Virginia Argus

PHILADELPHIA, August 29.

A letter from St. Domingo to a merchant in this city, says—"by several late arrivals from France, we have been informed that the government having conceived that all was lost at St. Domingo, after the evacuation of the Cape, have experienced an extreme satisfaction, on receiving the unexpected account of gen. Ferrand's possessing the whole of the adjacent Spanish part of St. Domingo, with the remains of the French army. In consequence
Since he is now vested with unlimited powers, and every act of his administration will have full force and validity—every bill drawn by him on the public treasury has been duly honored, a circumstance highly interesting to the American commerce. The French troops beside the city of St. Domingo, occupy St. Jago, under the command of Devanx, adjutant commandant, and Pallie, chief of battalion. They also occupy Azua under the command of Ruiz, chief of the battalion. Colonel Peralta commands the Spanish national guards, who fight like veteran soldiers. In the defeat of Dessalines at St. Jago by gen. Ferrand the former had one thousand men killed and a great many more wounded: the enraged black chief, to avenge his loss, cruelly ordered several whites and mulattoes to be massacred, and the cities of Monte Christie and Fort Dauphin reduced to ashes. St. Domingo is in a complete state of defence, and, if the French agents in the U. States exert themselves in its favor, it must hold out until peace is established, however remote that period may be.

The above letter agrees with the information received from other quarters. We hear that a captain Castet, an aide-de-camp of general Ferrand, commander in chief of Santo Domingo, has lately arrived from that island via Baltimore, and that he is come to demand the troops lately ordered to France by Mr. Pichon, the French charge des affaires, and to procure supplies from that gentleman for the use of the French army of St. Domingo, which for a year past have suffered every hardship. It is to be presumed that captain Castet will succeed, as gen. Ferrand's services under all circumstances are extraordinary; he appears to have pursued a different conduct from his predecessor, and established principles of the strictest economy and order, in every branch of his administration, without external aid, or other resources but those of a constant and unshaken resolution.

General Ferrand who now commands at St. Domingo, served in our revolution as a lieutenant in the Hussars of Lauzun: he distinguished himself during the French revolution in many gallant actions, particularly at Boulogne, where he commanded when admiral Nelson attempted the bombardment of that place. General Ferrand is about 48 years of age, a tall and commanding stature, a fair complexion, but more taciturn than the generality of his countrymen.