Page:Royal Naval Biography Marshall v1p2.djvu/99

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SIR GEORGE COCKBURN.
523

In the following summer, Captain Cockburn commanded the Belleisle, a third rate, in the expedition to the Scheldt; and after the army had been landed, took the command of a division of bombs and gun-vessels, which, under his directions, were most judiciously placed against the south-east end of the town of Flushing, and bombarded that place until the French Commandant signified his intentions to surrender[1]. Captain Cockburn was then selected, together with the Adjutant-General of the army, to settle the terms of capitulation, which were finally concluded in the evening of the 15th July. The loss sustained by that part of the flotilla under his orders, at the attack of Flushing, amounted to 7 men killed and 22 wounded; among the former was Lieutenant Rennie, of the Marlborough, and in the latter list Lieutenant Russel, of the San Josef.

Early in 1810, Captain Cockburn was appointed to the Implacable, another 74-gun-ship; and in the ensuing autumn we find him serving under Sir Richard Keats at Cadiz, in the defence of which city he exhibited his usual zeal and ability on every occasion that presented itself. He was subsequently sent to South America, to mediate between Spain and her transatlantic colonies, and on this occasion, we believe, was established in the rank of Commodore.

At the general promotion, Aug. 1st. 1811, our officer was nominated to one of the vacant Colonelcies of Royal Marines; and on the 12th Aug. in the following year, advanced to the rank of Rear-Admiral; he soon after proceeded to the coast of North America, with his flag in the Marlborough, of 74 guns.

In the month of April, 1813, the Rear-Admiral commenced a desultory warfare in the southern part of the United States, by proceeding with a light squadron up the rivers at the head of Chesapeake Bay, and attacking the different towns and repositories of stores on their banks. These operations, though successful, were of no other moment than as they tended to impress the minds of the people in those parts with a desire for the termination of hostilities, to which they were in danger of becoming victims. A more important entcrprize was undertaken against a post at Hampton, in Virginia, defended by a