John Paul Jones

John Paul Jones The Bonhomme Richard vs. The HMS Serapis John Paul was born in the small fishing village of Arbigland, Scotland on July 6, 1747. To his parents John Paul and Jean MacDuff he was the fourth child. They had seven children but unfortunately all but two died in infancy. The family was originally from Fife but John Paul's father had taken the family and moved to Arbigland where William Craik, the owner of a large …

…boarding party of 25-30 men and boarded the Serapis. After a few minutes of terrible slaughter of British soldiers, Capt. Pearson, having allowed the fleet of merchant ships he was protecting to escape, lowered the flag himself and surrendered the ship to Richard Dale, the First Lieutenant of the Bonhomme Richard. Because Richard was so badly wounded Jones took his men aboard the now conquered Serapis and after the Bonhomme Richard sunk headed for port.