Show due M 0 A 0 th daycl vcr I 1 afe 1 aff aw M ko ft fia aa 40 ah wa one aff a V V k w by N THE united states naval hall of fame no name occupies a more mora prominent niche than that of stephen decatur whose heroic and daring deeds illumine the pages of american history and have been told in many a thrilling tale born in maryland rn in 1780 our hero was given the name of stephen in honor of his father commodore stephen decatur who not only played an important part in the war of the revolution but butin in the var ar with france commanded the delaware carrying twenty guns and in IBM 1800 was in command of a squadron of bf thirteen vessels etwas it was but natural that the boy should have a longing to follow in the footsteps of tits his father on whose choso chip he made hla his first voyage when his desire for a naval life became known to commodore corn darry barry that officer secured a mans warrant for him and started him on his adventurous and brilliant career he began hla his service when he be was eighteen years old under commodore barry on the frigate united states it was on this ship that young decatur became acquainted with james barron barren then a lieutenant at whose hanas he was to meet his death in a duel due twenty two years later th 21 frigate united states was iras sent to the wont indies and decatur De having made good wag waa boon soon promoted by Comno commodore dore harry to a lieutenancy provisionally land and the appointment was confirmed confirm ep by president adams while on his second cruise decatur performed an act of grent great bravery A member of the crew who could not swim fell overboard find and decatur without a moments hesitation leaped after him and supported him until a ships bout boat came to the file rescue while alg its ship was temporarily in the harbor of philadelphia lieutenant decatur was assigned aisig fied to recruiting duty several of his big men whom he had e a listia deserted and took ortan on inn india ho he demanded their surrender but the first officer not only refused to deliver the deserters but grossly insulted him There decatur laid the matter before his father who told him to demand an apology and if denied then to send a clial challenge lenge to fight flohl so he acted accordingly and an apology being refused he issued a challenge which was accepted Dec decatur told his friends that lie ho did not intend to tb kill the officer but would merely wound him in the hip the duelists met in a secluded ded spot on the banks banim of tile the delaware and exchanged shots decatur who escaped injury kept his word he winged his man in the exact spot where lie he had said he would when the brief war with france was ended the navy was reduced but decatur was retained with thirty six other lieutenants in 1801 1601 he was assigned to the ie essex commanded by capt william bainbridge and while cruising in the ame mediterranean the ship put into the port of barcelona for a brief anchorage the boats of the essex while going to and from too the shore at night were halted by the officers oi of a spanish alila of war doing pollee police duty in tile the harbor decatur culled called on the proper officer and presented a remonstrance being treated in a most discourteous manner he declared he would riot not let the matter drop the next day lie he visited the spanish ship but was unable to find the officer who bo had insulted him upon taking his departure he left a in message esage 41 couched in very hostile language forthe for the offending spaniard on reaching shore decatur made a thorough search for him being determined to call him to account the officer kept under cover until the spanish captain general took a hand in the affair and with the aid of captain bainbridge prevented a duel duci jo in the summer of 1802 decatur was promoted to first lieutenant and was assigned to duty on the frigate new york commanded by barron barren who had risen to toa a captaincy the ship sailed balled for the mediterranean cruising in that sea for several months when war nar was declared against th algerian pirates who were raiding american merchant mer chin vessel and demanding large jarge sums suma oi of money for immunity which the united states refused to pay although other nations came across with the required tribute and thus bought the freedom of the mediterranean decatur was given command of a brig and sailed to join the fleet at the acene of trouble it was in the harbor of tripoli that decatur engaged in a most perilous 40 adventure that made him bim world famous and caused tits lila name to he be indelibly written in the annals of brave deeds deeda the frigate philadelphia running on en a rock while in pursuit of a pirate vessel was captured by the enemy and capt william willfam bainbridge and the entire crew were taken prisoners captain bainbridge managed to send from his bis prison an apparently insignificant letter to commodore preble in the harbor of syracuse and preble suspecting that hat it concealed a matter of importance held it against the flume flame of a candle which exposed a message written in lemon juice captain suggested that a party pi of men under trusty officers be sent into the harbor vf of tripoli and either cither retake ret alre or burn or blow up the philadelphia rall a delphia delp hla which the pirates hadYe had re floated repaired and manned for action commodore commedore preble promptly acted on the suggestion sand issued a call tor for volunteers decatur and other valorous officers at once offered to lend lead a party and carry out olit the plan of of attack decatur however was given the co command minand owing to his bis priority and with seventy fire volunteers ft grilj oattla his ship tho bo siren embarked in a acty tou ton 0 aw 4 or 4 LZ PV AZZI 71 7 1 sketch ketch for them the harbor hador of tripoli this little vessel had been captured from the a few weeks previously by decatur and had been renamed the intrepid with her intrepid crew she proved true to her name she carried a large supply of combustibles explosives and cutlasses cut lasses under cover of the night of february 10 1801 1804 the intrepid was r rowed owed directly to the philadelphia and made enst decatur gave the order to board the vessel and tits his men climbed to the deck the s were taken completely by sur prise and were mowed down one after theother by the americans Americ gris with their cutlass ed eW the onslaught was terrific and merciless more than twenty TrIpoli taus were killed kille d fit at attack seeing resistance us useless eliss sowa of the survivors jumped overboard and x yera drowned or killed by the sirens boat crew who had followed in the tha wake of the intrepid others oiher s hid bid in the ahe dark recesses of the ship ylie capture of tho phila delphia was acco accomplished in ten minutes arid ana in less than half en an hour she waa a mass off of lamek lames de cafer and ana liti band of heroes herbes escaped amid a shower I 1 i of shot and shell train from the shore bal bakeries ba teries and returned to Syka syracuse cuse harbor t two wo days after their audacious exploit not one and of the fearless adventurers was killed or wounded nelson the distinguished english naval commander declared atthe roost most darlng daring ret act of the age upon re receiving ce ivling commodore report and recommendations congress rewarded decatur with p sword anda and a captains commis commission ilon six months after the 0 of the philadelphia decatur ln in command boiman d of a fleet dt of gun boats began a series of five attacks an on the tripoli harbor and batteries one of the gun boats in command of decature Deca brother broihier broi fier sames james decatur engaged an n a battle with a pirate craft whose commander surrendered As the lieutenant was wag about to take I 1 possession the treacherous captain shot him in the head bead and he fell back into his boat dead taking advantage of the stunning surprise and excite ment of the americans Amerlean sAbe the corsair towed rowed randly away captain decatur on hearing of what had happened gave chase and soon boon overhauled the fugl tire boat ile he climbed on board with ten men and singled out the murderer brother he was a gigantic turk but undaunted by j ahls alze and defiant def lant attitude decatur attacked ham with all the vigor at his command and succeeded in k killing ng him thus did he be quickly di avenge n ge the fiur der of his brot brother ber a bright young man dearly loved Folli following owIng the tripoli battles decatur was placed in command of the frigate constitution which became b became famous as old ironsides and Is being carefully preserved as a glor glorious louA memorial of the pioneer navy the next year Decatur sailed for homeard home and in 1808 was promoted to commodore ind and assigned to the frigate united states as his flagship R which lie he had bad made hla his initial cruise inthe in the service of his country in the war wa r of 1812 commodore cam eodore decatur Veca captured the british macedonia after a roost most desperate battle and for this brilliant victory congress presented presen fed him hiff with a gold in ism when in command of the ahe president he encountered the endymion off long ding island and a 0 fierce fight followed his men fell thick n and 90 fast killed and wounded df S his ships spars and aha rigging ragging were shot to pieces i thelfa w i as almost dismantled fl finally nally her battery was fenced riVen ced the endymion virtually defeated dro aroid out of action when other british vessels came me up and pie prepared pared to ft put nn an end to th e president by opening fire seeing that further fight tog w ws as suicidal Comia odore decatur squadron riot liot to ioffe the which hud had been severely merely liuni p lie lits his sword to commodore cammodore hayes who returned it at once its as a token of his appreciation of the fight that the presidents commander had made decatur w was as paroled on the arrival nl of the british squadron I 1 at the bermudas and was sent home A court of inquiry instead of criticizing criticising critic ising decatur praised him and his fits officers and crew the verdict I 1 eang they were worthy odthe of the highest com men dalfon five fire days aft erthe the pence peace with England was announced the united states declared war against V the bey of algiers whose had I 1 captured tin an american merchant ship we the edwin and sold bold the crew as slaves in two fiercely contested battles with heen emye navy whose outnumbered the american Anler tean fleet becatti captured two of tie je best algerian vessels and it at once headed for the harbor of algiers with the intention of attacking the shore fortifications when the fleet came in sight right a messenger with a flag of truce invited decatur to come ashore to to consider a treaty ile he refused end and insisted that a treaty la in compliance with hla demands should bo be immediately signed in les egg than three hours it was signed sealed and anc delivered and the am american prisoners together with fride for tho ho aap iap capture ture of the ha ebwin and her cargo were immediately handed haded over i A few weeks liter later the beef sailed for tripoli and tunis both bath ba having ving violated their trestles tre atles and obligations q of neutrality they quickly compiled with the terms dictated c bated by decatur who reciL received ved I 1 tse acclaim of all europe europ e for breaking Ure aking 1 up tip the piracy that fi has a s been so boldly carried on by the barbary states 1 soon niter after decature Deca return to the united states he wag appon appointed ted a member of the board 1 of navy commissioners his 1611 colleagues agues being commodores and porter it was at this timo that the real trouble between 13 barren aron and decatur originated in 1807 barron was in command of the chesapeake when she was ordered to heave to by bythe ithe british man of war leopard to be searched for deserters abe Un english anglish glIsh claiming the taft of search although there as s no areat treaty V to that I 1 effect barron refused the demand but madette ma made dethe the mistake of not getting ready for notion action tile the leopard fired a broadside and continued firing for ten or fifteen minutes minuses twenty two iwa shots struck the che chesapeake sa pe ake killing or wounding twenty one members ot of the crew y IV larr N n himself was wounded mounded the chesapeake owing to and contusion confusion was unable to fire more than one shot when barren lowered flag four mien men charged cli arged with being english deserters were taken over to thio the leopardi leopard which then sailed away barron was brought brou glit before a co court rt of inquiry of which alch decatur was a member although the court found barron barren only partially to blame for the sui surrender render of his vessel it sentenced him to five years years suspension the finding as to barrons personal conduct virtually acquitted him ot of cowardice in these words no transposition ot of the specifications or arany any other modification of the charges themselves Tes will niter the old opinion 16 oi me court as to 10 me courage or of tile the accused the evidence ealden e being clear and satisfactory his sentence expired five months after tho brek breaking king out of the war of 1812 hut but barron who was in europe ald not return vh ft the lie Ignited 11 1 states until after the declaration of iunce pence ile then decided to apply for r instatement tout hut abe when n hla petition came before the co i ers deca decatur tur refused to recommend 0 rol le neff nafton nit the principal ground grondn of hit his objection ens that B barron arrow had inot returned to take pirt part in the war barron bafton who wae reinstated took exe exception exemption eption to certain reni arks made hv bv who nho refused to retract but did everything in lils his power tore to tn re store the friendly feeling that alint bade hart PIPPI between them A long followed ed but decatur stood firm in in ahls replies to Bar barres letters ji he y dwi donled led that we h e arp ore it anji nf animosity against mm him pen een yon and nii me decatur wrote there never has 1 ban an uny personal difference diff irence but I 1 have entertained and IG ic still entertain the opinion that your conduct as ali an officer kance elace the affair of the has been such as ought to forever b clr r your re rend i nd mission to the service I 1 I 1 tills this stinging rebuked seme deep into the heart of barron who rho finally challenged decatur they aae ozi on march 22 1820 at af this small village tillage iv in the immediate e viel vicinity tilly of washington was the scene of the balth itic n the he Amer americans leani anil and the british in i c 1 hame a famous dueling ground piat tc ril lintt acted as second for barron aind cow I 1 noil tire c 11 asin i sIn baldee seconded decatar Decat nr I 1 ill tl ie duel corron barron said bald vint hint tn meet alro hi m in n the next horld and an fn n be drinids ids than they ad had been in t tl ils ilg 1 I have bare never been your enemy replied decatur vie tro ova ascii look their stations nt nl eight paces the distance being shortened two owing tp to the fact that vartan nas somewhat near elgh ted at the exchange of shot both were wounded in the right op hip decatar Is reitor reported ted to 0 o tiace forgiven barron but lie said that he cobil not forgive those who had urged film to life IVo would tild to god yau you had said this esterday cst erday tl replied tf orron decatur beca tur deed died i vt thin liln a few hoburg and walk deeply mourned by lie cn 11 ahre re nollon unswerving loyalty to ills big country was the outstanding principle of lits ills life it was decatur who gave utter utterance anceto to the fallous sentiment my country may she everjoel ever abe right but right or wrong my poun country tryl 1 barron |