The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1813-06-18

A
were Tor some days prevented IRON making ths at
| tack, by adverse Wind aud weather; at length, Oh
the morning OF the Sd OF August, the weather beng
favorable, the signal WAS made from the CONS
ship to prepare for action, the light vessels towing
| the gunbosts to windward. AT o'clock the signal
was made for bo'nbsrding the town and the
| my's vessels The gun.boais were cast oa, and al.
vsnced in line ahead, led on by captain Decatur, *
covered by the frgate Constitution, and the brigs *
schoonera The enemy's >gun-boats moored
| along the mouth OF the hsrbor under tue batteries
and within muskef shot. Their sais had been taken
from them and they ordered To- sink rather
than abandon their posi- ton. They were aided and
| covered, likewise by q brig ofl6 aud a schooner Of
| 10 guns :,
Before entering into close action captssi, Decatur
went alongside each OF his boats, and ordered them
| to unship their bowspritn and follow him. as il was
his intention to- board the enc u,y's boats Lieut.
Jsiae3 Decstur commanded OF the boats belong.
ing to Lieut. Som=rs division, bue being further 10
wind~ard than the rest OF his division, lie iorued
| and took orders fraa his brother.
Nhea captain Decatur, who in the leading
GOAT, came within range of the fire from the bate
res, heavy FIRE was Opened upon him from IN M
and from the gun-boats He returned their fire.
aud continued advancing until lie came in contact
with the bostt. At this sine commodore Prehi.
seeing Decatur approaching nearer than he thought
prudent, ordered the signal to lie made for retreat
but u was found that in msking out sign Ia for the
! boats, one tor retreat had been omitted The e,
| emy's boats had about forty men each I. ours a,,
| eiua' number, twenty seven OF whom we're Amer-
cans aud thirteen NespotaDs Decatur OF, boarding
the enemy was instantly followed ty his country,
mea, but the Neapolitans remained behind. The
turks did not sustain the combat. hand to hand
with that frmness they had obtained n re nuta,;,s,
form ten minutes the deck was cleared eight NJ
! them sought refuge in the hold, sni of the r,.t
some fell on the deck, ami others ia,nu,d ih,o
/ the sea. Only three of the a per;.,D, -, -,
ded. $50 >'''
l AS Decatur about to proceed ont will lis
rr;ze, the boat whieh had been commanded by bis
oio,.er came under ms stern, and informed him
fhnf t1att III
'iae chey hsa e"gs seh and captured one of the
my but that her commanders, after s,ifrsntleriag
had treseheroasiy shot Lieut. James ileca,rr and
pushed of with the boat. aud was then making Tor
| the harbor.
tins intelligence, may more easily be imagined tina,
y described. Every consideration Of puieste AND
safety was lest IN his esserness TO punish go BASTARD.
~ ain act, and TO averge the death of bro,l orr az
baseiy murdered. He pushed within the enemy,s
line with his single boat, aud having rueeee.,ed in
se'ting a'opgs'e his Refreshing foe boarded her AZ
the head OF eleven men, who were all the Am eri.
cans he had left
The fate of this contest was extremely ,Iou,,,f,I
Tor twenty minutes. Aiilhe Americans cxcept four
were now severely weun8cd Decatur now singled
ou' Inc as the peculiar object of his
.eance The Turk WAS armed with an es,obtoon
Decatur with cutlass in attic mptinp 10 cut off the
head OF the weapon. his sword struck on the iron
and broke close to the hilt The Turk at this mo.
inert made push, which slightly wounded him in
the right arn aud breast. lie immediately seized
the spear and closed with him fierce .,ruos,p
ensnet, and both fell, Decatur uppermo,t. Nv tbs
1me the 1 rk had drawn DAGGER from his belt &
wss about to plunge il in the bciy Of bis fo- when
Decatur caught his arm, and SHOT him with pi,.
, to, winch he had taken from his pocket. During
the time they were struggling On the deck, the
crews rushed 10 the aI nf their cora,na,d.rs aud
most sangninary conflict t.uk piace ipsomurb,
that when Decatur had dispatched Ills adversary. II
was with the greatest difficulty h- could extrica,e
himself from the killed ami wounded that had fallen
around him.
IL IS with no common feeling of al .nraton that
We record An instance ~ heroic courage aud loyal
seit-devotion, On The part of common iinr-
Earring the early part o. Decstas struggle with thu.
TURK, he was assn ed in by one a, the enemy
who had jasi sa,ed blow at his head with his sa
hre, chat must have been fatal ia,.Gra,fu unc.
ture, nooe-hesrted tar, who had he-u so badi,
Wounded as to Lose the of his hands g. eing nm
other means of saving i,ls commander rust, d, he.
tween him and the up fed sabre and receiye, 4, the
tiow on his own head, hich fractured his skull
We love 10 passc and honpr great actions in hnmbIa
tfe, because they speak we'd for human nstur,. =
Men OF rank and station society often do gallant
y deeds. IN manner from necessity. Their conspi-
ouous sItuation obl'seshem to do so their eager
hess Tor glory urges them but an act ike t,,is
We have mentioned, sodespsrate vet SO disintere,,
ed; done BY an obscure, unauibitious individual,
poor saIor can spring from nothing but innate no-
bieness OF soul We are happy to add that ths se.
nervous teilew survived, and receives pens on
from government
i Decatur succeeded in get.e with boil, Of his priz
es to the squadron, and the day reserved the
highest endatiou, in general lev iron, com
modore PrebIe. When that able officer was snns,
seeded IN the command OF the squadron H. ave the
Constitution to Capt Decatur, who had, some time
l before received his commission. From that shin h.,
wac removed TO the Congress, and returne, home
IN her when peace WAS concluded with Triuoi -
On his rsturn 70 the United States he vas en-
ployed 10 experimenting gun boats, until the affair
D., OF the chesapeake, when he ordered to suI,sr
sede commodore Barron ia the command of ia
ship, since which period lie has had the comm and
OF the southern squadron. When the United States
was again put IN commission, he was removed from
the Chesapeake to that frigate.
] The foregoing particulars we're furnished us by
/ friend, as materials from which 20 form bosra
ply; hut we were so well pleased will, the stimuli.
city, concseness and modesty of the narration tst
we resolved TO lay it before readers with nere,1
| "a few trivial alterations
| Ths present war with Great Britain has ,;ye,
| commodore Decatur another opportui,ty Of adAny
| to tho aurels he had already won. On the as,i,I
October 1879, IN lat. % ". long 20 80 W. he fell
in with his Britannia Majesty's ship Maoedooiqn
! mounting 80 carriage guns This was enc of the Ga,
| est frgstes in the British navy, aud commanded b.
Capt Jehn s. Garden, one OF the aEiest oficsrsZ
She was IN prime order, two years old and but fout
| tRonthsnGt Vi dock. The enemy bang TO wind
ward, had the advantage or choosing his ovn ,l,a
taneei and supposiDg the United States to be tb,
| Essex, which only mounts caFronades) ken, nj
hrs at long shot, End did not at any moment come
within the complete effect Of the uusketry * crane
After the frigates had to close action III. bsl
tie was terninatedin very short period by the enc
Dy's surrender. The whole engagement lasted Tor
| ud an half