August 29th and 30th. Preparing the bomb vessels for service; supplying the gunboats with ammunition, etc.
August 31st. A vessel arrived from Malta with provisions and stores; brought no news of Commodore Barron or the frigates. We discharged this vessel's cargo and ordered her to return.
September 2d. The bomb vessels having been repaired and ready for service, Lieutenants Dent and Robinson resumed the command of them. Lieutenant Morris of the Argus, took command of No. 3, and Lieutenant Trippe, having nearly recovered from his wounds, resumed the command of No. 6, which he so gallantly conducted the 3d ultimo. Captain Chauncey, with several young gentlemen, and sixty men from the John Adams, volunteered on board the Constitution. At four p.m., made the signal to weigh; kept under sail all night. At eleven p.m., a general signal to prepare for battle. A Spanish polacre in ballast came out of Tripoli, with an ambassador of the Grand Seignor on board, who had been sent from Constantinople to Tripoli to confirm the Bashaw in his title; this ceremony takes place in all the Barbary regencies every five years. The captain of this vessel informed us that our shot and shells had made great havoc and destruction in the city, and among the shipping, and that a vast number of people had been killed: also informs us that three of the boats which were sunk by our shot in the actions of the 3d and 28th ultimo, had been got up, repaired, and fitted for service.
September 3d. At two p.m., Tripoli bore south southwest, two miles and a half distant; wind east by north. At half-past two the signals were made for the gunboats to cast off, advance, and attack the enemy's galleys and gunboats, which were all under weigh in the eastern part of the harbour, whither they had for some time been working up against the wind. This was certainly a judicious movement of theirs, as it precluded the possibility of our boats going down to attack the town, without leaving the enemy's flotilla in their rear, and directly to windward. I accordingly ordered the bomb vessels to run down within proper distance of the town and bombard it, while our gunboats were to engage the enemy's galleys and boats to windward. At half-past three p.m., our bombs having gained the station to which they were directed, anchored, and commenced throwing shells into the city; at the same time our gunboats opened a brisk fire on the galleys, &c., within point blank shot, which was warmly returned by them and Fort English, and by a new battery a little to the westward; but as soon as our boats arrived within good musket shot of their galleys and boats, they gave way and retreated to the shore within the rocks, and under cover of musketry from Fort English. They were followed by our boats, and by the Syren, Argus, Vixen, Nautilus and Enterprize, as far as the reefs would permit them to go with prudence. The action was then divided. One division of our boats, with the brigs and schooners, attacked Fort English, whilst the other was engaged with the enemy's galleys and boats. The Bashaw's castle, the mole, crown, and several other batteries kept up a constant fire on our bomb vessels, which were well conducted, and threw shells briskly into the town; but, from their situation, they were very much exposed, and in great danger of being sunk. I accordingly ran within them with the Constitution, to draw off the enemy's attention and amuse them whilst the bombardment was kept up. We brought to within reach of grape, and fired eleven broadsides into the Bashaw's castle, town and batteries, in a situation where more than seventy guns could bear upon us. One of their batteries was silenced. The town, castle and other batteries considerably damaged. By this time, it was half-past four o'clock; the wind was increasing, and inclining rapidly to the northward. I made the signal for the boats to retire from action, and for the brigs and schooners to take them in tow, and soon after hauled off with the Constitution to repair damages. Our main-topsail was totally disabled by a shell from the batteries, which cut away the leech rope, and several cloths of the sail; another shell went through the fore-top-sail, and one through the jib; all our sails considerably cut; two top-mast backstays shot away, main sheets, fore tacks, lifts, braces, bowlines, and the running rigging, generally, very much cut, but no shot in our hull, excepting a few grape. Our gunboats were an hour and fifteen minutes in action. They disabled several of the enemy's galleys and boats, and considerably damaged Fort English. Most of our boats received damage in their rigging and sails. The bomb vessel No. 1, commanded by Lieutenant Robinson, was disabled, every shroud being shot away; the bed of the mortar rendered useless, and the vessel near sinking; she was, however, towed off. About fifty shells were thrown into the town, and our boats fired four hundred round shot, besides grape and canister. They were led into action by Captains Decatur and Somers, with their usual gallantry. The brigs and schooners were handsomely conducted, and fired many shot with effect at Fort English, which they were near enough to reach with their carronades; they suffered considerably in their rigging, and the Argus received a thirty-two pound shot in the hull forward, which cut off a bower cable as it entered. We kept under weigh until eleven p.m., when we anchored, Tripoli bearing south southwest three leagues. I again, with pleasure, acknowledge the services of an able and active officer in Captain Chauncey, serving on the quarter-deck of the Constitution. At sunrise I made the signal for the squadron to prepare for action. The carpenters were sent on board the bombs to repair damages, and our boats employed in supplying the bombs and gunboats with ammunition, and to replace the expenditures.
Desirous of annoying the enemy by all the means in my power, I directed to be put into execution a long contemplated plan of sending a fire ship, or infernal, into the harbour of Tripoli, in the night, for the purpose of endeavouring to destroy the enemy's shipping, and shatter the Bashaw's castle and town. Captain Somers, of the Nautilus, having volunteered his services, had, for several days before this period, been directing the preparation of the ketch Intrepid, assisted by Lieutenants Wadsworth and Israel. About one hundred barrels of powder, and one hundred and fifty fixed shells, were apparently judiciously disposed of on board her. The fusees leading to the magazine, where all the powder was deposited, were calculated to burn for a quarter of an hour.
September 4th. The Intrepid being prepared for the intended service, Captain Somers and Lieutenant Wadsworth made choice of two of the fastest rowing boats in the squadron, for bringing them out, after reaching their destination, and firing the combustible materials which were to communicate with the fusees. Captain Somers' boat was manned with four seamen from the Nautilus, and Lieutenant Wadsworth's with six from the Constitution. Lieutenant Israel accompanied them. At eight in the evening, the Intrepid was under sail, and standing for the port, with a leading breeze from the eastward. The Argus, Vixen, and Nautilus, convoyed her as far as the rocks. On entering the harbour, several shot were fired at her from the batteries. In a few minutes after, when she had apparently nearly gained the intended place of destination, she suddenly exploded, without their having previously fired a room filled with splinters and other combustibles, which were intended to create a blaze in order to deter the enemy from boarding while the fire was communicating to the fusees which led to the magazine. The effect of the explosion awed their batteries into profound silence with astonishment; not a gun was afterwards fired for the night. The shrieks of the inhabitants informed us that the town was thrown into the greatest terror and consternation by the explosion of the magazine, and the bursting and falling of shells in all directions. The whole squadron waited, with the utmost anxiety, to learn the fate of the adventurers, from a signal previously agreed on, in case of success; but waited in vain. No signs of their safety were to be observed. The Argus, Vixen and Nautilus, hovered round the entrance of the port until sunrise, when they had a fair view of the whole harbour. Not a vestige of the ketch or her boats was to be seen. One of the enemy's largest gunboats was missing, and three others were seen very much shattered and damaged, which the enemy were hauling on shore. From these circumstances, I am led to believe that these boats were detached from the enemy's flotilla to intercept the ketch, and, without suspecting her to be a fire ship, the missing boat had suddenly boarded her, when the gallant Somers and heroes of his party, observing the other three boats surrounding them, and no prospect of escape, determined, at once, to prefer death and the destruction of the enemy to captivity and torturing slavery, put a match to the tram leading directly to the magazine, which at once blew the whole into the air, and terminated their existence. My conjectures respecting this affair are founded on a resolution which Captain Somers, Lieutenants Wadsworth and Israel had formed—neither to be taken by the enemy, nor suffer him to get possession of the powder on board the Intrepid. They expected to enter the harbour without discovery, but had declared that should they be disappointed, and the enemy should board them, before they reached the point of destination, in such force as to leave them no hopes of a safe retreat, that they would put a match to the magazine, and blow themselves and their enemies up together; determined, as there was no exchange of prisoners, that their country should never pay ransom for them, nor the enemy receive a supply of powder through their means. The disappearance of one of the enemy's boats, and the shattered condition of three others, confirm me in my opinion that they were an advanced guard, detached from the main body of the flotilla on discovering the approach of the Intrepid, and that they attempted to board her before she had reached her point of destination; otherwise the whole of their shipping must have suffered, and perhaps would have been totally destroyed. That she was blown up before she had gained her station is certain, by which the service has lost three very gallant officers. Captain Somers, and Lieutenants Wadsworth and Israel were officers of conspicuous bravery, talents, and merit. They had uniformly distinguished themselves in the several actions; were beloved and lamented by the whole squadron.
September 5th. We were employed in supplying the gunboats with ammunition, &c., and repairing the bomb vessels for another attack, but, the wind shifting to the N. N. E., a heavy swell setting on shore, and other indications of bad weather, determined me, for greater safety, to take the guns, mortars, shot and shells out of the boats into the Constitution and John Adams, which was accordingly done. The weather continuing to wear a threatening aspect until the 7th, and our ammunition being reduced to a quantity not more than sufficient for three vessels to keep up the blockade, no intelligence of the expected reinforcement, and the season so far advanced as to render it imprudent to hazard the gunboats any longer on the station, I gave orders for the John Adams, Syren, Nautilus, Enterprize and Scourge, to take the bombs and gunboats in tow, and proceed to Syracuse with them. The Argus and Vixen to remain with the Constitution, to keep up the blockade.
September 10th. The United States ship President, Commodore Barron, and Constellation, Captain Campbell, hove in sight, and soon joined company, when the command of the squadron was surrendered to Commodore Barron with the usual ceremony. I continued in company with the squadron until the 12th, when three strange ships came in sight, standing direct for Tripoli. Chase was given, and two of them boarded and taken possession of by the Constitution, the President in company, about four leagues from Tripoli, but not more than five miles from the land, while the Constellation and Argus were in chase of the third. The two boarded by the Constitution were loaded with about sixteen thousand bushels of wheat. Tripoli is in a state of starvation, and there can be no doubt but these cargoes were meant as a supply and relief to our enemies.
Considering the season too far advanced, and weather too uncertain, to hazard any further operations against Tripoli, at present, Commodore Barron determined that the prizes should be sent to Malta, under convoy of the Constitution, it being necessary she should go into port to be recaulked and refitted. I notified to Commodore Barron that it was my wish to return to the United States, in the frigate John Adams, Captain Chauncey; this readily, and in the handsomest manner, met his acquiescence. I shall accordingly return in that ship.
The service in this quarter cannot suffer from this arrangement, as Captain Decatur is at present without a ship, and my return will place him immediately in the exercise of the duties attached to that commission which he has so gallantly earned, and his country generously bestowed. I shall feel a pleasure in leaving the Constitution under the command of that officer, whose enterprising and manly conduct I have often witnessed, and whose merits eminently entitle him to so handsome a command.