Jenks' Portland Gazette

NEWS FROM TRIPOLY.

Extract of a letter from a Member of Congress

"City of Washington, Dec. 31.

We have this moment received, and had read by the Clerk, a letter from Mr. O'Brien, our late Consul at Algiers, addressed to Mr. Gavino, our Consul at Gibraltar, the substance of which is that in the three attacks made by Commodore Preble, against Tripoli, on the 3d, 13th and 29th August, he had taken and destroyed six gun boats, killed several hundred of the enemy, and taken one hundred prisoners.

On the night of the last September, another attack had been made on the vessels in the harbour, in which a fire-ship, which was sent forward among the vessels, unfortunately took fire before the people on board had cleared themselves, and blew them all into atoms.—In her were lost, Captain Somers, Lieut. Wadsworth, son of the Member of our House, and Midshipman Israel, (Izard) who, I understand, is from South Carolina.

Captain Barron did not arrive off Tripoli until the 7th of September, which was unfortunately too late in the season, to permit him to keep the gun boats and corsairs in our employ any longer on that dangerous coast—Of course our hopes of reducing the Tripolitans to our terms for this season are lost, and it is apprehended, I find by our Consul, that our unfortunate countrymen will have to remain longer than we had heretofore hoped, in their confinement.

It does not appear by the communication, that any terms had been proposed by the Tripolitans."—Phila d Gazette.

Extract of a letter from Richard O'Brien, Esq. late Consul at Algiers, to John Gavino, Consul at Gibraltar, dated,

MALTA, SEPT. 5.

On the morning of the 29th of August, at half past one A. M. the American gun boats, &c. and two bombards entered the harbour of Tripoli, and within 600 feet of the Bashaw's castle commenced their attack.

They fired one hundred and twenty rounds each, sunk three of the enemy's gun boats, and a merchant's polacre.

At day light, the Constitution led in within pistol shot of the chief of the batteries, fired nine broad sides, received twelve shot in the hull, lost four men killed, and two wounded in one of her boats by shot.

In Tripoli, they have mounted in the city presenting the east, north. and west, 115 guns, had 45,000 Arabs, and the inhabitants to defend the city, had 9 sail of gun boats, two schooners, and two galliots and a brig.

The Americans had the Constitution, Argus, Syren, Vixen, Nautilus, Enterprise, six gun boats, and two bombards.— The whole of the American crews amounted to 890 men, and the Neapolitans 120.

The latter behaved well.

In the latter action Captain Chauncy, officers and crew of the John Adams, volunteered their services to the Constitution and gun boats.

Sept. 12.—On the evening of the 5th arrived here Commodore Barron, and Capt. Campbell.

The former sailed on the evening of the 7th; and the latter, for Tripoli, on the morning of the 8th.

No doubt but they arrived off Tripoli on the 10th, and of course, joined, will give Tripoli a general attack.

We have learned since, by the return of a vessel here, which carried water to the fleet, that on the night of the 4th, the Americans sent in a vessel prepared with fifty barrels of powder, and a number of bomb shells ; that the vessel had got close into the harbour of Tripoli amongst the enemy's gun boats, and said vessel was set fire to ; by some accident or other the ship blew up, before the officer and crew could get clear, and in consequence, the officer, midshipman, and twelve men were blown to atoms.

The Constitution, gun boats and bombard, led in, and had a long and severe action.