John Paul Jones - Chloe

No army can hope to win the war without brave men on its side. From the trenches of the World Wars, to the seas of Cuba, each battle has had nuggets of greatness. The Revolutionary war in the 18th century showcased one of these heroes. His ship was his tool for victory, and his swagger emanated with valor. Because of his commitment, courtesy, and courage, John Paul Jones proved to be a great figure in the Revolutionary War.

There weren’t many men like this John Paul Jones. He took risks that no one had even dreamed of. What they viewed as suicide, Jones viewed as an opportunity; what they were sure was foolish, Jones used to show his bravery. One such situation occurred in September of 1779 when the Pallas and the Bonhomme Richard, under John Paul’s command squared off against the Serapis and Countess of Scarborough. Three hours past before the American’s captain realized the only way they could possibly win this battle was by grappling with the stronger and more excessively armed British ships. Another two bloody hours past; the two sides poured ammunition onto each other, hoping the battle would soon end. Finally, an American grenade exploded below the Serapis deck, and instantly, the British surrendered. As Jones raise the American flag upon the two ships, the Bonhomme Richard sunk slowly into the sea behind him. The fiery Scottish captain was very determined to win his battles, but also was very courteous, even to his enemies. He sent a contingent of his men to capture a British lord in order to receive ransom money in return, however the trip was not planned as well as Jones had hoped; the lord had left home. Thus, the American men came back, not with the British man, but with his lady’s tea set. Their captain was so infuriated, he bought back every piece of the set and returned it to the lord’s household. Above all other qualities, courage was on full display in John Paul Jones’ life as he fought under the American name. One of his finest moments was when he, and forty other soldiers with him, sailed in a small boat in the dead of night to burn some of the British ships. None of the men were motivated to help in this mission, so Jones went in alone. Because the soldiers thought what their captain was doing was so foolish, one of them went and proclaimed to the British that their ships were in trouble. Only enough time remained for one boat to be lit, but even with the enemy hot on his heals, Jones managed to escape un-singed.

As the Revelotionary War came to a close, many men had come forward as greats, showing character qualities that are worthy of praise. John Paul Jones showed commitment, courtesy and courage, leading his American men to victory in many battles. As it should be with all other great men such as this, they should be honored for what they’ve done. Just as the Americans were aided so much by Jones, so are all armies aided by courageous fighters.

-- Chloe (grade 8)