Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1852-1859, 1855-09-26

| OF THE
Burning of the Prigate Philadelphia,
By TIE BRAVE DECATUR, IN THE RAz OF TRiPoLI, IN
! THE YEAR 1904, TOGETHER WITH OTHER
DARING EXPLOITS.
| nv DIR. John W Dorsey,
Surgeon on board the brig argus, Commanded Jg
Lieut.. Stephen Decatur.
AFTER the confagratiom commenced, Decatur
| and his associates entered the Ketch, as II in.
creased, ana for some time in imminent
ia niger of being blown up with her. As If heav-
| en- smiled upon the conclusion OF this enterprise,
as 1t seemed TO lrowM upon It's beginning, lavor-
able bteeZe at this moment arose, which blew
the Intrepid directly out OF the reach of the enc
myS cannon, aud enabled Decatur, his officers,
and Seamen, 10 behold, at secure distance, the
furious and rolling columns Of smoke W hich i>Su-
! ell from the Philadelphia. As The flames heated
| tue loaded cannon III tine Gngate, they were dis
charged, one after the other; those pointing into
the haTbor, without any injury, and those pointing
into the city of THpoli, tp the g'eat damage and
CONSERVATION OF tile barharOuS wretcheS. who had
loaded them them to destroy our cOunlrynIen 1t
Is impossible FOX those uuaccuSOmed to scenes
likes this, to form conception OF the feelings OF
Decatur and his comrades upon this OCCASION
| Their safe return next tU resurrection from
dead. Not an American was slain in the deSpe-
rate Ienconre, AMI but four wounded, while the
sea was strewn wih the Turkish dead. Equally
impossible is ii to imagine the feelings Of Capt
Bainbridge, and his companions III bondage, upon
| this almost miraculous event. They heard the
roar of cannon in their gloomy dungeon, and saw
! The cleaning light of the flames; but knew net
TIE cause. Upon hearing the ticilngs, next mora
ing, JOY converted their chains aud CurS to Silken
| Threads. Ii was prrSage Of their deIiveIance.
and foTetUiI the m glorious jubilee. They felt
''ihe joy OF grief" Could Decatur have reached
the TIYate the night beiUrr, he might have been
fortunate enough 10 light upon the blood thirsty
BuShaw, whU'dlned on board that day, and, in
consequence OF Tremendous gale and agitaed
| sea. was compelled to remain in her At night.
Thus ended tins ,laring, hazardous aud unequal
combat No wonder that tue name of Decatur
has been rendered Industrious IN the annals OF his
country, for never was sword welded by a bra
vtr man.
After the destruction Of the frigate, Commodore
Preble sailed for Naples, and Negotiated with the
King Tor the loan Of two GOmbartS AMI six gun
boats, which wrre granted HIM. but, being bailed
Ivy adverse winds tor long TIME, lie did reach
The harbOr of VnpolI until the last week IN July,
when fearful looking for of iudsmem,' harrow :
ed the BaShaw'S gnily soul, at beholdlmg the gun
boats, bUmbaIds. and the whole of our squadron.
tie had seen the noble Decatur, in his bay, cap
ture one OF his corsaits; he had seen The same
warrior, with the same corSir, destroy his heaviest
hip-Owar, under the very guns OF his batteries.
| and castle, surrounded also by his maine forces.
Tue name OF Decatur sounded IN his ear, hike the
kmell Ut his departing glory; and when he saw the
broad pennant OF Feeble, upon that wonder worA-
ing SHIP, the Constitution, aud surrounded by the
bugs, schooners, bunbarls and gun boats, lie al :
most deSpaired. He had the crew OF the Pnila
depha, and many other Americans, III wrelcled
bondage. Determined 10 eStort an enormous lam
som Tor the prisoners, 10 enable him to SuppOittlr
vain and gorgeous pageantry OF royalty, lie denhln-
ded the sum Of six hundred thousand dollars for
| theIE emancipation, aud an annual tribute as the
pTce Of peace.
Our Consul, Tobias Lear, who succeeded Con-
sui OBrIam, Indignantly rrlec ted lhlS, and lett II
with SUCH negotiations as Prebie aLd Decatur, la
| make the Interchange OF powers, and 10 agree on
| the preiimInaTieS of treaty. Having stated thul
The whole OF Commodore Prebe'S squadron lay
before Fupol. the reader may be led Ia suppose II
was very formidable force. But 10 prepare the
mind TO follow him and his comrades into lie hat
hor. and 10 pursue him 10 the very mouth of the
| BaShaw'S cannon, upon his batteries, IN his cas-
Tie, and board his COrSaIrS gun boatS, and OtlrI
marine force, amounting 10 Three hundred caunoni
let 1t be remembered, that his whole squadron, IN
Guiding the NeapO!Itan bUmbarrlS and gun boats
mounted but one hundTerl and twenty eight guns,
aud one thousand men, TO contend against thcIl
batteries and mInIlne force, amounting to Three
| hundred cannon, and army OF about twenty
thEee thousand Arabs and TuISS, u few hundred
| yards out Ot the city.
| Our squadron consisted of the Constitution,
CommodoGe Preblr; Brig Argus, Isaac Hail; sly
rem, Stewart; ScOurge, Lieut.. COnlman,lamt Drnt;
Capture from the enemy SchE. NIxem, smith;
Nau Illus, Summers: Enterprise, Decatur; two
bomb krtcheS, and gun boats. On lie III of Au-
gust, the Commodore resolved To Comm, nee an
attack anu at half past 10 o'clock. the two bonn.
bardS, from signals, stood in lOr the town. follow
| ell 10y tie whole squadron, III the most gallant
style. Decatur selected TO command one d.
vision OF the gun boats, and Summers the OIher.
| The duty, imposed upon them, Of nature
| the most hazardous: from waller lin.
drew, they could come almost in Contact with the
| BaSaaw'S batteries aud castle, where the nIuIrr-
Gus gun-boats OF tEe TriputltanS were stationed.
Tins was one o! the most desperate engage
menlS amongst the numerous one, IN which Cant.
| Decatur was ever called TO display his personal
| proves, as well as hls nautical and desprtate
courage. The 6omhardS. each carrying Al MOI :ar
al eighteen Inches, wcIe cnnmaEdrd, one by
Lieut.. RoUlSon, and the other by Lieut.. Command.
ent Dent. The gnn-boats were thus :rtange,t,
mounting each brass twemty-six FOUNDER.
| First DiriSi0n. Second Decision.
| No. /. Summers, No. /, Stephen Decatur,
= J. Decatur, ., BalnGlidSe,
5. Blake, 6, T1Ippe.
The Constitution, Briggs and ScI0uners, were
stationed TO cover them from the ire of the bat.
tereS aud castle, and 10 silence the Tremendous
cannOnade expected from more than two hundred
aud fifty pieces of heavy guns mounted in them,
anu on the marine luEce Of the enemy.
| The BaShaw was prepared To receive US, aad
Gas he confidently expected,l to capture every
gun-boat. More than two hundred guns wrle
brought 10 bear directly upon the American squad
ron. Included in this furce OF the enemy, were
Que heavy AIMED Brig, two Schoonets, two !arse
gallieS, and nineteen gun-boats, each Of superior
force tU those commanded by Capt. Decatur aud
Summers; as they mounted each a brass twenty.
! four FOUNDER IN the bow and Two snail guns m
| the stern. The number Of men, III each boat ui
the enemy, was forty. In the SIX beats OF our
squadron, were twenty seven AmvricanS. and
thlrtsen NeapolitanS, each; but as the latter m
close engagement, declined boarding, they ere
uf bat little service. ThustGen at the commence
'ment between the rival gun-boIts the different
forces stood:
American gun-boats, G guns, 1852 men and of,
fcerS and IS eapuIltanS-TIipoIilans 10 gum
boats, 81 guns, ahd 100 men-5t guns more Ihan
ours, and $40 more men, yet notwithstanding, we
came cut OF this action with three pszes. Cant.
Decatur took two, himself, and Lieut. Trippe tne
other. The eneIuy'S gun-bOals werr stationed dl.
Feclly under cover the BaShaw's batteries, amt
within gun shot of them.
| So perfectly confident were their commanders