Alexandria daily advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1803-1808, 1805-03-09

(T6 be eontinued.)
7coty efe letter ffom Commodore Preble TO-
RE C.c.sf,.,, ,c tbb N,s,,, =.

l7cofy sfa letter fran Commodore PreNe to
| the Secretary Of the Macy. as
Accompanying the, Presidents mes
sage, inserted in the Advertiser, Of We'd
-nesday, the 9th ultimo-
ps~ (Contiaued.j
: The bashaw's castle and town have SUI.
9ered very much; as have their crown and
mole batteries. Captains Decatur and So
mers conducted their divisions of gan
boats with their Usual irmness and address /;
and were we'll supported BY the officers aud
men attached to- them. The Drigs and
schoonsrs were also well conducted during
the action, and fired a number of shot at
the enemy; but their guns are too Zig ht to
do much execution. They suffered cons;.
derably in their sails and rigging. The
officers aud crew Of the Constitution be-
haved we'll. Iesnnot In Justice to captaia
Chauncey, omit noticing the very able as
sistance | received from him on the quar-.
ter deck of the Constitution, during the
whole of the action. The damage which
we have received is principally above the
hull /; three lower shrouds, two spring
stays, two topnast back stays. trussss,
chains and lifts of the main yard shot a.
way.
Our sails had several cannon shot thru
them, and were besides considerably cut
by grape; much of our running rigging
cut to pieces, one of our anchor stocks
and our larboard cable shot away, and a
number of grape shot were sticking IN dif-
frrent parts Of the hull; but not man
hurt a boat belonging to the John Adams,
with masters mate (Mr. Creighton) and
eight men, was sunk by double headed
shot from the batteries while in tow of the
Nautilus, which killed three men and bad
ly wounded one, who with Mr.. Creighton
and the other four, were picked up by one
of our boats. The only damage our gun
boats sustained was in their rigging and
sale, which were considerably cut with the
snemy's round and grape shot.
At II A. NJ. we anchored with the scua.
dron S miles N. L. by N. from Tripoli,
and repaired the damage received in the
action.
goth and 3oth, preparing the bomb yes
sells for service; supplying the gun boats
with ammunition, &c. slst. a vessel ar.
rived from Malta with provisions and
stores; brought no news of commodore
Barron, or the frigates. We discharged
this vessels cargo and ordered her to re-
turS.
September the second the bomb vessels
having been repaired and ready for service
leutenan,s Dent and Robinson, resumed
the command Of them. Lieutenant Nor.
ris Of the Argus took command Of No. 8,
and lieutenant Trippe having nearly reco.
vered from his wounds resumed the COM 1
mand of No. +, which he so CALAMITY con-
Quoted the third ultime.
Capt. Chauncy with several young gen.
tlemen, and sixty men from the John A.
dams, volunteered on board the Consti,u.
ton. At four P. M. the signal to weigh |
kept Under sail all night. AtIIP. N. a
signal to prepare for battle; a Spani> h
Polacre in ballast, came out Of Tripoli with
an ambassador of the Grand Ssignior on
board, who hac been sent from CONSTANT
nople to 1ripoii to confirm the Bashaw
in his title; this ceremony takes place 10
all the barbary r<gencies, every FIVE years.
The captain Of this vessel informed us
that sar shot and she'll had made great ha-
vock and destruction in the city and among
the shipping, and that vast number of the
people have been killed also informs Us
that three of the boats which were sunk
BY our shot, in the actions of the Sd.
and % h ult. hal ieen got Up, repaired and
fitted for s:'vlce.
Sd. Ata, P. VI. Tripoli bore s. S. w. 2
Ia miles distant, wind E. by NJ, AT half
past the signals were made for the gun
boats TO cast off, advance and attack the e.
nemy's galies and gun boats, which were
all under weigh in the eastern part of the
harbor, whittier they had for some time
been working up against the wind. This
wa. certainly judiciou. movement of
theirs, - it precluded the possibility Of
boats going down to attack the town, with
out leavinS the enemy's ho,illa, ID their /