ing the Tobago schooner, stood first in the Admiralty list to he mode a commander: I therefore appointed him to the Lily, upon the removal of Captain Morrison to the Northumberland. He has been nearly twelve months commanding on the Trinidad station, where he has been particularly active; and as Captain Shirreff must have sailed in the convoy for England, not knowing of his being appointed to the Lily, the peculiar hardships of acting Captain Campbell’s case will I hope meet with due consideration.”
In answer to this remonstrance. Viscount Howick expressed his sorrow that such injustice had been done Mr. Campbell, and directed Sir Alexander Cochrane to give him the next admiralty vacancy, it not being in his lordship’s power to supersede Captain Shirreff’s appointment. The Lily’s proceedings in July and Aug. 1806, are thus described by her acting commander:
“Sir,– I have the honor to inform you that the vessels, composing the expedition attached to General Miranda, you did nme honor to place under my orders, sailed from Trinidad on the 24th July, having on board 220 officers and men of General Miranda’s corps; which with 75 seamen and marines of H.M. vessels at present under my command, whom I ordered to be ready to land with him, under the immediate directions of Lieutenant Bcddingfelt, of this ship, composed his whole force.
“We anchored at Coche on the 27th, where we found the minds of the inhabitants of that island so deeply impressed with the idea that General Miranda was to put to death every man who did not or could not take up arms in his favor, that they had with a few exceptions gone to Margarita: the greatest number of the few who remained joined him, which added nine to our number.
“General Miranda then, conceiving his military force unequal to retaining possession of Cumana or Barcelona, determined to make his first debarkation in this bay, and to attack Coro, where we anchored at 9 in the night of the 1st Aug.; but from its blowing a strong gale all the following day, and the pilots, from ignorance or intention, having anchored the vessels on a lee-shore, within a few cables’ length of the breakers, 7 miles to leewad of the battery intended to be attacked, and there being a strong lee current, the whole of the 2d was occupied in placing the Express, Attentive, and Prevost, with the gun-boats, in a proper position to effect and cover the debarkation, which was accomplished at 5 o’clock in the morning of the 3d, when the first division, composed of about 60 men of the Trinidad volunteers, under the command of Count de Rouveray, Colonel Downie with about 60 men, and 30 seamen and marines from the Lily, under the command of Lieutenant Beddingfelt, most gallantly cleared the beach of
