Gazette Of The United States, & Daily Advertiser

Extract of a letter from an officer on board the Pequot sloop of war, to his friend in this city.

On the 22d of September, we arrived off the island of Curacao. Having previously been informed that a French force of 16 vessels and 1400 men from Guadaloupe were besieging the city of Amsterdam, in that island, we reconnoitred, and discovered the privateers, 15 in number, laying close under two forts, which we thought too strong for us to attack, having only the United States ship Merrimack to support us. At the same time, spoke the British frigate Nereide, who had the governor of Curacao, and the American consul on board. The latter informed captain Geddes that the enemy intended to take the town by storm that night, and that to preserve the property of the American merchants afloat as well as ashore, it was his opinion one of our ships ought to run into the harbour in order to prevent the enemy's entering. At 5 in the evening we stood in, when the French opened a quick and well directed fire upon us from a fort of two 18, one 12, and 2 nine pounders, within half pistol shot, and from the windows, roofs of the houses in the Ostra Banda, which was filled with the enemies troops--who kept up a constant fire of musketry, which was as warmly returned from the cannon and muskets of the Pequot, and those deluded people who escaped death, returned to their camps, but at intervals, engaged us all night, which we returned from our great guns. On the 23d they appeared to be more in motion than in common, but kept up a constant fire from their batteries, they embarked with great precipitation, leaving behind them eighty or an hundred men, all their guns, ammunition, provisions, &c.-- with pleasure I am enabled to state we had but two wounded, one of which was Mr. Calder--the loss on the part of the French is computed about 150, with one General Officer--We received considerable damage in our hull, rigging, and sails. On the 24th the British frigate Nereide entered and hoisted the British flag, agreeably to the capitulation entered into with the Governor previous to our arrival. All the American property is safe.