DECATUR
DECATUR
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troubles with France, 1798-1801, and after the
peace establishment of the U.S. navy in 1801 a
merchant »in Philadelphia. His grandfather
Decatur was a French naval officer who came to
America about 1740, married an American lady
and resided in Newport, R.I. The younger
Stephen was ap-
pointed a midsh ip-
man in the U.S. navy
in April, 1798, and
made his first cruise
with Capt. John
Barry on board the
United States in the
West Indies. In 1799
he was promoted lieu-
tenant and went to
France on the United
States at the time she
carried as passen-
gers the three Amer-
ican commissioners,
Franklin, Deane and
Lee. In the reduction of the naval force to
a peace footing in 1801 he was retained in
the service and in the expedition against the
Pasha of Tripoli, commanded by Com. Richard
Dale, he was appointed senior lieutenant on
the Essex, Captain Bainbridge. In 1803 he
sailed to the Mediterranean on board the Xeic
York; Capt. James Barron, and was transferred
to the sloop Xorfolk and later to the Enterprise
under Commoiiore Preble. When that officer
heard of the disaster to the •Philadelphia, which
vessel had ijeen stranded on the reef inside the
harbor of Tripoli, he sailed thither with the
Constitution, taking Lieutenant Decatur with
him, but they could furnish no immediate help
to the stranded frigate, which had been cap-
tured by the Tripolitans and her officers and crew
thrown into prison. The Tripolitau ketch JIastico
was captured by Decatur and transformed into
the U.S. sloop Intrepid. On Feb. 16, 1804, Deca-
tur, with a jjicked crew disguised as Tripolitans,
and with the armament concealed, boldly ran the
Intrepid alongside the PhiladeJphia, made fast to
her hull and boarded her, driving the frightened
Tripolitan crew over her sides and into the water,
whence thej' swam to the shore. Before the
garrison of the town could be alarmed. Decatur
had fired the frigate and in the light of the blaz-
ing ship cut loose the Intrepid, set her sails, and
amid the shot and shell from the 141 guns which
\\ ere brought to bear upon the little craft from
fort and fleet, escaped out of range to the protec-
tion of the Constitution, where Preble awaited the
result of the daring expedition. Admiral Nelson
characterized this exploit " the most daring act
of the age." Decatur received for this service a
commission as captain on May 23, 1804, and in
September of that year was given command of
the Constitution and was subsequently promoted
to the command of the Congress. He served in
1808 on the court-martial that tried Com. James
Barron for having surrendered the Chesapeake and
was subsequently gis-en command of that vessel
during the embargo on British commerce. He
was promoted to the rank of com.modore and
commanded the southern squadron with the
United States as his flagship, 1810-13. Soon
after war was declared with Great Britain he ca^J-
tured the British frigate Macedonian, Oct. 13,
1813, and brought her .safely into port. In 1814
he was placed in command of the President and
with a small squadron started on a cruise, but the
President having grounded he put for the port of
New York for repairs and was attacked bj' four
British frigates. After a desperate resistance
during which about one-quarter of his crew
was killed or wounded. Commodore Decatur sur-
rendered the President. In 1815 he humiliated
the dej' of Algiers by capturing the frigate
Mashouda, his admiral's flagship, and the brig-of-
war Estedio, obtained from that treacherous
ruler a treats* that freed the United States from
ever again paj'ing tribute to the dey of Algiers,
and secured the return of all Christian captives.
He also obtained indemnity from the bey of
Tunis for the violation of treaty stipulations, and
from the Pasha of Tripoli the release of Neapoli-
tan and Danish prisoners. For these acts,
whicli forever put a stop to the arrogance of the
Barbary powers, he received the thanks of civil-
ized Europe, a eulogium in a message to congress
by President Madison, and the appointment as a
navy commissipner, in which position, in co-op-
eration with Commodores Rogers and Porter, he
built up the new navy. Some remarks made by
Decatur against Commodore Barron while
attached to this board incensed that officer and
he demanded a retraction which Decatur refused
to make, although he disclaimed intentional
insult. A challenge to Decatvir was made
through the hands of Captain Elliott and was
accepted through Commodore Bainbridge and the
principals and seconds met on the field at Bladens-
burg, Md. . 3Iarch 23, 1820. Barron was wounded
in the hip and Decatur was sliot through the
abdomen and died the same night. His nephew
Stephen, born in New Jersey in 1815, was mid-
shipman in the U.S. navy, 1839, lieutenant, 1840,
commander, 1861, and commodore, 1869. He
served throughout the civil war and died in
Boston, Mass, Jan. 9, 1876. His son Stephen was
graduated at the U.S. naval academy and in 1899
was a lieutenant (junior grade) U.S. navy.
Stephen Decatur, the hero of the Tripolitan war.
died at Bladensburg, Md., March 33, 1830.
