Letter from Captain C. Dashwood, to Admiral Dacres, Commanderin-chief in Jamaica, on the Capture of the Spanish Schooner La Elizabeth.

Bacchante, New Providence, April 13. Sir, I have the honour to acquaint you, that, on the 3d instant, his majesty's ship, under my direction, captured, off the Havannah, his Catholic majesty's schooner La Elizabeth, of 10 guns and 57 men, commanded by Don Joseph Pen Fexeyron. She was charged with dispatches from the governor of Pensacola, which were thrown overboard previous to her surrendering. Having received information that there were three French privateers in the harbour of Mariel, (a small convenient port, a little to the westward of the Havannah,) which had annoyed most consider ably the trade of his majesty's subjects 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 particularly the Americans, they were nothing better; and lieutenants Oliver and Campbell having, in the most handsome manner, volunteered their service on this ha

rence for musquetry, and manned with a captain and 30 soldiers, I gave directions 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 period, most nobly advanced, without waiting for his friend, landed in the face of, and in opposition to, a most tremendous fire, without condescending 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) wounded, who was unfortunately shot through the body before the boat touched the ground, but I am happy to say he is already rapidly recovering. The enemy had two killed and three wounded.

Lieut. Oliver, leaving serjeant Denslow, of the marines (who, from his bravery and good couduct, deserves 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 mortification, found they had sailed the day previous on a cruize: he was therefore M m 4 obliged

obliged to be contented with taking possession of two schooners, laden with sugar, which he most gallantly brought away from alongside a wharf, in spite of repeated discharges of musketry from the troops and militia, which poured down in numbers from the surrounding country.

I should not have been thus particular in recounting a circumstance which was not attended with ultimate success, were it not to mark my admiration of the noble conduct of lieutenant Oliver, in so gallantly attacking and carrying a fort which, with the men it contained, ought to have maintained its position against fifty times the number that were opposed; but nothing could withstand the prompt and manly steps taken by that officer and his gallant crew on this occasion; and as, in my humble judgment, the attempt was most daring and hazardous, and had the privateers been there, I doubt not but success would have attended it, so I humbly solicit the honour of your notice to this most gallant officer. C. Dashwood.

Interesting Account of Lieut. Yeo's gallant Action at Muros Buy. In a Letter from Capt. F. Maitland to Admiral Drury.

Loire, at Anchor, Muros Road, Spain, June 4. Sir,-Being informed that there was a French privateer, of 26 guns, fitting out at Muros, and nearly ready for sea, it struck me, from my recollection of the bay, (having been in it formerly, when lieutenant of the Kingfisher,) as being practicable either to bring her out or de

stroy her, with the ship I have the honour to command. I accordingly prepared yesterday evening for engaging at anchor, and appointed Mr. Yeo, first lieutenant, with lieutenants Mallock and Douglas, of the marines, and Mr. Clinch, master's-mate, to head the boarders and marines, amounting, officers included, to 50 men (being all that can be spared from anchoring the ship and working the guns,) in landing and storming the fort, though I then had no idea its strength was so great as it has proved. At nine this morning, on the sea-breeze setting in, I stood for the bay in the ship, the men previously prepared being in the boats ready to shove off. On hauling close round the point of the road, a small battery of two guns opened a fire on the ship; a few shot were returned, but perceiving it would annoy us considerably, from its situation, I desired Mr. Yeo to push on-shore, and spike the guns, reminding the men of its being the anniversary of their sovereign's birth, and that, for his sake, as well as their own credit, their utmost exertions must be used. Though such an injunction was unnecessary, it had a great effect in animating and raising the spirits of the people.As the ship drew in, and more fully opened the bay, I perceived a very long corvette, of 26 ports, apparently nearly ready for sea, and a large brig, of twenty ports, in a state of fitting; but neither of them firing, led me to conclude they had not their guns on board, and left no other object to occupy my attention but a heavy fort, which at this moment opened to our view, within less than a quarter of a mile, and began a wonderfully well-directed

fire, almost every shot taking place in the hull. Perceiving that, by standing farther on, more guns would be brought to bear upon us, without our being enabled to near the fort so much as I wished, I ordered the helm to be put down, and when, from the way she had, we had gained an advantageous position, anchored with a spring, and commenced firing. Although we have but little doubt that, before long, we should have silenced the fort, yet, from the specimen they gave us, and being completely embrazured, it must have cost us many lives, and great injury to the ship, had not Mr. Yeo's gallantry and great conduct soon put an end to their fire. I must now revert to him and the party under his command:-Having landed under the small battery on the Point, it was instantly abandoned; but hardly had he time to spike the guns, when, at the distance of a quarter of a mile, he perceived a regular fort, ditched, and with a gate, which the enemy (fortunately not suspecting our landing) had neglect ed to secure, open a fire upon the ship without waiting for orders, he pushed forward, and was opposed at the inner gate by the governor, with such troops as were in the town, and the crews of the French privateers. From the tesFrom the testimony of the prisoners, as well as our own men, it appears that Mr. Yeo was the first that entered the fort, with one blow laid the governor dead at his feet, and broke his own sabre in two; the other officers were dispatched by such officers and men of ours as were most advanced, and the narrowness of the gate would permit, to push forward: the remainder instantly fled to the far

ther end of the fort, where, from the ship, we could perceive many of them leap from the embrasures upon the rocks (a height of above twentyfive feet); such as laid down their arms received quarter. For a more partiular account of the proceedings of Mr. Yeo, and his party, I beg leave to refer you to his letter enclosed herewith, and have to request you will be pleased to recommend him to the notice of the lords commissioners of the admiralty, being a very old officer, and in the two late instances has displayed as much gallantry as ever fell to the lot of any man; he speaks in the strongest language of the officers and men under his command on-shore, and I feel it but justice to attribute our success wholly to their exertions; for although the fire from the ship was admirably directed, the enemy were so completely covered by their embrasures, as to render the grape almost ineffectual.-The instant the union was displayed at the fort, I sent and took possession of the enemy's vessels in the road, consisting of the Confiance French privateer, pierced for 26 twelves and nines, none of which, however, were on board; the Belier, a French privateer brig, pierced for 20 18-pound carronades; and a Spanish merchant-brig in ballast. I then hoisted a flag of truce, and sent to inform the inhabitants of the town, that if they would deliver up such stores of the ship as were on shore, there would be no farther molestation; the proposal was thankfully agreed to. I did not, however, think it advisable to allow the people to remain long enough to embark the guns, there being a large body of troops in the vicinity. A great many small vessels are in the bay,

and

and hauled up on the beach: none of them having cargoes of any value, I conceive it an act of inhumanity to deprive the poorer inhabitants of the means of gaining their livelihood, and shall not molest them. On inspecting the brig, as she had only the lower rigging over-head, and was not in a state of forwardness, I found it impracticable to bring her away, and therefore set fire to her she is now burnt to the water's edge. I cannot conclude my letter without giving the portion of credit that is their due to the officers and men on board the ship; they conducted themselves with the greatest steadiness and coolness, and, although under a heavy fire, pointed their guns with the utmost precision, there being hardly a shot that did not take effect. To licutenants Lawe and Bertram I feel much indebted, as well as to Mr. Shea, the purser, (who volunteered his services, and to whom I gave the charge of the quarter-deck carronades in Mr. Yeo's absence,) for the precision and coolness displayed by the men under their command in pointing the guns, as well as the exact attention paid to my orders, and ceasing fire the instant the union jack made its appearance on the walls, by which, in all probability, the lives of several of our men were saved. Mr. Cleverly, the master, brought the broadside to bear with much quickness and nicety, by means of the spring. I send you herewith a list of our wounded on board, and on shore, with one of the enemy's killed and wounded, and an account of their force at the commencement of the action.

I have been under the necessity of being more detailed than I could wish, but it is out of my power, in

a smaller compass, to do justice to the exertions and conduct of the officers and men employed on the different services.-It is but fair at the same time to state, that, much to the credit of the ship's company, the bishop and one of the principal inhabitants of the town came off to express their gratitude for the orderly behaviour of the people, (there not being one instance of pillage,) and to make offer of every refreshment the place affords.—I am now waiting for the land breeze to carry us out, having already recalled the officers and men from the fort, the guns be ng spiked and thrown over the parapet, the carriages rendered unserviceable, and the embrazures, with part of the fort, blown up.

I am, &c. Fred. Maitland. Rear-admiral Drury, &c. Cove.

Loire, Muros Bay, June 4. Sir, I have the pleasure to acquaint you, that I proceeded on shore with the party you did me the honour to place under my com mand, for the purpose of storming the port on the Point, agreeable to your orders, which on our approach the soldiers quitted. On my arrival, I observed a strong fort at the entrance of the town, opening a heavy fire on the ship; and, judging it practicable to carry it by storm, from a thorough knowledge I had of the determined bravery of all the officers and men, I ordered them to follow me for that purpose, which was obeyed with all that energy and gallantry which British seamen and marines are so well known to possess on such an occasion, and in a very short time reached the outer gate, when the French centiuel fired, and retreated into the fort,

which we instantly entered, and were met by the governor and all the garrison, &c. when, after a dreadful slaughter on the part of the enemy, the remainder surrendered, and I instantly ordered the British colours to be hoisted.-I feel it my duty, as well as the greatest pleasure, to mention the great support I received from lieutenant Mallock, of the royal marines, and Mr. Chas. Clinch, master's mate, as, from their being near me all the time of the action, I was enabled to observe their very cool and gallant behaviour, as also of lieut. Douglas, of the royal marines, who, though engaged at different parts of the fort, I have no less reason to be highly pleased with.—I must now beg leave to say how much I am indebted to every seaman and marine of the party, who behaved so unanimously brave, nothing could withstand them; and, to their credit, as Englishmen, as well as their profession, the instant the fort was in our possession, they seemed to try who could be the first to relieve and assist the poor wounded prisoners, who were lying in numbers in different parts of the fort; and I had the pleasure to see their humanity amply repaid by the gratitude the unfortunate men's friends expressed when they came down to take them away.

I am, &c. James Lucas Yeo. Wounded on Shore belonging to the Loire.

Lieut. J. L. Yeo, slightly; Mr. Clinch, master's mate, ditto; H. Gray, M. Hendrickson, J. Paine, seamen, ditto; J. Leonard, marine, ditto. On board, J. Caldwell, seaman, dangerously; M. Johnson, seaman, lost his right leg above the knee; C. Wilson, seamen, calf of

his leg shot off; J. Whitecombe, seaman, severely; J. Plummer, M. Archer, T. Lloyd, J. Moulds, J. Gillett, seamen, slightly.-Total, 2 officers, 12 seamen, 1 marine.

Spaniards Killed and Wounded.

The governor of the fort, and a Spanish gentleman who had volunteered; the second captain of the Confiance, and nine others, killed. Thirty, amongst which were most of the officers of the Confiance, wounded.-Total, 12 killed, and 30 wounded. F. L. Maitland.

Enemy's Force at the Commencement of the Action, when opposed to His Majesty's Ship Loire, in Muros Bay, June 4, 1805.

A fort of 12 Spanish 18-pounders, mounted on travelling-carriages, 22 Spanish soldiers, and several Spanish gentlemen and townsmen volunteers, and about 100 of the Confiance's ship's company.-The small battery on the Point, 2 Spanish 18-pounders, I mounted as above, the other on a ship carriage, manned by 8 artillery men and 10 other Spaniards.

In the Bay.-La Confiance of Bourdeaux, pierced for 26 guns, twelves and nines, (not on board) 116 feet long on the main-deck, 30 feet wide, measures about 450 tons, is in good order, and a very fit ship for his majesty's service; is reckoned to sail excessively fast; was to have gone to sea in a few days; bound to India, with a complement of 300 men: brought away.-Le Belier, of Bourdeaux, pierced for 20 guns, also fitting for sea; was to have carried 18-pound carronades, and 180 men, supposed to be destined to cruize to the westward of Cape Clear: burnt.-The guns on the fort and battery spiked, and thrown over the parapet.

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