troops
on board, and also to embark their treasure and staff in Hie

566 V1CK-ADMIKALS 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 Revigliauo, and Castel-a-Mare ; and,
at the Minister's request, explained to him the terms of the
capitulation which he had granted ; frequently observing,
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 would
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 the
8th of the same month. Immediately on his arrival, Captain
Foote received orders to proceed to another part of the coast,
on a 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 ; 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
Palermo, for the purpose of receiving their Sicilian Majes-

EDWARD JAMES FOOTE, ESQ. 56J

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, 17^9,

" My dear Sir,

" I did not send your box by the Goliath, as I 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, I fear, remain in
my possession a little longer.

" I can assure, you, ray 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-a-Mare.

" I hope that what I have wrote to Darby and Duckworth will please
you, for believe me, with the very greatest esteem,

" Your obliged humble Servant,

" Captain Foote. " Nelson."

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 hundred guineas.

In the month of May, 1800, the Seahorse conveyed Rear-
Admiral Sir Richard Bickerton, and General Sir Ralph Aber-
cromby, to the Mediterranean ; the latter returned to England
in that ship, Sept. 28th following. During the ensuing sum-
mer, Captain Foote was in attendance on their late Majesties
at Weymouth. He afterwards escorted ten sail of East In-
diamen 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 Molliwally
Shoal. The ship having filled with water to the gun-deck,
rendered the operations peculiarly difficult : the skill of Cap-
tain Foote, hoAvever, 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
Charlotte, yachts. On the 12th Aug. 1812, he was promoted
to the rank of Rear-Admiral ; and soon after hoisted his flag

568 VICE-ADMIRALS OK THB BLUE.

as second in command at Portsmouth, where he continued
until Feh., 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 France, about December, 1816.
Residence. — Southampton. *

SIR RICHARD LEE,

Vice- 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> »s 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 J4 guns,
which ship formed part of Sir George B. Rodney's fleet in the
actions of May 15th and 19th, 1780 J. 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 as an officer, a gentleman, and a christian.

X See note at p. 104, et sea.

SIR RICHARD LEE.

569

tarn, to England he joined the Recovery, and from that vessel
removed with Lord Hervey into the Raisonable, of 64 guns,
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.

The 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 underwriters, &c. at Lloyd's,
as an acknowledgment of the attention he had paid to their
interests f. He was afterwards 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> 1/94.

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, 10(5.

f Captains Alms and Brown, who commanded the other convoying ships,
received similar tokens of approbation from the same body.

X On the 31st Oct. 1793, Rear-Admiral M'Bride, in conjunction with
Generals Grey and Dundas, sent to the relief of Ostend and Nieuport, ob-
liged the French to abandon their .situation before those places, and retire
to Dunkirk.

.r>70 VICE-ADMIRALS 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 \.
A valuable sword was also awarded to him by the Committee
of the Patriotic Fund J. He afterwards commanded the
Monarch, another J4, 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 l'Armide and la Minerve, each
mounting 44 guns, French 18-pounders on their main-deck,
and 30-pounder carronades on their quarter-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 lTndefa-

*

See p. 289. t See P- 75, et seq.

X The Patriotic Fund was established by the merchants, underwriters,
and other subscribers to Lloyd's Coffee House, July 20, 1803. From
that period to March 1, 1820, the subscriptions amounted to 595,000/. ;
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 marks of distinction.

SIR RICHARD LEE. 571

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 lai'ge 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 the 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 Samuel Hood, in his official account of the action, says, " I cannot
add too much praise to Captain Lee, of the Monarch, for his gallant and
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 lower-deck
ports.

f See pp. 321,536.

5J2 \ l< R-ADM1KALS OF THK BLUE.

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 occupation
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 Morn rch
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 ofBraganza.

Sir Richard Lee's commission as Vice-Admiral, bears date
July 19,1821.

Residence. — Walmer, Kent.

PETER HALKETT, Esq.

f^ice-Admiral 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. X, of Pitferran, N. B. by Mary, daughter of the Hon.

* The Monarch was built at Deptford about 1765, and broke up in 1812.

f 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 subsequently denuded himself of the
estate of Gosford, in favour of his immediate younger brother, and took
the name and title of Sir John Halkett, of Pitferran, Bart. He served as a
Captain of the army at the reduction of Guadaloupe, in 1758; and died
Aug. 7, 1793.

PETER HALKETT, ESQ. 5J3

John Hamilton, grand uncle of the present Earl of Hadding-
ton. At the commencement of the war with France in 1793,
we find him serving as Lieutenant of the Syren, in which fri-
gate the Duke of York proceeded to Holland for the pur-
pose of taking the command of the British troops sent thither
to co-operate with the Dutch against the republican armies ;
and H. R. H. was so much pleased with the zeal and activity
displayed by Mr. Halkettin assisting the garrison of William -
stadt, at that time besieged by the French, that he soon after
obtained for him the rank of Commander ; and on his return
from the continent, that of Post-Captain. The Prince of
Orange also, as a mark of the high sense he entertained of the
eminent services performed by him in the gun-boats, ordered
him to be presented with a medal, with a suitable inscription,
value 500 guilders * .

Captain Halkett's post commission bears date Aug. 13, 1794;
he was soon after appointed to the Circe, of 28 guns, stationed
in the North Sea ; where nothing material occurred until the
spring of 1797? when an alarming mutiny broke out amongst
the crews of the ships under the orders of Admiral Duncan,
and at the Nore f. Happily the Circe escaped the contagion,
and Captain Halkett received the thanks of the Admiralty,
and the freedom of the town of Hull, for the conduct of his
ship during that alarming period.

* On the night of March 15, 1793, a party from the Syren, then lying-
in the Maese, embarked on board three gun-boats, under the orders of
Lieutenant John Western ; who taking advantage of the calm and fog that
prevailed, pulled across to the French batteries, five in number, which had
been erected to bombard Williamstadt. So animated and destructive afire
was kept up by the British, that their force became trebled in the eyes of
the French ; and the latter abandoned their works and fled. The governor
of Williamstadt having had no intimation of the intended diversion in his
behalf, was surprised at the firing ; and received Lieutenant Western, on his
landing the next morning, with heartfelt thanks. The latter, in the course
of the day, was gratified at seeing the Dutch soldiers enter the town, with
the cannon which he and his brave followers had compelled the French
to abandon. Lieutenant Western was killed in a subsequent attack on the
enemy's entrenched camp at the Noord post on the Moordyke. His re-
mains were attended to the church at Dordrecht by the Duke of York,
who ordered a monument, with an appropriate inscription, to be erected to
his memory.

t See p. 160, et seq.

5 74 VICE-ADMIRALS OK THK BLUE.

Early in Oct. 1/9J, the Circe formed part of the squadron
left off the Texel under Sir Henry Trollope, to watch the
Dutch fleet ; and at the battle off Camperdown, on the 11th
of that month, she \v;ts 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 chase 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 acquittal 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, oft*
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 subsequently commanded the Ganges, of 74
guns ; and on the 12th Aug. 1812, was advanced to the rank
of Rear-Admiral. In 1815, his flag was flying on board the
Gladiator, in Portsmouth harbour. 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.

WILLIAM BEDFORD, Esq.

Vice-Admiral of the Blue.
During the Russian armament, in 1/91, this officer served
about three months as a Lieutenant in the Edgar, of 74 guns ;
and subsequently in the Formidable, a second rate. He was

WI.LLIAM. BEDFORD ESQ. 575

promoted to the rank of Post-Captain, Aug. 15, 1794, 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
off l'Orient, on the 23d June, 1795 ; but the speedy flight of
the enemy deprived Captain Bedford of an opportunity to
share in the flying contest. He afterwards removed with Sir
Alan into the Royal Sovereign, of 1 10 guns.

In our memoir of Vice-Admiral E. G. Colpoys, we have
given an account of the alarming mutiny at Spithead, in the
spring of 1797 ; and stated, that in consequence of the conces-
sions made by government, the fleet under Lord Bridport had
put to sea on the 16th May, to encounter the enemy. The
spirit of disaffection, 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
Commander-in-Chief 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 their services to
act as volunteers under a junior officer, which offer, however,
Lord Nelson thought proper to decline. The Leyden had 11
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 Venus French privateer, of 18 guns and 150 men; and
assisted at the capture of la Franchise frigate, pierced for 44
guns. In 1805, he commanded the Hibernia, the flag-ship of
his friend Lord Gardner ; and afterwards the Caledonia, ano-
ther first rate, bearing the flag of Lord Gambier, Commander-
in-Chief of the Channel fleet.

At the general promotion, Aug. 12, 1812, our officer was
advanced to the rank of Rear-Admiral, and soon after ap-
pointed Captain of the North Sea fleet, under the late Sir W.

570 VICE-ADMIRALS OF THK BLUE.

Young, with whom he continued until the end of the war.
His commission as Vice-Admiral hears date July 19th, 1821.
He married in 1808, a daughter of Commissioner Fanshawe,
of Plymouth Dock-yard.

PHILIP STEPHENS, Esq.

(LATE WILKINSON.)
Vice-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, 1794.

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 struck, 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 married Viscount Ranelagh ; and on the death of
that nobleman, who had but a life interest in the estates of his father-in-law,
Admiral Wilkinson, to whom they devolved, assumed the cognomen of Ste-
phens. For the sake of convenience, the former alone will be used in this
sketch. Should the Vice-Admiral die without issue, the property will again
revert to the Ranelagh family.

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 Saintes,
and was bilged. The following day the crew took possession
of a small island, inhabited by fishermen, whose boats they
immediately began to equip for the purpose of transporting
themselves either 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. Fortunately, Captain Wilkinson succeeded in
getting on board a British cruizer, and thus escaped a capti-
vity of ten years duration, to which his officers and men were
subjected.

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 married, in 1804, So-
phia, daughter of William Worth, of Hayneford, near Nor-
wich, Esq.

HON. CHARLES ELPH1NSTONE FLEEMING,

^ice-Admiral of the Blue ; and a Member of the Royal Caledonian Hunt.

This officer, the second son of John, eleventh Baron El-
phinstone, by Anne, daughter of James, third Lord Ruthven,
was promoted to the rank of Commander in the Tisi phone

VOL. I. 2 P

578 VICE-ADMIRALS OF THE BLUE.

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 bound
trade, in 1796; and was then sent to the West Indies. The
Tartar was wrecked at St. Domingo, in the spring of the
following year. His next appointment was to the Diomede,
of 50 guns, in which ship he served on the East India station
during the remainder 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 l'Epervier,
of 16 guns and 90 men, from Guadaloupe, bound to l'Orient
with despatches ; l'Acteon, of 16 guns and 126 men ; and la
Chiffonette privateer, of 14 guns and 80 men. He was also
with Sir Robert C alder's fleet in the action of July 22d,
1805 *

Our officer's subsequent appointments as a Captain were,
to the Revenge, of 74 guns, in 1806 ; Bulwark, of the same-
force, about April, 1807 j Standard, 64, in the spring of
1811 ; and to be a Colonel of Royal Marines, Aug. 12, 1812.
His promotion to the rank of Rear-Admiral took place, Dec.
4, 1813 ; in the following year he succeeded the late Yice-
Admiral S. H. Linzee, as Commander-in-Chief at Gibraltar ;
he obtained his present rank July 19, 1821.

Vice- Admiral Fleetning formerly represented the county of
Stirling, during several parliaments, and voted on various im-
portant questions. His assumption of the name of Fleeming
was occasioned by his succeeding, on the death of his grand-
mother f, to the estates of the Wigtoun family at Cumber-
nauld and Biggar, in consequence of an entail executed by
the late Earl in 1741 ; the possession of which estates was
confirmed to him by a decision of the House of Lords. He
is uncle, as well as presumptive heir, to the present Lord El-
phinstone, who is a minor.

Residence. — Cumbernauld, Stirlingshire.

* See p. 290.
f Lady Clementina Fleecing, only child of John Earl of Wigtoun, and
mother of the present Viscount Keith.

579

SIR CHARLES VINICOMBE PENROSE.

Vice-Admiral of the Blue ; Knight Commander of the most honorable
Military Order of the Bath ; and of the Neapolitan Order of St. Fer-
dinand and of Merit.

This officer was made a Commander into the Lynx sloop,
on the Halifax station, where he assisted at the capture of
l'Esperance, French corvette, of 12 guns and 80 men. He
obtained the rank of Post-Captain, Oct. 7, 1794 ; and in the
following year, commanded the Cleopatra frigate. On the
3d March, 1796, he took l'Aurore privateer, of 10 guns, on
the coast of America.

In July, 1799, we find him commanding the Sans Pareil, of
80 guns, bearing the flag of Lord Hugh Seymour, in the West
Indies ; and after his Lordship's demise, the Carnatic, 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 Cadiz, and our officer
appointed to the principal command ; on which occasion he
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 4th Dec. in the following year,
advanced to the rank of Rear-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-
ronde, 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 their moorings, when
at midnight on the 6th April, 1814, the French vessels were
discovered in flames, and before day the whole were totally
consumed. They consisted of the Regulus, a 74-gun ship,
three brigs of war, and several smaller vessels. The bat-

* See Captain D. O' Re illy, in our next volume.
2 p 2

580 VICE-ADMIRALS OF THE BLU£.

teries at Point Coubre, Point Negre, Royan, Sonsae, 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 which 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
ehasse-marees, 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.

Mesidence. — Ethv, Cornwall.

SIR WILLIAM HOTHAM,

Vice-Admiral of the Blue ; and Knight Commander of the most honorable

Military Order of the Bath.

This officer, the second son of the late General Hotham,
by Diana, daughter of Sir Warton Pennyman Warton, Bart.,
and nephew of the late Admiral Lord Hotham *, was born in
Feb. 1/72 ; 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
iu Ireland, for his services at the battle of Hastings, had a grant from the
Conqueror, of the castles and manors of Colley Weston, co. Northampton,
and Hotham in Yorkshire, from which his posterity assumed the name of
Hotham ; many of this family had summonses to parliament as Barons, and
one of them was Chancellor to King Edward II.

SIR WILLIAM HOTHAM. 581

hime, was the only two-decked ship that remained with Ad-
miral Duncan off the Texel, during the alarming mutiny of
1797*. This circumstance must have been equally, if not
more, gratifying to Captain Hotham, than even that of having
had the good fortune to be present at the subsequent dis-
comfiture of the enemy's fleet. Some time after the memor-
able battle off Camperdown, he was ordered to the Cape of
Good Hope, on which station he continued upwards of three
years, and assisted at the destruction of la Preneuse French
frigate, an account of which will be given under the head of
Captain Edward Grey, in our next volume.

On the renewal of hostilities in 1803, Captain Hotham was
appointed to the Raisonable, of 64 guns, and again employed
in the North Sea ; but the then fatiguing service in that
quarter causing extreme indisposition, he was some time after
obliged to retire from active service. He subsequently com-

* Stratagem supplied, on this occasion, the place of numbers ; for the
Admiral, by making a variety of signals, as to ships in the offing, effectually
duped the Dutch Commander, de Winter, as he afterwards confessed,
into the belief that the channel of the Helder was blocked up by a force
superior to that he himself commanded, which consisted of fifteen sail
of the line, six frigates, and five sloops of war. This formidable fleet
had long been in a complete state of equipment for actual service ; and
nothing but the ingenious artifice already related, in all probability, pre-
vented it putting to sea. At length Admiral Dancan, in the hope of an-
noying the enemy's ships very materially, if they attempted to come out,
the channel being so narrow as not to admit of more than one passing at a
time, anchored the Venerable and Adamant at the outer buoy of the Texel,
both ships having springs on their cables. What the event of so unequal
a contest would have been, is now of little consequence ; but whatever it
might have proved, the measure certainly reflected the highest honor on the
man, whose gallantry not only projected it, but made every possible pre-
paration in his power to carry it into execution, in the most advantageous
manner possible. The British officers and seamen were at their quarters
for three days and three nights, almost in momentary expectation that the
enemy would come out. Admiral de Winter even made the preparative
signal for sailing; but a few hours before the time when his intention was
to have been executed, the wind came round to the westward, and prevent-
ed it. During the eight following days, Admiral Duncan and his consort
were on the tiptoe of expectation, waiting for a reinforcement; when at
length, to their great joy, they were joined by the Sans Pareil and Russel,
ships of the line. Other vessels forming a junction soon afterwards, the
disparity of numbers so far decreased, as to remove all anxictv for the
event of the expected conti^t.

582 VICE-ADMIRALS OF THE BLUE.

manded in succession, the Sea Fencibles at Liverpool, and the
Royal Sovereign yacht*; the latter of which he retained
until his advancement to the rank of Rear-Admiral, Dec. 4,
1813. He was nominated a K. C. B. Jan. 2, 1815 ; and
became a Vice-Admiral, July 19, 1821.

Sir William Hotham married Anne, daughter of Sir Ed-
ward Jeynes, Knight.

Residence. — Bath .

SIR PULTENEY MALCOLM,

Vice-Admiral of the Blue; and Knight Commander of the most ho-
norable Military Order of the Bath.

Early in the last century, Mr. Robert Malcolm, a younger
branch of the family of that name, came from Cupar in Fife-
shire, where his ancestors had long resided, and settled on
the borders of Scotland, as Minister of the parish of Ewes,
near Langholm, in the county of Dumfries. His son George
married Margaret, daughter of James Pasley, of Craig, Esq.,
and brought up seventeen children at his residence, Burnfoot,
on the banks of the Esk, where part of his family now reside f.

The officer whose services we are about to trace is the third
son, and was born at Douglan, near Langholm, on the 20th
Feb. 1768. He entered the naval service Oct. 20, 1J78, as a
Midshipman, on board the Sybil frigate, commanded by his

* Yachts first appear in a navy list of 1675. According to Mr. Pepys,
the Dutch, in the year 1660, gave Charles II. a yacht called the Mary ;
" until which time," he adds, " we had not heard of such a name in Eng-
land." See Derrick's Memoirs of the Royal Navy, p. 89.

f Mr. Malcolm survived long enough to see his youngest child attain
the rank of Post-Captain. Robert, the eldest, who died a few years ago,
was high in the civil service of the Hon. East India Company. The three
next in succession, James, Pulteney, and John, were honoured with the
insignia of Knights Commanders of the Order of the Bath at the same time !
the former for his distinguished services in Spain and North America, when
commanding a battalion of Royal Marines ; the latter has since been raised
to the dignity of a Knight Grand Cross, for his services during the late war
in India. The younger sons are Gilbert, Rector of Todenham, co. Glouces-
ter ; David, in a commercial house in India ; and Charles, a Post-Captain,
commands the Lord Lieutenant's yacht at Dublin.

SIR PULTENEY MALCOLM. 583

maternal uncle, the late Sir Thomas Pasley, Bart. *, whom he
accompanied to the Cape of Good Hope ; and upon his return
from thence removed with the same officer into the Jupiter,
of 50 guns, which ship formed part of the squadron under
Commodore Johnstone in the affair at Porto Praya, and at the
capture of a fleet of Dutch Indiamen in Saldanha Bay, events
already noticed at p. 268, et seq.

In 1782 the Jupiter was ordered to convey Admiral Pigot
to his command in the West Indies ; and Mr. Malcolm, after
serving several months with that officer in the Formidable, a
second rate, was by him promoted to the rank of Lieutenant
in the former ship, March 3, 1783. During the ensuing peace
he was employed on various stations in the Scipio, Pegasus,
Bellerophon, and Vengeance ; and at the commencement of
the French revolutionary war we find him serving as first
Lieutenant of the Penelope, of 32 guns, at Jamaica. In that
ship he assisted at the capture of the Inconstante frigate and
Gaelon corvette, both of which Lieutenant Malcolm conducted
to Port Royal in safety. He also commanded the boats of
the Penelope in several severe conflicts, and succeeded in cut-
ting out many vessels from the ports of St. Domingo.

Our officer subsequently joined the Europa, of 50 guns,
bearing the flag of Rear- Admiral Ford, by whom he was made
a Commander into the Jack Tar, April 3, 1794 ; and upon
Cape Nichola Mole being taken possession of by the British, at
the invitation of the French royalists, he had the direction of
the seamen and marines landed to garrison that place f ,

Soon after his return to England, Captain Malcolm was ad-
vanced to post rank, by commission dated Oct. 22, 1794 ; and
on the 14th of the following month appointed to the Fox fri-
gate. In Feb. 1795, he escorted a fleet of merchantmen to

* Sir Thomas Pasley, the fifth son of the above-mentioned James Pasley,
of Craig, Esq., by Magdalene, daughter of Robert Elliott, of Middleholm-
mill, Roxburghshire, Esq., after serving near half a century with high re-
putation, was promoted to a flag, and commanded a division of Earl Howe's
fleet in the memorable battle of June 1, 17^4; on which occasion he lost
a leg, as will be seen in our memoir of Sir W. Johnstone Hope. He was
soon afterwards created a Baronet, with particularly flattering marks of his
Sovereign's approbation. Sir Thomas died an Admiral of the White,

Nov. 29, 1808.

■f Sec p. 505.

584 VICE-AI)MIKAJ> OV THE BLUE.

the Mediterranean ; 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 J 797, 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 frigates 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 13th
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 an 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.-Rernard, 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 the famous de Suffrein, already alluded to at
p. 421 el seq., 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 Hardyman, in our next volume. ,

SIR PULTENEY MALCOLM. 585

squadron ; 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 less 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 ; 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 omcers were
of course invited to join their countryman in Captain Mal-
colm's cabin ; and their astonishment at what they 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 omcers and men. This transaction being perceived
from the shore, and thought rather unaccountable, a fourth
boat was sent off with the Captain of the port, to know why
the others were detained 5 and to say that, if they were not

586 VICE-ADMIRALS OF THK BLUE.

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 232j after
being regaled, the former with a dinner 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 restriction 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 ofMajindinao, 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 information afforded by the Spanish officers, it appeared
that the Rey Carlos was in the Cavita, and most likely aground there;
and that the Marquesetta had relanded her money in consequence 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 frustrated ; but the other was completely
accomplished, that is, correct information of the naval force possessed by
the enemy in that quarter.

The Resistance, commanded by Captain Edward Pakenham, was des-
troved by fire in the Straits of Banca, on the 24th July following; on which
melancholy occasion 332 persons 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 Fox, in
addition to her Lieutenant, lost a Midshipman and 12 men.

SIR PULTENEY 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 attack of
the fort. The Fox was on this occasion opposed to the
westernmost battery, mounting about 14 guns, from which
the enemy returned a well-directed fire. Captain Malcolm
at length perceiving that the ships, in persevering to silence
the forts, must inevitably receive considerable damage, and
knowing it was Captain Cooke's intention that the small-arm
men and marines should land under his directions, ordered
the boats of the Fox to be manned, and being joined by those
of the Sybille, pulled towards the shore for the purpose of
storming the enemy's works. Unfortunately his own boat
was swamped by a shot ; but being in shoal water, he got the
men out of her, and after forming his party on a sand bank, en-
deavoured to push to the main land. This attempt, however,
was found to be impracticable, in consequence of the great
depth of water inside the bank, and a strong body of the enemy
being drawn up ready to oppose him. He therefore reluctantly
re-embarked, and was towed back to the ships by the gun-
vessels, commanded by Lieutenants Kennedy and Elphinstone,
which had been sent in to cover the landing *.

On his return to the Fox, Captain Malcolm found her
still in action with the enemy, whose fire continued brisk and
well-directed ; and being certain that the Commodore would

* Lieutenant Elphinstone of the Fox, was the same officer who afterwards
commanded the Greyhound frigate, and distinguished himself in an action
with a Dutch squadron, the particulars of which will be given under the head
of Sir E. Thomas Troubridge, in our next volume.

588 VICE ADMIRALS OF THE BLUE.

discontinue the attack when informed that the attempt to
effect a landing had failed, he ordered the cable to be cut,
not wishing to expose his men at the capstern ; and on
reaching the Sybille, found her also under weigh. Both ships
then retired to a suitable distance, for the purpose of repair-
ing the damage they had sustained in their hulls, sails, and
rigging. The Fox on this occasion had 4 men killed, and 17
wounded. The Sybille 2 killed, and 1 wounded*

From Sambangen, our officers proceeded to Pollock Bay,
situated to the northward of Majindinao, where the Fox
completed her water ; and the Sybille's boats were in the
river for their last trip, when at J A. M. on the 31st Jan.,
they were attacked by the armed Illanois, from ambush among
the mangroves. Lieutenant Majeur, who commanded the
party, made his escape to the beach, and was fortunately seen
from the ships. Captain Malcolm immediately manned his
boats, and on reaching the shore joined Captain Cooke, with
whom he marched through the woods to the boats, which
were found aground ; two of their men lying dead, and ten
absent, of whom no intelligence could be obtained at the
moment, although they were some months after recovered,
through the good offices of the Sultan of Mindanao, at which
place the ships touched on their return to China, after
destroying the villages and cutting down the trees in the
neighbourhood where this outrage was committed.

We find no further mention of the subject of this memoir
until June 18, 1798, on which day he was appointed to com-
mand the Suffolk, of 74 guns, bearing the flag of the late
Vice -Admiral Rainier, Commander-in-Chief in the Indian
Seas. He afterwards removed with the same officer into the
Victorious, another third rate, and continued to serve as his
Flag-Captain during the remainder of the war*.

* In 1797, the Duke of Wellington, then Colonel Wellesley of the 33d
regiment, took a passage with Captain Malcolm, in the Fox, from the
Cape of Good Hope to Bengal. Three years afterwards, when the same
distinguished officer was nominated to the command of a body of troops
intended to attack the isie of France, he embarked on board the Suffolk ;
but in consequence of counter orders from England, the army intended for
that enterprise went to Egypt by the way of the Red Sea, under the
present Sir David Baird.

SIR PULTENEY MALCOLM.

589

On her passage to Europe in 1803, the Victorious was
found to be in so bad a state, that on encountering a gale of
wind in the Bay of Biscay, it was with the utmost difficulty
she could be kept afloat till she reached the Tagus, where
she was run on shore and broke up. Captain Malcolm, with
his officers and crew, returned to England in two vessels
hired at Lisbon for their conveyance.

In Jan. 1804, we find him commanding the Royal Sovereign,
a three-decker, in which ship he proceeded to the Mediter-
ranean ; and on his arrival, removed into the Kent, of J4 guns,
attached to the fleet under Lord Nelson. In the ensuing
summer he joined the Renown, a vessel of similar force.

Captain Malcolm's next appointment was March 16, 1805,
to the Donegal, another third rate, the command of which
he retained during a period of six years. In that ship he
accompanied his gallant chief in the memorable pursuit of the
combined squadrons of France and Spain to the West Indies * ;

* On the 19th Jan. 1805, Lord Nelson, then off the coast of Sardinia,
received the long-hoped-for intelligence of the departure of the French fleet
from Toulon, which port he had watched with the greatest patience and
perseverance ever since the renewal of hostilities in 1803. Believing Egypt
to he their destination, he proceeded thither, but without meeting with the
object of his pursuit. Returning from thence towards Malta, he learnt that
the enemy, having been dispersed ina heavy gale, had put back; and on the27th
Feb. the British squadron anchored in the Gulf of Cagliari. From this pe-
riod nothing material occurred until the 4th April; when being on his way
from the coast of Spain to his old station off Toulon, Lord Nelson met the
Phoebe frigate, with news that M. Villeneuve had put to sea a few days be-
fore with ten ships of the line, seven frigates, and two brigs ; and that
when last seen, they were steering towards the coast of Africa. On the 16th
a neutral gave intelligence that the enemy had been seen off Cape de Gatte ;
and it was soon after ascertained that they had passed the Straits of Gibral-
tar. In spite of every exertion which could be made, his Lordship did not
get in sight of the rock till the 30th ; and the wind was then so adverse,
that it was impossible to pass the Gut. He therefore anchored in Mazari
Bay, on the Barbary shore ; obtained supplies from Tetuan ; and when, on
the 5th May, a breeze sprang up from the eastward, 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. John Camp-
bell, at that time an Admiral in the Portuguese service, the same gentle-
man who had given important tidings to Earl St. Vincent of the movements
of that armament from which he won his title, again gave timely and mo-
mentous intelligence to the flag of his native Sovereign. He went on board

590 VICE-AUMIKALS OV THK BLUE.

and on his return from thence to the Channel, Mas sent under

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. While the British
commander was beating against contrary gales, they had had a fair wind
from the N. E., and had done in nine days what he was a whole month in
accomplishing. M. Villeneuve, finding the Spaniards at Carthagena were
not in a state of equipment 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 had about 4,500
troops on board : 600 were under orders expecting them at Martinique,
and 1000 at Guadaloupe. The combined fleets now consisted of eighteen
sail of the line, seven large frigates, and four smaller vessels, to which two
French line-of-battle ships, and one of 44 guns, were afterwards added.
Nelson pursued them with the following vessels: Victory, 100 guns, bear-
ing his Lordship's flag, and commanded 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 Pellew ; Tigre, 80, Captain Benjamin Hal-
lowell ; Leviathan, 74, Captain Henry William Bayntun ; Donegal, 74,
Captain Pulteney Malcolm ; Swiftsure, 74, Captain William Gordon Ruther-
ford ; and the Amazon, Amphion, aud Decade frigates.

The enemy had thirty-five days' start ; but Lord Nelson calculated that
he should gain eight or ten days upon them by his exertions. 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 com-
bined fleets had been seen from St. Lucia on the 28th of the preceding
month, standing to the southward, and that Tobago and Trinidad were their
objects. This his Lordship doubted ; but yielded his opinion with these
foreboding words : — " If your intelligence proves false, you lose me the
French fleet." After taking on board 2000 troops under Sir William My-
ers, he immediately sailed for Tobago. At that island accident confirmed
the false intelligence which had, whether from intention or error, misled
him. A merchant, in the general alarm, not knowing whether this fleet
was friend or foe, sent out a schooner to reconnoitre, and acquaint him by
signal. The signal which he had chosen happened to be the very one
which had been appointed by Colonel Shipley of the engineers, to signify
that the enemy were at Trinidad ; and as this happened at the close of day,
there was no opportunity of discovering the mistake. An American brig
was met with about the same time ; the master of which, with that propen-
sity to deceive the English and assist their enemies in any manuer, which
has been but too common among his countrymen, affirmed that he had
been boarded off Grenada a few days before by the French, who were stand-

SIR PULTENEY MAJXOLM. 591

Sir Robert Calder to reinforce Vice-Admiral Collingwood off

ing towards the Bocas of Trinidad. This fresh intelligence removed all
doubts. The ships were cleared for action before day-light, and entered the
Bay of Paria on the 7th, hoping and expecting to make the mouths of the
Orinoco as famous in the annals of the British navy as those of the Nile.
Not an enemy was there ; and it was discovered that accident and artifice
had combined to lead them so far to leeward, that there could have been
little hope of fetching to windward of Grenada for any other fleet. Nelson,
however, with skill and exertions 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 Martinique on the 4th, and expected
to sail that night for the attack of Grenada. On the 9th he arrived off that
island ; and there learnt, that they had passed to leeward of Antigua the
preceding day, and taken a homeward bound convoy. Had it not been
for false information, upon which Nelson had acted reluctantly, and in op-
position to his own judgment, he would have been off Port Royal 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 had saved the colonies,
and above two hundred vessels laden for Europe, which would else have
fallen into their hands ; and he had the satisfaction of knowing that the
mere terror of his 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 13th, having disembarked the troops at Antigua, and taking
with him the Spartiate, of 74 guns, the only addition to the squadron with
which he was chasing so superior a foe. Five days afterwards a frigate
brought intelligence, that she had spoke a schooner, which had seen them on
the evening of the 15th steering to the northward. From that time no
further tidings were obtained of the fugitives until July 25th ; when being
in the neighbourhood of Tetuan, at which place he had again touched for
supplies, his Lordship was informed that they had been met with on the
19th, and were still holding the same course. He then proceeded off Cape
St. Vincent, rather cruizing for intelligence than knowing whither to
betake himself. Still persevering, and still disappointed, he returned near
enough to Cadiz to ascertain that they were not there ; traversed the Bay
of Biscay ; and then, as a last hope, stood over for the N. W. coast of
Ireland, against adverse winds, till on the evening of Aug. 12, he heard
that they had not been seen in that quarter. Frustrated thus in all his hopes,
after a pursuit, to which, for its extent, rapidity, and perseverance, no
parallel can be produced, he judged it best to reinforce the Channel fleet
with his squadron, lest the enemy should form a junction with the ships
at Ferrol and Rochefort, and then bear down upon Brest with their whole
collected force. He accordingly joined Admiral Cornwallis off Ushant on
the 15th, and leaving the remainder of his squadron with that veteran com-
mander, returned to Portsmouth with the Victory and Superb.

592 VICE-ADMIRALS OK THE BLUE.

Cadiz, on which station we find him at the period when
Nelson arrived from England to resume his former command.

On the 1/th Oct. 1805, four days previous to the decisive
battle of Trafalgar, the Donegal being short of water, and, in
consequence of the extraordinary length of time she had been
kept at sea, greatly in need of a refit, was ordered to Gibral-
tar. On the 20th, Captain Malcolm received information that
the enemy's fleets were quitting Cadiz. His ship was then
in the mole nearly dismantled ; but, by the greatest exertions,
he succeeded in getting her out before night, and on the 23d
joined Vice- Admiral Collingwood in time to capture £1 Rayo,
a Spanish 3-decker, forming part of the division under Ad-
miral Gravina, which on its return to port after the battle just
alluded to, had been immediately ordered to sea again for the
purpose of attempting the rescue of some of the disabled
prizes.

The following article, extracted from the Gibraltar Chro-
nicle of Nov. 9, 1805, will convey to our readers a better idea
of the efforts of Captain Malcolm, and those under his com-
mand, at that memorable epoch, than any other statement
thereof we have ever met with :

" All the Spanish prisoners who have been brought to this place, to the
amount of upwards of 3,000, have been sent to Spain, except one wounded
officer now in the Hospital, who earnestly requested to remain under the
care of the English surgeons till his wound was cured. We have also the
pleasure to learn that the Spaniards, since their return to Spain, have uni-
versally expressed the liveliest sense of gratitude for the generosity and
humanity they universally experienced whilst they were prisoners onboard
the different ships ; where it seemed to be the study of the conquerors to
make them forget their misfortunes. Indeed our Navy well deserve this
tribute of applause from their enemies. Upwards of 100 of our gallant
seamen perished in the gale of wind after the action, in their generous
efforts to save the prisoners out of the different prizes. To record the
numerous and singular exertions that were made on this occasion by all
the ships of the fleet, would far exceed the limits prescribed to us ; we
cannot however pass over in silence the heroic conduct of Captain Mal-
colm and his ship's company in the Donegal, who, at the imminent hazard
of being totally lost, rescued hundreds of the enemy from a watery grave.
During the violence of the gale, when she was riding at anchor near the
Berwick, then in possession of the English, some of the French prisoners
on board, in a fit of frenzy, cut the cables of the Berwick, by which means
she immediately drove towards the rocks of St. Lucar, then to leeward,

SIR PULTENEY MALCOLM. 593

where there was hardly a chance of a man being saved. In this situation.
Captain Malcolm without hesitation ordered the cables of the Donegal
to be cut, and stood after the Berwick, giving orders for the boats to
save all the wounded Frenchmen before they brought away the English :
these were punctually obeyed; the English were next removed; but before
the boats could return, the Berwick struck upon the shoals, and every soul
on board perished, to the number of 200. The wounded seamen who
were saved were supplied with cots and bedding, which had been prepared
for our own sick and wounded; and after being treated with every kindness
and mark of attention, they were sent into Cadiz with a flag of truce with
the cots and bedding on which they had been placed, that they might suffer
as little pain and inconvenience in their removal as possible. The other
instance we shall notice, is as follows : On the 26th Oct., whilst the
Donegal was at anchor off Cadiz in a violent gale of wind, with upwards
of 600 prisoners then on deck, an unfortunate Spaniard fell overboard ;
notwithstanding the sea was then running so high, they had not ventured to
hoist a boat out for twelve hours before, two seamen of the Donegal
jumped overboard in hopes of saving his life, to the admiration of the
Spaniards, who were lost in astonishment at so daring an act. The poor
man however sunk, and was drowned, just as one of the English seamen,
Joseph Thompson, had about got hold of him. A boat was immediately
hoisted out, and fortunately the two gallant fellows were got safe on board.
We are happy to find that the uncommon exertions which we were all
witness to of Captain Malcolm and his gallant crew, to get his ship ready
for sea, on their receiving intelligence of the enemies' fleets having left
Cadiz, has not been entirely unrewarded. The Donegal, it will be recol-
lected, sailed from this on the 22d, having her fore-yard towing alongside,
and with great difficulty passed the Straits that night, every other vessel
that attempted it being forced to return. On the following day they had
the good fortune to capture El Rayo of 100 guns, which had lost her
main-mast, and was at anchor near Cadiz. The Spaniards did not attempt
to fire, as the Donegal was brought to anchor in so advantageous a position
across her bow, that any resistance on the part of El Rayo in her crippled
state would have been unavailing, and a wanton sacrifice of lives, without a
chance of success. The Donegal afterwards, during the storm, repeatedly
examined the whole coast between Lagos Bay and Cadiz, to assist any
vessels she might find in distress ; and besides the number of lives she had
saved, she was fortunate enough to bring in the Bahama, one of the finest
of the line-of-battle ships in the Spanish navy, which she discovered near
St. Lucar deserted. The Donegal lost an officer, Mr. Fourneaux, of
Marines ; a Master's Mate, Bell ; the Carpenter, Ellis ; and 25 men, on
board El Rayo."

It is almost unnecessary to state that Captain Malcolm's
conduct obtained the unqualified approbation of Nelson's
worthy successor.

The Donegal continued off Cadiz under the orders of Sir
vol. r. 2 q

594 VICE-ADMIRALS OF THE BLUE.

John T. Duckworth until towards the close of 1805, when she
accompanied that officer to the West Indies in quest of a
French squadron that had sailed for that quarter. The result
of the battle fought off St. Domingo, Feh. 6, 1806, is well
known, and has already been related in this volume *. The
loss sustained by the Donegal on that occasion amounted to
12 men killed and 33 wounded. After the battle she pro-
ceeded with the prizes to Port Royal, Jamaica, and from
thence to England. On the passage home the ships were
dispersed in a heavy gale of wind. Captain Malcolm, how-
ever, knowing the defective state of one of the prizes, le Brave,
of 74 guns, kept close to her, and fortunate it was he did so ;
for on the weather moderating, he found that in addition to
the loss of all her masts, she had ten feet water in the hold.
Seeing that there was no prospect of preserving her from
foundering, he determined upon removing her crew, a service
attended with very great risk, on account of the heavy sea
then running; but which was at length happily effected, and
the ship abandoned to her fate.

Previous to their quitting the Donegal, General Carmichael
and several other military officers who had been passengers
on board le Brave, addressed a letter to Captain Malcolm, of
which we believe the following to be a correct copy :

"H. M- S. Donegal, April 30, 1806.

"Sir, — The gentlemen who were passengers in his Majesty's late Ship
Brave, feel it a duty incumbent on them to express their most grateful
thanks for being under Providence rescued by you from the impending fate
of shipwreck in the midst of a tempestuous ocean, after the strenuous en-
deavours of Captain Boger, his officers, and exhausted crew, had been ren-
dered abortive, and which must inevitably have terminated in a lamentable
event, had it not been for that energy and perseverance which has distin-
guished your character not less in the professional avocations of your coun-
try's glory than active humanity in relieving those in distress, and from
which you were not to be restrained by perils and fatigue.

"In offering this tribute we are fully confident of the heartfelt gratifica-
tion that must reward a benevolent mind on those occasions which have
recently occurred in your arduous service.

" We beg also to acknowledge our warm sense of the hospitality and
kindness we have experienced from you and the officers of the Donegal ,
which with their unprecedented and humane exertions has made an

* See pp. 261,346.

SIR PULTENEY MALCOLM. 595

impression that will ever be retained in lively remembrance. We have
the honor to be, with the highest sentiments of esteem, &c. &c. 5ec.

(Signed) " H. Lyle Carmichael ; J. Twigg ; Jno. P.
Nugent; Robt. Pringle ; Wm. Ashley;
Val. Ravenscroft.

" To Pulteney Malcolm, Esq.
H. M. S. Donegal."

On his arrival in England 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 find 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
surf ; 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 that time commanded by Lord Gambier ; and after the
memorable discomfiture of the French ships in Aix Roads,
April 11 and 12, 1809, Captain Malcolm was entrusted with
the command of a squadron sent on a cruize, during which,

* It may not be amiss in this place to remark, that from the renewal of
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 sea. Un-
der her former commander, Sir Richard J. Strachan, she was principally
employed iu the blockade of Cadiz and Toulon ; under Captain Malcolm
she twice visited the West Indies ; and from the day he joined her to that
on which she entered Port Royal with the prizes, including a space of eleven
mouths, was only at anchor 15 days, and then merely for the purpose of
receiving supplies.

2«2

596 VICE-ADMIRALS OF THE BLUE.

however, nothing particular occurred *. We next find him
commanding the hlockade of Cherbourgh, on which station
the ships under his orders captured a number of French pri-
vateers ; and on one occasion drove two frigates on shore near
Cape la Hogue ; but the protection afforded them by the bat-
teries rendered it impossible to attempt their destruction with
any probability of success f.

On the Donegal being paid off in 1811, Captain Malcolm
was appointed to the Royal Oak, a new J A, in which he con-
tinued off Cherbourgh until March 1, 1812, when he removed
into the San Josef, 110 guns, as Captain of the Channel fleet
under Lord Keith, which honorable post he held, occasionally
commanding a detached squadron, until June 1, 1814, when
he hoisted his flag % in the Royal Oak, and proceeded with a
body of troops under Brigadier-General Ross, from Bour-
deaux to North America.

Soon after his arrival in that quarter, our officer accompa-
nied Sir Alexander Cochrane on an expedition up the Chesa-
peake, and regulated the collection, debarkation, and re-em-
barkation of the troops, &c. employed against Washington
and Baltimore § ; a service requiring indefatigable efforts,
and which he performed in a manner that called forth the
warmest acknowledgments of the Commander-in-Chief.

An account of the attempt made upon New Orleans, in the
months of Dec. 1814 and Jan. 1815, by the naval and military
forces under Sir Alexander Cochrane and Major-General
Pakenham, will be found under the head of Sir Edward Cod-
rington. On that occasion the subject of this memoir super-
intended the disembarkation of the army, and the various
services performed by the boats in conjunction with it. The
manner in which he executed these duties may be gathered
from the official despatches relative to that event, wherein
Sir Alexander says, " it is a duty that I fulfil with much

* The Donegal had previously assisted at the destruction of three French
frigates in the Sable d'Olonue. She was commanded on that occasion by
Captain Peter Hey wood, Captain Malcolm being absent attending a court-
martial.

t See Captain Charles Grant, in our next volume.

\ Captain Malcolm was nominated a Colonel of Royal Marines, Aug.
12, 1812; and advanced to the rank of Rear-Admiral, Dec. 4, 1813.

§ See p. 524, et sc<j.

SIR PULTENEY MALCOLM. 597

pleasure, assuring their Lordships that Rear- Admiral Mal-
colm's zeal and exertions upon every occasion, could not be
surpassed by any one." Our officer was afterwards employed
at the siege of Fort Boyer, on Mobile point, the surrender of
which by capitulation on the 14th Feb., terminated the war
between Great Britain and the United States of America.

At the extension of the Order of the Bath into three
classes, Jan. 2, 1815, Rear-Admiral Malcolm was nominated
a K. C. B. ; and upon his arrival in England, hostilities
against France having been renewed in consequence of the
return of Napoleon Buonaparte from Elba, he was appointed
Commander-in-Chief of the naval force ordered to co-operate
with the Duke of Wellington and the allied armies, on which
service he continued till after the final restoration of the
Bourbons.

Sir Pulteney Malcolm struck his flag Sept. 26, 1815 ; and a
few days afterwards had the gratification of receiving the fol-
lowing letter from the Duke of Wellington, with whom, as we
have already shewn in the course of this memoir, he had
been on four occasions associated in the public service *.

" Paris, Sept. 30^ 1815.

" Sir. — I have received your letter, in which you have informed me of
your return to England. I beg leave to return you my best thanks for the
cordial and useful assistance I have invariably received from you in all the
situations in which we have been placed together, and to assure you that
it will always give me the greatest satisfaction to be placed in a situation
to be in communication on service with you. — I have the honor to be, Sir,

" Your most obedient humble servant,
'* Wellington.
" Admiral Sir P. Malcolm."

Sir Pulteney's last appointment was to the important office
of Commander-in-Chief on the St. Helena station, where he
continued from the spring of 1816, until towards the latter
end of the following year. His advancement to the rank of
Vice-Admiral took place, July 19, 1821. He married Jan.
18, 1809, Clementina, eldest daughter of the Hon. William
Fullarton Elphinstone, a Director of the East India Company ;
niece of Admiral Viscount Keith, and cousin of the Hon,
Vice-Admiral Fleeming.

Country Seat. — Irvine, Dumfrieshire.

* Sec pp. 588, 59,5

598
REAR-ADMIRALS OF THE RED.

WILLIAM NOWELL. Esq.

This officer, the second son of the late Cradock Nowell, of
Tee-Maur, Nottage, Glamorganshire, Esq., and nephew of the
late Rev. Dr. Nowell, thirty-seven years Principal of St. Mary's
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 1776,
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 La'ngara, Jan. 8 and 16, 1780 f .

* Captain Gaytou became a Rear-Admiral Oct. 18, 1770; was made

a Vice-Admiral Feb. 3, 1 776 ; and immediately afterwards appointed to the

chief command at Jamaica. Returning from thence in the Antelope, he

fell in with a large 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 be 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 as they pleased." This gallant officer died at Fareham,

in 1787.

f See Note f at p. 3.

WILLIAM NOWELL, ESQ. 599

On the former occasion, the St. Firmin, of 16 guns, and six
sail of transports, were taken possession of by Lieutenant
Nowell.

In the action with the Spanish squadron, the Resolution
got along-side of the Princessa, a 70-gun ship, and in 40 mi-
nutes compelled her to surrender *. The sea at this time ran
so high that Lieutenant Nowell, who had been ordered by Sir
Chaloner Ogle to take charge of the prize, was knocked down
several times by the cut rigging, before he could get on board ;
and the weather continued so tempestuous as to prevent the
possibility of removing the prisoners for three days. The si-
tuation he found the Princessa in was perilous in the extreme,
owing to the injudicious disposal of the powder. Opposite
the guns on the upper decks were open racks, capable of con-
taining from twelve to fourteen cartridges each : these he
immediately directed to be cleared, and their contents thrown
into the sea. On descending to the lower-deck, he observed
a train of loose powder, and followed it to the gun-room,
where a large hatch that communicated with the magazine,
was off; and on entering the latter, the impression of the men
employed in filling cartridges during the action, appeared on
the surface, the whole being stowed in bulk. The circum-
stance of the Princessa having escaped the fate of the St. Do-
mingo, can only be attributed to the after-guns not being
fired ; as it was, repeated explosions on board her were ob-
served from the Resolution : and of near 200 men whom
Lieutenant Nowell found killed, wounded, and blown up, the
greater part appeared to be of the latter description.

It was three weeks after the action before Lieutenant Nowell
was enabled to anchor at Gibraltar, where, in the presence of
Sir Chaloner Ogle and Lord Robert Manners, he received the
thanks of Commodore Don Manuel de Leon ; his Captain, St.
Felix ; and the officers of the Princessa, for the particular care he
had taken to prevent their property being pillaged ; and an invi-
tation from the former, a Grandee of Spain, to visit him on
the restoration of peace, for the purpose of being introduced
to his Monarch.

The Resolution, to which ship Lord Robert Manners had

* The Princessa hud previously received the fire of the Bedford and
Cumberland 7'1'i, as they passed her.

600 REAR-ADMIRALS OF THE RED.

been appointed on Sir Chaloner Ogle hoisting a broad pen-
dant, formed part of the squadron sent to England with the
prizes, under the orders of Rear-Admiral Digby ; and on the
passage home captured the Prothee, of 64 guns and 700 men,
after a close action of 27 minutes, in which the enemy had
97 men killed and wounded. She afterwards accompanied
Rear-Admiral Graves to the North-American station *, and
from thence proceeded with Sir George B. Rodney to the
West Indies.

Early in 1781, Sir George received intelligence of hostilities
having taken place between Great Britain and Holland ; and
immediately proceeded to attack the Dutch settlements in that
quarter f. On his arrival off the Bay of St. Eustatia, he
made the Resolution's signal to anchor within musket shot
of a large frigate { lying there, and oblige her to surrender.

* Previous to the Resolution sailing- for America, Lieutenant Nowell
distinguished himself by his spirited conduct in quelling a mutiny which
had taken place in that ship, the particulars of which are as follow: On
ordering the capstern to be manned for the purpose of unmooring, the crew
came up one hatchway and went down another, at the same time lowering
the ports. This was the first hint the officers received of its existence. On
enquiry Lieutenant Nowell learnt that the ringleader was one of the car-
penter's crew, and he immediately volunteered to go below and secure him.
Accompanied by another officer, Lieutenant Shordich, he went down the
after hatchway, and made the men haul up the lower deck ports as he ad-
vanced forward to the berth a-breast of the main-mast, where this rascal
was haranguing and cheering the men collected about him. Lieutenant
Nowell placed a blow under his throat that knocked him backwards over
a chest, then seized him, and declared he would run any man or men
through who should attempt his rescue. A compromise now took
place, on the ship's company promising obedience if their leader was re-
leased ; but the next day they acted in a similar manner; and it was not
until the officers and marines were drawn up under arms, and about to at-
tack them, that they proceeded to get the ship under weigh, even then de-
claring they would surrender to the first French man-of-war they were laid
alongside of. To this threat Lord Robert Manners replied, • I will take
care you shall be placed close enough.' Their only plea for these acts of
insubordination appears to have been a draught of men lately received on
board, one of which was the carpenter already alluded to, had not received
their advance. No doubt they had been tutored to this before they joined
the Resolution, as they declared they had no complaint to make against any
officer in the ship. This batch of villains were sent into the Port-Admiral's
ship at Plymouth, and nothing mutinous took place afterwards.

f See note, at p. 12/. X The Mars, of 38 guns and 300 men.

WILLIAM NOWELL, ESQ. 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 1781, finding that that officer was not likely soon
to hoist his flag, he obtained an appointment as first Lieute-
nant of the Hercvdes, 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 Chaloner Ogle had recently returned home, being promoted to a flag.

f Sec note, p. 35, et seq.

602 RKAK-ADMIHALS OF I HE REV.

The Hercules, on the latter day, ranged the whole of the
enemy's line fromvan to rear, and was the fifth vessel a-head
of Sir George Rodney's flag ship, the Formidable, when en-
gaging the French Admiral. Lieutenant Nowell, whose
station was on the quarter-deck, received his gallant Cap-
tain's * orders to reserve a full broadside for the Ville de Paris,
and not to fire until fairly alongside of her. These orders
were so punctually obeyed, 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 few 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 quit the deck ; but before he was carried
below, he requested 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 were flying, one
at the staff, another at the mizen-peak ; the former nailed,
and the halliards of the latter 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 7 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 are very apparent. The outer shot
by this means will go to a greater distance than the inner shot
when two wads are made use of ; and the gun can be loaded
with a single motion after spunging. To prevent accident,
the shot were besmeared with the blacking supplied for the
rigging ; and although the officers of the next ship a-stern of
the Hercules, affirmed that her sides were in a constant blaze
during the action, not a single instance occurred of the pow-
der hcing ignited when in the act of loading f.

* The present Admiral Savage.
f The celerity with which the Hercules' guns were loaded, was also

WILLIAM NOWELL, ESQ. 603

The high opinion entertained of Lieutenant No well's con-
duct in the above action, may be inferred from the circum-
stance of his gallant commander declining to go to sick-quar-
ters until assured by Sir George B. Rodney that no other
person should be appointed to act for him during his absence.

Whilst at Jamaica refitting, the Hercules narrowly escaped
destruction ; and the impending evil appears to have been
averted solely through the exertions of the subject of this me-
moir. Perceiving a large navy store-ship, which lay between
the Hercules and the dock-yard, to be on fire, he sent a Mid-
shipman on board her with orders to cut away her anchors,
that she might be retained in her situation until scuttled ; but
some other officers who had arrived to her assistance, thought
proper to cut her adrift and tow her towards Port-Royal ; the
inhabitants of which place cast off her shore-fast, when, with
her sails loose and all in flames, she ran a-board the Hercules,
giving her the stem at the main-chains. Lieutenant Nowell
had previously caused water to be thrown upon his rigging
from the engine, and buckets in the tops, and stationed men
with spars ready to bear her off. Fortunately the force with
which she struck the Hercules caused her to rebound, and her
sternway being increased by the assistance of the spars, she
drifted a-stern, and crossing the hawse of the Namur went on
shore between Fort Augusta and Salt Pan Bay *. Had not
Lieutenant Nowell changed the position of the Hercules in the
first instance, by heaving her a-head to her anchor, the burn-
ing vessel must have fallen athwart her bows ; and from the
crowded state of the harbour, the destruction of that ship
would have been attended by that of many others, particularly
of the Duke and Ville de Paris, which were lying close to her f.

The Hercules continued on the West-India station until the
peace of 1783, when she returned to England, and was put
out of commission. On his arrival in town Lieutenant Nowell

greatly increased by the use of pike-staves fitted as rammers and sponges,
in lieu of the unwieldy ones furnished by government. The credit of this
invention is due to Admiral Savage.

* Now called Port Anderson.
f The event alluded to above occurred during the night, which may ac-
count for a number of men belonging to the Hercules, principally waisters,
many of whom had behaved uncommonly well in the late battle, jumping
overboard whilst their shipmates were booming off the cause of their alarm.

604 REAR-ADMIRALS OP THE 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 1790, 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 (1702) a civil war was carried on in the French part
of that fine island, occasioned by the attempts made to deprive
the people of colour of their landed and other property, which
agreeably to the then existing laws, they were entitled to pos-
sess to an unlimited amount. Whenever any prisoners 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 No well, being on his way through
the square to the Assembly of AuxCayes, witnessed some fero-
cious wretches roasting a Mulatto chief, a man of excellent

* Soon after the battle of the 12th April, 1782, Mr. Nowell was given
to understand that Captain Savage was to have the command of Sir George
Rodney's flag-ship, the Formidable, and himself to be appointed First Lieu,
tenant, all her former officers of that rank having been promoted. This
pleasing prospect was destroyed by the arrival of Admiral Pigot from Eng-
land to assume the chief command of the fleet. At their interview in Lon-
don, Lord Rodney reminded Lieutenant Nowell of what his intentions had
been towards him ; adding, " You shortly afterwards would have been pro-
moted ; I am now in the opposition, and have no interest whatever; I cannot
get my own son a ship."

WILLIAM NOWELLj ESQ. 605

character, the proprietor of above half the town, and supposed
to be worth a million sterling. The blacks on their part were
by no means deficient in cruelty. Captain Nowell, on his re-
turn from Aux Cayes, anchored off 1'Isle 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 commander of the troops, in endeavouring to escape, was
driven into a cane patch, and there burnt to death. The chief
officer 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 came 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 Frangois cannot be described ;
it drew tears from most of the spectators. The blacks at this
time had possession of Fort Louis on the other extremity of
the bay, where they kept 80 young French ladies in a state of
concubinage ; in fact the atrocities committed by all parties,
but 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 Nichola Mole, for the purpose 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, and left them
there to starve. Some days after they were discovered by a
party of Englishmen employed in turning turtle, who imme-
diately returned to Honduras with the information. The
humane inhabitants, although poor, sent two brigs amply
victualled to their relief, and forwarded those left alive, num-
bering about 300, to Port Royal, from whence they were
sent to Cape Francois by Admiral Affleck and Governor
Williamson, who received many compliments and thanks
from the French authorities for their humanity; but no
sooner had the English vessels departed, than the poor crea-

600 REAR-ADMIRALS OK THE RKI).

tares were placed in a large unoccupied store-house, and
every one of them sabred in cold blood *.

The Ferret returned to England towards the latter end of
IJ92 f; and on the commencement of the war with the
French republic, was placed under the orders of Rear- Admi-
ral M'Bride, on the Downs station, where she captured six
of the enemy's privateers. For this service Captain Nowell
was presented with a handsome piece of plate by the mer-
chants of London. We next find him serving with the
Channel fleet under Earl Howe ; but being sent to the North
Sea previous to the great battle of June 1, \J94, he unfor-
tunately missed that promotion to which, as the senior Com-
mander, he would otherwise have been entitled. His disap-
pointment on that occasion, howevex', was in some measure
compensated by his success in intercepting several vessels
laden with upwards of 300,000 quarters of wheat, coming
from the Baltic, Holland, &c, bound to France. In the
autumn of the same year he was sent, at the request of Earl
Howe, to attend upon their late Majesties at Weymouth; and
from thence ordered to Ostend, where he met with a serious
accident, which compelled him to retire for a time from aetive
service J. His advancement to the rank of Post-Captain took

* In our memoir of Admiral Russell, p. 142, et seij., we have already
mentioned the case of a British officer, named Perkins, who had heen
doomed to an ignominious death hy the French, under the pretext of
having supplied the blacks with arms. We avail ourselves of this oppor-
tunity to correct a few passages in that statement : The Ferret, instead of
heaving-too off Jeremie Bay, actually entered it, and in consequence of the
north wind setting in towards the evening, had some difficulty in working
out again to join the Diana. Lieutenant Perkins was not confined in a
dungeon on shore, but was kept a close prisoner in a brig of war lying off
the town, from whence he was received on board the Ferret. The time
fixed for his execution was two days from that of his rescue, and not the
next morning, as before stated. The other parts of our statement are, we
believe, perfectly correct. Captain Nowell, on landing, was surrounded by
at least 300 villains armed with sabres, and together with Lieutenant Godby,
who accompanied him, had occasion to keep his hand on his sword during
the whole of the conference which took place.

f It is somewhat remarkable, that the Ferret did not bury a man during
the twelve months she was employed in the West Indies.

X As the paucity of Captain Nowell's services during the late wars may
occasion some surprise to those who have perused the preceding part of

WILLIAM NOWELL, ESQ. 60/

place Oct. 24, 1J94 ; and from that date he remained unem-
ployed until the spring of 1803, when he was appointed to
the command of the Glatton, of 54 guns, in the Baltic, from
whence he returned to England in the ensuing autumn ; and on
his arrival at Chatham, was ordered to take the command of
the Isis, a 50-gun ship then in dock, and to fit her out with
the utmost expedition.

The exertions used by Captain Nowell on this occasion are
worthy of notice. Notwithstanding he had to fit the ship
with new rigging, and but very few seamen among his crew,
yet on the ninth day she was taken to the Nore fully equipped
and ready for sea. The Isis formed part of the force assem-
bled off the French coast under Lord Nelson, of whom Captain
Nowell, with several other officers of the same rank, requested
permission to assist in the attack made upon the Boulogne
flotilla, but which his Lordship, with his usual consideration,
handsomely declined to grant, as in the event of success, their
presence would probably have been of some hindrance to the

this memoir, it appears necessary to state the occasion of his secession for
awhile from the duties of his profession. During a gale of wind, and
when in the act of ascending the side of a cutter lying outside the harbour
of Ostend, from which place he was returning, charged with despatches
from H. R. H. the Duke of York, the man-ropes slipt through his hands,
and he sank between the vessel and his boat. The sea at the time run-
ning very high, the next rise brought his head in contact with the under
part of the cutter's channel, and deprived him of his senses. In this state
he was conveyed to the Ferret ; and the necessary precaution of bleeding
him having been omitted by the surgeon, a violent fever ensued ; on his
recovery from which he found that, in addition to the dislocation of several
toes of the right foot, his vision was so affected that every object appeared
double. On his arrival in London, he placed himself under the care of Dr.
Weir, from whose mode of treatment he derived considerable benefit ; but
notwithstanding the skill of that celebrated oculist, every attempt to
restore his sight to its original strength failed of success, and he was thus
doomed to many years of painful inactivity, at a period, when, but for this
misfortune, the talents and zeal which he had already displayed on so
many occasions would, in the common course of events, have secured for
him a participation in those honors which are enjoyed by his more fortu-
nate compeers. To the same cause may probably be attributed the non-
appearance of a treatise on sea-gunnery, which we have reason to believe
he at one time had it in contemplation to publish ; and which, from his
well-known proficiency in that art, there can be no doubt, would have
met with a most favorable reception from the naval world.

608 REAR-ADMIRALS OF THE RED.

promotion of those Commanders whom he had selected to head
the different divisions of boats employed on that occasion.
From the Isis Captain Nowell removed to the Ardent, 64 ;
and during the remainder of the war he was entrusted with
the command of a squadron stationed at the entrance of the
Thames, to prevent any hostile force from proceeding up that
river.

The Ardent was paid off in April 1802, and from that
period Captain Nowell remained on half-pay until the year
1811, when he assumed the command of the Monmouth, of
64 guns, bearing the flag of the present Sir Thomas Foley,
in the Downs. His commission as Rear-Admiral bears date
Dec. 4, 1813.

Residence. — Court Place, Iffley, near Oxford.

JAMES BISSETT, Esq.

Rear- Admiral of the Red.

At the Russian armament, in 1/91, this officer commanded
the Swallow, of 14 guns, on the home station ; and in the fol-
lowing year, the Falcon sloop of war, at Jamaica. In 1/93,
we find him cruising in the Channel, where he appears to
have captured several of the enemy's privateers. He was
promoted to the rank of Post-Captain, Oct. 24, 1794 ; and,
in 1795, commanded the Venerable, of 74 guns, bearing the
flag of Admiral Duncan, in the North Sea. From that ship
he removed into the Janus frigate, and proceeded in her to
the West Indies, from whence he returned with the home-
ward bound trade, in 1797 ; and from that period we lose
sight of him until the month of Dec, 1805, when he sat as a
member of the Court-Martial assembled to try the late Sir
Robert Calder, for his conduct in the action with the com-
bined fleets of France and Spain, in the preceding summer.

Towards the close of the late war, Captain Bissett com-
manded the Royal Sovereign a first rate, forming part of the
Channel fleet, under Lord Keith. He was advanced to the
rank of Rear- Admiral, Dec. 4th, 1813.

6m

JOHN CLEMENTS, Esq.

Rear-admiral of the Red.

At the commencement of the war with the French repub-
lic, this officer commanded the Spitfire sloop. He was pro-
moted to the rank of Post-Captain, Oct. 24, 1794. In the
summer of 1802, he obtained the command of the Fortunee,
of 40 guns; and on the 8th Sept. following, sailed from the
Downs in company with two other frigates and a sloop, with
Dutch troops on board, bound to the Texel. On the 10th,
owing to the pilot mistaking a buoy, the Fortunee struck
on a sand bank, lost her masts and rudder, and was bilged.
The next morning she was got into the Texel, where, by the
great exertions of her commander, officers, and crew, and the
assistance rendered by the other ships, she was put in a state
of repair sufficient to enable her to proceed to England, un-
der the escort of another frigate.

In the following year, Captain Clements was appointed to
the Sea Fencible service at Leith. He subsequently com-
manded the Texel, of 64 guns, and Berwick, J4. His ad-
vancement to the rank of Rear-Admiral took place, Dec. 4,
1813.

SIR JOHN GORE,

Rear-Admiral of the Red ; and Knight Commander of the most honour-
able Military Order of the Bath.

This officer is a son of the late Major Gore, for many
years resident Governor of the Tower of London ; and a
brother of Brigadier-General Arthur Gore, Colonel of the 33d
regiment of foot, who fell in the attack upon Bergen-op-
zoom, March 9, 1814 *. He was promoted to the rank of
Lieutenant about the year 1789, and served in that capacity
on board the Victory, the flag-ship of Lord Hood, at the oc-
cupation of Toulon, in 1793 f. In the warm service of Fort

* The Gores are distantly related to the nohle Irish family of Arran.
+ For an account of the proceedings at Toulon, see pp. 46, 60, 294, &c.
vol. r. 2 r

610 KEAK-AJJMIRALS OK THE RED.

Mulgrave, Mr. Gore conducted himself with great hravery
and activity ; and when the destruction of the French ships
and arsenal was ordered, we find him engaged in that arduous
service, on which occasion he was much burnt by the prema-
ture explosion of the Vulcan fire-vessel.

During the siege of Bastia, our officer assisted in various
services and operations on shore ; and soon after its surrender,
May 22, 1794 *, was made a Commander into la Fleche, of
14 guns, In the course of the same year, he succeeded Cap-
tain Shield in the Windsor Castle, of 98 guns, bearing the
flag of Rear- Admiral Linzee, in which ship he was present in
the skirmishes with the French fleet, March 14, and July 13,
1J95 f- On the former occasion the Windsor Castle had 6
men killed and 31 wounded.

After these trivial affairs Captain Gore, who had been con-
firmed in his post rank, Nov. 12, in the preceding year, was
appointed to one of the prizes, le Censeur, of 74 guns, (jury-
rigged) and ordered to England in company with the home-
ward bound trade. On the 7th Oct., the convoy fell in with
a French squadron, consisting of six ships of the line, besides
frigates, about 83 leagues from Cape St. Vincent. Captain
Taylor, the senior officer, made the signal for the merchant
vessels to disperse, and formed the line with the men-of-war
under his command ; but, just as the van ship of the enemy
had reached within gun-shot, le Censeur in wearing, unfor-
tunately rolled away her fore-top-mast, and the other British
ships, namely, the Fortitude and Bedford, of 74 guns each?
one frigate, and a fire-vessel J, being so situated as to be un-
able to support her effectually, the enemy's fire was chiefly
directed against that ship, and Captain Gore, after a most
gallant defence against their very superior force, his vessel
being much disabled, and her ammunition nearly expended,
was compelled to surrender. About fifteen of the mer-
chantmen were also captured. The French squadron was
commanded by Admiral Richerry.

Captain Gore, having regained his liberty, was, in the sum-
mer of 1796, appointed to the Triton, of 32 guns, and in that

* See p. 251. f See pp. 340 and 254.

J The Argo 44, and Juno frigate, had previously parted company- See
p. 486.

SIH JOHN GORE.

611

frigate cruized with great success against the enemy's pri-
vateers and other armed vessels, many of which were taken
hy him.

On the 18th Oct., 1J99? he 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
Ethalion, Captain Young *, into whose hands she had been
chaced 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 40,000/. 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, which 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-Admiral James Young.
t The attempt upon the enemy's flotilla in the mouth of Boulogne har-
bour, was made by the boats of Lord Nelson's squadron in five divisions,
under Captains Somerville, Parker, Cotgrave, Jones, and Conn. A previ-
ous attack had taught the French the weak parts of their position ; and they
omitted no means of strengthening it, and of guarding against the expected
assault. The boats shoved off from the Medusa about llh 30' 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-
rated. One could not arrive at all ; another not till near day-break. The
others went to work in the most gallant manner : but the enemy were fully
prepared : every vessel was defended by long poles, headed with iron spikes,
projecting from their sides ; strong nettings were triced up to their lower

2 r 2

612 REAR-ADMIRALS OK THE RED.

casion Captain Gore manifested great zeal, offering to serve
as a volunteer under the orders of a junior officer, which offer
was as handsomely declined hy 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, 1803,
she was sent to the Mediterranean with despatches relative
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 811,000 dollars onboard*.
In the following 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 Feb. 1805, he received the honor of knight-
hood ; and some time after conveyed the late Marquis
Cornwallis 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 were
spent at anchor in St. Helena Roads ; she was consequently
but eighty-two days under sail, in which time she traversed
the immense space of 13,831 miles.

Soon after his return, Jan. 1806, Sir John Gore removed
into the Revenge, of 74 guns. In June, 1808, he received at

yards ; they were moored by the bottom to the shore, and chained one to
another : they were strongly manned with soldiers, and protected by land
batteries, and the shore was lined with troops. Many were taken posses-
sion of; and, though they could not have been brought out, would have
been burnt, had not the French resorted to a mode of offence which they
have often used, but which no other people have ever been wicked enough
to employ. The moment the firing ceased ou board one of their own ves-
sels, they fired upon it from the shore, perfectly regardless of their own
men. The French official account boasted of the victory. "The combat,"
it said, " took place in sight of both countries ; it was the first of the
kind, and the historian woidd have cause to make this remark." They
guessed our loss at 400 or 500 men: it amounted to 44 killed and 138

wounded.

* See p. 536.

SIR JOHN GORE. 613

Cadiz the Spanish commissioners appointed by the Supreme
Council of Seville to treat with the British Cabinet on matters
important to the interests of both countries. He subsequently-
commanded the Tonnant, of 80 guns, stationed in the Tagus,
co-operating with the army.

On the 4th Dec. 1813, our officer was promoted to the
rank of Rear- Admiral, and shortly after proceeded to the Me-
diterranean, with his flag in the Revenge. He was nomi-
nated a K. C. B. Jan. 2, 1815 ; and in 1818 appointed Com-
mander-in-Chief in the river Medway, where he continued
during the usual period of three years.

Sir John Gore married, Aug. 15, 1808, the eldest daughter
of Admiral Sir George Montagu, by whom he has had several
children.

JOHN HARVEY, Esq.

Rear-admiral of the Red.

This officer is the second son of the late gallant Captain
John Harvey, R. N. by Judith, daughter of Henry Wise, of
Sandwich, co. Kent, Esq *. In 1794 we find him command-
ing FActif sloop, which vessel foundered off Bermuda, on the
26th Nov., in the same year. He was promoted to the rank

* Captain Harvey commanded the Brunswick, of 74 guns, on the me-
morable 1st of June, 1794. He was wounded early in the action, by a
musket-ball, which tore away part of his right hand ; but this he carefully
concealed, and bound the wound up with his handkerchief. Some time
after this he received a violent contusion in the loins, which laid him almost
lifeless on the deck : from this severe blow he however rallied his strength
of mind, and continued at his post, directing and conducting the action, until
a double-headed shot splitting, struck his right arm near the elbow, and
shattered it to pieces. Growing faint through loss of blood, he was now
compelled to retire ; but when assistance was offered to conduct him below,
he nobly refused it, — " / will not have a single man leave his quarters on
my account ! my legs still remain to bear me down into the cockpit." In
this wounded and shattered state he cast a languid yet affectionate look
towards his brave crew — " Persevere, my brave lads, in your duty ! con-
tinue the action with spirit, for the honor of our King and Country ; and
remember my last words — The colours of the Brunswick shall
never be struck!" About sun-set it was found necessary to amputate
his arm above the elbow : and on the dav after the Brunswick's arrival at

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 Agamemnon, of 64 guns, which ship formed
part of Sir Robert Calder's fleet in 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 ; 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, he was released from this
world, and lost to his country, on the 30th June.

The House of Commons, to perpetuate the memory of this heroic man,
unanimously voted a monument to be erected in Westminster Abbey : had
he survived, his name would have been included in the flag-promotion which
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 London, 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 same monument, raised by a
grateful country to their memory.

* See Rear- Admiral Thomas Harvey, t Seep. 112. % See p. 40.

61 J 5

HON. SIR HENRY HOTHAM,

Rear-Admiral of the Red ; and Knight Commander of the most hono-
rable Military Order of the Bath.

This officer, the youngest son of Beamout, second Lord
Hotham, of the kingdom of Ireland, (who succeeded to the
title on the death of his brother, a distinguished Admiral *,)
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 9h 30' P. M,
had 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
day-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
Hotham assisted at the capture of le Diable a Quatre, French
privateer, of 16 guns and 150 men ; and a schooner letter
of marque, from Guadaloupe to Bourdeaux, laden with coffee.
He subsequently took la Laure, of 14 guns and 78 men ; and
l'lnvention, 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,

* See note, at p. 580.

616 REAR-ADMIRALS OF THE RED.

being 147 feet long, and 2/ wide. She had only left Bour-
cleaux nine days before, on her first cruize. During the chace,
the Arethusa frigate was seen at a distance, and from her
situation greatly assisted Captain Hotham in capturing her.

Towards the close of the war, the Immortalite was stationed
off Brest, watching the enemy's fleet in that port *. Soon
after the renewal of hostilities in 1803, Captain Hotham ob-
tained the command of the Imperieuse, of 40 guns ; and in the
same year he re-captured a South-Sea whaler, homeward
bound, in the Channel. He soon after removed into the
Revolutionaire, of 44 guns, and in that ship had the honor of
conveying the Duke of Sussex from Lisbon to Portsmouth,
where H. R. H. was landed Aug. 15, 1804. On the 4th of
the following month, Captain Hotham sailed with the out-
ward bound East India fleet, which he escorted to a certain
latitude, and then proceeded to Halifax.

We next find our officer commanding the Defiance, of J 4.
guns, under the orders of Rear-Admiral Stopford, whose

* The following singular anecdote is related of the conduct of a pilot
belonging to the Immortality, whilst employed on the above service :

This man, either a Frenchman, or speaking French extremely well,
expressed a great desire to Captain Hotham, that he would permit him to
go on shore and get information of the state and situation of the enemy's
fleet. After frequent solicitations Captain Hotham consented, and he was
put on shore in the night, with a promise that a boat should be sent to
bring him off, at a proper time. The boat was accordingly sent five suc-
cessive nights to the place appointed, but no pilot was there. At the ex-
piration of eight days, he came alongside in a French boat rowed by two
men : and gave the following account of himself. That fearing lest he
should be apprehended as a spy, he gave up the idea of attempting to get
off as agreed upon, and came to the resolution of hiring a boat to go into
Cameret Bay ; upon getting pretty near to it, he told the men he did not
mean that bay, he meant Berthaume Bay, which was about half way to
the ship ; when he had approached near this bay, he said he wanted to go
to point St. Mathews, (which was not more than two gun shots from the
frigate) upon this the men flew in a passion, telling him they would take
him back to Brest. The pilot instantly took a brace of pistols from
his pocket; and pointing one at each of them, exclaimed — "I am an
Englishman ; and if you do not put me on board my ship, without delay,
I will blow your brains out." With which the Frenchmen judged it best to
comply.

This resolute fellow had absolutely been on board some of the ships of
war, and gave an exact account of their condition and force.

HON. SIR HENRY HOTHAM. 617

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 Caesar 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 water 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 wounded; 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 Corunna, by the
French Marshal Ney, June 21st and 22d, the proximity of
the 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
commanding 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 officer sent Captain Parker, of the Amazon,
to Ferrol, where he was received by the people with the

618 RKAR-ADMIRALS OF THE RED.

loudest acclamations 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 Conmna ; 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 without 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
Glaneuse, 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 falling 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 l'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 9h 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 l'Orient. Captain Hotham's first endeavour was
to cut them off to windward of the island ; but finding he could
not effect it, the Northumberland was pushed round the S. E.

HON. SIR HENRY HOTHAM. 619

end of 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 2h 49' P. M., the enemy bore up in close
line a-head; and under 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
consequence obliged, as their only alternative, to attempt

620 REAR-ADMIRALS OF THE RED.

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 only quarter ebb,
while he repaired the rigging and shifted the fore-top-sail,
which was rendered entirely useless ; 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 5h 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 l'Arianne and l'Andro-

* Anchor-bearings, — Point de Pierre Laye, N. W. \ N. ; the citadel of
Port Louis, E. \ N, ; and the rock named Le Graul, N. 5 E. two cables'
length distant.

HON. SIR HENRY HOTHAM. 621

niache, of 44 guns and 450 men each, and the Mameluke
brig, of 18 guns and 150 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 l'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 Cochrane, on the American station.
His first commission as Rear-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. Maitlano, in our next volume,

022 REAR-ADMIRALS OF THE RKI).

SIR JOSIAS ROWLEY,

Baronet; Rear-Admiral of the Red; Knight Commander of the most ho-
norable Military Order of the Bath ; and Member of Parliament for
Kinsule.

This officer is the second son of Clotworthy Rowley, Esq.
Counsellor at Law, and some time M. P. for Downpatrick,
iti Ireland, by Letitia, daughter of Samuel Campbell, of Bath,
Esq., and a grandson of Sir William Rowley, K. B. Vice-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-going
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 Lark 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, 1805 fj 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 under Commodore Sir Home Popham and Lieutenant-

SIR JOSIAS ROWLEY, BART. (523

In 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 the 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 the summit of the Blue Mountains, a body of about 5,000
men, chiefly cavalry, with 23 pieces of artillery, commanded by General
Jansseris, Governor of the colony, was seen in the 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 about 700 killed and wounded, while
the assailants had only 15 slain, and 19/ wounded and missing. No other
obstacle remaining to the advance of the British, the town surrendered on
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 Zivellendam, 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 condition that he and his
troops should be sent back to Holland, without being considered 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 immortal Pitt and his confidential
friend the late Viscount Melville, respecting certain designs which they con-
templated against South America, but which, from deference to the Emperor
of Russia, had been laid aside ; having obtained information of the weak-
ness of the Spanish colonies on the Rio de la Piata, and being animated
with the prospect of the commercial and other advantages to be gained in
those countries, ventured, without any immediate authority from the go-
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 25th, 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

l>'24 REAR-ADMIRALS o) ill!. RED.

detachment of seamen landed with Lieutenant-General YVhite-
locke's army, for the purpose of transporting 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, the strong ob-
jections to his plan were drowned in the universal joy at the fortunate re-
sult of his operations. The exultation for the capture of Buenos Ayres,
which was expected to he followed hy the reduction of the whole 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 excited the coun-
try people to arms ; and an insurrection being organized in the city, the
Chevalier de Linieres, 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 landed 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 hy Rear-Admiral Stirling, who
had been appointed to supersede Sir Home Popham 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.

5111 JOSIA5 ROWLEY, BART. 625

from the place of debarkation towards the city of Buenos
Ayres. " In this fatiguing service," says Rear-Admiral

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 firing, 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
000 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 marched 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 barrica-
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 firfe
during a quarter of an hour, when the breach was discerned by Captain
Renny, 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 it. The 87th regiment was posted on the outside near
the gate, which the 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, 500 wounded, and upwards of 2,000 offi-
cers and men, including the Governor, made prisoners ; the remainder
escaped in boats, or secreted themselves in the town. The squadron co-
operated in this brilliant achievement, having landed a considerable num-
VOL. I. 2 s

6'2i) KEAR-ADMIKALft OS THE RED.

Murray, who had succeeded to the chief command on that
station, " the persevering conduct of Captains Rowley and
Joyce, merited the highest encomiums. They had to drag
the cannon for miles through swamps, and the men ivere
always harnessed to them."

After the failure of the attack upon that city, our officer
returned to the Cape of Good Hope, on which station he
greatly 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 the 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 officer 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., 1809, the squadron f proceeded for the Isle
of Bourbon.

her of men to assist the land forces ; and the ships were stationed so as to
prevent any escape from the harbour. An account of the prizes taken, and
the loss sustained by the navy 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 Vice-Ad-
miral Stirling, at p. 407, ?t seq.

t Raisonable, 64, Captain Jos. Rowley.

Nereide \ C Robert Corbett.

Boadicea \ Frigates. ^ John Hatley.

Sirius ) £ Samuel Pyni.

Otter 1„, f N. J. Willoughby,

Sapphire ) r I

Wasp Schooner, Lieutenant Watkins,

SIR JOSIAS ROWLEY, BART. 627

On 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 British 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 ; 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
squadron * 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 two 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 called

* Boadicea, Iphigenia, Sirius, Magicienne, and Nereide frigates.

2 s 2

628 REAR-ADMIRALS OK THE BED,

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 two
seamen and two soldiers 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 Chdoupe ; 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 remainder
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

SIR J0S1AS 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 l'lsle 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 Boadicea, 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 frigate, 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
fast upon them, when at 3 A. M. a heavy firing was observed
about four or five miles a-head of the latter. Captain Rowley
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 unmanageable under the fire of both ships,
(one in a most destructive raking position), after a very gal-
lant, though unequal contest, was obliged to surrender, and

* See Vice-Admiral Bertie's official letter, Nav. Chron. v. 25, p. 158.

630 HEAH-ADMIRALS OF THE RED.

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 affairs, when the Boadicea Avas 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 JOSIAS ROWLEY, BART. 631

plement, on leaving port, of 380 men, commanded by Com-
modore Hamelin, senior officer of the French squadron in
India, victualled and stored for six months.

She had, in the early part of the morning, in company with
the Victor corvette, captured, after a most gallant defence, his
Majesty's ship Ceylon, commanded by Captain Gordon, hav-
ing on board Major-General Abercromby and his staff, bound
for the island of Bourbon.

Captain Rowley made the signal for the Otter to take pos-
session of the Ceylon, while the Boadicea took her prize in
tow ; 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 considerable 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 ;
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 Dec, 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-Gene-

* The lower masts of the Wyndham, a recaptured Indiaman, were ap-
plied to the Africaine, whose masts had all fallen subsequent 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 almost destitute,
and were enabled to complete their victualling to four months.

f A channel 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.

632 REAR-ADMIRALS OK THE 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 island, with an im-
mense quantity of stores and valuable merchandize, six large
frigates, three smaller ships of war, five gun-boats, three cap-
tured lndiamen, and twenty-eight 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 Abbe Raynai ; 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 an 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 taste 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 be 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 be 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,
be rendered a station of some importance.

SIR 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, 181 J, 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 "A 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 J4, 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 16 of the vessels, and destroyed the remain-
der. This service wTas performed with the loss of 4 men
killed, 21 wounded, and 11 drowned. The latter was occa-
sioned by the American's yawl being sunk by a chance shot
from the only gun 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 1 man killed, 3 drowned, and 11
wounded ; that of the troops was likewise inconsiderable.
About 300 prisoners were taken in two skirmishes with the

<)34 R EAR-ADMIRALS OF THE RED.

enemy at Via Reggio and in the suburbs of Leghorn, and a
great number slain and wounded *.

Early in the following year, Captain Rowley sailed from
Palermo, with his squadron and a large fleet of transports,
having on board the army under Lord William Bentinck, 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 Mai-ia, with the forts and defences in the
gulph of Spezzia, capitulated, after considerable resistance,
to a party of seamen under the orders of Captain Dundas, of
the Edinburgh.

On the 13th April, the main body of the army was landed
at Recce, in the gulph of Genoa, and immediately pushed on
towards that city, accompanied 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 occasion 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 ma-
rines, and preparing to storm, the enemy deserted their bat-
teries, and the whole of the sea-line without the walls, whicli
were instantly taken possession of, and soon turned on the
place, by this means drawing off a considerable portion of the
enemy's fire.

At this moment, and greatly to the regret of the squadron,
Sir Edward Pellew, with several line- 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 following 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

* See 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 Kinsale.

Residence.— Drumsna, co. Leitrim, Ireland ; and Albany
B. 4, Piccadilly.

SIR EDWARD CODRINGTON,

Rear-Admiral of the Red ; and Knight Commander of the most hono-
rable Military Order of the Bath.

This officer is descended from the Codringtons, of Cod-
rington, 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.
The title is at present in the possession of his elder brother, Sir Christo-
pher Bethcll Codrington, of Dodin^ton in Gloucestershire.

636 RKAR-ADMIRALS OF THE RED.

17(J3 ; 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 off l'Orient; the latter assisted at the cap-
ture of a French frigate, armed en Jtute, 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 was 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 in 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 J, and against New

* Seep. 388.
•t For an account of the battle of Trafalgar, see p. 202, et set].
X See p. 524, it seq.

SIR EDWARD CODUINGTON. 63J

Orleans *. He returned to England with the official 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
85th regiment, took post upon the Isle aux Poix, a small swampy spot
at the mouth of the Pearl river, where Sir Alexander Cochrane, Rear-
Admirai 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, an 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, Major-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 shot from the British artillery, and

638 REAR-ADMIRALS 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 Edward
moved forward to within gun-shot of an entrenchment which the enemy-
had recently thrown up, extending across the cultivated ground from the
Mississippi to an impassahle 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 1st 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 /th, been tracked under cover and unperceived close up to the bank, at
night the whole were after much labour dragged into the 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 85th 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 1 7 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 on the 8th was about 2,000 killed, wounded, and
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 commission bears
date April J, 1J95. His next appointment was to the Squir-

happening in the sight of the troops, together with the Major-Generals
Gibbs and Keane being both borne off wounded (the former mortally) 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 ought to
have been, caused a wavering in the column, which in such a situation be-
came irreparable ; and as Sir John Lambert advanced with the reserve, at
about 250 yards from the lines, he had the mortification to observe the
whole falling back upon him in the greatest confusion. Thus circumstanced,
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 great 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 whole.

After the failure at New Orleans, the armament proceeded to Isle Dau-
phine, where the troops were landed and encamped. From thence a detach-
ment proceeded towards Mobile, and on the 11th Feb. compelled Fort
Boyer 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 1 7th of the same month-

640 REAR-ADMIRALS O* THE RED.

rel, of 20 guns, and from that ship he removed, towards tin-
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 two 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 tri -
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 of 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 Santa Margaritta,
were l'Adour, of 16 guns, pierced for 20, and 147 men; la Victorine, of
16 guns and 82 men ; the San Francisco, of 14 guns and 53 men ; and
le Quatorze Juillet, of 14 guns and 65 men.

ROBERT PLAMPLIN, ESQ. 641

Orange of the eminent services performed by Lieutenant
Plamplin, when employed in a gun-boat at the defence of Wil-
liamstadt (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 Lowestoffe 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 Lowestoffe, 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 subsequently 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-
rietta, of 20 guns and 124 men ; and in the following month,

* See note at p. 573.

VOL. I, 2 T

642 REAR ADMIRALS OF THE RED.

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-gun 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.

HON. SIR HENRY BLACKWOOD,

Baronet; Rear-admiral of (he Red; Knight 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 Blackwoods are descended from an ancient Scottish stock. The
family estate in Downshire was sequestered by James IPs parliament,
but restored on the accession of the Prince of Orange. Sir Henry's grand-
father was created a Baronet in 1 /63. The descent of his mother was,
by her paternal grandmother, from Archibald Hamilton, brother of James
Viscount Clanboye, ancestor of the Earls of Clanbrassil. Her Ladyship
was created Baroness Dufferin and Clanboye in 1800, the next year after
her husband's demise. She was always admired amongst her numerous
friends, for the dignity of her manner and the wit of her repartee.

HON. SIR HENRY' BLACKWOOD, BART. 643

M 'Bride, 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, 1/94, he was
senior Lieutenant of the Invincible, 74, and during the action
went with a message from Captain Pakenham to Earl Howe j
after the delivery of which he received orders from his Lord-
ship to take possession of le Juste, a French 84-gun 9hip,
whose fire had recently been silenced f.

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 X-

Soon after this event, Captain Blackwood removed into
the Penelope, a new frigate, of 36 guns, forming part of a
squadron 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 soon descried by Captain Blackwood, who im-

* See note*, at p. 502. f Seep. 119.

X The Brilliant was at the Nore during the mutiny in 1797, and four of
her best seamen were severely flogged by order of the delegates for speak-
ing disrespectfully 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. 160, et seq. In the following year, we
find her at Newfoundland, under the orders of Vice-Admiral Waldegrave,
now Lord Radstock.

2x2

644 REAR-ADMIRALS OF THE RED.

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-guns, 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 fire. The Lion and Foudroyant,
ships of the line, were thus enabled to come up in succession,
ana 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 consequence 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 IJ men slain and 110 wounded ; that of
the enemy, about 200 killed and wounded *.

Captain Dixon, the senior officer present 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 discriminating judgment" adds he, "it is un-
necessary to remark of what real value and importance such
an officer must ever he 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 towed the prize into Syracuse, after which
she returned to her station off Malta, and assisted in the
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.

* Seep. 378. f Seep. 281.

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 board, 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
so often had wished for, he replied, ' / mean to day to bleed the Captains
of the frigates, us 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 was 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
he 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 was his first object, and cap-
ture but a secondary one. During the five hours and a half that I remained on
board, in which I was not ten minutes from his side, he frequently asked
me, What I should consider as a victory ? 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. My
answer was, 'That considering the handsome way in which battle was of-
fered by the enemy, their apparent determination for a fair trial of strength.

(346 BBAR-AJJMLfRAtS OF THK RED.

and the proximity of the land, 1 thought if fourteen ships were captured, it
would be a glorious result ;' to which he always replied, 'I shall not, Black-
wood, be satisfied with any thing short of twenty.' A telegraphic signal
had been made by him to denote, That 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 not 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 who should
first get nearest to the Victory, or Royal Sovereign. These words were
scarcely ttered, when his last well-known signal was made, England ex-
pects every man will do his DUTY. 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, I'll 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-
sented 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 Villeneuve assured 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 not in any way prevent, he called the offi-
cers of his ship around him, and pointing out the manner in which the

HON. Silt HKNRY BLACKWOOD, BART. 64/

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 Sinus, 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 find your Lordship well, and in possession of twenty
prizes.' On which he made this reply, God bless you Blackwood, 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-
municate 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 mi 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 of both fleets, to
obtain intelligence of his Lordship's safety ; and arrived in the cockpit of
the Victory as he was breathing his last.

648 UKAK-ADM1RALS OK 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 9h P. M. on the 1 4th Feb. 180/, 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 6hip much exhausted.

The Ajax burnt all night, and drifted on the island of Te-
nedos, where she blew up at five o'clock next morning, with
a most awful explosion. The unhappy sufferers of her ward-

* Sec ]>. 316, elscq.

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 ; 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 884.

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 ; 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 Collingvvood, 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 able assistance in regulating the fire of the middle and

»

Sec j). 316, el seq.

652 REAR-ADMIRALS OF THE RED.

In the summer of 1807, Captain Douglas was entrusted
with the command of a squadron stationed in the Chesapeake
river. Whilst so employed, he had occasion to enter into a
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
Gambier 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 of 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-Admiral of the Red; Doctor of the Civil Laic; Fellow of t/n
Roijal Society ; Patron of the Muidstone Masonry Society ; a ^ice-
President of the Literary, and Covent Garden Theatrical Funds, and
of the Merchant Seamen's Auxiliary Bible Society, the Seamen's and
London Hospitals, the Mile End Philanthropise 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-Chancellor 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. GEORGE 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,
17&7, was his fourth son f.

The officer of whose services we are now about to speak,
is the eldest son of John, fifth 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-
ham §, which ship formed part of the fleet under Admiral

* Aug. 13,1704.

+ Admiral Byng's trial, with all tlie 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 1780, of wounds he
received when third Lieutenant of the Ajax, in the action between Sir
George B. Rodney and Don Juan de Langara. See note f, at p. 3 of this
volume.

§ Afterwards a Commodore, and perished in the West u dies. See note
at p. 68.

654 REAR-ADMIRALS OV THE RED.

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 Suffrein,
one of the ablest officers that the French marine has ever pro-
duced §. In the last of these conflicts Mr. Byng had a very
narrow 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
tempore, 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, J4, bearing the 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, at p. 195.

f Sir Richard Pearson was the officer who so nobly defended the Se-
rapis, a 44-gun ship, against a squadron commanded by the noted Paul
Jones, Sept, 23, 17/9. He died Lieutenant-Governor of Greenwich Hos-
pital, in 1806.

X Captain Mackenzie commanded the Gibraltar, of 80 guns, in Earl
Howe's action, June 1, 1794; and died a Flag-Officer, Sept. 20, 1813.

§ An account of the different encounters between those officers will be
found at pp. 135,242, &c.

RIGHT HON. GEORGE VISCOUNT TORRINGTON. G55

rival, he passed the usual examination for a Lieutenant ; soon
after which 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. 1/90,
after more than twelve years active service, in the course of
which he had participated in no less than four general ac-
tions, 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 first 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 sharing in the glories of the memorable first of June,
1794. He however rejoined his ship on her return to port*,
and in the month of Oct. following was advanced to the rank
of Commander, in the Ferret sloop, employed in the North
Sea. We subsequently find him acting as Captain of the Ar-

* Mr. Buller, who had superseded Lieutenant Byng in the Impregnable,
was mortally wounded in the battle.

056 KKAR-AI>MIKALS OF TIIK RED.

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 Tyne, 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 1796, when the
French Admiral Richery invested that settlement with seven
ships of the 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, 1797, 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, 1/95-
"At a meeting of ship-owners, held in the Trinity House in Newcastle-
upon-Tyne this day, —
" Resolved unanimously,

"That the thanks of this meeting be given to George Byng, Esq. com-
mander of H. M.'s floating battery Redoubt, at Shields, for his spirited con-
duct in suppressing the late violent proceedings of the seamen, when stop-
ping ships proceeding to sea, with a view to extort exorbitant wages : and
that the same be conveyed by letter, from the Chairman ; which was accord-
ingly done by Mr. Lawton, the Chairman : also the thanks of the mayor
and corporation, and gentlemen ship-owners of North Shields."

KIGHT HON. GEORGE VISCOUNT TORRINGTON. 057

elected a Burgess of the ancient borough of Plymouth. This
mark of respect was paid him upon his return from a cruize
in the Bay of Biscay, during which the Galatea encountered
a violent hurricane, and had nearly foundered ; her mizen-
mast was carried over the side, at the same time her fore and
main-top-masts also went, though there was not a stitch of
canvas set. One man went over with the mizen-mast, and
several others were much hurt.

Subsequent to the treaty of Amiens, the Galatea was sta-
tioned on the S. W. coast of Ireland, for the suppression of
smuggling ; and Captain Byng continued on that service until
the month of May, 1802, when he wa3 compelled to relinquish
his command, in consequence of ill health, occasioned by long
and severe cruizes during the preceding winter.

On the renewal of the war with the French republic, Cap-
tain Byng, then in a state of convalescence, tendered his ser-
vices, and was immediately appointed to the Texel, of 64
guns, as commanding officer of the block-ships stationed in
the Medway ; and on the retirement of Earl St. Vincent from
the Admiralty, that nobleman paid Captain Byng the flatter-
ing compliment of promoting his First Lieutenant and two
Master's-Mates to superior ranks.

In the month of August, 1804, our officer was appointed
to the Malabar, of 50 guns, and commanded that ship until
Mar. 1805, when he removed into the Belliqueux, of 64 guns ;
and in the following autumn, accompanied the late Sir Home
Popham on an expedition against the Cape of Good Hope.
The squadron, having on board a body of troops under Major-
General Sir David Baird, arrived in Table Bay, Jan. 4, 1806;
and on the 18th of the same month, the Dutch Governor (Jans-
sens) having signed a capitulation for a general surrender,
England became once more possessed of one of the most im-
portant settlements in the world, and which has since been
permanently annexed to the British empire.

The land forces employed on the above occasion, were
strengthened by a marine battalion, commanded by Captain
Byng, from whose great exertions the service derived much
benefit, which was warmly acknowledged by the joint com-
manders in their respective despatches, wherein they highly
commended "the perseverance and determination with which

vol. i. 2 u

658 KEAH-AD\fIRALS OF THE RED.

Captain Byng, the officers and seamen under his command,
overcame the obstacles opposed by an extreme difficulty of
country to the conveyance of artillery *."

The presence of the ships belonging to the East India
Company, which had assisted in the reduction of the Cape,
being no longer necessary, Captain Byng was directed to
escort them to Madras ; on his arrival at which place he re-
ceived an address from their commanders, some of whom
had served with the Marine Brigade, expressive of the sense
they entertained of his constant and unremitting attention to
them, and requesting his acceptance of a piece of plate, of
the value of 100/. as a testimony of their respect.

In the course of the same year, the Belliqueux formed part
of Sir Edward Pellew's squadron at the capture and destruc-
tion of a Dutch frigate, seven brigs of war, and about t went y
armed and other merchant- vessels, in Batavia Roads f. Du-
ring the operations, the Commander-in-Chief publicly ex-
pressed his satisfaction at Captain Byng's activity and good
conduct, by the telegraphic signal, " Your zeal I have noticed."

From this period nothing material occurred until 1809, when
our officer hoisted a broad pendant on being appointed to con-

* Extract from Sir David Baird's public despatches, addressed to Vis-
count Castlereagh.

" Cape Town, Jan. 12, 1806.

" On every occasion where it has been found necessary to call for the
co-operation of British seamen in land enterprizes, their valor has been so
conspicuous, and their spirit of labor and perseverance so unconquerable,
that no tribute of my applause can add a lustre to their character ; but I
discharge a most agreeable portion of my duty in assuring your lordship,
that in the recent employment of their services they have maintained their
reputation. And in this place it behoves me to inform your lordship, that
the uniform good conduct of those gallant fellows, and the zeal of Captain
George Byng, who commanded them, together with that of every subordi-
nate officer, have merited my fullest approbation."

The heroic Captain Hardinge, who afterwards commanded the St. Fio-
renzo, and fell in action with la Piedmontaise, served on shore under
the orders of Captain Byng, with whom he had sailed from England as a
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
painful one is, that I am to be separated from those I love, and for a period
so indefinite. But no space or time can ever separate me from you."

t See p. 223.

RIGHT HON. GEORGE VISCOUNT TORRINGTON. G5D

duct an armament 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 ln-
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 Chronicle, vol. 28, p. 57, and six following, there appears
a letter from R. VV. Bampfield, Esq. late Surgeon of the Belliqueux, re-
cording the mode of treatment adopted towards the patients, from which
we make the following extracts, illustrative of the henevolent exertions of
Captain Byng :

P. 59. "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-
cal, than in a cold climate j and is not only most destructive itself, but im-
pedes the cure of all other diseases, or aggravates them ; while we had as-

2 u 2

6(J0 KUAK-ADMIRALS OK THE RED.

The Belliqueux was paid off at Chatham, soon after her ar-
rival ; and the Right Hon. Charles Yorke, then at the head of

certained, that the oriental diseases would commonly yield to experienced
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 money, 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, 798 pounds of pomkins, 500 pounds of dry onions, two catties
of rusk ; and about 2000 pounds of onions and nopal leaves were pickled
on 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 which, the Captain, with his 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 be
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 fortnight. The pomkins should be turned daily, or the juice
they contain will gravitate to the most depending part, and occasion putre-
faction."

P. 61. "The arrangements to prevent the access, and counteract 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 donation of a quarter of mutton was presented from the
Captain, all were supplied with 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 much impaired in all oriental diseases.
" The Captain's wines, 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 kettle him-
self."

P. 62. " It is well known, 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 under his
command: * * * * * *: by hi* earnest representation! to the Go-

RIGHT HON. GEORGE VISCOUNT TORRINGTON. 661

the Admiralty, immediately offered Captain Byng the com-
mand of either of the new 74' s about to be commissioned ;
but our officer, preferring a ship of the old construction, made
choice of the Warrior, to which he was accordingly appointed.
Some time after this event, he received a letter from the Se-
cretary of the India House, communicating the thanks of the

vernor, and the address he employed in conciliating and gaining his atten-
tion, he obtained more bullocks and sheep than had ever been allowed to
one ship; while a recent and liberal regulation of the Commissioners for
victualling the navy, furnished ample supplies of vegetables, which, on this
island are good, abundant, and dear. A beautiful water-fall descends from
a high precipice, at the extremity of James's Valley, and forms a fine clear
rivulet, which, in its meandering course through the valley, exhibits on its
surface the green leaf of the water-cress growing in luxurious abundance.
Hither the convalescents and some scorbutics were daily sent to eat*this
wholesome vegetable, and to perform the task of gathering two or three
bags of cresses for the use of the ship's company.

" The strength of the people was much recruited, and the scorbutic
dispositions corrected, by the salutary refreshments we procured at the
island ; from which we departed on the 9th June. ■******•
Captain Byng directed as large a proportion of vegetables as was deemed
necessary, to be reserved out of the liberal allowance of Government, for
a sea stock, and presented a donation of 100 dollars, for the purchase of
poultry, sheep, and other articles useful to the sick. Nearly the same
quantity of vegetables and pickles was preserved as in China; but the enor-
mous price of ten shillings for a large fowl, greatly limited the stock of
poultry, a circumstance which was compensated by the Captain ordering
some of the sheep bought for the ship's company, to be exclusively ap-
propriated, during the voyage, to the use of the sick, and those who should
become scorbutic."

p. 63, " Ninety-one cases had been placed on the sick

list, during the voyage from St. Helena to England, and some few scor-
butics, but not one of the Belliqueux' had been lost from disease, during
the whole voyage from China."

Mr. Bampfield is the Author of " Practical Treatises on Tropical
and Scorbutic Complaints," published in 1818, and dedicated to Viscount
Torrington, " as a tribute of respect, due to the benevolence, zeal, and
ability, which his Lordship displayed in his earnest efforts to preserve the
lives of those confided to his command, and in his judicious, and, at last,
eminently successful arrangements, to prevent the scorbutic form of disease
treated of in that work from prevailing among them ; as a sense of obliga-
tion for the condescension and humane feeling with which his Lordship
received and adopted every suggestion for their welfare ; and as a grateful
offering for some personal acts of friendship conferred during ten years' as-
sociated services."

6*>2 ft KAR- ADMIRALS OF THE RED.

Court of Directors " for his care and attention to the fleet re-
cently under his convoy 5 and informing him, that in consider-
ation of the zeal ;tnd attention to the Company's interests,
evinced by him on various occasions, the Court of Directors
had resolved to present him with the sum of 1,000 guineas for
the purchase of a piece of plate, as an acknowledgement of
his services." Captain Byng succeeded to the title on the
demise of his father, 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 I can
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 manner in which
the service was conducted in that ship, and that I always considered the
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) " Thos. Foley, Vice-Admiral. "

" I have pleasure in stating, that wherever I have had the pleasure of
serving with you, both this war and the last, in frigates and ships of the

RIGHT HON. GEORGE VISCOUNT TORRINGTON. 663

recalled the ancient House of Nassau to rule over them, he
was selected to convey William Frederick, Prince of Orange,
to his native country, for the purpose of assuming the station
and honors so long enjoyed by his progenitors.

His Serene Highness embarked on board the Warrior in
the Downs, Nov. 25th, and on the following morning sailed
for the coast of Holland ; but owing to unfavorable winds, did
not reach Scheveling until the 30th, when the Prince and
Lord Clancarty, the British Ambassador, with their respec-
tives suites, landed amidst the hearty huzzas of the numbers
assembled from all parts to witness their debarkation. H. S. H.
was attended to the Hague by Lord Torrington, whom he
favored with the most gracious expressions for his attention,
accommodation, and hospitality, during the time he had the
pleasure of being his guest. The same illustrious individual
afterwards conferred upon his Lordship the insignia of the
Order of Wilhelm of the Netherlands, for which an elegant
gold-hilted sabre, with a suitable inscription, has since been
substituted.

Lord Torrington subsequently convoyed a fleet of mer-
chantmen to the West Indies ; and during his absence was
advanced to the rank of Rear-Admiral, by commission dated
June 4, 1814.

On perusing the foregoing sketch of the Viscount's profes-
sional career, drawn from various authentic sources, it will
be seen that 33 years and a half of his life have been spent in
active service at sea ; 15 of which in the East and West In-
dies. An impaired state of health, occasioned thereby, and
the claims upon his attention of a numerous progeny, obliged
him, in 1818, to decline the offer of a foreign command* :
his time, however, is not mis-spent, being divided between
his family, his senatorial duties, and the amelioration of
the condition of his poorer fellow subjects.

We are not aware of his Lordship ever having published

line, I always thought the ships you commanded excellent, efficient men
of war, and had full confidence in your zeal and ability.

(Signed) " Graham Moore."

This latter officer, when appointed to a command in the Baltic, pro-
ceeded thither in the Warrior.

* The chief command at the Leeward Islands was offered to Lord Tor-
rington previous to its being tendered to Rear-Admiral Donald Campbell,
who died Nov. 11, 1819.

C63 ' REAR-ADMIRALS OF THE RED.

any work, though the pages of the Naval Chronicle are en-
riched with numerous hydrographical communications made
by him. We are likewise ignorant of the periods at which
he attained the degree of D.C.L., and the no less creditable
designation of F. R. S.

Viscount Torrington has been twice married : his first wife
Avas Elizabeth, daughter of Philip Langmead, of Hoegate-
house Plymouth, Esq. M.P. His present lady, to whom he
was united Oct. 5, 1811, is the second daughter of Sir Robert
Barlow, K. C. B., late Commissioner of Chatham Dock-yard,
and niece to Sir George H. Barlow, Bart.

Residence. — Yotes Court, near Meriworth, Kent.

ROSS DONNELLY, Esq.

Rear-Admiral of the Red.

This officer, a son of the late Dr. Donnelly, entered the na-
val service early in the American war ; served under Vice-
Admiral Arbuthnot ; and was employed in a battery during
the siege of Charlestown, in 1780 *. Some time after the
capture of that place, he had the misfortune, when in charge
of a prize, to be taken prisoner by the enemy, who inhuman-
ly turned him adrift, with his crew, in an open boat, without
sails or provisions, and in that helpless condition left him to
find his way to Trepassay, where he arrived in a state of ex-
haustion, after a laborious pull of two days and a night. In
the following year, he was promoted by Rear- Admiral Ed-
wards to the rank of Lieutenant, in the Morning Star, of 16
guns, on the Newfoundland station ; from which vessel he
removed into the Cygnet sloop of war, as first Lieutenant.
His next appointment was to the Mediator, 44, commanded
by Captain Luttrell, with whom he continued till that ship
was put out of comaussion, at the end of the war, in 1783.

We next find Mr. Donnelly serving as Mate of an East In-
diaman, in which capacity he continued from 1785 till the
commencement of the war with France, in 1793, when he
was appointed first Lieutenant of the Montagu, a /4-gun
ship, commanded by the gallant Captain James Montagu,
who, it will be remembered, fell in the glorious battle of

* See Retired Captain Sin A. S. Hamond, in our next volume

ROSS DONNELLY, ESQ. 663**

June 1, 1794 *, on which memorable day Mr. Donnelly par-
ticularly distinguished himself, as will be seen by the fol-
lowing extract from Earl Howe's public letter relative to that
important event : —

" Special notice is also due of the Captains Nicholls of the Royal Sove-
reign, and Hope of the Bellerophon, who became charged with, and well
conducted those ships, when the wounded Flag-Officers under whom they
respectively served therein, were no longer able to remain at their posts ;
and the Lieutenants Monkton of the Marlborough, and Donnelly of the
Montagu, in similar situations."

Previous to her breaking through the enemy's line, the
Montagu, then under the direction of Lieutenant Donnelly,
was the next ship to the Royal George, bearing the flag of
the late Lord Bridport, from whom our officer, shortly after
his arrival at Plymouth, received the following kind letter : —

" Portsmotilh, June 18, 1794.
" Sir, — I acquaint you that I have transmitted to Lord Chatham your
letter, and have given my opinion to his Lordship on your just claim to
promotion, which I shall rejoice to see fulfilled. As Lord Chatham is ex-
pected here every day, and the King will certainly visit his fleet about the
29th, I have reason to suppose that some promotion will take place, in
which I hope you will be included.

" I am, Sir, your sincere and obedient humble servant,
(Signed) " Alex1". Hood."

That the claim alluded to by that distinguished commander
would have been backed by the testimony of Captain Monta-
gu, had he survived the combat, may be inferred from the
contents of a letter written by the present Admiral of that
name to Lieutenant Donnelly, dated the same day as the above :

" Dear Sir,— I have taken the liberty of begging your acceptance of a
sword belonging to my late poor brother ; it will remind you of a man who
at all times spoke of you in the highest terms of regard and approbation.
" I am, dear Sir, your most obedient humble servant,

(Signed) " Geo. Montagu f."

* See note at p. 77- Much has been said by various writers on naval
subjects, of the manner in which the French fleet was manned ; but no
mention has been made of the ineffective state of the British ships, when
they first put to sea to meet the republicans. An idea thereof may be
formed from the circumstance of the Montagu having joined the grand
fleet with only 13 men, including the quarter-masters, able to take the
helm ; 7 in one watch, 6 in the other. The captain of her fore-top had
only been 15 months at sea. The Ramillies was equally destitute of able
seamen ; and many others nearly so.

t A memoir of this gallant officer will be found at p. 39.

(X)4 HI -All-AUMIKAI.S OF THK RED.

Unfortunately for the subject of this memoir, the same li-
berality in rewarding merit which has been subsequently
evinced, was not displayed at that period ; and, notwithstand-
the expectations raised by the subjoined reply of Lord Howe
to an application in his favor from the Earl of Tankerville,
he appears not to have been advanced to the rank of Post-
Captain till June 24, in the following year : —

" Portsmmdh, Jul?/ 2, 1794.

" My Lord, — I can now have the satisfaction of being able to assure
your Lordship, that your wishes in favor of Lieutenant Donnelly will be ac-
complished. His meritorious conduct in the direction of the Montagu on
the fall of her late commander, has not needed any interference of mine
for obtaining the promotion he will gain.

" I have the honor to be, with great consideration,

" Your Lordship's most obedient humble servant,
(Signed) ' " Howe *."

During the remainder of the war, he commanded in suc-
cession the Pegasus and Maidstone frigates ; the former em-
ployed in the North Sea, the latter principally on the Ja-
maica station. In the Pegasus, carrying 28 long 9-pounders,
and 120 men, he fell in with two Dutch brigs of war, the
Echo and De Gier, of 20 Dutch 12's and 140 men each ; and
after an arduous chase, during which his ship struck on East
Friezeland, drove them both on shore to the eastward of the
Texel. This circumstance is alluded to in a letter which he
received from his Commander-in-Chief, the heroic Duncan,
a few days subsequent to the discomfiture of the Batavian
fleet off Camperdown, and which we feel happy in being able
to present to our readers : —

" My dear Sir, — I am very sorry I have not had the pleasure of meet-
ing, as I have a great deal to say to you. You are much mistaken in
thinking your are forgot. In a conversation I had to-day with Lord Spen-
cer, he mentioned you as a great favorite of his, and am sure I joined most,
sincerely in saying you are also of mine. In short, I have a favor to ask
of you, and hope you will not refuse me. Should Captain Hope not be
able to go to sea, will you be my Captain ? I am to have the Tigre f. I
leave town to-morrow, and shall be back from Sheerness (where his Ma-

* At the general promotion that followed Earl Howe's victory, Mr.
Donnelly, and all the other First Lieutenants of his Lordship's fleet, were
made Commanders, and took rank according to their seniority as Lieu-
tenants.

t Captain, now Sir William Johnstone Hope, was at that period, as al-
ready mentioned at p. 511, labouring under the effects of a violent injury
he had sustained about twelve months before.

ROSS DONNELLY, ESQ. 664*

jesty is to be) on Tuesday next ; you will then find me at my old lodgings.
No. 12, Buckingham Street. As to the brigs, I shall only say that Ad-
miral de Winter states they were both lost, and have no doubt the matter,
as it respects the head-money, will be cleared up. I have been hurrying
about so from place to place, that I have not heard a word from Lady
Duncan since my arrival in port ; but I have seen letters from her, and I
assure you she never forgets your attention to her. Many thanks for your
kind congratulations, which are most acceptable, as I am sure they arc
sincere. Believe me, with truth and esteem, most faithfully yours, ,,

(Signed) " Duncan."

On the 30th Nov. 1796, exactly two years and a half after
Earl Howe's action, each of the Captains mentioned in his
Lordship's letter were ordered to be presented with a gold
medal, to be worn with their uniforms, in commemoration of
the victory they had assisted in achieving. Captain Don-
nelly's application for that honorable badge of distinction
was replied to as follows, by the excellent nobleman then at
the head of naval affairs :

" Sir, — You will I am sure do me the justice to believe that I entertain a
very good opinion of your merits and services ; but it will really be im-
possible for me to comply with the request conveyed to me in your letter of
yesterday ; the medals having been limited by his Majesty's express com-
mand to those Admirals and Post-Captains only who are mentioned in the
letter from Lord Howe to the Admiralty relative to those actions, including
the Captains of the several Admirals who were honored with the gold
chain. As you were not a Post-Captain at the time of the action, you
will perceive that this line must necessarily exclude you from the distinc-
tion at present conferred f. " I am, Sir,

" Your very obedient, humble Servant,

(Signed) " Spencer.

"Admiralty, Dec. Uth, 1796."

Previous to his leaving the Maidstone, Captain Donnelly
was voted a handsome piece of plate by the merchants con-
cerned in the Oporto trade, for his zealous exertions in pro-
tecting a large homeward bound fleet, and bringing it in
safety to England, at a time when the enemy's privateers
were very numerous, both in the Bay of Biscay and the
Channel. This token of their gratitude, however, he refused
to accept ; stating, that although a French frigate had hovered
about the convoy, which was also surrounded during the
passage by privateers, he had had no opportunity of fighting

»g

t The First Lieutenants of Captains killed in subsequent general actions,
have had post rank and the gold medal immediately conferred upon them

664** REAR-ADMIRALS OF THE RED.

hi defence of their property, and must therefore decline, as he
had before done on a somewhat similar occasion, receiving
any honorary reward for the bare performance of his duty.
The fleet consisted of one hundred and twenty sail, on board
of which the British factory at Oporto, apprehensive of Por-
tugal being invaded by the French, had shipped no less than
32,000 pipes of port wine — the largest quantity ever imported
at one time into England. Captain Donnelly's zeal for the
service induced him on this occasion to take the Netley
schooner from her station ; and instead of being censured for
so doing, he had the gratification of receiving the thanks of
Earl St. Vincent, who then presided at the Admiralty.

Towards the latter end of 1801, he was removed into the
Narcissus of 32 guns, and ordered to carry out the Algerine
Ambassador and his suite, with a great number of valuable
presents for the Dey of Algiers, by whom he was presented
with a handsome sabre. From Algiers he proceeded to
Malta, and thence to the Archipelago, where he made an as-
tronomical survey of all the principal islands.

Whilst on that service, Captain Donnelly discovered a pi-
ratical galley in the act of boarding an English merchant
ship off Miconi, and immediately made sail in chase of the
marauders, who rowed off with amazing swiftness to the
Greater Delphos, where they disembarked, and posted them-
selves very advantageously behind rocks, from whence they
kept up a heavy fire of musketry, by which 1 man was killed
on board the Narcissus. The galley having been sunk by a
broadside from that ship, Captain Donnelly landed a party of
seamen, and succeeded in securing 36 of the pirates, whom
he placed at the disposal of Lord Elgin, the British Ambas-
sador, who with his family and suite were then on board the
Narcissus. The galley, on being weighed and brought along-
side, proved to be as long as the frigate, and had a very sin-
gular appearance, her hull, masts, sails, colours, and every
thing about her being black. She was handed over to the
Miconians ; and the specie found on board her, about 1000
piastres, given to the widow of the seaman who had been
slain. The Capitan Pacha, then at Constantinople, on hear-
ing of her capture, sent Captain Donnelly a valuable Damas-
cus sabre j and it is said that he afterwards refused to liber-

ROSS DONNELLY, ESQ. 665

ate the principal corsair, although a sum equal to 10,000/.
sterling was offered for his ransom *.

We next find our officer with a broad pendant at Alexan-
dria ; and he appears to have been there, making preparations
for the embarkation of the British troops, &c. &c, at the
time when Colonel Sebastiani arrived from Toulon to make
a political and military survey of Egypt ; the report of which,
when published in the Moniteur, by order of the First
Consul, produced those angry discussions between Great
Britain and France, which terminated in a declaration of war
between those countries, and led to the renewal of hostilities
throughout Europe.

After the evacuation of Alexandria f, Captain Donnelly
escorted General Stuart's army, and a number of French
soldiers, &c, who had been taken prisoners during the late
campaigns in that quarter, to Malta. From thence he pro-
ceeded with the latter to Toulon ; and subsequently visited
Palermo, where he gave an elegant ball and supper to the
King of the Two Sicilies, his family, and court. About the
same period he conveyed the present King of Sardinia from
Cagliari to Naples.

The Narcissus happening to be at Genoa when intelligence
arrived of the British minister having left Paris, Captain
Donnelly, eagerly seizing the opportunity that presented itself
of evincing his zeal for the public service, issued orders for
the vessels belonging to English merchants immediately to
depart, and in several instances compelled their commanders
to get under weigh and quit the harbour contrary to their in-
clinations, thereby saving a large sum to the underwriters.
He then went to Leghorn (where he found the Active fri-
gate, Captain Davers), adopted similar measures, and by his
prompt and spirited conduct prevented property to an immense
amount from falling into the hands of the enemy. It is here
worthy of remark, that a French 74 and four frigates were
then lying in Porto Ferrajo ; and although they saw him pass
on his way to Malta with the vessels he had thus rescued

* The sabre alluded to above was given by Captain Donnelly to the
Prince of Orange, three days before the battle of Waterloo, and is the
same that H. IS. H. fought with on that memorable day.

t Captain Donnelly and the present Lord Beresford were the last per-
sons who left the Egyptian shore.

665* REAR-ADMIRALS OK THE RED.

from the impending danger under his convoy, made no eiforl
to obstruct him, although there can be no doubt that they
were aware of the rupture which had taken place, one of their
frigates having been chased into that port a day or two be-
fore by the Narcissus.

On the 8th July, 1803, Captain Donnelly, being off Sardi-
nia, fell in with, and after a pursuit of twenty-two hours,
captured l'Alcion, a French corvette, of 16 guns and 96 men,
returning from Alexandria, where she had been on a particular
mission. He was subsequently entrusted by Lord Nelson
with the command of a squadron of frigates employed in
watching the port of Toulon : and so high an opinion did that
immortal hero entertain of his abilities, both as an officer and
a seaman, that he placed his own relative, the present Cap-
tain W. B. Suckling, and several other young gentlemen in
whose welfare he felt an interest, under his immediate care *.

In July 1804, Captain Donnelly, sent the boats of his squa-
dron to destroy about a dozen of the enemy's settees lying at
la Vandour, in Hieres Bay, which service was gallantly ex-
ecuted under a tremendous fire of great guns and musketry,
as well from the vessels as from a battery, and the houses of
the town, close to which they were hauled in, and well secured
by hawsers from their keels to the shore.

To those officers who can boast of having served under the
immediate command of Lord Nelson, the introduction of the
following letter may appear superfluous. To others, how-
ever, it will serve as a specimen of the familiar manner in
which he always communicated his orders and ideas to those
on whose " ability and zeal " he could " rely." We select
it from among many others, which have been placed in our
hands by the friends of the various gentlemen to whom they

were addressed :

" Victory, July 2, 1804.

" My dear Sir,— I believe your orders are to cruise or anchor as you

may judge best for carrying on the service entrusted to youj therefore

you will act as you see best. Your boats can be inside at night in mo-

* Among the geatlemen on the quarter-deck of the Narcissus at that
period, were the sons of Lord Duncan, Sir Hyde Parker, Admiral Hol-
loway, and Sir Thomas Troubridge. In writing to the latter distinguished
officer, March 17, 1804, Lord Nelson says, " Your son cannot be any
ii-hrre so well placed as with Donnelly." See Clarke and W Arthur's
Lif« of Nelson, 4to edit. Vol. II, p. 360.

ROSS DONNELLY, ESQ. 665 * *

derate weather, and in day-time you can work between the islands (Hie>es) ;
but I should wish you not to be out of reach of the fleet in case Monsieur
La Touche should come out of his nest*. 1 am obliged by your accounts
of Hieres Bay. When our fleet occupied it, the islands were not fortified.
The enemy, I am sure, want to get some small ships of war to the east-
ward, probably for the invasion of Sardinia; and by disappointment for
some time, I think the fleet will be ordered out to fight close to Toulon,
that they may get their crippled ships in again, oblige us to quit the coast
to repair our damages, and thus leave it clear ; but my mind is fixed not to
fight them unless with a westerly wind outside the Hieres, or an easterly
wind to the eastward of Sicie. I am sure one of these days they will come
out ; for, besides their degradation in the eyes of all Europe, Marseilles must
suffer for want of her usual commerce. I have only again to repeat, that
you 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 not quite so
well as we could wish. Phoebe 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
the 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 ; retook
a large English Guineaman, mounting 22 guns, laden with
rum, tobacco, slaves, ivory, &c. ; and drove on shore a ship
of 32 twenty-four pounders and 250 men, having on board

* M. La Touche Treville, who had commanded at Boulogne, in 1801,
commanded now at Toulon. " He was sent for on purpose," said Nelson,
" as he beat me at Boulogne, to beat me again ; but he seems very loth to
try." One day, while the main body of the British fleet was out of sight
of land, the reconnoitring squadron, under Rear-Admiral Campbell, stood
in close to the port.and La Touche, with a vastly superior force, pushed out
and chased it about 12 miles. The Frenchman, delighted at having found
himself in so novel a situation, published a boastful account, affirming that
he hud given chase to the whole British fleet, and that Nelson had fled
before him ! In spite of contempt for the gasconader, his lordship was
half angered by his impudence. Writing to the present Earl, he said,

G66 REAR-ADMIRALS OF THE RED.

the ordnance of a French frigate, which had recently heen
wrecked in Tahle Bay.

After the subjugation of the Cape *, Captain Donnelly pro-
ceeded with Sir Home Popham and Major-General Beresford,
to the Rio de la Plata, from whence he returned to England
with those officers' despatches, relative to the capture of
Buenos Ayres, and specie to the amount of 1,086,208 dollars,
found in the treasury of that place. The following are extracts
from the London Gazette Extraordinary of Sept. 13, 1806 : —
Sir Home Popham to the Secretary of the Admiralty.

" Captain Donnelly, who did me the favor of requesting I would go up
the river in the Narcissus, and to whom, from his rank, no specific service
could be assigned in our small scale of operations, applied himself in every
occasion where he could promote the objects of the expedition : and, as he
is charged with this despatch, I take the liberty of recommending him to
their lordships' protection, under a full conviction they will obtain,
through him, every information which they have a right to expect from an
officer of great intelligence, and long meritorious service f."
Major-General Beresford to Sir David Baird.

" I halted two hours on the field," (near Reduction) " to rest the troops,
and to make arrangements for taking with us the enemy's guns, and our
own, which had now, by the exertions of Captain Donnelly, of his Majes-
ty's ship Narcissus, been extricated from the bog. He had accidentally
landed, and accompanied the troops on seeing them advance to the enemy,
and I am much indebted to him for his voluntary assistance J."

Immediately on his arrival in England, Captain Donnelly
was appointed hy the present Earl Grey, then at the head of
the Admiralty, to the Ardent, of 64 guns, and ordered to es-
cort a reinforcement of troops commanded by Sir Samuel

" You will have seen LaTouche's letter — how he chased me, and how I ran.
I keep it : and if I take him, by God he shall eat it." LaTouche, however,
soon after died, according to the French papers, in consequence of walking
so often up to the signal post upon Cape Sepet, to watch the British fleet ;
and thus effectually prevented Nelson from administering to him his own
lying letter in a sandwich.

* See note \, at p. 622, et seq.

f The Narcissus's appearance in the vicinity of Buenos Ayres, greatly
surprised the Spanish Americans, no ship of her size having been so far up
la Plata for 80 years preceding her arrival.

X After the performance of the service alluded to in the Major-General's
letter, Captain Donnelly returned to the transports, all of which, together
with the Encounter gun-brig, were at that time lying a-ground off" Point
Quelmey k Pouichin, where the army had been landed, and by great exer-
tions succeeded in getting them afloat and removing them to a secure an-
chorage.

ROSS DONNELLY, ESQ. 666*

Auchmuty, to la Plata. The convoy sailed from Falmouth
on the 11th Oct., touched at Rio Janeiro for water and re-
freshments, and formed a junction with Rear- Admiral Stir-
ling off Maldonado, Jan. 5, 1807. Buenos Ayres had in the
interim been retaken by the enemy ; and the British Comman-
ders, seeing the necessity of securing some strong post before
any attempts were made for its recovery, immediately pro-
ceeded to invest Monte Video, which fortress, as already
stated at pp. 406 and 625, was carried by storm on the 3d of
the following month*. Captain Donnelly on that occasion
commanded the brigade of seamen and marines landed from
the squadron to co-operate with the army ; and the assistance
rendered by him in transporting the battering train, ammu-
nition, stores, and provisions, from the place of debarkation,
a distance of about seven miles, along a heavy sandy road,
erecting batteries, &c, was duly acknowledged by Brigadier-
General Auchmuty, and the naval Commander-in-Chief, with
whose despatches he arrived at the Admiralty on the 12th
April, and shortly after had the honor of receiving the thanks
of both Houses of Parliament.

Subsequent to this event, Captain Donnelly brought an
action, in the Court of Common Pleas, against Sir Home
Popham, to recover a sum which he had paid to him in error.
In the distribution of some prize-money, he had allowed Sir
Home the share of a Flag-Officer having the power of ap-
pointing a Captain under him ; but he afterwards found that
Sir Home had only the temporary rank of Commodore, and
no' authority to appoint his Captain ; consequently his proper
share was much less than it had been calculated at. The
Judge was of opinion that Captain Donnelly had established
his claim ; and the jury accordingly returned a verdict for
him of 2004/. 17*. 3d., the sum overpaid.

In 1808, our officer was appointed to the Invincible, of 74

* Having referred the reader to our memoir of Rear-Admiral Stirling,
we beg leave to point out two errors which have this moment been disco-
vered by us at p. 406. The Rear-Admiral, instead of escorting the corps
under Sir S. Auchmuty to South America, had proceeded thither some time
before, for the purpose of superseding Sir Home Popham. The army and
naval brigade were landed on the 16th Jan. 1807, and Monte Video was in-
vested on the 20th. By the passage alluded to, both events appear to have
taken place on the 18th. This inaccuracy renders it necessary to make
similar corrections at pp. 624 and 625.

GG6#* REAR-ADMIRALS OF THK RED.

guns ; and towards the close of the same year, we find him
serving off Cadiz under Rear-Admiral Purvis, by whom he-
was deputed, with 2(X) 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 J4 ; 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.

Residence. — Sussex House, Hammersmith.

SIR JOHN POO BERESFORD,

Baronet ; Rear-Admiral of the Red ; Knight Commander of tke most

honorable Military Order of the Bath ; Commander-in-Chief at Leith;

and Member of Parliament for Berwick-upon-Tweed.

This officer is a son of George, first Marquis of Waterford,

K. P., and elder brother of Lieutenant-General Lord Beres-

ford, G. C. B. Early in 1795, we find him commanding the

* See pp. 239, 240,
t In Oct. 1805, the freedom of the city of Cork was voted to Captain Don-
nelly, in consideration of bis cordial reception of, and polite attention to,
the Mayor and Corporation, on an occasion which caused them to visit the
Narcissus ; as well as of his public character.

SIR JOHN POO BERESFORD, BART. 66/

Lynx sloop of war, on the American station, where 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 en flute, 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 f, with a complement of 195 men. On the 25th
August following, he fell in with the Vengeance, a large 18-
pounder 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 beinsr
much cut up in her sails and rigging.

Our officer subsequently commanded l'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 1' 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 captured
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 Beresford commanded the
Illustrious, of 74 guns, off Cadiz ; and in the ensuing summer,
the Theseus, another third rate, employed in the blockade of
Rochefort. On the 21st Feb. 1809, being off l'Orient in com-
pany with three line-of-battle ships, he fell in with a French
squadron, consisting of 8 sail of the line, one of them a three-
decker ; and by his spirited conduct, prevented them forming

* See pp. 258, el seg.
t 20 long 9-pounders, 6 long Va, and 4 small carronadcs.

668 REAR-ADMIRALS OP THE RED.

u 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 Gambier'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 74's, and 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 J4, 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, mounting 10 guns, with a
complement of 50 men, from Bourdeaux bound to Baltimore,
with a cargo ; the Highflyer, American privateer, of 5 guns and
72 men ; and the York-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 Britain on 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 had
the honor of kissing 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 at Portsmouth.
* See CapUiin T. Whinyates, in our next volume.

SIR JOHN POO BERESFORD, BART. 669

On the 1 2th Aug. 1819, Sir John P. JBeresford was nomi-
nated a K. C. B. ; and early in the following 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.

THOMAS EYLES, Esq.

Rear-Admiral of the Red.

This officer obtained the rank of Post-Captain, July 13,
1795, and was soon after appointed to the Pomone, of 44 guns.
In 1796, through the ignorance of a French pilot, that fine
frigate 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-

* Seep. 171.

070 REAR-ADMIRALS OF THE RED.

voused at Bantry Bay, in Ireland, and a detachment consist-
ing of six sail of the line was ordered from thence to the
West Indies, to watch the motions of an armament which
had recently sailed from France, for the ostensihle purpose
of reducing the blacks in St. Domingo to obedience.

On the receipt of these orders, the crew of the Temeraire
broke out into the most violent and daring acts of insubor-
dination ; but by the spirited firmness and exertions of Cap-
tain Eyles and his officers, the mutiny was suppressed, and
the ringleaders, to the number of twenty, were secured, and
taken round to Portsmouth to be tried for their offence.

On the 6th Jan. 1802, fourteen of the mutineers were put on
their trial, which continued till the 10th; when the whole of
the evidence having been heard, as well as what the prison-
ers had to offer in their defence, the court, after the most ma-
ture deliberation, pronounced sentence of death on thirteen,
the other to receive 200 lashes round the fleet. On the 15th, six
of these unhappy men were executed at Spithead ; the fol-
lowing paper, which one of them presented when they came
upon the platform, was read aloud to the ship's company of
the Temeraire :

" Remember your duty to God, and for his sake to your King and
Country ; you must be sensible what was the chief cause that brought on
the fatal consequences which now end so unhappily for us, and with so much
remorse to you, if you rightly consider how much you have contributed,
by your support and countenance, to bring us to this untimely end.

" We refused to put that trust and confidence in the wisdom of our
rulers, which is due to them from all good subjects ; they watch for the
welfare of us all ; and how dare we then prefer our own selfish pleasures
and interests to what they saw necessary to the public good ? How could
we find it in our hearts to forfeit all the praises and the honors which our
country had so gratefully bestowed upon her naval heroes, who have so
bravely fought for her ?

" How could we so foolishly surfer our impatience to get the better of
us, as for the sake of a few months longer service, to sacrifice all the
blessings of peace we had been toiling for these nine long years?

" Oh ! that we had made these reflections sooner ourselves ! But our
lot is cast — our course in this world is finished. Make good use of what
remains of yours. It cannot be long before we must all meet again be-
fore the judgment-seat of that God whom we have offended ; but who, we
trust, has seen and accepted our unfeigned repentance, and will forgive us,
as we do truly and freely forgive all those who have many wise offended or
injured us. Prepare yourselves also, dear countrymen, for this forgive-

THOMAS EYLES, ESQ. 6/1

ness, that when we meet in the world to come, we may not meet in ever-
1 asting misery.
" Pray for us — we heartily pray for you. — Amen I"

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 ', three on board l'Achille,
and two on board the Centaur.

Taylor, one of the mutineers, addressed the ship's com-
pany of 1'Achille as follows :

" I hope the ship's company of the Achille, 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 Jth 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 1st, in the same year.

From this period we find no mention of Captain Eylcs 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.

THOMAS LE MARCHANT GOSSELYN, Esq.

Rear-Admiral 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 find him cruizing in the North Sea. He 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. 1.801, Captain Gosselyn removed

6J0 REAR- ADMIRALS OF THE RED.

voused at Bantry Bay, in Ireland, and a detachment consist-
ing of six sail of the line was ordered from thence to the
West Indies, to watch the motions of an armament which
had recently sailed from France, for the ostensible purpose
of reducing the blacks in St. Domingo to obedience.

On the receipt of these orders, the crew of the Temeraire
broke out into the most violent and daring acts of insubor-
dination ; but by the spirited firmness and exertions of Cap-
tain Eyles and his officers, the mutiny was suppressed, and
the ringleaders, to the number of twenty, were secured, and
taken round to Portsmouth to be tried for their offence.

On the 6th Jan. 1802, fourteen of the mutineers were put on
their trial, which continued till the 10th; when the whole of
the evidence having been heard, as well as what the prison-
ers had to offer in their defence, the court, after the most ma
ture deliberation, pronounced sentence of death on thirteen,
the other to receive 200 lashes round the fleet. On the 15th, six
of these unhappy men were executed at Spithead ; the fol-
lowing paper, which one of them presented when they came
upon the platform, was read aloud to the ship's company of
the Temeraire :

" Remember your duty to God, and for his sake to your King and
Country ; you must be sensible what was the chief cause that brought on
the fatal consequences which now end so unhappily for us, and with so much
remorse to you, if you rightly consider how much you have contributed,
by your support and countenance, to bring us to this untimely end.

" We refused to put that trust and confidence in the wisdom of our
rulers, which is due to them from all good subjects ; they watch for the
welfare of us all ; and how dare we then prefer our own selfish pleasures
and interests to what they saw necessary to the public good ? How could
we find it in our hearts to forfeit all the praises and the honors which our
country had so gratefully bestowed upon her naval heroes, who have so
bravely fought for her ?

" How could we so foolishly suffer our impatience to get the better of
us, as for the sake of a few months longer service, to sacrifice all the
blessings of peace we had been toiling for these nine long years ?

" Oh ! that we had made these reflections sooner ourselves ! But our
lot is cast— our course in this world is finished. Make good use of what
remains of yours. It cannot be long before we must all meet again be-
fore the judgment-seat of that God whom we have offended ; but who, we
trust, has seen and accepted our unfeigned repentance, and will forgive us,
as we do truly and freely forgive all those who have in any wise offended or
injured us. Prepare yourselves also, dear countrymen, for this forgive-

THOMAS EYLBS, ESQ. 671

ness, that when we meet in the world to come, we may not meet in ever-
1 asting misery.

" Pray for us — 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 l'Achille,
and two on board the Centaur.

Taylor, one of the mutineers, addressed the ship's com-
pany of l'Achille as follows :

" I hope the ship's company of the Achille, as well as the spectators
present, will take warning by 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 1st, 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.

THOMAS LE MARCHANT GOSSELYN, Esq.

Rear-Admiral 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 find him cruizing in the North Sea. He 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

G72 REAR-ADMIRALS OF THE RED.

into the Melampus, of 36 guns, at Jamaica, and returned to
Portsmouth from that station, June 1 , 1 802. 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 TVest 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., and a grandson of the late Sir William Row-
ley, K. B. fj 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 TUnite, in which frigate he
took la Brunette, of 10 guns, pierced for 16, and 80 men,
near l'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 batteries at

* He had previously commanded for a short time the Ville de Paris, a

first rate, bearing the flag of the Hon. W. Cornwallis, Commander-in-Chief

of the grand fleet.

t See p. 622.

SIR CHARLES ROWLEY. 673

Corunna. We next find him commanding the Ruby, of 64
guns, 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 170 seamen and 130 soldiers,
laden with 300 tons of wheat, and a quantity of military and
other stores, from Trieste, bound to Corfu. In her attempt
to escape, this ship had 3 men killed and several wounded.
Some time after, the marines of the Eagle, in conjunction with
a detachment from the 35th regiment, stormed and destroyed
the battery of Cape Ceste, in the Adriatic.

In Sept. 1812, the boats under the command of Lieutenant
Augustus Cannon, being sent by Captain Rowley off the Po,
to intercept the enemy's coasting trade, captured two gun-
boats and fifteen vessels laden with oil. In the execution of
this service, 2 men were killed and 3 wounded ; amongst the
latter was Lieutenant Cannon, who died of his wounds. In
the following year the adventurous spirit of British seamen
and marines, when acting on shore, was strikingly displayed
in the capture of Fiume, in the Gulf of Venice. On the 2d
July, a squadron under the command of Rear- Admiral Free-
mantle, anchored about four miles from that town, which was
defended by four batteries, mounting fifteen heavy guns. On
the 3d, in the morning, the Milford, Elizabeth, Eagle, and
Bacchante weighed, with a light breeze from the S. W., for
the purpose of attacking the sea-line of batteries, leaving a
detachment of boats and marines with the Haughty gun-
brig, to storm the battery at the mole-head, as soon as the
guns were silenced ; but the wind shifting to the S. E. with
a current from the river, broke the ships off, and the Eagle
could only fetch the second battery, opposite to which
she anchored. The enemy could not stand the well-directed
vol. r. 2 x

674 KKAK-ADMTKALS OF THE RED.

fire of that ship. This being communicated by telegraph, the
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 guns
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 carronades, under
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, with
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 Lissa, laden with oil,
grain, powder, and merchandize ; the rest destroyed ; 59 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 Farasina, 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 under cover of the
Eagles's fire, and headed by Lieutenant Greenaway of that ship.
On 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

SIR CHARLES ROWLEY. 6J5

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.
After 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 off,
and the ships and other vessels burnt that were building on
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 23d 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
him 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;
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 Com-
mander-in-Chief in the river Medway, where he remained
during the customary period of three years. In the autumn
of 1820 he was appointed to the chief command at Jamaica,
on which station he still continues, 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
Peter Longford Brooke, of Moore Hall, Cheshire, Esq.

2x2

676 uKAU-AtnmtAL* of the red.

SAMUEL JAMES BALLARD, Esq.

Rear-Admiral of the Red.

This officer was made a Commander in 1794; and, after*
serving some time in the Megaera fire-vessel, appointed to act
as Captain of the Tremendous, 74. His post commission
bears date Aug. 1, 1795. 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 the
following armed vessels : l'Incroyable, of 24 guns and 220
men ; le Scaevola, 10 guns, 73 men ; Independence, 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 guns and 356 men *.

Early in 1812, Captain Ballard was appointed to superin-
tend the payment of ships afloat at Portsmouth. 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-
ahire.

Residence. — Bath .

ROBERT ROLLES, Esq.

Rear-Admiral of the Red.

At the commencement of the war with France, in 1793,
this officer commanded the Lord Mulgrave hired armed ship,
of 20 guns, employed in convoying the trade between Spit-

• Seep. 431

ROBERT ROLLES, ESQ. 6^7

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 subsequently commanded the Renomm6e and Alarm
frigates, on 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 ; 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 181 1, Captain Rolles obtained the command of the
Edinburgh, a new 74, from which ship he removed into the
Union, a second rate, on the Mediterranean station, where
he remained until the peace. His commission as Rear-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, about
Jan., 1805, a daughter of the late Rev. Dr. Rawbone, Rec*
tor of Hatford.

Residence. — Brighton .

* Sec note f, at p. 134-

*'7,S RJEAR-ADMIRALS OK THE RKD.

WALTER LOCKE, Esq.

Rear-Admiral of the Red.

From the period of the Spanish armament, in J 790, 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 1' Orient, 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 JVilhelm 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, who, 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, 1763.

* See note at p. 75, et set/. t See p. 246.

SIR DAVID MILNE. 6/9

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 J4 guns> commanded by the
late Hon. Sir William Cornwallis, one of the best seamen and
most determined officers 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 f, 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 battle 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 Ville
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 ; the Caton
bore away for Halifax ; the Ville de Paris, Ramillies, Cen-
taur *, Glorieux, and Hector, foundered ; and the Pallas was
run ashore at Fayal.

Peace soon after taking 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
war in 1793, he re-entered the royal navy, and proceeded to
the West Indies in the Boyne, 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 was promoted by him
to a Lieutenancy ; in which rank he served on board the
Blanche, when Captain Faulkner brought the French frigate
la Pique to action off Guadaloupe, Jan. 5, 1795. 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 were

* Sec Retired Captain J. N. Inglefikld. t See note at p. 35. et stq.

680 RKAR-ADM1RALS OK TUB RED.

cither 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 with the Jason and Mer-
maid, gave chace to a French frigate, which, after a running
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 Trenche, 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 J.

We next find him convoying the outward bound trade to

* For particulars of the action, see Superannuated Rear- Admiral
Frederick Watkins, in our next volume.

t See p. 403.

X La Seine's armament was increased to 48 guns, and her complement
of men fixed at 281.

SIR DAVID MILNE. 681

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-
tueux, Dublin, Venerable, and Bulwark. In the latter ship
he served for some time on the coast of North America,
where he captured the Harlequin, a fine schooner privateer,
mounting 10 long 12-pounders, with a complement of 115

682 REAR- ADMIRALS OF THE RED.

men. The Bulwark also formed part of the squadron under
Rear-Admiral Griffith, (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, of 60 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 other 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

• See p. 225.

SIR DAVID MILNE. 683

sealed ; as also the following inscription, engraved on a plate
of gold : —

" To the memory of that illustrious Statesman,
Henry Dundas, Lord Viscount Melville,
" During the eventful and glorious reign of George III., successively 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 ever 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 testimonal of admiration and grati-
tude, in the year of our Lord 1821, and in 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 the 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-Admiral of the Red.

This officer was made a Commander by Sir John Jervis, in
1794 ; and or 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 lordship'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 signi-
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
the express disapprobation of his sovereign."

684 REAR-ADMIRALS OF THE RKD.

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 l'A venture and la Tartane French privateers, each
mounting 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/. 18s. ; Lieutenants,
5,091 1. 7s. 3d. ; Warrant Officers, 2,468/. 10s. %d. ; Mid-
shipmen and their class, 791/. 17s. 0±d. ; Seamen and Ma-
rines, 182/. 4s. 9\d 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.
f The boats of the Ethalion had previously taken seven vessels, laden
with provisions, off the island of Majorca.

685

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 1782, 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 J4 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 officer was afterwards appointed acting Captain of the
Bombay Castle, ~4, 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.

686 REAR-ADMIRALS OF THE WHITE.

paign, 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 ; 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 to surrender ; 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
Hieres 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.

<(

JAMES MACNAMARA, ESQ. 68J

" Southampton, off Toulon, lOt/t June, 1796
Sir.-— In obedience to the orders I received from you on the Victory's
quarter-deck last evening1, 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-shot of the enemy's ship before
I was discovered, and cautioned the Captain through a trumpet not to
make a fruitless resistance, when he immediately snapped his pistol at me,
and lired a broadside. At this period, being very near the heavy battery
of Fort Breganson, I laid him instantly on board, and Lieutenant Lydiard *
at the head of the boarders, with an intrepidity no words can describe,
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 was 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 l'Utile corvette, of 24 guns,
French 6-pounders, 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 by the 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.

088 RKAR-ADMIRALS OF THE WHITE.

In the memorable battle off Cape St. Vincent, Feb. 14,
17^7? 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
l'Echange French letter of marque, of 10 guns and 40 men.

On the 20th Oct. 1/99, our officer being on a cruize 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 of promoting his first Lieutenant to the rank of
Commander.

In 1800, 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 Newfoundland dog, the latter began fighting
with one belonging to a Colonel Montgomery, who alighted
from his horse to separate them. High words ensued be-
tween their respective owners, which led to a duel the same
evening at Chalk Farm. The parties were both wounded,
the Colonel mortally. A verdict of manslaughter having

JAMES MACNAMARA, ESQ. 689

been returned by the Coroner's inquisition, Captain Mac-
namara was taken into custody, and on the 22d of the same
month, tried at the Old Bailey. His defence, which he read
himself to the court, is so eloquent an appeal to the feelings
and passions of a jury, that we cannot resist in this place,
giving it to our readers at length.

" Gentlemen of the Jury, — I appear before you with the consolation that
my character has already been delivered, by the verdict of a grand jury,
from the shocking imputation of murder ; and that, although the evidence
against me was laid before them, without any explanation or evidence of
the accusations which brought me into my present unhappy situation, they
made their own impression, and no charge of criminal homicide was found
against me. I was delivered at once from the whole effect of the indict-
ment. I therefore now stand before you upon the inquisition only taken
before the coroner, upon the view of the body, under circumstances ex-
tremely affecting to the minds of those who were to deliberate on the trans-
action, and without the opportunity which the benignity of the law affords
me at this moment, of repelling that inference of even sudden resentment
against the deceased, which is the foundation of this inquest of Man-
slaughter.

" The origin of the difference, as you see it in the evidence, was insigni-
ficant : the heat of two persons, each defending an animal under his pro-
tection, was natural, and could not have led to any serious consequences.
It was not the deceased's defending his own dog, or his threatening to de-
stroy mine, that led to the fatal catastrophe. It was the defiance alone
which most unhappily accompanied what was said ; words receive their in-
terpretation from the avowed intention of the speaker. The offence was
forced upon me by the declaration that he invited me to be offended, and
challenged me to vindicate the offence by calling upon him for satisfaction.
' If you are offended at what has passed, you know where to find me.' These
words, unfortunately repeated and reiterated, have, over and over again,
been considered, by criminal courts of justice, as sufficient to support an
indictment for a challenge. These judgments of courts are founded upon
the universal understandings and feelings of mankind ; and common candour
must admit, that an officer, however desirous to avoid a quarrel, cannot re-
fuse to understand what even the grave judges of the law must interpret as
a provocation and a defiance. I declare, therefore, most solemnly, that I
went into the field from no resentment against the deceased : nothing,
indeed, but insanity, could have led me to expose my own life to such im-
minent peril under the impulse of passion, from so inadequate a cause as
the evidence before you exhibits, when separated from the defiance which
was the fatal source of mischief; and I could well have overlooked that
too, if the world, in its present state, could have overlooked it also. I
went into the field, therefore, with no determination or desire to take the
life of my opponent, or to expose my own. I went there in hopes of re-

vol. l 2 y

690 RKAR-ADMIRALS OF THK WHITE.

«eiving 90inc soothing satisfaction for what would otherwise have exposed
me in the general feelings and opinions of the world. The deceased was
a man of popular manners, as I hare heard, and with very general ac-
quaintance. I, on the other hand, was in a manner a stranger in this great
town, having been devoted from my infancy to the ditties of my profession,
in distant seas. If, under these circumstances, words which the deceased
intended as 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.

" Gentlemen, I am a Captain of the British Navy. My character you
can only hear from others ; but to maintain any character in that station,
I must be 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 others to consider as a disgrace. I
am not presuming to urge any thing against the laws of God, or of this
land. I know that, in the eye of religion and reason, obedience to the
law, though against the general feelings of the world, is the first duty,
and ought to be the rule of action ; but, inputting a construction 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 they 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 offered in my defence may safely be received by you as truth. Gen-
tlemen, I submit myself entirely to your judgments. I hope to obtain
my liberty through your verdict, and to employ it with honor in defence
of the liberties of my country."

Captain Macnamara afterwards called on the following
respectable naval officers, to give evidence as to his character :
viz. the Viscounts Hood and Nelson, Lord Hotham, Sir Hyde
Parker and Sir Thomas Troubridge ; Captains Martin, Towry,
Lydiard, Moore, and Waller; also General Churchill and
Lord Minto ; who all concurred in bearing testimony of his
conduct as an officer and a gentleman 'K and of his being an
honorable, good-humoured, pleasant, lively companion, ex-
actly the reverse of a quarrelsome man. The jury withdrew
for about ten minutes, and then returned a verdict of, Not
Guilty.

Our officer subsequently obtained the command of the Dic-
tator, a 64-gun- ship, in which he served two years on the Nortli
Sea station, and then removed into the Edgar, 74. In 1808

JAMES MACNAMAKA, ESQ. 691

we find him employed in the Baltic, under the orders of Rear-
Admiral Keats, and assisting in the rescue of the Spanish
army commanded by the Marquis de la Romana, which bad
been drawn from Spain by Buonaparte, preparatory to his de-
signs upon that country being carried into effect. 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 be the Fama, of 18, and Salorman, of 12 guns. The ene-
my on this occasion had 7 men killed, and 13 wounded.
The British, one officer, Lieutenant Harvey of the Superb,
slain, and 2 seamen wounded.

On his return to England, Captain Macnamara was appoint-
ed to the Berwick, a new 74, in which he was employed on
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 Barfleur light-house, where she was burnt by her crew,
after receiving considerable damage from the Berwick's fire.

Our officer was advanced to the rank of Rear- Admiral,
June 4, 1814. He married, Jan. 26, 1818, the widow of the
Hon. Lieutenant-Colonel Carleton.

Residence. — Bath .

ROBERT WALLER OTWAY, Esq.

Rear-Admiral of the White.

This officer is descended from an old and respectable
family long seated at Ingmire Hall, on the borders of West-
moreland ; a junior branch of which was attached to Crom-
well's army during the civil wars, and accompanied him to
Ireland, where they acquired hy the sword a considerable
property, which is still in the possession of their progeny.

His father, an old dragoon officer, wished him to enter the
umyin preference to the navy, and as an inducement there-
to, offered to purchase him a cornetcy, although then only

2v2

692 REAR-ADMIRALS OF THK WHITE.

in his thirteenth year ; but his predilection for the sea was
so great, that his parents consented to his embarking on
board the Elizabeth, of J A 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 much
crippled, and sustained a loss of 7 nien killed and 24 wounded,
in the glorious battle of June 1, 1794.

On 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
enemy. 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, " that he
was on the happiest terms possible with his mess-mates, and
that being placed so suddenly over the heads of several old
officers might probably create jealousies, and prove detrimen-
tal to the service." The Rear-Admiral immediately acknow-
ledged the justness of Mr. Otway's observation, but declared
that in the event of his flag being shifted into another ship,
he should be his first Lieutenant. This actually happened a
few weeks after, when, being ordered to the West Indies
with four sail of the line in pursuit of a French squadron,
Rear-Admiral Caldwell removed into the Majestic, 74, ac-
companied only by his Captain, Secretary, and Lieutenant
Otway.

Soon after their arrival at Martinique, the subject of this

* See note t at p- 5b"S

ROBERT WALLER OTWAY, ESQ. 693

memoir was advanced to the rank of Commander, in the
Thorn sloop of war; and in the month of April 1795,.he had
the good fortune to capture la Belle Creole, a large schooner,
sent by the notorious and infamous Victor Hugues, from
Guadaloupe, with a banditti, to assist in carrying into effect
a plan that had been concerted between himself and the dis-
affected inhabitants of St. Pierre, for burning that town, and
the massacre of all those who were inimical to them. The
papers found on board the prize proved the existence of this
diabolical conspiracy, the detection of which was considered
of such great importance that the French royalists of Martin-
ique presented our officer with a gold-hilted sword, value
200 guineas, for the service he had thus rendered that
colony.

■J

On the 25th of the following month, Captain Otway fell in
with, and after a spirited night action of 35 minutes, during
which the enemy made two attempts to board the Thorn,
captured le Courier National, a French corvette, of 18 guns
and 119 men, of whom 7 were killed and 20 wounded. The
Thorn was sickly at the time, and had only 80 hands, including
officers and boys, on board ; of these, her commander and 5
others were wounded, but not a man wTas slain.

During the Carib war in the island of St. Vincent, we find
Captain Otway actively employed in co-operation with the
army, par'ticulai'ly in an attack made upon Owia, which was
surprised and taken by the Thorn, and a party of soldiers
belonging to the 60th regiment. He afterwards landed his
crew, and hi conjunction with a detachment of troops, stormed
the strong post of Chateau Bellair, the loss of which obliged
the enemy to retire into the interior of the island. Captain
Otway on this occasion received a slight wound, and had 25
of his crew killed and wounded. For these and other services,
he received the unanimous thanks of the House of Assembly;
and on the 30th Oct. 1795, was promoted to the rank of Post-
Captain, in the Mermaid of 32 guns, which ship he joined at
Grenada in the course of the following month.

The island of Grenada, like those of St. Lucia and St. Vin-
cent, was at that period in a state of insurrection. The slaves
had all revolted and joined the French part of the inhabi-
tants, whilst the flames of rebellion were fanned by the ma-

001 KK.VR- VDMIHALS OF THE WHITE.

chinations of the blood-thirsty Victor Hugues, whose forces
carried death and destruction throughout that unhappy co-
lony. In this state of affairs, Captain Otway, by his active
and zealous exertions, contributed most powerfully to the
cause of suffering humanity.

It would greatly exceed our limits were we to particular-
ize every action in which he was engaged with the enemy
on shore, and with the batteries thrown up by the brigands ;
but we cannot refrain from noticing his gallant and firm
conduct on two remarkable occasions. Being off Labaye, in
Grenada, in company with the Favorite sloop of war, com-
manded by the present Sir James Athol Wood, and observ-
ing that some English troops were pent up in a block -house,
from whence their communication with the shipping was
entirely cut off by the enemy, who had erected a battery in a
position that enabled them to scour the beach, and thereby
prevent supplies being sent to the garrison ; Captain Otway
instantly landed with a party of seamen and the marines
of both vessels, under the cover of whose fire he stormed the
battery and levelled it with the ground. Soon after this affair,
several thousand troops recently arrived from England were
disembarked in the vicinity of Labaye, under the superin-
tendance of Captain Wood, and were very shortly in action
with the rear of the enemy's army. At this critical moment
two French vessels, under English colours, arrived at La-
baye, with a considerable reinforcement of troops from St.
Lucia. The General commanding the British forces in Gre-
nada immediately decided upon re-embarking, and communi-
cated his intentions to Captain Otway; who, however, seeing
that the carrying of such a measure into effect would be at-
tended with the total loss of the island, refused to comply,
saying " that he had landed the troops there at a great risk *,
by the General's desire, and that they must now 'fight it out, as
he would not embark a man." Having thus taken upon him-
self a most awful responsibility, he galloped up to a height
on which were posted some field-pieces under the command
of an artillery officer, ordered their fire to be opened on the
enemy's vessels, and by that means compelled them to cut

* The Pontsborn, East Indiaman, was lost that night in consequence of
being detained after landing the soldiers embarked 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, as 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 v/hich ship, on his return from Grenada to Guadaloupe,
Aug. 8, 1/96, he fought a most gallant action close under
the batteries at Basse-terre, with la Vengeance, a French
frigate of the largest class ; and notwithstanding her vast
superiority, 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 12 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-gallaut-
mast excepted, in perfect order. La Vengeance likewise
suffered considerably in her sails and rigging, and was also
much damaged in her hull.

In the month of April, 1797, the Mermaid, in company
with the Hermione aftd 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 captured la Mutine French privateer, of 18 guns and 90

GOO RKAH-AOMIKAI.S OF 'INK W11ITK.

mm, 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 hoarded 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 1J98, 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 1J99, the Trent appeared off St.
Juan, the capital of Porto Rico, which induced the Spanish
governor to send orders overland for a schooner, then lying
in 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 sLx 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; was rated at 36 guns; and tarried long IS pounders on
her main-deck.

ROBKRT WALLER OTWAy, ESQ. 69/

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 20 of
the enemy were put to the sword in the battery.

A few weeks after this affair, as Captain Otway was again
reconnoitring on the south side of Porto Rico, accompanied
by the Sparrow cutter, he discovered l'Alexandre and le Re-
venge, two French privateers, each mounting 18 guns, a Spa-
nish brig of 10 guns, and some coasting vessels, at anchor
under a small battery within the Dead Mail 8 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 privateers 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 sailed 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 hoiv they liked
their Captain ; one of them replied, " he was a man who
would never deceive his creiu, for if any of them deserved a
couple of dozen, and he promised it, they were sure to get it ;
but that he did not make them polish slutt or stanchions, and
that he made the officers do their duty as well as the men."

(598 REAR-ADMIRALS OF THE WHITE.

Another of them observed, that u the Captain always slept
with ' one eye opeii,' and looked out for them all." It is but
an aet of justice to say, that the Trent, whilst on the Jamaica
station, was considered as a most perfect frigate in her ap-
pearance and discipline, and is spoken of even to this day at
Port Royal.

From the Trent, Captain Otway was appointed to the Royal
George, a first-rate, bearing the flag of his friend Sir Hyde
Parker, Avith whom he afterwards removed into the London,
of 98 gnus, and sailed for the Baltic. During the battle off
Copenhagen, April 2, 1802 *, he was sent in an open boat
with orders to Lord Nelson, and remained with that hero un-
til the engagement had ceased. He arrived at the Admiralty
with the official despatches relative to that glorious event, on
the 15th of the same month ; but soon after rejoined the Lon-
don in the Baltic, where he continued until the final dissolu-
tion of the Northern Confederacy.

Captain Otway subsequently commanded the Edgar, of /4
guns, in which ship, after serving for some time with the
Channel fleet, he was sent with several others to the West
Indies, from whence he returned to England after the sign-
ing of the definitive treaty of peace between England and the
French republic. The Edgar was paid off at Chatham in
July 1802. It is here worthy of remark, that the ensuing
Christmas night was the first he had slept on shore since
1784, a period of 18 years.

On the renewal of the war, in 1803, our officer was ap-
pointed to the Culloden, 74 ; but ill-health, and a severe do-
mestic calamity, prevented him joining her. His next ap-
pointment was to the Montagu, another third-rate, in which
we find him employed in the blockade of the enemy's ports
from Brest to the Dardanelles. In 1805, when the gallant
and veteran Cornwallis made a dash at the enemy's fleet close
in with Brest harbour, Captain Otway was one of his sup-
porters, and on that occasion poured a well-directed fire into
1' Alexandre, a French 80-gun ship, killing and wounding
many of her men. The Montagu had her gaff disabled, and
sustained some damage in her sails and rigging, but had not
a man hurt.

* See notx' **, at i>. 365.

ROBERT WALLER OTWAY, ESQ. 699

Captain Otway 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 fire from
the enemy on the Calabrian shore. He was afterwards en-
trusted with the command of a squadron employed in co-ope-
ration 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 Mediterranean. During the greater
part of the winter, he cruized with a squadron under 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's, 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-battle
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 13th Dec. following, the Ajax assisted at the de-

700 REAR-ADMIRALS OK 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 JO men killed, wounded, and missing,
will be given under the head of Captain Francis William
Fane, in our next volume.

On the 31st 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 74 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, we
find him employed covering the siege of St. Sebastian, and
making several captures, among which was l'Alcyon, a French
corvette of 16 guns and 120 men, taken after a long chase off
Scilly, March 17, 1814.

In the month of June following, our officer was sent from
Bordeaux to Quebec 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 there. His
advancement to the rank of Rear- 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 during the
customary period of three years *.

* It is rather a singular coincidence, that the Phaeton frigate was the first
ship that Rear-Admiral Otway went to sea in, and the first that received hi?

WILLIAM LUK1N, ESQ. 7^1

A short time before he hauled down his flag, Rear- Admiral
Otvvay 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 by
that lady has a numerous family.

Country-seat. — Westwood, near Southampton.

WILLIAM LUKIN, Esq.

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 l'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

•flag when going to assume the command at Leith, sailing each time from
Spithead. She was built about 1780, 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 through
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 Greenlandman.

t See pp. 548, et seg.

/02 UEAR-ADJVHRALS OF THE WHITE.

management of her cvcvv, was the first ship that proceeded to
sea after its suppression ; 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 l'Aurore French corvette, of 16 guns; l'Ac-
tif privateer, of 16 guns and 13/ 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 l'lnde-
fatigable, 44. In the autumn of 1807, sne accompanied the
expedition sent against Copenhagen X 5 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. The 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. 187, et seq. -t Sec p. 5/0, et n q * See p. 7^> et scq.

EDWARD FELLOWES, ESQ. 703

and Denmark. Sir John Moore consequently returned with
his troops to England, and thence proceeded to Corunna ; 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 Cherboiu-g.

Our officer 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.

Besidence. — Felbrigg Cottage, near Cromer, Norfolk.

EDWARD FELLOWES, Esq.

Rear- Admiral of the White.

This officer, a son of the late William Fellowes, of Ramsey
Abbey, Esq., M. P. for the town of An do ver, and brother of
William Henry Fellowes, Esq. the present representative of
the county of Huntingdon, was a Lieutenant in 1793, com-
manded the Albicore sloop in 1795, and obtained post rank
in the Tourterelle, of 26 guns, Dec. 7, in the same year. He
was 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 23d 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. 1797a 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-

* See note -f-, at p. 134. f See note at p. 1 12.

704 RKAR" ADMIRALS OF THE WHITE.

vity and considerable success, taking, among other prizes, 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 schooner, 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 Agu«ader.

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 shores 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 ; his anxiety to assist the wounded ; 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.

jResidefice. — 29, Gloucester Place, Portman Square, London.

WILLOUGHBY THOMAS LAKE, Esq.

Rear -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
Hugh de Caley, of Owby,co. Norfolk, who died in the year 1286 ;

WILLOUOHBY THOMAS LAKE, ESQ. J03

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 this 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. u For a Lawyer" said his Majesty to
those about him, " a professed Lawyer ', to throw off his
goivn, and fight so heartily for 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, 1. 2 z

/06 HKVK-ADMIKALS OF THE WHITK.

(third Baronet and grandson of Sir Bibye Lake), by Joyce,
daughter of John Crowther, of Bow, co. Middlesex, Esq.
He was born about the year 1773* an(l entered the naval
service under the auspices of Captain Andrew Snape Ham-
mond *, with whom, and his gallant nephew the late Sir A.
S. Douglas, he served successively, as a Midshipman, in the
Irresistible, of 74 guns, Southampton frigate, and Goliath,
Aleide, and Vanguard, ships of the line, until his promotion
to the rank of Lieutenant, which took place Nov. 21, I790f.

On the war breaking out with France, in 1793, 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 ensuing autumn. He afterwards served as Flag-Lieu-
tenant to Rear- Admiral Macbride, removing with him from
ship to ship, and occasionally commanding an armed cutter,
during the operations against the French at Nieuport, Os-
tend, &c.% In the spring of the following year, he was
appointed first Lieutenant of the Minotaur, 74, bearing the
flag of the same officer, and chiefly employed in cruizing off
the coast of France §.

On the 25th Nov. 1794, Lieutenant Lake was advanced to
the rank of Commander, in the Weazle sloop of war, station-
ed between Yarmouth and Flamborough 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

* The present Sir A. S. Hamond, of whom a memoir will appear, un-
der the head of Retired Captains, in our next volume.

f The Southampton, of 32 guns, Captain Andrew Snape Douglas, was
sent to the Mediterranean about the autumn of 1786, and returned from
thence at the period of the Dutch armament, with an account of the state
of the French and Spanish fleets in that quarter. The disturbances in Hol-
land having ceased, she was again ordered to the same station, and remain-
ed there some time. We subsequently find her attending on the Royal
Family at Weymouth ; and it is worthy of remark, that she was the ship in
which our late Sovereign commenced those marine excursions for which he
ever afterwards evinced so decided a predilection. She had also the honor
of carrying the Royal Standard on the occasion of his Majesty reviewing
the squadron under Commodore Goodall, off Plymouth, Aug. 18, 1789.
See Retired Captain Sir Francis J. Hartwell, in vol. II.

% See note : at p. 569. § See p. 502.

WILLOUGHBY THOMAS LAKE, ESQ. 7^7

dated Jan 4, 1796 ; and lie was subsequently employed in the
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 Unity, 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 111
men ; General Augereau, 14 guns and 88 men ; and El Fenix,
14 guns and 85 men.

In the summer of ] 806, our officer was removed into the
Gibraltar, of 80 guns, and entrusted with the command of a
small squadron stationed off l'Orient to watch the enemy's
ships, then 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 JA
guns, then refitting at Plymouth, and soon after sent 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 Castro, 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 attack 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 Lake 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, in vol. 2 of this
work.

t The castle of St. Ano commands the harbour of Santander [St. AnderoJ
and is about two miles distant from the town of that name.

2z 2

708 It K A K - A 1) M I R A LS OF T H E W H ITE .

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
Santandcr 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, Caffarelli, 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 Charlestown.

* At the period alluded to above (Aug. 1812,) Lord Wellington's head-
quarters were at Cuellar, and M. Marmont retreating from the neighbour-
hood of Valladolid, which place he had been compelled to abandon, leaving
behind him 4,000 sick and wounded, together with a large quantity of ^tores3
ammunition, &c.

WILLOUGHBY THOMAS LAKE, ESQ. 709

At the general promotion, June 4, 1814, Captain Lake was
appointed to one of the 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. — 1, Baker Street, Portman Square.

SIR CHARLES OGLE, Bart.

Rear-Admiral of the White; and 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, Kut., 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 lime 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 Stokesfield Hall. His ancestor,
Mark Ogle, purchased the mansion of Kirkly, with the demesne lands of
Ralph, Lord Eure, in 1612.

710 REAR-ADMIRALS OF THE WHITE.

He entered the naval service at an early age; and at the
commencement of the war with the French republic, in 1793,
served 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 rate, 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-
does, Lieutenant Ogle again joined the Boyne ; and on the
6th of the following month, we find him commanding one of
her boats in an attack made upon some vessels lying at an-
chor near 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 against
a perpendicular wall. The summit is about 30 yards above
the level of the sea, and is 300 paces round. It contained
eleven 42-pounders, 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 George B. Rodney, with twelve sail of the line,
from entering Fort Royal bay in 1782.

Lieutenant Ogle was subsequently entrusted with the com-

*See p. 19

SIR CHARLES OGLB, BART. 71 1

mand of a party 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 St. Lucia, the expedition proceeded
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 storming of
Fort Fleur d'Epee 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 her we

* It is much to the credit of the naval officers who were employed on shore
during the operations against the French in the island of Martinique, a
period of nearly seven weeks, that they shared the same hardships as the
private seamen and soldiers, without a murmur, sleeping in their clothes
the whole time ; and being so situated that they seldom could have the
benefit of tents, or any kind of hovel. They were exposed continually to
the heavy rams and nocturnal damps which in a tropical climate so se-
verely try the constitution ; but, owing (as it was imagined) to the flannel
shirts which were invariably worn by all ranks, they suffered less from
sickness than could have been expected. See Willyams' History of the
West India Campaign, note f, at p. 69.

T Fleur d'Epde, the principal fort on the island of Guadaloupe, was
taken by assault on the morning of April 12, 1794. The soldiers employ-
ed on this occasion, consisting of the first and second battalions of light
infantry, under the orders of Major-General Dundas, were particularly di-
rected not to fire, but trust solely to the bayonet; and the seamen, who
were commanded by the heroic Captain Faulkner, to use their pikes and
swords; all which was most scrupulously obeyed. The side of the moun-
tain which the latter had to ascend, under a most tremendous discharge of
grape-shot and musketry, was almost perpendicular ; they however sur-
mounted every difficulty, gained the parapet, dashed into the body of the
fort, and fought their way to the gates, where, they were joined by the
military. The enemy made a most gallant resistance ; but nothing could
withstand the impetuosity of the British, by whom they were beaten out of
their works, and subsequently driven from Point a Petre and pursued across
the Cardnage to Basse Terre. The loss sustained by the storming party in
this brilliant affair was great in proportion to the sinallness of their num-
bers, being 73 killed and wounded. The French had 6/ slain, 55 wounded,
and 110 taken prisoners.

J\'2 REAtL(-AT>lVHRALS OF TI1K WHITE.

find him employed, first on the North Sea station, and sub-
sequently in the Mediterranean, where he obtained post rank
in the Minerve frigate, by eommission dated Jan. 11, 1796.

From the Minerve, Captain Ogle exchanged with the pre-
sent Sir George Cockburn into the Meleager, of 32 gims,
stationed off Cadiz, where, at the commencement of the war
between England and Spain he captured a number of the
enemy's vessels. Whilst on this station he was also em-
ployed to repeat the signals of the fleet under Sir John
Jervis, a duty requiring the most minute attention, and which
he executed much to the satisfaction of that commander.

On the 1st July, 1796, Captain Ogle was tried by a Court
Martial, in consequence of a complaint preferred by a person
named Wheaton, Master of the merchant brig Union, which
was captured when under convoy of the Peterell. The charge
not being proved, he was honorably acquitted, and declared
to be " a zealous, attentive, and most diligent officer."

The Meleager returned to England in 1798, and was soon
after ordered to the Leeward Islands, from whence she pro-
ceeded to the Jamaica station, where Captain Ogle cruized
with considerable activity and success. Whilst there he
exchanged into the Greyhound frigate, in which ship he came
home some time in the year 1800. He was subsequently
sent to the Mediterranean, where he captured a Genoese
privateer, mounting 10 guns, a Spanish armed polacre, and
several trading vessels. Towards the latter end of 1801, he
removed into the Egyptienne, a frigate of the largest class ;
and about the same time received the Turkish gold medal, as
an honorable testimony of his having served in Egypt *;

From this period we find no mention of Captain Ogle until
1805, when he commissioned the Unite, of 38 guns, and again
went to the Mediterranean. In the following year he was

* Captain Ogle's elder brother Major Thomas Ogle, of the 58th regi-
ment, was killed at the landing of the army in Aboukir Bay ; an account
of which event will be found in a note at p. 259, et sec/. His cousin, New-
ton Ogle, Esq., a Captain of the 70th regiment, and an aide-de-camp to
General Sir Charles Grey, lost his life in an affair with the enemy on
Morne Marscot, in the island of Guadaloupe, June 29, 1794. He was a
young man of an excellent understanding, and had distinguished himself on
all occasions where his exertions had been called forth. See Willyiimn
note at p. 122,

SIR CHARLES OGLE, BART. 7 13

appointed to the Princess Augusta yacht, the command of
which he retained till the summer of 1815. He subsequently
commanded in succession the Ramillies, Malta, and Rivoli,
ships of the line ; succeeded to the Baronetcy on the demise
of his father, Aug. 27, 1816 ; and became a Flag-Officer,
Aug. 12, 1819.

Sir Charles Ogle married, first, April 22, 1802, Charlotte, a
daughter of the late General Thomas Gage, second son of the
first Viscount Gage. Secondly, Sept. 4, 1820, Letitia,
daughter of Sir William Burroughs, Baronet, of Castle -Bag-
shaw, co. Cavan, Ireland. His eldest son, Chaloner, is an
Ensign in the 22d regiment of foot, now stationed in Ireland.

Town-residence. — 42, Berkeley Square.

Country-seat. — Worthy, near Winchester.

HENRY RAPER, Esq.

Rear-Admiral of the Tl'lute.

This officer was a Lieutenant of the Queen Charlotte, the
flag-ship of Earl Howe, in the battle of June 1, 1794; soon
after which glorious event, he was promoted to the rank of
Commander ; and in the following year appointed, at the re-
commendation of the above-named nobleman, Major of Sig-
nals to the Portuguese squadron, acting in conjunction with
the British fleet under his Lordship's orders. In consider-
ation of his services, the Chevalier d'Almeida, by order of his
court, presented Captain Raper with an elegant dress sword,
the hilt of which is of gold, beautifully ornamented with me-
dallions, and richly set round with diamonds.

His next appointment was to the Racoon sloop ; and on the
1st Feb. 179(5, he obtained post rank in the Champion, of 20
guns, which ship formed part of the squadron employed under
the orders of the late Sir Home Popham, in the unfortunate
expedition against Ostend *. She also assisted at the capture

* In the spring of 1798, the British government having- received intelli-
gence that a great number of gun-boats and transport-scbuyts had been col-
lected at Flushing, formed a plan for the destruction of the locks and
sluice-gates of the Bruges canal, by which they were about to proceed to
Dunkirk and Ostend, in order to be employed in the threatened invasion of

714 REAR-ADMIRALS OF THE WHITE.

of a Swedish convoy, laden with warlike stores, intended to
replenish the French arsenals ; an account of which we have
already given, at p. 497, et scq.

England. For this purpose; a squadron, consisting of the Expedition, a
44-gun ship, armed en flute, the Circe, Vestal, Hebe, Minerva, and Druid
frigates, the three latter fitted as troop-ships ; the Champion, of 20 guns,
and Ariadne, of similar force; the Harpy, Savage, Dart, Kite, and Wol-
verene sloops ; Tartarus and Hecla bombs ; and ten smaller vessels, hav-
ing 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 lh A. M. on
the 1.0th. The wind soon afterwards shifted to the west, and threatened
to blow hard, notwithstanding which, the greater part of 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 bat-
teries had previously opened on the ships, and their fire was returned in a
most spirited manner, by the Wolverene and two gun-vessels ; whilst the
bombs threw their shells with such precision, that the town was set on fire
in different places, and the ships in the basin much damaged. As a feint
to cover the operations of bringing up the materials, and of destroying the
sluices, a summons was sent to the Commandant of Ostend to surrender
that place ; but he replied, that the council of war, then sitting, bad 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
off, and the Dart, Harpy, and Kite, ordered to take their stations ; but it
being low water, they could not get near enough to fire with much effect.
At 10h 20' a great explosion was seen, which indicated the destruction 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-cm barked. In this situation they remained until the
morning of the 20th, when Major-General Coote had the mortification to
find that the enemy had collected in considerable force, and surrounded his
little army; he, however, maintained his post with great gallantry, until
being severely wounded, and seeing no prospect of extricating himself from
his situation, he felt himself under the uecessity 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 13 men
wounded; Captain J. Mackellar, of the Minerva, and his boat's crew, taken
prisoners. The army had about 60 men killed and wounded, among whom
were several valuable officers : the number taken prisoners amounted to
1,134.

The canal, which it was the object of the assailants to destroy, had cost
the states of Bruges an immense sum of money, and taken the labour of
five years to complete. The sluice-gates were indeed demolished, and se-
veral boats burnt, by the explosion ; but it was soon found that the damage
was very trifling, every thing being restored to its former state in the com *e
©f a few weeks.

HENRY RAPER, ESQ. "Jib

Early in 1799, Captain Raper was appointed to l'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 Syrene, a heavy French frigate, and
la Bergere corvette, from Cayenne, having the celebrated Vic-
tor Hugues 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 l'Aimable. The Glenmore,
taking care of her recapture and her valuable charge, could
not render any assistance to her consort.

Captain Raper continued on the Leeward Island station
until the suspension of hostilities, in 1801 . During the latter
part of the late war with France, he commanded the Mars, of
/4 guns. His first commission as a Rear- Admiral, bears date
Aug. 12, 1819.

WILLIAM CHARLES FAHIE, Esq.

Hear-Admiral of the White; Commander-in-Chief at Halifax; a Compa-
nion of the must honorable Military Order of the Bath; and Knight
Commander of the Neapolitan Order of St. Ferdinand and of Merit.

This officer served with great credit as a Lieutenant during
the West India Campaign in 1794. He subsequently com-
manded the Woolwich, a 44-gun ship, armed en flute, on the
Leeward Island station ; and was posted into the Perdrix, of
22 guns and 153 men, Feb. 2, 1796.

On the 13th Jan. 1798, an unfortunate circumstance occurred
at English Harbour, Antigua, in consequence of Lieutenant
Charles Peterson, of the Perdrix, disobeying the orders of
Lord Cumelford, acting commander of the Favorite sloop, and
at that time senior officer in the harbour, Captain Fahie being
absent on leave. The alarm guns having been tired, Lord
Camelford sent an order to Lieutenant Peterson to hold the

716 REAR-ADMIRALS OF THE WHITE.

crew of ihc Pcrdrix in readiness to act, and to row guard
during the night ; which order he refused to obey, alleging,
that notwithstanding 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 surrendered himself to Captain
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 the 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 *.

On the 11th Dec. 1798, Captain Fahie fell in with, and

* Lord Camelford was killed in a duel with a Mr. Best, March 14,
1804. For the particulars of that transaction we refer our readers to
Faulkner's History of Kensington, p 177, &c

WILLIAM CHAltLES FAHIE, ESQ. 71/

after an action of 42 minutes, captured l'Armee d 'Italic,
French privateer, of 18 guns and 117 men j 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 Ethalion,
in which ship he assisted at the capture of the Danish West
India Islands, in Dec. 1807 t«

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 J. He subsequently commanded
the Pompee, another line-of-battle ship ; and on the 10th
April, after a long and arduous pursuit, and close action of an
hour and a quarter, in which he was partially joined by the
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 sustained by the British amounted
to 1 1 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 l'Orient in the month
of February preceding, in company with two other 74's and
two frigates, expressly for the relief of Martinique. Captain
Fahie was soon after appointed to the command of his prize,
whose name was changed to the Abercromby, 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 to command the Abercromby, on
the Lisbon station and in the Channel, during the remainder

See p. 263. J Sec p. 264.

71H RKAR-ADMIRALS OF THK WHITE.

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 honorahle
Order of the Rath.

Subsequent to the escape of Buonaparte from Elha, we
hnd 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 ohstinacy 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 officer was advanced to the rank of Rear- Admiral,
Aug. 12, 1819; and early in the 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
Bronipton, April 20, 181/.

SIR GEORGE EYRE,

Rear-admiral of the White ; 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 command of the
Speedy sloop, in which he had the misfortune to be captured
by three of the enemy's frigates, off Nice, June 9, \J94. He
afterwards commanded the Albicore, and from that vessel was
posted, Feb. 6. 1/96, into la Prompte, a 20-gun ship. In
the ensuing spring he assisted at the reduction of St. Lucia *.

Captain Eyre's next appointment was to the Regulus, of
44 guns, in the West Indies, where he was very actively em-
ployed until the summer of 1/99, when he returned to Eng-
land with Vice- Admiral (afterwards Sir Richard R.) Bligh.
Towards the conclusion of the war he commanded the San
Josef, a first-rate.

* See note \, at p. 134.

KIR GEORGE EYRK. J\9

From this period we lose sight of him until the month of
July 1806, when he was appointed to the Ardent, of 64 guns,
in which he remained but a short time, and then removed in-
to the Magnificent, a new J4. 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, Belle Poule, and Imogene, having on board a body of
troops under the command of General 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 same size, with every article of sails, cordage,
and ammunition, proper for the equipment of twenty-five
gun-vessels. The rest were laden with corn, and had on board
about 500 soldiers, intended as a reinforcement for the French
garrison of that island. Towards the latter end of the same
year, we find Captain Eyre commanding a squadron on the

k

20 REAR-ADMIRALS OF THK 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, Georgkuiu, daughter of
Sir George Cooke, of Wheatley, co. York, Baronet.

ROBERT LAMBERT, Esq.

Rear-Admiral of the White.

This officer is the eldest son of Robert Lambert, Esq.
many years a Captain R. N. He entered the naval service
at an early age, and in 1791 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 1795 and
1796f. His post commission bears date April 11th in the
latter year.

* The Barfleur's loss amounted to 9 men killed and 25 wounded ; among
the latter was Rear-Admiral Bowyer, who had the misfortune to lose a leg.
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.

•f The naval and military forces destined for the reduction of Trinco-
mal£e 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 1st of the following mouth. Two days after, the troops

ROBERT LAMBERT, ESQ. J2i

Captain Lambert continued to command the Suffolk till
June, 1798, when ill health compelled him to return to Eng-
land. His next appointment was to the Saturn, J4, in which
ship he accompanied the expedition sent to the Baltic under
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 Trincomale'e ; 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 Am-
boynaand Banda, the former of which was seized by the squadron, Feb. 10,
and the latter March 8, \796.

* Napoleon Buonaparte died at St. Helena May 5, 1821 ; his funeral
was attended by Rear-Adiniral 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

722 REAR-ADMIRALS OK THE WHITE.

George Robert, a Commander 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 powerful
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.
Residence.— Beaupert, near Hastings.

JOSEPH BINGHAM, Esq.

Rear-Admiral of the White.

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. Iago, a Spanish galleon
of immense value f. He was subsequently appointed to the
Cpesar, 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 J, 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-Admiral John Cochet

X See note at p, 75.

JOSEPH BINGHAM, ESQ. 728

naire, 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 1st 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 sloop, in which ves-
sel he proceeded to the Jamaica station, where he captured
l'Alerte, of 14 guns, and several other armed vessels. His
post commission bears date April 20, 1 796.

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, 74, 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. Hj 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
3hip 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 1787, and that published by Hamilton Moore in the year 1784.

" And it appears to the Court, that Captain Bingham was proceeding
perfectly consistent with the order produced, and under which he was act-
ing ; and that the 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 above mentioned

' And the Court is of opinion, that no blame is to be attached to Captain

3 a 2

724 REAR-ADMIRALS OF THE WHITE.

Bingham, his officers, and ship's company, for the said accident; and tha*.
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 the 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 subsequent 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 coast, 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
1 804, 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. Strachan
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,

JOSEPH BINGHAM, ESQ. 725

in company with the fleet confided to the care of this country
by the Emperor Alexander of Russia.

The Egmont was subsequently employed off 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. He 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- A 'dm iral of the Wh ite.

This officer was a Midshipman on board the Prince George,
of 98 guns, bearing the flag of Rear-Admiral Digby, at New
York, in 1781 ; received his first commission about the year
1790 ; 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 appointed 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 1st June, 1800, he captured la
Cruelle French brig of war, off the Hieres 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-

* Sec p. 579 of this volume, and Memoirs of Captains Harris,
O'Reilly, &c. in our next.

t Sir William Parker died Dec. 31, 1802. X See p. 277.

726 UEAR-AOMIUA!,- OF THE WHITE.

laiacd the command of the Melpomene frigate ; and in the
summer of the following year, we find him stationed oft
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.

Residence. — Fitzwilliam Square, North, Dublin.

THOMAS BOYS, Esq.

Rear- Admiral of the White.

This officer was senior Lieutenant of the Britannia, a first-
rate, bearing the flag of Vice- Admiral Hotham, in the action
off Genoa, March 14, 1795 *, and after acting for some time
as Captain of the Cen^eur, one of the prizes taken on that oc-
casion, was promoted to the rank of Commander in la Fleche,
of 18 guns, from which ship he was appointed acting Captain
of the Fortitude, 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 Triom-
phante, a French corvette, and several privateers.

We now lose sight of Captain Boys until 1808, when he
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 the coasts

* Sec p. 340.

THOMAS BOYS, B5Q. 727

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.

Rear-Admiral of the White.
This officer entered the naval service in 1774; and early in
the following year received a wound in the hand in an action
with the Americans. During the Spanish and Russian aima-
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
under his convoy, bound to Guernsey, and had nearly suc-
ceeded in decoying the enemy on shore on the Casket rocks,
after having experienced a very heavy fire from her for more
than an hour and a half, during which the Liberty sustained
considerable damage in her hull, sails, and rigging. About the
year 1795, he was advanced to the rank of Commander 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 commission bears date July 13th
following.

Previous to his quitting the Pelican, Captain Searle appears
to have fought a very gallant action with the Medee French
frigate, and notwithstanding the absence of 23 of his crew,
succeeded in beating her off. The following account of an
affair which reflects so much credit on all those concerned
therein, we extract from a work recently published, under
the title of James's Naval History.

* See p. 134

728 REAR- ADMIRALS OF THE WHITE.

"At day-break on the 23d Sept. 17%, the island of Deseadu bearing
S. E. by S. six or seven leagues, the British 18-gun brig Pelican (mounting
sixteen 32-pounder carronades, and two long 6's), Captain John Clarke
Searle, found herself close on the lee-beam of an enemy's frigate. Not
over-desirous of engaging, where the odds were so decidedly against him,
Captain Searle made sail to the N. W., and was followed by the frigate ;
who, having the weather-gage, and sailing remarkably fast in the prevailing
fresh breeze, rapidly approached the Pelican. The brig, at this time, had
on board only 9/ officers and men of her complement; and some of the
latter seemed to hesitate about engaging a ship of such evident superiority
of force. But Captain Searle calling to their recollection the frequent
occasions on which they had distinguished themselves while under his
command, and expressing a hope that they would not now sully their well-
earned reputation, nor place less confidence in him than they had been
accustomed to do, the fine fellows immediately gave three cheers, and
declared their resolution, rather to sink with their commander, than forfeit
his good opinion.

" Having made all ready, the Pelican, to the great surprise, no doubt,
of the Frenchmen in the frigate, shortened sail ; and, at 7 o'clock, the
latter, having arrived within gun-shot, opened her fire. The brig reserved
her's till her carronades could reach with effect; and then a very brisk fire
was kept up till seven minutes before nine ; when the frigate, whose crew-
appeared to be in some confusion, hauled on board her main-tack, and
made off to the northward under all possible sail. Nor was the Pelican in
a condition for an immediate pursuit, having had every brace and bowline,
all the after back-stays, the main-stay, several of the lower shrouds, the
top-sail-tyes, and other parts of her rigging shot away ; the sails very much
torn; and the main-mast, main-top-sail-yard, and fore-yard, a good deal
injured. With all this damage, however, the Pelican fortunately had no
person killed, and only 1 slightly wounded. Her opponent being left to
herself, soon ran out of sight.

" At 10 o'clock, while the Pelican was repairing her damages, the man
at the mast-head discovered a large ship on the lee-beam. At 11, having
got her rigging and sails in tolerable order, the Pelican gave chacc ; and
at 3, Englishman's Head, Guadaloupe, bearing S. S. E. a mile and a half,
succeeded, after firing several shot, in cutting away the ship's main-top-
sail-yard. Upon this, the latter brought to, and proved to be the Alcyon,
late a British army-victualler, but then in the possession of the French
32-gun frigate Mddde, who had captured her on the 9th, about 100
leagues to windward of Barbadoes. At 4, the Pelican made sail to the
southward, with the prize in tow ; but, at midnight, owing to a calm and
a heavy westerly swell, in which the Alcyon fell on board the Pelican three
times, the latter was compelled to cast her off. At day-break the Alcyon
was found to have drifted very near to the shore at Anse la Barque ; and
at about a gun-shot within her, was seen the Mddee herself, having a light
air from the land, while the Pelican and her prize lay quite becalmed.
The Mddde's boats soon regained possession of the Alcyon ; and Captain
Searle knowing that the Thetis and another French frigate lay at anchor in

JOHN CLARKE SEARLE, ESQ. 729

Ause la Barque, thought it the most prudent course to abandon his prize.
Scarcely had the Pelican, taking advantage of the breeze that then sprang
up, set sail from the spot, when one of the frigates came out and joined
the Medde ; but neither frigate evinced any further disposition to molest
the Pelican, and she proceeded to the Saintes to refit.

" On the day succeeding that of her arrival at this anchorage, where
also was lying the 74-gun ship Bellona, Captain George Wilson, an aid-de-
camp arrived, with a flag, from Victor Hugues, then Governor of Guada-
loupe, expressly to ascertain whether there was any truth in the statement
made by the Captain of the M£d£e, that the English vessel he had en-
gaged on the 23d, was a frigate with her mizen-mast out. The mistake was
soon cleared up, if not to the satisfaction, to the confusion of the French
officer ; who actually went on board the Pelican, to be certain that she
mounted only 18 guns. About the same time arrived an officer of the GOth
regiment, who had been a prisoner on board the MeM6e during the action,
and got released on her arrival at Guadaloupe. He confirmed every state-
ment ; adding, that the M£dde mounted 40 guns, with a complement of
nearly 300 men; that she sustained much damage, and lost several
men in killed and wounded. At the subsequent capture of the M£d£e
by the British, she was found to be armed precisely as the Prudente or
Rdg£ne>£e ; mounting not 40, but 36 guns *."

After the above brilliant exploit, Captain Searle was ap-
pointed to the Cormorant, a 20-gun ship. He subsequently
commanded the Garland frigate, and Tremendous, 74, the
latter bearing the flag of Sir Hugh C. Christian, on the Cape
of Good Hope station, where he continued until after the de-
mise of that officer, which took place Jan. 31, 1799.

His next appointment was to the Ethalion, in which fine
frigate he had the misfortune to be wrecked on the Saintes
rocks, Dec. 24th following. On the 10th Jan. 1800, Captain
Searle was tried by a Court-martial for the loss of his ship,
and most honorably acquitted. It appeared that the accident
was occasioned by an unusual course of tide, and but little
wind : that every exertion which skill and zeal could effect,
was made by him and his officers ; and the utmost discipline
and subordination observed by the ship's company, so highly
honorable to British seamen in times of danger.

Soon after this event, Captain Searle obtained the com-
mand of la Determinee, of 24 guns ; and on the 25th July,
1801, he captured a French corvette of 10 guns, with specie
on board to the amount of 10,000/. sterling. During the

* If the Mddde mounted 40 guns in 1 796, the additional pieces were
probably brass 36-pounder carronades.

730 KKAR-ADMIRAI.S OF THE WHITE.

Egyptian campaign he served as Flag-Captain to Lord Keith,
in the Foudroyant, and returned to England with that officer
on the 3d July, 1802. In Nov. following, he commissioned
the Venerable, of 74 guns ; and on the renewal of hostilities,
in May 1803, upon Lord Keith being appointed Com
mander-in-Chief of the North Sea fleet, he was selected to
command the Monarch, another third-rate, bearing his Lord-
ship's flag, in which he continued until the summer of 1806,
when he obtained a seat at the Victualling Board, of which
he afterwards became the Chairman.

Commissioner Searle was passed over at the general pro-
motion, Aug. 12, 1819 ; but on his retirement from the Board,
he obtained the rank of Rear-Admiral (by commission, dated
Feb. 8, 1822), with the same advantages he would have en-
joyed had he accepted his flag at the former period.

SIR CHARLES BRISBANE,

Rear-Admiral of the White; Knight Commander of the most honorable
Military Order of the Bath ; Governor, Captain-General, and Vice-
Admiral of the island of St. Vincent and its Dependencies.

This officer, the fourth and eldest surviving son of the late
Admiral John Brisbane #, entered the naval service about the
year 1779, on board the Alcide, of 74 guns, under the auspices
of his father, whom he afterwards accompanied into the Her-
cules, another third rate. This latter ship formed part of Sir
George B. Rodney's fleet, in the memorable battle of April 12,
1782, and was on that occasion commanded by Captain Henry
Savage. Her loss, as already stated at p. 602, amounted to
7 killed and 19 wounded ; among the latter was Mr. Charles
Brisbane f.

* Admiral Brisbane died at Southampton Dec. 10, 1807. He was a
descendant of Allans de Brysbane, who obtained a grant of the lands of
Mucherach, in Stirling, from Donald Earl of Lennox, who lived in the time
of King David Bruce, anno 1329.

t Captain Brisbane on leaving the Hercules, confided his son Charles,
then about nine years of age, to the care of her first Lieutenant, the present
Rear-Admiral Nowell, whose brother officers, as a mark of the respect and
esteem they had for their late commander, agreed that he should mess in
the ward-room. Mr. Nowell appointed him his little aide-de-camp ; but as
he could not bring himself to acquiesce in the youngster's wishes so fat

SIR CHARLES BRISBANE. 7^1

From 1784 to 1790? the subject of this memoir served as
a Midshipman in various ships j but it being a period of pro-
found peace, we 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 fire-ship, in which 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 subsequently,
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-

to assign him a station on the quarter-deck, in the event of coming to action,
he placed him with the officer who commanded on the lower-deck. Dur-
ing the engagement with the French fleet under Count de Grasse, a shot
came through 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 cockpit. He soon afterwards came to himself, and on the
Surgeon asking him where he was hurt, he pointed to his breast, but said
he was well enough to return to his quarters. The wound, however,
proved of a very serious nature, and kept him in a crippled state, bent
almost double, for nine months.

732 REAR-ADMIRALS OF THE WHITE.

mishcs on the heights of Pharon, he remained at Fort Pomet,
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 effected their retreat without loss.

Early in 1794, 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 Liuetcnant-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 officer 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 of Lieutenant Bris-
bane. " The Lieutenants Gore, Hotham, Stiles, Andrews, and

* See p. 250. el scq.

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 Avith the French fleet, on the 14th
March, 1J95 *, 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 ; 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 forvyard, 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.

* See p. 340.

734 REAR-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 allowance
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 at 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 Dortrccht, of 66 guns, one 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 l'Oiseau frigate, and sent him
to cruise off the Rio de la Plata.

Whilst thus employed, Captain Brisbane fell in with two
large Spanish frigates, one of them bearing a Commodore's
broad pendant. A severe engagement ensued ; but, notwith-
standing the disparity of force, l'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 necessary ; and, seizing one

* S,r pp. 50, 5]

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 com-
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 the
mutiny was at the greatest height : the furnaces were heated, and hot shot
prepared to fire on her as she lay at anchor off the Amsterdam battery,
if the mutineers should refuse to deliver up the ringleader*, and return to

730 KKAK-ADMUtALS OP THE WHITE.

Crescent frigate. His next appointment was to the Doris, of
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 out 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 head 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 them to deliberate, whether they would accept the terms offered. Ten
minutes before the expiration of the 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 them
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 CHARLES BRISBANE 7%7

to the Trent, another frigate, and ordered to the West Indies.
While there, he was removed, first into the Sans Pareil, 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

* On the 31st 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 by the breaking of the man-,
rope, just as he was stepping over the ship's side.
VOL. I. 3 B

738 IIKAR-ADMJRALS OF THE WHITE.

meanjs run on shore among the Colorados, a numerous clus-
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
guns 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 dauntless 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, although
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 ; 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 refit, 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 men, 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 ; but his design was frustrated by the Pomona
bearing up, having been joined by twelve gun-boats, from

SIR CHARLES BRISBANE. /39

the Havannah, (each carrying a 24-pounder and 100 men,)
and anchoring within pistol-shot of a castle mounting sixteen
36-pounders, 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-
thusa close alongside the Pomona, in only one foot more wa-
ter than she 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,
ami 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-
ed 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 official 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 King 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

740 UEAU-ADMIRALS OF THE WHITE.

to reconnoitre the island of Curacoa, and to ascertain, by a
flag of truce, whether the inhabitants were disposed towards
an alliance with Great Britain.

It was on the 1st Jan. 1807? 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 zeal for the service which would have done honor to
the character of a Nelson, taking the sole responsibility of
the act upon himself, he led his ships into the harbour, passing
the formidable line of sea batteries by 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 " Victory or
Death" chalked upon their hats ! As an additional stimulus,
Captain Brisbane instantly put on his full uniform, and
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 guns, Fort Amsterdam alone
mounting 66 pieces of cannon , the entrance only fifty yards
wide, athwart which was the Dutch frigate Hatslar, of 36
guns, and Surinam sloop, of 22, with two armed schooners ;
a chain of forts was on Misleburg, a commanding height;
and that almost impregnable fortress, Fort Republique, with-
in the distance of grape-shot, enfilading the whole harbour.

The enemy were panic-struck at such unexpected gallantry,
and all was confusion. A severe and destructive cannonade
commenced on the part of the Arethusa and Latona, which
ships had 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 placed
athwart the hawse of the Dutch men-of-war, and in a position
to enfilade the guns of Fort Amsterdam, the fire of which was
soon silenced. The Anson, on her arrival, ran alongside of
the Surinam ; but the Fisgard, less fortunate, got a -ground

SIR CHARLES BRISBANE. 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 flag. About this period the Governor of
Curagoa 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 Avhich preparations were made for warping the
frigates up against Fort Republique, agreed to surrender the
island and its dependencies to the crown of Great Britain.

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 of regular troops, having been
reduced, and brought into the quiet possesion of the English,
by a force not exceeding 800 effective men, in less than four
hours.

The splendour of this achievement might well excite the
astonishment of the Commander-in-Chief ; who, it is said,
had calculated that no less a force than ten sail of the line,
and 10,000 land forces, would be necessary for the capture
of the island, which had 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 :

" Whilst I contemplate the immense strength of the har-

* The Dutch frigate had previously been boarded by Mr. Griist,
Master's Mate of the Latona; but her colours being foul, afforded Captain
Brisbane the opportunity of striking them.

742 IIKAR-ADM1RALS OF THK WHITE.

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 officers and men under his command."

Immediately after the capture, Captain Brisbane proceeded
to disarm the militia— 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 Curacoa, 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 Curacoa, Sir Charles Bris-
bane rejoined his old ship the Arethusa, and remained in her
until the autumn of 1808, when he was appointed to the
Blake, of 74 guns. At the latter end of the same year he ob-
tained 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 Rear-Admiral, Aug. 12,

1819.

Sir Charles married Sarah, one of the daughters and co-

* The privilege of bearing Supporters is limited to Peers of the Realm,
the Knights of the several Orders, and the Proxies of Princes of the
Blood at Installations, except in such cases wherein, under particular
circumstances, especial license is granted for the use thereof, as in the case
of Sir Charles Brisbane.

SIR CHARLES BRISBANE. 743

heiresses of the late Sir James Patey, late of Reading, in
Berkshh*e, 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 1795 ; and the latter, a naval Captain, died
in the following year.

\ portrait of the subject of this memoir, executed by J,
Northcote, representing his attack on Curacoa, was exhibited
at the Royal Academy in 1809.

SIR JOHN TALBOT,

Rear-Admiral of the White; Knight Commander of the most honorable

Military 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 ; 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 April, 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 Glenmore, em-
ployed on the coast of Ireland. In July, 1801, he recaptured
four West Indiamen which had been recently cut off from their
convoy by a French privateer.

744 REAR-ADMIRALS OK THK WHITK.

On the 30th Sept. following, two of the Glenmore's crew
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,
Feb. 23, 1805, he captured la Ville de Milan, of 46 guns,
pierced for 50, and retook her prize, the Cleopatra, a small
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 woidd 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
under 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 testimony 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 request 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,

of 74 guns, in which ship he greatly distinguished himself at the

destruction of a Turkish squadron lying within the forts of the

Dardanelles, Feb. 19, 180/ t- In this affair, and during the

* See Ilear-Admiral Sir Robert Laurie.

t See Rear-Admiral Thomas Harvey

SIR JOHN TALBOT. 745

subsequent operations against the Turks, by the squadron 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 being off Venice, in
company with Captain Andrews of the Weazle sloop, disco-
vered an enemy's squadron, consisting of the Rivoli, of 74
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
in 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 Fieumc, lost her fore and
* Ten of the wounded died soon after the action.

746 HKAR ADMIRALS OF THE WHITE.

main- masts ; but, by great exertions, she was taken safe into
the port of Lissa under jury-masts. Her mizeu-mast fell a few
minutes before she struck*.

Towards the close of the year 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.

(late halliday.)

Rear-Admiral of the White.

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 thigh 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 immediately 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,
exclaiming 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, I know you will do all you can for me, but I also know, there
is nothing in your power." Tn less than half an hour after, his gallant soul
left this for another world.

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 Oakes
Hardy, in 1/87, 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 the
Thishe 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 Culloden, 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 officer exchanged into the Mon-
tagu, 74, and in that ship returned to England. During the
ensuing four years, he commanded the Tigre, of 80 guns ; and
served successively on the Channel and North Sea stations, at
St. Helena, and in the West Indies. His advancement to the
rank of Rear -Admiral took place Aug. 12, 1819. He assumed

748 ttJEAB -ADMIRALS OF I'HK WHITE.

the name 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
lias a numerous family.

Conn try - sea t . — Ti 1 ston e, Cheshire.

Town Residence. — 148, Piccadilly.

JOHN GIFFARD, Esq.

Rear-Admiral of the White.

This officer entered the naval service in April, 1780, 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 Canada 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 Comwallis, proceeding with Rear- Admiral Digby to
the 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
0th 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 \, at p. 33.
f See Retired Captain J. N. Inglefield, in our next volume.

JOHN GIFFARD, ESQ. 749

which proved so fatal to the Centaur *, Ville cle Paris, and
many other ships. She, however, reached Spithead on the
5th Oct. with the loss of her mizen-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 command 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 1790, 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 1793, when ill health compelled him to return
home.

Lieutenant Giffard's next appointments were to the The-
seus, 74, and Queen Charlotte, a first-rate. The latter ship
formed part of Lord Bridport's fleet in the action oftTOrient,
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 lth 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 Jervis the
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 679.

750 REAR-ADMIRALS OF THE WHITE.

nesa, another frigate, the command of which he retained till
June, 1/98, when she was paid off at Plymouth, preparatory
to her being broken up.

Captain Giffard 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
1 4 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 them 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-

JOHN GIFFARD, ESQ. 751

ficent having in the mean time bore up round Prince Rupert's
Head, opened her fire on the flying revolters with so much
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 31st
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 which 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 that 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 the 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 j the eldest died at Wickham,
Jan. 28, 1820, aged 16 years.

Residence.— Wallington, Fareham, Hants.

JOHN WEST, Esq.

Rear-admiral of the White.
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 afterwards commanded the Diligence

* See note at p. 75, ei seq

752 REAR- UjMIRALS 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, Captain 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 officer 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 affair, several men were wounded, and Captain West's
horse was shot under him.

The Spaniards were very sensible 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 with their great force they
had hoped to take by a coup-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 Rosas

STEPHEN POYNTZ, ESQ. 753

by the Fame, Captain West proceeded off Toulon, where he
joined the fleet under the orders of Lord Collingwood, by
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 White.

This officer 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 ; 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
l'Egyptienne, of 18 guns, pierced for 44 ; le Goelan, of 16 ; la
Sarier brig, of 12; and le Vengeur 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 Beaulieu, of
40 guns, 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-pounders, one 18-pounder, and
50 men, mostly soldiers ; and four luggers of one long 18-
pounder and 25 men each, from Bourdeaux bound to Brest.

* The particulars of several important services performed by the boats
of the Excellent, under the command of Lieutenant (now Captain) John
Harper, form part of an interesting memoir of that gallant officer, which
we have prepared for insertion in onr next volume.

VOL. I. 3 c

75-i RKAKADMIKAL, OK TJ1K WHITE.

On the 13th July, 1805, he hud the good fortune to inter-
cept the 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 l'lm-
petueux, of 74 guns, off Cape Henry *.

Captain Poyntz subsequently commanded the Edgar, a
third rate, in the Baltic. He was advanced to the rank of
Rear-Admiral, Aug. 12, 1819.

Our officer married, Oct. 8, 1802, Miss F. Brail, of
H amble ton, Hants.

RIGHT HON. JOHN LORD COLVJLLE,

Rear-Admiral of the White; Commander-in-Chief on the Irish station;
and one of the Sivteen 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-General in the army, who com-
manded at the capture of Cambray, June 24, 1815. He was
born in the year 1/65 : entered the naval service at an earlv
age ; was a Lieutenant at the commencement of the war with
the French republic ; and commanded the Star sloop, in
1/95, and until his promotion to the rank of Post-Captain,
Dec. 6, 1796. We subsequently find him in the Ambuscade
frigate, on the Jamaica station, from whence he returned
to England on the 19th Jan. 1802. During the remainder of
the short-lived peace, he was employed in the Channel for
the suppression of smuggling.

Soon after the re-commencement of hostilities again si
France, Captain Colville was nominated to the command of
the Sea Fencibles on the coast of Cumberland. His next ap-
pointment was, in the autumn of 1804, to the Romney, of
50 guns, in which ship he had the misfortune to be wrecked
near the Texel, on the 22d Nov. following.

Previous to his departure from Holland, on being ex-

* See p. 400.

RIGHT HON, JOHN LORD COLVILLE. 7&>

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 and 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
him, if we had not, before our departure, assured him of our warmest
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,

" Your most obedient humble Servant,

'■' John Colville."

On the 31st Dec. 1804, Captain Colville was tried by a
court-martial, assembled on board the Africaine, at Sheerness,
for the loss of the Romney. 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 of
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 acquitted 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

756 REAR-ADMIRALS OK THE WHITE.

In the following year, Captain Colville was appointed to
the Sea Fencible service at Margate ; and about the spring of
1807, he obtained the command of l'Herculc, a 74 gun-ship,
in which he was employed during that and the succeeding
year on the coast of Portugal. He afterwards commanded
the 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, 181 1. He was advanced to the rank of
Rear-Admiral, Aug. 12, 1819; and on the 10th 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 Colville married, in Oct. 1790, Elizabeth, youngest
daughter of the late Francis Ford, of the Lears, Barbadoes,
Esq. a Member of Council in that island, sister of the late
Sir Francis Ford, and aunt of the present Baronet of that
name.

JOHN COCHET, Esq.

Rear-Admiral of the White.

This officer was born at Rochester, in Kent, Aug. 3, 1760;
and entered the naval service, Dec. 22, 17/5, under the
auspices of Captain Philemon Pownall, with whom he served
as a Midshipman, in the Blonde and Apollo frigates. On the
15th June, 17$0> 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 Lizard ; 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. 210. et seq.
t Captain Bazely succeeded Captain Pownall in the command of the
Apollo, and on that ship being put out of commission was appointed to
the Amphion. Soon after his arrival on the American station, he was en.

JOHN COCHET, ESQ. 7&7

North America, where he continued until the close of the war
with 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. J ago, a
Spanish galleon of immense value f ; and la Prompte of 28
guns. In the spring of the ensuing year, he followed Sir
Andrew into the Queen-Charlotte, bearing the flag of Earl

trusted with the command of a small squadron, and on the 10th Sept. 1781,
in conjunction with General Arnold, completely destroyed the town of
New London, together with several magazines full of stores, and all the
vessels that 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.
f On the 14th April, 1/93, a squadron, under the command of Rear-
Admiral John Cell, consisting of the St. George a second rate, Captain
Thomas Foley ; Edgar, 74, Captain Albemarle Bertie ; Egmont, 74, Cap-
tain Archibald Dickson ; Ganges, 74, Captain Anth. James Pye Molloy ;
and Phaeton frigate, Captain Sir A. S. Douglas, in lat. 41° 43' N. long.
25° W. jjave chace to two sail in the N. W. The latter officer soon came
up with the St. Jago, a large Spanish galleon under French colours,
dropped a boat on board of her as he passed, leaving her to be taken pos-
session of by the Ganges, and stood on in pursuit of the headmost, which
he took two hours afterwards. She proved to be the General Dumourier,
a French privateer coppered, mounting 22 six-pounders, with a comple-
ment of 196 men, having on board 680 cases, each containing 3000 dol-
lars, besides some valuable packages to the amount of between two and
three hundred thousand pounds sterling. The St. Jago was from Lima,
bound to Spain, and had been eleven day* in the enemy's possession.

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 ofT 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 de-
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-
gim ship, 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 White.

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 Lieutenant of the Royal George, bearing the flag

* Sec p. 75. ct seq.

SIR ARCHIBALD COLLING WOOD DICKSON, BART. 759

of Sir Alexander Hood, (afterwards Lord Bridport,) in the
memorable action of June 1, 1/94*. He subsequently com-
manded the Megaera fire-vessel, and was promoted to the
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 ', 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 Tex elf. He
subsequently accompanied the armament sent to Elsineur to
give weight to the remonstrances of Lord Whitworth, whom
the British government had 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.

During 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, in 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.
lonely Dickson is a daughter of the late Admiral John Bour-
master. His son, David John Dickson, is a Lieutenant, R. N.

ROBERT WINTHROP, Esq.

Rear-Adm'iral of the White.

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 % . About the same time he
captured l'Athenienne French corvette, of 14 guns, near
Barbadoes. He was afterwards appointed to the Undaunted
frigate, and in that ship had the misfortune to be wrecked on

* Sec j). Jf>, rt se<j. -\ Sec p. A I 'I, et seq. + Sec ]>, 134.

760 REAR-ADMIRALS OF THE WHITE.

the Morant Keys, during a heavy gale of wind, Aug. 27, 1/06.
His post commission hears 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, 17^8, we find him serving in the expedition sent against
Ostend, an account of which has been already given in our
memoir of Rear-Admiral 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 ; 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. 713, el seq. t See p. 414, el seq.

ROBEiRT WINTHHOP, ESQ. 761

schooner, who boarded and carried them in a most gallant
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 Jb 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 f.
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 was 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 oft" Boulogne, under the orders of Lord
Keith.

From this ship, Captain Winthrop was removed into the Sy-
bille frigate, about the month of July 1805 ; and on the 3d May,
1807, he captured l'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 Farbrace, of Dover.

* See note at p. 220 .

762

REAR-ADMIRALS OF THE BLUE.

HENRY DIGBY, Esq.

Senior Rear-admiral vfthe Blue ; and a Companion of (he most honorable

Military Order of the Bath.

This officer is the eldest son of the late Hon. and Rev.
Wiiliam Digby, Dean of Durham, Vicar of Coles Hill, a
Chaplain in Ordinary to the King, and Canon of Christ
Church, by Charlotte, daughter of Joseph Cox, Esq., and
niece of the late Sir Charles Sheffield, Bart. *

He went to sea at an early age with the late Admiral limes ;
served for some time as a Midshipman on board the Eurepa,
of 50 guns, in the West Indies ; was made a Lieutenant in
1790; commanded the Incendiary sloop in 1796, and subse-
quently the Aurora, a small frigate, on the Lisbon station,
where he cruised with very great activity ; and in addition
to forty-eight sail of the enemy's merchantmen taken, sunk,
or destroyed by him, captured the following national vessels
and privateers : la Velos Arragonesa Spanish frigate, pierced
for 30 guns, with a complement of 100 men ; the Egalitc'
French corvette, of 20 guns and 200 men ; a privateer of
the same force ; and seven others carrying in the whole 7 1
guns and upwards 400 men. His post commission bears
date Dec. 19, 1796.

In the autumn of 1798, Captain Digby was appointed to
t he Leviathan, a third rate, bearing the broad pendant of Com-
modore Duckworth, with whom he served at the reduction
of Minorca, which was effected by a squadron consisting of
two ~4's, one 44, and seven smaller vessels, in conjunction
with a body of troops commanded by the Hon. Charles
Stuart. The Spanish garrison was between 3000 and 4000
strong, and had the means of making a stout resistance ; not-
withstanding which the British obtained possession of the

* The Dean was a brother of Henry, first Earl Digby, and uncle to the
present peer.

HENRY DIGBY, ESQ. J&5

island without the loss of a man. A great quantity of ord-
nance and military stores were taken in the forts. At Port
Mahon were found an abundance of naval stores, a brig of
war on the stocks, 14 gun-boats, and several merchant-
vessels.

Our officer's next appointment was, early in 1/99, to the
Alcmene frigate, in which he cruised between the coast of
Portugal and the Azores, and made many captures ; among
others the Courageux French privateer, of 28 guns, pierced
for 32, and 270 men ; la Felicidad, a Spanish ship pierced for
22 guns, laden with hemp, a few lower masts, and ship
timber ; El Bisarro brig, with ship timber and iron ; les Deux
Amis, French letter of marque, of 6 guns and 60 men ; and
le Depit, privateer, of 8 guns and 45 men.

On the 18th Oct., 1799, the Alcmene, in company with the
Naiad and Triton frigates, had the good fortune to intercept
the Santa Brigida, of 36 guns and 300 men, from Vera Cruz
bound to Spain, having on board 1,400,000 dollars, indepen-
dent of a cargo of immense value. On the preceding day,
the Ethalion, belonging to the same squadron, having parted
company in chace, took the Thetis, a ship of similar force,
and with a cargo of equal estimation*. In the running fight
kept up by the Santa Brigida, the Alcmene had 1 man
killed and 9 wounded.

Captain Digby continued to be employed on the Lisbon
and Mediterranean stations until the spring of 1801, when he
was removed into the Resistance, a frigate of the largest class,
and ordered to North America. On his passage out, he cap-
tured the Elizabeth, a French letter of marque from Cayenne
bound to Bourdeaux, the last vessel taken during that war.
He returned to England Nov. 30, in the same year ; and
during the remainder of the winter was employed in the
Channel, cruising against the smugglers.

We next find Captain Digby commanding the Africa, of 64
guns, in which ship he bore a conspicuous part at the defeat
of the combined fleets of France and Spain on the ever me-
morable 21st of October. For his conduct in that glorious
battle, on which occasion 18 of his crew were slain and 44
wounded j he was honored with a gold medal, and, in common
with his brother officers, received the thanks of both Houses

* Sec p 684.

JC){ REAR-ADMIRALS OF THE BLUE.

of Parliament. His advancement to the rank of Rear-Ad-
miral took place Aug. 12, 1819; previous to which he had
been nominated a Companion of the most honorable Military
Order of the Bath.

Our officer married, March 17, 1806, Jane Elizabeth, relict
of Charles Viscount Andover (son of the Earl of Suffolk and
Berkshire) and daughter of Thomas William Coke, Esq.,
M. P. for Norfolk, who in respect to landed property, is one
of the most powerful commoners in Great Britain. The Rear-
Admiral's family consists of two sons and one daughter.

Town-residence. — 78, Harley Street.

CHARLES EKINS, Esq.

Rear-Admiral of the Blue ; a Companion of the most honoruble Military
Order of the Bath ; and a Knight of the Order of IFilhelm of thqNe-
tJierlands.

This officer entered the naval service as a Midshipman on
board the Berwick, of J4 guns, commanded by the Honorable
Keith Stewart, and was present in the battle between Sir
Hyde Parker and Admiral Zoutman, off the Dogger Bank,
in 1781 *, on which occasion the Berwick had 18 men killed
and 58 wounded. He afterwards removed into the Cam-
bridge, 84 ; which ship formed part of the armament under
Lord Howe at the relief of Gibraltar ; and in the partial ac-
tion with the combined fleets of France and Spain, Oct. 20,
1782, had 4 men slain and 6 wounded : among the latter was
Mr. Ekins, at that time acting as aid-de-camp to Captain
Stewart. He subsequently served on board the Marquis de
Seignally sloop of war, and Pearl frigate ; and was made a
Lieutenant into the Lion, of 64 guns, in 1790.

From this period Mr. Ekins was appointed successively to
the Flirt brig, Alarm frigate, and Boyne, of 98 guns. The
latter, bearing the flag of Sir John Jervis, he joined in the
West Indies ; and he was junior Lieutenant of her at the
time she was unfortunately destroyed by fire at Spithead f.

In the summer of 1795, we find him commanding the Fer-

* See note §, at p. 1 75, et seq.
t See Retired Captain Hon. Sir George Grey, in our next rolutne.

CHARLES EKINS, ESQ. JQb

ret sloop of war, on the North Sea station, where he captured
l'E16onore French privateer. He afterwards went to the
Cape of Good Hope, and was appointed by Sir George K.
Elphinstone (now Lord Keith) to the America, 64 ; but that
ship having sailed for England during his absence in India,
he returned home in the Havick, of 18 guns, one of the
Dutch prizes taken in Saldanha Bay. His post commission
bears date Dec. 22, 1796.

Soon after this latter promotion, Captain Ekins obtained
the command of the Amphitrite frigate, and was sent with a
convoy, under the orders of Captain Bagot of the Trent, to
the Leeward Islands ; on which station he captured a great
number of the enemy's vessels, and among the rest seven
privateers, carrying in the whole 62 guns and 466 men. He
also assisted at the taking of the Dutch colony at Surinam, by
the naval and military forces under Lord Hugh Seymour and
Lieutenant-General Trigge, on which occasion the Amphi-
trite bore the Admiral's flag. She afterwards, in company
with the Unite frigate, commanded by the present Sir John
P. Beresford, surprised, and after a little firing, captured the
Devil's Islands, on the coast of Cayenne. This service was
performed with very little loss, only a man or two being killed
in landing and storming the place, which was completely
cleared, and every thing contained therein either brought off
or destroyed.

In March 1801, the Amphitrite accompanied Sir John T.
Duckworth on an expedition against the Virgin and other is-
lands, of which it had been determined to take possession, in
consequence of the hostile measures adopted against Great
Britain by Denmark, Sweden, and Russia ; but unfortunate-
ly Captain Ekins, being sick, was obliged to remain at Barba-
does. However, a reinforcement arriving from England, es-
corted by the Coromandel and Proselyte, he took a passage
onboard the latter, and joined the Commander-in-Chief in
time to be entrusted with the superintendance of the debarka-
tion on the island of St. Martin, and to assist in the subse-
quent operations *. His 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 Raar-Admiral Thomas IIakvky.

766 REAR-ADMIRALS OP THE BLUE.

patches, and he accordingly returned to England in tin
Fanny armed brig, about the 10th May following.

From this period we lose sight of Captain Ekins until the
spring of 1801, when he was appointed to the Beaulieu, of
40 guns, in which fine frigate he was actively employed till
the latter end of 180(5. He then joined the Defence, a third-
rate ; and in the following year sailed with Admiral Gambier
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
Frederickswarn 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 squadron, on the folloAving 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 which 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 JS guns, in which ship he greatly

* See Captain George Ed>\*.rd Watts, in our next volume.

CHARLES EKINS, ESQ. JQJ

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. The 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 a
very considerable time employed upon a Tactical Considera-
tion of our principal Sea-fights between 1/44 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.

BENJAMIN WILLIAM PAGE, Esq.

Rear-Admiral of the Blue.

This officer was born at Ipswich, co. Suffolk, in 1J65 ', en-
tered the naval service under the protection of Sir Edward
Hughes (an intimate friend of his father), as a Midshipman,

* See p. 225, et seq.

f Soon after the Supcrb's return to England from the Algerifte expedi-
tion, the junior officers of that siiip presented Captain Ekins with a hand-
some gold snuff-box, suitably inscribed, as a mark of their esteem and re-
spect for his conduct on the day of the battle. In return for the compli-
ment, Captain Ekins addressed to them a very handsome letter, in uhii.li
he states, that if his conduct on the 2/"th Aug. 1816, met with their ap-
proval, he could ascribe it only to a firm reliance on the Almighty will,
and perfect confidence in the steadiness, bravery, and perseverance of those
he commanded, of whom the junior officers of the Superb, as they bore a
large and very conspicuous part in all the dangers and fatigues of that day,
may ever claim his • incere and grateful acknowledgments.

/68 REAR-ADMIRALS OR THE BLUE.

onboard tbe Superb, of J4 guns, Nov. 20, 1778; accom-
panied that distinguished commander to the East Indies ;
bore a part in all his battles with the celebrated M. de Suff-
rein *, 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 would
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 en flute, 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 %. Previous to his return to England, in 1802,
he was presented with the Turkish gold medal, for hi3 ser-
vices during the operations against the 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
prizes was the Dutch brig of war de Haasje, of 6 guns,

* See note f, at p. 421, et seq.

t His commission as Post-Captain bears date Dec. 22, 1/96.

X See note f, at p< 259. § See note at p. 129, et seq.

BENJAMIN WILLIAM PAGE, ESQ. 769

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 1804, the Caroline, after escorting the homeward-
bound trade through the Bay of Bengal, had the good fortune
to intercept les Freres Unis, of 16 guns and 185 men, and le
General de Caen, of 26 guns and 240 men. 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 much importance, that the
merchants of Bombay and Madras each voted Captain Page
500 guineas, for the service he had thus afforded them.

We next find Captain Page entrusted with the command of
a squadron sent to protect the trade to and from China. On
his return to India with the homeward-bound ships, he was
selected by Admiral 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 guineas, 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, at
which period she was put out of commission. He became a
Rear-Admiral Aug. 12, 1819.

Residence. — Ipswich.

HON. PHILIP WODEHOUSE,

Rear-admiral of the Blue.

The family of tFodehouse'is of great antiquity, one of them

hearing received knighthood in the time of Henry I. ; from

whom descended John Wodehouse, who attended Henry V.

in 1415, to the battle of Agincourt, and for his valour,

vol. i. 3d

7/0 KKAK ADMIRALS OF THE BLUK.

was rewarded by 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 wa; born in the year 1J/3. He entered
the naval service at an early age ; obtained the rank of Lien-
tenant in 1794 j served as such on the Med iter ranean station
under Sir John Jervis ; was promoted to the command of the
Albicore sloop early in 1796 ; and subsequently 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 fin(l Captain Wodehouse in la Mignoune 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.

In the spring of 1804, our officer 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 64-
gun ship ; and from that vessel removed, towards the close of
the year 1807, 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 subsequently stationed at Sicily for the protection of that
island.

About the autumn of 1811, 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 Govern-
or Cameron, of New Providence.

* Seep, 282, f Seep. 483.

in

THOMAS ALEXANDER, Esq.,

Rear-Admiral of the Blue.

This officer was a Lieutenant in 1790; commanded the
Hope sloop of war at the capture of a Dutch squadron in Sal-
danha Bay in 1796* ; and subsequently the Carysfort frigate
in the East Indies, where he captured l'Alerte French cor-
vette, of 16 guns. His post commission bears date Dec. 2/,
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, Daedalus, 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 affair, Captain Alexander had intercepted la
Surprise French vessel of war, bound to Europe with two
Ambassadors from Tippoo Sultaun, whose treachery, while he
was expressing a desire to receive an ambassador from Lord
Mornington, the Governor-General, was fully established by
the papers taken at Seringapatam.

Captain Alexander being obliged to resign the command
of the Braave on account of ill health, came home a passenger
in l'lmperieuse 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 was appointed to the Vengeur, stationed
as a guard-ship at Portsmouth; and on the 12th Aug. 1819,
advanced to his present rank.

* Seep. 51.

3 d 2

77*2 REAR-ADMIRALS Of THE BLUE.

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 June
1780, joined the Victory, 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, whose 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 67 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 J ; 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 Fortitude was paid off at Plymouth in April 1783, and
Mr. Smith soon after joined the Ratler sloop, in which he
went to the coast of Guinea, and from thence to the West

* See p. 4, and note \, at p. 33. t See note §, at p. 175, et seq.

% See pp. 15, 501. § See p. 17-

ANDREW 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 which he
served from Feb. 1793 to Aug. 1794, and then became first
Lieutenant of the Defence, 74, commanded by the present
Lord Gambier, 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 l'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 superin-
tended the Impress service at Greenock ; and from Nov. 1813
to Sept. 1815, commanded the Latona, bearing the flag of
Sir Wt Johnstone Hope, atLcith. 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 Hulke, Esq., by whom he has two
sons and two daughters.

Residence. — Hawthornlee, Berwickshire, N. B.

* See p. 246.

774 REAR-ADMIRALS OF THE BLUE.

SIR EDWARD BERRY,

Baronet ; Rear-Admiral of the Blue; and a Knight Commander oft Ik
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 action 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 Comet, and I have, as far as I have
seen, every reason to be satisfied with him, both as a gentleman, and an
officer. I had a few days ago a plan for taking the French brig of war out
of Vado, and intrusted the execution of it to him : it miscarried from an
unforeseen and improbable event, but 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
rvhich ship my pendant rvas flying on the most glorious Va-
lentine's Day, 1797.

"At one, P. M., the Captain havingpassed the sternmost of the enemy'
ships, which formed their van and part of then' centre, consisting of seven-

SIR EDWARD BERRY, BART. //D

teen sail of the line, they on the larboard, we on the starboard tack ; the
Admiral made the signal to tack in succession, but perceiving 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 effect, 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 SantissimaTrinidada,
126; San Josef, 112; Salvador del Mundo, 112; San Nicholas, 80; ano-
ther first rate, and a 74, names unknown.

" I was immediately joined, and most nobly supported, by the Culloden,
Captain Troubridge : the Spanish fleet, not wishing, 1 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 in
their fleet. For near an hour, I believe, (but do not pretend to be correct
as to time,) did the Culloden, and Captain, support this apparently, but
not really, unequal contest ; when the Blenheim passing between us and
the enemy, gave us a respite, and sickened the Dons.

•■' At this time the Salvador del Mundo, and Sanysidro, dropped astern,
and were fired into, in a masterly style, by the Excellent, Captain Colling-
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, disdaining the parade of taking possession of a vanquished enemy,
most gallantly pushed up, with every sail set, to save his okl friend and
messmate, who was to appearance in a critical state ; the Blenheim being
a-head, the Culloden crippled and a-stern. The Excellent ranged up with-
in two feet of the San Nicholas, giving a most tremendous fire. The San
Nicholas luffing up, the San Josef fell on board her ; and the Excellent
passing on for the Santa Trinidada, the Captain resumed her station a-
breast of them, and close alongside: at this time the Captain having lost
her fore-top-mast, not a sail, shroud, nor rope left ; her wheel shot away, and
incapable of further service in the line, or in chaee ; I directed Captain
Miller to put the helm a-starboard, and calling for the boarders, ordered
them to board.

"The soldiers of the G9th, with an alacrity which will ever do them credit,
and Lieutenant Pearson of the same regiment, were almost the foremost
on this service : — the first man who jumped into the enemy's mizen chains,
was Captain Berry, late my first Lieutenant (Captain Miller was in the
very act of going also, but I directed him to remain) ; he was supported
from our sprit-sail yard, which hooked in the mizen rigging. A soldier of
the 69th regiment having broke the upper quarter-gallery window, 1 jumped
in myself, and was followed by others as fast ak possible. I found the ca-
bin doors fastened, and some Spanish officers fired their pistols : but having
broke open the doors, the soldiers fired ; and the Spanish Brigadier (Com-
modore with a distinguishing pendant) fell, as retreating to the quarter-
deck. I pushed immediately onwards for the piartcr-dcck, where I found.

776 REAR-ADMIRALS OF THE BLUE.

Captain Berry in possession of the poop, and the Spanish ensign hauling
down. 1 passed with my people, and Lieutenant Pearson, on the larboard
gangway, to the forecastle, where I met two or three Spanish officers pri-
soners to my seamen — they delivered me their swords. A fire of pistols,
or muskets, opening from the Admiral's stern-gallery, of the San Josef, I
directed the soldiers to fire into her stem ; and calling to Captain Miller,
ordered him to send more men into the San Nicholas, and directed my peo-
ple to board the first rate, which was done in an instant, Captain Berry as-
sisting me into the main chains. At this moment a Spanish officer looked
over the quarter-deck rail, and said they surrendered. From this most wel-
come intelligence, it was not long before I was on the quarter-deck, where
the Spanish Captain, with a bow, presented me his sword, and said the
Admiral was dying of his wounds. I asked him on his honour, if the ship
was surrendered ? he declared she was : on which I gave him my hand, and
desired him to call on his officers and ship's company, and tell them of it ;
which he did : — and on the quarter-deck of a Spanish first rate, ewtrava-
gant as the story may seem, did I receive the sicords of vanquished Span-
iards ; which, as I received, I gave to William Fearney, one of my barge-
men; who put them, with the greatest sangfroid, under his arm. I was
surrounded by Captain Berry, Lieutenant Pearson, of the 69th regiment,
John Sykes, John Thomson, Francis Cooke, all old Agamemnons, and se-
veral other brave men, seamen and soldiers. Thus fell these ships !

" N. B. In boarding the San Nicholas, I believe we lost about 7 killed and
10 wounded ; and about 20 Spaniards lost their lives by a foolish resistance.
None were lost, I believe, in boarding the San Josef.

r HORATIO NELSON.
(Signed) \ RALPH WILLETT MILLER.
( E. BERRY."

Captain Berry's post commission bears date March 6, 1797-
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
complimented the latter on account of his exploits, and con-
doled with him on his misfortune in losing a limb at the at-
tack upon Santa Cruz, that hero introduced his companion to
his Majesty, with the remark, " that he had not experienced
great loss, as this officer was his right hand ! " On the 19th
Dec. following, Captain Berry commissioned the Vanguard,
of 74 guns, fitting for the flag of his friend Nelson, with
whom he soon after returned to the Mediterranean station.

The proceedings of the squadron detached from the fleet
off Cadiz to watch the armament about to sail from Toulon,
under General Buonaparte, and which ended in the total
defeat of the enemy, on the glorious 1 st Aug. 1708, have

SIR EDWARD BERRY, BART. 777

been so amply related in our memoir of Sir James Saumarez *,
that it would be wholly superfluous to notice them again at
large ; we shall therefore content ourselves with observing,
that notwithstanding the excessive damage which the Van-
guard received in the Gulf of Lyons, Rear- Admiral Nelson,
to whom the charge of the squadron had been confided by
Earl St. Vincent, determined not to remove his flag from that
ship, which was soon refitted by the great exertions of Cap-
tain Berry while at anchor in the Sardinian harbour of St.
Pietro, from whence she again sailed in tolerable order.

Soon after the termination of the tremendous conflict in
AboukirBay, Captain Berry was sent to the Commander-in-
Chief with the Rear-Admiral's despatches, from which we
make the following extract : " the support and assistance I
have received from Captain Berry, cannot he sufficiently ex-
pressed. I urns wounded in the head, and obliged to he car-
ried off the deck, hut the service suffered no loss by that event.
Captain Berry was fully equal to the important service then
going on, and to him I must beg leave to refer you for every
information relative to this victory. He ivill present you
with the flag of the second in command, that of the Comman-
der-in-Chief being burnt in V Orient."

On his passage down the Mediterranean in the Leander, of
50 guns, commanded by the present Sir T. B. Thompson, our
officer had the misfortune to be taken prisoner by le Gene-
reux, a French J4. He also received a severe wound in the
desperate action which took place on that occasion f. The
enemy, on taking possession of their prize, not only plundered
the officers and crew of every thing they possessed, but after-
wards by their cruelty and neglect 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-
land by the Hon. Captain Capel, and honors of every kind
were decreed to the conquerors of the Nile. Captain Berry,
after his exchange, was knighted by his Sovereign, received

* Sec note t, at !>• ISO, et ieq. f See p. 395, et acq.

77H REAR-ADMIRALS OF THE BLUE.

a gold medal in common with the other officers who had
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.3'

In the autumn of 1J99^ 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, Ie
Genereux *, and of le Guillaume 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 officer re-
turned to England in the Princess Charlotte frigate ; and
during the remainder of the war, he commanded the Ruby, of
64 guns, stationed in the North Sea. His next appointment
was in the summer of 1805, to the Agamemnon, another ship
of the same class, in which, after having by the most mas-
terly manoeuvres, escaped from a French squadron, consisting
of five sail of the line, two frigates, and a brig, he joined Lord
Nelson's fleet, in time to participate in the glorious battle of

* Sec Superannuated Rear- Admiral Shuldham Peard, in oui' next volume.

i See pp, .'77, ^43.

SIR EDWARD BERRY, BART. 779

Trafalgar ; but it does not appear that any opportunity was
afforded him of particularly distinguishing himself on that oc-
casion.

On the 6th Feb. 1806, we find Sir Edward in the same
ship, assisting at the discomfiture 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 period 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 monarchs, during
their visit to the fleet, at Spithead. He subsequently com-
manded the Royal 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.

WILLIAM PROWSE, Esq.

Rear- Admiral of the Blue ; and a Companion of the most honorable

Military Order of the Bath.

This officer was a Master's Mate on board the Albion, of
74 guns, commanded by Captain George Bowycr, in the
action fought oil Grenada, between Vice- Admiral Byron and

* See p. 261, "( teq.

"80 REAR-ADMIRALS OF THE BLUE.

the Count d'Estaing, July 6, 1779; and in Rodney's battles
with de Guiehen, off Martinique, on the 17th April, and 15th
and 19th May, 1780*. The Albion's loss in those several en-
gagements, amounted to 2~ men killed and 128 wounded ;
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 1782, Rear-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 Barfleur, of 98 guns, bearing the flag
of Rear-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 portion 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 J 4 guns, as first Lieute-
nant, and in that ship again visited the West Indies.

We next find our officer proceeding with Sir John Jervis,
in the Lively frigate, to the Mediterranean station, where he
obtained the rank of Commander 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
appears to have met with the approbation of the Admiralty,
his post commission being confirmed by the Board on the 6th
of the following month.

In 1800, Captain Prowse was selected by Sir Robert Cal-
der, with whom he had before served in the Theseus, to com-
mand his flag-ship, the Prince of Wales, a second-rate, and
he accordingly accompanied that officer to the West Indies in
quest of a French squadron, supposed to have gone thither

* Sec note t, at p. 103, ct seq. t See note *, :it p. 7-°.

WILLIAM PROWSE, ESQ. 781

from Brest, but which had altered its course and entered the
Mediterranean. He returned to England June 22, 1802, and
in the month of August following, was appointed to the Si-
nus frigate, in which, on the renewal of hostilities in 1803,
he made several valuable captures.

During the summer of 1805, the Sirius was employed in
watching the port of Ferrol ; and in the encounter between
Sir Robert Calder's fleet, to which she was attached, and the
combined squadrons of France and Spain *, had 2 men killed
and 3 wounded. Captain Prowse was afterwards placed un-
der the orders of Lord Nelson, and was one of the last per-
sons with whom that great commander ever conversed, being
with him on board the Victory for several hours previous to
the commencement of the battle of Trafalgar, and remaining
by his side until within gun-shot of the enemy's line f.

Our officer was subsequently employed in the Mediterra-
nean, under the orders of Lord Collingwood, to whose favor-
able notice he recommended himself by his exertion and zeal
on many occasions, but particularly by the gallantry evinced
by him, April 1J, 1806, in attacking a very formidable flotilla
of the enemy off the mouth of the Tiber, and compelling the
French Commodore to surrender.

The flotilla consisted of one ship, three brigs, and five
heavy gun-vessels, mounting on the whole 76 long guns, and
21 carronades (2 of which were 68-pounders) . These vessels,
when attacked by Captain Prowse, were lying to in compact
order of battle, within two leagues of the mouth of the river,
and near a dangerous shoal. The action was commenced
within pistol-shot, and continued with great vigour on both
sides for two hours, when the ship struck her colours. It
being now 9 P. M. and the Sirius much crippled, owing to
the smoothness of the water having enabled the enemy to
use their guns with the greatest effect, Captain Prowse was
prevented from pursuing the others, a circumstance much re-
gretted by him, as several were greatly disabled previous to
their sheering off, and had it been day-light would most pro-
bably have shared the fate of their leader. The prize proved
to be la Bergere, of 18 long 12 pounders, 1 30-pounder car-
ronade, and 189 men ; a remarkably fine vessel, commanded

* See p. 405. t See p. 647

782 REAR-ADMIRALS OK THE BLUE.

by Chancy Duolvis, a Capitaine tie Fregate, Commodore oi
Flotilla, and Member of the Legion of Honor. The loss sus-
tained by the Sirins in this clashing affair, amounted to 9 kill-
ed and 20 wounded. Among the former was her Commander's
nephew, Mr. William Adair, Master's Mate. For his dis-
tinguished conduct on this occasion, the Committee of the
Patriotic Fund at Lloyd's voted Captain Prowse a sword or
vase, at his option, value UK)/. The sum of 3G0/. was at the
same time directed to be distributed amongst his wounded
officers and men.

In the spring of 1810, our officer was appointed to the
Theseus, of 74 guns ; and he continued to command that ship
in the North Sea during the remainder of the war. He was
nominated a C. B. June 4, 1815 ; obtained a Colonelcy of
Royal Marines Aug. 12, 1819; and became a Rear-Admiral
July 19, 1821.

Residence. — 3, Tonbridge Place, New Road.

RIGHT HON. LORD MARK ROBERT KERR,

Rear-Admiral of the Blue.

There are two very ancient families of the name of Ken
in Scotland, those of Lothian and Roxhurghe ; which, if they
sprung from one common ancestor, separated too early to be
traced up to the same stock ; but who, in the reign of James
VI. engaged in deadly feuds concerning the right to the War-
denry of the Middle Marshes. They were originally distin-
guished by the designations of Kerr of Fernyhirst, and Kerr
of Cessford ; the latter being ancestor to the present Duke of
Roxburghe, and the former to the noble house of Lothian.

The subject of this sketch is the third son of William John,
fifth Marquis of Lothian, K. T., a General in the army,
and Colonel of the 11th regiment of dragoons, by Elizabeth,
daughter of Chichester Fortescue, Esq., M. P. for the county
of Louth, whose lady was the daughter of Richard, 1st Lord
Momington, grandfather of his Grace the Duke of Wellington.

Lord Mark Robert Kerr was born Nov. 12, 1776; entered
the naval service at an early age, and in 1792 was a Midship-
man of the Lion, 64, in which ship it will be remembered Lord

RIGHT HON. LORD MARK ROBERT KERR. 783

Macartney proceeded on his embassy to China, and returned
from thence to England Sept. 6, 1794, after an absence of
two years. The Lion was at that time commanded by the
late Admiral Sir Erasmus Gower, Knt.* We next find Lord
Mark serving as a Lieutenant on board the Sans Pareil, of 80
guns, in the action off l'Orient, June 23, 1795 ; on which oc-
casion, as already stated at p. 246, three French line-of-battle
ships fell into the hands of the British. He afterwards com-
manded the Fortune sloop of war, mounting 12 guns, on the
Mediterranean station, under the orders of Sir John Jervis,
by whom he was promoted, Feb. 18, 1797, to be Captain of
the San Ysidro, 74, one of the prizes taken four days before
in the memorable battle off Cape St. Vincent. His Lordship's
subsequent appointments were, March 7, 1797? the day on
which he was confirmed in his post 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
19th March in the following year, captured the Spanish brig
of war El Vincelo, of 26 guns and 144 men. In the Fisgard
Lord Mark cruised with considerable activity and success on
the coasts of Spain and Portugal. He was advanced to the
rank of Rear- Admiral July 19, 1821.

His Lordship married, July 18, 1799, Charlotte, youngest
daughter of the last Marquis of Antrim, and sister of the
present Countess.

Residence. — Holmwood, near Henley on Thames.

* Sir Erasmus Gower died May 31, 1814, in the 7-d year of his age,
after a faithful and honorable servitude in the navy of near 60 years, dur-
ing which he was esteemed, in all his professional stations, for his amiable
and eminent qualifications. A memoir of Sir E., with some interesting
particulars relative to Lord Macartney's embassy, will be found in the
Naval Chronicle, vols. iv. & xxx.

784 REAR-ADMIRALS OF THK BLUE.

SIR JAMES ATIIOL WOOD, Knt.

Hear- Admiral of the Blue ; and a Companion of the most honorable

Military Order of the Bath.

This officer, descended from the ancient family of Wood,
of Largo, in Fifeshire, is the third son of the late Alexander
Wood, of Perth, N. B. Esq., and a brother of the present Sir
Mark Wood, Bart., formerly Chief Engineer of Bengal, and
M. P. for the borough of Gatton, in Surrey.

He entered the naval service at an early age, and during
the war with our American colonics, was engaged in a great
variety of service, both at sea and on shore, particularly at
the defence of Quebec, in 17/6, the reduction of Charlestown,
in 1780, and in the memorable battle between Rodney and
de Grasse, April 12, 1782, on which glorious occasion he was
second Lieutenant of the Anson, 64, commanded by Captain
Blair, with whom he had formerly served in the Princess
Royal, a second rate, bearing the flag of Vice- Admiral Byron *.

During the ensuing peace, Mr. Wood visited the continent,
and resided for about three years in the south of France. He
afterwards went to the East Indies, and on his return ex-
plored the greater portion of the western coast of Africa f.
From thence he proceeded, in 1793, on business of a private
nature to Barbadoes ; and finding on his arrival at that island,
an armament about to sail against the French colonies, he
immediately tendered his services to Sir John Jervis, the
Commander-in-Chief, who received him on board his flag-
ship, the Boyne, and soon after ordered him to take charge of
some cartel ships going to Europe with prisoners of war.
Unfortunately he reached St. Maloes during the sanguinary
government of Robespierre, who, without any respect to the
laws or common usage of nations, not only seized the vessels,
but threw their commander and crews into prison, in conse-
quence of which, a very considerable period elapsed, before

* Captain Blair was among the slain. See note at p. 39.
f Mr. Wood's valuable communications to Mr. Arrowsmith, respect-
ing such parts of Africa as had been previously unknown, were fully ac-
knowledged by that able geographer, who died April 23, 1823.

SIR JAMES ATHOL WOOD. /85

any intelligence whatsoever could be obtained, either of Lieu-
tenant Wood or of those under his orders.

From St. Maloes our officer was transferred to Paris ; and
after undergoing an examination by the Committee of Public
Safety, who, it appears, suspected the men brought by him
to France were royalists, was consigned to the Abbaye, in
which, and various other prisons, he was confined for many
months. Being at length liberated on his 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 following letter addressed by General O'Hara,
who had been taken prisoner at the siege of Toulon (and with
whom he formed an intimacy during his captivity), to the late
Viscount Melville, at that time Principal Secretary of State
for the War Department : —

" Paris, Prison Du Dreneux, April 6, 17^5.
" Sir, — Give me leave to present to you Lieutenant Wood, of the Royal
Navy, whose long confinement in a common jail, where our acquaintance
began, renders him highly deserving your protection, as the unexampled se-
verities he experienced arose from his manly endeavours to oblige those
faithless people to carry into execution the object of his mission to this
country.

" Lieutenant Wood will, I am fully persuaded, Sir, have a further claim
to your good offices, when you are acquainted that several English families
who had languished for many months in the prisons of this town, the man-
sions of despair and accumulated cruelties, are indebted to his friendly in-
terference for their liberty ; and that likewise the exchange of several offi-
cers of the royal navy have been in a great measure brought about by his
unremitting exertions.

" I trust, Sir, you will have the goodness to forgive the liberty I take of
endeavouring to contribute my feeble aid to be useful to an officer, whose
sufferings have been so great, and fortunes so deeply wounded from a spi-
rited discharge of his duty.

" I have the honor to be, Sir, with the greatest respect,
" Your most obedient, and most humble Servant,
(Signed) " Charles O'Hara."
" Right Hon. Henry Dundas,
&c. &c. &c."

Among the Englishmen then in the power of France was
Captain Cotes, late of the Thames frigate ; from whom, pre-
vious to his departure from Paris, Lieutenant Wood, although
personally unknown to him, received a letter, dated at Gisors,

vol, i. 3 E

780 REAR-ADMIRALS OF THE BLUE.

ia the department de l'Eure, from which we extract the fol-
lowing passage : —

" The interest you take in my misfortunes, merits my sincere acknow-
ledgements, and for which I shall entertain the most lasting rememhrance.
I am, I thank you, in want of nothing but health; would but the Great Be-
stower of it grant me that, I should be happy, and to assure you personally
how much I am,

" Your grateful humble servant,

(Signed) " James Cotes."
" Lieut. Wood, Rue Fauxbourg St. Honore",
No. 64, k Paris."

Soon after his return to England, Lieutenant Wood was
advanced to the rank of Commander, and appointed to the
Favorite, sloop of war, in which, after cruising for some time
in the Channel, he proceeded to the West Indies, where he
arrived in time to assist in quelling the insurrections which
had long raged in the islands of St. Vincent and Grenada, and
threatened the total destruction of those colonies. Among
the many instances of his activity and zeal while on that ser-
vice, was the capture and destruction of three formidable
French privateers in the course of one day. These vessels,
which he fell in with in the Gulf of Paria, had been long and
but too successfully employed in carrying provisions to the
insurgents of the latter island. Subsequent to this event,
Captain Otway, the senior officer on that station, ordered the
Favorite to cruise to windward of Grenada, where she fell in
with three other armed vessels, chased them during a whole
day in light variable winds, and at length came up with a ship
mounting 16 guns, formerly a Liverpool letter of marque, but
then an enemy's cruiser, which struck without firing a shot ;
and Captain Wood by this means obtaining a knowledge of
the private night signal, was fortunate enough to get posses-
sion of her consorts before day-light. From this period no
supplies were ever received by the brigands, for the only ves-
sel that ever afterwards attempted to come over was taken in
a most gallant manner by the boats of the Zebra sloop of
war, under the directions of Lieutenant Senhouse.

The sheet containing our memoir of Rear-Admiral Otway
had passed through the press previous to the publication of a
pamphlet entitled " A Narrative of the Insurrection in
the Island of Grenada ;" we therefore avail ourselves o

SIR JAMES ATIIOL WOOD. 787

this opportunity to contradict some of the statements con-
tained therein, which certainly lessen the credit due to that
officer, and the subject of this memoir. At p. 158 of that nar-
rative, the writer asserts, that the garrison at Labay were
abandoned to their fate, with hardly a probability of effect-
ing a retreat. So far from this having been the case, Captain
Otway ordered the Favorite to remain off that place to the last
moment, and to attend the garrison along shore in their re-
treat to Sauteur. At day-light on the morning of March 1 ,
1796, Captain Wood, observing the enemy take possession
of Pilot Hill, weighed and worked up through an intricate
channel full of rocks and shoals, and anchored off Sauteur
about 3 P. M. The insurgents were at this time bringing their
heavy cannon forward by means of a string of mules, upwards
of 100 in number, and at 5 o'clock made their appearance
on the neighbouring heights. There being no other vessels
than the Favorite, and an armed transport named the Sally,
then at that anchorage, Captain Wood immediately pressed
two large sloops which were lying at Isle Ronde, moored them
close to the beach, and before 8 o'clock, succeeded in bring-
ing off all the troops and the followers of the army, amounting
in the whole to between 1,100 and 1,200 men, of different co-
lours, whom he conveyed in safety to St. George's, where
they were landed by day-light the next morning. Had any
delay occurred in the embarkation, there can be no doubt that
every man of them would have been massacred, as the post
of Sauteur was not tenable against cannon, and the brigands
gave no quarter. It may be proper in this place to mention,
that there is not depth of water in Labay for a ship of war to
approach the shore near enough to fire her guns with effect,
while she would, in attempting to do so, be a dead mark for
the enemy's artillery placed on the adjacent heights ; and that
Pilot Hill, after the destruction of the town, was no lonsrer a
post to be defended with any prospect of success, as the in-
surgents, being greatly superior in numbers, commanded
every part of the shore, and the garrison could not protect
their own landing place, or even obtain a supply of water.
No encomiums, however, are too great for the gallant Major
Wright, who commanded there.

At p. 146 of the pamphlet alluded to, an unsuccessful at-

3 e 2

7H& REAH-ADMIItALS OF THB BLUE.

tempt is said to have been made by a boat belonging to the
Favorite to cut a schooner, loaded with provisions and wine,
which had been taken by some armed canoes, out of the har-
bour of Guyave. On the contrary, Captain Wood was not
acquainted with the capture of that vessel. This error, had
it been the only one into which the author has fallen respect-
ing the proceedings of the King's ships, we should have con-
sidered of too little importance to mention. At p. 152, he
gives the credit of capturing the privateers, taken by the Fa-
vorite on the coast of Trinidad, to the Alarm and Zebra;
whereas Captain Wood had no communication with them,
either at the time of the capture or afterwards. We could
point out several other inaccuracies in the Narrative ; but
wishing to present our readers with one which we believe will
not admit of contradiction, shall conclude by recommending
those who feel an interest in the subject, to compare the con-
tents of p. 694 of this volume with those of the last but four
of the pamphlet in question. There are many still in exist-
ence who can corroborate the truth of the former.

In September 1796, a few days prior to the departure of
Sir Hugh C. Christian for England, Captain Wood waited
upon that officer, in company with Captain Otway, (whose
attention he had repeatedly called to the situation of Trini-
dad,) and represented the facility with which that import-
ant settlement might be wrested from the Spaniards, and
added to the possessions of Great Britain, at the same time
earnestly entreating him to mention the subject to Mr. Secre-
tary Dundas on his arrival in London. On the 5th Jan. in
the ensuing year, Sir Ralph Abercrombie arrived at Marti-
nique, in the Arethusa, from Europe. Captain Wood, anxious
to know whether the General had been instructed to proceed
against Trinidad, went on board the frigate before she an-
chored ; and in the course of a long conversation, in which he
urged the great importance of taking possession of that island,
together with the Spanish squadron lying there, was happy
to find that Sir Ralph perfectly coincided in opinion with him ;
and that although he had brought out no particular orders to
that effect, his attention had been directed thereto by a note
from either Sir Hugh Christian or Mr. Dundas, previous to
his sailing from England to assume the chief command of the

SIR JAMES ATHOL WOOD. 7^9

land forces employed in the West Indies. The General con-
cluded his observations by stating, that he would discuss the
matter with the naval Commander-in-Chief, immediately on
his arrival at Port Royal. This conversation took place in
the Arethusa's cabin, in the presence of the present Earl of
Hopetoun, and others of the gallant Abercrombie's staff,
among whom, we believe, was Colonel Frederick Maitland,
now a Lieutenant-General.

On the very next day Captain Wood received instructions
from Rear-Admiral Henry Harvey, to inspect the defences of
Trinidad, of which he made the following report : —

" Sir. — In pursuance of your secret orders of the 6th inst., I arrived
with his Majesty's ship under my command off Trinidad at 7 o'clock on
Sunday evening, the 8th inst., where I spoke an American who had left
the Gulph of Paria that morning. After receiving all the information that
I could from him, I proceeded on to enter the first Boca ; hoisted out a
small, but very fast sailing boat, which had been blacked like a canoe for
this express purpose, and sent an intelligent officer in, with directions to
post himself on a small island covered with a thick wood, and to haul the
boat up into a small cove, where it would be impossible to see her either
from the Spanish ships or the shore. The officer remained on the island
until 8 o'clock next morning.

" There are three two-decked ships lying in Shagaramus Bay, not moor-
ed, no sails bent, nor top-gallant-yards across. The Spanish Admiral, bear-
ing a flag at the mizen, lies the inside ship. In fact they are in their old
position *.

" The Favorite's boat rowed round them several times during the night ;
and it is my opinion that these ships might be boarded and carried by
boats in the night, without the loss of a man, as they keep but a very in-
different look out.

" On the East point of Parsang's Island, or Gaspar Grande, which forms
the West entrance of Shagaramus Bay, there is a small battery of masonry,
about twenty feet above the water's edge, where the enemy have 4 guns ;
and on the summit of the same island there is a look-out house, and some
huts, with a flag-staff lately erected, but no works yet thrown up ; nor is
there the least appearance of any encampment about the bay ; nor any
fortification erected on the peninsula of Point Gourd, or the island of Sha-
garamus, which completely commands it, and also Trimbladaire Bay, and
the Car^nage to the eastward of it, where there is a most capital landing
place for troops.

" There is also a two-decked ship, of 80 guns, and a frigate, that now lie
seven or eight miles higher up the gulph, abreast of Port d'Espagne ; but at

* Captain Wood had reconnoitred the enemy's squadron a few days be-
fore, and reported their exact position to Rear-Admiral Harvey.

790 REAR-ADMIRALS OF THE BLUE.

such a distance that the guns on shore could give them no protection ill
case of an attack. From the best information 1 have been able to procure,
there are 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 island, 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 with my life.

" I have the honor to be, Sir,

" Your most obedient, humble servant,
(Signed) "J. A. Wood."
" Rear-Admiral H. Harvey, SfC. fyc.
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 ; 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 squadron, 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 bay
and road of Les Quebas, the only road that communicates between the
plantations on the north side of the island and the town of Port d'Espagne ;
this would effectually prevent the enemy having any knowledge 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 Bocas
about nine o'clock in the evening. An attentive observer always knows by

* The Prince of Wales was Rear-Admiral Harvey's flag-ship-

SIR JAMES ATHOL WOOD.

791

the appearance of the high hills whether there will be a good breeze or not
during the night in the Bocas ; but indeed it is seldom or ever calm in the
great Boca at this season of the year.

" The squadron should proceed into the Gulph through the great
or southernmost Boca. As soon as the Gulph is entered, the sea is as
smooth as a mill pond, and it is most probable that a stretch of 6 or 7
miles to the southward, and a tack of 5 or 6 miles to the northward,
will enable the squadron either to enter Shagaramus Bay, or to weather
it. The troops ought to be immediately embarked in the boats,
and an attack made on Gasper Grande, where the enemy have erected a
redoubt surrounded with pallisades, since last reconnoitred. Three hun-
dred men would ensure complete success to this attack ; the rest of the
troops ought instantly to be landed in Trimbladaire Bay, and take posses-
sion of the neck of land which separates Point Gourd from the main, where
there is nothing to oppose them ; by having possession of Point Gourd,
and Gasper Grande, the enemy's ships have no retreat nor communication
with the shore left them, and must fall into our hands ; Point Gourd not
only commands Shagaramus Bay, but also Trimbladaire Bay, and is 50
yards higher than Gaspar Grande.

" Incase any black troops accompany the expedition, it might be proper
to land them on the low marshy land, to the southward of 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. Wood."

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 commission
was confirmed by the Admiralty, March 27, 1797-

Soon after the above important event, the San Damaso
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 Cape
of Good Hope, under the orders of Sir Hugh C. Christian, by
whom he was sent, in company with a small squadron, upon
a cruise off the islands of Mauritius and Bourbon, during
which intelligence was received that two large French fri-
gates had been committing great depredations in the Indian
seas, and were proceeding towards Madagascar.

In consequence of this information, the squadron went in
pursuit of the enemy ; arid at length Captain Wood disco-
vered a large vessel at anehor near the former French settle

792 REAR-ADMIRALS OF THE KLlJE.

mcnt of Fort Dauphine. The rest of the ships being to ice -
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 endeavoured to recover the
possession of their deserted vessel. Very luckily, the Gar-
land's boats, being to windward, first reached and secured
her ; 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 ; 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 considerable
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 vessels 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 continuance at Madagascar, he surveyed the
coast from Fort Dauphine* to St. Luce, and about three miles to the south-
ward of the latter place discovered an anchorage within the reef, sufficient
to contain a numerous fleet of line-of-battle ships.

SIR JAMKS ATHOL WOOD. 7^3

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
manoeuvres, succeeded in capturing, FAvanture de 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
event of a war with Spain; the reason why his suggestion was
not acted upon, it is not our province to enquire :

" Permit me to lay before you a few observations made during my last
cruise on the north coast of Spain, which in the event of a war with that
country, an event that appears to me not very distant, might prove advan-
tageous to his Majesty's service. There are several small ports from Cape
Pinas to the eastward of it, from whence the Spaniards draw very considerable
quantities of large timber for building line-of-battle ships. This timber is
cut in the mountains where it abounds, and during the floods is floated
down the numerous rivers along that coast, particularly Riva de Cella,
Riva del Campo, Tina Mayor, St. Vincente de la Rarquera, and Villa Vi-
ciosa. There is water enough for sloops of war and small frigates at Riva
de Cella, and Riva del Campo, but the entrance is narrow and would re-
quire a pilot. The Acasta watered at Riva de Cella, at which time, the
latter end of Oct. 1803, there was a quantity of timber floated and floating
down the river. The Spanish government at this time had just appointed
a person to raise seamen for their navy, as is customary in war time. This
man dined on board the Acasta, and informed me of the circumstance.
What struck me as of the greatest importance to this country was the fine
road, I may almost say harbour, of Mount St. Antonio. This impregnable
mountain, which commands the road of St. Antonio, is situated at the
west entrance thereof, and is joined to the continent by a low neck of
sand. On the highest part of the mountain the Spaniards have a small

794 REAR-ADMIRALS OF THE BLUE.

fort, which might be surprised. Ships may lie at anchor under the pro
tection of this mountain, out of gun-shot of the main land. It appears to
me equally as strong by nature as Gibraltar ; and when it is considered
that a squadron of British ships may leave the road in the evening, and
appear off either Rochefort or Ferrol next day, it must be considered as a
place of very great importance to Great Britain to be possessed of. It is
also in sight of the two principal Spanish ports of St. Andero and Bilboa.
The possession of this place would also enable us to supply all the north of
Spain with British manufactures through the numerous little ports on the
coast, and to make our returns in dollars or wool. The French, at present,
monopolize the whole trade of the coast, and make their returns in dollars.
It is carried on in small chasse-mare'es, or boats which never quit the land
very far, and in war time wear Spanish colours.

(Signed) " J. A. Wood."

Towards the latter end of 1804, Captain Wood was ordered
to escort a very valuable fleet to the West Indies. Before
his arrival at Jamaica, Sir John T. Duckworth, the Com-
mander-in-Chief on that station, had heard of his recall, and
determined to return to England in the Acasta. With this
view he appointed his own Captain to supersede Captain
Wood, and nominated the latter to the Hercule, a 74-gun
ship, then at sea, and in which it was well known his suc-
cessor intended to hoist his flag; consequently leaving our
officer without any ship, to make his way to England in the
best manner that he could. Captain Wood strongly remon-
strated with the Vice-Admiral against this measure, which
he conceived to be highly unjust and oppressive, as he had
been appointed to the Acasta by the Board of Admiralty.
Notwithstanding his representations, however, Sir John per-
severed, and Captain Wood was therefore obliged to return
to England as a passenger on board of his own ship.

Immediately that the Lords of the Admiralty were ap-
prized of this proceeding, they re-appointed Captain Wood
to the Acasta ; and, at the same time, adopted a regulation
to prevent, in future, any Admiral upon a foreign station,
from exercising his authority so much to the detriment of the
public service.

Subsequent events, which are generally known to the pro-
fession, prevented Captain Wood from resuming the command
of the Acasta ; but he was soon after appointed in succession
to the Uranie and Latona frigates ; and in the latter, after
serving for some time in the Channel, again ordered to convoy

SIR JAMES ATHOL WOOD. 795

a fleet to the West Indies. Previous to his departure from
England, he took the liberty of calling the attention of the
first Lord of the Admiralty to the state and position of the
enemy's squadron in the roads of Isle d'Aix, it being his opi~
nion that the whole of the ships there might be brought out by
a coup -de-main. After some correspondence on the subject,
Mr. Grey named a day and hour for the discussion of this
affair at the Admiralty, where the Admirals Pole and Mark-
ham, and also Mr. Tucker, the Secretary, were present. The
following appears to have been Captain Wood's proposal :

That an equal number of line-of-battle ships to those of the enemy
at that time moored off Isle d'Aix, in a line a-breast, nearly N. E. and
S. W., should be selected. That each of those ships should have an ad-
dition to her complement of 200 seamen and 100 marines. Each Captain
to be made acquainted with the ship of the enemy he was to lay on board
on the weather bow, the weathermost ship of the enemy to be called num-
ber one, according to the state of the wind. The general bearing of the
enemy's squadron from the usual anchorage of the British in Basque. Roads
was S. E., and consequently a S. W. or N. E. wind, a leading one in or
out of d'Aix Roads, and the attacking ships might have varied their po-
sition so as to bring the enemy's squadron nearly two points more to
leeward, according to the wind. The time proposed for the attack was
about two hours before day-light, and after the enemy's ships had tended
to the ebb-tide, boats properly protected being previously placed on the edge
of the Boyart shoal and Isle d'Aix with lights darkened towards the enemy.
Launches with carpenters and axes ready to cut the enemy's cables, and
every man being fully acquainted with what he was to do. A sufficient
number of small craft ready to proceed with anchors and cables. The at-
tacking squadron to be led in by the Latona, and to pass to windward of
the enemy's weathermost ship ; and when she had passed, to burn a false
fire, or to shew two lights, at which time each attacking ship was to bear
up and lay her opponent on board on the weather bow. The vessels to be
immediately lashed together. After cutting the cables, their sails to be
loosed ; by which, and the assistance of the ebb-tide, they might have been
brought out to Basque Roads in half an hour, or less. Frigates and small
craft to have kept up a fire to amuse the battery on Isle d'Aix, and to
assist as otherwise directed. Any number of ships might have been
ready in Basque Roads to secure the prizes.

Notwithstanding the apparent practicability of this plan, it
was considered by those who had to deliberate on the pro-
priety of attempting its execution, that there was more to be
risked than gained. Captain Wood's opinion was therefore
over-ruled.

The Latona formed part of the squadron under the orders of

796 REAR-ADMIRALS OK THE BLUE.

the present Sir Charles Brisbane at the capture of Curac,oa,
Jan. 1, 1807; and, together with the Arcthusa, commanded
by that distinguished officer, bore the principal part in the
transactions of that memorable day. Those ships, as we have
already stated at p. 740, entered the harbour in close order
of battle, some time before the rest of the squadron ; and whilst
the latter engaged Fort Republique, Captain Wood, who had
taken up a most excellent position, soon silenced the fire of
all that part of the enemy's force opposed to him ; namely,
Fort Amsterdam, the opposite batteries, a frigate and other
armed vessels. He was afterwards ordered to warp his ship
against Fort Republique ; but before the others which lay in
in his way, could be got afloat, the capitulation for the sur-
render of the island was agreed to.

Upon this honorable and glorious service, Captain Wood
was second in command ; and to the credit of all concerned,
it is but fair to remark, that an enterprise more wisely
planned, or more gallantly executed, is not to be found in our
naval annals. The Commodore, in his official despatches,
bore ample testimony to the merits of all employed in the
undertaking ; and, as a testimony of the King's high appro-
bation of their conduct, the respective commanders were each
presented with a gold medal on the occasion *.

Subsequent to the conquest of Curagoa, Captain Wood was
entrusted by Sir Alexander Cochrane, who had succeeded to
the chief command on that station, with the blockade of the
.Danish islands, which terminated in their surrender, at the
latter end of 1807 f. He afterwards removed to the Captain,
of 74 guns, and in her was present at the reduction of Mar-
tinique %. His next appointment was to the Neptune, a
second-rate, in which he continued to be actively employed
till the summer of 1810, when he joined the Pompee, of 74
guns ; and after serving for some time on the Lisbon and
Channel stations, proceeded to the Mediterranean, where he
remained till the conclusion of the war. He received the
honor of knighthood on his return from the West Indies, as a

* The Committee of the Patriotic Fund at Lloyd's, voted a sword or
vase (at his option) of the value of 200/. to Captain Brisbane, and swords
or vases value 100/. each, to the Captains Wood, Lydiard, and Bolton.
+ See p. 263. \ See p. 264.

SIR JAMES ATHOL WOOD. 7$7

reward for his general services ; was nominated a C. B. June
4, 1815 ; and advanced to the rank of Rear-Admiral, July
19, 1821 *.

Residence. — H 4, Albany, Piccadilly.

THOMAS HARVEY, Esq.

Rear-Admiral of the Blue ; and a Companion of the most honorable Mili-
tary Order of the Bath.

This officer is the second son of the late Sir Henry Harvey,
K. B. who commanded the Ramillies, of J4 guns, in Earl
Howe's action, June 1, 1794 j captured, in conjunction with
Sir Ralph Abercrombie, the Spanish island of Trinidad, in
Feb. 1/97 J and died an Admiral of the White, Dec. 28, 1810.

In 1796, we find him commanding in succession the Lace-
demonian and Pelican sloops of war. The latter formed part
of the squadron employed at the reduction of the above-
named colony ; immediately after which he was promoted to
the rank of Post-Captain, in the Prince of Wales, a second-

* Sir James A. Wood's younger brother, Andrew, like himself, entered
the naval service at a very early age, went to India after the peace of
1 783, and served some time as chief officer of the Sir Edward Hughes, a
vessel (originally intended for a 50-gim ship) belonging to the E. I. Com-
pany. At the time when a war was subsequently expected with Holland,
he was sent, in the command of a small vessel, to the Straits of Sunda, for
the purpose of informing thirty sail of Indiamen of that circumstance. Un-
fortunately, his vessel was wrecked at the entrance of the Straits, and it was
with great difficulty that any of the crew reached the shore. Impressed,
however, with a strong sense of the importance of his mission, he took an
open boat, and, in defiance of the elements, and of the Malays, who mur-
dered more than half of his men, he cruised in the Straits during three
months, and succeeded in giving, the necessary intelligence to twenty-nine
sail out of the thirty. Approving highly of his diligence and intrepidity,
the different governments concurred in recommending him for promotion
in his own line. Anxious to rejoin the Sir Edward Hughes, and all the
ships of the season having left Bombay, he bought a small vessel, of less than
five tons, had her decked, and, with three Lascars on board, embarked for
the Cape of Good Hope, where he arrived in safety after a passage of 63
days. Not finding any ship there that was proceeding to England, and con-
ceiving the most perilous part of the voyage to be over, he again set out in
his little bark, with three foreign seamen ; but, to the deep regret of his
family, he was never heard of more !

798 REAR -ADMIRALS OF THE BLUE.

rate, bearing his father's flag ; and in that ship assisted at
the attack upon Porto Rico, in the ensuing month of April *.
His post commission bears date March 2J, \~^YJ .

Captain Harvey's subsequent appointments were to tlu
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, 1J99. The Unite was attach-
ed to the armament (under Rear-Admiral Duckworth) which
took possession of the Danish and Swedish West India
islands, in March 1801 f; and she was subsequently ordered
to escort a large fleet of merchantmen to England. Previous
to his leaving the West Indies, the inhabitants of Montserrat
voted Captain Harvey the sum of 100Z. 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 Collingwood's
fleet off Carthagena.

In our memoir of Sir W. Sidney Smith, p. 316, et seq., 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. 112, et seq.

f At the period of the Northern Confederacy — that confederacy which
our great hero Nelson annihilated before the walls of Copenhagen — Rear-
Admiral Duckworth and Lieutenant-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 74-
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,
after some little hesitation, agreed to capitulate. On the morning of the24th,
the squadron, reinforced by another frigate and an armed ship, with a num-
ber of soldiers, appeared off St. Martin; and the Governor refusing to sur«

THOMAS HARVEY, ESQ. *J99

on in that quarter, we shall here present our readers with a
more detailed narration.

On the 10th Feb. Sir John T. Duckworth, in the Royal
George, of 100 guns, accompanied by the Pompee, 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 ; 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 ; Standard,
64, Captain Thomas Harvey ; Active frigate, Captain R. H.
Moubray ; and Endymion frigate, Hon. T. B. Capel. Nothing
of any consequence occurred till the night of the 14th, when
the Ajax was unfortunately destroyed by 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 was 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 of cannon was
also continued upon the British, from some batteries on the
European side of the Hellespont, which, however, occasioned

render, the army was immediately landed, uuder the command of Brigadier-
Generals Maitland and Fuller, assisted hy 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 vain, and must lead to de-
struction, the enemy now agreed to a verbal summons, and by midnight,
the terms of capitulation were signed and exchanged. On the 28th, the
islands of St. Thomas and St. John, with their dependencies, submitter! ,
and on the 31st, the island of Santa Cruz followed their example.

♦ Seep. 64s,

800 REAR-ADMIRALS OF THE BLUE.

but little injury. At 9h 30' A. M. tbe Canopus entered the
narrow passage of Sestos and Abydos, and sustained a very
heavy cannonade from botb castles, within point-blank shot
of each ; but the very spirited return it met with from that
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, mounting
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 j 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 Pompe'e, within the Dardanelles,

" Fed. 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 fire, 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.

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 Pomp6e 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 Oates, of the PompeVs 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
him 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 PompeVs fire, and run on shore on
the European side, in the N. W. ; at the same time, Lieutenant Beccroft,
of the Pompe'e, was detached to take possession of the line-of-battle ship
on which the Thunderer's andPompee's guns could still bear, under the
protection likewise of the Repulse, which you had considerately sent to my
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 PompeVs boats, and completely destroyed.

" Captain 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 Majesty's ship Thunderer, and of the marines employed with them,
to board and burn 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 nc 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 burn, I have directed Lieutenants Carroll and Arabin,
of his Majesty's ship PompeV 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

yoL, i; 3 f

802 REAR-ADMIRALS OF THE BLUE.

the protection and direction of Captain Moubray, of his Majesty's ship
Active, whose name I 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 was more particularly engaged,
and to destroy her. Captain Talbot placed his ship admirably well in
support of the Pompde, thereby raking the linc-of-battle ship and the
frigate we were engaged with, when I made his signal to anchor, as the
Pompee had previously done, under the directions I gave for that purpose
to Captain Dacres, which were promptly and ably 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,
does 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 success 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."

" Vice-Admiral
" Sir John Thomas Duckworth, K. B."

The Turkish squadron having thus been annihilated, Sir W.
Sidney Smith's division rejoined Vice-Admiral Duckworth,
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 to 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 j and notwithstanding the

THOMAS HARVEY, 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 i2-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, 74; and 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 Collingwood, we find the name of each
of the Captains mentioned in terms of high approbation .

+ See p. 482.
3p2

804 K EAR-ADMIRALS OF THE BLUE.

Northumberland, third-rates ; the former was attached 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 battle of June 1, 1/94 ; 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.

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 Arabella, 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 avail ourselves of this opportunity, the earliest that has presented
itself, of correcting two mistakes which occur in our memoir of Rear-Ad-
miral John Harvey, p. 614. Instead of continuing- in the Southampton at
the Leeward Islands till the end of the French revolutionary war, he was
removed from that ship into the Amphitrite frigate, about May 1801, and
soon after ordered to England. He left the latter in October following.
It is true that he commanded the Royal Sovereign, but not for so long a
period as we have mentioned. On Captain Bedford, who had succeeded
him in the command of that ship, obtaining his flag, Aug. 12, 1812, he was
again offered her, but did not accept the appointment.

f Sir Richard Bickerton married the sister of Mr. R. H. Moubray's
mother.

RICHARD HUSSEY MOUBRAY, ESQ. 805

ship formed part of the grand fleet under Earl Howe. Dur-
ing the ensuing three years, he served successively in the Pe-
gasus and Andromeda frigates, and Europa of 50 guns, on
the Newfoundland, Channel, and Jamaica stations : and in the
latter was present at the capture of Jeremie and Cape Nichola
Mole, St. Domingo, by Commodore Ford and Lieutenant-
Colonel Whitelocke, Sept. 20 and 23, 1793 *.

By the former officer, with whom he had proceeded to the
West Indies in the preceding year, Mr. Moubray was soon
after promoted to the rank of Lieutenant, in the Magicienne,
of 32 guns. From that frigate he returned to the Europa,
still carrying the Commodore's broad pendant, and was first
Lieutenant of her at the capture of Port-au-Prince. He had
previously acted as Captain of the Iphigenia, and assisted in
landing the troops at Port-au-Prince f .

* See p. 505.

t In 1794, the campaign on the Jamaica station opened by the reduction
of the different districts on the north and south sides of the Bight of Leo-
gane. On the 3d Feb., the strong post at Cape Tibcron was taken after a
sharp conflict, in which the British had 3 men killed and 10 wounded.
About fifty of the French Republicans were slain ; the remainder, amount-
ing to 600, retired to Aux Cayes, leaving behind them a considerable quan-
tity of stores, artillery, and ammunition. Shortly afterwards, the post of
PArul, six miles from Leogane, garrisoned by 600 men, was stormed by
the troops under Lieutenant-Colonel Whitelocke.

On the 30th May, Commodore Ford having collected a squadron in the
road of l'Archaye, consisting of one 74, two 64's, one 50, three frigates,
two sloops of war, and one smaller vessel ; and embarked a large body of
troops, with stores, artillery, &c. under Brigadier-General Whyte, sailed to
the attack of Port-au-Prince. On the same evening, the ships of war and
transports anchored in their respective stations ; and the operations being
ready to commence, a flag of truce was sent the next morning to demand
the surrender of the place ; but as the boat approached the harbour, the
officer charged with the despatch was informed that no communication
would be allowed : he consequently returned to the Europa.

The naval and military commanders agreeing in opinion, that the posses-
sion of Fort Bizotten was an object of the first consideration, the necessary
preparations were immediately made for attacking it. Accordingly, at 7h
30' A. M. on the 1st June, the Belliqueux and Sceptre, 64's, got under
weigh with the sea breeze, and were placed by their Captains (James Brine
and J. R. Dacres) with great precision, against that fortress, and instantly
commenced a brisk and well-directed fire upon it. The Penelope frigate,
Captain B. S. Rowley, at the same time anchored close to the shore, to

/

806 REAR-ADMIRALS OF THE BLUE.

On the 9th June, 1794, five days after the surrender of that
important place, Mr. Moubray was appointed to command
the Fly sloop of war, and ordered to convey Captain Rowley
and Lieutenant-Colonel Whitelocke, the bearers of the de-
spatches relative thereto, to England. In the ensuing month
of December, we find him escorting H. R. H. the Duke of
York from Helveotsluys to Harwich ; and subsequently as-
sisting at the capture of two Dutch line-of-battle ships, one
frigate, two sloops of war, nine East Indiamen, and about
sixty other vessels in Plymouth Sound. He was afterwards
employed in convoying the trade to and from Gibraltar, and
the different ports in the Channel.

Captain Moubray's post commission bears date April 10,

flank a ravine at the back of the fort; whilst the Irresistible, 74, Captain
J. Henry, and the Europa, 50, Captain G. Gregory, kept under sail to throw
in a broadside when opportunity offered, as well as to keep off a body of
the enemy's horse, and some brigands, who appeared disposed to annoy the
landing of the troops, which was completely effected by five o'clock in the
evening, under the direction of Captain T. Affleck, of the Fly sloop. Al-
though the fort returned the fire of the ships but slowly after they were
placed, and sometimes appeared quite silenced ; yet the enemy kept the
colours still flying, and fired a shot now and then till six o'clock in the
evening, when a most tremendous thunder storm and deluge of rain put an
end to all firing. At half past eight, Captain Daniel, of the 41st regiment,
with 60 men, stormed and carried the fort, with the loss of Captain Wallis,
of the 22d regiment, and six men killed, Captain Daniel and three men
wounded.

Arrangements were now made for landing the whole of the troops, and
to make a general attack upon the sea batteries and heights which defended
the town. But on the evening of the 3d, some deserters came off to the
Europa, and informed the Commodore, that the commissaries, with the
principal part of their force, had made their escape towards Aux Cayes, to
avoid being surrounded by the British troops ; by which means the town
and shipping were saved, as they had prepared several merchant-ships with
combustibles, and moored them in such a situation as to set fire to the
whole.

On the morning of the 4th, the ships of war got under sail, and hoisted
the British colours on the sea batteries ; while the Brigadier-General landed
with the troops, and took possession of the town on the land side.

The loss sustained by the navy at the attack of Port-au-Prince, amounted
to 5 seamen killed and 16 wounded. On this occasion, no less than 13,790
tons of shipping, with an immense quantity of sugar, coffee, cotton, and
indigo, fell into the hands of the captors.

RICHARD HUSSEY MOUBRAY, ESQ. 807

1797 ', from which period he served as a volunteer with the
present Sir Richard Bickerton, in the Ramillies and Terrible,
74's, till that officer's promotion to a flag, Feb. 14, 1709. 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 determined, 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, when
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, his present Majesty, and the Duke of York.

Soon after the renewal of hostilities in 1803, our officer
captured the French brig of war l'Arab, of 8 guns and 58 men,
from Athens, loaded with antiques for the Consular govern-
ment. On the 1 st 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,
although at one time within gun-shot j and the next day com-
municated the intelligence to Lord Nelson, who was then
lying at anchor between the Madalena Islands, situated to the

$08 REAR-ADMIRALS OP 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
Monbray was indefatigable in his endeavours to obtain in-
formation respecting their destination. He was then de-
spatched with 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 %.

The following extract from the Vice- Admiral's public letter
to Lord Collingwood, 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.

f M. Villeneuve 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 ensuing
night.

X The frigate alluded to above was boarded through the stern-windows
by Lieutenants George Wickens Willes and Walter Croker, who laid a train
to her magazine, which caused her immediate destruction. Mr. Arbuthuot,
the British Ambassador, then on board the Royal George, witnessed the
Active's conduct, and afterwards paid her commander some very flattering
compliments on the occasion.

RICHARD HUSSEY MOUBRAY, ESQ. 809

llie service entrusted to him was worthy of the reputation which he has
long since so justly and generally established. The terms of approbation
in which the Rear-Admiral relates the conduct of Captains Dacres, Talbot,
Harvey, and Moubray, which, from my being- under the necessity of pas-
sing the Point of Pesquies before the van could anchor, he had a greater
opportunity of observing than I could, cannot but be highly flattering ;
but I was a more immediate witness to the able and ofiicer-like conduct
which Captain Moubray displayed in obedience to my signal, by destroy-
ing a frigate with which he had been more particularly engaged, having
driven her on shore on the European side, after she had been forced to cut
her cables, from under the fire of the Pompde and Thunderer. The 64
having run on shore on Pesquies Point, I ordered the Repulse to work up
and destroy her ; which Captain Legge, in conjunction with the boats of
the Pomp6e, executed with great promptitude and judgment."

It will be seen by Sir W. Sidney Smith's letter, already
alluded to, that as circumstances rendered it impracticable
at the moment to effect the entire destruction of the formida-
ble battery on Point Pesquies, orders were given by that of-
ficer to Captain Moubray to remain there for the purpose of
completing its demolition. This service was effectually per-
formed by a party commanded by Lieutenants W. F. Carroll and
S. Arabin, of the Pompee, and Lieutenant Laurie, R. M., under
the protection of the Active.

Returning through the Dardanelles, in company with the
fleet, March 3, 1807, the Active received a granite shot weigh-
ing 800 pounds, and measuring six feet six inches in circum-
ference, which passed through her side two feet above the
water, and lodged on the orlop-deck, close to the magazine
scuttle, without injuring a man. The aperture made by it
was so wide, that Captain Moubray on looking over the side
to ascertain what damage it had done, saw two of his crew
thrusting their heads through at the same moment. Had
there been a necessity for hauling to the wind on the oppo-
site tack, she must have gone down. The Active, during the
whole of these operations, had only 8 men wounded, one of
whom, the Boatswain, mortally.

After cruising for some time in the Archipelago where he
had been left by Sir John T. Duckworth, on that officer's
departure for Egypt, Captain Moubray proceeded with his
former guest, the Russian Ambassador, to Malta, where the
Active underwent the necessary repairs. We next find him

810 REAR-ADMIRALS OF THE BLUE.

employed in the Adriatic, and assisting at the capture of the
Italian brig of war, Friedland, mounting sixteen long 12-
poundcrs, on board of which was embarked Commodore Don
Amilcar Paolucci, Commander-in-Chief of the Italian marine,
and a Knight of the Iron Crown. He was subsequently ap-
pointed to the Montagu, 74, and served in that ship at the
reduction of Santa Maura by the naval and military forces
under Captain (now Sir George) Eyre, and Brigadier-General
Oswald. The former officer, by whom he had been author-
ized to treat with the French Governor for the surrender of
the island, in writing to the Commander-in-Chief, warmly
acknowledged the assistance he had received from Captain
Moubray, u and his unremitting attention to every piece of
duty that was going forward," particularly during the time
that he was himself on the opposite side of the island. In
addition to this public mark of approbation, Captain Moubray
had the gratification of receiving the personal thanks of the
Brigadier and Captain Eyre ; a copy of which we have unfor-
tunately mislaid, but still hope to be able to insert in the
addenda. The Montagu on this occasion had 4 men killed
and 21 wounded *.

Soon after this event, our officer, in company with General
Oswald, visited Ali Pacha at his palace at Prevesa, and was
presented by that celebrated chieftain with a superb pair of
Albanian pistols. Early in 1811, he exchanged into the
Repulse, of 74 guns j and from that period, till towards the
conclusion of the war, was chiefly employed with the in-shore
squadron off Toulon. At the latter end of May, 1812, when
an attempt was about to be made by a detachment from Sir
Edward Pellew's fleet to take the town of Ciotat by a conp-
de-main, and thereby obtain possession of the shipping lying
in the mole of that place ; the Repulse was attached to the

* Santa Maura is one of the Seven Islands, lying contiguous to the coasts
of Albania and the Morea, They extend from north to south, to the dis-
tance of about 300 miles, and are of great political importance, serving as
so many outposts to watch the fluctuating proceedings of the Turkish
government. Corfu, which is the principal, commands the commerce of
the Levant. They were formed into a republic in March 1800, by virtue
of a treaty between the Russians and Turks, who had wrested them from
the French in the preceding year.

RICHARD HUSSEY MOtJBRAY, ESQ. 811

squadron under the orders of Rear-Admiral Hallo well, and
selected to conduct the boats to the coast, cover the landing
of the marines intended for that service, and then attack
the sea defences. The boats reached the point of debarka-
tion by day-break on the 1st June ; but the wind unfortunately
failed before the whole of the squadron could enter the bay,
and the enemy being alarmed, the enterprise was necessarily
abandoned. A party of seamen and marines, however, sent
from the Kent, 74, and other ships of the detachment, after
some skirmishing with a body of French troops, succeeded
in destroying a fortification on the island of Veske. The
Kent, in the mean time, being engaged with the enemy's
batteries, had 2 men killed and 8 wounded. One of the for-
mer, Lieutenant Robert Watson, a young officer of great pro-
fessional merit, fell when in the act of pointing a gun, to
which he had affixed a sight of his own contrivance, and died
regretted by all who had the honor of his acquaintance.

On the 2d May, 1813, Captain Moubray being off the port
of Morjean, in company with the Volontaire and Undaunted
frigates, and Redwing sloop of war, observed the enemy ac-
tively employed in preparation for remounting cannon on
two batteries which had some time previous thereto been
taken and dismantled by a detachment landed from the latter
vessels *. Viewing the importance of this situation as a place
of protection to the coasting trade, he caused 100 marines of
the Repulse, under the command of Captain Inuis, to pro-
ceed, in conjunction with those of the frigates, for the purpose
of destroying the works, whilst the boats should bring out
some vessels that were in the harbour. The whole, under
the direction of Lieutenant Isaac Shaw, of the Volontaire,
whose local knowledge rendered him peculiarly qualified to
conduct the enterprise, covered by the fire of the Redwing,
and launches with carronades, were landed, and drove the
enemy to the heights in the rear, where he was kept in check
until the vessels were secured, and the batteries, on which
were found nine gun carriages, and a 13-inch mortar, blown
up, and completely destroyed. This service was performed
with the loss of 2 men killed, and 4, including Lieutenant

* See Hon. George G. Waldegrave, in our next volume.

812 KBAR-ADMHtALS Of THE BLUE.

Shaw, wounded. -The enemy had 12 men killed, and several

taken prisoners.

In the month of August following, the Repulse, in com-
pany with l'Aigle frigate, fell in with some small trading
vessels near Vernazza, in the Gulf of Genoa : one laden with
iron ore, and another with sulphur were taken ; but the re-
mainder having sought refuge in the harbour, it was neces-
sary, in order to get at them, to take possession of that town :
this was accomplished by anchoring the ships close to it,
and landing the marines, who, driving the enemy's troops
out, occupied it, whilst a considerable body, hastening from
the neighbourhood to its relief, were kept back by the fire
of the ships, until the French vessels were burnt, their crews
having previously scuttled them. The enemy lost several
men in this little affair, which was admirably conducted by
Lieutenant Harris, of the Repulse, and fortunately without
a casualty on the part of the British. The royal marines, led
by Captain Innis and Lieutenant Dixie, behaved in their
customary gallant manner.

Early in 1814, Captain Moubray escorted a fleet of mer-
chantmen from Malta to England ; and in the month of June
following, paid the Repulse off at Plymouth. He was no-
minated a C. B. June 4, 1815 ; and advanced to the rank of
Rear- Admiral, July 19, 1821.

Our officer married, Jan. 5, 1815, Emma, daughter of
William Hobson, of Markfield, co. Middlesex, Esq., by
whom he has three children. His brother, Lieutenant Colo-
nel Robert Moubray, is the present proprietor of the estate
of Cockairny, which has been in this family, descending in
regular succession from father to son, for several centuries.

Residence. — Otterston, near Aberdour, Fifcshire.

813

HENRY RICHARD GLYNN, Esq.

Rear-Admiral of the Blue.

This officer was a Lieutenant in 1/90 ; 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 subsequently 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. f 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 5 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 ;

* See p. 246.
f An account of the memorable defence made by Sir R. R. Bligh, when
Captain of the Alexander, 74, against a French squadron, consisting of
five ships of the line, three frigates, and one brig, will be given under the
head of Commander James Godknch, in our third volume.

814 REAR-ADMIRALS OF THE BLUE.

from which ship he removed at the commencement of the
French revolutionary war, into the Courageux, 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 hy Commodore Lin-
zee upon St. Fiorenzo *, and in the hatteries 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 101
men. His post commission bears date April 25, 179/«

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 officer, who ever since the re-
newal of hostilities had been actively employed in the block-
ade of Cape Francois, 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 purpose 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.
-f 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 battle with the Spanish fleet ; we should have 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 the
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 the 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 Francois 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
ascertain 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 Loring, of the BeHerophon, who commanded the squa-
dron employed in the blockade of St. Domingo, died at Fareham, in Hamp-
shire, Nov. 9, 1808. lie was a most zealous, brave, and humane officer.
At the time of his demise he commanded the district of Sea Fencibles from
Emsworth to Calshot.

81G REAR-ADMIRALS OF THK BLUE.

rendered to the English ; adding a request that he would give-
orders to prevent firing on them, which, after sonic hesita-
tion, was reluctantly complied with. The prizes thus taken
were two 40-gun frigates, a brig of war, an armed schooner,
and twenty- two sail of merchantmen, partly laden. General
llochambeau who commanded the French garrison, appears
on this occasion to have pursued a very extraordinary line of
conduct, having proposed to surrender the place to the British
at the moment when he had concluded a capitulation with
his black opponent, Dessalines.

In the following month, Captain Bligh assumed the com-
mand of a squadron, consisting of the Theseus, Hercule, and
Vanguard, 74 's, Blanche'and Pique frigates, and Gipsey schoo-
ner, with which he proceeded to attack Curagoa. Having
landed a body of 700 men, he took possession of the height of
Amsterdam, where he remained twenty-eight days, erected
batteries, and fired away every eighteen-pound shot in the
squadron. Although this expedition was not attended with
the desired success, every thing was done by himself and the
officers and men under his orders, which bravery and human
foresight could suggest. The party was re-embarked on the
25th Feb. 1804, with the loss of 18 killed and 43 wounded.

In the ensuing month of July, Captain Bligh was appointed
by Sir John T. Duckworth to the Surveillante, one of the fri-
gates taken at Cape Francois, in which he cruised with con-
siderable success, capturing several privateers, and upwards of
forty sail of merchant vessels. Previous to his departure
from the West Indies, he landed with his crew, under cover
of the night, on the Spanish island of St. Andreas, of which
he obtained complete possession, and made the Governor and
garrison prisoners of war. He returned to England with two
hundred sail under his convoy, the whole of which arrived in
safety in the Downs. The Surveillante was paid off at Dept-
ford, Sept. 30, 1806.

Captain Bligh's next appointment was, in March, 1807, to
the Alfred, 74 ; and in that ship we find him serving under
Admiral Gambier at Copenhagen, where he superintended the
landing of the army, ordnance, stores, &c. On his return
from thence, he was placed under the orders of Sir Charles
Cotton, with whom he served upwards of a year, on the coast
of Portugal.

JOHN BLIGH, ESQ. 8.17

Early in July, 1808, the Commander-in-Chief received a
despatch from the patriotic inhabitants of Figueiras, contain-
ing a request for assistance; in consequence of which he im-
mediately sent the Alfred, with a detachment of marines from
the squadron, to secure that post, and confer with the con-
stituted authorities upon the best means of carrying into
effect the virtuous, manly, and energetic efforts at that time
generally manifested throughout the kingdoms of Spain and
Portugal, for the purpose of restoring the lawful governments,
and emancipating those countries from French oppression.
On the 9th of that month, Captain Bligh landed at the head
of 500 marines, and by his zeal and ability rendered the place
tenable till the arrival of the army under Sir Arthur Wellesley
in Mondego Bay, where he assisted at its debarkation, with
great advantages of local knowledge. He also superintended
the landing of the different brigades which afterwards arrived
under the Brigadier-Generals Anstruther and Acland ; the
former near Peniche, the latter at Maceira ; and was in the
glorious battle fought at Vimeira Aug. 21, on which occasion
the enemy lost nearly 4,000 men, besides 21 pieces of cannon ;
while the British had only 720 men killed, wounded, and miss-
ing. This event, as is well known, led to the evacuation of
Portugal by the French troops, and the surrender of the Rus-
sian squadron, which had been so long blocked up in the Ta-
gus *, and with which Captain Bligh soon after returned to
England.

On the 14th Jan. 1809, Captain Bligh was appointed pro
tempore to the Revenge, 74 ; in which ship, being on his way
to join the squadron stationed off l'Orient, he fell in with and
was chased by eight French line-of-battle ships, two frigates,
and a brig. He, however, succeeded in forming a junction
with Sir John P. Beresford, whose spirited conduct in daring
them to battle, has already been noticed at p. 667- On the
28th Feb., Captain Bligh removed into the Valiant, another
third-rate, employed under Rear- Admiral Stopford in the
blockade of Basque Roads, to which anchorage the enemy had
retired ; and from whence a successful attack was made upon
them by a division of Lord Gambier's fleet, preceded by fire
vessels, in the ensuing month of April.

* See p. 432.

VOL. I. 3 G

818 RKAIt-ADMIRALS OF THR BLUE.

The following is a copy of his Lordship's official letter, re-
lative to the memorahle affair in Aix Roads : —

" Caledonia, at anchor in Basque Roads, April 14
« sir)_Thc Almighty^ favor to his Majesty and the nation has heen
strongly marked in the success lie has been pleased to give to the opera-
tions of his Majesty's fleet under my command ; and I have the satisfaction
to acquaint you, for the information of the Lords Commissioners of the
Admiralty, that the four ships of the enemy named in the margin*, have
been destroyed at their anchorage ; and several others, from getting on
shore, if not rendered altogether unserviceable, are at least disabled for a
considerable time. The arrangements of the fire-vessels, placed under the
direction of Captain the Right Hon. Lord Cochrane, was made as fully as
the state of the weather would admit, according to his lordship's plan, on
the evening of the Uthinst. ; 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 night, 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 difficulties ; advancing under a heavy fire from the
forts in the Isle of Aix, as well as from the enemy's ships, most of which
cut or slipped their cables, and from the confined anchorage got on shore,
thus avoided taking fire.

" At day-light the following morning, Lord Cochrane communicated to
me, by telegraph, that seven of the enemy's ships were on shore, and might
be destroyed. I immediately made the signal for the fleet to unmoor and
weigh, intending to proceed with it to effect their destruction. The wind,
however, being fresh from the northward, and the flood tide running, ren-
dered it too hazardous to run into Aix Roads, from 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 endeavouring to
warp their ships (which had grounded) into deep water, and succeeded in
getting all but five of the line towards the entrance of the Charente, before
it became practicable to attack them.

" 1 gave orders to Captain Bligh of the Valiant to proceed with that ship,
the Revenge, frigates, bomb, and small vessels named in the margin t, to

* Ville de Varsovie, of 80 guns ; Tonnerre, of 74 guns ; Aquilon, of 74
guns ; and Calcutta, of 56 guns.

t Indefatigable, Aigle, Emerald, Pallas, Beagle, /Etna bomb, Insolent,
Conflict, Encounter, Fervent, and Growler gun-brigs.

JOHN BLIGH, ESQ. 819

anchor near the Boyart shoal, in readiness for the attack. At twenty mi-
nutes past two P. M. Lord Cochrane advanced in the Imperieuse, with his ac-
customed gallantry and spirit, and opened a well-directed fire upon the
Calcutta, which struck her colours to the Imperieuse : the ships and ves-
sels above-mentioned soon after joined in the attack upon the Ville de Var-
sovie and Aquilon, and obliged them, before five o'clock, after sustaining a
heavy cannonade, to strike their colours, when they were taken possession
of by the boats of the advanced squadron. As soon as the prisoners were
removed, they were set on fire, as was also the Tonnerre a short time after
by the enemy.

" I afterwards detached Rear-Admiral the Hon. Robert Stopford in the
Caesar, with the Theseus, three additional fire-ships (which were hastily
prepared in the course of the day), and all the boats of the fleet, with Mr.
Congreve's rockets, to conduct the further operations of the night against
any of the ships which lay exposed to an attack. On the morning of the 13th,
the Rear-Admiral reported to me, that as the Caesar and other line-of-battle
ships had grounded, and were in a dangerous situation, he thought it ad-
visable to ordor them all out, particularly as the remaining part of the ser-
vice could be performed by frigates and small vessels only ; and I was happy
to find that they were extricated from their perilous situation. Captain
Bligh has since informed me, that it was found impracticable to destroy the
three-decked ship, and the others which were lying near the entrance of the
Charente, as the former, being the outer one, was protectee! by three lines
of boats placed in advance from her. This ship, and all the others, except
four of the line and a frigate, have now moved up the river Charente. If
any further attempt to destroy them is practicable, I shall not fail to use
every means in my power to accomplish it.

" I have great satisfaction in stating to their Lordships, how much I
feel obliged to the zealous co-operation of Rear-Admiral Stopford, under
whose arrangement the boats of the fleet were placed ; and I must also
express to their Lordships, the high sense I have of the assistance I re-
ceived from the abilities and unremitted attention of Sir Harry Neale, Bart,
the Captain of the fleet, as well as of the animated exertions of the Cap-
tains, officers, seamen, and marines under my command, and their for-
wardness to volunteer upon any service that might be allotted to them,
particularly the zeal and activity shewn by the Captains of line-of-battle
ships in preparing the fire-vessels. I cannot speak in sufficient terras of
admiration and applause of the vigorous and gallant attack made by Lord
Cochrane upon the French line-of-battle ships which were on shore, as well
as of his judicious manner of approaching them, and placing his ship in
the position most advantageous to annoy the enemy, and preserve his own
ship, which could not be exceeded by any feat of valour hitherto achieved
by the British navy.

" It is due to Rear-Admiral Stopford and Sir Harry Neale, that T should
here take the opportunity of acquainting their Lordships of the handsome
and earnest manner in which both these meritorious officers had volun-
teered their services, before the arrival of Lord Cochrane, to undertake an

3g2

820 REAR-ADMIRALS OF THE BLUE.

attack upon the enemy with fire-ships ; and that, had not their Lordships
fixed upon him to conduct the enterprise, I have full confidence that the
result of their efforts would have been highly creditable to them.

" I should feel that I did not do justice to the services of Captain God-
frey of the^Etna, in bombarding the enemy's ships on the 12th, and nearly
all the day of the 13th, if I did not recommend him to their Lordships'
notice ; and I cannot omit bearing due testimony to the anxious desire
expressed by Mr. Congreve, to be employed wherever I might conceive
his services, in the management of his rockets, would be useful : some of
them were placed in the fire-ships with effect ; and I have every reason to
be satisfied with the artillerymen and others who had the management of
them, under Mr. Congreve's direction.

" The number of the killed, wounded, and missing of the fleet, I am
happy to observe, is comparatively small. I have not yet received the
returns of the number of prisoners taken, but conceive they amount to
between four and five hundred.

" I have charged Sir Harry Neale with this despatch (by the Impe-
rieuse), and I beg leave to refer their Lordships to him, as also to Lord
Cochrane, for any further particulars of which they may wish to be in-
formed. (Signed) " Gambier."
A list of the French ships in Aim Roads, previous to the attack on the Wth
April, shewing the manner in which they were disposed of.

L'Ocean, 120 guns, Foudroyant, 80, and Cassard, 74, on shore under
Fouras. Tourville, 74, aground in the river. Regulus and Jemappe,
74's, and a frigate, on shore under Madame. Tonnerre, 74, and Indienne
frigate, burnt by the enemy. Ville de Varsovie, 80, Aquilon, 74, and
Calcutta, 56, (the latter laden with flour and military stores) burnt by
the British. Patriote, 74, and two frigates, lying in the Charente.

On the 3d Feb. 1810, Captain Bligh had the good fortune
to capture the French frigate Cannoniere (formerly la Mi-
nerve, in the British service), laden with the spoil of the prin-
cipal prizes which the enemy had taken in the East Indies
during the three preceding years. She had been lent to the
merchants of the Mauritius, for the purpose of transporting this
valuable cargo to France, and was within a few hours sail of
Belleisle when met by the Valiant.

In 1815, the insignia of a C. B. was conferred on Captain
Bligh, as a reward for his active and unremitted services. He
became a Rear- Admiral July 19, 1821.

Our officer married, first, 1798, Sarah, youngest daughter
of Henry Sebastian Leeke, of Yaxley Hall, co. Suffolk, Esq. j
and secondly, in 1809, Cecilia, youngest daughter of the late
Governor Moultrie.

Residence.— Fareham, Hants.

821

SIR EDWARD HAMILTON, Bart.

Rear-Admiral of the Blue; Knight Commander of the most honorable
Military Order of the Bath ; and a Knight by Patent under the Great
Seal *.

This officer, whose family pedigree has already been given
in our memoir of his brother, Vice-Admiral Sir Charles
Hamilton, Bart., is the second son and youngest child of the
late Sir John Hamilton, Bart., Captain R. N. j was born March
12, 1772, and may be truly called a son of Neptune, having
first gone to sea at the age of seven years, with his father,
who then commanded the Hector, of 74 guns, in which ship,
and in the Ramillies of the same force, (Captain J. Moutray)
he served on the West India station till 1781, during which
time he was in one general action with the French fleet, and
experienced the dreadful hurricane of 1780. On the return
of peace, he was sent to the Royal Grammar School at Guild-
ford, where he continued for a period of three years. In
1787, he went again to sea to complete his time as a Midship-
man, and served until 1790 in the West Indies. At the
period of the Spanish armament, we find him on board the
Melampus frigate, commanded by the present Sir Charles
Morice Pole, and stationed in the Channel. During the sub-
sequent dispute with Russia, he served in the Victory, a first
rate, bearing the flag of Lord Hood, who had been appointed
Commander-in-Chief of a squadron destined for the Baltic.
When this armament was dismantled, Mr. Hamilton went
over to the University of Caen, in Lower Normandy, and
afterwards travelled through part of France, visiting all the
sea-ports along the coast. Soon after his return to England,
he proceeded to Portugal, and visited all the ports in that
kingdom. While he was thus acquiring a competent know-
ledge of foreign languages, he did not omit making such nau-
tical observations, as might on a future emergency be of es-
sential benefit to himself and his country.

* In addition to the insignia of K. C. B. Sir Edward wear* the naval
medal of merit.

!R22 REAR-ADMIRALS OF 1 HE HLUE.

At the commencement of hostilities against the French
republic in 1 793, Mr. Hamilton joined Earl Howe's flag-
ship, the Queen Charlotte ; and from hei was appointed
a Lieutenant of the Dido frigate, commanded by his brother.

In the course of the same year, the Dido being on a cruise
off Norway, fell in with, and drove on shore, a French brig
privateer, of 13 guns and 45 men. Sir Charles, confiding in
that arduous spirit of enterprise which his brother had on
every occasion manifested, sent him in a boat with only 8 men
to take possession of her, which he succeeded in doing after a
trivial opposition from her crew, who had been obliged to land
before they could carry their intention of burning her into
effect. He then landed, and after some resistance, compelled
13 of the Frenchmen to surrender, whom he brought off in
triumph to the frigate.

The Dido being afterwards attached to the fleet under
Lord Hood, in the Mediterranean, Lieutenant Hamilton was
employed on shore at the reduction of Bastia, in Corsica, and
afterwards commanded a party of British and Corsicans at the
siege of Girilotte, a strong post near Calvi, against which he
erected batteries within point-blank shot, and kept up an in-
cessant fire until the enemy surrendered.

After performing this service, Mr. Hamilton was received
by the Commander-in-Chief on board his flag-ship, the Vic-
tory, of which he soon became first Lieutenant. His
advancement to the rank of Commander did not, however,
take place so soon as he had reason to expect, Lord Hood
being obliged to return to England for the re-establishment
of his health. On the contrary, when that nobleman was
unexpectedly ordered to strike his flag, in May 1705, Mr.
Hamilton had the mortification to find himself reduced to be
junior Lieutenant of the Victory ; and thus all his hopes of
promotion for a time vanished *.

Immediately after this event, the Victory was again ordered
to the Mediterranean, where she arrived in time to take an

* For the information of our non-professional readers, it is necessary to
observe that a Commander-in-Chief may appoint the junior commissioned
officer, or any other, to be the first Lieutenant of the ship in which his flag
is hoisted ; but in private ships Lieutenants must take rank according to
the seniority of their commissions.

SIR EDWARD HAMILTON, BART. 823

active part in the action of July 13, 1795 *, on which oc-
casion she carried the flag of Rear- Admiral Mann, and, with
a few other ships of the van-division, bore the brunt of the
enemy's fire, the centre and rear not being able to get up,
owing to vexatious calms and baffling winds.

Towards the latter end of the same year Sir John Jervis
hoisted his flag on board the Victory ; and in January follow-
ing, Lieutenant Hamilton was promoted to the rank of Com-
mander, in the Comet fire-ship. In that vessel he was sent to
the West Indies, where he served upwards of twelve months,
without any opportunity to signalize himself. Having re-
turned to Lisbon with despatches, he was there posted, June
3, 1797, into the San Josef, of 110 guns, from which ship he
exchanged into the Surprise, a small frigate, mounting twen-
ty-four 32-pounders, and eight 18-pounders (carronades) with
a complement of 197 men f- From this period till the con-
clusion of the year, he was employed in escorting the trade
to and from Newfoundland.

In July 1798, Captain Hamilton was ordered to convoy a
fleet to Jamaica, where he arrived with his charge on the
3d Oct. He continued on that station till Jan. 20, 1800, and
during that time was constantly engaged in the most active
and hazardous services. The annoyance he gave to the ene-
my will readily be conceived when we state that he captured,
burnt, or otherwise destroyed, upwards of eighty armed
vessels and merchantmen ; and that those which he preserved
were sold for no less a sum than 200,000 pounds currency.
At one time he chased a privateer and her prize into Laguna,
on the north side of Cuba ; and after having effected their
destruction, was two days and nights in constant action with
the batteries, the baffling winds and light airs preventing his
clearing the port.

His achievement in boarding and cutting out the Her-
mione, of 44 guns, and manned with nearly 400 Spaniards,
from the harbour of Porto Cabcllo, though surrounded by

* See p 159.
f The Surprise had been the French corvette Unite, taken in 1796.
She was unique, in having a 36-gun ship's main-mast, with the fore and
mizen-masts of a 28. This was a plan of Captain Hamilton's, and she
appears not to have been complained of as a sailer.

824 REAR-ADMIRALS OF THE BLUE.

200 pieces of cannon mounted on the batteries, stands un-
paralleled in our naval annals, as combining the most judi-
cious disposition of attack with the most daring gallantry ;
and as we cannot be too minute in transmitting to posterity
every particular relative to such glorious deeds of enterprise,
we think it will be gratifying to our readers to blend in our
narrative of this exploit many authentic and interesting facts,
that do not appear in any of the official accounts that were
published.

Towards the latter end of Oct. 1/99, Captain Hamilton
having received orders from Sir Hyde Parker, to cruise be-
tween the island of Aruba and Cape St. Roman, near the
Gulf of Maracaybo, for the ship in question, which from in-
formation was said to be on the point of sailing for the Ha-
vannah through that channel, he immediately proceeded off
Porto Cabello, and found the intelligence that had been re-
ceived in every particular correct.

Notwithstanding the Hermione was moored head and
stern between two very strong batteries at the entrance of
the harbour, the honor of his country and the glory of the
British navy were (as he emphatically expresses himself,)
great inducements for him to make an attempt to cut her
out. Accordingly, on the morning of the 25th Oct., after
spending two days in reconnoitring and arranging his plan,
he proceeded to the attack with a chosen band of 100 men.

Being discovered by two Spanish guard-boats, at the
distance of three-quarters of a mile, the frigate had time to
prepare for the encounter, and to discharge both her main-
deck and forecastle guns, which were considerably depressed,
and pointed to a centre. Two of the English boats, in the
confusion, ran foul of the guard-boats, each mounting a long
12-pounder ; but after some scuffle, and considerable delay,
cleared themselves, and united in the attack. Captain Ha-
milton, with the Gunner, and 8 or 10 men from his boat,
got first on board, and took possession of the forecastle with-
out much resistance. The gig got up on the larboard bow,
and came to the assistance of the Captain, under the com-
mand of the Surgeon, Mr. M'Mullenj the black cutter,
commanded by a Lieutenant, was beaten off, and could not
board on either gangway. The red cutter, under the orders

SIR EDWARD HAMILTON, BART. 825

of the Boatswain, shared the same fate. The first Lieute-
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-
after 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 mtzen 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 the plan of attack, six men were assigned to loose the
*bove-ineutioned sails ; four to the former, two to the latter.

826 HKAU-AOMIKALS OF III E 1&LUE.

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 ; one, a 24-
pounder, passing through 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 tremendous blow from the butt-end
of a musket, which broke over his head and knocked him
down senseless on the deck, received a severe wound by the
cut of a sabre on the left thigh, another by a pike in the right
thigh, and a contusion on the right shin bone by a grape-
shot ; one of his fingers was much cut, and his loins and kid-
neys so much bruised as at times to require the highest medical
advice and assistance : it is also to be lamented, that he still
occasionally suffers considerable pain from these last bruises.

As generosity and humanity are generally allied to true
courage and magnanimity, we 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 so much distinguished themselves
on the above occasion, by dividing amongst them no less a
sum than 500/. of his own share of prize-money ; thus setting
a noble example of valor and liberality, which has ever its
due influence on the minds and hearts of British seamen *.

Captain 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 pleased to
create him a 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 the Common Council of London the freedom of that city.

In the month of April, 1800, Sir Edward Hamilton, return-
ing home in the Jamaica packet, for the cure of his wounds,
was captured by a privateer, and carried into a French port ;
from whence he was sent to Paris, where he remained six
weeks, and was taken particular notice of by Buonaparte, who
at length agreed to his being exchanged for six Midshipmen.

On the 25th Oct. 1800, being the anniversary of the above-
mentioned exploit, Sir Edward, by special invitation, dined
at the Mansion House ; and the 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 the 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, the late Marquis of Abercorn, recommend-

* Soon after the above brilliant affair, and subsequent to Captain Ha-
milton's departure for England, a seaman who had belonged to his boat's
crew was taken up as a deserter from the Swallow sloop of war, and tried
by a Court-Martial. At his trial it appeared in evidence that he had saved
his gallant leader's life, when lying on the llermione's quarler-deck dis-
armed. The Court, considering the mitigating circumstance in his favor,
thought proper to recommend him to mercy ; and the sentence of three
hundred lashes, ordered to he inflicted, was remitted.

828 REAR-ADMIRALS OK THE BLUE.

cd 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 Lord, I have applied again for
service, and I am more desirous of putting into execution a
plan I have given in to Lord Spencer, than receiving a pen-
sion" Here the conversation ended, and his Lordship 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 Edward'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 frigate, 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. Whilst 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 vessel^, procecd-
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 j
the remainder effected their escape.

In the execution of this service, the Trent had but one

SIR EDWARD HAMILTON, BART. 829

9

man killed ; this was her Captain's coxswain, whose aged mo-
ther was afterwards placed in the workhouse of Mary-le-bone
parish, and during the remainder of her life, allowed by Sir
Edward half-a-crown per week to procure tea and sugar.
She died about 1814. The only person wounded was Lieu-
tenant Taite, of the Marines, who lost his right leg, and 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. B. Jan. 2, 1815 ; appointed to the Prince Regent yacht,
Dec. 7> hi the same year ; and created a Baronet of Great Bri-
tain, as a reward for his meritorious services, Dec. 8, 1818.
His advancement to the rank of Rear-Admiral took place July
19, 1821.

Sir Edward Hamilton married, in Nov. 1804, a daughter of
John Macnamara, of Langoed Castle, co. Brecon, Esq. and
niece to Rear-Admiral James Macnamara, by whom he has
issue.

Country-seat. — Trebinsharn House, Breconshire, South
Wales.

Town Residence. — 38, Nottingham Place.

THOMAS BAKER, Esq.

Rear-Admiral of the Blue ; a Companion of the most honorable Military
Order of the Bath ; 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 iu
the East India Company's service) ; commanded the Fairy
sloop, in 1797 j ana< 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, Captain 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

830 UKAR-ADMIRALS OF THE BLUE.

North Sea. On the 25th July, he fell in wilh the Freya, a
Danish frigate, convoying several merchant vessels near
Ostend. Captain Baker hailed her, and intimated his inten-
tion of sending a hoat to examine them. The Danish com-
mander replied, that if such an attempt was made, he would
fire into the boat. Captain Baker, however, persisted, and
the Freya immediately fired several shot, which missing the
boat, struck the Nemesis, and killed 1 man. A most spirited
action ensued, and lasted for about twenty-five minutes, when
the Danish frigate being much crippled, and haviiag 8 men
killed and wounded, struck her colors. The whole of the
vessels were then conducted into the Downs.

A question immediately arose between the British and
Danish courts, on the right of searching neutral vessels 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 warlike stores being its sailing under the flag
of the neutral country. A temporary adjustment of the af-
fair was effected by Lord Whitworth, 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 prepared for that state of warfare
which was terminated 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 Phoenix, of the same force, in which ship he had the
good fortune, Aug. 10, 1805, to capture la Didon, a remark-
ably fine French frigate, of 44 guns and 330 men. The ac-
tion commenced at 9h 15' A. M., and lasted three hours,
within pistol-shot. The superiority of la Didon's sailing,
added to the adroit manoeuvres of her commander, convinced
Captain Baker of the skill and gallantry he should have to
contend with, which was fully evinced by the stubborn de-
fence of the ship, natal she became a perfect wreck. The
loss sustained by the Phoenix in this conflict was 12 kill-

THOMAS BAKER, ESQ. 831

ed and 28 wounded. That of the enemy, 27 killed and 44
wounded.

On the 4th Nov. in the same year, the Phoenix formed
part of the squadron under Sir Richard John Strachan, at the
capture of the four French line-of-battle ships that had es-
caped from the battle of Trafalgar ; and to Captain Baker's skill
and perseverance in keeping sight of the enemy, and lead-
ing into action, may, in some measure, be attributed the suc-
cess of that day. The Phoenix on this occasion had 2 men
killed and 4 wounded *. During 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, 1815,
and a Colonel of Royal Marines, Aug. 12, 1819. His pro-
motion to the rank of Rear-Admiral took place July 19,
1821.

Residence. — Walmer, Kent.

SAMUEL SUTTON, Esq.

Rear-admiral of the Blue.

The subject of this sketch entered the naval service April
9, 1777 j as a Midshipman, on board the Monarch, of 74 guns,
commanded by the late Sir Joshua Rowley, Bart., with whom
he afterwards removed into the Suffolk, Conqueror, and other
ships, continuing to serve with that officer till the peace of
1783.

The Monarch formed part of the Channel fleet under Ad-
miral Keppel, and had 2 men killed and 9 wounded in the
action with M. d'Orvilliers, July 27, 1778 f. The Suffolk
was attached to Vice-Admiral Byron's squadron in the con-
flict with d'Estaingj off Grenada, July 6, 1779, and on that
occasion had J men slain and 25 wounded. The Conqueror's
loss in the battles between Rodney and de Guichen, off Mar-
tinique, in April and May 1780 J, amounted to 87 killed and

* See p. 289, f See note +, at p. 195.

X See note at p. 104-^eiseg. N. B. Mr. Sutton's patron was at this
time a Rear-Admiral of the Red. He had previously, when in the com-
mand of a detached squadron, taken three French frigates, carrying in the

832 REAR-ADMIRALS OK 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
50-gun ship, bearing the flag of Rear-Admiral Rowley, at
Jamaica, from whence he was soon after compelled to return
to England 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. 1/93, 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 ; 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, be 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 destruc-
tion of a convoy from Marseilles, consisting of eight vessels, mounting
1 62 guns, and manned with 890 men.

* See p. 354. f See note *, at p. 365, et se<j.

SAMUEL SUTTON, ESQ. 833

first rate, fitting for the reception of Lord Nelson, who hoisted
his flag on board her Ma}' 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 Cornwallis. A few days after, Captain Sutton cap-
tured l'Ambuscade, a French frigate of 32 guns and 187 men,
from St. Domingo bound 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 Amphion on this occa-
sion was opposed to la Mercedes, the Spanish Admiral's se-
cond astern, which blew up 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 till July 19, 1821, on which
day he was advanced to the rank of Rear-Admiral.

Residence. — Ditchingham Lodge, near Bungay, Suffolk,,

SIR ROBERT LAURIE, Bart.

Rear-Admiral of the Blue.

This officer, a son of the late Lieutenant-General Sir R.
Laurie, M. P., was made a Lieutenant in 1790 ; 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, 1794 f, on which glorious occasion that ship had 36 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 1796, he received orders to proceed to the Leeward Islands.

* See p. 536. f Sec note at p, 75, et seq.

VOL. I. 3 H

834 RKAR-ADMIKAI.S OF THE BLUE.

and on his passage captured la Retleehe 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-
t iii n. 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 fire of small arms attempted to board, but
was driven back. Most of the Cleopatra's sails lying partly
a-back, and entangled as she was with so heavy a ship, go-
ing almost before the wind, and much sea running, Sir Ro-
bert saw no prospect of saving his vessel, or the numerous
wounded men who were then below. He however directed
the fore-top-mast- stay-sail and sprit-sail-top-sail to be set ;

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
18-pounders on her main-deck ; whereas the latter had only
English 12-pounders, and 190 men, several of whom wTere 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 1811, 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. — Maxwelton, 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.

f The loss sustained by the Cleopatra in the action with la Ville de Milan,
was 20 killed and 38 wounded ; 2 of whom mortally, and 18 dangerously.

3 ii '2

830 KKAR-ADMIRALS OK THE BLUK.

WILLIAM HALL GAGE, Esq.

Rear-Admiral of the Blue.

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
1789, as a Midshipman, on board the Bellona, 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, at 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 were
attacked by the French Admiral Richery, who succeeded in
cutting off the Censeur and many of the merchantmen %.

On his return to England, Mr. Gage appears to have joined
the Lively, of 32 guns, Captain Lord Garlies. In that fri-
gate he went back to the Mediterranean 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 guns.

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 Benedicta Maria Theresa, sole heiress of Benedict
Hall, of High Meadow, co. Gloucester, Esq. The subject of this memoir
is consequently an uncle of the present Lord Gage.

t See pp. 237, 254, and 340, % See pp. 485 aud 610.

WILLIAM HALL GAGE, ESQ. 837

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 Mutine, 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; 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 of Lyons ; but unfortunately
parted company there during a heavy gale of wind f, and
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

* See Sir Thomas Masterman Hardy, in our next volume.

t Seep. 181.

838 REAR-ADMIRALS OF THK BLUE.

arsenal to refit; 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 f, 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 taking 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 interesting 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 galliesand 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 i the very next
morning, however, when the churches were opened for public worship,
they began their plunder. The 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 his 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 50 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 16,000 inhabitants; it surrendered 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 insidts 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 arms, 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.

pitulalion to the British squadron, sixteen days after the commencement
of the blockade. Malta, as will be seen at p. 281, held out until Sept. 5,
1800.

* See note f> at !>• ;M8, et stq.

840 KEAU-ADMIKALS OF THE BLUE.

Our officer's next appointment was to the Indus, a new
74, in which he served off the Scheldt, and in the Mediter-
ranean, until the end of the war. His promotion to the rank
of Rear- Admiral took place July 19, 1821.

Residence. — 47, Dover Street, Piccadilly.

JOHN MAITLAND, Esq.

Rear-Admiral of the Blue.

This officer is the third son of the late Hon. Colonel Richard
Maitland (uncle of the present Earl of Lauderdale *), by Mary,
second daughter of John M'Adam, of Loudon, in Ayrshire,
Esq., and a brother of the gallant Lieutenant-Colonel James
Maitland, of the 75th regiment, who fell at the storming of
Fort Barpoor, under General Lake, in 1805.

He entered the naval service at an early age ; and in 1703,
went to the West Indies as a Midshipman, on board the
Boyne, of 98 guns, bearing the flag of Sir John Jervis, now
Earl of St. Vincent, to whose favorable notice he soon recom-
mended himself by his distinguished gallantry when serv-
ing on shore with a company of seamen, at the reduction of
Martinique, Guadaloupe, &c. ; but particularly at the storm-
ing of Fort Fleur d'Epee, April 12, 1794 ; on which occasion
he was not only the first person who gained the rampart,
but actually assisted the heroic Faulknor and several others
up the steep parapet by which the party of sailors under that
officer's orders entered the fort.

As soon as Captain Faulknor had collected about 30 men
on the parapet, he dashed into the midst of the enemy, by

* The ancient and illustrious family of Maitland have been for many
centuries lords of Thirlestane, and have produced many eminent characters
in the annals of Scotland. Sir .John Maitland was a Secretary of State in
1584, and created a Baron in 1590. His son and successor was succes-
sively raised to the dignities of a Viscount and an Earl ; he died in 1645,
leaving issue John, who enjoyed the distinguished confidence of Charles II.,
after the restoration, and was by that monarch created Duke of Lauder*
dale, and Marquis of March ; which titles, together with an English Earl-
dom and Barony, became extinct at his death, in 1682; but his brother
succeeded as 3d Earl of Lauderdale, and from him is descended the office*
of whose services we are about to present an outline..

JOHN MAITLAND, ESQ. 841

two of whom he was attacked and nearly overpowered, when
Mr. Maitland, and a seaman of the name of Daniel Lyons,
flew to his relief, and buried their pikes in the bodies of his
antagonists, at a moment when one of them, a French officer,
was about to stab him as they lay struggling together on the
ground. We have been told by a gentleman of indisputable
veracity, that " no less than seven or eight of the enemy's
garrison were slain that day by the hands of Mr. Maitland,
whose extraordinary bravery and exertions" he himself had
an opportunity of witnessing.

During the subsequent operations carried on in Guadaloupe,
with a view of recovering that island from the French repub-
licans, Mr. Maitland, then an acting Lieutenant of the Boyne,
served on shore with the seamen, under the orders of Captain
Robertson, and was engaged in repeated skirmishes with the
enemy previous to the unsuccessful attack made upon Point
a Pitre, when he succeeded to the command of the naval bri-
gade, in consequence of all the officers senior to himself being
either killed, wounded, or knocked up through excessive fa-
tigue *.

* The reduction of the French colonies in the West Indies by the naval
and military forces under Sir John Jervis and Sir Charles Grey, was completed
by the surrender of Guadaloupe, April 22, 1794, on the same terms as had
been previously granted to Martinique and St. Lueia. After putting those
islands in the best possible state of defence, the Commander-in-Chief pro-
ceeded to St. Christopher's, from whence they were on the point of sailing
for England, when intelligence reached them that an armament, consisting of
two frigates, one corvette, two 44's armed en flute, and two other vessels,
had arrived from France, under the direction of two commissioners from
the national assembly, and landed a body of 1500 men on Grande Terre;
and that after two unsuccessful efforts, the enemy had succeeded in carrying
Fort Fleur d' Epde by storm.

The British commanders instantly determined to return to Guadaloupe,
and the fleet accordingly pushed under a press of sail for Basse Terre,
where the General was landed on the 7th June ; and on the following
day the Admiral anchored off Grozier, in the bay of Point h Pitre, from
whence he had a view of the enemy's squadron lying in the harbour. From
this period a variety of operations were carried on, attended with much hard
fighting, till the night of July 1st, when the British were repulsed in an at-
tempt made to obtain possession of the town of Point a Pitre, and thereby
compelled to evacuate Grand Terre. An account of these operations will
be given under the head of Commissioner Isaac Wom-ey, in our next
volume.

S J 2 HEAR- AD Ml HALS OK THE BLUE.

Oil the completion of his time, Mr. Maitland was confirmed
in the rank of Lieutenant, and appointed to the Winchelsea
frigate, commanded by Lord Garlics, now Earl of Galloway,
with whom he had formerly served as a Midshipman, in the
Sheerness, 44, on Channel service. Soon after his return to
England, he removed with his Lordship into the Lively, of
32 guns.

On the 13th March, 1795, the Lively, commanded pro
tempore by the late Sir George Burlton, being on a cruise off
Ushant, fell in with, and after an action which lasted near
three hours, captured la Tourterelle, a French frigate, mount-
ing 30 guns, with a complement of 250 men, 16 of whom
were killed and 25 wounded. The Lively had only 2 wounded,
but sustained considerable damage in her sails and rigging,
the former of which were much burnt by hot shot fired from
her opponent. She had a few days before taken l'Espion
corvette, of 18 guns and 140 men.

Towards the latter end of the same year, the Lively was
ordered to the Mediterranean station, with the flag of Sir John
Jervis, by whom Lieutenant Maitland was made a Com-
mander, and appointed to the Transfer, a polacre-rigged ship,
on the establishment of a sloop of war, but carrying only
8 guns.

Proceeding from Gibraltar to Elba, for the purpose of join-
ing that vessel, our officer, then a passenger on board the
Blanche frigate, bore a part in the action between that ship
and a Spanish squadron ; an account of which will be given
under the head of Superannuated Rear-Admiral Preston, in
our next volume. He was subsequently employed in the
neighbourhood of Gibraltar, and from thence sent to convoy a
number of light transports to Lisbon ; but falling in with the
enemy's fleet during a fog on the day preceding the battle bfl
Cape St. Vincent, his charge' was cut off, and the Transfer
had some difficulty in effecting her escape.

Captain Maitland's next appointment was, in April 1J97,
to the Kingfisher, a fine brig, in which he cruised for some
time on the coast of Portugal. Whilst on that station, an
occurrence took place which, however painful to his feelings,
afforded another opportunity for the display of that deter-
mined courage which he had been long known to possess. On

JOHN MAITLAND, ESQ. 843

the 1st July, the crew of the Kingfisher, partaking of the
same diabolical spirit which had already disseminated itself
through a large portion of our navy, gave the first proofs of
its having extended to the ships under the orders of Earl St.
Vincent. Captain Maitland lost no time in adopting the
most decisive measures for its suppression. Assisted by his
officers and marines, he immediately rushed, sword in hand,
amongst the mutineers, several of whom were killed and
wounded in the affray, and the rest reduced to obedience,
himself and his supporters, though greatly inferior in point of
numbers, escaping unhurt. The Commander-in-Chief was so
well pleased with his conduct on this alarming occasion, that
he immediately posted him into the San Nicholas, one of the
Spanish prizes at that period lying in the Tagus ; and, it is
said, was afterwards in the habit of recommending " Doc-
tor MaitlancVs recipe," in the event of mutiny, to the rest of
his fleet.

In consequence, we believe, of the handsome manner in
which Earl St. Vincent represented the foregoing affair to the
Board of Admiralty, Captain Maitland's post commission was
confirmed by their Lordships on the 11th of the following
month. He returned to England in the San Nicholas, and
paid her off at Plymouth towards the latter end of the same
year.

From 1800 to 1803, our officer commanded the Glenmore
frigate, on Channel service. On the renewal of hostilities, he
commissioned the Boadicea, of 38 guns, in which ship, being
on his return from Ferrol, he fell in with the Duguay-Trouin,
a French J4, and la Guerriere frigate, of 38 guns. Judging
from their appearance, that they were armed en flute, and
being aware that all the French ships returning from St. Do-
mingo to Europe were in a very sickly state, he chased them
for nearly 24 hours, and at length succeeded in bringing the
former to close action ; but very prudently hauled off on find-
ing her to be fully manned and armed. Previous to his doing
so, however, he had brought down the enemy's fore-top- sail-
yard, and sent several shot between wind and water, whi.-h,
according to the testimony of an Englishman, thru a prisoner
on board the 74, but who was afterwards liberated, compelled
her to keep the pumps incessantly going during the ensuing

844 REAR-ADMIRALS OF THE BLUE.

three clays. The same person gave information that the
French ships were from the West Indies, from whence they
had sailed with only a sufficient quantity of stores and provi-
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 maintaining his station till the arrival of a

JOHN MAITLAND, ESQ. 845

squadron under Sir Robert Calder, to relieve him 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 summer of fhe 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 firing
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, he 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 l'Orient ; and as the Boadicea, on
hauling off from the land, had sounded in 52 fathoms, and
was by her reckoning within a very short run of that island,
there can be no doubt it was the same vessel she had chased.

Early 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.

846 RRAR-ADMlUAr.S OF THE BLUK.

the whale fishery in that quarter. This service, uninviting as
it is at all times, was peculiarly so to officers and men sent
thereon without receiving the slightest intimation of their des-
tination previous to the ship's leaving port*, consequently
without beingin 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 hound
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-Admiral of the Blue.

This officer is a grandson of the late Sir John Douglas, of
Kilhead, Bart. We are unable to give any further account of
his services than that he served as a Midshipman during the
A merican 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

* Captain Maitland sailed under sealed orders,
f Captain Stair Douglas commanded the Prince William of 64 guns,
in the action between Sir Samuel Hood and the Count de Grasse, off Mar-
tinique, April 29, 1/81 ; an account of which will be given under the head
of Retired Captain John N. iNOLKFiEo.in our next volume.

STAIR DOUGLAS, ESQ. 847

Scorpion sloop of war, on the Jamaica station, in 1795 ;
became a Post-Captain, Sept. 13, 1797; obtained the com-
mand of the Nymphe frigate, in 1 800 ; and commanded the
Bellona, of 74 guns, forming part of Lord Gambier's fleet on
the memorable 1 lth April, 1809. His promotion to the
rank of Rear- Admiral took place July 19, 1821. He mar-
ried, July 1802, Anne, daughter of John Payne, of Stubing-
ton House, co. Hants, Esq.

Residence. — Ashling, near Chichester.

WILLIAM CUMING, Esq.

Rear-admiral of the Blue ; and a Companion of the most honorable

Military Order of the Bath.

This officer, a native of Totness in Devonshire, went to sea
at an early age ; served twenty-three years as a Midshipman
and Lieutenant ; was made a Commander in 1795 ; command-
ed the Alliance store-ship, attached to the Mediterranean
fleet, in 1796 ; and as a reward for his services on that station,
was posted by Earl St. Vincent into his own flag-ship, the
Victory, of 100 guns. His post- commission bears date Oct.
13,1797.

In Jan. 1801, he obtained the command of the Russell,
74, and soon after accompanied the expedition sent against
Copenhagen, where he assisted at the capture and destruction
of the Danish line of defence, on the glorious 2d April *.
Subsequent to his return from the Baltic, he was employed
off Cadiz, under the orders of Sir James Saumarez.

On the renewal of hostilities in 1803, Captain Cuming was
appointed to the Prince of Wales, a second rate, bearing the
flag of Sir Robert Calder, with whom he continued to serve
till that officer struck his flag in the autumn of 1805. During
the remainder of the war he commanded in succession the Isis,
of 50 guns, Sampson 64, and Bombay 74 ; the latter employed
in the blockade of Toulon. He was nominated a C. B. in 1815,
and advanced to the rank of Rear- Admiral July 19, 1821.

Residence. — Southbrent, Ashburton, Devon.

* See p. 368. N. B. — The Russ Jl. although she accidentally grounded
when proceeding- to her station, was engaged from the first to the last of
the hattle ; and, according to Lord Nelson's official letter, was so situated
as to render essential service ,

848 REAR-ADMIRALS OF THE BLUE.

JAMES WALKER, Esq.

Hear-Jdmiral of the Blue ; a Companion of the most honorable Military
Order of the Bath ; and a Knight Commander of the Portuguese
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. 1780, the Southampton captured a French priva-
teer, of 18 guns and 80 men. Mr. Walker was sent to assist.
in removing the prisoners ; but before that service could bo
completely effected she suddenly sunk, and he remained a
considerable time in the water before he could be rescued from
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 memorable 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 chase.

See Retired Captain J. N. Inglefield, in our next volume,
t See note at p. 35, et seq.

JAMES WALKER, ESQ. 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 75, including the
Lieutenants Burgess, Hankey, and Trigge, 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 the summer of 1797, while the mutiny raged at the
Nore #, he suggested a plan for attacking the Sandwich by
means of the smasher guns, invented by his relative, the late
General Melville f, 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, he removed into
the Monmouth, of 64 guns, employed in the North Sea, under
the orders of Admiral Duncan.

On the memorable 11th Oct. 1797, when that excellent
commander attacked and defeated the Dutch fleet under the
brave de Winter, the Monmouth was closely engaged for an

* See p. 160, et se</.
t An interesting memoir of General Melville will be found in a Work
entitled Public Characters, vol. i, p. 149, et seq.

VOL. I. 3 I

850 KKAK-AIJMIKALS OK THE BLCJK.

hour and a half with the Drift 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 off Camperdown, our
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 from 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, 56 ; Prince George, 98 ; Prince,
of the same force, and Isis, of 50 guns.

The Isis formed part of Lord Nelson'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 two of
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 amounted
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 was 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 Duquesne, 74, bearing the
broad pendant of Commodore Kerrangel. The latter vessel

* See p. G2. f See note *, at p 365, et seg.

JAMES WALKER, ESQ. 851

had slipped out of Cape Frangois 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 opponeut, 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
town 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 with ammunition, were surrendered to
the 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 great 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 Frangois was about to
surrender. However, during the fourteen weeks which he
remained off 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
Dessalines, that one of his chiefs had deserted from him witli
a body of 2000 men, and taken possession of the plain near
Cape Frangois, by which he was enabled to furnish the Eu-
ropean French in the city with ground provisions and fruit,

3 i 2

852 REAR-ADMIRALS OF 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 Hayti), 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 months.

Captain Walker's next appointment was to the Duquesne,
in which ship he returned to England from Jamaica with only
160 men, although 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 off 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 afterwards 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 537.
f The Order of St. Bento d'Avis is partly military, partly monastic.

James walker, esq. 853

expedition, arrived off Chandeleur 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 Rear-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
here 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 death, 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, a Mid-
shipman in the navy.
Residence. — Hastings .

854 REAR-ADMIRALS OF THE BLUE.

HON. SIR CHARLES PAGET, Knt.

Rear-admiral of the Blue ; a Knight of the Royal Hanoverian Guelphic
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. fJJ 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
Camperdown, Oct. 1 1, 1797 *• He was advanced to the rank
of Post-Captain on the 17th of the same month ; 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 l'Orient;
and the St. Iago, 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 appointment 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 j
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 ; l'Adour store-ship,
pierced for 20 guns, from Martinique to Rochefort ; 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 p. 150, et seq t See note at p. 220.

HON. SIR CHARLES PAGET. 855

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 18, 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 l'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 Handfield, late first Lieutenant of the Egyp-
tienne, who was serving as a volunteer on board her, in con-
sequence of his promotion 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 that service, captured le 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 Wareham, at which place upwards of 2,500 tons of
shipping, together with a valuable cotton mill belonging to a
company of merchants at Boston, were destroyed by the boats

866 MAR-ADMIRALS OF THE BLUE.

of the Superb and Ninirod, under the directions of hia first
Lieutenant, the present Captain James Garland, in the face
of a numerous militia, and without the loss of a man.

Captain Paget was appointed to the command of the Prince
Regent yacht, Jan. 1, 1819, and afterwards to the Royal
George. It is almost superfluous to add, that since that pe-
riod he has attended the King in all his marine excursions— a
convincing proof of the estimation in which his professional
abilities are held by his royal master, from whom he received
the honor of knighthood at the Pavilion, Brighton, Oct. 19,
1819, on the occasion of his being nominated a K. H. G.

Sir Charles succeeded his brother, Lieutenant-General Sir
Edward Paget, as a Groom of his Majesty's Bedchamber,
Jan. 30, 1822 ; hoisted the superior broad pendant of a Com-
modore on board the last named yacht, on the 26th July follow-
ing ; and was advanced to the rank of Rear- Admiral, April 9,
1823. He was first returned to Parliament as Member for
Milbourne Port, in 1804 ; and has represented the borough of
Carnarvon ever since 1806.

He married, in March 1805, Elizabeth Araminta, second
daughter of Henry (and Lady Elizabeth) Monck, Esq. by
whom he has a large family.

Residence. — Fair Oak Lodge, near Rogate, Sussex.

ROBERT WILLIAMS, Esq.

Rear- Admiral of the Blue.

This officer entered the naval service under the auspices of
Lord Mulgrave, in 1777, 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.

ROBERT WILLIAMS, ESQ. 85/

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 t, 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, which vessel, being on her return 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 l'Amphitrite, 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-Mar tial, 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. ; 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. f See note *, at p. 133. J See note at p. 35, «t stq.
§ See Sir George Montagt.

858 REAR-ADMIHALS OF THE BLUE.

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 was 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 17th March, 1794, 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 off, 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. 859

himself to attempt the fort and town of Fort Royal by 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, 74. 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 commanders,
mentioned in the ahove extract from the London Gazette Extraordinary of
April 22, 1794, a number of scaling ladders were made of long bamboos
connected with strong line ; and the Asia 64, and Zebra sloop of war, com-
manded by Captains Browne and Fanlknor, were ordered to hold them-
selves in readiness to enter the Car^nage, for the purpose of battering the
fort, and covering the flat-boats, barges, and pinnaces, under the com-
mand of Commodore Thompson, supported by Captains Nugent and Riou ;
while a detachment of the army advanced with field-pieces, along the side
of the hill under Fort Bourbon, towards the bridge, over the canal, at the
back of Fort Royal, This plan of attack, which was put into execution on
the 20th March, succeeded in every part, except that of the Asia getting
into her station, which failed through the misconduct of M. de Tourelles,
the former Lieutenant of the port, who had undertaken to pilot her in, but
afterwards refused to do so under pretence of shoals. Perceiving the
Asia baffled in her attempts, Captain Faulknor, who, with an indescribable
firmness, had, for a length of time, sustained a shower of grape-shot, de-
termined to undertake this service alone. Accordingly, with matchless
intrepidity and conduct, he pushed his little ship close under the walls of
the fort, leaped into a boat, and followed by his crew, scaled the ramparts
before Prince Edward's brigade from La Coste and Cas Navire, and the
storming party of seamen from the camp at Point Negro, under Cap-
tains Rogers, Scott, and Bayntun, could come to his assistance. Seeing
the Zebra go in, all the boats seemed to fly towards the scene of action.
Those from Point Carriere landed near the Zebra ; and their men mounting
the walls, assisted the gallant Faulknor in driving the enemy out ef the
fort. The republican flag was immediately hauled down, and the British
union hoisted in its stead amidst three hearty cheery from alt who had wit-
nessed this brilliant exploit. The capture of Fort Louis led to the surrei^
der of the whole island on the 23d of the same month.

During the siege the gun-boats, which by the French were called " Les
petits Diables," were of infinite service, and gained the officers command-
ing them immortal credit, by the steady and well-directed fire Ijjev constantly
kept up, both day and night ; and though continually exposed to a heavy
discharge both of round and grape, their loss did not exceed 4 men killed
and wounded.

8f)0 KKAR-ADMUIALS OF THE BLUE.

very heavy fire from the enemy's batteries. On the reduction
of that colony, he returned to Martinique in the Vanguard,
and during the absence of the fleet at Guadaloupe was sent in
a sloop to inspect the different posts and fortifications along
the coast.

We next find our officer serving with a brigade of seamen
landed under the orders of Captains Robertson and Sawyer
to co-operate with the army in an attempt to recover Gua-
daloupe from the hands of the republicans *, and receiving a
severe wound whilst employed in the erection of a masked
battery on the heights near Fort Fleur d'Epee. He soon
after left the Vanguard and returned to England in the Mino-
taur, another ship of the same force. On his arrival he was
appointed first Lieutenant of the Prince George, a second
rate, fitting for the flag of Vice- Admiral Thompson, but which
she did not receive till after the battle off Cape St. Vincent,
on which occasion she bore that of Rear-Admiral Parker,
and sustained a loss of 8 men killed and 7 wounded f.

Lieutenant Williams, for his conduct on this memorable
occasion was immediately promoted to the rank of Command-
er, and appointed to the Dolphin, a 44-gun ship armed en
flute ; but previous to his joining her he acted for some time
as Flag-Captain to Rear- Admiral Parker, in the Blenheim 98,
and served pro tempore in the Kingfisher sloop of war.
From the Dolphin he was posted into the San Ysidro, a
Spanish 74, which he conducted to England in Sept. 1797.
His post commission, however, was not confirmed by the
Admiralty till Nov. 10th in the same year, when he received
an appointment to the Formidable of 98 guns, the command
of which he retained till Jan. 1798.

From this period we find no mention of Captain Williams
till May 1802, when he obtained the command of the Dryad
frigate, stationed off Portland for the suppression of smug-
gling. In Feb. 1803, he was removed into the Russel 74,
and soon after ordered to escort the outward bound trade to

* Guadaloupe was takeu by Sir John Jervis and Sir Charles Grey, in
April 1 794 ; and re-captured by the French early in J une following. Some
interesting particulars relative to its subjugation by the British, will be
found at pp. 71 1 and 841.

fSee p. 21

ROBERT WILLIAMS, ESQ. 861

the East Indies, from whence he was obliged to return home
through ill-health in 1805. His subsequent appointments
were to the Ruby 64, Dictator of the same force, and Glou-
cester 74. In these ships he served on the Baltic station
during five successive seasons, and was principally employed
in affording protection to the different convoys passing through
the Great Belt, a service of the most harassing nature, owing
to the difficulty of the navigation, and the annoyance afforded
by the enemy, whose gun-boats were ever on the alert*.
Returning to England each winter, he was occasionally sent
to Leith with French prisoners ; and on one occasion attached
to the fleet blockading the Scheldt, under Admiral William
Young.

In 1814, the Gloucester convoyed a fleet to the Leeward
Islands, and from thence escorted the 90th regiment to Que-
bec. She returned to England with the trade from Barba-
does under her protection in September of the same year, and
was soon after paid off at Sheerness.

Captain Williams was advanced to the rank of Rear-Ad-
miral April 9, 1823.

Residence. near Bath.

RICHARD WORSLEY, Esq.

Rear-Admiral of the Blue.

This officer was made a Lieutenant about the year 1790 ;
obtained the rank of Post-Captain, Nov. 29, 1797 J a"d be-
came a Rear- Admiral, April 9, 1823.

Residence. — Isle of Wight.

'S*

* On the 5th July 1811, a number of merchantmen under the protec-
tion of the Cressy, Defence, and Dictator ships of the line, Sheldrake
sloop of war, and Bruiser gun-brig, were attacked by a Danish flotilla,
consisting of seventeen gun-boats and ten heavy row-boats. The enemy
were defeated without the loss of any of the British vessels ; but the greater
part retreating into shoal water, effected their escape. Four of the gun-
boats, however, were captured, and each found to carry one long 24-pounder,
4 brass howitzers, and 30 men.

KND OF VOL. I.

ADDENDA & CORRIGENDA.

DUKE OF CLARENCE, (p. I.) H. R. H. was Patron of the Society
for the improvement of Naval Architecture, from its first establishment,
March 28, 1796, till its final dissolution.

P. 4. Whilst the fleet under Vice-Admiral Darby remained in the
vicinity of Gibraltar, that place was often honored with 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 delineated 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 interest of the royal Duke, and Admiral
Lord Hood, that Nelson, after repeated applications, was appointed, at the
commencement of the French war, in 1793, to the Agamemnon, of G4
guns, in which ship he afterwards so highly distinguished himself.

EARL OF St. VINCENT, (p. 27.) The Spanish prisoners were
landed at Lagos Bay.

W. PEERE WILLIAMS FREEMAN, (p. 33.) In 1777 this officer
commanded the Venus, a very fine fast-sailing frigate, from which he
exchanged with Captain Fergusson, the late Lieutenant-Governor of
Greenwich Hospital, into the Rrune.

LORD RADSTOCK. (p. 56). His Lordship is a Commissioner of
the Church and Corporation Land Tax ; a Vice-President of the Asylum,
and of the Mary-le-bone General Dispensary.

SIR JOHN ORDE, (p. 71) Commanded, but never went to sea in
the Prince George.

LORD GAMBIER, (p. 79.) Joined the Prince George, of 98 guns,
fitting at Chatham in the winter of 1794.

864 VDDENDA, &C.

SIR C. M. POLE, (p. 89.) Commanded the Scipio previous to his
joining the Crown.

ARTHUR KEMPE, Esq. (p. 122.) Assisted at the glorious affair
of Quebec, where the immortal Wolfe fell ; and accompanied Captains
Cooke and Fourneaux in their respective voyages of discovery, sharing
with them all the dangers of untried seas and inhospitable shores.

SIR RICHARD HUSSEY BICKERTON, (p. 131.) Was obliged to
return to England through ill health in Sept. 1805. Did not take a seat
at the Admiralty till the spring of 1807- Has recently obtained the royal
permission to take the surname of Hussey before that of Bickerton, and
bear the arms of Hussey quarterly with those of Bickerton, in compliance
with the will of his late maternal uncle, Lieutenant-General Hussey.

ADMIRAL BOWEN, (p. 134.) Commanded the Bellona 74, in 1789.

SIR JAMES SAUMAREZ. (p. 178.) The Crescent had one man
wounded in the rencontre with le Reunion.

P. 191, note t- Superb had only 15 men wounded.

P. 193. Sir James was made a Vice-Admiral Dec. 13, 1806.

EARL OF NORTHESK. (p. 207.) His Lordship having resigned
his command on account of ill health, returned to England in the Dread-
nought of 98 guns, and arrived at St. Helen's, accompanied by his former
flag-ship and three of the Trafalgar prizes, May 1C, 1806.

VISCOUNT EXMOUTH, (p. 209.) Is a Vice-President of the Ma-
rine Society.

P. 211. The action between the Apollo and Stauislaus was fought in
1780.

ADMIRAL WOLSELEY, (p. 249.) Is a nephew of the late Admi-
ral Phillips Cosby, and distantly related to the ducal family of Grafton.
He commanded the Ferret sloop of war previous to his being made a Post-
Captain.

SIR JOHN SUTTON, (p. 253.) We have reason to believe that
this officer served during part of the American war as a Lieutenant in the
Superb, of 70 guns, the flag ship of the gallant Sir Edward Hughes, in the
East Indies. If so, he was wounded in an attack made by the boats of the
squadron upon several of Hyder Ally's vessels lying at anchor near Man-
galore. The boats rowed in with great firmness, under cover of two of
the East India Company's snows, amidst a heavy fire from the enemy's
ships, which they resolutely boarded and carried, setting fire to three which
they were not able to bring off, took one, and forced another on shore,
with several merchant vessels, which were destroyed. An armed snow
was closely pursued ; but by throwing her guns overboard, she escaped
over the bar into the harbour. This service was not performed without
some loss on the side of the British : Lieutenant Gosnam, of the Burford,
and 10 men, were killed, and two officers and 51 men wounded.

ADDENDA, &.C. 865

The enemy's armed vessels taken and destroyed consisted of two ships
and three ketches, mounting in the whole 86' guns.

After the above affair, which took place Dec. 8, 1780, Lieutenant Sut-
ton appears to have been promoted to the command of the Nymph sloop,
in which he returned to England. His promotion to the rank of Post-Cap-
tain bears date Nov. 28, 1782. He married, March 30, 1797, Frances,
daughter of Beaumont, second Lord Hotham, and sister of Rear-Admiral
Hon. Sir H. Hotham.

SIR RICHARD G. KEATS, (p. 347.) Hoisted his flag in the Mars
74, and went with the gallant and lamented Sir John Moore to Sweden.
Sec Memoir of Rear-Admiral Lukin, p. 702.

BATTLE OFF COPENHAGEN, (p. 368.) The Glatton on that oc-
casion was commanded by Captain William Bligh, and subsequently by
Captain Nowell.

ADMIRAL CRAWLEY, (p. 386.) Is, we believe, the son of a Pur-
ser, R. N. ; if so, his brother commanded the ship to which his father at
one time belonged.

SIR THOMAS WILLIAMS, (p. 390.) Left the Neptune in 1805,
and was succeeded by the late Sir Thomas F. Freemantle.

SIR THOMAS B. THOMPSON, (p. 390.) We have not been favored
with the means of correcting our statement, which must certainly be erro-
neous, respecting his age. It is scarcely possible that he could have re-
ceived a Lieutenant's commission, dated Jan. 14, 1782, if born Feb. 28, 1768.

SIR WILLIAM HARGOOD. (p. 399.) Was a Lieutenant with Nel-
son during the operations carried on against the Spaniards, in conformity
to a plan formed by General Dalling, for the purpose of putting an end to
the communication between their northern and southern possessions in
America. (See Southey's Life of Nelson, 2d edit. vol. 1, p. 31, &c.) Sub-
sequently appointed to the Magnificent, 74, Captain Robert Linzee ; and
bore a part in the glorious battle between Rodney and de Grasse, April 12,
1782. Was first Lieutenant of the Pegasus, 28, when commanded by
Prince William Henry, now Duke of Clarence.

VICE-ADMIRAL STIRLING, (p. 406.) Did not escort troops un-
der Sir Samuel Auchmuty to South America. Assumed the chief command
in the Rio de la Plata prior to that officer's arrival. The army, and naval
brigade, were landed on the 16th Jan. 1807, and soon after invested the
town of Monte Video.

SIR CHARLES HAMILTON, (p. 419.) The marine officer who lost
his life in the action between the Melpomene's boats and the Senegal, was
VOL. I. 3 K

8(K> LDDENDA, &C.

Mr. Yivimi, a moal promising young officer, son of the gentleman who has
for some time past headed the list of Pursers, R. N.

SIR LAWRENCE W. HALSTED. (p. 430.) The Dutch brigs Echo
and ])e Gier each mounted 20 guns ; they were driven on shore by the
Pegasus only.

SIR JOSEPH SYDNEY YORKE. (p. 440.) The. following docu-
ment, with which we have heen favored since the sheet containing
Sir Joseph's memoir was printed, will serve as an elucidation of the
lines addressed to that worthy officer on his retirement from the Admiralty.
The Editor, in alluding to a circumstance of so much importance to the
Navy generally, but more especially to the destitute widows and children
of naval officers, as the abrogation of the well-intentioned though severe re-
gulation, which denied relief to any widow who had not been married
twelve months previous to her husband's demise, feels much pleasure in doing
justice to Mr. Thomas Gent, formerly of the Naval Victualling department,
at North Yarmouth, by stating, that but for his assiduity and disinterested
exertions, aided by the kind influence of Sir Richard Strachan and Sir Jo-
seph Yorke, the rule formerly laid down by the Guardians of the Widows'
Charity would still have remained in force.

" The Memorial of Susan Storck, widow of the late Robert
Henry Storck, a Lieutenant in His Majesty's Navy.
" Most humbly sheweth,

" That your Memorialist, in consequence of the sudden death of her
husband, on the 4th December, 1816, is left entirely destitute, he having
been in a state of insolvency previous to his death.

" By the Regulations of Widows' Pensions (to pre cent abuses), no widow
is entitled thereto unless she has been married one year previous to the
death of her husband Your Memorialist has the misfortune to stand
in this predicament, having been married only seven months before her hus-
band's decease ; yet she trusts to the gracious clemency of your Royal
Highness (as no abuse of the bounty can, it is presumed, be supposed to
exist in this case), in consideration of her husband having served in the
memorable actions of Copenhagen and Trafalgar ; and also of her brothefa
having served many years in His Majesty's Navy, (the one, Samuel French,
thirteen years, eleven of which he was Master of H. M's. Ships Vincego,
Valorous, and Renown, and who died in consequence of severe cold taken
in actual service : the other, Aldred French, was taken prisoner in H. M.
S. Vincego, Captain Wright, and suffered imprisonment in France for ten
years and a half), and having an aged and infirm mother totally unable to
render her the least assistance, from her own very limited means, hopes,
from the distressed situation in which she is left, that her very hard case
will merit the favorable consideration of your Royal Highness, so that she
may receive the pension allowed to the Widow of a Lieutenant in the Navy,

ADDENDA, &C. 867

or siK'li other remuneration as your Royal Highness may graciously direct.
And your Memorialist, as in duty bound, will ever pray.

(Signed) "Susan Storck."

This memorial was originally presented to the Guardians
of the Widows' Charity, and refused on the ground of the Re-
gulation, that as Mrs. Storck had not heen married twelve
months previous to her husband's death, she was not entitled
to the pension. It was afterwards presented to the Prince
Regent in Council ; referred from thence to the Admiralty,
and again to the Widows' Charity. After repeated applica-
tions during many months, on the part of Mr. Gent, assisted
by the gallant officers already mentioned, the pension was
most considerately allowed (being the first instance of a de-
viation from the Regulation) ; and in May 1818, Mrs. Storck
received the pay from the day of her husband's death. It is
almost superfluous to add, that the widows of officers are not,
as formerly, deprived of their pensions in the event of their
marrying again.

EARL OF GALLOWAY, (p. 445.) Commanded the Sheerness, 44,
on Channel service, previous to the VVinehelsea.

SIR PHILIP CHARLES DURHAM, (p. 450.) Was born at Largo,
about July, 1765; embarked as a Midshipman on board the Trident, 64,
commanded by Captain John Elliott, with whom he proceeded to North
America, and afterwards removed into the Edgar, 74, which ship formed
part of Sir George B. Rodney's fleet, in the action with Don Juan de Lan-
gara, off Cape St. Vincent, Jan. 16, 1 730; and on that occasion had 6 men
killed and 20 wounded*. Mr. Durham was subsequently employed in the
gun-boats at Gibraltar, then besieged by the combined armies of France
and Spain. In July, 1 782, he was appointed to act as a Lieutenant in the
Victory, of 100 guns, bearing the flag of Rear-Admiral Kempenfelt, with
whom he served as signal officer, and afterwards joined the Royal George,
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 Lieutenaut, to the Union a second rate ; accompa-
nied Earl Howe's fleet to the relief of Gibraltar ; and bore a part in the
action off 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 Mr.
Durham removed into the Raisonnable, 64, in which ship he continued till
the peace of 1783, and then joined the Unicorn, of 20 guns. He suhse-

* See nojf* f> a& P- 3, et seq,

3k2

868 ADDKNDA, &C.

quently served for three years in the Salisbury, 50, bearing the broad 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 Spithcad with
la Frique, a French privateer, taken off Havre de Grace, and which we be-
lieve was the first vessel captured under the tri-colourcd flag ; at ail events,
the first that was brought into Portsmouth.

From this period our account of Captain Durham's services appears to
be 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 13th 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-batt!e
ships near Cette, already mentioned at p. 283. In the course of the same
year, the Renown, being found unfit 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, he was requested by the first Lord to continue on that station, not-
withstanding he had applied to be superseded, and another Flag-Oificer had
been appointed to succeed him. The successful exertions of the 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 him by the Members of the Insu-
rance Association of Barbadoes, the Board of Cabildo of Port d'Espagne,
and the Merchants of St. Thomas's.

"Barbadoes, 28/// Nov. 1815.
" Sir» — The near approach of the period when you will resign the naval
command in chief of this 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 to this command :—
In the exercise of that command, fnmi the moment of its singularly auspi-

ADDENDA, &C. B69

cious commencement, 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, aud realized our
most sanguine hopes.

" By your judicious distribution of the comparatively small force at your
disposal, by your ardent zeal and unremitted vigilance, the navigation of
these seas has been in a conspicuous degree protected from the ravages of
a most active and enterprising enemy, whose daring spoliations have been
carried across the Atlantic, even to the very shores of the united kingdom.
By your vigorous co-operation in the late fortunate expedition against the
revolted French colonies, you have largely participated in the glory of obli-
terating from the tablet of the banners of nations, the tri-coloured flag of
revolutionary France, the avowed symbol of implacable hostility to the Bri-
tish ensign, which having, through the valour of its brave supporters,
proudly waved in war, in victorious defiance of all its foes, now calmly
floats over us in the dignified tranquillity of peace*.

" Your remarkable affability, in allowing unrestricted access to your
person at all times, — your immediate attention to every mercantile appli-
cation,— your promptness in rendering every possible assistance, — have been
no less gratifying and beneficial to individuals, than your energetic mea-
sures have been consistent with your established character, and occasionally
successful in promoting the general maritime interests of the empire.

" Actuated by the most lively sense of obligation to you, for the im-
portant advantages which the trade of the West Indies especially has de-
rived from your incessant exertions, the Members of the Barbadoes Insu-
rance Association are desirous of paying a lasting tribute to that merit
which they so highly appreciate. They have therefore deputed us, the
Directors of the Institution, to present you with a piece of Plate, of the
value of five hundred pounds, which they entreat you to accept, as a proof
of the grateful estimation in which they hold your exalted deserts.

" For ourselves, Sir, we beg to assure you of the infinite satisfaction we
feel in the performance of this peculiarly agreeable office, and of the sin-
cerity with which we join them in fervent wishes, that you may long enjoy
every species of happiness, as the well deserved reward of your eminently
valuable services.

" We have the honour to be, Sir,

" With the greatest respect and esteem,

" Your most obedient humble servants,

"F. A. Walrond, "J. M'Alpin,
(Signed) "Richard Cock, " W. Oxley,

"Patrick Seaver, " R. Deane.

" 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, Cuadaloupe, 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 ADDENDA, &C.

" Port of Spain, Trinidad, 5th Jan. 181 6.
" The Illustrious Board of Cabildo having resolved, that the sum of one
hundred 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-
tains 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 Excellency's acceptance of it.

" By command of the Board,

(Signed) u* H. Murray, Sec."

*« St. Thomas's, 18th 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 Merchants of St. Thomas's will never forget their obligations to
your Excellency, for the protection on so many occasions afforded 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 Excellency's most obedient humble servants,
" By order of the Committee,

(Signed) " Christ. D. 1'Etknd,

" E. Sarqity.
"John King.
" To his Excellency Sir P. Charles Durham, K. C. B.

" Rear-Admiral of the Red, Commander-in-Chief, &c. &c. c\c."

Sir Philip C. Durham also received votes of thanks from the Members of
his 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 Rear-Admiral's departure for
England, where he arrived in the spring of 1816.

The following passage we extract from the Barbadoes paper, which con-
tained 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
Commauder-in-Chief, and the officers in subordinate authority on this sta-
tion. Local circumstances have rendered these seas a scene of unexampled
activity ; and whenever opportunities have offered, by falling in with Ame-
rican cruisers, our ships of war have been uniformly distinguished for their
spirited intrepidity; Although the Caribbean Sea has literally swarmed

* A beautiful Diamond Star, of great value.

ADDJENJJA, &C. 871

during the past season with multitudes of privateers, such lias been the un-
remitted vigilance of the Commander-in-Chief, in the very judicious distri-
bution of the squadron under his orders, that the losses of the commercial
community have been trifling. In many instances, when fleets were ex-
pected, which had been known to have lost their coavoy, the neighbouring
seas have been completely scoured by our ships of war, to insure, their safe
arrival. No better illustration need be given of this subject, than to state,
that eighty-four American vessels have been taken since the command of
his Excellency Rear-Admiral Sir P. Charles Durham, K. C. B. on this
station."

VICE-ADMIRAL WOLLEY. (p. 505.) It was Lieutenant-Colonel
Whitelocke, not Major-General Williamson, who co-operated with Com-
modore Ford, in 1793.

VICE-ADMIRAL PATERSON. (Note at p. 515.) Lieutenant Home
was superannuated, with the rank of Commander, Dec. 22, 1815 ; and died
Feb. 21, 1823, aged 82 years.

SIR GEORGE COCKBURN. (p. 518.) First went to sea as a Mid-
shipman, on board the Termagant sloop of war, commanded by Captain
Rowley Bulteel. Subsequently served with the present Sir Robert Moor-
som in the Ariel, on the East India station.

P. 521. When the Minerva was chased by the Spanish ships in the Gut
of Gibraltar, and whilst within gun-shot of them, one of her crew fell over-
board. Disordered as she was by her recent action, Captain Coikburn
instantly tacked, exchanged broadsides with the enemy, and succeeded in
recovering his man. This spirited conduct was much admired by Nelson,
who always felt pleasure in relating it.

VICE-ADMIRAL SCOTT, (p. 539.) Served at the reduction of Trini-
dad, in 1 797 ; see p. 859.

SIR HENRY W. BAYNTUN, (p. 543.) Served as a Commander
on shore during the siege of Martinique, in 1794; and assisted at the con-
quest of Trinidad, in 1797.

VICE-ADMIRAL BEDFORD, (p. 574.) Was first Lieutenant of the
Queen, a second rate, bearing the flag of Rear-Admiral Gardner, in Earl
Howe's actions, May 28, 29, and June 1, 1794 ; and was posted into her
for his gallant conduct, and the able manner in which he supplied the place
of her commander Captain Hutt, who was mortally wounded on the latter
day. The total loss sustained by the Queen, was 36 slain and 67 wounded.
Among the latter were her second, sixth, and junior Lieutenants, the
former of whom died soon after.

P. 575. Commanded the Royal Sovereign, a first rate, previous to his
becoming a flag-officer.

872 ADDENDA, &C.

HON. SIR HENRY HOTHAM, (p. 615.) Was born Feb. 19, 1777-

P. 616. Joined the Revolutionnairein 1804 ; assisted at the capture of
four French line-of-battle ships by Sir Richard Strachan, Nov. 4, 1805, on
which occasion the Revolutionnaire had 2 men killed and 6 wounded. Ap-
pointed to the Defiance in March 1806.

P. 618. Removed into the Northumberland, in the autumn of 1810.

P. 621. Was appointed Captain of the Fleet under Sir John Borlase
Warren, in Dec. 1812; and served iu that capacity, and as Commodore,
under Sir Alexander Cochrane.

SIR JOSIAS ROWLEY. (Note at p. 624.) The Chevalier de Linieres
was formerly a Capitaine de Vaisseau in the French marine, but fled from
France at the commencement of the revolution.

The troops under Sir Samuel Auchmuty were escorted to the Rio de la
Plata by Captain Donnelly of the Ardent; Rear-Admiral Stirling had pre-
viously proceeded thither. They were landed on the 16th Jan. 1807> and
attacked by the enemy on the 20th.

SIR EDWARD CODRINGTON, (p. 635.) Entered the naval ser-
vice July 18, 1783 ; and from that period till May 2/, 1793, served as a
Midshipman in the Princess Augusta Yacht, Brisk sloop of war, Assistance
of 44 guns, Leander 50, Ambuscade frigate, Formidable 98, and Queen
Charlotte, a first rate, the latter bearing the flag (Union) of Earl Howe,
Commander-in-Chief of the Channel fleet. His promotion to the rank of
Lieutenant took place June 17, 1793; and on that occasion he was appointed
to the Santa Margaritta 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 Babet. 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. Strachan's
official letter of the 1 7th : " 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 Captain 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-battle ships from Cadiz to Minorca ; a mea-

ADDENDA, &C. 873

Store rendered necessary by the rapid advance of the French army. This
was a service of considerable difficulty, the ships being in every respect
unfit for sea. They had only a few days' water, provisions, and fuel ; their
masts, yards, and sails, were not trust-worthy ; they were leaky from de-
cay, and had even shot-holes unstopped. Their bottoms were so foul that
they could not work to windward even in moderate weather; and they
were fully officered, and actually loaded with refugee passengers of high
rank, although they were destitute of useful men to assist in navigating
them. After thirty-eight days' exertions, however, Captain Codringtou,
assisted by the Norge 74, succeeded in conducting them to Port Mahon,
where they were safely moored and delivered up to the Spanish Commo-
dore. Sir Richard G. Keats, who at that time commanded the squadron
engaged in the defence of Cadiz, in answer to the report of their safe
arrival, says, " I beg to assure you I am quite sensible of the successful
" and satisfactory manner in which by your able management, and by the
" exertions of the officers and men under your orders, you have been en-
" abled to execute the arduous service entrusted to your care."

The Blake, on her return to the Cadiz station, was actively employed in
co-operation with the Spanish patriots ; she subsequently joined the fleet
under Sir Charles Cotton in the Mediterranean; and from April 1811, till
April 1813, Captain Codrington, as already stated in his memoir at p. 636,
was entrusted with the command of a detached squadron on the eastern
coast of Spain. Various documents expressing the gratitude of the besieged
and the confidence of the population, were the immediate consequences of
the assistance afforded by him during the brave and protracted defence of
Tarragona ; the commandant of which place, General Contreras, in his ex-
position of the siege, after detailing the aid which he received from the
British, observes, " I may say then with truth, that if I had been assisted
" by the army on shore (Spanish) as I was seconded by the squadron of
" Commodore Codrington, Tarragona certainly would not have fallen."

Besides the many flattering expressions of approbation conveyed to
Captain Codrington from Sir Charles Cotton's successor, the present
Viscount Exmouth, during the time he was employed under his orders, the
order he received from that officer to return to England, concluded with
the following :

" I cannot refuse myself the satisfaction of expressing to you on this
occasion my sincere thanks for the zeal and readiness with which you have
always met my instructions, in performing the duties of your station, and
my high sense of the ability and judgment with which you have conducted
the many difficult and arduous services which have been entrusted to your
execution. It has been my care that the Lords Commissioners of the Ad-
miralty should be frequently apprised of your services on the coast of Ca-
talonia." And in his letter to the Admiralty, accompanying the despatches
with which Sir Edward Pellew charged our officer, he says, " I refer their
'* Lordships to Captain Codrington, who is most competent to satisfy their
" enquiries. I much regret the departure of this very zealous and valuable
" officer."

874 AI>i));NJ)A, c\.C.

Letters expressing similar tommendation were also received by Captain
Codrington from the Superior Junta, and other authorities of Catalonia,
as well as from the British Ambassador, Sir Henry Wellesley, with whom'
the. Commander-in-Chief liad directed him to coinimmieate by writing, as
lie ought see occasion. Upon the arrival of the Blake in England, he
received the following letters from the Secretary of the Admiralty :

" Admiralty Office, 30th March, 1813.
" 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
29th inst., together with the copy of the letter therein referred to from
Sir Henry Wellesley, addressed to the Viscount Castlereagh, and also of
its enclosure, stating the favorable opinion which the Regency of Spain
entertain of your services during the period of your command off the east-
ern coast of Spain. And I am at the same time directed to express their
Lordships' satisfaction at receiving this testimony of the opinion of the
Spanish government, which is so much in unison with their own senti-
ments of your services.

" I am, &c. &e.

(Signed) " J. W. Crokeii.

" Captain Codrington, Blake"

" Cadiz, 9th March, 1813.
" My Lord. — I have the honor to enclose the translation of a letter which
1 have received from the Minister for Foreign Affairs, expressive of the
sense entertained by the Regency of Spain of the valuable services of Cap-
tain Codrington, during the period of his command upon the eastern coast
of Spain ; and I cannot do less than express my concurrence in the senti-
ments of the Spanish government with respect to the zeal, activity, and
judgment, with which Captain Codrington has executed the important
duties entrusted to him, and which have contributed so essentially to the
preservation in full vigour of that active spirit of resistance to the French
yoke, which has so much distinguished the inhabitants of Catalonia.

" I have the honor to be, &c. &c.

(Signed) " H. Wellesley.
" Viscount Castlereagh, fyc. fyc."

" Cadiz, 8th March, 1813.
" Sir. — The Regency of the kingdom has commissioned me to inform
your Excellency, that under this day's date an order has beep issued to the
King's Ambassador at the court of London, to recommend in the name of
his Highness to the government of H. R. H. the Prince Regent in the
strongest manner, the important and signal services which Commodore
Codrington has rendered during his cruize in the Mediterranean ; a great
part of the successful actions which the army of Catalonia have had, being
to be attributed to the assistance which he afforded, and to his co-operation
and advice; by which army, as well as by all the inhabitants of that province,
ibis officer is held in the highest estimation. For all these reasons the
Regency are most desirous of giving him a high testimony of their gi a

ADDENDA, &C 875

titude ; and would esteem it a new proof of the friendship of the govern-
ment of H. R. H. whatever may be done in favor of a person who has
fulfilled with such zeal the intentions of the august ally of Spain, and ha-
contributed by his valor, talents, and excellent qualities, to raise amongst
the Spaniards the credit of the British nation.

" I have the honor to lay this representation before your Excellency, in
order that you may have the goodness to do all in your power, that these
just wishes of the Regency may have the desired effect.

" I renew to your Excellency, &c. &c.

(Signed) " Pedro Labrador.
" The British Ambassador."

The note from the Spanish Minister to Lord Castlereagh being nearly
verbatim the same as Senor Labrador's communication, we shall content
ourselves with selecting the concluding passage :

" The undersigned, in complying with these directions of the govern-
ment, is confident that his Excellency Lord Castlereagh, in conveying
them to H. R. H. the Prince Regent, will at the same time exert his pow-
erful influence, which doubtless will operate not a little towards rewarding
the services of that good servant of his Britannic Majesty, who by his skill
and other high qualities, has so greatly assisted in destroying the French in
Catalonia.

(Signed) " Conde de Fernan Nunez,

" Duque de Montellano."

Captain Codrington was ordered to America previous to his being made
a Rear-Admiral, and proceeded thither with his broad pendant on board
the Forth frigate. The force on that station being reduced in consequence
of the treaty of Ghent, he received directions from Sir Alexander Cochrane
to hoist his flag in the Havannah frigate, and return to England. In his
letter to the Secretary of the Admiralty, the Commander-in-Chief says,
" I take this opportunity to request that you will be pleased to express to
their Lordships my entire satisfaction at the manner in which Rear-Admiral
Sir Edward Codrington has conducted his public duties while Captain of
the fleet upon this station, during a series of active operations, in which I
have greatly benefited by his advice and assistance." In a letter to Sir
Edward himself, he at the same time writes, " I cannot allow of your de-
parture from hence without first expressing to you how much I feel obliged
by the zeal and ability which you have displayed in your public situation
while under my command, and how much benefit I have derived from your
counsel and assistance in the active services in which the fleet and army
have been engaged."

Sir Edward Codrington married, Dec. 27, 1802, Miss Hall, of Old
Windsor. He has recently had the misfortune to lose his eldest son,
Edward, a Midshipman on board the Cambrian frigate, stationed in the
Mediterranean. Although only 19 years of age, from the confidence his
Captain (G. W. Hamilton) placed in him, and from his speaking foreign
languages, he was selected for a particular service ; and was proceeding to

870 ADDENDA, &C.

the Island of Hydra in the ship's cutter, when a violent squall of wind
overset the boat, and consigned him, with a merchant, the coxswain, and
three of the crew, to a watery grave. A gentle spirit, a hold daring, an
eager thirst after knowledge, and an ardent love of his profession, formed
in this lamented youth a bright promise for the future man and officer. —
All who knew him grieve for his so brief career ! To his sorrowing family
the recollection of his mild and manly virtues, and his warm affections,
although soothing to their distress, redouble their severe affliction for his
loss.

VISCOUNT TORRINGTON. (p. 654.) The Active was detached
alone by Commodore Johnstone to the East Indies.

P. 656. The Galatea, in company with the Doris frigate, re-captured
two large Portuguese Brazil ships.

VICE-ADMIRAL BALLARD, (p. 676.) This officer's grandfather,
a Dutch merchant, settled at Portsmouth, married a grand-daughter of
the Rev. Francis Chandler, a bold, awakening, and popular preacher, and
a man of great piety and learning, who lost a considerable property in
houses by the great fire of 1666. His father, Samuel, went to sea at a
very early age with Admiral Holmes, but afterwards became a merchant
at Portsmouth, and married a Miss Flint of Epsom in Surrey, to which
county he retired from business in 1/84.

Mr. S. I. Ballard entered the naval service on board the Valiant, of 74
guns, commanded by the Hon. John Leveson Gower, Dec. 1, 1776; and
in that ship was present at the capture of the Licorne and Pallas, French
frigates, by the fleet under Admiral Keppel ; and in the action with
M. d'Orvilliers, off Brest, July 27, 1778*, on which occasion the Valiant
had 6 men killed and 26 wounded. In Oct. 1779, he was removed into the
Shrewsbury, another third rate, commanded by Captain Mark Robinson,
and soon after sailed, in company with the fleet under Sir G. B. Rodney,
to the relief of Gibraltar.

On the passage thither, the Shrewsbury assisted at the capture of a
Spanish convoy, and the defeat of Don Juan de Langara, Jan 8 and 1 6,
1780 f. Returning to England with the prizes in the ensuing month, she
also contributed to the capture of a French 64, and several merchant ships,
by the squadron under Rear-Admiral Digby. We next find her proceed-
ing to the West Indies, where she bore a part in no less than five actions
with the French fleet commanded by Count de Grasse, viz., off Marti-
nique, April 29, 1781 ; off the Chesapeake, Sept. 5th in the same year;
and in Basseterre Road Jan. 25, 26, and 27, 1782. In the two former she
sustained a loss of 20 men slain and 66 wounded ; among the latter was
Captain Robinson, who unfortunately lost a !eg+.

* See note f, at p. 195. f See note f, at p. 3, et seq.

\ See p. 133. N. B. The Shrewsbury also assisted at the reduction of
St. Eustatia.

ADDENDA, &C. $77

Mr. Ballard was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant by Rear-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 ship, bearing the flag of Rear-Admiral Gardner,
he was 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 latter day, had 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 had acted as Captain in several line-of-battle ships, during the
temporary absence 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 occasional cruizes off
Calais and Havre.

In March 1798, the Pearl sailed for the coast of Africa, in company with
the Sheerness, of 44 guns, bearing the broad pendant of Commodore
James Cornwallis. On the 25th of the following month, Captain Ballard,
who 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 Spanish galleons, lying at the Isles
Delos, between 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 Cornwallis, 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 officer at the
Saintes, watching two French frigates in Basseterre, and cruising to wind-
ward of Deseada, where he captured le Scsevola, a privateer of 10 guns
and 73 men; l'lndcpendence of 12 guns and 66 men; a row-boat, and a
Dutch schooner ; and re-captured eight American vessels. Returning to
England in June 1799, 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
made for her to abandon the pursuit.

In the month of October following, Captain Ballard conveyed General Fox
from Portsmouth to Minorca. During the ensuing two years, he was en-
gaged in a great variety of service on the Mediterranean station, particu-

&78 ADDENDA, &C.

larly in the Golf of Lyons, and in the defence off Porto lVrrajo, in the island
ufElba; the inhabitants of whiclt place, previous to his arrival, had suf-
fered the greatest privations, being (restitute of provisions ; and men,
women, and children obliged to mingle together in the bomb proofs, every
house having been unroofed by the enemy's shells ; the timely appearance
of the Pearl, however, the active co-operation of her eommauder, and the
gallant conduct, able advice, and judicious distribution of the resources
of two meritorious British merchants, Messrs. (irant and Littledale, had the
effect of stimulating the islanders to persevere in resisting the besiegers ;
and aided by the Pearl's marines, who had been landed to strengthen the
little garrison, they succeeded in retaining possession of their town til! the
arrival of reinforcements, when the enemy were obliged to crave a truce.

Captain Ballard returned to England Dec. 3, 1801, and paid off the
Pearl on the 14th March, 1802, after commanding her for upwards of six
years, during which time he had taken, destroyed, and re-captured about
80 vessels ; among which, in addition to those already mentioned, were a
Genoese polacre, of 14 guns; la Vertu, of 10 guns and 40 men ; and an
armed xebec. He also assisted at the capture of la Carerre, a French fri-
gate of 40 guns and 356 men ; l'Incroyable, of 28 guns and 220 men ; and a
Ragusan brig bound to Algiers, with presents from Buonaparte to the Dey,

From this period, notwithstanding his repeated applications for an active
ship, Captain Ballard could not obtain any other command than that of a
district of Sea Fencibles, till Oct. 1809, when he was appointed to the
Sceptre, of 74 guns, in which ship he soon after sailed for the Leeward
Islands ; and immediately on his arrival off Martinique, with the Alfred,
74, and Freija frigate, under his orders, was sent by Sir Alexander Coch-
rane, in pursuit of four French frigates, which had recently captured the
Junon, a British frigate, commanded by Captain John Shortlaud, who after-
wards died of his wounds at Guadeloupe.

At 7 A. M. on the 18th Dec, he formed a junction with the light squa-
dron stationed off Basseterre ; and soon after discovered two of the French
frigates moored with springs on their cables, in a strong position in Ance
la Barque. The Captains of the squadron entering most readily into his
plans, Captain Ballard rejected a flag of truce seut by the enemy, conceiv-
ing it a mere French finesse to procrastinate an attack, the mode of which
was as follows : — Captains Volant Vashon Ballard, and George Miller, of
the Blonde and Thetis frigates, being well acquainted with the place, to
lead in. The former ship and the Sceptre to anchor a-breast of the enemy's
vessels ; the Thetis, Freija, and Castor frigates, to bring 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 stations till
ahout 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 of Captain Ballard, he did not interfere therewith ; and owing
to the light airs and calms, had only an opportunity of witnessing the action,
the brunt of which was borne by the Blonde, Thetis, Cygnet, Hazard, and

ADDKNDA, &C. 879

Ringdove, they being a-head of the other ships ; and by the animated fire
kept up from them, oue of the enemy's frigates was very soon dismasted ;
upon which their crews began to desert them, and before long they were
both observed to be in flames.

Captain Ballard now ordered the boats to land under the orders of Cap-
tain Cameron, of the Hazard, who gallantly stormed the batteries ; which,
together with their magazines, and the frigates, each pierced for 44 guns,
and laden with stores and provisions for the garrison of Guadaloupe, were
completely destroyed by 7 o'clock.

In the execution of this service, Captain Cameron, Mr. G. Jenkins, first
Lieutenant of the Blonde, and several men, were slain; Lieutenant C. W.
Richardson, and many others, wounded. The enemy's loss was also sup-
posed to be very severe, as their ships, although not fully manned, had on
board at the commencement of the action, about 450 troops and artil-
lerymen. Only 7 prisoners were taken.

Towards the latter end of Jan. 1810, Captain Ballard escorted a division
of the army destined for the attack of Guadaloupe, from St. Lucia to the
Saintes, where he remained three days, exercising his seamen and marines
on shore, and making arrangements with Brigadier-General Harcourt for
the debarkation of the troops *. From thence he proceeded with the squa-
dron under his orders, and transports, towards Trois Rivieres, for the pur-
pose of drawing the enemy's attention from the other division of troops,
which had already been landed at the village of St. Mary, under the super-
intendence of Commodore Fahie, and was then pushing through the diffi-
cult pass of Trochien. Having succeeded by his manoeuvres in deterring
the enemy from attacking that division, he anchored between Basseterre
and Ance la Barque, and landed the remaiuder of the troops without oppo-
sition, the enemy having evacuated their batteries, which were immediately
taken possession, of by the marines of his squadron. Sir Alexander
Cochrane had in the mean time anchored in the bay of Trois Rivieres.

From this period till the surrender of the island, Captain Ballard com-
manded the detachment of seamen and marines attached to the second di-
vision of the army ; and his active co-operation was thus noticed by the
commander of the forces, Lieutenant-General Sir George Beckwith : —

" GENERAL ORDERS.

"Head Quarters, Beau Fallon, Guadaloupe, Feb. 7, 1810.
" The commander of the forces desires to convey his best acknowledg-
ments and thanks to Commodore Ballard, Captain Ballard, Captain Stan-
Mi, Captain Elliott, and to Captain Flin, of the Royal Navy, for their great
and effectual services with the second division of the army to leeward, under
the command of Brigadier-General Harcourt, and to the other officers and
seamen of the fleet employed under their orders ; without whose exertions
the troops could not have been victualled in their present positions, nor

* It should here be observed, that the Sceptre's crew had been t.rain< •<:
to the use of the ln-ond-sword, on the passage from England.

880 ADDENDA, &.C.

the artillery brought forward with the necessary ammuuition anil stores,
and placed in battery in a situation to be served against the enemy at the
moment in which he signified his wish to open a negociation."

Previous to his return to England, Captain Ballard visited Antigua, Mar-
tinique, St. Lucia, Barbadoes, Tobago, Trinidad, Dominica, St. Kitts, Tor-
tola, and St. Thomas's. He sailed from the latter island with the home-
ward-bound trade early in August, and arrived at Spithead Sept. 25, 1810.
After docking and refitting the Sceptre, he was placed under the orders of
Lord Gambier, and by him occasionally entrusted with the command of a
detached squadron employed in watching the enemy's ships in Brest har-
bour and Basque Roads. Some time in 1812, he received official notice of
his being appointed to superintend the payment of the ships at Spithead ;
but as he did not choose to be superseded at sea, while blockading an enemy,
he remained in the Sceptre, on Channel service, till she was ordered to re-
turn to port, in Jan. 1813. He became a Rear-Admiral, June 4, 1814.

Our officer married, first, his cousin, Maria, only daughter of James
Flint, of Faversham, in Kent, Esq., arid by her had eight children, three of
whom, a son and two daughters, are now living ; secondly, Catharine,
daughter of the late, and sister to the present Sir Thomas Crawley Boevey,
Bart., of Flaxley Abbey, co. Gloucester.

Residence. — Coates Hall, in Yorkshire, left him by his uncle, Colonel
Flint ; and 34, Park Street, Bath.

REAR-ADMIRAL OTWAY. (Note at p. 694.) The Ponsborn was
lost in consequence of her not removing to a greater distance from the
shore. The person who had charge of her at the time, was cautioned of the
danger of remaining so near the land, by Captain Wood of the Favorite,
but obstiuately persisted in continuing there. On looking over the list of
armed vessels captured by Captain Otway during the late wars, we find
that they carried 1000 guns ; but that instead of the whole being taken
in the West Indies, some of them fell into his hands on other stations.

REAR-ADMIRAL FAHIE, (p. 717.) Superintended the debarkation
of the first division of the army employed in the reduction of Guadaloupe,
and commanded a detachment of seamen on shore during the whole of the
operations. In the general orders issued by Sir George Beckwith, the
military Commander-in-Chief, immediately after the surrender of the island,
his services on that occasion are thus noticed : —

" The Commander of the forces is equally anxious to convey to Com-
modore Fahie, to Captains Dilkes and Dowers, of the Royal Navy, and to
the other officers and seamen serving under their orders, to windward, the
high sense he entertains of the important services rendered by them, not
only at the landing of the first division of the army under the command of
Major-General Hislop, and of the reserve, with a considerable proportion
of provisions and stores, but for similar exertions at Three Rivers, in dis-
embarking five days' provisions for the troops, without which they could

ADDENDA, &C. 881

not have advanced, or closed with the enemy ; thereby bringing the objects
of the campaign to a rapid termination."

N. B. The first part of Sir George Beckwith's General Orders has been
already given in the Addenda, under the head of Rear-Admiral Ballard.
See p. 879.

SIR CHARLES BRISBANE, (note at p. 741.) We arc most anxious
to correct our error respecting the boarding of the Hatslar. It is true that
Mr. Grint first mounted the accommodation ladder, but he did not go on
board till after Captain Brisbane.

REAR-ADMIRAL WINTHROP, (p. 759.) Was a Midshipman on
board the Formidable, bearing the flag of Sir George B. Rodney, in the
memorable battle of April 12, 17B2 ; an account of which will be found at
p. 35, et seq. Commanded a battalion of seamen, attached to Prince Ed-
ward's brigade, at the conquest of Martinique, in 1794.

P. 760. The boats engaged in the capture of the enemy's vessels, at
Delfzel, were under his immediate directions.

SIR JAMES ATHOL WOOD. (p. 795.) The first part of General
CHara's letter to Mr. Secretary Dundas, alludes to the circumstance of
some of the French prisoners under Lieutenant Wood's charge, having
made three attempts to obtain possession of the cartel ship in which they
were conveyed to Europe. Their endeavours, however, were frustrated,
although the English crew were but 18 in number, whilst the republicans
were upwards of 200.

P. 787. The Favorite was left off Labay, by Captain Otway, whilst he
went to endeavour to prevail on the General to embark a sufficient num-
ber of troops to relieve the garrison there.

P. 789. When Captain Wood waited upon Sir Ralph Abercromby, Jan.
5, 1797. in addition to his observations respecting the defenceless state of
Trinidad, he took an opportunity of pointing out to the gallant General,
the ease with which the Dutch settlement of Surinam, recently recon-
noitred by the Favorite, might be taken possession of by the British, toge-
ther with property to an immense amount.

P. 794. At the time Captain Wood drew up his 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
me 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 immediately under his
own observation : and it is a great pleasure to mc at the same time to tcs-

VOL, I. 3 L

882 ADDENDA, &C.

tify the sense I have of that zealous alacrity which was so conspicuously
displayed by the Captains, Officers, and ships' companies, 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) "Geo. Eyre.

" Captain Mnubray,

"H.M.S. Montagu."

REAR-ADMIRAL WALKER, (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 Gibraltar, an 80-gun ship, under orders for the Mediterranean ;
but just as he was 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 com-
mand her. Captain Walker was, however, noted for the first vacant sloop
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 Indiamen to a certain latitude,
" where after having seen them in safety," he was to return to Spithead.
For two or three days after he reached the prescribed latitude, the wind
continuing at S. W., he did not consider his charge m in safety," and
consequently the spirit of his orders not completed. He therefore thought it
his duty to continue with the Indiameu till the wind became more favorable,
immediately after which he parted company and proceeded towards Eng-
land. The next day he spoke a Dane from Cadiz, who acquainted him
that about forty sail of English merchant vessels had been lying there
some time for want of convoy, and under heavy demurrage. This infor-
mation being shortly after confirmed by a Swede, also from that port,
Captain Walker conceiving his ship could not be more beneficially em-
ployed than in protecting the commerce of his country, took upon himself
to touch at Cadiz, and take charge of all the British vessels lying there,
amounting to thirty-three sail of merchantmen and three transports, the
wh»le of which he conducted in perfect safety- to England. Two memo-
rials of the Spanish merchants residing in London, presented in favor of
Captain Walker, stated " the value of this fleet to amount to upwards of
a million sterling, which but for his active exertions would have been left
in great danger, at a most critical time, when the Spaniards were negoci-
ating a peace with France."

During the Trusty's stay at Cadiz, five of her officers were arrested by
orders from the Governor, for carrying money off to the ship on account
of the merchants ; and the Spanish government having made strong repre-
sentations on the subject to the British ministry, it was deemed right to

ADDENDA, &C. 883

bring Captain Walker to a court-martial on his return to Portsmouth ;
and it being found that he had acted without orders, he was broke. How-
ever hard it was upon him to be thus cut off from the service at the be-
ginning of his career as a Commander, and however severe the sentence
passed upon him for his indiscreet though undoubtedly well-meant zeal
may appear, it was no small consolation to his wounded feelings to know
that the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty duly appreciated the
motives by which he had been actuated, and interested themselves in his
favour. About eight months after this unfortunate affair, the Spanish
Ambassador received orders from his court to request of the British
government that the whole transaction might be forgotten, and regarded
as non avenue. Our officer was reinstated as a Commander in March
1797.

N. B. A Supplement to the Addenda et Corrigenda, will appear in
our next volume.

W. Pople, riiiiiu,
(">r, Chancery Lane.

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87 Royal naval biography

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