THE 17TII OF OCTOBER. 309 those also of the Spiteful and the Lynx were chap. deserving of the praise they received.* •^'^ Both the Eodney and the Spiteful sustained n.-nociono a good deal of damage from shot and shell; but her."'" strange as it may seem, the Eodney had no men killed, and only two or three wounded.*}- With her satellite steamer it did not fare so well. Out of the small crew which serves to man a six-gun steam-sloop the Spiteful lost two killed and nine wounded. Thus ended — thus vainly ended — the naval attack on Sebastopol. Except as regards that
- The court of inquiry which investigated the circumstances
under which the Rodney ran ashore, found that the mishap resulted unavoidably from Captain Graham's gallant determina- tion to take up the position he did in support of the Agamem- non ; and that the greatest credit was due to Captain Graham and the officers and ship's company of the Eodney, as also to Commander Kynaston and Lieutenant Luce, and the officers and men of the Spiteful and the Lynx, for their gallant and indefatigable exertions in towing the Rodney oft' whilst exposed to heavy fire from the enemy. This finding was ajjproved by the Admiralty, and the approval was communicated by Sir E. Lyon.s, then in command, in a notification dated the 23d of February 1855. A day or two after the action. Sir Edmund Lyons addressed to Captain Graham a letter of thanks for the support the Rodney had brought him, and he added, I believe, some words tending to explain why he had left the Rodney when he did. All hands were called aft to hear the praises of the Rear- Admiral, and a part of the letter was read on the quarterdeck. I have no copy of the letter before mo, but if memory could be trusted, it would appear that Sir Edmund did not take the same ground as the officer cited in the note to p. 392. + The official list gives only two wounded ; but it seems that there were one or two wounded men whose names did uoi get into the return.
