The War at Sea and John Paul Jones

In 1775, on the outbreak of the American Revolution, Jones went to Philadelphia and entered the newly established Continental navy. He was commissioned a lieutenant and attached to the first American flagship, Alfred. In 1776 he was promoted to captain and given command of the sloop Providence. During his first cruise on the Providence he destroyed the British fisheries in Nova Scotia and captured 16 British prize ships. In 1777 he commanded the sloop Ranger, and after sailing to France, he cruised along the coast of Britain, destroying many British vessels.

Jones was next promoted to commodore and placed in command of a mixed fleet of five French and American vessels. His flagship was the Duras, the name of which he changed to Bonhomme Richard. On this ship, on September 23, 1779, off the British coast, Jones defeated the British man-of-war Serapis in one of the outstanding engagements of naval history. He returned to the U.S. in 1781 and supervised the building of the America, the largest vessel in the U.S. Navy; he was scheduled to command the America, but it was presented to France. He last visited the U.S. in 1787 and was given a gold medal by Congress. He was the only naval officer so honored.