JONES
JONES
plan failed. His crew demandecl some return
for their hazardous venture and Jones allowed
them to seize the silver plate, but prevented
them from further damaging the house. This
proceeding greatly incensed tiie inliabitants of
the coast and lost Jones friends both in France
and America. When the prize pruperty was
sold, however, Jones pui'chased the plate at an
■exorbitant price and restored it to the earl, who
formally acknowledged its receipt. The exploits
•of the Ranger terrified the whole sea-coasi, and
the Drake set sail from Carrickfergus bay de-
termined to capture the pirate. When the two
vessels met, Jones disguised the Ranger as a
merchantman ; captured the men on board
■a boat sent out from the Drake to determine
lier character, and put out from the shore, so as
to gain sea room. The armament of the two
vessels was about equal and a running fire of
broadsides was kept up, the well-directed fire
from the Ranger playing havoc with the spars,
rigging and sides of the Drake, and so disabling
her that she was obliged to strike her colors.
Tiie French government had now declared an
alliance with the United States, and upon enter-
ing the harbor of Brest with liis prize Jones re-
■ceived the first salute from a foreign power ever
given to the American flag. Although a suitable
vessel had been so long promised to Jones by the
American commissioners, his success caused de-
lays as it gave rise to jealousy on the part of the
French officers. Jones wrote to the Prince of
Nassau asking for a commission under the French
flag. A first-class ship was offered him if he
would give up his commission in the American
navy and take charge of a privateering expedi-
tion, organized by a party of wealthy French
citizens for gain, but he i-efused to entertain the
offer. Despairing of obtaining a command from
congress, he went to Versailles and insisted upon
being furnished with a ship. The Frencli gov-
■ernment fitted out the Dnras, formerly an old
India trading ship, and Jones re-christened her
the Bon Homme Richard. She was armed witii
38 guns— six 18-pounders and thirty-two 12-
pounders ; her crew was composed of French
peasants and British vagabond sailors, but his
official roll was made up entirely of American
seamen. Lieutenant Richard Dale served as sec-
ond officer. The remainder of his fleet consisted
of the Alliance, 36 guns, Pallas, 33 guns, Cerf,
18 guns, and Vengeance, 13 guns : all manned by
French officers and crews. The Alliance was
■commanded by Pierre Landais, with whom Jones
was antagonistic, and who had publicly declared,
" I shall soon meet Captain Jones on shore. Then
I will either kill him or he shall kill me." After
a number of mishaps, on Aug. 14, 1778, the fleet
put to sea and was joined by two French pri-
vateers. Jones intended to proceed to Leith,
Scotland, seize the town, and by levying a ran-
som on the inhabitants, secure the release of the
American seamen incarcerated in British dun-
geons. When within ten miles of Leith he made
preparations for landing his troops, but a change
of the wind blew the fleet out to sea, and al-
though he determined to renew his efforts the
next morning, the French officers refused to sup-
port him, and as Landais had obtained from the
French minister of marine a concordat binding the
five captains to act together, Jones found that he
had no authority to command them. The Richard,
Alliance, Pallas and Vengeance proceeded south,
and on August 23 ran upon a fleet of merciiantmen
under convoy of the British ships of war Serapis,
44 guns, and Countess of Scarborough, 28 guns.
The Pallas engaged the Countess of Scarhor on gh,
which, after an hour's conflict, struck her colors.
The Alliance and Vengeance held aloof from the
conflict, while the Richard and the Serapis were
left in single-lianded combat. The Serapis was
one of the finest frigates in the Britisli navy,
while the Richard was an old ship refitted as a
frigate. The battle oj^ened an hour after sunset,
the sea being lighted by a full moon. The ships
were three miles off the cliffs of Flam borough,
which were crowded with spectators, as wei'e the
piers and shore-front. When abreast the Ser-
apis hailed the Richard and simultaneously
they both opened their broadsides. Two of the
18-pounders on the Richard burst, killing every
man working them and so destroying the deck as
to render useless the four remaining guns, leav-
ing only six 9- and 12-pounders on the Richard,
while the Serajiis had twenty 18-pounders.
Broadside followed broadside, the dense smoke
hiding the two ships from the spectators on shore.
Wliile manoeuvring to cross the Richard's bow,
the bowsprit of the Serapis crossed the deck of
the Richard and Jones lashed it to the mizzen-
mast,thus swinging the stern of the Serajyis around
to the bow of the Richard. The rigging of the
two ships became entangled and the muzzles of
their guns often touched. The shots from the
Richard had cut nearly through tiie masts of the
Serajiis, and the 18-pouiiders of the Serajiis had
torn the side of the Ricliard into one immense
porthole, exposing her guns and leaving her deck
supported by a framework of stanchions. Her
water line was also cut and admitted torrents of
water. The marines on her quarter-deck picked
off the gunners on the Serajyis and in turn were
swept by the storm of grapeshot from the batter-
ies of their opi)Oiieiit. The battery of 12-pounders
on the Ricliard was silenced and at this su-
preme moment, Jones gave the order to prepare
to board and that the t%vo vessels be laslied
together. They were so close that wlieu loading
