Combat· First Barbary War
Burning of the Philadelphia
On the night of 16 February 1804, Stephen Decatur took the disguised ketch Intrepid into Tripoli harbor with about seventy volunteer officers, seamen, and Marines to deny the enemy the captured frigate Philadelphia.
Among the Marines were Sergeant Solomon Wren and Corporal Duncan Mansfield. The Intrepid worked alongside the Philadelphia, and after a short, sharp struggle Decatur's men carried her deck, overpowered the Tripolitan prize crew, set the frigate ablaze, and pulled away as the fire roared up and the shore batteries opened on them. The whole hazardous business was accomplished, in Decatur's account, with only one man slightly wounded. The supporting brig Siren, whose Marine guard was under First Lieutenant John Howard, stood by offshore. The raid became legendary, reputedly drawing Lord Nelson's praise, and remains one of the most celebrated small-unit operations in American naval history.
Podcast episodes on First Barbary War
Record no. 200