Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1841-1853, 1844-10-31
INDIANA STATE SENTINEL.
From ne VI ehez Free irGsey
ucary Clay against the Defenders CG
tue lou:,fry.


the STATE to show that Col Polk had voted against
paving III sall..ss of the Revolution. We ref frci
10 Tic lournil- 4 C1ngr~S pagc by page. aud scs-
SION after session. and pr0fsd that the charge
fei,e. Not only ihat T. was false but that BE- had
sfeadlF @nfior.ed the claims ct those old soldiers.
aud thai II mainly through his exertions. that
bill vas PASSED u pension the brave old men who
fought Indian But bpv stands Mr. Clay
M ile.a matters Has h. uniformly been the friend
81 orr brave warriors Very far from IT. We oil
remember the efforts he made Congress, week after
week. - tarn.sh the splendid military career al ten.
r k-on aud drive hum. dscr1ce FROM the army.
and shat TO when tie louahawk of the savage Vas
drippirg wih blood along enr whole stern frontier
and tn wa--gehoop rsouudej from the haiahouchie
T. tn T0nblaber IL s;ald up at that Crisis. when
- many families ~ Mississippi were IN mourning
f,r their numbered rlltrcs. aud too. the SIDE Of Ar-
tuhnat and tlsars-er tie British spies that bud IN
stIgatcd the Indians. IT. dienid them and the
trca cirro-ls Spanish authorities Of Pensacola. who
furnished the saydges with arms. against Andrew
J,rss,a tn man who. under God. saved this whole
region Of country from hu'chery and conllgrallon.
W - this a. lie gave. more recently, another
memorable m ance = Ingratudc and opposition 10
tn brar, d,fcnderv his rognfrg. II l. well known
that from the close Of the Revolutionary war, our
commerce. ~ the Mediterranean hnrasscd and our
flag constantly nsuIttd by the larbary powers, those
licensed pirates that held the fertile of Africa
and levied clntrihI' IONS ano-; every nation. We
fald them an enormous and dlsgracciul tribute for
series of for exemption from tcsc deprcdatons,
bn even his did not protect 1t length the spin;
o the nation aroused, and IN l-t3. cxPrdl-
ii,n was sent ont. under Commodore prcble, who block
AIDED and hmulslrdcd the fortress of Tripoi In tn"
course Of the attack, the t. s. frigatc lhladclphia.
commanded b. the gallant cambridge, struck
rock In the harbor and was captured by the enemy
and her officers and crew, amounting to three hun
drcd persons. were made prisoners The dungeons OF
Trrali literally groanfd with Americans who were
Il "a t1ilV
iml.alcmeEi. The late Commodore Decatur, then a
lieutenant ~ tie navy. obialacd permission few
months At "rwdris 10 make attempt To cut ont the
captured lriraic then lying IN tic cneny's harbor
IL sailed from Syracuse with crew of volunteers
on ~. American kcich Intrepid. He reached the
hsrbor about 10 o'clock at night and prepared for an
im.m,dIa,c assault The PliladclIha, with her guns
mounted and loaded lay under The batteries of lhc
castle; two Ir'pollfan cruisers lay within cabls
length on her s'irboard bow. The Intrepid carend
her gallant crew WI hin two hundred wards of dor
frga.c. VI hout interruption they were hailed athi
ordered To anchor. The Pllo on the Intrepid answer
cd BY Dccaturs order. that they had lost their
chors gale of wind of the coast, and could not
anchor. BY this time they had approached near the
frgatc aud were bccalmcd. Decatur directed small
boat take rope, and make II fast 10 the fore chains
Of the frigate: thi, being done the crew began TO
warp Tie intrepid alongside Up to this moment the
enemy Ind suspected no dlnger but now, IN great
contiisIon they began 10 prepare for defence Dcca-
tur. followed by his officers and crew, sprang board
4 furious conflict ensued The wo cruisers opened
their fire But the Americans cleared the decks
set the reaie on fire, and rcireacd out Of the har-
Dor For this heroic act Congress voted HIN thanks
and sword. The following S'ring. Commodore
Prcbc determined to make another attack on Tripoli
and gave the command of a division of gun boats
Decatur. The signal beng given. Decatur advanced
u attack the frlpofan Gun boats, which were moor
ed along the mouth of the harbor, and within musct
shot of The biterics He ordered the bowsprits of his
VII 10 line 10 b. uiishiPPcd and every preparation
made u board he boats IF the enemy he then adj
vanced through heavy fire from the battery and gun
boats and boarded one of the bouts with twenty-se-
ven Ans,ricarI> the deck cleared. and De-
catur about to take his prize out of the Inc
when boat which bad been commanded by his bro
Their, Lieut. james Decatur, came under his stern and
lc was Informed, that his brother after capturing one
of the enemys boats. had been irearherouly slam 10y
her commander. who WAS then making for the port.
lie waited l. hear no more. but fastened overtake
the assassin. and avcngc his brother. With his SIN
gle boat lac pursued the retreang foe beyond the line
OF the enemy he succeeded in laying his boat along
side, and threw himself on board with eleven Of his
men all the Americans he had left. The fight con-
tnued On the deck for twenty minutes. and but -four
oil his ulan rcml med mwOunde d. lie now singled
out the commander. who the special object of his
,cnrcan~c With his cu.las, he attempted 10 cut off
the head Of tie e'pln'oon with which his antagonist
w armed but thc trcaclerous steel broke al the
hiit and he received wound IN the right and
breast They then closed. and after fierce struggle
both fell. The pirate attempted to stab him with
dagger: but Decatur seized his arm with his left
hand and wi'h ms right brought a belt pistol t. bear
IN his Antagonist. fired and Killed him.
During this struggle. one Of the Trrolitans be-
hind Decatur aimed blow at his head With a sabre :;
an American >caman, who had been severely
wounded a. Ia lose the use of both hands, rushed
der The ulicd blade and received the blow upon his
own head. Both the Trlp1an h'at> were finally St.
cured BY Decatur. His subsequent brilliant career
IN the with Great Britain and again on the coast
of AtrIci. l. toD well known to be repeated ears
aficrw rdS. when country repos M In honor
able peace the fruit Of these heroic cXertlOns of our
army and marine when the treasury overflow
inr wish money. and not dollar of nation1l debt
rnllned unpaid : when Decatur had fallen. and mos,
- the gallant band that accompanied him dead
leaving their hcp.cs, widows and orphans III pover.y
and wrctclcdnc :. a bill was introduced to make some
provision for them. and the test question. 'Shlll
This bill he enrosscd and read third time - HENRY
Clay nth oalg nine Others Gall wings but one)
ED N THE NEGATIvE See Senate Journal LIST Ses.
9th Cong.
This bill was introduced at the instance of the Wild
ovs Of the veteran Prebe. the gallant Lawrence and
others and of James Ware John +. Blyc and others.
surviving Of the frigate Philadelphia, who
were cast destitute upon the charity of the country.
Yet Mr.. Clay could reject the widows prayer. and
turn his back upon the brave that had FURNISHED
our flag with unfading glory, while he voting
away thousands and thousands OF dollars. for cxtrav-
agant and useless objects.
The New York True Sun, speaking of the late
joseph Bonapqr,e and his residence IN tins country