One of the most daring exploits in the history of the U.S. Navy occurred on Feb. 16, 1804. In 1801, the U.S. began the First Barbary War against the pirate (called “corsairs”) states of the Barbary coast of the Mediterranean. The new nation had been paying tribute (bribes) to the Barbary states of Tripoli, Algiers, Morocco, and Tunis. When Pres. Jefferson refused the demand for an increase in the payment, an undeclared war broke out. Jefferson sent a fleet under Commodore Edward Preble which blockade the port of Tripoli. On Oct. 31, 1803, the USS Philadelphia, a 32-gun frigate, ran aground near the harbor and was taken captive. The ship was brought into the harbor where it served as a symbol of humiliation and was a potential threat. Preble decided to destroy what was now an enemy ship. A recently captured merchant kvetch was rechristened the USS Intrepid. 24-year-old Stephen Decatur was given command of 80 volunteers, mostly Marines. Intrepid was disguised as a merchantman flying British colors. An Arabic speaker assured the harbor guards that the ship was seeking refuge in the harbor. On the night of Feb. 16, the Americans sailed into a harbor ringed with cannons, plus the guns on the various ships, including the Philadelphia. There were no hitches as the Intrepid pulled alongside the Philadelphia. With the cry “board her, boys!”, Decatur and his men swarmed aboard with swords and boarding pikes. In ten minutes, they had killed or scattered the Tripolitans. The ship was rigged for destruction and set afire. Decatur was the last man overboard and the Intrepid raced for the harbor exit as the Philadelphia lit up the night and provided a fireworks display as its guns went off. The intrepid crew of the Intrepid had suffered only one wounded and Decatur became a national hero. Horatio Nelson declared his deed “the most bold and daring of the age”. Decatur went on to become the youngest captain in the history of the US Navy at age 25. He added to his fame in the War of 1812, but was the second most famous duel victim in American History when he died in 1820. That’s a story for another post.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stephen_Decatur
https://www.historynet.com/board-her-boys.htm
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