Help in Hard Times
Students of American history should remember the name Captain John Paul Jones. There are many exciting stories told about his sailing exploits during the Revolutionary War for the newly founded Continental Navy. Captain Jones was not always “Captain Jones.” He was known in his earlier days as Captain Paul. He was born as John Paul in Scotland. He started his maritime career when he was 12 and by the age of 22, he had been given his own command. John Paul’s older brother had married and settled in the Colony of Virginia, so John Paul’s early years saw him make many trips across the Atlantic. For several years John Paul served in the British Merchant Navy. He started out as 3rd mate and eventually worked his way up to 1st mate.
In 1768, at the age of 21, John Paul was 1st mate (second in command, only behind the captain) aboard the Merchant Ship John when the captain died of Yellow Fever. With the ship’s crew encouraging him, John Paul assumed the temporary role of captain. Temporary Captain John Paul safely navigated the ship back to port despite difficult circumstances. As a reward, John Paul was made the permanent captain of the ship, and he was paid 10% of whatever cargo he transported.
Captain Paul amassed a fair amount of wealth as a merchant ship captain. Things went well until he was chartered to lead a commercial trip from Scotland to the West Indies. Understand that trips to the West Indies were long and difficult. Merchant ships were tiny by today’s standards. In 1770 a mutiny arose. A letter from John Paul to a friend explains that some of the difficulty arose because of Captain Paul’s young age and wealth. Some of the crew were jealous of his situation. The primary troublemaker was described as a “hulking brute” of a man. This crewman challenged Captain Paul to defend himself. John Paul knew if he backed down or ran from the fight, he would lose his ability to command the rest of the crew. John Paul’s words were: “Captains do not run from a fight.” The result of the fight was that Captain Paul “ran him through” with his sword. Despite the difficult and unusual circumstances, John Paul was arrested for his involvement in the crewman’s death.
The event probably would not have garnered much attention, except that the dead crewman was descended from a wealthy Scottish family. The local Island Governor understood that John Paul was in a precarious situation and encouraged him to flee the area when he was released on bail. His life would be in danger if he was put on trial, for it seems the dead man’s wealthy family was influential in the area. Therefore, the name John Paul would never be used again. From that time on, Captain Paul lived by the alias John Paul Jones.
After many months of flight through many ports, John Paul Jones arrived in the colony of Virginia. Captain John Paul Jones would grow to love his newly adopted country. The American Colonies were widely seen as a place for second chances and new starts. In the early 1770’s John Paul Jones traveled the colonies and eventually ended up in Philadelphia. When the Revolutionary War broke out, Captain John Paul Jones would fight for his newly adopted country. Jones fought with the Colonial Navy on both sides of the Atlantic. While fighting against overwhelming forces, after being asked if he would surrender his damaged ship, Captain Jones would utter these famous words: “I have not yet begun to fight.”
The story of Captain John Paul Jones is one of courage and tenacity. He did much to lift the spirits of the American Colonies as they fought for freedom. As I mentioned earlier, Jones shared the story of his early sailing days with a friend. This friend was none other than Benjamin Franklin. Franklin did much for young John Paul Jones. Most likely, John Paul Jones would never have accomplished his great naval victories without the support, encouragement and help of Benjamin Franklin. This story is an important reminder that we all need help and support. We all need second chances. Our help, support, and salvation come from Jesus. As we fight and battle in this life, we must place ourselves completely in God’s hands. Keep looking up!