Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1852-1859, 1855-09-25

enemy, they were bUtfeting the waves, and StrUg-
Cling for life with tumultuuus and agitated sea.
Il Nothing could be better calculated to Iepress the
ardor of Decatur and his little band. HIS provis-
ions were diminished, and almost expended; and
although not murmer escaped from the lips Of the
humbleSt Seamen, 1t may well be Imagined what
must have been their reflections, when liable every
hour to be swallowed up by the waves; and, If
they escaped them, TO be famished with hunger.-
Men OF the stouieSt hearts, who would undaunted-
ly rush to the lannon's mouth, became even chill
dren at the prospect OF famine.
At length, upon the 18th Of February, little
before sunset, Decatur hove sight Of the Bay of
Trip oil, and Of the irigate Philadelphia. The
apprehen<Ions, arising from storms aud famine,
were suddenly bauiShed by the prospect OF glori-
GUS victory, or glorious death. 1t had been pre-
viOuSiy arranged, between Decatur and Stewart,
that the Intrepid, accompanied by the boats which
had been attached 10 the SYen, should enter the
harbor at 10 O'clock; with the utmost possible
silence bear down upon the Philadelphia, and
take her by boarding But aSif fate had eneIed its
veto against the success of the expedition, the
I SyTen, with all the boats, by change of wind,
were driven five or eight miles from the tulrrpld,
leaving Decatur, with only seventy volunteers, in
this small Reich. The moment Of decision had
/ come, and the expedition must have been Te'In-
pushed for that season, unless the object oE 1t
4 was now accomplished. He knew that his gallant
little crew as true 10 him as the needle, by which
he directed his ketch 10 TripoI, 10 the pole.
Where he would lead, he knew they would fol-
low. Having Maltese pilot OH board the Ketch,
he ordered hm TO answer the hail from the trIsHte
III the THpolitan tongue; ani if they order
cd 10 COME 10 an anchor, 10 answer, that they had
lost their anchors upon the coast in gale Of wind,
and that compliance with the order as IInpossl
Die. He addreSSed his gallant officers aud men IN
the most animated and impaSSlumed style; pointing
out TO them the glory Of The achievement, which
wUnld rebound TO themselves, and the lasting bene-
nj II would secure To their Country that 1t would
hasten the redemption OF their brother Seamen
from horrible bondage, and give TO the name Of
Americans an exalted rank, even amongst MahOne
tanS. Every heart on board Swelrd with enthuSi-
aSm, and responded to the patriotic sentiment Of
their beloved commander, by wishing To be led
Immediately into the contest. Every man was
completely armed, not only with the most tradly
weapons, but with the mast dauntleSS courage
The reader may form some faint conceptions OF
The tremendous hazard OF this enga ement, by
learning thatthe Philadelphia was mUUretl near the
BaShaw'S extensive and powerful batteries, and
equally near 10 what lie deemed his impregnable
castle. One of her full GrOsdSiles, of twenty-SiX
guns, pointed into the harbor; and were all mount
cd and loaded with double headed Shot. Two of
the Tnpolitan'S largest corSa.rS anchored
within two cables length of her Siarboari quar-
ter, while great number of heavy gun boats
were stationed about The same distance from her
StaTboartt bow. As the BnShaw had reasons daily
TO expect OH attack from Commodore PIebe'S
: squadron, the TnpulItan commander of the PhIIa-
dElphla had augmented her crew 10 nearly thou
sand able bodied Turks. In addIlILm 10 all this
formidable, yea, appalling considerations, Decatur,
aud his noble Crew knew full well that, after hav-
ing entered into this dreaduly unequal comba I,
theFe was no escape. 1t was 'luriUrn lUpe,"-
twas victory or death,-death perhaps by the
| hands of The Turk<,-perhaps by the explosion OF
The Intrepid. AS soon as darkness had concealed
the hetch from the view OF the TupUltLnS, Deca-
iur bore slowly into the Larbos, aud approached
The numerous magazines of death, which were
Yatsn rE..tf
should approach. The ght breeze lie had,
VIXEN he entered the harbur, died away, aud
dead calm Succeeded. At II O'Clock. lie had
approached within two hundred yards Of the Phila
delphla An unbrOken silence, for the thee pre-
Seeding hours, at last interrupted by the hUaISe
! and disSonant voice OF a Turk, WHO hailed The
: Intrepid, and ordered her TO come 10 anchor. The
faithful Maltese pilot answered, previously iii,
rectedi and the sentinel supposed call was wel.'
+, The Hetch gradually approached the lFgOte; and,
when within about nifty yards of her, Decatur order
ell The lntrepHS small boat TO take rope and and
make ii fast the lore chains of the fIigate and the
Men TO return Immediately on board the Keich.-
This done, some Of the crew began 10 warp the
kelch along side the Philadelphia. The inr-
peTous Turks, at this time, began TO imagine that
call was not WE'LL" The Ketcn suddenly
brought into contact with the frgate; Decatur,
full armed, darted like lightning upon her deck,
and was Immediately followed by MidSmpman
Morris. Fora full minute they were the only
Americans on board, COntendng with hundreds
of Turks. Lieut.. Lawrence, anG the rest OF the
officers, as soon as possible, followed their COM
mander, and were themselves followed by the
} whole of the little crew of the Intrepid
scene followed which beggarS description.
The CONSERVATION of the Turks increased the
wild conuS;On which the unexpected assault &C.
caSIOned. They rushed upon deck from every
other part ofthe ship, and instead of aiding, OBJ
Strncted each other III .Iefeueng her. Decatur
aud his crew formed front equal 10 that of the
: Turks, and then impetuousiy rushed upon them.
1t was our business TO Stay, and the Turks 10
die. 1t was estimated, that from eighty to an
hundred was slam; and any
wounded, they mmedia ely Jumped over board,
choosing a voluntary death, rather han the dis
) grace of losing blood by the hand OF y Christian
dog, as the Mahometams universe lily call all ChrlS-
taiuS. Those who were no. slain, or who leaned
over board, escaped by SW INNING board the
. gun-boatS, anchored che Philadelphia, aud
some escaped on shore III her boats. Half an hou-
er after this Pant"mmc scene commenced, moi a
word SPoken-nothlng but signs the lofty lumb
bling and SumnleTSelS ceased; Decatur found HIM
sell IN complete possession ct the ftigate which
his father had commanded before him; and his
undaunted little crew considered THIS action as
mere pastlme; the boatSwan Lad piPed all hands
TO mischief ahoy, they cried out, little did they
care for the gigantic forms of eight hundred OF a
5 thousand Turks before them. But IN iIle, Deca-
tur was IN the midst of death. He could not move
the tTigate, for theIe was no wind; he could not
tow her out of the harbor, for he had not sufficient
! strength. The BasI AVIS troops commenced a tie
mendOuS file from their batteries aud the castle,
t upon the frigate. The gun bouts were arranged
in the harbour; and the two cUrSairs, near her,
were pouring their FIRE into her star.oard quarter
, Decatur and his gallant COMPANIONS remained in
the rigate, cool, aud collected, fully convinced
that that was the only place where they could de-
fend themselves. Finding it totally impossible
to withstand, for any length OF time, such ire
mendoms cannonade as was now bearing upon
him, lie resolved to set the rignte on fire IN every
one of her most combustible parts, and mn the
+ hazard of escaping in the little Intrepid, which
T Still lay alongside Of her. II WIS moment preg-
nant with the most awful, The most happy
5 consequences, to those gallant heroes.
II tTO BE CONTINURD.)