A Naval Biographical Dictionary/McLeod, William
M‘LEOD. (Lieut., 1811. f-p., 13; h-p., 32.)
William M‘Leod entered the Navy, 18 June, 1802, as Third-cl. Boy, on board the Blenheim 74, Capts. Peter Turner Bover, Henry Matson, and Thos. Graves, on the Leeward Island station, where he removed, in March, 1804, to the Ulysses 44, Capt. Edwin Henry Chamberlayne. In Aug. 1806, after he had been for ten months attached to the Royal William, bearing the flag of Admiral Montagu at Spithead, he became Midshipman of the Pigmy 14, Lieut.-Commander Geo. Montagu Higginson, under whom it was his fate to be wrecked, off the Ile d’Oléron, and taken prisoner, 2 March, 1807. Being restored to liberty in Dec. 1809, he next, during several months of 1810, served in the West Indies on board the Neptune and Statira, flag-ships of Hon. Sir Alex. Cochrane. He was there, in April, 1811, nominated Acting-Lieutenant of the Perlen 38, Capts. Norborne Thompson, Joseph Swabey Tetley, and John Allen; in which vessel, on proceeding to the Mediterranean, he took part, under Capt. Tetley, in a very gallant skirmish, which terminated in her repulse, 22 Nov. 1811, of a French ship-of-the-line and two frigates belonging to the Toulon fleet. Mr. M‘Leod, whose official promotion had taken place on 10 of the preceding Sept., was next, 26 Aug. 1812, appointed to the Snap 16, Capts. Geo. Rose Sartorius, Wm. Bateman Dashwood, and Geo. King. While with Capt. Dashwood he assisted in capturing, 1 Nov. 1813, Le Lion privateer of 16 guns and 69 men, after a close action of 10 minutes, fought off the coast of France. In Jan. 1815 he rejoined Capt. Sartorius on board the Slaney 20. He cruized in that vessel until the following Sept., and has since been on half-pay. Agent – J. Hinxman.