The Sun.
London, England, 1813-01-05 00:00:00

CAPTURE OF Trit LAURA,

By THE DILIGENT.

MINUTES MADE ON BOARD HIS MAJESTY'S gCHOONI
L AURA, LIEUTENANT CHARLES N. HUNTER, CO

MANDER.

":Sept; 8, 1812, at 211.'30m. p. m SaW t
Frem.ch br;,g CaWin arassin,. of whi
we bug. received previous information by (ille
three
~-A:pleriean. ve ;se's Ore had captured, the i`J
of whjeb hlhi been spoken with by the Diiie
0. •
a snort time pr,evions to her capture, off the 1)
'aware ; moment ive were in the It'ct
bringing to tui,American ship and sloop, and lir
paring to.take possession---ant being already r
sluiced TO:forty in our total number,,.'out of "'hi
but thirty-fist mild stand at quarters, :fiat havi
already thirty American prisoners on board
guard, it Would have rendered fis entirely -V
weak to even think '.'of brioging the Diligent'
AtiO'n (who now hoisted French cdlours)i
therefore quitted the ship itnc sloop, and to
dOWn'iin the Diligent, she•being not more
three miles to leeward, the weather thick and bier
I;avin., sent, the prisoners below, prepared I"
action, and within pistol-shot to windward of I`4
at 55m. we hauled up on the starboard be;
and the action commenced ; at 411. 10m. fr"1,,,1
supe.rion sailing of the Diligent, We. were ail' ,
to 'set the courses to keep abreast ; at 4b. lot
'she tacked,' and" we, frOm missing stays, 're
obliged to wear, which brought us almost 81611
side., and the action continued; at 411:3010.1..
Diligent luffed.up close to our quarter,
right tistern, and as she had now gained the *II
of, us, we put our helm up,' to bring our
tl
side to her' again, but her very superior sal"
preycinted it, and At 4h. 40in. she ran her boifsP,:
over our stern and through the main-sail, (win,
l
held, her there) and.-in iale several atterupoti
board under a })envy fire of musquetry and
bow guns, but • was as repeatedly driven felt' r
--Getting now still- more redimeds in our numb
and obliged to repel band to hand the eotnn,,
hoarders; we had but few to oppose their tolaji
roes musketry. At 4h. 55m. no enemy's foot wa
or had been seen, set on board the Lantla
. which time Lieutenant Limiter ;vas shot in ~
head ; he fell, and from excess of bleeding,
'incapable of further of and, unfortinotdi
no officer was, left to take command. In ,et
'e
situation, their great superiority of numbers ",` ,
powered the opposers : they effected a bortilillt
and subdued further resistance.
. " The Laura mounted ten 18-pound etirit(.
,0)
nades,sand two 9-pound guns ; had forty )11,
officers and boys, at the continencenlent,
which five were incapable of standing to (10°,0
thirteen were killed' and wounded in the ac.`o,
and there were thirty prisoners of war to g:'''ool
" The Diligent carries eighteen, but hti"
:fifteen guns of different calibre mounted 4
_7B men after the action, unhurt, and 19 1611'4
wenntledin it."
Ikt.i.Fax, OCT. 26.—0 n Wednesday
Court'Martial was held on board his Alarri,
shit .Statira, . for the trill
olate, schooner Lertre, fc►rtfheL:eutrr,,ntutiitenanftcN.
..,
linntex, the officers and crew of his AlRtses();fii
vessel on the tith !:seistember, to tifelFrenciol)c%
teen
brig Ditig.ent—Vice-Admira)llerbert
President—Captains Byron,' Stackpole, 1t t
and Lord James Townsend, ..11embers.—';
mature consideration, the Court were of lin,
" That the capture of his Majesty's se '‘)(k.
Laura arose front the kiss of Lieut. C. N: P'
her Commander, who, Was obliged to tl'tt4' 8i
deck, being wounded ; until which time
pears to have. conducted himscal in ' the °l'
with the French brig privateer of 51
vier force, in a brave and able manner; lid tti
lie Was gallantly supiiorted by his crew, with "I
exception of William May,, Jahn Browo)
James Cooper.'' The two first-Hawed rers'e
remaining in the -United States of Artericui,
anti thereby tsof-named
ing before the Court, who, it is fully awl c-;i:proved, a
which
person (,lames
quarters tunrei :7;1::
Cooper to be hanged by
of cowardice, negligehee or disaffection,
'd 3."5'
taplfif:llll
Court (10th
ad'udne, the
the neck, 00 b"r
of his. Majesty's ships, and at. such time,- 11
t.as. ti
Commander in Chief .shall think proper; 3,°:„1
is hereby sentenced to stiffer death aceordt'L
The Court doth therefote honourably
Lieutenant Charles N. Hunter ;
and fdahel•o.y,
judge the crew, with the exception of the
mentioned persons, William May, John -"40
, and James Cooper, to be acquitted, and tl,,,sr
hereby acquitted accordingly.''
t
ben ci
Vice-Admiral Sawyer, the President, :J
voted Lieutenant Hun ter his sword, with
propriate•sneech.

f the
• Major RICIEARD WILLIAMS, with 220
Battalion 01 Roy.il Marines, has arrived f;
mouth, from St. Andero, iii the Jo;
PATLIISON. The reina hider, tlie
taliOn, commanded by
ajar MALcoLm
ly expected. They were embarking
Diadem, Captain
,PoILL,IMORE, an'
M
lion. Captain RonNEy. The /cis,
TIAN, would accompany them to
were succeeded in the possessi
and in the investment Of Saflt
the Spanish troops, commit,'
DkiABEL. The Met usa„.
was to remain at St. Aude
to Corunna, to bring a
turday morning orders
the Battalion of Ma'
preceed to Plymour
to sail on Sunday.
The Espie-gle , C
niDuth on Thu;
C;ipe Ortegal,
' during
schooner, v
in the Bay
ot the Cl'
vateer,
superi,
with
g(iir