Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-11-25
GALLANT PAUL JONES
His 2.eturn Of the Captured
Selkirk Plate.
LETTERS RECOVERED
COURTEOUS CONDUCT PRAISED BY
BENJAMIN FRANKLIN.
Intellectual Efforts to Find the Remains
of the Father Of the Ameri-
can Navy.
BY WILLIAM E. CURTIS.

Cdu NaVy.
BY WILLIAM E. CURTIS.
Written for The Evening Star and the Chicago
Record Herald.
The Secretary of the Navy has just re-
ceived from Capt. John Hope of the Brit
ish navy all of the correspondence that
passed between Capt. John Paul Jones, the
father of the American navy" and Lord
and Lady Selkirk of England, between 177S
and 1884, concerning one of the most in
teresting incidents In the life of that dra-
matte hero. Captain Stockton, naval at
tache at the United States embassy in Lon
don, through whom the papers are sent,
writes that Captain Hope, who is a grand
son of the Earl of Selkirk has contributed
them, not for publication, but for the files
of the Navy Department. in order that the
record of Captain Jones In connection with
that episode may be clear and complete.
The affair is familiar to all who have read
the biographies of our first famous sailor,
and some of the letters have already been
published, but the majority of them are
new and have been takn from the archives
Of the Selkirk family, which is one of the
most distinguished of the Scotch nobility.
In February, ITS, Captain Jones sailed
lroHI NANTES, III tne SlOOp hanger, ana,
upon his arrival at Quiberon, compelled the
naughty French admiral to give the Ameri-
can flag. which Jones was the first to hoist,
the first salute it ever received OF its
triumphant recognition Zones was naturally
very proud, and he wrote to the marine
committee of the Continental Congress: II
am happy in having it in my power to con-
graduate you upon my having seen the
American flag recognized in the fullest and
completest manner by France"
Planned to Capture Selkirk.
He then sailed on his first famous cruise,
which resulted in the capture of the City
Of Whitehaven and the big British ship
of war Drake, whereupon he stood over
for the Scotch shore and landed at the
Island of st. Mary's with one boat and
party of twelve men, for the purpose of
capturing the Earl of Selkirk and holding
him to be exchanged for a number of gal
liant American officers who were then pris-
oners of the British at Portsmouth, Lon
don, and elsewhere. 1t so happened how
ever, that the earl was not at home. Jones,
of course. was very much disappointed and
in order to avoid mutiry among his men
he was compelled to allow them to demand
the family plate Of the tSelkirks as loot.
But, having returned to the harbor of
Brest the first thing he did was to address
a long and pompous letter to Lady Selkirk,
apologizing for the intrusion upon her
mouse, and explaining the circumstances
which led to 1t.
1t is &c nervous, frank and manly letter.
and, although the style is bombastic and
the confidential tone in which he addresses
a British countess whom he has never
known or even seen may he in bad taste,
it nevertheless shows that the rough and
unsophisticated sailor was a thorough gem
tleman, with deep vein of sentiment. The
communication was forwarded through
Benjamin Franklin, then minister of the
colonies at Paris and he appears to have
or he yIyrifn hot -
gallant letter, which must give her ladyship
high and just opinion of your generosity
and nobleness of mind"
Jones' Apology.
Captain Jones begins his communication
to the Countess of Sellirk by saying that
"it cannot be too much lamented that, in
the profession of arms, the officer of fine
feelings and real sensibility should be un-
der the necessity of winking at any action
of persons under his command which his
heart cannot approve; but the reflection Is
doubly severe when he finds himself obliged,
in appearance, to countenance such acts by
his authority. This hard case was mine,"
he goes on to explain, when he landed at
st. Marys Island, intending to capture Lord
Selkirk, land to have detained him until
through his means, a general and fair ex-
change of prisoners had been effected"
Upon landing, he says, he was greatly
disappointed TO ma that his lordShlp was
absent. His men manifested their discon-
tent at the fruitless expedition, and pro-
posed that indemnity be demanded because
I'm America no delicacy was shown by the
English, who took away all sorts OF nova
Bile property, setting fire not only to the
houses of the rich, but not even sparing
the wretched hamlets and mich cows of
the poor and helpless at the approach of
an inclement winter
Jones confesses that he thought there was
some ground for their complaints, and so
he consented that they should accept of
the plate which was offered" but none of
the seamen were permitted to enter the
house or to hurt anything about 1t. They
were charged Ito treat you madam, with
the utmost respect, and to come away with
out making search or demanding anything
else. am induced to believe that I was
punctually obeyed,' says the shrewd sea-
man, with a bit of SATIRE "since / am in
formed that the plate which they brought
away is far short of the quantity expressed
In the inventory which accompanied 1t. l
have gratified my men; and when the plate
is sold l shall become the purchaser and
gratify my own feelings by restoring it to
you by such conveyance as you will please
to direct"
Jones Anxious for Peace.
The young seadog then digresses from the
subject, and. in graphic language. with
poetic quotations, describes what the earl
would have seen IL he had been captured
and detained on board the Ranger; because
that very evening occurred the famous bat
tie with the Drake. He gives her ladyship
a VIVID account of the battle, and the
melancholy reflections of contemplative
mind over the slaughter of brave men. He
tnen makes boyish confession of his feel
ings and the motives which actuate him In
becoming the first American admiral