his eighteen marines, now augmented by twenty- four cannoniers, and thirty-s ix Greek mercenaries. Hamer Karamanli commanded an Arabian cavalry. During the batde, one marine was killed and two wounded, one mortally; a total of eleven Americans, including Eaton, were wounded. (It was from this action that the US Marine Hymn includes the words, " ... to the shores ofTripoli ... " Of course, there also were Marines on most all of the ships that participated in the blockade and bombardment of the harbor at Tripoli .) The fight was not over, however. Yusuf Karamanli promptly sent his army to retake Derne. They attacked several times and, each time, were repulsed by the combined Christian andArab forces. Both sides suffered heavy casualties. During the fighting, however, Eaton received dispatches telling him that treaty negotiations were underway and, in all likelihood, the Americans would have to evacuate the city. On 11 June 1805 , the USS Constellation arrived with orders to that effect and YusufKaramanli's troops seized the opportunity to eliminate all the remaining residents of the city for their disloyalty to the ruling Bashaw. While the action had little direct impact on the outcome of the war, most historians feel that the threat of an overland attack combined with a naval
bombardment provided further inducement to the Bashaw to treat for peace. The treaty with T ripoli 's Bashaw was signed on 5 June 1805. Among its provisions was the release of the officers and men who had been cap tured with the frigate Philadelphia to Commodore Barron, whose flag flew in Constitution. The Danish consul, Nicolas C. Nissen, who had been instrumental in protecting those officers and men during their captivity, again proved his worth by assisting in the n egotiations that led to the treaty, including the payment of a $60,000 ransom. The Philadelphia's crew returned to the United States in September of 1805, nearly two years after their capture. A subsequent visit to the Barbary Coast states became necessary in 1815, after the War of 181 2 had concluded. Both William Bainbridge and Stephen Decatur led squadrons across the Atlantic to "show the flag" along that problematic coast after the Dey of Algiers rattled his saber. No shots were fired and the D ey agreed to follow the conditions of the earlier treaty. America's Allies During the American involvement in the Barbary W ars, the United States needed the support of countries that had a physical presence in the area. England provided logistical support through her bases in
What Happened to Hamet Karamanli? After the fall of Derne and the subsequent treaty between the America and Tripoli, Hamer Karamanli more or less disappeared from view. Was he abandoned by the United States after it achieved its goal? Did he ascend to the throne of Tripoli? Was he reunited with his family, as required by article three of the treaty, who had been held hostage in Tripoli by his brother Yusuf to ensure Hamet's non-
Gibraltar and Malta, and the King of the Two Sicilies (now Italy) loaned Commodore Preble nearly a dozen gunboats and mortar ships as well as some 65 Italian sailors. These vessels proved th eir crucial importance during Prebl e's bombardment of the Tripo li tan coast. It was in these American squadrons and the liaisons provided by American allies in the Mediterranean Basin that the United States Sixth Fleet had its genesis and have since helped, in conjunction with the Royal Navy, to provide open trade routes and safe passage during most of the ensuing two hundred years. American trade flourished along with that of the other nations that chose to sail those waters in pursuit of co mmerce. A peaceful co-existence, the Pax Britannica, endured for more than one hundred years, ending with the start of World War I. It is fitting at this time in our history to acknowledge those who have gone before and faced the dangers presented by those who would wish us ill . They are the early heroes of American naval history: James Lawrence, Stephen D ecat ur , William Bainbridge, David Porter, Isaac Hull, Edward Preble, Richard Somers. Countless others remain unknown except to historians and researchers, but their contribution was no less valid. They made the waters of the Mediterranean Sea safe for American, as well as other, ships to trade and contributed to the beginnings ofour current global economy. With this bicentennial ann iversary of our co nflict with the countries of North Africa, let us hope that future conflicts of that nature will become moot. L
intervention ?
Colonel Lear, who negotiated the treaty with Yusuf, included a secret article unknown to the US Department or Congress, which gave the Bashaw four years to implement the third article relating to Hamet's family. Hamer, once agai n living in exile (though this time in Syracuse and on a US government stipend), knew of the article restoring his family ro him, but, of course, not the secret provision giving his brother, the Bashaw, an inordinate amount of time ro carry it out. When Dr. George C. Davis, who had been charge d'affaires in Tun is, reached Tripoli ro assume his new role as American consul in May 1807, he demanded of the Bashaw that article three of the treaty be fulfilled, and then learned that an additional two years was allowed to accomplish this. He prevailed upon Yusuf to restore Hamet's family without further delay, and they were re-united in October of that year. In December, che US House of Representa tives recommended an increase in Hamet's all owance, which was approved directly. In 1808, the Bashaw made arrangements for Hamer and his fam ily to sh ift their residence to Morocco with a pension paid by the government ofTripoli. (Of course, at chat time, the US pecuniary ai d ended. ) The following year, Dr. Davis, now comfortable in his position as consul , influenced the Bashaw to appoint Hamer co the government of Derne. Sadly, two years after assuming his new responsibilities ch ere, the brothers had a subsequent falling out and Ham et again fled ro Egypt (this time with his family) where he ultimately died . -W.H. W.
SEA HISTORY 105 , AUTUMN 2003
Mr. White is a maritime historian specializing in age ofsail events in which America was a participant. H e lectures ftequentLy on the impact ofthese actions and has written four historical novels: A Press of Canvas, A Fine Tops'! Breeze, andThe Evening Gun, which comprise the War of 1812 Trilogy, andThe Greater the Honor, a Novel of the Barbary Wars. H e is a trustee ofthe National Maritime Histo rical Society, USS Consrirution Museum, and the D efense ofFreedom Foundation as weLL as a consultant to the 1812 reproduction privateer schooner Lynx. Mr. White has recently been named a Fe/Low of the Massachusetts Historical Society. Further information on the author and his books may be found atwww.seafiction.net.
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