Cooper's Clarksburg register. [volume] (Clarksburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1851-1861, 1858-07-09
.CLARKsBURG, FRIDAY.JUI.Y Q, i
Death Of fscommodorei n. Ap acatesby

"a Q u .
Death ofocommodoresT n. Ap ncatesby
Jones.
The death OF one Of the most distin.
guishedg officers of our army has been
followed by that of one of the, most gal.
lant veterans Of our navy, Com. T. Ap.
Catesby Jones departed this life at his
residence near Georgetown, Sunday
evening, the 30th of May. For long
period his health had been bad, and his
death has been constantly apprehended
for the last fiyelor sixbmonths.s ossaf
Commodore Jones wasIa native Of VIr-
ginia. of Welsh origin.a entered the navy
ina1 805.a being thegfourth on the list9of
our post captains. Throughout his
whole career, he was distinguished for
ga'lantry. energy, and skill in his pro;
fession. and for all the private virtues
that adorn the gentleman and the officer.
With these were combinedIa love of rus
raj and agricultural life and pursuits, and
those socialsa aud domestic taste; that new
er appear more attractive and admirable
than when attended,with the stern and
heroic virtues Of the warrior and the pas
triot. at zsa 4rbl5ltys. aRee 9,
During our war with England, our gal.
liant little navy contained no ADLER or bra
yer officer than Lieut.. tApi Catesby
Jones. The event, however, of his life,
in the brilliancy Of which other incidents
illustrative Of his heroic qualities are
nearly lost and, forgotten, was the battle
of the gunboats in Lake Borgne. in 1914
-one of the most memorable and strong,
ly contested affairs Of the late war. On
that occasion Lieutenant Jones with five
dred men fought. and for some time held
at bay. British fotilla carrying some
forty guns and more than thousand
armed men. iata aGt 4-e sss.,5 ..s-t. ~,
Owing to some of his boats getting
aground and others borne away by the
tide. the whole weight of the conflict fell
upon the boat commanded by Lieutenant
Jones and two Others 1t was terrible
hand to hand and most sanguinary con-
aict. One third of jones' officers and
men were shot down. and the British lost
more than two hundred killed and woun-
ded. The valor and gallantry of this
defence caused.the British to pause in
their career, and enabled jackson to con-
tinue and complete his measures for the
defence OF New Orleans. t-5a
An interesting incident marked the
battle Of gun 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 highly finished
monument, erected in 1906 to the naval
heroes who distinguished themselves in
the war against the Tripolitans. One of
ha Nv, tIic7 ,,,o a, rSs tha MUe.
of History engaged with pen recording
the gallant achievements of our navy.
When the city vas captured by the
British in 1918, and the vandalic order
was issued by Admiral Cockburn to de.
stroy the public buildings. this monu
ment did not escape the general fury Of
the barbarian invader. 1t was defaced
and mutilated, and an insolent young
officer, Lieutenant Pratt, of the British
navy, pointing to the figure of the His
toric Muse. remarked that she was about
to record lie, and, aiming his pistol.
shot the pen from the hand OF the fig
ure.
In the hattie Of the gun-boats, this
young officer commanded the barge which
first reached Lieutenont Jones' boat, but
as he was about to board her, Jones shot
him. and he fell mortally wounded in the
arms of his companions. One of the Brit
ons quickly retaliated by firing his. mus
ket al Jones. tie ball from which lodged |
in his shoulder, inaicting wound from
which he never entirely recovered. He
still remained on deck snimating and di.
recting him men until he received anoth-
er wound. when he was.carried below,
4 =. L
vessel after every one of his men had
been shot down.
This was only the crowning achieve
ment of a career of gallant service and
faithful devotion to the honor and rights |
of his country, which have placed the
name OF T. Ap Catesby Jones high on
the roll of the heroes and patriots of the
republio.- Washington Union. n