The subject of the following brief sketch was born in Worcester county,
Maryland, on the 5th of January, 1779. He was the son of Stephen
Decatur, a naval officer from the first establishment of the American
navy, until the difficulties with the French terminated, when he
retired to Philadelphia. He died, in 1808, honored and respected by
all who knew him. His son, Stephen Decatur, Jun., entered the navy in
1798 as a midshipman in the frigate United States, then commanded by
Commodore Barry.
In 1801, he was promoted and sailed as lieutenant on board the Essex,
in Commodore Dale’s squadron, to the Mediterranean.
At Malta, he had an unfortunate rencontre with a British officer,
which caused his suspension, and he returned home. He demanded an
investigation, which ended in his appointment to the command of the
Argus, destined to form part of Commodore Preble’s squadron then lying
before Tripoli.
On his joining the squadron he was transferred to the command of the
Enterprise, and shortly after, captured a Tripolitan ketch, within
sight of the tower, which he afterwards named the Intrepid. A short
time before the arrival of our hero, the frigate Philadelphia, which
had run aground on the Barbary coast, had fallen into the hands of the
Tripolitans. His jealous ardor excited him to form some project by
which she could be recaptured or destroyed.
Having obtained the consent of his commodore, with seventy volunteers
on board the ketch Intrepid, accompanied by the United States brig
Syren, Lieutenant Stewart, he arrived about eight o’clock in the
evening. The Philadelphia, lying within half gun-shot of the Bashaw’s
castle, and of the principal battery, made the adventure extremely
hazardous. About eleven o’clock, he approached within two hundred
yards, when he was hailed, and ordered to anchor. He directed a Maltese
pilot to answer that the anchor had been lost in a gale of wind. His
object was not suspected till he was almost along side of the frigate,
when the Turks were thrown into the utmost confusion.
Before they were aware of the character of their visitors, Decatur
had sprung on board, followed by Midshipman Charles Morris: these
officers were nearly a minute on the deck before their companions
joined them. Fortunately the surprise was so great that before the
Turks could recover themselves, a sufficient number had assembled equal
to their adversaries; about twenty Turks were killed; the rest jumped
overboard or fled below. After setting fire to the ship in several
places, Decatur and crew returned to the ketch. A favorable breeze
sprung up soon and carried them beyond the reach of the enemy’s guns,
which had opened a fire upon them from the batteries and castles, and
two corsairs. In this daring exploit, not one man was killed, and only
four wounded. For this gallant achievement, he was immediately promoted
to the rank of post captain. Commodore Preble had determined to make
an attack on Tripoli; and having obtained the loan of some gun-boats
and bombards from the King of Naples, gave the command of one division
of them to Captain Decatur. The signal to prepare for action was made
from the Commodore’s ship, the Constitution, on the morning of the 3d
of August, and at nine o’clock the squadron began to bombard the town
and the vessels in the harbor. Decatur advanced his gun-boats in a line
to attack the Tripolitan gun-boats, which were moored along within
musket-shot of the batteries. Disregarding the heavy fire from the
batteries now pouring upon them, he, with twenty-seven men, boarded
one of the enemy’s gun-boats which contained forty-seven men, and in
ten minutes its deck was cleared, and the boat made a prize. At this
moment he was informed that his brother, Lieutenant James Decatur,
who commanded another boat, had captured a gun-boat of the enemy, but
had been treacherously shot by her commander, who had pushed off,
and was then steering towards the harbor. Decatur instantly pursued
him, entering the enemy’s line with his single boat, and, overtaking
the foe, boarded her with eleven men, being all the Americans he had
left. He singled out the Turkish commander, who was armed with an
espontoon or spear; in attempting to strike off the head of which
with his sword, the treacherous steel gave way and was broken at the
hilt, and he received a severe wound in the right arm and breast; upon
which he seized the spear and closed with him. In the struggle both
fell. Decatur, being uppermost, caught the arm of the Turk with his
left hand, and with his right, seized a pistol which he had in his
pocket, cocked it, fired through his pocket and killed him. During
this struggle, a Tripolitan aimed a blow at the head of Decatur with
a sabre; an American seaman, although so severely wounded as to lose
the use of both hands, rushed forward and received the blow on his
own head, by which his skull was fractured. The generous-hearted
sailor survived, and his devotion to his commander was rewarded by his
government.
Captain Decatur secured both his prizes, and received from Commodore
Preble the highest commendation for his bravery, who, on retiring from
the squadron, gave him the command of the Constitution.
On his return to America, he superintended the building of gun-boats,
until he was ordered to supersede Commodore Barron in the command of
the Chesapeake frigate. He was afterwards removed to the frigate United
States. On the 25th of October, 1812, he fell in with his Britannic
majesty’s ship Macedonian, one of the finest frigates in the British
navy, which he captured after an action of an hour and a half. His loss
was four killed and seven wounded; that of the Macedonian thirty-six
killed and sixty-eight wounded. When the commander of the Macedonian
came on board of the United States and presented his sword, Decatur,
with a chivalrous and delicate courtesy, declined taking it, observing
that he could not think of taking the sword of an officer who had
defended his ship so gallantly, but he should be happy to take him
by the hand. The Macedonian was taken into the harbor of New York,
where she was repaired and equipped as an American frigate; and the
name of her gallant victor was hailed with enthusiastic admiration
throughout the country. Congress presented to him a vote of thanks and
a splendid gold medal, (_see_ Plate X.,) while several of the state
legislatures and cities testified their high sense of his services
by votes of thanks and valuable presents. In 1813 Commodore Decatur
was ordered to sea with the United States, the Macedonian and the
Hornet, but being compelled to run into the mouth of the Thames in
Connecticut, by a British squadron, he lay off New London for several
months; this becoming irksome, he sent a challenge to the commander of
the blockading squadron, offering to meet two British ships, with the
United States and the Macedonian; but this invitation Sir Thomas M.
Hardy politely declined.
In 1815 he was appointed to the command of the frigate President,
and in attempting to get to sea, came in contact with the Endymon,
Tenedos and Pomona frigates, by which he was captured and carried into
Bermuda. After the peace with England, Commodore Decatur was dispatched
to the Mediterranean, to chastise the Algerines, who, instigated as
was supposed by the British, had captured some of our merchantmen
and enslaved their crews. He soon captured an Algerine frigate of
forty-nine guns, after a short action (in which the celebrated Rais
Hammida was killed), and a brig of twenty-two guns. He arrived before
Algiers on the 22d of June, 1815, and the next day compelled the proud
regency to a treaty most honorable to our country. He demanded that no
tribute was ever to be required of the United States; that all enslaved
Americans were to be released without ransom, and that no American was
ever to be held again as a slave. The relinquishment of the tribute
was a point most difficult to adjust. The Dey contended that it might
be used as a precedent by other nations; “even a little powder,” said
he, “might prove satisfactory.” “If,” replied our hero, “you insist
upon receiving powder as tribute, you must expect to receive balls
with it.” The next day the treaty was negotiated, with immunities and
privileges never before granted by a Barbary state to a Christian
nation. Commodore Decatur thence proceeded to Tunis and Tripoli,
where, by similar diplomatism, he obtained the necessary redress, and
returned home in the autumn of the same year. He was appointed one of
the board of commissioners, and resided at Kalarama, near Washington.
In October, 1819, a correspondence commenced between Commodore Barron,
former commander of the Chesapeake, and Commodore Decatur, in relation
to harsh expressions said to have been used by the latter towards the
former. Commodore Decatur denied having, at any time, made use of
such expressions, but admitted at the same time, that he had not been
particular to conceal his opinions, which were not very favorable to
Commodore Barron. This controversy, which lasted some months, could not
be assuaged by the interference of friends, but a challenge sent and
accepted, named the day that was to send its victim bleeding to his
grave. On the 20th of March, 1820, they repaired to Bladensburg. At the
first fire both were wounded, Decatur mortally, Barron dangerously.
Commodore Decatur died the same evening. In the enjoyment of his
country’s highest regard and confidence, he added his before unsullied
name to the list of victims who died slaves to “an affair of honor.”
His remains were temporarily deposited in the family vault of Colonel
Bomford, at Kalarama, where they remained until 1846, when they were
re-interred with appropriate ceremonies in the churchyard of St.
Peter’s, in Philadelphia, and rest by the side of those of his father
and family.
The lid of the coffin was removed when it was brought out of the
vault at Washington, in the hope that the noble features of the dead
hero were still perfect, but the friends who so anxiously sought this
gratification, had to undergo a sad disappointment. Every lineament of
the fine face was gone--nothing remained save the skeleton and a few
remnants of the clothes.
The original coffin is now enclosed in a new one of black walnut,
a silver shield on the top of which bears the following touching
inscription:--“Here lie the remains of Commodore Stephen Decatur,
of the United States Navy, who departed this life in the city of
Washington, on the twentieth day of March, 1820, aged forty-two years.
His public services are recorded in the annals of his country--his
private virtues in the hearts of his friends--and above all, in her
heart who was for fourteen years the happy partner of his life, and
the delighted witness of his exalted worth; and who can with truth
inscribe upon this humble tablet, that he possessed every virtue of
which the human character is susceptible, and each carried to its
highest perfection. Columbia mourn! For time, which soothes the grief
of individuals, will only render you more sensible of the irreparable
loss you have sustained.”