, should be destroyed at
her anchorage in the harbor. The youthful Lieutenant Decatur headed this
perilous enterprise. With the officers and men under his command,
including Lieutenant James Lawrence and others afterward distinguished in
American naval history, Decatur entered the harbor at night in a small
vessel or "ketch" called the Mastico, disguised as a trader from Malta.
The watchword was "Philadelphia," and strict orders were given not to
discharge any firearms, except in great emergency. A challenge from the
Tripolitans on the Philadelphia was met by a statement from the Maltese
pilot that the Mastico had just arrived from Malta, had been damaged in a
gale, and lost her anchors, and desired to make fast to the frigate's
cables until another anchor could be procured. The Turks lowered a boat
with a hawser, intending to secure the ketch to their stern, instead of
to the cables, and the Americans accepted the hawser, intimating in
broken Italian that they would do as desired. At the same time the
Americans made fast to the Philadelphia's fore chains, and a strong pull
by the men, who were mostly lying down in order to remain unseen by the
Turks, swung the ketch alongside the frigate. One of the Turks looking
over the side saw the men hauling on the line, and sent up the
cry--"Americano!"

The Turks succeeded in severing the line, but too late. The Americans
sprang for the Philadelphia's deck and charged upon the astonished enemy.
In ten minutes from the appearance of the first American on deck the
vessel was in our hands. Combustibles were then passed from the ketch,
and the Philadelphia was set on fire. While the Americans safely made
their escape the burning frigate lighted up the harbor, and her shotted
guns boomed warning to the Bashaw of what he might yet expect from
American courage and daring. Of the Tripolitans on board the Philadelphia
many doubtless perished, and some swam ashore. Only one prisoner was
taken, a wounded Tripolitan, who swam to the ketch, and whose life was
spared, notwithstanding strict orders not to take prisoners.

The Bashaw treated his captives more rigorously than ever, after this
splendid exploit, fearing apparently that they might rise and capture his
own castle--a fear not without foundation, as a rising with that object
was for some time contemplated. The ketch in which Decatur made his
daring and successful expedition was christened the Intrepid, and fitted
up as a floating min