Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1879-10-16

A-ASA ~SOit ~cHAAA~AASt titt
best officers of the squadron,
were seen approaching in r6ta-
ton. When they got within
Igunshot, tremendous and eff
fectual fire was opened by the
Armstrong, which threW t h o
boats into confusion. They now
returned a spirited fire, but the
Americans kept up 80 continual
a discharge it was almost impos-
sible for the boats to make any
progress. They finally sue
ceeded, after immense loss, to
get alongside, and attempted to
board at every quarter, cheered
by the officers with a shout Of
"No quarter" which could be
distinctly heard on shore, as well
as their shrieks and cries. The
termination was near about to-
tai massacre. Three of the boats
were sunk, and but one poor SOL
itary officer escaped death in a
boat that contained fifty souls,
and he was wounded. The Amer
leans fought with a desperation
and firmness never equaled.
Some boats were left without a
single man to row them, others
three or four. The most that
any returned with was about ten.
Several boats floated on shore
full of dead bodies. But three
British officers escaped, two of
whom we're wounded.
AT daylight the next morning,
9th of September, the enemy's
brig Carnation, eighteen guns,
approached the General Arm
strong within gJn-shot and OPEN
ed heavy fire, discharging sew
eral broadsides, The crew of
the General Armstrong, as if su-
pernatural spirits, still grimly
stood by their little craft, retur-
ming broadside for broadside
with wonderful effect. The main
topmast of the Carnation soon
fell by the board, and she be-
came so cut up in her huh and
rigging, and with the loss of
men, that she was compelled to
haul off for repairs. 1t was a
sublime spectacle, that little A
merican brig, with but handful
of men, fighting a hopeless bat
tie against such tremendous odds,
with nothing to gain but the
of her comtry's hon
or, with her colors still aying in
defiance of her foe.
Captain Reid, finding further
resistance fruitless, scuttled tine
vessel to prevent the English
from obtaining possession of her,
and with his gallant crew went
ashore. The enemy soon after
boarded her and set her on fire.
The number of British killed
and wounded was nearly three
while, to tile surprise
1f mankind, our loss was but two
killed and seven wounded; the
enemy were employed for nearly
three days in burying their dead.
Commodore Lloyd then made
demand on the Portuguese Gov
,rnor to deliver up the crew of
he Armstrong as his prisoners,
md threatened, in case Of refu-
'al, to send SEQ men ashore to
AXE them. The Americans inn
retired with their arms
o an old Gothic Convent, which
hey fortified, knocked away the
draw-bridge, and de-
ermined to defend themselves to
asst. The British Commodore,
however, felt his loss already
90 great to execute his threat. :
The squadron was delayed for
on days at Fayal repairing, which
lelay proved fatal to Sir Admi-
al Cochrane's expedition toNew
orleans, as it did not arrive un-
il four days after General Jack
ION and his troops. New Or
cans, previous to that time, was
otally defenceless,and had Coch-
ane arrived even a week sooner
t would have fallen an easy prey
o the enemy. X.