ulty was the Intrepid preserved. A favorable breeze at this
moment sprung up, which soon carried them out of the harbor. None of
the Americans were killed, and only four wounded. For this heroic
achievement Lieutenant Decater was promoted to the rank of post
captain. His commission was dated on the day he destroyed the
Philadelphia.

After the destruction of the Philadelphia frigate, commodore Preble
was, during the spring and early part of the summer, employed in
keeping up the blockade of the harbor of Tripoli, in preparing for an
attack upon the town and in cruising. A prize that had been taken was
put in commission, and called the Scourge. A loan of six gun-boats and
two bomb-vessels, completely fitted for service, was obtained from the
king of Naples. Permission was also given to take twelve or fifteen
Neapolitans on board each boat, to serve under the American flag.

With this addition to his force, the commodore on the 21st of July,
joined the vessels off Tripoli. The number of men engaged in the
service amounted to one thousand and sixty.

On the Tripolitan castle and batteries, one hundred and fifteen guns
were mounted, fifty-five of which were pieces of heavy ordnance, the
others long eighteen and twelve pounders. In the harbor were nineteen
gun-boats carrying each a long brass eighteen or twenty-four pounder
in the bow, and two howitzers abaft; also two schooners of eight guns
each, a brig of ten and two galleys of four guns each. In addition to
the ordinary Turkish garrison, and the crews of the armed vessels,
estimated at three thousand, upwards of twenty thousand Arabs had been
assembled for the defence of the city.

The weather prevented the squadron from approaching the city until the
twenty-eighth, when it anchored within two miles and a half of the
fortifications; but the wind suddenly shifting, and increasing to a
gale, the commodore was compelled to return. On the 3d of August, he
again approached to within two or three miles of the batteries. Having
observed that several of the enemy's boats were stationed without the
reef of rocks, covering the entrance, he made signal for the squadron
to come within speaking distance, to communicate to the several
commanders his intention of attacking the shipping and batteries. The
gun-boats and bomb-ketches were immediately manned and prepared for
action. The former were arranged in two divisions of three each. At
half past one the squadron stood in for the