St. Mary's beacon., 1858-06-10
Nc %
Death of Commodore 7. AD Cal sbv Jone.


The death of one Of the most distinguished
offieersc Of our army has been quickly followed
by that OF one OF the nls~t, gallant veterans of
oui navy. Cnmmodore 7. Ap Cateshy, .Jnacs
departed this life at his residence near George
town. Sunday evening, the s0th MAY. For
laEig period his health had been bad, and his
desth has been constantly appFehendexi for tho
last tiye or six months. His age was sixty,
ninc.
Commodore Jones was native Of Virginia.
Of Welsh origin, and entereS. the navy Id 1905.
being the fourth on thefist OF our post cntsisss.
Throughout his whole career, he was fistin-
guished for gallantry, energy and skill in his
profession, and fnr all the private virtues that
a5Orn the gentleman and the officer. With
these were combined love of rural and agri-
cultural life and purytfts and those social and
domestic tastes that never appear more attrac-
tive and admirable than when attended with
the stern and heroic virtues Of the warrior and
the patriot
During our war With England. our gallant
little navy contained no abler or bravcr oificer
than Lieutenant I. Ap Catesby Jones. The
event, however, Of his life. in the briliancv Of
which other incidents illustrative of his heroic
qualities are nearly lost and forgotten, was the
battle of the gun-boats in Lake B0rgue. in 1914
one of the most memorable and STRONGLY con.
| tested affairs Of the late war On that occa-
sion, Lieutenant Jones, with fivc small gun
boats and less than two hundred men fought.
| and for some time held at bay, n British hotilla
| carrying some forty guns and more than thou
sand armed men. ..-
Owing TO some of his boats getting aground
and others being horne away bv the tide. the
whole weight of. the conflict fell upon the boat
commanded by Lieutecaut Jones and two 9th
ers. 1t was terrible h.nd-to-hand and most
sangulnary coutiict. ORe-third Of Jones efli-
GERS and mcn were Sh"t down. and tue British
lost more than two hundred killed and wound
ed. The vignr aud gallantry Of this defence
caused the British to pause in their career, and
enabled jackson to continue and complete his
measures for the defence of New Orleans.
! An interesting incident marked the battle of
the s~n- boats, which is doubtless quite new to
many of our readers. In the ascent to our
Capitol, on the western front is an elaborate
and hlShly-hnlshed monument, erected in 1906
tO the naval heroes who distinguished them
s:lvcs in the war against the T'ripolitans. One
Of the figures on this monument is the Muse of
History engaged with pen recording the CAT
la'It ~, acme s,''-c,,ts Of our navy.
/ When the city wns .,,,,,.1i r. A., ~.
in 1913. and the Vandac ofsicr 'io ~ ,,Nn ,'
Admiral Cockburn to destroy the public n bnH
ings, this monument did not escape the general
fury Of the barbarian invader Il was dcfaced
and muti'ated, and an in silent y.,iing officer,
Lieut.. Pratt of the British navy, pointing to
the figure Of the Historic Muse, remarked that
size was about tn record lie, and. aiming his
pistol, shot the pen from the hand of the f.
CURE.
In the battle Of the gIn-boats;. this young of
fcer commanded the barge whicii first reached
Lieutenant Jones boat, and as he was about
to board her. Jones shot him. and he fell NOR
tall wounded in tie arms of his companions
One of the Britons quickly retaIiated BY firing
his musket at Jones. the ball from which lodged
in bis shoulder int,icting wound from whiclu
he never entirely recovered He still con,in-
uei on deck, aniniating and directing lis men
untl! he received another wound wien he was
carried below. and the British took possession
Of his vessel after every one of his men had
been shot down
This was only the crowning achievement Of
career of gallant service and faithful devotion
to the honor and rights &c his country, whic!
have placed the name Of T. Ap Catesby Jones
high on the roll Of the heroes and patriots OF
the republic Hash. Union