The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1893-07-06


Lawrence are to the American. His name
Is one to thrill the hearts Of the patriotic
sons Of France and to charm those powers
Of the upper air which rain down favors
upon the brave The narrative of his ex-
ploits was long used as textbook in the
French naval schools. He was a type of
lighting sailor idolized by the French navy,
as Bayard, the warrior chevalier, and Latour
D. Auvergne, leader of the ''infernal col
Ehan," are by the army. He was the pioneer
h&fd hitter in the French service. =
The Barts were seafaring family of
Dunkirk, rather Flemish than French.
jeans father commanded a corsair or letter
Of marque out of Dunkirk. The son went
to sea at 12 and in his teens cruised in the
dangerous navigation of the English chan
nel as a lookout against the advance of the
hostile British fleet
On one occasion an accident made him
captain of a royal pilots caravel when three
noblemen wished to go from France to the
Dutch fleet of Holland. He purposely ran
out of his course in among the vessels Of
an English fleet to spy them out Arriving
in Holland, the famous old Dutch admiral,
De Ruyter, rewarded the exploit by taking
him into the naval service In few days
the Dutch and English ships met in battle,
and Jean was placed over gun. Whilea
pilot he had taken a royal prize in artillery
practice. Just before the action COM
menced as the gunners stood at their posts
be said to an old sailor who was his favor
ite shipmate: "Sauret, look at me. It is
the first time [ have seen real war. I do
not think am afraid, and yet am tren-
bling If, then, you should see me turn
pale or seem to weaken under fire, take this
pistol and for the honor of the name of
Bart shoot me through the head!' Eyes,
Master Jean" said the old salt simply. But
there was no occasion to carry out the ter
rible promise. The admiral went to the
gun deck after the hard days fight, and
tapping young Jean on the shoulder said,
my boy, how did you like that9" meaning
the battle. $50 we'll, monsieur the admi-
RAIL- that could wish it might last longer
if my throat were not so dry" De Ruyter
smiled and called to a sailor to bring beer
and biscuit for the boy cannoneer. $50
brave a young hero must not carry about
a dry throat"
When Jean was p, hostilities broke out
between France and Holland-the first
war Of Louis XIV. Holland offered him
command of ship, while in his own coun-
try none but the noble born could acquire
naval rank. He had studied nothing but
seafaring-knew nothing else. He returned
home choosing to sacrifice his pride rather
than fight against king and country He
was placed in command of corsair and
attracted the attention of naval officers by
remarkable valor in battle. At the end of
three years his prizes had made him rich.
He equipped at his own expense a. galley of
two guns and Sc men. The first encounter
was with a Dutch frigate-19 guns and 65
men. He had the boldness to attack,
boarded the frigate and made himself mas
ter. He then fitted out vessel of six guns,
encountered the Dutch Esperance of 2guns,
attacked and took her after battle of some
hours. He next went to the Baltic sea and
fell in with a merchant fleet escorted by
two frigates-one of IL and one of IS guns.
He boarded one frigate, took it, put the
other to flight and destroyed portion of
the fleet and separated the rest He next
had five frigates under him. On March %,
1876, he encountered Hollander Of 10 guns
and seized it, a prize estimated at 10000
francs. In a few days he encountered eight
vessels going to London with merchandise,
escorted by three war vessels, one from Zea-
land carrying IS guns and two from Ostend
carrying "a and % guns. AS soon as he saw
them he gave orders to one of his frigates
to attack the merchantmen, and with his
own, the Paine, rushed upon the others.
He boarded the Zealander of 10 guns, struck
down the captain at his feet forced the
frightened sailors to surrender, then hasten
ed to advance against the Ostend vessel of
% guns and put her to fight, the other fol-
lowing suit. This exploit was hailed as
great victory, for the officers of the opposing
vessels were noted for bravery
In March, 1877, during the Prince Orange
war, Bart in company with Count Forbin
received orders to 60 to Havre to escort 20
merchant vessels. In the middle of the
channel they encountered two English YES