by John Marshall

“ In May 1798, finding that his health was not sufficiently re-established for service in a tropical climate, Lieutenant Dillon joined the Glenmore frigate, forming part of a squadron employed co-operating with the King’s troops in the suppression of the Irish rebellion. Whilst on that service he assisted in taking possession of Wexford [8] , and was afterwards sent with a brother officer to apprehend a man named Skallion, who had assumed the appellation of Admiral, and borne a conspicuous part in all the treasonable proceedings of that alarming period. ”

“ The Dane was a man of war, well appointed in every respect, carrying long 18-pounders, and seemingly had taken fresh courage after a few of our broadsides, as if aware of our inferiority to him in weight of metal, the Childers bearing only 12-pounder carronades:– latterly, his guns were 80 well-directed, that every shot did us mischief, particularly between wind and water. ”

“ The Danish brig, thus driven back to her anchorage by the vessel whose services the merchants of Leith had rejected, was afterwards ascertained to be the Lougen, mounting 18 Danish long 18-pounders [17] and 2 sixes (the latter stern chasers) , with a complement of 160 men and boys. Captain Dillon dees not state his reason for attacking so superior a force; but we know that his object was to prevent her from making any attempt upon the convoy then expected from Scotland, and which hove in sight the day after the action. ”

“ His quarters, we should observe, were the three foremost lower-deck guns; and they suffered more than any others on that deck, one gun being quite disabled, and 14 men killed and wounded.
In the ensuing winter, Mr. Dillon followed Captain Gambier into the Prince George 98, then fitting at Chatham, and afterwards attached to the Channel fleet, under Lord Bridport. Of that ship he was the senior midshipman at the capture of three sail of the line, near l’Orient, June 23, 1795 [4] , but unfortunately he had not then served a sufficient time to qualify him for promotion. ”

“ Dillon’s knowledge of the French language. Had any other officer of the Crescent been sent to take possession instead of him, there is no doubt that every person on board the Diligente would have perished, as the wind had by that time increased to a gale. ”

“ As the two former were directly in our course on the larboard tack, I made the convoy signal to haul to the wind on the starboard tack; then made sail to reconnoitre them; and on joining the Calypso (stoop) , which had previously chased, perfectly coincided with Captain (Joseph) Baker, that they were enemies. The line-of-battle ship and frigate keeping close together, I was in great hopes of drawing them from the convoy, by keeping within random shot to windward ”

“ At the renewal ot hostilities, in 1803, the subject of this memoir was employed raising seamen at Hull; and after remaining a short time on that service, he received a commission appointing him first Lieutenant of the Africaine 38, then considered “one of the finest frigates in the British navy [12] .” ”

“ I. p. 389. N.B. The town was taken possession of by a naval detachment, previous to the entry of the troops. ↑ The Crescent was a 36-gun, 18-pounder, frigate; the Calypso, a ship-sloop, rated at 16 guns. ↑ See Vol. II. Part I. p. 12. ↑ Lieutenant Dillon was warmly recommended to Lord Hugh Seymour, who marked his kind intentions towards him, by allowing him to remain first of an active frigate, whilst he kept a vacancy for him in his flag-ship. ”

“ Lieutenant Dillon was successively appointed to the Venerable 74, and Crescent frigate; the latter commanded by Captain William Granville Lobb, under whom he sailed for Barbadoes and Jamaica, in company with a fleet of merchantmen, about Sept. ”