Hardly had the treaty with England been proclaimed when two squadrons were ordered into Algerian waters.  The first was under the command of Captain William Bainbridge and assembled at Boston, and the second, under Captain Stephen Decatur, was organized at New York.  Decatur was the first to get under way, sailing on May 20 with a squadron consisting of ten vessels, mounting 210 guns.  He had under his direct command nearly all the seamen who had served under him and survived the last war.

It may seem that Decatur had an easy task before him, but Maclay shows that the force against which he sailed was really the stronger.  It consisted of 5 frigates, 6 sloops of war and 1 schooner—­all carrying 360 guns, which exceeded those of the American squadron by 50 per cent.  The Algerian admiral was the terror of the Mediterranean.  He had risen from the lowest to the highest rank by his indomitable valor and skill.  He once captured by boarding in broad daylight a Portuguese frigate within sight of Gibraltar.  He had performed other valiant exploits; his ships were well equipped and manned, and the crews trained in modern warfare.

In addition, the city of Algiers was so strongly fortified that Lord Nelson declared that twenty-five ships of the line would not be more than enough to capture it.  As Decatur drew near the Portugal coast he made guarded inquiries as to the whereabouts of the Algerian squadron.  He used the utmost care to prevent his presence from becoming known to the enemy, and finally heard that which led him to believe the Moorish admiral had passed through the Straits of Gibraltar and entered the Mediterranean.  At Gibraltar Decatur saw several boats hurrying off to Algiers to warn his enemy of his danger.  He made sail up the Mediterranean, hoping to beat the despatch boats.  The admiral’s flagship was descried, and, still striving to avert suspicion, the American ships worked gradually toward him.  Before they could get within range the Moorish admiral took the alarm, and, crowding on every stitch of canvas, made a resolute effort to escape.  He handled his ship with great skill, and Decatur feared he would succeed in reaching some neutral port or elude him in the night, which was near at hand.

A hot chase followed, and the Turks soon opened on the American flagship and wounded several men, but Decatur reserved his fire until able to deliver one of his fearful broadsides.  A shot literally cut the Moorish admiral in two.  A few minutes later a second broadside was fired, but no signal of surrender was made, and the men in the tops continued firing until the American marines picked them off.  Seeing there was no escape for the enemy, and wishing to save the unnecessary shedding of blood, Decatur took a position off the frigate’s bow, whereupon she made a vigorous effort to escape.

In doing this, she headed directly for the 18-gun brig Epervier, which was in danger of being run down; but the plucky master-commandant, John Downes, backed and filled away with wonderful skill, chased the flying frigate, delivered nine diminutive broadsides and compelled the Turk to strike his colors.