Naval officer, born in Burlington, New Jersey, USA. He served with distinction in the Tripolitan War, and won a notable victory over the British ship HMS Peacock in 1813. He was defeated and mortally wounded in the HMS ShannonUSS Chesapeake duel the same year. His famous appeal, Don't give up the ship, became a rallying cry for US sailors.
James Lawrence (October 1, 1781 – June 4, 1813) was an American naval hero. During the War of 1812, he commanded the USS Chesapeake in a single-ship action against the HMS Shannon (commanded by Philip Broke).
Biography
Lawrence was born in Burlington, New Jersey, the son of John and Martha (Tallman) Lawrence.
During the Quasi-War with France, he served in the ship USS Ganges and frigate USS Adams in the Caribbean. He was commissioned a lieutenant on April 6, 1802 and served aboard USS Enterprise in the Mediterranean, taking part in a successful attack on enemy craft on 2 June 1803.
In February 1804, he was second in command during the expedition to destroy the captured frigate USS Philadelphia.
Subsequently, Lieutenant Lawrence commanded the warships USS Vixen, USS Wasp and USS Argus. Promoted to the rank of Master Commandant in November 1810, he took command of the sloop of war USS Hornet a year later and sailed her to Europe on a diplomatic mission. From the beginning of the War of 1812, Lawrence and Hornet cruised actively, capturing the privateer Dolphin in July 1812.
Upon his return to the United States in March, Lawrence learned of his promotion to Captain. Two months later he took command of the frigate USS Chesapeake, then preparing for sea at Boston, Massachusetts. Captain Lawrence, mortally wounded by small arms fire, ordered "Don't give up the ship" as he was carried below. James Lawrence died of his wounds on 4 June 1813, while Chesapeake was being taken to Halifax, Nova Scotia, by her captors.
Legacy
Many places are named for Captain Lawrence, including Lawrence County, Missouri, Lawrence County, Ohio, Lawrence County, Kentucky, Lawrence County, Alabama, Lawrence County, Tennessee and Lawrenceville, Georgia. Both Lawrence Township, New Jersey and its Lawrenceville neighborhood are named for him. His birthplace of Burlington, New Jersey, has a Captain James Lawrence Elementary School.
In addition, the U.S. Navy has named five ships USS Lawrence. The third USS Lawrence (DD-8) was a 400-ton destroyer, commissioned in 1903 and serving until 1920. The fourth USS Lawrence (DD-250) was a Clemson-class destroyer, serving from 1921 to 1945 The fifth USS Lawrence (DDG-4) was a Charles F.
Relatives of Captain James Lawrence live in New Jersey currently.
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