Alexandria daily gazette, commercial & political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1808-1812, 1811-09-14

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the crew Of ths President consisted OF
$40 men, out Of whom upwards oil SUI
were English, Irish and scotchmen; all
Of whom are ready to attest that the Anne
rican frigate fired the first gun. The Ann
also brings intelligence, that the si'sh'
reucounter between the EurydIce anu an
other American fi'igate, has been apollo
gized for by the American captain pas
Sing his word Of honor, that there were
no orders given for the firing OF the gun
The express which brought the us
matches from Paris for the John Adams
frigate. arrived from the capital in thirty
hours, when the American ship OF war
Immediately set sail for the English coast
and without touching at the port, as we
have already stated, sent boat on shore
with dispatches from Dir. Russell to Mr.
Smith, charge d'affaires of the United
States. resident here. They contain an
account that the Two Brothers. the Good
Intent and the Star, captured since the
1st of November, have been released, on
satisfactory proof being produced that tine
property was American. 1t is asserted
that the numerous others detained under
the like circumstances, will be immediate
" surrendered to the claimants by the
French government.
It is stated on the same authority, that
the proceedings in these cases, on the part
of the captors, in the French courts OF
admiralty, are not at all founded on the
Berlin and Milan DEGREES, which are held
by the judges of those courts to have been
abrogated, and rendered null and void
since the tst of November last.
Extract Of letter from an officer of
his majesty's ship Gibralter, dated Bas-
cue Roads. June IS :-"In the afternoon
of Friday last the boats of the squadron
at this anchorage were dispatched by Com
modore Plampin, under the orders Of
Lieutenant Harrington of this ship, to in
tercept convoy of about twenty chassee
marees, deeply laden, making run from
Isle d'Aix to Rochelle. Lieutenant III.
in dashing style, drove the greater part
under their batteries but unfortunately
while wearing off shore, the barge, in
which he was, received a shot in the stern
sheets, which killed three men and wound
ed four; the boat Immediately sunk, hay
ing twelve FOUNDER carronadc with pro-
portion OF shot in her. 1t is with disgrace
to the enemy l inform you, i batteries
instantly confined their object with round
and grape shot to the sinking boat how
ever, We sustained no further damage, as
the Sceptre and Diana's boats Immediate
ly picked them up, with the exception of
the three killed. The enemy's force IN
der the strong battery of Isle d'Aix, is one
line of battle ship and three frigates,
seemingly with no particular wish to be
conveyed into an English port, as they
have their batteries very near"
The American brig Alert, from Dor
deaux, is arrived at Portsmouth, detained
by the Nestal, Hon. Captain Berkely.-
This vessel, soon after size left Bordeaux,
was fallen in with by the Semiramis, capt.
Richardson, who put several hands into
her, and sent her for Plymouth. When
they arrived off Ushant, the Americans
rose upon the British seamen, and took
possession of the ship. -Four of the men
they battened down, and the others they
sent adrift in the .joily-boat. Soon after
wards the Vestal fell in with the Alert
the captain represented the inutility ofde-
tanning him, as he had been just boarded
by the Semiramis. Captain Berkeley,
however, was not satisfied with this rea-
son and upon his expressing his deter
to send the vessel into British
port, the American captain told the truth, |
and accordingly four men belonging to
the Semiramis were discovered in the !
hold. The men sent away in the jolly
boat have not been heard of.
July 20.
A gentleman just arrived from Ostend,
states, that Bonaparte, by way of diver
sion in favour of his armies in the PENN
sula, has resolved to menace us again with
a descent upon our own shores. Nume-
rous bodies Of troops were marching for
the coast from Ostend to Bolougne. Al