CORRESPONDENCE,
BETWEEN THE LATE
COMMODORE STEPHEN DECATUR
AND
COMMODORE JAMES BARRON,
WHICH LED TO THE
UNFORTUNATE MEETING
OF THE
TWENTY SECOND OF MARCH
BOSTON:
PRINTED BY RUSSELL & GARDNER.
1820.
The friends of the late Commodore Decatur, have learned, with very great regret, that misconceptions injuriousto him prevail, and are extending, relative to thedifference between him and Commodore Barron. Toplace the subject in its true light, they have thought itnecessary to submit to the public, without comment, thewhole correspondence which preceded the meeting.
CORRESPONDENCE, &c.
No. 1.
HAMPTON, (VA.) JUNE 12,[1] 1819.
Sir: I have been informed, in Norfolk, that you have said that youcould insult me with impunity, or words to that effect. If you have saidso, you will no doubt avow it, and I shall expect to hear from you.
I am, sir, your obedient servant,
JAMES BARRON.
To Commodore Stephen Decatur,
Washington.
[1]With respect to the date of this letter, it may be proper toobserve, that, although it is 12th June, yet the figure 2, as made,might well be mistaken for a 3: hence, in Commodore Decatur's letter ofreply, he considered the date to be 13th June. On referring, however, tothe post mark on the back of the letter, it was found to have been putinto the post office on the 12th: hence, in Commodore Decatur's letterto Commodore Barron, of the 31st October, 1819, it is recognized asdated on the 12th.
No. 2
WASHINGTON, JUNE 17, 1819.
Sir: I have received your communication of the 13th instant. Beforeyou could have been entitled to the information you have asked ofme, you should have given up the name of your informer. That franknesswhich ought to characterize our profession required it. I shall not,however, refuse to answer you on that account, but shall be as candid inmy communication to you as your letter or the case will warrant.
Whatever I may have thought, or said, in the very frequent and freeconversation I have had respecting you and your conduct, I feel a thoroughconviction that I never could have been guilty of so much egotism as tosay that "I could insult you" (or any other man) "with impunity."
I am, sir, your obedient servant,
STEPHEN DECATUR.
To Commodore James Barron,
Hampton, Virginia.
No. 3
HAMPTON, (VA.) JUNE 25, 1819.
Sir: Your communication of the 17th instant, in answer to mine ofthe 13th, I have received.
The circumstances that urged me to call on you for the information requestedin my letter, would, I presume, have instigated you, or any otherperson, to the same conduct that I pursued. Several gentlemen in Norfolk,not your enemies, nor actuated by any malicious motive, told methat such a report was in circulation, but could not now be traced to