The melancholy fate of the gunner must not be passed over unnoticed.
This poor man had two sons on board, whom he was bringing up to his own profession.
When the first alarm of fire was given, he had rushed below, and was soon seen emerging from the smoke with one of the boys in his arms.
He threw the lad into the sea and the jolly-boat picked him up; but on going down for the other, the unfortunate father fell a victim to his paternal affection, and either perished in the flames, or was suffocated.
Of three women who were on board, one saved herself by following her husband down a rope from the jib-boom, and was received into a boat.
Captain Blackwood served as a volunteer in the subsequent operations of the squadron in forcing the passage of the Dardanelles, and his services then were most highly spoken of in a letter from Sir J. Duckworth to Lord Collingwood. He had distinguished himself on many previous occasions. He was in the memorable action of 1st of June, 1794; and he commanded the Euryalus at the battle of Trafalgar.
When Sir Henry Blackwood bade farewell to Nelson, on leaving the Victory to repair on board his own ship, before the commencement of the action, Lord Nelson said, with prophetic meaning, 'God bless you, Blackwood; I shall never see you again.'
In 1810, he commanded the inshore squadron off Toulon, and for his gallant conduct on that station he received the thanks of the commander-in-chief, Sir Charles Cotton.
In 1814, Captain Blackwood was advanced to the rank of rear-admiral, and in 1819 he was appointed commander-in-chief in the East Indies.
He died a vice-admiral in 1832, and his name is enrolled among the first class of naval heroes who have fought under the British flag.