About the same period he was appointed to the command of the Endymion, a frigate of the largest class, stationed in the North Sea. On the 13th Oct. following, he made a spirited attack upon the Brutus, a Dutch line-of-battle ship, bearing the flag of a Rear-Admiral, who had escaped from the battle off Camperdown, and was then lying at anchor with some small vessels, near the heights of Hinder, in six fathoms water; but the Endymion being unsupported, of course nothing decisive could be effected. In the course of the ensuing night Sir Thomas Williams, having been joined by the Beaulieu frigate, again stood in shore, and on the following morning discovered the Brutus at anchor near Goree Gatt. At six o’clock the Dutch Rear-Admiral, not thinking himself safe in that position, with two frigates opposed to him, again weighed, and sought refuge in the Maese; and soon after the British Commanders, being frustrated in their object, hauled their wind, and stood off. The Endymion’s casualties were confined to the loss of her fore-top-gallant-yard, and some trifling injury in her sails and rigging.
We next find Sir Thomas Williams commanding a squadron of frigates, stationed at the entrance of St. George’s Channel. On the 21st June, 1798, he co-operated with the King’s troops in their attack upon Wexford, and destroyed about one hundred large boats and vessels, which the rebels had collected for their escape. On this occasion two of the insurgent chiefs, Hay and Roche, were taken prisoners.
The Endymion was afterwards employed in occasional trips to Lisbon and the Mediterranean, during which she captured several privateers and armed vessels belonging to the enemy, one of which, a new ship pierced for 20 guns, had on board a valuable cargo for the Isle of France[1].
In the spring of 1801, Sir Thomas was removed into the Vanguard, of 74 guns; and after the battle off Copenhagen, sailed to reinforce the fleet in the Baltic, from whence he returned with Sir Charles M. Pole in the ensuing autumn, and was subsequently employed under that officer in the blockade
- ↑ In the list of captures made by Sir Thomas Williams in the Unicorn and Endymion, are fifteen privateers, &c. of different sizes, mounting on the whole 150 guns, and carrying about 900 men.
