Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-12-05

S-l E&ZSZH ~ prO8Cfl uepeHus
HA 1EN<tl altogether on the
w. ~ Vi p o j II t .
To some students
of history he appears to be the most
magnificent figure of the most glorious
days of the American navy. To others,
and among these may be included Iheo-
dore Roosevelt, he is ranked below men
who played less spectacular parts. Whlch-
ever may be right the fact remains that
there hardly is anything in all naval his
tory to surpass his achievements 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 the Endymion were among the
finest examples of seamanship displayed
in the war of 1872. \ captain at twenty
five commodore at twenty-nine, dead
on the dueling field at forty-one. he
crowded into his short life more of action
and more of 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. from the French
vivacity courtliness and brilliance. all
we'll balanced by his strong, sturdy strain
of Americanism. His grandfather, who
had been a lieutenant in the French
navy, came to America about the middle
of the eighteenth century. and his father.
who also followed the sea, won renown In
the war of the revolution captain of a
privateer. Stephen Decatur was born
near Bristol, Nd. January >, 1919. He
reared in luxury and highly edu-
Gated. His first work for his country
was in the construction OF the famous
frigate United States, which his fathers
firm had the contract to build, and 1t
was in this vessel that he saw his first
sea duty, shipping a midShipman i'll
179s. at the outbreak of the war with
France. Perhaps no warship ever sailed
from an Americai port with more young
men destined to win fame in the nation
cause. for Decatur had for shipmates rot
only the great Stewart, the brave Som
erS. the brilliant Jones. but also James
Barron. who rose to rank equal to De-
catur. only to fall into disgrace. and, in
an evil hour. put an added stain to his
name by killing Decatur.
That first cruise brought no fighting to
the frigate United States. but when De-
catur came home he was lieutenant
1t was not until 1901 that Decatur had a
real opportunity 10 show the stuff that
was in him. He had fought several duels
devil, but that was all. In the summer
of 1903 he had been placed in command Of
the brig Argus, and in September was
ordered to the Mediterranean to join
Commodore Preble For many years the
rulers of Tripol. Tunis and Algiers had
preyed upon all the commerce of the
Mediterranean except that protected by
the British flag, and many American ves-
sells had been captured and the crews
sold into slavery 1t was little less than
piracy that the chiefs of the Barbary
States practiced. but they practically had
the sanction of the British government.
for the immunity British vessels enjoyed
served to add TO the commerce of Eng
land. Several efforts had been made by
the American government TO punish the
pirates, and in one of them the great
frigate Philadelphia. which Decatur
father had been the first to command,
ran ashore while blockading Tripoi,
and Commodore cambridge and his
whole crew of 80 men had been made
prisoners.
When Decatur Joined Prebles squadron
lie was transferred to the command of