[mdittmar]

[North Face inscriptions - above and beneath Captain Jones' statue:]

John Paul Jones
1747-1792
First to compel foreign man-of-war to strike colors to the Stars and Stripes.

[South Face inscriptions - above and beneath a bas relief rendering of Captain Jones raising the United States colors for the first time aboard an American man-o-war:]

"Surrender?
I have not yet begun to fight!"

In life he honored the flag.
In death the flag shall honor him.

[mainepatsfan]

Last weekend I visited a house in Portsmouth, NH where he stayed for a time. Naturally the house contained many paintings of Jones and believe it or not they had an actual photograph of Jones. It was a photo taken of his body after it had been uncovered in France before being shipped back to America as his final resting place. Wasn’t very pretty and I wish I hadn’t seen it.

[Sunshine Sister]

Very interesting post. Thanks for the history lesson.

[Pharmboy]

Thanks for the post mdittmar and for the freepmail letting me know about it, SunkenCiv...much obliged.

Here is the Flag of the Grand Union that JPJ was the first to fly:

The RevWar/Colonial History/General Washington ping list...

[cardinal4]

Good post..

[camle]

JPJ never said “I have not yet begun to fight”. He was asked by the britich to strike his colors, and he refused. when the british commander told him that he would sink and JPS’s reply “I’ll sink, but I’m damned if I strike”.

the commend was ‘edited’ afterwards due to the profanity. see the article in the Museun of Our NAtaional Heritage.