102 Facts About Stephen Decatur

Stephen Decatur was born on the eastern shore of Maryland in Worcester County.

Shortly after attending college, Stephen Decatur followed in his father's footsteps and joined the US Navy at age 19 as a midshipman.

Stephen Decatur supervised the construction of several US naval vessels, one of which he later commanded.

Stephen Decatur served under three presidents and played a major role in the early development of the US Navy.

Stephen Decatur was renowned for his natural ability to lead and for his genuine concern for the seamen under his command.

Stephen Decatur built, in 1818, a large home in Washington known as Decatur House on Lafayette Square, and was at the center of Washington society in the early 19th century.

Stephen Decatur became an affluent member of Washington society and counted James Monroe and other Washington dignitaries among his personal friends.

The family of Decatur was of French descent on Stephen's father's side, while his mother's family was of English and Irish ancestry.

Stephen Decatur's parents had arrived from Philadelphia just three months before Stephen was born, fleeing the city during the American Revolutionary War due to its occupation by British forces.

Stephen Decatur came to love the sea and sailing in a roundabout manner.

When Stephen Decatur was eight years old, he developed a severe case of whooping cough.

Stephen Decatur's parents had different aspirations, especially his mother who had hopes that Stephen would one day become an Episcopal clergyman, and tried to discourage the eight-year-old from such jaunty ambitions, fearing such would distract Stephen from his studies.

At the direction of his father, Stephen Decatur attended the Episcopal Academy, at the time an all-boys school that specialized in Latin, mathematics, and religion; however, Stephen Decatur had not applied himself adequately, and barely graduated from the academy.

Stephen Decatur then enrolled for one year at the University of Pennsylvania in 1795, where he better applied himself and focused on his studies.

At the university, Stephen Decatur met and became friends with Charles Stewart and Richard Somers, who would later become naval officers themselves.

Stephen Decatur found the classic studies prosaic and life at the university disagreeable, and at the age of 17, with his heart and mind set on ships and the sea, discontinued his studies there.

Stephen Decatur had a talent for drawing ships and designing and building ship models and when time allowed would pursue this hobby.

Stephen Decatur remained calm and left the scene without further incident.

When he related the matter to his father Captain Stephen Decatur stressed that the honor of the family and of the Navy had been insulted and that his son should return and challenge the chief mate to a duel.

Stephen's friend and shipmate, Lieutenant Somers, was sent ahead with a letter from Decatur asking if an apology could be obtained from the man.

Stephen Decatur, being an expert shot with a pistol, told his friend Lieutenant Charles Stewart that he believed his opponent not to be as able and he would thus endeavor to only wound his opponent in the hip, which is exactly how the duel turned out.

Stephen Decatur transferred back to United States by June 1800; with extra guns and sails and improved structure, the refurbished ship made her way down the Delaware River.

In exchange Stephen Decatur was given command of Enterprise, a 12-gun schooner.

Stephen Decatur established a close friendship with Macdonough and became his mentor during the course of their careers.

Stephen Decatur's vessel was made to look like a common merchant ship from Malta and was outfitted with British colours.

Stephen Decatur had to casually position his ship close enough to Philadelphia to allow his men to board while not creating any suspicion.

Only one of Stephen Decatur's men was slightly wounded by a sabre blade.

Stephen Decatur soon realized that the small Intrepid could not tow the larger and heavier warship out of the harbor.

Commodore Preble's order to Stephen Decatur was to destroy Philadelphia where she berthed as a last resort, if she was unseaworthy.

Appreciation for the efforts of Preble and Stephen Decatur was not limited to their peers and countrymen.

At Naples, Stephen Decatur was praised and dubbed "Terror of the Foe" by the local media.

The Tripolitans inflicted considerable damage on some of the attacking vessels; Stephen Decatur's ship was struck with a 24-pound shot through her hull above the waterline.

Midshipman Brown, who was next in command after James, managed to break away from the ambushing vessel and immediately approached Stephen Decatur's gunboat bringing the news of his brother's fatal injury.

Stephen Decatur had just captured his first Tripolitan vessel and upon receiving the news turned command of his captured prize over to Lieutenant Jonathan Thorn and immediately set out to avenge his brother's treacherous injury.

Stephen Decatur had little trouble singling out the corsair captain, the man responsible for James' mortal wound, and immediately engaged the man.

Stephen Decatur was a large and formidable man in Muslim garb, and armed with a boarding pike he thrust his weapon at Decatur's chest.

Armed with a cutlass Stephen Decatur deflected the lunge, breaking his own weapon at the hilt.

The struggle continued, with the Tripolitan captain, being larger and stronger than Stephen Decatur, gaining the upper hand.

Later James Decatur was taken aboard Constitution where he was joined by his brother Stephen, who stayed with him until he had died.

The next day, after a funeral and military ceremony that was conducted by Preble, Stephen Decatur saw his brother's remains committed to the depths of the Mediterranean.

Shortly after his recapture and destruction of Philadelphia, Stephen Decatur was given command of the frigate Constitution, a post he held from October 28 to November 9,1804.

Stephen Decatur was promoted to captain with the date of rank February 16,1804.

Stephen Decatur was promoted to captain at the age twenty-five, largely for his daring capture and destruction of Philadelphia in Tripoli's harbor, making him the youngest man ever to hold the rank.

From here Stephen Decatur sailed Constitution back to Tripoli to join Constellation and Congress, the blockading force stationed there now under the command of Barron.

On March 8,1806, Stephen Decatur married Susan Wheeler, the daughter of Luke Wheeler, the mayor of Norfolk, Virginia.

Stephen Decatur was well known for her beauty and intelligence among Norfolk and Washington society.

For several months after their marriage the couple resided with Susan's parents in Norfolk, after which Stephen Decatur received orders sending him to Newport to supervise the building of gunboats.

Stephen Decatur had long requested such an assignment; however, one of his colleagues believed that his request was motivated by a desire to be close to Wheeler.

Since the recruiting party was not under the command of Stephen Decatur, he refused to intervene.

News of the incident soon reached President Jefferson, the Department of the Navy and Stephen Decatur, who was outraged, was the one who was first confronted with the matter.

On June 26,1807, Stephen Decatur was appointed to command Chesapeake, a 38-gun frigate, along with command of all gunboats at Norfolk.

Stephen Decatur was a member of that court martial, which had found Barron guilty of "unpreparedness", barring him from command for five years.

In May 1810, Stephen Decatur was appointed commander of United States, a heavy frigate with 44 guns.

Three days after the United States declared war against Britain, a squadron under the command of Commodore John Rodgers in President, along with Commodore Stephen Decatur of United States, Argus, Essex and Hornet, departed from the harbor at New York City.

Three days later, after capturing Mandarin, Stephen Decatur separated from Rodgers and his squadron and with United States continued to cruise eastward.

Stephen Decatur attempted to sneak out of New London harbor at night in an effort to elude the British blockading squadron.

Stephen Decatur was furious, believing that various residents had set the signals to betray his plans.

Stephen Decatur abandoned the project and returned to New London.

Unable to get his squadron out of the harbor, Stephen Decatur decided to write a letter to Captain Thomas Hardy offering to negotiate a resolution of the situation at a prearranged meeting.

Stephen Decatur proposed that matched ships from either side meet and, in effect, have a duel, to settle their otherwise idle situation.

In May 1814, Stephen Decatur transferred his commodore's pennant to President, a frigate with 44 guns.

In January 1815, Stephen Decatur's squadron was assigned a mission in the East Indies.

Stephen Decatur had made arrangements for "pilot boats" to mark the way for clear passage out to sea, but due to a plotting error the pilot boats took up the wrong positions and consequently President was accidentally run aground.

Stephen Decatur continued the attempt to evade his pursuers and set course along the southerly coast of Long Island.

Stephen Decatur's command suffered 35 men killed and 70 wounded, including Stephen Decatur himself who was wounded by a large flying splinter.

Unaware that Stephen Decatur had surrendered, and then tried to flee, Pomone fired two broadsides into President before they realized that the battle was over.

When boats from Pomone boarded President Stephen Decatur said "I surrender my sword to the captain of the black ship", a reference to Hope of HMS Endymion.

Stephen Decatur, now dressed in full dress uniform, boarded Majestic and surrendered his sword to Captain Hayes.

Stephen Decatur was allowed to write a letter to his wife.

At war's end Stephen Decatur received a sword as a reward and thanks from Congress for his service in Tripoli and was awarded the Congressional Gold Medal for distinguished service in the War of 1812.

Stephen Decatur was prepared to negotiate peace or resort to military measures.

Eager to know the Bey's decision, Stephen Decatur dispatched the president's letter which ultimately prompted the Bey to abandon his practice of piracy and kidnapping and come to terms with the United States.

On May 20,1815, Commodore Stephen Decatur received instructions from President James Madison to take command of the frigate USS Guerriere and lead a squadron of ten ships to the Mediterranean Sea to conduct the Second Barbary War, which would put an end to the international practice of paying tribute to the Barbary pirate states.

Stephen Decatur learned from observers there that a squadron under the command of the notorious Rais Hamidou had passed by into the Mediterranean, most likely off Cape Gata.

Stephen Decatur's visit was brief with the consul and lasted only for as long as it took to communicate with a short letter to the Secretary of the Navy informing him of earlier weather problems and that he was about to "proceed in search of the enemy forthwith", where he at once set off in search of Hamidou hoping to take him by surprise.

The newspaper reported that Stephen Decatur's squadron had run another Spanish frigate onshore near Carthagena.

Consequently, a new treaty was agreed upon within 48 hours of Stephen Decatur's arrival, confirming the success of his objectives.

Stephen Decatur was met with a wide reception from dignitaries and countrymen.

Stephen Decatur served on the Board of Navy Commissioners from 1816 to 1820.

At a social gathering in April 1816, Stephen Decatur uttered an after-dinner toast that would become famous:.

Now that Stephen Decatur was Naval Commissioner he had settled into a routine life in Washington working at the Navy Department during the day, with many evenings spent as an honorary guest at social gatherings, as both he and his wife were the toast of Washington society.

In 1818, Stephen Decatur built a three-story red brick house in Washington on Lafayette Square, designed by the famous English architect Benjamin Henry Latrobe, the same man who designed the US Capitol building and Saint John's Church.

Stephen Decatur specified that his house had to be suitable for "impressive entertainments".

Stephen Decatur House is a museum that exhibits a large collection of Stephen Decatur memorabilia and is managed by the National Trust for Historic Preservation.

At this point Stephen Decatur approached Heath with Perry's letter in hand, relating to Heath that Perry all along had no intention of returning fire and asking Heath if his honor had thus been satisfied.

Stephen Decatur was relieved to finally see the matter resolved with no loss of life or limb to either of his friends, urging both to now put the matter behind them.

Stephen Decatur had served on the court-martial that had found Barron guilty of "unpreparedness".

Stephen Decatur was met with much criticism among fellow naval officers, among whom Decatur was one of the most outspoken.

Stephen Decatur, who was now on the board of naval commissioners, strongly opposed Barron's reinstatement and was notably critical about the prospect in communications with other naval officers and government officials.

Barron's challenge to Stephen Decatur occurred during a period when duels between officers were so common that it was creating a shortage of experienced men, forcing the Department of the Navy to threaten to discharge those who attempted to pursue the practice.

Stephen Decatur first asked his friend Thomas Macdonough to be his second, but Macdonough declined the request because he had always opposed dueling.

Stephen Decatur then turned to his supposed friend Commodore William Bainbridge to act as his second, to which Bainbridge consented.

However, according to naval historian Alexander Slidell Mackenzie, Stephen Decatur made a poor choice: Bainbridge, who was five years his senior, had long been jealous of the younger and more famous Stephen Decatur.

Stephen Decatur did not tell his wife, Susan, about the forthcoming duel but instead wrote to her father asking that he come to Washington to stay with her, using language that suggested that he was facing a duel and that he might lose his life.

Stephen Decatur's shot hit Barron in the lower abdomen and ricocheted into his thigh.

In excruciating pain, Stephen Decatur was carefully lifted by the surgeons and placed in Rodgers' carriage and was carried back to his home on Lafayette Square.

However, for reasons not entirely clear to historians, Stephen Decatur refused to have the ball extracted from his wound.

At this point Stephen Decatur requested that his will be brought forward so as to receive his signature, granting his wife all his worldly possessions, with directives as to who would be the executors of his will.

Washington society and the nation were shocked upon learning that Stephen Decatur had been killed at the age of forty-one in a duel with a rival navy captain.

Stephen Decatur's funeral was attended by Washington's elite, including President James Monroe and the justices of the Supreme Court, as well as most of Congress.

Stephen Decatur's body was interred in the Barlow family vault at Kalorama in accordance with Susan's request.

Susan Stephen Decatur tried for several years to obtain a pension from the US Government.