Page:Royal Naval Biography Marshall v1p2.djvu/461

 Mr. Ballard was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant by Rear-Admiral Joshua Rowley, at Jamaica, Feb. 10, 1783; and from this period served successively in the Shrewsbury, Torbay, Astrea, Monarch, Alfred, and Queen, from which latter ship, bearing the flag of Rear-Admiral Gardner, he was made a Commander for his gallant conduct in the battles between Earl Howe and M. Villaret de Joyeuse, May 28 and 29, and June 1, 1794. The Queen, on the latter day, had 36 men killed, and 67, including her Captain and 3 Lieutenants, wounded.

Our officer’s post commission bears date Aug. 1, 1795; previous to which he had acted as Captain in several line-of-battle ships, during the temporary absence of their proper commanders; served as a volunteer in the Queen; regulated the quota men on the coast of Sussex; and commanded the Megsera fire-vessel, attached to Lord Bridport’s fleet. He subsequently acted for some time as Captain of the Thunderer 74; and on the 20th Feb. 1796, obtained the command of the Pearl frigate, in which he was employed during the ensuing two years in affording protection to the Quebec, Baltic, and Newfoundland trade, and in occasional cruizes off Calais and Havre.

In March 1798, the Pearl sailed for the coast of Africa, in company with the Sheerness, of 44 guns, bearing the broad pendant of Commodore James Cornwallis. On the 25th of the following month, Captain Ballard, who had some days before been detached by signal, discovered and gallantly attacked a squadron consisting of two heavy French frigates and an armed brig, having under their convoy two Spanish galleons, lying at the Isles Delos, between Rio Grande and Sierra Leone. Owing, however, to the great disparity of force, and the want of water to enable him to place the Pearl in an advantageous position, he was obliged, after sustaining a very galling fire, to run between the islands and proceed with the intelligence to Commodore Cornwallis, whom he joined at Cape Coast on the 22d May. The Pearl on this occasion had 1 man killed, two guns dismounted, and her spars, sails, and rigging much damaged.

It being soon after ascertained that the enemy had departed from the coast, Captain Ballard sailed from Sierra Leone, to which place he had returned with the Commodore, to Barbadoes, where he arrived on the 30th July, and from that period was principally employed as senior officer at the Saintes, watching two French frigates in Basseterre, and cruising to windward of Deseada, where he captured le Scaevola, a privateer of 10 guns and 73 men; l’Independence of 12 guns and 66 men; a row-boat, and a Dutch schooner; and re-captured eight American vessels. Returning to England in June 1799, in company with the Vengeance 74, and a large fleet of merchantmen, chase was given to four Spanish frigates, which, owing to the bad sailing of the Vengeance, effected their escape, although the Pearl was not more than two miles from them when the signal was made for her to abandon the pursuit.

In the month of October following, Captain Ballard conveyed General Fox from Portsmouth to Minorca. During the ensuing two years, he was engaged in a great variety of service on the Mediterranean station, 