AUGUST. Admiralty-office, August 2. Copy of a letter from the earl of St. Vincent, K. B. admiral and commander in chief in the Channel, Soundings, &c. to William Marsden, esq. dated Hibernia, off Ushant, the 27th July, 1806. Sir, I inclose the relation of a very gallant action, in which the most intrepid valour has been manifested, and the national character highly sustained; but I greatly regret the loss of a number of brave men in the performance of it; flattering myself, however, that 16 of them are prisoners. I am, &c. ST. VINCENT. Centaur, off Rochefort, July 19. vette caused a greater loss than could be expected, but nothing could withstand the bravery of the officers and seamen employed. To lieut. Sibly's gallantry no words of mine are equal to do jus tice, every one speaks of him in terms of the highest commenda.. tion, and I had before, in the West Indies, experienced his brave conduct; he now has seven severe wounds, but I hope none mortal, and I beg leave to recommend him as an officer truly deserving the attention of my lords commissioners of the admiralty.-To lieut. Parker, first of the Indefatigable, much praise is due, and given him by lieut. Sibly, for his brave support and able conduct in managing the corvette after he was wounded. The loss of the boats was una voidable, of that of the Revenge, with her officer and crew, no certain account can be obtained; there is a faint hope she may have been driven up the Garonne. Sir, I have the honour, &c. Indefatigable, off Rochefort, 17th July, 1806. I beg leave to inclose to your lordship a letter I have received from captain Rodd, of his majesty's ship Indefatigable, giving an account of an attack made by a boat from each line of battle ship from this squadron, and those of his majesty's ships Indefatigable and Iris, Rt. hon. earl St. Vincent, &c. on two corvettes and a convoy, in the entrance of the river Garonne. Le Cæsar, the largest corvette, was boarded and carried by the division of boats led on by lieut. Sibly, first lieutenant of the Centaur, in a style highly honourable to the national character. The western breeze that sprung up after the boats had left the Indefatigable, and blowing stronger as they advanced, was truly perplexing, for it was the only circumstance that could have prevented the whole falling into our hands; they took advantage on the first attack, and made sail, and escaped before the wind and tide up the Garonne; it was impossible for the boats to prevent them. The firm resistance made by the cor I have the honour to acquaint you, in obedience to your orders of the 14th inst., I gave the command of the boats of the squadron you sent me by the Iris, for the purpose of endeavouring to capture or de stroy the French convoy in the entrance of the river of Bour deaux (with the addition of three from the Indefatigable, and three from the Iris) to lieut. Sibly, of the Centaur, with all the information I was in possession of respecting their situation on the evening of the 15th, it appearing a favourable time to make the attempt; though some (F3) time time after the boats had quitted the Indefatigable, the wind shifted to the westward and came on to blow fresh, notwithstanding the boats proceeded to Verdun Road, boarded and carried the French brig LeCæsar, of eighteen guns, and by the rolle d'equipage, 86 men, commanded by monsieur Louis Francois Hector Fourre, lieutenant de vaisseau. The conflict was severe on both sides, the Frenchmen being inevery respect well prepared, expecting the attack. The wind coming on to blow fresh, and the tide running very strong, was much against the boats; but nothing could withstand such mea, led on by the officers who commanded them. Lieutenant Sibly, I lament to say, is badly wounded in several places, though, from the reports of the surgeon, I trust, he will recover. To this gallant officer (whose conduct is spoken of by all who were under his command with admiration) I beg to refer you for particulars. The convoy all cut their cables and ran up the river instantly on the attack being made on the brig. There is much credit due to lieu. tenant Thomas Parker, first of the Indefatigable, who took the command of Le Cæsar after she was carried, for his conduct in working her out past the batteries, which kept up a constant cross fire on her, and engaged by the Teazer brig (late in his majesty's service), for nearly two hours; the same attaches to the other officers and men for their coolness and conduct while they were engaged. The greater part of the boats were either shot through, or so badly stove that they were swamped and obliged to be cut adrift from the brig, except the Indefatigable's launch and Iris's cutter. The Re venge's boat, officer, and crew, are missing. Le Cæsar is a fine brig, evidently sails well, five years old, eighty-eight feet long, twenty-three wide, coppered, and appears fit for his majesty's service. Inclosed is a list of the killed and wounded. I have the honour to be, &c. To sir Samuel Hood, senior List of officers and men belonging to such of the boats of his majesty's squadron, under the orders of captain sir Samuel Hood, K. B. who were killed or wounded in the attack of the French men of war and convoy in Bourdeaux river, on the 16th July, 1806. Centaur-E. R. Sibly, lieute nant, wounded by pike and sabre on the side, arm, and face; Samuel Wooldridge, quarter-master, wounded badly in the thigh by a pike; Thomas Gray, quarter-gunner, wounded badly in the side by a pike; Michael Hales, able, wound. ed in the hand and arm by a musket-ball, and in the shoulder by a pike; John James, able, wounded slightly on the chin by a musketball; Bernard Connor, able, wounded in the lip by a sabre, and thigh by a pike; William Tully, able, killed by a musket-ball; William M'Cormick, private of marines, wounded badly on the arm by a musket-ball, and thigh by a pike. Conqueror: lieutenant G. Fitzmaurice-Mr. Helpman, master'smate, killed by a shot in the boat; Thomas Willoughby, quarter-mas. ter, wounded, fear mortally, on board the Cæsar brig; Samuel Noy, able, wounded severely in the arm. Prince of Wales, lieutenant Fran. cis- David Parry, able, killed; F. B. Gibbs, wounded slightly on the : the left leg and right arm; Thomas Mullins, master's mate, flesh wounded on the outer part of left thigh by a pistol shot; Thomas Pritchard, able,contused wound over the right cheek, and slight wound in the middle finger of the right hand; Thomas Wales, quarter-master's mate, slight wound on the inner ankle of the left leg; John Slater, private of marines, contusion over the right eye, occasioning a total loss of sight in that eye; slight punctured wound over the seventh rib; contusion on the left hip; Charles Valantine, private of marines, flesh wound on the right foot. Revenge lieutenant Manners and Mr. Blackstone, midshipmanCharles Manners, lieutenant, missing; Thomas Blackstone, midshipman, ditto; John Drey, coxswain, ditto: Samuel Colvin, able, ditto; Joseph Willson, able, ditto; John Thomson (1), able, ditto; John Kelson, able, ditto; Thomas Matterson, able, ditto; Hugh Jones (2), able, ditto; Thomas Shirrelt, able, ditto; John Swinbank, able, ditto; John Masterman, able, ditto; George Pearson, able, ditto; David Maddocks, quarter gunner, ditto; William Trickett, able, ditto; William Bell, able, ditto; John Thompson (2), able, ditto; William Murphy, private of marines, ditto; Alexander Spence, private marine, ditto; Thomas Helps, private marine, ditto; David Whitehead, private marine, ditto. Polyphemus-William Ander. son, quarter-master's mate, severe cut across the head; W. Fleming, coxswain, slightly cut across the eye-brow. Monarch: lieutenant Tait-Dalhouse Tait, lieutenant, wounded badly in the groin and breast by a pike; John Boil, able, wounded badly in the face by a sabre; Tho mas Anderson, able, wounded badly in the leg and hand by a mus ket-ball; Thomas Kennedy, able, wounded badly in the neck by a pike; Edward Harms, able, wound. ed slightly by a pike; Thomas Brooks, private of marines, wounded sightly in the side by a pike; Thomas Robertson, able, wounded slightly by a pike; John Cow- ' ard, able, killed and drowned. Indefatigable: lieutenants Parker, Arscott, and Shepperdson. William Cross, boatswain's-mate, killed; John Cross, boatswain'smate, ditto; Thomas Parker, lieutenant, wounded slightly in the side by a pike; R. Shepherdson, lieutenant, wounded badly in the face by a splinter; John Cunningham, able, wounded dangerously in the side by a sword; J. Brownlow, able, wounded badly in the groin by a grape-shot; W. Gerrish, private of marines, wounded badly in the hip by a pistol-ball; John Quin, able, wounded slightly in the leg by a musket-ball; John Sullivan, able, wounded slightly in the thigh by a pike; James Shearing, wounded slightly in the face by a musket ball, Richard Grannaw, captain of the main-top, wounded slightly in the leg and breast by a sabre; Reg. Suther land, captain of the forecastle, wounded slightly in the groin and hand by a pike; serjeant Berry, private marine, wounded slightly in the foot and finger. Iris William Taylor, able, wounded badly by a shot lodged in his arm. Total-6 killed, 36 wounded, 21 missing. Many on the above list but slightly wounded. N. B. By intelligence gained yesterday from a Portuguese vessel, of sixteen English prisoners having (F4) been been marched into Rochefort from Bourdeaux, it is considered they are the Revenge's men, missing in the above report. Copy of a letter from admiral the earl of St. Vincent, K. B. to William Marsden, esq. dated on board his majesty's ship Hibernia, off Ushant, the 29th July, 1806. Sir, Inclosed is another instance of the enterprising spirit of my eleve, lieutenant Mulcaster, of the Mi nerva. I am, &c. ST. VINCENT, Tonnant, off Cape Finisterre, 17th July, 1806. Sir, The inclosed is a copy of captain Collier's letter respecting the capture of one of the Spanish boats, which do so much mischief to trading vessels on the coast of Portugal. The zeal and activity of lieutenant Mulcaster upon this, as on several other occasions, appears to me very deserving the approbation of my lords commissioners of the admiralty, as well as the conduct of lieutenant Menzies, of the royal marines, who has been his constant companion in these expeditions. I have ordered the prisoners a passage to England in the Spartiate, and remain, &c. ELIAB HARVEY. Sir Charles Cotton, bart, viceadmiral of the red, &c. couple of days, and being informed the Oporto and Lisbon tride were hourly expected from England, for whom several Spanish privateers and row-boats were lurking in Portuguese creeks and rivers, I determined upon sending a boat to the northward; and, at the solicitation of my first-heutenant, Mr. Mulcaster, I dispatched him on the 9th instant in the barge, with his former companion lieutenant Menzies of the marines, who upon every opportunity has most handsomely volunteered his services, and Mr. Turrell, midshipman, to cruize a few leagues' north of this port, with the hope of intercepting some of the piratical cruizers belonging to Guarda. On the evening of the 11th I had the satisfaction to be rejoined by the barge, having a Spanish lugger in company, La Buena Dicha privateer, armed with one nine pounder, blunderbusses, and musketry, manned with twentysix of the Guarda desperadoes, and capable of rowing twenty sweeps. The very general, active, and enterprising character of lieutenant Mulcaster will not, I trust, suffer by my giving you the particulars of the capture of the privateer, which, though insignificant in herself, is one of those, from their pe. culiar construction, which have done much mischief to British Oporto traders. The lugger, hav ing been apprised by a fishingboat of the barge being near her, was far from avoiding the contest, which, though short, was severe. The barge advanced under a discharge of grape-shot from the prow gun, which was soon cleared, when the enemy prepared to defend themselves with the sabre and pistol, which the activity and reso lution of the officers, seconded by serjeant Hull, and Peter Ward, gunner's mate, and others of the crew, soon rendered unavailing. One Spaniard was killed, the captain, two officers, and two seamen, miserably (and, I understand, mortally) wounded. The regret I should feel on any other occasion is considerably diminished by a knowledge of the character and description of the people the boat's crew had to deal with; and I have little doubt but this check, so much desired by the British factory at Oporto, will destroy, in a great measure, that spirit and enterprise which has so long marked the inhabitants of Guarda. I have the greatest pleasure in stating lieutenant Mulcaster's report of the very active and determined conduct of lieut. Menzies, the inferior officers and boat's crew, after a fatiguing race of near forty miles, and am sure you will feel equal pleasure in a knowledge that none were killed or wounded. I have the honour, &c. Copy of a letter from captain Beresford, of his majesty's ship Cambrian, &c. senior officer of his majesty's ships at Halifax, to William Marsden, esq. dated at Halifax, July 1, 1806. Sir, I have the honour to inclose, for their lordships' information, a letter from captain Hawker, of his majesty's ship Tartar, who has brought in a fine brig corvette, with information that her consort L'Argus, a corvette of twenty guns, was to cruize for four months near Bermuda. The officers of the yard report so favourably of L'Observateur, fin every respect strong, for this station, and wants nothing,) Tartar, at sea, 9th June, 1806. Sir, I have the honour to inform you, his majesty's ship under my command (the Bacchus cutter in company) this day fell in with, and captured, after a chase and a few minutes resistance, the French imperial corvette brig L'Observateur, captain Crozier, of eighteen guns, pierced for twenty, with one hundred and four men, victualled and stored for four months; she sailed from Cayenne on the 13th May, in company with L'Argus, French brig of war, on a cruize, and had taken nothing. I am, &c. |