by John Marshall

“ At 2 p.m., the boats, with the first division of the army, under Major-General Henry Warde, pulled towards the shore, and effected a landing in the bay of Mapou, under an extensive line of sea-wall, without the smallest opposition. In order to ascertain whether any of the enemy’s troops were concealed behind this natural defence. Lieutenant Lloyd had obtained permission to land by himself; and on his ascending the bank, and finding only a few unarmed negroes there, he waved his hat to the anxious spectators afloat, cheering at the same time as a signal for the boats to advance. ”

“ After this demonstration before Cadiz, the Dictator, with part of the Coldstream regiment of foot-guards on board, accompanied the grand expedition to Marmorice, in Asia Minor, where, being employed in various duties on shore, Mr. Lloyd was frequently invited to breakfast with the Turkish Aga, on which occasions he took care to have his boat’s crew constantly near at hand, and armed with stretchers. He was also entrusted with the command of a boat, at the debarkation in Aboukir bay, March 8th, 1801; when many a fine fellow breathed his last while cheering for his country’s glory [3] ! ”

“ I regret that the bounds of a despatch will not allow me to specify the whole, or to mention the name of every person who has distinguished himself in this arduous and important service. * * * * Great perseverance and exertions were required to get up heavy guns through a difficult and almost impracticable country. The labour and fatigue of the navy have been continued and excessive. I have every reason to be satisfied with the zeal and conduct of Captain Stevenson; the crews of the gun-boats displayed great gallantry, under his guidance, in the new inundation ”

“ The remainder of the troops could only be brought on shore on the succeeding day, when the extraordinary obstacles to all intercourse with the fleet, which nothing but the courage and perseverance of British seamen could surmount, barely enabled us to obtain the indispensible supplies of water and provisions for immediate subsistence. ”

“ On the evening of the 16th, the boats of the ships of war and transports were assembled in the Mareotis, with as many djerms as could be collected from the Nile, for the purpose of receiving the troops, who were embarked in the night, and landed with little or no opposition the next morning, under the superintendence of Captain Elphinstone: the enemy seeing no prospect left of saving their armed boats, set Are to them, and they all blew up in the course of this and the following day, except two or three which have fallen into our hands. ”

“ On the 21st Sept. 1809, Lieutenant Lloyd again served on shore as a volunteer, and commanded the Raisonable’s well trained small-arm men at the capture of St. Paul’s, in Isle Bourbon; by which event, two British East Indiamen, and their crews and passengers, with property to an immense amount, were rescued from the enemy; all the defences of the anchorage, and several vessels, destroyed; and la Caroline French frigate, an armed brig, and three merchantmen captured [17] . ”

“ During the passage of the expedition under Sir Home Popham and Brigadier-General Beresford, from the Cape to Rio de la Plata, Captain Rowley added a number of volunteer seamen to the detachment of marines serving on board the Raisonable, and dressed and accoutred them similarly to the men of that corps. He also allowed Mr. Lloyd to select a company of “grenadiers” from among the ship’s company, who were equipped as artillery-men, styled “Royal Blues,” and, together with 150 other sailors, intended to serve as light infantry, &c. ”

“ The greatest obstacles opposed to an attack on this valuable colony with a large force, had hitherto “been considered to depend on the difficulty of effecting a landing, from the reefs which surround every part of the coast, and the supposed impossibility of being able to find anchorage for a fleet of transports. “These difficulties,” says Major-General Abercromby, “were fortunately removed by the indefatigable exertions of Commodore Rowley, assisted by Lieutenant Street, of the Staunch, Lieutenant Blackiston, of the Madras engineers, and the masters of the Africaine and Boadicea. ”

“ After the emancipation of Holland, Captain Lloyd conveyed despatches to Halifax, encountering on his passage thither a violent hurricane, which obliged him to throw overboard one half of the Raven’s guns. When refitted, he was ordered to join the expedition collecting in the West Indies for the purpose of attacking New Orleans ”

“ The forts and town of Alexandria have surrendered to his Majesty’s troops, who, on the 2nd instant, took possession of the entrenched camp, the heights above Pompey’s Pillar, &c. &c. By the capitulation, the garrison are to be embarked for France, in the course of ten days, provided the shipping is in a state of preparation to receive them. * * * * * The exertions of individuals have been splendid and meritorious. ”

“ He particularly distinguished himself in boarding and bringing out from under the batteries of St. Rose (Isle Bourbon) a large armed ship called the Tadg Bax, which service received the approbation of the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty. He was landed with the small-arm men from the Raisonable, at the attack on St. Paul’s, and at the final capture of Isle Bourbon was entrusted with the difficult charge of placing a transport as a breakwater, to facilitate the landing of the troops. All these services he performed with considerable zeal, courage, and ability. ”

“ We next find the Dictator forming part of the force under Lord Keith, when that officer, in conjunction with Sir Ralph Abercromby, made arrangements for attacking Cadiz, but yielded to the eloquent and manly pleading of the governor, Don Thomas de Morla, in favor of the unfortunate inhabitants, thousands of whom were afflicted with an epidemic disease, which in the extent of its ravages was as fatal as the plague. ”

“ Thornbrough, and was employed for some time in the North Sea, chiefly cruising off Goree, on which station she detained several homeward bound Dutch West Indiamen, and cut out and destroyed numerous vessels and boats, many of them intended to join the invasion flotilla at Boulogne. She was afterwards employed in watching the movements of the enemy at the latter place, and Mr. Lloyd appears to have been a constant volunteer in frequent nightly excursions along the coast, for the purpose of intercepting their armed craft proceeding to the same general rendezvous from the eastward. ”

“ Lieutenant Lloyd, again a volunteer for land service, was now attached to the naval brigade under Captain William Augustus Montagu, and directed, in addition to his other duties, to communicate the movements of the troops, by telegraph, to the Admiral. During the advance upon Port Louis, he had charge of the guns with the leading column, and the first flag of truce sent out, by Governor-General De Caen, was received by him. ”

“ Every part of the leeward side of the island was minutely examined and sounded, and it was discovered that a fleet might anchor in the narrow passage formed by the small island of the Gunners’ Quoin and the main land; and that at this spot there were openings through the reef, which would admit several boats to enter abreast. ”

“ The enemy’s force [8] apparently consisted of about five thousand men, the greater proportion of which was cavalry, and twenty-three pieces of cannon, yoked to horses, the disposition of which, and the nature of the ground occupied by the enemy’s troops, made it evident that they intended to reserve their right wing, and with their left attempt to turn our right flank ”

“ On the 29th July, he received a letter informing him that he was made a commander; but the whole of the Boulogne flotilla being then outside that harbour, he again requested Captain Honyman to let him have the same boats, and, together with his usual night companions, Mr. Lloyd (commanding one of the boats) Messrs. Lamont, Stewart, and Crawford, midshipmen, made for the weathermost vessel of the enemy’s outer line, moored near a battery to windward of the pier, full of troops (apparently dragoons) , and in every way prepared for defence. ”

“ Being then in too weakly a state of health, from long continued illness, to proceed on to Jamaica for a passage home in a vessel of war, he had to return to England at his own expence. Since his recovery, he has made many applications, and used every exertion to obtain employment, but hitherto without success.
Captain Lloyd married, in Aug. 1816, Colin Campbell, youngest daughter of the late James Baillie, of Ealing Grove, co. Middlesex, Esq. formerly M.P. for Horsham, in Sussex; and has issue, two sons and one daughter. ”

“ Many pf the articles appeared to Vice-Admiral Bertie and myself to be perfectly inadmissible; but the French governor having, in the course of the same day, acceded to our terms, a capitulation for the surrender of this colony and its dependencies was finally concluded. The most perfect harmony and cordiality have subsisted between the navy and army; and I have received every assistance from Vice-Admiral Bertie, and the squadron under his command. ”