The Sun.
London, England, 1814-09-28 00:00:00

Uaom THE LONDON GAZ6I"IT, SEI;T. 27.

mir any- Office , Scl)t . 27, 1814.

Copy of a Letter from Vice-Aamital the Hon. Sir ALICXANDE
COCHRANE, K. 13.it0 JOHN ‘V'T LsON OVOIKV.R., Esq. data on
hoard his Majesty's ship
.Tonnant, in the Patuxent, the

3d instant.
ft-,4 regret 'having occasion to detain the Iphigenia for a
few minutes to inform the- Lords Com Missioners of the Admi-
ratty, 'of the death of Sir PETER PARREN, Bart. late Captain
of the Menelaus, which has just been announced to me by a
letter from the surviving commanding, officer, of which I en-
close a copy.
My dispatch of yesterday will have apprised their Lordships
of my having sent the Menelaus up the Chesapeake, above
Baltimore, to make a diversion in- that quaker.
• It apkrs that after having frequently dislodged small bodies
of the enemy, by landing parties of seamen and marines, her
Captain at length was drawn into an attack upon a- force
which proved to he greatly his superior in numbers, and ac-
companied by artillery;
In a successful. attack 'triton this superior force, and while
smiting the enemy, he received a wound that in a,few minutes
terminated his existence, and I have to lament the loss not
only of this gallant and enterprising Officer, but of many
brave men who were killed and 'wounded on the same occa-
sion, of. which a return is. inclosed.
• I have the honour to be, &c. ,
ALEX. COCIIRAN.E, Vice-Admiral
•
and Comniander-in-Chief.

H. M. Sloop Menelaus, off Pool's Is!artily'.
Chesapeake, Sept. l •
' Sin—With grief the deepest it becomes my duty tii coomin.
nicate the death of Sir Peter Parker, Bart. late bortintander
of his Majesty's ship Menelaus, and the occurrences attend-
ing an attack on the enemy's troops on the night of the
tilt. encamped at Bellaire The previous and accompanying'.
letters of Sir Peter Parker will,- I presume, -fully point out
the respect the enemy on all occasions educe at the approdtli
of our arms, retreating at every attack, though possessing a
superiority of numbers of five to one; .an intelligent black
titan gave us information of two hundred militia being en-
camped behind a wood, distant half a mile from the beach,
and described their situation, so as to give us the strongest
hopes of cutting off and securing the largest part as our pri-
soners, destroying the camp, field-pieces, &c. and possessing
also certain information that one man out of every five had
been levied as a requisition on the eastern shore, for the pur-
pose of being sent overfor the protection of Baltimore, and who
are now only prevented crossing the,bay by the activity and
vigilance of the tender and ship's' boats. 'Ode lindred. and
four, bayonets, With twenty pikes, were landed at- eleven
o'clock at tight, under the immediate direction of Captain
Sir Peter,Parker,' Bait.; the -first division -headed by myself,
and the second division by Lieut. Pearce. On arriving at
the grOtind we discovered the enemy had Shifted his po.ition,.
as we .mere then informed, to the distance of a mile farther ;
having taken the look-out picket inimediately on "out-landing,
we were in assurance our motions had not been discovered,
and with the deepest silence followed on for the camp. After
it march of between four and five miles in the country, we
found the enemy posted on a plain, surrounded by woods,
with'the camp in their rear;' they were draWtf Upin line, and'
perfectly ready to receive us ; a single moment was not to be-
lost; by a smart fire; and instant charge, we'commenced the
attack, forced them from their position, putting them before
as, in full retreat to the rear of their artillery, where they
again made a stand, shewinga disposition to outflank. us on.
the right; -a movement was instantly made by Limit. Pearce's
division Ito force them from that quarter; and it Was at this'
time, while animating his men in the• most heroic manner,
that Sir Peter Nrker received his mortal 'wound, which
obliged him to quit the field, .and lie expired in a. few
:mi-
nutes. Lieut. Pearce, with his division, soon routed :the
enemy, while that under my-command gaintd and .passed the
camp. One of the field-pieces were momentarily, in our pos-.
session, but-obliged to quit it front superior numbers. • '
The marines, under Lieutenants IleynOn and Poe, formed
oar centre, and never was bravery more conspicuous. Find-
ing it impossible to close on the enemy froM the rapidityof
their. retreat, having pnrsued them upwards, of a mile, I deem-
ed it prudent to retire towards the beach, which was effected
in the best possible order, taking with us from the field 25 of
our wounded, the whole we could find, the enemy not even
attempting g to regain- the ground' they had lost; - from three
prisoners (cavalry) taken by us, we learnt their force.amount-
ed to 500 militia, a troop of horse, and five pieces of artillery,"
and since by flags of truce, I am led to believe their number
much greater, -
Repelling a force of such magnitude with so small a body'
as we opposed to them, will, I trust, speak for itself; and al-
though our loss has-been severe, I hope the 'lustre acquired
to our arms will compensate for it. Permit me, Sir, tubber
to your notice the conduct of - Mr..liimes Stopford Fiore,
Master's-Mate of this ship, who on this as well as on other
trying occasions, evinced the greatest zeal and gallantry. In
justice to Sub-Lieutenant Johnson, commanding the Jane
tender, I must beg to notice the handsome manner in-which
he has at all times volunteered his services.
Herewith I beg leave to enclose you a list of the killed,
wounded, and missing in this affair,-
I have the honour to he, &c.

(Signed) HEN. CREASE, Act. Com
Lisr of OFTICFRS,SEAMEN, and MARINEs,,KiIIed, Wounded;
&e. belonging to his Majesty's•ship Menelaus, on the morn-
. ing of the 31et of August, 1814, HENRY CREASE, Esq. Act-
ing Commander. _ _ _

AV/ed.—Sir Peter Parker, Bart. Captain; J. T. Sandes,
midshipman; Robert Friar, quarter-master; Rowland Robin-
son, quarter-master ; James Perren, swabber; Thomas Do-
fis, sail-maker ; George Hall, ordinary seaman ; John Evans,
serjeant of marines; Win. Hooper, Win. Davis, Robert
Johnson, Wm. Rogers, Wm. Powell, and Robert Jones, pri=
rate marines. .

froiiiiiled.—Thos.Fitzmanrice, boatswain's-mate, severely;
John M' Allister, able seaman, severely; Joseph Daley, able
seaman, severely ; John Wilson, able seaman, severely;'
Jamek Mooney, ordinary seaman, severely; Michael'Cullin,
ordinary seaman, slightly; 'John Bath, ordinary seaman, se-
verely ; John Samuel, captain of the' mast, slightly; James
Cooper, able seaman, severely; John Malcolm, ordinary
seaman, severely; Nrchibald M'Arthur; captain of the' fore-
castle, severely; Wm. ;\', 01,- ordinary seaman, slightly; Thos.
Totlield, litarter-master's-mate, severely; Miebaet Flanigan,
quarter-gunner, slightly; B. G. Bayman, First Lieutenant of
Hatines, severely ; George Poe, Second Lieutenant of Ma-
rines, slightly ; James Listt,private marine, slightly ; :Wm.
Harvey, private marine, slightly; John Schriber, private
marine, slightly; Willian Pritchard, private marine, severely;
George Morrell, private marine, slightly; William Gulathain,
p'rivate marine, severely ; Edmund Turner,.private marine,
severely ; William Smith, private marine, slightly; James
Manderson, ordinary seaman', severely; John Rowe, land-
man, severely; George Hobbs, captain of the foretop, se-
verely.

Total-14 killed; -27 wOunded.
{Signed) 'HENRY CREASE:, Act'. Com.
A. S. 4NtRINGS, Surgeon.

Adniiralty-o.ifice, Sept. L 27 , 1814.
Rear-Admiral Lord Torrington bas transmitted to John
WiLon Croker, Esq. a Letter frOm Captain Somerville, of
his Majesty's ship,Rota, giving an account of his having on
the 31st of July, eapturees off the Fortugas the Cora Ameri-
can letter of marque, carrying four six-pounders and 28 men,
bound from New Orleans to the Haviiiinah.
_

• IThis Gazette contains a List of 21 Ships anctVessels cap-
tured or detained by his Majesty's Ships and VesSels -on the
Leeward Islands Station, between the 2d February and 13th
June 1814.]