The
battle was really fought and won by the commanders of the various
ships--Robley D. Evans, John W. Philip, Charles E. Clark, Henry C.
Taylor, Richard Wainwright--by the very simple procedure of getting as
close to the enemy as they could, and hammering him as hard as their
guns would let them. One and all, they behaved with the utmost
gallantry. But most remarkable of all in the history of the navy from
first to last has been the superb work of the "men behind the guns,"
whose marksmanship has been the despair and envy of the world.

SUMMARY

JONES, JOHN PAUL. Born at Kirkbean, Kirkcudbrightshire, Scotland, July
6, 1747; settled in Virginia, 1773; appointed first lieutenant in
American navy, 1775; commanded Ranger and cruised in the Irish sea,
1777-78; sailed from France in Bon Homme Richard, August 14, 1779;
fought Serapis, September 23, 1779; resigned from American service,
entered the French and later the Russian navy, served under Potemkin in
the Black Sea with rank of rear-admiral; returned to Paris, 1790; died
there, July 18, 1792.

BIDDLE, NICHOLAS. Born at Philadelphia, September 10, 1750; captain in
American navy, 1775; appointed to command the Randolph, June 6, 1776;
killed when ship blew up in fight with Yarmouth, March 7, 1778.

PORTER, DAVID. Born at Boston, February 1, 1780; entered navy, 1798;
served in Tripolitan war, 1801-03; commander of the Essex in war of
1812; defeated and taken prisoner in Valparaiso harbor, March 28, 1814;
resigned, 1826; commander of Mexican naval forces, 1826-29; United
States minister to Turkey, 1831-43; died at Pera, Constantinople, March
3, 1843.

HULL, ISAAC. Born at Derby, Connecticut, March 9, 1773; entered navy,
1798; served in war with Tripoli, 1801-03; sailed from Boston in command
of the Constitution, August 2, 1812; defeated Guerriere, August 19,
1812; remained in navy till end of life; died at Philadelphia, February
13, 1843.

DECATUR, STEPHEN. Born at Sinnepuxent, Maryland, January 5, 1779;
entered navy, 1798; burned frigate Philadelphia in harbor of Tripoli,
February 16, 1804; commanded frigate United States in war of 1812;
captured British frigate, Macedonian, October 25, 1812; captured by
British fleet, January 15, 1815; killed in a duel with James Barron,
near Bladensburg, Maryland, March 22, 1820.

BAINBRIDGE, WILLIAM. Born at Princeton, New Jersey, May 7, 1774;
lieutenant-commandant in quasi-naval-war with France, 1798; commanded
Philadelp