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

Written for the Blue Hens Chicken.
NARRITIvH
OF THE
Burning of the Fdgate Philadelphia,
BY THE BRAVE DECATUR, IN THE Ray OF TRlPoLI, IN
THE YEAR 1904, TOGETHER WITH OTHER
DARING EXPLOITS.
BY DIR. John ". Dorsey
Surgeon on board the brig Argus, commanded 6y
Lieut.. Stephen Decatur.
Fortyyears have passed, since the Frigaie Phil
ade!phia, commanded by one Of the best aud bra
vest officers in the Navy of the United States,
| (Captain Bainbridse) one Of Commodore PrebleS
squadron, in chase of a vessel making inr the Bay
Of Tripoli. which he pursued until she entered the
port in safety, and in beating out OF the harbor
this noble frigate struck upon an unseen and un
described rock. Ii Is impossible TO conceive what
must have been the feelings of the gallant Balm
bridge, and his no less gallant officers and crew,
upon the happening of this dreadful Disaster
While the frigate fOated, Bainbridge and his crew
would hsvs fought all Tripoi single handed; but
his fate, on the Both OctOber, 1903, was decided.
| TIE ship could not then be Moved, and he was
| compelled, when an overwhelming Trpolitan
| force aSsailed him, TO strike the banner of hiS
country to The crescent of Mahomet. aud with his
crew, 10 be reduced to ihe most abject slavery,
Which the most unercileSs of human beings can III
fict upon civilized man. Alter being robbed OF
al. ilelT vaiuableS aud moSto! theiI clothing, they
were taken OH shore to the presence OF the Bash
aw. The " hole crew amounted To three hundred
and fifty Americans; and they were Immediately
immuIed IN dungeon. III this crew were Balm
bridge, Porter, Jones, aud Bide and lei it be re-
membered as an instance of mutual attachment,
perhaps without a parallel in the history of the
most romanlic affection.
Captain Bainbridge, his officers and crew, now
reduced, in degree, to equality by common mis-
cry, pledged themselves TO each other, never to
separate alive; but 10 endure one common bond
age, or to enjoy Ii together one general emanci-
patton.
Let US turn from picture coIorrti in the dark
est shades Of human calamity, to one OF the very
brightest ornaments of the human race, Lieuen-
ant Stephen Decatur. On the l4th of December,
he sailed from Malta, with the schooner EnteT-
prise, and laid his course for Ttipoii. The Trip
otans had seen this little schooner before, when
the brave and promising yonnA Lieutenant Andrew
Sterett commanded her. Between Malta and Til
poll, when under the command of Commodore
Dale, of the second squadron, in 1900, lie fell in
with Tupoitan corSair, OF superior force, and
immediately commenced firing upon her. The
treacberouS wretch, alter hauling down his flag
twice, renewed the action; when Lieut. SteIelt
called out 10 his crew to sink the treacherous IaS-
Gals 10 the bottom. Soon after, the Turkish com
mander, with his own Lands, lowered the bloody
flag OF Mlalomet, (Which is Of crimson with half
moon in it, of yellow grOund) and threw il over
board. Thirly-ive of his crew were killed and
wounded; not one on board the schooner killed or
wounded. Lieut.. SteTett then threw all the shot,
powder, guns, swords. pistols, and every sail but
one overheard, and directed hun To 90 home 10 his
master, with his compliments. lie did arrive aud
Notwithstanding his dreadful wounds received
two bundled baStlnOdOes, and placed back
wards upon a Jack and rode through ali the
streets OF TripU. On the ODD of December 1903
Lieut.. Decatur, in full Of HrpoI, engaged
all armed Tnpoiitan vessel, and III few moments
made her his own. He gave her name, which
she afterwards SO well supported-ihe ketch In
lrepId-She was ken Into the service of the Uni.
ted States She was bound to Constantnuple,
with an ambassador, son and suit. with 20 slaves,
aud other presents for the Grand Seignor; all OF
which fell into our hands. he EmbaSSaGor and
slaves were placed in the Castle al Syracuse, IN
the Island OF Sicily, and continued in cOnhnr ment
until peace was made. From this time, Lieuten-
ant Decatur was impatient, and pantel for all OPP
pUrtunIty to avrnge the injuries of his country;
aud above all, TO relieve his counrymen from the
dreadful state OF wretchedneSS 10 which they
were reduced by their slavery under Jussuf, at
that time reigning BaShaw of Iripoli.
The blood thirsty demon, who sat upon the
blood stained throne Of Hripoli, was remote heir
TO the throne of the BaShaw, filled by his Their.
The certain progress OF the king of terrUIs, or
theSanguInary hand OF some other assassin, might
have placed him upon the thIone, according to
the laws Of succession, Gfthey have any in TIP
olD without ascending il with his hands Teeklng
in the blood Of his father aud his eldest brother.
Both Of these he had murdered; and his next ell
deSt brother, experimenting the same fae, Soms hi
refuge from unnatural death, by flying inlO Egypt.
Having no other riyal, this modem Cain mounted
the throne of his father and brother; and, as he
had acquired il BY violating the laws of Col, OF
Nature, and OF Man, he endeavored 10 support
himself upon 1t, by re-enactIng the same tragIcal
Scenes which carried him to 1t. The "cOmpunc-
uouS vISitlngS" OF conscience, the monitor in the
human IFelSi. excited horrors call
heart. CLEAN of horrd triumph seemed to shed
q baeful and blasting illumination over his black
ened ami Lloody soul.
He grinnei horribly CHASTITY smle' at the
fate of his innocent Und exiled brother, and gnas-
ed his teeth at the gallant cambridge, hlS nuble
crew. and the rest ofthe American prisoners, then
IN his dungeons. Sometime III January, 1904,
Commodore PEBBLE sent schooner to AIgiers, for
Capt. O'Bran, our Consul General; and, on his
arrival, the Commodore with hun came on board
the Brig Agus hoSted flag OF truce, which was
answered, and our worthy old Consul went Oil
Shore and remsined four hours; but it was in VAN
lot him. by all the melting and mpaSSOned appea Is
he could make TO the obduTate heart of this devil
incarnaie, 10 obtain the least mitigation of the in
deScrioable wIetched bondage 10 which his bel9v-
ed c"untrymen were reduced. Capt. O'Bren
was compelled to De an agonized spectator OF the
accumu ated and acCumulatIng miSerieS OF gallant
Americans, who had left the regions ofhappIneSS;
the of fathers mothers, brothers, aud sisters
wives and children, to redeem by their courage,
their own countrymen, who had previously been
enslaved. The powerful arms of cambridge nd
his crew which ut Liberty, would have scattered
death among host offurks. were pinioued and
laShed together, and driven to the shore; aud in
tauuting deriSon, commanded 10 cast their Sw i'm
ming eyes upon their ShpmateS, then waiting in
the Bay of rrPoh; and 10 heaye forth the slcR of
hearts, already bursting. for the land OF their
homes.-but not tear was dropped, not SIGH
was heaved; for revenge had clos, the floodyot.
ofgrief, and American hearts, beating in boSoms
truly American, painted for nothing but vengeance
upon their demonacaI oppressors. From this day,
Lieut.. Decatur, until he wrung from his alored
commander, his slow leave, was like fish out Of
wafer; but Immediately OH his gaining consent to
make an attempt 10 re-capture the Philadelphia
trlgae, which was conside fed by all the officers of
the snmnlrnn nhsnImlnim in,r,rnnAAI,I.. a..