The Rhode Island American, And General Advertiser

BY THE MAILS.

CHARLESTON (S. C.) August 21.

Desperate Action.

Yesterday arrived at this port the fine new privateer schooner Decatur, Captain Dominique Diron, from a cruise of 85 days: bringing in with her as prizes His Britannick Majesty's schooner Dominico, Lieutenant G. W. Barrette, late commander, captured on the 5th inst. and the British ship London Trader, Captain Sinclair, from Surinam bound to London, captured on the following day. The particulars of the action with the Dominico, will be found in the following extract from the Decatur log-book:--

EXTRACT.

Relation of the battle between the American privateer Decatur, armed with six 12 pound carronades, and one 18 pounder on a pivot, with 103 men, commanded by Monsieur Dominique Diron; and His Britannick Majesty's schooner Dominico, of twelve 12 pound carronades, two long 6 and one brass 4 pounder, and one 32 pound carronade on a pivot, with 83 men, commanded by Lieutenant George Wilmot Barrette--Carried by boarding.

"On the 5th of August, 1813, at 23, 4, N. long. 66, 37, W. bending our course to the northward; at half past 4 discovered a sail to the southward; at eleven these vessels were ascertained to be a ship and schooner; at half past 11 we went about and stood towards them, in order to reconnoitre; at half past 12 found ourselves abreast of the schooner which hoisted English colours: at 1 o'clock the Decatur wore round; half an hour after the schooner fired a shot, without effect; the Captain then gave orders to prepare every thing for action, to load all the cannon and musketry, to have the grapplings, swords, &c. ready, and having previously got up the necessary ammunition, water, &c. from below, ordered the hatches to be fastened down. - At 2 o'clock the Decatur having wore ship in order to take the schooner abaft, she fired another shot which passed over us, at a quarter past 2 we fired our large gun and hoisted American colours at the peak; we fired our piece a second and third time; which she answered by firing two guns from her battery; our distance was now about half gun shot; it was now half past 2 o'clock, the schooner evinced a desire to bear away, observing this the Decatur hauled upon the larboard tack, in order to present her bow to the enemy; 10 minutes after the enemy fired a whole broadside, which caused no other damage to the Decatur, except some trifling injury to the rigging. After having answered her by a shot from our 18 pounder, the Captain of the Decatur ordered every one to his post, in order to carry her by boarding, when the necessary preparations were made for that purpose it was now about three quarters past 2, the distance about pistol shot the crew of the Decatur having cheered preparatory to boarding, our fire of musketry commenced and was very well kept up: the enemy bearing away in order to avoid the boarding, seized the opportunity to fire a broadside into us, which killed two of our men, and otherwise materially injured our rigging and sails. The Decatur continuing to follow up the manoeuvres of the enemy, endeavoured again to board her, which she once more avoided and fired another broadside. The Captain of the Decatur having ordered the drum to beat the charge, the crew cried out to board. At that moment endeavoured again to board her, which the enemy could no longer resist, and which was effected by passing into her stern over our bowsprit, our jib-boom running into her mainsail. It was now half past 3-the fire from the artillery and musketry was terrible, and well supported on both sides- the enemy not being able to disengage himself dropped alongside; and it was in this position that Captain Diron ordered his whole crew to board, armed with pistols, sabres, &c. which order was executed with the promptness of lightning -Mr. Vincent Smith, 1st prize-master, and quartermaster Thomas Wasborn, were the two first on board the enemy; in doing which the prize-master received three wounds--the crew of the enemy fought with as much courage and bravery as that of the Decatur did, with valour and intrepidity, Fire arms now became useless, and the crews were fighting hand to hand with cutlasses; and throwing cold shot, when the captain of the enemy and the principal officers being killed, the deck covered with dead and wounded, the English colours were hauled down by the conquerors- In consequence of the orders given by the Captain of the Decatur, the vessels were then separated, the rigging and sails being in the worst state possible.

During the combat, which lasted an hour, the King's Packet ship Princess Charlotte, remained a silent spectator of the scene, and as soon as the vessels were disengaged from each other, she tacked about and stood to the southward. She had sailed from St Thomas, bound to England, under convoy, to a certain latitude of the Dominico.

Killed and wounded on board the Decatur.

Killed, 3--Wounded, 16--one of whom (the carpenter) since dead.

On board the Dominico.

Killed, 18--Wounded, 47+5 of whom are since dead of their wounds.-Total killed and wounded, 65.--Among the killed are G. W. Barrette, Commander--Mr. J. Sacker, Master--Mr. D. Brown, Purser -Mr. Archer and Mr. Parry. Midshipmen.--Wounded, Mr. J. Nicholls, Midshipman. The Surgeon and one Midshipman were the only officers on board who were not killed or wounded.--The Lieutenant was left on shore sick.

From the above statement it would appear, that this engagement has been the most bloody, and the loss in killed and wounded on the part of the enemy, in proportion to the number engaged, perhaps the greatest of any action to be found in the records of naval warfare. The surviving officers of the Dominico attribute the loss of their vessel to the superior skill of the Decatur's crew in the use of musketry, and the masterly maneuvering of their vessel, by which their carriage guns were rendered nearly useless. Capt. Barrette was a young man of not more than 28 years of age; he had been wounded early in the action by two musket balls in the left arm, but he fought till the last moment, refusing to surrender his vessel although he was urged by the few surviving of his crew to do so; declaring his determination not to survive her loss. One of the Lieutenants of the Decatur received several sabre wounds in the hand from Captain Barrette few moments before he fell. Captain Diron is a Frenchman, and most of the officers and crew of his vessel are his Countrymen; they have done themselves immortal honour by the humanity and attention displayed towards their prisoners after victory, which is spoken of in high terms of approbation, by the surviving officers of the enemy's vessel.

The crew of the Dominico, with the exception of 8 or 10 boys, were fine looking young men, but to see them in the mangled state in which they arrived, was enough to freeze the blood of one, not accustomed to such sights, with horror. Among her crew is a small boy, not eleven years old, who was twice wounded, while contending for victory upon her deck.

The Dominico is the vessel that captured the privateer schooner Providence, of Rhode-Island, some months since, in the West-Indies. And it was remarked to us by one of her officers, as she was coming up the harbour yesterday, that the American ensign and pendant which were then flying over those of Britain, were the ones which belonged to the Providence when captured by them.

The day after capturing the schooner the Decatur fell in with and captured, without any action, the British ship London Trader, from Surinam bound to London, with a cargo consisting of 209 hhds. of sugar, 140 tierces of molasses, 55 hhds. of rum, 700 bags coffee, about 50 or 60 bales cotton, and some other articles. She anchored in Five Fathom Hole yesterday.

There never was a greater instance of good fortune than that experienced by these vessels, in the moment of their arrival on the coast -had they got here one day sooner they would have stood a great chance to have fallen into the hands of the enemy's brigs which had been cruising for some time off here, and which had passed the bar and stood to the southward, with the wind at N. E. on Thursday morning. The Decatur, with her prizes, made the land near Georgetown on the same day, and running down the coast that night, were directly off the bar yesterday morning.