Page:Royal Naval Biography Marshall sp3.djvu/275

  on the neck of land behind Fort Bowyer, when Captain Spencer was attached to the party of seamen landed, and held the situation of second in command under Captain Ricketts, of the Vengeur, until the enemy surrendered. Captain Frederick Langford, of the Cydnus, dying about this time, at Jamaica, Sir Alexander Cochrane wrote a letter to Captain Spencer, marking his sense of that officer’s exertions and conduct, during the whole of the operations connected with the coasts of Louisiana and Florida, and appointed him to the command of the Cydnus, a fine 38-gun frigate.

Peace was soon after concluded with the United States, and it being desirable to keep our Indian allies from further hostilities. Captain Spencer was selected by Sir Pulteney Malcolm for the delicate service of settling all their claims, and dismissing them from our service. This was completely arranged to the entire satisfaction of his Majesty’s government, notwithstanding the prejudices and wild habits of the Indians, amongst whom Captain Spencer lived encamped at Prospect Bluff, far up the Apalachicola river, for upwards of a month.

Captain Spencer’s next appointment was May 20, 1817, to the Ganymede 26. Whilst commanding that ship in the Mediterranean, he was sent by Sir Charles V. Penrose to remonstrate with the Bashaw of Tunis on the behaviour of his cruisers. This mission was not only successful, but the Bashaw was induced to sign an additional article to the existing treaty, binding himself to certain points deemed of importance by the British government.

In 1819, an expedition being intended by Spain for the recovery of her ultramarine colonies, and it being supposed that our extensive and valuable commercial interests might suffer between the contending parties. Sir Thomas M. Hardy was nominated to the chief command on the coasts of South America, and Captain Spencer was selected by the First Lord of the Admiralty to command a frigate under his orders; he was accordingly appointed to the Owen Glendower, of 42 guns. That ship was paid off, at Chatham, Sept. 17, 1822; having previously visited Copenhagen, to which place Captain Spencer was accompanied by his noble father.

