Martinsburgh gazette. [volume] (Martinsburgh, Va. [W. Va.]) 1810-1825, 1814-07-21

by the dozen. Many of my guns had been
rendered useless by the enemy's shot, and
many of Them had their whole crews des-
troyed. We named them again from those
which were disabled, and one gun in par
ticular was three times maned-iifteen men
were slain at it in the course of the action !
But, strange as it may appear, the captain
OF it escaped with only a slight wound
Finding that the enemy had it in his power
to choose his distance, | now gave up all
hopes OF closing with him, and, as the
wind, for the moment, seemed to favor the
design, | determined to endeavor to run
her on shore, land my men and destroy
her. Every thing seemed to favor my
wishes. We had approached the shore
within musket shot, and had no doubt of
succeeding, when, in an instant, the wind
shifted from the laod (as is very common
In this port in the latter part of the day)
and paved our head down on the Phoebe,
where we were again exposed to a dreadful
raking fire. My ship was now totally un-
manageable yet, as her head was toward
the enelny, and he to leeward of me, | still
hoped to be able to board him. At this
moment 1t. Ccmmandant Downes came on
board 10 receive my orders, under the i'm
preston that | should soon be a prisoner
He could be ofno use in the then wretched
state of the Essex and finding (from the
enemy's putting his helm up) that my last
attempt at boarding would not succeed, |
directed hiln, after he had been about ten
minutes on board, to return to his own ship.
10 be prepared for defending and destroy
ing her in case of attack. He took with
him several OF any wounded, leaving three
of his boats crew on board to make room
for them. Tue Cherub now had an oppor.
tunity of distinguishing herself, by keeping
up a hot fire on him during his return
The slaughter on board of my ship had now
become horrible, the enemy continuing to
rake US, and we unable to bring a gun to
bear. | therefore directed a hawser to be
bent to the sheet anchor, and the anchor to
be cut from the bows to bring her head
round this succeeded. We again got our
broadside to bear, and as the enemy was
much crippled and unable to hold his own, |
] have no doubt he would soon have dritted
ont Of gnn shot before he discovered We had
anchored, had not the hawser unfortunate
II parted My ship had taken fire several
times during the action, bu: alarmingly so
forward and aft at this moment, the flames
we're bursting up each hatchway, and no
hopes were entertained of saving her; our
distance from the shore did not exceed
three quarters of a mile, and | hoped many
OF my brave crew would be able To save
themselves, should the ship blow up, as |
was informed the fire was near The uaaaa-I
zine, and the explosion eta large quantity |
OF powder below served to increase the hor.
r0rs OF our situation-our boats were des.
troyed by the enemys shot; |, therefore i
directed those who could swim TO lump
overheard, and endeavor to gain the shore.
Some reached it-some were taken by the
enemy, and some persisted in the attempt
but most preferred sharing with me the fate
O the ship. We, who remaired, now
turned our attention wholly to extinguish- |
ing the flames; and when we had succeed |
ed, went again to our guns, where the
firing was kept up for some minutes, but
the crew had by this time become so weak !
ened, that they all declared to me the i'm
possibility of making further resistance.
ana entrcated me TO surrender my ship to
save the wounded, as all further attempt
at opposition must prove Intellectual, almost
every gun being disabled by the destruction
OF their crews, now sent for the officers
OF divisions to consult them but what was
my surprize to find only Acting lieut.
S.ephen Decatur Midnight remaining, (who
confirmed the report respecting the con
dillon Of the guns on the gun deck-those
on the spar deck were not in a better
s<ate)-Leufenant Wllmee, after fighting
most Cll1enty throughout the action, had
boon knoc.led overheard by a splinter,
while getting the sheet anchor from the
bows and was drowned. Acting 1t John
9. CoSell had lost a leg; Mr., Edward.
t%}rnewen, Acting Sailing master, had
5een carried below, after receiving two
saFeIe wounds. one in the breast and one
20 the sace, and Acting Lit. VIM. IL Oden-
Aeimef had been knocked over board from
the quarter. an instant before, and did not
regain the ship until after the surrender
/ was informed that the cockpit, the steer