The Red Cloud chief., 1878-06-06
JOHN PAUL JONES.
An s.wsli.h V~r.ioa oG SDse eGsh~
Meet Memorable Naval Flights
On ~eeccOrsl.

IN t.W0ulsU vrrseOo ~ sVoeOs s0s
Woss Memorable Naval Flights
Oa eeecOrd.
About six o'clock the two English
ships, which had bccu standing ,ogcth-
or toward the South. tackled. thus cross
ing ahead IT the Americans. and keep
ing between them and the convoy. II
was u lovely autumn evening and
marlborough Head. distant barely n
league. was crowded with people. whom
the rumors Of the day had drawn Ia the
ncighborhood; as the sun set the full
harvest moon rose aud lightencd up h
scene, permitting them 10 see, or to
fancy they saw, the events that were
passing OF their. coast. About half.
past seven the Bonhomme Richard was
within hail Of the Scraps, To windward
but somewha, ON her quarter. both ships
standing in for the land on the port
tack. The hail MAS answered. as IL was
followed. by n broadside; the fire seems
to have been simultaneous; and in this
way began a fight which in modern ma.
val history has no parallel. will
therefore pause \ moment 'o take an
exact view Of the opposing forces.
The Pallas. n ~thirty-two gun friga'e.
mounting. in al probability. nine
Founders ON her main deck. bore aware
for the Countess Of Scarborough, a ship
utterly unable to contend with an OPP
ponen,. She did indeed offer "A very
creditable resistance, but after an hour
was obliged to haul down her colors.
and the Pallas, occupied for the rest Ut
the time in taking possession OF her
prize. had M share in the fight with the
Scraps. The Alliance Is spoken Of as
Of thirtv-six guns. but. being American
without any establishment. it Is difficult
to say what her armament WAS. In the
English or French navies thirty-siN gun
frigates at that time carried twelve
Founders on the main decI and !
should think il most likely that the AL
lance did so too. though II IL Of course
possible tina, she had only nine-pound-
crs. believe that Of the squadron the
Alliance was most like a ship-Of-war,
had she only been properly command
ed: but under q man like Landais she
proved Of little value. In the early
part OF the engagement she Is described
~ sailing at some distance round the
Pallas, and the Countess Of Scarbor.
ough. firing p~romiscuously Mt both OF
them. which, In the dark, while the
moon was only yet rising. did rs much
harm 10 friend rs "a foe; and she does
not seem purposly to have ut any time
really engaged the Scraps in support
of her consOrt, the Bonhomme Richard.
But the force Of the Scraps was such
as might be considered not q very un.
equal match for the Bonhomme Richard
and the Alliance together. She wa oi
a class then much esteemed for service
in the narrow seas and smooth water,
being particularly handy by reason Of
their shortness. She was . ~ GUT
two decker on her lower deck she
mounted IA FOUNDERS, IL FOUNDERS OF
her main deck. The double battery
and the heavier guns gave her an un
doubted superiority over the Bonhom
me Richard, two Of whose make shift II
Founders in the gun - old wori
out burst ut the second round
killing and wounding q number Of men
and partly blowing up the deck ever
head. The accident spread q pani'
among the ships company which Jones
by personal exertions, was able To stop
but. naturally, no further attempt wa
made to use the rest Of these guns.
But, more even than in armament
the Scraps was superior 10 the Bon
homme Richard in rats Of sailing an,
hardness. She seems to have had !
in her power to sail round her enem,
and to weather on her ut pleasue. Al
though she began the action leewsrd
(~broadside to b~roadside. she present.,
shot ahead and crossed the Bonhomm
Richards bows passing To windward
and raking her as she did so. then bac
again, again raking her. The adyar
tage Law entirely with the Scraps whic
ought, beyond a doubt. to have won n
easy victory. Captain Pearson was
brave man and q good seaman, bat b
was not equal to unwonted emergencies
. and when after about an hour's engage
meut, Jones finding the Bonhomm
RichrL seriously ill-treated by the hea'
Ter guns and superior sailing Of the Sc
pis. resolved TO grapple with her. Pea
SON had not the tactical skill nor Il
presence Of mind 70 prevent him or
!, free his ship. d.
II may be left an open question l
what maneuver Jones caught the B
rapis. In their official reports JON
said. and Pearson said. that the BoI
homme Richard. by keeping away fro
the position to windward. ran G
the bows Of the Scraps; and these we
the two men In charge Of the " shi]
at the time. On the other hand, Dial
who wa in command Of the Bonhomn
Richards main deck. and who cou
O possibly see what was being don
wrote in q private accoupt that the s
rspis ..wore short round her heels
and tried to pass astern Of the Bo
homme Richard Y rake her. and
..n-.~t ~aAo In UruaNAv Astail IN ~