weighed and considered the whole of the evidence, pronounced:–
“That the attack upon fort Bowyer, on Mobile Point, was perfectly justified by the circumstances stated; that the conduct of the Hon. Captain Percy, in placing his ship, was seaman-like and judicious; that she was defended by him, his officers, and crew, with the greatest gallantry; that they used their utmost exertions to save her after she got aground; that her loss is to be attributed to the enemy’s shot having cut the springs on her cables, which exposed her to a raking fire from the fort, that rendered it impossible to persevere longer in the attack with a probability of success; and that she was not set fire to until all hopes of saving her were gone, and then in order to prevent her falling into the hands of the enemy.”
The court did, therefore, honorably acquit Captain Percy, his officers, and ship’s company, of all blame on that occasion.
On the 9th March following. Captain Percy arrived at the Admiralty, with despatches from Sir Alexander Cochrane, reporting the defeat of the British army before New Orleans. At the general election in 1818, he was chosen M.P. for Stamford, co. Lincoln; which borough he continued to represent until 1826. His brother, the Hon. Josceline Percy, obtained post rank in 1806, and now commands the yacht in attendance upon their noble relative, the Duke of Northumberland, K.G. Lord Lieutenant of Ireland.
BOOTY HARVEY, Esq.
A Companion of the Most Honourable Military Order of the Bath.
[Post-Captain of 1812.]
This officer is a son of the late Mr. Thomas Harvey, a respectable farmer of Wordwell, Suffolk, by Miss Pawsey, of Hawstead, in the same county. He was born at Wordwell, May 4, 1764; and entered the navy, under the auspices of his father’s landlord, Vice-Admiral the Earl of Bristol, as a midshipman on board the Arethusa frigate, commanded by Captain Digby Dent, with whom he sailed for St. Helena, in 1775. We subsequently find him joining the Montreal 32, Captain Stair Douglas, which frigate, after visiting Quebec, was captured by two French line-of-battle ships, on the Mediterranean station, in 1779.
After the demise of the Earl of Bristol, Mr. Harvey was
