The morning’s dawn displayed to the combined fleets of France and Spain the mortifying spectacle of a republican ship of war brought out in their immediate presence from a position deemed inaccessible to an enemy, and proceeding to join the British frigates then at anchor above Point St. Matthew’s. On mustering the boats’ crews it was found that 11 men had been killed, 57 wounded, and 1 drowned; la Chevrette 92, including her Captain and 6 other officers slain; and 1 Lieutenant, 4 Midshipmen, and 57 men wounded. Among the British who fell on this brilliant occasion was Lieutenant Sinclair of the marines, and Mr. Warren, Midshipman of the Robust. Lieutenants Henry Walter Burke, of the Doris, and Martin Neville, of the Uranie, 1 Master’s Mate and 3 Midshipmen, were the only officers wounded[1]:
The credit of this almost unparalleled enterprise was, for a considerable time, given to Lieutenant Losack, who, as we have already shown, had been sent from the Admiral’s ship to conduct the attack. Owing to an unfortunate concurrence of untoward circumstances, the fact of Lieutenant Maxwell having commanded the boarding party, was not at first communicated to the commander-in-chief, Admiral Cornwallis, but as soon as it was made known to him, he ordered a Court of Inquiry to be held on board the Mars (Aug. 9, 1801), the result of which investigation fully satisfied him that the merit of the achievement was due to Lieut. Maxwell, who shortly afterwards received a very flattering letter from him, enclosing a commission as Commander, which the Admiralty had transmitted in a most handsome manner, as a reward for his distinguished bravery.
Captain Maxwell obtained post rank May 1, 1804; and on the 31st July in the same year we find him commanding the Tartar frigate on the Jamaica station, and capturing, by means of her boats, l’Hirondelle French schooner privateer of 10
- ↑ Lieutenant Burke died in Plymouth Hospital of a fever occasioned by a grape-shot wound in his shoulder. He was a brother of the gallant officer whose name we have mentioned at p. 878. Lieutenant Neville died a Commander, at Honduras, in 1803. He was one of six brave brothers all of whom perished in his Majesty’s service, three by the sword, himself and two others by ruthless disease. In the conflict above described he was wounded in the head, breast, and shoulder; and it is said that the French Captain fell by his hand in single combat. A memoir of him will be found in the Naval Chronicle, v. 39, p. 265–274. Lieutenant Sinclair was killed when in the act of defending a wounded Midshipman, Mr. Crofton, of the Doris. Many of the men had their arm cut off by the enemy’s tomahawks when endeavouring to board.
