Page:Royal Naval Biography Marshall v1p1.djvu/288

258 Being intended for the sea service, which appears to have been a favorite profession in his family, he embarked at an early age, attained the rank of Lieutenant in the year 1778, and served as signal officer to Sir George B. Rodney in the action with M. de Guichen, April 17, 1780, on which occasion we find his name among the wounded.

Soon after this event, Lieutenant Cochrane was promoted to the command of the St. Lucia sloop of war. He subsequently removed into the Pachahunter, and in Jan. 1782, exchanged with the present Sir Isaac Coffin, into the Avenger, another sloop, employed in the North River in America. On the 17th Dec. in the same year, he was made Post in the Kangaroo, and afterwards commanded the Caroline of 24 guns, on the American station.

During the interval of peace that followed the conclusion of the war with the Colonies, Captain Cochrane spent much of his time in retirement; but in 1790? on the appearance of a rupture with Spain, he was appointed to the Hind, a small frigate, and continued to command that ship until some time after the commencement of hostilities against the French republic ; he was then removed into the Thetis, of 42 guns and 261 men, employed on the Halifax station.

At day-break, on the morning of the 17th May, 1795, Captain Cochrane, being on a cruize off the Chesapeake, in company with the Hussar of 34 guns, Captain J. P. Beresford, discovered five sail standing to the N.W. to which he immediately gave chace. The strangers, on observing the British frigates in pursuit of them, formed the line of battle a-head, and waited to receive them. At nine o’clock, Captain Cochrane ordered the Hussar, by signal, to engage the second ship of the enemy’s van, intending himself to attack the centre ship, which appeared the largest, and the two others that formed the rear.

At half past ten, the enemy hoisted their colours, the second ship from the van carrying a broad pendant. By this time they had got within half musket shot, when the French ships opened their fire, which was soon returned, and a close action 