orders of Lord Nelson at the battle off Copenhagen, in which her commander particularly distinguished himself; compelling four of the Danish flotilla, one of which was the Jutland of 60 guns, to surrender. An account of this tremendous conflict will be found in our memoir of Sir Thomas Foley[1]. The Ardent received considerable damage, and sustained a loss of 29 men killed and 64 wounded, independent of about 40 others who, being able to continue at their duty, were not included in the report. For his services on this occasion, Captain Bertie again had the satisfaction of receiving the thanks of Parliament, and what was equally pleasing, the personal commendation of his heroic chief[2].
On the 9th of the same month, the subject of this memoir was appointed by the Commander-in-Chief, Sir Hyde Parker, to the Bellona of 74 guns, in the room of Sir Thomas B. Thompson, who had lost a leg in the battle; and he continued in the Baltic under the orders of Lord Nelson, and his worthy successor Sir Charles M. Pole, until the 7th July following, when he left that station in company with the squadron sent home under Sir Thomas Graves, part of which were ordered north aboAit to Cork, and from thence proceeded off Cadiz, where Captain Bertie remained, employed in the blockade of the Spanish fleet, till the termination of the war. The Bellona afterwards formed part of a squadron sent under the command of Captain (now Sir Charles) Tyler, to the West Indies, from whence our officer returned to England, June 24, 1802, and on the 6th of the following month his ship was put out of commission.
Hostilities again commenced in the spring of 1803; and on the 3d November, Captain Bertie was appointed to the Courageux of 74 guns, in which ship Rear-Admiral Dacres soon after hoisted his flag, and on the 4th Jan. 1804, sailed from St. Helen’s accompanied by 170 sail of merchantmen bound to the West Indies. Four days after their departure, the wind which had hitherto been fair, shifted to the S.W. and between
- ↑ See p. 365.
- ↑ Early on the morning after the action, Lord Nelson went on board the Ardent, to thank her commander, officers, and people, for their conduct and exertions on the preceding day; a compliment which was returned with six cheers, on his Lordship leaving the ship.
