Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1815-03-29

~ guns, and the Rota frigate, came in aD:
anchored also. The captain of the priva.
teer and his friends Consulted the first au..
thorlties here about her security. They all
considered her perfectly secure, and that
his Majesty's officers were too well &C !.
quainted with the respect due to neutral
port to modest her. But, to the great SUI.
prise of every one, about nine in the even
ing. four boats were dispatched, armed and
manned from his Majesty's ships. for the
| purpose of cutting her out. 1t being about
full of moon. the night perfectly clear and
calm, we could see every movement made.
The boats approached with rapidity towards
her, when, it appears, the captain of the
privateer hailed them, and told them to keep
off several times. They, notwithstanding,
pushed on, and were in the act of boarding
before any defence was made for the priva
| teer. A warm Contest eusued on both sides.
| The boats were finally dispersed with great
less. The American, now calculating on a
very superior force being sent, cut his ca.
bles, and rowed the privateer close in alorg
side of the fort, within half cables length,
where he moored her, head and stern, with
four lines. The Governor now sent re-
monstrance to the Van LLOYD of the Plan.
| tagenet against such proceedings, and trust.
ed that the privateer wouldspot be further
| moested she being in the dominions of Por-
tugal, and under the guns of the castle, was
| en- titled to Portuguese protection. Van
| L,oyd's answer was, that ne was determin
ed to destroy the vessel at the expense of all
| Fayal, and should any protection be given
her by the fort, he would not leave house
standing in the village. All 1.-the inhabitants
were gathered about the walls, expecting a
renewal of the attack. At midnight, ia
| launches were discovered to be coming in
| rotation for the purpose. When they got
| within clear, or gun shot, tremendous and
| etfectual discharge was made from the pri~
vateer which threw the boats into confusion
| They now returned spirited FIRE, but The
| privateer kept up so continual a discharge,
! it was almost impossible for the boats TO
| make any progress. They finally succeed
| ed, after immense loss, co get alongside OF
| her,-and attempted TO board at every quar-
ter, chcersd by the officers with a shout Of
| no quarter, which we could distinctly hear,
as well as their shrieks and cries. The ter
| mination was near about total massacre.--
| Three of the boats were sunk, and but one
poor solitary otficerescaped death in a boat
that contained fifty souls he was wounded
The Americans fougat with great flrmness,
but more like blood thirsty Savages than any
thing else. They rushed into the boa's,
| sword in hand, and put >very soul TO death
as far as came within their power. Some OF
thc boats were left without single man to
row them others with three and four
The most that any one returned with was
about ten. Several boats foated on shore
full Of dead bodies With great reluctance
| I state that they were manned with picked
men, aud commanded by the 6rst, second,
/ third, and fourth lieutenants of the Planta-
genet !; first, second, third and fourth, ditto
of the frigate, and the first officers of the
brig together with great number of MIDI
shipmen. Our whole force exceeded 400
men. But three officers escaped, two of
which are wounded. This bloody and un-
fortunate contest lasted about forty minutes.
After the boats gave out, nothing more was
attempted till daylight the next morning,
when the Carnation hauled in along side,
and engaged her. The priyateer still con
tinued to make most gallant defence
These veterans reminded me of Lawrence
dying words, of the Chesapeake, don't
give up the ship The CarBatiou lost one
Of her top masts, and her yards were shot
away she was much cut up In rigging, and
received several shot in her hull. This
obliged her to haul off to repair, and to
cease firing. The Americans now finding
their principal gun long Iona) and several
others dismounted, deemed 1t folly to think
of saving her against so superior a force |;
they therefore cut away her .masts TO the
deck, blew a hole through her bottom. took
out their small arms, clothing, &c. and went
on shore l discovered only two shot holes
in the hull of the privateer, ali hough much
cut up in rigging. Two boats crews we're
soon after dispatched from our vessels,
which went on board, took out some provi.
sions, aud set her on FIRE. For three days
after, we were employed in burying the dead
that washed on shore in the surf The
number Of British killed exceeds 100, and
ninety wounded. The enemy to- the sur.
prise of mankind, lost only two killed and
seven wouDded.-We may we'll say God
deliver us from cur enemies. If this is the
way the Americans fight. AFTER burning
the privateer, Van Lloyd made demand of
the governor to deliver up the Americans as
his prisoners, which the governor refused
He threatened to send 500 men on shore
and take them by force. The Americans
Immediately retired, with their arms, to an
! old Gothic convent knocked away the ad
joining drawbridge, and determined to de-
fend themselves to the last The Van, how
ever, Thought better than to send his men.
| He then demanded two men, which. he said,
| deserted from his vessel when in America.
The governor sent for the men, but found
none of the description given. Many houses
received much injury on shore from the guns
of the Carnation. A woman, sitting in the
fourth story of her house, had her thigh
| shot off and q bov had his arm broken.-