28, 1801; and Lieutenant Coghlan remained unemployed till the spring of 1802, when he was appointed to the Nimble cutter, and ordered to cruise for the suppression of smuggling. In the course of the same year he received a highly gratifying communication from his native city, of which the subjoined is a transcript:–
“Cork, June, 1802.
“Sir,– A club of gentlemen associated in this town, under the title of the Scotch Corporation, did themselves the honor, on the 4th of last June, of unanimously electing you an honorary Member of their Society; and have accompanied that mark of their esteem with a piece of plate, inscribed with your name: they would feel highly gratified in being enabled to present this for your acceptance at Cork; but should your professional duties, which you have hitherto performed so much to your own and your Country’s honor, deprive them of an early opportunity of fulfilling that wish, I am desired to inform you, that it shall be transmitted to any place of your appointment, where it may be most likely sooner to meet that hand, whose gallant exertions have excited so much admiration. I have the honor to be, with respectful sincerity, &c.
In addition to the above civic reward “a Court of Doyer hundred, held for the city and county of Cork, Aug. 4, 1802,” unanimously agreed to admit Lieutenant Coghlan “a freeman at large; for his gallant service, performed on the night of July 29, 1800.” His promotion to the rank of Commander took place. May 1, 1804 ; on which occasion he was appointed to le Renard, a flush-deck ship-sloop, then at Jamaica, mounting 16-eighteen-pounder carronades and 2 long sixes, with a complement of 121 officers, men, and boys.
On the 20th Mar. 1805, being then in lat. 21°-14'N. and long. 71°-30' W., Captain Coghlan discovered and made sail after a ship to leeward, which he soon perceived was an enemy’s cruiser preparing to receive him. At 2-20 P.M. she opened her fire upon le Renard, but not a gun was returned by the latter until within pistol-shot, at which distance Captain Coghlan placed her on the stranger’s weather bow, when a fire commenced that reflects infinite praise on the officers who directed it; for at the end of 35 minutes the enemy was seen to be in flames, and in 10 minutes afterwards she blew up with a dreadful explosion.
