The Bon Homme County independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1904-1913, 1905-09-07
SOME FACTS ABOUT
JOHN PAUL JONES
Was q Phenomenon in Human
Nature and IN Anomaly
in Human Character.
ONCE A SLAVE DEALER
Later Jsinsd smusslsrs ovt Soon LET,
This 70 Engage In osries gmplsy
81 Capturing Wsrships d
the kiWs.


John Paul Jones was q phenomenon
IN human nature. and an anomaly In
the human character. However sacred
and endearing 10 the principle TO Amer
leans that all men are born equal and
born free q Scots peasant has Put a
faint conception OF native equality OF
native freedom-yet. although Paul OF
Dumfrtes was born OF humble peasants.
be might. with Paul OF Tsrsus. have
said. 7 wal born free The devotion OF
the Scots pessantry II ~proyerbiaI for
seemed to have but little reference To
heaven! He Invested himself OF devo-
ton and humanity also. and attached
himself TO an Internal blood stained
slave dealer. He left the disboiical
tranic In human flesh. and became
commander-in-chief In smuggling
goods. He left the business Of de-
frauding the c for the daring
employ OF capturing the warships OF
his king"
The above pen picture II from Bio
graphical Sketches OF American Naval
Heroes In b Wal OF American Reyo-
luton" published In lSe3 by =. Put
nam Waldo OF Hartford. Conn: a Il
must be remembered that In the early
years Of Paul Jones activities the slave
trade and smuggling were not abhorred
ss they Afterwards became.
John Paul Jones, on board the Amer
lean ship Alfred. hoisted the first star
spangIed banner which eyer waved
from h mast OF an American vessel.
la December. i7TI. he entered the port
OF Nantx nnd communicated TO the
French people the first intelligence OF
General Gates capture OF General
Burgoyne and his British army.
In 111S. ut ouiberon bay, where the
French neet with stores for America
was waiting the signal to sail. Jones.
then In command 81 the Ranger. en-
tered the bay n saluted the French
admiral; the salute was promptly re-
turned This 10 the FIRST recorded
. salute the American flag ever received
from n foreign power.
OF the many marvellous exploits OF
this marvellous man me In perplexed In
making n selection ito point a moral
and adorn a tale:" but no mistake can
bo made In using the great combat be-
tween lie Bonhomme Richard and the
British frigate Scraps or the coast OF
England on September g, 11sa. as an
object lesson OF John saul Jones great
courage. wonderfully r~esourceful mind
and pre-cmincnce as a fighting COM
mander. Fortunately we have John
Paul Jores's own report. also that OF
Captain r. Pearson. who commanded
the Scraps.
Flo genuine bulldog nevcr-let-so
tcnacity. ferociiy and desperation. his
combat was something terrific. The
scenes depleted seem almost incredible.
Here n acopy OF the communication
Here ls a copy Of the communication
n captured Serapis on the Texei
dutch possessions northeast OF Hol-
hndD October ~. 1879:
Il have only time. my dear friend. TO
inform you that I have this day an
rhored here. having taken this ship In
the night OF the 23d ult. on the coast
OF England after n battle OF three hours
that time the Good Man Richard and
this ship being fast alongside OF one
another. both ships being in flames and
h o Man Richard making water
faster than all the pumps could deliver
*. This ship mosnts forty-four guns.
and has two entire batteries. on OF
them eightcen-pounders. so that my
situation was severe enough to have
to deal with such an enemy In such a
dreadful situation. Judge then what "a
must have q when the Alliance
lame up towards the close Of the
action, and. instead ~ assisting me.
directed her whole IRE against the
Good Man i.ichard. not once or twice.
but repeatedly. after being spoken 10
and showing a private signal OF recog-
nizsnce. The Alliance killed eleven
nicn and mortaily wounded an officer
on the Good Man Richards forecastle
nj one volley. I have lost In killed and
wounded the best part OF my men. The
Good Man Richard went To the bottom
on the morning OF the 25th uii. In spite
OF every cfort 10 bring her Into port.
No action before was ever. In all
respects. so bloody, so severe, aud so
lasting. l beg OF you to communicate
this. with my best respects. TO the
gentlemen OF your pert.
The IRE was not e~xtingulshed on
board the Good Man Richard I'LL eight
hours after the enemy had struck. and
at last u had reached within a few feet
Of the mage zine. We lost all the stores
and all our private effects: hut no lives
were lost from the conilasrstion. The
Psiias took AT the same time an armed
ship of twenty six-p2yndsrs.
N. R.-The prizes taken and ON
sumed by the Good Man Richard dur
ing her Cruis. OF about three months
amounts to at least about a million OF
hvrcs."
The brtvi;y and sin. plicity Is on the
-yeni-yIdi-v icI' order: but that of
Parsons In more rcplete In thrilling
details. This letter II written from OF
board the Pailas. on the Texcl. October
6. ITIy. me IL as follows
"Jou may be pleased To Inform the
turFs commissioners OF the admiralty
that on the g2d uli.. being close IN with
Scarborough about IL o'clock. . boat
came On board with a letter from the
bsilifrs OF that corporation giving In
formation OF "A flying squadron Of the
enemy's ships being on the coast. and
. part OF the said squadron having
been seen from thence the day before.
sta nding TO the southwark. As soo as
4 received this intelligence | made the
signal for the convoy To bear down un-
der my Ice. ~ repeated with two
guns: Notwithstanding which the van
Of the convoy kept their wind. with all
sai. stretching out to n southwark
from under Marlborough head. Till be-
tween I: and I. when the headmort OF
them got ia sight OF the enemy's ships.
which were then In chase OF them;
they tnen tackled and made the best OF
their way under he shore for Scarbor-
eagh, letting ny their topgsllant sheets
sud firing guns. upon which made all
tho sail I could to the windward To get
between the cnemy's ships q the
convoy. which | oon effected.
AT I o'clock we got sight Of the
encmy'n ship from masthead. md about
we made them plain from the deck to
BE- three large ships inc a brig. upon
which made the Countess OF Scar
bc.-,fya signal to join me. she being
I'm shore with the convoy: at the same
time Z made signal TO the convoy TO
make the best OF their gay. and re-