magant, and Ferret, sloops; Bedford, 74; and Britannia of 100 guns. During the occupation of Toulon by the allied forces, in 1793, he was engaged with a party of small arm men in the various services on shore: he also bore a part in the actions between the British and French fleets, March 14, and July 13, 1795[1].
In October of the same year Mr. Noble was appointed to act as a Lieutenant on board the Agamemnon of 64 guns, bearing the broad pendant of Commodore Nelson, and in the following month he fell into the enemy’s hands when employed carrying despatches from that officer to the Austrian camp near Savona. A few days after his enlargement, he received a very dangerous wound in an affair with the enemy at Loäno, as will be seen by the following letter from Nelson to Sir John Jervis, dated April 25, 1796:
“This morning, having received information that a convoy laden with stores for the French army had anchored at Loäno, I lost no time in proceeding off that place with the Meleager, Diadem, and Peterell. On my approach, I was sorry to observe that instead of a convoy, only four vessels were lying finder the batteries; which opened on our nearing them, and the fire was returned as our ships got up, under cover of which our boats boarded the vessels, and brought them off: but these vessels lying very near the shore, a heavy fire of musketry was kept up on the boats, and it is with the greatest grief I have to mention, that Lieutenant James Noble, a most worthy and gallant officer, is, I fear, mortally wounded. From our ship’s keeping under the fire of their batteries, we sustained no loss; the Agamemnon was, I believe, the only ship struck by shot. The principal part of this service fell on our boats, whose conduct and gallantry could not on any occasion have been exceeded; and I wish fully to express the sense I entertain of the gallantry of every officer and man employed on this occasion[2].”
In July following, Lieutenant Noble, having recovered from fee wound which had caused such apprehensions for his life, was appointed to the temporary command of la Genie,
- ↑ See Vol. I. notes at pp. 340, and 254.
- ↑ The officers employed in the boats of the squadron were Lieutenants Suckling, Noble, Compton, Culverhouse, and Ryder. Not a man was killed, and only three persons wounded, including Mr. Noble. The prizes consisted of a ship, a ketch, and two galleys, laden with corn, rice, wine, powder, 8 brass guns, and 1600 stand of arms.
