John Paul Jones: A Lesson in Naval Heritage John Paul Jones once said, “It seems to be a law of nature, inflexible and inexorable, that those who will not risk cannot win”. Senior Enlisted Leaders are entrusted to pass down Naval heritage and tradition in order to develop the future of the Navy, while leaning on heroic examples from the past. This paper will examine John Paul Jones’s life before the Navy, his Naval career, and the legacy he left behind as well as its impact on the United States Navy.
Life Before the Navy John Paul Jones was born in Scotland to a poor family in 1972 (Lorenz 2014). He had great ambitions at an early age and began his maritime career at the ripe age of 13. He sailed between England and Virginia aboard
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After his tour as an Action Officer aboard the Alfred, he quickly found himself commanding the Providence, then the Ranger. In 1778, Jones took on a mission, the first of its kind, to show the might of the United States and attack the Royal Navy in British waters. The mission was a huge success and Jones returned with many spoils of war, including the captured sloop HMS Drake and prisoners (Lorenz, 2014). This victory brought much notoriety for Jones and gave a black eye to the Royal …show more content…
While commanding the Bonhomme Richard, Jones engaged in battle off the coast of Yorkshire in an attempt to disrupt the British supply chain. This would prove to be one of the bloodiest battles Jones would ever face. He quickly found himself outmanned and outgunned. The British ship Serapis pulled alongside the Bonhomme Richard, then proceeded to board and engage in hand to hand combat. The British Captain demanded they surrender and Jones replied promptly with the now famous words, “I have not yet begun to fight”. Being a brilliant tactician, Jones instructed several of his Sailors to climb the mast and toss grenades into the cargo hold of the Serapis, where the ammunition was stored. This action was successful and ultimately sank the Serapis, claiming John Paul Jones and his crew victorious. This well-known battle, as well as several others through his prosperous Naval career, created a legacy for John Paul Jones that would impact the United States Navy for centuries to
Jack Sisson was born in 1743 in an unknown place. He was a man of many names, such as Guy Watson from South Kingston or Prince Goodwin from Plymouth, Massachusetts. Sisson was a black man in the American revolutionary war who was part of the Rhode Island First Regiment (an army of colored men) along with 40 troops of African American males. He was a slave before he joined the Regiment in 1778, where he was a boat pilot. Under the command of Colonel William Barton, Sisson completed his most daring mission yet: the capture of General Richard Prescott, a general of British forces in Newport. Jack Sisson was the captain of one of the boats that sailed across Narragansett Bay, silently past British warships, and into a deserted cove. Him and 39
The British chose to attack the Americans from the north by way of Isle aux Pois in the mouth of the Pearl River because this was the only only stable water they had found that ships could ride and anchor. When hearing that the british where coming this way, Lieutenant Thomas Ap Catesby Jones and his five gunboats went to try and Barackade the Rigolets trying to make sure they wouldn’t enter. His 185 men and 23 guns awaited the British. At 10:30 on December 14th 1814 three columns of British ships, 42 to 45, armed with 43 guns and 1,200 under the command of Captain Lockyer met the American blockade. Fierce fighting began and the British had finally captured the five American boats. Losses were 17 British and 6 Americans killed, 77 British and 35 Americans wounded. This gave Gerneral Andrew Jackson six days more to improve his defenses. The British at the very beginning of the war had demolished almost all of Jacksons sea power. Jackson only had the Carolina, Louisiana, and one gunboat left.
John Paul Jones was born John Paul on 6 July 1747 in Kirkbean, Kirkcudbright, Scotland. In 1761, at the age of thirteen, he took a seven year apprenticeship position in Whitehaven onboard the Friendship, in which he learned seamenship and navigation. After making eight trips on the Friendship, Younger, the owner, had gone bankrupt and released John from the rest of his apprenticeship. Over the next four years John held positions on the slave ships King George, as third mate, and on the Two Friends, as chief mate. After making two trips, in 1768, he left the Two Friends in Kingston, Jamaica and accepted a ride back to Scotland on the brig John. However, during the voyage the captain and the first mate died and by consent of the crew, being the only one that knew how to navigate, John Paul took command safely sailing back to Kirkcudbright. The owners of the John were grateful for his actions and offered John Paul the position of captain on the John; after two years he took command of the Betsey. By the time of his death in on 18 July 1972, due to his leadership, courage, and persistence, he had achieved numerous titles from more than one country: Commodore (unofficial), Chevalier, and Admiral (France). In 1773, after inadvertent...
John Philip Sousa was born in 1854, the third child of ten. He was born in Washington, D.C. His parents were immigrants. John
...hought it was interesting learning the various ways people had fought out in the sea, including the ways the young officers would eventually end up becoming the only Five-Star Fleet Admirals. In the book The Admirals the officers (Nimetz, King, Halsey, Leahy) prove that men should not be ranked on their skills or technology alone, but on both areas in a synchronized manner to overcome obstacles and rise above all other elements that stand in the way. The ships that the men grew fond of had become an inspiration to keep moving forward and succeed when it came to the battlefield. This thought would later become the thought that America has adopted to move forward when it comes to technology and build upon what has been learned. Anything from the structure of sea vessels to the artillery it carried did not only aid in war, but it aided in a country that could progress.
Roosevelt had been influencing the United States Navy to be stronger ever since he wrote The Naval War of 1812, while he was at Harvard. Theodore Roosevelt’s book puts the war in a whole new perspective. Roosevelt with the help of Captain Alfred T. Mahan and Rear Admiral Stephen B. Luce identified that their common ground was that America had great power in her deep ocean waters and needed to use it. Those oceans needed a capable water fleet to operate them (The Naval Strategist). In 1890 Congress approved the building of the first modern steam-powered, steel-hulled ships. Out came the most excellent warships anywhere; they were named the Indiana, the Massachusetts, and the Oregon. Roosevelt was impressed with these ships, but he wanted more. Roosevelt wanted a two-ocean navy capable of attacking the Pacific and the Atlantic simultaneously (Grondahl 2015 246). Congress agreed and Roosevelt got what he wanted. Mahan and Roosevelt campaigned to strengthen the navy through their speeches and writings. The Navy was slow, bulky, short-haul monitors guarding the home shores and swift, light cruisers that shot out of protected ports to attack enemy ships. Theodore and Mahan’s writings and speeches changed that part of the Navy for the better (Grondahl 2015 246-247). Theodore changed the Navy several ways and not all by
Davies were put in a row boat and pointed in that direction. Once on land, Mr. Davies went to the Governor William Nicolay to report what had happened to him and his crew (Blaufarb and Clarke 93). Davies explained everything that happened to Governor Nicolay and Governor Nicolay acted at once by getting in contact with the Secretary of War and Colonies, Sir George Murray; the Governor of Guadeloupe; the Admiral, the Baron Des Rotours; and Admiral Fleming, commander of the British Navy. Fleming took Rotours’s absence as evasiveness and was considered to be involved in the Neirsee incident; however, Deare and Davies investigated the taking of the Neirsee. Davies recognized a boat that belonged to Janoel, the pilot that took the Neirsee, but when searching for him, they could not find him inland.They then entered Guadalupe to search for any slaves that were sold, but they were soon sought out by an officer and told to leave. The French felt disrespectful that they were accused by being involved in the slave trade and that the British searched their island without permission; therefore, the French and British went through confrontations about why Captain Owen took the Neirsee and how to prevent further occurrences like the Neirsee incident. The French finally took the matter at and end when they received a letter of Captain Owen’s account of how the ship was never a French ship and it was
Years after the birth of the United States, the Navy became part of the new country’s military branch. However, piracy was a huge issue throughout the Imperial age in the United States. In 1794, the legislative body imposed an Act to strengthen the forces of the navy (USS Constitution Association). As the result, David Stodder and his co-builders, Josiah Fox and Joshua Humphreys, built one of the first ships called the USS Constellation 1797, which it gained recognition through barbaric battles and British rival dominance.
The U.S. Navy nurtured into a challenging power in the years previous to World War II, with battleship construction being revived in 1937, commencing with the USS North Carolina . It was able to add to its fleets throughout the early years of the war when the US was still not involved, growing production of vessels both large and small. In a conflict that had a number of amphibious landings, naval superiority was important in both Europe and the Pacific. The mutual resource...
The colours of France were raised on the British ships as they passed through the dangerous point. When the pilots rowed out to help guide the ships, they were captured. These men were given the choice of helping the British or being hung.
Exemplary performance has always attracted accolades and numerous prices; this gives morale and vigor for everyone to achieve their best. In the disciplined forces, particularly the marine, the service members always receive a major reward that elevates them in rank; this is the medal. This rewards them for their bravery and contribution in the missions they are involved in. Indeed, they contribute a lot to the peace and security of the world at large and they truly deserve these medals for recognition (Tucker, 2011). This has been a practice for the U.S. Marine to issue Corps medals since the Civil War to present day. Among the Corps Medal categories include American Defense Medal-WWII, Armed Forces Civilian Service Medal, Bronze Star Medal, Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary medal, Humanitarian Service Medal, and Marine Corps Good Conduct Medal among others. Since the Civil War there have been over 120 U.S. Marine Corps Medals. This paper identifies Lieutenant General Lewis Burwell “Chesty” Puller and describes why he has been one of the most decorated marines in the history of the U.S.
Not only were Nathanael Greene and Nathan Hale heroic, John Paul Jones proved that he was a great hero when he won his battle at sea on September 23, 1779. Even though Jones knew that the Bonhomme Richard, his out-dated ship with its inexperienced crew was no match to the British ship, the Serapis he still attacked (Phillips 171). The 50-gun Serapis with an experienced crew thought that they could easily defeat the attacking ship, while protecting their merchant ships in the process (Schulman). The ships battled for what seemed like hours with short range cannon fire and eventually they started boarding each other when the famous quote, “I have not yet begun to fight,” was said by Jones, when the British captain asked him if he would surrender.
He is regarded as the father of our Navy. He was considered a man that had an insurmountable fighting spirit. He took on challenges that and odds that often seemed impossible, but no matter what, always seemed to somehow come out the victor. His life was essentially defined by his most famous quote. When all hope seemed lost and there was little chance of victory, this man stood up and calmly uttered, “I have not yet begun to fight.” John Paul Jones was a man, then a hero, and finally a legend. While it is easy to focus on the history of John Paul Jones that occurred while he served in the Continental Navy, it only tells a portion of the story. In order to fully appreciate Jones, his full history must be analyzed both before and after he served aboard the ‘Bonhomme Richard”.
Captain Aubrey exhibits and demonstrates leadership characteristics that inspire his crew to be the best that they can be. One of the most important leadership traits that Captain Jack has is a single-minded focus on his purpose. All of his decisions are held up against the g...
A few days later, the Englishmen retaliated by firing their cannons and muskets at the shore, killing about 30 Hawaiians. His ship returned to England eighteen months later, in October of 1780.