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Bonhomme Richard
1. Captain John Paul Jones, 32
years old, U.S. Continental Navy.
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2.Crew of 322 at the beginning
of action; by its end, more than 150 lay dead or seriously wounded.
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3.The forward 8-pounder and
crew that Jones was personally directing as they fired into the Serapis'
mainmast. é
4.The other two quarterdeck
8-pounders. These three cannon were the only guns remaining in
service on
the Bonhomme Richard.
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5.Scottish seaman William
Hamilton, working his way toward the end of the mainyard with a bucket
of
grenades. é
6.Gunner Henry Gardiner,
knocked unconscious after Jones struck him with a pistol when he tried
to
surrender the ship to the enemy.
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7.A group of nine men
operating one of the mainmast pumps.
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8.The fifteen French marines
killed early in the battle when Serapis fired three raking broadsides
into
Bonhomme Richard's stern.
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9.Damage created by Serapis'
forward cannon (two upper-deck 9-pounders and three lower-deck (18-pounders) firing unopposed into
Bonhomme Richard for two and a half
hours. é
10.Damage created by Serapis'
aft cannons (three upper-deck 9-pounders and three lower deck
18-pounders). é
11.Midshipman Fanning and
others throwing down their coats and stomping on them to extinguish the
fire that has traveled up the rigging into the maintop.
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12.Bonhomme Richard's large
"fighting tops," in which Jones placed seamen and French marines to
clear Serapis' tops and decks.
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13.Dead and wounded on
forecastle, as a result of the Continental Frigate Alliance firing two
broadsides
into the bow of Bonhomme Richard, and the stern of Serapis.
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14.The three-lantern
recognition signal in the fore, main and mizzen shrouds Jones has
hoisted for Alliance.
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15.The setting of Bonhomme
Richard (approximately six inches) with five feet of water in her hold
due to
seven 18-pound shot-holes below her waterline.
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Serapis
1.
Captain Richard Pearson, 48 years old, Royal Navy.
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2.
Serapis' mainmast is nearly cut in half by the Bonhomme
Richard's 8-pound cannon whose dire Jones has been
directing. é
3. he
main hatch, which is cocked open to release the tremendous
amount of smoke from below and through which Hamilton will drop
the grenade that sets off the massive explosion on the lower gun
deck. é
4.
Serapis' starboard spare anchor, which is hooked into
Bonhomme Richards's mizzen channels, locking the two ships
together. é
5. The
broken bowsprit, snapped off when Serapis ran into
Bonhomme Richard's starboard quarter and then pivoted.
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6. Cable
leading to the port bower anchor, which has been let go and
snatch up and break Serapis free from Bonhomme Richard.
This failed, so both ships are locked together by Serapis'
starboard spare anchor and grappling irons from Bonhomme
Richard. é
7.
Grapeshot damage by Alliance broadsides fired into both
ships. é
8. Dead
and wounded as a result of intense fire from Bonhomme Richard
tops. é
9. Out of
a crew of 284, more than 130 are dead or seriously wounded.
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