Resentment of the Barbary States--The War with Algiers--Captain
Decatur's Vigorous Course--His Astonishing Success as a Diplomat.
It was not alone in our wars with the leading nations that the American
navy won glory. Wherever there arose a demand for its work, its
patriotism, skill and bravery were instant to respond.
England had its hands full during the early years of the nineteenth
century in combating Napoleon Bonaparte and other nations with which she
became embroiled. Had she been wise and treated the United States with
justice, she would have saved herself the many humiliations received at
our hands. She is another nation to-day, but it was wholly her fault
that her "children" on this side of the ocean were forced to strike for
the defence of their rights in the Revolution and the War of 1812.
In the account of our war with Tripoli it has been shown that the young
American navy performed brilliant service. The Barbary States took
naturally to piracy, and Great Britain, by securing immunity for her
vessels through the payment of tribute, also secured a virtual monopoly
of the commerce of the Mediterranean. Her policy was a selfish one, for
she believed the United States was too weak to send any effective
warships into that part of the world. The story of Tripoli convinced her
of the mistake of this belief.
The Barbary States were sour over their defeat, and, when the War of
1812 broke out, they eagerly seized the occasion to pick a quarrel with
us. The Dey of Algiers opened the ball by insisting that $27,000 should
be paid him, the same being past due (under the old treaty providing for
tribute from the United States), owing to the difference in the methods
of computing time by the two countries. Since our war with England
prevented the sending of any force to the Mediterranean at that time,
the consul complied and the blackmail was handed to the Dey.
This concession only whetted the barbarian's appetite, and his next step
was to order the consul to leave the country, since he was not honest
enough to make his residence in the Dey's dominions congenial to the
latter. About that time the Dey received a present of valuable naval
stores from England, and he lost no time in sending out his corsairs to
prey upon American commerce.
Tripoli and Tunis were not so active, but believing the British boast
that they would sweep the American navy from the seas, they allowed the
warships of that nation to recapture several prizes that the American
privateers had sent into their ports. Their sympathies were wholly with
England and against the United States, which they hated with an
intensity natural to their savage nature.
The United States bided its time. No sooner had the War of 1812 closed
than our Government decided to give its attention to Algiers, whose
defiant Dey had not only refused to allow his American prisoners to be
ransomed, but had insolently declared that he meant to add a good many
more to them.
Hardly had the treaty with England been proclaimed when two squadrons
were ordered into Algerian waters. The first was under the command of
Captain William Bainbridge and assembled at Boston, and the second,
under Captain Stephen Decatur, was organized at New York. Decatur was
the first to get under way, sailing on May 20 with a squadron consisting
of ten vessels, mounting 210 guns. He had under his direct command
nearly all the seamen who had served under him and survived the last
war.
It may seem that Decatur had an easy task before him, but Maclay shows
that the force against which he sailed was really the stronger. It
consisted of 5 frigates, 6 sloops of war and 1 schooner--all carrying
360 guns, which exceeded those of the American squadron by 50 per cent.
The Algerian admiral was the terror of the Mediterranean. He had risen
from the lowest to the highest rank by his indomitable valor and skill.
He once captured by boarding in broad daylight a Portuguese frigate
within sight of Gibraltar. He had performed other valiant exploits; his
ships were well equipped and manned, and the crews trained in modern
warfare.
In addition, the city of Algiers was so strongly fortified that Lord
Nelson declared that twenty-five ships of the line would not be more
than enough to capture it. As Decatur drew near the Portugal coast he
made guarded inquiries as to the whereabouts of the Algerian squadron.
He used the utmost care to prevent his presence from becoming known to
the enemy, and finally heard that which led him to believe the Moorish
admiral had passed through the Straits of Gibraltar and entered the
Mediterranean. At Gibraltar Decatur saw several boats hurrying off to
Algiers to warn his enemy of his danger. He made sail up the
Mediterranean, hoping to beat the despatch boats. The admiral's flagship
was descried, and, still striving to avert suspicion, the American ships
worked gradually toward him. Before they could get within range the
Moorish admiral took the alarm, and, crowding on every stitch of canvas,
made a resolute effort to escape. He handled his ship with great skill,
and Decatur feared he would succeed in reaching some neutral port or
elude him in the night, which was near at hand.
A hot chase followed, and the Turks soon opened on the American flagship
and wounded several men, but Decatur reserved his fire until able to
deliver one of his fearful broadsides. A shot literally cut the Moorish
admiral in two. A few minutes later a second broadside was fired, but no
signal of surrender was made, and the men in the tops continued firing
until the American marines picked them off. Seeing there was no escape
for the enemy, and wishing to save the unnecessary shedding of blood,
Decatur took a position off the frigate's bow, whereupon she made a
vigorous effort to escape.
In doing this, she headed directly for the 18-gun brig _Epervier_, which
was in danger of being run down; but the plucky master-commandant, John
Downes, backed and filled away with wonderful skill, chased the flying
frigate, delivered nine diminutive broadsides and compelled the Turk to
strike his colors.
Upon taking possession of the prize it was found that 30 had been killed
and there were 406 prisoners. On the _Guerriere_ 3 had fallen and 11
were wounded by the fire of the enemy.
Believing that the rest of the Algerian squadron would make haste to
their home port, Decatur hastened thither with the view of cutting them
off. If the Dey refused to come to terms, he intended to blockade the
squadron and bombard the city. It was on the 28th of June, 1815, that
the American fleet appeared off Algiers, and the commander signalled a
request for the Swedish consul to come aboard. He came out a few hours
later, accompanied by the Algerian captain of the port. When Decatur
proved by the testimony of one of the native prisoners that their
admiral had been killed and his ship and a second one captured, the
officer was astounded, and so alarmed that he asked the American
commander on what terms he would make peace.
Decatur was prepared for this question, and produced a letter to the Dey
from the President of the United States, in which it was declared that
the only conditions upon which peace could be made was the full and
final relinquishment by Algiers of all claim to tribute in the future,
and the guarantee that American commerce would not be molested. The
captain, like all Orientals, began to quibble to gain time, asking that
the commissioners should land and conduct the negotiations on shore.
Decatur replied that they must be negotiated on board the _Guerriere_
and nowhere else.
The next day the Moorish captain returned with full powers to negotiate.
Decatur now notified him that, in addition to the terms already named,
every American prisoner must be given up without ransom, and the value,
to the last penny, of their stolen property restored. Other minor
demands were added, all of which were within the province of Decatur,
who had been clothed with full authority to make peace. The captain
asked for a truce that he might lay the terms before the Dey. This was
denied. Then he asked for a delay of three hours.
"Not three minutes," replied Decatur; "if the remaining ships of your
squadron appear before the treaty is signed, or before every American
prisoner is on board this ship, I will capture every one of them."
[Illustration: CAPTAIN BAINBRIDGE AND THE DEY OF ALGIERS.]
The Moor was thoroughly cowed by the aggressive American, and,
promising to do all he could to secure the consent of the Dey, he was
hastily rowed ashore. It was understood that if the Dey agreed to the
terms the captain would return in the boat with a white flag displayed
at the bow.
He had been gone but a short time when an Algerian ship of war was
discovered, crowded with soldiers and approaching. Decatur instantly
cleared for action, and had started to meet the enemy, when the port
captain was observed approaching as rapidly in his boat as his men could
row, and with the white signal fluttering from the bow. All the
Americans, including Decatur, were disappointed, but as he had promised,
he waited until the boat was within hail. Then he called out to know
whether the treaty was signed. He was told that it was, and in a short
time the prisoners were brought alongside and delivered to their
rescuers. Wan, emaciated and hollow-eyed from their long and bitter
imprisonment, they wept tears of joy and kissed the American flag that,
coming so many thousand miles, had brought them deliverance.
Thus in two weeks after the arrival of the American squadron in Algerian
waters, every demand of its Government was complied with, and a treaty
of peace made on terms dictated by its gallant and faithful
representative. It will be admitted that Stephen Decatur proved himself
one of the most successful diplomats as well as intrepid and skilful of
commanders.
He now proceeded to Tunis and notified the Dey that he would give him
twelve hours in which to pay $46,000 for allowing the seizure of
American prizes in his port during the late war. The Dey paid it. The
next call of the American commander was on the Bashaw of Tripoli, who,
although he blustered a good deal, was compelled to hand over $25,000
for a similar breach of the law.
Among the vessels of the American squadron were three--the _Guerriere_,
_Macedonian_, and the _Peacock_--which had been captured from Great
Britain during the late war. This fact gave peculiar point to the
reproof of the Dey's prime minister to the British consul: "You told us
that the Americans should be swept from the seas in six months by your
navy, and now they make war upon us with some of your own vessels which
they took from you."