SKETCHES 
 
 PAUL TONES 
 
 THOMAS CHASE, 
 
 OF CHESTERFIELD, VA. 
 
 RICHMOND 
 
 CHAS. H 
 
 i, PRINTER, 
 
 1859. 
 
PREFACE. 
 
 Most of the modern scribblers in biography seem to 
 describe their subjects as differing in many respects from 
 the great mass of mankind, and so materially different, 
 that to imitate their virtues, or seek to compare with 
 them in any important respect, would be downright pre- 
 sumption in the rising generaticui ; and if, through envy, 
 hate or malice, they are endeavoring " to damn one to ever- 
 lasting fame," they represent him with so many bad quali- 
 ties and so few or no good ones, that the reader is not 
 warned of his own danger to become equally wicked, feel- 
 ing that it would be impossible. 
 
 General Washington and many others are instances of 
 the former, and '' Tom Paine," and Napcleon Bonaparte 
 in the hands of English bi^jgraphers, are in:«tauces of 
 the latter. This course is altogether unscriptural. The 
 Prophet Elijah was one of the best men that ever lived, 
 and yet ''he was subject to like passions as we are;" and 
 one can but admire the simplicity and truthfulness of 
 
 e biography, where the bad deeds are 
 faithfully as the good. This course I like, i 
 sue in these Sketches. I received them not from a fanci- 
 ful writer, nor from one whose prejudices or partialities 
 would be likely to distort the facts; for my informant, 
 though upon the whole friendly to his renowned com- 
 
mander, seemed well aware that he had many defects of 
 character. 
 
 My first attempt to write for the public was to get up 
 A Narrative of Thomas Chase, icith Sketches of the 
 celebrated Paul Jones. At leisure moments, for several 
 months, I would call on my grandfather, and from his 
 own mouth take the story of his own adventures in ** the 
 times that tried men's souls," and also his knowledge of 
 that famous naval commander, with whom he had some- 
 what an intimate acquaintance. I had nearly completed 
 my rough manuscript, when "The Life of Paul Jones" 
 was advertised in the newspapers. I soon procured a 
 copy and read it to my grandfather. He said it was very 
 incorrect— hardly "founded in fact;" but as it gave to 
 his old and favorite commander as good a character upon 
 the whole as he could in truth, and as my contemplated 
 pamphlet would probably prove a loss to me, coming after 
 that, he advised me to abandon the idea; so my first 
 work never went to press. This was more than thiity 
 years ago. 
 
 Since then I have seen many biographical sketches 
 of Paul Jones, all about equally inconsistent with the 
 sketches I had made, but often very contradictory the 
 one to the other. " The Black Buccaneer" and "The 
 Red Rover," from English authors, were in good keeping 
 with almost every thing English ; for those who are their 
 superiors in any important respect, they seek to destroy 
 by slander. 
 
 I have much confidence in the truth of the sketches 
 I had thus taken from the lips of my revered ancestor, 
 (whose name I bear,) and hav( 
 to write out the substance of them, even at this lute day, 
 for the following, with some minor reasons : First — his- 
 
tory ought to be right, without regard to the prejudices 
 or partialities of any one.. Second — gentlemen, who de- 
 servedly enjoy the confidence of the public, and who can 
 have no unworthy motive in view, have solicited, and even 
 urged me to do it. Third, and last — beini 
 what advanced in life, if I do not very soon do it, these 
 sketches, whether true or false, will soon become unknown 
 with me ; for, after the lapse of seventy or eighty years, 
 I have Tery little hope that anything will come up, or 
 that anything else even exists, that will tend to remove 
 the many doubts and explain the unexplained contradic- 
 tions and difficulties in the manij lices of Paul Jones. 
 
 Let me here say, my grandfather, Thomas Chase, was 
 born at Martha's Vineyard, the south-easLcm extreme of 
 Massachusetts, in 1753, but for more than fifty years he 
 was a citizen of the town of Livermore, county of Oxford, 
 and State of Maine, where he died in 1844. I there- 
 fore enjoyed his acquaintance until I was about forty 
 years old. 
 
 But I perceive I shall be liable to censure for what 
 will appear to be an egotistic repetition. My grandfather 
 will appear conspicuous on almost every page. I can 
 seem to find no other term less objectionable — even, as 
 "Poor Richard" says, will not seem to help me. I must, 
 therefore, ask the reader to excuse me, upon the ground 
 of a lack of ingenuity and talent as a good writer, assur- 
 ing him that I feel as much afflictid about it as he can. 
 
 THOMAS CHASE. 
 
 Chesterfield, JuJy, 1859. 
 

 
 
 SKE' 
 
 TCIIES 
 
 
 V 
 
 1 
 
 
 
 01 
 
 F THE 
 
 
 
 LII 
 
 ^E, 1 
 
 C H A R A C 
 
 TER AND 
 
 TIMES 
 
 
 
 
 OF 
 
 
 
 
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 AUL 
 
 JON 
 
 E 
 
 S. 
 
 We 
 A 
 
 will s{>e; 
 n.l sutfoi 
 
 ik of those wort! 
 re<l. yot nohly th< 
 
 lies who foughl 
 
 L^y won; 
 
 :for 
 
 our freedom. 
 
 The 
 W 
 
 >nL'h in ( 
 'hile the 
 
 iust they repose, 
 earth yhall as ev 
 
 in fond niem'r; 
 er waji on. 
 
 y we' 
 
 11 hee<i them, i 
 
 Pah 
 
 perhaps 
 Karl of 
 White 
 j^ritain, 
 self to h 
 
 , JONE 
 
 a littli 
 Selkii 
 
 Haven 
 near t 
 
 le of S 
 
 ;s was, probal 
 3 earlier. I] 
 •k, a uoblenm 
 , on the west 
 he confines o 
 cotch oriprin. 
 
 bly, horn about 
 le first found hi 
 lu of the J iritis 
 ; coast of the I 
 f Scotland. He 
 He was told t 
 
 the year 1745; j 
 niself with the h 
 h Empire, near j 
 sland of Great \ 
 ' supposed him- 
 hat his father's 
 
 name was Paul— his mother's maiden i 
 that they both died when he w.is an intant, and tin 
 mother, on her death-bed, gave him to the earl, upon tlie 
 earl's promise " to bring him up and educate him." He 
 " ' " ' I Paul, though the domestics about him 
 not untrequently called him a "bastard," when, from any 
 cause, they became displeased with him. His chief bu.-i- 
 
 „, i.„ ^.^j, large enough, when not at school, 
 
 «u.-^ tu ffcc lu ain-i take care of his master's plate, of which 
 he had a large and valuable set. In this matter, the earl 
 >^as very rigid and exacting with him, and often chastised 
 
SKETCHES OP 
 
 him cruelly for neglect and inattention. These frequent 
 beatings and corrections, administered in their apparent 
 unfeeling manner, only made ''John" worse, and, of 
 course, brought upon him greater chastisement. He soon 
 got used to it, and could bear his cruel treatment with 
 the heroism of a martyr, but always with the secret and 
 terrible purpose of mind, that he could and should, at 
 some time, have his revenge. He considered his master 
 a fiend in human shape — an overbearing and cruel aristo- 
 crat — but nothing different from the great mass of the 
 nobility of the British Empire The sequel will show 
 that his thirst for vengeance against the earl extended to 
 the entire British nation. His master gave him some 
 education, and, probably, he would have been highly edu- 
 cated, had a state of good feeling existed between him and 
 the earl. There can be very little doubt that "John's" 
 natural disposition was very ardent — terrible, perhaps — 
 but the manner in which he was treated the most of the 
 time had no tendency to improve him. Such is human 
 nature. 
 
 There were seasons of relaxation with the earl, in his 
 cruel course with "John." This circumstance, with a 
 hint or two from some in the neighborhood, together with 
 his master's evident wish that he should be educated — 
 though no one ever did, or could, claim of his master the 
 fulfillment of the promise to his dead mother — created in 
 John's mind a strong suspicion that he was really the 
 natural son of the earl himself This suspicion in the 
 mind of the famous Paul Jones (for it always continued 
 with him) had a wonderfully controlling influence upon his 
 conduct, when, at last, he had an opportunity to wreak 
 his fullest vengeance upon the " the old earl," as every 
 one will readily see in the course of these Sketches. Where 
 Paul Jones attended school, my revered informant did not 
 remember, if Jones ever told him Many cireumstauces 
 he well remembered. 
 
 Jones was disliked by most of his school-fellows, and 
 they in turn were disliked by him. He probably had the 
 advantage of them; for I imagine he could dislike as 
 terribly as any specimen of humanity in any age of the 
 world. Captain Pearson, of the British frigate Serapis, 
 
PUAL JONES. 
 
 (accent on the second syllable,) was a school-mate with 
 him for a tirae, and was conspicuous, in Jones' estimation, 
 as one of his worst enemies. Jones had a taste and ability 
 to learn beyond the average of his class-mates ; but he 
 had so much trouble with his mates and instructor, that, 
 up to fourteen, he had but a meagre knowledge of even 
 the English. His master, in his good seasons, gave him 
 access to his library, in which were several liistories of 
 wars and naval fights. The reading of these seemed in 
 harmony with his natural disposition, and he felt a strong 
 desire " to go to sea." When, as nearly as he could tell, 
 he was about fourteen years old, he was determined to 
 know his parentage, and pressed the earl so violently, and 
 disputed him so rashly, when told the old story, the earl 
 lost all patience, and gave him an uncommonly bad whip- 
 ping. Johu would stand it no longer. He swore ven- 
 geance against all nobility and the earl in particular, and 
 taking such clothes as he pleased and a small sum of 
 money, without the knowledge of his master, he left — 
 '' ran away." He soon found a chance to ship on board 
 a vessel bound for Corunna, in the north of Spain. It 
 was at this time he changed his name, dropping John 
 and adding Jones, thus making his name " Paul Jones;" 
 a name that he, by his own acts of desperate bravery and 
 consummate skill, has rendered as illustrious and lasting 
 in history as any other name of his times. 
 
 Arriving safe at Corunna, a youth though he was, he 
 soon learned that there was an association of merchants 
 and desperadoes who obtained their living and wealth by 
 depredations on British commerce. This was in perfect 
 harmony with his feelings; for, beside the wild and chiv- 
 alrous adventures it might afford him, it would give bin 
 an opportunity to wreak his vengeance on the British, 
 whom he most cordially hated through life. He engaged 
 in this business, and for his pay was to have a small por- 
 tion of the money they might make by captures. Young 
 as he was, he was bold and reckless, and, in a few years, 
 became conspicuous for his desperate daring, and particu- 
 larly for bis wonderful skill in handling a sword. 
 
 Before he was twenty years old — as nearly as he knew 
 his age — he was offered the command of a vessel, to cruise 
 
8KET0HS8 OF 
 
 in the same business, with a much larirer share of the 
 profits than he had before enjoyed. This offer, of course, 
 he most readily accepted. Captain Jones took command 
 of this vessel. She was a sharp, rakish, clipper-built 
 craft — a fast sailer, with no name marked upon her. She 
 was familiarly called *' The Black Buccaneer ;" from 
 which circumstance the English applied the name to 
 Paul Jones — a name as terrible to the English as that of 
 Napoleon Bonaparte, in proportion to the force he could 
 bring against them. 
 
 Up to this time, and for some two or three cruises after, 
 in his Black Buccaneer, Jones' head quarters were at 
 Corunna, but soon changed to the Spanish West Indies. 
 The crew of the Black Buccaneer were mostly Spanish 
 and Portuguese desperadoes. But one of their names did 
 my grandfather remember, if Captain Jones told him — 
 this was "Joe Frederick," a Portuguese, of whom I shall 
 have occasion to say something more. Cajjtain Jones had 
 many thrilling adventures, many hair-breadth escape.*, with 
 his Black Buccaneer, but of one of which I obtained the 
 detals, and here it is : So much mischief did the Black 
 Buccaneer inflict on British commerce, that the govern- 
 ment instructed their cruisers on the American coast and 
 in the West India seas toihunt him up and capture him. 
 In pursuance of these orders, one of the British ships of 
 war got upon his track, and a dense fog coming upon 
 their locality, succeeded in getting cl^se up to Captain 
 Jones. "A breeze sprung up, the fog lifted," and Jones 
 saw, to his astoni.sliinent, "a British man of war," able 
 to sink him with a single broadside; "but a musket-shot 
 from him" — "What ship is that?" cried the Briton — 
 no answer. "What ship is that? Come aboard and 
 bring your papers, or I'll sink you in a mou cut," said 
 the Briton, very harshly. "Aha! aha!" cried Jones; 
 "I will, soon as I can." Getting his vessel in motion 
 under the light breeze, he was soon hard up alongside, 
 and jumping on board with the force of a lion, having 
 prepared himself for the emergency, dashed bolow so 
 suddenly that not a move was n)a<ie to arrest hin in his 
 mad career. Proceeding directly to the magazine, and 
 holding a lighted match in his left hand and his trusty 
 
PAUL JONES. 
 
 sword in his right, said, in terrible haste and earnestness, 
 two or three being near by, '< Tell your captain to come 
 herein an instant, or I'll blow you all to hell." The 
 British captain appeared in hot haste, exclaiming, "What 
 does this mean?" "Not a word," said Jones, making 
 such menaces with his sword as would startle a man of 
 weak nerves. '< Give me your word of honor as an Eng- 
 lish gentleman, that you will let me and my vessel and 
 crew leave you unharmed, or you are in hell in an in- 
 stant." The Bii'i:?h captain again attempted to speak, 
 but was stopped instantly by Jones, in a terrible tone of 
 voice, " n()t a word— agree to my proposal instantly, or 
 wc are all in hell together " In the utmost cotisternation 
 and terror, the Engiij^hman exclaimed, "If I must, I 
 will." ^ Said Jones, " Do you give me your word of honor 
 as an English gentleman, that I may, with my vessel and 
 crew, leave you and get clear away without harm ?" " I 
 do," said the Briton. Said Jones, " Put up your sword, 
 (the Englishman did it,) and go with me on deck," drop- 
 ping his match, and seizing the Briton by the collar with 
 his left hand, keeping his own good blade in his right, 
 "and this good blade shall be the witness between us." 
 "It shall," was the reply. They walked on deck to- 
 gether. Jones stepped upon his own deck and was off. 
 He never hyppened to meet that captain again ; and it is 
 very likely that captain had no particular desire to see 
 Jones again. Thus did "The Black Buccaneer" rid 
 himself of an enemy full ton times as great in force as he 
 was. It was no miracle— it was downright dcspnation. 
 And there are very few of the human race, from its first 
 Dlanting on the earth, who would or could have done it. 
 But Paul Jones could do that. 
 
 I will here give the substance of Jones' account of his 
 method of carrying on this business. I am aware it may be 
 said that it is Jones' story, and he was interested. True; 
 but J(,n,.s wfis well aware that the English called him "a 
 pirate." and had succeeded in making many others believe 
 it ; therefore, I regard his story as a confession, which we 
 usually accept as truth. The object of his employers and 
 himself was property— wealth. They killed none, unless 
 m a fight to get the vessel, so as to help themselves of 
 
SKETCHES OF 
 
 her cargo. They took no prisoners, for they would be a 
 trouble, though sometimes a hand or two would go with 
 Jones from vessels he took. This was entirely voluntary; 
 for Jones usually said to those he took, if any of them 
 wished to go with him, they might- He sometimes scut- 
 tled and sunk vessels, when near some port where he ap- 
 prehended danger, setting the crew ashore. But off at 
 sea he injured nothing, taking only what he deemed of 
 value to himself and employers. These depredations 
 were strictly confined to British commerce. And said 
 Jones, '' Soon as I thought there was a chance to hurt 
 the British more with a man of war, I wanted one, and 
 got it as quick as I could " 
 
 About September, 1773, two years before the war broke 
 out, Captain Jones, with his "Black Buccaneer," was 
 cruising up the coast of these colonies, and, in the vicinity 
 of Long Island, New York, had an encounter with a 
 British craft that came very near taking him Some two 
 or three of his crew were wounded — one of his officers. 
 The officer's wound proved fatal He died in the vicinity 
 of Martha's Vineyard, while still pursuing his north- 
 east course toward Cape Cod. This island was the birth- 
 place of my grandfather and grandmother, also of my 
 revered father. Jones wished to bury his dead officer 
 respectfully, and put into "Holmes' Hole," the only 
 harbor of any note in that island. It was there and at 
 that time my grandfather first saw that famous man, 
 Paul Jones. Being informed that Thomas Chase was a 
 mechanic, Jones employed him to make a coffin for his 
 dead officer and assist at his burial. At Captain Jones' 
 request, the good people of that part of the island turned 
 out, and gave the deceased a Christian burial. My grand- 
 father was at that time about twenty years old. Jones 
 remained "on the Vineyard" several days— " went gun- 
 ning" two or three times, taking my grandfather with 
 him, who proved a better "shot" than Captain Jones. 
 This circumstance it was that induced the famous Paul 
 Jones to make him one of his gunners afterwards. Cap- 
 tain Jones and his crew bought such things as they 
 wished for of the people, and paid for them, being per- 
 fectly pleasant and well-behaved j but thore were strong 
 
PAUL JONES. 
 
 suspicions as to the character of the "craft." When 
 Captain Jones was about to leave Martha's Vineyard, he 
 wished for a pilot to show him all about the navigatioa 
 of that vicinity and of '' Nantucket Shoals," and apply- 
 ing to "Thomas" for a suitable man, was recommended 
 to a Captain Daggett, who was "just his man," if he 
 wouldn't give him liquor. " But, Captain Jones," said 
 my grandfather, " if you give him liquor, you can do 
 nothing with him until he gets over it — he will abuse 
 you and every one he sees." Captain Daggett was pro- 
 cured, and my grandfather went with them to return with 
 Daggett. Daggett was a gentlemanly, pleasant "old tar," 
 when not in drink; and his familiarity and agreeable 
 conversation completely threw Jones off his guard, and 
 'lis pocket a bottle of ' ' ' '" ' '" 
 jett to drink with him, v 
 did, and drank so largely at a single draught that he, 
 became unmanageable very soon— was very boisterous. 
 They soon reached the vessel, and, though Daggett was 
 very nois}', Jones requested him to proceed to his busi- 
 ness. This only brought a volley of oaths from the 
 drunken eld sailor. Jones was not used to such treat- 
 ment from any one, and threatened him, which called 
 forth the fallowing from Daggett: "Captain Jones, who 
 the devil are you?" "I am the captain of this ship," 
 said Jones, with a look that would make one nervous 
 " I s'pose you are," said Daggett; "and you look to mo 
 like some kind of a damned Scotch-Irishman that had to 
 run his country for murder." Jones drew his sword 
 instantly — my grandfather as instantly caught his arm, 
 sayiig, "Don't hurt him, he's drunk — I cautioned you 
 before, Captain Jones." " Right, Thomas, the fault is 
 mine," said Jone«, and forthwith returned his sword. 
 
 Years afterward, when my grandfather was acting as a 
 gunner and cabin-joiner for Jones, he often spoke of 
 things that happened while he was at " the Vineyard " 
 at that time, and of that particular matter said, "Captain 
 Daggett would have paid for his insolence with his head, 
 if it had not been for you. Chase." Captain Daggett was 
 sober in a few hours — asked Captain Jones' pardon, 
 which was granted, though not with so much cordiality 
 
•« SKETCHES OF 
 
 and frankness as most men would like—and proceeded to 
 conduct Ctiptain Jones about the A'ineyard and Nan- 
 tucket Shoals for two days, when Daggett and my grand- 
 father left, receiving a generous compensation for their 
 services, Jones standing noi-th-easterly, as though ho 
 would "double Cape Cod." As my grandfather after- 
 wird learned, he soon returned south to the West Indies. 
 
 Upon what authority Headly says Jones had a brother, 
 who was a Virginia planter, I cannot conceive; and that 
 that brother died intestate, leaving no children, and that 
 Paul Jones took tare of the estate for the family " two 
 years on the land," is to me equally mysterious; when, 
 to take Headly's dates and Jones' age as he gives it, this 
 very cruise, in which he called at Martha's Vineyard 
 and buried his under-officer, was within the two years he 
 spent '*on the land" as a Virginia planter Beside the 
 testimony of my grandfather and grandmother, on which 
 I feel safe to rely, I have the testimony of " Joe Frede- 
 rick," who was with Jones ever after he toek command 
 of his first vessel at Corunna up to this time But these 
 statements of Mr. Headly are no more doubtful in my 
 mind than are many others from him of Jones— some of 
 which I may feel driven to refer to ere I close. But Mr. 
 Headly must have received his information from some 
 source he deemed authentic. I regret that he and I 
 must widely differ. 
 
 It may be interesting to the reader to have some little 
 description of Paul Jones, his vessel and crow at this 
 time, 1773. Paul 'Jones stood five feet six inches and a 
 half high, thick and very stout built, not corpulent, with 
 broad chest and shoulders, and arms longer than short 
 men usually have. His weight was about one hundred 
 and seventy-five pounds. He was very muscular, and it 
 seemed like he could use his entire strength in his sword- 
 arm at any instant he pleased He carried a long, heavy 
 sword, and considered himself invincible in single com- 
 bat I incline to the opinion that the chivalrous Murat, 
 or the impetuous Lannes, would have found full their 
 match in an encounter with Paul Jones in his prime. 
 He met very many in the cour-^e of his life, and measured 
 Bwords with them, but was never second best. His com- 
 
PAUL JONES. 
 
 ilexion was naturally light, with sandy hair and bluish- 
 gray eyes. He had, at this time, seen much service, 
 having been afloat some seventeen yeai-s. In short, he 
 was a weather-beaten looking s^ii^r, even at the age of 
 about thirty. The color of his skin, hair and eyes gave 
 him rather a dirty appearance, and this added to his form, 
 which was the very reverse of gentlemanly and delicate, 
 together with a great tirmnet*8 of some of the muscles of 
 the face, and a mysteri(«us, suspicious twinkle of the eyes 
 at times, gave him an appearance the reverse of prepos- 
 sessing. My grandfather aud gramlmother were not mar- 
 ried until some eight year-^ afrer this, but she attended 
 
 the funeral of Jones' oihce 
 him several other times whi 
 and has often told me, with 
 Jones was the wirst-looking 
 looked like a robber and i 
 
 , before alluded to, and s<iw 
 ' he tarried on the Vineyard, 
 great earnest ncss, that Paul 
 man she ever saw — that he 
 lurderer, and she wondered 
 
 how my grandfather could ever have any friendly feeling 
 towards him. Tliese unfavorable impressions against 
 Captain Jones were, no doubt, principally owing to sus- 
 picions of him But my grandfather became better ac- 
 quainted with him afterwards. 
 
 The vessel or ship Jones then had was not new, nor 
 yet apparently very old — a fast sailer, painted black, with 
 no name marked upon her. She had three long nine 
 pounders, that could be changed to any part of her deck, 
 and one " ion^r tom " on a pivot, to be used in any direc- 
 tion, with apparently a full .supply of small arms of every 
 variety. "Joe Frederick " told me this was the second 
 ship Jones had commanded, and was larger than the first. 
 
 The crew, con.<=iisfing of about forty, as nearly as wss 
 known, were mostly Spaniards — a few l*ortuguese — among 
 them, "Joe Frederick," who, at this time, left Captain 
 Jones, by his full consent ; for Jones seemed to use no 
 restraint over his men to detain them against their will. 
 Jones shipped two or three good men at the Vineyard, 
 payiniT them good wages, '"joe Frederick" remained 
 on' the Vineyard until the breaking out of the Revolu- 
 tionary war —during that he was off. After the war, he 
 came 'back to the 'Vineyard, and was married there, as 
 my grandftither was. "Old Mrs. Frederick" I last saw 
 
SKETCHES OF 
 
 in 1844. I have not heard of her death. I shall have 
 something more to say of "Joe Frederick," though he 
 was nor much of a muu. 
 
 At the breaking out^f the Revolutionary war, Paul 
 Jones left his business of harassing the Britii?h comnicrce 
 and repaired to France — it being understood by Spain, 
 hoped by these Colonies, and feared by England, that 
 France would be forward to help us. But, as is well- 
 known, there was treat reluctance on the part of France 
 to engage, nor was the alliance effected for some two years 
 after. Failing in France to accomplish his object, he 
 came to America and offered his services to our Conti- 
 
 11 is darling object evidently was to crush England ; for 
 he had not up to this time been a politician, nor is there 
 any indication that he had any consistent views of human 
 liberty and statesmanship. 
 
 AltLou^ih Paul Jon« s was well known as a daring ad- 
 veutuier, and had baffled the skill and energy of all the 
 British naval commfinders on the Atlantic, in all their en- 
 deavors to capture him, he still found oyiposition in this 
 country in obtaining a |)08ition in our infant navy ; for 
 there were those in p<jwer and intlu- nee who did not ap- 
 prove of his former business, and still another set of nun 
 among us who looked more to family and rank than to 
 real capablity; and yet another class, more dangerous, 
 perhaps, than either of the former, who seemed to know 
 no other way to have a good government than to unite 
 church and state, and must have a religious test on every 
 occasion. Paul Jones was not a very Ciotlly given man ; 
 and that spirit of religious intolerance, that operated 
 against him at first, showed it^elf still more plainly {Jfter- 
 ward, during Mr. Jefferson's administration, as will b 
 readily seen from the following C|Uotation from some un- 
 known rhymer, and published with great gusto in most 
 of the "Federal" newspapers of those days: 
 
 Smitli, Clieotliam, Jows, Duai 
 
 Dull va-^sals- these wiU never (1( 
 
 Quoth he— I'll st?nd for Paine. 
 
PAUL JONES. 
 
 After some delay, however, he succeeded in obtainiDg 
 a subordinate command, and by his consummate skill, his 
 a.stoni.^Iiin£^ intrepidity and bravery, saved our little fleet, 
 to which he was attached. • 
 
 xMost of Paul Jones' American biographers tell us the 
 t^tory that it was at this time, and in assuming his 6rst com- 
 mand in our little navy, that he hoisted our national flag 
 
 " the fii-st time its folds were ever given to the breeze." 
 And this seems to be generally believed in this, our vast 
 country. But let my readers pause a moment, and con- 
 sider whether this story commends itself to common sense 
 and right reason. Was this the tirst time that we had a 
 naval vessel afloat? Certainly it was not. Beside some 
 naval vessels fitted out by the different Colonies, Ezekiel 
 Hopkins, our tirst commodore, had made a cruise and re- 
 turned, and was censured by Congress and his command 
 taken from him. Did our naval ships cruise without a 
 flag? Certainly not. Neither could this story grow out 
 of the fact, that Paul Jones first hoisted "the Stars and 
 Stripes," for that flag was not adopted for two years or 
 more after this. 
 
 Here, then, are the facts which I derived, many years 
 ago, from those who were actors in that great struggle. 
 
 Most of the different Coloiiies had had a flag, peculiar 
 to themselves, in use long before the Revolutionay war. 
 Most or all of the New England Colonies had one and the 
 same flag, though I incline to think Rhode Island had a 
 flag to herself. New York had her flag, Pennsylvania 
 hers, &.C. Had a few of the actors of those d lys felt as 
 much reverence for the past as I ever have, Mr. Headly 
 and others would not have oceasi«)n to say: *' What that 
 flag was, strange as it may seem, no record or tradition 
 can certainly toll." I cannot, of course, from my own 
 knowledge, '' certainly tell," but I will tell it as it was 
 told to me, on such authority as I deem conclusive, from ' 
 men of integrity, who had abundant opportunities to know 
 all about it. 
 
 I have already said that most or all the New England 
 Colonies had one and the same flag, and I am confident 
 my readers will be able to credit the statement and the 
 description I give without over-tasking their credulity. 
 
0KSTCB 
 
 The bact-ground of " the New England fl 
 wilderness, with an elk-" moose" -looking out, and 
 upon the edge of the wilderness and open land an Indian 
 equipped for war. Th* middle-ground was open land, 
 with emblems of agriculture. The fore-ground was the 
 ocean, with a ship Sylvester Norton, a native ot Mar- 
 tha's Vineyard, who was a soldier in " the French war, 
 and who saw Gen--ral Wolfe expire, told me this was the 
 flag used by the New England troops and vessels in that 
 war This was thtJ same flag used on that privateer in 
 which my grandfather was afterwards taken, of which I 
 shall have occasion to say more. _ 
 
 But one other of these " old flags" can I describe with 
 any degree of certainty, and this was the flag u^^ed by our 
 first naval vessels under "the Continental Congress," and 
 »oa iM-^KaKli? thp nnn Paul Jones first hoisted: but he 
 
 was probably the one Paul Jones first hoisted j but he 
 was by no means the first oflicer who hoisted it. 
 
 This flag had a wilderness for a back-ground; the 
 middle-ground was open land, with a house and culti- 
 vated fields The fore-ground was a lake, with a swan 
 sitting upon its bosom. This was probably the Colonial 
 flag of Pennsylvania. Our officers and men never felt 
 very proud under it. The Englit^i, by way of derision, 
 called it "the Goose Flag;" so did their faithful, but 
 unnatural allies, the tories; and it even obtained that 
 disgusting name with our own people to some degree; 
 therefore, it was abandoned for " the !?tars and stripes," 
 of which we never have, as yet, been ashamed. But 
 there was no "eagle;" and it was not until Russia, "the 
 Northern Bear," recognized us as one of the independent 
 nations of the earth, and entered into connnercial rela- 
 tions with us, that "the American Eagle" was added to 
 the stars and stripes. Up to this time, the Russian flag 
 had four eagles, they gave us one, and n^nv have but three. 
 
 From present prospects, we shall soon be as great as 
 Russia. Whether we shall then get another of her eagles 
 remains to be known. 
 
 Paul Jones very much distinguished himself in his 
 first cruise as a subordinate. Soon after, be got a sepa- 
 rate command of a small naval vessel, and made a cruise 
 of a few weeks. This was a very hazardous cruise for 
 
PAUL JONES. 
 
 Jones. Two or three times he yerj narrowly escaped 
 capture ; but bis wonderful genius, with good fortune, 
 carried him safelj through, and he returned into one of 
 our ports (I think in llhode Island) with a long string of 
 prizes. 
 
 Jones then obtained command of a larger vessel — I 
 think she was called ^- The Alfred"— with which he 
 worked wondtrs. But after one cruise, he was very un- 
 justly sent back into his little sloop. He loudly com- 
 plained of this injustice; and so iujportunate was he, 
 that Congress toU him to go to Boston, and select and 
 fit out a ship to his mind, this liberty was large enough, 
 but his choice was very nearly like "Hopkins's" — there 
 was nothing of any great account there. 
 
 zVfter much th l;iy, he got a ship that he deemed much 
 better than nothing— I think this was the Banger. He 
 went to France in her, taking several prizes oif his way, 
 which he succeeded in carrying safely into L'Orient, 
 (pronounced Lo-ri-on.) Perhaps, he made a cruise or 
 two more from Fiance in the Banger; but I am not cer- 
 tain, as I was Lever acfjuainted with any one who cruised 
 with him in the Banger. 
 
 Many of Jon( s' biographers, as it seems to me, con- 
 found his cruises in the Banger with his famous cruise in 
 the Bon Homme Bichard, and his after cruises in the 
 Alliance. But I will confine myself to what I feel con- 
 fident is the truth, and not a sume to settle the disagree- 
 ments of others in matters where I have much doubt. 
 kSutfico it to say, whatever craft he commanded, or in 
 whatever condition he was placed, or however imminent 
 the danger to which he was exposed, his genius and in- 
 trepid daring, with good fortune, enabled him to come oflf 
 with " flying colors " He was never taken, because he 
 was determined he never would be taken alive. Paul 
 Junes very well knew that the British would not treat 
 him as a prisoner of war, nor yet as a "rebel;" but if 
 they could get him, they would at once hang him as "a 
 pirate." Therefore, his stern and terrible purpose was, 
 that in the event he could not extricate himself, he 
 would, with his own strong arm and trusty sword, sell his 
 life at as high a price as possible. 
 
 
 t 
 
 .A 
 
 mUKKm 
 
 ■*»--' 
 
sKETcene 0T 
 
 He continually asked for a larger naval command, for 
 hich, as all now acknowleHrre, \u- wa.^ eminently fitted, 
 but of which he wan continually disappointed. Having 
 failed in his applications to Congress tor this, he again 
 JDffered, himself to France ; but in this was delayed, 
 and finally disappoiufcd. Had it not been for Doctor 
 Franklin, who was then in France acting for us, it is 
 likely Paul Jone?* w-^uM not have been longer employed 
 in our service. There were so many who wanted office, 
 and so many of our h-ading men an«l members of the 
 Continental Congress who would favor the claims of per- 
 ,Bonal friends, without regard to fitness for the office to 
 'which they aspired that even the splendid and over- 
 shadowing genius of Paul Jones was neglected. And 
 one of the strangest of all strange ihiuL^s to my mind is, 
 that we ever succeeded in gaining our independence. 
 With ail imbecile Congress, and no Executive, it seems 
 Ao me next to a mirade. 
 
 I- Look, for instance, to the fl)lly of giving General Gates 
 'the glory of taking Burgoyne, when, in fact, he did not 
 Vgo out of his tent on the day of the battle of Stillwater— 
 ^the battle that decided Burgoyne's fate — when, in fact, 
 the impetuous Benedi t Arnold, without orders, and the 
 intrepid Morgan did al the fighting and laid all the 
 plans that were used, and should have had all the glory 
 and preferment Congress learned, at last, they were 
 patronizing an old f«»ol. but not in time to save the 
 Southern army. N-t were we hardly less unfortunate 
 in Lincoln and Suliivan — the favorites of " Old John 
 Adams" and his friends But Nathaniel Greene — the 
 Quaker Blacksmith — who had no family nor rank to re- 
 commend him, cleared the whi>le South of the British in 
 a single campaign. 
 
 Doctor Franklin favored Paul Jone?", and for us bought 
 some ships of France, and with three or fbur of our ships 
 then in France, made out a squadron of some " eight 
 sail.'' It was FranlJin'd wish that Jones should have 
 full command of this squadron, but a commodore's com- 
 mand could not be obtained for him, so his command was 
 
 mereiv nominal 
 
 Captain Jones' flag-ship was the " Bon Homme Rich- 
 
PAUL JONES. 
 
 ard," an old Frerch sixty-four, with twenty of her guns 
 taken off, because she was so old and rotten that it was 
 not deemtd safe for her to carry more— she was called a 
 "razee" from this circunistcince 
 
 Mr Headiy, and, I believe, some others, have told us 
 that Jones so named this ves.<el, "out of respect to 
 Franklin" — referring, unmistakably, to "Poor Richard's 
 Almanack." Headiy also seeujs to translate the French 
 '< Bon Homme" "poor," but by what possible rule of 
 translation I am at a loss to know I call "Bon Homme" 
 "good man," and to this etymoldiry of the name agrees 
 the story of my giandfuiher. It was in this wise: 
 
 3Iany years before, there had lived in L'Orient a man 
 known to all as "The Go- d Man Kichard" — this is the 
 English — who was so called ber.iu,<e he was noted for his 
 gv.odness to the poor, and for his many virtues in all the 
 relations of life. He was rich, and, having the disposi- 
 tion, was proverbial fur his gO( dness in all the region 
 round about. While this vessel was building, " The 
 Good Man Richard " died, and the French Government, 
 to perpetuate his name and limur his memory, affixed his 
 name to this ship — '' Hen Homme Richaid " This ship 
 was very old — had this name marked upon her, appa- 
 rently as old as anything about her. She was undoubt- 
 edly built, named aud launched long before the American 
 Revolution was thought of 
 
 A long train of circumstances led to my grandfather's 
 shipping on board the Bon Homme R chard, under the 
 command of the renowned Paul Jones, which, 1 hope, 
 may be interesting to my readers, as the story may tend 
 to give some idea ff ihuse " time- that tried men's souls " 
 He, with others of his acquaintance, and "Joe Frede- 
 rick" among them, shipped on board one of the first pri- 
 vateers thar were fitted lUt in Massachusetts in 177r>. 
 They were paintiug this privateer, at Salem, the very day 
 of the famous fight at Kunlver Hill, and saw John Stark 
 and Henry Dearbcru, with their regiments from New 
 Hampshire, as they left Salem, seen in the morning of 
 that day, to take a part in that first mortal struggle for 
 freedom. 
 
 It was calculated they would make a cruise of six 
 
SKETCHES or 
 
 weeks, though, as it proved, some of them never re- 
 turned, and most of those that did, were absent near six 
 years. After being out three days, when " befogged," 
 they unfortunately got in close proximity to a British 
 seventy-four — "The Old Northumberland" Resistance 
 seemed madness, and they surrendered, and were taken 
 on board the frigate. This " man-of-war," after cruising 
 about for some two or three weeks, and making other 
 prizes and prisoners, in all amounting to about four hun- 
 dred, sailed for England, and arrived at Plymouth after 
 a prosperous voyage 
 
 AH the prisoners were soon put on board a prison-ship 
 lying in Plymouth harbor. It was then the purpose of 
 the British Government to try them as rebels, guilty of 
 treason, and hang or shoot them, as they might deem 
 best. Of course, their condition was auythiug but de- 
 sirable; for, in addition to a violent d< ath that stared 
 them in the face, they were treated with the utmost 
 cruelty, less than half-fed on the very nieanest of food, 
 and insulted and aggravated in many w ijs. Gentlemen 
 and ladies, with their children, would come on board, and 
 the childneii be directed to call tlieni " Damned Yankees," 
 and to kick them I will not go farther. O, the poverty 
 of language ! The British nation is the most pertidious, 
 unfeeling and cruel of any nation on earth, and I hope 
 to live long enough to see her fully paid, principal and 
 interest, for all her terribh sins against humanity. 
 
 We often see it written and hear it said, that the 
 French and English are mtural enemies. While in Eng- 
 land, and also in France and Holland, my grandf;'^' 
 had many opportunities of witnessing what 1 considi 
 explanation of this state of feeling with the people of 
 these diff't-rent nations. The English childrei 
 to hate the French and the '• Yankees," and to call them 
 hard names — ^_ju^t so in France and Holland. Often, in 
 the streets of L'Orient, did my ancestor see a long string 
 of French boys running after one they called an English 
 boy, and, putting their hands to each side of their own 
 neck, make an effort thus to lift themselves up, exelaim- 
 ing, "Unglu b^in comes so — Unglu boii comes so;" mean- 
 ing it was good for an Englishman to be hung, or that an 
 
PAUL JONES. 
 
 Englishman ought to be hung. These early impressions 
 vould he quite likely to contirue through life. Thus 
 we see that this "natural hostility" is entirely owing to 
 early education. Better for the world that it were other- 
 wise, no doubt. 
 
 Under these trying circumstances, my grandfather, 
 "Joe Frederick," and two others, planned an escape, by 
 taking to the water and swimming ashore, about one 
 uiile, and then get bick into the country, and then run 
 their chance to get back to America. They took to the 
 water by star-light, keeping together, their escape not 
 being noticed at tirst. The water was cold, and they had 
 been starving for some four weeks, and were quite unfit- 
 ted for swimming a mile at that time of night, and in 
 cold water. One of the four sunk to rise no more. M; 
 grandfather found his stPMigth failing, when close to an- 
 other vessel at anchor, and put up to it, getting hold of 
 something to support him. "Joe Frederick,' who was 
 a stout, powerful man, and the fourth still more enduring, 
 reached the shore, but not until after an aiarm was given, 
 and Plymouth harbor was covered with boats, cruising in 
 every direction. The fourth took his legs and was off. 
 None of his fellows knew his fate or his fortune. He was 
 never heard fr.»m afterwards. Joe Frederick attempted 
 to do the same, but could not stand. He tried to roll 
 himself into a secret place, but could find none, and they 
 recaptured him. After my grandfather had held on as 
 long as he well could, he called for "a rope," and was 
 tak':n on board, and, with Joe Frederick, taken back to 
 the prison-ship. 
 
 These two were '< pu^ in iron>:." But what does that 
 mean ? I will *ell the reader, and nearly in my grand- 
 father's own words, and I imagine this will be as near as 
 any of us will ever wish to realize it. The irons in which 
 my beloved grandfather and Joe Frederick lay for several 
 weeks, were hand-cuffs upon the wrists, and the same, of 
 larger size, upon the ankles. Between each two, or con- 
 necting each twoj was a stout iron ring, about four inches 
 across, so that one could put their hands hard together, 
 but could sopar.ite them only some eight or ton inches. 
 The same of the feet. There was a room about thirty 
 
SKETCHES OF 
 
 feet square, with rows of strong ironi? driven into the floor 
 and timbers, and rising abnut e\^\.t iu«hcs above the floor 
 and about six teet a>uuder, with one i»r two round holes 
 near the top, large enongh to receive a round rod or bar 
 of iron an inch in thickness. Tiiese rods or bars being 
 of proper length, about six feet, had a head on one end, 
 like a strong iron bolt, and, near the other end, a hole to 
 receive the biil of a pad-lock. Thus, the irons being on 
 the wrists and ankles, the strong rud was thrust through 
 one of the standing irons in the floor, then^-e through the 
 large rings between the wrists and ankles — the prisoner 
 lying on his side upon the floor — and thence through 
 another standing iron in the floor, and the pad-lock ap- 
 plied, fastening the strong rod tirnily. It is stringing 
 men on an iron pole by the wrist»s and ankles One thus 
 *'in irons" could sit upon the floor, or on a small block, 
 furnished to each, but the hands and feet were close to- 
 gether. They could nut stund, noi her was there a very 
 smart chance for stretching They could lie upon one 
 side until they were tired, and then " whoop over," and 
 lie upon the other side. 
 
 ^Vhile these two wore lying in irons, and the great 
 balance of the prisoners faring as usual, Lord North was 
 induced to change his pi in of killing them for the pre- 
 sent, fearing his example might be followed by others 
 upon the English ; so, after the lapse of six weeks, the 
 irons were taken off these two, and all the prisoners from 
 this prison-ship, and several other places, were put into 
 a prison on shore. Thi> was called "Mill Piison," and 
 was as notorious in the old war, as was Dartmoor Prison 
 in the war of 1812. 
 
 The prisoners were all American, x)r passed for such, 
 and were seven hundred and thirty-nine when committed. 
 'I hey were not imprisoned a* prisoners of war, but each 
 crew under an indictment. The crew t(» which my grand- 
 father belonged were committed as ^^ rfbr/s and pirates, 
 taken upon the hiyh stas Ji'j/itt'mj ajninst his Majesty's 
 Government and suhjecta.'' This was for the crew of a 
 privateer. Whether all were alike, my ancestor did not 
 certainly know, but supposed they were. 
 
 My ancestor became very intimate with one Southern 
 
 Dartmoor Prison 
 
PAUL JONE 
 
 man in the course of about two years he was in Mill 
 Prison. This was Captain Jonathan Marvatt, who, after 
 the war, settled in Sumpter District, South Carolina, and 
 who lived until within some fifteen or twenty years. By 
 accident, I learned of this patriot, by seeing in the papers 
 an account of a jollification in that State, at which he 
 gave a description of the jollification the American pri- 
 soners had in Mill Prison, upon hearing of the surrender 
 of General Burgoyne and his army in 1777. I showed 
 this statement to my irrandfuther. He said it was correct, 
 and wished me to write to his old companion in suffer- 
 iniZ, to know if he remembered him. I wrote and got an 
 answer. Maryatt was overjoyed — said he would do any- 
 thing in his power to see his old friend once more But 
 both were too old to go so fur, or even h;ilf the distance. 
 They died without meeting again on earth 
 
 •' Mill Prison" was a brick building, some three hun- 
 dred feet long, about forry feet wide, and two stories 
 high, in a yard of s nue three acres, enclosed with a 
 strong wooden picket-fence, eighteen feet high, though 
 the turnkey's house made a part of the fence on one side, 
 with a window in the second story, opening upon the 
 prison-yard At this window would the turnkey often 
 present himself and chat familiarly with the prisoners, as 
 also his wife and children They appeared to be a very 
 hum «ne and kind family, and very anxious to know all 
 about America. There was not (^ne in the prison that did 
 not highly respect the turnkey and his family. Others, 
 g 'Utlemen aud la lies, would often be at the same window, 
 all equally curious to know about America. 
 
 My grandfather was capable of curious workmanship 
 in wood, and having a good knife, as every sailor is quite 
 apt to, he obtained a piece of wood some two feet long, 
 two inches or more in thickness, and made a ladle at one 
 end and a spoon at the qther, with the handles toward 
 each ; and of the wood between he cut a chain of five 
 links, all of the same piece of wood, with no joint, and 
 that could not be severcl without breaking or splitting 
 the wood It was neatly done, and deemed a great cu- 
 riosity. This he gave to the turnkey's wife, in return 
 for which she gave him a mammoth " plum pudding," 
 
SKETCHES OF 
 
 80 large that more than seven hundred men got a per- 
 ceptible taste of it, for he shared it with his comrades. 
 Tliis was shown to some of the ladies of Plymouth, and 
 there was a gnat rage for the works of "the prisoner 
 i hase," for the balance of the time he was there confined. 
 He made many more, not very unlike this first, as well as 
 many other articles, until very few ladies of rank in Ply- 
 mouth could not show some specioien of the ingenuity of 
 " the prisoner Clia^e." 
 
 These articles, so eagerly sought by the ladies of Ply- 
 mouth, procured for the prisoners ten times their value 
 in food, (and they were very scantily fed from " the pub- 
 lic crib,") the ladies being very generous with their "cold 
 victuals" and remnants from their plentiful tables, and 
 this generosity was manifestly increatsed from their know- 
 ledge that the ingenious prisoner would share with his 
 fellows, thouyh often t-wuW dainties were handed him 
 with the injunction to eat it himself. 
 
 Many years after and about thirty years since, my 
 grandfather was told, by a ship-master "in the Southern 
 trade," that there was one of these relics in the possession 
 of a gentleman at Wilmington, in the State of Delaware. 
 By his request, I endeavored to find it by letter, but was 
 unsuccessful. Now, if there be one of them still in exist- 
 ence, and I can be apprised of its whereabouts, I will take 
 great pains to obtain it. I will be glad to put it with 
 " The Paul Jones' Board-rule." 
 
 1 have already said, the fence enclosing the prison-yard 
 was of wood. There was, upon the outside and about 
 three feet below the top, a narrow platform or walk all 
 around the yard. This was for the purpose of a guard ; 
 for a strong guard was continually pacing this walk, 
 night and day. One of this guard told my grandfather 
 that his annual income was five thousand pounds sterling, 
 and the turnkey confirmed his statement, and tliat " he 
 served his country for the honor of it," and without pay. 
 While we can but admire that man's love of country, we 
 also regret that he could find no more honorable employ- 
 ment than keeping men in a loathsome prison, for no 
 other crime than struggling for their freedom. 
 
 After these prisoners had been snugly ensconced in 
 
PAUL JONES. 
 
 Mill Prison for several months, an escape was plotted. 
 Tbis was done by taking up one of the large stones of 
 the lower floor of the prison-house, about four feet long, 
 two feet wide and less than a foot in thickness. With 
 this stone up, they dug down about four or five feet, and 
 tunneled horizontally under the prison-yard and fence, 
 acro-ss a street and under a garden- wall, ten feet high, of 
 solid masonry, with its farther terminus in a gentleman's 
 warden . All this was effected with the utmost secrecy. 
 "The prisoners took turns," working nights and putting 
 the earth dug out into their pockets, hats and any part of 
 their clothes. About daylight every morning the lirge 
 stone was put in its place in the floor, and all looked as 
 though no mischief was g'^ing on. After they were let 
 out into the yard in the morning — for they were securely 
 locked up each night — they would carefully scatter the 
 earth concealed about their persons upon the ground, and 
 it would readily disappear under so many feet, esp cialjy 
 where they walked about more than usual, as they did 
 about that'time. They were very f.rtunate in the garden 
 terminus, it being in the midst of some trees and bu>hos. 
 They found the garden wall of the same height all around, 
 and that ooe coul I n.)t pass it alone. Therefore, they ar- 
 ranged themselves in couples, not two long ones for a 
 couple, nor two short ones lor a couple, but a long one 
 and a short one made a couple The long one could h.-lp 
 the short one on to the wall, and the short one could help 
 the long one when on the wall, but not otherwise. 
 
 All things being ready, they started in the order ar- 
 ranged, in 'perfect" silence, at 11 o'clock ittt night, when 
 all was still in Old Plymouth. Some eighty or ninety 
 couples pas.scd into the garden, anl about seventy fiv3 
 coup'es over the garden-wall, when a couple of lads came 
 
 dl: the 
 
 d his fel'OW on to the 
 
 wall, but he did not stop to help the lon,if 
 excitement, called loudly after him. T 
 gi^anl — the plot was out. Those that 
 prison put the stone b'ack into the floor 
 the garden endeavored to secrete that tei 
 alarm was made. Those wh ) had passi 
 were hastily pursued, and most of them 
 
 J the long one, who, in his 
 him. This attracted the 
 ose that had not Lft the 
 ( the floor, while those in 
 e that terminus. A great 
 had passed over the wall 
 ; of them soon takeo. A 
 
 Lft 
 
SKETCHES OP 
 
 multitude mounted guard, and many jruns were fired into 
 the prison-jard; *' but thej were probably powder guns," 
 only to intimidate. 
 
 Those in the garden were readily taken ; but all refused 
 to tell how they got out of the prison. This, however, 
 was ascertained the next day, after a very close examina- 
 tion. Three of those who escaped were not taken until 
 six days, although pursued by two hundred British cav- 
 alry. One of them, refu.sing to surrender at any rate, 
 after killing two of his pursuers with a club, was shot 
 dead. He was a Rhode Islander, by the name of Worm- 
 sted. The dead body of Wormsted was brought back to 
 the prison, a rude gallows erected, and the body " hung 
 for a whole day." 
 
 One of this Wormsted family did fearful mischief for 
 the British in the war of 1812 as a privateer, and though 
 twice taken and put in irons, succeeded both times in 
 escaping — once by mutiny, or taking the vessel in which 
 he was confined and bringing it safely home; the other, 
 by breaking out of prison at Halifax, Nova Scotia. Two 
 or three of these Wormsteds were not unlike Paul Jones. 
 
 This unsucctssful attempt of the prisoners to escape 
 was, for a while, a sore disadvantage to them. The guard 
 was doubled around the piison-yard, and a strong outer 
 guard placed. They were not as well ted. and all who got 
 out were insulted and cruelly treated. Furtunattly tor 
 my grandfather, his turn hud not come to enter the tun- 
 nel, and he assisted to put back the stone to conceal their 
 secret work. 
 
 These prison^s were not without their sports and pas- 
 times, even under such sufferings. There were several 
 lads among them, from twelve to eighteen years of age. 
 These and some of the men applied themselves to karn- 
 ing a portion of the time, improving the best means within 
 their reach. They could sometimes obtain newspapers 
 slyly, for there were truant boys in Plymouth, who, for a 
 copper or two, would give them papers through the alter- 
 nare openings in the fence. Tiey could also obtain plenty 
 of bits of slute upon which to " eyj.her " After the un- 
 fortunate detec ion of their attempt to escape, whenever 
 a group of gentlemen and ladies, or either, were seen 
 
PAUL JONES. 
 
 about the fence, or known to be within hearing, this 
 mathematical question was sure to be propos.d in i 
 loud voice : " If it takes two hundred Englishmen to 
 catch three of us, how many would it take to cateh t«n 
 thousand uf us ?" Each one who had a piece of 8lat« 
 would appear to be mighty busy in solving the question 
 for a minute or two, and then answer in a loud voice. 
 But the greatest sport of the whole thing was the great 
 variety of answers given, no two being alike. "A hun- 
 dred thousand," cries one; *' two hundred thousand," 
 another; "there ain't men enough in Enjrland," "Ply- 
 mouth can't begin to do it," and so on, evidently to the 
 great annoyance of the outsiders, who, I reckon, must 
 have considered that the Yankees were mighty dull 
 scholars in arithmetic. 
 
 Sometimes this provokins: question would be put in 
 double proportion, thus: If it takes two hundred Eng- 
 lishmen six days to catch three of us, how many and how 
 long will it take to catch ten thousand of us? And after 
 the usual "cyphering" on the slates, the same ridiculous 
 variety of answers. 
 
 When these more than seven hundred men had been 
 in " Mill Prison " some a year and a-half or more, the 
 turnkey one day, as he often did, opened his window look- 
 ing into the prison-yud, and in a voice louder than usual, 
 said, " Come here, boys, I've jzot some good news to tell 
 you." A general rush was made for the turnkey. " What 
 is it?" "Do tell us, sir," &c. After they had become 
 still, he told them that General Washington and all his 
 army were taken, aud that all of them that were not to 
 be hung or shot, would soon be set at liberty. No good 
 to that news, said many. On being asked for the particu- 
 lars, the turnkey told them they were not yet received, 
 but would be in a few days, when he would tell them all 
 about it There was a deep sorrow, rather than rejoicing, 
 with those suflPering prisoners. 
 
 " A few days" passed, and even a few weeks, and not 
 a word more from the turnkey J5ut the prisoners per- 
 ceived they were better fed and more kindly treated than 
 they had been. They overheard scraps of conversation, 
 and saw some indications that those about them had im- 
 
I 6RETCUE6 OF 
 
 portant knowled-e they did not wish the prisoners to get 
 hnid of Thf y soon succeeded in getin.p a good tile ot 
 Pilars cont ining all the news from Auieriea for sev. rul 
 weeks, fn.uj which they learned that the good news the 
 
 W'ashingtoi ^ ., - , , , 
 
 entire army were prisoners. Their joy was unbounded; 
 but they kept htill as possible, until they got a general 
 jollification arranged. 
 
 They had some three or four old fiddles, and borrowed 
 as many more as they could, by the same means they ob- 
 tained papers. When all was ready, the fiddlers, to the 
 Dumber of some twelve or filtcen, being on the timbers 
 overhead, in the second story, the floor under them being 
 the dancing floor, the jollification broke out with fiddling 
 and dancing, and as they grew more warm, with leaping 
 and shouting, and all manner of gymnastics and every 
 possible demonstration of joy in the wilde^t chaos. When 
 they wanted more air, because of their severe exercise, 
 they would take to the yard, and enjoy a larger liberty by 
 throwing up their hats, coats and jaekets. 
 
 Never before nor since, probably, was such a jollifica- 
 tion had with a like number. Old Plymouth was tho- 
 roughly alarmed — the military were called in requisition — 
 all was consternation and fear without. The prisoners 
 were threatened, but not with the smallest effect. They 
 assured those in autborify over them that they would do 
 no harm; but they had started for a "break-down" — 
 there was good reason for it — and they were de'ermincd 
 to have it, if it were their last hour. 
 
 In their great glee of throwing up their hats and cloth- 
 ing, some of them fell upon the outside of the high fence. 
 Hats were thrown back with the crt-wns cut cut, coats 
 and jackets with the arms cut off. This jollification 
 closed only from sheer exhaustion. Some few accidents 
 happerjed to the prisoners, as is not uncommon when 
 men get wild and unmanageable. One Iri>h fiddler fell 
 from I he beam up? n which he was seated, and dislocated 
 his ankle All were too busy to attend to it then, but 
 the next morning he was looked to. No help was called 
 from without, for they did not expect sympathy, so the 
 
PAUL J0NE6. 
 
 most ingenious of them in surgical matters ''set the 
 ankle." They hitched a rope below the joint and several 
 pulled hard upou it, whilf uihcrs piv.^sed the bones iu 
 place, though with some difficulty. "And n^nv pull hard, 
 my hearties, and twist a little wii'h all," said the suffering 
 Irishman, and this was a "by-word" with my grandfatjer 
 as lonj; as he lived. 
 
 No harm was done theiu from without iu consequence 
 of this wonderful " break-down," nor were they ever 
 questioned as to the cause of it. 
 
 After the capture of Burgoyne aud his army, these 
 Colonies and the French, takeu together, had more Eng- 
 lish prisoners than the Euglish had of French and Ameri- 
 can prisoners ; it was, therefore, an easy matter to effect 
 an exchange of prisoners, which Poctor Franklin did, 
 though Lord North still declined to negotiate with us di- 
 rectly; his sole conditions being, that we should lay down 
 our arms, and give up a t\w of the Itading "rebels." 
 Doctor Franklin was then acting for us at the French 
 Court — a treaty of alliance had been perfected — and the 
 exchange of prisoners that Franklin secured was between 
 France and Kn^iland. This exehnngetook all those from 
 Mill Prison aijd many otheis. They were released from 
 prison, and taken directly to L'Orient. 
 
 Strange as it may seem, although these prisoners had 
 been ill-treated and anxiously wished to be set free every 
 day of their long continemeut, when the day came, and 
 the gate was thrown open, an involuntary reluctance was 
 felt by most of them; the thought that they should never 
 see the old prison again, where they had passed so many 
 days and mouths — uever see the turnkey and his kind 
 family again — and soon most of themselves would be sepa- 
 rated to meet no more on earth — thtre was deep melan- 
 choly even in their great joy. Some eight or ten had 
 died, beside Wormsted, who was shot 
 
 Upon their arrival at LOrient, l\iul Jones was there, 
 having just obtained command of the Bon Homme Kieh- 
 ard, and wishing to ship a crew. He well knew that 
 most of these prisoners were anxious to return to America, 
 having been from their homes from two to four years. 
 He afso judged rightly that men,, who had suffered so 
 
SKETCHES OF 
 
 much from British tyranny, would fight with the fury T»f 
 demons, if once afloat, in case they met the English. He, 
 therefore, proclaimed that he should sail for Boston as 
 soon as he could get his complement There were several 
 other naval vessels also shipping crews on the same condi- 
 tions. Captain Jones and my grandfather met, and in- 
 stantly recognized each other, not knowing what had been 
 the condition of each for more than four years. Their 
 former acquaintance on the Vineyard induced my ances- 
 tor to ship with Captain Jones, which was in accordance 
 with Jones' wishes, for he remembered that he was a good 
 shot, and thought that, with a little practice, he would be 
 a skillful gunner. In this he was not mistaken. 
 
 None of the captains found any diflBculty in getting a 
 full complement of men, and even something more, and 
 were soon ready to sail. 
 
 Doctor Franklin designed that Captain Jones should 
 occupy the position of commodore, but the Congress would 
 not give him such a commission — still he was nominally 
 the commander of the whole fleet, consisting of seven or 
 eight sail. The Bon Homme Richard was the largest, 
 an'd was his flag-ship. The Alliance was a new thirty six, 
 built very hastily by these Colonies, for the express pur- 
 pose of taking our embassy to France, to eff"ect a treaty of 
 alliance with that friendly power— hence her name. She 
 was the fastest sailer of her time by odds, and was then 
 under the command of Peter Landais (pronounced Landy). 
 Jones would much have preferred the Alliance for his 
 flag-ship. 
 
 And here let me tell the end of the frigate Alliance, 
 though it be out of order. She was not only hastily 
 built, but of indiff"erent materials, and soon decayed. 
 Not long after the close of the Revolutionary war, the 
 Alliance'!^ being at Philadelphia, was found to be so rot- 
 ten, that she was condemned as unseaworthy, and, after 
 having been stripped of every thing worth saving, her 
 hulk was sunk to make a part of a wharf in <' the City of 
 Brotherly Love," where it no doubt still remains. 
 
 This end of the Alliance is upon the testimony of La- 
 throp Chase, a drummer in the Continental army, and 
 Paine Chase, a fifer in the Continental army, both bro- 
 
PAUL JONES. 
 
 thers of Thomas Chase, my informant. Their last reveille 
 in the war was at Yorktimn, at the taking of Cornwallis. 
 Thej never returned to New England except to visit their 
 friends, but settled at Philadelphia, "the Northern Liber- 
 ties," where they were engaged in merchandizing the bal- 
 ance of their lives. Their last visit to New England was 
 during the war of 1812, or a little before, which I well 
 remember. Though both younger, they died many years 
 before my grandfather, l?aving no children. 
 
 Jones' command of these ships was little more than 
 nominal, except the Bon Homme Richard, especially as 
 to a part of them that actually proceeded directly to Bos- 
 ton. Their crews were almost entirely of released pri- 
 soners, as was Jones' crew, and shipped under the same 
 circumstances, hence their excuse for insubordination. 
 The Alliance, and one or two others, kept within safe 
 distance of the Bon Homme Richard a portion of the 
 time, but not near enough to act in concert with Jones, 
 until his terrible encounter with the Serapis. 
 
 Captain Jones with his fleet set sail from L'Orient, 
 and ttiok a westerly course, as for Boston ; but after clear- 
 ing "Land's End," he took a northerly course, up the 
 waters that separate England and Ireland. Here he left 
 a part of the squadron, who continued their course to 
 Bu.ston. Being on the Iri.<h coast, he sent two barges or 
 gun boats, with forty eighr nien, into an Irish port, for 
 the purpo.se of doing mischief and getting booty. Unfor- 
 tunately they were both captured, and Jones lost both 
 men and boats. Ho regretted he had not gone in person 
 on that expedition, insisting he could have accomplished 
 his object and returned in i-afety. He did not afterward 
 trust any such expedition to another. 
 
 He continued northward, doing some mischief to the 
 Biiti.sh, until he came in the vicinity of White Haven, 
 on the conKnes of Scotland After vari(ms manoeuvres 
 an-l .•'tratagems, he succeeded in getting clear of pr< sent 
 opposition, when he brought the Bon Homme Richard to 
 a position where h» r guns fully covered a .splendid m;in- 
 sion or castle upon the ri.»ing shore. He then gave his 
 under officers very particular orders how to proceed in 
 his absence, under all the contingencies that could pro- 
 
SKETCHES OF 
 
 bably happen, and taking twelve men with him, of whom 
 my grandfather Thomas Chase was one, and with one of 
 his boats, went ashore a short distance. They made fast 
 their boat, where even muskets from the frigate could 
 cover it. The twelve men with Jones were such as he 
 deemed his most trusty personal friends, and were armed 
 to the teeth. He then, in few words, told.his men that 
 the splendid mansion before them belonged to the Earl 
 of Selkirk, and that there was where he was "brought 
 up." This was news to all of them. 
 
 They went up to the house, and on inquiring for the 
 earl, were told that he was not at home, but far away, 
 naming the place. Tliis story Jones did not beli*^ve, and, 
 knowing every nook and corner of the concern, proceeded 
 to seartli, and soon found the earl, almost paralyzed with 
 fear. Tliey brought him out into " the receiving-room," 
 when Jone's asked him if he knew him. The eitrl an- 
 swered, "No, sir,V very humbly. Captain Jones then 
 ordered him undressed in part, and to bend over the knees 
 of one of his men, who was seated for the purp-so, the 
 earl's face being downward. Jones then, with his own 
 flat hand, "spanked" the exposed portion of the earl's 
 person as much as he pleise I, apparently very little to 
 the comfort of the earl He did not break the skin, 
 though the earl's most sensible part, at that time, "looked 
 something more than a hea'.thy red." 
 
 When Jones was done, he sail, in a severe tone, 
 *' there, God damn you, this is John Paul, you used to 
 whip Wlien I left you, 1 swore I would have my re- 
 venjie— I've got it " The earl was then set in a chair, 
 wheTe he remained motionless— apparently dreaming— 
 while Jones and a part of his men proceeded to take all 
 the earl's plate— a very large and valuable set — the bal- 
 ance of the men taking rare of the earl and keeping 
 guard They left the earl in that same condition, and 
 returned to the ship with the earl's plate in safety. Paul 
 Jones enjoined profound secrecy upon those twelve men 
 who were with him in this singular expedition. They 
 soon set sail, and my grandfather never again saw White 
 Haven, nor the Earl of Selkirk. This nobleman was 
 then rather old and infirm, very rich, of about middle 
 
PAUL JONES. OO 
 
 stature, with light skin and blue eyes; his hair was then 
 white. 
 
 In Paul Jones' treatment to the Earl of Selkirk, I find 
 )roof conclusive, that whatever the truth might have 
 )een, Jones really believed the earl to be his lather. He 
 might have killed him if he pleased. He might have 
 taken money from him. He might have borne him off a 
 prisoner, and required a large ransom for him, and pro- 
 bably obtained it. He might have taken many valuables 
 beside the plate. But why he dealt no more harshly wih 
 hiui is quite unaccountable to me on any other ground, 
 than ihat Paul Jones really felt confident it was his natu- 
 ral father. 
 
 The taking of the plate Jones afterward explained to 
 my grandfather in private, "The old earl shall never 
 whip another boy for not taking care of that plate; I will 
 take care of it mvf^elf— it is no more than my share as a 
 
 Daniel Webster, in one of his speeches in Congress, 
 when speaking of the vast power of Great Britain, said, 
 ''Not a hctstile foot has ever stopped upon the Kland of 
 Great Britain since William the Conqueror." I have 
 shi^wn this little exception to Webster's statement as to 
 strict truth. Paul Jones and twelve brave men did it; 
 "but they didn't kill any b.xly." 
 
 Continuing his course "North about," Jones had made 
 six prizes, when he neared the coast of Denmark, and 
 wishing to be rid of them, for they could only be a trouble 
 to him in ea.^e he found nearly his match, he put into a 
 port of Denmark, for the purpose of selling them. The 
 l^anes did not acknowledge our flag, and, instead of buy- 
 ing Jones' prizes, took them from him, and gave them 
 back to the English. They endeavored to take Jones and 
 the Bon Homme Richard, but Paul Jones was not to be 
 taken, though his escape was a very narrow one. Here 
 Jnnes lost the old earl's plate; for it was on board one of 
 his prizes, as being a more safe place than on the Bon 
 Homme Richard. 
 
 After escaping from the Danes, his course was south 
 westerly; and nearing the coast of England, they savr 
 many vessels. They proved to be the British Baltic fleet, 
 
SKETCHES OF 
 
 under convoy of the British frigate Serapis, a new forty- 
 four gun frigate, commanded by Captain Pearson, a 
 schoolmate with Jones, though never his friend. There 
 were other smaller ships of war near by — the Countess of 
 Scarborough and one other not now remembered. Near 
 by was the Alliancs, under Captain Landais, that they 
 had not seen for some time, and one or two other smaller 
 ships that left L'Orient with them. 
 
 The Baltic fleet made haste to secure themselves, and 
 were soon out of the way " in shore." But Captain Pear- 
 son, with the Serapis, was disposed to fight. He knew 
 " the pirate Jones " was hovering about the coasts of 
 Engknd, and wished to measure swords with his hated 
 schoolmate. It was a short work for them to get near 
 enough to see and recognize each other. 
 
 In tnis encounter, Jones really had fearful odds against 
 him. The Bon Homme Richard carried forty-four guns, 
 as did the Serapis, but some one half of Pearson's guns 
 were heavier than any of Jones'. Beside, the Serapis 
 was new and strong, and built only for a forty-four, while, 
 as I have before said, the Bon Homme Richard was an 
 old sixty-four, with twenty of her guns taken off. She 
 was, of course, very unwieldly, and not more than ab»mt 
 half as effective as the Serapis. Jones would much rather 
 have had the Alliance with thirty-six guns, than the Bon 
 Homme Richard with her forty-four 
 
 The fight commenced with little ceremony. Jones 
 soon found that to lay off at fair gun ^hot would not do 
 for him, and purposely run his frigate hard on to the 
 Serapis, head to head, just glancing by; and when the 
 stern of Jones' ship was nearly even with the bows of 
 Pearson's and close to it, Jones ordered his men, with 
 boarding-hooks, to " grapple," which they did, until with 
 an anchor and strong cable they made fast at that end, 
 though it was the stern of Jones' and the bow of Pear- 
 son's. Captain Pearson did not like to he thus entangled, 
 and lose his advantage, for he was as well aware of that 
 as Jones was. He therefore tried a tack to get free, 
 which brought his stern and Jones' bow close up, so that 
 Jones' men, by his order, grappled with their hooks. 
 This was very fortunate for Jones. Had it not been for 
 
PAUL JONES. 
 
 Pearson's careless haste to get loose, Jones could not by 
 any possible means have lashed them tojiether, " broadside 
 to broadside," without Pearson's consent. 
 
 Soon as Jones' men had fairly grappled with their 
 boarding-hooks, Jones seized a largo cable with his left 
 hand, holding his terrible sword in his right, and telling 
 bis men to help him, began to lash the ships together in 
 the strongest manner. Captain Pearson was determined 
 to prevent this, and calling his men, dashed upon Jones 
 with great fury. Jones, of course, was upon the look- 
 out, and squaring off in a very formidable attitude, thun- 
 dered out, "Pearson, God damn you, stand oiT, or I'll toss 
 your head overboard." Pearson took himself away from 
 that spot quicker than he got there. His men also kept 
 themselves at a safe distance, and Paul Jones actually 
 defended his men with his own sword, until they firmly 
 secured the two frigates *' gunwale to gunwale " 
 
 The reader may wonder that Pearson or some of his 
 men did not shoot Jones. There were two strong rea-ons 
 why it was not attempted. The first is, it is again.st the 
 rules of war for centuries past. The second is, Jones 
 could shoot as well as P^^arson, and was as ready to do it 
 as soon, and Pearson did not feel anxious to burn powder 
 with Jones personally, any better than to measure swords 
 with him; and Jones' old released prisoners would have 
 relished no better sport than such a hand-to-hand fight. 
 
 The working of the big guns had been su.^pended dur- 
 ing the time of lashing the ships together, but was now 
 resumed. Of course neither ship could use but her guns 
 on one side, and these were nearly muzzle to muzzle — so 
 near that those who han:lled the ramrods sometimes hit 
 each other. "Fair play," you damned Yankees!" an 
 Englishman would exclaim. " 3Iind your eye, John Bull, 
 or I'll," &c. 
 
 The firing was not rapid, particularly on Jones' part, 
 for it could do the ships no hurt, except to knock the 
 guns about a little and knock off the gunwales, and occa- 
 sionally raise a cloud of splinters from each other's decks. 
 Jones and his men kept a very sharp look out, that Pear- 
 son and his men did not cut the lashings and sever the 
 ships. Neither of the ships were damaged ^' between 
 4 
 
SKETCHES OF 
 
 wind and water/' nor could they now be by any use of 
 
 T>^1. 1-_J ^« :« tUr. r-\rrfr\ncr r\(\\nCT nil thft 
 
 mischief they could. In this kind of play, Jones had the 
 best of it: for his men were more terrible, and his spars 
 and yards were longer; still Pearson would not surrender, 
 insisting that Jones ought to. 
 
 Captain Landais, with the Alliance, came up to help 
 Jones, and fired a broadside; but, of necessity, it hurt 
 Jones as much as it did Pearson. Jones immediately 
 cried out, " Captain Landais, let us alone. I can handle 
 him." Both ships were often on fire, and as often was 
 the fire extinguished. Had it not been for the men m 
 the ringing, this was one of the safest sea-fights, so far as 
 those on deck were concerned, that almost ever hap- 
 pened— I- mean after the ships were lashed together. 
 The flash of the guns would go clear across each deck, 
 and the men, by keeping a good look-out, could avoid 
 being hurt, only by stepping a little aside. 
 
 Had the Bon Homme Ki» hard been a new, strong ship, 
 as was the Serapis, both might have lain there and burned 
 powder and thrown shot until they rotted, as to sinking 
 either with the guns of the other But the Bon Homme 
 Richard was old and rotten, and was leaking badly before 
 Jcnes made her fast to the Serapis; and thus fast, the 
 strain upon her against the other ship, and from the ex- 
 plosion of the guns, made her leak worse, and it was 
 evident that she must ere long go down. 
 
 Some of Jones' men and one of his officers told him 
 she must soon go down, and suggested a surrender. 
 "You never mind that; you i-hall have a better ship to 
 go home in," said Jones, pleasantly. Jones and all his 
 men, and Pearson and his crew, very well knew, that it 
 the Bon Homme Richard was about to sink, she would 
 capsize the Serapis, and both must go down together. It 
 was, therefore, likely to be a test between Jones and 
 Pearson, which, for the sake of saving himself and men 
 from a watery grave, would strike first. 
 
 But Jones had recourse to a stratagem, which was 
 completely successful. He secretly sent his men below, 
 one by one, with the strictest possible orders to be fully 
 prepared for boarding, and at a given signal to rush on 
 
PAUL JONES. 
 
 deck, and he would lead tbem on to the deck of the 
 Serapis and clear it. So Jones' men seemed to diminish, 
 though not very fast, until only about thirty were left on 
 his deck. Pearson, supposing they were either killed or 
 badly wounded, and that Jones must soon strike, was 
 thrown completely off his guard. This was Jones' time. 
 Giving his signal, his men were ready in an instant, and 
 with Jones a-head, with his deadly sword, rushed like 
 "hell hounds" upon the deck of the Serapis, killing 
 every thing they could reach, and in a very short time 
 would have killed every thing on board; but Captain 
 Pearson, seeing his time had come, cried with a loud 
 voice, '' Captain Jones, I surrender." At the same mo- 
 ment taking his sword by the blade, and presenting the 
 handle to Jones, and with the next breath ordered his 
 colors to be taken down. 
 
 This was in the night. The next day evening, the 
 Bon Iloinme Richard went down head foremost. Tims 
 terminated the strangest naval fight on record. Paul 
 Jones took the Serapis, but Captain Pearson sunk the 
 Bon Homme Richard. 
 
 It was at this time my grandfather obtained "the Paul 
 Jones Board-Rule," now in the Virginia State Capitol, 
 at Richmond; also, several other mechanical tools, with 
 which I have worked many a day ; especially an adze, 
 with which I once cut my foot badly, as the scar will still 
 show. 
 
 Headly, and, T think, some others, have said that Jones 
 did all he could to ^ave the old frigate, and they picture 
 him like one losing an old and dear friend, as he saw the 
 waters close over her. But this is all fancy. Nothing 
 could be done that could save her, and Paul Jones was 
 he irtily glad to see the last of her. He was great'y dis- 
 satisfied that he could not have the Alliance for his flag- 
 ship on leaving L'Oi ient ; and now, a^ his flag-ship was 
 gone, he hid the rigiit to use the Alliance for that pur- 
 pose. He was not long in availing himself of this right. 
 He put Captain Landais in cr-mmand of the Serapis, his 
 prize, while he took cdmman i of the Alliance in person. 
 The Alliance, under Laudais, had not had a single fight 
 
 pose. He was not long in ava 
 He put Captain Landais in cr-i 
 prize, while he took comman i 
 The Alliance, under Landais, 
 
 for the whole ciuise, nor had she taken any prizes 
 
) SKETCHES OP 
 
 Thei» were two other British naval ships, of twenty 
 guns each, still in sight, to the eastward. The Serapis 
 was not in a very good condition for fighting; some ot 
 her guns having been knocked about rather roughly; her 
 gunwales mostly off; her decks damaged; and, upon the 
 whole, she was quite out of repair in her upper works 
 generally. Jones ordered Landais to move gently south- 
 ward, but not to get out of his sight, lest the Serapis 
 might get re-taken, while he, in the Alliance, would invite 
 the two twenty-ffun ships to battle. In going on board 
 the Alliance, Jones took all his own crew that wished 
 to go with him, and permitted all the crew of the Alliance 
 to go with Landais who pleased— thus making his crew 
 on board the Alliance volunteers ; and though there was 
 a very considerable change, Jones had a large comple- 
 
 In sendin*^ Landais southward, while he moved east- 
 ward, Jones had a policy. He was well aware that if he 
 and Landais both moved towards those ships, they would 
 be off, and that the Serapis, in her crippled ^tate, could 
 not come up with them ; and though he might with the 
 Alliance, it would be a long race, and he might lose the 
 Serapis at last. He was right, as he usually was, in his 
 fighting schemes. 
 
 The British ships, seeing the Alliance alone moving 
 towards them, and supposing her still commanded by 
 Landais, prepared for' battle. Thus the ruse took. The 
 British ships were placed about a cood gun shot apart, 
 and ready to take every advantage that number gives 
 over strength, which is sometimes very considerable in 
 naval warfare. Jones rushed directly between them, and 
 opened both broadsides at once; and though both the 
 British ship:- did their be.'^t, one on the right and the 
 other on the left, Jcnes' fire was so rapid and effective, 
 that in about half an hour they both struck. 
 
 These i=hips were very unwise to stand a fight with 
 Jones, for he was fighting every week, if he could get a 
 chan-je, and even oftener, and he and his crew had been 
 at it for six hours less than two days before, and his gun- 
 ners were a dead shot at a fair chance. There was a very 
 ^rcAt difference in the damage done to each party. Jones 
 
PAUL JONES. 
 
 had three men killed and seventeen WoUtided, and the 
 Alliance was very little damaged. The British lost some 
 forty killed and more than sixty wounded The two ships 
 were very badly cut to pieces ; so much so that they could 
 make but poor headway, until they were repaired in their 
 masts, sails and rigging, which was done while they were 
 on their course southward. 
 
 They took four more prizes — English merchantmen — 
 on their way to the coast of Holland, where they came to 
 anchor off the Texel. The Hollanders, unlike the Danes, 
 were friendly, permitting Jones to sell his prizes, and 
 purchase whatever he pleased. None of the crew re- 
 ceived the portion of prize money to which they were 
 entitled. 
 
 And here I ask the reader's permission to digress : 
 ^ Many years after, and when my grandfather was near 
 eighty years old, perhaps a little more, and had become 
 an old citizen of the State of Maine, I happened to see in 
 a newspaper a circular from the United States Treasury, 
 informing the survivors or heirs of Paul Jones' men, who 
 were with him at the taking of the Countess of Scarbo- 
 rough and other prizes made on that cruise, who had not 
 received their portion of the prize-money arising there- 
 froui, that it was still in the treasury, and would be paid 
 upon competent proof. I immediately showed this to my 
 grandfather, asking him if he had ever received his. He 
 said he never had, nor did he ever expect to, although he 
 was surely entitled to it, if any one was. I forthwith 
 wrote to the Treasury Department, asking for the neces- 
 sary blanks for that purpose. I received them, enclosed 
 in a letter, from an auditor in that department, whose 
 name, I think, was Miller. There was no difficulty in 
 establishing the claim, and he received the money, fifty- 
 seven years after the prizes were sold, as above, but no 
 intere!?t, though I thought he was entitled to it. This, I 
 think, was under General Jackson's administration, but 
 
 Some years after this, happening to see the agent of 
 Joe Frederick, whose widow was still living, though more 
 than ninety years old, I asked him (William Allen, Esq., 
 of Norridgwock, Maine,) if Frederick, or his widow or 
 

 heirs, had ever got theirs. x , , i 
 
 he was not aware uf any claim of that kind I then told 
 him the circumstances before narrated. He made the 
 claim, procured the money, with interest for the whole 
 time, amounting to near five hundred dollars, I think. 
 This, I think, was in Mr. Fillmore's administration ; but 
 it might have been earlier. I suppose these matters are 
 on file at Washicgton, where the doubtful or curious can 
 see tor themselves. 
 
 After selling his prizes, Paul Jones remained some 
 time in Holland, went up to Amsterdam with some of 
 his crew, my grandfather with the few. He made a little 
 cruise or two out into the channel to do a little mischief 
 to British commerce, but was soon back to the Texel. 
 
 And here let me raise a smile upon the countenance of 
 my pleasant reader, of what— among the multitude of 
 new and strange things— my grandfather saw in Holland. 
 The women had fashions in those old times, as they still 
 have. Even the Dutch women were not entirely free 
 from this universal and, probably, never ending conta- 
 gion. Just then hoops were their rage, which are not en- 
 tirely unknown with us just noic. The Dutch ladies used 
 very large hoops, and, in order to make an average size 
 from ''top to toe," for a head-dress, they used a su^all 
 red morocco cap, perfectly smooth, and without ribbon or 
 other ornament, drawn closely upon the head, so that "a 
 Dutch lady in full dress looked very like a cock of hay 
 with a pumpkin on it." As to the fashions of the gentle- 
 men in Holland in those days, the deponent saith not. 
 
 After the lapse of a few weeks, Captain Jones set sail 
 with all the little force he had, and passed down through 
 the straits of Dover, in the very midst of a ho>t of British 
 men-of war, and arrived safe at L'Orient. His escape 
 from capture was almost a miracle. 
 
 I am aware that the foregoing account of Paul Jones' 
 famous cruise in the Bon Homme Richard differs very 
 materially from any other narration of that cruise yet 
 given to the world, most certainly, so far as my know- 
 ledge extends. But his desperate encounter with the 
 Senip's, which raised Paul Jones to the highest pinnacle 
 of fame, as a man ot desperate daring and invincible bra- 
 
PAUL JONliS. 
 
 very, which circumstances, it would seem, might have 
 been r»^duced to fixed facts long ago, hns been given to 
 the world in so many different forms, and those lorms so 
 contradictory, the one to the other, that I feel as much 
 reluctance in giving my grandfather's version of it, as I 
 do of Jones' life and character. 
 
 My grandfather might ea.-ily have been mistaken as to 
 some exploits happening in this his first cruise with 
 Jones, for he was with Jones in some four or five cruises; 
 but as to the events themselves, 1 have the fullest confi- 
 dence in his account of them, particularly so, as his state- 
 ments, in nearly every point, were corroborated by Joe 
 Frederick, Captain Thomas Field and John Terry. This 
 last was the "powder-monkey" to my grandfather's gun 
 during the whole time he cruised under Jonrs — was then 
 a boy, born at Annapolis, in the State of Maryland. I 
 saw and conversed with these three for the purpose of 
 satisfying myself as to my grandfather's memory. None 
 of them were certain he was right as to their order, 
 neither were they certain he was wrong in any case, but 
 they were fully certain he was right as to the facts and 
 incidents. 
 
 The substance of the British account of Jones' fight 
 with the Serapis, which I have read, is, that Captain 
 Pearson was attacked by Jones in a "sixty-four," and 
 Pearson was about compelling Jones to surrender, when 
 the Alliance came up, and giving Pearson a tremendous 
 broadside, he struck his flag; therefore, Pearson was 
 knighted. 
 
 It was in this fight with the Serapis that my grand- 
 father saw Jones use his sword in good earnest, and this 
 was the only time. In their social conversation, Jones 
 had related to him many thrilling adventures — spoken of 
 many times when he had measured swords with champions 
 and with the chivalry of Spain. In boarding the Serapis, 
 Jones did not lose a man, though Pearson lost some 
 twenty five in a less number of seconds. Jones a head, 
 appeared to be perfectly invincible — he killed everything 
 he could reach as fast as he came to it. How it is that 
 some of Jones' biographers have said that he attempted 
 to board the Serapis and was repulsed, and, at the same 
 
.«i|?Jii;ii)«fey^i«i'( 
 
 8KETCHB8 OF 
 
 time, tell us that Jones assisted to lash the two ships to- 
 gether, contrary to Pearson's wishes, seems to me very 
 inconsistent. >Jy informant had no doubt that they could 
 have carried the Serapis at any moment after they could 
 step upon her deck ; but Jones wished to save his men, 
 and supposed Pearson would surrender without a resort 
 to that deadly slaughter that boarding would occasion. 
 
 I have also seen an account of this, Jones' most famous 
 battle with the Sorapis, claiming to be from Jones' own 
 pen — a true copy of his official account of it to our Gov- 
 ernment, and said to be now on file at Washington. I 
 also read this to my informant. He said it was very 
 incorrect. That the censure up^n Landais, and the 
 motives imputed to him when he came up with the Al- 
 liance, were all wrong. That he was unwilling to believe 
 Jones ever wrote it ; but if he did, it was to build himself 
 up, and put Landais down. The substance of this last- 
 named acc<mnt of that battle is copied by John Frost, 
 LL. D., in his Pictorial History of the United States, and 
 again copied, or Fro>t copied, by J. T. Headly, in a short 
 sketch of *< Commodore l*aul Jones,'" in his "Washing- 
 ton and his Generals." Headly, as usual, draws largely 
 from his fruitful imagination, and gives us a most thrill- 
 ing account, especially of the imminent danger of Jones 
 and his crew after they made fast to the Serapi-*, when in 
 fact, as the reader can but see at a glance, the greatest 
 danger was passed as soon as the ships were thus made 
 fast ; and so long as Jones could keep them so, he and 
 his crew were in no more danger than their opponents. 
 This fact was well known to all the officers and men of 
 both ships. 
 
 The truth is — as may be gathered from most accounts 
 of Jones and Landais— there was so strong a spirit of 
 rivalry and competition betwixt the two, that the story 
 of either should be taken with many grains of allowance, 
 in any matter where the other was concerned. Jones did 
 all the fighting, but Landais could claim all the family 
 rank and scientific qualifications. 
 
 But I have few words to say of him whom Headly 
 pleases to call '' the infamous Landais." Captain Peter 
 Landais was a Frenchman, not of low origin, but of re- 
 
PAUL JONES. 
 
 spectable parentage, from tbe middle class of society. He 
 was regularly educated and commissioned for the French 
 navy, and had done good service for his sovereign He 
 was about forty years o'd when my grandfather knew him. 
 He had a strong desire to get fame in the great struggle 
 then going on. If the French and these Coh nies had 
 had ships enough to supply every one who wanted a com- 
 mand, probably no competition or rivalry would have 
 come up between Peter Landais and Paul Jones. But 
 they had not, and, as it happened, Jones and Landais 
 stood in each other's way. Not^'ing was known of Jones' 
 parentage; but his fame as "The Blac' '^ 
 "Red Kover" was world-wide. He was considered, by 
 the great mass interested, as a mere adventurer. Had it 
 been at that time, as it has been since, that men were 
 valued fur what they had done and what they could do, 
 Landais would have stood not the smallest chance with 
 Jones. 
 
 But Landais claimed rank and influence and authority 
 under a Bourbon, and seemed disgusted that Jones should 
 a>pire to be his rival. Still Landais well knew Jones 
 could be trusted in dangers that would appall any other 
 man. This, instead of producing respect, seemed to fill 
 him with a kind of envy — he wanted Jones out of his 
 way, and that he shtiuld net have a chance to show him- 
 .se f more. Jones lacked the aid of influential friends 
 compared with Landais; but he made up in perseverance 
 and insolent stratagem what he lacked in other respects, 
 and was g' nerally successful. This Landais seemed to 
 submit to with tolerable grace. He was as yet a high- 
 minded, honorable man, and, as a naval officer, was an 
 average of his time, with a sincere desire to serve his 
 country and their young ally, the American ( olonies. 
 
 Would that I could stop here, and say no worse of 
 Peter Landais. I must say a few words more yet. As 
 a n)an of genius, skill and daring, he bore no compari.son 
 to Paul Jcne^, and whether he was willing'y in fault in 
 the affair I wi 1 relate in its place, 1 shall have the reader 
 to decide for himself. 
 
 Upon the arrival of Paul Jones with his ships, officers 
 and crews at L'Orient, there was much joy in France. 
 
 aid of influent 
 
 friends 
 
 made up in perseverance 
 lacked in other respects. 
 This Landais seemed to 
 He was as yet a high- 
 5 a naval officer, was an 
 
 n fault in 
 the reader 
 
SKETCHES OF 
 
 The expedition had been eminently successful upon the 
 whole. The French officials and people lavished favors 
 upon the officers and men. All were disposed to rest for 
 a time. Soon, however, rumor said that four or five rich 
 Indiamen were expected in the straits. Jones called for 
 a crew to go out and take them. Landais at first objected 
 to taking the Alliance, but finally consented that Jones 
 might go with her a cruise of *'a few days." 
 
 Setting sail, Jones cruised very leisurely in a south- 
 westerly direction, watching closely for the Indiamen. 
 They took some two or three small prizes, but nothing 
 that filled their expectations. After cruising many days, 
 they saw land a-head. Jones made for it, and entered a 
 port. This was Corunna, the very place where Jones 
 first started in the employ of the Spanish merchants, and 
 who were interested in all his after exploits, up to his 
 leaving for France at the beginning of the war. 
 
 Jones sold his prizes, which were of no great value, 
 but did not seem in lia.«»te to be off. He was often on 
 shore— sometimes for a whole day. To his officers and 
 crew there was something mysterious in his conduct. 
 After stopping at Corunna for two or three weeks, he set 
 sail, and taking a north-westerly course, he sailed for 
 some three or four weeks; he then tacked to the east, 
 and, after several weeks, arrived safe at L'Orieat. They 
 had made several prizes, but not of great value, which he 
 sold, and he and his men used the money for purchasing 
 supplies. In this entire cruise, they did not meet with a 
 single British naval vessel. They had been gone nearly 
 five months without being heard from, and their friends 
 in France had nearly given them up as tukeo, or lost in 
 a storm on the Bay of Biscay. 
 
 lie afterwards, in confidence, explained his conduct at 
 Corunna, saying, those merchants with whom he had 
 ..jen interested, owed him a largo sum of money. Upon 
 getting there, some of them had failed and some had 
 died °The company no longer existed, and he got very 
 little of the large amount due him. 
 
 He now propo.sed to sail, in the Alliance, directly to 
 Boston, but Lundais stoutly resisted him. He had again 
 got the Alliance full of the old prisoners, who had not in 
 
PAUL JONES. 
 
 any degree forgotten their desire to get home. He could 
 not get rid of Landais by the usual means, and resorted 
 to deception. He proposed to Landais to go up to Paris 
 and see the French and American authorities, and if 
 they would, in writing, give Landais the preference, he 
 would abandon his claim. Landais accepted the proposi- 
 tion, and started for Paris. Soon after he left, Jones stepped 
 upon the Alliance and was oflf. There is very little doubt 
 in my mind, that Jones really intended to proceed directly 
 to Boston. Surely, *' the hero of the Bon Homme Rich- 
 ard" ought to have as large a command as Congress could 
 give him. He also hoped for another chance in the French 
 fleets ; for they had two powerful fleets in the American 
 wafers at that time. 
 
 In sailing from L'Orient, he took a westerly course, as 
 for Boston. When they had pursued this course for some 
 two or three weeks, to the consternation of all on board, 
 a plot was discovered to blow the x\lliance up, and destroy 
 not only the ship, but every soul on bo;ird except two, 
 who were to be ofi" in a boat. I am not aware that any 
 one ha.« ever given this tragical story to the world ; if they 
 have, I have not seen it; but I will give it, and the proof 
 I have of it, assuring the reader I believe it myself 
 
 In the multitude that were shipped on the Alliance at 
 this time was one Englishman, in the employ of his Gov- 
 ernment for this express purpose^ — for they wished to get 
 rid of the Alliance, that could outsail any ship of their 
 navy — and especially to rid themselves of ^' Paul Jones, 
 the pirate." The plot was thus: When it came to this 
 man's night watch, he was to put a slow-match to the 
 uiMgazine, and taking the smallest boat, leave the ship as 
 best he njight. Fortunately, this man's fellow on the 
 watch was Thomas Field. The Englishman could find 
 no way to carry out his plot, as he feared, without being 
 suspected by Field too soon to succeed. He, therefore, 
 endeavored to make an accomplice of Field, and Field, 
 being naturally shrewd, mistrusted, from his agitation, 
 that some mischief was on foot. 
 
 Field heard him say, in a very low voice and with 
 much agitation : " I wish I had an English friend on 
 watch with me to-night." '' Ha, Fm your friend, and 
 
SKETCHES or 
 
 an Englishman, too— don't you know your fne^i 
 said Field. The Englishman said : '' I thought you was 
 an Englishman; but I suppose you are fighting for Ame- 
 rica." *' No," said Field; "all the way I could get out 
 of France was to ship to Boston. I hope we fhall be 
 taken, but if we are not, I can get with oar friends easier 
 there than in France." After several other precautions, 
 Field got his confidence and plot, also the reward he was 
 to receive. This was to be one thousand pounds— to be 
 paid to him, if he returned alive; and if he never re- 
 turned, but had done his horrid work, it was to be paid 
 to his family. , ./. i 
 
 He was to give Field one-half of this reward if they 
 lived through it. He was about to proceed to do his 
 work of death at that time, but Field told him it was im- 
 possible for him to leave without his chest, for all his 
 money and clothing and some papers of great value were 
 in it— that the chest could not then be got without giving 
 suspicion— that he knew Captain Jones, and would sj 
 contrive it that they would be on wa^ch again before 
 they got far from the Irish coast So the execution of 
 the plot was delayed. 
 
 Next day, Field took his opportunity to inform Lap- 
 tain Joni'S He could not credit the story; for, in the 
 first place, he was n..t aware of having an Kuglishman on 
 board— noue haviug shipped as such— and further, he 
 disliked FielJ, as he did many of his crew, and never 
 spoke a pleasant word to him only when in battle 13ut 
 Field insisted on its truth. Jones, therefore, soon as 
 would possibly seem consistent, and while they were yet 
 within probable reach of Ireland with a boat, put Field 
 and the Englishman on watch again. Field very slyly 
 got his chest on deck, and did not seem to excite suspi- 
 cion. All looked well to the Englishman. When he 
 thought it the proper time, he noiselessly slipped below, 
 and proceeded to his horrid work. He had fixed his 
 slow-match, and was in the act of putting fire to it, when 
 he was seized. Paul Jones was one of the two on euard 
 at the magazine, and was the man who seized the wretch 
 in the very act. He was secured for the night— not a 
 word was said— no noise was made— and all but those 
 
i^«:L 
 
 PAUL JONES. 
 
 four slept undisturbed, and ignorant of their very narrow 
 escape from inevitable destruction. 
 
 As soon as they had taken their morning repast, " all 
 hands were piped on deck"— the culprit was brought up, 
 and Captain Jones, in few words, stated the accusation 
 against him, saying he would constitute the entire ship's 
 crew and oflScers a court to hear the evidence, and give 
 judgment upon the prisoner. The evidence was short 
 and conclusive — none but Field and Captain Jones and 
 the other man at the magazine had any knowledge what- 
 ever about it. After the hearing, the first lieutenant 
 asked the prisoner if he denied it He gave a full ac- 
 count of the plot — said he was a lieutenant in the British 
 navy — that his Government, having failed in all their 
 attempts to take Captain Jones for many years, had 
 adopted that method of doing what they could not accom- 
 plish by force of arms — adding that he would ask for 
 mercy, but was aware it would be useless, and that he 
 would submit to his fate '< like an Englishman." " Like 
 a damned coward," said Jones. The horror and indig- 
 nation of the officers and crew knew no bounds. Had 
 the bottomless pit yawned to their sight, scarcely could 
 there have been greater consternation. 
 
 Captain Jones gave orders, and he swung at *' the 
 yard-arm," in an hour and a-half from the time he was 
 brought on deck. After hanging there fifteen minutes, 
 he was cut down — leaving rope enough attached to his 
 neck to make fast an iron weight, which was done, and he 
 was pitched overboard, and the dark waters of the Atlantic 
 closed over him. 
 
 The proof of the truth of this tragical story was Thomas 
 Chase, Thomas Field, Joe Frederick and John Terry. 
 These four men were all I was ever personally acquainted 
 with who cruised under Paul Jones, and, as they said, 
 all happened to be with him at that time. None but 
 Field could know the confidential conversation between 
 himself and the Englishman; but the other three heard 
 all the evidence, his full confession, and saw him hung 
 and pitched overboard. Thomas Field was not under 
 Captain Jones in the Bon Homme Richard, but was at 
 that time with Landais in the Alliance ; neither was Field 
 
SKETCHES OF 
 
 in '* Mill Prison," nor any other prison. He went to 
 France in the Alliance, at the same time John Adams 
 did, which, I think, was her first cruise. 
 
 This tragical affair induced Captain Jones to put about ; 
 for, he said, the nation that was capable and guilty of 
 such perfidy should have one more lesson. This change, 
 of course, would probably have produced mutiny in his 
 crew, had they not partaken of the same spirit of revenge 
 to a good degree. 
 
 Steering, therefore, for the south-west of Ireland, they 
 soon made land, and keeping the coast, they passed up 
 St. George's channel into the Irish sea. In the vicinity 
 of the Isle of Man, he was nearly surrounded by British 
 naval ships, so that he felt compelled to abandon some 
 four or five prizes he had taken, taking only the most 
 valuable articles from them, with his prize crews and the 
 prisoners. He left them hastily and continued his course 
 to the north. But he found the British had taken great 
 care to secure all their coasts against the depredations of 
 the French and American cruisers, and being alone, he 
 again put about, and, standing southward, he passed on 
 the other side of the Isle of Man; and keeping not far 
 from the west coast of England, he rounded Land's End, 
 and making a few small prizes, arrived safe at L" Orient. 
 It is not easy to imagine a more hazardous crui>c than 
 this of the Alliance. Besides the narrow chance of being 
 blown up, they were in sight of from five to ten times 
 their force of British war ships most of the time, and 
 nothing but the fast-sailing Alliance, skillfully worked, 
 could have borne them through in safety. 
 
 At L'Orient, Jones again found his old competitor 
 Landais, more incensed than ever, and with more friends 
 than formerly, because of Jones' running off with the 
 Alliance, while Landais was going to Paris. 
 
 Jones had to yield, and Landais took command of the 
 Alliance, and sailed for Boston. This was late in 1780, 
 or the very first of 1781. 
 
 On sailing from L'Orient under Landais, my grand- 
 father took a friendly leave of Paul Jones, and never saw 
 him after. Jones' subsequent hi.story all my readers may 
 have had the same chance to know that I have, with per- 
 
PAUL JONES. 
 
 haps this exception : When first released from Mill Prison, 
 soon after arriving at L'Orient, my grandfather was in- 
 formed that there was a gentleman of his name residing 
 in that vicinity, about eight miles up the river. Taking 
 the first chance, he went to find him, and succeeded. He 
 was about forty years of age, a second cousin, and born 
 on the Eastern shore of Maryland, having been settled in 
 France about fifteen years. They saw each other several 
 times, and, after the war, kept up some correspondence 
 for many years. 
 
 By ray grandfather's request, the French Thomas Chase 
 kept the run of Paul Jones for the balance of his life. 
 There is less discrepancy in the various biographies of 
 Paul Jones after i780, than prior to that time ; and, to 
 save the reader the trouble to look up another author, I 
 will copy the substance of his after-life, so far as consis- 
 tent with the information thus derived from the Fr^'uch 
 Thomas Chase, adding but a circumstance or two that I 
 have not seen from any other author. J5ut I will defer 
 this, while [ tell how the old prisoners got home with 
 Captain Landais. 
 
 The Alliance was crowded with men, amounting nearly 
 to a double crew — though all were " hands" — none pas- 
 sengers. They had a prosperous and (juick passage. On 
 Bearing the American coast, they saw throe large British 
 men-of-war " dead a-head." Captain Lan-lais was in- 
 stantly apprised of it; but made no reply — gave no 
 orders— seemed to be in a reverie or stupor — he did not 
 appear to be si k — walked the deck as usual — but they 
 were under full sail, and would soon be in immio- nt 
 danger from the ships ahead. At this critical moment, 
 his second lieutenant, quite out of patience, called out 
 roughly to him: "Captain Landais, are you going to 
 give us up to the British?" To this Landais made no 
 reply, but looked pleasantly at the speaker, showing he 
 heard him. 
 
 This lieutenant had been such under Jones, in two or 
 three of his cruises, and had seen much service. He im- 
 me.liately assumed the command, " and gave orders Jones' 
 fa>hion." Their course was changed to the right, more 
 in the wind — for the wind was from the north — and, by 
 
SKETCHES OF 
 
 tacking once or twice more, they fully succeeded in get- 
 ting "the weather guage"of the Bnti>hj and though 
 they made the attempt to give chase, the Alliance left 
 them with ease, and soon resumed her former course. 
 They soon saw the land, and made the entrance of Boston 
 harbor. Soon as they were safe, the daring lieutenant 
 stood before Landais, and said, ** Captain Landais, I give 
 you up the command of this ship — there is Boston har- 
 bor, pointing a-head. To this J^andais made no reply, 
 but soon gave the necessary orders for getting into port. 
 
 Captain Landais made no complaint against the lieu- 
 tenant, though a multitude made complaint to the autho- 
 rities against Landais. His command was soon taken 
 from him ; nor did he complain of this, but soon after 
 returned to France, where he sunk in disgrace. 
 
 Whether there vas evil intention with Landais in this 
 affair was never known. His enemies accused him of it ; 
 his friends could no longer recommend him as worthy of 
 a command, and the reader can excuse or condemn him 
 for himself, having, at this late day, the same means of 
 knowing he would have had had he been a cotemporary 
 with Landais. 
 
 After Paul Jones was ousted from the Alliance, he 
 tried to get a command in France, but failed. He came 
 to this country, but we had nothing for him then. He 
 made some large plans for a navy for us, and made many 
 valuable suggestions, which have proved of great use to 
 us in getting up our navy. He soon returned to France. 
 
 Cornwallis surrendered — the war was over — America 
 was free. Paul Jones was in France, but his head was 
 full of great schemes. He planned an expediion — to be 
 joint between France and this country — to the North-west 
 coast. This occupied him for two or three years, and he 
 was here once or twice in that time; but the French 
 Revolution was urging on — times were squally in France, 
 and we were very poor, and the project fell through. But 
 France was the place of Jones' choice — his home. 
 
 Whether Paul Jones was in France at the breaking 
 out of the French Revolution, I am not able to say ; I 
 apprehend he was not. None of his biographers say a 
 word of him in connection with that bloody struggle, and 
 
PAUL JONES. 
 
 it seems improbable that one of his teraperament and 
 powers could have been an idle spectator. I have not 
 the dates, but conclude he was in the service of Russia 
 at that time, as follows: 
 
 Russia, under the Empress Catharine, was at war with 
 the Turks. Catharine heard the fame of Paul Jones, and, 
 through her minister at Paris, offered to gi' 
 
 n — nut naming any particular amount— if he would 
 )t the command of rear admiral in the Russian navy 
 1 Black Sea. 
 
 Being out of busines^^, he readily accepted ; for he had 
 always been in active life, and did not like to be idle. 
 He made all haste to get to Russia, and as soon as the 
 affairs were arranged, and he in possession of his commis- 
 sion, he repaired to his command on the Black Sea. 
 
 Had it not been for this instance of good fortune for 
 Paul Jones, he would hardly have been remembered up 
 to this time. As rear admiral, he commanded twenty 
 ships — the whole fleet was forty-five — but he was subject 
 "1 the general control of the vice admiral. 
 
 On assuming his command, he set about putting things 
 in order — for the Russian navy at that time was rather 
 primitive and capable of much improvement. Admiral 
 Jones changed things very much fur the better in a short 
 time; but the vice admiral, a Russian nobleman, was not 
 well pleased with the new notions of Admiral Jones, and 
 there probably would have been an open rupture, if the 
 Turks had let them alone a little loni^jer. But they soon 
 
 met the Turks, and -Jones pitched into them in his own 
 way with the ships under his command, and carried all 
 
 way with the ships under his command, and carried all 
 before him, while the Turks used the Russian admiral as 
 ighly as Jones did tiieir brethren. The Russian ad- 
 miral was killed, and Paul Jones was but just in time to 
 save the larger portion of the fleet from entire destruction. 
 This fixed his fame in Russia and in all the world, and 
 for all time. He might have continued in the Russian 
 service the balance of his days, but he would not in a sub- 
 ordinate command, and the Russian nobility would not 
 consent that he should have the entire command of their 
 fleet. He, therefore, threw up his command, and went to 
 5t. Petersburg. Here he found enemies, but Catharine 
 
SKETCHES OF 
 
 g?^l^^^Jf^!'^^sf&: 
 
 could not. nor did she, overlook nor underrate his vast 
 services in his canipai*rn on the Bl:itk ^ea. 
 
 After some delay, Catharine gave hiiu a sum of money, 
 amounting, in our currency, to about one hundred thou- 
 sand dollars, and he returned to France. 
 
 He was now rich. This was ruinous for such a man 
 as Jones. He al>o had a world-wide fame, and was highly 
 honored by tlie French Government and people. He took 
 a splendid residence just out of Paris, where he was sur- 
 rounded wiih the mo.st honorable company, and where he 
 lived in the most extravag:)nt style. Luxury and dissipa- 
 tion soon did for Admiral Jones what deadly weapons had 
 failed to do. His race in this career was short. He died 
 in 1792, aged about forty-seven years, and was buried 
 with princely pomp at Paris. Paul Jones was never 
 married. 
 
 Having taken the reader from the cradle to the grave 
 of this il'ustrious man, it may be wise in me to leave him 
 to draw his own conclusions as to the truth or falsity of 
 the foregoing sketches ; also to form his own estiu)ate of 
 Joues' character, and to decide for himself whether good 
 or evil predominated in him, and whether, upon the whole, 
 he was a blessing or a scourge to his race. 
 
 Having had a good opportunity to converse with four 
 of Jones' men, who bad a much better chance to know 
 him as he really was, than any of his biographers even 
 claim to have, never having known him, and having en- 
 joyed this advantage until I was about forty years old, I 
 will ask the permission of the reader to take a short re- 
 trospect, and show my own opinion. 
 
 As to the probable truth of the foregoing Sketches, so 
 far as they relate to Jones only, I frankly say, I have 
 never been able to get hold of anything that appears to 
 me so consistent and reasonable in all its parts as this. 
 This account of his early life appears consistent with such 
 parts of his after-life as are well known. The particular 
 business he was in prior to our *' old war," shows the 
 ground upon which the English recused him of being <'a 
 pirate." 
 
 As to whether Paul Jones was ever a pirate, I do not 
 flatly deny it, and leave it at that. English history and 
 
PAUL JONES. 
 
 literature condemned him as such. Many of bis own 
 times, both in France and in this country, had given 
 credit to Hriti.sh accounts of him, and even in Kussia 
 there were those who were'" envious of his wonderful 
 powers and achievements, and endeavored to use this 
 against hiu) with the Eniprct^s Catiiarine. This impp 
 sion, so fixed in the minds of many, was one of the pri 
 cipal reasons why lie was always denit'd a large command. 
 
 hut does this make it that he was a pirate ? With just 
 as much propriety as British slanders uf the great Napo- 
 leon prove that he was a despot — "a liar" — and the 
 thousand-and-one hard names the British have called that 
 wonderful man. Very many important places in the 
 Spanish colonies were sacked by British adventurers in 
 the same way Paul Jones annoyed Briiish commerce. 
 Sir Walter lialeigh did this same thing; so did Sir 
 Francis Drake ; and our own bay of San Francisco takes 
 its name from the circumstance that he sacked an early 
 Spanish colony located there. There were a multitude 
 of these British adventurers of lesser note, who were en- 
 gaged in this same business; and other nations partici- 
 pated in the same business; and though it is less popular 
 now than in J'aul Jones' time, and was less popular then 
 than it had previously been, I insist that it was but an 
 informal system of privateering. If Paul Jones was a 
 pirate, so was Sir Walter lialeigh and Sir Francis Drake, 
 and a long catalogue of others of those days, who have 
 never been called pirates. 
 
 As to whether good or evil predominated with Paul 
 Jones, his early life and business must be considered, in 
 order to judge rightly. If he had been favored with a 
 kind father and mother, loving brothers and sii^ters, and 
 a happy home, until he arrived at majority, his case would 
 have been the very reverse of what it was, and his stern 
 character undoubtedly much softened. As it was, he was 
 unsocial ; he hardly spoke a pleasant word to any under 
 his command, except when in battle or preparing for it. 
 Then was he in good humor; and the more terrible was the 
 fight, the more pleasantly would he encourage his men; so 
 much so, that it was a common remark in his crews, after 
 passing a few days without meeting an enemy, and Jones 
 
SKETCHES OF 
 
 would become more and more austere: "I do hope we 
 shall have a tight soon, or Captain Jones will kill us all." 
 Accustomed to a maritime command from his youth, 
 which is well known to be absolute in the extreme, no 
 wonder that his ste»n nature should assume somewhat the 
 character of a despot; still Paul Jones was capable of 
 warm personal friendship, though, from his loneliness and 
 lack of early friendly sympathy, he sought few intimates 
 in after-life. The intimates he sought were not the great 
 nor rich— neither were they the chivalrous, nor yet the 
 bully— but he wanted a confidant; his naturally friendly 
 soul sought a companion with whom to converse and think 
 aloud. 1 conclude, therefore, that few men of strong 
 native intellect, under the same circumstances that sur- 
 rounded Paul Jones through life, would have been better 
 than he was. 
 
 But there is another light in which to view the charac- 
 ter and achievements of this remarkable man. Upon 
 leaving his earlv business, he applied to France for a 
 naval command, and faikd. He then applied to our Con- 
 tinental Congress, and though opposed, after some delay, 
 received the command of one smalt shijj. Wherever he 
 was, he distinguished himself greatly. Still, his requests 
 for a large command were constantly negatived, whether 
 made to France or to these Colonies. The largest com- 
 mand he ever had during the war was the Bon Homme 
 Richard for a flag-ship, the Alliance and a few smaller 
 ships as associates. But his command was merely nomi- 
 nal as to all but the Bon Homme Richard. After his 
 wonderful capture of the Serapis, he never received any 
 command to the close of the war, although he made two 
 or three cruises in the Alliance, taking her more by force 
 than consent. 
 
 Paul Jones lived in an evil time for such a genius as 
 he was. Could he have been a few years la^er on earth— 
 a cotemporary with the great Napoleon, who never failed 
 to see and appreciate such wonderful powers, and to use 
 them in carrying forward his giant schemes— the achieve- 
 ments of Paut Jones might, and probably wouM, have 
 been as wonderful on the ocean, as those of Napoleon 
 were upon the land. With such an admiral as Paul 
 
PAUL JONES. 
 
 Jones, Napoleon would have crushed England, and over- 
 run the British isles in three years. 
 
 But as Jones was situated, with a Bourbon on the 
 throne of France and a Continental Congress here, a ma- 
 jority of which favored family and rank, rather than 
 genuine merit, Jones could do but little comparatively. 
 And the greatest wonder in my mind is, how, under all 
 the unfavorable circumstances that kept him down, his 
 name should be known for one short year, to those who 
 survived him. 
 
 An orphan, and probably "a bastard," continually 
 crushed to the earth until he was fourteen, and then cast 
 upon an unfriendly world to care for him.self— -and never 
 afterward encouraged as even ordinary men usually are, 
 until called to the Black Sea— it is very ma: 
 one that his powers must have been of the very highest 
 order, and that his fame, great as it is, is nothing l.ke as 
 great as it sh ,uld be. 
 
 Are we not astonished to look back on these circum- 
 stances and facts? Who doubts that, if Paul Jones could 
 have stepped into the command of Count D'Estaing or 
 Count DeGrasse, he would have annihilated the British 
 navy, and laid all her coasts under contribution? 
 
 But we must feel still more astonished, that a man so 
 continually and effectually erippied in all his efforts to 
 show himself, should have acquired fame — fame far be- 
 yond Count D'Estaing or Count DiGra.sse, or any other 
 naval commander of his time. C<itharine of Russia did 
 not apply to tmy English or French admiial to help her 
 on the Black Sea, but to Paul Jones, the illustrious com- 
 mander of the old rotten Bon Homme Richard, with forty- 
 
 How was it, that he who was next to nobody, judging 
 from the treatment he re<eived from Fninceand our Con- 
 tinental Congress, should ever have been heard of away 
 back in Russia, by the Czarina of the "NortJiern Bear?" 
 Here is the cause : The very little Paul Jones was per- 
 mitted to do, shows what he was, and what he could do, 
 and in spite of all the diflBculties under which he labored, 
 the truth was miyhtt/ ami did prevail 
 
 Leaving to my readers the same right to judge that I 
 
SKETCHES OP PAUL JONES. 
 
 reserve for myself, I conclude that Paul Jones was natu- 
 rally a high-minded, honorable man, of invincible courage 
 and daring He could comraanl one ship with the most 
 consummate skill, or could, with equal ability and success, 
 command the largest fleets, as was clearly proved on the 
 Black Sea. 
 
 Paul Jones had many defects of character, arising prin- 
 cipally from the circumstances that surrounded him in 
 early life, and which, from the constant whirl of excite- 
 ment and anxiety in which he moved, and the opposition 
 and disappo'ntuient continually upon him, he never fully 
 corrected. But he had more good properties than bad, 
 and could those unfavorable circumstances have been re- 
 versed, he would have shone con.spicuous as a great and 
 good man — a benefactor of his race. 
 
 As he was, with all his faults, he did much more good 
 than evil. Whatever he proposed to do, that depended 
 on his own exertions of prowess, he never failed to do in 
 a single instance. 
 
 Our country learned too late his great value; for at the 
 time of his death, he was about to be taken permanently 
 into our service. 
 
 As a brave, daring, impetuous and invincible nival 
 commander, he has never beeu surpassed, and it will pro- 
 bably be very long before the world will again see his 
 equal. 
 
 Peace to his ashes— undying fame to his memory— and 
 rest to his stern soul. 
 
 Sleep sweetly, brave warrior, motlier enrth lias cncloiecl thee — 
 Sleep where Freedom's friends will not dim thy true glory; 
 
 Uncouquered in life, though the Briton oppoi^ed thee, 
 The chief of the wave and the hero of story. 
 
 Though thy youth was beclouded, nor hope was before thee, 
 Nor parents, nor brother, nor sister, to cheer. 
 
 Thou art gone ! yet in memory we will not deplor** thee. 
 For thy fa:iie is extended with each rolling year. 
 
 Thou hast fought thy last fight, nor the surging of ocean, 
 Nor the booming of cannon, can wake thee aj;ain — 
 
 Sleep, sweetly, while freemen keep earth in commotion, 
 Thou foe to the tviaut — thou king of the main. 
 
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cv:P.. 
 
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