April 27, 1805. During the tail end of the First Barbarian War, also known as the Tripolitanian or Barbarian Coast War, the Battle of Dernabigand. The First Barbarian War was the first overseas war conducted by the United States, but fought along since Sweden against the pirates from the nations of Tripoli, Algiers, Tunis, and Morocco. Even uncollectively as the Barbarian states, from 1801 to 1805. In 1804, Army Lieutenant William Eaton was given permission by Thomas Jefferson to back the claim of Hamat Karmanli, who claimed he was the rightful heir to the throne of Tripoli after being deposed by his brother Yusuf, who murdered his older brother by shooting him in front of his mother. When Eaton returned to the Mediterranean, he sought out Hamid in Egypt where he was an ex-son, and made a proposal to put him back on the throne. He was accepted on March 6, 1805. Eaton and a small detachment of eight Marines led by First Lieutenant Presley O'Bannon led a force of approximately 400 Arab Turkish and Greek mercenaries on a 500-mile hike from Alexandria, Egypt across the Libya North African Desert to the objective of Dernab, capital of the Ottoman Empire Providence of Sarnayka, which is considered modern-day East Libya. The morning of April 26, Eaton sent a letter to Mustafa Bay, the governor of Dernab. Dear Mustafa, governor of Dernab. My men and I were wondering if we could have safe passage through your city, and maybe you have some additional supplies? Sincerely, Lieutenant William Eaton. You've got mail. Though he was pretty sure he knew the response. The governor reported the responded with, Do you miss to eat my head or yours? Sincerely, Mustafa Bay. Hmm, very well then. The attack in the city began at 2.45 pm on April 27, and by 4 o'clock, the entire city guarded by 4,000 men had fallen. Only two Americans were killed and three were wounded, while only nine of the mercenaries were killed or wounded during the attack. The casualties of the defenders are still unknown. You Sif, who was in Tripoli to the west, sent reinforcements to Dernab, but by the time his men got there, the city had already fallen. After several failed attempts to retake the city, Eaton planned to march on to attack Tripoli by land, but was stopped during his march in order to go back to Egypt, after a treaty was signed between You Sif and the U.S. Department of State. The Battle of Dernab was the first land battle of the United States of foreign soil since the Revolutionary War. The attack on Dernab was the event that was the inspiration for the lyrics of, to the shores of Tripoli in the Marines' head.