and Berbice, in Sept. 1803. His conduct during the operations against Surinam between April 25 and May 5, 1804, an account of which will be found at p. 797 et seq., was highly spoken of both in the naval and military despatches relative to the conquest of that colony, and led to his further advancement; the Commodore appointing him to command the Centaur 74, vice Captain Maxwell, and the Admiralty confirming that appointment by a commission dated Sept. 27 in the same year.
Captain Richardson returned home with Sir Samuel Hood in the spring of 1805; and on the 2d Jan. 1806 was appointed to the Caesar 80, bearing the flag of his old friend and patron Sir R. I. Strachan, then about to sail in pursuit of a squadron which had recently escaped from Brest. Towards the end of 1807, we find him employed off Rochefort, and in Feb. 1808 accompanying the same officer to the Mediterranean in quest of another French squadron under Rear-Admiral Allemand, who, however, had the good fortune to reach Toulon without molestation.
On the 23d Feb. 1809, the Caesar, then bearing the flag of Rear-Admiral Stopford, but still commanded by Captain Richardson, assisted at the destruction of three French frigates in the Sable d’Olonne, and on that occasion sustained considerable damage in her bowsprit and rigging, by the fire from several batteries under which they had sought refuge[1]. She was also present at the attack made upon the enemy’s fleet in Aix roads, April 11, 1809[2]; and appears to have been one of the ships which passed the French batteries and brought up at that anchorage, with a view of renewing the attack in the evening of the following day. Her loss, according to Lord Gambler’s official return, consisted of 3 persons killed, and 1 man missing, supposed to have been drowned. In July following, Captain Richardson was attached to the Walcheren expedition; the object, conduct, and result of which, have been so much canvassed, and are now so generally known, as to render it unnecessary for us to offer an opinion thereon. The following extracts from official and other well-
- ↑ See Vol. I. p. 617.
- ↑ See id. pp. 84 and 356.
