|
John Paul Jones (born John Paul; July 6, 1747July 18, 1792) was a Scottish American sailor and the United States' first well-known naval fighter in the American Revolutionary War. Although he made many friends〔Morison, 1959 pp.91(John Hancock), 120-121(Benjamin Franklin)〕 and enemies among America's political elites, his actions in British waters during the Revolution earned him an international reputation which persists to this day. As such, he is sometimes referred to as the "Father of the American Navy" (an epithet he shares with John Barry). He later served in the Imperial Russian Navy, subsequently obtaining the rank of rear admiral. ==Early life and education== Jones was born John Paul (he added "Jones" in later life to hide from law enforcement after winning a duel) on the estate of Arbigland near Kirkbean in the Stewartry of Kirkcudbright on the southwest coast of Scotland. His father, John Paul, Sr., was a gardener at Arbigland, and his mother was named Jean McDuff (1708–1767). His parents married on November 29, 1733 in New Abbey, Kirkcudbright. Living at Arbigland at the time was Helen Craik (1751–1825), later a novelist. John Paul started his maritime career at the age of 13, sailing out of Whitehaven in the northern English county of Cumberland, as apprentice aboard ''Friendship'' under Captain Benson. Paul's older brother William Paul had married and settled in Fredericksburg, Virginia, the destination of many of the younger Jones' voyages. For several years John sailed aboard a number of British merchant and slave ships, including ''King George'' in 1764 as third mate, and ''Two Friends'' as first mate in 1766. In 1768 he abandoned his prestigious position on the profitable ''Two Friends'' while docked in Jamaica. He found his own passage back to Scotland, and eventually obtained another position. During his next voyage aboard the brig ''John'', which sailed from port in 1768, young John Paul's career was quickly and unexpectedly advanced when both the captain and a ranking mate suddenly died of yellow fever. John managed to navigate the ship back to a safe port and, in reward for this impressive feat, the vessel's grateful Scottish owners made him master of the ship and its crew, giving him 10 percent of the cargo.〔(John Paul Jones Timeline ), SeacoastNH.com〕 He then led two voyages to the West Indies before running into difficulty. During his second voyage in 1770, John Paul viciously flogged one of his sailors, a carpenter, leading to accusations that his discipline was "unnecessarily cruel." While these claims were initially dismissed, his favorable reputation was destroyed when the sailor died a few weeks later. John Paul was arrested for his involvement in the man's death, and was imprisoned in Kirkcudbright Tolbooth but later released on bail. The negative effect of this episode on his reputation is indisputable,〔 although the man's death has been linked to other causes. This man was not a usual sailor but an adventurer from a very influential Scottish family. Leaving Scotland, John Paul commanded a London-registered vessel, a West Indiaman mounting 22 guns, named ''Betsy,'' for about 18 months, engaging in commercial speculation in Tobago.〔Brady, 1906 pp.10, 164〕 This came to an end, however, when John killed a member of his crew, a mutineer named Blackton, with a sword, in a dispute over wages. Years later, in a letter to Benjamin Franklin describing this incident, he claimed it was in self-defense, but because he was not willing to be tried in an Admiral's Court, where the family of his first victim had been influential, he felt compelled to flee to Fredericksburg, Province of Virginia, leaving his fortune behind. He went to Fredericksburg to arrange the affairs of his brother, who had died there without leaving any relatives; and about this time, in addition to his original surname, he assumed the surname of Jones. There is a long tradition held in the state of North Carolina that John Paul adopted the name "Jones" in honor of Willie Jones of Halifax, North Carolina.〔Cotten, Elizabeth. The John Paul Jones-Willie Jones Tradition Charlotte: Heritage Printers, 1966〕〔(Old Halifax ), Ambistead C. Gordon〕 His sentiments became even more in favor of America. From that period, as he afterwards expressed himself to Baron Joan van der Capellen tot den Pol, America became "the country of his fond election." It was not long afterward that John Paul "Jones" joined the American navy to fight against Britain. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「John Paul Jones」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
|