Western Sun, Volume 7, Number 47, Vincennes, Knox County, 26 October 1816 — Page 1

THE WESTERN SUN".

From the Press of EUHU STOUT. Publisher of the Laws of the United States. Vol. 7. VINCENNES, (Ixd. Ty.) SATURDAY, OCTOBER 26, 18 16. No. 47.

Tin; WESTERN BUN, IS printed Wiikfy t Two Dollars per annum, p ud in advance, or an attested Note, payable at the end of the year, for Two Dollars St Fifty Gf.nts. No Subscription will be received for a less term than one year and will not be discontinued wit ill alt arrearges are paid, Where p tptri mri sent by Post, the person subscribing, must pay the pastage, Anr ertisf must's of m nure length than

breath, will be inserted three times for Qnf. Dollar, and Twf.ntt-Five Cents, for tVtrj after insertion. To avoid unp.'easant disputes, it is requested, of Advertising CU :cmcrs, that they particularly specify the number of times their Advertisement's arc to be continued. ThoSt sent Without such directions will he -ontinued until fjrbid and must be paid for aceot dingly. All Utters, addressed to the Edito-, must be Post paid, or they will not be taken cut of t he office Bay of Sf. Louis, Sept. 8, 1816. Dear Sir. Nothing of importance occurred after leaving port until tl e Morning of the 27th of August last, when not fur from Vera Cruz at dav break, we found ourselves near 8 vessels, which proved to he : his Catholic Spanish majes- ty's ship. Diana, of 24 guns, commanded by Josse Soroudo; the hermaphrodite brigs Cassidor & Le Gera, of 18 guns each, the names of the commanders of the two last mentioned vessels were refused to he riven us. There were not less than 500 men on board the two first mentioned vessels as besides their crews they had many soldiers. The Le Gera appeared to he in chase of another vessel. The Diana and Cassidor made for us, capt. Cunningham at the same time approaching them. As we approached within pistol shot, one ofthe Spaniards on each side of us, at the very moment that our (15 was hoisted, the Cassidor, without hailing or without any ceremony, fired some of her cannon loaded with grape and cannister into us, and a volley of musketry. Capt. Cunningham immediately leaped on a gun, and hailed stating who we were, and demanding the cause of their firing. The firing continued, in terminged with the most billingsgate amse. I observed a single musk ct aimed for the quarter-deck of the Cassidor, and evidently intendend for cam. Cunningham, who wa conspicuous by hi elevation on th k gun and his epau let ; but which fortunately by a few inclies missed him, and entered the breast of a marine, and lodged in hi- neck. We were ordered to send a boat on board : capt. Cunningham said 1 e would not send, but he would receive a boat. We were then ordered by the Diana to send a boat on board, and lower our mainsail, ,vith a threat that in case of refu sal they would sink us, Capt. Cunningham ordered lieut. A S. Campbell w proceed on hoard the Diana, where his side armwere taken from him. & he was

placed under a guard of marine

the gig s crew were put in irons: threatened to he hung, and beaten with swords, the marks of which are yet evident. Shortly after, a lieutenant came on hoard the Firebrand, and while conversing with capt Cunningham in his cabin, he was hailed from the Cassidor, and requested to get out of danger, as thev intended to fire into us, board, and shew no quarters he replied that we were an American. The reply wm the Cassidor was, that we wVe scoundrels and liars, and again was poured upon us every epithet of abuse that cowardice or vulgarity could suggest, and a single musket shot was fired. At this time capt. Cunningham committed the only act which in my opinion was not strictly correct ; it was the result of his feelings, not his judgment, soured and irritated by the conduct of cowardly assassins, he cxclainaed opening his bosom and spriifcing on a gun. " fire at me but notny men."' The Spanish boat's crew that brot' the Spanish lieut. on hoard of us, when they heard the last threat, leaned overboard, well knowing their own nation, nd convinced that the ocean presented more probable chances of escape than our deck. The Spanish lieut. was then hailed from the Diana, and he ordered capt. Cunningham to proceed to the Diana. Before he went, capt. C. ordered the colors down, which the Spanish liefit. would not permit to be done.-i-The Spanish lieut. mentionedk while on board of us, that we had no right to navigate the Gulf of Mexico that the Spanish king claimed its exclusive sovereignty ... ti. that we could nave na con mcree there to protert-bat new governor general ban arri vod at Vera Cruz, who had or dered out all the vessels to scout the coast that the whole coast was in a state of blockade that their orders were to respect the tla2 of no nation that to them there was no difference between .in 1 , 1 a 1 cnetiasroi tne iusurreuts ana pirates (as they termed the can republicans) and the Uri States. Among other insult qually unjustifiable, he accused the brave and respectable captain Porter, of the brig Boxer, of rob bing a Spanish vessel, and of being a pirate. The Spanish lieut. was then hailed, and proceeded to the Diana, and soon returned with a party of marines, Sc took possession of the Firebrantjtating that we were to go to Cruz ; and if the governor f it all right, he would pay th pensc of our detension a real Spanish sentiment ; dollars a salvo for wounded honor and outraged feelings. Our vessel was searched, and being prisoners, the signals, cc. were sunk. The Spanish lieut. was again hailed, and proceeded to the Diana, and sh rtly after we w ere gratified by the return of our commander lieut Campbell, and gig's crew. Capt. Cunningham, when he entered on board the Diana, of-

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lered his sword as a prisoner, its citizens, and the base attempt which was refused, and he was to tarnish the reputation of its told that he must follow the flag. To its justice we appeal, Spaniards to Vera C ruz, which knowing by experience that our he indignantly refused : his reply government will be prompt to rewas, that as they had so vastly a dress our wrongs and uphold the superior force, they might take honor of our flag, him where the choose, but that I am, &x. he would follow no vessel, and P. S. It would be well for our that he should represent the government to examine the valiwholc transaction to his govern- dity of the right assumed by the ment. A scene of confusion vul- Spanish king to the exclusive garity and abuse passed on board navigation of the Mexican the Diana that would disgrace an Gulph. Their declarations show American cabin boy. what they would do if they were It is owing to the firmness of backed by courage and force.

capt. Cunningham that we have been enabled to reach our own shores, and that I have this opportunity to address you. For I am i irmly convinced that no dif-

ferent treatment would have been 19th September, 181G, agreeably measured to a non-combatant, to notice in public prints, in conthan was inflicted on our sailors, sequence of the late wanton and fetters and lashes. The official atrocious attack upon the honor statement of the outrage to A- of the American flag by 3 ships merican citizens, and to our na- fwar belonging to the king of tional flag, has I presume before Spain. this been transmitted to Wash- The hon. Joshua Lewis was ington. And k is impossible to called to the chair, and doubt that a justnd high mind Peter K. Wagner, appointed government wift immediately ed secretary. take measures to redress her vio- The objects for which the lated rights, and afford to a men- meeting was called having been torous officer an opportunity of briefly stated, the following res effacing from the star spangled lotions were moved, & the sense banner the cowardly insult and of the meeting having been separuffian outrage inflicted upon it. rately taken upon them, they The American navy has shed were carried unanimously, with too much of its precious blood tnc exception of the last, which not to give to our name a renown however, was adopted by a very and our glory a splendor which are majority, will be lasting and brilliant ; it is Resolved, That the cowardly

too great a favorite with the Aj jri i iii a ii orne w nil me i;rican people not at once to int to the cabinet the only mer point means of wiping from its standardablot which cowards, backed by a vastly superior force, have attempted to stain it. To A . ' who saw all that passed, there H

not a doubt (hat the Spaniards,! or 01 tne nation, n sutlered to go by their outrage and vulgar abuse unrevenged. wished to provoke us to some Resolved, That the indignities act of hostility that would afford and even stripes, inflicted on our them a pretext for our indiscrimi- bi ave seamen, when not expectnate butchery . They stood ready mS any hostility, they had put to discharge from 2 large vessels themselves in the power of an 42 heavy guns against a small overwhelming force, must corvessel of 81 guns. They fired rode the mmd of every Ameriwithout hailing, they continued can until the remembrance shall their fire after they ascertained be erased by ample expiation. Who we were, they fired once af- Resolved, That the assertion ter our lieut. was on board their f tne exclusive right to navigate vessel, they abused us by every anJ Pa, t othe high seas, set up vulgar epithet, they imprisoned l,v the officers of Spain, is as riour officer and flogged our men, diculous as tt is insolent, and if they made disgraceful proposi- not abandoned ought to be resistions to us, they deliberately aim ted with the whole force ofthe ed at our commander, searched nation. our vessel, and stigmatised the Resolved, That should a reworthy Porter as a pirate. course be had to arms to procure And, sir. with me, after this re- satisfaction for these injuries and cital, you will be compelled to insults, we will cheerfully incur believe that they intended to sa- the risks and make the sacrifices crifice us to their dastardly and inc dent to uc has t ns, ignoble passion for assassination. a"d hereby pledge ourselves to But. thank God, we were saved our government to support the by the firmness and prudence of measures they may think fit to our commander, who calmly sta- adopt on that subject, ted who and what we were, and Resolved, That the king of indignantly rejected a proposi- Spain, in demanding of the U. tion not consistent with the char- States, thro' his minister, Don acter of an American officer A Onis, a cession of part ofthe teraccept : owing to him we have ritory of the state of Louisiana, the opportunity of complaining "evinced as well a disposition to to the American government of find pretexts for hostility with the wanton violence offered to the U. States, as an utter disre-

From the Orleans Gazette. At a numerous and respectable meeting of the citizens of NewOrleans, held on Thursday, the

attack: made by the Spanish "vm"wm i,j ojjmusti squadron upon? a small vessel of war of the U. States, on the high , , M - spas, excites our highest mdignatl0n : tnat tne circumstances which accompanied & followed this attack, are calculated to in lllct a lasting wound on the hon-