by John Marshall

“ Of the batteries which chiefly distinguished themselves in the bombardment, one of them commanded by Captain Richardson, of the Caesar, astonished us all. It consisted of six 24-pounders, and played on the enemy incessantly. Every discharge seemed to be followed by a vast crash and ruin in the town. I must observe, by the way, that the seamen are all engineers, and manage the batteries as well, I had almost said better, than any of our artillery officers. They fire their batteries by broadsides, and the reports of the individual pieces are seldom distinguishable. ”

“ George M. Noble (Boatswain) , headed about 30 seamen and marines, as many as could be spared by the absence of the boats, and succeeded in getting possession of H.M. late gun-brig Teazer, mounting 12 18-pounder carronades, and 2 long eighteens, commanded by M. Papineau, Lieutenant de vaisseau, with a complement of 85 men, and without loss on either side. It adds to the lustre these officers and men achieved, the humanity they displayed to the overpowered captives in putting them below without the force of arms, and an unnecessary effusion of blood. ”

“ Richardson to be appointed one of his Lieutenants, and he was accordingly removed into the Venerable, on promotion. He subsequently served with the same gallant veteran in the Kent 74, and we find him commanding a detachment of seamen, attached to Sir Ralph Abercromby’s army, from the period of debarkation near the Helder, until the surrender of the Dutch squadron under Rear-Admiral Storey, in Aug. 1799 [5] . ”