Dewey, these and a thousand others of their kind, have but
followed the lead of Paul Jones, have learned their deepest
lesson in the thrill that came to each of them in boyhood on
hearing that proud defiance hurled at the ancient mistress
of the seas, "I have not yet begun to fight."

Although much greater sea-battles, in point of numbers of
both ships and men engaged, are recorded in history, yet
this, the first naval engagement by an American vessel, is
counted among the most famous of all on account of its
stubbornness. The child was matched against the parent; an
American vessel against a British, the latter far the
stronger. The combat was mainly between the Bonhomme
Richard, Jones' ship, with forty guns, many of them
unserviceable, and the British ship, Serapis, of superior
armament, as shown below.

John Paul Jones, commonly known as Paul Jones, was born in
Scotland in 1747, the son of John Paul, a gardener. He
emigrated to Virginia, and, assuming the name of Jones,
became first lieutenant (1775) in the American navy. When in
1778 France joined the colonies against England, Jones, who
had already performed several noteworthy exploits, was in
that country. Through the influence of Franklin an old
merchant vessel, the Duc de Duras, was converted into a
ship-of-war and, with four others, placed under the command
of Jones. In honor of Franklin he named the Duras "Poor
Richard," and, in compliment to the French language and
people, she was called the Bonhomme Richard, the French
colloquial equivalent.

With a squadron of five ships, each except his own under a
French commander and three of them with French crews as
well, Jones sailed from L'Orient, France, August 14, 1779.
He passed around the west coast of Ireland and around
Scotland. There was much discontent among the French
officers, and, though four of his ships were still with him
when he sighted the Baltic fleet, Jones could not count on
loyal service, especially from the Alliance, whose captain
had already shown much insubordination.

The memorable fight has never been better described than in
the following plain and direct account of Mackenzie,
himself an officer of the United States navy.

The battle between the Bonhomme and the Serapis is invested with