A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Gordon, James Alexander (c)
GORDON. (Lieut., 1814. f-p., 12; h-p., 31.)
James Alexander Gordon (a) entered the Navy, 16 April, 1804, as Fst.-cl. Vol., on board the Ville de Paris 110, Capt. Thos. Le Marchant Gosselin, bearing the flag of Hon. Wm. Cornwallis, Commander-in-Chief in the Channel, where he attained the rating of Midshipman 1 Nov. following. Removing, in Nov. 1806, to the Royal Sovereign 100, flag-ship in the Mediterranean of Vice-Admiral Edw. Thornbrough, he there served for four years, principally at the blockade of Toulon. He then returned to England in the Montagu 74, Capt. John Halliday, and after a brief attachment to the Egmont 74, Capt. Joseph Bingham, fitting at Sheerness, joined the Laurestinus 24, Capts. Hon. Wm. Gordon and Thos. Graves; in which ship, having first visited the Rio de la Plata, and escorted convoy to Halifax, he took a warm part, as Master’s Mate, in the hostilities against the Americans in the Chesapeake, and was present in the attack upon Crany Island. The Laurestinus being in the end wrecked, on the Silver Keys, off the Bahamas, on the night of 21 Aug, 1813, Mr. Gordon came home in the Diomede troop-ship, Capt. Chas. Montagu Fabian, but sailed soon after his arrival for Bermuda as Admiralty-Midshipman of the Asia 64, flagship of Hon. Sir Alex. Cochrane; by whom he was appointed, 1 April, 1814, Lieutenant of the Manly 14, Capts. Henry C. Merser, Nagle Lock, and Chas. Simeon. His promotion being confirmed by commission dated 26 May in the same year, he continued to serve in the Manly until paid off in Sept. 1815, and had thus an opportunity of being again employed in the Chesapeake, and of accompanying the expedition to New Orleans. He has since, however, been on half-pay.