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

[ pound shot thro' her below her water lire,
some three feet under water. Nothing but
the smoothness of the water saved both the
Phoebe and Essex.
hope, sir, that our conduct may prove
satisfactory to our country, and hat it will
testify it by obtaining our speedy exchange.
that we may again have it in our power to
prove our zeal.
Commodore Hlllyar Il am informedl has
I thought proper to state to his government.
that the action lasted only as minutes
should he have lone so, the motive may be
easily discovered-but the thousands of dis
interested witnesses who covered the sur
rounding hills, can testify that we fought
! his ships near two hours and an half; up
wards of fifty broadsides were fred by the
enemy agreeably to their own accounts, and
| upwards of seventy-five by ours except the
few minutes they were repairing damages,
Ihe firing was incessant.
Soon after my capture / entered into an
! agreement with Com. Hillyar to disarin my
| prize, the Essex Junior. and proceed with
the survivors Of my officers and crew in her
to the United States taking with me all her
efficers and crew. He consented to grant
her a pass port to secure her from recap
Eture. The ship was small and we knew
we. bad much to suffer, yet we hoped soon
to reach our country in safety, that we
might again have it in our power to serve
it. This arrangement was attended with
no additional expense as she was abundent-
ly supplied with provisions and stores for
the voyage.
: In justice to Commodore Hillyar, must
observe, that although | can never be re-
conciled to the manner of his attack on the
Essex, or to his conduct before the action
he has, since our capture, shewn the great
est humanity to my wounded, whom he
permitted me to land on condition that the
United States should bear their expenses)
and has endeavored as much as lay in his
power to alleviate the distresses Of war, by
the most generous and delicate department
towards myself, my officers and crew; he
gave orders that the property OF every per
son should be respected-his orders, how
ever, were not so strictly attended to as
might have been expected besides being
deprived of books. charts, sc. &c. both my
self and officers lost many articles of our
clothing, some to a copsid cradle amount
| should not have considered this last cir
cumstance of sufficient Importance to notice.
did it not mark a striking difference between
the Navy of Great Britain and that of the
United States, highly creditable to the lat
ter.
BY the arrival of the Tagus, a few days
after my capture, l was informed that be-
eitic in pursuit of me, and those still expect
81 49, = a -
China seas, off New Zealand, Timor and
New Holland, and that another frigate was
sent to the River la Plata.
To possess the Essex it has cost the Bri-
fish Government near six millions of dol
lars, and yet, sir. her capture was owing
entirely to accident and if we consider
the expedition with which navy contests
are now decided, the action is a d%ishonor
to them. Had they brought their ships
boldly into action with a force GO very su
perior, and having the choice of position,
they should either have captured or des-
troyed us in one fourth the time they were
about it.
During the action, our Consul General
MT. Poinsett called on the Governor of Val
p%araiso, and requested that the batteries
AhiSht pfotCCb tHC IAScCA' ANS TcqucSL
was refused but he promised that if she
should succeed in fighting her way to the
common anchorage, he would send an off
Ger to the British commander and request
him ocease firing, but declined using force
under any circumstances, and there is no
doubt a perfect understanding existing be-
tween them; this conduct added to the
assistance given to the British, and their
friendly reception after the action, and the
strong bias of the faction which govern
Chill in favor of the English, as well as
their hostility to the Americans, induced
Mr.. Poinsett to leave that country. I'm
der such circumstances, / did not conceive
it would be proper for me to claim the res
s~srs.ion of my ship, confident THAT the
claim would be made by my government to
more effect. Finding some difficulty in the
sale of my prizes, | had taken the Hector
and Catharine to sea and burnt them with