Summary

Williams reprints the letter of John Paul Jones, commander of the Bon Homme Richard to Benjamin Franklin. There is no commentary by Williams. Jones’s ship, loaned from the French, is named in honor of Benjamin Franklin. Jones is outgunned and outmaneuvered by the British Serapis, but Jones is able to tie his ship to the Serapis and ultimately win the battle. The Bon Homme Richard sinks, however, probably because she has been fired on by the Alliance, another American ship. Still, Jones wins a great naval battle and his feisty refusal to quit makes him a hero to the French and the Americans.

Analysis

The tone of Jones’s letter to Franklin is completely self-serving and endearing at the same time, but his courage and skill are undeniable. Jones is the great underdog who will...