The home journal. (Winchester, Tenn.) 1858-188?, 1859-03-31
COM MODORES DECATUR AND
BARRON.
THEIR FATAL DUEL.

THEIR FATAL DUEL.
The duel between James Barron
and Stephen Decatur, both post'cap'
tains in the American navy, took
place on the 22I of March, 1922, at
Radcnsburg, near Washington
This was the most melancholy Of all
the fatal combats that ever came off
upon that celebrated duellng ground.
Decatur was in the vigor Of his man
hood, and in the zenith of his fame.
The brilliant heroism he had display
ed on several trying occasions had
fnlly tested the mettlc of the man,
and made him the glory Of the navy
and the pride Of the nation. When,
therefore, the intelligence gradually
spread that Decatur had fallen, a
gloom overspread the land, and a ma
ton was bowed in sorrow over his
grave. ... ....
The causes which led to this fatal
encounter had been accumulating for
u series Of years. In 1907, Commo'
dorc Barron, then in command OF the
Chesapeake, left the port Of Norfolk
virginia. with his vessel SO uuprcpnr
ed for defence that, on meeting th'
British ship Leopard, he was compel
ed to lie to, submit his vessel to searcl
and allow several Of his scamen
claimed as British descrtcrs, to be ia
ken from his decks, without firing
gun. This affair reused great indig
nation throughout the country, ant
was one of the causes Of the last wa
with Great Britain. A Court of lnqnl
rv, which was convened to investigate
thr conduct of Barron on the occa
sion, deemed that the facts were suiii
cicnlIy grave to entiIlc them to tn
consideration OF u court martial. /
coort martial was subsequently held
and the result was, that Commodor
Barron was suspended from the ser
vice. Commodore Decatur was
member of both the Court Of lnquir.
and the Court martial.
This was one cause of Barrons en-
mitv; for he considered that Decatu
having formed and expressed al opln
ion from hearing the evidence bclor
the Court of Inquiry, could not sit o
the Court martial with Il mind unblas
ed, and therefore he ought not in hor
orto have sat as Que Of his judges a
all.
Another cause was this: Comm(
dore Barron, shortly after his suspel
sion. went abroad aal resided in El
rope for several years. During hi
absence the war of 1912 broke out,
which the officers of the America
Navy had frequent opportunities IL
meeting the vessels OF Great Brlta'
on the element which they hlther'
claimed as peculiarly their ow
and the result was that they ha
fought their vessels into the rcspe
of the world, and covered themselv'
with glory. After the war was ov'
and peace declared, Commodore Ba
ron applied for restoration to his raj
This Commodore Decatur opposed
lie insisted that he fought not to |
received again into the naval servic
that there was not employment enou!
for all the officers who had faithful
4 discharged their duty to their count
e in the hour of trial; and that it wou
, be doing an act OF injustice to eI
ploy him to the exclusion of any o.
/, of them" In endeavoring topreve
r his readmission, lac conceived he "w
r performing duty he owed to the Sc
e vice, and that he was contributing
u the preservation fits respectabillt.
Such were the relations Of the pi
e ties up to June 1910. At that til
V Commodore Decatur was residing
> = Washington City, and Commodc
}. Barron at Hampton, near Norfolk,
Virginia--he having returned to d
d country in 1918. Decatur still c.
. : tinued TO oppose the roadmisslon
q Barron to the Navy. and in doing
IS no doubt expressed his opinions fire
'e and unreservedly. "Soms indiyidu
y ingenious in fomenting quarrels
others,y says Msckenzie's Histo
Ne "contriyed to make these opinions
. occasion Of 4 spespnaI di9iculty