Alexandria Daily Gazette, Commercial & Political

THE MARENGO PRIVATEER.
St. Thomas, Aug. 8.

Account of the capture of the British ship Exchange, James Johns, master, from Curacoa, bound to London.

We left Curacoa on Thursday the 26th of July, 1811. Passengers on board, major general John Thomas Layard, late lieutenant governor of Curacoa; colonel Vande Spiegle, collector of that island; and major Lyon. On the 28th July, being very fine weather, we observed a pilot boat schooner to leeward of us, and not having any suspicion of French privateers being about the Mona passage, we allowed her to come very near us, when she hoisted Spanish king's colours and pendant which made us think she was a Spanish cruizer; however seeing her still come near us, made us more suspicious, and the captain perceiving him haul down his Spanish colours, hoisted immediately, for the second time, his English ensign, which was immediately answered by them with a French flag; we then immediately perceived our critical situation, seeing a very large schooner and full of men, the captain immediately prepared for action, and fired the stern chasers, which was returned from them with grape shot. After three quarters of an hour's engagement, which was conducted by the captain, passengers and crew with the greatest coolness, and finding she had ceased firing and coming alongside to board us, we surrendered, and even after our colours were struck, they fired a dozen rounds of musketry at us: we were immediately taken possession of by the privateer, who sent on board a prize master and 14 men, when we learnt her to be the Marengo privateer, captain Ordronaux as they said, from Nantes, with 76 men and 10 guns and 191 tons measurement, they ordered immediately the captain and passengers on board the privateer (excepting major Lyon, having his little daughter with him, who was very much alarmed, they therefore suffered him to remain with her) after keeping the captain and passengers a short time on board the privateer, they suffered them to return again on board the ship when she was brought to anchor that same night about 11 o'clock on the south side of the Mona Island; they then sent the whole of the crew on board the privateer, and put them in irons: they then demanded from the captain the manifest and bills of lading and letters, by which they found there was a large quantity of specie on board, and which they informed us they had information by the brig Coffee Planter, captain Jenkins, who they had taken a few days before, and who was from Curacoa bound to London, and which they had ransomed for ten thousand dollars, and suffered them to proceed: they on account of this intelligence were waiting for us, knowing the specie to be on board. After taking the money out, which we believe to be about thirty-three thousand dollars, they remained quiet for that night; the next morning, the 29th of July, they sent on board and took out all the provisions and water both belonging to the ship and passengers stock, all the guns, cables, &c. in fact left the ship destitute of every thing, and informed us they meant to send the ship and passengers to France; however, after some conversation between the passengers and the captain of the privateer, and they requesting him—for God's sake not to send them in the ship, as she was then in such a bad state not possible to proceed, as they must certainly all perish if he persisted, he then promised to take them on board the privateer, and put them on board the first vessel he could, or land them on the coast of Porto Rico at night time; accordingly he ordered all the passengers, captain and crew on board the privateer with their respective baggage, and left the ship at anchor without any soul on board, and proceeded.
Shortly after he chased a vessel and came up with her, when she proved to be the Spanish schooner Aniciope, captain Smith, loaded with mahogany, from St. Domingo bound to St. Thomas. The captain came immediately to our captain and passengers, and said, gentlemen, here is this vessel for you, and you may take her and proceed with her wherever you please; he therefore ordered all the passengers, and baggage to be put on board, and after ransacking all major Lyon's baggage and taking all his money from him, suffered them to proceed—putting provisions sufficiently on board to exist for a few days; we had not left the vessel above three or four hours when we saw the ship all in a blaze.

On the 1st of August we arrived at Mayaguez on the coast of Porto Rico, where we anchored, and were immediately re-taken by his majesty's schooner Elizabeth, commanded by lieut. Dwyer, who in the most handsome and humane manner, offered his services and his vessel to take us safe to St. Thomas, and which he did after giving us every comfort his vessel could afford.

The captain and passengers praise much the captain of the privateer and his officers for their good and mild treatment while they were in their possession, not allowing the crew to touch any part of their baggage—the crew is a desperate set, and composed chiefly of vagabonds of all nations.

[Signed by the mate, &c.]