New Britain herald., 1918-04-22

rounded by all the gunboats of the enemy's f1otilla. The Philadelphia was a frigate of A guns, but her armament had been destroyed by Captain Bainbridge before her cap- ture
 Disguised as Maltese.
 In the little Intrepid, which mount ed only four guns Decatur, with his crew disguised with Maltese caps, crept into the dark harbor. They passed the battery, gained the side of the Philadelphia, and in the language of the Tripolitans asked the officer of the captured ship for permission to run a hawser to the frigate, as they had lost their anchors in the storm
 Decatur quietly ordered a boat manned to carry the hawser to the frigate, A boat from the Philadelphia was sent out to help them, and soon brought the Intrepid alongside the Philadelphia. Suddenly they were discovered and cry went up "Am- ericanos."
 Decatur's order "Board" rang out and with Lieutenant Morris leaped upon the deck of the Philadelphia The crew, each a,med with cutlass and pistol, followed and the Tripo1i- tan crew, panic stricken, leaped overheard.
 Within a few minutes the Phila- doiphia, was a blaze of fire. Decatur was the last to leave the frigate and swung from the rail into the rigging of the Intrepid as she veered off to escape. The shore batteries and gun boats opened fire, but only one shot struck the ship. No lives were lost and only four men were wounded
 Lord Nelson, then commanding the English fleet off Toulon declared the exploit as ''the most bold and daring act of the age''
 For this gallant achieveme ent Deca- tur was made post ptain, and in the attack on Tripoli in the spring of 1895 was given command of one di- vision made up of gunboats loaned by the King of Naples.
 As Decatur led his division under the fire of the batteries, Commodore Preble, fearing he could not stand such fire, attempted to order him to withdraw, but found no signal for that order in the code. Therefore Decatur continued to meet the enemy gunboats. He captured his first ad- versary with but little fighting, and was about to carry off his prize when he learned that his brother, Lieuten- ant James Decatur, had been killed treacherously by the captain of a boat who, after striking his flag to the American. shot his captor as he stepped aboard his prize.
 Encounter With Turk.
 Captain Decatur finding that the cowardly Turk had escaped with his gunboat, pushed farther within the enemy's lines, and reached the vessel at the head of. II Americans, all of the crew he had left after manning his prize. For 20 minutes the con- test was doubtful, and all of the Am ericans were by now severely wound ed. Decatur ordered the captain left for him. The Turk was armed with an espontoon, Decatur with a cut1ass, and in attempting to cut off the head of his antagonists weapon, his sword was broken off close to the hiIt.
 As the Turk closed on him Deca. tur, slightly wounded on the arm and breast, grappled with him and they fell to the deck, Decatur on top. AS the Turk drew a dagger Decatur shot him dead. Tn the meantime the crews, coming to the assistance of their commanders. engaged in a death 1 struggle and when Decatur attem pted to rise he found himself pinned l down by the dead sailors.
 One of the enemy crew, seeing an ] opening in the fighting mass, raised l his sword to cleave the skull of the l American officer. As the sword swept | downward another head was showed l in its course, and Decatur having 1 time to get his revolver clear, shot ] the Tripolitan.
 The hero that interposed his own l head to save the life of Decatur was ! Reuben James, a read headed freck