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determine the exact fate of the mission. They remained there the entire night with the hope that the rowing vessels would return with the volunteers, but by morning their hopes turned to despair when the light of day finally revealed what had happened. Commodore Preble later concluded that an attempt was made by intercepting boarding vessels, and that Somers decided to destroy the vessel, himself, and his crew to avoid capture and enslavement, but there was no way of knowing the exact events which resulted in the explosion.
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The remains of the 13 sailors on the ship washed ashore the next day after the explosion and were dragged through the street by angry locals. The bodies were buried in an unmarked mass grave outside
Tripoli. In 1949, the Libyan government unearthed the remains and moved them to the current cemetery.
498:
could get to its final position it exploded, lighting up the entire scene and sending the hull, yards and rigging and exploding shells in all directions, killing all on board. The anxious crews of the awaiting squadron were shaken by the concussion of the great explosion but at this time could not
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A week later she began to be fitted out as a "floating volcano" and was to be sent into the harbor and blown up in the midst of the corsair fleet close under the walls of
Tripoli. The vessel was loaded with 100 barrels of powder and 150 fixed shells, the fuses leading to the explosives were
516:, represented the U.S. Navy at the ceremony unveiling the monument to the fallen sailors on 2 April 1949. Since then, the Libyan government has maintained the grave site, although sometimes has allowed maintenance of the site to deteriorate. On 17 December 2011, US defense chief
377:. When hailed, they claimed to be traders who had lost their anchor in the late gale, and begged permission to make fast to the frigate till morning. Guards suddenly noticed the ketch still had her anchors and gave the alarm. Leaving a small force commanded by Surgeon
385:, Decatur led 60 of his men to the deck of the frigate. A brief struggle, conducted without firing a gun, gave the Americans control of the vessel enabling them to set her ablaze. Decatur, the last man to leave the burning frigate, remained on board
329:. Preble decided that he must destroy the frigate before the enemy could fit her out for action against his squadron. In order to take the Tripolitans by surprise, he assigned the task to the only ship which could be sure of passing as a
452:
calculated to burn for 15 minutes. Carpenters of every ship were pressed into service and she was ready on 1 September, but unfavorable weather delayed the operation until 4 September. That day, Lieutenant
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serving as escorts up to the point by the rocks near the harbor's entrance, remaining there to watch and pick up the returning rowing boats and return the crew from their mission. As
625:
ight of the 13 sailors interred beneath Green Square in
Tripoli .... Nearby are the graves of five more, ... at a tiny, walled cemetery that overlooks the harbor.
337:. He appointed Lieutenant Stephen Decatur captain of the ketch on 31 January 1804 and ordered him to prepare her for a month's cruise to Tripoli in company with
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until flames blazed from the hatchways and ports of her spar deck. When he finally left the ship, her rigging and tops were afire. Shore batteries opened up on
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Two of the fastest rowing vessels were chosen to assist in the mission and return the volunteers from the mission. At eight o'clock on 4 September
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on 31 October 1803 after the
American frigate had run fast aground on uncharted Kaliusa reef some five miles (8 km) east of Tripoli.
437:, where she took on board fresh supplies for the squadron and departed on 17 August. She rejoined the squadron off Tripoli on 22 August.
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set sail 2 February and arrived off
Tripoli five days later. However, bad weather delayed the operation until 16 February. That evening
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visited the cemetery in
Tripoli and placed a wreath at the grave site. The US has no plans to repatriate the remains to the US.
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343:. Preble's orders directed Decatur to slip into harbor at night, to board and burn the frigate, and make good his retreat in
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colors and without passports. After a time-consuming search for a translator, the ketch's papers and the testimony of an
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on 19 February, and the next day her crew returned to their original ships. The ketch remained in
Syracuse with only a
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Victory in
Tripoli: How America's War with the Barbary Pirates Established the U.S. Navy and Shaped a Nation
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463:. Volunteers for the mission also included Midshipman Henry Wadsworth and ten seamen. Shortly after
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arrived with last-minute orders from
Commodore Preble and insisted on accompanying the expedition.
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took station outside the harbor and launched her boats to stand by for rescue work. At 7 o'clock
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and a few men on board while the squadron was at sea during the next few months. She became a
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on 1 June and continued this duty through July. She departed
Syracuse on 12 August for
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against other shipping in the harbor. In the latter case, he was to escape in boats to
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feat, he is said to have called it "the most bold and daring act of the age".
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ship master who had been in Tripoli to witness her role in operations against
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551:. C. C. Little and J. Brown, 1846 – Biography & Autobiography. pp.
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693:, 5 February 2013, setting forth the evidence for and against that quote.
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776:"USN Ships--USS Spokane (CL-120, later CLAA-120) -- Miscellaneous Views"
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was a legitimate prize. He took her into the U.S. Navy and renamed her
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Life of Stephen Decatur: a commodore in the Navy of the United States
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approached the enemy fleet they were discovered and fired upon by
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608:"Effort under way to bring back U.S. sailors buried in Libya"
582:"Ships Histories Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships"
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Burning of the Frigate Philadelphia in the Harbor of Tripoli
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convinced the commander of the American squadron, Commodore
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Cloud, David S., "Wreath Laid For Sailors Killed in 1804",
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when her guns discharged by the heat of the conflagration.
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A copy of an engraving of the destruction of the fire ship
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threatening to become Tripoli's largest and most powerful
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on 23 December 1803 as it was sailing from Tripoli to
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from the overlooking shore batteries. At 8:30 before
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was one of several Tripolitan vessels which captured
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entered the harbor and 2½ hours later was alongside
666:. Chicago: Western Press Association. p. 694.
393:as she escaped only to be answered from abandoned
347:, unless it then seemed feasible to use her as a
592:Department of the Navy – Naval Historical Center
813:New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 2005.
8:
587:Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships
355:which would await just outside the harbor.
565:The life and character of Stephen Decatur
19:For other ships with the same name, see
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569:P. B. Goodsell, Hartford, Conn., 1821.
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103:Destroyed in action, 4 September 1804
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606:Colimore, Edward (25 October 2011).
213:expedition. The vessel was sold to
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840:Ketches of the United States Navy
512:, veteran of two expeditions to
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530:Second Battle of Tripoli Harbor
750:
714:
702:
681:"Searching for Nelson’s Quote"
663:History of the American Nation
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1:
728:Colimore (2011), page article
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691:United States Naval Institute
563:Waldo, Samuel Putnam (1821).
660:Jackman, William J. (1911).
543:MacKenzie, Alexander Slidell
95:by capture, 23 December 1803
845:Barbary Wars American ships
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826:at Naval Historical Center
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794:, 18 December 2011, p. 7.
648:U.S.Navy, DANFS, Intrepid
613:The Philadelphia Inquirer
467:got underway, Midshipman
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45:
30:
679:, Leiner, Frederick C.,
162:70 officers and enlisted
146:12 ft (3.7 m)
108:General characteristics
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313:depicted in foreground
217:, which she served as
138:60 ft (18 m)
850:Ships built in France
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253:in command, captured
16:United States warship
807:London, Joshua E.,
289:Destruction of USS
478:got underway with
404:, then blockading
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189:United States Navy
791:Los Angeles Times
510:Richard H. Cruzen
193:First Barbary War
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765:pp. 135–136
763:Waldo, 1821
753:pp. 114–117
741:pp. 100–101
739:Waldo, 1821
408:, heard of
402:Lord Nelson
317:Meanwhile,
191:during the
855:1798 ships
834:Categories
632:References
619:26 October
597:1 November
514:Antarctica
492:carronades
445:See also:
427:midshipman
242:Enterprise
223:bomb ketch
176:The first
159:Complement
151:Propulsion
117:Bomb ketch
705:pp. 64–74
686:USNI News
503:Aftermath
461:fire ship
441:Fire ship
381:on board
349:fire ship
249:with Lt.
240:USS
545:(1846).
524:See also
496:Intrepid
488:Intrepid
484:Nautilus
476:Intrepid
465:Intrepid
423:Syracuse
419:Intrepid
410:Intrepid
391:Intrepid
383:Intrepid
371:Intrepid
359:Intrepid
345:Intrepid
335:Intrepid
333:vessel,
311:Intrepid
283:Intrepid
247:schooner
211:Egyptian
207:Napoleon
199:Intrepid
180:Intrepid
167:Armament
92:Acquired
84:Launched
70:Intrepid
39:Intrepid
459:of the
327:corsair
321:lay in
279:Mastico
277:, that
267:English
263:Turkish
255:Mastico
235:Capture
219:Mastico
215:Tripoli
187:in the
127:Tonnage
46:History
717:p. 114
482:, and
413:'s
406:Toulon
308:(1897)
261:under
221:. The
203:France
170:4 guns
135:Length
435:Malta
400:When
367:Syren
363:Syren
353:Syren
340:Syren
185:ketch
621:2011
599:2011
361:and
245:, a
178:USS
154:Sail
143:Beam
113:Type
100:Fate
87:1798
76:Cost
68:USS
65:Name
677:See
572:Url
558:Url
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304:by
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