The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1901-06-14

as that operation required great deXterity IN the
management of both sails and helm and some Of
our braces being shot away, it did not exactly
succeed to my wishes The enemy's bowsprit
came over the Bonhomme Richards starboard
by the mizzenmast and made both ships fast.
In that situation, which by the action OF tho
wind on the eneiny's sails forced her stern close
to the Bonhonlme Richards bow so that the
ships lay square alongside OF each other, the
yards being entangled and the cannon of each
ship touching the opponents side. When this
position took place, it s O'clock previous to
which the Bonhomme Richard had received sun
dry IS pound shots below the water and leaked
very much. My battery OF ~ Founders, on which
! had placed my chief dependence being COM
manded by Lieutenant Deal and Colonel Weibert
and manned principally by American seamen
and French volunteers, was entirely silenced and
abandoned.
As to the six old is Founders that formed the
battery of the lower gun deck, they did no serv-
ice whatever. Two oIt OF three of them burst at
the frs, IRE and killed almost all the men who
We're stationed to manage them. l now had only
two pieces of cannon, Founders, on the quarter
deck that were not silenced, and not one of the
heavier cannon was fred during the rest of the
action The purser, Mr.. Pease, who commanded
the guns on the quarter deck, being dangerously
wounded in the head, was obliged to fill his
place and with great difficulty rallied few men
and shifted over one Of the lee quarter deck
guns SO that we afterward played three Founders
upon the enemy The tops alone seconded the
fire OF this little battery and held out bravey dur
ing the whole OF the action
Paul Jones had sailed in merchant
men from his twelfth to his twentieth
year. He knew how ship should be
handled and had been on fighting
deck couple of years. But he gained
all his theory Of naval warfare from
the French. He was ambitious to be a
naval commander. Fighter that he was.
mere fighting had no charms for him.
| He wanted to win and win on true
principles. His report is naive and SIM
pie, but in no part is there greater sim
plicity than when he tells of the Incl
dent when placed his battle epigram
beside those of Perry, Nelson and Law
renee. Says he:
l directed the fire of one Of the three cannon
against the mainmast with double headed shot,
while the other two were exceedingly we'll served
with grape and canister shot to silence the enc
my's musketry and clear her decks, which was at
last effected. The enemy were, as have since
understood on the instant of calling for quarter
when the cowardice or treachery of three of my
underoficers induced them to call to the enemy.
The English commodore asked me if demanded
quarter, and, having answered him in the most
determined negative ca have just begun to
fght!'D, they renewed the battle with double
fury.
The English commander didn't appre-
ciate the Determined negative" as
highly as Paul Jones countrymen and
his numerous un-English admirers.
When the enemy rushed to board the
Bonhomme Richard. they found Paul
Jones at the gangway armed with a
pike and supposed that he had a good
reserve in the smoky background. The
truth is he stood alone, for his crew
| had suffered horrible carnage, and
some of the sailors We're insubordinate
The numerous leaks caused by the
! British shots We're on the point of car
rying the ship down, and Jones order
Ell the English prisoners brought out OF
the hold. Like De Wet, Jones was con
tinually picking up patches of the enc
my. At this time they We're handy te
\ have around He set them at the pumps
/ and told them it was work or drown
for the Scraps was on the point OF
sinking, and their only hope lay in say
ing the Yankee to get home in. So the
] poor fellows, who might easily have
! walked aboard their own vessel, work
ed with a will to give few hours lease
of life to the ship that was shooting
some ugly holes in the reputation OF
I the British navy. Afterward Jones
! mustered them to help put out the fire;
I springing up ali over the Bonhomme
( Richard.
] In fact, as Paul Jones declared il
his report. the Britons Spelled briton:
! in the originaD at the Scraps guns
didn't worry the Yankee half as mucl
as fire and water and the lunacy O
Captain Landais, the French ally
! who came up with the Alliance whe1
4 the Bonhomme Richard was in DIES