The Pennsylvania evening post — Philadelphia, Pa., 1776-08-22 00:00:00, page 1

From the Essex Journal and New-Hampshire Packet
of Augutt 9, 1776.
The public having been only tranhently informed of the
capture of the privateer brig Yankee Eero, cf this port, of
which James Tracy uas late commander; and as her en
gagement with the Milford frigate was a bold a&ion and
well conduced, considering her unavoidable situ ation,
you may if you please, Mr. Printer, give the following nar
rative of it, chiefly colluded from thole who were in the
engagement.
CAPTAIN James Tracy failed from Newbury-
Port the seventh of June, in the Yankee-Hero, for
Boston, with twenty-fix men only, including offi
cers; this number was not a quarter of his comple
ment ; he was provisioned for a fix months cruize, and was
to take in the remainder cf his men at Boston ; the afternoon
he went out, going round Cape-Ann he observed a fail in
the effing, but in his situation did net think ofJooking
after her. Two beats full manned with their mufquets, who
had put cut after the fail, came on board, and informed him
a number of transports had been close in with the Cape that
day; fourteen men from the two boats joined him, and sent
their boats on shore; he had now forty hands in the whole
(only a third cf his complement) with these he put away for
the fail, which bore E. S. E. about five leagues distance, the
wind being then westerly; at fix miles distance they perceived
her to be a ship, and soon from her management to be a ship
of war. As a contest with her must have been very unequal,
Capt. Tracy, who intended to make a harbor that night, or
deied the brig to be pot about for the shore, not then fufped
ing the ship could come up with him ; but he had not tacked
ten minutes before the westerly wind died away, and the ship
taking a frefh fouthefly breeze came fall in, endeavoring to
cut the brig off from the shore. After some time, the ship
thus getting in the wake of the brig, the wind again came
frefh to.the westward, upon which the brig hauled to the wind
in the best angle for the shore; the ship gave chafe, and in
an hour came up within half a mile, and began to fire her
bow chasers, ,which the brig only answered with a swivel,
Capt. Tracy reserving his whole fire, until the ship, keeping
a confiant fire, came up within pistol foot upon his lee quar
ter, when the brig gave her the best return they could make
from their ,-main and quarter deck guns, swivels and small
arms, and after then kept up a confiant fire. The ship was
soon up along fide, and with twelve nine pounders of a fide,
upon one.deck, besides forccaftle and quarter deck guns, and
with her marines overlooking the brig as high as her heading
blocks, kept a continual fire; after some time the ship
hauled her wind so close, which obliged the brig to do the
fame, that Capt. Tracy was unable to fight his lee guns;
upon this he backed under her stern, but the ship, which
failed much sager, and worked as quick, had the advantage,
and brought her broadside again upon him, which he could
not evade ; and in this manner they lay not a hundred feet
from each other, yawing to and fro, for an hour and twenty
minutes, the privateer's men valiantly maintaining their
quarters agamft such a superior force. About this time, the
The PENNSYLVANIA EVEN IN G POST.
•Vol. lI.J
Price Three Coffers. Published every Tuesday, I'burfday, and Saturday Evenings.
THURSDAY, AUGUST 22, 1776.
415
flips 'foremaft guns beginning to flack fire, Capt. Tracy
tacked under her stern, and when clear of the smoke and
fire, perceived his rigging to be most shockingly cut, yards
flying about without braces, some of his principal fails shot
to rags, and half his men to appearance dying and wounded.
Mr. Main, his First Lieutenant, was among the firft wound
ed, and Mr. Davis, one of the prize-masters, fell in the
left attack. In this situation they went to work to refit the
r '^' n ^ and to carry the wounded below, the ship having
then taken a broad sheer feme way off, and none of her guns
bearing ; but before they could get their yards to rights,'
which they zealoufiy tried for in hopes still to get clear of the
ship, as they were now nearer in shore, or to part from her
under the night, she again came up and renewed the attack,
which obliged Capt. Tracy to have recourse to his guns
again, though he kill kept some hands aloft to his rigging ;
but before the brig had again fired two broadsides, Capt.
Tracy received a wound in his right thigh, and in a few
minutes he could not stand ; he laid himfelf over the arm
chest and barricadoe, determined to keep up the fire, but in
a short time, from pain and loss of blood, he was unable
to command, growing faint, and they helped him below ;
as fo:n as he came to, he found his firing had ceased, and his
people round him wounded, and, not having a furgeoa with
them, in a most distressed situation, most of them groaning,
and some expiring.
Struck severely with such a fpe&acle, Capt. Tracy ordered
his people to take him up in a chair upon the quarter deck,
and refolded again to attack the ship, which was all this time
keeping up her fire ; but after getting into the air, he was
again so faint that he was for some time unable to speak,
and finding no alternative, but they must be taken or funk,
for the fake of the brave men that remained, he ordered them,
to flrike to the ship. Thus was this action maintained up
wards of two hours in a low single decked vessel, with not
half the metal the ship had, against an English frigate, whose
navy has been the dread of nations, and by a quarter the
number of people in the one as the other, y&t the vigors ex
ulted as though they had overcome a force as much superior
as this was inferior to them. The brig had four men killed
and thirteen wounded, including officers, the number in the
Milford wounded is not known, though there were some. The
deprivation of these brave officers and men is to be regretted
by all friends to this country. 'Withjuftice to Capt. Bur of
the Milford, it must be acknowledged he treated with hu
manity and pelitenefs the officers and men that were wounded
—'but to the eternal disgrace of Britain, and the present King
and Parliament, let it be recorded, that in this very action
above related, upwards of thirty Americans (prisoners in the
Milford) were forced, at the forfeit of their lives, to fight
against their countrymen, and the officers and men of the
Yankee Hero, that were not wounded, are now detained in
several of their.lhips, and may meet with the fame cruel fate,
an exaction that even Savages have not been known to require.
. ft is to the credit of the Hero's men, that not one
would enter upon the fhip's books, though not only urged
by every persuasion but by threats.
[Num: 248.