Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1805-10-02

Fe testities, that, when il was s,etecrnined
to shandnn the rhilade,phia, ne received
Csf'a'n bninbsidge's orders TO scu,,lc her
which he executed by calling to his assist
snce. histwo macs, and piercing her bot.
tom with chzcis and augers in sufiicien,
places, az he thought to fill her, aud then
refouea 10 the proper officer: but the
Turks, he believes, got ON board in sea
son to sop the holes and prevent her fill.
ing.
Mr.. FIH;am Knighf was called in and
asked by the court If ever he had chart
in his possession ehich laid down shoal
where he Philadelphia grounded
/ Mr.. Knight answered-No !,
Mr. Peterson, rpidshipman was call
ed into court, and being sworn. testified
tina, he destroyed the mumerary signal
book 9th Philadelphia by Captain Balm
bridges orders before leaving her.
5lr. anderson was examined concerning
The dispositions made ofthe Philadelphia's
s;gnalbcok, Who declared that he saw capt.
cambridge tear them both up and hand
them TO some officer to be burned or
thrown over board.
Al the opening of the court Capt. Balm
bridge laid before them the following
statement.
GENTLEMEN,
Having 10 account to government for
the loss OF the United States frigatc Phi
ladtphia, then under my commando it is a
consolato,y circumstance to see that it is
before IA irqusi,ion, which, by its nauti-
cal knowledge, win be 80 fully adequate TO
form correct opinion IF the affair. and to
give that decision on my conduct which
beth the public and my self must be assur-
ed will he lust,
In my narrative OF this unhappy event,
] shall mention nv sending the United
States sohoonerto cruise off Cape Bon,
& The causes that led to thai circumstances,
which increased the misfortune that after.
wards he!el US, and then detail the incl
dents 'hal took place on The day Of our
grounding, from t6e time of giving chase
in tho morning iii surrendering 10 the c.
nemv.
We left Melta tie Sd Of October, to re-
pair to cur station c # Tlipoli, and to block
a6c that port according TO the orders of
Commodore prebIe. We arrived there
on The 7th, end continued to cruize of the
town, with he Vixen in company, withoo,
meeting ary occurrence of consequence
I'll TIE t9;h, when we spoke en- Imperial
brig, as SIZE came out ofihe harbor OF rri. !
pali which insorrned rs that Two Of the
ctUizers Of that regency were out upon a
c.uize. In consequence OF THIS iniorma
tcr, and thinking II most rrchable that
they wer. tn the westward, fordsred l. Gu
tersri Commandani Smith Of the Vixen,
10 Cape BON, and cruize sh-re as he most
likely place of falling in With them, should
they be returning from that quarter, and
a. the same time safer situation for the
schooner than off TropeIi at that season
OF the year, where the gales blew with
great violence on shore, attended With a
henty sea. On the goth the Vixen &C
cordingly left &c. The 25d of the month
we lad very heavy gale from the north
ward and westward, which drove US seye-
raj leagues 10 the eastward Of our station.
On the 9lsst Of October, being about SIX
leagues 10 the eastward OF Tripoli, at 9
a. N. we saw sail in there and standing
TO the westward we gave chase. and at I ]
O'Clock came near enough for our shot TO
reach her, and the soundings not allowing
or cur running in shore, we continued TO
chase along the lard. having on and off
shore as We Eourd The soundIngs from
20 9 and 10 fathoms, in expectation OF Ell
Their disabling or driving her on shore, in
which case we should have Captured or de-
siroyed her. Az half past u, when with
in league and half from Tripoli, seeing
no probability Of preventing the chase
from getting into port we ceased firing
and hawled of shore, then having eight ia
ihoms v2ter. We had not gone more
than two cables length before we sudden
" shoaied. and the next morne@t the ship
struck forward, and having eigh, and q half
nots way, shot up as far on the rock as 10
bring 1t 10 tne ale part Of The fore chains,
where she stopped. Her sle,n being at
this lime clear Of the ground, che anchors
were cut Immediately from the bows lex
ccpt one) the guns run AFT, and ali tbe sails
lani absck, in hopes OF prcssip.; her or, rs
il blew strong breeze but the Wind be-
inc on oVr stanford besms ard The sea set
ting viii Il directly upon the rocks, sooB
hove our stern upon them in J z feet wafer.
,Uhsrs 40 Law with otr IsTboe rd mort ella