The Prince being paid off in 1796, Mr. Clement then joined the Diana 38, and continued in that frigate, on the Irish station, till July, 1797. He subsequently served under Captain Edward O’Bryen, in the Nassau of 64 guns, and Monarch 74, the latter ship bearing the flag of Vice-Admiral Onslow, in the North Sea fleet.
In Sept. 1797, Mr. Clement was sent in the Monarch’s jolly-boat to the Nassau, where his men got intoxicated, and thereby exposed both him and themselves to the most imminent peril, the night closing while he was vainly endeavouring to regain his own ship, and the whole fleet being out of sight next morning. In this perilous situation, and without any thing to eat or drink, he remained upwards of 40 hours, but was at length picked up by the Astraea frigate, in a dreadfully exhausted state, both from cold and hunger.
We have already stated in our first volume (p. 151), that the glorious battle of Camperdown was commenced by the Monarch; – her loss on that occasion amounted to 36 slain and 100 wounded, one of whom was the subject of this memoir, as will be seen by the following extract of a letter from his gallant captain to Mr. Clement, senior:
“My dear Sir,– In justice to your son, Mr. Benjamin Clement, I beg to assure you that he not only merits from me the most ample testimony as to his general character, but deserves to be spoken of for his spirited behaviour, and for his conduct when under my command on board the Monarch, on the 11th October, 1797. He was wounded early in the action, and was carried off the deck to be dressed, after which he returned to his duty and carried my orders to the different parts of the ship, very much to my satisfaction, until he received a second severe wound, which nearly proved fatal, and deprived me of his further services.”
The first wound mentioned by Captain O’Bryen was in the left thigh; the latter, in the head, by a musket-ball; – in the intermediate time Mr. Clement was also slightly wounded in the left arm.
On the Monarch’s arrival in England, Mr. Clement returned to his paternal residence, where he continued until his health was re-established. The wound in his thigh compelled him to use crutches for more than four months, and that in his head continued open, with frequent exfoliations, nearly
