The First Salute
That Flag and I are twins, born at the same hour.... We cannot be parted in life or death. So long as we shall float, we shall float together. If we sink, we shall go down as one.
Paul Jones
June 14, 1777, was a great day for the United States and for Paul Jones.
On that self-same day, Congress passed two famous Resolutions;—and Commander Paul Jones and the Flag of the Nation were “born at the same hour”:—
Resolved: that the Flag of the Thirteen United States be thirteen Stripes, alternate red and white; that the Union be thirteen Stars, white in a blue field, representing a new Constellation.
Resolved: that Captain John Paul Jones be appointed to command the ship Ranger.
Thus it came to pass that the gallant young Scotchman, eager to fight for Liberty, hastened to make the Ranger ready for sea. Then he sailed away under orders for France.
From the harbour of Nantes, he convoyed some American ships to place them under the protection of the French fleet in Quiberon Bay. The commander of the French fleet was Admiral La Motte Picquet, who had been ordered by his Government to keep the coast of France free from British cruisers.
And it was there in Quiberon Bay, that John Paul Jones received the first salute ever given by a foreign Nation to our Stars and Stripes—a salute that recognized the Independence of the United States.
It was on Washington’s Birthday, 1778, that Paul Jones wrote to our Government describing this great event:—
“I am happy in having it in my power to congratulate you,” he said, “on my having seen the American Flag, for the first time, recognized in the fullest and completest manner by the Flag of France.
“I was off their bay, the 18th, and sent my boat in the next day, to know if the Admiral would return my salute.
“He answered that he would return to me, as the senior American Continental officer in Europe, the
same salute which he was authorized by his Court to return to an Admiral of Holland, or of any other Republic; which was four guns less than the salute given.
“I hesitated at this; for I had demanded gun for gun.
“Therefore, I anchored in the entrance of the bay, at a distance from the French Fleet. But after a very particular inquiry, on the 14th, finding that he had really told the truth, I was induced to accept of his offer; the more so as it was in fact an acknowledgment of American Independence.
“The wind being contrary and blowing hard, it was after sunset before the Ranger got near enough to salute La Motte Picquet with thirteen guns, which he returned with nine.
“However, to put the matter beyond a doubt, I did not suffer the Independence (an American brig that was with Paul Jones) to salute till next morning, when I sent the Admiral word, that I should sail through his Fleet in the brig, and would salute him in open day.
“He was exceedingly pleased, and returned the compliment also with nine guns.”
Paul Jones thus had the singular honor of being the first to hoist the original Flag of Liberty on board the Alfred; first probably to hoist the Stars and Stripes, which still wave in pride as our national emblem; and first to claim for our Flag the courtesy from foreigners due to a Sovereign State.
Alexander S. Mackenzie (Retold)