"Tuesday, the 17th instant arrived from the Island of New-Providence the schooner Recovery, Thomas Costart, master, with dispatches from the Lieutenant-governor¹ of that island to his Excellency the Governor and Admiral;² by her we are informed, that in the night of the 27th of last month, the Fort of Providence³ was taken by the crew of an American privateer,⁴ who were joined by a number of Americans then in the place. That they continued two days in possession of the fort, during which time they also possessed themselves of the ship Mary, Henry Johnson, master, of 16 guns, belonging to Kingston, bound on a voyage to New York, who had been obliged to put in there the 25th of November, to unload, and repair damage sustained by running on a reef of rocks at Crooked Island; she was refitted, and the last of her cargo along-side to be taken in; her powder was still in the magazine of the fort, where it had been lodged when she hove down, and the master sick on shore; of all which, it appears, the rebels had received full information, previous to their landing.

"They likewise possessed themselves of five prizes which had been sent in there by the letter of marque sloop Gayton, Captain Chambers. On the 28th, the Gayton came in over the bar, in expectation of the ship Mary being ready for sea, and to have proceeded with her as far to the northward as Cape Hatteras, it being suspected that privateers would be in waiting for her. Captain Chambers had been only out from Providence on a short cruize of seven days. The first intimation he received of the change which had taken place, was by a shot fired at him from the fort, the privateer, and the ship, which had by this time been manned, &c. by Americans. With much difficulty he again got out over the bar, with his rigging considerably damaged, and an 18 pound shot from the fort through his hull. The following day he attempted the eastern channel, and got possession of a small fort⁵ there of four 9 pounders, where he wasjoined by a very few loyal inhabitants, who, with a considerable number of Negroes, agreed to attack the fort that night, whilst the Gayton should run down along-side the privateer, and board her. At eleven o'clock at night they got under way for that purpose, when, by the darkness of the night and the unskilfulness of the pilot, the sloop was run a-ground, which retarded their plan. Next morning they got under way, and proceeded very near the privateer, when she cut her cables and got away, having about half an hour before sent away the ship Mary with three of the prizes, and set fire to the other two."