The daily union., 1852-12-25
An interesting nemini.osnoo.

Witness aud pdiuepaof ol Tue great naval cumudt De-
tween the Bon Homme Richard under the command OF The
renowned Paul JONES' and the Scraps II will be read
with interest
Particulars Of the engagement bstoesn The Bon Homms
Richard and the Serapis, furnished by FIRST Lieutenant
Richard Dale, OF The Bon Homms Richard.
On the 23i of September, iT79, being below | was
reused by an unusual noise on deck This induced
go upon deck. when found the swaying up the
royal yards preparatory 10 making sail Tor large heet
under our Ice. asked the coasting pilot what hse II
was. He answered. /" The Baltic fleet. under convoy
OF the Seraps of A guns. and the Countess OF Scar
borough. OF 90 gsns general chase then commenced
of the Bon Homme Richard, the Vengeance, the Palas,
and the Alliance the latter ship being then in sight after
separation from the squadron OF nearly three weeks,
but which ship usual disegarded the private signals
OF the Commodore AT this time our fleet headed TO the
northward. with light breeze, Flamborough Head be-
ing about two leagues distant. AT 7, p m 1t ev-
dent that the Baltic fleet perceived were in chase,
from the signal from the Scraps for the merchantmen
stand in shore AT the same time, the Seraps and
Countess OF Scarborough tackled ship and stood of Shore
with the intention OF drawing of our attention from the
convoy When these ships had separated from the con-
voy about two miles, they again tackled, and stood IN
shore after the merchantmen. AT about g. being within
hail. the Scraps demanded. What ship is that He
was answered, % can't hear what you say" Imme
lhat' Answer Immediately. or | shall be under the
necessity of firing into you" At this moment received
orders from Commodore Jones to commence the action
with broadside. which. indeed, appeared simu'ane
GUS board both ships. Our position being TO wind
ward of the Scraps, passed ahead ot her, and the
SeIapis coming up laboard quarter, the action
commenced abreast OF each other. The Scraps soon
passed ahead of the Bon Homme Richard; and when he
thought he had gained distance sufficient TO go down
ahwar the orefoot 10 rake found he had not enough
distance and that the Bon Homme Richard would be
aboard him. put his helm a-lee which brought the two
ships line and the Bon Homme Richard. having
head way, her bows into the stern of the Scraps
We had remained in this situation but few minutes
when we were again hailed by the Scraps, Has your
ship struck !" To which Captain Jones answered, ~
haze not yet begun 10 fight" As unable to bring
single gun bear upon the Scraps, topsails
backed while those OF the Scraps being filled the ships
separated. The Scraps short round her heel,
and her boom into the mzzen rigging OF the Bon
Homme Richard In this situation the ships were made
fast together with hawser. the bowsprit of the Scraps
TO the mzzen mast of the Bon Homme Richard, and the
action recommended from the starboard side of the two
ships With view OF separating the ships, the Scraps
let go her anchor which brought her and the
stern of the Bon Homme Richard 10 the wind while the
ships lay closely pressed against each other novelty
in naval combats presented to many witnesses.
but TO few admirers.
able the load after the lower ports of the Scraps
had been blown away, to make room for running out
their guns. and in this situation the ships remained until
between 10 and IL o'clock, p m, when the engagement
terminated BY the surrender OF the Scraps
From the to the termination OF the
ton there board OF the Bon Homme
Richard ignorant of the superiority OF the Scraps, both
in weight OF metal and the qualities of the crews. The
OF that ship picked seanen and The ship itself
had been only few months OF the s,ocks whereas the
OF the Bon Homme Richard consisted of par, Amer
lean, English, and French, and part OF Maltese, Por
tuguese and Malaye These latter contributed, by their
want of naval skill and knowledge OF the English Ian
guage depees rather than elevate just hope OF
cess in comba, under such circumstances Nei-
her the consideration of the relative force of the ships
the fact of the blowing up of the gun deck above them by
the bursting OF two OF the eighteen FOUNDERS nor the alarm
that the ship sinking, could depress the ardor
change the determination OF the brave Captain jones'
his officers and men Neither the repeated broadsides
of the Alliance, given with the view OF sinking disa-
bling the Bon Homme Richard the frequent necessity of
suspending The combat extngush the lames, which
several times within few inches OF the magazine
the Liberation BY the master alarms OF nearly five
hundred prisoners, could weaken change the purpose
of the American commander,
At the moment of the liberation of the prisoners one
of them, commander OF twenty-gun ship taken a
few days before passed through the ports board the
Scraps, anil informed CapaIn Pearson mat II ne would
hold out little while longer, the ship alongsde would
either strike or sink and that all the prisoners bad been
released to save their lives. The combat according.
ly continued with renewed ardor by the Scraps.
The fire from the tops Of the Bon Homme Richard was
conducted with so much skill and effect TO destroy
ultimately every who appeared upon the quarter
deck OF the Serapls and induced her commander to
der The survivors to 90 below. Nor even under the
shelter OF the decks were they more secure.
The powder-monksys of the Scraps, finding officer
TO receive the eghieen-p pound cartridges brought from the
magazine threw them the main deck, and wen, for
more
These cartridges, being scattered along the deck and
numbers OF them broken il happened that OF the
hand grcnadcs thrown from the main yard of the Bon
Homme Richard which directly the main hatch
OF the Scraps, fell upon this powder, and produced
most awful explosion. The effect lremendo more
than twenty of the enemy were blown to pieces. and
many stood with only the collars OF their shirts upon
their bodies
In less than hour afterward the flag of England
which had been nailed 10 the mast OF the Scraps,
struck by Captain Pearson's hand, OF his
people would venture aloft this duyand this, too,
when than 500 persons witnessing the con-
hic and the humiliang termination OF IT, from Scar
borough and Marlborough head Upon finding that the
As Of tbs Serspis had been struck, went 10 Captain
Jones, and asked whether might board the Scraps to
seized the main brace pennant, and swung myself upon
her quarter deck Mdshpman Mayranl followed with a
party of and Immediately run through the thigh