“Southampton, off Toulon, l0th June, 1796
“Sir.– In obedience to the orders I received from you on the Victory’s quarter-deck last evening, I pushed through the Grande Passe, and hauled up under the batteries on the N.E. of Porquerol with an easy sail, in hopes I should be taken for a French or neutral frigate, which I have great reason to believe succeeded, as I got within pistol-shot of the enemy’s ship before I was discovered, and cautioned the Captain through a trumpet not to make a fruitless resistance, when he immediately snapped his pistol at me, and fired a broadside. At this period, being very near the heavy battery of Fort Breganson, I laid him instantly on board, and Lieutenant Lydiard[1] at the head of the boarders, with an intrepidity no words can describe, entered and carried her in about ten minutes, although he met with a spirited resistance from the Captain, (who fell) and a hundred men underarms to receive him. In this short conflict, the behaviour of all the officers and ship’s company of the Southampton had my full approbation, and I do not mean to take from their merit by stating to you, that the conduct of Lieutenant Lydiard was above all praise. After lashing the two ships together, I found some difficulty in getting from under the battery, which kept up a very heavy fire, and was not able to return through the Grande Passe before half after one o’clock this morning, with l’Utile corvette, of 24 guns, French 6-pounders, commanded by Citoyen Francois Vega, and 130 men, 25 of whom were killed and wounded.
“I have the honor to be, &c.
“J. Macnamara.”
Captain Macnamara was subsequently employed under Commodore Nelson, in taking possession of Porto Ferrajo, evacuating Capreja and Corsica, in the expedition against Piombino, and siege of Castiglione.
Towards the latter end of 1796, the Southampton captured the Spanish brig of war El Corso, of 18 guns, in a hard gale, by boarding, under the batteries of Monaca. The first attempt failed, only one man (the coxswain, Harper,) getting on board; butCaptain Macnamara, stimulated by the desire of rescuing so brave a fellow, made a second dash, and succeeded in throwing about 30 men into her, when she surrendered. During the ensuing 48 hours, the sea ran too high to communicate by boats, and the prize consequently remained for that time under the command of the coxswain. From the tempestuous weather, and the shoal water Captain Macnamara’s ship was in, the above appears to have been one of those perilous acts that nothing but the confidence he reposed in the skill and bravery of his crew could have warranted.
- ↑ Afterwards Captain of, and perished in, the Anson.
