I think the story went something like:
A british(?) sailor left his post for what seemed like a good reason at first blush - like perhaps someone was wounded & he helped them off deck? However he was convicted of deserting his post. The family fought for many years to get his conviction overturned. I can't recall if it was or was not.
It's a vague story, I know; but any help would be appreciated.
Midshipman William Sitgreaves Cox was acting third lieutenant aboard USS Chesapeake (38 guns) during the war of 1812.
In May of 1813, the British were blockading Boston harbor. Bottled up in the harbor were USS Chesapeake and Constitution, the latter refitting after her victories over Guerriere and Java. USS President and Congress had slipped out of the harbor on 30 April under cover of weather. In an attempt to entice Chesapeake's captain, James Lawrence, out of the harbor, the captain of HMS Shannon (38), Philip Broke, sent his other escorts away. He went so far as to send a written challenge to Lawrence, but as it happened, Lawrence was already departing the harbor as the challenge came in.
Chesapeake had the weather gage, and chose to come around Shannon's stern. Broke declined to open fire at range, and Lawrence likewise did not rake Shannon as she passed around her stern. Shannon opened fire as Chesapeake came around alongside, causing casualties in the forward gun crews, and Chesapeake returned fire. So as not to sail right past Shannon, Lawrence ordered the ship to 'luff up' or make a turn windward, to cut their speed. As she did, Chesapeake's helmsmen were killed, leaving her unmaneuverable and she continued straight on into the wind.
As Chesapeake turned away from Shannon, she was unable to bring all her guns to bear, while Shannon could rake her stern, causing heavy losses in the aft gun crews and wounding the First Lieutenant, Augustus Ludlow. Both captains chose to attempt to board, but confusion on Chesapeake (the bugler had fled) meant that few answered Lawrence's call. Cox, who had lead the gun crews below, had come up with men for the boarding party, only to find Lawrence severely wounded. Cox, unrealizing that both the first and second lieutenants were already wounded, carried Lawrence below (who uttered his immortal words, "Don't give up the ship!").
At some point, Ludlow returned to the upper deck, only to be mortally wounded, leaving acting fourth lieutenant George Budd the only officer on deck. Word was sent to Cox, but he arrived too late, as the few surviving men on the upper deck, lacking leadership, had been driven belowdecks and the ensign hauled down by the boarders.
It was primarily Budd, as the only other surviving officer, who accused Cox of cowardice and dereliction of duty, for which Cox was court martialed and discharged. Cox was cleared and his rank restored in 1952.
Ian Toll, Six Frigates
Are you thinking of the story recounted by the commandant to Rico before he goes on his midshipman tour? Or was that actually based in history?
You may be thinking of William Sitgreaves Cox, I don't have any sources to hand but hopefully the name gets you somewhere.