Alexandria gazette & daily advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1817-1822, 1820-05-25

alone. The Guerrero got under weigh III
the morning, but was becalmed under the
Algeziras shore till II o'clock. where she
was visited by an American gentleman, and
many Of these facts were ascerlained.-
| Captain Thompson and his officers were
surprised that Johnson bad neither returned
nor communicated with them upon thelr pro-
posals. This gentleman brought a letter
from capt. T. to col. McCombe, advising
| him Of all that had t~ranspired disclsiming
again the feelings and wishes imputed TO
him giving him notice of the selection he
had made of an antagonist ; and making
him the guardian of his good name during
ali absence be could not avoid. He also
brought a letter from Downing to Johnson,
acknowledging his polite remembrance Of
him the day before, and promising a more
| Just return to his good banners when he
returned to Gibraltar.
The triumphant exultations and hearty
congratu atoms and shaking of hands that
ensued upon the sailing OF the Guerrero
never was paralleled in the streets Of Glib
raltar Trafalgar and Waterloo induced no
such excitement or citation. Colonies. ma
jors, captains, subalterns, non-commission-
ed officers, musicians, p~rivates, and civil
lians, great and small, were grouped at cor
ners of streets, upon side walks, in shops, in
basement entries, any where, every where,
all enqnirIng. do you know the Guerrero S
off, and do YOU know the reason ? Her Off
GERS have all been challenged TO fight al two
PAGES, and she's off!
1t was now discovered that the " war;
was not confined to the 9th, but was under
taken and carried on by all the unmarried
officers OF the garrison. amounting to two
hundred. These gentlemen entered into a
combination to call out all the officers of the
Guerrero, and all of the squadron, should it
prove necessary. They resolved TO begin
with Thompson and Downing to fight at
two PAGES ; to begin as soon as possible. &
TO cast lots for who should begin. The ma
jors threw for Thompson, and Dickson of
the 64th won it The captains Tor Downing.
and Johnson of the 64th was lucky enough
to get it.
A remark upon general Don's conduct
may not be deemed impertinent. Athis in
stance, Downing was restrained in his liber-
ty. and as soon as this is well understood,
one of the generals officers seeks him with
in his limits. and proyokes HIM 10 leave
them. Another lieutenant of bis meets and
fights him, and gets severely wounded
Twenty British officers and soldiers are pre-
sent. and openly assist ihim in ~repassing
their sentries 10 regain his boat. Under a
non-intercourse of great rigor betwixt the
squadron and the shore. a captain and d
surgeon OF the generals are allowed to pass
and repass their %sentries from the garrison
to the Guerrero. and upon errands Of kind
ness and amlty like that to Captain Thomp-
son. All this, however, might be endured
but that Gov. Don, at his time Of life, and in
the post he holds, should so tar enter into
these controversies, as TO complain to his
government in terms Of bitter reproach "a
gainst the conduct of the American officers,
his guests in a degree, and at the same time
overlook entirely the outrageous, bullying,
and disobedient conduct Of his own, is
strange-but, am sorry to say, at is true.
A notorious combination of 200 officers, in a
garrison not 5000 strong, has been entered
into TOR the purpose ottrying TO kill a cap
tain and four lieutenants, in the naval ser.
vice OF friendly state. This end might
have been achieved, and was almost begun,
and failed from nc unwillingnesS on the
part of the captain and his lieutenants to try
the issue. This combination is boosted of as
a noble and gallant and successful under:a-
king, by all the officers of the garrison and
all the residents (British) within his COM
mand, and yet General Don stirs not a peg
to restrain orcheck ii, or to punish those con-
cerned in it. Two hundred unmarried Off |
GERS make war upon FIVE American officers
under his nose, and select Tor their first VIC
tim a married man with a family and these
200, challengery are so chivalrous as to claim
from the FIVE challenged nothing more than
choice of weapons, of time, land that the
shortest possible,) Of place, (and that within
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