The Sun.
London, England, 1857-04-29 00:00:00

NAVAL OBITUARY.

Retired Captain James Oliver (1851) died on the
24th inst., at Bath, in the 85th year of his age.
We extract the following account of the services of
this gallant officer from O'Byrne's "Naval Bio-
graphy :"—" This officer entered the navy in 1.782,
as second-class volunteer, on board the Ot.er sloop,
stationed in the Baltic. From 1783 until 1785, and
from 1.788 until 1790, be served at Newfoundland
and Gibraltar, in the Merlin, and Mercury, and on
Bth June, 1797, he was promoted to a lieutenancy
in the Alcmene, 32. Continuing in that ship for a
period of nearly four years, he contributed to the
capture, 26th June, 1799, after a long chase and
turning fight, of the French privateer Courageux,
of 28 guns and 2153 men. He also, 18th July follow-
ing, assisted, in partial command of the Alcmene's
boats, at the capture (though protected by two forts
and a detached gun in Vivero harbour, on the north
coast of Spain) of La Felicidad, a ship of about 800
tons, pierced for 22 guns, with a cargo of hemp,
lower masts, and ship timber ; on 3d April, 1805,
being at the time first lieutenant of the Bacchante,
Mr. Oliver assisted at the capture of the Spanish
war-schooner Elizabeth, of 10 guns and 47 men.
Two days afterwards he was sent with two boats,
containing about 35 seamen and marines, to cut out
three notorious French privateers reported to be
in the harbour of Mariel, near the Havannah, the
entrance to which was defended by a round tower
nearly 40 feet high, armed at the top with three
long 24-pounders surrounded with numerous loop-
holes for musketry, and garrisoned by a Spanish
captain and 30 soldiers. Being disoovered during his
approach, Lieut. Oliver, who was in the foremost
boat, immediately landed, and with a degree of
gallantry as irresistible as it was heroic, rushed
through a tremendous fire that badly wounded
one of the only thirteen men with him, to the foot
of the tower, which, without further los', I,e scaled
and carried. Having performed this noble exploit,
he left a sergeant of marines and six men as a
guard at the fort, and having been joined by his
other boat, under the orders of Lieutenant John
Campbell, he proceeded in search of the privateers,
but to his mortification found that they had sailed
the day before on a cruise. Although thus disap-
pointed he contrived nevertheless to obtain posses-
sion of and bring off two schoonersladen with sugar,
notwithstanding they were lying alongside a wharf,
under repeated discharges of musketry from the
troops and militia, w howere pouring down in numbers
from the adjacent country. In spite, however, of
the glowing terms in which his conduct on this oc-
casion was reported by Captain Dashwood, Lieu-
tenant Oliver was suffered to remain unpromoted
for upwards of eight years. During that period he
was present, in the Franchise, at the bombardment
of Copenhagen, in September, 1807, and at the
capture, in December, 1808, of the town of Samaria.
St. Domingo, almost the last port of refuge on t 1
station for the enemy's privateers. In the Decou-
verte he su,tained so serious an injury in the left
eye, from arduous and active. service, as to be ob-
liged, as above btated, to invalid ; and, in April,
1812, he had the misfortune to lose the Carlotta on

the coast of Sicily, on which occasion, through ex-
ertion and fatigue in saving a quantity of specie,
he again lost the use of his eye. His advancement
to the rank of commander at length took place
Dec. 4, 1813."
Retired Capt. David Edwards died on the 25th
inst., at the house of his sister, 20, Grove-place,
Brompton, aged 78. He entered the navy July 31,
1795, as a volunteer, on board the San Fiorenzo of
42 guns. While in that ship, besides being much in
attendance on the King off'Weymouth, he assisted,
in company with La Nymphe, at the capture of La
Resistance, of 48, and La Constance, of 24 guns,
March 8, 1797 ; passed soon afterwards through
the mutinous fleet at the Nore ' • took part in a very
warm conflict of nearly two hours, which'teimi-
nated in the defeat, by the San Fiorenzo and her
consort, the Amelia, 38, of a French squadron,
consisting of three frigates and a gun vessel,
April 9, 1709—and was present, ' July 2 follow-
ing, in an attack made by Rear-Admiral Charles
M. Pole on a Spanish squadron lying in Aix-roads.
Towards the close of 1801 Mr. Edwards proceeded
to the West Indies as master's mate of the Centaur,
74 ; and on Sept. 5, 1803, was there promoted to
a lieutenancy in the Ulysses, 44.- From Oct. 27,
1804, to June 24, 1806, he next served in the
Mediterranean with Captain George Digby, on
board the Beagle, 18, and Swiftsure, 74, one of the
prizes t %ken. at Trafalgar ; and in July, 1809, he
assumed the ' command, under Captain Philip
Cateiret, of the first division of gun boats em-
ployed on the Walcheren expedition. During the
two last years of the war Mr. Edwards appears to
have been attached, on the Leith station, to the
Adamant, 50, and Latona, 38. He was advanced
to the command, May 11, 1827, of the Barham,
50, on the Jamaica station, where he removed,
Sept. 12, in the same year, to the Fairy sloop. He
returned to England in 1828, and has since been on
half pay.
Retired Commander S. Burroughs (1855) died
on the 22d inst. He entered the navy Jan. 26,
1804, as first-class volunteer, on board the Rat-
tler, 24, Captain F. Mason, and was for many
months, while stationed off Ostend and Dieppe,
constantly engaged in warm conflicts with the
enemy's flotilla. lii Jan., 1805, he removed, as
midshipman, to the Diadem, 64, Commodore Sir
Home Popham, whom be ultimately accompa-
nied in _ the expeditions to • the Cape of Good
Hope and Buenos Ayres. He was next, from
December, 1800, until July, 1808, einployed in