Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1909-08-03
XIII.-The Revolution
Paul Jones and Sea Fights
By Albert P.ysoa Terhuns

lUe lWO W 40 INV . ASos &~AsN
ish frigate Scraps, commanded by Cap
tain Pearson aud carrying forty-four
guns. The smaller Of the two vessels
was the Bonhomme Richard, ram
shackie old hulk from whose masthead
hung the American flag. For hours the
two craft had exchanged close quarters
broadsides. The Bonhomme Richard
was battered almost to pieces. She was
in flames, and many Of her small arma-
ment of old guns were burst or ST.
fenced. The Scraps was still In ex-
cellent condition and seemed to have
her weaker foe wholly at her mercy.
A shot carried away the American YES
sells flag. Observing this, Captain
Pearson shouted:
Have you struck your colors"
From out that inferno Of fiery death
on the Yankee ships quarterback came
back the American commanders sneer-
ing retOrt:
"Struck? have not yet begun to
fghtr'
The speaker was a swarthy little
man, dressed foppishly, as though for
a court ball. He was John Paul Jones,
sailor Of fortune. Even as Jones bel
lowed this defiance at his strong foe
the Bonhomme Richards chief gunner
rushed forward crying:
For Gods sake, surrender, sir! Our
chin 10 cin1.inpw
Jones seized by the muzzle pistol
he had just fired at the enemy and,
hurting the empty weapon ut the tim
orous gunner. broke the towards skull.
Then. through flame, smoke and the
ear splitting roar Of artillery, the I'M
equal battle waged on.
The little. fcppishly dressed man
who commanded the Bonhomme Rich
ard was the son Of poor Scotch gar
dener. Ills real name was John Paul.
But. coming to America as a mere
lad, he had added the cognomen Jones
and is thus known to history as Paul
Jones. He was perhaps the most I'M
Justly treated hero Of the war.
Paul Jones ravaged England's coasts.
making hi; name u terror from shore
to shore and teaching Great Britain
wholesome respect for the revolving
colonies He captured or sank the
English merchant ships, fought and
conquered her frigates and by con-
summate skill avoided being hemmed
I'm or captured. England began to see
what the Revolutionary war meant
Jones was denounced as pirate by
the British government and price
set on his head.
Not content with the damage he had
done. Jones planned for larger depre-
datons. Sailing to France, where, IN
ITS, he had already bullied French
admiral into recognizing officially the
United States by firing salute to Old
Glory. the first foreign salute ever ac-
corded to our flag. he persuaded Ben
jnmin Franklin to help him raise a
fleet to sweep the British coasts. The
best Jones could do was to raise a
broken down aggregation Of three Sec
ondhand ships. led by his flagship
Bonhomme Richard. With these he
bore down On England, where. in late
September. he fell In with feet Of
merchantmen conveyed by the mighty
Scraps and her consort, the Countess
If Scarborough. Sending his smaller
ships. the Pallas and the Alliance, to
attack the Countess Of Scarborough
Jones made for the Scraps.
After three hours Of fearful carnage
the Bonhomme Richard was blazing
wreck. Yet her fearless little COM
mander fought on. The Pallas was
busy with the other British ships.