In the autumn of 1800, the ruler of
Tripoli, learning that the
United States had paid larger gross sums to his neighbors (see
Algiers) than to himself, demanded an annual tribute, and threatened war in case it was refused.
In May, 1801, he caused the flag-staff of the
American consulate to be cut down.
and proclaimed war June 10.
In anticipation of this event, the
American government had sent
Commodore Richard Dale with a squadron to the Mediterranean.
His flag-ship was the
President.
He sailed from
Hampton Roads, reached
Gibraltar July 1, and soon after the Bey had declared war he appeared before
Tripoli, having captured a Tripolitan corsair on the way. The
Bey was astonished, and the little American squadron cruising in the Mediterranean made the
Barbary States more circumspect.
Recognizing the existence of war with
Tripoli, the United States government ordered a squadron, under
Commodore Richard V. Morris, to relieve
Dale.
the
Chesapeake was the commodore's flag-ship.
The vessels did not go in a body, but proceeded one after another, between February (1801) and September.
Early in May, the
Boston, after taking the
United States minister (
R. R. Livingston) to
France, blockaded the port of
Tripoli.
There she was joined by the frigate
Constellation, while the
Essex blockaded two Tripolitan corsairs at
Gibraltar.
the
Constellation, left alone, had a severe contest not long afterwards with seventeen Tripolitan gunboats and some land batteries, which were severely handled.
Another naval expedition was sent to the Mediterranean in 1803, under the command of
Com. Edward Preble, whose flagship was the
Constitution.
The other vessels were the
Philadelphia,
Argus,
Siren,
Nautilus,
Vixen, and
Enterprise. The Philadelphia,
Captain Bainbridge, sailed in July, and captured a Moorish corsair off
Tangier, holding an American merchant vessel.
Preble arrived in August, and, going to
Tangier, demanded an explanation of the
Emperor of Morocco, who disclaimed the act and made a suitable apology.
Then he proceeded to bring
Tripoli to terms.
Soon afterwards the
Philadelphia fell into the hands of the Tripolitans.
Little further of much interest occurred until early in 1804, when the boldness of the
Americans in destroying the
Philadelphia in the harbor of
Tripoli greatly alarmed the Bey (see
Philadelphia, the). For a while
Preble blockaded his port; and in July, 1804, he entered the. harbor (whose protection lay in heavy batteries mounting 115 guns) with his squadron.
The
Tripolitans also had in the harbor nineteen gunboats, a brig, two schooners, and some galleys, with 25,000 soldiers on the land.
A sheltering reef
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afforded further protection.
These formidable obstacles did not dismay
Preble.
On Aug. 3 he opened a heavy cannonade and bombardment from his gunboats, which
alone could get near enough for effective service.
A severe conflict ensued.
Finally,
Lieutenant Decatur laid his vessel (the gunboat
Number Four) alongside the largest of those of the enemy, and boarded and captured her after a fierce struggle.
After the
Americans had sunk or captured six of the Tripolitan vessels, and inflicted a heavy loss of life on the enemy they withdrew, but resumed the attack four days later (Aug. 7). After the loss of a gunboat and ten men, the
Americans again withdrew; but renewed the attack on the 24th, without any important result.
A fourth attack was made on the 28th, and, after a sharp conflict, the
American squadron again withdrew, and lay at anchor off the harbor until Sept. 2, when a fifth attack was made.
A floating mine,
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sent to blow up the Tripolitan vessels in the harbor, exploded prematurely, apparently, and destroyed all of the
Americans in charge of it (see
intrepid, the). The stormy season approaching,
Preble withdrew from the dangerous Barbary coast, leaving a small force to blockade the harbor of
Tripoli.
Com. Samuel Barron was sent to relieve
Preble, who, with a large squadron, overawed the Moors and kept up the blockade.
Meanwhile a movement under
Capt. William Eaton, American consul at
Tunis, soon brought the war to a close.
He joined Hamet Caramelli, the rightful
Bey of
Tunis, in an effort to recover his rights.
Hamet had taken refuge with the Viceroy of
Egypt.
There
Eaton joined him with a few troops composed of men of all nations, and, marching westward across
Northern Africa 1,000 miles, with transportation consisting of 190 camels, on April 27, 1805, captured the Tripolitan seaport town of
Derne.
They fought their way successfully towards the capital, their followers continually increasing, when, to the mortification of
Eaton and the extinguishment of the hopes of Caramelli, they found that
Tobias Lear, the
American consul-general, had made a treaty of peace (June 4, 1805) with the terrified ruler of
Tripoli.
So ended the war. The ruler of
Tunis was yet insolent, but his pride was suddenly humbled by the appearance of a squadron of thirteen vessels under
Commodore Rodgers, who succeeded
Barron, and he sent an ambassador to the
United States.
The Barbary States now all feared the power of the
Americans.
and commerce in the
Mediterranean Sea was relieved of great peril.
Pope Pius VII.
declared that the
Americans had done more for Christendom against the North African pirates than all the powers of
Europe united.
