John Paul Jones to the American Commissioners
ALS: American Philosophical Society; AL: National Archives, United
States Naval Academy Museum
<Brest, May 27, 1778: Here is the promised account of my late
expedition. I sailed from here on April 10; after the 14th I took
a series of prizes, and bad weather frustrated me in a number
of projected attacks. On the morning of the 23rd I landed at
Whitehaven and burned shipping; if we could have arrived earlier
we should have destroyed the town, but we did show the
enemy that what they have done in America can happen to
them. We then landed on St. Mary’s Isle, for reasons explained
in the enclosed. On the evening of the 24th I engaged the
Drake, and after a brisk fight captured her; we returned by the
north of Ireland. On May 5, off Ushant with the Drake in tow,
I cast her loose to chase a ship that turned out to be Swedish;
by then the Drake was almost out of sight. The next day I rejoined
her, and put Lieutenant Simpson under arrest for disobeying
my orders, which are enclosed.
M. Bersolle tells me that my bill has not been paid, and that
he will not refit the ship or even supply provisions. Do continental
warships depend on the sale of prizes for feeding their
men? Have I deserved this treatment?>
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