D RESS S W O R D
P
RESE N T E D
BY L
OU I S
X VI
TO
J
OH N
P AU L
J
O N ES
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T H E S W O RD
P R ES E N T E D B Y LO U I S X V I
TO
P
L
HN
A
U
O
J
N
E
O
S
J
A H i sto ry
B
C h a rl e s H en ry l l a rt
z
Re a d before
N u m is m a t i c
an
t he
d Antiqu arian S oc ie ty
o
f P hi l a d elph i a
A pril l 8 I 9O7
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W ith
a
d e scripti o n of th e S w ord
By
C o rne li us S teve nso n E sq
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D E S C R I PT I O N O % J O H N PAU L J O N E S
B y C OR N E L I U S S T E V E N SO N
—T o the
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A n ti qu aria n S oc i ety o f Philadelph ia
w e ac k n o w ledge ou r i n debte d n es s fo r the us e o f the p late o f the Pau l J o n es
s wo rd % to M r Ri chard D al e fo r h is pe r m iss i o n to pub li sh i t an d to M r
C o r n e liu s Ste v e n s o n fo r th e right to rep ri n t fro m the Pro ce edi n gs o f th e
S oc iety h i s descriptio n o f the s w or d %
%N OT E
N u m is m atic
E S%
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S W ORD
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Thi s h istorical rel i c i s a fine specim en of des igning chasing
and the s w o r d s m i t h s c raft and the co rrect pro portions and care
ful cons i de ration s to every detai l wh ich it d ispla y s are particularl y
worthy o f attention
The h ilt i s o f gol d chased o v e r w ith figu res an d fl o ral decora
t ions Th e blade i s fou r s id ed tap ers to a point an d i s 3 3 %
inch es in l engt h I t is blued fo r I I inches fro m th e hilt an d on
o n e s ide o f th e r ec a s s o i s i n scribed the words in gol d %
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VI
N D I C A TO R MA RI S
L U DO VI C U S X VI
RE
MU N
E R A T OR
S T REN U O
L ouis X V I
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V I C T OR
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rewa rde r o f the val iant ass erter of the freedom
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of
the sea
O n th e oth er si de i s lightly engraved a motto wh ich has b e
co m e obl iterated by time B elow the r ec a s s o inlaid in gol d i s
the sun and th ree fl ew d e %is su rmounted by a crown an d th e
mo t to
V ive 1 e R oy
O n e s i de o f th e grip i s ad orn ed w ith a medal lion o f M a rs and
o n the revers e anoth er o f H ercul es w ith a club and f est o ons an d
ribbo n s h eld i n t h e m ou th o f a mythological an imal B elow i s a
standa rd o f fl ags
Th e pomm el i s mad e up o f two d es igns O ne thre e fl em d e l i s %
the other a figu re o f N eptune w ith hi s t rident
Th e upper su rface o f th e gua rd pl ate is o rnamented on both
s ides % on on e side a m edall ion o f M inerva o n the oth er that o f
Ma rs and on th e lower su r face a s im ilar m edall ion o f M in erva
and fl ew d e l i s
Th e pa s d an e an d guard are beauti fully chas ed with fl o ral
d esig n s and terminate i n dolph ins heads
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S W O R D P R E S E N T E D B Y L OU I S XV I
TH E
PA U L J O N E S
TO
J OH N
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A T R U E H I ST OR Y
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B y C H A R L ES H EN RY H A R T
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Towa rd th e clos e of 1 779 the whol e civili z ed world was
startl ed b y what was then and has s in ce remained the most
marvel lou s naval b attl e on record th e fight between th e B on
h om m e R i c h ar d an d th e S er api s when th e in fant navy o f th e
U nited S tates won the ci rcl et sh e has n eve r ceased to w ea r
The
following sp ring th e victo r John Paul Jones vi sited Paris wh ere
h e wa s acclaime d th e he ro and hono rs were showered upon h im
th e greatest o f which were as h e has h im s el f recorded
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H o n ou rs —b y
T h e O rde r
o f M i l itary M e rit
L ou is
XV I
a gol d S w or d
an d
J un e
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2 8,
Th i s s wo rd p resented by the % ing o f % rance t o Pau l Jon es
was exh ibited at th e m eeting o f this society h el d on th e 6 th o f
Ap ril 1 9 0 5 an d i n th e publ ish ed p roceedings O f th e society
fo r the years 1 9 04 1 9 0 5 an d 1 9 0 6 %
u st i ssu ed th ere app ears at
page 4 1 an ill ust ration o f th e swo rd accompanied by a note
wh ich repeats th e gla ring erro rs rega rding th e inheritan ce o f th e
swo rd that h ave been repeated so O ften a s at last to have b e
com e in the m i n ds o f m any th e tru e h istory The note says %
B y re qu est M r R icha rd Dal e exh ibited th e sword p resented
by L oui s X V I to John Paul Jones
wh ich at h is death
R
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to
h
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ch
ief
O
ficer
ich ard Dal e in whose famil y
as
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b
w
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p
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i t h as s ince rem ain ed
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Rea d b e fo re the N u m is m at ic a n d A n ti qu ari a n S oci ety o f Philadelphia
Ap ril I 8 1 907
S a n ds L i fe a n d C orrespo n d e n ce o f J oh n Paul J o n es N ew Y o rk
1 83 0 p 5 48
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S W O RD P RESEN T E D
BY
L O U I S XV I
J O H N P A U L J O N ES
To
71 3
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Then follows an interesting expert description o f th e handl e
an d blade concl uding with A C B u el l s ad roit invention to get
a round Jones s will wh en he foun d that instrum ent di d not c o n
tain a be quest o f the s word to Dal e v i z %
Paul Jon es whil e making hi s will or a l l y b eque a t h ed this
sword to R ichard Dal e th rough th e hands o f G ouverneu r M or ri s
Jon es s word s
w h o delive red i t t o Dal e at the first Opportunity
I give thi s sword to R ichard Dal e my goo d
o f be quest were
ol d Dick—b ecau s e h e di d mo re than any othe r to h elp m e
w in it
Thi s enti re sto ry l ike almost everything in B uell s H i s t or y
i s a pu re fab rication cut o u t O f the whol e cloth an d a m ore i m pu
d ent l iterary f orge ry wa s never committed than th i s one which
B u ell emphasi z es by repeating th ree tim es in volum e two on
pages 4 3 1 9 an d 3 3 2
Th e t ru th i s Paul Jones died rather su d denly in Pa ris on th e
an d h is will was quickl y d rawn up by
1 792
1 8 th o f July
B y i t Jon es
G ouvern eu r Morri s an d executed th e s am e day
th e H onorable R obert M orris E s q o f
n amed hi s tru sted fri en d
Philadelph ia my on ly testam entar y executor % an d to M orris
a s execu to r und er th e wil l th e titl e to t h e sword woul d legall y
pass M o rri s evi dently di d n o t settle up Jones s estate excepting
a s to o n e item wh ich is the first in S che dul e o f th e Property o f
Adm i ral John Paul Jones as stated b y h i m to m e th i s 1 8 th day o f
July
an d s igned by G ouverneu r M o rris to wi t % B ank
s tock in th e B ank o f N orth Am erica at Philadelph ia s ix
thou san d dollars with sun d ry dividend s
L etters testam entary
w ere n ot taken out by Mo rri s for som e reason impossibl e to tel l
after thi s laps e o f tim e but on th e 8 t h o f Decemb er I 79 4 l etters
o f a dm inistration on th e estate o f Paul Jon es were granted to
M orris at Philadelphi a and a certified copy o f th e will in % rench
w ith a translation into E ngli sh was filed w ith it % an d in R obert
M orris L edger C fo 1 3 9 in h is accou nt w ith the H eirs o f
John Paul Jones t h e first en try i s
1 79 4
Dec 1 3 Paid f o r
t ranslation o f J P Jones W ill an d fo r taking o u t l etters o f A d
m ini stration
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Pau l Jo n es %o u n der o f th e A m er ica n N a v y—A H istory
B u ell N ew Y o r k 1 900 V ol I I p 4
She rbu r n e s L i fe o f Jo n es W ashi n gto n 1 825 p 3 5 1
H isto rical S ociety o f Pe n n syl v a n ia
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By Au gustu s
S W O RD P RESE N T E D
71 4
LOU IS X VI
BY
TO
O
N
P
O
N
ES
H
A
L
U
J
J
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A few months a fter Paul Jon es s d eath hi s si st e r Jane Taylor
repai red to Paris from S cotlan d and took p o ssess ion of all o f
h e r broth e r s p apers and pe rsonal e ffects wh ich S h e ca rried w ith
h er bac k to Dum f ri es %an d t h e now famou s sword th a t had been
p resented by H i s M o st Ch ri stian M a %
esty L ou i s X V I % in g of
% r ance to th e S cottish —
Ame rican sailor
wa s s ent by Jones s
hei rs to h i s valu e d friend R obert M orri s to whos e favo r h e had
owed hi s op po rtun ities for distinguish i n g h im sel f
The sword
w as t ransmitted to M o rris through th e h an d s of Thomas P i n c k
n ey the Am er i can M i niste r to G reat B ritain to whom M orri s
w rote M arch 1 8 1 79 5 in acknowl edgment %
I h ave in th e
first place to retu rn you thanks for taking the troubl e to fo rward
th e swo rd o f th e l ate Adm i ral Paul Jones wh ich came s afe to
han d an d I have p resented it to Commo d o re John B a rry the
senio r O ffi ce r o f th e p resent Am e rican n avy wh o wil l n eve r
d i sgrace i t
Although not mentione d in th is l etter to Pinckne y th e gi ft wa s
only fo r B arr y s l i fe in trust to d escen d in success ion to th e
sen ior O ffice r as M o rri s d esignat es B arr y in th e l etter to P i n ck
n ey o f the U nited S tates N avy fo r al l t ime s o that to d a y the
sword O f Jon es S hou ld b e in th e p os sess ion o f Admi ral G eo rge
D ewey
B ut B a rry di s rega rd ed th is p rovi sion an d be qu eath ed th e sword
un con d itionally to my good frien d Capt R i ch ard Dal e
who
two month s be fore th e date o f Ba rry s w ill had resign ed h i s
commi ssion in the navy and there fore S h ou ld ne v e r h ave received
the swo r d o f Jones wh i ch has re m ai n ed i n the Dal e family eve r
since
% rom thi s it w ill b e seen that Paul Jon es d i d n ot b equ ea t h t h e
fol
s w or d t o D a l e as the p ubl ication o f thi s soci et y says h e d id
lowing th e unt rustwo rthy B u ell eith er b y testament o r o rall y
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S o m eti m es cal led J a n et o r J ea n n ette
L i fe o f Pau l J o n e s By Al e % a n de r S li d ell Mack e n z i e U S N B os
V o l I I p 63 n
t o n 1 84 1
%S ee also letter o f J ea n n ette T aylo r to J % e n i
Ed %
m o re C oope r s upra p 683
L ibrary o f C o n gress W ash
P r i v a t e L etter B oo k o f Robert M or ris
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Re v ol u tio n ary Re m i n isce n ces co n n ected w i th the L i fe o f Robe rt Mo r
ris E s q By R ed w oo d %i she r G raha m s M aga z i n e J a n ua ry 1 85 4 V ol
XL I V p 1 7
Phila 1 9 03 p 4 1 2
G r i ffin s L i fe o f J oh n B a rry
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S W O RD P RESEN T E D
BY
L OU I S X V I
TO
J O H N P A U L J O N ES
more than h e p resented it to B arr y as claim ed
b iograph e r
a ny
,
71 5
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by
B arry s
u
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r ec ei v ed
D al e
R
M or r i s
o b er t
,
th e
to
s w or d
fr o m
wh om i t was
B
ar r y ,
s en t
wh o h ad
by t h e h ei r s
r e c ei v ed
f P aul
o
J
it
fr om
on es
.
The de t ailed an d exact s to r y o f the dispos ition o f the sword
p resente d by L oui s X V I to Joh n Paul Jones as h ere given has
a s far as I can fin d n ever be fo re b een tol d and it is t oo impo rtant
t o be lo st although the general facts have been known to man y
s t u de n ts O f h i sto ry
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Ma rti n I J
1 9 05 pp 2 1 6 a n d
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G r i fii n i n
3 83
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A m e rica n
C athol ic H isto rical
Res ea rches fo r
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