e that he
should enjoy the usual preparatory finished education. This was,
however, prevented by his pecuniary misfortunes, and the youth passed
from his primary school at once to the law office of his brother, John
Lawrence, then residing at Woodbury. He spent two years in this
situation, between thirteen and fifteen, or thereabout, vainly
endeavoring to reconcile his humors to the onerous duties of the
unwelcome position. The death of his father left him, in a measure,
free to follow his own inclinations, and his brother, perceiving his
strong bent for the sea, placed him under the care of a Mr. Griscomb,
at Burlington, to study navigation, evidently with a view to enter the
naval service of the country, for we find him, after a brief three
months' instruction, in possession of a midshipman's warrant. This was
dated September 4, 1798, the year when Congress seriously directed its
attention to the protection of our commerce, then so wantonly pillaged
by the two great belligerents of Europe, by the creation of a distinct
navy department, and the enlargement of our naval force. The movement
was specially directed to the French aggressions on the Atlantic and
in the Mediterranean. Indeed, in all but the name, war existed with
France. It was called a quasi war.

Lawrence's first service was a cruise to the West Indies, in the
Ganges, a twenty-four gun ship, then commanded by Captain Tingey. He
showed in this and other voyages such aptitude for his duties that he
was made an acting lieutenant by his commander previous to his
receiving his commission from Government. In 1802 he was appointed
first lieutenant in the Enterprise, of twelve guns, one of the fleet
of Commodore Morris, sent to the Mediterranean to prosecute the war
with Tripoli. He particularly distinguished himself in that service,
by his adventures with Lieutenant David Porter, of the New York, in an
attack in open day on certain coasters or feluccas laden with wheat,
which took refuge in Old Tripoli, where they were defended by a land
force. The attack was made in boats, at close quarters, under a heavy
fire of the enemy.

Lawrence had a second opportunity of distinguishing himself in this
war in an action likely to be better remembered by the public, the
glorious adventure of Decatur, in the destruction of the wrecked and
captured Philadelphia, in the harbor of Tripoli, in February, 1804.
Lawrence was the first lieutenant of that officer in this brilliant
a