Page:Royal Naval Biography Marshall v3p2.djvu/133

 the Admiralty, to the command of the Beagle 16; which sloop, however, he never joined, having subsequently received orders from Sir Alexander Cochrane to continue in the Shelburne, and proceed to the New Providence station. His commission as commander bears date June 15th, 1814.

Early in Oct. following, Captain Hope received on board a large sum of money consigned to the Havannah, and was about to sail for that place, when Sir James A. Gordon arrived at New Providence, in the Seahorse frigate, to assume the command of a small squadron in the Gulf of Mexico. Finding that that officer was unacquainted with the set of the different currents in the Gulf of Florida, and that the commander of a small schooner who had come down to conduct him, could not get his vessel ready for sea in time, Captain Hope immediately offered to re-land the specie, and accompany him. In acting thus, he gave up a very considerable freight; but he has the satisfaction of reflecting that the Seahorse and transports were, at least on one occasion, saved from running on shore in the night, through his watchfulness and timely notice. After escorting them safely through the Gulf, he remained under the orders of Sir James, assisting in the blockade of different ports, and occasionally co-operating with the Indians and a detachment of marines at Pensacola, until the arrival of the expedition against New Orleans, when he received an appointment the nature of which will be seen by the testimonial he afterwards obtained from his commander-in-chief:

“Upper Harley Street, London, July 25th, 1815.

“Sir,– I have much pleasure in complying with the request of Captain David Hope, by transmitting to you, to be laid before the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty, his memorial of services, which is accompanied by a copy of the testimony I had occasion to convey to their Lordships, of that officer’s meritorious conduct when serving under my command in the West Indies.

“I should not omit to bring before their Lordships’ notice also, that when proceeding upon the expedition against New Orleans, Captain Hope volunteered to make himself useful in any way I might think proper, and, as one of my aide-de-camps, rendered me much assistance throughout this arduous campaign, in which he was nearly losing his life, by jumping into