The Alexandria Herald

Particulars of the engagement between the brig Patriot and a pirate.
From the Louisiana Gazette, Sept. 25.

The brig Patriot of New York, Horace T. Jacobs master, sailed from Port-au-Prince for New Orleans on the 26th August, and continued on her voyage uninterrupted until the 7th Sept. At about 3 p.m. (a dead calm) cape Antonio bearing W.S.W. 7 or 8 miles, when we discovered a schooner at anchor, which immediately got under way and stood towards us—observed her give a gun to leeward and tack to the southward, at 3 30 observed her again bearing up for us, 18 sweeps. She was a topsail schooner of about 60 tons, with a crew of from 45 to 50 men. Captain Jacobs then tacked to the southward and eastward, and hauled up the courses, and ordered preparation to be made for action, which was readily & unanimously obeyed; the universally good spirits with which all hands (consisting of ten men and a boy,) were truly conspicuous.

When the schooner was close under the stern, captain Jacobs hailed her, upon which she fired a whole volley of musquetry into the brig, and we in return commenced upon the schooner, by firing the stern gun, which was under the direction of Mr. Johnson, the chief mate, which with the musketry, did great execution amongst them. This gun was however dismounted the third round, and our colours were shot away at the same time upon which the schooner set up a terrible shout to board from the bowsprit end. Her boarders were covered by an abundance of musketry; but notwithstanding the vast superiority, they were very gallantly repulsed. She then set fire to the brig astern, by throwing fired wads in at the cabin windows and into the stern boat, which was happily extinguished without damage. She then made another attempt to board, but was equally unsuccessful.

By this time her fire considerably abated, and we could perceive an almost clear deck on board of her, and that she manifested a willingness to get clear of us. She asked for quarters repeatedly, but it was suspected to be a trick (and regarded as such) to get a sight of the people and knock them off—She had much difficulty in getting clear of the brig as her jib-boom and some of her ropes forward had got foul of the brig's davit and the stern boat's bow Seven men could only be counted on her with the glass when she was half a mile off. The brig's rigging and sails are very much cut up: Captain Jacobs was wounded in the head by a musket ball and is supposed to have fractured his skull. He died of a lock jaw and violent convulsive fits on the night of the 12th inst. He has left a wife who was on board in the action, to lament his loss; he had only been married a little more than three months.

Mr Johnson the chief mate, to whom reference has already been made, is the only surviving officer on board the brig and was wounded in the thigh by a musket ball. He is much to be praised for his good and persevering conduct. Mr. J. D. Walker, of New York, doing 2d mate's duty, was killed in the action.

The following persons comprising the crew of the said brig, to wit: Robert Greenoh, Thomas Stanley, Robert Mins, Henry Wilson, alias John Cotton, Henry Brown, Wm. Brown, and Jerry Dedan, are deserving of every encouragement for their intrepid conduct, against so unequal a force; as well as their dutiful obedience throughout to Mr. Johnson in bringing safe