![]() Early on, Jones faced a scare when it was discovered that a group of Englishmen, who had signed on to avoid French prisons, plotted to kill him and take control of the ship. Naturally and unsurprisingly, they often quarreled among themselves, even coming to blows on occasion. The sailors on the crew came from a variety of nationalities and languages, hailing from the American colonies, France, Scotland, Ireland, England, Italy, Norway, and even India. ![]() However, the crew was altogether a different matter. Despite suffering from a somewhat toxic relationship with his subordinates during his last voyage as commander of the sloop Ranger, the officers he selected for duty on the ship remained relatively loyal to Jones. After several months of refitting the ship to a man-of-war, Jones was tasked with supplying her armament and manning the crew. Jones renamed her Bonhomme Richard to honor his friend, Founding Father Benjamin Franklin, whose famous work, Poor Richard’s Almanac, was a bestseller in France under the title Les Maximes du Bonhomme Richard. Jones received command of Bonhomme Richard from Monsieur Gabriel de Sartine, French Minister of Marine, in the spring of 1779. Originally built in 1766 as the French merchant vessel Duc de Duras, the ship was gifted to Captain John Paul Jones of the Continental Navy by King of France Louis XVI for use against the British during the American Revolution.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |