Page:Royal Naval Biography Marshall v1p1.djvu/385

Rh  subsequently drove on shore l’Echoue, of 28 guns; and, in company with the Anson, captured la Daphne, of 30 guns and 276 men, and la Flore, of 36 guns.

Towards the latter end of February, 1798, the Phaeton joined the squadron under Sir John Borlase Warren, cruising off l’Isle Dieu. On the 8th March several vessels, laden with naval stores and provisions, from Rochefort bound to Brest, were captured; and six days after, nine others were brought out of the Pertuis d’Antioche. On the 22d the squadron chaced a large French frigate, which at midnight Captain Stopford brought to action; but his opponent running into shoal water, he was obliged to haul off. The enemy in endeavouring to effect his escape into the river Garonne, struck upon the Olive rocks, near the Cordovan Light-house, and sustained considerable damage.

In addition to the above services performed by Captain Stopford, during the time he commanded the Phaeton, he appears to have taken, or assisted in capturing, a national corvette of 20 guns; nine privateers mounting in the whole 152 guns, and manned with from 130 to 50 men each; and two other armed vessels.

Early in the spring of 1799, our officer was appointed to the Excellent of 74 guns, in which ship he captured l’Arethuse French corvette, a national cutter, and several merchant vessels. After cruising for some time with the Western squadron he was ordered to the Leeward Islands, from whence he returned with a broad pendant in the summer of 1802.

On the renewal of hostilities, in 1803, Captain Stopford commissioned the Spencer of 74 guns, at Plymouth, and was employed off Ferrol and Corunna during the ensuing winter. In the autumn of 1804 he joined Lord Nelson’s fleet in the Mediterranean; and afterwards accompanied that officer to the West Indies, in pursuit of the combined fleets of France