The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1905-08-10
PAUL Jones' GREAT FIGHT.
Graphic Description Of the Capture of
the Scraps by the Bohomme
Richard.

lC10SLs DOH III 1LS6I1 ana because OF
the stirring incidents which it re-
called, was the landing of the body
of Commodore John Paul Jones i,
on American soil recently and its
deposit in the temporary vault at
Annapolis, which it is to occupy
until it shall find a final resting
place in the crypt of the Naval
Academy Chapel. Commodore
Jones greatest fame was won in
his fight with the British frigate
Scraps off the coast Of England, on
the night of September %, I773,
and the story forms one Of the
most interesting pages of the an
mails of the Revolutionary War.
The Richmond, CVa.) E9ening
Journal published last Saturday
the following description of it in
the guise of a dispatch from war
correspondent on board the Scraps,
written when the captured vessel
reached the Texel, on October ;,
1878:
The pride of Britain has been
most thoroughly humbled by the
unexampled victory achieved over
one of her finest frigates, the Sc
rapis, A, by Commodore John
Paul Jones, in the U. S. Ship Bon
homme Richard, after nearly three
hours ofthe most desperate fight
ing ever seen on the narrow seas.
The events of the cruise up to
the middle Of September, which
has been brilliantly successful in
spite of the continued insubordina-
ton of the captain, have been pre-
viously despatched to you. EARLY
in the afternoon Of Thursday, the
23rd of September, the Richard.
the Pallas and the Alliance sight
ed the Baltic merchant fleet off
Marlborough headland under con-
voy CT two ships of war, one Of
which, it was discovered, was
tWO-decker The Richard and
the Pallas at once crowded sail to
close with the enemy, who boldly
interposed between us and the con-
voy flying in great confusion for
the shelter of Scarborough harbor.
The Alliance, whose captain, Ian
dais, has been most mutinous and
dlsobediedt throughout the cruise,
was hull down to the southwark
and paid no attention to signals.
The wind was light and var
liable and it was not until six bells
in the second dog watch & P. NJ
that we got within hail of the lar
ger ship waiting for US about two
leagues from the headland. Then
edging seward, and Alliance was
still far astern, leaving US alone to
engage our enemy, for which we
were not unwilling, indeed, very
eager. The sea was smooth as
mill pond, the light wind scarcely
affording steerage way in the
strong tide, The full moon in a
clear sky gave plenty of light for
our bloody work.
"As we ranged alongside, the
commodore having skilful1y got
to windward, the enemy hailed,
what ship is that? Ordering the
helm to starboard, the commodore.
to gain time, answered, I don't
un derstand you The enemy
hailed again, with a threat to fire,
which we answered with broad
side. The response was prompt,
and for the next few minutes we
drifted along side by sidea cables
length 600 feet apart, exchang-
ing a terrific fire, when most
lamentable catastrophe took place
on our ship. Two Of the six IS
FOUNDERS in the gun deck burst,
killing nearly all the men stationed
there and severely wounding Mid
shipman Mayrant, who had charge
of them. AS these were all con-
demned French guns, they were
abandoned by order ofLieut. Rich
ard Dale, the first officer. Mr..
Mayrant, refusing to go below,
volunteered for the gun deck bat
terry.