This certificate of Lieut. Lunt, who was a mere spectator, is of great weight and importance, it being only in the power of this gentleman to give a true account of the respective positions and manœuvres of the ships engaged.
J. P. Jones.[8]
The question naturally arises, Who dictated the narrative of the fight which Lunt wrote in the Serapis' log? It is an authentic and truthful narration of the principal occurrences, and corresponds with Jones' own accounts of the battle. It is written in the first person, and must have been written by some one who was on board the Bon Homme Richard, and copied by Lunt into the Serapis' log at some time subsequent to the engagement, in order to have a circumstantial account recorded in the log. Lunt's statement that the log-book belonged to him on September 3, 1780, when second lieutenant of the Ariel, nearly a year after the fight, would lead us to suppose that, as he was surrounded by the officers who were on the Bon Homme Richard, he simply copied a description dictated by one of them, probably by Jones himself, as the latter's well-known proclivity for self-adulation would naturally show itself in a desire to have his personal efforts spread upon the official record. It is further worthy of note that almost the only tributes to the officers of the Bon Homme Richard, or recognition of their services, are to be found in Jones' charges and proofs against Landais, where his object was to give force to their testimony.[9] His apparent unwillingness to commend others, or award to each of his officers a just meed of praise, has been noted by some of his biographers as his great fault.
It is a matter of interest to a collector to be able to identify the author or writer of this narrative of the engagement, and to place it, after a long separation, where it originally was written.
The first regular entry in the Serapis' log is on the 26th of September, when, dismasted, crowded with prisoners, and encumbered with wounded, her people, assisted by men from the other ships of the squadron, were employed in erecting jury masts and repairing the damages sustained in the action. The wind was for several days light, from the southwest, and the sea fairly smooth, the speed recorded being from two to four knots. Jones decided to make the port of Dunkirk, but his colleagues overruled him, and upon making the land, owing to bad weather and contrary winds, the squadron, after being tossed to and fro by contrary winds for seven days, anchored in the Texel Roads on the 3d of October. That the ship should have been safely taken to a harbor under such circumstances is not the least of Jones' exploits as a seaman; while the failure of the English cruisers to intercept and recapture her brought much obloquy upon the British admiralty.
Safely anchored in the Texel, Sir Joseph Yorke, the British ambassador at The Hague, who persistently referred to Jones as "that pirate, Paul Jones: a rebel subject and criminal of State," immediately demanded the surrender of the prizes and the release of the prisoners.[10] The demand was refused by the High Commissioners, and after much correspondence Jones obtained permission, under certain restrictions, to land his prisoners and wounded, and to mount guard over them on an island in the Texel. Jones may fairly be said to have added to his fame by being mainly instrumental in bringing about an open rupture between England and Holland by the stand taken by him during this trying period.
As will be seen by the entries in the log, the crew, with assistance from the other ships, were for many days busily employed in cleaning up her decks and in repairing and refitting the ship. She was in a dreadful condition of filth and disorder. Jones desired to refit her, and again to cruise in English waters, as she was a fine, stanch ship, recently built, and would have been a valuable substitute for the lost Richard. Jones states that she was the best ship he ever saw of her kind.
Complications between the Dutch and English governments, however, became acute. Jones was ordered to sail from the Texel, then blockaded by an English fleet, and the Dutch Admiral was ordered to use forcible measures, if found necessary, to compel him to do so. With Dr. Franklin's approval it was decided to turn over to the French the prizes, and all the ships except the Alliance, which, having been built in America, was accepted as a properly commissioned Continental ship-of-war. In pursuance of this decision Jones turned over to Captain Cottineau the command of the Serapis, who hoisted the French flag over her on November 21, 1779. Landais was deposed from the command of the Alliance, to which ship Jones transferred his flag, having first stripped the Serapis of everything movable and useful and sent the same on board the Alliance.[11]
The log-book now continues with "A Journall Kept on Board the American Continental Frigate of War, Alliance, of 36 guns, under the Command of the Honble. John Paul Jones, Commencing in the Road of Texel in Holland."
Commencing on the 22d of November, the log states the daily occurrences until June 12, 1780. According to Jones' account the ship was in a deplorable condition, which he attributed to the incapacity of Landais, whom he had supplanted, and with whom he was on bad terms, having charged him with being responsible, in part, for the collision with the Richard on her first cruise; with cowardice during the action with the Serapis; with intentionally firing upon the Richard; with disobedience of orders, disrespect, and insolence. Jones states that the Alliance had not a good cable or sail; the officers and men were intemperate and idle; filth, insubordination, and epidemic diseases prevailed among the crew; she was badly supplied with arms; and her powder was of bad quality. Some of these deficiences Jones supplied from the Serapis.