The Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1822-1829, 1822-12-17
THE PIRATE FIGHT
Extract of q letter from nm oGcs.a,

ne United States schooner .Ahgoto,
has friend IN Washington Gin wv 10
." will now give you brief accom-, :.
detail, of the Pirate Fight of the 9Th ;ns,
The Alligator was coming to anchor -
morning previous in the port of M,,a,, ''e
when Information was brought nm IN,
that an American brig and schooner G h,I
been captured some days before, and w@ra
then a; anchor and in possession of la,au
gang OF Pirates in bay on the east side or
Point Hycacos, about - leagues TO tho
windward OF Matanzas, and that the mag
ter of the brig andof the schooner had h..,.
sent in the preceding morning by the p;
rates TO procure $1,000 for the ransom oftb.
two vessels, with which sum they were ia
return in three days Oh pain OF their vessel,
beln5 destroyed, and the officers and crew
remaining On board treated with every
severity their ayaricious revenge could in.
| nict
| Having the master and mate on hoard
we Immediately stood 20 sea, and proceed.
I'd to the release Of their vessels. At day
lioiS, on the morning Of the 9th inst. came
TO anchor of Point Hycacos and within on.
OF the islands at the entrance of the BAY.
and about 10 or i2 miles distant from
where the brig and schooner had been left
at anchor, being hid from our view by in
teryeninS land. We then discovered some
little distance over small island a shin.
brig, and schooner, lying at anchor, and,
little further to the lceward, a small scbr
under sail, her deck apparently filled with
men, aud boats communicating between
her and the vessels at anchor, the 2 last of
which, at the same time, getting under way
With the boats of the Alligator chase was
Immediately made after the schooner. and
she with her sweeps endeayoring to escape
| by doubling an island nearest Point Hyca.
cos, and steering up the bay. The wind
being light, after rowing three or four
leagues, we had gained within reach, when
the chase rounded, hoisted a red .fag, and
commenced heavy fire ofround aud crap
upon us. We soon regained her wake aud
when within reach of our muskets common
ced our lire, the men ut the oars at the
same time giving way to lay alongside and
board on her quarter At this time sc.
cond schooner armed and filed with men,
| had commenced firing upon US, and passaS
some distance ahead, brailed up her foresA
on the starboard bow of the first, which We
were now within pistol shot of, and had IL
fenced her fire with our small arms, when
her men took precipitately to their boats,
four or five in number, towing on the lar
board side, to get on board their consort,
when our two boats launch, Capt Allen,
and cutter, 1t. Dale pulled away 10 cut
them off. Seeing our object, they return
ed on board their vessel.-We Immediately
regained our position astern TO pull up and
board on her quarters, returning their fire
| OF small arms and they again took 10
their boats, now On the starboard side, and
escaped on board the other schooner
Captain Alien now directed midshipman
with four men in his gig, which was near
US, to board and take possession of the first
prize, and with our two large boats rowed
Immediately after the second, now reinior.
ccd with from 80 to 40 men in addition to
her own, (which we have since understood
to be from 60 to 8O,) all well furnished with
small arms and boarding pixies, &c. and had
| gained within twice our boats length Of
her stern and larboard quarter, sustaining
| and returning their fire, when the cutter be-
gan to yeer OF, and was falling round on
her starboard bow from the obstruction Of
| Killed and wounded at her oars and the
launch unable to keep way with the chase
| from like causes, land Capt. A. having pre-
| yiously been wounded by two musket balls,
of one of which he died four hours after,)
both boats dropped along side the prize,
| and removed our killed, two and wound
ed live, two since dead) on board her. She
was armed with one long IL FOUNDER, ION
a pivot two do. Founders. do. 8 pound
ers, carriage guns, and two swyes, her RID
flag mailed TO the mast. In the cabin anq
| run were number of bottles filled WIN
| powder and slow matches thro' the c0rks,
some OF which having been lighted, and ex'.
| tlngulshed, it appeared evident that the p
rates had set fire to them on first leaving
her, expecting she would blow up soon ar
ter our boarding, but, returning SO inslah'!
on board, they extinguished the matches
and the last time they were too closely
driven in abandoning her, to take time 10
retire them. The pirates now kept oil, anu
In shore, where they were joined by anu.
tler schooner, about three miles distance
from us, of heavier armament than ellItl
of the others, and about thirty men OIL
board, according to our subsequent niUl.
nation J both, however, kept away uhuei
the land and, with our prize, we STOW
to the Alligator. Having buried our klleu,
and taken the wounded on board, crew,
were sent to take possession of the brig ara
schooner in the bay, both of which nas
been cut adrift, and were found wllhoS,
any individual on board either. The heA'
day, with those and the ship, brig aud sc !lL
We had first seen at anchor, all OF VIII
had been abandoned by the pirates, on w
Ailigator's coming in the morning presivUu o,s
leaving orders for the two last to iOnO"
them into the bay on pain Of death, we P'o of
ceeded to Matanzas, where the remains
captain Allen were inferred with nllI'.L.
| hOnors an escort being furnished by lnI