Extract of a Letter from Capt. Wm. Ο off in the beft manner they could. Had our difabled ftate been such as to have permitted us to have purfued, the bad condition of the Crefcent and Caftor (both of which fhips made between four and five feet water an hour) would have rendered such a step unjustifiable. The fteady and refolute behaviour of my officers and crew on this occafion, merits my warmeft praife and admiration; and I hope will recommend them to their lordfhips favour. N May 29th, difcovering two Dutch frigates, we (the Flora and Crefcent) prepared for immediate action; but the wind increafing to a form, obliged us to wait a more favourable opportunity. At feven in the evening the gale abated, and the next morning the fea was confiderably fallen. Having kept the enemy' in fight all night, at day break we edged towards them, and at five commenced the action, fhip against fhip, within a cable's length of each other, which was continued without intermiffion for two hours and a quarter, when our adverfary ftruck her colours. She proved them of every means of refifted to be the Caftor frigate, of ance, and the fuccefs that would Rotterdam, commanded by Cap- otherwise have attended. The tain Pieter Melvill, mounting 26 Brill muft have received contwelve and 10 fix-pounders; her fiderable damage from the Crecomplement confifting of 230 fcent; her main-maft was feen to go by the board early in the afternoon. men. The action between the Crescent and Brill, a frigate of the fame rate as the Caftor, mounting 26 twelve, 2 fix, and 8 four pounderers, continued fome minutes longer; when an unlucky fhot carrying away the main and mizen mafts of the Crefcent, and the wreck falling within board, whereby her guns were rendered ufelefs and the hip ungovernable, Capt. Pakenham was reduced to the difagree ablé neceffity of ftriking the king's colours. Seeing her fituation, we, with great difficulty, got our fhip's head towards her, and by that means prevented the enemy tak ing poffeffion of her, who made It would be doing injuftice to the merit of Captain Pakenham, his officers, and fhip's company, if I concluded my letter without acknowledging they did as much as men could do to support the dignity of the British flag, till that unfortunate accident, which depriv I beg you will acquaint their lordships, that I took upon me to recommiffion his majesty's ship the Crefcent, and appoined my first lieutenant, Mr. John Bligh, to the command of her; reinftating the reft of the officers; and that Lieutenant Ellery, fecond lieut. of the faid fhip, having fince died of the wounds he received in action, I have appointed Mr. Peter Creed, Mafter of the Flora, whom I ftrongly recommended to their lordships for promotion, after the action with the Nymph, to fucceed him; which steps I hope their lordfhips will approve. In my my own fhip I have appointed Mr. John Evans to act as third lieutenant, a young man who has ferved his time in the navy, and who is very deferving of promotion. The following is an account of the killed and wounded on board his majefty's frigates Flora and Crefcent, and the Dutch frigate Cafter. Flora Crefcent Caftor S9 killed, 32 wounded. 26 killed, 67 wounded. 22 killed, 41 wounded. I am forry to add to this letter a circumftance which gives me infinite concern. As foon as the damages of the three fhips were repaired in the beft manner we were able, which employed us five days, we proceeded on our paflage without interruption, till the 19th inft. when early in the morning, in lat. 47. N. long. 6. 30. W. being in chace of a privateer brig, which had dogged us all night, and part of the preceding day, I difcovered, upon the clearing away of a fquall, two fhips to windward, edging towards me; upon which I veered fhip, and returned to the Crefcent and Caftor, flattering myfelf the appearance of our force united would check the ardour of their purfuit: but in this I was mitiaken; they ftill continued the chale, encouraged, I have no doubt, by the difabled appearance of my conforts, and gained upon us very faft. Confcious of our actual want of strength, I did not think it advifeable to hazard an action, and my officers were unanimously of the fame opinion. . Each fhip therefore shaped a differ ent course, and about one o'clock P. M. I had the mortification to fee the Caftor retaken by one of the frigates, which fired a gun, and hoifted French colours, though till that moment they had chased under English. The other frigate, not being able to come up with the Flora, bore away about three o'clock, after the Crescent, and, as the night was clear, I am apprehenfive the fared the fame fate as the Caftor. When their lordships reflect how reduced the complement of his majesty's fhips were by the lofs of the killed and wounded, and from the number of men fent on board the prize, viz. 38 from the Flora, and nearly the fame number from the Crefcent (which men were constantly employed at the pumps to keep the fhip free), I flatter myself they will acquit me of having acted improperly on this occafion. N. B. The Flora had 36 guns, and 270 men; the Crefcent 28 guns, and 200 men. Admiralty Office, Sept. 18, 1781. Extract of a Letter from Captain Curtis to Mr. Stephens, dated Brilliant, Gibraltar, August 7, 1781. Helena was rowing for the Rock. I immediately took the Repulfe and Vanguard gun-boats, with all the boats of the fhips, and went for her as expeditiously as poffible. Fourteen gun-boats of the enemy, carrying each one 26pounder in the bow, moved alfo from Algeziras, accompanied by feveral launches. These boats got on fafter than I could proceed with the Repulfe and Vanguard, and before eight o'clock thofe of them the moft advanced commenced their fire upon the Helena, being then within half gunhot. She returned it with great deliberation and effect, but ftill continuing to use her oars. The greater part of the gun-boats were foon close to her, and the clouds of grape and other hot, that feemed almoft to bury her, were really aftonifhing. However, the did not, without fome aid, bear long this very unequal combat. The Repulfe and Vanguard began a welldirected fire upon the enemy, being fo placed as was deemed the moft efficacious to cover the Helena, and to annoy them. The commencement of the fea-breeze having got to the Helena, the foon reached us, the enemy ftill perfevering in their attempt upon her; fome of them firing at her broadfide, and others keeping aftern, raking her. However, the fteadiness and bravery exhibited on board the Helena, and the wellapplied grape from the Repulfe and Vanguard, very foon made feveral of them retire; and they all fled by ten o'clock, allowing us to tow the Helena into the Mole * A without farther molestation. xebec, mounting between twenty and thirty guns, which was lying near to Cabarita Point, got under way when the breeze came, and advanced to join the gun-boats; but, upon feeing them retire, the retired alto. The matts, fails, rigging, and furniture of the Helena are cut all to pieces, and the hull a good deal damaged; but it is wonderful, as it is fortunate, the boatfwain was the only man who was killed on board her. The bravery, the coolness, and the judicious conduct of Captain Roberts, do him infinite honour: his officers and men deserve the higheft commendation. Captain Roberts was firft Lieutenant of the Quebeck with Capt. Farmer, when she was burnt in the action with the Surveillant. not not be fo eafily diftinguished: I therefore gave way to the pleafing idea that he was a privateer, carrying zo nine-pounders, whom I had intelligence was cruizing off here, and inftantly refolved either to bring her to action, or oblige her to quit the coaft; for which purpose we gave chase, but were prevented continuing it long, by her edging down, feemingly determined to engage us. Confcious of her fuperiority in failing and force, this manœuvre coincided with my wishes. I caufed the Savage to lay by, till we perceived, on her nearer approach, he was far fuperior to what we imagined, and that it was neceffary to attempt making our efcape, without fome fortunate fhot, in the courfe of a running fight (which we faw inevitable), admitted our taking advantages, and bringing on a more equal conflict. At half paft ten fhe began firing her bow chafers, and at eleven, being clofe on our quarter, the action commenced with mufquetry, which after a good deal of execution, was followed by a heavy cannonade on both fides. In an hour's time I had the mortification to fee our braces and bowlings thot away, and not a rope left to trim the fail with, notwithstanding every precaution had been taken: how. ever, our fire was fo conftant and well-directed, that the enemy did not fee our fituation, but kept along fide of us, till accident obliged him to drop aftern. The Savage was now almost a wreck; her fails, rigging, and yards, fo much cut, that it was with the utmost difficulty we could alter our pofition time enough to avoid being raked; the enemy lying directly athwart our ftern for some minutes. This was the only intermiffion of great guns, but mufquetry and piftols ftill did execution, and continued till they opened again, which was not till both ships were almoft on board each other, when the battle became more furious than before. Our quarter-deck and forecastle were foon now nearly cleared, fcarce a man belonging to either not being killed or wounded, with three guns on our main deck rendered ufelefs. In this fituation, we fought near an hour, with only five fix-pounders, the fire from each fhip's guns fcorching the men who opposed them, fhot and other implements of war thrown by hand doing execution; when our mizen-mast being fhot away by the board; our main-maft tottering, with only three fhrouds ftanding; the fhip on fire dangeroufly; only 40 men on duty to oppofe the foe, who was attempting to board us in three places; no fuccour in fight, or poffibility of making further refiftance; I was neceffitated, at a quarter before three, P. M. ta furrender to the Congrefs, a pri vate fhip of war, belonging to Philadelphia, who carried 215 men, and mounted 20 twelvepounders on her main-deck, and four fixes above, fourteen of which were fought on one fide. She loft during the action eleven men, and had near thirty wounded, feveral of them mortally; her mafts, her fails, and rigging, were fo much damaged, that the was obliged to return to port, which partly answered my wifhes prior to the action, as great part of the Carolina Trade was daily expected on the coaft, and this privateer we faw failed remarkably faft. Three days were employed putting her in a condition to make fail, and five for the Savage, who was exceedingly flattered. Indeed it is aftonifhing more damage was not done, as the weather was fine, the water remarkably fmooth, and the hips never thirty yards afunder. The courage, intrepidity, and good behaviour of the officers and fhip's company I had the honour to command, deferve the highest commendations, and my warmeft thanks. Lieutenant Shiels diftinguished himself by his gallantry, activity, and attention; as did Mr. Gyam the gunner. Mr. Wightman, the mafter, fell early in the action, by which I loft the affittance of a good officer. The inferior officers behaved well in their refpective stations; and the men fought with a cool, determined valour, that will ever redound to their credit. I cannot conclude without obferving, that Captain Geddis and the officers of the Congrefs, after fighting us bravely, treated us when prifoners with great humanity. Inclofed is a return of the killed and wounded. I have the honour to be, &c. &c. CHARLES STIRLING. His Excellency Rear-Adm. Graves. A lift of the officers and men killed and wounded on board his majesty's floop Savage, Sept. 6, 1781. Killed, mafter and wounded, captain, lieutenant, 3 midshipmen, 21 feamen: to tal 34. 7 feamen: CHARLES STIRLING. Extract of a Letter form Vice Admiral Arbuthnot, to Mr. Stephens, dated Bedford, off Sandy Hook, July 4, 1781. I HAD the honour to mention, in my letter of this date, my intention of reporting fome particular circumftances refpecting the capture of the Atalanta; they are communicated in the inclofed paper. The Atalanta, with a gallantry that does her captain the highest honour, maintained the action fome time after the Trepaffey ftruck, until the was a wreck, in which state she was carried to Halifax. The behaviour of Lieutenant Samuel Arden, of the Atalanta. was brilliant beyond expreflion: he loft his right arm in the fight, and, the inftant it was dreft, refumed his ftation on deck, where he remained until fhe ftruck, notwithstanding his weakness and lofs of blood. I doubt not, these matters will be thought entitled to their lord fhips confideration. Report of Mr. Philip Windfor, late Mafter of his majesty's Sloop the Trepaffey, in Halifax Harbour, June 11, 1781, viz. ON Sunday the 27th of May, 1781, being on a cruize with the Atalanta floop, by order from the commanding officer at St. John's, Newfoundland, in lat. 41. long. 61. W. faw a fail at three P. M. S. E. diftant 4 leagues; we bore up, and came within one league; finding her a large fhip, fuppofed her a two-decker, and night com |