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.”

DESCRIPTION OF THE MEDAL.

Occasion.—Capture of the British frigate Macedonian.

Device.—A bust of Captain Decatur.

Legend.—Stephanus Decatur Navarchus pugnis pluribus victor.

Reverse.—Two ships engaged; the topmasts of one shot away, the other with a few shot only in her sails.

Legend.—Occidit signum hostile sidera surgunt.

Exergue.—Inter sta. uni. nav. Amer. et Macedo. nav. Ang. die 25th Octobris, 1812.