On September 23rd, 1779, as commander of the US ship Bonhomme Richard, John Paul Jones won a hard-fought battle against the British ships Serapis and Countess of Scarborough.
After inflicting major damage on the Bonhomme Richard, the captain of the Serapis asked Jones if he would surrender. Jones replied with the now-famous "I have not yet begun to fight." After three more hours of fighting, the Serapis and Countess of Scarborough surrendered to Jones. After the victory, the Americans transferred to the Serapis. The next day, Bonhomme Richard sank.
It was many years before John Paul Jones received recognition in the US. A hero in France, he died there in 1792 during the French Revolution and was buried in an unmarked grave. It wasn't until 1905 that his remains were located and brought back for burial at the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis.
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