Commodore Paul Jones 23

Commodore Paul Jones 23

he had no suitable shot. He detained one of the boatmen, however, as a

pilot for one of the other ships. During the interim the following

proclamation was prepared for issuance when the town had been

captured. The document is somewhat diffuse in its wording, but the

purport of it is unmistakable:

 

 

"The Honorable J. Paul Jones, Commander-in-chief of the American

Squadron, now in Europe, to the Worshipful Provost of Leith, or, in

his absence, to the Chief Magistrate, who is now actually present, and

in authority there.

 

"Sir: The British marine force that has been stationed 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-Colonel de Chamillard, who commands the

vanguard of my troops. I do not wish to distress the poor inhabitants;

my intention is only to demand your contribution toward the

reimbursement which Britain owes to the much-injured citizens of the

United States; for savages would blush at the unmanly violation and

rapacity that have 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 lie at our mercy; and, did not our humanity

stay the hand of just retaliation, I should, without advertisement,

lay it in ashes. Before I proceed to that stern duty as an officer, my

duty as a man induces me to propose to you, by means of a reasonable

ransom, to prevent such a scene of horror and distress. For this

reason I have authorized Lieutenant-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. If you accept the terms offered within the

time limited, you may rest assured that no further debarkation of

troops will be made, but the re-embarkation of the vanguard will

immediately follow, and the property of the citizens shall remain

unmolested."

 

 

On the afternoon of the 16th, the squadron was sighted from Edinburgh

Castle, slowly running in toward the Firth. The country had now been

fully alarmed. It is related that the audacity and boldness of this

cruise and his previous successes had caused Jones to be regarded

with a terror far beyond that which his force justified, and which

well-nigh paralyzed resistance. Arms were hastily distributed,

however, to the various guilds, and batteries were improvised at

Leith. On the 17th, the Richard, putting about, ran down to within a

mile of the town of Kirkaldy. As it appeared to the inhabitants that

she was about to descend upon their coast, they were filled with

consternation. There is a story told that the minister of the place, a

quaint oddity named Shirra, who was remarkable for his eccentricities,

joined his people congregated on the beach, surveying the approaching

ship in terrified apprehension, and there made the following prayer:

 

 

"Now, deer Lord, dinna ye think it a shame for ye to send this vile

piret to rob our folk o' Kirkaldy? for ye ken they're puir enow

already, and hae naething to spaire. The wa the ween blaws, he'll be

here in a jiffie, and wha kens what he may do? He's nae too guid for

onything. Meickle's the mischief he has dune already. He'll burn thir

hooses, tak their very claes and tirl them to the sark; and wae's me!

wha kens but the bluidy villain might take their lives! The puir

weemen are maist frightened out o' their wits, and the bairns skirling

after them. I canna thol't it! I canna thol't it! I hae been lang a

faithfu' servant to ye, Laird; but gin ye dinna turn the ween about,

and blaw the scoundrel out of our gate, I'll na staur a fit, but will

just sit here till the tide comes. Sae tak yere will o't."

 

 

This extraordinary petition has probably lost nothing by being handed

down. At any rate, just as that moment, a squall which had been

brewing broke violently over the ship, and Jones was compelled to bear

up and run before it. The honest people of Kirkaldy always attributed

their relief to the direct interposition of Providence as the result

of the prayer of their minister. He accepted the honors for his Lord

and himself by remarking, whenever the subject was mentioned to him,

that he had prayed but the Lord had sent the wind!

 

It is an interesting tale, but its effect is somewhat marred when we

consider that Jones had no intention of ever landing at Kirkaldy or of

doing the town any harm. He was after bigger game, and in his official

account he states that he finally succeeded in getting nearly within

gunshot distance of Leith, and had made every preparation to land

there, when a gale which had been threatening blew so strongly

offshore that, after making a desperate attempt to reach an anchorage

and wait until it blew itself out, he was obliged to run before it and

get to sea. When the gale abated in the evening he was far from the

port, which had now become thoroughly alarmed. Heavy batteries were

thrown up and troops concentrated for its protection, so that he

concluded to abandon the attempt. His conception had been bold and

brilliant, and his success would have been commensurate if, when the

opportunity had presented itself, he had been seconded by men on the

other ships with but a tithe of his own resolution.

 

The squadron continued its cruise to the southward and captured

several coasting brigs, schooners, and sloops, mostly laden with coal

and lumber. Baffled in the Forth, Jones next determined upon a similar

project in the Tyne or the Humber, and on the 19th of the month

endeavored to enlist the support of his captains for a descent on

Newcastle-upon-Tyne, as it was one of his favorite ideas to cut off

the London coal supply by destroying the shipping there; but

Cottineau, of the Pallas, refused to consent. The ships had been on

the coast now for nearly a week, and there was no telling when a

pursuing English squadron would make its appearance. Cottineau told de

Chamillard that unless Jones left the coast the next day the Richard

would be abandoned by the two remaining ships. Jones, therefore,

swallowing his disappointment as best he might, made sail for the

Humber and the important shipping town of Hull.

 

It was growing late in September, and the time set for the return to

the Texel was approaching. As a matter of fact, however, though Jones

remained on the coast cruising up and down and capturing everything he

came in sight of, in spite of his anxiety Cottineau did not actually

desert his commodore. Cottineau was the best of the French officers.

Without the contagion of the others he might have shown himself a

faithful subordinate at all times. Having learned the English private

signals from a captured vessel, Jones, leaving the Pallas, boldly

sailed into the mouth of the Humber, just as a heavy convoy under the

protection of a frigate and a small sloop of war was getting under way

to come out of it. Though he set the English flag and the private

signals in the hope of decoying the whole force out to sea and under

his guns, to his great disappointment the ships, including the war

vessels, put back into the harbor. The Richard thereupon turned to the

northward and slowly sailed along the coast, followed by the

Vengeance.

 

Early in the morning of September 23d, while it was yet dark, the

Richard chased two ships, which the daylight revealed to be the Pallas

and the long-missing Alliance, which at last rejoined. The wind was

blowing fresh from the southwest, and the two ships under easy canvas

slowly rolled along toward Flamborough Head. Late in the morning the

Richard discovered a large brigantine inshore and to windward. Jones

immediately gave chase to her, when the brigantine changed her course

and headed for Bridlington Bay, where she came to anchor.

 

Bridlington Bay lies just south of Flamborough Head, which is a bold

promontory bearing a lighthouse and jutting far out into the North

Sea. Vessels from the north bound for Hull or London generally pass

close to the shore at that point, in order to make as little of a

detour as possible. For this reason Jones had selected it as a

particularly good cruising ground. Sheltered from observation from one

side or the other, he waited for opportunities, naturally abundant, to

pounce upon unsuspecting merchant ships. The Baltic fleet had not yet

appeared off the coast, though it was about due. Unless warned of his

presence, it would inevitably pass the bold headland and afford

brilliant opportunity for attack. If his unruly consorts would only

remain with him a little longer something might yet be effected. To go

back now would be to confess to a partial failure, and Jones was

determined to continue the cruise even alone, until he had

demonstrated his fitness for higher things. Fate had his opportunity

ready for him, and he made good use of it.

 

 

 

 

CHAPTER X.

THE BATTLE WITH THE SERAPIS.

 

 

About noon on the 23d of September, 1779, the lookouts on the Richard

became aware of the sails of a large ship which suddenly shot into

view around the headland. Before any action could be taken the first

vessel was followed by a second, a third, and others to the number of

six, all close hauled on the starboard tack, evidently intent upon

weathering the point. The English flags fluttering from their gaff

ends proclaimed a nationality, of which, indeed, there could be no

doubt. The course of the Richard was instantly changed. Dispatching a

boat under the command of Lieutenant Henry Lunt to capture the

brigantine, Jones, in high anticipation, headed the Richard for the

strangers, at the same time signaling the Alliance, the Pallas, and

the Vengeance to form line ahead on his ship--that is, get into the

wake of the Richard and follow in single file. The Alliance seems to

have been ahead and to windward of the Richard, the Pallas to windward

and abreast, and the Vengeance in the rear of the flagship.

 

It had not yet been developed whether the six ships, which, even as

they gazed upon them, were followed by others until forty sail were

counted, were vessels of war or a merchant fleet under convoy; but

with characteristic audacity Jones determined to approach them

sufficiently near to settle the question. He had expressed his

intention of going in harm's way, and for that purpose had asked a

swift ship. He could hardly have had a slower, more unwieldy,

unmanageable vessel under him than the Richard, but the fact had not

altered his intention in the slightest degree, so the course of the

Richard was laid for the ships sighted.

 

Captain Landais, however, was not actuated by the same motives as his

commander. He paid no attention, as usual, to the signal, but instead

ran off to the Pallas, to whose commander he communicated in a measure