THE LOSS OF THE _PHILADELPHIA_
"_But sailors were born for all weathers,_
_Great guns let it blow, high or low,_
_Our duty keeps us to our tethers,_
_And where the gales drive we must go._"
Hard luck, indeed! The frigate _Philadelphia_ stranded on a reef in
the harbor of Tripoli, and Captain Bainbridge and his men were left
captives in the hands of the Bashaw. Yet the ill wind for them was a
kind wind for me, since it brought me a chance to serve under Stephen
Decatur in what men say is one of the most brilliant exploits in our
navy's annals.
Fortunately, before this disaster befell, Captain Bainbridge had been
given an opportunity to show the Mediterranean squadron his mettle, for
Commodore Preble had assigned the _Philadelphia_, under Bainbridge, to
blockade duty on the Barbary Coast.
When I fell in again with Samuel Childs and Reuben James after my
sojourn in Tunis, the first yarn spun to me in the night watch was that
of how the _Philadelphia_ had been captured. Reuben James was boatswain
aboard of her when she was seized. He dived overboard and swam to
safety when he saw that the jig was up, and rejoined the fleet to tell
again and again the story of Bainbridge's gallantry in the face of
misfortune.
Reuben's story ran like this: The _Philadelphia_, while cruising in the
vicinity of Cape Gata, had come upon and hailed a cruiser and a brig.
When the commander of the cruiser, at Captain Bainbridge's repeated
demands, sent a boat aboard with his ship's papers, the captain learned
that the cruiser belonged to the Emperor of Morocco; that her name
was the _Meshboha_; that her commander was Ibrahim Lubarez; that she
carried twenty-two guns and one hundred men.
The captain then sent an armed party to search the brig. He found
imprisoned in her hold Captain Richard Bowen, and seven men. The brig
was the _Celia_ of Boston. Captain Bainbridge released her crew, and
imprisoned the officers and men of the _Meshboha_ aboard his frigate.
Asked by what authority he had captured an American vessel, Ibrahim
Lubarez replied that he understood that Morocco intended to declare
war on the United States and that when he seized the vessel he thought
that a state of war existed. The captain suspected that the Emperor
of Morocco had given orders that American ships be seized. "You have
committed an act of piracy," he told the Moor, "and for it you will
swing at our yardarm!"
"Mercy! Mercy!" wailed Ibrahim. Unbuttoning five waistcoats, he brought
forth from a pocket of the fifth a secret document signed by the
Governor of Tangiers.
Captain Bainbridge reported the matter to Captain Preble, and the
latter at once proceeded to Tangiers with four frigates. There the
Emperor abjectly disclaimed all knowledge of the affair, renewed his
treaty, deprived the Governor of Tangiers of his office, and punished
the commander of the _Meshboha_.
The American squadron was given a salute of twenty-one guns; a present
of ten bullocks with sheep and fowl was made to Captain Preble, and
the Emperor's court reviewed the American ships and engaged with them
in an exchange of salutes.
But, Reuben testified, when the American officers discussed the
Emperor's declaration of innocence, they spoke of it as if it were a
huge joke.
On the morning of October 31st, 1803, Reuben, who was the lookout on
the _Philadelphia_, espied a corsair sneaking out of a port. Captain
Bainbridge at once swung his vessel round in pursuit. The wind was
strong, enabling the frigate to gain on the pirate craft.
The ship was one of a corsair fleet under command of the Bashaw's
captains, Zurrig, Dghees, Trez, Romani, and El Mograbi. Zurrig had
sailed away from the other vessels on purpose to decoy the American
ship on to a line of partly-submerged rocks that lay in the waters
of the bay, parallel to the shore. The captain of the corsair knew
every yard of the coast, and by hugging the shore, he soon drew the
pursuing frigate into shallow water. The _Philadelphia_ had drawn close
enough to the fleeing vessel to attack with the bow guns, and in the
excitement of seeing if the shots struck home, the officers and crew
forgot that their vessel was in danger of running upon a reef the
corsair knew well how to avoid.
A BRAVE OFFICER'S BAD LUCK
Eight fathoms of water had been reported. Then the men who threw the
lead reported seven fathoms. The cry of six and a half fathoms soon
followed. Captain Bainbridge at once gave the order to head seaward.
The helm was thrown hard over; the sails flapped as the vessel came
up to the wind. It seemed that she would reach deep water safely, but
suddenly the vessel struck a rock and rose with her bow six feet
out of water. From beneath the walls of the city, scarcely three
miles away, the Bashaw's gunboats put out and opened fire on the
_Philadelphia_. Captain Bainbridge made every possible attempt to free
his vessel. The guns forward and other parts of her equipment were
thrown overboard, but the reef held her in an unyielding grip. Her crew
returned the fire of the corsairs as best they could, but as the tide
went out, the ship keeled over and the guns could no longer be fired.
Captain Bainbridge ordered that the magazine be flooded; that the pumps
be wrecked; and that holes be bored in the ship's bottom.
Warships--feluccas and other small boats crowded with Arabs--now
attacked the _Philadelphia_. Led by their captains, they swarmed over
her sides. The Americans fought with small arms, wounding six of their
assailants, but Bainbridge saw that his men would be massacred if the
fight were prolonged, and hauled down the flag. Bainbridge and his crew
of three hundred and fifteen men then surrendered. A few of the best
swimmers took to the water, Reuben among them, but all were captured
except him.
The captives, by means I will later describe, managed to write
frequently to their friends aboard vessels of the fleet. Reuben
corresponded with Tom Bowles, and thus knew as much about the
experiences of the prisoners as if he were among them.
A few days later, he found out, the pirates managed to haul the vessel
off the reef at flood-tide. They recovered the guns that had been
thrown overboard, and boasted that their navy now owned a splendid
American warship that had come into their possession without spending
a sequin, or a drop of blood. The red flag bearing the crescent of
the Moslems was lifted where the Stars and Stripes had flown. To purge
the vessel of Christian contamination, and to consecrate her to the
Prophet, the green flag of Mohammed was unfurled at certain periods.
As soon as the Americans gave up their arms, the infidels began to
plunder them of all of their valuables. Swords, epaulets, trinkets,
money, and clothing were taken. Captain Bainbridge wore a locket
around his neck that contained a miniature picture of his wife. One of
the looters snatched at it, but Captain Bainbridge made a determined
resistance and was at last allowed to keep the trinket.
The boats containing the prisoners reached the docks of Tripoli at
ten o'clock that night. The Bashaw was eager to inspect his captives,
and received them in his audience hall, where he and his staff sat
gloating. After much questioning, he sent them to supper, placing them
under the care of Sidi Mohammed D'Ghiers, his prime minister. Mr.
Nissen, the Danish consul, came promptly to comfort the prisoners, and
to offer them such assistance as was in his power to render.
The Bashaw, who knew that some of the twenty-two officers he had bagged
were members of prominent American families who could afford to pay big
ransoms, was so delighted with the capture that he did not at first
treat the captives severely. They were allowed to wander among groves
of olive, fig, and lemon trees, and, on feast days, were sprinkled with
attar of roses and fumigated with frankincense, while slaves served
them coffee and sherbet.
The under-officers and sailors were at first treated with some
consideration. The carpenters, riggers, and sailmakers were employed
in making repairs on the Bashaw's gun-boats. The seamen worked on
fortifications. These men, by working overtime, earned a little money,
which they usually spent for drink. The Mussulmans hated drunkenness.
When they saw a drunken American, they spat in his face. Jack, in turn,
thrashed the offender. Arrest and punishment followed, but the Moslems
who guarded the slaves were subject to bribery and lightened their
blows.
When the sailor was sentenced to receive blows on his bare feet, the
guard would cover the soles with straw pads, telling the culprit
to yell as if he were being hurt, as the chief of the guards was
standing outside to tell by the cries whether the punishment was being
administered.
The comfort of the officers was soon to end. Reuben showed me letters
received from Tom Bowles written at this period that were full of
bitter complaints. It appeared that the Bashaw summoned Captain
Bainbridge to his presence and told him that one of his ships had been
captured by the American war vessel _John Adams_, and that if their
prisoners were not released the officers and men of the _Philadelphia_
would be severely treated. Captain Bainbridge was not able to give a
reply that satisfied the ruler. The Bashaw then ordered that he and
his men be removed to a foul dungeon. There, in a room once used for
smoking hides, they were obliged to remain without food except a little
black bread and water.
A renegade Scotchman named Lisle, in the employ of the Bashaw, visited
Captain Bainbridge here and urged him to send a message to the _John
Adams_ to release the prisoners.
Captain Bainbridge answered: "Your ruler can subject me to torture
and can lop off my head, but he can not force me to commit an act
incompatible with the character of an American officer."
When Captain Bainbridge learned that the Bashaw of Tripoli designed
to use the _Philadelphia_ as the chief ship of his own navy, he was
greatly distressed.
With the aid of the Danish consul Nissen, he managed to write a letter
to Commodore Preble, who was on his way to blockade Tripoli. This
letter he wrote in lemon juice, which, when the paper is held to the
fire, becomes readable. This letter Commodore Preble showed to the
officers and enlisted men of the squadron, and even gave us permission
to copy it for keepsakes in honor of Captain Bainbridge's pluck and
resourcefulness. In the letter the latter advanced this plan for
destroying his frigate:
"Charter a small merchant schooner, fill her with men and have
her commanded by fearless and determined officers. Let the vessel
enter the harbor at night, with her men secreted below deck;
steer her directly on board the frigate and then let the officers
and men board, sword in hand, and there is no doubt of their
success. It will be necessary to take several good rowboats in
order to facilitate the retreat after the enterprise has been
accomplished. The frigate in her present condition is a powerful
auxiliary battery for the defense of the harbor. Though it will
be impossible to remove her from anchorage and thus restore this
beautiful vessel to our navy, yet, as she may and no doubt will be
repaired, an important end will be gained by her destruction."
How faithfully this plan was carried out by Commodore Preble and his
men, I shall soon show.