Doc. 42.-vessels destroyed in Bull's Bay.
Lieutenant Conroy's report.
sir: I have the honor to report that on the thirteenth instant, about eleven o'clock A. M., we discovered a vessel ashore on a shoal in Bull's Bay.
I sent two armed boats in for the purpose of reconnoitring, and, if possible, to bring her off. On boarding, they found her to be a very old and worthless craft, without a cargo, and with only four negroes on board.
While on board the sloop, they discovered three vessels lying at anchor inside the shoals, apparently laden with rice, etc. At half-past 1 A. M., on the fourteenth instant, I sent another armed vessel, with orders to cut these vessels out or destroy them.
There not being enough wind all day to bring them out, they were destroyed after dark, and their flags, papers, and arms taken in the boat and brought off with two prisoners. The following are the names of the vessels destroyed, with their cargoes, which consisted of rice for the city of Charleston: sloop Edisto, one thousand six hundred bushels rice, sunk; schooner Wando, one thousand eight hundred bushels rice; schooner Elizabeth, one thousand eight hundred bushels rice, sunk; schooner Theodore Stoney, two thousand five hundred bushels rice.
The schooner Theodore Stoney was a fine craft of fifty-four tons, but could not be got out, as there was a battery of three guns near her anchorage.
She was consequently burned.
Their respective crews were all foreigners and negroes, and, not having room enough in the boat to bring them off, they were set ashore, and allowed to retain their personal effects, except arms.
In closing, I feel it my duty to mention the efficient manner in which my orders were carried out by Acting Master's Mates Henry Eason and J. Walter Mackie, and to call your attention to the same.