round by Lerida. It is armed by 12 pieces of ordnance, including two 10inch mortars, and 2 howitzers, and the surrounding heights are so difficult of access, that it has been a work of the greatest labour to establish the necessary batteries before it. "Two six-pounder field-pieces, and a howitzer, were landed on the evening of 3d instant, dragged up, and placed on the ridge of a steep and rugged mountain, to the S. E. of the fort: two 12-pounders were added to the former by noon the next day. The whole remained under the command of Lieutenant Corbyn, first of the Invincible, having under his orders a detachment of midshipmen and seamen from this ship, and a most excellent fire was kept up from them, which considerably damaged the defences of the fort, and checked its fire upon our working parties. "In the mean time, 3 Spanish 24-pounders were landed, and 2 more guns, of the same calibre, from this ship, to be got up by the high road to the foot of a very steep height, on the crest of which the breaching battery was to be constructed, at about three hundred yards from the eastern face of the fort. "In the afternoon of the 4th instant the fort was summoned to surrender; and the commandant answered, that he should defend the place committed to his charge. "During the night of the 4th, every exertion was used to bring the guns up to the hill, and to complete the breaching-battery; but, as it could not be completed by day-light, the men were withdrawn. "The seamen and marines were landed early in the afternoon of the 5th, and carried up the stores for the battery, under a brisk fire of shot and shells from the fort. "The 3 Spanish 24-pounders, notwithstanding their immense size and weight, were conveyed up the side of the hill, over the most difficult and rugged ground, by the united exertions of the soldiers, seamen, and marines, under the immediate direction of Captain Carroll, of the Volcano. Two 8-inch mortars were brought as far along the road as was practicable before dark; and the iron 24-pounders were conveyed to the foot of the hill as soon as it was dark. "The work of the battery advanced rapidly, although it was necessary to fill all the sand-bags at the bottom of the hill; and I was in confident expectation that the battery would open soon after daylight; but by 10 o'clock the rain fell in torrents, attended by the most violent thunder and lightning I almost ever witnessed. "The quantity of ammunition which had been brought up for the battery, lying in exposed situations, made it the more awful, and the enemy kept up an incessant fire of shells and grape shot. "In defiance of all these obstacles, 2 of the guns were got high enough up to mount on the platforms; but all our exertion was unequal to place them there, owing to the violence of the rain, and the excessive difficulty of working in the extreme darkness of the night. From the same reason, too, the mortars could not be brought forward; and after a night of the most excessive labour, we had the mortification of being again obliged to retire; the officers and men being quite worn out. "The weather continued very bad until the afternoon of the 6th instant, when a party was landed, and the mortars were got forward; before daylight, the seamen and marines were on the pile, and all the guns were placed on the battery ready for mounting. The 2 mortars opened soon after daylight, and the shells were thrown with great precision, by Lieutenant James, of the royal marine artillery, landed from the Strombolo, who worked the mortars with his party; and the fire from Lieutenant Corbyn's battery was resumed with excellent effect. This united force made very considerable impression on the fort: an expense magazine was blown up, and the enemy's fire was very much slackened. "At seven o'clock, just before the breaching battery was ready to open, a white flag was shewn from the fort; Captain Stoddart, of the Strombolo, and Captain Zehupfenning, were immediately sent to the fort, and the latter returned in a few minutes with an offer from the commandant, to surrender the fort and garrison upon conditions of marching out with the honors of war, the officers and men preserving their private property. "This was immediately acceded to by Lieutenant-Colonel Prevost and myself: the fort was taken possession of by the advance of the troops. The garrison marched out, grounded their arms on the glacis, and were immediately embarked. "I have great satisfaction in stating, that during this service, which has so much depended on the united exertions of the army and navy, the most perfect cordiality has existed among all ranks, and I have met, in Lieutenant-Colonel Prevost, all that openness of communication and confidence which an acquaintance with the character of this excellent officer gave me reason to expect. "In an operation where the laborious exertions of the captains, officers, seamen, and marines under any orders, have been most conspicuous, I hope I shall be excused for having gone so much into detail; but it is my duty, and a most agreeable one, to bring under your view the praiseworthy conduct of all ranks and descriptions. I must particularly draw your attention to the zeal and activity displayed by that valuable officer, Captain Carroll, of the Volcano; his conduct was the admiration of every body, and he was ably supported by Lieutenant Pidgely, of the Invincible, and the other officers, seamen, and marines, under his direction. From the explosion of a shell near him the night before, Captain Carroll was obliged to suspend his services until the morning of the 7th (but I am happy to state, he has perfectly recovered), and Captain Stoddart, of the Strombolo, succeeded him in the direction of getting up the guns, &c. for the breaching battery, and deserves every credit for his active services, I am also much obliged to Captain Badcock, of the Brune, for the assistance he afforded me. "I cannot conclude this letter, without calling to your notice the indefatigable exertions of Lieutenant Corbyn, both in getting the guns up to the battery he commanded, and the excellent fire he kept from them afterwards; and I feel highly gratified in noticing the conduct of so old and excellent an officer, with whose value I am well acquainted, from a service of many years together. "I have the honor to enclose a list of the killed and wounded of the crews of the ships under my orders, which, considering the fire upon us for so many hours, is unaccountably small*. "The troops under Colonel Prevost's command have had an officer and four men killed, and thirty-nine wounded, in which are included an officer and seven soldiers of the Spanish regiment of Palma. "I have enclosed you a list of the garrison of the fort, consisting of two lieutenants, a surgeon, and garde-magazin, sixteen Italian artillerymen, and eighty-three non-commissioned officers and soldiers of the 11th French regiment of the line, of whom two were killed and eleven wounded. "I likwise enclose returns of the ordnance, &c. found in the fort. "During the siege of the fort, the gun-boats were stationed in Ampolla bay, to observe the road from Tortosa, as we had constant reports of the enemy being in motion from that quarter. 66 I have the honor to be, &c. (Signed) "CHARLES ADAM, Captain." "Return of ordnance and ammunition tuken in the fort. "2 brass twenty-four-pounders, mounted on travelling carriages; 2 brass twelve-pounders, on garrison carriages; 1 brass eight-pounder, on a garrison carriage; 2 brass four-pounders, on garrison carriages, 2 brass teninch mortars, 1 stone mortar, 2 six-inch brass howitzers, 6 dismounted iron twelve-pounders, 3 mortar-beds, 260 twenty-four-pounder round shot, 40 twenty-four-pounder grape shot, 400 twelve-pounder round shot, 220 eight-pounder round shot, 150 ten-inch shells, 900 hand-grenades, 2200lb. of gunpowder, 92,000 rounds of ball-cartridge, 1000 flints, 30 handspikes, 6 sponges, 4 ladles, 3 wadhooks, 97 boarding pikes, 110 muskets complete with bayonets, 10lb. of slow match. (Signed) "T. ARABIN, Capt. Roy. Art." Captain Carroll's post-commission bears date Dec. 6, 1813. During the remainder of the war, he commanded the Revenge 74, bearing the flag of Sir John Gore, and employed in the Adriatic †. He returned home from the Mediterranean in the Cyrus 20, and continued to command that ship, chiefly on the Irish station, till Sept. 1818. He was nominated a C. B. Sept. 19, 1815. In Aug. 1825, Captain Carroll was appointed to the War * One killed, and six wounded. + See Suppl. Part II. p. 483. spite 76, fitting for the flag of Rear-Admiral Gage, with whom he sailed for the East Indies, Feb. 11, 1826. This officer married Martha Milligan, eldest daughter of Rear-Admiral Dacres, by whom he has several children. His eldest brother, a Lieutenant-Colonel, commanded the 6th Portuguese regiment, and lost his life from fatigue at the battle of Thoulouse: Philip, his youngest brother, who was a Lieutenant R.M.A. and aid-de-camp to Lieutenant-General Doyle, of the Spanish service, perished at Cadiz. His sisters are married as follow:-Elizabeth, to Lieutenant-Colonel Milling, 81st regiment;-Catherine, to Lieutenant-General Nelson;-Mary, to Colonel Stirke, 12th regiment. Agent J. Hinxman, Esq. FREDERICK JENNINGS THOMAS, Esq. Is the second and youngest son of Sir John Thomas, Bart. of Wenvoe Castle, in Glamorganshire, by Mary, daughter of John Parker, of Harfield Court, co. Gloucester, Esq. His ancestor, Jevan-ap-Harpwaye, of Tresimont, in Herefordshire, married the daughter and sole heiress of Thomas-apThomas, of Wenvoe, and took the name of Thomas, which his descendants have ever since retained. The subject of this memoir was born in the New Forest, co. Hants, in April 1787; and he commenced his naval career, in 1799, as midshipman on board the Boston frigate, Captain John Erskine Douglas, under whom he served nearly six years, on the Halifax and West India stations*. At the early age of 15 years, he displayed an extraordinary degree of coolness, intrepidity, and promptitude, at a time of the greatest difficulty and danger, as the following circumstance will shew. Although then so very young, his captain had marked the high opinion he entertained of his ability and steadiness, by giving him the charge of a valuable prize, with orders to conduct *See Vol. I. Part II. p. 651. her to Bermuda. After parting company with the Boston, being in the cabin, he overheard the prisoners, who were doubly superior in number to his own people, deliberating upon a proposal made by one or two of them,-to seize upon the ship, and murder all the Englishmen on board. With great presence of mind, Mr. Thomas immediately called out,-"The ship has sprung a-leak!" "The ship is sinking!!" The captain and his crew thereupon precipitated themselves down the scuttle, which was the only passage into the cabin; when, taking advantage of the confusion he had created, the youngster jumped upon the quarter-deck, put the hatch over, called his men aft, and fired a 6-pounder, loaded with grape, through the skylight!!! A general panic instantly prevailed below, and the prize, thus timely saved from recapture, was carried safely into a British port. During the long period that Mr. Thomas served under Captain Douglas, on a foreign station, he never once failed to volunteer his services, when any thing out of the common routine was to be attempted, however arduous or dangerous the enterprise. He consequently assisted at the capture and destruction, by boats, of several of the enemy's vessels. We next find this promising young officer, on board the Prince of Wales 98, bearing the flag of Sir Robert Calder, at the capture of two Spanish line-of-battle ships, July 22, 1805*. Subsequent to that action, he received an order from Lord Nelson to act as Lieutenant of the Spartiate 74, Captain Sir Francis Laforey; in which ship, he bore a part at the glorious battle of Trafalgart. The appointment he then held was confirmed by the Admiralty, Feb. 14, 1806. The Spartiate was subsequently stationed off Rochefort, under the orders of Sir Richard J. Strachan; whom she accompanied to the Mediterranean, in Feb. 1808. She was afterwards successively employed in blockading Toulon, and guarding the coast of Sicily; from whence she proceeded with an expedition to Calabria, and the bay of Naples, in June 1809+. * San Rafael 84, and El Firme 74. See Vol. I. Part I. p. 405. 89. |