APPENDIX to the CHPtONICLE. 



5^5 



wish to attack where opposition 

 may be expected, but to plunder 

 the inhabitants, and burn and de- 

 stroy the shipping. Six merchant- 

 ships, some of them very valuable, 

 have been towed from the anchorage 

 at Basseterre, set on fire, and allow- 

 ed to drift to sea. 



James Foster, 



Major nth rcgt. 



Letter from Captain C. Daylncood, 

 to jidiniral Dacres, Commander. 

 iU'Chief in Jamaica^ on the Cap- 

 ture of the SpajiiihJSchouner La 

 Elizabeth. 



Bacchante, Nezo Providence, April 1 3. 

 Sir,-^I have the honour to ac- 

 quaint you, that, on the 3d instant, 

 his majesty's ship, under my direc- 

 tion, captured, oflf the Ilavannah, 

 his Catholic majesty's schooner La 

 Elizabeth, of 10 guns and 57 men, 

 . commanded by Don Joseph Pen 

 Fexcyron. She was charged with 

 dispatches from the governor of 

 Pcnsacola, which were thrown 

 overboard previous to her surren- 

 dering. Having received iiiforma. 

 tion that there were three French 

 privateers in the harbour of Mariel, 

 (a small convenient port, a little to 

 the westward of the Ilavannah,) 

 which had annoyed most consider- 

 ably the trade of his majesty's sub- 

 jects transiently passing through the 

 Gulph, I determined, if possible, to 

 rout this band of pirates ; for, from 

 their plundering and ill-treating the 

 crew of every vessel they met with, 

 most partictilarly the Americans, 

 they were nothing better; and lieu- 

 tenants Oliver and Campbell having, 

 in the most handsome manner, vo- 

 lunteered their service on this ha- 



zardous occasion, I dispatched those 

 excellent officers, accompanied by 

 the hon. Almericus de Courcy, mid- 

 shipman, on the evening of the 5th 

 inst. in two boats ; and, as it was 

 absolutely necessary to gain posses- 

 sion of a round tower, near 40 feet 

 high, on the top of which were 

 plaHted three long 24-pounders, 

 with loop-holes round its circumfe- 

 rence for musquetry, and manned 

 Avith a captain and 30 soldiers, 1 

 gave direcfions to attack and carry 

 the fort previous to their entering 

 the harbour, so as to enable them 

 to secure a safe retreat. Lieut. 

 Oliver, the senior officer, being in 

 the headmost boat, finding himself 

 discovered, and as not a moment 

 was to be lost at such a critical pe- 

 riod, most nobly advanced, without 

 waiting lor his friend, landed in the 

 face of, and in opposition to, a most 

 tremendous fire, without conde- 

 scending to return the salutation, 

 mounted the fort by a ladder which 

 he had previously provided, and 

 fairly carried it by a coup de main 

 with 13 men, leaving Mr. De 

 Courcy, with three others, to guard 

 the boat, with an accident to only 

 one brave man (G. Allison) wound- 

 ed, who was unfortunately shot 

 through the body before the boat 

 touched the ground, but I am happy 

 to say he is already rapidly reco- 

 vering. — The enemy had two killed 

 and three wounded. 



Lieut. Oliver, leaving Serjeant 

 Denslow, of the marines (who, from 

 his bravery and good couduct, de- 

 serves great praise,) with six men to 

 guard the fort ; and, having been 

 rejoined by lieutenant Campbell, 

 dashed on to attack the privateers, 

 but, to their great moitificatir.n, 

 found they had sailed the day pre- 

 vious on a cruize : he was therefore 



M m 4 obliged 



