commanding the adjacent country. This service was performed in conjunction with 250 British troops, conveyed thither from Cape Nichola Mole, by whom the enemy were kept in check while the seamen embarked and brought off a 13-inch mortar, several heavy guns, and four row-boats, intended for privateering.
On the 19th Mar. 1798, Lieutenant Maples landed, with 100 men under his command, to do garrison duty at Irois. Returning on board from thence, he was slightly wounded by a musket ball in the right leg, and one of his party was killed close to him. In 1799, he had the direction of several boat enterprises, and succeeded in capturing many merchant vessels.
From la Magicienne, Lieutenant Maples was removed to the Queen 98, bearing the flag of Sir Hyde Parker, Bart, whose fortunes he followed during the remainder of the revolutionary war. At the battle of Copenhagen, April 2, 1801, he served as a volunteer with Nelson’s division; and, after that event, he appears to have acted as commander, in the Otter fire-vessel, for a period of three months. His subsequent appointments were to the Ganges 74, Prince George 98, Defence 74, Tigre 80, and Naiad 38. The former ship accompanied a squadron of observation to Jamaica at the close of 1801; the latter, commanded by Captain Thomas Dundas, was one of Nelson’s repeating frigates on the ever memorable 21st Oct. 1805.
We afterwards find Lieutenant Maples successively serving as first of the Mars and Atlas, third rates, on the North Sea, Baltic, and Cadiz stations. His promotion to the rank of commander took place Oct. 21, 1810; at which period he was appointed to the AEtna, bomb, employed in the defence of Isla de Leon. The harassing nature of that service will be seen by reference to the memoirs of Captains James Sanders, Sir Thomas Fellowes, William Shepheard, &c.
In 1813, Captain Maples commanded the Pelican brig, of 385 tons, mounting sixteen 32-pounder carronades and 2 long sixes, with an established complement of 120 officers, men and boys. The service for which he obtained post rank is thus described by him in an official letter to Vice-Admiral
