d held
the tiller of the other boat. With muffled oars the Americans made for
the shore, the boats' keels grated upon the pebbly shore, and an
instant later the adventurers had scaled the ramparts of the forts,
and had made themselves masters of the garrisons. All was done
quietly. The guns in the fortifications were spiked; and, leaving the
few soldiers on guard gagged and bound, Jones and his followers
hastened down to the wharves to set fire to the shipping.

In the harbor were not less than two hundred and twenty vessels, large
and small. On the north side of the harbor, near the forts, were about
one hundred and fifty vessels. These Jones undertook to destroy. The
others were left to Lieut. Wallingford, with his boat's crew of
fifteen picked men.

When Jones and his followers reached the cluster of merchantmen, they
found their torches so far burned out as to be useless. Failure stared
them in the face then, when success was almost within their grasp.
Jones, however, was not to be balked of his prey. Running his boat
ashore, he hastened to a neighboring house, where he demanded candles.
With these he returned, led his men aboard a large ship from which the
crew fled, and deliberately built a fire in her hold. Lest the fire
should go out, he found a barrel of tar, and threw it upon the flames.
Then with the great ship roaring and crackling, and surrounded by
scores of other vessels in danger from the flames, Jones withdrew,
thinking his work complete.

Many writers have criticised Paul Jones for not having stayed longer
to complete the destruction of the vessels in the harbor. But, with
the gradually brightening day, his position, which was at the best
very dangerous, was becoming desperate. There were one hundred and
fifty vessels in that part of the harbor; the crews averaged ten men
to a vessel: so that nearly fifteen hundred men were opposed to the
plucky little band of Americans. The roar of the fire aroused the
people of the town, and they rushed in crowds to the wharf. In
describing the affair Jones writes, "The inhabitants began to appear
in thousands, and individuals ran hastily toward us. I stood between
them and the ship on fire, with my pistol in my hand, and ordered them
to stand, which they did with some precipitation. The sun was a full
hour's march above the horizon; and, as sleep no longer ruled the
world, it was time to retire. We re-embarked without opposition,
having released a number of pris