X.—The Great Fight with the Serapis.
Paul Jones next cruised up and down the eastern coast of England, trying to capture some merchant ships that were bound for London.
About noon, on September 23, 1779, he saw not far from the shore an English fleet, sailing from the north. It was convoyed by two new war ships, the Serapis and the Countess of Scarborough.
Paul Jones at once signaled to his ships to form in line of battle. Captain Landais disobeyed.
The sight of the American squadron seemed to cause confusion in the English fleet. They let fly their top gallant sails and fired many signals. The Serapis and the Countess drew up in line of battle and waited for the enemy, while the merchant ships ran into port.
It was a clear, calm afternoon. The sea was like a polished mirror, with scarcely a ripple on its surface.
The vessels approached each other so slowly that they scarcely seemed to move. The decks had all been cleared for action, and the captains were full of impatience.
Word had gone from town to town along the shore, that a great battle was soon to be fought. The people along the shore gathered on the high cliffs, eagerly hoping to see the dreaded Paul Jones crushed forever.
The sun had gone down behind the hills before the ships were within speaking distance of each other. The harvest moon came up, full and clear, and shed a soft light over the dreadful battle that followed.
Captain Landais, when he disobeyed Paul Jones' order to join in line of battle, spread the sails of the Alliance, and went quickly toward the enemy as though to make an attack. But when very near to where the Serapis lay, he changed his course, and sailed away to a place where the battle could be seen without harm.
About half-past seven in the evening, the Richard rounded to on the side of the Serapis within pistol-shot.
Captain Pearson of the Serapis hailed, saying: "What ship is that?" The answer came: "I can't hear what you say."
Captain Pearson repeated: "What ship is that? Answer at once or I shall fire."
Paul Jones' reply was a shot. This was followed by a broadside from each vessel.
At this first fire, two of the guns in the lower battery of the Richard burst. The explosion tore up the decks, and killed many men.
The two vessels now began pouring broadsides into each other. The Richard was old and rotten, and these shots caused her to leak badly. Captain Pearson saw this, and hailed, saying, "Has your ship struck?"
The bold reply came: "I have not yet begun to fight."
Paul Jones saw, that, as the Serapis was so much the better ship of the two, his only hope lay in getting the vessels so close together that the men could board the Serapis from the Richard.
All this time the vessels had been sailing in the same direction, crossing and re-crossing each other's course.
Finally Paul Jones ran the Richard across the bow of the Serapis. The anchor of the Serapis caught in the stern of the Richard and became firmly fastened there. As the vessels were swung around by the tide, the sides came together. The spars and rigging were entangled and remained so until the close of the engagement.
With the muzzles of the guns almost touching, the firing began. The effect was terrible.
Paul Jones, who had only two guns that could be used on the starboard side, grappled with the Serapis. With the help of a few men, he brought over a larboard gun, and these three were all that he used during the rest of the battle.
Meanwhile the other ships of the American squadron did strange things. The Pallas, alone, did her duty. In a half hour she had captured the Countess of Scarborough. The Vengeance simply sailed for the nearest harbor.
Worst of all was the conduct of Captain Landais and his ship Alliance. For a while he looked quietly on as though he were umpire. At 9:30 o'clock he came along the larboard side of the Richard so that she was between him and the enemy. Then he deliberately fired into her, killing many men.
Many voices cried out that he was firing into the wrong ship. He seemed not to hear, for, until the battle was over, his firing continued. The Poor Richard had an enemy on each side.
Paul Jones sent some men up the masts and into the rigging to throw hand-grenades, or bombs, among the enemy. One of these set fire to some cartridges on the deck of the Serapis. This caused a terrible explosion, disabling all the men at the guns in that part of the ship. Twenty of them were killed outright.
By this time so much water had leaked into the Richard that she was settling. A sailor, seeing this, set up the cry: "Quarter! quarter! Our ship is sinking!"
Captain Pearson, hearing the cry, sent his men to board the Richard. Paul Jones, with a pike in his hand, headed a party of his men similarly armed, and drove the English back.
Some of the Richard's men ran below and set the prisoners free. There were more than a hundred of them.
One of these prisoners climbed through the port holes into the Serapis. He told Captain Pearson that if he would hold out a little longer, the Richard would either sink or strike.
Poor Paul Jones was now in a hard place. His ship was sinking. More than a hundred prisoners were running about the decks, and they, with the crew, were shouting for quarter. His own ship, the Alliance, was hurling shots at him from the other side. Everywhere was confusion.
But he, alone, was undismayed. He shouted to the prisoners to go below to the pumps or they would be quickly drowned. He ordered the crew to their places. He himself never left the three guns that could still be fired.
At half-past ten o'clock, the Serapis surrendered.
THE SERAPIS AND THE BON HOMME RICHARD.
When Captain Pearson gave his sword to Paul Jones, he said it was very hard to surrender to a man who had fought "with a halter around his neck." Paul Jones replied, "Sir! You have fought like a hero. I hope your king will reward you."
This battle had lasted for three hours and a half. It has since been known in history as one of the greatest victories ever won upon the seas. The Serapis and the Countess were both new ships, one of forty guns and the other of twenty. The crews were well-drilled Englishmen.
Everything was against the Richard, and the victory was due alone to the great courage and will of its commander. When the fight was over, Paul Jones separated the ships and set the sails of the Richard. All night every sailor was busy fighting the fire which raged on both ships.
When daylight showed to Captain Pearson the wreck of the Richard, he was sorry he had surrendered. Her rudder was gone and her rotten timbers were split into pieces. Some of the shots had passed entirely through her.
Paul Jones wished to take her into port to show how desperately he had fought, but this was out of the question. By nine o'clock the sailors abandoned her, and at ten she suddenly went down.
Repairing the Serapis as best he could, Paul Jones took her and the Countess of Scarborough, with his unfaithful fleet, to Holland.