I Have Not Yet Begun to Fight!

I've published another piece on The US Naval Memorial's blog...the site doesn't appear to be working correctly so I pasted the piece below:


America's First Naval Hero
by Kevin Bunkley

Fireworks go with our Independence Day like peanut butter with jelly, but the American Navy during the Revolutionary War made what I consider to be the America's first display of naval firepower.

The Continental Navy, the third of the original three branches of service (Continental Army and Marines were the others), was arguably the most vital to keeping the machine of revolution lubricated. The American frigates kept sea lanes open for supplies from France, and harassed British privateers attempting to cut off those supplies. There wasn't a professional sailor among the bunch, with the exception of one now-famous naval hero. Possibly the first real hero of naval history, John Paul Jones gave America the roots of what would become The United States Navy and its track record of able seaman overcoming insurmountable odds.

Jones himself was a Scotsman, but it took an unorthodox journey to get him to the American colonies. He ended up in Virginia after fleeing the authorities hunting him for a murder charge, and pledged to join the rebellion the engulfed the American colonies six months later. Benjamin Franklin then gave him a commission, despite having no battle experience, no crew, and no naval training. Jones, a lieutenant, commanded theBonhomme Richard, a small privateering ship, and he made it all the way to the coast of England.

Jones and his crew caused a panic in Britain, destroying several frigates, thus forcing King George to commission a frigate that would come to be linked to Jones's most heroic moment. The H.M.S. Serapis was sent out to find and kill Jones, and when they found him, Jones fought to win. Half the Richard crew deserted Jones, and the Serapis severely damaged Jones's ship. The British ship commander wanted Jones to surrender, but he instead tied himself to his ship's mast, and shouted to the British, "I have not yet begun to fight!" Jones sent the Richard to ram the British ship, and with his ship in flames, fought the British hand-to-hand with whatever remaining crew he had, and took the Serapis for the Continental Navy. Despite being labeled a "desperado" and "bad fellow" by the British press, Jones became a legend in the colonies on September 23, 1779 when he beat the British.

The tale ends bitter sweetly, because Jones found little appreciation from the Continental Congress. He asked that the United States of America officially create a fleet of ships to rival the fleets of France and Britain, but it fell on deaf ears. The true naval fleet wouldn't be created until John Adams convinced President Washington to authorize such an undertaking, but Jones was no longer on American soil.

John Paul Jones left America for France, to advise the French navy in fighting the British, and even got all the way to Russia, to fight in Catherine the Great's navy during her ascent to the throne. He died in France in 1794, having earned a more notorious reputation abroad than in his adopted America, but his legend is intact. The US Navy likely has more of the spirit of John Paul Jones than any of the nations he interacted with, and has likely fought dozens of its own Serapis-style battles, but a large reason for the Navy's existence can be traced to an ornery Scotsman who was determined to fight.