Page:Appletons' Cyclopædia of American Biography (1900, volume 2).djvu/140

120 1862, and was in the South Atlantic squadron in 1863-'4, having command of the frigate " Wa- bash." He was promoted to the rank of commo- dore in 18G6, commanded the store-ship " Poto- mac " at the Pensacola navy-yard during 186t)-'7 and the receiving-ship " Potomac " at Philadelphia (luring 1868-9, and was retired in 1870 with the rank of rear-admiral.

DECANESORA, Indian orator, b. about 1G40. He was a chief of the tribe of Onondagas, which was one of the leagued Six Nations. While at- tending the conference at Albany that was held in 1679 with the agent of Virginia, he. with other •chiefs, presented the claims of the Indian people. It was said of the Indian speakers, by those who were present at the conference, that they all " had great fluency of words, and much more grace in manner than any man could expect among a peo- ple entirely ignorant of the liberal arts and sci- ences." And of Decanesora it was said that he had " a graceful elocution that would have pleased in any part of the world."

DECATUR, Stephen, naval officer, b. in New- port. R. I., iu 1751 : d. in Frankford, near Phila- delphia, 14 Nov., 1808. His father was a native of Rochelle, in Prance, and an officer in the French navy, who had emigrated to the United States -at the repeal of the edict of Nantes, and married an American lady residing in Rhode Island. Stephen removed to Philadelphia when a very young man, ^nd was there married, after which he became captain of a merchantman at an early age, and dui'ing the Revolution commanded the privateers '• Royal Louis " and " Pair American," gaining distinction by the capture of English vessels. He was appointed post-captain in the navy on 1 1 May, 1798, at the beginning of hostilities with Prance, and in the " Delaware," twenty guns, cruised on the American coast and in the West Indies, and captured the French privateers " Le Croyable" and " Marsuin." He commanded a squadron of thir- teen vessels on the Guadeloupe station in 1800, the frigate " PhilMdelphia " being his flag-ship, and after his discharge from the service, under the peace establishment of 1801. engaged in business in Philadelphia. — His son, Stephen, naval officer, b. in Sinnepux- ent, Md., 5 Jan., 1779; d. in Washing- ton, D. C, 32 March, 1820. He made a voy- age with his father in 1787. At the age of seventeen he was employed by Messrs. Gur- ney and Smith, of Philadel- phia (who were agents for the navy), and went to New Jersey to superintend the getting out of the keel- pieces for the frigate " United States," in which ship he was launched, and which he successfully commanded in the war of 1812-5. Through the aid of Com. Barry, he obtained a warrant as midshipman, dated 30 April, 1798, and was placed on board the frigate " United States." He was at that time nineteen years of age, well informed for his age, chivalrous in temper, courteous in his deportment, and adding grace of manner to an attractive person. While attached to the frigate " United States " under Com. Barry, Decatur cruised in the West Indies, capturing several French privateei's that were preying upon American commerce. He labored hard to make himself master of his profession. On one occasion the " United States " chased the French privateer "L'Amour de la Patrie," of six guns, which vessel, in attempting to escape, received a twenty-four-pound shot at her water-line from the "United States." She at once shortened sail and surrendered, and Decatur was sent in a boat to take possession. When he got alongside, " L'Amour de la Patrie " was sinking fast, and the crew, stripped of their clothing, were assembled at the side, begging to be taken into the boat. As it was impossible to take on board sixty men, Decatur ordered the French captain to put his helm up and run down to the frigate as the only chance of saving the crew. This was done, and though the vessel sank when within fifty yards of the "United States," the crew was saved to a man. In a short time Decatur became a good officer and an excellent sailor. A contemporary said he was a man of an age, an officer of uncommon character and rare promise, one not equalled in a million. Just at the time this remark was made, the cry " Man overboard ! " resounded through the ship, and boats were called away. Without hesitation, Decatur sprang from the mizzen-chains, and in a few moments his muscular arms were holding the drowning man above the waves, which he continued till the boats reached the spot, when he passed the nearly dying youth into one of them, and then climbed in himself. It is of such men that heroes are made, and the one Decatur saved, while himself gaining celebrity, lived to see his preserver attain a fame unsurpassed by that of any officer of his time in the American navy. In 1799 Decatur was connnissioned lieutenant. He sailed again with Com. Barry when he conveyed the commissioners to France. On the return of the " United States " she was laid up for thorough repairs. Decatur obtained orders to the " Norfolk," of eighteen guns, Commander Thomas Calvert, but in September, 1800, again joined his old ship the " United States." When the French war was ended, and the treaty of peace between France and the United States had been ratified by the senate on 3 Feb., 1801, and promulgated by the president, congress passed a law directing the sale of the whole navy except six ships, and discharging from the service all but nme of the twenty-eight captains, all of the commanders, and all but thirty-six of the one hundred and ten lieu-tenants. Stephen Decatur was one of those selected to remain in the navy. His brother James also remained as a midshipman, while the gallant commander (the elder Decatur) resigned his commission and returned to private life. The discharge of the officers and crews was no sooner eft'ected than the pacha of Tripoli, though the United States paid him yearly tribute most faithfully and shamefully, felt slighted because our government had presented a fine frigate to the dey of Algiers, and had sent him none ; and also because one of the ministers of the bey of Tunis had received $40,000 from the United States, whereas he (the pacha) had received but little more. On 10 May, 1801, the impudent pacha declared war against the United States, cut down the American flag-staff:, and began hostilities against the Ameri-