"But sailors were born for all weathers, Great guns let it blow, high or low, Our duty keeps us to our tethers, And where the gales drive we must go." Hard luck, indeed! The frigate Philadelphia stranded on a reef in the harbor of Tripoli, and Captain Bainbridge and his men were left captives in the hands of the Bashaw. Yet the ill wind for them was a kind wind for me, since it brought me a chance to serve under Stephen Decatur in what men say is one of the most brilliant exploits in our navy's annals. Fortunately, before this disaster befell, Captain Bainbridge had been given an opportunity to show the Mediterranean squadron his mettle, for Commodore Preble had assigned the Philadelphia, under Bainbridge, to blockade duty on the Barbary Coast. When I fell in again with Samuel Childs and Reuben James after my sojourn in Tunis, the first yarn spun to me in the night watch was that of how the Philadelphia had been captured. Reuben James was boatswain aboard of her when she was seized. He dived overboard and swam to safety when he saw that the jig was up, and rejoined the fleet to tell again and again the story of Bainbridge's gallantry in the face of misfortune. Reuben's story ran like this: The Philadelphia, while cruising in the vicinity of Cape Gata, had come upon The captain then sent an armed party to search the brig. He found imprisoned in her hold Captain Richard Bowen, and seven men. The brig was the Celia of Boston. Captain Bainbridge released her crew, and imprisoned the officers and men of the Meshboha aboard his frigate. Asked by what authority he had captured an American vessel, Ibrahim Lubarez replied that he understood that Morocco intended to declare war on the United States and that when he seized the vessel he thought that a state of war existed. The captain suspected that the Emperor of Morocco had given orders that American ships be seized. "You have committed an act of piracy," he told the Moor, "and for it you will swing at our yardarm!" "Mercy! Mercy!" wailed Ibrahim. Unbuttoning five waistcoats, he brought forth from a pocket of the fifth a secret document signed by the Governor of Tangiers. Captain Bainbridge reported the matter to Captain Preble, and the latter at once proceeded to Tangiers with four frigates. There the Emperor abjectly disclaimed all knowledge of the affair, renewed his treaty, deprived the Governor of Tangiers of his office, and punished the commander of the Meshboha. The American squadron was given a salute of twenty-one guns; a present of ten bullocks with sheep and fowl But, Reuben testified, when the American officers discussed the Emperor's declaration of innocence, they spoke of it as if it were a huge joke. On the morning of October 31st, 1803, Reuben, who was the lookout on the Philadelphia, espied a corsair sneaking out of a port. Captain Bainbridge at once swung his vessel round in pursuit. The wind was strong, enabling the frigate to gain on the pirate craft. The ship was one of a corsair fleet under command of the Bashaw's captains, Zurrig, Dghees, Trez, Romani, and El Mograbi. Zurrig had sailed away from the other vessels on purpose to decoy the American ship on to a line of partly-submerged rocks that lay in the waters of the bay, parallel to the shore. The captain of the corsair knew every yard of the coast, and by hugging the shore, he soon drew the pursuing frigate into shallow water. The Philadelphia had drawn close enough to the fleeing vessel to attack with the bow guns, and in the excitement of seeing if the shots struck home, the officers and crew forgot that their vessel was in danger of running upon a reef the corsair knew well how to avoid. A BRAVE OFFICER'S BAD LUCKEight fathoms of water had been reported. Then the men who threw the lead reported seven fathoms. The cry of six and a half fathoms soon followed. Captain Bainbridge at once gave the order to head seaward. The helm was thrown hard over; the sails flapped as the vessel came up to the wind. It seemed that she would reach deep water safely, but suddenly the vessel struck Warships—feluccas and other small boats crowded with Arabs—now attacked the Philadelphia. Led by their captains, they swarmed over her sides. The Americans fought with small arms, wounding six of their assailants, but Bainbridge saw that his men would be massacred if the fight were prolonged, and hauled down the flag. Bainbridge and his crew of three hundred and fifteen men then surrendered. A few of the best swimmers took to the water, Reuben among them, but all were captured except him. The captives, by means I will later describe, managed to write frequently to their friends aboard vessels of the fleet. Reuben corresponded with Tom Bowles, and thus knew as much about the experiences of the prisoners as if he were among them. A few days later, he found out, the pirates managed to haul the vessel off the reef at flood-tide. They recovered the guns that had been thrown overboard, and boasted that their navy now owned a splendid American warship that had come into their possession without spending a sequin, or a drop of blood. The red flag As soon as the Americans gave up their arms, the infidels began to plunder them of all of their valuables. Swords, epaulets, trinkets, money, and clothing were taken. Captain Bainbridge wore a locket around his neck that contained a miniature picture of his wife. One of the looters snatched at it, but Captain Bainbridge made a determined resistance and was at last allowed to keep the trinket. The boats containing the prisoners reached the docks of Tripoli at ten o'clock that night. The Bashaw was eager to inspect his captives, and received them in his audience hall, where he and his staff sat gloating. After much questioning, he sent them to supper, placing them under the care of Sidi Mohammed D'Ghiers, his prime minister. Mr. Nissen, the Danish consul, came promptly to comfort the prisoners, and to offer them such assistance as was in his power to render. The Bashaw, who knew that some of the twenty-two officers he had bagged were members of prominent American families who could afford to pay big ransoms, was so delighted with the capture that he did not at first treat the captives severely. They were allowed to wander among groves of olive, fig, and lemon trees, and, on feast days, were sprinkled with attar of roses and fumigated with frankincense, while slaves served them coffee and sherbet. The under-officers and sailors were at first treated with some consideration. The carpenters, riggers, and sailmakers were employed in making repairs on the When the sailor was sentenced to receive blows on his bare feet, the guard would cover the soles with straw pads, telling the culprit to yell as if he were being hurt, as the chief of the guards was standing outside to tell by the cries whether the punishment was being administered. The comfort of the officers was soon to end. Reuben showed me letters received from Tom Bowles written at this period that were full of bitter complaints. It appeared that the Bashaw summoned Captain Bainbridge to his presence and told him that one of his ships had been captured by the American war vessel John Adams, and that if their prisoners were not released the officers and men of the Philadelphia would be severely treated. Captain Bainbridge was not able to give a reply that satisfied the ruler. The Bashaw then ordered that he and his men be removed to a foul dungeon. There, in a room once used for smoking hides, they were obliged to remain without food except a little black bread and water. A renegade Scotchman named Lisle, in the employ of the Bashaw, visited Captain Bainbridge here and urged him to send a message to the John Adams to release the prisoners. Captain Bainbridge answered: "Your ruler can subject me to torture and can lop off my head, but he can not When Captain Bainbridge learned that the Bashaw of Tripoli designed to use the Philadelphia as the chief ship of his own navy, he was greatly distressed. With the aid of the Danish consul Nissen, he managed to write a letter to Commodore Preble, who was on his way to blockade Tripoli. This letter he wrote in lemon juice, which, when the paper is held to the fire, becomes readable. This letter Commodore Preble showed to the officers and enlisted men of the squadron, and even gave us permission to copy it for keepsakes in honor of Captain Bainbridge's pluck and resourcefulness. In the letter the latter advanced this plan for destroying his frigate:
How faithfully this plan was carried out by Commodore Preble and his men, I shall soon show. |