Veteran's Day salute

[Swift Terror 0]

If you’ll bear with me, I’d like to offer my own salute to our military tradition on this day (a little late) by looking back to a largely forgotten war and the incredible acts of bravery and sacrifice that it produced. Forgive me if this does not technically belong in CE, but I think it does tie in to events of today.

 

Beginning in 1801, the United States sent its fledgling Navy (including the schooner 'Enterprise') to fight a war that has many similarities to the current war against Islamic terrorists. In a nutshell, we were going to war to stop piracy and slave trade in the Barbary States (Tripoli, Algeria, Tunisia, Morocco). These Muslim pirates had been capturing American vessels and holding the crews for ransom, as well as using and selling them into slavery. As a side note, the author Miguel de Cervantes (Don Quixote) was held for ransom for several years. The Europeans had been paying ransom and appeasing these states with gifts for centuries. Of course, this policy ensured that Europe would continue to suffer degradations. The U.S. Congress and President Jefferson decided enough was enough and pursued military action, breaking with the unsuccessful European model.

Many of you may have heard the name Stephen Decatur. He was a Lieutenant at this time and of course he went on to become a legend of the U.S. Navy. Statues of him grace the grounds at Annapolis. In 1803, he was assigned to retake a captured Navy ship, the 'Philadelphia'. The crew had been taken for ransom and it was determined that the ship had to be recaptured, or destroyed at all costs in order to prevent it from being used against our fleet (it had 40 guns mounted). It was anchored close to shore in the harbor, within range of the Bashaw’s castle and other shore batteries. Three Tripolitan cruisers and nineteen gunboats lay between the Philadelphia and shore. Decatur set out on the 'Intrepid', a Ketch that had been taken by Decatur in a previous battle, and was followed closely by the 'Siren'. They were both to simultaneously engage in the assault. Upon approaching the harbor, Decatur ordered the Siren to lay back due to uncertain weather conditions. The Sicilian pilot, chosen to his post because of his familiarity of the harbor, shouted out to the pirates occupying the Philadelphia that he had lost his anchors in a gale and desired to come alongside until anchors could be obtained from shore. Presently, the pirates noticed the Siren coming up behind. The artful Sicilian lied that this was the 'Transfer', a British ship which had been purchased to serve Tripoli. During this discussion, Decatur and his men shoved off in one of the Intrepid’s boats and came up to her forechains (this took place after dusk). They boarded and met the enemy, slaying approximately 25 men, the remaining pirates escaping to shore. During this time, the shore batteries were alerted and commenced firing. Seeing that there was insufficient wind to save the ship, Decatur set fire to the Philadelphia and fled back to the Intrepid, out of range of the shore cannons. They watched as the Philadelphia burned, illuminating the night sky as if it were daylight. Soon the fire reached the magazine and the ship blew apart. No less a figure than Admiral Lord Nelson proclaimed it “the most bold and daring act of the age.”

A name you have no doubt never heard of is that of Richard Somers, master commandant. He was to undertake a bold and daring act of his own. It was decided that a fire-ship, loaded to the brim with 150 barrels of powder, 100 fixed shells, and hundreds of pounds of iron, was to be run in among enemy shipping and a fuse lit. The men would escape in row boats. The ship to be sacrificed was the Intrepid. Somers and his men set out at night, and made their way among their target. A man aboard the nearby 'Nautilus', watching the events with a spyglass, saw a man with a lantern moving across the deck of the Intrepid. They had been discovered and were soon to be boarded. There was no time to light the fuse, it would take too long to burn and the pirates were sure to put it out before it reached the powder. The lantern was seen passing over the midship hatch where it dropped out of sight. Then a hellish flame burst up, followed by a massive explosion. Somers had destroyed the fire-ship, sacrificing he and his men, lest the Intrepid be used later to take American lives.

You may say, hey, what about our own slave trade at this time? I can’t defend that and of course that was a dark side to our past. But that shouldn’t prevent one from remembering and honoring our military of the time, in this case, the Navy (how could lose that game to Notre Dame??).

It mirrors current events by how this administration is taking the same attitude as that of Jefferson's--FORCE. Where Europe then (France, Germany, Russia, UN today) wanted to avoid war and appease, we kicked ass.

Oh yeah, we did win the war. Soon after our defeat of the Barbary States, and with the help of England a few years after our victory, the piracy ceased, never to return as it had existed previously. Hopefully, the same outcome awaits us this century.

[kkktookmybabyaway 0]

*Salutes Mr. Terror, a real veteran...*

[Vern Gagne 0]

This is the War were the Shores of Tripoli line in the Marine Hymn came from.

[Swift Terror 0]

*Salutes Mr. Terror, a real veteran...*

 

Salute accepted and greatly appreciated.

 

This is the War were the Shores of Tripoli line in the Marine Hymn came from.

 

Yes indeed, not very many people know this. Hell, most people can't even name the Sec. of State.

[Slayer 0]

I remember Dave Barry barely touching on this in his history parody book from a couple years ago (paraphrased from memory):

 

"With this incident, Jefferson instituted the policy of 'getting tough with terrorists', which would later be replaced with the policy of 'calling a press conference and threatening to get tough with terrorists'."

[Guest Cerebus]

I have always thought the Barbary Pirates war would make an absoultely fantastic movie. If you want to know more aobut it To The Shores of Tripoli is, hands down, the best book on the subject.

[Swift Terror 0]

I have always thought the Barbary Pirates war would make an absoultely fantastic movie.

 

Absolutely--I'd rather have seen that than the current "Master & Commander" with Russell Crowe. But I guess the British have the market cornered on the whole sea epic thing.

 

Another event that would be a great movie is the exploits of John Paul Jones during the Revolutionary War. There is a current bio of him out that I understand is good.

 

If you want to know more about it To The Shores of Tripoli is, hands down, the best book on the subject.

 

Great, I'll be sure to get that one. I did not run across it as I was checking out books at the library.

[Vern Gagne 0]

Is the Crowe movie based on a true story or is it fictional?

[Swift Terror 0]

The movie is based on a popular series of fiction books, which have the Napoleonic Wars as their historical backdrop. The details and characters are ficticious.

 

I just can't take Crowe seriously after South Park did a parody of him, but I'll give the movie a chance anyway.