Daniel Fones (born 9 March 1713,

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– ,

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) was the leading military commander for Rhode Island in the Siege of Louisbourg in 1745. He was the captain of ''Tartar'', the privateer vessel was the Rhode Island contribution to the victory at Louisbourg (the 150 soldiers from Rhode Island arrived after the Siege). Fones took command of ''Tartar'' at the outbreak of

King George's War King George's War (1744–1748) is the name given to the military operations in North America that formed part of the War of the Austrian Succession (1740–1748). It was the third of the four French and Indian Wars. It took place primarily in ...

. In April 1745, Fones successfully escorted the 500 soldiers in seven transports to Canso, Nova Scotia. During the voyage he drew fire from the French 32-gun frigate ''Renommée'', under Kersaint-Coëtnempren, in an eight-hour engagement. In May 1745, participating in the blockade of Louisbourg, Fones captured the French merchant ship ''Deux Amies''. In June he participated in the

Naval battle off Tatamagouche A navy, naval force, military maritime fleet, war navy, or maritime force is the branch of a nation's armed forces principally designated for naval and amphibious warfare; namely, lake-borne, riverine, littoral, or ocean-borne combat operations ...

. In the battle, Fones rescued the Connecticut warship ''Resolution'' and crushed the French and Indian expedition en route to save Louisbourg. TartarGunsNewportHistoricalSociety

After the war he commanded the privateer ''Prince Frederick'', the Defiance and Success. After he retired from the sea, he represented North Kingstown in the General Assembly. Then in 1770, he opened David Fones Tavern at 126 Main St., North Kingstown. His father Jeremiah Fones was buried at Chestnut Hill Cemetery, Exeter, Washington County, Rhode Island.

References

Texts
Chapin, Howard M., The Tartar: The Armed Sloop of the Colony of Rhode Island (The Society of Colonial Wars in Rhode Island, 1922)

* ttp://www.colonialnavy.org/ships/ship_type_brig/index.html Colonial Navy {{DEFAULTSORT:Fones, Daniel 1713 births 1790 deaths People from Jamestown, Rhode Island Military personnel from Rhode Island Members of the Rhode Island General Assembly People from colonial Rhode Island