ROYAL NAVAL BIOGRAPHY; OR, Memoirs of the Services OF ALL THE FLAG-OFFICERS, SUPERANNUATED REAR-ADMIRALS, RETIRED-CAPTAINS, AND COMMANDERS, Whose Names appeared on the Admiralty List of Sea-Officers at the commence- Illustrated by a Series of HISTORICAL AND EXPLANATORY NOTES, Which will be found to contain an account of all the NAV AL ACTIONS, AND OTHER IMPORTANT EVENTS, TO THE PRESENT PERIOD. WITH COPIOUS ADDENDA. By JOHN MARSHALL (B), LIEUTENANT IN THE ROYAL NAVY. "Failures, however frequent, may admit of extenuation and apology. To have attempted PRINTED FOR LONGMAN, REES, ORME, BROWN AND GREEN, PATERNOSTER ROW: 1828. 210. l. 48. 169, first line of the note, for Sirius read la Nereide. 181, last line of the text, for proclamation read proclamations. 3 from the bottom, for Mar. read June. 9, for mortar read Sicilian gun. -15, dele the comma that precedes the parenthesis. 19, for in her accompanied read in her he accompanied. 1, for NEVILLE read NEVILL. 8, dele having first. ROYAL NAVAL BIOGRAPHY. POST-CAPTAINS OF 1809, continued. CHARLES NAPIER, Esq. A Companion of the Most Honorable Military Order of the Bath. This officer was made a Lieutenant Nov. 30, 1805; and promoted to the rank of Commander Nov. 30, 1807. On the 17th July, 1808, we find him assisting in cutting out a Spanish merchant schooner, from under two batteries at the N. E. end of Porto Rico; which service was conducted by Lieutenant James Robertson, of the Fawn sloop *, Captain Napier, then commanding the Pultusk brig, merely accompanying him in order to acquire a knowledge of the coast, and agreeing that whatever was done should be attributed to that gentleman. After capturing the schooner, they both landed, spiked the guns in one of the batteries, and rendered the carriages unserviceable. Captain Napier was shortly afterwards appointed to the Recruit brig, of 18 guns; in which vessel he fought a smart action with the Diligente French corvette, of 22 guns and 140 men, Sept. 6, 1808. On this occasion, the Recruit had her main-mast shot away, many of her carronades dismounted, one man killed, and several persons, including her commander, wounded. The extent of the loss sustained by the enemy's ship has not been made public, but we must suppose it to have been very heavy, to excuse her captain for having fled from the field of battle after he had so effectually crippled his antagonist. Her stern-boat, filled with small-arm men, was cut away by the Recruit's last fire. *Now Commander James R. Walker. |