Feliciana sentinel. [volume] (St. Francisville, La.) 1877-1892, 1878-09-14
JOHN PAUL JONES.
How 1T WAS BETWEEN THE "SERAp1s>,
AND "BoNHOMME RICHARD"
AN ENGLISH VERSION OF ONE OF
THE MOST MEMORABLE NAVAL
FIGHTS ON RECORD,
From Fraser's Maqnsinc,

From Fraser's Magazine,
ITO better understand the following we
state that the American squadron of Paul
Jones consisted of the Bon Homme Rich.
ard, the alliance and the Iu71as {Cap-
tain Cottineau). The English convoy to
the fleet of Baltic merchants, was the,
iSe,apis and the Countess Of Scarborough.
Ed
About o'clock the two English ships
which had been standing together to-
ward the South, tackled, thus crossing
ahead of the American, and keeping be-
tween them and the merchantmen. It
was a lovely autumn evening and FIam-
borough Head, distant barely a league,
was crowded with people, whom the ru-
mors of the day had drawn to the neigh,
borhood ; as the sun set the full harvest
moon rose and lightencd up the scene,
permitting them to see, or to fancy they
saw, the events that were passing off
their coast About half-past seven the
Bonhomme Richard was within hail of
the Scraps, to windward but some what
ON her quater, both ships standing in TO:
the land on the port tack. The hail was
answered, as 1t was followed, by broad
side; the fire seems to have been stimuli
taneous; and in this way began fight
which in modern naval history has no
parallel. I will therefore pause a mo,
ment to take an exact view Of the oppo-
sing forces.
The Pallas, thirty-two- gun frigate,
mounting, in all probability, nine pound
crs on her main deck, bore away for the
Confess of Scarborough, n ship utterly
unable to contend with an oponcnt. She
did indeed offer very creditablc resis-
lance, but after an hour was obliged to
haul down her colors, and the Pallas oc-
cupied for the rest of tho time in TAX
ing possession of her prize, had no share
in the fight with the Scraps. The ALI
ance is spoken of as of thirty-six guns,
but, being American without any estab-
lishmeDt, it is difficulty'to say what her
armament was. In the English or French
navles thirty -six-gun frigates at that
time carried twelve-pounders on the main
deck and should think it most likely
that the Alliance did so too, though it is
of course possible that she had only nine
FOUNDERS. believe that of the squadron
the Alliance was most like a ship-of- war,
had she only been properly commanded
but uuder man like Landais she proved
OF little value. In tho early part of the
engagement she is described as sailing Mt
some distance round the Pallas, and the
Confess of Scarborough firing promiscu.
ously at both of them, which, in the dark
while the moon was only yet rising, did
as much harm to friend as to foe; and
she does not seem to have at 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 a very une-
quail match for the Bonhomme Richard
and the Alliance together. She was of
a class then much esteemed for service in
the narrow seas and smooth water, being
particularly handy by reason of their
shortness. She IA gun two-decker; on
her lower deck she mounted 1S-pounders,
12-pounders on her main deck. The dou-
BILE battery and the heavier guns gave
her an undoubted superiority over the
Bonhomme Richard, two of whose
old, wornout guns-burst at the second
round, killing and wounding number
of the men, and partly blowing up the
deck overhead. The accident spread n
panic among the ships company, which
Jones, by personal exertions, was able
to stop; but, naturally, no further at
tempt was made to use the rest of these
guns
But, more even than in armament, the
Scraps was superior TO tho Bonhomme
Richard in rate of sailing and hardness.
She seems to have had it in her power to
sail around her enemy and to weather on
her ut pleasure. Although she began
the action leewarl, broaasde to broad
side, she presently shot ahead, and cross.
ell the Bonhomme Richards bows, pass
ing 10 windwartl, and raking her as she
did so, then back again, again rakinc