John Paul Jones burns Whitehaven, England
At 8 a.m.on this day in 1778 John Paul Jones with 30 volunteers from his ship the USS Ranger launches a surprise attack on the two harbor forts at Whitehaven England.Jones boat successfully took the southern fort but a second boat assigned to attack to the northern fort returned to the Ranger without having done so claiming to have been scared off by a strange noise.
To compensate Jones decided to burn the southern fort the blaze ultimately consumed the entire town.It was the only American raid on English shores during the American Revolution.Later the same day Jones continued from Whitehaven where he began his sailing career to his home territory of Kirkcudbright Bay Scotland.There he intended to abduct the earl of Selkirk and then exchange him for American sailors held captive by Britain.
Although he did not find the earl at home Jones crew was able to steal all his silver including his wifes teapot still containing her breakfast tea.From Scotland Jones sailed across the Irish Sea to Carrickfergus where the Ranger captured the HMS Drake after delivering fatal wounds to the British ships captain and lieutenant.In September 1779 Jones fought one of the fiercest battles in naval history when he led the USS Bonhomme Richard frigate named for Benjamin Franklin in an engagement with the 50-gun British warship HMS Serapis.The USS Bonhomme Richard was struck it began taking on water and caught fire.
When the British captain of the Serapis ordered Jones to surrender Jones famously replied I have not yet begun to fight A few hours later the British captain and crew of the Serapis admitted defeat and Jones took command of their ship.Jones went on to establish himself as one of the greatest naval commanders in history he is remembered along with John Barry as a Father of the American Navy.He is buried in a crypt in the U.S.Naval Academy Chapel at Annapolis Maryland where a Marine honor guard stands at attention in his honor whenever the crypt is open to the public.
