On Wednesday last was carried into Portsmouth, by the Hancock Privateer, who sailed from Philadelphia, a large three deck'd ship named the Reward, of between 5 and 600 tons burthen, she was a 20 gun ship last war, in the service of the British King, she was from Tortola, bound to London, and had on board between 10 and 11 hundred hogsheads of Sugar, 86 hogsheads of Rum, 12 Bales of Cotton, 9 Cannon, and some Brass ditto ー There were on board said ship, a number of Turtle directed to Lord North, with his name cut in the shell, the best of which, Capt. Wingate Newman, Master of the Privateer, is determined to send to the Hon. John Hancock.
The Public having been only transiently informed of the capture of the Privateer Brig Yankee-Hero, of this Port, of which James Tracy was late commander; as her engagement with the Milford Frigate was a bold action and well conducted, considering her unavoidable situation, you may if you please Mr. Printer give the following narrative of it, chiefly collected from those who were in the engagement.
Captain James Tracy sailed from Newbury Port the 7th of June in the Yankee-Hero for Boston, with 26 men only, including officers; this number was not a quarter of his complement; he was provisioned for a six months cruize, and was to take in the remainder of his men at Boston; the afternoon he went out, going round Cape Ann he observed a sail in the Offing, but in his situation did not think of looking after her: Two boats full manned with their musquets, who had put out after the sail came on board, and informed him a number of transports had been close in with the Cape that day ー 14 men trom the two boats joined him, and sent their boats on shore; he had now 40 hands in the whole (only a third his complement) with these he put away for the sail which bore E.S.E. about 5 leagues distance, the wind being then Westerly; at 6 miles distance they perceived her to be a ship, and soon from her management to be a ship of war. As a contest with her must have been very unequal, Capt. Tracy who intended to make a harbor that night, ordered the brig to be put about for the shore not then suspecting the ship could come up with him; but he had not tacked 10 minutes before the Westerly wind died away, and the ship taking a fresh southerly breeze came fast in, endeavouring to cut the brig off from the shore: After some time the ship thus getting in the wake of the brig, the wind again came fresh to the westward upon which the brig hawled to the wind in the best angle for the shore; the ship gave chase, and in an hour came up within half a mile and began to fire her bow chasers which the brig only answered with a swivel, Capt. Tracy reserving his whole fire, until the ship, keeping a constant fire, came up within pistol shot upon his lee quarter, when the brig gave her the best return they could make from their main and quarter deck guns, swivels, and small arms, and after then, kept up a constant fire: The ship was soon up along side, and with 12 nine pounders of a side, upon one deck, besides forecastle and quarter deck guns, and with her marines, overlooking the brig as high as her reading blocks, kept a continual fire, after some time the ship hawled her wind so close, (which obliged the brig to do the same) that Capt Tracy was unable to fight his lee guns, upon this he backed under her stern, but the ship which sailed much faster, and worked as quick, had the advantage and brought her broadside again upon him, which he could not evade; and in this manner they lay not a hundred feet from each other, yawing to and fro, for an hour and twenty minutes, the privateers men valiantly maintaining their quarters against such a superior force. About this time the ships foremost guns beginning to slack fire; Capt. Tracy tacked under her stern, and when clear of the smoak and fire, perceived his rigging to be most shockingly cut, yards flying about without braces, some of his principal sails shot to rags and half his men to appearance dying, and woundedー
Mr. Main, his first lieut. was among the first wounded, and Mr. Davis one of the Prize Masters, fell in the last attack. In this situation they went to work to refit the rigging and to carry the wounded below, the ship having then taken a broad sheer some way off, and none of her guns bearing; but before they could get their yards to rights, which they zealously tried for in hopes still to get clear of the ship, as they were now nearer in shore, or to part from her under the night she again came up and renewed the attack, which obliged Capt. Tracy to have recourse to his guns again, though he still kept some hands aloft to his rigging, but before the brig had again fired two broadsides, capt. Tracy received a wound in his right thigh and in a few minutes he could not stand; he laid himself over the arm chest and barricadoe, determined to keep up the fire, but in a short time from pain and loss of blood, he was unable to command, growing faint, and they helped him below; as soon as he came too, he found his firing had ceased, and his people round him wounded, and having not a Surgeon with them, in a most distressed situation, most of them groaning, some expiring ー Struck severely with such a spectacle, Capt. Tracy ordered his people to take him up in a chair upon the quarter deck, and resolved again to attack the ship, which was all this time keeping up her fire; but after getting into the air, he was again so faint, that he was for some time unable to speak, and finding no alternative, but they must be taken or sunk, for the sake of the brave men that remained, he ordered them to strike to the ship. Thus was this action maintained upwards of two hours in a low single deck'd vessel, with not half the metal the ship had, against an English Frigate, whose navy had been the dread of nations, and by a quarter the number of people in the one as the other, yet the victors exulted as though they had overcome a force as much superior as this was inferior to them. The brig had four men killed and thirteen wounded including officers, the number in the Milford wounded, is not known, though there were some. The deprivation of these brave officers and men is to be regretted by all friends to this country ー With justice to Capt. [John] Bur[r] of the Milford, it must be acknowledged, he treated them with humanity and politeness the officels and men that were wounded; but to the eternal disgrace of Britain, and the present king and parliament, let it be recorded, that in this very action above related, upwards of thirty Americans (prisoners in Milford) were forced at the forfeit of their lives to fight against their countrymen, and the officers and men of the Yankee Hero, that were not wounded, are now detained in several of their ships, and may meet with the same cruel fate ー an exaction, that even Savages have not been known to require. It is to the credit of the Hero's men, that not one would enter upon the ship's books, though not only urged by every persuasion, but by threats.
Capt. James Tracy, and Mr. Main his first lieutenant, we hear, are likely to do well of their wounds, though they mend but slowly; they and the other wounded men are at Halifax; twelve of the Hero's men were kept on board the Milford ー Mr. Robert Tracy his second lieutenant, and the rest of the brig's company, are on board the Renown Commodore [Francis] Banks.