Everything about John Paul Jones totally explained
John Paul Jones (– ) was
America's first well-known
naval hero in the
American Revolutionary War.
John Paul Jones was born 'John Paul' in 1747, on the
estate of
Arbigland in the
Stewartry of Kirkcudbright on the southern coast of
Scotland. John Paul's father was a gardener at Arbigland, and his mother was a member of
Clan MacDuff.
John Paul
adopted the alias 'John Jones' when he fled to his brother's home in
Fredericksburg, Virginia in 1773 to avoid the hangman's noose in
Tobago after an incident when he was accused of murdering a sailor under his command, whom he claimed had been involved in a mutiny. He began using the name 'John Paul Jones', at the suggestion of his brother.
Although his naval career never saw him above the rank of Captain in the
Continental Navy after his victory over the
Serapis with the
frigate Bonhomme Richard, John Paul Jones remains the first genuine American Naval hero, as well as a highly regarded battle commander. His later service in the Russian Navy as an admiral showed the mark of genius that enabled him to defeat the
Serapis.
Jones simply wasn't as good a politician as he was a naval commander, in an era where politics determined promotion, both in America and abroad. Although he was originally buried in Paris, after spending his last years abroad, he was ultimately reinterred at the
United States Naval Academy, a fitting homecoming for the "Father of the American Navy".
During his engagement with
Serapis, Jones uttered, according to the later recollection of his First Lieutenant, the legendary reply to a quip about surrender from the British captain: "I have not yet begun to fight!"
Maritime Career
John Paul started his maritime career at the age of 13, sailing out of
Whitehaven in the northern English county of
Cumberland, as apprentice aboard the
Friendship. During his numerous journeys to
Fredericksburg,
Virginia aboard this ship, Jones was likely able to visit his brother who had settled in the area. For the next several years he sailed aboard a number of different British
merchant and
slaver ships, including the
King George in 1764 as
third mate, and the
Two Friends as
first mate in 1766.
After a short time in this business, Jones became disgusted with the cruelty in the slave trade; during the voyage, Paul abandoned his prestigious position on the profitable
Two Friends in 1768 while docked at
Jamaica. Jones found passage back to Scotland, and eventually he obtained another position. During his next voyage aboard the
brig John, which sailed from port in 1768, young John Paul’s career was quickly and unexpectedly advanced. When both the captain and a ranking mate suddenly died of
yellow fever, John Paul managed to successfully navigate the ship back to a safe port. In reward for this impressive feat, the vessel’s grateful Scottish owners made him master of the ship and its crew, giving him 10 percent of the cargo.
John Paul Jones then led two voyages to the
West Indies before running into difficulty. During his second voyage in 1770, John Paul viciously
flogged one of his sailors, leading to accusations of his discipline being "unnecessarily cruel". While these claims were initially dismissed, John Paul’s favorable reputation was destroyed when the disciplined sailor died a few weeks later. Sources disagree on whether he was arrested for his involvement in the man’s death, but the devastating effect on his reputation is indisputable. Years later, in a letter to Benjamin Franklin describing this incident, Jones claimed it was in self-defense, but because he wasn't to be tried in an Admiral's Court, he felt compelled to flee to
Fredericksburg,
Province of Virginia, leaving his fortune behind. In Fredericksburg, he took charge of his recently-deceased brother’s estate. At some point during this time, he appended Jones to his name, probably in an attempt to escape his troubled reputation.
In America
Sources struggle with this period of Jones' life, especially the specifics of his family situation, making it difficult to pinpoint historically accurate motivations. Whether his plans for the
plantation were not developing, or else he was inspired by a revolutionary spirit, is unknown.
What is clearly known is that Jones left for
Philadelphia shortly after settling in America to volunteer his services to the newly-founded
Continental Navy, which later became the
United States Navy. During this time, around 1775, the Navy and
Marines were being formally established, and suitable ship's officers and captains were in great demand. Were it not for the endorsement of
Richard Henry Lee who knew of his abilities, Jones' potential would likely have gone unrecognized. With help from influential members of the
Continental Congress, however, Jones was the first man to be assigned to the rank of
1st Lieutenant in the Continental Navy on
December 22 1775, on board the
Colbert.
Revolutionary War command
Early command
Jones’ first assignment was aboard the frigate
USS Alfred (30 guns, 300 men) sailing from the
Delaware River in February 1776 to attack British merchant vessels in
New Providence. The
Alfred was one of six vessels, the frigate herself commanded by
Commodore Esek Hopkins, the Navy’s Commander-in-Chief. It was aboard this vessel that Jones took the honor of hoisting the first
U.S. ensign over a naval vessel. (Note that Jones actually raised the
Grand Union Flag, not the later and more familiar
Stars and Stripes design.) After returning from this successful voyage in April 1776 aboard the
Alfred, Jones was assigned command on the
sloop Providence (12 guns, 70 men). Congress had recently ordered the construction of 13
frigates for the American Navy, one of which was to be commanded by Jones. In exchange for this prestigious command, Jones accepted his commission aboard the smaller
Providence. During this six week voyage, Jones captured sixteen prizes and created significant damage along the coast of
Nova Scotia. Jones’ next
command came as a result of Commodore Hopkins' orders to liberate hundreds of American prisoners forced to labor in coal mines in Nova Scotia and also to raid British shipping. On
November 1 1776, Jones set sail in command of
Alfred to carry out this mission. While the prisoners enlisted in the British service to end their imprisonment, the mission did result in the capture of the
Mellish, a vessel carrying a vital supply of winter clothing intended for
Burgoyne’s troops in
Canada. In his autobiography, Jones claims: "This unexpected relief contributed not insignificantly to the success of the army at the
Battle of Trenton (against the
Hessians) that occurred immediately after my arrival in
Boston."
Command of USS Ranger
Despite his successes at sea, upon arrival in Boston on
December 16 1776, Jones' disagreements with those in authority reached a new level. While in port, the accomplished commander began feuding with Commodore Hopkins, whom Jones believed was hindering his advancement and talking down his campaign plans. As a result of this and other frustrations, Jones was assigned the smaller command, the newly constructed
Ranger (18 gun
frigate), on
June 14 1777 (the same day the new Stars and Stripes flag was adopted).
After making the necessary preparations, Jones sailed for France on
November 1 1777, with orders to assist the American cause however possible. The American commissioners in France (
Benjamin Franklin,
John Adams, and
Arthur Lee) listened to Jones' strategic recommendations. They assured him the command of
L'Indien, a new vessel being constructed for America in
Amsterdam.
Britain, however, was able to divert the
L'Indien away from American hands, by exerting pressure to ensure its sale to France instead (who hadn't yet allied with America). Jones was again left without a command, an unpleasant reminder of his stagnation in Boston from late 1776 until early 1777. It is thought that it was during this time Jones developed his close friendship with Benjamin Franklin, whom he greatly admired. In 1778, he was accepted, together with Benjamin Franklin, into the Masonic Lodge "
Les Neuf Sœurs".
On
February 6 1778, France signed their
Treaty of Alliance with America, formally recognizing the independence of the new American republic. Eight days later, Captain Jones'
Ranger became the first American Navy vessel to be saluted by the French, with a nine gun
salvo fired from Admiral Piquet's
flagship. Jones wrote of the event: "I accepted his offer all the more for after all it was a recognition of our independence."
Finally, on
April 10 1778, Jones set sail from
Brest, France for the western coasts of Britain.
Ranger attacks Britain
After some early successes against British merchant shipping in the Irish Sea, on
April 17 1778, Jones convinced his crew to participate in an assault on
Whitehaven, the same town where his maritime career began. Jones was scathing in his later memoirs about the reluctance of his senior officers (having tactfully avoided such matters in his official report): "Their aim, they said, was gain not honor. They were poor: instead of encouraging the morale of the crew, they excited them to disobedience; they persuaded them that they'd the right to judge whether a measure that was proposed to them was good or not."
On
April 20 1778, Jones learned from captured sailors that the Royal Navy sloop-of-war
Drake was anchored off
Carrickfergus,
Ireland. According to the diary of
Ranger's surgeon, Jones' first intention was to attack the vessel in broad daylight, but his sailors were "unwilling to undertake it" (another incident omitted from the official report). Therefore, the attack took place just after midnight, but in the dark (or perhaps because, as Jones claimed in his memoirs, the man was drunk) the mate responsible for dropping the anchor to halt
Ranger right alongside
Drake misjudged the timing, so Jones had to cut his anchor cable and run.
Crossing the
Solway Firth from Whitehaven to Scotland, Jones hoped to hold for ransom the
Earl of Selkirk, who lived on St Mary's Isle near
Kirkcudbright. The Earl, Jones reasoned, could be exchanged for American sailors
impressed into the Royal Navy. When the Earl was discovered to be absent from his estate, Jones claims he intended to return directly to his ship and continue seeking prizes elsewhere, but his crew wished to "pillage, burn, and plunder all they could".
Even with the wealth of perspectives, including the commander's,, a merchant ship rebuilt and given to America by the French shipping magnate,
Jacques-Donatien Le Ray. On 14 August, as a vast French and Spanish
invasion fleet approached England, he provided a diversion by heading for Ireland at the head of a five ship squadron including the 36 gun
Alliance, 32 gun
Pallas, 12 gun
Vengeance, and
Le Cerf, also accompanied by two privateers. Several Royal Navy warships were sent towards Ireland in pursuit, but on this occasion, he continued right around the north of Scotland into the
North Sea, creating near-panic all along Britain's east coast as far south as the
Humber estuary. Jones's main problems, as on his previous voyage, resulted from insubordination, particularly by Pierre Landais, captain of the
Alliance . On
September 23 1779, the squadron met a large merchant convoy off the coast of
Flamborough Head, east
Yorkshire. The 44 gun British frigate
HMS Serapis and the 20 gun hired escort
Countess of Scarborough placed themselves between the convoy and Jones's squadron, allowing the merchants to escape.
Shortly after 7 pm began the
Battle of Flamborough Head. The
Serapis engaged the
Bonhomme Richard, and soon afterwards, the
Alliance fired, from a considerable distance, at the
Countess. Quickly recognising that he couldn't win a battle of big guns, Jones made every effort to lock
Richard and
Serapis together (his famous quotation was uttered in reply to a cheerful British taunt during an odd stalemate in this phase of the battle), finally succeeding after about an hour, following which his deck guns and marksmen in the rigging began clearing the British decks.
Alliance sailed past and fired a broadside, doing at least as much damage to the
Richard as to the
Serapis. Meanwhile, the
Countess of Scarborough had enticed the
Pallas downwind of the main battle, beginning a separate engagement. When
Alliance approached this contest, about an hour after it had begun, the badly damaged
Countess surrendered.
With
Bonhomme Richard burning and sinking, it seems that her
ensign was shot away; when one of the officers, apparently believing his captain to be dead, shouted a surrender, the British commander asked, seriously this time, if they'd
struck their colors. Jones later remembered saying something like "I am determined to make you strike", but the words allegedly heard by crew-members and reported in newspapers a few days later were more like: "I may sink, but I’ll be damned if I strike!" .
An attempt by the British to board
Bonhomme Richard was thwarted and a grenade caused the explosion of a large quantity of gunpowder on
Serapis’ lower gun-deck.
Alliance then returned to the main battle, firing two broadsides. Again, these did at least as much damage to
Richard as to
Serapis, but the tactic worked to the extent that, unable to move, and with
Alliance keeping well out of the line of his own great guns, Captain Pearson of
Serapis accepted that prolonging the battle could achieve nothing, so he surrendered. Most of
Bonhomme Richard's crew immediately transferred to other vessels, and after a day and a half of frantic repair efforts, it was decided that the ship couldn't be saved, so it was allowed to sink, and Jones took command of
Serapis for the trip to neutral (but American-sympathising) Holland.
In the following year, the King of France honoured him with the title "
Chevalier". Jones accepted the honor, and desired the title to be used thereafter: when the
Continental Congress in 1787 resolved that a medal of
gold be struck in commemoration of his "valor and brilliant services" it was to be presented to "Chevalier John Paul Jones". He also received from Louis a decoration of "
Ordre du Mérite militaire" and a sword. By contrast, in Britain at this time, he was usually referred to as a
pirate.
Russian service
In June 1782, Jones was appointed to command the 74-gun
America, but his command fell through when Congress decided to give the
America to the French as replacement for the wrecked
Le Magnifique. As a result, he was given assignment in Europe in 1783 to collect prize money due his former hands. At length, this too expired and Jones was left without prospects for active employment, leading him in 1788 to enter into the service of the
Empress Catherine II of Russia, who placed great confidence in Jones, saying: "He will get to
Constantinople." He took the name Pavel Dzhones.
Jones avowed his intention, however, to preserve the condition of an American
citizen and
officer. As a
rear admiral aboard the 24-gun flagship
Vladimir, he took part in the naval campaign in the Liman (an arm of the
Black Sea, into which flow the
Southern Bug and
Dnieper rivers) against the
Turks. Jones successfully repulsed Ottoman forces from the area, but the jealous intrigues of
Russian officer Prince
Grigory Alexandrovich Potemkin and his cohort
Prince of Nassau-Siegen caused him to be recalled to
St. Petersburg for the pretended purpose of being transferred to a command in the
North Sea. Here he was compelled to remain in idleness, while rival officers plotted against him and even maliciously assailed his private character through accusations of sexual misconduct. Even so, in that period he was able to author his
Narrative of the Campaign of the Liman.
On
June 8 1788, Jones was awarded the
Order of St. Anne, but he left the following month, an embittered man.
Final years and death
In May 1790, Jones arrived in
Paris, where he remained in retirement during the rest of his life, although he made a number of attempts to re-enter the Russian service. In June 1792, Jones was appointed U.S.
Consul to treat with the Bey of
Algiers for the release of American captives. Before Jones was able to fulfill his appointment, however, he died and was found lying face-down on his bed in his third-floor Paris apartment, No. 42 Rue de Tournon, on
July 18 1792. A small procession of servants, friends, and loyal soldiers walked his body the four miles (6 km) for burial. He was buried in Paris at the Saint Louis Cemetery, which belonged to the French royal family. Four years later, France's revolutionary government sold the property and the cemetery was forgotten. The area was later used as a garden, a place to dispose of dead animals, and a place where gamblers bet on animal fights.
Symbolic return to America
In 1905, Jones' remains were identified by US Ambassador to France Gen.
Horace Porter (Goodheart 2006) who had searched for six years to track down the body using faulty copies of Jones' burial record. Thanks to the kind donation of a French admirer,
Pierrot Francois Simmoneau, who donated over 460 francs for a lead coffin for Jones, Porter knew what to look for in his search. Porter's team, which included anthropologist
Louis Capitan, identified an abandoned site in northeastern Paris as the former
St. Louis Cemetery for Alien Protestants. Sounding probes were used to search for lead coffins, and 5 coffins were ultimately exhumed. The third, unearthed on
April 7 1905, was later identified by a meticulous post-mortem examination by Doctors Capitan and
Georges Papillault as being that of Jones, and the face was later compared to a bust by
Jean-Antoine Houdon.
Jones' body was ceremonially removed from his interment in a Parisian
charnel house and brought to the United States aboard
the USS Brooklyn, escorted by three other cruisers. On approaching the US coast, seven US battleships joined the procession escorting Jones' body back to the US.
In 1913, Jones' remains were finally re-interred in a magnificent bronze and marble
sarcophagus at the
United States Naval Academy Chapel in
Annapolis, Maryland. The ceremony was presided over by President
Theodore Roosevelt who gave a lengthy tributary speech.
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