Royal Naval Biography/Lushington, Stephen
STEPHEN LUSHINGTON, Esq.
Knight of the Royal French Order of St. Louis.
[Captain of 1829.]
Was made a lieutenant July 13th, 1824; appointed to the Zebra sloop. Commander Edward R. Williams, fitting out for the Mediterranean station, Feb. 5th, 1825; removed to the Cambrian frigate. Captain Gawen W. Hamilton, C.B., Dec. 7th, 1825; removed to the Asia 84, bearing the flag of Sir Edward Codrington, four days after the battle of Navarin; and appointed to the command of the AEtna bomb, May 13th, 1828. In Oct. following he assisted at the reduction of the Chateau de Morée, as will be seen by the following copies of official documents:
“H.M.S. Asia, off Poros, 17th Nov. 1828.
“Sir,– I have much pleasure in transmitting to be laid before the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty, a letter from Captain Lyons of H.M.S. Blonde, detailing the attack made on the Castle of Morea, at Patras, in concert with His Most Christian Majesty’s ship Conquerant, bearing the flag of Vice-Admiral de Rigny, and the three frigates named in the margin[1], and with a division of the French army on shore, under Generals Maison and Schneider; and describing the exertions and skill evinced by Commander Lushington, of H.M. bomb AEtna, and the superior judgment of Lieutenant Logan of the royal marine artillery embarked in her, in throwing the shells during the bombardment of that fortress under very unfavorable circumstances from stormy weather; and recommending the officers and midshipmen therein named[2], but more particularly Lieutenant Luckraft the senior officer of the Blonde.
“And I send also for their Lordships’ information, a letter which Vice-Admiral de Rigny has transmitted to me, expressive of his admiration of the conduct and exertions of the officers and crews of those ships, and noticing specially the exertions of Lieutenant Luckraft on the occasion; and I beg therefore, to recommend him strongly to their Lordships, as an old and meritorious officer. I am, &c.
(Signed)“Pulty. Malcolm, Vice-Admiral.”
“To John Wilson Croker, Esq.”
“Conquerant, 31 8bre., 1828.
“Monsieur, – Quoique J’eusse desiré, vous transmettre mes rémerciemens par le canal de vôtre commandant-en-chef, je ne puis rétarder de vous exprimer la haute satisfaction, que vous m’avez donné le droit de vous témoigner.
“Je me plais à reconnoitre l’active, et cordiale assistance, que vous, ainsi que les officiers et marins sous vos ordres, nous ont donnée, soit avant, soit depuis mon arrivée ici, et particulièrement, dans la journée d’hier, ou les canons de la Blonde, et le service de la bombarde du Capitaine Lushington, ont tant contribué à abréger la resistance du château de Morée.
“Je regarderai comme un devoir, que vôtre Amiral, ainsi que le gouvernement de S.M.B., soient particulièrement informés du zéle, et de l’emulation qu’ont existé, entre les detachemens de nos batimens et des vôtres, et de l’excellent exemple qui en cette occasion a été donnée, par le Lieutenant Luckraft, et les marins sous ses ordres. J’ai l’honneur d’être. Monsieur, votre très humble, et obeissant serviteur,
(Signé)“N. de Rigny, Vice-Amiral.”
“Capitaine Lyons, de la frêgate
de S.M.B. la Blonde.”
For their services at Patras, Captain Lyons and Commander Lushington were immediately afterwards presented with the Order of St. Louis, the same as was given to the captains engaged at Navarin. Lieutenants Alfred Luckraft, Sidney Colpoys Dacres (of the Blonde), and George Logan (R.M.A.), were at the same time admitted into the French Legion of Honor. On the part of the British Admiralty, however, rewards were very tardily bestowed, as neither the commander of the AEtna, nor Captain Lyons’s first lieutenant, obtained superior rank until Oct. 28th, 1829, at which period the latter had been a commissioned officer upwards of nineteen years.
- ↑ La Duchesse de Berri, l’Armide, and la Didon.
- ↑ See Suppl. Part III. p. 387.