Throughout the year 1800 the attitude of the Dey of Tripoli had become steadily more threatening, and by February, 1801, he was demanding a new treaty with a payment of $250,000 and an annual tribute of $20,000. On May 10, 1801, he declared war, and about June 1st Captain Richard Dale (Paul Jones’s first lieutenant in the _Bonhomme Richard_) sailed from Hampton Roads with three frigates: the _President_, _Philadelphia_, and _Essex_, and the schooner _Enterprise_, to protect our commerce by blockade of Tripoli and Tunis if necessary. A humiliating element of the situation was the carrying of $30,000 which it was hoped the Dey of Tripoli would accept as a compensation for the annuity of naval stores. Dale’s arrival off Tripoli caused much disturbance in the mind of the Dey, but nothing occurred until on August 1st, when the _Enterprise_ captured a Tripolitan vessel of 14 guns and 80 men, after an action of three hours, which was returned to Tripoli an empty hulk, Dale’s orders not allowing him to take prizes, but to sink, burn, or destroy. This curious phase of things arose from the extraordinary views of President Jefferson as to his constitutional powers. War, as he saw things, could not exist except by declaration of Congress, however active the enemy in seizing American ships and making slaves of American citizens and seamen. The situation was remedied by Congress on February 6, 1802, which gave the President full powers to act, and was practically a declaration of war. Dale had orders to sail for home in October if things should become peaceful, and was to leave the Mediterranean in any case by December 1st. For this there were two reasons: it was deemed unsafe to cruise in the Mediterranean in winter, and the crews were enlisted for but one year. Meanwhile, however, and despite the extraordinary views of the President, Dale carried out his semi-peaceful, semi-warlike orders, so far as to blockade Tripoli and capture ingoing vessels. In one of these were twenty Tripolitan soldiers and an officer, who were exchanged for three American prisoners. Dale completed his orders so far as to return in December with two ships only, leaving the _Philadelphia_ and _Essex_; the first to watch Tripoli from Syracuse as a base, the second to observe two Tripolitan vessels blockaded at Gibraltar. A new squadron was now formed with crews enlisted for two years. Commodore Morris was ordered to the command with his broad-pennant in the _Chesapeake_ of such later ill-fortune. The other ships were the _Constellation_, _New York_, _John Adams_, _Adams_, and _Enterprise_. It is not often that a family finds itself so honored as was the Adams family in this instance, with two ships of the name in the same squadron. Isaac Chauncey commanded the _Chesapeake_, John Rodgers the _John Adams_, Isaac Hull was first lieutenant of the _New York_, and Oliver Hazard Perry was a midshipman in the _Adams_. All of these were to rise to high distinction.