Jacob Jones
Encyclopedia
Commodore
Jacob Nicholas Jones (March 1768 – August 3, 1850) was an officer in the United States Navy
during the Quasi-War
with France
, the Barbary Wars
, and the War of 1812
.
. He was married to Anna Matilda Sykes, daughter of James Sykes (the 15th Governor (Delaware)), she died before he joined the United States Navy
.
in 1799 at the age of 31, very old for the times, when a midshipman could be as young as 10. Some think after the death of his wife, he joined the Navy because of grief. He spent 22 months as an acting midshipman.
with France, he served under Commodore John Barry
in the frigate
United States
and was commissioned a lieutenant 27 February 1801. Jones joined the crew of the Philadelphia on 24 May 1803 as second lieutenant (2nd mate). On 31 October 1803, he was taken prisoner with the rest of the Philadelphia's
crew by the Bey
of Tripoli
and held until liberated in June 1805.
, and on June 4, he took command of the USS Wasp
. In October 1812, Jones and the Wasp sailed on an Atlantic cruise. On 13 October he captured the British 12-gun brig
HMS Dolphin.
Despite storm damage to his ship, he attacked a British convoy on 18 October and, following an intense battle, captured the Royal Navy
sloop of war HMS Frolic
, in a battle that became quite famous
. Both combatants were seriously damaged and he soon fell victim to the powerful ship of the line HMS Poictiers
. Still, Jones was widely admired and when he returned to the United States after an exchange of prisoners, he received a gold medal from the United States Congress
.
during 1814.
Later, Captain Jones was sent to the Lake Ontario theater, where he commanded the frigate USS Mohawk
during the last year of the war.
During the second and final Barbary War
, in 1815, Jones again commanded Macedonian. Service as Captain of the frigate USS Guerriere
followed in 1816-1818.
and New York during the 1830s and 1840s. He received his final assignment, as commandant of the Philadelphia Naval Asylum
in 1847. Commodore Jacob Jones held that position at the time of his death on 3 August 1850.
, have been named for him. Jones Island
of Washington state is also named for Jones.
Commodore (rank)
Commodore is a military rank used in many navies that is superior to a navy captain, but below a rear admiral. Non-English-speaking nations often use the rank of flotilla admiral or counter admiral as an equivalent .It is often regarded as a one-star rank with a NATO code of OF-6, but is not always...
Jacob Nicholas Jones (March 1768 – August 3, 1850) was an officer in the United States Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
during the Quasi-War
Quasi-War
The Quasi-War was an undeclared war fought mostly at sea between the United States and French Republic from 1798 to 1800. In the United States, the conflict was sometimes also referred to as the Franco-American War, the Pirate Wars, or the Half-War.-Background:The Kingdom of France had been a...
with France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, the Barbary Wars
Barbary Wars
The Barbary Wars were a series of wars between the United States of America and the Barbary States of North Africa in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. At issue was the Barbary pirates' demand of tribute from American merchant vessels in the Mediterranean Sea. If ships failed to pay, pirates...
, and the War of 1812
War of 1812
The War of 1812 was a military conflict fought between the forces of the United States of America and those of the British Empire. The Americans declared war in 1812 for several reasons, including trade restrictions because of Britain's ongoing war with France, impressment of American merchant...
.
Biography
Jones' birthplace was on a farm about one mile in a north-westerly direction from the town of Smyrna, in Kent county, Delaware. His father was a farmer of exemplary moral and religious character and his mother was of a family greatly respected. She died when he was an infant. His father soon followed her to the grave and at four years of age he was an orphan. It is not clear how he became a doctor. Educated in medicine and practicing as a doctor, he was later appointed as Clerk of the Delaware Supreme CourtDelaware Supreme Court
The Supreme Court of Delaware is the sole appellate court in the United States' state of Delaware. Because Delaware is a popular haven for corporations, the Court has developed a worldwide reputation as a respected source of corporate law decisions, particularly in the area of mergers and...
. He was married to Anna Matilda Sykes, daughter of James Sykes (the 15th Governor (Delaware)), she died before he joined the United States Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
.
Midshipman
Jones joined the United States NavyUnited States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
in 1799 at the age of 31, very old for the times, when a midshipman could be as young as 10. Some think after the death of his wife, he joined the Navy because of grief. He spent 22 months as an acting midshipman.
Lieutenant
During the Quasi-WarQuasi-War
The Quasi-War was an undeclared war fought mostly at sea between the United States and French Republic from 1798 to 1800. In the United States, the conflict was sometimes also referred to as the Franco-American War, the Pirate Wars, or the Half-War.-Background:The Kingdom of France had been a...
with France, he served under Commodore John Barry
John Barry (naval officer)
John Barry was an officer in the Continental Navy during the American Revolutionary War and later in the United States Navy. He is often credited as "The Father of the American Navy"...
in the frigate
Frigate
A frigate is any of several types of warship, the term having been used for ships of various sizes and roles over the last few centuries.In the 17th century, the term was used for any warship built for speed and maneuverability, the description often used being "frigate-built"...
United States
USS United States (1797)
USS United States was a wooden-hulled, three-masted heavy frigate of the United States Navy and the first of the six original frigates authorized for construction by the Naval Act of 1794...
and was commissioned a lieutenant 27 February 1801. Jones joined the crew of the Philadelphia on 24 May 1803 as second lieutenant (2nd mate). On 31 October 1803, he was taken prisoner with the rest of the Philadelphia's
USS Philadelphia (1799)
The second USS Philadelphia was a 1240-ton, 36-gun sailing frigate of the United States Navy.Originally named City of Philadelphia, she was built in 1798–1799 for the United States government by the citizens of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Funding for her construction was the result of a...
crew by the Bey
Bey
Bey is a title for chieftain, traditionally applied to the leaders of small tribal groups. Accoding to some sources, the word "Bey" is of Turkish language In historical accounts, many Turkish, other Turkic and Persian leaders are titled Bey, Beg, Bek, Bay, Baig or Beigh. They are all the same word...
of Tripoli
Tripoli
Tripoli is the capital and largest city in Libya. It is also known as Western Tripoli , to distinguish it from Tripoli, Lebanon. It is affectionately called The Mermaid of the Mediterranean , describing its turquoise waters and its whitewashed buildings. Tripoli is a Greek name that means "Three...
and held until liberated in June 1805.
Master Commandant
On April 20, 1810, Jones received promotion to Master CommandantMaster Commandant
Master commandant was a rank within the early United States Navy. The rank of master commandant was slightly higher than lieutenant, and a master commandant would often command warships too small to justify the command of a full captain. In the United States Navy, the rank was shortened to...
, and on June 4, he took command of the USS Wasp
USS Wasp (1807)
The second USS Wasp of the United States Navy was a sailing sloop of war captured by the British in the early months of the War of 1812. She was constructed in 1806 at the Washington Navy Yard, was commissioned sometime in 1807, Master Commandant John Smith in command. In 1812 she captured , but...
. In October 1812, Jones and the Wasp sailed on an Atlantic cruise. On 13 October he captured the British 12-gun brig
Brig
A brig is a sailing vessel with two square-rigged masts. During the Age of Sail, brigs were seen as fast and manoeuvrable and were used as both naval warships and merchant vessels. They were especially popular in the 18th and early 19th centuries...
HMS Dolphin.
Despite storm damage to his ship, he attacked a British convoy on 18 October and, following an intense battle, captured the Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
sloop of war HMS Frolic
HMS Frolic (1806)
HMS Frolic was a 18-gun Cruizer-class brig-sloop of the Royal Navy. She was built by Boole, of Bridport and was launched on 9 February 1806. In 1812 the American sloop captured her after a fierce fight, but later that day the British recaptured Frolic and captured Wasp...
, in a battle that became quite famous
Capture of HMS Frolic
The capture of HMS Frolic was a naval action fought in the Atlantic on 18 October 1812, between the sloop-of-war USS Wasp, commanded by Master Commandant Jacob Jones, and the Cruizer class brig-sloop HM Brig Frolic, under Commander Thomas Whinyates...
. Both combatants were seriously damaged and he soon fell victim to the powerful ship of the line HMS Poictiers
HMS Poictiers (1809)
HMS Poictiers was a 74-gun Royal Navy third rate. This ship of the line was launched on 9 December 1809 at Upnor. She played a small role in the War of 1812. She was broken up in 1857.-Active service:...
. Still, Jones was widely admired and when he returned to the United States after an exchange of prisoners, he received a gold medal from the United States Congress
United States Congress
The United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C....
.
Captain
Jones was promoted to the rank of Captain and given command of the frigate USS Macedonian. He spent time in Decatur's squadron, which was bottled up at New LondonNew London, Connecticut
New London is a seaport city and a port of entry on the northeast coast of the United States.It is located at the mouth of the Thames River in New London County, southeastern Connecticut....
during 1814.
Later, Captain Jones was sent to the Lake Ontario theater, where he commanded the frigate USS Mohawk
USS Mohawk (1814)
USS Mohawk was a U.S. Navy frigate that fought on the Great Lakes during the War of 1812.USS Mohawk, a 42-gun frigate, was laid down 8 May 1814 by shipbuilder Henry Eckford at Sackets Harbor, New York, launched on 11 June 1814, and acquired by the U.S. Navy and placed in service shortly thereafter...
during the last year of the war.
During the second and final Barbary War
Second Barbary War
The Second Barbary War , also known as the Algerine or Algerian War, was the second of two wars fought between the United States and the Ottoman Empire's North African regencies of Tripoli, Tunis, and Algeria known collectively as the Barbary states. The war between the Barbary States and the U.S...
, in 1815, Jones again commanded Macedonian. Service as Captain of the frigate USS Guerriere
USS Guerriere (1814)
The first USS Guerriere was the first frigate built in the United States since 1801. The name came from a fast 49-gun British frigate captured and destroyed in a half-hour battle by 19 August 1812. This victory was the United States' first success in the War of 1812.She was built at the...
followed in 1816-1818.
Commodore
Jones was Commodore of the United States' squadrons in the Mediterranean in 1821-1823 and in the Pacific in 1826-1829. He was a Navy Commissioner in Washington, DC, between those tours at sea and held important commands ashore at BaltimoreBaltimore
Baltimore is the largest independent city in the United States and the largest city and cultural center of the US state of Maryland. The city is located in central Maryland along the tidal portion of the Patapsco River, an arm of the Chesapeake Bay. Baltimore is sometimes referred to as Baltimore...
and New York during the 1830s and 1840s. He received his final assignment, as commandant of the Philadelphia Naval Asylum
Philadelphia Naval Asylum
The Philadelphia Naval Asylum, later the Naval Home, was a hospital, the Philadelphia Naval School, and a home for retired sailors for the United States Navy from 1834 to 1976, located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania....
in 1847. Commodore Jacob Jones held that position at the time of his death on 3 August 1850.
Namesakes
Three ships, USS Jacob JonesUSS Jacob Jones
Three ships of the United States Navy have been named USS Jacob Jones, in honor of Jacob Jones:, was a Tucker-class destroyer, commissioned in 1916 and sunk by a torpedo in December 1917...
, have been named for him. Jones Island
Jones Island State Park
Jones Island State Park is coterminous with Jones Island, one of the San Juan Islands in San Juan County, Washington, USA. It is located one mile west of the southwestern corner of Orcas Island and accessible only by boat. The park features a dock and space for 21 campsites. The island has a land...
of Washington state is also named for Jones.