Alexandria gazette & advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1822-1824, 1824-07-20

Centelia privateer. in the most at,,a" a."
tageous light; aud is rendered NOV.
necessary by the sentence Of the Com
mandant of marine Of the Cd dena't
lnent Of Colombia undertaking tn n
calpate Commodore Porter thereia
i have the honor to be, &c.
R0BT. K. LOWRY
Hon. Secretary Of the Navy, Wasb.
smgton.
LAGUIRa, Oct. q, 18as.-Hsvi0n
this day seen communication ns
Capt. Charles C.. Hopner. (of tLa
Columbian privateer La CenteIla y
in answer to piece copied from .
Norfolk to a Charleston paper, Con-
corning the conduct of the Captain
of the above schooner, in which ho
denies the transaction alluded to IN
the public alton, We, late officers If
the Centella. and present at the TINA
of the circumstances above alluded
to taking place. do, in justification
of ourselves, and to wipe away tLs
stigma thrown on the Commander Of
the United States squadron at Kew
West, Cor 1'hompson's Island,) W.
UNFAIRLY appear before R. K. low.
ry, Esq. United States Consul f.,
this port, and make oath, that fl,
commander Of the La Centella, Cha,
G.. Hopner. had made an arrange.
ment with Captain AppIeby, Of
Key Vacas, to purchase such car.
goes as Capt. Hopner would bringn
the last mentioned Key, and put the
vessels ashore, at which time Cant,
Appleby was TO take charge. Op the
faith Of the above agreement, a small
schooner, (prize to La CentelIa, IN.
der charge of Mr.. John Bartlett, wac
despatched to Key Vacas from of
the Matanzas. The La CentplIa ar.
rived day or two afterwards. and
took out Of the prize few articles
for the use of the vessel. The cof.
fee Of the cargo was weighed, aud
then the prize schooner was towrd
out by the boats of the La Centela.
and on the setting in of the breeze
was beat up to small Key bearing
about ". O. n. N. W. from Key Va
cas-. and was run ashore under The
lee side of the above Key, and de-
livered into the hands of Captains
Appleby and Richardson, Captain
Fiveash BENG on board at the same
time. In consideration of the above
prize, Captain Hopner received from
Capt. AppIeby Ga resident of Key
Vacas) three bills for 1900 dollars
each, drawn on "Street & Co..
Charleston, S. t..
AT the time the pulacre brig Dole.
rous was despatched under the Com
mand Of Mr.. Bartlett, it was we'll
understood among the officers Of tho
La Ccntella that her destination vas |
the Floridas. TO be made away with |
in the same manner the schooner had |
previously been; the brig arrived,
and circumstances suiting, she was
run an shore, aud sold to the same
contraCtors-bills given on Charles
ton, on Messrs. Street & Go. The
cargo was put on board wreckers,
one of which was under the command
of the aforementioned Capt. Richard
son, and taken to st. Mary's from
thence, as far as can be ascertaiDed, /
was carried to Charleston. AT the
time the schooner was placed under
the small Key for the benefit Of tho
purchasers, Capt. Hopner made an
arrangement with Capt. Richardson
% survey the Coast to windward a.
,out Key Tavernero. to find enoa
larbor. sound it, and buoy it on, lol
be purpose of carrying thither ID.
prizes of the CenteIla, being out Of
he way Of the United States squad
on on that stallion.
The CenteIIa put into Key "es'
md was ordered olfby Com. Porter;
IF Key Vacas was informed OF Tue
transactions which had transplreu,
md informed by fishing smack 0!
he imprisonment of Mr.. hppeOy .!
rider Of Com, Porter, and that OF
|ers were given to an officer oil ma
ines, who commanded at Key va
~, not to allow the CenttIla to CONF
o an anchor. The Centelfa al tol'
ime had a small Spanish schoO"t''
4, r,c,.nrr hnvop IF whIta n Drown