by John Marshall

“ At half past ten the attack on the other two was renewed with the greatest spirit; but the number of men on board was too great, united with the height of their vessels, for our force; and my gallant officers and men, after a long contest, were obliged to retreat. It is with the greatest pain I have to render so long a list of killed and wounded. The spirited and officer-like conduct of Lieutenants Andrews and Spicer, I cannot sufficiently applaud; and every praise is due to each individual, for their exemplary bravery and good conduct. ”

“ I. On a subsequent day he writes thus:
“In my public letter it was impossible to enumerate every individual; but next to Captain Cockburn stands Captain Stuart of the Peterell. Spicer commanded the boats which first boarded the ketch [2] , under a heavy fire, and had a little skirmish when on board; and to him the commander surrendered.”
In the following month, Commodore Nelson shifted his broad pendant into the Captain of 74 guns, on which occasion the whole of the Agamemnon’s officers, with the exception of one Lieutenant and the Master, were exchanged, and followed him. ”

“ Nelson, dated Sept. 1, 1795.
“We have made a small expedition with the squadron, and taken a French corvette and some other vessels, in which affair I lost no men; but since, I have not been so successful. I detached Mr. Andrews [1] to cut off a ship from Oneglia. On his passage he fell in with three Turkish vessels, as it has since turned out, who killed and wounded 17 of my poor fellows. Seven are already dead, and more must be lost by the badness of their wounds. ”