Jeffersonian Republican. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1840-1853, 1840-06-20
Biographies os Distinguished Penn
syiyamians.
CONTINUED.


| on the Eastern shore Of Maryland, whittier his
parents had retired from Philadelphia, while the
British had possession Of that city. He entered
the Navy il March 93, and was soon promoted to
the rank of first lleti;enant While a. Syracuse,
attached to the squadron Of Commodore Preble,
he was first informed q Tie tate If the American
iriga:e Philadelphia, w .eh IN purKuing Tripo-
Titan corsair, ran on goek ato-t 4 miles from
Tripoh, and was ;aken ty tie iripolitans and tow
ed into the harbor. Lieiuenaht Decatur conceiv-
ed the project Of attempting her recapture or des
truction. He selected, for this purpose, ketch.
and manned her with 70 volunteers. February l6,
1904, AZ clock at night, he entered the harbor OF
Tripoi boarded the frigaie, though she had all
her guns mounted and charged, and was lying
within hall gun shot OF the 5ashaws castle and OF
his principal battery. Two TIipoitan crusiers
were lying within two cables length on the star
board quarter, and several gun boats within half
gunshot, on the starbodsd bow, and all the bate
ries on shore were opened upon the assailants-
Decatur set fire to the frgate, ard continued along
side until her destruction was certain. For this ex
ploit, Congress voted him thanks and sword, and
the President Immediately seat him captaincy
The next spring it being resolved to make an at
tack on Tripoli, Commodore Preble EQUIPPED sir
gun boats, and two bombs formed them into TWO
divisions, and gave the command Of one of them
to Decatur. TIE encmf's gun boats were moored
along the mouth OF the laTbor under the batteries
and within nusket shot. Capt. Decatur detsrmi-
ned to board the enemy Seasiern division, consist
ing of nne. Tie boarde3 IN his own boat. and
carried two Of the enemy's boats in succession
When he boarded The second bcat, ne Immediately
attacked her commander. who was his superior in
size and strength, ard is sword being broken, he
seized the l'-sA- y es : so.es,t stfargle ensued
The Turk threw him, anu drew dirk forthe pur-
pose of stabbiag him, when Decatur having small
pistol in his right pocLet tooA hold of it. and turn
ing il as we'll as he could so rs 10 take effect upon
his antagonist, cooked it, fred through bis pocket
and killed him. When c Commodore Preole was
superseded il the command If the SQUADRON he
gave the cOmmaGd cf the friga:e Constitution TO
Capt. Decatur, who was afterwards removed to
the Congress, and returned home in her, when
peace was concluded with rripoli. He succeed
| ed Commodore Bauon il tie command Of the
Chesapeake, after the attack made upon her by the
! British man of war Leopard He was afterwards
transferred to the rigaie United States When
war broke out whilst in command o. her, he fell
in, October 25, 1872 "ith the Macedonian, mount
ing 40 carriage guns. Of the finest Of the Brit
ish vessels Of her class and captured her after an
engagement Of an hour and half When Capt
Garden the commander of the Macedonian, tender
ed him his sword, he observed 'that he could not
think o. taxing the sword Of an officer who had de-
Tended his ship Sc galanty, but should be happy
to take hiIn " tac hand" Ia Jsnrary 1919 De-
catur in the United States with his plize the Mac.
edonian, then equipped as m American frigate
was blockaded at New Lon3oo, by British soua-
dron greatly superior in force, Challenged which
he sent to their commander Sir Thomas Hardy
offering to meet Of the British lrigates with his
two ships, was declaed. In January 1915, he at.
tempted to set sail from New York, which was
bockaded by four British slips, but the fripate
under his command, the President, was Injured in
passing the bar, and was captured by the whole
squadron after having maintained a running fiph,
ot21 hours, with one oftre frgates, the Endymion
''AINu +" d. OlSIudHtlSQ ana BlleDceQ. After the
conclusion of peace he was restored to his coun-
| try. The conduct Of the BarbarY powers, and OF
Algiers in particulars, having been insulting to
the U. s., war was declared against the latter, and
a squadron was fitted ont under the command of
Commodore Decatur, for the purpose Of obtaining
redress. Int the spring he set sail, and June II,
of Cape de Satt captured an Algerine frigate, af-
ter running fight of Is minutes in which the fa-
nous Admiral Rails Hammidor, who had long been
the tenor Of the Mediterranean, fell. The squad
ron arrived at Algiefs June 2s
fnless than IS hours, Decatur terrified the regency
into ms own terms, which were mainly, that trib-
ute should ever be required by Algiers fromthe us
that all Americans in slavery, should be given up
without Iansom; that compensation should be
made for American property seized-that ali citi-
zens OF the United States taken in war, Should be
treated as prisoners Of war, are, by oher nations,
and not as slaves, but held subject to an exchange