The New-Jersey gazette — Burlington [N.J.], 1783-01-15 00:00:00, page 2

.in the morning we made the signal for two
:ad in die N. W and chafed per signal; they were
, . larboard tack, Landing towards us, and we
to r. perceived them to be a line of battle Ihip and
igate of the enemy, who tacked and made all
ue Lil-they could from us, going large with the
wind on the starboard quarter, and seemed to draw
from us in light airs. We cleared Ihip for action.
At 15 minutes part two, P. M. the line of battle
Ihip hoilled french colours, and fired her rtern
chaces, widen ihe continued to do, as well as the
frigate. Finding their (hot went over us, we bore
up and Tired the starboard guns at the line of battle
fliip; at forty minutes part live repeated it, the ene
my continuing to fire their stern chaces; at eight,
we were close up with the line of battle ship ;hauled
up the main fail, and took in the fore studding fail;
fifteen minutes after, a close action commenced,
with a heavy fire, which continued near forty mi
nutes (the fr;gate being on the larboard bow.) Ihe
line of battle ihip attempting to bear up, we put our
helm hard a port in order to cross his bows, or
lay him athwart hawfe; but being so closely en
gaged, we boarded each other bow and quarter,
the enemy's larboard cathead abreast of our ilar
board gang-way, and the action continued as hot as
ever, when the enemy backed clear of our quarter,
our main and mizen top-fails aback.—We instantly
attempted to wear, to close with him on the star/
board bow, but in this we were greatly disap
pointed, the leading block of the weather-tiller rope
being (hot away, with part of the sweep, and the
ship came with her head to the wind before we
could get the helm a-weather, by the abidance of
the relieving tackles, the enemy had time to pals to
leeward under our ttern, and raked us with his itar
boatd guns Ihe ship being wore as loon as possi
ble, we renewed the action, leading down on the
enemy's starboard bow, and the frigate ahead of
him, tiring her broad-sides till twenty minutes past
ten, when the line of battle ship cealed her lire, and
her colours down We concluded the had lii uck,
as the frigate had quitted her and hauled his wind
upon the starboard trick. At 40 minutes pad ten,
the line of battle flop being nearly ahead, we per
ceived her to bear up and make from us; when we
hauled up to bring ionic of our bow guns to bear,
and fired three (hot. He then hauled up his main
tad and seemed to bring too, his main topiail half
down, and his top-gallant sheets flying.—lhe > or
b.y coining wuhin trail, 1 informed captain Gremin,
that l foppoied the enemy had ibuck, and re
queted he would go down to her, as our utudcion
prevented us from making all the fail we could
wiffi, the starboard fore-yard-arm being shot away,
all our fails much Cut, with feme of our braces,
running rigging and tiller rope, the mizen-malt
very much wounded, and the mizen yard and til
ler partly shot through, and all the boats but one
rendered unferviceable; that 1 wouid follow him
with all the fail that 1 could pofiibiy make, and get
the ship under command Captain Grdoin informed
me, he would instantly go down, and made fail ac
cordingly Ihe enemy was then making off, and
felting all the fail he could ;,we reeved tne tiller
rope and br ces, and set all our larboard Ituddmg
fails and hauled in the starboard.
At 12 at night the enemy right ahead, about a
mile and a half daftant, under all the fail he could
ciiud ; the light airs, during the remainder of the
night and the next morning, enabled him to pre
ierve ins distance without the reach of shot, and
fleered for the ihore, which we law at day-light of
the 18th, the east end of Hispaniola, south tour or
five leagues; at ten it became almost calm, and being
so near the fin-re where there was no anchorage,
and the enemy close in with the breakers, Landing
along shore towards Samana Bay, 1 lent an officer
to inform Captain Gidoin of my reason for hauling
off; the f or bay continued the chace. -At one, F.
M. fppke the badger, who sent us two pilots, but
neither would take charge of the ihip to hand far
ther into the bay after the enemy, from the Rate
they found her in. We then lowered our fore
yard, to reduce the yard-arm, and fhift the rig
ging; bent the main top fail for a fore-fail, and flip
ped a new tiller. The people employed lecuring
the lower rigging, back-itays, &c. that were shot
away. At half past 3, the Torbay got up with
the enemy, and began to fire her broadtides, when
the enemy put large and ran tor the ihore. Capt.
Gidoin can belt inform you in what Rate he left
her, as we were at too great a distance to give you
a just account, nor had we an opportunity to ipeak
v, th him since, as the wind blew frefh' on the Ihore,
and a swell running into the bay, we made all the
fail ,we could to get out.
The officers and fhip's company exerted them
selves to the utmost of my wishes, and have a just
claim to my most grateful acknowledgments. I
hope their good conduct will be found to merit the
honour of your attention.
Inclofed 1 fend you a lift of the killed and
wounded
I have the honour to be,
S I R,
Your most obedient,
and very humble servant,
JAS. KEMPTHORNE.
Joshua Rowley, Esq.
Rear Admiral of the red, ©e.
A lift of men killed and mounded on board his
Majefy's ship London, on the 27th of Oct. 1782.
Killed: 9 leamen.
Wounded: Lieutenants, Burgess, Hankey and
Trigge; Mr, John Mouatt, maker's mate; Mr.
James M'Taggart, Clerk ; and 70 seamen.
Since dead of their wounds: Mr. John Mouatt,
and 6 feamcn.
Nov 16. Saturday arrived at Port-Royal, the
ship Margaretta, laden with naval ifores and dry
goods, from Bourdeaux, bound to New-Orleans,
a prize to his Majesty's frigate Success, taken under
imperial colours.
Luefday his Majesty's ship of war Endeavour,
Captain Perkins, after a fuccefsful cruize of three
weeks, entered the harbour of Port-Royal., Her
captures consist of three schooners and a inow.
I he latter failed from the Cape in company with
other transports, having troops on board for the
Windward Blands, but being a dull larlor, the con
voy took out the troops, and ordered her back to
Hifpamoia.
The brig Lively, Captain Fish, in 38 days from
Cork; and a french brig and schooner, prizes to
his Majesty's ships Succels and Pigmy.
Nov. 23. His Majesty's (loop Jamaica, returned
from St. Lucia, with despatches for his Excellency
the Governor, and Admiral Rowley. Before her
departure from that island, information had been re
ceived of the arrival of bis Majeftys ships Brißol
and Proierpine, with a fleet of transports, ftore
fhips and victuallers, and a few merchantmen, which
failed from Pbrtimouth at the fame time with Lord
f owe. W. Lambert, Esq. lately appointed Cora
noffioner of the navy for Jamaica, is a passenger oh
board the Proserpine, which, with the few ships
defined for this island, may be daily expeded.
Advices by the Jamaica mention the capture of
two very large French Rore-fmps, each of them
pierced for 60 guns, and armed en flute, one of
them by his Majesty's ship .Argo, of 44 guns, and
conduced to St. Lucia, the other by a private ship
of war belonging to Barbadoes, and carried into
that island ; they were deeply laden with ammuni
tion, and military stores of every denomination, with
near 300 troops on board, and had by feme means
or other been separated from fix other veßels with
similar cargoes, which, with a few merchantmen,
were bound to Martinique from Old France el
corted by two ships of the line and three frigates.
I he troops they had on board, about 120 C, were
merely intended to reinforce the garrisons of Mar
tinique and St. Chrirtopher.
The following intelligence, refpeding the Rate of
the French naval force at Martinique, &c. brought
by rhe Jamaica, we were favoured with just as this
paper was going to press, viz.
Ships, Protedeur, Alcide, Jason and Zele, of 74
guns each; Solitaire and Triton, of 64 ; the latter
conveyed the regiment d’ Auvergne from France ;
Amphion, Nymphe and Experiment, of 50; the hit
mentioned much out of order.—Frigates, Concoide,
of 42, a very fwift sailor, which arrived with the
Marquis de Bouille; Fee and Amphitrite, of 36;
Fripponne, Fortunee and Junon, of 32; Barbuda,
of 24; and Stormont sloop; with the following, the
names of which are unknown, viz. two of 40 guns,
two of 36, two of 32, two ffiips armed en flute,
carrying 32 guns each ; and several smaller vessels
under 20 guns.
A number of ships with stores got into Marti
nique during the hurricane months, and a fleet with
reinforcements is daily e'xpe&ed from Toulon.
We have also been favoured with an account of
part of the cargo of the French prize carried into
St. Lucia, the articles of which are, 11,352 com
mon and double-headed shot, chiefly 36. 24, 18 and
12 pounders; 3000 bars of iron; 24 ground masts,
21 of which are for 74 gun drips; 150 logs of tim
ber for the navy; 12 pieces of cannon, 36 pounders ;
50001 b. of cordage; with a quantity of hoops, can
vas linen, &c. The remaining part of the cargo
was eihmated at full one third more.
MONTEGO-BAY, Nov.2 3 .
The following authentick intelligence hrs been
received : that on the 9th instant, a general embar
go took place throughout the island of St Domin
go, and orders were issued, for all French and neu
tral veiTels, that were loaded or in port, to be
cleared and unloaded, luppofed for the purpole of
tranfpoi ts.
The Torbay fell in with the Fox frigate the day
before she stood for Jamaica, and sent her to look
into the Cape. The Fox went as far as 5 fathom
water, and law a large fleet of merchantmen, and
two or three frigates laying at the Cape. The
Torbay took her prize off the Mole, in light of a
Spanish 84, in the harbour.
Le Scipion, which engaged the London, was
left by the 1 orbay, in Samana bay, with her bows
stove in.
1 here is certain information received of 35,000
troops being embarked at the Mole.
All the ships of war at Port-Royal, are moored
actols the channel.
NEW-HAVEN, Deo. 12.
Thursday lart, a severe a&ion happened off Stam
ford between Captain Brewster, in the service of
the Rates, and one Hoyet, a refugee from this Rate,
in boats of equal force. It began at a dirtance, but
loon got so near, that the parties engaged with their
bayonets, and the breeches of their small arms.—
Captain Brewster, and three or four of his men, are
dangerously wounded; of the enemy, three were
killed, and all the furyivors except Hoyet, wounded.
'lhe combat finally terminated in favour of Captain
Erewrter, who conduced his enemy into port.
RICHMOND, (Virginia) Dec. 21.
On Sunday the Bth inftan,, fix or seven of the
enemy's barges went into Piankatank river, and
landed about 150 plunderers, who marched about
a mile on the Gloucester shore, in Kingston parish,
dirtrcCng several worthy inhabitants (particularly
a Mr. Lane) by taking from them their negroes,
furniture and clothes. The militia turned out with
great spirit, and the enemy soon retired to the end
of Gwin's island, from whence they proceeded on
their piratical cruize. They were so well watched
by the spirited militia of that digri&, that they did
not attempt to land on the main, after the alarm
was given of their being in the river; nor did they
get off without the loss of one of their prizes. he
enterprizing Lieutenant Hudgeons, of Kingston,
boarded a sloop which they left weakly manned, at
the end of the island, when they went off, and
brought her up in a fafe harbour; the crew, it is
supposed, made their escape.
December 28.
Extrad of a letter Jrom General Clarke, dated
Lincoln, November 17, 1782.
“ We left the Ohio the 4th instant, with 1050
men, furprized the principal Shawahefe town on the
even ng of the loth, and immediately detached
strong parties to different quarters; in a few hours
two thirds of their towns were laid in ashes, and
every thing they were poflefled of destroyed except
such articles as were mod ufeful to the troops, the
enemy not having time to secrete any part of their
property. The British trading port at the head of
the Miame and Carrying Place, to the waters of the
lakes, fh^red the fame fate by a party of 150 horse,
commanded by Col. Loran, and property to a great
amount was also destroyed: the quantity of provi
libns burnt far surpassed any idea we had of their
stores. The loss of the enemy was ten scalps, se
ven prisoners, and two whites re-taken; ours, one
killed and two wounded.
“ After laying part of four days in their towns,
and finding all attempts to bring them to a general
a&ion fruitlefs, we retired, as the season was far
advanced and the weather threatening I could not
learn by the prisoners that they had the least idea
of General Irvine's design of penetrating into their
country. Should he have given them another stroke
at Sandusky, it will more than double the advan
tages already gained.
“We might probably have got many more scalps
and prisoners, could we have known in time whe
ther or not we were difeovered, which we took for
granted until getting within three miles, when some
circumstances occurred that gave us reason to think
otherwile, though uncertain—Col. Floyd, with 300
men, was ordered to advance and bring on an action
or attack the town, Major Wells with a party of
horse being previously detached by a different route
as a patty of observation: although Col. Floyd's
motion was lo quick as to get to the town but a few
minutes later than those who difeovered his ap
proach, the inhabitants had Efficient notice to es