The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1865-08-12
9tlistellatteotts.
PAULJONES.
A REVOLUTIONARY SKETCH.

- Paul Jones was the trst man that ever
hoisted the Stars and Stripes on q ship OF
war. When the revolutionary war broke
out he was living in Philadelphia in extreme
poverty. Indeed he was almost penniless
and had scarcely friend in the colonies.
HI was born on the southern coast OF Scot
land, where he lived till he was twelve
yearso old, and then, having passion for the
sea, he served regular apprenticeship of
seven years on board a ship trading to
America. He learned his business thorough
ly as great men always. do. There never
lived better sailor than Paul Jones, and
he knew the British coast as familiarly as
newsboys know Nassau. After following
the sea until he was twenty -one years old,
he settled as merchant in the West In
dies, where he acquired little property,
and had good prospects ofmaking fortune.
But in l774, when he was but twenty-fOur
years of age, he was obliged, for some rea-
son he would never tell, to suddenly leave
the island Of Tobago, and he sailed for
Philadelphia with just fifty pounds in his
pocket; and that was all the money he ever
received from his property in Tobago.-'
There is said to be woman at the bottom
of every mischief. This, as our readers we'll
know, is slauder on the fair sex. But the
intimate friends of Paul Jones always sup
posed that it was some affair OF love that
caused him to abandon his home and prop
erty ia the West Indies. He was always
noted for his chivalric and respectful devo-
tion to the ladies. -o.as.. .trs,gi
In Philadelphia he lived year and eight
months on his fifty pounds, since commerce
was nearly suspended by the refusal OF the
colonists to consume British manufactures,
and he could get no berth on ships or shore
Just as he was getting to his last guinea,
living almost on bread ann water, Congress
resolved to have q navy. Then he came
forward aud made known his situation and
past history to member of Congress, who
saw the stuff he was made of, took his cause
in earnest, and, got him lieutenaut's com
mission in the navy of the United States.
Let us say however that Paul Jones was
not a needy adventurer. He was wholly
devoted to the cause of his adopted coun-
try. He understood the quarrel between
the colonies and the mother country and
embraced the right side of the dispute with
all his heart and mind. aTfs,,,fsoq f4taioeae
His success on the sea was wonderful.
In one short cruise on the American coast
he took sixteen prizes, ofowhlch he burnt
eight that were not worth saving, and sent
in eight. He did not refuse battle even
with the kings ships, one Of which he cap.
tured that had on board a company OF
troops and ten thousand suits OF clothes,
which were worth to Congress just then
their weight in silver. ra1 In about eight
months he made q fortune in prize money,
and had absolutely swept the coast clear OF
all British vessels sailing withouta power
ful convoy. LIT In 'i,;,. f.,.soro, +. i
Congress was prompt in rewarding him.
July Ia, 1776, when he was not yet thirty
years old, he was appointed to Command
the Rangers" the best vessel OF our infant
navy, ranking as asloopof war; At the
mast head of this immortal ship the Stars.
and Stripes, were first flung to the breeze );
it was on this ship that the ensign Of the
Union first received a salute from the guns
Of a friendly nation. This occurred in the
French harbor Of Brest in February, 1T78,
just one week after DIR. Franklin had signed
the treaty of alliance with France. 'aao2
A new and brilliant scene now opened
in the career Of this heroic sailor. Closing
the ports of theb .Rangers," and removing
every other trace of her warlike character
he sailed boldly into the channel and made
his way to that part of the coast upon which
he was born, and to- the town from which
he had sailed ten years before, every wharf
and lane of which he knew It was White
Haven, place of several thousand inhab-
itants, and the harbor of which contained
800 vessels, fastened close together, At
daybreak, with two boats and thirty one
men he landed on wharf Of the town, pro-
vided with lantern and two barrels. He
went, alone to o fort defending the town,
and finding it deserted climed over the wall
and spiked every gun, without alarming the
garrison who were all asleep in the guard
house near by. Then he surrounded the
guard house, and took every man prisoner.
Next he sprang into the only remaining
fort, and spiked its guns. All this was the
work of ten minutes, was accomplished with
out resistance. The ships being then at
his mercy, he made q bonfire in the storage
of one of then which blazed up through
the hatchway while ones and his men stood
by, pistol in hand, to keep off the people,
whom the flames had alarmed, and who
came running down to the shore in hun
dreds. To the forts was the cry. But the
forts were harmless. When the FIRE had
made such headway that the destruction OF
the whole feet seemed certain, Captain
Jones gave the order to embark. He was
the last to take his place int the boat. He
moved off leisurely from the shore and re-
gained his ship without the loss0f . man.
The people however, succeeded in confning
the fire to two or three ships. But the
whole coast was panic stricken. Every able
bodied man joined the companions Of pa-
troll men. It was many month before the
inhabitants Of that shore went to sleep at