Alexandria daily advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1803-1808, 1808-06-25

A letter transmitted from rear admiral
I Purvis 90 vice admiral che right hon.. lord
Coliingwoed.
His uaiesty's shin .dlcesge, IN shore,
of acadiz, -4tlril Z.
SIR,
have the honor TO inform you, that
ghcD al anchor sn-day with his maics,y's
ship Mercury, and Gsasshspper brig, St.
Sebas:,ar's lighthouse S. r distance three
miles. wiod wsw. large copyoy Of the
.soemy was discovered coming close along
shore Erona The nofshward, underNthe pro-
Ssection of about 20 gun boats and apume.
rous train Of artillery on the beach. Al
8F.M. made The signal to weigh amidst,
lack the Convey, aud stund directly IN fer
The body OF sher, tIssn off the town OF
Ro,s; at 4 the epemy's shots and shells
fss3 The gon boats and batteries goingiar
over Us; his uaiesty's ships opened their
ERE, which was kept up with great vivscify
u1til half pas, 6, when We had taken OF
the conway, ADD drove great macy on
shore on The saif; compeAedshe gun boats
20 Ye,reas, which they did very re:Ucsans.
", and nes uesil tive Of shem were Destroy
ed snd acinssl, s;lsnced tbs batteries at
R0,.s wh:eh latser service was performed
BY ,ae extraordinary gsiiansry and good
ronaots of capisia Seaae, in the Grass
hoppes, who kept In upon the shoaito she
soushvaId of toe town, SO near, as TO
drive the enemy from the guos with grape
from his 32-paand carr onades, aud es the
same TINS ksps 10 check tsivislcn of gun
boats that hsd come OUT from Cadiz 20 as
slss the Others engagcd by she A!cesse &
Mercury. I. was general cry ~ Doth
shins { only look how nobly the brig bs-
HAYES !'
The SITUATION Of on, little eqladron y az
ysther cri,icsl one, tack,ng eeesy hsseen
minutes close on the edge OF the shoal,
with the wind in. aud frequently engag,
ed on bofh sides; in the heat OF the &C,
aioa, the frs, lieufeuans, Allen SSewast,
volunteered TO board the convoy, II l
wosld give him the boats. was SO s'ruek
] wish the saIlsnsry of the OFF,, that could
posrefrain from grau,iog them, although
attended with great risk. Haven't, &C
scooapan;ed with lieutenant P'pon ACC i'eu
serans Hawky of the royal marines, whp
most handsomely velun esred 10 GO, as
,hsir party were chiefly emp!nyed working
THE ship; Mr.. Arscott and Wr. Day, mas.
ster's mates, Messrs. Parker, Adair, Csook
4 er, NI,Csul. aud N.Lsan, midsh;pmen;
4 they were soon ioiiowed by the Msfoo'y 5
boats, onder the command OF lieut.. Cor
don, and lieat. Wyiock. Mr.. Duocan add
Mr.. K. Cummings, mastes's mates. Inc
beats led ey lieut.. Ssewars, poshed on IN
the most gallsot msnner, boarded 8 nTot
opt seven taYsans frcm uudcr the very
urzzle of The enemy's guos, end from
under,he proseeuouSof the barges 800 pm,
xuaces Of ,h-. combined hsef, which had oy
that time ioired rhe gau-boass.
Twas greatly indebted to lieuts. Hickman
and Jeryoise (who both wished to go ia the
beats for the spirited and we'll directed nre
they kept I'D from the main deck also to
Mr.. WestlaEe, the master, for his great at,
tenlion to the steering and working the snip,
and have much pleasure in adding that the
other officers, seaIlen AID marines bchaVeu
with the utmost bravery and GOODNESS, caps.
Gorslcn and Searle iwhose gaiiantFy ana eA-
cellert corduotit mightbe prcsunaptlohlh an
officer of my standing in the service to com
nsent eponl also report upon the great brav 'ns
Try and GOODNESS of their respective ofiiecfS'
sean,en and marines. 1t is with much Yiea.
sure have to add, the frigates have received
no material damage the Mercury an anciio .
shot away, her sails and rigging cut, though
not much our sails and rigging IN the same
way; but the Grasshopper, am sorry 70
saw, is great deal damaged in the nun, the
main topmast shot througa sails ana r'i's''iiis
-,Si~eing cut almost to pieces she had one iiia'
morally wounded, the gunner aud two others