e, and married a lady of Newport, R.
I., where Stephen, the son of the commodore, was born. When a very
young man he removed to Philadelphia and married the daughter of an
Irish gentleman named Pine. Decatur was bred to the sea and commanded
a merchantman out of the port of Philadelphia, until appointed to the
sloop-of-war, Delaware. Upon the completion of the frigate
Philadelphia, the command of it was given to him.

The elder Decatur had one daughter and three sons. The daughter was
twice married, her first husband having been killed in a duel. The
sons were Stephen, James, and John P., all of whom grew to manhood.
The boys were educated at the old Philadelphia Academy in Fourth
Street. Admiral Charles Stewart attended the same school and was an
intimate friend of Decatur through life. Many of the incidents of this
sketch were received by the writer from Stewart, who fully appreciated
the manliness, courage, and nobility of the sailor, now accepted as
the foremost type of the heroes and founders of the American navy.

"Decatur was a born fighter," said Stewart; "I never knew a boy so
fond of a bout as he. I sat near him at school and have known weeks to
pass, without a single day in which he did not arrange a contest with
one of the boys. We generally adjourned to the Quaker burying-ground
opposite, and had it out among the tombs. Decatur despised meanness of
every description, and rarely was beaten in a fight. When only
fifteen, he half killed a partially intoxicated man who insulted his
mother and refused to apologize. He never knew when he was whipped,
but would hang on like a bull-dog. I was a few months older than he,
but we were appointed midshipmen in the same year, 1798. Our intimacy
was never broken by the slightest incident."

Upon entering the navy, in March of the year named, Decatur joined the
frigate United States, under command of Commodore Barry, who had
obtained the warrant for him. He served with Barry until promoted to a
lieutenancy. The United States needed repairs, and not wishing to stay
in port, Decatur applied for orders to join the brig Norfolk, then
bound to the Spanish Main. After one cruise he returned again to port
and resumed his station on the United States, where he stayed until
our naval troubles with France terminated. He was next ordered to the
Essex and sailed with Commodore Dale's squadron to the Mediterranean.
Returning home once more, he was appointed to the New York, one of th