Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1814-08-27
Authentic Account.


~,se"S " sag eIsSuoVo1ory 0flUck on 6fo.
ftngyoa.
On Tuesday the 9th instant, at p. M.
| the Families ~. Pactoius SO, BOMB. ship,
and the Dispatch 20 gun brig. arrived Oh
Stoninsten. and flag was sent on shore
with the following note:
On board his msjesty's ship Families.
OF Stoningtcn. Aug. 9.
| foshe Magistratss ef Stonin sson.
Gentlemen,
One hour 10 allowed you from
the receipt Of this communication for the
removal OF the unoffeuding inhabisaats.
f IS THoMAs.M. HARDY. :
This notification was received by two ma,
xetrates, and lieot, Haugh of the drafted
militia. who went of to meet the flag. The
officer was asked whether flag would not
DO received on board. He said no arrange.
ments could be made. They enqnired whe.
tner commocore Hardy had determined to
destroy the town. He replied that snch
were his orders from the admiral, and that
1t would be done most effectualS.
When the gentlemen reached The shore,
| croud waited with great anxiety for the
| news which being stated. CONSERVATION
dew through the town. An express was
dispatched TO General Gushing at New Lon
don. A number of volunteers fastened TO
collect ammunition others ran to the ba,
terry (Which Consisted of two Is Founders &
| "A FOUNDER. on field Carriages, with slight
breast gcrk, 4 feet high.) The sick and the
aged were removed with haste the women
| and children, with loud cries. were seen
| running in every direction. Some Of the
most valuable articles were hastily got cff by
hand, others placed in the gardens and lots,
or Thrown into wells, to save them from i'm
pending CONFEDERATION. The sixty minutes
expired, but the acknowledgements did not
| bring the attack. Nelson's favourite hero
and friend, was seized with the compuncti,
| ons OF maguanini,y; he remembered what
| ancient Britons were he remembered that
| something was due to the character of sir
Thomas M. Hardy. Three hours in fact
elapsed, when at 8 in the evening the attack
was commenced by the discharge of shells
from the bomb ship ; several barges and
\ launches had taken their stations in differ,
| ent points, from whence they threw Com
grese rockets, and carcasses. ~ mode
ofsttack waa cnninded necessarily till mid
snt |; and the fire was returned occasion
ally from the battery as the light OF tha roc
ketsgave opportunity, with any chance OF
success.
The few drafted militia. which have been
come time stationed there, under command
,s1s iea.eaant Hosgi, were rlssed 10 t6s
best direction to give an alarm In case a
landing should be attempted. During the
night The volunteers and militia had assemr
bled iu.considerable nuMbers; and the non
conlba,ant inha3itents.had generally reno.
we'd TO the neighboriug lighthouses. in the
momen.ary expcctation OF seeing their a.
| bandoned dive iinss in flames II was nigh,
of inexpressibie anguish to many a widow
and orphan, to many aged and infirm, whose
| little pittance they were now apparently "a
\ lose for ever. But Providence directed O.
therWise- This compact little village Of one
Hundred buildings, had been for four hours
COS cred with flames of fire and bomo,shelIs
| and.n single building was consumed nor
a person injured.
| AZ, the dawn of day on the 10th, the al.
preach of the enemy was announced by a
| discharge of Congreve rockets from several
| bare es and a launch which had taken their
| station on the east side OF the town, and out
| Of reach of the battery. Several volunteers
| with small arms and the 4 FOUNDER, hasten.
ed across the point, supposiag the enemy
were attempting a iaDding Colonel Randall
\ OF, the 18th regiment, who at the time was
moving towards The battery wilma detach
ment Of militia, ordered them to assist the
volunteers in drawing over one Of the Is
| FOUNDERS to tse extreme eud of tie point
the fire of which, in few minutes com.
PEELED the barges to seek safety in flight
During this time the brig was working W
towards the Point, and soon after sunrise
| came to anchor, short OF half mile from
the battery, Tor more correctly the breast
work.) Our ammunition being soon exhaust,
I'd. the guns were spiked, and the men who
fou8htthem, being only about fifteen or TWEEN
ty, retired, leaving them behind for want o.
strength to drag them of.
The brig now continued deliberately tC
pour her so pound shot and grape into the
village, without our having the power Of re
| turning a shot, for an hour, and the bomb
ke.ch occasionally threw In shells. a fresh
supply Of ammunition being obtained the Ia
FOUNDER was withdrawn from the breast
work, the vent drilled and the piece taken
back again when such an animated and
welt directed FIRE was kept up, that at 8 o.
clock the brig slipped her Cable and hauled
off, with her pumps going, having received
several shots below her water line and Con
siderable damage in her spars, &c. During
this actiou between the 18pounder and the
brig, Mr.. Frederick Denison was slightly
wounded in the kneeby a fragment Of a rock
and Mr. John Miner, badly burntin his face
by the premature discharges of the gum
The Gag, which was nailed to the mast, was
pierced with seven shot holes, the breast.
/ work somewhat injured and six or ei s,ht Of
the dwelling hoases in the vicinity essentially
injured. At this time considerable body
OF militia had arrived, and bfigadier genera
Isham had taken lie command the inha
bitants had recovered from the consternati
on Of the first mofncnts and we're delibe-
rately moving Of their furniture and goods
Att O'Clock the Families and PactoIus had
taken stations about two and an half mile,
from the town when resistance appearing