THE REVOLUTIONARY BATTLES.

CHAPTER IV.

Birth of the American Navy—­The Privateers—­Capture of New Providence, in the Bahamas—­Paul Jones—­A Clever Exploit—­A Skilful Escape—­Fine Seamanship—­An Audacious Scheme.

When, on April 19, 1775, the battle of Lexington opened the Revolution the Colonies did not possess a single ship with which to form the beginning of a navy.  They had for many years been actively engaged in the coasting trade and some of their vessels did valiant service on the side of England in the wars against France and Spain.  We had a good many hardy, skilled seamen, who formed the best material from which to man a navy, and before long Congress undertook the work of building one.  That body ordered the construction of thirteen frigates—­one for each State—­and some of these did noble work, but by the close of the war few of them were left; nearly all had been captured or destroyed.

[Illustration:  CAPTAIN JOHN PAUL JONES.]

It was far different with the privateers, which were vessels fitted out by private parties, under the authority of Congress, to cruise the seas wherever they chose and capture English vessels wherever they could.  When a prize was taken the lucky officers and crews divided the plunder.  It was a very tempting field for the brave and enterprising Americans and when, in March, 1776, Congress gave them permission to fit out and sail privateers, they were quick to use the chance of securing prize money as it was called.  Those swift sailing vessels and their daring crews sailed out of Salem, Cape Ann, Newburyport, Bristol and other seacoast towns, and they did not have to hunt long before they found the richest sort of prizes.  In the single year 1776 these privateers captured 342 British vessels and wrought great havoc among the English shipping.

In January, 1778, one of these privateers entered the harbor of New Providence, in the Bahamas, and captured the fort and a sixteen-gun man-of-war.  Many other valiant exploits were performed and before long some of the more daring privateers boldly crossed the Atlantic and by their deeds threw the coast of Great Britain into consternation.

Among the most remarkable of these naval heroes was a young Scotchman, not quite thirty years old.

[Illustration]

He had been trained in the merchant service and had become a skilful sailor before he removed to Virginia, where he made his home.  He devotedly loved his adopted country, and, when the war broke out between the colonies and Great Britain, and the long, hard struggle for independence began, he was among the very first to offer his services on the side of liberty.  His character was so well known and appreciated that he was appointed a first lieutenant.  I am sure you have all heard of him, for his name was John Paul Jones, though since, for some reason or other, he dropped his first name and is generally referred to simply as Paul Jones.