John Paul Jones
By TJ
You all know that everyone honors the navy and its accomplishments, but have you ever wondered: where did it start? Who started it? Well, if you have questions, I have answers, so you should read my report about John Paul Jones, “Father of The U.S. Navy”! He was born in Kirkcudbrightshire (KIRK-coo-Bree-sure) Great Britain and he died in Paris, France at the age of 45. When John was young, he would shout commands to his friends captaining small toy boats on the water. In addition to this water-play, he spent many long hours watching the trading ships come and go from the bay harbor he lived by. He was also very well-fed, which led to a good life of sailing later on. All of these things took him away to experience a life like no other. But just how did he ever get to that life? Keep reading to find out!
He started work at an early age, and this is what happened in his early years. John started his apprenticeship at age 13, so he had a lot of experience at sea. He was also good at expressing himself in his writing, which probably inspired his famous quote, “I have not yet begun to fight!” His brothers also could have taken his fame, but he was second oldest of the five, so he started sailing first. He also became friends with Ben Franklin, so he loved the USA. You can now see why he’s so famous, judging by these facts.
Jones did not stay on Britain’s side for the Revolutionary War, though. Rather, he fought for the colonies, including NH. This is about how he took command of Ranger, his first American vessel. He was appointed captain of Ranger the same day the U.S. flag was adopted. Ranger went straight to Drake, a ship docking at Ireland. The mission didn’t work, though. It then attacked Whitehaven, a seaside town. After that, Ranger headed to Ireland and captured Drake! Was this just beginner’s luck? No way! You’ll soon find out why.
The Ranger put him ahead the gang, but his days in command of Bonhomme Richard was where the REAL action started. It all started with Jones leading a squadron of five against Britain. Soon he was met by another squadron, but be it a friendly one, God forbid. The two lead ships then locked together and clashed in a notably fierce surprise attack. While two others were bombarding each other, another American ship came in but refused to their fire, leaving all equally damaged. Eventually, the British squadron leader Serapis sank leaving Bonhomme Richard low on capabilities, but, thankfully, still afloat. When John Paul (this was his real name) returned to France, he received an award named Institution du Merite` Militaire. He led a long at sea, but all good things have to come to an end. He died in Paris, France and his sword remains at the place of his burial to this day.
