Nassau, like Landais, was "skilled in keeping out of harm's way," and
he did not personally get into action at any time. His services
consisted in the useless burning of the nine ships and the five
galleys, but he had a ready tongue, and he still enjoyed the full
favor and confidence of Patiomkine. As soon as the flotilla had
retired from the last conflict, he and Alexiano hastened to the army
headquarters to report their conquests and exploits. They lost nothing
in the telling. In accordance with Nassau's previous statement to
Jones, they were very much exaggerated, and the actions of the rear
admiral were accorded scant notice.
Patiomkine received the two cowards graciously, and, as usual,
forwarded their reports. Jones was not accustomed to this performance,
and in ignorance of their actions took no steps to establish the value
of his services beyond making a report of what he had done in the
usual way--a report quietly suppressed. Two days after Alexiano
returned on board the Wolodimer in the throes of a malignant fever, of
which he died on the 19th of July. It had been asserted that every
Greek in the squadron would immediately resign upon the death of
Alexiano, but nothing of the kind took place. The Greeks, like the
English and the Russians, remained contentedly under the command of
the rear admiral. On the day he died Catherine granted Alexiano a fine
estate in White Russia. At the same time Nassau received a valuable
estate with several thousand serfs in White Russia, and the military
order of St. George. The empress also directed him to hoist the flag
of a vice admiral when Otchakoff surrendered. Jones received the minor
order of St. Anne, an order with which he would have been perfectly
satisfied if the other officers had been awarded nothing more.
All the officers of the flotilla were promoted one step, and received
a year's pay with a gold-mounted sword. They were most of them
soldiers. The officers of the squadron, who were all sailors, and who
had conducted themselves gallantly and well, obtained no promotion,
received no pecuniary reward, and no mark of distinction was conferred
upon them. They were naturally indignant at being so slighted, but
when Jones promised them that he would demand justice for them at the
close of the campaign, they stifled their vexation and continued their
service.
It is evident that the failure to ascribe the victory to Jones was due
to Patiomkine, and his action in giving the credit to Nassau was
deliberate. Jones and Nassau had seriously disagreed. The scorn which
ability and courage feel for inefficiency and cowardice had not been
concealed by the admiral; he had been outspoken in his censure, and
not reserved in his strictures upon Nassau's conduct. He had treated
the ideas and suggestions of that foolish commander with the
indifference they merited, and had allowed no opportunity to pass of
exhibiting his contempt--which was natural, but impolitic.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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