Washington telegraph., 1849-12-12
A HEROIC STRUGGLE.

A negotiation is now going on between
onr Government and that of Portugal, i'll
reference to a claim for indemnity made
bv the former against the latter. The
claim arises out of the loss ofthe privateer
Gen. Armstrong, in 1914. This vessel
having taken refuge under the guns OF
Fayal, was allowed by the Portuguese to
fall victum to an overwhelming force
of British; the crew of the Armstrong,
after having once gallantly beaten back
their assailants, being compelled to scut-
tie and set fire to her, ON the approach OF
a still larger hostile force. The Por-
tugese government is averse to making
the indemnity, but Gen. Taylor, we un-
derstand is firm in insisting on it.
The affair of the Armstrong is one of
the most gallant of the last war. and as
it is now generally forgotten, we publish
the following account of it, written after
the action, by w. H. Watson, quarter
master of the privateer. His letter is writ
ten from St. Mary's, and is dated Novem-
Der, 1914. He says:
1--WE arrived in Fayal after seventeen
days passage, and had not anchored more
than five hours when the Carnation,
Kings Brig, of twenty guns, anchored
close to us, and about eight o'clock, at
tackled US with four boats and seventy
men. which we easily beat off, killing
and wounding upwards of thirty men.-
We had one killed. We then warped
in shore, under the guns of the Fort
Our opponents were joined by the Plan
taganet "a, and Rota Frigate of Sc guns.
At 2 o'clock on the Goth of October, in
the morning, they came and attacked Us
under the guns of neutral fort, (Which
did not assist us in the least except to
rob us,) with fourteen armed launches
and boats, and upwards of three hundred
men armed, they began to divide in di-
visions. when a we'll directed fire from
our guns, sunk several of the boats, kill
ling and wounding many of their men,
They succeeded in getting under the
bows of the brig; but such was the bra
yerv of the crew, that not one got foot
hold. but paid his life the forfeit for his
presumption. We could plainly hear
them cry, No quarter for the Yankee ras-
cals.' Our men, you may be sure, gave
them none. The Pivot Gun, loaded ev-
cry time with l2O pound balls, swept Ike
hail. This fight continued about forty
five minutes, with great bravery, when
they went of, ,.having lost five boats and
about two hundred men, most of whom
were killed, among them the first and
third Lieutenants of the Frigate. The
brig coming in, in the morning, we gave
her a dozen broadsides, when find
ing further defence useless, we deserted,
scuttled and set fire to our vessel, sooner
than let them have her. They, however,
boarded her with great caution, but lind
inc her of no use to them, left her to burn.
This was the end of the General Arm
strong. In one boat [ took possession of,
they had at first forty men; when took
her there were seventeen on board. eleven
dead, four wounded, two whole. by
this you may guess what havoc we made
among them. 1t, was without doubt, one
of the bloodiest battles that has been
fought this war; at any rate an honor
to the nation, for they neither took us
nor our vessel. We are maintained by
the American Consul, who chartered a
Portuguese brig to carry US to Amelia Is.
land, where we landed yesterday"