Stephen Decatur: American Freedom Fighter of the Seas (Born January 5, 1779)

Per Scriptum E. Wesley - Mackinac Center Intern

America won her independence amidst a world where giants roamed the seas. The British navy was all but unmatched in the 18th and early 19th centuries, and only briefly embarrassed by French admiral Comte de Grasse in 1781 at Yorktown. Being cut off from the rest of the developed world by the Atlantic Ocean, agriculture, capitalism, and shipping in the United States could only survive if it's navy literally punched through a sea infested with titanic battles fought by European powers who were actively expanding their empires and cared little about America interests which were individualistic and un-imperial in nature. Stephen Decatur would show the world just how fast the American star was rising in international affairs, and that not all wars are fought for empire. The United States was far from an empire, but it was concerned about the risks that American shippers undertook with imperial navies and pirates on the loose.

The titanic Battle of Trafalgar in 1805 between Great Britain and France

Stephen Decatur was born on January 5, 1779 in Sinepuxent, Maryland, the son of a naval commander of the same name who fought in the American War for Independence leading several privateers. As a boy, young Stephen was known to dive off of the tips of jib booms, and at twelve years old saved his mother from a drunken rogue. An adventure lover, young Stephen followed his father's lead by joining the then still new United States navy in 1798 as a Midshipman aboard the USS United States. He fought in an undeclared war with France the next two years, was promoted to Lieutenant in 1799, and given command of the brig Argus in 1803. Lieutenant Decatur then left for Tripoli. He glory days were just beginning.

Commanding the schooner Enterprise, Lieutenant Decatur captured the Tripoli ketch Mastico on December 23, 1803. Mastico, renamed USS Intrepid, became Lieutenant Decatur's greatest fighting tool. On the night of February 16, 1804, he sneaked into the Tripoli harbor aboard the USS Intrepid where the captured USS Philadelphia was now in enemy hands. He daringly destroyed it, and became an instant American hero. Indeed, even the British naval giant Admiral Lord Nelson recognized that Decatur had accomplished the impossible, and named the sinking of the Philadelphia "the most bold and daring act of the age."

Burning of the Philadelphia

"The most bold and daring act of the age."

Encouraged with his now proven talents, Lieutenant Decatur conducted a brilliantly successful bombardment of Tripoli on August 3, 1804. During the heart of the action, Lieutenant Decatur led a courageous hand-to-hand charge while boarding an enemy gunboat. Eyewitness Captain Edward Preble aboard the U.S. Frigate Constitution describes the scene:

...1/2 past 2 general signal for

Battle. the whole squadron advanc'd within point Blank shot of

the Enemies Batteries & shipping, our Gun Boats in two divisions

the 1st consisting of 3 Boats Commanded by Capt. Somers the 2d of

three Boats by Capt. Decatur, at 3/4 past 2 the Action commenced on

out side by throwing a shell into the Town, and in an Instant the

whole Squadron were engaged...As the wind was from the Eastward our Boats were

ordered to lead in to Windward and attack the Enemy. the Rear &

center division of the Enemies Boats are close under their Batteries,

& the Van division consisting of their largest Boats are within Grape

distance of the Bashaws Castle & fort English at 3 observed our

Gun Boats engaged in close action with the Enemies Boats, while a

tremendous fire was kept up by this ship and the rest of the Squadron.

Capt. Decatur with No. 4 Lt. Trippe of No. 6 & Lt. Bainbridge of No. 5

& Lt. James Decatur of No. 2 attacked the enemys Boats within Pistol

shot... Decatur Boarded and after a stout and obstinate resistance took

possession of two of the Enemies Gun Boats, Lt. Trip Boarded and

carried a third... three different times the Enemies Gun Boats rallied and

attempted to surround ours... Tack'd ship & fired two Broadsides in stays

which drove the Tripolines out of the Castle & brought down the Steeple of a

Mosque, by this time the wind began to freshen from N E at 4 3/4

PM hauld off to take the Bombs in tow, at 5 pm Brought to, two miles

from their Batteries... We lay to until 10 P M to receive the

Prisoners on board captured in the Prizes, then made sail & stood off

to the N E the wind Veering to the E S E. -- we have all the surgeons

of the squadron on board dressing the wounded.

For his bravery at the Tripoli bombardment, Decatur was promoted to rank of Captain. Captain Decatur was now the youngest American captain of his day. He spent the next eight years commanding various frigates until the War of 1812 broke out between Great Britain and the United States over American shipping disputes. Poetically, Captain Decatur was commanding the USS United States (where he had started as a Midshipman with the navy) when he captured the British frigate Macedonian on October 25, 1812. In 1814, Decatur flew the Commodore pennant while commanding three ships in the West Indies. However, the British blockade soon hemmed him into New York. He eventually broke out aboard the USS President on January 15, 1815, but was wounded and captured the following day. After recovering, Commodore Decatur was given command of another strong squadron.

When the War of 1812 had ended, Commodore Decatur sailed to the Mediterranean Sea in May of 1815 to deal with the North African Barbary pirates. He subsequently persuaded Algiers, Tunis, and Tripoli to sign treaties of peace with the United States. When he returned home, Decatur joined the Board of Navy Commissioners in Washington, D.C. He made his famous toast to the United States in April 1816, which is now considered a standard expression of American patriotism: "Our Country! In her intercourse with foreign nations may she always be in the right; but our country, right or wrong." Decatur's mansion, constructed in 1818, was literally across the street from the White House. He had now reached the top of American society.

Depiction of Stephen Decatur on an 1886 bill

Stephen Decatur's seemingly greatest ally was his strong will, which ironically brought him to his greatest defeat. On March 22, 1820, fellow officer Commodore James Barron challenged Decatur to a duel to settle a growing hated that dated back to the War of 1812. While shooting his opponent in the leg, Decatur was mortally wounded and died the same day. However, this fatal mistake did not terminate his legacy as a fighter for American commerce on the high seas. He was eventually memorialized on a $20 bill, as his image was materially matched to the early American naval cause: free trade. He remains the savior of American capitalism in the early 19th century.

Sources:

Image of StephenDecatur (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:StephenDecatur.jpeg)

Image of Trafalgar (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Trafalgar1.jpg)

Image of Burning_of_the_USS_Philadelphia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Burning_of_the_uss_philadelphia.jpg)

Image of DecaturBill from Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:DecaturBill.jpg)

http://www.history.navy.mil/bios/decatur.htm

http://www.history.navy.mil/photos/pers-us/uspers-d/s-decatr.htm

http://www.history.navy.mil/faqs/faq110-1.htm

http://www.history.navy.mil/cannons/cannons32.html

http://www.nps.gov/history/nr/twhp/wwwlps/lessons/19decatur/19setting.htm

http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=269

http://www.nps.gov/history/nr/twhp/wwwlps/lessons/19decatur/19decatur.htm

http://www.decaturhouse.org/