(1747–1792), a naval
leader of the
Revolutionary War, known for his attacks on British ships off the
coast of
England. When a British commander asked him to surrender his badly
crippled ship during a battle, he replied, "I have not yet begun to fight"Nand compelled the British
ship to surrender as his own
ship sank.
—SHSBC Binder 15 Approved Glossary