Berkeley and Jefferson intelligencer. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va.) 1802-1810, 1807-07-03

captain k1umpnElcSS uAAleu "e ~"SSd
peake, and said he had 4 dispatch to de,
liver from the British commander il
chief (meauing admiral Berkeley of the
American s.ation) Commodore Barron
surprising it was dispatch for Europe
hove to. when captain Humphries sen,
on-board Of her, letter covering an Or
Der of admiral Berkeley, to take from
the Chesapeake three men. alledged to
be dsserters from the Melampus frigate,
and Designating them by name. Com.
modore Barron replied by letter that nc
such men, as named in admiral Berke.
Iey's order, were on board, and added
that his crew could not be mustered fol
examination by any other officers thar
ohis own. This answer was couched ID
terms Of politeness. 1t was no sooner
received than q broadside was discharged
from the Leopard. The crew of the
Chesapeake were at this time not at quar-.
ters, considering the Leopard friend,
and commodore Barron not contempla.
ting the possibility Of danger SO imme.
diately after leaving the Capes. No other
attempt was therefore made to fight hes
than the discharge Of few struggling guns,
while the Leopard repeated three Dr.
four more broadsides when the Chesa-
peake struck her colors, after having
three men killed aud eighteen woun-
ded.
A boat was then put of from the Leo.
pard with an officer who demanded four
men. Commodore Barron said he con-
sidered the Chesapeake as prize to the
Leopard the captain ofwnich vessel
said, no-that his orders were to take
out the men which, having exc cuted. he
had nothing further to do with her. Thus
dismissed, she returned to Hampton
Roads, where she now lies. She recei.
we'd in her hull twenty two round shot
her forcmast aud main mast were de.
stroyed, her mizen mast greatly injured
and her standing rigging aud sails very
much cut,
Of the wounded eight are considered
dangerous, and two have lost an arm,
Commodore Barron suffered eontusi.
on, received from a splins4, which i.
not serious. No other officer is wounded
excepting midshiPman Broom and he
but slightly.
Nothing evinces in more striking co,
lours the insolence Of Captain Hum.
phre2s. than his immediate return, aftel
thi5 outrage. to the CaPes, where he
y, lies with the other ships ofthe sqaa.
ca. - t-.-- ri --'-. -+.-
- In addition to the foregoing cir
eumstances, copied from the National
lu,elligeucer Of yesterday, it may be
pr, per to add, that representation was
male sometime since by the British
minister to our government, on the sub
iect Of these men who+were claimed by
the British as deserters. An enquiry
was instituted, from which it clearly ap'
peared that the men IN question were
native American citizens and OF this
fact Mr.. Erskine was satisfied.
A cabinet council met on Thursday
evening, Immediately after the receip'
ofthe intelligence, and again on yeste r
day morning. y The result Of their de.
liberations has not yet transPired. 1t j.
however said, that capt. Decatur, who
is now at Richmond, has been ordered
to take command Of the Chesapeake
from which it may be inferred that the
conduct Of commodore Barron will be
enauired into. II was likewise ruuorsd
yesterday evening that congress would
De Immediately convened. j
The secretaries Of war and Of The
treasury are absent.
.Jan< 90.
The atrocious outrage Of the British,
A.,.;l.A In nnr hat has excifed in e nerI