New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1856-02-18
AN AMERICAN COMMODORE,

Great as has been the development and prosperity
of the United States, within her own bounds, since
victory perched upon her eagle at Yorktown and
fair field opened for the display of her enterprise
it is chiefly, if not altogether owing to the SKILL the
courage and the hardhood of those brave men who
stood at her side when the tempest dashed the sea of
her fortune into foam and exposed those dreadful
scopuli, on which so many national destinies have
foundcred. In the list of whose deeds of daring
at the initiation of the voyage contributed mate
rally to its future and prosperity, that of
Charles Morris, lately deceased must ever stand bright
and prominent.
Born in the State of Connecticut about 1885, he
entered the navy in 1893 and in 1903 was midship-
man on board the Constitution, the flagship of Com
modore Prebe's squadron, sent out to chastise the
Barbary powers for their acts Of piracy upon Ameri
can shipping, and their unjustifable enslavement of
American citizens. The Philadelphia, having ground
ed in the attack made upon Tripoli, was abandoned
to the Corsairs and by them taken into that harbor
and fitted out ready to cruise against our commerce
Decatur resolved that she should be destroyed, and
plan accordingly devised for running into the ar-
Dor and destroying her at her moorngs, and Morris
was one selected to bear hand in the hazardous u-
dertaking He, with seventy-four others. of whom
ton and put on board the Ketch Intrepid.
| In the evening of the 9th of February 1904, the
Intrepid under convoy of the sren arrived off Tripo
The night was dark and stormy, and Morris was sent
with boat in shore, to reconnoitre. He pulled in
close to Shore but finding the weather settling into
gale, returned and ran out with the Siren and In
trepd just in time to save shipwreck and captivity,
or, perhaps, DEATH On the 10TH however the weather
fln
the attack Morris was assigned the hazardous duty
of going below and firing the ship after its capture
The arrangements were so complete that the Ameri.
cans were alongside their enemy before the alarm was
| given and indeed, before the Turks knew it. their
ship was taken and they were jumping into the
water like so many Newfoundland dogs, or, whole
division ofseal. The victory was complete, and in
forty minutes the daring had effected their pur-
pose; taken, fired and left the rgate and sent forth
three hearty cheers that made the hostile harbor
echo and ring with their defiant shouts The city and
fortresses were awakened by the noise and confu-
sion'--the cheers and confagration. From batteries
and FORTS and ships voleys of artillery were poured
into the darkness, and the loaded cannon of the burn
ing ship went off like minute guns in a mournfu re-
! QUEEN for her loss. The heroes who fired the torch
to this grand mpromptu celebration, rowed merrily
down the harbor, however, and safely returned to
their quarters under the stars and stripes. No other
of all our naval achievements surpassed this in splen-
DOR and of those who bore conspicuous part in it,
no one won brighter chaplet than Charles Norris
After this memorable achievement, up to the
breaking out of the war of 1872 the life of Morris
was as quiet that of Naval officers ever is When,
in July II, the Constitution-the welbeloyed q Old
fronside"- sailed from Annapolis on cruise under
Rodgers, Morris was made her first lieutenant Five