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Gazette Of The United States, & Philadelphia Daily Advertiser
Philadelphia, Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania
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HMS Sirius, under Captain Richard King, captures two Dutch frigates, Waakzaamheid and Furie, near the Texel on October 4, 1798, preventing their junction and engaging them separately with minimal British casualties.
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[London Gazette.]
Sirius, Grimsby Roads, Nov. 1, '98.
I have the honor to inform your Lordship, that in pursuance of orders I received from Admiral Sir Richard Onslow, Bart. I proceeded in company with the fleet on the evening of the 3d instant, to reconnoitre the force of the enemy in the Texel. At eight A. M. on the following morning, the Texel bearing S. by E. ten leagues, I fell in with two Dutch frigates named in the margin, at that time about two miles distance from each other.
Passing within gun-shot of the leeward-most of them, I stood on until I could (up tacking) nearly fetch the weather-most (Waakzaamheid), my object being to prevent their junction; and by this means, that being accomplished, I had the satisfaction to cut off the latter, and bring her to about nine o'clock, when she hauled down her colors and fired a gun to leeward; as soon as the prisoners were exchanged, I made sail after the other, and although nearly out of sight, I had the good fortune before five P. M. to bring her to a kind of running action, which continued about half an hour, within musket-shot at times, during which she kept up a smart but ill-directed discharge of cannon and musquetry, when she struck to his Majesty's ship: she is called the Furie, and under the orders of the Captain of the Waakzaamheid, and had the Commandant of the Troops and a number of Officers on board. I am happy to add, there were only one man wounded by a musket-ball, and that his Majesty's ship suffered but little, one shot through her bowspritt: her rigging, &c. have suffered much.
This Expedition has been waiting an opportunity of sailing since the 21st of July last. They left the Texel at eleven o'clock the preceding night.
I have the honor to be, &c.
RICH. KING
*Waakzaamheid, Captain Niearck, Senior Captain, mounting 26 guns, 24 nine-pounders on the forecastle, having two hundred Dutch seamen, and 122 French troops, (total 222) on board, also 2000 stand of arms, besides other ordnance stores.
Furie, Capt. Pietz, of 36 guns, 24 twelve pounders on the deck, and ten six-pounders on her quarter-deck, and forecastle, with 153 Dutch seamen, and 165 French troops (total 318) on board, also 4000 stand of arms, besides other ordnance stores—
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Where did it happen?
Foreign News Details
Primary Location
Texel
Event Date
Evening Of The 3d Instant To 4th October 1798
Key Persons
Outcome
waakzaamheid and furie captured; one british man wounded by musket-ball; minimal damage to hms sirius (one shot through bowsprit, rigging damaged); frigates carried arms and troops.
Event Details
Captain Richard King of HMS Sirius, under orders from Admiral Sir Richard Onslow, reconnoitred the Texel and encountered two Dutch frigates, Waakzaamheid and Furie. He separated and captured Waakzaamheid first at 9 A.M., then pursued and captured Furie after a half-hour running action ending before 5 P.M.