Page:Royal Naval Biography Marshall v1p2.djvu/236

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662
REAR-ADMIRALS OF THE RED.

Court of Directors “for his care and attention to the fleet recently under his convoy 5 and informing him, that in consideration of the zeal;tnd attention to the Company’s interests, evinced by him on various occasions, the Court of Directors had resolved to present him with the sum of 1,000 guineas for the purchase of a piece of plate, as an acknowledgement of his services.” Captain Byng succeeded to the title on the demise of his father, Jan. 8, 1813. That nobleman had survived his brother, George, the fourth Viscount, only 14 days.

The Warrior was principally employed in the Baltic and North Seas, under the Admirals Young, Foley, and Hope, by whom our officer’s conduct on all occasions, was most warmly approved[1]; and in the year 1813, when our neighbours, the Dutch, having thrown off the yoke of Napoleon Buonaparte,

  1. The Editor avails himself of this opportunity to acknowledge the obligation conferred upon him by the officer who so kindly furnished him with the following copies of testimonials from several of the distinguished characters under whom Lord Torrington served when in the command of the Warrior:

    “My Lord. – It is so much the duty of a Commander-in-Chief to do justice to the merits of officers who serve under his command, that I can have no hesitation in bearing testimony to your’s, during the time of your serving in the fleet in the North Sea; and in so doing, I have great pleasure in being able to say, that from the time of your joining the fleet to that of your being removed from it, I had every reason to be satisfied with the Zeal, attention, and alacrity, with which you performed every service on which you were employed.

    “I had frequent occasions to be pleased with your anxiety to be employed on active service, and particularly with the earnest desire you expressed to be allowed to serve on shore when the seamen and marines were landed to capture, and to defend the Islands of Zealand.

    (Signed) “W. Young, Admiral.”

    “I have great satisfaction in stating, that during the time the Warrior was under my flag, I had every reason to approve of the manner in which the service was conducted in that ship, and that I always considered the promptitude and regularity, which I could not fail to observe, as the effect of the correct system of discipline established by your Lordship.

    (Signed) “R. Bickerton, Admiral.”

    “I can with truth say, I had every reason to approve and applaud your conduct in every respect, while I had the honor of being on service with your Lordship.

    (Signed) “Thos. Foley, Vice-Admiral.”

    “I have pleasure in stating, that wherever I have had the pleasure of serving with you, both this war and the last, in frigates and ships of the