Weekly independent. [volume] (Elko, Nev.) 1887-1914, 1895-06-02
PAUL JONES' CAREER.
he Was tho First to Hoist the
American Flag.
IA Had . Peculiarly Fascinating Wa,
With 6aiion-A Tireisas Lettsr-writsr
and an Inditer OF Sentimental
Verses to Women

On december -, IT'S, was made the
beginning of the American navy; and
from this point the true history Of Paul
Jones begins He was then twenty.
eight years old, of the middle height
his figure slight, but graceful, and of
"a dashing and offcer-like appear.
anee-s His complexion, writes Miss
Molly Elliot Seawen in Century,
was dark and weather beaten: his
black eyes very expressive, but melan.
choly. bis manners were easv and
dignihed with the great, and he was
without doubt fascinating to women.
he often fancied himself in love. and.
like Washington, sometimes even
wrote bad verses to ladies; but it Is un.
likeiy that any woman ever had the
real mastery of his heart He was not
deferred by the greatness Of ..,he
fatr, as he called them when they
pleased him, and made love to very
great ladies quite as boldly as when
with b wretched Bon Homme Rich.
ard he laid aboard the stout Serap;s.
lie had a peculiarly persuasive way
with sailors as with and If he
wished TO enlist Z sailor would walk
up n down the pier with him by the
hour, and he never failed To- get his
man he was a t~ireless letter-writer
4 when Paul Jones wrote as Paul
Jones spoke nothing could exceed the
force and simplicity of his style. Blu,
he was subject to attacks of the literary
devil, and his productions then were
intoicrably fine. He wrote and smoke
Frenc respectfully, and his handwrit.
ing, grammar and spelling are all much
above the average of his day.
his inst duty was as first lieutenant
OF the Alfred, Commodore Hopkins flag
ship. On this vessel he hoisted for the
hrst time the original flag of the reyo-
lution-the rattlesnake flag. In a let.
ter to Robert Morris in 1888. Paul
Jones says:
i was my fortune, as the senior OF
the hrst ~heutenants, to hoist, myself.
the flag of America q chose to do II
with my own hands, the first time II
was displayed. Though this was Int a
iight circumstance, yet, 1 feel for its
honor more than 1 think I should have
felt had 1t not SO happened.r
The services he was engaged in under
Commodore Hopkins were far from
brilliant. The commodore had a strong
dislnclination to go sin harms way
TO use a favorite expression of Paul
Jones-and within a year wGs dismissssi
the navy. Paul Jones first
was a little sloop of war, the ProvI.
dence; and from n memorandum amen
his papers, in the handwriting of -,
secretary of the congress, we learn th;,
his uniform was: 'Elue cloth with r.f
lappcls, slash cuffs, stand-up collar
nat yellow buttons, blue britchcs. red
waistcoat with narrow lace" The uni.
lorm Tor the junior officers was aisc
prescribed, and all were commanded 1,
wear "blue britches." The marine Off.
GERS, however, were to wear '.britchcs
edged with green, black CATER and gar
ters."
Paul Jones' conduct during the cruise
he made in the Providence. and after
ward in command of n small uundron
in lTTG, won him great credit, especial
~ with Washington. His cmployracny
was the conveying of men and stores
from Rhode Island to Washington Mt
New York. Long Island sound swarmcd
with the cruisers of Lord Howe's fleet,
n Paul Jones address in cluding
them, especially the Ccrberus fripate.
which tracked him for weeks like a
bloodhound, marked him ms Il man Of
great enterprise. His next cruise with
Il little squadron maintained his rcpu.
tation, and from that on the reouests
of officers who wished TO serve under
him were frequent. Paul Jones replies
to these are quaint reading. lie always
protests n disinclination to .'enticc' of.
hcers away from other commanders,
u never fails to note the good points
OF his own ship, and to give a forecast
OF his daring schemes very captivating,
to an ambitious young officer.
There was great confusion in the Ia,
blcs of rank first adopted in the navy,
and thence proceeded q grievance that
Paul Jones never ceased 10 protest
against bitterly, until in 1851, many
years aftcrward, he became, by the
unanimous election of congress. the
ranking officer of the American navy.
by the personal carclcssncss of prcsi.
dent Hancock, Paul Jones original
commission us captain-thc first com.
mission granted under ''thc United
States'-wns lost. When n new one
was given him, he found, tohis natural
Indignation, that thirteen OF his juniors
were ahead of him on the list of cap
tuins. How infuriating this was to a
man as greedy of distinction as Pau
Jones, may be imagined. lie always
spelled rank with n capital, and wrote
OF II as Rank, which opens the door tc
Glory" He sworc he would never serve
under any of the men thus ~unjustly
given precedence of him. Congress
while negligent in doing him justice.
wa wise enough, nevertheless, TO Civ,
hin always n separate command. 1,
was determined 10 send him to Europe
N h bangor sloop Of war, and In
Europe to give him the finest command
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