The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1897-05-30

effort should be unfamiliar to all but
close students OF history.
During the first week of May, 1901.
the United States flag (then bearing
and its flagstaff hewn down before the
doors of the American consul at Trip
oil. The outrage was the Tripolitan
method of declaring war on this coun-
! try.
TriDoli, like the other Moorish states
along northern Africa, had for years
secured the high seas with its piraticel
! galleys. Selling and bearing into slav-
cry all crews of merchant vessels which
failed to pay tribute. Many countries
the infant United States among the
number-paid literally for immunity,
and over SIS, 900 had been sent to Trip
oil from these ShoSes by way of tax. An
/ injudicious present of a fine frigate to
the rival piratical state of Algiers, how
ever, caused grave jealousy in TripoH,
4 and when the bashaw's demand for a
similar gift was refused he flew into a
rage, drove the American consul from
his realm and sent out a swarm of gal
leys and Xebecques to patrol the seas in
search of Yankee prey.
The naval exploits of the war that
ensued-filled as they are with the
deeds of Decatur and Bainbridge-hold
a considerable space in our chronicles,
but few even of the well-read element
can describe the invasion of Eaton and
his motley troops.
EATON'S ARMY SUPPLIES.
General William Eaton, the son of
schoolmaster at Woodstock, Conn, had,
while il Tunis. secured the confidence
of Sid Hamet CaIamelli, the elder
brother of the bashaw of TripoM, and
himself the rightful ruler. At Eaton's
TsoI n
Hamet with money and supplies, and
carried him to camp on the Egyptian
borders of the great Ldbyan desert.
Here the standards of the United States
and of Sidi Hamet were raised side by
side, and the United States money at
tracted a small force. Many TriDoh
tans fiocked to the twin standards. The
war with the United States had
wearied these pirates for, they said,
THE bashaw told us that YOU Ameri-
cans were all cowaTdly merchantmen.
and we have found you devils who fight
to the death
The United States fleet landed small
force of bluejackets and marines under
Lieutenant OBannon, a young Irish
American, with orders to follow Eaton
to Tripoli, if necessary. The rest of the
army consisted Of Arabs and Greeks.
Eaton was made chief
States guaranteed $4,000 toward the
expenses on condition that Sidf Hamet
should refund that sum when he re-
gained his throne. Then, with $50 CAM
els, about $50 armed men and some
camel drivers and camp followers,
Eaton's force set biaveiy forth into the
waste of the Libyan desert.
1t costs money, however 10 tit out
an arinv, however small, and early IN
the campaign Eaton's funds began to
dwindle. The camel drivers became
extortionate in their demands, and
mutiny threatened among the Greek
mercenaries. Once Eaton was reduced
to the extraordinary exDedient of tax
ing up a collection among mis- American
followers TO pay the drivers and keep
the column moving. AT last, IL the very
center of the desert, the generals purse
was found to contain but three sequins.
The camel drivers openly mutinied I'M
der the leadership Of q fanatiCal Arab
named the Shiek El-Tarib. Then en-
sued a remarkable scene. The mutt
nee1s pici1eleed their beasts, spread their
praying rugs in the ocean OF sand, and
coolly sat down to smOke-aatly rsfis-
ing 20 move another step without
money.
Eaton, however, was equal to the
emergency. At the head of his Amcri-
cans he swooped down upon the mutt
neers, cut THE camel's picket ropes and
threatened to march away and aban-
don the drivers. The malcontents
yielded, and sullenly resumed the
march,. but sedition was at work
among them, fomented by the treach-
erousfShiek El-Tarib. Three days later
the camel drivers attempted a treach-