constitution, capable of the utmost vigilance and fatigue. Naturally and habitually temperate himself, he is a great promoter of temperance among his crew; and has been successful in reclaiming many a valuable seaman from the pernicious habits of intoxication.

COMODORE

STEPHEN DECATUR.

THIS gentleman is of French descent, by the male line. His grandfather was a native of La Rochelle, in France; he emigrated to this country with other Hugonots, who fled from the persecutions of Lewis XIV, at the repeal of the edict of Nantz, and married a lady of Rhode-Island. His father, Stephen Decatur, was born at Newport, Rhode-Island, and when a very young man removed to Philadelphia, where he married the daughter of an Irish gentleman by the name of Pine. He was bred to the sea, and commanded a merchant vessel out of the port of Philadelphia until the establishment of the Navy, when he was appointed to command the Delaware sloop of war. He continued in her until the frigate Philadelphia was built, when the command of that ship was given to him, at the particular request of the merchants who had built her by subscription. In this situation he remained until peace was made with France, when he resigned his commission, and retired to his residence a few miles from Philadelphia, where he resided until his death which happened in November, 1808.

His son, Stephen Decatur, the present Com

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modore, was born on the 5th January, 1779, on the eastern shore of Maryland, whither his parents had retired, whilst the British were in possession of Philadelphia. They returned to that city when he was a few months old, and he was there educated and brought up.

He received a midshipman's warrant in March, 1798, and joined the frigate United States, under the command of Commodore Barry, who had obtained it for him. He continued for some time with that officer, and was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant. The United States at that time requiring some repairs, he requested an order to join the brig Norfolk, then bound to the Spanish Main. He performed one cruise in her as first Lieutenant, and then resumed his station on board of the United States, where he remained until the affairs with France were settled.

He was then ordered to the Essex, as first Lieutenant, and sailed with Commodore Dale's squadron to the Mediterranean. On its return he was ordered to the New-York, one of the second Mediterranean squadron, under the command of Commodore Morris.

When he returned to the United States he was ordered to take command of the Argus, and proceeded in her to join Commodore Preble's squadron, then in the Mediterranean, and on his arrival there, to resign the command of the Argus to Lieutenant Hull, and take the schooner Enterprise, then commanded by that officer. After making that exchange, he proceeded to Syracuse, where the squadron was to rendezvous. On his arrival at that port he was informed of the fate of the frigate Philadelphia, which had run aground on the Barbary coast, and had fallen into the hands of the Tripolitans. The idea immediately

presented itself to his mind of attempting her recapture or destruction. On Commodore Preble's arrival, a few days afterwards, he proposed to him a plan for the purpose, and volunteered his services to execute it. That officer at first disapproved of an enterprise so full of peril; but the risks and difficulties that surrounded it, only stimulated the ardour of Decatur, and imparted to it an air of adventure, fascinating to his imagination.

The consent of the Commodore having been obtained, Lieutenant Decatur selected for the expedition the ketch Intrepid, which he had captured a few weeks before from the enemy, and manned her with seventy volunteers, mostly his own crew. He sailed from Syracuse, on the third of February, 1804, accompanied by the United States' brig Syren, Lieutenant Stewart, who was to aid with his boats and to receive the crew of the ketch, in case it should be found expedient to use her as a fire-ship.

After fifteen days of very tempestuous weather they arrived off Tripoli a little before sunset. It had been arranged between Lieutenants Decatur, and Stewart, that the ketch should enter the harbour about ten o'clock that night, attended by the boats of the Syren. On arriving off the port, the Syren in consequence of a change of wind, had been thrown six or eight miles without the Intrepid. The wind at this time was fair, but fast declining, and Lieutenant Decatur apprehended that, should he wait for the Syren's boats to come up, it might be too late to make the attack that night. Such delay might be fatal to the enterprise, as they could not remain longer on the coast, their provisions being nearly exhausted. For these reasons he determined to adventure

into the harbour alone, which he did about eight o'clock.

An idea may be formed of the extreme hazard of this enterprise from the situation of the frigate. She was moored within half gun shot of the Bashaw's castle, and of the principal battery. Two of the enemy's cruizers, lay within two cables' length, on the starboard quarter, and their gunboats within half gun-shot on the starboard bow. All the guns of the frigate were mounted and loaded. Such were the immediate perils that he ventured to encounter with a single ketch, beside the other dangers that abound in that strongly fortified harbour.

Although from the entrance to the place where the frigate lay was only three miles, yet in consequence of the lightness of the wind, they did not get within hail of her until eleven o'clock. When they had approached within two hundred yards, they were hailed and ordered to anchor, or they would be fired into. Lieutenant Decatur ordered a Maltese pilot, who was on board the ketch, to answer that they had lost their anchors in a gale of wind on the coast, and therefore could not comply with their request. By this time it had become perfectly calm, and they were about fifty yards from the frigate. Lieutenant Decatur ordered a small boat that was alongside of the ketch, to take a rope and make it fast to the frigates forechains. This being done they began to warp ketch alongside. It was not until this moment that the enemy suspected the character of their visitor, and great confusion immediately ensued. This enabled our adventurers to get alongside of the frigate, when Decatur immediately sprang aboard, followed by Mr. Charles Morris, midshipman. These two were nearly a minute on the

the

deck before their companions could succeed in mounting the side. Fortunately, the Turks had not sufficiently recovered from their surprise to take advantage of this delay. They were crowded together on the quarter-deck, perfectly astonished and aghast, without making any attempt to oppose the assailing party. As soon as a sufficient number of his men had gained the deck, to form a front equal to that of the enemy, they rushed in upon them. The Turks stood the assault but a short time, and were completely overpowered, About twenty were killed on the spot, many jumped overboard, and the rest fled to the main deck, whither they were pursued and driven to the hold.

After entire possession had been gained of the ship, and every thing prepared to set fire to her, a number of launches were seen rowing about the barbour. This determined Lieutenant Decatur to remain in the frigate, from whence a better defence could be made than from on board the ketch. The enemy, had already commenced firing upon them from their batteries and castle, and from two corsairs that were lying near. Perceiving that the launches did not attempt to approach, he ordered that the ship should be set on fire, which was done, at the same time, in different parts. As soon as this was completely effected, they left her, and such was the rapidity of the flames, that it was with the utmost difficulty they preserved the ketch. At this critical moment, a most propitious breeze sprang up, blowing directly out of the harbour, which, in a few moments carried them beyond the reach of the enemy's guns, and they made good their retreat without the loss of a single man, and with but four wounded.

For this gallant and romantic achievement, Lieu