The operations of the United States Navy in the War with Tripoli are too well known to require any additional comment, except in one respect. Reference is continually made in the various accounts of the campaign to the presence of six Sicilian gunboats and two Sicilian bomb vessels in the squadron commanded by Commodore Preble. Considerable uncertainty seems to exist as to how these eight foreign vessels came to participate in the attack on Tripoli, whether they were purchased or chartered, how they were manned, etc. The following correspondence, copies of which were courteously furnished to the writer by Admiral Romeo Bernotti, the President of the Comitalo degli Ammiragli, may throw some light on the subject. These documents, which evidently have escaped the notice of historians, would indicate that the services of these eight Sicilian boats were of much greater importance than is generally supposed. Commodore Barron made no attempt to conceal his disappointment when he failed to secure a renewal of the Sicilian co-operation that had been extended to his predecessor. In fact he had requested an even larger contingent from the Sicilian Navy, nothing less than 18 vessels with their crews, arms, and ammunition.
This correspondence, which consists of three letters, is published herewith apparently for the first time. The originals are to be found in the files of the Historical Section of the Italian Navy Department.
Naples, 15th December, 1804
May it please Your Excellency
The Six Gun boats and two bomb-vessels which His Majesty the King of the Sicilies, generously loaned the United States of America last Summer, were of very essential service to the squadron under my command in several attacks which we made on the City and shipping of our common Enemy—the Tripolines.
I with great pleasure acknowledge the gallant conduct of the Neapolitan Gunners and other of His Majesty’s subjects attached to them and am certain that the earliest opportunity will be improved by my government to tender suitable acknowledgments to His Majesty.
In consequence of the situation of the City and harbour of Tripoli it is necessary in order to carry on our operations against that Regency with the greatest effect that we should have the Bomb-Vessels and Gun Boats; and as they cannot with safety be navigated across the Atlantic, Commodore Barron, my successor in command of the American Squadron employ’d against Tripoli, has therefore requested me in the name of the United States to sollicit His Majesty, the King of the Sicilies, for the further assistance of this description of vessels. Should His Majesty be pleased to grant our request, Commodore Barron will want twelve Gun Boats and six Bomb-Vessels to be ready for service by the first of May next. The Bomb-Vessels to be furnish’d with mortars and shell and the Gunboats with their proper cannon, small arms and shot suitable for the calibre of the cannon, as we have none of that calibre.
Commodore Barron will furnish all the boats with masts, spars, rigging and sails to be fitted out as butters (?) and will, if agreeable to His Majesty, take into our service fifteen Neapolitans for each Boat, who shall receive double pay.
The United States will compensate for the expenditure of ammunition and for the use of the Boats in any way His Majesty may think proper.
The Neapolitans employ’d in the Gun Boats and Bomb-vessels last Summer have been paid and satisfied at Messina, and I request to be made acquainted how or in what manner we are to compensate for the expenditure of ammunition on board the Boats, during our last operations against Tripoli.
Your Excellency will greatly oblige me by endeavoring to procure me an answer as early as possible that I may be able to leave this Bay as (for the want of Anchors) the situation of our Frigate would be rather unsafe in case of a heavy gale of wind.
I have the honor to be
with the highest respect
Your Excellency’s most obedient
and most humble servant
Edward Preble
A Sua Ecc’ll’nza
Il cal. Generale de Fortinguerra
Segretaio della R’l Seig’ria di Stato di Guerra
e del Dipartimento della Marina R’le
Napoli.
The reply of the Sicilian Admiralty was a polite refusal to furnish any more vessels on the ground that they were needed for the defense of the coast of the two kingdoms.
Sir,
I have laid before the King your application dated the 15th inst. by which you evince the desire that the squadron of the United States may again present itself next Spring before Tripoli, and request that this Royal Marine Department will furnish in May next twelve Gun Boats and six Bomb Vessels, with their requisite ammunition and a part of their crews in conformity to what has taken place this year.
His Majesty is infinitely happy in having been able to contribute in the past campaign towards furnishing the means of attack against the common Enemy, and would earnestly wish to be enabled to concur a second time in the same object but the coasts of the two Kingdoms being continually molested by the squadrons of the Barbary Regencies to the immediate detriment of his coasting trade, he finds himself under the necessity of employing his Gun Boats and Bomb Vessels in the needful defense of this extensive coast, and in protecting his numerous commerce by preventing the continual Landings which the Barbarians effect daily, whereby they unfortunately make slaves of many of his subjects who claim assistance for the safety of the coasts, which cannot be more effectually protected than by the boats in question.
I have on this occasion in the name of His Majesty to return infinite thanks to your Goodness for the attention and favors which you have granted to his crews, and in particular to the officer Anthony Masi, whom you have distinguished with those marks of generosity which are analagous to the sentiments of your government, and with the assurance of my particular esteem and regard I have the honor to be,
Sir
Your most devoted and obliged servant
General Fortinguerra
Naples 21st decemb. 1804
Commodore Edward Preble
Commodore James Barron, who relieved Commodore Preble, would not take no for an answer without making an attempt himself to secure a reversal of the ruling of the Sicilian Admiralty by appealing directly to the Prime Minister of the realm, Sir John Acton.
Syracuse—January 10th, 1805
May it please Your Excellency
The letter wich Your Excellency did me the favor of addressing to me on the 20th, ult’o should have been earlier acknowledged had not a severe indisposition rendered me incapable of any application to business for several weeks past. I avail myself of the first moments of convalescence to convey to Your Excellency my unfeigned thanks for the friendly disposition evinced in your Reply to my communication respecting the outrage committed on some American sailors by individuals belonging to the Crew of the French Privateer in this harbor and I feel much satisfaction in being able to add that this affair has terminated more favorably than its aspect denoted—the wounded Americans being on the Recovery the Privateersmen have with my consent been liberated by the Governor, all further proceedings suspended.
I now again take the liberty to address Your Excellency on a matter of immediate and serious moment to the interests of the United States and not entirely indifferent to those of His Sicilian Majesty. By the papers which I have the honor to transmit enclosed for Your Excellency’s perusal, you will perceive that the application recently made by Commodore Preble to the Royal Marine department for a renewal of the loan of a certain number of gun-boats and bomb-vessels to cooperate with the squadrons commonly in the ensuing campaign against Tripoli, has not met with that success which he as well as myself expected and ardently desired.
The accompanying copy of General Fortinguerra’s answer contains a statement of the reasons for the refusal. I am fully sensible of the weight which upon a general view of the subject these reasons derive from the present situation of His Majesty’s dominions in relation to the Barbary Powers, but at the same time it is impossible for me to recognize their force or propriety as they regard the application in question which embraces so small a proportion of that description of naval force, adapted for the defence of the coasts and which proportion cannot be considered as entirely diversed from that object, since it is to be employed in offensive measures against the common Enemy of His Majesty and the United States; I will not, however, trespass on Your Excellency’s time by discussing a point upon which I am willing to flatter myself that our ideas are the same—it is sufficient for me to declare openly to Your Excellency that this unexpected refusal operates as a severe disappointment to my plans and should the Neapolitan Government persist therein, the operation of our squadrons will I fear be comparatively weak and ineffectual for want of those succours, from which we derived such essential advantage during the last campaign, and it is scarcely necessary to state to Your Excellency the difficulty of procuring vessels, suited to the warfare in which we are engaged from any other quarter a difficulty which is augmented by the advanced state of the season. Impressed therefore with the urgency of the occasion and encouraged by a recollection of the friendly sentiments which Your Excellency has in repeated instances manifested toward the United States, I am induced earnestly to solicit you exert that influence near His Majesty, which I cannot but believe a long series of eminent services added to the Weight of superior talents must yet preserve to Your Excellency in His Majesty’s Counsels, in order that he may be pleased to reconsider the application without delay and grant me if not all, a part at least of the auxiliary force to which it refers. The Bomb-Vessels are of particular consequence to our contemplated operations against the common Enemy, I consider them indeed as indispensable to ensure our success; could these therefore be had even without gunboats, they would form an addition to our force of no inconsiderable value.
I make no apology for this claim on Your Excellency’s friendship and interference influenced as I am by the importance of the object to my country and I prefer it with the more confidence from the reflexion that in the great end to be obtained the interests of His Sicilian Majesty are intimately connected with those of the Nation under whose flag I have the Honor to command.
I shall remain at this place until my Health is fully re-established and shall wait with great anxiety Your Excellency’s reply in the meanwhile I request you will accept the assurance of the high respect and consideration with which I have the Honor to subscribe myself
Your Excellency’s most
faithful and obedient servant
Jas Barron
To His Exc. Sir John Acton
Commodore Barron does not mince words as to the urgent necessity of securing light craft from the King of the Two Sicilies nor does he minimize the value of Sicilian co-operation. Whether his attempt to go over the head of the Minister of Marine met with any success the record does not disclose. As a matter of fact peace negotiations were pending at the time and no further attacks on the city of Tripoli were attempted. The extraordinary invasion of the Regency by a motley army commanded by “General” Eaton had thoroughly alarmed the Bashaw and played no negligible part in inducing that potentate to sign a treaty with the United States.
In the light of the above correspondence the Sicilian participation in the Tripolitan War assumes somewhat the aspect of a joint operation against a common enemy and is so referred to by both the American commodores. Italian and American seamen had been comrades in arms 113 years before the World War.