of which the French Admiral is supposed to have availed himself, by hauling to the northward, as they were not to be seen the next morning[1].
It being reported that the enemy’s squadron had embarked upwards of 4000 troops at Toulon, Sir John Warren lost no time in proceeding towards Alexandria, hoping to prevent such a reinforcement from joining the French army in Egypt. On his forming a junction with Lord Keith on the 20th April, he received the melancholy tidings of the death of his only son, an officer in the guards, who had recently been killed in battle.
From Alexandria, Sir John was sent with a squadron to Coron bay, in the Morea, where he procured supplies of fresh meat, wine, and vegetables, of which the ships were much in want, their crews being sickly, and symptoms of scurvy appearing amongst them, in consequence of their having been nearly six months upon salt provisions and bad water. He subsequently touched at Corfu, Malta, and Minorca; looked into Toulon, and ultimately proceeded off Porto Ferrajo, which place had long been besieged by a French army, and gallantly defended by the Tuscan troops composing its garrison. It is almost needless for us to observe, that his endeavours to deliver a suffering, brave, and faithful people, from the state of privation to which they were reduced, had the desired effect; and, that owing to the measures adopted by him, Buonaparte, who then presided over the consular government of France, was baffled in his designs upon that post, until his attempts were totally frustrated by the treaty of Amiens[2]. Sir John Warren’s private affairs now rendering it absolutely necessary for him to return home, he
- ↑ Sir John B. Warren’s squadron consisted of the Renown, Dragon, Gibraltar, Hector, and Alexander 74’s; Athenienne 64; Haarlem, a 2-decker, armed en flute; and Mercury frigate. The French squadron subsequently captured the Swiftsure, a British 74. See Vol. I, p. 479.
- ↑ On the 14th Sept. 1801, Captain White superintended the landing and re-embarkation of 689 seamen and marines, sent from the squadron to assist the garrison of Porto Ferrajo in a sortie, made for the purpose of destroying the enemy’s batteries; a service which he performed in a very creditable manner, under a heavy fire from the French, and for which Sir John Warren acknowledged him to be “entitled to his warmest thanks.”
