The Bon Homme County independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1904-1913, 1905-09-07

peated signal with two guns then
brought To. let the Countess OF Scar
borough come up and cleared ship for
action. At hair past ave the Countess
OF Scarborough Joined me. h enemy's
ships then bearing down upon us. AZ
8 We tackled and laid our head In shore.
In order tn keep the ground the better
between the enemy's ships and the
convoy. Soon afterwards We perceived
he ships bearing down upon us TO be
n two-decked ship and two frigates.
but from keeping OF and on upon us.
on bearing down. We could not discern
what cclors they were under. Al about
twenty minutes past seven the largest
ship OF the three brought TO on our
aboard bow. within musket shot. !
hailed him. aud asked him what ship
~ was: they answered In English. the
Princess Royal. then asked who they
belonged to: they answered cvasively.
on which ] told them ~ they dsd not
answer directly I would nrf into them.
They answered with q shot. which WAS
INSTANTLY returned with a b~roadside.
He backed hts top:fils ana gFoRPea
then hiled again. put his helm a-westh-
err and run us On board upon a
weather quarter and attempted to
board us. but being repulsed he sheered
OF. upon which 1 backed our topsails.
In order TO get square with him again.
which. N soon m he observed. he then
filled. put his helm a-weather and laid
us athwart hsw.e: his mixep shrouds
toe our lib boom. which hung for
sometime tiIl IL at last gave way. and
VIZ dropt alongside OF each other head
and stern. We became 30 close fore
and aft hat the muxxles OF our gum
touched each others sides.
In this position we engaged from
half past eight to half past ten. during
which time. from the great quantity
and variety OF c~ombustibie matters
which they threw In upon oar decks.
chains and. In short. into every part OF
the ship. We r.ere on IRE not less than
ten or twelve tines In different parts
OF the ship. mr. . X was with the great
est dificulty and exertion imaginable
ut times hat We were able to get u
c~xtinguished. Al the same time the
largest of b tive frigntes tthe Al
llance) kept Ealing round US the Who'll.
action raking us fore and aft. by which
means she killed or wounded every
man on the quarter N main decks.
About half past ninr. either from a
hand grenade being thrown In at n
nf h lower deck ports or from some
other ACCIDENT. n cartridge or powder
VAS set on fre. the flames of which.
from cartridge 20 cartridge all
the way aft. blew up the whole Of the
people and officers that were abaft the
snainmast. from which unfortunate CTR
cumstaaces all these guns were rem
dered useless for the remainder OF the
ana I fear the greatest part OF
the people will lose their lives.
AT 10 o'clock they called for quar-
ters from the ship alongside, and said
lhau taA strNsgE Laorkn0 this aaltssl
the captain TO know II they had
or II he asked for quarters. but
no answer being made. after repeating
my words two or three times. / called
for the boarders and ordered them tn
board. which they did: but m soon ~
they were or board her they discovered
n superior number laying under cover
with pixies In their hands ready To re-
them. Our people reiterated In
stantly into our own ship. and returned
10 their u nj again It'll past 10. when
the frlgate coming cross our stern.
aud pouring her broadside into US
again without our being able to bring
A gun To bear on her. ] found II In vain
and. In short, lmpracticable. from h
situation We were In. 10 stand out any
longer with the least prospect OF sue
ress. I therefore struck: our mainmast
NJ the same time went by the board.
on my Soing on board the
Bonhomme Richard ] found her In
distress: her quarter n oun
On the lower deck entirely drove I'm and
he whole OF her lower deck guns dis
mounted. She was also or fire In two
and six or seven feet of water IN
Inc hold. which kept increasing upon
hem all night and next day. TN they
we're obliged to quit her. and sh. sunk
n great numoer OF wounded on
her. She had SOC men killed and
In the action: u loss I'm the
was also very great. As
soon az possible I shall give your lord
ship a full account or the whole. I am
most obedient and humble ser
X. Pearson
This IL the remarkable combat in
which legend records d q Captain
Pearson cried out to Jones: Il give
at opportunity To strike: II you do
lot. A viii sink you M the next broad
The reply OF Jones was char
,cterlstic: Sink M II you can-if !
20 60 the devil.I had rather strik.
10 him IA n To you"
La commenting On h remarkabl.
~ OF the publications OF that
period states that at u time during
fight n report run through h ship
hat Commander Jones n the only
were slain. The gunner
.scended the quarter e To strike In.
and there found the undismayed
commodore working his three remain
.ng guns" British sailors. prisoners
Who escaped from lie Bonhomm-
Richard, made this report to the Brit
authorities
Jones fought In sailors frock and
.roussrs. with n large girdle oun his
In which hung twelve pistols and
4 large cutiass In his hand" They
he escaped s~ailors-say that they saw
Jones blow out the brains OF seventeen
,f his men for abandoning their posts"
II u any wonder when such yarns
we're told that the entire English
had fits and nightmares at the mention
~ the name Of Jones?