the heavy raking fire of two French and two Spanish 74’s: after closing with them who was obliged to come head-to wind, in order to avoid running on board the Santa Anna 112, flag-ship of Vice-Admiral d’Aliva, whereby she lay with her stern exposed to one of each nation. On paying off again, she became warmly engaged with a third French 74; and presently received a most destructive raking broadside from one of her first opponents, which almost cleared the poop and quarter-deck of both officers and men. It was at this moment, about 1-15 p.m., while Captain Duff was standing at the break of the quarter-deck, looking over the side, that a shot struck him on the breast, knocked off his head, and killed two seamen who were immediately behind him. His body fell on the gangway, where it lay, covered with a union-jack, until the end of the battle.
The total loss sustained by the Mars in this tremendous conflict was 29 killed, and 69 wounded. Among the former were Messrs. Alexander Duff, master’s-mate, and Edward Corbyn and Henry Morgan, midshipmen: among the latter we find Lieutenants Edward William Garrett and James Black; Captain Thomas Norman, R.M.; Mr. Thomas Cook, master; and Messrs. John Young, George Guiren, William John Cook, John Jenkins, and Alfred Luckraft, midshipmen.
Captain Duff was a man of fine stature, strong and well made, above six feet in height, and had a manly, open, benevolent countenance. His Majesty’s service could not boast of a better or more gallant officer. We can add, that he was also a tender husband, an affectionate parent, a dutiful son, and a sincere friend! He married. May 6, 1791, Sophia, second (laughter of the late Alexander Dirom, of Muiresh, in Aberdeenshire, Esq. and by that lady had five children, three of whom survived to mourn their father’s death.
His only surviving son, Mr. Norwich Duff, first embarked on board the Aurora frigate, Captain the Hon. George Elliot, in July, 1805; and joined the Mars about four weeks previous to the battle of Trafalgar ; after which he was removed, by the directions of Vice-Admiral Collingwood, into the Euryalus 36, Captain the Hon. Henry Blackwood, under whom he served, in that ship and the Ajax 80, until the latter was destroyed by fire, near the island of Tenedos, in the night of Feb. 14, 1807[1]. Being then but an indifferent swimmer, he did not quit the ship until forced to do so by the flames, when he dropt from the spritsail yard into the sea, and was fortunately picked up by a boat belonging to the Canopus.
Two days after the destruction of the Ajax, Mr. Duff, then
