The Washington times., 1902-03-08
MIDDIES LISTEN TO
NAVAL HERO'SEULOGY

would receive further attention. l re-
quested Mr.. Granville Hurst, whom you
know. to act for ne; suggesting only
that a demand for satisfaction should be
favorably considered. and that he should
propose pistols at ten PAGES: place of
meeting, Craney Island; time at the con-
venience of the other side.
" To my infinite surprise. no demand
came. but this morning On the ebb tide
the sloop- p-of-war got under way and
| sailed it is said, for Charleston"
Opening Scenes of the War.
Mr.. Watterson ran over the opening
scenes of the War of the Revolution; the
assembling of little navy; the frs,
choice of captains, political shippers" I"
they were called. being a failure; of Paul
| Jones final selection to command the
first American frisate that ever crossed
the ocean: of his one capture in France,
and, in short, the prelude to the great
drama he was there to enact. He was
now just passed thirty years of age.
He was among living seamen unsur
passed in varied, all-around experience. -
said the orator. His soul was permeated
by the spirit of the revolution. Above
genius. shaped and pointed by the cool
intrepidity of a level head and the noble
promptings of an heroic heart. By a
flash OF prescience the great old doctor
recognized in the handsome young sailor
the born leader of men. He was hardly
less a captivator of women. Miss Edes-
Herbert speaks of him as 'exQuisitely
handsome and of his features as deli
cate almost to the point of effeminacy.'
His Personal Directness.
Here is an Introductory episode:
Jones encountered the impediments and
delays incident to the peculiar situation
to which he had at once to address him
self. Whilst he went to Paris, and later
on made an official though clandestine
visit to Amsterdam to inspect a cruiser
under contract and construction there.
he had left the Ranger in the dockyard
at Brest. When he returned he found
that his second in command. Simpson,
the crew. Indeed. he learned that Simp-
son had been assuming some wholly su-
perlluous airs of authority. He lost no
time in calling Simpson down.
Mr.. Simpson, said he, 7 command
this ship. l command this ship by vir-
tue of my senior rank, by virtue of the
resolution of Congress dated the 1ith of
June last, and by virtue of the order of
the Commissioners dated January 10th
last. But l waive these ccnsidera-
tions. As far as you are concerned, | will
say only that l command this ship by yr-
tue of the fact that l am personally the
best man aboard, a fact which l shall
cheerfuily demonstrate to you at your
pleasure
Simpson was brave man. But he de-
sired no further proof or parley. There
was in consequence no demonstration
and all was made ready to sail on the
10th of April, it being now the latter part
of March. 1i1s."
Amazed the Frenchmen.
Mr.. Watterson related Jones' first cruise
in foreign waters. 1t lasted from the
10th Of April to the Sth of May. and ex-
tended from Brest Roadstead through ST.
Georges Channel northwardly and out
around Lands End and back By the west
Irish coast, embracing descent upon ST.
Mary's Isle, the seat of Castle Selkirk,
and upon the port OF Whitehaven, the
first to carry off the Earl OF SeIkirk
prisoner OF war. the second to destroy
bor.
THE Earl OF Selkirk was hot at home"
the speaker said, 'and adverse winds
limited the contemplated destruction to
single ship. But Jones was more fortu-
nate in the open sea, where late in the
afternoon of the 2ith OF April ne encoun-
tered and captured his Majesty's sloop-
of-war, the Drake, twenty guns and one
hundred and fiGty-seven officers and men,
after a hard-fought battle, he de-
scribes il, 'of one hour and four minutes
pure and simple broadsiding at close
range Jones mad one hundred and TWEEN
ty-six, all hands at quarters, and eighteen
guns The brakes battery embraced six
teen ine-pounders and four four pound
ers; Jones guns were only fourteen nine
Founders and four skies. The like had
never been known before.
When Jones brought his prize back to
Brest the Frenchmen could hardly be-
Iieve the evidence of their own senses.
That an English man-of-war could be
made TO surrender to an inferior enemy
seemed inconceivable. But there was the
proof before their eyes, and from that
moment Jones was immortal. Splendid
were the fetes in his honor. He had swept
the English coast; he had made two
forays on English soil; he had taken six
prizes bringing three of them into port;
and, strangest of all, he had forced an
armed English cruiser OF superior metal
to strike her coiors had taken her bodily
and alive and had lived to fetch her
safely into French port.
Difficulties in His Path.
Jones came back from his first cruise
victorious. Yet with all his new made
gIories thick upon him, he was not, as
the old saying hath it, yet out of the
woods. He had much to encounter; yeX-
atious delays inevitable to French red
tapism; numerous distractions, the Of
spring of official bungling on the part OF
the American representatives; another
serious bout with poor Simpson. a not
ill-intentioned nor an uncourageous sim
pleton; some serious financial difficulties
promoted by wrangling among the com
missioners and the fiscal authorities, and
finally relieved only by the belated sale
Of his captures and the realization of prize
money he counted on, and had right to.
long before he got it; the ultimate loss
Of the Ranger, which was ordered home. |
and a great deal of wearisome journeying
between Brest and Paris.
Jones carried himself, all the circum- |
stances considered, with amazing for |
bearance and fortitude. Franklin backed |
him from first to last, even John Adams |
but he had TO wait a long |
time-more than half a year-for the |
clouds OF uncertainty. of suspense border |
ing at times on despair to roll by, His |
appeals TO the King of France. to the Min |
isters and the Court, albeit supported |
by the endorsement of the American Com |
missioners, and the yet more potent intiu |