Nathaniel Fanning Nathaniel Fanning ( 31 May 1755 – 30 September 1805 ) was an officer in the Continental Navy and later the United States Navy , who served on board " Bonhomme Richard " during its 1779 battle with HMS " Serapis " . Fanning was born in Stonington , Connecticut , and was the eldest son of Gilbert Fanning and Huldah Palmer . His father was a sea merchant who was one of the largest provisioners of General George Washington ' s army during the American Revolution . On May 26 , 1778 , Fanning embarked from Boston , Massachusetts aboard the brig " Angelica " as a prizemaster under the command of Captain William Denison in a cruise against the British . On May 31 , " Angelica " was captured by the British man - of - war " Andromeda " and blown up , with Fanning being made a prisoner . Aboard " Andromeda " was General William Howe , who was returning to England . By orders of General Howe , the Americans were confined to the hold and treated severely , being allowed but a half - pint of water per day per man , even though the heat was so unbearable that the men were obliged to strip off all their clothes . On June 30 , 1778 , " Andromeda " reached Portsmouth , England , and Fanning was incarcerated at Forton prison . On July 2 , 1779 , Fanning was included in a prisoner exchange . He was marched to Gosport , then taken by cartel to Nantes , France . From there , he traveled to L ' Orient , where , under the command of John Paul Jones , he agreed to serve as midshipman and private secretary aboard " Bonhomme Richard " On August 14 , 1779 , " Bonhomme Richard " set sail , and over the next month captured or destroyed at least 29 enemy vessels . On September 23 , " Bonhomme Richard " famously fought the British frigate " Serapis " . During this engagement , Fanning served as captain of the main top . Most of his original group of men were killed , but he took a fresh party aloft and with them cleared " Serapis " < nowiki > ' < / nowiki > tops . When their yards locked the ships together , he led his men across to the British ship , where with hand grenades and mortars , they drove the British seamen from their stations . In recommending that Fanning be promoted , Jones said of him " . . . he was one cause among the prominent in obtaining the victory " . " Bonhomme Richard " was destroyed during this battle , but the Americans sailed to Holland aboard " Serapis " . Fanning continued to serve under Jones aboard his new ship " Alliance " and later Ariel . Fanning then served as second - in - command aboard the privateer " Count de Guichen " . On March 23 , 1781 they set sail from Morlaix and for many weeks ransomed or sunk numerous enemy vessels . But on May 4 , the privateer was captured by " Aurora " and Fanning was again made prisoner , but paroled after six weeks . On December 3 , 1781 , Fanning sailed from Ostend aboard " Eclipse " and had another productive cruise , returning to Dunkirk on March 6 , 1782 . While " Eclipse " was being refitted , Fanning made two trips to London , once as a spy and once to deliver peace proposals from the Court of France . On June 6 , " Eclipse " left for the coast of Scotland under the command of Fanning . On August 11 , " Eclipse " was chased by " Jupiter " , said to be the fastest ship in the British Navy . To escape " Jupiter " , Fanning ordered " Eclipse " to pass directly through the middle of the British Channel Fleet in broad daylight . To evade capture , he hoisted English colors and when hailed , answered that the ship was His Majesty ' s cutter " Surprise " . Two days later , Fanning was wounded in the left leg by a musketball while capturing " Lord Howe " . He sailed for Dunkirk and spent several weeks recovering . In October 1782 , he was commissioned as lieutenant in the French Navy . On October 23 , he sailed from Dunkirk in command of the privateer " Ranger " , but it was captured by an English cutter . Fanning was promptly exchanged , but his crew members , being Irish , were all executed as traitors . Returning to Dunkirk , Fanning set sail again on November 14 , but was captured a fourth time by the British frigate " Belle Poule " . Fanning was placed in chains , and abused by the crew . He was rescued when his captors ' ship was , in turn , captured by the French Navy . Learning that a peace treaty was imminent , Fanning attempted to launch yet another expedition against the British , but was unable to set sail before further privateering was prohibited . Fanning returned to the United States and , on December 5 , 1804 was commissioned a lieutenant in the US Navy . While stationed in Charleston , South Carolina , Lieutenant Fanning died of yellow fever on September 30 , 1805 while commanding Gunboat Number 1 . During the American Revolution , two of Fanning ' s brothers , Gilbert and Thomas , were captured aboard a privateer and held prisoner on HMS " Jersey " , where Gilbert died . Fanning was also the brother of explorer Edmund Fanning and a first cousin of celebrated attorney John Wickham . Namesake . Three ships in the United States Navy have been named USS " Fanning " for him .