The New Hampshire Gazette

From the Charleston Gazette,

American Naval Engagement.

The following particulars of the action of the ship Eliza, Capt. M'Neal, on her passage from hence to London, with a French pirate off the Bay of Biscay, are taken from a letter of a very intelligent gentleman, who was a passenger, to his friend in this city, dated Lisbon, August 12, 1798.

You no doubt will be much surprised on observing that I date from Lisbon ; know then, that on the 5th July we fell in with a French privateer (called the L'Heureux Decide, mounting 20 guns, and carrying 185 men) off the Bay of Biscay. They chased us five hours, and afterwards came up with us,when an action commenced, which lasted one hour and a quarter ; at length.from the great superiority of the enemy's force, and after a hard fought battle; we were compelled to strike. We killed two of their men, and wounded four; they killed one of ours, and wounded two. It is to be lamented that we had not men enough! had we been able to have mustered 30 men more, victory had been ours. You will observe; that their force was 20 to 1 against us ; they had among them 80 mulattoes, trained to musketry, who kept up an incessant fire upon us. I need not observe that nothing less than the most intrepid bravery of all on board, could have held out as the Eliza did, against so unequal a match. The noble conduct of the brave Captain, Sir John Nebit, &c. &c. cannot be too highly spoken of or commended: Indeed the spirited zeal of M'Neal in the defence of his ship, cannot be too much admired ; and, in my opinion, he ought to be placed, together with all the circumstances of this action, in the most conspicuous rank with those who have signalized themselves for true bravery and courage, during the present war.

About the 9th we were carried as prisoners into St. Sebastian, and from thence,as Americans, made our escape, under the General's Protection, to Madrid, where we arrived on the 28th.

The mate and crew of the ship, were all sent prisoners to Bayonne in France, where we should have all gone for taking an active part in defence of the ship, had we not put into a Spanish port. The Frenchman made the Captain sign a paper, declaring that "war was actually declared between America and France."

P. S. As follows is the statement of damage done to each ship :

ELIZA.

Our sails and rigging much cut; mainmast badly wounded, and braces all shot away.

L'HEUREUX DECIDE.

Their mainmast . and bowprit so badly wounded that they could not carry sail. Captain M'Neal and crew had not been on board of her half an hour before her fore-top-mast went over the side, which obliged her to go into port to refit.