Portland gazette and Maine advertiser., 1813-08-30
BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH
Commodore Stephen Decatur,
IConclnded from our last

Americans except four were now
sa,.rely wounded Decatur singled out
,bs commander as the peculiar object OF
s;s vengeance. The Turk was armed
with an sspon,oon, Decatur With cut
,,ss. in attempting to cut off the head
of the weapon, his sword struck on the
;ron and Broke close TO the hilt. The
rnrk at this monet msde push which
.lgf,fiy wounded him in the right arm
and breast. He immediately seized the
,near and closed with him. a fierce
,,rnople ensued, and both fell, Decatur
nnnermost. BY this time the Turk had
drawn dagger fem his belt, and was
about to plunge it in the body of his foe,
when Decatur caugh: his arm. and shot
him with pistol, which he had taken
from his pocket. During the time they
were struggling on the deck, the crews
rushed 10 the aid of their commanders,
&amost sanguinary conflict took place,
in.omuch, that when Decatur had des-
patched his adversary, it was with the
greatest difficulty he could extricale
himself from the killed and wounded
tina, had fallen around him
is with no common feeling OF adj
miration that we record an instance OF
heroic courage, and loyal self devotion,
on the part oil common sailor. Dur.
ing the early part of Decatur's strug-
Gle with the Turk, he was assailed in
rear by one of the enemy, who had just
aimed blow at his head with his sabre
that must have been fatal at this fear
iul iuno,ure, a noble hearted tar, who
had been so badly wounded as to lose the
use OF his hands, seeing no other means
Of saving bis commander, rushed be-
tween him AND Tire upliltsd sabre, and
received the blow on his own head,
which fractured his skull. We love 10
pause and honour great actions in hum
bic life because they speak well for hu-
man nature, Men Of rank and station
in society often do gallant deeds. in a
manner from necessity. Their CON-
giouous situation obliges them 10 do
20, OF their eagerness for glory urges
them on but an act like this we have
mentioned SO desperate yet so disinter-
ested done by an obscure, unambliious
mdlsia,tal, q poor sailor, can spring
from nothing bu, innate nobleness OF
soul We are happy 10 add that this
generous fellow survived AID now re.
ceives pension from government.
Decatur succeeded in getting with
both of his prizes to tire squadron, and
the next day received the highest com.
mendalion, in a general order, from
Commodore Prebie. w hen that able
officer was superseded in the command
0fthe squadron, he gave the Constitu-
ton to Capt Decatur, who had, some
time befo. e, received his commission. .
From that shi p he was removed TO the
Congress, and returned home In her
When peace was contlud, Il viii. Trip
oil On his r. turn 10 the United States,
he was employed in experimenting
pun boats until The affair OF the Chesa-
peake, when he was ordered 10 super
eede Commodore Barron in the COM
mand OF that ship, since which period
ne has had the command of the south
trn squadron. When the Iaited
States was again pu, in commits ion, he
vas removed from the Chesapeake TO
that irigate
The foregoing particulars were fur
oished us by friend, as materials f,om
which TO form biography but we
were SO well pleased with the simplicity,
conriseness and modesty OF the narra~
ton, tha, We resolved to lay il before our
readers with merely a few trivial alter
atoms.
The present war with Great Bit.in
has given Commodore Decatur another
opportunity OF adding 10 The hurels he
had already won On The : 18th Octo.-
Der, 1879, in lat % n long 90 so w.
he Tell in with his Britannia Mylcsty's
ship Macedonian, moanlDr 80 Carriage
guns. This was one oil the finest irig
a'es in the British navy, and comman-
dsd by Captain John ). Cafdeu, one of
The ables, officers. She was IN prime
order, two years old, and bu: four
months out of dock The enemy be
'ng to windward, he'd the advantage OF
Choosing his own distance and, sup.
posing the United States 10 be the Is
%x, (Which only mounts carronades,)
Il was dated 10Th February 1904, the
psy on winch he destroyed he phil sphia.
ne also received vote OF thanks & a sword,
I've that sch;eve,,en,