Lawrence, James (1781-1813), a United States naval officer, commanded the Chesapeake in an attack on the British ship Shannon during the War of 1812. The Shannon easily captured the Chesapeake, and Lawrence was fatally wounded. After he was wounded, he gave the command, “Don’t give up the ship,” which became a watchword of the U.S. Navy. Lawrence was born on Oct. 1, 1781, in Burlington, New Jersey, and joined the Navy in 1798. In 1812, he took command of the Hornet, which captured a number of British ships. He died on June 4, 1813.
