The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1910-04-28

least. For when ships OF different ma
tions are in port it is the universal GUS
tom for all the others to salute the Brit
ish flag first, by hosting the British flag
at the fore and firing the salute requir-
ed. When we gained our independence
we took an exact pattern Of the mother
country in everything pertaining to the
navy, even to the prize money, the
dueling among the officers, the hogging
the men with the cat-o-nine tails, and
the serving of the grog ration.
Our attempt to create navy IN the
War of the Revolution was failure.
True, individuals and companies sent out
numerous privateers that harassed the
enemy greatly, captured many of the
ships and obtained for themselves much
prize money. But the attempt to build
up navy was failure.
In December, 1775, the Continental
Congress passed an act to build thirteen
war ships, three of them to mount "a
guns, five to mount % guns and five to
mount 80 guns each. They were all built
in accordance with that act, but it would
have been far better had they not been
built, for not one of them survived the
War of the Revolution. They were as
follows:
Hancock, 80 guns, captured by the
British, in TIT.
Congress, IS guns, destroyed in the
Hudson River in 1777 to keep her from
falling into the hands of the British.
The Montgomery, % guns, was destroy
ed at the same time and place.
Delaware, "a guns, captured in the
Delaware River, TIT.
Randolph, 80 guns, blown up in action
with the British ship Yarmouth, 81 guns,
in ITS.
Washington, 80 guns, destroyed in the
Delaware by the British, before getting
to sea in 177s, as was the bingham, %
guns, at the same time and place.
Raleigh, 80 guns, captured by the Brit
ish in ITS.
Virginia, % guns, captured by the
British off the Capes of Delaware, ITS.
Warren, 80 guns, burned on the Pc
nobscot River, 1873, to keep her out of
the hands of the enemy.
Providence, % guns, seized by the
British at Charleston, as was the Bos-
ton, in 1880. This latter ship under the
command of Captain Tucker of Bristol,
Maine, was used in 1778 to convey John
Adams as minister to France.
Trumbull, % guns, captured by the
British ship Watt in 1871.
Such is the story, in brief, of the origi-
nal thirteen ships. Not one survived in
the possession of the colonies at the close
of the war. About ten vessels of from
"a guns down to ten, and even smaller,
were bought, but what became Of them
is unknown to me.
The most remarkable naval engage
ment during the Revolution was fought
off the coast of Scotland on the evening
of September %, 1873. between the Bon
Homme Richard of 40 guns, commanded
by John Paul Jones, and the Scraps,
British frigate of A guns, under the
Of Captain Pearson. The Sc
rapis surrendered with loss of $50 men.
The Richard lost 300 in killed and wound
ed, and while sinking the crew was trans
ferred to the Scraps.
This has been hailed as an American
victory; but l have my doubts as to
it should be thus classed. The
ship was French, the crew was composed
of Frenchmen and pirates and thugs from
all nations with the exception Of Ameri-
cans. Paul Jones was a Scotchman, and
had he been captured he would have been
hung as pirate. He went to Scotland,
where he remained in hiding until he
made his way into France in disguise.
He never came back to this country, and
shortly after that fight he joined the
Russian navy for time and lived and
died in France. A few years ago his
supposed bones were brought from
France and buried at Arlington.
All that was American in that gallant
fight was the American flag, which was
hoisted on board ship for the first time,
and Lieut.. Dale, who was the executive
officer. l do not see why he, an Ameri-
can officer, should have held the position
of LIST Lieutenant on board French ship.
Tn ere is lot of unwritten history in re-
lation to that affair. The English called
it clear case of piracy, because. it was
fought under flag that no nation had
recognized or ever saw up to that date.
started out to write history of the
old American navy, but find that l have
written enough for one article and have
only reached the threshold of the subject,
and if this meets with the appreciation of
the publishers and the readers of The
Journal you can say, "Continued in our
next; and if not, it only remains for me
to say Good bye,
]. o. JOHNSON.
POOR, FOOLISH WOMAN.
She is trying to improve her complexion by
using face cream when the trouble is in the