While there he visited an older brother, who owned a plantation
at Fredericksburg.
For six years John Paul remained with the Whitehaven merchant, and during
this time he learned much about good seamanship. After the merchant failed
in business, John Paul still continued to follow a seafaring life, and in
a short time became a captain. But when his brother in Virginia died, John
Paul went to Fredericksburg to manage the plantation his brother had left.
It was now his intention to spend the rest of his life here, but, like
Patrick Henry, he failed as a farmer. In fact, it would seem that he was
born to be a sailor.
In the meantime he had come to be a loyal American, and when the
Revolution broke out he determined to offer his services to Congress. When
he did so, he changed his name to John Paul Jones. Just why, we do not
know.
[Illustration: Battle Between the Ranger and the Drake.]
Congress accepted his services by appointing him first lieutenant. He
proved himself so able that in the second year of the war he was put in
command of two vessels, with which he captured sixteen prizes in six
weeks.
In the following year he was appointed captain of the Ranger and sent to
France with letters to Benjamin Franklin, who was then American
commissioner at the French court, trying to secure aid for the American
cause.
Pages:
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93
94
95
96