My Lord, El Corfo, Ancona, 28th Auguft. IN compliance with your order to deftroy the veffels in the harbour, and make a proper example of the town of Cefenatico, I proceeded with his Majefty's cutter the Pigmy off that port; but finding it impoffible to get within grape-fhot of the Mole, was under the neceffity of deferring the attempt till the night of the 26th, when the boats of both veffels under the order of Lieutenant Yeo, firft of El Corfo, proceeded to Cefenatico, and foon after daylight I perceived them in poffeffion of the town, fuccefsfully maintaining a pofition against fome French troops in the neighbourhood: but about eight, obferving a party of horfe in full fpeed from Cervia, I judged it prudent to call them immediately on board, though not before we had the fatisfaction of feeing that the gallantry of Lieutenant Yeo, aided by Mr. Douglas, mafter of the Pigmy, had been crowned with the fullest fuccefs, the veffels and harbour at that time forming but one flame; and that the intent of this enterprife might not be loft on the coaft, I fhortly afterwards fent in the attached note. I have the honour likewife to enclose the report of Lieutenant Yeo, ` and remain, &c. To the Inhabitants of Cefenatico. W. RICKETTS. The treachery of your municipality, in caufing to be arrested an officer with dispatches, has been long known to the British Admiral in these feas. That municipality may now fadly know that the feverity of judgment, long delayed, is always exemplary. That the innocent fuffer with the guilty, though much to be regretted, is the natural feature of war; and the more terrible the infliction on this occafion, the more striking the example should prove to furrouding municipalities. Report. W. RICKETTS. OF thirteen veffels of different defcriptions lying within the mole of Cefenatico, two were funk and eleven burnt, one of them deeply laden with copper, money, and bale-goods; the harbour choked by the wreck of four funk in the mouth of it, and both piers entirely confumed. JOHN LUCAS YEO. Copy of a Letter from Captain Keats, of his Majesty's Ship Boadicea, to Earl St. Vincent. My Lord, Boadicea, at Sea, October 4. I HAVE the honour to inform you, that the Fifgard chafed from the fquadron on the 13th ultimo, and on the day following brought in the Spanish brig (floop of war) El Vivo, as reported in Captain Martin's accompanying letter; and also that Captain Griffiths, of the Diamond, returned to the fquadron on the 1ft inftant, with a French brig privateer of 14 guns and 60 men, named La Rancune, taken by that fhip on the 27th ultimo. I have the honour to he, &c. Right Hon. Admiral Earl St. Vincent, &c. R. G. KEATS. Fifgard, at Sea, September 30. Sir, I BEG to inform you, that his Majefty's thip Fifgard, under my command, has captured the Vivo Spanish brig of war, of 14 eighteen-pounder carronades, and 100 men; two days from Ferrol, bound to America with fealed orders and difpatches, which they threw overboard in the chase. I have the honour to be, &c. Captain Keats, Boadicea. T. B. MARTIN. From the LONDON GAZETTE, October 18, 1800. Admiralty Office, October 18. Copy of a Letter from Captain Cockburne, of his Majefty's Ship La Minerce, to Lord Keith. My Lord, La Minerve, off Vigo, April 16. I HAVE the honour to enclofe, for your Lordship's information, a letter I have received from Captain Middleton, acquainting me of the capture of the San Antonio y Animes, Spanish private.r, by his Majefty's thip Flora, under his command. As your Lordthip may not have received my letters on the fubject, I fend, per margin, a lift of the privateers taken by his Majefty's fhip under my command, fince cruifing off this coaft. Lord Keith, K. B. &c. I have the honour to be, &c. G. COCKBURNE. Copy of a Letter from Captain Middleton, of his Majesty's Ship Flora, to Captain Cockburne. Sir, His Majefty's Ship Flora, at Sea, April 9. I HAVE to acquaint you, that this day, at eleven A.M. Vigo bearing E. by S. diftance thirty leagues, I difcovered a schooner in the act of boarding two brigs; after a chafe of five hours I had the fatisfaction of capturing her. She proves to be the San Antonio y Animes, alias Aurora, belonging to Vigo, commanded by Don Francifco Fernandez Ferros, mounting 10 guns, three of which fhe hove overboard during the chafe, manned with 55 men; has been out three days from Vigo, without making any capture. I am, &c. George Cockburne, Efq. (Signed) ROBERT MIDDLETON. Captain of his Majefty's Ship La Minerve. From the LONDON GAZETTE, October 25, 1800. Letter from the Earl of St. Vincent, to Mr. Nepean; dated the 17th inftant. BY the Lord Nelfon cutter I have this day received the enclosed letter from Captain Knight, of his Majefty's fhip Montague, detailing a very La Mouche, of Bourdeaux, of 20 guns and 145 men. meritorious meritorious piece of fervice performed by the boats of that fhip and of the Magnificent; and Lieutenant Percy informs me, that on the 1ft inftant, in the Lord Nelfon, he captured and burnt a floop from Camaret, bound to Bourdeaux, laden with empty cafks; and on Monday laft drove on fhore, under a battery, three brigs and three floops, apparently empty, which had made their efcape from within the Penmarks during the late gales of wind. My Lord, 1 am, &c. ST. VINCENT. Montague, at Sea, October 13. ON returning weftward yesterday before L'Orient, I faw at noon a fmall convoy of brigs, floops, &c. taking refuge in Port Danenne, which I approached, and prepared the armed boats of the two fhips to attack, and while placing this fhip to cover them, difpatched the Montague's boats, under the direction of Lieutenants Byfett and Knight, who were followed and ably fupported by thofe of the Magnificent, in which were Lieutenants Dunlop and Griffiths, who, notwithstanding the fire kept up from two of the veffels, who were armed, and a battery firing round and grape (under which the veffels lay touching the ground), they boarded, took poffeffion, and brought out eleven veffels, and burnt one; another had been funk by the enemy's fhot, leaving only one, whofe. fituation in the creek would not admit of getting her out. This little piece of fervice, completely and expeditiously performed, with the lofs only of one feamen killed and two wounded of the Montague, and one of the latter of the Magnificent, has won my approbation, and I trust will merit your Lordship's. On this duty Lieutenants Alexander, Montgomerie, Mitchell, and Jordan, of the marines, were employed, as well as Lieutenant Samarin, of the Ruffian navy, who volunteered his fervice, all entitled to applaufe, as were the feamen and marines for their regular and fpirited conduct, I have the honour to be, &c. Admiral the Earl of St. Vincent. Lift of Vefels. JOHN KNIGHT. Three floops (one of them funk), three brigs, and five luggers. Letter from Captain Skipfey, of his Majefty's Sloop Termagant, reporting the Interception of a French national Veel defined with Supplies for Egypt, to Lord Keith. My Lord, Termagant, Leghorn, 6th September. I HAVE to acquaint your Lordship, that on the ift inftant, in his Majefty's floop under my command, thirty leagues to the weftward of Corfica, after a chafe of two hours, I captured a French national polacre called La Capricieufe, commanded by Citizen Gandferrand, Enfeigne de Vaiffeau, mounting fix guns, manned with 68 men, was victualled for two months, had left Toulon three days, and was bound to Egypt. She had on board 350 ftand of arms, a quantity of flot, a French general, and a chef de battalion; but the difpatches (except the two letters I have the honour to enclofe) were deftroyed before I boarded her. I have alfo to add, that on the 4th inftant, after a fhort chafe, ten leagues from this place, I took the General Holtz French privateer, with two guns and 26 men, which I fcuttled and funk. Right Hon. Lord Keith, W. SKIPSEY. Letter Letter from Captain Durban, of the Weazel Sloop, to Admiral Milbanke. Sir, His Majefty's Sloop Weazel, Spithead, October 21. I BEG to inform you of my arrival here, and that on the 19th inftant I captured off Portland the fmall French cutter privateer Petit Chaffeur, of Granville, Pierre Antonare mafter, armed with one carriage gun, mufkets, and fabres, &c.: fhe had taken a brig belonging to Sunderland, which I recaptured; her name unknown, it being late when we boarded her. W. DURBAN. Almiral Milbanke, &c. Letter from Captain Cunningham, Commander of the Clyde, to Mr. Nepean; dated Plymouth Sound, October 22. I BEG you will be pleafed to acquaint my Lords Commiffioners of the Admiralty of the arrival of his Majefty's fhip Clyde, under my command, having towed in the Dick Guineaman, which was made quite a wreck in a very gallant refiftance against a French privateer before the was captured. I enclofe for their Lord hips' further information, a copy of a letter addreffed to the Earl of St. Vincent, upon my arrival. C. CUNNINGHAM. Letter from Captain Cunningham, of his Majefty's Ship Clyde, to Earl St. Vincent. My Lord, Clyde, Plymouth Sound, 22d October. I HAVE the honour to tranfmit, for your Lordship's information, a lift of veffels deftroyed, captured, and recaptured during the late cruife of his Majefty's fhip under my command. Deux Amis Spanish letter of marque, 4 guns and 27 men, from Vera Cruz to St. Andero, burnt in the harbour of St. Vincent. Captured El Beloz Spanish packet, from the Havannah, bound to Corunna, 4 guns and 30 men. La Rofe French fchooner, from Bourdeaux to Guadaloupe, and La Magicienne French fchooner, from Senegal to Bourdeaux. Recaptured the Dick Guineaman, of Liverpool, taken by the Grand Decide French privateer; at this time the Fifgard was in fight, who, I apprehend, captured the latter about two hours after. I have the honour to be, &c. Admiral the Earl of St. Vincent. Copy of a Letter from Captain Cockburne, of his Majefty's Ship La Minerve, to Captain Halfted. Sir, La Minerve, at Sea, September 28. I HAVE the honour to inform you that I this day captured, off Cape Finisterre, L'Active French letter of marque, from Guadaloupe, bound to Bourdeaux, loaded with fugar and coffee. I beg leave to add, that, on the 26th, I captured the Victorieux French merchant brig, from Cayenne, bound to Bourdeaux, laden with cotton, coffee, and fugar; and, on the 16th, I recaptured, in company with the Doris, El Rey Carlos Spanish packet, loaded with fugar, indigo, and cochineal. Captain Halfted, of his Majefly's GEORGE COCKBURNE, Ship Phoenix. Letter Letter from Captain Fowke, of the Profelyte, to Evan Nepean, Esq.; dated off Havre, the 19th inftant. I BEG alfo to inform their Lordships, that the Victor Natalie, a small French cutter, from Dieppe, bound to Cancelle, in ballaft, was captured by his Majefty's fhip under my command this morning. From the LONDON GAZETTE, November 1, 1800. Letter from the Honourable Captain Stopford, of his Majefty's Ship Excellent, My Lord, to Earl St. Vincent. Excellent, off Abreverak, October 21. I HAVE the honour to acquaint your Lordfhip, that I fent the boats of his Majesty's fhip under my command laft night, under the direction of Lieutenant Bain, to cut out three large brigs, which I had obferved in a creek to the eastward of Abreverak. The fervice was very dexterously and completely executed, and they were all brought out through a very intricate navigation. One of the brigs mounts three carriage guns, and her crew being in a great measure prepared for the attack, made fome refiftance, which was, however, foon overcome by boarding; but, I am forry to add, with the lofs of one feaman (a quarter-mafter), who was mortally wounded. One of the veffels is loaded with bifcuit for Breft; another with wood for the fame place; and the third is in ballaft. I have the honour to be, &c. Right Hon. the Earl of St. Vincent. R. STOPFORD. From the LONDON GAZETTE, November 4, 1800. Admiralty Office, November 4. Copy of a Letter from Mr. Stephen Butcher, Mafter of his Majefty's hired Lugger Nile, to Admiral S. Lutwidge. Sir, Nile Lugger (3d), Downs, November 2. LIEUTENANT Whitehead being fick on fhore, I beg leave to acquaint you, that at nine o'clock laft night, while in the execution of your orders, I fell in with and captured, off Folkftone, the Renard French cutter privateer, of Calais, Michael Bernard Hamelin commander, carrying two three pounders and 13 men, at the time the was alongfide a laden merchant-hip ftanding in for the Downs. The privateer left Calais at four o'clock yesterday afternoon. I am, Sir, &c. STEPHEN BUTCHER. From the LONDON GAZETTE, November 8, 1800. Extract of a Letter from Captain Knight, of his Majefty's Ship Montague, to SINCE my letter of the 13th inftant, informing your Lordship of having cut eleven veffels out of the port of Danenne, the boats of the VOL. X. K Montague, 1 |