The Dillon herald. [volume] (Dillon, S.C.) 1894-????, 1918-05-09

lost and only four men were wound
ed.
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 achievement, De-
catur was made post-captain. and in
the attack on Tripoii in the spring
of 1906 was given command of one
division 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 enc
my gunboats. He recaptured his first
adversary with but little fighting.
and was about to carry off his prize
when he learned that his brother,
Lieutenant 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 oboard his prize.
Captain Decatur, finding that the
cowardly Turk had escaped with his
gunboat, pushed farther within the
enemy's lines and reached the yes
sci at the head of eleven Americans.all
of the crew he had left after man
ming his prize. For twenty minutes
the contest was doubtful, and all of
the Americans were by now severely
wounded. Decatur ordered the cap
tain left for him. The turk was arm
ed with An espontoon, Decatur with
cutlass, and in attempting to cut
of the head of his antagonists weap-
ion, his sword was broken of close
to the hilt.
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 dagger Decatur
shot him dead. In the meantime the
crews, coming to the assistance of
their commanders, engaged in
death struggle and when Decatur at
tempted to rise he found himself
pinned down by the dead soldiers.
One of the enemy crew. seeing an
Opening in the fighting mass, raised
his sword to cleave the skull of the
American officer. AS the sword swept
downward another head was showed
in it's course, and Decatur. having
time to use a pistol, shot the Tri-
politan.
The hero that interposed his own
head to save the life of Decatur was
Reuben James. a red-headed, freck-
le-faced youngster who had been
with Decatur in the destruction OF
the Philadelphia, and who loved his
commander with sort OF slHvelike
devotion. In the fighting with the
lcrew of the ship commanded by the
treacherous Turk, young James had
one arm disabled by a pistol shot. He
then armed himself with pike, and
soon the other arm was disabled
from sabre blow
1t was in this condition, with both
arms useless, that he saw his zap
tain endangered, and interposcd his
own head to save Decatur. Strange
to say the blow did no more injury
than to cut a deep cash in his head.
James lived many years after his
captain met death in 1920 in duel.
Decatur succeeded in getting both
his prizes to the squadron.
Decatur's next engagement of no,e
was in the war of 1912. when. in
command of the frigate United States
he fought and captured the Maced-
;onian, SO guns, Captain Garden De-
icatur's superior skill in manot uvrr-
ing his ship ended the bat,!. with
comparatively little damage, and on
ly four killed and seven wounded,
while the Macendonian's mastS were
all shot away, she had one hundred
round shot in her hull, and lost Sc
killed and 68 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, ana
fell in with a British fleet. Seeing
escape was impossible he decided to
give battle to the most formidable
of the fleet in the hope of later eS-
Gaping After Il hot engagement in
which he seriously damaged MS OPP
ponent, Decatur made sail. hoping
for thick weather. However. two Of
the enemy Outdistanced HIM. and
rather than sacrifice the live" of his
crew, surrendered.
After the battle il was fCund 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,
iand the rHanadnc