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

the seamen. We had in fact lived on the
enemy since | had been in that sea, every
prize having proved a we'll found store ship
for me. | had not yet been under the
necessity of drawing bills on the depart
ment for any object, and had been enabled
to make considerable advances to my of
ticers and crew on account of pay.
For the unexampled time we had kept the
sea, my crew had continued remarkably
healthy | had but one case of the scurvy,
and had lost only the following men by
death, viz:
John 5. Cowan, Lieutenant,
Robert Miller, Surgeon,
Levi Holmes, o. Seaman,
Edward Sweeny, do.
Samuel Groce, Seaman,
James Spafford, Ganners mate,
BENJAMIN Gesrs' : Or. Gunneas.
Andrew Mahan, Corporal ofmarines,
Lewis Price. Private marine.
had done all the injury that could be
done the British in the Pacific,
and still hoped to signalize my cruise by
something more splendid before leaving
that sea. thought it not improbable that
Commodore Hillyar might nave kept his
arrival secret, and believing that he would
seek me at Valparaiso, as the most likely
place to find me, Therefore de ermined to
cruise about that place, and should | fail of
meeting him, hoped to be compensated by
the capture OF some merchant ships, said to
be expected from England.
The Phoebe, agreeably to my expecta-
tions came to seek me at Valparaiso, where
| was anchored with the Essex, my armed
prize the Essex Junior, under the com
mand of 1t. Downes, on the look out off
the harbor but contrary to the course l
thought he would pursue, Com. Hillyar
brought with him the Cherub sloop of war,
mounting % guns, eighteen SO pound car
ronaGes, eight 24's, and Two long ys on
the quarter deck and forecastle, and a
complement of $50 men. The force of the
Phoebe is as follows: thirty long Is poun-
ders, sixteen SO pound c~arronades, one
howitzer, and 6 three Founders in the tops,
in all So guns, and a complement of $50
men making a force of 81 guns and 500
men; in addition to which, they took OIL
board the crew of an English letter of
marque lying in port. Both ships had picked
crews, and were sent into the Pacific, in
company with the Raeoon of 22 guns and
a store ship of 90 guns, for the express
purpose of seeking the Essex, and were
prepared with flags bearing the motto,
:" God and country British Sailors best
rights; Traitors offend both This was
intended as a reply to my motto, " Free
Trade and Sailors Rights, " under the
erroneous impression that my crew were
chiefly Englishmen, or to counteract its
effect on their own crews. The force of
the Essex was 40 guns, forty SO pound
carronades and six long l2's, and her crew,
which had been much reduced by prizes,
amounted only to 255 men. The Essex
Junior, which was intended chiefly as a
store ship, mounted 20 guns, ten IL pound
carronades, and ten short 6's, with only
90 men on board. In reply to their motto,
| wrote at my mizen, " God, our Country
and Liberty ; Tyrants offend them"
On getting their provisions on board,
they went off the port for the purpose Of
blockading me, where they cruised for near
SIX weeks ; during which time | endeayour
ed to provoke a challenge, and frequently
but Intellectually, to bring the Phoebe alone
to action, first with both my ships, and af-
terwards with my single ship, with both
crews on board. was several times under
way, and ascertained that | had greatly
the advantage in point of sailing, and once
succeeded in closing within gun shot of the
Phoebe, and commenced a fire on her, when
she ran down for the Cherub, which was
2 l-2 miles to leeward, this excited some
surprise and expressions of indignation, as
previous to my getting under way, she
hove to off the port, hoisted her motto flag
and fred a gun to windward. Com. Hill
var seemed determined to avoid a contest
with me on nearly equal terms, and from
his extreme prudence in keeping both his
ships ever after constantly within hail OF
each other, there were no hopes of any adj
vantages to my country from a longer stay
in port. | therefore determined to putto sea
the first opportunity which should offer ;
and | was the more strongly induced to do
co nc Rod paiued certain intelligence