The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1925-10-09
CCHOOT JOHN PAUL JONES
u The First G t
II HLHN American Naval Hero.

H@ HIS man was born cap
tain" These words were
originally applied to a
French general of the seventeenth
century, but they have been used
with equal truth to characterize
John Paul Jones, the first naval
hero of the United States. Jones
was also a born fighter, as is shown
by his famous expression: Il do
not wish to have command of any
ship that does not sail fast, for
intend to go in harms way"
His whole life was a fight. From
an obscure family, with meagre adj
vantages, he fought his way up until
before his death he was one of the
most accomplished officers in the
United States, and a man whom the
greatest men of France and America
honored with their friendship.
His father was a poor Scotch
gardener, John Paul. The son was
named for his father, ana after he
came TO An erica he added the name
of Jones'" probably because Of his
J1lCnuSIlD WIFI Il Wtll-kilOWh lftililiy
of that name in North Carolina.
At the age Of -, John Paul be-
came sailor, going on his first
voyage to America. The boy pro-
crossed rapidly in his chosen career.
At 10 he was the chief mate on
slave-tr trading vessel, an occupation
which was considered perfectly
honorable in that day, but which
filled him with disgust. At p he
was captain Of a trading vessel,
but in 1878 he left the sea and
settled in Virginia on a plantation
which he had inherited from his
brother William, who had emil
grated to America years before while
John Paul was still a boy.
At the outbreak Of the Revolution
Jones journeyed to Philadelphia to
offer his services to his adopted
country in it's struggle for in
dependence. Before Christmas he
raised the Observation-Disclosures
flag on the first American manor
war. In 1777 he floated the newly
adopted Stars and Stripes from the
Ranger, and carried to France
the news of Burgoyne's surrender
While in harbor in France he re-
ceived from a French man-of-war
the first salute ever given by
another nation to the American
Flag.
From France he sailed to the
western coast of England, destroyed
the shipping at Whitehaven, and
defeated the guardship Drake In
the English Channel. Returning to
France, then an ally Of America,
he asked for, and finally received,
a naval vessel which he named the
Bonhomme Richard in compliment
to Franklin, the American minister
to France whose Poor Richards
Almanac" was very popular at that
time. With this vessel Jones
fought the famous battle with the
Scraps on September %, 1873. After
several hours of such fighting as
had rarely been seen on the seas,
the English commander called upon
Jones to surrender, but although his
ship was sinking, that intrepid com
mander responded, II have not yet
begun to fight" and in a short
time he compelled the English to
surrender to him. For this victory
Jones received a gold medal from
Congress. 1t was richly deserved
for such victories were gained where
England was strongest-on the sea
and they threatened her com
merce and the flow Of supplies and
troops to her armies in America.
After the Revolution, Jones en-
tered the Russian navy. But he
soon tired of the court intrigues,
resigned his commission, and re-
tired to Paris, where he spent the
rest of his life. He was buried In
a little Protestant cemetery In that
city. but in 1906 his body was
brought to America, and Inferred at
the United States Naval Academy
at Annapolis, Md. Thus after more
than a hundred years Of neglect his
adopted country paid fitting honor
to the memory of this man who
ranks with Farragut and Dewey as
one Of the great captains or the
American Navy.