Home of the Brave

by D P Prouty

  Captain Decatur stood like a rock. Focused on the ship ahead, he called for the interpreter to stand near him and gave him some instruction. As we got close to the Philadelphia, a voice called out to us in the night, “Madha tafeal? Yabhar beida!” The interpreter whispered to the captain, “He asks what we are doing and instructs us to sail away.”

  “Tell him our anchor is lost and we want to tie up to their ship to prevent drifting.” He did as the captain instructed, and the man aboard the Philadelphia gave a reluctant approval. But as we began to tie to the large frigate, the pirate looked closely and must have seen our anchor as he began to scream out an alarm. Instantly, Decatur aimed his pistol and shot the man as he gave the order to board the ship. Half-asleep men, waking confused in the night’s commotion fell easy prey to the pistol and cutlass as the men secured the deck and stormed below, many others escaped by jumping overboard and swimming toward the shore. I jumped aboard pistol in hand and ran forward to the bow, found a keg of powder, and ordered it spread about the deck.

  Bells began ringing from inside the Tripolitan fort alerting all to our presence. It wouldn’t be long before cannons from the fort bear down on us, I thought. I could see at least one smaller vessel nearby had weighed anchor and started to sail toward us in the moonlight. Captain Decatur said, “Get the combustibles below deck and get that powder spread aft!” The crew below began surfacing through the hatchway as they had already prepared to fire below deck. Then the captain bellowed out the order to throw the torch below and return to the Intrepid. The last man at the stern was Mr. Walsh—he waited a moment then threw his torch on the gunpowder spread forward and ran toward the Intrepid. We boarded the Intrepid and cut the lines, I could see flames coming from the gun ports and on the deck. The shore batteries from the bastion began firing at the Intrepid clearly visible by the radiant light from the Philadelphia fires steaming from her deck. We made a hasty retreat as the smaller pirate gunboat made its way near the Philadelphia. They fired at us but did not have any accuracy and were too slow to catch us. The guns from the fort began to rain down fire as well. Syren returned fire on the fortress to distract their focus on us. Then something remarkable happened. The cannons from the Philadelphia began to fire upon the shore battery! They were loaded and ready after all and the fire ignited the fuse. At about two hundred yards the Philadelphia exploded in a brilliant flash, hurling fragments as far out to where we were. We had done it! We had deprived the enemy of a most formidable weapon and survived the hazard without any losses.

  31

  Floating Volcano

  Entering Syracuse, cheers from the Enterprise and Syren could be heard as we anchored in the harbor. Soon after, I was aboard the Enterprise again as the celebrations continued. Captain Decatur was directed to the Constitution, presumably to get follow on orders. He returned a few hours later with a concerned look. He called for the officers and asserted, “Gentlemen, Commodore Preble sends his congratulations on the successful mission in destroying the Philadelphia.” He slightly smiled as the group of officers applauded with approval. The elated feeling of ultimate victory permeated throughout the ship. He then said, “Commodore Preble believes we are close to total victory—one last push to destroy their remaining vessels while they are demoralized should give us leverage to get our men back. As you know, there are the three hundred from the Philadelphia and another hundred merchantmen held captive, possibly as slaves.” The captain’s expression changed as his next sentence seemed to hang in the air. “We are planning to use the Intrepid as a fire ship to lure in and destroy the enemy vessels.” I knew as did everyone standing there, that this would be extremely dangerous and the probability of survival was low, especially since they had seen the Intrepid before.

  All the squadron coopers, caulkers, boatswains, and carpenters were called upon to prepare the Intrepid for her final journey. Captain Somers was appointed commander and several volunteers from the Nautilus and the Constitution were to make up the brave crew of thirteen. The entire hull was filled with powder barrels exceeding a hundred with an additional 150 fixed projectiles. The men commonly referred to her as the floating volcano. The plan was to get her into the harbor, set the slow-burning fuses and the thirteen men would make their escape in two row boats to the awaiting brig Argus.

  The John Adams dropped anchor in the harbor a few days before the operation was to begin. I looked forward to seeing Captain Campbell if the opportunity presented itself and it did the next morning as I was informed he would be joining us later that afternoon on the Enterprise. That afternoon Captain Campbell arrived with Captain Somers, Lieutenant Potts, Lieutenant Gross, and Mr. Freeman and made their way to the officer’s mess. I was instructed to present myself and when I walked into the chamber, the officers stood at attention while Captain Campbell approached me and said, “Well, Mr. Carter, you’ll need to explain yourself!”

  Surprised, all I could muster was, “Sir?”

  He hinted of a smile and said, “You are out of uniform, mister! Mr. Freeman, if you would please read the order.”

  Mr. Freeman stepped forward and read an order of commission for me! When he was done, all the men took a glass from the table in front of them and Captain Decatur opened a bottle of cognac. Captain Campbell said, “Gentlemen, please charge your glasses.” After everyone had their glass filled, he said, “Gentlemen, to my future son-in-law and newest lieutenant in the United States Navy, Lieutenant Clyde Carter!”

  “Here, here!” The men each offered congratulations and I enjoyed the evening. For a moment I was carried back in time, eating dinner with Charlie and Frank at the captain’s table in Charleston. Captain Campbell told me, “I’m very pleased to have brought you into that tavern years ago. I’m very proud of you, son!” Nothing could have meant more to me. Before departing for his vessel, he had Lieutenant Potts retrieve a bag and gave it to me. Inside was a new officer’s jacket—that of a Lieutenant. He said, “Now you have the correct uniform.”

  It was good to see Lieutenant Potts and Mr. Freeman again. They both were on the John Adams with Captain Campbell. Lieutenant Gross was first lieutenant for the Nautilus with Captain Somers. The officers cheered when we received word from Captain Campbell that our government was sending four more frigates, the Essex, President, Constellation, and Congress due to the loss of the Philadelphia. It seems our leaders were tired of this lingering situation as well.

  I wrote to Charlene about the commission, she was sure to be excited and I assumed we would marry upon my return. The mail was much faster here than in the Caribbean because we stayed near Malta or Syracuse most of the time and it wasn’t chasing us throughout several islands. Marriage—I thought about that for a while and it startled me to think I would be responsible for another person. I was happy to have such a beautiful woman, but worried at the same time that I would not live up to her expectations. I had to put that out of my mind for now and concern myself with the task at hand.

  Bad weather had delayed the attack on Tripoli for about a month before the order to execute the operation was given. The Intrepid departed Syracuse two days before the attack escorted by the Nautilus, Vixen, and Argus. They were to escort Intrepid to the reef at the entrance to the harbor and wait for the returning boats carrying the crew. We sailed east to the Kaliusa reef about five to six miles down the coastline to trap any gunboats attempting to escape to Derne.

  Near dusk, the Enterprise was set in position to support the attack. A light fog started to roll in west of us toward the port making it difficult to see anything near the harbor. All that could be done now was to pray that they return. I stood next to Captain Decatur as Lieutenant Thorn and Mr. Walsh both peered through spyglass upon the harbor. The long shadow of the ship was soon overcome by a blanket of darkness as the sun dipped below the horizon. The captain reached into his pocket, pulled out his watch, and said, “They should be starting their jaunt into the harbor, do you see anything, Jonathan?”

  “No, sir,” he replied, still searc
hing through the glass. Jonathan asked, “What do you think their chances are, Captain?”

  Before he could answer, Mr. Walsh uttered, “Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me.”

  Captain Decatur looked over at Mr. Walsh. “Let’s hope not!”

  Lieutenant Thorn replied, “I hope they haven’t devised a signal for ships entering the harbor requiring a corresponding response signal.”

  We waited patiently over the next hour. Most of the crew knew Captain Somers and some of the men aboard the Intrepid and hoped for the best, but prepared for the worst. About 2030 hours the western sky lit up with several flashes from the harbor. A few seconds later the rumbling sound of cannonades from the shore batteries broke the silent night. Several more flashes followed by the roar of cannon fire, then the western horizon shone as bright as the sun for a flicker of time, followed by a wave of a thunderous explosion. Every man on the Enterprise knew the Intrepid had just exploded as a hundred-powder kegs ignited, but the question on our minds was if it was intentional and did the crew get off as planned?

  The next morning we sailed westward to the Argus and Nautilus. Their grim report that no survivors had reached them during the night resonated throughout the squadron. Upon our arrival at Syracuse a week later, the news was compounded as we learned the bodies of those thirteen men had washed ashore, and the people of Tripoli dragged their bodies through the streets before burying them unceremoniously together in an unmarked grave. Blood boiled and many wanted to exact retribution by killing all pirates currently held captive. Praise God that cooler heads prevailed as they still had many of our countrymen in their care and I hoped that they would have a more favorable fate.

  Commodore Preble called all the officers to a meeting in an empty storehouse near the dock. It was odd that all officers were requested and every ship in the squadron was at anchor off Syracuse. When we arrived, the structure was full of officers from the various ships. The officers were talking aloud and the echo from the empty building amplified their voices as they articulated speculation on the meaning of this conference. Several minutes later, a staff officer asked the gathering to be quiet so he could take attendance. He called by ship and the captains answered that they had indeed brought their officers. After the roll was called, some men brought in a table followed by Commodore Preble who stood on top of it to ensure we could all see him. He didn’t greet anyone or smile in the least bit as he stood angrily on the table peering at the gathered officers.

  “Gentlemen,” he said loudly, “these savages have no honor.” His face was flush and he looked as though he would explode. “Damned be the pasha as well as our own politicians for this predicament,” he stated. He paused a moment as he studied the faces of the men in front of him and appeared to relax a little. “For three years we have avoided a direct confrontation on the harbor in the chance that the blockade would work and the pasha would be sensible and discontinue attacks on our merchantmen.” He hesitated, and then shouted, “That is a failed policy!” Again he paused to collect himself and then said in a kindlier tone, “We will not wait for reinforcements, I will not procrastinate further with these savages that desecrate our countrymen in their streets. We will attack, gentlemen, and destroy his shore batteries, eradicate his gunboats, and leave his city defenseless.” Then he stepped down from the table and made way to the center of the men. “I wanted you all to hear it directly from me. Some of you may not return, some of your men may not return. But I will not pass this off until the next squadron arrives, or next year or the year after that. If our government decides to go to war then we finish it before returning home, otherwise it will continue to drain our resources until we grow weary and lose our resolve! King Ferdinand has agreed to lend us six of his Sicilian gunboats and I plan to use them sooner than later!” Then he asked the captains to remain and dismissed all other officers.

  Waiting outside with Jonathan Thorn, I spotted Jim Decatur and motioned to him. He too had been commissioned a lieutenant since I’d last seen him. He looked well and said, “Congratulations on your commission, Clyde!” I thanked him and told him the same, and then I told him that I’d heard he was on the Constitution. I asked him what he thought of the upcoming attack and he stated, “Well, I hope I can command one of the gunboats. Duty on the Constitution keeps me far from the action.” Captain Decatur came outside a few minutes later, saw his brother, clasped his hand, and embraced him. He wished him well and he departed to his fellow officers as all the captains filed out of the building. Captain Campbell greeted me as he came out and we shook hands. We talked briefly and he wished me luck. I told him, “Aye, sir, they have what’s coming to them.”

  He replied, “We all do at some point, some sooner than others. Which reminds me, I received a letter before I departed Norfolk. Captain Michot escaped captivity. Fortunate for him, but I’m sure he too will reap what he had sown.” All the crews were busy getting back to their ships and Captain Decatur said, “Gentlemen, let’s return, I’ll fill you in on the plan once aboard the Enterprise.” Captain Decatur explained that the squadron would make a daylight attack in echelon. Constitution and John Adams would initiate fires on the shore batteries with the brigs Syren, Argus, and Scourge, supporting the three schooners. Nautilus, Vixen, and Enterprise will tow the gunboats in close to the reef and fire at the enemy gunboats in support of our own. “This will be like poking a beehive,” he said, “Them Turk gunboats will be swarming out of the harbor to meet our own, estimated at three times our strength.”

  Lieutenant Thorn commented, “Then we’ll have to whittle them down before they get near our gunboats!”

  Captain Decatur replied, “You will have to whittle them down, Jonathan. I’ll be commanding the lead gunboat, so I’m depending on you. You’ll be captain of the Enterprise.” A few days later, we were again ashore inspecting the Sicilian gunboats at the dock. Five Lieutenants were chosen to command the gunboats from the Constitution, Syren, Argus and Scourge to include James Decatur from the Constitution. The sixth gunboat was to be commanded by Captain Decatur leading the assault. I saw James Decatur ashore and he was teeming with excitement about the opportunity to command one of the gunboats. I also saw Frank ashore who looked disconcerted. I greeted him then asked if he was all right. He said, “I’m fine, sir.” As I began to pull away, he said, “Sir, might I have a word?” We walked out of earshot from everyone else working on the dock and he said, “Clyde, I’m worried about this attack. I feel like I might not survive.”

  “It’s just your nerves, you’ll be fine, Frank,” I replied with a smile.

  But he continued, “It’s just that I’ve been thinking of what happened to Captain Somers and then I lost my lucky coin. I had it in my pocket for years and now it’s gone. I lost it right before Captain Somers left the Nautilus to board the Intrepid.”

  I asked him who his gunboat commander is and he said James Decatur on gunboat number 2. I assured him he is a good officer and he had nothing to worry about. I bid him farewell and began to walk away, but I felt compelled to reassure him. So I said, “Frank, you’ll be fine, just do your duty and try not to worry.” His concerned look did not pass, he just stared. I remembered that look years before when he was grasping the stays and wouldn’t get off the rigging after an attack on the Eagle.

  Then he asked me, “How can you be so sure you’ll survive?”

  Then I told him, “I’m not, Frank, but I know I have salvation, and what happens is not my will, so what good would it do me to worry?”

  He replied, “Now you sound like Charlie, look what it got him!”

  “Yes,” I said, “Look what it got him! I believe by faith he is in paradise now!” Then I said gently, “Frank, do you want to know the Lord too?”

  He said he wasn’t sure at that time, but would think on it. So I withdrew out my trinity knot and told him what I believe it stood for, then said, “You can borrow this until I see you again.” He asked why I didn’t need it for luck and I told him I had some
thing far better.

  32

  Intemperate Courage

  Soon the day to sail southward toward Tripoli came upon us. Every vessel and every man prepared for combat. The gunboats made their way off the dock and into the harbor as each of the schooners tied a line to two. Captain Decatur commanded Gunboat 5 which we towed as well as Gunboat 3. The frigates Constitution and John Adams had already departed earlier in the day and the brigs Scourge, Syren, and Argus caught up with us near Malta as we sailed along with Vixen and Nautilus towing the gunboats. As planned, we turned westward to rendezvous with the frigates and prepare for our attack from the western approach to Tripoli harbor.

  After the entire force gathered northwest of the port the crew assembled on deck and made final preparations for the attack. Early in the morning, Mr. Duffy was given permission by acting Captain Thorn to address the crew. All was quiet as he prayed for success and safekeeping, blessing the crew, saying, “May the Lord Bless you, keep you, shine his face upon you, and give you peace, amen!” Soon after, the squadron made way toward our destination—the port of Tripoli. On a clear and sunny day, just after noon, the Constitution displayed the signal to attack. I could see the stone walls of the fortress in the distance along the coast rising up over the harbor as we sailed ever closer. My heart was racing as the formation moved forward toward the castle and a faint ringing of alarm bells could be heard as they spotted our squadron and prepared to defend. I thought, This is the day—the day we achieve triumph! Constitution and John Adams opened up with a thunderous blast of long- range cannon fire as the brigs moved in closer to fire on the shore batteries. Captain Thorn looked through the glass and commented, “That’s it, boys! Keep them cannons hot!” We sailed near to the reef with Vixen on the right and Nautilus on the left. Captain Thorn signaled the two gunboats before cutting the lines and we dropped anchor to prevent drifting into the reef.