by Mark Hopkins

Created on: March 25, 2009

Standing just 5 feet five inches in his stockinged feet, John Paul, who later took the name John Paul Jones, was a small, wiry Scotsman of fiery temperament. Now considered Father of the U. S. Navy, it is fortunate that his reputation does not depend wholly on his raid on the English town of Whitehaven in Cumbria in April 1778. Audacious though it was, the raid descended into something resembling an early silent movie comedy script. Buster Keaton could have turned it into a classic!

Jones' ship, the USS Ranger anchored 2 miles off the port of Whitehaven on the night of April 22nd. Taking 30 men armed with cutlasses and muskets, Jones' plan was to row ashore, capture the fort and two batteries which commanded the harbor and burn the hundreds of merchant vessels, many laden with coal, which lay packed closely at anchor along the wharves.

Jones' force went in two boats. He commanded one, with a Swede Lt. Miejer as second in command. Lt. Wallingford of the US Marines commanded the second. Things did not go according to plan. It took three hours of rowing against the tide to reach the shore, where it proved impossible to effect a landing due to the rocks. The force had to row on into the harbor, by which time the first glimmers of light were showing in the sky. Sending Wallingford to set light to the ships in the northern part of the harbor, Jones went to capture the fort. This he did without bloodshed, as the guards had gone inside to warm themselves against the frosty night air and were taken completely by surprise. He then proceeded to 'spike' the fort's guns which commanded the harbor entrance and could have sunk his boats as he withdrew. Jones then went to spike the guns at Halfmoon battery, about 300 yards distant. With a range of over a mile, these were 32 pounders which could have blown him out of the water as he left.

The rest of the men of his boat he had sent to set fire to the ships anchored in the southern part of the harbor. Meanwhile, Lt. Wallingford had landed at the Old Quay as ordered. This was right by a pub, which his men entered to prevent the occupants raising the alarm. Once in, his men made free with the liquor, so when Jones finally reached the Quay himself he found that not a single ship had been set on fire! He now abandoned plans to burn the ships in the north harbor and took a light from the pub intending to set ablaze ships in the southern portion. Going along the pier, his men boarded the 'Thompson', a large, new ship and captured the

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