Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1909-12-04


Chevalier Bsyard OF the sea.
That he was without fear his
brilliant career would seem TO
prove. That he was without reproach
depends altogether on the viewpoint
To some students of history he az
pears to be the most magnificent
figure of the most glorious days OF
the American navy. To Others and
among these may be included Theo-
dore Roosevelt. he is ranked below
men who played less spectacular parts
Whichever may be right, the fact re-
mains there hardly Is anything in all
naval history to surpass his achieve
ments in the war with Tripoli, while
his handling OF the United States in
the fight with the Macedonian and of
the President in the fight with tho
Endymion were among the finest eX-
amplcs OF seamanship displayed in
the war OF 1912. y captain at 20,
commodore at %, dead on the dncling
field at Al. he crowded into his short
life more of action and more glory
than any man of his time.
There was Irish and Dutch and
French and American blood in the
veins of Stephen Decatur. From the
Irish he got imagination and dash,
from the Dutch stubborn resolution
rom the French viyacity. courtliness
and brilliance all well balanced by
his strong. sturdy strain of Ameri-
canlsm. His grandfather. who had
heen i lieutenant in the French navy,
came to America about the middle of
the eighteenth century, and his faith
er. who also followed the sea, won
renown in the war of the Revolu-
ton as captain Of privateer. Stephen
Decatur was born near Bristol, Nd,
January 5. 1879. He was reared in
luxury and highly educated. His first
work for his country was in the con-
struction of the famous frigate
United States, which his fathers firm
had the contract to build, and it was
in this vessel that he saw his first
in 1883. at the outbreak of the war
with France. Perhaps no warship
ever sailed from an American port
with more young men destined to win
fame in the nations cause, for
Decatur had for shipmatcs not only
the great Stewart, the brave Som
ers. the brilliant Jones. but also
James Barron, who rose to rank equal
to Decatur only to fall into disgrace.
and. in an evil hour, put an added
stain to his name by killing Decatur.
OFF TO THE MEDITERRANEAN.
That first cruise brought no fighting
TO the frlgate United States, but when
Decatur came home he was q lieu
tenant 1t was not until 1904 that De-
catur had a real opportunity to show
the stuff that was In him. He had
fought several duels and had a wide
reputation as a daredevil but that
was all. In the summer of 1903 he had
been placed in command of the brig
Argus, and In September was ordered
10 the Mediterranean 10 join Com
rnodore Preble. For many years the
rulers of Tripoli. Tunis and Algiers had
preyed upon all the commerce OF the
Mediterranean except that protected
by the British flag. and many Ameri-
can vessels had been captured and
the crews sold into slavery. It was lit
tie less than piracy that the chiefs of
the Barbary states practised, but they
practically had the sanction of the
British government, for the immunity
British vessels enjoyed served to add
to the commerce OF England. Several
efforts had been made by the Ameri-
can government to punish the pirates
and in one OF them the great frigate
Philadelphia. which Decatur's father
had been the first to command, ran
ashore while blockading Tripoli. and
Commodore cambridge and his whole
crew of 315 men had been made pris-
onerS.
When Decatur joined Preble's squad
ron he was transferred to the command
of the schooner Enterprise and few
days later he captured n TripoIitan
ketch, the Massico. Early In Decem-
Der. 1903, Preble sailed past TrIpoli
with his squadron In the harbor the