Decatur Boarding A Tripolian Gunboat
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During the summer of 1804, Commodore Edward Preble decided to send gunboats to bombard the fortifications in Tripoli Harbor. Stephen Decatur, the youngest captain in the U.S. Navy at age 25, was in charge of a division of three gunboats. He and his men plunged into the midst of nine enemy boats and began to board them. After fierce hand-to-hand fighting, the enemy was driven from the decks of the ships and three prizes were taken by the Americans.
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