d’Anzo, Captain Duncan proceeded off that harbour, and waited for an opportunity to make a dash at the enemy; but none occurred previous to the arrival of the Edinburgh 74, which ship had been despatched from Palermo, in consequence of the intelligence he had sent thither by Captain Manley, of the Termagant. The result of the attack has been stated in our memoir of the Hon. George H. L. Dundas, who, being senior officer, of course assumed the command; he, however, adhering to the judicious arrangements already made by the subject of this memoir, who had a few days before lessened the enemy’s means of resistance, by causing the destruction of a strong martello tower[1].
Towards the latter end of the same year, Captain Duncan requested and obtained permission to accompany a squadron under the present Sir Josias Rowley, who was then about to make a descent on the coast of Italy. “The ready and useful assistance” he afforded that officer “on every occasion,” during the subsequent operations at Via Reggio and Leghorn, was duly acknowledged by him in his official despatch, a copy of which will be found at p. 424 et seq.
Soon after the termination of this expedition, Captain Duncan was appointed to the command of a squadron employed on the coasts of Sardinia and Corsica; but hearing that an armament was preparing at Palermo to renew the attack upon Leghorn, he again volunteered his services, and assisted in escorting 5000 troops to that place, where they were landed without opposition, the French garrison having been withdrawn previous to their arrival.
The evacuation of Leghorn was speedily followed by the reduction of Genoa and its dependencies; but Captain. Duncan was prevented from joining the naval force employed on that occasion, in consequence of a fever which broke out among his gallant crew, and obliged him to proceed to Mahon, where he was detained from April 10th till May 8th, 1814, previous to which all military operations in Europe had terminated.
- ↑ See memoir of Commander Eaton Travers, and p. 423 et seq. of this volume. N.B. Previous to this event, one of Captain Duncan’s squadron had taken a convoy, consisting of 3 gun-boats and 12 merchant vessels; and another captured a large French brig, and a privateer of 3 guns and forty men.
