The National tribune., 1898-03-31

the British armed transport Mellish, with
a cargo OF 10 Geo uniforms of heavy WOODEN
10 eco great coats. 7C00 pairs of blankets.
4O0 tents ! GO saddles with cavalry
eouipnlents l. zee eco rounds OF fixed am
nluuition for small arms, quantity OF
medical stores and 20 field-caseS OF suTgI-
cal instruments; all intended for the use OF
the British army, and all priceless IN the
then state of the struggling Colonies.
He also had another prize, part OF whose
carro was composed of ! 70a fur overcoats
made for the use OF the British troops IN
Canada and a COO pairs OF blankets, IN
tended partly for the general Canaoiah
market and partly Tor the INDIANS the III. IN
British pay on the northern frontier. inns
shin also contained an elegant case OF
pistols and a quantity of wines and BRAN
dies consigned to the Governor OF quebec,
which Jones confiscated for his own use
Thirty-two years afterward these TWO
prizes were adiudged and their value DIS
fributed among the few surviving captorS
and the heirs OF those who had passed
away But Jones'S share was limited To
the case of pistols and the wines and
brandies intended for Sir Guy Carleton.
The Winter of 1776-'77 was unusually
severe. The stores captured IN the Mel
lish and the other prize the Bldeford)
were OF untold value to the patriot army.
Jones did not attempt another WINTER
cruise. He reported to the Marine Com
mittee that the Alfred was not ut Tor
another cruise, and no other ship was at
once available. About Jan. 5, 1IlI, he
was ordered to lay up his ships at Boston
and come to Philadelphia for conference
with the Marine Committee.
They had begun TO find out who he was,
CONSULTING WITH PATRIOT LEADERS.
As soon as he arrived in Philadelphia
he held "A series of consultations with
Robert Morris. Joseph Hewes and John
Langdon. OF these events the Hewes Me
mortal says:
Capt Jones now urged upon the Com
uittee the expediency OF extending our
naval operations. He declared that it was
vital that we should make show OF
maritime force in European waters. He
exclaimed that our new flag must be
shown in the ports OF continental Europe
and along the coasts Of England.
when asked what ships were available
for such duty, he said he could make an
1S-cun slcop out Of his prize, the Mellish,
though she was not so good Saller as he
would like for such an enterprise.
These conferences were renewed from
time To time. but all OF the same tenor and
result. In March Capt. Jones went TO
his plantation, near the Rappahannock,
whence he returned to Philadelphia early in
April
This visit to the Rappahannock was
sad one. He had been absent only year
and a hall. when nc let MS pldftdtion IN
September 1875, il WAS a paradise. When
he returned in March. 1717. IL was a waste.
Between incursions from the British SQUAD
ron in the Chesapeake and the Incidence
or dishonesty Of those he left in charge il
had been wrecked.
During 1873 and 177i it had yielded him
the then princely net income OF about
three thousand dollars annually; now il
was worthless. The buildings were in
ashes. the wharf destroyed, The stock
killed or driven off, and Of his slaves only
two or three old and decrepld couples re-
manned, and they were hardly able To
raise crops enough for their own meageT
subsistence.
This was a hard blow coming as il did on
the heels OF the collapse OF a commercial
concern in the Island Of Tobago, West
Indies. in which he had an important
interest. and from which lac ultimately
realized only 1l66 sterling out OF an original
valuation of 3 GOO guneas.
When he went 10 Philadelphia in 1775 he
had several hundred cuineas. perhaps a
thouSand-some say .5C0-ln ready money,
which he had invested in securities or had
by this time used up in expenses; for
about this time he wrote 10 MIR. HoweS
that in 20 months service under his com
mission he had drawn only so pounds of
his lawful pay!
Turning his beck on his desolate plan
tafion and casting Ia oblivion his mercan-
tile concern in Tobago, he returned to
Philadelphia in April, 1777, as he ex-
pressed il, with no fortune but my sword
and no prospect but that OF getting along
side the enemy"
URGING a EUROPEAN CRUISE.
Arriving in Philadelphia, he at once be-
gan again TO press his project OF Euro
pean cruise. OF the - frigates authorized
by the Congress in December, 1175, but
five had been laid down; of which three
were now ready for service. lie tried TO
get one of these-the Trumbull-but stood
sixth in the list of Captains, and his
seniors, Nicholson, Barry and Saltonstall,
must have the three frigates.
Finally, almost at his wits ends, Though
by no means in despair, he sought the aid