The FReeper Foxhole Revisits John Paul Jones - Sept. 23rd, 2005

http://www.chinfo.navy.mil/navpalib/traditions/html/jpjones.html ^ | Posted on 01/06/2003 5:37:15 AM PST by SAMWolf

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Lord,

Keep our Troops forever in Your care

Give them victory over the enemy...

Grant them a safe and swift return...

Bless those who mourn the lost.
.

FReepers from the Foxhole join in prayer
for all those serving their country at this time.


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The FReeper Foxhole Revisits

John Paul Jones
A founder of the U.S. Navy

John Paul was born at Arbigland, Kirkbean, Kirkcudbright, Scotland, 6 July 1747. Apprenticed to a merchant at age 13, he went to sea in the brig Friendship to learn the art of seamanship. At 21, he received his first command, the brig John.

After several successful years as a merchant skipper in the West Indies trade, John Paul emigrated to the British colonies in North America and there added "Jones" to his name. At the outbreak of the American Revolution, Jones was in Virginia. He cast his lot with the rebels, and on 7 December 1775, he was commissioned first lieutenant in the Continental Navy, serving aboard Esek Hopkins' flagship Alfred.

As First Lieutenant in Alfred, he was the first to hoist the Grand Union flag on a Continental warship. On 1 November 1777, he commanded the Ranger, sailing for France. Sailing into Quiberon Bay, France, 14 February 1778, Jones and Admiral La Motte Piquet changed gun salutes — the first time that the Stars and Stripes, the flag of the new nation, was officially recognized by a foreign government.

Early in 1779, the French King gave Jones an ancient East Indiaman Duc de Duras, which Jones refitted, repaired, and renamed Bon Homme Richard as a compliment to his patron Benjamin Franklin. Commanding four other ships and two French privateers, he sailed 14 August 1779 to raid English shipping.

On 23 September 1779, his ship engaged the HMS Serapis in the North Sea off Famborough Head, England. Richard was blasted in the initial broadside the two ships exchanged, losing much of her firepower and many of her gunners. Captain Richard Pearson, commanding Serapis, called out to Jones, asking if he surrendered. Jones' reply: "I have not yet begun to fight!"



It was a bloody battle with the two ship literally locked in combat. Sharpshooting Marines and seamen in Richard's tops raked Serapis with gunfire, clearing the weather decks. Jones and his crew tenaciously fought on , even though their ship was sinking beneath them. Finally, Capt. Pearson tore down his colors and Serapis surrendered.

Bon Homme Richard sunk the next day and Jones was forced to transfer to Serapis.

After the American Revolution, Jones served as a Rear Admiral in the service of Empress Catherine of Russia, but returned to Paris in 1790. He died in Paris at the age of 45 on 18 July 1792. He was buried in St. Louis Cemetery, which belonged to the French royal family. Four years later, France's revolutionary government sold the property and the cemetery was forgotten.

In 1845, Col. John H. Sherburne began a campaign to return Jones' remains to the United States. He wrote Secretary of the Navy George Bancroft and requested the body be brought home aboard a ship of the Mediterrean Squadron. Six years later, preliminary arrangements were made, but the plans fell through when several of Jones' Scottish relatives objected. Had they not, another problem would have arisen. Jones was in an unmarked grave and no one knew exactly where that was.

American Ambassador Horace Porter began a systematic search for it in 1899. The burial place and Jones' body was discovered in April 1905. President Theodore Roosevelt sent four cruisers to bring it back to the U.S., and these ships were escorted up the Chesapeake Bay by seven battleships.

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[Soaring Feather]

Good morning everyone.

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Apologies to all, somewhere along the line I double posted Sept. 23's On This Day. DRAT!

And I was just about to blame Carlos.

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Go Navy!

Amen!!

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Nice history lesson, thanks Iris7.

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Sam reads revisionist history, and it's true how just one (seemingly) little thing could change the course of history. Amazing stuff.

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Now now. You should be able to discuss the reasons why you don't believe the way Iris7 does. This is a place for intellegent conversation and quite frankly I'd be interested in why you disagree. Just state your reasons. Heck, we even have civil Civil War discussions here. :-)

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Since this is so, every minute is a time for optimism.

LOL. This is so true.

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Good morning EGC. How's the weather your way. Did your family make it to safety?

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Thanks gridlock.

[E.G.C.]

My brother and his family are in Austin where his son attends the University of Texas. They like a lot of people did have to go through the traffic mess but they got on some country roads which helped them out.

So yeah, they're OK.

It looks like Rita is not going to impact us very much here in Southwest Oklahoma. We may get a few feeder bands from the storm but it looks like the worst of it is going to end up over Southeast Oklahoma and Northeast Texas.

Our thoughts and prayers are with those impacted by Hurricane Rita.

[snippy_about_it]

Thanks texianyankee.

[Valin]

I HATE when I do this. Generaly I can "fix it", but not this time. It's what happens when I post when I've only had 4 cups of coffee.
It'll give me somethihing to do tonight.

[Leg Olam]

Rather grisly but interesting site. http://seacoastnh.com/Maritime_History/John_Paul_Jones/Is_This_John_Paul_Jones_Corpse%3F/

[sasportas]

Iris, I am descended of the Scots, not the "treasonous Campbells" you speak of, however. Lol. Hence, your train of thought intrigues me. I agree with you that Cromwell and the English Civil War played a greater role in history than most realize. Maybe this is not the appropriate thread for this, but I sure would like to see this traced out in a time line. Beginning in Scotland the brave.

[Professional Engineer]

Dead old guy bump!

[Professional Engineer]

Hi miss Feather

[Professional Engineer]

At lunch I paid a visit to the local surplus electronics store. I came away with a reprint of a 1918 book titled "War Toys For Boys". Spiderboy and I are gonna have fun building battleships and artillery pieces. The artillery is spring loaded and will actually lob a projectile!

[Professional Engineer]

[Iris7]

Would be fun indeed. The boat traffic in the Irish Sea and the Hebrides I think the most important area of total ignorance. Movement of heavy goods was by sea, roads were mere tracks. Logistics and communication had to be by boat. Good logistics can't make you win, but bad logistics can sure make you lose!

For the serious purpose of study one could take rides on local boats with camera, notebooks, and GPS, stopping so as to mentally reconstruct the societies lost in the Clearances, walk the hills and old paths for signs of our period, and check out the local whiskey, very important anthropology and archeology in that effort!

British Navy operations in those waters 1615-1660 would be interesting.

The "aulde Alliance" of Scots with France (and certainly with the Dutch in this one) may be fertile ground. I suspect that Montrose was killed about five years before the Dutch would have been ready to support him fully. If he had lived and engineered a full cooperation between Spain and France (fat chance!!), and French and Spanish troops were in Ireland and Scotland making holding actions like Kinsale, then the English troops would have been committed many miles from London.

Now a landing about Harwitch (East Essex) and making for Ipswitch, where London is seventy miles SW on a good road. Horse troops there in 48 hours, heavy foot in five days, siege train in nine days (a good road, remember.) Occupy, fortify, try to catch the big wigs before they escape. Resupply through the Thames.

Boy-O-Boy, old Oliver would have been P.O.d!!!!

Do not try this kind of thinking on your own without guidance of a skilled practitioner. The mind can easily become so boggled that normal life is forever lost. Imaginary history can become like real history on acid and you will start to believe you know THE TRUTH, and such certainty while absurdly ignorant defines the a Liberal. Better to hang yourself than to join the Undead. Dangerous ground indeed!

Further disclaimer: This is all done from maps. You want a disaster, run a military operation from maps, not reconaissance.

[snippy_about_it]

Ewww.

Thanks, I think. :-)