James Lawrence
| James Lawrence | |
|---|---|
Captain James Lawrence, United States Navy
|
|
| Born |
October 1, 1781 Burlington, New Jersey |
| Died | June 4, 1813 (aged 31) at sea enroute to Halifax, Nova Scotia |
| Place of burial | Trinity Church Cemetery, New York, New York |
| Allegiance |
 United States of America
|
| Service/branch |
 United States Navy
|
| Years of service | 1798–1813 |
| Rank | Captain |
| Commands held | |
| Battles/wars |
Quasi-War First Barbary War War of 1812 |
James Lawrence (October 1, 1781 – June 4, 1813) was an American naval officer. During the War of 1812, he commanded USS Chesapeake in a single-ship action against HMS Shannon commanded by Philip Broke. He is probably best known today for his last words or "" "Don't give up the ship!", which is still a popular naval battle cry, and which was invoked by Oliver Hazard Perry's personal battle flag, adopted to commemorate his dead friend.
Lawrence was born on October 1, 1781 in Burlington, New Jersey but raised in Woodbury, New Jersey, the son of John and Martha (Tallman) Lawrence. His mother died when he was an infant and his Loyalist father fled to Canada during the American Revolution, leaving his half-sister to care for the infant. Though Lawrence studied law, he entered the United States Navy as a midshipman in 1798.
During the Quasi-War with France, he served on USS Ganges and the 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.
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