1813     CAPTURE OF PONZA     169

The loss sustained by the British in executing this dashing enterprise was rather serious, amounting to four marines killed, one lieutenant (Aaron Tozer), one petty officer, and 14 marines wounded. In his official letter, Captain Ussher mentions, besides those already named, the following officers as having behaved with distinguished gallantry : Lieutenants Joseph Robert Hownam and Joseph Grimshaw, Captains of marines Thomas Sherman and Thomas Hussey, and Lieutenants of marines Harry Hunt, Robert Turtliff Dyer, William Blucke, John Maule, Thomas Reeves, Alexander Jarvis, Edward Mallard, and Samuel Burdon Ellis. Lieutenant Hunt, it appears, was the first who entered the citadel battery, by a ladder, under a galling fire.

On the 26th of February, in the morning, the British 12-pounder 32-gun frigate Thames, then Captain Charles Napier, and 18-pounder 36-gun frigate Furieuse, Captain William Mounsey, having on board Lieutenant-colonel Coffin and the second battalion of the 10th regiment of foot, bore up for the narrow entrance (about a quarter of a mile across) to the harbour of the island of Ponza on the coast of Naples ; and, giving and receiving a fire from the batteries on each side, anchored close across the mole-head. Colonel Coffin and the troops were then landed, and pushed for a tower into which the enemy had retreated. The appearance of the troops, aided by the severe fire of the ships, induced the governor to hoist a flag of truce. This led to a capitulation, and the island on the same day surrendered to the arms of his Britannic majesty. Nor did the British lose a single man in either service, although the batteries mounted ten 24 and 18 pounders and two 9-inch mortars; and although the Thames was hulled three times and the Furieuse twice, besides having their sails and rigging a good deal cut.

A convoy of 50 sail of armed vessels, chiefly Neapolitan gunboats, having assembled at Pietra-Nera on the coast of Calabria, to be ready to transport to Naples timber and other government property, Captain Robert Hall, who commanded the Sicilian flotilla stationed at Messina, volunteered, with two divisions of gnu-boats and four companies of the 75th regiment, under the command of Major Stewart, supplied by Lieutenant-general Lord William Bentinck at Palermo, to destroy the enemy's works. On the night of the 14th of February Captain Hall proceeded to the attack ; but, owing to light and contrary winds, the boats did not arrive at Pietra-Nera until nearly daylight on the 15th ; when Major Stewart, with about 150 men, and an auxiliary party of seamen commanded by Lieutenant Francis Le Hunte, landed, and, without waiting for the remainder of the force intended to be employed, pushed up a height, the possession of which a complete battalion, with two troops of cavalry and two pieces of artillery, were prepared to dispute.

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