Kingsbury County independent. (DeSmet, Kingsbury County, S.D.) 1894-1929, 1905-09-08
peatod signal, with tw. gums; I then

peated signal with two gums; I then
brought to, let the Countess 6f Scar
borough come up and cleared ship for
action. AT half past five the Countess
OF Scarborough Joined me-, the enemy'5
ships then bearing down upon us. At
6 we tackled and laid u head in shore.
In order to keep the ground the better
between the enemy's ships and the
convoy Soon afterwards we perceived
the ships bearing down upon us to be
q two-decked ship n two frigates,
but from keeping off and on upon us,
on bearing down, we could not discern
what colors they were under. AT about
twenty minutes past seven the largest
ship OF the three brought to on our
la-board bow, within musSet shot. 1
hailed him, and asked him what ship
it was; they answered in English, the
Princess Royal. ] then asked who they
belonged to; they answered evasively,
on which l told them IL they did not
answer directly l would fire into them.
They answered with a shot, which was
instantly returned with a broadside.
He backed his topsails n dropped
upon our quarter within pistol shot,
then filed again, put his helm a-weath-
err and run us on board upon our
weather quarter and attempted to
board us, but being repulsed he sheered
off, upon which / backed our topsails,
In order to get square with him again,
which, as soon as he observed, he then
filled, put his helm a-weather n laid
as athwart hawse; his mizen shrouds
o % our jib boom, which hung for
sometime till it at last gave way, and
we dropt alongside OF each other head
and stern. We became so close fore
and aft hat the muZZles OF our guns
touched each others sides.
I'm this position we engaged from
half past eight to half past ten, during
which time, from the great quantity
and variety of combustible matters
which they threw in upon our decks,
chains and, in short, into every part of
the ship, we we're on fire not less h
ten or twelve times in different parts
of the ship, and it was with the great
est difficulty and exertion imaginable
at times that we were able to get 1t
extinguished. At the same time the
largest of the two frigates (the AL
lance kept sailing round us the whole
action raking us fore and aft, by which
means she killed or wounded every
man on the quarter and main decks.
About half past nine, either from a
hand grenade being thrown in at n
of the lower deck ports or from some
other ACCIDENT, a cartridge of powder
was set on fire, the flames Of which,
running from cartridge to cartridge ell
the way aft, blew up the whole of the
people and officers that were abaft the
mainmast, from which unfortunate cir
cumstances all these guns were rem
dered useless for the remainder of the
action, and l 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
they had struck. Hearing this, l called
upon the captain to know II they had
struck or If he asked for quarters, but
no answer being made, after repeating
my words two or three times, / called
for the boarders and ordered them to
board, which they did; but as soon as
they were or board her they discovered
q superior number laying under i've
with pixies in their hands ready to re-
ceiYe them. Our people retreated m
stantly into our own ship, and returned
to their guns again till past 10, when
the frigate coming across u stern,
and pouring her broadside. into us
again without u being able to bring
a gun to bear on her, / found 1t in vain
and, in short, impracticable, from the
situation we were in, to stand out any
longer witt the least prospect of sue
cess. / therefore struck; our mainmast
at the same time went by the board.
q. On my Noing on board the
Bonhomme Richard l found her in
great distress; her quarter and counte
on the lower deck entirely drove in and
the whole of her lower deck guns dis
mounted. She was also on fire In two
places and six or seven feet Of water In
the hold, which kept increasing upon
them all night n next day, till they
were obliged to quit her, n she sun
with a great number of wounded on
board her. She had 300 men killed and
wounded in the action; u loss IN the
Scraps was also very great. AS
soon as possible l shall give your lord
ship a full account Of the whole. l am
your most obedient and humble SER
want. K. Pearson
This is the remarkable combat in
which legend records that Captain
Pearson cried out to Jones: Il give
you an opportunity to strike; If you do
not, l will sink you at the next broad
side" The reply of Jones was char-
acteristic: Sink me If you can't I
must go to the devil. l had rather strike
to him than to you"
In commenting on the remarkable
combat n of the publications of that
period states that at one time during
the fight "a report run through the ship
that Commander Jones and the only
lieutenant were slain. The gunner
assembled the quarter deck TO strike the
flag, and there found the u~ndismayed
commodore working his three remain
ing guns" British sailors, prisoners
who escaped from lie Bonhomme
Richard, made this report to the Brit
ish authorities:
Jones fought in sailors frock and
trousers, with a large girdle round his
waist, in which hung twelve pistols and
a large cutlass In his hand" They
the escaped sailors-say that they saw
Jones blow out the brains Of seventeen
of his men for abandoning their posts"
Is it any wonder when such yarns
were told that the entire English coast
had fits and nightmares at the mention
of the name of Jones?