/ 5STH Congress. ( HOUSP: OF KEFltE8P:XTATIVES. \ Document 3d Session. \ i No. 340. SEARCHING FOR REMAINS OF ADMIRAL JOHN PAUL JONES, ETC. MESSAGE FROM THK PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES, RECOMMENDING AN APPROPRIATION BY CONGRESS TO BE EXPENDED IN SEARCH- ING FOR THE REMAINS OF ADMIRAL JOHN PAUL JONES IN PARIS, FRANCE, AND TRANSMITTING THE REPORT OF AMBAS- SADOR PORTER ON THE SUBJECT, AND ALSO URGING THAT PROVISION BE MADE FOR THE ERECTION OF MONUMENTS TO THE MEMORIES OF JOHN PAUL JONES AND JOHN BARRY. February 15, 1905. — Referred to the Committee on the Li])rary and ordered to be printed. To t/tr Sendti' and House of Representatives: For a number of year.s efforts have been made to contiiin the his- torical statement that the remain.s of Admiral Jolin Paul Jones were interred in a certain piece of around in the city of Paris then owned by the Government and used at the time as a l)urial place for foreig'n Protestants. These efforts have at last resulted in documentary proof that John Paul Jones was buried on July 20, 17^2, between 8 and 9 o'clock, p. m.. in the now abandoned cemetery of St. Louis, in the northeastern section of Paris. About 500 bodies were interred there, and the body of the Admiral was pi'obably among- the last hundred buried. It was incased in a leaden coffin, calcidated to withstand the ravages of time. The cemetery was about 2lO feet long by I'iO feet wide. Since its disuse as a burial place the soil has been fflled to a level and covered almost completely by liuildings, most of them of an inferior class. The American ambas.sador in Paris, being- satisfied that it is practi- cal to discover and identify the remains of John Paul Jones, has, after prolonged negotiations with the present holders of the property and the tenants thereof, secured from them options in writing which give him the right to dig in all parts of the property during a period of three months for the purpose of making the necessary excavations and 2 SEARCHING FOR REMAINS OF JOHN PAUL JONES, ETC, searches, upon condition of a stated compensation for tlie damage and annoyance caused by the work. The actual search is to be conducted by the chief enoiueer of the numicipal department of Paris having- charge of sul)terranean works at a cost which has been carefully estimated. The aml)assador gives the entire cost of the work, includ- ing the options, compensation, cost of excavating, and caring for the i-emains as not exceeding 180.000 francs, or -135,000, on the supposi- tion that the body ma}- not be found until the whole area has been searched. If earlier discovered the expense would be proportionately less. The great interest which our people feel in the story of Paul Jones's life, the national sense of gratitude for the great service done by him toward the achievement of independence, and the sentiment of mingled distress and regret felt because the body of one of our greatest heroes lies, forgotten, and unmarked in foreign soil lead me to approve the ambassador's suggestion that Congress should take advantage of this unexpected opportunity to do proper honor to the memory of Paul' Jones, and appropriate the sum of $35,000, or so much thereof as may be necessarv, for the purposes above described, to be expended under the direction of the Secretary of State. The report of Amijassador Porter, with the plans and photograph of the property, is annexed hereto. In addition to the foregoing- recommendation I urge that Congress emphasize the value set by our people upon the achievements of the naval commanders in our war of independence by providing for the erection of appropriate monuments to the memory of two, at least, of those who now lie in undistinguished graves, John Paul Jones and John Barry. These two men hold unique positions in the histor}^ of the birth of our Navy. Their services were of the highest moment to the young Kepulilic in the days when it remained to be determined whether or not she should win out in her struggle for independence. It is eminently titting that these services should now be commemorated in suital)le manner. Theodore Roosevelt. The White House, FSruanj Li, 190-j. No. 13SJ:.] American Embassy, Paris, January 24", 1905. Sir: Referring to mv last report, dated October 20, 1903, concern- ing- the search for the 'grave of John Paul Jones, I have the honor to communicate that since then I have continued uninterruptedly the investigations and negotiations with the property holders and am now able to report the final and satisfactory result of my eflorts, which have extended over live vears. The additional evidence which I have succeeded in procuring since that report fuUv substantiates the following facts: John Paul Jones was certainly buried on July 20, 1792, l)etween_8 and 9 o'clock p. m., in the now abandoned cemetery of St. Louis, in the northeast section of Paris, property then owned by the Govern- ment and used at that time as a l)urial place for foreign Protestants. The land is about 2lo feet long by 129 feet wide. SEARCHING FOR REMAIN!^ OF JOHN I'AUL JONES, ETC. 3 It has been leveled up l>y a tilling of earth and is now covered com- pletely by ))uildinus, most of them of an inferior class. When over- tures were tirst made by me to tiie proprietor and tenants, \yith a view of making- extensive excavations for the purpose of searching for the o-rave of Admiral Jones, their demands were ^c exorbitant that it seemed that it might be better to purchase the whole property and sell it after the examination of the graves had l)een made. There were so many objections, however, to such a procedure, and the cost would have been so great and so problematical, that I deemed it necessary to appear to abandon the whole project for a time and let the excitement die out before again attempting to deal with the landowners. To-day, after long and tedious negotiations occupying more than a year, and in the course of which it was necessary to treat with the propi'ietors and numerous tenants, I have secured options in writing from them which give me the right to dig in all ]jarts of the property during a period of three months, for the purpose of making the nec- essary excavations and searches, upon condition that they are to receive, as compensation for the annoyance caused by the work, vari- ous sums, of which the total amount is 25,(»0(» francs (|-J:,85U), and an agreement to replace the earth and restore the property to its present condition. The Government department of " Les Carrieres," which has charge of all the underground excavations and searches conducted in Paris, has, at my solicitation, been authorized by the prefect of the Seine to perform the work upon being reimbursed for the expense incurred, and the experienced chief engineer of that department has made an estimate of the cost and places it at l^jO.OOO francs ($25,300) as a maxinuuu; that is, supposing that the body should be found only at the last stroke of the pick. A contingent sum of 10,000 francs (|l,9-iO) should be provided f cover damages to buildings and individuals that might be accidentally injured; a further amount of 5,000 francs (1^970) for the purpose of procuring a suitable casket, renting a receiving vault, and caring for the remains while awaiting transportation, and 10,000 francs ($1,91:0) for fees of architect superintending the work. This would require a maximum appropriation of 180,000 francs (|35,0<»O) .so much of which to be expended as may be necessar\' to secure the body. There were about 500 bodies buried in this cemetery. Admiral Jones, according to the best calculations I can make, was among the last 100 interred, so that his body in all proba))ility lies near one or the other extremity of the cemetery, according to whether the interments began near the entrance' or at the farther end. As the search would begin at the opposite extremities the chances are that the body would be found without having to run the excavations under the entire property, and that the expense would be reduced accordingly. The proofs that 1 have collected to enable me to form a judgment as to the advisability of undertaking a systematic search in this cemetery are too voluminous to trouble you with them. I will give you the result of my convic- tions based upon a long and careful study of all the circumstances. First. There is authentic documentary evidence that John Paul Jones was buried in Paris, and was not buried in any other cemetery, and convincing proof that he was buried in the St. Louis cemetery. Second. There is positive documentary proof that he was buried in a leaden coffin. An authentic letter written to his eldest sister, Mrs. 4 SEARCHING FOR REMAINS OF JOHN PAUL JONES, ETC. Janet Taylor, of Scotland, by Col. Sanniol Blackden, his nearest friend and a witness of his will, says: His body was put into a leaden oottin on the 20th July, 1792, that in case the United States, which he had so essentially served and with so much honoi', should claim his remains they might be more easily removed. There is nothing- in the character of the soil, in the judgment of scientists, that could lead to the belief that the lead has deteriorated and ceased to protect the body. Third. While the bodies have been removed from some of the aban- doned cemeteries within the city limits, there is no record or indica- tion of any removals from this one except the dig-o-ing- up of some human ])ones in excavating for a boiler pit and for a small drain, and the removal of the body of an Englishwoman to England in 1803 that had been buried in a leaden coffin. There is. therefore, every prob- ability that Admiral Jones's remains lie undisturbed to-day in this abandoned cemetery. Fourth. As to the identihcation of his body, the foreign Protestants buried in this cemetery being of a poor class, including many soldiers of the Swiss Guard, whose friends could not afford the considerable expense of leaden coffins, it is highly pro))ahle that there are not a dozen such coffins there. It is altogethei' likely that those providing coffins of this expensive kind would spend a few francs more affixing- a plate bearing the name of the deceased, particularly in the case of Admiral Jones, whose body it was supposed would be taken some da}'' to the United States. If the name is not on the coffin, the identifica- tion might be verified by its location in the cemetery among- the last buried there, by the measurement of the body, Paul Jones being- described in Anecdotes of the Court of Louis XVI as "" o feet 7 inches high, slender in build, exquisitely symmetrical in form, with noticeable perfect development of limbs,'"' the chance that some of the bodies in the few other leaden coffins might be those of women or children and could be excluded, or by some token in the casket, as in those days some keep- sake was often placed with the remains in the coffin. I have found a complete list of his uniforms, swords, and decorations, which were disposed of after his death, according- to the provisions of his will, so that he was not buried in a uniform, and no sword or decoration was placed in the coffin. It is humiliating to the American pride to know that the father of the American Navv has lain in an obscure and squalid quarter of this city for more than a century; that the ground above his grave has been desecrated by its use for niarket £«-ardening, the Inirying of dogs, and used by contra(>tors for emptying cesspools, and that this heroic com- mander was interred l)y charity. I hnd from official records that when his death was solemnlv announced in the French General Assciiibly and when that bodv appointed a large deputation to attend his funeral and adjourned out of respect to his memory a statement was made by a deputy that there were no funds for providing- for his funeral. Then it was'that a noble and generous man. M. Pierre Francois Simonneau, a commissarv of the King and commissary of police of that quarter of Paris, proposed to pav the expense out of "his own pocket, which he did. I recently discovered, where I least expected to find it, the original l)ill, the amount being 462 francs— about $92. sp:ar("Hing for kkmains of .tohn tail .ionks, ktc. 5 Now that the exteiisivo pi-eliiniiuirv researches have been tiiii.shed and a very favorable option obtained to enter upon the premises and make the necessary excavations, it seems the proper time to mai^e an eti'ort to secure the remains of this illustrious commander and to inter theiu with becoming honors in the country upon whose history he shed such luster. 1 am convinced that if this opportunity be lost there will never again be so fortunate a combination of circumstances favoring- the procuring of the body. While the pro])rietor and ten- ants will not name in writing a definite period during which the right to begin the work shall coiitiiuie in force, yet 1 feel that I can hold them to it till after the present session of Congress to await an appropriation. After that time there will be changes no doubt among the smaller tenants, and the negotiations would have to l)e undertaken anew with much less chance of success. It will be necessary to act (piickly in order to finish the work before the approach of warm weather, as there is objection here to turning up cemetery earth at that season for fear of creating sickness. Although I had located and verified the place of burial long before this, I could not recommend an appropaiation for securing the body until I could obtain a definite and economical agreement, giving the right to make all the necessary excavations. I now feel justified in reconuuending an appeal to Congress for an early maxinuim of appro- priation of §35,(100 for the purpose herein named, upon condition that proper vouchers, duly receipted, be furnished for such portion of this sum as it may be found necessary to expend. The small expenses incurred in pursuing the searches up to this time are not included in the above estimate, as these have been borne personally. Even if the whole of the collected evidence should prove deceptive and for some unaccountalde reason the body after all should not l)e found, it seems to me that it would be well worth this small expenditure and all the trouble taken to settle once and forever the question of the possibility of discovering this historic grave. In this connection I wish to express my deep appreciation of the vahiable aid rendered in this work by the able second secretary of this embass}^, Col. A. Bailly-Blanchard, who has been associated with me from the start in making the elaborate researches required to bring- about the present result. ^ Let me, in conclusion, place on record my sense of gratitude to the French authorities who, from the highest official to the humblest sul)ordinate, have manifested the deepest interest in the subject and have given me all possible facilities and assistance. I have the honor to be, sir, your obedient servant, Horace Porter. Hon. John Hay, Secrt'tary of SUde^ ^Yas]^n^l)^ I). C. RKCAPITULATION. Amount agreed upon as compensation to tfie proprietor and tenants for per- mission to excavate in the cemetery proper (15,000 francs ) $2, 910 In the courtyard, if necessary to search there ( 10,000 francs) 1, 940 ^laximum cost of the excavations throughout the entire cemetery and court- yard, replacing the earth, and restoring the property (130,000 francs) 25, 300 6 SEARCHING FOR REMAINS OF JOHN PAUL JONES, ETC. To cover possible damages to buildings and individuals accidentally injured ( 10,000 francs) _. ... $1, 940 Cost of casket, rental of receiving vault, and caring for remains while awaiting transportation ( o,000 francs ) 970 Fees to architect superintending the work (10,000 francs) 1, 940 Maximum appropriation required (180,000 francs ) 35, 000 IXCLOSl'RES. 1. Photograph of present appearance of property. 2. Plan of the property in 1792. 3. Plan of the property in 1905. SEARCHING FOR REMAINS OE JOHN PAUL JONES, ETC. Y O H Doc. 3^P_ 58 3