Show or is I At 4 W Released by Western Newspaper Union A Yankee Captures Derna WHEN HEN HEN General Wavell of the British army marched along the coast of northern Africa in his campaign against II Il Duces Duce's Italians he was following in the footsteps of a abold abold abold bold Connecticut Yankee who was making the same march years ago William Eaton was his name and although his heroic exploit has been forgotten but by his fellow fellow- Americans Wavell's capture of the town of Derna has brought Eaton's name into prominence again In 1804 Eaton went to Tripoli as the American naval agent to the Barbary states For years the Barbary Barbary Barbary Bar- Bar bary pirates had been preying upon the commerce of Europe and when American shipping became worldwide worldwide worldwide world world- wide the United States as well as other seagoing nations were forced to pay tribute to the pirates Finally 1 r- r r. r r a e y l i t 1 tiring of these appeasement efforts the new republic persuaded the basha basha basha ba- ba I sha of Tripoli to sign a treaty for peace without ransom A Deposed Ruler But the ruler did not keep the agreement and was soon demand demanding ng tribute again When his demand was refused he declared war and American warships blockaded blockaded blockaded block block- the harbor of Tripoli The pasha had gained the throne by deposing his brother Hamet When Eaton learned that Hamet had taken refuge in Egypt he sought him oUt there and with the sanction of the American government government government gov gov- offered to help him regain regain regain re re- re- re gain his throne In the early part of 1805 Eaton assembled a force of about men menat menat menat at Alexandria Egypt It included six American marines and a sergeant fr from from- m. m the warship Argus P. P N. N OBannon Midshipman P. P P. P Peck a troop of Arab horsemen led by two sheiks Pasha Hamet's Harriet's personal escort of 90 men 38 Greek mercenaries with their two officers 25 Ethiopian with one brass cannon and an Englishman named Farquhard who apparently went along just for the fun of being in on a good scrap Eaton arranged for the cooperation cooperation cooperation opera co tion of the American naval squadron squad squad- ron in the Mediterranean and on March 8 1805 with his motley army set out on the mile march across the Libyan desert towards Derne as the name was then spelled Almost from the start Eaton Eaton Eaton Ea Ea- Ea- Ea ton had trouble with Hamet and when the pasha wasn't threatening to quit the expedition the Arab I sheiks were threatening to mutiny Using both threats and bribery Eaton Eaton Eaton Ea Ea- Ea- Ea ton managed to keep his force together together together to to- gether and after a weary jour journey y of five weeks he arrived on April 15 at the Bay of Bomba into which the two American warships Argus and Hornet commanded by Isaac Hull HulI sailed the next day After a weeks week's rest there the expedition expedition expedition ex ex- set out for Derne and on April 26 arrived before that fortified fortified fortified forti forti- fied town which was garrisoned with men Eaton sent an ultimatum to lo the governor of Derne to surrender surrender surrender sur sur- render and received the reply of My head or yours I The next day I the Argus the Hornet and the Nautilus Nautilus Nautilus lus arrived in the harbor of Derne and under cover of a heavy bombardment bombardment bom born bomI I landed a force of marines I IThen Then Eaton organized a charge of his forces and to the credit of the mercenaries it must be said that I they fought bravely beside the I Americans and swept through the breaches made in the walls of the town by the warships Eaton was slightly wounded in the battle but by late in the afternoon the Stars and Stripes floated over Derne the Derne-the the first time they had ever been raised over overa a fortress on that side of the At At- lantic |