Memoirs of Rear-Admiral Paul Jones now first compiled from his original journals and correspondence; including an account of his services under prince Potemkin, prepared for publication by himself

t -^ >- ; jSjy^!-$- V" ZB

MEMOIRS

OP

REAR-ADMIRAL PAUL JONES.

OLIVER & BOYD, PRINTERS.

MEMOIRS

OF

REAR-ADMIRAL PAUL JONES,

CHEVALIER OP THE MILITARY ORDER OF MERIT, AND OF THE
RUSSIAN ORDER OF ST ANNE, &c. &C.

NOW FIRST COMPILED FROM HIS ORIGINAL JOURNALS AND CORRESPONDENCE :

INCLUDING AN ACCOUNT OF HIS SERVICES UNDER PRINCE POTEMKIN,

PREPARED FOR PUBLICATION BY HIMSELF.

VOL. I.

PUBLISHED BY OLIVER & BOYD, EDINBURGH
AND SIMPKIN & MARSHALL, LONDON.

MDCCCXXX.

307

J&' *• jlxTEREO AT.

PREFACE.

SEVERAL years since a work purporting to be a
" Life of Paul Jones" appeared in America,
compiled by Mr Sherburne, Register of the Navy
of the United States. An abridgment of the
same work was reprinted in London by Mr
Murray. The Life of Paul Jones still, however,
remained to be written, for this good reason, that
Mr Sherburne possessed no adequate materials
for his work. The official correspondence of Paul
Jones, while in the service of the United States,
a few fragments of papers left by him in Ame-
rica, and discovered in a baker's shop of New
York, and his letters to Mr Jefferson, though all

VI PREFACE.

probably quite authentic, afford but scanty ma-
terials for the memoirs of a life so varied and
full of adventure as was that of Paul Jones.

While Mr Sherburne was arranging these me-
moirs, the really private papers of their subject
remained in the custody of his relatives in Dum-
fries. Mr Sherburne, and other individuals, aware
of their existence, endeavoured to obtain these
documents, but were refused, as there was a view
to the present publication.

The history of the private papers on which
Mr Sherburne rests his narrative is briefly this : —
When at the end of the war, in 1783, Paul
Jones was appointed by Congress agent for prize-
money in Europe, he deposited, among other
effects, certain account-books, log-books, and
copies of letters, in the custody of his friend,
Mr Ross of Philadelphia. His private corre-
spondence, and whatever he thought most in-
teresting, he brought with him to France. On

PREFACE. Vii

his death, his sisters in Scotland, who were his
heirs, removed those books and papers left in
America, from Mr Ross to the custody of Mr
Robert Hyslop, merchant, New York. This
gentleman died soon afterwards of the yellow-
fever, and the papers left in America by Paul
Jones were transferred to the custody of Mr
John Hyslop, baker, the cousin and executor of
Mr Robert Hyslop. There they remained, the
heirs of Paul Jones not thinking it worth while
to reclaim them. Mr John Hyslop, baker, also
died, and left his affairs in great disorder ; and
soon after, or probably before his death, it was
mentioned in a New York paper, that a letter
" of that distinguished hero, Paul Jones," had
been discovered in a baker's shop in the city. This
led to inquiry, and Mr Ward obtained the wreck
of these loose papers, which have been scattered
far and wide ; one original log-book, that of the
Ranger, being now in the possession of a gentle-

Viii PREFACE.

man in Greenock, while that of the Bon Homme
Richard belongs to Mr George Napier, advocate
in this city. The circumstances under which
those fragments were obtained by Mr Ward ob-
viates all charge of impropriety on the part of
that gentleman. By Mr Ward they were sold,
or given, to Mr Sherburne ; and on such slender
and mutilated materials, of which he has per-
haps made the most that was possible, together
with the letters filed in the public offices, that
writer has raised the structure entitled " The
Life of Paul Jones."

The papers from which the present work is
compiled may now be enumerated : — it is, how-
ever, in the first place, worthy of notice, that
though Paul Jones acted a prominent part in the
American war, a very small portion of his public
life was spent in America. His field of enter-
prise was Europe. Though he had made two
visits to the United States between the years

PREFACE. ix

1780 and 1792, when he died in Paris, he spent
but a short time in America, and that in com-
parative inactivity.

By his will, dated at Paris on the day of his
death, Paul Jones left his property and effects
of all kinds to his sisters in Scotland and their
children. Immediately on his decease a regular, or
rather an official inventory was made of his volu-
minous papers, which were sealed up with his
other effects, till brought to Scotland by his eldest
sister, Mrs Taylor, a few months after his death.
They have ever since remained in the custody of
his family ; and are now, by inheritance, become
the property of his niece, Miss Taylor of Dum-
fries. They consist of several bound folio volumes
of letters and documents, which are officially au-
thenticated, so far as they are public papers ; nu-
merous scrolls and copies of letters ; and many
private communications, originating in his wide-
ly-diffused correspondence in France, Holland,
America, and other quarters. There is, in ad-

X PREFACE.

dition to these, a collection of writings of the mis-
cellaneous kind likely to be accumulated by a
man of active habits, who had for many years
mingled both in the political and fashionable
circles, wherever he chanced to be thrown.

The Journal of the Campaign of 1788 against
the Turks, forms of itself a thick MS. bound
volume. This Journal was drawn up by Paul
Jones for the perusal of the Empress Catharine
II. ; and was intended for publication if the
Russian government failed to do him justice.
He felt that it totally failed ; but death anticipat-
ed his long-contemplated purpose. To this Jour-
nal, Mr Eton, in his Survey of the Turkish Em-
pire, refers, as having been seen by him. It was,
however, only the official report, transmitted by
Paul Jones to the Admiralty of the Black Sea,
that this gentleman could have seen. This sin-
gular narrative, which so confidently gives the
lie to all the Russian statements of that moment-
ous campaign, is written in French. In the fol-

PREPACE. xl

lowing work the language of the original is as
closely adhered to as is admissible even in the
most literal translation. Several passages have
been omitted, and others curtailed, as they refer
merely to technical details, which might have un-
duly swelled this work, without adding much to
its interest. Much of the voluminous official cor-
respondence which passed between Paul Jones
and the other commanders during the campaign
is also omitted. These pieces justificatives were
only intended to corroborate, or elucidate, the
narrative; they are, save in a few instances which
are cited, not particularly interesting.

Besides the above papers and documents, the
Editor has been furnished with the letters written
by Paul Jones to his relations in Scotland,
from the time that he was a ship-boy at White-
haven till he died an Admiral in the Russian
service, and the wearer of several Orders. From
these materials an attempt has been made to
exhibit, for the first time, the real character of

xii PREFACE.

this remarkable and distinguished individual,
fairly, but liberally, — keeping clear of Trans-
atlantic hyperbole and exaggeration on the one
hand, and of English prejudice and misrepresen-
tation on the other. Of each of these, the re-
putation, and true character of Paul Jones, have
long been the alternate sport or victim.

MEMOIRS OF PAUL JONES.

CHAPTER I.

JOHN PAUL JONES was born on the 6th of July,
1747, at Arbigland, in the parish of Kirkbean,
and stewartry of Kirkcudbright, in Scotland.

The family of the Pauls was originally from
Fife ; but the grandfather of John Paul, — the
name of Jones being long afterwards assumed, —
kept a public, or, as it was then called, a mail-
garden in Leith, on a spot long since covered
with buildings. His son, the father of John Paul
Jones, followed the same profession ; and, on
finishing his apprenticeship, entered into the em-
ployment of Mr Craik of Arbigland, in which he
remained till his death, in 1767.

A gardener at that period was understood to
VOL. i. A

2 MEMOIRS OF

be a person of better education than a common
operative mechanic in ordinary handicrafts. The
father of Paul Jones must have been a man both
of intelligence and worth. The garden of Arbig-
land was laid out by him ; and he planted the
trees that now embellish the mansion. The period
of his service, and the interest which his employer
took in his orphan family, establish the general
worth and respectability of his character.

Shortly after entering into the employment of
Mr Craik, John Paul married Jean Macduff, the
daughter of a small fanner in the neighbouring
parish of New-Abbey. The Macduffs were a
respectable rural race in then- own district ; and
some of them had been small landed proprietors
in the parish of Kirkbean, for an immemorial pe-
riod. Of this marriage there were seven children,
of whom John — afterwards known as John Paul
Jones — was the fifth : he may indeed be called
the youngest, as two children born after him died
in infancy.* The first-born of the family, Wil-

* Among the many calumnies by which the memory
of Admiral Paul Jones has been loaded, and the nume-

PAUL JONES. 3

Ham Paul, went abroad early in life, and finally
settled and married in Fredericksburgh, in Vir-
ginia. He appears to have been a man of enter-
prise and judgment. Beyond his early education
and virtuous habits he could have derived no ad-
vantage from his family ; and, in 1772 or 1773?
when he died, still a young man, he left a consi-
derable fortune. Of the daughters, the eldest,
Elizabeth, died unmarried, — Janet, the second,
married Mr Taylor, a watchmaker in Dumfries, —
and the third, Mary Ann, was twice married, first
to a Mr Young, and afterwards to Mr Louden.
Of the relations of Admiral Jones, several nieces,

rous vulgar traditions that hang about his reputation, and
conceal his genuine character, is an absurd story of his
having been the son of either Mr Craik, his father's em-
ployer, of one of the Earls of Selkirk, or'of some other
great personage, name unknown ; as if it were impossi-
ble that a man so distinguished by gallantry and enter-
prise, could be, in very deed, merely the fifth child of
Mr John Paul the gardener. His correspondence in the
farther progress of this narrative will sufficiently refute
an obsolete slander which was perhaps scarcely worth
notice.

4 MEMOIES OF

and a grand-nephew, now in the United States,
still survive.

The residence of his father, near the shores of
the Solway, in one of the most beautiful points
of the Frith, must have been favourable to the
genius of one who was destined to play the part
of John Paul Jones — to have, —

" His march upon the mountain wave,
" His home upon the deep."

In the traditions of his family, young Paul is
described as launching, while a mere child, his
mimic-ship, hoisting his flag, and issuing his man-
dates to his imaginary crew, with all the firmness
and dignity of one born to lead and to command
his fellows.

Among the numerous unfounded slanders and
rumours of which this brave and misrepresented
man has been the object, is the assertion, that he
ran off to sea against the will of his relations.
Even this transgression might have been atoned
by his after life ; but it was not committed. His
inclination for the bold and hardy mode of life
which he adopted, appears, as it often does in boy-
hood, to have been a strong passion, fostered by his

PAUL JONES. i)

childish pastimes, and encouraged by much that
he saw and heard in his daily intercourse with ships
and seamen. Man or boy, Paul Jones was not
moulded in the stamp of character which shrinks
from facing out what is once firmly resolved. A
sailor's life was his decided choice; and at the age
of twelve he was sent across the Solway by his
relations, and bound apprentice to Mr Younger
of Whitehaven. This gentleman, who was then
a respectable merchant in the American trade,
he found a kind and liberal master.

Though Paul Jones was thus early estranged
from his family, and was afterwards prevented
from much personal intercourse with them, this
narrative will afford abundant evidence that, like
almost every other young Scottish adventurer —
to the national honour be it told — he continued
a most affectionate son and brother, even when
at the highest elevation of his fortune, giving
constant proof, not merely of his readiness to mi-
nister to the comforts of his relations, but of his
anxiety for the union, respectability, and prospe-
rity of his sisters and their families. — To them he
at last bequeathed the whole of his fortune.

MEMOIRS OF

The education which young Paul received at
the parish-school of Kirkbean, must have termi-
nated when he went to sea. His after acquire-
ments— and they were considerable — were the
fruits of private study, and of such casual oppor-
tunities as in boyhood he had the forethought and
good sense to improve as often as his ship came
into port. His first voyage was made to America,
the country of his after adoption. He sailed in
the Friendship of Whitehaven ; and, before he
was thirteen, landed on the shores of Rappahan-
nock. While the Friendship remained in port,
young Paul lived in the house of his brother
William, and assiduously studied navigation and
other branches of learning, either connected with
his profession or of general utility.

In the course of a short time, his good con-
duct, intelligence, and knowledge of his profes-
sion, procured him the confidence and friendship
of his master, who promised him his future pro-
tection and favour. From the subsequent em-
barrassment of his own affairs, Mr Younger was
.unable to fulfil this promise ; but, in giving the
young seaman up his indentures, he did all he

PAUL JONES. 7

could then perform. Thus honourably released
from his early engagements, Paul Jones, while still
a mere boy, obtained the appointment of third
mate of the King George of Whitehaven, a ves-
sel engaged in the slave-trade. From this ship
he went about the year 1766, being now nineteen
years of age, into the brigantine Two Friends,
of Kingston, Jamaica, as chief mate. This ship
was engaged in the same nefarious traffic. It
is stated by his relatives, the only source of in-
formation on the early period of his life that is
either accessible or to be relied on, that he quitted
this abominable trade in disgust at its enormities;
and, in consequence of abandoning it, returned to
Scotland in 1768, as a passenger in the brigan-
tine John of Kirkcudbright, Captain Macadam,
commander. On this voyage the captain and
mate both died of fever ; and there being no one
on board so capable of navigating the ship, Paul
assumed the command, and brought her safe into
port. For this well-timed piece of service he was
appointed by the owners, Currie, Beck, & Co.,
master and supercargo. This was almost the last
time that young Paul had an opportunity of see-

8 MEMOIRS OF

ing his relations. He only met them once again,
about the middle of the year 1771-

While Paul Jones was on board this vessel, a
circumstance occurred which afterwards, in times
of violent prejudice and party-feeling, was eagerly
laid hold of to traduce and blacken his character,
and to represent him as a cruel and lawless brig-
and, eager for plunder and thirsting for blood,*
guilty of a thousand enormities, though of what
precise kind no one could specify. It was con-
fidently stated — and is still indeed very generally
believed — that while in the command of the John
he punished a man named Mungo Maxwell, the
carpenter of that vessel, so severely, that he died
in consequence of the stripes he received. The

* It is not a little remarkable, that many of his own
intelligent countrymen do to this day know of Paul Jones
only as a wild reckless adventurer, a sort of modern buc-
caneer, possessed of no redeeming quality save great per-
sonal courage and intrepidity, — or as the subject of vulgar
ballads and marvellous legends, daring impossible and
acting horrible deeds, among which was the one above
alluded to.

PAUL JONES.

affidavits* given below clearly refute this calum-
ny, which probably originated among those of his
contemporaries who envied the place and influ-

* " Before the Honourable Lieutenant- Governor, Wil-
liam Young, Esq. of the island aforesaid, personally ap-
peared James Simpson, Esq. who, being duly sworn upon
the Holy Evangelists of Almighty God, deposeth and
saith, That some time about the beginning of May, in the
year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and seventy,
a person in the habit of a sailor came to this deponent
(who was at that time Judge Surrogate of the Court of
Vice- Admiralty for the island aforesaid) with a complaint
against John Paul, (commander of a brigantine then
lying in Rockley Bay of the said island,) for having beat
the then complainant, (who belonged to the said John
Paul's vessel,) at the same time showing this deponent
his shoulders, which had thereon the marks of several
stripes, but none that were either mortal or dangerous,
to the best of this deponent's opinion and belief. And
this deponent further saith, that he did summon the said
John Paul before him, who, in his vindication, alleged
that the said complainant had on all occasions proved
very ill qualified for, as well as very negligent in, his
duty ; and also, that he was very lazy and inactive in the

A2

10 MEMOIRS OF

ence his superior intelligence and energy had so
early acquired for him. So tenacious of life is

execution of his (the said John Paul's) lawful commands,
at the same time declaring his sorrow for having correct-
ed the complainant. And this deponent further saith,
that having dismissed the complaint as frivolous, the
complainant, as this deponent believes, returned to his
duty. And this deponent further saith, that he has since
understood that the said complainant died afterwards on
board of a different vessel, on her passage to some of the
Leeward Islands, and that the said John Paul (as this de-
ponent is informed) has been accused in Great Britain as
the immediate author of the said complainant's death, by
means of the said stripes herein before mentioned, which
accusation this deponent, for the sake of justice and hu-
manity, in the most solemn manner declares, and believes
to be, in his judgment, without any just foundation, so
far as relates to the stripes before mentioned, which this
deponent very particularly examined. And further this
deponent saith not.

" JAMES SIMPSON.

" Sworn before me, this 30th day of
June, 1772, WILLIAM YOUNG."

" James Eastment, mariner, and late master of the

PAUL JONES. 11

slander, however false and groundless, that twenty
years afterwards, when Paul Jones was a rear-
Barcelona packet, maketh oath, and saith, That Mungo
Maxwell, carpenter, formerly on board the John, Cap-
tain John Paul, master, came in good health on board
his, this deponent's said vessel, then laying in Great
Rockley Bay, in the island of Tobago, about the middle
of the month of June, in the year one thousand seven
hundred and seventy, in the capacity of a carpenter, afore-
said ; that he acted as such in every respect in perfect
health for some days after he came on board this depo-
nent's said vessel, the Barcelona packet ; after which he
was taken ill of a fever and lowness of spirits, which con-
tinued for four or five days, when he died on board the
said vessel, during her passage from Tobago to Antigua.
And this deponent further saith, that he never heard the
said Mungo Maxwell complain of having received any
ill usage from the said Captain John Paul ; but that he,
this deponent, verily believes the said Mungo Maxwell's
death was occasioned by a fever and lowness of spirits,
as aforesaid, and not by or through any other cause or
causes whatsoever.

" JAMES EASTMENT.
" Sworn at the Mansion House, London,

this 30th of January, 1773, before me,

JAMES TOWNSEND, Mayor."

12 MEMOIRS OF

admiral in the Russian service, the same calum-
nious story was revived, though Maxwell the car-
penter was then transformed into Jones's own
nephew. This was done to injure him with the
Empress Catherine, and when, instead of his an-
cient school-fellows of Kirkbean, or ship-mates
of Kirkcudbright, his rivals were the Princes
Potemkin and de Nassau.

One of the earliest letters of Jones now extant
relates to this unfortunate affair, which was cal-
culated to make a deep impression on a young
and ingenuous mind, and gave much uneasiness
and pain to him. The letter is addressed to his
mother and sisters, and gives a better and fairer

" These do certify to whom it may concern, that the
bearer, Captain John Paul, was two voyages master of a
vessel called the John, in our employ in the West India
trade, during which time he approved himself every way
qualified both as a navigator and supercargo; but as our
present firm is dissolved, the vessel was sold, and of
course he is out of our employ, all accounts between him
and the owners being amicably adjusted. Certified at
Kirkcudbright this 1st April, 1771.

" CURRIE, BECK, & Co."

PAUL JONES. 13

view of his youthful character than could be
given by the most laboured panegyric of a bio-
grapher : —

" London, 24th September, 1772.
" MY DEAR MOTHER AND SISTERS,

" I only arrived here last night from the
Grenadas. I have had but poor health during
the voyage; and my success in it not having
equalled my first sanguine expectations, has added
very much to the asperity of my misfortunes, and,
I am well assured, was the cause of my loss of
health. I am now, however, better, and I trust
Providence will soon put me in a way to get bread,
and (which is by far my greatest happiness) be
serviceable to my poor but much-valued friends.
I am able to give you no account of my future
proceedings, as they depend upon circumstances
which are not fully determined.

" I have enclosed you a copy of an affidavit
made before Governor Young by the Judge of the
Court of Vice-Admiralty of Tobago, by which
you will see with how little reason my life has
been thirsted after, and, which is much dearer to

14 MEMOIRS OF

me, my honour, by maliciously loading my fair
character with obloquy and vile aspersions. I be-
lieve there are few who are hard-hearted enough
to think I have not long since given the world
every satisfaction in my power, being conscious
of my innocence before Heaven, who will one day
judge even my judges. I staked my honour, life,
and fortune for six long months on the verdict
of a British jury, notwithstanding I was sensible
of the general prejudices which ran against me ;
but, after all, none of my accusers had the cour-
age to confront me. Yet I am willing to convince
the world, if reason and facts will do it, that they
have had no foundation for their harsh treatment.
I mean to send Mr Craik a copy properly proved,
as his nice feelings will not perhaps be otherways
satisfied ;* in the mean time, if you please, you
may show him that enclosed. His ungracious con-
duct to me before I left Scotland I have not yet
been able to get the better of. Every person of
feeling must think meanly of adding to the load

* Mr Craik was perfectly convinced of his innocence,
but they never either met or corresponded afterwards.

PAUL JONES. 15

of the afflicted. It is true I bore it with seeming
unconcern, but Heaven can witness for me that
I suffered the more on that very account. But
enough of this. And now a word or two in the
family-way, and I have done."

As the employer and patron of his deceased
father, young Paul naturally looked to Mr Craik
for advice and countenance to himself, and for
protection and kindness to his helpless female re-
latives. The following letter illustrates the true
nature of his connexion with that gentleman, the
fetters of whose cautious kindness do not appear
to have sat very easily upon him. It also throws
an incidental light on his energetic and self-de-
pending character, even at this early period of his
life :—

" St George's, Grenada, 5th Aug. 1770.
" SIR,

" Common report here says that my owners
are going to finish their connexions in the West
Indies as fast as possible. How far this is true I

16 MEMOIRS OF

shall not pretend to judge ; but should that really
prove the case, you know the disadvantages I
must of course labour under.

" These, however, would not have been so
great had I been acquainted with the matter
sooner, as in that case I believe I could have
made interest with some gentlemen here to have
been concerned with me in a large ship out of
London ; and as these gentlemen have estates in
this and the adjacent islands, I should have been
able to make two voyages every year, and always
had a full ship out and home, &c. &c. &c.

" However, I by no means repine, as it is a
maxim with me to do my best, and leave the rest
to Providence. I shall take no step whatever
without your knowledge and approbation.

" I have had several very severe fevers lately,
which have reduced me a good deal, though I am
now perfectly recovered.

" I must beg you to supply my mother should
she want any thing, as I well know your readi-
ness.

PAUL JONES. 17

" I hope yourself and family enjoy health and
happiness. I am, most sincerely,

" Sir, yours always,

" JOHN PAUL."

It has been alleged, that about this time young
Paul was engaged in the contraband trade, then
very generally practised among the self-named
fair-dealers of the towns along both shores of the
Sol way. Without entering into the question of
how far at that period the act of smuggling might
otherwise affect a man's moral character or esti-
mation in society, it is certain that Jones long
afterwards decidedly and indignantly repelled this
degrading charge, and that the first entry of goods
from England to the Isle of Man, after that nest
of smugglers and centre of the contraband trade
had been annexed to the crown, stands in his
name in the Custom-house books of Douglas.

Soon after this period Paul obtained command
of the Betsy of London, a West India ship, and
remained for a time in the islands engaged in
commercial speculations, to which his subsequent
letters refer. He appears to have left consider-

18 MEMOIRS OF

able funds in Tobago ; and in 177^ we ^n^ nmi
in Virginia arranging the affairs of his brother
William, who had died intestate, and without
leaving children. About this time he assumed
the name of Jones.

The American Revolution, of the progress of
which Paul Jones could not have been an indif-
ferent spectator, found him living in deep retire-
ment, unoccupied, and for the time in a state of
great privation, occasioned by the dilatoriness or
misconduct of his agents. At this time he had
subsisted for twenty months on the sum of fifty
pounds. It is to this period that Jones refers in
his celebrated letter to the Countess of Selkirk,
when he says, " Before this war began I had at
the early time of life withdrawn from the sea-ser-
vice, in favour of ' calm contemplation and poetic
ease.' I have sacrificed not only my favourite
scheme of life, but the softer affections of the
heart, and my prospects of domestic happiness,
and am ready to sacrifice my life also with cheer-
fulness, if that forfeiture could restore peace and
good- will among mankind."

PAUL JONES. 19

CHAPTER II.

BUT Jones, whatever he might think, was not of
the temperament to which the cultivation of maize
and tobacco — which in America about that pe-
riod must have comprehended " the rural life in
all its joy and elegance" — could long remain the
favourite scheme. He was now twenty-eight —
the very prime of active existence — full of talent
and enterprise, ardent and ambitious, and quite
of the mind in which he seems to have held
through life, that though it might be shame to be
on any side but one, it was greater shame to lie
idle when blows were going. Many causes com-
bined to make him believe the cause of the co-
lonies the right one — the cause of liberty, justice,
and humanity. A man who from the age of
twelve had been a wanderer on the deep, must
have been as much at home in America as in
Britain. Both countries must have appeared in-

20 MEMOIRS OF

tegral portions of the same state ; and in its civil
dissensions, circumstances determined the part
he should take. Thus right or wrong as to the
side he took, Jones stood clear in his motives to
his own conscience. To him indeed the cause of
America — the country, as he afterwards terms it,
of his " fond election11 — was the elevating source
of his most brilliant actions. It is but fair to allow
him to be the interpreter of his own motives : — of
his deeds every man is at liberty to judge. Four
years after he had voluntereed in the cause of
America, it is thus he addresses the Baron Van-
der Capellan, having, it must be owned, a favour-
ite object to carry at Amsterdam : —

" I was indeed born in Britain ; but I do not
inherit the degenerate spirit of that fallen nation,
which I at once lament and despise. It is far
beneath me to reply to their hireling invectives.
They are strangers to the inward approbation that
greatly animates and rewards the man who draws
his sword only in support of the dignity of free-
dom. America has been the country of my fond
election from the age of thirteen, when I first saw
it. I had the honour to hoist with my own hands

PAUL JONES. 21

the flag of freedom, the first time it was displayed,
on the Delaware ; and I have attended it with
veneration ever since on the ocean."

Though in the heat of a struggle, which, from
its very nature, was, like the feuds of the near-
est relatives, singularly rancorous and bitter,
Jones was branded as a traitor and a felon, and
after his most brilliant action, his capture of
the Serapis, formally denounced by the British
ambassador at the Hague as a rebel and a pirate
according to the laws of war,* it must be remem-
bered that he bore this stigma in common with
the best and. greatest of his contemporaries —
with Franklin and Washington; which last had
actually borne arms in the service of the King of
England. The memory of Paul Jones now needs
little vindication for this important step. After
the peace he enjoyed the esteem and private
friendship of Englishmen who might have for-
given the most imbittered political hostility, but
never could have overlooked a taint on personal

* Memorial of Sir Joseph York to the States- General,
dated the Hague, 8th October, 1779.

22 MEMOIRS OF

honour. Of this number was the Earl of Wemyss,
who after the peace endeavoured to promote the
views of Jones on various occasions. He him-
self, however, discovers a lurking consciousness
of having incurred, if not of meriting, suspicion on
this delicate ground. This is chiefly displayed
by his eloquent though rather frequent assertions
of purity of motive, superiority to objects of sor-
did interest, and disinterested zeal for the cause,
now of America, now of human nature, as was
best adapted to the supposed inclinations of his
correspondents. In ordinary circumstances much
of this might have appeared uncalled for ; but
the situation of Jones was in many respects pe-
culiar both as a native-born Briton, and as a man
of obscure origin, jealous — and pardonably so —
of his independence and dignity of character.
Somewhat of the heroic vaunting which marks
other parts of his correspondence appears inci-
dent to the enthusiastic temperament of many
great naval commanders. How would Nelson's
tone of confident prediction, and boasts of prowess,
have sounded from the lips of an inferior man ? —
In any other than himself the customary language

PAUL JONES. 23

of Drake would have been reckoned that of an
insolent braggart.

Besides the public spirit and love of liberty
which in Jones were both warm and sincere, other
motives of that mixed nature, by which every hu-
man being, how disinterested and devoted soever,
must at times be influenced, were not wanting to
enlist him on the side of the colonies. He was
living at the most active period of life in penury
and neglect. His friendships, his interests, his
gratitude, all inclined him to the part of America.
In a letter addressed to Mr Stuart Mawey of
Tobago, written immediately before he went to
Europe in open hostility as an officer of the Unit-
ed States, a letter which does as much honour to
the clearness of his head as to the integrity and
filial kindness of his heart, these circumstances
are distinctly explained.

" Boston, 4th May, 1777-
" DEAR SIR,

" After an unprofitable suspense of twenty
months, (having subsisted on fifty pounds only
during that time,) when my hopes of relief were

24 MEMOIRS OF

entirely cut off, and there remained no possibility
of my receiving wherewithal to subsist upon from
my effects in your islan^, or in England, I at last
had recourse to strangers for that aid and comfort
which was denied me by those friends whom I
had intrusted with my all. The good offices
which are rendered to persons in their extreme
need, ought to make deep impressions on grate-
ful minds ; in my case I feel • the truth of that
sentiment, and am bound by gratitude, as well as
honour, to follow the fortunes of my late bene-
factors.

" I have lately seen Mr Sicaton, (late manager
on the estates of Arch. Stuart, Esq.) who in-
formed me that Mr Ferguson had quitted Orange
Valley, on being charged with the unjust appli-
cation of the property of his employers. I have
been, and am extremely concerned at this ac-
count ; I wish to disbelieve it, although it seems
too much of a piece with the unfair advantage
which, to all appearance, he took of me, when
he left me in exile for twenty months, a prey to
melancholy and want, and withheld my property,
without writing a word in excuse for his conduct.

PAUL JONES. 25

Thus circumstanced, I have taken the liberty of
sending you a letter of attorney by Captain
Cleaveland, who undertakes to deliver it himself,
as he goes for Tobago via Martinico. You have
enclosed a copy of a list of debts acknowledged,
which I received from Mr Ferguson when I saw
you last at Orange Valley. You have also a list
of debts contracted with me, together with Fer-
guson^s receipt. And there remained a consider-
able property unsold, besides some best Madeira
wine which he had shipped for London. By the
state of accounts which I sent to England on my
arrival on this continent, there was a balance due
to me from the ship Betsy of <£909, 15s. 3d.
sterling; and in my account with Robert Young,
Esq., 29th January, 1773, there appeared a ba-
lance in my favour of ^?281, Is. 8d. sterling.
These sums exceed my drafts and just debts to-
gether ; so that, if I am fairly dealt with, I ought
to receive a considerable remittance from that
quarter. You will please to observe, that there
were nine pieces of coarse camblets shipped at
Cork, over and above the quantity expressed in
the bill of lading. It seems the shippers, findr

VOL. I. B

26 MEMOIES OF

ing their mistake, applied for the goods ; and, as
I have been informed from Grenada, Mr Fergu-
son laid hold of this opportunity to propagate a
report that all the goods which I put into his
hands were the property of that house in Cork.
If this base suggestion hath gained belief, it ac-
counts for all the neglect which I have experien-
ced. But however my connexions are changed,
my principles as an honest man of candour and
integrity are the same ; therefore, should there
not be a sufficiency of my property in England
to answer my just debts, I declare that it is my
first wish to make up such deficiency from my
property in Tobago ; and were even that also to
fall short, I am ready and willing to make full
and ample remittances from hence upon hearing
from you the true state of my affairs. As I hope
my dear mother is still alive, I must inform you
that I wish my property in Tobago, or in Eng-
land, after paying my just debts, to be applied
for her support. Your own feelings, my dear
sir, make it unnecessary for me to use arguments
to prevail with you on this tender point. Any
remittances which you may be enabled to make,

PAUL JONES. 27

through the hands of my good friend Captain
John Plainer of Cork, will be faithfully put into
her hands ; she hath several orphan grandchildren
to provide for. I have made no apology for giving
you this trouble : My situation will, I trust, ob-
tain your free pardon.

I am always, with perfect esteem,

Dear Sir,

Your very obliged, very obedient,
And most humble servant,

" J. PAUL JONES.

" STUART MAWEY, Esquire,
Tobago."

Among the friends whose fortunes Jones con-
ceived himself bound to follow by gratitude as
well as honour, was probably Mr Joseph Hewes
of the Marine Committee of the infant Republic.
Under the united influence of so many powerful
motives he entered the American service.

Though Paul Jones had not received his ma-
ritime education in ships of war, he had frequent-
ly sailed in armed vessels, and had been early
trained into an excellent practical seaman, com-

28 MEMOIRS OF

pletely realizing the merchant sailors adage,
" Aft the more honour — forward the better man."
His nautical skill, as well as his boldness and ca-
pacity, were thus of incalculable value to the in-
fant navy of America ; and in 177^? when the
combustibles of revolution, so long smouldering,
burst into an open irrepressible flame, his services
were as readily accepted as they were heartily
tendered. From this date Paul Jones owned no
country save America.

In organizing the maritime service of the young
republic, three classes of lieutenants were ap-
pointed by Congress ; and of the first class Jones
was appointed senior lieutenant. The first com-
mission he received from Congress bears date
the 7th of December, 177^- He was appointed
to the ALFRED, a name of good omen to an in-
fant state sprung from England ; and on board
of that vessel, then lying before Philadelphia, he,
in a few days afterwards, first hoisted that starry
flag which he so bravely followed in many seas.

The American navy at this time consisted of
only two ships, two brigantines, and one sloop.
Even these it was not easy to officer with per-

PAUL JONES. 29

sons properly qualified. Thirteen frigates were,
however, about the same time ordered to be built.

Of this first period of his service three differ-
ent accounts, drawn up by himself, remain among
the papers of Captain Jones, — one contained in a
refreshing memorial addressed to Congress while
he lay in the Texel, dated December, 1779,—
another addressed to Robert Morris, the minister
of the marine, in 1783, when Jones had just rea-
son to think his former services neglected, if not
forgotten, — and a third in a journal of his cam-
paigns drawn up for the private information of
the King of France, and read by that unfortu-
nate prince while a close prisoner. This last do-
cument contains the following clear and succinct
account of his early operations, written in the
third person : —

" When Congress thought fit to equip a naval
force towards the conclusion of the year 177^>
4 for the defence of American liberty, and for
repelling every hostile invasion thereof? it was
a very difficult matter to find men fitly qualified
for officers, and willing to embark in the ships
and vessels that were then put into commission.

30 MEMOIRS OF

The American navy at first was no more than
the ships Alfred and Columbus, the brigantines
Andrew Doria, and Cabot, and the sloop Pro-
vidence. A commander-in-chief of the fleet was
appointed; and the Captains Saltonstall, Whip-
pie, Biddle, and Hopkins, were named for the
ships and brigantines. A captain's commission
for the Providence, (bought, or to be bought,
about the time, from Captain Whipple,) which
Mr Joseph Hewes of the Marine Committee of-
fered to his friend Mr John Paul Jones, was not
accepted, because Mr Jones had never sailed in
a sloop, and had then no idea of the declaration
of independence that took place the next year.
It was his early wish to do his best for the cause
of America, which he considered as the cause of
human nature. He could have no object of self-
interest ; and having then no prospect that the
American navy would soon become an establish-
ed service, that rank was the most acceptable to
him by which he could be the most useful in that
moment of public calamity. There were three
classes of lieutenants appointed, and Mr Jones
was appointed the first of the first-lieutenants,

PAUL JONES. 31

which placed him next in command to the four
captains already mentioned. This commission is
dated the 7tn day of December, 177^? as first
lieutenant of the Alfred, i On board of that ship,
before Philadelphia, Mr Jones hoisted the flag of
America with his own hands, the first time it was
ever displayed. All the commissions for the Al-
fred were dated before the commissions for the
Columbus, &c. All the time this little squadron
was fitting and manning, Mr Jones superintended
the affairs of the Alfred ; and as Captain Salton-
stall did not appear at Philadelphia, the Com-
mander-in-chief told Mr Jones he should com-
mand that ship. A day or two before the squadron
sailed from Philadelphia, manned and fit for sea,
Captain Saltonstall appeared, and took command
of the Alfred. The object of the first expedition
was against Lord Duncan in Virginia. But in-
stead of proceeding immediately on that service,
the squadron was hauled to the wharfs at Reedy
Island, and lay there for six weeks frozen up.
Here Mr Jones and the other lieutenants stood
the deck, watch and watch, night and day, to pre-
vent desertion ; and they lost no man from the

32 MEMOIRS OF

Alfred. On the 17th of February, 17J6, the
squadron sailed from the Bay of Delaware. On
the 1st of March the squadron anchored at Abaco,
one of the Bahama Islands, and carried in there
two sloops belonging to New Providence. Some
persons on board the sloops, informed that a
quantity of powder and warlike stores might be
taken in the forts of New Providence. An ex-
pedition was determined on against that island.
It was resolved to embark the marines on board
the two sloops. They were to remain below deck
until the sloops had anchored in the harbour close
to the forts, and they were then to land and take
possession. There was not a single soldier in the
island to oppose them ; therefore the plan would
have succeeded, and not only the public stores
might have been secured, but a considerable con-
tribution might have been obtained as a ransom
for the town and island, had not the whole squa-
dron appeared off the harbour in the morning,
instead of remaining out of sight till after the
sloops had entered and the marines secured the
forts. On the appearance of the squadron the
signal of alarm was fired, so that it was impossi-

PAUL JONES. 33

ble to think of crossing the bar. The Comman-
der-in-chief proposed to go round the west end
of the island, and endeavour to march the marines
up and get behind the town ; but this could never
have been effected. The islanders would have
had time to collect ; there was no fit anchorage
for the squadron, nor road from that part of the
island to the town. Mr Jones finding by the Pro-
vidence pilots that the squadron might anchor
under a key three leagues to windward of the
harbour, gave this account to the Commander-
in-chief, who objecting to the dependence on the
pilots, Mr Jones undertook to carry the Alfred
safe in. He took the pilot with him to the fore-
topmast-head, from whence they could clearly see
every danger, and the squadron anchored safe.
The marines, with two vessels to cover their
landing, were immediately sent in by the east
passage. The Commander-in-chief promised to
touch no private property. The inhabitants
abandoned the forts, and the governor, finding
he must surrender the island, embarked all the
powder in two vessels, and sent them away in the
night. This was foreseen, and might have been

34 MEMOIRS OF

prevented, by sending the two brigantines to lie
off the bar. The squadron entered the harbour
of New Providence, and sailed from thence the
17th of March, having embarked the cannon, &c.
that was found in the fort. In the night of the 9th
of April, on the return of the squadron from the
Providence expedition, the American arms by
sea were first tried in the affair with the Glasgow
off Block Island. Both the Alfred and Colum-
bus mounted two batteries. The Alfred mount-
ed 30, the Columbus 28 guns. The first battery
was so near the water as to be fit for nothing
except in a harbour or a very smooth sea. The
sea was at the time perfectly smooth. Mr Jones
was stationed below deck to command the Alfred's
first battery, which was well served whenever the
guns could be brought to bear on the enemy, as
appears by the official letter of the Commander-
in-chief giving an account of that action. Mr
Jones therefore did his duty; and as he had no
direction whatever, either of the general disposi-
tion of the squadron, or the sails and helm of the
Alfred, he can stand charged with no part of the
disgrace of that night. The squadron steered

PAUL JONES. 35

directly for New London, and entered that port
two days after the action. Here General Wash-
ington lent the squadron 200 men, as was thought,
for some enterprise. The squadron, however,
stole quietly round to Rhode Island, and up the
river to Providence. Here a court-martial was
held for the trial of Captain Whipple, for not
assisting in the action with the Glasgow. Another
court-martial was held for the trial of Captain
Hazard, who had been appointed captain of the
sloop Providence at Philadelphia, some time after
Mr Jones had refused that command. Captain
Hazard was broke, and rendered incapable of
serving in the navy. The next day, the 10th of
May, 1776? Mr Jones was ordered by the Com-
mander-in-chief to take command 6 as captain
of the Providence.'' This proves that Mr Jones
did his duty on the Providence expedition. As
the Commander-in-chief had in his hands no
blank-commission, he had this appointment writ-
ten on the back of the commission that Mr Jones
had received at Philadelphia the 7th of Decem-
ber, 1775' Captain Jones had orders to receive
on board the Providence the soldiers that had

36 MEMOIRS OF

been borrowed from General Washington, and
carry them to New York, — there enlist as many
seamen as he could, and then return to New
London, to take in from the hospital all the sea-
men that had been left there by the squadron,
and were recovered, and carry them to Pro-
vidence. Captain Jones soon performed these
services ; and having hove down the sloop and
partly fitted her for war at Providence, he re-
ceived orders from the Commander-in-chief, dated
Rhode Island, June 10th, 177^? *° come imme-
diately down to take a sloop then in sight, armed
for war, belonging to the enemy's navy. Captain
Jones obeyed orders with alacrity ; but the ene-
my had disappeared before he reached Newport.
On the 13th of June, 177^? Captain Jones re-
ceived orders, dated that day at Newport, Rhode
Island, from the Commander-in-chief, to proceed
to Newbury Port to take under convoy some
vessels bound for Philadelphia ; but first to con-
voy Lieutenant Hacker in the Fly, with a cargo
of cannon, into the sound for New York, and to
convoy some vessels back from Stonington to the
entrance of Newport. In performing these last

PAUL JONES. 37

services, Captain Jones found great difficulty
from the enemy's frigates, then cruising round
Block Island, with which he had several rencon-
tres ; in one of which he saved a brigantine that
was a stranger, from Hispaniola, closely pursued
by the Cerberus, and laden with public stores.
That brigantine was afterwards purchased by the
Continent, and called the Hampden. Captain
Jones received orders from the Commander-in-
chief to proceed for Boston instead of Newbury
Port. At Boston he was detained a considerable
tune by the backwardness of the agent. He ar-
rived with his convoy from Boston, safe in the
Delaware, the 1st of August, 177^- This service
was performed while the enemy were arriving at
Sandy Hook from Halifax and England, and
Captain Jones saw several of their ships of war.
Captain Jones received a captain's commission
from the president of Congress the 8th of August.
It was proposed to Captain Jones by the Marine
Committee to go to Connecticutt, to command
the brigantine Hampden ; but he choosing rather
to remain in the sloop Providence, had orders to
go out on a cruise against the enemy ' for six

38 MEMOIRS OF

weeks, [or] two or three months.1 He was not li-
mited to any particular station or service. He
left the Delaware the 21st of August, and ar-
rived at Rhode Island on the 7tn of October,
1776' Captain Jones had only seventy men when
he sailed from the Delaware, and the Providence
mounted only 12 four-pounders. Near the la-
titude of Bermudas he had a very narrow escape
from the enemy's frigate the Solebay, after a chase
of six hours within cannon-shot, and part of that
time within pistol-shot. Afterwards, near the
Isle of Sable, Captain Jones had an affair with
the enemy's frigate the Milford ; and the firing
between them lasted from ten in the morning
till after sunset. The day after this rencontre,
Captain Jones entered the harbour of Canso,
where he recruited several men, took the Tories1
flags, destroyed the fishing, &c., and sailed again
the next morning on an expedition against the
Island of Madame. He made two descents at
the principal ports of that island at the same
time; surprised all their shipping, though the
place abounded with men, and they had arms.
All this, from the Delaware to Rhode Island, was

PAUL JONES. 39

performed in six weeks and five days ; in which
time Captain Jones made sixteen prizes, besides
small craft. He manned eight of them, and sunk,
burnt, or destroyed the rest. The Commander-
in-chief was at Rhode Island, who, in conse-
quence of the information given him by Captain
Jones, adopted an expedition against the coal-
fleet of Cape Breton and the fishery, as well as
to relieve a number of Americans from the coal-
mines, where they were compelled to labour by
the enemy. The Alfred had remained idle ever
since the Providence expedition, and was with-
out men. It was proposed to employ that ship,
the brigantine Hampden, and sloop Providence,
on this expedition, under the command of Cap-
tain Jones, who had orders given him for that
purpose on the 22d October, 1776? and then re-
moved from the sloop Providence to the ship
Alfred. Finding he could not enlist a sufficient
number of men for the three sail before the sea-
son would be lost, Captain Jones determined to
leave the sloop Providence behind ; but Captain
Hacker ran the Hampden upon a ledge of rocks
on the 27th, and knocked off her keel, which

40 MEMOIRS OF

obliged Captain Jones to remove him into the
sloop Providence. The Alfred and Providence
sailed on this expedition the 2d of November,
Captain Jones having only 140 men on his mus-
ter-roll for the Alfred, though that ship had 235
men when she left the Delaware. Captain Jones
anchored for the night at Tarpawling Cove, near
Nantucket, and, finding there a privateer schooner
belonging to Rhode Island inward-bound, he
sent his boat to search for deserters from the
navy, and finding four deserters carefully con-
cealed on board, they were taken on board the
Alfred, with a few other seamen, agreeably to or-
ders from the Commander-in-chief. The con-
cerned in the privateer brought an action against
Captain Jones for ^10,000 damages, and the
Commander-in-chief had the politeness not to
support him. Captain Jones proceeded on his
expedition. Off Louisbourg he took a brig with
a rich cargo of dry goods, a snow with a cargo of
fish, and a ship called the MellisK, bound for Ca-
nada, armed for war, and laden with soldiers1
clothing. The day after taking these prizes
(the 18th) the snow fell, and the wind blew fresh

PAUL JONES. 41

off Cape Breton. To prevent separation, and not
from the violence of the weather, Captain Jones
made the signal to lay to, which was obeyed; but
as soon as the night began, Captain Hacker bore
away. He made snift to arrive at Rhode Island
a day or two before the place was taken by the
enemy. Captain Jones ordered the brigantine
and snow to steer for, our ports ; but determined
not to lose sight of the Hellish, unless in case of
necessity. Captain Jones, after that little gale
and contrary winds, fell in with Canso, and sent
his boats in to destroy a fine transport that lay
aground in the entrance, laden with Irish provi-
sion. The party burnt also the oil-warehouse,
and destroyed the materials for the fishery. Off*
Louisbourg, on the 24th, he took three fine ships
out of five, the coal-fleet, then bound for New
York, under the command of the Flora, that would
have been in sight had the fog been dispersed.
Two days after this, Captain Jones took a letter-
of-marque ship from Liverpool. He had now an
hundred and fifty prisoners on board the Alfred,
and a great part of his water and provision was
consumed. He found the harbour at the coal-

MEMOIRS OF

mines was frozen up, and necessity obliged him
to seek a hospitable port with the five prize-ships
under convoy. No separation took place till the
7th of December, on the edge of St George's
Bank, where Captain Jones again fell in with the
Milford frigate. Captain Jones had the address
to save all his prizes except one, (the letter-of-
marque from Liverpool,) and that one would not
have been taken, had not the prize-master foolish-
ly run down under the Milford's lee, from being
three leagues to windward. The Hellish arrived
safe with the clothing at Dartmouth, and Cap-
tain Jones arrived at Boston the 15th December,
1776, having only two days1 water and provision
left. The news of the clothing reached General
Washington's army just before he re-crossed the
Delaware. By a letter from the Commander-in-
chief, on board the Warren, at Providence,
January the 14th, 1777> Captain Jones was su-
perseded in the command of the Alfred, in favour
of Captain Hinman, who said he brought a com-
mission from Congress to supersede that of Cap-
tain Jones. The 21st of January, 1777' tnig
drew from Captain Jones a letter to the Marine

PAUL JONES. 43

Committee, stating his hopes that Congress would
not so far overlook his early and faithful services
as to supersede him by any man who was at first
his junior officer, far less by any man who de-
clined to serve in the Alfred, &c., at the begin-
ning. Captain Jones paid off the crews of the
Alfred and Providence, for which he has never
been reimbursed. On the 18th of February,
Captain Jones received an appointment by order
of Congress from the Vice-President of the Ma-
rine Committee, dated Philadelphia, February
the 5th, 17775 to command private expeditions
against Pensacola and other places, with the
Alfred, Columbus, Cabot, Hampden, and sloop
Providence. Many important schemes were point-
ed out; but Captain Jones was left at free liberty
to adopt whatever he thought best. This ap-
pointment fell to nothing ; for the Commander-
in-chief would not assist Captain Jones, but af-
fected to disbelieve his appointment. Captain
Jones undertook a journey from Boston to Phi-
ladelphia, in order to explain matters to Congress
in person."

This attempt to supersede him was the first

44 MEMOIRS OF

occasion on which .Jones decidedly showed the
firmness and tenacity of his character, and his
determination to assert his rights. Even then,
unknown and unfriended, he was quite equal to
their protection.

The remainder of this statement is more co-
piously and energetically given in the letter re-
ferred to hi the prefixed extract, as addressed
by him to the Marine Board, Philadelphia. It
will show the neglect and heart-burning to which
this brave man was exposed from the first hour
of his entering the American navy. Three-
fourths of his subsequent life was a struggle to
overcome the prejudices, defeat the cabals, or
quicken the tardy justice of his temporary official
superiors.

" I am now to inform you, that by a letter
from Commodore Hopkins, dated on board the
Warren, January 14th, 1777? which came to my
hands a day or two ago, I am superseded in the
command of the Alfred, in favour of Captain
Hinman, and ordered back to the sloop in Provi-
dence River. Whether this order doth or doth
not supersede also your orders to me of the 10th

PAUL JONES. 45

ult., you can best determine; however, as I under-
took the late expedition at his (Commodore Hop-
kins's) request, from a principle of humanity, I
mean not now to make a difficulty about trifles,
especially when the good of the service is to be
consulted. As I am unconscious of any neglect
of duty, or misconduct, since my appointment at
the first as eldest lieutenant of the navy, I can-
not suppose that you can have intended to set
me aside in favour of any man who did not at
that time bear a captain's commission, unless in-
deed that man, by exerting his superior abilities,
hath rendered or can render more important ser-
vices to America. Those who stepped forth at
the first, in ships altogether unfit for war, were
generally considered rather as frantic than as wise
men; for it must be remembered, that almost every
thing then made against them. And although
the success in the affair with the Glasgow was
not equal to what it might have been, yet the
blame ought not to be general. The principal or
principals in command alone are culpable ; and the
other officers, while they stand unimpeached, have
their full merit. There were, it is true, divers

46 MEMOIRS OF

persons, from misrepresentation, put into com-
mission at the beginning, without fit qualifica-
tion, and perhaps the number may have been
increased by later appointments ; but it follows
not that the gentleman or man of merit should be
neglected or overlooked on their account. None
other than a gentleman, as well as a seaman both
in theory and practice, is qualified to support the
character of a commission officer in the navy ;
nor is any man fit to command a ship of war who
is not also capable of communicating his ideas on
paper, in language that becomes his rank. If
this be admitted, the foregoing operations will be
sufficiently clear ; but if further proof is required,
it can easily be produced.

" When I entered into the service, I was not
actuated by motives of self-interest. I stept forth
as a free citizen of the world, in defence of the
violated rights of mankind, and not in search of
riches, whereof, I thank God, I inherit a suffi-
ciency ; but I should prove my degeneracy were
I not in the highest degree tenacious of my rank
and seniority. As a gentleman, I can yield this
point up only to persons of superior abilities and

PAUL JONES. 47

superior merit; and under such persons it would
be my highest ambition to learn. As this is the
first time of my having expressed the least anxie-
ty on my own account, I must entreat your pa-
tience until I account to you for the reason which
hath given me this freedom of sentiment. It
seems that Captain Hinman's commission is N° 1,
and that, in consequence, he who was at first
my junior officer by eight, hath expressed him-
self as my senior officer in a manner which doth
himself no honour, and which doth me signal in-
jury. There are also in the navy, persons who
have not shown me fair play after the service
I have rendered them. I have even been blamed
for the civilities which I have shown to my prison-
ers ; at the request of one of whom I herein en-
close an appeal, which I must beg leave to lay
before Congress. Could you see the appellants
accomplished lady, and the innocents their chil-
dren, arguments in their behalf would be unne-
cessary. As the base-minded only are capable
of inconsistencies, you will not blame my free
soul, which can never stoop where I cannot also
esteem. Could I, which I never can, bear to be

48 MEMOIRS OF

superseded, I should indeed deserve your con-
tempt and total neglect. I am therefore to en-
treat you to employ me in the most enterprising
and active service, — accountable to your Honour-
able Board only, for my conduct, and connected
as much as possible with gentlemen and men of
good sense."

" My conduct hitherto," he says, in the memo-
rial addressed to Congress from the Texel, " was.
so much approved of by Congress, that on the 5th
February, 1777? I was appointed, with unlimited
orders, to command a little squadron of the Al-
fred, Columbus, Cabot, Hampden, and sloop
Providence. Various important services were
pointed out, but I was left at free liberty to make
my election. That service, however, did not take
place ; for the Commodore, who had three of the
squadron blocked in at Providence, affected to
disbelieve my appointment, and would not at last
give me the necessary assistance. Finding that
he trifled with my applications as well as the or-
ders of Congress, I undertook a journey from
Boston to Philadelphia, in order to explain mat-
ters to Congress in person. I took this step also

PAUL JONES. 49

because Captain Hinman had succeeded me in
the command of the Alfred, and, of course, the
service could not suffer through my absence. I
arrived at Philadelphia in the beginning of April.
But what was my surprise to find that, by a new
line of navy-rank, which had taken place on the
10th day of October, 1776, aU the officers that
had stepped forth at the beginning were super-
seded ! I was myself superseded by thirteen men,
not one of whom did (and perhaps some of them
durst not) take the sea against the British flag at
the first; for several of them who were then applied
to refused to venture, — and none of them have
since been very happy in proving their superior
abilities. Among these thirteen there are indi-
viduals who can neither pretend to parts nor edu-
cation, and with whom, as a private gentleman,
I would disdain to associate.

" I leave your Excellency and the Congress to
judge how this must affect a man of honour and
sensibility."

In the organization of the navy Jones took a
paramount interest. He had himself been trained
in a good school. He knew the importance of

VOL. i. c

50 MEMOIRS OF

proper subordination, and of the strict enforce-
ment of a rigid system of discipline, which, how-
ever unpleasant to the turbulent, fierce spirit of
republicans, is especially indispensable in the sea-
service. His views of maritime policy discover
much soundness, and, considering that he was
still a young man, and a very young officer, very
great ripeness of understanding. " As the re-
gulations of the navy," he says, " are of the ut-
most consequence, you will not think it presump-
tive if, with the utmost diffidence, I venture to
communicate to you such hints as, in my judg-
ment, will promote its honour and good govern-
ment. I could heartily wish that every commis-
sioned officer were to be previously examined ;
for, to my certain knowledge, there are persons
who have already crept into commission without
abilities or fit qualifications : — I am myself far
from desiring to be excused." In other letters
on this subject, he eloquently recommends a li-
beral policy towards the private seamen, and a
general system worthy of a great and enlightened
nation.

" It is," he says, " to the last degree distressing

PAUL JONES. 51

to contemplate the state and establishment of our
navy. The common class of mankind are actuat-
ed by no nobler principle than that of self-inter-
est. This, and this only, determines all adven-
tures in privateers, — the owners, as well as those
they employ ; and while this is the case, unless
the private emolument of individuals hi our
navy is made superior to that in privateers, it
never can become respectable, — it never will
become formidable; and, without a respectable
navy, alas America ! — In the present critical si-
tuation of human affairs, wisdom can suggest no
more than one infallible expedient, — enlist the
seamen during pleasure, and give them all the
prizes. What is the paltry emolument of two-
thirds of prizes to the finances of this vast conti-
nent ? If so poor a resource is essential to its
independency, in sober sadness we are involved
in a woful predicament, and our ruin is fast ap-
proaching. The situation of America is new in
the annals of mankind : her affairs cry haste !
and speed must answer them. Trifles, therefore,
ought to be wholly disregarded, as being, in the
old vulgar proverb, c penny wise and pound fool-

52 MEMOIRS OF

ish.' If our enemies, with the best-established
and most formidable navy in the universe, have
found it expedient to assign all prizes to the cap-
tors, how much more is such policy essential to
our infant fleet ? But I need use no arguments
to convince you of the necessity of making the
emoluments of our navy equal, if not superior, to
theirs. We have had proof, that a navy may be
officered almost upon any terms, but we are not
so sure that these officers are equal to their com-
missions ; nor will the Congress ever obtain such
certainty until they, in their wisdom, see proper
to appoint a Board of Admiralty, competent to
determine impartially the respective merits and
abilities of their officers, and to superintend, re-
gulate, and point out all the motions and opera-
tions of the navy."

The appearance of Jones at Congress at this
time, his appeals to their justice, his animated
remonstrances, and the capacity displayed in the
hints and projects he threw out, had a good effect.
They inspired esteem for his character, and gave
confidence in his ability. This became appa-
rent in the immediate proceedings of that body.

PAUL JONES. 53

" Congress," he says, " saw fit to drop the ex-
pedition that had been proposed ; and the Marine
Committee appeared very sorry that there was not
then vacant a good ship for my command. Three
ships were ordered to be purchased in the eastern
department, and by a resolve of Congress, which
did me great honour, I was authorized to take
my choice of these three ships, ' until Congress
could provide for me a better command.1 I re-
turned to Boston ; and before this last plan was
carried into execution, I received a new and
honourable proof of the good opinion of Congress,
by being ordered, on the 9th day of May, 1777>
to proceed to France from Portsmouth, in the
Amphitrite, with a positive order to the Commis-
sioners at Paris ' to invest me with the command
of a fine ship,1 — c as a reward of my zeal and the
signal services I had performed in vessels of little
force.1 This was generous indeed ! and I shall
feel the whole force of the obligation to the last
moment of my life.11

The letter he brought to Europe, addressed to
the Commissioners in Paris, confirms the since-
rity of the purpose of Congress. It also puts to

54 MEMOIRS OF

rest — were such Refutation necessary — the charge
of Jones being nothing more than the comman-
der of a privateer, winked at, or perhaps secretly
aided by Congress, but never recognised as a re-
gularly-appointed commander in the American
service during his cruises on the British coasts.

" Philadelphia, 9th May, 1777.
" HONOURABLE GENTLEMEN,

" This letter is intended to be delivered to you
by John Paul Jones, Esq., an active and brave
commander in our navy, who has already per-
formed signal services in vessels of little force ;
and in reward for his zeal we have directed him
to go on board the Amphitrite, a French ship of
twenty guns, that brought in a valuable cargo of
stores from Mons. Hostalez & Co., and with her
to repair to France. He takes with him his com-
mission, some officers and men, so that we hope
he will, under that sanction, make some good
prizes with the Amphitrite ; but our design of
sending him is, (with the approbation of Con-
gress) that you may purchase one of those fine
frigates that Mr Deane writes us you can get,

PAUL JONES. 55

and invest him with the command thereof as
soon as possible. We hope you may not delay
this business one moment, but purchase, in such
port or place in Europe as it can be done with
most convenience and despatch, a fine fast-sail-
ing frigate or larger ship. Direct Captain Jones
where he must repair to, and he will take with
him his officers and men towards manning her.
You will assign him some good house or agent to
supply him with every thing necessary to get the
ship speedily and well equipped and manned, —
somebody that will bestir themselves vigorously in
the business, and never quit it until it is accom-
plished.

" If you have any plan or service to be per-
formed in Europe by such a ship, that you think
will be more for the interest and honour of the
States than sending her out directly, Captain
Jones is instructed to obey your orders ; and, to
save repetition, let him lay before you the in-
structions we have given him, and furnish you
with a copy thereof. You can then judge what
will be necessary for you to direct him in, — and
whatever you do will be approved, as it will un-

56 MEMOIRS OF

doubtedly tend to promote the public service of
this country.

" You see by this step how much dependence
Congress place in your advices; and you must
make it a point not to disappoint Captain Jones's
wishes and expectations on this occasion.

" We are, &c.
(Signed) " ROBERT MORRIS.

" RICHARD HENRY LEE.
" WM. WHIPPLE.
" PHIL. LIVINGSTON.

" The Honourable

u BENJAMIN FRANKLIN,
" SILAS DEANE, and
" ARTHUR LEE, Esquires,
Commissioners," &c.

In Marine Committee.

" Philadelphia, May 9th, 1777.
" JOHN PAUL JONES, Esq.
" SIR,

" Congress have thought proper to authorize
the Secret Committee to employ you on a voy-

PAUL JONES. 57

age in the Amphitrite, from Portsmouth to Ca-
rolina and France, where it is expected you will
be provided with a fine frigate ; and as your pre-
sent commission is for the command of a parti-
cular ship, we now send you a new one, whereby
you are appointed a captain in our navy, and of
course may command any ship in the service to
which you are particularly ordered. You are to
obey the orders of the Secret Committee, and
we are, Sir, &c.

(Signed) " JOHN HANCOCK.
" ROB. MORRIS.
" WM. WHIFFLE."

In Marine Committee.

•
" Philadelphia, September 6th, 1777.

" SIR,

"As soon as these instructions get to hand,
you are to make immediate application to the
proper persons to get your vessel victualled and
fitted for sea with all expedition. When this is
done, you are to proceed on a voyage to some
convenient port in France ; on your arrival there.

c2

58 MEMOIRS OF

apply to the agent, if any, in or near said port, for
such supplies as you may stand in need of. You
are at the same time to give immediate notice,
by letter, to the Honourable Benjamin Frank-
lin, Silas Deane, and Arthur Lee, Esquires, or
any of them at Paris, of your arrival, requesting
their instructions as to your further destination ;
which instructions you are to obey as far as it
shall be in your power.

" You are to take particular notice, that whilst
on the coast of France, or in a French port, you
are, as much as you conveniently can, to keep
your guns covered and concealed, and to make
as little warlike appearance as possible. Wish-
ing you,1' &c. &c.

*•
With these credentials and instructions, Jones

sailed for Europe in command of the Ranger, in
high spirits, expecting to be the first messenger
of what he calls " the joyful and important news
of Burgoyne's surrender.'''' He reached Nantes
early in December, having captured two brigan-
tines on the voyage, laden with fruit and wine.

PAUL JONES. 59

CHAPTER III.

IT must be owned that Captain Jones at no time
slipped any opportunity of bringing himself for-
ward, and placing his services in a fair light.
Though he indeed claimed no more than was
his due, he never, through false delicacy, with-
drew his merits into the shade. " It is civil
cowardice," says the Spectator's modest friend,
Captain Sentry, "to be backward in asserting
what you ought to expect, as it is military fear
to be slow in attacking when it is your duty."
His first act, on reaching France, was to write to
the Commissioners, to whom he was now to look
for orders, and also for patronage. " I yester-
day," he says, " enclosed you copies of two let-
ters which I wrote you previous to my departure
from Portsmouth, together with a plan which I
drew up at Philadelphia, on the regulation and
equipment of our infant navy. It is my first

60 MEMOIRS OF

and favourite wish to be employed in active and
enterprising services, when there is a prospect of
rendering acceptable services to America. The
singular honour which Congress have done me
by their generous acknowledgment of my past
services, hath inspired me with sentiments of gra-
titude which I shall carry with me to my grave ;
and if a life of services devoted to America can
be made instrumental in securing its indepen-
dence, I shall regard the continuance of such ap-
probation as an honour far superior to what kings
even could bestow."

Captain Jones was immediately summoned to
Paris by the Commissioners of Congress, Frank-
lin, Silas Deane, and Arthur Lee. They had not
yet assumed the name of plenipotentiaries, nor was
war declared between Great Britain and France ;
for though these countries were in a state of un-
derstood, if not avowed, hostility, in his private
orders from the Marine Committee of Congress,
Jones was directed to keep his guns covered and
concealed as much as possible while on the coasts
or in the ports of France, and as much as possible
to avoid a warlike appearance. The object of sum-

PAUL JONES. 61

moning him to Paris was to concert, in conjunction
with the Commissioners, a plan of operations for
the powerful maritime force under the command of
the Count d'Estaing, which — a treaty being now
concluded between France and the new States —
was destined to harass the British, and support
the cause of the Republic on the shores of Ame-
rica.

The bold and sagacious plan of that campaign,
which, if carried into effect as projected, must in
all probability at once have ended the war, Jones
repeatedly and openly claims the merit of having
formed;* and there can be no doubt that his
knowledge of the actual state of the British land
and naval force then acting in America, and his
practical nautical acquaintance with the scene of

* In the memorial to the King of France, Jones states
that the plan adopted for D'Estaing's expedition was
sent by him to the Commissioners from Nantes, on the
10th February, 1778, after he had returned from Paris,
and immediately on hearing some agreeable news from
America.

62 MEMOIRS OF

operation, enabled him to give most important
advice. Those delays, and the baffling circum-
stances to which naval armaments are ever ex-
posed, together, as has been alleged, with the ti-
midity or irresolution of the French Commander,
the promptitude and courage displayed by Lord
Howe, and the excellent spirit of the whole Bri-
tish fleet on that memorable occasion, disconcerted
this well-imagined scheme. In claiming the plan
of that expedition, Jones says, in a letter addressed
to the French Minister of Marine, M. de Sar-
tine, — " Had Count d'Estaing arrived in the
Delaware a few days sooner, he might have made
a most glorious and easy conquest. Many suc-
cessful projects may be adopted from the hints
which I had the honour to draw up; and if I can
still furnish more, or execute any of these already
furnished, so as to distress and humble the com-
mon enemy, it will afford me the truest pleasure."1'1
Before d^Estaing appeared, however, Lord Howe,
as has been noticed, had been able to place the
fleet and the transports in safety ; and the plan
on which the American Commissioners justly

PAUL JONES. 63

prided themselves of blocking up the British
ships, transports, and victuallers, in the Delaware,
thus fell to the ground.

When Jones went to Paris to attend the Com-
missioners, he left the Ranger, which had been
damaged in her voyage, refitting at Nantes. To
the Commissioners he imparted plans of various
enterprises to be undertaken in the bold preda-
tory spirit of the private instructions of Morris,
and he induced them to hold out to his crew, in
the name of Congress, the hope or promise of
some particular gratuity in reward of the " good,
gallant behaviour and punctual obedience," so
essential to the furtherance of his daring projects.
In coming to Europe he expected to obtain com-
mand of the Indien, a large frigate, then build-
ing at Amsterdam, for the service of the United
States. This vessel the Commissioners thought
fit to present to the King of France. Jones felt
the disappointment, and even complained of it to
Congress, making it an argument for obtaining at
least an equivalent command.

On the 16th January, 177B, Jones received his
orders from the Commissioners. They were such

64 MEMOIRS OF

as ever proved the most agreeable to him — unli-
mited— implying full confidence in his zeal and
ability. The only caution he received, was, not to
return immediately to the ports of France after
making an attempt on the coasts of Britain, as
the French court wished to shuffle a little longer.
The Ranger being now refitted, Jones sailed
to Quiberon, and at that place displayed consider-
able professional address and characteristic firm-
ness, in compelling the French Admiral to give
the American flag — which Jones had been the
first to hoist — the first salute it ever received. It
was thus he wrote on this occasion : —

" February 14th, 1778.
" DEAR SIR,

" I am extremely sorry to give you fresh trouble,
but I think the Admiral's answer of yesterday re-
quires an explanation. The haughty English
return gun for gun to foreign officers of equal
rank, and two less only to captains by flag-offi-
cers. It is true, my command at present is not
important, yet, as the senior American officer at
present in Europe, it is my duty to claim an equal

PAUL JONES. 65

return of respect to the flag of the United States
that would be shown to any other flag what-
ever.

" I therefore take the liberty of enclosing an
appointment, perhaps as respectable as any which
the French Admiral can produce — besides which
I have others in my possession.

" If, however, he persists in refusing to return
an equal salute, I will accept of two guns less, as
I have not the rank of Admiral.

" It is my opinion, that he would return four
less to a privateer or a merchant ship ; therefore,
as I have been honoured oftener than once with
a chief command of ships of war, I cannot in
honour accept of the same terms of respect.

" You will singularly oblige me by waiting
upon the Admiral; and I ardently hope you will
succeed in the application, else I shall be under
a necessity of departing without coming into the
bay. I have the honour to be, See. &c.

" To WILLIAM CARMICHAEL, Esq."

" N.B. — Though thirteen guns is your greatest
salute in America, yet if the French Admiral

66 MEMOIRS OF

should prefer a greater number, he has his choice,
on conditions"

Of the triumphant recognition of the Ameri-
can flag obtained in the first instance by him,
Jones was naturally very proud. " I am hap-
py," he says, addressing the Marine Committee
at home, " in having it in my power to congra-
tulate you on my having seen the American flag
recognised in the fullest and completest manner
by the flag of France." And he relates how he
accomplished this object.

On the 10th of April Jones sailed from Brest
on that cruise which the assault on Whitehaven,
the landing at the Earl of Selkirk's, and the cap-
ture of the Drake, afterwards rendered so cele-
brated. The account of that expedition will be
best given in his own words. It is, however,
worthy of notice, that the original log-book of the
Ranger, and of his more famous ship, the Bon
Homme Richard, which are now accidentally in
the hands of gentlemen hi Scotland wholly un-
connected with Captain Jones, generally corro-
borate all his statements to the most minute par-
ticulars. It is thus his account commences : —

PAUL JONES. 67

" I have now to fulfil the promise made in my
last, by giving you an account of my late expe-
dition.

" I sailed from Brest the 10th of April ; my
plan was extensive, I therefore did not at the be-
ginning wish to encumber myself with prisoners.
On the 14th I took a brigantine between Scilly
and Cape Clear, bound for Ostend, with a cargo
of flax-seed for Ireland — sunk her, and proceeded
into St George's Channel.

" On the 17th I took the ship Lord Chatham,
bound from London to Dublin, with a cargo con-
sisting of porter, and a variety of merchandise,
and almost within sight of her port ; this ship I
manned and ordered for Brest.

" Towards the evening of the day following
the weather had a promising appearance, and,
the wind being favourable, I stood over from the
Isle of Man with an intention to make a descent
at Whitehaven ; at ten I was off the harbour with
a party of volunteers, and had every thing in
readiness to land ; but before eleven the wind
greatly increased and shifted, so as to blow directly
upon the shore ; the sea increased of course, and

68 MEMOIRS OF

it became impossible to effect a landing. This
obliged me to carry all possible sail so as to clear
the land, and to await a more favourable oppor-
tunity.

" On the 18th, in Glentinebay, on the south
coast of Scotland, I met with a revenue wherry ;
it being the common practice of these vessels to
board merchant ships, the Ranger then having
no external appearance of war, it was expected
that this rover would have come alongside; I was,
however, mistaken, for though the men were at
their quarters, yet this vessel out-sailed the Ran-
ger, and got clear in spite of a severe cannonade.

" The next morning, off the Mull of Gallo-
way, I found myself so near a Scotch coasting
schooner, loaded with barley, that I could not
avoid sinking her. Understanding that there were
ten or twelve sail of merchant ships, besides a
Tender brigantine, with a number of impressed
men on board, at anchor in Lochryan, in Scot-
land, I thought this an enterprise worthy my at-
tention ; but the wind, which at the first would
have served equally well to have sailed in or out
of the Loch, shifted in a hard squall, so as to

PAUL JONES. 69

blow almost directly in, with an appearance of
bad weather. I was therefore obliged to abandon
my project.

" Seeing a cutter off the lee-bow steering for
the Clyde, I gave chase, in hopes of cutting her
off; but finding my endeavours ineffectual, I pur-
sued no farther than the Rock of Ailsa. In the
evening I fell in with a sloop from Dublin, which
I sunk, to prevent intelligence.

" The next day, the 21st, being near Carrick-
fergus, a fishing-boat came off, which I detained.
I saw a ship at anchor in the road, which I was
informed by the fishermen was the British ship-
of-war Drake, of twenty guns. I determined to
attack her in the night ; my plan was to overlay
her cable, and to fall upon her bow, so as to have
all her decks open and exposed to our musquet-
ry, &c. ; at the same time, it was my intention
to have secured the enemy by grapplings, so that,
had they cut their cables, they would not there-
by have attained an advantage. The wind was
high, and unfortunately the anchor was not let
go so soon as the order was given, so that the
Ranger was brought to upon the enemy's quar-

70 MEMOIRS OF

ter at the distance of half a cable's length. We
had made no warlike appearance, of course had
given no alarm ; this determined me to cut im-
mediately, which might appear as if the cable
had parted, and at the same time enable me, after
making a tack out of the Loch, to return with
the same prospect of advantage which I had at
the first. I was, however, prevented from re-
turning, as I with difficulty weathered the light-
house on the lee-side of the Loch, and as the
gale increased. The weather now became so
very stormy and severe, and the sea ran so high,
that I was obliged to take shelter under the south
shore of Scotland.

" The 22d introduced fair weather, though the
three kingdoms were, as far as the eye could reach,
covered with snow. I now resolved once more
to attempt Whitehaven ; but the wind became
very light, so that the ship would not in proper
time approach so near as I had intended. At
midnight I left the ship with two boats and
thirty-one volunteers ; when we reached the outer
pier the day began to dawn ; I would not, how-
ever, abandon my enterprise, but despatched one

PAUL JONES. 71

boat under the direction of Mr Hill and Lieuten-
ant Wallingsford, with the necessary combustibles
to set fire to the shipping on the north side of
the harbour, while I went with the other party
to attempt the south side. I was successful in
scaling the walls and spiking up all the cannon on
the first fort ; finding the sentinels shut up in
the guard-house, they were secured without be-
ing hurt. Having fixed sentinels, I now took
with me one man only, (Mr Green,) and spiked
up all the cannon on the southern fort, distant
from the other a quarter of a mile.

" On my return from this business, I natural-
ly expected to see the fire of the ships on the
north side, as well as to find my own party with
everything in readiness to set fire to the shipping
on the south ; instead of this, I found the boat
under the direction of Mr Hill and Mr Wallings-
ford returned, and the party in some confusion,
their light having burnt out at the instant when
it became necessary.*

* Jones did not soon surmount the disappointment
occasioned by this misunderstanding on the part of his

72 MEMOIES OF

" By the strangest fatality, my own party
were in the same situation, the candles being all

officers. In a memorial to Congress, he says, " My first
object was to secure an exchange of prisoners in Europe,
and my second to put an end, by one good fire in Eng-
land of shipping, to all the burnings in America. I suc-
ceeded in the first, even by means far more glorious
than my most flattering ideas had expected when I left
France. In the second I endeavoured to deserve success ;
but a wise officer of mine observed, that ' it was a rash
thing, and that nothing could be got by burning poor
people's property.' I must, however, do him the justice
to mention his acknowledgment, that he had no turn for
enterprise ; and I must also do equal justice to my former
officers in the Providence and the Alfred, by declaring, that
had they been with me in the Ranger, two hundred and
fifty, or three hundred sail of large ships at Whitehaven
would have been laid in ashes." In answer to certain
queries on this subject, proposed by the Board of Admir-
alty in 1781, he says, " I made a descent at Whitehaven
with thirty men only, surprised and took two strong forts
with thirty pieces of cannon, and set fire to the shipping
where they lay, 300 or upwards, in the dry pier. That
both the shipping and the town, containing from 40 to
50,000 inhabitants, was not burned, was owing to the
backwardness of some persons under my command."

PAUL JONES. 73

burnt out. The day too came on apace, yet I
would by no means retreat while any hopes of
success remained. Having again placed senti-
nels, a light was obtained at a house disjoin-
ed from the town, and fire was kindled in the
steerage of a large ship, which was surrounded
by at least an hundred and fifty others, chiefly
from two to four hundred tons burthen, and ly-
ing side by side, aground, unsurrounded by the
water.

" There were, besides, from seventy to an hun-
dred large ships in the north arm of the harbour,
aground, clear of the water, and divided from the
rest only by a stone pier of a ship^s height. I
should have kindled fires in other places if the
time had permitted; as it did not, our care was
to prevent the one kindled from being easily ex-
tinguished. After some search, a barrel of tar was
found, and poured into the flames, which now as-
cended from all the hatchways. The inhabitants
began to appear in thousands, and individuals ran
hastily towards us. I stood between them and
the ship on fire, with a pistol in my hand, and
ordered them to retire, which they did with pre-

VOL. i. D

74 MEMOIRS OF

cipitation. The flames had already caught the
rigging, and began to ascend the main-mast; the
sun was a full hour's march above the horizon,
and as sleep no longer ruled the world, it was
time to retire. We re-embarked without opposi-
tion, having released a number of prisoners, as
our boats could not carry them. After all my
people had embarked, I stood upon the pier for
a considerable space, yet no person advanced : I
saw all the eminences round the town covered
with the amazed inhabitants.

" When we had rowed to a considerable dis-
tance from the shore, the English began to run
in vast numbers to their forts ; their disappoint-
ment may easily be imagined when they found,
I suppose, at least thirty heavy cannon (the in-
struments of their vengeance) rendered useless.
At length, however, they began to fire, having,
as I apprehend, either brought down ships1 guns,
or used one or two cannon which lay on the beach
at the foot of the walls, dismounted, and which
had not been spiked. They fired with no direc-
tion, and the shot falling short of the boats, in-
stead of doing us any damage, afforded some di-

PAUL JONES. 75

version, which my people could not help showing,
by discharging their pistols, Sec. in return of the
salute.

" Had it been possible to have landed a few
hours sooner, success would have been complete ;
not a single ship out of more than two hundred
could possibly have escaped, and all the world
would not have been able to save the town ; what
was done, however, is sufficient to show that not
all their boasted navy can protect their own coasts,
and that the scenes of distress which they have
occasioned in America may soon be brought
home to then* own doors. One of my people was
missing, and must, I fear, have fallen into the
enemy ""s hands after our departure.* I was pleas-
ed that in this business we neither killed nor

* In the Ranger's log-book this man is named David
Smith. He is probably the same person who, under the
name of Freeman, gave information at several houses in
a^street adjoining the piers, thatfire had been set to a ship,
and afterwards other information that appears substantial-
ly correct. He must have remained on shore voluntarily.

76 MEMOIRS OF

wounded. I brought off three prisoners as a
sample."

Jones has been severely censured, even by
those who are willing to allow him merited praise
in other respects, for his descent on Whitehaven,
and St Mary's Isle, — as the seat of Lord Selkirk
is named. The wanton burnings and destruction
of private property on the coasts of America must
have been sufficiently irritating, and must have
naturally provoked a spirit of retaliation ; still the
bulk of mankind must join in opinion with his
cautious lieutenant, that "nothing was to be got
by burning poor people's property," — and with
the biographer of Jones in the Edinburgh En-
cyclopaedia, who truly states, that " there is some-
thing revolting in the idea of a man's deliberately
stifling all his early associations, and availing
himself of his familiar acquaintance with the place
of his youthful enjoyments, to effect its destruc-
tion." Our feelings refuse to move in sympathy
with this new-born vehement zeal felt by a man
against that native land in which his mother, sis-
ters, and relatives, were then living in peace and se-

PAUL JONES. 77

curity. That young Paul had in boyhood imbibed
an enthusiastic attachment to America, from the
conversation of discontented seamen trading to the
colonies, which has been urged in extenuation of
the part he chose, is a mere gratuitous assumption.
At the period of his boyhood there was no exist-
ing discontent which reached his class of society ;
and up to the time of his entering the Ameri-
can navy, he might in all probability, with equal
good-will, have accepted a commission under his
native sovereign. He was influenced by fortui-
tous circumstances ; but, once fairly engaged in
the service of the United States, he devoted him-
self to his new country with unshaken zeal and
incorruptible integrity.

Besides the questionable nature of the assault
on Whitehaven, in a private or abstract view,
from a man circumstanced as was Jones, there is
a startling discrepancy, a degree of exaggeration,
and an air of rhodomontade, about all his accounts
of that affair.

In all the contemporary accounts of the at-
tempt on Whitehaven, and capture of the Drake,
the Ranger is termed a privateer. This is a mis-

78 MEMOIRS OF

take ; she was a ship of war belonging to the
United States, and Jones was appointed her com-
mander by a resolution of Congress on the 14th
of June, 1777- The character of this vessel was,
however, certainly anomalous in any regular navy.
Her commander acted alone and single-handed ;
and such was his temper and the nature of the
service for which he seemed most fitted, that he
uniformly succeeded best when acting thus on his
own judgment and responsibility, and never whol-
ly failed, save in those combined operations where
his opinions were opposed or fettered. With the
untimited command of the Ranger, and small as
his force was, he determined to prove to France
and America what, with adequate means placed
at his disposal, he might achieve. But it is time
to return to the narrative of this cruise, which re-
sembled more the bold exploits of Morgan or Lo-
lonnois than the operations of modern nautical
warfare.

" We now stood over for the Scotch shore, and
landed at noon on St Mary's Isle, with one boat
only, and a very small party, (twelve men.) The
motives which induced me to land there are ex-

PAUL JONES. 79

plained in the within copy of a letter* which I
have written to the Countess of Selkirk.

" On the morning of the 24th I was again off
Carrickfergus, and would have gone in had I not
seen the Drake preparing to come out ; it was
very moderate, and the Drake's boat was sent out
to reconnoitre the Ranger. As the boat advanced
I kept the ship's stern directly towards her, and,
though they had a spy-glass in the boat, they
came on within hail, and alongside. When the
officer came on the quarter-deck, he was greatly
surprised to find himself a prisoner ! — although
an express had arrived from Whitehaven the
night before. I now understood what I had be-
fore imagined, that the Drake came out in con-
sequence of this information with volunteers
against the Ranger. The officer told me also,
that they had taken up the Ranger's anchor.

" The Drake was attended by five small ves-
sels full of people, who were led by motives of
curiosity to see an engagement ; but when they
discovered the Drake's boat at the Ranger's stern

« See page 87.

80 MEMOIRS OF

they wisely put back. Alarm-smokes now ap-
peared in great abundance, extending along both
sides of the channel. The tide was unfavourable,
so that the Drake worked out but slowly. This
obliged me to run down several times, and to lay
with courses up, and main-topsail to the mast.
At length the Drake weathered the point, and
having led her out to about mid-channel, I suf-
fered her to come within hail. The Drake hoisted
English colours, and at the same instant the
American stars were displayed on board the Ran-
ger. I expected that preface had been now at
an end; but the enemy soon after hailed, de-
manding what ship it was. I directed the master
to answer, the American continental ship Ran-
ger ; that we waited for them, and desired they
would come on. The sun was now little more
than an hour from setting, it was therefore time
to begin. The Drake being rather astern of the
Ranger, I ordered the helm up, and gave her the
first broadside. The action was warm, close, and
obstinate ; it lasted an hour and five minute*,
when the enemy called for quarters, her fore and
main-top-sail yards being both cut away, and

PAUL JONES. 81

down on the cap ; the fore-top-gallant-yard and
mizen-gaff both hanging up and down along the
mast ; the second ensign which they had hoist-
ed shot away, and hanging over the quarter-
gallery, in the water ; the jib shot away, and
hanging into the water ; her sails and rigging
entirely cut to pieces, her masts and yards all
wounded, and her hull also very much galled.

" I lost only Lieutenant Wallingsford, and one
seaman (John Dongal) killed, and six wounded,
among whom are the gunner, (Mr Falls,) and
Mr Powers, a midshipman, who lost his arm.
One of the wounded (Nathaniel Wills) is since
dead ; the rest will recover.

" The loss of the enemy in killed and wound-
ed was far greater. All the prisoners allow that
they came out with a number not less than an
hundred and sixty men, and many of them af-
firm that they amounted to an hundred and nine-
ty ; the medium may perhaps be the most exact
account, and by that it will appear that they lost
in killed and wounded forty-two men.*

* This loss is stated by the other party at twenty-two.

2D

82 MEMOIRS OF

" The captain and lieutenant were among the
wounded ; the former, having received a musket-
ball in the head the minute before they called for
quarters, lived and was sensible for some time
after my people boarded the prize ; the lieuten-
ant survived two days. They were buried with
the honours due to their rank, and with the re-
spect due to their memory.

" The night, and almost the whole day after
the action, being moderate, greatly facilitated the
refitting of the ships. A large brigantine ran
so near the Drake in the afternoon, that I was
obliged to bring her to : she belonged to White-
haven, and was bound to Norway.

" I had thoughts of returning by the south
channel, but the wind shifting, I determined to
pass by the north, and round the west coast of
Ireland : this brought me once more off Belfast
Loch on the evening of the day after the en-
gagement.

" It was now time to release the honest Irish-
men whom I took here on the 21st ; and as the
poor fellows had lost their boat, she having sunk
in the late stormy weather, I was happy in hav-

PAUL JONES. 83

ing it in my power to give them the necessary
sum to purchase every thing new which they had
lost ; I gave them also a good boat to transport
themselves ashore, and sent with them two infirm
men, on whom I had bestowed the last guinea in
my possession, to defray their travelling expenses
to their proper home at Dublin. They took with
them one of the Drake's sails, which would suffi-
ciently explain what had happened to the volun-
teers. The grateful Irishmen were enraptured,
and expressed then- joy in three huzzas as they
passed the Ranger's quarter."

On the 26th April, Captain Jones placed Lieu-
tenant Simpson under suspension and arrest ; and
on the 8th May he re-entered Brest roads, hav-
ing been absent only twenty-eight days.*

* The worthy and cautious citizens of Aberdeen were
the only persons greatly alarmed on this occasion. In the
Scots Magazine for May, 1778, we find the following
paragraph : —

" On receiving at Aberdeen intelligence of the plun^
der of Lord Selkirk's house and the landing at White-
haven, a hand-bill was circulated by order of the Ma-

84 MEMOIRS OF

If the American plenipotentiaries were grati-
fied by the success of this expedition, the Court
of Versailles was still more delighted. France
was now on the very eve of war. The plenipo-
tentiaries of the United States had been publicly
received at Versailles a month before — the treaty
had been signed — and D'Estaing's squadron was
ready for sea. The French ambassador had been
ordered to leave London, and by the famous en-
gagement between the Arethusa and La Belle
Poule the first blow had been struck. In Eng-
land the nation, much divided on the policy of
the unsuccessful war with the colonies, were for
the first time united in feelings of hostility to the
" ancient foe,'1 and of indignation at the insidious

gistrates, to set on foot an association of the inhabitants
for defence, and in a few days 120 were enrolled."

The affair never went farther. Another American
vessel, which landed a party, and plundered the house of
Mr Gordon, near Banff, must have quickened their ap-
prehensions ; but no alarm was seriously felt till the squa-
dron of Paul Jones appeared in the frith of Forth.
Even then the panic was short-lived.

PAUL JONES. 85

policy of the court of Versailles. The most ac-
tive preparations were going on throughout the
whole of the three kingdoms. All the winter and
spring, in anticipation of a war with France, vo-
lunteer corps, defensive bands, and fencible regi-
ments, had been raising ; the navy was hastily
augmented ; addresses were sent from all quarters
of the country ; and the bulk of the nation was
animated by the most ardent spirit of loyalty.

The first leisure of Captain Jones on arriving
at Brest was employed in writing his celebrated
letter to the Countess of Selkirk. His conduct
throughout the whole of this delicate affair, though
certainly on his part the spontaneous impulse of
elevated feeling, was also good policy, as the
descent on St Mary^s Isle, which ultimately re-
dounded to his honour, was liable to much mis-
representation. The explanatory chivalrous epis-
tle to the Countess of Selkirk has been often
talked of. It represents the character of the
writer in a new and certainly not unpleasing
light. How seldom does the romance of real life
exist till the age of thirty !

But however romantic one class of the feel-

86 MEMOIRS OF

ings of Jones might be, awakened and softened by
his visit to the scenes of his boyhood, under cir-
cumstances so extraordinary, he was still much
more at home in drawing up a clear memorial of
his proceedings for Congress, or in bringing to a
tardy and shuffling minister, than in addressing
high-born dames. Though he had been a few
weeks in Paris, the airs of a carpet-knight still
sat awkwardly upon him, and his letter evinces
more right feeling than good taste or knowledge
of lady-life. But Franklin, the republican sage,
to whom the epistle was enclosed, says, " It is
a gallant letter, which must give her Ladyship a
high and just opinion of your generosity and
nobleness of mind ;" — and he was right. The
matter was admirable, whatever might be the
faults of style. Had the same generous spirit of
hostility been displayed throughout, how much
of human misery, wantonly inflicted, might have
been spared, — how much of that bitterness of feel-
ing engendered between countries having in com-
mon so many powerful bonds of alliance might
have been prevented !

PAUL JONES. 87

" Ranger, Brest, 8th May, 1778.
" MADAM,

" It cannot be too much lamented, that, in
the profession of arms, the officer of fine feelings
and real sensibility should be under the necessity
of winking at any action of persons under his
command which his heart cannot approve ; but
the reflection is doubly severe, when he finds him-
self obliged, in appearance, to countenance such
acts by his authority.

" This hard case was mine, when, on the 23d
of April last, I landed on St Mary's Isle. Know-
ing Lord Selkirk's interest with the King, and
esteeming, as I do, his private character, I wish-
ed to make him the happy instrument of alle-
viating the horrors of hopeless captivity, when
the brave are overpowered and made prisoners
of war.

" It was, perhaps, fortunate for you, Madam,
that he was from home ; for it was my intention
to have taken him on board the Ranger, and to
have detained him, until, through his means, a
general and fair exchange of prisoners, as well in
Europe as in America, had been effected. When

88 MEMOIRS OF

I was informed by some men whom I met at
landing, that his Lordship was absent, I walked
back to my boat, determined to leave the island.
By the way, however, some officers, who were
with me, could not forbear expressing their dis-
content, observing that, in America, no delicacy
was shown by the English, who took away all
sorts of moveable property, setting fire, not only
to towns and to the houses of the rich, without
distinction, but not even sparing the wretched
hamlets and milch-cows of the poor and helpless,
at the approach of an inclement winter. That
party had been with me the same morning at
Whitehaven ; some complaisance, therefore, was
their due. I had but a moment to think how I
might gratify them, and at the same time do your
Ladyship the least injury. I charged the officers
to permit none of the seamen to enter the house,
or to hurt anything about it ; to treat you, Ma-
dam, with the utmost respect ; to accept of the
plate which was offered, and to come away with-
out making a search, or demanding anything
else.

" I am induced to believe that I was punc-

PAUL JONES. 89

tually obeyed, since I am informed that the plate
which they brought away is far short of the
quantity expressed in the inventory which ac-
companied it. I have gratified my men ; and,
when the plate is sold, I shall become the pur-
chaser, and will gratify my own feelings by re-
storing it to you by such conveyance as you shall
please to direct.

" Had the Earl been on board the Ranger the
following evening, he would have seen the awful
pomp and dreadful carnage of a sea-engagement ;
both affording ample subject for the pencil as well
as melancholy reflection for the contemplative
mind. Humanity starts back from such scenes
of horror, and cannot sufficiently execrate the
vile promoters of this detestable war—

4 For they, 'twas they, unsheathed the ruthless blade,
4 And Heaven shall ask the havoc it has made.'

" The British ship of war Drake, mounting
twenty guns, with more than her full complement
of officers and men, was our opponent. The
ships met, and the advantage was disputed with
great fortitude on each side for an hour and four
minutes, when the gallant commander of the

90 MEMOIRS OF

Drake fell, and victory declared in favour of the
Ranger. The amiable lieutenant lay mortally
wounded, besides near forty of the inferior
officers and crew killed and wounded, — a melan-
choly demonstration of the uncertainty of human
prospects, and of the sad reverse of fortune
which an hour can produce. I buried them in a
spacious grave, with the honours due to the
memory of the brave.

" Though I have drawn my sword in the pre-
sent generous struggle for the rights of men,
yet I am not in arms as an American, nor am I
in pursuit of riches. My fortune is liberal
enough, having no wife nor family, and having
lived long enough to know that riches cannot
ensure happiness. I profess myself a citizen of
the world, totally unfettered by the little, mean
distinctions of climate or of country, which di-
minish the benevolence of the heart, and set
bounds to philanthropy. Before this war began
I had at the early time of life withdrawn from the
sea-service in favour of c calm contemplation and
poetic ease.1 I have sacrificed not only my fa-
vourite scheme of life, but the softer affections of

PAUL JONES. 91

the heart and my prospects of domestic happi-
ness, and I am ready to sacrifice my life also
with cheerfulness, if that forfeiture could restore
peace and good-will among mankind.

" As the feelings of your gentle bosom cannot
but be congenial with mine, let me entreat you,
Madam, to use your persuasive art with your hus-
band's to endeavour to stop this cruel and de-
structive war, in which Britain can never succeed.
Heaven can never countenance the barbarous and
unmanly practice of the Britons in America, which
savages would blush at, and which, if not dis-
continued, will soon be retaliated on -Britain by
a justly-enraged people. Should you fail in this,
(for I am persuaded that you will attempt it,
and who can resist the power of such an advo-
cate ?) your endeavours to effect a general ex-
change of prisoners will be an act of humanity
which will afford you golden feelings on a death-
bed.

" I hope this cruel contest will soon be closed ;
but should it continue, I wage no war with the
fair. I acknowledge their force, and bend before
it with submission. Let not, therefore, the amia-

92 MEMOIRS OF

ble Countess of Selkirk regard me as an enemy ;
I am ambitious of her esteem and friendship, and
would do any thing, consistent with my duty, to
merit it.

" The honour of a line from your hand in
answer to this will lay me under a singular obli-
gation ; and if I can render you any acceptable
service in France or elsewhere, I hope you see
into my character so far as to command me with-
out the least grain of reserve.

" I wish to know exactly the behaviour of my
people, as I am determined to punish them if
they have exceeded their liberty. I have the
honour to be, with much esteem and with pro-
found respect, Madam, &c. &c.

" JOHN PAUL JONES.
u To the COUNTESS of SELKIRK."

It afterwards cost Jones much more trouble
than he could have calculated upon to redeem
the promise here given to the Countess of Sel-
kirk. Once in the harpy claws of commissaries
and prize-agents, it required all his energy, acti-
vity, and disinterestedness, to wrest the plate

PAUL JONES. 93

from them, even by paying, he says, " more than
the value.1' It was valued and re-valued, and
occasioned more trouble and expense than it was
intrinsically worth, had not Jones conceived his
honour pledged for its safe restoration.

Jones found a useful auxiliary in this affair
in Father John, an Irish priest, the chaplain of
Count. D'Orvilliers, who then commanded a fleet
lying off Brest, and whom he had already made
his friend. So justly provoked was he about this
affair, and the sordid spirit of the agents, that, in
the very temper of Hotspur, we find him exclaim-
ing, " I will not abate the thousandth part of a
sol of three-twentieths of prizes, which no man in
America ever presumed to dispute as being my
just and proper right, and which no rascal in
Europe shall presume to dispute with impunity !
To whom, since I was myself Commander-in-
Chief, would that old fool decree the three-twen-
tieths ? Perhaps to his dear self, who is puffed
up with the idea of his right to secure ' the pro-
perty of captures ?' "

Though the plate came into the possession of
Jones in 1780, it was nearly five years before he

94 MEMOIRS OF

was able to return it to the owner. It was lodged
with a friend during his absence in America ; and
in writing to Lord Selkirk in 1784, after the
peace, he takes occasion to make a new avowal
of the views and sentiments on which he had act-
ed during the war : —

" Paris, February 12th, 1784.
" MY LORD,

" I have just received a letter from Mr Nes-
bitt, dated at L'Orient the 4th instant, mention-
ing a letter to him from your son, Lord Daer,
on the subject of the plate that was taken from
your house by some of my people when I com-
manded the Ranger, and has been for a long time
past in Mr Nesbitt's care. A short time before
I left France to return to America, Mr W. Alex-
ander wrote me from Paris to L^Orient, that he
had, at my request, seen and conversed with your
Lordship in England respecting the plate. He
said you had agreed that I should restore it, and
that it might be forwarded to the care of your
sister-in-law, the Countess of Morton, in London.
In consequence I now send orders to Mr Nesbitt
to forward the plate immediately to her care.

PAUL JONES. 95

When I received Mr Alexander's letter, there
was no cartel or other vessel at L'Orient, that I
could trust with a charge of so delicate a nature
as your plate, and I had great reason to expect I
should return to France within six months after
I embarked for America ; but circumstances in
America prevented my returning to Europe dur-
ing the war, though I had constant expectation
of it. The long delay that has happened to the
restoration of your plate has given me much con-
cern, and I now feel a proportionate pleasure in
fulfilling what was my first intention. My motive
for landing at your estate in Scotland was to
take you as an hostage for the lives and liberty
of a number of the citizens of America, who had
been taken in war on the ocean, and committed
to British prisons, under an act of parliament,
as traitors, pirates, and felons. You observ-
ed to Mr Alexander, that e my idea was a mis-
taken one, because you were not (as I had sup-
posed) in favour with the British ministry, who
knew that you favoured the cause of liberty.'1
On that account I am glad that you were absent
from your estate when I landed there, as I bore

96 MEMOIES OF

no personal enmity, but the contrary, towards you.
I afterwards had the happiness to redeem my
fellow-citizens from Britain, by means far more
glorious than through the medium of any single
hostage.

" As I have endeavoured to serve the cause
of liberty, through every stage of the American
revolution, and sacrificed to it my private ease,
a part of my fortune, and some of my blood, I
could have no selfish motive in permitting my
people to demand and carry off your plate. My
sole inducement was to turn their attention and
stop their rage from breaking out, and retaliat-
ing on your house and effects the too wanton
burnings and desolation that had been committed
against their relations and fellow-citizens in Ame-
rica by the British ; of which, I assure you, you
would have felt the severe consequences had I not
fallen on an expedient to prevent it, and hurried
my people away before they had time for farther
reflection. As you were so obliging as to say to
Mr Alexander, that « my people behaved with
great decency at your house? I ask the favour of
you to announce that circumstance to the public.

PAUL JONES. 97

" I am, my Lord, wishing you always perfect
freedom and happiness," &c. &c.

" PAUL JONES."

The answer that Jones received next year from
the Earl was some indemnification for his trouble
and anxiety : —

" London, 4th August, 1785.

" SlE,

" I received the letter you wrote me at the
time you sent off my plate, in order for restoring
it. Had I known where to direct a letter to you
at the time it arrived in Scotland, I would have
then wrote to you ; but not knowing it, nor find-
ing that any of my acquaintance at Edinburgh
knew it, I was obliged to delay writing till I came
here, when, by means of a gentleman connected
with America, I was told Mr Le Grand was your
banker at Paris, and would take proper care of a
letter for you ; therefore I enclose this to him.

" Notwithstanding all the precautions you took
for the easy and uninterrupted conveyance of the
plate, yet it met with considerable delays, first at
Calais, next at Dover, then at London. How-

VOL. i. E

98 MEMOIRS OF

ever, it at last arrived at Dumfries, and, I dare
say, quite safe, though as yet I have not seen it,
being then at Edinburgh. I intended to have
put an article in the newspapers about your hav-
ing returned it ; but before I was informed of its
being arrived, some of your friends, I suppose,
had put it in the Dumfries newspaper, whence
it was immediately copied into the Edinburgh
papers, and thence into the London ones.

" Since that time I have mentioned it to many
people of fashion ; and on all occasions, Sir, both
now and formerly, I have done you the justice to
tell, that you made an offer of returning the plate
very soon after your return to Brest, and al-
though you yourself were not at my house, but
remained at the shore with your boat, that yet
you had your officers and men in such extraor-
dinary good discipline, that you having given
them the strictest orders to behave well, to do no
injury of any kind, to make no search, but only
to bring off what plate was given them ; that in
reality they did exactly as ordered, and that not
one man offered to stir from his post, on the out-
side of the house, nor entered the doors, nor said

PAUL JONES. 99

an uncivil word ; that the two officers stood not
a quarter of an hour in the parlour and butler's
pantry while the butler got the plate together ;
behaved politely, and asked for nothing but the
plate, and instantly marched their men off in re-
gular order ; and that both officers and men be-
haved in all respects so well, that it would have
done credit to the best-disciplined troops what-
ever. Some of the English newspapers at that
time having put in confused accounts of your ex-
pedition to Whitehaven and Scotland, I ordered
a proper one of what happened in Scotland to be
put in the London newspapers, by a gentleman
who was then at my house, by which the good
conduct and civil behaviour of your officers and
men were done justice to, and attributed to your
orders, and the good discipline you maintained
over your people.

" I am, Sir, your most humble servant,

" SELKIRK;'

The plate was returned exactly as it had been
taken away ; even the tea leaves, it is said, re-
mained in the tea-pot.

100 MEMOIRS OF

CHAPTER IV.

THE success of Jones, and the temporary vogue
into which it raised him at the court of France
on his return to Brest, did not free him from
many embarrassments. To provide for his crew,
to secure the two hundred prisoners he had
brought in, and to obtain a new command for
himself, all occupied and distracted his attention
at the same time. The dilatoriness or cupidity
of the prize-agents, and the straitened funds at
the disposal of the Commissioners, excited open
discontents among the seamen, — who, after their
exertions, saw themselves neglected and forgotten,
and even in want of the common necessaries of
food and clothing. Captain Jones had now ob-
tained the right of speaking out, and also of be-
ing heard ; and he used his newly-acquired in-
fluence with equal anxiety for the comfort of his
own men, and of the sick, the wounded, and pri-

PAUL JONES. 101

soners whom the fortune of war had placed at
his mercy.

Before quitting America, Jones had, under the
sanction of the Marine Committee, made himself
accountable to his crew for the regular payment
of then* wages. With this circumstance Mr Lee,
one of the Commissioners, who afterwards gave
both of his own colleagues much trouble, was ac-
quainted ; yet he concurred with those who were
in ignorance of this arrangement in dishonouring
the draft which Jones made on the Commission-
ers on his return to Brest, under circumstances
which should have compelled them to attend to
his wants, in humanity and good policy as well
as justice. " I was left,11 he says, u with two
hundred prisoners of war, a number of sick and
wounded, an almost naked crew, and a ship, after
a severe engagement, in want of stores and pro-
visions, from the 9th May till the 13th of June,
destitute of any public support.1' " To make
me completely wretched,11 he says, on another oc-
casion, " M. de Bersolle has told me that he now
stops his hand, not only of the necessary articles

102 MEMOIRS OF

to refit the ship, but also of the daily provisions.
I know not where to find to-morrow's dinner for
the great number of mouths that depend on me
for food. Are the continental ships of war to
depend on the sale -of their prizes for a daily din-
ner to their men ? Publish it not in Gath !"

But from all these pressing difficulties Jones
contrived to extricate himself with little aid, in
the first instance, from the harassed Commission-
ers, who, at this time, had their hands full of
business, and their purses empty of money.

Shortly afterwards we find Captain Jones in-
terfering to protect his prisoners from the rapa-
city of the persons who were intrusted with sup-
plying their wants. By his exertions and credit
with the French government and its functionaries,
he had already ensured their safe custody in order
to an exchange, — an object for which Franklin was
now negotiating, and which at all times was one
of prime importance to Jones, as appears on the
face of his whole correspondence. The letter en-
closing the memorial of his prisoners is very cre-
ditable to his feelings.

PAUL JONES. 103

" The fellow," he says, " who holds the rod
over their wretched heads, has menaced them * if
they dare to complain," and would have intercept-
ed their memorial, had I not prevented it. This
Riou is the scoundrel who, by his falsehood,
promoted discord in the Ranger, and got the
deluded people to appoint him their particular
agent. Before that time he never could call
twenty louis his own, — and he is now too rich for
his former profession of King's interpreter. He
does not deny that he is a scoundrel, for so I
have called him more than once before witnesses,
and so every person of sense thinks him at Brest.
If the exchange of prisoners does not take place
immediately, I conceive it would be the most eli-
gible method to have the people on board the
Patience landed. They are convinced that if you
should think fit to return them an answer, it will
never come to their hands through the means of
any person who calls himself an agent at Brest,
and they having full confidence in the honour and
humanity of Father John, professor of English,
and chaplain to Comte D'Orvilliers at Brest, have
desired me to inform you, that through that gen-

104 MEMOIBS OF

tleman they beg you to favour them with an an-
swer. In granting their request you will confer
a very singular obligation on me."

Though Jones had just cause of anger in the
hardship and indignity to which he was exposed
by the Commissioners dishonouring his drafts, and
in the conduct of the prize-agents, and the discon-
tents which in consequence arose among his crew,
who naturally all looked to him for justice, if not
reward, he was cheered by many marks of private
friendship and esteem. The Comte D'Orvilliers,
Commander-in-Chief at Brest, showed him the
utmost kindness, untinctured by any of that
professional jealousy with which he was after-
wards regarded by the horde of inferior officers of
the French navy. The Due de Chartres seemed
friendly ; and, above all, the wise and venerable
Franklin, who, from first to last, appears to have
appreciated his character, proved a friend as
steady as he was judicious.

Jones had not been three weeks in Brest when
Franklin wrote him, congratulating him on his
late success, and proposing another expedition.
" The Jersey privateers," he says, "do us a great

PAUL JONES. 105

deal of mischief by intercepting our supplies. It
has been mentioned to me, that your small vessel,
commanded by so brave an officer, might render
great service, by following them where greater
ships dare not venture their bottoms ; or, being
accompanied and supported by some frigates from
Brest, at a proper distance, might draw them out
and then take them. I wish you to consider of
this, as it comes from high authority"

To be made the decoy-duck of French frigates
could not be peculiarly agreeable to a man whose
first and vehement object at all times was " a
separate command," " unlimited orders," and to
be his " own counsellor." . Yet in reply he says,
" Nothing could give me more pleasure than to
render essential service to America in any way
which you may find expedient." He then hints
his desire of still obtaining the command of the
ship building at Amsterdam. " I demand no-
thing," he adds, " and though I know that it was
the intention of Congress to give me that ship, I
am now ready to go wherever the service calls
me." " If two or three fast-sailing ships could
be collected together, there is a great choice of

E2

106 MEMOIRS OF

private enterprises that I can name, some of
which might effectually succeed, and would be
far more for the interest and honour of America
than cruising with twice the force. It appears to
me to be the province of our infant navy to sur-
prise and spread alarms with fast-sailing ships.
When we grow stronger we can meet their [the
British] fleets, and dispute with them the sove-
reignty of the ocean."

These plans and speculations were forgotten
in the more dazzling prospects which the follow-
ing letter from Franklin opened to Jones ; though
what at first promised so fair, afterwards be-
came to him the source of much trouble and vexa-
tion : —

(Private.)
" DEAR SIR,

" I have the pleasure of informing you, that it
is proposed to give you the command of the great
ship we have built at Amsterdam. By what you
wrote to us formerly, I have ventured to say in
your behalf, that this proposition would be agree-
able to you. You will immediately let me know

PAUL JONES. 107

your resolution ; which, that you may be more
clear in taking, I must inform you of some cir-
cumstances. She is at present the property of
the King ; but as there is no war yet declared,
you will have the commission and flag of the
States, and act under their orders and laws. The
Prince de Nassau will make the cruise with you.
She is to be brought here under cover as a French
merchantman, to be equipped and manned in
France. We hope to exchange your prisoners
for as many American sailors ; but if that fails,
you have your present crew to be made up here
with other nations and French. The other Com-
missioners are not acquainted with this proposi-
tion as yet ; and you see by the nature of it, that
it is necessary to be kept a secret till we have
got the vessel here, for fear of difficulties in Hol-
land, and interception ; you will therefore direct
your answer to me alone. It being desired that
the affair should rest between you and me, per-
haps it may be best for you to take a trip up
here to concert matters, if in general you approve
the idea.

108 MEMOIRS OF

" I was much pleased with reading your jour-
nal, which we received yesterday."

A few days after this, Franklin had this affair
so well matured as to write again in the follow-
ing terms : —

" Passy, June 10th, 1778.
" DEAR SIR,

" I received yours of 1st instant, with the pa-
pers enclosed, which I have shown to the other
Commissioners, but have not yet had their opinion
of them ; only I know that they had before (in
consideration of the disposition and uneasiness of
your people) expressed an inclination to order
your ship directly back to America. You will
judge from what follows, whether it will not be
advisable for you to propose their sending her
back with her people, and under some other com-
mand. In consequence of the high opinion the
Minister of the Marine has of your conduct and
bravery, it is now settled (observe, that is to
be a secret between us, I being expressly enjoin-
ed not to communicate it to any other person,)

PAUL JONES. 109

that you are to have the frigate from Holland,
which actually belongs to government, and will
be furnished with as many good French seamen
as you shall require. But you are to act under
Congress commission. As you may like to have
a number of Americans, and your own are home-
sick, it is proposed to give you as many as you
can engage out of two hundred prisoners, which
the ministry of Britain have at length agreed to
give us in exchange for those you have in your
hands. They propose to make the exchange at
Calais, where they are to bring the Americans.
Nothing is wanting to this but a list of yours,
containing their names and rank ; immediately on
the receipt of which an equal number are to be
prepared, and sent in a ship to that port, where
yours are to meet them.

" If by this means you can get a good new crew,
I think it would be best that you are quite free
of the old ; for a mixture might introduce the in-
fection of that sickness you complain of. But
this may be left to your own discretion. Perhaps
we shall join you with the Providence, Captain
Whipple, a new continental ship of 30 guns,

110 MEMOIRS OF

which, in coming out of the river of Providence,
gave the two frigates that were posted to inter-
cept her each of them so heavy a dose of her 18
and 12 pounders, that they had not the courage,
or were not able, to pursue her. It seems to be
desired that you will step up to Versailles, (where
one will meet you,) in order to such a settlement
of matters and plans with those who have the di-
rection as cannot well be done by letter. I wish
it may be convenient to you to do it immediately.
" The project of giving you the command of
this ship pleases me the more, as it is a probable
opening to the higher preferment you so justly
merit."

Jones must have been exceedingly gratified by
this information. It was placing him at once at
the summit of his wishes. The French Minister
of Marine notified the wishes of his Most Chris-
tian Majesty to employ the American captain ;
and the Commissioners as formally signified their
acquiescence. They say, " We readily consent
that he should be at your Excellency's disposi-
tion, and shall be happy if his services may be in

PAUL JONES. Ill

any respect useful to the designs your Excellency
has in contemplation.'''

Though Jones had already some experience of
Marine Committees, and of the delays and inso-
lence of office, it was quite impossible that he
could have anticipated all the torture and vexa-
tion laid up in store for him by a proposal which
at first sight appeared so fair and flattering. He
made his acknowledgments to the minister in
his best style ; but probably thought less of the
" dignity of human nature," the slang of that
day, long before all official connexion was fin-
ished between them. " I have no doubt," he
says, " that many projects might be formed from
the hints which I had the honour of sending
lately for your inspection : had I been intrusted
with the chief command, I would have held my-
self responsible for consequences."

" I am bound in honour to communicate faith-
fully to Congress the generous offer which the
King now makes, of lending the Epervier in the
meantime to be employed under my command,
under the flag of America. I have now under my
command a ship bound to America. On my arrival

112 MEMOIRS OF

there, from the former confidence of Congress, I
have reason to expect an immediate removal into
one of their best ships. I have reason to expect
the chief command of the first squadron destined
for an expedition, having in my possession several
similar appointments ; and when Congress see fit
to appoint admirals, I have assurance that my
name will not be forgot. These are flattering
prospects to a man who has drawn his sword only
upon principles of philanthropy, and in support
of the dignity of human nature. But as I prefer
a solid to a shining reputation, a useful to a
splendid command, I hold myself ready, with the
approbation of the Commissioners, to be governed
by you in any measures that may tend to distress
and humble the common enemy."

This letter, in several of its hints, shows some
address on the part of Jones, who, it must be
acknowledged, seldom, unless stirred by indigna-
tion or a sense of injury, slipped the opportunity
of forwarding his own interests by an opportune
hint or leading suggestion : of hints and projects
of a public nature his brain was at all times sin-

PAUL JONES. 113

gularly fertile. At this moment of excitement
it teemed with bold ideas or fancies. To effect
the destruction of Whitehaven was, as we have
seen, one project. To take the Bank of Ayr,
destroy that town, and probably Greenock and
Port-Glasgow, with the shipping in the Clyde,
was a yet bolder design. " Much,1' he says,
" might be done in Ireland, where ships worth
150,000 limes, or even 200,000, might be
seized, — London might be distressed, by cutting
off the supply of coals carried from Newcastle, —
the fishing at Campbelton might be destroyed,
and many towns on the north-east coasts of Eng-
land and Scotland might be burnt or laid under
contribution." A more feasible project was the
capture or destruction of the Baltic fleet. " The
success of any of these, or of like enterprises,"
says Jones, in a letter to the French Minister of
Marine, " will depend in surprising well, and on
despatch both in the attack and in the retreat ;
therefore it is necessary the ships should sail
fast, and that their forces should be sufficient to
repel any of the enemy's cruising frigates, two of
which may perhaps be met at a time. It is scarce-

114 MEMOIRS OF

ly conceivable how great a panic the success of
any one of these projects would occasion in Eng-
land. It would convince the world that their
coasts are vulnerable, and would, consequently,
hurt their public credit.

" If alarming the coast of Britain should be
thought inexpedient, to intercept the enemy's
West India or Baltic fleets, or their Hudson's
Bay ships, or to destroy then* Greenland fishery,
are capital objects.""

There is much in these plans that must either
have been conceived in ignorance, or suggested by
Jones for the purpose of merely amusing, or of
quickening the motions of the French marine de-
partment. Even when, long afterwards, a force
was obtained, not one of them was attempted save
the abortive attack on Leith.

It has been noticed, that, after the engagement
with the Drake, Captain Jones ordered Lieuten-
ant Simpson under arrest for what appeared very
satisfactory reasons. He had afterwards been
annoyed by the Commissioners' dishonouring his
draft, and he was now enraged by their con-
duct regarding Simpson, the offending officer. In-

PAUL JONES. 115

deed no excuse can be offered for their proceed-
ings, save that these distracted Commissioners had
not power at all times to administer rigid justice,
whatever might have been their wishes. The
account of this proceeding is given in the words
of the memorial, long afterwards prepared by Cap-
tain Jones for the information of the King of
France. It was an insult the memory of which
did not soon leave him.

" The lieutenant under arrest on board the
Drake had constant intercourse with the crew ;
who thereby became so insolent as to refuse duty,
and go all hands below repeatedly before the
Captain's face. It was impossible to trifle at that
time, as Count D'Orvilliers had assured Captain
Jones, unless he could get the Drake ready to
transport the prisoners to America before orders
arrived from Court, they would in all probability
be given up without an exchange, to avoid im-
mediate war with England. It therefore became
impossible to suffer the lieutenant to remain any
longer among them. Captain Jones had him re-
moved to the ship called the Admiral, where the
French confine even the first officers in the ser-

116 MEMOIRS OF

vice. He had there a good chamber to himself,
and liberty to walk the deck. The lieutenant
endeavoured to desert out of the Admiral, and
behaved in a manner so extravagant, that Count
D'Orvilliers (without the knowledge of Captain
Jones) ordered him to the prison of the port,
where he also had a good chamber, and Captain
Jones paid his expenses out of his own pocket.

" About this time Captain Jones, finding the
lieutenant appeared more reasonable than for-
merly, took his parole in writing, not to serve
again in the navy before he was acquitted by a
court-martial, and set him at liberty. A day or
two afterwards the Commissioners thought fit to
interfere respecting the lieutenant of the Ran-
ger, which, it is presumed, they had no authority
to do, as it laid the axe to the root of subor-
dination.""

On returning from Versailles, whither he had
gone, as has been noticed, on the invitation of
Franklin, Captain Jones feeling himself dread-
fully aggrieved, wrote as follows : —

PAUL JONES. 117

" Brest, August 13th, 1778.
" GENTLEMEN,

" I have been five days in this place since my
return from Passy, during which time I have
neither seen nor heard from Lieutenant Simp-
son ; but Mr Hill, who was last winter at Passy,
and who sailed with me from Nantes, informs
me truly, that it is generally reported in the
Ranger, and of course throughout the French
fleet, and on shore, that I am turned out of the
service ; that you, gentlemen, have given Mr
Simpson my place, with a captain's commission,
and that my letter to you of the 16th July was
involuntary on my part, and in obedience only
to your orders.

" That these reports prevail is not an idle
conjecture, but a melancholy fact. Therefore I
beseech you, — I demand of you to afford me re-
dress,— redress by a court-martial; to form which
we have now, with the assistance of Captain Hin-
man, Captain Read, as also them at Nantes, a
sufficient number of officers in France, exclusive
of myself. The Providence and Britain are ex-
pected here very soon from Nantes, and I am

118 MEMOIRS OF

certain that they neither can nor will again de-
part, before my friend Captain Hinman can come
down here ; and it is his unquestioned right to
succeed me in the Ranger.

" I have faithfully and personally supported
and fought the dignified cause of human nature
ever .since the American banners first waved on
the Delaware and on the ocean. This I did when
that man did not call himself a republican, but
left the continent, and served its enemies ; and
this I did when this man appeared backward,
and did not support me as he ought.

" I conclude by requesting you to call before
you, and examine for your own satisfaction, Mr
Edward Meyers, who is now at the house of the
Swedish Ambassador, and who, having been with
me as a volunteer, can and will, I am persuaded,
represent to you the conduct of the officers and
men towards me, both before I left Brest, and af-
terwards in the Irish Channel, as well as my
conduct towards them. — I have the honour to
be, &c. &c.

" Their Excellencies the
American Plenipotentiaries."

PAUL JONES. 119

He received no immediate satisfaction, and re-
solved to digest his chagrin as he best could, and
at least avoid the odium of a squabble among the
Americans in France.

In the spring of the following year, he, how-
ever, received a slight atonement to his wounded
feelings, in an official letter signed by Franklin
and Adams, stating, that as his removal from
the Ranger, and the appointment of Lieutenant
Simpson to the command of that ship, might be
liable to misrepresentations and misinterpreta-
tions, they certified it to be done by them, that,
on the request of M. de Sartine, he might be em-
ployed on some public service ; and that Simpson
had been appointed by his (Jones's) consent after
he had released that officer from an arrest under
which he had placed him.

The prospect of immediate active service, of
getting afloat with unlimited orders, and a larger
force than he had ever yet commanded, so flat-
tering and near in July, became more doubtful
in the end of August ; and by September, as war
was now declared with England, the French of-
ficers were in the first place to be provided for ;

120 MEMOIRS OF

and the promised, or rather offered, frigates
dwindled down to a much smaller force. Even
that was delayed. After repeatedly applying to
the American Commissioners, and using all the
personal influence which his enlarged acquaint-
ance in the court circles enabled him to obtain,
Jones found it needful to remonstrate with M. de
Sartine. He had, however, lost another power-
ful hold of the Minister. The Prince of Nassau,
who in the outset had eagerly desired to accom-
pany him in his expedition, either from caprice
or change of views, abandoned the scheme, with-
out scruple or apology, and to the letters of Jones
did not even deign the civility of a reply.

That his time might not be wholly consumed
in idleness, and in the sickness of hope deferred,
Jones again addressed the Minister in what he calls
" an exph'cit letter," which explains his situation
better than could be done in many words.

" Brest, September 13th, 1778.
" HONOURED SIR,

" When his Excellency Doctor Franklin in-
formed me that you had condescended to think

PAUL JONES. 121

me worthy of your notice, I took such pleasure
in reflecting on the happy alliance between France
and America, that I was really flattered, and en-
tertained the most grateful sense of the honour
which you proposed for me, as well as the favour
which the king proposed for America, by putting
so fine a ship of war as the Indian under my com-
mand, and under its flag, with unlimited orders.
+ " In obedience to your desire, I came to Ver-
sailles, and was taught to believe that my intend-
ed ship was in deep water, and ready for the sea ;
but when the Prince (de Nassau) returned I re-
ceived from him a different account ; I was told
that the Indian could not be got afloat within a
shorter period than three months at the approach-
ing equinox.

" To employ this interval usefully, I first offer-
ed to go from Brest with Count D'Orvilliers, as a
volunteer, which you thought fit to reject. I had
then the satisfaction to find that you approved in
general of a variety of hints for private enterprises
which I had drawn up for your consideration,
and I was flattered with assurances from Messieurs
de Chaumont and Bandonin, that three of the

VOL. i. F

MEMOIRS OF

finest frigates in France, with two tenders, and a
number of troops, would be immediately put under
my command; and that I should have unlimited
orders, and be at free liberty to pursue such of
my own projects as I thought proper. But this
plan fell to nothing in the moment when I was
taught to think that nothing was wanting but
the King's signature.

" Another much inferior armament from
LTOrient was proposed to be put under my com-
mand, which was by no means equal to the ser-
vices that were expected from it ; for speed and
force, though both requisite, were both wanting.
Happily for me this also failed, and I was there-
by saved from a dreadful prospect of ruin and
dishonour.

" I had so entire a reliance that you would de-
sire nothing of me inconsistent with my honour
and rank, that the moment you required me to
come down here, in order to proceed round to St
Malo, though I had received no written orders,
and neither knew your intention respecting my
destination or command, I obeyed with such
haste, that although my curiosity led me to look

PAUL JONES. 123

at the armament at LTOrient, yet I was but three
days from Passy till I reached Brest. Here too
I drew a blank ; but when I saw the Lively, it
was no disappointment, as that ship, both in sail-
ing and equipment, is far inferior to the Ran-
ger.

" My only disappointment here was my being
precluded from embarking in pursuit of marine
knowledge with Count D'Orvilliers, who did not
sail till seven days after my return. He is my
friend, and expressed his wishes for my com-
pany ; I accompanied him out of the road when
the fleet sailed; and he always lamented that
neither himself nor any person in authority in
Brest had received from you any order* that men-
tioned my name. I am astonished therefore to
be informed that you attribute my not being in
the fleet to my stay at Lf Orient.

" I am not a mere adventurer of fortune. Sti-
mulated by principles of reason and philanth-
ropy, I laid aside my enjoyments in private life,
and embarked under the flag of America when it
was first displayed. In that line my desire of
fame is infinite, and I must not now so far forget

124 MEMOIRS OF

my own honour, and what I owe to my friends
and America, as to remain inactive.

" My rank knows no superior in the Ameri-
can marine : I have long since been appointed to
command an expedition with five of its ships,
and I can receive orders from no junior or infe-
rior officer whatever.

" I have been here in the most tormenting
suspense for more than a month since my re-
turn; and agreeable to your desire, as mentioned
to me by Monsieur Chaumont, a lieutenant has
been appointed, and is with me, who speaks
the French as well as the English. Circular
letters have been written, and sent the 8th of
last month from the English Admiralty, because
they expected me to pay another visit with four
ships. Therefore I trust that, if the Indian is
not to be got out, you will not, at the approaching
season, substitute a force that is not at least
equal both in strength and sailing to any of the
enemy's cruising ships.

" I do not wish to interfere with the harmony
of the French marine ; but if I am still thought
worthy of your attention, I shall hope for a se-

PAUL JONES. 125

parate command, with liberal orders. If, on the
contrary, you should now have no further occa-
sion for my services, the only favour I can ask
is, that you will bestow on me the Alert, with a
few seamen, and permit me to return, and carry
with me your good opinion in that small vessel,
before the winter, to America/'1

This letter was submitted to the Due de Roche-
foucault, and enclosed to Franklin, who, while
he omitted no opportunity of serving Jones, still
counselled patience. To Franklin he says, " It
is in vain for the minister to pretend that he has
not ships to bestow. I know the contrary. He
has bestowed the Renommee and others here
since my return ; and there are yet several new
ships unbestowed at St Malo and elsewhere. I
know too, that unless the States of Holland op-
pose it, the Indian can be got afloat with a tenth
part of the difficulty that has been represented.
If I was worth his notice at the beginning I am
not less so now. After all, you have desired me
to have patience, and I promise you that I will
wait your kind advice, and take no step without
your approbation. If it were consistent and con-

MEMOIRS OF

venient for you to see M. de Sartine, I should
hope that such an explanation would be the con-
sequence as might remove every cause of un-
easiness.1'

Day after day he continued to write Franklin,
mentioning vessels that he might command if the
minister were sincere in his professions. Mean-
while Franklin procured the minister's order that
he should be received on board the French fleet;
but, either intentionally or by accident, it came too
late to admit of his embarking to gain that know-
ledge of naval tactics, and of governing a fleet,
which was his object. It was indeed surmised
that the jealousy of the French service was the
true obstacle, both to his promised command and
desire of increasing his knowledge of his profes-
sion on the great scale. " I think of going to
LTOrient," he says, " being heartily sick of Brest,
and an eyesore to the marine." In another let-
ter he says, " I have excited the jealousy of many
officers in our young navy, because I have pur-
sued honour while they sought after profit.''''

Gradually as his hopes decreased, Jones lower-
ed his demands. He proposed many different

PAUL JONES. 127

vessels, the chief object being fast-sailing ships.
" I wish to have no connexion with any ship that
does not sail fast," he says, "for I intend to
go in harm's way. You know, I believe, that
this is not every one's intention ; therefore buy a
frigate that sails fast, and that is sufficiently large
to carry twenty-six or twenty-eight guns on one
deck." " I have, to show my gratitude to France,"
he adds, " lost so much time, and with it such
opportunities as I cannot regain, — I have almost
half killed myself with grief. Give me but an as-
surance that the command of the Indian will be
reserved for me, and bestowed on no other person
on any pretence whatsoever, and I will say I am
satisfied. This I pledge myself will be no loss to
France — America is not ungrateful. The noble-
minded Congress know not the little mean dis-
tinctions of climate or place of nativity, nor have
they adopted any rule which can preclude them
from encouraging or rewarding the merit of a
stranger, by raising him even to the first posts of
honour. In the army there are many instances
of this. In the navy, young as it is, it gives me
particular pleasure to inform you that Congress
have given the command of the best ship in

128 MEMOIRS OF

their service to a French officer, and called the
ship the Alliance?

Many vessels were proposed in succession, and
all were abandoned. The anger and impatience
of Jones got beyond control, and he never ap-
pears to have been of the temper which makes
a proud man disdain to reveal his chagrin and
disappointment. M. de Sartine accordingly, on
his part, felt equally annoyed by the incessant
importunity of the man who held him to his word.

To the Due de Rochefoucault, whom he al-
ways found friendly, Jones writes, — " The mi-
nister's behaviour towards me has been and is
really astonishing. At his request (for I sought
not the connexion) I gave up absolute certain-
ties, and far more nattering prospects than any
of those which he proposed. What inducement
could I have for this but gratitude to France
for having first recognized our independence ?
And having given my word to stay for some
time in Europe, I have been and am unwilling
to take it back, especially after having com-
municated the circumstances to Congress. The
minister, to my infinite mortification, after pos-

PAUL JONES.

sessing himself of my schemes and ideas, has
treated me like a child five times successively,
by leading me on from great to little, and from
little to less. Does such conduct do honour either
to his head or to his heart ? He has not to this
moment offered me the least apology for any of
these five deceptions ; nor has he, I believe, as-
signed any good reason to that venerable and
great character, his Excellency Doctor Frank-
lin, whom he has made the instrument to entrap
me in this cruel state of inaction and suspense.

" The minister has lately written a letter to
Count D'Orvilliers, proposing to send me home
in ' une bonne voiture.' This is absolutely add-
ing insult to injury, and it is the proposition of a
man whose veracity I have not experienced in
former cases.

" I could in the summer, with the Ranger,
joined with the two other American frigates, have
given the enemy sufficient foundation for their
fears in Britain as well as Ireland, and could
since have been assisting Count D'Estaing, or
acting separately with an American squadron.
Instead of this I am chained down to shameful

F2

130 MEMOIRS OF

inactivity here, after having written to Congress
to reserve no command for me in America.

" Convinced as I am, that your noble and ge-
nerous breast will feel for my unmerited treat-
ment, I must beseech you to interest yourself
with the Duke de Chartres, that the King may
be made acquainted with my situation. I have
been taught to believe that I have been detained
in France with his Majesty's knowledge and ap-
probation, and I am sure he is too good a prince
to detain me for my hurt or dishonour.

" M. de Sartine may think as he pleases, but
Congress will not thank him for having thus treat-
ed an officer who has always been honoured with
their favour and friendship. I entertained some
hopes of his honourable intentions till he gave
the command of the Fox to a lieutenant, after
my friends had asked for me only that ship with
the Alert cutter. He was the asker at the be-
yinning^ and ought to be so now; he has, to
my certain knowledge, ships unbestowed, and he
is bound in honour to give me the Indian, as he
proposed at the first, or an equivalent command,
immediately."

PAUL JONES. 131

To M. Ray de Chaumont, Jones says about
the same period, —

" Although the minister has treated me like a
child five successive times, by leading me on from
great to little, and from little to less, yet I had
some dependence on his honourable intentions
until he refused the small command which you
asked for me the 23d ultimo, and afterwards be-
stowed the Fox on a lieutenant who, to my
certain knowledge, does not thank him for the
favour, and thinks that ship far short of his right.
I say I verily believed the minister at the be-
ginning, and afterwards ; but now having de-
ceived me so often, I wish him to know that I
doubt him, though he swears even ' by the stix?*
I have written to him several respectful letters of
some consequence, none of which he has conde-
scended to answer. This is a piece of incivility
and disrespect to me as a stranger which he has
not shown even to subalterns in the French ma-
rine, in whose hands I have seen his answers to

* At an interview M. Chaumont had with the minis-
ter, he swore by Styx ! that Paul Jones should have a
frigate, were he even to buy it.

132 MEMOIRS OF

letters of little importance. The secrecy which I
was required to observe respecting what seemed
his first intention in my favour has been inviol-
able ; and I have been so delicate with respect
to my situation, that I have been, and am consi-
dered everywhere as an officer disgraced and
cast off for private reasons. I have of course
been in actual disgrace here ever since my re-
turn, which is more than two months. I have
already lost near five months of my time, the
best season of the year, and such opportunities of
serving my country, and acquiring honour, as I
cannot again expect this wtN^ while I have been
thus shamefully entrapped in inaction. My duty
and sensibility cannot brook this unworthy si-
tuation. If the minister's intentions have been
honourable from the beginning, he will make a
direct written apology to me, suitable to the in-
jury which I have sustained, otherwise, in vindi-
cation of my sacred honour, painful as it will be,
I must publish in the Gazettes of Europe the
conduct he has held towards me."

The compatriots of Jones in France sympathized
in his disappointment and indignation; particularly
Dr Bancroft and Mr William Temple Franklin,

PAUL JONES. 133

the grandson and secretary of Benjamin Franklin.
"I have felt for you most sincerely," says young
Franklin ; " Monsieur S.'s conduct towards you
has been as remarkable as it has been unjust, and
has altered in a great degree the good opinion
many have had of him. I have been asked in
several companies, oii est le brave Capitaine
Jones ? quefait-il ? and have felt myself (as your
compatriot) in a manner ill-treated, when I can
only answer that you are still at Brest. On the
receipt of your letter, I asked Mr Chaumont
' whether he thought any thing would be done
for you ?' He answered, ' that to his certain
knowledge M. S. was ashamed of the conduct he
had held towards you,' and that he was now occu-
pied to make up for it. Bancroft,' says he, * is
assured that the minister had all along felt good
dispositions, but had been prevented from carrying
them into execution by the intrigues of 487,557,*
(the marine,) among whom multitudes were mak-

* These numbers refer to a cipher that Bancroft and
young Franklin had got from Paul Jones for their pri-
vate correspondence with him.

134 MEMOIES OF

ing interest, and caballing to obtain 303, (ships,)
and opposing the disposal of any except among
then* own body ; but 710 (M. de Sartine) had
assured him that you should soon have one, if he
were even to purchase it.1 Mr Bandonin desired
me also to make you his best compliments, to as-
sure you that he would not suffer your business
to rest much longer, and in the mean time to beg
your patience a little longer. In this situation
I know not what we can do, but wait a week
or two, when, if nothing comes, I think 299
(Doctor Franklin) will declare his utmost resent-
ment, and nothing that any of us can say will be
too bad."

Worn out with waiting, " hah0 killed," as he
strongly expresses himself, with suspense and in-
action, Jones now formed the design of directly
addressing the king, and of soliciting the kind-
ness of the family of Chartres, (Orleans,) in
presenting his letter. He, as usual, took the
precaution of enclosing all these epistolary com-
positions to Franklin, — a course which preserved
him from ever going too far wrong, even while
under the greatest irritation.

PAUL JONES. 135

In his letter to Franklin, he says, " The
Duchesse de Chartres will, I am persuaded, un-
dertake to deliver my letter into the King's hands ;
and as you may not yet think fit to appear in the
business, either the Due de Rochefoucault, or
your grandson, will oblige me by waiting on her
at the Palais Royal. The Due de Rochefou-
cault, as he understands English well, and is ac-
quainted with the circumstances, would oblige me
much if he would be present when the letter is
presented to the King. I do not wish to trouble
the Due de Chartres about this affair, as that
brave prince has undeservedly met with vexations
of his own."

The following is the letter which Captain Jones
wrote to the King of France, and which was
to be presented to his Majesty by the Duchess
of Chartres, afterwards the Duchess of Or-
leans : —

" Brest, October 19th, 1778.
" SIRE,

" After my return to Brest in the American
ship of war the Ranger, from the Irish Channel,
his excellency Dr Franklin informed me by let-

136 MEMOIRS OF

ter, dated June the 1st, that M. de Sartine, hav-
ing a high opinion of my conduct and bravery,
had determined, with your Majesty's consent and
approbation, to give me the command of the ship
of war the Indian, which was built at Amster-
dam for America, but afterwards, for political
reasons, made the property of France.

" I was to act with unlimited orders under the
commission and flag of America ; and the Prince
de Nassau proposed to accompany me on the
ocean.

" I was deeply penetrated with the sense of the
honour done me by this generous proposition, as
well as of the favour your Majesty intended there-
by to confer on America. And I accepted the offer
with the greater pleasure, as the Congress had
sent me to Europe in the Ranger, to command
the Indian before the ownership of that vessel
was changed.

" The minister desired to see me at Versailles
to settle future plans of operation, and I attended
him for that purpose. I was told that the In-
dian was at the Texel completely armed and fitted
for sea ; but the Prince de Nassau was sent ex-

PAUL JONES. 137

press to Holland, and returned with a very dif-
ferent account. The ship was at Amsterdam, and
could not be got afloat or armed before the Sep-
tember equinox. The American plenipotentiaries
proposed that I should return to America ; and
as I have repeatedly been appointed to the chief
command of an American squadron to execute
secret enterprises, it was not doubted but that
Congress would again show me a preference. M.
de Sartine, however, thought proper to prevent
my departure, by writing to the plenipotentiaries,
(without my knowledge,) requesting that I might
be permitted to remain in Europe, and that the
Ranger might be sent back to America under
another commander, he having special services
which he wished me to execute. This request
they readily granted, and I was flattered by the
prospect of being enabled to testify, by my ser-
vices, my gratitude to your Majesty, as the first
prince who has so generously acknowledged our
independence.

" There was an interval of more than three
months before the Indian could be gotten afloat.
To employ that period usefully, when your Ma-

138 MEMOIRS OF

jesty's fleet was ordered to sail from Brest, I
proposed to the minister to embark in it as a vo-
lunteer, in pursuit of marine knowledge. He
objected to this, at the same time approved of a
variety of hints for private enterprises, which I
had drawn up for his consideration. Two gentle-
men were appointed to settle with me the plans
that were to be adopted, who gave me the assu-
rance that three of the best frigates in France,
with two tenders, and a number of troops, should
be immediately put under my command, to pur-
sue such of my own projects as I thought pro-
per ; but this fell to nothing, when I believed
that your Majesty*^ signature only was wanting.
" Another armament, composed of cutters and
small vessels, at L^Orient, was proposed to be put
under my command, to alarm the coasts of Eng-
land and check the Jersey privateers ; but, hap-
pily for me, this also failed, and I was saved from
ruin and dishonour, as I now find that all the
vessels sailed slow, and their united force is very
insignificant. The minister then thought fit that
I should return to Brest to command the Lively,
and join some frigates on an expedition from St

PAUL JONES. 139

Malo to the North Sea. I returned in haste for
that purpose, and found that the Lively had been
bestowed at Brest before the minister had men-
tioned that ship to me at Versailles. This was,
however, another fortunate disappointment, as the
Lively proves, both in sailing and equipment,
much inferior to the Ranger ; but, more espe-
cially, if it be true, as I have since understood,
that the minister intended to give the chief com-
mand of the expedition to a lieutenant, which
would have occasioned a very disagreeable mis-
understanding : for, as an officer of the first rank
in the American marine, who has ever been
honoured with the favour and friendship of Con-
gress, I can receive orders from no inferior offi-
cer whatever. My plan was the destruction of
the English Baltic fleet, of great consequence to
the enemy's marine, and then only protected by
a single frigate ! I would have held myself re-
sponsible for its success had I commanded the
expedition.

" M. de Sartine afterwards sent orders to
Count D'Orvilliers to receive me on board the

140 MEMOIRS OF

fleet, agreeably to my former proposal ; but the
order did not arrive until after the departure of
the fleet the last time from Brest, nor was I made
acquainted with the circumstance before the fleet
returned here.

" Thus have I been chained down to shame-
ful inactivity for nearly five months. I have lost
the best season of the year, and such opportuni-
ties of serving my country and acquiring honour
as I cannot again expect this war ; and, to my
infinite mortification, having no command, I am
considered everywhere an officer cast off and in
disgrace for secret reasons.

" I have written respectful letters to the mi-
nister, none of which he has condescended to
answer ; I have written to the Prince de Nassau
with as little effect ; and I do not understand
that any apology has been made to the great and
venerable Dr Franklin, whom the minister has
made the instrument of bringing me into such
unmerited trouble.

" Having written to Congress to reserve no
command for me in America, my sensibility is

PAUL JONES. 141

the more affected by this unworthy situation in
the sight of your Majesty's fleet. I, however,
make no remark on the treatment I have re-
ceived.

" Although I wish not to become my own
panegyrist, I must beg your Majesty's permis-
sion to observe, that I am not an adventurer in
search of fortune, of which, thank God, I have
a sufficiency.

" When the American banner was first dis-
played, I drew my sword in support of the vio-
lated dignity and rights of human nature ; and
both honour and duty prompt me steadfastly to
continue the righteous pursuit, and to sacrifice
to it, not only my private enjoyments, but even
life, if necessary. I must acknowledge that the
generous praise which I have received from Con-
gress and others exceeds the merit of my past
services ; therefore I the more ardently wish for
future opportunities of testifying my gratitude
by my activity.

" As your Majesty, by espousing the cause of
America, hath become the protector of the rights
of human nature, I am persuaded that you will

142 MEMOIRS OF

not disregard my situation, nor suffer me to re-
main any longer in this insupportable disgrace.
I am, with perfect gratitude

and profound respect,

SIRE,

Your Majesty's very obliged,
very obedient, and

very humble servant,

J. PAUL JONES."

There is no satisfactory evidence that the above
letter was ever presented, or indeed that it ever
came into the hands of the Duchess of Chartres ;
yet the fact appears to be assumed by the Ame-
rican biographer of Jones ; and the letter itself,
as expressive of his sentiments at this crisis, is
too important to be suppressed. The correspon-
dence and journals of Jones contain no allusion
to any effect produced by that letter, — not even
the extract of his journal made long afterwards,
expressly for the perusal of the King ; and the
postscript of a letter written by Mr Temple
Franklin is at least complete proof that, if the
letter to the King was ever delivered, it was de-

PAUL JONES. 143

cidedly against the judgment of Franklin. The
letter of the younger Franklin is dated the 22d
October, the postscript the 24th. It says, " Since
writing the above, I have received yours of the
19th instant (the letter to the King.) I would
willingly do every thing you there desire of me,
but it is my grandfather's opinion that there will
be no occasion to send those letters ; and I ima-
gine they were wrote before you heard of the
minister's final determination. If, however, you
still think they ought to be sent, ybu have only
to order it."

From this it would appear that the minister's
" final determination" to buy Jones " a suitable
ship" had preceded the letter to the King, and
was not a consequence of it. In a letter to M.
de Chaumont, of the 30th November, Jones
thus expresses himself with regard to M. de Sar-
tine : — " My best respects and most grateful
thanks await the minister for the very honourable
things he said of me to the Due de la Rochefou-
cault. It shall be my ambition, when he gives
me opportunities, to merit his favour and affec-
tion."

144 MEMOIRS OF

CHAPTER V.

THE gratitude of Jones to the minister of ma-
rine was premature. But it would be tiresome
to follow the train of petty disappointments which
this brave man had yet to encounter before he
got once again fairly afloat. From the month
of June, 1778, till the month of February of the
following year, he was condemned to feel to its
utmost extent the misery there is —

" In suing long to bide."

In this interval some proposals were made to
Captain Jones while at Brest to take the com-
mand of privateers. This he decidedly declined ;
and he even resented the supposition that, bear-
ing, as he did, the commission of Congress, he
should act at any time as the commander of pri-
vateers. So nice was he on this point, that in
one instance we find Franklin himself conde-
scending to sooth his hasty feelings. " Depend

PAUL JONES. 145

upon it," says the sage, " I never wrote Mr
Gillon that the Bon Homme Richard was a pri-
vateer. I could not write so, because I never
had such a thought. I will next post send you
a copy of my letter to him, by which you will see
that he has only forced that construction from a
vague expression I used, merely to conceal from
him (in answering his idle demand that I would
order your squadron, then on the point of sailing,
to go with him to Carolina,) that the expedition
was at the expense and under the direction of
the King, which it was not proper or necessary
for him to know." And to the proposal that he
would take the command of an armament of pri-
vateers, Jones says, " Were I in pursuit of profit
I would accept it without hesitation ; but I am
under such obligations to Congress, that I can-
not think myself my own master, — and as a ser-
vant of the Imperial Republic of America, ho-
noured with the public approbation of my past
services, I cannot, from my own authority or in-
clination, serve either myself or even my best
friends, in any private line whatsoever." With
these feelings, his indignation at being long af-
VOL. i. G

146 MEMOIRS OF

terwards offered a letter-of-marque by the French
government, in requital of his services, may be
easily imagined. But this belongs to a more ad-
vanced stage of his history.

Every thing appeared in a fair way in Novem-
ber; yet Jones found it necessary to repair once
more to Versailles, and to Passy, the seat of the
American legation. " As nothing was done,"
he says in his memorial to the King, " Captain
Jones determined to go himself to court." When
he got there, the minister offered him the Mar-
shal de Broglio, a large ship ; but as his Ame-
ricans had all left the service during the long pe-
riod of idleness, he was unable to man this vessel,
and the Due de Duras was bought for him,
which, among many other vessels, he had ac-
quainted his friends, was on sale at L'Orient.

On the 6th of February Jones had at last the
satisfaction of making, from Passy, his acknow-
ledgments to the minister Sartine. His gratitude
was quite as lively as the treatment he had received
required. He obtained leave to change the name
of the ship to Bon Homme Richard, " in com-
pliment," he says, " to a saying of Poor Rich-

PAUL JONES.

ard," (of which, by the way, he had just expe-
rienced the truth,) " If you would have your
business done, come yourself — if not, send."

Jones now went to Nantes to engage seamen,
and to obtain cannon to arm his ship. On his
late journey he had been introduced to M. Gar-
nier, in order to concert a plan of operations for
a combined naval and military force. Four or
five sail were to be added to the Bon Homme
Richard, of which two vessels were to be fire-
ships. Five hundred picked men, taken from the
Irish regiment, were to embark under the com-
mand of Mr Fitzmaurice. All were to be under
the entire command of Jones. " A plan,11* he
says, " was laid, which promised perfect success,
and had it succeeded, would have astonished the
world."

In an evil hour he solicited that the Alliance,
a new American frigate, of which the command
had been given by Congress to one Landais, a
Frenchman, should be added to his force. As
Dr Franklin had just been formally appointed

* This plan was directed against Liverpool.

148 MEMOIRS OF

ambassador to the Court of France, Jones im-
agined that not only the disposal of the frigate,
but the power of displacing its commander at
pleasure, was vested in him, as the guardian of
American interests in Europe.

About this time the Marquis de la Fayette re-
turned from America, and he wished to go on the
projected expedition. Jones was summoned to
court ; and it was arranged that the Marquis de
la Fayette was to command a body of about 700
troops, assigned him by the King. The Alli-
ance was made part of the squadron by the Ame-
rican minister plenipotentiary, at the particular
desire of the French government.

The squadron was now to consist of the Bon
Homme Richard, the Alliance, the Pallas, the
Vengeance brig, and the Cerf, a fine cutter,
well fitted and manned. " A person," (M. Chau-
mont,) says Jones, " was appointed commissary,
and unwisely intrusted with the secret of the ex-
pedition. The commissary took upon himself
the whole direction at LTOrient ; but the secret
was too big for him to keep. Ah1 Paris rang
with the expedition from KOrient ; and govern-

PAUL JONES. 149

ment was obliged to drop the plan when the squa-
dron lay ready for sea, and the troops ready to
embark."

In the expectation that Jones was to be joined
by the Marquis de la Fayette, his judicious
friend Franklin wrote him thus, actuated, no
doubt, both by anxiety for the public cause and
regard to the individual he addressed :

" I have, at the request of M. de Sartine, post-
poned the sending of the Alliance to America,
and have ordered her to proceed immediately
from Nantes to LTOrient, where she is to be fur-
nished with her complement of men, join your
little squadron, and act under your command.

" The Marquis de la Fayette will be with you
soon. It has been observed that joint-expedi-
tions of land and sea forces often miscarry through
jealousies and misunderstandings between the of-
ficers of the different corps. This must happen
where there are little minds, actuated more by
personal views of profit or honour to themselves,
than by the warm and sincere desire of good to
their country. Knowing you both, as I do, and
your just manner of thinking on these occasions,

150 MEMOIRS OF

I am confident nothing of the kind can happen
between you, and that it is unnecessary for me
to recommend to either of you that condescen-
sion, mutual good-will, and harmony, which con-
tribute so much to success in such undertakings.
I look upon this expedition as an introduction
only to greater trusts and more extensive com-
mands, and as a kind of trial of both your abilities
and of your fitness in temper and disposition for
acting in concert with others. I flatter myself,
therefore, that nothing will happen that may give
impressions to the disadvantage of either of you,
when greater affairs shall come under considera-
tion.

" As this is understood to be an American ex-
pedition, under the Congress commission and
colours, the Marquis, who is a Major-General in
that service, has of course the step in point of
rank, and he must have the command of the land-
forces, which are committed by the King to his
care ; but the command of the ships will be en-
tirely in you, in which I am persuaded that what-
ever authority his rank might in strictness give
him, he will not have the least desire to inter-

PAUL JONES. 151

fere with you. There is honour enough to be
got for both of you if the expedition is conducted
with a prudent unanimity. The circumstance is
indeed a little unusual ; for there is not only a
junction of land and sea forces, but there is also
a junction of Frenchmen and Americans, which
increases the difficulty of maintaining a good un-
derstanding; a cool, prudent conduct in the chiefs
is therefore the more necessary, and I trust neither
of you will in that respect be deficient. With
my best wishes for your success, health, and
honour, I remain, dear Sir, your affectionate and
most obedient servant."

This excellent counsel was not thrown away on
Jones. His letter to La Fayette, written a few
days afterwards, re-echoes the sentiments of the
republican sage. " Where men of fine feelings
are concerned," he says, " there is very seldom
any misunderstanding, — and I am sure I should
do the greatest violence to my sensibility if I
were capable of giving you a moment's pain by
any part of my conduct ; therefore, without any
apology, I shall expect you to point out my errors,
when we are alone together, with perfect free-

152 MEMOIRS OF

dom, — and I think I dare promise you that your
reproof shall not be lost. I have received from
the good Dr Franklin instructions at large, which
do honour to his liberal mind, and which it will
give me the greatest satisfaction to execute. I
cannot ensure success, — but we will endeavour
to deserve it."

Some of the instructions of Dr Franklin to
which Jones refers, and of which he says, " your
noble-minded instructions would make a coward
brave," deserve to be made known as widely as
possible.*

" You are to bring to France all the English
seamen you may happen to take prisoners, in
order to complete the good work you have al-
ready made such progress in, of delivering, by an
exchange, the rest of our countrymen now lan-
guishing in the gaols of Great Britain.

* It is a pleasing trait in the history of that period,
that all the naval commanders of the countries at war with
England had particular orders " not to molest the ships
of the brave navigator Captain Cook," if they chanced to
fall in with them.

PAUL JONES. 153

" As many of your officers and people have
lately escaped from English prisons, either in
Europe or America, you are to be particularly
attentive to their conduct towards the prisoners
which the fortune of war may throw in your hands,
lest resentment of the more than barbarous usage
by the English in many places towards the Ame-
ricans, should occasion a retaliation, and an imi-
tation of what ought rather to be detested and
avoided, for the sake of humanity and for the
honour of our country.

" In the same view, although the English
have wantonly burnt many defenceless towns in
America, you are not to follow this example, un-
less where a reasonable ransom is refused; in which
case your own generous feelings, as well as this
instruction, will induce you to give timely notice
of your intention, that sick and ancient persons,
women and children, may be first removed."

Jones attributes the failure of the expedition
so much talked of to the tattling of the com-
missary ; but he probably over-rates that circum-
stance. The truth is, that the French govern-
ment never continued for one week of the same

G2

154 MEMOIRS OF

mind; and they had, about this time, been seized
with that grand idea by which the court and
people of France seem to be periodically infa-
tuated— the design of invading England. The
expedition which was u to astonish the world"
was abandoned, according to La Fayette, " for
political and military reasons." Instead of Com-
modore Jones burning towns and shipping, tak-
ing hostages and levying contributions, an inva-
sion was to be attempted on that grand scale so
congenial to the Gallic character.

Another service was in consequence allotted to
Jones. He was to act as convoy to troops, stores,
and private merchandize, for Bordeaux and other
ports in the Bay of Biscay. This trifling service
he performed, and cruised about with little aim
or effect for some days.

On the night of the 20th June the Alliance
ran foul of the Bon Homme Richard, and in-
jured the vessel. The character of Landais, the
commander of the Alliance, and his after conduct,
which was marked by the grossest degree of in-
subordination, insolence, and even treachery, gave
rise to a suspicion that this accident was of a

PAUL JONES.

155

doubtful character. The head and bowsprit of
the Bon Homme Richard were carried away, and
the Alliance lost her mizen-mast. The lieuten-
ant of the Bon Homme Richard, who had the
watch that night, was afterwards broke by a court-
martial.

Even at this busy period Jones had not for-
gotten his relations in Scotland, though his cor-
respondence with them necessarily required some
management. It does not appear by what chan-
nel the following letter, received at Dumfries, was
transmitted to Cork. The person on whom the
bill (for £30) was drawn could not be heard of
in Carlisle. Other remittances made by Jones
to his friends were in like manner never received.
In reply to a letter from his sister, Mrs Taylor,
informing him of the death of his mother and
eldest sister, he says with true feeling, " The
loss of those dear friends is the more affecting to
me, as they never received the remittances I in-
tended for them, and as they had not perhaps a
true idea of my affection." The following let-
ter is addressed to Jones's eldest sister, Elizabeth
Paul:—

156 MEMOIRS OF

" Cork, June 1st, 1779.

" If ever my dear girl had any doubts of the
sincerity of my friendship, I hope the enclosed
bill will remove them. You find it drawn in fa-
vour of my dearest departed brother, Captain
Plaince. However, as it is made payable to his
order, my sister-in-law's signature will make it
quite the same. Had the bill been drawn on any
place of commerce, I would have negotiated it
myself, and then got a bill on Dumfries for you ;
however, as Carlisle is near you, you will sooner
get the money, as I must have sent it there for
acceptance. The half is for Mrs Paul, and the
other half for your use. You will immediately
get some gentleman to present it for acceptance :
you will find it payable ten days after. Adieu,
my dear girl ; number me with the sincerest of
your friends, write me of your health, and be
assured of the good wishes of

" Your humble servant,

" JUDITH PLAINCE."

On the 30th of June, Jones came into the road
of Groix. The Alliance and Bon Homme Rich-

PAUL JONES. 157

ard both required to be refitted ; the other ves-
sels meanwhile looked after prizes. On that day
the log-book of the Bon Homme Richard has
the following entry : —

" At half-past 7? *"• M., saw two sail bearing
down upon us, one with a flag at each mast-head.
Hove about and stood from them to get in readi-
ness for action ; then hove mizen-topsail to the
mast, down all stay-sails and up mizen-sail. Then
they hove about and stood from us. Immediately
we tacked ship and stood after them.

" After which they wore ship and stood for
us. Captain Jones, gentleman-like, called all
his officers, and consulted them whether they
were willing to see them. They all said yes.
Made sail after them ; but they, being better
sailers than we, got from us. At 1, A. M., tacked
ship."

At the isle of Groix Jones lay for six weeks, —
a period not without its vexations. In anticipat-
ing his earlier arrival, and unconscious of the
damage received by the shock of the Alliance,
Dr Franklin, in the following letter of the 30th
June, directed him to set out on a long cruise.

158 MEMOIRS OF

" Passy, June 30, 1779.
" DEAR SIR,

" Being arrived at Groix, you are to make the
best of your way, with the vessels under your
command, to the west of Ireland, and establish
your cruise on the Orcades, the cape of Derneus,
and the Dogger-Bank, in order to take the enemy's
property in those seas.

" The prizes you may make send to Dunkirk,
Ostend, or Bergen in Norway, according to your
proximity to either of thoseports. Address them to
the persons M. De Chaumont shall indicate to you.

" About the 15th August, when you will have
sufficiently cruised in these seas, you are to make
route for the Texel, where you will meet my fur-
ther orders.

" If, by any personal accident, you should be
rendered unable to execute these instructions, the
officer of your squadron next in rank is to endeav-
our to put them in execution.

" With best wishes for your prosperity, I am
ever, dear Sir, your affectionate friend and humble
servant, B. FRANKLIN.

" The Honourable Captain JONES."

PAUL JONES. 159

The preceding letter was crossed by that in
which Jones gave an account of his cruise, and of
the Alliance running foul of the Bon Homme
Richard. In this letter he again hinted his desire
to obtain the Indian, to cruise towards the Texel,
and bring her out with the crew he now had.
But Franklin had no mind to change his original
orders. " I have no other orders to give," he
says ; " for as the court are at the chief ex-
pense, I think they have the best right to direct."
— " I observe what you say about a change of
destination ; but when a thing has been once
considered and determined on in council, they
don't care to resume the consideration of it, hav-
ing much business on hand." This epistle has
the following pithy postscript : — " N. B. If it
should fall in your way, remember that the Hud-
son's Bay ships are very valuable. B. F."

Again Jones complained bitterly of the tattling
commissary, (Chaumont,) who had formerly frus-
trated the expedition with La Fayette, and was
now busied at similar work. Perhaps Commo-
dore Jones might be over sensitive or suspi-
cious on this point. " I have another proof," he

160 MEMOIRS OF

says, " this day, of the communicative disposition
of M. De Chaumont. He has written to an of-
ficer under my command a whole sheet on the
subject of your letter, and has even introduced
more than perhaps was necessary to a person
commanding in chief. I have also strong reasons
to think that this officer is not the only improper
person here to whom he has written to the same
effect. This is surely a strange infatuation, and
it is much to be lamented that one of the best
hearts in the world should be connected with a
mistaken head, whose errors can afford him nei-
ther pleasure nor profit, but may effect the ruin
and dishonour of a man whom he esteems and
loves. Believe me, my worthy sir, I dread the
thoughts of seeing this subject too soon in print,
as I have done several others of greater impor-
tance, with which he was acquainted, and which
I am certain he communicated too early to im-
proper persons, whereby very important services
have been impeded and set aside."

In a marginal note, in the handwriting of Jones,
he says, — " I found it in print before I reached
Holland !" And in another marginal note on a

PAUL JONES. 161

letter of Dr Franklin's of the 19th July, he writes,
" It is clear I saw my danger, and sailed with
my eyes open, rather than return to America dis-
honoured."

Jones was farther annoyed by reports which
had reached head-quarters, and which were in-
deed too well-founded, that a mutinous disposi-
tion had shown itself among the crew of the Bon
Homme Richard. He had at this time gone
back to ITOrient. It was not deemed expedient
to permit the ship to sail without inquiry and a
change of men ; and, what was worse, the Court
saw no reason to detain the Alliance because the
Bon Homme Richard was unfit for sea ; and
Franklin did not think proper to prevent what
appeared so reasonable. This, however, did not
take place ; and holding out the prospect of cap-
turing the Jamaica fleet,* then expected, escorted
by a fifty-gun ship and two strong frigates, Jones
solicited and obtained leave for the Monsieur pri-
vateer to join him, and his leave was extended

* In his memorial to the King of France, Jones says,
" that it was his intention to cruise off the south-west of
Ireland for 12 or 15 days, to intercept the enemy."

162 MEMOIRS OF

till the end of September. The captains of the
Monsieur and Grandville privateers had at this
time requested to be permitted to follow him and
share his fortunes, offering to bind themselves to
remain attached to his squadron ; but this the
disinterested Commissary would not permit. The
consequences were soon obvious ; the privateers
remained attached to the squadron exactly as long
as suited themselves.

Having given the necessary orders and signals,
and appointed various places of rendezvous for
every captain in case of separation, Commodore
Jones sailed from the road of Groix on the 14th
of August, exactly one day short of the time he
had been desired to come into the Texel, after
ending his cruise ; so uncertain and precarious
are all nautical movements. The squadron con-
sisted of seven sail : the Bon Homme Richard,
of 40 guns ; the Alliance, of 36 ; the Pallas, of
32 ; the Cerf, of 18 ; and the Vengeance, of 12
guns ; besides the privateers, Monsieur, of 40
guns, and the Grandville, of 14 guns ; — " a force
which might have effected great services,"" says
Jones himself, in his memorial to the King of
France, " and done infinite injury to the enemy,

PAUL JONES. 163

had there been secrecy and due subordination.
Unfortunately there was neither. Captain Jones
saw his danger ; but his reputation being at stake,
he put all to the hazard."

The effects of this want of subordination were
soon felt. The captain of the privateer Mon-
sieur, as might have been expected, acted as he
thought proper, and in a few days left the squa-
dron. And Captain Landais, a man of the most
unhappy temper, not only behaved with disre-
spect to the Commander, but soon assumed to
act as he pleased, and as an independent com-
mander, refusing to obey the signals of the Com-
modore, giving chase where or how he thought fit,
and availing himself of any pretext to leave the
squadron, which he finally abandoned. Several
prizes were made on the first days of the cruise,
and more might have been captured, had a
good understanding subsisted among the com-
manders.

From the 3d of September till the 13th the
weather was stormy, and Jones continued to beat
about the coasts of Scotland. The Alliance had
again separated from the Bon Homme Richard ;

164

MEMOIRS OF

and there remained of the squadron only the
Commodore's ship, with the Pallas and Ven-
geance. " Yet," says Jones, " I did not abandon
the hope of performing some essential service."

It was at this time he offered that attempt on
Leith, by which, in one quarter of Scotland, the
formidable name of " Paul Jones" is still best
remembered. The following particulars are taken
from his letter to Dr Franklin, giving an account
of his cruise to be transmitted to Congress. The
letter is dated October 3, 1779? on board the ship
of war Serapis, at anchor without the Texel : —

" The winds continued to be contrary, so that
we did not see the land till the evening of the
13th, when the hills of Cheviot, in the south-east
of Scotland, appeared. The next day we chased
sundry vessels, and took a ship and a brigantine,
both from the frith of Edinburgh, laden with
coal. Knowing that there lay at anchor in Leith
Road an armed ship of 20 guns, with two or three
fine cutters, I formed an expedition against Leith,
which I purposed to lay under contribution, or
otherwise to reduce it to ashes. Had I been
alone, the wind being favourable, I would have

PAUL JONES. 165

proceeded directly up the frith, and must have
succeeded, as they lay then in a state of perfect
indolence and security, which would have proved
their ruin. Unfortunately for me, the Pallas and
Vengeance were both at a considerable distance in
the offing, they having chased to the southward.
This obliged me to steer out of the frith again
to meet them. The captains of the Pallas and
Vengeance being come on board the Bon Homme
Richard, I communicated to them my project,
to which many difficulties and objections were
made by them. At last, however, they appeared
to think better of the design, after I had assured
(them) that I hoped to raise a contribution of
^200,000 sterling on Leith, and that there was
no battery of cannon there to oppose our land-
ing. So much time, however, was unavoidably
spent in pointed remarks and sage deliberations
that night, that the wind became contrary in the
morning."

That nothing might be wanting, Commodore
Jones meanwhile prepared his summons to the
Magistrates of Leith. In that locality it must still
be an interesting document ; and as such we give

166 MEMOIRS OF

it at full length, not doubting that the worship-
ful persons for whom it was intended, if any of
them should haply still survive, will see it for
the first time with more satisfaction in these
harmless pages than had it reached its destina-
tion fifty years back. Jones felt greatly cha-
grined and disappointed at the failure of this en-
terprise.

" The Honourable J. Paul Jones, Comman-
der-in-Chief of the American Squadron
now in Europe, fyc., to the Worshipful
the Provost of Leith, or, in his absence,
to the Chief Magistrate who is now ac-
tually present and in authority there.

" SIR,

" The British marine force that has been sta-
tioned here for the protection of your city and
commerce being now taken by the American arms
under my command, I have the honour to send
you this summons by my officer, Lieutenant-Co-
lonel De Chamillard, who commands the van-
guard of my troops. I do not wish to distress
the poor inhabitants ; my intention is only to

PAUL JONES. 167

demand your contribution towards the reim-
bursement which Britain owes to the much-in-
jured citizens of the United States, — for savages
would blush at the unmanly violation and rapa-
city that has marked the tracks of British tyranny
in America, from which neither virgin-innocence
nor helpless age has been a plea of protection or
pity.

" Leith and its port now lies at our mercy ;
and did not our humanity stay the hand of just
retaliation, I should, without advertisement, lay
it hi ashes. Before I proceed to that stern duty
as an officer, my duty as a man induces me to
propose to you, by the means of a reasonable
ransom, to prevent such a scene of horror and
distress. For this reason, I have authorized Lieu-
tenant-Colonel De Chamillard to conclude and
agree with you on the terms of ransom, allowing
you exactly half an hour^s reflection before you
finally accept or reject the terms which he shall
propose (<£200,000.) If you accept the terms of-
fered within the time limited, you may rest assured
that no further debarkation of troops will be made,
but that the re-embarkation of the vanguard will

168 MEMOIRS OF

immediately follow, and that the property of the
citizens shall remain unmolested.

" I have the honour to be, with sentiments of
due respect, Sir, your very obedient and very
humble servant,

" PAUL JONES.

u On board the American ship-of-
war the Bon Homme Richard,
at anchor in the Road of Leith,
September the 17th, 1779."

The copy of the letter now lying before us con-
tains the N.B. subjoined to it, in his own hand-
writing : —

" N.B. — The sudden and violent storm which
arose in the moment when the squadron was a-
breast of Keith Island,* which forms the entrance
of the Road of Leith, rendered impracticable
the execution of the foregoing project."

The three ships had lain so long off and on
the coast, that alarm was general ; and on the
15th an express reached Edinburgh, sent to the
Commander-in-Chief and to the Board of Cus-

« Inchkeith Island.

PAUL JONES. 169

toms, with accounts that three strange ships were
seen off Eyemouth on the afternoon of the 14th,
which had made two prizes ; and that a ship, sup-
posed to mount 40 or 50 guns, was seen off
Dunbar. At 5, P. M., on the 16th, they were
distinctly seen from Edinburgh sailing up the
Frith of Forth ; but whether they were French
vessels or the squadron of Paul Jones was not
yet ascertained. The alarm along the coast was
become general ; batteries were hastily erected
at Leith, and the incorporated trades bravely
petitioned for arms, which were supplied from
the castle of Edinburgh. Yet the audacity of
the American commander so far bunded some
of the spectators on the northern shores, that on
the 17th a boat with five men came off from the
coast of Fife to the Bon Homme Richard, so-
liciting powder and shot in name of a certain
landed proprietor, who wished " to have the
means of defending himself from the expected
visit of the pirate Paul Jones." So far as pow-
der went, this request was politely complied with ;
but the Commodore declined sending any shot.
On the 15th a small collier had been captured,
VOL. i. H

170 MEMOIRS OF

the master of which, from his knowledge of the
coast, and subserviency to his captor, was of the
greatest use to Jones in his intended project. —
When he afterwards abandoned the enterprise,
he gave this man up his vessel, " on account of
his attachment to America, and the faithful in-
formation and important services he rendered
me," says Jones, " by his general knowledge of
the east coast of Britain. I had given orders to
sink the old vessel, when the tears of this honest*
man prevailed over my intention."

* This " honest man," but very bad patriot, was An-
drew Robertson, master of the Friendship of Kirkcaldy.
After being for two days kept on board the Bon Homrae
Richard, and having his ship given up to him for " faith-
ful information" and " important services/' he pretended
that Commodore Jones had put it to ransom. This indeed
was the face necessary to put on the affair ; but the Com-
modore had previously declared that he had no authority
to ransom prizes. The ransom-passport is amusing, from
its date, and the circumstances under which it was granted.
It is written by a French marine officer, who probably
acted as the secretary of Commodore Jones, but is signed
by himself: —

PAUL JONES. 171

The narrative of this bold though abortive at-
tempt will be best given in Jones's own words : —

" We continued working to windward of the
frith, without being able to reach the road of
Leith till, on the morning of the 17th, when,
being almost within cannon-shot of the town,
having every thing in readiness for a descent, a

" L'Honorable Capitaine John Paul Jones, Ecuyer,
commandant en chef 1'escadre Americaine ac-
tuellement en Europe,

" A tous ceux qui ces presentes verront, speciale-
ment les sujets de la France : —

" Je certifie par le present passeport, que le vaisseau
Friendship, commande par Andre Robertson, du port de
Kirkcaldy, et venant du dit lieu pour aller a Riga, a ete
pris par 1'escadre Americaine que je commande, et qu'il
est ransonne : C'est pourquoi je prie et requiers tous les
sujets de la France et dePAmerique, de laisser librement
passer le dit vaisseau Friendship, et continuer son voyage,
sans le troubler en fa^on quelconque.

" Donne a la mer a bord du Bon Homme
Richard, le dix-sept Septembre, mil sept
cent soixante dix-neuf.

" J. PAUL JONES."

172 MEMOIRS OF

very severe gale of wind came on, and, being
directly contrary, obliged us to bear away, after
having in vain endeavoured for some time to
withstand its violence. The gale was so severe,
that one of the prizes that were taken on the
14th sunk to the bottom, the crew being with
difficulty saved. As the clamour had by this
time reached Leith by means of a cutter that had
watched our motions that morning, and as the
wind continued contrary, (though more moderate
in the evening,) I thought it impossible to pur-
sue the enterprise with a good prospect of suc-
cess, especially as Edinburgh, where there is
always a number of troops, is only a mile distant
from Leith : therefore I gave up the project."*

* The prodigious sensation caused by the appearance
of the squadron of Paul Jones in the Frith of Forth is
hardly yet forgotten on the coast of Fife. There are va-
rious accounts of the manner in which this daring attempt
was defeated. The 17th September, when Jones advanced
to Leith, happened to be a Sunday. His ship, the Bon
Homme Richard, stood at times so near the northern
shores as to be distinctly seen by the crowds assembled
on the beach, and on the commanding heights in the

PAUL JONES. 173

It was the misfortune of Paul Jones, in almost
every important crisis of his life, to be either

neighbourhood. At one time the Bon Horarae Richard
was not more than a mile from Kirkcaldy, a thriving and
wealthy seaport. The alarm was naturally very great in
that town ; and the Rev. Mr Shirra, a worthy and very
eccentric dissenting clergyman, remarkable for his quaint
humour, instead of holding forth in the church as at ordi-
nary times, where on this day he would have had but a thin
audience, repaired to the fine level sandy beach of Kirk-
caldy, and soon attracted a very numerous congregation.
Here he prayed most fervently and earnestly, with that
homely and familiar eloquence by which his sermons and
prayers were distinguished, that the enterprise of " the
piratical invader Paul Jones might be defeated." For
once, it may be believed, the hearts of a congregation
went with their minister. That violent gale, so much
lamented by Paul Jones, suddenly arose, — the alleged
consequence of Mr Shirra's powerful intercession. Such
was long the popular belief. When, in after periods, this
good old man was questioned on the subject, and compli-
mented on the prevailing spirit of his prayer, which had
so opportunely raised the wind that blew off Paul Jones,
his usual reply, disclaiming the full extent of the compli-
ment, was, — " I prayed, — but the LORD sent the wind."

174 MEMOIRS OF

clogged by the timid counsels of those about him,
whose genius and courage could not keep pace
with his, or to be thwarted by the baser feelings
of ignoble rivalship. In no other service than
that of America, still struggling for a doubtful
existence as an independent state, and without
either power or means to enforce due obedience
throughout the gradations of the public service,
could such insubordination as was displayed by

A gentleman, writing shortly afterwards from Amster-
dam to his friend in Leith, says, — " You may count it
a very fortunate circumstance that this gentleman (Com-
modore Jones) was prevented from hurting you when he
was in your frith by a strong westerly wind, and the
springing of a mast, as, in a conversation I had with him
in this city, he assured me that his intention was to seize
the shipping in the harbour, and to set fire to such as he
could not carry off. He seemed to be well acquainted
with the coast, and knew" (thanks to ' honest' Andrew
Robertson !) " that there was no force to oppose him."
Jones is described at this time, by those who saw him,
as being " dressed in the American uniform, with a
Scotch bonnet, edged with gold, — as of a middling sta-
ture, stern countenance, and swarthy complexion."

PAUL JONES. 175

his force have been tolerated. The French offi-
cers under Jones at this time, besides the feelings
of national and professional rivalship, had also too
little experience of the capacity of their comman-
der to give him that entire confidence so indis-
pensable to success. His ill-fortune, with these
uncongenial associates, was the more distressing,
as their opposition or fears, while they baffled
his enterprises, averted no real danger to which
the loitering squadron might be exposed. The
conduct of the agents of the court of France had
also promoted and even authorised this unhappy
insubordination of which the Commodore, after
his return to the Texel, bitterly complained. " I
must," he says, " speak plainly ; as I have been
always honoured with the full confidence of Con-
gress, and as I also flattered myself with en-
joying, in some measure, the confidence of the
court of France, I could not but be astonished
at the conduct of M. de Chaumont, when, in
the moment of my departure from Groix, he pro-
duced a paper or concordat for me to sign in
common with the officers whom I had commis-
sioned but a few days before. Had this paper,

176 MEMOIRS OF

or even a less dishonourable one, been proposed
to me at the beginning, I would have rejected it
with just contempt."

The other enterprise, which, after having failed
at Leith, Jones so reluctantly abandoned, is not
exactly known. It might have been against Hull
or Newcastle. It had been a favourite project
with him in the former year to distress London by
destroying the coal-shipping.

Jones had now the mortifying prospect of going
into the Texel with merely a few prizes, the sole
fruit of a long cruise with a formidable mari-
time armament, when fortune threw in his way
the most brilliant achievement of his public life.

PAUL JONES. 177

CHAPTER VI.

THE engagement between the Serapis and the
xBon Homme Richard was, previous to the last
war, one of the most desperate in naval chro-
nicles. As a close and deadly fight, hand to
hand, and accompanied by all the dreadful cir-
cumstances that can attend a sea-engagement, it
has even yet few parallels. Its incidents have
been selected as the foundation of fictitious nar-
ratives of maritime combats, from exceeding in
intense interest the boldest imaginings of the
poet and the novelist.*

* Mr Cooper, the celebrated American novelist, and
Allan Cunningham, have both chosen PAUL JONES as the
hero of romances, very different in character, but equally
admirable each in its peculiar style. Mr Cunningham
has certainly in many instances made wild work with the
sober facts of history ; and, considering the very recent
period in which his hero flourished, takes larger poetical
license than is quite admissible. The charms and accom-

H2

178 MEMOIRS OF

This battle was fought on the 23d September,
under a full harvest-moon, — thousands of spec-
tators, we are told, watching the engagement
from the English shore, with anxiety correspond-
ing to the deep interest of the game. No account
of this memorable engagement can equal the
simple and animated narrative of the main actor,
which we purpose to adopt. It is to be noticed,
that while Jones engaged the Serapis, the Pallas
fought the Countess of Scarborough. The com-
mencement of the engagements was simultaneous,

plishments allotted to some of Paul's female relatives
would probably have been disclaimed by these ladies if
purchased at the expense of the fair and spotless fame of
their maternal ancestor. However, if Mr Cunningham
imagined this cast of character best suited to his pur-
poses, there is no great harm done. Few live to feel of-
fence,— none to believe in those romantic passages, which
owe their existence solely to the imagination of the poet.
In painting Scottish scenery, and embodying romantic
tradition, Mr Cunningham is in his work as much at
home as is the author of " THE PILOT" in those fields
of ocean which, as a novelist, he at present " possesses
as his own domain."

PAUL JONES. 179

but the Countess of Scarborough had struck while
the Serapis still held desperately out.

" On the 21st," says Jones, " we saw and
chased two sail off Flamborough Head ; the
Pallas chased in the N. E. quarter, while the
Bon Homme Richard, followed by the Ven-
geance, chased in the S. W. ; the one I chased,
a brigantine collier in ballast, belonging to Scar-
borough, was soon taken, and sunk immedi-
ately afterwards, as a fleet then appeared to the
southward. This was so late in the day, that
I could not come up with the fleet before night ;
at length, however, I got so near one of them
as to force her to run ashore between Flam-
borough Head and the Spurn. Soon after I took
another, a brigantine from Holland, belonging
to Sunderland, and at daylight the next mor-
ning, seeing a fleet steering towards me from
the Spurn, I imagined them to be a convoy
bound from London for Leith, which had been
for some time expected. One of them had a
pendant hoisted, and appeared to be a ship of
force. They had not, however, courage to come
on, but kept back all except the one which seem-
ed to be armed, and that one also kept to wind-

180 MEMOIRS OF

ward, very near the land, and on the edge of dan-
gerous shoals, where I could not with safety ap-
proach. This induced me to make a signal for
a pilot, and soon afterwards two pilots1 boats came
off. They informed me that a ship that wore a
pendant was an armed merchantman, and that a
king's frigate lay there in sight, at anchor, within
the Humber, waiting to take under convoy a
number of merchant ships bound to the north-
ward. The pilots imagined the Bon Homme
Richard to be an English ship of war, and con-
sequently communicated to me the private signal
which they had been required to make. I en-
deavoured by this means to decoy the ships out
of the port ; but the wind then changing, and,
with the tide, becoming unfavourable for them,
the deception had not the desired effect, and they
wisely put back. The entrance of the Humber
is exceedingly difficult and dangerous, and as the
Pallas was not in sight, I thought it imprudent
to remain off the entrance, therefore steered out
again to join the Pallas off Flamborough Head.
In the night we saw and chased two ships until
three o'clock in the morning, when, being at a
very small distance from them, I made the pri-

PAUL JONES. 181

vate signal of reconnoissance, which I had given
to each captain before I sailed from Groix : one
half of the answer only was returned. In this
position both sides lay to till daylight, when
the ships proved to be the Alliance and the
Pallas.

" On the morning of that day, the 23d, the
brig from Holland not being in sight, we chased
a brigantine that appeared laying to, to windward.
About noon we saw and chased a large ship that
appeared coming round Flamborough Head from
the northward, and at the same time I manned
and armed one of the pilot-boats to send in pur-
suit of the brigantine, which now appeared to be
the vessel that I had forced ashore. Soon after
this a fleet of forty-one sail appeared off Flam-
borough Head, bearing N. N. E. This induced
me to abandon the single ship which had then
anchored in Burlington Bay ; I also called back
the pilot-boat, and hoisted a signal for a general
chase. When the fleet discovered us bearing
down, all the merchant ships crowded sail towards
the shore. The two ships of war that protected the
fleet at the same time steered from the land,

182 MEMOIRS OF

and made the disposition for battle. In ap-
proaching the enemy, I crowded every possible
sail, and made the signal for the line of battle,
to which the Alliance showed no attention. Ear-
nest as I was for the action, I could not reach
the Commodore's ship until seven in the evening,
being then within pistol-shot, when he hailed the
Bon Homme Richard. We answered him by
firing a whole broadside.

" The battle being thus begun, was continued
with unremitting fury. Every method was prac-
tised on both sides to gain an advantage, and
rake each other ; and I must confess that the
enemy's ship, being much more manageable than
the Bon Homme Richard, gained thereby several
times an advantageous situation, in spite of my
best endeavours to prevent it. As I had to deal
with an enemy of greatly superior force, I was un-
der the necessity of closing with him, to prevent
the advantage which he had over me in point
of manoeuvre. It was my intention to lay the
Bon Homme Richard athwart the enemy's bow ;
but as that operation required great dexterity in
the management of both sails and helm, and

PAUL JONES. 183

some of our braces being shot away, it did not
exactly succeed to my wish. The enemy's bow-
sprit, however, came over the Bon Homme Rich-
ard's poop by the mizen-mast, and I made both
ships fast together in that situation, which, by
the action of the wind on the enemy's sails,
forced her stern close to the Bon Homme Rich-
ard's bow, so that the ships lay square alongside
of each other, the yards being all entangled, and
the cannon of each ship touching the opponent's.
When this position took place, it was eight
o'clock, previous to which the Bon Homme Rich-
ard had received sundry eighteen-pound shots
below the water, and leaked very much. My
battery of twelve-pounders, on which I had placed
my chief dependence, being commanded by
Lieutenant Dale and Colonel Weibert, and
manned principally with American seamen and
French volunteers, was entirely silenced and
abandoned. As to the six old eighteen-pounders
that formed the battery of the lower gun-deck,
they did no service whatever, except firing eight
shot in all. Two out of three of them burst at
the first fire, and killed almost all the men who

184 MEMOIRS OF

were stationed to manage them. Before this
time, too, Colonel de Chamillard, who command-
ed a party of twenty soldiers on the poop, had
abandoned that station after having lost some of
his men. I had now only two pieces of cannon,
(nine-pounders,) on the quarter-deck, that were
not silenced, and not one of the heavier cannon
was fired during the rest of the action. The pur-
ser, M. Mease, who commanded the guns on the
quarter-deck, being dangerously wounded in the
head, I was obliged to fill his place, and with
great difficulty rallied a few men, and shifted
over one of the lee quarter-deck guns, so that we
afterwards played three pieces of nine-pounders
upon the enemy. The tops alone seconded the
fire of this little battery, and held out bravely
during the whole of the action, especially the
main-top, where Lieutenant Stack commanded.
I directed the fire of one of the three cannon
against the main-mast, with double-headed shot,
while the other two were exceedingly well served
with grape and canister shot, to silence the
enemy^s musketry and clear her decks, which
was at last effected. The enemy were, as I have

PAUL JONES. 185

since understood, on the instant of calling for
quarters, when the cowardice or treachery of three
of my under-officers induced them to call to the
enemy. The English Commodore asked me if I
demanded quarters, and I having answered him
in the most determined negative, they renewed
the battle with double fury. They were unable
to stand the deck ; but the fire of then* cannon,
especially the lower battery, which was entirely
formed of ten-pounders, was incessant ; both ships
were set on fire in various places, and the scene
was dreadful beyond the reach of language. To
account for the timidity of my three under-of-
ficers, I mean the gunner, the carpenter, and the
master-at-arms, I must observe, that the two first
were slightly wounded, and, as the ship had re-
ceived various shot under water, and one of the
pumps being shot away, the carpenter expressed
his fears that she would sink, and the other two
concluded that she was sinking, which occasioned
the gunner to run aft on the poop, without my
knowledge, to strike the colours. Fortunately
for me, a cannon-ball had done that before, by
carrying away the ensign-staff; he was there-

186 MEMOIES OF

fore reduced to the necessity of sinking, as he
supposed, or of calling for quarter, and he pre-
ferred the latter.

" All this time the Bon Homme Richard had
sustained the action alone, and the enemy, though
much superior in force, would have been very
glad to have got clear, as appears by their own
acknowledgments, and by their having let go an
anchor the instant that I laid them on board, by
which means they would have escaped, had I not
made them well fast to the Bon Homme Rich-
ard.

" At last, at half-past nine o'clock, the Alliance
appeared, and I now thought the battle at an
end; but, to my utter astonishment, he discharged
a broadside full into the stern of the Bon Homme
Richard. We called to him for God's sake to
forbear firing into the Bon Homme Richard ;
yet they passed along the off-side of the ship, and
continued firing. There was no possibility of his
mistaking the enemy's ships for the Bon Homme
Richard, there being the most essential difference
in their appearance and construction. Besides,
it was then full moonlight, and the sides of the

PAUL JONES. 187

Bon Homme Richard were all black, while the
sides of the prize were all yellow. Yet, for the
greater security, I showed the signal of our re-
connoissance, by putting out three lanterns, one
at the head, another at the stern, and the third
in the middle, in a horizontal line. Every tongue
cried that he was firing into the wrong ship, but
nothing availed; he passed round, firing into the
Bon Homme Richard's head, stern, and broad-
side, and by one of his volleys killed several of
my best men, and mortally wounded a good of-
ficer on the forecastle only. My situation was
really deplorable ; the Bon Homme Richard re-
ceived various shot under water from the Alli-
ance ; the leak gained on the pumps, and the fire
increased much on board both ships. Some of-
ficers persuaded me to strike, of whose courage
and good sense I entertain a high opinion. My
treacherous master-at-arms let loose all my prison-
ers without my knowledge, and my prospects be-
came gloomy indeed. I would not, however, give
up the point. The enemy's mainmast began to
shake, their firing decreased fast, ours rather in-

188 MEMOIRS OF

creased, and the British colours were struck at
half an hour past ten o'clock.

" This prize proved to be the British ship of
war the Serapis, a new ship of forty-four guns,
built on the most approved construction, with two
complete batteries, one of them of eighteen-poun-
ders, and commanded by the brave Commodore
Richard Pearson. I had yet two enemies to en-
counter, far more formidable than the Britons, —
I mean fire and water. The Serapis was attacked
only by the first, but the Bon Homme Richard
was assailed by both ; there was five feet water
in the hold, and though it was moderate from
the explosion of so much gunpowder, yet the
three pumps that remained could with difficulty
only keep the water from gaining. The fire
broke out hi various parts of the ship in spite of
all the water that could be thrown in to quench it",
and at length broke out as low as the powder-
magazine, and within a few inches of the powder.
In that dilemma I took out the powder upon deck,
ready to be thrown over-board at the last extre-
mity, and it was ten o'clock the next day (the

PAUL JONES. 189

24th) before the fire was entirely extinguished.
With respect to the situation of the Bon Homme
Richard, the rudder was cut entirely off, the
stern-frame and transoms were almost entirely
cut away, and the timbers by the lower deck, es-
pecially from the main-mast towards the stern,
being greatly decayed with age, were mangled
beyond my power of description, and a person
must have been an eye-witness to form a just idea
of the tremendous scene of carnage, wreck, and
ruin, which everywhere appeared. Humanity
cannot but recoil from the prospect of such finish-
ed horror, and lament that war should be cap-
able of producing such fatal consequences.

<c After the carpenters, as well as Captain Cot-
tineau and other men of sense, had well examin-
ed and surveyed the ship, (which was not finish-
ed before five in the evening,) I found every
person to be convinced that it was impossible to
keep the Bon Homme Richard afloat, so as to
reach a port, if the wind should increase, it be-
ing then only a very moderate breeze. I had but
little time to remove my wounded, which now be-
came unavoidable, and which was effected in the

190 MEMOIRS OF

course of the night and next morning. I was
determined to keep the Bon Homme Richard
afloat, and, if possible, to bring her into port.
For that purpose, the first lieutenant of the Pal-
las continued on board with a party of men, to
attend the pumps, with boats in waiting, ready
to take them on board in case the water should
gain on them too fast. The wind augmented in
the night, and the next day, the 25th, so that it
was impossible to prevent the good old ship from
sinking. They did not abandon her till after
nine o'clock ; the water was then up to the lower
deck, and a little after ten I saw, with inexpressi-
ble grief, the last glimpse of the Bon Homme
Richard. No lives were lost with the ship, but
it was impossible to save the stores of any sort
whatever. I lost even the best part of my clothes,
books, and papers; and several of my officers
lost all their clothes and effects.

" Having thus endeavoured to give a clear and
simple relation of the circumstances and events
that have attended the little armament under my
command, I shall freely submit my conduct there-
in to the censure of my superiors and the im-

PAUL JONES. 191

partial public. I beg leave, however, to observe,
that the force that was put under my command
was far from being well composed, and as the
great majority of the actors in it have appeared
bent on the pursuit of interest only, I am ex-
ceedingly sorry that they and I have been at all
concerned.""

Such is the despatch which Commodore Jones
transmitted from the Texel to Dr Franklin, and
afterwards to Congress. It is painful to observe
how often he is forced to complain of the sordid-
ness or cowardice of his associates. To a ge-
nerous and elevated mind nothing could have
been more humiliating than this necessity. The
pursuit of " interest alone," with which he so
frequently charges his associates, is, however, a
positive virtue compared with the gratuitous vil-
lany imputed to Landais, the commander of the
Alliance. The alleged conduct of this person, par-
ticularly during the engagement between the Bon
Homme Richard and the Serapis, was so daring
in atrocity and treachery as to exceed all rea-
sonable belief, were it not solemnly asserted, as
beyond all doubt it was firmly believed, by Jones,

192 MEMOIRS OF

The general conduct of Landais was that of a
malignant madman, as much incited by the pre-
vailing influence of frenzy as actuated by deli-
berate villany. His behaviour during the whole
cruise was made the subject of a set of charges*
drawn up by Jones in coming into the Texel, which
were attested, in whole or in part, by most of the
officers of the Bon Homme Richard and the Al-
liance. The fact of Landais firing into the Bon
Homme Richard is also confirmed by the log-
book,-f- which was preserved when the ship sunk,
and by a very interesting and seaman-like nar-
rative of the engagement, drawn up by Mr Dale, J

* See Appendix A.

t This battered volume, after many adventures by
land and water, in Europe and America, is now in the
possession of Mr George Napier, advocate.

J This gentleman, long since a Commodore in the ser-
vice of the United States, is, or very lately was, still alive.
He has for many years lived in retirement at Philadelphia,
in the bosom of his family. It is but fair to state, in excul-
pation of Landais, that Captain Pearson, commander of
the Serapis, in his despatch to the Admiralty, (see Appen-
dix B,) repeatedly asserts, and assigns as the main cause of

PAUL JONES. 193

then first lieutenant of the ship. The brilliant
success of Jones at this time, though far short of
his own hopes and projects, gave him a right to

his defeat, that while one frigate — the Bon Homme
Richard — engaged him " muzzle to muzzle/' the other —
the Alliance — kept sailing round him during the whole
action, and raking him fore and aft, by which means she
killed or wounded almost every man on the quarter-deck
and main-deck. It is not easy to judge of these con-
tradictory statements.

From the variety of unusual circumstances which oc-
curred during the heat and confusion of this memorable
affair, there can be little doubt that both commanders
may have given what he honestly believed a fair relation
of facts. The gunner calling for quarter, as noticed by
Jones, might have induced Captain Pearson to believe
that the Bon Homme Richard had struck, especially as
her flag so fortuitously disappeared at the same instant.
The voice of Jones, who, according to Lieutenant Dale's
narrative, decidedly denied that he struck, calling out
that " he had not yet begun to fight," may have been
lost in the bustle and noise of the moment, or construed
into words of surrender ; and where could any British
officer have learned to imagine the atrocity of a comman-
der pointing his guns in the heat of a close action, not

VOL. I. I

194 MEMOIRS OF

speak out on affairs which left a deeper sting in
his mind than even the perfidy of Landais. He
thus concludes his despatch : —

against the enemy, but against his own consort, as is al-
leged of Landais ?

If any reader take the trouble to turn up the Edin-
burgh Review for June, 1818, referring to the loss of the
Alceste and the Medusa, he will obtain a view of the
character of French seamen, which will go far to verify
the assertions of Paul Jones and his officers regarding
Landais. Franklin either really remained, or from policy
was willing to appear, sceptical as to these revolting facts,
though he entertained a very bad opinion of this man.
He says, " It was not at all likely either that he should
have given orders to fire into the Bon Homme Richard, or
that his officers would have obeyed such orders had they
been given them."

If Landais was really guilty — which there is every
reason to believe — his is no solitary instance of such
disgraceful perfidy on the part of French seamen. After
the battle of Trafalgar, it is notorious that the flying
French ships, as they escaped, poured broadsides into the
Spanish vessels. " The ships," says Mr Southey, "which
were thus flying, were four of the enemy's van, all
French, under Rear Admiral Dumanoir. They had borne

1

PAUL JONES. 195

" I am in the highest degree sensible of the
singular attentions which I have experienced from
the Court of France, which I shall remember
with perfect gratitude until the end of my life,
and will always endeavour to merit, while I can
consistent with my honour continue in the pub-
lic service. I must speak plainly; as I have
been always honoured with the full confidence of
Congress, and as I also nattered myself with en-
joying in some measure the confidence of the
court of France, I could not but be astonished
at the conduct of Monsieur de Chaumont, when,
in the moment of my departure from Groix, he
produced a paper, a concordat, for me to sign, in
common with the officers whom I had commis-

no part in the action ; and now, when they were seeking
safety in flight, they fired not only into the Victory and
Royal Sovereign, (English ships,) but poured their broad-
sides into the captured Spanish vessels ; and they were
seen to back their sails, for the purpose of firing with
more precision. The indignation of the Spaniards at this
detestable cruelty from their allies, for whom they had
fought so bravely and so profusely bled, may well be
conceived."

196 MEMOIRS OF

sioned but a few days before. Had that paper,
or even a less dishonourable one, been proposed
to me at the beginning, I would have rejected it
with just contempt, and the word deplacement,
among others, should have been necessary. I
cannot, however, even now suppose that he was
authorized by the Court to make such a bargain
with me. Nor can I suppose that the Minister
of the Marine meant that M. de Chaumont
should consider me merely as a colleague with the
commanders of the other ships, and communicate
to them not only all he knew but all he thought
respecting our destination and operations. M .
de Chaumont has made me various reproaches
on account of the expense of the Bon Homme
Richard, wherewith I cannot think I have been
justly chargeable. M. de Chamillard can attest
that the Bon Homme Richard was at last far
from being well fitted or armed for war. If any
person or persons who have been charged with
the expense of that armament have acted wrong,
the fault must not be laid to my charge. I had no
authority to superintend that armament, and the
persons who had authority were so far from giving

PAUL JONES. 197

me what I thought necessary, that M. de Chau-
mont even refused, among other things, to allow
me irons to secure the prisoners of war.

" In short, while my life remains, if I have
any capacity to render good and acceptable ser-
vices to the common cause, no man will step
forth with greater cheerfulness and alacrity than
myself; but I am not made to be dishonoured,
nor can I accept of the half-confidence of any
man living. Of course I cannot, consistent with
my honour, and a prospect of success, undertake
future expeditions, unless when the object and
destination is communicated to me alone, and to
no other person in the marine line. In cases
where troops are embarked, a like confidence is
due alone to their commander-in-chief. On no
other condition will I ever undertake the chief
command of a private expedition ; and when I do
not command in chief, I have no desire to be in
the secret."

In the memorial drawn up for the private
perusal of the King of France, Jones says that
it was his intention at this time to cruise off the
south-west of Ireland for twelve or fifteen days,

198 MEMOIRS OF

in order to intercept the English homeward-
bound East India ships, which he had been in-
formed would return without convoy, and sail for
this point of land. This purpose, which he con-
fined to his own breast, and which would have
been rendered abortive by the misconduct of
Landais, was quite compatible with the other ob-
jects of the cruise, whether these were the West
India, or Hudson's Bay ships, or the Baltic fleet.
The earliness and accuracy of the information
which Jones procured while he lay in the vari-
ous harbours of France is not a little remarkable.
Instead of receiving intelligence from the Ameri-
can ministers, he was enabled, through his own
private channels in England and other quarters,
to transmit to them information of the sailing of
fleets and of the strength of convoys. His former
connexions and mode of life may have given him
some facilities ; and money, the universal agent,
never appears to have been with him an object
of any consideration beyond its value as a means
of obtaining professional advancement. He was
able to supply the French Admiral, Count d'Or-
villiers, with important information from London,

PAUL JONES. 199

of the sailing of a large West India fleet, and
even to acquaint him with private transactions
on board the squadrons of Keppel and Byron.

Meanwhile the squadron of Jones, which the
narrative has left behind, continued to be tossed
about till the 3d of October, when it came to
anchor in the Texel, contrary to the judgment
of the Commodore, who wished to gain the French
harbour of Dunkirk, but was, he says, overruled
by his officers. The rendezvous he found, was
the cause of much personal vexation to himself,
though it proved of ultimate advantage to Ame-
rica, by hurrying on the period when the Dutch
were forced from their politic neutrality. The
political importance of this measure might have
been foreseen by Franklin, when in the previous
summer he directed Jones, on finishing his nor-
thern cruise, to take shelter in the Texel. By
doing so, the American minister greatly increas-
ed the perplexity of their High Mightinesses, on
whom the cabinet of London already — and with
good reason — looked with suspicious eyes. By
this step the Dutch were in effect precipitated
into the war rather sooner than suited then- crafty

200 MEMOIRS OF

and selfish policy, which, in shuffling with all
parties, sought to profit by all. By compelling
England to declare war, and the Dutch to de-
clare openly for the United States, an end was
virtually put to a contest, in which Britain was
left to contend single-handed with her refrac-
tory colonies, then backed by France, Spain, and
HoUand.

Though the squadron of Jones had failed in
its main purpose, and had neither captured
fleets, nor put wealthy cities to ransom, the
blow struck at the maritime pride of England
could not fail to be highly gratifying to the Ame-
ricans. Dr Franklin immediately wrote, warmly
congratulating the victor. — " For some days,"
says Franklin, " after the arrival of your ex-
press, scarce any thing was talked of at Paris
and Versailles, but your cool conduct and perse-
vering bravery during that terrible conflict. You
may believe that the impression on my mind was
not less strong than that on others, — but I do not
choose to say in a letter to yourself all I think
on such an occasion.

" The ministry are much dissatisfied with

PAUL JONES. 201

Captain Landais, and Monsieur de Sartine has
signified to me in writing, that it is expected that
I should send for him to Paris, and call him to
account for his conduct, particularly for deferring
so long his coming to your assistance ; by which
means, it is supposed, the States lost some of
their valuable citizens, and the king lost many of
his subjects, volunteers in your ship, together
with the ship itself.

" I have, accordingly, written to him this day,
acquainting him, that he is charged with disobe-
dience of orders in the cruise, and neglect of his
duty in the engagement ; that a court-martial
being at this time inconvenient, if not impractic-
able, I would give him an earlier opportunity
of offering what he has to say in his justification,
and for that purpose direct him to render him-
self immediately here, bringing with him such
papers or testimonies as he may think useful in
his defence. I know not whether he will obey
my orders, nor what the ministry would do with
him if he comes ; but I suspect that they 'may,
by some of their concise operations, save the
trouble of a court-martial. It will, however, be

i2

MEMOIRS OF

well for you to furnish me with what you may
judge proper to support the charges against him,
that I may be able to give a just and clear ac-
count to Congress. In the mean time it will be
necessary, if he should refuse to come, that you
should put him under an arrest, and in that case,
as well as if he comes, that you should either
appoint some person to the command, or take it
upon yourself ; for I know of no person to recom-
mend to you as fit for that station.

" I am uneasy about your prisoners, (504 in
number,) — I wish they were safe in France. You
will then have completed the glorious work of
giving liberty to all the Americans that have so
long languished for it in the British prisons."

Jones also received the thanks of the Due de
la Vauguyon, the French ambassador at the
Hague, and the congratulations of numerous
friends and admirers.

And now commenced those scenes of diploma-
tic altercation between the States of Holland and
the British ambassador, Sir Joseph Yorke, which
in the following year ended in the declaration of
war. The Dutch had already committed many

PAUL JONES. 203

virtual infractions of the treaty of alliance with
Britain. It was from Holland that France openly
obtained her maritime stores. But a greater eye-
sore was the American squadron and its daring
commander, with the captured frigates, riding in
triumph in the Texel. Jones also appeared openly
at Amsterdam. He was allowed to establish an
hospital in the forts of the Texel for his wound-
ed men and his wounded prisoners ; though in
this object of common humanity Sir Joseph
Yorke readily concurred.

The squadron came into the Texel on the 3d
October, and on the 13th Sir Joseph Yorke
presented a brief and energetic memorial, pe-
remptorily demanding that the captured frigates
should be stopped in the Texel — the frigates
" taken by one Paul Jones, a subject of the
King of Great Britain, who, according to treaties
and the laws of war, falls under the class of re-
bels and pirates."

Jones, though he must have been prepared for
the demand, was, it may be presumed, not a lit-
tle indignant at the unceremonious style in which
he was designated by the English ambassador, —

MEMOIRS OF

" that little thing Sir Joseph,1' as he pettishly
terms him. In this emergency he endeavoured
to secure the friendship of certain powerful indi-
viduals. With a young, brave, and, above all,
a successful commander, there is ever a ready
sympathy; and even at this time, though the
show of peace was still sedulously kept up, the
cause of America had many warm friends among
the Dutch, especially in the maritime towns.

It would have required greater magnanimity
than most men are endowed with, had Jones
forgiven the appellations bestowed on him, es-
pecially if any lurking consciousness rankled in
his mind that his character and position were
equivocal, and apt, at least in England, to be
misconstrued. The distrust evinced by Le Ray
Chaumont, and the consequent restraints im-
posed on his freedom as a commander, had al-
ready been sufficiently galling ; and this was a
fresh corrosion of the same sore. In a statement
made long afterwards, Jones mentions that Sir
Joseph Yorke having failed to obtain his person
from the Dutch government, endeavoured to
have him privately kidnapped, — a thing in itself

PAUL JONES. 205

extremely improbable, and for which there was,
in all likelihood, no other foundation than the
gossip of Amsterdam. Sir Joseph never even
directly asked that Jones should be given up,
while he loudly reiterated his demand for the
restitution of the captured frigates.

The firmness and address displayed by Sir
Joseph Yorke on this occasion did credit to his
diplomatic abilities. He had resided long at the
Hague, and had obtained great influence with the
Prince of Orange and what may be called the court-
party. His services on this occasion were after-
wards rewarded by a peerage. Captain Pearson
was also subsequently distinguished by many
marks of the confidence and approbation of his
sovereign. The defeated party were indeed more
highly rewarded than the victor ; for the subse-
quent honours heaped on Jones were more the
consequence of dexterous management at Ver-
'sailles, six months after the affair took place, than
the natural and spontaneous fruits of his brilliant
achievement. Immediately on his exchange, Cap-
tain Pearson received the honour of knighthood,
which, following this period of eclipse, must have

206 MEMOIRS OF

been peculiarly gratifying to his feelings; and the
Royal-Exchange Assurance Company presented
him and Captain Piercy of the Countess of Scar-
borough with services of plate " for their gallant
defence of the Baltic fleet."

The peremptory demand of Sir Joseph Yorke
threw then* High Mightinesses into no little per-
plexity. They were not yet prepared for war with
England, nor did they wish to risk offending
France, and alienating the affections of the young
Transatlantic republic, which might long remem-
ber unkindness, but would feel doubly grateful for
succour shown in the season of adversity, and the
struggle for existence. The States of Holland in
those awkward circumstances temporized with
much dexterity, sheltering themselves under those
cautious maxims of policy which had hitherto
governed the United Provinces in questions of
the like nature. These maxims dictated that they
should decline deciding on the validity of cap-
tures in the open seas of vessels not belonging
to their own subjects. They afforded at all times
shelter in their harbours to all ships whatsoever,
if driven in by stress of weather ; but compelled

PAUL JONES. 207

armed ships with their prizes to put to sea again
as soon as possible, without permitting them to
dispose of their cargoes ; and this conduct they
were to follow in the case of Jones.

This did not, however, extricate the Dutch
government from the dilemma. As an American
officer they durst not protect Jones, which would
have been in effect a recognition of the rebellious
colonies ; and the French commission under which
it was alleged he acted could never be forthcom-
ing. They therefore were compelled to order
him to put to sea with his squadron forthwith,
though they " declined to pass judgment on the
person and prizes of Paul Jones." They also
publicly forbade the ships to be furnished with
naval or warlike stores, save such as were abso-
lutely necessary to carry them to the first foreign
port, " that all suspicion of their being furnished
here may drop."*

It was even agreed, though the measure met
with strong opposition, that the American squa-
dron should be expelled by force from the Texel.

* See manifesto, Appendix.

MEMOIRS OF

This much was obtained by the firmness of Sir
Joseph Yorke.

The situation of Jones, all along unpleasant,
was now become highly critical. The Dutch go-
vernment, whom Sir Joseph neither suffered to
slumber nor sleep, incessantly annoyed the French
ambassador, who in his turn assailed Jones. He
was thus placed between two fires, threatened by
the Dutch to be driven from the Texel, while
English ships were placed at its entrance to in-
terrupt his exit, and while, to " make assurance
double sure," light squadrons were cruising about
in all directions to prevent his gaining any French
or Spanish port, should he be fortunate enough
to escape the vessels on the more immediate
watch. So deep and galling was the wound this
individual had inflicted on the national pride, that
the capture of " one Paul Jones" would at this
time have been more welcome to England than if
she had conquered a rich argosy.

One main object of Jones being ordered to the
Texel on the termination of his northern cruise,
was, as has been noticed, to convoy a French
fleet with naval stores to Brest, and to get out

PAUL JONES. 209

the Indian. The same officious commissary, whose
talkative propensities and suspicious disposition
had so frequently baffled the projects of Jones,
had again been at work ; and although the Dutch
government might have winked at the sailing of
the fleet under his convoy, the measure would
have been rendered abortive by premature dis-
closure. Jones complained to Franklin, and to
Sartine, the minister of the French marine, to
whom during the time he lay in the Texel he
had, as usual, been transmitting some of the many
projects for maritime expeditions of which his
scheming brain was ever so fertile. He also
in this interval drew up a refreshing memorial
for Congress, containing a narrative of his pro-
fessional life and services.

Before receiving any answer to his communi-
cation to Sartine, Jones was ordered to attend the
French ambassador at the Hague, the Due de
la Vauguyon. He went privately to the Hague
to avoid unnecessary offence, and at a long con-
ference it was agreed that he should forthwith
sail for Dunkirk with his numerous prisoners.
As they were now situated they could scarcely

210 MEMOIRS OF

be considered in security, and both Franklin and
Jones, as a personal kindness, had solicited and
obtained the consent of the French government
that these prisoners should be exchanged for the
Americans, then prisoners in England.

The Serapis had been dismasted hi the late
engagement, and as it was probable that, even on
the short voyage to Dunkirk, Jones might encoun-
ter his watchful foe in some force, it was neces-
sary to refit his ship. For this purpose he went to
Amsterdam. Thus time wore on. The English
ambassador from remonstrances came to threats.
The Dutch, driven to their wit's end, remonstrat-
ed and menaced by turns ; and Jones, unable to
be longer silent, wrote as follows to the French
ambassador : —

" On board the Bon Homme Richard's Prize
the Ship of War Serapis, at the Texel,
November 4th, 1779.

" MY LOED,

" This morning the commandant of the Road
sent me word to come and speak to him on board
his ship. He had before him on the table a let-
ter which he said was from the Prince of Orange.

PAUL JONES. 211

He questioned me very closely whether I had a
French commission, and, if I had, he almost in-
sisted upon seeing it. In conformity to your
advice " Cet avis donne au commencement n'etoit
plus de saison depuis Padmission de Pescadre
sous Pavilion Americain," I told him that my
French commission not having been found among
my papers since the loss of the Bon Homme Rich-
ard, I feared it had gone to the bottom hi that
ship ; but that, if it was really lost, it would be
an easy matter to procure a duplicate of it from
France. The commandant appeared to be very
uneasy and anxious for my departure. I have told
him that as there are eight of the enemy's ships
laying wait for me at the south entrance, and
four more at the north entrance of the port, I
was unable to fight more than three times my
force, but that he might rest assured of my in-
tention to depart with the utmost expedition,
whenever I found a possibility to go clear.

" I should be very happy, my Lord, if I could
tell you of my being ready. I should have de-
parted long ago, if I had met with common as-
sistance ; but for a fortnight past I have every day

212 MEMOIRS OF

expected the necessary supply of water from Am-
sterdam in cisterns, and I am last night informed
that it cannot be had without I send up water-casks.
The provision, too, that was ordered the day I
returned to Amsterdam from the Hague, is not
yet sent down ; and the spars that have been sent
from Amsterdam are spoiled in the making.
None of the iron-work that was ordered for
the Serapis is yet completed, so that I am, even
to this hour, in want of hinges to hang the lower
gun-ports. My officers and men lost their clothes
and beds in the Bon Homme Richard, and they
have yet got no supply. The bread that has
been twice a week sent down from Amsterdam
to feed my people, has been, literally speaking,
rotten, and the consequence is that they are fall-
ing sick.

" It is natural also that they should be discon-
tented, while I am not able to tell them that they
will be paid the value of their property in the
Serapis and Countess of Scarborough, if either or
both of them should be lost or taken after sailing
from hence.

" Thus you see, my Lord, that my prospects are

PAUL JONES. 213

far from pleasing. I have but few men, and they
are discontented. If you can authorize me to
promise them, at all hazards, that their property
in the prizes shall be made good, and that they
shall receive the necessary clothing and bedding,
&c. or money to buy them, I believe I shall soon
be able to bring them again into a good humour.
In the meantime I will send a vessel or two out
to reconnoitre the offing and to bring me word-
Whatever may be the consequence of my having
put into this harbour, I must observe that it was
done contrary to my opinion, and I consented to
it only because the majority of my colleagues
were earnest for it," &c. &c.

The French government, to rid themselves of
farther importunity, now fell on a new expedient.
The cruise was suddenly declared at an end, and
the ships were dismissed; Franklin agreed to place
the captured frigates under the flag of France, and
that Jones should be removed to the only ship
now ostensibly American, the Alliance, which, on
Landais having been ordered to Paris to answer
to the plenipotentiaries for his misconduct on the
cruise, had been left without a commander.

Jones received this intimation with disgust and

MEMOIRS OF

chagrin ; but such were the orders of Sartine and
Franklin, such the course sound policy dictated ;
and after an altercation lasting, he states, for thir-
teen hours, with the French ambassador at the
Hague, he most reluctantly left the Serapis, whose
deck seemed the theatre of his glory, and went
on board the Alliance. The squadron soon after-
wards sailed under a Dutch convoy, and Jones
was left alone in his new ship. His French
commission had never yet been produced ; the
English ambassador had repeatedly alleged that
he held no legal commission from any sovereign ;*
and to relieve the Dutch government from their

* About this time, a seaman's wife of Burlington ad-
dressed a letter to Sir Joseph Yorke at the Hague, implor-
ing tidings of her husband, of whom, since the engag-
ment of Jones with the Serapis, she had never heard, and
who, she feared, had fallen in that fight. Sir Joseph gallant-
ly and humanely complied with the poor Englishwoman's
request, and as he was aware that his epistle to Mrs Bur-
not would appear in all the English and French news-
papers, he, with considerable covert-humour, contrived to
have a hit at the shuffling policy of the Dutch, and the
chamelion character of the squadron they sheltered, while
he replied to the seaman's wife :— " Mrs Burnot, As soon

PAUL JONES. 215

dilemma, and, probably to ensure the personal
safety of Jones in case of the worst, a regular
commission was now tendered him by the minis-
ters of his Most Christian Majesty, but of a kind
so degrading that there is no doubt he would,

as I received your letter of the 7th instant, I lost no time
in making inquiries after your gallant husband, Mr Rich-
ard Burnot ; and have now great pleasure in congratulat-
ing you upon his being alive and well, on board the
Countess of Scarborough, at the Texel. I find he had
been burnt with an explosion of gunpowder, but is now
quite recovered. He sends me word, that he, as you
know, could not write, and therefore hoped I would let
you know he was well,"which I do with infinite satisfac-
tion. It will still be greater, if I can get him exchanged,
which I am doing my best endeavours for ; but as the
people who took him are sometimes French and some-
times rebels, as it suits their convenience, that renders
this affair more difficult than it would be if they allowed
themselves to be French, because I could then settle the
exchange at once. I am happy to be able to give such
agreeable news to the wife of my brave countryman, and
I am very sincerely your most faithful humble servant,

" JOSEPH YORKE.
" Hague, Nov. 26, 1779."

216 MEMOIRS OF

far rather than have accepted it, have chosen
the alternative of falling into the power of the
English. Whatever were his personal difficul-
ties, he was at this time hi "the blaze of his
fame," " talked of," says Franklin, " at Paris and
Versailles," celebrated throughout Europe and
America. His temper and blood were at no time
very cool on sudden excitement, and the excess
of his indignation may be imagined when he re-
ceived the insulting offer of a Letter of Marque.
We know not what to make of the frequent boasts
of Jones in after-periods of life, of never accepting
any commission save from Congress. The con-
cordat of Le Ray Chaumont, and the Letter of
Marque of Sartine and the Due de la Vauguyon,
it must be confessed, offered but slight tempta-
tion. Jones, though far from being naturally
inclined either to conceal or depreciate his pro-
fessional talents and personal services, never over-
estimated himself half so much as he was at this
time undervalued by the vacillating and capri-
cious government with which he had to do. If
the true ability of a statesman is best seen in
his capacity for selecting and managing the in-

PAUL JONES. 217

struments of his power, Sartine in this instance,
as in many others, sadly betrayed his own inca-
pacity. Under the first galling feelings of this
insult, Jones wrote the following spirited letter
to the French ambassador. It is one of the best
productions of his pen, precisely because it is the
spontaneous dictate of the most honourable im-
pulses of his spirit : —

" To His Excellency the Due de la Vauguyon, Am-
bassador from France at the Hague.

" Alliance, Texel, December
13th, 1779,

" MY LORD,

" Perhaps there are many men in the world
who would esteem as an honour the commission
that I have this day refused. My rank from the
beginning knew no superior in the marine of
America, how then must I be humbled were I
to accept a letter-of-marque ! — I should, my Lord,
esteem myself inexcusable, were I to accept even
a commission of equal or superior denomination
to that I bear, unless I were previously authorized

VOL. i. K

218 MEMOIRS OF

by Congress, or some other competent authority
in Europe. And I must tell you, that, on my
arrival at Brest from the Irish Channel, Count
IVOrvilliers offered to procure for me from Court
a commission of " Captain de Vaisseaux," which
I did not then accept for the same reason, al-
though the war between France and England was
not then begun, and of course the commission of
France would have protected me from an enemy
of superior force.

" It is a matter of the highest astonishment to
me, that, after so many compliments and fair
professions, the Court should offer the present in-
sult to my understanding, and suppose me cap-
able of disgracing my present commission. I
confess that I never merited all the praise bestow-
ed on my past conduct, but I also feel that I have
far less merited such a reward. Where profes-
sion and practice are so opposite, I am no longer
weak enough to form a wrong conclusion. They
may think as they please of me ; for where I can-
not continue my esteem, praise or censure from
any man is to me a matter of indifference.

" I am much obliged to them, however, for hav-

PAUL JONES.

ing at last fairly opened my eyes, and enabled
me to discover truth from falsehood.

" The prisoners shall be delivered agreeable to
the orders which you have done me the honour
to send me from his Excellency the American
ambassador in France.

" I will also with great pleasure, not only permit
a part of my seamen to go on board the ships
under your Excellency's orders, but I will also
do my utmost to prevail with them to embark
freely ; and if I can now or hereafter, by any other
honourable means, facilitate the success or the
honour of his Majesty's arms, I pledge myself to
you as his ambassador, that none of his own sub-
jects would bleed in his cause with greater free-
dom than myself, an American.

" It gives me the more pain, my Lord, to write
this letter, because the Court has enjoined you to
prepare what would destroy my peace of mind,
and my future veracity in the opinion of the world.
" When, with the consent of Court and by or-
der of the American ambassador, I gave American
commissions to French officers, I did not fill up
those commissions to command privateers, nor

220 MEMOIRS OF

even for a rank equal to that of their commissions
in the marine of France. They were promoted
to rank far superior, — and why ? — not from per-
sonal friendship, nor from my knowledge of their
services and abilities, (the men and their charac-
ters being entire strangers to me,) but from the
respect which I believed America would wish to
show for the service of France.

" While I remained eight months seemingly
forgot by the Court at Brest, many commissions
such as that in question were offered to me ; and
I believe, (when I am in pursuit of plunder,) I
can still obtain such an one without application
to Court.

" I hope, my Lord, that my behaviour through
life will ever entitle me to the continuance of
your good wishes and opinion, and that you will
take occasion to make mention of the warm and
personal affection with which my heart is im-
pressed towards his Majesty.

" I am," &c. &c.

This letter Jones enclosed to Franklin, to
whom he gave his passionate feelings fuller breath

PAUL JONES.

in an epistle very characteristic both of the man
and the seaman. " I hope," he says, " that the
within copy of my letter to the Due de la Vau-
guyon will meet your approbation ; for I am per-
suaded that it never could be your intention or
wish that I should be made the tool of any great
r - whatever ; or that the commission of Ame-
rica should be overlaid by the dirty piece of parch-
ment which I have this day rejected ! They have
played upon my good humour too long already,
but the spell is at last dissolved. They would
play me off with assurance of the personal and
particular esteem of the King, to induce me to do
what would render me contemptible even in the
eyes of my own servants ! Accustomed to speak
untruths themselves, they would also have me to
give under my hand that I am a liar and a scoun-
drel. They are mistaken, and I would tell them
what you did to your naughty servant. 4 We have
too contemptible an opinion of one another^ un-
derstanding to live together." I could tell them
too, that if M - de C * had not taken such

* De la Ray Chaumont.

MEMOIRS OF

safe precautions to keep me honest by means of
his famous concordat, and to support me by so
many able colleagues, these great men would not
have been reduced to such mean shifts ; for the
prisoners could have been landed at Dunkirk the
day that I entered the Texel, and I could have
brought in double the numbers."

The whole of these effusions were submitted
to M. Dumas, a new friend Jones had acquired,
who had lately been appointed agent for American
affairs at Amsterdam.*

* This gentleman is a most amusing specimen of the
diplomatist in the small way, busy and bustling about
nothing, shrouding every trifle in mystery ; — one who
writes about " the great man," and hints obscurely at
" the certain friend in high station," and intimates dark
meanings through which every body could see, in any way
save simply and directly. America was at this early stage of
her history singularly prolific of these mysterious person-
ages. Bancroft, Mr W. Temple Franklin, who was, how-
ever, still a lad, and even Commodore Jones, disported
themselves in this sort of innocent diplomacy, employing
a cipher, or numbers, in their correspondence about their
own personal affairs, as if the eyes of all the world had

PAUL JONES. 223

The letter of Jones to the ambassador of France
produced the desired effect. A soothing epistle
was despatched to the sturdy and indignant An-
glo-American. " I perceive with pain, my dear
Commodore," says the Duke, " that you do not
view your situation in the right light ; and I can
assure you that the ministers of the King have no
intention to cause you the least disagreeable feel-
ing, as the honourable testimonials of the esteem
of his Majesty which I send you ought to con-
vince you. I hope you will not doubt the sincere
desire with which you have inspired me to pro-
cure you every satisfaction you may merit. It
cannot fail to incite you to give new proofs of
your zeal for the common cause of France and
America. I flatter myself to renew, before long,
the occasion, and to procure you the means to
increase still more the glory you have already
acquired. I am already occupied with all the
interest I promised you ; and if my views are

been watchful of their motions. Franklin alone kept
clear of this folly. His letters contain no blanks, no
ominous stars, no mystification of important nothings.

224 MEMOIRS OF

realized, as I have every reason to believe, you
will be at all events perfectly content ; but I must
pray you not to hinder my project by delivering
yourself to the expression of those strong sensa-
tions to which you appear to give way, and for
which there is really no foundation. You appear
to possess full confidence in the justice and kind-
ness of the King ; rely also upon the same sen-
timents on the part of his ministers.1'

The " dear Commodore"" of the Duke was
somewhat mollified by this apology, but far from
being satisfied ; nor did he slip so inviting an op-
portunity of proclaiming his grievances. " Were
I to form," he says, " my opinion of the ministry
from the treatment that I experienced while at
Brest, or from their want of confidence in me
afterwards, exclusive of what has taken place since
I had the misfortune to enter this port, I will
appeal to your Excellency, as a man of candour
and ingenuity, whether I ought to desire to pro-
long a connexion that has made me so unhappy,
and wherein I have given so very little satisfaction.
M. le Chevalier de Lironcourt has lately made
me reproaches on account of the expense that,

PAUL JONES.

he says, France has been at to give me reputa-
tion, in preference to twenty captains of the royal
navy, better qualified than myself, and who, each
of them, solicited for the command that was lately
given to me !

" This, I confess, is quite new, and indeed
surprising to me ; and, had I known it before I
left France, I certainly should have resigned in
favour of the twenty men of superior merit. I
do not, however, think that his first assertion is
true ; for the ministers must be unworthy of their
places were they capable of squandering the
public money only to give an individual reputa^
tion ; and as to the second, I fancy the Court will
not thank him for having given me that informa-
tion, whether true or false. I may add here, that
with a force so ill composed, and with powers so
limited, I ran ten chances of ruin and dishonour
for one of gaining reputation ; and had not the
plea of humanity in favour of the unfortunate
Americans in English dungeons superseded all
consideration of self, I faithfully assure you, my
Lord, that I would not have proceeded under
such circumstances from Groix. I do not imbibe

226 MEMOIRS OF

hasty prejudices against any individuals ; but
when many and repeated circumstances, conspir-
ing in one point, have inspired me with disesteem
towards any person, I must see convincing proof
of reformation in such person before my heart
can beat again with affection in his favour ; for
the mind is free, and can be bound only by kind
treatment."

The insult, as he justly conceived it, which
Jones had received from France, did not increase
his inclination to hoist the flag of that nation on
board of the Alliance; nor had he longer any secret
motive to refuse, or at least to delay obedience to
the reiterated and peremptory mandate of the
Dutch government, ordering him to leave the
Texel. America was now his sole hope — to reach
its coasts his only aim. " I am not sorry ," he
writes his friend Morris, " that my connexion
with them (the French government) is at an end.
In the course of that connexion I ran ten chances
of ruin and dishonour for one of reputation ; and
all the honour or profit that France could bestow
should not tempt me again to undertake the same
service, with an armament equally ill composed

PAUL JONES.

227

and with powers equally limited. It affords me
the most exalted pleasure to reflect, that when I
return to America I can say I have served in
Europe at my own expense, and without the fee
or reward of a court. When the prisoners we
have taken are safely lodged in France, I shall
have no further business in Europe, as the liberty
of all our fellow-citizens who now suffer in Eng-
lish prisons will then be secured.""

He was now detained only by contrary winds,
and eagerly waited for a fair opportunity of elud-
ing the vigilance of those on the watch to inter-
cept him. After three months spent in continual
altercation, imbittered by the animosity of Lan-
dais, the babbling and suspicions of Le Ray
Chaumont, the conduct of the French ministers,
and the discontents of his officers and men re-
specting the prize-money, Jones sailed from the
Texel on the 27th December, 1779.

The only consolation Jones received at this
period was effecting the exchange of the Ameri-
can prisoners in England. This was, he said,
" all the reward he wished." He had also wrung
some promises from the ambassador in behalf of

228 MEMOIRS OF

his discontented officers and crew, who, as the
prizes had not been valued in Holland, and were
liable to be retaken in getting into a French
port, had no assurance that they would ever ob-
tain any reward for their courage and their toil.
The prizes sent into Bergen in Norway by Lan-
dais had been claimed by the English consul,
and given up by the Danish government, who
were very unlikely to grant the Americans any
indemnity. Even more severely than these inci-
dental hardships, Jones felt the grumbling of the
French agents at the expense he necessarily in-
curred in refitting his ships. " It had cost France
too much to give him fame," was the taunting
observation bitterly felt and not easily forgotten.
It must, under all the circumstances, have been
with considerable anxiety that Jones sailed from
the Texel, with the alternative of rashly braving
or fortunately eluding the English : he was not in
condition to meet them even in equal force. The
Alliance, by the gross misconduct of Landais, who
was as bad a seaman as he was an officer, was in
the worst condition. The officers were, as Jones
states, " idle and drunken ; the men filthy and

PAUL JONES. 229

in bad subordination, and many of them sick of
an epidemic illness ;" the vessel was, besides, badly
armed, and the powder of bad quality. The last
evil Jones remedied; and, putting a bold face on
the matter, whatever might be his secret feelings,
he thus exultingly wrote Dumas on leaving the
Texel : — " Alliance at sea, 27th December : — I
am here, my dear Sir, with a good wind at east,
under my best American colours. So far you
have your wish. What may be the event of this
critical moment I know not ; I am, not however,
without good hopes."

The memorial, drawn up by Jones himself for
the King of France, contains the best account
that is extant of his escape and of the progress
of this ticklish voyage. " He passed," he states,
" along the Flemish banks, and, getting the wind-
ward of the enemy's fleet of observation in the
North Sea, he the next day passed through the
Straits of Dover, in full view of the enemy's fleet
in the Downs. The day following Captain Jones
ran the Alliance past the Isle of Wight, in view
of the enemy's fleet at Spithead, and in two days
more got safe through the Channel, having pass-

MEMOIRS OF

ed by windward in sight of several of the enemy's
large two-decked cruising ships. Captain Jones
wished to carry with him some prizes and prison-
ers to France ; but the Alliance, by the arrange-
ment Captain Landais had made of the ballast
at LTOrient, was out of trim, and could not sail
fast, her sails being too thin and old for cold
latitudes. He steered to the southward, and
cruised for some days without success off Cape
Finisterre. On the 16th of January, 1780, Captain
Jones, to shun a gale of wind, and procure a
sound anchor, (for he had left the Texel with
only one,) ran into Corogne. He was very kind-
ly received in Spain, but sailed again, and arrived
at Groix on the 10th February, having taken no
prizes."

On gaining LTOrient, Jones lost no time in be-
ginning to refit his ship and obtain military stores.
A board of Admiralty had by this time been es-
tablished by Congress, and one of its first acts was
to order home the Alliance. In making the ships
under his command fit for sea, whether " in bat-
tle or in breeze," Jones never grudged or even
thought of expense, and on the present occasion

PAUL JONES. 231

his professional liberality of spirit far outran
the frugal genius of Franklin. The anxious and
almost pathetic remonstrances addressed to him
by the republican sage are as amusing as they are
characteristic. The court of France had demurred
to incurring farther expense for this refractory
hero and his American ship. " The whole ex-
pense will fall upon me," cries Franklin, " and
I am ill provided to bear it, having so many un-
expected calls upon me from all quarters. I
therefore beg you would have mercy on me, put
me to as little charge as possible, and take no-
thing you can possibly do without. As to sheath-
ing with copper it is totally out of the question."

By the middle of April, the Alliance (notwith-
standing the prayers of Franklin) was, by the
care of her commander, pronounced by himself
one of the most complete frigates in France.

Nearly a month before the Alliance having
been, as was said, ordered home to America with
certain supplies of arms and warlike stores fur-
nished by France, Franklin urged the imme-
diate sailing of the ship as strongly as he could
with propriety, and wished its commander a pros-
perous voyage. He even stretched a point to

232 MEMOIRS OF

furnish those of the former crew of the Bon
Homme Richard, now on board the Alliance, with
a small sum of money, as they had not yet rea-
lized a sou of their prize-money. This was done
to allay discontent and send the men home in
good humour. But neither the Commodore nor
his crew were yet in trim for sea.

Jones had made repeated attempts to obtain an
adjustment of the prize-money, and now meditat-
ed a journey to Court ostensibly to solicit a final
settlement. A person in office had about this time
excited his indignation by meanly claiming the me-
rit of some or all of his manifold projects ; and it
is probable that various other motives and per-
sonal interests disposed him to undertake this me-
morable journey. Having on a former occasion
verified the truth of the maxim, which led him to
give the celebrated name of Bon Homme Rich-
ard to his ship, he determined once more to speed
his errand by doing it himself. He was aware
that, though disliked or envied by the marine
service of France, he was popular with the Court
and the nation, who were about this time in the
very height and fervour of the American mania.
On this knowledge he proceeded to Versailles.

PAUL JONES. 233

CHAPTER VII.

JONES at no time neglected to keep himself alive
in the memory of his Court friends and official
patrons, — a species of attention necessary to a
professional man everywhere, at least in the
commencement of his career, and particularly
so at that period in France. While superintend-
ing the refitting of the Alliance, he had been cor-
responding with La Fayette, the Duke de la
Rochefoucault, and others of his former great
friends, and by them he might have been advised
to repair to Versailles to claim justice for his
people in the affair of the prize-money. If such
was his only business, it does not appear to have
been much advanced by his appearance at this
crisis ; but the reception he personally met from
many individuals among the higher classes of so-
ciety and the leaders of fashion, when Americans
and republicanism were the infatuating novel-

MEMOIRS OF

ties of the day, must have been highly gratify-
ing to his feelings and to his insatiable love of
distinction. The American Commodore, the con-
queror of the haughty English, insulted by the
degrading offer of a letter-of-marque at Amster-
dam, became the hero, and, what was nearly the
same thing, the lion of the day in Paris. He
was everywhere feasted and caressed ; and, as if
to make ample amends for the gratuitous insult
offered him by the ministers, he was presented by
the King with a gold sword, bearing the follow-
ing honourable inscription: — " VINDICATI MARIS

LUDOVICUS XVI. REMUNERATOR STRENUO VIN-

DICI." Leave was requested from Congress to
invest him with the military Order of Merit, — an
honour which had never been conferred on any
one before who had not actually borne arms
under the commission of France. An official
letter was also addressed to him by his ancient
tormentor, M. Sartine, expressive of the highest
approbation of his conduct, and esteem for his
personal character. This much was to be gained
by a man of talent and address appearing in his
own cause at the Court of France ; nor is there

PAUL JONES. 235

any lack of charity in supposing that, had Jones
remained quiet at KOrient, the victor of the
Serapis, and the generous and patriotic liberator
of the American prisoners, would not have sunk
beneath the load of Court honours. The secret
history of the manner in which services of plate,
knighthoods, and letters of thanks, are some-
times obtained, would form a curious and not un-
edifying chapter in the story of many a profes-
sional man's life. In the present instance they
were amply merited. They were as proudly re-
ceived ; and did equal honour to the royal donor
and the individual distinguished by his favour.
Jones was exactly of the sanguine, ambitious, and
loyal cast of character, which leads men to prize at
their full value those coveted marks of princely
approbation. The gold sword and the accom-
panying Order were the pride and the boast of
his future life.

Testimonies of kindness and esteem, of a kind
even more gratifying to his private feelings, were
not wanting. Of this brilliant period he long
afterwards says, in speaking of himself, " he re-
ceived at Paris, and other parts of the kingdom,

236 MEMOIRS OF

the most flattering applause and public approba-
tion wherever he appeared. Both the great and
the learned sought his acquaintance in private
life, and honoured him with particular marks of
friendship. At Court he was always received with
a kindness which could only have arisen from a
fixed esteem."

While the French Court were thus in the vein
of caressing and bestowing, Jones solicited and
obtained the Ariel frigate to accompany the Al-
liance to America, with stores for Washington's
army. Nor in all probability was he averse to
an increase of force, should fortune throw any
English ships in his way on the homeward voy-
age. The Ariel he intended to man from the
supernumeraries of the Alliance and the lately
exchanged American prisoners. The affair of
the prize-money was put in train, as far as fan*
promises and preliminary orders may go, and in
high spirits Jones took leave of the French Court
and capital, and returned to LT Orient, ready, as
he conceived, to quit France, and furnished, by
dint of his indefatigable genius, with an official
letter from the Minister of Marine to Congress,

PAUL JONES. 237

enumerating his services in Europe, and recom-
mending him to favour, and consequently to ad-
vancement.

While Jones was absent in Paris, his ship had
been the scene of a mutinous intrigue, of which
the wretched Landais, though apparently the pro-
moter, was in reality at first only the tool.

This intrigue originated with Mr Arthur Lee,
who had held a subordinate diplomatic appoint-
ment in France, and was now about to return to
America. The real cause of this person's con-
duct at this time appears to have been dislike of
Franklin, and a mean jealousy of the considera-
tion in which this truly great man was held, both
by friend and foe, in Europe as well as in Ame-
rica, while the vast merits of the patriotic Mr Lee
were overlooked. When the affair of Landais had
been originally discussed, Lee, in the spirit of
factious opposition, had gone openly against the
opinion of Franklin and the other plenipotentia-
ries, and taken part with the mutinous, and, as it
afterwards turned out, mad Frenchman, on what
he was pleased to call constitutional grounds.

238 MEMOIRS OF

Landais had originally received the command of
the Alliance from Congress. When ordered to
head-quarters to account for his conduct, he
voluntarily left his ship, and soon afterwards
Jones was officially ordered to quit the Serapis,
and assume command of the Alliance, which, as
has been seen, he did much against his inclina-
tion. Meanwhile Landais was ordered to return
to America, that cognizance might be taken of
his conduct before the proper tribunal. In this
order he appeared to acquiesce ; and he was fur-
nished with money by Franklin to bear his char-
ges. On his arrival at LTOrient, it seems to have
been adroitly insinuated into his naturally ric-
ketty brains, that Franklin and the other plenipo-
tentiaries had exceeded their powers in superseding
him and ordering him to America ; and that
Congress having bestowed his commission, to
Congress alone was he bound to surrender it.
The same doctrine was diligently promulgated
among the seamen of the Alliance, and readily
received by many of the officers. The delay of
the prize-money, and the non-payment of the

PAUL JONES. 239

seamen's arrears, gave a strong handle to the dis-
contented and designing. It was artfully repre-
sented to the disaffected crew, that while Jones,
their new commander, basked in the sunshine of
Court favour at Versailles, he either neglected
or compromised their rights and interests, and he-
sitated to demand justice for his men from those
who heaped favours on himself, and loaded him
alone with benefits and honours, while those who
had shared his toils and achieved the glory he
claimed were neglected and forgotten. There
was some colour for complaint. Jones felt his
error, and, in writing to a friend about the dis-
content of his crew, says, " I have been to blame
for having returned from Paris without having
absolutely insisted on the previous payment of
my men." These men he had found on his return
sullen, alienated, and almost in open mutiny.

Landais had now determined, to assume by
force the command of the Alliance, unjustly, as he
said, wrested from him ; and the officers and men
prepared a memorial, addressed to the plenipo-
tentiaries, setting forth their grievances and their
wishes. Landais, to do the business with becom-

240 MEMOIKS OF

ing modesty, and propriety, expressed a desire
to be formally reinstated* in his command.

* Franklin's letter in reply to the modest demand of
this Frenchman is as indicative of his strong good sense
and clear-sighted integrity as any thing that ever issued
from his pen. Of this sagacious person one might almost
think it was because " honesty was the best policy" that
he loved it. He admired truth for its utility more than its
native beauty ; and employed it accordingly with singu-
lar success in his dealings with men, where others more
short-sighted, if not less sincere, would have used sub-
terfuge and trick only to counteract their own purposes.
It is thus he wrote Landais : — f( No one ever learned the
opinion I formed of you from inquiry made into your con-
duct. I kept it entirely to myself. I have not even hinted
it in my letters to America, because I would not hazard
giving to any one a bias to your prejudice. By commu-
nicating a part of that opinion privately to you I can do no
harm, for you may burn it. I should not give you the
pain of reading it, if your demand did not make it ne-
cessary. I think you then so imprudent, so litigious, and
quarrelsome a man, even with your best friends, that
peace and good order, and consequently the quiet and re-
gular subordination so necessary to success, are, where
you preside, impossible. These are within my observation
and apprehension. Your military operations I leave to

PAtfL JONES.

Franklin, whose feelings, whether as a public
or private man, must have been grossly outra-
ged by this proceeding, stifled his indignation,
and, by every argument likely to convince their
reason, or influence their passions, endeavoured
to recall these misled men to a sense of their
duty.

No minister ever took half the pains to concili-
ate a set of wrongheaded malcontents, whom the
power of France could have enabled him to crush
at once. Some of the arguments he addressed
to their professional feelings and pride are ex-
ceedingly subtle. The officers and crew of the
Alliance were naturally indignant at the charge
of having fired into the Bon Homme Richard
during the engagement with the Serapis. In re-
lation to this affair, Franklin states, " though I
declined any judgment of his (Landais's) manreu-

raore capable judges. If, therefore, I had twenty ships
of war in my disposition, I should not give one of them
to Captain Landais. The same temper which excluded
him from the French marine would weigh equally with
me ; of course I shall not replace him in the Alliance."

VOL. I. L

242 MEMOIRS OF

vres in the fight, I have given it as my opinion,
(to Congress,) after examining the affair, that it
was not at all likely, either that he should have
given orders to fire into the Bon Homme Rich-
ard, or that his officers would have obeyed such
an order had it been given them. Thus I have
taken what care I could of your honour in that
particular. You will therefore excuse me if I
am a little concerned for it in another. If it
should come to be publicly known that you had
the strongest aversion to Captain Landais, who
had used you basely, and that it is only since the
last year's cruise, and the appointment of Com-
modore Jones to the command, that you request
to be again under your old captain, I fear sus-
picions and reflections may be thrown upon you
by the world, as if this change of sentiment may
have arisen from your observation during the
cruise, that Captain Jones loved close fighting,
that Captain Landais was skilful in keeping out
of harm's way, and that you therefore thought
yourself safer with the latter. For myself, I be-
lieve you to be brave men, and lovers of your
country and its glorious cause ; and I am per-

PAUL JONES. 243

suaded you have only been ill-advised, and mis-
led by the artful and malicious misrepresentations
of some persons I guess at. Take in good part
this friendly counsel from an old man who is
your friend. Go home peaceably with your ship.
Do your duty faithfully and cheerfully. Behave
respectfully to your commander, and I am per-
suaded he will do the same to you. Thus you
will not only be happier in your voyage, but re-
commend yourselves to the future favours of
Congress and of your country."

Such was the conciliatory tone in which Frank-
lin addressed these turbulent and discontented
men. It were to be wished that his good temper
and calmness of reason had produced the effect
that might have been expected. The failure
proves that something besides reason is at times
necessary in governing seamen.

In a letter to Jones he explains the affair, and
relates the measures he had taken in consequence.
" Saturday morning," he says, " I received a
letter signed by about 115 of the sailors of the
Alliance, declaring that they would not raise the
anchor, nor depart from KOrient, till they had
six months'* wages paid them, and the utmost

244 MEMOIRS OF

farthing of their prize-money, including the ships
sent into Norway, and until their legal captain,
P. Landais, was restored to them. This mutiny
has undoubtedly been excited by that captain ;
probably by making them believe that satisfac-
tion has been received for those Norway prizes
delivered up to the English,'1 &c. &c. " That
he is concerned in this mutiny he has been fool-
ish enough to furnish us with proofs, the sail-
ors' letter being not only enclosed under a cover
directed to me in his hand-writing, but he
also, in the same writing, interlined the words,
their legal captain, P. Landais, which hap-
pens to contain his signature. I immediately
went to Versailles to demand the assistance of
government, and on showing the letter, by which
his guilt plainly appeared, an order was imme-
diately granted, sent away the same evening, for
apprehending and imprisoning him, and orders
were (promised to be) given at the same time to
the commissary of the port to afford you all kind
of assistance to facilitate your departure." The
promises thus given were very ill kept. The
mutiny had now reached the crisis. On the
morning of the 13th June, before going on shore

PAUL JONES. 245

to superintend the equipment of the Ariel, Jones
caused his appointment to the Alliance to be
read on the deck of that ship, and, addressing the
assembled crew, demanded that whoever had any
complaint to prefer against him should now
speak out. " There was," he says, " every ap-
pearance of contentment and subordination';"
and again, " I am certain the people love me
and would readily obey me." The proofs of this
affection were of a very unusual kind. No sooner
had Jones quitted the ship, than Landais came
on board and usurped the command.

As soon as intelligence of this wild measure
reached Franklin, Landais was ordered to quit
the ship, and the officers were commanded to
obey Jones alone. To Jones, who was in the
greatest perplexity, he wrote, " You are likely
to have great trouble. I wish you well through
it. You have shown your abilities in fighting,
— you have now an opportunity of showing the
other necessary part, in the character of a great
chief, — your abilities in policy."

Landais, backed and instigated by Lee, and
supported by the officers and seamen, refused to

246 MEMOIRS OF

yield one jot ; and, holding the mandate of Frank-
lin and the arrest of the King alike in defiance,
he resolved to sail for America, captain of the
Alliance. In this singular juncture, Jones posted
back to Versailles, to solicit the assistance of
government. Orders, he was told, had been pre-
viously sent to L'Orient to compel Landais and
his crew to obedience, or, if he attempted to quit
the port, to fire on him, and, if necessary, sink
the ship. Confiding in this statement, Jones im-
mediately returned to I/Orient, and found that
the orders which were said to have preceded him,
if they had ever been despatched, had at least
never arrived, — a circumstance somewhat singu-
lar, though, in French diplomacy, by no means
unaccountable. The local authorities, however,
with whom Jones, in the course of his long stay
in that port, had acquired considerable influence,
were strongly disposed to support his authority
and to enforce the orders of Franklin. Acting
under the sanction of the American ministers,
and supported by the local authorities at I/Orient,
as well as by the promises and countenance of
the government, had Jones at this time listened to

PAUL JONES. 247

the dictates of passion or revenge, irreparable
mischief might have been done, which his mag-
nanimity and prudence averted.

Basely as he had been used, and irritated as
he must have been, he would not be even the in-
direct cause of shedding American blood. It is
thus he notices the part he had taken, and re-
lates the consequences of the mutiny to Franklin :

" L'Orient, June 21, 1780.
" SIR,

" I was detained at Versailles forty hours from
the time of my arrival, and was then informed by
M. de Genet, that an express had been sent from
Court with the necessary orders to the King's
officers at LTOrient, respecting Captain Landais
and the Alliance. I found myself here early yes-
terday morning, fifty-four hours after leaving
Versailles. The Alliance had, the evening and
night before, been warped and towed from the
road of LTOrient to Port Louis ; and no express
from Court had arrived here. M. de Thevenard,
the commandant, however, made every necessary
preparation to stop the Alliance, as appears by

248 MEMOIRS OF

the enclosed document on the subject. He
had even sent orders in the evening, before I
was aware, to fire on the Alliance, and sink her
to the bottom, if they attempted to approach
and pass the barrier that had been made across
the entrance of the port. Had I even remained
silent an hour longer, the dreadful work would
have been done. Your humanity will, I know,
justify the part I acted in preventing a scene
that would have rendered me miserable for the
rest of my life. The Alliance has this morn-
ing been towed and warped through the rocks,
and is now at anchor without, between Port
Louis and Groix. In this situation I at noon
sent out Lieutenant Dale with a letter to Captain
Landais, whereof the within is a copy.

" Yesterday morning the within letter was
brought me from Mr Lee, though I had never
even hinted that his opinion or advice would be
acceptable. He has, however, pulled off the mask,
and, I am convinced, is not a little disappointed
that his operations have produced no bloodshed
between the subjects of France and America.
Poor man !

PAUL JONES. 249

" Yesterday every thing that persuasion or

threatening could effect was attempted * *

** * * * ** *"*

" M. de Thevenard, on his part, sent the de-
puty of M. Sweighauser on board with your letters,
under his own rover, to Captain Landais, and
to the officers and men of the Alliance. The one
was delivered to Captain Landais, the other to
Lieutenant Digges. M. de Thevenard also sent
on board an officer with the King's order t& ar-
rest Captain Landais, who refused to surrender
himself. Mr Lee and his party pretend to jus-
tify their measures, because they say you did not
put Captain Landais under arrest. According to
them, you cannot displace him, however great
his crimes ! If the government does not interfere
to crush this despicable party, France and Ame-
rica have much to fear from it. I verily believe
them to be English at the bottom of their
hearts."*

* In a marginal note, affixed to this letter many years
afterwards, Jones says, " In this opinion I was not sin-
gular, though perhaps I was mistaken."

L2

250 MEMOIRS OF

To a lady in Paris, one of the friends he had
lately made, he sent a much fuller account of
this unpleasant affair, wishing, no doubt, to stand
clear in the opinion of his powerful and fashion-
able patrons in the capital, and reasonably con-
cluding that his exculpatory epistle might make
the round of the circles. " I confess to you,1'
he writes to Madame Tellison, " that I feel
rather ashamed that such an event should have
happened, although, God knows, it was not ow-
ing to any fault of mine. The true reason was,
that M. Ray de Chaumont unjustly detained from
the brave Americans, who had so bravely served
in the squadron under my command, not only
their wages, but also their prize-money ; and he
has not, even to this hour, given me the means of
paying them their just claims. One or two en-
vious persons here, taking advantage of these
circumstances, persuaded these poor people that
I had joined M. Ray de Chaumont to detain
from them their just dues, and that it was, be-
sides, my intention to carry them on new expe-
ditions in Europe, and not to suffer them to re-
turn to their families in America during the war.

PAUL JONES.

These insinuations were false and groundless ; I
had disapproved the conduct of M. Ray de Chau-
mont so much as neither to speak or write to
him after my return to France. My sole busi-
ness at Court was to obtain the free sale of the
prizes, which I effected; and, far from being
then bound on new expeditions in Europe, I was
ordered by the board of admiralty in America to
return forthwith to Congress, and had in conse-
quence received the public despatches both from
Dr Franklin and the Court. The Alliance, how-
ever, was hurried out of this port before the crew
had time for reflection ; yet, before they sailed
from the road of Groix, many of them, seeing their
error, refused to weigh anchor, and were carried
to sea, confined hands and feet in irons. The
government of France had taken measures to
stop the ship; but I interposed, to prevent blood-
shed between the subjects of the two allied na-
tions. I am now again almost ready to sail in
the Ariel, and I know, soon after my arrival in
America, that Congress will do me impartial jus-
tice. I will then have the happiness to furnish
you with the account I promised, and the cir-

MEMOIRS OF.

cumstances will be supported by the fullest evi-
dence. I dare promise that it will then appear
that I have only been to blame for having re-
turned here from Paris without having insisted
absolutely on the previous payment of my men,"

Franklin could at this time do no more to sup-
port the authority of the officer he had appoint-
ed. His anxious thoughts were in America, oc-
cupied with the distressed condition of Wash-
ington's troops. His first object, therefore, was
to remedy as far as possible the mischief done
to the public cause by Landais's mutiny, and
the consequent delay in forwarding the military
stores. Jones, however, appears to have felt his
own crippled command at least as pressingly
as the exigencies of the distant troops, and at-
tempted to obtain a larger vessel than the Ariel.

The Serapis was now refitted. From the hour
of her capture his pride and his affections had
been fixed on this command, and he very plausi-
bly enumerated to Franklin the advantages that
might result to the public cause, were he enabled,
with this vessel armed for war, the Ariel, and
certain American frigates, to undertake some of

PAUL JONES. 253

those daring expeditions he had so often proposed
to government. This project failed, and he beg-
ged for the Terpsichore, another French ship, and
engaged his personal friends to lend their influ-
ence to obtain it for him. Then* solicitations did
not succeed. France was now in the heat of the
war,— the ministry were occupied with other sub-
jects, and also evidently a little tired of the impor-
tunity of the Chevalier Jones, — and Franklin was
disappointed and vexed at the delays which had
taken place in forwarding those stores it had cost
him so much to obtain, and of which the army
stood in such pressing want. No sooner, however,
had the Alliance left port, than, without wasting
another thought on the affair, which no thought
could amend, Franklin writes with the most busi-
ness-like promptitude, " That affair is over, and
the business is now to get the goods out as
well as we can. I am perfectly bewildered with
the different schemes that have been proposed
to me for this purpose by Mr Williams, Mr
Ross, yourself, and M. de Chaumont. Mr Wil-
liams was for purchasing ships. I told him I
had not the money, but he still urges it, You

254 MEMOIRS OF

and Mr Ross proposed borrowing the Ariel. I
joined in the application for that ship. We ob-
tained her. She was to convey all that the Al-
liance could not take. Now you find her insuf-
ficient. An additional sliip has already been
asked, and could not be obtained. I think there-
fore it will be best that you take as much into
the Ariel as you can, and depart with it. For
the rest I must apply to the government to con-
trive some means of transporting it in their own
ships. This is my present opinion ; and when I
have once got rid of this business, no considera-
tion shall tempt me to meddle again with such
matters, as I never understood them.""

Before Jones could get off on this errand, so
necessary to America, but not much calculat-
ed, as he felt, to increase his glory, and there-
fore, on his part, not very zealously managed,
a change took place in the French ministry
which revived his hopes. The Marquis de Cas-
tries succeeded Sartine at the head of the marine
department, and the virtuous Maurepas became
prime minister. To both of these distinguished
persons Jones lost no time in recommending

PAUL JONES. 255

himself by congratulatory letters ; along with
which were transmitted fresh copies of the ma-
ritime projects formerly sent to their predecessors
in office. He also wished, before leaving Europe,
to obtain from them, as the persons in actual
power, testimonies in his favour, addressed to
Congress, equivalent to those he had obtained
from Sartine. His philanthropy, patriotism,
and disinterested services, were once more duly
set forth to the new ministers. He endeavoured
to bring Mr Silas Dean and Dr Bancroft into
his views, and again employed the influence of
his friend the Duke of Rochefoucault. The ship
so earnestly solicited was not obtained, nor does
it appear that the American ministers concurred
in the request.

Though on an after investigation Jones came
clear out of this affair, it is obvious that, had he
been half as anxious to forward the military stores
as to serve the republic in a way more consonant to
his own taste, the Ariel might long before this
period have reached the shores of America.

Towards the end of June the Alliance had put
to sea, and Jones still remained in port, when in

256 MEMOIRS OF

November accounts were received of the arrival of
that ship at Boston. From his friend Dr Cooper of
that town Dr Franklin received an account of the
issue of Lee's factious proceedings, and of Lan-
dais's mutiny, which he instantly transmitted to
the person most likely to sympathize with his feel-
ings regarding that mortifying affair. The extract
of Dr Cooper's letter was enclosed to the Com-
modore in a letter from Mr Temple Franklin,
the grandson and secretary of Franklin, the mi-
nister himself being at this time confined to bed :

"Boston, September 8, 1780.
" The Alliance arrived here some weeks ago,
with Dr Lee, who is still in town. This vessel
appears to me to have left France in an unjus-
tifiable manner, though I cannot yet obtain the
particular circumstances. Landais did not hold
his command through the voyage, which was
either relinquished by him or wrested from him.
All the passengers, as well as officers and sailors,
are highly incensed against him, and Dr Lee as
much as any one. A court of inquiry is now
sitting upon this matter, in which the Doctor has

PAUL JONES. 257

given a full evidence against the captain, which
represents him as insane"

It was unfortunate that Dr Lee was so late in
making this discovery.

The tardy and inauspicious voyage of the
Ariel, so long delayed and so often obstruct-
ed, was at length commenced on the 8th of
October. On the following night the ship en-
countered a tremendous gale, which was felt over
almost all Europe. She rode out the storm for
two days dismasted, and the waters around her
covered with the wrecks of other vessels ; and on
the 13th put back, in a very disabled condition,
to LTOrient. The arms, the most important
part of the stores, were so much damaged, that
it was necessary they should be unshipped and
left ; and before the vessel could be repaired and
freshly provisioned, it was the middle of Decem-
ber. Franklin, though too reasonable to complain
of a delay occasioned by the violence of the ele-
ments, grudged, nevertheless, the expense to which
he had been repeatedly put for new outfits, —
grudged, but passed the bills drawn on him ; giv-

258 MEMOIRS OF

ing, however, his less considerate friend sundry
precautionary hints.

" I suppose," he writes, " you thought it for
the good of the service, as you say you did, to
order that great quantity of medicine for the 74-
gun ship, yet, after what I had written to you
of my difficulties, it still seems to me that you
ought not to have done it without informing me
and obtaining my consent ; and I have only to
be thankful that you did not order all her stores,
sails, and rigging, anchors, powder, &c. I think
you must be sensible, on reflection, that with
regard to me it was wrong, and that it ought not
to be expected from me to be always ready and
able to pay the demands that every officer in the
service may saddle me with. This affair, how-
ever, is done with, and I shall say and think no
more about it."

Jones gave such an explanation as was at least
meant to satisfy the frugal statesman; to whom,
on the 18th December, he once again addressed
a farewell letter. He also took leave once more
of his friends and patrons in the capital. One of

PAUL JONES. 259

his valedictory epistles, addressed to Madame
D'Ormoy, may be received as the best exposition
that can be given of his feelings at the close of
his short but brilliant career in Europe : — " I
cannot leave France without expressing how
much I feel myself honoured and obliged by the
generous attention that you have shown to my re-
putation in your journal. I will ever have the most
ardent desire to merit the spontaneous praise of
beauty and her pen ; and it is impossible to be
more grateful than I am for the very polite at-
tentions I lately received at Paris and Versailles.
My particular thanks are due to you, madam,
for the personal proofs I had received of your es-
teem and friendship, and for the happiness you
procured me in the society of the charming coun-
tess, and other ladies and gentlemen of your
circle. But I have a favour to ask of you, ma-
dam, which I hope you will grant me. You tell
me in your letter, that the inkstand I had the
honour to present you, as a small token of my
esteem, shall be reserved for the purpose of writ-
ing what concerns me ; now I wish you to see
my idea in a more expanded light, and would

260 MEMOIRS OF

have you make use of that inkstand to instruct
mankind, and support the dignity and rights of
human nature."

" By the enclosed declaration of my officers,"
he writes to the same lady, " you will see, my dear
madam, that I was in a ticklish situation in the
moment while you were employed in writing to
me on the 9th ultimo. It is impossible to be more
sensible than I am of the obligation conferred on,
me by your attentions and kind remembrance,
joined to that of the belle comtesse, your fair
daughters, and the amiable ladies and gentlemen
of your society. I have returned without laurels,
and, what is worse, without having been able to
render service to the glorious cause of liberty. I
know not why Neptune was in such anger, unless
he thought it an affront in me to appear - on
his ocean with so insignificant a force. It is cer-
tain, that till the night of the 8th I did not fully
conceive the awful majesty of tempest and of
shipwreck. I can give you no just idea of the
tremendous scene that nature then presented,
which surpassed the reach even of poetic fancy
and the pencil. I believe no ship was ever

PAUL JONES. 261

before saved from an equal danger off the point
of the Penmark rocks. I am extremely sorry
that the young English lady you mention should
have imbibed the national hatred against me. I
have had proofs that many of the first and finest
ladies of that nation are my friends. Indeed I
cannot imagine why any fair lady should be my
enemy, since, upon the large scale of universal
philanthropy, I feel, acknowledge, and bend be-
fore the sovereign power of beauty. The Eng-
lish nation may hate me, but / will force them
to esteem me too"

Jones had other, or at least one other fair cor-
respondent about this period, who, under the as-
sumed name of Delia, makes some figure in his
private history. The day of the Amintas and
Delias was not then quite gone by ; and, under
this pastoral and poetic appellation, a lady chose
to conceal herself, of whose real name and situa-
tion the multitudinous papers left by the com-
modore, though they include many of her letters,
afford no satisfactory trace. In America, Delia
has been discovered to be a young lady of the
Court. In Scotland we are not so quick-sighted.

262 MEMOIRS OF

But as the claims of love and gallantry were
ever postponed by the Commodore to those of
professional duty and ambition, we shall in so
far follow his example as to defer the introduc-
tion of Delia and her fan* contemporaries, till a
a more convenient season.

Besides the enthusiastic epistles of Delia, Jones
carried out the following letter, already noticed as
written by De Sartine on the order of the King of
France, and approved by his Most Christian Ma-
jesty in council. This of itself would have en-
sured him that honourable reception in the coun-
try of his adoption, to which his zeal and services
gave him yet stronger claims.

Translation of the Letter addressed to Mr Hante-
nydon, President of the Congress of the United
States, by M. de Sartine, Minister of the French
Marine.

" Versailles, 20th May, 1780.

" Commodore Paul Jones, after having given

to all Europe, and, above all, to the enemies of

France and of the United States, high proofs of

his valour and of his talents, is about to return to

PAUL JONES. 263

America, to give an account to Congress of the
success of his military operations. I am aware,
Sir, that the reputation he has so justly acquired
will go before him, and that the history of his
campaigns will be sufficient to prove to his coun-
trymen, that his abilities are equal to his courage ;
but the King has thought it right to join to the
public voice his approbation and his bounty.
He has charged me expressly to make known to
you how much he is satisfied with the services of
the Commodore, persuaded that Congress will do
him like justice. His Majesty gives him a pledge
of his esteem in bestowing on him the gift of a
sword, which could not be placed in better hands,
and now offers to Congress to decorate this brave
officer with the cross of the order of Military
Merit. His Majesty thinks that these peculiar dis-
tinctions, associating together in the same ho-
nours the subject of two countries united by si-
milar interests, may be regarded as another tie
between them, and excite them to emulation in
the common cause. If, after having approved
the conduct of the Commodore, it is judged fit
to intrust him with any new expedition to Europe,

264- MEMOIRS OF

his Majesty will see him return with pleasure ;
and he presumes Congress will refuse nothing
that may be deemed necessary to promote the
success of his enterprises. My personal esteem
for the Commodore induces me to recommend
him in a particular manner to you, Sir ; and I
venture to hope that, in the reception which he
may receive from Congress, he will perceive the
fruits of the sentiments with which he has in-
spired me.

" I have the honour to be, &c.

" DE SARTINE."

PAUL JONES. 265

CHAPTER VIII.

ON the 18th February, 1781, Commodore Jones
reached Philadelphia. The principal adventure
of this voyage is thus related by himself in the
memorial to the King of France, and in the
third person : — " After a variety of rencounters,
he, in the latitude 26° north, and longitude of
Barbadoes, met with a remarkably fast-sailing
frigate belonging to the enemy's navy. Captain
Jones endeavoured to avoid speaking with that
ship, and as the night approached, he hoped to
succeed, notwithstanding her superior sailing.
He was, however, mistaken, for next morning the
ships were at less distance asunder than they
had been the evening before, although during
the night the officers of the watch had always
informed Captain Jones the sail continued out
of sight. An action now became unavoidable,
and the Ariel was prepared for it. Every thing
VOL. i. M

266 MEMOIRS OF

was thrown overboard that interfered with the
defence and safety of the ship. Captain Jones
took particular care, by the management of sails
and helm, to prevent the enemy from 'discovering
the force of the Ariel, and worked her so well
as not to discover any warlike appearance or pre-
paration. In the afternoon the Ariel fired now
and then a light stern-chaser at the enemy from
the quarter-deck, and continued to crowd sail as
if very much alarmed. This had the desired ef-
fect, and the enemy pursued with the greater
eagerness. Captain Jones did not suffer the
enemy to come close up till the approach of
night, when, having well examined his force, he
shortened sail, to meet his approach. When the
two ships came within hail of each other they
both hoisted English colours. The person whose
duty it was to hoist the pendant on board the
Ariel had not taken care to make the other end of
the halliards fast, to haul it down again to change
the colours. This prevented Captain Jones from
an advantageous manoeuvre he had intended, and
obliged him to let the enemy range up along the
lee-side of the Ariel, where he saw a battery

PAUL JONES. 267

lighted for action. A conversation now took
place between the two ships, which lasted near
an hour; by which Captain Jones learned the
situation of the enemy's affairs in America. The
captain of the enemy's ship said his name was
John Pindar. His ship had been constructed by
the famous Mr Peck of Boston, built at New-
bury Port, owned by Mr Tracey of that place,
commanded by Captain Hopkins, the son of the
late Commodore Hopkins, and had been taken
and fitted out at New York, and named the
Triumph, by Admiral Rodney. Captain Jones
told him he must put out his boat, and come on
board and show his commission, to prove whether
or not he really did belong to the British navy.
To this he made some excuses, because Captain
Jones had not told him who he was ; and his
boat, he said, was very leaky. Captain Jones
told him to consider the danger of refusing. Cap-
tain Pindar said he would answer for twenty
guns, and that himself and every one of his peo-
ple had shown themselves Englishmen. Captain
Jones said he would allow him five minutes only
to make his reflection. That time being elapsed,

MEMOIRS OF

Captain Jones backed a little on the weather-
quarter of the enemy, ran close under her stern,
hoisted American colours, and being within short
pistol-shot on the lee-beam of the enemy, began
to engage. It was past seven o'clock, and as
no equal force ever exceeded the vigorous and
regular fire of the Ariel's battery and tops, the
action while it lasted made a glorious appear-
ance. The enemy made a feeble resistance for
about ten minutes. He then struck his colours.
The enemy then begged for quarter, and said
half his men were killed. The Ariel's fire ceased;
and the crew, as usual after a victory, gave cries
of joy, to " show themselves Englishmen." The
enemy filled their sails, and got on the Ariel's
weather-bow before the cries of joy had ended on
board the Ariel. Captain Jones, suspecting the
base design of the enemy, immediately set every
sail he could to prevent her escape ; but the
enemy had so much advantage in sailing, that
the Ariel could not keep up, and they soon got
out of gun-shot. The English Captain may pro-
perly be called a knave, because, after he sur-
rendered his ship, begged for, and obtained quar-

PAUL JONES. 269

ter, he basely ran away, contrary to the laws of
naval war and the practice of civilized nations.
A conspiracy was discovered among the English
part of the Ariel's crew immediately after sailing
from France. During the voyage every officer,
and even the passengers, had been constantly
armed, and kept a regular watch, besides a con-
stant guard with fixed bayonets. After the ac-
tion with the Triumph the plot was so far dis-
covered, that Captain Jones confined twenty of
the ringleaders hi irons till his arrival. Captain
Jones arrived at Philadelphia on the 18th Feb-
ruary, 1781, having been absent from America
three years, three months, and eighteen days."

The.clamour excited in America by the deten-
tion of the army stores, and the real evils which
had by this means been occasioned to the public
service, compelled Congress to institute an imme-
diate inquiry into the cause of the delay. This
in common fairness was the more necessary, as
Landais, who was arrested in coming to America
with the Alliance, had now been tried, and for
ever dismissed the service.

A Board of Admiralty had been for some time

270 MEMOIRS OF

organized, and on this Board devolved the duty
of inquiry, while Congress almost simultaneously
took up the affair. A string of questions, forty-
seven in number, were proposed by the Board to
Jones, to which he was required to give answers
in writing. He lost no time in complying with
this order ; nor, it is to be presumed, in securing
such powerful and useful friends as his brilliant
reputation and the testimonials he brought from
Europe had already predisposed in his favour.
Admired and caressed at the Court of Versailles,
and more dreaded by the vulgar of the English
nation than was very creditable either to their
judgment or courage, Paul Jones could not, at this
period of agitation and imbittered hostility, fail
to find friends hi America, had his public services
been even less valuable and important than they
really were.

His answers to the official interrogatories were
on all points ample, and, it appears, satisfactory ;
and the subsequent report of the Board, so far
from being condemnatory, was highly flattering.
Another report of the same Board will show the
exact footing on which he now stood.

PAUL JONES.

" Admiralty Office, June 16th, 1781.

" The Board, to whom was referred the letters
and other papers relative to the conduct of John
Paul Jones, Esq., beg leave to report, that they
have carefully perused said letters and papers,
wherein they find favourable mention is made of
his abilities as an officer by the Duke de Vau-
guyon, M. de Sartine, and Dr Franklin ; and this
is also corroborated by that valour and intrepidity
with which he engaged his Britannic Majesty's
ship, the Serapis, of forty-four cannon, twelve
and eighteen pounders, who, after a severe con-
test for several hours, surrendered to his superior
valour, thereby acquiring honour to himself and
dignity to the American flag.

" The Board therefore humbly conceive that
an honourable testimony should be given to Cap-
tain Paul Jones, commander of the Bon Homme
Richard, his officers and crew, for their many
singular services in annoying the enemy on the
British coasts, and particularly for then- spirited
behaviour in an engagement with his Britannic
Majesty's ship of war, the Serapis, on the 23d of

272 MEMOIRS OF

September, 1779? and obliging her to surrender
to the American flag."

The following is a farther extract from another
of these reports : —

" With regard to Captain Jones, the Board
beg leave to report, that the views of the Marine
Committee in sending Captain Jones, and his
views in going in the Ranger to France, were,
that he might take the command of the Indian,
a ship that was building at Amsterdam on a new
construction, under a contract made by the Com-
missioners of these States at Paris, and with her,
in concert with the Ranger, annoy the coasts
and trade of Great Britain. When he arrived
at Nantes, the Commissioners sent for him to
Paris. After remaining there some time, he was
informed that they had assigned their property
in the ship Indian to the King of France. Cap-
tain Jones returned to Nantes, plans and under-
takes a secret expedition in the Ranger," &c. &c.
The report goes on to enumerate the various ser-
vices of Captain Jones, and then proceeds, " ever
since Captain Jones first became an officer in the

PAUL JOXES. 273

navy of those States, he hath shown an unremit-
ted attention in planning and executing enter-
prises calculated to promote the essential interests
of our glorious cause. That in Europe, although
in his expedition through the Irish Channel in the
Ranger he did not fully accomplish his purpose,
yet he made the enemy feel that it is in the
power of a small squadron, under a brave and en-
terprising commander, to retaliate the conflagra-
tions of our defenceless towns. That returning
from Europe, he brought with him the esteem of
the greatest and best friends of America ; and
hath received from the illustrious monarch of
France that reward of warlike virtue which his
subjects receive by a long series of faithful ser-
vices or uncommon merit.

" The Board are of opinion that the conduct
of Paul Jones merits particular attention, and
some distinguished mark of approbation from the
United States in Congress assembled."

Had the reports been drawn up by himself, or
his most zealous friends, they could not have been
more gratifying. He also received the solemn

M2

274 MEMOIRS OF

thanks of Congress, recorded in the following do-
cument : —

" BY THE UNITED STATES IN CONGRESS ASSEM-
BLED.
" Saturday, April 14, 1781.

" On the report of a committee consisting of
Mr Varnun, Mr Houston, and Mr Mathews, to
which was referred a motion of Mr Varnun :

" The United States, in Congress assembled,
having taken into consideration the report of the
Board of Admiralty of the 28th March last, re-
specting the conduct of John Paul Jones, Esq.,
captain in the navy, do,

" Resolve, That the thanks of the United
States in Congress assembled be given to Cap-
tain John Paul Jones, for the zeal, prudence, and
intrepidity with which he hath supported the
honour of the American flag, for his bold and
successful enterprises to redeem from captivity
the citizens of these States who had fallen under
the power of the enemy, and in general for the
good conduct and eminent services by which he

PAUL JONES. 275

has added a lustre to his character and to the
American arms.

" That the thanks of the United States in
Congress assembled be also given to the officers
and men who have faithfully served under him
from time to time, for their steady affection to
the cause of their country, and the bravery and
perseverance they have manifested therein.'"

The following letter from Washington, of
which the original is preserved among his papers,
must have completed the satisfaction Paul Jones
experienced in his honourable public acquittal : —

" Head Quarters, New Windsor,
15th May, 1781.

« SIR,

" My partial acquaintance with either our
naval or commercial affairs makes it altogether
impossible for me to account for the unfortunate
delay of those articles of military stores and
clothing which have been so long provided in
France.

" Had I had any particular reasons to have
suspected you of being accessary to that de-

276 MEMOIRS OF

lay, which I assure you has not been the case,
my suspicions would have been removed by the
very full and satisfactory answers which you have,
to the best of my knowledge, made to the ques-
tions proposed to you by the Board of Admiral-
ty, and upon which that Board have, in their re-
port to Congress, testified the high sense which
they entertain of your merits and services.

" Whether our naval affairs have in general
been well or ill conducted would be presumptuous
in me to determine. Instances of bravery and
good conduct in several of our officers have not,
however, been wanting. Delicacy forbids me to
mention that particular one which has attracted
the admiration of all the world, and which has
influenced the most illustrious Monarch to confer
a mark of his favour which can only be obtained
by a long and honourable service, or by the per-
formance of some brilliant action.

" That you may long enjoy the reputation you
have so justly acquired is the sincere wish of,

SIR,
Your most obedient servant,

GEO. WASHINGTON."

PAUL JONES. 277

In the investigation respecting the delay of
the stores, Franklin had been implicated as well
as Jones. He now stood equally clear; and, how-
ever reluctant Jones might have been, after Lan-
dais had usurped his command, and run away with
his ship, to put to sea with a single vessel, and
that of inferior force, the paramount and unceasing
anxiety of Franklin to forward the stores, does
not by any means admit a doubt. In the awkward
affair of Landais it was accordingly decided that
Franklin had done nothing for which he had not
ample discretionary powers ; and as an appropriate
mark of the entire confidence of Congress, he
was appointed by the Marine Committee to the
sole management of maritime affairs in Europe.
The patron of Landais, the strenuous supporter
of constitutional rights, Mr Arthur Lee, now
thought proper to abandon his former opinions,
together with his unlucky protege, and even to
appear among the active friends of Commodore
Jones.

On coming thus clearly and honourably out of
this investigation, Jones, besides the vote of
thanks so gratifying to his feelings, obtained the

278 MEMOIRS OF

reward which of all others he valued the highest,
a farther opportunity of extending his fame by
active service in the cause of America. By an
unanimous ballot, (for in this manner it seems of-
ficers were chosen,) he was appointed to the com-
mand of the America, a fine vessel, still on the
stocks. Almost immediately he went to Ports-
mouth, in New Hampshire, to superintend the
building and equipment of this ship.

This seems to have been one of the few inter-
vals of leisure and tranquillity which his chequer-
ed life afforded. It was sweetened by the hope
of future services to be performed, and future
glories to be acquired. He continued for some
months in the little town of Portsmouth, and, be-
sides maintaining an extensive correspondence in
France and America, found time to mature and
arrange his ideas on the subject of the American
navy.

We have not sufficient nautical skill to decide
how far the belief of Jones in the relative supe-
riority of the French to the English system of
naval tactics was even theoretically correct ; it
is enough, that almost every succeeding naval

PAUL JONES. 279

engagement has practically demonstrated the fu-
tility of his speculations. The ships of England
scarcely ever afterwards met those of her rival save
to beat them, till the flag of France was literally
swept from the seas. But though the opinions
of Jones are thus, hi all probability, abstractly of
no great value as those of a great naval tactician,
they are of some consequence, as they discover
the state of his own mind, his strong preposses-
sion for whatever was French, and his jealousy
of English naval supremacy. It is but fair to
let him state his reasons for his singular belief.

" The beginning of our navy," he says, " as
navies now rank, was so singularly small, that I am
of opinion it has no precedent in history. Was it
a proof of madness in ike first corps of sea-officers
to have, at so critical a period, launched out on
the ocean with only two armed merchant ships,
two armed brigantines, and one armed sloop, to
make war against such a 'power as Great Britain?
To be diffident is not always a proof of igno-
rance. I had sailed before this revolution in
armed ships and frigates, yet, when I came to
try my skill, I am not ashamed to own I did not
find myself perfect in the duties of a first lieuten-

280 MEMOIRS OF

ant. If midnight study, and the instruction of
the greatest and most learned sea-officers, can
have given me advantages, I am not without
them. I confess, however, I have yet to learn ;
it is the work of many years' study and experience
to acquire the high degree of science necessary
for a great sea-officer. Cruising after merchant
ships, the service in which our frigates have ge-
nerally been employed, affords, I may say, no
part of the knowledge necessary for conducting
fleets and their operations. There is now, per-
haps, as much difference between a battle be-
tween two ships, and an engagement between two
fleets, as there is between a duel and a ranged
battle between two armies. The English, who
boast so much of their navy, never fought a
ranged battle on the ocean before the war that is
now ended. The battle off Ushant was, on their
part, like then* former ones, irregular ; and Ad-
miral Keppell could only justify himself by the
example of Hawke in our remembrance, and of
Russel in the last century. From that moment
the English were forced to study and to imitate
the French in their evolutions. They never
gained any advantage when they had to do with

PAUL JONES. 281

equal force, and the unfortunate defeat of Count
de Grasse was owing more to the unfavourable
circumstances of the wind coming ahead four
points at the beginning of the battle, which put
his fleet into the order of echiquier when it was
too late to tack, and of calm and currents after-
wards, which brought on an entire disorder, than
to the admiralship, or even the vast superiority of
Rodney, who had forty sail of the line against
thirty, and five three-deckers against one. By
the account of some of the French officers, Rod-
ney might as well have been asleep, not having
made a second signal during the battle, so that
every captain did as he pleased.

" The English are very deficient in signals as
well as in naval tactic. This I know, having in
my possession their present fighting and sailing
instructions, which comprehend all then- signals
and evolutions. Lord Howe has, indeed, made
some improvements by borrowing from the French.
But Kempenfelt, who seems to have been a
more promising officer, had made a still greater
improvement by the same means. It was said of
Kempenfelt, when he was drowned in the Royal
George, England has lost her Du Pavillion. That

282 MEMOIRS OF

great man, the Chevalier du Pavillion, command-
ed the Triumphant, and was killed in the last
battle of Count de Grasse. France lost in him
one of her greatest naval tacticians, and a man
who had, besides, the honour (in 177^) to invent
the new system of naval signals, by which six-
teen hundred orders, questions, answers, and in-
formations, can, without confusion or misconstruc-
tion, and with the greatest celerity, be commu-
nicated through a great fleet. It was his fixed
opinion that a smaller number of signals would
be insufficient. A captain of the line at this day
must be a tactician. A captain of a cruising fri-
gate may make shift without ever having heard
of naval tactics. Until I arrived in France, and
became acquainted with that great tactician Count
D'Orvilliers, and his judicious assistant the Che-
valier du Pavillion, who, each of them, honoured
me with instructions respecting the science of
governing the operations, &c. of a fleet, I confess
I was not sensible how ignorant I had been be-
fore that time of naval tactics."*

» Jones forgets once writing Franklin that this illus-
trious commander chose rather to permit several English

PAUL JONES.

However defective the general views of the
Commodore might be as a great tactician, his
ideas of the proper formation and internal policy
and regulation of a navy for the young republic
of America discover a comprehensive mind, and
a liberal and generous spirit. On these points
he had to contend with no lurking prepossessions.
His very prejudices were here all on the right
side.

" From the observations I have made," he
says, " and what I have read, it is my opinion,
that in a navy there ought to be at least as many
grades below a captain of the line as there are
below a colonel of a regiment. Even the navy
of France is deficient in subaltern grades, and has
paid dearly for that error in its constitution,
joined to another of equal magnitude, which au-
thorises ensigns of the navy to take charge of
watch on board ships of the line. One instance
may be sufficient to show this. The Zele, in the
night between the llth and 12th of April, 1782,

frigates to escape him, than violate professional etiquette
by breaking his line ! This was tactics with a vengeance !

2S4) MEMOIRS OF

ran on board the Ville de Paris, which accident
was the principal cause of the unfortunate battle
that ensued next day between Count de Grasse
and Admiral Rodney. That accident in all pro-
bability would not have happened had the deck
of the Zele been at the time commanded by a
steady experienced lieutenant of the line instead
of a young ensign. The charge of the deck of a
ship of the line should, in my judgment, never
be intrusted to an officer under twenty-five years
of age. At that time of life he may be supposed
to have served nine or ten years, — a term not
more than sufficient to have furnished him with
the necessary knowledge for so great a charge.
It is easy to conceive that the minds of officers
must become uneasy, when they are continued
too long in any one grade, which must happen
(if regard be paid to the good of the service)
where there are no more subaltern grades than
midshipman and lieutenant. Would it not be
wiser to raise young men by smaller steps, and
to increase the number ?

" I have many things to offer respecting the
formation of our navy. We are a young people,

PAUL JONES. 285

and need not be ashamed to ask advice from na-
tions older and more experienced in marine af-
fairs than ourselves. This, I conceive, might be
done in a manner that would be received as a
compliment by several, or perhaps all the marine
powers of Europe, and at the same time would
enable us to collect such helps as would be of
vast use when we come to form a constitution for
the creation and government of our marine, the
establishment and police of our dock-yards, aca-
demies, hospitals, &c. &c., and the general police
of our seamen throughout the continent. These
considerations induced me, on my return from
the fleet of his excellency the Marquis de Vau-
dreuil, to propose to you to lay my ideas on the
subject before Congress, and to propose sending
a proper person to Europe in a handsome frigate,
to display our flag in the ports of the different
marine powers, to offer them the free use of our
ports, and propose to them commercial advanta-
ges, &c., and then to ask permission to visit their
marine arsenals, to be informed how they are fur-
nished both with men, provision, materials, and
warlike stores, — by what police and officers they

MEMOIRS OF

are governed, how and from what resources the
officers and men are paid, &c. — the line of con-
duct drawn between the officers of the fleet and
the officers of the ports, &c. — also the armament
and equipment of the different ships of war, with
their dimensions, the number and qualities of their
officers and men, by what police they are go-
verned in port and at sea, how and from what
resources they are fed, clothed, and paid, &c.^
and the general police of their seamen, and aca-
demies, hospitals, &c. &c. If you still object
to my project on account of the expense of send-
ing a frigate to Europe, and keeping her there
till the business can be effected, I think it may
be done, though perhaps not with the same
dignity, without a frigate. My plan for form-
ing a proper corps of sea-officers is, by teach-
ing them the naval tactics in a fleet of evolu-
tion. To lessen the expense as much as possi-
ble, I would compose that fleet of frigates instead
of ships of the line ; on board of each I would
have a little academy, where the officers should
be taught the principles of mathematics and me-
chanics, when off duty. When in port, the young

PAUL JONES. 287

officers should be obliged to attend the acade-
mies established at each dock-yard, where they
should be taught the principles of every art and
science that is necessary to form the character of
a great sea-officer. And every commission of-
ficer of the navy should have free access, and be
entitled to receive instruction gratis at those aca-
demies. All this would be attended with no very
great expense, and the public advantage result-
ing from it would be immense. I am sensible
it cannot be immediately adopted, and that we
must first look about for ways and means ; but
the sooner it is adopted the better. We cannot,
like the ancients, build a fleet in a month, and
we ought to take example from what has lately
befallen Holland. In tune of peace it is neces-
sary to prepare, and be always prepared, for war
by sea. I have had the honour to be presented
with copies of the signals, tactics, and police,
that have been adopted under the different ad-
mirals of France and Spain during the war, and
have in my last campaign seen them put in prac-
tice. While I was at Brest, as well as while I
was inspecting the building of the America, as I

288 MEMOIRS OF

had furnished myself with good authors, I ap-
plied much of my leisure time to the study of
naval architecture, and other matters that relate
to the establishment and police of dock-yards,
&c. I, however, feel myself bound to say again,
I have yet much need to be instructed."

The ship America, by his exertions, was now
nearly completed, and Jones had once more the
immediate prospect of active service ; but fortune
had yet another reverse in store for him ; or
more properly, at this time commenced that se-
ries of disappointments and chagrins which,
whether in Europe or America, continued, with
brief intermissions, to pursue him through his
subsequent life, till they consigned him to a
premature grave. It appears to have been the
fate of Jones at different epochs of his life, by
the energies and activity of his character, and
the impetuosity of his temper, to have momen-
tarily strained the instruments of his advance-
ment so far beyond the proper pitch, that they
violently recoiled, as if by the counteracting force
caused by their over-tension, on the instant that
his vigorous hand was removed.

PAUL JONES. 289

The Magnifique, a seventy- four gun ship, be-
longing to France, had, by accident or misman-
agement, been lost in the harbour of Boston. To
make up this loss, and keep their powerful ally
in good humour, Congress did not scruple to
strip Jones of the command so flatteringly be-
stowed, and this without giving him any equiva-
lent appointment, or any future pledge. This
was the second time he had been disappointed in
a similar way : the America shared the fate of
the Indien; it was presented by Congress to
the Chevalier de la Luzerne, for the service of
his Most Christian Majesty. Fifteen months
after his appointment Jones received the follow-
ing letter from the Minister of Marine : —

" Marine Office, 4th Sept. 1782.
" DEAR SIR,

" The enclosed resolution will show you the
destination of the ship America. Nothing could
be more pleasing to me than this disposition, ex-
cepting so far as you are affected by it. I know
you so well as to be convinced that it must give
you great pain, and I sincerely sympathize with

VOL. i. N

290 MEMOIRS OF

you. But although you will undergo much con-
cern at being deprived of this opportunity to
reap laurels on your favourite field, yet your re-
gard for France will in some measure alleviate
it; and to this your good sense will naturally
add the delays which must have happened in
fitting the ship for sea. I must entreat you to
continue your inspection until she is launched,
and to urge forward the business. When that
is done, if you will come hither I will explain to
you the reasons which led to this measure, and
my views of employing you in the service of
your country. You will on your route have an
opportunity of conferring with the General on
the blow you mentioned to me in one of your
letters." *****

Whatever might have been the feelings of
Jones on this abrupt and painful communica-
tion, they were stifled by prudence and patriot-
ism ; and the cheerfulness and magnanimity with
which he submitted to this stroke elicited the
subjoined letter from Morris : —

PAUL JONES. 291

" Marine Office, 4th October, 1782.
" SIR, **#

" I have received your letter of the 22d of
last month. The sentiments contained in it
will always reflect the highest honour upon your
character. They have made so strong an im-
pression upon my mind, that I immediately trans-
mitted an extract of your letter to Congress. I
doubt not but they will view it in the same man-
ner that I have done."

Jones, on the request of the Minister, con-
tinued to superintend the equipment of the ship ;
but as honourable employment, whether in the
sea or land service, was ever his favourite ob-
ject, he now solicited the leave of Congress to
go on board the French fleet, then cruising in
the American seas, for improvement in his pro-
fession. This was given in the most gracious
manner, in the subjoined resolution : —

BY THE UNITED STATES IN CONGRESS ASSEM-
BLED.

" Wednesday, Dec. 4, 1782.
" Resolved, That the agent of marine be in-

292 MEMOIRS OF

formed that Congress, having a high sense of the
merit and services of Captain John Paul Jones,
and being disposed to favour the zeal manifested
by him to acquire improvement in the line of
his profession, do grant the permission which he
requests, and that the said agent be instructed
to recommend him accordingly to the counte-
nance of his Excellency the Marquis de Vau-
dreuil."

The languor of inactivity, and the disappoint-
ment which followed, were also somewhat soothed
by the receipt, from time to time, of letters, of
which the following from La Fayette and Adams
may furnish a sample : —

" Alliance, off Boston, 22d Dec. 1781.
" I have been honoured with your polite fa-
vour, my dear Paul Jones ; but before it reached
me I already was on board the Alliance, and
every minute expecting to put to sea. It would
have afforded me great satisfaction to pay my
respects to the inhabitants of Portsmouth, and
the State in which you are for the present. As
to the pleasure to take you by the hand, my

PAUL JONES. 293

dear Paul Jones, you know my affectionate sen-
timents, and my very great regard for you, so
that I need not add any thing on that subject.

" Accept my best thanks for the kind expres-
sions in your letter. His Lordship's downfall*
is a great event, and the greater, as it was equal-
ly and amicably shared by the two allied nations.
Your coming to the army I had the honour to
command would have been considered as a very
flattering compliment to me who love you and
know your worth. I am impatient to hear you
are ready to sail, and I am of opinion we ought
to unite under you every continental ship we
can muster, with such a body of well-appointed
marines as might cut a good figure ashore ; and
then give you plenty of provision, and carte
blanche.

" I am sorry I cannot see you. I also had
many things to tell you ; write me by good op-
portunities, but not often in ciphers, unless the
matter is very important," &c. &c.

" LA FAYETTE."

* Lord Cornwallis.

294- MEMOIRS OF

" Hague, 12th August, 1782.
" DEAR SIR, •<•

" I had yesterday the pleasure of receiving
your favour of the 10th December last, .* *
* * * The command of the America
could not have been more judiciously bestowed ;
and it is with impatience I wish her at sea,
where she will do honour to her name. No-
thing gives me so much surprise, or so much re-
gret, as the inattention of my countrymen to
their navy. It is to us a bulwark as essential as
it is to Great Britain. It is less costly than
armies, and more easily removed from one of the
United States, to the other. * * *

" Every day shows that the Batavians have not
wholly lost their ancient character. They are
always timid and slow in adopting their political
systems ; but always firm and able in support of
them ; and always brave and active in war. They
have hitherto been restrained by their chiefs ;
but if the war continue, they will show that they
are possessed of the spirit of liberty, and that
they have lost none of their great qualities.
" Rodney's victory has intoxicated Britain

PAUL JONES. 295

again to such a degree, that I think there will
be no peace for some time. Indeed, if I could
see a prospect of having a half-dozen line-of-bat-
tle ships under the American flag, commanded
by Commodore Paul Jones, engaged with an
equal British force, I apprehend the event would
be so glorious for the United States, and lay so
sure a foundation for their prosperity, that it
would be a rich compensation for a continuance
of the war. However, it does not depend upon
us to finish it. There is but one way, and that
is Burgoynizing Carlton in New York * *
jjj,, * * . * . * * * *

" JOHN ADAMS."

Jones went on board the French fleet accord-
ing to the permission granted by Congress ; but
peace put a sudden end to his nautical studies
in this school; and a few complimentary let-
ters are the sole trophies that remain of his
bloodless campaign. These testimonies of his
talents and conduct were addressed by the Mar-
quis de Vaudreuil to Mr Morris, the Minister of
the American Marine, and to the Chevalier de

296 MEMOIRS OF

la Luzerne, the French Ambassador to the Unit-
ed States.

That impatience of inactivity, which appears to
have been an inherent quality in the mind of
Jones, and considerations of private interest and
friendship, now induced him to solicit an appoint-
ment in Europe, as agent for prize-money, of
which large sums were still due to himself, and to
his officers and men, both in France and Den-
mark. Their claims had indeed never been set-
tled, and the arrangement was no easy matter.
Pursuant to a resolution of Congress, he was, on
the 1st Nov. 17^85 formally appointed " agent
for all prizes taken in Europe under his own
command.11 On his arrival in Paris, his mission
was sanctioned by Franklin, still minister ple-
nipotentiary at Versailles, and he proceeded in
the affair, which had baffled other negotiators,
with his characteristic vigour and perseverance.
We are well warranted in presuming that Jones
would infinitely rather have re- visited Europe at
this time, commander of that gallant experimen-
tal frigate which he had so earnestly recommend-
ed Congress to equip, than in the comparatively

PAUL JONES. 297

tame character he now held. His embassy, for
such he loved to consider it, proved tedious, and
even vexatious. His old antagonist, M. de Chau-
mont, had become insolvent ; the French finances
were already in great disorder, and disinclination
existed in every department to an adjustment
or liquidation of the claims of the captors. The
opposition of Chaumont was peculiarly irritating
to Jones, who lost no opportunity of reviling and
exposing him in his frequent correspondence with
the Marshal de Castries.

While this affair was in progress, Jones re-
newed and extended his former social connexions
in Paris ; and for three years, at this time, sup-
ported a considerable figure in the fashionable
society of that capital, both for the gratification of
his personal feelings and the advancement of his
mission. In this interval he also formed several
projects of commercial speculations, on the scale
suited to the enterprising character of his mind,
and in concert with different individuals of ca-
pital and influence. One of these projects, of
which a sketch still remains among his papers,

298 MEMOIRS OF

was to establish a fur-trade between the north-
west coast of America and China, or Japan.
The person fixed ion to act as supercargo in this
adventurous expedition was the celebrated John
Ledyard, with whom it probably originated. It
went so far, that Jones was on the point of pur-
chasing a ship ; but failed, partly from the jea-
lousy of the Spanish government, and partly
from private causes. The Algerines, and the
sufferings of their American captives, was another
object of his anxious attention, and one of^which
he never lost sight for the short remainder of his
life, though he was not able to effect much in
the behalf of this unfortunate portion of his
countrymen.

Another of Jones' amusements at this time was
having his bust taken, which was afterwards some-
what ostentatiously presented to a favoured few
in America. He also handed round the journal
of his short and brilliant campaign, and received
in return the usual requital of letters of compli-
ment, which, when proceeding from such cha-
racters as Malsherbes and D'Estaing, any man

PAUL JONES. 299

may be pardoned for overvaluing. A compli-
ment was never thrown away on the Commodore,
and seldom forgotten.

Tedious as the affair of the prize-money proved,
an equitable and even liberal adjustment was
obtained in France long before any prospect of
a settlement of the claims on Denmark, which
power had shuffled for eight years with consider-
able dexterity, and continued to do so still.

With his mission thus far accomplished, Jones,
in the summer of 1787> returned to America,
giving the following reasons for not at this time
proceeding to Copenhagen : —

To His Excellency John Jay, Esq. Minister of Fo-
reign Affairs.

" New York, July 8th, 1787.
" SIR,

" The application I made for a compensation
for our prizes through the Danish minister in
London not having succeeded, it was determined
between Mr Jefferson and myself, that the pro-
per method to obtain satisfaction was for me to

300 MEMOIRS OF

go in person to the court of Copenhagen. It
was necessary for me to see the Baron de Blome
before I could leave France on that business,
and he being absent on a tour in Switzerland,
did not return to Paris till the beginning of last
winter. I left Paris in the spring, and went as
far as Brussels on my way to Copenhagen, when
an unforeseen circumstance in my private affairs
rendered it indispensable for me to turn about
and cross the ocean. My private business here
being already finished, I shall in a few days re-
embark for Europe, in order to proceed to the
court of Denmark. It is my intention to go by
the way of Paris, in order to obtain a letter to
the French minister at Copenhagen, from the
Count de Montmorin, as the one I obtained is
from the Count de Vergennes. It would be
highly flattering to me if I could carry a letter
with me from Congress to his Most Christian
Majesty, thanking him for the squadron he did
us the honour to support under our flag. And
on this occasion, Sir, permit me, with becoming
diffidence, to recall the attention of my Sovereign
to the letter of recommendation I brought with

PAUL JONES. 301

me from the court of France, dated 30th May,
1780. It would be pleasing to me if that letter
should be found to merit a place on the journals
of Congress. Permit me also to entreat that
Congress will be pleased to read the letter I re-
ceived from the minister of marine, when his Ma-
jesty deigned to bestow on me a golden-hilted
sword, emblematical of the happy alliance, — an
honour which his Majesty never conferred on any
other foreign officer. I owed the high favour I
enjoyed at the court of France in a great de-
gree to the favourable testimony of my conduct
which had been communicated by his Majesty's
ambassador, under whose eye I acted in the most
critical situation in the Texel, as well as to the
public opinion of Europe. And the letter with
which I was honoured by the prime minister of
France, when I was about to return to America,
is a clear proof that we might have drawn still
greater advantages from the generous disposition
of our ally, if our marine had not been lost whilst
I was, under perplexing circumstances, detained
in Europe, after I had given the Count de Mau-
repas my plan for forming a combined squadron

302 MEMOIRS OF

of ten or twelve sail of frigates, supported by the
America, with a detachment of French troops on
board ; the whole at the expense of his Majesty.

" It is certain that I am much flattered by re-
ceiving a gold sword from the most illustrious
monarch now living ; but I had refused to accept
his commission on two occasions before that time,
when some firmness was necessary to resist the
temptation. He was not my sovereign ; I served
the cause of freedom ; and honours from my so-
vereign would be more pleasing. Since the year
1775? when I displayed the American flag for the
first time with my own hands, I have been con-
stantly devoted to the interests of America. Fo-
reigners have, perhaps, given me too much cre-
dit, and this may have raised my ideas of my
services above their real value ; but my zeal can
never be over-rated.

" I should act inconsistently if I omitted to
mention the dreadful situation of our unhappy
fellow-citizens in slavery at Algiers. Their al-
most hopeless fate is a deep reflection on our na-
tional character in Europe. I beg leave to in-
fluence the humanity of Congress in their behalf,

PAUL JONES. 303

and to propose that some expedient may be
adopted for their redemption. A fund might be
raised for that purpose by a duty of a shilling
per month from seamen's wages throughout the
continent, and I am persuaded that no difficulty
would be made to that requisition,

I have the honour to be, ,
Sir, &c. &c. . i .

" PAUL JONES.'*''

The manner in which Jones had divided the
quotas, and the magnitude of his private claims
for personal expenses while engaged in this ser-
vice, did not satisfy the Board of Treasury of
the United States, and their report highly of-
fended him. He, however, made out what, al-
lowing for a considerable alloy of self-eulogium,
inseparable from all his vindicatory writings, may
be called a triumphant case. " The settlement,"
he says, " that I made with the court of .France
had first Dr Franklin's and afterwards Mr Jef-
ferson's approbation, in every stage and article
of the business ; and I presume it will be found,
at least so far as depended on me, to merit that

304- MEMOIRS OF

of the United States. The Board of Treasury
have been pleased in their report to treat me as
a mere agent, though employed in that delicate
national concern. In France I was received and
treated by the King and his ministers as a gene-
ral officer and a special minister from Congress.
The credit with which I am honoured as an of-
ficer, in the opinion of Europe, and the personal
intimacy I have with many great characters at
Paris, with my exclusive knowledge of all cir-
cumstances relative to the business, ensured me
a success which no other man could have obtain-
ed. My situation subjected me to considerable
expense. I went to Court much oftener, and
mixed with the great much more frequently, than
our minister plenipotentiary, yet the gentlemen
in that situation consider then* salary of two
thousand a-year as scarcely adequate to their ex-
penses." But the reader is already so familiar
with the services of the Commodore to the pub-
lic cause of America, that we spare them the re-
petition which follows, and pass to the issue of
this altercation, which was a resolution of Congress,
passed a few days afterwards, declaring his distri-

PAUL JONES. 305

bution of the quotas valid, and allowing him the
sum claimed as expended by him on this ser-
vice. This was 47,972 livres, instead of the usual
commission on sums recovered, which would not
nearly have defrayed his expenses.

To complete his triumph over the Board of
Treasury, Congress, in a few days afterwards,
unanimously resolved " that a gold medal should
be struck, and presented to Chevalier J. Paul
Jones, in commemoration of the valour and bril-
liant services of that officer while in command of
a squadron of French and American ships, under
the flag and commission of the States of America."
It was farther resolved that a letter should be
written to his Most Christian Majesty ; and ac-
cordingly, furnished with the following letter,
Jones left the shores of America, which he was
destined never again to revisit : —

" To His Most Christian Majesty, Louis, King of

France and Navarre.
" GREAT AND BELOVED FRIEND !

" We, the United States in Congress assem-
bled, in consideration of the distinguished marks

306 MEMOIRS OF

of approbation with which your Majesty has been
pleased to honour the Chevalier John Paul Jones,
as well as from a sense of his merit, have unani-
mously directed a medal of gold to be struck and
presented to him, in commemoration of his va-
lour and brilliant services while commanding a
squadron of French and American ships, under
our flag and commission, off the coast of Great
Britain, in the late war.

" As it is his earnest desire to acquire know-
ledge in his profession, we cannot forbear re-
questing of your Majesty to permit him to em-
bark in your fleets of evolution, where only it
will be probably in his power to acquire that de-
gree of knowledge which may hereafter .render
him most extensively useful.

" Permit us to repeat to your Majesty, our
sincere assurances, that the various and impor-
tant benefits for which we are indebted to your
friendship will never cease to interest us in what-
ever may concern the happiness of your Majesty,
your family, and people. We pray God to keep
you, our great and beloved friend, under his holy
protection.

PAUL JONES. 307

" Done at the city of New York, the 16th
day of October, in the year of our Lord
1787? and °f our Sovereignty and Inde-
pendence the 12th."

It is not probable, though just possible, that,
before this last departure for Europe, Jones was
aware, that, in conversation with M. de Simo-
lin, the Russian ambassador at Paris, Mr Jeffer-
son had proposed him to serve Russia in the
Black Sea. This conversation arose in conse-
quence of the disasters which had befallen her
Imperial Majesty's fleet in a tempest in the
month of September of that year. During the
late negotiations about the prize-money, Jones
had come in close contact with Mr Jefferson,
who immediately succeeded to Franklin as am-
bassador, and had gained his friendship and es-
teem. Though he might not be aware thus
early of this private treaty concerning him, there
is no room to doubt that, with all the indifference
and coquettish reluctance he afterwards thought
fit to affect, he was from the first moment daz-
zled and infatuated by the prospects which thus

MEMOIRS OF

opened so unexpectedly upon him in a new ca-
reer of glory and distinction. He landed at
Dover from stress of weather, and, after spend-
ing a few days in London, and making certain
arrangements with the American ambassador
there, respecting the Danish claims, went to
Paris, and was there at least informed by Mr
Jefferson of the high destinies which probably
awaited him in Russia. He accordingly defer-
red delivering the letter which he bore from Con-
gress to his Most Christian Majesty, till a more
convenient season, and set out for Copenhagen
in mid-winter, ostensibly only to solicit indem-
nification for the prizes so long before delivered
up to the English minister, but in reality to
draw a step nearer to St Petersburgh. There
is no evidence that the court of Russia had ever
thought of John Paul Jones as a naval com-
mander till M. de Simolin had written home,
ft that with the chief command of the fleet, and
carte blanche, he would undertake that in a year
Paul Jones would make Constantinople tremble/1
Jones was furnished with letters to the French
ambassador at Copenhagen, and other influen-

PAUL JONES, 309

tial persons, and gives this account of his recep-
tion in that capital : —

" I have been so much indisposed since my
arrival here the 4th, from the fatigue and exces-
sive cold I suffered on the road, that I have been
obliged to confine myself almost constantly to
my chamber. I have kept my bed for several
days ; but I now feel myself better, and hope
the danger is over. On my arrival I paid my
respects to the minister of France. He received
me with great kindness ; we went, five days ago,
to the minister of foreign affairs. I was much
flattered with my reception, and our conversation
was long and very particular respecting America
and the new constitution, of which I presented a
copy. He observed, that it had struck him as
a very dangerous power to make the president
commander-in-chief : in other respects it appear-
ed to please him much, as leading to a near and
sure treaty of commerce between America and
Denmark. It was a day of public business, and
I could not do more than present your letter.
I shall follow the business closely. In a few
days, when I am re-established in health, I am

310 MEMOIRS OF

to be presented to the whole court, and to sup
with the King. I shall after that be presented to
all the corps diplomatique and other persons of
distinction here. I am infinitely indebted to the
attentions I receive from the minister of France.
I made the inquiry you desired in Holland, and
should then have written to you in consequence,
had I not been assured, by authority, (M. Van
Stophorstj) that I could not doubt that letters
had been sent you on the subject, that could not
fail of giving you satisfaction. M. Van Stop-
horst was very obliging. At Hamburgh I order-
ed the smoked beef you desired to be sent to
you, to the care of the American agent at Havre
de Grace ; you have nothing to do but receive
it, paying what little charges may be on it. My
ill health and fatigue on the road hindered me
from preparing the extract of the engagement.
When you see M. Littlepage, I pray you to pre-
sent my kind compliments. It is said here, that
the Empress confides the commerce of her fleet,
that will pass the Sound, to Admiral Greig ; and
that he means to call at an English port to take
provisions, &c. The Hamburgh papers, I am

PAUL JONES. 311

told, have announced the death of Dr Franklin.
I shall be extremely concerned if the account
prove true— God forbid !"

A subsequent letter states, —

" Yesterday his excellency the Baron de La
Houge, minister plenipotentiary of France at
this court, did me the honour to present me pub-
licly to his Majesty, the Royal Family, and chief
personages at the royal palace here.

" I had a very polite and distinguished recep-
tion. The Queen Dowager conversed with me
for some time, and said the most civil things.
Her Majesty has a dignity of person and deport-
ment which becomes her well, and which she
has the secret to reconcile with great affability and
ease. The Princess Royal is a charming per-
son, and the graces are so much her own, that it
is impossible to see and converse with her with-
out paying her that homage which artless beauty
and good nature will ever command. All the
Royal Family spoke to me except the King, who
speaks to no person when presented. His Ma-
jesty saluted me with great complaisance at first,
and as often afterwards as we met in the course
2

312 MEMOIRS OF

of the evening. The Prince Royal is greatly be-
loved and extremely affable ; he asked me a
number of pertinent questions respecting Ame-
rica. I had the honour to be invited to sup with
his Majesty and the Royal Family. The com-
pany at table (consisting of seventy ladies and
gentlemen, including the Royal Family, the mi-
nisters of state, and foreign ambassadors) was
very brilliant."

But this flattering reception, and abundance of
diplomatic courtesy, did not long satisfy the ne-
gotiator, who was moreover engaged in another
game with Baron Krudner, the Russian Envoy
at this court, which interested him far more
deeply. He was, in short, impatient to reach the
goal of his new-sprung hopes, St Petersburgh,
and accordingly addressed Count Bernstorf in
his best style of diplomacy : —

Captain Paul Jones to Count Bernstorf.

" Copenhagen, 24th March, 1788.
" From the act of Congress, (the act by which
I am honoured with a gold medal,) I had the

PAUL JONES. 313

honour to show your Excellency the 21st of this
month, as well as from the conversation that fol-
lowed, you must be convinced that circumstan-
ces do not permit me to remain here ; but that
I am under the necessity, either to return to
France or to proceed to Russia. — As the minis-
ter of the United States of America at Paris
gave me the perusal of the packet he wrote by
me, and which I had the honour to present to
you on my arrival here, it is needless to go into
any detail on the object of my mission to this
court ; which Mr Jefferson has particularly ex-
plained. The promise you have given me, of a
prompt and explicit decision, from this Court,
on the act of Congress of the 25th of October
last, inspires me with full confidence. I have
been very particular in communicating to the
United States all the polite attentions with which
I have been honoured at this Court ; and they
will learn with great pleasure the kind reception
I had from you. I felicitated myself on being
the instrument to settle the delicate national busi-
ness in question, with a minister who conciliates
the views of the wise statesman with the noble
VOL. i. o

314 MEMOIRS OF

sentiments and cultivated mind of the true phi-
losopher and man of letters."

Paul Jones to Count Bernstorf.

" Copenhagen, March 30, 1788.
" Your silence on the subject of my mission
from the United States to this Court leaves me
in the most painful suspense ; the more so, as I
have made your Excellency acquainted with the
promise I am under to proceed as soon as possi-
ble to St Petersburgh. This being the ninth year
since the three prizes reclaimed by the United
States were seized upon in the port of Bergen,
in Norway, it is to be presumed that this Court
has long since taken an ultimate resolution re-
specting the compensation demand made by Con-
gress. Though I am extremely sensible of the
favourable reception with which I have been dis-
tinguished at this Court, and am particularly
flattered by the polite attentions with which you
have honoured me at every conference ; yet I
have remarked, with great concern, that you have
never led the conversation to the object of my

PAUL JONES. 315

mission here. A man of your liberal sentiments
will not, therefore, be surprised, or offended at
my plain dealing, when I repeat that I impa-
tiently expect a prompt and categorical answer,
in writing, from this Court, to the act of Con-
gress of the 25th of October last. Both my duty
and the circumstances of my situation constrain
me to make this demand in the name of my So-
vereign the United States of America ; but I
beseech you to believe, that though I am extreme-
ly tenacious of the honour of the American Jlag,
yet my personal interest in the decision I now
ask would never have induced me to present
myself at this Court. You are too just, Sir, to
delay my business here ; which would put me
under the necessity to break the promise I have
made to her Imperial Majesty, conformable to
your advice."

Count Bernstorf'to Paul Jones.

" Copenhagen, April 4, J 788.
" SIR,

" You have requested of me an answer to the

316 MEMOIRS OF

letter you did me the honour to remit me from
Mr Jefferson, minister plenipotentiary of the
United States of America, near his most Chris-
tian Majesty. I do it with so much more plea-
sure, as you have inspired me with as much
interest as confidence, and this occasion appears
to me favourable to make known the sentiments
of the King my master, on the objects to which
we attach so much importance. Nothing can be
farther from the plans and the wishes of his ma-
jesty than to let fall a negotiation which has
only been suspended in consequence of circum-
stances arising from the necessity of maturing a
new situation, so as to enlighten himself on their
reciprocal interests, and to avoid the inconve-
nience of a precipitate and imperfect arrange-
ment. I am authorized, Sir, to give you, and
through you to Mr Jefferson, the word of the
King, that his majesty will renew the negotia-
tion for a treaty of amity and commerce in the
forms already agreed upon, at the instant that
the new Constitution (that admirable plan, so
worthy of the wisdom of the most enlightened
men) will have been adopted by the states, to

PAUL JONES. 317

which nothing more was wanted to assure to it-
self a perfect consideration. If it has not been
possible, Sir, to discuss, definitively with you,
neither the principal object nor its accessories,
the idea of eluding the question, or of retarding
the decision, had not the least part in it. I have
already had the honour to express to you, in our
conversations, that your want of plenipotentiary
powers from Congress was a natural and invin-
cible obstacle. It would be, likewise, contrary
to the established custom to change the seat of
negotiation, which has not been broken off, but
only suspended, thereby to transfer it from Paris
to Copenhagen.

" I have only one more favour to ask of you,
Sir, that you would be the interpreter of our sen-
timents in regard to the United States. It would
be a source of gratification to me to think that
what I have said to you on this subject carries
with it that conviction of the truth which it me-
rits. We desire to form with them connexions,
solid, useful, and essential ; we wish to establish
them on bases natural and immoveable. The
momentary clouds, the incertitudes, which the

o2

318 MEMOIRS OF

misfortunes of the times brought with them, exist
no longer. We should no longer recollect it,
but to feel in a more lively manner the happi-
ness of a more fortunate period ; and to show
ourselves more eager to prove the dispositions
most proper to effect an union, and to procure
reciprocally the advantages which a sincere al-
liance can afford, and of which the two coun-
tries are susceptible. These are the sentiments
which I can promise you, Sir, on our part, and
we flatter ourselves to find them likewise in Ame-
rica ; nothing, then, can retard the conclusion of
an arrangement, which I am happy to see so far
advanced."

Paul Jones to Count Bernstorf.

" Copenhagen, April 5, 1788.
" I pray your Excellency to inform me when
I can have the honour to wait on you, to receive
the letter you have been kind enough to pro-
mise to write me, in answer to the act of Con-
gress of the 25th October last. As you have
told me that my want of plenipotentiary powers
to terminate ultimately the business now on the

PAUL JONES. 319

carpet, between the Court and the United States,
has determined you to authorize the Baron de
Blome to negotiate and settle the same with Mr
Jefferson at Paris, and to conclude, at the same
time, an advantageous treaty of commerce be-
tween Denmark and the United States, — my
business here will of course be at an end when
I shall have received your letter and paid you
my thanks in person for the very polite atten-
tions with which you have honoured me."

From Baron Krudner, shortly after his arrival,
Jones received the following letter, which of itself
denotes a foregone conclusion, and his acceptance
of the invitation of Russia : —

(Translation.)
" SIR,

" I am much disappointed at not meeting you
at Court, as I had promised myself, but a slight
indisposition prevented me from going abroad ;
besides, I have been agreeably occupied in writ-
ing letters. My Sovereign will learn with plea-
sure the acquisition which she has made in your
great talents. I have her commands for your

320 MEMOIRS OF

acceptance of the grade of Captain Commandant,
with the rank of Major General, in her service,
and that you should proceed as soon as your af-
fairs permit ; the intention of her Imperial Ma-
jesty being to give you a command in the Black
Sea, and under the orders of Prince Potemkin,
from the opening of the campaign. The immor-
tal glory by which you have illustrated your
name cannot make you indifferent to the fresh
laurels you must gather in the new career which
opens to you. I have the honour of being on
this occasion the interpreter of those sentiments
of esteem with which for a long period your bril-
liant exploits have inspired her Imperial Majes-
ty. Under a Sovereign so magnanimous, in pur-
suing glory you need not doubt of the most
distinguished rewards, and that every advantage
of fortune will await you,"" &c. &c.

This was so far well, but did not entirely come
up to the high-raised expectations of Jones. In
a letter to Jefferson about this same time, he
says, " Before you can receive this, M. de Si-
molin will have informed you that your proposal
to him, and his application on that idea, have

PAUL JONES.

been well received. The matter is communi-
cated to me here, in the most flattering terms,
by a letter I have received from his Excellency
the Baron de Krudner." This is indeed per-
fectly contradictory of the statement Jones gives
in the introduction to his Journal of the Cam-
paign of the Liman, where the proposal of M.
de Simolin is represented as quite spontaneous,
and treated by himself at first as chimerical ; but
this is evidently the correct one. " There seems,1'
he continues, " to remain some difficulty re-
specting the letter of M. de SimoluVs proposal,
though it is accepted in substance ;" he then ex-
presses his gratitude to the Russian Ambassa-
dor, and to Mr Littlepage, who had contributed
so materially to his success in this affair. In a
subsequent letter to Jefferson, written immediate-
ly before leaving Copenhagen, after enumerating
his services, and mentioning what might have been
his services had he possessed more ample diplo-
matic powers, he introduces the subject near-
est his heart. Russia had demurred to his de-
mand of the rank of Rear- Admiral. " If Con-
gress," he says, " should think I deserve the

MEMOIRS OF

promotion that was proposed when I was in Ame-
rica, and should condescend to confer on me the
grade of Rear-Admiral, from the day I took
the Serapis, (23d September, 1779, exactly
nine years before,) I am persuaded it would
be very agreeable to the Empress, who now
deigns to offer me an equal rank in her service,
although I never had the honour to draw my
sword in her cause, nor to do any other act that
could merit her imperial benevolence." He after-
wards continues : " The mark I mentioned of the
approbation of that honourable body, (Congress)
would be extremely flattering to me in the career
I am now to pursue, and would stimulate all my
ambition to acquire the necessary talents to merit
that, and even greater favours at a future day.
I pray you. Sir, to explain the circumstances of
my situation ; and be the interpreter of my sen-
timents to the United States in Congress. I ask
for nothing, and beg leave to be understood only
as having hinted what is natural to conceive, that
the mark of approbation I mentioned could not
fail to be infinitely serviceable to my views and
success in the country where I am going." Ser-

PAUL JOXES. 323

viceable this piece of idle distinction might have
been in smoothing the difficulties thrown in the
way of his obtaining the rank of Rear-Admiral,
for which he stipulated on entering the Russian
service, and which, as appears from his former
letter to Jefferson, and from the letter of Baron
Krudner, given above, was refused at the outset.
Though not disposed to break off his engage-
ment, neither was he willing to give up his claims
to the desired grade without a strenuous effort.
He immediately replied to the Baron, going over
the whole ground : — " I am extremely flattered,"
he says, " by the obliging things expressed in
the letter your Excellency has done me the ho-
nour to write me yesterday. The very favour-
able sentiments with which my zeal for the cause
of America, rather than my professional skill,
has inspired her Imperial Majesty, fills me with
an irresistible desire to merit the precious opi-
nion with which her Majesty deigns to honour
me. Though I cannot conceive the reason why
any difficulty should be made to my being ad-
mitted into the marine of her Imperial Majesty
as Rear-Admiral, a rank to which I have some

MEMOIRS OF

claim, and that it should at the same time be
proposed to give me the grade of Major-General,
to which I have no title, it is not my intention
to withdraw from the engagement which you
have formed in my name, in the letter you ad-
dressed your court on the 23d current. You
will be convinced by the papers I have the ho-
nour to submit to your inspection, that I am not
an adventurer in search of fortune. You will
discover, I presume, that my talents have been
considerable ; but that, loving glory, I am per-
haps too much attached to honours, though per-
sonal interest is an idol to which I have never
bowed the knee. The unbounded admiration
and profound respect which I have long felt for
the glorious character of her Imperial Majesty,
forbids the idea that a sovereign so magnani-
mous should sanction any arrangement that may
give pain at the outset to the man she deigns to
honour with her notice, and who wishes to devote
himself entirely to her service. A conjoined com-
mand is hurtful, and often fatal in military opera-
tions. There is no military man who is so en-
tirely master of his passions as to keep free of
2

PAUL JONES. 325

jealousy and its consequences in such circum-
stances. Being quite a stranger, I have more to
fear from a conjoined command than any other
officer in the service of her Imperial Majesty.
I cannot imagine why her Majesty should think
it best to divide the command on the Black Sea ;
and if the direction of that department be already
confided to an officer of sufficient ability and ex-
perience, I do not seek to interfere with his com-
mand."

Jones was already aware of the appointment
of the Prince of Nassau, and even thus early
foresaw many of the probable difficulties of his
situation ; but he had that confidence in himself
which gave him assurance of triumphing over
them, and proceeded, if not blindfold, yet de-
termined not to see. We leave to his own nar-
rative the account of his almost romantic journey
from Copenhagen to St Petersburgh. In that ca-
pital he was received with a distinction which might
have turned the soundest head. His very manner
of approach had disposed people to gaze on the
American hero as a wonder ; his door was be-
sieged with carriages, and his table loaded with

VOL. i. p

326 MEMOIRS OF

invitations. In short, he was now in Russia,
and the man whom, for the time, the Empress
delighted to honour; the expected conqueror of
the Turks; and it might be, a future Potemkin.*
At this curiously-timed juncture he received a
patent from the King of Denmark, granting him
for life an annual pension of 1500 Danish crowns,
" for the respect he had shown to the Danish flag
while he commanded in the North Seas." To
pension the agent whose claims for his consti-
tuents are deferred or evaded, is at all times a
somewhat suspicious circumstance ; though this
grant being unexpected and unsolicited, Jones
stands clear in what he himself justly calls " an
embarrassing situation." It was three years be-
fore he even mentioned this grant to his Ame-
rican friends ; and had his affairs prospered, it is

* The cards of many of the Russian nobility received
at this time, and of the whole host of Members of Lega-
tion, Envoys, Residents, &c., in short, all the component
parts of a great court, still remain among the papers of
Paul Jones, who through life seems to have been peculiar-
ly diligent in the accumulation of such " frail memorials."

2

PAUL JONES. 327

probable he never would have looked after it. As
it was, when his large expenditure in Russia made
it necessary to draw on this fund, which he did
with the sanction of certain American gentlemen,
whose advice he requested, he never received a
single crown of the spontaneous royal grant thus
pressed upon him.

For a fortnight Jones remained at St Peters-
burgh, " feasted at court, and in the first socie-
ty ." " The Empress," he writes to La Fayette,
" received me with a distinction the most flatter-
ing that perhaps any stranger can boast of on
entering the Russian service. Her Majesty con-
ferred on me immediately the grade of Rear- Ad-
miral. I was detained, against my will, a fort-
night, and continually feasted at court, and in
the first society. This was a cruel grief to the
English ; and I own their vexation, which I be-
lieve was general in and about St Petersburgh,
gave me no pain." Before the year elapsed, the
Rear-Admiral found some cause to change his
opinions in many things ; and even respecting
the English at St Petersburgh. He was about

328 MEMOIRS OF

this time at least three-fourths Russian. We
hear no longer of America as his sole country,
though he assumes a certain patronizing air to-
wards that young State. " I certainly wish to
be useful to a country which I have so long serv-
ed. I love the people and their cause, and shall
always rejoice when I can be useful to promote
their happiness." " What are you about, my
dear General ? are you so absorbed in politics as
to be insensible to glory ? that is impossible, —
quit then your divine Calypso, come here and
pay your court to Bellona, who you are sure
will receive you as her favourite. You would
be charmed with Prince Potemkin. He is a
most amiable man, and none can be more noble-
minded. For the Empress, fame has never yet
done her justice. I am sure that no stranger
who has not known that illustrious character, ever
conceived how much her Majesty is made to
reign over a great empire, to make people happy,
and to attach grateful «and susceptible minds.
Is not the present a happy moment for France
to declare for Russia ?" Such were the extra-

PAUL JONES.

ordinary lights that had suddenly dawned upon
the former champion of liberty and assertor of
the " dignity of human nature.11

A few weeks before the above letter was des-
patched to La Fayette, the Empress, with her
own hand, had written to the Rear-Admiral, en-
closing a letter from M. de Simolin, regarding
his affairs. Though disappointed of sole com-
mand, as will appear in the subjoined narrative,
he still continued to be dazzled with his pro-
spects. The letter of her Imperial Majesty, who
spared no pains in carrying a favourite point,
as well as its enclosure, deserves to be preserv-
ed:—

From the Empress Catherine to Rear-Admiral
Paul Jones.

" SIR,-— A courier from Paris has just brought
from my Envoy in France, M. de Simolin, the
enclosed letter to Count Besborodko. As I
believe that this letter may help to confirm to
you what I have already told you verbally, I
have sent it, and beg you to return it, as I have

330 MEMOIRS OF

not even made a copy be taken, so anxious am I
that you should see it. I hope that it will efface
all doubts from your mind, and prove to you that
you are to be connected only with those who are
most favourably disposed towards you. I have no
doubt but that on your side you will fully justify
the opinion which we have formed of you, and
apply yourself with zeal to support the reputation
and the name you have acquired for valour and
skill on the element in which you are to serve.
Adieu,

I wish you happiness and health,
CATHERINE."

Extract of the Letter from M. de Simolin to Count
de Besborodko, enclosed in the above.

" THE letter with which your Excellency fa-
voured me on the 16th February, was delivered
by Mr Poliranoff. By it I was informed of the
resolution of her Imperial Majesty, on the sub-
ject of the engagement with the Chevalier Paul
Jones ; and the same day Lieutenant-Colonel de
Baner, who was despatched from St Elizabeth by

PAUL JONES. 331

Prince Potemkin on the 9th March, brought me
two letters, the subject of one of which was the said
Chevalier Jones, whom he requested me to induce
to repair to his head-quarters as quickly as pos-
sible, that he might employ his talents at the
opening of the campaign ; and to assure him that
in entering the service, he, (Potemkin,) would
do all that depended on him to make his situation
pleasant and advantageous, and certainly procure
for him occasions in which he might display his
skill and valour.1' u Has he kept his word ?" says
Jones in a note long afterwards affixed to this
letter, which at the moment must have given him
so much pleasure.

Such were the Jflattering auspices under which
Paul Jones entered the service of Russia. From
this point his history will be continued for some
time by the most interesting portion of his re-
maining papers — his Journal of the Campaign of
the Liman.

END OF VOLUME I.

OLIVER & BOYD, PRINTERS.

MEMOIRS

REAR-ADMIRAL PAUL JONES,

CHEVALIER OF THE MILITARY ORDER OF MERIT, AND OF THE
RUSSIAN ORDER OF ST ANNE, &C. &C.

NOW FIRST COMPILED FROM HIS ORIGINAL JOURNALS AND CORRESPONDENCE :

INCLUDING AN ACCOUNT OF HIS SERVICES UNDER PRINCE POTEMKIN,

PREPARED FOR PUBLICATION BY HIMSELF.

VOL. II.

PUBLISHED BY OLIVER & BOYD, EDINBURGH;
AND SIMPKIN & MARSHALL, LONDON.

MDCCCXXX.

K.\TERED AT STATIONERS'-HALL,

MEMOIRS OF PAUL JONES.

CHAPTER I.

THIS narrative is now arrived at a period in
which it can be for some time continued in the
most desirable way, namely, by the Journal of the
Rear-Admiral, kept by himself on the scene
of action during his memorable campaign against
the Turks, afterwards extended at St Peters-
burgh and Warsaw, and prepared for publica-
tion at Paris. Had he acted the part which
manliness and sound wisdom dictated, in openly
withdrawing from the service which had been to
him one of misery and bondage, in which all
the better qualities and higher energies of his
mind were converted into the means of self-tor-
ture, he would unquestionably have published

VOL. II. A

MEMOIRS OF

this Journal himself, if not in France, either in
England or America. He long contemplated
the necessity of both of these steps, and all along
felt that his leave of absence for two years was in
fact a virtual dismission ; but, by the strange fa-
tality, which often appears to enchain a man's
will in spite of the suggestions of his reason, he
lingered on till death closed the scene.

In a letter written to Mr Jefferson, twenty
months after he had been exiled from Russia,
and when his last remaining hopes in life began
to turn to America, his first country, he says,
" As it has been and still is my first wish, and
my highest ambition, to show myself worthy of
the flattering marks of esteem with which I have
been honoured by my country, I think it my
duty to lay before you> both as my particular
friend and as a public minister, the papers I now
enclose relative to my connexion with Russia,
viz. three pieces dated St Petersburgh, and
signed by the Court de Segur ; a letter from me
dated at Paris last summer, and sent to the
Prince de Potemkin ; and a letter from me to the
Empress, dated a few days afterwards, enclosing

PAUL JONES. 3

eleven pieces as numbered in the margin. I have
selected those testimonies from a great variety of
perhaps still stronger proofs in my hands ; but,
though the Baron de Grimm* has undertaken to
transmit to her Imperial Majesty's own hands
my last packet, I shall not be surprised if I
should find myself obliged to withdraw from the
service of Russia, and to publish my Journal of
the Campaign (in which) I commanded. In that
case I hope to prove to the world that my oper-
ations not ^nly saved Cherson and the Crimea,
but decided the fate of the war."

The Journal is written in disjointed portions,
and in a spirit of alternate bitterness and boast-
ing, which the indulgent reader must attribute
to the personal feelings from which the work

* Baron Grimm was a sort of man -of-all- work for the
Empress Catherine II., whose business was to despatch,
as frequently as possible, all the scandal, literary gossip,
and political intelligence, his peculiar industry could pick
up in Paris, for the information or amusement of the
Empress and her Court. The German had too much
tact to be the means of transmitting any thing dis-
le.

4 MEMOIRS OF

arose. The injustice, mortification, and perse-
cution endured by the man and the officer must
plead the apology of the author.

To the historian this Journal is of considerable
value. It places in an entirely new aspect one
of the most memorable of the campaigns between
Russia and the Porte ; and affords a clue, were
that any longer needed, to the crooked and de-
basing spirit of intrigue by which the domestic
policy of Russia was conducted, even under the
auspices of the great Catherine.

ef Introduction to the Journal of Rear- Admiral Paul
Jones's Campaign in the Liman in 1788.

" The United States of America having charged
me with a mission of a political nature to the
Court of Denmark, and having at the same time
given me a letter to deliver personally to his Most
Christian Majesty, Louis XVI., I embarked at
New York on the llth November, 1787? m an
American vessel bound for Holland, the captain
of which agreed to land me in France.

" After a voyage of a month, I landed at Do-

PAUL JONES, 5

ver, in England, not being able to get ashore in
France. From Dover I went to London, where
I saw the minister of the United States. I pass-
ed some days with my friends there, and went to
Covent Garden Theatre. I afterwards set out
for Paris, where I arrived on the 20th December.

" Mr Jefferson, the Ambassador of the United
States, visited me on the night of my arrival, and
informed me that M. de Simolin, minister pleni-
potentiary of her Imperial Majesty of all the Rus-
sias, had often spoken of me while I was in
America, and appeared anxious that I should
agree to go to Russia, to command the fleet
against the Turks in .the Black Sea. I regard-
ed this proposal as a castle in the air ; and as I
did not wish to be employed in foreign service,
I avoided meeting M. de Simolin, for whose cha-
racter I had, at the same time, the highest re-
spect.

" As the letter, of which I was the bearer to
the King of France, concerned myself alone, my
friends advised me not to seek an interview with
his Majesty till after my return from Denmark.
In that letter the United States requested his
Majesty to permit me to embark in his fleet of

0 MEMOIRS OF

evolution, to complete my knowledge of naval
tactics, and of military and maritime operations
upon the great scale.

" Speaking to a man of very high rank at Paris,

1 informed him of the proposal communicated
to me by Mr Jefferson. He replied, that ' he
would advise me to go to Constantinople at once
rather than enter the service of Russia.'*

" On the 1st of February, 1788, at the moment
of my departure from Paris, I received a note
from Mr Littlepage, chamberlain to the King of
Poland, earnestly requesting me to breakfast with
him next morning, as he had matters of the ut-

* Whether from a magnanimous sense of justice, or
dislike to his associates and rivals, or, as is probable, a
mixture of these motives, Paul Jones, in the course of
the campaign, became somewhat Turkish, and a warm
admirer of the Capitan Pacha. In the Journal he does
the Turks ample justice ; and in a letter to Baron de la
Houze, the minister of France at Copenhagen, we find
him saying, — " I have much to tell you respecting the
' moustaches of the Capitan Pacha/ " of which the Baron
had probably jocularly desired Paul Jones to send him a
good account ; " he is a very brave man, and the public
have been much deceived as to our affairs with him."

PAUL JONES. 7

most importance to communicate to me. I went
to him that same night, and he told me that M,
de Simolin had the greatest desire to converse
with me before my departure, and that he ex-
pected him to breakfast with us next day.

" M. de Simolin said the most polite and oblig-
ing things to me, — that, having known me well by
reputation whilst he was ambassador in Eng-
land, and since he had come to France, he had
already proposed me to his Sovereign as com-
mander of the fleet in the Black Sea, and that
he expected her Imperial Majesty would make me
proposals in consequence. I could not yet look
upon the affair very seriously ; but I was much
flattered with the opinion of M. de Simolin, to
whom I expressed my gratitude. When he had
left the house, Mr Littlepage assured me that
he had written to his Court, that ' if her Im-
perial Majesty confided to me the chief command
of her fleet on the Black Sea, with carte blanche,
he would answer for it that in less than a year
I should make Constantinople tremble.'

" In Denmark I put in train a treaty between
that power and the United States ; but this ar-

8 MEMOIRS OF

rangement was interrupted by the arrival of a
courier from St Petersburg}!, despatched express
by the Empress, to invite me to repair to her
Court.

"• Though I foresaw many obstacles in the way
of my entering the service of Russia, I believed
that I could not avoid going to St Petersburgh,
to thank the Empress for the favourable opinion
she had conceived of me. I transferred the treaty
going forward at Copenhagen to Paris, to be
concluded there, and set out for St Petersburgh
by Sweden. At Stockholm I staid but one night,
to see Count Rasaumorsky. Want of time pre-
vented me from appearing at Court.

" At Gresholm I was stopped by the ice, which
prevented me from crossing the Gulf of Both-
nia, and even from approaching the first of the
isles in the passage. After having made several
unsuccessful efforts to get to Finland by the isles,
I imagined that it might be practicable to effect
my object by doubling the ice to the south-
ward, and entering the Baltic Sea.

" This enterprise was very daring, and had
rtever before been attempted. But by the north

PAUL JONES.

the roads were impracticable, and, knowing that
the Empress expected me from day to day, I
could not think of going back by Elsineur.

" I left Gresholm early one morning, in an
undecked passage-boat, about thirty feet in length.
I made another boat follow, of half that size.
This last was for dragging over the ice, and for
passing from one piece of ice to another, to gain
the coast of Finland. I durst not make my pro-
ject known to the boatmen, which would have
been the sure means of defeating it. After en-
deavouring, as before, to gain the first isle, I
made them steer for the south, and we kept along
the coast of Sweden all the day, finding difficulty
enough to pass between the ice and the shore.
Towards night, being almost opposite Stockholm,
pistol in hand I forced the boatmen to enter the
Baltic Sea, and steer for the coast. We ran near
the coast of Finland. All night the wind was
fair, and we hoped to land next day. This we
found impossible. The ice did not permit us to
approach the shore, which we only saw from a
distance. It was impossible to regain the Swed-
ish side, the wind being high and directly con-

A2

10 MEMOIKS OF

trary. I had nothing left for it but to stand for
the Gulf of Finland. There was a small com-
pass in the boat, and I fixed the lamp of my tra-
velling carriage so as to throw a light on it,

" On the same night we lost the small boat ;
but the men saved themselves in the large one,
which with difficulty escaped the same fate. At
the end of four days we landed at Revel, where
our enterprise was regarded as a kind of miracle.
Having satisfied the boatmen for their services
and their loss, I gave them a good pilot, with the
provisions necessary for making their homeward
voyage, when the weather should become more
favourable.

" I arrived at St Petersburgh hi the evening
on the 23d of April, old style, and on the 25th
had my first audience of the Empress. Her
Majesty gave me so flattering a reception, and
up to the period of my departure treated me
with so much distinction, that I was overcome by
her courtesies (je me laissai seduire,) and put
myself into her hands without making any sti-
pulation for my personal advantage. I demand-
ed but one favour, 6 that I should never be con-
demned unheard.'

PAUL JONES.

11

"On the 7th May I set out from the Imperial
Palace, carrying with me a letter from her Ma-
jesty to his Highness the Prince-Marshal Po-
temkin at St Elizabeth, where I arrived on the
19th. The Prince-Marshal received me with
much kindness, and destined me the command of
the fleet of Serastapole against the Capitan Pa-
cha, who, he supposed, intended to make a de-
scent in the Crimea. His Highness was mistaken
in this, and the next day he received information
that the Capitan Pacha was at anchor within
Kinbourn, having come to succour Oczakow with
a hundred and twenty armed vessels and other
armed craft.

" The Prince-Marshal then requested me to
assume command of the naval force stationed in
the Liman, (which is at the embouchure of the
Dnieper,) to act against the Capitan Pacha till
Oczakow should fall. I considered this change
of destination as a flattering mark of confidence ;
and having received my orders, I set out on the
same day for Cherson, in company with the Che-
valier de Ribas, Brigadier du Jour of the Prince-
Marshal. He was ordered to make all the ar-
rangements necessary to place me in command.

MEMOIRS OF

At parting, the Prince-Marshal promised me
to bring forward his troops without loss of time,
to co-operate with the maritime force he had
intrusted to my command ; and on the journey
M. de Ribas told me, ' that all the force of the
Liman, comprehending that of the Prince of
Nassau, would be under my orders.1

" I spent but one evening and night at Cherson.
But even this short period was enough to show
that I had entered on a delicate and disagree-
able service. Rear- Admiral Mordwinoff, chief of
the Admiralty, did not affect to disguise his dis-
pleasure at my arrival ; and though he had orders
from the Prince-Marshal to communicate to me
all the details concerning the force in the Liman,
and to put me in possession of the flag belong-
ing to my rank as Rear- Admiral, he spared him-
self the trouble of compliance.

" We set out early next morning for Glou-
boca, the armament of the Liman being at anchor
very near that place, in the roads of Schiroque, be-
tween the bar of the Dnieper and the embouchure
of the river Bog. We went on board the Wolo-
dimer before mid-day, where we found that Bri-
gadier Alexiano had assembled all the comman-

PAUL JONES. IS

ders, to draw them into a cabal against my autho-
rity. I may mention here, that this man was a
Greek, as ignorant of seamanship as of military af-
fairs, who, under an exterior and manners the most
gross, concealed infinite cunning, and, by affected
plainness and hardihood of discourse, had the ad-
dress to pass for a blunt honest man. Though a
subject of Turkey, it was alleged that he made war
with the Mussulmans by attacking their commerce
in the Archipelago on his own authority, and that
he had followed this means of enriching himself
up to the period that Count D'Orloff arrived with
the Russian fleet. Though I do not affirm the fact,
several persons of credit have assured me that
there are often pirates who infest the coast, and
the isles between Constantinople and Egypt, who
attack the commerce of all nations, and run down
the vessels after having seized the cargoes and
cut the throats of the crews. Alexiano had been
employed by Count D'Orloff. He had reached
the rank of Brigadier. Alexiano was a good deal
offended in the first instance, and afterwards made
great merit with the Prince-Marshal, of the sacri-
fice which he affected to make in serving under

14- MEMOIES OP

me. He said, that if he withdrew, all the other
officers would follow his example. The Prince-
Marshal sent presents to his wife, and wrote him
kindly, persuading him to remain in the service.
All the difficulty he made was nothing more than
a piece of manoeuvring to increase his importance;
for from what followed I know that, had he left
the service, it would have been alone, and that
no one would have regretted his absence.

" To give time to those angry spirits to become
calm, and to be able to decide on the part I
should take, I proposed to Brigadier de Ri-
bas, that we should together make a journey to
Kinbourn, to see the entrance of the Dnieper
and reconnoitre the position and strength of the
Turkish fleet and flotilla. At my return all the
officers appeared contented, and I hoisted my flag
on board the Wolodimer on the 26th of May,
1788.

" The Prince of Nassau Siegen, whom I had
known slightly at Paris, told me, 4 that if we
gained any advantage over the Turks, it was ne-
cessary to exaggerate it to the utmost ; and that
this was the counsel the Chevalier de Ribas had

PAUL JONES. 15

given him.' I replied, ' that I never had adopt-
ed this method of heightening my personal im-
portance.1 "

The Journal of the Rear-Admiral, after this
introduction, is continued in the third person for
some time ; and afterwards goes on to the end as
a narrative in the first person, which would have
been desirable throughout ; it is, however, thought
best to adhere faithfully to the original.

Journal of the Campaign of the Liman in 1788,
drawn up by Rear-Admiral Paul Jones, for the
perusal of her Imperial Majesty of all the Rus-
sias, and now first published from his original MS.

" AT the opening of this campaign the squa-
dron of Cherson was obliged to remain for two
days in the road of Schiroque, till the troops
should embark which were to form part of the
crew. The Prince of Nassau, who had been ap-
pointed commander of the flotilla, and who had
by this time received on board all the troops in-

16 MEMOIRS OF

tended for him, durst not venture to advance even
four or five verstes without being escorted by three
frigates. The Prince of Nassau was so appre-
hensive of danger, that on the 28th of May
Rear-Admiral Paul Jones, commander of the
squadron, reinforced him with a fourth frigate.

" On the 29th, the troops being all on board,
the squadron advanced, and led on the flotilla,
which lay scattered about at anchor without
any observance of order. The squadron drew up
opposite the first village, to the left of the Bog,
in an obtuse angle, and thus commanded, by a
cross-fire, the only passage of the Liman. This
lies between two sand-banks, through which the
Turks must advance with their heavy vessels.
By this position the Rear-Admiral covered Cher-
son, and the country on both banks of the Li-
man, made good the free passage of the Bog to
the army of the Prince-Marshal, and held the
Turks in check in any attempt they might make
against Kinbourn.

" The Prince of Nassau at this time talked a
great deal of projects of descents, surprises, and
attacks, but without any rational plan.

PAUL JONES. 17

" A battery having been raised upon the point
of Stanislaus, the Prince of Nassau expressed
himself delighted with it, as in case of necessity
he might there find shelter. The Rear- Admiral
could not have retreated, as several of his ves-
sels were already within a few inches of getting
aground. The Rear- Admiral was aware that the
Turks, having a very superior force, would not
give any opportunity of attacking them ; and that
it was therefore necessary to maintain the strong
position he had taken, till the advance of Prince
Potemkin, in order to concert plans, and combine
his operations with those of the land forces.

" In the meanwhile General Swaroff, command-
ant of Kinbourn, made the Rear- Admiral re-
sponsible for the safety of that place ; while Briga-
dier Alexiano and the Prince of Nassau did all
that was possible to make him distrustful of the
means which he possessed for attack or defence.
They alleged, that the vessels forming the flo-
tilla, having been constructed merely to convey
the carriages of the Empress in her late progress,
might be expected, at the first attack, to sink
under the enormous weight of the guns.

18 MEMOIRS OF

" The squadron made a formidable appear-
ance, but had little real strength. The Wolo-
dimer and the Alexander were but half-armed ;
and both vessels were already within a few inches
of touching the bottom, so shallow is the Liman
for vessels of war. In this most critical situa-
tion, having no orders from his Highness the
Prince-Marshal for his guidance, and knowing
nothing either of his intentions, or of the actual
position of the army, the Rear- Admiral resolved
on assembling a council of war, hi conformity to
the ordonnance of Peter the Great. The council
he opened by a speech suited to the occasion,
the main object of which was to show the neces-
sity of a perfect understanding between the
squadron and the flotilla ; and that, uniting heart
and hand, and forgetting all personal consider-
ations, they should determine to conquer, as the
true glory of a patriot was to be useful to his
country."

[The Journal of the Rear- Admiral details at
some length the points on which the council,
composed of such discordant elements, were
agreed, and states that it was to meet again next

PAUL JONES. 19

day, to arrange the best plans of attack and de-
fence, and the signals for the fleet. But the ca-
bals of the Prince of Nassau and of the Greek
Brigadier Alexiano prevailed, and this hetero-
geneous body did not again meet. Something,
however, was done; and we again resume the
narrative of the Rear- Admiral.]

" On the 6th* of June, at two in the morning,
the Prince of Nassau advanced, as had been
previously agreed on, with the greater part of the
flotilla ; but, in place of cutting off the retreat
of the vessels forming the enemy's advanced
guard, he retired at daybreak before a very in-
ferior force, and without offering the smallest re-
sistance ! — The Turks chased him, keeping up a
cannonade, into the midst of the squadron, which,
as had been arranged, advanced to take a posi-
tion to support him.

" The precipitate retreat of the Prince of

* The Russians compute time by the old style, which
sometimes produces an apparent confusion of dates in the
Journal, — Paul Jones sometimes reckoning by the one
mode and sometimes by the other.

£0 MEMOIRS OF

Nassau inspirited the Turks so much, that, du-
ring the night between the 6th and 7th, they
drew up their flotilla in two divisions, in a shal-
low, close by then- own shore. The first of these
divisions had by day-dawn advanced within can-
non-shot of our reserve, which had been posted
the previous night on the right wing.

" At sunrise the Turks made sail ; and Bri-
gadier Alexiano ran upon the deck of the Wolo-
dimer half-naked, exclaiming, like a frantic man,
in French and Russian, that the Turks were
going to attack and board us, and that we would
be blown to pieces for having been so foolish as
to leave our former position. He had, notwith-
standing, in the council of war, given his voice
in favour of the position we now actually held.
Brigadier Ribas, the captain, and all the crew,
were witnesses of his extravagant and unjusti-
fiable behaviour.

" This proved a false alarm ; the Turkish
fleet did not stir.

" The Prince of Nassau came on board the
Wolodimer, and the Rear-Admiral proposed to
him to reconnoitre the enemy's fleet and flotilla.

PAUL JONES. 21

As they advanced together, the first division of
the Turkish flotilla began to fire from their ca-
noes, and raised their anchors and rowed forward
towards our reserve, which they attacked briskly.
At the same time several corps of Turkish troops
advanced along the opposite bank, as if they in-
tended to establish a post or battery to act on
our flank. As our reserve had been posted to
cover our right wing, the Prince of Nassau, who
knew not what to do, proposed to make it draw
up in the form of an arch (crochet de houlette,)
the better to sustain the assault. The Rear-
Admiral told him, that, on the contrary, it was
necessary to lift the anchors with the utmost de-
spatch, and to form in line of battle to meet the
attack of the Turks. The combat having com-
menced according to this plan, the Rear- Admiral
hastened along the lines, to issue orders to the
squadron, and, above all, to make the remainder
of the flotilla, posted between the ships and up-
on the left wing, advance. The wind being ad-
verse, he made these vessels be towed by the
ships1 boats and other boats attached to the
squadron ; and by an oblique movement formed

2% MEMOIRS OF

in line of battle, with the intention of cutting off
the retreat of the enemy, and galling him by a
cross-fire. As soon as the Capitan Pacha per-
ceived the manoeuvre of the Rear-Admiral, he
came forward himself hi his kirlangitch, having
a very favourable wind, and made the second di-
vision of his flotilla advance.

" At this time our reserve was very critically
situated. A double chaloupe quitted the action,
and four of our galleys were in danger of being
captured. The Prince of Nassau, who did not
relish going himself, sent Brigadier Corsacoff,
who made these retreat. Instead of remaining
with the reserve, which, being without a com-
mander, was in very great disorder, the Prince
of Nassau quitted his own post, and stationed
himself before the Rear-Admiral, where he could
be of no use whatever. The Rear-Admiral went
into the same boat with the Prince of Nassau,
and again issued his orders along the line. Being
now within cannon-shot of the enemy, he opened
fire, advancing always in an oblique line to cut
off the enemy's retreat. At the same time he
despatched Brigadier Alexiano to endeavour to

PAUL JONES. 523

rally the vessels of the reserve, which the Prince
of Nassau had deserted ; but Alexiano contented
himself with waving his hat in the air, and
shouting from behind the lines, — < Fire, my
lads, on the kirlangitch of the Capitan Pacha !'

" When the line led on by the Rear- Admiral
came to close fire with the enemy, their flotilla
was thrown into the utmost confusion. Our re-
serve gave no farther way, and the enemy was
placed under a cross-fire. The Capitan Pacha
availed himself of the only resource in his power ;
he set every sail to withdraw his force. Had
he remained a half-hour longer, he would have
been surrounded. Two of his vessels were burnt
in this affair. The flotilla of the enemy was
composed of fifty-seven vessels, and we chased
into the middle of their fleet. The Rear-Admi-
ral, who had directed the whole affair, gave all
the credit of it to the Prince of Nassau.

" An idea may be formed of the capacity of
the Prince of Nassau from the following circum-
stance : — At the beginning of the action he re-
quested the Rear-Admiral to bring forward to
the support of the reserve only the vessels posted

24 MEMOIES OF

on the left wing, which consisted of one galley
and a double chaloupe. Besides the insufficiency
of force, these vessels had a very long way to
make, and that against the wind.

" The Turks remained quiet for some time
after this. The Prince of Nassau, who had
scarce spoken one word during the affair, save to
make extravagant professions of regard for the
Rear- Admiral, now began to give himself airs.
On the 13th June he addressed a writing of an
extraordinary character to the Rear-Admiral,
the object of which appeared to be, that an ad-
vance should be made of three verstes nearer the
enemy, who had taken post under the batteries
of Oczakow. The Rear-Admiral, who could
perceive no advantage to the service in such a
movement, refused his concurrence. Had he
agreed, the movement would have been fatal to
Russia, as will be seen by what follows.

" By the 16th June the patience of the Capi-
tan Pacha was exhausted. He brought from his
grand fleet, without Kinbourn, two thousand
picked men, to reinforce the body under the
walls of Oczakow ; and being strengthened still

2

PAUL JONES. 25

farther by the troops of the garrison, he advanced
with his whole fleet and flotilla, and with a fair
wind, into the Liman, to attack and board us.
The ship, which bore one of the Admiral's flags,
steered right towards the Wolodimer from the
commencement of the movement. When within
three verstes of us, or little more, this ship got a-
ground, and all the vessels which accompanied it
immediately dropt anchor. It was then about
two in the afternoon.

" The Rear- Admiral summoned a council of
war to consult on what should be done. He ad-
dressed the council, at which were present all
the commanders of the squadron and the flotilla,
and concluded by telling them, 6 that they must
make up their minds to conquer or die for the
country.'

" The wind, which was rather fresh, being
against us, the only thing proposed by the Rear-
Admiral that was found practicable, was to draw
up our force in an obtuse angle, by bringing for-
ward the right of the line upon the centre.*

* " The plan of the Capitan Pacha was to bear down

VOL. II. B

26 MEMOIRS OF

.This movement was completed before midnight.
The wind had shifted to N.N.E. ; and at break
of day the Rear-Admiral made signal, and the
whole squadron immediately set sail to commence
the attack on the Turks.

" The Turks got into confusion the instant
this manoeuvre was perceived. They raised their
anchors or cut their cables in the greatest preci-
pitation, and not the shadow of discipline re-
mained in their fleet. Our squadron advanced
in line of battle with a striking and formidable
appearance, so that the Turks knew not how
weak it really was. As our flotilla had been very
slow in weighing anchor, the Rear- Admiral was
obliged to make the squadron halt twice to await

full sail on, the vessels of our flotilla, and run them to the
bottom by the shock of the encounter of his large ships.
He also proposed to burn our squadron by throwing in
fire-balls (grappins), and setting fire to certain trading
vessels which he had prepared as fire-ships. He had rea-
son to calculate on success, had he not been thwarted by
a circumstance which no man could have foreseen." —
Note by PAUL JONES.

PAUL JOKES. 27

it. At length, the flotilla being always last, the
squadron opened fire on the enemy, of whom the
person second in command, who had flown about
like a fool, quickly ran his ship on a sand-bank
on the south of the Liman. There was no
longer hope for him ; from the moment he ground-
ed he was ours. The enemy still kept flying
about, and always in the greatest disorder. The
Rear-Admiral made his ship (the Wolodimer)
be steered to within pistol-shot of the vessel of
the Capitan Pacha, but the latter again ran a-
ground upon a sand-bank ; and a few minutes
afterwards the Brigadier Alexiano gave orders in
the Russian language, and unknown to the Rear-
Admiral, to drop the Wolodimer's anchor. It
was pretended that there were but fifteen feet of
water a little way in advance of the ship, which
was not true. A considerable time before this
the squadron had been taken on the right flank
by the Turkish flotilla, drawn up on the shal-
lows, approaching the bank to the east of Ocza-
kow, and commanded by the Capitan Pacha him-
self. The flotilla annoyed the squadron consi-
derably, by incessantly throwing in along our

%8 MEMOIRS OF

line both bombs and balls of great size. Want-
ing depth of water, our frigates could not advance
far enough to dislodge them, and, besides, they
found that their guns were too small. The Ca-
pitan Pacha had struck down one of our frigates,
named the Little Alexander, by a bomb, at the
side of the Wolodimer, and at the very instant
Brigadier Alexiano made the anchor be cast. Our
flotilla still lagged behind, but it did at last ad-
vance. Having passed through the squadron in
the greatest disorder, and without the least ap-
pearance of plan, instead of pursuing the flying
Turks, the flotilla swarmed round the Turkish
ships which were aground like a hive of bees.

" The Rear- Admiral commanded Brigadier
Alexiano to get together some vessels of our flo-
tilla to dislodge the Turkish flotilla. At the
same moment the Rear-Admiral advanced in his
boat towards the left wing, where the Prince of
Nassau was with his body of reserve, employed to
very little purpose, in firing on the Turkish ves-
sels already aground. The Rear-Admiral en-
treated him to lead or send the reserve to act
against the Turkish flotilla upon our right flank,

PAUL JONES. 29

and informed him of the misfortune which had
befallen the Little Alexander ; but M. de Nas-
sau remained quietly behind his batteries, and
made no movement to dislodge the flotilla of the
enemy.

" The Rear-Admiral then met Brigadier Cor-
cascoff, to whom he gave orders similar to those
he had given to M. Alexiano ; and these two of-
ficers having got together as many vessels as they
could collect, assisted our frigates in dislodging
and chasing the Turkish flotilla even till under
the walls of Oczakow, M, de Corsacoff was a
brave and an intelligent man ; he did not affect
to have done any thing wonderful. Alexiano
was a man of limited talent and of questionable
courage, but his vanity was excessive. He pre-
tended to have hauled a battery to within pistol-
shot of the enemy's flotilla ; but M. Akmatoff,
who commanded that battery, declared that nei-
ther he nor any one of our people ever were
nearer the Turkish flotilla than half cannon-shot.
" The Turkish fleet was now distant. The
Prince of Nassau was told that the Admiral's
flag, which had been displayed on the vessel of the

30 MEMOIRS OF

Capitan Pacha, was struck down, and he hastily
advanced to claim it. The ship of the Capitan
Pacha, like all the others of the band, leaned
much to one side, and consequently could not
fully avail itself of its guns. As the flag of the
Capitan Pacha fell into the water from the top of
the main-mast, having been struck down by a
ball, it is not difficult to discover that the vessel
which had fired this ball was in no danger of
being touched by case-shot. The saporoses
drew the flag from the water, and the Prince of
Nassau, a long while afterwards, had the glory
(which he turned to good account,) of snatching
it from their hands. The Rear-Admiral might
have claimed at least the half of this flag, as he
had his hands on it at the same moment with the
Prince of Nassau ; but he regarded it as a thing
of very little consequence.

" Brandcougles* had been thrown into the two

* A note by Paul Jones describes these incendiary mis-
siles as a kind of bomb-shells, perforated with holes, and
filled inside with combustible materials. They were fired
from a sort of pieces called Licornes.

PAUL JONES. 31

Turkish vessels, and they were burnt. Was
this a good or a bad piece of service ? These two
vessels were only ours from the accident of hav-
ing run aground, and because their crews had
been left by their countrymen under the guns of
our squadron. Wherefore did the flotilla inter-
fere with them? — ought it not rather to have
pursued the flying Turks, who were not yet un-
der the protection of the guns of Oczakow ? Our
flotilla had received no injury, and had nothing
to fear from the shallowness of the water.

" Having first sounded, the Rear- Admiral made
the squadron advance another verste, and took
post in a right line, barely out of shot of Oczakow,
and in line with the farthest back of the Turkish
ships that had been run aground and taken. Fire
soon after broke out in this prize, which had been
imprudently fired upon with brandcougles.

" The fleet and flotilla of the Turks now drew
up in a line parallel to ours, and under the walls
of Oczakow.

" How imbecile does the human mind become
under the influence of sudden panic ! The Rear-
Admiral, an hour after the affair, advanced in

MEMOIRS OF

his boat, and took soundings all along the Turk-
ish line, opposite the walls of Oczakow, and
within reach of case-shot, and not a single gun
was fired upon him.

" Previously to taking command of the squa-
dron, the Rear- Admiral, as has been noticed,
had gone to Kinbourn with the Chevalier Ribas,
brigadier dujour, to the Prince-Marshal, to re-
connoitre the position and force of the fleet and
flotilla under the Capitan Pacha, and to exa-
mine the entrance of the Liman. They arrived
at Kinbourn at the very time that the Capitan
Pacha had detached twenty-one vessels of war
from his fleet, and with that force entered the
road of Oczakow, the wind not permitting him
to enter the Liman, where his flotilla and some
transport ships were already stationed. The Rear-
Admiral was so struck at finding the tongue of
land at Kinbourn without any battery or block-
fort, that he instantly spoke of it to the Com-
mandant, General Swaroff. This tongue of land,
from its position, commands the only passage by
which large vessels can either enter or come out
of the Liman. The fortress of Kinbourn being far

PAUL JONES.

33

too distant to be able to command this passage,
the Rear- Admiral proposed to establish one or
more strong batteries upon this stripe of land, and
M. de Ribas seconded the proposition. After
considerable delay, General Swaroff was persuad-
ed to establish a block-fort with heavy cannon
upon this tongue or point of land, and a battery
farther within. But the Capitan Pacha had al-
ready got the twenty-one ships in question into
the Liman.

" To resume—On the night between the 17th
and 18th of June, the Capitan Pacha attempted
to bring the remains of his squadron, which had
been defeated on the previous day, out of the
Liman ; but the newly-erected block-fort and
battery fired on his ships, of which nine of the
largest were forced aground upon the sand-bank
which runs out from Oczakow, till within a little
way of cannon-shot from the block-fort.

" The block-fort and battery fired on the ene-
my's ships the whole night, and at daybreak
General Swaroff sent to us, requesting that we
would send vessels to take possession of those
ships of the enemy which had got aground.

34 MEMOIRS OF

The Rear- Admiral wished to send frigates ; but
Brigadier Alexiano assured him that he would
run the risk of losing them. The current there,
he said, ' was like that of a mill-dam, and the
bottom was so bad that anchors would not hold.'

" It was, accordingly, resolved to proceed with
the flotilla ; and Alexiano, who had his private
reasons, set out with the Prince of Nassau. The
flotilla went pell-mell, and without any sort of
order or plan, upon the nine ships aground, and
fired brandcougles into them without mercy. It
was in vain the wretched Turks made the sign
of the cross, and begged for quarter on their
knees ! Above three thousand of them were
burnt with their ships. By some chance two
of these vessels, the least and the largest, did
not take fire ; the one was a corvette, very in-
differently armed, carrying one battery and four
pieces between decks. The other was a small
brigantine, of French construction, armed with
forty small guns.

" Neither the Prince of Nassau nor Alexiano
was to be seen at this time. They were toge-
ther, and at some distance, during this frightful

PAUL JONES. 35

carnage ; and it was afterwards asked of them if
they had not, during this time, been at Kin-
bourn ? As the greatest confusion reigned among
the vessels of the flotilla, though our loss was not
great, there is no doubt that part of it was owing
to Russian bullets.*

" The army of Prince Potemkin having come
up on the 27th June, the Prince of Nassau had
orders to attack and destroy, or capture, the
Turkish flotilla which lay under the walls of Oc-
zakow ; and the Rear- Admiral was commanded
to give him every assistance that might be use-
ful. In pursuance of these orders, on the first
of July, at one in the morning, the flotilla ad-
vanced. The Rear-Admiral had sent all the
chaloupes and barcasses belonging to the squa-
dron to haul out the vessels of the flotilla. The

* The species of warfare in which he was now daily
engaged was new to the Anglo-American. The mon-
strous and wanton cruelties to which the Turks were
subjected hy the more barbarous and brutal Russians
were accordingly viewed by him with horror and dis-
gust.

36 MEMOIRS OF

Prince-Marshal had taken the trouble to arrange
the plan of attack himself, but his plan was not
followed.

" At day-dawn, our flotilla having advanced
within cannon-shot, opened fire upon the Turkish
flotilla, and on the place. The current having
carried several of our batteries and double cha-
loupes rather too far to leeward, the Rear-Ad-
miral made them be hauled up by the boats and
barcasses of the squadron, and set the example
himself with the chaloupe in which he was. The
Turks set fire to a little frigate which they had
prepared as a fire-ship, and placed at anchor to
the N. E. of Fort Hassan Pacha.

"At six in the morning, the Rear-Admiral went
himself considerably in advance of the flotilla to
seize five of the enemy's galleys which lay within
case-shot of Fort Hassan. The position of these
galleys, between the cross-fire of our flotilla on the
one side, and that of Fort Hassan, the Turkish
flotilla, and Oczakow on the other, rendered this
a very dangerous enterprise. The Rear- Admiral
boarded the galley which lay farthest out, and
made it be hauled in a little way by Lieutenant

PAUL JONES. 37

Leff Fabrician. He afterwards boarded the gal-
ley of the Capitan Pacha, which lay considerably
nearer the Fort. From unskilfulness, and ex-
cess of zeal, a young officer cut the cable of this
galley without waiting the orders of the Rear-
Admiral, and before the boats could be got in
order to haul it out, the wind drifted the galley
towards the shore, and still nearer to the Fort.
The Rear- Admiral made the galley be lightened
by throwing many things overboard. After
much search for ropes that might stretch to the
wreck of the burnt frigate, and by fastening the
galley there, keep it afloat, the plan failed from
the ropes not being long enough. The Rear-
Admiral was very unwilling to yield to the ob-
stinate opposition of the Turks, who fired upon
him from all their bastions and from their flotilla,
and he despatched Lieutenant Fox to the Wolo-
cfimer, to fetch an anchor and cable. This was
a certain means of securing his object ; and in
waiting the return of the Lieutenant, he left the
galley with his people, and assisted in the flotil-
la's advance. Before the return of Lieutenant
Fox, he had, however, the mortification to see

38 MEMOIRS OF

fire break out in the galley of the Capitan Pacha.
He at first believed that the slaves chained on
board had found means to escape, and had set
fire to the vessel ; but he had afterwards positive
proof that Brigadier Alexiano being in a boat at
the time with the Prince of Nassau, on the out-
side of the flotilla, and being aware of the inten-
tion of the Rear-Admiral, swore that it should
not succeed, and sent a Greek canoe to set fire
to the galley !* The three other Turkish galleys
were at once run down and burnt by brandcou-
gles. There were also a two-masted ship and
a large bomb-vessel burnt near Fort Hassan
Pacha. This includes all that was taken or de-
stroyed by water, save fifty-two prisoners taken
by the Rear-Admiral in the two galleys. The
wretched beings, who were chained in the galley

* The attestation of a Russian officer to this singular
fact is among the Pieces Justificatives appended to the
Journal ; and the original of that attestation, written in
French, and subscribed Bilicroff, officer of the guard,
and dated at Kinbourn the 26th October, 1788, remains
among Jones's papers.

PAUL JONES. 39

of the Capitan Pacha, perished there in the
flames !

" The Prince-Marshal having made an im-
portant diversion on the land-side, it is to be
regretted that advantage was not taken of this
movement to seize the remainder of the enemy's
flotilla. But our flotilla never came up within
reach of grape-shot."

The above extracts from the Rear-Admiral's
Journal are verified in the following manner : —
" These extracts have been translated by me in-
to the Russian language, and read before the
commanders of the ship Wolodimer, Captain
of the Second Rank, Zefaliano ; of the frigate
Scoroi, Captain of the Second Rank, Aboljanin ;
of the frigate Nicolai, Captain Lieutenant Dani-
loff; of the frigate Taheuroc, Lieutenant Ma-
kinin ; of the frigate the Little Alexander, Lieu-
tenant Savitzsky ; and they have found nothing
in them contrary to truth.

" On board the Wolodimer, before Ockzakow,
the 28th October, 1788.

4>0 MEMOIRS OF

" Paul Denetreffsky, Honorary Counsel-
lor of the College for Foreign affairs,
and by special orders of her Imperial
Majesty of all the Russias, Secretary
to Rear- Admiral and Chevalier Paul
Jones."

Addition of Rear-Admiral Jones to the preceding
Journal. Translated from the French of the MS.
volume, prepared for Publication by himself.

" The moment the ships began to withdraw from
Oczakow, the Prince of Nassau and Brigadier
Alexiano hurried straight to the head-quarters of
the Prince-Marshal, to relate the deeds which they
pretended they had performed. In a few mi-
nutes after the flotilla began to retire, the rain
fell in torrents, of which Nassau and Alexiano
received their own share before reaching head-
quarters.

" Two days afterwards, Brigadier Alexiano re-
turned on board the Wolodimer, having caught
a malignant fever, of which he died on the 8th

PAUL JONES. 41

July. The Prince of Nassau, who had made use of
him in caballing against me, God knows for what,
neither visited him in his sickness, nor assisted
at his funeral. At first it was given out, that
the service must sustain the loss of every Greek
in it on account of his death ; but I soon ex-
perienced the reverse. Not one asked to be dis-
missed ; they remained under my command the
same as the Russians, and were better pleased
than before. On the day preceding the death
of Alexiano, he had received intelligence of having
been promoted two grades ; and that her Majesty
had bestowed on him a fine estate, and peasants,
in White Russia. At the same time the Prince
of Nassau had received a very valuable estate,
with three or four thousand peasants, also in
White Russia, and the Military Order of St
George, of the Second Class. Her Majesty like-
wise gave him liberty to hoist the flag of Vice-
Admiral on the taking of Oczakow, to which
event it was apparently believed he had greatly
contributed. I received the Order of St Anne,
an honour with which I am highly flattered, and
with which I could have been perfectly satisfied,

42 MEMOIRS OF

had others been recompensed only in the same pro-
portion, and according to the merit of their servi-
ces. All the officers of the flotilla received a step
of promotion and the gratuity of a year's pay. The
greater part of them also obtained the Order of
St George, of the Last Class. Only two of these
officers had been bred to the sea ; all the others
were ignorant of naval affairs. The officers of the
squadron under my command were almost whol-
ly marine officers. They had done their duty
well when opposed to the enemy ; but they ob-
tained no promotion, no mark of distinction, no
pecuniary reward. My mortification was ex-
cessive.

" My officers at this time gave me a very grati-
fying proof of their attachment. On promising
that I would demand justice for them from the
Prince-Marshal at the close of the campaign,
they stifled then* vexation, and made no com-
plaint.

" It ought to have to have been mentioned in
the proper place, that three days after our suc-
cess in the Liman, Prince Potemkin arrived at
Kinbourn, from whence he came on board the

PAUL JONES. 43

Wolodimer to make me a visit. He was accom-
panied by General Count de Brandisky of Po-
land, the Prince de Repuin, the Prince de Ligne,
General de Samoilow, and several other officers.
His Highness did me the honour to remain to
dinner ; and as he knew that an altercation had
taken place between the Prince of Nassau and
myself on the morning of the 18th of June, he
had the goodness to employ the Prince de Ligne,
and M. Littlepage, Chamberlain to the King of
Poland, to persuade the Prince of Nassau to
make me an apology. I accepted it with sincere
pleasure. We embraced in presence of this ho-
nourable company, and I believed him as sincere
as myself.*

* Probably the first cause of Potemkin's dislike to
Jones was owing to the squabbles between him and the
Prince of Nassau. Besides the scene above related, Potem-
kin had previously endeavoured to establish a good under-
standing between them. On the 30th of May he him-
self wrote to the Rear- Admiral : — <e It is with great plea-
sure that I hear that harmony is established between you
and the Prince of Nassau. I regard union as the foun-
dation of all the services that your talents and your known

44? MEMOIRS OF

" The Prince-Marshal charged me at this time
to make arrangements for raising the cannon,

valour give you both the power of rendering to my coun-
try ; and I cannot strongly enough recommend to you to
live in perfect understanding with the Prince of Nassau."
On another occasion, he thanks Jones for having acted in
concert with Nassau, — " a concert as useful as necessary
to the service of the Empress, and, above all, at such a
time."

It is to be presumed, that, if it had been possible for
Jones to keep on terms with the Prince of Nassau, he
would have done so. His own interest, as well as the
public service, and the wishes of his best friends, coun-
selled this; but it seems to have been impossible. A
letter on this subject, written from the Russian head-
quarters by Mr Littlepage, is earnest, sensible, and
friendly. " I am not ignorant," he says, " of the bad
understanding that unfortunately subsisted between you
and the Prince of Nassau, before the 7th of June ; but
both Prince Potemkin and myself were persuaded that
was all ended. He has learned that it has again broke
out, and I know that trifling circumstances can give him
much trouble. I can easily conceive the delicacy of your
situation, and I know that your honour can sacrifice no-
thing ; but, for Heaven's sake, my dear friend, be prudent,
as much for yourself as your friends. Prince Potemkin

PAUL JONES. 45

anchors, and other stores belonging to the ene-
my's ships which had been burnt, without loss

has conceived a high esteem for. you, but he loves Nas-
sau. If ever mutual interest dictated union between
two persons, it is between you and the Prince of Nassau
at the present moment. The reverse will be to the pre-
judice of both. In the name of friendship, reflect upon
this. Remember that the eyes of all Europe are fixed
upon you. Fear no competition, and be indulgent to
those who have not the same reason to feel above rivalry.
Nassau has been unfortunate. If you see weakness in
his character, excuse it; and remember that he was,
and I hope still is, your friend." Jones took this letter
in good part, and assured the sensible writer, that for the
good of the service, and the esteem and attachment he
had for Prince Potemkin, he had borne more from Nas-
sau than he could have done " from any other than a
madman." Littlepage was appointed to a command in
the squadron, and soon found that it is much easier to
give good advice at a distance, than to act under such
temperate counsels. He did at once what every man of
spirit and common sense would have done, — threw up
his command and returned to Warsaw. The words in
which he bade Jones farewell show that he thoroughly
understood the nature of the generally worthless, and

46 MEMOIES OF

of time, and I sent off a transport ship with offi-
cers and men on this duty.

" His Highness the Prince-Marshal now made
his troops advance. They passed the Bog, and
appeared in sight of us, on the banks of the Li-
man, on the 27th of June ; and next morning
the Capitan Pacha made his grand fleet, which
had always remained at anchor twenty or thirty

always discordant persons, whether Greeks, Russians,
Cossacks, or other tribes of which this heterogeneous mass
was composed. " Farewell, my dear Admiral ; take care
of yourself, and look to whom you trust. Remember
that you have rather to play the part of a politician than
a warrior, — more of a courtier than a soldier." " I was
not skilled" says Jones, " in playing such a part." " I
never neglected my duty," he says again, " when stung
with the insolent reproaches, or rather the threats, of Po-
temkin. On the contrary, I had but too often exposed
myself to personal danger to satisfy his caprice." In an-
other place, when Potemkin had addressed an order to
him, concluding thus, — " Moreover, if the enemy at-
tempt to pass to Oczakow, prevent him at all hazards,
and defend yourself boldly," Jones says, " It is not easy
to believe that such words were addressed to Paul Jones."

PAUL JONES. 47

verstes without Kinbourn, weigh anchor, and
directed his course towards the entrance of the
Danube, carrying three Admiral's flags, and fol-
lowed by all the vessels that had escaped us in
the Liman. During the whole time that we were
exposed to having a serious affair with the Turks,
Brigadier Alexiano had carefully kept a Greek
felucca of eighteen oars alongside the Wolodi-
mer. This felucca was better built for sailing
than any of the other chaloupes or rowing vessels
belonging to the whole squadron, so that he had
at all tunes the means of saving himself in case
of any disastrous event. Even the Prince of
Nassau, since his retreat on the 6th of June, was
never seen in any vessel of the flotilla, but always
in a chaloupe, which had been built for the espe-
cial use of her Imperial Majesty on her late voy-
age. For myself, I took no such precautions.
I saw that I must conquer or die. For me there
was no retreat. The instant that Alexiano saw
the troops appear, he despatched his felucca to
inform the Prince-Marshal that it was he, in his

0

zeal for the service, who had employed people to
save the effects of the burnt prizes. Nothing

48 MEMOIRS OF

could be less true. He had not taken the small-
est concern in the matter. But this shows the
character of the man. Next day I was informed
that the transport ship I had employed on this
service was already too heavily laden, and made
a great deal of water. As the wind was fair for
Glauboca, I gave orders that she should immedi-
ately go thither to unload. Some hours after the
departure of the transport, Brigadier Alexiano
returned from Kinbourn, where he had dined,
and said several impertinent things to me on the
subject of the transport. He went afterwards to
head-quarters to complain of me to the Prince-
Marshal. In consequence of this complaint I
received a letter from his brigadier du jour, the
Chevalier Ribas, which, among other things, men-
tioned that the Prince- Marshal was " singularly
severe and strict in all that related to the orders he
gave." I replied, that I was not afraid of the seve-
rity of the Prince-Marshal, as I had done nothing
save my duty, in pursuance of his own orders.*

* After this affair, Jones seems to have completely lost
all self-command. He had no longer any hope of con-

PAUL JONES. 49

Next day I paid a visit to the Prince of Nassau.
I imagined I should be welcomed with open arms;

ciliating the Prince of Nassau, and accordingly hence-
forth waged against him a determined and not very ge-
nerous hostility. The following letter, addressed to
Ribas, was certainly intended for the perusal of Potem-
kin. It is one of almost open defiance: —

" On board the Wolodimer, before Oczakow, 1st August, 1788.

te SIR, — Having been at Kinbourn this afternoon, to
concert operations with the Commandant-General, I re-
ceived at my return here a kind of note without date,
which purports to be from you, but which I do not re-
cognise as your hand- writing. This note adverts to the
question of saluting the flag of the Vice-Admiral ; but I
am not aware if there be an officer of this rank nearer
us than St Petersburgh. I highly respect the authority
and the power of his Highness the Prince-Marshal. I
love good order, and I am devoted with enthusiasm to
the welfare of the empire, but the first duty of a man
is to guard his own honour.

" I have no wish to speak of myself, but circumstances
demand it. I was living in America in the bosom of
peace and friendship when his Excellency, M. de Si-
molin, did me the honour, unknown to myself, to pro-
pose me to her Imperial Majesty and the Prince-Mar-

VOL. II. C

50 MEMOIRS OF

but he attacked me about the transport-ship,
which belonged, he said, to his flotilla. I re-

shal as Comraander-in-Chief on the Black Sea. I was
too much flattered by the reception of her Majesty to
stipulate the slightest condition on entering her service.
She deigned to receive me. I was to serve only under
the command of the Prince-Marshal.

" I imagined myself intended for another command
than that which was given me; but I looked on the
change as a flattering proof of the confidence of the
Prince-Marshal. Never, probably, did any command-
ing officer commence service under circumstances more
painful ; but, in spite of the restraints imposed on me by
treacherous colleagues, in spite of their unceasing efforts
to draw me into error, and their opposition to all my
plans, I have extricated myself from the affair with no
sacrifice save of my own feelings and interests. I was a
true philosopher, and the service has not suffered. My
firmness and integrity have supported me against those
detestable snares laid by my enemies for my ruin ; yet I
have served as the cat's paw to draw the chestnuts from
the fire for them.

" I am much flattered by the Order of St Anne granted
me for my zealous services; but I should have been asham-
ed to receive brilliant rewards for false, empty boasts.

" As I can never think of having any connexion with

PAUL JONES. 51

plied, that I had been charged with this duty by
the Prince-Marshal ; that all the ships of war

a man so detestable as M. de Nassau, I can never ac-
knowledge him for ray superior. If he has received the
rank of Vice- Admiral, I will say in the face of the uni-
verse that he is unworthy of it. It is now ten years
since he wished to serve under my command. I have
known him without fully understanding his character.
I knew that he was foolish, (bete,) but I was not aware,
till it was proved to me, that the only military merit
he possesses is a mean effrontery. The only thing he
has done, was (after the affair of the 1 7th June) to snatch
the flag of the Capitan Pacha from the hands of the Sa-
poroses, who had got it a long time before he came up.
He has never shown either order or intelligence in ma-
naging the flotilla. Every Commander of a boat, or other
vessel, was his own master, and conducted matters ac-
cording to his own notions."

The letter goes on to describe the action of the 17th
June, and then continues : —

" A single galley, in the hands of a good officer,
would, in like circumstances, have been sufficient to
conquer a ship of the largest size. But we should be
just to the Commander of the flotilla. He always had
the prudence to keep behind his men ; and in critical
moments he always had in his mind, and sometimes on

52 MEMOIRS OF

and transports belonged to her Imperial Majesty ;
and that the vessel in question, being unem-

his lips, ways and means of retiring beyond the batteries
of Stanislaus. He well knew that for me there was no
retreat. In the affair between the flotillas, on the 7th
of June, there was something like military combination ;
but it is not to him this should be attributed. If he
had been left to himself, he would have been beaten at
least as disgracefully as he had been chased by tne Turks
on the preceding evening. As to the affair of the 17th
June, of the merits of which he so greatly boasts, the
Turks got into confusion the moment they saw our squad-
ron under sail and advancing to attack them. They had
set sail, and the rout was general even before the whole of
our flotilla had raised their anchors. The Turkish squa-
dron had made no arrangement for fight, but fled in the
greatest disorder and trepidation at the very commence-
ment. I had given orders to advance near the vessel of
the Capitan Pacha, but M. Alexiano thwarted me, and
cast anchor without my orders, at the moment when the
second Turkish ship (the Admiral) was striking.

" The Turkish flotilla was manoeuvred with more
skill upon the shallows on the right flank of our squa-
dron, from whence they threw bombs, and sunk the
small frigate, the Petit Alexander. The commander of
our flotilla had paid no attention to my request to send a

PAUL JONES. 53

ployed at the time when I took it, I could not
perceive the smallest cause of complaint. He

detachment of the flotilla to dislodge them. The Briga-
diers Alexiano and Corsacoff had assembled and brought
forward batteries for this purpose, according to my or-
ders, in concert with our frigates on the right wing. The
affair of the 18th was the result of panic, and of the bat-
teries which, in concert with you, (Ribas,) I had the
credit of establishing at the point of Kinbourn. A very
small detachment would have been sufficient to have se-
cured the nine vessels under the cannon of our batteries,
and out of the reach of those of the enemy. A good of-
ficer, who had commanded such an expedition, would
have known how to bring in these nine vessels, without
having exposed his people to destruction, and without
having the folly to destroy ships of which we stood so
much in need, by brandcougles.

" I could not leave my own duties to be present at this
affair ; but I am told that some who were there inquired
if M. de Nassau had not been at Kinbourn during the:
attack.

" After all, we owe our success to favourable circum-
stances, to the good disposition, and the imposing ap-
pearance of our squadron in advancing to the attack on
the 17th June; for the enemy had taken flight before the
approach of our flotilla, which was tardy in weighing an-

54' MEMOIRS OF

was beside himself with anger ; but, as the good
of the service no longer required our combined

chor, and got into confusion from the beginning of the
movement. It has been seen meanwhile that M. de
Nassau, who did nothing, and who had not a single man
wounded near him, has been rewarded as if he had per-
formed the most heroic actions. Marshal Saxe said to

his troops, — f I am not one of those generals

who cry to their soldiers, FALL ON ! I say to mine, — My
soldiers, behold the enemy, — LET us FALL ON.' M. de
Nassau has not shown that he is of the opinion of the
Marshal. Never was bravado more impudent than that
of M. de Nassau. To depart from truth costs him no-
thing. He had the effrontery to deceive the Prince-
Marshal (to whom he owes the bread that he eats) in
saying he had burnt six ships of the line and had taken
two. These pretended ships of the line were nothing
other than the merchant vessels called caravellas. In time
of peace they trade between Constantinople and Egypt ;
in time of war such ships are armed, but always badly.
In place of eight but four entered the Liman. I have
made Lieutenant Fox measure the length of two of the
largest ; the one was 135 feet, the other 130 feet English
measure," &c. &c. &c. The Rear- Admiral proceeds,—
" In place of two there was but one three-masted ship
that escaped burning. It is true, that there was likewise

PAUL JONES. 55

operations, I thought this quarrel too childish
to give myself uneasiness about it. I took leave
of him, begging him to reflect, that I had given
him no cause of displeasure. I did not wish to
come to a rupture with him ; but, on the 1st of
July, seeing the day dawn, and that the flotilla
was still far too distant to make the necessary
attack, meeting him in his chaloupe, I asked
' If he did not think it time to begin the at-
tack ?' — < Is it of me you thus inquire ?' he re-
plied; ' I have nothing to say to you on the

spared, in the barbarous conflagration of the 18th June,
a small brigantine. We must then consider this small
brigantine as a ship of the line taken by M. de Nassau.
This prize remained, and has been totally wrecked.
Humanity recoils with indignation and horror from see-
ing so many wretched creatures perish in the flames
without any necessity. But these are trifling marks of
goodness of heart and of gratitude which M. de Nassau
has been pleased to show, to prove that he is worthy of
the benefits he has lately received from Constantinople.
Now he is with Russia, and in that he finds his advan-
tage. The same motives, however, which have induced
him to come here may lead him back to Constantinople."

56 MEMOIRS OF

subject.' After a reply so uncivil, and so pub-
licly made, it was impossible I could have any
farther intercourse with the Prince of Nassau.

" On the 18th June, in giving an account to
the Prince-Marshal of the fate of the nine ves-
sels run aground in coming out of the Liman,
upon the shallows opposite the battery and block-
fort on the tongue of land of Kinbourn, I took
the liberty to propose to him to get the Wolo-
dimer, which had port-holes for seventy pieces of
cannon, and the large frigate Alexander, which
might have carried fifty pieces, completely armed,
that at the first opportunity the squadron of
Cherson might join that of Sevastopole ; but his
Highness gave no orders for this purpose till the
month of September ; and the Admiralty was so
slow in acting, that the vessels were not equipped
by the 18th October, when I was recalled to St Pe-
tersburgh by an order from her Imperial Majesty.

" The fleet of the Capitan Pacha having sailed
on the 28th of June, had a rencounter with that
of Sevastopole, which had come out some days
before ; but the Turkish fleet being much
stronger than that of Russia, the latter fled, and

PAUL JONES. 57

had the good fortune to get back to Sevastopole.
without loss, having no more than six or seven
men killed and wounded, which shows that the
affair was neither close nor warm.

" After the affair of the 18th of June, the.
greater part of our flotilla remained several days
at anchor between Kinbourn and the block-fort
upon the tongue of land. It is surprising that
the Russian seamen and pilots could be so pro-
foundly ignorant respecting the anchorage, cur-
rents, and depth of the Liman, and, above all, of
the channel and the road between Oczakow and
Beresane. At first not a single commander in the
flotilla durst venture to cast an anchor.

" Being at Kinbourn on the 28th June, Gene-
ral Suwaroff spoke to me of the unpleasant cir-
cumstance of not being able to cut off the com-
munication between Oczakow and Beresane. Hav-
ing sounded myself, I informed him that this was
quite as practicable as it was useful to the service,
and I would place the frigates there instantly if
he would only require me to do so. He did not
hesitate, and the same day I placed three frigates
there. M. Alexiano did all he could to prevent

58 MEMOIRS OF

me ; and when he saw the frigates set off, pro-
phesied that I would never see them return.
He carried his intrigues so far, that the Prince-
Marshal wrote me a warning letter on the 29th,
and on the 1st July a peremptory order to with-
draw them. During the short tune they were
there they took two Turkish armed chaloupes
and a batteau laden with powder and shot ; and
cut off the enemy's communication between Oc-
zakow and Beresane.

" The Prince-Marshal had not been satisfied
with the conduct of the flotilla in the affair of at-
tacking Oczakow on the 1st July, which was
conducted in a very irregular manner, and at too
great a distance. The most advanced charge was
that of the battery commanded by M. Akmatoff,
who was never less than 900 toises distant from
the enemy.

" On the 10th of July the Prince-Marshal
sent the Prince of Nassau to Sevastopole, to learn
if the squadron had been much damaged in the
rencounter with the Turkish fleet. Immediately
after the departure of the Prince of Nassau, the
Prince-Marshal gave the Chevalier Ribas the

PAUL JONES.

59

command of the flotilla, with orders to go to
Kinbourn, to receive on board the troops he des-
tined to make a descent on the island of Bere-
sane. At the same time he ordered me to esta-
blish a line of blockade between that island and
Oczakow. I stationed five frigates, carrying
eighteen-pounders, in the roads for this purpose.
" On the 14th I was ordered to inspect the
entrance of the Liman. I immediately went to
Kinbourn to have an understanding with Gene-
ral SuwarofFand the Brigadier de Ribas. Though
the Brigadier had been incessantly occupied since
the departure of the Prince of Nassau in bring-
ing the crews of the flotilla to some sort of order,
he had not yet completed this task. So great
was the confusion that reigned, that he could not
find in any vessel five soldiers belonging to the
same company ; and the officers knew not where
to look for their men. This retarded the em-
barkation of the troops destined for the descent
on Beresane till the 16th. The Prince-Marshal
was so much displeased with this delay, that on
the 17th he gave orders to land the troops, that
they might join his army before Oczakow, and

60 MEMOIRS OF

that the flotilla should again pass into the Liman,
as well as the frigates I had posted for the
blockade.

" From the commencement of the projected
expedition against Beresane, M. Ribas had re-
quested me to conduct the flotilla and the descent
of the troops. Though a man of much talent,
he had not the misplaced conceit of some persons
who readily take upon them things far beyond
their capacity. I told him, ' He well knew I
ought to have commanded the flotilla as well as
the squadron, from the beginning of the cam-
paign, but that my gratitude for the gracious
reception accorded me by her Imperial Majesty,
together with the very delicate state in which I
had found affairs, had induced me to sacrifice my
feelings, and even greatly to hazard my reputa-
tion, for the good of the empire ; that I could
never so far humble myself as to request the
command of the flotilla, but if it were given me
by the Prince-Marshal, I would do my best to
make tHe most of it possible.1

" On the afternoon of the 17th the Prince-
Marshal fairly proposed to give me the command

PAUL JONES. 61

of the flotilla. His Highness informed me his
intention was to have Oczakow attacked a second
time. I replied, that I was disposed to execute
with zeal whatever he might think proper for the
good of the service ; but that to attack with ad-
vantage it was necessary to come to close quar-
ters, and to advance in better order than on the
1st July. He was of the same opinion, and re-
quested me to come ashore next day, that we
might concert together the plan of attack.

66 I did not fail to comply with the orders of
the Prince-Marshal, but his Highness spoke no
more of the flotilla. I remained to dinner and
supper, and afterwards returned on board of my
ship.

" The Prince of Nassau having returned some
days before, had intrigued with the Prince de
Ligne ; and the Prince-Marshal restored him to
the command of the flotilla.

" On the 18th June I had been ordered to
despatch the five frigates which had returned into
the Liman, to be refitted at Glouboca, en bat-
terie. I sent them off at daybreak on the 19th,
having drawn the greater part of their crews
from the gun-boats and bomb-vessels which the

62 MEMOIRS OF

Prince-Marshal had placed under my command.
On the 20th I received twenty-one gun-boats,
each carrying a single piece, from eighteen to
thirty-two pounders ; and five bomb-vessels, each
carrying a mortar, of which four were of three
poods, and one of five poods.* The same day the
Prince-Marshal having established his head-quar-
ters to the right of his army upon the shores of
the Black Sea, (he had hitherto been on the
shores of the Liman, on the left wing,) pointed
out to me two of the enemy's gun-boats, station-
ed close by the fort of Hassan Pacha, and the
Turkish lines on the side of Beresane. He was
persuaded that they would attempt to come out
during the night with despatches, and inquired
of me if it were not possible to capture them.
As his Highness appeared to attach great import-
ance to this service, I undertook it.

" I returned on board the Wolodimer, from
whence, at eight in the evening, I set off* with
five armed chaloupes. I made five gun-boats
follow, as a measure of precaution in case the

* A pood, or poud, is a Russian weight, equal to 36 Ibs.
English weight.

, PAUL JONES. OD

Turks had attempted to make a sortie, as their
chaloupes sailed much faster than ours.

" I found one of the Turkish gun-boats
aground, hauled up, and almost dry on the sands
adjoining the battery, and on an intrenchment
the enemy had cast up on the water's edge. It
was impossible to get it afloat under the terrible
fire which we sustained from all the lines and bat-
teries on the shore. The other gun-boat lay hard
by the fort of Hassan Pacha, to the south. Lieu-
tenant Edwards boarded this vessel, and cut her
cables ; but having had several of his men wound-
ed, and being deserted by one of the chaloupes,
he was obliged to give up the attempt, lest he
should be left by the other chaloupe also. Dur-
ing this time I had made some efforts to get the
other Turkish boat afloat. I now rowed quickly
to the assistance of Mr Edwards, but the night
being dark, he was already out of sight. I
boarded the vessel in which he had been. I had
several men wounded around me ; but, in defi-
ance of the enemy, I hauled the vessel out, and
stationed it right opposite the head-quarters of
the Prince-Marshal.

64 MEMOIRS OF

" On the 21st, at daybreak, I sailed with the
Wolodimer, followed by all the vessels of the
squadron that yet remained with me, and twenty-
five armed boats and bomb-vessels that had been
placed under my command. The object of this
movement was again to blockade Oczakow by sea,
and to cut off the communication between that
place and Beresane. To accomplish this object,
I stationed the Wolodimer and the Alexander to
blockade the channel at the entrance of the Li-
man, and I continued the same line of blockade
into the road, by placing the smaller vessels there.
As the bomb- vessels and gun-boats had not water-
casks, the Prince-Marshal, who wished to see
these craft opposite his head-quarters, made
wells be dug on shore for the accommodation of
the crews ; and on the 24th ordered my officer
du jour to have three vessels stationed near the
shore. I knew nothing of this change, for I had
placed them the previous night, in line, and far
enough off to be in safety. On the 25th the
wind was from the south, but was not violent.
After dinner I went to head-quarters to make a
visit to the Prince-Marshal, and found, to my

PAUL JONES. 65

great astonishment, that half the boats were cast
ashore, and the other half in the greatest dan-
ger. I set to work instantly, with my chaloupe,
to haul off, and bring to anchor all the vessels
possible ; and by means of anchors and cables,
for which I sent to the squadron, we saved them
all, except six gun-boats, which went to pieces,
and filled with sand. On the 26th the Prince-
Marshal wrote me by his Brigadier du jour,
requiring to know, since I was master of the
vessels saved, what I meant to do with them ? I
placed them near the tongue of land of Kinbourn,
where they had a sheltered haven, and also wells
for the accommodation of the men. They sus-
tained no farther injury during the time they re-
mained under my command. After this, two
chaloupes or small cutters were placed under
my orders, of which each carried two licornes,
forty-eight pounders, in the fore-part, and six
falconets on the sides. Shortly afterwards I got
two larger cutters, carrying each two mortars,
of five poods.

" On the 31st July, the Capitan Pacha again
made his appearance with his fleet, followed by

DO MEMOIRS OF

several vessels which he had not when he went
off. His advanced guard, composed of his fri-
gates, bomb-vessels, and small craft, cast anchor
near Beresane, whilst his large squadron of ships
of the line resumed their old position. The
Prince-Marshal ordered me to bring back my
small vessels to assist in blocking up the pass-
age of the Liman; and the Prince of Nas-
sau was ordered to block up the road with his
flotilla, and thus cut off the communication of
the Turkish small vessels by the shallows to the
south of Fort Hassan Pacha.

" The Prince of Nassau hoisted a Vice-Ad-
miral's flag on one of the galleys in coming out
of the Liman, and that galley having passed un-
der the stern of the Wolodimer on the 1st of
August, he assumed that I ought to have salut-
ed him as Vice-Admiral !"

[The Rear-Admiral here enumerates six dif-
ferent special reasons for not saluting the said
flag ; and we fear somewhat tediously, for which
reason we spare the reader this concatenation;
the only important fact being, that the Prince of
Nassau endeavoured to make the Court of Russia

PAUL JONES. 67

believe that the denial of this piece of courtesy
was the only subject of dispute between himself
and Paul Jones. We again resume the narra-
tive.]

" The Capitan Pacha came out from day to
day, to sound and reconnoitre, in his kirlangitz,
which sailed like the wind, and always displayed
an Admiral's flag. As the block-fort and bat-
tery on the tongue of land at Kinbourn were
only constructed of bags of sand, and were neither
protected by ditch nor palisade, I was afraid that
the Capitan Pacha might try to carry them by a
sudden descent, which he could have done by
landing five hundred men.

" General Suwaroff had been dangerously
wounded in a sortie made by the garrison of
Oczakow,and had come to Kinbourn. I convinced
him that the block-fort and battery were menaced,
and as he had a greater quantity of chevaux de
frize than he required, I suggested that he should
employ what was superfluous in surrounding the
block-fort and battery. The General gave orders
accordingly, and I ranged all my gun-boats and
bomb-vessels right by the strip of ground be-

I

68 MEMOIRS OF

tween the block-fort and the battery. The -sand
served them as a parapet, so that there was a line
of fire continued from the point on to the bat-
tery. The small craft were, besides, always ready
to change their position at the first movement of
the enemy, and I placed the squadron so advan-
tageously as to communicate with the block-fort
and the battery, without confining their fire, and
to keep back the enemy by a cross-fire, on enter-
ing the channel of the Liman; so that, though we
were very weak compared with the Turkish fleet,
the Capitan Pacha never either attempted to
make a descent, or to force the passage of the
entrance of the Liman.

" The Prince-Marshal having ordered Rear-
Admiral Wognowitch to sail from Sevastopole
with the fleet under his command, and that of-
ficer having raised obstacles because his force was
not, he conceived, powerful enough to attack
that under the command of the Capitan Pacha,
his Highness sent me a letter, written by his
chief secretary, Brigadier Popoff, on the 19th
August, (old style,) proposing that I should go
to Sevastopole to take command of the fleet. It

PAUL JONES. 69

may be remembered that I was brought to
Russia to command all the naval force in the
Black Sea, consequently this proposition did not
surprise me. Had the Prince-Marshal ordered
me to go, I would have proceeded immediately,
but I could not seem as if I sought to be sent.
In thejirst place, the naval signals used in that
fleet were imperfect and very limited. %dly,
My naval signals had not yet been translated into
the Russian language, as no attention had been
given to my request for a person capable of trans-
lating them. 3c%, I was acquainted with no one
in the fleet, and I was aware that the Prince-
Marshal wished that it should come out the very
day after my arrival at Sevastopole. 4>thfy, The
fleet had been compelled to fly before that of the
Capitan Pacha, at a time when he had two thou-
sand fewer good seamen. 5thly, The fleet at Se-
vastopole was much as before, but that of the Ca-
pitan Pacha was stronger in craft, and had all the
men replaced that had been lost in the affair of
the Liman. 6thly, I had just received prepara-
tory orders from the Prince-Marshal to attack
Fort Hassan Pacha ; and I hoped to show him

70 MEMOIRS OF

the difference between my fashion of attack and
that of the 1st of July. I replied, in answer to
his letter, that being entirely devoted to the good
of the state, his Highness would find me eager
to fulfil his orders. It was said, that some days
afterwards the Prince-Marshal sent positive or-
ders to Admiral Wognowitch to come out, but
that he always found means for not coming to
close quarters with the Capitan Pacha.

" On the 30th August the Turks took a small
lodka, freighted with water-melons, belonging to
the merchants of Kinbourn. In coming down
the Liman the people on board had been foolish
enough to pass too close to Oczakow.

" To ' punish the Turks' for this, the Prince
of Nassau, at evening, made his flotilla advance
to assault Oczakow !

" I sent my secretary to head-quarters, and in
the meanwhile assembled the commanders of di-
visions of my gun-boats and bomb-vessels, and
ordered them to bring forward their divisions, and
form in line of battle between the squadron and
Oczakow, ready to attack the Fort of Hassan
Pacha the moment orders should arrive.

PAUL JONES. 71

" Upon the return of the Capitan Pacha, 3VL
Littlepage, Chamberlain to the King of Poland,
being then with the Prince-Marshal, had solicited
and obtained leave to command a division of my
gun-boats.

" Night being come on, the chiefs of division
wishing to bring forward their boats, found that
thirteen of them had quitted their posts, against
the most positive orders to make no movement
without their commanders of division. This
movement had been occasioned by the rashness of
a Greek Lieutenant belonging to the division of
M. Littlepage. The boat of this officer had fired
eight shots against the place, and another boat
six shots, but no one else had fired. As this Lieu-
tenant was the most to blame, I deprived him of
his command, and sent him to head-quarters,
which was required by the Prince-Marshal.

" The Prince of Nassau, who had very idly
wasted a great deal of ammunition, pretended
that my boats had prevented him from taking
the whole Turkish flotilla !

" The Greek Lieutenant whom I had disgraced,
instead of being punished, was promoted to the

72 MEMOIRS OF

command of a double chaloupe, heavily armed.
M. Littlepage gave a particular account of the
whole affair in a letter to the Grand General of
Poland.

" A few days after this, the Prince-Marshal sent
Rear- Admiral Mordwinoff on board the Wolodi-
mer, to assemble all the captains and master pilots
of the squadron to hold a council on the means
of effecting a junction between the squadron of
Cherson and the fleet of Sevastopole. It has been
said that the Prince-Marshal had earnestly en-
treated this officer to take the affair upon him-
self, and that he had positively declined it. I
can say nothing on this head ; I only know that
it was a delicate step in relation to me, to send
another officer on board my ship to hold a coun-
cil ; and, above all, without having apprized me
either by speech or writing. If I had been stick-
ling, I would have put this officer under arrest,
as he could show no authority nor precedent
for holding a council where I commanded. But
as I was influenced by the good of the service
above every personal consideration, I received
Admiral Mordwinoff most amicably, and after

PAUL JONES. 73

dinner assembled the officers for the necessary
consultation. Many difficulties presented them-
selves to their minds against the proposed junc-
tion ; but as it was known that the Prince-Mar-
shal was determined on the measure, it was agreed
that it could not be effected but at Hagdge-bay,
upon the coast, between Beresane and the Da-
nube, at the distance of fifty verstes* from the
point of Kinbourn. I raised no obstacle. I only
observed, that since it was pressingly necessary
to beat the advanced guard of the enemy before
we could effect the proposed junction, it was in-
dispensable to station the squadron previously
in the road of Oczakow, and to sail from thence
with the wind from N, to N.N.W., to avoid be-
ing attacked on the way by the grand fleet of the
Turks, and also to keep to the leeward till the
junction was effected.

" It was only a few days previously that pre-
parations had been begun to complete the arm-
ing of the Wolodimer and Alexander.

" During this time her Imperial Majesty had

* A verste is equal to 3500 English feet.
VOL. II. 1)

74 MEMOIRS OF

sent twenty-four gold swords to head-quarters, to
be distributed among the officers on account of
the battle of the Liman. The Prince-Marshal
himself received a gold sword, enriched with
diamonds and emeralds ; and the Prince of Nas-
sau got one ornamented with a row of diamonds.
There were a number of silver medals sent at the
same tune to be distributed among the soldiers
and seamen. The swords had not yet been dis-
tributed, but the medals were all given to the
men of the flotilla, and not one to any man in
the squadron. It is usual to give subalterns the
more merit the more they are exposed to per-
sonal danger. The crews of the squadron had
often hauled the flotilla totally uncovered, and ex-
posed to the fire of the enemy, whilst the people of
the flotilla were screened by parapets made of bags
of wool, by which the vessels were surrounded.

" On the 18th September I received a secret
order from the Prince- Marshal to attack the ad-
vanced-guard of the enemy, anchored under Be-
resane. His Highness proposed to make the at-
tack with the five frigates which had been sent to
Glouboca to be mounted as batteries ; and the

PAUL JONES. 75

frigates were to be supported by all the other
vessels of the squadron, save the Wolodimer and
the Alexander, the arming of which went on very
slowly on account of difficulties on the part of
the Admiralty. Two of the frigates, the Sco-
roi and the Boristhenes, had already rejoined the
squadron. Before the equipments of those fri-
gates were altered, they carried more guns than
are ever put, either by the French or English,
into ships of the same kind. The Scoroi, for ex-
ample, carried forty guns, and in England they
would not have put more than thirty-two into
her. She now carried sixteen 36-pounders, and
'four licornes, 18-pounders."

[Here follows a detailed account of the arma-
ment of this frigate, and the Rear-Admiral's
opinion of the best way of arming ships, which
he appears himself to think not much to the
point, for he returns to the narrative of the cam-
paign by saying as much.]

" The five frigates, of which I have perhaps
spoken too much, appeared to me very fit to place
behind a stoccado, or bar. But I never would
make choice of ships of this kind for the sea-ser-

76 MEMOIRS OF

vice. The first broadside is all that is to be
feared from them.

" I replied in writing to the proposition of the
Prince-Marshal for attacking the advanced guard
of the Turks near Beresane, and afterwards
made a plan of attack be drawn out for his in-
spection. He was much pleased with it. As it
was necessary to take advantage of a northerly
wind to effect the enterprise, I proposed to the
Prince-Marshal to place the frigates in the road
as soon as they arrived from Glouboca, to serve,
while waiting the attack on the line, as a perma-
nent outer blockade between Oczakow and the
enemy. His Highness said it was not yet time
for this, and ordered me to place them in a line
with the other vessels of my squadron, so as to
make an imposing figure in the channel of the
Liman.

" In the end of the month, the Turkish fleet
set sail in the night, followed by all the vessels
that had lain under Beresane ; nor did we per-
ceive it till late in the next morning. The
Capitan Pacha returned in about thirty-six hours,
and resumed the position he had left. The only

PAUL JONES. 77

difference was, that he brought in some additional
small vessels, and that he considerably reinforced
his advanced guard under Beresane. As our
flotilla, which ought to have blockaded the road,
and cut off the communication with the small
vessels on that side, were only there occasionally,
as if by caprice, it was quite natural for the
Turks to profit by its absence, and go out and in
when they found the way clear.

" The flotilla being to leeward, between my
squadron and Kinbourn, on the 8th October, the
Capitan Pacha sent off in the evening three ves-
sels of his advanced guard, which entered Ocza-
kow unmolested, by an open passage. Our flo-
tilla made no movement. I made an attempt to
intercept the enemy's progress with my gun-
boats, which I caused to be hauled to wind-
ward by the ship's boats of the squadron. But
the wind being high, they could not bring them
to attack. Our batteries nearest to Oczakow
fired on the three Turkish vessels, but without
being able to arrest their progress. It was now
dark ; and, moreover, the distance between these
batteries and the block-fort, on the side of Kin-

78 MEMOIRS OF

bourn, being seven verstes, the land-batteries
never could have prevented either the entrance
or exit of small vessels.

" One of the Turkish ships had the folly to cast
anchor in the shallows of Fort Hassan Pacha ;
and at daybreak on the ninth, being within shot
of our most advanced land-battery, was struck
between wind and water, and run down; the other
two vessels got in without difficulty. I have al-
ready mentioned, that on the 18th of August I
received an order to be in readiness to attack the
fortress of Hassan Pacha with my bomb-vessels,
and the chaloupes armed with licornes and mor-
tars. I expected from day to day an order for
action, and had in consequence bestowed much
pains in training my men to the necessary evo-
lutions ; but the final orders never arrived.

" The Prince of Nassau having run down my
plan of attack, it was set aside ; and by a new
arrangement, which I was commanded to form
with General Muller, Commander-in-chief of Ar-
tillery, I was destined to assault the intrench-
ment, and the Turkish battery on the shore of
the road.

PAUL JONES. 79

" On the 9th of October the flotilla advanced
from the shores of Kinbourn, and attacked Ocza-
kow ; but this attack was conducted and ended
in the very same manner as that of the 30th
August, save that a small vessel of the Turkish
flotilla, which lay farther out than any of the
others, ran aground on the shallows of Fort Has-
san Pacha.

" On the 10th of October I received another
preparatory order ; and soon afterwards was or-
dered to give up all my gun-boats to the flotilla.
Towards evening I went to head-quarters to as-
certain what was to be done regarding these boats.
The Prince-Marshal at this time told me he
had the strongest desire to see pitched overboard
a large piece of artillery placed on the fore-part
of the vessel of the Turkish flotilla that stood
farthest out, and which had run aground. I im-
agined at the time that there was no other vessel
run aground save the one in the road, at the
distance of a verste from the fortress of Hassan
Pacha; so I said the thing was quite easy; for
although the Turks should come up in force to

80 MEMOIRS OF

defend the vessel, there would always be time to
spike the piece of cannon.

" It was night when I undertook this little
enterprise. As I did not imagine the Prince-
Marshal attached so much importance to it as
to wish that I should conduct it in person, I
confided it to Lieutenant Edwards, a brave and
an intelligent man, whom I wished to requite for
past services. On the 1st of July he had follow-
ed me throughout, and was a long time with me
in the galley of the Capitan Pacha. He had
followed me on the night of the 20th of July, and
had boarded, and cut the cable of the vessel
which I took opposite the fortress of Hassan
Pacha. He had assisted me some days after-
wards, when, by orders of the Prince-Marshal, we
made trial of bombarding the fort from one of the
bomb-vessels ; from which service we had some
difficulty in withdrawing, as the wind, which rose
in a moment, kept us for a long while under the
fire of the enemy's musketry, which wounded
some of our men.

" Mr Edwards returned before daybreak, with-

PAUL JONES. 81

out having succeeded. He said there were a great
many men in the ship, who fired on him, and that
he durst not board her, he was so ill supported. I
was vexed that he had failed ; and in my report to
the Prince-Marshal I said that I would conduct
the enterprise myself next night, if that would
satisfy him.

" The Prince-Marshal held me at my word ;
but it was eleven at night when Mr Edwards re-
turned with the order. The wind, which was
high, was quite against me, as well as a strong
tide ; and I would have deferred the attempt, if
I had not conceived my honour pledged. I was
led to hope, that after midnight the wind might
fall, and the strength of the tide lessen, if it did
not change. The night was very dark, and the
rain fell in torrents. I waited till two o'clock,
when the moon rose. I had with me five armed
boats, and I calculated on being followed by four
batteaux saporoses, and by one of the armed
vessels I had taken from the Turks ; but it was
impossible to haul them against the wind, and I
was compelled to go on as I best could, with only
my five boats. I have noticed that our flotilla

D2

02 MEMOIRS OF

had run down a small Turkish vessel in the shal-
lows of the fortress of Hassan Pacha, but I did
not perceive this till the moment after I had de-
spatched Mr Edwards to head-quarters, because
the vessel lay so near the fortress, where the water
is of little depth, that it had only sunk a foot or
fifteen niches, and consequently appeared as if
still afloat. As the Prince-Marshal had only
spoken to me of the farthest out of the Turk-
ish flotilla, I now believed he meant the one
nearest the fortress, in which idea I was confirm-
ed by Mr Edwards, at his return from head-
quarters, telling me he had heard ashore that the
vessel run down in the road had been visited,
but that nothing had been found there. I rowed
for the vessel nearest the fortress, which carried
a large cannon in her bow ; but, after having fa-
tigued my rowers, I was vexed to see daylight
appear, whilst I had still more than a verste to go
before I could reach the vessel. I returned on
board my own ship, to prevent a useless alarm,
intending to renew the attempt next night.

" Without waiting to receive my report, the
Prince-Marshal sent me orders ' to abandon the

PAUL JONES. 83

enterprise, for he had intrusted it to other ships.'
There was fine weather on the night between the
12th and 13th, but the ' other ships' did no-
thing ; and the Turks availed themselves of an
open way to bring out all their flotilla, which re-
joined the ships of the advanced guard under
Beresane.

" Some days afterwards, a Colonel of Cossacks
boarded the vessel run down in the road, and set
fire to it, for which he received public thanks.

" On the 13th the Prince-Marshal wished to
establish a permanent line of blockade in the
road, by placing my frigates there, and some
other small vessels. He wrote me a letter on
this subject, which strongly affected me, and to
which I replied next day, with perhaps rather
too much freedom and warmth.* This occasion-

* This letter, taken in connexion with the circum-
stances which preceded it, was the ultimate cause of
the dismissal of Paul Jones before the campaign ended.
His recall to St Petersburgh, under pretence of being
employed in the North Sea, in name of the Empress,
but really ordered by Potemkin, was a mere piece of

84 MEMOIRS OF

ed an interchange of letters, which was only ter-
minated on the 18th by the arrival of Admiral

jugglery to get rid of him, of which he was not even the
dupe. The following is an extract of his letter, and
a copy of Potemkin's order, which provoked it : —

" Order to Rear-Admiral Chevalier Paul Jones.

" As it is seen that the Capitan Pacha comes in his
kirlangich from the grand fleet to the smaller vessels,
and as before quitting this he may attempt something,
I request your Excellence, the Capitan Pacha having ac-
tually a greater number of vessels, to hold yourself in rea-
diness to receive him courageously, and drive him back.
I require that this be done without loss of time ; if not,
you will be made answerable for every neglect.

" PRINCE POTEMKIN TAURICIEN.
'« 13th October, 1788."

To this truly Russian order Jones has affixed the fol-
lowing characteristic note : — ' e A warrior is always ready,
and I had not come there an apprentice." His reply to
this order led to his instant dismissal. Potemkin was a
person in no shape to be trifled with ; and though Jones
at first attributed his want of favour in this powerful
quarter to the ill offices of those around Potemkin, he

PAUL JONES. 85

Mordwinoff, to take command of the squadron
and the flotilla ; for the Prince of Nassau had set

came to see that much of what he suffered emanated
directly from the impatience, jealousy, and caprice of
this spoiled tyrant. When the Rear-Admiral went to
head-quarters to take leave, Potemkin disdained and dis-
claimed the insinuation of being influenced by those
around him. " Do not imagine any one leads me, —
leads me !" — he swore, and stamping with his foot, added,
" Not even the Empress !" Fatal as the reply to the above
order proved to Jones, and deeply as he regretted it,
the reader must be pleased to see that he retained so
much of his original spirit as appears in this singular
document. " I have always," he says, " conformed my-
self immediately, without murmuring, and most exactly,
to the commands of your Highness ; and on occasions
when you have deigned to leave any thing to my own
discretion, I have been exceedingly flattered, and believe
you have had no occasion to repent. At present, in case
the Capitan Pacha does resolve on attempting any thing
before his departure, I can give assurance beforehand,
that the brave officers and crews I have the honour to
command will do their duty ' courageously/ though they
have not yet been rewarded for the important services
they have performed for the empire under my eyes. I

86 MEMOIRS OF

off for Warsaw some days after his affair of the
9th, with which the Prince-Marshal had been
much dissatisfied. I at the same time received
orders from her Imperial Majesty to go to St
Petersburgh to be employed in the North Sea.
Sweden had declared war against Russia at the
commencement of the campaign, and Admiral
Greig, who had commanded the Russian fleet,
having died, I was assured her Majesty had very
important views in recalling me. Yet I could
not but feel grieved to be deprived of my com-
mand when the campaign, so far as regarded
maritime operations, was so nearly concluded.

" As soon as the Prince of Nassau went off, all
the gold swords were distributed among the of-
ficers of the flotilla. It may easily be imagined
that this transaction, as well as several things

answer for this with my honour, and will explain myself
fairly on this delicate point at the end of the campaign.
In the meanwhile, I may merely say, that it is upon the
sacred promise I have given them of demanding justice
from your Highness in their behalf, that they have con-
sented to stifle their grievances and keep silent,"

PAUL JONES. 87

which preceded it, were not calculated to give
me much pleasure. The capture of the Turkish
galley, and the boarding the galley of the Capi-
tan Pacha on the 1st of July, were without dis-
pute the most brilliant actions of the campaign
of the Liman. The credit of them was most
unjustly given to the flotilla, and my officers
remained without any reward for the important
services which they had rendered in these affairs,
laying aside those of the 18th June, the 30th of
August, and the 9th of October, from which they
reaped no advantage. After the gold swords
had been distributed, I myself heard several of
the officers who got them express their astonish-
ment, not being able to guess for what they had
been so highly rewarded.

" It is worthy of notice, that all the large ves-
sels which the flotilla attacked were previously
aground. In this case, they might be compared
to men with their feet nailed to planks, and
their hands tied behind their backs. This is the
only instance in history of ships aground, and
out of the possibility of being re-captured, being

88 MEMOIRS OF

attacked and destroyed, with their crews, by com-
bustibles. It may be recollected, that during
the whole campaign the flotilla had not taken
even one small vessel afloat. Since a very mis-
taken notion has been formed of the vessels taken
in the Liman on the 17th and 18th of June,
which have been called " ships of the line," it
is but right to say that I made Lieutenant Fox
measure the hulls of the two largest, and we
found that the size of the one was 130, and of
the other 135 feet English in total length, in the
line of their first battery. Apply this to naval
architecture. Yet the Prince of Nassau had
been rewarded in a brilliant manner for " having
destroyed six, and captured two ships of the
line" The only three-masted vessel which es-
caped burning upon the 18th June was a cor-
vette of one battery, and four pieces between
decks. I had almost forgot that there was one
small brigantine of fourteen three-pounders.
Such were the two vessels of the line that were
captured, and the latter was wrecked next day
by the carelessness of those who had the charge

PAUL JONES. 89

of her. In place of eight vessels of the line, the
Capitan Pacha had come into the Liman with
only a detachment of corvettes, or large mer-
chantmen, frigates, bomb-ships, and other craft.
Only four of the corvettes carried guns between
decks. Of this number was the vessel saved. On
one of these four vessels was displayed a square
flag ; but there was the same on the galley and
the kirlangich of the Capitan Pacha. It has
been already said that the grand fleet without
Kinbourn displayed three Admirals' flags. From
the account of the campaign given by the Prince
of Nassau, it appears that the Capitan Pacha had
lost his best ship, manned with , the picked men
of his fleet, and his only flag as Grand Admiral,
while it is well known that at the end of the cam-
paign he went back to Constantinople with all the
ships of the line he had at the commencement
of it.

As it had been told me that some ill-intention-
ed persons in the army had said that I had been
deprived of my command because the officers
were unwilling to serve under me, I endeavoured
to procure testimonials to the contrary, and have

90 MEMOIRS OF

seen with regret that the mind is not always free ;
and that it sometimes dare not render homage
to truth.*

" The last of the five frigates, called ' Sea
Batteries,' did not join the squadron till the 19th
of October, and the same day Admiral Mord-
winoff placed the line of blockade in the road
much farther out than it ever had been, so that
the vessels masked the fire of all the guns on
shore on both sides." [Here the Rear-Admiral
enters into certain professional criticisms on his
successor's arrangements, which are neither pe-

* In the service in which Paul Jones was engaged
that was impossible., which in any service requires con-
siderable moral courage. His Russian Secretary drew up
for the signature of the officers a testimony in favour of
" Rear-Admiral PaulJones, Chevalier of the Military Or-
der of Merit, the Order of St Anne, and of Cincinnatus ;"
which, says the Secretary, they, for powerful reasons, de-
clined to subscribe, though they at the same time owned
there was nothing in it contrary to pure truth. It was
drawn up on the very eve of Paul Jones's departure for
St Petersburgh. The Captain of his late ship, the Wo-
lodimer, subscribed it, and also one of the other officers.

PAUL JONES. 91

culiarly interesting, nor yet very good-natured,
but which may, nevertheless, be very just. We
pass them, and again take up the personal nar-
rative.]

" Having reflected that the season was too
far advanced to render my services necessary in
the North Sea before the following year, I wrote
to the Prince-Marshal, offering to continue my
services till the end of the campaign. I was in-
debted to him for the Order of St Anne, and I
have a heart naturally grateful.* He made his
Secretary, M. Popoff, write me, that since I was
recalled by the order of the Empress, it was ne-
cessary I should obey.

" I was, however, invited to head-quarters to
take leave, and to receive a letter from the Prince-
Marshal for her Imperial Majesty. As I was
much interested personally, and still more so in

* Paul Jones never appears to have had a true idea of
the whole character of Potemkin till long afterwards.
Potemkin was, indeed, one of the most extraordinary
monsters that ever lived., — a jumble of every moral con-
tradiction.

y» MEMOIRS OF

relation to my officers, I after dinner spoke free-
ly, and told M. Popoff all that was on my mind.
This gentleman repeated all I said to the Prince-
Marshal. He was offended at first, but after-
wards he sent for me to talk with him. Without
failing in the respect due to him, I spoke very
freely. I told him he had played an unfair game
at the opening of the campaign in dividing the
command in the Liman in the existing circum-
stances of the country ; and that, if I had not
resolved to sacrifice my own feelings in order to
manage the persons he had given me for col-
leagues, the campaign would have taken a very
different turn. He confessed it, but said it was
too late to think of this now. He then said he
would be glad to see me fixed in Russia, and
that he was disposed to give me solid proofs of
his esteem, both now and hi future. I showed
him the testimonial of the Captain of the Wolo-
dimer, and some other papers, to convince him
that he had neither done justice to me nor to
the squadron. He said the Prince of Nassau
pretended all was done by himself; ' but I have
never,' said he, ( been deceived in him. I have

PAUL JONES. 93

always known him for what he is.' He proposed
that I should go to Tagenroc to equip and com-
mand a squadron he was building there ; but, as
I had been brought to Russia to take the chief
command in the Black Sea, and had received
orders from the Empress to repair to St Peters-
burgh, I declined the offer. I only entreated
that he would consider the services of my officers,
and give them the seniority they had lost by the
promotion of those officers of the flotilla who did
not belong to the naval service. Admiral Mord-
winoff made the same request, and the Prince
promised to do them justice.

" Two days afterwards I received a letter from
the Prince-Marshal for the Empress, in which
he noticed the zeal and anxiety I had ever shown
for her service, and to render myself worthy of
her favour.*

* We give this letter. It is a good specimen of the
sort of thing ; nor is it possible to believe that a man so
acute as Paul Jones was duped or hoodwinked by this
fashion of speaking and writing, though for political rea-
sons he suffered himself to appear so : —

94 MEMOIRS OF

" On the 4th November, the Capitan Pacha
havingwithdrawn his advanced guard in the night,
set sail in the morning with his whole force, enter-
ing first Varna, and afterwards Constantinople,
with every ship of the line he had at the opening
of the campaign. It is singular that this enter-
prising commander did not attempt to force the
entrance of the Liman ; for Admiral MordwinofF
had placed the squadron in so exposed and dis-
advantageous a situation, that the fire of the
land-batteries, which should have flanked him
without, was entirely covered. But it may be
presumed that the Turkish Admiral believed he

" MADAM,— In sending to the high throne of your
Imperial Majesty Rear- Admiral M. Paul Jones, I take,
with submission, the liberty of certifying the eagerness
and zeal which he has ever shown for the service of your
Imperial Majesty, and to render himself worthy of the
high favour of your Imperial Majesty.

" From the most faithful subject of your
Imperial Majesty,

" PRINCE POTEMKIN TAURICIEX.

" 31st October, 1788."

PAUL JONES. 95

had done enough for the safety of Oczakow by
the succours he had thrown in.

" On the morning of the 7tn? agreeably to
a secret order from the Prince-Marshal, the
Saporoses landed, to the number of 2000, on
the Island of Beresane. The Turkish garrison
being only 300 strong, fired a few random shots,
and then surrendered at discretion.

66 Having given the officers under me such
testimonials as they merited, I embarked on the
morning of the 9th November in a small open
galley for Cherson. I was three days and three
nights on the way, and suffered a great deal from
the excessive cold. The day after my arrival
the river was frozen in, and I was taken danger-
ously ill. My health was not sufficiently re-
established to enable me to proceed before the
6th of December. Having arrived at St Eliza-
beth, I received intelligence that Oczakow had
been taken by storm on the 6th. The garrison
was eleven thousand strong, including the three
thousand that the Capitan Pacha had thrown
into the place before he sailed. But the cold
had become extreme, and the Russian army

96 MEMOIRS OF

being formed in six columns to attack the place
at day-dawn, the Turks were completely taken
by surprise, and, becoming panic-struck, suffered
themselves to be throttled like as many sheep.
In the fury of the assault the Russian soldiers
spared nothing. I have been assured, that from
eighteen to nineteen thousand Turks perished on
that day !

" As I wished to delay my return to court
till the arrival of the Prince-Marshal, I stopt
some days at Skloff, where General Soritsch
loaded me with civilities. I arrived at St Peters-
burgh on the 28th December, and was ordered
to appear at court on the 31st, when her Impe-
rial Majesty did me the honour of granting me
a private audience. I presented the letter the
Prince-Marshal had given me. A few days
afterwards the Empress sent me word, through
Count de Dmitrijew-Mamonow, that she must
wait the arrival of Prince Potemkin before de-
ciding on what was to be done regarding me. In
the meanwhile Count Besborodko told me, that
a command of greater importance was intended
for me than that of the Black Sea.

PAUL JONES. 97

" On the 1st February, the Prince-Marshal
not having yet arrived, I gave in to the Vice-
Chancellor, Count d'Osterman, a project for form-
ing an alliance, political and commercial, between
Russia and the United States. As the object of
this project was reciprocal advantages, and, above
all, to encourage the commerce of the Black Sea,
and of the new settlements in the Crimea, I had
long intended to transmit it to the Prince-Mar-
shal; and on his arrival at court, about the
middle of February, I sent him a copy. Some
time afterwards he took me into his cabinet, and
said that my plan contained some good ideas;
but that he did not think it expedient to adopt it
at this time, as this might still further irritate the
English against Russia, and that it was necessary
first to make peace with the Turks.

" I might say a great deal more about the
fleet and flotilla of Cherson, but for the present
I have said enough." [The Rear-Admiral does,
however, say a good deal about the construction
and equipment of the Russian ships, and the in-
ternal regulations of the Russian navy, which
shows much professional acuteness, but must

VOL. II. E

98 MEMOIRS OF

have small interest now that all is changed. The
speculations of a clever and a practical man forty
years ago, on the opening prospects of the Rus-
sian empire, compared with its actual state, are,
however, both curious and important.] " The
commerce of the Black Sea," he says, "is an
object of very great importance ; but this com-
merce will always be annoyed and often inter-
rupted by the Turks, till Russia has a stronger
fleet hi the Black Sea to hold them at bay, and to
place the keys of Constantinople in the hands of
the Empress. Russia having all the requisite
materials, in making the necessary arrangements
with order and economy (without speaking of
war, to avoid exciting suspicion in powers jealous
of her glory,) this deficiency might be supplied
in a few years. The means of obtaining good
seamen is to create a merchant-trade, — to form
an alliance with the United States, — and to have
a squadron of evolution on the Black Sea, di-
rected by an admiral and a properly-instructed
staff.

" I have always believed that Russia requires
a port on the Asiatic side, opposite the Crimea,

PAUL JONES. 99

to protect the fleet in winds and currents, and to
be as it were a sentinel-post on the Turks. I
have thought of Sinople for this purpose, and I
spoke of it to the Empress and Prince Potem-
kin; but, being afterwards better informed, I
found a more suitable situation, where I am cer-
tain such a post could be securely established at
small cost, and beard the whole Ottoman empire.
" I must be permitted to conclude my journal
with some reflections naturally suggested by mat-
ters affecting my personal honour. I have never
been able to conjecture the reason which made
Prince Potemkin order Admiral Mordwinoff to
give up to him the official account of our opera-
tions, which I had drawn up in conformity to the
orders of the Admiralty of the Black Sea, as I was
assured he had done, both by Admiral Mordwinoff
and his brother-in-law. No more could I guess
why Prince Potemkin had given orders that no
notice should be taken of the little frigate Alex-
ander, which had been run down in the battle of
the 17th June. This information also I had
from Admiral Mordwinoff after I had given up
to him the command of the squadron. I have

100 MEMOIRS OF

been assured that this frigate was always retained
in the list ef the marine. When I found that I
received no testimony of the favour of the Em-
press in this affair, and on other occasions very
interesting to the state, I was compelled to think
that she had been ill-informed, for her ambition
is to be esteemed the most magnanimous and the
most generous of all sovereigns.*

* It is no new incident in any service for one man to
gain the victory for which another is rewarded. This
must sometimes occur from due regard to rank and sub-
ordination, even where there is the strongest desire to do
strict justice to all the commanders. To the counsels of
Varage, Captain Winter, and a Milanese officer, De Litta,
the subsequent victory of the Cronstadt fleet over the
Swedes, for which Nassau was so highly rewarded, were
universally ascribed. The most brilliant and decisive
sea-battle ever gained by the Russians, that of Tschesrne,
where the whole Turkish fleet, a town and castle, were
taken or destroyed in one morning, was fought by the
English officers, Elphinstone, Greig, and especially Dug-
dale, who performed prodigies of reckless valour at the
greatest personal hazard. Yet the Empress thought fit
to attribute the victory to Alexy Orloff, either from po-

PAUL JONES. 101

" I received a letter from the Minister of the
United States (to the Court of Versailles,) dated
Paris the 23d March, 1789, which began by tell-
ing me, that a letter he had received from me,
dated at St Petersburgh, the 31st January, was
the only proof my friends had of my existence
since I had left Copenhagen.* If I had played

licy or want of information. Potemkin himself was
never more munificently rewarded for what he had ac-
tually accomplished, than was Orloff for a victory of
which he obtained the credit. There were great public
rejoicings ; pillars and palaces were erected, and titles,
estates, orders, or whatever the imagination of the Em-
press could devise to do him honour, were heaped on
the murderer of her husband, to whom she had formerly
owed a considerable share of her usurped crown.

* In Russia, letters were systematically intercepted.
This was part of the policy of the government ; and such
things have been heard of in that country, even of later
date than the reign of Catherine II. When the Arch-
duke Paul was permitted to travel through Europe
with the Archdutchess, he was so well aware of the jea-
lousy of his mother and her government, that he arrang-
ed a private correspondence to be forwarded to the Swe-
dish post-offices by couriers. His correspondent was a

102 MEMOIRS OF

the part of a cipher in the campaign of the Liman
it was for the first time. I either deserved to lose
my head, or the history of the operations on the
Liman, which had been got up in St Petersburgh
during the winter, and which I saw with astonish-
ment in the office of M. Popoff, merited to be
burnt. I assert, that it was falsified even to the
most trifling circumstances.

66 I have acted a public and distinguished part
for fifteen years among an enlightened people,
where the press is free, and where the conduct
of every man is open to discussion, and subjected
to the judgment of his fellow-citizens. No man
can play the hypocrite during so long a period
in a career so trying as was mine. It was natu-
ral for the Prince of Nassau and Brigadier Alex-
iano to be my enemies, for they only sought their

young aid-de-camp, Bibikoff, who sometimes permitted
himself to describe persons about the court without suf-
ficient regard to decorum. Among those honoured with
his notice was One Eye, as he termed Potemkin. The
courier was intercepted at Riga, and Paul's witty corre-
spondent was exiled to Astracan, where he shortly died.

PAUL JONES. 103

own advantage ; and Prince Potemkin, who knew
better, did wrong to place me in competition with
them ; but I cannot conceive how it happened
that I had around Prince Potemkin other enemies
as powerful as they were malicious. I ought to
have found only friends in Russia, for I have
served that empire faithfully and well. The
manner in which Prince Potemkin has changed
in regard to me, since the commencement of the
war, exceeds all imagination. While he sup-
posed that my services would be an acquisition
in directing the maritime operations against the
Turks, the Admirals MordwinofF and Woino-
witch entirely lost his confidence as officers ; and
it is evident that Woinowitch had not regained
it on the 19th of August, when it was proposed
that I should go to Sevastopole to take command
of the fleet. When I had the misfortune to of-
fend Prince Potemkin by the freedom of my
letter of the 14th October, he sent several cou-
riers, one after another, entreating that Admiral
MordwinofF would take command of the squadron,
which the latter only at last accepted on condi-
tion of receiving carte blanche, and insisted that

104 MEMOIKS OF

the Prince should not interfere in any arrange-
ments he thought fit to make.

" I have mentioned that the Dnieper was
frozen over the day after my arrival at Cherson,
in consequence of which the squadron and flotilla
were placed in danger, from not having been pro-
perly secured (for the season) after the departure
of the Capitan Pacha. I understood that some
of the vessels were lost in the Liman, and that
the Wolodimer, to save herself, was obliged to
risk the passage to Sevastopole without a good
part of her ballast.

" Briefly — in a few days after my departure
from Cherson, Admiral Mordwinoff was disgraced
and sent from the service, whilst Admiral Woi-
nowitch, who had married the daughter of Alexi-
ano, was placed at the head of the Admiralty,
with the chief command of the fleet, and the en-
tire confidence of Prince Potemkin.

" It is said that Russia has no longer need of
foreign naval officers. No one is more desirous
than myself that this may be so, for I cannot be
jealous of any one, and I must ever desire the
prosperity of a country I have served. I may,

PAUL JONES. 105

however, be allowed to notice, that this opinion is
not of very ancient date. If this had been be-
lieved before the last campaign, why were my
services so anxiously sought after ? — It assuredly
could not have been in compliment to me, nor in
order afterwards to make use of me in promoting
certain political designs. I have frequently heard,
that, since the war broke out with Sweden, mea-
sures have been taken to induce Rear-Admiral
Kinsbergen to quit Holland, and re-enter the
service of Russia. His countrymen allege that
he had been offered the rank of vice-admiral, the
Order of Alexander Nevsky, and a fixed revenue
of 20,000 roubles a-year ; and that he had re-
fused all these advantages, as he had lately mar-
ried a wife with a fortune which enabled him to
live in independence in his own country.

" It is known that the King of Sweden made
advantageous offers to Admiral Curtis of the
English navy, to induce him to take command
of the fleet against Russia ; and that this officer
declined them, not wishing to hazard his pro-
fessional reputation in command of a fleet which

E2

106 MEMOIRS OF

was not in so good a condition as that of Eng-
land.

" The Empress will do me the justice to re-
member, that when I entered her service I did
not say one word regarding my personal interests.
I have a soul too noble for that ; and if my heart
had not been devoted to her Majesty, I would
never have drawn my sword in her cause. I
have now nothing for it but, like Admiral Kins-
bergen, to marry a rich wife; but I have. sufficient
to support me wherever I choose, and I have seen
enough of the world to be a philosopher. When
I arrived at the Black Sea, if reasons much
stronger than those which withheld Admiral Cur-
tis had not influenced my mind and heart, which
were devoted to the Empress, I would never have
hoisted my flag on board the Wolodimer. I
would have refused the poor command offered
me, and which was not worthy of me. I have
never puffed off my own actions, nor given any
piece to the press containing my own panegyric.*

* The pettish tone of some of these remarks affords an

PAUL JONES. 107

" I respect the names of Kinsbergen and
Curtis ; but the first duty of a gentleman is to
respect his own character ; and I believe, with-
out vanity, that the name of Paul Jones is of as
much value as theirs. It is thirty years since I
entered the navy, and I have had for friends and
instructors a d'Orvilliers and a Pavilon. Unfor-
tunately Prince Potemkin never gave himself the
trouble to know me.

" I had the happiness to be loved by my offi-
cers and men, because I treated them justly, and
set them a good example in fight. After I ceased
to command, though the campaign only lasted a
few days, the seamen soon found the difference.
They said they had lost their father : they were
immediately served with bad provisions.

amusing contrast to the affected coolness and indifference
of the sentiments they express ; but it should be remem-
bered, that, just before this Journal was ex tended, the man
who suffered all the neglect, injustice, and insult which
it records, had been irritated to the verge of despair and
madness by persecution and injury of a viler and yet more
despicable nature. Under the feeling of these wrongs he
writes.

108 MEMOIES OF

" I have already noticed, that Prince Potem-
kin had promised, in presence of Admiral Mord-
winoff, to advance the officers under my com-
mand, and to restore to them the seniority they
had lost by the promotion of the officers of the
flotilla ; but I have learnt with much pain that
he has not kept his word, and that in consequence
my officers, to the number of fifty, have de-
manded then- dismission. Not one of them of-
fered to resign while I held command. Admiral
Woinowitch having represented to Prince Po-
temkin that without these officers the fleet was
useless, he was compelled to advance them all.
I have been told that they were not yet satisfied,
as they were not restored to their seniority, and
that they proposed to quit the service at the end
of the year. I hope justice will be done them,
for they are brave men. For myself I have
been marked out from every other officer that
served in the Liman ; I alone have obtained no
promotion, though I commanded and was alone
responsible ! I may be told that I ought to be
satisfied with having received the rank of Rear-
admiral on entering the service. I reply, that I

PAUL JONES. 109

could not have been offered an inferior grade.
One officer may deserve as much in a day as an-
other hi a lifetime, and every officer ought to be
advanced according to his merits. I was not fa-
voured hi rank on entering the Russian service.
I had a full right to obtain that which I accepted.
A man, only twenty-four years of age, has since
been received into the service with the rank of
major-general. I wish to say nothing against
this officer ; it is not always years that give skill,
much less genius, but he must do a great deal
before he has my experience.

" It is painful, for the honour of human na-
ture, to reflect on how many malevolent and de-
ceitful persons surround the great, and particu-
larly crowned heads. I speak from my own un-
happy experience. Some persons had the malice
to make Prince Potemkin believe that I made
unhandsome strictures on his military conduct,
and ridiculed his manner of conducting the siege
of Oczakow. I have heard a great deal said on
this subject, and I am aware that it excited con-
siderable discontent in the army. I was told,
during my illness at Cherson, that a thousand of

110 MEMOIRS OF

his officers had demanded their dismission ; but
I defy any one to say to my face that I ever al-
lowed myself to criticise his operations. I have
been strongly attached to him, of which I have
given proofs during my command, and even
after he unjustly superseded me. There is evi-
dence of this in my letter of the *Jth November,
at a time when I certainly had reason to complain
of his conduct.

" I have been deeply injured by those secret
machinations in the opinion of the Empress.
My enemies have had the wickedness to make her
believe that I was a cruel and brutal man ; and
that I had, during the American war, even killed
my own nephew !

" It is well known, that, from motives of re-
venge, the English have invented and propagated
a thousand fictions and atrocities to stain, wound,
and injure the celebrated men who effected the
American revolution : — a Washington and a
Franklin, two of the most illustrious and vir-
tuous men that have ever adorned humanity,
have not been spared by these calumniators.
Are they now the less respected on this account

PAUL JONES. Ill

by their fellow-citizens ? — On the contrary, they
are universally revered, even in Europe, as the
fathers of their country, and as examples of all
that is great and noble in the human character.

tf In civil wars it is not wonderful that oppo-
site factions should mutually endeavour to make
it be believed that each is in the right ; and it is
obvious that the party most in the wrong will
always be the most calumnious. If there had
really been any thing against my character, the
English would not have failed to furnish con-
vincing proofs of it. I was known, with very
slender means, to have given more alarm to then*
three kingdoms during, the war than any other
individual had done.

66 I have heard, that, at the period of my en-
tering the Russian service, the English in St
Petersburgh cried out against me, and asserted
that I had been a contraband trader. All the
world knows that men of this description are ac-
tuated entirely by avarice ; and every one to
whom I have the honour to be known is aware
that I am one of the least selfish of mankind.
This is known to the whole American people. I

112 MEMOIRS OF

have given proofs of it not easily shown, of which
I possess very flattering testimonies. In a letter
written on the 29th November, 1782, to Con-
gress, by Mr Morris, minister of the marine and
finance departments, after having made my eu-
logium with the warmth of a true patriot, who
thoroughly knew me, he says, that ' I had cer-
tainly merited the favour of Congress by services
and sacrifices the most signal.' Men do not
change their characters in these respects.

" If my heart has bled for the Americans, —
above all, for those shut up as victims in Eng-
lish prisons by an act of Parliament as sanguin-
ary as unjust, — if I have exposed my health and
my life to the greatest dangers, if I have sacri-
ficed my personal tranquillity and my domestic
happiness, with a portion of my fortune and my
blood, to set at liberty these virtuous and inno-
cent men, — have I not given proofs sufficiently
striking that I have a heart the most tender, a
soul the most elevated ? — I have done more than
all this. So far from being harsh and cruel,
nature has given me the mildest disposition. I
was formed for love and friendship, and not to be

PAUL JONES. 113

a seaman or a soldier, to which I have sacrificed
my natural inclination.

" As an officer I love good discipline, which I
consider indispensable to the success of opera-
tions, particularly at sea, where men are brought
into such close contact. In the English navy it
is known that captains of ships are often tyrants,
who order the lash for the poor seamen very fre-
quently for nothing. In the American navy we
have almost the same regulations ; but I look on
my crew as my children, and I have always found
means to manage them without flogging.

" I never had a nephew, nor any other rela-
tion, under my command. Happily these facts
are known in America, and they prove how cruel
and harsh I am. I have one dear nephew,* who
is still too young for service, but who now pur-
sues his studies. Since I came to Russia I have
intended him for the Imperial marine. Instead
of imbruing my hands in his blood he will be
cherished as my son.

* The only son of the Rear- Admiral's eldest sister, the
late Mrs Taylor of Dumfries.

114 MEMOIRS OF

" In short, my conduct has obtained for me
the returns most grateful to my heart. I have
had the happiness to give universal satisfaction
to two great and enlightened nations which I
have served. Of this I have received singular
proofs. I am the only man in the world that
possesses a sword given by the King of France.
It is to me a glorious distinction to wear it ; and,
above all, to have received it as a proof of the
particular esteem of a monarch so august, — a
monarch who has declared himself the Protector
of the rights of the human race, and who adds
to this glorious title that of citizen ! I have in-
delible proofs of the high consideration of the
United States; but what completes my happi-
ness is the esteem and friendship of the most
virtuous of men, whose fame will be immortal ;
and that a Washington, a Franklin, a D'Estaing,
a La Fayette, think the bust of Paul Jones worthy
of being placed side by side with their own. It
is then certain that this is not the bust of one *

* In the mysterious and now perhaps inexplicable in-

PAUL JONES. 115

" Since I am found too frank and too sincere
to make my way at the Court of Russia without
creating powerful enemies, I have philosophy
enough to withdraw into the peaceful bosom of
friendship ; but, as I love virtue better than re-
ward, and as my greatest ambition is to preserve,

trigue set on foot at the return of Paul Jones from the
Liman, to ruin him personally in the good opinion of the
Empress, for he had been professionally sacrificed before,
it appears, by a passage following the above extravagant
self-eulogium, (which we can only pardon in an indignant
and persecuted man,) that accusations had been insinuated
against him of a yet darker and more revolting character
than the alleged murder of his nephew and the violation
of a girl. Had not the latter calumny already been made
public, as Paul Jones takes no notice of it in his Journal,
we would scarce have polluted our pages by reference
to it. The circumstance, however, has been noticed
by Count Segur, and adverted to by the American bio-
grapher ; and as we possess ample means from his papers,
and the testimony of Segur and Littlepage, of establish-
ing his innocence in this affair, it is noticed. Indeed this
absurd charge died away before he left Russia, though
stated by the historian of Catherine II. as the cause of
his being driven from that country !

116 MEMOIRS OF

even in the shades of retreat, the precious favour
of the Empress, I may tell her Majesty, that,
even in the midst of my persecutions, my mind
was occupied by plans for the essential advance-
ment of her service, of which I gave some idea to
her minister in June last (1789.) I have not
entered into details, for there are politicians who
before now have robbed me of my military plans.
I have other projects in view from which the flag
of Russia might derive new lustre, and which
would cause but little expense to her Majesty at
the outset, and perhaps nothing in the end, if I
had the direction ; for I would be able to make
war support war. Whatever be the issue, I
have the satisfaction of having done my duty in
Russia, and that without any views of self-in-
terest. It is affirmed, that, in general, strangers
who come to Russia are adventurers in search of
fortune, not having the means of living in their
own country. I cannot say as to this ; but I at
least hope that the Empress will not class me
with those.

" Briefly, I am satisfied with myself; and I
have the happiness to know, that, though my

PAUL JONES. 117

enemies may not be converted into friends, my
name will nevertheless be always respected by
worthy men who know me ; and it is to me a sa-
tisfaction and a signal triumph at the moment of
my leaving Russia, that the public, and even the
English in St Petersburgh, with whom I had no
connexion, have now changed their sentiments
in regard to me, give me their esteem, and regret
my departure.

" St Petersburgh, 29th July, 1789."

END OF THE JOURNAL OF THE CAMPAIGN OF
THE LIMAN.

118 MEMOIRS OF

CHAPTER II.

A BRIEF notice of Russian affairs is perhaps ne-
cessary to enable the reader to form a correct
opinion of the conduct of Paul Jones during this
period.

The whole history of the campaign, so far as
it regards Paul Jones, is comprehended in the
character of Potemkin. He had provoked the
war with Turkey from motives that his extra-
ordinary character render credible, though in re-
lation to any other individual they would remain
unworthy of belief. Already loaded with titles,
honours, dignities, and crosses of almost all the
European orders, he still secretly longed for the
grand ribbon of the Order of St George, an order
instituted by the Empress. To dismember the Ot-
toman empire still farther, and procure this dis-
tinction, a war was to be provoked by intrigues,
bribery, and the promotion of intestine divisions

PAUL JONES. 119

in the Turkish dominions ; and when all was pre-
pared, by the insolence of the Russian envoys and
consuls, and the barefaced violation of existing
treaties, the discredit of actual aggression was art-
fully thrown on the Porte. Russia had already
virtually made war, but the Turks first declared
hostilities. The person to whom the conduct of the
war on the part of Russia was confided, — Field-
Marshal Prince Potemkin, — was one of the most
extraordinary men of his own or of any age. If
ever great genius be allied to madness it was so
in the wildly-organized mind of Potemkin. The
Prince de Ligne, who had closely examined his
character, and Count de Segur, who long knew
him intimately, and watched him strictly, have
both left portraits of this singular personage,
which, though French in their tone and colour-
ing, give a tolerable idea of the exterior of the
man on whose interests and caprices the fate of
the Russian empire as well as of Paul Jones
depended. Neither the acute Austrian, de Ligne,
nor the manners-seizing Frenchman, de Segur,
held, however, a plummet-line of sufficient length
to sound all the depths of Potemkin's character.

120 MEMOIRS OF

The Prince de Ligne saw a great deal of " the
Prince," as he was called, during the stately pro-
gress of the Empress in 1787? and afterwards at
head-quarters during the campaign of 1788. His
sketch of an unparalleled original, which was
written exactly at the time when Potemkin was
in daily contact with Paul Jones, commences
thus : — " I here behold a commander-in-chief
who looks idle and is always busy ; who has no
other desk than his knees, no other comb than
his fingers; constantly reclining on his couch,
yet sleeping neither in the night nor in day-
time. His zeal for the Empress he adores keeps
him incessantly awake and uneasy ; and a can-
non-shot, to which he himself is not exposed,
disturbs him with the idea, that it costs the life
of some of his soldiers ; trembling for others,
brave for himself; stopping under the hottest
fire of a battery to give orders, yet more an
Ulysses than an Achilles ; alarmed at the ap-
proach of danger, frolicksome when it surrounds
him ; dull in the midst of pleasure ; unhappy in
being too fortunate ; surfeited with every thing ;
easily disgusted, morose, inconstant ; a profound

PAUL JONES. 121

philosopher, an able minister, a sublime politi-
cian, or like a child of ten years of age ; not re-
vengeful ; asking pardon for a pain he has in-
flicted ; quickly repairing an injustice ; thinking
he loves God when he fears the devil, whom he
fancies still greater and bigger than himself;
waving one hand to the females that please him,
and with the other making the sign of the cross ;
embracing the feet of a statue of the Virgin, or
the alabaster neck of his mistress ; receiving
numberless presents from his sovereign, and dis-
tributing them immediately to others ; accepting
estates of the Empress and returning them, or
paying her debts without her knowledge."* The

* This is pure fiction. Potemkin would never, if pos-
sible, pay his own debts. When any one came to de-
mand payment, Popoff his secretary was asked why that
man was not paid ? but, by a preconcerted signal, (the
Prince closing his hand,) the secretary was given to un-
derstand that no payment was intended to be made :
when, on the contrary, he opened his hand, which was
more rarely, the debt was to be discharged. The Em-
press had often paid his debts. His rapacity exceeded
his profusion.

VOL. II. F

MEMOIRS OF

Prince de Ligne proceeds in the same strain of
antithesis: — " Gambling from morn to night,
or not at all ; preferring prodigality in giving to
regularity in paying ; prodigiously rich, and not
worth a farthing ; abandoning himself to distrust
or to confidence, to jealousy or to gratitude, to
ill-humour or to pleasantry ; talking divinity to
his generals and tactics to his bishops ; never
reading, but sifting every one with whom he
converses, and contradicting to be better in-
formed; uncommonly affable or extremely sa-
vage ; affecting the most attractive or the most
repulsive manners ; appearing by turns the
proudest satrap of the East, or the most polish-
ed courtier of Louis XIV. ; concealing under
the appearance of harshness the greatest bene-
volence of heart ; whimsical with regard to time,
repasts, rest, and inclinations ; like a child,
wanting to have every thing, or like a great man,
knowing how to do without many things ; sober,
though seemingly a glutton ; gnawing his fingers,
or apples and turnips ; scolding or laughing ;
mimicking or swearing ; engaged in wantonness
or prayers ; singing or meditating ; calling or

PAUL JONES. 123

dismissing ; sending for twenty aides-de-camp,
and saying nothing to any of them ; bearing
heat better than any man, while he seems to
think of nothing but the most voluptuous baths ;
not caring for cold, though he appears unable to
exist without furs ; always in his shirt without
drawers, or in rich regimentals embroidered on
all the seams; barefoot, or in slippers embroi-
dered with spangles ; wearing neither hat nor
cap ; it is thus I saw him once in the midst of a
musket-fire. Sometimes in a night-gown ; some-
times in a splendid tunic, with his three stars,
his orders, and diamonds as large as a thumb
round the portrait of the Empress, — they seemed
placed there to attract the balls ;— crooked and al-
most bent double when he is at home ; and tall,
erect, proud, handsome, noble, majestic, or fas-
cinating, when he shows himself to the army,
like Agamemnon in the midst of the monarchs
of Greece. What, then, is his magic ? — Ge-
nius, natural abilities, an excellent memory,
and much elevation of soul ; malice without the
design of injuring; artifice without craft; a
happy mixture of caprices ; the art of conquer-

124 MEMOIRS OF

ing every heart in his good moments ; much
generosity, graciousness, and justice in his re-
wards ; a refined or correct taste ; the talent of
guessing what he is ignorant of; and a consum-
mate knowledge of mankind.'

This sketch is rather the eulogium than the
true character of Potemkin. He had originally
been the favourite of the Empress, from which
thraldom he alone, of her numerous lovers, pass-
ed into the possession of greater political power
than was enjoyed by any other man in Russia.
Till his death he remained master of the desti-
nies of the empire, and retained a paramount in-
fluence over the mind of Catharine. He held
every office of importance in the state. It was even
whispered, that, after the death of her favourite,
Lanskoi, Catharine gave her hand in secret to
Potemkin. This was doubted at the time, and,
at all events, made no change in the mode of
life of the Empress or the Prince. It was he, in
general, who either chose or recommended the
favourites that appeared in rapid succession. A
part of his revenue was a hundred thousand
roubles from the Empress, and the same sum

PAUL JONES. 125

from the new favourite, as often as this office was
changed.

The portrait left of this extraordinary person
by Count Segur, if not exact, approaches more
nearly to a true likeness than the epigrammatic
sketch of De Ligne : — " Prince Gregory Alex-
androvitch Potemkin was," says Segur, " one
of the most extraordinary men of his times;
but, in order to have played so conspicuous a
part, he must have been in Russia, and have
lived in the reign of Catharine II. In any other
country, in any other times, with any other so-
vereign, he would have been misplaced ; and it
was a singular stroke of chance that created this
man for the period that tallied with him, and
brought together and combined all the circum-
stances with which he could tally.

" In his person were collected the most oppo-
site defects and advantages of every kind. He
was avaricious and ostentatious, despotic and po-
pular, inflexible and beneficent, haughty and
obliging, politic and confiding, licentious and
superstitious, bold and timid, ambitious and in-
discreet. Lavish of his bounties to his relations,

126

MEMOIRS OF

his mistresses, and his favourites, yet frequently
paying neither his household nor his creditors.
His consequence always depended on a woman ;
and he was always unfaithful to her. Nothing
could equal the activity of his mind, nor the in-
dolence of his body. No dangers could appal
his courage ; no difficulties force him to abandon
his projects. But the success of an enterprise
always brought on disgust.

" He wearied the empire by the number of
his posts and the extent of his power. He was
himself fatigued with the burthen of his exist-
ence; envious of all that he did not do, and
sick of all that he did. Rest was not grateful to
him, nor occupation pleasing. Every thing with
him was desultory ; business, pleasure, temper,
carriage. In every company he had an embar-
rassed air, and his presence was a restraint on
every company. He was morose to all that
stood in awe of him, and caressed all such as ac-
costed him with familiarity.

" Ever promising, seldom keeping his word,
and never forgetting any thing. None had read
less than he ; few people were better informed.

PAUL JONES.

127

He had talked with the skilful in all professions,
in all the sciences, in every art. None better
knew how to draw forth and appropriate to him-
self the knowledge of others. In conversation
he would have astonished a scholar, an artist, an
artisan, and a divine. His information was not
deep, but it was very extensive. He never
dived into a subject, but he spoke well on all
subjects.

" The inequality of his temper was productive
of an inconceivable oddity in his desires, in his
conduct, and in his manner of life. One while
he formed the project of becoming Duke of
Courland ; at another he thought of bestowing
on himself the crown of Poland. He frequently
gave intimations of an intention to make himself
a bishop or even a simple monk. He built a su-
perb palace, and wanted to sell it before it was
finished. One day he would dream of nothing
but war ; and only officers, Tartars, and Cossacks,
were admitted to him ; the next day he was bu-
sied only with politics ; he would partition the
Ottoman empire, and put in agitation all the ca-
binets of Europe. At other times, with nothing

128 MEMOIRS OF

in his head but the court, dressed in a magnifi-
cent suit, covered with ribbons presented him by
every potentate, displaying diamonds of extraor-
dinary magnitude and brilliance, he was giving
superb entertainments without any occasion.

" He was sometimes known for a month, and
in the face of all the town, to pass whole even-
ings at the apartments of a young female, seem-
ing to have alike forgot all business and all deco-
rum. Sometimes also, for several weeks succes-
sively, shut up in his room with his nieces and
several men of his intimates, he would lounge on
a sofa, without speaking, playing at chess, or at
cards, with his legs bare, his shirt-collar unbut-
toned, in a morning-gown, with a thoughful front,
his eyebrows knit, and presenting to the view of
strangers who came to see him the figure of a
rough and squalid Cossack.

" All these singularities often put the Empress
out of humour, but rendered him more interest-
ing to her. In his youth he had pleased her by
the ardour of his passion, by his valour, and by
his masculine beauty. Being arrived at maturi-
ty, he charmed her still by flattering her pride,

PAUL JONES. 129

by calming her apprehensions, by confirming her
power, by cherishing her fancies of oriental em-
pire, the expulsion of the barbarians, and the re-
storation of the Grecian republics.

" At eighteen, an under officer in the horse-
guards, on the day of the revolution, he per-
suaded his corps to take arms, and presented to
Catharine his cockade as an ornament for her
sword. Soon after, become the rival of Orloff, he
performed for his sovereign whatever the most
romantic passion could inspire. He put out his
eye to free it from a blemish which diminished
his beauty. Banished by his rival, he ran to
meet death in battle, and returned with glory. A
successful lover, he quickly shook off the hypocri-
tical farce, whose catastrophe held out to him the
prospect of an obscure destiny. He himself gave
favourites to his mistress, and became her con-
fidant, her friend, her general, and her minister.

" Panin was president of the council, and was
a stickler for the alliance of Prussia. Potemkin
persuaded his mistress that the friendship of the
Emperor would be of more use to her in realizing
her plans against the Turks. He connected her

130 MEMOIRS OF

with Joseph II., and thereby furnished himself
with the means of conquering the Crimea and
the country of the Nogay Tartars, which de-
pended upon it. Restoring to these regions their
sonorous and ancient names, creating a maritime
force at Cherson and Sevastopole, he persuaded
Catharine to come and admire herself this new
scene of his glory. Nothing was spared for ren-
dering this journey renowned to the latest poste-
rity. Thither were conveyed, from all parts of
the empire, money, provisions, and horses. The
highways were illuminated. The Borysthenes
was covered with magnificent galleys. A hun-
dred and fifty thousand soldiers were newly
equipped. The Cossacks were brought together ;
the Tartars were disciplined. Deserts were peo-
pled for the occasion ; and palaces were raised in
the trackless wild. The nakedness of the plains
of the Crimea was disguised by villages built on
purpose, and enlivened by fireworks. Chains of
mountains were illuminated. Fine roads were
opened by the army. Howling wildernesses were
transformed into English gardens. The King
of Poland came to pay homage to her who had

PAUL JONES. 131

crowned him, and who afterwards struck him
from the throne. The Emperor Joseph II.
came himself to attend the triumphal progress of
the Empress Catharine ; and the result of this
brilliant journey was another war, which the
' English and the Prussians impolitically instiga-
ted the Turks to undertake, and which was only
a fresh instrument to the ambition of Potemkin,
by affording him an occasion to conquer Ocza-
kow, which remained to Russia, and to obtain the
grand ribbon of St George, the only decoration
that was wanting to his vanity. But these latter
triumphs were the term of his life. He died in
Moldavia, almost by a sudden stroke ; and his
death, lamented by his nieces and by a small
number of friends, concerned only his rivals, who
were eager to divide his spoils, and was very soon
followed by a total oblivion.

" Like the rapid passage of those shining me-
teors which astonish us by their lustre, but are
empty as air, Potemkin began every thing, com-
pleted nothing, disordered the finances, disorgan-
ized the army, depopulated his country, and en-
riched it with other deserts. The fame of the

132 MEMOIRS OF

Empress was increased by his conquests. The
admiration they excited was for her; and the
hatred they raised for her minister. Posterity,
more equitable, will perhaps divide between them
both the glory of the successes and the severity
of the reproaches. It will not bestow on Potem-
kin the title of a great man ; but it will mention
him as an extraordinary person : and, to draw
his picture with accuracy, he might be represent-
ed as a real emblem, as the living image of the
Russian empire.

" For, in fact, he was colossal like Russia.
In his mind, as in that country, were cultivated
districts and desert plains. It also partook of
the Asiatic, of the European, of the Tartarian,
and the Cossack ; the rudeness of the eleventh
century, and the corruption of the eighteenth ;
the polish of the arts, and the ignorance of the
cloisters; an outside of civilization, and many
traces of barbarism. In a word, if we might ha-
zard so bold a metaphor, even his two eyes, the
one open, and the other closed, reminded us of
the Euxine always open, and the Northern ocean,
so long shut up with ice.

PAUL JONES. 133

" This portrait may appear gigantic ; but
those who knew Potemkin will bear witness to
its truth. That man had great defects ; but
without them, perhaps, he would neither have
got the mastery of his sovereign, nor that of his
country. He was made by chance precisely such
as he ought to be for preserving so long his
power over so extraordinary a woman."*

Segur might have added, that this Russian
hero was as artful as his impetuous passions per-
mitted ; vindictive, rapacious, and self-willed, to
a degree which denoted actual frenzy. When
young, and though a favourite not yet quite
established in the good graces of the Em-
press, he was, after a quarrel with her favour-
ites, the Orloffs, in which he lost an eye, sent
to serve under Field- Marshal Romantzoff. This
distinguished commander treated him with ci-
vility, praised his military conduct to the Em-
press, but gave him neither his confidence
nor esteem. The haughty Potemkin felt the

* Life of Catharine II., Empress of Russia, vol. iii. p.
326—333.

134 MEMOIRS OF .

humiliation, and never forgave the man, of whom
he really had nothing to complain. He engaged
in a despicable intrigue to ruin the Countess
Bruce, for no other reason than that she had
the misfortune to be the sister of the man he
hated, and who disdained to cringe before him.
PaulJones complains that his officers were not pro-
moted during one campaign. The officers of Ro-
mantzoff were kept from advancement for fourteen
successive years, and the Field-Marshal himself
retired at last in chagrin and disgust. It was no
unfrequent thing for Potemkin to strike the Rus-
sian officers that were about him, though he did
not venture to display the same vivacity of temper
to foreigners. He sometimes, in the headlong
impulse of rage, struck even the native nobility.
Field-officers were frequently sent by him from the
Crimea, and from places as distant, for a dish of a
particular kind of fish-soup, which cost him three
hundred roubles ; or to St Petersburgh or Riga
for a few oysters or oranges. He at one period
compelled the Empress to dismiss one of her fa-
vourites, (recommended by himself some time be-
fore,) at the same instant that she ventured to

PAUL JONES. 135

expostulate with him for having struck the uncle
of this young man. He ordered her to " dismiss
that white negro, (the favourite Yermoloff,) or
he would never again set his foot within the pa-
lace,1'— and the Empress obeyed ! Yermoloff'
was at the same moment sent on his travels. To
Paul Jones he had emphatically said, " None
led him — not even the Empress !" He was ex-
ceedingly indignant at the Swedish war, which
interfered with his views on the Ottoman empire.
He termed it an old woman's war. When Ca-
tharine wrote him an account of the hasty pre-
parations she had made to repel the Swedes
who were approaching her frontier, she inquires,
with the good humour which never deserted her,
" Have I done right, my master ?" This was less
a jesting expression than her Majesty probably
imagined. The end of this semi-barbarian is not
a little edifying. Satiated and disgusted with
wealth, honours, conquest, and luxury, in the
latter years of his life he would sit, throughout
a long winter evening, alone, spreading out his
diamonds on a black velvet cloth kept for this
purpose, and arranging them in different figures,

136 MEMOIRS OF

as crosses, stars, &c., weighing them, or passing
them from hand to hand, like a child playing with
cherry-stones, though certainly with not half the
enjoyment. He would often pass a couple of hours
gnawing his nails in gloomy silence, while he paced
a saloon filled with mute company, his presence
carrying dismay and blighting wherever he ap-
peared. When attacked by the lingering fever
which terminated his days in his fifty-second
year, he disdained the advice of the court physi-
cians despatched to him by the Empress, and
continued to eat and drink with his ordinary in-
temperance. His usual breakfast at this time
was a smoked goose, with a large quantity of wine
and spirits. He dined in the same manner. His
appetites were all extravagant and irregular, and
indulged to excess. With fever raging in his
blood, he determined to leave Yassy, whither he
had gone to attend a congress with the agents of
the Porte. He fancied the air of this place dis-
agreed with him, and determined to go to Nico-
layef, one of the towns he had built. He had
not proceeded many miles, when he became so
ill that his attendants lifted him from his carriage.

PAUL JONES. 137

He threw himself on the grass, and died under a
tree ! This was in October 1791. The wonders
told of his riches, his estates, his gold, his dia-
monds, the splendour of his Tauridan Palace,
and the magnificence of his fetes, resemble the
enchantments of an oriental tale. Like his co-
adjutor, Suwarrow, Prince Potemkin was what
they were pleased to think, or call, religious. Su-
warrow never massacred ten or twenty thousand
of his fellow-creatures in cold blood without rer
turning thanks to Heaven, and giving glory for
the achievement. Potemkin, for a Russian,
could not be called cruel, but he was as supersti-
tious as the meanest of his soldiers. At one time
he affected extreme sanctity and mortification of
life, and even threatened to turn monk. This
was for a political purpose, and the grossest hy-
pocrisy. But his superstition was unaffected.
He regarded himself as the peculiar favourite of
Heaven, and had great faith in his own good
fortune. The first success over the Turkish fleet
in the campaign of 1788 was gained, as he
boasted to the Prince de Ligne, on the festival
day of his patron, St Gregory, — " Heaven had

138 MEMOIES OF

not forgotten him." Oczakow was stormed and
carried on some other saint's day. The Prince
of Nassau, the person with whom Paul Jones
was in immediate competition, was a man of
much feebler character. A sketch of his career
in Russia is the strongest corroboration that the
Journal of Rear- Admiral Jones can receive.

The Prince of Nassau Siegen was fickle, ar-
rogant, and of mean capacity. Paul Jones fre-
quently throws doubts on his personal courage ;
but a man whose whole life was spent in search
of wild military adventures, and who continually
exposed himself to personal danger, could scarce-
ly have been a coward. Nassau proposed to
accompany Jones in the secret expedition against
England in 1779? and had abruptly abandoned
the scheme without explanation or apology, and
without even deigning to reply to the frequent
letters which the disappointed Commodore ad-
dressed to him. He had served in the unfortu-
nate attempt of the French on the island of Jer-
sey, and in the futile attack of the combined
powers of France and Spain at Gibraltar. On
the breaking out of the war with Turkey he en-

PAUL JONES. 139

tered the Russian service. He had previously
joined the Empress, along with Potemkin, on
her celebrated progress to the Crimea, and was
rather a favourite with both of those personages.
He obtained the command in the Black Sea, and
on the arrival of Jones, there is little doubt that
the rival commanders viewed each other with
mutual jealousy. In an affair which took place
on the 29th July, which Paul Jones has not
mentioned, the Prince of Nassau, waiting in vain
for orders, and at last acting without them, had
the good fortune to support Prince Anhalt in a
very pressing emergency, and to save a Russian
battery. In his report to Potemkin, he boast-
ingly apologizes " for having advanced with three
gun-boats, and forced the Turks to retire, with-
out orders."

The reason of his withdrawing from the Liman
before the end of the campaign is thus related :
— The supineness of Potemkin in conducting the
siege of Oczakow was the subject of much ani-
madversion, and at last of great discontent in the
army. For months he lay as if spell-bound in
his camp, surrounded by the females and others,

140 MEMOIRS OF

ministers of his luxury and pleasure, that accom-
panied him everywhere, displaying all the eccen-
tricity and caprice of his character more extrava-
gantly than he had ever done before. It is alleged
that he was employed all this while in private in-
trigues to corrupt the Turkish garrison, which
he expected to capitulate without bloodshed. In
the meanwhile many lives had been lost in sor-
ties and abortive assaults, as well as in the am-
phibious warfare of the Liman. In a council of
war held to concert a decisive plan of attack,
Nassau offered, " if he might be intrusted with
the operation, to effect a breach in a weak part
of the fortress which he had discovered, and
which should be large enough to admit a whole
regiment." Potemkin, offended by this vain
boast, and never, as he afterwards said to Paul
Jones, " deceived by Nassau," sarcastically ask-
ed him " how many breaches he had made at
Gibraltar ?" Nassau, offended in his turn, solici-
ted the Empress for his recall. He was accord-
ingly employed in the North Seas, with little
honour to himself and great loss to the arms of
Russia. In the following year he presented the

PAUL JONES. 141

Empress with a plan of driving the British
from India drawn up by a Frenchman, M. St
Genie, whom he patronized. The Empress was at
first quite captivated with a scheme, doubly wel-
come from being brought forward at the very
time England was fitting out an armament which
was to act in the Baltic, and thus force her to
make peace with the Porte. Potemkin, who
had been enraged with the Swedish, or, as he
called it, " the old woman's war,1' which inter-
fered with his operations on the Euxine, treated
this wild plan of marching a Russian army to
Bengal with the derision and contempt it merit-
ed. Nassau, however, still maintained a certain
degree of favour with the Empress. This was
shown in a remarkable instance. By an injudi-
cious and very ill-managed attack of the galley-
fleet, which he commanded, on that which was
commanded by Gustavus III., his fleet, though
twice as large, was completely defeated, with the
loss of the one-half of his vessels. His excessive
arrogance was not quelled even by witnessing
the disastrous consequences of his own ignorance
and temerity. His vanity led him to imagine

142 MEMOIRS OF

that the Russians had yielded to this very inferior
Swedish force merely to " tarnjsh his glory."
He accordingly thus insolently announced his
disgraceful reverse to the Empress : — " Madam,
I have had the misfortune to fight against the
Swedes, the elements, and the Russians. I hope
your Majesty will do me justice.'1 To this ex-
traordinary note the Empress replied, " You are
in the right, because I am resolved you shall be
so. This is highly aristocratic, but it is there-
fore suitable to the country in which we live.
Depend always on your affectionate Catharine."

Assisted by the counsels of several able naval
officers of different countries, Nassau, before this
time, had gained a victory over the Swedish fleet.
This signal defeat, which soon produced peace,
was deeply felt by the Empress, however bravely
she carried it ; and the Prince of Nassau, though
loaded with honours, presented with a town-pa-
lace in St Petersburgh, an estate, numerous pea-
sants, and a pension of twelve thousand roubles,
saw his favour decline, and afterwards entered
the service of Prussia. His conduct in the Swe-
dish campaigns affords, as was said, a strong

PAUL JONES. 143

corroboration of the statements of Paul Jones : —
guided by abler men, he succeeded, — left to him-
self, he rushed on destruction.

It is now time to resume the regular course of
the memoir, which left Paul Jones re-entering
St Petersburgh.

144 MEMOIRS OF

CHAPTER III.

IT was under very different circumstances from
those which attended his first triumphal entry
about eight months before, that Jones return-
ed to the Russian capital. He, however, had
still sufficient credit at court to obtain an au-
dience of the Empress, at which he delivered
the letter of Potemkin. A few flattering pro-
mises were made to him by Count de Besborodko,
and he immediately began his ordinary practice
of transmitting plans and projects, both diplo-
matic and military.

While he hung on thus, vainly 'soliciting em-
ployment, the infamous conspiracy alluded to at
page 114 was formed against his character and
fortune, and threatening even his life, the object
of which is easily traced, though the precise mo-
tives in which it originated, and the persons who
imagined an interest in devising it, were never

PAUL JONES. 145

clearly ascertained, even by the persecuted in-
dividual himself. The information on this sub-
ject which he procured long afterwards, and which
will be laid before the reader in the proper place,
though plausible, is neither satisfactory nor sup-
ported by much evidence. In his future corre-
spondence, Jones hints that he has reason to im-
pute this most infamous proceeding, if not directly
to English influence, at least to the desire of pro-
pitiating the English by the sacrifice of an indivi-
dual so obnoxious as he, somewhat gratuitously,
supposed himself to be to that nation. His self-
complacence had, on former occasions, seduced
him into the belief that the whole British nation
were his active enemies, and that his prowess
was never to be forgotten nor forgiven. More
recently he imagined that his reception at the
northern courts had been the subject of deep mor-
tification to such of the English as happened to
be at Copenhagen or StPetersburgh. At the court
of Denmark he had driven Mr Elliot into despair
and solitude ; and with the English at St Peters-
burgh it fared little better.* A few English

* Had the truth of the statement regarding Mr Elliot

VOL. II. G

146 MEMOIRS OF

naval officers in Russia did indeed raise some
obstacle to serving with the celebrated Paul Jones,
from a sense of honour and a spirit of professional

not been tacitly admitted by the biographer of Jones,
it would scarcely be worth notice here. It is but one in-
stance of thousands, of men otherwise very acute, becom-
ing the dupes of their own self-esteem. Jones was well
received at the Danish Court, and was even soothed by
a promised pension ; but the ministers of England had
carried their point regarding the prizes during eight
years ; while the government of Denmark, to flatter Eng-
land, had contrived to elude every American negotiator,
Jones and Franklin included. The chagrin of Mr Elliot
at the distinguished reception of the American agent could
not probably be very deep, while he saw that the American
business was not one jot advanced. The conduct of the
Court of Denmark in relation to Paul Jones, the pension
included, was exactly what is understood by the vulgar
phrase, " too civil by half." It is thus he writes of Mr
Elliot's distress :— " I must tell you (La Fayette) that Mr
Elliot was furious when he found my business at Copen-
hagen, and that I was received with great distinction at
court, and in all the best societies in Denmark. Every
time I was invited to sup with the King, Elliot made an
apology ; he shut himself up for more than a month, and
then left town. This occasioned much laughter : and,
as he had shunned society from the time of my arrival,

PAUL JONES. 147

etiquette ; but as their destination was the Cron-
stadt fleet, where Admiral Greig commanded,
and as Jones was sent to the Black Sea, this soon
passed away.*

people said he had gone off in a fright !" He adds, " El-
liot had influenced the English to put difficulties in the
way of my passage by the Baltic," meaning on his voyage
to Russia.

* The Life of the Empress Catharine II., (a book that
has long been popular, and which is esteemed authentic,)
is full of inaccuracies as far as regards Paul Jones, and in-
deed in many other particulars* It is stated that he was
appointed to a command in the Cronstadt fleet, but that
this was withdrawn, as the British officers, to the num-
ber of thirty, and without a single exception, remon-
strated, " considering this appointment as the highest
affront that could be offered them, and a submission to
it an act of degradation, that no time nor circumstan-
ces could wipe away." They accordingly agreed to " lay
down their commissions, declaring it was impossible for
them to serve under or to act in any manner or capacity
whatever, with a pirate or a renegade." It is to be re-
membered, that this was six years after the peace with
the colonies. The whole passage may as well be given
at once. It will then require but one refutation. " The

148 MEMOIRS OF

To Russia, and Russians alone, belong the
entire infamy of a conspiracy to ruin a stranger
who, it is enough to say, had incurred the dis-

appointment of Paul Jones to a command in the Cron-
stadt fleet/' says this work, " was recalled, and that
"adventurer, whose character for an impetuous courage
had made an impression on the court far beyond its
value, was ordered to the armament in the Euxine, as
second to the Prince of Nassau. In the meantime a re-
port was raised of a scandalous adventure with a girl,
which, making a noise in the town, (St Petersburgh,)
occasioned him to quit the country entirely." The same
work goes on to state that Paul Jones, though " brave
at sea, was a coward on shore, — that he more than once
refused to accept a challenge, and was handsomely caned
on the Exchange of Philadelphia." Moreover, that " he
was extremely ignorant, and that his desperate courage
only served to render his atrociousness more conspicu-
ous." Now all this is contained in a well-known work,
generally esteemed authentic, and of which the fourth
edition, printed only eight years after the death of Paul
Jones, lies before us. Where then shall we look for
truth? According to this writer, Paul Jones never ac-
tually served in Russia at all, but was driven from the
country by the shame of his vices, before he had joined

PAUL JONES. 149

pleasure of Potemkin. In every despotic court,
but especially in that of St Petersburgh, political
intriguers will never want servile instruments to
forward their basest and darkest purposes. In
the present case these instruments were found of
all ranks, though but of one nation.

The nature of this disgraceful affair, of which,
but for the interference of Count Segur, and it

the fleet on the Black Sea. The reader is aware, that,
however apprehensive the British officers might be, Jones
never was intended to command in the Cronstadt fleet,
then so ably conducted by Admiral Greig, supported by
other English officers, and also by Danes and Italians.
The courier of Potemkin was despatched to forward him
at once to the Liman, as appears by M. Simolin's letter
at page 330, vol. I. In the Life of Potemkin, his ap-
pearance in the important campaign of 1789, and the
support he afforded to the Prince of Nassau, are distinct-
ly stated. It was well known to all Europe. How a
man possessed " of desperate courage at sea," finds his
courage ooze out at his finger-ends on shore, is a pheno-
menon beyond ordinary comprehension. As we have ex-
tenuated no act of Paul Jones which merited reprehension,
we must be excused for noticing what is here set down
either in wilful malice or unpardonable ignorance.

150 MEMOIRS OF

might be from some latent dread of public opi-
nion in France and America, Jones must have
become the victim, will be sufficiently explained
by the following letter, addressed to Prince Po-
temkin, after the unhappy writer had been for-
bidden to appear at court, and also by an extract
wliich we shall give from the Memoirs of Count
Segur:—

Rear-Admiral Paul Jones to Prince Potemkin.

" St Petersburgh, 13th April, 1789.
" MY LORD, — Having had the advantage to
serve under your orders, and in your sight, I re-
member, with particular satisfaction, the kind
promises and testimonies of your friendship with
which you have honoured me. As I have served
all my life for honour, I had no other motive for
accepting the flattering invitation of her Impe-
rial Majesty, than a laudable ambition to dis-
tinguish myself in the service of a sovereign so
magnanimous and illustrious ; for I never yet
have bent the knee to self-interest, nor drawn
my sword for hire. A few days ago I thought
myself one of the happiest men in the empire !

PAUL JONES. 151

Your Highness had renewed to me your promise
of friendship, and the Empress had assigned me
a command of a nature to occupy the most active
and enterprising genius.

" A bad woman has accused me of violating
her daughter ! If she had told the truth, I should
have candour enough to own it, and would trust
my honour, which is a thousand times dearer to
me than my life, to the mercy of the Empress. I
declare, with an assurance becoming a military
character, that I am innocent. Till that unhap-
py moment, I have enjoyed the public esteem,
and the affection of all who knew me. Shall it
be said that in Russia a wretched woman, who
eloped from her husband and family in the
country, stole away her daughter, lives here in
a house of bad fame, and leads a debauched and
adulterous life, has found credit enough on a
simple complaint, unsupported by any proof , to
affect the honour of a General Officer of reputa-
tion, who has merited and received the decora-
tions of America, of France, and of this empire !

" If I had been favoured with the least inti-
mation of a complaint of that nature having

152 MEMOIRS OF

found its way to the Sovereign, I know too well
what belongs to delicacy to have presented my-
self in the presence of the Empress before my
justification.

" My servant was kept prisoner by the officers
of police for several hours, two days successive-
ly, and threatened with the knout.

" After the examination of my people before
the police, I sent for and employed Monsieur
Crimpin as my advocate. As the mother had
addressed herself to him before to plead her cause,
she naturally spoke to him without reserve, and
he learned from her a number of important facts,
among others, that she was counselled and sup-
ported by a distinguished man of the court.

" By the certificate of the father, attested by
the pastor of the colony, the daughter is several
years older than is expressed in the complaint.
And the complaint contains various other points
equally false and easy to be refuted. For in-
stance there is a conversation I am said to have
held with the daughter in the Russian language,
of which no person ever heard me pronounce two
words together, — it is unknown to me.

PAUL JONES. 153

" I thought that in every country a man ac-
cused had a right to employ advocates, and to
avail himself of his friends for his justification.
Judge, my Prince, of my astonishment and distress
of mind, when I yesterday was informed that the
day before, the Governor of the city had sent for
my advocate, and forbidden him, at his peril, or
any other person, to meddle with my cause !

" I am innocent before God ! and my conscience
knows no reproach. The complaint brought
against me is an infamous lie, and there is no
circumstance that gives it even an air of proba-
bility.

" I address myself to you with confidence, my
Prince, and am assured that the friendship you
have so kindly promised me will be immediately
exerted in my favour; and that you will not
suffer the illustrious Sovereign of this great em-
pire to be misled by the false insinuations and
secret cabals of my hidden enemies. Your mind
will find more true pleasure in pleading the cause
of an innocent man whom you honour with your
friendship, than can result from other victories
equally glorious with that of Oczakow, which

154 MEMOIRS OF

will always rank among the most brilliant of mi-
litary achievements. If your Highness will con-
descend to question Monsieur Crimpin, (for he
dare not now even speak to me,) he can tell you
many circumstances which will elucidate my in-
nocence. I am, with profound respect, my Lord,
your Highnesses devoted and most obedient ser-
vant," &c. &c.

The document referred to in this letter appears
quite satisfactory. It is a declaration by the
husband of the woman.

" I certify, that my wife, Fredrica Sophia
Koltzwarthen, has left me without any reason ;
that she has been living in the city with a young
man ; and that she has clandestinely, and against
my will, taken away my daughter Catherine Char-
lotte, who is now living with her.

" STEPHEN KOLTZWARTHEN.

" Saratowka, 7th April, 1789."

" I certify, that this is the free and voluntary
declaration of Stephen Koltzwarthen, and that it
is he who has signed it. " G. BRAUN, Pastor.

" Saratowka, 7th April, 1789."

PAUL JONES. 155

" I certify, that my daughter is twelve years
of age. STEPHEN KOLTZWARTHEN.

" Saratowka, 7th April, 1789."

" I certify, that Stephen Koltzwarthen has sign-
ed what is above written.

" G. BEAUN, Pastor."

<e Declaration of the Pastor Lamp of St Petersburgk.

" I certify, that the name of Koltzwarthen does
not at present appear in the roll of those in the
communion of the church, and that, previous to
the day when she came to my house about the
affair of her daughter, I had never seen her.
" J. LAMP, Pastor:"

The result of this letter to Potemkin does not
appear ; and any further information concerning
this affair must be sought in the Memoirs of
Count Segur. It was peculiarly fortunate for
Jones that this nobleman, a high-minded and ge-
nerous individual, of an honourable and a gallant
nation, was at this time in Petersburgh. He at

156 MEMOIRS OF

once came forward with warmth and intrepidity
in defence of the persecuted stranger.

" Paul Jones," he says, " a sharer in the vic-
tories of the Prince of Nassau, had returned to
Petersburgh ; his enemies, unable to bear the
triumph of a man whom they treated as a vaga-
bondj a rebel, and a corsair, resolved to destroy
him.

" This atrocity, which ought to be imputed to
some envious cowards, was, I think, very unjust-
ly attributed to the English officers hi the Rus-
sian navy, and to the merchants who were their
countrymen. These, in truth, did not disguise
their animosity against Paul Jones ; but it would
be unjust to affix upon all a base intrigue, which
was, perhaps, but the work of two or three per-
sons, who have continued unknown.

" The American Rear- Admiral was favourably
welcomed at Court ; often invited to dinner by
the Empress, and received with distinction into
the best society in the city ; on a sudden, Catha-
rine commanded him to appear no more in her
presence.

" He was informed that he was accused of an

PAUL JONES. 157

infamous crime ; of assaulting a young girl of
fourteen, of grossly violating her ; and that pro-
bably, after some preliminary information, he
would be tried by the Courts of Admiralty, in
which there were many English officers, who were
strongly prejudiced against him.

" As soon as this order was known, every one
abandoned the unhappy American ; no one spoke
to him, people avoided saluting him, and every
door was shut against him. All those by whom
but yesterday he had been eagerly welcomed,
now fled from him as if he had been infected
with a plague ; besides, no advocate would take
charge of his cause, and no public man would
consent to listen to him ; at last even his ser-
vants would not continue in his service ; and
Paul Jones, whose exploits every one had so re-
cently been ready to proclaim, and whose friend-
ship had been sought after, found himself alone
in the midst of an immense population : Peters-
burgh, a great capital, became to him a desert.

" I went to see him ; he was moved even to
tears by my visit. c I was unwilling,' he said to
me, shaking me by the hand, < to knock at your

158 MEMOIRS OF

door, and to expose myself to a fresh affront,
which would have been more cutting than all the
rest. I have braved death a thousand tunes,
now I wish for it.' His appearance, his arms
being laid upon the table, made me suspect some
desperate intention.

" 6 Resume,' I said to him, ' your composure
and your courage. Do you not know that hu-
man life, like the sea, has its storms, and that
fortune is even more capricious than the winds ?
If, as I hope, you are innocent, brave this sudden
tempest ; if, unhappily, you are guilty, confess
it to me with unreserved frankness, and I will
do every thing I can to snatch you, by a sudden
flight, from the danger which threatens you.'

" ( I swear to you upon my honour,' said he,
6 that I am innocent, and a victim of the most
infamous calumny. This is the truth. — Some
days since a young girl came to me in the morn-
ing, to ask me if I could give her some linen or
lace to mend. She then indulged in some rather
earnest and indecent allurements. Astonished
at so much boldness in one of such few years, I
felt compassion for her ; I advised her not to

PAUL JONES. 159

enter upon so vile a career, gave her some money,
and dismissed her; but she was determined to
remain.

" 6 Impatient at this resistance, I took her by
the hand and led her to the door ; but, at the
instant when the door was opened, the little pro-
fligate tore her sleeves and her neck-kerchief,
raised great cries, complained that I had assaulted
her, and threw herself into the arms of an old
woman, whom she called her mother, and who,
certainly, was not brought there by chance. The
mother and the daughter raised the house with
their cries, went out and denounced me; and
now you know all.'

" ' Very well,' I said, ( but cannot you learn
the names of those adventurers ?' ' The porter
knows them,' he replied. c Here are their names
written down, but I do not know where they live.
I was desirous of immediately presenting a me-
morial about this ridiculous affair, first to the
minister, and then to the Empress ; but I have
been interdicted from access to both of them.'
' Give me the paper,' I said ; c resume your ac-
customed firmness ; — be comforted ;— let me

160 MEMOIRS OF

undertake it; — in a short time we shall meet
again.'

" As soon as I had returned home, I directed
some sharp and intelligent • agents, who were de-
voted to me, to get information respecting these
suspected females, and to find out what was their
mode of life. I was not long in learning that the
old woman was in the habit of carrying on a vile
traffic in young girls, whom she passed off as her
daughters.

" When I was furnished with all the docu-
ments and attestations for which I had occasion,
I hastened to show them to Paul Jones. c You
have nothing more to fear,' said I ; ' the wretches
are unmasked. It is only necessary to open the
eyes of the Empress, and let her see how un-
worthily she has been deceived ; but this is not
so very easy : truth encounters a multitude of
people at the doors of a palace, who are very
clever in arresting its progress ; and sealed letters
are, of all others, those which are intercepted with
the greatest art and care.

" ' Nevertheless, I know that the Empress,
who is not ignorant of this, has directed, under

PAUL JONES. 161

very heavy penalties, that no one shall detain on
the way any letters which are addressed to her
personally, and which may be sent to her by
post ; therefore, here is a very long letter which
I have written to her in your name ; nothing of
the detail is omitted, although it contains some
rough expressions. I am sorry for the Empress ;
but since she heard and gave credit to a calumny,
it is but right that she should read the justification
with patience. Copy this letter, sign it, and I
will take charge of it ; I will send some one to
put it in the post at the nearest town. Take
courage ; believe me, your triumph is not doubt-
ful.'

" In fact, the letter was sent and put in the
post ; the Empress received it ; and, after having
read this memorial, which was fully explanatory,
and accompanied by undeniable attestations, she
inveighed bitterly against the informers, revoked
her rigorous orders, recalled Paul Jones to court,
and received him with her usual kindness.

" That brave seaman enjoyed with a becoming
pride a reparation which was due to him ; but he
trusted very little to the compliments that were

162 MEMOIES OF

unblushingly heaped upon him by the many per-
sons who had fled from him in his disgrace ; and,
shortly afterwards, disgusted with a country where
the fortune of a man may be exposed to such hu-
miliations, under the pretence of ill health, he
asked leave of the Empress to retire, which she
granted him, as well as an honourable order and
a suitable pension.

" He took leave, after having expressed to me
his gratitude for the service which I had render-
ed him ; and his respect for the Sovereign, who,
although she might be led into an error, knew at
least how to make an honourable reparation for
a fault and an act of injustice.1''

This account is substantially correct. There
are some petty errors of detail, but nothing what-
ever to detract from the noble spirit of generosity
in which Count Segur acted to an unfortunate
and ill-treated man.

A letter to the Empress, which is still among
those papers of Paul Jones which he so carefully
collected and preserved, cannot be that alluded
to by Count Segur ; it has every internal mark

PAUL JONES. 163

of his own authorship ; and as it is one of his
pieces justificatives, we are inclined to believe it
the letter really sent to the Empress : —

(Translation.)

" Letter of Rear-Admiral Paul Jones to the Em-
press of all the Russia*.

" St Petersburgh, 17th May, 1789.
" MADAM, — I have never served but for ho-
nour, I have never sought but glory, and I be-
lieved I was in the way of obtaining both, when,
accepting the offers made me on the part of your
Majesty, I entered your service. I was in Ame-
rica when M. de Simolin, through Mr Jefferson,
Minister of the United States at Paris, proposed
to me, in name of your Majesty, to take the chief
command of the forces in the Black Sea, which
were intended to act against the Turks. I aban-
doned my dearest interests to accept an invita-
tion so flattering, and I would have reached you
instantly if the United States had not intrusted
me with a special commission to Denmark. Of
this I acquitted myself faithfully and promptly.11
Here follows a detail of that singular voyage per-

164 MEMOIRS OF

formed by the Chevalier in his haste and zeal to
reach St Petersburgh, with the particulars of
which the reader is already acquainted. We pass
this, and resume : — " The distinguished recep-
tion which your Majesty deigned to grant me,
the kindness with which you loaded me, indem-
nified me for the dangers to which I had ex-
posed myself for your service, and inspired me
with the most ardent desire to encounter more.
But knowing mankind, and aware that those
persons whom then- superiors distinguish and
protect are ever the objects of jealousy and envy
to the worthless, I entreated your Majesty never
to condemn me unheard. You condescended
to give me that promise, and I set out with a
mind as tranquil as my heart was satisfied.

" In the ports of the Black Sea I found affairs
in a very critical condition. The most imminent
danger threatened us, and our means were feeble.
Neverthless, supported by the love which all
your subjects bear to your Majesty, by their
courage, by the ability and foresight of the
chief who led us, and by the Providence which
has always favoured the arms of your Majesty,

PAUL JONES. 165

we beat your enemies, and your flag was covered
with fresh laurels.

66 I would not notice. Madam, what I then
achieved, if Prince Potemkin had not distinguish-
ed my services by reiterated thanks, both in speech
and writing ; and if your Majesty, informed by
the Prince-Marshal of my conduct in the first
affair which took place on the Liman, had not
invested me with the honourable badge of the
Order of St Anne. Since that period, though I
have been hampered by limited orders, I have
committed no professional error ; I have often ex-
posed myself to personal danger, and I have even
stooped to sacrifice my personal feelings and in-
terests to my devotion for the good of the service.

" At the close of the campaign I received
orders to return to court, as your Majesty in-
tended to employ me in the North Seas, and I
brought with me a letter from Prince Potemkin
for your Majesty, in which he mentioned my
zeal and the importance of my services. I had
the honour to present it, and M. le Comte de
Besborodko acquainted me that a command of
greater importance than that of the Black Sea,

166 MEMOIRS OF

and affording full scope for the display of talent
and intelligence, was intended for me. Such
was my situation, when, upon the mere accusa-
tion of a crime, the very idea of which wounds
my delicacy, I was driven from court, deprived
of the good opinion of your Majesty, and forced
to employ the time which I wish to devote to
the defence of your empire in clearing myself
from the stains with' which calumny had covered
me.

" Condescend to believe, Madam, that if I had
got the slightest hint that a complaint of such a
nature had been made against me, and still more
that it had reached your Majesty, I know too
well what is owing to delicacy to have ventured
to appear before you till I was completely ex-
culpated.

" Knowing neither the laws, the language,
nor the forms of justice of this country, I needed
an advocate, and obtained one ; but, whether from
terror or intimidation, he stopt short all at once,
and durst not undertake my defence, though con-
vinced of the justice of my cause. But truth

PAUL JONES. 167

may always venture to show itself alone and un-
supported at the foot of the throne of your Ma-
jesty. I have not hesitated to labour unaided
for my own vindication ; I have attested proofs ;
and if such details may appear under the eyes of
your Majesty, I present them, and if your Majes-
ty will deign to order some person to examine
them, it will be seen by the report which will be
made, that my crime is a fiction, invented by the
avarice of a wretched woman, who has been coun-
tenanced, perhaps incited, by the malice of my
numerous enemies. Her husband has given evi-
dence of her infamous conduct. His signature
is in my hands, and the pastor of the district has
assured me, that if the college of justice will give
him an order to this effect, he will obtain an at-
testation from the country people that the mother
of the girl referred to is a wretch absolutely un-
worthy of belief.

" Take a soldier's word, Madam ; believe an offi-
cer whom two great nations esteem, and who has
been honoured with flattering marks of their ap-
probation, (of which your Majesty will soon re-

168 MEMOIRS OF

ceive a direct proof from the United States,*) I
am innocent ! and if I were guilty, I would not
hesitate to make a candid avowal of my fault,
and to commit my honour, which is a thousand
times dearer to me than my life, to the hands of
your Majesty.

" If you deign, Madam, to give heed to this
declaration, proceeding from a heart the most
frank and loyal, I venture from your justice to
expect that my zeal will not remain longer in
shameful and humiliating inaction. It has been
useful to your Majesty, and may again be so,
especially in the Mediterranean, where, with in-
significant means, I will undertake to execute
most important operations, the plans for which I
have meditated long and deeply. But if circum-
stances, of which I am ignorant, do not admit
the possibility of my being employed during the
campaign, I hope your Majesty will give me per-
mission to return to France or America, granting,
as the sole reward of the services I have render-

* Referring to the medal ordered to be struck by Con-
gress.

PAUL JONES. 169

ed, the hope of renewing them at some future
day.

" Nothing can ever change or efface in my
heart the deep feelings of devotedness with which
your Majesty has inspired me.

" To you, Madam, I am personally devoted.
I would rather have my head struck off than see
those ties broken asunder which bind me to your
service. At the feet of your Majesty I swear to
be ever faithful to you, as well as to the empire,
of which you form the happiness, the ornament,
and the glory.— I am,

With the most profound respect,
Madam,1' &c.

There are, as was said, several important mis-
takes, though no wilful misrepresentation what-
ever, in the details given by Count Segur.
Though Jones was so far exculpated as to be
permitted to appear again at court, it was mere-
ly for the ceremony of taking leave of the Em-
press and royal family, when he had, as will ap-
pear, been virtually dismissed from Russia. The
Order of St Anne, to which Segur refers, be had

VOL. II. H

170 MEMOIRS OF

obtained long before. So far was he from receiv-
ing any pension from Russia, that his small ap-
pointments were tardily paid, and not till after re-
peated solicitation. Instead of being loaded " with
compliments," he was treated while he continued
to hang on in the hope of employment, first with
the most chilling neglect, and afterwards with
repulsive rudeness. Besborodko, the favourite
minister of Catharine, who, on his coming to
Russia, had overwhelmed the Rear- Admiral with
kindness, shut his doors in the face of the super-
numerary officer, and did not affect to disguise his
weariness and disgust of the applausive recapi-
tulations of past services and projects for future
maritime achievements with which he continued
to be annoyed by the man whose day was gone
by. The alleged crime of the Rear-Admiral,
had his guilt even been established, would, we
are apt to think, have been no insurmountable
barrier to his success in Russia, had a continu-
ance of his services been wished for ; nor was his
innocence found any recommendation. The Em-
press may have expressed herself in the terms
stated by Count Segur, but this as certainly pro-

PAUL JONES. 171

duced no favourable change in the position of the
party so grossly injured. His correspondence
with Besborodko, after this affair had been closed
up, shows the real nature of his situation, and
affords ,a painful and humiliating picture of the
dying struggles of ambition.

To strengthen or bolster up his interests in
Russia, Paul Jones at this time endeavoured to
bring into play a little diplomatic influence, know-
ing the avidity with which that grasping and am-
bitious power caught at every appearance of ad-
vantage. He had written thus to Mr Jefferson
soon after his return from the Liman : — " I can
only inform you that I returned here by the spe-
cial desire of the Empress, but I know not as yet
how or where I am to be employed for the next
campaign. I mentioned in my last, as my opi-
nion, that if the new government of America de-
termines to chastise the Algerines, I think it now
a favourable moment to conclude a treaty with
Russia. The Turks and Algerines were com-
bined against us on the Black Sea. The United
States could grant leave for Russia to enlist Ame-
rican seamen, and, making a common cause with

172 MEMOIRS OF

Russia in the Mediterranean, might at the peace
obtain a free navigation from and to the Black
Sea. Such a connexion might lead to various
advantages in the commerce between the two na-
tions."

Whether Mr Jefferson thought the Admiral
too desirous of cutting out work for himself, or
that he rather stepped out of his department in
interfering in such affairs, his hints appear to
have met with the return to which he was well
accustomed — neglect, — neglect which might have
repelled a haughtier spirit, and which, in many
instances, was keenly felt by him, without, how-
ever, deterring him from renewed attempts to
bring himself by every possible means into notice.

He waited for some weeks after his character
was cleared at court before he sent the minister
the following letters, which were formerly alluded
to: —

" To his Excellency Count Besborodko from Rear-
Admiral Paul Jones.

" St Petersburgh, 24th June, 1789.
" SIR, — When I had the honour to see your

PAUL JONES. 173

Excellency last week, I ventured to promise my-
self that in two days I would be made acquainted
with the ulterior intention of her Majesty, whe-
ther this was to give me a command, or a tempo-
rary leave of absence. No doubt important af-
fairs have occasioned the delay. You will, I
hope, have the goodness to permit me to present
myself at your hotel to-morrow afternoon ; for if
it is thought fit to employ my services, there is
no time to lose, seeing the advance of the season.

" The detachment of vessels of which your Ex-
cellency spoke to me might probably be most
useful in the operations which I have projected ;
but, at the same time, I regard the plan men-
tioned in the private note which I have sent you
as very useful. I would then wish (if circum-
stances permitted) to combine these plans ; and
then I think there would be reason to be satis-
fied with the result.

" I have mentioned to your Excellency that I
am the only officer who made the campaign of
the Liman without being promoted ; but I be-
seech you to believe that I have not accepted of
service in Russia to occasion embarrassment ;

174 MEMOIRS OF

and since the Empress had given me her esteem
and her confidence, I wish for nothing save new
opportunities to prove my devotion by fresh ser-

This letter elicited no reply, and produced no
improvement in the situation of the applicant,
save that the leave of absence at which he hinted,
though it was the last thing he wished for, was
at once accorded, there being evidently an anxious
wish to be rid of himself, his projects, and im-
portunities. The subjoined letter, written soon
afterwards, may teach a lesson of contentment,
and even of cheerful gratitude, to those persons,
if such there be, who, in their ignorance of pub-
lic life, may envy the brilliant fortunes of a lucky
adventurer, raised by circumstances far above
the level of those of his original rank in society.

" Rear-Admiral Paul Jones to Count de Besbo-
rodko.

" St Petersburgh, 14th July, 1789.
" SIR, — I presented myself at your hotel the
day before yesterday, to take leave, and, at the

PAUL JONES. 175

same time, to entreat of you to expedite my
commission, my passport, and the leave of ab-
sence which her Majesty has thought fit to grant
me. Though I have perceived on several for-
mer occasions that you have shunned giving me
any opportunity to speak with you, I made my-
self certain that this could not occur at a last in-
terview; and I confess I was very much sur-
prised to see you go out by another door, and
depart without a single expression of ordinary
civility addressed to me at the moment of my
leaving Russia, to console me for all the bitter
mortifications I have endured in this empire.
Before coming to Russia I had been connected
with several governments, and no minister ever
either refused me an audience, or failed to reply
to my letters.

" After the eagerness with which my services
were sought, and the fair promises that were
made me, I had reason to believe that I would
find in Russia every thing pleasant and agree-
able. I was confirmed in this belief from the es-
sential services which I had the good fortune to
render the empire. I am aware that your Ex-

176 MEMOIRS OF

cellency is sometimes teased by importunate per-
sons, but, as I am a man of delicacy in every
thing, I deserve to be distinguished from the
common herd.

^ On the 6th of June, the last time you gave
me an opportunity of speaking with you, I gave
you a confidential note,* containing the details

* Secret Note addressed to the Minister Besborodko
by Rear-Admiral Paul Jones.

" June 6, 1789.

" The great object of a Russian fleet in the Mediter-
ranean is to endeavour to cut off the communication be-
tween Egypt and the coast of Syria with Constantinople,
from whence they procure their corn, rice, coffee, £c.
This operation will oblige them to withdraw a very con-
siderable part of their fleet from the Black Sea. To en-
compass this end, I ask a carte blanche, and only, exclu-
sive of small boats, five large vessels, like the East- India-
men which are purchased in London after they have
made three voyages, and which carry from forty to fifty
guns. They are strong vessels and good sailers. They
are sent from London to Naples under the English flag,
under pretext of being engaged in mercantile enterprises.
No person can have any thing to say against it. The

PAUL JONES.

177

of a plan by which, without interfering with any
other project, and with the utmost economy,
great service might be done to Russia. You
promised to submit it to the Empress; and you
yourself proposed to place a detachment of ves-
sels under my command, to serve during the ex-
isting campaign in the Black Sea, and afterwards
in the Mediterranean. I could not have ima-
gined that these plans were so carelessly to be
thrown aside ; and, in place of discussing and
arranging them with you, I was very much asto-

crew of those vessels being arrived in Italy, would en-
gage in the service of Russia. For the rest we would
easily find good sailors at Malta and at Naples. I would
employ two small French vessels between Malta and
Naples, trading to Smyrna, to procure continual news
from Constantinople, and of the force and position of the
Turkish fleet. There are some very important blows to
be made ; but in order to succeed we must not speak of
this matter beforehand. We are informed that the want
of provisions at Constantinople has occasioned a rebel-
lion, discouraged the people, and caused a great desertion
of the troops. It is the policy of the vizier to render
himself popular by providing sufficiently for them."

H2

178 MEMOIRS OF

nished when his Excellency the Count de Bruce
announced to me that the Empress had granted
me a leave of two years.

" On the 1st of February I gave in, by order
of his Excellency, Count Ostermann, the plan of
a treaty, political and commercial, between Russia
and the United States. As the Vice-Chancellor
spoke to me of going to America about this
purpose, and as I shall soon again be connected
with my old friends who constitute the present
government of the United States, I would be ex-
tremely happy to learn, through your Excellency,
the intentions of her Imperial Majesty in this
respect, and to be appointed to forward an al-
liance by which Russia must gain.

" The United States having concluded a
treaty of friendship and commerce with the Em-
peror of Morocco, are about to propose to the
different powers of Europe a war with the other
Barbary states, and to form a confederation
against these pirates, till they shall be annihi-
lated as maritime powers. It is proposed, that
even the event of a war between the contracting
parties shall not disturb the confederation. It

PAUL JONES. 179

would be worthy of the august Sovereign of this
empire to place herself at the head of an alliance
so honourable, and of which the consequences
must be so useful to Russia. It would give me
peculiar satisfaction if your Excellency thought
fit to appoint me to make known the intentions
of the Empress to the United States on these
two points, and I trust I should be able to
acquit myself of so honourable a duty to your
contentment.

" I have the honour to be, with sincere at-
tachment and high consideration," &c. &c.

His Excellency did not " think fit" to make
the solicited appointment.

The Rear-Admiral, as unfortunate in his at-
tempts to obtain a diplomatic mission as a naval
command, was now obliged to turn his back on
Russia, and devour his chagrin and disappoint-
ment as he best could. He had, however, the
honour of an audience of leave, though he found
considerable difficulty in obtaining his pay and
arrears. " When," he says in a letter to M.
Genet, " the Count de Bruce sent for me on

180 MEMOIRS OF

the 27th June," (two days only after his letter
to Besborodko,) " he told me, on the part of
the Empress, that her Imperial Majesty had
granted me a leave for two years, with the ap-
pointments belonging to my military rank during
my absence. The Count de Besborodko wrote
me 30th July, informing me that M. Strekalow
had received her Majesty's orders with respect to
my appointments and arrearages. I have not
been able to see M. de Strekalow, though I have
called frequently at the cabinet. I have only
received my appointments from the time of my
entry into the service to the 1st of July, at the
rate of 1800 roubles* a-year ; and I was told yes-
terday at the cabinet, that her Majesty likewise
mentions nothing but the appointments then due.
If I could believe that this was her Majesty's in-
tention I should remain silent; for I certainly
did not accept the service her Majesty offered me
on account of my appointments or the usual
emoluments of my grade."

* A rouble was in 1789 worth about four shillings Eng-
lish money.

PAUL JONES. 181

He was satisfied in this respect, and thus left
St Petersburgh.

In the Memoir of Paul Jones published in
London, no occasion is lost of implicating the
English and England as the cause, if not the di-
rect instruments, of his persecution in Russia.
" Notwithstanding," it is said, " his regaining
the favour of the Empress, the Russian ministers
were unwilling to offend England by a refusal to
drive him from the service ; and their intrigues
to accomplish this end were unceasing.1' Now
there is not a vestige of evidence that England
or the English in Russia ever interfered with his
affairs, save to give him their pity as an ill-used
man. To this he himself bears testimony, both
in his Journal, and, as will afterwards appear, in
his correspondence. Nor does it seem that the
Russian ministers found it necessary to give
themselves much trouble to accomplish their ob-
ject. Nothing, it has been seen, could be more
cool and contemptuous than the whole tenor of
their conduct.

The reader, in possession of the real circum-
stances attending the departure of Paul Jones

182 MEMOIRS OF

from Russia, will be able to estimate aright the
following letter and paragraph, put forth from
the kindest motives by Count de Segur, imme-
diately before the Rear-Admiral left that coun-
try:—

" Count de Segur to Count Montmorin.

" St Petersburgh, 21st July, 1789.
" The enemies of the Vice- Admiral Paul
Jones having caused to be circulated reports en-
tirely destitute of foundation, concerning the
journey which this general officer is about to un-
dertake, I would wish the enclosed article, the
authenticity of which I guarantee, should be in-
serted hi the Gazette of France, and in the other
public papers which are submitted to the inspec-
tion of your department. This article will unde-
ceive those who have believed the calumny, and
will prove to the friends and to the compatriots
of the Vice-Admiral, that he has sustained the
reputation acquired by his bravery and his ta-
lents during the last war ; that the Empress de-
sires to retain him in her service ; and that if he

PAUL JONES. 183

absents himself at this moment, it is with his own
free-will, and for particular reasons, which cannot
leave any stain on his honour.

" The glorious marks of the satisfaction and
bounty of the King towards M. Paul Jones, his
attachment to France, which he has served so
usefully in the common cause, his rights as a
subject, and as an admiral of the United States,
the protection of the ministers of the King, and
my personal friendship for this distinguished offi-
cer, with whom I made a campaign in America,
are so many reasons which appear to me to jus-
tify the interest which I took in all that con-
cerned him during his stay in Russia.

" THE COUNT DE SEGUE."

" Article to be inserted in the Public Prints, and
particularly in the Gazette of France.

" St Petersburgh, 21st July, 1789.— The
Vice- Admiral Paul Jones, being on the point of
returning to France, where private affairs re-
quire his presence, had the honour to take leave
of the Empress the 7th of this month, and to be

184 MEMOIRS OF

admitted to kiss the hand of her Imperial Ma-
jesty,* who confided to him the command of her
vessels of war stationed on the Liman during
the campaign of 1788. As a mark of favour for
his conduct during this campaign, the Empress
has decorated him with the insignia of the order
of St Anne ; and her Imperial Majesty, satisfied
with his services, only grants him permission to
absent himself for a limited time, and still pre-
serves for him his emoluments and his rank."

This was putting the best face on the affair ;
and the paragraph appeared in the Gazette of
France, and in many other journals.

Early in September Jones left St Petersburgh
for Warsaw, furnished with letters of introduc-
tion, explanation, and vindication from the Count
de Segur to different individuals, all written in
the same generous spirit as the above. The
kindness of Count Segur to a man placed in a
situation generally so fatal to court-friendships

* " This general officer, so celebrated by his brilliant ac-
tions during the course of the American war, was called,
in 1787, to the service of her Imperial Majesty."— Note
to the Newspaper Paragraph.

PAUL JONES. 185

does him great honour. His original letters still
remain among the papers of the Rear-Admiral,
who, however, transmitted copies of them to many
of his friends. Count Segur was not the only
Frenchman who sustained the calumniated
stranger under the base attempts of his enemies.
M. de Genet, the younger, was at this time the
secretary of legation at St Petersburgh. Paul
Jones, at a former period, had been intimate with
the father and family of this gentleman at Ver-
sailles, and the young Frenchman did not now
forget his father's former friend. M. de Genet
undertook the arrangement of his pecuniary af-
fairs with the Russian government, and gave him
a letter to his sister, the celebrated Madame
Campan, explaining the atrocious slanders pro-
pagated in St Petersburgh, and placing the in-
nocence of the calumniated individual beyond
all suspicion. This original letter also remains
among the papers of the Rear-Admiral. It was
some months before he returned to Paris, and he
might then have felt reluctant to revive the re-
collection of a charge so disgusting as to make

186 MEMOIRS OF

the task of vindication both humiliating and
painful to a mind of any delicacy.

Before quitting this subject, it may be proper
again to notice that Jones, though occasionally
betrayed by self-complacence into the belief that
the English were all his enemies, lived to re-
tract much of this absurd notion. He fairly
acquits them of having any share in that con-
spiracy, of which the capital of Russia formed
the appropriate scene, and in this shows far more
candour than his American or London historian.

In 1791, in writing from Paris to Mr Jeffer-
son, then in America, he gives the following
clue to the mystery of his treatment in Rus-
sia. " Chevalier Littlepage, now here on his
way from Spain to the north, has promised
me a letter to you on my subject, which I pre-
sume will show you the meanness and absurdity
of the intrigues that were practised for my per-
secution at St Petersburgh. I did not myself
comprehend all the blackness of that business till
he came here, and related to me the informa-
tion he received from a gentleman of high rank

PAUL JONES. 187

in the diplomatic department, with whom he
had travelled in company from Madrid to Paris.
That gentleman had long resided in a public
character at St Petersburgh, and was there all
the time of the pitiful complot against me, which
was conducted by a little great man behind the
curtain. The unequalled reception with which
I had at first been honoured by the Empress
had been extremely mortifying and painful to the
English at St Petersburgh; and the courtier
just mentioned, (finding that politics had taken
a turn far more alarming than he had expected
at the beginning of the war,) wishing to sooth
the Court of London into a pacific humour,
found no first step so expedient as that of sacri-
ficing me. But, instead of producing the ef-
fect he wished, this base conduct, on which he
pretended to ground a conciliation, rather tend-
ed to widen the political breach, and made him
despised by the English minister, by the English
cabinet, and by the gentleman who related the
secret to Mr Littlepage." The letter of Mr
Littlepage, transmitted to Mr Jefferson along
with the above, in part confirms this solution of

188 MEMOIRS OF

an intrigue, so essentially Russian. Yet there
remains some secret cause and movement which
it is impossible to fathom. " The campaign upon
the Liman," says Chevalier Littlepage, " added
lustre to the arms of Russia, and ought to have
established for ever the reputation and fortune of
the gallant officer to whose conduct those suc-
cesses were owing." (Littlepage attributes to the
Rear- Admiral the entire success of the campaign
of 1788 ; not, like Count Segur, dividing his lau-
rels with Nassau; and it is to be remembered,
that Littlepage was an eye-witness of an import-
ant part of it). " Unfortunately," he continues,
" in Russia, more perhaps than elsewhere, every
thing is governed by intrigue. Some political
motives, I have reason to think, concurred in
depriving Rear- Admiral Paul Jones of the fruits
of his services ; he was thought to be particularly
obnoxious to the English nation, and the idea
of paying a servile compliment to a power whose
enmity occasions all the present embarrassments
of Russia induced some leading persons to ruin
him, in the opinion of the Empress, by an ac-
cusation too ridiculous to be mentioned."

PAUL JONES.

189

On leaving Warsaw, it was the intention of
Paul Jones to return to France by Copenha-
gen and Berlin ; but, as it was known that he
had left Russia dissatisfied, he deemed it best
to avoid all farther occasion of giving his enemies
any handle against him, and accordingly kept
away from places where it might be presumed
that he was tempted to tell tales, or utter com-
plaints.

Disgrace at Petersburgh did not at this junc-
ture imply a cold reception at Warsaw ; and hi
this capital — soon to be a capital no more — Jones
was well received, and remained for two months.
From Warsaw he despatched the Journal of his
American Campaigns for the perusal of the Em-
press, and also an abridgment of the Journal
of his Campaign on the Liman. Her Imperial
Majesty had, it seems, at some former period, ci-
villy expressed a desire to see his Journal of the
American war. The old spirit was not yet quite
subdued. " I have added," he says, " some tes-
timonies of the high and unanimous considera-
tion of the United States, and of the private
esteem with which I was honoured by several

190 MEMOIRS OF

great men to whom I am perfectly known, such
as M. Malsherbes and the Count oVEstaing* of

* This evidently refers to the complimentary letters
with which these gentlemen returned the Journal ; in
which letters the author of the Journal naturally sees
perhaps more than is visible to any eyes less interested.
We give them he*e.

" Letter from Count d'Estaing to Paul Jones, on reading
his Journal.

" It is impossible, Sir, not to abuse your kindness :
never lend me your Journal again, for I give you my
honour that I shall every time read it throughout, and
always with new delight. It is among the number of
things that one wishes to have by heart. In it the lesson of
military and naval heroism becomes identified with that
of generosity, by your conduct towards Lord and Lady
Selkirk.

" I am far from regretting the tribute of admiration
I have paid to the fight between the Bon Homme Rich-
ard and the Serapis ; and though in writing it I did not
imagine it could lead to any thing beyond an admission
into the society of the Cincinnati,* I cannot but be

* The Count had recommended Captain Edward Stack for admission
into this society.

PAUL JONES. 191

France, and Mr Morris, minister of the Ameri-
can marine. I owe to my own reputation and to

flattered to find that you have inserted it among the
pieces appended to your Journal.

" I have the honour to be, with the
most perfect attachment,

" ESTAING.

" Paris, 18th December, 1785."

" Letter of M. Malsherbes to Captain Paul Jones, on
perusing his Journal.

" Paris, 27th February, 1786.

" SIR, — I have received this mark of your confidence
with much gratitude, and have with great eagerness and
pleasure read this interesting relation.

" My first idea was, that you should give it to the
press ; but since I have perused it, I perceive that it is
not for the public you have drawn it up, as it contains
matters written only for the King, for whom the narra-
tive was intended. In the meanwhile it is highly ne-
cessary that deeds so memorable as yours should be made
known to the public in an authentic Journal published
in your own name.

" I exhort you to set about this as soon as your affairs
permit you, and in the meanwhile I hope the King will

192 MEMOIRS OF

truth, to accompany this Journal with an abridg-
ment of that of the campaign of the Liman. If

read this work with the attention he owes to the relation
of services performed by a man so celebrated as you.

" MALSHERBES."

We may here give the dedication of this Journal to
the King of France, as a fair specimen of the elaborate
composition of the writer, whose abilities, merely in a
literary point of view, are, his narrow education and
modes of life considered, not a little remarkable. As is
not singular, however, his fine and careful writing is by
no means his best style : —

" SIRE, — History gives the world no example of such
generosity as that of your Majesty towards the young
Republic of America; and I believe that never was a
compliment more flattering shown by a Sovereign to his
allies, than when your Majesty determined to arm and
support a squadron under the flag of the United States.

" Words cannot express my sense of the preference I
obtained when your Majesty deigned to make choice of
me to command that squadron.

" Your Majesty has as much reputation for know-

PAUL JONES. 193

you, Madam, read it with attention, you will see
how little I have deserved the mortifications I
have suffered, — mortifications which the justice

ledge, and the desire of information, as you have for wis-
dom and justice ; but, besides that consideration, I con-
ceive it to be my duty to lay before your Majesty an
account of my conduct as an officer, particularly from the
date of the alliance between your Majesty and the United
States. As your Majesty understands English, I have
perhaps judged ill in presenting the extract of my Jour-
nals in French. My motive was to give your Ma-
jesty as little trouble as possible. Accept, Sire, with
indulgence, this confidential offering of my gratitude,
which is an original, written for your particular infor-
mation.

" It has been and will be the ambition of my life to
merit the singular honour conferred on me by your Ma-
jesty's brevet, dated at Versailles the 28th June, 1780,
which says, ' Sa Majeste voulant marquer au J. Paul
Jones, Commodore de la Marine des Etats-Unis de
TAmerique, I'estime particuliere quelle fait de sa personne,
pour les preuves de bravoure et d'intre'pidite qu'il a don-
nees, et qui sont connus de sa Majeste', elle a juge a propos
de 1'associer a 1'institution du Merite Militaire,' &c.

" The Congress of the United States has, with great
VOL. II. I

194 MEMOIRS OF

and goodness of your Majesty can alone make
me forget.

" As I never offended in word or thought
against the laws of the strictest delicacy, it would
assuredly be most desirable to me to have the

justice, styled your Majesty e The Protector of the Rights
of Human Nature/

" With the order of Military Merit, your Majesty con-
ferred on me a gold sword, — an honour which, I presume,
no other officer has received ; and ' The Protector of the
Rights of Human Nature* will always find me ready to
draw that sword, and expose my life for his service.

" I am, Sire,
" With the truest gratitude,

" Your Majesty's most obliged
" And devoted servant,

" J. PAUL JONES.

" Paris, January 1st, 1786."

" Protector of fair Freedom's rights,
Louis, thy virtues suit a god ;
The good man in thy praise delights,
And tyrants tremble at thy nod.

" Thy people's father, loved so well,
May time respect !— when thou art gone
May each new year of history tell
Thy sons with lustre fill thy throne."

PAUL JONES. 195

happiness of regaining, in spite of the malice of my
enemies, the precious esteem of your Majesty. I
would have taken leave with a heart fully satis-
fied, had I been sent to fight the enemies of the
Empress, instead of occupying myself with my
own private affairs.

" Trusting entirely on the gracious promise
that your Majesty gave me, ' never to condemn
me without a hearing,' and being devoted to
you, heart and soul,

" I am with profound respect," &c. &c.

To ensure the Journal reaching the hands of
the Empress, this postscript is added to the above
loyal effusion : — " I shall have the honour of
sending the Journal by the courier of Wednesday
next, with the proofs of every separate article.
It will be sealed with my arms, and addressed
to your Majesty, and sent under a second cover,
to the address of M. de Chrapowitzky." With
all these precautions he feared that his Journal
was intercepted, as it contained such " damning
proofs against his enemies.""

196 MEMOIRS OF

CHAPTER IV.

DURING his stay in Warsaw, Paul Jones be-
came known to the celebrated Kosciusko. On
leaving Poland he sent a farewell note to this
noble patriot and determined hater of Russia,
which was followed by a rather singular corre-
spondence. Sweden was at this time in the heat
of war, and it had been rumoured that the dis-
contented American, who had for a brief space
prided himself on being a Russian officer, was now
ready to take service with Gustavus III. This
report was one reason for Jones avoiding the route
of Copenhagen on his way to Holland, and choos-
ing rather to go by Vienna.

" Rear-Admiral Paul Jones to Major General
Kosciusko.

" Warsaw, November 2d, 1789.
" MY DEAR GENERAL, — I intend to set out

PAUL JONES. 197

this day for Vienna, where I shall only stop
a few days. I shall then go to Strasburgh, and
from thence to Holland, where I expect to arrive
before the 1st of December. My address in Hol-
land is under cover to Messieurs Nic. and Jacob
Stophorst, Amsterdam.

" As I shall be in relation with our friends in
America, I shall not fail to mention on all occa-
sions the honourable employment and the re-
spect you have attained in your own country, and
the great regard you retain for the natives of
America, where your character is esteemed, and
your name justly beloved for your services. — I
am," &c.

The letter of General Kosciusko* is writ-
ten in English, a language which he wrote but

* THADDEUS KOSCIUSKO was a native of Poland, and
of good birth. He was educated at the Cadet-School
of Warsaw, and was one of four pupils annually chosen
by the king, and sent to complete their military studies
in France or Germany. He was instructed at the Mili-
tary Academy of Versailles, and acquired a thorough
knowledge of every department of military science, par-

198 MEMOIRS OF

imperfectly. The original orthography is re-
tained.

ticularly engineering. It is related, that on return-
ing home he fell desperately in love with a young lady,
who eloped with him. The lovers were pursued and
overtaken before they could pass the frontiers of Po-
land; and as Kosciusko could only retain his mistress by
killing her father, he resigned her. In consequence, it
is said, of this adventure, but more probably from the love
of employment and distinction, the young Pole went to
America, and was appointed by General Washington
one of his aides-de-camp. He continued there till the end
of the war. The part he afterwards acted in his native
country is well known. In the battle in which he was
made prisoner, he had three horses killed under him,
and was captured as he fell wounded from the last. He
was kept in a Russian dungeon till the death of the Em-
press Catharine, and only liberated by Paul at his acces-
sion. He afterwards visited America and England,
and was received with the highest distinction. When
Bonaparte entered Poland, he tried to move the nation by
a proclamation issued in the name of the patriot chief; but
Kosciusko disowned it, and refused to have any alliance
either with the French conqueror or with the Russian
Emperor, Alexander. " He lived," says his biographer,

PAUL JONES. 199

" General Kosciusko to Rear-Admiral Paul Jones,
Amsterdam.

" Warsaw, 15th February, 1790.
" MY DEAR SIR, — I had the honour to write
you the 1st or 3d of February. I do not recollect;
but I gave you the information to apply to the
minister of Sweden at the Hague, for the propo-
sitions (according to what M. D'Engestrom told
me) they both had order to communicate you. I
wish with all my heart that could answer your
expectation. I am totaly ignorant what they
are; but I could see you to fight against the
opression and tyranny. Give me news of every
thing. — I am, dear Sir,

" Your most humble and most
" obedient servant,

" J. KOSCIUSKO, G. M."

" in proud independence, superior to fortune and to
kings." His latter years were passed at Soleure, where
he distinguished himself by generosity to the poor. He
possessed a highly-cultivated mind, and was passionately
fond of poetry, particularly the works of the English
poets, with which he became well acquainted. He died
in October 1817, in the 65th year of his age.

200 MEMOIRS OF

" Write me, if you please, who is minister
from America at Paris : I want to know his
name."

In answer to this letter, Jones wrote from Am-
sterdam in the following month : —

" MY DEAR SIR, — The letter you did me the
honour to write me the 2d February, was deli-
vered to my bankers here, by a man who demand-
ed from them a receipt. I was then at the Hague,
and your letter was transmitted to me. On my
return here, some days ago, I found another let-
ter from you of the 15th February. This letter
had, by the same man, been put into the hands
of my bankers. You propose, if I am not mis-
taken, that I should apply to a gentleman at the
Hague, who has something to communicate to
me. But a moment's reflection will convince you
that considerations of what I owe to myself, as
well as the delicacy of my situation, do not per-
mit me to take such a step. If that gentleman
has any thing to communicate to me, he can
either do it by writing, by desiring a personal
conference, or by the mediation of a third person.

PAUL JONES. 201

I have shown your letter to my bankers, and
they have said this much to the gentleman from
whom they received it ; but this message, they
say, he received with an air of indifference."

Thus terminated the enigmatical correspon-
dence between Paul Jones and the illustrious
Pole. Reckoning a little on the disinterested love
of freedom, once so loudly boasted by all Ameri-
cans, and somewhat more, probably, on the avowed
discontent of the Rear-Admiral, Kosciusko may
have wished to draw him into some of those daring
schemes with which his own mind, on the highest
and purest motives, was now anxiously occupied.
But the lingering hope and ardent desire of be-
ing again recalled to serve in Russia, cherished
in spite of all he had seen and suffered, had not
yet left the mind of Jones. To this delusive
hope he indeed clung, with an almost abject per-
tinacity, to the very close of his life. Prudence,
besides, forbade a negotiation of so mysterious
and suspicious a kind ; and there was both hon-
esty and discretion in avoiding it.

While in Holland, Jones wrote many letters
to different quarters, desirous to re-establish

202 MEMOIRS QF

himself in the good opinion of some old friends,
and to revive himself in the memory of others
from whom he had been estranged during his
Russian bondage, or splendid exile, — for it may
be called indifferently by either name. His letters
about this time exhibit a curious struggle be-
tween the desire of domestic peace and the am-
bition of again launching into the heady current
of public life. He appears at a loss what plan
to pursue, whether to purchase a small estate in
America, and seek the enjoyments of that tran-
quil life which in reality possessed no charms for
him; to marry a rich wife, or to drag on an exist-
ence in the longing, lingering hope of being re-
called to Russia. His letters reflect the exact
complexion of his thoughts, disturbed, broken,
and changeful.

He, however, once more felt in security, and gave
his pen such scope, that innumerable letters bear
date at the Hague or Amsterdam, between De-
cember, 1789, and March, 1790.

A selection from the important part of his
copious correspondence at this period must be
more satisfactory to the reader than any detail

PAUL JONES. 203

we can give : his letters of a private kind written
at this time are reserved for the limited portion
of this memoir devoted to the domestic history
of its subject.

' ' Rear-Admiral Paul Jones to General Washington,
President of the United States.

" Amsterdam, December 20, 1789.
" SIR, — I avail myself of the departure of the
Philadelphia packet, Captain Earle, to transmit
to your Excellency a letter I received for you on
leaving Russia in August last, from my friend,
the Count de Segur, minister of France at St
Petersburgh. That gentleman and myself have
frequently conversed on subjects that regard
America ; and the most pleasing reflection of all
has been, the happy establishment of the new
constitution, and that you are so deservedly
placed at the head of the government by the
unanimous voice of America. Your name alone,
Sir, has established in Europe a confidence that
was for some time before entirely wanting in
American concerns ; and I am assured, that the

204 MEMOIRS OF

happy effects of your administration are still
more sensibly felt throughout the United States.
This is more glorious for you than all the laurels
that your sword so nobly won in support of the
rights of human nature. In war your fame is
immortal as the hero of Liberty ! In peace you
are her patron, and the firmest supporter of her
rights ! Your greatest admirers, and even your
best friends, have now but one wish left for you, —
that you may long enjoy health and your present
happiness.

" Mr Jefferson can inform you respecting my
mission to the court of Denmark. I was re-
ceived and treated there with marked politeness ;
and if the fine words I received are true, the
business will soon be settled. I own, however,
that I should have stronger hopes if America
had created a respectable marine ; for that argu-
ment would give weight to every transaction
with Europe. I acquitted myself of the com-
mission with which you honoured me when last
in America, by delivering your letters with my
own hands at Paris to the persons to whom they
were addressed."

PAUL JONES. 205

He also wrote Franklin and Mr Ross. Both
of these letters have interest.

" Amsterdam, December 27, 1789.

" DEAR SIR, — I beg leave to refer you to
Doctor Franklin or to General St Clair for an
explanation of my reasons for having left Rus-
sia. I have by this opportunity sent to those
gentlemen testimonies in French that cannot fail
to justify me in the eyes of my friends in Ame-
rica.

" You have no doubt been informed, perhaps
by Mr Parish, of the unhandsome conduct of
Le Conteulex and Co. with regard to the letter
of credit you gave me on them when I was last
in America for six thousand livres. As I was
landed in England instead of France, I went to
London to make an arrangement with Dr Ban-
croft for supplying the expense of my mission to
Denmark. He promised to place funds for my
use at Amsterdam. I went to Paris, and took a
letter of credit from Le Conteulex on Amster-
dam by way of precaution. On my arrival at
Amsterdam I found that Bancroft had not kept
his word, nor ever wrote me a line. I then de-

206 MEMOIRS OF

pended on the credit that Le Conteulex had,
without the least difficulty, given me in an open
letter ; but his correspondent informed me he
had received orders to pay me nothing till more
explicit and satisfactory accounts should be re-
ceived from you ! I had then no funds in my
hands ; and if I had not had the fortune to be
immediately relieved from a quarter on which I
had no claim, I should have found myself in
great distress.

" I should be glad to know the state of the
bank, &c., though I at present want no remit-
tance. My address is, under cover, to Messrs
N. and J. Van-Stophorst and Hubbard, Amster-
dam. Present my respectful compliments to
Mrs Ross and the young ladies. I may perhaps
return to America in the latter end of the sum-
mer ; and in that case I shall wish to purchase a
little farm, where I may live in peace. I am al-
ways affectionately yours.

" John Ross, Esq., Philadelphia.

" N. J5.— I presume you have received my
bust, as Mr Jefferson has forwarded it for you."

PAUL JONES. 207

" Paul Jones to Dr Franklin.

" Amsterdam, December 27, 1789.

" DEAR SIR, — The enclosed documents from
my friend, the Count de Segur, Minister Pleni-
potentiary of France at St Petersburgh, will ex-
plain to you in some degree my reasons for leav-
ing Russia, and the danger to which I was ex-
posed by the dark intrigues and mean subter-
fuges of Asiatic jealousy and malice. Your for-
mer friendship for me, which I remember with
particular satisfaction, and have ever been am-
bitious to merit, will, I am sure, be exerted in
the kind use you will make of the three pieces I
now send you, for my justification in the eyes of
my friends in America, whose good opinion is
dearer to me than any thing else. I wrote to
the Empress from Warsaw in the beginning of
October, with a copy of my journal, which will
show her Majesty how much she has been de-
ceived by the account she had of our maritime
operations last campaign. I can easily prove to
the world that I have been treated unjustly,

MEMOIRS OF

but I intend to remain silent at least till I know
the fate of my journal.

" I shall remain in Europe till after the open-
ing of the next campaign, and perhaps longer, be-
fore I return to America. From the troubles in
Brabant, and the measures now pursuing by the
King of Prussia, Sec., I presume that peace is
yet a distant object, and that the Baltic will wit-
ness warmer work than it has yet done. On the
death of Admiral Greig, I was last year called
from the Black Sea by the Empress to com-
mand a squadron in the Baltic, &c. This set
the invention of all my enemies and rivals at
work, and the event has proved that the Em-
press cannot always do as she pleases. If you
do me the favour to write to me, my address is,
under cover, to Messieurs N. and J. Van Stop-
horst and Hubbard at Amsterdam.

" I am, with sincere affection, dear Sir, your
most obedient and most humble servant.
" His Excellency B. Franklin, Esq. fyc. $c.
Philadelphia.

" N. B. — It is this day ten years since I left
the Texel in the Alliance."

PAUL JONES. 209

To Mr Parish, the well-known Hamburgh
merchant, with whom Paul Jones had become
acquainted on his journey to Russia, he thus wrote
under a vague idea of going to Hamburgh till
his fate was determined : — " My departure from
Copenhagen was so sudden, that I omitted writ-
ing to you, intending to have done it from St
Petersburgh. There I found myself in such a
round of feasting and business till the moment of
my departure for the Black Sea, that I again
postponed.

" Had I wrote you after my arrival at Cher-
son, I have every reason to think my letters
would have been intercepted ; but, notwithstand-
ing my past silence, I can truly assure you, that
I have constantly entertained the most perfect
and grateful sense of your friendly and polite be-
haviour to me at Hamburgh and Copenhagen.
I will now thankfully pay to your order the cost
of the smoked beef you were so obliging as to
send to my friend, Mr Jefferson, at my request.
The kind interest you have taken in my con-
cerns, and the great desire to cultivate your
esteem and friendship, are my present induce-
ments for troubling you with the enclosed packet

210 MEMOIRS OF

for the Chevalier Bourgoing, (the French resi-
dent at Hamburgh,) which I leave under a fly-
ing seal for your perusal, praying you to shut
the exterior cover before you deliver it. I shall
make no comments on the documents I send for
the Baron de la Houze, but let the simple truth
speak for herself. I shall show you, when we
meet, things that will surprise you, for you can
scarcely have an idea how much our operations
have been misrepresented.

" As I am for the present the master of my
time, I shall perhaps make you a visit in the
spring, and pay my court to some of your kind,
rich, old ladies. To be serious, I must stay in
Europe till it is seen what changes the present
politics will produce, and till I can hear from
America ; and if you think I can pass my time
quietly, agreeably, and at a small expense at
Hamburgh, I should prefer it to the fluctuating
prospects of other places."

The documents above referred to were copies
of the letters of Count Segur for Baron de la
Houze, the French minister at Copenhagen :
from him they drew a polite and soothing reply : —

PAUL JONES. 211

<e Baron de la Houze to Paul Jones.

" Copenhagen, 9th February, 1790.

" It is but a few days since I received, with
the letter with which you have honoured me of
the 29th December, the copies of that of the
Count de Segur, which you have been pleased to
communicate to me, and which were accompanied
by the article inserted on your account in the
Gazette of France, and which I had read. This
article, which has been repeated in many foreign
gazettes, has entirely destroyed all the venomous
effects which calumny had employed to tarnish
the distinguished reputation which you have ac-
quired by your talents and valour. In conse-
quence, public opinion still continues to render
you justice, and the most noble revenge you can
take on your enemies is to gather fresh laurels.
The celebrated Athenian general, Themistocles,
has said, — ( I do not envy the situation of the
man who is not envied.' "

Baron Krudner had been actively useful to
Paul Jones while in Copenhagen, both in pro-

212 MEMOIRS OF

moting his views in entering the Russian service,
and in the affair of the Danish pension. Though
we are aware that the Rear-Admiral had pro-
perty of different descriptions, the state of his
finances must, about this time, have been em-
barrassed by his large disbursements during the
Russian campaign, his long journeys, indisposi-
tion, and other causes of expenses. In writing
from America to a lady in whom he took a strong
interest, he represents himself, immediately pre-
vious to his last voyage in 1787> as " almost
without money, and puzzled to obtain a supply. "
He wrote, as has been seen, in this emergency to
Dr Bancroft,* who afterwards, in London, promis-
ed him assistance, but failed to keep his word. He
intimates to Mr Parish, that he could wish " to

* Dr Bancroft had pecuniary transactions with Paul
Jones, and at this time may have owed him money. The
Doctor was addicted to gambling in the English funds,
and on this account lost the confidence of Congress, and
the diplomatic appointment which he held. It is pro-
bable that he employed the money of his friends in the
same speculations, partly for his own advantage, and
partly for theirs.

PAUL JONES. 213

live at small expense ;" and there are other reasons
to conclude, that his finances, at least so far as
regarded ready money, were not flourishing.
This circumstance of actual exigency may, as was
formerly hinted, account for the anxiety respect-
ing the Danish pension manifested in this letter
to Baron Krudner ; it is in other respects curi-
ous : —

" Rear-Admiral Paul Jones to Baron Krudner,
Russian Envoy at Copenhagen.

" Amsterdam, 29th December, 1789.
" MY DEAR SIR, — Though I have not writ-
ten to your Excellency since I set out on my
first journey to St Petersburgh, yet I have con-
stantly retained the most lively sense of your
kind behaviour to me at Copenhagen. I must
beg to refer you to his Excellency the Baron de
la Houze, to whom I now transmit three docu-
ments for my justification in the eyes of my
friends in Denmark. Notwithstanding the un-
just treatment I received in Russia, the warm
attachment with which the Empress inspired me

214 MEMOIRS OF

at the beginning still remains rooted in my heart.
You know, Sir, that her Imperial Majesty thought
my sword an object worthy of her attention, sought
it with the most flattering eagerness, and treated
me the first time I was at her court with unex-
ampled distinction. That sword has been suc-
cessfully and frequently drawn on critical occa-
sions, to render the most essential services to her
empire, and to cover her flag with fresh laurels.
For this I have greatly exposed my reputation,
and entirely sacrificed my military pride. Yet I
have seen the credit of my services bestowed on
others, and I am the only officer who made the
campaign of the Liman without being advanced.
In a letter I wrote the Empress the 17th of May
last, I mentioned that her Majesty would soon
receive a direct proof from America of the una-
nimous approbation with which I am honoured
by the United States. I alluded to the gold
medal which I am to receive, and respecting
which you have in your hands a copy of the una-
nimous act of Congress. That medal is now
elegantly executed, and is ready for me at Paris.
The United States have ordered an example of

PAUL JONES. 215

my medal to be presented to every sovereign in
Europe, Great Britain excepted. When we
meet, I shall produce clear proof of all I have
said respecting Russia. The only promise I
asked from the Empress at the beginning, and,
indeed, the only condition I made with her Ma-
jesty, was, that ( she should not condemn me
without having heard me."1 I need make no
remark to a man of your clear understanding.
You advised me to write to the Empress by the
post. I wrote several letters while in the depart-
ment of the Black Sea to my friend Mr Jeffer-
son, at Paris, containing no detail of our opera-
tions, yet they were all intercepted. I have, I
think, reason to apprehend that there will be no
peace this winter, and that the Baltic will witness
warmer work than it has yet done.

" You remember that Count B (Bern-

storf ) showed you a paper which he sent, to be
delivered to me by the Danish Minister at St
Petersburgh. I received that paper without any
alteration whatever, either in the c date"* or other-
wise. If I understood you right, it was intend-

216 MEMOIRS OF

ed that ' a year's payment would be made in
advance? but I have not since heard a word in
that respect. I wish to be informed how the
payment is intended to be made. It cannot sure-
ly be in Danish bank-paper. You will do me a
great favour if you can obtain an explicit answer,
and it would be much more agreeable if the pay-
ment could be made here, instead of being made
at any other place. I have not yet mentioned
this affair to any person whatever, except your-
self. You are no stranger to my sentiments.
You know the present happy state of America.
That nation will soon create a respectable ma-
rine. It is now a year since I gave a plan to
the court of St Petersburgh, for forming a poli-
tical and commercial connexion with the United
States. The Empress approved this much, and
there was question of sending me to America in
consequence. But a great man told me, ' que
cela enrageroit les Anglais d'avantage centre la
Russie, et qu'il falloit auparavant faire la paix
avec les Turcs.' Accept my warm congratula-
tions on the well-merited advancement you have

PAUL JONES. 217

received in the Order of St Wolodimer. I hear
that your lady* is at Paris. I beg you to assure
her of my great respect," &c. Sec.

Baron Krudner replied, entirely blinking the
memorial touching Russian affairs, but assuring
his correspondent of success in obtaining the Da-
nish pension, of which he had spoken to Count
Bernstorf, and obtained a promise of immediate
payment ; — which promise, it is to be inferred,
was never meant to be kept, — as it certainly
never was.

Paul Jones appears to have gone to England
in the spring of this year, (1790,) but did not
remain long. The object of his visit does not
transpire ; and that he had been there only comes
out incidentally in his correspondence, especially

* The afterwards well-known Madam Krudner, who
was still enchanting Parisian circles with her charms and
attitudes in the " shawl-dance," not having as yet as-
sumed the part of devotee, or prophetess, in which she
afterwards made an equally remarkable figure.

VOL. II. K

218 MEMOIRS OF

in a letter to M. de Genet,* written in June,
when he had reached Paris. In this letter he
informs that gentleman, that he had not yet paid
his respects to his sister, (Madam Campan,-)-) but
intended doing so, and presenting the lady with

* M. Genet remained in St Petersburgh after the re-
turn of Count de Segur to France. Both were revolu-
tionists to a moderate extent ; and for this they incurred
the dislike of the Empress. Genet was removed from
Russia, and soon afterwards appointed by the Gironde
party, to which he was attached, ambassador to the
United States. When the faction of Robespierre ob-
tained the ascendency, he was ordered home, to answer
at the bar of the Convention for his malversations in
obeying the instructions of the former government.
There was in those days but a very short way between
the bar of the Convention and the scaffold. He took the
wiser part of marrying the daughter of Governor Clinton A
and settling in America as a planter.

t M. Genet had several sisters ; but as Madam Cam-
pan was the best known and most influential person of
the family, it is taken for granted that this is the sister
alluded to here*

PAUL JONES. 219

his bust, as a mark of personal regard for her
father and brother. He continues, " I have
shown M. de Simolin proof that, if I have not
sought to avenge myself of the unjust and cruel
treatment I met with in Russia, my forbearance
has been only the result of my delicate attach-
ment towards the Empress. You will oblige me
by inquiring at the cabinet, and demanding the
appointments due to me for the current year,
which ends the 1st of July, agreeably to the pro-
mise of the Empress, communicated to me by
the Counts de Bruce and Besborodko. I wish
to have that money immediately transmitted to
me."

While in Amsterdam the Rear-Admiral re-
ceived letters from Madame Le Mair d'Altigny,
a lady who appears to have taken a peculiar in-
terest in his welfare. This lady was probably a
widow ; but her actual condition as wife or widow
we have no means of verifying, and leave it en-
tirely to the penetration of our fair readers.

220 MEMOIRS OF

ff Rear- Admiral Paul Jones to Madame Le Mair
d'Altignyj at Avignon.

" Amsterdam, 8th Feb. 1790.
" I have received, my dear Madam, the two
obliging letters you did me the honour to address
to me from Avignon on the 18th and 22d of De-
cember. Accept also, I pray you, my sincere
acknowledgments for the two letters you had the
kindness to send me at Strasburgh. I am in-
finitely flattered by the interest with which I have
the happiness to have inspired you, and your
good wishes in my concerns give me true plea-
sure. I am not come here on account of any
thing connected with military operations; and
though I think it right to retain my rank, I have
always regarded war as the scourge of the human
race. I am very happy that you are once more
above your difficulties. Past events will enable
you to value the blessings of Providence, among
which, to a sensible heart, there are none greater
than health and independence, enjoyed in the
agreeable society of persons of merit. As soon

PAUL JONES. 221

as circumstances permit, I shall feel eager to join
the delightful society in which you are. As you
have not sent me your address at Avignon, I beg
of you to do so, and to be assured of my entire
esteem."

The lady, to visit whom the Rear- Admiral was
willing to make so long a journey, when circum-
stances permitted, appears to have replied in the
following month ; but it was not till December
in the same year that she obtained an answer.

" Paris, December 27, 1790.
" MY DEAR MADAM, — I have received your
charming letter of the 2d March. Having an
affair of business to arrange in England, I went
from Amsterdam to London at the beginning of
May, to settle it. I escaped being murdered on
landing.* From London I came hither, and have
not had an hour of health since my arrival. I
now feel convalescent, otherwise I would not have

* This is undoubtedly meant in jest ; Paul Jones was
by no means so senseless as to fear assassination in Eng-
land.

222 MEMOIRS OF

dared to write, for fear of giving pain to your
feeling heart. In leaving Holland my plan was
to repair to Avignon, in compliance with your
obliging invitation. My health formed an in-
vincible obstacle, but I still hope to indemnify
myself on the return of the fine weather. I was
for a long time very much alarmed by the dis-
turbances which interrupted the peace of your
city, and am very glad to see they are ended. I
have learned, with lively satisfaction, that they
have had no disagreeable consequences so far as
regards you. Give me news of yourself, I pray
you, and of those interesting persons of whom
you speak in your last letter. Accept the assu-
rance of the sincere sentiments which you are
formed to inspire.

" My address is, under cover, to M. Dorbery,
No 42, Rue Tournon, Paris.

" N. B. — Have you not sufficient confidence
in my discretion to explain 6 the enigma"* of the
happiness with which you say ' I will be loaded,
and which will astonish me so soon as I know

it?'1'

PAUL JONES. 223

Of Madame Le Mair (TAltigny we hear no-
thing more, so that her enigma in all probabili-
ty remained unexpounded.

It might be presumed that the mind of Jones
was now effectually weaned from the service of
the country where he had been so "unjustly and
cruelly treated ;" but such was not the fact. At
intervals, during the last ten years of his life, he
had been subject to severe attacks of indisposi-
tion, and about this time he was labouring under
that illness which, with brief intermission, never
again left him ; yet was his mind as ardently oc-
cupied as ever with hopes of serving in Russia.
He addressed Prince Potemkin, he addressed the
Empress : — his mind on this subject appears to
have been possessed; his very eagerness must
have tended to defeat his anxious wishes. These
letters from Paris, together with one other docu-
ment, conclude the history of his unfortunate
connexion with Russia,— a connexion which one
cannot help regarding as the cause of his prema-
ture death. The generous reader must be pained
to see a man of unquestioned bravery, and of very
considerable talent and professional skill, who, in

224 MEMOIRS OF

his own adopted country of America, might have
lived to old age in peace and honour, fighting her
battles in the senate, as he had already done on
the ocean, clinging thus in hopeless pertinacity to
the delusion which had undone him.

" To his Highness the Prince-Marshal Potemkin.

" Paris, 24th July, 1790.

" MY LORD, — I do not think it becomes me
to let pass the occasion of the return of your aide-
de-camp, to congratulate you on the brilliant suc-
cess of your operations since I had the honour to
serve under your orders, and to express to you,
in all the sincerity of my heart, the regret I feel
in not being fortunate enough to contribute there-
to. After the campaign of Liman, when I had
leave, according to the special desire of her Im-
perial Majesty, to return to the department of
the Northern Seas, your Highness did me the
favour to grant me a letter of recommendation to
the Empress, and to speak to me these words,
6 Rely upon my attachment. I am disposed to
grant you the most solid proofs of my friendship

PAUL JONES. 225

for the present and for the future.1 Do you re-
collect them ? This disclosure was too flattering
for me to forget it, and I hope you will permit
me to remind you of it. Circumstances and the
high rank of my enemies have deprived me of
the benefits which I had dared to hope from the
esteem which you had expressed for me, and
which I had endeavoured to merit by my ser-
vices. You know the disagreeable situation in
which I was placed ; but if, as I dared to believe,
I have preserved your good opinion, I may still
hope to see it followed by advantages, which it
will be my glory to owe to you. M. de Simolin
can testify to you that my attachment to Russia,
and to the great Princess who is its sovereign,
has always been constant and durable ; I attend-
ed to my duties, and not to my fortune. I have
been wrong, and I avow it with a frankness which
carries with it its own excuse — 1st, That I did
not request of you a carte-blanche, and the ab-
solute command of all the forces of the Liman.
2d, To have written to your Highness under feel-
ings highly excited, on the ^4th October, 1788.
These are my faults. If my enemies have wish-

226

MEMOIRS OF

ed to impute others to me, I swear before God
that they are a calumny. It only rests with me,
my Lord, to unmask the villany of my enemies,
by publishing my journal of the operations of
the campaign of Liman, with the proofs, clear as
the day, and which I have in my hands. It only
rests with me to prove that I directed, under your
orders, all the useful operations against the Ca-
pitan Pacha ; that it was I who beat him on the
7th June ; that it was I and the brave men I
commanded who conquered him on the 17th
June, and who chased into the sands two of his
largest galleys, before our flotilla was ready to
fire a single shot, and during the time a very
considerable part of the force of the enemy re-
mained at anchor immediately in rear of my squa-
dron ; that it was I who gave to General Suwar-
row, (he had the nobleness to declare it at court
before me, to the most respectable witnesses,)
he first project to establish the battery and
breast-works on the isthmus of Kinbourn, and
which were of such great utility on the night of
the 17 — 18th June; that it was I, in person,
who towed, with my sloops and other vessels,

PAUL JONES. 227

the batteries which were the nearest to the place,
the 1st July, and who took the Turkish galleys
by boarding, very much in advance of our line,
whilst some gentlemen, who have been too highly
rewarded in consequence of it, were content to
remain in the rear of the struggles of our line, if
I may be allowed to use the expression, sheltered
from danger. You have seen, yourself, my Lord,
that I never valued my person on any occasion
where I had the good fortune to act under your
eye. The whole of Europe acknowledges my ve-
racity, and grants me some military talents, which
it would give me pleasure to employ in the ser-
vice of Russia, under your orders. The time will
arrive, my Lord, when you will know the exact
truth of what I have told you. Time is a sove-
reign master. It will teach you to appreciate the
man, who, loaded with your benefits, departed
from the court of Russia with a memorial pre-
pared by other hands and the enemies of your
glory, and of which memorial he made no use,
because your brilliant success at the taking of
Oczakow, which he learned on his arrival in
White Russia, gave the lie to all the horrors

228 MEMOIRS OF

which had been brought forward to enrage the
Empress against you. You know it was the echo
of another intriguer at the court of Vienna. In
fine, time will teach you, my Lord, that I am
neither a mountebank nor a swindler, but a man
true and loyal. I rely upon the attachment and
friendship which you promised me. I rely on it,
because I feel myself worthy of it. I reclaim
your promise, because you are just, and I know
you are a lover of truth. I commanded, and was
the only responsible person in the campaign of the
Liman, the others being only of inferior rank, or
simple volunteers ; and I am, however, the only
one who has not been promoted or rewarded. I
am extremely thankful for the order of St Anne
which you procured for me, according to your
letter of thanks, for my conduct in the affair of
the ^th June, which was not decisive. The 17th
June I gained over the Capitan Pacha a com-
plete victory, which saved Cher son and Kinbourn,
the terror of which caused the enemy to lose nine
vessels of war in their precipitate flight on the
following night, under the cannon of the battery
and breast-work which I had caused to be erect-

PAUL JONES. 229

ed in the isthmus of Kinbourn. On this occa-
sion I had the honour again to receive a letter of
thanks ; but my enemies and rivals have found
means to abuse your confidence, since they have
been exclusively rewarded. They merited rather
to have been punished for having burnt nine
armed prizes, with their crews, which were ab-
solutely in our power, having previously ran
aground under our guns.

" I have been informed that, according to the
institution of the order of St George, I have the
right to claim its decorations in the second class
for the victory of the 17th June, but I rely upon
your justice and generosity. I regret that a
secret project, which I addressed* to the Count
de Besborodko the 6th of June of the last year,
has not been adopted. I communicated this pro-
ject to the Baron de Beichler, who has promised
me to speak to you of it. I was detained in St
Petersburgh until the end of August, in order to
hinder me, as I have heard, from proceeding into
the service of Sweden. My poor enemies, how
I pity them ! But for this circumstance my in-
tention was to have presented myself at your

230 MEMOIES OP

head-quarters in the hope to be of some utility ;
and the Baron de Beichler, in departing from St
Petersburgh in order to join you, promised me to
assure you of my devotion for the service of your
department, and that I should hold myself ready
to return to you the instant I was called. My
conduct has not since changed, although I hold
in my hand a parole for two years, and I regard
eighteen months of this parole, in a time of war,
more as a punishment than as a favour. I hope
that your Highness will succeed in concluding
peace this year with the Turks ; but, in a con-
trary case, if it should please you to recall me to
take command of the fleet in the ensuing cam-
paign, I would ask permission to bring with me
the French officer concerning whom I spoke to
you, with one or two others, who are good tacti-
cians, and who have some knowledge of war. On
my return here I received a gold medal, granted
me by the unanimous voice of Congress, at the
moment I received a parole from this honourable
body. The United States have decreed me this
honour, in order to perpetuate the remembrance
of the services which I rendered to America eight

PAUL JONES. 231

years previous, and have ordered a copy to be
presented to all the sovereigns and all the acade-
mies of Europe, with the exception of Great Bri-
tain. There is reason to believe that your High-
ness will be numbered among the sovereigns of
Europe, in consequence of the treaty of peace
which you are about to conclude with the Turks;
but in any case, if a copy of my medal will be
acceptable to you as a mark of my attachment
for your person, it will do me an honour to offer
it to you. " PAUL JONES."

The Rear-Admiral suffered much bodily ill-
ness during the interval which elapsed between
the despatch of this letter and the period when
he sent off his forlorn hope, the subjoined epistle,
in the spring of the following year : —

ff To her Imperial Majesty of all the Russias.

25th Feb. ,,

" Pans, 0 , , . — r 1791.
' 8th March,

" MADAM, — If I could imagine that the
letter which I had the honour to write to your
Majesty from Warsaw, the 25th September,

232 MEMOIRS OF

1789, had come to hand, it would be without
doubt indiscreet in me to beg you to cast your
eyes on the documents enclosed, which accuse
no person,* and the only intent of which is, to
let you see that in the important campaign of
Liman, the part which I played was not either
that of a %ero or of a harlequin, who required to
be made a colonel at the tail of his regiment. I
have in my hands the means to prove, incontes-
tably, that I directed all the useful operations
against the Capitan Pacha. The task which
was given to me at this critical conjuncture was
very difficult. I was obliged to sacrifice my own
opinion and risk my military reputation for the
benefit of your empire. But I hope you will be
satisfied with the manner in which I conducted
myself, and also of the subsequent arrangements,
of which I am persuaded you have not been ac-

* In a letter from Warsaw to Mr Littlepage, he says,

the Count de B , (we know not whether de Bruce or

de Besborodko, though it is probably the latter,) had in-
tercepted his despatch to the Empress till orders could be
got from Potemkin.

PAUL JONES. 233

quainted until this moment. The gracious
counsel which your Majesty has often done me
the honour to repeat to me before my departure
for the Black Sea, and in the letter which you
deigned to write to me afterwards, has since
been the rule of my conduct; and the faithful at-
tachment with which you had inspired me for
your person, was the only reason which hindered
me from requesting my dismissal when I wrote
to you from Warsaw ; for I confess that I was
extremely afflicted, and even offended, at having
received a parole for two years in time of war, —
a parole which it has never entered into my mind
to wish for, and still less to ask, and of which I
have not profited to go to America, or even to
Denmark, where I had important business ; for
I had always hoped to be usefully employed in
your service, before the expiration of this parole,
which has done me so much injury; and al-
though in public I would not have failed to have
spoken to you at the last audience which you
granted me, yet I was unfortunately led to be-
lieve the repeated promises made me, that I
should have a private audience in order to lay

234< MEMOIRS OF

before you my military projects, and to speak of
them in detail.

" I hope that the brilliant success with which
Providence has blessed your arms will enable
you to grant peace to your enemies without shed-
ding more of human blood ; but in a contrary
case your Majesty can be well instructed from
my project, No 12, of the last year.

" As I have my enemies, and as the term of
my parole is about to expire, I await the orders
of your Majesty, and should be flattered, if it is
your pleasure for me to come and render you an
account in person. Mr , who has the good-
ness to charge himself with this packet, which I
have addressed to him, sealed with my arms,
will also undertake to forward me your orders ;
I therefore pray you to withdraw me as soon as
possible from the cruel uncertainty in which I
am placed. Should you deign, Madam, to in-
form me that you are pleased with the services
which I have had the happiness to render you,
I will console myself for the misfortunes which I
have suffered, as I drew my sword for you from
personal attachment and ambition, but not for

PAUL JONES. 235

interest. My fortune, as you know, is not very
considerable ; but as I am philosopher enough
to confine myself to my means, I shall be always
rich.

" I have the honour to be,

Madam,

Of your Imperial Majesty
The most faithful and
Obedient servant,
PAUL JONES."

So late as the month of July of the same year,
we find Paul Jones still in Paris, and now in
very bad health, but even yet occupied with Rus-
sia. His next and final letter is addressed to Ba-
ron Grimm, the literary correspondent of the
Empress, who, a dozen years before, had cele-
brated his praises.* His former attempts having

* In the original correspondence of Grimm we find
the following passage, which does not appear in the
much-abridged edition of his voluminous works pub-
lished in this country. This passage, which we had
not seen till after the first volume of the Memoir

236 MEMOIRS OF

been so utterly unsuccessful, he discovers consi-
derable address in trying his fortune in a new

was printed, shows that both Mr Sherburne and the
present editor are mistaken in supposing that the bust
of Paul Jones was originally taken at his own sug-
gestion. The letter of Baron Grimm bears date Janu-
ary, 1780, at which time he says Paul Jones had been
some weeks in Paris. This cannot be correct, as it was
among the very last days of December when he escaped
from the Texel ; the only error, however, is of a few
weeks. " The intrepid Paul Jones," says the Baron, " has
been here for some weeks. He has had the honour to be
presented to the King. He has been applauded with trans-
port at all the public places where he has shown him-
self, and particularly at the opera. It is a singularity
worthy of remark, that this brave Corsair, who has given
multiplied proofs of possessing a soul the most firm, and
courage the most determined, is at the same time the
most feeling and mild man in the world, and that he
has made a great many verses full of elegance and soft-
ness, the sort of poetry which appears most congenial to
his taste being the elegy and the pastoral. The Lodge
of the Nine Sisters, of which he is a member, have em-
ployed M. Houdon to take his bust. This resemblance is
a new masterpiece worthy of the chisel which appears

PAUL JONES. 237

tack. The Empress, it may be premised, had
long shown herself ambitious of being considered
the munificent patroness of science and of scien-
tific men, in whatever regarded the improve-
ment of her country, and particularly of her
navy.

" Rear-Admiral Paul Jones to Baron Grimm.

"Paris, 9th July, 1791.

" SIR, — M. Houdon has sent to your house
the bust which you have done me the honour to
accept.* Mademoiselle Marchais has told me

destined to consecrate to immortality illustrious men of
all kinds."

* His own bust, " now decorated," he says, " with
the order of St Anne, on the American uniform, one rea-
son why I wish to be authorised by the American States
to wear that order." This is said in a letter to Mr Jef-
ferson, written soon after his final epistle to the Empress,
and when he had formed the design of again entering
the French fleet of evolution, if bodily indisposition, and
the worse sickness of hope deferred, left him power to
form any considerate or consistent plan of future conduct.

238 MEMOIRS OF

all the obliging things you have said regarding
me.

"As it is my duty to interest myself in ob-
jects that may be useful to Russia, I must in-
form you that I have met with a man here, whom
I have known for fifteen years, who has invent-
ed a new construction of ships of war, which has
small resemblance, either externally or internally,
to our present war-ships, and which will, he says,
possess the following advantages over them : —

" I. The crew will be better sheltered during
an engagement.

"II. The lodging-room of the crew will be
more spacious ; every individual may have a bed

There were five orders of knighthood in Russia, three of
which were instituted by Peter the Great, and two, that of
St George and St Vladimir, by the Empress Catharine
the Second. The order of St Anne was a Holstein, and
not a Russian order. The Empress never conferred this
order herself. She left it to the Grand Duke Paul, as
Duke of Holstein, and from him Paul Jones received it.
It was accordingly less valued than those of her own in-
stitution bestowed by herself.

PAUL JONES. 239

or a hammock, and there may be as much air as
is wished for, night and day, in the sleeping apart-
ments.

" III. There 'will be less smoke during an
engagement."

The enumeration of all the rare qualities of this
beau ideal of a war-ship might prove tedious ;
suffice it, that a ship of the new construction, of
54 guns, if well armed and commanded, might
have faced one of the old make carrying 100
guns ; that it would cost less both in artillery and
timber, be a better sailer, go nearer the wind,
and possess many other advantages. " For a long
tune," the Rear- Admiral states, " he had, in
conjunction with his friend Dr Franklin, tried to
construct a ship combining the advantages of be-
ing a fast sailer, not driving to leeward, drawing
little water, &c. ; but they always encountered
great obstacles. From the death of that great phi-
losopher," he continues, " having rather too much
time on my hands, (a very gentle hint,) I think
I have surmounted the difficulties which baffled
us, and stopped our progress. The ship-builder
of whom I have spoken has explained nothing to

240 MEMOIRS OF

me in detail, and I can form no idea on the sub-
ject. He wishes to preserve his invention, and
to draw emolument from it ; and nothing can be
more just, if on experiment his discovery holds.
As this is a thing which appears to me to deserve
the attention of the Empress, I beg of you to
acquaint her Majesty as soon as possible. This
person wished to go to England to offer his dis-
covery, where I think it would have been re-
ceived ; but, as I have some influence with him,
I have persuaded him to remain here, and wait
your reply. If he receive any encouragement,
he will communicate his ideas more fully to me.
But in every case I dedicate to the Empress,
without any stipulation, all that my feeble genius
has accomplished in naval architecture." The
Rear- Admiral then relates his own supposed disco-
very, and, like a skilful orator, winds up, by
pressing hard the main point of his argument.
" Will not this, presuming it correct, be of great
advantage to the infant marine of the Black Sea,
and consequently to the prosperity of the Rus-
sian empire ?"

It appears that Baron Grimm received an

PAUL JONES.

241

answer from the Empress in relation to this first
application, though it can scarcely be called a
satisfactory one. She says there was a prospect
of a speedy peace ; but if peace did not take
place, she would let M. Paul Jones know her in-
tentions respecting himself: and she tacitly re-
proves Grimm's interference by saying, that she
would not choose him as the medium of her com-
munications with Paul Jones.

VOL. II

242 MEMOIRS OF

CHAPTER V.

THE voluminous papers left by Paul Jones af-
ford very scanty materials for his domestic his-
tory. From boyhood his place in society was
completely isolated. His extensive correspon-
dence, as it came into the hands of his relatives,
is chiefly that of business, or of the ceremonial
connected with business, and with the courtesies
of acquaintanceship. His intercourse with so-
ciety amounted to little more than the exchange
of the customary offices of kindness and civility.
He was early separated, by insurmountable cir-
cumstances, from his own relatives; he never
afterwards found a fixed home, nor does his cor-
respondence afford any trace of the kindly, ge-
nial, unbending, and cordial familiarity of confi-
dential friendship. His letters consequently
want the charm of a particular or individual in-
terest. Few of them contain a single observation

PAUL JONES. 243

on men or manners, or even the expression of
an opinion not merely professional. His jour-
nals, in like manner, are strictly confined to pro-
fessional affairs, and contain little that can either
extend the range of knowledge or gratify a liberal
curiosity. With the fields of observation, whether
in America, France, and Russia, that were pre-
sented to a mind so active and acute, this is much
to be regretted. As it is, the interest of this me-
moir must rest wholly on the public life of its
subject. The few of his private confidential let-
ters which exist, do, however, unfold his charac-
ter in a very amiable way. Those to his rela-
tions in Scotland, written in the latter years of
his life, display the most affectionate solicitude
for the happiness of those who could but little
add to his, and much good sense in his endea-
vours to promote it.

According to his London or American bio-
grapher, Paul Jones was " as chivalrous in
love as in war." This is assumed, it is pro-
bable, on the principle that every seaman is
bound to be so, as a point of professional
duty, — from Nelson of the Nile down to Jack or

244 MEMOIRS OF

Ben just paid off at Portsmouth. " Paul Jones,"
we are gravely told, " was always seriously in
love," and, what is more singular, " often with
women he had never seen." This contradicts
all ordinary experience, and even goes beyond
romantic tradition. Though seamen are not re-
markable for tedious or roundabout modes of
courtship, they are seldom so far spiritualized as
not to require at least one passing glance of the
fair objects that kindle the sudden flame. That
among all existing unknown beauties, Paul Jones
should have singled out Lady Selkirk as the ob-
ject of his romantic and passionate admiration,
appears, at least on this, the frigid side of the
Atlantic, too absurd for serious refutation. His
gallantry of disposition, and the disagreeable and
derogatory imputations to which his descent on
St Mary's Isle was liable, sufficiently account
for the address to Lady Selkirk of a man who
had so quick a sense of dishonour, and so tena-
cious a regard for reputation, as Paul Jones
evinced in every transaction of his life. It is
therefore quite unnecessary to account for his
conduct in this memorable affair, by raising the

PAUL JONES. 245

ridiculous hypothesis of his having fallen in love
with a married lady of high rank, whom he had
never seen, and whose eldest son was at that
time of an age to have acted as his lieutenant.
It is indeed just possible, that, while Paul Jones
was still a lad, sailing to the port of Kirkcud-
bright, he might have seen the lady of St Mary's
Isle, though even then it would be preposterous
to imagine such long-lived and romantic conse-
quences from this transient vision, however fair
and captivating.

Paul Jones was by no means so great a fool
as his historian, no doubt to do him honour,
would insinuate. A man " in the singular si-
tuation of being in love with every woman in
Paris," and " often with women he had never
seen," was evidently in no imminent peril from
the attractions of any individual charmer, how-
ever powerful these might be. In the present
case this seems to have been the fact. The
true, and, it may be said, the only mistress to
whom Paul Jones was ever devoted with all the
powers of his heart and mind was — GLORY, in

246 MEMOIRS OF

pursuit of whom he made no scruple at any time
to set his foot on the neck of " the gentle Cupid,"
or, if need were, to use that " soft integument"
as a stepping-stone in his mounting path.

It is said that John Paul Jones, soon after
entering the navy, formed an ardent attachment
to an American lady. Their affection was mu-
tual, but circumstances forbade their union ; and
from this period he formed the resolution of
never marrying. There is, however, much to
intervene between the cradle and the grave of
the passions ; and when a man expresses resolu-
tions of this kind, his friends generally know
with what proper degree of credit or allowance to
receive them. He sent a message to his sisters,
by Mr Kennedy, — the French teacher of Dum-
fries, who waited on him with letters from his re-
lations, about the year 1784, — purporting that he
would never marry ; yet shortly after this we
find him expressing a very tender and anxious in-
terest for a French lady (Madame T ,) with

whom he was in correspondence.

The most brilliant period of the bonnes for-

PAUL JONES. 247

tunes of Paul Jones was during his residence at
Paris and Versailles in 1780, and immediately
after his escape from the Texel; the period
commemorated by Baron Grimm, the era of his
court favour, military order, and gold sword.
He at this time engaged in various flirtations, of
the kind and complexion which no man of his
age and profession, moving in gay society in
Paris, could have avoided, if he wished to live in
the odour of gallantry. His acquaintance with
the lady who assumes, or who received the poeti-
cal appellation of Delia, must have commenced
about this time, as the hottest fire of her love-
letters appears to have fallen upon the Chevalier
at LTOrient during the existence of Landais'
mutiny.

The conduct of the Chevalier at this time
was, it is to be feared, more creditable to his
general spirit of gallantry than to his fidelity
to the fair and devoted Delia. Among the la-
dies whom he met most frequently in the society
he frequented at Versailles was the Countess of
Lavendal, a married woman, (and marriage in
Paris at this time made an indispensable ingre-

248 MEMOIRS OF

dient in the attractions of a mistress,) young,
beautiful, witty, and withal a little intriguing.
To the good graces of this lady the Chevalier
Paul Jones anxiously and assiduously recom-
mended himself. There is, however, reason to
surmise, that the gentleman might have been
somewhat of a self-seeker even in his admiration
of the beautiful Countess. It is undeniable, that
he owed all the distinction he had just obtained
solely to court-favour, — to the French ministry he
owed nothing. " La belle Comtesse," indeed, ap-
peared to have looked to him as the medium of ad-
vancement or employment for her husband, with-
out affecting to possess court-patronage herself;
but there was no limiting the influence of a clever
and beautiful woman at the Court of Versailles,
where, although the reigning sovereign was unas-
sailable, there were always so many open channels,
through ministers and favourites, high and low,
male and female. When the lady, whose object
was to obtain employment for her husband, in
conjunction with the American hero, but who
had no objection to the by-play of a little harm-
less coquetry, thought it prudent to draw back,

PAUL JONES. 249

after a course of very promising encouragement,
her admirer appears to have borne his disap-
pointment with great philosophy; and to have
turned the tables upon the fickle charmer, and
extricated himself from the affair with a cool
dexterity that might command the applause of
Chesterfield himself.

This Parisian " course of true love11 is fully
elucidated by the following extracts of published
letters, attributed to a young English lady, a
Miss Edes, residing at the time in Versailles.
They were written early in Juneand July, 1780.
Coupling the fact of their immediate publication
in England, with the staple of their composition,
if left to our own instincts, and not positively as-
sured that they were originally the private let-
ters of a young lady, we would be inclined to at-
tribute them to some of the gentlemen of the
press who flourished fifty years ago ; and who
then exported the scandal of Paris to London,
in a somewhat clumsier way than the same busi-
ness is still managed, but exactly in the same
spirit.

" The famous Paul Jones dines and sups here

250 MEMOIRS OF

often," says Miss Edes ; " he is a smart man of
thirty-six, speaks but little French, appears to
be an extraordinary genius, a poet as well as a
hero ; a few days ago he wrote some verses ex-
tempore, of which I send you a copy. He is
greatly admired here, especially by the ladies,
who are all wild for love of him, as he for them ;

but he adores Lady , (the Countess La-

vendal,) who has honoured him with every
mark of politeness and distinction.'"

fe Verses addressed to the Ladies who have done me
the Honour of their polite Attention !" Presented
by Paul Jones to Mademoiselle G— .*

" Insulted Freedom bled,— I felt her cause,
And drew my sword to vindicate her laws,
From principle, and not from vain applause.
I've done my best ; self-interest far apart,
And self-reproach a stranger to my heart ;

* This is supposed to be one of the daughters of M.
Genet, but could not have been his eldest daughter, who
was by this time married to M. Cainpan, and a woman
of the bedchamber to the Queen.

PAUL JONES.

My zeal still prompts, ambitious to pursue
The foe, ye fair ! of liberty and you :
Grateful for praise, spontaneous and unbought,
A generous people's love not meanly sought ;
To merit this, and bend the knee to beauty,
Shall be my earliest and my latest duty."

In this, and other effusions fully more credit-
able to his muse, Paul Jones, we presume, makes
no worse figure than other clever men have done,
when, departing from their true character, they
choose to engage in the solemn fooleries or trif-
ling puerilities of a part for which neither nature,
education, nor habit, has fitted them.*

* In vindication of the critical opinions of Grimm,
who praises the " grace and softness'* of the verses of
Paul Jones, we subjoin what is considered a tolerably fair
specimen of his poetical vein. It is no disparagement of
our own great naval hero to say, that the verses of Paul
Jones are far superior to those of Nelson. Indeed, of all
such effusions the opinion of Byron ought to be adopted as
quite canonical — they are so good, that— "bad were better."
The only use of the verses of Paul Jones is the evidence
they afford, that their author could not have been the

252 MEMOIRS OF

The same young lady, supposed to be the Miss
Edes, sometimes noticed in the correspondence of

brutal, ignorant, and ferocious pirate he is frequently
described. In this view they are invaluable to truth and
to his honest fame : —

" Verses written on Board the Alliance ojfUshant, the 1st
Day of January, 1780, immediately after escaping out
oftheTexelfrom the Blockade of the British Fleet ; being
in Answer to a Piece written and sent to the Texel by a
young Lady at the Hague.

TO MISS DUMAS.

I.

<( Were I, Paul Jones, dear maid, the ' King of Sea,'

I find such merit in thy virgin song,

A coral crown with bays I'd give to thee,

A car which on the waves should smoothly glide along ;

The Nereids all about thy side should wait,

And gladly sing in triumph of thy state,

( Vivat, vivat' the happy virgin muse !

Of Liberty the friend, whom tyrant power pursues!

II.

" Or, happier lot ! were fair Columbia free
From British tyranny, and youth still mine,

PAUL JONES. 253

the Chevalier with the Genet family, on another
occasion, and after further acquaintance, writes
thus: —

" Since my last, Paul Jones drank tea and
supped here. If I am in love with him, for love
I may die ; I have as many rivals as there are

I'd tell a tender tale to one like thee

With artless looks, and breast as pure as thine.

If she approved my flame, distrust apart,

Like faithful turtles, we'd have but one heart;

Together then we'd tune the silver lyre,

As Love or sacred Freedom should our lays inspire.

III.

" But since, alas ! the rage of war prevails,
And cruel Britons desolate our land,
For Freedom still I spread my willing sails,
My unsheath'd sword my injured country shall command.
Go on, bright maid, the Muses all attend
Genius like thine, and wish to be its friend.
Trust me, although convey'd through this poor shift,
My new-year's thoughts are grateful for thy virgin gift."*

* This gallant effusion was despatched from Corogne, where Jones put
in for a short time on his way to Groix. The lady was the daughter of
M. Dumas, the American agent at Amsterdam.

254 MEMOIRS OF

ladies, but the most formidable is still Lady ,

(the Countess Lavendal,) who possesses all his
heart. This lady is of high rank and virtue,
very sensible, good-natured, and affable. Be-
sides this, she is possessed of youth, beauty, and
wit, and every other female accomplishment. He
is gon«, I suppose, for America. They corre-
spond, and his letters are replete with elegance,
sentiment, and delicacy. She drew his picture,
(a striking likeness,) and wrote some lines under
it, which are much admired, and presented it
to him, who, since he received it, is, he says,
like a second Narcissus, in love with his own re-
semblance ; to be sure he is the most agreeable
sea-wolf one would wish to meet with. As to his
verses you may do with them what you please.
The King had given him a magnificent gold sword,
which, lest it should fall into the hands of the
enemy, he has begged leave to commit it to the
care of her ladyship, — a piece of gallantry which is
here highly applauded. If any further account
of this singular genius should reach my hands,
you shall have it."

We believe that even the most finished French

PAUL JONES. 255

coquet would feel rather startled at the eclat of
an appearance like the above in an English pe-
riodical published within the month. The Coun-
tess must have been alarmed, and she took her
measures accordingly.

When Jones was compelled to return to
LTOrient, and in the prospect of an immediate
departure for America, he took courage to speak
more plainly to this condescending Countess.
Though, as has been noticed, he found it after-
wards expedient to give the affair another turn, his
first letter, which follows, cannot be mistaken : —

" I am deeply concerned,1' he says, " in all
that respects your happiness ; I therefore have
been and am much affected at some words that
fell in private conversation from Miss Edes the
evening I left Versailles. I am afraid that you
are less happy than I wish, and am sure you de-
serve to be. I am composing a cipher for a key
to our future correspondence, so that you will be
able to write me very freely, and without risk.
It is a small dictionary of particular words, with
a number annexed to each of them. In our let-
ters we will write sometimes the corresponding

256 MEMOIES OF

number instead of the word, so that the meaning
can never be understood until the corresponding
words are interlined over the numbers.

" I beseech you to accept the within lock. I
am sorry that it is now eighteen inches shorter
than it was three months ago. If I could send
you my heart itself, or any thing else that could
afford you pleasure, it would be my happiness to
do it. Before I had the honour of seeing you, I
wished to comply with the invitation of my lodge,*
and I need not add that I have since found
stronger reasons that have compelled me to seek
the means of returning to France again as soon
as possible."

There was a manifest want of retenue in this
epistle. The lady, it is said, kept the trophies,
namely, the cipher, the letter, and the lock of
hah-, but wrote to Jones, expressing her astonish-
ment at his audacity, and her conjecture that his
packet had been misdirected when, sent to her-
self. She begged, at the same time, to introduce

* Probably the lodge of the Neuf Sceurs, of which he
member.

PAUL JONES. 257

to him the Count her husband, who was to pass
through LTOrient. " She should be obliged to
the Chevalier to show him every civility." This
he did, and afterwards wrote the Countess : —

" I/Orient, July 14, 1780.

" MADAM, — Since I had the honour to re-
ceive your packet from Versailles, I have care-
fully examined the copy of my letter from Nantes,
but am still at a loss, and cannot conceive, what
part of the letter itself could have occasioned
your imagining I had mistaken the address. As
for the little packet it contained, perhaps it might
better have been omitted : if so, it is easily de-
stroyed. If my letter has given you even a mo-
ment's uneasiness, I can assure you, that to think
so would be as severe a punishment as could be
inflicted upon me. However I may have been
mistaken, my intention could never have been to
give you the most distant offence. I was greatly
honoured by the visit of the Count, your husband,
and am so well convinced of his superior under-
standing, that I am glad to believe Miss Edes
was mistaken. I admire him so much, that I

258 MEMOIRS OF

should esteem myself very happy indeed to have
a joint expedition with him by sea and land,
though I am certain that his laurels would far
exceed mine. I mention this, because M. de
Genet has both spoken and written to me on the
subject as from the Count himself.

" I had the honour to lay a project before the
King^s ministers in the month of May, for future
combined expeditions under the flag of America,
and had the satisfaction to find that my ideas
were approved by them. If the Count, your
husband, will do me the honour to concert with
M. de Genet, that the court may send with me
to America the application that was intended to
be made to Congress, conformable to the propo-
sal I made, it would afford me a pleasing oppor-
tunity of showing my gratitude to the King, to
his ministers, and to this generous-minded nation.
I should be greatly proud to owe my success to
your own good offices ; and would gladly share
with your husband the honour that might result
from our operations. I have within these few
days had the honour to receive from his Majesty
the cross of Military Merit, with a sword that is

PAUL JONES. 259

worthy the royal giver, and a letter which I ar-
dently wish to deserve. I hold the sword in too
high estimation to risk its being taken by the
enemy ; and therefore propose to deposit it in the
care of a friend. None can be more worthy of
that sacred deposite than you, Madam ; and if
you will do me the honour to be its guardian, I
shall esteem myself under an additional obliga-
tion to deserve your ribbon, and to prove myself
worthy of the title of your knight. I promised
to send you a particular account of my late ex-
pedition ; but the late extraordinary events that
have taken place, with respect to the frigate Al-
liance, make me wish to postpone that relation
until after a court-martial in America shall have
furnished evidence for many circumstances that
would, from a simple assertion, appear romance
and founded on vanity. The only reason for the
revolt on board the Alliance was, because the
men were not paid either wages or prize-money ;
and because one or two envious persons persuad-
ed them that I had concurred with M. de Chau-
mont to defraud them, and to keep them in Europe
during the war, which, God knows, was not true.

260 MEMOIRS OF

For I was bound directly for America ; and far
from concurring with M. de Chaumont, I had
not even written or spoken to him, but had highly
resented his mean endeavours to keep the poor
men out of their just rights, which was the only
business that brought me to court in April.

" If I am to have the honour of writing you
from beyond sea, you will find that the cipher I
had the honour to send you may be necessary ;
because I would not wish all my informations to
be understood, in case my letters should fall into
the hands of the enemy. I shall communicate
no idea in cipher that will offend even such great
delicacy as yours ; but as you are a philosopher,
and as friendship has nothing to do with sex,
pray what harm is there* in wishing to have the
picture of a friend ? Present, I pray, my best
respects to the Count. If we are hereafter to be
concerned together in war, I hope my conduct
will give him satisfaction ; at any rate I hope for
the honour of his friendship. Be assured that I
shall ever preserve for you the most profound es-
teem and the most grateful respect.

" PAUL JONES."

PAUL JONES. 261

The lady waived the honour of being constituted
guardian of the gold sword ; and whatever her in-
fluence with the Chevalier might have been, it now
declined rapidly. From the Road of Groix Jones
wrote to her in the following well-considered and
measured terms ; and, from his next letters, it
appears that the correspondence henceforth lan-
guished on his side : —

" Paul Jones to the Countess de Lavendal.

"Ariel, Road of Groix, September 21, 1780.
" MADAM, — I was honoured with the very po-
lite letter that your Ladyship condescended to
write me on the 5th of last month. I am sorry
that you have found it necessary to refuse me
the honour of accepting the deposite mentioned
in my last, but am determined to follow your
advice, and be myself its guardian. I have been
detained in this open road by contrary and stormy
winds since the 4th of this month. There is
this moment an appearance of a fair opportunity,
and I will eagerly embrace it. I have received
a letter from the first minister, very favourable

262 MEMOIRS OF

to the project I mentioned to you, and you may
depend on my utmost interest with Congress to
bring the matter to issue. I am sure that assem-
bly will with pleasure say all yourself or the
Count could wish respecting the Count, if my
scheme is adopted.

" I have the satisfaction to inform you, that, by
the testimony of all the persons just arrived in
four ships at I/Orient from Philadelphia, the
Congress and all America appeared to be warmly
my friends ; and my heart, conscious of its own
uprightness, tells me I shall be well received.
Deeply and gratefully impressed with a sense of
what I owe to you and your husband's attentions
and good wishes, and ardently desiring to merit
your friendship and the love of this nation by my
whole conduct through life,

" I remain, Madam, &c. &c.

" P. S. — I will not faiUo write whenever I have
any thing worth your reading ; at the same time,
may I hope to be honoured now and then with a
letter from you, directed to Philadelphia. I was
selfish in begging you to write me in French,

PAUL JONES. 263

because your letters would serve me as an exer-
cise. Your English is correct, and even ele-
gant.1'*

Long afterwards his correspondence with the
Countess is thus ceremoniously resumed : —

Captain Paul Jones to M. de Genet, enclosing Let-
ters to the Countess de Lavendal and the Mar-
quis de Castries.

" Triomphant, Porto la Bello,
February 28, 1783.

" DEAR SIR, — I had the honour to receive your
favour of the 16th May, 1781, only a few days
before I launched the America at Portsmouth.
Perhaps Colonel Lawrence, (who is no more,) in
the warmth of his public zeal, had forgot my let-
ter, and carried it with him to the fate of Corn-

* The above letter is addressed, in the copy before us,
to the Countess de Bourbon. It is, however, obviously
intended for the Countess de Lavendal. Paul Jones
could not have been in correspondence with two differ-
ent ladies to whom he would have wished to intrust ' ' the
deposite."

264 MEMOIRS OF

wallis. My mind was so much on the stretch
from receiving your letter till I reached Boston,
that you will, I hope, excuse my silence. I ex-
pected to have written hy the Iris ; but the stormy
weather after leaving Boston rendered it impos-
sible to put letters on board, and I had not a
moment's time before we left the port. I leave
the seal of my letter to the Marquis de Castries
open, that you may read it yourself, and show it
to the Countess de Lavendal before you seal
and deliver it. She will there see that invincible
obstacles have defeated my projects, which I have
pursued with unremitting attention. I am hap-
py that my little present was accepted by Miss
Sophy* with so much favour, and that it was
taken in good part by her family and intended
husband. I am not surprised that your son-in-
law is a worthy man. It could not be otherwise,
since he has your approbation, and is the choice
of the young lady. From the complexion of the
King of England's speech of the 5th December
the war ought now to be at an end. I hope and

* A daughter of M. Genet.

PAUL JONES. 265

sincerely wish it, for humanity has need of peace.
But if the war should continue, it is not impos-
sible that I may command again before it is
finished. Returning my respectful compliments
to all your family, and to Miss Edes ; and still
hoping to revisit France, I am,

" Dear Sir, &c. &c.
" M. de Genet, Versailles."

<f Captain Paul Jones to the Countess de Lavendal,
enclosed in the above.

" Triomphant, Porto Cabello,
February, 28, 1783.

" I RECEIVED, Madam, a short time before I
left North America, from M. Genet, a letter, dat-
ed Versailles, 18th May, 1781, containing a mes-
sage from your Ladyship respecting the military
projects I had in contemplation in connexion
with the Count when I left Versailles. As no-
thing could add more to my disappointment than
a supposition on your part that I had not pursu-
ed these objects with constant zeal, I have de-
sired M. Genet to put into your hands, before it

VOL. II. M

266 MEMOIRS OF

is delivered to the person for whom it is directed.,
a letter, by which you will see that invincible ob-
stacles alone have prevented the full operation
of my schemes, which, till very lately, have al-
ways been supported by hope. I now think the
war at an end; but if it should continue, I shall
not voluntarily remain out of the busy scene,
and I am still of opinion my former projects
might be adopted with public utility. I can,
however, promise nothing, but that my prin-
ciples are invariably the same. I hope to return
to France, and am persuaded you will rather feel
compassion for my disappointment than withdraw
from me any part of your esteem. — I am,

Madam, with sentiments of the most

profound respect, &c. Sec.
" To the Countess de Lavendal."

In reference to her husband, this lady had
evidently formed expectations from Paul Jones
which he never possessed the power to realize ;
and which, it is to be presumed, arose rather
from the strength of her own wishes, than from
false hopes held out by her admirer. How he

PAUL JONES. 267

could have proposed to connect himself with a
man of no professional eminence, whom, when
the idea was formed, he had never seen, and,
from Miss Edes' report, supposed a fool, must
be left to the sagacity of the reader, and will,
perhaps, require his indulgence.

The letter sent for the perusal of the Coun-
tess does not appear much in point, nor could it
have proved very satisfactory to her.

" Captain Paul Jones to the Marquis de Castries,
enclosed to M. Genet, for the perusal of the Coun-
tess de Lavendal.

" Trioraphant, Porto Cabello,
28th February, 1783.

" MY LORD MARQUIS, — You have no doubt
been officially informed of the act of Congress
presenting the America to his Majesty, to replace
the Magnifique, when that ship was lost at Bos-
ton. Perhaps you may have also heard, that
soon after my return from France to Philadel-
phia, in the Ariel, I was unanimously elected by
Congress to command the America. It was pro-

268 MEMOIES OF

posed by his Excellency, Mr Morris, Minister of
Marine, to arm the America en jlute^ and
send her to Brest in December, 1781, with a
cargo of large masts, fit for ships of the line, to
be armed for war, &c. But when I arrived at
Portsmouth, I found the ship not half built, and
all the materials were wanting to finish the con-
struction. Instead of commanding a fine ship,
and being attended by frigates belonging to the
continent, the inspection of the construction fell
entirely upon me, almost without money or ma-
terials to carry it on. I had been thus employ-
ed for sixteen months before the act of Congress
presenting the America to the King deprived
me of that command. It was thought that act
of Congress must give me pain, but those who
were of that opinion did not well know my char-
acter. It was a sacrifice I made with pleasure,
to testify my grateful regard for his Majesty, and
my invariable attention and zeal to promote the
common cause. I continued my inspection till
the America was launched, and having then de-
livered her to M. de Martigne, appointed by his
Excellency the Marquis de Vaudreuil, I set out

PAUL JONES. 269

for Philadelphia. A project was then in con-
templation between Mr Morris and the Chevalier
de la Luzerne, for employing me immediately
with a command of some frigates ; but not being
able to get the South Carolina frigate out of the
hands of Mr Gillan, their project did not succeed.
Thus disappointed, I applied to Congress to send
me back to Boston to make a campaign for my
instruction on board his Majesty's fleet. Con-
gress having passed an act for that purpose, I
returned to Boston the day before the fleet sail-
ed, with letters from the Minister of Marine,
and the Chevalier de la Luzerne, to his Excel-
lency the Marquis de Vaudreuil, who kindly re-
ceived me as a volunteer on board of his ship.
I have been so handsomely treated, both by him
and the officers, both of the fleet and army, that
they leave me nothing more to wish for from
them. I am directed to return to Philadelphia
when the campaign is ended, unless, in the mean-
tune, I should receive orders to the contrary. I
beseech you to assure his Majesty, that I will
eagerly embrace every opportunity to testify by
my conduct the high sense I have of the honour-

270 MEMOIRS OF

able marks conferred on me of his favour and
esteem, and that I feel a superior obligation for
the many marks of his bounty. — I am,
" My Lord Marquis,

with profound respect, &c.
" To his Excellency the Marquis
de Castries," fyc.

Of the Countess de Lavendal we learn no
more ; nor would the affair have been worth no-
tice, were it not already before the public. The
motives which led to the earlier part of this cor-
respondence cannot be mistaken ; nor is the ad-
dress displayed in the attempt to give the affair a
turn much to be commended, unless, as seems
extremely probable, the coquetry of the lady, and
her retention of the gifts she disclaims in words,
justify the affected astonishment of an admirer
whose vanity was to all appearance more inte-
rested than his serious affections. If the apolo-
gy be offered for this correspondence, that Paul
Jones did not understand French manners, this
will more strongly justify the lady than her ad-
mirer ; and it is to be feared that another aggra-

PAUL SONES. 271

vation is, its being simultaneous with that of the
devoted Delia, the anonymous lady mentioned
at page 261, vol. I.

Delia has so dexterously preserved her incognita,
that it is scarce possible, even if it were import-
ant, to ascertain her real condition. Her letters
which are preserved appear to have been written
to Jones while at L'Orient, and when he was sup-
posed on the eve of sailing for America. These
epistles, which are warmly passionate, breathe the
eloquence of deep and genuine feeling, and display
the boundless generosity of a devoted if not very
discreet attachment ; but they, at the same time,
discover a larger experience in " affairs of the
heart" than was likely to be possessed or ac-
knowledged by a very young woman, and ha-
bits of life which intimate more independence
and freedom than custom permitted to any un-
married French girl, if above the very lowest
rank. Delia appears to have received the visits
of gentlemen, — a privilege enjoyed only by mar-
ried women or widows ; and she alludes to her
income of eight thousand livres (no small fortune
in those days) as if it were under her sole and

272 MEMOIRS OF

uncontrolled command. She alleges her liberal-
ity of disposition as the cause of her narrow for-
tune, and thus warrants the conclusion, that her
conduct was perfectly independent of control.
Her extreme apprehension lest her letters or her
portrait should be seen, which is repeatedly ex-
pressed, is but a natural and becoming female
feeling, from which nothing can be surmised of
her real character and condition. It was a duty
that her lover owed to her memory, or, if she sur-
vived him, to the memory of their attachment,
to have placed this warm and animated corre-
spondence beyond the power of either misrepre-
sentation or derision.

In the American Memoir of Paul Jones re-
published in London, it is said, " the Commodore
grew alarmed when the lady proposed to follow
him to America." Her original letters, which
Paul Jones has preserved with a care he was not
likely to have bestowed on those of a person to
whom he was indifferent, bear no trace of any
proposition so indecorous. In the most fervid
of her eloquent compositions, with an abund-
ant lack of discretion, there is no symptom

PAUL JONES. 273

of indelicacy. Her distress, her agonies at
parting with her lover, are very frankly proclaim-
ed, but she contemplates no such termination
of her misery as an elopement. " Heaven,"
she says, " will reunite us, and watch over the
fate of two beings who love faithfully, and whose
upright hearts deserve to be happy. I inces-
santly address myself to Heaven for your safe
arrival in America. If you are satisfied with
that government you will continue in its service ;
if not, resign, and rejoin your faithful friend.
The whole world besides may forsake you, but
her heart is eternally yours. You inquire how you
can render me happy ? — take care of yourself,
love me, study the means of enabling us to pass
our lives together, and never forget that my life
is bound up in yours." Delia makes her lover
repeated offers of such assistance as she had the
power of affording during the exigency of his af-
fairs at LTOrient : — " She had trinkets, she had
effects," and with the most disinterested spirit
she is willing to sacrifice them all. These offers
are made with grace and delicacy, but it does not
appear that they were accepted; and, from a

M2

274* MEMOIRS OF

passage in one of her letters, it would seem that
Paul Jones had given her assistance of a pecuni-
ary nature.

It is said by the poet, —

" Those who greatly love must greatly fear ;" —

the love of Delia was extreme, and her fears
corresponded to its excess. The letters of Jones
were tolerably frequent for a man engaged in
quelling a mutiny, and corresponding with a co-
quetish Countess. They appear to have soothed
the fears of Delia, and filled her with rapturous
delight for the moment. She alludes to his re-
sponding tears, sighs, and verses ; envies her own
portrait in his possession, but as regularly re-
lapses into a state of distracting doubt if his si-
lence exceeded the period she had fixed for re-
ceiving a letter.

We can perceive no reason for believing " De-
lia a young and high lady of the court ;" but her
early letters possess those indelible marks of sin-
cerity, and of warmth and generosity of feeling,
which could not fail to interest, were it possible
to ascertain who the writer really was. Her me-

PAUL JONES. 275

mory, nevertheless, possesses some claim with
that class of readers pre-eminently called " gen-
tle ;" nor is it possible to look on the tear-stains
that blot those crooked characters, traced by a
hand then trembling with youthful passion, and
over which the grave must long since have closed,
without a feeling of pity and kindness for the
fair writer, so devoted, so eloquent, and probably
so unfortunate.

Of the " irresistible love-letters" of Paul
Jones, commemorated by Miss Edes and the
London editor, we subjoin one specimen, as they
have given none. It, we fear, does not lessen
the suspicion, that, in the case of Delia, the at-
tachment at this time was strongest on the wrong
side. It is written on Christmas-day, — a season
for which lovers seldom wait, though parted
friends often choose on it to make quittance of
neglected correspondence.

Paul Jones to Delia.

" December 25th, 1781.

" I wrote, my lovely Delia, various letters
from Philadelphia, the last of which was dated

MEMOIRS OF

the 20th of June. On the 26th of that month 1
was unanimously elected by Congress to com-
mand the America of 7^ guns? °n the stocks at
Portsmouth, New Hampshire. I superintended
the building, which I find so much more back-
ward than I expected, that a plan of operations
which I had in view is entirely defeated. I ex-
pected to have been at sea this winter, but the
building does not go on with the vigour I could
wish. Since I came here I have not had a single
good opportunity to write to Europe. This situa-
tion is doubly irksome to me, my lovely friend, as
it stops my pursuit of honour as well as love. It
is now more than twelve months since I left
France, yet I have not received a single letter
from thee in all that time, except the one written
in answer to my letter at taking leave. That
one is a tender letter indeed, and does honour to
thy matchless heart. I read often, and always
with transport, the many charming things that
are expressed in thy letters, but especially the
last. Thy adieu has in it all the finer feelings
blended with the noblest sentiments of the heart.
Providence, all just and good, has given thee a

PAUL JONES. 277

soul worthy to animate natures fairest work. I
rest, therefore, assured, that absence will not di-
mmish but refine the pure and spotless friend-
ship that binds our souls together, and will ever
impress each to merit the affection of the other.
Remember and believe my letter at parting ; it
was but a faint picture of my heart. I will find
opportunities to write, and be every thing thou
canst wish. My address is under cover to the
Hon. Robert Morris, Esq., Minister of Finance,
Philadelphia.

" I have not since heard of your relation I
left behind, but suppose he is with the army."

We cannot tell whether Delia profited or not by
this address ; but three years afterwards, when
the Chevalier arrived in Paris as agent for prize-
money, we find her still alive and faithful. Paul
Jones has preserved her first note, and in his
own handwriting affixed the date to it : — " From
her apartments in the Boulevard," &c. &c. He
had some reason to be proud of her fidelity : —
this was Paris in 1783. Delia's note is exceed-
ingly characteristic of her country, though we

278 MEMOIRS OF

like its tone much less than that of the earlier ef-
fusions of its author : — " Is it possible that you
are then so near me, and that I am deprived of
the sight of a mortal who has constituted the mi-
sery of my life for four years ? — O ! most amiable
and most ungrateful of men, come to your best
friend, who burns with the desire of seeing you.
You ought to know that it is but eight days
since your Delia was at the brink of the grave.
Come, in the name of Heaven !"

It is probable that the Chevalier obeyed this
summons, since he thought it worth while to
preserve the billet in which it is conveyed.

Delia now disappears from the scene as abrupt-
ly as the u beautiful Countess," unless we are able

to identify her with Madame T , a lady for

whom, about this time, the Chevalier evinces a
warm interest. The supposition, that Madame

T , a widow, it may be presumed, from her

friendless and unprotected state, and Delia, are
the same individual, is feasible in itself, credit-
able to both parties, and readily accounts for all
the ambiguities in the letters, and still more in
the situation of Delia. With Madame T

PAUL JONES. 279

Jones corresponded after his return to America
in 1786. Her letters to him were sent to the
care of the American minister, as those of Delia
had formerly been. The reader has the advantage
of being introduced to this lady by Paul Jones
himself hi the following letter to Mr Jefferson : —

" I am much obliged to you for the letter

from Madame T , which you forwarded by

the June packet. I now take the liberty to en-
close a letter for that worthy lady ; and, as I had
not the happiness to introduce you to her, (be-
cause I wished her fortune to have been pre-
viously established,) I shall now tell you in con-
fidence, that she is the daughter of the late King
and of a lady of quality, on whom his Majesty
bestowed a very large fortune on his daughter's
account. Unfortunately the father died while
the daughter (his great favourite) was very
young, and the mother has never since shown
her either justice or natural affection. She was
long the silent victim of that injustice ; but I had
the pleasure to be instrumental in putting her
in a fair way to obtain redress. His present Ma-

280 MEMOIRS OF

jesty received her last year with great kindness.
He gave her afterwards several particular au-
diences, and said ' he charged himself with her
fortune."1 Some things were, as I have under-
stood, fixed on, that depended solely on the
King, and he said he would dictate the justice
to be rendered by the mother. But the letter
you sent me left the feeling author all in tears !
Her friend, her protectress, her introductress to
the King, was suddenly dead ! She was in de-
spair ! She lost more than a mother ! A loss, in-
deed, that nothing can repair ; for fortune and
favour are never to be compared to tried friend-
ship. I hope, however, she has gone to visit
the King in July, agreeably to his appointment
given her in the month of March. I am per-
suaded that he would receive her with additional
kindness, and that her loss would, in his mind,
be a new claim to his protection, especially as
he well knows, and has acknowledged, her su-
perior merit and just pretensions. As I feel the
greatest concern for the situation of this worthy
lady, you will render me a great favour by writ-
ing her a note, requesting her to call on you, as

PAUL JONES. 281

you have something to communicate from me.
When she comes, be so good as to deliver the
within letter, and show her this, that she may
see both my confidence in you and my advice to
her.1"

Living so long in Paris or Versailles, it is
scarcely possible that Paul Jones could have
been deceived in the character or pretensions of

Madame T , though such is not the way in

which the daughters " of Louis XV., by ladies
of quality," were usually treated. It might also
be supposed, that some trace of this daughter
would be found in the numerous memoirs, let-
ters, and secret histories of the Court of France.
We are not aware that any such evidence does
exist. It would, however, be high presumption
to limit the number of the illegitimate children of
so patriarchal a monarch as Louis XV. Ma-
dame T was therefore, in all probability,

one of his numerous descendants, the only in-
explicable circumstance being, that a daughter,
" his great favourite," should not otherwise be
ever heard of; and that, " very young" when her
father died, (in 177^?) we should find in her either

282 MEMOIRS OF

the Delia of 1780, or the Madame T ,

a widow unknown or unfriended, of 1786. The
lady, her protectress, to whom Paul Jones al-
ludes, was, we are incidentally informed, the Mar-
chioness de Marssan, to whom he introduced her.
This lady we should presume to be her of the
same name, governess to the grand-daughters of
Louis XV. and sisters of his unfortunate succes-
sor. There is, in short, something inexplicable

to us in the history of Madame T : The

sentiments entertained for her by Paul Jones
are, however, abundantly clear ; they breathe a
far more anxious interest than that of friendship.
The subjoined letter is a copy of that enclosed
to Madame T in the letter to Mr Jeffer-
son ; the other letter was written to her shortly
afterwards.

" Paul Jones to Madame T .

" New York, September 4th, 1787.

" No language can convey to my fair mourner

the tender sorrow I feel on her account ! The

loss of our worthy friend is indeed a fatal stroke !

It is an irreparable misfortune which can only be

PAUL JONES. 283

alleviated by this one reflection, that it is the
will of God, whose providence has, I hope, other
blessings in store for us. She was a tried friend,
and more than a mother to you ! She would have
been a mother to me also had she lived. We
have lost her ! Let us cherish her memory, and
send up grateful thanks to the Almighty that we
once had such a friend. I cannot but flatter

myself that you have yourself gone to the K

in July as he had appointed. I am sure your
loss will be a new inducement for him to pro-
tect you, and render you justice. He will hear
you, I am sure ; and you may safely unbosom
yourself to him, and ask his advice, which can-
not but be flattering to him to give you. Tell
him you must look on him as your father and pro-
tector. If it were necessary, I think, too, that

the Count d'A ,* his brother, would, on your

personal application, render you good offices
by speaking in your favour. I should like it
better, however, if you can do without him. Mr
Jefferson will show you my letter of this date to

* Count d'Artois, now Charles X.

284 MEMOIRS OF

him. You will see by it how disgracefully I
have been detained here by the Board of Trea-
sury. It is impossible for me to stir from this
place till I obtain their settlement on the busi-
ness I have already performed ; and as the sea-
son is already far advanced, I expect to be or-
dered to embark directly for the place of my
destination in the North. Mr Jefferson will for-
ward me your letters. I am almost without
money, and much puzzled to obtain a supply.
I have written to Dr B.,* to endeavour to assist
me. I mention this with infinite regret, and for
no other reason than because it is impossible for
me to transmit you a supply under my present
circumstances. This is my fifth letter to you
since I left Paris. The two last were from
France, and I sent them by duplicates. But
you say nothing of having received any letters
from me ! Summon, my dear friend, all your re-
solution! Exert yourself, and plead your own
cause. You cannot fail of success — your cause
would move a heart of flint ! Present my best re-

* Bancroft.

PAUL JONES. 285

spects to your sister. You did not mention her
in your letter ; but I persuade myself she will
continue her tender care of her sweet god-son,
and that you will cover him all over with kisses
from me : they come warm to you both from the
heart P

To the same.

" New York, October 24, 1787.
" The last French packet brought no letter to
me from the person whose happiness is dearer to
me than any thing else. I have been on the rack
of fear and apprehension, and am totally unable
to account for that silence ! My business is done
here, and the moment of my return to Europe
approaches. My sentiments are unchanged, and
my impatience can better be imagined than ex-
pressed. I have been honoured here beyond my
own expectations.* But your silence makes
even honours insipid. I am, however, far from
blaming you ; want of health, or some other mis-

* See page 305, vol. i.

286 MEMOIRS OF

fortune, must have interposed. If this reaches
you, remember me affectionately to your sister
and her god-son. May Heaven avert all trouble
from you !"

Paul Jones almost immediately followed this
letter to Europe. During his short stay in Paris
in the winter of 1787> ^e mus* ify all probability
have again seen the lady to whom it was address-
ed. Both the letters, as well as that sent to Mr
Jefferson, bear testimony how deeply his feel-
ings were involved in this attachment, by what-
ever name it is called, love or friendship. Yet
it must have terminated unsatisfactorily, if not
unhappily. From the period of his setting out
for Denmark and Russia, his correspondence

bears no trace of Madame T ; and by the

time he reached Amsterdam on his return, this
lady must either have been forgotten, or deemed
unworthy of remembrance. Whether this arose
from his own conduct or fickleness, or the in-
constancy of that friend of whose silence while
in America he had complained as " making even
honours insipid," it is now impossible to deter-
mine, though on this occasion we are inclined to

PAUL JONES. 287

decide against the lady, should she even be, as
we have surmised, the u eternally devoted" De-
lia herself.

From a letter written by Paul Jones to two
ladies whom he numbered among his friends,
and who had pointedly alluded to the supposed
state of his affections, and his engagements
in Paris, there is reason to suppose that he
may, in addition to baffled professional hopes,
have suffered disappointment of a more tender
kind.

" Paul Jones to Mesdames Le Grande and Rinsby,
a Trevoux, pres de Lion.

" Paris, Feb. 25, If91.

" DEAR AND AMIABLE LADIES, — Madame
Clement has read me part of a letter from you,
in which you conclude that I prefer love to
friendship, and Paris to Trevoux. As to the
first part you may be right, for love frequently
communicates divine qualities, and in that light
may be considered as the cordial that Providence
has bestowed on mortals, to help them to digest
the nauseous draught of life. Friendship, they

288 MEMOIRS OF

•

say, has more solid qualities than love. This is
a question I shall not attempt to resolve ; but
sad experience generally shows that where we ex-
pect to find a friend we have only been treacher-
ously deluded by false appearances, and that the
goddess herself very seldom confers her charms
on any of the human race. As to the second, I
am too much a philosopher to prefer noise to
tranquillity : if this does not determine the pre-
ference between Paris and Trevoux, I will add,
that I have had very bad health almost ever
since your departure, and that other circumstan-
ces have conspired to detain me here, which have
nothing to do either with love or friendship. My
health is now recovering, and as what is retarded
is not always lost, I hope soon to have the hap-
piness of paying you my personal homage, and
of renewing the assurance of that undiminished
attachment which women of such distinguished
worth and talents naturally inspire. I am, in
the mean time, dear and amiable Ladies,

" Your most obedient and most humble
servant,

" PAUL JONES."

PAUL JONES.

The lady's answer merits to be preserved. It
displays the true kindness of female friendship,
and the frank politeness of a Frenchwoman.

" Trevoux, 6th March, 1791.

" SIR, — I had given up the hope of receiving
any intelligence of your Excellency, and I ac-
knowledge it cost me much before I could be-
lieve that the promise of a great man was no
more to be relied on than that of the herd of
mankind. The letter with which you have honour-
ed me convinces me that my heart knew you
better than my head ; for though my reason whis-
pered that you had quite forgotten us, I was
unwilling to believe it.

" Madame Wolfe, as well as myself, is much
concerned for the bad state of your health. I
am sorry that, like myself, your Excellency is
taught the value of health by sickness. Come
to us, Sir ; if you do not find here the pleasures
you enjoy in Paris, you will find a good air,
frugal meals, freedom, and hearts that can ap-
preciate you.

VOL. II. N

290 MEMOIRS OF

" I am concerned to perceive that your Ex-
cellency is an unbeliever in friendship. Alas,
if you want friends, who shall pretend to possess
them ! I hope you will recover from this error,
and be convinced that friendship is something
more than a chimera of Plato.

4 c Do me the favour to acquaint me with the
time we may expect the honour of seeing you.
I must be absent for some days, and I would not
for any thing in the world that I should not be
here on your arrival. If I knew the time, I
would send my little carriage to meet the stage-
coach, as I suppose you will take that convey-
ance.

" Madame Wolfe expects the moment of your
arrival with as much eagerness as myself, (she
says ;) but as I best know my own feelings, I am
certain I go beyond her. Of this I am certain,
that we shall both count the day till we have
the happiness of seeing you. Come quickly then,
I pray you.

" I beg you, Sir, to receive the assurance of the
respectful consideration with which I have the

PAUL JONES. 291

honour to be your Excellency's most humble
and obedient servant."

The letters of Paul Jones to his sisters in Scot-
land are those in which his private character is
most truly and advantageously seen. With them
he had no part to act, no interests to pursue.
His fraternal feelings were warm and steady, and
the advice he conveyed to his discordant family,
who acquainted him with their dissensions, as a
person to whom both parties were disposed to ap-
peal, does equal credit to his head and heart. That
these letters should display any traits of the affec-
tionate, confidential cordiality which render the
familiar letters of near relatives so delightful, is
not to be expected. With his sisters he had
enjoyed no domestic intercourse from boyhood,
and he could little know of them by an unfre-
quent interchange of letters. Though not alienat-
ed from his affections, they were strangers to his
tastes, his habits, his friends, and modes of life,
and it is therefore of their own interests and
affairs only that he chooses to speak to them.

292 MEMOIRS OF

" Paul Jones to his Sister, Mrs Taylor.

" Amsterdam, March 26, 1790.
" I WROTE you, my dear friend, from Paris, by
Mr Kennedy, who delivered me the kind letter
you wrote me by him. Circumstances obliged
me to return soon afterwards to America, and on
my arrival at New York, Mr Thomson delivered
me a letter that had been intrusted to his care
by Mrs Loudon. It would be superfluous to
mention the great satisfaction I received in hear-
ing from two persons I so much love and esteem,
and whose worthy conduct as wives and mothers
is so respectable in my eyes. Since my return
to Europe, a train of circumstances and changes
of residence have combined to keep me silent.
This has given me more pain than I can ex-
press ; for I have a tender regard for you both,
and nothing can be indifferent tome that regards
your happiness and the welfare of your children.
I wish for a particular detail of their age, re-
spective talents, characters, and education. I do
not desire this information merely from curiosity.
2

PAUL JONES. 293

It would afford me real satisfaction to be useful
to their establishment in life.^ We must study
the genius and inclination of the boys, and try
to fit them, by a suitable education, for the pur-
suits we may be able to adopt for their advan-
tage. When their education shall be advanced
to a proper stage, at the school of Dumfries for
instance, it must then be determined whether it
may be most economical and advantageous for
them to go to Edinburgh or France to finish
their studies. All this is supposing them to have
great natural genius and goodness of disposi-
tion ; for without these they can never become
eminent. For the females, they require an edu-
cation suited to the delicacy of character that
is becoming in their sex. I wish I had a fortune
to offer to each of them ; but though this is not
the case, I may yet be useful to them. And I
desire particularly to be useful to the two young
women, who have a double claim to my regard,
as they have lost their father. Present my kind
compliments to Mrs Loudon, to her husband, to
Mr Taylor, and your two families, and depend
on my affectionate attachment.

294 MEMOIRS OF

" Write me without delay, and having sealed
and directed your letter as you did the one you
sent me by Mr Kennedy, let it be enclosed in a
cover, and direct the cover thus, * To Messieurs
Stophorst and Hubbard, Amsterdam.'' You
will inquire if it be necessary to pay a part of
the postage, in order that the letter may be sent
to Holland in the packet. I should be glad if
the two Miss Youngs* would do me the favour
to write me each a paragraph in your letter, or
to write me, if they prefer it, each a separate let-
ter, and I should be glad to find that they un-
derstand and can write the French/'

This letter, like all those to his own family,
has no signature.

In the end of this year (1790) we find another
of his letters, from which, with very great pleasure,
we give the following extract. The sisters of
the Rear- Admiral, who were probably both in the
wrong, had, it appears, appealed to him in their
disputes. It is to be hoped they profited by his
admonitions.

* His orphan nieces alluded to above.

PAUL JONES. 295

" Paris, December 27, 1790.

" I duly received, my dear Mrs Taylor, your
letter of the 16th August, but ever since that
time I have been unable to answer it, not hav-
ing been capable to go out of my chamber, and
having been for the most part obliged to keep
my bed. I have now no doubt but that I am in
a fair way of a perfect recovery, though it will
require time and patience.

" I shall not conceal from you that your fa-
mily discord aggravates infinitely all my pains.
My grief is inexpressible, that two sisters, whose
happiness is so interesting to me, do not live to-
gether in that mutual tenderness and affection
which would do so much honour to themselves
and to the memory of their worthy relations. Per-
mit me to recommend to your serious study and
application Pope's Universal Prayer. You will
find more morality in that little piece than in
many volumes that have been written by great
divines —

296 MEMOIRS OF

' Teach me to feel another's wo,

To hide the fault I see ;
That mercy I to others show,

Such mercy show to me !'

" This is not the language of a weak supersti-
tious mind, but the spontaneous offspring of
true religion, springing from a heart sincerely in-
spired by charity , and deeply impressed with a
sense of the calamities and frailties of human
nature. If the sphere in which Providence has
placed us as members of society requires the ex-
ercise of brotherly kindness and charity towards
our neighbour in general, how much more is
this our duty with respect to individuals with
whom we are connected by the near and tender
ties of nature as well as moral obligation. Every
lesser virtue may pass away, but charity comes
from Heaven, and is immortal. Though I wish
to be the instrument of making family-peace,
which I natter myself would tend to promote the
happiness of you all, yet I by no means desire
you to do violence to your own feelings, by tak-
ing any step that is contrary to your own judg-

PAUL JONES. 297

ment and inclination. Your reconciliation must
come free from your heart, otherwise it will not
last, and therefore it will be better not to attempt
it. Should a reconciliation take place, I recom-
mend it of all things, that you never mention
past grievances, nor show, by word, look, or ac-
tion, that you have not forgot them."

From this time Paul Jones never quitted Pa-
ris. His continual bad health, and the state
of France, and of the capital, torn by faction,
— the threatening shadow of those evil days,
which were so soon to follow, already lowering
over it, — alike enjoined retirement from society.
It does not appear to what political party he was
attached, though it is probable that of the Gi-
rondists, which was the legitimate offspring of
the American revolution, had his good wishes,
tempered by strong feelings of personal attach-
ment and gratitude towards the amiable Prince
who had shown him such distinguished marks
of favour. He had never appeared at Court
from the time of his return from Russia ; and if
he appeared at all, it was only once, which must
have been a very few months before his death.

298 MEMOIRS OF

The scroll of a letter, dated December 7tn?
1791, to the Marquis of La Fayette, remains
among his papers, and explains his situation
and his loyal and grateful feelings, and proves
that, as this crisis drew near, he took the gener-
ous part. The Marquis at this time, from his
official situation, was constantly in the Palace.

" Rear- Admiral Paul Jones to the Marquis de la
Fayette.

" Paris, December 7th, 1791.

u DEAR GENERAL, — My ill health for some
time past has prevented me from the pleasure of
paying you my personal respects, but I hope
shortly to indulge myself with that satisfaction.

". I hope you approve the quality of the fur-
linings I brought from Russia for the King and
yourself. I flatter myself that his Majesty will
accept from your hand that little mark of the sin-
cere attachment I feel for his person ; and be
assured, that I shall be always ready to draw
the sword with which he honoured me for the
service of the virtuous and illustrious ' PRO-

PAUL JONES. 299

TECTOR OF THE RlGHTS OF HUMAN NA-
TURE.'

" When my health shall be re-established,
M. Simolin will do me the honour to present
me to his Majesty as a Russian admiral. After-
wards it will be my duty, as an American officer,
to wait on his Majesty with the letter* which I
am directed to present to him from the United
States.

" I am, dear General,

" With sincere friendship,
" Your affectionate and
" Most humble servant."

From the mutilated fragment of an angry
but very energetic letter, addressed to the Mi-
nister of Marine, we gather that the claims of
Paul Jones on the French government still re-
mained unsettled, which was indeed the case at his
death, and that he had been treated with in-
dignity as well as denied justice. The following

* That given at page 305, vol. I.

300 MEMOIRS OF

letter, which introduces this warm statement of
injuries, has peculiar interest, as it is presumed
to be the last effusion of his pen. It does not
appear to whom this letter was addressed, though
it might probably be to the Minister of Marine
for the time. It proves that, however sunk in
health and hope, the writer retained the same
keenness of temper and acuteness of mind which
distinguished him at all periods.

" Rear-Admiral Paul Jones to the Minister of the
French Marine*

" Paris, March, 1792.

SIB, — In the beginning of the administration
of your predecessor, I informed him, that this
government, not having paid the salary due to
a part of the crew of the Bon Homme Richard
at the time when they were discharged from
the service, they had been paid on their arri-
val at Boston ; and having myself been sent
back here after the war, under a special com-
mission from the United States, to settle the
claims of my crews, I presented a memorial,

PAUL JONES. 301

reclaiming that part of the salary that had never
been reimbursed. The Minister held me in sus-
pense for about five months, and then, to my
great surprise, instead of satisfying my just de-
mand, he addressed me in a very uncivil letter,
treating me, as I conceive, like a schoolboy,
and permitting himself to cast unjust and uncivil ,
reflections on my past conduct. My health did
not permit me to answer him immediately ; but
I had prepared a letter, and was just going to
send it, when I learned that he had resigned
his place as the Minister of the Marine, and
that you were named as his successor.

" I request the favour, Sir, that you may read
his letter and my answer ; after which I per-
suade myself you will do justice to my first
demand, which is merely official. As to my
personal pretensions, I never should have set up
a claim on that score under circumstances less
affecting to my sensibility. Of this I need offer
no other proof than my silence in that respect
for twelve years past. My losses and unavoid-
able expenses during my long connexion with
this nation amount to a large sum, and have

302 MEMOIRS OF

greatly lessened my fortune. I have given so-
lemn proofs of my great attachment towards
France, and that attachment still remains undi-
minished. I persuade myself that I may with
full assurance repose my interests through your
ministry on the national justice.

66 I have the honour to be," &c. &c.

The beginning of the letter referred to above
is wanting, as well as the letter of the minister
which drew forth the following pithy reply. What
of it remains entire commences with the " risks'"
of the writer in the Texel " for three months to-
gether, blocked,1' he says, " within by the fleet of
Holland, and without by the fleets of England,
while, my head was rendered a prize to excite
private treachery and avarice. My fortitude and
self-denial alone dragged Holland into the war, —
a service of the greatest importance to this na-
tion ; for without that great event no calculation
can ascertain when the war would have ended.

" Would you suppose, Sir, that my prisoners,
600 in number, were treacherously taken out of
my hands in the Texel, with two of my prizes,

PAUL JONES. 303

a new ship of war, pierced for 56 guns, and a
frigate of 24 guns in one battery ? — Would you
suppose that I was driven out of the Texel in a
single frigate belonging to the United States,
in the face of 42 English ships, and vessels
posted to cut off my retreat ? — My prisoners
were disposed of without my consent, and con-
trary to my intention. My prizes were all
wrested out of my hands, and some of them,
particularly the ship of 56 guns, degraded and
cut to pieces before my eyes, and in contempt
of my authority, though that ship, by the laws
of the American flag, was the exclusive pro-
perty of the captors.

" You appear, Sir, to treat me like a school-
boy, when you say, — ' fai Fhonneur de vous
observer, monsieur, qiCil est toujours cTusage de
payer directement aucc marins le decompte des
salaires qui leur reviennent au desarmement
de .batimens.'1 I could not have supposed, Sir,
that you had thought me so ignorant as to need
that information seventeen years after I was first
honoured with the rank of captain in the navy.

304 MEMOIES OF

" Though my crews were almost naked, and I
had no money to administer to their wants, yet
my constant application to Court for two months
produced no relief, no payment whatever, either
for salary or prize-money. I was on the point
of sailing back to America, without any appear-
ance of obtaining justice, — without the least ac-
knowledgment, direct or indirect, that the Court
was satisfied with my services ! — Under these
circumstances, in a moment of despair, I came
to Court to demand satisfaction.

" The Minister of the United States accom-
panied me to M. Sartine, who gave us a recep-
tion as cold as ice, did not say to me a single
word, nor ask me if my health had not suffered
from my wounds and the uncommon fatigue I
had undergone. The public did me more justice
than the minister ; and I owe to the King alone
the flattering marks of distinction with which I
was honoured, — a gold sword, and the Order of
Military Merit.

66 But I solicited in vain for salary and prize-
money ; and the Minister of Marine detained me
so long at Court, that the crew of the American

PAUL JONES. 305

frigate I had left at L'Orient, despairing to ob-
tain redress, revolted, and carried that frigate
back to America. *

" It is true, the Marquis de Castries pre-
tended for a long time that I should give him
security for the prize-money ; but I at last made
him recede from the absurdity of that demand.
I was detained in Europe four years ; and hav-
ing in that time spent sixty thousand livres of
my own money, I received for my share of all
the prizes, as commander of the Bon Homme,
thirteen thousand livres ! *
Permit me, by way of comparison, just to men-
tion the treatment the French officers received
who served in the American army. The war
had been carried on for several years by the
Americans alone, and there is no instance where
the United States invited a French officer to en-
ter into their service. Such as presented them-
selves and were accepted, have all of them bet-
tered their situation by that connexion. At the
end of the war they received a gratification of
five years' pay, the Order of Cincinnatus, and a
lot of land ; and they now enjoy grades far su-

306 MEMOIRS OF

perior to what they could have attained under
other circumstances. If we except the Marquis
de la Fayette, none of them were rich when they
went to America. They are all now in easy cir-
cumstances. In short, they have been treated
much better than the Americans themselves, who
served from the beginning to the end of the Re-
volution.

" I hope and desire, Sir, that you may lay
this letter before the King. It contains many
things out of the general rule of delicacy which
marks my proceedings, and which, on any occa-
sion less affecting to my sensibility, would never
have escaped from my tongue or pen."

From about this time the health of Paul Jones
sunk rapidly. Symptoms of jaundice appeared,
—a disease which not unfrequently follows men-
tal chagrin and disappointment. It does not,
however, appear that he was long confined.
About the beginning of July dropsical symptoms
supervened on his other disorders, and he expired
on the evening of the 18th of that month.
Though far from those on whose affection he
had a natural claim, his dying hours were not

PAUL JONES. 307

unsolaced by the constant and tender offices of
friendship.

Many idle rumours connected with his death
have been circulated, as if his latter days had been
spent in extreme poverty, chilling neglect, and
entire abandonment. These are of a piece with the
other calumnies and marks of obloquy with which
his memory and character have been loaded.
The subjoined letters and documents afford a
simple and an ample refutation of charges and as-
sumptions made, probably, as much in ignorance
as malice.

" Letter of M. Beaupoil to either Mrs Taylor or Mrs
Loudon, Sisters of Paul Jones, Esq. Admiral in
the Russian Service.

" MADAM, — I am sorry to acquaint you that
your brother, Admiral Paul Jones, my friend,
paid, yesterday, the debt we all owe to nature.
He has made a will, which is deposited in the
hands of Mr Badinier, notary, St Servin Street,
Paris. The will was drawn in English, by Mr
Governor Morris, Minister of the UNITED

308 MEMOIRS OF

STATES, and translated faithfully by the French
notary aforesaid. The Admiral leaves his pro-
perty, real and personal, to his two sisters and
their children. They are 'named in the will as
being married, one to William Taylor, and the
other to Loudon, of Dumfries. The ex-
ecutor is Mr Robert Morris of Philadelphia. If
I could be of any service to you in this business,
out of the friendship I bore your brother, I'll do
it with pleasure. I am a Frenchman and an of-
ficer. I am sincerely yours,

" BEAUPOIL.

" Paris, July 19, 1792, No 7, Hotel Anglais,
Passage des Petits Peres."

" The English will is signed by Colonels Swan,
Blackden, and myself. The schedule of his pro-
perty lying in Denmark, Russia, France, Ame-
rica, and elsewhere, is signed by Mr Morris, and
deposited by me in his bureau, with the ori-
ginal will. Every thing is sealed up at his
lodgings, Tournon Street, No 42, Paris.

" You may depend also on the good services
of Colonel Blackden, who was an ultimate friend

PAUL JOttES. 309

of the Admiral's. That gentleman is setting out
for London, where you may hear of him at No
18, Great Tichfield Street, London."

On receiving this letter, Mrs Taylor wrote to
Colonel Blackden in London, and obtained a re-
ply in course of post.

" Colonel Blackden to Mrs Taylor of Dumfries,
eldest Sister of Admiral Paul Jones.

" Great Tichfield Street,
London, Aug. 9th.

" MADAM, — I had the honour of receiving
your letter of the 3d instant, and shall answer
you most readily. Your brother, Admiral Jones,
was not in good health for about a year, but had
not been so unwell as to keep house. For two
months past he began to lose his appetite, to grow
yellow, and show signs of the jaundice ; for this
he took medicine, and seemed to grow better ; but
about ten days before his death his legs began
to swell, which increased upwards, so that two
days before his exit he could not button his
waistcoat, and had great difficulty of breathing.

310 MEMOIRS OF

" I visited him every day, and, beginning to
be apprehensive of his danger, desired him to set-
tle his affairs; but this he put off till the af-
ternoon of his death, when he was prevailed on
to send for a notaire, and made his will. Mr
Beaupoil and myself witnessed it at about eight
o'clock in the evening, and left him sitting in a
chair. A few minutes after we retired he walk-
ed into his chamber, and laid himself upon his
face, on the bed-side, with his feet on the floor ;
after the Queen's physician arrived, they went
into the room, and found him in that position,
and upon taking him up, they found he had ex-
pired.

" His disorder had terminated in dropsy of
the breast. His body was put into a leaden cof-
fin on the twentieth, that in case the United
States, whom he had so essentially served, and
with so much honour to himself, should claim
his remains, they might be more easily removed.
This is all, Madam, that I can say concerning
his illness and death.

" I most sincerely condole with you, Madam,
upon the loss of my dear and respectable friend,

PAUL JONES. 311

for whom I entertained the greatest affection, and
as a proof of it, you may command the utmost
exertion of my feeble abilities, which shall be
rendered with cheerfulness.

" I have the honour to be,

" Madam,
" Your most obedient humble servant,

« S. BLACKDEN."

The American Ambassador, Governor Mor-
ris, did not think it necessary to claim the re-
mains of Admiral Jones, nor did the United
States. As a protestant and heretic, it was
still, we believe, necessary to obtain liberty of
burial hi consecrated ground, and this was pro-
bably done. The National Assembly paid his
memory the honour of sending a deputation of
twelve of their body to attend the funeral. He
was buried at Paris on the 20th July, and the
following funeral discourse was pronounced over
his grave by Mr Marron, a protestant clergy-
man of Paris ; busy faction at this period seizing
this and every other occasion to promote its own
interests : —

312 MEMOIRS OF

(Translation.)

<f Discourse pronounced by Mr Marron, officiating
Protestant Clergyman, at the Funeral of Admiral
Paul Jones, July 20, 1792, in Paris.

" Legislators ! citizens ! soldiers ! friends !
brethren ! and Frenchmen ! we have just re-
turned to the earth the remains of an illustrious
stranger, one of the first champions of the liberty
of America, of that liberty which so gloriously
ushered in our own. The Semiramis of the north
had drawn him under her standard, but Paul
Jones could not long breathe the pestilential air
of despotism ; he preferred the sweets of a pri-
vate life in France, now free, to the eclat of titles
and of honours, which, from an usurped throne,
were lavished upon him by Catharine. The
fame of the brave outlives him, his portion is im-
mortality. What more flattering homage could
we pay to the manes of Paul Jones, than to
swear on his tomb to live or to die free ? It
is the vow, it is the watch-word of every French-
man.

PAUL JONES. 313

" Let never tyrants, nor their satellites, pol-
lute this sacred earth ! May the ashes of the
great man, too soon lost to humanity, and
eager to be free, enjoy here an undisturbed re-
pose ! Let his example teach posterity the efforts
which noble souls are capable of making, when
stimulated by hatred to oppression. Friends and
brethren, a noble emulation brightens in your looks ;
your time is precious, the country is in danger I
Who amongst us would not shed the last drop
of their blood to save it ? Associate yourselves
to the glory of Paul Jones, in imitating him in
his contempt of dangers, in his devotedness to
his country, in his noble heroism, which, after
having astonished the present age, will continue
to be the imperishable object of the veneration
of future generations T

(Translated from the French.)

" Testament of Paul Jones, 18th July, 1792.

" Before the undersigned notaries, at Paris,

appeared Mr John Paul Jones, citizen of the

United States of America, resident at present in

Paris, lodged in the street of Tournon, No 42,

VOL. II. O

314 MEMOIRS OF

at the house of Mr Dorberque, huissier audi-
ancier of the tribunal of the third arrondisse-
ment, found in a parlour in the first storey above
the floor, lighted by two windows opening on the
said street of Tournon, sitting in an arm-chair,
sick of body, but sound of mind, memory, and
understanding, as it appeared to the undersigned
notaries by his discourse and conversation, —

" Who, in view of death, has made, dictated,
and worded, to the undersigned notaries, his tes-
tament as follows :— ,

" I give and bequeath all the goods, as well
moveable as heritable, and all, generally, what-
ever may appertain to me at my decease, in
whatever country they may be situated, to my
two sisters, Janet, spouse to William Taylor, and
Mary, wife to Mr Loudon, and to the children
of my said sisters, to divide them into as many
portions as my said sisters and their children
shall make up individuals, and to be enjoyed by
them in the following manner : —

" My sisters, and those of their children, who on
the day of my death shall have reached the age of
twenty-one, will enjoy their share in full proper-

PAUL JONES. 315

ty from the date of decease. As for those of my
nephews and nieces who at that period of time
may not reach the age of twenty-one years, their
mothers will enjoy their shares till such time as
they attain that said age, with charge to them to
provide for their food, maintenance, and educa-
tion ; and as soon as any of my nephews or
nieces will have reached the age of twenty-one
years, the same will enjoy his share in full pro-
perty.

" If one or more of my nephews and nieces
should happen to die .without children before
having reached the age of twenty-one, the share
of those of them who may have deceased shall
be divided betwixt my said sisters and my other
nephews and nieces by equal portions.

" I name the honourable Robert Morris, Esq.
of Philadelphia, my only testamentary executor.

" I revoke all other testaments or codicils
which I may have made before the present, which
alone I stand by as containing my last will.

" So made, dictated, and worded, by said tes-
tator, to the said notaries undersigned, and after-
wards read, and read over again to him by one

316 MEMOIRS OF

of them, the other being present, which he well
understood, and persevered in, at Paris, the
year 1792, the 18th July, about five o'clock af-
ternoon, in the room heretofore described, and
the said testator signed the original of the pre-
sent, unregistrated, at Paris the 25th September,
1792, by Defrance, who received one livre, pro-
visionally, save to determine definitively the
right after the declaration of the revenue of the
testator. The original remained with Mr Pettier,
one of the notaries at Paris, undersigned, who
delivered these presents this day, 26th Septem-
ber, 1792, first of the French Republic.

" POTTIER.

" (Signed) L'AVERNIER."

(Copy)

" Schedule of the Property of Admiral John Paul
Jones, as stated by him to me this 18th of July,
1792.

" 1st, Bank stock in the Bank of North -
America, at Philadelphia, 6000 dollars, with
sundry dividends.

" 2d, Loan-Office certificate left with my friend,

PAUL JONES. 317

John Ross of Philadelphia, for 2000 dollars at
par, with great arrearages of interest, being for
ten or twelve years.

" 3d, Such balance as may be in the hands of
my said friend, John Ross, belonging to me,
and sundry effects left in his care.

" 4th, My lands in the State of Vermont.

" 5th, Shares in the Ohio Company.

" 6th, Shares in the Indiana Company.

" 7th, About L.I 800 sterling due to me from
Edward Bancroft, unless paid by him to Sir Ro-
bert Herries, and is then in his ; ands.

" 8th, Upwards of four years of iy pension due
from Denmark, to be asked from the. Count de
Bernstorf.

" 9th, Arrearages of my pay from the Em-
press of Russia, and all my prize-money.

" 10th, The balance due to me by the United
States of America, and sundry claims in Europe,
which will appear from my papers.

" This is taken from his mouth.

(Signed) " Gov«. MORRIS,

" Ambassador from the United States to
the Court of France."

318 MEMOIRS OF

The manners and moral character of Paul
Jones have been the frequent subject of discus-
sion and of very contradictory statements. His
professional talents and personal appearance are
less the topics of dispute. It is agreed that he was
about the middle size, slightly made, but active
and agile, and in youth capable of considerable
exertion and fatigue. In advancing life, though
he continued equally hardy and active in his
habits, it was the vehement, fiery spirit that o'er-
informed its shattered tenement; and after al-
most every journey we find him suffering from
cold and fatigue, or having serious illnesses. He
was of the complexion usually united with dark
hair and eyes, which his were ; but his skin had
become embrowned by exposure from boyhood to
all varieties of weather and of climate. His phy-
siognomical expression indicated that promptitude
and decision in action which were striking cha-
racteristics of his mind. His bust is said to be a
good likeness ; his portrait, painted in America,
and probably a very indifferent resemblance,
exhibits a rather precise-looking little man. The
style of the highly-powdered hair, or wig, would,

PAUL JONES. 319

however, convert Achilles himself into a pedant
or a petit-maitre.

In manners Paul Jones has been described by
one party as stiff, finical, and conceited ; by an-
other as arrogant, brutal, and quarrelsome. The
first statement may have some colour of truth,
the last is impossible. He had reached manhood
before he could have had much intercourse with
polite society; and manners, formed so late in
life on the fashionable models of Paris and Ver-
sailles, may have sat somewhat stiffly on the
Anglo-American, who, in giving up his own re-
publican simplicity, and professional openness and
freedom, might not have acquired all the ease and
grace, even if he did attain the elegance and polish
of French manners ; but his appearance and man-
ners must have been those of a gentleman. Mau-
vais ton, to a certain degree, might have been
tolerated in a seaman and a foreigner ; but " rude-
ness, arrogance, and brutality,1' must have proved
an effectual barrier of exclusion from those polite
and courtly circles where Paul Jones was not
only received but welcomed ; and into which he
made his own way, and maintained his place,

320 MEMOIRS OF

long after he had lost the gloss and resistless
attraction of novelty. The letter of Madame
Rinsby, and other published documents, prove
the footing he held in respectable French female
society to his death, and are quite conclusive as
to the propriety of his manners. He has again
been described as " grossly ignorant." No one
who pursues his career, or peruses his letters, can
for a moment believe a charge so absurd. From
his first appearance as a ship-boy he must have
been set down as a very clever and promising
lad ; and if not a prodigy of learning, which was
aa impossibility, he had far more literature than
was at all usual in his day, even in the very
highest ranks of his profession. His verses are
far from despicable. Baron Grimm, we think,
overrates them, yet he was an admirable critic.
They were found amusing and agreeable in po-
lished society, which is the very best test and
use of occasional verse, namely, of all such verse
as the public can well spare, and his muse was
humanizing to his own mind. We like his prose
better than his verse. It is often admirable if
struck off at one hit, particularly when the wri-

PAUL 'JONES. 321

ter gets warm, and gives way to his feelings of
indignation. It is said, that a minister, in read-
ing the despatches of Lord Collingwood, who
went to sea at twelve years of age, used to ask,
" Where has Collingwood got his style ? — He
writes better than any of us." With fully more
propriety many of the members of Congress, so
far as regarded their own compositions and re-
solves, might have put a similar question in rela-
tion to Paul Jones. He is allowed to have been
kind and attentive to his crews, and generous and
liberal in all pecuniary transactions of a private
nature; though his correspondence shows that he
was commendably tenacious of his pecuniary
claims on states and public bodies. His memoirs
afford some pleasing instances of his kindness to
his prisoners, and of his desire to rescue them
from the fangs of agents and commissaries. So
far as discipline descends^ Paul Jones was a
rigid and strict disciplinarian. In his own per-
son he appears to have been so impatient of all
control and check as to be unfit for any regu-
larly-organized service, though admirably adapted
to the singular crisis at which he appeared. To

o2

322 MEMOIRS OF

his dress he was, or «t least latterly became, so
attentive as to have it remarked. It was a bet-
ter trait that his ship was at all times remarkable
for cleanliness and neatness, and for the same
good order and arrangement which pervaded all
his private affairs. He is said to have been fond
of music, and to have performed himself.

The acute understanding of Paul Jones per-
petually conflicting with his natural keenness
and warmth of temper, gave at times the
appearance of vacillation to his conduct, and
the unpleasant and unwise alternation of bold
defiance with undue submission. This is pain-
fully conspicuous hi his unhappy and heart-
breaking connexion with Potemkin. On other
occasions, as on the sailing of Landais in the
mutiny, he showed a remarkable degree of self-
command and forbearance. On many occasions
he betrays the jealousy and dislike of England,
which mark the half-conscious renegade. Frank-
lin confines his vituperation to the Sovereign ;
Paul Jones extends it to the whole nation. The
extravagant self-eulogium which so frequently
obtrudes itself in his writing, and which must be

PAUL JONES.

323

very offensive to English readers, was, it should
be recollected, generally called forth by peculiar
circumstances. A man has every right to bring
forward his services, when those who should re-
member appear disposed to forget them. Be-
sides, what is here concentrated into two small
volumes, was in reality diffused over the corre-
spondence of twenty years of an active life. Boast-
ing, for some reason which we leave to philoso-
phy to investigate, appears an inherent quality
in great naval commanders. Nelson, Rodney,
Drake, were all, in one sense, arrant braggarts.

It is a less amiable trait in the character
of Paul Jones, that we find him very frequent-
ly quarrelling with rival and associate comman-
ders, and never once bestowing hearty cordial
praise on any one of them. His avarice of fame,
like the same vice of a more sordid kind, not
only gave him the insatiable desire of accumu-
lation, but tempted him, if not to defraud, at
least to trench on the rights of others ; and his
hostility, though open, was often far from gene-
rous : yet his squabbles were wholly professional
In private life there appears to have been no rea~

324 MEMOIRS OF

i

son to fasten on him the odious imputation of
being quarrelsome, which some have attempt-
ed. He was fonder, not of glory alone, but
of its trappings and badges, than quite became
the champion of a republic, and the pupil of
Franklin ; but this is a mere subject of opinion.
He may have considered these symbols as the
seals with which Fame ratines her bonds.

The moral character of Paul Jones, at all stages
of his career, has been in this country the subject
of violent abuse and of gross misrepresentation.
If this has been done by Englishmen from a
mistaken love of their country, they dishonour
their country and themselves. If it is, as we
hope, to be attributed to ignorance of facts, such
statements should henceforth cease. The writer of
this sketch by no means looks on the career of
Paul Jones with Transatlantic eyes, nor views his
character or attainments through the medium
of Transatlantic partiality, as will be obvious to
any one who pursues the course of this narrative.
His political sins have been in no shape extenu-
ated ; and to the full extent of the evidence af-
forded by his papers — the best and only evidence

PAUL JONES. 325

now to be obtained — his moral delinquencies
have been fairly unfolded. Judging by the or-
dinary averages of human conduct, they shrink
into very small compass. His failings were
precisely such as he must have been a moral
monster to have escaped ; they arose from his
natural character and from his profession : — it
is the utmost malice could say, and more than
is warranted by truth, that he was

" Jealous in honour ; sudden and quick in quarrel :

Seeking the bubble reputation

Even in the cannon's mouth.''

APPENDIX.*

B.

" Particulars of the Engagement between the Bon
Homme Richard and the Serapis, by Richard
Dale, First Lieutenant of the Bon Homme Richard.

" On the 23d of September, 1779, being be-
low, was roused by an unusual noise upon deck.
This induced me to go upon deck, when I found
the men were swaying up the royal yards, pre-
paratory to making sail for a large fleet under
our lee. I asked the coasting pilot what fleet it
was ? He answered, ' The Baltic Fleet, under
convoy of the Serapis of forty-four guns, and the
Countess of Scarborough of twenty guns.' A
general chase then commenced of the Bon
Homme Richard, the Vengeance, the Pallas, and

* The charges against Landais (A.) have been omitted
in the Appendix, as their substance is given in the text.

328 APPENDIX.

the Alliance — the latter ship being then in sight,
after a separation from the squadron of nearly
three weeks ; but which ship, as usual, disre-
garded the signals of the Commodore. At this
time our fleet headed to the northward with a
light breeze, Flamborough-head being about two
leagues distant. At seven p. m. it was evident
the Baltic fleet perceived we were in chase, from
the signal of the Serapis to the merchantmen to
stand in shore. At the same time, the Serapis
and Countess of Scarborough tacked ship and
stood off shore, with the intention of drawing off
our attention from the convoy. When these
ships had separated from the convoy about two
miles, they again tacked and stood in shore after
the merchantmen. At about eight, being within
hail, the Serapis demanded, 'What ship is that?'
He was answered, 6 I can't hear what you say.'
Immediately after the Serapis hailed again,
' What ship is that ? Answer immediately, or I
shall be under the necessity of firing into you.'
At this moment I received orders from Commo-
dore Jones to commence the action with a broad-
side, which indeed appeared to be simultaneous
on board both ships. Our position being to
windward of the Serapis, we passed ahead of her,
and the Serapis coming up on our larboard quar-
ter, the action commenced abreast of each other.
The Serapis soon passed ahead of the BonHomme

APPENDIX. 329

Richard, and when he thought he had gained a
distance sufficient to go down athwart the fore-
foot to rake us, found he had not enough distance,
and that the Bon Homme Richard would be
aboard him, put his helm alee, which brought the
two ships on a line; and the Bon Homme Richard
having head-way, ran her bows into the stern of
the Serapis. We had remained in this situation
but a few minutes, when we were again hailed by
the Serapis, f Has your ship struck ?' To which
Captain Jones answered, ' I have not yet begun
to fight.1 As we were unable to bring a single
gun to bear upon the Serapis, our top-sails were
backed, while those of the Serapis being filled,
the ships separated. The Serapis wore short
round upon her heels, and her jib-boom ran into
the mizen-rigging of the Bon Homme Richard ;
in this situation the ships were made fast toge-
ther with a hawser, the bowsprit of the Serapis
to the mizen-mast of the Bon Homme Richard,
and the action recommenced from the starboard
sides of the two ships. With a view of separat-
ing the ships, the Serapis let go her anchor,
which manreuvre brought her head and the stern
of the Bon Homme Richard to the wind, while
the ships lay closely pressed against each other.
A novelty in naval combats was now presented to
many witnesses, but to few admirers. The ram-
mers were run into the respective ships to enable

330 APPENDIX.

the men to load, after the lower part of the Se-
rapis had been blown away, to make room for
running out their guns, and in this situation the
ships remained until between ten and eleven
o'clock p. m., when the engagement terminated
by the surrender of the Serapis.

" From the commencement to the termination
of the action there was not a man on board of the
Bon Homme Richard ignorant of the superiority
of the Serapis, both hi weight of metal and in
the qualities of the crews. The crew of that
ship were picked seamen, and the ship itself had
been only a few months off the stocks ; whereas
the crew of the Bon Homme Richard consisted
of part American, English, and French, and a
part of Maltese, Portuguese, and Malays ; these
latter contributing, by their want of naval skill
and knowledge of the English language, to de-
press rather than elevate a just hope of success in
a combat under such circumstances. Neither the
consideration of the relative force of the ships,
the fact of the blowing up of the gun-deck above
them, by the bursting of two of the eighteen-
pounders, nor the alarm that the ship was sink-
ing, could depress the ardour or change the de-
termination of the brave Captain Jones, his of-
ficers and men. Neither the repeated broad-
sides of the Alliance, given with the view of sink-
ing or disabling the Bon Homme Richard, the

APPENDIX. 331

frequent necessity of suspending the combat to
extinguish the flames, which several times were
within a few inches of the magazine, nor the li-
beration, by the master-at-arms, of nearly 500
prisoners, could change or weaken the purpose
of the American commander. At the moment of
the liberation of the prisoners, one of them, a
commander of a twenty-gun ship, taken a few days
before, passed through the ports on board the Se-
rapis, and informed Captain Pearson that if he
would hold out only a little while longer, the
ship along-side would either strike or sink, and
that all the prisoners had been released to save
their lives; the combat was accordingly con-
tinued with renewed ardour by the Serapis. The
fire from the tops of the Bon Homme Richard
was conducted with so much skill and effect as
to destroy ultimately every man who appeared
upon the quarter-deck of the Serapis, and in-
duced her commander to order the survivors to
go below. Nor even under shelter of the decks
were they more secure. The powder-monkeys of
the Serapis finding no officer to receive the
eighteen-pound cartridges brought from the ma-
gazines, threw them on the main-deck, and went
for more. These cartridges being scattered along
the deck, and numbers of them broken, it so
happened that some of the hand-grenades thrown
from the main-yard of the Bon Homme Richard,

332 APPENDIX.

which was direct over the main-hatch of the
Serapis, fell upon this powder, and produced a
most awful explosion. The effect was tremen-
dous ; more than twenty of the enemy were blown
to pieces, and many stood with only the collars
of then: shirts upon their bodies. In less than
an hour afterwards the flag of England, which
had been nailed to the mast of the Serapis, was
struck by Captain Pearson's own hand, as none
of his people would venture aloft on this duty ;
and this too when more than 1500 persons were
witnessing the conflict and the humiliating ter-
mination of it from Scarborough and Flambo-
rough-head.

" Upon finding that the flag of the 3<
had been struck, I went to Captain Jones, and
asked whether I might board the Serapis? to
which he consented ; and, jumping upon the gun-
wale, I seized the main-brace pennant, and swung
myself upon her quarter-deck. Midshipman
Mayant followed with a party of men, and was
immediately run through the thigh with a board-
ing-pike by some of the enemy stationed in the
waist, who were not informed of the surrender of
the ship. I found Captain Pearson standing on
the leeward side of the quarter-deck, and ad-
dressing myself to him, said,-—' Sir, I have or-
ders to send you on board the ship along-side."
The first lieutenant of the Serapis coming up

APPENDIX. 333

at this moment, inquired of Captain Pearson
whether the ship along-side had struck to him ?
To which I replied, ' No, Sir, the contrary ; he
has struck to us.1 The lieutenant renewing his
inquiry, ' Have you struck, Sir ?"* was answered,
c Yes, I have.' The lieutenant replied, ( I have
nothing more to say ;' and was about to return
below, when I informed him he must accompany
Captain Pearson on board the ship along-side.
He said, 4 If you will permit me to go below, I
will silence the firing of the lower-deck guns.1
This request was refused, and with Captain Pear-
son he was passed over to the deck of the Bon
Homme Richard. Orders being sent below to
cease firing, the engagement terminated, after a
most obstinate contest of three hours and a half.
" Upon receiving Captain Pearson on board
the Bon Homme Richard, Captain Jones gave or-
ders to cut loose the lashings, and directed me to
follow him with the Serapis. Perceiving the
Bon Homme Richard leaving the Serapis, I sent
one of the quarter-masters to ascertain whether
the wheel-ropes were cut away, supposing some-
thing extraordinary must be the matter, as the
ship would not pay off, although the head-sails
were aback, and no after-sail ; the quarter-master
returning, reported that the wheel-ropes were
all well, and the helm hard a-port. Excited by
this extraordinary circumstance, I jumped off the

.334 APPENDIX.

binnacle, where I had been sitting, and, falling
upon the deck, found, to my astonishment, I had
the use of only one of my legs ; a splinter of one
of the guns had struck, and badly wounded my
leg, without my perceiving the injury until this
moment. I was replaced upon the binnacle,
when the sailing-master of the Serapis, coming up
to me, observed, that from my orders he judged
I must be ignorant of the ship being at anchor.
Noticing the second lieutenant of the Bon
Homme Richard, I directed him to go below
and cut away the cable, and follow the Bon
Homme Richard with the Serapis. I was then
carried on board the Bon Homme Richard to
have my wound dressed."

C.

" FROM THE LONDON GAZETTE.

" Manifesto.

" GEORGE R.

" Through the whole course of our reign,
our conduct towards the States General of the
United Provinces has been that of a sincere
friend and faithful ally. Had they adhered to
those wise principles which used to govern the
republic, they must have shown themselves

APPENDIX. 335

equally solicitous to maintain the friendship which
has so long subsisted between the two nations,
and which is essential to the interests of both. —
From the prevalence of a faction devoted to
France, and following the dictates of that court,
a very different policy has prevailed. The re-
turn made to our friendship, for some time past,
has been an open contempt of the most solemn
engagements, and a repeated violation of public
faith.

" On the commencement of the defensive war,
in which we found ourselves engaged by the ag-
gression of France, we showed a tender regard
for the interest of the States General, and a de-
sire of securing to their subjects every advantage
of trade, consistent with the great and just prin-
ciple of our own defence. Our ambassador was
instructed to offer a friendly negotiation, to ob-
viate every thing that might lead to a disagree-
able discussion ; and to this offer, solemnly made
by him to the States General, the 2d of Novem-
ber, 1778, no attention was paid.

" After the number of our enemies increased
by the aggression of Spain, equally unprovoked
with that of France, we found it necessary to call
upon the States General for the performance of
their engagements. The fifth article of the per-
petual defensive alliance between our crown and
the States General, concluded at Westminster

336 APPENDIX.

the 3d of March, 1678, besides the general en-
gagements for succours, expressly stipulates,
' That that party of the two allies that is not
attacked shall be obliged to break with the ag-
gressor in two months after the party attacked
shall require it.' Yet two years have passed
without the least assistance given to us, — without
a single syllable in answer to our repeated de-
mands.

" So totally regardless have the States been of
their treaty with us, that they readily promised
our enemies to observe a neutrality, in direct
contradiction to those engagements ; and whilst
they have withheld from us the succours they
were bound to furnish, every secret assistance
has been given the enemy; and inland duties
have been taken off, for the sole purpose of faci-
litating the carriage of naval stores to France.

" In direct and open violation of treaty, they
suffered an American pirate to remain several
weeks in one of their ports, and even permitted
a part of his crew to mount guard in a fort in
the Texel.

" In the East Indies the subjects of the
States General, in concert with France, have
endeavoured to raise up enemies against us.

" In the West Indies, particularly at St Eus-
tatius, every protection and assistance has been
given to our rebellious subjects. Three priva-

APPENDIX. 337

teers* are openly received into the Dutch har-
bours, allowed to refit there, supplied with arms
and ammunition, their crews recruited, their
prizes brought in and sold ; and all this in direct
violation of as clear and solemn stipulations as
can be made.

" This conduct, so inconsistent with all good
faith, so repugnant to the sense of the wisest part
of the Dutch nation, is chiefly to be ascribed to
the prevalence of the leading magistrates of Am-
sterdam, whose secret correspondence with our
rebellious subjects was suspected long before it
was made known, by the fortunate discovery of
a treaty, the first article of which is, —

" c There shall be a firm, inviolable, and uni-
versal peace, and sincere friendship, between
their High Mightinesses the estates of the Seven
United Provinces of Holland and the United
States of North America, and' the subjects and
people of the said parties, and between the
countries, islands, cities, and towns, situate under
the jurisdiction of the said United States of Hol-
land and the said United States of America, and
the people and inhabitants thereof, of every de-
gree, without exception of persons or places.'
" This treaty was signed in September,

* Paul Jones's squadron.

VOL. II.

338 APPENDIX.

by the express order of the Pensionary of Am-
sterdam, and other principal magistrates of that
city. They now not only avow the whole trans-
action, but glory in it, and expressly say, even
to the States General, that what they did c was
what their indispensable duty required.'

" In the mean time the States General de-
clined to give any answer to the memorial pre-
sented by our ambassador, and this refusal was
aggravated by their proceeding upon other busi-
ness, nay, upon the consideration of this very
subject to internal purposes ; and while they found
it impossible to approve the conduct of their
subjects, they still industriously avoided to give
us the satisfaction so manifestly due.

" We had every right to expect that such a
discovery would have roused them to a just in-
dignation at the insult offered to us and to them-
selves, and that they would have been eager to
give us full and ample satisfaction for the of-
fence, and to inflict the severest punishment upon
the offenders. The urgency of the business made
an instant answer essential to the honour and
safety of this country. The demand was accord-
ingly pressed by our ambassador in repeated
conferences with the ministers, and in a second
memorial : it was pressed with all the sense of
recent injuries, and the answer now given to a
memorial on such a subject, delivered about five

APPENDIX. 339

weeks ago, is, That the States have taken it
ad referendum. Such an answer, upon such an
occasion, could only be dictated by the fixed
purpose of hostility meditated, and already re-
solved .by the States, induced by the offensive
councils of Amsterdam, thus to countenance the
hostile aggression which the magistrates of that
city have made in the name of the republic.

" There is an end of the faith of all the treaties
with them, if Amsterdam may usurp the so-
vereign power, may violate those treaties with
impunity, by pledging the States to engagements
directly contrary, and leaguing the republic with
the rebels of a sovereign to whom she is bound
by the closest ties. An infraction of the law of
nations by the meanest member of any country
gives the injured State a right to demand satis-
faction and punishment : how much more so,
when the injury complained of is a flagrant vio-
lation of public faith, committed by leading and
predominant members of the State ? Since, then,
the satisfaction we have demanded is not given,
we must, though most reluctantly, do ourselves
that justice which we cannot otherwise obtain ;
we must consider the States General as parties
in the injury which they will not repair, as
sharers in the aggression which they refuse to
punish, and must act accordingly. We have,
therefore, ordered our ambassador to withdraw

340 APPENDIX.

from the Hague, and shall immediately pursue
such vigorous measures as the occasion fully jus-
tifies, and our dignity and the essential interests
of our people require.

" From a regard to the Dutch nation at large,
we wish it were possible to direct those measures
wholly against Amsterdam ; but this cannot be,
unless the States General will immediately de-
clare that Amsterdam shall, upon this occasion,
receive no assistance from them, but be left to
abide the consequences of its aggression.

" Whilst Amsterdam is suffered to prevail in
the general councils, and is backed by the
strength of the state, it is impossible to resist the
aggression of so considerable a part, without con-
tending with the whole. But we are too sensi-
ble of the common interests of both countries,
not to remember, in the midst of such a contest,
that the only point to be aimed at by us, is to
raise a disposition in the councils of the republic
to return to our ancient union, by giving us that
satisfaction for the past, and security for the
future, which we shall be as ready to receive as
they can be to offer, and to the attainment of
which we shall direct all our operations. We
mean only to provide for our own security, by
defeating the dangerous designs that have been
formed against us. We shall ever be disposed
to return to friendship with the States General,

APPENDIX. 341

when they sincerely revert to that system which
the wisdom of their ancestors formed, and which
has now been subverted by a powerful faction,
conspiring with France against the true interests
of the republic, no less than against those of
Great Britain.

(Signed) « G. R.
" St James's, December 20, 1780."

THE END.

ERRATA.

VOL. I. p. 31, line 7 from bottom, for Duncan read Dunmore.
II. p. 30, line 10, and p. 95, line 5, for Saporoses, read
Zaporavians.

Oliver & Boyd, Printers.

PLEASE DO NOT REMOVE
CARDS OR SLIPS FROM THIS POCKET

UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO LIBRARY

E Jones, John Paul

207 Memoirs of Rear-Admiral

J7 Paul Jones

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