wounded in a rencontre with a large armed smuggling lugger; and in July 1794, he received the subjoined testimonial: on the 22d of the same month, he was promoted to the rank of lieutenant.
“These are to certify that Mr. William Bissell served as midshipman on board H.M.S. Orion, under my command, in Admiral Earl Howe’s engagements with the French fleet, on the 29th May and 1st June, 1794, in both which actions he distinguished himself by spirited exertions and officer-like conduct,
Mr. Bissell’s first appointment, as lieutenant, was to the Gibraltar 80, Captain John Fakenham, which ship formed part of the fleet under Vice-Admiral Hotham, in the action off Frejus, July 13th, 1795. He was likewise present at the battle of Camperdown, having been appointed to the Montagu 74, Captain John Knight, a short time previous to that memorable event. In Oct. 1800, he commanded the boats of that ship at the capture and destruction of thirteen French vessels, in Port Danenne; and three others at the entrance of the Loire: the former was described, by Earl St. Vincent, to be “a meritorious piece of service;” and, in reporting the latter exploit. Captain Knight, after alluding to the position of the enemy’s vessels, powerfully protected as they were, in the broad face of day, says, “the boats of the Montagu, with great intrepidity and alacrity, brought them out.” Other services in which Lieutenant Bissell participated are noticed in p. 354 et seq. of Suppl. Part III.
In 1801, this officer was appointed first of the Donegal 80, Captain Sir Richard J. Strachan; and he continued to serve in that ship, under Captain (now Sir Pulteney) Malcolm, until Dec. 1805; when he was removed, on his own application, to the Powerful 74, Captain Robert Plampin, then off the Canary Islands, and destined to the East Indies. But for this removal he would have been present in Sir John T. Duckworth’s action, at St. Domingo, Feb. 6th, 1806.
Shortly after the arrival of the Powerful in India, Mr. Bissell was taken ill; and whilst an inmate of the hospital at Madras, he received the lamentable tidings of his gallant brother’s unhappy fate, by which all his hopes of obtaining
