Alexandria Gazette, Commercial And Political

Squadrons:—The San Domingo, 74, 5 frigates, 2 brigs, the Highflyer schooner, and two pilot boat tenders, came up the bay, and anchored off the mouth of the Rappahannock on Saturday last, where were laying the private armed schooner Dolphin, Stafford, bound on a cruise, letter of marque's Lynx, Taylor—Racer, West, for France—and Arab, Fitch, for Savannah. The tenders & launches to the number of seventeen were manned from the squadron to cut them out—On their approach they were warmly received by the Dolphin, who bore the brunt of the action, the barges were beaten off by her and two of them sunk, the remainder with the tenders renewed the action which became desperate—after two hours fighting they succeeded in gaining the Dolphin's deck, when the conflict was dreadful, they pulled down the flag yet flying, and took possession of her, and afterwards the Lynx and Racer—the Arab was run ashore by her people, during the engagement, and all but three left her. It is stated she was got off by the British. As respects the loss sustained by the Dolphin & the assailants we have only from report—a tender (the Ulysses N. York pilotboat) that was taken from alongside the 74, by Mr. Fowler, of this port & other prisoners on board, say they understood that Capt. Stafford was mortally wounded through the body, and thirty of his men fell—and from observations made by the Arab's crew, and the people ashore, that besides the two boats' crews, none of whom were picked up; upwards of 100, among whom were two Lieutenants fell in boarding, and on the Dolphin's deck. After the capture of these four vessels, they were manned and converted into tenders, came up the bay in company with two brigs, with American colors flying, about six miles above Patuxent, where they fell in with a number of small craft, which they took, together with the schr. Providence Packet, bound to Eastport and another northern schr. supposed the Rover, then stood down the bay, after burning the greater part of them. The 74 and frigates remained at anchor below Smith's Point.

Baltimore paper.