Show r F AME AMERICANS By 1 Albert Payson UNDER Terhune- Terhune e FIRE 1 II i i NO 18 18 DECATUR'S ATTACK ON ALGIERS Ten United States warships in May 1816 1815 set out for the tho Mediterranean Mediterranean- u unsupported and Ill Ill- Ill equipped to to hammer hammer hammer ham ham- mer the formidable Barbary states Into a proper respect for tor Undo Uncle Sam Commodore Commodore Commodore Com Com- Stephen Decatur was in command command com com- mand Earlier in the century our country had ad forced these states to respect our flag and to give safe sate passage to our merchant ships But since then our war of oC 1812 with Great Britain had been fought and the Barbary states h had d heard that England had not only ony crushed our power but had destroyed our entire fleet Cleet So the Barbary rulers decided they could prey upon our commerce with no fear of punishment and so they re returned returned returned re- re turned to their earlier carper profitable sport of seizing and looting every American ship they could lay Jay hands on making slaves of ot the vessels' vessels crews The moment our war with England was over tho the United States government sent De Decatur atur to put a stop to this sort of ot thing The Dey of ot Algiers was the worst of offender tender So Decatur sailed salted first for tOl Algiers Jut JuM after passing Gibraltar on the eastern astern voyage the ten Yankee ee ships encountered an Algerine war squadron scouring the in search of ot American vessels They found what they were looking for Decatur opened fire on en the and anel thrashed them in fair fight tight The Algerine squadron retreated Decatur Decatur De De- atur F save ave ve chase For two days he ho fol follow followed followed fol- fol low lowed ed hot upon the heels of his flying foes toes During the course of ot the pursuit he captured their flagship and a ty-two ty gun of brig Not satisfied with this object lesson leson that Uncle Sam still had power to punish any anyone one who molested his people peo peo pie at sea the victorious Decatur sailed bailed straight Into the harbor of ot Al Al- Al giers He ancho anchored his fleet then sent word to the Dey that he Intended to stay there until the tho Algerino Algerine government government govern govern- government ment should submit to such terms as tho the United States had sent him to dictate dic dic- tate He lie added a a. solemn promise to attack and sink any Algerine fleet that might try to enter the harbor while white he I was there The Dey was horrified at such threats Foreign powers powers were usually far tar more more civil to him He Ho Invited Decatur Decatur De De- I De to come orne ashore am and talk matters over Decatur refused to 10 set toot foot on onland I land and he ordered the De Dey to come aboard his any talking he be I might care to do The They Dey by this time was thoroughly thoroughly thoroughly thor thor- cowed coned by his grim visitor and I he obeyed the summons Out to the flagship ho he came in roa royal lS state t. t I received him more as he might t I l have received a mutinous sailor than thana a potentate l I Curtly he told the Dey that all alt oppression oppression op op- of ot American ships and seamen seamen seamen sea sea- OP-I OP men must stop at once that he must free every American prisoner in his i dominions that he ho must pay full in indemnity in- in for all stolen American property property property prop prop- In-I In l erty and that ho must renounce claim to any tribute money from the United States for leaving Yankee ships unmolested unmolested unmolested un un- I molested in future I Decatur had already drawn up a treaty to this effect He lie commanded I I the Dey to sign to-sign sign it They meekly agreed to all aU Decatur's tur's terms except the pledge e to renounce all aU tribute from th the ee e I United States This he explained would be making a dangerous precedent precedent prece prece- dent for tor other nations and would deprive deprive deprive de de- de- de him of most of his revenue Let the United States pay us something some some- something thing each year year he coaxed Even Eve n if It It is only a a. little tittle gunpowder I Certainly agreed Decatur But 1 if f I you Insist on en having gunpowder from us you must bo be prepared to take bullets bullets bul bul- bul- bul l I lets with it it The scared DC Dry Dey dared make no further fur fur- furI I I ther objections Trembling he signed tho the treaty Thus by the tho way he ended ends to forever rever the power of ot organized piracy y I on the high seas From Algiers Alg Decatur bore flown clown upon Tunis and Tripoli There h he I forced th the thA rulers of ot these pirate states to sign a similar treaty lIe He attacked d the ports of ot Tripoli and Tunis so suddenly sud sud- denly deny that thero there was no time to organIze organize or- or I any opposition to to him Thus at the tho muzzle of ot his warship guns he ho persuaded tho the startled pirates pirate s to agree to his terms There re was nothing noth noth- I ing else for tor them to do 1111 h M TI The Pr eo Ca The Tiis X Keir 1 s 's k E Ei minx World I |