No wonder there are so many cities and counties in the U.S. named “Decatur”.  This dude ruled the high seas.

From a post on the Naval History Blog this morning…

195 years ago today, Commodore Stephen Decatur sailed his squadron of ten ships to the Mediterranean Sea to take part in the Second Barbary War, whose goal was to suppress a growing piracy industry. Decatur was dispatched to Algiers to secure the release of American sailors taken prisoner and held in slavery, to put an end to the payment of tribute (state-to-state extortion), and finally, to procure favorable prize agreements.

According to the Naval History Blog, Decatur captured two ships on his way to Algiers, which provided him bargaining power.  Within 48 hours, he had a treaty signed, accomplishing all the objectives stated above.  Decatur then sailed on to Tunis and Tripoli and demanded and received compensation for the War of 1812 that had previously been withheld.

For this campaign, he became known as “the Conqueror of the Barbary Pirates.”