K ~ ~~~ -C /"- — I  -   -  --  
THE ATTACK~ ON WHITEHAVEN.




THE    LIFE
OF
REAR ADMIRAL JOHN PAUL JONES.
BY
JOHN S. C. ABBOTT.
NEW YORK:
DODD & MEAD, PUBLISHERS,
762 BROADWAY.








AMERICAN PIONEERS AND PA TRIOTS.
THE LIFE AND ADVENTURES
OF
REAR-ADMIRAL JOHN PAUL JONES,
COMMONLY CALLED
PAUL JONES.
By
JOHN S. C_ ABBOTT.
ILLUSTRATED.
NEW YORK:
DODD & MEAD, PUBLISHERS,
762 BROADWAY.




Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1874, by
DODD & MEAD,
in the Office of the Librarian of Congress at Washington.




TO
THE OFFICERS AND SEAMEN OF THE UNITED STATES NAVY,
THIS VOIUME,
COMMEMORATIVE OF THE HEROIC ACHIEVEMENTS OF ONE OF THE MOST
ILLUSTRIOUS OF THEIR NUMBER, IS RESPECTFULLY
DBDICATED BY
JOHN S. C. ABBOTT.
PALR HAVEN, CONN., 1874.








PREFACE.
I COMMENCED writing the Life of Paul Jones with
the impression, received from early reading, that
he was a reckless adventurer, incapable of fear, and
whose chief merit consisted in performing deeds of
desperate daring. But I rise from the careful examination of what he has written, said, and done, with
the conviction that I had misjudged his character.
I now regard him as one of the purest and most
enlightened of patriots, and one of the noblest of
men. His name should be enrolled upon the same
scroll with those of his intimate friends, Washington, Jefferson, Franklin, and Lafayette.
As this exhibition of the character of Admiral
Jones is somewhat different from that which has'
been presented in current literature, I have felt the
necessity of sustaining the narrative by the most
unquestionable documentary evidence. Should any




vi                PREFACE.
one, in glancing over the pages, see that the admiral
is presented in a different light from that in which
he has been accustomed to view him, I must beg
him, before he condemns the narrative, to examine
the proof which I think establishes every statement.
The admiral had his faults. Who has not?
But on the whole he was one of nature's noblemen.
His energies were sincerely and intensely devoted
to the good of humanity; He was ambitious. But
it was a noble ambition, to make his life sublime.
He was a man of pure lips and of unblemished life.
His chosen friends were the purest, the most exalted,
the best of men. He had no low vices. Gambling,
drinking, carousing, were abhorrent to his nature.
He was a student of science and literature; and in
the' most accomplished female society he found his
social joy. While forming the comprehensive views
of statesmenship and of strategy, and evincing
bravery unsurpassed by any knight of romance, he
was in manners, thought, and utterance, as unaffected
as a child.
JOHN S. C. ABBOTT.




CONTENTS.
CHAPTER I.
The Early Life of 7ohn Paul yones.
PAGE
His Birth and Childhood.-Residence and Employments in Scotland.-His Studious Habits.-First Voyage to America.Engaged in the Slave Trade.-Reasons for Abandoning it.False Charges against him.-His Sensitiveness.to Obloquy.
-Espouses the Cause of the Colonies.-Developments of
Character.-Extracts from his Letters....   9
CHAPTER II.
The Infant Navy.
Rescuing the Brigantine.-Commissioned as Captain.-Escape
from the Solway.-Conflict with the Milford.-Adventures
at Canso and Madame.-Return with Prizes.-Expedition
to Cape Breton.-Wise Counsel of Jones.-Brilliant Naval
Campaign.-Saving the Prizes.-Value of the Mellish.-Mission to France. —Disappointment.-Sails with the Ranger.. 32
CHAPTER III.
Bearding the British Lion.
Aid from France.-Plan for the Destruction of the British Fleet.
-The American Flag Saluted.-Bold Movement of Captain
Jones.-Cruise along the Shores of England.-Capture of
Prizes.-Salutary Lessons given to England.-Operations in
the Frith of Clyde.-At Carrickfergus.-Attempt upon the
Drake.-Burning the Shipping at Whitehaven.-Capture of
the Plate of Lord Selkirk..      56




viii                    CONTENTS.
CHAPTER IV.
Captain 7ones at Nantes and at Brest.
PAGE
Correspondence with Lord Selkirk.-Terrible Battle with the
ship Drake.-Capture of the ship.-Carnage on board the
Drake.-Generosity to Captured Fishermen.-Insubordination of Lieutenant Simpson.-Embarrassments of Captain
Jones.-Hopes and Disappointments.-Proofs of Unselfish
Patriotism.-Letter to the King of France.-Anecdote of
Poor Richard......78
CHAPTER V.
Cruise of the Bon Homme Richard.
Plans of Lafayette.-Correspondence.-Humane Instructions of
Franklin.-Proposed Invasion of England.-Sailing of the
Squadron.-Conduct of Pierre Landais.-The Collision.Adventures of the Cruise.-Insane Actions of Landais.Plan for Capture.- Plan for the Capture of Leith and
Edinburgh.......z... oo
CHAPTER VI.
The Bon Homme Richard and the Serapis.
Leith Threatened.- The Summons. -Remarkable Prayer.Wide-spread Alarm.-Continuation of the Cruise.-Insubordination of Landais.-Successive Captures.-Terrible Battle
between the Bon Homme Richard and the Serapis.-The
Great Victory.. 23
CHAPTER VII.
Result of the Victory.
Dreadful Spectacle.-Sinking of the Bon Homme Richard.Escape of the Baltic Fleet.-Sails for the Texel.-Interesting
Correspondence.-Sufferings of the American Prisoners.



CONTENTS.                        ix
PAGE
Barbarity of the English Government.-Humanity of Captain
Jones.-The Transference from the Serapis to the Alliance.
-Extracts from the British Press.-Release of Prisoners.. 148
CHAPTER VIII.
Commodore 7ones at Court.
Offer of a Privateersman.-Indignant Reply.-The Renown of
Commodore Jones.-Successful Retreat.-Cruise through the
Channel.-Poetic Effusion. Enters Corunna.- Letter to
Lafayette.-Embarrassed Finances of Franklin.-Intrigues
of Landais.-His Efforts to Excite Mutiny.-Testimony
against him.-Commodore Jones at Court.              I72
CHAPTER IX.
The Mutiny of Landais.
The Visit of Jones to Versailles.-Intrigues of Landais.-The
Alliance Wrested from Jones.-Complicity of Arthur Lee.Magnanimity of Jones.-Strong Support of Dr. Johnson.Honors Conferred upon Jones.-Strange Career of Landais.
-His Life' in America, and Death.-Continued Labors and
Embarrassments of Jones.-His Correspondence... 193
CHAPTER X.
The Return to America.
Fitting the Ariel.-Painful Delays.-The Sailing.-Terrible
Tempest.-The Disabled Ship.-Puts back to L'Orient.The Second Departure.-Meets the Triumph.-Bloody
Naval Battle.-Perfidious Escape of the Triumph.-The
Ariel Reaches America.-Honors Lavished upon Jones.Appointed to Build and Command the America.-Great
Skill Displayed.-The Ship given to France.-The Launch. 214




x                       CONTENTS.
CHAPTER XI.
The War Ended.
PAGE
Promise of the South Carolina.-A New Disappointment.-The
Great Expedition Planned.-Magnitude of the Squadron.
-The Appointed Rendezvous.-Commodore Jones Joins
the Expedition.-His Cordial Reception.-Great Difficulties
and Embarrassments.-The Rendezvous at Port Cabella.
-Tidings of Peace.-Return to America.-New Mission to
France...........236
CHAPTER XII.
The Difficulties of Diplomacy.
Courteous Reception in Paris.-Compliment of the King.-Principles of Prize Division.-Embarrassing Questions.-Interesting Correspondence.-The Final Settlement.- Modest
Claims of Commodore Jones.-Plan for a Commercial Speculation.-Its Failure.-The Mission to Denmark.-Return to
America.                                             258
CHAPTER XIII.
The Mission to Denmark.
Letter to Mr. Jefferson.-The Marquise de Marsan.-Unfounded
Charges and Vindication. - Flattering Application from
Catherine II.-His Reception at the Polish Court.-Jones
receives the Title of Rear-Admiral.- English Insolence.Letter of Catherine II....         280
CHAPTER XIV.
The Russian Campaign.
Admiral Jones repairs to the Black Sea.-Designs of Catherine
II.-Imposing Cavalcade.-Turkey Declares War against
Russia.-Daring Conduct of Admiral Jones. -A Greek




CONTENTS.                        xi
PAGE
Officer Alexiana.-The Prince of Nassau Siegen.-Annoyances of Admiral Jones from Russian Officers.-Battle in the
Black Sea.-Jones yields the Honor to the Prince of Nassau. 298
CHAPTER XV.
Adventures in the Black Sea.
The First Battle.-Folly of the Prince of Nassau.-Inefficiency
of the Gun-boats.-Burning of the Greek Captives.-Humanity of Jones.-Alienation between the Admiral and the
Prince of Nassau.-The Second Conflict.-Annoyances of
the Admiral.-Hostility of the English.-Necessary Employment of Foreign Seamen.-Disgrace of Nassau.-Transference of the Admiral to the Baltic..36 
CHAPTER XVI.
Retirement and Death.
The Return to Cherson.-Sickness and Sadness.-Oczakow
Stormed.-The Wintry Journey to St. Petersburg.-Mental
Activity.-Calumniated by the English.-The Admiral's
Defence.-Slanderous Accusation.-His Entire Acquittal.Testimony of Count Segur.-Letter to the Empress.-Obtains
Leave of Absence.-Returns to France.-Life in Paris.Sickness and Death..... 337








PAUL JONES.
CHAPTER I.
The Early Life of yohn Paul zones.
His Birth and Childhood.-Residence and Employments in Scotland.-His Studious Habits.-First Voyage to America.Engaged in the Slave Trade.-Reasons for Abandoning it.False Charges against Him.-His Sensitiveness to Obloquy.Espouses the Cause of the Colonies.-Developments of Character.-Extracts from his Letters.
IN the lonely wilds of Scotland there was, about
the middle of the last century, a secluded hamlet
called Arbingland. There was a respectable gardener there by the name of John Paul. He had a
son born on the 6th of July, I747, to whom he gave
his own name of John. His humble cottage was
near the shores of Solway Frith. Young John
Paul, like most energetic lads who live within sound
of the ocean surge, became impassioned with longings for a sailor's life. When twelve years of age he
1*




10               PAUL JONES.
was sent across the bay to Whitehaven, in England,
then quite an important seaport. Here he was
apprenticed to Mr. Younger, who was quite extensively engaged in the American trade.
The daily intercourse of John with the seamen inspired him with a strong desire to visit the
New World. He had received a good commonschool education, such as Scottish boys generally
enjoyed at that time, and was also so eager for intellectual improvement that all his leisure time was
given to study. He particularly devoted himself to
the acquisition of a thorough knowledge of the
theory of navigation. He even studied French.
Often at midnight, when many of his companions
were at a carouse, he was found absorbed with his
books.
When John was thirteen years of age he embarked, as a sailor, on board the ship Friendship,
bound for the Rappahannock, in Virginia, for a
cargo of tobacco. He had an elder brother,'William, who had emigrated to this country, and, marrying a Virginia girl, had settled on the banks of the
Rappahannock. John had acquired a high reputation at Whitehaven for his correct deportment, his
intelligence, and his fidelity in the discharge of every
duty. He improved his time so well, while in the
employment of Mr. Younger, as to lay the founda



HIS EARLY LIFE.             II
tion for that eminence, which he could not have obtained but for this education. He could write his
own language correctly, and even with considerable
force; he was a very respectable French scholar,
and there were but few ship-masters who could
excel him in the science of navigation.
John Paul was but thirteen years of age when, in
the year I760, he crossed the Atlantic and was cordially welcomed in the humble home of his brother,
in one of the most attractive valleys of the world.
He was delighted with the entirely new scenes
which were here opened before him, and became
thoroughly American in his feelings. His first visit
was a short one, as he returned with his ship to
Whitehaven. Soon after this, Mr. Younger failed in
business, and Paul was released from his indentures.
Thus the precocious boy, who was already a man in
thoughtfulness, energy, and earnestness of purpose,
was thrown upon his own resources.
He made several voyages, and at length shipped
as third mate on board the ship King George, which
was bound to the Guinea Coast of Africa, for slaves.
Strange as it now appears, the slave trade was then
considered an honorable calling. Men of unquestioned piety, who morning and evening kneeled
with their happy children around the family altar,
fitted out ships to desolate the homes and steal the




12              PAUL JONES;
children of Africans, and bear them away to life-long
slavery. Many a captain, after crowding the hold
of his ship with these melancholy victims of his
inhumanity, would retire to his cabin, read the precepts of Jesus, "As ye would that men should do to
you, do ye also to them likewise," and would then
kneel in prayer, imploring God's blessing. And this
was not hypocrisy. So strange a being is fallen man.
We have no indications that any compunctions
of conscience disturbed John Paul on this voyage.
The most illustrious, opulent, and worthy people of
England were engaged in the infamous traffic. Of
course it was not to be expected that a boy, scarcely
emerging from childhood, should develop humanity
above that of the generation in the midst of which
he was born. The Friendship bore its freight of
human victims to the West Indies, where they were
sold. He then, when nineteen years-of age, shipped
at Jamaica, on board the brigantine Two Friends,
for Africa, to obtain another cargo of slaves.
It speaks volumes in favor of the intelligence of
John Paul, that he became so thoroughly disgusted
with the cruelty of the traffic, desolating Africa with
the most merciless wars, and tearing husbands from
wives, parents from children, that, upon his return to
Kingston, he declared that he would have nothing
pore to do with the traffic forever. His friends




HIS EARLY LIFE.            13
unite in giving their testimony to this his resolve,
and it is confirmed by the uniform tenor of his subsequent correspondence.
From this his second slaving voyage he embarked
for Scotland, as a passenger, on board the brigantine
John, under the command of Captain Macadam.
On the passage the yellow fever broke out. Both
the captain and the mate of the ship died. They
were left in the middle of the stormy Atlantic, with
none of the crew capable of navigating the ship.
Fortunately for all, John Paul assumed the command. The whole crew gratefully recognized his
authority. Be it remembered that he had not yet
finished his twentieth year. He brought the ship
safe into port. The owners, Messrs. Currie, Beck
& Co., in recompense of the great service he had
rendered them, at once gave him command of a ship
both as captain and supercargo. In their employment he sailed for two voyages.
On one of these voyages, Captain Paul was
accused of whipping, with undue severity, an insubordinate sailor, by the name of Mungo Maxwell.
But a legal investigation absolved him from all
blame. The accusation, and the trial which was
prolonged through six months, caused Captain Paul
great annoyance. The following letter to his mother and sisters reveals his feelings, and much of his




14              PAUL JONES.
character, at that time. He was then but twentyfive years of age.
"LONDON, 24th September, 1772.
"MY DEAR MOTHER AND SISTERS,
" I only arrived here last night from the Grenadas. I have had but poor health during the voyage. My success in it not having equalled my first
sanguine expectations, has added very much to the
asperity of my misfortunes, and, I am well assured,
was the cause of my loss of health. I am now,
however, better, and I trust Providence will soon
put me in a way to get bread, and, which is far my
greatest happiness, to be serviceable to my poor but
much valued friends. I am able to give you no
account of my future proceedings, as they depend
upon circumstances which are not fully determined.
" I have enclosed to you a copy of an affidavit
made before Governor Young, by the Judge of the
Court of Vice-Admiralty of Tobago, by which you
will see with how little reason my life has been
thirsted after, and, which is much dearer to me, my
honor, by maliciously loading my fair character with
obloquy and vile aspersions. I believe there are
few who are hard-hearted enough to think I-have
not long since given to the world every satisfaction
in my power, being conscious of my innocence




HIS EARLY LIFE.            15
before Heaven, who will one day judge even my
judges.
"I staked my honor, life, and fortune, for six
long months, on the verdict of a British jury, notwithstanding I was sensible of the general prejudice
which ran against me. But, after all, none of my
accusers had the courage to confront me. Yet I am
willing to convince the world, if reason and facts will
do it, that they have had no foundation for their
harsh treatment.
"I mean to send Mr. Craik a copy, properly
proved, as his nice feelings will not, perhaps, be
otherwise satisfied. In the mean time, if you please,
you can show him that enclosed. His ungracious
conduct to me before I left Scotland I have not yet
been able to get the better of. Every person of
feeling must think meanly of adding to the load
of the afflicted. It is true I bore it with seeming
unconcern. But heaven can witness for me that
I suffered the more on that very account. But
enough of this."
The Mr. Craik to whom he here refers was a
gentleman of property, in whose employment Mr.
Paul's father had formerly been engaged. The
whole family were accustomed to look up to him
with much reverence. It was perhaps a fault in
young Captain Paul that the organ of veneration, as




I6              PAUL JONES.
the phrenologists would say, was not, in him, very
fully developed. His knees were not supple in
bowing before those who were above him in
wealth and rank. Mr. Craik had not fancied the
independent boy, and was consequently the more
ready to believe the charges which were brought
against him.
A rumor reached Mr. Paul, while in the West
Indies, that the commercial firm in whose service
he was sailing was about to close its operations.
This would throw him out of employment. He
wrote in the following terms to Mr. Craik, whom as
a family friend and patron he highly respected.
This letter was written a year before the charge for
the maltreatment of Mungo Maxwell was brought
against him. It was as follows:
"ST. GEORGE, GRENADA, 5th August, 1770.
" SIR,
"Common report here says that my owners are
going to finish their connections in the West Indies
as fast as possible. How far this is true I shall not
pretend to judge. But should that really prove to
be the case, you know the disadvantage I must labor
under.
"These, however, would not have been the case
had I been acquainted with the matter sooner, as, in




HIS EARLY LIFE.            17
that case, I believe I could have made interest with
some gentlemen here to have been concerned with
me in a large ship out of London. And as these
gentlemen have estates in this and the adjacent
islands, I should have been able to make two voyages
every year, and should always have had a full ship
out and home.
" However, I by no means repine, as it is a maxim with me to do my best and leave the rest to Providence. I shall take no step whatever without your
knowledge and approbation. I have had several very
severe fevers lately, which have reduced me a good
deal, though I am now perfectly recovered. I must
beg you to supply my mother, should she want anything, as I well know your readiness. I hope yourself and family enjoy health and happiness.
" I am, most sincerely, sir, yours always,
"JOHN PAUL."
In I773, John Paul's brother died, in Virginia.
He died childless, and left no will. John repaired to
his brother's former residence to settle the estate.
Here, for some reason which has never been satisfactorily explained, he assumed the surname of Jones,
so that he ever afterward became familiarly known
as Paul Jones. His subsequent achievements became such, that probably that name will never be




I8              PAUL JONES.
obliterated from the memories of men. He had
acquired considerable property, which'he intrusted
to agents at Tobago, and it was all lost.
Captain Jones, weary of the wandering life of a
sailor and its unsatisfactory results, was now disposed
to devote his days to the peaceful pursuits of agriculture and to study, for which he had very strong
predilections. In his letters to his friends he often
expressed his desire to enter upon a life of " calm
contemplation and poetic ease." Man proposes, God
disposes. The tumultuous career into which he was
led, was not one which he would have sought for himself. He was almost forced into it by the state of
the times.
When in the midst of the stormiest scenes, without a family and without a home, he wrote pensively
to the Countess of Selkirk, that duty to his country
had compelled him " to sacrifice not only his favorite scheme of life, but the softer affections of his
heart, and his hopes of domestic happiness."  His
letters all indicate that he was a thoughtful man, one
who deeply pondered the mystery of this our earthly
being, and who made frank acknowledgment of' his
moral and religious obligations.
His favorite poet was Thomson; and his "Seasons" he read and re-read. It is not possible that
any man of frivolous nature should develop a taste




HIS EARLY LIFE.            19
so serious and so elevating. The loss of all his property at Tobago disheartened him, and repelled him
from the risks of a commercial life. This probably
decided him to settle down as a planter in Virginia,
and to remain satisfied with the humble competence
of a cultivator of the soil, in a rural home. He
wrote to the Hon. Robert Morris:
" I conclude that Mr. Hewes has acquainted you
with a very great misfortune which befell me some
years ago, and which brought me into North Ame,
rica. I am under no concern whatever, that this, or
any other past circumstance of my life, will sink me
in your opinion. Since human wisdom cannot secure
us from accidents, it is the greatest effort of human
wisdom to bear them well."
From the age of thirteen, America had been the
country of his adoption. Increasing years but added
to his attachment to the principles of liberty which
were being developed here. His innate mental constitution revolted from the feudal subserviency which
a haughty aristocracy exacted in Europe. When the
struggle was commencing between the mother country and these her infant colonies, Mr. Jones, with all
the ardor of his nature, espoused the colonial cause.
He then occupied the position of a Virginia gentleman, highly respected for his character and his endowments. The rank of those with whom he was in




20              PAUL JONES.
correspondence indicates his social position. He was
not a friendless adventurer, but an intelligent patriot,
whose influence was constantly increasing through
the sound judgment, the courage, and the spirit of
self-sacrifice he was ever exhibiting.
He often expressed deep regret for the painful
necessity-which compelled him to take up arms
against the Government of his native land. But he
was struggling for the maintenance of his own rights,
and those of his fellow-countrymen, goaded to resist
unendurable tyranny. In a letter which he wrote to
Baron Vander Capellan, then Dutch minister at the
Hague, he says:
"I was indeed born in Britain; but I do not inherit the degenerate spirit of that fallen nation,
which I at once lament and despise. It is far beneath me to reply to their hireling invectives. They
are strangers to the envied approbation that greatly
animates and rewards the man who draws his sword
only in support of the dignity of freedom. America
has been the country of my fond election from the
age of thirteen, when I first saw it. I had the honor:to hoist, with my own hands, the flag of freedom,
the first time it was displayed on the Delaware, and
I have attended it with veneration ever since on the
ocean."
When the war of the Revolution, in 1775, corn



HIS EARLY LIFE.              21
menced, England had a thousand war-vessels. The
colonies had not one. Congress equipped a naval
force of five vessels to resist the most powerful naval
armament this world has ever known. Paul Jones
was appointed first lieutenant of one of these, the
ship Alfred. He owed this appointment to the
Hon. Joseph Hewes, a member of Congress, and a
signer of the Declaration of Independence, who
chanced to be acquainted with the rare qualifications
of Ir. Jones for the position. Captain Saltonstall
commanded the Alfred.
On the I4th of November, I776, the Alfred, a frigate'of44 guns was lying at anchor off Chestnut Street
wharf, in Philadelphia. We had then no national banner. As the commander came on board, Lieutenant
John Paul Jones, with his own hands, raised the first
American naval flag, under a salute of thirteen guns.
This flag, it is said, then consisted of thirteen stripes,
emblematic of the thirteen colonies, and a pine-tree
with a rattlesnake coiled at the roots, as if about to
spring. Underneath was the motto, " Don't Tread
upon Me." In commemoration of this event, Miss
Sherburne wrote an ode, from which we quote two
stanzas:
"'Twas Jones, Paul Jones, who first o'er Delaware's tide
From Alfred's main displayed Columbia's pride;
The stripes. of freedom proudly waved on high,
While shouts of freedom rang for liberty.




22               PAUL JONES.
"Through England's fleets thou dashed in bold array,
On Albion's coast spread terror and dismay;
Thy cannons' thunder shook her rock-bound shore,
Her Lion trembled midst his boastful roar."
The little squadron, consisting of the ships Alfred
and Columbus, the brigantines Andrew Doria and
Cabot, and the sloop Providence, sailed from the Bay
of Delaware on the 17th of February, 1776, to make
a descent on the British Island of New Providence,
to seize a quantity'of military stores which were
deposited in the forts there. The squadron was
armed in all with one hundred guns and about one
thousand men. Ezekiel Hopkins was commanderin-chief of the fleet. The fleet was not ready to sail
until the middle of February. Struggling through
vast masses of ice, the vessels passed Cape Henlopen on the I7th of the month.
In this important enterprise John Paul Jones
was only a lieutenant. But it should be remarked
that there were three grades of lieutenant, and that
he was placed at the head of the first grade. He
was offered a captain's commission, to take command
of the Providence, which carried twelve guns and
one hundred and fifty men. Modestly this extraordinary man declined the responsible position, not
deeming himself fully qualified to fill it. Subsequently, in a letter to the Hon. Robert Morris, he
wrote:




HIS EARLY LIFE.            23
"When I came to try my skill I am not ashamed
to own that I did not find myself perfect in the
duties of a first lieutenant. However, I by no
means admit that any one of the gentlemen who so
earnestly sought after rank and the command, was,
at the beginning, able to teach me any part of the
duty of a sea-officer. Since that time it is well
known there has been no comparison between their
means of acquiring military marine knowledge and
mine. If midnight study and the instruction of the
greatest and most learned sea-officers can have given
me advantages, I am not without them. I confess,
however, I am yet to learn. It is the work of many
years' study and experience to acquire the high
degree of science necessary for a great sea-officer.
Cruising after merchant-ships, the service on which
our frigates have generally been employed, affords,
I may say, no part of the knowledge necessary for
conducting fleets and their operations. There is
now perhaps as much difference between a single
battle between two ships, and an engagement between two fleets, as there is between a single duel
and a ranged battle between two armies."
While the fleet was fitting and manning, Lieutenant Jones had superintended all the affairs on board
the Alfred. It was not until a day or two before the
squadron sailed that Captain Saltonstall appeared and




24              PAUL JONES.
took the command. On the 4th of March the
squadron anchored at Abaco, one of the Bahama
Islands, about one hundred miles north from New
Providence. On the passage they had captured
two small sloops from New Providence. They
learned from the crew of these vessels, that the forts
were not strongly garrisoned, and that they contained large magazines of all military stores.
The commander was not skilful either as a seaman or a soldier. Through mismanagement the
enterprise came near proving a total failure. Jones
was born to command. Without any effort on his
part, his superior'mind and knowledge naturally
assumed ascendency. Seeing that all things were
going wrong, he suggested sailing round to the west
of the island, landing the marines about nine miles
from the fort, and then, by a rapid march, to make
the assault. Mr. Jones promised himself to pilot the
vessels to a safe anchorage. With some reluctance
Captain Saltonstall gave his assent. Jones took
the pilot with him to the foretopmast-head. From
that point they could see every reef, and rock, and
trace out the channel. The marines landed under
cover of the guns. There was no force sufficient to
oppose them. Captain Saltonstall, by his injudicious
movements, had given ample warning of his approach,
so that the governor had found time, during the




HIS EARLY LIFE.             25
night, to load two sloops with ammunition and send,
them away. This might easily have been prevented
by ordering the two brigantines to lie off the bar.
The island was surrendered by the governor.
The guns, and all the governmental property in the
forts, were embarked on board the vessels. All private property was sacredly respected. And this was
done when the officers of the English Government
were laying our villages in ashes, and hounding on
the savages to assail our defenceless frontier with- the
torch and the tomahawk. The governor and two
other military men were brought off as prisoners.
On the return with this booty, of such almost
inestimable value to the struggling colonies, the fleet
captured two vessels without a struggle, the Hawke,
a schooner of six guns, and the brig Bolton, of eight
guns. The fleet encountered off Block Island, at the
head of Long Island Sound, an English frigate, the
Glasgow, of 24 guns. The Alfred mounted 30 guns,
the Columbus 28 IHad there been any skill in military seamanship displayed, the Glasgow could not
have escaped this force. The sea was perfectly
smooth. Lieutenant Jones was placed between
decks to serve the first battery. He could have no
voice in the direction of the battle. Whenever his
guns could be brought to bear upon the enemy he
served them well. Captain Saltonstall, in his official
2




26              PAUL JONES.
report, testified to his fidelity in duty. The Glasgow
escaped. This was our first naval battle. It reflected no credit upon our infant marine. Lieutenant
Jones and the whole nation were deeply chagrined
by the disgrace of that night. Repressing merited
condemnation, he mildly wrote, "It is for the commander-in-chief and the captains to answer for the
escape of the Glasgow."
Two days after the inglorious action the squadron entered the harbor of New London. A courtmartial was held to investigate the affair. The
account which Lieutenant Jones gave of the engagement, in the log-book of the Alfred, shows a
generous and magnanimous mind.
"At 2 A. M. cleared ship for action. At half-past
two, the Cabot, being between us and the enemy,
began to engage, and soon after we did the same.
At the third glass the enemy bore away, and, by
crowding sail, at length got a considerable way
ahead, and made signals for the rest of the English
fleet, at Rhode Island, to come to her assistance, and
steered directly for the harbor.
"The commodore then thought it imprudent to
risk our prizes, by pursuing farther.  Therefore,
to prevent our being decoyed into their hands, at
half-past six made the signal to leave off chase and
haul by the wind to join our prizes. The Cabot was




HIS EARLY LIFE.            27
disabled at the second broadside; the captain being
dangerously wounded, the master and several men
killed. The enemy's whole fire was then directed at
us. An unlucky shot having carried away our wheels
block and ropes, the ship broached to, and gave the
enemy an opportunity of raking us with several
broadsides before we were again in condition to steer
the ship and return the fire.
"In the action we received several shots under
water, which made the ship very leaky. We had,
besides, the mainmast shot through, and the upper
works and rigging very considerably damaged. Yet
it is surprising that we only lost the second lieutenant
of marines and four men. We had no more than
three men dangerously, and four slightly wounded."
The skill with which the guns of the Alfred were
served may be inferred from the fact, that a passenger on board the Glasgow testified that her hull
was seriously damaged; that ten shot passed through
her mainmast, fifty-two through her mizzen staysail,
one hundred and ten through her mainsail, and
eighty-eight through her foresail. She had many
spars carried away, and her rigging was badly cut to
pieces.
This our first naval battle was fought so near the
Rhode Island shore, that the report of the guns was
heard, and even the flashes were seen by those on




28              PAUL JONES.
the land. The Continental Gazette of May 29, 1776,
gives the following quaint account of the c6nflict,
from one who listened to the thunders booming over
the waves.
" For several hours before and during the engagement, a vast number of cannon were heard from
the southeast. About sunrise eight or ten sail of
ships and brigs were seen a little to the eastward of
Block Island. Indeed, the flashes of the cannon were
seen by some people about daybreak. These things
caused much speculation. But in a few hours the
mystery was somewhat cleared up; for away came
the poor Glasgow, under all the sail she could set,
yelping from the mouths of her cannon like a brokenlegged dog, as a signal of her being sadly wounded.
And though she settled away, and handed most of
her sails just before she came into the harbor, it was
plainly perceived, by the holes in those she had
standing, and by the hanging of her yards, that she
had been treated in a very rough manner."
Though Lieutenant Jones could not be blind to
the. want of nautical skill displayed in allowing the
Glasgow to escape, he did not doubt that the
commodore had done the best he could. Not a
word of demur escaped his lips. In a letter to Hon.
Mr. Hewes, he wrote:
"I have the pleasure of assuring you that the




HIS EARLY LIFE.             29
commander-in-chief is respected through the fleetI verily believe that the officers, and men in general,
would go any length to execute his orders."
Another passage in the same letter throws such
light upon the well-balanced and noble character of
Lieutenant Jones that I cannot refrain from quoting
it. He writes:
"It is certainly for the interests of the service
that a cordial interchange of civilities should subsist
between superior and inferior officers. Therefore it
is bad policy in superiors to behave toward their inferiors as though they were of a lower species. Men
of liberal minds, who have long been accustomed to
command, can ill brook being thus set at naught by
others who pretend to claim the monopoly of sense.
The rude, ungentle treatment which they experience,
creates such heart-burnings as are nowise consonant
with that cheerful ardor and spirit which ought
ever to be a characteristic-of an officer. Therefore,
whoever thinks himself hearty in the service, is
widely mistaken when he adopts such a line of conduct in order to prove it. To be well obeyed it is
necessary to be esteemed."
Two courts-martial were held on board the
Alfred. The captain of the Providence was dismissed from service. Lieutenant Jones was promoted to the captaincy of that sloop. The little




30               PAUL JONES.
fleet, having received a reinforcement of two hundred men, sailed from Providence, Rhode Island.
The vessels having been refitted, it was necessary to
enlist more men before any important enterprise
could be undertaken. As most of the seamen had
enlisted in the army, it was found very difficult to
obtain men fit for naval service.
On the I8th of May, Captain Jones, after a passage of thirty-six hours, arrived in New York, where
he devoted his time to shipping mariners. He was
greatly interested in everything relating to the creation of a navy for the new nation of the United
States, just entering into being. He wrote to Hon.
Mr. Hewes:
"In my opinion a commander in the navy ought
to be a man of strong and well-connected sense; a
gentleman, as well as a seaman in theory and in
practice. Want of learning, and rude, ungentle manners, are by no means characteristic of an officer."
Captain Jones, having at length obtained the
number of men required, in obedience to orders
sailed for New London, where he took from the
hospital all the seamen who had been left there sick,
but who had recovered, and sailed for Providence,
Rhode Island. Scarcely had he arrived there when
he received orders from the commander-in-chief
to come immediately down Narragansett Bay, to




HIS EARLY LIFE.             31
attack an English sloop-of-war, then in sight. He
obeyed with alacrity. But the sloop. had disappeared before he reached Newport. He was then
ordered to Newburyport, to convoy a vessel with
a cargo of cannon to New York, and then, returning, to convoy some vessels from Stonington to
Newport.
It will be remembered that England then had a
fleet of a thousand sail; superior, probably, to all
the combined navies of the globe. This was the
naval power we were, to resist with our poor little
squadron of five vessels, mounting in all but one
hundred guns. The majestic frigates of the enemy
blockaded almost every harbor in the colonies.
There were several of these cruising at the eastern
entrance of Long Island Sound, to cut of all naval
intercourse between the colonies of the Middle and
those of the Eastern States.




CHAPTER II.
The Infant Navy.,Rescuing the Brigantine.-Commissioned as Captain.-Escape from
the Solway.-Conflict with the Milford.-Adventures at Canso
and Madame.-Return with Prizes.-Expedition to Cape Breton.-Wise Counsel of Jones.-Brilliant Naval Campaign.Saving the Prizes.-Value of the Mellish.-Mission to France.Disappointment.-Sails with the Ranger.
CAPTAIN JONES found all his intelligence, bravery,
and nautical skill tested to the utmost, in evading,
thwarting, and struggling against the British men-ofwar swarming around him. He had several very
fierce rencontres with forces superior to his own. One
day he saw a foreign vessel (I think it was Spanish),
coming from St. Domingo, with a cargo of military
stores for the colonies. This brigantine was hotly
pursued by the Cerberus, a British man-of-war.
The thunders of her bow-guns echoed over the
waves, while the balls of solid shot, ricochetting
for more than a mile, proclaimed how terrible the
bolts which those thunders sent forth.
The courage and nautical skill of Captain Jones
rescued the brigantine and her precious cargo. The




THE INFANT NAVY.            33
vessel was afterward purchased by Congress, and
named the Hampden. He was then ordered to
Boston, whence he convoyed some merchant vessels
to Philadelphia. This was indeed an arduous and
perilous mission. The war-ships of the enemy were
daily arriving off Sandy Hook, under the guidance of
Lord Howe. Captain Jones caught sight of several
of these ships, which, with a single broadside, could
have sunk him. But he had the address to avoid
them. On the 8th of August, 1776, he received
from John Hancock, President of Congress, his commission as captain. It contained the following
words:
"JOHN PAUL JONES, ESQ.
" We, reposing especial trust and confidence
in your patriotism, valor, conduct, and fidelity, do,
by these presents, constitute and appoint you to
be captain in the navy of the United States, fitted
out for the defence of American liberty, and for repelling every hostile invasion thereof. You are
therefore carefully and diligently to discharge the
duty of captain, by doing and performing all manner
of things thereunto belonging. And we do strictly
charge and require all officers, marines, and seamen,
under your command, to be obedient to your orders
as captain."
2*




34               PAUL JONES.
He then received orders to set out on a cruise of
two or three months against the navy of Great Britain. For this enterprise he was furnished with the
sloop Providence, which mounted twelve guns, and
was manned by but seventy sailors. He was left
entirely to his own discretion, not being confined to
any particular station or service. Captain Jones
sailed from Philadelphia, on this chivalric expedition,
the latter part of August, I776. Not far from the
Island of Bermuda he encountered a British frigate,
the Solway.
It was like the fox meeting the hound. The
only safety was in flight. A chase took place, with
a constant interchange of shot. This running fight
continued for six hours Those who are familiar
with nautical affairs, will understand the bold measure
by which he escaped. He gradually edged away
until he brought his heavy adversary upon his weather quarter. Then, putting his helm suddenly up,
he stood dead before the wind. At the same moment he threw out all his light sails, with which his
little sloop was abundantly furnished. This manceuvre compelled him to pass within pistol-shot of his
pursuer. But he knew that he could sail much faster
than the frigate, before the-wind.
The captain of the Solway was quite unprepared
for such a manceuvre. Before he could change his




THE INFANT NAVY.             35
course to imitate it, the Providence had gained such
a start as to be soon beyond the reach of the Solway's guns. Triumphantly the little sloop swept
the waves until the discomfited frigate gave up the
chase.
Not long after this, as Captain Jones was lying
to, on the banks near the Isle of Sables, to allow his
men to fish, another large English frigate hove in
sight, which proved to be the Milford. Though he
had much confidence in the speed of his light little
sloop, which, under her cloud of canvas, could
almost like a bubble skim the wave, he prudently
tried her speed with that of the gigantic foe approaching. Finding that he could easily outstrip
her, he tauntingly allowed the Milford to approach
to nearly within gun-shot. He then spread his sails,
keeping just out of harm's way.
The frigate rounded to and discharged her
broadside. The shot skipped over the waves and
sank at some distance before reaching the sloop.
After each broadside, Captain Jones, in token of his
contempt, ordered his marine officer to return the
fire, by the discharge of a single musket. He kept
up this burlesque of a battle, causing the frigate to
throw away her ammunition, from ten o'clock in the
morning till sunset. He then spread all sail and
went unharmed on his way.




36                PAUL JONES.
The next morning he entered the Gut of Canso,
which separates the Island of Cape Breton from
the mainland. He found three English schooners in
the harbor of Canso.  He burned one, and sunk
another, after having filled the third, a schooner, the
Ebenezer, with what fish had been found in the
other two. Here he learned that at the Island of
Madame, near by, on the east side of the Bay of
Canso, there were nine British vessels, consisting of
brigs, ships, and schooners.  He sent boats, well
armed, to destroy them, while he kept off and on
with his sloop, ready to punish severely any attempt
to rescue the shipping.
The enterprise was entirely successful, and, as
no opposition was made, it was bloodless. These
vessels'had transferred their cargoes to the shore,
and were unrigged. It would take sometime to fit
them for sea. Despatch was of the utmost importance. Captain Jones humanely, and very wisely,
informed the crews of these vessels, that if they
would cordially assist him in rigging and fitting out
such vessels as he required, he would leave them
vessels sufficient to cross the Atlantic to their own
homes.
Though the British officers were generally very
bitter in their hostility to the colonial cause, it was
not so with the masses of the English people. There




THE INFANT NAVY.             37
was in their hearts an underlying feeling of sympathy with the brave colonists who were struggling
against intolerable oppression. These English sailors, therefore, heartily joined their American brothers, and assisted, with the utmost energy, until the
business was accomplished.
On the evening of September 25th, a violent
tempest arose, with deluging rain. Captain Jones
was compelled to cast anchor at the entrance of the
harbor, where, with both his anchors and whole
cables ahead, he with difficulty rode out the storm.
One of the prize ships, the Alexander, which was
just ready for sea, anchored under the shelter of a
projecting point of rocks, and thus narrowly escaped
destruction.  Another of the prizes, a schooner,
called the Sea-Flower, with a valuable cargo, was
torn from her moorings and driven ashore, a total
wreck. As she could not be got off the next day,
she was set on fire. The schooner Ebenezer, which
he had brought from Canso, laden with fish, was
driven on a reef of sunken rocks, and totally lost.
With great difficulty the crew saved themselves on
a raft.
Toward noon of the 26th this fierce gale began
to abate. The British ship Adventure he burned in
the harbor. He then put to sea, taking with him




38               PAUL JONES.
three heavily laden prizes, the ship Alexander, and
the brigantines Kingston and Success.
The fishery at Canso and Madame he thus effectually destroyed. He left behind him two small
schooners and one brig, to convey the British seamen, about three hundred in number, back to their
homes. He said, "Had I not done this, I should
have stood chargeable with inhumanity."
This bold enterprise was indeed bearding the
lion in his den. It woke up the British Government to a new sense of the vigor of that worm which
it supposed was squirming helplessly beneath its feet.
It taught the proud Court of St. James that in war
there were blows to be received as well as blows
to be given. These acts seem cruel. But "war,"
says General Sherman, " is cruelty. You cannot refine it."
While England was wantonly laying our villages
in ashes, and driving women and children in homelessness and starvation into the fields, Captain Jones
spared all private property on the land. He only
seized or consigned to destruction that private property a~t/, which the code of war England herself had established, pronounced to be lawful booty.
England, proud mistress of the seas, supposed that
she, with her invincible navy, could plunder the
commerce of all nations, and that she had nothing to




THE INFANT NAVY.             39
fear in the way of retaliation. It must have been to
her indeed a surprise to find the shipping in her
own harbors plundered and blazing.
Captain Jones felt the necessity of the utmost
possible expedition. He had learned that there was
an English war-brig, of powerful armament, within
forty-five miles of him to the southward. This formidable antagonist might, at any hour, loom in sight.
As the little fleet was crowding along under full
sail making all haste, on the morning of the 27th,
two sails were discerned in the distant horizon.
There could be no doubt that they were English
vessels. Perilous as Captain Jones's situation was,
he could not resist the temptation to give them
chase.
He therefore signalled his prizes to rendezvous
on the southwest part of the Isle of Sables, and wait
for him there three days, should he not sooner
appear. He then spread all sail in pursuit of the
strangers. They also spread every inch of canvas
they could command, and before they could be
overtaken ran into the harbor of Louisbourg. There
was reason to suppose that there were several British
men-of-war there. Captain Jones therefore returned
to his prizes at the rendezvous, and again all pressed
forward on their homeward voyage.
In this cruise, which lasted but six weeks and




40               PAUL JONES.
five days, Captain Jones captured sixteen prizes,
besides the vessels which he destroyed in the harbors of Canso and Madame. Of these prizes, eight
he manned and sent into port. The remainder were
burned. Captain Jones returned to Newport, Rhode
Island, where the commander-in-chief of our little
navy had established his headquarters.
The British officers were treating the captives
they had taken from the Americans, with the greatest brutality. They had driven one hundred-prisoners into the coal mines of Cape Breton, where they
were forced to labor like slaves. This procedure
greatly outraged Captain Jones's sense of humanity
and justice. He suggested that an expedition should
be fitted out for their release; and also, as far as
possible, to destroy England's coal fleet and her fishing fleet. The plan was approved of. For the
accomplishment of this important enterprise he was
allowed to fit out two vessels, the Alfred and the
Providence. The. whole burden and responsibility
of the preparations rested upon him. He took command of the Alfred, committing the Providence
to Captain Hacker. He found but thirty men on
board the Alfred, and with great difficulty succeeded
in enlisting thirty more. When the Alfred entered
the harbor at Newport from Philadelphia, a few
weeks before, she had two hundred and thirty-five




THE INFANT NAVY.               41
men on her muster-roll. Captain Jones, in a letter
to Hon. Robert Morris, explained the cause of this
singular desertion, and proposed a remedy.
"It seems to me," he writes, "that the privateers entice the men away as fast as they receive
their month's pay. It is to the last degree distressing to corntemplate the state and establishment of
our navy. The common class of mankind are animated by no nobler principle than that of self-interest. This, and this alone, determines all adventurers in privateers; the owners, as well as those
whom they employ.
"And while this is the case, unless the private
emolument of individuals in our navy is made superior to that in privateers, it never can become respectable; it never will become formidable. And without a respectable navy, alas, America! In the present critical situation of affairs, human wisdom can
suggest no more than one infallible expedient:
enlist the seamen during pleasure, and give them all
the prizes.
"What is the paltry emolument of two-thirds of
prizes to this vast continent.*  If so poor a resource
is essential to its independency, we are, in sober
sadness, involved in a woful predicament, and our
* Congress appropriated.two-thirds of all prizes to the Government, leaving but one-third to be divided among the captors.




42               PAUL JONES.
ruin is fast approaching. The situation of America
is new in the annals of mankind. Her affairs cry
haste; and speed must answer them. Trifles therefore ought to be wholly disregarded, as being, in the
old vulgar proverb,'penny wise and pound foolish.'
"If our enemies, with the best established and
most formidable navy in the universe, have found it
expedient to assign all prizes to the captors, how
much more is such policy essential to our infant
fleet? But I need use no arguments to convince
you of the necessity of making our navy equal, if not
superior to theirs."
Our navy was so small and our impoverishment
so great that Congress could furnish Captain Jones
with but two vessels for his important expedition to
Cape Breton. The Alfred and the Providence sailed
together from Newport harbor, on the 2d of November, I776. This was so late in the season, to embark
for those high latitudes, that Captain Jones, discouraged by the delays which had been encountered, was
not very sanguine as to the success of the expedition.
The first night he cast anchor at Tarpauling
Cove, near Nantucket. Here he found a privateer
belonging to Rhode Island, inward bound. He was
in great want of men. Many sailors, for reasons
which we have already given, had deserted the regu



THE INFANT NAVY.             43
lar service to enlist on board the privateers. Captain Jones sent his boat on board the privateer to
search for deserters from the navy. Four men were
found, carefully concealed. They were taken on
board the Alfred. This led to a law-suit, which subsequently subjected Captain Jones to considerable
trouble. Louisbourg, on the eastern coast of the
Island of Cape Breton, had a commodious harbor, and
was then a seaport of considerable importance. Just
off the harbor Captain Jones fortunately encountered
an English brig, the Mellish, partially armed, and
laden with a large amount of clothing, thick and
warm, for the British troops in Canada. The brig
made a-little resistance, but was speedily captured,
with all her precious cargo. Soon after this he captured a large fishing-vessel, which quite replenished
his meagre store of provisions.
The next day a violent snow-storm darkened the
air, with a severe gale blowing from the northwest.
Captain Hacker, in command of the Providence,
either frightened by the inclement weather or treasonably disposed,. took advantage of the darkness of
the ensuing night to bear away south, and return to
Newport. The Alfred was thus left alone to prosecute the now impossible enterprise.
Captain Jones sent his two prizes, the brig Mellish
and the fishing-vessel, to steer for any American




44               PAUL JONES.
port which could be reached. The fishing-vessel
was recaptured by the English. But the Mellish
was successfully carried into the harbor of Dartmouth,
Massachusetts. The clothing, with which she was
laden, proved to be of incalculable use to the army
of Washington. The Continental troops, thinly clad,
had been suffering severely from the freezing blasts
bf winter.
In the midst of smothering snow-storms and
fierce gales, Captain Jones again entered the harbor
of Canso. A large English transport, laden with
provisions, was aground, near the entrance to the
harbor. He sent his boats to apply the torch. The
whole fabric, with all its contents, soon vanished in
flame and smoke. A large oil warehouse, containing a large quantity of material for the whale and
cod fishery, was also consigned to consuming fire.
He then continued his voyage along the eastern
coast of Cape Breton.
In a dense fog, not far from Louisbourg, he fell in
with quite a fleet of coal vessels, from the crown
mines in Sydney, under convoy of the English frigate Flora. Favored by the fog, and unseen by the
frigate, he captured three of the largest of these vessels. Two days after this he encountered a British
privateer from Liverpool, which he took, after but a
slight conflict. Thick masses of ice filled the harbor




THE INFANT NAVY.            45
adjacent to the coal mines. He had one hundred
and fifty prisoners on board the Alfred. His watercasks were nearly empty, and his provisions mostly
consumed. Five prize vessels were in his train. It
was clearly his duty to convoy them, as soon as possible, into some safe port. He therefore commenced
his return.
The little fleet kept together, guarded by the
Alfred, and the Liverpool privateer, which, being
armed for battle, Captain Jones had manned and
given into the charge of Lieutenant Saunders. Just
on the edge of St. George's Bank, the British frigate Milford was again encountered. It was late in
the afternoon when her topsails first appeared above
the horizon. All the vessels of Captain Jones's fleet
were on the starboard tack. It was evident that, as
the wind was then, the Milford could not overtake
them before night, which was close at hand. He
signalled his vessels to crowd with all sail, on the.
same tack, through the night, without paying any
regard to the lights which he might show.
After dark both he and the captured privateer
tacked, and thus entered upon a different course
from that of the rest of the fleet. To decoy the
frigate to follow him, and thus draw it away from
the prizes, he carried toplights until the morning
The'Milford gave him hot chase. When the morn



46               PAUL JONES.
ing light dawned upon the ocean the prizes were nowhere to be seen. The stratagem had thus far
proved eminently successful. All that now remained for Captain Jones was to make his own escape
with the Alfred, and the privateer under Lieutenant
Saunders. The privateer, through mismanagement,
was overtaken and captured. A terrible storm,
which had been for some time brewing, in the afternoon lashed the ocean, and amid clouds and darkness and foaming surges the Alfred made her escape.
On the I5th of December, I776, Captain Jones
entered the harbor of Boston. He had then, on
board the Alfred, provisions and water barely sufficient for two days. To his great gratification he
found that his prizes had all safely reached port.
The welcome news of the capture of the cargo of
clothing, in the Mellish, reached Washington just
before he- recrossed the Delaware and captured the
British garrison at Trenton. Captain Jones, in his
letter to the Marine Committee, writes:
"This prize is, I believe, the most valuable which
has been taken by the American arms. She made
some defence, but it was trifling. The loss will distress the enemy more than can be easily imagined,
as the clothing on board of her is the last intended
to be sent out for Canada this season, and what has




THE INFANT NAVY.            47
preceded it is already taken. The situation of Burgoyne's army must soon become insupportable."
Captain Jones was so impressed with the importance of this capture that he had resolved, at every
hazard, to sink the vessel rather than permit it
again to fall into the hands of the enemy. He was
delayed some time in Boston in disposing of his
prizes and in getting rid of his prisoners, or, as he
phrases it, of being delivered of the "honorable
office of a jail-keeper."
He passed the winter in Boston, consecrating all
his energies to the creation of a navy worthy of the
rising republic. Though his feelings were deeply
wounded, and his sense ofjustice greatly outraged, by
being, for political reasons, superseded in command
by men who were totally unqualified for naval office,
and who had never yet served, he did not allow
these considerations, though he remonstrated indignantly against the unjust acts, to abate, in the slightest degree, his patriotic zeal. The suggestions he
made the Marine Committee have so commended
themselves to the judgment of those in command
that nearly all of them have been gradually adopted.
A few extracts from these long communications will
reflect much light upon the character of this remarkable man.
" None other," he writes, " than a gentleman, as




48               PAUL JONES.
well as a seaman in theory and practice, is qualified
to support the character of an officer in the navy.
Nor is any man fit to command a ship of war, who
is not capable of communicating his ideas on paper,
in language that becomes his rank."
Again he writes, in reference to the great injustice
which he had experienced, " When I entered into the
service I was not actuated by motives of self-interest.
I stepped forth as a free citizen of the world, in
defence of the violated rights of mankind, and not
in search of riches, whereof, I thank God, I inherit a
sufficiency. But I should prove my degeneracy were
I not, in the highest degree, tenacious of my rank
and seniority. As agentleman I can yield this point
only to persons of superior abilities and merit. Under such persons it would be my highest ambition to
learn."
Again he wrote to Hon. Mr. Morris: "As the
regulations of the navy are of the utmost consequence, you will not think it presumption if, with the
utmost diffidence, I venture to communicate to you
such hints as, in my judgment, will promote its honor
and good government. I could heartily wish that
every commissioned officer was to be previously examined. To my certain knowledge there are persons
who have already crept into commission, without




THE INFANT NAVY.            49
abilities or fit qualification. I am, myself, far from
desiring to be excused."
After a toilsome winter of many annoyances he
repaired, early in April, 1777, to Philadelphia, then
the seat of the Colonial Government. Prominent
members of Congress, when their attention was called
to the subject, admitted that Captain Jones had been
wrongfully treated.  Mr. Hancock, President of
Congress, assured him that the injustice of superseding him was not intentional, but was the result of a
multiplicity of business. He said to him:
"The injustice of that regulation shall make but
a nominal and temporary difference. In the mean
time you may be assured that no navy officer stands
higher in the opinion of Congress. The matter of
rank shall, as soon as possible, be arranged. In the
mean time you shall have a separate command, until
better provision can he made for you."
Captain Jones uiged that there should be a
parity of rank between the officers of the navy and
the army. He proposed that, in accordance with the
British establishment, which was certainly the best
regulated navy in the world, an admiral should rank
with a general, a vice-admiral with a lieutenantgeneral, a rear-admiral with a major-general, a
commodore with a brigadier-general, a captain with
a colonel, a master and commander with a lieutenant



50              PAUL JONES.
colonel, a lieutenant commanding with a major, and
a lieutenant in the navy with a captain of horse, foot,
or marines.
He also urged strenuously, as an object demanding immediate attention, that commissioners of
dock-yards should be established to superintend the
building and outfit of all ships of war. They were
to be invested with power to appoint deputies, and
to provide and keep in constant readiness all naval
stores. It speaks well for the intelligence and sound
judgment of Captain'Jones that, though he was a
young officer of but one year's standing, nearly every
suggestion he made was subsequently adopted.
Soon after this he received an appointment from
the Marine Committee, to sail from Portsmouth,
New Hampshire, in the French ship Amphitrite, to
France, with a letter to the American Commissioners
there, ordering them to purchase as fine a ship as
could be obtained in Europe, for Captain Jones.
He was to take out a crew with him, to man the
ship, from Portsmouth. The letter the Marine Committee.wrote to the Commissioners was very urgent,
calling upon them to strain every nerve to accomplish the end as soon as possible.
"We hope," they wrote, "you may not delay
this business one moment; but purchase, in such
port or place in Europe as it can be done with most




THE INFANT NAVY.            51
convenience and despatch, a fine fast-sailing frigate
or larger ship. You must make it a point not to
disappoint Captain Jones's wishes and expectations
on this occasion."
On the I4th of June, 1777, Congress established
the national flag. It was voted " that the flag of
the United States should be thirteen stripes, alternate red and white; that the Union be thirteen
stars, white, in a blue field, representing a new constellation."
The French commander of the Amphitrite, notwithstanding the sympathies of France were then so
cordially with the colonies, very reasonably objected
to taking a step so decidedly belligerent as to transport a crew to France, to engage in direct hostilities
against English commerce. The plan therefore had
to be abandoned. England and France were then
at peace. Soon, however, war commenced between
them.
Congress then appointed Jones to the command
of the ship Ranger, which had recently been built in
Portsmouth. He was placed in command of this our
first frigate, on the same day when Congress designated the Stars and the Stripes as our national flag.
Consequently Paul Jones, who first unfurled the banner of the Pine Tree, over the little sloop Providence,
now enjoyed the distinguished honor of being the




52               PAUL JONES.
first to spread to the breeze that beautiful banner,
the Stars and the Stripes, now renowned throughout
the world, and around whose folds more than forty
millions of freemen are ever ready, with enthusiasm,
to rally.
The Ranger was not prepared for sea until the
middle of October. The ship mounted but eighteen
guns, though originally intended for twenty-six.
She sailed from Portsmouth, New Hampshire, on
the Ist of November, I777, and, after a month's voyage, entered the harbor of Nantes on the 2d of
December. This noble city, situated on the river
Loire, about thirty-four miles from its mouth, and
two hundred miles from Paris, was then one of the
most important seaports in France. Ships of two
hundred tons burden could cast anchor in the broad,
clear, deep river. An immense amout of shipping
crowded her quays, one of -which was a mile and a
half in length.
On the voyage, soon after passing the Western
Islands, he encountered manr vessels, but none
which proved to be English, until he was approaching the Channel. He then overtook a fleet of ten
British vessels, under a strong convoy. Captain
Jones exerted all his nautical skill to detach some
of these from the convoy, but was unable to succeed.
He, however, soon captured two brigantines, or small




THE INFANT NAVY.            53
brigs, laden with fruit from Malaga, bound to London. Both of these prizes he sent into French ports.
Upon his arrival at Nantes, he forwarded the letter which he had received from the Marine Committee of Congress, to the American Commissioners at
Paris, Benjamin Franklin, Silas Deane, and Arthur
Lee. In this letter, Captain Jones writes:
"' It is my first and favorite wish to be employed
in active and enterprising service, where there is a
prospect of rendering acceptable services to America.
The singular honor which Congress has done me, by
their generous conduct, has inspired sentiments of
gratitude which I shall carry with me to the grave.
And if a life of services devoted to America, can
be made instrumental in securing its independence,
I shall regard the continuance of such approbation
as an honor far superior to what kings even could
bestow."
He urged that since our navy was so feeble that
it could not cope with the powerful armament of
England, our only feasible course was to send out
small squadrons, and surprise defenceless situations.
This was the course adopted. By invitation of the
Commissioners, Captain Jones repaired to Paris,
where he met with a severe disappointment. This
is explained in the following extract from his first
despatch from Nantes




54               PAUL JONES.
"The Commissioners had provided for me one of
the finest frigates that was ever built, calculated for
thirty guns on one deck, and capable of carrying
thirty-six pounders. But they were under the necessity of giving her up, on account of some difficulties
they met at court."
The failure of this plan was owing to the vigilance
df the British mirnister at Amsterdam. He discovered the secret of her ownership and destination, and
remonstrated so effectually as to thwart the plan.
He then decided to put to sea with the Ranger, as
soon as possible. The Commissioners addressed to
him the following instructions:
" As it is not in our power to procure you such a
ship as you expected, we advise you, after equipping
the Ranger in the best manner for the cruise you
propose, that you shall proceed with her in the
manner you shall judge best for distressing the enemies of the United States, by sea or otherwise, consistent with the laws of war, and the terms of your
commission."
On the Ioth of Feburary, I778, Captain Jones,
in the Ranger, sailed down the Loire, and coasted
along in a northerly direction to Brest, then the
great naval depot of France, enjoying one of the
finest harbors in the world. In this month a treaty
of alliance between France and the United States




THE INFANT NAVY.            55
was signed at Paris. France was the first nation to
recognize the independence of the United States,
and to recognize the Congress of the thirteen colonies
as a legitimate Government.
France promptly engaged in fitting out a naval
expedition to assist the American colonies.




CHAPTER III.
Bearding the British Lion.
Aid from France.-Plan for the Destruction of the British Fleet.The American Flag Saluted.-Bold Movement of Captain Jones.
-Cruise along the Shores of England.-Capture of Prizes.Salutary Lessons given to England.-Operations in the Frith of
Clyde.-At Carrickfergus.-Attempt upon the Drake.-Burning
the Shipping at Whitehaven.-Capture of the Plate of Lord
Selkirk.
FRANCE, upon recognizing the independence of
the United States and entering into an alliance with
our Government, promptly engaged in fitting out a
naval expedition to assist the American patriots who
were so heroically struggling for freedom.   Captain
Jones immediately wrote a letter to the Commissioners in Paris, suggesting a plan of operations for the
French fleet, which was placed under the command
of Count d'Estaing. The count was a brave man, an
able offiter, and was heartily devoted to the cause of
the feeble colonies. The plan Captain Jones recommended was eventually adopted. Had it been at
once carried into execution, it would probably have




-,/~'///7 //~-  ~~  -.-~-~
~             0It])~ ~~~~~~~ \.  -_    ___. __ _
/ ~     ~
PAUL JONES RAISING FIRST AMERICAN FLAG.








BEARDING THE BRITISH LION.       57
so crippled the English as to have brought the war
to a speedy termination.
Nearly the whole British fleet, sent to operate
against the colonies, was in the Delaware. It had
abundant supplies for tLe British army, which, almost
without hindrance, was ranging the country, plundering and burning. The plan proposed was, that
Count d'Estaing, with the superior force which he
had under his command, should fall suddenly upon
the British fleet under Lord Howe, and destroy it,
or, at least block it up in the Delaware, with all the
transport ships under its convoy.. This could then
have easily been done.
But unfortunately the fleet, instead of being fitted
out at Brest, on the Atlantic coast, whence it could
have a speedy voyage across the Atlantic, was got
ready at Toulon, a Mediterranean port, requiring a
much longer voyage. Just before the fleet arrived,
Lord Howe, aware of his danger, had effected his
escape. In those days the French fleet could have
arrived almost as soon as the intelligence of the alliance had reached these shores. In a letter to M.
De Sartine, the French Minister of Marine, Captain
Jones subsequently writes:
" Had Count d'Estaing arrived in the Delaware a
few days sooner, he might have made a glorious and
most easy conquest. Many successful projects may
3*




58              PAUL JONES.
be adopted from the hints which I had the honor
to draw up. And if I can furnish more, or execute
any of those already furnished, so as to distress and
humble the common enemy, it will afford me the
truest pleasure."
Captain Jones, on his voyage from Nantes to
Brest, convoyed some American merchant vessels
as far as Quiberon Bay. Thence they were to be
convoyed to America by a French fleet, commanded
by Admiral La Motte Piquet. Here, for the first
time, the Stars and Stripes of our Union received
the honor of a national salute. John Paul Jones
managed the somewhat delicate affair with the
instincts of a gentleman, and the sensitiveness of an
accomplished naval officer, conscious that the honor
of the infant nation was, in some degree, intrusted
to his guardianship. I give the interesting event in
his own words. In a letter to the Marine Committee, dated February 22, I778 he writes:
" I am happy in having it in my power to congratulate you on my having seen the American flag,
for the first time, recognized in the fullest and completest manner by the flag of France. I was off their
bay the 13th instant, and sent my boat in, the next
day, to know if the admiral would return my salute.
He answered that he would return to me, as the
senior American Continental officer in Europe, the




BEARDING THE BRITISH LION.       59
same salute which he was authorized, by his court
to return to an admiral of Holland, or any other
republic; which was four guns less than the salute
given. I hesitated at this, for I had demanded gun
for gun.
"Therefore I anchored in the entrance of the
bay, at a distance from the French fleet. But, after
a very particular inquiry, on the I4th, finding that
he had really told the truth, I was induced to accept
of his offer, the more so as it was, in fact, an
acknowledgment of American independence. The
wind. being contrary and blowing hard, it was after
sunset before the Ranger got near enough to salute
La Motte Piquet with thirteen guns, which he returned with nine.  However, to put the matter
beyond a doubt, I did not suffer the Independence
to salute till next morning, when I sent the admiral
word that I would sail through his fleet in the brig,
and would salute him in open day. He was exceedingly pleased, and he returned the compliment also
with nine guns."
The Independence here alluded to, it is said,
was a privateer which had been fitted out to sail
under the orders of Captain Jones. His sailing
through the French fleet was characteristic of the
man, as he fully appreciated, at this time, the importance of this interchange of national courtesies,




60              PAUL JONES.
and the importance that it should be so emphatically done that there could be no denial of it. Thus
he who first raised the American Pine-Tree flag to
the topmast of the Alfred, and who first unfurled
the national banner from the Ranger, now enjoyed
the honor of being the first to secure for that flag
a national salute. The times have changed. The
infant republic has become one of the most powerful nations on the globe. There is no Government
now which hesitates to return, in salute of our
national banner, gun for gun,
On the Ioth of April, Captain Jones, in the Ranger, sailed from Brest. It was his intention to strike
a blow first upon some unprotected point on the
south side of England. It was indeed a bold and
chivalric movement for the little Ranger, with her
eighteen guns, to plunge into the very heart of the
British Channel, which was crowded with the massive seventy-fours of Britain's proud navy. England
was discharging the broadsides of her invincible fleet
upon our defenceless towns, and was landing her boats'
crews to apply the torch to our peaceful villages.
Not a fishing-boat could leave a cove without danger of capture and the imprisonment of all the crew.
Little did the British Government imagine that
any commander of an American vessel would have
the audacity to approach even within sight of her




BEARDING THE BRITISH LION-       6
shores. It was the main design of Captain Jones to
punish England for the atrocities she was so cruelly
perpetrating upon us-and to punish her in kind.
On the loth of August he launched forth, from the
magnificent harbor of Brest, and directed his course
almost due north, for Land's End, the extreme southern cape of the island of Great Britain. The distance across, at this point, is about one hundred and
fifty miles.
About thirty miles off the southern coast of England, in a southwest direction, there is a group of
islands called the Scilly Islands. Captain Jones ran his
vessel between them and Cape Clear, within full view
of the shores of England, and where the flash of his
guns could be seen and the thunders of his cannon
distinctly heard on those shores. Opposing winds
and a rough sea so impeded his progress that he did
not gain sight of England's coast until the I4th. Then
he descried a merchant-brig. He bore down upon
her and captured her. The brig was freighted with
flax, and was bound from Ireland to Ostend, in Belgium. As the freight was of no value, and Captain
Jones did not wish to encumber himself with prisoners, the crew were sent ashore in the boats and
the brig was scuttled and sunk.
These tidings must have created a strange sensation, as they spread like wildfire throughout Eng



62               PAUL JONES.
land. It must have roused the whole British navy,
to wreak vengeance upon the intrepid voyager. He
then entered St. George's Channel, which separates
Southern England from Ireland. When almost within sight of the spires of Dublin he encountered, on
the I7th of August, a large London ship. He captured her. Her cargo consisted of a variety of valuable merchandise. The crew were sent ashore. The
prize he manned and sent back to Brest.
Thus far dense clouds had darkened their way,
and rough winds had ploughed the seas, but now the
weather changed. The skies became fair and the
wind favorable. He sailed rapidly along into the
Irish Sea, and passed by the Isle of Man, intending to
make a descent at Whitehaven, with whose harbor
and surroundings he from childhood had been familiar. About ten o'clock in the evening of the I7th,
he was off the harbor, with a boat's crew of picked
men ready to enter and set fire to the shipping.
But the wind, which had been blowing strong during
the afternoon, by eleven o'clock increased to a gale,
blowing directly on shore, and raising such a heavy
sea that the boats could not leave the ships. During the night the storm so increased, threatening to
drive the vessel upon the rocks, that it became necessary to crowd all sail, and put out to sea so as to
clear the land.




BEARDING THE BRITISH LION.        63
The next morning the storm abated, and the
Ranger was near Glestine Bay, just off the southern
coast of Scotland. A revenue wherry hove in sight.
It was the custom of the revenue boat to board
all merchant vessels in search of contraband goods.
As the Ranger concealed, as much as possible,
all warlike appearance, Captain Jones hoped
that the wherry, which was one of the swiftest of
sailers, would come alongside, so that he might
effect her capture. But it seems that the tidings of
the Ranger had reached the ears of the officers of
the governmental boat. After examining the vessel
carefully with their glasses, they crowded on all sail, to
escape. The Ranger pursued, opening upon the affrighted boat a severe cannonade. The balls bounded over the waves, and the explosions reverberated
amid the cliffs of Scotland, but the wherry escaped.
The next morning, April:Ith, when near the extreme southern cape of Scotland, called the Mull of
Galloway, he overtook one of the merchant schooners of the enemy, from which he took what he
wanted, sent the crew ashore, and sunk the vessel.
By a just retribution he was thus chastising England
for the crimes she was committing on the American
coast. Hudibras writes:
"' No man e'er felt the halter draw
With good'opinion of the law."




64               PAUL JONES.
England was astonished and enraged in finding
the laws of naval warfare which she had enacted,
and had so long practised with impunity upon all
other nations all around the globe, now brought
home to herself. She called Paul Jones all manner
of hard names. He was a beggar, a thief, a traitor, a highway robber, a pirate. He was thus denounced for doing that, in the English and Irish Channel, which England's fleet was doing all along the coast
of America. And yet it was heroic in Jones thus to
brave all the terrors of the British navy, while it was
ignoble and mean for that proud navy to plunder
and burn the few unprotected vessels of the feeble
colonies struggling for existence in the New World.
England had long made her banqueting-halls
resound with the song,
"Britannia needs no bulwarks
To frown along the steep;
Her march is on the mountain wave,
Her home is on the. deep."
It was the noble mission of Paul Jones to teach
Britannia that the arm of the avenger could reach
her even in her own Channel, and in her own harbors. Thus England was compelled to drink of the
poisoned cup which she was forcing to the lips of
others.
Upon the western coast of Scotland, about fifty




BEARDING THE BRITISH LION.       65
miles north of the Mull of Galloway, there was a capacious harbor called Lochryan, or Lake Ryan.
Captain Jones learned from his captives that there
was there a fleet of ten or twelve English merchant
vessels, and also the tender of a man-of-war, which
had on board a large number of impressed seamen,
who were to be forced into the British navy. It was
not improbable that many of these were American
citizens, who had been seized in our merchant or
fishing vessels, and who would thus be compelled to
work the guns of Great Britain against their own
countrymen. "I thought this an enterprise,"
writes Paul Jones, " worthy of my attention."
Indeed it was. He spread his sails for Lochryan.
The wind was fair, so that he could run into the bay,
speedily apply the torch, kindle the whole fleet into
flame, and then run out before a sufficient force
could be collected to prevent his escape. -But just
as he reached the entrance of the bay, and everything was in readiness for the successful prosecution
of his enterprise, the wind changed, and blew with
great fierceness directly into the bay. Thus, though
he could easily effect his entrance, he could not sail
out from the bay until the wind changed. He
might' therefore be caught in a trap. He was thus
constrained to abandon the project.
About sixty miles north of Lochryan is the




66               PAUL JONES.
Frith of Clyde, whose river is the most important
stream in the west of Scotland. Captain Jones seeing upon his lee bow a cutter, or small sloop-rigged
vessel, belonging as a tender to a man-of-war, steering for the Clyde, gave chase. But when he reached
the remarkable rock of Ailsa, finding that the cutter
was outsailing him, he abandoned the chase. In the
evening he fell in with a merchant sloop, which he
sunk.
The next day, which was the 2Ist, he entered
the Bay of Carrickfergus, on the eastern coast of Ireland. At the western extremity of the bay lies the
city of Belfast, which occupies the first rank among
the commercial marts of Ireland. The fortified
town of Carrickfergus is situated upon the northern
shore. A British ship of war, the Drake, m'ounting
twenty guns, was at anchor in the bay. Thoroughly
armed and manned, she was a formidable antagonist for the Ranger to attack. As vessels of all
sizes were continually coming and going in this
great thoroughfare, and as the Ranger carefully
avoided all warlike appearance, no suspicion of her
formidable character was excited on board the Drake.
Jones therefore cast anchor, preparing to make his
attack in the night. I will give the result in his
own words:
" My plan was to overlay her cable, and to fall




BEARDING THE BRITISH LION.       67
upon her bow, so as to have all her decks open and
exposed to our musketry. At the same time it was
our intention to have secured the enemy by grapplings, so that, had they cut their cables, they would
not thereby have attained an advantage. The wind
was high, and unfortunately the anchor was not let
go so soon as the order was given; so that the Ranger was brought to upon the enemy's quarter, at
the distance of half a cable's length.
"We had made no warlike appearance. Of
course, we had given no alarm. This determined me
to cut immediately, which might appear as if the
cable had parted. At the same time it enabled me,
after making a tack out of the Loch, to return with
the same advantage which I had at first. I was,
however, prevented from returning, as I with difficulty weathered the light-house on the leeside, and
as the gale increased. The weather now became so
very stormy and severe, and the sea ran so high, that
I was obliged to take shelter under the south shore
of Scotland."
The North Channel, which separates Ireland from
Scotland, is at this point about thirty miles wide.
The next morning the sun rose in a cloudless sky.
It was bitterly cold in those northern latitudes.
Captain Jones was on the same parallel with Newfoundland. From the deck of his vessel he could




68               PAUL JONES.
clearly discern the coasts of England, Scotland, and
Ireland. A white mantle of snow covered the hills
and valleys as far as the eye could extend. He decided to direct his course to the shores of England,
and to make another attempt upon the shipping in
the harbor of Whitehaven. The wind became very
light, and it was not until midnight that he reached
the entrance to the harbor. For the hazardous enterprise of penetrating a harbor defended by two
batteries, he manned two boats with volunteers,
fifteen men in each. There were in the harbor two
hundred and twenty vessels, large and small. The
tide was out, and many of these vessels aground.
About one hundred and fifty of them were on the
south side of the harbor adjoining the town. The
remainder were on the north side.
Captain Jones had command of one of the boats.
Lieutenant Wallingford was intrusted with the
other. Jones supplied Wallingford with the necessary combustibles to set fire to the shipping on the
north side. With fifteen men, armed only with pistols and cutlasses, he set out to capture two English
forts on the south side, and then to set fire to the
shipping there. The garrisons of these forts had no
more apprehension of an attack from the despised
Americans, than Gibraltar fears assault from some




BEARDING THE BRITISH LION.       69
feeble tribe in Southern Asia with whom England
may chance to be at war.
In consequence of the unfortunate delay, they
did not reach the first fort until just as the morning
was beginning to dawn. Most of the soldiers were
soundly asleep in the guard-house. There were a
few drowsy sentinels dozing at their posts. Jones,
with his heroic little band, silently clambered over
the ramparts. The terrified sentinels, not knowing
what was coming, rushed into the guard-house.
Jones quietly locked them in, spiked every gun, and
then rushed forward to the next battery, which was
distant about a quarter of a mile. Here he successfully repeated his achievement, so that not a gun
from either of the batteries could harm his boats.
He looked eagerly across the harbor, expecting
to see the bursting forth of the flames. It was now
broad day; but no sign of flame or smoke was to be
seen. To his great disappointment, the boat under
Lieutenant Wallingford had crossed to the south
side, having accomplished nothing.  The party
seemed confused and embarrassed, and made the
very extraordinary statement that their torches
went out just as they were ready to set fire to the
ships!
The failure was probably caused by sheer cowardice.  And it must be admitted that it was




70               PAUL JONES.
indeed one of the most desperate of enterprises.
These fifteen men, having crossed an ocean three
thousand miles wide, had penetrated the heart of a
British harbor, to apply the torch to seventy vessels.
The crews could not have amounted to less
than ten men, on an average, to each vessel. Thus
the British sailors alone in that half of the harbor,
would amount to seven hundred men. The assailants, it will be remembered, amounted to but fifteen
mAen, in a frail boat, armed only with swords and pistols. Even the bravest might recoil from such odds.
But as these men had volunteered for the enterprise,
and knew all its perils, it was the basest poltroonery in them to prove recreant at the crisis of the
expedition.
The torches which Captain Jones's boat party
carried, had also, by some strange fatality, all burned
out. Captain Jones, however, obtained a light from
a neighboring house, entered a large'ship, from
which the crew fled, and deliberately built a fire in
the steerage. This ship was closely surrounded by
at least a hundred and fifty vessels lying side by
side, and all aground. Captain Jones, to make the
conflagration certain, found a barrel of tar, and
poured it upon the' kindling. The flames soon
burst from all the hatchways, caught the rigging,
and, in fiery wreaths, circled to the mast-head.




BEARDING THE BRITISH LION.       71
"The inhabitants," writes Captain Jones, "began
to appear in thousands, and individuals ran hastily
toward us. I stood between them and the ship on
fire, with a pistol in my hand, and ordered them to
retire, which they did with precipitation. The sun
was a full hour's march above the horizon, and, as
sleep no longer ruled the world, it was time to
retire. We reembarked without opposition, having
released a number of prisoners, as our boats could
not carry them. After all my people had embarked,
I stood upon the pier, for a considerable space, yet
no person advanced. I saw all the eminences round
the town covered with the amazed inhabitants."
When the boats had been rowed some distance
from the shore, the English began to run to their
forts, to open fire from the great guns. To their
surprise they found the garrisons locked up in the
guard-houses, and the cannon all spiked. After
some delay they found one or two cannon on the
beach, which were dismounted, and which had not
been spiked. These they hastily loaded and fired;
but with such ill-directed aim that the shot all fell
wide of their mark. Captain Jones's men, in derision, fired their pistols, returning the salute.
If the boats could have entered the harbor a few
hours earlier, the success would doubtless have been
complete, and not a vessel would have escaped the




72               PAUL JONES.
flames. "But what was done," writes Captain
Jones, " is sufficient to show that not all their boasted
navy can protect their own coasts; and that the
scenes of distress, which they have occasioned in
America, may be soon brought home to their own
door."
The Ranger now struck across the broad mouth of
Solway Frith, to St. Mary's Island, on the Scottish
shore, in Kirkcudbright Bay. Here Lord Selkirk
had his residence, in a fine mansion. It will be
remembered that the father of Paul Jones had
been attached to his household. The British were
shutting up our most illustrious men in the hulks
of prison ships, and treating them with barbarity
which would have disgraced savages. Captain Jones
deemed it of the utmost importance, as a measure
of humanity, to seize some distinguished Englishman and hold him as a hostage, to secure the better
treatment of our own noble mean who had fallen into
the enemy's hands. For this patriotic movement
the English press denounced him in terms of unmeasured abuse. The motive which influenced him
was an exalted one. And he merits the highest
encomiums for the manner in which he conducted
the enterprise. In justice to Captain Jones, I feel
bound to give the narrative in his own words. It is
contained in letter which he wrote to the Countess




BEARDING THE BRITISH LION.       73
of Selkirk, with whom he was personally acquainted,
immediately after the Ranger returned from its
cruise to Brest.
"RANGER, BREST, May 8.
TO THE COUNTESS OF SELKIRK.
"MADAM-It cannot be too much lamented
that, in the profession of arms, the officer of fine feeling and of real sensibility should be under the necessity of winking at any action of persons under his
command which his heart cannot approve. But the
reflection is doubly severe, when he finds himself
obliged, in appearance, to countenance such actions
by his authority.
" This hard case was mine when, on the 23d of
April last, I landed on St. Mary's Isle, Knowing
Lord Selkirk's interest with his king, and esteeming, as I do, his private character, I wished to make
him the happy instrument of alleviating the horrors
of hopeless captivity, when the brave are overpowered and made prisoners of war.
" It was perhaps fortunate for you, madam, that
he was from home; for it was my intention to
have taken him on board the Ranger, and to have
detained him until, through his means, a general and
fair exchange of prisoners, as well in Europe as in
America, had been effected.
"When I was informed, by some men whom I
4




74              PAUL JONES.
met at landing, that his lordship was absent, I
walked back to my boat determined to leave the
island. On the way, however, some officers who
were with me, could not forbear expressing their
discontent. They said that, in America, no delicacy
was shown by the English, who took away all sorts
of movable property; setting fire not only to towns
and to the houses of the rich, without distinction,
but not even sparing the wretched hamlets and
milch cows of the poor and helpless, at the approach
of an inclement winter.
"That party had been with me, the same morning, at Whitehaven. Some complaisance was therefore their due. I had but a moment to think how I
might gratify them, and, at the same time, do your
ladyship the least injury. I charged the two officers
to permit none of the seamen to enter the house, or
to hurt anything about it; to treat you, madam,
with the utmost respect; to accept of the plate
which was offered; and to come away, without making a search or demanding anything else.
"' I am induced to believe that I was punctually
obeyed; since I am informed that the plate, which
they brought away, is far short of the quantity expressed in the inventory which accompanied it. I
have gratified my men. And when the plate is sold
I shall become its purchaser, and will gratify my own




BEARDING THE BRITISH LION.        75
feelings by restoring it to you, by such conveyance
as you shall please to direct.
"Had the Earl been on board the Ranger the
following evening, he would have seen the awful
pomp and dreadful carnage of a sea engagement;
both affording ample subject for the pencil, as well
as melancholy reflection to the contemplative mind.
Humanity starts back from such scenes of horror,
and cannot sufficiently execrate the vile promoters
of this detestable war.
"'For they,'twas they unsheathed the ruthless blade,
And Heaven shall ask the havoc it has made.'
" The British ship-of-war Drake, mounting twenty
guns, with more than her full complement of officers
and men, was our opponent. The ships met, and
the advantage was disputed, with great fortitude on
each side, for an hour and four' minutes, when the
gallant commander of the Drake fell, and victory
declared in favor of the Ranger. The amiable lieu.
tenant lay mortally wounded; a melancholy demonstration of the uncertainity of human prospects, and
of the sad reverses of fortune which an hour can
produce. I buried them in a spacious grave, with
the honors due to the memory of the brave.
"Though I have drawn my sword, in the present
generous struggle for the rights of man, yet I am




76               PAUL JONES.
not in arms as an American, nor am I in pursuit of
riches. My fortune is liberal enough, having no
wife nor family, and having lived long enough to
know that riches cannot insure happiness. I profess
myself a citizen of the world, totally unfettered by
the little, mean distinctions of climate or of country,
which diminish the benevolence of the heart and
sef bounds to philanthropy. Before this war was
begun I had, at an early time of life, withdrawn from
sea service, in favor of calm contemplation and
poetic ease. I have sacrificed not only my favorite
scheme of life, but the softer affections of the heart
and my prospects of domestic happiness, and I am
ready to sacrifice my life also, with cheerfulness, if
that forfeiture could restore peace and good-will
among mankind.
4 As the feelings of your gentle bosom cannot but
be congenial with mine, let me entreat you, madam,.
to use your persuasive art, with your husband's, to
endeavor to stop this cruel and destructive war, in
which Britain never can succeed. Heaven can never
countenance the barbarous and unmanly practice of
the Britons in America, which savages would blush
at, and which, if not discontinued, will soon be retaliated on Britain by a justly enraged people. Should
you fail in this, for I am persuaded that you will
attempt it-and who can resist the power of such-an




BEARDING THE BRITISH LION.       77
advocate?-your endeavors to effect a general exchange of prisoners will be an act of humanity which
will afford you golden feelings on your death-bed.
"I hope this cruel contest will soon be closed.
But should it continue, I wage no war with the fair.
I acknowledge their force and bend before it with submission. Let not, therefore, the amiable Countess
of Selkirk regard me as an enemy. I am ambitious
of her esteem and friendship, and would do anything
consistent with my duty to merit it.
"The honor of a line, from your hand, in answer
to this, will lay me under a singular obligation.
And if I can render you any acceptable service in
France or elsewhere, I hope you see into my character so far as to command me without the least grain
of reserve.
"I wish to know exactly the behavior of my
people, as I am determined to punish them if they
exceed their liberty. I have the honor to be, with
much esteem and with profound respect,
"Madam, yours, etc.,
"JOHN PAUL JONES."




CHAPTER IV.
Captain 7ones at Nantes and at Brest.
Correspondence with Lord Selkirk.-Terrible Battle with the Ship
Drake.-Capture of the Ship.-Carnage on board the Drake.Generosity to Captured Fishermen.-Insubordination of Lieutenant Simpson.-Embarrassments of Captain Jones.-Hopes and
Disappointments.-Proofs of Unselfish Patriotism.-Letter to
the King of France.-Anecdote of Poor Richard.
THE letter of Paul Jones to the Countess of
Selkirk was published widely throughout England,
and attracted much attention. Dr. Franklin wrote
to Captain Jones from Paris:
" It was a gallant letter, and must give her ladyship a high opinion of your generosity and nobleness
of mind."
The plate fell into the hands of the prize agents.
After much difficulty and considerable delay, Captain
Jones succeeded in purchasing it, though at a price
above its real value. He then returned it to Lord
Selkirk, himself defraying all the expenses of transportation. Lord Selkirk, in acknowledging its receipt, from London, under date of August, I789,
wrote:




AT NANTES AND AT BREST.        79
"Notwithstanding all the precautions you took
for the easy and uninterrupted conveyance of the
plate, yet it met with considerable delays, first at
Calais, next at Dover, then at London. However, it
at last arrived at Dumfries. I intended to have put
an article in the newspapers about your having returned it. But before I was informed of its being
arrived, some of your friends, I suppose, had put it
into the Dumfries newspaper, whence it was immediately copied into the Edinburgh papers, and thence
into the London ones. Since that time I have mentioned it to many people of fashion.
"And on all occasions, both now and formerly, I
have done you the justice to tell that you made an
offer of returning the plate very soon after your return to Brest; and although you yourself was not
at my house, but remained at the shore witfi your
boat, that you had your officers and men in such
extraordinary good discipline, that your having given
them the strictest orders to behave well, to do no
injury of any kind, to make no search, but only to
bring off what plate was given them; that "n reality
they did exactly as ordered, and that not one man
offered to stir from his post on the outside of the
house, nor entered the doors, nor said an uncivil
word; that the two officers staid not a quarter of an
hour in the parlor and in the butler's pantry, while




80               PAUL JONES.
the butler got the plate together, behaved politely,
and asked for nothing but the plate, and instantly
marched their men off, in regular order, and that both
officers and men behaved in all respects so well that
it would have done credit to the best disciplined
troops whatever."
The style of Captain Jones's letter has been found
fault with. But in literary excellence it is certainly
above that of the English lord. One of the London papers said of him:
" Paul Jones is about thirty-six years of age, of a
middling stature, well proportioned, with an agreeable countenance. His conversation shows him to be
a man of talents, and that he has a liberal education.
His letters, in foreign gazettes, show that he can
fight with the pen as well as with the sword."
In the letter which Captain Jones sent to Lord
Selkirk upon the return of the plate, he wrote:
" The long delay that has happened to the restoration of your plate, has given me much concern, and
I now feel a proportionate pleasure in fulfilling what
was my first intention. My motive for landing at
your estate in Scotland was to take you, as a hostage
for the lives and liberties of a number of the citizens
of America, who had been taken in war on the ocean
and committed to British prisons, under an act of
Parliament, as traitors, pirates, and felons. You ob



AT NANTES AND AT BREST.`        81
served to Mr. Alexander that my idea was a mistaken one, because you were not, as I had supposed,
in favor with the British ministry, who knew that
you favored the cause of liberty. On that account, I
am glad that you were absent from your estate when
I landed there, as I bore no personal enmity, but the
contrary, toward you. I afterward had the happiness to redeem my fellow-citizens from Britain, by
means far more glorious than through the medium
of any single hostage.
" As I have endeavored to serve the cause of liberty, through every stage of the American Revolution, and have sacrificed to it my private ease, a part
of my fortune, and some of my blood, I could have
no selfish motive in permitting my people to demand
and carry off your plate. My sole inducement was
to turn their attention and stop their rage from
breaking out and retaliating ion your house and
effects the too wanton burnings and desolation
that had been committed against their relations and
fellow-citizens in America, by the British; of which,
I assure you, you would have felt the severe consequences, had I not fallen on an expedient to prevent
it, and hurried my people away before they had
time for further reflection."
We must now return from this episode to the
continuance of Captain Jones's cruise. In his letter
4*




82               PAUL JONES.
to Lady Selkirk, he alludes to a naval battle with the
ship Drake. After the descent upon Mary's Island,
Captain Jones again stood across the Channel from
the Scottish to the Irish shore. On the morning of
the 24th, he arrived off the Bay of Carrickfergus, and
would again have entered, to make an attack upon
the Drake, had he not seen that that ship was spreading her sails to come out. The wind was very light
and the progress of the British ship slow. The captain of the Drake had heard of the ravages of the
Ranger, for the appalling tidings had spread far and
wide, and he was coming out in search of her. Seeing this vessel in the distance, a boat was sent out
from the Drake to reconnoitre. Captain Jones kept
the ship's stern directly toward the approaching
boat, and so succeeded in disguising his true character that though the boat's crew carefully scrutinized
him with a spy-glass they were completely deceived,
and, hailing the vessel, came alongside. As soon
as the officer stepped upon the quarter-deck, he
found, to his great surprise, himself a prisoner and
his boat captured.
Captain Jones learned, from his captives, that the
night before an express had reached the Drake, with
tidings of the destruction of the shipping at Whitehaven; and the Drake had immediately increased
its crew by a large number of volunteers, and was




AT NANTES AND AT BREST.         83
now pressing forward in pursuit of the Ranger.
Alarm fires were also seen on the eminences on
both sides of the Channel, their columns of smoke
rising high into the air. It was evident that the
achievements of the bold little Ranger had created
a great commotion, rousing all England to a sense
of danger, for no one knew upon what point her next
blows might fall.
The wind was light and the tide unfavorable, so
that the Drake worked out of the bay slowly. Captain Jones awaited her arrival, laying to with courses
up, and main-topsail to the mast. At length, the
Drake, having reached the mid-channel, came within hailing distance, and ran up the flag of England.
At the same instant the Stars and Stripes were unfurled at the topmast of the Ranger. Still an officer
on the quarter-deck of the Drake shouted out:
" What ship is that?"
The reply was immediately returned:
"It is the American Continental ship Ranger. We
are waiting for you. The sun is but little more than
an hour from setting. It is therefore time to begin."
The Drake was astern of the Ranger. Jones
ordered the helm up, and as his vessel rounded to,
discharged a full broadside into the thronged decks
of the Drake. The iron storm crashed through
timbers and bones and quivering nerves with terrible




84               PAUL JONES.
destruction. But the spirit of war can never arrest
its energies to compassionate its victims. The guns
of the Drake were loaded and shotted, and the gunners stood, with lighted torches, at their posts.
Instantly the fire was returned, while the dead were
left in their blood, and the wounded were hurried to
the cockpit, to writhe beneath the cuttings of the
surgeon's knife.
Thus, for an hour and four minutes, the dreadful
conflict continued. The thunders of the exploding
guns, booming over the waves, echoed along the
shores of England, Scotland, and Ireland. The British Government dreamed not that its feeble colonies
could do anything more than present a brief and
totally unavailing resistance behind frail ramparts,
suddenly thrown up, three thousand miles away, on
the other side of the Atlantic. And yet here were
those colonies putting forth energies which were
burning ships in England's home harbors, and bombarding her frigates in her own Channel.
At the close of an hour and four minutes of as
obstinate a naval battle as could be fought, the
Drake dropped her flag and cried for quarter. Her
fore and main-topsail yards were both cut away, and
hung down on the cap. The top-gallant yard and
mizzen gaff were also torn from their fastenings and
were dangling against the mast. The first flag had




AT NANTES AND AT BREST.         85
been shot away. They had raised a second. That
also had fallen before the incessant storm of iron
hail, and was draggling in the water. Her masts
and yards were all more or less shattered, while the
main-mast was so seriously wounded as to be in danger of falling. The jib was shot away, and, held by
the cordage, was floating on the waves. The hull
was pierced in many places, shivered and splintered
by the balls.
Upon entering the captured ship an appalling
spectacle met the eye. A hundied and ninety men
had crowded it, in the full assurance of victory. Of
these, forty-two were either killed or wounded. A
musket-ball had pierced the brain of the captain, and
he lay weltering in blood, silent in death. The first
lieutenant had also been struck by a mortal wound,
and was in death's convulsions.
It is very remarkable that on board the Ranger
there was but one man killed and six wounded.
The night succeeding this terrible storm of human
violence was severe and the ocean tranquil. As all
hands were busy in refitting the shattered vessels,
an English merchant brig, came along, bound for
Norway. It was captured without difficulty. As
English men-of-war were crowding St. George's Channel, Captain Jones decided to pass through the




86               PAUL JONES.
North Channel with his two prizes, and return to
Brest by the west coast of Ireland.
When Captain Jones first made his appearance
off Carrickfergus Bay, he captured a fishing-boat to
make inquiries respecting the shipping within the
bay. As secrecy was essential to his plan of operation, it was necessary to detain those fishermen with
their boat. Otherwise they would communicate
intelligence of his movements, and abundant preparations would be made to repel him. It was no
longer necessary to detain them. Captain Jones
writes:
" It was rnow time to release the honest fishermen,
whom I took up here on the 21st. And, as the poor
fellows had lost their boat, she having sunk in the
late stormy weather, I was happy in having it in my
power to give them the necessary sum to purchase
everything new which they had lost. I gave them
also a good boat, to transport themselves ashore;
and sent with them two infirm men, on whom I bestowed the last guinea in my possession, to defray
their travelling expenses to their proper home in
Dublin. They took with them one of the Drake's
sails, which would sufficiently explain what had happened to the volunteers. The grateful fishermen
were in raptures; and expressed their joy in their
huzzas as they passed the Ranger's quarter."




AT NANTES AND AT BREST.         87
This was indeed extraordinary magnanimity
when we contrast it with the conduct of England,
bombarding and burning our defenceless villages,
immuring our most illustrious men in the dungeons
of hulks, worse than the oubliettes of the Bastile, and
robbing poor fishermen of everything, burning their
boats, and often impressing them into her navy, and
compelling them to serve the guns against their own
countrymen.
Contrary winds so impeded the progress of Captain Jones that it was not until the 5th of May that
he had skirted the western coast of Ireland, and
reached Ushant, a French island a few miles distant
from the extreme northwestern coast of France.
The Ranger was accompanied by the two vessels she
had taken, having the torn and battered Drake in
tow. A ship hove in sight to the leeward, steering for
the Channel. Captain Jones cast off the Drake, by
cutting the hawser, and gave chase to the stranger.
His swift-sailing vessel overtook the chase in little
more than an hour, and hailing her, found that she
was a Swede. He therefore immediately hauled by
the wind and returned to the southward to rejoin the
Drake, which was then scarcely perceptible in the
distant horizon.
The evolutions of the Drake surprised him. She
seemed to be trying to put as much distance as pos



88               PAUL JONES.
sible between herself and the Ranger. Several large
ships appeared steering into the Channel. But Jones
was prevented from pursuing them in consequence
of the extraordinary evolutions of the Drake. He
made signals. They were totally disregarded. It
was not until the next day he succeeded in overtaking the runaway Drake. Her commanding officer,
Lieutenant Simpson, was immediately placed under
arrest for disobedience of orders.
It would seem that the lieutenant left America
with the impression, and doubtless a correct one,
that, upon arriving in France, Captain Jones was to
be transferred to another and much finer ship, while
he was to be left in command of the Drake. He
consequently seemed to4feel that the Drake and her
crew belonged to him, and the temporary captain
was rather a passenger whom he was conveying to
his destination. He therefore assumed airs, and
was guilty of petty acts of insubordination, which
were very annoying to Captain Jones, who was a
strict disciplinarian.
Moreover, Lieutenant Simpson allowed his republican principles to carry him so far as to advocate a republican form of government even upon the
decks of a war-ship. He declared to the sailors,
that they, being free and enlightened American citizens, were entitled to decide, by the voice of the




AT NANTES AND AT BREST.         89
majority, respecting all questions of importance on
ship-board; that the captain was to be their agent
to perform their will. Simpson was daily growing
more discontented with the position he occupied,
and was probably intending to run away with the
Drake, one of the best finished of England's warships, to repair her in some French harbor, and to
sail forth on a cruise upon his own responsibility,
perhaps as a French priyateersman.
But for this insubordination on the part of Lieutenant Simpson, Captain Jones would doubtless have
taken several other important prizes. The Ranger,
with her two prizes, returned to the harbor of Brest,
and cast anchor there on the gth of May, having
been absent but one month. In the mean time the
French squadron, under Count d'Estaing, had been
made ready for sea. The news of the brilliant
achievements of Paul Jones electrified France and
appalled England. The alarm infused along the
coasts of Great Britain and Ireland amounted almost
to a panic. Lookout vessels were constantly cruising
along the shores. The militia were called out. New
fortifications were constructed. The whole population
of the seacoast was kept in a state of constant alarm.
But Captain Jones was now in great pecuniary
embarrassment. The Colonial Government was so
poor that it could not honor his drafts. He was not




90               PAUL JONES.
only unable to refit his ship, but was in want of the
means of providing the daily food for his crew.
When he left America he had advanced, from his
own means, seven thousand dollars for the public
service. He had, in a foreign land, two hundred
prisoners of war to be provided for, a number of his
own sick and wounded, and his ship to be repaired,
shattered by a terrible engagement, and destitute of
provisions and stores. And he was not allowed to
dispose of his prizes until he received further orders
from the home Government.
After a vast amount of mental suffering he succeeded, by his personal credit with distinguished
French noblemen, Count d'Orvilliers and the Duke
de Chartres, in raising money to meet his immediate
and most pressing wants, and in refitting both the
Ranger and the Drake for sea. The British seamen
who were prisoners, if released, would be immediately
forced on board the British men-of-war to man
their guns. It was also necessary to retain them to
effect exchanges for our own captive countrymen,
whom the British were treating with such great barbarity. In his letters to the Government he urged
the imperious necessity of supplying the seamen with
the little necessaries and comforts of life. He also,
while entreating that the English prisoners should
be treated with kindness, and all their needful wants




AT NANTES AND AT BREST.         91
supplied, urged that they should by no means be
released without an exchange. He now, during
several months, passed through a series of trials, mortifications, and disappointments, a detail of which
would but weary the reader. In carefully examining
his voluminous correspondence, during this season of
trial, when his whole soul was glowing with the desire for active service, and when the inactivity to
which he was doomed was, to him, almost insupportable, I cannot find a single expression unworthy of
his noble character, as a self-denying patriot, a gallant officer, and a humane gentleman.
Humanity required that England should feel the
horrors of war which she was so mercilessly inflicting
upon her infant colonies. In no other way could
she be induced to sheathe the sword. He proposed
to the Commissioners in Paris another expedition, of
three fast-sailing frigates, to destroy three hundred
vessels in the harbor at Whitehaven, to burn the
town, and to destroy the important coal-works there.
As time would be requisite to prepare for so important an expedition, he proposed that a smaller
force should immediately be fitted out, to harass
the northern coasts of Great Britain, and to lay
contributions upon the important towns. On the
loth of July, I778, Dr. Franklin wrote him, saying:
" In consequence of the high opinion which the




92               PAUL JONES.
Minister of Marine has of your conduct and bravery,
it is now settled that you are to have the frigate
from Holland, which will be furnished with as many
good French seamen as you may require. As you
may like to have a number of Americans, and your
own crew are homesick, it is proposed to give you
as many as you can engage, out of two hundred
prisoners which the ministry of Britain have, at
length, agreed to give in exchange for those you
have in your hands. They propose to make the exchange at Calais, where they are to bring the Americans. The project of giving you the command of
this ship pleases me the more, as it is a probable
opening to the higher preferment you so justly
merit."
The conduct of Lieutenant Simpson had been
exasperating in the highest degree, and yet Captain
Jones wrote to the Commissioners, on the 4th of
July:
"Lieutenant Simpson has certainly behaved
amiss. Yet I can forgive as well as resent. Upon
his making a proper concession, I will, with your
approbation, not only forgive the past, but leave
him the command of the Ranger."
In anticipation of a speedy command, Captain
Jones was anxious to secure the services of a chaplain. In a communication to a friend whom he




AT NANTES AND AT BREST.         93
desired to asist him in obtaining such an officer, he
wrote:
"I should wish the chaplain to be a man
of reading and of letters, who understands, speaks,
and writes the French and English with elegance
and propriety. For political reasons it would be
well if he were a clergyman of the Protestant profession, whose sanctity of manners, and happy, natural principles would diffuse unanimity and cheerfulness through the ship. Such a man would be
worthy of the highest confidence."
On the Ioth of August, Captain Jones repaired
to Brest, expecting to be put in command of the
splendid ship which had been promised. This ship
belonged to the Government. To his bitter disappointment he found that it had been assigned to
another man. Lieutenant Simpson sailed to America
in the Ranger. The Drake was a shattered prize as
yet unsold. Captain Jones was left in the humili-'
ating position of an adventurer out of employment.
He wrote to the Prince of Nassau, with the approval of Dr. Franklin, earnestly imploring a commission
under the French flag. In his letter he wrote:
"Suffer me not, I beseech, you to continue longer
in this shameful inactivity. Such dishonor is worse
to me than a thousand deaths. I have already lost
the golden season, the summer, which, in war, is of




94               PAUL JONES.
more value than all the rest of the year. I appear
here as a person cast off and useless. When any
one asks me what I purpose to do, I am unable to
answer."
Dr. Franklin transmitted this letter, and wrote
to Captain Jones: "Your letter was sent to the
Prince of Nassau. I am confident that something will
be done for you, though I do not yet know what.
I sympathize with you in what I know you must suffer from your present inactivity; but have patience."
It was proposed that he should take command
of a prize-ship taken from the English. Examining the ship, and finding that she sailed slow, and
had but a feeble armament, he unqualifiedly rejected
her. Writing to M. Chaumont, a wealthy French
gentleman, who had great influence with the Government, he said:
" I wish to have no connection with any ship that
does not sail fast. For I intend to go in harm's way.
You know, I believe, that this is not every one's
intention. Therefore buy a frigate that sails fast and
that is sufficiently large to carry twenty-six or twentyeight guns, not less than twelve-pounders, on one
deck. I would rather be shot ashore than sent to sea
in such things as the armed prizes I have described."
An offer was made by a wealthy merchant
of Nantes, M. Montieu, to place Captain Jones in




AT NANTES AND AT BREST.          95
a first-class ship, thoroughly armed, to proceed on a
privateering expedition. He replied:
" Were I in pursuit of profit, I should accept the
offer without hesitation. But I am under such obligations to Congress that I cannot think myself my
own master. And as a servant of the imperial republic of America, honored with the public approbation
of my past services, I cannot, from my own authority or inclination, serve either myself or my best
friends in any private line whatsoever, unless where
the honor and interest of America is the premier
object."
War was now openly declared between France
and England. The colonies could not furnish Captain
Jones with a suitable frigate, and there were many
French naval officers eager to take command of
such ships as the king could furnish. Consequently
the prospects of Captain Jones, notwithstanding his
high reputation for both bravery and ability, were
very dark. In this emergence, and consumed with
the desire for active service, he wrote a letter to the
king. In this letter, after a very truthful and very
modest narrative of his past experience, he says:
"Thus have I been chained down to shameful
inactivity for five months. I have lost the best season of the year, and such opportunities of serving
my country and acquiring honor as I cannot again




96               PAUL JONES.
expect during this war. And, to my infinite mortification, having no command, I am considered everywhere as an officer cast off, and in disgrace for secret
reasons.
" Having written to Congress to reserve no command for me in America, my sensibility is the more
affected by this unworthy situation in the sight of
yourmajesty's fleet. Although I wish not tobecome
my own panegyrist, I must beg your majesty's permission to observe that I am not an adventurer in
search of fortune, of which, thank God, I have a sufficiency.
" When the American banners were first displayed, I drew my sword in support of the vidlated
dignity and rights of human nature. And both
honor and duty prompt me steadfastly to continue
the righteous pursuit, and to sacrifice to it not only
my private enjoyments, but even life, if necessary. I
must acknowledge that the generous praise which I
have received from Congress and others, exceeds the
merit of my past services, and therefore I the more
ardently wish for future opportunities of testifying
my gratitude by my activity.
"As your majesty, by espousing the cause of
America, has become the protector of the rights of
human nature, I am persuaded that you will not dis



AT NANTES AND AT BREST.         97
regard my situation, nor suffer me to remain any
longer in this insupportable disgrace."
This letter was enclosed in one to the Duchess
of Chartres, with whom he was personally acquainted,
and from whom he had received kind attentions.
He besought her to present the letter to his majesty
the king; which she did.
One day, chance threw into Captain Jones's
hands an old almanac, containing Poor Richard's
Mlaxims, by Doctor Franklin. In that curious
medley of wit and wisdom, poor Richard is represented as saying:
"If you wish to have any business done faithfully and expeditiously, go and do it yourself. Otherwise, send some one."
The maxim impressed Jones deeply. He pondered it, and decided that he had acted very unwisely
in writing so many letters, instead of going directly
to court, and making personal solicitations. Immediately he set out for Versailles, in whose gorgeous
palace the royal family and court were then residing.
Such was the potency of his presence that in a few
days, on the 4th of February, I779, he received from
M. De Sartine, the French Minister of Marine, the
following exhilarating letter:
5




98               PAUL JONES.
"To JOHN PAUL JONES, ESQ.,
"Commander of the American Navy in Europe.
"SIR-I announce to you that, in consequence
of the exposition I have laid before the king, of the
distinguished manner in which you have served the
United States, and of the entire confidence which
your conduct has merited from Congress, his majesty has thought proper to place you in command
of the ship Duras, of forty guns, at present at
L'Orient. I am about, in consequence, to issue the
necessary orders for the complete armament of that
ship.
"The commission which was given you, at your
departure from America, will authorize you to hoist
the flag of the United States, and you will likewise
make use of the authority which has been vested in
you, to procure a crew of Americans. But as you
may find difficulty in raising a sufficient number, the
king permits you to levy volunteers, until you obtain
men enough, in addition to those who will be necessary to sail the ship. It shall be my care to procure
the necessary officers, and you may be assured that
I shall contribute every aid in my power to promote
the success of your enterprise.
"As soon as you are prepared for sea, you will
set sail without waiting for any ulterior orders; and
you will yourself select your own cruising ground,




AT NANTES AND AT BREST.         99
either in the European or American seas, observing
always to render me an exact account of each event,
that may take place during your cruise, as often as
you may enter any port under the dominion of the
king."
No one can describe the satisfaction with which
Captain Jones read this communication. Feeling
that his success was due to the good advice which
he had received from Poor Richard, he asked leave
to give his ship that name, or as translated into
French, the name of Bon Homme Richard. Captain
Jones, in his grateful reply to the Minister of Marine,
writes:
"I take the earliest opportunity to offer you my
sincere and grateful thanks, for so singular and honorable a mark of your confidence and approbation.
Your having permitted me to alter the name of the
ship, has given me a pleasing opportunity of paying
a well-merited compliment to a great and good man,
to whom I am under obligations, and who honors
me with his friendship."




CHAPTER V.
Cruise of the Bon Homme Richard.
Plans of Lafayette.-Correspondence.-Humane Instructions of
Franklin.-Proposed Invasion of England.-Sailing of the
Squadron.-Conduct of Pierre Landais.-The Collision.-Adventures of the Cruise.-Insane Actions of Landais.-Plan for
Capture.-Plan for the Capture of Leith and Edinburgh.
CAPTAIN JONES eagerly repaired to L'Orient to
inspect his ship and prepare her for service.   He
found that she was adapted to mount a-battery of
eighteen-pounders. He then hastened to Bordeaux,
to order the casting of the cannon. Lafayette was
at that time in America, cooperating with the army
under Washington. Congress built a frigate of
thirty-six guns, which was named the Alliance, out
of compliment to the recent alliance with France.
Congres*.lo; in expression of gratitude to France,
appointed a French officer, Pierre Landais, in command of the frigate. The Alliance was sent out to
France to cooperate with Captain Jones, and took
Lafayette as a passenger.
The distinguished French marquis was well ac



CRUISE OF THE BON HOMME RICHARD.    IOI
quainted with the reputation of Captain Jones, as a
courteous and high-minded gentleman, as well as
one of the bravest and most skilful of naval officers.
He wished to join Jones in his projected expedition.
In conference with Dr. Franklin, at Paris, it was decided that Lafayette should embark in the fleet with
a land force of seven hundred picked men, over
whom he was to have the supreme control. Captain
Jones was to have the undivided naval command.
The Alliance, which was a very fine and fast frigate,
was to be joined to his squadron. In reference to
this contemplated expedition, Dr. Franklin addressed a letter to Captain Jones, containing the following
judicious counsel:
"The Marquis de la Fayette will soon be with
you. It has been observed, that joint expeditions
of land and sea forces often miscarry, through jealousies and misunderstandings between the officers
of the different corps. This must happen where
there are little minds,'actuated more by personal
views of profit or honor to themselves, -than by the
warm and sincere desire of good to their country.
Knowing you both, as I do, I am confident that
nothing of the kind can happen between you. I
look upon this expedition only as an introduction to
greater trusts and more extensive commands, and as
a kind ofltrial of both your abilities, and of your fit



102              PAUL JONES.
ness in temper and.disposition for acting in concert
with others.
" As this is understood to be an American expedition under the Congressional commission and
colors, the Marquis, who is a major-general in that
service, has of course, the step in point of rank, and
he must have command of the land forces, which are
committed by the king to his care. But the command of the ships will be entirely in you, in which
I am persuaded that whatever authority his rank
might, in strictness, give him, he will not have the
least desire to interfere with you. The circumstance
is indeed a little unusual. For there is not only a
junction of land and sea forces, but there is also a
junction of Frenchmen and Americans, which increases the difficulty of maintaining a good understanding. A cool, prudent conduct in the chief, is
therefore the more necessary, and I trust, neither
of you will, in that respect, be deficient."
The following instructions were also added to
the letter. But when Dr. Franklin subsequently
heard of the burning of Fairfield and other towns in
America, and of the fiend-like cruelties which the
English officers were authorizing, he was doubtful
whether the circumstances did not demand more
severe retaliation.
" As many of your officers and people:have re



CRUISE OF THE BON HOMME RICHARD.     103
cently escaped from English prisons, you are to be
particularly attentive to their conduct toward the
prisoners which the fortune of war may throw into
your hands, lest the resentment of the more than
barbarous usage by the English in many places toward the Americans, should occasion a retaliation
and imitation of what ought rather to be detested
and avoided for the sake of humanity and for the
honor of our country.
"Although the English have wantonly burnt
many defenceless towns in America, you are not to
follow this example, unless when a reasonable ransom is refused; in which case, your own generous
feelings, as well as this instruction, will induce you to
give timely notice of your intention, that sick and
ancient persons, women and children, may be first
removed."
In reply to this communication, Captain Jones
wrote: " The letter I had the honor to receive from
you to-day, together with your liberal and nobleminded instructions, would make a coward brave.
You have called up every sentiment of public virtue
in my breast, and it shall be my pride and ambition,
in the strict pursuit of your instructions, to deserve
success.
" Be assured, that very few prospects could afford
me so true a satisfaction as that of rendering some




104              PAUL JONES.
acceptable service to the common cause, and at the
same time of relieving from captivity, by furnishing
the means of exchange, our unfortunate fellow-subjects, from the hands of the enemy."
Captain Jones then wrote to Lafayette: "So flattering and affectionate a proof of your esteem and
friendship has made an impression on my mind that
will attend me while I live. This I hope to prove
by more than words. Where men of fine feelings
are concerned there is seldom misunderstanding.
And I am sure that I should do violence to my sensibility if I.were capable of giving you a moment's
pain by any part of my conduct. Therefore, without any apology, I shall expect you to point out my
errors, when we are together alone, with perfect
freedom; and I think I dare promise you your reproof shall not be lost. I have received from the
good Dr. Franklin instructions at large, which it
will give me the truest satisfaction to execute."
Much to Captain Jones's disappointment this
proposed cooperation with Lafayette was soon
abandoned. Spain was preparing to unite with
France and America against England. An invasion
of the island of Great Britain, by the allies, was contemplated. Large forces were raised in the northern provinces of France, and marched to the coast,
while general officers were named to conduct the




CRUISE OF THE BON HOMME RICHARD.     105
enterprise. Lafayette was appointed to command a
portion of this army. In his letter to Jones, informing him of the change which the ministry had made
in his plans, he wrote:
"I am only to tell you, my good friend, how
sorry I feel not to be a witness of your success, abilities, and glory."
The Richard was soon fitted for sea with a battery of forty guns; six only of these were eighteen;.
pounders. The rest were of but twelve-pou'd
calibre. There were three hundred and twenty-nine
officers and privates on the muster-roll. The crew
had been hastily gathered from American prisoners
brescued from the English prisons, from French peasants, and from vagabond English sailors who were
ready to enlist under any flag for the money. There
were not more than thirty Americans among the
crew.
Four other vessels composed the little squadron.
The American frigate Alliance, of thirty-six guns,
was under the command of the French officer, to
whom we have before alluded, Pierre Landais. The
conduct of this officer was so extraordinary that it
can only be accounted for on the supposition that
he was actually insane. The Pallas mounted thirtytwo guns. It was a merchant-ship, purchased by
the King of France and hastily fitted up at Nantes.
5*




IO6              PAUL JONES.
The Cerf had eighteen guns, and the Vengeance
twelve.
The state of affairs on board the Alliance was
such that the frigate was no help, but rather a hin
drance to the enterprise. The crew were in a state
bordering on open mutiny. The first and second
lieutenants had deserted.  The captain and his
other officers were in a state of open and shameful
hostility, ready to cut each other's throats. The
Vengeance was also a merchant vessel, very poorly
prepared for battle. The Cerf was a fine cutter, and
the only vessel in the squadron which was well fitted
and manned.
Captain Jones, who ever sought the most heroic
enterprises, had formed the bold plan of appalling
England by the capture of the city of Liverpool.
But the withdrawal of Lafayette and his land forces
from the expedition rendered it necessary to abandon this all-important measure. The squadron was
first employed in convoying a fleet of merchant vessels down the coast of France, a distance of about
two hundred miles, from L'Orient to Bordeaux, and
to drive all of the English cruisers out of the Bay of
Biscay.
On the night of the 20th of June, Pierre Landais
contrived to run the Alliance upon the Richard.
He thus lost his own mizzen-mast, while he tore away




CRUISE OF THE BON HOMME RICHARD.    107
the head and bowsprit of the Richard. This pretended accident was probably intentional. It soon
became evident that he would'be glad to cripple the
Richard, probably hoping that she w'ould be sent
back for repairs, and that he, instead of being a subordinate, might be intrusted with the supreme command of the expedition. Through all the confusion
of the scene, when, in almost midnight darkness and
on a stormy sea, both vessels were in imminent peril
of being sunk, with all their crews, he behaved like
a madman. It was attested, by the officers, in the
trial which took place"That the captain of the Alliance did not take
the steps in his power to prevent his ship from getting foul of the Richard; for instead of putting his
helm aweather, and bearing up to make way for his
commanding officer, which was his duty, he left the
deck to load his pistols."
The next day a British vessel hove in sight.
Captain Jones found that the Richard proved to be
a lumbering concern and a slow sailer. He therefore sent the swifter-winged cutter Cerf in pursuit
of the stranger. It will be remembered that the
Cerf carried but eighteen guns. The vessel proved
to be a war-sloop of fourteen guns. A warm engagement took place. The thunders of this naval tempest swept the ocean far' and wide. The Cerf was




108              PAUL JONES.
victorious. Grappling her battered and blood-stained
prize, she was making her way back to the squadron when a large British frigate bore down upon
her. The Cerf, maimed by the conflict, was compelled to abandon her prize, and escaping to the
squadron, was sent back to L'Orient to refit.
The next day three British ships-of-war were discerned far away to the windward. Jones, with his
four vessels, bore down upon them. The frigates,
seeing that they were outnumbered, escaped by
superior sailing. A few days after this there was a
fog. Though Captain Jones fired signal guns, to
keep his squadron together, when the fog cleared
away neither the Alliance nor the Pallas was anywhere to be seen. Captain Jones was thus left with
but two vessels; and his own, the Richard, was so
seriously damaged by the collision with the Alliance,
that it was needful to make port as speedily as possible, at L'Orient, for repairs.
When a few leagues from   L'Orient, between
Belle Isle and the Isle of Croix, he gave the Vengeance permission to run into the harbor while he
moved slowly along with his disabled ship. Thus
he was left alone. After the Vengeance had left him,
in the night of the 3Ist of June, two British warvessels attacked him. In his crippled state his vessel
amounted to but little excepting a floating battery.




CRUISE OF THE BON HOMME RICHARD.      109
But he served his guns so well and gave his foes so
warm a reception, that they speedily retired.
"They appeared at first," writes Jones, " earnest
to engage, but their courage failed, and they fled
with precipitation, and to my mortification outsailed the Bon Homme Richard and got clear."
The Richard had proved a failure. Upon inspection at L'Orient, she was pronounced to be unworthy
of the great alterations essential to fit her for a successful campaign. The ship was, however, tinkered
up for temporary service, and again Captain Jones
was sent forth to cruise in the Channel, with a small
squadron, under circumstances which would have
disheartened any man of ordinary temperament.
At daybreak on the I4th of August, I779, the
vessels weighed anchor from the harbor of L'Orient.
The squadron consisted of the same vessels which
had sailed before, and all of which had rendezvoused
at L'Orient. Two French privateers also sailed in
company, the Monsieur and the Granville. When
four days out, on the I8th, the fleet came in sight
of a large French ship which had been captured by
an English privateer. A British crew was hurrying
with the prize to the nearest British port. The
squadron gave chase, and the prize was overtaken
and recaptured by the swift-sailing privateer Monsieur. This fine ship carried forty guns.




IIO              PAUL JONES.
The privateersman assumed that the prize was
his own property, to which the squadron had no
claim. He therefore, in the night, dropping astern,
took from the prize such articles as he needed, and
placed a portion of his crew and one of his own
officers on board to hold possession. But Captain
Jones promptly reversed this decision, and sent the
prize, under his own orders, to L'Orient, to be disposed of in accordance with the laws provided for
such an occasion. The captain of the Monsieur was
so displeased with his manifestly just decision, that
the next day he separated from the squadron.
Two days after, on the 20th of August, another
large ship was caught sight of, far away to the windward. The squadron gave chase, but the ship
escaped. The next day another ship was seen in
the distant horizon, and pursued. But being to the
windward, she also escaped. While engaged in the
chase, one of the squadron overtook a brig laden
with provisions, bound for London. She was easily
captured, and under a prize crew was sent into
L'Orient.
On the 23d, the squadron was in sight of Cape
Clear, the extreme southwestern point of Ireland.
Scarcly a breath of wind rippled the mirrored surface.o the sea. The sails flapped idly against the masts,
as the vessels gently rolled on the vast ocean swells.




CRUISE OF THE BON HOMME RICHARD.    II I
Far away in the northwest a brig was seen. The
calm prevented any advance of the squadron. Captain Jones sent two large boats, well manned, and
propelled by oars, to capture the vessel.
The afternoon wore away, and as evening came
on it was perceived that a strong ocean current was
sweeping the Richard into a very dangerous position,
between two rocks, called the Skallocks and the
Blaskets. The captain sent out his own barge, with
strong rowers, to tow the ship from her dangerous
course. About one-third of the crew were English
sailors. The best men had been sent off in the boats
to capture the brig. He had therefore to man his
barge mainly with the English. They were unprincipled adventurers, and when night came on they
cut the tow-rope, and pulled for the shore.
The evening was clear and serene. Mr. Trent,
who occupied the position of sailing-master on board
the Richard, immediately sprang into another of the
ship's boats, with a few armed men, and pursued the
deserters. At the same time several cannon-shot
were unavailingly thrown at them. A fog came
on, and the pursuing boat was lost in the darkness.
The deserters reached the shore and escaped. The
fog continued, a genuine English fog, until noon of
the next day. The boats sent to capture the brig




112              PAUL JONES.
were successful. The crews under the command of
the lieutenant took possession of the prize.
The Cerf was sent to reconnoitre the coast, and to
endeavor to recover the two lost boats, the barge and
the boat sent in pursuit of it. Approaching near the
shore, the Cerf, to avoid detection, raised English
colors. Mr. Trent, catching sight of the hostile flag,
fearing capture, ran his boat ashore, where he and his
crew were made prisoners. They were thrown into
a wretched dungeon, where the unhappy Mr. Trent
lingered until death came to his relief.
Thus the Richard lost two important boats. In
the afternoon, Pierre Landais came on board the
Richard, and, even assuming an arrogant air of
superiority, affirmed, in a very insulting manner,
that Captain Jones had lost two boats and their
crews from his folly in sending boats to capture a
brig. He erroneously supposed that the lost boats
were the two which had first been sent out; -whereas
they had been entirely successful, and had triumphantly accomplished their mission. Captain Jones
listened calmly to his impertinent tirade, and then,
with the courtesy of a true gentleman, replied:
"It is not true," Captain Landais, "that the
boats which are lost, are the two which were sent to
capture the brig."
The irate Frenchman, almost insane with pas



CRUISE OF THE BON HOMME RICHARD.    113
sion, whirled upon his heel, and exclaimed, to an
officer who accompanied him, " He tells me I lie."
The gestures of Landais were as rude and insulting as his language. Lieutenants Weibert and
Chamillard endeavored to soothe the unreasonably
angry man. But all was in vain. He raved like a
maniac. Through all this scene, so disgraceful to
the Frenchman, Captain Jones maintained a tranquil
spirit. The conduct of Landais was so violent and
so utterly unreasonable, that Captain Jones charitably excused him, on the supposition that there was
a vein of insanity in his nature.
The Cerf was utterly lost in the fog. The next
night a violent storm arose, and the cutter, finding
itself hopelessly separated from the squadron, returned to France. The privateer-Granville, which
mounted fourteen guns, having secured a prize, hastened with it back to a French port. The moderation displayed by Captain Jones under annoyances
sufficient to drive most men mad, is worthy of all
praise. In his journal for the king he wrote:
"It was my intention to cruise off the southwest
coast of Ireland for twelve or fifteen days, in order
to intercept the enemy's homeward-bound East
India ships. I had been informed that they would
return without convoy, and would steer for that
point of land. But Captain Landais, of the Alliance,




114             PAUL JONES.
began to speak and act as though he were not
under my command. He made great objections to
remaining on the coast, expressing apprehension
that the enemy would send a superior force."
On the evening of the 26th, as a violent storm
was raging, Landais refused to obey the signal from
the Richard, and altering his course, was not seen
again for five days. The Pallas also, in the fearful
gale, lost her rudder, and became in a great degree
unmanageable. When the morning of the 27th of
August dawned luridly upon the tempest-lashed
ocean, the Bon Homme Richard found herself alone
with the Vengeance.
On the 3Ist of August, as the Richard and the
Vengeance were in hot chase of an English privateer, mounting twenty-two guns, the. Alliance, by
chance, again appeared in sight. They were then
off the extreme northwestern coast of Ireland,
within sight of the Hebrides. They had run along
the western shore of Ireland. The Alliance had
captured a valuable prize, bound from Liverpool to
Jamaica. The Richard and Vengeance soon overtook the vessel they were pursuing, and captured
it, almost without a struggle. It proved to be the
Union, bound from London for Quebec. It had a
cargo of great value, consisting of sails, rigging,




CRUISE OF THE BON HOMME RICHARD.      15
anchors, cables, and other essential articles, for the
war-vessels England was building on the lakes.
Captain Jones, having manned from his crew the
brig which he captured off the northwest of Ireland,
and having lost the deserters who filled the barge,
and twenty of his best men who were sent in pursuit of them, probably could not well spare enougi
men to man the guns of the prize, so as to take her
into some safe port. Landais sent the following insulting message to Captain Jones:
"Do you wish to furnish men to carry the
prize you have taken to port, or do you wish me to
furnish men. If it is your wish that I should take
charge of the prize, I shall not allow any boat or any
individual from the Bon Homme Richard to go near
her."
Captain Jones was very anxious, for the honor of
our country, and for the success of the cause of
American liberty, to avoid all jealousies and bickerings with our allies the French. He therefore, in,
a spirit of exalted patriotism, endured indignities,
which, under other circumstances, it would not have
been his duty to tolerate. With noble forbearance
he replied that Captain Landais might take the exclusive charge of the prize. In his journal for the
king he wrote:
" Ridiculous as this appeared to me, I yielded to




16             PAUL JONES.
it for the sake of peace; and received the prisoners
on board the Bon Homme Richard, while the prize
was manned from the Alliance."
It was needful for Captain Jones to make this
statement, in consequence of the result which ensued.
The half-crazed Landais, instead of sending the
prizes directly home to some port in France, probably fearing that they might be captured by some
English war-ship, despatched them to Bergen, in
Norway. The Danish Government, being on friendly
terms with England, gave them both up to the
British ambassador. Landais pursued this strange
course in direct violation of the order he had re
ceived from Jones. The value of the two prizes,
thus foolishly lost, was estimated to exceed two
hundred thousand dollars.
In the afternoon of the same day another large
ship appeared in the horizon, near the Flamie
Islands. As we have said, the Richard was a lumbering merchantman of slow speed. The Alliance was
a finely built, swift-footed American frigate. Jones
signalled the Alliance to aid him in the pursuit by
immediately giving chase. Instead of obeying the
commands of the appointed commodore of the squadron, he deliberately wore ship, and laid his course in
the opposite direction. Night came. The stranger
escaped. In the morning, Captain Jones signalled




CRUISE OF THE BON HOMME RICHARD.    I 17
Landais to come on board the Richard. He wished
to confer respecting more cordial co6peration. Landais contemptuously paid no regard to the signal.
The next morning, which was the 2d of September, daylight revealed a sail in the distance. The
Richard and the Vengeance gave chase, followed
sullenly by the Alliance. The ship proved to be
the Pallas, which had, in some way, succeeded in
repairing the loss of her rudder. A rendezvous had
been appointed, in case the fleet should get separated,
at Fair Island, north of Scotland. The squadron
turned its course in that direction hoping to find the
Cerf there. On the evening of the next day, September 3d, the Vengeance captured a small brig
returning to England from Norway. The Alliance
had disappeared. It had gone, no one knew where.
The terrible annoyances to which Captain Jones
was exposed, in ways innumerable, may be inferred
from the following extracts from his journal:
"On the morning of the 4th the Alliance appeared again, and had brought two very small coasting
sloops in ballast, but without having attended properly to my order of yesterday. The Vengeance
joined me soon after, and informed me that, in consequence of Captain Landais' orders to the commanders of the two prize-ships, they had refused to
follow him to the rendezvous. I am, to this moment,




II8              PAUL JONES.
ignorant of what orders these men received from
Captain' Landais; nor know I by virtue of what
authority he ventured to give his orders to prizes in
my presence, and without either my knowledge or
approbation.  Captain Ricot further informed me
that he had burnt the brigantine, because that vessel proved leaky. And I was sorry to understand
afterward that, though the vessel was Irish property, the cargo was the property of subjects of
Norway.
" In the evening I sent for all the captains to
come on board the Bon Homme Richard, to consult
on future plans of operations. Captains Cottineau
and Ricot obeyed me; but Captain Landais obstinately refused, and after sending me various uncivil
messages, wrote me a very extraordinary letter, in
answer to a written order which I had sent him on
finding that he had trifled with my verbal orders."
Three of the officers of the other ships, gallant
officers and courteous gentlemen, Messrs. Mease,
Cottineau, and Chamillard, went on board the Alliance to endeavor to persuade Landais not to pursue
a course so ruinous to the efficiency of the expedition. The angry man would not listen to the voice
of reason. He spoke of Captain Jones in the most
contemptuous, and insulting terms. He even went
so far as to say:




CRUISE OF THE BON HOMME RICHARD.     I19
"I will soon meet Captain Jones on shore.
Then I will either kill him or he shall kill me."
On the afternoon of the 5th of September, a
storm arose. For four days one of the fiercest of
gales ploughed the seas of those high northern latitudes; for the squadron was then in the parallel of
northern Labrador. In the second night of the gale
the Alliance again disappeared, though there was
nothing to prevent the vessels of the squadron from
keeping in sight of each other. The Vengeance and
the Pallas alone remained with the Richard.
The squadron followed down the eastern coast
of Scotland far out at sea. Their first sight of land
revealed the summits of the Cheviot Hills, far away
in the south. This was in the evening of the I3th.
The next day they gave chase to several vessels
and succeeded in capturing a large ship and a brig,
both laden with coal, some distance off the frith or
bay of Edinburgh.
The city of Leith is the seaport of the city of
Edinburgh, which stands about a mile back from the
bay. Leith contained a population of about twentyfive thousand, and its harbor was crowded with shipping. Captain Jones learned, from his prizes, that
there was no land battery to defend Leith, and that
there'was, in the harbor, in addition to the ordinary
shipping, an armed vessel of twenty guns, and three




120              PAUL JONES.
fine cutters. Captain Jones, always eager for heroic
measures, and whose courage, extraordinary as it
was, was ever tempered by discretion, seeing both
Leith and Edinburgh within reach of his blows and
reposing in indolence and supposed security, desired
to make an instantaneous attack. He summoned
Captain Cottineau of the Pallas and Captain Chamillard of the Vengeance to meet in his cabin. As
he opened his bold plan to them they were appalled
at the idea of attacking, with three small vessels,
Leith, and consequently Edinburgh, which would
instantly send all her forces to the rescue. Captain
Jones eloquently urged upon the French officers the
motives which influenced his own mind.
" It is," he said, "a matter of the utmost imt,
portance to teach the enemy humanity by some
exemplary stroke of. retaliatipp. And there is no
way in which we can release from the most cruel
captivity the American prisoners in England; but
by making captives of some persons of note. The
aristocratic Government of Great Britain will care
but little for the fate of their poor sailors and fishermen.
"Moreover, the Allies are soon to make a formidable'descent on the south side of England. It
will greatly help their operations, if we can make a
diversion here in the north. The bold measure will




CRUISE OF THE BON HOMME RICHARD. 121
alarm them. They will imagine that an immense
force is to follow into the Bay of Edinburgh. This
will compel them to hurry their armies to the north,
leaving the south unprotected.
"And bold as the measure appears to be, it is by
no means quixotic. There is every reason to expect
success. We know just what resistance we have to
encounter. We have ample means to overcome that
resistance. And should any unforeseen calamity
thwart our plans, we can promptly put to sea, and
there are no vessels at hand which will dare to
pursue us."
Thus he argued all the night, but unavailingly.
Objections and difficulties were presented without
number. There was perhaps never more unselfish
patriotism than that which glowed in the bosom of
Paul Jones. The idea of his own personal interest
being promoted by the plunder he should take,
seemed never to have entered his mind. It would
have been unreasonable to expect that such purity
of motive could govern the French officers. They
were merely the allies of America, and, in the war,
had no important national interests at stake. Captain Jones then appealed to another motive.
" The cities of Leith and Edinburgh will readily
give a million of dollars to ransom their two cities
from the flames."
6




122             PAUL JONES.
A million of dollars! two hundred thousand
pounds. This thought touched and melted their
hearts. All opposition gave way. They were now
ready to cooperate, with all the zeal which mercenary
instincts could inspire.








__________________ 
V ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~~~~~~ ——;;~~
IGH BTWEN HEEONHOMERICAH AD SHAIS




CHAPTER VI.
The Bon Homme Richard and the Serapis.
Leith Threatened.-The Summons.-Remarkable Prayer.-Widespread Alarm.-Continuation of the Cruise.-Insubordination of
Landais.-Successive Captures.-Terrible Battle between the
Bon Homme Richard and the Serapis.-The Great Victory.
UNFORTUNATELY so much time had been spent
in convincing the captains of the Pallas and the
Vengeance of the feasibility of an attack upon Leith,
that the golden hour of success was lost. As the
little fleet of three vessels was sailing up the wide
Frith of Forth, and were abreast of Inchkeith
Island, within ten or twelve miles of Leith, and which
island is at the entrance of the harbor, the success
of the enterprise seemed certain. It was the morning of the seventeenth. In an hour the vessels
would have been within cannon-shot of the town.
Everything was ready for the descent. Every preparation was made for the landing of troops under
Lieutenant-Colonel Chamillard. The summons to
the chief magistrate was written. It was characteristic ofthe humanity and energy of Captain Jones.




124             PAUL JONES.
"I do not wish," he wrote, "to distress the
poor inhabitants. My intention is only to demand
your contribution toward the reimbursement which
Britain owes to the much injured citizens of America. Savages would blush at the unmanly violation
and rapacity that have marked the tracks of British
tyranny in America, from which neither virgin innocence nor helpless age has been a plea of protection
or pity.
" Leith and its port now lay at our mercy. And
did not the plea of humanity stay the just hand of
retaliation, I should, without advertisement, lay it in
ashes. Before I proceed to that stern duty as an
officer, my duty as a man induces me to propose to
you, by means of a reasonable ransom, to prevent
such a scene of horror and distress. For this reason
I have authorized Lieutenant-Colonel de Chamillard
to agree with you on the terms of ransom, allowing
you exactly half an hour's reflection before you finally
accept or reject the terms which he shall propose."
The alarm had reached Leith, and was running
along the thronged streets of Edinburgh. All was
hurry and confusion. Crowds were assembled on
the beach, and were rushing to all the commanding
heights in the neighborhood. On the northern
shore of the bay was the thriving little town of
Kirkaldy. The three vessels passed within a mile




THE RICHARD AND THE SERAPIS.     125
of the town. It was the morning of the Sabbath.
Nearly all of the little community were at church.
Alarmed by the near approach of the squadron, they
made a general rush to the beach, accompanied by
their pastor, the Rev. Mr. Shivra. He was a man
of great eccentricity, and particularly remarkable for
the familiarity with which he was accustomed to
address the Deity. Standing upon the beach, with
uncovered head and uplifted hands, and surrounded
by his reverent flock, it is said that he offered, in
broad Scotch, the following extraordinary prayer
It was not extraordinary to them, or irreverent, for
they had ever been accustomed to such utterances,
"Now, dear Lord, dinna ye think it a shame for
ye to send this vile pirate to rob our folk o' Kirkaldy.
Ye ken that they are puir enow already, and hae
naething to spare. The way the wind blaws he'll be
here in a jiffy. And wha kens what he may do?
He's nae too good for onything. Mickle's the mischief he has dune already. He'll burn their hooses,
tak their very claes, and strip them to the sark.
And, waes me, wha kens but that the bluidy villain
might tak their lives! The puir weemen are most
frightened out of their wits, and the bairns screeching after them. I canna think of it! I canna think
of it!
"I have long been a faithful servant to ye, O




126              PAUL JONES.
Lord. But gin ye dinna turn the wind about and
blaw the scoundrel out of our gate I'll nae stir a
foot; but will just sit here till the tide comes. Sae
tak your will o't."
Suddenly a violent gale arose, blowing out from
the harbor. The people of Kirkaldy never doubted
that it was in consequence of the powerful intercession of their pastor. "I prayed," said the good old
man often afterward, "but the Lord sent the wind."
The gale was so violent that it was impossible to
make any headway against it. The ship which he
had captured, freighted with coal, had her seams so
opened by the tornado that she sank to the bottom.
It was with the greatest difficulty that the crew was
rescued. Though Jones was almost within gun-shot
of Leith, after an ineffectual struggle with the
gale he was obliged to bear away and run out of
the Frith.
In the morning, the storm abated and the
weather fair, Captain Jones was anxious to return
immediately to the attack. But the other captains
were unwilling to run the risk. In conference they
said:
"The alarm of our approach has spread throughout the whole country. The inhabitants of Leith
have had several hours to prepare to repel us. The
city of Edinburgh will certainly have sent all its




THE RICHARD AND THE SERAPIS.      127
military force into Leith. British men-of-war are all
along the coast. They will be immediately informed
of our presence. Unless we disappear we shall be
overwhelmed by numbers. We dare not remain
here. If Captain Jones decides to do so, we must
leave him."
It may seem very strange that Captain Jones,
who was the commodore of the fleet, should not
have had the power to command in such a case.
But he was crippled, and his energies almost paralyzed, by instructions, which, through the address
of Landais, had been given to him by the French
Minister of Marine the evening before he sailed.
By this singular document, called a concordat,
the five captains, Jones, Landais, Cottineau, Varage,
and Ricot, were bound to act together.   This
seemed to make them colleagues, without any supreme head. This unfortunate order, in a military
point of view, was an absurdity-as absurd as to
order the commander-in-chief of, an army first to
obtain the approval of all his generals before ordering any important movement. To this wretched
concordat Captain Jones justly attributed nearly
all his troubles. Landais, from the beginning, assumed that he was the colleague of Jones.
The intrepid Captain Jones could only argue the
point with his officers. He said:




128              PAUL JONES.
" We know that there are no batteries to oppose
us. There is no naval force in the harb'or which we
cannotinstantly silence. The wind is such that we
can run in and out of the harbor at our pleasure.
No matter how many thousand men stand on the
shore with their muskets, they cannot harm us.
From the harbor we can throw our broadsides of
shot into the crowded city, and in a short time lay
it in ashes. We can also destroy all the shipping.
Rather than submit to this terrible loss, they will
promptly pay the ransom we demand. Thus, in all
probability, we have only to sail into the harbor,
receive the ransom, and go on our way."
These were strong arguments. They show that
Captain Jones was not a reckless desperado. His
plans were maturely considered. Those of his enterprises which appeared most desperate were sanctioned by the decisions of sound judgment. His
arguments were unavailing; and he was compelled
to yield. In his official account, he says, in mild
language, which commands our.respect for the man:
"I am persuaded even now that I should have
succeeded. And to the honor of my young officers,
I found them as ardently disposed to the business as
I could desire. Nothing prevented me from pursuing my design, but the reproach that would have
been cast upon my character, as a man of prudence,




THE RICHARD AND THE SERAPIS.      129
had the enterprise miscarried. It would have been
said: Was he not warned by Captain Cottineau, and
others?"
The Alliance having disappeared, there were
now but.two vessels, the Pallas and the Vengeance,
accompanying the Richard. This little fleet continued its course in a southerly direction along the
eastern coast of Scotland. On the i9th, three vessels were captured, which were of but little worth.
The next day three more were taken. One of
them, Captain Cottineau, contrary to orders, ransomed. The others were either retained or sunk.
On the 2Ist, when off Flamborough Head, a remarkably bold English promontory jutting out from the
Yorkshire coast, two vessels appeared in sight, one in
the northeast, and the other in the southwest. The
Bon Homme Richard and the Vengeance pursued,
the one in the southwest, while the Pallas was sent
in chase of the other. Captain Jones overtook the
one he chased. It was a brig in ballast. As a large
fleet was then discovered between Flamborough
Head and Spurn Head, another remarkable promontory about thirty miles farther south, Captain
Jones sunk the brig, and pressed forward in pursuit
of the fleet. While eagerly engaged in the'chase,
night came on. He had, however, got so near one
vessel of the fleet as to compel her to run ashore.
6*




I30             PAUL JONES.
As the twilight faded away he overtook and captured a brig. The night was long and dark. The
affrighted vessels improved every moment in running into such harbors as could be reached.
The dawn of the next day revealed another fleet
rounding the point of Spurn Head. This fleet was
convoyed by apparently a single armed ship. The
achievements of Captain Jones's little fleet had, by
this time, spread alarm everywhere. As soon as
the fleet caught sight of the Richard and the Vengeance, though there was nothing to distinguish
these vessels from others of the innumerable ships
which were ever traversing the Channel, suspicions
were aroused, and the whole fleet turned to, and
fled back intq the river Humber, as fast as their
wings could bear them.
Captain Jones ran the English flag to the masthead of the Bon Homme Richard, and signalled for
a pilot. Soon two pilot-boats came off. The pilots
supposed the Richard to be an English man-of-war.
They were consequently unreserved in their communications. They informed Captain Jones that
the fleet, which had run back into the Humber, was
convoyed only by an armed merchant-ship, and that
a king's frigate was at anchor within the mouth of
the river, waiting to convoy another fleet of merchantships to the north. The pilots also communicated




THE RICHARD AND THE SERAPIS.      I31
to him the private signal they were required to
make.
With this signal Captain Jones endeavored to
decoy the frigate out of the harbor. The frigate
spread its sails, and would soon have been within
the grasp of its foes, had not the wind changed;
which, with a strong, unfavorable tide, compelled the
ship to return. The entrance of the Humber is difficult and dangerous. Captain Jones did not deem
it prudent, with only one assistant, to attempt an
attack upon the shipping there. The Pallas was not
in sight. He therefore turned his course north, to
meet the Pallas, by previous agreement, off Flamborough Head.
In the night, Captain Jones saw two ships. It
was bright moonlight, and he gave them chase.
Thinking it possible that one might be the Pallas,
he made the private signal of recognizance, which
had been communicated to each captain before the
fleet sailed. He was bewildered by having one-half
of the answer only returned from one of the vessels.
Thus embarrassed, he lay to till daylight, when the
ships proved to be the Pallas and the Alliance. It
is probable that the Pallas was too far distant to discern the signal by moonlight; and that the ambiguous answer returned was one of the mad pranks of
Landais.




132              PAUL JONES.
On the morning of the 23d they gave chase to a
brig, which appeared at some distance to the windward. At noon, while engaged in this chase, a large
ship appeared coming round the Head. Captain
Jones had seized both of the swift-sailing pilot-boats.
One of them he armed and sent in pursuit of the
brig. Accompanied by the Vengeance he sailed in
chase of the ship. The ship ran for protection into
Burlington Bay. But just then there hove in sight,
far away in the north of Flamborough Head, a fleet
of forty-one merchant-ships. It was very certain
that such a fleet would not be without a strong
convoy.
Captain Jones immediately signalled back the
pilot-boat, and also hung out the signal for a general
chase. As soon as the fleet discovered the squadron bearing down upon them, suspecting that it was
the terrible Captain Jones, the merchant-ships, like
frightened pigeons, crowded all sail toward the
shore. There were then six vessels composing Captain Jones's squadron, the Richard, the Alliance,, the
Vengeance, the Pallas, and the two pilot-boats.
It was soon found that there were two ships-ofwar protecting the merchant fleet. These two, the
Serapis and the Countess of Scarborough, two of the
most strongly built and best armed of English frigates, came steadily forward, preparing for battle.




THE RICHARD AND THE SERAPIS.      133
Captain Jones made signal for all his ships to form
in line of battle, and crowded all sail to reach the
enemy as soon as possible, for night was at hand.
Captain Landais paid no attention to the signal.
It was seven o'clock in the evening when the
Bon Homme Richard and the Serapis approached
within hailing distance of each other. The Alliance
stood sullenly aloof from the conflict. The Vengeance, for some unexplained reason, remained far to
the windward, and did not come into action. She
had been commanded to assist in any way she
could in the battle, or in taking or destroying the
merchant-ships. The Pallas, under Captain Cottineau, bore down bravely upon the Countess of Scarborough, and after the bloody conflict of an hour compelled the white cross of St. George to bow to the
Stars and the Stripes of the almost nameless republic. Thus the Richard was left alone to contend
with the Serapis.
The Richard had forty guns. Six of these were
eighteen-pounders. The rest were twelve, nine, and
six pounders. Three hundred and seventy-five men
served these guns. The whole weight of iron balls
she could throw at one discharge of them all, was
four hundred and seventy-four pounds.
The Serapis carried forty-one guns. Twenty of
these were eighteen-pounders. There were three




134             PAUL JONES.
hundred and twenty-five men to work these guns.
The whole weight of metal the Serapis could throw,
at one discharge, was six hundred pounds.
The Serapis was one of the finest of British frigates, agile and very obedient to her helm. The
Richard was an old and clumsy merchantman, very
unwieldy, and poorly fitted for warfare. There was
a, gentle breeze which swelled the sails, and an almost
unrippled sea. The sun had been set for more than
a hour. But the moon rose in full splendor, and,
shining down from a cloudless sky, shed almost
noonday brilliance' over the scene. The vessels
were but three miles from the rugged cliffs of Flamborough, which seems but a short distance when
looked upon over the water. Those cliffs were
blackened with the multitudes who had hurried to
witness the strange, sublime, and yet awful spectacle.
The coast line and the piers of Scarborough seemed
also to be crowded with spectators.
The breeze was so light that the vessels had approached each other very slowly. When within
pistol-shot, and abreast, with bow  to bow, the
Serapis hailed the Richard with the question:
"What ship is that?"
The answer came back, " What is it you say?"
Again the shout came from the Serapis, "What




THE RICHARD AND THE SERAPIS.      135
ship is that? Answer immediately, or I shall fire
into you."
Simultaneously both vessels opened their broadsides. The flash glared upon the spectators like
lightning from the cloud. Then came the thunder
peal. The storm of human passion, more dreadful
than any storm which ever wrecked the skies, had
begun. The iron hail tore through both of the ships,
crashing the timbers, scattering death-dealing splinters in all directions, and strewing the decks with
the mangled bodies of the dying and the dead. At
this first discharge two of the eighteen-pounders of
the Richard burst, killing almost every man who
served them, and so blowing up the deck and creating such havoc as to render the remaining four useless.
Thus Captain Jones's battery of six eighteenpounders was rendered entirely useless;- while his
adversary had twenty eighteen-pounders to hurl
destruction upon the Richard. The battle was continued with unremitting fury. Broadside followed
broadside in such swift succession that there was a
continuous flash and a continuous roar.
It was a wondrous spectacle presented to the
spectators on land. Both ships were enveloped in
such a cloud of smoke as to be quite invisible. It
seemed as though a thunder-cloud, fraught with the




136             PAUL JONES.
most dreadful tempests, had descended upon the
ocean, and that a supernatural strife was raging
there between unseen spirits of darkness, who hurled
bolts at each other which illumined the ocean, and
shook the hills. All who witnessed the terrific
scene were overwhelmed with emotions of awe
and dread. This is indeed a fallen world. Through
all the ages, on the ocean and on the land, man has
been combining all the. energies he could wield for
the destruction of his brother man.
Very slowly this war cloud moved along, the manceuvres of both vessels being entirely concealed from
those on the shore. Each was constantly endeavoring to cross each other's track, that thus the ship of
its opponent might be raked by a broadside which
would sweep from the bows to the stern. But several of the braces of the Richard were shot away;
she would not readily mind the helm, and the bowsprit of the Serapis was thrust across the stern of
the Richard, near the mizzen-mast.
Captain Jones grasped the bowsprit with his
grappling irons, and made the ships fast. The stern
of the Serapis swung round to the bows of the Richard. Thus the ships were brought square alongside
of each other. Their yards were all entangled. The
muzzles of their guns often touched. In the meantime the gunners were pouring into each other their




8th Position. The two ships foul fore
aP8rik  ~      and aft; the Seraps's larboard
anchor on the bottom, her starboard
caught in the Richard's starboard
~~\    ~     quarter-port. So both ships remain"%\  ~      ed until the close of the action.
7                7th Position.  The Richard    runs
S   xoy  Ad  athwart hawse of the Serapis.
6th Positin. The Richard fills her
6.:~.~ J ~ T~          topsails, and the Serapis backs hers,
dQ  [~ ~      which brings the two ships broad-,!                  side and broadside.
5th Position. The Richard backs clear
P{B& 9y   ~        of the Serapis.
*,  4  ^  4th Position. The Serapis, not having
room to cross the Richard's bow,
luffs up, and the Richard runs into
her quarter.
3d Position. The Seraps rakes the
Richard and attempts to cross her
(    1 h3                     bow.
i.Q^~ jha~           2d Position. The Serapis passes to
windward of the Richard.'at
/4'    11 st Poition. Battle begins at 7.80
J








THE RICHARD AND THE SERAPIS.      137
awful broadsides, creating destruction which was truly
appalling. Several eighteen-pound shots had pierced
the Richard at the water's edge, and the water was
rushing in torrents through the openings.
A party of twenty soldiers had been placed upon
the quarter-deck of the Richard, to pick off the gunners of the enemy, with their muskets. But they
were assailed by such a murderous storm of grapeshot, that torn and bleedin'g, and leaving many dead
upon the deck, they ran below. Men were stationed
high up in the rigging of both the ships, who kept
up an incessant fire upon all exposed persons.
The two vessels, sometimes touching each other
and again separated by but a few feet, moved slowly
along, side by side, dealing such terrific blows as to
cause each to stagger. They often crossed each
other's track, now passing the bow and again the
stern. Captain Jones's battery of twelve-pounders,
upon which he had placed his'main reliance, was
soon entirely silenced. As in this terrible struggle
broadside answered broadside, Captain Jones saw
that the superiority of his enemy in weight of metal
would inevitably give him the victory, if that mode
of warfare were continued; especially as his own
vessel was old and easily torn to pieces by the foeman's shot, while the Serapis was new, with solid




138             PAUL JONES.
timbers almost like ribs of steel. He resolved to
board the foe.
In attempting this his vessel became entangled
with the jib-boom of the Serapis and tore it away.
The grappling irons were again thrown out, and the
two ships again swung together, broadside to broadside, so that the muzzles of their guns not unfrequently touched, and the gunners, in ramming down
the charges, often ran their ramrods into the portholes of their adversary. With his own hand Captain Jones aided in tying the lashings, that the vessels might not again be separated. Still there was
not a moment's cessation of the cannonading. The
timbers were torn and rent. Huge gaps were opened
in the sides of each ship. The cloud of smoke
which enveloped them was so dense that the combatants, in almost midnight darkness, fought mainly
by the flash of their guns.
A hundred men made a rush over the gunwales
into the Serapis with gleaming swords, exploding
pistols, and the loudest outcries which frenzy could
extort. In such hours of blood and terror, shrieks
aid to embolden the heart and nerve the arm.
They were met by an equal number of the foe, with
pike, sabre, pistol, and corresponding yells. What
imagination can conceive the scene? In midnight
darkness, illumined only by war's portentous flashes,




THE RICHARD AND THE SERAPIS.      139
enveloped in sulphurous smoke, with the crash as
of ten thousand thunders deafening the ear, more
than.seven hundred men, crowded together in closest
contact, and wielding the most powerful weapons
modern art could construct, were butchering each
other. Limb was torn from limb. Dead bodies
strewed the decks, which were slippery with blood.
Shrieks and groans and prayers and oaths were
blended with the horrid clamor. Can hell itself
present a scene more infernal than this.
And who shall answer for this at God's bar? If
Abraham was right in arming three hundred and
eighteen men to pursue the savages for the rescue
of his nephew Lot, and his family, and if he could
look for God's blessing upon the enterprise, as he
certainly could, then were these colonies justified in
resisting, even to this direful extremity, the attempts
of haughty England to enslave our land. The burglar who breaks into the peaceful dwelling at midnight, to rob and murder, may be justly resisted with
every weapon which frenzy can grasp. The British
government must answer at the Judgment Seat, for
these scenes of blood and woe. Truly did Captain
Jones write to Lady Selkirk:
"Humanity starts back from such scenes of
horror, and cannot sufficiently execrate the vile promoters of the detestable war.




140              PAUL JONES.
"For they;'twas they unsheathed the ruthless blade,
And Heaven shall ask the havoc it has made."
The boarders were driven back. Leaving many
dead upon the deck of the Serapis, they were forced,
pell-mell, over the gunwales, with many a gory
wound, to the blood-stained decks of the Richard.
As they fled, the two captains, each on his quarterdeck, stood within a few feet of each other. In the
darkness the flags could not be seen. Captain
Pearson, of the Serapis, shouted out:
"Have you struck your flag?"
"No," responded Captain Jones, "I have not
yet begun to fight." With his own hands the intrepid captain worked, serving the guns. Though
blackened with powder and smoke, and painfully
wounded by a splinter; he was calm and unagitated,
watching every movement, but with a firm expression
on his almost feminine features which indicated that
he would never, never yield. He endeavored to
compensate for the superiority of the guns of his foe
by the rapidity of his own fire. His guns thus
became greatly heated, and in their terrible rebound
threatened to break from their fastenings. At every
discharge his ship trembled from stem to stern. In
Captain Jones's extremely modest official account, in
which not one word is said in praise of himself, he
writes:




THE RICHARD AND THE SERAPIS.      141
"I directed the fire of one of the three cannon
against the main-mast with double-headed shot,
while the other two were exceedingly well served
with grape and canister shot to silence the enemy's
musketry, and clear her decks, which was at last
effected. The enemy were, as I have since understood, oh the instant for calling for quarter, when
the cowardice or treachery of three of my under
officers induced them to call to the enemy. The
English commodore asked me if I demanded quarter, and, I having answered him in the most determined negative, they renewed the battle with double
fury. They were unable to stand the deck, but the
fire of their cannon, especially the lower battery,
which was entirely formed of eighteen-pounders,
was incessant. Both ships were set on fire in various places, and the scene was dreadful beyond the
reach of language. To account for the timidity of
my three under officers (I mean the gunner, the
carpenter, and the master-at-arms), I must observe
that the two first were slightly wounded, and as the
ship had received various shots under water, and
one of the pumps being shot away, the carpenter
expressed his fear that she would sink, and the
other two concluded that she was sinking,.which
occasioned the gunner to run aft on the poop, without my knowledge, to strike the colors; fortunately




142             PAUL JONES.
for me, a cannon-ball had done that before, by car
rying away the ensign staff; he was, therefore,
reduced to the necessity of sinking-as he supposed-or of calling for quarter, and he preferred
the latter."
There were six feet of water in the hold. The
flood, in streams, was rushing in. The ship was
apparently sinking. At that awful moment one of
the officers rushed below and, with humane intentions, released three hundred prisoners who were in
the hold. They came pouring upon deck in a
frenzy of dismay. Water would drown them in the
hold. Bullets and cannon-balls would strike them
on the deck. The Richard was on fire in several
places. The rudder was cut off the stern-frame, and
the transoms shot' away. Fire had broken out in
several places. It was burning within a few inches
of the powder magazine. The timbers on the ship's
side, from the main-mast to the stern, were entirely
shot away, so that the balls of the Serapis passed
directly through, meeting with no obstruction but
the bodies of men. A few blackened posts alone
prevented the upper deck from falling.
The flames were so near the magazine that Captain Jones ordered the powder kegs to be brought
up and thrown into the sea. He compelled the prisoners to work at the pumps, and in the endeavor to




THE RICHARD AND THE SERAPIS.     143
extinguish the flames. They were indeed ready
enough to do this; for the sinking of the ship would
drown them, and they were in imminent peril of
being burned up by the conflagration.
In the midst of this awful confusion, after the
battle had raged for two and a half hours, Captain
Pearson thought he heard the cry of some one on
board the Richard calling for quarter. This cry
probably came from the quartermaster.
"Hearing this," Captain Pearson writes, "I
called upon the captain, to know if he had struck.
No answer being made, after repeating my words to
or three times, I called for the boarders and ordered
them to board; which they did. But the moment
they were on board the Richard, they discovered a
superior number, lying under cover, with pikes in
their hands ready to receive them; on which our
people retreated instantly to their guns again, till
after ten o'clock."
The powder-boys of the Serapis, whose business
it was to bring up the cartridges for the guns, appalled by the horrible scene, of dismounted guns,
mutilation, and death, scarcely knowing what they
did, threw the cartridges upon the deck, and went
back for more. The cartridges were trampled upon
and broken. The deck was soon quite covered with
cartridges and loose powder. A hand grenade,




144              PAUL JONES.
thrown from the Richard, set fire to this, and produced an awful explosion.
The effect was horrible. More than twenty were
instantly blown to pieces. Many others had every
particle of clothing blown from their bodies, and
were thrown down, writhing in agony, blackened, and
scorched almost to cinders, Captain Pearson, in his
official report says:
"A hand grenade, being thrown in at one of the
lower ports a cartridge of powder was set on fire;
the flames of which, running from cartridge to cartridge all the way aft, blew up the whole of the people and officers that were quartered abaft the mainmast; from which unfortunate circumstances, all
those guns were rendered useless for the remainder
of the action, and I fear that the greater part of the
people will lose their lives."
Just before ten oclock the Alliance, which had
stood aloof during all these-hours, made her appearance. I must give this extraordinary occurrence in
the words of Captain Jones.
"I now thought," he wrote, " that the battle was
at an end. But to my utter astonishment he discharged a broadside full into the stern of the Bon
Homme Richard. We called to him for God's sake
to forbear. Yet he passed along the off side of the
ship, and continued firing. There was no possibil



THE RICHARD AND THE SERAPIS.      145
ity of his mistaking the enemy's ship for the Bon
Homme Richard, there being the most essential difference in their appearance and construction. Besides it was then full moonlight, and the sides of the
Bon Homme Richard were all black, and the sides of
the enemy's ship were yellow. Yet for the greater
security I showed the signal for our reconnoisance, by
putting out three lanterns, one at the bow, one at
the stern, and one at the middle, in a horizontal
line.
"Every tongue cried that he was firing into the
wrong ship, but nothing availed. He passed round
firing into the Bon Homme Richard, head, stern, and
broadside, and by one of his volleys killed several
of my best men, and mortally wounded a good
officer of the forecastle. My situation was truly
deplorable. The Bon Homme Richard received
several shots under the water from the Alliance.
The leak gained on the pumps; and the fire increased
much on board both ships. Some officers entreated
me to strike, of whose courage and sense I entertain
a high opinion. I would not, however, give up the
point."
The fire from the tops of the Richard had struck
down every man on the quarter-deck of the Serapis.
Captain Jones's guns had so cut the main-mast of
the foe that it reeled and fell with a fearful crash,
7




146              PAUL JONES.
tearing down with it spars and rigging, and leaving
the ship almost a helpless wreck. Flames were
bursting forth in several places. Captain Pearson
saw that all was lost. With his own hands he struck
his flag.
Lieutenant Richard Dale immediately, with the
consent of Captain Jones, jumped upon the gunwale,
seized the main-brace pendant, and swung himself
upon the quarter-deck of the captured ship. He
was followed by Midshipman Mayrant, with a large
party of sailors. The confusion was so great that it
was not known, at that moment, throughout either
ship, that the Serapis had surrendered. One of the
enemy, stationed at the waist, ran his boarding-pike
through the thigh of the midshipman.
Lieutenant Dale found Captain Pearson standing
aside, the image of despair, on the leeward of the
quarter-deck. Addressing the unfortunate captain
respectfully, he said:
"Sir, I have orders to send you on board the
ship alongside."
The first lieutenant of the Serapis, coming up at
this moment, inquired:
"Has the enemy struck her flag?"
"No, sir," Lieutenant Dale replied. "On the
contrary, you have struck to us."




THE RICHARD AND THE SERAPIS.      147
The lieutenant of the Serapis, turning anxiously
to Captain Pearson, inquired:
" Have you struck, sir."
" Yes, I have!" was the sad, laconic reply.
All this occupied scarcely one minute. It was
near midnight. Darkness and suffocating smoke
enveloped the combatants. Random firing had
not yet ceased, though on both ships nearly all the
cannon had been dismounted.
The lieutenant of the Serapis replied, "I have
nothing more to say." He turned about and was
going below when Lieutenant Dale courteously
arrested him saying, " It is my duty to request you
sir, to accompany Captain Pearson on board the
ship alongside."
" If you will first permit me," the lieutenant replied, "to go below, I will silence the firing of the
lower deck guns."
"This cannot be permitted," was the reply.
The two distinguished captives passed over to the
deck of the Bon Homme Richard. Orders were
sent below to cease firing. Thus terminated this
most memorable of naval conflicts, after a bloody
battle, with muzzle to muzzle, of nearly three hours
and a half. Through all time, in all naval chronicles
the battle between the Bon Homme Richard and
the Serapis will occupy a conspicuous position.




CHAPTER VII.
Result of the Victory.
Dreadful Spectacle.-Sinking of the Bon Homme Richard.-Escape
of the Baltic Fleet.-Sails for the Texel.-Interesting Correspondence.-Sufferings of the American Prisoners.-Barbarity of the
English Government.-Humanity of Captain Jones.-The Transference from the Serapis to the Alliance.-Extracts from the
British Press.-Release of Prisoners.
AFTER the excitement of the conflict was over,
Captain Jones was shocked at the spectacle of devastation and misery which was presented to him.
All sense of triumph was lost in emotions of compassion and sadness.     In his official journal he
wrote:
"A person must have been an eye-witness to
form a just idea of the tremendous scene of carnage,
wreck, and ruin that everywhere appeared.        Humanity cannot but recoil from the prospect of such
finished horror, and lament that war should produce such fatal consequences."
The carpenters were immediately employed in
examining the Bon Homme Richard, to see if her




RESULT OF THE VICTORY.         149
wounds were capable of being healed. The lashings
were cut which bound her to the Serapis, and all the
available hands were employed, at the pumps, to
keep her afloat. Captain Jones took possession of
his shattered prize, the Serapis, to which he transferred all the crew, excepting those which attended
the pumps. Boats were in waiting, ready to take
them on board the Serapis should the water gain
upon them too fast. The surveying officers soon
reported unanimously, that the ship could not be
kept afloat long enough to reach port. It took all
the night, and some hour's the next morning hastily
but carefully.to remove the wounded.
Captain Jones was very anxious to save the ship,
and made every possible effort until nine o'clock the
next evening. The water was then up to her lower
deck. She rolled in the waves in utter helplessness, threatening every moment to go down. The
water was gushing from her port-holes and swashing through her hatchways. It was necessary at
once to abandon her. From the deck of the Serapis
Captain Jones sadly watched the dying convulsions
of his " good old ship." He wrote:
"We did not abandon her till after nine o'clock.
A little after ten, I saw, with inexpressible grief, the
last glimpse of the Bon Homme Richard. No lives
were lost with the ship; but it was impossible to




I50              PAUL JONES.
save the stores of any sort whatever. I lost the
best part of my clothes, books, and papers. Several
of my officers lost all their clothes and effects."
Making one or two dying surges, the Richard
plunged headlong into the fathomless abyss, carrying
her dead with her to their sublime ocean burial.
There the mangled bodies will repose till, at the
summons of the archangel's trump, the sea shall
give up the dead that are in it. According to the
most accurate estimate which can be made, fortytwo were killed, and forty severely wounded. Light
wounds were not counted. There was no accurate
account taken of the killed and wounded on board
the Serapis. The surgeon's report to the British
Admiralty, gives the number of wounded at seventy-five, but does not give the number killed. Captain Pearson states that there were many more
wounded than appears on the surgeon's list. Captain Jones, who had the best opportunity for knowing, and who was not given to exaggeration, estimates the killed at one hundred, and the wounded
at about the same number.
Captain Landais, of the Alliance, was court-martialed for his atrocious conduct. There can be no
reasonable doubt, from the evidence given on his
trial, that he hoped the Serapis would conquer and
capture the Bon Homme Richard. During the con



RESULT OF THE VICTORY.        151
flict he kept entirely out of harm's way, so that not a
shot struck him. After the Richard had surrendered
Captain Landais intended to come forward, attack
the Serapis exhausted and shattered by its previous
conflict, and with her guns dismounted and encumbered by the wounded and the dead, and thus make
an easy conquest of the British ship and rescue her
prize. He could thus retire with glory, dragging the
Serapis and the Bon Homme Richard in his train.
Finding it a little doubtful whether the Richard
would yield, he concluded to help the Serapis.
Tlree of his officers declared that Landias said to
them:
" I should have thought it no harm if the Bon
Homme Richard had struck her flag. That would
have given me an opportunity to take the Serapis
and to retake her."
I must now leave Landais, for the present, though
I shall have occasion to refer to him again. The
Baltic fleet escaped. The fact is easily explained
from the loss of the Richard, the crippled state of
the Serapis, with both main-mast and mizzen-mast
dragging at her sides, and the treacherous conduct
of Landais. Jury-masts were erected upon the
Serapis, and for ten days the shattered ship was
tossed on the stormy waves of the North Sea. Captain Jones was striving to reach Dunkirk, the most




152             PAUL JONES.
northerly and consequently the nearest seaport in
France.
In the extreme northwest of Holland there is a
somewhat renowned island called the Texel. It is
about thirteen miles long and six broad, and is situated near the mouth of the Zuyder Zee, or South
Sea, as that portion of the German Ocean is called.
It is nearly two hundred miles north of the most
northerly frontier of France. Contrary winds, and
the extremely suffering state of the prisoners and his
wounded, rendered it necessary for him to run into
that neutral port.
Captain Jones never made any complaint respecting his own hardships. But while upon this eventful campaign his toils, responsibilities, and anxieties
had been such that during the whole time he had
never indulged in more than three hours' sleep
in the twenty-four. The news of the capture of
the Serapis spread rapidly through Europe and
America. The haughty attitude England had ever
assumed had rendered her unpopular with all other
nations. Consequently there was a general rejoicing
over the great victory of. Captain Jones. It was
something new for England to lose one of her finest
frigates in a fairly fought battle with an inferior force.
It is said that this terrible battle between the
Bon Homme Richard and the Serapis was more




RESULT OF THE VICTORY.         153
noised abroad over the world than any naval conflict ever engaged in, in ancient or modern times.
It was a marvel to all Europe to see an English ship
of war, hitherto generally supposed to be invincible,
strike to a frigate of the feeble colonies of America,
which had, as yet, scarcely a national name and whose
flag was unknown. The superiority of the British
ship, both in build and in armament, the treacherous
conduct of Landais, and the desperate resistance of
both parties, apparently to the last possible degree,
excited astonishment and admiration both in the
Old World and the New. Captain Jones was the hero
of the day. His name was upon all lips. The enthusiasm in Paris was almost boundless. Dr. Franklin wrote to him under date of October I5th, 1779:
"For some days after the arrival of your express,
scarce anything was talked of at Paris or Versailles
but your cool conduct and persevering bravery during that terrible conflict. You may believe that the
impression on my mind was not less strong than on
that of others, but I do not choose to say, in a letter to yourself, all I think on such an occasion."
He informed Captain Jones that he had written
to Landais, informing him that he would have an
opportunity, before a court-martial, to answer the
charges of disobedience of orders and neglect of duty
which had been brought against him. As it was
7*




154              PAUL JONES.
impracticable immediately to organize a court-martial, he was for the time relieved from the command
of the Alliance. He added:
" I know not whether Captain Landais will obey
my orders, nor what the ministry will do with him if
he comes. But I suspect that they may, by some of
their concise operations, save the trouble of a courtmartial."
It subsequently appeared that Landais had previously been dismissed from the French service for
insubordination. This fact was not known to Congress when he was assigned to the command of the
Alliance. They simply knew that he was a Frenchman of illustrious family, of great pretensions, and
who had been an officer in the French navy. Congress inconsiderately, in its anxiety to compliment
France, placed him in a position which his eccentric
passions totally disqualified him from filling.
Landais wrote to Dr. Franklin soliciting another
command.   In a very characteristic reply, dated
March I2th, I780, Dr. Franklin wrote:
"No one has ever learned the opinion I formed
of you, from the inquiry made into your conduct. I
kept it entirely to myself, I have not even hinted it
in my letters to America, because I would not hazard
giving any one a bias to your prejudice.
"By communicating a part of that opinion pri



RESULT OF THE VICTORY.        155
vately to you I can do no harm, for you may burn it.
I should not give you the pain of reading it, if your
demand did not make it necessary.
" I think you then, so imprudent, so litigious and
quarrelsome a man, even with your best friends, that
peace and good order, and consequently the quiet
and regular subordination so necessary to success,
are, where you preside, impossible. These are within my observation and apprehension. Your military
operations I leave to more capable judges. If, therefore, I had twenty ships of war, I should not give one
of them to Captain Landais. The same temper
which excluded him from the French marine would
weigh equally with me."
It was one important object of Captain Jones to
get prisoners, that by an exchange he might release
the American prisoners who were suffering the most
barbarous treatment in the prisons of England. He
carried with him into the Texel, five hundred British captives. Franklin proposed to the British government to exchange them for an equal number of
Americans. But the ministry refused. They sent a
large number of men-of-war to watch the channel,
and cruise off the Texel, quite confident that they
should be able to capture the prisoners as soon as
any attempt was made to transport them to France.
For some time they refused to exchange American




I56             PAUL JONES.
prisoners on any terms. They would surrender the
French captives alone, in return for the English.
The sympathies of kind-hearted Captain Jones
were deeply moved in behalf of the captive Americans. And yet his feelings would not allow him to
retaliate in treating with inhumanity the British prisoners in his hands. They were generally poor and
ignorant men. Not a few had been impressed into
the service. They were not responsible for the cruelty of the government, over which they had no
control. There was a large party in England totally
opposed to this unrighteous war, and still more opposed to the barbarity with which the government
was conducting it.
When it was proposed and carried in Parliament
to employ the savages as the allies of Great Britain,
-to hire the savages, with torch and tomahawk and
scalping knife, in midnight assault, to burn the logcabins and butcher the helpless women and children
in their lonely homes, far away in the wilderness,
hundreds of voices were raised in indignant remonstrance. The Earl of Chatham exclaimed, in the
House of Lords, in one of the most eloquent and
impassioned of addresses:
"I am astonished, I am shocked, to hear such
principles confessed; to hear them avowed in this
house or in this country. Were I an American, as I




RESULT OF THE VICTORY.        157
am an Englishman, I would never lay down' my arms
-never, never never."
One of the London Journals of September 2Ist,
I779, contains the following notice: "The master
of a sloop from Harwich, who arrived yesterday, saw
on Saturday last, no less than eleven sail-of-war
going in search of Paul Jones, and among them was
the Edgar of seventy-four guns. By the examination of four men, belonging to one of Paul Jones's
squadron, it appears that Jones's orders were not to
burn any houses or towns. What an example of
honor and greatness does America thus show to us.
While our troops are running about from town to
town on their coast, burning everything with a wanton wicked barbarity, Dr. Franklin gives no orders to
retaliate. He is above it. And there was a time
when an. English minister would have disdained to
make war in so villanous a mode. It is a disgrace
to the nation."
The London Chronicle of October I7th, 1779, contained the following notice: "Last Tuesday Paul
Jones, with his prizes, the Serapis and Scarborough,
entered the Texel, and appeared on the exchange,
where business gave way to curiosity. The crowd
pressing upon him, by whom he was styled the terror
of the English, he withdrew to a room fronting a
public square, where Monsieur Donneville, the




158              PAUL JONES.
French agent, and the Americans, paid him such a
volley of compliments, and such homage as he could
only answer with a bow. He was dressed in the
American uniform, with a Scotch bonnet edged with
gold; is of a middling stature, stern countenance, and
swarthy complexion.
Captain Cunningham had received a commission
for a privateer, from Commissioners Franklin and
Deane. He had cruised in the Channel with great
success, and had become quite a terror to the English. Being captured he was treated with such
barbarity that Congress twice passed resolutions
threatening retaliation. But the humanity of the
nation recoiled from plunging innocent men into
loathsome dungeons, and freezing and starving them,
to retaliate for'crimes committed by those who were
clothed in purple and fine linen and who fared sumptuously every day. Captain Jones wrote to Dr.
Franklin, from Amsterdam, under the date of
October I Ith, 1779:
"As I am informed that Captain Cunningham is
threatened with unfair play by the British government, I am determined to keep in my hands the
captain of the Serapis, as a hostage for Cunningham's release as a prisoner of war. I wish heartily
that poor Cunningham, whom I am taught to regard
as a Continental officer, was exchanged, as with his




RESULT OF THE VICTORY.         159
assistance I could form a court-martial, which I
believe you will see unavoidable."
Captain Pearson and the other British prisoners
were provided for, in all respects, as comfortably as
circumstances would allow. And yet the English
captain wrote the following curious complaint to his
illustrious captor. We do not feel at liberty to correct his bad grammar. The letter was dated October
i9th, 1799.
"Captain Pearson presents his compliments to
Captain Jones, and is sorry to find himself so little
attended to in his present situation, as not to have
been favored with either a Call or a line from Captain Jones since his return from Amsterdam. Captain Pearson is sorry to say that he cannot look upon
such behavior in any other light than as a breach of
that Civility which his rank, as well as behavior on
all occasions entitles to; he, at the same time,
wishes to be informed, by Captain Jones, whether
any steps has been taken towards the enlargement or
exchange of him, his officers and people, or what is
intended to be done with them. As he cannot help
thinking it a very unprecedented circumstance their
being keeped here as prisoners, on board of ship,
being so long in a neutral port."
The dignified reply of Captain Jones deserves
insertion in full. The English Government, through




I60              PAUL JONES.
its ambassador at the Hague, had positively refused
to ransom the English prisoners, at the Texel, by
exchanging for them American prisoners, Captain
Pearson could not have been ignorant of this fact.
The reply was dated on board the Serapis, October
20th, 1779.
"As you have not been prevented from corresponding with your friends, and particularly with
the English ambassador at the Hague, I could not suppose you to be unacquainted with his memorial of the
8th, to the States General, and therefore I thought it
fruitless to pursue the negociation for the exchange
of the prisoners of war now in our hands.
" I wished to avoid any painful altercation with
you on that subject. I was persuaded that you had
been in the highest degree sensible that my behavior toward you had been far from a breach of civility. This charge, sir, is not a civil return for the
polite hospitality and disinterested attentions you
have hitherto experienced.
" I know not what difference of respect is due to
Rank between your service and ours. I suppose
however the difference must be thought very great in
England, since I am informed that Captain Cunningham, of equal denomination, and who bears a senior
rank, in the service of America, than yours in the




RESULT OF THE VICTORY.             161
service of England, is now confined in England, in a
dungeon and in fetters 
"Humanity, which has hitherto superseded the
plea of retaliation in American breasts, has induced
me, notwithstanding the procedure of Sir Joseph
Yorke,* to seek after permission to land the dangerously wounded, as well prisoners as Americans, to be
supported and cured at the expense of our continent.
The permission of the government has been obtained; but the magistrates continue to make objections. I shall not discontinue my application. I
am ready to adopt any means you may propose for
their preservation and recovery; and, in the meantime, we shall continue to treat them with the utmost care and attention, equally, as you know, to the
treatment of our people of the same rank.
"As it is possible that you have not yet seen
the memorial of your ambassador to the States General, I enclose a paper which contains a copy. And
I think he has since written what, in the opinion of
good men, will do still less honor to his pen. I cannot conclude without informing you that unless Cap*Sir Joseph Yorke was the British ambassador at the Hague.
He insisted that the Dutch Government should take from Captain
Jones, the Serapis and the Countess of Scarborough. He said that
as England had not recognized the United States, the captures were
illegal, as a commission had not been granted to Captain Jones by a
sovereign power.




162              PAUL JONES.
tain Cunningham is immediately better treated in
England, I expect orders, in consequence, from his
Excellency, Dr. Franklin. Therefore, I beseech you,
sir, to interfere."
The British Government, by threats, so intimidated the States General, that they disavowed any
intention of recognizing the Independence of the
United States. They refused to furnish Captain
Jones with any munitions of war, and ordered him
immediately to leave the Texel. This seemed to
insure his utter destruction; for powerful British
men-of-war were cruising just off the island, on the
watch to grasp him the moment he should put to sea.
In a memorial which the British minister, Sir
Joseph Yorke, presented on the 29th of September,
he wrote:
" I cannot but comply with the strict orders of
his majesty (the king of England) by renewing, in
the strongest and most pressing manner his request,
that these ships and their crews may be stopped and
delivered up, which the pirate Paul yones, of Scotland, who is a rebel subject, and a criminal of the
state, has taken." He also demanded that all the
officers of the United States navy should be treated
as pirates; for their commissions were illegal, not
having been granted by a government which England had recognized as a sovereign power.




RESULT OF THE VICTORY.        163
But the French Government promptly and efficiently interfered.  It assured the States General
that though Captain Jones received his commission
from the Congress of the United States, still that he
also sailed under the sanction of the flag of France,
in a French ship, and that the French flag covered
the prizes he had captured. The sympathies of the
Dutch Government were with America. Under this
complicated state of affairs it was decided that prizes
which Captain Jones had taken with French ships,
should be regarded as prizes belonging to the king
of France; and that Captain Jones should take command of the American frigate the Alliance.
In obedience with this order, at midnight, Captain Jones, having delivered to the French ambassador the ships and prizes which were deemed to
belong to the French king, took command of the
Alliance, and surrendered the Serapis to Captain
Cottineau of the Pallas. The eccentric if not insane
Landais quarrelled with almost every one who approached him. He challenged Captain Cottineau to
a duel. He was a very accomplished swordsman.
Very unwisely, Captain Cottineau, who was not
particularly skilful with that weapon, allowed his
insulting opponent, in addition to many other
wrongs and outrages, the privilege of thrusting his
sword through his opponent's body, inflicting a very




I64              PAUL JONES.
painful, disabling, and dangerous wound. Landais
then sent a similar challenge to Captain Jones, who
very properly replied by sending officers to arrest
him. Upon this he fled and made his way to Paris,
where we shall again hear of him.
Extracts from Captain Jones's letters will show,
better than any description, the noble character of
this truly noble man; a man who has been strangely
misrepresented. He wrote to the Marquis de Lafayette, from the Serapis, at the Texel, on the 28th of
October, I779:
"The late brutalities of the Britons in America
fill me with horror and indignation. They forget
that they are men. And I believe that nothing will
bring them to their senses but the most exemplary
retaliation.
"I wish to answer, very particularly, the points
which you have propounded. Ist, I never meant to
ask a reward for my services, either from France or
America.  Consequently the approbation of the
Court and of the Congress is all the gratification I can
wish for. 2d, I yet intend to undertake whatever
the utmost exertion of my abilities will reach in support of the common cause, as far as any force that
may in future be intrusted to my direction may
enable to succeed."
One of the London journals, of September 29th,




RESULT OF THE VICTORY.        I65
I779, gives the following amusing exaggeration of
the force under Captain Jones's command, and of the
terror his achievements had inspired:
"An express has arrived from Aymouth with
information that Paul Jones was off there with five
ships of war and two thousand troops; that on the
i9th they appeared off Sunderland and put the
inhabitants into great confusion, as they expected
them to land every hour, or destroy the ships in the
harbor."
Another London journal gives the following
account of this celebrated cruise:
"On Saturday noon two gentlemen of the corporation of Hull arrived express at the Admiralty,
with the alarming account that the celebrated American Corsair, Paul Jones, had entered the river Humber, on Thursday last, and chased a vessel within a
mile of the pier, where he sunk, burned, and destroyed sixteen valuable vessels, which threw the
whole town and neighborhood into the utmost consternation.
"On Saturday night another express arrived, at
the Admiralty, with the further disagreeable intelligence that Paul Jones's squadron, after having done
more mischief to the shipping on Friday, had fallen
in with the Baltic fleet, had taken their convoy, the
Serapis man-of-war, of forty-four guns, and the armed




i66              PAUL JONES.
ship, the Countess of Scarborough, of twenty-four
guns. This action was seen by thousands of spectators. The other ships of Jones's squadron were making havoc among the fleet, most of which, however,
had taken shelter near Flamborough Head.
" From four captured Americans it was discovered
that it was Jones's plan to alarm the coasts of Wales,
Ireland, the western parts of Scotland, and the North
Channel.  He took several prizes on the coast of
Ireland, particularly two armed transports with
stores for New York. He had it in his power to
burn Leith; but his orders are only to burn shipping.  His squadron is now but weakly manned,
owing to the great number of prizes he has taken;
and it, therefore, may fall an easy conquest to the
sixteen sail of men-of-war who have orders to go
after him.
"Expresses also arrived on Saturday, from Sunderland, stating that Paul Jones had taken sixteen
more sail of colliers. In consequence of the capture
of so many colliers and the interruption of the trade,
the price of coal will be enormous. Instead of having the dominion of the sea, it is now evident that
we are not able to defend our own coast from depredations. Yesterday Lord Sandwich informed some
Russian merchants that twenty of his Majesty's
ships were sent in quest of Paul Jones."




RESULT OF THE VICTORY.         167
Franklin, who was ever in very cordial sympathy
with Paul Jones, wrote him many and very affectionate letters when the heroic conqueror, entirely
destitute of funds, was surrounded with embarrassments, at the Texel, sufficient to break down the
spirits and to crush the energies of any ordinary
man. It was indeed a question how the prisoners
were to be conveyed to France. Those northern
seas were swarming with English ships, whose commanders were intensely anxious to capture the commissioned naval officer of the United States, whose
commission was ratified by alliance with France, and
whom they still had the insolence to stigmatize as a
pirate. Franklin wrote to him, under date of October 15, I779:
" I am uneasy about your prisoners. I wish they
were safe in France. You will then have completed
the glorious work of giving liberty to all the Americans, who have so long languished for it in the British prisons; for there are not so many there as you
have now taken."
Paul Jones, in command of his squadron, was
rightly entitled to the designation of commodore.
He was so regarded by the French court, who had
intrusted to him the fleet. He is thus addressed
by the Duke of Vauguyon. In a letter, under date




I68              PAUL JONES.
of December 21, 1779, addressed to Commodore
Jones, the duke writes:
"I have received, my dear commodore, the letter you have addressed to me. I perceive, with
pain, that you do not view your situation in the
right light. I can assure you that the ministers of
the king have no intention to cause you the least
disagreeable feelings, as the honorable testimonials
of the esteem of his majesty, which I send you,
ought to convince you."
Every eminent man must have rivals and enemies. There were scores of French officers hungering for high command. They envied the renown of
Jones. They complained that they were neglected,
while a foreigner was intrusted with the command
of French ships. Many of these complainants were
nobles of great wealth as well as illustrious rank.
The French ministry thus had great embarrassments
to encounter. They appreciated highly the services
of Commodore Jones. They were very desirous of
immediately giving him new employment. And yet
they felt under the necessity of leaving him, for a
time, in idleness, greatly to his chagrin. The impatience he manifested under these circumstances
reflect honor upon his patriotic enthusiasm. He
wrote to the Duke of Vauguyon, on the 25th of
December, I779, as follows:




RESULT OF THE VICTORY.        169
"You do me great honor as well as justice, my
lord, by observing that no satisfaction can be more
precious to me than that of giving new proofs of my
zeal for the common cause of France and America.
And the interest you take to facilitate the means of
my giving such proofs, by essential services, claims
my best thanks. I hope I shall not, through any
imprudence of mine, render ineffectual any noble
design that may be in contemplation for the general
good. Whenever that object is mentioned, my
private concerns are out of the question.
"With a deep sense of your generous sentiments
of personal regard toward me, and with the most
sincere wishes to meet that regard by my conduct
through life, I am," etc.
The Dutch Government, goaded by the menaces
of England, though it dared not command the
French ships to leave its ports, insisted that the
American commodore, whose government Holland
had not yet recognized, should immediately, with
the American frigate the Alliance, leave the Texel.
But there were twelve British men-of-war, at the
mouth of the harbor, watching for him. Eight were
at the northern entrance of the port, and four at the
southern.
Commodore Jones, for I shall henceforth give
him the designation to which I consider him justly
8




170              PAUL JONES.
entitled, kept the banner of the Stars and Stripes
proudly floating from the mast-head of the Alliance.
He also unflinchingly declared that he never bore any
commission but that which he received from the
Congress of the United States of America. It was
said that there were, in all, forty British men-of-war
cruising in the German Ocean, so as to render the
escape of Paul Jones impossible. The Dutch
admiral, on the I2th, informed him they must insist
upon his sailing with the first fair wind.
To add to his embarrassments he found that
Landais had left the Alliance in the most deplorable
condition, totally unfit for service without extensive
repairs. She was an admirable ship in model and
construction, and was remarkable for her sailing
qualities. But, through sheer negligence and general
demoralization, nearly everything was in a ruinous
condition. The sails were worn out. The cables
had gone to decay. Her battery was in a condition
unfit for action, and her small arms quite out of
order. Most of the powder had either become damaged by leakage, or rendered unfit for use by neglecting to turn the kegs. The officers were all quarrelling with each other, and the men insubordinate.
Intemperance and the want of cleanliness, with the
total absence of discipline, had struck down many
of the crew with epidemical diseases.




RESULT OF THE VICTORY.        I7I
Commodore Jones made the most vigorous efforts
to prepare the Alliance for sea; and he promised the
government that he would leave, at all hazards, as
soon as the wind would serve. But before he sailed
he enjoyed the great gratification of learning that
Dr. Franklin had succeeded in obtaining the liberation of all the American prisoners in England, by
exchanging for them the prisoners Commodore
Jones had captured. He also had the happiness of
grasping the hand, at the Texel, of Captain Cunningham, who, by the energies of Commodore Jones, had
been rescued from the most dreadful bondage.




CHAPTER VIII.
Commodore yones at Court.
Offer of a Privateersman.-Indignant Reply.-The Renown of Commodore Jones.-Successful Retreat.-Cruise through the Channel.-Poetic Effusion.-Enters Corunna.-Letter to Lafayette.Embarrassed Finances of Franklin.-Intrigues of Landais.-His
Efforts to Excite Mutiny.-Testimony against him.-Commodore Jones at Court.
IT was indeed running the gauntlet, for Commodore Jones, with a frigate of but thirty-four guns,
and in poor sailing trim, to escape from the Texel,
and run down the German Ocean, through the English Channel and the Straits of Dover, to some
French port, when the whole available force of the
British navy was on the lookout for him, with
twelve men-of-war cruising before the mouth of the
harbor. It would seem that, under those circumstances, escape were impossible.
Just before sailing, the French minister, M. de la
Sartine, offered Commodore Jones, through the
Duke de Vauguyon, a commission as captain of a
privateersman, which several gentleman of wealth
had fitted out, in the best possible manner, to enrich




COMMODORE JONES AT COURT.       173
themselves by preying upon British commerce.
This assumption that Commodore Jones was a
mere adventurer, guided by the love of money, he
regarded as an insult. In indignant terms he rejected the offer. Under date of December I3th, he
wrote to the duke, as follows:
" MY LORD: Perhaps there are many men in the
world, who would esteem as an honor the commission that I have this day refused. My rank, from
the beginning, knew no superior in the marine of
America. How then must I be humbled were I to
receive a letter of marque. It is a matter of the
highest astonishment to me that, after so many compliments and fair professions, the court should offer
the present insult to my understanding, and suppose
me capable of disgracing my present commission. I
confess that I never merited all the praise bestowed
on my past conduct; but I also feel that I have far
less merited such a reward."
The letter containing these sentiments he enclosed in one to Dr. Franklin, that it might be presented by him to the duke, if it met his approval.
In his letter he still more forcibly gave expression
to his wounded feelings. The heroic man added:
"We hear that the enemy still keeps a squadron
cruising off here. But this shall not prevent my attempts to depart, whenever the wind will permit.




174              PAUL JONES.
I hope we have recovered the trim of this ship,
which was entirely lost during the last cruise; and I
do not much fear the enemy in the long and dark
nights of this season. The ship is well-manned, and
shall not be given away. I need not tell you, that I
will do my utmost to take prisoners and prizes, in
my way from hence."
The great victory Commodore Jones had achieved
gave him singular renown. The ladies, especially,
were charmed by his chivalry. He received constant attentions from the most eminent in rank.
The palace and the castle opened their doors to
welcome him. He had the most urgent invitations
to visit Amsterdam and to enjoy the hospitalities of
the court. But all these flattering attentions he
avoided as much as possible. One great passion absorbed his soul. All his energies were consecrated
to the sublime mission of emancipating the United
States, and ennobling their flag.
"Duty," he said, " must take the precedence of
pleasure. I must wait a more favorable opportunity
to kiss the hands of the fair."
The Alliance had a picked crew of four hundred
and twenty-seven men. Nearly all these were Americans. Many of them had been liberated from British
prisons by the energies of Commodore Jones. He
impressed upon both officers and crew his deter



COMMODORE JONES AT COURT.        175
mination that he should never shrink from an engagement with any English ship which did not
mount more than fifty guns.
The night of the 26th of December was dark,
with a fresh, fair wind. The Alliance, in the midnight gloom, proudly unfurled at her mast-head
the Stars and Stripes. Every inch of canvas was
spread to catch the breeze. Flying closely along the
Flemish banks, he was so fortunate as to elude the
observation of the fleets watching for his capture.
Before the morning dawned he was far away upon
the broad expanse of the German Ocean, where
fleets might cruise for weeks and not meet each
other. There had been a very severe gale just
before the departure of the Alliance, which blew so
fiercely upon the shore, that the English squadron
had been compelled to put to sea for safety. Doubtless to this event Commodore Jones was much indebted for his escape.
This successful retreat of Commodore Jones
from the overwhelming forces which surrounded him
is regarded, by naval authorities, as one of the most
successful of naval exploits. Keeping well to the
windward of the enemy's fleet, he traversed the North
Sea, sailing through the narrow Straits of Dover, in
full view of the British fleet in the Downs; passed
the Isle of Wight, almost within hailing distance of




I76                PAUL JONES.
the shore, though quite a fleet was at anchor at Spithead; and, thoughhe saw two-decked cruising ships
of the enemy before him and behind him and on
each side of him, he eluded them all, safely emerged
from the British Channel and continued his course
down the western coast of France. This was a voyage of not less than fifteen hundred miles.
Sometime before leaving the Texel he had
received a complimentary poetic epistle from a
young lady at the Hague, who addressed him as
King of the Sea. When fairly out upon the German Ocean, with leisure hours, he on the Ist of
January, I780, went into his cabin and wrote a poetic
reply. He was not a poet. But it is very doubtful whether Lord Nelson,' under the circumstances,
could have done as well. As a specimen of his skill
in versification I will give the last stanza.
"But since, alas! the rage of war prevails,
And cruel Britons desolate our land,
For freedom still I spread my willing sails,
My unsheathed sword my injured country shall command.
Go on, bright maid; the muses all attend
Genius like thine, and wish to be its friend.'
Trust me, although conveyed through this poor shift,
My New Year's thoughts are grateful for thy gift."
Commodore Jones was very desirous of not going
empty-handed into port. It was not enough for him
merely to elude his enemies. He was resolved, if




COMMODORE JONES AT COURT.          177
possible, to take some prizes. He therefore ran
down the Bay of Biscay and westerly along the coast
of Spain, several hundred miles, in a region where it
was very certain that the British men-of-war would
not be searching for him.
When cruising off Cape Finisterre, the extreme
northwesterly cape of Spain, he encountered a very
severe storm. This led him to run for shelter into
the Spanish port of Corunna, where there was a fine
harbor. I may remark, in passing, that this Corunna
subsequently became renowned in history. Southey
writes:
"Its filth is astonishing. Other towns attract
the eye of the traveller. But Corunna takes his attention by the nose."
This place became famous in the struggle
between Spain and Napoleon I. To this point Sir
John Moore was fleeing in his disastrous retreat
before Napoleon, and near its walls he fell. The
poet has immortalized the event in the sublime ode,
upon his burial by moonlight.
"Not a drum was heard, nor a funeral note,
As his corpse to the ramparts we hurried;
Not a soldier discharged his farewell shot,
O'er the grave where our hero was buried."
At.Corunna Commodore Jones was very kindly
received by the Spanish authorities. He remained
8*




178              PAUL JONES.
in port twelve days, making sundry needful repairs.
Upon the evening of his arrival he wrote to
Lafayette:
"I made my passage safe through the Channel
in spite of all their cruising ships and squadrons; and
had the pleasure of looking at them in the Downs,
and in passing in sight of the Isle of Wight. I
steered this way in hopes of meeting some of their
cruisers off Cape Finisterre, but am hitherto disappointed."
On the 28th of January, 1780, he again set sail,
and after the unsuccessful cruise of a fortnight,
entered the harbor of L'Orient, in France, on the
I3th of February. This strongly fortified French
port is seated at the head of the bay Port Louis,
about three miles from the ocean. Here he learned
that he was accused Qf cherishing a strong dislike for
the French people. In reply to this rumor he wrote
to the Marquis.de Lafayette,/under date of February i8th, I780.
"< M. Weibert has, I understand, taken great pains
to promulgate that I do not love France. To come
to the point, here follows my political profession. I
am a citizen of the world, totally unfettered by the
little mean distinctions of country or of climate,
which diminish or set bounds to the benevolence of
the heart. Impelled by principles of gratitude and




COMMODORE JONES AT COURT.       179
philanthropy I drew my sword at the beginning of
the American Revolution. And when France so
nobly espoused that great cause, no individual felt
the obligation with truer gratitude than myself.
When the Court of France, soon after, invited me to
remain for a time in Europe, I considered myself as
highly honored by the application that was made to
the American commissioners. Since that time I
have been at every instant, and I still am, ready to
do my utmost for the good of the common cause of
France and America.
"As an American officer, and as a man, I affectionately love and respect the character and nation
of France, and hope the alliance with America may
last forever. I owe the greatest obligation to the
generous praise of the French nation on my past
conduct, and shall be happy to merit future favor. I
greatly love and esteem his most Christian Majesty
as the great ally of America, the best of kings, and
the amiable friend and protector of the rights of
human nature. Therefore he has few of his own
subjects who would bleed, in his present cause, with
greater freedom than myself, and none who are more
disinterested. At the same time I lament the calamities of war, and wish, above all things, for an honorable, happy, and lasting peace.
"My fortune is not augmented by the part I




80              PAUL JONES.
have hitherto acted in the revolution, although I
have had frequent opportunities of acquiring riches.
And I pledged myself to the worthy part of mankind, that my future conduct in the war shall not
forfeit their good opinion. I am, with great and sincere affection, happy in your friendship."
Though Commodore Jones had not captured
any prize, he fortunately met an American ship, the
Livingston, laden with tobacco, which he convoyed
into L'Orient.
The Alliance was needed to convey stores to the
United Colonies. But she was in need of very
thorough repairs before she could safely spread sail
on so important a voyage. The seas were covered
with British war vessels of double her number of
guns. It was therefore essential that she should be
prepared for a rapid flight. There were fifteen
thousand stand of good arms to be sent, and one
hundred and twenty large bales of cloth for the
army, with other freight of great value. The loss of
these would prove a great calamity.
Commodore Jones felt that it would be madness
to undertake to cross the ocean, with so valuable a
cargo, without putting the ship in the best possible
trim.  But the French court, which had been at
great expense in fitting out its own ships, declined
furnishing funds from an exhausted treasury; and




COMMODORE JONES AT COURT.       i8i
the American commissioners in Paris, representatives
of the feeble colonies, had neither money nor credit.
There is true pathos in the letter which Dr. Franklin wrote the commodore on this occasion.
"As to refitting your ship," he wrote, "at the
expense of this court, there is not the least probability of obtaining it; and therefore I cannot ask it.
The whole expense will therefore fall upon me; and
I am ill provided to bear it, having so many unexpected calls upon me from all quarters. I therefore
beg you would have mercy on me. Put me to as little charge as possible, and take nothing you can
possibly do without. I approve of your applying to
Messrs. Gourlade and Moylan for what repairs you
want, having an exceeding good opinion of those
gentlemen. But let me repeat it, for God's sake be
sparing, unless you mean to make me a bankrupt, or
have your drafts dishonored, for want of money in
my hands to pay them."
To this appeal the commodore replied, "I feel
your reasons for urging frugality. And as I have
not, hitherto, been among the extravagant servants
of America, so you may depend upon it, my regard
for you will make me particularly nice in my present
situation."
By the middle of April the Alliance, under the
very energetic and skilful superintendence of Com



182             PAUL JONES.
modore Jones, was ready for sea. Competent judges
declared that it was one of the finest frigates to be
found in France. Though it was manifestly for
Commodore Jones's pecuniary interest to remain with
his splendid ship in the region of rich prizes, where
at any time, in a few hours, he could run into the
fortified ports of France, yet, without a murmur, he
undertook the more humble employment of conveying stores to America.
There were four gentlemen in Paris, including
one of the commissioners, Mr. Arthur Lee, who
wished to take passage with him. Landais, when
he fled from the Texel, left his trunks on board the
Alliance. Doctor Franklin wrote to Commodore
Jones:
" Captain Landais has demanded of me an order
to you, to deliver to him his trunks. I find him so
exceedingly captious and critical, and so apt to misconstrue, as an intended injustice, every expression
in a language which he does not immediately understand, that I am tired of writing anything for him
or about him, and am determined to have nothing
further to do with him."
Innumerable difficulties had arisen about the adjustment and distribution of the prizes. The sailors
had not received their wages, and not even a dollar
of their prize money. Many of them were in a state




COMMODORE JONES AT COURT.       183
of great destitution. Their chests of clothing had
gone down in the Bon Homme Richard; and after
the long delay in the Texel they were almost in rags.
Landais, having been commissioned by the American Congress, demanded to be sent to this country
for trial upon the charges brought against him.
This request had been granted, and Dr. Franklin had
furnished him with funds to pay his passage, in the
Luzerne, an American merchant ship. There were
many very serious charges tabled against him. In
defence of the most severe accusation, that he had
fired into the Bon Homme Richard, he presented the
plea that the two ships were lashed together, and
that he could not fire into the Serapis, without some
of his shot being liable to strike the Richard. But
the testimony given by Nathaniel Fanning seems
conclusive, as it was corroborated by much other
testimony. HIe was stationed in the main-top of
the Richard, where he remained during the whole
action.
He testified that two hours after the engagement
commenced, the Alliance came under the stern of
the Richard, and discharged her whole broadside
into the ship. She then came under the bow of the
Richard, and discharged another volley of grape and
round shot. The Alliance was within hail, and some
of the officers of the Richard shouted, " For God's




184              PAUL JONES.
sake don't fire into us. You have already killed
several of our men." Still she fired a number of shot
afterwards into the Richard.
Another officer of the Richard testified that he
was standing on the quarter-deck in the midst of
the smoke and tumult of the battle, when they were
struck by a raking fire, and two men fell dead at his
side. He then heard several cry out, " The Alliance
is manned with Englishmen, and is firing on us."
The Alliance then passed by, and after a couple of
hours came under their stern and discharged a full
broadside into the Richard.
"It is my sincere opinion," this witness testified,
"that the motive of Captain Landais must have
been to kill Captain Jones, and distress the Richard,
so as to cause her to -strike to the Serapis, that he
might be able to take both vessels and honor himself with the laurels of that day."
Several pages of similar testimony might be given.
All alike testified that the Alliance never passed on
the off-side of the Serapis; but ever kept the Richard between the Serapis and her guns. Thus, if
any of her shot struck the Serapis, they must have
first passed through the Richard.
Commodore Jones, sympathizing with his men in
their utter destitution, and the apparent wrongs
under which they were suffering, felt constrained to




COMMODORE JONES AT COURT.       185
go personally to Paris to plead with the court at
Versailles, in their behalf. Months had passed during which they had received no wages. They had
captured many valuable prizes, but no money had
come back to them. Two of these, it will be remembered, which were valued at two hundred thousand
dollars, Captain Landais, contrary to the orders of
Commodore Jones, had sent to Norway. The Norwegian Government, alarmed by the menaces of
England, surrendered them both to the British ambassador, on the ground that Captain Jones had
not been commissioned by any government which
Norway had recognized.
The other prizes, which were in French ports,
were to be sold at auction. But in consequence of
some technicalities of the laws, whose delays are
proverbial, the ships had not yet been sold. The
commissioners at Paris, in their poverty, sent to the
crew of the Alliance a sum of money which amounted to about ten dollars apiece. This did but excite
their indignation and derison. Some, in their chagrin, chucked the coin into the water.
Commodore Jones was a handsome man about
thirty-six years af age, of fine figure, fair complexion,
pleasant features, and courtly bearing. He was a
man of literary tastes and studious habits. He
wrote poetry, and spoke the French language with




i86              PAUL JONES.
considerable fluency. These personal and mental
accomplishments, added to his chivalric exploits, the
fame of which had filled the world, rendered him an
object of remarkable and universal attention in the
Court of Versailles.
The king was his personal friend, and made him
a present of an exquisitely wrought gold-headed
sword. The king and the court were united in lavishing honor upon him. He was invited to dine
with the most illustrious members of that aristocratic court. Wherever he appeared, the eyes of
the crowd followed his steps. These extraordinary
attentions, which were sufficient to turn the head of
any ordinary man, do not appear to have diminished,
in the slightest degree, Paul Jones's zeal in the public service. The court was then greatly embarrassed
for money.  The measureless extravagances of
Louis XIV. and Louis XV. had plunged the nation
into hopeless bankruptcy, and hourly, matters were
ripening for all the horrors of the French Revolution.
Thus the court, though lavish in compliments,
had but little money to confer in charity upon the
struggling colonies. Commodore Jones, with unusual literary culture for a man in his situation, moved
through all these scenes with the winning manners
of a well-bred man. He felt the importance of con



COMMODORE JONES AT COURT.            I87
ciliating all possible influences in favor of the imperilled country of his adoption.
In the court of Versailles, the ladies often controlled the most important affairs of state.  The
guilty favorites of the two preceding kings had in
a great measure guided the destinies of Europe.
Maria Antoinette was far more the sovereign than
her weak but well-meaning spouse.
Among the ladies of highest rank, by whom he
was particularly honored, were a daughter of Louis
XV., and the Countess of Lavendahl.
An English lady at Versailles writes to a friend,
"The famous Paul Jones dines and sups here often.
He is a smart man of thirty-six, speaks but little
French, appears to be an extraordinary genius, a
poet as well as a hero. He is greatly admired here,
especially by the ladies, who are wild for love of
him. But he adores the Countess of Lavendahl, who
has honored him with every mark of politeness and
distinction. A few days ago he wrote some verses
extempore, of which I send you a copy." The following are the verses.
"Insulted freedom bled: I felt her cause,
And drew my sword to vindicate her laws
From principle, and not from vain applause
I've done my best; self-interest apart
And self-reproach a stranger to my heart,
My zeal still prompts, ambitious to pursue
The foe, ye fair, of liberty and you;




Il88              PAUL JONES.
Grateful for praise, spontaneous and unbought,
A generous people's love not meanly sought;
To merit this, and bend the knee to beauty
Shall be my earliest and my latest duty."
In a subsequent letter the same lady wrote,
"Since my last, Paul Jones drank tea and supped
here. If I am in love with him, for love I may die.
~I have as many rivals as there are ladies. The
most formidable is Lady Lavendahl, who possesses
all his heart. This lady is of high rank and virtue,
very sensible, good-natured and affable. Besides
this, she is possessed of youth, beauty, wit, and every
other female accomplishment."
Commodore Jones had but just left L'Orient, on
the all-important mission to Versailles, when Landais went to that port to get his trunks and to take
passage in the Luzerne for America. Finding the
commodore absent, and the crew almost in a state
of mutiny, he resolved to make an attempt to recover the command of the Alliance.
He represented that Jones, leaving the crew in
their destitution, had gone to Paris to enjoy the
feasting and adulation which were lavished upon
him there. He insinuated that they had been robbed of their prize money, and that Jones and his
confederates had appropriated it to their own luxurious indulgence. He also represented that Jones
was regarded by the European courts, and would be




COMMODORE JONES AT COURT.        189
regarded by Congress, simply as a privateersman,
sailing on his own account, and that consequently
his seamen, when they arrived in America, would be
deserted by him, and that they could expect no
wages from Congress.
This was very artful malice. It shows that Landais possessed very considerable powers of wicked
intrigue. He even succeeded in winning over to his
side Commissioner Lee, who was to return in the
Alliance, and who was not on very good terms with
the other members of the Congressional delegation.
Captain Landais obtained from Commissioner Lee
an opinion containing the following statement, under
date of May, I3th:
"From documents exhibited to me, it is clear,
beyond a possibility of doubt, that Captain Landais commands the Alliance, under the full, direct,
and express order of Congress; and that no such
authority appears to dismiss him from the command.
In this situation Captain Landais must answer at
his peril for the frigate intrusted to him, till he receives an order of Congress to deliver her to another.
If such order exists, those who have it do infinite
wrong to the service, in not producing it. If there
is no such order, the subjects of the United States,
who attempt to divest Captain Landais of the command he holds from the sovereign power, or to dis



I90             PAUL JONES.
turb him by violence in the exercise of it, commit a
high crime against the laws and sovereignity of the
United States, and subject themselves to a proportionable punishment."
Mr. Lee knew full well the views of Dr. Franklin
upon this all-important subject. Rather defiantly
he wrote: " This is my opinion, founded on a cool
and candid consideration of the authorities on both
sides. You are at liberty to show this letter to whom
you please, or to send it to Dr. Franklin."
Landais had abandoned the Alliance at the Texel,
and had run away, to avoid arrest for challenging
his superior officer to a duel. For seven months he
had not stepped on board the ship, during which time
Jones had been in undisputed command. He was
now virtually under arrest, to be sent back to America to be tried for one of the most atrocious crimes
which could be committed. Dr. Franklin, learning
that Landais was still at L'Orient, and that he had
written to some one, " I am waiting for Franklin's
orders to take command of the Alliance," addressed
a letter to him, expressing his astonishment that he
was not long before on his way to America for trial,
for which voyage Franklin had provided him with
funds. And he added, "I waive any further dispute with you. But I charge you not to meddle
with the command of the Alliance, or to create any




COMMODORE JONES AT COURT.        19I
disturbance on board her, as you will answer to the
contrary at your peril."
Landais succeeded in having a paper drawn up,
and signed by one hundred and sixteen of the more
than four hundred sailors of the Alliance, which was
addressed to Dr. Franklin, and which stated that
they would not raise the anchor, to leave L'Orient,
until they had received six months' wages, the utmost
farthing of the prize money due, including the ships
sent to Norway, and until their legal captain, Pierre
Landais, was restored to them.
Dr. Franklin immediately went to the court at
Versailles, which is but twelve miles from Paris, and
entered a complaint against Landais as a fomenter of
mutiny. The proof of Landais' guilt was manifest,
and orders were immediately sent for his arrest and
imprisonment. In the meantime Jones had obtained,
from the court, orders for a fine copper-bottomed
French ship, the Ariel, to sail to America in company with the Alliance. He had made all his
arrangements to spread his-sails a week after his
return to L'Orient from Paris.
Franklin wrote to the mutinous crew of the Alliance, expressing his surprise that they could have
any confidence in one who had behaved as they all
knew Landais to have done. He closed his letter
with the following conciliatory words:




I92             PAUL JONES.
"For myself, I believe you to be brave men and
lovers of your country and its glorious cause. And
I am persuaded that you have only been ill advised
and misled by the artful and malicious representations of some persons I guess at.* Take in good
part this friendly counsel from an old man, who is
your friend. Go home peaceably with your ship.
Do your duty faithfully and cheerfully.  Behave
respectfully to your commander, and I am persuaded
he will do the same to you. Thus. you will not
only be happier in your voyage, but will recommend
yourselves to the future favors of Congress and your
country."
To Commodore Jones he wrote.  You are liable
to have great trouble. I wish you well through it.
You have shown your abilities in fighting. You have
now the opportunity of showing the other necessary
part in the character of a great chief-your abilities
in policy."
* He doubtless refers to Commissioner Lee.




CHAPTER IX.
The Mutiny of Landais.
The Visit of Jones to Versailles.-Intrigues of Landais.-The Alliance
Wrested from Jones.-Complicity of Arthur Lee.-Magnanimity
of Jones.-Strong Support of Dr. Johnson.-Honors Conferred
upon Jones.-Strange Career of Landais.-His Life in America,
and Death.-Continued Labors and Embarrassments of Jones.His Correspondence.
JONES immediately, upon his arrival at L'Orient,
made preparations for his departure, with the two
armed ships, the Alliance and the Ariel, which were
to convoy several American vessels, with cargoes
amounting to four hundred thousand dollars in value.
Having heard that his authority had been called in
question; he, on the morning of the I3th of June,
mustered the crew of the Alliance on the quarterdeck, and caused his commission from Congress to
be read to them, together with the order from Dr.
Franklin for him to take command of the Alliance,
and a subsequent order to take her to Philadelphia.
When he asked if any of the crew had any complaint
to make against him, not one stepped forward.,
All seemed to be satisfied.
9




I94              PAUL JONES.
Soon after, he went ashore to confer with the
French authorities in reference to the armament of the
Ariel. Landais was on the watch. As soon as Commodore Jones stepped ashore, Captain Landais sent
an order to one of his confederates, by the name of
Degges, who had been first lieutenant of the Alliance,
to take command of the ship until he should receive
further orders. Degges mustered the crew; read the
order to them, and also the very decided opinion of
Commissioner Lee, that Landais was the legal commander of the Alliance. The sailors were bewildered. They were in danger of losing all their
prize-money, and their wages for several months of
arduous-and perilous labor. Landais had made
them golden promises. The majority decided for
Landais. At that opportune moment, he came over
the side of the ship and took the command.
Lieutenant Dale and the other officers of the
Richard, who had come from the Serapis on board
the Alliance, and who remained faithful to Commodore Jones, were thrust into boats and sent ashore.
It is hardly just to call this a mutiny, on the part
of the sailors, for they were reasonably in doubt as
to who was the commander they were legally bound
to obey.
Commodore Jones, hearing the cheers of the
crew of the Alliance, hastened on board. He found




THE MUTINY OF LANDAIS.        I95
Landais parading up and down the deck, flourishing
his commission in his hand, and haranguing the
crew in broken English. Jones was also unceremoniously sent ashore with his officers. He hastened
to Versailles, to inform the governmental authorities
there of what had transpired. On the I7th of June,
Dr. Franklin wrote to Commodore Jones. He had
probably not then been fully informed of the very
serious character of the events which had taken
place. In this letter he said:
"Having been informed by several gentlemen of
and from L'Orient, that it is there generally understood the mutiny on board your ship has been
advised or promoted by the Honorable Arthur Lee,
whom I had ordered you to receive as a passenger,
I hereby withdraw that order so far as to leave the
execution to your direction. If from the circumstances which have come to your knowledge it
should appear to you that the peace and good government of the ship, during the voyage, may be
endangered by his presence, you may decline taking that gentleman; which I apprehend need not
obstruct his return to America, as there are several
ships going under your convoy, and no doubt many
of their passengers may be prevailed to change
places. But if you judge these suspicions groundless you will comply with the order aforesaid."




196              PAUL JONES.
Honorable Arthur Lee was a disappointed and
angry man. He had quarrelled with his associates,
and was returning to America in very ill humor.
The Alliance was crowded with freight of the utmost
importance to the struggling colonies. Mr. Lee
insisted upon large accommodation for himself and
family, for room for his carriage, and for a vast
amount of baggage. This would have demanded
space which was needed for transportation of the
soldiers' clothing. Commodore Jones, with his soul
absorbed in devotion to the public interests, and
who scarcely allowed chest-room for himself, objected
to the surrender of so much space to the commissioner and his family. This grievously offended Mr.
Lee, and added to his discontent. Commodore
Jones gives the following account of the difficulty:
" I am convinced that Mr. Lee has acted in this
manner merely because I would not become the
enemy of the venerable, the wise, the good Franklin,
whose heart as well as head does, and will always do,
honor to human nature. I know the great and
good, in this kingdom, better perhaps than any
other American who has appeared in Europe since
the treaty of alliance. And if my testimony could
add anything to Franklin's reputation, I could witness the universal veneration and esteem with which
his name inspires all ranks, not only at Versailles




THE MUTINY OF LANDAIS.        197
and all over this kingdom, but also in Spain and
Holland. And I can add from the testimony of the
first characters of other nations that, with them, envy
itself is dumb when the name of Franklin is but
mentioned."
Upon the day of the mutiny which put Landais
in possession of the Alliance, Paul Jones dined with
the French admiral. He was keenly sensible of the
disgrace to our nation should two commissioned
officers, in a foreign port, each perhaps leading two
hundred men, have a bloody battle on the deck of
one of our war-ships. Such an untoward event
would have disgraced our country, and the holy
cause in which we were engaged, in the eyes of all
Europe. And it would but add to our reproach
that, in this deplorable conflict, the commissioners,
sent to Paris to win France to our cause, were
divided, Mr. Lee being on the one side and Dr.
Franklin on the other.
The Alliance was in a French port, and consequently under French law. When the commissioners were in antagonistic opinion whether Jones or
Landais was the legal commander of the ship, the
sailors might well be excused for being also honestly divided in their views. Commodore Jones, a
humane man, a lover of peace and justice, could not
bear the thought of strewing the deck of the ship




198              PAUL JONES.
with the bloody corpses of these ignorant men. He
preferred to submit the question to the arbitration
of the laws, rather than to brutal violence.
Jones despatched an express to the court, at
Versailles, and immediately followed it. Upon his
arrival he found, that through the intervention of
Dr. Franklin, orders had already been issued for the
detention of the Alliance, and the arrest of Landais.
Journeying was comparatively slow in those days.
After the absence of a week Commodore Jones
returned. He found that, during the night preceding his arrival, Landais had warped the ship from the
inner to the outer harbor, which was called Port
Louis. There was still a narrow entrance through
which the ship must pass before it could be out at
sea. A battery commanded that passage. A boat
was sent on board, with an officer, to arrest Landais
in the king's name, and to announce that the Alliance would be sunk should she attempt to leave the
port. Captain Landais, standing beneath the Stars
and Stripes, and surrounded by his men, refused to
surrender himself.
The Alliance had been placed by Congress at
the disposal of Dr. Franklin. He, as the representative of the Government, was to order all her movements in Europe. This both Lee and Landais
knew perfectly well. The French officer now pre



THE MUTINY OF LANDAIS.        199
sented to Landais the positive orders of Dr. Franklin to Landais, his officers and his men, to surrender
the ship to the command of Commodore Jones.
The commodore now had the ship completely in
his power, One or two broadsides from the battery
would sink her and all her crew in the bottom of
the bay. French soldiers were accustomed to obey
command. The guns were loaded. The gunners
stood ready with lighted matches. At one word of
command a storm of balls would pierce the ship, and
all France would receive another impressive lesson
of the peril involved in disobeying the orders of the
king. And yet the madman Landais, reckless of all
consequences, was firm in his insubordination.
The Alliance was by far the finest ship in the
feeble navy of the colonies. It was freighted with
stores of inestimable value to our thinly clad, hungry, ill-provided soldiers, struggling against the most
formidable military power then upon the globe. A
large minority, probably a majority of the sailors
were in favor of Commodore Jones. Those who
adhered to Landais were assured by Commissioner
Lee that they were surely in the right, and that if
they abandoned Landais they would be exposed to
be hung for mutiny against their lawful commander.
All the sailors felt deeply wronged. They could




200              PAUL JONES.
not understand why they received neither wages
nor prize-money. They could not know but that
the malignant and artful representations of Landais
were true; that Jones, with his confederate aristocrats of the court, was squandering, in luxurious dissipation, their hard earnings. Under these circumstance it would have been cruel to consign these poor
men to destruction, and our country to so great a
loss. Commodore Jones, forgetting his resentment,
acted the part of a magnanimous man, for which
he merits the highest commendation.
He hastened to the quarters of M. Thevenard, the
commandant of the port, and by his personal interposition, prevented him from opening fire upon the
Alliance. He wrote to Dr. Franklin:
"Thevenard had received orders to fire on the
Alliance and sink her to the bottom, if they attempted to approach and pass the barrier that had
been made across the entrance to the port. Had I
even remained silent an hour the dreadful work
would have been done. Your humanity will, I know,
justify the part I acted, in preventing a scene that
would have rendered me miserable for the rest of
my life. Yesterday the within letter was brought
me from Mr. Lee. He has pulled off the mask, and
I am convinced is not a little disappointed that his




THE MUTINY QF LANDAIS.         201
operations have produced no bloodshed between the
subjects of France and America. Poor man! "
The commandant of the port called all his officers
together, and they signed a paper, minutely stating
the preparations they had made to render the departure of the Alliance impossible, and their great
admiration of the magnanimity of Commodore Jones
in causing their operations to be suspended.
Landais, unopposed, warped his ship through the
mouth of the harbor and cast anchor in the roadstead
of Groix. We must now take leave of Landais, with
but a brief record of his subsequent career.
Pierre Landais was the youngest son of one of
the proudest and, in rank, one of the most illustrious
families in Normandy. Their ancestral estates had
gradually passed away, and the family had become
impoverished, but not the less proud. Pierre entered the Naval School, and was thoroughly instructed in the theory both of building and navigating a
ship. He, however, found it difficult to get a commission so as to put his knowledge into practice.
He bad neither money, nor interest at court, with
which to purchase court favor.
He was thus kept a mere midshipman until he
was thirty-two years of age. Then for many years
he remained in the humble situation of a sub-lieutenant. He was serving in this capacity, greatly
9*




202              PAL L JONES.
discontented with his lot, when the war broke out
between England and her American colonies. Landais then came to this country in command of a
French merchant-ship laden with public stores. He
was a man of much address and of boundless assurance. According to his representation he enjoyed
the rank of captain in the royal navy; had commanded a ship of the line; had been chief officer of
the naval depot at the port of Brest, and could have
commanded any advancement he desired in his own
country.
But he said that his love for freedom was such,
and such his admiration of the heroism of the Americans in drawing the sword in defence of popular
rights, against such a gigantic power as that of
Great Britain, that he had declined receiving the
Cross of St. Louis, and had abjured the Roman
Catholic religion, the religion of his forefathers, that
he might, with all his energies, enter into the service
of America.
Believing all this, and wishing, as we have said, to
compliment France, Congress placed its finest frigate
in the hands of Landais. The result, until the time
when the Alliance left L'Orient, the reader knows.
The Alliance, with Mr. Lee on board, at length
reached Philadelphia. The conduct of Landais,
whose title to command his own men doubted, was so




THE MUTINY OF LANDAIS.         203
insane that the officers, passengers and crew all
became incensed. Mr, Lee was prominent in this
movement. The ship was committed to the officer
next in rank. A court of inquiry was held, in which
Mr. Lee testified strongly against the captain as
insane. The charge was so fully sustained that he
was dismissed from the service of the United States.
It was not deemed expedient to waste time by
prosecuting the more serious charges against him.
He was consequently consigned to insignificance.
Thus thrown out of service, Landais took up his
residence in the city of New York. Destitute of
funds, he was miserably poor, living, one can hardly
tell how, upon an income of but two hundred dollars
a year. Still he retained all his ancient pride, maintaining the air of a gentleman, and refusing any
assistance which could indicate that he was in
want.
He contrived, at every session of Congress,
whether at Philadelphia or Washington, to make his
appearance, and to urge a memorial expressive of the
injustice which he thought had been done him, and
demanding restitution to his rank and the arrears of
pay. It is said that at one time he was reduced
almost to nothing, when an unexpected division of
some prize-money gave him an annuity of one hundred and five dollars. With true.French hilarity he




204              PAUL JONES.
said, " I have now two dollars a week on which to
live, and an odd dollar for charity at the end of the
year."
To the last he kept up the exterior and the
courtly bearing of a gentleman. All that was
visible of his linen was ever spotlessly clean. His
thread-bare coat was brushed with the utmost neatness. On ceremonious occasions, or when making a
call, he wore conspicuously a pair of paste kneebuckles, yellow silk stockings, carefully preserved,
though much faded, and which were adorned with
what were then called red clocks.
Claiming to be an officer in the United States
Navy, unjustly deprived of command, he ever wore
upon his hat the American cockade. On the Fourth
of July, and on the day which commemorated the
evacuation of the city of New York by the British
troops, Landais, who had assumed the title of
admiral, invariably dressed h'imself in his old Continental uniform. The large brass buttons, though
they had lost their brilliance, attracted attention.
The long skirts of his blue coat reached almost to
his heels, enveloping his thin, shrivelled form. The
sleeves seemed to have shrunken, for they scarcely
came to his wrists. He thus paraded the streets,
with all the airs of a nobleman of the ancient
regime.




THE MUTINY OF LANDAIS.        205
His spirit of independence was such that he
refused all presents, even the most trifling. A gentleman, on one occasion, sent him a dozen bottles
of Newark cider. He returned them because it was
not in his power to reciprocate.
He became, with advancing years, very irritable
in temper. In one of the debates in Congress in
reference to his claims, a member spoke, as he
thought, disrespectfully of him. He dressed himself in his uniform, belted a small sword at his side,
and repairing to the gallery of the House, announced
to all the acquaintances he met, that he was prepared to fight a duel with any gentleman who might
give him occasion to do so. "If there is any bad
blood in Congress," said he, "I am prepared to draw
it." He always affirmed that he, and not Jones,
captured the Serapis. The ship, he said, was compelled to surrender because he raked her with the
guns of the Alliance.
Thus this strange man lived for forty years, until
he had attained the age of eighty-seven. He died,
or, to use his own language, disappeared from this
life, in the summer of I818. As he was buried in the
church-yard of St. Patrick's Cathedral it is probable
that he had returned to the Roman Catholic faith.
Some unknown friend raised a plain marble slab




206               PAUL JONES.
over his remains with the inscription, beneath a
cross:
A la Memoire
de
Pierre de Landais,
Ancien Contre-Amiral
au service
Des Etats-Unis.
Qui Disparut,
Juin I818.
Age, 87 years.
Let us now return to Paul Jones. There were five
hundred tons of public stores still at L'Orient to be
shipped to the United States. The Ariel, which was
in port preparing to sail, could afford additional room
for but about one hundred tons. There were thus
four hundred tons to be provided for. The Serapis,
which Paul Jones had so heroically captured, was one
of the finest and most strongly built war-ships in the
British navy. The king had just purchased the prize
for a sum amounting to about forty thousand dollars.
As. France was certainly indebted to an American
commodore for his valuable prize, and as France
was in alliance with America, and as the cause of the
two countries was, in some respects, a common
cause, France wishing to resist the intolerable tyranny of England on the seas, Jones made the very
reasonable suggestion to Dr. Franklin, that he should
obtain the loan of the Serapis, to accompany the




THE MUTINY OF LANDAIS.        207
Ariel in conveying these stores across the Atlantic.
Upon their arrival in America, the two ships, as he
thought, might inflict very serious damage on the
common enemy. Franklin, deserted by his colleague Lee, mortified by the flight of Landais with
the Alliance, and embarrassed for want of money,
was in a state of great perplexity. Through irregularity of the mails he had not received Commodore
Jones's letter of the 2 st of June, giving him the particulars of the departure of the Alliance. He had,
however, received his letter of'the 27th, proposing
the loan of the Serapis. Philosopher as he was, he
could not conceal the perplexities which annoyed
him. He wrote:
" I only knew, by other means, that the Alliance
is gone out of the port; and that you are not likely
to recover, and have relinquished the command of
her. So that affair is over. And now the business
is, to get the goods out as well as we can. I am perfectly bewildered with the different schemes that
have been proposed to me for this purpose. Mr.
Williams was for purchasing ships. I told him I had
not the money; but he still urges it. You and Mr.
Ross proposed borrowing the Ariel. I joined in the
application for that ship. We obtained her. She
was to convey all that the Alliance could not take.
"Now you find her insufficient. An additional




208              PAUL JONES.
ship has already been asked and-could not be obtained. I think therefore that it will be best that
you take as much into the Ariel as you can, and depart with it. For the rest I must apply to the government to contrive some means of transporting it
in their own ships. This is my present opinion.
When I have once got rid of this business, no consideration shall tempt me to meddle again with such
matters, as I never understood them."
The stores which were ready to be transported
to America, amounted in value to about four hundred thousand dollars. It was needful that immediate and vigorous measures should be taken to send
them on their way. Commodore Jones, on the 27th
of June, wrote, as in duty bound, to the Honorable
Robert Morris, giving him a very unimpassioned and
truthful account of the untoward events which had
occurred. He closed this admirable letter with the
following words:
" I cannot see where all this will end. But surely
it must fall dreadfully on the heads of those who
have stirred up this causeless mutiny. For my
own part I shall make no other remark than that I
have never directly or indirectly sought after the
command of the Alliance. But after having, in
obedience to orders, commanded her for seven
months, and after Mr. Lee had made a written




THE MUTINY OF LANDAIS.        209
application to me, as commander of that ship, for a
passage to America, I am at a loss what name to
give to Mr. Lee's late conduct and duplicity in stirring up a mutiny in favor of a man who was first
sent to America, contrary to Mr. Lee's opinion, by
Mr. Deane, and who is actually under arrest by
order of his sovereign.
"What gives me the greatest pain is, that after I
had obtained from government the means of transporting to America, under good protection, the
arms and clothing I have already mentioned, Mr.
Lee should have found means to defeat my intentions. You will bear me witness, my worthy friend,
that I never asked a favor for myself from Congress.
You have seen all my letters, and know that I never
sought any indirect influence; though my ambition
to act an eminent and useful part in this glorious
revolution is unbounded.
" I pledge myself to you and to America that
my zeal receives new ardor from the opposition it
meets with; and I live but to overcome them, and
to prove myself no mock patriot, but a true friend to
the rights of human nature upon principles bf disinterested philanthropy. Of this I have given some
proofs, and I will give more. Let not, therefore,
the virtuous Senate of America he misled by the
insinuations of fallen ambition. Should anything




210              PAUL JONES.
be said to my disadvantage, all I ask is a suspension
of judgment until I can appear before Congress to
answer for myself."
The next day after Commodore Jones had written
this letter, on the 28th of June, a letter was despatched to him, from Monsieur de Sartines, the
French minister, dated at Versailles. He wrote:
"The king, sir, has already made known his
satisfaction with the zeal and valor which you have
displayed in Europe, in support of the common
cause of the United States of America and his
majesty; and he has also informed you of the distinguished proofs he is disposed to give you thereof.
Persuaded that the United States will give their
consent that you should receive the Cross of the
Order of Military Merit, I send you, in the accompanying packet addressed to M. de Luzerne, the one
designed for you. You will be pleased to deliver
him this packet, and he will see that the honor is
conferred by a knight of the order agreeably to his
majesty's orders."
Before the Alliance sailed, the trunks of Commodore Jones which were on board that ship were broken
open, robbed of their most valuable contents, and
sent on shore. Those who openly adhered to Jones,
refusing to obey Landais, were confined and carried
away in irons. Almost inumerable obstacles arose




THE MUTINY OF LANDAIS.         211
to delay the sailing of the Ariel and the other vessels
needed to transport the stores. Never did a man
consecrate himself more entirely to the promotion
of the public interests, to the neglect of all selfish
considerations, than did Paul Jones during the
months of June and July. A detailed account of
his difficulties and disappointments would but weary
the reader. His soul was almost consumed with the
desire to strike the haughty enemy blows which he
would feel. He was willing to go back to America,
animated by the hope that the government, hearing
of what he had already achieved, would place such a
force at his command as to enable him to do something effectual toward the emancipation of America
from British thraldom. On the 2d of August, just
before he was ready to sail, he wrote to the Count
of Vergennes. After expressing his gratitude for the
favors he had received from the French court, and
his intense desire for active employment, he added:
"It is absolutely necessary, my lord, to destroy
the foreign commerce of the English, especially their
trade to the Baltic, from whence they draw all the
supplies for their marine. It is equally necessary to
alarm their coasts, not only in the colonies abroad,
but even in their islands at home. These things
would distress and distract the enemy much more
than many battles between fleets of equal force.




212              PAUL JONES.' England has carried on the war against America
in a far more barbarous form than she durst have
adopted against any power of Europe. America
has the right to retaliate; and, by our having the
same language and customs with the enemy we are
in a situation to surprise their coast and take such
advantage of their unguarded situation, under the
flag of America, as can never be done under the flag
of France. This is not theory, for I have proved it
by my experience. And if I have opportunity I will
yet prove it more fully."
Still there were the most annoying delays. Nothing in this world can be more difficult than to fit
out a military expedition without money and without credit. The Ariel sailed out of the harbor and
cast anchor in the road of Groix. Commodore Jones
received during this time many flattering letters from
admiring ladies of the French court. But his engagements were so pressing that he found but little
time to reply to them. His instinctive sense of
courtesy was such that this apparent neglect sometimes quite seriously annoyed him. To one lady he
wrote:
" When one is conscious of having been in fault,
I believe it is the best way to confess it and to promise amendment. This being my.case -in respect to
you, madam, I am too honest to attempt to excuse




THE MUTINY OF LANDAIS.        213
myself; and therefore cast myself at your feet and
beg your forgiveness, on condition that I behave
better hereafter. For shame, Paul Jones! How
could you let the fairest lady in the world, after writing you two letters, wait so long for an answer.
Are you so much devoted to war as to neglect wit
and beauty?  I make myself a thousand such
reproaches, and believe I punish myself as severely
as you would do, madam, were you present here."
Again he wrote to a noble lady, Madame L'Ormoy: " My particular thanks are due you, madam,
for the personal proofs I have received of your esteem
and friendship, and for the happiness you procured
me in the society of the charming countess and
other ladies and gentlemen of your circle. But I
have a favor to ask of you, madam, which I hope
you will grant me. You tell me, in your letter, that
the inkstand I had the honor to present you as a
small token of my esteem, shall be reserved for the
purpose of writing what concerns mp. Now I wish
you to see my idea in a more expanded light, and
would have you make use of that inkstand to Instruct
mankind, and support the dignity and rights of
human nature.'




CHAPTER X.
The Return to America.
Fitting the Ariel.-Painful Delays.-The Sailing.-Terrible Tempest.-The Disabled Ship.-Puts back to L'Orient.-The Second Departure.-Meets the Triumph.-Bloody Naval Battle.Perfidious Escape of the Triumph.-The Ariel Reaches America.
-Honors Lavished upon Jones.-Appointed to Build and
Command the America.-Great Skill Displayed.-The Ship
given to France.-The Launch.
TARDILY the French government had ordered
the Ariel to be fully armed and equipped. Commodore Jones crowded the ship to its utmost possible capacity. Such a quanity of powder, arms, and
other stores were taken on board, that he had room
for provisions for only nine weeks. The commodore
had hoped to have left port at an earlier period, and
at a more favorable season of the year.     He was
not able to weigh anchor and to spread his sails, for
his adventurous voyage, until the 8th of October.
He then sailed, with a fair wind and with promise
of pleasant weather.
But the very next night a terrible tempest arose.
In the midst of midnight darkness, with howling




THE RETURN TO AMERICA.         215
winds and dashing waves, the Ariel barely escaped
being wrecked on the rocks of Penmarque, a ledge
which was the terror of all seamen, between L'Orient
and Brest. The gale was so severe that the lower
yard-arms were frequently plunged into the water.
The peril was so great that it was necessary to cut
away the fore-mast. This seemed in some degree to
relieve the ship from the terrible strain, so that her
head was brought to the wind. But in the terrible
plungings of the heavily laden ship over the billows,
the main-mast had got out of the step, and reeled to
and fro in the most threatening manner. The danger was imminent that the mast would either break
off below the gun-deck, or that it would crush its
way through the bottom of the ship. Commodore
Jones gave orders for the main-mast to be cut away.
But before this could be done the chain plates parted,
and the main-mast, breaking off at the gun-deck, fell
with a terrible crash, carrying with it the mizzenmast, and the quarter-gallery. In that deplorable
situation, the Ariel, rolling like a log upon the tempest-lashed sea, by rare good luck floated in midnight
darkness, to the windward of the ledge generally
deemed the most dangerous in the world.
For two days and three nights this autumnal
storm raged, covering the shore with wrecks, and
with the bodies of the drowned. Even in the




216              PAUL JONES.
port of L'Orient many ships were torn from their
anchorage, and were dashed on the shore. Probably
nothing saved the Ariel but the loss of her masts.
Had they remained standing, to receive the force of
the gale, no anchor could have held her from being
thrown upon the rocks. Jury-masts were rigged,
and the shattered Ariel, after the gale, was taken
back to L'Orient. On the I6th, he wrote to Lady
D'Ormoy, in reply to a letter from her. In this
communication, he said:
"I have returned without laurels, and, what is
worse, without being able to render service to the
glorious cause of liberty. I know not why Neptune
was in such anger, unless he thought it an affront in
me to appear on his ocean, with so insignificant a
force. It is certain that till the night of the 8th, I
did not fully conceive the awful majesty of tempest
and of shipwreck. I can give you no just idea of
the tremendous scene that nature then presented,
which surpassed the reach even of poetic fancy and
the pencil. I believe no ship was ever before saved
from an equal danger off the point of the Penmarque
rocks.
"I am extremely sorry that the young English
lady you mention should have imbibed the national
hatred against me. I have had proofs that many
of the first and finest ladies of that nation are my




THE RETURN TO AMERICA.         217
friends. Indeed I cannot imagine why any fair lady
should be my enemy, since, upon the large scale of
universal philanthropy I feel, acknowledge, and bend
before the sovereign power of beauty. The English nation may hate me, but I will force them to
esteem me too."
Jones was exceedingly distressed that his sailors
had not received one single dollar of prize money.
They blamed him, and he could not make it clear to
their impassioned minds that he was not to blame.
The prizes, which had been sent into the French
ports, had now been sold. But legal technicalities
seemed to render it necessary that the money should
be paid in America. Even Dr. Franklin could not
deny that such was the proper interpretation of the
statute. The money was consequently remitted to
the French minister, M. Chaumont, to be forwarded
to this country. Commodore Jones wrote pleadingly
in behalf of the suffering sailors.
" By virtue of the authority I had received from
the government," he wrote, " my honor was pledged
to see these men justly paid. I have already suffered many reflections on their account. I beseech
your excellency to order them immediate payment."
The spirit of Dr. Franklin was in a state of great
perturbation in view of these wrongs, which seemed
to paralyze all the sinews of action. From a sick
IO0




218              PAUL JONES.
bed, upon which it is not improbable that trouble
had thrown him, he wrote to the Court, strongly
soliciting, under the circumstances, the payment of
the money. It was not until the i8th of December
that the shattered, heavily laden Ariel was again
prepared for sea. In his journal, Jones writes:
" On this day I bade adieu to the beloved nation
of France; where, though I have met with some
difficulties, I have many reasons to be satisfied. I
am charmed with the courteous behavior that so
nobly marked the character of that generous minded
people."
As he had important despatches on board, which
he was directed to sink rather than allow to fall into
the hands of the enemy, and as the cargo he carried
was of inestimable value to the colonies, he resolved
to seek no prizes, but to cross the ocean as rapidly
as possible, by an unfrequented track, taking the
southern passage along the edge of the trade winds.
After being out several days he found himself
far south, in the latitude of Barbadoes. In a distance a ship hove in sight. There could be but little doubt that it was an English ship. After carefully examining it with his glass he saw that it was
a fast-sailing, well-armed English frigate. The Ariel
was not in a condition to give battle to such an
opponent. He hoped, in the darkness of the night,




THE RETURN TO AMERICA.         219
to escape. He therefore changed his course and
spread every sail. In the morning he found, much
to his disappointment, that the frigate was still
nearer to him than the evening before.
An action was now unavoidable. The frigate
would surely board him, and, by examining his
papers, find out who he was and where he was bound.
Immediately the most vigorous measures were
adopted to prepare for action. It is probable that
Commodore Jones had resolved never, under whatever circumstances, to surrender to the British flag.
Everything was thrown overboard which could interfere with the efficiency of the defence. The sails
and helm were so managed, and other precautions
adopted, as to conceal, as far as possible, the force of
the Ariel. He assumed the character of a merchantship lightly armed.
The chase soon became very eager. As soon as
the frigate came within gun-shot of the Ariel, Jones
opened fire from his quarter-deck, with his stern
chasers. The wind became very light, so that hour
after hour, on these mild tropical seas, the pursued
and the pursuer glided along, without the distance
between them being sensibly diminished.
As night approached the frigate came within
hailing distance of the Ariel. Jones, as he examined
her armament, was well pleased to find that he had




220             PAUL JONES.
a force to contend with not much superior to his
own. He immediately raised the English flag, and
quite a conversation took place between the commanders of the two ships. Jones learned that the
frigate was called the Triumph, under command of
Captain John Pindar. Assuming that the Ariel was
an English ship conveying stores to the British
army in America, he obtained very important information, in reference to the position of the English
squadron on the coast.
At length Jones pretended not to believe Captain Pindar, that his ship belonged to the British
navy. He therefore ordered the captain to come
on board the Ariel and show his commission. Pindar probably at this time had his suspicions excited.
He declined upon the excuse that his boats leaked,
and that he had not yet learned the name of the frigate before him, or of her commander. Jones replied:
" I have no account to render to you. You can
have five minutes to decide whether you will come
on board of me or not."
Jones held his watch in his hand. The frigates
were lying nearly abreast and within thirty feet of
each other. The tops of both vessels were filled with
sharp-shooters, and the gunners, with lighted matches,
stood at the batteries. The moment the five minutes had elapsed, Jones ran up the Stars and Stripes,




THE RETURN TO AMERICA.         221
and hurled a full broadside, within pistol-shot, into
the Triumph. It was then past seven o'clock in the
evening.  Daylight had completely faded away.
Starlight and the flash of the guns alone lighted the
combatants in their dreadful conflict. The crew of
the Ariel was inspired with the indomitable energies
of its commander.
The Triumph instantly returned the fire of the
Ariel. It is said that the vigorous and regular fire,
from the top and batteries of the Ariel, had never
been exceeded. Such a conflict could by no possi.
bility last long. The flash and the roar of this tempest of war were incessant. Every bolt was death
dealing. The massive irons balls tore through and
splintered the oaken timbers, smashed gun carriages,
tumbled about the massive ordnance, and strewed
the decks with lifeless bodies and dismembered limbs.
There was not one moment's intermission. Blow
followed blow instantaneously. Amidst darkness
and sulphurous smoke, and the angry gleam of the
flashing guns, there were ghastly wounds, and gushing blood, and death-misery and inconceivably
awful ruin. It was one of those scenes in this lost
world, which has led many to inquire, "Can hell
exceed this?"
Ten minutes of this horrible carnage settled the
question. Pindar struck his colors and cried out for




222              PAUL JONES.
quarter, saying that one half of his men were killed.
Instantly the Ariel stopped fire. The men, abandoning the batteries and running down from the
tops, clustered on the deck, and gave three cheers
in token of their victory. When a ship thus surrenders, and calls for and accepts quarter, she is
considered as a prisoner of war is considered, who
has given his word of honor not to attempt to escape.
With a few more broadsides Jones might have sunk
the Triumph, which was preying upon American
commerce. And it was his duty to have done this,
rather than allow her to escape.
But relying upon the honor of the English commander, he accepted the unconditional surrender.
The Triumph was not injured in her sails or rigging.
In the confusion of the moment, when the dead covered the decks and the wounded were being hurried
below to the care of the surgeon, and the guns of the
Ariel were abandoned, the treacherous captain, watching his opportunity, suddenly spread every sail, and
commenced running away with all speed. Jones was
astonished at this perfidy. He immediately spread 
every sail in pursuit. But the Triumph was much
the swiftest sailor, and soon got out of gun-shot, and
disappeared in the darkness. In the account which
Commodore Jones gives of this conflict, in the journal which he sent to the king of France, he wrote:




THE RETURN TO AMERICA.         223
"In a minute I ordered the firing to cease. And
there were several huzzahs on board the Ariel, as is
usual after a victory. But a minute afterwards the
captain of the Triumph had the baseness to fill his
sails and run away. It was not in my power to prevent this, the Triumph sailing much faster than the
Ariel. But if the British government had that feeling of honor and justice which becomes a great
nation, they would have delivered up to the United
States that frigate as belonging to them; and would
have punished, in the most exemplary manner, her
captain for having thus violated the laws of war and
the customs of civilized nations."
On the I8th of February, 178I, Paul Jones
arrived at Philadelphia, having been absent from
America three years, three months, and eighteen
days. He now received what was to him an ample
reward for his past years of toil and care. The
renown of his exploits had spread through the land.
No one in the army or the navy had acquired more
celebrity.  Even Mr. Lee, who had now himself
quarrelled with Landais, and had become convinced
that he was insane, joined in the laudations of Commodore Jones. The Board of Admiralty condemned
the course of Mr. Lee, and sustained Jones. In a
report which the Board made to Congress, on the
2d of November, I781, it was said:




224              PAUL JONES.
"It appears that Captain Landais regained command of the Alliance by the advice of Mr. Lee, notwithstanding his suspension by Dr. Franklin, who,
by the direction of the Marine Committee, had. the
sole management of our marine affairs in Europe."
Congress had already passed a resolve, stating,
"That the thanks of the United States, in Congress
assembled, be given to Captain John Paul Jones, for
the zeal, prudence, and intrepidity, with which he
has supported the honor of the American flag; for
his bold and successful enterprises to redeem from
captivity the citizens of these States, who had fallen
under the power of the enemy; and, in general, for
the good conduct and eminent services by which he
has added lustre to his character and to the American arms."
General Washington, with his customary circumspection, wrote to him: " Whether our naval
affairs have, in general, been well or ill conducted,
would be presumptuous in me to determine. Instances of bravery and good conduct, in several of
our officers, have not, however, been wanting. Delicacy forbids me to mention that particular one which
has attracted the admiration of all the world, and
which has influenced the most illustrious monarch
to confer a mark of his favor, which can only be




THE RETURN TO AMERICA.         225
obtained by long and honorable service, or by the
performance of some brilliant action."
The warm-hearted Marquis de Lafayette wrote,
in much more glowing terms, to his old friend. He
was just on the point of sailing for France. His letter was dated on the Alliance, off Boston, December
22d, 178I.
"I have been honored with your polite favor,
my dear Paul Jones, but before it reached me I was
already on board the Alliance, and was every minute expecting to put to sea. As to the pleasure to
take you by the hand, my dear Paul Jones, you
know my affectionate sentiments, and my very great
regard for you, so that I need not add anything on
that subject.
"Accept my best thanks for the kind expressions in your letter. The downfall of Cornwallis is a
great event; and the greater as it was equally and
amicably shared by the two allied nations. Your
coming to the army I had the honor to command,
would have been considered as a very flattering compliment to one who loves you and knows your worth.
I am impatient to hear that you are ready to sail.
And I am of opinion that we ought to unite, under
you, every Continental ship we can muster, with such
a body of well-appointed marines as might cut a
good figure ashore and then give you plenty of
IO*




226              PAUL JONES.
provisions, and carte blanche. I am sorry I cannot
see you. I have also many things to tell you."
Honorable John Adams wrote him, from the
Hague. In this letter he said: " Could I see a prospect of half-a-dozen line-of-battle ships, under the
American flag, commanded by Commodore Paul
Jones, engaged with an equal British force, I apprehend the event would be so glorious for the United
States, and lay so sure a foundation for their prosperity, that it would be a rich compensation for the
continuance of the war."
Commodore Jones was summoned to appear
before Congress to answer a large number of questions, which had been carefully drawn up, in reference to the delay of the stores in Europe, and the
many other difficulties in the marine which had
occurred there. His answers were so full and satisfactory as to draw from Congress the most cordial
approval of his course. In the complimentary resolves it was added:
"That the Minister Plenipotentiary of these
United States, at the Court of Versailles, communicated to his most Christian Majesty the high satisfaction Congress has received from the conduct and
gallant behavior of Captain John Paul Jones, which
have merited the attention and approbation of his
most Christian Majesty; and that his majesty's offer




THE RETURN TO AMERICA.          227
of adorning Captain Jones with a Cross of Military
Merit, is highly acceptable to Congress."
Congress at that time held its sessions in Philadelphia. The French minister, M. de la Luzerne,
gave a very brilliant f6te to all the members of
Cbngress. In the presence of that august body,
with imposing ceremonials, he conferred upon Jones,
in the name of the King of France, the honor he so
richly merited.
Congress commenced building, under the supervision of Commodore Jones, a very splendid seventyfour-gun ship, to be called the America. By unanimous vote of Congress, Captain Jones was intrusted
with the command. For sixteen months he devoted
his tireless energies to building this ship, with which
he could bid defiance to any single ship in the British
navy, and which would enable him to render really
efficient service to his country.
While abroad he had collected copies of all the
important treatises upon naval tactics; upon the
construction of ships, the police of fleets and dockyards, and every other branch of his noble profession.
Every moment of leisure was devoted to these studies,
He became an enthusiastic student, resolved to
make himself as perfect as possible in all the accomplishments of his noble profession. And it is safe to




228              PAUL JONES.
say that there was not, in our navy, any officer more
thoroughly instructed.
On the birth of the Dauphin, the unfortunate son
of Louis XVI. and Maria Antoinette, Commodore
Jones mounted, on the deck of the unfinished ship
America, a battery, at his own expense. The flag
of France was unfurled from the mast-head, and
salutes were fired at repeated hours during the day.
At night the ship was illuminated, and there was a
brilliant display of fireworks.
Jones obtained great credit with both American
and French officers for the skill he displayed in the
construction of this ship. It was fifty and a-half feet
in breadth, and one hundred and eighty-two and
a-half feet in length. The best judges pronounced
her to be a model of naval architecture. It was the
largest seventy-four-gun ship then in the world.
And yet she floated so gracefully that, at the distance of a mile, she appeared like a delicate frigate;
and no one would have suspected that she had a
second battery.
The embarrassments which Jones experienced,
and the delays to which he was exposed in building,
arming, and rigging this admirable structure, were
innumerable. Money, first of all, was wanted; suitable workmen were with difficulty found, and he
never had more than twenty-four carpenters em



THE RETURN TO AMERICA.         229
ployed. Our machinery and manufactures were not
in a sufficiently advanced state to furnish proper
material for the rigging, and suitable armament for a
first-class ship. Nearly all such stores were to be
brought from Europe. The ships which brought
them had to run the gauntlet through the powerful
fleet of England.
There probably was not another man, then in the
United States, capable of doing what Commodore
Jones did in building this ship. It is to be remembered that the whole population of the United
States, widely scattered, amounted to but about
three millions, about the same as the present population of the State of New York. For such a little
band to bid defiance to the majestic power of England was one of the boldest deeds ever performed.
We should inevitably have been crushed but for the
aid of our generous ally.
About the middle of August Jones left Philadelphia for Portsmouth, New Hampshire, where the
ship was being built. On the way he visited the
allied army under General Washington and the
French General Rochambeau, then encamped at
White Plains, in Westchester county, New York.
There was scarcely any name then more prominent
in the army and the navy than that of Paul Jones.
He was received by the officers of both armies with




230             PAUL JONES.
flattering distinction. In addition to his merits as a
brave warrior he was an intelligent, courteous, accomplished gentleman-one whose upright and elevated
character commanded universal respect. He reached
Portsmouth near the middle of September. There
was everything to discourage him. The resources
of the country seemed to be exhausted, and but a
small portion of the materials for building the ship
had been purchased.
But Commodore Jones plunged into the great
enterprise with all his thoughtful and intelligent
energies. No time was wasted in useless repinings.
He was intensely anxious for active service. Superintending work in the ship-yard was not congenial
employment for him, when he longed to be upon the
deck of his ship humbling, by his broadsides, that
proud power which was stigmatizing the officers in
the United States Navy as traitors, pirates, and
thieves. During these weary months he was, however, cheered by the conviction that he would soon
unfurl his flag on board the America; and that
then, with a combined French and American squadron, he would strike blows which would compel
the British government to respect the rights of humanity.
Before Commodore Jones commenced work on
the America, he had quite despaired of obtaining




THE RETURN TO AMERICA.         231
another ship. In his eagerness to be actively employed in working out the redemption of his adopted
country from British thraldom, he contemplated
entering the army, to serve in the corps of Lafayette.
The English naval officers heard of the building of
the America, and were anxious to destroy her before
she could put to sea. They had formed various
plans, which were communicated by Washington to
Commodore Jones. Ships were cruising off the harbor of Portsmouth, and a fleet of armed boats was to
be sent in at night, to apply the torch.
Jones organized an armed guard for the protection of the America. It was necessary for him to
employ in this service the mechanics who were
engaged in building the ship. Jones himself frequently took command of this guard, and carefully
drilled them in the art of defence. They were
thoroughly drilled, and had several pieces of cannon
which they were taught to manage with great skill.
They were prepared to give a very warm reception to
any assailants. Several times, in the dim starlight,
crowded boats were seen, pulling silently into the
harbor with muffled oars. But the defences were
so formidable that they never ventured to make an
attack.
It was near the close of 1782 when the ship was
nearly completed and ready for launching. Jones




232              PAUL JONES.
now felt that he was soon to reap the reward of his
long and painful labors. And then came a sudden,
unexpected, terrible disappointment. A squadron
of French line-of-battle ships, coming over to our aid,
entered Boston harbor. One of the finest of these
ships, the Magnifique, stranded, and was entirely lost.
As they had come to assist us, Congress justly
regarded the ship as lost in our service. To indemnify the King of France for this loss, and to show
our gratitude to our allies, it was at once voted to
present the America to the King of France. Thus
again, in a moment, were all the brightest hopes of
Paul Jones dashed.
It was the duty of Honorable Robert Morris, agent
of Marine, to communicate this intelligence to the
Chevalier Paul Jones. He evidently recoiled from
the unwelcome task. In his kind and sympathetic
letter he said:
I know you so well as to be convinced that it
must give you great pain, and I sincerely sympathize
with you. But although you will undergo much
concern at being deprived of this opportunity to
reap laurels on your favorite field, yet your regard
for France will in some measure alleviate it. I must
entreat you to continue your inspection until she is
launched, and to urge forward the business. When
that is done, if you will come hither I will explain to




THE RETURN TO AMERICA.        233
you the reasons which led to this measure, and my
views for employing you in the service of your
country."
The answer of Commodore Jones was worthy of
the man. There were few who could have received
so terrible a blow so meekly, and with so much dignity. Honorable Robert Morris acknowledged the
receipt of his reply in a letter, which justice to Commodore Jones demands should be given in full. It
was as follows:
" MARINE OFFICE, October gth, 1782.
"CHEVALIER PAUL JONES, Portsmouth.
"SIR-I have received your letter of the 22d
of last month. The sentiments contained in it will
always reflect the highest honor upon your character.
They have rhade so strong an impression upon my
mind that I immediately transmitted an extract of
your letter to Congress. I doubt not but that they
will view it in the manner which I have done.
I am, etc.,
" ROBERT MORRIS.
Mr. Morris wrote, in his letter to the President
of Congress: " I do myself the honor to enclose your
excellency the copy of a letter which I received this
morning from the Chevalier Paul Jones. The present state of our affairs does not permit me to employ




234              PAUL JONES.
that valuable officer; and I confess that it is with no
small degree of concern that I consider the little
probability of rendering his talents useful to that
country which he has already so faithfully served,
and with so great disinterestedness. I should do
injustice to my own feelings as well as to my country, if I did not most warmly recommend this gentleman to the notice of Congress, whose favor he has
certainly merited by the most signal services and
sacrifices."
Jones continued faithfully superintending the
completion of the America, until she was launched, on
the 5th of November. It was necessary to build this
ship where she could be protected from the assaults
of the British navy. It was anticipated, by many,
that the launching would be attended with great
difficulty, Commodore Jones attended to the minutest details with wonderful skill.
The river was not more than two hundred yards
wide. On one side'of the building slip there was a
ledge of rocks, running half-way across the river, and
parallel to the direction of the ship's keel. The
opposite shore was fringed with rocks. The tide
rushed in and out with great rapidity. It was necessary to launch near flood-tide, when the cu-rrent
was very rapid. There was much danger that the
ship might be swept against the ledge. This could




THE RETURN TO AMERICA.         235
only be obviated by cables and anchors secured on
the shore. With great ingenuity, these were so arranged as to check the speed of the ship, and bring
her to a stand at a particular spot.
The flags of France and America were blended
in friendly union at the stern. Jones took his stand
on a platform, near the bows of the ship. He gave
every signal; watched every movement, and ordered
when the anchors at the bows were, in succession, to
be let go. Beautifully, majestically, successfully, the
vast fabric glided into its native element. The admiration of the thousands of spectators was announced in enthusiastic cheers.
On the same day Chevalier Jones gracefully surrendered the America to Chevalier de Martigne,
who had commanded the Magnifique. The next
morning, again out of employment, he set out for
Philadelphia, to seek new engagements in the service
of his country.




CHAPTER XI.
The War Ended.
Promise of the South Carolina.-A New Disappointment.-The Great
Expedition Planned.-Magnitude of the Squadron.-The Appointed Rendezvous.-Commodore Jones Joins the Expedition.
-His Cordial Reception.-Great Difficulties and Embarrassments.-The Rendezvous at Port Cabella.-Tidings of Peace.Return to America.-New Mission to France.
HONORABLE ROBERT MORRIS wished to give
Commodore Jones command of a large, strongly built
frigate called the South Carolina, then in the service
of that State. This was the ship built at Amsterdam, called the Indian, the command of which was
promised to him when he went to Europe. Either
from the inability of the commissioners to pay for
the ship, or from the remonstrances of England that
a ship should be built in a neutral court to aid her
insurgent colonies, the object was defeated. In
some way the King of France came in possession of
the ship, and having at that time no special use for
it he loaned it to one of the prominent members of
his court, the Chevalier de Luxembourg. He loaned
it to South Carolina for three years, to guard her




THE WAR ENDED.             237
coasts, on condition that he should receive onefourth of the proceeds of her prizes. It was placed
under the command of Commodore -Gillon, who,
with a small fleet, was to protect the harbors of
the State. He changed the name to the South
Carolina.
It was an uncommonly fast and formidable ship.
Congress was anxious to get possession of it. As
the Chevalier de Luxembourg had received no payment, though many prizes had been taken, he was
dissatisfied, and very justly deemed the contract
annulled. He therefore authorized the French minister at Philadelphia to cooperate with Mr. Morris
in obtaining the surrender of the ship to the United
States. Gillon heard of these movements, and
escaped the legal process for seizing the ship, by
suddenly putting to sea.
The South Carolina had but just cleared the
Capes of Delaware, when she was pounced upon and
captured by three English frigates, the Diomede, the
Astrea, and the Quebec, which had been stationed
there to intercept her. Thus again were the hopes
of Commodore Jones blighted. He had fully expected to take command of the South Carolina. It
was certainly from no fault of his own that he was
disappointed.
A French fleet of ten sail of the line was then at




238              PAUL JONES.
Boston, on the eve of sailing for the West Indies.
It was there to unite with a combined French and
Spanish fleet, under Count d'Estaing. This formidable squadron, consisting of seventy vessels in all,
with a strong land force, was to make a descent on
the island of Jamaica, and wrest it from the English.
Jones earnestly applied for permission to embark in
this expedition. Ever eager to learn, and ever modestly conscious that he had much to learn, he hoped
thus to become practically acquainted with the evolution of fleets on a scale so grand. His enthusiasm
was aroused at the idea of witnessing so sublime a
naval display. He also hoped, from his intimate
acquaintance with those seas, to be able to render
eminent assistance to Count d'Estaing.
Mr. Morris applied to Congress, in behalf of
Commodore Jones, that permission might be given
him to join the expedition. In a very complimentary letter he wrote:
" His present desire, to be sent with Count d'Estaing, consists with all his former conduct.  And
it will, I dare say, be a very pleasing reflection to
Congress that he is about to pursue a knowledge of
his profession, so as to become still more useful, if
ever he should be again called to the command of a
squadron or a fleet."
Congress passed a very flattering resolve, grant



THE WAR ENDED.             239
ing his request, and especially recommending him to
his excellency the Marquis de Vaudreuil.  The
commodore immediately repaired to Boston, where
he was received by the marquis with every mark
of attention. Though the flag-ship of the marquis,
the Triomphante, was crowded, and sixty officers sat
daily at his table, Commodore Jones was received
on board that ship, and was assigned lodgings corresponding with those of Vaudreuil. The splendors
of the court of Louis XVI. still lingered around the
court and camp of Louis XVI.
Nearly all the officers of the French army and
navy were men of illustrious birth, intelligent, chivalric, high-bred gentlemen. In this society Jones,
himself a courtly and well-educated man, found congenial companionship. He was a man of pure lips
and refined bearing, fond of cultivated female society,
and instinctively recoiling from all coarseness and
vulgarity. He was esteemed a very valuable acquisition to the enterprise. His modest, friendly spirit,
united with his unrivalled intrepidity, won the affection of the officers and the homage of the crew.
The fact was also recognized that there was not, on
board the fleet, a single man so intimately acquainted
with those seas, and particularly with the island of
Jamaica, as he was. Jones was highly pleased with
the opportunity of improvement thus presented him,




240              PAUL JONES.
and with the very kind manner in which he had been
received. In his journal he wrote, with characteristic
modesty:
"As the Marquis d'Estaing had commanded a fleet
of more than seventy sail of the line, I had the flattering hope of finding myself in the first military
school in the world; in which I should be able to
render myself useful, and to acquire knowledge very
important for conducting great military operations."
The squadron, consisting of ten sail of the line,
left Boston on the 24th of December, 1782. The,
course of the ships was directed toward the mouth
of Portsmouth harbor, where they were to be joined
by two other ships of the line, the Auguste and
the Pluton. But a severe wintry storm arose, with
freezing gales and snow, and drove the squadron
far away to the vicinity of the Bay of Fundy. Here
the fleet was for a time in imminent danger from
its proximity to the land and to vast fields of
floating ice.
Many of the vessels were lost sight of in the
storm. The Marquis de Vaudreuil steered to the
southward, to an appointed rendezvous in the harbor
of St. John, on the island of Porto Rico. As he
made the land he was informed that sixteen British
men-of-war, under Admiral Hood, were cruising




THE WAR ENDED.            241
off Cape Francois, on the look-out for him; and that
a still larger naval force, under Admiral Pigot, was
watching for him at Lucca, one of the extreme
western towns of the island of Jamaica. England
had made such ample preparation for this anticipated
assault; that it was thought that the French squadron must fall a prey, either to Hood or Pigot.
Vaudreuil remained at St. John, Porto Rico, ten
days, waiting the arrival of other vessels of his fleet.
Here he performed all kinds of naval evolutions, as
a general on land would review his army. He also
found at this place a very ample supply from France,
to replenish his stores. The island of Porto Rico,
which lies off the eastern coast of St. Domingo, is
about one hundred and thirty miles in length, by
thirty miles in breadth.
The strait, but eighty miles wide, which separates it from San Domingo, is called the Mona Passage. The island was then in a state of prosperity,
and it carried on very extensive commerce with
France and Spain. It at that time belonged to
Spain, and contained a population of about eighty
thousand. The native inhabitants had all melted
away. The principal city, St. John, enjoyed a very
fine harbor, and had a population of about thirty
thousand.
The marquis convoyed, with his fleet, sixteen
II




242              PAUL JONES.
French merchant vessels from the eastern to the
western end of the island, along the northern coast.
The general rendezvous, for the French and Spanish
fleet, had been appointed, with the greatest secrecy,
at a little island called Port Cabello, but a few miles
off the extreme northern coast of Venezuela. Some
light vessels of Admiral Hood's squadron, which
were cruising as scouts, caught sight of the French
fleet in the Mona passage. They immediately ran
back with the tidings that the fleet was coasting
along the southern shore of the San Domingo.
But Vaudreuil suddenly turned his direction
south, sailed down between two and three hundred
miles to the unfrequented islands which are scattered
along the northern shore of Venezuela. The little
island of Port Cabello was about sixty miles west of
the much better known island of Curapoa. A great
expedition of this kind is liable to innumerable
hindrances. It can never succeed, unless there is
some imperial, Napoleonic mind, which, can appreciate all its grandeur, and at the same time can regulate all its minutest details. Such enterprises render a dictatorship, for that purpose, indispensable.
A ship of war, an army, a fleet, must be under dictatorial power.
But here was a squadron of more than seventy
vessels to be gathered from several ports in the




THE WAR ENDED.             243
United States, from wide dispersion on the Cruising
grounds of an intense naval warfare, from several
ship-yards of Spain and France, exposed to storms,
to shipwreck; to misunderstood orders, to delays in
equipping the ships, to the antagonisms and jealousies of rival officers, and to meet, at an almost unkrfown island, thousands of miles from the place of 
departure of each ship.
The fleet of the Marquis de Vaudreuil was swept,
by the trade winds and the strong current of the
Gulf Stream, sixty miles west of Port Cabello. It required three toilsome weeks to recover this distance,
beating against wind and tide. The accompanying
trartsports, being heavily laden merchant ships, and
not fleet sailors, bearing stores of provisions and ammunition and many land troops, were unable to
recover the lost space, against wind and flood. After
many ineffectual attempts they were compelled to
relinquish the endeavor. They left the squadron,
and bore away to the coast of San Domingo.
One of the finest of the war-ships, the Burgpyne,
of seventy-four guns, in a dark and stormy night,
ran upon a rock, and was totally lost, with two hundred of her crew. On the i8th of February, 1783,
the Triomphante reached Port Cabello. The Auguste and Pluton, which had been separated from
the fleet by the storm, near the Bay af Fundy, had




244              PAUL JONES.
arrived a few days before. Soon after, the remaining
war-ships of the squadron, one after another, came
in.
The Spanish fleet was to sail from Havana,
under command of Don Salano. He had promised
to be at the rendezvous punctually. But he did not
keep his word. Probably some pique stood in tlie
way. Nothing was seen of him, or heard from him.
The Spanish government was dissatisfied with his
course, ordered him home, and another was placed
in command.
The large combined force, of French and Spanish ships, was to sail from Cadiz, in the extreme
south of Spain, under Count d'Estaing. At Port
Cabello, he was to take command of the whole expedition. But just as the fleet was on the eve of
sailing, the British government, alarmed by the little
success which had attended its efforts thus far, the
enormous expense which the conflict involved, the
loss of all its trade with the colonies, the interruption of its commerce throughout the world, and
more than all by the clamor of popular indignation,
which rose, in England, against the unrighteous war
it was waging, which clamor would make itself
heard in the House of Commons and the House of
Lords, very reluctantly felt constrained to consider
terms of peace. It was decided to defer the sail



THE WAR ENDED.             245
ing of the fleet till the result of the negotiations
could be ascertained. Thus when Vaudreuil was
hourly looking for the arrival of his whole squadron
at Port Cabello, his transports were distant four
hundred miles at Cape Francois, in San Domingo.
T~he Spanish squadron, under Don Solano, was distant nearly fifteen hundred miles in Havana; while
the great combined fleet of France and Spain, under
D'Estaing, was quietly reposing, at the distance of
many thousand miles, in the harbor of Cadiz.
The last thing at night, the officers at Cabello
were seen at the mast-heads of the ships, ranging
the horizon with their glasses, in search of the expected fleets. The earliest dawn of the morning
found them again upon the eager, anxious look-out.
Thus the remainder of February, and the whole of
the month of March passed sadly away. Not a sail
was seen to break the outline where the ocean and
the sky seemed to meet. The anxiety of the officers became intense. Their decks were blistered
beneath the heat of a tropical sun. The climate was
insalubrious. There was nothing in their surroundings to cheer them. The disappointment was terrible. The officers who had embarked on the enterprise with high ambition, anticipating renowned
achievements and unfading laurels, saw all their
hopes vanishing, and that the ridicule of the com



246               PAUL JONES.
munity, instead of its plaudits, would attend their
return. Such is life:
"A path it is of joys and griefs, of many hopes and fears,
Gladdened at times by sunny smiles, but oftener dimmed by tears."
Serious sickness broke out, which seized alike
officers and crew. Commodore Jones was attacked
with intermittent fever, which seemed to paralyze his
physical energies, leaving his mental powers in all
their activity. On the 27th of February, the evening before his arrival at Port Cabello, he wrote to
the Duke de la Rochefoucauld, saying:
" The English affairs seem in so bad a situation
in the East Indies, that I think even the most sanguine among them can expect no manner of advantage for continuing the war. As Spain has, at last,
wisely abandoned the siege of Gibraltar, and, as we
are told, doubled her ships with copper, I cannot
think the English so blind as not to see the great
risk they run of being as effectually humbled by sea,
as they are by land, should they neglect the present
moment to make their peace. I most ardently wish
for peace, for humanity tells me there has been too
much blood spilt already. I am in hopes to have
the happiness, soon after the war, to revisit France."
The same day he wrote to Honorable Mr. Morris
as follows: " I have already received much useful in



THE WAR ENDED.             247
formation, since I embarked, and am on such happy
terms with the admiral and officers, both of the
fleet and army, that I have nothing to wish from
them. Deeply sensible how favored I am in being
thus placed, I beg you to express my gratitude to
Congress on the occasion, and to the Chevalier de
Luzerne. The Marquis de Vaudreuil is promoted to
the rank of lieutenant-general, and now carries a
vice-admiral's flag."
On the 25th of March Jones wrote to Lafayette,
who had received from the king military promotion.
In this letter he wrote:
"I am really happy to hear that justice has been
rendered, by his majesty, to such distinguished worth
and exertion as yours. No less indeed could be
expected from such a prince to such a subject. We
hear that you are at Cadiz, in order to embark with
his excellency Count d'Estaing. This would afford
me the greatest pleasure, did not my love of glory
give place to my more ardent wish for peace, and
that you might have the happiness to carry over the
olive branch, to a country that already owes you so
much gratitude.
" Humanity has need of peace; but though I was
led to expect it from the late speech from the throne,
I begin to fear it is yet at some distance. There
seems to be a malignity in the English blood, which




248              PAUL JONES.
cannot be cured till, in mercy to the rest of mankind, it is let out, that the disease may not become
epidemical. I pray you to present my most respectful compliments to the Count d'Estaing. If the war
continues, I hope for the honor of making the campaign under his orders."
Early in April a solitary ship was seen in the distant horizon. Her approach was watched with the
most intense eagerness. She entered the harbor
with floating banners and triumphant music and
shouts of peace. She conveyed the tidings of the
treaty which brought the dreadful war to a close.
There were but few Americans in the fleet. Their
joy must have been great, that their country had
successfully fought the battles of freedom, and had at
length escaped from the grasp of the oppressor. We
know not with what emotions the French received
the tidings which convinced them that the naval
campaign in which they had anticipated such great
results had proved so serious a failure.
Commodore Jones was weary of war. He ever
abhorred those atrocities inevitably involved in what
Napoleon I. has called " The science of barbarians."
Just before the sailing of the fleet he thought he saw
indications that peace was not far distant. There
was quite a sum of money due to him from France,
whose remittance he was daily expecting. There




THE WAR ENDED.             249
was a farm house and an extensive tract of excellant
land for sale near Newark, New Jersey. It had
been valued at forty thousand dollars. But property
had so depreciated during the war, and money was
so scarce, that it was now seeking a purchaser at ten
thousand dollars. Commodore Jones, with his humane feelings, literary taste, and'yearnings for the
joys of domestic life, was anxious to purchase this
property. He wrote accordingly, on the 24th of
December, 1782, intrusting the business to his friend
John Ross, Esq.
But the money did not come. The purchase was
not made. Jones was far away in the harbor of
Port Cabello. He had received no response to his
letter, and did not even know whether his agent had
ever received it. In this uncertainty he again wrote
to Mr. Ross, from Port Cabello, on the i6th of March,
1783. After briefly recapitulating the contents of
his former letter he added:
" As New York will probably be one of our first
naval ports, the proximity of that estate made me
more desirous to own it. If, therefore, you should
find, on inquiry, that I have been rightly informed,
and if you can turn the merchandise in your hands
into money, to answer for the purchase, I pray you
to act for me as you would for yourself on the occasion.
XI*




250              PAUL JONES.
"We have as yet no certain news from Europe.
If the peace should, as I wish it may, be concluded,
I wish to establish myself on a place I can call my
own, and offer my hand to some fair daughter of
liberty. If, on the contrary, Count d'Estaing should
come out with fifty sail of the line, copper sheathed,
and eighteen thousand troops, I shall have instructions at the greatest military school in the world."
The satisfaction of Jones, upon the establishment
of peace, and the independence of the land of his
adoption, appears to have been unqualified. He
immediately wrote to a friend:
"The most brilliant success, and the most instructive experience in war could not have given me
a pleasure comparable with that which I received,
when I learned that Great Britain had, after so long
a contest, been forced to acknowledge the independence and sovereignty of the United States of
America."
Nothing can be more evident, in the whole
career of Commodore Jones, than that he fought not
from the love of war, but to secure for'America an
honorable peace. Immediately upon the receipt of
the intelligence of the treaty, the little squadron
weighed anchor, and sailed for Cape Francois, upon
the island of San Domingo. After a passage of
eight days the cape was reached on the I6th of the




THE WAR ENDED.             251
month. Here Commodore Jones,'though still suffering from an intermittent fever, took leave of his
friends, and embarked for Philadelphia. It is manifest that he had commanded warmly the esteem of
all his associates, by his upright and noble character.
The Marquis de Vaudreuil wrote to Chevalier de la
Luzerne, the French minister in America, as
follows. The letter was dated at Cape Francois,
April 20th, I783.
"The peace, which has been so much desired,
and which is going to make the happiness of America, since it puts a seal to her liberty, terminates our
projects. We shall sail for France in a week, with
the troops under command of Baron de Viomenil.
Mr. Paul Jones, who embarked with me, is about
returning to his dear country. His well-deserved
reputation had made him very acceptable to me, not
doubting but that we should have had some opportunities in which his talents might have shone forth.
But peace, of which I cannot but be glad, puts an
obstacle in the way; so we'must part. Permit me,
sir, to request of you the favor of recommending
him to his superiors. The intimate acquaintance
which I made with him since he has been on board
the Triomphante, makes me take a lively interest
in what concerns him; and I shall be very much




252              PAUL JONES.
obliged if you will find means of being serviceable
to him."
It will be remembered that Paul Jones had been
assigned a room on board the crowded Triomphante, with Baron de Viomenil, who was in command of the land forces. The baron, for five months,
was in the most intimate relation with Jones. No
one could have a better opportunity of ascertaining
his true character. He wrote as follows, to the
French ambassador at Philadelphia:
"Mr. Paul Jones, who will have the honor of
delivering to you, sir, this letter, has for five months
deported himself among us with such wisdom and
modesty as'add infinitely to the reputation gained
by his courage and exploits. I have reason to
believe that he had preserved as much the feeling
of gratitude and attachment toward France, as of
patriotism and devotion to the cause of America.
Such being his titles to attention, I take the liberty
of recommending to you his interests near the President and Congress."
Viomenil also wrote the Honorable Mr. Morris,
in high commendation of Paul Jones, and expressing his desires for the prosperity of "ce brave et
honnzte homme."
Jdnes appeared in Philadelphia on the I8th of
May, 1783. He was still suffering from fever, and




THE WAR ENDED.             253
his constitution was greatly shattered by the hardships he had experienced. He therefore retired, for
the recovery of his health, to the beautiful little Moravain village of Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, about sixty
miles northwest of Philadelphia, on the banks of
the Lehigh river. Here he passed the summer, resting from his toils and employing his time in those
literary and scientific studies which ever deeply interested him.
His health being much improved, he was ap-pointed on the ist of November, 1783, an agent of
the United States Government to collect the amount
of money for prizes taken, in Europe, by vessels
under his command. The ships had been sold, and
the money had gone into the French treasury, and
was not yet paid. The. question was full of embarrassing complications. Several years had elapsed
since the prizes were captured. The sailors who
had taken them were scattered in all parts of the
world, and many were dead. Was the distribution
of the prizes to be adjudged according to French
law, or American law? and these laws were very different. The Bon Homme Richard was a French
ship, purchased and armed at the expense of the
French court, and entitled to raise alike the French
or American flag. What proportion of the prizes
she took belonged to France, and what to America?




254             PAUL JONES.
It is manifest that, in carrying claims involving such
embarrassments through any court or Congress, there
was a fine opportunity for years of diplomatic struggles. It was in the autumn of I779, that the prizes
were taken by the Bon Homme Richard. Four
years.had since elapsed, and yet nothing had been
done toward the settlement of the distribution of
the prize-money. There was not another man in
the world so well qualified to manage this difficult
and delicate business as was Commodore Jones.
He was personally familiar with all the facts in the
case. By midnight studies he had made himself thoroughly acquainted with the naval code of all the European nations. He was well known in the court of
France and was very highly esteemed, alike by the
monarch, his cabinet officers, and the people. And in
addition to all this he was a well-bred gentleman, who
scorned all trickery, who would make no claim which
he did not honestly believe to be just, and who, while
unyielding in his righteous demand, was ever courteous and gentle in his bearing. Even Arthur Lee
was one of the committee who recommended to
Congress that this all-important commission should
be assigned to Commodore Jones. As it was expected that a large sum of money would be placed
in his hands, he was required to give bonds, to the
amount of two hundred thousand dollars, in pledge




THE WAR ENDED.            255
of his faithful administration of the trust. It is evidence of the high esteem with which he was regarded by the leading men of the nation, that he
found no difficulty in obtaining bondsmen.
On the Ioth of November, Jones sailed from
Philadelphia, in the ship Washington. After a
stormy wintry passage of twenty days, the ship,
instead of making the French harbor of Havre, baffled by head winds in the Channel, ran into the English port of Plymouth. As Mr. Jones had important despatches for John Adams, then our minister
at the court of St. James, he travelled post to London. Mr. Adams, after examining his documents, informed Commodore Jones that the despatches with
which he was intrusted to Dr. Franklin, in Paris, probably contained authorization for Adams and Franklin
to conclude a commercial treaty with England.
It required a journey and voyage of five days for
Jones to traverse the distance between London and
Paris.' Franklin received his old fiend with great
cordiality. Marshal de Castries was Minister of
Marine, Count de Vergennes occupied another of
the most important positions in the government.
They both received Paul Jones with all those flattering attentions which render French society so fascinating. The Chevalier Luzerne had written to
them both from Philadelphia, affectionately com



256              PAUL JONES.
mending Paul Jones to their kind regards. With
true French politeness they informed him that they
had received such letters, but that they were entirely
unnecessary.
"We have no need of letters," they said, "to
inform us of the merits of Commodore Jones, or to
influence us to do him justice."
There are different ways of doing things in this
world; and certainly the courteous way is the most
agreeable. England had denounced Commodore
Jones as a pirate. -Had England captured him, it is
not improbable that he might have been hung like a
pirate. Captain Pearson, who commanded the
Serapis in the encounter with the Bon Homme
Richard, was a brave man, perhaps a humane man,
but coarse and vulgar, quite unacquainted with the
courtesies which regulate the intercourse of gentleman. As he presented his sword to Commodore
Jones, the unmanly Briton said:
"It is with great reluctance that I surrender my
sword to a man who fights with a halter about his
neck!'
What reply should the commodore make to
such an insult, which Pearson probably regarded
merely as British pluck? Should he strike his
unarmed and helpless prisoner? Should he soil his




THE WAR ENDED.             257
lips in a contest of blackguardism? His reply was
noble.
"Captain Pearson, you have fought like a hero.
And I have no doubt that your sovereign will
reward you for it in the most ample manner."*
* Life of Paul Jones, by Alexander Slidell Mackenzie, Vol. i, p.
I95.




CHAPTER XII.
The Difficulties of Diplomacy.
Courteous Reception in Paris.-Compliment of the King.-Principles
of Prize Division.-Embarrassing Questions.-Interesting Correspondence.-The Final Settlement.-Modest Claims of Commodore Jones.-Plan for a Commercial Speculation.-Its Failure.
-The Mission to Denmark.-Return to America.
COMMODORE JONES, upon his arrival in Paris, was
invited to dine with Marshal Castries, Minister of
Marine. After dinner the marshal took the commodore aside, and said to him:
" I am requested by his majesty the king to say
to you that it will afford him much satisfaction to
be able, in any way, to promote your future fortune."
The commodore immediately entered, with all
his energies, upon the arduous duties of his mission
There is no diplomacy equal that of a straight-forward, honest purpose. There was never a shrewd
manceuvrer who did not eventually manceuvre himself out of all influence. The reader would be weary
of the detail of all the embarrassments which,
though the labors of two years, Commodore Jones




THE DIFFICULTIES OF DIPLOMACY.    259
encountered, and over which, one by one, he triumphed. And his success was never owing to cunning or intrigue, but to the frank and manly pursuit
of that which was just.
A careful examination of the diplomatic correspondence, which was long-continued and with great
ability on both sides, shows that he was ever courteous, and that he held his own spirit under such
control, that rarely could any annoyance provoke
him to utter an irritable or a hasty word.
On the 20th of December Paul Jones was intro.
duced to the king. He presented his credentials,
and was received with the cordiality of established
friendship. The following letter to the Minister of
Marine will show the style and literary ability with
which he conducted the correspondence. It was
addressed to " My Lord Mardchal," under date of
February Ist, 1784.
"As I wish to give your excellency as little
trouble as may be, respecting the money arising
from prizes taken by the squadron I had the honor
to command in Europe, I have waited, since the
day you did me the honor to present me to his
majesty, until this moment, in order to give you
sufficient time for any arrangement you might find
essential, before the division should take place
between the ships and vessels that composed the




260             PAUL JONES.
force under my command when the prizes were
taken.
" I now do myself the honor to transmit you the
enclosed official letter on that subject, from Mr.
Franklin, Minister Plenipotentiary of the United
States, containing a copy of my credentials as agent
from Congress, of which I had occasion to offer an
account upon my arrival. I also enclose a statement
of the force, in guns and men, of each ship and vessel that composed the squadron I commanded,
which is the only paper essential to the first division
of the prize-money.
"It is the custom, in cases like the present, to
multiply the number of the crew by the sum of the
calibre of the cannon mounted on board each ship.
The product gives the intrinsic force in proportion
to -which the share of the prize-money arising to
each ship is determined. On that ground it is my
duty to claim the proportion arising to the Bon
Homme Richard and the Alliance. Their proportions will afterward be divided by the American Superintendent of Finance, agreeably to the rules of the
American navy, between the officers and the crews
of the two ships.
"The subdivision of the shares of the other ships
and vessels, in proportion to their force in men and
metal, of the prizes in which they are concerned,




THE DIFFICULTIES OF DIPLOMACY.     261
will remain with your excellency to determine, as
may be most agreeable to the respective officers and
men. As those ships and vessels were entirely his
majesty's property, and their officers and men composed of French subjects, I do not presume to interfere in their respect any further than to pray your
excellency, in the most earnest manner, to render
them, and all concerned, that immediate justice to
which all Europe knows their distinguished services
so highly entitle them. As nearly four years and a
half have already elapsed since those captures were
made, I rely on the kind promise you gave me, that
the prize-money shall now be immediately settled.
"I am, with profound respect, my lord mar6chal, your most obedient and most humble servant,
"JOHN PAUL JONES."
The prize ships had been sold in France, and the
money had been placed in the hand of Monsieur de
Chaumont, one of the crown officers of finance. But
the treasury was in debt to him. He therefore
took the liberty of keeping the money in payment
of that debt, leaving it for the claimants to draw
upon the empty treasury for whatever sum might be
due them. In reference to this aspect of affairs,
Commodore Jones wrote to the minister.
Whether Monsieur de Chaumont is indebted to




262              PAUL JONES.
the government, or the government is, as he says,
indebted to him, is a matter which does not concern
the captors of the prizes. But they have a right to
claim the protection of government to force Monsieur
de Chaumont to render the money, with interest,
which he has unjustly detained from them, for four
years and a half, while many of them are perishing
with cold and hunger."
This point he successfully carried. He had very
wisely arranged with Congress that all the money he
might recover should be transmitted by him to the
Congressional treasury, to be paid by the minister to
the individual claimants. According to the concordat or agreement which was entered upon with the
French government when the little squadron sailed,
it was settled:
"That the division of prizes should be made
agreeably to the American laws; but that the proportion of the whole, coming to each vessel in the
squadron, should be regulated by the minister of the
Marine Department of France and the minister
plenipotentiary of the United States of America."
But here there were conflicting principles. By
the laws of France a certain proportion of all prizemoney was set apart for the support of the Hospital
of Invalids, from which institution American sailors
could. derive no benefit. The American prize laws




THE DIFFICULTIES OF DIPLOMACY.    263
gave captors the whole value of ships of war, and
half the value of merchantmen. After long negotiation the French government yielded this point also,
and allowed the distribution to be made according
to American law.
There were, it will be remembered, five hundred
British prisoners, captured by Jones, maintained at
very considerable expense for some time by the
French government, at the Texel. The British government refused to surrender, in exchange for these
men, American prisoners. They did, however, give
up French prisoners, in exchange for them. When
Commodore Jones passed over these men to the
French authorities, it was with the distinct understanding that they, in conference with the'British
government, should obtain for them an equal number of American captives, to be delivered to Commodore Jones. But the spirit of the British cabinet
was so implacable toward the Americans, that the
French government could not accomplish this.
Marshal Castries now contended that the expenses attending the maintenance of these prisoners
at the Texel, and their transportation to England,
should be deducted from the prize-money. With
justifiable intensity of purpose, Commodore Jones
combated this claim. Dr. Franklin, then in Paris,
was in entire accord with Commodore Jones upon




264             PAUL JONES.
this question, as upon all the other principles Jones
had insisted upon in the adjustment. On the 25th
of March he wrote, in a letter addressed to " Honorable Paul Jones, Esq.":
"I certainly should not have agreed to charge the
American captors with any part of the expense of
maintaining the five hundred prisoners in Holland
till they could be exchanged, when none of them
were exchanged for the Americans in England, as
was your intention, and as we both had been made
to expect."
The commodore immediately enclosed this letter
in another, which he addressed to Marshal de
Castries. He wrote 
"The within copy of a letter which I had the
honor to receive yesterday. from Mr. Franklin, will
convince you that he never consented, and could
not consent, to the manner proposed by your predecessor and by M. de Chaumont for settlement of the
prize-money due to the American officers and men
who served under my orders in Europe.
" I will not complain that the prisoners which I
took and carried to Holland were not exchanged for
the Americans, who had been taken in war upon the
ocean, and were long confined in the English dungeons by civil magistrates, as traitors, pirates, and




THE DIFFICULTIES OF DIPLOMACY.    265
felons. I will only say I had such a promise from the
minister of marine.
"It was all the reward I asked for the anxious
days and sleepless nights I passed, and the many
dangers I encountered in glad hope of giving them
all their liberty. And if I had not been assured that
Mr. Franklin had made an infallible arrangement
with the courts of France and England, for their
immediate redemption, nothing but a superior force
should have arrested them out of my hands, till they
had been actually exchanged for the unhappy
Americans in England."
This claim the French government also yielded.
But still the weary months rolled on, and no payment was made. The simple fact was that there
was no money in the treasury. The government
was in a condition of a man, struggling and floundering amidst all the intolerable embarrassments of
approaching bankruptcy. There were claims upon
them vastly more pressing than the payment of a
few thousand livres to a few hundred poor foreign
seamen. Commodore Jones was fully aware of all
this. With characteristic courtesy, kindness, and
yet firmness, he addressed a letter, as follows, to the
marshal on the 23d of June, I785.
" By the letter your excellency did'me the honor
to write me on the I3th of May last, you were
12




266              PAUL JONES.
pleased to promise that as soon as M. de Chardon
should have sent you the liquidation of my prizes,
which you expected without delay, you would take
measures for the payment, and you would let me
know.
"From the great number of affairs more important
that engage your attention, I presume this little matter, which concerns me in a small degree personally,
but chiefly as the agent of the brave men who served
under my orders in Europe, may have escaped your
memory. Since the first of November, 1783, when I
received authority to settle this business with your
excellency, I have been waiting here for no other
purpose, and constantly expecting it to be concluded
from month to month. To say nothing of my expenses during so long an interval, the uncertainty of
my situation has been of infinite prejudice to my
other concerns. My long silence is a proof that
nothing but necessity could have prevailed on me
to take the liberty of reminding your excellency of
your promise. I hope for the honor of a final determination, and I am with great respect, etc."
Still there were delays of the most annoying
character too numerous and too tedious to be
narrated. Through all these, Commodore Jones
retained  his equanimity, and commanded  the
respect of those with whom he was contending.




THE DIFFICULTIES OF DIPLOMACY.     267
The expenses of Commodore Jones, as agent of the
United States at the court of Versailles, were necessarily considerable. One could not fill the post of
an ambassador there upon the wages of a daylaborer. It was essential to his influence, as he was
daily brought in contact with the ancient nobility
of France, that he should maintain the style of a
gentleman.
At length, on the I5th of July, 1785, Marshal
Castries issued an order to pay to Commodore Jones,
at L'Orient the sum of one hundred eighty-one thousand and thirty-nine livres, one sous, and ten derniers. Thomas Jefferson was then our minister at
Paris. In a letter addressed to him about this time,
Jones wrote:
" I cannot bring myself to lessen the dividend
of the American captors by making any charge
either for my time or trouble. I lament that it has
not been in my power to procure for them advantages as solid and extensive as the merit of their
services. I would not have undertaken this business
from any views of private emolument that could
possibly have resulted from it to myself, even supposing I had recovered a sum more considerable than
the penalty of my bond. The war being over I
made it my first care to show the brave instruments
of my success that their rights are as dear to me as




268             PAUL JONES.
my own. It will, I believe, be proper for me to
make oath before you, to the amount charged for
my ordinary expenses."
Our minister received a salary of ten thousand
dollars a year. It required the most rigid economy,
with that sum, to meet expenses. Mrs. Adams, the
wife of our distinguished ambassador John Adams,
in her letters, gives a graphic account of their residence at the little village of Auteuil, about four
miles from Paris. The house was large, and coldly
elegant. There were massive mirrors and waxed
floors, but no air of comfort. A servant polished
the floors each morning with a brush buckled to
one of his feet. The expenses of housekeeping were
enormous. A heavy tax was imposed upon everything. All articles of domestic use about thirty
per cent. higher than in Boston. It was absolutely
necessary to keep a coach. The coachman and
horses cost fifteen guineas a month. The social
customs of the country required seven servants.
The inevitable expenses of the family were so heavy
that it required all Mrs. Adams's remarkable financial skill to save them from pecuniary ruin. The
humble style in which they lived, compared with the
splendor with which the other foreign ministers
were surrounded, often caused mortification. Mr.




THE DIFFICULTIES OF DIPLOMACY.    269
Jay was compelled to resign, since he could not support himself upon his salary.
Such were the surroundings of Commodore Jones
in his arduous mission. And yet he practised such
rigid economy, that he charged but five thousand
dollars a year for all his services and expenses.
Franklin and Jefferson both carefully examined his
accounts and gave them their approval. They were
then sent to Congress, where they were again subjected to a rigid scrutiny, and were again approved.
Not long after, on the I6th of October, I787, Congress passed the following vote:
"Resolved unanimously, that a medal of gold be
struck and presented to the Chevalier John Paul
Jones, in commemoration of the valor and brilliant
services of that officer, in the command of the squadron of American and French ships, under the flag and
commission of the United States, off the coast of
Great Britain, in the late war; and that the Honorable Mr. Jefferson, minister plenipotentiary of the
United States at the court of Versailles, have the
same executed with the proper devices."
At the same time, Congress commended Commodore Jones to the special regard of the king of
France, and solicited permission for him to embark
in the French fleets of evolution, convinced that
he can nowhere. else so well acquire that knowledge




270              PAUL JONES.
which may hereafter render him more extensively
useful."
The commodore, with his intense views of life's
duties, never found time for conviviality or any dissipating pleasures. He employed his otherwise unoccupied hours in writing a very carefully prepared
narrative of his past services. This was not printed,
but was read in manuscript by many distinguished
personages. The illustrious Malesherbes, after reading the journal, wrote as follows to Mr. Jones:
"I have received with much gratitude the mark
of confidence which you have given me; and I have
read, with great eagerness and pleasure, the interesting relation. My first impression was to desire you
to have it published. But after having read it, I
perceive that you had not written it with a view to
publication, because there are things in it which are
written to the king, for whom alone that work was
intended. However actions, memorable as yours
are, ought to be made known to the world, by an
authentic journal published in your own name. I
earnestly entreat you to work at it as soon as your
affairs will allow. In the meantime, I hope that the
king will read this work with that attention which
he owes to the relation of the services which had
been rendered to him by a person so celebrated."
While these scenes were transpiring, the re



THE DIFFICULTIES OF DIPLOMACY.    271
nowned American traveller, John Ledyard, was in
Paris. He proposed to Commodore Jones a commercial speculation, upon a scale of grandeur likely
to interest his mind, and which would call into
requisition all his administrative energies and acquired information and skill.
The plan was to fit out a vessel of two hundred
and fifty tons, to be thoroughly armed and equipped,
with forty-five officers and men, to be selected in
France. She was to sail, on the first day of October,
for Cape Horn, and thence to the Sandwich Islands.
There she was to take in new stores of provisions,
and continue her route to the northwest coast of
North America. She was to remain from April to
October, running up and down the coast, purchasing furs of the Indians.
Having filled the vessel, they were to make sail
across the Pacific, for China or Japan. The rich furs
would there bring a great price. They were to be
sold for gold or other commodities. With this gold
and merchandise the ship was to return to France,
by way of the Cape of Good Hope. It was thought
that the whole voyage would occupy about eighteen
months. After a very close calculation it was estimated that the profits of the enterprise would
amount to a little over one hundred and eighty
thousand dollars.




272              PAUL JONES.
Such was the plan in general, subject to various
modifications, such as whether one vessel should go
alone, or whether two should go in company. It
was by a somewhat similar commercial enterprise
that John Jacob Astor subsequently laid the foundation of his colossal fortune.
There was much to recommend this plan to en-,thusiastic and enterprising men. Its novelty lent a
great charm. It was considered that the risks were
small, decidedly less than those which usually attended voyages to the East or West Indies. The
expense of the armament, and the cargo of trinkets,
small ware, and cutlery, for traffic with the Indians,
was very inconsiderable. It was well known that
the northwest coast of America abounded in the
richest furs, above all other regions in the world.
These furs could be purchased for a mere trifle from
the Indians, In China and Japan they would command extravagant prices.
Jefferson was deeply interested in this plan. In
his mind, as in that of Paul Jones, it assumed a dignity far above that of a mere money-making enterprise. It would extend our knowledge of those vast
regions, with their wild inhabitants, which both of
these sagacious men foresaw would eventually be
included within the limits of the American Union.
Paul Jones was to have the supreme command, and




THE DIFFICULTIES OF DIPLOMACY.    273
by his powerful influence was to obtain the vessel
and the outfit. Ledyard was to be supercargo.
As they pondered the plan, aided by the cool
judgment of Mr. Jefferson, it assumed ever-increasing proportions. A trading post was to be established, strongly stockaded and well garrisoned. The
Indians were to be treated with the greatest justice
and humanity, so as to secure their good-will.
There were to be two vessels employed, one of
which should always be on the coast. Silks and
teas were to be purchased, upon which there would
be an additional profit in Europe.
The plan was manifestly so feasible and so full
of promise, that it was necessary to keep it as secret
as possible, lest many others should embark-in the
same enterprise, and the rivalry should become
great. Indeed, there were rumors, which reached
Mr. Jones's ears, that there were other parties contemplating a similar movement. He wrote to Dr.
Bancroft upon the subject. He replied, under date
of September 9th, I785:
" I endeavored, as early as possible, to gain information respecting the object of your inquiry. But
it was a difficult matter, none of my acquaintance
knowing anything more of it than what had appeared
in the public papers. Yesterday, however, I was
informed, by a gentleman who I believe has some
12*




274              PAUL JONES.
more knowledge of the fact, that the two vessels,
King George and Queen Charlotte, have actually
sailed on the expedition which was thought of by
Mr. Ledyard, for furs, which I should suppose must
interfere with, and very much lessen the profits of
any simular undertaking by others."
Mr. Jones wrote to Madrid, and was informed
that the court of Spain would not allow any commercial speculation in the neighborhood of California,
by the subjects of any other nation than her own. It
is supposed that this fact mainly led to the abandonment of the scheme. There may have been, and
probably were, other considerations. But we hear of
the enterprise no more.
The reader will remember that there were three
prizes sent by Landais to Norway, and that the
Danish government restored them to the British
ambassador upon the ground that the vessels had
been captured by a people not recognized by them
as an independent government. This was sustaining the British claim, that Jones was not a legitimate naval officer, but a mere pirate, whom they
would be justified in hanging could they catch him.
Every officer in the colonial army and navy, in the
view of the British government, stood upon the
same platform.
The prizes thus lost to us at Copenhagen were




THE DIFFICULTIES OF DIPLOMACY.    275
valued at two hundred and fifty thousand dollars.
This was five-fold the amount recovered from the
prizes sent into France. Upon the threatened surrender of these prizes, Dr. Franklin immediately sent
a memorial to Count Bernstorf, the Danish prime
minister. This admirable state paper contained the
following very characteristic sentences. After recapitulating the circumstances of the case, he adds:
"Permit me, sir, to observe on this occasion, that
the United States of America have no war but with
the English. They have never done any injury to
other nations, particularly none to the Danish nation.
On the contrary, they are in some degree its benefactors, as they have opened a trade of which the English made a monopoly, and of which the Danes may
now have their share; and by dividing the British
empire have made it less dangerous to its neighbors.
They conceived that every nation whom they had not
offended was, by the rights of humanity, their friend.
They confided in the hospitality of Denmark, and
thought themselves and their property safe when
under the roof of his Danish majesty.
" But they find themselves stripped of that property, and the same given up to their enemies, on
the principle only that no acknowledgment had yet
been formally made, by Denmark, of the independence of the United States; which is to say that




276              PAUL JONES.
there is no obligation of justice toward any nation,
with whom a treaty, promising the same, has not
been made. This was indeed the doctrine of ancient
barbarians; a doctrine long since exploded, and
which it would not be for the honor of the present
age to revive. And it is hoped that Denmark will
not, by supporting and persisting in this decision,
obtained of his majesty apparently by surprise, be
the first modern nation that shall attempt to
revive it.
"The United States, oppressed by, and in war
with one of the most powerful nations of Europe,
may well be supposed incapable, in their present
infant state, of exacting justice from other nations not
disposed to grant it. But it is in human nature,
that injuries as well as benefits, received in times of
weakness and distress, national as well as personal,
make deep and lasting impressions. And* those
ministers are wise who look into futurity, and quench
the first sparks of misunderstanding between two
nations, which neglected, may in time grow into a
flame, all the consequences whereof no human
prudence can foresee, which may produce much mischief to both, and cannot possibly produce any
good to either.
" I beg, through your excellency, to submit these
considerations to the wisdom  and justice  of




THE DIFFICULTIES OF DIPLOMACY.    277
his Danish majesty, whom   I infinitely respect,
and who, I hope, will consider and repeal the order
above recited; and, if the prizes which I hereby reclaim, in behalf of the United States of America, are
not actually gone to England, that they may be
stopped and redelivered to M. de Chezaulx, the consul of France, at Bergen, in whose care they were
before, with liberty to depart for America, when the
season shall permit. But if they shall be already
gone to England, I must then reclaim from his majesty's equity the value of the said three prizes, which
is estimated at fifty thousand pounds sterling, but
which may be regulated by the best information
that can, by any means, be obtained."
The three prizes thus surrendered, were the
Betsey, the Union, and the Charming Polly. Mr.
Jones had been so successful in his negociations with
France, that it was deemed expedient to send him
to Copenhagen to seek redress from the Danish
court. He obtained the works of Grotius, and all
other eminent writers upon the Law of Nations, and,
aided by Thomas Jefferson, made himself familiar
with all the principles involved in the questions at
issue. Thus thoroughly equipped, he entered upon
this new and difficult enterprise. In every movement of importance, at this time, Paul Jones conferred with his highly valued friends, Thomas Jefferson




278              PAUL JONES.
and Benjamin Franklin, and acted with their concurrence. A little before this, the Danish government
had so far recognized the injustice of its acts, and
the validity of our claim, as to offer to pay an indemnity of forty thousand dollars. Dr. Franklin declined this offer upon the ground that the fair value of
the prizes should be first ascertained. It was thought
best that Commodore Jones should repair, at once,
to Copenhagen.
He left Paris, with this purpose, in the spring of
1787. At Brussels he failed to receive an expected
remittance from the sale of some bank stock he had
ordered in America. Thus he found himself out of
funds. This induced him to turn back, and take
passage to the United States, to inquire into the
condition of his pecuniary affairs. He speedily attended to his private concerns and prepared to
return to Europe. Fully aware of the difficulty of
his mission, he was anxious to fortify himself with all
those moral forces which could add to his influence.
He wrote to Honorable John Jay, our Minister of
Foreign Affairs, soliciting from him such testimonials
as would commend him to the Danish court. His
letter was dated New York, July I8th, I787. It
was easy for his enemies to represent this as an act
of mere vanity. Perhaps it was. But it was certainly an act of wisdom, thus to endeavor to secure




THE DIFFICULTIES OF DIPLOMACY.   279
the confidence and good-will of the court, to which
he was commissioned for the performance of duties
so arduous. In the conclusion of his letter to Mr.
Jay, he wrote:
"Since the year 1775, when I displayed the
American flag, for the first time, with my own hands,
I have been constantly devoted to the interests of
America. Foreigners have perhaps given me too
much credit. This may have raised my ideas of
my services above their real value. But my zeal
can never be overrated.
"I should act inconsistently, if I omitted to
mention the dreadful situation of our citizens in
Algiers. Their almost hopeless fate is a deep reflection on our national character in Europe. I
beg leave to influence the humanity of Congress in
their behalf, and to propose that some expedient
may be adopted for their redemption. A fund
might be raised, for that purpose, by a duty of a
shilling per month from seamen's wages, throughout
the continent, and I am persuaded that no difficulty
would be made to that requisition."




CHAPTER XIII.
The Mission to Denmark.
Letter to Mr. Jefferson.-The Marquise de Marsan.-Unfounded
Charges and Vindication.-Flattering Application from Catherine II.-His Reception at the Polish Court.-Jones receives the
Title of Rear-Admiral.-English Insolence.-Letter of Catherine II.
JUST before Mr. Jones left Europe, he transmitted a letter to Congress, informing them that the
piratic regency of Algiers had armed eight war vessels, carrying from eighteen to thirty-four guns each,
which were to cruise between Cape St. Vincent and
the Azores, to capture American ships. The French
minister, M. Soulanges, at Toulon, had ascertained
this fact, and very kindly, immediately communicated it to Mr. Jones. In writing to Mr. Jefferson upon
the subject, the commodore said:
"This event may, I believe, surprise some of our
fellow-citizens. But, for my part, I am rather surprised that it did not take place sooner. It will produce a good effect, if it unites the people of America
in measures consistent with their national honor and
interest, and rouses them from that ill-judged secu



THE MISSION TO DENMARK.        281
rity, which the intoxication of success has produced
since the revolution."
One of his most valued lady friends in France, a
daughter of Louis XV., wrote to him, in deepest
affliction. Though a daughter of the king, and as
such enjoying high rank, she was not regarded as a
member of the royal family. The king bestowed a
large fortune upon the mother, on the daughter's
account. The father died when the daughter, who
was a great favorite of his, was very young. The
mother then greatly neglected this child of a royal
sire, treating her neither with natural affection nor
justice. This young lady was adopted by the Marquise de Marsan, who became to her as a mother,
and introduced her to the highest society of the
court.
She was very happily married to M. Tellison, a
very worthy gentleman, but without fortune. In this
virtuous family, Commodore Jones had found, in his
lonely hours in Paris, a congenial and happy home.
The aged marquise regarded the young hero as her
own son. Monsieur and Madame Tellison treated
him with truly fraternal affection. Their little boy
was a great favorite of the commodore, as he fondled
him upon his knee, and lavished caresses upon him.
Man is born to mourn. The day of sorrow came
to this united and happy family. On the 23d of




282              PAUL JONES.
June, 1787, Madame Tellison wrote to Paul Jones, in
New York, informing him of the sudden death of
her friend and protectress, the Marquise de Marsan,
and of consequently a great reverse in their pecuniary condition. Jones, writing to Dr. Bancroft in
London, alluding to this event, said:
"This is also a great grief and loss to me, as I
had in that lady a valuable friend."
The letter Madame Tellison had written to Mr.
Jones, was forwarded to him by Thomas Jefferson.
He immediately wrote to Mr. Jefferson as follows:
"The letter you sent me, left the feeling author
all in tears. Her friend, her protectress, her introductress to the king, was suddenly dead. She was
in despair. She lost more than a mother. A loss
indeed that nothing can repair; for fortune and
favor are never to be compared to tried friendship.
I hope, however, she has gone to visit the king in
July, agreeably to his appointment given to her in
the month of March. I am persuaded that he
would receive her with additional kindness, and that
her loss would, in his mind, be a new claim to protection; especially as he well knows and has acknowledged her superior merit and just pretensions.
"As I feel the greatest concern for the situation
of this worthy lady, you will render me a great favor
by writing a note requesting her to call on you,




THE MISSION TO DENMARK.        283
as you have something to communicate from me.
When she comes, be so good as to deliver her the
within letter, and show her this; that she may
see both my confidence in you and my advice
to her."
The enclosed letter, full of gushing sympathies,
was as follows. It was dated New York, Septemnber 4th, I787.
"No language can convey to the fair mourner
the tender sorrow I feel on her account. The loss
of our worthy friend is, indeed, a fatal stroke! It
is an irreparable misfortune, which can only be alleviated by this one reflection, that it is the will of God,
whose providence has, I hope, other blessings in
store for us. She was a tried friend and more than
a mother to you. She would have been a mother
to me also, had she lived. We have lost her. Let
us cherish her memory and send up grateful thanks
to the Almighty that we once had such a friend.
" I cannot but flatter myself that you have yourself gone to the king, in July, as he had appointed.
I am sure your loss will be a new inducement for
him to protect you and render you justice. He will
hear you, I am sure. You may safely unbosom
yourself to him and ask his advice, which cannot but
be flattering for him to give you. Tell him you
must look on him as your father and protector. If




284              PAUL JONES.
it were necessary I think too that the Count d'Artois,* his brother, would, on your personal application, render you good offices by speaking in your
favor. I should like it better, however, if you can do
without him.
"I am almost without money, and much puzzled
to obtain a supply. I mention this with infinite
regret, and for no other reason than because it is
impossible for me to transmit you a supply, under
my present circumstances. This is my fifth letter
to you since I left Paris. The two last were from
France. But you say nothing of having received
any letters from me. Summon, my dear friend, all
your resolution. Exert yourself and plead your own
cause. You cannot fail of success. Your cause
would move a heart of flint. Present my best
respects to your sister. You did not mention her in
your letter. But I persuade myself she will continue her tender. care of her sweet godson, and
that you will cover him all over with kisses from me.
They come warm to you both, from the heart."
While in New York he heard very ungenerous
complaints that his charge for services in recovering
the prize-money was exorbitant. Earnestly seeking
the good-will of his fellow-citizens, these reproaches
pained him. He wrote upon the subject as follows:
* Subsequently Charles X.




THE MISSION TO DENMARK.        285
"The settlement I made, with the court of
France, had first Dr. Franklin's, and afterwards Mr.
Jefferson's approbation, in every stage and article of
the business. And I presume it will be found, so
far as depended on me, to merit that of the United
States. In France I was received and treated by
the king and his ministers, as a general officer, and
a special minister from Congress. The credit with
which I was honored as an officer, in the opinion of
Europe, and the personal intimacy I have with many
great characters at Paris, with my exclusive knowledge of all circumstances relative to the business,
insured me a success which no other man could have
obtained. My situation subjected me to considerable expense. I went to court much oftener, and
mixed with the great much more frequently than
our minister plenipotentiary. Yet the gentlemen in
that situation consider their salary of two thousand
pounds sterling a year as scarcely adequate to their
expenses."
His busy mind was ever fertile in expedients for
the public welfare. In urging upon Congress immediate and effectual measures for the rescue of the
unhappy American captives in piratic and barbaric
Algiers, he had urged the establishment of a fund for
that object. He also urged that, from this fund, a
great national hospital should be established, for the




286              PAUL JONES.
benefit of invalid seamen, on the plan of the renowned
Greenwich Hospital in England, and the still more
far-famed Hotel des Invalides in Paris.
On the IIth of November, Mr. Jones sailed from
New York on his mission to Denmark. Unfavorable weather caused the ship to put into Dover early
in December, 1787. He repaired to London and
spent a few days with our minister at the court of
St. James, Honorable John Adams. He proceeded
to Paris, where he arrived on the IIth of the month.
For some unexplained reason he did not wish to
have the fact of his arrival noised abroad. The day
after he reached Paris, he had a private interview
with Mr. Jefferson. In this interview he received
the startling and flattering announcement, that the
Empress of Russia was anxious to engage his services as an officer, in the war she was then carrying on
against the Turks. M. Simolin, the Russian ambassador at Versailles, had been instructed to apply to
Mr. Jones, through Mr. Jefferson, to see if the services of the chevalier could be engaged as an officer
in her navy. While this plan was under consideration, he called upon several of the French ministers,
from whom he met a very cordial reception.
On the 4th of March, 1788, after a long and fatiguing winter journey, Mr. Jones reached Copenhagen. He was then but forty years of age. His




THE MISSION TO DENMARK.         287
health, however, was much impaired by the cares,
toil, and exposure of his stormy life. Soon after his
arrival he breakfasted with the chamberlain of the
king of Poland, for the purpose of meeting Mr.
Simolin, the Russian ambassador. He informed
Mr. Jones, that in consequence of the knowledge
which the empress had obtained of his character,
she wished him to take command of her fleet in the
Black Sea, and that she would soon make to him
advantageous proposals. After the Russian ambassador had retired, the chamberlain, whose guest the
commodore was, informed him that Mr. Simolin had
written to the empress:
" If your Imperial Majesty will confide to Commodore Jones the chief command on the Black Sea,
with carte blanche, I will answer for it, that, in less
than a year he will make Constantinople tremble."
Soon after this he was presented to the royal
family, to all of the corps diplomatique, and to many
other distinguished personages of the court. In
speaking of his reception by the king, the queen
dowager, and the young prince and princess royal,
he wrote:
"The queen. dowager conversed with me for
some time, and said the most civil things. Her
majesty has a dignity of person and deportment
which become her well, and which she has the secret




288              PAUL JONES.
to reconcile with great affability and ease. The
princess royal is a charming person; and the graces
are so much her own, that it is impossible to see
and converse with her without paying her the homage which artless beauty and good-nature will ever
command. All the royal family spoke to me except
the king, who speaks to no person when presented.
His majesty saluted me with great complaisance at
first, and as often afterwards as we met in the course
of the evening. The prince royal is greatly beloved,
and extremely affable. He asked me a number of
pertinent questions respecting America.  I had the
honor to be invited to sup with his majesty and the
royal family, The company at table, consisting of
seventy ladies and gentlemen, including the royal
family, the ministers of state, and foreign ambassadors, was very brilliant.
Very earnestly Commodore Jones engaged in
the object of his mission. He had a double motive
to impel him to make all possible haste. In addition to the natural desire to close up the business,
which had been thus lingering for years, he was now
daily expecting offers of employment from the Empress of Russia, which it might be greatly for his
interest to accept. The Algerines, those merciless
pirates of all seas, were united with the Turks of
Constantinople, in their warfare against Russia. An




THE MISSION TO DENMARK.        289
opportunity might thus be afforded him to strike a
blow for the liberation of the American captives.
This was an object very near his heart.
There is power in an illustrious name. The
achievements of Commodore Jones were well known
at Copenhagen. He had received a golden medal,
for his services, from the Congress of the United
States. The king of France had honored him with
a gold-headed sword, and had conferred upon him
the distinguished honor of constituting him a Knight
of the Order of Military Merit. It was also known
that he had won the esteem of the most distinguished
men in Paris, and was an honored guest in the highest circles of the court. These considerations were
all elements of power, of which Mr. Jones very
wisely availed himself. In urging the Danish minister, Count de Bernstorf, to a prompt decision, Mr.
Jones wrote under date of March 24th:
" The promise you have given me of a prompt and
explicit decision, from this court, inspires me with
full confidence. I have been very particular in communicating to the United States all the polite attentions with which I have been honored at this court.
And they will learn, with great pleasure, the kind
reception I have had from you. I felicitated myself
on being the instrument to settle the delicate
national business in question, with a minister who
I3




290             PAUL JONES.
conciliates the views of the wise statesman with the
noblest sentiments and cultivated mind of the true
philosopher and man of letters."
If any one regards this as excessive in its complimentary tone, as it certainly appears to be, let
him read the next letter to Count Bernstorf, after
a delay of six days, which indicates that he could
deal with other coin besides that of iaudation.
This letter was dated March 30th.
" Your silence on the subject of my mission from
the United States to this court, leaves me in the
most painful suspense; the more so as I have made
your excellency acquainted with the promise I am
under, to proceed, as soon as possible, to St. Petersburg. This being the ninth year since the three
prizes reclaimed by the United States, were seized
upon in the port of Bergen, in Norway, it is to be
presumed that this court has long since taken an
ultimate resolution respecting the compensation
demand made by Congress.
"Though I am extremely sensible of the favorable reception with which I have been distinguished
at this court, and am particularly flattered by the
polite attentions with which you have honored
me, at every conference, yet I have remarked
with great concern, that you have never led the
conversation to the object of my mission here.




THE MISSION TO DENMARK.        291
"A man of your liberal sentiments will not therefore be surprised, or offended at my plain dealing,
when I repeat that I impatiently expect a prompt
and categorical answer, in writing, from this court
to the Act of Congress of the 25th of October last.
Both my duty, and the circumstances of my situation,
coustrain me to make this demand in the name of
my sovereign the United States of America.
"But I beseech you to believe that though I am
extremely tenacious of the honor of the American
flag, yet my personal interests in the decision I
now ask, would never have induced me to present
myself at this court. You are too just, sir, to delay
my business here, which would put me under the
necessity to break the promise I have made to her
imperial majesty, conformable to your advice."
To this very decisive communication the minister
returned an answer full of compliments and full of
evasions. The king had no money tospare. Yet he
was very desirous of securing the friendship of the
United States, that he might enter into a commercial treaty, which would be of great benefit to Denmark. Amidst a vast mass of verbiage the commodore
was informed that the king thought it best to defer
a final settlement until the Constitution of the United States was fully established; that a settlement
could only be made with an ambassador invested




292              PAUL JONES.
with plenipotentiary powers; and that, as the negotiations were commenced with the United States
ministers in Paris, it was not expedient to transfer
the seat of the suspended negociation from Paris to
Copenhagen. In conclusion, he begged Commodore
Jones to assure the government of the United States
of the cordial esteem of the king of Denmark, of the
earnest desire of his majesty to form connexions
solid, useful and essential with this country, and to
assure the government that when the proper time
came, nothing should be allowed to retard the conclusion of an amicable settlement of a question,
already so far advanced toward a solution. Under
these circumstances, the only thing to be done was
to transfer the business to Mr. Jefferson. This enabled him immediately to enter upon the service of
the Empress of Russia. In his letter, on this occasion, to Mr. Jefferson, he wrote:
" If I have not finally concluded the object of
my mission it is neither your fault nor mine. The
honor is now reserved for you to display your great
abilities and integrity by the completion and improvement of what Dr. Franklin had wisely begun.
I rest perfectly satisfied that the interests of the brave
men I commanded will experience in you, parental
affection, and that the American flag can lose none




THE MISSION TO DENMARK.         293
of its lustre, but the contrary, while its honor is confided to you.
"While I express, in the warm effusions of a
grateful heart, the deep sense I feel of my eternal
obligations to you, as the author of the honorable
prospect that is now before me, I must rely on your
friendship to justify to the United States the important step I now take conformable to your advice.
"I have not forsaken a country that has had
many and disinterested proofs of my affection. And
I can never renounce the glorious title of a citizen
of the United States. It is true that I have not the
express permission of the sovereignty to accept the
offer of her imperial majesty. Yet America is independent, is in perfect peace, and has no public employment for my military talents.
"The prince royal sent me a messenger requesting me to come to his apartment. His royal highness said a great many civil things to me; told me
that the king thanked me for my attention and civil
behavior to the Danish flag, while I commanded in
the European seas; and that his majesty wished to
testify to me his personal esteem."
It is said that Jones was offered a pension from
the Danish government of fifteen hundred crowns a
year. Jones, however, never mentioned this circum



294              PAUL JONES.
stance to any of his most familiar correspondents.
There is no evidence that he ever received one dollar of this money, but, on the contrary, much evidence that he never received any.
The commodore repaired to St. Petersburg. He
was received by the empress with more flattering
attentions than the court had ever before conferred upon any stranger. The empress immediately conferred upon him the rank of rear-admiral.
He was detained in the capital, contrary to his wishes,
a fortnight, where he was introduced to the first circles of society, feasted and caressed. Jones, speaking of this reception, writes to Lafayette:
"( You would be charmed with Prince Potemkin.
He is a most amiable man, and none can be more
noble-minded. For the empress, fame has never
done her justice. I am sure that no stranger who
has not known that illustrious character, ever conceived how much her majesty is made to reign overa great empire, and to attach grateful and susceptible minds."
The attentions which Paul Jones received from
the Russian court greatly annoyed the English in
and about St. Petersburg. They still insolently persisted in stigmatizing a commissioned officer in the
American navy as a renegade and a pirate, because,




THE MISSION TO DENMARK.         295
having been born in Scotland, he had espoused the
cause of American liberty.
Tooke, in his life of Catherine II., gives vent to
all his bitter British prejudices. Calling Admiral
Jones an " English pirate and renegado," he adds,
" Jones, not meeting with the consideration he expected in America, made a tender of his services to
the court of St. Petersburg; and the British officers,
applicants for employment, went in a body to the
amount of near thirty to lay down their commissions, declaring it was impossibly to serve under him,
or to act with him in any measure or capacity.
We read in an Edinburgh paper of that date the
following notice of that event, probably written by a
Russian officer. "Paul Jones arrived here a few
days ago. He is to set out soon, to take command
of a squadron in the Black Sea. I had the satisfaction to see this honest man, while he was examining
one of our dock-yards. He is a well-made man of
middle size; he wears the French uniform with the
Cross of St. Louis, and a Danish order which he received at Copenhagen, where he had the honor to
dine with the king. He has also received, since he
came here, one of the first Orders of Merit in this
country, so that it is to be feared that they will spoil
him by making too much of him. The English




296              PAUL JONES.
officers in the service have presented a memorial to
Admiral Greig, refusing to serve with Jones, and
threatening to throw up their commissions. Whether
they will stand to their text, it is difficult to say."
The empress paid no attention whatever to this
petulance. Admiral Jones treated it with profound
contempt. In writing to Lafayette, in reference to
his treatment by the Russian court, he says:
"This was a cruel grief to the English, and I own
that their vexation, which was generally in and
about St. Petersburg, gave me no pain."
The empress with her own hands wrote to the
admiral. In her letter she probably refers, though
slightly, to this unmanly opposition of the English.
We give her letter.
"SIR-A courier from Paris has just brought
from my envoy in France, M. Simolin, the enclosed
letter to Count Besborodko.* As I believe that this
letter may help to confirm to you what I have already
told you verbally, I have sent it, and beg you to
return it, as I have not even made a copy be taken,
so anxious am I that you should see it. I hope that
it will efface all doubts from your mind, and prove to
you that you are to be connected only with those
who are most favorably disposed toward you. I
* Russian Minister for the Home Department.




THE MISSION TO DENMARK.        297
have no doubt but that on your side you will fully
justify the opinion which we have formed of you,
and apply yourself with zeal to support the reputation and the name you have acquired for valor and
skill on the element in which you are to serve.
"Adieu. I wish you happiness and health.
"c CATHERINE."
13*




CHAPTER XIV.
The Russian Campaign.
Admiral Jones repairs to the Black Sea.-Designs of Catherine II.Imposing Cavalcade.-Turkey Declares War against Russia.Daring Conduct of Admiral Jones.-A Greek Officer Alexiana.The Prince of Nassau Siegen.-Annoyances of'Admiral Jones
from Russian Officers.-Battle in the Black Sea.-Jones yields
the Honor to the Prince of Nassau.
AT the same time when Chevalier Jones received his flattering letter from the empress, her
prime minister sent to him a despatch, requesting
him to repair to the naval headquarters on the
Black Sea, that he might take part in the opening
of'the campaign. The minister also assured him, in
the name of the. empress, that everything possible
should be done to make his situation agreeable, and
to furnish him with opportunities for the exercise of
his valor and skill. It is not surprising that the
admiral, receiving such marks of attention from her
imperial highness, should have formed a high estimate of the excellence of her character.    He wrote
to Count Segur at this time, saying:
" I shall write to the empress, who hath sent me




THE RUSSIAN CAMPAIGN.         299
a letter full of goodness. But I shall never be able
to express how much greater I find her than fame
reports. With the character of a very great man,
she will be always adored as the most amiable and
captivating of the fair sex."
War had been impending for several years
between Russia and Turkey. The Turks, in the
wanton spirit of barbarian conquest, without the
shadow of excuse for the invasion, had crossed the
Hellespont with an overwhelming army, had seized
Constantinople, and rushing onward in the tide of
victory, had unfurled their triumphant banners within
sight of the battlements of Vienna. All Europe had
trembled beneath the tread of the terrible Moslem
armies. Catherine was anxious to drive these usurping Turks back from Europe, across the Dardanelles
and the Bosphorus, into their Asiatic wilds. She
would make the imperial city of Constantine her
maritime capital and her great naval depot, from
which most admirable point she could command the
commerce of the world. This was the real and everconstant cause for the war, which for nearly a century had been waged between Russia and the Porte.
But innumerable and frivolous pretexts had been
brought forward, as excuses for an appeal to arms.
About ten years before this, the empress had
established a naval depot on the right bank of the




300              PAUL JONES.
Dnieper, not very far from the entrance of the river
into the Euxine, or Black Sea. Imperial influence
soon brought a population of forty thousand to this
port, which became an important dock-yard, where
the largest ships-of-war were launched. The region
around was wild, savage, filled with wandering, halfcivilized Tartar tribes. Russian gold and Russian
arms gradually gained the ascendency and the tribes,
with their territory, were gradually annexed to the
majestic Russian Empire.
Catherine then contrived, by a treaty with the
Porte, to obtain the sovereignty over the immense
province of the Crimea; also a sort of dominion over
the Black Sea, and the right to pass with her ships
through the Dardanelles. In anticipation of the conquest of Constantinople, she caused her young son
to be called Constantine. The King of Poland, the
Emperor of Austria, and most of the other powers
of northern Europe, were in sympathy with the
ambitious designs of Russia. They all wished to see
the Turks driven back into Asia. In that case, most
of them would receive portions of the immense territory which the Turks had overrun in Europe. But
England was intensely opposed to the designs of
Russia. The Turkish Empire, England regarded as
an important and necessary barrier between the




THE RUSSIAN CAMPAIGN.         301
rapidly growing power of Russia and her own possessions in the East Indies.
In the year 1786, Catherine projected a magnificent progress to her new possessions on the Euxine.
The enterprise was organized with all the imposing
brilliance which oriental grandeur could create. The
immense cavalcade, numbering thousands of the
plumed and gayly dressed chivalry of Europe, followed down the magnificent valley of the Dnieper.
All the most prominent members of the Russian
court accompanied the empress. The ambassadors of France, Austria, and of England were in her
train. The latter were probably instructed, carefully to observe all the movements.
At the city of Kief, some six or seven hundred
miles from the mouth of the river, Prince Potemkin
joined the imperial party with a brilliant cavalcade
of the princes, dukes, and counts of the minor powers of Europe. The King of Poland, with a large
retinue of his nobles, commenced the journey with
the empress. The Emperor of Austria, with a still
more imposing escort, joined her on the way.
The Turkish government was quite troubled, in
view of this remarkable visitation. Four of the largest ships of the line were sent to cast anchor at the
mouth of the Dnieper; though they were instructed
not to make any hostile demonstrations.




302              PAUL JONES.
The empress returned to St. Petersburgh. Soon
after this, Turkey declared war against Russia, with
England for her adviser. An army of eighty thousand men was ordered to march instantly along
the western shore of the Euxine, to the mouth of the
Dnieper. Sixteen ships of the line, eight frigates,
and a large number of gun-boats, passed through the
Bosphorus into the Euxine. The Turks had drawn
the sword, and thrown away the scabbard.
The news of this declaration of war by Turkey
was received with great joy at St. Petersburg. It
was just what the empress desired. At Cherson,
Odessa, and other points at the mouth of the Dnieper, she had created quite a formidable fleet. At
very short notice, she could launch on the waters of
the Euxine, eight ships of the line, twelve frigates,
and nearly two hundred gun-boats. Joseph II. of
Austria had entered into alliance with the empress.
Eighty thousand Austrian troops were sent to
cooperate with the Russian arms, in Wallachia.
Two Russian squadrons, under Admirals Kruse and
Greig, were ready to cooperate in the Mediterranean.
Such was the state of affairs between Russia and
Turkey, at the time Commodore Jones accepted the
invitation of the empress. He subsequently wrote a
very carefully prepared journal of the difficulties he




THE RUSSIAN CAMPAIGN.         303
encountered, and of the results of this all-important
enterprise.
This journal, very handsomely executed, was engrossed in the French language, and was accompanied by ninety-three Pitces Yustificatives, or documentary proofs, of the accuracy of all his important statements. The truthfulness of this narrative has never
been called in question. It was not published until
after his death. Justice to Admiral Jones demands
that I should quote freely from this very important
document. The reader will thus obtain a more correct idea of the true character of the man, and of the
adventures upon which he entered, than could be
gained in any other way. After describing the circumstances under which he was led to enter into
the service of the empress, he writes:
"In Denmark I put in train a treaty between
that power and the United States, but it was interrupted by a courier from St. Petersburg, despatched
express by the empress, inviting me to repair to her
court.
" Though I foresaw many difficulties in the way
of my entering the Russian service, I believed I
could not avoid going to St. Petersburg, to thank
the empress for the favorable opinion she had conceived of me. I transferred the treaty, going forward at Copenhagen, to Paris, to be concluded there,




304             PAUL JONES.
and set out for St. Petersburg, by Sweden. At
Stockholm I staid but one night, to see Count
Rasoumorsky. Want of time prevented me from
appearing at court.
"At Gresholm, I was stopped by the ice, which
prevented me from crossing the Gulf of Bothnia, and
even from approaching the first of the isles in the
passage. After having made several unsuccessful
efforts to get to Finland by the isles, I imagined that
it might be practicable to effect my object by doubling the ice to the southward, and entering the Baltic Sea.
" This enterprise was very daring, and had never
before been attempted. But by the north, the roads
were impracticable; and knowing that the empress
expected me from day to day, I could not think of
going back by Elsinore.
"I left Gresholm early one morning, in an undecked passage-boat about thirty feet in length. I
made another boat follow of about half that size.
This last was for dragging over the cakes of ice, and
for passing from one to another to gain the coast of
Finland. I durst not make my project known to the
boatmen, which would have been the sure means
of deterring them from it. After endeavoring, as
before, to gain the first isle, I made them steer for
for the south, and we kept along the coast of Sweden




THE RUSSIAN CAMPAIGN.        305
all the day, finding with difficulty room enough to
pass between the ice and the shore. Toward night,
being almost opposite Stockholm, pistol in hand I
forced the boatmen to enter the Baltic Sea, and
steer to the east."
Here it is obvious to remark, that this was outrageously unjust. These poor boatmen, with parents,
wives, and children perhaps, dependent upon them,
had never promised at whatever hazard, to take him
across that stormy sea. Indeed he had studiously
concealed from them the peril of the enterprise upon
which he had embarked. If the admiral were willing,
in view of the fame and fortune which were enticing
him beyond those tempest-tossed ice-fields, to incur
the dreadful risks, he had no right to compel these
poor men to peril their lives in a cause in which
they had nothing to gain. If we understand the facts,
as given by the commodore himself, the course which
he pursued on this occasion is entirely unjustifiable.
Admiral Jones continues:
"We ran toward the coast of Finland. All night
the wind was fair, and we hoped to land next day.
This we found impossible. The ice did not permit
us to approach the shore, which we only saw from a
distance. It was impossible to regain the Swedish
side, the wind being strong and directly contrary.
I had no other course but to make for the Gulf of




306              PAUL JONES.
Finland. There was a small compass in the boat,
and I fixed the lamp of my travelling carriage so as
to throw a light on it.
" On the second night we lost the small boat,
which was sunk. But the men saved themselves in
the large one, which with difficulty escaped the same
fate. At the end of four days, we landed at Revel
in Livonia, which was regarded as a kind of miracle.
Having satisfied the boatmen for their services and
their loss, I gave them a good pilot, with the provisions necessary for their homeward voyage when
the weather should become more favorable."
The admiral arrived at St. Petersburg on the
evening of 23d of April, O. S. On the 25th, he had
his first audience with the empress. On the 7th of
May, he set out for the seat of war. The long and
dreary journey across the whole breadth of Russia to
the banks of the Euxine, occupied twelve days.
He reached the mouth of the Dnieper on the I9th.
The Prince Marshal Potemkin was there, and received him very kindly. He requested the admiral
immediately to assume command of the naval force
stationed near the mouth of the river. He remained
at Cherson but one evening and night, but that
short time showed him that he would have very
serious obstacles to encounter.
The Russian rear-admiral, Mordwinoff, did not




THE RUSSIAN CAMPAIGN.         307
affect to disguise his displeasure at his arrival. He
gave the new admiral a very sullen reception, delayed
communicating to him the details of the force under
his command, and manifested no disposition to place
him in possession of the silk flag, which belonged to
his rank as rear-admiral. The River Bog empties
into the Dnieper near the point where that majestic
stream pours its flood into the Black Sea. Here
the waters expand into a bay, affording good anchorage ground, called the Roads of Shiroque. The
Russian fleet of ships and gun-boats was assembled
at this place. Early in the morning after the admiral's arrival at Cherson, he accompanied General
Mordwinoff down the river to the naval rendezvous. They reached the flag-ship Wolodimir about
mid-day.
One of the most prominent officers in the squadron was a Greek by the name of Alexiano. He was
a fearless, coarse, unmannerly fellow, who had been, it
was said, a pirate in the Archipelago, and by his
piracies, plundering the commerce of all nations, had
greatly enriched himself. This man had assembled
all the commanders of the ships, and had endeavored to unite them in a cabal against the new admiral. In this he had not been fully successful.
Still he had created antagonisms to the authority of
Admiral Jones which caused him great embarrass



308              PAUL JONES.
ment. Alexiano had obtained the grade of captain,
with the title of brigadier.
The Turkish fleet and flotilla were a few miles
below the roads of Shiroque, nearly opposite Oczakow, which was held by a strong garrison of the
Turks, and was besieged on the land side. by the
Russians, the Turkish fleet holding the harbor. Admiral Jones, very wisely avoiding all angry contention
with his opponents, proposed to one of the Russian
officers who was friendly to him, that they should
descend the bay together, and carefully reconnoitre
the strength and position of the Turkish forces.
While he was absent, Prince Potemkin, who was
second in authority to the empress only, exerted all
his influence to restore harmony. In this he was
partially successful. The admiral, upon his return,
found all the officers apparently contented; and
on the 26th of May, I788, he hoisted his flag on
the Wolodimir.
The Prince of Nassau Siegen, one of the German
principalities, was a very singular man. He was rattle-brained, excessively vain, and quite destitute of
either ability in counsel or skill in execution. Admiral Jones had been slightly acquainted with him
in Paris, and was very sorry to meet him as an associate on a military expedition. This man had a
most exalted idea of his own importance, and joined




THE RUSSIAN CAMPAIGN.         309
the expedition of the Russian empress, with the impression that the success of the campaign depended
mainly upon him. One of his first instructive remarks
to Admiral Jones was:
"If we gain any advarftage over the Turks, it is
essential to exaggerate it to the utmost."
To this statement, which was made with a very
patronizing air, the admiral simply replied:
"I have never adopted that method of making
myself of consequence."
The rank of the prince, his possessions, and his
boastful braggadocio spirit had strangely deceived
the empress. The fleet consisted of two pretty distinct portions; a squadron of powerful war vessels
and a large flotilla of gun-boats. The necessity of
cooperative action in military expeditions is such,
that Napoleon I. once remarked:
" It is better to intrust the command of an army
to one poor general than to two good ones."
Admiral Jones found that while he was intrusted
with the command of the war-ships, the flotilla of
gun-boats was placed under the independent orders
of the Prince of Nassau. Nothing efficient could be
accomplished against the powerful and well-manned
navy of the Turks without the cooperation of the
whole Russian fleet of ships and boats under the
direction of a single mind. And yet there probably




310              PAUL JONES.
were not in all Europe two men less calculated to
act together than Admiral Jones and the Prince of
Nassau.
These two immense fleets and armies were facing each other. The headquarters of the Russians
was at Cherson, while the Turks had their central
rendezvous about fifty miles farther southeast, at
Oczakow. The spacious waters between Cherson
and Oczakow, where the Dnieper and the Bog pour
their widening floods into the Euxine, were filled
with the ships of the line, the frigates, and the gunboats of the contending parties.
For four months there was almost a continuous
series of manceuvres and skirmishes, rising occasionally
into hotly contested battles. The region was full of
shoals and sand-bars, where the heavily-armed ships,
and even the gun-boats, were continually running a
ground. Prince Potemkin was in the supreme command of the whole force, naval and military. He
stood in the place of the empress, and was said in
reality to have more power than Catherine herself.
Admiral Jones found that he could originate no
movement. He could only obey orders, and must
wait patiently until he received them. When orders
were given, the ships alone were subject to his command. The Prince of Nassau was jealous of his
renown, and seemed often disposed rather to thwart




THE RUSSIAN CAMPAIGN.          311
than to aid the efforts of the admiral. He was a man
of considerable skill in cunning and intrigue, and had
led even Potemkin to apprehend that great results
were to be accomplished by the action of his gunboats.
The latter part of May, I788, the Turkish admi
ral came to the succor of Oczakow, with an additional fleet of one hundred and twenty armed vessels,
and other armed craft. Thus the Turkish naval
force, in those waters, far surpassed that of the
Russian. Admiral Jones was requested with his
ships to harass the Turks, in all the ways in his
power without exposing himself to loss. The Turks,
conscious of their superiority, were not disposed to
run any risks. Admiral Jones was also disappointed
in finding that several of his ships were merely large
pleasure barges, with which the empress and her
court, had floated down the Dnieper. These were
inefficiently armed, and were but poorly prepared
for a conflict with the oak-ribbed ships of the Turks.
Admiral Jones was sorely tried. He saw but
little opportunity, under such circumstances, for anything to be accomplished to the honor of the Russian
flag. He however invited all the leading officers,
both of the squadron and of the flotilla, to his cabin,
and thus addressed them:




312              PAUL JONES.
" GENTLEMEN-Having been suddenly called to
serve her imperial majesty, I have need of double
indulgence, being as yet ignorant of the language
and customs of the country. I confess I mistrust
my capacity properly to discharge all the duties of
the high trust with which her majesty has honored
me. But I rely on my zeal, and your favor, co6peration, and candid advice, for the good of the service.
You are met, gentlemen, on serious business. We
are to discuss points which touch nearly the honor
of the Russian flag and the interests of her majesty.
"We have to deal with a formidable enemy, but
if we are united, and of one mind in all our efforts;
if our operations are well concerted and vigorously
executed, the known courage of the Russians, the
cause of the empress and of the country, the remembrance of so many past victories, afford us the
most flattering hope of success, and cannot fail to
inspire invincible resolution. We must resolve to
conquer. Let us join our hands and our hearts.
Let us show that our feelings are noble, and cast far
from us all personal considerations. Honor enough
may be gained by every individual; but the true
glory of the citizen is to be useful to his country."
This concilatory speech of the admiral seemed
to have produced a good impression. They all




THE RUSSIAN CAMPAIGN.         313
agreed to combine their energies in an attack, the
next day, upon an exposed portion of the Turkish
fleet, in accordance with a plan presented by Admiral Jones.
In consequence of the shallowness of the water,
most of the manceuvres were to be conducted by
the gun-boats. The heavy ships could sweep over
only a limited range, being of necessity confined to
the channels of deep water. Admiral Jones, consequently, took his station on board the gun-boats,
passing from one to another, as the incidents of the
conflict required. A very fierce battle was fought.
Admiral Jones seems to have been born insensible
to fear. Amidst the most terrific scenes of death
and destruction, he moved with as unperturbed a
spirit as if he were merely contending with an ordinary storm at sea. Much of the time, he was in the
same gun-boat with the Prince of Nassau. The
prince had the good sense to be guided by the advice
of the officer who was, in every respect, so vastly his
superior. The victory was decisive for the Russians.
Two of the Turkish ships were burned. The Turkish flotilla of fifty-seven vessels was driven from the
ground it had occupied, to seek protection under the
heavy guns of the squadron. As the battle was
mainly conducted by the gun-boats, the admiral left
all the honor with the Prince of Nassau. Still, Ad14




314              PAUL JONES.
miral Jones formed the plan, and guided in all the
tactics of the strife. And he could not prevent it
from being whispered, that the honor of the victory
really belonged to himself. This annoyed the Prince
of Nassau.
Alluding to this fact, Admiral Jones wrote, on the
I Ith of June, in a letter to Mr. Littlepage, chamberlain of the King of Poland:
"Prince Potemkin wrote me a letter of thanks
for the affair of the 7th. If the honor had been
ten times greater, I should have renounced it altogether, in favor of the Prince of Nassau. But I
am sorry to say he is too jealous to be content with
my self-denial. Perhaps he is ill-advised without
knowing it. There is nothing consistent with my
honor that I would not do, to make him easy. I am
the more in pain, as I understand he spoke favorably
of me to Prince Potemkin before I arrived. If he now
becomes my enemy, I shall not imitate his example.
It was my intention to pay him a compliment, when
I said in my letter to the prince,'that he had taken
my counsel in good part, in the affair of the 7th.'
I showed the Prince of Nassua that letter, and he
seemed pleased with it. In the affair, he embraced
me, and said we'should always make but one.' But
now I find a false construction has been put upon my




THE RUSSIAN CAMPAIGN.         315
letter, and his jealousy supersedes every noble sentiment."
Ten days after this, Admiral Jones again wrote
to Mr. Littlepage, in which letter he says:
" I have put up with more from the Prince of
Nassau than, under other circumstances, I could have
done from any man who was not crazy. I can no
more reckon upon his humor than on the wind. One
hour he embraces me, and the next he is ready to
cut my throat."
As we have mentioned, the naval force of the
Turks far exceeded that of the Russians. The Turkish admiral, whose title seems to have been ":Capitaine Pasha," was a man of decided ability. Admiral Jones had been led to form a very high opinion
of his character both as an officer and a gentleman.
He had formed the plan to make a sudden and unexpected attack, with his whole force of ships and
gun-boats, upon the Russian flotilla and squadron; by
running down the gun-boats and throwing a shower
of fire-balls upon the squadron, he hoped to destroy
the whole fleet.




CHAPTER XV.
Adventures in the Black Sea.
The First Battle.-Folly of the Prince of Nassau.-Inefficiency of
the Gun-boats.-Burning of the Greek Captives.-Humanity
of Jones.-Alienation between the Admiral and the Prince of
Nassau.-The Second Conflict.-Annoyances of the Admiral.Hostility of the English.-Necessary Employment of Foreign
Seamen.-Disgrace of Nassau.-Transference of the Admiral to
the Baltic.
IT was the plan of Admiral Jones, to anticipate
the contemplated attack of the Capitaine Pasha,
and so to weaken him as at least to embarrass his
movements. The plan he proposed was so necessary and apparently so feasible, that it was accepted
by all the officers. During the night, as the wind
did not favor, he warped the ships of his squadron,
by means of their anchors, to the positions he wished
them to occupy. The next morning, which was the
I7th of June, 1788, the wind was fresh and fair. At
the earliest dawn the admiral signalled for all his
war ships to bear down upon the Turkish fleet,
which was before him in the broad shallow bay, at
the distance of but a few miles. The gun-boats,




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ADVENTURES IN THE BLACK SEA.      317
under the command of the Prince of Nassau, followed
tardily behind the squadron. Their progress was so
slow, though there was no occasion whatever for the
delay, that the admiral had to halt twice, in order
to allow the gun-boats to come up with him.
It was a brilliant spectacle which was presented
in the rays of this June morning's sun. The majestic bay, into which were poured the waters of the
Dnieper, the Bog, the Liman, and several other
minor streams, spread out in all directions. The
whole Russian fleet of ships and gun-boats, in
beautiful battle array, was bearing down under
full sail with a fair wind, upon the unsuspecting
and unprepared Turks. The moment the Capitaine
Pasha caught sight of the wondrous spectacle, he
was terror-stricken. The force rushing upon him
appeared far more powerful than it really was. The
wind being fresh and fair, the Turkish admiral saw
at once that the whole Russian armament might
strike any portion of his line before other portions
could come to its aid. His only resource was in
flight. The same wind which was bringing down
the Russian fleet upon him, would bear him onward
in his escape, to take shelter under the massive guns
of the batteries and'ramparts of Oczakow.
The signal was given for the flight. As in the
twinkling of an eye, a wonderful scene of tumult and




318              PAUL JONES.
confusion was presented along the whole Turkish
line. The ships, the frigates, the gun-boats were raising their anchors, cutting their cables, spreading their
sails, and pulling their oars, in the frantic endeavor
to escape the impending peril. Admiral Jones
opened fire upon the bewildered foe, from his bow
chasers, wherever a gun could be brought to bear.
The second officer in command of the Turkish
fleet seemed to act like one bereft of reason, in the
panic which had apparently seized all alike. He
had charge of one of the finest of the Turkish lineof-battle ships; a mammoth fabric, with its tiers of
death-dealing guns, which would have been a match
for any ship in the British navy. But assailed by a
dozen Russian ships and. gun-boats, it would in a
few moments have been sunk beneath the waves,
or blown into the. air. As the vast sails of this ship
were flung to the breeze, it slowly wheeled around,
got under rapid headway and ran plump upon a
sand-bank, beyond all possible hope of extrication.
As she struck, she careened over at an angle of
forty-five degrees. The muzzles of her guns, on the
lower side, were dipped into the water; upon the
upper side, they pointed to the clouds. Thus the
ship could neither fight nor run. The crew, as many
as could, crowded into the boats, escaped from the
ship, and took refuge in other vessels of the fleet.




ADVENTURES IN THE BLACK SEA.      319
Admiral Jones knew that the ship was his. It
was a magnificent prize. It needed no further attention. He therefore gave chase to the ship of the
Capitaine Pasha. The Prince of Nassau, to the
great chagrin of Admiral Jones, came up with his
gun-boats, threw fire-balls into the splendid prize,
and burned it to the water's edge.
The flag-ship of the Turkish admiral was also an
unwieldy mass to navigate the intricate channels
of this shallow bay. It soon struck a sand-bank,
and was helpless. The crew fled. There were now
nine of these large Turkish ships-of-war aground.
They were manned by Turkish sailors, and also by
a large number of Greeks, who had been subjugated
by the Turks, and being nominal Christians, were
in entire sympathy with their Christian brethren
the Russians. These men were compelled to serve
the Turkish guns, as England often compelled impressed American seamen.
The Prince of Nassau seemed to have lost all
control of his gun-boats. They ran about here and
there, independent of all command, and did what
they would. Like Indian warriors, each boat fought,
plundered, or destroyed, on its own account. A
cannon-ball had struck the flag-staff of the deserted
admiral's ship, and broke it off so that the flag hung
down draggling it in the water. The Prince of Nas



320              PAUL JONES.
sau, eager of the honor of capturing the flag of the
Turkish admiral, hurried up with one of his gunboats, seized the defenceless banner, and then insanely threw his fire-balls into the ship till it was
wrapped in flame and disappeared.
The other boats of the flotilla, imitating this example, rushed about pell-mell without order or plan,
offering no cooperation to follow up the victory, and
wantonly  amusing themselves in   burning  the
grounded ships. All of these Turkish vessels had
more or less of the Greeks on board. In vain these
poor creatures cried for mercy. They threw themselves upon their knees; they made the sign of
the cross, to indicate that they too were Christians.
The barbarous and fanatic Russian sailors, ignorant
and cruel, threw their fire-balls on board the ships,
and consigned vessels and crew alike to the flames.
Above three thousand of these unhappy men were
burned with their ships. Only two of the stranded
vessels were saved from the flames. One was a
sloop, very indifferently armed, and the other a
small brig.
Though this was a great victory, it probably
gave Admiral Jones more pain than pleasure. He
was appalled by the frightful, needless carnage, of
burning the poor Greeks crying for mercy. Such a
mode of carrying on war was abhorrent to his humane




ADVENTURES IN THE BLACK SEA.      321
feelings. No results had been accomplished commensurate with what might have been secured, had
there been order in the fleet. These nine grounded
vessels, with their powerful armaments, would have
been of immense advantage, transferred from the line
of the Turks to that of the Russians. It is not
strange that by this time Admiral Jones lost all
patience with his very undesirable coadjutor. Under
date of June 20th, he wrote to his Polish friend,
Chamberlain Littlepage,-as follows:
"Without explaining to me any of his reasons,
the Prince of Nassau wished to go to the sand-bank
which was under the guns at Oczakow, with all his
flotilla. I opposed it, for all the Turkish flotilla was
under the cannon of the place, within cannonshot of our right wing. He permitted himself to
say many uncivil things. Among others he said that
he was always wanted to protect my squadron with
his flotilla.
"As he had often said such things, I told him
that it was improper for him to say this to me, or for
me to hear him say it. He boasted that he had
taken the two ships. I told him' I saw nothing wonderful in that; for they were both aground and captured before he came up.' He said'he knew better
than I did how to take ships.' I told him that without impugning his skill, he was not ignorant that I
14*




322              PAUL JONES.
had proved my ability to take ships which were not
Turks'. He lost all control of himself, and threatened to write against me to the empress and Prince
Potemkin.
"As for that, I told him if he. were base enough
to do it, I defied his malice. Before this ridiculous
dispute, our combination was unnecessary. Otherwise I would have put up with still more for the
good of the service. I feel no rancor against him;
and though he said, in a bitter tone, that I would be
rejoiced to see him beaten, he little understood my
heart."
The prince claimed all the honor of this victory.
He so boastfully proclaimed his achievements, that
Prince Potemkin was disposed to accept his account
of the adventure, especially as Admiral Jones had
too much self-respect to dispute his statements in a
disgraceful squabble for the honor.
Potemkin, elated by this discomfiture of the
Turks, brought up his whole land force to the walls
of Oczakow, intending to attempt to carry the works
by storm. The Turkish gun-boats were riding at
anchor, under the protection of the guns of the fortress. The Prince of Nassau was ordered to attack
the flotilla with his whole force of gun-boats. The
admiral was to assist, as he could, in towing the Russian flotilla to the position it was to take in the con



ADVENTURES IN THE BLACK SEA.     323
test. The whole plan of the battle was arranged by
Potemkin, so that Admiral Jones had but little to do
but to obey the orders, which were sent to him,
though in some respects he was left to his own discretion.
At one hour after midnight, the flotilla commenced its advance toward the Turkish boats; but
hesitatingly, with no indication that they were under
the impulse of a guiding and inspiring mind. Some
of the most important of the boats were swept by the
current to positions where they could accomplish
nothing. In the vicinity of the fortress there was
deep water. The admiral cooperated with great efficiency in bringing the boats into position. At six
o'clock in the morning, he saw five Turkish galleys,
protected by the guns of Fort Hassan. He plunged
upon them, boarded the first one he came to, seized
it as a prize, and with his boats towed it away. He
then attacked the next galley, which was a very
large one, bearing the flag of the Capitaine Pasha.
Before the admiral could arrange his boats, to haul
out the prize, a young officer, inexperienced and agitated, cut the cable by which she rode at anchor,
and a fresh breeze drove her rapidly toward the fort.
The Turks were now pouring a destructive fire
upon their own vessel. The admiral despatched a
boat to the Wolodimir to fetch another anchor and




324              PAUL JONES.
cable. Leaving the galley to be manned with his
own sailors, till the boat should return, he pressed
forward to other conquests. He writes in his journal:
"Before the return of Lieutenant Fox, I had the
mortification to see fire break out in the galley of
the Capitaine Pasha. I at first believed that the
slaves chained on board had found means to escape.
But afterwards I had positive proof that Brigadier
Alexiano, being in a boat at the time with the Prince
of Nassau, on the outside of the flotilla, and being
aware of the intention of the rear-admiral, swore that
it should not succeed, and sent a Greek canoe to set
fire to the galley. The three other Turkish galleys
were at once run down and burned by fire-balls.
There were also a two-masted ship, and a large
bomb-vessel burnt near Fort Hassan. This includes
all that was taken or destroyed by water, save fiftytwo prisoners taken by the rear-admiral, in the two
galleys. The wretched beings who were chained in
the galley of the Capitaine Pasha, perished there in
the flames.
" The prince marshal having made an important
diversion on the land side, it is to be regretted that
advantage was not taken of this movement to seize
the remainder of the enemy's flotilla; but our flotilla
never came up within reach of grape-shot."




ADVENTURES IN THE BLACK SEA.      325
Admiral Jones took the precaution to have the
accuracy of this statement confirmed, by five of the
leading captains of the Russian ships. The Turkish
fleet, being thus again humbled, retreated that very
night, both squadron and flotilla, to a strong position
at the mouths of the Danube. The admiral remained
at his station, to watch the enemy and to be prepared for any emergence. He gives the following
account of the proceedings of his two singular coadjutors, the German prince, and the4reek brigadier.
" The moment the ships began to withdraw from
Oczakow, the Prince of Nassau and Brigadier Alexiano hurried straight to the headquarters of Prince
Potemkin to relate the things which both pretended
they had performed. In a few moments after the
flotilla began to retire, the rain fell in torrents, of
which Nassau and Alexiano received their own share
before reaching headquarters.
" Two days afterwards, Alexiano returned on
board the Wolodimir, having caught a malignant
fever, of which he died on the 8th of July. The
Prince of Nassau, who had made use of him in cabaling against me-God knows wherefore-neither
visited him in his sickness nor assisted at his funeral. At first it was given out, that the service
must sustain the loss of every Greek in it, on account
of his death; but I soon experienced the reverse.




326                  PAUL JONES.
Not one asked to be dismissed; they remained under
my command with the Russians, and were more
contented than before. On the day preceding the
death of Alexiano he had received intelligence of
having been promoted two grades; and that her
majesty   had bestowed    on him    a fine estate and.peasants, in White Russia.
"At the same time, the Prince of Nassau had
received a very valuable estate, with three or four
thousand peasants, also in White Russia, and the
military Order of St. George, of the second class.
Her majesty likewise gave him liberty to hoist the
flag of vice-admiral at the taking of Oczakow, to
which event it was apparently believed he would
greatly contribute.
"I received the Order of St. Anne, an honor with
which I am highly flattered, and with which I could
have been perfectly satisfied, had others been recompensed. only in the same proportion, and according
to the merit of their services."    411 the officers of
* Upon the reception of the Order of St. Anne by the empress,
Count Segur wrote from St. Petersburg a very complimentary letter to
the admiral, under date of the I4th of July, 1788. In this letter he says:
" The empress being absent I forwarded a copy of the greatest
part of your letter to General Mouronoff, who had it read to that
princess. She is highly satisfied with it, and in two lines from her
hand, has been pleased to charge me with assurances to you, of the
great respect in which she holds your services. General Mouronoff
begs me to say that he will endeavor to merit the obliging things
you say of him."




ADVENTURES IN THE BLACK SEA.     327
the flotilla received a step of promotion, and the
gratuity of a year's pay. The greater part of them
also obtained the Order of St. George of the last
class. Only two of these officers had been bred to
the sea; none of the others had been engaged in
navigation. The officers of the squadron under
my command were almost wholly marine officers.
They had done their duty well, when opposed to
the enemy; but they obtained no promotion, no
mark of distinction, no pecuniary gratification. My
mortification was excessive; but my officers at this
time gave me a very gratifying proof of their attachment. On promising that I would demand justice
for them from the Prince Potemkin, at the close of
the campaign, they stifled their vexation, and made
no complaint."
Three days after this important naval battle,
Prince Potemkin came from the headquarters of the
army, to visit Admiral Jones on board the flag-ship
Wolodimir. The prince was accompanied by quite
a brilliant retinue of the highest dignitaries of his
military court. They all remained to dine with the
admiral in his spacious cabin. The prince was very
anxious to promote harmonious action between the
admiral and the Prince of Nassau. By his powerful
influence he succeeded in inducing the Prince of
Nassau to make an apology to the admiral, in the




328              PAUL JONES.
presence of all around the table. The apology was
cordially accepted; and the admiral, knowing the
versatile and frivolous character of the prince, hoped
that it was sincere.
As Potemkin took his leave, he requested Admiral Jones to do all in his power toward raising the cannon, anchors, and other effects, belonging to the Turkish ships which had been burned. The next day,
Admiral Jones, in a spirit of concilation, made a visit
to the Prince of Nassau. He had previously detailed
one of the transport ships, which was empty and unemployed, to the work of raising some of the sunken
guns. As soon as he stepped on board the gun-boat
of the prince, he was disrespectfully assailed, when
he expected to have been received with open arms.
" That transport," exclaimed the Prince of Nausau, angrily, " which you have ventured to employ
on your own services, belonged to my flotilla, and
you had no right to take it under your command."
The admiral mildly replied, "Prince Potemkin
charged me to engage at once in that important business, as a servant of the empress. As all the vessels
of war, and all the transports alike belong to her imperial majesty, and as the transport in question was
empty and unemployed, I cannot see that you have
any reasonable cause of complaint against me."
But Nassau fumed and raged. The admiral,




ADVENTURES IN THE BLACK SEA.       329
ashamed of such puerile quarrelling, sadly took leave
of him, begging him to reflect that he had no cause
for displeasure. Thus affairs went on, day after day.
There were heart-burnings and bickerings, and the
admiral found such influences operating against him,
that his hands were effectually tied.
At the close of the American war, there were
many British officers thrown out of employment, who
eagerly entered into the service of the Empress of
Russia.
This vast northern empire, with then no access to
the ocean but through the Baltic Sea, was not a maritime power. The empress had very few naval officers of any experience. By seizing Constantinople,
undoubtedly the finest port in the world, the empress
expected that the sails of her ships would whiten all
the seas. Eagerly, therefore, she accepted the services of able military men from whatever nation.
There were no better naval officers than England
could afford. These men with one accord, as we
have mentioned, combined, with the most astonishing
and persistent malignity, to crush Admiral Jones.
The Englishman, W. Tooke, to whom we have before referred, with his bitter British prejudices
expresses the sentiments of them one and all. In
his Life of Catherine II. he writes:
"This known scarcity of commanders could not




330             PAUL JONES.
fail to attract the attention of foreign adventurers,
who had acquired any experience and reputation in
maritime affairs. Of this number was the English
pirate and renegado, Paul Jones, who had rendered
himself so notorious in the American war by the mischiefs he did to the trade of his country, and whose
desperate courage, which only served to render his
atrociousness conspicuous, would in a good cause
have entitled him to honor.
"This man could not but experience the common
fate incident to his character; and finding he did not
meet the consideration which he expected in America, he made a tender of his services to the court of
St. Petersburg, where he was gladly received, and
immediately appointed to a high command in the
grand fleet which was under equipment at Cronstadt.
"The British officers, full of those national and
professional ideas of honor which they had imbibed
in their own country and service, considered this appointment as the highest affront that could be offered
to them, and a submission to it, an act of such degradation that no time or circumstance could wipe
away the dishonor. They accordingly went in a body,
to the amount of near thirty, without a single dissentient lagging behind, or hesitating on account of inconvenience or personal distress, to lay down their
commissions; declaring at the same time that it was




ADVENTURES IN THE BLACK SEA..331
impossible for them to serve under, or to act in
any manner or capacity whatever, with a pirate or
renegado."
In the same spirit as the above, the English historians have, from that day to this, written of this
noble man.
On the I8th of September, the admiral received
a secret order to attack the advance guard of the
squadron which was anchored near Beresane. The
attack was to be made with five frigates, mounted
as batteries, supported by a few other vessels of the
squadron, as reserves. The arrangements which
were made for arming the frigates for the enterprise
were not such as he could approve. For instance,
twenty-four pound-shot were to be used in guns of
thirty-six pounds calibre. To make these balls fill
the bore, they were dipped in pitch to enlarge their
circumference. This was exceedingly dangerous.
If the smallest particle of combustible matter
adhered to the gun, it would set fire to the next
cartridge. A single such accident would paralyze
the energies of the bravest man.
The admiral presented to Potemkin a plan of
attack. The Prince Potemkin approved the plan.
The Prince of Nassau objected to it. There were
delays, and fault-findings; the admiral being ready




332              PAUL JONES.
to move, either upon his own plan or upon any other
whenever the command should be given him.
On the I3th of October, the admiral received an
order which wounded him very deeply. It was as
follows:
"As it is seen that the Turkish admiral has a
greater number of vessels than yourself, and he may
resolve to attempt something before quitting his
grand fleet, I must request your excellency to hold
yourself in readiness to receive him courageously,
and drive him back. I require this to be done without loss of time; if not, you will be made answerable
for every neglect. I have already ordered the
flotilla to approach.
"PRINCE POTEMKIN."
To these unkind words the admiral replied in his
journal:
" It will be hard to believe that Prince Potemkin
addressed such words to Paul Jones."
To the prince he wrote;
"I leave to your highness, as you have a noble
heart and a magnanimous soul to judge how an
officer who fears nothing, and had nothing wherewith to reproach himself, must have been affected by
your order, of the I3th. I was directed'to keep




ADVENTURES IN THE BLACK SEA.      333
myself in readiness to receive the enemy courageously,
and that without loss of time, for if not, etc.'
" I was in despair having been all heart and soul
for the good of the service; and having done all that
a man of honor could to inspire a confidence which
I believed I had deserved at your hands, allow me,
my prince, to ask you how it happens that I have
been so unhappy as to have lost your regard. My
enemies themselves cannot refuse me their respect.
General Count de Mamonow assured me of your confidence in me, giving me the most flattering hope
of your friendship, and her imperial majesty told
me the most obliging things to the same effect.
At all events, your highness has so good a heart that
you will excuse the hastiness of expression which
escaped me in my letter on the 14th.
" I am anxious to continue in the service. It is
unnecessary to recite either the promises or the
offers which have been made to me. I am disposed
to do all that can be asked of a man of honor, in my
situation. And if you find in me an acquisition to
the imperial marine, it belongs to yourself to fix me
in Russia. But as I come neither as an adventurer,
nor a charlatan to repair a broken fortune, I hope
in future to experience no humiliation, and soon to
find myself in a situation which was promised to me
when I was invited to enter into the marine of the -




334             PAUL JONES.
empress. Perhaps I love honors too much. But as
to fortune, though my own is not very great, I never
bent the knee to that idol. I well know that riches
do not insure happiness. I am sure of one thing, if
I had the happiness of once enjoying your confidence, it would be for life, for I am not of a character that can change."
Prince Potemkin had gradually come to the conclusion that it was best to remove both Admiral
Jones from the command of the squadron and the
Prince of Nassua, and to place both squadron and
flotilla under the command of the Russian admiral,
Mordwinoff. On the 9th of October, the Prince of
Nassau was deprived of his command, and left the
shores of the Euxine for Warsaw in Poland. Nine
days after, on the I8th of October, Admiral Jones
received the following order from Prince Potemkin.
" According to the special desire of her imperial
majesty, your service is fixed in the northern seas.
And as this squadron and the flotilla are placed by
me under the orders of Admiral Count Mordwinoff
your excellency may in consequence proceed on the
voyage directed."
This was unquestionably a severe blow to Admiral Jones. He had hoped to accomplish great
results in the campaign of the Euxine. And now
he was ordered to the shores of the Baltic, more than




ADVENTURES IN THE BLACK SEA.      335
a thousand miles distant, to serve her majesty in
some manner as yet undefined. Russia was at
that time at war with Sweden. But in those high
latitudes and ice-bound waters, there was but little
opportunity in midwinter for naval warfare.
On the 20th, the admiral replied to the unexpected order he had received, in the following note
to Potemkin:
"I am   much flattered that her majesty yet
deigns to interest herself about me. But what I
shall forever regret is the loss of your regard. I
will not say that it is difficult to find more skilful
sea officers than myself. I know well that it is a very
possible thing. But I feel emboldened to say that
you will never find a man more susceptible of a faithful attachment, or more zealous in the discharge of
his duty. I forgive my enemies who are Fear you,
for the painful blow aimed at me. But if there is a
just God, it will be difficult for him to do as much."
This intimation that Potemkin had been led to
this action by the persuasions of others, annoyed
the imperial prince, who considered himself rather
the master than the servant even of her majesty.
When, a few days after, the admiral called at headquarters, to take leave of the prince, Potemkin said
to him, with much vehemence, at the same time
rising from his chair and stamping with his foot:




336              PAUL JONES.
"Do not believe that any one leads me, not even
the empress." The prince, however, presented the
following letter to.the admiral, to be presented to
the empress in testimonial of his services.
MADAM-In sendingto the high throne of your
imperial majesty Rear-Admiral M. Paul Jones, I take
with submission the liberty of certifying the eagerness and zeal which he has ever shown for the service of your imperial majesty, and to render himself
worthy of the high favor of your imperial majesty.
" From the most faithful subject of your imperial
majesty,
" PRINCE POTEMKIN."
"Oct. 31, I788."




CHAPTER XVI.
Retirement and Death.
The Return to Cherson.-Sickness and Sadness.-Oczakow Stormed.
-The Wintry Journey to St. Petersburg.-Mental Activity.Calumniated by the English.-The Admiral's Defence.-Slanderous Accusation.-His Entire Acquittal.-Testimony of Count
Segur.-Letter to the Empress.-Obtains Leave of Absence.Returns to France.-Life in Paris.- Sickness and Death.
ON a cold bleak morning of the 9th of November
Admiral Jones, with a disappointed and saddened
spirit, stepped from the deck of his flag-ship, the Woloimir, into an open boat which had been launched at its
side. A freezing blast tossed and crested the waters
of the widely expanded sea, while his own ships rolling
heavily on the billows, and the masts of the Turkish
squadron could be seen rocking to and fro, far away in
the distance. In this open boat, exposed to the wintry gales, encountering sleet and snow, and drenched
with spray, the war-worn, world-weary admiral spent
three days and three nights, before he reached Cherson. His sufferings, from the combined influence of
hostile elements and an agitated mind, were very
great.'5




338              PAUL JONES.
The day after his arrival, an impassable barrier
of ice extended as far as the eye could reach. Completely worn out, he sank upon his bed, and it was
long doubtful whether he would ever leave it till he
was borne to his burial. Slowly he recovered.
Nearly a month passed away, of winter's most dismal storms in that dreary region, ere he was able to
set out on his long journey of more than two thousand miles, across the whole breadth of Russia.
He left Cherson on the morning of the 6th of
December, 1788. The mercury was then at twentysix degrees below zero. That very morning, as he
soon afterwards learned, the Russians took Oczakow
by storm. Eleven thousand soldiers composed the
Turkish garrison. In the intensity of the cold, just
before the dawn of day, the Russians, in six strong
cdlumns, with loud yells, a storm of bullets, and
gleaming sabres, rushed upon the Turks, taking them
completely by surprise. It was an awful scene of
demoniac clamor, blood, and woe. In a few hours
the dreadful deed was done. Not one in the garrison, not a Turk in the city, was spared. Nineteen
thousand gory corpses, frozen in the wintry blast,
strewed the streets of the city. Had the Turks been
victorious, the Russians would have been put to the
sword with equal ferocity. Such is man in his treat



RETIREMENT AND DEATH.         339
ment of his brother. Such, in the main, has been
the history of our race since the Fall.
In the swiftly drawn sledges of Russia, Admiral
Jones was whirled along over the drear and treeless
plains, at the rate of over one hundred miles a day.
At Skloff, he made a short tarry, where he was received by General Soritsch, with the most distinguished attention. He reached St. Petersburg on
the 28th of the month, after a journey of twenty-two
days. The empress invited him to the honor of
a private audience on the 3Ist. He presented
the letter from Prince Potemkin. The empress received him kindly. He was informed that a little
time must elapse, before it could be decided what
new command should be intrusted to him. He was
-however assured that it should be one certainly of
not less importance than that of a squadron in the
Black Sea.
The mind of the admiral was always in intense
activity. The one thought which seemed ever to
engross him ever the promotion of the prosperity
of the United States. During the few weeks of
repose which were thus forced upon him, he drew
up a very carefully prepared plan, of an alliance, political and commercial, between Russia and the United
States. The object of this plan was to promote
reciprocal advantages, and especially to encourage




340              PAUL JONES.
commerce with the growing Russian settlements on
the Black Sea. This document he presented to the
Russian vice-chancellor, Count d'Osterman. The
count, after carefully examining it, invited the
admiral to his cabinet, and said to him:
" The plan is a good one, but I do not think it
expedient to adopt it at this time. A commercial
alliance between Russia and the United States
would still futher irritate the British government
against Russia. We must postpone the further consideration of this question until we have made peace
with the Turks."
England, in her desire to engross the commerce
of the world, wished to cripple that of all other
nations, especially that of the United States. The
admiral, in his journal, speaks as follows of the efforts
of the English to crush him:
" I have been more deeply hurt by those secret
machinations against me as regards the empress.
My enemies have had the wickedness to make her
believe that I was a cruel and brutal man, and that
I had, during the-American war, even killed my own
nephew. It is well known that, from motives of
revenge, the English have invented and prop.agated
a thousand fictions and atrocities, to endeavor to
blacken the character of the celebrated men who
effected the American Revolution. A Washington




RETIREMENT AND DEATH.         34I
and a Franklin, two of the most illustrious and virtuous men that have ever adorned humanity, have not
been spared by these calumniators. Are they now
the less respected by their fellow-citizens? On the
contrary they are universally revered, even in Europe,
as the fathers of their country, and as examples of
all that is great and noble in human character.
" In civil war, it is not wonderful that opposite factions should mutually endeavor to make it believed
that each is in the right. And it is obvious, that
the party most in the wrong will always be the
most calumnious. If there had really been anything
against my character, the English would not have
failed to furnish convincing proofs of it; for with very
slender means, I had been able to give more alarm
to their three kingdoms, during the war, than any
other individual had done. As an officer, I loved
good discipline, which I consider indispensable to
the success of operations, particularly at sea, where
men are so much crowded, and brought into such
close contact. In the English navy, it is known
that captains of ships are often tyrants who order
the lash for the poor seamen very frequently, and
sometimes for nothing. In the American navy we
have almost the same regulations. But I looked on
my crew as my children, and I have always found
means to manage them without flogging. I never




342              PAUL JONES.
had a nephew, nor any other relation under my command. I have one dear nephew, who is still too
young for service, but who now pursues his studies.*
Since I came to Russia, I have intended him for the
imperial marine. Instead of imbruing my hands in
his blood, he will be cherished as my son.
"In short, my conduct has obtained for me the
returns most grateful to my heart. I have had the
happiness to give universal satisfaction to two great
and enlightened nations which I have served. Of
this I have received singular proofs. I am the only
man in the world that possesses a sword given by the
King of France. It is to me a glorious distinction
to wear it. I have indelible proofs of the high consideration of the United-States. But what completes
my happiness is the esteem and friendship of the
most virtuous men, whose fame will be immortal;
and that a Washington, a D'Estaing, a Lafayette,
think the bust of Paul Jones worthy of being placed
side by side with their own."
Malignantly as the admiral was pursued, being
far away in a strange land, and removed from the
protection of his personal friends, it seemed absolutely necessary that he should speak in his own
defence.'Even his great namesake, the illustrious
* Mr. William Taylor, merchant, of New York, son of the admiral's
eldest sister, Mrs. Taylor of Dumfries, Scotland.




RETIREMENT AND DEATH.         343
Apostle Paul, found himself so situated as to deem it
needful commend himself. At this time the most
infamous conspiracy was got up, as the admiral and
Count Segur both affirm, by the English officers in
the navy and the English merchants in St. Petersburg. It was intended utterly to ruin the man
whom they had so unscrupulously assailed. Biographical fidelity renders it necessary that this story
should be told, notwithstanding the nature of its
details. The admiral promptly wrote to his friend,
Prince Potemkin, informing him of the cruel slander.
His letter sounds like a wail of grief. It was dated
St. Petersburg, April 13, I789.
"MY LORD-Having had the advantage to serve
under your orders, and in your sight, I remember
with particular satisfaction the kind promises and testimonies of your friendship, with which you have
honored me. As I have served all my life for honor, I
had no other motive for accepting the flattering invitation of her imperial majesty than a laudable ambition
to distinguish myself in the service of a sovereign so
magnanimous and illustrious; for I never yet have
bent the knee to self-interest, nor drawn my sword
for hire.
" A few days ago I thought myself one of the
happiest men in the empire. Your highness had




344              PAUL JONES.
renewed to me your promise of friendship, and the
empress had assigned me a command of a nature to
occupy the most active and enterprising genius.
"A bad woman has accused me of violating her
daughter. If she had told the truth, I should have
candor enough to own it, and would trust my honor,
which is a thousand times dearer to me than my life,
to the mercy of the empress. I declare, with the
assurance becoming a military character, that I am
innocent. Till that unhappy moment, I have enjoyed the public esteem and the affection of all
who knew me. Shall it be said that, in Russia, a
wretched woman who eloped from her husband and
family in the country, stole away her daughter, lives
here in a house of ill-fame, and leads a debauched
and adulterous life, has found credit enough on a
simple complaint, unsupported by any proof, to
affect the honor of a general officer of reputation,
who has merited and received the decorations of
America, of France, and of this empire?
" If I had been favored with the least intimation
of a complaint of that nature having found its way
to the sovereign, I know too -well what belongs to
delicacy, to have presented myself in the presence
of the empress before my justification.
"I thought that in every country, a man accused
had a right to employ advocates, and to avail him



RETIREMENT AND DEATH.          345'
self of his friends for his justification. Judge, my
prince, of my astonishment and distress of mind,
when I yesterday was informed that the day before;
the governor of the city had sent for my advocate,
and forbidden him, at his peril, or anyother person, to
meddle with my cause.
"I am innocent before God! and my conscience
knowsno reproach. The complaint brought against
me is an infamous lie, and there is no circumstance
that gives it even an air of probability.
" I address myself to you with confidence, my
prince, and am assured that the friendship you have
to kindly promised me, will be immediately exerted
in my favor; and that you will not suffer the illustrious sovereign of this great empire to be misled by
the false insinuations and secret cabals of my hidden
enemies. Your mind will find more true pleasure
in pleading the cause of an innocent man whom you
honor with your friendship, than can result from
other victories equally glorious with that of Oczakow,
which will always rank among the most brilliant of
military achievements. If your highness will condescend to question Monsieur Crimpin,* (for he dare
not now even speak to me), he can tell you many circumstances which will elucidate my innocence. I
* Monsieur Crimpin was the advocate whom he had first engaged.
I5*




346              PAUL JONES.
am, with profound respect, my lord, your highness's
devoted and most obedient servant," etc., etc.
The proof of the admiral's innocence of this atrocious charge was soon made out beyond all possibility of question. Count de Segur, the long-tried and
disinterested friend, wrote an account of the affair.
This document, which was perfectly conclusive, was
published in all the leading papers of Europe, for the
abominable slander had been spread far and wide.
Justice to the memory of the admiral demands that
this document should be given with but slight
abridgment.
"The American rear-admiral was favorably welcomed at court; often invited to dinner by the empress, and received with distinction into the best
society in the city. On a sudden, Catherine commanded him to appear no more in her presence. He
was informed that he was accused of an infamous
crime; of assaulting a young girl of fourteen, and of
grossly violating her. It was said that probably he
would be tried by the Courts of Admiralty, in which
there were many English officers who were strongly
prejudiced against him.
"As soon as this order was known, every one
abandoned the unhappy American. No one spoke
to him. People avoided saluting him, and every




RETIREMENT AND DEATH.          347
door was shut against him. All those by whom but
yesterday he had been eagerly welcomed, now fled
from him as if he had been inflicted by a plague.
No advocate would take charge of his cause, and at
last even his servants would not continue in his service. And Paul Jones, whose exploits every one had
so recently been so ready to proclaim, and whose
friendship had been sought after, found himself alone,
in the midst of an immense population. Petersburg,
a great capital, became to him a desert. He was moved
even to tears at my visit.
"'I was unwilling,' he said to me, shaking me by
the hand,'to knock at your door, and to expose
myself to a fresh affront, which would have been
more cutting than all the rest. I have braved death
a thousand times, now I wish for it.'
"His appearance, his arms being laid upon the
table, made me suspect some desperate intention. I
said to him:
"'Resume your composure and your courage.
Do you not know that human life, like the sea, has its
storms, and that fortune is even more capricious than
the winds? If, as I hope, you are innocent, brave
this sudden tempest. If unhappily you are guilty,
confess it to me with unreserved frankness, and I
Will do everything I can to snatch you by a sudden
flight from the danger which threatens you.'




348              PAUL JONES.
"He replied,' I am ready to take my.most solemn oath, and upon my honor, that I am innocent,
and a victim of the most infamous calumny. This
is the truth. Some days ago a young girl came to
me in the morning to ask me if I could give her some
linen or lace to mend. She then indulged in some
rather earnest and indecent allurements. Astonished at so much boldness in one of such few years,
I felt compassion for her. I advised her not to enter
upon so vile a career, gave her some money, and dismissed her. But she was determined to remain.
Impatient at this resistance, I took her by the hand
and led her to the door. But at the instant when
the door was opened, the little profligate tore her
sleeves and neckerchief, raised great cries, complained that I had assaulted her, and threw herself
into the arms of an old woman whom she called her
mother, and who certainly was not brought there
by chance.'
"' Very well,' said I,'but cannot you learn the
names of these adventurers?'
"'The porter knows them,' he replied.'Here
are their names written down, but I do not know
where they live. I was desirous of immediately presenting a memorial about this ridiculous affair, first
to the minister and then to the empress. But I
have been interdicted from access to both of them.'




RETIREMENT AND DEATH.         349
"'Give me the paper,' I said.'Resume your
accustomed firmness. Be comforted. In a short
time we shall meet again.'"
The count returned home, and by the aid of some
efficient agents soon unravelled the whole affair. It
was proved, by evidence which no one could question, that the woman, Sophie Koltzwarthen, was one
of the most infamous creatures, who had been long
employed in carrying on a traffic in young girls,
whom she passed off as her daughters. The count,
having obtained all the necessary documents and
attestations, hastened to show it to Paul Jones. Exultingly he said to him, "You have nothing to fear.
The wretches are unmasked. All that you need now
do, is to send these proofs to-the empress. She has
directed, under very heavy penalties, that no one
shall detain on the way any letters which may be
addressed to her personally, and which may be sent
to her by post."
The admiral immediately wrote a letter to
her majesty, under date of St. Petersburg, May I7,
I789. After briefly recapitulating the circumstances
under which he had been induced to enter into the
service of the empress, the incidents in his campaign
to the Black Sea, and his recall to the Baltic, he
added:
" Such was my situation, when, upon the mere




350              PAUL JONES.
accusation of a crime, the very idea of which wounds
my delicacy, I have found myself driven from court,
deprived of the good opinion of your majesty, and
forced to employ the time which I wished to devote
to the defence of your empire, in cleansing from
myself the stains with which calumny had covered
me. Condescend to believe, madame, that if I had
received the slightest hint that a complaint of such
a nature had been made against me, and still more
that it had come to your majesty's knowledge, I
know to well what is owing to delicacy to have ventured to have appeared before you till I was completely exculpated.
"Understanding neither the laws, the language,
nor the forms of justice of this country, I needed
an advocate and obtained one. But whether from
terror or intimidation he stopped short all at once,
and durst not undertake my defence, though convinced of the justice of my cause. But truth may
always venture to show itself alone and unsupported
at the throne of your majesty. I have not hesitated
to labor unaided for my own vindication. I have
collected proofs. And if such details might appear
under the eye of your majesty I would present them.
But if your majesty will deign to order some person
to examine them, it will be seen, by the report
which will be made, that my crime is a fiction, in



RETIREMENT AND DEATH.          351
vented by the cupidity of a wretched woman, whose
malice has been countenanced, perhaps incited, by
the malice of my numerous enemies. Her husband
has himself certified and attested to her infamous
conduct. His signature is in my hands, and the pastor Braun, of the district, has assured me that if the
College of Justice will give him an order to this effect,
he will obtain an attestation from the country people that the mother of the girl referred to is known
among them as a Wretch utterly unworthy of belief.
" Take a soldier's word, madame. Believe an officer whom two great nations esteem, and who has.been
honored with flattering marks of their approbation
of which your majesty will soon receive a direct
proof from the United States.*  I am innocent, and
if I were guilty I would not hesitate to make a candid avowal of my fault, and to commit my honor,
which is a thousand times dearer to me than life, to
the hands of your majesty."
The admiral closed this letter with expressions of
devotion to the service of the empress. He assured
her of his readiness to serve her in any way in his
power, but added " that if for any reason he could
not be employed again during the campaign, he
might be permitted to return to France or America."
The empress received this letter, examined the
* He refers to the gold medal ordered to be struck by Congress.




352              PAUL JONES.
documents, and became fully convinced of his innocence. She inveighed bitterly against the authors
of the calumny, recalled Paul Jones to court, and
received him with even more than her usual kindness. But the admiral, having received blow after
blow and finding no employment immediately before
him, became weary of the country where he had
endured so many humiliations. He consequently
requested permission to retire. His request was
granted. The empress admitted him to an audience
of leave, wished him a pleasant voyage, and he left
Russia forever. He bore with him letters of high
commendation from the most distinguished men in
the capital of Russia. He directed his steps first
to Warsaw. Here he was received with the highest
consideration by the titular king and his court. He
spent two months in Warsaw, hospitably entertained
by the nobility, and intensely occupied in preparing
for the Empress of Russia a journal of his services,
from the time he entered the navy of the United
States to the campaign of the Black Sea. In a letter
to the empress, which accompanied this document, he
wrote, under date of Warsaw, Sept. 25, 0. S. 1789.
" I owe it to my reputation and to truth to accompany this journal with an abridgment of the
campaign of the Liman.* If you will deign, madame,
* It was near the mouth of the river Liman that all these naval
battles were fought.




RETIREMENT AND DEATH.          353
to read it with some attention, you will observe how
little I have deserved the mortifications which I
have endured, and which the justice and goodness of
your majesty can alone make me forget. As I
never offended; in word or speech or thought, against
the laws or usages of the strictest delicacy, it would
assuredly be most desirable for me to have the happiness of regaining, in spite of the malice of my enemies, the precious esteem of your majesty."
At Warsaw, the admiral made the acquaintance
of, and became the intimate friend of Kosciusko.
On the second of November he left Warsaw for
Vienna. Here again he was kindly received by those
in the highest ranks of society. But in consequence
of the sickness of the emperor, he was not favored
with an audience. From Warsaw he proceeded to
Amsterdam. Kosciusko was at that time deeply
engaged in the disastrous conspiracy to liberate
Poland from the thraldom of Russia. Sweden
was also at war with Russia. There can be no
doubt that great efforts were made to enlist the
wonderful energies of the admiral, in favor of the
two belligerents, against the empress. These efforts
were necessarily secret. It is but a glimpse we can
get of them. We simply know that the admiral
declined all such proffers. From Amsterdam  he
wrote, under date of December, I789, to his firm




354             PAUL JONES.
friend President Washingtdn. In that letter he
writes:
"Count Segur and myself have frequently conversed on subjects that regard America. And the
most pleasing reflection of all has been the happy
establishment of the new constitution, and that you
are so deservedly placed at the head of the government, by the unanimous voice of America. Your
name alone, sir, has established in Europe a confidence that was for some time before entirely wanting
in American concerns; and I am assured that the
happy efforts of your administration are still more
sensibly felt throughout the United States. This is
more glorious for you than all the laurels that your
sword so nobly won in support of the rights of
human nature. In war your fame is immortal, as
the hero of liberty. In peace you are her patron,
and the firmest supporter of her rights. Your greatest admire'rs and even your best friends have now
but one wish left them-that you may long enjoy
health and your present happiness."
From Amsterdam he went to Hamburg by way
of Copenhagen. Toward the close of April, 1790,
he crossed the channel to London. "Upon landing," he writes, " I escaped being murdered." After
a short visit there he went to Paris. His health
was feeble. Still he kept up an active correspond



RETIREMENT AND DEATH.           355
ence with his numerous distinguished friends all
over the continent. His mode of expressing himself,
as the reader will have perceived, was peculiar. He
was a man of singular frankness and transparency of
character. He gave free utterance to his thoughts
as they arose. In Paris he again enjoyed the friendship of Lafayette. Nothing special occurred during
his residence in Paris.
Early in June, his health began more rapidly to
fail. He lost his appetite, and a dropsical affection
swelled his legs and expanded his chest. His physician at length warned him that his symptoms were
alarming, and advised him to settle his worldly affairs.
He sat in his chair as he dictated to the notary his
will. After his friends had retired he rose from his
chair, went into his bedroom, and probably feeling a
little faint threw himself with his face upon his bed,
and his feet resting upon the floor. Soon after, the
queen's physician arrived to visit the illustrious patient. He was conducted into the bedroom, where
the admiral was found dead. His disorder had terminated in dropsy of the breast.
It was the evening of the 20th of July, I78g.
The admiral had reached the age of but forty-five
years. His funeral attracted a large concourse of
the most distinguished of the residents in Paris.




356              PAUL JONES.
The National Assembly, then in session, passed the
following resolve:
"The National Assembly, desirous of honoring
the memory of Paul Jones, Admiral of the United
States of America, and to preserve by a memorable
example, the equality of religious rights, decrees that
twelve of its members shall assist at the funeral solemnities of a man who has so well served the cause
of liberty."
A funeral sermon was preached by M. Marson, a
French Protestant clergyman. In this oration he
said:
"We havejust returned to the earth the remains
of an illustrious stranger; one of the first champions
of the liberty of America, of that liberty which so
gloriously ushered in our own. And what more
flattering homage can we offer the memory of Paul
Jones than to swear on his tomb to live or to die
free. Let neither tyrants nor fheir satellites ever
pollute this sacred earth. May the ashes of the great
man, too soon lost to humanity, enjoy here an undisturbed repose. May his example teach posterity the
efforts which noble souls are capable of making when
stimulated by hatred to oppression. Identify yourself with the glory of Paul Jones, in imitating his
contempt of danger, his devotion to his country, and
the noble heroism which, after having astonished the




RETIREMENT AND DEATH.           357
present age, will continue to call forth the veneration
of ages yet to come."
Such was the career of this remarkable man.
Such is a faithful record of what he said and wrote
and did. And this record surely exhibits the character of a worthy and a noble man. He rose to
distinction by his own energies. His achievements
gave him world-wide renown. His character secured
for him not only a cordial welcome in the palaces
of kings and in the castles of nobles, but, that
which is far higher praise, won for him the esteem
and affection of Washington, Jefferson, Franklin,
Morris, Lafayette, Count Segur, Count d'Estaing,
and a host of others of the worthiest spirits in
America and France.
The following is a brief recapitulation of the services which, during his short life, he rendered his
country. During the Revolution he fought twentythree battles at sea, and was never vanquished. He
made seven victorious descents upon Great Britain
and her colonies. He captured two ships of equal
size with his own, and two of far superior force;
besides taking many store-ships and other smaller
craft. He spread alarm throughout the whole island
of Great Britain, compelling the government to fortify all her ports. He also forced the British to
desist from their atrocious system of pillaging and




358              PAUL JONES.
burning in America, and to exchange, as prisoners
of war, the Americans whom they had captured and
plunged into prison dungeons as "traitors, pirates,
and felons."
The distinguished Matthew Carey of Philadelphia, after examining the voluminous correspondence
of Paul Jones, contained in the valuable biography
compiled by Colonel John Henry Sherburne, wrote
to the author:
" I have read, with intense interest, your Life of
John Paul Jones. And it must be regarded as a
valuable national object, placing, as it does, in strong
relief, the shining qualities of this hero, not only
as a naval commander but as a profound politician.
The latter quality appears clearly and distinctly in
various parts of the correspondence, wherein are
developed views of the proper policy of this country
which are worthy of the first statesmen that sat in
the Congress of 1774 and I775-men never exceeded
in the annals of the world for sagacity, patriotism,
and public spirit.
"No man has been the subject of more gross and
shocking abuse, and none of those who have distinguished themselves in the Revolution were so little
known as he has been to the nation to whose service
he devoted all the energies of his magnanimous soul.
I confess that for one I always regarded Paul Jones




RETIREMENT AND DEATH.          359
as very few degrees above a freebooter who, in the
prospect of plunder was reckless of his life. I am
now thoroughly undeceived, and consider him'as
deserving a conspicuous rank among the most illustrous of those heroes and statesmen who not only
formed a wreath around the brow of this country,
but secured her a prouder destiny than ever fell to
the lot of any other portion of mankind."
THE END.
PRINTED BY LANGE, LITTLE & CO., NEW YORK.