Evening star., 1928-03-04
House Is Reminder of Tragic Incident in Naval History


one, two, three; and they were not 70
fire before the word "one" nor aiter tn3
word three" Before the fatal count
was made, Commodore Barron observed
to Commodore Decatur that ne noped
ON meeting in another world they would
be better friends than they had been In
this" and Decatur replied, Il have never
been your enemy. sir.
At the word "two" both fired. so near
together that 1t sounded as one report
Barron fell wounded In the right nip.
Decatur stood for moment erect ano
;hen, pressing his hand TO MS r1gnt side'
fell, the ball having passed through Ms
abdomen. He remarked, Il am mortal
" wounded, at least. / believe so. and
wish that had fallen in defense OF my
country" When he later sank down
near where Barron lay. the latter de
ciared that everything had been con-
Quoted in the most honorable manner,
and told Commodore Decatur that he
forgave him from the bottom OF his
heart"
IT was soon evident that Decatur's
wound was mortal. He was driven
back to his home, In Jackson place, but
before he would permit himself to be
taken inside directed that Mrs. Decatur
and his two nieces be removed 10 the
upper part Of the house. He gave posi-
| tive orders that Mrs Decatur should not
see him. He had "too often" he said,
! faced death to be aved by its terYors,
| but he could not bear 10 give her so
much pain as his condition must awak-
en- or to see her endure It."
He had his will witnessed by Com
modore Rodgers, DR.. Trevitt and DR..
Sim. and shortly after 1890 pm, that
same day breathed his last. And so
/ passed into the great beyond one Of
! Americas greatest naval heroes. II
| time shall wipe away his deeds, his
toast will live forever: Our country.
In her intercourse with foreign ma
tions. may she always be In the right;
but our country. right or wrong"
Soon after this tragedy Mrs. Decatur
went to live at Kalorama, in the tomb
connected with which the body of her
husband had been laid to rest In
1346 his remains we're moved to Phila-
delphia and now repose beneath fine
granite monument in st. Peters
Churchyard.
On leaving her house in Lafayette
Square, Mrs Decatur leased IL to Baron
de Tuyl, the newly arrived Russian
Minister. who left Washington early in
1925. He was followed by Henry Clay.
then Secretary Of State to John Quincy
Adams: by Martin Van Buren, after
ward President of the United States.
and Edward Livingston Of Louisiana.
whose brother. Chancellor Livingston.
had the honor Of swearing George
Washington in as the first President
1t then again became the home Of for
Vaughan and Baron Hyde de Melville
occupied 1t. In 1886 it was sold 70
John Gadsby for $4,000 and was sub
seQuently occupied by Joseph Gales.
Howell Cobb. George ~ Dallis and
Judah p. Benjamin. At the close Of
the Civil War 1t was purchased By Gen.
Edward F. Beale. who did much enter
tanning here. and frequently had as his
guests Gen. and Mrs. Ulysses S. Grant.
It Is still the property of the Beale
family.
1t would be very hard. indeed. to
picture at this late date Just how this
neighborhood looked when Decatur
erected this old residence here There
had been no change since the removal
Of the bodies from the Pearce burying
ground. then near the southwest cor
ner OF Lafayette Square. in 1900. In
deed. no Improvements whatever had
been made up to 1919. in which year
due to Decatur's building here-an
dppAUpEioklOu OA S10t Was mace Oy
the city council to open and gravel a
carriage way 10 feet wide. from Penn
sylvania avenue to H street. The ap-
preparation was contingent upon the
owners Of property facing the square
advancing the money. the same 10 BE-
returned to them out Of any money
to the credit Of the first ward after
the year 1921. This is the presea.
Jackson place.
Madison place. on the opposite side
OF the square, was not opened until
after Richard Cults. Dolly Madisons
brother-in-law. erected. about 1920 the
house at the southeast corner OF Madi-
son place and H street, now occupied
by the Cosmos Club. Lafayette Square
vas not at this tire improved az ALL.
BY 1927 It had been leveled and in
closed. but there were Stil distractions,
such as unSightly frame sheds and
stables, which made the view from the
White House offensive Indeed. it was
many years before this square was i'm
proved sufficiently 70 do credit to the
man in whose honor IL was named
and there Is still room for improve
mcnt.