Page:Royal Naval Biography Marshall v1p2.djvu/117

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JOSEPH HANWELL, ESQ.
541

of whom, including her commander, M. Mignionet, were killed, and 16 wounded. The Milford had 4 slain and 3 wounded.

On the 26th Oct. 1780, seven days after quitting the Milford, in which active frigate he had assisted at the capture of no less than seventy vessels belonging to the enemy, Mr. Hanwell was nominated by Vice-Admiral Darby, Commander-in-Chief of the Channel fleet, to act as Lieutenant of the Dublin 74; and the Board of Admiralty being pleased to confirm the appointment, by commission dated Feb. 8, 1781, he continued in that ship during the remainder of the war. The Dublin appears to have been present at the relief of Gibraltar in 1781 and 1782; and formed part of the rear division of Earl Howe’s fleet in the skirmish off Cape Spartel, on the 20th Oct. in the latter year[1].

From this period, with the exception of his having served for a short time in the Fortitude, of 74 guns, we have no mention of Lieutenant Hanwell until Sept. 1, 1788, when he was appointed to command the Actaeon, a 44-gun ship armed en flute, and employed in the conveyance of troops to and from the colonies. During the Spanish armament in 1790, he took charge of the homeward bound trade off the east end of Jamaica; and having escorted it in safety to England, was promoted to the rank of Commander, on the 21st Oct. in the same year. He continued in the Actaeon until that ship was paid off May 13, 1791.

Our officer’s next appointment wa3 Nov. 12, 1792, to the Scout of 18 guns, in which sloop he was employed for some time on the Gibraltar station. He returned from thence in company with the Lapwing frigate, and a fleet of English and Dutch merchantmen[2], about the month of April 1793; and was subsequently sent with despatches to the Mediterranean. Having joined Lord Hood at Toulon, the Scout was there actively employed; and in March 1794, formed part of the force sent under the orders of Captain Nelson, to commence the blockade of Bastia.

On the 2d April, Captain Hanwell received orders to anchor his sloop as near as possible to a tower recently taken by the

  1. See pp. 4, 17, 106, and note at p. 33.
  2. See p. 426.