"The Death of Commodore Decatur"
adapted from Lauren Pitre's article in, SWONET
Stephen Decatur was a renowned naval officer who showed signs
of heroism early in life. Born in Sinepuxent, Md., on January
5, 1779, Decatur as a youth was known to dive from the tips of
jib booms and, at the age of 14, defended his mother against a
drunken rogue. He was commissioned as a midshipman in 1798 and
a year later was promoted to acting lieutenant of the frigate
United States.
At the age of 25, Decatur became the most striking figure of the
Tripolitan Wars. On February 16, 1804, Decatur led 74 volunteers
into Tripoli harbor to burn the captured American frigate Philadelphia.
British Admiral Lord Nelson is said to have called the raid "the
most bold and daring act of the age." Raised to the rank
of captain, Decatur was the youngest captain in the American navy.
At the outbreak of the War of 1812, Decatur was the commanding
officer of the frigate United States, which he had served aboard
as a midshipman. As commander of the ship, he defeated and captured
the British frigate Macedonian in October 1812. He brought the
vessel safely back to the United States. It was the only British
ship to be refitted and commissioned in the American navy during
the war. Early in 1815 he was commodore of a three-ship squadron,
when his flagship, the President, while running the British blockade,
struck bottom. The damaged ship was unable to escape the blockading
squadron and was captured.
In 1815, Decatur commanded a nine-ship squadron headed for Mediterranean
to end the cruising of Algerian corsairs against American shipping.
Decatur's abilities as a negotiator were recognized after he secured
a treaty with the Algerians. During celebration of the peace with
the North African state, Decatur declared his famous line: "Our
country! In her intercourse with foreign nations may she always
be right; but our country right or wrong."
Decatur was noted not only for his brilliant Navy career, but
also for his involvement in duels, which was how men of honor
settled disputes in his day. On March 22, 1820, he was killed
in a duel with Commodore James Barron. Barron was court-martialed
for surrendering his ship to a British man-of-war in 1807. This
surrender was one of the major events leading to the War of 1812.
When Barron returned to the United States after the war, he had
intentions of resuming his naval service but met much criticism,
especially from Commodore Decatur. Barron was severely wounded
in his leg but fired the shot that ended Decatur's life.
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June 2001