RT EIT Lo cg " bers by the earliest, opportunities. . America. » . 5 & RETR , i DPB DRI SILI ILLES TSS DSSS s PASTS ITT DT DET TTS AIT LLLIT ILI IS ISLS L STII LSPS IT PIII SPILT ITLL TBILISI GLESS D <P DD fe ¢ : > $i ’ PUBLISHED WEEKLY, BY ALEXANDER HAMILTON, BELLEFONTE, (Pa.) NEXT DOOR, SOUTH OF THE BANK. : § EPs SILT T ISS STII I SILL LI LL IIIT LL GIES TI SILLS L LISS SIS LSS LSS Pr r rrr SSL PPL ESS PIPER ES SESS EIS LLS SSIES PPD “ _ # a Vor. 1.3 oy ’ CONDITIONS. ' The dmerican Patriot shall be published every Saturday, and forwarded to subscri- price is tio dollars per annum, exclusive of postage ; one half to be paid at the time of subscribing, and the residue at the ex- piration, of six months. No subscription shall be taken for less than a half year; notshail amy subscriber be at liberty to discontinue his paper un ti) all arrearaces are paid off. - The failure of any subscr ber to notify a discontinuance of his paper, will he considered as a ‘new. engagement. These who subscribe but for six months, must pay the whole in advance ; otherwise. they will be cottinted for the year. Advertisaments, not. € sceeding a square <hall be inserted three times far one dol- lar, and for every subsequent insertion, twenty five cents ; those eof greater length in proportion ; LOpy tof a letter from captain Porter, to the secretary of the navy Essex Junior, July 3d 1814, ar sea. Sir hate done myself the honor to ad” dress you; repeatedly, since left the Del- aware ; but have scarcely a hope that one of my letters has reached you, therfore, consider it necessary to ‘give you a brie history of my proceedings’ Gihice that period” I sailed from the Délaware ou the 27th of October, ‘1812, and repaired’ with all dil- i ence (agreeably to the instuctionss ef Cofiae Bainbridge) to Port Praya, Fernando de Noronbo, and Cape Frio; and artived al eac place on the day ‘appointed to meet him. On my passage from Port Praya to Fernando de Noronho, I captured: his ‘Bid- tanic majesty’s packet Nocton ; andi after. taking out about 11,000. sterling n specie sent her under comm offieut ¥ ich for about Cape Frio, until the 12th of January | 1813, hearing frequently o the commodore, by vessels from Bahia, 1 her captured but ne schoon. vy with hidgs and tallow 3 I sent hier into Rio. The montague, the admival’s ship, being in pur suit of me; my Pproy isions now setting short, and’ finding it necessary to look out for a supply; $ enable me to meet the commodore off 3 Helena, I pro- last place of rendezvous Brazil,) as the most likely to supply my wants, and at the same tun afford me that secrecy necessary to oe me to elude the British ships of war on the coast, and ex” I here co8ld only procure a few bags of pected there. wood, water and rum, an flour ; and heaving of the sommodore’s ac- tion with the Java, the capture of the Hor- net by the Mor tague, A a considerable augmentation of the British force on the coast, and several being inpursuit of me, I found it necessary to get to s¢a as soon as possible. I now agreed ably to the commo- doore’s plan, stretched to the southward, geouring the coast as far as Rio de la Plata. I heard that Buenos Ayres was in a state of starvation, and could not Supply our wants , and that the government of Monteviedo was inimical tous. The commodore’s instruc, tions now left it completely with me whag course to pursue, and I had determined on following that which had not only met his approbation, but the approbation of the ‘hen secretary of the navy. 1 accordingly <haped my course for the Pacific ;and after I cruised off, Riode Janerio, and, SATURDAY; JULY 30, 1814. A lr rn 4 SA suffering greatly from short allowance. of provision s, and heavy, gales off Cape Horn, (for. which my ship and men were ill ‘pro- The* yided) { arrived at Valparaiso on the 14th of March, 1613. 1 here took in as much jerked beef, and other provisions as my ship would conveniently SLOW, and ran down the. coast of Chiliand Peru; in this tract Tafel ih ‘with a Peruvian corsair, which had on board twenty four Americans as prisoners, the crews of two whale ships, which she had taken on the coast of Chili. The captain informed me that, as the allies of Great Bri- tain, they would capture all the vessels they should meet with, in expectation ofa war between Spain and the United States. I consequently threw all his gun and ammunition into the sea, liberating the Americans, wrote a respectiul letter to the viceroy, explaining the cause of my proce- dings, which 1 delivered 10 Jer captain. 1 then proceeded from Lima, “nd recaptured one of the ve .sscfs as she was cutering the port. i ‘roti thence 1 procteded to the Gai” japagos Isiands, where { cruised vom tne 17th of April until the 3d of October, 1813; ‘during Which time 1 touched bly © once on the coast of America, which was fer the Purpose C of procuring a supply of fresh wa ter, as.none is to be found amovg those is- lands, which are perhaps, the most barren and desola.€ of any Known. LE While among this group I captured the following British ships, employed chiefly in the spermeciti whale fishery, viz ; LETTERS OF MARQUE. = © tons. men..guns, pierced REIL S Grae a WT Montezuma - - 270 21 go } Boligyy: mila) 26. 10 18 Georgiana, J 280 6 13. bi Greenwich, - oR + ; 20 . Atlantic, = -w=+ 8550) 24 © 8 20 FRosel bie <i 330. 8.20 I Hoc i 7 11° %90 Catharine = - = 27 8 18 Seringapatam =. = 357. 31 26 Charlton, =- « = 274 21 18 New Zealander, « 25 93 18 ... Sir A Hammond -4301 .31 12 18 ceeded to the Island of St. “Cathar ines, the ..%. the coast of . a 3465 30 2, 107 As some of those ships were cap tured by boats and others by prises, my officers and men had several opportunities of shew ing their gallantry. The Rose and Charlton were give up to the prisoners ; the Hector, Catharine and ra mv off make considerable advances to my ofhcers : ineffectually, to bring the Phocbe al one to Montezuma, I sent to Valparaiso, where they were laid up ; the Policy Georgiana, . and New Zealander, I sent for America. the Greenwich I kept as a storeship, to con tain the stores of other prises, necessary for us; and the Atlantic, now called the Essex Junior, I equipped with twenty guns, and gave command of her to Lieut. Downes. Lieut. Downes had convoyed the prizes to Valparaiso, and on his return, brough me letters informing me, that a squadron under the command of com. Hillyar, con. sisting of the frigate Phaebe of 36 guns, the Racoon and Cherub sloops of™ war, and a storeship of 20 guns had sailed on the 6th of July for this sea. The Racoon and Che- rub had been seeking me for some time on the coast of Brazil, and on their return from their cruize, joined the squadron sent in No, XXIV search of me to the Pacific. My ship as it something more splendid hethrs errs my be suppos d, afier haying been near a that sea. 1 thought it not improbable that year at sea, required repairs to put her in a com. Hillyar. might have kept his arrival state to meet them; which I determined secret, and believing that he would seek to do, and bring them to action, if I could me at V alparaiso, as the most likely place meet them on nearly equal terms. 1 pro- to find me, I therefore determined to cruise ceeded now in company with the remaitder about that place, and should. I fail of meet- of my prizes to the island of Nooheevah or ing him, hoped to be compensated by the Madisons island, lying in the Washington capture of some merchant ships, said to be groupe, discovered by a captain Ingraham _expected from England. of Boston ; here I caulked and completely The Pheoebe, agreeable to my expecia- overhauled my ship, made for her a new tions, came to seek me at Valparaiso, where set of water casks, her old ones being entire- I was anchored with the Essex, my armed ly decayed, and took on board from my pri- prize the Essex Junior, under the command ses, provisions and stores for upwards of “of lieutenant Downs, on the look out off the four months, and sailed for the coast of Chi- harbor ; but, contrary tothe course I thought li on the 12th of December, 1813. Previ- be would pursue, commodore Hillyar ous to sailing; I secured the Seringapatam, ‘bronght with him the Cherub sloop of war, Greenwich, and Sir Andrew Hammond, un- mounting 28 guns, eighteen: 32 pound car- der the guns of a battery, which 1 erected f:X ronades, eight 24’s and two long 9’son their pr otéetion ; 5 (after taking this fine 18” : the quarter deck and. forecastle, and a coms land for the Ome States and establishing plement of 180 men. The force of the the anost friendly intefcourcsé with thena” - Pheobe. is as follows: thirty long 18 poun- tives.) 1 left them under the charge of lieut. ders, , sixteen: 32 pound car ronades, ong Gawble of the Marines, with twenty one howitzer, and 6 three pounders in her tops, men, with orders to repair to Yaipergize af- in all 53 guns, and a compiement, of 320 ter a certain period. * © men; making a forcecf 81 guns and 500 I arrived on the coast of Chili on the 12th men ; in addition to which, they took on January, 1814 ; looked into Conception and board the crew of an English letter of mar- Valparaiso, found at both places only three que laying i in poait. Both ships had Plehad English vessels, and learned that the squad” crews and were sen 1nto the Pacifig, ron which sailed from Rio de Janerio for in com- pany: with the Racoon of 22 guns and 2 tha seca had not been heard ‘of since their store ship of 20 guns, for the express pur- ‘captui ¢, and were supposed to be lost i in ‘ei- pose of seeking the Essex, and were Pe “deavoring to double Cape Horn. pared with flags bearing the motto, ¢ Gorl I had completely, broken up the British and country ; Biitish sailors’ ‘best Hights navigation in the Pacific; the vessels which Traitors offend both.” This was intended ndec “had not been captured by me, were laid up as a reply tomy motto, « Free Trade and and dave not venture out. I had affor ded Sailors’ Rights, under the erroneous impi : ‘the most ample protection to our OWN VES- sion that mPerew. was Ciely Bx a = ‘vessels, which were, on my arrival, very orto counteract its effect on a bay umerous and unprotected. The valuable crews. The force of the Essex wa » thale fishery is entirely destroyed, and the guys, forty 32 pound carronades an ei attual injury we have done them, may be Jong 12’s, and her crew, which had Ho estimated at two and a half millions of dol- much reduced by prizes, amounted only t laps, independent of the expences of the 255 men. yi The Essex Juai : LSSEel or, which w vessels in search of me. Ea as They have fur- intended chiefly as a store, ship, mounted 20° nisbed me amply with sails, cordage, cables guns, ten 18 pound carronades; and ten anchors, provisions, an d medicines, and ghort 6° sy with only 60 men on board. I n stores of every description—and the sloops jeply to their motto, I wrote at m ’ y mizen, on board them have furnished clothing for « God our Country and Libe T the seamen. We had in fact lived onthe offend them.” ftys hyrants he ¥ prize having proved a well found store ship AS fe pen mbes for me. 1 had not yet been under the ne- hiockadin g me, herd they gid Ne EE cessity of drawing bills on the department gy weeks, during which tips Fenteny Wi for any object, and had been enabled to ¢, provok 5. challenge, ard Coro enemy since I had been in that sea; ; every and crew on account of pay: action, first with both my ships, and afier- wards with my single shi i the sea, my crew had continued remarkably ooo I Es og Yaa ou See healthy ; I had but one case of the scurvy, Yel lies under ¥9%) and ascertained that I had greatly the ad- and had lost only the following men by death, viz: vantage in point of sailing, and once suc- For the unexampled time we had kept ‘ceeded in clesing within gun shot of the Phoebe, and commencing a fire on her; when she ran dowa for the Cherub, which was 2-1-2 miles to leeward. This excited some surprise and expressions of indigna- tion, as previous to my getting under way she hove to off the port, hoisted her motto flag aiid fired 2 gun to windward, Com- modore Hillyar seemed determined to avoid John S. Cowan, lieut. Robert Miller, surgeon, Levi Holmes, o. seaman, Edward Sweeny, do. Samuel Groce, James Spafford, guuner’s mate, seaman, Benjamin Geers, John Rodgers, } qr. gunners, Andrew Mahan, corporal of marines, a contest with me on" nearly equal te yh tras; Lewis Price, private marine. rhe & P and from his extreme prudence in keep- ad done all the injury that could be ing both his ships ever after constanily with- done the British commerce in the Pacific, in hail of each other, there were no hopes and still hoped to signalize my cruise by of apy advantages 10 my country from,a v
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