John Paul Jones wins in English waters

Great history share

How did you learn it Capt. Durish?

GySgt Thomas Vick - I studied him with thoughts of writing a film script. There was a really bad 1959 film (aren't they all) starring Robert Stack that had more blood and guts on the pages of the script than on the decks of the ships in the film. The real story is fascinating. In fact, I'm currently researching Che Guevara for the fifth book in my spy series and see a similarity between him and the famous captain. Following the American Revolution, Washington and other leaders sent Jones away to Russia to get him out of the way. They feared he would reignite the war with England if they gave him a warship under an American flag. Once out of the country, they found other errands to keep him out until he died. Castro did much the same with Che. Although, to be fair, John Paul (Jones was an alias) was a helluva fighter. Che wasn't, not by a long shot...

Lt Col Charlie Brown - Britannica used to refer to him as a pirate. The truth is that he circumnavigated England in the schooner Ranger, not the Bonne Homme Richard, and raided at several points including an attempted kidnap of a British nobleman (who wasn't home at the time). That exploit served to demonstrate that Britain's vaunted Oaken Shield (their navy) wasn't as impenetrable as most believed. Spain and France assembled an armada to invade England with John Paul in command of the escorting warships. The generals refused to land their troops until John Paul destroyed the English fleet. The English remained in port inasmuch as their ships were in need of repair and undermanned. The French and Spanish generals waited until disease broke out on the troop ships and returned home. John Paul then sailed around until the Serapis engaged him. The battle occurred close enough to land that English citizens on the cliffs overlooking the water could witness the battle. (Incidentally, the wreck of the Bonne Homme Richard was recently located not far from shore.) This battle sent the English back to London complaining to their MP's to end the war and let the Americans have their freedom. As I said, the story goes way beyond the brief summary in the Britannica. BTW, he didn't visit his brother until he was on the lam from the law and never considered himself an American. He always referred to himself as a "Citizen of the World" (like Che Guevara and others)...