The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1805-03-05

hroadiides i'm the Ba.haw's earle, town and bat
teries, in tituation where more than 20 guns
could bear upon us.-One of their batteries WAS
6lenced-The town, Cattle, andother batteries
copIiderably damaged. BY this time, it was
half paft four o'cock.-The wind was en-
creating and inclining rapidly to the northward.
/ made Ihe iiguai for the boats TO retire from
action, and for the briggs and fchooners TO take
them in tow, and ioon after hauled of with the
Contribution to repair damages. Our maintop
railwas totally difabled by llieli from the bat
tcries, which cut away the leach rope and ieve-
raj cloths the fail. Another ihcll went through
the fore topflil and one through the
iib. All our fails coniderably cut-two
topmaf backitays ihot away, mainsheet, fore
tacks, lifts, braces, bowlines, and the running
rigging generally very much cut, but no fhot
in our hull, excepting flew grape. Our gun
boats were an hour and fifteen minutes in acti-
on. They diiabed feversl OF the enemy's gal
lies and boats, and comfortably damaged fort
Englih. Nor of our boats received damage
in their rigging and fails. The bomb veael No.
l, commanded by lieutenant Robinfon was diff
ahled every ihroud being ihot away-the he'd
the mortar rendered uelefs, and the vs!lcl
near linking. She was however lowed off. a
bout fifty illells were thrown into the town, and
our boats fired 400 round ihot, beiides grape
and caniher. They were led into acton by
captains Decatur and Somers with their ufIai
gallant,y. The briggs and fchooners were hand
fomely conducted, and fred many lllot with
effect at fort Eng.iih, which they were near e.
noush to reach with their carronades. They
fuftred coniideraby in their rigging, and the
Argus received 80 pound fhot in the hull for,
ward, which cut off bower cable as it entered.
We kept under weigh until IL P. NJ. when we
anchored, Tripoli bearing S. S. w. s leagues.
Iagain with Dleafure acknowledge the fervces
of an able and active officer in captain Chaun-
cey. ferving on the quarter deck OF the Conlt-
tuition. At fun rife made the Ggnal for the
fquadron to prepare for action. The carpen-
tiers were fent on board the bombs to repair
damages, and our boats employed in fupplying
the bombs and gun boats with ammunition, and
to replace the expenditures.
DeGrous of annoying the enemy, by all the
means in my power, directed to be put into
execution long contemplated plan of Tending
freihip, or Internal, into the harbor of Tri-
poll, in the night, for the purpofe of endeavor-
ing TO deftroy the enemy's illipping, and fhat-
ter the bahaw's cattle and town. Captain So
mers, of the Nautilus, having volunteered his
fervices, had, for feveral days before this peri
cd, been directing the preparation of the ketch
Intrepid, affixed by Lieuts. Wadfworth and
Ilrael. About 100 barrels of powder add so
fixed flIeils, were apparently iudiciouny difpo-
fed of on board her. The fuzes leading to the
magazine. where all the powder was depolited,
were calculated 10 burn quarter of an hour.
September 9TH. The Intrepid being prepared
for the intendedfervice Capt. Somers and Lieut..
Wadfworth made choice Of two of the faltef
rowing boats in the fquadron, for bringing them
out. After reaching their defination and fir
ing the combufiole materials, which were to
communicate with the fuzes, capt. Somers'
IL,
titus, and lieut.. Wadfworth's, with from
the Contribution. Lieut.. Ifrael accompanied
them. At 8 in the evening, the Intrepid was
under fail, and Handing for the port, with lea-
ding breeze from the eafward. The Argus,
Vixen and Nautilus conveyed her as far as the
rock. On entering the harbor, feveral ihot was
fired 1T her from the batteries. In few mi
nutes after, when flIe had apparently nearly
gained the intended place of de1tination, ff,e
fuddenly exploded, without their having pre-
viouly fired room filled with fplinters and o.
Their cornbufibles, which were intended to Gre
ate blaze, in order to deter the enemy from
boarding, whit the fire was communicating
to the fuzes, which led to the magazine. The
effect of the expolion awed their batteries into
profound filence, with aftoniihment. Not a
gun was afterward fred for the night. The
fhrieks of the inhabitants informed US that the
town WAS thrown inc grrairff error and
conformation by the explofon of the maya
zine, and the burting and falling of lhells in
all directions. The whole fquadron waited with
the utmoR anxiety to learnthe fateof the adven-
turers, from aignalPreviouny agreed onin cafe
of fuccefs, but waited in vain no 6gns of their
fafety were to be obferved. The Argus, Vixen
and Nautilus lowered round the entrance of
the port until funrile, when they had fair view
of the whole harbor. Not a veltige of the
ketch or boats were to be feen. One ofthe enc
my's largeA gun-boats was milling, and three
others were feen very much ihattered and da-
mayed, which the enemy were hauling on
fhore. From thefe circumstances | am led to
believe, that thefe boats were detached from
the enemy's notilla to intercept the ketch, and
without fnfpeSting her to be fire-fhip, the milf
fling boat had fuddenly boarded her, when the
gallant Somcrs and heroes of his party, obferv-
ing the other three boats surrounding them, and
no profpect of efcape, determined at once to
prefer death and the deitruetion of the enemy,
to captivity and torturing flavery, put match
to the train leading directly to the magazine,
which at once blew the whole into the air, and
terminated their exiftence. My conie6ures ref
peefing this affair are founded on a refolution,
which capt. Somers, lieuts Wadfworth and IT.
rael had formed, neither TO be taken by the enc
my, nor fuffer him TO get poHelIion of the pow
der on board the Intrepid. They expected to
enter the harbor without difcovery, but had
declared, if they fhould be disappointed, and
the enemy nIould board them, before they
reached the point of deltination, in fuch force
as to leave them no hopes of fate retreat, that