Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1830-05-15
BON Ho,iME RICHARD AND SCRAPS.
Paul JoxEss account Of the battle OF the Bon
Homme Richard and Scraps, Sept. %, E79.

PAUL JONES account VI iiie o''s'e "
Homme Richard and Scraps, Sept. %, Ivy.
.In approaching the enemy, crowded every
noss;ble Gail; and made the signal for the line OF
battle towhicb the Alliance showed no attention.
Earnest as was for the action, could not reach
the Commodere,s shin until seven IN the evening"
bcinp then within pstol-shot, when ne hailed the
Bon Homme Richard. We answered nm by mr.
ing whole broadside.s .;.5
The battle being thus begun, was contihueu
with unremitting fury. Every method was Prac-
tised on both sides to gain an advantage ana rake
each other; ard must confess that ,ht ehemy
ship, being much more manageable than the bon
Homme Richard, gained thereby severai .i'.leS
an advantageous situation in spite OF my oess Gu
deavors to prevent it. AS had 70 aedi Mloi :. al
enemy of greatly superior force, was uhaer 'ue
necessity of closing with him, to prevent she au-
vantage which he had over me IN poa1 Oh man
euvre. twas myintentlon to lay the poh ii1"i.
me Richard athwart the enemy oo"s; p'l as .iIa'
operation required great uSteri'y III tie hansse'
ment of both sails and helm, and some OF our bra.
ces being shot away, it did not exactly succeed
to nv wish. The enemy's bowsprit, however,
came over the Ron Homme Richards poopby the
mizen mast, and made both ships fast together
in that situation, which, by the action OF the wind
on the enemys sails, forced her stern close to the
Bon Homme Richards bow, so that the ships lay
Iuare alongside of each other, the yards being
ali entaneled, and the cannon OF each ship touch
ing the opponents. When this position took place
it was eight o'clock, previous to which the Bon
Homme Richard had received sundry eighteen
pound shots below the water, and leaked very
much. NY battery of twelve Founders, on which
| had placed INV chief dependence, being com
manded by Lieutenant Dale and Colonel Wal
bert, and manned principally with American sea.
men and French volunteers, was entirely silenced
and abandoned. As to the six old eighteen.poun-
ders that formed the battery of the lower gun
deck. they did no service whatever, except firing
eigh shot in all. Two out of three OF them burst
out at the .irst fire, and killed almost all the men
who were stationed to manage them. Before this
time. TOO. Colonel de Chamillard, who command
ed party Of twenty soldiers on the poop, had
abandoned that station after having lost some OF
his men. had now only two pieces OF cannon,
mine pounders,) on the quarter deck, that were
not silenced, and not one of the heavier cannon
was fired during the rest of the action. The pur-
ser, NJ. Mease, who commanded the guns on the
quarterback. being dangerously wounded in the
head, was obliged to fill his place, and with great
difficulty rallied few men, and shifted over one
of the lee quarterback guns,so that we afterwards
played three pieces of nine-pounders upon the
enemy. The tops, alone seconded the fire OF this
little battery, and held cut bravely during the
whole of the action, especially the main top.
where Lieutenant Stack commanded. l directed
the fire Of one of the three cannon against the MAIN
mast. with double.headed shot, while the other
two were exceedingly well served with grape and
canister shot, to silence the enemy's musketry,
and clear her decks, which was at last effected.
The enemy were, as have since understood, on
the instant Of calling for quarters, when the
cowardice or treachery of three of my under Off
GERS induced them to call to the enemy. The
English Commodore asked me if | demanded
quarters. and having answered him in the most
determined negative they renewed the battle with
double fury. They were unable to stand the deck;
but the fire of>heir cannon, especially the lower
battery, which was entirely formed of ten-poun-
ders, was incessant; both ships were set fire in
various places, and the scene was dreadful beyond
the reach of language. To account for the timi-
dity of my three under-oficers, | mean the gun
ner, the carpenter, & the master-at-arms, must
observe, that the two first were slightly wounded
and, as the ship had received various shots under
water, and one of the pumps being shot away,the
carpenter expressed his fears that she would sink
and the other two concluded that she was sinking,
which occasioned the gunner to run aft on the
poop, without my knowledge,to strike the colours
Fortunately for me, a cannon-ball had done that
before, by carrying away the ensisn-staff; he was
therefore reduced to the necessity of sinking, as
he supposed. or of calling for quarter, and he
preferred the latter.
All this time the Bon Homme Richard had
sustained the action alone, and the enemy. though
much superior in force, would have been very
glad to have got clear, as appears by their own
knowledments, and by they having let go an an
Choir the very instant that Iaid them on board, by
which means they would have escaped, had not
made them well fast 10 the Bon Homme Richard.
AT last, athalf past nine o'clock, the Alliance
appeared, and [ now thought the battle at an end;
but to my utter establishment, he discharged a
broadside full int the stern of the Bon Homme
Richard. We called TO him for Gods sake to
forbear firing into the Bon Homme Richard; yet
they passed along the off side of the ship, and con-
tinued firing. There was no possibility of his
installing the enemy's ships for the Bon Homme
Richard. there being the most essential difference
in their appearance and construction. Besides,
it was then full moonlight, and the sides of the
Bon Homme Richard were all black, while the