by whom he has had issue several sons and daughters. One of his sisters is the lady of Captain James Katon, R.N.
ALEXANDER CUNNINGHAM, Esq.
[Post-Captain of 1812.]
Was first Lieutenant of the Hero 74, Captain the Hon. Alan Hyde Gardner, at the capture of four French line-of-battle ships, by the squadron under Sir Richard J. Strachan, Nov. 4, 1805[1]. He obtained the rank of commander Dec. 24 following; and was appointed to the Bermuda brig, of 10 guns, in Jan. 1809. The following is a copy of his official letter to Rear-Admiral Foley, reporting the recapture of the Apelles brig, May 4, 1812:–
“By a telegraphic communication from the Castilian, on the afternoon of the 3d, at Dungeness, learned that H.M. sloops Skylark and Apelles” (Captains James Boxer and Frederick Hoffman) “were on shore to the westward of Boulogne; and as the, fate of the Apelles was, in particular, extremely uncertain, I weighed, with the Rinaldo” (Captain Sir William George Parker) “in company, steering towards the French coast, in the hope of rendering her some assistance. At day-break we observed the Rinaldo in chase of the Apelles, which had been got afloat about 6 miles to the eastward of Etaples, and was under jury-sails, the enemy navigating her along shore. About 9 a.m. we both came up, and drove her on shore with a few broadsides, under a battery about 3 miles to the eastward of that place. As the tide was falling, I discontinued the attack in consequence of the advantage the enemy would have in planting his field-pieces and small-arm men close to her at low water mark.
“The Castilian and Phipps” (Captains David Braimer and Thomas Wells) “joined before the tide served to recommence our operations, and, with this addition to our force, at about 2-30 p.m., I renewed the attack, leading in close under the battery, with the wind N.E. by N., the other sloops following; and, as they came up, giving their broadsides, by which the enemy’s troops, embarked in the Apelles, were soon driven out. The boats of the squadron, as had been previously arranged, were then immediately sent in under the command of my first Lieutenant, Saunders, who most gallantly boarded her, and though, for a considerable time, exposed to a galling fire of shot and shells from the battery, and a collection of field-pieces, she was got afloat, and brought out in safety about 4 o’clock, dur-