Alexandria Gazette & Daily Advertiser

From the Delaware Gazette, Aug. 24.
PIRACY.
Extract from the Log Book of the brig Frances, Jacob Drummond, Master, from St. Jago de Cuba, arrived at New Castle, bound to Philadelphia.
July 31, 1812 - Cape Antonio bearing N. about six miles distant, at 4, P. M. a small sail standing from under the land. At 6 P. M. she was sweeping towards us, apparently full of men judging her to be a piratical vessel, kept away. W. S. W & made all sail to escape. At dark the chase gaining fast upon us, was nearly astern, and commenced firing. We continued our course till the shot fell thick around us. At 9 P. M. have too, when she immediately hailed, and ordered our boat on board which was sent with three men, who were detained on board, and the boat returned full of armed people, who immediately jumped on deck armed with blunderbusses, cutlasses and pistols, took possession of the brig, and drove all hands below, cutting and maiming every one within their reach.
They then proceeded to put the brig about, and stood in for the land: in doing which, the mate and one man were called up from below to assist in working her, they standing over us with cutlasses, and uttering the most horrid imprecations. Two men armed now went down into the cabin, where Capt. Drummond & a passenger were confined, and presenting pistols to their breasts, demanded an immediate delivery of all their money, watches and apparel on board, on pain of immediate death, and accompanied the threat with severe strokes of the sabre, and a menace that in the event of any thing being found concealed, a general massacre should take place.
Under this impression, and well convinced, from the desperate appearance of the men, that it would be carried into immediate execution, added to which we overheard their intention of running the brig on shore, we deemed it expedient, for the safety of our lives, and the preservation of the vessel and cargo, to deliver up every thing demanded, consisting of 4 trunks and one chest containing wearing apparel, &c. to the value of
D.1000
Cash in dollars, doubloons and guineas 800
Four valuable gold & silver watches, with chains, seals, &c. 500
Also writing desk, and its contents, a spy glass, double barrelled gun, three pistols, a sword, all the sea clothing, beds and bedding, one complete suit of colors, stock wines, cabin furniture and cooking utensils, leaving us nothing but the clothes on our backs.
This vessel appeared to be a large open boat, black, with two white streaks, two split sails, square sail and jib, the tack of the jib coming down to the stem, the fore sail much larger than the mainsail, much resembling a large Havanna passage boat, and full of men, apparently of all nations, but of the most ferocious and diabolical class. She was full of goods doubtless plundered from other vessels, as he acknowledged having overhauled a vessel the day before. At eleven P. M. after stripping us to the skin in search of more money, left us and made off for the land in a state of considerable intoxication, with a threat of again returning to massacre every soul, and this we considered highly probable. We immediately took possession of the brig again, tacked and standing off, saw them no more.