I am commanded by the Court aforesaid, to transmit to you the enclosed copy of a resolution passed by them on the 25th January last, relative to an allowance of table monoy voted to the captain and officers of the armed brig Demerara, and which was intended to take effect on your return to this station in the command of that vessel.
“It is his Excellency, the acting Lieutenant-Governor, and the Court of Policy’s desire, that I shall, at the same time, express to you the strong sense they entertain of your services to these colonies while commanding the Demerara on this station, by the activity and readiness you uniformly and successfully displayed in affording every assistance in your power for the protection of the trade and of the coasting craft of the inhabitants, against the enemy’s privateers. I have the honor to be, &c.
“To Captain Shepheard, R.N.”
In addition to the above testimonial of his persevering exertions, Captain Shepheard received a strong recommendation from Sir Alexander Cochrane to Lord Mulgrave, then at the head of the Admiralty. He was subsequently appointed an agent for transports, and in that capacity we find him arriving at Corunna, in company with 12,000 British troops, under the command of Sir David Baird, Oct. 14, 1808. After their debarkation, he proceeded to Lisbon, and from thence brought home 3000 Russian seamen, belonging to Admiral Siniavin’s squadron[1]. He then returned to the Spanish coast, and contributed in no slight degree to the preservation of the survivors of Sir John Moore’s army, the whole of whom, “in consequence of the arrangements made by Commissioner Bowen and the other agents for transports, were embarked with an expedition that has seldom been equalled.” His services on this memorable occasion were duly acknowledged by Lieutenant-General Hope, in that officer’s official account of the battle of Corunna, dated on board the Audacious, Jan. 18, 1809.
In May following, being then at Lisbon, Captain Shepheard tendered his services to defend the right bank of the Tagus; and he was accordingly appointed by Vice-Admiral Berkeley to command a flotilla of gun-boats, manned by volunteer seamen from the transports in that river. He continued to be thus employed till Marshal Victor broke up from his cantonments at Truxillo, and retreated to Talavera de la Reyna.
