18

HISTORY OF

[GEOEGE III.

guishecl themselves; namely, to Captains, the Honourable George CranfieldBerkeley, of the Marlborough; William Domett, of the Royal George; SirAndrew Snape Douglas, Knight, of the Queen Charlotte; John Thomas Duck-worth, of the Orion; John Elphinstone, of the Glory; James Gambier, of theDefence; Henry Harvey, of the Ramilies; William Johnstone Hope, of theBellerophon ; Henry Nichols, of the Royal Sovereign ; the Honourable ThomasPakenham, of the Invincible ; William Parker, of the Audacious ; John WillettPayne, of the Russell; Thomas Pringle, of the Valiant; and Lord Hugh Sey-mour, of the Leviathan. The Medals were forwarded to those Officers by EarlSpencer, the First Lord of the Admiralty, accompanied by the following Letter,whence it appears that the Medal was to be worn only with the Naval Uniform,and that His Majesty wished to have presented them to the Admirals andCaptains, with his own hands.

“ Sir,— The King having been pleased to order a certain number of GoldMedals to be struck, in commemoration of the Victory obtained by His Majesty’sFleet under the command of Earl Howe, over that of the Enemy, in the Actionsof the 29th May, and 1st June 1794, I am commanded by His Majesty topresent to you one of the Medals above-mentioned, and signify His Majesty’spleasure that you should wear it when in your Uniform, in the manner describedby the direction, which (together with the Medal and Ribband belonging to it)I have the honour to transmit to you.

“ I am also commanded by His Majesty to acquaint you, that had it beenpossible for all the Officers on whom His Majesty is pleased to confer thismark of approbation, to attend personally in London, His Majesty would havepresented the Medal to each of them in person: but that being, from variouscauses at this time impossible, His Majesty, in order to obviate all further delay,has therefore been pleased to direct them to be forwarded in this manner.

“ Allow me to express the great satisfaction I feel in being made the channelof communicating to you so distinguished a mark of His Majesty’s approbation.

“ I have the honour to be, &c.

“ Admiralty, 9th Nov. 1796. SPENCER.”^

selections, “ should not be construed to the disadvantage of other Commanders, who may have beenequally deserving of the approbation of the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty, although I am notenabled to make a particular statement of their merits.”

2 Naval Chronicle, Vol. XII. p. 116.