CREW OF THE U.S.S. INTREPID

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP05S00620R000100030130-4
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 4
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: February 3, 2010
• Sequence Number: 130
• Content Type: MISC

Approved For Release 2010/02/03: CIA-RDP05S00620R000100030130-4
Sergeant Clendenon Newell
American Legion Post Number One
399 Broad Ave. ; Leonia; New Jersey 07605:
FIRST I
IN NEW JE
CHARTE
JULY 1.4,
CREW OF THE U.S.S. INTREPID
SEPTE14PER 4, 1804
OFFICERS
CAPTIAN RICHARD SOMERS
LIEUTENANT HENRY WADSWORTH
LIEUTENANT JOSEPH ISREAL
From U.S.S. Constitution
William Harrison
,Robert Clark
Hugh McCormick
Jacob Williams
Peter Penner
Isaac Downs
From U.S.S. Nautilus
James Simmons
Thomas Tonpline
James Harris
William Keith
SOURCE: Commander Spear
Historian U.S.S. Constitution
U. S. Navy ;Museum
Washington, D.C.
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American Legion Post Number One
Sergeant Clendenon Newell
399 Broad Ave.* Leonia, New Jersey 07605
FIRST PO
IN NEW JERS
CHARTERI
JULY 14, 19
I
In 1785 our Navy was disbanded. From 1785 to 1794 we had no
Navy at all. Congress authorized the building of six Frigates in
1794, but work was stopped for lack of ftsndc, until 1797 when they
d and our most famous ship was laua-nches, the U.S.S.
CONSTITUTION. At this time in history the United.States had a
treaty with the Government of Tripoli for safe passage through the
Meditterannean Sea. Not happy with the small tribute being paid
by the United States, and the lure of unprotected American commerce
the Pasha of Tripoli in i'yO1 djclared war on the United States.
In answer to this challenge Cosmodore EDWARD PR83LE in the U.S.S.
CONSTITUTIC:; was sent to the Mditterannean in coraand of squadron.
THIS WAS OUR FIRST FOREIGN VVAR101
The most daring act cf those days, was the cutting out of
the PHILADELPHIA. This Frigate had gone aground off Tripoli on an
uncharted reef and had been boarded and captured by the Tripoli
Pirates. Preble appointed a young Lieutenant 'STEPHEN DECATUR in
command of the Catch INTREPID to sneak in under the guns of
Tripoli and burn the Philadelphia so that she could not be used
by the Pirates. This Decatur did, against great odds,-'burning
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the hulk and escaping almost untouched under the blazing guns
of the-fort-in the-harbor. Also on board with Decatur was James
Lawrence and Thomas Mcnough.
Further along in the war the INTREPID was chosen again,.
because of her shallow draft, to sneak into Tripoli harbor again,
and became a floating mine, a fire ship, to destroy and damage
as much of the enemy shipping and gunboats as possible.
Captain Somers volunteered to take the INTREPID in with
Lieutenant WADSWORTH volunteering as second in command. They
asked for volunteers among the men and in an overwhelming response,
ten men were chosen to go with them. Their escape was to be made
in two long boats.
They decided to go in on the night of September 4, 1804,
Conditions were favorable, as it was a dark night, they were to
enter from the Western entrance of the harbor and had an Easterly
breeze. Moments before they left a Lieutenant Joseph ISRAEL went
on board the INTREPID with a message from Commodore Preble, while
on board, he begged to go on the mission, and permission was
granted. This gives 13.men all volunteers, who went into Tripoli
harbor aboard the INTREPID. There was three enemy gunboats guarding
the harbor. This did not atop these men, they went in anyway. The
moment they entered the harbor, they were spotted by the Pirates
and were immediately fir(yd upon.
From here on in we g) on theory.
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We
do know that at 9:47 p.m. the INTREPID blew up. We
do have eyewitness reports that a light was seen racing across
the deck, like someone carrying a torch running across the deck
seconds. before she blew up. It is unlikely the Pirates boarded
the ship and blew her up, because they were badly in need of
ammunition and would have captured the vessel. The most accepted
theory is, that escape became impossible and that the magazine
was intentionally exploded rather than allow the vessel to be
captured. It has always been believed that Somers and his
companions were capable of this act -- they expressed the
determination not to allow the capture of themselves or the vessel.
All 13 bodies were recovered two days later so mangled
as to make identification impossible...
From,the American Legion Magazine we do know that five
graves are duly marked.
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