enemy’s powerful fire-rafts, and was in the strongest manner eulogized by Brigadier-General Cotton for the gallantry and judgment with which he conducted the light division of boats in an attack made upon an extensive stockade at Panlang. In the ensuing April, after having further distinguished himself in command of a breaching battery in the operations against Donoobew, we find him mentioned for his exertions in the boats in superintending the passage across the river Irawady of Sir Archibald Campbell’s advanced guard, consisting of two European regiments. In Sept. 1825 he was employed as a negotiator at Meady, in conjunction with Lieut.-Colonel Tidy; on 2 Dec. following he contributed to the capture of nearly 300 boats, laden with arms, ammunition, grain, and military stores; and, on 5 he assisted in completing the discomfiture of the Burmese army. On 26 he was again selected to act in the character of a diplomatist. In command of the launch belonging to the Boadicea, Mr. Smith shared in the capture of Mellone 12 Jan. 1826. He was subsequently, with the light division under his orders, active in annoying the enemy’s outposts. Being advanced for his services to the rank of Commander 22 July, 1826, he was employed in that capacity – from 14 April, 1831, until paid off 16 Sept. 1833, in the Philomel 10, in the Mediterranean – from 26 June, 1835, until 1838, in the Coast Guard – and, from 9 Aug. 1841 until the close of 1844, in the Syren 16, in the East Indies. He attained his present rank 13 March, 1846. Agents – Case and Loudonsack.
SMITH. (Commander, 1826. f-p., 18; h-p., 34.;)
William Smith, born 22 Feb. 1785, is son of the late Capt. John Sam. Smith, R.N. (1782), who saw much service in the East Indies. His grandfather went round the world with Lord Anson; and his brother, Lieut. John Sam. Smith, R.N. (1813), who died in 1840, was wounded when Midshipman of the Minotaur 74 at Trafalgar.
This officer (whose name had been borne from 1792 until 1794 on the books of the Assistance and Stately, flag-ships of Sir Rich. King at Newfoundland, and Excellent 74, commanded hy his father, Capt. J. S. Smith) embarked, in July, 1795, on board the Flora 36, Capt. Henry Lidgbird Ball, then on the point of sailing for the Mediterranean, where, from the following Aug. until Oct. 1796, he served with Capt. Smith, as Midshipman, in the Captain 74 and Agamemnon 64. Joining next, in Jan. 1798, the Sirius 36, Capt. Rich. King, he assisted in that ship, 24 Oct. following, at the capture, off the Texel, of the Dutch frigates Waakzamheid of 26, and Furie of 36 guns, with French troops, arms, and ammunition on board, destined for the use of the disaffected in Ireland – the latter vessel after a running fight of half an hour. In the same ship he participated in a chase of two days, which terminated in the capture off Cape Finisterre, 28 Jan. 1801, of the French 36-gun frigate Dédaigneuse. After serving for a few months in the Cambridge 74, flag-ship of Sir Thos. Pasley at Plymouth, he was made Lieutenant, 4 July, 1801, into the De Ruyter 64, Capts. Rich. Dacres and Volant Vashon Ballard, fitting for the West Indies; on which station we find him, from Nov. 1803 until July, 1805, employed in the Guachapin 14, Capt. Kenneth Mackenzie, and Amsterdam 32, Capt. Wm. Ferris. While in the former vessel he served on shore at the capture of Surinam in May, 1804, and commanded her boats at the cutting-out of a variety of the enemy’s vessels. His appointments after he left the Amsterdam were – 9 Aug. 1805, to the Foudroyant 80, flag-ship of Sir Thos. Graves and Sir John Borlase Warren, under the latter of whom he witnessed the capture, 13 March, 1806, of the Marengo 80, bearing the flag of Rear-Admiral Linois, and 40-gun frigate Belle Poule – 7 May, 1807, to the vessel last mentioned, which had been added to the British Navy and placed under the orders of Capt. Edw. Rotheram in the Channel – and, 7 Nov. following, to the Elizabeth 74, Capt. Hon. Henry Curzon, in which ship he served off Lisbon, escorted the Russian fleet to England after the convention of Cintra, aided in embarking Sir John Moore’s army at Corunna, and visited Brazil. He was subsequently employed – from 20 Dec. 1809 until 30 Nov. 1812, in the Foudroyant 80, flag-ship of Hon. M. De Courcy in South America – from 8 March, 1813, until 24 June, 1815, in the Majestic 56, Capt. John Hayes, on the coast of North America, where he was lent in 1813 to a prize, and was present at the surrender, in 1814-15, of the Terpsichore Frencb frigate of 44 guns (taken after a running action of two hours and a half) and U.S. ship President – and, from 4 Feb. 1826 until promoted to the rank of Commander 27 March following, into the Perseus receiving-ship off the Tower, Capt. Jas. Couch. He has since been on half-pay.
SMITH. (Lieutenant, 1821. f-p., 12; h-p., 23.)
William Forsyth Smith., on board the Laurestinus 24, Capt. Thos. Graham, stationed at Halifax, where and at Home he served, from March, 1813, until Dec. 1818, a great part of the time as Midshipman, in the Spartan 38, Capt. Edw. Pelham Brenton, Leviathan 74, Capt. Adam Drummond, Princess (guardship at Liverpool), Capt. M‘Leod, Leander 50, Capt. Sir Geo. Ralph Collier, Argo 44, Capt. D. M‘Leod, Princess again, Capt. Wm. Simpson, and Dee 24, Capt. Sam. Chambers. He was afterwards, from 11 Sept. 1819 until 20 May, 1823, employed in the West Indies in the Tribune 36, Capt. Nesbit Josiah Willoughby, Sapphire 26, Capt. Alex. Montgomerie, and Esk 20, Capts. Edw. Lloyd and Arthur Lee Warner; and, from 25 Feb. 1826 until 30 June, 1827, at the Cape of Good Hope, in the Sparrowhawk 18, Capt. Jas. Polkinghorne. He was made Lieutenant while serving in the Esk 21 July, 1821. Since he left the Sparrowhawk he has been on half-pay.
SMITH. (Retired Commander, 1831. f-p., 17; h-p., 36.)
William Harris Smith was born 17 Feb. 1781, and died in 1846.
This officer entered the Navy, in Jan. 1794, as a Boy, on board the Pegasus 28, Capt. Robt. Barlow, with whom he continued employed on the Home station in the Aquilon 32, and, as Midshipman, in the Phoebe of 44 guns, until made Lieutenant, 10 Aug. 1801, into the Hunter sloop, Capt. Geo. Jones. In the Pegasus he was present in Lord Howe’s battles 28 and 29 May and 1 June, 1794; in the Aquilon he took part in Lord Bridport’s action with the French fleet off Ile de Groix 23 June, 1795; and in the Phoebe he assisted at the capture of L’Atalante corvette of 16 guns, La Néréide of 36 guns and 330 men, L’Africaine of 44 guns and 715 men (including 400 troops and artificers), L’Heureux corvette of 22 guns and 220 men, three privateers carrying in the whole 58 guns and 455 men, and L’Hasard letter-of-marque of 10 guns and 60 men, laden with spices, ivory, and gum, from Senegal, valued at 10,000l. La Néréide did not surrender until after a close action of 45 minutes, productive of a loss to herself of 20 killed and 55 wounded, and to the British, out of 261 men, of 3 killed and 10 wounded; and the resistance of L’Africaine was protracted until, in the course of a desperate night-action of two hours, she had sustained (although the Phoebe, out of 239 men, had but 1 killed and 12 wounded) the terrific loss of at least 200 killed and 143 wounded, the greater part of them mortally. For his gallantry in the latter exploit, which was achieved 19 Feb. 1801, Capt. Barlow was rewarded with the honour of Knighthood. While in charge in 1797 of a very small privateer, prize to the Phoebe, Mr. Smith had been captured by La Zoé, a powerful privateer, of 18 guns and 150 men. In consequence of this misadventure he was detained for three months in a French prison. He was then, however, released, and enabled to rejoin the Phoebe. His appoint-
