and the other officers who served under Mr. Dunlop’s orders, was also highly eulogised.
After the capture and destruction of the Dordogne flotilla, Rear-Admiral Penrose despatched the boats and marines to Verdun road, where they were placed under the command of Captain Harris, in order to land and storm fort Talmont, while the Egmont took advantage of high water to run over the shoal, and alongside the Regulus. At mid-night, April 6th, just as that well-appointed British ship was in the act of hoisting her jib, for the purpose of casting towards them, the French 74, corvette, and brigs were discovered to be in flames, making a most magnificent bonfire, which continued to burn until sun-rise the following morning.
It appears, from this proceeding on the part of the enemy, that they were aware of the meditated attack, although Rear-Admiral Penrose and Captain Bingham had used every means to keep them in ignorance thereof. We should here observe, that the Centaur 74, Captain John Chambers White, had anchored below Verdun road on the evening of the 6th April, and that she cordially co-operated by sending her boats and marines to join the detachment under Captain Harris; but the assistance of that ship, in the intended attack upon the Regulus, was never considered necessary, and consequently was not called for. The statement in the London Gazette, dated at the Admiralty, April 19th, 1814, is calculated to mislead the reader.
The enemy having thus voluntarily altered the nature of the service in the Gironde, Captain Harris and his party were sent to the mouth of the river, where they effected a landing; and after destroying the battery at Point Coubre, commenced a march of fifty miles along the right bank, in the course of which 4 other batteries, 17 mortars, and 47 pieces of cannon were rendered ineffective. On his return from this expedition. Captain Harris was directed to superintend the operations against Blaye, for the regular siege of which strong fortress preparations were then making by Lord Dalhousie, in concert with Rear-Admiral Penrose, by whom the Belle Poule was ordered to proceed up the
