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Medal Name: Capture of the Macedonian
Struck for: Captain Stephen Decatur
Approval: Act of Congress January 29, 1813
OBVERSE
STEPHANUS DECATUR NAVARCHUS, PUGNIS PLURIBUS, VICTOR. (Stephen Decatur, a naval captain, conqueror in many battles.)
Bust of Captain Decatur, in uniform, facing the right.
REVERSE
OCCIDIT SIGNUM HOSTILE SIDERA SURGUNT. (The enemy's standard falls, the stars arise.)
Naval action between the United States frigate United States, of forty-four guns, Captain Decatur, and the British frigate Macedonian, of forty-nine guns, Captain Carden;
The United States, to leeward, is firing her port broadside;
The Macedonian has lost her mizzenmast, her fore and main-topmasts, and her mainyard.
Exergue: INTER STA. UNI. NAV. AMERI. ET MACEDO. NAV. ANG. DIE XXV OCTOBRIS MDCCCXII. (InterUnited States navem Americanam et Macedonian navem Anglicanam, die 25 Octobris, 1812: Between the American vessel United States and the English vessel Macedonian, October 25, 1812.)
BACKGROUND
Stephen Decatur was born in Sinnepuxent, Worcester County, Maryland, January 5, 1779. He was appointed a midshipman, 1798; a lieutenant, 1799; served in the Mediterranean under Commodore Dale, 1801, and under Commodore Preble, 1803; and, while in command of the Intrepid, destroyed the Philadelphia, off Tripoli, February 15, 1804. For this gallant deed he was immediately promoted to the rank of captain. He commanded a division of gunboats under Preble in the subsequent attacks on Tripoli. On October 25, 1812, when in command of the frigate United States, he captured the British frigate Macedonian, Captain John Carden, for which action Congress gave him a vote of thanks and a gold medal. In January, 1815, he left New London as commodore, having his flag on the President, but was soon afterward captured by an English fleet. The same year he sailed for the Mediterranean in command of a squadron, and made treaties with Algiers, Tunis, and Tripoli. On his return home he became a member of the Naval Board. He was shot in a duel by Commodore Barron, at Bladensburg, Maryland, March 22,1820, and died the same evening.
Resolution of Congress Voting a Medal to Captains Hull, Decatur, Jones, etc.
Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That the President of the United States be, and he is hereby, requested to present to Captain Hull of the frigate Constitution, Captain Decatur of the frigate United States, and Captain Jones of the sloop of war Wasp, each a gold medal, with suitable emblems and devices; and a silver medal, with like emblems and devices, to each commissioned officer of the aforesaid vessels, in testimony of the high sense entertained by Congress of the gallantry, good conduct, and services of the captains, officers, and crews of the aforesaid vessels in their respective conflicts with the British frigates the Guerrière and the Macedonian, and sloop of war Frolic; and the President is also requested to present a silver medal, with like emblems and devices, to the nearest male relative of Lieutenant Bush, and one to the nearest male relative of Lieutenant Funk, intestimony of the gallantry and merit of those deceased officers, in whom their country has sustained a lossmuch to be regretted.
Section 2. And be it further resolved, That the President of the United States be, and he hereby is, requested to present to Lieutenant Elliott of the navy of the United States, an elegant sword, with suitable emblems and devices, in testimony of the just sense entertained by Congress of his gallantry and good conduct in boarding and capturing the British brigs Detroit and Caledonia, while anchored under the protection of Fort Erie.
Approved January 29, 1813.
Source: The Medallic History of the United States of America 1776-1876 by J. F. Loubat, LL.D. (1878)