Page 18 - NERA1_Mariner-Winter-23-24

TWO FORGOTTEN ACCOUNTS, continued from page 17

within random shot, and perceiving our force lay to for with the musquetry on both sides. We then fell off from
the other vessels. … About half past seven, their ships him, and up close alongside, his yardarms just touching
being all near us, the largest, Paul Jones’s ship, bore close and short ahead; but as he passed, there was bloody work
to us, and hoisted American colours; but it being so dark, on both sides; as we were [so close he attempted to run his
we thought them St. George’s. … Our captain, to be cer- ship into our] bow; and so very near effecting it, that he
tain, hailed her. … We hailed again and told him, if he carried away our jib-boom.
did not tell us from whence he came we would fire into
him (at this time we were very close, within half pistol Our best men (the boatswain and one midshipman
shot, but being so dark could not distinguish his colours); including with them) kept up an incessant fire on Jones’s
immediately we saw the flash of one of his lower-deckers; ship, whose bow touched ours; their forecastle men being
all killed, wounded, or deserted from their guns, we had
the play in our own hands for more than 15 minutes, till
at last poor fellows, but fine fellows, they were all killed,
except one man, 13 in number. As soon as the ships
cleared forward, we shot close alongside each other, the
ships touching all the way; and as fast as we, or they, could
bring guns to bear we fired and had every advantage we
could wish.

I must tell you, when Jones carried away our jib-boom for
fear we should get too far off, he took a turn with our jib-
stay round his mizzenmast. Their ships being a number
of feet higher than ours, and three of their lower-deck-
ers bursting, and the rest silenced, their upper deck guns
just raked our boats, booms, &c., the men on our upper-
deck guns (being most part killed and wounded by the
hand-grenades and musquetry from their tops which
were lined with people) did but little execution, two or
three excepted, which kept up a constant fire on her stern
post and rudder; our lower-deckers playing through and
Kelly Oaks through, every shot taking between wind and water on
the upper side, and the two foremost eighteens, with the
by that flash I saw he was an American, the first I ever saw. two foremost nine-pounders, knocked her stern post, rud-
der and transom entirely away, and the wads, sticking in
No sooner was the flash from his gun, but we gave him a her side, set her on fire in many places.
broadside instantaneously, and he as soon. He was so close
that every shot told; only a few yards distance; no time to Her upper-deck guns being close to our barricado of ham-
be lost; we hauled the dead and wounded from the guns mocks, &c, set them all on fire, they communicated to
and fired as fast as we could load for some time. our shrouds, so that both ships at times were on fire fore
and aft, and it was enough to do to extinguish it, as they
We at this time were laying to; but perceiving Jones’s played on us from their tops as we hove in sight. We lost
intention was to lay us on board our bow, the guns being many bold fellows by it. Our first lieutenant I saw fired
all loaded at this time, we filled on our ship, clapped the at from all parts of Jones’s ship as he was putting the fire
helm hard a-port, and threw him with his bow on our out in the main shrouds; not one shot hurt him; they shot
beam, and raked him fore and aft a long time. every part of his clothes, cap &c.

He then dropt on our quarter; our great guns not being About three quarters of an hour before we struck, the fire
able to bear upon him, there was great execution done from one of their guns came in at one of our lower deck

18 The Mariner • 2023/2024 WINTER Edition • Volume 66 • Issue 3