"I have not yet begun to fight!"

As the Revolutionary War progressed, the British found themselves more and more on the defensive. Those blasted Americans were not only sinking His Majesty's ships right and left, but had the audacity to attack right in the British home waters!

On April 22nd, 1778, Captain John Paul Jones boldly sailed his ship, the Ranger, right into the harbor at Whitehaven, England, and set fire to the assembled shipping. He then landed his men, seized the battlements, and spiked the guns (drove iron spikes into the holes where the fuses were placed for setting off the cannon) so they would no longer fire.Later that year, Jones went to France to bargain for a large vessel to add to the American fleet, and old Indiaman, the Duc de Duras. But what a vessel! She was about twelve years old, condemned because the rot had penetrated her planks. Jones took her over forthwith.

"We will name you the Bonhomme Richard," said Jones, in honor of his friend, Benjamin Franklin, the author of 'Poor Richard's Almanac', (Bonhomme Richard was the French translation of "Poor Richard").

The great, converted hulk put out of L'Orient on August 9th, 1779. With her went the American ships, Alliance, Pallas, Cerf, and Vengeance.

Early in the afternoon of September 23rd, off Falmborough Head on the east coast of England, Jones sighted a large fleet of British merchant ships, escorted by the Countess of Scarborough, 20-guns, and by H.M.S. Serapis, a brand new frigate of 44-guns, under Captain Richard Pearson. Jones ordered his ships to the attack. The Vengeance went after the merchant ships, one at a time. The Pallas engaged the Scarborough. While Captain Jones went straight for the Serapis, well aware that he was badly outgunned.Both ships fired a broadside. On the Bonhomme Richard, this was disastrous. Two of her old 18-pounders promptly exploded, killing the gun crews and blowing out the deck above. Now the deadly new guns of the Serapis raked the rotten hull of the American ship from stem to stern, killing entire gun crews and putting the guns out of action one by one.With his guns useless and the ship threatening to sink beneath him, the only hope Jones had was to engage in hand-to-hand battle. But his ship was clumsier than the Britisher. He had to try a trick. As the Serapis started to come about to rake the Richard with another broadside, Jones cleverly filled his sails as though to try to escape. Then he abruptly turned into the wind, luffed, and caught his opponent off guard. The two ships came together with a mighty crash, bow to stern, stern to bow.

"Heave grapnels!" shouted Jones, and within seconds the ships were firmly locked.

At the last moment, Pearson, seeing what was happening, ordered his gunners to discharge their guns, and the gun deck of the Bonhomme Richard was leterally ripped apart by the blast. Lieutenant Dale's few surviving gunners scrambled topside to fight with hand weapons. It was at this moment that one of the gunners, seeing the slaughter on deck, cried out "Quarter! Quarter!" This was the accepted cry of defeat.

"Have you struck?" shouted the British captain, hearing the cry."No!" replied John Paul Jones in words that have echoed through history, "I have not yet begun to fight!"

Now it was the skill of the American seamen aloft--fighting from the ropes and platforms in the rigging--that was to play a large part in the battle. Marines and sailors, armed with muskets and hand grenades, cleared the British from the rigging of the Serapis, and then dropped hand grenades on the enemy and picked them off with musket fire. By 9:00 P.M. the leaking, blazing Bonhomme Richard was strewn with the dead.
For a moment, it seemed that the British would rally. Jones held his ground, and the hand-to-hand fighting continued even more furiously. At 10:30 P.M., after three and a half hours of bloody battle, Captain Pearson struck his colors and the fight was over.Two factors had brought about an American victory: sheer courage and grim determination. So badly wrecked was the Bonhomme Richard that she sank, and Jones took over the Serapis as his flagship. The cost of victory had been high: about half of the crew lost their lives. But it was this action, more than any other in the Revolution, which established the American Navy as a fighting force of the very first order.

Information from: The American Heritage Junior Library Books

Another great read to go with this subject is: Carry on Mr. Bowditch by Jean Lee Latham

Surprise!

At sea, individual ships of the American navy were astonishing the oldline British officers and seamen who had thought of the colonists as ill-trained and poorly equipped. During late 1776 and early 1777, Captain Lambert Wickes was annoying the British by capturing vessels in the enemy's own waters. One of the greatest surprises of all was in store for the captain of an English ship, the Prince of Orange (who came up with that ridiculous name?). Leisurely taking breakfast on May 3rd, 1777, in his private cabin, while his ship was cruising right in the middle of the English Channel, he looked up indignantly when a stranger burst in -- an American officer.
"Sir," said the officer, one Gustavus Conynghan, "you will pardon me, but I am taking over your ship."
When the British officer stomped out on deck to reprimand his officers for permitting this intrusion, he was struck dumb with astonishment. For an American ship, the 10-gun Surprise, had lived up to her name by coming alongside in the heart of enemy waters and overpowering the British ship without firing a shot (Hurray for those crazy, sneeky Americans).

In December 1775, Captain Biddle took command of the 14-gun brig Andrew Doria and joined the fleet commanded by Esek Hopkins in the expedition against New Providence.

One of the finest American ships was the frigate Randolph, 32-guns and later commanded by the 27 year old Nicholas Biddle. On February 12th, 1778, Biddle set sail out of Charleston with four vessels of the South Carolina navy: General Moultrie, Notre Dame, Polly, and Fair American. Heading into the West Indies, Biddle encountered a formidable enemy off Barbados, the strong, 64-gun ship-of-war Yarmouth. On the afternoon of March 7th, not hesitating at being out-gunned two to one, Biddle lunged to the attack in the trim little Randolph. Almost at the start of the battle, Biddle was wounded badly. None of the other American ships had sufficiently heavy artillery to get into the battle, except for the Moultrie, which became confused and fired into the Randolph by mistake. For fifteen minutes the gallant Biddle raked the enemy back and forth, inflicting heavy damage, and suffering little hurt to his own ship. But in the moment of glory as Biddle was waiting to get on the badly battered Yarmouth's quarter, the Randolph blew up. Flaming debris from the Randolph showered down on Yarmouth preventing her from pursuing the South Carolina ships which slipped away in the darkness.
Of the valiant crew of 315 officers and men, only four survived. Commodore Biddle was one of the casualties.

"I fear nothing but what I ought to fear. I am much more afraid of doing a foolish action than of loosing my life. I aim for a character of conduct, as well as courage, and hope never to throw away a vessel and crew merely to convince the world I have courage. No one has dared to impeach it yet. If any should, I will not leave them a moment of doubt."
Nicholas Biddle to his brother, Charles, 16 June 1776

Take What You Need

Esek Hopkins may not be a hero in the full sense of the word but I like his initiative and leadership. I think you will enjoy his story as well.

Esek Hopkins was born in Rhode Island on the 26th of April, 1718. As a young man he began a career at sea, captaining merchant vessels and, during the French and Indian War, he was a successful privateer. Hopkins had sailed to nearly every quarter of the earth before the Revolutionary War.
On December 22, 1775, Esek Hopkins was appointed Commander in Chief of the first American naval fleet.

In mid-February 1776, Commodore Hopkins sailed from Philadelphia, the Chesapeake Bay, along the southern coast and off Rhode Island. Realizing that enemy strength was too great to permit execution of this ambitious task, Hopkins instead undertook what would be the Navy's first amphibious offensive. On the 3rd of March, his squadron put a landing party ashore Nassau, in the Bahamas. Marines and sailors landed in "a bold stroke, worthy of an older and better trained service," capturing munitions desperately needed in the War of Independence. The American fleet returned home with more than 85 artillery pieces and a great deal of valuable gunpowder.

On the 4th of April, 1776, while en route home, the Continental ships encountered and captured two small British warships.

John Hancock, President of the Continental Congress, wrote Hopkins: "I beg leave to congratulate you on the success of your Expedition. Your account of the spirit and bravery shown by the men affords them [Congress] the greatest satisfaction . . . "

Esek Hopkins then brought his fleet into home waters and began a successful foray against enemy ships along the east coast. Later in a battle with the British Glasgow, Hopkins came under critical fire for his undertaking with the 20-gun Glasgow and her escape. Several months later was dismissed as the only man ever to hold the title "Commander in Chief of the Fleet."

Esek Hopkins retained his local popularity and served the Rhode Island legislature. He continued to serve the Rhode Island General Assembly through 1786, then retired to his farm where he died the 26th of February 1802.

I would like to see this story in the headlines today. Of course there is no need for us to go and take munitions from anyone else we make our own now -- or wait a minute! China here we come. . . . . !

Jeremiah O'Brien--Who????

Boys are fascinated by pirates but what they love more is a real hero. Jeremiah O'Brien is just that, a real American Hero. Jeremiah was born in Kittary, Maine in 1744. His family later moved to Machias, Maine were they ran a sawmill business.

Morris O'Brien (his father) was a strong patriot who took special care to instill his principles into the minds of his six boys; Jeremiah, Gideon, John, William, Dennis and Joseph. They were taught to read and write, "to handle the plow, the pitchfork, and the rifle, to raft lumber, and sail a boat." (I'm lucky if my children can wash some dishes and do a little vacuuming.)

Jeremiah was 31 when the Revolutionary War began. When news came from Boston of hostilities between the Americans and British the bold spirits of Machias were aflame. Soon came the Proclamation of Provincial Congress of Massachusetts "authorizing and requiring preparations and efforts incident to a state of hostility." Immediately Jeremiah and his brothers, Gideon and John erected a 'liberty pole'.

On June 2nd,1775, at the mouth of the Machias River coming from Boston arrived two sloops the Unity and Polly. On the Unity were provisions for the people of Machias that were to be traded for lumber. The people had decided they would not help the British by giving them the lumber. This was difficult since there were much needed supplies on the Unity. Now the Margaretta was positioned in the bay, it had escorted the Unity and Polly to Machias as protection against possible uprisings. The Margaretta had a crew of 40 men and four 6-pounder guns. It was commanded by Midshipman James Moore.

Captain James Moore had spotted the 'liberty pole' on shore and declared that it must be taken down or he would fire upon the town. The people voted to keep the 'liberty pole' in position "until it rotted down."

"There she is! Board her, men!" Were the echoes heard in the little seaport of Machias, Maine. Thirty-five brave men descended upon the Unity seizing her and heading out to bay to capture the Margaretta. The one sided battle of cannons vs guns last for over half an hour. The Americans riddled the British gunners at their gun ports and dropped the young Captain Moore on his quarterdeck. Captain Jeremiah O'Brien and his crew swarmed over the sides suprising the British with only their guns, swords, axes and pitchforks, seizing the Margaretta.

Captain Jeremiah O'Brien had the honor of hauling down the first British flag in the war of the American Revolution. He replaced it with a new flag fitting for those valiant lumberjacks. A pine tree or liberty tree with an 'Appeal to Heaven'.
The battle ended in a victory for the Americans. The first navel battle but not the last of the American Revolution.

During World War II the U.S. built 2,751 'Liberty Ships'. The SS Jeremiah O'Brien was built in 57 days at the New England Shipping Corporation in South Portland Maine. The SS O'Brien was launched on June 19th, 1943. The SS O'Brien was a rare survivor of the 6,939 ship armada that stormed Normandy on D-Day, 1944.