A Commodore in the U.S. Navy, he was the son of Maj. Catesby Jones and Lettice Corbin Tuberville.
Jones commanded the small US Navy unit at the Battle of New Orleans. He later served on and commanded a number of US Navy vessels. In 1820 he was instrumental in signing a treaty with the King of Hawaii that prevented the British from annexing the islands.
In the 1840s Jones was appointed Commodore of the Pacific fleet, with instructions to sail to Monterrey, California, and capture the Mexican garrison there if war were to start between the two countries. Receiving word that war had started, Jones sailed to Monterrey and obtained the surrender of the garrison without incident. The next day word reached him that the countries were not, in fact, at war, so he returned the Mexican flag and control of the area to the garrison. Mexico was not pleased.
During this time Navy vessels picked up whaling ship deserters and returned them to the states; one such passenger while Jones was Commodore was Herman Melville. On one of his voyages Commodore Jones' ship collided with a sleeping whale and was heavily damaged. Melville's first book concerned a somewhat tyrannical "Commodore J". His second book was about a captain obsessed with a whale that had damaged is ship. Coincidence?
Commodore Jones was one of a number of naval leaders advocating for a naval version of the Army's Military Academy at West Point, which finally resulted in the establishment of the US Naval Academy at Annapolis.
Commodore Jones' brother, Major General Roger Jones, was appointed Adjutant General of the Army in 1825 and served in that capacity until his death in 1852.
Catesby ap Roger Jones, son of Gen. Jones and nephew of Commodore Jones, was executive officer on the CSS Virginia, commanded by Franklin Buchanan, who had been the first commandant of the Naval Academy. When Buchanan was wounded on the first day of battle, Catesby Jones assumed command and fought the USS Monitor on the next day.
∼TMSI [21939] M13 — 3G-Grandson of Nicholas Meriwether & Elizabeth (?) Meriwether Browne.
Jones commanded the small US Navy unit at the Battle of New Orleans. He later served on and commanded a number of US Navy vessels. In 1820 he was instrumental in signing a treaty with the King of Hawaii that prevented the British from annexing the islands.
In the 1840s Jones was appointed Commodore of the Pacific fleet, with instructions to sail to Monterrey, California, and capture the Mexican garrison there if war were to start between the two countries. Receiving word that war had started, Jones sailed to Monterrey and obtained the surrender of the garrison without incident. The next day word reached him that the countries were not, in fact, at war, so he returned the Mexican flag and control of the area to the garrison. Mexico was not pleased.
During this time Navy vessels picked up whaling ship deserters and returned them to the states; one such passenger while Jones was Commodore was Herman Melville. On one of his voyages Commodore Jones' ship collided with a sleeping whale and was heavily damaged. Melville's first book concerned a somewhat tyrannical "Commodore J". His second book was about a captain obsessed with a whale that had damaged is ship. Coincidence?
Commodore Jones was one of a number of naval leaders advocating for a naval version of the Army's Military Academy at West Point, which finally resulted in the establishment of the US Naval Academy at Annapolis.
Commodore Jones' brother, Major General Roger Jones, was appointed Adjutant General of the Army in 1825 and served in that capacity until his death in 1852.
Catesby ap Roger Jones, son of Gen. Jones and nephew of Commodore Jones, was executive officer on the CSS Virginia, commanded by Franklin Buchanan, who had been the first commandant of the Naval Academy. When Buchanan was wounded on the first day of battle, Catesby Jones assumed command and fought the USS Monitor on the next day.
∼TMSI [21939] M13 — 3G-Grandson of Nicholas Meriwether & Elizabeth (?) Meriwether Browne.
A Commodore in the U.S. Navy, he was the son of Maj. Catesby Jones and Lettice Corbin Tuberville.
Jones commanded the small US Navy unit at the Battle of New Orleans. He later served on and commanded a number of US Navy vessels. In 1820 he was instrumental in signing a treaty with the King of Hawaii that prevented the British from annexing the islands.
In the 1840s Jones was appointed Commodore of the Pacific fleet, with instructions to sail to Monterrey, California, and capture the Mexican garrison there if war were to start between the two countries. Receiving word that war had started, Jones sailed to Monterrey and obtained the surrender of the garrison without incident. The next day word reached him that the countries were not, in fact, at war, so he returned the Mexican flag and control of the area to the garrison. Mexico was not pleased.
During this time Navy vessels picked up whaling ship deserters and returned them to the states; one such passenger while Jones was Commodore was Herman Melville. On one of his voyages Commodore Jones' ship collided with a sleeping whale and was heavily damaged. Melville's first book concerned a somewhat tyrannical "Commodore J". His second book was about a captain obsessed with a whale that had damaged is ship. Coincidence?
Commodore Jones was one of a number of naval leaders advocating for a naval version of the Army's Military Academy at West Point, which finally resulted in the establishment of the US Naval Academy at Annapolis.
Commodore Jones' brother, Major General Roger Jones, was appointed Adjutant General of the Army in 1825 and served in that capacity until his death in 1852.
Catesby ap Roger Jones, son of Gen. Jones and nephew of Commodore Jones, was executive officer on the CSS Virginia, commanded by Franklin Buchanan, who had been the first commandant of the Naval Academy. When Buchanan was wounded on the first day of battle, Catesby Jones assumed command and fought the USS Monitor on the next day.
∼TMSI [21939] M13 — 3G-Grandson of Nicholas Meriwether & Elizabeth (?) Meriwether Browne.
Jones commanded the small US Navy unit at the Battle of New Orleans. He later served on and commanded a number of US Navy vessels. In 1820 he was instrumental in signing a treaty with the King of Hawaii that prevented the British from annexing the islands.
In the 1840s Jones was appointed Commodore of the Pacific fleet, with instructions to sail to Monterrey, California, and capture the Mexican garrison there if war were to start between the two countries. Receiving word that war had started, Jones sailed to Monterrey and obtained the surrender of the garrison without incident. The next day word reached him that the countries were not, in fact, at war, so he returned the Mexican flag and control of the area to the garrison. Mexico was not pleased.
During this time Navy vessels picked up whaling ship deserters and returned them to the states; one such passenger while Jones was Commodore was Herman Melville. On one of his voyages Commodore Jones' ship collided with a sleeping whale and was heavily damaged. Melville's first book concerned a somewhat tyrannical "Commodore J". His second book was about a captain obsessed with a whale that had damaged is ship. Coincidence?
Commodore Jones was one of a number of naval leaders advocating for a naval version of the Army's Military Academy at West Point, which finally resulted in the establishment of the US Naval Academy at Annapolis.
Commodore Jones' brother, Major General Roger Jones, was appointed Adjutant General of the Army in 1825 and served in that capacity until his death in 1852.
Catesby ap Roger Jones, son of Gen. Jones and nephew of Commodore Jones, was executive officer on the CSS Virginia, commanded by Franklin Buchanan, who had been the first commandant of the Naval Academy. When Buchanan was wounded on the first day of battle, Catesby Jones assumed command and fought the USS Monitor on the next day.
∼TMSI [21939] M13 — 3G-Grandson of Nicholas Meriwether & Elizabeth (?) Meriwether Browne.
Inscription
COMMODORE
THOMAS AP. CATESBY JONES
United States Navy.
Born at Hickory Hill,
Westmoreland Co. Va.
April 24, 1790.
Died at Sharon, Fairfax Co. Va.
May 30, 1858.
"Precious in the sight of the Lord is
the death of his Saints."
Family Members
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