capture of 15 deeply-laden merchantmen, lying under the protection of several batteries and of a national brig at Campeachy. He took and destroyed, a few days afterwards, nine other vessels. in the same neighbourhood; with a single boat’s crew, and no assistance at hand, he boarded, in March, 1806, in open day, and carried, a large Spanish schooner, El Serpanton of 6 guns and 40 men, lying with springs on her cables at the mouth of the river St. Juan; and he landed next, wilh Capt. Bligh and the greater part of the crew of the Surveillante, on the islaud of St. Andreas, the forts and garrison of which were completely surprised. The troops and the Governor, General O’Donnell, being sent to Carthagena, Mr. Travers was left with a strong body of seamen and marines in charge of the island, and with the above-named Serpanton at his disposal. While thus employed he received, one night, intelligence from a faithful sailor, who had swum on shore to give the alarm, that the crews of several vessels,[1] confined on board the Serpanton, had risen, placed below all but 4 or 5 of the British, who were disposed to join them, and, having obtained complete possession, were in the act of making sail and putting to sea. Hastening at once to the beach, he embarked with a Master’s Mate, Mr. Dunn, and such of the negroes as he had been able to collect on his way, on board a canoe, and contrived, before he was discovered, to get alongside the schooner. As he gained the deck a musket was snapped at his breast, and a blow, which he received on his up-raised arm, aimed at his head. The fellow immediately opposed to him he cut down; and the remainder, intimidated by his resolute manner into a belief that he was supported by a large party, gave way; enabling him to release those who had been confined, and, by their aid, to recover the vessel. In the summer of 1806 the Surveillante, in company with the Hercule 74, Fortunée 36, Supérieure schooner, and about 200 merchantmen, sailed for England. When off the Havana, a number of Spanish vessels were discovered under the protection of a 74-gun ship and two guarda-costas. The Fortunée, Supérieure, and a number of boats, one of them commanded by Mr. Travers, were instantly despatched in pursuit; and the result of their united efforts was the capture and destruction of the guarda-costas, and 20 others, deeply laden with sugar. In Dec. 1806, about two months after the Surveillante had been paid off, Mr. Travers was appointed to the Alcmène 32, at the particular request of her Captain, Jas. Brisbane, with whom and with Capt. Wm. Henry Brown Tremlett he continued employed until wrecked, in endeavouring to cut off a French frigate, on a reef of sunken rocks, near the mouth of the Loire, 29 April, 1809. During the period he belonged to the Alcmène he contributed, while cruizing on the coast of Ireland, to the capture of Le Courrier French privateer and other vessels. He witnessed the destruction also of three frigates under the batteries of Sable d’Olonne 24 Feb. 1809; assisted for a considerable time in blockading two others at St. Martin’s, in the Ile de Ré; and, in command of the boats, was often night and day engaged on the look-out between Ile Dieu and Cape Finisterre, where he conducted numerous successful attacks upon the enemy’s coasting trade. As soon as the court-martial upon the officers and crew of the Alcmène was over, Mr. Travers was appointed, on the application of Lord Cochrane, to the Impérieuse 38; in which ship, commanded next by Capts. Thos. Garth and Hon. Henry Duncan, he sailed with the ensuing expedition to the Walcheren. On 31 July, at the desire of Lieut.-General Sir Eyre Coote, who commanded the first division of the army about to invest Flushing, he landed at the head of a detachment of seamen and, joining that officer with two field-pieces, took part in a variety of encounters with the enemy. He was subsequently (under Capt. Chas. Richardson of the Caesar 80, who commanded the brigade of seamen, and Capt. Geo. Wm. Blarney of the Harpy sloop, then before Fort Ramikins and East Zouberg) employed day and night with his men in cutting fascines, erecting batteries, and drawing heavy ordnance – the artillery-horses intended for the latter duty being found inadequate to the work, from the narrowness of the roads, the softness of the ground, and other causes. On 14 Aug., having by the greatest exertion completed a battery for 6 24-pounders under a galling fire from the enemy’s ramparts, distant only 600 yards, he undertook with his own party to mount the guns, half buried though they were in the soil, during the absence of the artillerymen sent by Sir Eyre Coote, who was present, to procure triangles for the purpose of placing them on their carriages; and, so fully did he succeed, that before the latter made their appearance the guns were actually playing with quickness and precision upon the works opposed to them. His conduct in this instance particularly attracted the notice of Capt. Richardson, who had confided to him the construction of the battery, and who, we find, recommended him publicly in one of his despatches to Rear-Admiral Wm. Albany Otway.[2] In consequence of his abilities, and the information he possessed, Mr. Travers, whose gallantry and activity indeed appear to have won the admiration of every one, was selected by Sir Eyre Coote and his successor. General Sir Geo. Don, to remain with them as their Naval Aide-de-camp; which he accordingly did until the island of Walcheren was evacuated. He then returned to the Impérieuse, as First-Lieutenant; and in the early part of 1810 he sailed for Quiberon Bay, in company with the Implacable 74, Commodore Geo. Cockburn, who had been ordered thither to co-operate with the Baron de Kolli in an attempt to liberate Ferdinand VII. of Spain from his confinement at Valençay. While on this service[3] he was almost every night, during a period of nearly two months, stationed in the boats in shore on the look-out for the signal of the Baron’s return. About the same time he attacked in the most gallant manner, in a 6-oared gig, an armed merchant-vessel, lying within 20 yards of a battery, to which she was made fast, and brought her out, with the loss of only one man killed. On subsequently proceeding to the east coast of Spain he was frequently afforded an opportunity, although under circumstances of danger and difficulty, of materially benefiting the cause of the patriots. On one occasion he relieved the fort of Morbella, when nearly surrounded by French troops; and on another, availing himself of a dark wet night, he landed unobserved with two boats’ crews, and, approaching a martello-tower, succeeded, by the aid of scaling-ladders prepared for the purpose, in reaching a loop-hole, about 40 feet from the ground, into which he thrust two bags of powder, with a long hose and a quick-match attached to them. By the time he had got out of the reach of splinters an explosion took place, which effected a large opening in the roof; and some of the sparks communicating to the magazine, the whole fabric was rent to its foundation. On 11 Oct. 1811 the Impérieuse attacked, and in a few minutes sank one of, three gun-vessels, carrying each 1 18-pounder and 30 men (all of whom were driven from their guns), moored under the walls of a strong fort, near the town of Possitano, in the Gulf of Salerno. It being found necessary to get possession of the fort, measures were taken for landing the marines and a party of seamen, who, led on by Lieut. Travers and Lieut. Philip Pipon of the Marines, at once forced their way into the battery in the most handsome style, obliging more than treble their numbers to fly in all directions, with the exception of about 30 men, who, with 50 stand of arms, were left behind. The guns, which were 24-pounders, were then thrown over the cliffs, the magazines, &c. destroyed, and the two remaining gun-vessels brought off. “The zeal and gallantry of all the officers and men in this
Page:A Naval Biographical Dictionary.djvu/1209
1195
XXX—XXX—XXX—XXX—XXX.
1195
