In 1819 a quarrel arose between Commodore James Barron and Decatur. They met at Bladensburg, Maryland, on March 22, 1820. At the first shots Barron was dangerously wounded. Decatur was also hit, and he died the same evening. PREPARED BY THE EDITORIAL STAFF OF THE MENTOR ASSOCIATION ILLUSTRATION FOR THE MENTOR, VOL. 4. No. 3, SERIAL No. 103 COPYRIGHT, 1916, BY THE MENTOR ASSOCIATION, INC. [Illustration: IN THE POSSESSION OF THE NEW YORK HISTORICAL SOCIETY COMMODORE WILLIAM BAINBRIDGE FROM THE PAINTING BY REMBRANDT PEALE] The War of 1812 WILLIAM BAINBRIDGE Monograph Number Two in The Mentor Reading Course William Bainbridge was born at Princeton, New Jersey, on May 7, 1774. He was a son of Dr. Absalom Bainbridge, a Physician of the town. He received comparatively little education; for he went to sea in a merchant vessel at the age of fourteen. A few years after this, while he was the mate of the ship _Hope_, on a voyage to Holland he saved the life of his captain, who had been seized by a mutinous crew with the intention of throwing him overboard. On his return home, because of his good conduct and abilities, he was promoted to the command of a ship in the Dutch trade. He continued in command of various ships until 1798. During this time the war between France and Great Britain made it difficult for neutrals to carry on trade. Therefore as master of a ship Bainbridge had to elude, or beat off a great deal of interference on the part of French and British ships alike. In 1798, when war was about to break out between France and the United States and the American navy was organized, Bainbridge was appointed commander of the United States Schooner _Retaliation_, of fourteen guns, with the rank of lieutenant. In November his ship was captured by two French frigates--but it was released shortly afterward. Bainbridge sailed for the West Indies as master commandant of the brig _Norfolk_. During this cruise he gave protection to the merchant trade of the United States and captured several of the enemy's merchantmen. In 1800 Bainbridge was promoted to the rink of captain. On the frigate _George Washington_ he sailed to the Dey of Algiers with presents. These "presents" were bribes which the United States paid to the Algerian pirates to secure exemption from capture for its merchant ships in the Mediterranean. Bainbridge was disgusted at having to pay the tributes. While his ship was at Algiers war was declared by the pirates against France, and the French consul and citizens were ordered to leave the country in forty-eight hours. Captain Bainbridge received them all on his ship and landed them safely.