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Cя. III.]

THE LOSS OF SOMERS AND HIS MEN.

it had reached the point that was determined, the frightful explosion was beheld; but though signals were made, and boat parties sent out, no sign of the retreating crew was perceived; nor was one seen when daylight broke. Not only had the scheme failed in its direct object, it had wrought most lamentable harm for the projectors of it. It was afterwards found that the scorched and mangled corpses of Somers, Wadsworth, Israel, and their courageous followers had every one been picked up; Bainbridge (who was a prisoner all this time, and had once been wounded by the rebound of a shot from the Americans in their bombardments) was allowed to see, but could not identify any of them. How the explosion occurred no one could occurred no one could certainly tell, but it seemed probable

that the magazines were fired 1804. by the shot of the enemy, who seeing the strange vessel drifting along in silence and darkness, and suspecting every movement of the Americans, discharged their guns with both grape and round shot, in every direction that they thought it possible an attack might be made upon them. No dead Turks were seen, and therefore the ketch had not been boarded; and it was not likely that any of her crew, through terror or rashness, had applied the match.*

On the 10th of September, Commodore Barron arrived, in the President, to take command of the Mediterranean

*See Sabine's "Life of Edward Preble," pp. 99-103. Mr. Cooper also enters fully into the question respecting the fate of Somers and his companions. See his "Naval History,” vol. i., pp. 252–59.

VOL. III.-8

57

squadron; and Preble, now relieved from his harassing position, returned, early in 1805, to the United States, where he and the gallant officers and men under him, received the thanks of Congress and of the country, for their noble efforts to sustain the reputation and establish the rights of Americans. The squadron under Barron consisted of two forty-fours, two thirty-eights, one thirty-two, two sixteens, and three twelves. And with these vessels the blockade was continued, although it could not be said that any hope was entertained of forcing an accommodation by that means; tion by that means; for new uneasiness had been showed by the other despots of Barbary, and it was necessary to detach part of the squadron, to look out near Gibraltar for cruisers from Morocco. Nor would peace have been secured so early, had not a movement by land been carried forward which materially aided the course of operations on the sea.

1804.

It will be remembered, that Yussuf Caramalli had obtained the throne by deposing his brother Hamet. "The latter," as Mr. Cooper states, "had escaped from the regency, and after passing a wandering life, had taken refuge among the Mamelukes of Egypt. It had often been suggested by the American agents, that the deposed prince might be made useful in carrying on the war against the usurper, and, at different times, several projects to that effect had been entertained, though never with any results. At length Mr. Eaton, the consul at Tunis, who had been a captain in the army, interested himself in the enterprise; and coming to America, so far

prevailed on the government to lend itself to his views, as to obtain a species of indirect support. And Commodore Barron was directed to co-operate with Mr. Eaton, as far as he might deem it discreet."

Returning with Barron's squadron, in 1804, Eaton ascertained where the expelled pasha was to be found; and proceeded, in November, to Egypt, in the Argus, where the viceroy received them with favor, and gave permission to the prince of Tripoli to leave the country unmolested, although he had been fighting with the discontented Mamelukes against the government.

Early in 1805, Hamet "separated himself from the Mamelukes, and, attended by about forty followers, repaired to a point about twelve leagues to the westward of the old port of Alexandria. Here he was soon joined by Mr. Eaton, at the head of a small host of adventurers, whom he had obtained in Egypt. This party was composed of all nations, though Mr. Eaton expressed his belief, at the time, that had he possessed the means of subsistence, he might have marched a body of thirty thousand men against Tripoli, the reigning pasha having forced so many of his subjects into banishment. Soon after the junction agreed upon, Mr. Eaton, who now assumed the title of general, marched in the direction of Derne, taking the route across the desert of Barca."

With unflinching courage and dogged perseverance, Eaton and his allies pressed forward, and at the beginning of April, 1805, reached the coast in the vicinity of Derne. Having opened

communications with the Argus, the Hornet, and the Nautilus, which had appeared on the coast, and obtained a field-piece, some stores and muskets, and the assistance of a few marines, the attack began,—the vessels standing close in and assisting.

The governor of Derne replied to Hamet's summons to surrender, in the terse but expressive oriental phrase, "Your head or mine!" He had a battery of eight or nine guns fronting the sea; and some eight hundred regular soldiers; with breastworks hastily run up, and loops cut for musketry in the houses, on the side he expected the attack. But more than one quarter of the town was in favor of the besiegers; and he had to repress mutiny within, as well as to resist assaults from without.

It did not require a very long time to silence the battery, so well did the vessels station themselves; and as soon as that was accomplished, Eaton's force stormed it, and for the first time the star-spangled banner waved over a fort ress in the old world, captured by the bravery of the sons of the new world. This was on the 27th of April, 1805. As for the enemy, they had fled with so much precipitation, that they left their guns loaded and even primed; and they were immediately turned against the town. On the opposite side, Hamet, with a small cavalry force, had effected a lodgment; and so, being put between two fires, after this sharp encounter of two hours, the place submitted. "In this affair, only fourteen of the assailants were killed and wounded, General Eaton being

1805.

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