Stephen Decatur, a best-remembered hero, took a large part in the First Barbary War and a known conflict between the United States and Tripoli, now in Libya. The war started with the Americans not paying tribute to the piratical rulers of the North African Barbary States of Algiers, Tunis, Morocco, and Tripoli.

It has been a continued practice among the European nations and the United States in exchange for immunity from merchant vessel attacks in the Mediterranean. However, what does Stephen Decatur Jr. do with all of these? Let’s learn first about Stephen Decatur Jr.’s life and his relevance to the war.

Who Is Stephen Decatur Jr?

Stephen Decatur Jr was a United States Navy officer born on the eastern shore of Maryland in Worcester County. He followed the steps of his father, a commodore in the Continental Navy during the American Revolutionary War, just a short period after he attended college.

He was the youngest man to reach the rank of captain in the history of the United States Navy, and his service was said to be aligned with acts of heroism and exceptional performance.

He took a large part in the First Barbary Wars and set the ship on fire to prevent its use by the enemy.

What Happened in the First Barbary War?

The Americans were captured for enslavement for huge ransoms – the main reason being the call for frequent piracy of the American vessels in the Mediterranean Sea. On May 13, 1801, Stephen Decatur was assigned to board the USS Essex to serve as the first lieutenant.

The ship bore 32 guns, on the command of Commodore William Bainbridge and Commodore Richard Dale’s squadron, aligned with the USS Philadelphia and USS Enterprise. On July 1, when they were about to arrive at Gibraltar, Commodore Dale learned that Tripoli declared war upon the United States. This made Dale order Philadelphia to stay and guard the Tripolitan vessels.

In September 1802, Decatur was transferred to the 36-gun frigate USS New York, again being the first lieutenant under Commodore James Barron. Sailing through Tripoli, Stephen Decatur encountered a confrontation together with another American officer, which made them return to the United States.

When they got back, Decatur took temporary command of the 18-gun brig USS Argus, which he then used to sail back to Gibraltar, giving the command of the ship to Lieutenant Isaac Hull in exchange for the command of Enterprise, a 12-gun schooner.

At this time, a small number of Tripolitan soldiers were on board. Stephen Decatur and his crew were able to capture the ship, killing the few men who were defending the vessel. On October 31, 1803, the Philadelphia ship ran aground on an uncharted reef near Triploi’s harbor. With this situation, they failed to sail the boat. Being near Tripoli’s harbor, they were then captured and imprisoned by the Tripolitans. Decatur planned ahead and sailed for Tripoli, along with 80 volunteers then, to get the crew back.

The Victory of Claiming the Philadelphia Ship

Slowly approaching the Philadelphia ship, Decatur encountered a wind that made their approach slow. They were in a position where they had to board without creating any suspicion. Moreover, Intrepid was tied to Philadelphia. After it was successfully tied, Decatur got on board while signaling the crew members to board the ship.

Decatur and his crew members could reclaim the Philadelphia ship without losing a single man of his crew in less than 10 minutes. With a strategy planned by Stephen Decatur, they could claim the Philadelphia ship back.

The Fires of Philadelphia Ship

After reclaiming, the vessel wasn’t in good shape anymore, and the Intrepid couldn’t tow the ship out of the harbor. Due to this, Decatur was ordered to destroy the Philadelphia ship. He ordered his crew members to throw pieces of anything that could help to set the vessel on fire. Making sure the fire was large enough, he was the last man to leave.

Stephen Decatur’s intention in setting up the Philadelphia vessel was to prevent its use by the enemy. Through this, he was the best-remembered hero of the First Barbary War.

Read next:

• The Surprising Way That the Navy Just Became Pirates
• No One Can Find Anthony Gale: The Only Marine Leader Court-Martialed
• Quasi-War: The Unofficial Conflict That Solidified the US Navy

Sources:

• Philadelphia (Warship)
• First Barbary War