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•' (lificns for at
*. ADg tiic firft fiiip, nnr
no to -tier was the America!
f, ' difptayeil, by Lieut.
Do vn-«, as the signal for
bo? dine, and il:-: intention
[v a d»feoVt red by the en-e
--mv, than the colons were
ft u- k, without a being
fiefi ; fr> much were they
daw led by the intrepidity
r ! our brave * dicers & men.
1 bev then left a crew cn
board tire ptize and rook
their nations for attacking
the other vefiel, when her
flag was a]f.» ft ruck, en the
ft ft call to surrender. Thus
were two tine British ships
each ? caretJ for 20 guns,
g.-d manned with 55 men,
Jl 1 .pplied with ammuri.
i fuT” at «<j ThTall “a r ins, "~vwr
reiidertd, without the fligh'-
) test reflftance, to seven small
open boats, with fifty men,
armed only with muskets,
idH* is, boarding axes and
cutlafies ! Be a fill red, lir,
tliat Britons have either icar
up
ccd to relpclt the courage
cf Americans, or they are
not so courageous them
lelves as they would wish
us to believe.
1 have tile honor to be,
T ; eat relpeif, your o
edient fervanr,
D. PORTER.
The Secretary cf the Navy,
Wajhington %
United State*’ Private EfTex, a t Sen*
Paciiic Ocean, July 3rd, ill?.
SIR —On the 2 d March
sj
1 ail, I failed from Sha
ping my course to th 2 north
ward, and on the 26th of
the lame month fell in with
the Peruvian Corsair ihip,
Nereyda, mounting fifteen
puns; (he had, a few days
befh'.e, captured two Ame
rican vhale fliips, the crews
of which (amounting in
mimher to 24 men) wete
then detained pri(oners on
bcvd he* ; and they could
aliign no other motive for
tide capture than that they
were the f Hies ot Great Bri
tain, and as such, fliould
capture ail American veffeis
they could fall in with ;
therefore, to prevent in fu
ture such vexatious procee
dings, 1 ti re w all her anna
«* •
meat into the iea, liberated
the Americans and dismis
sed the NeytocU,
*
1 then proceeded with all
p edible dilpati-h for Lima,
to iutucepe or c of the de
tained vtfTcb, which had
part'd with the Nereyda on
h three day s hcfoie, and .1
Nva> io fortunate as ro arrive
tli; re and rc-capture her on
toe 5?Si At *i 1, at the mo
mem the was entering the
port. Xhh vcfel (she ship
r ’relay, Capt. Gideon Ran*
d.H cf New-Bed ford,) 1
t» -k under wy protection,
'■* and it. v; hac her with me
e. e! f: n• e.
L'rom Lima I proceeded
for rue CLism-agos ltLnd,
where 1 captured the tcl
lowi g ihjns, viz :
hr. c>‘s oj Marque .
Mom.zuma, 270 tons
1 r mcr*, 2 gur.s; Policy,
275 tens, 25 men, 10 guns;
Georgiana, 2SO tons, 25
icn, 6 guns : Atlantic, 351
osis, 24 men, 8 guns;
Greenwich, 338 ton?, 25
nen, 10 guns.
The Georgiana heing*re
puted a very faft sailer, and
ipparently well calculated
foracruifer, I mounted 16
guns on her, and gave the
command ol her to that ex
cellent officer, Lieutenant
John Downes,
piiment of 42 men; ap
pointing midshipman W. H.
Hactdaway * ting Lieuten
ant on board her, and lent
her'on a cruize.
• Lieut. Downes joined me
at Tumbez near Guiaquil on !
TiTe coafl ' ufi "IVrtr, ow-Th-e
--24th June, after capturing
three prizes, to wit:
Letters of Marque Ships .
He&or, 270 25 men
ri guns;’ Catharine, 270
tons, 29 men, 8 guns; Role
220 tons, 21 men, 8 guns.
The fir ft had two men
killed and fix badly woun- j
fled in her icncontre with
the Georgiana; and the Role
was difeharged (after being
deprived ol .her armament)
with all tne prisoners cap
tured by the Georgiana, &
as they amounted to neatly
double her crew; she was
furnifiied with a paftoort to
proceed to St. Helena.
My own priioners I libe
rated on parole at Tumbez.
I found by experience that
the Geotgiana did not de
fer ve the character given of
iier for i filing, i therefore
Ihippcd he*’ officers and crew
to the Atlantic, and moun
ted on her 20 guns, with a
complement of 6p men, &
appointed midshipman Rich.
Daftiiell, acting failing ma
iler, on board her: to this
ve fiftl I gave the name of |
the Eli ex Junior. I alfo j
fitted up the ihip Green- :
wich as a itore ihtp, hnd
mounted on her 20 guns,
placing her under the com
mand of Lieut. Gamble, of
the marines. Onboard'hcr
I have put ail the provisions
and (lores of my other pri
zes, except a lupply of three
and a half months for each,
and hive by this means fe*
cured myfelf a full supply
o i every necefiary article fur
.even months. I had hoped
to diipofe of my other pri
zes at Guiaquil ; the Gov
ernors in Peru, however are
ex ce (lively aiarmed at my
appearance on the coast, as
my fleet amounts now to
nine laii ol vefielr, ail for*
\ tridabJe in their appearance,
| and they world ii they dare,
! heat us with a hoftiiity little /
lh art of declared enemies.
1 * I have given to Mr. John
G. Cowell, failing mailer, i
an appointed to a fit ?d L.t.
I'Ldtiiipman John S. Cow-;
lan to r.Ct 41 h Lt. and Mid- !
. ihipman Odenheimer, as ‘
I lading mailer. I beg, fir, j
j Glut the appointment of
; thole officers, as •veil as oi
Lt. S. D. M* Knight, who I
1 1" noting Second Lieutenant, i
i and tnofe lerving in tiie EL i
j sex Junior, may beconfirm
\ed by (ha Department. I
| have given to Mr M. W*
j Bold wick, my clerk, the
appointment of A&ing mid
shipman ; not that he is de
sirous of coming forward in
the Navy in that line* but I
hoped by this’means to in
troduce him to the notice of
the Department; as i (hall,
take the .liberty to recom- I
| mend him' drongly as a iuit
; able person to hold the ap- I
| point me nt of Purler. Drs.
j Richard R. Hoffman and
j Alexander M. Montgomery
j two gentlemen of great me- ;
Lit, who volunteered their
ii, t v rcc ovv i« t TtfC “ci ti 1 'iCrCO‘CTi - ,
mcncement of hoffilities, f
have received a&ing ap . j
pointments from me, the i
ftril as Surgeon, to fill the
vacancy occasioned by the 1
death of Dr. Miller; ihe o- j
ther as Surgeon's Mate. To
the great care and attention
of thole gentlemen, may, in j
a con lid era bie degree, be !
attriouted to the extraordi- 1
nary health ol the crew • Sz 1 '
as tneV are both desirous of 1
avy, I hope ! 1
their appointments may be
confirmed <
I have also appointed my
Marina officer and Chap
lain to the command of pri.
zes; they ali enter with
moch cheerfulnefs, into their
new duties : and if the ex
pedition ffioukl prove fuc
cefsful, it will not be, I am
peiiuaded. owing to our
want of adivity or vigilance,
and of this yoa mu ft be £n
isfied, as for the laffc eight
months we have been con,
ftantly at fca, with the ex
ception of twenty-three days
and yet, iir, we have en
joyed extraordinary health
and fpirns , no symptom of
the feurvy having yet ap
peared in the [hip, nor
have vve, at this moment,
more than tvvo on the sick
jiu ; and- their are
more owing to the infirmi
ties ol age than any other
cause. iindeed, fir, when I
compare my prelent situa
tion with what it was when
I doubled Cape Horn, I can
not but efteecn myfelf for
tunate in an extraordinary
degree. There my (hip
was (hattered by terapeftu
ous weather, and delliture
of every thing* my officers
and crew half starved, na
ked, and worn out with fa
tigue. Now fir, my (hip
is in prime order, abundant
ly fuppiied with crery tiling
nectfiary for her, l have a
1 nobie fiiip for a contort of
20 guns well fuppiied with
the best of every thing that
! vve may want, and prizes
wnich would be worth in
i England two millions of
! dollars ; and what renders
; the comparison more plea
hng, the Enemy has fur
nilhed ail. Excuse me, fir,
tor not making known my
ii'ie*cnt mteniions, ss this
' fetter may not reach you.
| It however, may be fitisfac
tory io you to know how I
intend to dilpole ol my
prizes: Let it-fudice to lay
that I (hail endeavor to [cy.
pher]
Bntifh fetters oi marejus
are numerous in these leas,
and, were it not for my ar
rival, our whale fifhers
would have been much har
raffed ; but they now find it
I necessary to keep together
lor mutual protection, I
| exped to be [cypher], but
(hall be [cypher.]
Ahe times ol my bed
men have expired ; but their
attachment to the (hip and
their zeal for the service we
Lare eagnged ..an*, ptj*vent pj.l
i complaints on that occount
It is not probable that you
will hear of me lor several
months to come, unless fame
difader happens ; but 1 beg
leave to allure you, fir, that
l (hall not be idle; and I
hope before my return to
make the lervices of the Ef~
sex as important as thole of
any other single (hip. We
may not be individually ben
efitred, but we dull do the
enemy much injury, which
will be ludicient compenfa
rion to us foj all the hard
ships and privations which
we mud naturally experi.
ence, while cut off from all
communication with the red
cl the world, and are de
pendent on the precarious
supplies the enemy may af
ford. I have the honor to
be with great refped, your
obedient servant,
D PORTER.
Hon. William Jones.
Secretary of the Navy .
Copy &f a letter from Brigadier Gentral
Jehn P Bovd, who commanded in the
battle of Vilbtrimburg, to Major Gene
ral James Wilkinson, Commander in Chief
Camp near Cornwall,
November la, IS'.S.
Sir—l have the honor to re
port to you, that yesterday,
i while the rear division of the
j army, confiding of detachments
j from the id, 33, and 41b bng«
j ade?, and placed under my
j command to protest the flotilla
J from the enemy that hong on
| our rear, was under arfhs in or*-
j det to move, agreeably to your
! orders, down the bank of .he St,
Lawrence, a report was brought
Ito me from th e rear g'uaid,
j that a body of about eooo Bri
-1 tifh and Indians had advanced
i into the woods that fkiited cur
i
1 rear, Gen. Swaawout, with
! the 4111 brigade, was immediate*.
! ly ordered to dlflodge them ;
Gen. Covington, with the 3d
brigade, being at the lame time
duelled to be within fuppoiting
ditiance. Gen, Swartwout
into the woods, and
with the ad Infantry, (3 part of
his biigade) after a ihort fkirr
oiilh, drove them back to the
position of their main body,
he was joined by Gen.
Covington- The enemy had
judiciously cbofen his* ground
aw#ng the deep ravines which
every wheie interfecied the ex
teniive plain, and difeharged a
heavey and galling fie upon
j our advancing columns. No
oppobtion orobflale, however,
: checked their aidoi* The en
emy retired for more than a
mnc fcefor- iheir refolu'e
repeated charge S ._ Dur in £
!“ : . ,c *jh-deaicfinient of the jft
| Dr '* a r de under Colonel Coir,
whose greater dinancefron, the
■cene of action retarded ii s ?r
r ;-al, rapidly entered the fi~',f
]ja,n S directed to attack ih-r
emy’s left-flank, this , 0 v
was promptly and bravely Cx .
cuted amid a shower of r , u ,'
ketry and Pnrapnei fhel!.,. The
nght now became more fhtj 0!1
ary, until the brigade fi r ft en
gaged, having expended a! ,
tnetr ammunition, v e e
ed to retire t° a more defend
ble polition, to wait for a re-
Ttpply. I his movement so
difconrjf £led the line, as to ren.
der it expedient for the fi. lt bri.
iiki wife to retire. j>
(hould be lemarkcd* that the
artillery, excepting two pieces
uetkr Captain Irvine, attached
yy toe-rear div;&> w ,
rom the nature of the ground
and the circuitous route they
had to take, were I ike wife much
retarded in their arrival) did
not reach the ground until the
fine, for the want of ammuni.
non, had already began to fall
back.—-When they were arran.
ged, (in doing which I waj ah
bflcu by the skill of Col. Swift
of the engineers) their fire was I
jure and d.firu&ive. When
the artillery was finally directed I
to retire, having to cro's a I
deep, and, excepting in one
place, (so aitiHery) impaff ble I
ravine, one piece was unfortu- I
nately loft. The fail of its gab I
!*nt commander, Lieut. Smith, 1
and mo ft of his men, may ac. I
count for this accident. In I
ne death of this young man, I
tiie army has loft one of its most I
promising officers. The squad- I
ion of the 2nd regimt’, of dra- I
goons, under Maj. Woodford I
was early on the field, & much I
expoled to the enemy’s fire, ■
but the nature of the ground, & I
the pofidon of his line, did not I
admit of thole luccelsful char- I
ges, which their dilcipline and i
ardor, under more favorable ■
circumstances, are calculated to I
rnakfc. The re for ye under Co!. I
Up’naraand Maj. Ma!com, did I
not arrive from the boats in ■
time to participate in but a'■
fmsll part of the aflion; but I
the activity and zeal displayed ■
while engaged, evinced the ben - 1
efit that might have been derh I
ved from their eaiiier afiidance. 1
The whole line was new re- fl
formed on the ; borders of theft B
woods front) which the enemy B
had fi d been driven; when I
night coming <*n, and theftorm I
returning, and conceiving that fl
the you had in view, B
which was to beat back the en- I
emy that would retard our B
junßion with the main bod/ B
below, to have been accoar B
plifhed, the troops were dired- B
ed to return to the ground rtaar ■
the flotilla; which movement B
was executed in good ordtf, B
and without any moleflation fl
from the enemy. I
I cannot close my rep recti' ■
taiions of this battle, w.> ' ut B
indulging a few remarks u?° n I
the merits of those c fßcer* ■
whole conduß will give 2 c y 34 B
raßcr to the conflict of this d*y*B
Gen* Covington, whole re* cl fl
nefs to enter the field w - s , a *»
earned of his subsequent 2
vity, receiving a moral u0 r ll f B
while leading his 'o a 1 B
ccfsfui charge. His | r< ’°• B
Hill feeling thecffeßoi his S^B
lam example, continued ,0
vance long alter their . B
cc w, I* i)nder had faden* 1