Alexandria gazette, commercial and political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1812-1817, 1813-05-29

month and on the 9th the general re.
quired of Commodore Shaw, to send a
squadron OF gup.boats to take possession
of the bay, and cut of all communica.
tion with Pen,acola. Lieut. Col. Bow.
yer, then stationed near Fort Stoddert,
with respectable force, had been pre-.
yiously ordered to be in readiness to
march en- days notice.
The General left New.OrleaHs on the
goth, embarked on board tho schooner
Alligator, and pushed out of the Bayou
St. John, into lake Ponchartrain, on the
evening Of the same day. The mex:
morning it fell calm, and to expedite the
rendezvous of tbs troops at the Pass
Christian, he got on board barge which
upset in fifteen feet water, opposite the
Petite Bats (nesr where he mad been
wrekced in November last) and he lay
on the keel of the boat some time with
out hope Of dtliyerance, for though Sc
yeral vessels passed, none discovered
his fsrlorn situation; at length the wreck
vas espied by party of Spanish fisher.
nJen from TIE shore, who came to the
relief of the baif drowned party, and
helped TO tow the boat to shore, where
she was rightcd, cleaned, and the gene
raj az sunset again embarked, ard co,
ia,o the Petite Cosuille aboct midnight,
haying made a traverse OF three leagues
across an arm OF the lake. Ths troops
here destined for the enterprise, were
mustered the next day, and embarked
for the general rendezvous the LIST Of
April, under the convoy of gun-bost No.
81, which running aground in the Re-
gulets, then almost sun set, the General
ordered tbs transports to make the best
of their way to their destination he fol-
lowed the next morning, and in the g
vcuiDg run OH shore on Grand Isles.
He then left the gun boat, got on board
a slallsp, and reached the Pass at mig t.
fall, having received two shots from gun
beat No. %, as he passed the buy OF ST.
Louis, one Of which went between the
mast.. The next morning, the Sd, an
express wa. dispatched to order Lieut.
Col Bowyer to fall down the Mobile ri.
yer, and occupy tho bank on the oppo
site side of tho bay. Finding at the
Same time that com. Shaw's orders had
not reached the gan-boais first intended
for the blockade, (they having been pre-
yiously ordcres! BY Lieut. cambridge to
hi. relief at the mouth Of the MisslssIp
pi where he was aground) the GsaeraI
pushed forward the aimed boat hltIsa
tor into the bay, under the command rl
Mr. Shepherd, with sergeant, corpor-I
and twelve men. On the 4th, Conlmn'
dors Shaw reached the Pass, aid ths
mex. day dispatched Lieut. Honey in a
eun.boat to enter the bay. Every thing
being arranged, and completely equip.
ped, with so scaling ladders the troop:
embarked the 7,h, the wind ahead. On
the 9Th at night, under SHIFT CT vino
transports beat out OF the Pass OF Chris.
ian, & contendihg with adverse winds
reached the Pass of Heron on the eve.
ming of the 10th. A party under capt
Atkinson was dispatched to bring off a
Spanish guard and the pilot from Dau
pMn I,lapd, which service was perform
ed before midnight, ana the next morn
ing the Spanish corporal and Six met
embarked on beard schooner bouud
for Pensacola. Three of the trans
ports were behind at 10 o'clock----thc
general determined, nevertheless, to
push forward. and accordingly the trans.
ports were p.loted through the very ma
row pass, several of them ground. +
a short time Commodore Straw mad left
the notilla and passed QUITO sea the G.
veniug before, between the Islands la
Corn aid Petite Bols.---he was now seel,
cruizius in the bay, with number OF
vessels brought to under the All gator &
lieutenant Rouey's boat, among them a
transport. with lieut. Of Artillery and
party of troops, provisions and Other
articles, destipea TO Fort Charlotte L.
the mean time lieut. col Bowyet, with
great diligence, had descended the Ten
saw, and pitched his camp opposite lie
town with pieces OF BIAS, ordnance
Our hotllla, after getting into the bay,
cast anchor, and the general and the
commodore had conference respecting
the plan Of debarking. The arrange
mehts being made and the necessary or
ders being given, he made sail In beau
tiiul order and reached lance a Nc.
vile just after nigh, fall. The wind dl
ed away, the air was serene, and the
moon shonc with greet lustrs-a pro-
found silence ensued-but the troops
were on shore and formed before two o
clock, and the music which foll we'd,
gave the first intimation to the CON-
mandant of the generals approach.
The next day about noon 600 men ad-
vanced in celunn, ard took post In iron
OF the fort in neighboring wood IN
the mean time Major H. ID Pierce, all
ald-de.cnMp TO tho General, bore sum
n0ne RI fka 1.pt d,n: nd, NC