England, and he lost no time in sending out his corsairs to
prey upon American commerce.

Tripoli and Tunis were not so active, but believing the British boast
that they would sweep the American navy from the seas, they allowed the
warships of that nation to recapture several prizes that the American
privateers had sent into their ports. Their sympathies were wholly with
England and against the United States, which they hated with an
intensity natural to their savage nature.

The United States bided its time. No sooner had the War of 1812 closed
than our Government decided to give its attention to Algiers, whose
defiant Dey had not only refused to allow his American prisoners to be
ransomed, but had insolently declared that he meant to add a good many
more to them.

Hardly had the treaty with England been proclaimed when two squadrons
were ordered into Algerian waters. The first was under the command of
Captain William Bainbridge and assembled at Boston, and the second,
under Captain Stephen Decatur, was organized at New York. Decatur was
the first to get under way, sailing on May 20 with a squadron consisting
of ten vessels, mounting 210 guns. He had under his direct command
nearly all the seamen who had served under him and survived the last
war.

It may seem that Decatur had an easy task before him, but Maclay shows
that the force against which he sailed was really the stronger. It
consisted of 5 frigates, 6 sloops of war and 1 schooner--all carrying
360 guns, which exceeded those of the American squadron by 50 per cent.
The Algerian admiral was the terror of the Mediterranean. He had risen
from the lowest to the highest rank by his indomitable valor and skill.
He once captured by boarding in broad daylight a Portuguese frigate
within sight of Gibraltar. He had performed other valiant exploits; his
ships were well equipped and manned, and the crews trained in modern
warfare.

In addition, the city of Algiers was so strongly fortified that Lord
Nelson declared that twenty-five ships of the line would not be more
than enough to capture it. As Decatur drew near the Portugal coast he
made guarded inquiries as to the whereabouts of the Algerian squadron.
He used the utmost care to prevent his presence from becoming known to
the enemy, and finally heard that which led him to believe the Moorish
admiral had passed through the Straits of Gibraltar and entered the
Mediterranean. At Gibraltar Decatur saw several boats hu