[Uniwiki-aia_t01] reinforcement, which McDowell had endeavored vainly to prevent, won the day

Mon Aug 31 15:23:06 CEST 2009

Tween the Philadelphia and the shore lay a number of Tripolitan
cruisers, galleys and gunboats. Into this hornet's nest, Decatur steered
his little vessel of sixty tons, carrying four small guns, and having a
crew of only seventy men. The Tripolitans saw the vessel entering the
harbor, but supposed it to be one of their own until it was alongside
the Philadelphia. Then there was a cry of "Americanos!" and a rush to
quarters, but it was too late, for Decatur and his men swarmed up the
side and over the rail of the Philadelphia, and charged the dismayed and
panic-stricken Tripolitans. There was a short and desperate struggle,
and five minutes later, the ship was cleared of the enemy. It was
manifestly impossible to get the Philadelphia out of the harbor, so
Decatur gave the order to burn her. Combustibles had been prepared in
advance, and in a moment, flames began to break out in all parts of the
ship. Then the order was given to return to the ketch, the cable was
cut, the sweeps got out, and the ketch drew rapidly away from the
burning vessel. The sounds of the melee had awakened the troops on
shore, and, as the harbor was lighted by the flames from the
Philadelphia, the shore batteries opened upon the little vessel, but
without doing her any serious damage, and Decatur got safely out of the
harbor and back to the fleet without losing a man. Shortly afterwards
his life was saved by one of those acts of heroi
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