New Britain herald., 1918-04-22

mander with sort of slavelike devo- ton. In the fighting with the crew of the ship commanded by the treacher- ous Turk, young James had one arm disabled by a pistol shot. He then . armed himself with a pike, and soon the other arm was disabled from a sabre blow.
 It was in this condition, with both arms useless, that he saw his captain endangered, and interposed his own head to save Decatur. Strange to say the blow did no more injury than to cut dep gash in his head. James lived many years after his captain met death in 182 0in a duel. Decature succeeded in getting both his prizes to the squadron. Decatur's next engagement of note
 was in the war of 1912, when, in
 command of the frigate United States
 he fought and captured the Macedon- ian, 3S guns, Captain Garden. Deca-
 tur's superior skill in manoeuvering
 his ship ended the battle with com
 parative1y little damage and only four killed and seven wounded, while the
 Macedonian's masts were all shot
 away, she had one hundred round
 shot in her hull, and lost 36 killed
 and 6S wounded
 Decatur refused to take Captain Gardens sword, saying he would rather take the hand of so brave an officer. Decatur conveyed his prize to Newport through seas swarming with British ships. Decatur then went to sea in the President, and fell in with a British fleet. Seeing es- cape was impossible he decided to give battle to the most formidable of the fleet in the hopes of later escaping. After a hot engagement in which he seriously damaged his opponent Decatur made sail, hoping for thick weather. However, two of l the enemy out-distanced him, and rather than sacrifice the lives of his crew surrendered.
 After the battle it was found he had struck the frigate Majestic, that he had badly whipped the Endymion, 40 guns, and that the other two in the fleet were the Pomone. 3S guns, and the Tenedos. 3S guns. In New London in 1915. Decatur was parOled and arrived at New London, February 22, lSl5, He was acclaimed a hero and placed in carriage and driven through the streets by the people. On the declar- ation of war with the Barbary pow
 CTS in 1915 Decatur commanded one division of the fleet sent to the Mediterranean. With the Guerriere,
 A guns, he captured the Algerine
 ship Mashouda, 46 guns, command
 ed by Admiral Rais Hammida, the ranking officer of the Bey of Algiers,
 who was killed early in the action.
 Before leaving the United States
 T
 of the entire squadron; Commodore Decatur, and William Shaler, consul general from the United States to the Barbary powers, had been ap-
 pointed commissioners to negotiate
 treaty of peace with the Bey of AL giers.
 With the consul aboard his ship, Decatur decided not to await the ar rival of Bainbrfdge, and forced the Bey to sign the treaty that provid- ed that no more tributes be paid by the United States, no Americans be enslaved, and all American vessels
 be treated hospitably and their wants
 relieved in any Algerine port. Deca-
 tur then proceeded to visit the other
 Barbary powers and forced them to
 sign like treaties
 Commodore Decatur's brilliant ca
 reer was ended in duel with James
 Barron, aformer naval officer, whose
 reinstat ement he had fought. Deca-
 tur refused to shoot to kill Barron,
 who sent a fatal bullet into the com
 modore The duel took place near
 Washington, March 22. 1920. AS he
 lay on the field of death Decatur eX-
 claimed:
 II am mortally wounded, at least
 I believe so, and wish l had fallen
 in defence of my country"
 Of the forty-two years of his life
 twenty-two had been spent in the naval service of his country. And throughout that career his record had
 been one of splendid achievement,
 daring, and an intense love of coun-
 try.
 His name is even now. almost
 century after his death, on the rolls
 of the navy department, and in service in the world conflict is de- stroyer that bears his name. Deeds as heroic as those that were recorded opposite his name will be performed in the present war, and 1t may fall to the lot of the young officers and crew aboard the Destroyer Decatur to have a share of the plaudits.
 If tradition counts for anything and 1t has been rated as having a high place in keeping the navy up to. a standard second to none-then the "boys" aboard the Decatur will be heard from before peace comes to the world.