Page:Royal Naval Biography Marshall v3p2.djvu/211

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194
addenda to post-captains of 1819.

possibly keep pace with him. In a few minutes he found himself surrounded by armed men, who, on discovering that he was an English officer, which he gallantly declared himself to be, demanded his immediate surrender. To this he made no reply, but resolutely dashed through them, firing his pistols right and left, and slashing away with his sword in all directions. Not only did he succeed in extricating himself from so critical a situation, but he also, after receiving a shot through one hand, actually took prisoner, and galloped off with, a captain of the American militia. In the mean time the marines landed to the left of the battery, and the enemy were soon driven from all their lurking places into tine neighbouring woods. The houses of those persons who had taken up arms against the British were then burnt, the guns of the battery embarked, and, in the course of the same day, a most valuable cannon foundry, about three or four miles to the northward of Havre-de-Grace, a large store of flour, and five vessels lying in the Susquehanna, destroyed. In concluding his official report of this day’s occurrences, Rear-Admiral Cockburn expresses himself to Sir John B. Warren as follows:–

“Of Lieutenant G. A. Westphal, whose exemplary and gallant conduct it has been necessary for me already to notice in detailing to you the operations of the day, I shall now only add, that from a thorough knowledge of his merits (he having served many years with me as first lieutenant) I always, on similar occasions, expect much from him; but this day he even outstripped those expectations, and though in considerable pain from his wound, he insisted on continuing to assist me to the last moment with his able exertions; I therefore, Sir, cannot but entertain a confident hope that his services of to-day, and the wound he has received, added to what he so successfully executed at French Town, will obtain for him your favorable consideration and notice, and that of my Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty.”

The successful result of an expedition immediately afterwards undertaken against Georgetown and Frederickstown, situated up the Sasafras river, has been officially stated in p. 244 et seq. of Suppl. Part III. From May 7th until June 19th, 1813, Rear-Admiral Cockburn, with his flag again on board the Marlborough, was employed in keeping up a gene-