The National tribune., 1898-05-26
CHAPTER Y.


A SQUADRON-THE DOINGS OF SOM
OF THE RICHARDS MEN-CAREEF
OF MAYRANT AND TANNING, PUPIL
OF PAUL JONES.
Though Sir Joseph Yorke had bee
thwarted in his first attempt to secure de
livery of Capt. Jones and his prizes over
him on grounds of piracy, he was still de
termined to wTeak vengeance on jone:
himself. So, giving up the effort To secure
possession of the Scraps and Scarbor'
and the English prisoners, whom the klnt
of France had claimed he now determined
to have Jones in the Alliance driven out o.
the Texel into the Jaws of the English
blockading squadron. 1t happened that
the counsels of the Dutch themselves were
divided The States General, then known
as Their High Mightinesses, were in
sympathy with the American cause. But
the Prince of Orange nominal Stakeholder
and CommandeT-in-Chie OF the Dutch
Army and Navy, was a British puppet.
To him Sir Joseph Yoke appealed. He
charged that the veteran patriot, Admiral
de Riemersma, was unduly indu'"cnt to
the pirate Paul Jones'" stating among
other things that de Riemersma is so
infatuated with this adventurer that he
exchanges social civilities with him, has
him to dine aboard his flagship, and intro
duces him To the choicest society OF Am
IL
Britannia Majesty and to fiout me, his
Envoy near your Court.
The Prince of Orange promptly took adj
vantage of the fact that de RiemerSma was
by age subject to relief from sea command
at his tthe Prince'sD discretion, and on
the 18th of December, 1913, detached him
from the Texel feet and appointed wee
Admiral Philip de Reynst 10 the command
Jones happened to he in Amsterdam ar
ranging for some stores needed by lhe
Alliance when this change was made and
heard the news while at lunch with the
Duke de Nauguyon, who had come up
from the Hague to confer with him.
When this news came" says Jones IN
his journal His Grace. the Duke, re-
marked that it was a most Slgnlhcant
move.
Il replied. Yes, your Grace; Sir Joseph
himself could not have made an apter
choicei"
Returning the next day to the Texel,
Jones found letter from de Reynst await
ing him on board the Alliance, informing
him that he had assumed command OF me
Dutch feet. stating that it was desirable
TO his Government that the Alliance should
not remain in the waters Of Holland longer
than the laws of humanity IN cases OF dlS-
treSS would dictate. and asking nm 10
state when he, as commander OF the Al
lance would cease 10 consider hlmsef
entitled 10 the privileges OF distress.
ID
edcment of receipt, but vouchsafed 70
answer to de Reynst's inquiry.
Four DAYS later de ReynSt sent note
stating in rather curt phrase that The
Eice-Admiral commanding IN the 1eXel
desires the commanding officer of the
fricate Alliance TO come on board the flag
ship
Jones. after reading it, said TO the Adj
miral's Aid who handed it to him. This
seems to require no answer.
Pardon me, sir, said the young Dutch
Lieutenant; but am sure the Admiral ex-
poets one.
"In that case" retorted Jones, please
say 10 him, with my compliments, that |
cannot cutie make out what 1t is. Sug-
gest to him from me that it is not quite
polite enough for an invitation, and 1T is u
little too Unauthorized for an orderl'
This message brought a polite invitation
TO lunch with the Admiral with a view
TO the amicable discussion of matters Of
prime importance TO both Captain Jones
and his obedient servant, Nice-Admiral de
ReynSt.
on December %. Jones responded by a
visit to the Admiral on board the flagship,
the result of which, after discussion last
ing several hours, was an agreement that
the Alliance should sail with the first fair
wind provided that only the lookout ship
of the British feet should he visible at
such time in the of1inr. De Reynst, hostile
miration for his visitor.
On Christmas day an easterly gale he
gan which soon compelled the English
feet cruising in front Of the Texel to make
on ofing. all bat one or two of their
frigatcs being driven quite off the coast.
In the afternoon of Dec. 26 the wind
abated and about 10 O'Clock that night
Capt. Jones stood out 10 sea in the ALI
ance and boldly shaped his course fer the
Straits OF Dover He had an cid Dutch
pilot aboard, and finding after he rot out
side that no pilot boat was in sight. and
that the proximity % two English fricates
which had held their station left him no
time Ia lose, he carried the pilot Ia sea
with him end did not discharge him till he
found a Dutch ship in the harbor OF
Corunna, Spain
He now ran through the Straits OF Dover
and down the English Channel. passing
close enough i'm Ia fire shot at the Chan
mel feet anchored of Spithead and then
cruiSed - far south as Corunna where he
remained two weeks. watering and vic
tualing his ship Spain being at that
Eme at war with England. the Alliance
sas most cordially received and the civil
lies OF the town were exhausted i'm enter
tinng Commodore Jones and his officers
The crew of the Alliance at this time mum
kered 412 officers, seamen and marines alI
Of whom were Americans exceDt three
Frenchmen from the Richards old Crew,
EltIlt OtIdlhs ISoildIh lfDcnc JacGlfiin
and Denis Bouchinet. This was at least
100 men in excess Of the regular comnIa-
ment for frigate Of the rate Of the Alliance
A CREW THAT WANTED TO FIGHT.
On Jan. %, 1850, having refitted watered
end victualled the Alliance, Jones sailed
from Corunna for Torrent II has Ieen
stated that he had a large crew. composed
almost entirely OF Americans Some az
Richard, others were those detached into
the Alliance at r0rient in JULY. l77s but
many probably the ma ority-of tbem
were released prisoners who had NOT been
in the last cruise, and who. therefore had
still some open accounts TO settle with
their English iailers
The second day out from Comma the
iack-o'-the- handed 10 Comnodore
Jones petition signed by the entire crew
1t was as follows
We respectfully request Won sir IN Law
us alongside any single -decked Fnolisb
ship TO be found in these seas or any
double declked ship under a coz
This was not round rob;,, " d..
straight petition, headed by old .Iobn
Robinson, the Boatswain. and sipned in
order Of rating by every member of The
crew, including the cooks and cabin hoys
la his journal Jones says of it:
When this paper was handed to me I
could hardy control my feelings at
once mustered the crew and told them
that 1T was necessary for us to return TO
IorIent as soon as possible, and that we
were not prepared for long cruise / also
Ie