The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1806-03-14
Neet= 1nlies.
BALTIMORE, 9th March.
NAVAL ENGAGEMENT.
OF THE FRENCH

"6P M ENGdGE14ENT.
OBSTRUCTION OF THE FRENCH
FLEET.
by the brig America, arrived yefterday from
the city of St. Domingo, the following impor.
tant intelligence has been received.
The following are the particulars of the en-.
gagement between the French and Enelfh off
ST. Domngo.-They were taken by an evc-wit-
neis from the top of one of the houfes in that
CITY, and are copied from the Gazette of laR
evening.
"ST. DOMINGO, Feb. s. 1906
a" At 8, A. M. the look out fhip of the French
iquadron was feen firing alarm guns, and an
Engl'th fquadron of fevcn fail of the line, two
frgates, one brig and fchooner in cbace of her.
AT half palt A. M. the French fuuadron of
i've hips o!the line and two frigates got under
way and ran to leeward with the 1oop of war
that was on the lookout at 80 minutes nan TO-
the headmot 0.ip of the Englifh, (fuppofed a
74) ran ahead ofthe French fduadron and bro't
them to action : In 90 minutes after another
Br'tiih ihiP of the line fell into action; IN 10
minutes after ihips of the line came into aSt-
on, and IN rs minutes after the commencement,
the action was tyenerai---e French fhips ran on
more and two more were difmaffed The
| action lated hours and 90 minutes By this
time they were 70 far that was unable to fee
what fhips were taken.
February 7, feveral officers and feamen re-
! turned from the admirals flnip the Imperial.
that was on fhore, and faid that her three decks
were battered away: the admiral s. : 50 men
were killed and wounded, the Doomed was alfo
on ihore difmafted in fight of St. Domingo :
the other three thps of the line were how az
certained TO be taken. but not certain of the
fate ofthe loop of war or frigates. At me.
rIdian, heavy fhips pafIed the city, ftcering to
the weitward, but ihewed no colours.
February g, at A. NJ. one of the difmaf-
ed hips hove in fight, with brig and frigate
plying about her. At Q p. M. 4 frieates. 9
ihips OF the line and a brig patIed along the
coait accommodating about the two lhips that
were on fhore {: while the heavy fhips kept a
ltraight courfe, the frigates feemed to keep rang
ing in with the fhore, and had st. GEORGES en-.
iien flying one of the heavy fhips were blue
at the mZen. Night came on and no further
obfcrvations could be made. The French ad.
mIral was Tightly wounded the captain.een
had both his legs fbot off, and the LIT and Cd
lIeutenants on board the Admiral were killed
ofhcers and ieamen were returning to town in
knocking condition. The Jupiter and La
Brave were both difmafed by the hoard in the
hrit of the action. The admira's mat wer,
by the board as fhe was running on fhore. She
was Hlenced nearly an half hour prior to going
aihore."
From theabove-mentioned particulars, which
were taken down as the incidents which tbey
relate occurred & from the details we have
been able to collect from other fources, il ap-
pears, that on the French fguadron paffing bv
st. Thomas's fome perfon Of that iflana hired
a large row boat, and with 20 or more hands
piled away to windward up to Tortola, where
an armed veiiel was lying, which was difpatch-
ed with the utmoft expedition to admiral Coch-
rane, at Barbados, who collected all the
hips which the urgency of the cafe would per-
NIT, and with the force above hated, fcoured
down to leeward till he overlook the French
fquadron at anchor off the city of ST. Domin-
go; where he captured the Jupiter, "a, La
Brave, go, and LAIexandre, "a, and burnt the
fine new fhip l. Imperial, of 81 guns, and Do
| med, "a, after they had been run afhore by
their own officers. The action was an obtinate
and bloody one but the precife lofs of men,
on either iide, is unknown.
The deftruetion of this fleet, If their obieef
was accurately nated blythe officers who efca-
ped from the fhips which were run alhore, is
one OF the mot fortunate events that ever &C.
cured for the infurance Offices of America.-.-
II was no lefs than complete execution of the
arrete OF Ferrand, except, poffibiy, the fsngui-
nary part but it was, at all events, to take or
dcftrSy every American veiIel in the hafbours
or on the coaftof Hayti
We learn that the French fquadron enga-
ged in the late action off ST. Domingo, failed
from Brett IN company with another fquadron
of fail of the line and l frigate, under the
command of prince Jerome Bonaparte, and
parted from them off the Wefern lles-.-their
defination unknown bat from their iteetjug
s. w. courfe, it was concetured that they
were bound for the Cape Of Good Hope