Gunboat Number Six

On the far left of the painting gunboat #6 is depicted under Lieutenant Trippe's command engaging one of the Tripoli gunboats. This action took place under the guns of the round fort. Indeed, Lieutenant Trippe's gunboat had to run the gauntlet of canon and musket fire to get close to the anchored Tripoli gunboat.

Lt. Trippe and ten marines boarded the Barbary vessel over the starboard bow. Initially the boarding party was able to subdue the Barbary Corsairs, and Lt. Trippe, thinking that the Corsairs had surrendered, sent the gunboat off to engage another Tripoli Gunboat. When Gunboat #6 left, the Corsairs attacked Trippe's small force and a fierce hand to hand battle took place.

Lieutenant Trippe was wounded numerous times before he and the marines were able to clear the decks. Eight corsairs sought refuge in the hold and some thirty jumped over board, leaving twenty dead and wounded on the decks. Meanwhile Lieutenant Trippe fought the Barbary Captain, before falling (probably blood loss), whereby the Marine Sergeant, Jacob Boston, stepped in, "Trip fell, I sprang to his assistance, where I contended with the Turk for several minutes, [and] where I broke my sword and had but eighteen inches of blade. I sought shelter around the mast, and was warmly pursued by the Turk. I cried out [that] my sword was broke to Lieut. Trip [so] that he could give me his, by this time the Lieut. had come to, and made a pass at the Turk, he [the Turk] fended it off, which gave me a chance to cut him down with my broken sword."

At this time Commodore Preble made the signal to withdraw, and Lieutenant Trippe had to escape with this captured gunboat from under the guns of the fort with only these few marines to handle the sweeps (oars).

While the Constitution pounded away at the fortifications of Tripoli, the topmen of the Constitution fought their own battle of making sure that the rigging was maintained. The running rigging is what controlled the sails, and the sails controlled the ship, It was therefore essential to make sure that any battle damage aloft was immediately seen to.

We know from a number of accounts that the main royal yard was shot in two and the sail was in tatters. I have tried to show the difficulty of bringing this under control some 150 feet above the water. Meanwhile on the foremast a group of topmen are splicing the fore tops'l yard brace.

In the view above can be seen the men in the fighting tops. Armed with swivel guns and muskets these men could, when the Constitution was close enough, bring a deadly fire down over the parapets of the fort.

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