Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1813-12-20
WAsHINeroN CRY, DEC. 16.
The Essex Frigate.

NAshi NGToN CITY, DEC. 10.
The Essex Frigate.
Cones Of letters f;-om Cant. Darn poR-
YER. commanding me u Ssafes Filgate
ESSer, 20 the Secretary offhe .Nauy. ua.
United States Frisate Essex.
CO.., Pacific Ocean, July :, 1918.
have the honor To inform YOU that on the
29oh o. Aprii in he latitude of 40, ". long. Q,
10 w. ABOUT twenty miles TO the northward of
the Island o. Albemarie, one of the Galapagos,
IN the Pacific &C an, ca turs the B, itish shin
hontezuma two Others beng in signt, clos,
together distant tf,m Us toodt seven niles
which we were ipiorHied We're ihe British let.
tsrs of marque ships Obey and Georgiana-
the first mounting Ten guns, 6 and 9 poilnders
tho other SIX S Founders, four swiyels, and
SIX long b'unoe rbusses, mounted on swivels
The wind being lght aud variable, and conf
eng greatly IN che bravery aud enterprise of
my officers ard men, and ap;rehensive Of their
escape, from the prevalence of fogs in that eli.
mate, directed the boats OF dis ship To he
armed and manned, and divided INTO two diyi
Sons, placing the first under the command of
hieutenan Downes lst Leuteuan,, in whale
boat, accompanied by midshipman Farragutt.
The officers in command of boats under Lieu
tenant Downes, were, Lieuienant S. ID Ms
Knight, IN the rd cutter, accompanied Nv Mid
shipmln w H. Odenheimer, Saiiin, Master
John r Coweli, IN the jolly boat, accompanied
~ Mldshipman II w Ogden, and Midshlpman
q orge isGacs, in the Cd cutter The second
DIVISION under lie comm,nd of lieutenant
NVmer, 2nd E'euttnanJ IN tn rinnact, accom.
panied by Mdshpman Henry Cray and Mas
ters Mate James Ferry; lieutenant Wilson
and Mr. Shaw, Purser, IN the lst cutter ana
Lieutenant Gamble, of the marines, in the gig
Suitable Signals were established and each
at had her particular station pointed out Tor
the attack, anti every other prev ious arrange
ment was made to preven cotfusion The
boats, seven IN lber, rowed of in admirable
oFu.r S'ias were fired from the enemy to
terrliy them they rowed up under the muz
zies OF the guns and took their stations for at
taekins ,he first ship, aud no sooner was the
Am rican nag sisplaycd, by LleUt. Downes, as
'he signal Tor boarding, ana the intention WIS
discover by the enemy, th4n he coiors wer.
struck, without shot being fired SO much
wefe thy daunted by the intrepidty OF our
brave officers and men. They then LEFT crew
on board the prize nd took their stations tor
attacking the other vessei, when her flag was
Hiso struck, ON he first cali to surrender Thu.
were two 'ine BIZ tish ships, each pierced for 2,
guns, wo.th hear halt million of dollars
mounting between them gurs. and mannec
wlth55 men, welt supplied with ammunition
aud small arms surrendered, withou. he
siisiits 81 resistarce, 10 seven small open beats,
with ht'y men, armed only with muskets, PTS
tots, boarding axes aud cutlasses Be assur
ed, SIR, that Britons have either learned to re-
spect the courage of Americans, or they are
rot so courageous themselves as they would
wish us 10 believe.
have the honor to be, with great respect
your obt. servt.
d. PORTER.
The Se- retary Of the Nary.
Washington.
United States Frigate Essex, at Sea,
Pacific Ocean, July 2nd, 1913.
On the Esd March last, l sailed from
shaping my course TO the north
ward, and On the goth of the same month
fell in with the Peruvian corsair ship, Ner
eyda, mounting IS guns she had few days
before, captured 2 american whale ships,
The crews Of which (amounting in number to
n men) were then detained prisoners on
board her; and they could assign no other
motive TOR The capture, than that they we re
The allies of G. b. and as SUCH should cap
lure al American vessels they could fall in
fIth; therefore, TO prevent in future such
exatious proceedings, | threw all her arm
arHenl into the sea, liberated the Americans
and dismissed the Nereyda
! then proceeded with all possible dispatch
TOR Lima. to intercept one of the detained
vessels, which had parted with the Nereyda
only days before, and was so fortunate as
to arrive there and recapture her on the 5th
April, at the moment she was entering The
sort. This vessel Cine ship Barclay, Capt.
Gideon Randall of New Bedford) 1 took un
der my projection, and have had her with
ne ever since
From Lima ! proceeded for the Gallapa-
SOS Islands, where captured the following
British ships, viz: