fighting upwards of four hours beFore the enemy surrendered. For these and other services, he was strongly recommended to Lord Collingwood, who knew, acknowledged, and would, no doubt, have rewarded them. I feel very confident that I do not exaggerate in my recommendation of him, and I have the honor to be, &c.
“To the Right Hon. Charles Yorke,
&c. &c. &c.[1]”
On the 22d Jan. 1812, Lieutenant Bennett was appointed first of the Crescent 38, Captain John Quilliam, then stationed in the Baltic, but afterwards employed in convoying a fleet of merchantmen from Cork to Halifax and Newfoundland. In that ship, he assisted at the capture of the American privateer schooner Elbredge Gerry, pierced for 14 guns, with a complement of 60 men, Sept. 16th, 1813.
With the exception of this solitary capture, the Crescent, although one of the very best-sailing frigates in the British navy, did literally nothing against the enemy; her captain seemed to have an antipathy to making prize-money, and a sort of horror at the idea of gaining a medal. Under these circumstances, Lieutenant Bennett considered that she would never make him a commander, and he therefore, being very unwell, got surveyed and invalided; not, however, until he had applied for a court-martial upon himself, in consequence of some assertions, which Captain Quilliam, in the exuberance of his fancy, had publicly made to him. The desired investigation was refused at that time, as no representation, reflecting upon him, had then been made by his captain to the commander-in-chief. On his return to England, as passenger in a merchant vessel, he found that he had been promoted on the 15th June, 1814, and, by way of set-off, that a court-martial was ordered to try him upon charges founded on representations made to Sir Richard Goodwin Keats by Captain Quilliam, alter he had quitted the Newfoundland station. The charges were, that he had beaten the captain’s boy; that he had given as a toast, at the gun-room table, “Damnation to the captain;” and that he had not maintained proper discipline and regularity while serving on board the Crescent.
- ↑ Captain Stewart died on the 26th Oct. 1814.
