Page:Royal Naval Biography Marshall sp1.djvu/53

 , dated on board the Cerberus frigate, off Granville, Sept. 15, 1803:

“Sir,– I beg you will please to inform my Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty, that, having been joined by the Terror bomb on the 8th, and the Sulphur on the 12th instant, I embarked on board H.M.S. Cerberus, and sailed from Guernsey roads the following morning, with the Charwell (sloop) and Carteret cutter in company.

“It blowing a strong breeze from the eastward, it was not until Tuesday evening I was enabled to get off Granville; when, having had an opportunity to reconnoitre the enemy’s gun-vessels and other craft within the pier, and the different batteries by which they were protected, I anchored in the Cerberus as near shore as the tide would admit, having only 16 feet at low water: at 11, the Terror came up, but having also grounded, it was not until 2 o’clock that Captain (George Nicholas) Hardinge was enabled to place his ship in the position assigned to her, which he did in a most judicious manner, and opened a brisk fire from his two mortars, which was returned from the gun and mortar-batteries on the heights near the town, and also from some guns on the pier, and the gun-vessels placed at the entrance.

“From the number of well-directed shells thrown from the Terror into the pier, and parts of the town, I am persuaded they must have done very considerable damage. The fire was kept up till after 5 o’clock, when I thought it advisable to recall the Terror, and anchored with this ship and the Charwell a short distance further from the town.

“The Sulphur bomb, whose bad sailing prevented her from beating up, joined shortly after, and also anchored. The loss on this occasion was 2 men wounded by splinters on board the Terror. A few shells were thrown in the evening, but the tide prevented the ships getting sufficiently near to be attended with much effect.

“This morning the squadron were under sail before dawn of day, and all circumstances concurred to enable them to take their respective stations with the utmost precision; the two bombs opened a brisk and well-directed fire soon after 5 o’clock, which was unremittingly kept up until 10-30, when the falling tide rendered it necessary to withdraw from the attack. Twenty-two gun-vessels, that had hauled out of the pier, drew up in a regular line, and kept up a heavy fire, jointly with the batteries around the port, without doing much execution.

“The Cerberus, after getting under sail, grounded on one of the sandbanks, and remained above three hours before she floated: nine of the gun-boats, perceiving her situation, endeavoured to annoy her, and kept up a heavy fire upon her for some time, but were silenced by the Charwell and Kite, and also by the fire from the Sulphur and Terror bombs, and