PALMOUTH PACKET HEROES. 207 



in very opprobrious terms and desired to strike the colours. On our 

 refusing, she ran alongside, grappled, and attempted to board, which we 

 repulsed with pikes, with a loss of 8 or 10 men on the part of the enemy. 

 She attempted to get clear, but our mainyard was locked in her rigging. 

 About three we got one of our 6-pounder carronades to bear, loaded with 

 double grape, cannister, and one hundred musket balls ; which — fired at 

 the moment the enemy was making a second desperate attempt to board — 

 killed and wounded a great number. After this I boarded, with 5 men, 

 driving the enemy from his quarters. About four, the schooner was 

 completely in our possession. Of her 92 men, 21 were found dead and 33 

 wounded. From the superior number remaining, it was necessary to use 

 every precaution in securing the prisoners. I was obliged to order them 

 up from below, one by one, and place them in their own irons, as 3 of our 

 little crew of 28 were killed and 10 wounded, — our mizzen-mast and 

 main-yard carried away, and ihe rigging fore and aft, much damaged. 

 The crew of the Packet supported me with the greatest gallantry during 

 the whole contest." {Signed) "W. ROGERS,* Acting Captain." 



For his intrepid conduct Rogers received the thanks of His 

 Majesty's Post-Masters- General ; promotion to the rank of 

 captain, with command of another Packet ; lOU guineas besides 

 his share of the Prize (although no prize-allowance was usual) ; 

 the freedom of the City of London ; and an illuminated address, 

 with sword of honour, from the inhabitants of Tortola. 



In London, a gentleman named Dixon, unacquainted with 

 Rogers, sought and obtained his friendship, and then com- 

 missioned Samuel Drummond, the well-known artist, to paint 

 a view of the action, in which the hero's full-length portrait 

 should appear. Rogers was introduced to the artist and reliable 

 details were supplied. One day Rogers saw a man strikingly 

 like the officer he had shot, when, armed with sword and pistol, 

 he himself had advanced to the 18 -pounder gun in the middle 

 of the French ship's deck. He took the stranger to the studio 

 as portrait-model for the hostile swordsman by whom he had 

 been so nearly cut down. When completed, the Painting 

 belonged to Mr. Dixon, but the artist issued excellent delineations 

 of it in Mezzotint, the work of William Ward, engraver 

 extraordinary to the Prince of Wales (afterwards King George 

 IV.) and (Frederick) Duke of York. The Plate was dedicated 

 by permission to the Earls Chichester and Sandwich, Post-Masters- 

 General, the impressions being published by S. Drummond, 

 A.R.A., at Church Street, Soho ; June 21, 1809. From one of 

 these our Plate is derived. The Painting in course of time 

 passed to the first owner's grandson, Mr. James Dixon, of 



"Captain Win. Rogers (son of Capt. and Mrs Rogers who died 1790, 1798,) was born at 

 Falmouth, 29th Sept., 1783. He married Susan, dau. of Capt. John Harris, of St Mawes, 

 by his wife Ann, dau. of Rev. Nicholas Cory, Vicar of Fowey, by his wife Mary (nee 

 Wymond), of St. Cadock's, St. Veep. Capt. Wm. Rogers died at Holyhead, January 11, 

 1825. His and his wife's portraits were preserved by her relatives and eventually given to his 

 only surviving daughter or her descendants. For further references see Rogers, Pengelly, 

 &c., in Bibliotheca and Collectanea Cornub : The Hero's sword is in Mr. Cecil Wade's 

 collection at Plymouth. 



