Page:Royal Naval Biography Marshall sp3.djvu/23

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14
POST-CAPTAINS OF 1812.

station, Oct. 3, 1810. By reference to pp. 354–356 of Vol. II. Part I. it will be seen that he highly distinguished himself at the reduction of Java, in 1811. He subsequently commanded the Bucephalus frigate. Post commission dated Jan. 22, 1812.

Agent.– J. Hinxman, Esq.



GEORGE MORRIS, Esq.
[Post-Captain of 1812.]

Towards the close of the French revolutionary war, this officer commanded the Lady Charlotte hired armed brig, in which vessel he captured l’Espoir and le Petit Pirate, small privateers, between the Start Point and Portland: he also retook several British merchantmen. His commission as a Commander bears date April 29, 1802.

In Sept. 1803, Captain Morris was appointed to the Penguin, of 18 guns. On the 17th Mar. 1804, being off the bar of Senegal, he chased and drove upon it the French privateer schooner la Renommée, a vessel of large dimensions, mounting 12 long 6-pounders and 2 nines, with a complement of 87 men. The surf running high at the time, and continuing to do so, he had no opportunity of destroying her till the 24th. At this time she had shifted her position, from the efforts apparently of two other armed schooners, which, since the preceding evening, had dropped down to the mouth of the river, and were now within 400 yards of her. Standing as close in as the shoalness of the water would admit, the Penguin opened a fire upon the three vessels; but, although shot were exchanged for an hour and a half, the brig: could not get near enough to force the other two schooners to retire up the river: Captain Morris, therefore, yielding to the entreaties of his first Lieutenant (Mr. Williams), despatched him in the jolly-boat, with permission to attempt the destruction of her aground; a service which was executed in the ablest manner, and without any loss on the part of the British.

In 1806, we find Captain Morris commanding the Elk brig, on the Jamaica station, where he captured and de-