The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1898-01-22
AN OLD STORY WELL RETOLD
The Terrific Duel Between Two
Brave Captains.
A BRITISH FRlGATE WHIPPED
The Yankee Ships Commander
Won Undying Glory.

The one sea fight of the American
struggle for liberty that is of unfail;ng
interest was that in which John Paul
Jones, In the "l}onhommc Richard"
whipped the British friga,c "Scrapis."
And the student need not go far to seek
the reason for this interest, because it
Is found in the fact that 1t was the man
that won, and neither the ship nor the
crew. 1t was Won in spite of such
obstacles as no other man has ever been
typical of the ultimate success of the
American cause. for it was a victory
that was literally dragged out Of tho
breakers Of destruction.
When the "Bonhomme Richard" fell
In with the frigatc "Scrapis" of fifty
guns the wind was so light that they
merely drifted over the oil-smooih
water. The sun sank out of sight be-
hind the hills and daylight faded away
Into darkness, so that even the lofty
towers of canvas were seen only as .hl
faintest shadows. But each side was
hunting for the other. and eventually,
in tho profound silence of night al
sea. tho "l1onhomme Richard" and the
Scraps" drew near each other. 1t wig
then exactly seven O'clock
AT tho first fire two of the three
eighteen Founders in the lower-tlcck
broadside OF the "Donhummc Richard"
burst. e. And the British noted
with glcc that thereafter none OF these,
the heaviest guns on the Yankees ship,
were fired. The crews of the two guns
that hurst were all either killed or seri-
ously wounded, and the men on that
deck were called up to the main deck to
help work The guns there.
For one hour the two ships drif.eI
side by side, drawing slowly nearer to
each other while the men, with desperate
cnerG, worked their guns. There was
IL vnst i" q in ~ rs "Vo had
to, eig..
beIcw. M.ptn an officer Of t.. ..
aftcrward. Il do not see why :,
should have failed
And no shot of that battery did fall
during the first hour. and when they
failed later IT. was because they had shot
the six ports of the "Bonhomme Rich
ard" into ono hnge chasnl, not only on
the side of her next to them, but on the
further side as WELL 50 that when they
fired some of the battery the balls
passed clear and fell into the, sea be-
yond. There was not a splinter of tho
American ship left in front of them.
They had not only cut away the walls
Of the "BonhOmmc Richard" they had
practically cleared her lower gllndeck.
There was no one left there save only Il
few marines that guarded the line Of
boys passing cartridges from the maga-
zinc up to the guns on the upper dock.
Nor was that the worst effect the Eng
lsh fire had had upon the "Donhomme
Richard" Taking advantage, Of the ROLL
ing of the vessels in the long gentle
SWELL tho English had been able to send
IL half dozen of their cightccn-pound
shot into the "l'onhommc Richard" be-
low the walerline, and she was leaking
like Il basket"
Then the voice ol Captain Pearson
was heard asking if the American ship
had surrendered And John Paul Jones
replied:
81 have not yet begun to fight"
Once more the commander OF the
"Seraps" strovc to get into position to
rake. but as the "Scrapis' wore around
the "Bonhommc Richard forged ahead.
Jones was determined to keep close to
the enemy, and soon the jEboom Of the
"Scraps" fnllled the siarboarl mizzrn
rigging of the "Bnnhommc Richard"
Turning to Carpenter Stacy, who WIS
near at hand, Jones ordered a hawser
brought When it came he helped with
his own hands to lash the jibboom Of
the "Serapis" fast to the mizzenmast Of
the "Bonhomme Richard.' While
doing this the hawser fouled in some
way, and Stacy began to curse.
Don't swear. Mr. Stacy" said Jones,
"in another moment we may all be In
eternity; but let us do our duty"
They did their duty, and the ships
were held hard and fast; and John Paul
Jones emphasized his faith in what had
been done by saying:
well done, my brave lads; We have.
got her now"
And so they had in one way. .
But in the sense of capturing the "Sera-
pis" never was such triumphant cry
raised with less hope of accomplishing
the result =
The ships now lay with their STAR