Evening star., 1935-12-08
OLDGLORY IN AFRICA
An Indignant Aggressive American Consul Once
Raised Stars and Stripes Over Fort in East
and Then Was Forgotten.
By Josephine T. Williams.

A DETACHMENT of Marines is
~ passing the Presidents re-
"a viewing booth in front of the
White House. The oflcer lead
ing them comes to a smart salute, his
sword glinting in the sunshine as 1t
cuts the air. How many on that
grandstand or in the sidewalk crowds
facing the line Of march know that
that same sword, and all swords car
ried by the Marines, is minutely and
exactly fashioned after one associated
with the only warfare ever waged by
the United States in kss--:.ca-a con-
fiict that raised the American flag, for
une first and last time, over a fort In
Africa?
I Truth being much more exciting
than fiction, it is of interest to know
that the same sun that never sets on
an English possession was, in 1905
shining fiercely and burningly down
over the stars and stripes flying over
an embattlement at Derne, in Tunis,
after an engagement led by a Connec-
ticut Yankee and participated in by a
company of Marines.
History has not written too gran
diosely on her tablets of fame of a
certain American "adventurer," one
William Eaton, born in Woodstock,
Conn, on February %, 1854, the son
of a schoolmaster- farmer and one OF
Is children. AS boy William Eaton
was full of daring enterprise, enlistlng
in the Continental Army at the age OF
16. Two years later he financed his
trip to Dartmouth College (where he
received his bachelors degree) by SELL
ing pins and needles.
Another two years and he was back
in the Army with a captaincy; re-
cruited for a time, then sailing with
his company to the Army of the South.
at Georgia. His commander at that
point took violent dislike TO the
young and energetic officer and court
UlATlldlCu tlllll Oll ally 6AOhAANAo Az
could think Of. The War Department
failed to confirm the verdict OF sus-
pension and ordered Capt. Eaton TO
Philadelphia, entrusting him with con-
fidential missions for the State De-
partment. In 1898 he was handed the
consular post at Tunis.
IN THAT period of the final years Of
the eighteenth century three fat
and oily little African nabobs were ex-
acting tribute from seven kings OF
Europe and two republics" the United
States being one of the two. These
jeweled, sequestered, belonged pirates
were the Bashaw of Tripoh. the Dey
of Algiers and the Bey of Tunis, and
they collected enormous sums in re-
turn for permission to use Mediterra-
mean ports.
America at that time was doing
profitable trade in the Mediterranean
and in face of the fact that our young
Republic had few ships Of war fol
WdS 4lAAdAANAAA6
through her consuls at Algiers. MO
rocco, Tunis, Tripon and elsewhere il
Barbary. Over a portion Of five year.
it is estimated that the United State'
paid s2.l30 900 in actual cash tribute
to say nothing of naval stores of huge
value, Jewels, consular presents anc
other rich loot requested and required
by Dey, Bey and Bashaw.
So that it was into this unholy mes
of pottage that apt.-Consul William
Eaton was assigned at the age OF 81
But his was feet 8 inches o.
courage. enterprise, daring, energ!
and a fine ability to read human ma
! ture. With him he carried Letters
of credence" from President Johr
| Adams and on arrival at Algiers pre-
sented them to the Dey-at the SAM
time reluctantly handing that poten'
tate a large sum of money noted a!
| arrearages of present dues"
Fortunately for poSterity, Eator
kept a careful diary which. in 1913
two years after his death, warm per
sonal friends published as his biogra
phy. In this diary he states that OF
this visit to the Dey of Algiers he tool
of his shoes before entering th'
cave" and was shown "a huge
shaggy beast, sitting on his rump
upon a low bench with cushions o
embroidered velvet, with his hind leg
| gathered up under him like taylor.
The fact that he was directed
to kiss the greasy paw of the shag
gy beast, together with the forcet
necessity of the cash tribute, cauSet
revulsion in soul, heart and stomach
of the new diplomat and made hin
resolve to fight the levy and levier
with every weapon at hand. He faith
fully kept his vow until the Unite'
States flag was flying over the fort a
Derne.
Soon after assuming consula
duties at Tunis he was notified by tn
Dew of Algiers that 10000 stand o
arms were "at once required" from
the United States. This demand, will
its always veiled threat of war, serve'
but to anger Eaton, and he wrote t
the Government at Washington tina
if instead of tributes and presents
would send over a 44-gun frigate h
would undertake to destroy the De,
and his palace. President Jefferson
however, was not impressed, and dis
proved the sporting offer.
EATON boiled with rage over the con
IL slant importuning of the itching
palm officials, and in 1903 his ange
eliminated when the Bey OF Tuni
requested" q 36-gun frigate. He toll
the Bey to apply to a hotter cltmat
than Africas for his frigate, where
upon that mogul wrote to Sir Presi
dent" of the United States for boat
President jefferson replying that h
had no frigate to present to his "grea
and good friend, the most illustriou
and most magnificent Bey OF Tunis.
Consul Eaton treaded water, bide'
his time, and decided in 1904 that op