The New Hampshire Gazette

Extract of a letter from Capt. TALBOT, of the United States frigate Constitution, to the Secretary of the Navy, dated 18th May, 1800.

"I have now to acquaint you, sir, that I have for some time since, been meditating an enterprize against a French armed ship lying at Port Plate; protected by her own guns, and a fort of three heavy cannon. It was my first intention to have gone in with the Constitution, and to have silenced the fort and ship, which had all her guns on one side to co-operate with the fort in defending against any hostile force. But after the best information I could gain, I found it to be somewhat dangerous to approach the entrance of the harbour with a ship of the draught of water of the Constitution. Having detained the sloop Sally, which had left Port Plate but a few days before, and which was to have returned there again previous to her sailing to the U. States, I conceived this sloop would be a suitable vessel for a disguise; I therefore manned her at sea, from the Constitution, with about ninety brave seamen and marines; the latter were to be commanded by Capt. Carmick and Lieut. Amory, when on shore; but the entire command of this detachment I gave to Mr. Hull, my first lieutenant, who entered the harbour of Port Plate yesterday in open day, and approached the fort and ship with his men in the hold of the sloop, except five or six to work her in. They ran along side of the ship, and boarded her sword in hand, without the loss of a man killed or wounded. At the moment the ship was boarded and agreeable to my plan, Captain Carmick and Lieutenant Amory landed with the marines, up to their necks in water, and spiked up the cannon in the fort, before the commanding officer in the castle had time to recollect or prepare himself for defence. Perhaps no enterprize of the same moment was ever better executed, and I feel myself under great obligations to Lieutenant Hull, Captain Carmick, and Lieutenant Amory, for their avidity in undertaking to execute this enterprize, and for the handsome manner in which they performed this bold and daring undertaking."

The prize ship mounts four sixes and two nines; she was formerly the British Packet Sandwich, and from the boating publications at the Cape, and from the declarations of the officers, it appears that she is the fastest sailer that swims! and that she run three or four years, if I forget not, as a privateer out of France, and with greater success than any other that ever sailed out of their ports. She is a beautiful copper bottomed ship; her cargo consists principally of sugar and coffee.