The prize-money question was in abeyance; Franklin in his letters to Jones referred to it, and stated that the ships-of-war he had taken were to be valued, the King intending to purchase them, but that the muster-roll of the Bon Homme Richard was wanting in order to regulate the proportions to each ship. At the same time Franklin authorized Jones to draw on him for 24,000 livres in advance to the people of the Bon Homme Richard, and stated that M. LeRay de Chaumont had authorized his correspondent in L'Orient to advance 100,000 livres for the Americans of the Alliance and Bon Homme Richard, on account.
This prize-money question, as shown by the voluminous correspondence of the time, was a troublesome matter, the cause of dissension, controversy, and insubordination amounting to mutiny in the ship's company.
The subject is fully treated in the various biographies of Jones, and it is unnecessary to do more than allude to it here. It was, however, the cause which induced Jones to go frequently to Paris, ostensibly to hasten proceedings for the adjustment of the claims for prize money. In his absence on shore at L'Orient Captain Landais, acting under the advice of Arthur Lee and Commodore Gillon, of the South Carolina navy, took possession of the Alliance on the 12th of June. The log entry on that day is the last of the Alliance's journal. It forms a terse but accurate account of this extraordinary transaction. A more detailed account, by a participant in this event, will be found in the Appendix.[14]
It appears from the correspondence of Mr. Franklin that Landais had been furnished with money to enable him to return to America for trial upon the charges preferred by Jones, and Franklin had, in May, expressed his astonishment that he continued to remain at L'Orient. To this Landais, on the 29th of May, coolly replied that he had been waiting for orders to retake command of the Alliance! Franklin replied to this, "I charge you not to meddle with the command, or create any disturbance on board her, as you will answer the contrary at your peril."
Arthur Lee, as well as Commodore Gillon, had previously quarreled with Jones, and detested him. Lee, in a written opinion discussing constitutional questions as to the authority of Congress, and that of Mr. Franklin, advised Landais that he might lawfully treat our minister's orders with contempt. As Jones was constantly absent from his ship, spending much time in Paris, where he was the recipient of marked attentions, it was not difficult for Landais to work upon the mutinous spirit of the crew by charging Jones with neglect of their interests regarding prize money due them, to such effect that they addressed a letter to Franklin, signed by one hundred and fifteen of the crew, declaring that they would not raise the anchor, nor depart from L'Orient, until their wages and the utmost farthing of their prize money had been paid them, and until their legal captain, P. Landais, was restored to them. This mutinous document was undoubtedly instigated by Landais; it bore unmistakable evidence of being penned, and was forwarded to Franklin, by Landais himself.
On the morning of the 12th of June Jones, at L'Orient, assembled his crew, before going on shore, and asked them if they could say a word to his disadvantage. They answered that they could not, and, according to Jones' account, showed every appearance of contentment and subordination. Jones then went on shore, and Landais, taking advantage of his absence, seized the command during the afternoon of that day. Jones heard of the transaction from Dale, who informed him that he and some others had just been turned ashore.
Jones immediately despatched by express to Franklin a statement of the occurrence. Upon its receipt Franklin procured an order from Versailles for the arrest and imprisonment of Landais, as a Frenchman and subject to French laws. Lee, under whose legal advice Landais had acted, wrote a long letter to Jones, in which he claimed that it was clear that Landais commanded the Alliance under the full and express order of Congress, and no other authority existed which could dismiss him from the command.
Some attempt was made by the commandant of the port to arrest Landais and prevent the departure of the Alliance. Jones declined to employ means to prevent her departure, interposing, he says, "to prevent bloodshed between the subjects of allied powers." The Alliance was hurried out of port with a mutinous crew—many of them in irons—taking Arthur Lee and a number of civilians as passengers. On the voyage homeward the officers and crew became dissatisfied with Landais' conduct, and compelled him to relinquish the command. Mr. Arthur Lee was particularly incensed against him, and principally upon his testimony, on his trial by court martial, Landais was dismissed from the service on the score that he was insane.
The conduct of Jones in thus abandoning his command has been commented upon at length by his biographers, and variously accounted for, the consensus of opinion being that, had he really wished to recover the command, he could have gone on board the Alliance with his officers as soon as he heard that Landais had taken possession of her, and would have met with no opposition from Landais, or, if he had ventured upon personal violence, Jones, being in the right, would not have been blamable for the consequences. The conduct of Jones during this extraordinary transaction seems inconsistent with his general character as a bold and determined fighter, and does not add to his reputation.
Following the entry in the Alliance's journal, recording the taking possession of her by Landais, the log continues with "An account of occurrences in L'Orient, respecting the Bon Homme Richards Officers & Crew" during the three days they were on shore waiting for orders. On the 16th of June they were ordered to, and removed on board the Ariel frigate, that ship having been loaned by the French to assist in transporting to America clothing and munitions of war, for which room could not be found on the Alliance and of which our army was sorely in need. The Ariel was a small frigate, formerly captured from the English by the squadron under d'Estaing.