26
ATWATER—AUCHINLECK—AUSTEN.
he participated in all the operations in the Rio de la Plata, from Oct. 1806, until the Medusa’s return home with Lieut.-Gen. Whitelocke, on the final evacuation of Spanish America in Sept. 1807, including the capture of Maldonado and of the island of Gorriti; assisted in taking several privateers; was for three months exposed to considerable hardships during a fruitless pursuit of two French frigates to the coast of Labrador; and co-operated much with the patriots on the north coast of Spain. He also, on the night of 4 June, 1812, served in the boats, under Lieut. Josiah Thompson, at the capture and destruction, in the harbour of Arcasson, of La Dorade storeship, of 14 guns and 86 men, after a violent conflict, in which the British had 5 men wounded, and in which 63 of the enemy (who had hailed the latter in their approach, and were in every way prepared for the attack) were either killed or compelled to jump overboard. In July, 1812, Mr. Atkinson became Acting-Lieutenant of the Lyra sloop, but it was not until 28 May, 1813, that (having been re-attached to the Medusa, and been employed for some time also in the Impétueux 74, flag-ship off Lisbon of Sir Geo. Martin, and in the Magicienne 36, Capt. Hon. Wm. Gordon) he at length obtained confirmation. Towards the close of the same year we find him serving off the coast of Africa in the Plover 18, Capt. Colin Campbell. He returned to England in March, 1814, on board the Favorite 20, Capt. John Maxwell, and has since been on half-pay.
Lieut. Atkinson married, in 1816, Miss Lewanna Smith, and has issue eight children.
ATWATER. (Retired Commander, 1834, f-p., 20; h-p., 34.)
James Atwater was born 7 Nov. 1774.
This officer entered the Navy, 29 Jan. 1793, as Ordinary, on board the Audacious 74, Capts. Wm. Parker, Alex. Hood, Wm. Shield, Augustus Montgomery, and Davidge Gould, part of the fleets employed under Lord Howe and Admiral Hotham in the actions of 28 May, 1794, and 13 July, 1795. In the course of 1797, having joined the Sylph 18, Capts. John Chambers White and Chas. Dashwood, he witnessed the destruction of La Calliope French frigate, joined in an attack made -upon an enemy’s convoy at the entrance of the Sable d’Olonne, on which occasion the Sylph had 2 men killed and 4 wounded; and, a few days afterwards, assisted at the capture of five coasting-vesseis, and destruction of Le Petit Diable, a French cutter, of 18 guns and 100 men. On 28 Nov. 1798, while conducting a prize to Plymouth, Mr. Atwater was unfortunately taken prisoner; but, being released at the end of eleven months, was enabled to rejoin the Sylph, in which he continued to serve until transferred, in July, 1801, to the Ville de Paris 110, flag-ship of Hon. Wm. Cornwallie. Attaining the rank of Lieutenant, 16 April, 1802, he afterwards joined, in that capacity – 27 Jan. 1804, the Meteor bomb, Capts. Jas. Master, Joseph James, and Jas. Collins, in which vessel he served at the bombardments of Havre de Grace and Boulogne, the passage of the Dardanells, also in an attack on some batteries and gun-boats in the Bay of Naples, and in a month’s cannonade of the French army at the siege of Rosas – 1 Nov. 1809, the Hound bomb, Capts. Nich. Lockyer and John Williams, lying in the river Thames – and, 20 Feb. 1810, the Namur 74, successive flag-ship at the Nore of Admirals Wells, Hon. Henry Edwin Stanhope, and Sir Thos. Williams. He was superseded from the Namur 29 Aug. 1814, and, not being afterwards employed, retired with his present rank, 25 Jan. 1834.
Commander Atwater married, 11 Sept. 1802, Miss Mary Anne Chick, and has issue a son and three daughters.
AUCHINLECK. (Lieutenant, 1815. f-p., 16; h-p., 26.)
James Richard Auchinleck was born 4 March, 1791.
This officer entered the Navy, 26 Dec. 1805, as Fst.-cl. Vol., on board the Squirrel 24, Capt. John Shortland, whom he accompanied, as Midshipman, in May, 1809, into the Junon 38. On 13 Dec. in the same year, that ship, being near Guadeloupe, was captured, after an heroically desperate resistance of 45 minutes, and a loss of 20 men killed and 40 wounded, by a French squadron, consisting of the 40-gun frigates, Renommée and Clorinde, and armeées en flute Loire and Seine, carrying each 20 guns – with the two former of whom she appears to have sustained a yard-arm and yard-arm conflict until on the verge of sinking. Until officially promoted, 4 Feb. 1815, Mr. Auchinleck was subsequently employed with great activity, latterly as Acting-Lieutenant, in the Alcmene 38, Capt. Wm. Maude, Hibernia and Centaur, both commanded by Capt. John Chambers White, San Josef 110, flag-ship of Sir Rich. King, Havannah 36, Capt. Gawen Wm. Hamilton, Albion 74, bearing the flag of Rear-Admiral Geo. Cockbum, and Lacedaemonian 38, Capt. Sam. Jackson, chiefly on the Mediterranean and North America stations. We afterwards find him serving, from Sept. 1815, to Dec. 1818, and from March, 1823, to March, 1826, on board the Pique 36, and Parthian 10, commanded on the West India and-other stations by Capts. Hon. Anthony Maitland, Arthur Fanshawe, Jas. Haldane Tait, John Mackellar, and Hon. Geo. Barrington. Since the latter date he has been on half-pay.
AUSTEN. (Lieutenant, 1841.)
Algernon Stewart Austen, born 31 Aug. 1815, is fourth son of Sir Henry Edm. Austen, Bart., of Shalford House, co. Surrey, a Magistrate and Deputy-Lieutenant for that county, by Anne Amelia, daughter of the late Robt. Spearman Bate, Esq., E.I.C. service; and brother of Capt. Henry Edm. Austen, of the 71st Light Infantry, as also of Lieut. John Wentworth Austen, of the 49th regiment.
This officer entered the Navy 9 Sept. 1830; passed his examination 24 April, 1835; and, after serving for some time as Mate on board the Benbow 72, Capt. Houston Stewart, stationed in the Mediterranean, obtained a commission, dated 30 April, 1841. His appointments have since been – 30 Aug. 1841, to the Cambrian 36, Capt. Henry Ducie Chads, on the East India station – and, 13 Dec. 1845, to the Carysfort 26, Capt. Geo. Henry Seymour, now employed in the Pacific.
AUSTEN. (Rear-Admiral of the Blue, 1846. f-p., 31; h-p., 25.)
Charles John Austen, born in 1779, is a younger brother of Vice-Admiral Sir Fras. Wm. Austen, K.C.B.
This officer entered the Royal Naval Academy in July, 1791, and embarked, in Sept. 1794, as Midshipman, on board the Daedalus 32, Capt. Thos. Williams, whom he successively followed into the Unicorn 32, and Endymion 44. He was consequently present in the Unicorn at the capture of the Dutch brig-of-war Comet, of 18 guns, also of the French frigate La Tribune, of 44 guns and 339 men, and of the troop-ship La Ville de l’Orient. For his conduct in the Endymion, in driving into Helvoetsluys the Dutch line-of-battle ship Brutus, he was promoted to a Lieutenancy, 13 Dec. 1797, in the Scorpion 16, Capt. John Tremayne Rodd. After assisting at the capture of the Courier Dutch brig, carrying 6 guns and several swivels, Mr. Austen removed, in Dec. 1798, to the Tamar frigate, Capt. Thos. Western, and, on 16 Feb. 1799, was re-appointed to the Endymion; in which frigate, commanded successively by Capts. Sir T. Williams, Philip Chas. Durham, Henry Garrett, and John Larmour, he came into frequent contact with the enemy’s gun-boats off Algesiras, and assisted in making prize of several privateers. On the occasion, particularly, of the capture of the Scipio, of 18 guns and 140 men, which surrendered during a violent gale, he very intrepidly put off in a boat with only four men, and, having boarded the vessel, succeeded in retaining possession of her until the following day. In April, 1803, he again joined
