donough had very politely, and with a complimentary speech, returned Lieutenant Robertson his own sword. At an interview which took place between them, on the return of the latter to the United States, he very handsomely agreed to waive his claim to Captain Downie’s sword, for the reasons pointed out in the lieutenant’s letter.
Mr. Robertson appears to have been detained in America until the conclusion of the war, and did not return to England until the summer of 1815. On the 20th Aug. he was tried by a court-martial, and most honorably acquitted of all blame on account of the loss of the Confiance; and on the following day, a commission was signed at the Admiralty, promoting him to the rank of commander. He then returned to his friends, after an uninterrupted service of nearly fifteen years; but was not long before he became a candidate for further employment: his repeated endeavours, however, have been uniformly unsuccessful. In June, 1820, he received the following letter from Admiral Sir Alexander I. Cochrane:
“Dear Sir,– I have perused the accompanying papers, which have brought to my recollection many of the instances you quote, particularly the services you performed in the Hazard’s boats and at the time Captain Cameron was killed, when the French frigates were destroyed at l’Ance le Barque. If I could consistently make application to the Admiralty in your favor, to procure you employment, I would feel much pleasure in doing so; but my applications on various occasions have been so numerous as to preclude me from making any more. I am confident it is the wish of Lord Melville to reward merit, and as your services give you a just claim, you cannot do better than state them in a letter to his lordship. Wishing you every success, I am, dear Sir, &c.
This gallant officer married, in June, 1824, the only daughter of the late William Walker, of Gilgarren, near Whitehaven, co. Cumberland, Esq. on which occasion he obtained H.M. permission to assume the name of Walker, in addition to that of Robertson. His wife’s brother, William Walker, Esq. lost his life on the 1st June, 1819, under the following circumstances. He had embarked with his sister on board an English schooner, bound to Italy; after travelling in which country, he intended to escort her to other parts of the
