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TIME sped on. The earth had
traveled its circuit many times since father sold his little place in
Putnam County, State of New York, and bade adieu to all the dear scenes
of his childhood and youth and came to battle, for himself and family in
the wilds of Michigan. And he did his part bravely. He was a strong man;
mentally and physically strong, and possessed just enough of the love of
a romantic and strange life, to help him battle successfully with the
incidents and privations common to such as settle in a new country, with
but little capital. He worked his way through. He had a very retentive
memory and possessed the faculty of pleasing his visitors, to no common
extent.
Father at the close of
the Tripoli war, 1805, was about the age that I was when we started for
Michigan. He often told me of the war with Tripoli and trouble with
Algiers. He gloried in the name of an American and often related the
prowess and bravery of our soldiers, in defending their flag and the
rights of American citizens, at home and abroad, on the land and on the
sea.
Of course when the Fourth
of July came round I went to celebrate the day. As cannon were almost
always fired at Dearbornville, on that day, I would go out there to
listen to the big guns and their tremendous roar, as they were fired
every minute for a national salute. The sound of their booming died away
beyond Detroit River, in Canada, and let the Canadians, and all others
in this part of the universe, know that we were holding the Fourth of
Jul), in Dearbornville. When I went home at night I told father about
it, and what a good time I had enjoyed, and that they fired one big gun
in honor of Michigan.
On such days his
patriotic feelings were wrought up and he talked much of wars,
patriotism and so forth. On such an occasion he told me that his father,
William Nowlin, was a captain of militia, in the State of New York, when
he was a boy. That I was named for him and that, when he was done with
it, I should have my grandfather's ancient powder-horn. It is red and
carved out very nicely, covered with beautiful scrolls and old-fashioned
letters. The two first letters of my grandfather's name, W. N., are on
it, and toward the smaller end of the horn—my father's given name, John.
These were inscribed on it long since the horn was made. It was made
when Washington was about twenty-five years old, and, no doubt, saw
service in the French and Indian war, in the defence of the English
colonies of America. Its history, some of it, is shrouded in mystery. It
has passed down through the revolutionary war, and the war of 1812,
through four generations of men, and was given to me by my father as an
heir-loom, a relic of the past.
Next to my father's given
name is the inscription, E. b. Then follows these old lines:
"I, powder, with my
brother ball,
A hero like, do conquer all."
"'Tis best abroad with
foreign foes to fight,
And not at home, to feel their hateful spite,
Where all our friends of every, sex and age,
Will be expos'd unto their cruel rage."
Lieut. AbI Prindel's.
Made at No.4. June 30th, 1757.
The letters are old
fashioned, the "s" on it is made as an "f" is made now. I presume it was
a present from Lieut. Prindel to grandfather. This horn is sixteen
inches long, measures nine and one-half inches around the butt and would
hold fully four pounds of powder.
Father said in the war
with Tripoli, 1803, one of the Barbary States, Captain Bainbridge
sailed, in the Philadelphia, to Tripoli and chased one of the pirate
boats into the harbor. He ventured a little too far and ran aground. The
officers were made prisoners and the crew slaves, to the Turks, and
joined their countrymen who had preceded them. But, father said, the
Americans were too brave a people to be subjected to slavery. Other
Americans rescued them and it was proved that the United States would
protect their flag throughout all the world. He often told me of
Commodore Decatur and William Eaton. They were among his ideal American
heroes. He said that Decatur conceived the idea of retaking the
"Philadelphia" and destroying her. He sailed into the harbor of Tripoli
at night and up to the "Philadelphia," made his vessel, the "Intrepid,"
fast to her side and sprang on board. There he had often walked before
under very different circumstances, in the light of other days, when
thousands of miles away, and among his friends. Now how changed the
scene! The "Philadelphia" was in an enemy's hands, and her guns loaded,
to turn on her former owners at a moment's notice. Decatur was followed
by seventy or eighty men, as brave Americans as ever walked on deck. The
surprise was complete, and the astonished Turks now saw the decks
swarming with Americans, armed and with drawn swords in their hands.
Some of the Tripolitans lost their heads, some of them cried for
quarter, others tried to climb in the shrouds and rigging of the ship
and some jumped overboard.
In ten minutes' time,
Decatur and his crew were masters of the frigate. Now what grieved him
most was that the noble ship, which they had rescued from the barbarous
Arabs, had to be burned, it being impossible to remove her from the
sandbar where she lay. So they brought, on board the "Philadelphia,"
combustible material, which they had with them on the "Intrepid," and
set her on fire. In a short time the flames were leaping and dancing
along the sides of the doomed ship. The devouring fire, greedily
burning, cracking and hissing, destroyed the timbers, leaped up the
spars, caught hold of the rigging and lighted up the whole place. It
could have been, and was, seen for miles. The spectacle was awfully
grand as well as sublime. Tripoli was lighted up and hundreds of people
could be seen in the streets, by the light of the burning ship.
The land forts and
corsairs were all in plain sight of the American fleet. The light
enabled the enemy to see the bold "Intrepid," with her valiant crew,
leaving the burning ship and sailing away toward the American blockading
fleet. The forts and some of the galleys opened fire upon them; it was
one continuous roar of cannon belching forth fire and missiles of death.
The balls and shot went singing over their heads and around, some
striking the water and raising a cloud of spray which flew in all
directions. But the victorious crew paid no attention and quietly sailed
away to join their country's defenders. They were soon beyond the reach
of the foe and out of danger. Then they had time to consider what they
had accomplished. They had entered the enemy's stronghold, re-captured
and burned the "Philadelphia" and put her Arab crew to the sword, or
driven them into the sea. All this they did without the loss of a single
man. Father said that the inhabitants of Tripoli were Turks who exacted
taxes and received tribute from all Christian nations; that they had
taken some of the American seamen and held them as slaves. The Bashaw
declared war with America, (a country about which he knew but very
little.) He put his American slaves in chain-gangs, in this way they
were obliged to labor for that government. There was no chance for them
to escape and they must remain in slavery unless rescued by their
countrymen. Father said that the Turks of Tripoli were a band of
pirates, in disguise, robbers upon the high seas.
The war occurred during
the administration of President Jefferson. Congress sent Commodore
Preble with a squadron of seven sail, and a thousand men, armed with
heavy cannon. They appeared before Tripoli; the reigning Bashaw refused
to treat for peace or give up his slaves, without he received a large
ransom. Then it was that the thunder of the American cannon broke upon
Tripoli and the bombardment of that city commenced, 1804. They were
answered by hundreds of the enemy's guns. The earth trembled, the sea
shook, the wild waves danced and the white caps broke as the cannon
balls glanced on, plowed their way and plunged into the water. The
strong buildings of Tripoli trembled to their foundations and hundreds
of Arabs, who were out upon their roofs when the battle commenced, to
witness it, in five minutes' time were skedaddling for their lives. The
Bashaw's castle and the entire city felt severely the heavy blows of the
American cannon. The enemy's fleet took refuge under the forts and away
from the ships of North America. The "Constitution" sunk one of their
boats, run two aground and the rest got under shelter the best they
could.
One of the last wonders
of the wrath of the Americans was poured out upon Tripoli in the shape
of a fire ship. It contained one hundred barrels of powder stored away
below deck, in a room prepared expressly for its reception. On the deck,
over the powder, was placed hundreds of shells and pieces of iron, which
the powder, when it exploded, would hurl as messengers of destruction
among the enemy. The "Intrepid" was the ship selected for the daring
deed. She was Decatur's favorite; with her he captured the
"Philadelphia." There were twelve American braves who volunteered to
take the fire-ship into the enemy's squadron and, near the fort, to fire
it with a slow match. Then they were to try and escape back to their
countrymen, in a small boat. When it was night they hoisted their sails
and the ship quietly started through the darkness, but before they had
gone as far as they wished to get, among the enemy's boats, they were
discovered from the fort and an alarm raised.
The great Decatur, with
his comrades, stood gazing at the craft as it receded from them and the
sails disappeared in the distance and darkness of the night. What must
have been their feelings, as the noble ship disappeared? They were, no
doubt thinking of their comrades, so brave, who might be going into the
jaws of death. Could it be possible that they would never return, that
they would never meet any more? They looked and listened, but they were
gone, no sound of them could be heard. Awful suspense—all at once the
fort opened fire on the brave crew. The light of their batteries
brightened up the shore and the thunder of their cannon shook sea and
earth. But where were the twelve Americans? Brave fellows, where were
they? They had, no doubt, failed to get as far as they wished to, before
they were discovered, and risked their lives a little too long. They
applied the fire to the trail of powder and the ship was blown up.
Tripoli had never been shaken before, nor had she ever witnessed such a
sight. The flames shot up toward the sky; the whole city was illuminated
and the report and awful force caused by the blowing up of the ship,
made the enemy's vessels in the harbor heave to and fro, and rock as
though in a storm. Men's hearts failed them; they did not know but that
they were going to sink. The city itself was shaken to its foundation,
from center to circumference. Men stood trembling and gazed with horror
and astonishment. Not another cannon was fired, and the noise they made
was no more when compared with the noise of the explosion, than the
sound of a popgun compared to the sound of a cannon, in fact it was no
comparison at all. Thousands stood ghastly and pale not knowing what the
next moment might reveal. The proud Bashaw had been badly "shook up" and
disturbed in his dreams of conquering the Americans. He had heard of the
advance of William Eaton and he made up his mind that it was dangerous,
for him, to carry on a war with beings who fought more like devils than
men, so he concluded that he would go in for peace. The twelve brave
men, who went with the fireship, were never heard of again. They
returned to their comrades, to tell the thrilling story of their last
adventure, never, no never. They had sold their lives, for their
country, dearly. They were never to see their homes in North America, or
their loved ones again; they had met their fate bravely and sacrificed
their own lives for their country's glory.
Father also related the
adventures and hardships that were encountered and overcome by William
Eaton, who formed a union with Hamet, the elder brother and rightful
heir to reign at Tripoli. Hamet had been driven from his country and
family, wife and children, and was in hopes, by the aid of Eaton and the
American war, of being reinstated at Tripoli. He joined with General
Eaton, who had received his commission from the American government, and
assumed the title of General. In conjunction with Hamet, he raised an
army of twelve hundred men, adventurers of all nations, who volunteered
to fight under the American flag. They started from Alexandria, in
Egypt, and marched a thousand miles across the desert of Barca. They
bore in their advance the American flag, something that had never been
seen in that country before. After a tedious march they arrived at Derne,
a city on the Mediterranean, belonging to Tripoli. General Eaton
summoned the city to surrender. The Governor sent him this reply, '1v
head or yours." Then the American general drew up his men and rapidly
advanced to attack the fort, which defended the city. He met with a
strong resistance, the enemy numbering about three thousand. A terrible
fire of musketry enveloped the combatants in fire and smoke. The voice
of General Eaton, though he was wounded, was heard, amid the din of
battle, encouraging his men.
After a severe contest of
about two hours they charged and carried, by storm, the principal fort.
They tore down the Tripolitan flag and ran up the stripes and stars in
its place. This was the first time it had ever been raised over a fort
on the Mediterranean Sea, or in fact the old world. General Eaton was
fortifying, making the place stronger, receiving some volunteers,
through the influence of Hamet, and preparing to march upon Tripoli to
help the American fleet. But he was in need of supplies and every day
was expecting to receive them.
As the city and harbor
were under his control, he had everything in readiness for his march,
excepting the supplies, when the American Frigate, the "Constitution,"
appeared and announced that peace was declared, 1805. The conditions
were that Hamet should leave the country and his wife and children
should be sent to him. The American prisoners were to be exchanged and
the American seamen not to be compelled to pay tribute any more.
The Americans who had
been enslaved by the government of Tripoli were to be paid for the labor
they had performed. It is evident that the reigning Bashaw was alarmed
for his own safety and was glad to compromise.
Father said it always
grieved him to think, that the Americans who had been held as slaves at
Tripoli never returned to their native home. They were paid for their
service during the time they had been enslaved, went on board a ship,
sailed for North America and were never heard of again. They slept the
sleep of death with the twelve most brave beneath the dark cold waves,
never more to see their families or friends.
Father often repeated
such stories in our wilderness home in regard to this war, the
revolutionary war and the war of 1812. I and the other children always
listened to these tales with much attention and interest. It was the way
I received most of my know!- edge, in regard to such things, in those
days. As we lived in the woods of Michigan my means of acquiring
book-knowledge were very limited. Now, I believe, if I were to read the
sum and substance of the same thing every month in the year, for years;
the way he related those old stories would still be the accepted way to
my mind. Although they might be clothed in language more precise and far
more eloquent it would not appear so to me. |
