Reuben James
| Reuben James | |
|---|---|
 Reuben James saving the life of Stephen Decatur, engraving by Alonzo Chappel, 1858 |
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| Born | c.1776 Delaware |
| Died | 3 December 1838 Washington, DC |
| Allegiance | United States of America |
| Service/branch | United States Navy |
| Years of service | ?-January 1836 |
| Rank | Gunner's Mate |
| Battles/wars | Quasi-War First Barbary War War of 1812 Second Barbary War |
Reuben James (c. 1776 – 3 December 1838) was a Boatswain's Mate of the United States Navy, famous for his heroism in the Barbary Wars.
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[edit] Career
Born in Delaware around 1776, James joined the United States Navy and served on several ships, including the frigate USS Constellation. During the Barbary Wars, the American frigate Philadelphia was captured by the Barbary pirates when it ran aground in the city of Tripoli, on the southern shores of the Mediterranean Sea. Lieutenant Stephen Decatur, along with a group of volunteers that included Reuben James, entered the harbor of Tripoli under the cover of darkness in an attempt to burn the Philadelphia so that the pirates could not use her.
The volunteers boarded the Philadelphia on 16 February 1804 and were met by Barbary pirates who were guarding their prize. In the ensuing hand-to-hand combat, Reuben James, with both of his hands already wounded, positioned himself between Lieutenant Decatur and a sword-wielding pirate. Willing to give his life for his captain, James took a blow from the sword but survived.
James continued his Naval career, serving many years with Decatur. He was forced to retire in January 1836 because of ill health. He died in 1838 at the U.S. Naval Hospital in Washington, DC.
[edit] Influence
Three warships of the Navy have been named Reuben James in his honor:
- Reuben James (DD-245), a four-stack Clemson-class destroyer
- Reuben James (DE-153), a Buckley-class destroyer escort
- Reuben James (FFG-57), an Oliver Hazard Perry-class frigate
There are two songs with the title Reuben James:
- The Sinking of the Reuben James is a folk song written by Woody Guthrie about the ship Reuben James (DD-245) and her sinking while on convoy duty shortly before the U.S. entered World War II. It became a hit by the Kingston Trio.
- The second song has no connection with the mariner. It was a hit for Kenny Rogers and the First Edition in 1969, written by Barry Etris, and is devoted to his father (see the details at The Art & Music of Barry Etris).
James Island of Washington state was named for James.[1]
[edit] References
- ^ Majors, Harry M. (1975). Exploring Washington. Van Winkle Publishing Co. p. 23. ISBN 9780918664006. http://books.google.com/books?id=CoWrPQAACAAJ.
[edit] External links
- United States Naval Institute: Lest We Forget
- This article incorporates text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. The entry can be found here.
