Volume 4

101. The Golden Age of Greece 102. Chinese Rugs

NUMBERS TO FOLLOW

April 1. GREAT ART GALLERIES OF THE WORLD--THE NATIONAL GALLERY, LONDON. _By Professor John C. Van Dyke._

April 15. MASTERS OF THE VIOLIN--Joachim, Paganini, Ole Bull, Maud Powell, Ysaye, Kreisler, and others. _By Henry T. Finck, Author and Music Critic._

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The War of 1812

STEPHEN DECATUR

Monograph Number Three in The Mentor Reading Course

The father of Stephen Decatur, also named Stephen, was a native of Newport, Rhode Island, and a captain in the United States navy. Stephen Decatur, Jr., was born at Sinnepuxent, Maryland, on January 5, 1779. He entered the American navy as a midshipman in 1798 on board the frigate _United States_. A year later he was promoted to lieutenant and in that rank saw a little service in the short war with France.

In 1801 Decatur sailed as first lieutenant of the _Essex_, one of Commodore Dale's squadron, to the Mediterranean. As a result of a duel with a British Officer--which resulted fatally for the Englishman--Decatur was sent home for a time. In 1803 he was back in the Mediterranean in command of the _Enterprise_. He distinguished himself almost immediately.

Conceiving the daring idea of recapturing or destroying the frigate _Philadelphia_, which had been captured by the pirates and lay in the harbor of Tripoli, on February 31, 1804, he manned a little boat called the _Intrepid_, with seventy volunteers, and, braving the enemy, he reached the _Philadelphia_, set it afire and got away, with the loss of only one man.

For this gallant achievement Congress voted Decatur thanks and a sword. He was also promoted to captain.

Following this, Decatur was engaged in all the attacks on Tripoli from 1804 to 1805. In the War of 1812 the ship which he commanded, the _United States_, captured the British vessel, the _Macedonian_, after a desperate struggle. In 1813 he was appointed commodore to command a squadron in New York Harbor, which was blockaded by the British. In 1813 he attempted to get to sea to break the blockade with the _United States_, the _Hornet_, and the _Macedonian_, which had been by this time converted into an American ship. A superior British squadron forced Decatur to run into the Thames, and he lay off New London for several months. He sent a challenge to the commander of the blockading squadron to come on and fight, but the challenge was not accepted.

At length, unable to get to sea, two of the ships were dismantled, and Decatur returned to New York, where he took command of a squadron destined for the East Indies. In the frigate _President_ he put to sea on the 14th of January, 1815. The blockading British squadron pursued the ship, and after a desperate running fight forced Decatur to surrender.

Soon afterward Decatur returned to the United States, peace between England and America was declared. But the Barbary pirates were once more giving trouble. Decatur took a command in the Mediterranean.

He arrived before Algiers on June 22, 1815, and immediately demanded a treaty from the Dey. His terms were very brief: no more annual tribute or ransom for prisoners; all enslaved Americans to be released; and no American ever again to be held as a slave. The question of tribute was the most difficult to settle. The Dey feared that other European powers would demand the same terms.

"Even a little powder," said the Dey, "might prove satisfactory."

"If," replied Decatur, "you insist upon receiving powder as tribute, you must expect to receive the balls with it."

In forty-eight hours the treaty was negotiated, giving to the United States privileges and immunities never before granted by a Barbary state to a Christian power.

In 1819 a quarrel arose between Commodore James Barron and Decatur. They met at Bladensburg, Maryland, on March 22, 1820. At the first shots Barron was dangerously wounded. Decatur was also hit, and he died the same evening.

PREPARED BY THE EDITORIAL STAFF OF THE MENTOR ASSOCIATION

ILLUSTRATION FOR THE MENTOR, VOL. 4. No. 3, SERIAL No. 103

COPYRIGHT, 1916, BY THE MENTOR ASSOCIATION, INC.

The War of 1812

WILLIAM BAINBRIDGE

Monograph Number Two in The Mentor Reading Course

William Bainbridge was born at Princeton, New Jersey, on May 7, 1774. He was a son of Dr. Absalom Bainbridge, a Physician of the town. He received comparatively little education; for he went to sea in a merchant vessel at the age of fourteen. A few years after this, while he was the mate of the ship _Hope_, on a voyage to Holland he saved the life of his captain, who had been seized by a mutinous crew with the intention of throwing him overboard. On his return home, because of his good conduct and abilities, he was promoted to the command of a ship in the Dutch trade. He continued in command of various ships until 1798.

During this time the war between France and Great Britain made it difficult for neutrals to carry on trade. Therefore as master of a ship Bainbridge had to elude, or beat off a great deal of interference on the part of French and British ships alike.

In 1798, when war was about to break out between France and the United States and the American navy was organized, Bainbridge was appointed commander of the United States Schooner _Retaliation_, of fourteen guns, with the rank of lieutenant. In November his ship was captured by two French frigates--but it was released shortly afterward.

Bainbridge sailed for the West Indies as master commandant of the brig _Norfolk_. During this cruise he gave protection to the merchant trade of the United States and captured several of the enemy's merchantmen.

In 1800 Bainbridge was promoted to the rink of captain. On the frigate _George Washington_ he sailed to the Dey of Algiers with presents. These "presents" were bribes which the United States paid to the Algerian pirates to secure exemption from capture for its merchant ships in the Mediterranean. Bainbridge was disgusted at having to pay the tributes. While his ship was at Algiers war was declared by the pirates against France, and the French consul and citizens were ordered to leave the country in forty-eight hours. Captain Bainbridge received them all on his ship and landed them safely.

When the United States found that bribes to the pirates did not protect their commerce, they decided to use force. Captain Bainbridge was given command of the frigate _Philadelphia_, and sailing to Algiers, blockaded Tripoli. Being driven from his cruising grounds, Bainbridge pursued a strange ship that was trying to break the blockade. He gave chase, but ran upon a reef on the morning of October 31, 1803. The pirates immediately attacked, and when the ship could no longer be defended they captured and scuttled her, imprisoning the officers and crew. After a treaty of peace between the Dey and the United States had been concluded, the Americans were released on February 3, 1805.

Captain Bainbridge returned for a time to the merchant service, but when the War of 1812 broke out, he was appointed to command the United States frigate _Constitution_. In this ship he captured two British frigates and many merchantmen. On his return he was received with an enthusiastic welcome by his countrymen. The _Constitution_ became an object of national pride, and because of the little damage it sustained in the numerous encounters in which it engaged, received the popular name of "Old Ironsides."

After the conclusion of the War of 1812, Bainbridge once more served against the Barbary pirates. Later he served on the board of navy commissioners. Commodore Bainbridge died in Philadelphia on July 28, 1833.

PREPARED BY THE EDITORIAL STAFF OF THE MENTOR ASSOCIATION

ILLUSTRATION FOR THE MENTOR. VOL. 4, No. 3, SERIAL No. 103

COPYRIGHT, 1916, BY THE MENTOR ASSOCIATION, INC.

The War of 1812

OLIVER HAZARD PERRY

Monograph Number Five in The Mentor Reading Course

Oliver Hazard Perry was born at South Kensington, Rhode Island, on August 23, 1785. His father was Christopher Raymond Perry, captain in the navy. His first position was that of a midshipman on the sloop of war _General Greene_, in 1798. The first action that he saw was against the Barbary pirates. In this war he secured the affection and respect of the officers and men in the squadron.

In 1810 he was a lieutenant-commandant in the schooner _Revenge_. This vessel was attached to the squadron under Commodore Rodgers, and was employed in Long Island Sound to uphold the embargo which the United States had at that time put upon trade with England and France.

Shortly after, the war with England began. Perry was placed in command of a flotilla at Newport, but was not pleased with this commission, and begged to be ordered to Lake Ontario. His wish was granted, and he and his men--who eagerly volunteered to go with him--re-inforced Commodore Chauncey on the Great Lakes.

When he arrived at Lake Ontario, however, Chauncey ordered Perry to Lake Erie to superintend the building of vessels. The English had a powerful force on the Great Lakes and the United States wanted to build sufficient ships to meet them. Perry worked hard, and on August 4, 1813, he got his squadron into the deep waters of Lake Erie. This squadron consisted of three brigs, five schooners, and one sloop. On the 10th of September Perry met the British fleet with Captain Robert H. Barclay in command in the Battle of Put-in Bay. This was the great fight of Perry's life, and he fought it with skill, bravery and perseverance.

The effects of this victory were felt all over the United States. National pride was kindled and the people celebrated the victory with enthusiasm. In reward Perry was made a captain in the navy and received the thanks of Congress.

However, the gallant officer did not rest upon his laurels, and, seeing no more hostile fleets to conquer, offered himself as aid to General Harrison, who was then pursuing the British, and took part in the Battle of Moravian Town on October 5th. When Virginia and Maryland were invaded by the English, under General Ross and Admiral Cockburn, Perry had a command on the Potomac.

At the end of the War of 1812 Captain Perry took command of the _Java_, a frigate of the first class, and sailed with Commodore Stephen Decatur to punish the Dey of Algiers, who had plundered the commerce of the United States when this country was busy during the war of 1812. This expedition, which reached the Mediterranean in June, 1815, was successful, and Perry returned to the United States. While the _Java_ was lying at Newport in mid-winter, he received information that a merchant vessel was on a reef about five or six miles from that place, and that the crew were in danger. Leaping into his barge he turned to his oarsmen and said, "Come, my boys, we are going to the relief of shipwrecked seamen; pull away!" The eleven men of the crew were rescued.

In 1819 Perry was sent in the _John Adams_ to the West Indies with sealed orders. Pirates had swarmed in that vicinity, and his commission was to drive them from the sea. He executed his orders with diligence, but unfortunately caught yellow fever and died on August 23, 1819, at Port of Spain, in Trinidad. Every tribute of national grief was paid to his memory, and he was buried with military honors.

PREPARED BY THE EDITORIAL STAFF OF THE MENTOR ASSOCIATION

ILLUSTRATION FOR THE MENTOR, VOL. 4, No. 3, SERIAL No. 103

COPYRIGHT, 1916, BY THE MENTOR ASSOCIATION, INC.