The Life and Adventures of Rear-Admiral John Paul Jones, Commonly Called Paul Jones

by John S. C. Abbott

“Captain Landais has demanded of me an order to you, to deliver to him his trunks. I find him so exceedingly captious and critical, and so apt to misconstrue, as an intended injustice, every expression in a language which he does not immediately understand, that I am tired of writing anything for him or about him, and am determined to have nothing further to do with him.”

Innumerable difficulties had arisen about the adjustment and distribution of the prizes. The sailors had not received their wages, and not even a dollar of their prize money. Many of them were in a state of great destitution. Their chests of clothing had gone down in the Bon Homme Richard; and after the long delay in the Texel they were almost in rags.

Landais, having been commissioned by the American Congress, demanded to be sent to this country for trial upon the charges brought against him. This request had been granted, and Dr. Franklin had furnished him with funds to pay his passage, in the Luzerne, an American merchant ship. There were many very serious charges tabled against him. In defence of the most severe accusation, that he had fired into the Bon Homme Richard, he presented the plea that the two ships were lashed together, and that he could not fire into the Serapis, without some of his shot being liable to strike the Richard. But the testimony given by Nathaniel Fanning seems conclusive, as it was corroborated by much other testimony. He was stationed in the main-top of the Richard, where he remained during the whole action.

He testified that two hours after the engagement commenced, the Alliance came under the stern of the Richard, and discharged her whole broadside into the ship. She then came under the bow of the Richard, and discharged another volley of grape and round shot. The Alliance was within hail, and some of the officers of the Richard shouted, “For God’s sake don’t fire into us. You have already killed several of our men.” Still she fired a number of shot afterwards into the Richard.

Another officer of the Richard testified that he was standing on the quarter-deck in the midst of the smoke and tumult of the battle, when they were struck by a raking fire, and two men fell dead at his side. He then heard several cry out, “The Alliance is manned with Englishmen, and is firing on us.” The Alliance then passed by, and after a couple of hours came under their stern and discharged a full broadside into the Richard.

“It is my sincere opinion,” this witness testified, “that the motive of Captain Landais must have been to kill Captain Jones, and distress the Richard, so as to cause her to strike to the Serapis, that he might be able to take both vessels and honor himself with the laurels of that day.”

Several pages of similar testimony might be given. All alike testified that the Alliance never passed on the off-side of the Serapis; but ever kept the Richard between the Serapis and her guns. Thus, if any of her shot struck the Serapis, they must have first passed through the Richard.

Commodore Jones, sympathizing with his men in their utter destitution, and the apparent wrongs under which they were suffering, felt constrained to go personally to Paris to plead with the court at Versailles, in their behalf. Months had passed during which they had received no wages. They had captured many valuable prizes, but no money had come back to them. Two of these, it will be remembered, which were valued at two hundred thousand dollars, Captain Landais, contrary to the orders of Commodore Jones, had sent to Norway. The Norwegian Government, alarmed by the menaces of England, surrendered them both to the British ambassador, on the ground that Captain Jones had not been commissioned by any government which Norway had recognized.

The other prizes, which were in French ports, were to be sold at auction. But in consequence of some technicalities of the laws, whose delays are proverbial, the ships had not yet been sold. The commissioners at Paris, in their poverty, sent to the crew of the Alliance a sum of money which amounted to about ten dollars apiece. This did but excite their indignation and derision[derision]. Some, in their chagrin, chucked the coin into the water.

Commodore Jones was a handsome man about thirty-six years of[of] age, of fine figure, fair complexion, pleasant features, and courtly bearing. He was a man of literary tastes and studious habits. He wrote poetry, and spoke the French language with considerable fluency. These personal and mental accomplishments, added to his chivalric exploits, the fame of which had filled the world, rendered him an object of remarkable and universal attention in the Court of Versailles.