Captain Scott, who had just been appointed to the Marlborough, of similar force. On his arrival in England he was transferred to the Amethyst 36, Captain Jacob Walton, in which frigate he suffered shipwreck, near Plymouth, Feb. 16th, 1811. A few weeks after this disaster he was removed from the Marlborough to the Victory, of 100 guns, bearing the flag of Sir James Saumarez, commander-in-chief on the Baltic station.
In Sept. following, Sir James Saumarez, then lying in Wingo Sound, near Gottenburg, received intelligence that two Danish gun-vessels were lurking about the coast to the southward, intending to attack the rear of a homeward-bound convoy. The Victory’s pinnace and yawl were ordered to go in search of the enemy, and one of these boats was placed under the command of Mr. Purcell. On the ensuing day they fell in with the Danes, strongly posted, with some small guns, among rocks, and were received with a very smart fire. The vessels were immediately boarded and carried, although their crews amounted to five times the number of the assailants. Of the former, two were killed and five wounded; the British had not a man slain, and only three wounded.
For his conduct on this occasion, Mr. Purcell received the thanks of Sir James Saumarez; and, in Nov. 1811, was ordered to act as a lieutenant of the flag-ship, an appointment confirmed by the Admiralty on the 4th of the following month. He subsequently served for a short period in the Muros sloop, Captain James Aberdour, from which vessel he appears to have been removed to the Marlborough, on the North Sea station. In Aug. 1812, he accompanied Rear-Admiral Scott into the Chatham 74; and on the return of Napoleon Buonaparte from Elba, we find him appointed flag-lieutenant to the same officer, with whom he continued, at Deal, until the autumn of 1815.
Lieutenant Purcell’s subsequent appointments were, – Feb, 2d, 1816, to the Rivoli 74, Captain (now Sir Charles) Ogle, stationed as a guard-ship at Portsmouth; – July 24th, 1816, to be first of the Driver sloop, Captain John Ross, by whom he was very often employed in boats for the suppression of smuggling, on the western coast of Scotland; – and lastly,
