In 1804 during the latter part of the Barbary Wars, Thomas Jefferson wrote to Congress that "the reinforcements sent into that sea, and the energy of the officers having command in the several vessels will, I trust, by the sufferings of war, reduce the barbarians of Tripoli to the desire of peace on proper terms". Unfortunately, the Bey of Tunis continued to reject the treaties proposed and expected Jefferson to comply with "unjust demands [that] will not cost us less than a war". Then in 1805, the Barbary State felt the pain of that war, losing a decisive defeat at the port city of Derne, the capital of the province of Cyrenaica.
It all began in 1804 when William Eaton the former Consul to Tunis returned to the Mediterranean with the title of Naval Agent to the Barbary States. Eaton had returned with a mission to back the claim of Hamet Karamanli as the rightful heir to the throne of Tripoli. Eaton was currently in exile in Egypt, and from their Eaton launched his plan. On March 6, 1805 with the offshore bombardment support from three naval vessels, USS Nautilus, USS hornet and USS Argus, Eaton led a force of men 600 miles across the Libyan dessert t the port city of Derne. The force consisted of a small detachment of U.S. Marines commanded by First Lieutenant Presley O'Bannon and about 400 Arab and Greek mercenaries. It took 50 days to cross the Libyan dessert, and conflicts between the Christian Greeks and the Muslim mercenaries threatened mutiny on several occasions. Eaton was able to quell the Arab mutinies, and in late April reached the port city of Bomba, just several miles up the coast from Derne.
On the morning of April 26, Eaton sent a letter to the governor of Derne asking for safe passage and supplies, but the governor refused replying, "My head or yours!". The following day Eaton and his mercenary army attacked. While the naval ships bombarded Derne's batteries, Eaton split his men into two separate attacking parties. Under enemy musket fire, Lieutenant O'Bannon led the men on a charge passing "though a shower of Musketry from the wall of houses'. Yet, the defenders of Derne fled in haste, leaving their cannons loaded and ready to fire. O'Bannon raised the American flag over the battery, and Eaton turned the captured guns on the city. In less than 2 hours the entire city had fallen, and for the first time an American flag flew over foreign soil on the opposite side of the Atlantic. William Eaton would return to the United States as a National hero.
In his 1805 annual address to Congress, Thomas Jefferson gave credit to William Eaton and the battle of Derne for helping to establish peace in Tripoli.
"An operation by land by a small band of our country-men and others, engaged for the occasion in conjunction with the troops of the ex-Bashaw of that country, gallantly conducted by our late consul, Eaton, and their successful enterprise on the city of Derne, contributed doubtless to the impression which produced peace, and the conclusion of this prevented opportunities of which the officers and men of our squadron destined for Tripoli would have availed themselves to emulate the acts of valor exhibited by their brethren in the attack of the last year."Jefferson continued with the suggestion that promotions should be in order for Eaton and his men for their distinguished bravery.
"Reflecting with high satisfaction on the distinguished bravery displayed whenever occasions permitted it in the late Mediterranean service, I think it would be an useful encouragement as well as a just reward to make an opening for some present promotion by enlarging our peace establishment of captains and lieutenants."And Jefferson finished this section of his address with a promise that peace would come.
"With Tunis some misunderstandings have arisen not yet sufficiently explained, but friendly discussions with their ambassador recently arrived and a mutual disposition to do whatever is just and reasonable can not fail of dissipating these, so that we may consider our peace on that coast, generally, to be on as sound a footing as it has been at any preceding time. Still, it will not be expedient to withdraw immediately the whole of our force from that sea."In 1806, Jefferson shared a few words about the current peace with Tunis and proposed to send in reinforcements to maintain it.
"The States on the coast of Barbary seem generally disposed at present to respect our peace and friendship; with Tunis alone some uncertainty remains. Persuaded that it is our interest to maintain our peace with them on equal terms or not at all, I propose to send in due time a reenforcement into the Mediterranean unless previous information shall show it to be necessary."
The attack on Derne was the inspiration for the lyrics of the Marines' Hymn "to the shores of Tripoli".
From the Halls of Montezuma
To the shores of Tripoli;
We fight our country's battles
In the air, on land, and sea;
First to fight for right and freedom
And to keep our honor clean;
We are proud to claim the title
Of United States Marine
Our flag's unfurled to every breeze
From dawn to setting sun;
We have fought in every clime and place
Where we could take a gun;
In the snow of far-off Northern lands
And in sunny tropic scenes,
You will find us always on the job
The United States Marines.
Here's health to you and to our Corps
Which we are proud to serve;
In many a strife we've fought for life
And never lost our nerve.
If the Army and the Navy
Ever look on Heaven's scenes,
They will find the streets are guarded
By United States Marines.
http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/index.php?pid=29447
http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/index.php?pid=29448
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Derne
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/95/Attack_on_Derna_by_Charles_Waterhouse_01.jpg
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marines'_Hymn
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