John Thompson’s Continental Navy service is most fully documented in Philadelphia’s Exemplification Book 11 Page 225 where he clearly articulates serving as Armourer on the sloop Hornet from 6 May 1776 to 10 October 1776 and subsequently as Armourer on the brigantine Lexington from 18 October 1776 to 18 February 1777 when he was advanced to Gunner on the Lexington from 18 February 1777 till her capture on 19 September 1777. Thompson further notes that his wages were paid in full until his return home from confinement in England and has received half pay from 19 May 1778 until 17 September 1779 when his statement was dated. Thompson’s declaration was recorded in the Exemplification Book on 6 October 1779. The merchant sloop Hornet was chartered from Captain William Stone to bolster the fledgling Continental Navy fleet being assembled at Philadelphia under Commodore Esek Hopkins. Col. Benjamin Harrison was dispatched by Congress to Baltimore on 2 December 1775 to acquire several vessels, identified as the Hornet and the Wasp. Both were fitted out by 18 December 1775 and commissioned into service after joining the fleet at Philadelphia on 13 February 1776. Hornet sailed with the fleet on her expedition to New Providence on 18 February 1776 but returned to port due to an unfortunate accident at sea with the Fly off the Virginia Capes resulting in the loss of her mast-head and boom.
It was during this time that Irish-born Philadelphian John Thompson joined the vessel as Armorer in May 1776. Congress moved to purchase the 100 ton Bermudian-built sloop from William Stone in late August 1776 and the ten gun vessel with her compliment of thirty-five men patrolled the Delaware Bay for the next year. Thompson was with the Hornet while on 28 June 1776, the Pennsylvania State brig Nancy arrived near the mouth of the Bay with a substantial cargo of gunpowder and was driven ashore by the British warships Kingfisher and Orpheus blockading the bay entrance. The Continental Navy vessels Wasp and Hornet had been joined by the Lexington and Reprisal out of Philadelphia eight days earlier. In command of the Lexington, Captain John Barry supervised the removal of most of the gunpowder safely to shore at night before the remaining charge was exploded by a delayed action fuse just as a British boarding party entered their prize. Unfortunately Lieutenant Richard Wickes, brother of Reprisal’s Captain Lambert Wickes, was killed by cannon fire in the incident which became known as the Battle of Turtle Gut Inlet. While it is uncertain whether the crew of the Hornet participated in the salvage of the gunpowder it is certain that by 8 July 1776, Captain William Hallock of the sloop Hornet that “delivery of the Wreck” of the Nancy was into his care. Hallock was next placed in command of the Lexington following Barry’s advancement, leaving the Hornet in the hands of Captain John Nicholson. After Thompson’s departure from the Hornet, the sloop sailed from the icy Delaware in February 1777 initially for Charleston and then Martinique. On her return voyage the Hornet was taken by the British schooner Porcupine with her captive crew taken into Jamaica.
Armorer John Thompson joined the 140-ton brig Lexington at Philadelphia in mid-October 1776 following his former captain, while the vessel was undergoing repairs. Soon afterwards, Hallock took the Lexington to Cape Francois to secure a cargo of military goods. At the end of her homeward bound cruise, Lexington was taken by the British frigate Pearl just outside of the Delaware Capes on 20 December 1777. Pearl’s commander made the mistake of leaving seventy of her men below decks while manning his new conquest with a skeletal prize crew. Lexington’s men recaptured the vessel and brought her into Baltimore where Captain Henry Johnson was placed in command. Two days after John Thompson’s advancement to Gunner, the brig sailed for France on 20 February 1777, taking two prizes before arriving at Bordeaux in March. The monthly return of men entered on the Continental Navy brig Lexington for March 1777 published in Part 2 of Volume 8 of “Naval Documents of the American Revolution” indicates that gunner John Thompson was born in Ireland. On 28 May 1777, Lexington in company with Wickes’ Reprisal and the Dolphin left France to raid Irish waters where from 18 June to 25 June 1777 the little squadron captured fourteen prizes, scuttling four and releasing three. Almost out of ammunition from their endeavors and overloaded with prisoners, the American vessels dispersed when British ship-of-the-line Burford was sighted. Lexington slipped into the Brittany fishing village of Morlaix where she lay trapped for the summer. Thompson’s name appears among the “List of 86 Officers and Men of the Brig Lexington who received Slops delivered at Bordeaux on 27 June 1777” which was transcribed by Joseph and Joshua Ross in February 2014 from the original document found among the prize court records pertaining to the brig Lexington (HCA 32/388) at the National Archives in Kew, England.
The three vessels were ordered out of France on 12 September 1777, that country still feigning neutrality, and when the more heavily armed 16-gun Lexington was becalmed near Ushant seven days later she was attacked by the 10-gun cutter Alert under the command of Lieutenant John Bazely. Bazely’s journal records the engagement, the Alert then “made Sail after him… [and] at 1/2 past 1 PM came up with the Enemy (cut and let run the small Sails overboard) renew’d the Action when at 1/2 past 2 she struck found her to be the Lexington Brig Arm’d by the American Congress Henry Johnstone Master, mounting 14 four & 2 six Pounders 12 Swivels & 84 Men the Enemy had 7 Men kill’d and 11 wounded in the former was the Master & Lieutenant of Marines in the latter was the 1st Lieut & Gunner, the loss on our side was three Men wounded and two kill’d with both our Mast & Rigging very much dammag’d sent a Midn & 17 Men onboard to take charge of the Prize receiv’d 68 Prisoners from her…at 9 made Sail the Prize in Compy.” Based on Bazely’s notes, the brig Lexington’s Master Jeremiah Holden and Lieutenant of Marines James Connelly were among the seven dead and among the eleven wounded, 1st Lieutenant Elijah Bowen had his arm blown off and Gunner John Thompson lost a leg. Thompson again appears on the “List of 68 Officers and Men of the Brig Lexington captured on 19 September 1777” derived from the muster of the HM cutter Alert (ADM 36/7942) transcribed at the National Archives in Kew, England by Joseph and Joshua Ross in February 2014.
At the orders of British warship Trident Captain John Elliot, the Lexington first landed “into the Downs” on the Southeast coast of England her five most severely wounded “as it is thought necessary they should all undergo an Amputation, to be sent to the Hospital at Deal.” Subsequently, the balance of her prisoners and the prize were taken into Plymouth where both Alert and Lexington underwent repairs after the action. Details of Lexington gunner John Thompson’s recovery and escape are revealed in his circa 27 June 1778 petition written in the third person from Brest to Benjamin Franklin found in the collection of the American Philosophical Society. “He was a gunner on the Lexington when she was captured on December [September] 19, 1777, following an engagement in which he lost his leg. After five months in hospital in England he escaped to Dunkirk and Franklin provided him with clothes. On May 3 he left for Nantes to get home, but was driven ashore in Brittany and went to Brest, where the French commissary gave him a little money and the intendant sent him to hospital. He is still there, and the surgeon’s certificate will show that he is cured. Please send him some clothes and cash to pay for his laundry, and help him get passage to America.”
Additional details of both his and Lexington Captain Henry Johnson’s escape appear in another 2 March 1778 letter from Flemish agent Francis Coffyn at Dunkirk to American Commissioners Benjamin Franklin, Silas Dean and Arthur Lee at Passy. This letter, also in the collection of the American Philosophical Society, “cheafly serves to inform you of the arrival at this place of Capn. Henry Johnson, late Commander of the Continental Brigantine Lexington, and Eliazad [Eleazor] Johnson Capn. of the Brigantine Dolton Privateer of Newberry.They both broke out of Plymouth prison with two of their officers, which were since press’d in London; but the former had the good fortune to get a passage on board the Prince of orange packett from Harwich to Hellevoet-Sluys, and from thence came over here by land. Capn. Henry Johnson is so much fatigued that he is not able to write to you this day; I beg you would communicate to him and to me your intention relating his future destination; he had some thoughts of proceeding to Paris with his fellow traveller, but I advised him to wait your orders which you’ll be pleased to give me as Soon as convenient and mention wether I may Suply him with necessarys and money, and to what amount. Interim I have also to inform you of the arrival of Capn. John Chandler of the brigantine Triton of Newberry, bound to Bilbao with a Cargo of Fish, which was taken off Cape Finistere by the Tetis. This Capn. with John Thompson (who is almost recovr’d of his wounds) will be sent to Nantes by the first vessell bound to that port…”
Yet another petition, now in the unpublished Franklin Papers at Yale, was sent from Brest on 22 January 1779 from Thompson to Benjamin Franklin at Passy begging for assistance to get home, “Sir. I beg Pardon for troubling you with the following Lines. You’ll remember you had a Copy of a Gunners warrant from Mr Coffin American Agent at Dunkirk, whereby I am appointed Gunner of the Lexington Bigg Cap. Johnston commander; I left Dunkirk the first day of May last in order to proceed to America by first Opportunity: and came to Brest expecting an Opportunity, but you must know that I lost my legg in the Lexington, and when I arrived at Brest found it dangerously bad, and went to the Royall Hospital where I have continued ever since, but am at present cured and has been for some time. I have applied to the Agent here for a passage: but can receive none, tho’ there has since I was cured two different fleets sailed for America: had the Intendant of this place been here, I had got a passage without troubling you, but he went sometime ago [to] Paris, by which means I lost my best… for the Agent here appointed to see the Americans righted seems to give themselves no trouble about any Men belonging to the united States. If you are not good enough to send me an order directed to Mr Billiard first Surgeon of the Hospital here, I may continue here for Months more at a great expence to the Congress, which will be prevented by your giving an order as above. You’ll receive a Certificate inclosed from the first Surgeon here by which youll see I have stayed here without reason in expecting you orders. I remain Sir Your most Obedient Humble Servant, John Thompson”.
A receipt of settled account dated at Portsmouth on 19 April 1779 and addressed to John Langdon from John Thompson, “Leet guner of the Lexinton” [Late gunner of the Lexington] for “Sixty pounds Lmy” [Lawful money] “to pay my Expences for which I promise to Acct with the Navy Board at Boston” suggests that Thompson gained passage on a trans-Atlantic crossing sometime after late January 1779, arriving at Portsmouth by mid-April 1779. It appears he settled his accounts with the Navy Board about 19 May when he commenced half pay, which he received until his return home to Philadelphia and 17 September 1779 discharge entry in Exemplification Book 11 Page 225. This record was entered on 6 October 1779 and a certificate of Thompson’s service, now in the Library of Congress, was apparently issued by Captain Henry Johnson on 11 October 1779. A court decision made on 12 December 1785 published in Volume 42 of “The Pennsylvania Magazine of History and Biography” (1918), provides details of Thompson’s initial pension award, “To John Thompson late a Gunner on Board the Brig Lexington of Sixteen Guns, Commanded by Captain Henry Johnson aged about thirty-five Years- that he was wounded on Board the said Brig in an Engagement with the Albert [Alert] Cutter, whereby he lost his Leg in the Service of the United States, by which he is disabled of getting a livelihood by labor, the Court do allow him a Pension of five dollars per Month to be paid him as aforesaid.”
Continental Navy veteran John Thompson applied again for pension benefits on 20 September 1819, his application stating, “City of Phila., John Thompson having been duly sworn says that he was a sailor in the brig Lexington, Capt Henry Johnson, and lost his leg in the service of the United States during the Rev. War. that he has received a pension ever since, but having lost his certificate, must obtain it without a new one for obtaining which be makes this deposition.” The survivor’s Certificate of Pension was granted as # S-3796 and sent to Thompson’s agent William J. Duane, Esq. of Philadelphia. Duane was an influential Philadelphia lawyer who was married to Benjamin Franklin’s granddaughter and brief served as the Secretary of the Treasury of the United States in 1833. Interestingly, correspondence in the pension file dated 1923 from Mrs. W.A. Joyce of Hanford, WA incorrectly suggests that the Lexington sailor was also the father of army Col. John Thompson who filed for a pension as # S-7715. There is nothing in the historical record to support this association. In fact, it is strongly believed that Thompson died unmarried with no children shortly before his 8 July 1817 will was probated on 4 February 1820. Although there were a number of Philadelphians with this name, it is likely he is the mariner who left his small estate “to my friend, Barnard Payne, of the City of Philadelphia, Boarding House Keeper. Between 1815 and 1817, at least four mariners left similar wills to Payne, who himself died on Tuesday evening 12 May 1818. Payne’s funeral was held out of his dwelling at 21 South Street. As Thompson did not correct his will, his estate was administered by Barnard’s widow Ann Payne of Southwark. Because Thompson’s death occurred in early 1820, it is not likely he received pension benefits from his recent application made just four months earlier.