commander of the _Ranger_, Congress selected the permanent flag of the
United States--the good old Stars-and-Stripes which we still have. Up to
this time nobody had really been satisfied with the "Rattlesnake"
emblem; Paul Jones particularly objected to it. Now Mrs. Betsey Ross, of
Philadelphia, was busy at work making the first new flag from a rough
pencil sketch furnished her by General Washington.
When Paul Jones heard of the adoption of the new emblem, and saw plans
for it, he was greatly pleased. He took out his own pencil, quickly
copied the plans, and stuck the paper in his pocket.
As soon as possible he proceeded to Portsmouth, and immediately entered
upon the task of outfitting the _Ranger_ for sea. He found the ship to
be a fine-looking craft, built expressly for speed, with a length six
feet greater than the regular 20-gun vessel of the day. But he thought
her spars too heavy, and ordered his shipwright to "fid them about four
feet lower in the hounds," which was done. He also had fourteen long
9-pounders and four 6-pounders put in place of the regular twenty
6-pound guns intended, and made other changes looking toward her
seaworthiness. He was very proud of her coppered hull, shining like
burnished gold--the first hull thus covered in the new country.
As the work of outfitting went on, he had the goodwill and interest of
the entire colonial town. Busy though he was he did not neglect the
social side of life here any more than he had elsewhere when on land;
for Paul Jones loved elegance and display, intercourse with the fair
sex; and his splendid bearing, immaculate dress, magnetic personality,
keen wit--to say nothing of his record of daring deeds--made him
extremely popular in all gatherings, particularly where hoop-skirts
abounded. Many a good dame in America did her utmost to marry the
gallant young captain off to her own daughter or another admiring
damsel. But it was no use; Paul Jones, while always professing the
greatest respect and kindliest interest in his feminine associates,
never allowed them to turn his well-balanced head.
Thus in his social activities there in Portsmouth, the captain of the
_Ranger_ escorted bevies of charming and vivacious damsels and their
mamas and papas aboard the ship and explained her many wonders, and
discoursed on what she probably would do to the English. Then one day he
whispered mysteriously to some of them, and forthwith these pretty
Colonial girls spoke to others. The consequence was, that soon afterward
there was a merry gathering at the home of one of the maids. A "quilting
bee" they termed it; but there, fashioned amid chat and laughter, amid
sober thought and spirit of service to country, slender fingers cut and
sewed together the silken portions of a beautiful American flag--the
first one of stars and stripes that anybody in that locality had yet
seen. From time to time these fair workers looked for guidance to a
pencilled sketch furnished them by their chosen knight. Treasured
wedding and court dresses of some of their mothers furnished rare
patches of blue, and lengths of red and white, and these grew into
beautiful five-pointed stars and graceful stripes under the girls'
careful handiwork.
During this time Paul Jones was putting the finishing touches to the
_Ranger_ and impatiently awaiting the dispatches he was to carry from
his Government to the American Commission in France. At midnight of the
31st of October these official documents were delivered to him by a
courier who had covered one hundred and forty miles, eating and sleeping
in his saddle. Among the papers was the news of the surrender of
Burgoyne.
Nothing now prevented Paul Jones from making sail on his long cruise.
The _Ranger_ was in readiness, the wind good. But before making sail
there was one ceremony he must not forget.
The new flag--his gift from the patriotic Portsmouth girls--must be
unfurled to the breeze. And they must see it! By horse he sent
Wannashego galloping to the homes of each of the five young
seamstresses. In an hour they appeared, eager and excited, despite the
fact that most of the good people of the town were fast asleep.
With simple ceremony but eloquent suggestion the splendid banner, under
the impulse of Paul Jones's own hands, went up to the _Ranger's_ peak.
As it spread out to the breeze under the star-lit sky, the Scotch
captain said, with a deep feeling none could help noticing: "That flag
and I are twins. Born the same hour from the same womb of destiny, we
cannot be parted in life or in death. So long as we can float we shall
float together. If we must sink, we shall go down as one!"
To the courier who had brought the dispatches, Paul Jones now turned. He
handed him the receipt for the papers, and on its back he wrote: "I
shall spread this news in France within thirty days."
When the shore people had taken their departure, cheered by the crew of
the _Ranger_ and leaving their own good wishes behind, Captain Jones
immediately got under way. He took a northerly course, thereby hoping
to avoid most of the enemy's cruisers, so that his dispatches could be
delivered as soon as possible.
He left no record except the _Ranger's_ log; but Mr. Hall, who was the
ship's carpenter, gives some details of the trip which are far from
uninteresting:
"I had sailed with many captains in all sorts of voyages, but I had
never seen a ship crowded the way Captain Jones crowded the _Ranger_. He
held to his northerly route, though the wind was adverse, hanging all
the time between north-northeast and east-northeast. It veered slightly
at times, but you could count on it being forward of the beam on a true
course, and often it was near dead ahead. Imagine, then, the situation
of the ship's crew, with a top-heavy and cranky craft under their feet,
and a commander who day and night insisted on every rag she could
stagger under without laying clear down!
"As it was, she came close to beam ends more than once, and on one
occasion she righted only by us letting the fly-sheets go with hatchets.
During all this trying time Captain Jones was his own navigating
officer, keeping the deck eighteen or twenty hours out of every
twenty-four, often serving extra grog to the drenched men with his own
hands, and by his example silencing all disposition to grumble. In the
worst of it the watch was lap-watched. This brought the men eight hours
on and four off. There was no better way to arrange it; but for all that
a good many of them began to growl. These fellows had all been shipped
from Portsmouth, induced to enlist by unwise glowing accounts of the
Government of the rich prize-money that would probably be made on the
trip. Now, when they found the captain avoiding the enemy rather than
seeking him out, and were subjected to such a terrific bit of sailing,
they became dissatisfied.
"At first Captain Jones was mighty angry, but as soon as he satisfied
himself that the Government had really been in error, he acted
splendidly by the men. He told them that he would personally guarantee
them a fair revenue from prizes later on; more than that, from his own
pocket he advanced them 147 guineas, to make up the difference in wages
thus far allowed them by Congress but which the Marine Committee had
been unable to make good on account of the poverty of the States. They
quieted down then, apparently satisfied, cheering their commander well.
But Lieutenant Simpson, who had really instigated the mutiny, did not
escape so easily. Wannashego, an Indian boatswain's mate, had caught
Simpson stirring the men up to trouble, reported it to Captain Jones,
and the latter had the officer put in irons for the rest of the voyage."
As Mr. Hall says in this account, the weather was bad and the voyage
tempestuous. But nevertheless there were times when the tired men sought
recreation in story and song, as seamen always will do, and often over
the dashing waters the following refrain, composed by Midshipman Charley
Bell, went echoing:
"So now we had him hard and fast,
Burgoyne laid down his arms at last,
And that is why we brave the blast
To carry the news to London!
Heigh-ho! car-r-y the news;
Go carry the news to London!
Yes car-r-y, car-r-y,
Carry the news to London!"
During the last two days' run the _Ranger_ took two merchantmen loaded
with wines and dried fruit and bound for London. Paul Jones put
prize-crews aboard, sending one on to Brest and keeping the other with
him. West of Ushant they spoke a Dutch East Indiaman, whereupon the
Scotch captain informed the Dutch commander of the surrender of Burgoyne
and dryly asked him to "kindly repeat the news, with my compliments, to
any British captain met."
A little later, on the 2d of December, the saucy _Ranger_ and her prize
dropped anchor in the Loire, below Nantes, France.
X
IN THE ENEMY'S OWN WATERS
One of the first things which Paul Jones did on landing on French soil
was to seek out Dr. Benjamin Franklin, who, with Silas Deane and Arthur
Lee, were his country's foreign commissioners. He found these diplomats
domiciled in the fine home of Monsieur De Chaumont, a wealthy Frenchman
with strong sympathies for the Colonists.
It was the first meeting of Paul Jones and Benjamin Franklin--a meeting
marked with much gratification on the part of each. It was also the
beginning of a personal friendship long-lasting and very helpful to the
Scotch adventurer. Before its conclusion the caller learned, with some
chagrin, that he was not the first to bring news across the sea of the
surrender of General Burgoyne; that Mr. John Austen, of Boston, had
sailed in a French merchantman a day or two earlier, and by reason of
the shorter course, had arrived somewhat ahead of him. However, Austen's
news was mere hearsay, lacking the details and authenticity of Captain
Jones's dispatches.
It had been the intention of the American commissioners to give Paul
Jones the _Indien_--a fine frigate building secretly at Amsterdam--on
his arrival. But this proved to be one more of his disappointments, for
the British minister to the Netherlands had recently discovered the
destination of the vessel, and had made such protests of a breach of
neutrality that the commissioners had been forced to sell the ship to
France.
To his previous acquaintance with the Duc and Duchesse De Chartres there
is no doubt that Paul Jones owed his introduction at this time into
French society. The Duchesse herself had been, before her marriage, the
richest heiress in France. While her husband was a spendthrift, and a
man of lax morals generally, she was highly respected in all
communities. This noble family lived in a charming chateau, with even
more charming gardens, on the outskirts of Paris, and as soon as they
heard of the arrival of the already famous Scotch captain they sent him
an urgent invitation to call.
This he did. An enjoyable meeting resulted, and he was royally
entertained. Later, at a ball given in his honor and attended by the
élite of the social world, he met a beautiful young lady named Aimée de
Telusson, the adopted daughter of King Louis XV. Mademoiselle De
Telusson, after the king died, had been supported by a pension from the
monarch's court, and had lived with her protectoress, Madame De Marsan,
under the patronage of several great ladies, of whom the Duchesse De
Chartres was one.
Paul Jones was greatly fascinated with the fair Aimée, a feeling which
she seemed to reciprocate. As they became better and better acquainted
she fairly idolized him, and on his part he thought her the most perfect
specimen of womanhood he had ever seen. Although he must have known that
she was very much in love with him, this gallant seaman who was admired
by all the people of France, never declared his own love to her.
Dr. Franklin wished to keep Paul Jones in European waters, there to
harass the British shipping. On the other hand Lee, who for some reason
entertained a jealousy and dislike for the Scotchman, was bent on
getting him back in American waters as soon as he could. Silas Deane,
the third commissioner, was a nonentity, with little voice in the
matter. However, Dr. Franklin had his way; he thundered forth his orders
that Paul Jones was to stay on that side of the sea--and Paul Jones
stayed. To say that he was grateful to the stout-hearted, venerable
statesman is saying no more than the truth.
After some delay Dr. Franklin advised him that arrangements had been
completed by the commission for him to convoy a number of American
merchant vessels from Nantes into Quiberon Bay, where a large French
fleet, under Admiral La Motte Picquet, lay waiting with the intention of
sailing for America. Such protection by French warships a week earlier
would have been a distinct breach of neutrality, but now the
much-talked-of "Treaty of Alliance" had been made between France and
America, and henceforth France could not only openly sympathize with the
new Republic but could take up arms in her behalf.
Of course Paul Jones was glad at this turn of events. He was pleased for
his country's sake; pleased for his own sake, because the situation
promised easier working out of his plans.
But it seemed that his troubles were not yet entirely over. When he
reached the anchorage of the _Ranger_ he found the crew in a sad
disruption. It appeared that the profligate Simpson, who had been freed
from his irons upon the ship reaching port, had been working the men
into a mutiny by declaring he had heard that their captain had left them
in the lurch. Except for the confidence expressed in Paul Jones by the
majority of his officers and some of the sailors, among whom of course
was Wannashego, it is doubtful if the commander would have found very
many of his crew left upon his arrival. As it stood, the malcontents
were still arguing with the loyal when he put in an appearance.
Upon learning the cause of the trouble his Scotch ire was so thoroughly
aroused against Simpson that it is hard to guess what he would have done
to him, had the miscreant not made a plausible excuse for securing what
he termed his "misinformation" and uttered voluble apologies for his
part in the affair.
As soon as order could be obtained, the commander began to refit for the
new enterprise. The craft's masts were re-shortened and other defects of
structure remedied in an effort to put her on a better keel. Then in
company with a tender, the brig _Independence_, the American
sloop-of-war set sail. A little later, flying the Stars-and-Stripes at
her masthead, she anchored off the bay at Quiberon.
Without delay Paul Jones sent a small boat off to the French admiral,
desiring to know, if he saluted the admiral's ship, whether her
commander would return the salute.
When the reply came back it was in the affirmative. Thereupon Paul Jones
brought the _Ranger_ into the bay. She hove to, and the next moment her
guns thundered thirteen times. Promptly the courtesy was returned by
nine guns from the admiral's ship, it being the French custom to fire
four guns less than a saluting Republic. It was too dark to bring in the
_Independence_ for her share in the proceeding, but the next morning
this little vessel sailed proudly between two parallel lines of the
fine French fleet, flying her American flag, and in answer to her own
guns there was returned another recognition of America as a nation.
Returning to Nantes, Paul Jones sent Dr. Franklin a joyous letter,
telling him about the honor paid the American flag for the first time by
another country.
The _Ranger_ was held in port following this until April 10, 1778. In
the interval her commander had the good fortune to be much in the
company of the Duc and Duchesse De Chartres and the charming
Mademoiselle Aimée De Telusson. The day previous to the date of sailing
of his vessel, the Duchesse paid him the compliment of giving a dinner
in his honor. At this many distinguished families were present, as well
as prominent army and navy officers. During the course of festivities,
the Madame graciously presented her popular guest with a richly-jewelled
watch which she said had belonged to her grandfather, Louis XIV.
Paul Jones bowed, and replied with fine gallantry: "May it please your
Royal Highness, if fortune should favor me at sea I will some day lay
an English frigate at your dainty feet!"
The next morning the _Ranger_ put out to sea again. With the salt spray
dashing in his nostrils, with every fiber of his adventure-loving soul
thrilling once more in expectation of a brush with the enemy, Paul Jones
forgot the tameness of politics and the foibles of social functions.
With gusto he took a brigantine in the Irish Sea on the 14th, and sank
her. Then proceeding into St. George's Channel he ran onto the _Lord
Chatham_, a British merchant ship bound from London to Dublin. This
vessel was valuable enough to keep as a prize, so the Scotch captain
manned her with a prize crew and had them take her to Brest.
Paul Jones now headed farther northward along the coast of England. In
his mind he was formulating an exceedingly daring plan, none less than a
sudden descent upon Whitehaven, the seaport he knew so well as a boy and
from which he had made his first voyage to America. If he could dash
into Whitehaven, destroy most of the immense shipping which was always
harbored there, and thereby effect an exchange of prisoners in Europe,
he thought the risk would well be worth while.
But when he arrived in the vicinity of his old headquarters, the winds
were so contrary to his purpose that he gave up the project for the time
being. For the next few days he cruised along the southern coast of
Scotland on the lookout for other enemy prizes. Nothing of great moment
occurred, and with better weather conditions than had previously
prevailed, he made up his mind again to try an attack on Whitehaven.
The hills were covered with snow when the _Ranger_ came within sight of
them. In the harbor of the town of some fifty thousand inhabitants were
collected almost three hundred merchant-ships and fishing-smacks. The
captain had carefully let down the portlids to conceal his guns, and
adopted whatever other means he could devise for concealing the nature
of his ship.
Paul Jones determined to wait for night to perform his operations. He
would need the screen of darkness. When that hour had come he ordered
every man mustered on deck. Then he announced his plan to them and
finished by saying tersely: "I call for thirty volunteers to assist me
in this task of reprisal for the numerous burnings the British have put
upon us in America. No man need engage in this enterprise unless he
wishes to. But those who share with me its dangers shall also share with
me its glories."
It seemed as if every man on deck shouted, "Aye, sir!" As might be
expected Wannashego, the young Narragansett, was among the first.
Paul Jones smiled with satisfaction. "With so many volunteers I see I
shall have to choose my thirty men from among you. The strongest and
most active are the ones I want."
He then proceeded to make his selections. When he was done he noticed
that he had forgotten the faithful Indian youth. "I shall make it
thirty-one, on second thought," he said promptly, and at once called
upon the happy Wannashego to step forth with the other volunteers.
It was a little after midnight when, with his men in two boats, Paul
Jones left the _Ranger_. It was so far in to the piers that it was
almost dawn when they finally arrived at one of the outer ones. All
haste must be made or the light of the approaching day would disclose
their movements and prevent their success.
Paul Jones ordered one boat, under the direction of Mr. Hill and
Lieutenant Wallingford, to proceed on the north side of the harbor and
set fire to the shipping there, while with the second party the
commander went to the other side, to perform a similar work.
Two grim-looking forts rose up in the darkness, one facing each section
of harbor. In order to render the guns in these harmless, Paul Jones and
Wannashego were now set ashore, and while they began stealthily and
swiftly to approach the first forts, their crew started off to set fire
to the shipping on the south.
The Scotch captain and young Indian had a very delicate task facing
them. Before they could spike the cannon the sentinels must be secured.
Stealing along in the shadows of the great walls of the first fort, they
discovered that all of the guardsmen were unsuspiciously enjoying a game
of cards in the guard-house itself. As quick as lightning Paul Jones
and Wannashego sprang forward and barred the door, making the men
prisoners. Then, without loss of time, the two Americans began scaling
the walls of the fort. When the cannon here had been successfully
spiked, they hurried to the second fort, a quarter of a mile distant,
and in the same manner confined the sentinels there and spiked the guns.
This was surely a daring exploit for two to perform, when the alarm
might be sounded any moment and the whole town swoop down upon them.
After the task had been performed, Paul Jones naturally expected to see
the fires which his parties were to start. To his great disappointment
no welcome flare showed itself in either direction. In the dim light of
early dawn--that alarming dawn, so little desired--the captain hurried
forward, only to discover that the party under Mr. Hill and Mr.
Wallingford were in considerable confusion. The fires they had ignited
had refused to burn, and their candles had gone out as well. It was the
same situation with the other party; their candles also had gone out,
and there seemed no way to relight them.
Although the day was coming on apace and danger of discovery grew with
it, the dauntless Scotch commander would not give up his project until
every expedient had been exhausted. Placing sentinels to guard against a
surprise, he sent Wannashego and a few men to the nearest house. The
inmates were forced to deliver lights for the candles. With the aid of
these a fire was soon started in the steerage of a large ship, which was
in the midst of a hundred or more others. To make sure that this blaze
would not burn out, a barrel of tar was placed upon it. In a short time
flames were springing up out of all hatchways in the vessel.
Now the inhabitants of the town began to appear in hundreds. Individuals
ran angrily toward the burning ship, bent on extinguishing the flames
before they should communicate to the adjoining vessels.
"They must not be permitted to put out this fire now or our plans are
ruined completely!" cried Paul Jones. With the words he sprang between
the ship and the foremost of those running up, drew two pistols from his
belt, and leveled them at the angry faces.
"One step nearer and some of you will be dead men!" cried the Scotch
captain. "Back with you as fast as you came, else by the eternal day and
night you shall feel this lead!"
"Why, it's Paul Jones!" called somebody in the throng, who recognized
him.
Instantly the crowd fell back in fright. Not a man among them but who
had heard of the things this daredevil had already done to the ships of
their countrymen.
Paul Jones smiled grimly, as the people continued to retreat before his
menacing pistols. Nor did he once leave his post until the ship back of
him was a mass of flames and the whole shipping in the neighborhood
hopelessly afire from it. Then he stepped coolly down into one of his
boats, which had been brought up, and in company with the other, without
the loss of a single man, he went back to the _Ranger_.
If the attempt had been made an hour earlier it is impossible to
estimate the damage the Americans might have done, but dawn saved the
town of Whitehaven, also half of the shipping. Paul Jones was
disappointed because his plans had in a measure miscarried. But he had
accomplished much for his country just the same. The excitement along
the coast was intense. Every English port, nervous and trembling, was on
the watch for the bold invader. No Englishman felt safe so long as Paul
Jones roamed the sea at will. Much less did British captains feel
secure.
XI
OUTWITTING THE "DRAKE"
As the _Ranger_ once more spread her sails and stood out to sea, Paul
Jones turned to his first-lieutenant and said: