JOHN PAUL JONES, A SCOTCHMAN, WHO WON THE GREAT VICTORY IN THE FRENCH
SHIP, "BON HOMME RICHARD"
[Sidenote: =John Paul born in Scotland=]
=100. John Paul.= In 1747, in far-away Scotland, on the arm of the sea
called Solway Firth, a great sailor was born. John Paul played along
the seashore, saw tall ships, and heard wonderful stories of a new land
called America, whose ships filled with tobacco came into the firth.
[Sidenote: =Sails on the "Friendship" to America=]
John Paul did not get much schooling, and at the age of thirteen
he went as a sailor lad on the _Friendship_ to America. The ship
sailed into Chesapeake Bay and up the Rappahannock River to the town
of Fredericksburg, where he found his brother William living on a
plantation. In the very same town where George Washington had just been
to school, John Paul also went to school. He studied hard to make up
for lost time, and left a great name among the boys.
[Sidenote: =Returns and sails for Africa=]
He afterward returned to Scotland, and at the age of nineteen sailed
as an officer on a slave-trading ship to Africa, and carried a load of
negroes away from their native land. Many people did not then think it
wrong to do this, but John Paul hated the cruel business, and left the
slave ship as soon as he reached Jamaica.
[Sidenote: =Made captain=]
On his way back to Scotland the officers of the ship died, and John
Paul, although but twenty years old, had to take charge. The owners of
the vessel were so pleased with the way he handled it that they made
him captain, and he went on many voyages to different countries.
[Sidenote: =In Virginia again=]
After a time John Paul went to Virginia to take care of his dead
brother's plantation. While he was living in Virginia he watched the
quarrel between England and her colonies break out in open war.
[Sidenote: =Offers his services to Congress=]
=101. John Paul Jones Enters the American Navy.= He hastened to
Philadelphia and offered his services to Congress. He knew England
would send thousands of soldiers to America; and that she would send
her war ships along our seacoasts and up and down our bays and rivers,
to capture and burn our towns. He also knew that the Congress did not
own a single war ship when the war began.
[Illustration: JOHN PAUL JONES
_From a painting by Charles Wilson Peale in Independence Hall,
Philadelphia_]
Congress ordered war ships to be built. While these were being made,
Congress ordered trading vessels to be fitted with cannon and sent out
to capture British ships.
[Sidenote: =Changes his name=]
When John Paul went to Philadelphia he gave his name as Paul Jones,
probably in honor of Willie Jones, a friend who lived in North
Carolina. Some have thought that he did not want the British to know
him, if they should capture him in a sea fight.
[Sidenote: =Really wants to fight=]
[Sidenote: =What he could do=]
Although Paul Jones really knew more about war ships than most of the
men in Philadelphia, Congress gave him a very low office. But that made
no difference to him, for he really wanted to get into a sea fight. In
1775 he was made a lieutenant, and joined an expedition to capture
cannon and powder from the British in the West Indies. He did so well
that Congress made him captain and gave him a ship. He then went on
a cruise to the West Indies, where in six weeks he captured sixteen
prizes and destroyed a number of small vessels.
[Illustration: THE FIRST AMERICAN ENSIGN
_This, the first flag to float above an American man-of-war, was raised
by John Paul Jones_]
[Sidenote: =Sent to France=]
Congress afterward gave him command of the ship _Ranger_, and sent him
to carry letters to Benjamin Franklin, who was in France trying to get
the king to take sides with the Americans.
[Sidenote: =With the "Ranger" at Whitehaven=]
Franklin planned for Jones to take the _Ranger_ to the coast of
England, and show that American as well as English ships could burn,
destroy, and fight. He captured two vessels, made straight for his old
town of Whitehaven, "spiked" the cannon in the fort, set some ships on
fire, and escaped without harm.
Near by this place, his sailors took all the silver from the home of a
rich lady. This robbery troubled him so much that, afterward, at great
expense to himself, he returned the silver to its owner.
[Sidenote: ="Paul, the Pirate"=]
"Look out for Paul Jones, the pirate!" the people said; and the
_Drake_, carrying two more cannon than the _Ranger_, was sent to
capture her. Five boatloads of people went to see the pirate captured.
The fight lasted more than an hour. When the _Drake_ surrendered, her
captain and forty-two men had been killed. The _Ranger_ had lost only
two men. After this fight the English towns were still more afraid of
Paul Jones.
[Sidenote: =The "Good Man Richard"=]
There was great joy in France when Paul Jones sailed into port. The
king, who was now making war on England, promised him a larger fleet
of war vessels. So, in 1779, he found himself captain of a large ship
armed with fifty cannon. He called the ship the _Bon Homme Richard_ in
honor of Franklin's Almanac, the "Poor Richard." Three smaller vessels
joined him, and he again set sail for the English coast. The news of
his coming caused great alarm.
[Illustration: MARINE CANDLESTICK
_From man-of-war "Constitution"_]
[Sidenote: =The "Richard" and the "Serapis"=]
=102. A Great Sea Fight and a Great Victory.= As Paul Jones sailed
along the British coasts he captured many trading ships and frightened
the people. At last he came upon two British war ships. Just at dark
the _Richard_ attacked a larger English ship, the _Serapis_. At the
first fire two of Jones' cannon burst, tearing up the deck and killing
a dozen of his own men.
[Sidenote: =The great sea fight=]
The fight went on for an hour, when the _Serapis_ came near, and Jones
ran the _Richard_ into her. "Have you struck your colors?" called out
the English captain. "I have not yet begun to fight!" replied Captain
Jones. When the ships came together again Paul Jones himself seized a
great rope and tied them together. Now the fighting was terrific. The
cannon tore huge holes in the sides of the ships.
[Illustration: NAVAL PITCHER
_This was made in commemoration of the American Navy, 1795_]
A great explosion on the _Serapis_ killed twenty of her men. Both
ships were on fire, and the _Richard_ began to fill with water. The men
on each ship had to fight fire. It was ten o'clock at night.
[Illustration: THE CAPTURE OF THE SERAPIS
_Because of this victory three nations, France, Russia, and Denmark,
bestowed special honors upon John Paul Jones as "the valiant assertor
of the freedom of the sea"_]
The British prisoners on the _Richard_ had to help pump out water to
keep the ship from sinking.
[Sidenote: =A great victory=]
Only a few cannon on each ship could be fired. The decks of both ships
were covered with dead and wounded, but neither captain would give
up. Finally Paul Jones, with his own hands, pointed two cannon at the
great mast of the _Serapis_. Just as it was about to fall, the English
captain surrendered.
[Sidenote: =A great naval hero=]
All night Jones and his men were kept busy fighting fire and pumping
water, while the wounded were removed to the _Serapis_. The _Good Man
Richard_ sank the next day at ten o'clock. Paul Jones sailed to France
with his two English ships, where he was praised and rewarded by the
King of France. He was a great hero in the eyes of the French people,
and in the eyes of the Americans, too.
[Sidenote: =Finally buried in America=]
After the war Paul Jones was an officer in the Russian navy. He died
in France in 1792. His grave was forgotten for many years, but was
discovered in 1905, and his bones were brought to America with great
honor, and buried at Annapolis, Maryland.
JOHN BARRY, WHO WON MORE SEA FIGHTS IN THE REVOLUTION THAN ANY OTHER
CAPTAIN
[Sidenote: =Barry visits America=]
=103. John Barry.= Although born on a farm in Ireland (1745), John
Barry wanted to be a sailor lad. While still young he was put to
service on board a merchant ship. Here young Barry learned more than
being a mere sailor. Between voyages he studied hard, and soon gained
a useful education. At the age of fifteen he came to Philadelphia, and
was so pleased with the country and the people that he resolved to make
America his home.
[Sidenote: =Offers his services to Congress=]
He rose rapidly as a sailor and, when the news of the first bloodshed
between England and her colonies came, he offered his services to
Congress.
[Sidenote: =Made captain of the "Lexington"=]
In 1776 Congress made him captain of the ship _Lexington_, the first
Continental vessel to sail from William Penn's old city. Barry
immediately put to sea, and met and captured the _Edward_ after a
fierce fight. Thus the _Lexington_ was the first ship to bear the
American flag to victory.
Congress, pleased with the result, put him in charge of a larger
ship, called the _Effingham_. The British, however, bottled up the
_Effingham_ in the Delaware.
[Illustration: JOHN BARRY
_From the portrait painted by Colin Campbell Cooper after the Stuart
painting, now in Independence Hall, Philadelphia_]
But Barry was not idle. Arming four boatloads of men, with muffled oars
he rowed down the Delaware at night.
[Sidenote: =He captures a British vessel and four transports=]
Just as the sun was rising Barry saw a British vessel of ten guns. With
this ship were four transports loaded with forage for the British army.
Barry's boats made for the British ship. His men climbed on board with
guns and swords in hand. The British soldiers threw down their arms
and ran below. Barry fastened down the hatchways, and then turned his
attention to the four transports, which quickly surrendered. Barry then
took his five prizes across the river to an American fort.
[Sidenote: =He takes command of the "Raleigh"=]
In 1778 Congress promoted John Barry to the command of the _Raleigh_.
He set sail for Boston, and on his way met a British ship carrying
thirty-two guns. His sailors had taken an oath never to surrender. They
fought bravely, and had every hope of winning, when a British 64-gun
ship came in sight. To keep their oaths, they ran the _Raleigh_ ashore,
and set her on fire. The British put out the fire and saved the ship.
[Illustration: BARRY'S BOATS ATTACKING THE BRITISH]
[Sidenote: =Wounded, but forces the British to strike their colors=]
=104. Barry Given Command of the "Alliance."= In 1781 Barry was placed
in command of the _Alliance_, a ship whose name was given in honor of
France's helping America in this war. In May the _Alliance_ met two
British ships, and a hard battle followed. Barry was badly wounded,
but would not surrender. He fought on and forced the British ships to
strike their colors.
In 1783 Barry, in the _Alliance_, sailed on his last voyage of the
Revolution. His companion ship was the _Luzerne_. Three British ships
discovered the Americans and quickly gave chase. The _Luzerne_ was slow
and threw her guns overboard.
[Sidenote: =On his last voyage of the Revolution=]
Another vessel came into view; it was a French ship of fifty guns. With
her aid Barry immediately decided to fight. He made a speech urging
the men not to fire until ordered. A terrific battle with the foremost
British ship followed. After fifty minutes' fighting, the British
showed signals of distress. The remaining British ships now came up to
rescue her, and the _Alliance_ sailed away. The French ships took no
part in the battle.
[Sidenote: =Named first commander of a navy=]
After the war was over, Congress provided for a navy, and General Knox,
Washington's Secretary of War and of the Navy, named John Barry as
first commodore. He served as the senior commander of the American navy
until his death, in 1803. The people of Philadelphia have erected a
monument to his memory (1907).