I have always been a John Paul Jones sceptic. Was he a great naval leader or merely a prima dona? Was he so difficult a personality that he was never an effective leader? He was at the very least a complicated figure. Even his greatest triumph, the slugging match between the Bonhomme Richard and the Serapis, while a huge moral victory for the colonies, was a strategic failure. Though the Seraphis was defeated, she did ensure that the 41-ship convoy that she was escorting made good their escape. If the American squadron had been fighting only the British, rather than each other, the victory might have been more complete.
From the Smithsonian
In an attempt to disrupt English shipping during the Revolutionary War, Continental Navy Capt. John Paul Jones attacks the frigate Serapis off the English coast September 23, 1779. In the heated 3 1/2-hour battle, Jones’ own ship, Bonhomme Richard, is badly hit. His retort when asked to surrender—”I have not yet begun to fight”—won’t be reported for 46 years, but whatever his words, fight Jones does, winning both the battle with the Serapis and the sobriquet “Father of the American Navy.”
See also Captain Jones — Pirate or Patriot?
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