Herald of the times. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1830-1846, 1839-05-30
BURNING OF THE PHILADEL-
PHIA FRlGATE.

BURNING OF THE PHILADEL-
PHIA FRlGATE.
In Coopcr's Naval History of the United
Stat, s is The following description of this gal
liant act. During the war between the U.
States and TripolI, in 1903 and !, the United
States Frigate Philadelphia, Captain Balm
bridge, standing into the harbor OF Tripoll
IN chase Of a Zebeck, struck on reef, and
all the exeriions TO get her OFT proved IN.
succ, ssful, che at last struck 10 the gun boats
by which she was surrounded, and fell int
the hands of the enemy. The Philadelphia
was subsequc ty go, off the reei-toweo
into the harbor, manned with Turks, and was
nearly fitted for sea, when Commodore Pre5le
matured plan for destroying her where sh,
lay at anchor This perIlous enterprise was
entrusted to Lieut.. STrpHrN DEcArUR, who
then comma nded the U. s. schooner Enter.
prize-and ketch which had been captured
from the enemy few days previous, and cal
led the Intrepid, was the vessel employed to!
this service. The Intrepid sailed from Sy-
Tacuse on the 2d of February, lSO4-accom
panied by the Siren of sixteen guns, Lieut.
Com. STEWART, who was properly the senior
officer OF the expedition-though owing to
the peculiar nature OF the service, Mr.. Dcca.
tur was permitted to conduct the more active
part Of the duty at his own discretion.
The party in the ketch consisted of Lieut.
Com. Decatur, Lieuts. Lawrence, Banbrldge.
and Thorn-Mr. McDonough, mdshpman :;
and DR.. Herman, surgeon all OF the Enter
prize-and Mcssrs. lizard, Morris, Laws, Da
Wis, Rowe, midshipmen of the Constitution
add s. Catalcno The pilot, with ~ petty off
GERS and Matchmaking total of "a souls
These vessels arrived off Tsipoli, but owing
to the rough weather, no attempt was made
to accomplish the object till the evening OF
the 10Th inst-when every thing looked ia
vornble, Decatur seriously made disposition
for the attack--and was reinforced by boat
and eight men from the Siren, under the
orders of mdshipman Anderson. The re
suit Of this expedition is thus related by Mr.
Cooper -
"1'he orders of Lieut.. Com. Decatur were
clear and simple. The spar-Jeck was first
to be carried, and then The gun deck, after
which the following distribution Of the party
was to be made, in order TO set fire to tn"
ship. Mr.. Decatur, with Messrs. lizard and
Rowe, and Is men, were to keep possession
OF the upper deck. Mr.. Lawrence, with
bIessrs. Laws and McDonough, and 10 men.
were to repair 10 the berth deck and forewarG
store-rooms. Mr.. cambridge, with Dav>
and 10 men we're to 90 into the wardroom
and steerage; Mr.. Morris with eight men
were to go into the cockpit and after store
rooms Mr. Thorn, with the gunner, surgeon
and 13 men, were to look after the ketch t.
Mr.. lizard was assigned the command Of the
launch should she be needed, and Mr.. An.
derson, with the SIRENS cutter, was to secure
all boats alongside Of the ship, and to prevent
the people from swimming ashore, with di.
rections, however, to board as soon as the
first duty was performed.
Fire arms were to be used only iD the last
extremity, and the first object of every one
was to clear the upper deck and gun. deck Of
the enemy. These arrangements were plain
and judicious. The watchword was Phila.
dephia.
As the ketch drew in with the land, the
ship became visible. She lay not quite a
mile within the entrance, riding to the wind
and abreast of the town. Her forenast which
had been cut away while she was Oh the
rect, had not yet been replaced, her main
and mizzen topmasts were housed, and heI
lower yards we're on the gunwales. Her
lower standing rigging, however, was in It's
place, and, as was shortly afterwards ascer
tanned, her guns were loaded and shotted.-
Just within her, lay two cOrsairs, with few
gun-boats and galley.
the sea and bay were as smooth as in sum
mer; as unlike as possible to the same place
few days previously, when the two vessels
had been driven from the enterprise by
tempest. Perccivlng that he was likely to
get in too soon, when about five miles from
the rock, Mr.. Decatur ordered buckets and
other drags to be towed astcrn, in order t.
lessen the way Of the ketcb, without shorten
ing sail, as the latter expedient would have
been seen from the port, and must have ava
kencd suspicion. In the mean time the wind
gradually fell, until it became so light as to
leave the ketch but about two knots way on
her, when the drags were removed.
About 10 o'clock the Intrepid reached the
eastern entrance OF the bay, or the passage
between the rucks and the sboal. The wind
was Dcarly east. and, as she steered directly
for the frigute, il was well abaft the BEAM
There was young moon, and as these bold
adventures were slowly advancing into o
hostile port, all around them was tranquil
and apparently without distrust. For near
on hour they were stealing slowly along, the
air gradually falling, until their motion be-
came scarcely precep,iblc.
Must Of the officers and mon OF the ketch had
been ordcrcd'tn lie on the deck, where they
were concealed b. low bulwarks, or weather
ooatus, ahu ny thc dincrent objects that DC |
long ns vessel As II is the practice oi
those 'oas To carry number Of men even IN
the smallest crait, the appearance of ten on
twelve would excite no alarm, and TIN. nun !
Der was visible. The commanding officer
bimself stood near the pilot Mr.. Cataleno /
who was TO act as interpreter.
Tho quarter-master at the helm. wns or
dered TO stand directly for the irign,es bows
d being the intsntion 10 lay the chip sbosr +,
iD that place, as the mode Of attack whicI
would least expose the sssallauts to her its