John Paul Jones, Naval Genius
Capt. George A. Mallison, USN, Retired
December 9, 1932
On October 3rd, 1779, John Paul Jones arrived in the roads off Texel on the ship
Serapis,
formerly of the British Navy, and news was given to the world of the sea battle between this
vessel and the
Bon Homme Richard
in which the latter, though the victor, could not survive the
wounds of battle and was of necessity abandoned one hour before she plunged beneath the
surface and sank to her last resting place at the bottom of the North Sea.
It is, generally speaking, upon this sea battle, a remarkable one within itself, together with his
operations on the
Ranger, during which he made the Whitehaven raid and captured the British
Sloop of War
Drake, that his reputation as a sea
man and fighter rests. These alone are sufficient
to place him in the highest rank within this class, but, while it is freely admitted that he was a
great seaman and fighter, the real life work of the man is so little known and understood, that
with this admission usually comes the declaration to the effect that, after all, Jones was
somewhat of a pirate.
An examination of biographies that seem to exhaust sources of information, with the exception
of a few that may possibly be developed in the future, discloses a character, who, if not touched
with genius, deserves a place professionally among the most exalted naval heroes. It discloses a
man kindly considerate of others, punctilious where his own honor or that of his adopted country
is concerned, yet candid
and forgiving to his enemies. He had the capacity to plan in large
matters and the daring to execute. When once embarked in a campaign with a definite object in
view he would cling tenaciously to the necessary plans for accomplishment, modified by
contingencies, irrespective of criticisms in regard to rashness or timidity that may have been
hurled at him. Timidity had no place in his character and this charge arose in the Russian
campaign as the result of an intrigue to destroy his reputation. His sense of
proportion was not
distorted by personal considerations when he was engaged in naval operations.
On June 14, 1777, Congress adopted the national flag and appointed Jones to command of the
Ranger. On September 6th, 1777, he was directed to sail for a French port and report to the
Commissioners (one of whom was Franklin) on his arrival. He was to be given command of the
frigate
Indien
being built in Amsterdam under the direction of Silas Deane. On November 2nd,
1777, he hoisted the Stars and Strips on the
Ranger
and sailed for France, arriving in the River
Loire near Nantes on December 2nd, 1777, just too late to be the first to give the news of
Burgoyne’s surrender.
The British learning that the
Indien
was being built for America, the Dutch turned the ship over
to France to avoid trouble, and on January 16th, 1778, the Commissioners ordered Jones to
cruise in the
Ranger. When off Quiberon Bay on February 13th, he sent a boat in to ask the
Admiral if he would return his salute. “He answered that he would return to me as the Senior
American Continental Officer in Europe the same salute which he was authorized by his Court to
return to an Admiral of Holland, or of any other Republic, which was four guns less than the
salute given. I hesitated at this, for I had demanded gun for gun, but after a very particular
inquiry, on the 14th, finding that he had really told the truth, I was induced to accept his offer;
the more so as it was in fact an acknowledgment of America’s independence.” (De Koven, Vol.
1, p. 263.
Owing to contrary winds the
Ranger
did not get in until after sunset when he saluted
La Motte
Picquet
with 13 guns which he returned with nine. To clinch the matter, he went in the following
day in the
Independence, saluted the Admiral and was in turn saluted
with nine guns.
This was the first salute to the American Flag and the French Admiral had at the time no
knowledge of the treaty which had been concluded at Paris on the 6th of the month.
On April 22nd he made his descent on Whitehaven. Leaving a party at
the landing to burn the
shipping, the party with him surprised and secured the sentries and spiked the guns at the two
forts. When he returned to the landing just about daylight, he found the other party had done
nothing. So securing a light from a nearby
house he set fire to a large ship and reembarked on his
own vessel.
