Show OCR
1t^ , Paul Jones, Founder of the AmericanNavy.Augustus C. Buell has written a much-needed biography in two volumes, of “Paul Jones, Founder of the American •Navy/' whlrh fills a vacant place In American historical literature. Therehave been many works about Paul Jones, and probably few American sailor* have been po written about, but there has never before been a life of the first American admiral which wap at all adequate. Mr. Buell has had command of a wealth of material, has digested it thoroughly and has done hip work extremely well, making a book which should appeal to every American. Paul Jonep was unquestionably not only the greatest American sailor, but he was one of the greatest navaicommanders In ail history-. As most Americans know, his name was originally John Paul, and he was born In Scotland. The name Jones was added to his patronymic at the request of an elderly relative, who made him hip heir on condition of this change of name.9 How he came to America,- how he faredhere, and how he came to take an Interest in the sea, are all minutely described. Early in the work the author gives us a view of him when In command of theProvidence, a small sloop of war, whichwras his first Independent command. The career of Jones was checkered; throughout all his life he was beset by difficulties and vexations. No doubt much ofhis bitterness against the British was due to the looting of his plantation during the war, which, when he heard of It, made him write: It now appearsthat I have no fortune left but my sword, and no prnenect except that of going alongside of the enemy/*As soon as Paul Jones became Identifiedwith the American navy he is found protesting strenuously against the plan which was even then making itself feltof allowing political Influence to have weight in the appointment of naval ofitcvrs. In writing about the career of Paul Jones, one has to write simultaneouslyabout the building of the first American navy, and it Is a curious fact that theadoption of the present design of the United States flag and the appointment of Capt, Paul Jones to the ship Rangeroccurred on the same day-June 14, 1777.Jones accepted this as an omen, and usedM| to Bay of himself and the flag, We can t be boarded in life or in death. So longas we can float we shall float together.If we must sink, we shall go down as one.,rIt has been thought that Paul JonesIs what is known at sea an a “hard captain/’ yet, there is testimony showr-Ing that Jones time and again said that he had no use for flogging on board hisship. In two of his ships—the Providenceand the Ranger—he threw the eat-o’-nine-tails overboard the first day out. Once, when he consented to have a man flogged for not keeping a good lookout,he said: I have no use for the cat.Whenever a sailor of mine gets \ic1ous,beyond my discipline or control, the-cheapest thing in the long run Is tokill him right away. If you do that thaothers will understand it. But if youtrice him up and flog him, the other bad fellows in the ship will sympathize withhim and hate you/'One of his sailors reports that one Sunday when the Ranger was off the west coast of Ireland, one of the boats hadbeen lost through lack of discipline; headdressed his crew upon the matter oi discipline, and said then: “I tell you, mymen, puce forf all, that when I become convinced that a sailor of mine must bekilled, I will not leave It to be done by the boatswain s mate and the slow torture of the lash, but I will do It myself -and so O— d— quick that it will make your head swim I This trait in the character of Paul Jones Is especially significant. considering that flogging was the usual punishment at this time In the .English and American navies.Of course, in this biography accounts of Paul Jones's famous battles can notbe left out, and the story of the famous battle of the Bonhomme Richard andthe SerapU is given from Paul Jones's own Journal. It will be remembered, of course, that Jones, in the Bonhomme Richard, fought the Serapis so long and with so much ferocity that when theEnglish vessel finally struck, it waa found that the Bonhomme Richard was■Inking, and the victorious commanderand his American crew had to take refuge on the captured vessel. In his journal, Paul Jones describes the last appearance of the Bonhomme Richard in words that show h© could write aawelt as fight:No one was now' left aboard the Richard but our dead. To them I gave the good old ship for their coffin, and In her they found a sublime sepulcher. She rolled heavily In the long swell, her gun-deck awash to the port sills, settled slowly by the head, and sank peacefullyin about forty fathoms. The ensign gaff, shot away in action, had been fished and put in place soon after firing ceased, and our torn and tattered flag was leftflying when Wf abandoned her. As ene plunged down by the head at last, her taffrail momentarily rose in the air, so the very last vestige mortal eyes ever saw of the Bonhomme Richard was the defiant waving of her unconquered and unstricken flag as she went down. And, as I had given them the good old ship for their selpulcher. I now bequeathed to my Immortal dead the flag fhey had st) desperately defended for their winding sht^t.”Much of the last part of the first volume and the first half of the second Is devoted to the troubles betwreen Commander Paul Jones and Arthur Lee, whose connection with our minister In France is regarded as the history ofdiplomatic correspondence as rather morenotorious than savory. When Leo returned to America he set about poisoning public opinion against Paul Jones and seems to have succeeded to some extent. The story of Jones’s connection with the navy of France and his servicesas admiral In the Russian field is very fully told and fortified in many placesby extracts from letters and journals [ ( written by Paul Jones. Perhaps there lar I hardly a more fascinating subject # r biography in all American history* than Paul Jones; itt any rate It is hard to conceive of a work more interesting or more stimulating to patriotism than this biography by Mr. Bueli. It is written ina bright, readable. Intelligent style, la Illustrated with many pictures and dia-
Your clip comment has been saved and pending for approval before it displayed.