During that siege, the subject of this memoir received two severe contusions, notwithstanding which he continued to command a party of seamen on shore until the surrender of Bastia, May 22, 1794, when he was immediately promoted into la Fleche, a corvette found lying in the harbour. After fitting her out, he proceeded to Malta and negociated with Rhoan, the Grand Master, for a supply of seamen, stores, &c. His promotion to post-rank took place Nov. 12, 1704; on which occasion Lord Hood’s successor appointed him to command the Windsor Castle 98, bearing the flag of Rear-Admiral Robert Linzee. In her he assisted at the capture of two French line-of-battle ships, by the fleet under Vice-Admiral Hotham, Mar. 14, 1795[1]: the Windsor Castle’s loss on that day amounted to 6 killed and 31 wounded.
Captain Gore’s next appointment was to le Censeur 74, one of the above-mentioned prizes. The recapture of that ship by a French squadron under Rear-Admiral Richery, has been noticed at p. 610, of Vol. I. Part II., and is thus officially described in a letter from Captain Thomas Taylor, of H.M.S. Fortitude, to the Secretary of the Admiralty, dated Oct. 12, 1795:–
“Sir,– Be pleased to acquaint my Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty, that I left Gibraltar on the 24th Sept. taking the first spirt of an easterly wind after my letter of the 21st, when the wind was westerly.
“In coming through the gut in the night, H.M. ships Argo and Juno, with some of the merchantmen, parted company, and, I conclude, by steering more to the northward than myself with the other men-of-war and the body of the convoy, it being near dusk in the evening before many of them got out of the bay, though the Fortitude was under weigh with the much greater part by 10 A.M. but, on the whole, their separation has turned out a most fortunate circumstance; for, with great regret, I am to inform their lordships, that on the 7th instant. Cape St. Vincent, by account, bearing S. 83° E. 48 leagues, the wind N. by W. standing on the larboard tack, I discovered nine sail of the enemy’s ships, six of the line, two of which I judged to be of 80 guns, and three large frigates, who directly gave chase to H.M. squadron under my command under a press of sail. I made every possible disposition for the better security of the convoy by divers signals, through which, had many of them been punctually obeyed, a much greater number would have escaped. I then formed the line, with the
