Alexandria Daily Advertiser

NORFOLK. July 25.

Capture of the British Sloop of War Lilly.

Sunday morning last arrived here part of the crew of the British sloop of war Lilly, captured on the 15th inst. by the French privateer La Dame Ambert, capt. Charles Lemaire, who, the day before, captured the ship Mary, belonging to Liverpool, from Africa to Savannah, with a valuable cargo of slaves, ivory, &c. and a ship from Honduras to London, laden with mahogany. After taking out the most valuable part of the Mary's cargo, they gave the crew a "deed of gift" of her, and put the Lilly's and the other ship's men on board. They detained Mr. Ashton, captain of the Mary, on board the privateer, and purpose carrying him to Guadeloupe as an evidence for her condemnation.

The following account of the capture of the English Sloop of War Lilly, has been given us by Mr. Norcock, the purser:

"I beg leave to acquaint you of my arrival here this day with the remaining officers and crew of H. M. sloop of war Lilly. On the 14th instant or about the hour of 2 P.M. being then in latitude 33 21 N. and long. 79, 13, W. we observed two sail to windward, to which we immediately gave chase. At half past 3, perceived the one to be an armed vessel lying too with French colours flying, boarding a ship, which we supposed to be English, and continued in that position till dark, when we lost sight of them. Tacked occasionally, working to windward during the night; at half past 8 A. M. observed two sail to the westward, which we supposed to be the same as yesterday; made all sail in chase, and cleared ship for action. At 9 distinguished them to be the two ships we saw yesterday, the one having the other in tow, standing to the S. E. on the starboard tack. Half past 9 the one hoisted English colours, which we returned; passed to windward; tacked on our weather beam, and cast the vessel she had taken in tow off three quarters past the edge by taking us for a merchant vessel, we shewed no guns, and having a temporary poop rigged to decoy her. At 23 minutes past 10 she ranged upon our weather quarter, shifted her colours to French, and commenced a heavy fire upon us which we immediately returned; she then dropped astern and kept up a heavy discharge of musketry, musketoons, cohorns from her tops and decks, and that of grape and langrage from her bow chasers which cut our braces, bowlines, and running rigging in such a manner as to render the ship totally unmanageable and completely defeated all our exertions to alter our position so as to get a single gun to bear; and the only resistance we were able to make (having no stern chasers) was that of the small arms.

It is with the greatest concern I have to mention the death of capt. William Compton who fell early in the action. She still kept (taking every advantage of our ungovernable state) under our stern raking us fore and aft with her bow chase guns and one hundred men at musketry, making sundry fruitless attempts to board till noon when she passed to windward, on which we gave her the whole of our larboard broadside, and laying athwart-hause, raked us sundry times, which I am sorry to say deprived us of the assistance of the whole of the officers on deck; lieutenant Fowler being the last who fell, giving instructions to strike the colours; the ship then laying a perfect log on the water; standing, running rigging and sails completely cut to pieces masts and yards severely wounded. In this state the enemy made another desperate attempt to board which they effected on the bowsprit with upwards of one hundred men and the feeble resistance we were then able to make, having then eighteen men out of our small number, being only seventy six at the commencement of the action, killed and wounded. It is with the utmost concern I have to add, we were compelled to strike our colours, and half past noon were taken possession of by the French privateer La Dame Ambert, of Guadeloupe,

mounting fourteen twelve pounder carronades and two long 9's, and having on board one hundred and forty men. The Lilly mounted sixteen short twelve pounders merchant guns."

List of the killed and wounded.

KILLED.--Captain William Compton; lieutenant Samuel Fowler.

Severely wounded.--Mr. Mich. Head master's mate; Scipio Thompson, ditto of HMS Driver; John Bryant, boatswain; Richard Scarrott, Peter Oldson, Thomas Bennett, Thomas M'Cann, John Pickett, W. Calvin, (since dead) seamen, Robert Hammond, Robert Day, Wm. Wilson private marines.

Slightly wounded.--Robert Risker, Jas. Allen Edward Warren, seamen, William Wade, private marine.

The gentleman who gave the above account says, that the crew of the privateer were mostly English, Scotch, Irish, and Americans, and that the captain was a Scotchman--thinks from the shattered condition of the Lilly, that she cannot be got into port. The privateer was formerly the British Packet Marlborough, lately captured by the French in the West-Indies.