If I meet with further success I will write you in Course in the meantime I rest assured that your good offices will not be wanting in my favour when the Navy Rank and Seniority comes to be Settled—if I was worthy of the Rank of Eldest Lieutenant of the Fleet I deserve not to be superseded in favour of any person who then bore an inferior or Juniour Commission.
It will be good policy if the Congress or Marine Committee fix the Parity of Rank between land and sea Officers as it is on the English Establishment Vizt. An Admiral ranks with a General a Vice Adml with a Lieun. Genl. a Rear Adml. with a Major Genl. a Commodore with with a Brigadeer Genl. a Captain with a Colonel a Master & Commander with a Lieut. Colo, a Lieut. Commanding with a Major & a Lieutenant in the Navy with a Captain of Foot or Marines—this would prevent numberless disputes and deuelings which otherwise will be unavoidable—but I remember that this agrees with your own opinion and therefore I need use no argument to enforce it.—my best wishes and respects await yourself and Family and I am with much Esteem and grateful Respect
Honoured Sir
Your very Obliged and most humble Servt.
Jno. P. Jones
Editor's Note: In a letter to Mr. Hewes, dated January 12, 1777, Jones, in speaking of Hopkins, writes of the latter calling himself a Commodore, "this Commodore is altogether unfit to command a Frigate of thirty-two Guns." See Calendar of Jones Manuscripts, Library of Congress, pp. 15-16, 20-22.
APPENDIX D.
Copy of Letter Addressed by Jones to John Wendell, Esqr., Portsmouth, N. H.
Ranger, Nantes 11th Decr. 1777.
My dear Sir,
The Ranger was wafted by the Pinions of the gentlest, and most friendly Gales, along the Surface of the Blue profound of Neptune; and not the swelling bosom of a Friend's nor even of an Enemis Sail, appeared within our placid Horizon, untill after we had passed the Everlasting Mountains of the Sea, (called Azores) whoe's Tops are in the Cloud's, and whoe's Foundations are in the Center. When lo! this Italeyon Season was interrupted! the "gathering Fleets o'erspread the Sea" and Wars alarms began! nor ceased day or night untill, aided by the mighty Boreus, we cast anchor in this Asylum the 2d Currt. but since I am not certain that my Poetry will be understood, it may not be amiss to add, by way of marginal note, that after leaving Portsmouth nothing remarkable happened untill I got to the Eastward of the Western Islands; and that from that time untill my arrival here, I fell in with Ships every day sometimes every Hour; within Eighty Leagues of Ushant, I met with an Enemies fleet of Ten Sail bound up Channel, but notwithstanding my best endeavours, I was unable to detach any of them from the strong Convoy under which they sailed, I met with and brought too a variety of other Ships, none whereof proved British Property, except two Brigantines from Malaga with Fruit for London, which became Prizes, the one is arrived here, the other I am told in Quiberon Bay; as I have met with and brought too several Ships in the Night, I had the most agreeable Proofs of the Active Spirit of my Officers and Men.