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Originally Posted by M ELEY
The history of the piece makes sense. The Barbary Corsairs were 'just across the way' from the Iberian Peninsula, with trade routes and potential captures from Spanish ships. The blade is from a broadsword (?), so we can assume the original hilt was probably that of a bilbo (more likely) or perhaps cuphilt, as in the types seen in Peterson's and Brinkerhoff's books. 
Mark |
Thanks, Mark. I've been researching Decatur's actions in the First Barbary War. In late 1803 he was involved in the capture of the Tripolitan warship "Mastico" and its captain Mustapha Rais who surrendered, and I would like to imagine that this is Mustapha Rais' sword surrendered to Decatur. Decatur later sailed the captured "Mastico" (renamed "Intrepid") into Tripoli in disguise and destroyed the captured "Philadelphia" in a daring raid that made him famous.
Then in August 1804 he boarded and captured two Tripolitan gunboats in hand-to-hand combat. On one of the boats he fought with the captain, who nearly killed him, but while they wrestled, Decatur was able to reach his pistol in his pocket and cock and fire it, killing his opponent. Possible that the sword was taken in one of these encounters as well.