The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1806-02-11
~ 2.

A
hts lett arm, ut the cofc of the action of yrtfer-
DAY, does not permit him to inform your ex.
seienoy OF that fangunary combat; and altho'
! nave mad the fortune To fpill my blood for the
honour or his niajeay's arms, yet, finding nv
lett leis Inconvenience than the bfavr and wor.
tiny general in chief On whona his maieNy. with
4 conitdehce which he merits, had conferred the
command OF his fleet, I enter upon the painful
GU, heceiiiry obligation of informing your ex.
cenehcy' mat our efforts, aud the heroic diff.
charge OF our duty, have no. been able to avcrs
tots, which would be great If we ,cer. rr,t
iirmiy puriuaded that aotf,iag was left undonr.
and that our honour was fsve,l.
g Know that under date of the ts.h ~
that general Gravina had informed yu,r ,xc.is
lency that Admiral Vileneuve had iirnified r.,
nun ms Intention CT putting To fea the next dsy.
ana delred to Know if the Spannh Touadrc,,
Wss ready 70 accompany him your exceiiency
rs not ignorant of what was the i:,fwer of tbs.
General, iltlsfcd that his fquaeiron woo.d
promptly follow the movemcnis of the Fren,h
ana that fnch were the repeated orders yo,,r
exce.iency had communicated to him.. With
tins information the French admiral returned
on board, and fabitquenty made the (ien for
getting-up anchors, aud fignals, which were ex-
.petted by this iSip, the Principe de ANuria.,
and tol owed by the mott re2siv execution fo,.
embarkins the Artillery which were ON florp.
&c. va iioie'
:. On the morning of the 9TH, fome French
anu opanhh 'hips sot nader weigh, In conlc-
qhence OF hgnal made bs Admiral Yillenenve
but we were not able TO effect it ,ll that dav,
the wind having veered to the S. w. but ret.
ing round to T.. 5. Z. they all fuccefiyeIy Fot
out on the morning OF the Goth.
Scarcely bad we cleared the mouth of the
harbour, when the wind lhifled to the S. VI.
ip trong and with fnch alarming appearances
mat cneot the tIiff lisnals made tv Admiral
Viiieneuvs, who had his flag on board The Bin.
csntasre, waste take IN two reefs in the main
fail; the Uniting of the wind rcel,arirv occ,G-
oned a difperlion of the feet Till towards ,,,A
evening, when the wind again fI,fted, and the
horton clearing. isuI was made TO form in fiv,.
Columns, ami TO unite an advanced frirate
made iignals for Is fail of the enemy in f;,rbt.
and In consequence of this information. the
ih'pa were cleared, and evi y hing got ready
for action. N'
At three we tackled and food on for the
Strengths, Preferving the fame formation of five
Columns, as before this movement. After we
had executed 1t, four of the enemy's frgates
appeared, which were chaced, by order of AL
miral Villeneuve. and to this l.iE he attaehe,,
L.AIele' Algefras, and San Juan. as fauadro1
or obiervation, which might reinforce the ibips
III chaie, with mftruetions to reuuite with the
main body of the feet before nieht fall
At half pait fesen French flip ady;fedus
OF L'Algle having accommodated ls enemv,s
ihips IN line OF battle, and foon after we fay st
no great dfance, ieveral lights which, doubt
lets, were made from the enemy's frieafe in.
terpoted between the two feet:. At nine the
Ength made iignal, by firing eannon, and by
the interval between the fiafn and the rcport.
they appeared TO be difant about two miles.
The trench Admiral made Iignal that it was
neceiiary to form in line of LATHE upon the lee
ware ihips, winch was afterwards rcpeated by
the Admiral; and in this order the dav break
OF The cir came in, witE the enemy in fight, in
number % fhps; among them eight three
deckers, formed in order OF Battle.
AT ieven in the morning the e:iemv ar.
proacned IN different columns upon our fGuad-
ron, in dire ction TO the centre and rear. nno+,
which Admiral Vilieneuve ordered ths m r. -
IN fucceilion, which brought the fuuadron of
obiervation commanded by General Gravina.
INTO the iitnatton of rsat-ghard. General era.
Vlna made to his fquadron the lignas noft pro.
per to enahie them TO perform the variant
movements which the exisency of ci,cu,nfan!
css required, with celerity and precifon, and
on neaIlngthe enemy, be ordered them 10 cIofc
their dIsrances, and complete their order.
at minutes before IL an EneliR, thresE
ecker with flag at her n,ain-top, penetrated
Our line in the centre, fupported by thu jb;r,s
column OF the enemy did the fame; one Of
them doubled our rcar-guard, another entered
between L'higle and San Iidephonfo, and from
this moment the action W as confined TO ft,,i.
Gus combat between the whole of the enemv's
iquadron & the half Of ours, the greateR part Of
the time within piftol 1lot.
81 have not the necehary information 70 EN-.
able me to acquaiat your exceIIency, with the
particulars Of this action, neither can at pre.
fcnt fay any thing of the movements of the
vanguard, which l am afured from the corn.
mencement fupported that part of the fouadron
which was attacked. What | can affirm to
your excellency is, that all the fhips, both
French and Spauih, which were within nv oh.
icryation, mott fully performed their duty"
The latenefs of the hour at which we receiy.
ed this account, eomfels nc TO psGpcHe The re-
| naiDder Till tomorrow. The copcluGon
| ipeaks of teyeral GIips having been dirinaGed.
but does not acknowledge their capture,
| The Temsrare, Tonnant and ColofIus. from
Lord Collingwood's feet arrived at PortGnouth
on Saturday. The number Of killed & wound
cd on board the Tonnant, the return of which
was wanting is Rated at &c killed, & co wound
ed.
| The Victory, Belerophon, and Bellere, from
the fame feet were alto fren the fame day oif