CHAPTER IV.

1805-1806.

The Tripolitan War-President strengthens Mediterranean Fleet-Tripoli bombarded— Catastrophe of the Ketch Intrepid-Preble returns Home and is succeeded by Barron -Preble's Opinion of Gunboats-Force left in Mediterranean-Eaton's romantic Expedition-Advances across the Lybian Desert and captures Derne-Barron refuses Reinforcements to attack Tripoli-Propriety of his Refusal considered-Barron succeeded by Rogers-Lear's Treaty with Tripoli-Criticisms on that Treaty-The Charge that Hamet Caramalli was dishonorably abandoned-Eaton's Testimony-Barron's Instructions-Hamet's own Testimony-Unfriendly Relations with Spain-Napoleon countenances Spain-The President's Manner of meeting the Insolence of French MinisterConsiders a conditional Alliance with England necessary-The Battle of TrafalgarIt makes Napoleon our Friend and England our Enemy-Meeting of Ninth Congress -New Members President's Message-Confidential Message on Spanish AffairsReport of Committee-Two Millions appropriated to purchase Floridas-John Randolph's defection-His Character and Career-Jefferson's Estimation of him-Special Message on English Aggressions-Various Propositions and Debate thereon in the House-Votes on Gregg's and Sloane's Resolutions-The Administration Plan-Intercourse prohibited with St. Domingo-Appropriations-Cumberland Road Bill passed -Its History-Coast Survey originated-Mediterranean Fund-Bills which failed-A Political Ordeal passed by the Administration-Quarrel between John and Thomas Mann Randolph-Garland's Statements corrected-Miranda's Expedition sails from New York-Smith and Ogden prosecuted for Breach of Neutrality Laws-Their impudent Memorial to Congress-Quincy's Charge and Retraction-Votes of the House on the Memorial-The Finale of Miranda's Expedition-President's Correspondence with the Emperor Alexander-An International Policy inaugurated-Letter to Monroe on Death of Pitt-Outrage of the Leander-Hopes raised by the Accession of Fox to British Ministry-Domestic Political Triumphs-Randolph's Newspaper Attack on Administration-Burwell's Reply-Projects of Burr in 1805-His first Western Journey -At Blennerhasset's Island, Nashville, New Orleans, etc.-Return-Attempts to engage Eaton, Truxton, etc., in his Schemes-His Disclosures to Eaton-His Plans, how fostered-His second Trip West-His Bastrop or Washita Purchase-His and Blennerhasset's Preparations-Newspapers urging a Separation of the Atlantic and Western States-Wilkinson's and Burr's Correspondence-Burr sends Swartwout to Wilkinson-Burr's and Dayton's Letters in Cipher-Wilkinson's Proceedings thereon -Declares New Orleans under Martial Law-Sends Bollman and Swartwout Prisoners to Washington-The President's earliest Intimations of the Conspiracy-His pro ceedings thereon-Daviess's Measures against Burr in Kentucky-How thwarted— Henry Clay's Agency in the Affair-Further History of the Conspiracy-Broken upBurr's flight-Arrested and sent to Richmond for Trial-President's Correspondence during the Affair.

ON the 29th of March (1805), in a letter to Judge Tyler of Virginia, the President thus alluded to the Tripolitan war:

"Our intention in sending Morris with a respectable force, was to try whether peace could be forced by a coercive enterprise on their town. His inexecution of orders baffled that effort. Having broke him, we try the same experiment under a better commander. If in the course of the summer they cannot produce peace, we shall recall our force, except one frigate and two small vessels, which will keep up a perpetual blockade. Such a blockade will cost us no more than a state of peace, and will save us from increased tributes, and the disgrace attached to them. There is reason to believe the example we have set begins already to work on the dispositions of the powers of Europe to emancipate themselves from that degrading yoke. Should we produce such a revolution there, we shall be amply rewarded for what we have done."

Early in 1804, before information of Commodore Preble's energetic proceedings had reached the United States, and when it was strongly suspected that Morocco was preparing to join Tripoli, the President had strengthened our naval force in the Mediterranean by sending out the following frigates: President, 44; Congress, 38; Constellation, 38; and Essex, 32. There being but three captains in the navy junior to Preble (and one of these, Bainbridge, being a prisoner to the Tripolitans) it was necessary to send out officers who were his seniors in rank. Decatur was promoted to a captaincy for his conduct at Tripoli, and the ranks of masters and commanders, dropped at the reduction of 1801, were revived.

Before the arrival of the new squadron, Preble had made various captures. On the 3d of August (1804) he bombarded Tripoli, and several of the enemy's strong gunboats, lying in the harbor, were carried by boarding against tremendous odds. The John Adams, 32, soon after arrived from home, announcing the approach of the additional fleet; but their coming being delayed, Preble again bombarded the enemy's capital on the 24th and 29th, the last time with serious effect. A sharp engagement also took place on the 3d of September.

On the evening of the next day, a most tragical event occurred. The ketch Intrepid, which had been used by Decatur in the destruction of the Philadelphia, having been fitted as a floating mine, with a hundred barrels of gunpowder in her magazine, and her deck loaded with shot, shells and kentledge, was sent into the harbor at night to be exploded in the midst of the enemy's cruisers. Captain Somers and Lieutenant Wadsworth, selected from a list of volunteers, were the only officers

(except young Israel, who, having been refused permission, sprung on board at the last moment) permitted to take part in the desperate service; and they had a volunteer crew as determined as themselves. It was said that Preble felt unutterable anxiety as the "Infernal" and the accompanying boats, which were to lie at the harbor's mouth, to aid in bringing off her crew, put off into the dense haze of a summer night, through which the stars were dimly discernible. Several Moorish gunboats lay near the harbor's mouth; the vessel was filled with combustibles which a spark would ignite; and a shot from a boat or the batteries was liable to explode her with the suddenness of a bomb. But above all, whispers had stolen through the squadron that the crew had generally declared they would neither retreat until their object was accomplished nor be taken alive.

In trying a port-fire in the cabin of the Constitution a day or two before the ketch was ready to proceed, Commodore Preble had remarked that he thought it burned a few seconds too long, and that an enemy might possibly reach the vessel and extinguish it before the train was fired. "I ask for no port-fire at all," was Captain Somers's ominous reply. The deeds of Decatur and others had begotten among our young officers in the Mediterranean a spirit of gallantry too wild and daring for the dictates of sober reason, if not for the ultimate good of the service itself.

When last seen by the straining eyes of those left behind, the Intrepid was moving slowly (she was a dull sailer) but steadily into the gloom, and her shadowy outline was discovered within a musket-shot of the mole, standing directly for the harbor. After a few moments of breathless anxiety, the silence was suddenly broken by the opening roar of the enemy's guns, and a storm of shot lashed the passages of the bay. Presently, a glare of lurid light shot to the heavens, followed by an explosion. which shook sea and land. This was the last ever certainly known of the fate of the fire-ship or any of its crew. Mangled forms were afterwards found among the rocks of the harbor, but so blackened and mutilated, so

"Scorched and shrivell'd to a span,"

that none could discern whether they were the corpses of

Christians or Moors. Certain circumstances led the officers of the American fleet to conjecture that the Intrepid was prematurely discovered and boarded by the enemy-perhaps from the gunboats lying near the harbor's month-and that Somers fired. the train, and sent all to destruction together.' But the mystery never has been in the least cleared up, and now never can be until that day when all mysteries shall be cleared up.

The season and the condition of the American squadron made it necessary to suspend active operations; and leaving a sufficient detachment to enforce the blockade, Commodore Preble sailed for Syracuse in the island of Sicily. On the 10th of September, the President-the flag-ship of Commodore Barron, thenceforth the senior captain in command-and the Constellation arrived. Preble returned home in the John Adams to receive the hearty applause of the Government and people of his country. Congress voted him thanks and a gold medal.

We will here take occasion to remark that one of the recommendations of this fine officer to his Government, as the result of his Mediterranean experience, was to provide bomb-ketches and gunboats for the assault of such places as Tripoli. He had not discovered, like a good many landsmen in and out of Congress, that this economical species of marine force was wholly inefficient. His fierce combats with the gunboats which defended the harbor of Tripoli, had impressed a very different conviction on his mind.

The force left in the Mediterranean under the orders of Barron consisted of the President, 44; Constitution, 44; Congress, 38; Constellation, 38; Essex, 32; Siren, 16; Argus, 16; Vixen, 12; Enterprise, 12; Nautilus, 12. The John Adams, 28, and Hornet, 12, were afterwards added to the squadron; and as soon as they could be prepared, two bomb-ketches, the Vengeance, and Spitfire, and ten gunboats (seven of two guns and three of one gun) were sent out. This did not look very much like a disposition on the part of our Government to leave the national vessels "rotting out of commission," when there was an occasion for their services. It did not look much like meeting actual enemies with "moral philosophy and commercial restrictions, with dry-docks and gunboats, with non-intercourse and embar

This was Commodore Preble's impression; but Mr. Cooper takes a different view of the probabilities.

goes, till the American nation were told that they could not be kicked into a war.'

99 1

The spring of 1805 opened with an adventure in our Barbary war bordering on the romantic. The reigning bashaw of Tripoli, Jussuf Caramalli, was a usurper, having driven his older brother, Hamet, from the throne. The latter had taken refuge among the Mamelukes of Egypt. It had been suggested to the American officers that the name and services of the exiled prince might be advantageously used in this war. Captain Eaton, our consul at Tunis, formed a project of this kind, and returned home to obtain permission to carry it into execution. He so far obtained this, that Commodore Barron was instructed to aid the execution of his plans to such extent as he should deem prudent. The commodore sent Eaton to Alexandria in the Argus. He arrived late in November (1804), and proceeded to Cairo, where he was received favorably by the Viceroy of Egypt, and Hamet Caramalli entered at once into his views.

They assembled a force of about five hundred men, composed, it was said, of twelve different nations, and then advanced across the Lybian Desert in the direction of Derne. The distance, six hundred miles, was accomplished in fifty days, and on the 26th of April (1805) they encamped in the rear of that town, the capital of one of the Tripolitan provinces. The city contained about fifteen thousand inhabitants, and was defended by some military works and a garrison. The Argus, Captain Hull, the Hornet, Lieutenant-Commandant Evans, and the Nautilus, Lieutenant-Commandant Dent, which had been on the look-out for Eaton and his forces, arrived at the same time before the town. Some marines, and arms for Eaton's troops, (now swelled to a considerable body by the accession of Arabs) were landed; and on the 27th of April, this motley force rushed to the assault, the vessels firing on the batteries of the town at such short range that the Hornet was anchored within pistolshot of one of the latter. The defence was spirited, but the city was captured in less than two hours. An army sent by

This sentence is from John Quincy Adams's eulogy on Madison, 1836. The remark, indeed, was intended to specially apply to a later period and state of things; but he leads to the inference that the kinds of preparation he names were the only ones Mr. Jefferson ever approved of or made for war. And we think, while indulging in this strain of remark, he forgot to make any reference to the Tripolitan war. We may have occasion hereafter to call attention to Mr. J. Q. Adams's consistency on this subject.