Feliciana sentinel. [volume] (St. Francisville, La.) 1877-1892, 1878-09-14

discourage the setapis, and that discour-
agement was sufficient to turn the scale. |
About half past ten o'cIck the Scraps |
struck, and vas taken possession of. The
BOnhomme Richard was with difficulty
kept afloat through the night, and sank
about ten o'clock the next forenoon.
There is no trustworthy return of kill d
and wounded; the numbers are said to
have been 200 on board the Scraps, 100
on board the Bonhomme Richard; but
this is little better than guess, and it is
very probable that they were much lar
ger. The accounts are widely different,
rising to nearly 300 for each ship, and all
that can be positively said is that, as
compared with the numbers engaged, it
is the bloodiest battle on modern record.
Throughout the action Jores' conduct
as the captain of the ship of war is be-
You'd all praise. His ship was in every
way very inferior to the Scraps, and
Pearson was Il man of known courage
and good repute. do not think, though
every American writer thinks, that Jones
took the Scraps, not only singlehanded,
but against the reasonable assistance of
Landais, in the Alliance that determined
the result. The presence of the Pallas
was also without effect. In this I think
that Parsons report is agreeable to COM
mon sense, untrammeled by natural pref
udice, if indeed, national prejudice has
anything to do with the matter. But,
on tho other hand think that it is impos-
slble to overrate the ability, the pluck,
the determination, and the presence of
mind with which Jones fought and won
the battle. The Alliance gave Pearson
an excuse far striking his flag. 1t was
Jones, ones alone raj Their than the Bon
homme Richard, who first beat him to a
stand-still.
The Countess Of Scarborough was cap
tured, the Scraps was captured; the
merchantmen valued a. $500, 900, escap-
cd! the Bonhomme Richards was sunk,
and Paul jones' cruise was of necessity
ended. Putting the credit or discredit of
t ,e affair Or one side, the material ad-
vantage was held to be in favor of Eng
land, and the statesmen of the time, the
illustrious trio of the ballad, did not care
to examine too critically into the rest.
Neither did the merchants Of London
whose merchandise was safe. They pre-
sentcd Pearson with q sword of honor
and the King knighted him. He was a
decent, honest man, and had done his
best; but his best was not what ought to
be rewarded. A Government that wishes
its officers to achieve impossibilities
should not reward even the best intend
ed failures Jo,.es' remark on hearing of
it is characteristic and pardonable
"should have the good fortune to fall
in with him again, I'll mako Lord of
him."
With tho sinking of the Bonhomme
Richard, leaving the conqneror with his
mongrel crew, atloat in the dismasted
ship, the interest of Jones' career as af-
tecting English naval history ends
Jones wished to go to Dunkirk, but his
orders were to put into the TexcI, and
thither his colleagues Insisted on his go
ing. The ships lay there for some time,
but as Sir Joseph Yorke,..%~the English
Minister at the Hague, protested against
their being admitted, asserting that Jones
was rebel and a pirate, the prizes flew
French colo1s, and were aftcrwarl
bought in, at low figure, by the French
Government.