Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1902-06-28
Mistellateu,ls geadimg.
OLD-TIME NAVAL FEUD.
Conflict of Officers Which Led to the
Death of Commodore Decatur.


Death of Commodore Decatur.
In 1907, a certain commodore. in COM
mand Of a United States frigate, left
Norfolk with insufficient means Of de-
, fence; and was met by an English ves-
sci, which subjected him to the injury
and humiliation Of having his ship
searched and several men taken from
it-claimed as British deserters.
After the war was over, this man,
Commodore Barron, who had, in his
time, been an efficient officer, asked
for a restoration to rank. Commodore
Decatur. who had been a member Of
the courtmartial that passed upon the
case. opposed this strenuously, and the
matter might have rested here had not
some meddling friends carried to Bar
ron the words which the officer had
used with some more grievous words,
which he had not. Barron. who then
lived at Hampton. Va, wrote Decatur,
asking II he had really said that he.
Decatur, "could insult" him, Barron.
with impunity."
The other wrote back. denying that
he had said this, but putting In their
place some grievous words, almost as
bad.
One word brought on another and
friends of both parties were not lack
ing to add to the grievous words written
to those that they had heard spoken.
By June, 1919. the feud had progressed
so far that Commodore Barron wrote
Commodore Decatur: II am also in
formed that you have tauntingly and
boastingly observed that you would
cheerfully meet me in the field, and
hoped I would yet act like man."
| Decatur, who could write peculiarly
trenchant and stinging letter, answered
this communication from Barron, tartly
reviewing the case, taunted the other
with being largely the cause Of the war
Of 1912, and then remaining in Europe
instead Of taking part in the conflict,
and then added that he had never said
anything about their meeting in the
field, except that, II challenged, he
would accept. He stated that he dis
approved Of duelling, and took pains to
say the ungracious words, II should be
much better pleased to have nothing to
do with you. = From your manner
Of proceeding, 1t appears to me that
you have come to the determination to
| tight some one, and that you have Sc
lected me for the purpose; and I must
take leave to observe that your object
could have been better attained had
you made this decision during the late
war, when your fighting might have
benefited your country as well as your
SELF"
So the words went on accumulating,
until, on January 10. 1920, Barron chal-
lenged Decatur, and on the oath, he ac-
cepted.
On the 22d Of the following March the
tiny but momentous battle was fought
on the historic old dueling ground Of
Bladensburg. on the old stage road be-
tween Washington and Baltimore. The
weapons were pistols and the distance
was the murderous one of eight PAGES.
in order to compensate for the fact
that Barron was near-sighted.
Nothing can induce me to take the
life of Barron" Decatur had said, when
he received the challenge. And Barron
afterwards made remarks which show
ed that he also entered the duel with
greatest reluctance. Before the firing
Barron said to Decatur, "Sir, hope,
on meeting in another world, we shall
be better friends than in this" Deca-
tur answered: IT have never been your
enemy, SIR" These words, while they
showed that neither was implacably
angry, were no doubt spoken with me-
tallic politeness and made no headway
toward settlement Of the difficulty.
Both fired at the same second and
fell. Lying upon the ground, their
heads not more than ten feet apart,
with their own blood staining the earth
around them, they became reconciled.
Let us make friends while we are
vet on earth." said Barron, for no
doubt we shall both soon die" Deca-
tur responded with equally kind words
and Barron rejoined with the fervent
added remark: would to God you had
said this much yesterday" But the
soft answers were given too late to be
of use in this world.
Decatur died that night and Barron
was a long time in recovering. To the
end of his life he had cause to regret
the grievous words which he had
spoken, and which were partly the
means of his becoming the murderer OF
his one-time friend and comrade In
arms-Everywhere