The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1814-09-17
R. E. PARKER,
1t. Col. Cong llllh Regt.
Cohy ola letter from Com. Rodgers to The
Secretary ofthe Nary, dated


BALTIMORE Sept. 9, 1914.
SI2-In pursuance of your Instructions,
have to inform you, that on the Sd. inst. |
proceeded down the Potomac with three small
fire-veSses under the protection of four bar
ges or cutters, manned with about sixty
ecamen, armed with mlskets, destined against
two of the enemy's frigates and a bomb
ship, which lay about , IL miles below Alex
aldra.
At 9 ~. III. in advance of the FIRE vessels in
my gig, finding no colours displayed at Alex
anlria, but I. Swedish Ensign on board a
acknowledging near the wharves, / hailed
AMI ordered the American ilag to be hostcd
after seeing the flag hoisted, directed the
fre-ves.cis (Which were conducted By Lieut.
Nesgco,nb, Lieut.. Forrest, and Sailing Mas
ter Rainage) to proceed on TO the objects of
;ytack, and have no doubt, would have sue
ceeded In destroy ng two At least of the enc
my's ships, had not the wind failed them some
time before and particularly after they had
reached the uppermost ship, within the range
of musket shot. AT this time perceiving the
whole Of the enemy's barges in motion, | di-
rected Lit Ncwcoulb, who commanded the
van vessel, after giving her proper direc-
zion, to set fire to her-and after Mr.. Ram
age came up, gave him the same orders /; the
vessel unler charge OF 1t. Forrest was fred by
the Pilot without orders, some distance above
the others.
Ofthe enemy's boats, some were EMPLOYED
in towing off the hre-vessels, and the rest in
pursuit of our four Cutters, my own gig, and a
small boat with three oars without RAIDER;
they did not, however, venture 10 come with
in i,usket SHOT, altno' their force and numbers
were more than treble ours, but Continued
at a distance, iIring their great guns for SO
o. g minutes, and then retired to their ships
Rl
A-l ,ct 1J theY. fire. IL
pdre,, but 1t being calm, ordered 1t. New
como aud the four cutters, to proceed with
one of the remaining lighters of the yard,
having an IS FOUNDER in her, To attack the
bomb snip, wh;ch in the anxiety of the enemy
e. get below the temporary forts erecting
by my gallant ,oCiates Capts Porter & Per-
~, had been eft exp posed to attack. At sunset
ilse as WAS about 20 give orders To attack the
boml5. discovered one of the enemys fri
gates behind the point forming the entrance
Of Washington's reach, which necessarily obi
eed me to relinquish this determination, and
give orders to proceed across to the Virginia
shore. to haul up the boats, & place the light
or 81 a situation to be defended against the
enemy's b rgcs
Having recJnno;tered the enemy, on re-
turning to tue lighter at y. M. / seized
man under suspicious circumstances, on the
beach nc ar 20 a small boat about a mile a.
Dove in6 enemy osuiiSiihNoS al ~ lidt AGAIN
/ Induced me to change my position to the OPP
uosjte side of the river, where, after getting
the cutters hauled up, placing the lighter in
al advantageous position, and my musket
1oen upon the top Of Il cliff overlooking the
river, I was at II p. NJ. attacked by all the
ene..,y's lyarges, but which, by the cool in
tre,,d:g Of 1T. Newcomb, having charge Of
the lighter, assisted BY Lieut. Forrest, S. Mas
ter Rlmage, NJ. Mate Stockton and Midshp-
man XVhi lock aud AS seamen with nuskets,
the enemy was not only repulsed but in
less thln 20 minutes thrown into the ut
most confusion and driven back to his ships,
an have sdiicicat reason to believe with
Or Il loss, altho' the Only Injury sustained on
on pare was one man wounded on board the
lighter
Tie enemy thus Tcpulsed, and no pros
poet Of doing him further injury in this way,
as MS rearinost sup WIS not more than
mic distant, had the lighter shifted further
tn. and Il A. n. a fire vessel brought down
f,r the purpose Of assailing hin, in conjunction
stth the battery At the Wntc House, under
d.. commend OF Capt. POrter--but in this
was agdn disappointed. as that excellent
officer, after using every possible exertion,