The Thibodaux sentinel. (Thibodaux, La.) 1905-1912, 1910-10-15

would have sunk his ship The Milford chase
the Providence but was quickly left astern. Tn
British ship kept firing at the Yankee long afte
1t was out of range In contempt and deris1on o
this act of the British captain, and knowing tina
his actions were being watched through a glass
Jones ordered single sailor to stand at the sterl
and shoot a musket at the pursuer every time he
fired his big bow chaser.
After serious trouble with the jealous Hop
kins Jones was finally given command of the
Ranger, eighteen guns. He took a number o.
prizes on the way, and finally put into French
port. At Paris he met the American commission
ers, Silas Dean, Benjamin Franklin and Arthur
French court. By request he aided in planning
the operations of DEstaing's feet, which was
shortly to leave for America.
The heroic fighting career of Jones was just
about to begin, though with the fame that he won
In the next few months came the undy1ng hatred
of all the people of his native country and there
came also the loss of the only woman he ever
loved, and whom he had hoped one day to make
his wife British privateers had ravaged the
American coast, had seized American merchan-
disc and had burned American towns. Jones
believed in making reprisals, and he spread terror
and alarm along the Irish, Welsh and English
coasts.
He chose, however. the place of direct at
tack White Haven where he had lived as a boy
and a youth, and the masts of whose shipping
were in sight of his birthplace. He contemplated
burning all the vessels at the place and footing
the town. David Freeman, deserter from Jones'
ship spread the alarm among the inhabitants Of
the town, and Wallingford, one of Jones' lieu
tenants, was slow in carrying out some of his In
structions. AS 1t was however, the expatriated
Scotsman succeeded in capturing one of the forts
which guarded the place, leading the land attack
IN person. With his own hand he spiked every
gun In the fertilization, and then turned his atten-
ton to the firing of the shipping. AS he was
about to carry out this design a vast armed null.
titude appeared They had been led to the scene
by the deserter, David Freeman Not to be
baked In a part of his design. Jones succeeded
in boarding one of the largest merchantmen in
the Solway and applied the torch
The Ranger had no put out from the
Solway than it the British man-ofwar
Drake. The Drake was by far the heavier armed
and manned, and a better equipped vessel than
the Ranger. Jones, however gave battle at once
and after bloody fight he took the British YES.
sci and hauled down its colors. He took his prize
into French port. The French people were NOT
accustomed to naval victories over the English
let alone to victories won by an inferior force
and the name of Jones at once became the svno-
nym for heroism.
After spreading terror once more along the
coast OF the British Isles Jones returned to Amer
lea to find the war ended
Jones was essentially sailor of fortune ana |
ne went to st. Petersburg, where he was made
IN admiral In the Russian navy. On his wav |
.ntner ne stopped long enough in Denmark to |
nrt with the princess royal. who fell violently in
owe Win nlm Thirty English officers in thu |
service of Russia threatened to resign if the mi.
ate were commissioned Catherine said
YOUTH have to double your number to make tho
oss equal to the gain" They stayed in the serv.
&c. After winning honors In naval battles for
russia Admiral Jones went to Paris There he
vas aneihately grave and gay He could have
married. into the houses of any of the nob;1i+,
'ut the memory of Scotch girl was in his hear
md there it stayed to the exclusion Of all otbe-
owes until the day of his death