Evening star., 1937-04-18
DECATUR HOUSE
TO Be ON VIEW
win Be Opened for Benefit
of Naval Historical
Foundation.

Historic Decatur House, the home
built on Lafayette Square in 1919 by
Commodore Stephen Decatur, hero
OF the war against the Barbary pi-
rates, will be thrown open to the
public Friday and Saturday for the
benefit of the Naval Historical
Foundation.
accepted an invitation to act as spon-
sorS for the benefit, along with other
Government leaders and Mrs. Trux-
tun Beale, owner Of the house. Each
year Mrs. Beale has offered use Of
the old residence for two days to q
worthy cause. Proceeds of this years
benefit will be used for the founda-
tion's work Of collecting and preserv-
ing naval literature, relics and pic
lures.
Decatur was the first dwelling con-
structed after the White House on
Lafayette Square. Commodore De-
catur, who built it for his bride, lived
to enjoy it only for a year, because
IN 1920 he was mortally wounded In
a duel with Commodore James Bar
ron at Bladensburg, Md He died in
the residence.
Cannon to Be Displayed.
The cannon that Decatur captured
from the Dey Of Algiers during his
encounters with the Barbary pirates
of the North African Coast will be
pt ha o%o 4
placed on exhibition in the old house
during the benefit.
The Marine Band will play on Fri
day and the Navy Band on Saturday
afternoon from $3.50 to o'clock. Ad-
mission tickets will cost 81, with tea
in the garden Is cents extra. They
are on sale at A. A. A. headquarters
and all hotels. Doors will be open
from 1870 am. to $50 pm.
Two rooms on the first floor, the
dining room and the library, and three
drawing rooms on the second floor
will be open, together with their his
torical relics. paintings, pictures, tro-
phies, medals and early last century
furnishings, all directly connected
with three famous naval families, De-
catur, Truxton and Beale. Mrs.
Beale is descended from the latter
two naval families.
The list of sponsors includes Speak
er and Mrs. Bankhead, Secretary Of
the Navy and Mrs. Swanson, As
sistant Secretary and Mrs. Edison,
Chairman Walsh Of the Senate Ma
val Affairs Committee and Mrs.
Walsh, Admiral Leahy, chief OF naval
operations, and Mrs. Leahy. Maj. Gen.
Holcomb, commandant OF the Marine
Corps, and Mrs. Holcomb; Admiral
Andrews, chief of the Bureau of
Navigation, and Mrs. Andrews, Ad-
miral and Mrs. Joseph Strauss, Vice
Admiral William L. Rodgers and
Mrs. Robert Giles.
Capt. Chester Wells, U. S. N, re-
tired, is In charge of general arrange
ments.
Served Under Truxtun.
Commodore Decatur saw his first
active naval service under Commo-
dore Thomas Truxtun, hero Of the
United States undeclared war with
France from 1898 to 1901. Truxtun
won undying fame when, as COM
mander of the frigate Constellation,
he captured the French frigate LIN
surgente on February 9, 1899, IN the
West Indies. A year later he won 4
victory over the French frigate Ven
geance.
Truxtun lived TO see his youngest
daughter, Emily, marry a Virgin
ian, George Beale, paymaster in
the Navy, who won a medal from
Congress for gallantry In action in the
Battle Of Lake Champlain, septem-
ber II, 1914. Their son, Edward
Fitzgerald Beale, later gained fame
and fortune and in 1870 purchased
the Decatur House.
The commodore died in 1922, the
same year his grandson was born
here. Edward Beale married Mary
Edwards, daughter Of Representa-
tive Samuel Edwards Of Chester, Pa,
on June 27, 184s. He was appointed
a midshipman at the Philadelphia
Naval School on December II, 1895,
by President jackson. He was COM
missioned past midshipman in 1845,
was with Commodore Stockton in
California during the Mexican War
and served with the land forces in
capturing the State for the Union
before Gen. Kearney and his forces
could arrive. He later was a witness
for Col. John c. Fremont when the
famous Army court martial Of FIRE.
mont took place at the instigation
Of Kearney.
Brought News Of Gold.
AS courier for two years after
the Mexican War Beale brought back
the first authentic news Of the gold
discovery, carrying eastward 4 bag
OF California gold as proof Of his
message. On this trip, he crossed the
continent through Mexico at the risk
of his own life. He resigned from the
Navy as lieutenant In 1851 after
is years service and entered business
in California, where he made his fots-
tune. He surveyed three important
wagon and railroad tracks in the West
and helped President Lincoln retain
California for the Union.
In 1875 President Grant, 4 friend
Of Beale before the War Between
the States, appointed him Minister
to Austria.
Edward Beale's son, Truxtun, born
March 6, 1856, in San Francisco, in
herited Decatur House, which is now
owned by his widow.