Portland gazette and Maine advertiser. (Portland, Me.) 1805-1818, 1814-07-18
SEe'GSSar.
Capture sftbe U. 5. Jrjgate ESSEX.
NETWORK. IuIY g. 1874

1enSIody 'hS $"'tSi mp LSVs@ /H"'V
arrived in quarantine in 70 days from
Valparifo BY her we have the melan-
'choly intelligence of the capture Of the
y. S. frigase tDsx, Capt. PORTER, rated
of a guns, by the Britifh frigase Pbebe,
Capt. HILL7AR. rated of 3o guns and
a2o men, and foop Of war Cberub, rated
OTIS guns and I8o men, after an obiti-
nate engagement Of hours and 81 mini
urcs, in which the h0sx had Is2 men
killed. wounded and milling The fol.
lowing are extracts from the
LOG Book
Cfths U. S. frigafe EOsx, DAVID PORTER,
tg, Commander.
March 20, 1914 Light winds and
and cloudy at day light got every thing
ready to weigh, expecting the enemy's
Aips were to leeward according to the
report of Lieut.. MAuRY, who was laft
az ming intruifed with an expedition to
-eF e this end. We were much furpris
fed 4, about half paa 6, to fee both ihips
clofe to the weather point of The bay,
they food within the point. tackled and
food out again; at noon the wind freth
ened S. s. w. and increafcd to ftrong
eale-ifruck royal yards and mats At
As minutes paR a, parted the larboard
,cab,c, which cauded US to drag the ftar.
board anchor. Capt Porter hailed the
Efiex Junior to fend her boat, 10 take
MIR. Poinfette, the American Conful, on
fhore Immediately after he left us,
Capt. Porter gave orders to cut the cable.
which was done, and fail made on the
1hip; the enemies fhips at this time ftan-
ding in for the port On lufing round
the point of Angels, heavy iquaIl truck
US, which carried away our maintopmaft
By the lower cap-2 men, Samuel Miller
. Thomas Brown, fell overheard an1
were drowned, as we fuppofe; the fhip
vas wore and heelsd 70 the wi d on the
narboard tack, and orders given to clear
The wreck and the mainfail and main
sopfail were cat away from the yards 70
- not to a0 againf US in working into
che bay Capt Porter finding it impos-
fble to gain our former anchorage, con-
cludsd { bea: p 70 fmall bay, fi,uated
on the weltern iide Of the harbou. At
Is minutes pat 3 came to with the beft
bower in 9 and half fathoms water, and
in half piito fhot If the iho,e. The wese
aern fort (Cafello Viego) bore E. by N.
diltant 3mies the eaitern fort Tor Cas-
clio dclBarreo) bore s. W. by w diltan,
about and half mile. The fort was no.
in Ggh:, as we were anchored under
high bluff that fcreened US from it. There
was long "a FOUNDER detached from it
on the Ring ground TO the N z diitant
j Ia mile, and confequeutly 70 much
nearer to where we anchored. In this
6tuation we coniidered ourfelves perfect
" fecure. Capt. r. gave orders to clear
fhip for action, although be did not be
lieve, entertain an idea that the enemy
would attad him. At s. minutes palt Z
the Phoebe commenced firing on our lar
board quarter. and at A the Cherub CON-
menced firing on our itarb ard bow In
about half an hour they wore round and
food out to repair damages. They ap-
peared to be much cut in their rigging,
their topfail iheets flying away. In this
interval we got the third fpriug on the
cable. the two hrf being ihot away as
foon as put on. They foon returned,
and took their petition out Of the reach
of our hort guns. and opened a mott
Calling FIRE upon US; the wind fhiftine
bout this time, Capt p determined to
lay the Phoebe aboard = the cable was &C
cordingly cut, but the only halliards
Randins were thofe of the flying lib, this
fail was partly hoilted, but not fufficient
to wear he ihip of we were now in
mott dreadful 6'uation, as the enemy
huiird US every ihot, and our brave fei.
lows falling in every direction, but we
were all 70 animated by the brave, cool
and intrepid conduct OF our heroic Com
nander, that every mar appeared deter
n ined to facrihce his life in defence Of
our Strip, and of Free Trade and Sai!sys
Rights, for which they were continually
huzzalng fore and afr but an unlucky
accident took place, which fruitrateo ali |
our hoPes, to wit the explofion Of fome
l.