Note 19 — FOREWORD

From Cooper's "Life of Richard Dale" we learn that after his return to the United States in the Ariel Jones was anxious to take him with him to the ship America, to which Jones had been appointed, but Dale declined the service and was employed on the Trumbull, which was captured by an English fleet, and for the fourth time Dale was made prisoner, but was exchanged in November, 1781. No new service in the regular navy offering, Dale obtained a furlough and joined a large letter-of-marque called the Queen of France, that carried twelve guns, as her first officer. Soon after he was appointed to the command of her and, in company with several other letters-of-marque, sailed for France, making many captures by the way. Dale's ship, however, parted from the fleet, and, falling in with an English privateer of fourteen guns, a severe engagement followed, in which both parties were much cut up, and they parted by mutual consent.[19]