The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1859-07-27
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rrnsrsDAY MORNING. July q, isse.

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MORNING. JULY q. 1855.
Al 81 u Paul jones'.
TIA viyr;as6 Indcr IL publishing series OF
Interesting sketches. by Mr.. Tnos CHASE OF
6sheaseraeld. Of .The Iife. Character, and
r,y.., ~ pArs. JoxEs," We consider these
sretehss a valuable addition TO the naval his
,orv 81 The country. They throw much iigh'
u,.or Tho character of PAUL JoSrs, and give,
~ doubt not. most Mi,hf,,l account OF
tha famous battle of his ship, the bon
txornme Richar,ls with The /" scraps" After /
.tatinr that the ships were locked together,
which was effected by JONES, because ne saw
thai 10 keep off a, fair gun-sho,, with new
.ra .,ronr frieate like the Scraps, would |
,,.v.r 40 f,r snch a crazy old hulk as tn"
y,an uomme Richard, MIR. CHASE proceeds
..rh. xorkinx of the bag guns had been suspend
cd during the time Of iashns the SHIPS tosesnar.
but Was new resumed W sias .na these gers
nearly mnszic 10 fnuzzle--sa near that Those VINO
hsnded the se y,nsss M mn E s
would exc,aim. Mind your eye, john bah III H.
sTbe firing wss not rapid. particularly on Jones
par; is,r il could do the ships 40 hurt except g.
knock the runs about little. and knerk :, on I rme
Yanwales, and ecc asonaliy raise cload oi spin
,Nrs fr,u each Others decks. Jones and nus men
kep. avery sharp look ont, thai pearson any h ~.
Ne,ther OF these ships were do,msged 'betwecn
Wind and water. nor could they now ne Wy any u.s.
Of the isg guns. Both had men IN ING ti<sht
doing ali the mischief they copld, IN ths k'na 81
play. Jones had the lest Of i; a9d we're ; assr
e,il Pesrson would not surrender 'hsisuhs '"''
mrsa,s;n Lana,i.. with the Alliapee, came up to
HELM Jones and hred brosdsides tnt oil nSoesfm.
thur, Jones As m.eh As = DID anhpI let rs alone
lean handle him Both ships we're oitfrn az hre;;
aud Is often the FIRE exinga'snea. ii nc - 10
safest sh,s, far as those on dGek @ere s
esrnsd that anns eye, The hash Of the
runs wnnld go clear across each deck ana inc men
G keeping good lask ont could aS'ia o''s '"''
Had the Bon HoInnc Richard tnen pew new
lain there s and burned powder and thrown shot until
they rotcd rs 10 SINKING ni,nnT w p;h t, was old
shs o,hcr But tho sIa om1 bsd hi be"rs Jones'
made hcr fas, 70 the Snrap's AND mus iaS'i I'm l
strain npon her ssainst the o' tcr eat Wo 'r
and it evident that she must orc i9qg sonGn@n'
told him she mus, soon so down, ard su sge;sted
surrender. You never mind nv, ven ShaIl nae
sh n his 80 mem aud Pearson his crew
very well knew that II the bon TONNE ne g Erno
and both must 70 down together. It was therciore
iikely 10 he y test between Jones and Ieafsson;
which, for the sake Of s.yns h,msel ana men iron"
sBut Jones had recourse {, a strate fem, winch
NAN boInvr one u, one with the strictest possible
orders to be fully prepared for boarding. ana q =
them on To- the deck Of the Sierra, is. and clear IT, $"
Iones' men seemed 10 diminish thou n not very
s.,s ur''' s snno"sing ,hey were Killed OF badly
wounded and that Jones must soon s,flhH' MaS
thrown completely off his guard. Tins was Jo#'s
time Giving his signal. his mon were ready III az
instant. and with Jones ahead; WITH ms acagN
s,gf I'd rushed like hell hounds upon the decker
the Scraps, killing eTer,thtnE they cnuia rcach'
and in Is vary short time would have hi'ien every
thing on board; but Captain Pearson. seeing ms
time had come, cried with loud voice. Captain
Jones. sufrenderat TIE same no'en zen hsn,
10 Jones. and with the next breath ordered his
colors taken down. I,, -, ;.
she Bon Homme Richard went down head tore.
most. Thus Terminated the strsnEest naval hsm
on record. Paul jones took the Scraps. put Capt
Pearson sunk the Bon HornIno Richard
This account differs in some particulars
from other versions of that most extraordina-
~ naval combat of the Revolutionary war
Butwe are inclined TO accept MI. CHAsEs YER
sion. from the fact that he obtained the de-
tails from his grandfather, reliable witness,
who served 4 long time with PArL JONES, ana
participated in this action. This statement IS
also corroborated by three other seamen OF the
Ron Homme Richard, whom Mr.. CHASE has
seen and conyersed with. HEADLEY says that
JOKES did all he could to save his old
fricate, but Mr.. CHASE says: Nothing conid
bp done tina. could save her, and PAUL JONES
was heartily glad to see the last OF her" We
observe difference in the account given by
Mr. CHASE of tho interposition of the ALI
ance Capt. LASDAIS, and that set forth IN the
official report of PAUL JONES but The differ
ence is not rs to the fact, but as To the motive.
which Of course could not he rs apparent IN
the confusion Of the struggle TO an excited COM
,atant as to the commander himself. who
rtNnt, hn1 hn. or n NJ
portunity of witnessing the proceeding
Mr. CHASE. in n manner that must convince
every one of the truthful simplicity and can
dor of his statement, speaks of the ALI
snce as coming to help Capt. JOKES. but in
turing the Richard az much by his broadside
as he did the Scraps. Capt. JOKES charges
that Ih,pAIs fired into him Intentionally
ue saws ;-"At last at half past nine O'Clock,
the Alliance appeared, and now thought the
hattie at M end but. TO my utter astonlsh- /
,neut he discharged n broadside full into the .
stern Of the Bon Homme Richard. We called .
10 him for Gods sake to forbear firing into
the Bon Homme Richard, yet he passed along
the on. side Of the ship and continued firing.
There was no possibility of his installing the
enemy's ship for the Bon Homme Richard,
there being the most essential difference III
their appearance and construction; besides
it was then full moonlight, and the sides OF
the Bon Homme Richard were all black, while
the sides OF the prizes were yellow yer, for
the greater security, showed the signal OF
our reconnaissance, by putting out three IAN
,herns. one at the bow, another at the stern,
and the third in the middle, in horizontal
line. Every tongue cried that he was iirlhg
into the wrong ship, but nothing availed he
passed round, firing into the Bon Homme
Richards head stern and broadside, anu by
one Of his yollies killed several OF my best men,
and rnortally wounded a good officer on the
forecastle. My situation was really deplorable.
The Bon Homme Richard received various
shots under water from the Alliance; the leak
gained on the pumps, and the fire increased
much on board both ships. Some officers per-
suaded me to strike, of whose courage and
rood sense I entertain high opinion. My
trescherous Master at Arms let loose all my
prisoners without my knowledge, and my
prospects became gloomy indeed. would nct,
however give up the point. The enemy's
mainmast began to shake their firing decreased
ours rather increased. The British colors
were struck at half an hour past ten o'clock
The statement Of LANDAIs' treachery is fully
confirmed by the report of the 1st Lieutenant.
DALE afterwards Commodore DALE and by
statement drawn up by Mr.. NoS BERcHEL,
Grand Pensionary of Amsterdam, SHEgBURN,
in his life Of PAUL JOINS charges that, from
envy or jealousy, it was in the contemplation
of LASpAIs TO tear the laurels from the brow of
JOKES, or to subject him to disgrace by allow
ing the Bon Homme Richard and the Scraps, in
their close encounter, so to disable each other,
that, keeping the Alliance uninjured, in the
~. 10, itl,o I'd nil,