ordered to remove into his former ship, the Captain of 74 guns.
Towards the close of the memorable battle of Feb. 14, 1797[1], la Minerve again received the broad pendant of Commodore Nelson, who directed Captain Cockburn to proceed to the van of the British fleet, it being his intention to go on board any of the line-of-battle ships then engaged. Before this could be effected, however, the signal was made to discontinue the action; and in the evening the Commodore took up his residence on board the Irresistible.
From this period until the suspension of hostilities, la Minerve continued on the Mediterranean station, and cruized with very considerable success, capturing several privateers and valuable merchantmen. In the summer of 1801, she formed part of a squadron of frigates under the orders of Captain (now Sir Lawrence W.) Halsted, employed off Elba, to prevent supplies being conveyed to the French troops on that island. Whilst employed on this service, Captain Cockburn assisted at the capture of the Success, formerly a British frigate, and destruction of la Bravoure, of 46 guns and 283 men, near Leghorn. Her commander, with several of his officers, were made prisoners by la Minerve’s boats.
Towards the latter end of the same year, la Minerve returned to England with the flag of Sir John B. Warren; and in the summer of 1803, Captain Cockburn obtained the command of the Phaeton, another large frigate, in which he conveyed Mr. Merry, Ambassador to the United States, his Lady, and suite, to New York.
Our officer was afterwards appointed successively to the Howe, Captain, Aboukir, and Pompée, ships of the line, but does not appear to have had any opportunity of particularly distinguishing himself, until early in the year 1809, when we find him serving with the temporary rank of Commodore, under Sir Alexander Cochrane, at the reduction of Martinique[2]. The Commander-in-Chief, in his official despatches to the Admiralty relative to that important conquest, says,– “I have already informed their lordships, that I entrusted the whole of the naval arrangements on shore to Commodore Cockburn; his exertions have been unremitting, and his merit beyond my praise.”
