The Life of Admiral Viscount Exmouth | Page 2

Sir C. Douglas, Lord Howe, and Earl Sandwich--Appointed to command the Carleton--Nearly takes General Arnold--Narrowly escapes being made prisoner--Commands a brigade of seamen in Burgoyne's campaign--In danger of killing his brother--Events of the campaign--Constructs a bridge, by which the army crosses to Saratoga--His brother killed in action--Recaptures a provision vessel from the enemy--Admitted to the Council of War, and pleads that the sailors may be exempted from the capitulation--Sent home with despatches in a transport--Defends her against a privateer--Promoted to be a Lieutenant. page 1
CHAPTER II.
HIS SERVICES FROM 1778 TO 1791.
Influence of the late campaigns on his character--His extraordinary strength and activity--Narrow escapes from drowning--Appointed to a guard-ship--Presses for active employment, and proposes to resign his commission--Appointed to the Licorne--Becomes First Lieutenant of the Apollo, Captain Pownoll--Action with the Stanislaus, French frigate; Captain Pownoll killed, enemy driven on shore--His letter on the occasion to Earl Sandwich--Promoted to be a Commander--Anecdote in relation to his promotion--Appointed to the Hazard--Appointed to the Pelican--Gallant action--Promoted to be a Post-Captain--Appointed to the temporary command of the Artois--Captures an enemy's cruiser--Anecdote of Captain Macbride--Marriage--Appointed to the Winchelsea frigate--Conduct in her--Appointed to the Salisbury, Vice-Admiral Milbanke--Anecdote of Lord Thurlow. page 28
CHAPTER III.
THE NYMPHE AND CLEOPATRA.
Becomes a farmer--Remarks on naval officers' farming--His ill success--Omen of his future fortune--Offered a command in the Russian Navy--Remarks on serving foreign states--War of the French Revolution--Appointed to the Nymphe 36-gun frigate--Enters a number of Cornish miners for her--Cornish miners--Equipment and movements of the Nymphe--Captain Israel Pellew joins her as a volunteer--Sails from Falmouth--Remarkable dream of one of the officers--Falls in with the Cleopatra; her high state of equipment--Gallantry of both ships--Cap of Liberty--Action--Death of the French Captain, Mullon; his heroism--Captain Pellew's letter to his brother. page 47
CHAPTER IV.
THE WESTERN SQUADRONS.
Presented to the King and knighted--His liberality to the widow of Captain Mullon--Use of carronades--He suggests the employment of independent squadrons in the western part of the Channel, to check the enemy's cruising frigates--Value of these squadrons--Appointed to the Arethusa, and joins Sir J.B. Warren's squadron--Action of April 23rd, 1794--Engages and captures La Pomone--Action of August 23rd, 1794 A second squadron fitted out, and placed under his orders--Artois and Revolutionaire; chivalrous conduct of Sir Sidney Smith--Conveys important intelligence to the Admiralty--Appointed to the Indefatigable, 44--His dispute with the Navy board--Allowed to fit her according to his own plans--Success of them--Accuracy of his judgment on a ship's qualities--Indefatigable strikes on a rock--Sir Edward nearly lost in attempting to save two of his people--His success on different occasions in saving lives--Wreck of the Dutton at Plymouth--He boards her, and saves all the people--His report of the service--Honours and rewards; created a Baronet--Captain Cole, and L'Unité French frigate--Sir Edward's letters on the occasion to Earls Chatham and Spencer--Notice of Captain Cole--His death, and Sir Edward's feeling--Action of Indefatigable and _La Virginie_--Conduct and gallantry of her Captain, Bergeret. page 61
CHAPTER V.
EXPEDITION AGAINST IRELAND.
State of parties--Enemy's preparations for invasion--Reflections on Ireland--Lord Exmouth's opinion on the Roman Catholic question--Sir E. Pellew watches Brest with his frigates--His perseverance and hardihood--Sailing of the expedition--He embarrasses its movements--Arrives in England--Misfortunes of the British fleet--Enemy arrive at Bantry Bay--Prevented from landing, and driven off the coast by gales--Reflections on the failure of the expedition--Sir Edward puts to sea with the Indefatigable and Amazon--Meets and engages the Droits de l'Homme, 74--Finds himself on a lee-shore, hauls off, and saves the Indefatigable with difficulty--Amazon wrecked--Admirable conduct of her officers and crew--Droits de l'Homme wrecked--Horrible circumstance of her fate--Anecdote of the French Commodore--Eventual fate of the Captain of the Amazon. page 86
CHAPTER VI.
THE MUTINY.
Remarks on Sir Edward's character as a seaman and an officer--His conduct when his ship was on fire--His consideration for his officers and men--The Duke of Northumberland--Mutiny at Spithead--Preparations for a second invasion of Ireland--General Daendels--Proposed expedition baffled--Sir Edward off Brest--Proposes to burn the French fleet--Success in capturing the enemy's cruisers--La Vaillante--Royalist priests and Madame Rovère--His liberality--Appointed to L'Impetueux, 78--Her mutinous state--Observations on the mutinies in the Navy, from 1797--Sir Edward's opinions on the subject--His precautions--Attempted mutiny in the Indefatigable--Conspiracy in the Channel fleet--Mutiny on board the Impetueux--His firmness and promptitude in suppressing it--Court-martial--Earl St. Vincent's opinion of his conduct--His conduct at the execution--His decision on the court-martial on a mutineer--Illustrative anecdote--He commands an expedition to Quiberon--Proposes to attack Belleisle--Cruises off Port Louis--Mr. Coghlan cuts out _La Cerbère_--He directs the landing of the army at Ferrol. page 108
CHAPTER VII.
BLOCKADE OF FERROL.--PARLIAMENTARY HISTORY.
Peace--Made Colonel of Marines--His popularity--Envy in consequence--Anecdote--Elected M.P. for Barnstaple--State of parties--Renewal of hostilities--Appointed to the Tonnant, 80--Pursues a Dutch squadron--Blockades a French squadron in Ferrol--His seamanship and exertions in maintaining the blockade--Difficulty of supplying the ships--His recall--Earl St. Vincent's naval reforms--Mr. Pitt's opposition--Naval inquiry, March 15, 1804--Sir Edward's speech--Its effect--Promoted to be a Rear-Admiral, and appointed to be Commander-in-chief in India. page 134
CHAPTER VIII.
SIR EDWARD'S COMMAND IN INDIA.
Character required for