John Burroughs Hopkins was born on August 25, 1742 in Newport, Rhode Island, United States. He was the eldest of the ten children of Esek and Desire (Burroughs) Hopkins. He was a nephew of Stephen Hopkins and related to many of the prominent Rhode Island families. Like so many others of his family he followed the sea in early life.
In 1772 he took part in the destruction of the British armed revenue schooner Gaspee in the Providence River. On December 22, 1775, he was appointed captain of the 14-gun brig Cabot of the Continental navy and, the next February, sailed on the New Providence expedition commanded by his father. After the capture of the Island of New Providence the squadron returned north and, near Block Island, fell in with the British ship Glasgow. The Cabot, being in the lead, received most of the enemy's fire and had four men killed and seven wounded, including Hopkins, who was badly hurt. The Glasgow escaped. In the list of captains of the Continental navy, as established by Congress on October 10, 1776, Hopkins is number thirteen.
In 1777 he was appointed to command the new frigate Warren, which was blockaded in the Providence River by the British fleet, but escaped on a bitter cold night early in March 1778, took two prizes, then put into Boston, and later in the year went to sea again. In 1779 he was in command of a squadron, comprising the Warren, Queen of France, and Ranger, which sailed from Boston in March on a successful cruise of about six weeks off the Virginia capes. They took the New York privateer schooner Hibernia and captured seven out of a fleet of nine sail, including the 20-gun ship Jason with several British army officers on board. Hopkins brought his prizes to Boston and Portsmouth, and both the Jason and Hibernia became successful American privateers.
On this cruise Hopkins showed qualities of a capable officer. The Marine Committee was at first highly pleased but later, on learning that Hopkins had not strictly followed his instructions, ordered an inquiry. He was suspended and never again served in the Continental navy, which was unfortunate. The Warren was given to Captain Dudley Saltonstall, who soon afterwards commanded the fleet on the disastrous Penobscot expedition, in which it seems likely that Hopkins would have done better and could not have done worse.
In 1780 Hopkins commanded the Massachusetts privateer ship Tracy with sixteen guns and a hundred men. In this vessel he cruised with some success but was finally captured. The next year he commanded the Rhode Island privateer sloop Success. After the war he retired to the obscurity of private life and died at the age of fifty-four.
On October 2, 1768, Hopkins married his cousin, Sarah Harris, by whom he had no children.
