Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1905-04-18
Tho Return Of John Paul Jones.

and buried among he, ancestors ana
descendants. than it is also announced
| that the search for the body of Johi
Paul Jones in the cemeteries of Paris
has been successful, and that the great
est naval hero who Ought for our indie
pendcnce will be brought across the
Atlantic and inferred it'll fitting pOmp
in the national cemetery at Airing
ton. or at Annapolis where "A
great monument will be erected
| i'm his memory. The services of
John Paul Jones for our country are
not lightly to be esteemed. His ex-
PLOTS on the seas have made him
famous in history as one CT the great
est of the worlds sea fighters. He has
been called the father and founder of
the American navy, and certainly his
work off the coast of Great Britain in
sinking and capturing British war YES
sells and harassing British commerce
did much to help our war for indepen-
dence to a successful conclusion and 20
make America respected b.. the powers
of continental Europe.
1t has been the fashion of some his
torlans in telling Of the romantic career
of this naval hero to GisC uss him as Il
| freebooter and a pirate. but it is I'M
doubleday true that he was ii thorough
trin nd l,,t |,
| in behalf of American Independence
were inspired by love OF his adopted
country. He was a native of Scotland.
but came to America in early bOyhood,
| his home being in Virginia. He entered
the revolutionary navy as IA lieutenant
on Dec. 90, 1915. In command Of the
sloop Providence, and later of the Al
fred. he captured mauy British mcrch-
| anthem along the coast from Cape
1717, Jones sailed for Europe on the
| Ranger. harassed the codstinS trade of
Scotland, attacked the town of White
haven. His crew plundcred the house
of Lord Selkirk, but Jones bought the
silver plate and restored j: to Lord Sell
| kirk. After capturing the British sloop
Drake and taking it to Brcst. Jones
found himself without ship, the
Ranger being ordered home. Franco
christened his flagship the Bon Hommc
| Richard. This was the first war vessel
to fly the Stars and Stripes. Its crew
was recruited in Boston. The battle
between the Bon Hoinlne Richard and
the British frigate Scraps is histoic in
naval annals. Jones captured the
Scraps with its so guns and 80 men.
| Here in Maine we are proud Of the
fact that the first naval conflict of the
| Revolution took place in the waters of
Machias bay. when a British sloop of
| war was captured by the daring work
Of a body of Washington county
patriots. Nevertheless. the naval his
| tory of the Revolution is in the main 4
story of John Paul Jones exploits in
the West Indian waters and off the
shores of the British Isles. After the
war had reached a successful conclu-
| sion, Congress gave him a vote Of
| THANKS and voted him q gold medal.
| He remained abroad. however, and
served for years in tn" Russian navy.
going with charact"risti: energy into
| the campaign against The Turks. His
| health became broken and while he was
| living in Paris where King Louis XVI
| of France gave him sword of honor,
United States government raining him
| as American consul at Algicrs. He
| died. however, July &. 1872, before re-
ceving it. Although France was then
| in the throcs of its revolution. the
| national convention raused in the
| midst OF it's excited discussions to scnI
| delegates to attend mis- funeral. He
| was buried in the old cemetery i'm Paris,
| and there for H. years his body has re-
manned undisturbed
| In late years. as our country has
| come to appreciate moe and more the
significance and value of his services
| there has been starte "A movement for
| the removal of his body to these shores
and through the efforts of Ambassador
Porter the consent of the French au-
| thorities was obtained. For several
years the work of seeking his grave has
been underway, the work involving
| much expense which General Porter
has borne out of his private means.
| The changes which Paris has UNDER
gone during the past century resulted
in the removal of many landmarks. so
the investigation Was matter of great
difficulty and doubt. but at last the
long search was rewarded and we have
| the gratifying assurance that his grave
| has. been positively determined, the
| leaden caskct eXh.ined. and the re-