Page:A Naval Biographical Dictionary.djvu/220

COCKBURN—COCKRAFT. , by clearing the river James of its vessels, and carrying consternation into the heart of Virginia. He next penetrated to the upper part of Elk River, at the very head of the Chesapeake waters; landed and partially destroyed the town of Havre de Grace, together with a battery and cannon-foundry, near the entrance of the Susquehanna; and, proceeding up the Sassafras river with all the boats of his squadron on 6 May, succeeded, after routing a body of about 400 men, who had opened on them a fire from an entrenched position on the two opposite banks of the river, in demolishing the settlements of Georgetown and Frederickstown. On 26 June he further co-operated with Sir Sidney Beckwith in the attack upon Hampton; and, shifting his flag on 1 July to the 74, assisted, in the course, of that month, at the capture of Ocrakoke and Portsmouth Islands, on the coast of North Carolina, possessing himself at the same time of the Anaconda of 20, and Atlas of 12 guns. He next, on the morning of 5 July, with a mere handful of men, made himself master of Kent Island, in the Chesapeake; to which bay, after visiting Bermuda, he ultimately returned in 1814, on board the 74. In July of the latter year Rear-Admiral Cockburn entered the Potomac, and, ascending that river, frequently landed at the head of about 500 seamen and marines, sometimes in Maryland on the one side, and sometimes in Virginia on the other; and, overrunning both provinces to the distance of 10 miles from the water’s edge, destroyed all the military posts and stores to be met with in the whole of that extensive range of country, and captured and shipped off several guns, stores of tobacco, flour, and other articles, but not, however, without frequently coming into severe contact with the enemy. He next proceeded with his boats up the Patuxent in quest of a powerful flotilla under the orders of Commodore Barney, and at length, on 22 Aug., discovered the object of his search near Pig Point; but such terror did his very presence excite, that the Americans instantly set fire to their vessels, all of which, except one, blew up. In pursuance of a bold plan which he had formed, the Rear-Admiral, joining an army of 4000 men under Major-General Ross at Marlborough, now advanced upon Washington, the capital of the United States, itself, which he hoped to take by a coup de main. Reaching Bladensburg on 24 of the same month, the British encountered the enemy’s army, of about 8000 strong, which, although firmly posted, was attacked and completely routed. Thus encouraged, the troops pushed forward without loss of time, and on the same evening entered Washington. The whole of that night and of the following day were devoted to the work of destruction; and by the evening of the 25th, when the British commenced their retreat, public property, to the value of between two and three millions sterling, had been demolished. Throughout every detail of this splendid achievement Rear-Admiral Cockburn displayed his wonted ability and judgment, and, it is needless to add, obtained the high eulogiums of Sir Alex. Cochrane and Major-Gen. Ross. Landing again on 12 Sept. near the mouth of the Petapsco, he joined next in a descent on Baltimore, during their profitless advance on which place the British lost their General and defeated a strong body of the enemy. After conducting many other operations on the southern coast of the United States, where he kept the inhabitants in a constant state of alarm, and occupied the town of St. Mary, the Rear-Admiral, who had been created a K.C.B. 2 Jan. 1815, ultimately, on being informed of the cessation of hostilities, returned to Spithead, where he arrived on 4 May. Hoisting his flag subsequently in the 74, as Commander-in-Chief at St. Helena, and being selected to convey Napoleon Buonaparte, who had recently surrendered himself, to that island, Sir Geo. Cockburn on 8 Aug. sailed from Plymouth, and on 16 Oct. landed his important charge at the place of his destination. He was superseded, however, in June, 1816, by Sir Pulteney Malcolm; and, returning home, struck his flag in the following Aug. Becoming a Vice-Admiral 12 Aug. 1819, he afterwards, with his flag in the 60, and  52, commanded in chief on the North America and West India station from 6 Dec. 1832 until Feb. 1836. Since the latter date he has not been afloat. His advancement to the rank of full Admiral took place 10 Jan. 1837.

Sir Geo. Cockburn, who was nominated a G.C.B., with additional armorial bearings indicative of his important services, 20 Feb. 1818, and was elected a F.R.S. 21 Dec. 1820, first obtained a seat in Parliament for Portsmouth in 1818. He was next elected, in March, 1820, for the borough of Weobley; was returned for Plymouth in 1826; and, since Oct. 1841, has held a seat for Ripon. On 25 March, 1818, he became a Lord of the Admiralty, to which office he was re-appointed 17 Sept. 1828. He obtained a seat at the board, as First Naval Lord, in Oct. 1841, but retired on the dissolution of Sir Robt. Peel’s Government, in the summer of 1846. On 5 April, 1821, he was also appointed Major-General of Marines, and, on 30 April, 1827, a Privy Councillor. In the latter capacity Sir George attended the funeral of King William IV. He married his cousin, Miss Mary Cockburn.

 COCKBURN. 

entered the Navy 1 Dec. 1829; passed his examination in 1836; and for his services on the coast of Syria – where he distinguished himself by his officer-like, cool, and steady conduct, as Senior Mate, at the destruction, on 20 Sept., of a castle mounting 5 guns, and in full view of 500 of the Egyptian army near Caiffa, ’ and witnessed the fall of St. Jean d’Acre – was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant 5 Nov. 1840. He was appointed, 9 March, 1842, to the 50, flag-ship at the Cape of Good Hope of the Hon. Josceline Percy, to whom, from 10 May, 1844, until paid off in 1846, he officiated as Flag-Lieutenant. His assumption of his present rank took place on 24 April in the latter year.

 COCKRAFT. 

entered the Navy, Jan. 1833, as Fst.-cl. Vol., on board the steam-vessel, Capt. Horatio Thos. Austin, employed on the Home station; and from Feb. 1834 until June, 1840, was variously occupied in the Mediterranean. Having passed his examination on Aug. in the latter year, he next, in 1841, proceeded to the coast of Africa, as Mate of the steamer, Capt. Wm. Allen, on which station he cruized for two months in acting-command of the brigantine. While subsequently attached, as Senior Mate, to the 3, Lieut.-Commander Philip Bisson, Mr. Cockraft attracted official notice for his conduct in saving, on the occasion of a Spanish slaver being driven on shore, the lives of three Kroomen who had swum to the vessel for the purpose of preserving their papers; in the execution of which service he had charge of the Dolphin’s boats, and was for eight hours exposed to a fire from the enemy. In Oct. 1842, having joined the 42, Capt. John Foote, he was appointed by that officer to the command, with the rank of Acting-Lieutenant, of the  steam-vessel, in order to co-operate in the suppression of the slave-trade, and the protection of British interests on the different rivers to the northward of Sierra Leone, where, from illness and mortality among the engineers, it was frequently found impossible to move the ship. While so employed in the river Nunhez, Mr. Cockraft had an opportunity, after two months of skirmishing and a loss to his small party of 4 men killed and 8 wounded, of capturing and destroying the stockaded town of Casakabouli, mounting several 18, 24,