Page:Royal Naval Biography Marshall v4p2.djvu/442

 was in six different actions with the French fleet under Count De Grasse, viz. off Martinique, April 29th, 1781 ; off the Chesapeake, Sept. 5th, 1781 ; off St. Kitts, Jan. 25th and 26th, 1782 ; and off Guadaloupe, April 8th and 12th following, on which latter day the gallant De Grasse was compelled to surrender. On the 17th of the same month, Mr. Gosselin was present at the capture of two French 64-gun ships, a frigate, and a corvette, endeavouring to escape through the Mona passage. He returned home with Lord Hood, June 26th, 1783; at which period his present Majesty was serving as a midshipman on board the Barfleur. We afterwards find Mr. Gosselin successively serving in the Carnatic 74, Captain Anthony J. P. Molloy, stationed at Plymouth; the Nautilus sloop. Captain Maurice Delgarno; the Grampus 50, bearing the broad pendant of Commodore Edward Thompson, on the coast of Africa; and the Triumph 74, and Barfleur 98, both bearing the flag of Lord Hood. His first commission bears date Dec. 1st, 1787.

In Sept. 1788, Lieutenant Gosselin was appointed to the Atalanta sloop. Captain Delgarno; and in Jan, 1789, he sailed for the East Indies, in company with a squadron under Commodore the Hon. William Cornwallis, who removed him into his own ship, the Crown 64, shortly after their arrival on that station. In Nov. 1791, he followed the commodore into the Minerva 38, and served as first lieutenant of that frigate until promoted to the command of the Dispatch armed brig, April 23d, 1793.

We next find this officer appointed. Mar. 19th, 1794, to the Kingsfisher sloop, then on the Downs station, but subsequently attached to the North Sea and Channel fleets. On the 7th June, 1795, being then in company with a squadron