Bataan ARG Sails in the Wake of History

As told by Kennedy Hickman here.

In 1804, during the fourth year of the First Barbary War, the former American consul to Tunis, William Eaton returned to the Mediterranean. Titled "Naval Agent to the Barbary States," Eaton had received support from the US government for a plan to overthrow the pasha of Tripoli, Yusuf Karamanli. After meeting with the commander of US naval forces in the area, Commodore Samuel Barron, Eaton traveled to Alexandria, Egypt with $20,000 to seek out Yusuf's brother Hamet. The former pasha of Tripoli, Hamet had been deposed in 1793, and then exiled by his brother in 1795.

After contacting Hamet, Eaton explained that he wished to raise a mercenary army to help the former pasha regain his throne. Eager to retake power, Hamet agreed and work began to build a small army. Eaton was aided in this process by First Lieutenant Presley O'Bannon and eight US Marines, as well as Midshipman Pascal Peck. Assembling a ragtag group of around 500 men, mostly Arab, Greek, and Levantine mercenaries, Eaton and O'Bannon set off across the desert to capture the Tripolitan port of Derna.

Departing Alexandria on March 8, 1805, the column moved along the coast pausing at El Alamein and Tobruk. Their march was supported from the sea by the warships USS Argus, USS Hornet, and USS Nautilus under the command of Master Commandant Isaac Hull. Shortly after the march began, Eaton, now referring to himself as General Eaton, was forced to deal with a growing rift between the Christian and Muslim elements in his army. This was made worse by the fact that his $20,000 had been used and money to fund the expedition was growing scarce.

On at least two occasions, Eaton was forced to contend with near mutinies. The first involved his Arab cavalry and was put down at bayonet-point by O'Bannon's Marines. A second occurred when the column lost contact with Argus and food became scarce. Convincing his men to eat a pack camel, Eaton was able to stall until the ships reappeared. Pressing on through heat and sand storms, Eaton's force arrived near Derna on April 25 and was resupplied by Hull. After his demand for the city's surrender was refused, Eaton maneuvered for two days before initiating his attack.

Dividing his force in two, he sent Hamet southwest to severe the road to Tripoli and then attack the western side of the city. Moving forward with the Marines and the other mercenaries, Eaton planned to assault the harbor fortress. Attacking on the afternoon of April 27, Eaton's force, supported by naval gunfire, met determined resistance as the city's commander, Hassan Bey, had reinforced the harbor defenses. This permitted Hamet to sweep into the western side of the city and capture the governor's palace.

Grabbing a musket, Eaton personally led his men forward and was wounded in the wrist as they drove the defenders back. By the end of the day, the city had been secured and O'Bannon hoisted the US flag over the harbor defenses. It was the first time the flag had flown over a foreign battlefield. In Tripoli, Yusuf had been aware of the approach of Eaton's column and had dispatched reinforcements to Derna. Arriving after Eaton had taken the city, they briefly laid siege before assaulting it on May 13. Though they pushed Eaton's men back, the attack was defeated by fire from the harbor batteries and Hull's ships.

I find it appropriate that on this day, April 27, the 206th anniversary of the first major battle conducted overseas by the United States of America, the Bataan ARG and Marines of the 22nd MEU take station off the shores of Tripoli.

The United States Navy and the United States Marine Corps have been in these waters before, and just like 206 years ago the maritime services find themselves fighting a tyrant in Tripoli while supporting an insurgency movement across Libya. One wonders if the outcome in 2011 will be similar to 1805.

Aftermath:

The Battle of Derna cost Eaton a total of fourteen dead and several wounded. Of his force of Marines, two were killed and two wounded. O'Bannon and his Marines' role has been commemorated by the line "to the shores of Tripoli" in the Marine Corps Hymn as well as the adoption of the Mamaluke sword by the Corps. Following the battle, Eaton began planning a second march with the goal of taking Tripoli. Concerned about Eaton's success, Yusuf began suing for peace. Much to Eaton's displeasure, Consul Tobias Lear concluded a peace treaty with Yusuf on June 4, 1805, which ended the conflict. As a result, Hamet was sent back to Egypt, while Eaton and O'Bannon returned to the United States as heroes.

Is it possible in 2011 that landing Marines ashore is the next step towards pushing Libya towards a negotiated settlement? In 1805, it was the presence of an Army near Tripoli, not the use of an Army in Tripoli, that let to a negotiated solution. It is sad how our political leaders no longer think of military power in the context of limited objectives, rather only in context of limited use - the distinction being very important.

The Rest of the Story

In 1815, Stephen Decatur delivered swift and decisive blows against Algiers that forced a settlement with all three Barbary states and the United States. Algiers backed out of the treaty the day after it was signed, but with no American hostages held the United States observed the activities of Algiers without involvement.

It wasn't until August of 1816 that a combined British and Dutch fleet crushed Algiers and finally removed the piracy threat represented by the Barbary states. Algiers and Tunis became protectorates of France, while Tripoli fell under the domain of the Ottoman Empire until September of 1911, when Italy declared war on Tripoli and later assumed control of the colony.

In January of 1943, Tripoli was conquered once again by the British under Montgomery with allied support from New Zealand. Tripoli was administrated under British rule until declaring independence in 1951.