Little-Known Facts About the First Barbary War-- Part 6: Henry Wadsworth

Henry Wadsworth

When Commodore Preble decided to send two fireships into the harbor of Tripoli to destroy pirate ships anchored there.  Among the men selected for this daring task was Henry Wadsworth, a 20-year-old acting lieutenant.  Preble made him second in command of one of the ships, the Interprid.

On the night of September 4, 1804, the USS Intrepid, now a fireship containing 100 barrels of gun powder, sailed into Tripoli Harbor, but, tragically, the Intrepid blew up before it could reach its target.

The entire crew, including Henry Wadsworth, were killed.

The poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow was named after his uncle, Henry Wadsworth.

--Cooter