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vice, lieutenant Porter, who commanded the boats sent to their relief, was distinguished for his skill, activity, and courage. The next day they were restored to their friends in Santo Domingo. They, and the inhabitants of that city in general, expressed to the officers and crew of the Experiment their most grateful thanks, showed them every possible civility and attention, and furnished them with fruits and all kinds of stock which the island afforded, in such profusion, that much of the supply was obliged to be returned.

On the reduction of the navy to the peace establishment, lieutenant Stewart was retained in service, and sailed as first lieutenant of the frigate Constellation, with captain Murray, to the Mediterranean. During this cruise, nothing occurred to afford the officers of that ship an opportunity of distinguishing themselves; her operations having been confined to the blockade of Tripoli, in conjunction with some Swedish frigates.

Soon after lieutenant Stewart's return to the United States, he was appointed to the command of the brig Siren, and superintended her equipment for the Mediterranean service. So much activity was employed in fitting her out that she was completely coppered in ten hours, and sailed on her cruise the seventh day after she was lanched. She joined the squadron under commodore Preble; and after having been employed in convoying some merchant vessels, and conveying the usual consular presents to Algiers, she proceeded to Syracuse, in Sicily, the port appointed for the general rendezvous of the squadron. Here they heard of the capture of the frigate Philadelphia by the Tripolitans. The practicability of recovering or destroying that ship had been maintained by lieutenant Stephen Decatur, who proposed to the commodore a plan for that purpose, and volunteered his services to execute it. The commodore disapproved of the enterprise at first, on account of the extraordinary perils with which it would be attended. Lieutenant Stewart united his exertions with those of lieutenant Decatur, and the commodore at length gave his consent. Decatur selected for the expedition the ketch Intrepid, and manned her with a chosen crew of seventy

volunteers. She sailed from Syracuse on the 3d of February, 1804, accompanied by the Siren, and in fifteen days arrived at the harbour of Tripoli about sunset, after encountering much tempestuous weather.

It had been arranged, that the boats of the Siren were to assist in the attack; but unfortunately, on arriving off the harbour, that vessel, by a sudden change of wind, was thrown some miles without the Intrepid. The wind, however, was fair for the latter; and her gallant commander, apprehensive that if he waited for the Siren's boats, the attack could not be made that night, and that the delay might prove fatal to the enterprise, determined to attempt it with the Intrepid alone. His glorious achievement on that occasion, and the honourable promotion with which he was rewarded for it, have been already related in our memoir of his life.* The two vessels returned to Sicily; they entered the port of Syracuse, displaying the signal of victory, and were loudly cheered as they past by all the squadron, and by multitudes of Sicilians who crowded the shores.

During the same year, and prior to the bombardment of Tripoli, the Siren, assisted by the Vixen, Enterprise, and Nautilus schooners, were employed to blockade its port. Two vessels, the one a Greek ship, and the other a Maltese brig of twelve guns, were taken by the Siren, for attempting to violate the blockade. To induce the Tripolitans to expend their ammunition as much as possible, the blockading vessels would frequently range under their batteries to draw their fire, and at night fire into the town and retreat, leaving lights afloat in tubs for them to fire at.

The enemy had erected a battery of four guns, about three miles to the westward of Tripoli, and another of eight guns on a sand-bluff near the former, for the purpose of protecting his coasting trade. Lieutenant Stewart determined to destroy these works; and they were accordingly attacked and demolished by the Siren, Vixen, Nautilus, Argus and Enterprise, without any loss whatever on our part.

* See Volume 1, p. 504

On the arrival of commodore Preble with his flotilla off Tripoli, an attack on that place was resolved on. The squa dron now consisted of the frigate Constitution, the brigs Siren and Argus, the schooners Vixen, Nautilus, and Enterprise, with two bombards and six gun-boats. The enemy's line of gun-boats, twenty in number, was moored about fifty yards from their batteries. It was covered on the left flank by a battery of twelve guns built on the rocks projecting into the sea; on the right, by a corvette brig of eighteen, a schooner of fourteen, and two gallies of eight guns each; and in the rear by the bashaw's castle, the batteries of the arsenal, the bastions of the town wall, and a triple tier of guns on the point of the mole. On the morning of the 3d of August, 1804, the signal was made for bombarding the town and the enemy's vessels. The gun-boats advanced to the attack of the enemy's line, led on by captain Decatur, and covered by the frigate, the brigs and schooners. We forbear to repeat the particulars of this second victory obtained over the Tripolitans, chiefly by the exertions of that gallant officer: they will be found recorded in the biographical notice to which we have already referred. It was on the occasion of this splendid victory that the pope is said to have exclaimed, "the Americans have done more for Christendom in one battle, than all Europe in a century."

Lieutenant Stewart had been promoted to the rank of master and commander, and now received his commission, dated the 17th of May, 1804.

The squadron was prepared for another attack on the town, and the batteries to the westward, as the enemy's flotilla could not be again drawn out of the harbour. This attack was made on the 6th of August, at ten o'clock in the morning. Unfortunately the Siren's gun-boat, commanded by lieutenant Caldwell, was struck by a red-hot shot, which passed through her and blew her up. The boats of the Siren were despatched to the relief of those of her crew who survived the accident. Many of them were saved, though much burnt. About this time, captain Stewart discovered two of

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the enemy's gallies standing for the bombard commanded by lieutenant Robinson, which had taken a position to windward. A press of sail was immediately made on the Siren and she was got up in time to save that vessel from the enemy's grasp. The attacks on the town and batteries were frequently renewed by the squadron with great effect; but the enemy's caution with respect to his flotilla, prevented them from making any more prizes. In these attacks, however, several of his gunboats were destroyed, one of his gallies was sunk, and the corvette brig so much damaged, as to be rendered quite useless. These and other successes, at length compelled the barbarians to listen to justice, and sue for peace.

Master-commandant Stewart returned to the United States in command of the frigate Constellation, and on the 22d day of April, 1806, was promoted to the rank of captain in the navy. During part of the years 1806 and 1807, he was employed in superintending the construction of gunboats at New York. Convinced of the inadequacy of this species of naval force, he recommended to the secretary of the navy, to substitute for it floating batteries mounting forty guns each; but his recommendation received no other notice than a complimentary official letter. After completing the service for which he was stationed at New York, he was engaged in mercantile pursuits to the East Indies.

In 1812, on the prospect of a war with Great Britain, he was appointed to the command of the frigate Constellation; but as that ship required so much repair that there was little hope of getting her to sea before the beginning of 1813, captain Stewart, on the declaration of war, proceeded to Washington and projected an expedition for the Argus and Hornet. The president and secretary of the navy approved of it, and appointed captain Stewart to undertake its direction. He returned to New York for that purpose, but those vessels had sailed with the squadron under the command of commodore Rodgers, and the project was, in consequence, abandoned.

In September he resumed the command of the Constellation, and by the month of January she was completely equipped. She was directed to proceed at first to Norfolk. On the 4th of February, 1813, she anchored in Hampton Roads, very late in the evening. Having learnt that the enemy were off the Chesapeake in great force, and presuming that they would soon be informed of her situation, captain Stewart sent to Hampton at midnight, for a Norfolk pilot, in order to be prepared for a retreat, if it should become necesssary. At seven o'clock next morning, the enemy approached with two ships of the line, three frigates, a brig and a schooner. No time was now to be lost. Captain Stewart got up his anchor, and there being no wind, and the ebb-tide making, commenced kedging his ship towards Norfolk. He succeeded in getting her partly over the flats at Sowell's point, when the tide had fallen so much that she took the ground. By this time the enemy had got within three miles of her position, when they were obliged to anchor. Captain Stewart, apprehensive that they would kedge up one of their line-of-battle ships, pressed all the craft he could lay hold of, unloaded his frigate of every thing that could be removed, and made preparations for burning her, in the last extremity. He sent to Norfolk for the gun-boats to assist him, but such was their condition that none of them could be sent to him. As the enemy lay quiet for the want of wind until the flood-tide made, captain Stewart continued lightening the ship. At the first quarter she floated. He then sent off the boats with a pilot to station them on the different shoals with lights; and with these precautions he was enabled to get the ship up to Norfolk in the night, through a difficult channel. Her safe retreat diffused universal joy among the inhabitants of that city, to whose security she afterwards greatly contributed. A division of gun-boats was put in condition for service, and manned from her crew. By this means the communication with James river, and Hampton was kept open, and every facility afforded to the transportation of the troops to their different stations.

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