several parts of which they could have landed with ease, had the whole of their force been together. After having drawn down a considerable number of American troops, and thereby effected his object, Captain Napier returned to the squadron with the loss of only one man, who was mortally wounded when repassing fort M‘Henry[1], the position of the boats being pointed out to the enemy by a rocket, which one of the officers imprudently caused to be fired. It is worthy of remark, that the British troops commenced their retreat from before Baltimore whilst Captain Napier was thus paving the way for the meditated attack.
Captain Napier was nominated a C.B. June 4, 1815; and the Euryalus paid off by him about the same period. He married the widow of Lieutenant Edward Elers, R.N.
Agent.– Messrs. Maude.
JOHN RICHARDS, Esq.
A Knight of the Ottoman Order of the Crescent.
[Post-Captain of 1809.]
Entered the navy in Oct. 1775, under the patronage of Captain (afterwards Sir Charles) Thompson; and was a midshipman on board the Alcide 74, commanded by that gallant officer, in the different actions with the Count de Grasse, off Martinique, the Chesapeake, and St. Kitt’s; in 1781, and Jan. 1782[2]. He also assisted at the defeat and capture of the same celebrated French Admiral, on the memorable 12th April, 1782[3].
The Alcide returned to England in June, 1783; and on the 15th of the following month Mr. Richards joined the Triumph 74, commanded by Captain Philip Affleck, and stationed as a guard-ship at Portsmouth, where he remained under that
- ↑ Fort M‘Henry is a strong work, defending the water approach to Baltimore, and situated about two miles from the city, upon the point of the peninsula that forms the south side of the harbour, which, at its entrance, is scarcely a quarter of a mile in width.
- ↑ See Vol. II. Part I. p. 62; and the notes at pp. 63–66.
- ↑ See Vol. I. p. 36 et seq.
